Falling Stars

magnificent

Chapter V

Over the course of the next few days, the Cullen household had gotten two more residents in addition to Kallias and his parents.

Leah and Seth Clearwater had left their original pack on the Quileute reservation to join under Jacob as their new alpha. Kallias was thrilled to have two other shifters on the property. Tthey were familiar, and easier to gauge than the coven, who he was still getting used to. Seth had instantly become fascinated by the hybrid, following Kallias around like a little duckling whenever he wasn't with Jasper, and pestering him with questions. Leah didn't appear to really like anyone other than her younger brother and Jacob, but tolerated Kallias and his mother. She disliked his father just as much as the other leeches.

The more time Kallias was able to spend with Jasper, the more quickly it became clear why the vampire described himself as emotionally unavailable. The vampire often spent his time in silence, in the safety of solitude within his room– eyes lost and mind distant. Jasper seemed to be in a state of near constant ptsd, trapped in waking nightmares. He was sometimes unable, or unwilling, to respond to others, and even Kallias found it difficult to bring Jasper out of his sorrow. It was a miracle the vampire was able to make it through high school.

Kallias found himself spending time in Jasper's space, engaging in positive activities that increased the hybrid's own happiness, letting the vampire feed off of those healthy emotions. It seemed the most effective method of bringing Jasper clarity.

They touched– skinship offering Jasper further comfort. The vampire would often seek out physical affection, and welcomed the hybrid to initiate contact as well. Kallias had quickly discovered that he had to be within Jasper's line of sight first. He'd once approached from behind his mate, brushing up against the vampire; Jasper had shut down for the remainder of the day.

It was frustrating, but Kallias supposed he understood to a certain extent. It did not compare to the horrors of wars that Jasper faced, but he had fought many battles and experienced death. He tried to imagine what it would feel like to hold onto that. He had never felt conflicted by the deaths on his hands. He wondered if it was his lack of humanity that made it difficult for him to have empathy at times.

"She's looking healthier," Edward said, sitting down beside Jasper and Kallias on the couch.

The mated pair were holding hands, and Kallias suspected the couch was pressed up against the wall specifically for Jasper, so he wouldn't have anyone coming at him from behind. It was a day when Jasper had decided not to talk much, but at least he was spending time in the company of others. Sharing his story with Kallias had taken a lot out of the vampire. According to Alice, Jasper could be much more talkative.

"The blood helps," Kallias replied, "If the child is anything like me, they'll rely on it."

Kallias watched the frail human lying on the couch. It was obvious that consuming human blood had provided her with the nutrients needed to sustain the baby. The blood had brought some flush to her skin and she was able to hold her head up without assistance. His mother was constantly by Bella's side to monitor her health, along with Rosalie, who Kallias cared little for.

It was clear the female vampire only worried about the health of the baby, and very little about Bella. He supposed her pain was justified. It couldn't have been easy to lose her humanity and the things her mortal body was capable of, or at least that's what his mother had said. Still, it was no excuse for Rosalie to completely disregard Bella's life.

"She's always been focused on her own self interests," Edward sighed beside him. Kallias had forgotten the vampire could read his mind.

"My mother is dedicated to the safety of your child and Bella," he tried to reassure the vampire.