Claircognizance / / J. Hale

{11 Secrets Revealed}

Jasper Hale

Despite Jasper being able to see his mate near enough everyday for a month, he couldn't help but feel a certain sense of apprehension at the day ahead of him. Living under the same lie each day that Jasper had to felt like a familiar comfort. It had been this way for decades. The family would move somewhere new, pretend to be high schoolers for some unknown reason and continue to orchestrate the same facade over and over again for the sake of normalcy.

But this time it was different.

In this new cycle came the long awaited arrival of Jasper's mate, the very same person that Alice had used to convince the blonde immortal that life would be worth living. Jasper struggled in the wake of Maria and the southern vampire wars. Times had changed as had Jasper himself and the guilt and trauma had clung deep into his very psyche as he learned to live beyond the mistakes of his past. But at times the loneliness had wormed its way beneath his skin and rooted near unshakable in his very bones.

Jasper didn't want to admit to himself that he had become jealous of his family as they lived contented with their own mated pairs. Although Jasper loved his siblings to a degree, and Jasper really did love his siblings deep down, he never really felt like he belonged. Carlisle obviously had his favourite and everybody else was so enamoured with their mates that they never really felt the need to react much with each other outside their pairs. Alice, while holding a deep and unconditional love for her family, did often act in a way that benefitted her first. She often prioritised shopping with the women of the family and whatever future her visions would decipher and as a result, was closer to them than anyone else. Jasper loved his family, but he longed for someone that he could share the rest of his immortal life with, just like everybody else had.

Jasper would have though a very long time ago that this would mean that he would end up being the closest to Edward, as neither man had found their other half yet. But Jasper found the bronze haired boy far too morbid and whiny for his taste. He had supposed that Edward and himself has just simply been raised in two vastly different circumstances. Jasper was also not fond off the fabricated shallow personality that Edward had unfairly assigned to Rosalie. Playing the role of biological siblings throughout their disguise had led Jasper and Rose to develop a very close sibling bond. More often than not Jasper would be the only other member of the family that agreed with Rose's opinions or would at the very least listen to her and take her seriously. Even with the matter of Edward's blood singer Bella Swan. Rose above all else just wanted to keep her family safe.

Alice wasn't all too happy at their compliancy for murder had things gotten too close for comfort.

It had been a very long time since Jasper had asked for permission to take a lady out for a date. Staring down the cold eyes of Charlie swan could have sent him to an early grave, but he was eternally grateful that the sheriff had at the very least been amicable. His protective feelings almost suffocating the blonde immortal. But as Jasper stood now looking at Evelyn Swan as she joined him on their hike through the Washington forest, he couldn't help but feel like all the waiting had been worth it. Even if Edward's burning thirst for her sister made things complicated. The conversation came easy between the two of them as they got closer and closer to their final destination, the place where Jasper would finally reveal all.

The tree line finally broke out into a wide and open clearing, unveiling a gorgeous sight of wild flowers that made home next to a small stream at the far end of the small glade. There was a small overhang of rocks that made good shade and provided a shelter to sit under as Jasper laid out a blanket for the pair to sit on.

"How did you find this place?" His mate smiled in wonder as her wide eyes continued to take in the beauty that surrounded them, eyes never seeming to settle on one place for two long before moving onto the next.