The Major's Mate

9

"I know. You should meet her. She's.. something." Celeste smiles as she remembers the girl who looked up to her as an older sibling. "She's a tribrid- a witch, vampire, and werewolf all rolled up in one tiny package- and she's powerful. She's actually attending some school in Mystic Falls now for supernatural children."

"Really?" Jasper wonders. "They got a school like that?"

"Yeah. It sounds crazy, but it's an actual school for vampires, werewolves, and witches to teach them how to properly be what they are."

"Your world is just full of surprises."

"Our world." With her marshmallow free hand, Celeste reaches for Jasper's hand and tangles their fingers together. "It's our world now."

Jasper smirks. "Of course. How could I forget?" He raises their joined hands and kisses hers, which causes Celeste to giggle.

But before the couple can settle back down, a low growl has them tensing. Branches snap and leaves crunch, and slowly the couple separates until they're standing and glancing around.

Suddenly a wolf steps out of the shadows, lips curled and teeth bared in a low snarl.

"That's odd," Jasper muses, completely at ease. "Animals usually tend to stay away from us, not approach."

Celeste glances up to the sky, noticing the full moon. Quietly cursing her luck, she starts to crouch. "That's because this is no ordinary wolf." A hiss escapes her throat.

"What are you doing?" But Jasper doesn't need an answer as the wolf opposite them barks, it's eyes glowing yellow.

"It's a werewolf."

The wolf suddenly launches itself at Celeste, the creature moving far faster than Jasper thought capable. Werewolf and vampire collide, the two of them rolling on the ground and scrambling for the upper hand. A phone's shrill ring pierces the air, but Celeste's shout and hisses of anger draws Jasper's attention back to his mate and he's shocked to see the wolf pinning her to the ground. Shock quickly turns to rage, however, and with a swift kick to the werewolf's side Jasper sends the creature flying. He'd heard the snap of bones, but he doesn't care. All he cares about is his mate who's wincing as if in pain.

He rushes to Celeste's side, pulling her to her feet and gaze zeroing in on the weeping wound on her shoulder. He's about to step back and hold his breath, but he's relieved to realize her blood does not call to him as a human normally does. "You need blood," he says, gently pulling the neck of her shirt to the side. "You're not healing."

"I know." Jasper feels her emotions waver- anger and pain radiating from her. When she glances up at him, he finds tears in her eyes and a sad smile gracing her lips. "A werewolf bite is lethal to my kind. It won't heal."

Her words slowly sink in and then his eyes widen in horror. "What? No. That-" Celeste's phone ringing cuts him off, but the couple tune it out.

"I'm sorry. I just need-"

"No." Jasper shakes his head in denial. "No," he says again, moving so fast that Celeste suddenly finds herself cradled in his arms. "We just need to get you to Carlisle."

On the run back to the Cullen household, Jasper ignores the annoyance radiating off his mate. Esme and Carlisle are all ready waiting for them, the coven leader explaining that Alice had called them and grew worried when Celeste wasn't answering her phone. The little seer had apparently had a vision of her brother and Celeste leaving for their camping trip, only for Celeste to suddenly vanish from her Sight. Edward had insisted she'd call and check up on them, but no one had answered their phone until she called Carlisle.

Now having Carlisle checking her wound, Celeste grimaces when the shirt clings to the sticky blood. "There has to be something," he murmurs.

"There is." Three sets of golden eyes snap to her face. Rolling her eyes, Celeste says, "As I was trying to tell Jasper before he whisked me away, there is a cure. But only Niklaus can help me."

"The hybrid?" Carlisle frowns. "Why only him?"

"It's.. complicated. Can you just- can I please have a phone? I need to get him here as soon as possible. I wasn't lying when I said the bite is lethal and I'll only get worse the longer I go without the cure." Esme disappears and then reappears, a cell phone in hand. Celeste smiles her thanks and quickly dials one of the few numbers she has memorized. Then putting the phone on speaker since Jasper was clinging to her uninjured arm, she sets the phone down as it rings and rings.

Finally, someone picks up. "Speak."