Bloody Mary // J. Hale

To protect the family

For a moment, everything was still. Then, the parking lot erupted in a frenzy of shouts and footsteps as students rushed toward the scene, a chaotic storm of panicked voices. But amidst the chaos, Jasper's eyes stayed locked on one thing—Jenna.

She stood motionless on the concrete stairs, her feet fixed to the bottom step, as if she were rooted to the ground. Her dark hair was tossed by the icy wind, clinging to her face, but her expression wasn't like everyone else's. While the crowd was in shock, Jenna wasn't moving, wasn't flinching. She was just... staring.

Jasper couldn't tear his eyes away. The crowd surged toward Bella, now being helped to her feet by Edward, his movements calculated as to not raise any further suspicion.

Why hadn't she moved? Why wasn't she reacting like the others? Everyone else had rushed forward, eager to see if Bella was okay, but not Jenna.

Jasper's eyes flicked back to her, his mind racing. Jenna was still frozen, her gaze fixed on the spot where Bella had stood just moments ago, where Edward had intervened. The way she stood apart from the chaos, watching with an intensity that made his senses prickle, told him everything he needed to know.

She had seen something.

Jasper felt a shift in the air, an invisible tension wrapping around his chest. She knows. It hit him hard, a realization that would have send shivers down his spine if he was still alive.

Jenna had seen Edward move in that moment—faster than any human is capable of. There was no other explanation.

His body tensed as his mind shot out to Edward. Does she know? Jasper needed confirmation. If Edward could read Jenna's thoughts, they could figure out how much danger they were in, how close they were to being exposed. Jasper's eyes darted toward his brother, who now was in the centre of the crowd. Edward's face was tight, his brow furrowed as he returned Jasper's gaze.

But what Jasper felt from him wasn't confidence. It was uncertainty. Edward shrugged slightly, his expression heavy with doubt. He doesn't know.

But that was all Jasper needed to know.

Jasper's chest tightened with the weight of the decision he knew he had to make. The family's safety always came first—always. Jenna was a threat now, and threats couldn't be left to chance.

His fists clenched as he forced himself to remain calm. He had to get to her before this spiralled out of control. He had to figure out what Jenna had seen, and if she knew the truth, he had to neutralize the situation—just as he used to in Maria's army.

Bella was okay now, leaning against Edward, still shaken but alive. Jasper trusted the others to deal with that. For now, his focus was on Jenna. He couldn't let her slip away, not until he knew exactly what she had seen.

He took a step closer, his movements slow and deliberate. Jenna's wide eyes remained fixed on the scene, but as soon as she was within his empathic range he noticed something odd about her. The fear rolling off her wasn't wild or panicked like everyone else's—it was focused, like her mind was caught in something. Something that didn't belong in the world she knew.

What had she seen?

Jasper's instincts screamed that it had to be Edward's speed, the way he had rushed over to save Bella. No human should have been able to move like that. It must have stood out to Jenna, made her realize something was off. If she had seen it—if she even had an inkling of suspicion—he would have to dispose of her.

He took another step, his eyes darting to Edward one last time. But Edward was no help—he was just as uncertain as Jasper. That left one grim option: Jasper had to handle this himself.