Battle Wounds || Jasper Hale {2}

Chapter 3

"So, you have no idea when she'll be back?"

Jasper frowned at the question that his father was directing at him. Of course, he had no idea when his mate would come back. She hadn't spoken to him since she had left the morning before, and he, honestly, wasn't sure if he could let her see him like this. He had almost killed Bella. He didn't deserve Ellie. He was a monster who had no control, and she deserved better than him. She was the light, and he was the darkness. They were complete opposites, and he could never be what she needed.

"No," he said, clenching his hands into fists. "She's taking care of her sister. I'm not sure how long that will take. It could take days. It could take months."

"Edward wants us to leave," Carlisle said, keeping his son under his watchful eye. "All of us."

"Does that include Ellie?" he asked, knowing the answer he feared was the one he would receive.

"I'm afraid not," he answered solemnly. "He thinks we should leave the both of them here. He thinks it will be safer for them if we are not in their lives."

Jasper frowned. That was farther from the truth than they realized. Ellie was safer with them there. They had to know that. "Ellie isn't safer without us."

"What if she is?"

"She's not. He will come for her, and she will have no one to protect her if we aren't here," Jasper said, determined to make them see.

"What if we're the reason he's pushing so hard to have her?" Carlisle tried to reason with his son.

"We're not the reason!" he insisted, abruptly standing from his seat. "He wanted her before she even met us, and he'll come back for her. He wants her, and he'll stop at nothing to get her!"

"Then it's my duty to protect my family!" he yelled, knowing that Jasper was not going to listen to reason.

Jasper faltered at his father's tone. He didn't typically yell at them often, but when he did, it was generally important that they listen. "I can't leave her. She has no one else."

"She won't be alone. She has Mike, and Bella will need her. They will have each other," he said, placing a hand on his son's arm.

"I promised her..." he said, running a hand over his face.

"This is for her own good," Carlisle insisted.

Jasper looked to his father and released a long sigh, "For her good?"

Ellie watched as Evie paced the floor, the back and forth motion nearly making her nauseated. The blonde hadn't sat still since she had woken up three hours ago. She wasn't happy with what she had been hearing from Ellie, and she wasn't sure if she could even handle this life. She never wanted to get involved with the supernatural, especially after David had died.

"Can't it just go to someone else? I mean, you lost your mark. Why couldn't I?" Evie asked the blonde who was sitting on the sofa of her tea room.

"It doesn't work like that, Evie," Ellie frowned, shifting in her seat. "Our markings are fated to us."

"But why me?" she questioned, stopping to face her sister. "Why couldn't it be anyone else? Why did it have to be me?"

Ellie released a sigh and raked a hand through her hair before pulling her eyes to her twin, "Why does it choose anyone? Would you really wish this life on someone else? We were born for this life, Evie. It's in our blood. Did I hope that it never reached you? Yes, I did, but that's not how life works. So you're going to have to suck it up and deal with it. You don't have a choice now."

Evie cast her eyes to the ground. She knew Ellie was right. She just didn't want to admit it. This was asking too much. She loved her normal life. Sure, she didn't date or have that many friends, but she was okay for the first time since David had died. That had to count for something. Was she really just going to throw that all away just to let her life become miserable again?

Lifting her eyes to her sister, she shook her head, "There has to be another way."

Ellie frowned before raking a hand through her hair. This was going to take longer than she hoped.

Jasper stared at the letter resting on his desk. He knew Ellie would be furious with him for leaving, but Carlisle was generally correct about these things. It would be good for her to not be surrounded by supernatural creatures. She could live a normal life for once. He just hoped that she would see it that way.

Taking one last look at the letter, he made his way through the now empty house and down to his car where Alice was waiting for him.

She offered him a comforting smile before they both got into the car, leaving the life and people they loved behind.