As the dark blue night sky slowly faded into a plum horizon, an overcast rolled in, a heavy mist embracing the earth. Most of the Cullens were already in the large field in the middle of the forest where they told the pack to meet them when I parked my car at the edge of the trail. Edward and Bella were nowhere in sight yet and for that, I was momentarily grateful.

Alice's party had been a few nights ago and I still hadn't talked to Bella after storming out of the house. I didn't know what to say to her; part of me was still so angry at her behavior towards Jacob, my insecurity getting the better of me.

Slamming the door shut, I wandered over to Esme and Alice who were watching Jasper and Emmett as we waited for the others to show. The quiet of the forest was broken by Emmett being flung into the air as Jasper slammed into him; landing hard on his back, Emmett immediately sprung to his feet and glared at his brother.

"Again." He snarled, stalking back to the makeshift circle.

The sound of tires crunching over fallen sticks captured our attention and we all stopped to watch Edward's Volvo skid to a halt next to Jasper's Jeep. Edward and Bella got out of the car, automatically reaching for the other's hand as they headed into the field together. Halfway across from us, Edward stopped walking.

"They're here." He called out, turning back toward the treeline.

Emerging from out of the mist, eight giant wolves skulked forward; their approaches and expressions as wary and on-edge as the Cullens were. Emmett recognized Paul in his wolf form; the smile on Emmett's lips and the low growl coming from Paul as their eyes met was enough confirmation. Both were itching for a rematch from the weekend I left for Michigan.

"They don't trust us enough to be in their human forms," Edward murmured, a tone of nonsurprise.

"They came. That's what matters." Carlisle responded.

My gaze connected with the russet brown wolf closest to me, my body relaxing as I recognized the chocolate brown eyes. He seemed to almost smile, tongue lolling as I grinned back.

"Jake..."

A sharp bark from Sam called Jacob to focus, his eyes sparkling with humor as Sam dipped his head in my direction. I winked back at him playfully before turning to Carlisle who was waiting to address the pack.

"Will you translate?" He asked Edward, who nodded; satisfied, Carlisle turned back toward the pack. "Welcome. As you are all aware, I'm sure from Jacob keeping you in the loop, there is a newborn army of vampires coming for us soon. We need to be prepared to fight, to save not only our existence here but the town as well. Jasper here has experience with newborn vampires. He'll teach us how to defeat them."

"They want to know how the 'newborns' are different from us," Edward spoke in a voice that almost sounded like Sam's, both deep and powerful.

"They're a great deal stronger than us because their own human blood lingers in their tissues. Our kind is never more physically powerful... than in our first several months of this life." Carlisle answered.

The pack shifted on their feet as they took the information in. Carlisle nodded to Jasper to take over. In the moment of slight hesitation, I noticed the initial discomfort on Jasper's face from both the wolves and the sudden attention of everyone watching him expectedly. Clearing his throat, he took Carlisle's place anyway.

"Carlisle's right. That's why they are created. A newborn army doesn't need thousands like a human army. And no human army could stand against them. The two most important things to remember are, first... Never let them get their arms around you. They'll crush you instantly. The second... Never go for the obvious kill. They'll be expecting that. And you will lose. Emmett?" Jasper motioned him to resume his place from earlier. "Don't hold back."

"Not in my nature," Emmett said, stilling his body before charging Jasper with impossible speed.

Jasper quickly ducked out of the way, becoming a blur as Emmett lunged several times, his strong arms grabbing at empty air. Jasper stopped long enough to continue his lecture.

"Never lose focus. One more thing... Never turn your back on your enemy."

Emmett lunged again with similar results until suddenly he froze; Jasper had him from behind, his teeth an inch from Emmett's throat. Bella gasped, taken aback by Jasper's skill. An impressed rumble broke out among the watching wolves. Once Emmett's turn was over, the rest of the group began to take turns one by one sparring with Jasper, while everyone else paired off against each other.

Unable to focus on the Cullens as they became blurs, I glanced over to Bella who was mesmerized by Alice and Jasper sparring, their bodies spiraling and twisting. Jasper launched himself at Alice, her eyes glazed over; as she wasn't not looking at him, I knew she was seeing his moves before he made them. Out of nowhere, Alice disappeared as Jasper reached the spot she just vacated; instead, she was perched on his back, kissing his neck.

"Gotcha." She teased, causing Jasper to grin.

A few feet away from them, Edward and Carlisle attacked one another. Edward clearly had an advantage of reading Carlisle's mind; he twirled beyond Carlisle's grasp, then slammed into him delivering a vicious body blow.

"Focus on speed, agility, keep your opponent off guard..." Jasper's voice carried across the clearing. "Use their momentum against them."

By this time, the wolves began pacing; each one of them wanted to join in, but they held back as they watched intently. Bella was still anxiously watching the fierce, life-and-death war games. The expression on her face gave away that she knew the training was going to be nothing like the actual battle. Annoyed at her constant worry, I rolled my eyes and nearly jumped out of my skin as a furry muzzle brushed my face. Jacob stood beside me, his eyes conveying concern. I sighed, leaning into him for a moment.

"Go talk to her," I mumbled. "I know you heard about the party."

Jacob tilted his head in response before walking over to Bella. She smiled grimly at him before turning back to the field.

"Some of you, are gonna get hurt." I heard her tell him. "Some of you could get killed, because of me. It's gonna be a hundred times worse than this, right?"

There was a pause before Jacob nudged her softly with the side of his face; the wolf version of a hug. She patted his cheek and leaned against him, her eyes drooping as she took a deep breath to calm herself down.

"We're done for the day." Edward appeared next to Bella, his expression calm, but firm.

Jacob eyed them warily and sauntered away to rejoin his pack as they retreated into the woods. Before he disappeared from sight, Jacob met my gaze. His eyes told me to meet him back at his house and I nodded in acknowledgment. A few minutes after the wolves left, Carlisle drove the Jeep away, taking Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett home with him. Bella was sitting on the hood of the Volvo, waiting for Edward. She looked up from her shoes as I headed for my car.

"How long are you going to give me the silent treatment?" She asked as I unlocked the driver-side door.

"I don't know," I replied sharply, not meeting her gaze.

"Autumn, please. I don't know how many more times I can apologize for the party."

"Just give me some time!" I snapped, groaning as I faced her. "I need some freaking time, okay? I'm allowed to be hurt over this, Bella. My feelings are valid, and you don't get to make me feel bad about that."

"Okay." Bella sighed defeatedly as Jasper approached, kicking the mud from his shoes. He looked up to find Bella and me watching him; Bella stared at him as if for the first time, while I glowered at Bella.

"Jasper," Bella asked, directing his attention to her. "Are you sure, there's nothing I can do to help?"

"Your presence alone, your scent, will distract the newborns. Their hunting instinct will take over, drive them crazy." He assured her.

"Good. I'm glad." Bella said, a plan already forming in her head by the look in her eyes. "Hey. How do you know so much about this?"

"I didn't have quite the same upbringing as my adopted siblings."

Hoping to end the conversation at that, Jasper started to move away; Bella jumped off the Jeep, following him with an inquiring look on her face. He paused for a moment, internally debating with something dark before slowly rolling up a sleeve to show her his arm. Her eyes widened as she realized it was feathered with hundreds of white, half-moon-shaped scars. Even I was shocked by the sight, my heart dropping into my stomach.

"Those bites are like mine," Bella whispered.

"Oh, Jasper..." I placed my hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Battle scars. All the training the Confederate Army gave me... was useless against the newborns. Still, I never lost a fight." Jasper told us, his eyes haunted by the memories flooding back to him.

"This happened during the civil war?" Bella asked, incredulously. He nodded as he began to walk again, motioning for us to follow. Silently, we fell in step beside him.

"I was the youngest major in the Texas cavalry. All without having seen any real battle."

"Until...?"

"Until I met a certain immortal. Maria."

Nighttime in Texas 1863; in the desert outside of a dark house. Jasper's human face, tan and flushed with the exertion of riding his horse full throttle down the dirt road. He looks dashing in his confederate uniform.

"I was riding back to Galveston... after evacuating a column of women and children. When I saw her..."

He slows when he sees three women in frayed dresses and bare feet. Their beauty overwhelms him. Maria, Mexican, black-haired, porcelain-skinned is flanked by two blondes, Lucy and Nettie. He dismounts from the horse, politely bows in their direction. Maria scrutinizes him.

"I immediately offered her my aid."

"Lovely. And an officer." Lucy inhales the scent of Jasper wafting through the air.

"You'd better do it, Maria. I can never stop once I've started." Nettie whispers loud enough for Jasper to hear, her mouth close to Maria's ear as she keeps her eyes on the soldier.

Jasper is confused but mesmerized as Maria moves closer to him, his eyes focused on her.

"What's your name, soldier?" Maria calls out to him.

"Major Jasper Whitlock, Ma'am."

"I hope you survive. You may be of great use to me." Maria smiles seductively at him.

Jasper stopped walking, the painful memory washing over him. Bella and I moved to a fallen log to sit, patiently waiting for Jasper to continue.

"Maria was creating an army?" Bella scrunched her nose as she tried to clarify Jasper's words.

"They were very common in the South." He told her. "And cost a brutal battle for territory."

Jasper's eyes are now red like Maria's - he's almost unrecognizable in his ferocity as he tears through an opposing army of newborns, ripping off limbs, arms, heads. He's a terrifying warrior. Beside him is another Confederate soldier; a different kind of vampire, from Virginia. His dark brown eyes are as terrifying as Jasper's red ones.

"Maria won them all. She was smart, careful. And she had me. I was the second in command, Damon third. My abilities to control emotions served her well, as did his ability to quickly destroy anyone who tried to stop Maria from finding new soldiers."

In a barn, Jasper trains a group of newborns, demonstrating defensive and attack maneuvers. They're a feral-looking bunch. Jasper's eyes are burgundy-red, his face hard, cold –until he crosses a young, innocent-looking boy, who's about fifteen. Jasper softens ever so slightly as he encourages the boy, who clearly looks up to him.

"I trained her newborns. An endless occupation since she never let them live beyond their first year." Jasper shook his head at the memory. "She had other plans for Damon, so I didn't see him during the training sessions."

A stronger newborn easily pins the boy. Maria appears behind Jasper, grabs him into a kiss, dominant and salacious. She whispers to him regarding the boy.

"It was my job to dispose of them..." Jasper's voice trailed off. "I could feel everything they felt. I tried to give them some sort of peace..."

Jasper struggles with despair as he restrains the boy in a chokehold, almost an embrace before twisting the boy's head off.

The despair in Jasper's voice was as acute as if everything he just told us happened yesterday. Alice appeared next to him as he finished his story.

"I thought what Maria and I had was love. But I was her puppet. She pulled the strings. I didn't know there was another way... Until I found Alice. Now she'd seen me coming, of course."

"'Kept me waiting long enough.'" Alice smirked playfully at him.

"'My apologies, Ma'am.'" Jasper smiled sheepishly back at her before looking at Bella and I. "I don't know what I'd have become without her."

Alice wrapped her arms around Jasper from behind him, resting her head against his shoulder.

"You'll never have to be that again." She reached up and kissed his cheek.

"You said your friend's name was Damon?" I asked Jasper suddenly, my eyebrows knitting together as I tried to think of where I heard that name before.

"I forgot you would only know the name," Jasper said thoughtfully, nodding. "Damon was Giuliana's lover. That's how I know your ancestor, I met her through him after we escaped from Maria."