Keep Yourself Alive ¡ Jasper Hale

Chapter Eight

Predator and Prey

We park in the Cullen's driveway, Carlisle and Esme already waiting on the porch, both are wearing workout clothes which leads me to believe jeans and a flannel are not the appropriate clothes for vampire hunting. I begin to open my door when I see Jasper is already there, opening it for me. Somehow the family's speed still surprises me though I know what they are and their capabilities.

"What exactly are we doing today?" I ask Jasper and Alice, who walk on either side of me.

"Alice had a vision which showed the nomads are coming closer to Forks. We're just going to take a quick sweep of the forest to see if we can find any traces of them." Carlisle answers.

Soon enough Emmett's Jeep pulls into the driveway, Edward's Volvo following close behind. The rest of the vampires quickly join us on the porch. Emmett's excitement for a hunt quickly outshines whatever anxiety I'm feeling.

"So how are we doing this?" Rosalie asks, wanting to get the task done with already.

"I was thinking we would split up into teams, taking on different parts of the woods. Carlisle and Edward, Rosalie and Emmett, Jasper and Nevaeh, Esme and me." Alice proposes her plan.

"Sounds good to me." Esme agrees, knowing if she left a gap in the conversation one of her adoptive children would quickly find a problem with the plan.

"We'll take on the area by the mountains!" Emmett's voice booms, already speeding away, Rosalie following after.

"We've got area around the meadow." Edwards tells us, he and Carlisle leaving the house.

"I think it's best if Esme and I go around the treaty line." Alice smiles, the women starting their journey into the forest.

"I guess that leaves us with anything else we can find." Jasper looks down at me.

"How are we going to get there? I don't know if you could tell, but I don't have super speed."

He rolls his eyes, walking towards the line of trees outside the house. "We're going to start over here and make our way towards wherever we need to be. Do you have your bow and arrows?" he looks back at me.

"Yes." I answer curtly, motioning towards the gear on my back.

For the past few days my parents had been training me in hand-to-hand combat, which is the bane of my existence, as well as the art that is archery. They had perfected my aim, taught me what is and is not a threat, and what arrow to use in each situation. I earned an A in their crash course last night, and I was finally given permission to hunt with the Cullens. I guess Alice had seen it coming as I received an invitation to hunt with them five minutes later.

We walk through the tree line, the different calls of birds and rustling of animals quickly entering my ears. I cautiously look around expecting a vampire to jump out behind any tree or bush. I look ahead at my hunting partner, who is clearly unamused by my vigilance.

"Come on, Robin Hood." Jasper calls, walking further and further away from the Cullen's house. I follow after him, ignoring his nickname.

We continue trekking through the woods, nothing standing out against the constant green and animals which are native to the area. I had become used to the silence between us, besides the small remarks when Jasper told me to hurry up.

A large rustle comes from an area of trees near us, I quickly ready my bow along with an arrow made for targeting vampires. I'm ready to fire, that is until Emmett's body, with his arms jokingly raised, is revealed as he walks around the back of trees.