CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.
( a promise to keep. )

SHADOW FOUND HERSELF SPENDING the following day in the quiet solitude of her cabin, poring over the books Jasper had so carefully selected for her bookshelf. The fact that he allowed her to gently flick through the older and more delicate ones he'd procured was endearing, in the way that it spoke of his trust in her.

  Yet, Jasper still kept a silent vigil at her shoulder, studying every choice she made in his vast collection. Shadow couldn't bring herself to admit to her halfhearted interest. While she mindlessly stared at the words in front of her, Shadow debated her options.

  Not that there were many, of course.

  She could still try to fight. Shadow harboured no hope of winning, of course, but it seemed better than rolling over and letting death come to her. At this point, she couldn't bring herself to fret over the aftermath, not anymore. Looking at the facts without emotion made it easier to cope, especially with the knowledge that this bond was a noose; ready to drag Jasper six feet under with her.

  But, maybe it didn't have to be that way... Could a vampire die twice? Or, would Jasper be left to his own devices, as her mother had. Another ghost in purgatory, suffering without escape.

  The thought alone left a part of Shadow feeling breathless with sudden terror.

She gently closed the book in her hand, letting Jasper return it to its rightful home in one of the many boxes. When he was done, he took up a seat on the lounger at her side. If he sensed any lack in her attention span, or change in her mood, he didn't speak on it. Likely giving her the space to sort through it herself, until she was ready to share.

Still, Shadow could feel his gaze on her, trailing the way she idly drummed her fingers against the book covers. The restlessness inside of her brought the Swan girl to a stand, pacing the length of the room. If only outrunning her thoughts could be so easy.

  Completely lost to her own worries, it took Jasper twice to get her attention, until Shadow finally realized he was saying her name.

  "Sorry," she winced.

  "What are you thinking about?" He asked, giving her a careful once-over. Shadow knew it was his way of making sure that she was alright, without the instinctive reach of his abilities.

  "I'm thinking about my training," she said, turning to face the bookshelf, as if giving her selections a second thought. It was easier not to look at him, lest he pick up on anything beyond what she was willing to share.

  Still, Shadow didn't miss the subtle tilt of his head. Not quite suspicious, but cautious of where this conversation might lead. "In what way?"

  Shadow dragged a hand through her hair in an attempt to self-soothe. "In that, I don't know if it'll be enough. Not at the pace we're setting now," she admitted, turning to join him on the lounger.

  "If my visions are any indication of what's coming, then I can't rely on the idea that you all might be there to protect me." She wasn't trying to be harsh as she said it, but it was the truth.

  Jasper sat up abruptly, his hand closing around her arm. "We will be there," he insisted. "You won't be fighting alone."

  "That's not what I meant," she tried to explain. "It's just that I know what I saw—"

  "What you saw can change," he cut in, his jaw visibly working in anger. Not at her— never at her, unless she was intentionally trying to piss him off (which, she had to admit, was fairly often.)

  "I'll stay by your side every damn day if that's what it takes," Jasper said, as if the solution required nothing more than his stubborn determination.

  Shadow rolled her eyes, exasperated as she rose from their shared seat. "Okay, well, that's definitely not an option." Like hell she was giving up what little semblance of privacy she had, given everything else that they shared.

  "And why's that?" He demanded, crossing his arms. The sheer arrogance in the way he leaned back in his seat to look up at her was enough to annoy Shadow, as she was sure he intended it to.

  She cut him a scathing look. "I like being left alone to wallow in my teenage misery sometimes, thanks."

  Jasper's expression was one of the long-suffering. "I am trying to protect you, Shadow, so that whatever you've seen doesn't come to pass."

  Shadow threw up her hands. "What you do or what I do changes nothing," she told him, trying to reign in the irritation that flooded through her.

  She huffed as a brief silence settled between them, heavy with the truth he kept trying to avoid. Her visions were not like Alice's. If there had been any chance of changing this, she would've done it on her own by now. But, staring down the path to Death was far different from viewing life's endless possibilities. It was concrete— inevitable— and Shadow was already marked for it.

"I will have to face them alone— and I don't say that because that's how I feel," she told him, turning her body to face Jasper wholly. "I know your family is with me. Always."

  "But, the truth is that it will not be enough," she explained gently. "I will have to face them on my own and I have to figure out a way to survive it long enough so that you," Shadow pushed him back against the lounger. He watched her the entire time as she leaned in close, one hand trailing his jaw, "My shining saviour, can put an end to their terror."

  Jasper's expression softened as he turned his head to kiss the inside of her wrist. "I want it to be enough," he whispered, closing his eyes. His lips were still hovering over her pulse-point.

  "It can be enough," he said, lifting his head to look up at her slowly. "There is a way you can fight them, without needing us at all."

  The realization was immediate. Shadow pulled her hand from his as she stood. "No."

  The sheer devastation that flickered in his eyes was enough to send pain cracking through her like a whip. "No," she said again, softer this time, yet her voice still broke.

  "Is it so bad?" He asked her, leaning back to carefully study every subtlety to her expression, "To be what I am? To stay with me?"

  Shadow bit her lip to quell the aching sadness that swept through her. "I want you," she said, her words a feverish whisper of devotion. "I will always want you, Jasper. No matter what you are."

  Man, or beast, or monster, he was hers.

  "But, I won't change what I am to be with you, not even for more time." Not even for eternity. Not even for her own damn life.

  There was a cruelty in that, Shadow knew it, but she couldn't bring herself to regret it. It was enough for her; to have loved him as a human, and to die loving him as one. How could she beg and borrow and steal for more?

  It was tragic and terrible, but it was theirs.

  "Am I not enough for you as I am?" She asked him, closing her eyes tightly as the words twisted something painful inside of her. Sharp as a knife.

  Jasper said nothing, but she felt his hand wrap around hers. He brought his head down to kiss her open palm. Every action was delicate, with a deliberate intent to convey that yes, she was enough. But, Shadow couldn't bring herself to look at him. Despite all her declarations, it seemed that the agony of their fate was not done tormenting her.

  "When did you decide?" Jasper asked, only after a long silence had passed. There was a hollowness to his voice. As if this offer had been his last hope— and in denying him, she had stolen that from him.

  The thought nearly crippled her. Shadow pinned her eyes to the chair, still not quite looking at him. "From the beginning," she said. "What you are isn't a curse to me. It's not even damnation. But, I can't do it, Jas." The words were a plea for him to understand.

  "Why?" He whispered, those finely carved features twisting with his own agony. "It doesn't have to end. Not like this." Then, "I won't lose you. I can't."

Shadow pursed her lip. She spoke very carefully, every word a promise of some immortal anger, "If you take that choice from me, Jasper, I will never forgive you."

His eyes snapped to hers. "Lucky for you, you would have an eternity to get over it," he told her, an empty threat despite the coldness that rang through it.

Shadow felt the anger blind her as she took a staggering step back, "Are you out of your mind?" She knew that he wasn't serious, yet a part of her went taut. Empty threat or not, the selfish cruelty of it left a part of her feeling raw and betrayed.

But, mostly, it just made her angry.

"We have no idea if it's even possible." Her words were a pitiful attempt to distract herself from the pain ricocheting through her. "A human surviving the change is rare enough, but a banshee? What's the point if I end up dying anyway?"

And there it was; the truth of why she wouldn't do it.

Not out of some noble loyalty to her family, or the very real longing for their presence. But, because she knew it was a long-shot. Shadow could hardly stand the idea of the Cullen's grieving over her body in death, let alone think about the prayers they might whisper, begging for a rebirth that might never happen.

Jasper got to his feet. "So, the solution is that I live out the rest of my miserable existence with you. Is that right?" He demanded, stepping close enough that his height loomed above her.

Shadow was seething and vicious. "Lucky for you, you'll have an eternity to get over it."

He shook his head, but that anger in his expression cracked. It was enough to show the desperation he was so obviously clinging to. "What will I have left if you're gone?"

  The grief in those words alone could've killed her a dozen times over, long before any vampire even got a chance. Shadow was vaguely aware of the way her eyes stung and her breathing stuttered. But, she was so tired— of the tragedy dogging her steps, and the sorrow it brought to those she loved with it.

  When his arms wrapped around her, Shadow found that grief was all that was left in the absence of her anger. There was only pain as Jasper carefully clutched her mortal body. Her heartbeat felt leaden inside her chest, weary with all the things she kept trying to outrun.

  "You are the other half of me," he hissed, but the words were without anger. "How can you ask me to live without you?"

The tears fell freely now, without constraint. "Because I don't want to lose you like I lost her," Shadow admitted, choking on the sob building in her chest. "I want you to live— no matter what it means for you afterwards— and take care of Bella when I can't."

  There were so many wants— so many unspoken wishes and desires she couldn't bring herself to breathe life to.

"I love you," he whispered, fingers digging into the soft skin at her waist. "Only you."

  The declaration should've brought relief, but it only twisted the knife. "You'll be happy again," she told him, even when the mere thought dug sharp claws into her heart.

"If you love me," she breathed in sharply, "you'll learn to live without me." Shadow could forgive him for that. She could forgive him for anything, if it meant he promised to keep trying. It didn't matter what he sought out in her absence, so long as it wasn't her.

  "Ask me anything else," he said, pulling away to kneel at her feet. "But, don't ask me to do this. Don't ask me to live without you," he begged.

  Shadow tried and failed to reign in the sob that shook her. "Why do you have to be so stubborn?" She hissed out, digging the heel of her palms against her eyes, as if it would stem the flow of her misery.

  Jasper only pulled her down to him, holding her closer, as if etching her into memory. She knew there was a space in his body just for her. It should've felt like a gift— and it did, but Shadow could only think of how it was just another empty place in her absence... another echo to haunt him.

"What do I have to do?" She asked him, his shirt bunched into her hands, face buried in his chest. "What do I have to give for you to listen to me?"

Jasper pulled back at that, searching her expression. Like he was seeking doubt in the offer she was making. Shadow realized that, no matter what he asked, she would give it freely. So long as he didn't ask her to make the Change, or take him with her.

Because Shadow would find a way to save him. No matter what, Jasper Hale would not die with her. She refused it. Let Death take her; without begging, without cheating herself out of their bargain. Shadow would demand nothing but Jasper's life in exchange for her own.

And Death would listen to her— she would make it listen.

"Fight," he said, those eyes of molten gold burning and burning and burning. "If you fight it, I won't try to follow you."

The words stilled her. Fight. That was all he asked. It seemed so simple coming from his lips, so easy.

  Jasper nodded, as if to reassure himself. "I'll fight to stay, Shadow, but only if you do, too," he continued. "And if we both survive this, I want you to marry me. That's my price."

  Her breathing halted entirely. "What?" Despite the shock, her grip on him tightened. "You know, I was joking about the whole child-bride thing."

He seemed pleased despite her reaction as his lips broke into a smile. "When we survive this, you're going to marry me, Shadow Swan."

The surety in those words alone sent her reeling. Yet, she found the strength to breathe a gentle, "Alright."

"So, do I become Shadow Hale then?" She wondered, mostly musing to herself in her dazed surprise.

"Sounds pretty good, hey? Almost like it was meant to be," Jasper said, ducking to kiss her slowly, like they had all the time in the world.

Shadow pulled back as a sudden thought struck her. "Were you banking on me making a desperate offer just to ask this?"

Jasper shrugged. "Whatever works."

She slapped his arm, affronted, yet not really. "If we survive this— and that's a big if— then I expect a grander proposal than this."

"Careful what you wish for," he whispered against her lips, grinning like a madman. "You know Alice will have a heyday if she gets word of it."

Shadow couldn't help her abrupt laughter. "If Alice gets word of this, you're going to go broke." Yet, gratitude swelled inside of her with the sudden turn in conversation.

Grief still echoed, with all of deaths possibilities, but life beckoned too.

Marriage... Shadow hadn't even dared to hope for a love like her parents, nevermind having given much thought to the prospect of getting married. Most girls would've given some thought to the lives they wanted to lead by now, but not Shadow. Not in the ways that most teenagers do— whether it be in outright refusal, or longing.

Shadow blew out a breath as her mind worked through it all. She felt like she was on top of the world. Almost blissful, yet anxious as she teetered on the edge. At the very least, it was enough to distract her from all things deathly supernatural.

"You look like you're going to be sick," Jasper noted, his arms still wrapped around her.

Shadow shook her head. "Just shell-shocked, I think."

Jasper furrowed his brow in confusion. "Have you never considered us getting married?" He seemed to be in disbelief at the idea.

Shadow scoffed as she pulled out of his arms, yet it took her a while to respond. Unlike him, she hadn't been given an eternity to ponder the path her life might take. She was sure that he had thought about it plenty of times before having met her— and that realization had Shadow whirling back to face him.

"If I hadn't come along, would you have ever thought about it?" She asked him. It had little to do with avoiding his question and more-so with her own curiosity.

Jasper took the inquiry with ease. "Not with the surety I have now," he admitted. "I always wondered if I would ever know what it was like to have what Carlisle or Esme have... but I didn't hope for much."

The words had Shadow frowning. "Why?"

He shrugged, "After Maria, it just didn't feel possible." Her name on his tongue was like breathing fire to Shadow's temper. She wasn't possessive by any means, because she knew he was hers.

  Yet, knowing what that woman had done to him... it was an intense desire for revenge that Shadow felt (and maybe a bit of jealousy too.)

"I kept telling myself that what I did was done out of love, but I should have known better. I used to wonder if, maybe in doing such terrible things in the name of something false, I cursed myself to never finding the real thing."

  "And now?" Shadow found herself asking, not that she needed much confirmation.

  Yet, when his fingers carefully tilted her head up to look him in the eye, it did incredible things to her heart. "Anything and everything before you, Shadow, could never compare," he told her softly, before he leaned in close to kiss her once more.

  "I have a heart again," he whispered against her lips.

  Shadow felt the words settle in her and it was like coming home. In giving him her heart, he'd given her a home. Jasper Hale could go anywhere in the world and, so long as she was with him, Shadow Swan knew it was right where she belonged. Two ends of the same string.

  It was enough to make her kiss him again, grief and argument already forgotten.

→

  Ultimately, Shadow's doubt in the direction of her training had led her back to the Cullen house. The family was outside now and, as ever, they were more than willing to accommodate her. Shadow couldn't help feeling a little abashed as Carlisle and Emmett began to set up the distance markers.

"Before we get into the usual rhythm," she cut in, "I want to try something a little different."

  That halted everyone. Shadow held an iron grip on her courage as the family gathered back to her. Explaining herself hadn't exactly been the plan, but in order to prepare for whatever these vampires might throw at her, she needed the Cullen's in the know. It was the only way her training might actually make a difference.

Shadow blew out a quick, sharp breath. "I don't have any high hopes for what's coming," she admitted, toying with the ring on her finger. "But, I want to slow this coven down, just enough to fight and give myself a chance."

That preternatural stillness fell over the group as they followed her every word. Shadow didn't bother telling them that she had no hopes of surviving. Her only goal was to hold these vampires off long enough to give the Cullen's a chance to put an end to this coven. It would comfort them more, she thought, for them to believe that she wanted to fight this fate.

  It might make her death more easier to swallow, thinking that they tried.

"So, I guess what I'm asking is for something a little more intense than the endurance training we've been doing," Shadow went on, glancing cautiously at the faces surrounding her.

Carlisle was looking at Edward, whose lack of surprise gave away what he already knew. Shadow felt her anxiety spike. She hoped that, of all her secrets, Edward would keep the one she'd entrusted him with in the privacy of her room. It was her choice and hers alone on whom to share her decision with.

Emmett seemed to take the suggestion with ease. "If that's what you want, then I can't promise to go easy on you." His smile suggested he would very much love to test his braun against the might of her scream.

Shadow rolled her eyes. "Your vote of support is much appreciated," she noted dully, but her smile was one of endearment.

Carlisle cut his gaze back to her and Shadow braced herself as he asked, "What did you have in mind?"

  Shadow knew there was more he wanted to say. It was apparent in the careful look he fixed her with. He seemed to harbour an understanding that there was more to this abrupt change and that made her infinitely more nervous.

"I want you all to rush me," she said. Then, adding quickly, "Your speed is my biggest issue. I won't survive long against it, especially not with your strength."

Unbidden, she thought of Waylon. The bruises and broken bones. She almost lost what little she'd eaten for breakfast right there on the lawn, until she felt the soothing reassurance of Jasper's ability. It pulled the nerves and the anxiousness from her like a tide; careful, gentle.

Shadow took an easier breath before she spoke again. "I trust you all, but if anything goes wrong, I want to be able to fight. Or, at least hold them off long enough for you all to step in."

Carlisle was silent for a long while. The decision would be his, Shadow realized. It just hadn't crossed her mind that she might need to convince him until now. Knowing that he might pull the plug on what little hope she had left had her nervous all over again.

And then, Jasper was there, fingers curling around her own. "It makes sense. Her endurance training won't make a difference, not if she doesn't learn how to apply it practically. It's the best shot she has at protecting herself, Carlisle."

"I agree," Edward added, his voice a careful tone. Not entirely endorsing of the idea, but understanding of its logic. "If the visions are anything to go off of, Shadow is going to find herself on her own, no matter what we do. She needs to learn how to fight without our support to fall back on."

Shadow felt some part of her swell with the sheer weight of her gratitude. There were no words for it; for how grateful she was for these people who had made themselves her family. It was enough for the hole inside her to feel— not gone, but healed over. Not filled, but at ease. A wound no longer bleeding.

A scar she no longer had to carry.

Carlisle looked between both sons, before releasing a sigh. "I can't argue much against the logic of it either. But, if we're doing this, I must ask for something in return."

Shadow nodded. "Anything." She seemed to be in the habit of making bargains today, anyway.

He was looking at her directly, like he could see right through her, and to the grim acceptance she'd made with her death. "I want you to fight, Shadow. I want you to live. Don't take this as a means to act recklessly with your life for our sake."

Shadow felt her heart stutter in her chest. She kept her eyes pinned to Carlisle, careful in avoiding Edward's gaze. Seeking confirmation from him would only confirm whatever it was Carlisle thought he knew. Confronting Edward could come later.

  The silence that dragged on between them had the rest of the family shifting on their feet. Shadow bit her lip. She couldn't lie to him— not to Carlisle, not to any of them. Making a promise like that, only to break it in the end, it felt too much like turning her back on all that they'd done for her.

  "Alright," she finally spoke. "I'll fight." She was surprised to find that the words didn't feel like a lie. Not in the way she thought they would. They seemed to satisfy Carlisle, anyway, who nodded once.

  "Alright," Jasper said, "Its settled. What did you have in mind?" He asked, taking a step back as he turned to face her.

  Shadow blew out a breath as she thought back to the visions. Outrunning these vampires wasn't an option. While her screams might stun them enough to let her keep moving, it wouldn't last. Somehow, Shadow would have figure out a way to both keep her distance and keep them at bay, even with all the differences in their strengths.

  "I want you to rush me," she began to explain. "Not all at once. At least, not yet. I want to work my way up, starting from the slowest to the fastest. It's the best way to test how quickly my screams react and figure out what kind of damage they can cause in short bursts."

  "It's a good plan," Jasper agreed, visibly impressed. "Once you gauge the initial damage from your first attempt, you can start building upon it. Strengthening it where you need it."

  Shadow nodded, his musings giving her the confidence she needed to continue. "I want to keep them at a distance that I can track and react to. The minute they cross the threshold, I'm dead if I can't react fast enough. So, I need you to treat this as realistically as possible."

  If her scream could run purely upon the instinct of sensing danger, without having to rely on the slow build-up she was used to, then Shadow might actually have a shot at surviving.

  "Realistic how?" Edward asked.

  Shadow pondered the options. Having them act upon pretending to hunt her wasn't an option. There was no telling what kind of inconvenient reactions it might draw out. But, if Jasper could influence her emotions to react differently to the Cullen's, it might work.

  She turned to the Hale boy in question. "I want you to influence my emotions. Focus on provoking fear. It'll be harder to react on instinct to you all without it, since I'm already too familiar with your family." 

  "That could work," Carlisle said, turning to the eldest of his foster daughters. "We'll start with Rosalie." 

  Shadow nodded, shaking out her fingers as everyone began to set up new positions for the markers. She moved onto bouncing on the balls of her feet. It was an odd way to prepare herself for such an unpredictable training exercise, but it was the only way she could think to soothe her sudden nerves.

  Until Jasper was at her side, his hand outstretched in silent offering.

  Shadow took it, letting the tidal wave of his ability put her at ease. "There's no reason to feel nervous," he spoke soothingly, his other hand reaching for the haphazard braid of her hair. "There's no failing, not with this."

"The real thing will still be so different," Shadow spoke softly, watching as he undid the braid before starting up a neater one, "I don't want to get anyone's hopes up." Least of all her own.

"Law of attraction, Shades. You gotta want it real bad!" Emmett's voice called out to her from across the clearing.

Despite knowing better, Shadow found that their superhuman hearing still surprised her. "Gotcha," she called back to him, shooting Emmett an awkward thumbs up.

"Do you think if I think about winning real bad, I can knock Edward flat on his ass?" She wondered aloud, watching as the Cullen in question let out a scoff.

Jasper himself sucked in a sharp breath at her words. "I think it's gonna take more than the law of attraction for that one, darling."

The lack of confidence had Shadow making a face. "I'll keep that in mind and think about knocking you on your ass then," she told him, giving the Hale boy a teasing smile as she stepped out of his arms.

Jasper's grin broadened at the challenge— but, first there was Rosalie to deal with. Shadow took up her spot in the centre of the clearing. The mechanics of this almost-game were simple, in theory.

First, Shadow would have to pick up on Rosalie's presence before she made it across the designated markers. Once that was successfully done, they moved onto the next step; which was detecting her presence from any— and every— possible angle. The final step required Shadow finally putting her scream into practice, by deterring Rosalie with the sheer force of her scream.

  At the very edge of the clearing, Rosalie gave the signal to show that she was ready. Shadow blew out a deep breath. Bracing herself for Jasper's ability, she signalled to Carlisle as well. He would be the one to cue the start of this exercise.

  As soon as Shadow waved her hand, she felt the fear building in slow anticipation. Her adrenaline spiked as she kept her eyes pinned to Rosalie. Accompanying the fear, she had the sudden inkling to feel terror for what kind of harm might come to the Cullen's, especially if her scream reacted without warning.

  And then Carlisle was signalling for Rosalie to rush— and the fear swept over Shadow anew as the blonde disappeared from sight.

  Before she could even realize what was happening, the distance marker for the threshold was being toppled. Shadow let out a sharp sound of terror as her body was abruptly whirled around to face the Hale woman, now standing just behind her. She could hear her heartbeat like a drum in her ears.

  Rosalie, however, didn't seem to take the win with much satisfaction. "You can't rely on your eyes," she scolded and, though her words were stern, they weren't unkind. "You are human. You're never going to be able to perceive where we're coming from or when."

  Jasper took over, pulling away the fear that still had Shadow's shoulders bunched together. "You might be a human, but you're a banshee too," he clarified. "You need to rely on those senses. You disappeared on us once because your abilities instinctually picked up on what we were."

  "And you think that if I focus those senses, I can pick up on when you're too close," Shadow deduced, yet she couldn't keep the wariness from her voice.

  It felt suddenly overwhelming. It seemed like there were so many skills she needed to hone all at once to pull this off— and Shadow could feel the clock ticking. What if they were too late?

  "Exactly that," Jasper agreed.

  The Swan girl huffed, "I don't know... there was so much going on back then, it was easier to call on it."

  "But you can call on it," Carlisle told her, his voice encouraging her to try. "That skill alone is one most of your kind could never accomplish."

  Shadow found it difficult to be comforted by the remark. It only seemed to serve as a reminder that there was a reason her skills were so vastly different; so evolved. If she survived, and the Volturi discovered what she was, there was no telling how it might implicate the Cullen family.

  And yet, despite every risk, they were still here, still helping.

  "Alright," she agreed. "Let's try again."

Shadow braced herself for their second run as Rosalie took up her position again. It didn't take long for them to ready up— and for her to fail once more. Still, she gritted her teeth, and went again, and again, and again.

  It took several attempts for the instinctive warning bells to kick in and finally peal in her head. Shadow felt the scream build inside her without warning, but she shoved down the panic. Her fingers curled to fists as she wrested control from her fear, opening her mouth to let the sound split the sky. 

  Almost two-feet from the threshold marker, Rosalie cried out in shock as the sheer force of Shadow's scream knocked her onto her back.

  The scream abruptly cut off as the Swan girl realized that she'd actually done it. Completely unintentional, of course, considering they were supposed to have moved through the steps slowly. But, the fact seemed to mean little to Jasper, who released a piercing whistle that cut through the silence.

"That's my girl!"

  Shadow would've thought to blush, if it wasn't for Rosalie's low moan echoing from where she lay. "You're so goddamn lucky you're human."

At the reassurance that his wife was okay, Emmett deemed it safe enough to let out a whoop in celebration. "My turn!" He called out, having already taken up Rosalie's starting spot.

Rosalie scowled at his distant figure as she got up. She turned to Shadow, dusting off her spotless hands. "Please, knock some sense into him— and don't hold back," she said, turning up her nose as she walked away from the group.

Shadow grinned at that, promising a swift and brutal vengeance on the Hale girl's behalf. Their practice continued on into the evening. With every brutal inch of progress she made and clawed for, the Swan girl felt hope like a fire kindling to life inside her.

If Death was feeling generous, perhaps all the promises she made were ones Shadow might finally get to keep— and there would be no grave for her lover to dig up for anyone, save for those who tried to harm her.

EDITED 06/06/2025 @4:40 AM

AN: Here's an extraordinarily long, 5K word chapter to apologize for the long wait once more. Luckily, there was no month-long (or years-long) wait for this one. I'm determined to see this story through to the finish line. Speaking of which, we have three (3!!!!!!) more chapters left before the finale!!! I hope you all have been enjoying Shadow and Jasper's story as much as I have writing it. Don't forget to comment what you thought & vote! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!