Prologue

JPOV

I would never forget what she did for me. She was the most selfless person I ever knew and I loved her with all my heart. It would have killed me to ever hurt her, but then I should have known she'd make it easy on me. Well I could do the same for her. I would do the same for her. I would give Bella what she would need most from me now. I would give her my blessings. I would give Edward my blessings and my oath that the pack will support them and always be there for them.

Bella rested more comfortably. If the venom was burning she didn't show it. She didn't speak anymore but the screaming had finally stopped. I think that was when I finally stopped sobbing like a girl. How embarrassing, here I was this giant werewolf, Alpha of the pack and tribe leader and I was balling like a baby over Bella. The only comfort I had was knowing that if he could cry he would have been crying too. My heart actually hurt for him too. He looked like shit. Of course he was blaming himself for the whole thing. It wasn't his fault, Bella made the decision to be in the clearing despite his protests, despite my begging. Bella was the one that went swinging like a maniac at a vampire. She has serious territorial issues, but that's another story for another time. We would all just have to be grateful that she was alive, well not technically, but at least she was still with us. As soon as we burned the last of the pieces and the pack ran a few patrols to make sure every last one of Victoria's army was destroyed we carried the wounded back to the Cullen's. Emmett tried to argue with me about carrying Bella but I wasn't having any of that. I put him in charge of protecting Mellissa and that made him happy. I knew it was the last time I would hold her in my arms, smell her hair, feel her warmth, and hear her heart beating in rhythm with my own. I knew it was goodbye in a way. I ran silently through the forest with her careful not to let any branches or limbs come into contact with her precious skin. I would protect her until Edward could take over and then I knew I would have to turn her over to him forever. I also knew that he would not let her down. I knew that he would not make the same mistakes he made before. I knew he loved her, maybe even more than I had. I tired not to think about the future they would have, tried not to wonder if I would ever see her again. I tried to focus on Mellissa and the future I knew we had. We came up on the Cullen property too quickly. I smelled the stench a mile away. That stench would be Bella in a few days, I felt sick thinking about it. Carlisle showed me where to lie Bella down once we got into the house. Emmett moved another bed next to her and Edward lay beside her. His leg was still fusing and his mangled arm was just beginning to straighten again, but it didn't stop him from reaching for her hand as soon as he was able. I placed her hand into his and in an instant I knew I had just given my Bella away. I felt like a father relinquishing the bride at the altar.

"Thank you Jacob." Edward whispered bringing me out of my own little pity party.

"You are welcome Edward. Please take care of her."

"I will Jacob, I promise you that I will take care of her and I will make her happy if she'll let me."

"Don't be a fool, of course she'll let you, she has always loved you too you know."

"It is not going to be easy for her, she had just told me that she was glad she never became a vampire, she didn't want this anymore."

"I know, but Bella makes the best of things, you'll see. Just don't blame yourself Edward. It wasn't your fault."

"But…."

"No buts!!! You will seriously piss her off if you start that shit. If she blames you she will say so, but I know Bella and she won't blame you. You know that too."

"Your right, she'll blame herself."

"Yep. Now you just get her past that, ok?"

"I will."

"So what is the plan? What will you guys do now?"

Carlisle had joined us and was tending to Bella. "I think we need to get out of Forks."

"Leave? You can't just leave."

"Jacob, it won't be safe for Bella here right now. If she has trouble controlling herself how do you think she will feel if it's someone she knows that becomes a victim, what if it is Charlie, or Angela or any one of her human friends?" Even if she can control herself no one she knows can see her. It will put her in risk again. No, I'm afraid we have to do what is best for Bella right now." Carlisle was so authoritative that you just didn't want to argue with him. Besides he made sense.

"Fine, when do we leave?"

"Umm, Jacob what do you mean we?"

"I'm coming with you, I'm not leaving her." I already knew I would not win this battle but I just couldn't give it up yet.

"What about Mellissa, you can't bring her with; it's too dangerous for both of them."

"Where will you go?"

"Alaska. We were in Denali before this started anyway, we'll go back there."

"How long until, you know, until she vamps out?"

"Three days."

"Then I'm coming with to get her settled and then I'll leave."

"Fair enough, thank you Jacob for everything you and the pack did. We wouldn't have made it without your help."

"Hey, that's what we are here for."

Carlisle left to tell the others of the plan and Edward spoke again.

"Jacob, I'll give you a cell phone, you can call whenever you would like. As soon as it is safe I'll let you know and you can come back up and see her. She'll want to know that you are keeping an eye on Charlie and I'm guessing she'll want frequent updates."

"Oh man, Charlie, what the hell am I going to tell him?"

"Oh no, we don't tell him anything until Bella wakes and decides. This is her decision. As far as he knows right now she is in Seattle and school is going fine. She talked to him just before the fight so he won't even be expecting to hear from her for several days. Please Jacob promise me you won't do anything until Bella wakes up."

"Ok, your right. She needs to decide how to handle this."

"What about Mellissa, how is she?"

"I don't know. I mean I know she wasn't hurt, none of them got anywhere near her."

"She seems ok; she is worried about Bella and about you. She wants to see Bella before it is too late, why don't you go get her and bring her up here? It is safe for now, she wants to say goodbye."

Goodbye, ugh. I would have to say goodbye to Bella forever and I would have to say goodbye to Mellissa for a few days. That was going to be torture.

I left Mellissa with Bella and Edward and filled Sam in on the plans, he would run patrols and watch over Mellissa for me while I was gone. It wouldn't be long after all I'd be back in four days and Bella would be with Edward and she would be a Vampire.