Chapter 1: More than Human

The rain pounded as it often did in the dreary town of Fork. At a height of (INSERT HEIGHT) clad in nothing but a pair of shorts, Jacob pounded the ground barefoot. Shoes and clothes had practically become items tossed by the wayside. The rain didn't bother him. Rather it steamed off him the second it touched his ski, the curse of running a constant temperature of one hundred eight degrees. The curse of being what he was: more animal now than human.

From over a mile out he could hear the clunker disaster of a truck. He knew she was coming and he wanted nothing to do with her. He knew he was being a jerk, more than a jerk, a complete ass, but it was more for her protection than anything else even though he couldn't explain. This whole thing was her fault anyways. She belonged to them, the sad pup left behind waiting for the master to return. It didn't matter to him if they did or not. This was still her fault.

Ignoring the truck as it parked, Jacob kept walking. He didn't even stop as he heard the car door slam. Bella hated the rain and yet she was willing to come out in it. She must really be desperate he thought.

"Jacob," Bella called out.

Jacob continued to ignore her. It killed him to freeze her out but it was better, not necessarily easier. Sam had given out his orders and by submission Jacob had to obey them.

"Jacob please, just talk to me," said Bella.

Great now she was pleading. Just go away, Bella, Jacob thought. Make this easier on both of us.

"Hey," Bella said reaching for his arm. She quickly dropped it though, no doubt feeling the change in his skin.

Jacob bowed his head. She was persistent and despite Sam's gag order he felt he owed his once best friend an explanation.

Jacob turned around, his face still bowed but ready to have whatever confrontation Bella had come here for, as he raised his head and looked inside Bella's eyes the hostility and rage was gone in that moment. No longer was he ready to lash out at her. He suddenly felt as if he was floating away from who he was, away from his home, his brothers, his pack, the animal that genetics had turned him into and just when he thought he would lose himself completely, he felt himself being held back, as if the whole universe centered around this one spot and he knew he wouldn't drift away. He saw his life with Bella when they were kids, he saw her grow up in Phoenix in a life without him, he saw her return to Forks and their reconnection, he saw her as an adult, he saw her through his animal eyes that feeling of the protector and more than that, he saw, he knew that she was the one he needed.

His love more permanent and unchanging in a way he'd never thought possible despite the shared collective of a pack mind and knowing Sam had experienced the same thing.

Just like the moon orbited the earth, so he orbited her.