Author's notes: This is a two-parter, for a dear friend's birthday.

Warnings: Graphic sex, NC-17, violence, strong language; Bella, Renesmee and Edward bashing. If this is not your cup of tea, do not read.

"How is he doing, Carlisle?" I shot him a pleading look, his immaculate clothes unruffled. Glancing around the living room, I could hardly believe we had been through that battle. Aro had cackled with mad glee as he motioned towards the door when Bella entered, that spawn of hers walking demurely behind her, her cowl failing to hide the ruby eyes of a murderer.

It was so typical of Bella that she would reveal her betrayal precisely when we were celebrating Jacob's birthday!

My fingers clenched tightly the couch, until a ripping sound drew Carlisle's calm gaze downwards. I let go of the destroyed leather as I took deep, unneeded breaths in an effort to calm myself. However much I tried though, I couldn't dispel the memory of my wolf, crumpled in a heap near the wall. I could hardly recall what happened afterwards, only flashes of dismembered corpses as I fought like a madman, despair and tenderness mingling in my mind as I stood between Jacob and our enemies.

"Jacob's fine at the moment. Are you aware of what transpired earlier today, Emmett?" Carlisle steepled his fingers, his voice soothing and melodic. "I know Jacob and you developed a strong relationship."

I snorted softly, the corners of my lips tugging upwards in a smirk I stole from Jacob. I was at a loss for words, though. How could I explain what he meant to me? The way we drew closer and found shelter in one another as the world crumbled around us – when Rosalie and I grew distant and our fights more bitter until she up and left for the Denalis while little Renesmee, now become a beautiful teenager, started to follow on her mother's footsteps and became a slut who cheated on Jacob while drinking his blood.

I was drawn by Jacob's vulnerability which contrasted with his enormous resilience that allowed him to endure conditions that would break lesser men. I became what he needed me to be: his friend, his companion, his lover. In turn, Jacob opened himself to my hungry gaze and became the anchor that tied me to this world. Once upon a time, I was sure that if Rosalie ever left me I would crumble and wither away, a shadow of my former self. It was the reason I was so clingy and insisted on all those weddings.

Jacob showed me that my life did not end with Rosalie's departure. In fact, it had gotten even more exciting.

But all this I was unable to put into words. I'm not Jacob, who held me spellbound the night he told me the legends of his tribe. I'm no worthy storyteller that can weave our tale like it deserves, like a story out of the Arabian Nights.

"I love him, Carlisle." My shoulders drooped in defeat, realizing the futility of the words because Jacob was not here to hear them, and I had been too much of a coward to tell him directly. I had only whispered the words against his perfect brow the nights he slept by my side. I tilted up my chin to shoot Carlisle a glance. "I will do anything for him."

"I'm aware of that, Emmett. I know you and Jasper stood by his side…"

"When we confronted that pair of whiners?" I slouched against the destroyed couch, the spring poking uncomfortably against my cotton pants as I tilted up my chin to gaze at the ceiling. "Renesmee, the spawn from hell, was draining Jacob's blood at the same time she was spreading her legs for whoever wanted her. Of course the golden couple knew and chose to do nothing, thus forcing Jasper and I to give them an ultimatum."

"You forced them to leave."

"Exactly." I shot Carlisle a furious glare. "Since the head of the coven would not perform his duties and allowed the constant victimization of Jacob, who is part of our family, we had to act. Either they left at once, we told them, or we would kill them and Nessie." I cracked my knuckles, remembering gleefully the way Edward's face crumpled when Alice and Esme glided into the room. I was glad of their support, especially when Edward read Alice's mind and her vision of a future if they chose to fight, in which both their corpses surrounded the red mane of lifeless Nessie.

They left within the hour, and we thought we were finally rid of them until they showed up today.

"I'm sorry, Emmett." His smooth voice sounded contrite, but I raised my hand to forestall his useless explanations.

"I understand Edward is your prodigal son. I never had any bones with that, I didn't care until you allowed that fact to warp your perceptions. You handed him the moon, made us fight for him and his bitch, you involved people from around the world in this fight and all for what?" I crossed my arms, my chest bulging as I leaned forward and scowled at Carlisle. "So a selfish whore could procreate and bring her filthy spawn into this world. You closed your eyes to the abuse they heaped on Jacob, verbally and otherwise. Rosalie constantly insulted him and you did nothing. Renesmee drank from him and you remained silent. She cheated on him and you did not intervene."

I shot out from the couch and turned to give it a mighty kick. It flew against the wall and crashed, leaving a gouge behind as the frame crumpled into pieces. As I paced back and forth, I blessed the fact I was not a shifter. I would've phased and torn a huge chunk out of Carlisle's smug carcass.

But Jacob was a shifter, and he never phased and attacked any of us, even under the direst provocation. I closed my eyes, wishing I could cry, wishing I could erase the past that saw fit to torment my wolf so much.

"That's why Rosalie and I fought so bitterly," I said slowly. "I wanted her to curb her temper but she wouldn't because she was too spoiled to change her behavior. Told her how revolting she appeared to be as she spewed her comments fueled by racism. Of course the blond ice princess didn't take it well and finally she left me; but at least I did something!"

"Bella and Edward were unable to control Renesmee," Carlisle said softly, his voice neutral as he sought to ignore my remarks. "Renesmee kept feeding on her lovers, until she killed the first of many."

I walked to the wall and leaned against the plaster, tilting my neck to glance at Carlisle. "What happened then?"

"Edward left them. He couldn't countenance his daughter's behavior, nor Bella's accepting ways."

"The eunuch reacted too late!" I snorted contemptuously. "Wimp!"

"Edward tells me he read Aro's mind. The Volturi learned of Renesmee's… transgressions and decided to end her existence, but Bella offered to join them."

"So that's why they were together!" I said through clenched teeth. "She's not only a whore but a traitor!"

"And she left with Aro after their defeat." Carlisle let out a nearly imperceptible sigh.

"I know I killed Demetri." I fixed him with a stern look. "Anyone else?"

"Jane's no more, and the pack tore Alec to pieces. The Volturi have lost their most valuable assets."

"But they still have Bella." I said shrewdly.

"I know Aro's ways very well. I lived with him long before Bella's puny ancestors arrived in this continent." Carlisle's lips curled up in a sinister smirk. "Aro loved to watch the power plays in the courts of Europe, where glittering courtesans entertained kings and imagined they held real power."

"Pricey hookers who were really cheapskate sluts." I barked a laugh. "Just like Bella, huh?"

"Those two will soon be at each other's throats, like scorpions." Carlisle said. "At any rate, what should really concern us is the pack, our putative allies if they return. Are you aware of the power play within the pack?"

I sat down on the loveseat, raising my hand to ruffle my short-cropped hair as I let out a sigh. "I know Jacob fought constantly with Sam, and that put him under considerable stress."

"I take it Sam wanted to kill Renesmee?" Carlisle leaned forward, his fingertips brushing his perfect chin.

"No. It was Jacob who wanted to kill the little demon. When Bella and her daughter left, he didn't weaken at all, in fact he felt relieved. Sam insisted on not killing them because Nessie was Jacob's imprint. In turn, Jake said he had broken the imprint. Sam wouldn't believe that and they fought constantly. I was frankly surprised when the pack showed up for his birthday."

"The reason Renesmee's absence didn't hurt Jacob is because it wasn't a true imprint," Carlisle said.

"What do you mean?"

"New information that Edward relayed to me after the battle. You know that Renesmee was self-aware in the womb."

I nodded slowly and raised my hand, motioning him to continue.

"Renesmee knew most people wanted her dead, so in order to survive, she projected an aura of love and bonhomie which fooled those who came in contact with her."

"Like Edward," I said through gritted teeth.

"Exactly. She also read Jacob's emotions, his loneliness and despair at the situation with Bella. In fact, Renesmee was inexorably drawn to Jacob because…"

"What?" I raised my chin and fixed him with a stare. "Don't tell me Jake's her soul mate?"

"No." Carlisle finally said. "Jacob is Renesmee's Singer."

"Damn!" I stood up and kicked the loveseat which flew in the air and crashed against the door. "No wonder she couldn't keep from drinking his blood. Little demon from hell! So she… what?" I turned to Carlisle. "She used her voodoo powers to fake the imprint?"

"Jacob desperately wanted to imprint. Renesmee used that thirst to her advantage, to have him tied to her. She used her resemblance to Bella to nudge the imprint in her direction."

"So the imprint was real?" I arched my eyebrow at him.

"At first it was. Jacob's wolf seemed to believe it. Later though, as Renesmee revealed her true colors, the wolf rebelled." Carlisle tipped down his chin, studying the thick rug on the floor as he weighed his words. "I've studied the legends concerning these hybrid children and I've arrived to the conclusion that Jacob could not imprint on one of them. That's the reason Jacob became so detached from Renesmee, even allowing her death for transgressions against the treaty. He was at the cusp of breaking the imprint before the Volturi arrived. When Renesmee showed up, her red eyes indicating she no longer abided by our rules, that was the point that tipped it all."

I paced along the room, trying to grasp the meaning of Carlisle's words. "So that's the reason he collapsed? He broke the imprint?"

"I'm afraid it's more complicated than that, Emmett." Carlisle let out a sigh, his searching gaze fixed on my eyes. "I've been able to gather the whole picture, from what Jasper and Edward reported…"

I raised my arm, forestalling his words. "Hold it! Is Edward here? I won't stand for it, Carlisle. He's a noxious presence in Jacob's life and this family. Either he goes, or I do."

"Has it come to this?" Carlisle said softly.

"It has. He believes he's the center of the universe, a silly idea both his bitch and his daughter share."

"You don't have to worry, Emmett." Carlisle lowered his shoulders, a sob threatening to leave his throat. "Edward left earlier for parts unknown."

"That's good to know." I nodded in satisfaction. "Now, about Jacob…"

"Edward read the minds of the pack. They were at the brink of changing allegiances; they went to the birthday party because of their need to see Jacob, who is the natural Alpha. Their hunger for order in the pack drove them. When Aro and the others showed up, Sam panicked and issued contradictory orders which Jacob countermanded. The moment had come when he would assume the Alpha position over all wolves."

I crouched down on the floor, my fingers nervously playing with the thick rug as I raised my chin to stare at Carlisle. "So Jacob collapsed due to the stress of breaking the imprint and becoming the true Alpha?"

"An element complicates matters in this scenario." Carlisle's calm tenor failed to smooth my fragile nerves, though. "Namely, the presence of the Volturi. I believe that Jacob would have been able to withstand those fast changes in allegiance if given enough time to process them."

"So what happened then?" I said impatiently. "Come on, Carlisle; tell me what's going on! Don't make a game of withholding information like your prodigal son!"

Carlisle shot me an irritated look before he said crisply, "Aro was aware of the fragile situation within the pack, due to information provided by Bella."

"Worthless bitch!" I muttered through closed teeth.

"So he ordered Chelsea to tamper with Jacob's allegiances at his weakest point, to make him obey the Volturi. Naturally the pack would follow their Alpha and the Italians would gain a powerful praetorian guard."

"So that's why he crumbled!"

"Chelsea did catch him at his weakest point and almost succeeded, but Jacob is an incredibly stubborn young man. He rebelled against the power imposed on him from without, and this time he was able to use the bonds of the pack members to strengthen his spirit."

"What does it all mean, though? How is he?"

"In a dark place. He's teetering on the brink of insanity; he's forgotten most of his memories. He's built a worldview according to his own rules." Carlisle stood up and walked with measured steps towards the door.

"How can I help him?" I tucked my chin on my chest, staring fixedly at the patterns on the rug. "I'll do anything, even if he doesn't remember me."

"Edward and Jasper assure me he does remember you." Carlisle closed his fist around the doorknob, his voice low as he continued. "His reality now resembles one of your videogames. He believes there was a war between vampires and werewolves, and the werewolves won. We are all their slaves. I'm afraid he's in a rather vindictive mood but he does remember you."

I nodded as I wrapped my arms around my broad chest, wishing they weren't cold as marble but warm as the sun, not pale but russet – that it was Jacob holding me.

"We all are moving out, leaving Forks temporarily. This will become Jacob's headquarters. The pack will move in; they are ready to help in whatever capacity they can, for their well-being is inexorably tied to their Alpha. You must make Jacob remember."

"How?"

"You know him very well, his strength and weaknesses. You care about him…. you love Jacob." Carlisle opened the door and stepped out, whispering softly, "I have faith in you."

The Scorpion Shifter

"The Alpha will see you now, leech!" Paul opened the door and shoved me inside the bedroom.

I glanced down at him. Jacob was spread on the bed, his bronze skin shining in the soft glow of the lamp. He shot me a dark look, his face shuttered as he studied me intensely. His eyes were black as night, and filled with the same emotions that plagued him when he first found out about Renesmee's infidelities. He didn't know what to do.

"Jacob."

"You will call me Alpha, leech!" He growled. "Nothing else. Now strip down. I want to see your body before I give you the fuck you crave."

His demanding tone made me shiver as I hastily took off my cargo pants, making sure to turn my back to the bed and flex my ass just so. Sex with Jacob was always exciting, and I had been deprived of it for far too long. I glanced down and palmed my burgeoning erection, my thumb rubbing the silver Prince Albert around my cockhead. It hadn't hurt that much, and given my vampire powers, it would close when I took it off.

It added a touch of decadence to the whole situation, though. I hoped it provided the opportunity to remind Jacob of all the times he had enjoyed my tool as I plowed his sweet, tight ass. The memory of his tight heat clenching around me as he rode me hard in the forest had me at full mast in no time.

I turned towards him, my eyes taking on the delectable sight of Jacob licking his lips, smooth broad shoulders tapering down to his slim waist, his hand sliding down toward the bunched up sheet that covered his groin.

"On the bed, leech." He cocked his head at the space next to him, the corner of his mouth turning up in a sexy smirk. "You had better please me, or I'll throw you to the wolves the way I did the others."

"Others?" I arched my eyebrows as I laid down on the bed, his hand applying gentle pressure on my back so I would turn towards the wall.

"The other leeches that failed to please me and are gone," he said darkly. "Bella, Nessie, Jane. All pitiful fucks."

Warm hands caressed my flanks, tracing a hot path that ended on my cock. He squeezed the ring around the head and chuckled darkly. "I like a man that's got some spunk in him."

I nodded, shivering when slick fingers circled my entrance. Jake leaned forward and nipped my earlobe. "I bet you're tight, leech."

I grunted when warm fingers slipped inside me, caressing my walls as he prepared me. "Can't wait to feel you clenching around me, leech. I bet you're a slut in bed. I'll ruin you for others; after I'm through with you, you'll be on your hands and knees, begging for seconds. The perfect, tight bitch."

Jacob's raspy voice was making me so hard and wanton; I shoved my hips against his hand, fucking myself on his fingers. Jacob chuckled and scooted closer, his hand raising my hips as I felt his cock nudging my crack.

I loved this domineering side of Jake. When we made love, he always was the bottom, even though I told him I was versatile. The proper moment for him to top never came, though, and I respected that fact. In hindsight, and with all the troubles he was going through with the fake imprint, with Bella and Edward's loathsome actions, and the tensions within the pack, I supposed he couldn't act as forcefully as he wanted or the whole edifice would fall down.

Jake was bent out of shape by divided loyalties, and this affected his spirits and even the way he approached sex. Maybe this whole scenario his mind devised was the perfect way to get a measure of satisfaction out of the whole ordeal, a sexy revenge that would allow the wolf to count it as a victory.

Then I didn't have time to think clearly as Jake's thick cock inside me rubbed my walls in a delicious way, driving me mad with want.

"Faster, harder!" I growled.

"Knew you liked it hard, Emmett," Jacob whispered harshly, his words punctuated by deep thrusts inside my slick channel. "Your greedy hole feels so cool, squeezing my dick like this!"

My hand slid down to fist my neglected cock, but Jacob caught my wrist and with a powerful shove, laid my fingers on my thigh. "No, leech. You come on my cock or not at all."

I gripped his hips hard, thrusting my hips backwards as I impaled myself on his thick cock. "Damn you, Jacob!"

"Alpha, leech! I'm the Alpha!" He growled darkly, his hand coming down as he slapped my ass harshly. It stung a bit, but it was so pleasurable it wrenched a moan out of my throat. "You like it?" Jacob slapped my ass again and again, his nose nudging my neck. I swore I could feel the shadow of his smirk against my cheek. "Next time, I'll spank that juicy ass properly while you suck my dick, and then you'll ride me like a good leech cowboy."

Sweaty fingers ghosted a path down my left hip, playing with my taint and rubbing my swollen rim before they grasped my cock. The warmth against my Prince Albert and the teasing caresses made me come, and thick ropes coated Jake's fingers. Moaning, I clenched hard around his length and Jake swore as he thrust his hips uncontrollably, groaning as his warm seed coated my insides.

Jake sighed and took out his softening cock, pushing my hips as he cocked his head at the bathroom door. "Now clean us, leech!"

I walked to the bathroom and grabbed a towel. Glancing at the mirror, I realized I had enjoyed the rough fucking. Jake had an amazing body and incredibly stamina, and even if he had built a cruel world to hide behind, his quintessential gentleness shone through the barriers his mind erected. But I needed my Jake back, the Quileute wolf I had fallen in love with. How could I nudge his memory and bring him back to me?

After rubbing dry my slick buttocks, I laid down lengthwise alongside Jake and cleaned his cock, frowning at the bruises that littered his hips. They were visibly fading as I watched, courtesy of his healing powers.

They were dark and menacing, reminding me of a picture of a naked guy with a scorpion which I had found in the computer one morning while Jake was browsing the internet. That day I received the sign that told me my attraction to the sexy wolf need not remain one-sided forever.

And that gave me an idea that might hold his interest and bring his memories back. Above all, Jake had an unquenchable curiosity about the world, an easy acceptance of the strange that allowed him to thrive among strangers and seek common ground. I would use his curiosity to reel him in back to me.

"What are you thinking, leech?" Jacob said, not unkindly.

"Nothing important, just an old tale a member of another coven told me. It's called The Scorpion Shifter and since you're a wolf, I thought it might…" I shrugged nonchalantly. "Nope, forget it. You'd better call your guards to throw me to the wolves, I'm not sure I pleased you."

Jake shot me a crafty smirk, and for a second, in the soft glow of the lamp, I imagined I had my old Jacob back. "Nope. Your ass is so tight and you're so hot, it would be a crime to get rid of you."

He patted the space next to him on the bed. "Now out with the tale, it sounds interesting."

I laid my head on the pillow and looped my hands behind the nape of my neck, my gaze fixed on the ceiling as I started. "There was a pack of shape shifters in New Mexico once. They turned into foxes, though, and shared their qualities. They were cunning and brave."

"Cunning and brave doesn't cut it," Jake mumbled to himself. His fingers rubbing his forehead in a dejected gesture. My arm ached with the need to reach out and hold him close, but I refrained and instead continued with the tale.

"One day a young warrior ventured into the hot desert in a spirit quest. He had fastened for days and gone to a sweat lodge to prepare himself to receive the visions of his ancestors. He spent the whole sweltering day meandering along a small creek until he reached a cave. Inside he found a giant scorpion."

"He must've been scared," Jake said.

"He was." I nodded. "But he was a warrior of his tribe, and this was a new peril and he needed to find out more about it."

"Sure, sure."

"So he went into the cave and stared at the giant scorpion, its black shell glinted in the dim light coming from the mouth of the cave. The warrior picked up a huge rock and prepared to drop it against the scorpion's carapace, but then…"

"What happened?"

"The scorpion spoke. It said, 'Do not kill me, mighty warrior, for I am a shifter just like you. I'm human, you see, despite this frightful body. I suffer and feel just like you.'"

Jacob's fingers traced a path on my shoulder as he nodded. "And then?"

"The warrior said, 'How do I know you're really a shifter and not a big scorpion? Phase back so that I may see you.'" I leaned backwards, my body unconsciously seeking Jacob's warmth. "The scorpion became this tiny, frail woman. Its glittering shell turned into luscious locks, the pincers became soft, pale arms."

"And I guess they fucked and lived happily ever after." Jacob broke our contact, narrowing his eyes as he frowned at me.

"Nope, that's not what happened." I stood up and picked up my clothes, donning them in a whirlwind.

"Hey, where are you going?" Jake raised his eyebrows.

"I have to hunt, Alpha," I said, raising my hand to point at my dark eyes. "We'll continue tomorrow. If you don't throw me to the wolves, that is."

oOoOo

Quil leered at me, his lustful gaze lingering on my bare chest. He leaned towards me and whispered in my ear, "I hear you are quite the dish, Emmett. If things don't work out with Jacob, give me a call."

I couldn't help my throaty laugh, and I hit the tall Quileute's shoulder as we entered the bedroom. Jake's deep growl surprised me. He was reclining on the bed as he shot up from the mattress, the sheet hitching around his slim hips.

He narrowed his eyes at the sight of my hand on Quil's shoulder. "Leave us, Quil!"

"Sure, Ja… I mean, Alpha." Quil dashed out of the room as if Jane was hunting him.

"I don't want to see you near him," he growled. "I don't share what's mine."

I felt my trousers tightening around my length. Witnessing the jealous side of Jacob had me hot and bothered, the way his eyes drilled into mine, his knuckles white as he gripped the edges of the sheet, his nostrils flaring as he sought to contain his anger – Jake was the promise of sinful delights.

I expected manhandling and a rough fuck, but instead he sat down and patted the side of the bed. "Entertain me."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Are you deaf, leech? I said, entertain me." Jake lowered his chin, and mumbled low under his breath. "Too angry right now, could hurt him."

With a sigh, I went to the bed and laid down, my back propped against the headboard. Tonight Jake was using Alice's bedroom. It had the latest Egyptian sheets with 1,000 threads or whatever, and those crazy rings with candles she had become addicted to.

Jake raised his hips to take off his briefs, his thick burgeoning cock visible for a moment before he raised the sheet to cover himself. Turning towards me, he noticed I was staring at him and raised his eyebrows, cocking his chin at my jeans.

Nodding slowly, I hooked my thumbs around the belt loops and popped upon the buttons before lowering the jeans and kicking them off to the floor.

"I want to hear the end of the story, and if you have another one and it is good, I will fuck you hard."

"Oh, that's… an interesting reward." I shot him a crooked grin and Jake nodded, indicating I should start.

"Where was I?"

"The scorpion turned into a beautiful brunette," he said, his sad gaze lost in the gloomy bedroom. I wondered if he was thinking about Bella and the tricks she endlessly pulled on him.

"The scorpion shifter noticed the warrior's arousal, and leaned down to kiss those pouty lips, her hair tickling the warrior's face."

"And they fucked and lived happily ever after." Jake repeated the words he had said last night with a weary tone.

"No, they fucked for a few days. The scorpion shifter, whose name was Kachina, was delectable to the warrior, and the man forgot his obligations to the tribe and the reasons for the spirit quest he was undertaking. And on the third day, just when they were preparing to make love, Kachina phased into her scorpion form and stung the warrior."

"Damn!" Jake growled. "Fucking traitor. The warrior should've killed her when he could."

"As the warrior was dying, Kachina phased back and gazed at him with a contrite expression: 'Forgive me, she said, but I'm a scorpion, it's in my nature to sting. I'm so mean that I don't deserve to live.'"

"Fat lot of good it did to the warrior," Jake mumbled. "The bitch got what she wanted."

"Nope, the tale does not end here." I said. "Gathering his last strength, the warrior took out a dagger from his tunic and slit Kachina's throat. When she was in her death throes, the warrior whispered before he died, 'And it's in my nature to fight.'"

Jake turned to me and shot me a bright smile which made my undead heart flutter. "Great! At least he avenged himself! I love it! You're a great storyteller."

"Not really." I waved my arm around. Truth of the matter was that I used part of a videogame Jake and I used to play to weave the tale.

Jacob yawned and raised his hand to cover his mouth. Then he glanced at me. "Do you have another story?"

tbc