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Summary: Jacob Black isn't a hero. He knows that now. After all, isn't a hero supposed to protect the victims? His pack, his once family, he realizes are not who he thought they were. He has a new pack to protect. Trigger warning for depression, pre-born character death and dark Bella Swan.
Song of Jacob Black:
There was a time, once upon a dream when Jacob Black was sure that he was the hero-the good guy. Even before he started sprouting russet fur and fangs and claws-born for the purpose of destroying vampires, he was sure that he was a good person. And why shouldn't he? He had both his father, Billy Black, and Charlie Swan, the chief of the Forks police station as examples for what kind of man he should strive to be growing up.
He worked hard for all his young and teenage life-from the age of seven to sixteen to act with respect and kindness. It was why he always felt a frisson of disgust whenever he saw Sam Uley and his goons around the res., pushing their weight around. He had hoped his behavior towards Bella-a girl he couldn't stop swooning over was attentive. He meant to promise he made when he said he would never hurt her or abandon her.
Which was why it had been so hard when Sam forced him to stay away from her when his wolf transformation kicked in.
When he had seen his wolf reflection in a stream; protruding maw gaping open in shock, that had been truly the moment when Jacob doubted that he had ever been good.
Finally when he had ripped that bloodsucker, "Laurent" as Bella claimed was his name, he felt at least some conviction. He had done something right. He had saved his Bella's life. He knew he should feel powerful and righteous. He hated the bloodsuckers, but knew Bella would despise him when she found out what he was.
It had come to great surprise and relief when she accepted him.
Unfortunately all of that just didn't matter now.
It didn't matter that he had been there for her for nearly a year. It didn't matter that he had protected her from Laurent. It didn't matter that he had fought alongside the Cullens against the newborn army, and it didn't matter even that he had fought against Sam till the end to protect Bella's unborn baby that would now never know life.
Sam and Jared-damn them both to whatever afterlife there was, they both got into the Cullen house. While Edward and Carlisle were trying to stop them, Paul snuck in and bit into Bella's stomach.
Jacob had never felt like anyone had stabbed his heart before that moment. But he knew what being murdered felt like when he saw that. It felt like someone had ripped his heart out.
Transforming faster than he had ever remembered transforming, he smashed into Paul, ripping the silver wolf from Bella and her now bleeding bloated belly, and buried his own teeth into Paul's throat, not even trying to be careful. Paul's throat was ripped out, Jacob's tongue slathered with crimson blood.
Two lives were lost that day…at least physically. Sam and Jared had retreated and all of La Push regarded Jacob as a traitor. He had killed Paul Lahote. They had no more reason to attack at that time though. Bella's child was dead, murdered by Paul the same night.
Paul ripping into Bella's stomach hadn't killed the child immediately, but it had triggered complications and caused a miscarriage. Bella's child died. And with the child, Bella's soul left this earth. She was still physically alive, but the brunette, now a vampire thanks to Edward's venom would never be the same, ever.
Her child had been stolen from her. Murdered by a wolf shifter fueled by hate.
From that night on after her child-a daughter as they learned after the child's body had been removed from Bella's already bleeding womb had died, Bella's eyes were cold, empty, unfeeling. Bella wasn't just a vampire-not just dead physically, but her soul was gone.
Jacob could use all the excuses in the world to blame the Cullens since they were after all the enemy-the enemy he had been told to hate since he became a wolf, but here was the problem with that blame game. The Cullens weren't the one that killed Bella's daughter. His fellow wolves were.
Everything Jacob had grown up with from when he entered manhood as a wolf had been questioned. These vampires-the very creatures he had been meant to fight-his heritage to fight these monsters had been compromised by Carlisle's kindness, Esme's motherly affection-affection that he had lost seven years ago after his mother's death, even his odd but understandable confiding in Edward, even his back and forth remarks with Alice and Emmett had proved he had been wrong. How was a protector of humanity-a supposed killer of vampires supposed to fulfill his duty when everything he had ever been taught was proven wrong?
And now…his brothers, the wolves, his pack, his tribe, his family had proven themselves to be the monsters. They had proven that murdering a nearly born child and almost butchering her mother in the process and turning her heart cold eternally was worth their sense of safety. What kind of protectors did that?
How was he supposed to wrap his mind around that?
All he knew was that it hurt his heart now, every day, seeing Bella like this. A vampire, but never emotionally healed. Her eyes almost permanently cloaked over in black.
Worse, Jacob was sure she was torturing the animals she fed on. Made them suffer on purpose. Bella was a monster now, but only because his tribe had made her that way.
He couldn't use the Cullens as a release to blame anymore-to vent his frustrations. This was all on the wolf pack. He wasn't an immature little boy anymore. He had grown. Sam Uley had forced him to that night. He could let Bella go now. But he would protect her. And Edward. And their family. His family.
He understood, with new resolve as Sam, Jared, and the rest of the tribe-including his own father, Billy Black, painted him, Leah and Seth the enemies along with the rest of the Cullen family that a war was coming, and he had to defend his new pack. Not just Leah, Seth and now Embry and Quil. Not anymore. He had more pack to protect.
Whether Jacob liked it or not, the Cullen family was his pack. His family.
Jacob had a new purpose. He was going to be a hero. He was going to protect his family. And if his enemy was the wolves of the reservation where he had lived for years then so be it.
Pack was pack after all, and the Cullens were just that.
And all of La Push and Forks would see a war very soon.