I sat under the tree at the beach and awaited Jacob's arrival. I still felt sleepy from my lack of sleep earlier, but I blinked the tiredness from my eyes and focused on watching the beach.

The instant I worked it out I had left the house, asking Billy to tell Jacob to meet me at the beach. We had to talk about it.

It was so obvious, now I looked back at it. How could I have missed it.

Jacob Was gay.

"Hey, Bella." Jacob said. I jumped and looked up at him. When did he arrive? I didn't even hear him. He shifted nervously from foot to foot as I stood and greeted him.

"So, you worked it out?" he asked.

I nodded, painfully aware of the anxious look on my face. I always told myself sexual orientation didn't matter, and if it were anyone else I would be indifferent, but with Jake…

Was I disappointed?

Jacob saw my expression and his face fell.

"Bella, I'm sorry…" he began. I stepped forward and touched his arm.

"No, Jake, it's fine." I told him. "Really."

He smiled sheepishly, half-heartedly and turned away, walking a little down the beach.

"I just wish it didn't have to be like this." He said.

"Could you… well, try not to be… you know?" I couldn't bring myself to say it, for some reason.

"You think I want to be like this?" he yelled, turning to me, a pained look on his face.

I opened my mouth, but found nothing to say. We stood silently for a while.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" I asked, finally breaking the wall of silence between us.

Jacob shook his head. "I couldn't," he said in a low tone, "It's against the rules."

"What rules?" I wondered if I had missed some recent unspoken rule of sexual etiquette.

"His rules." Jacob said as though it explained anything, and then, "Sam's Rules."

Sam found out before I did? The idea stung me more than I would have admitted, and I hoped the pain didn't show in my face.

"Sam Knows?"

"Yeah. He's the one who helped me through it." Jacob's face settled into a soft expression as he spoke. Was it gratitude? Compassion? Or, could it be, Love?

The idea of Sam, who Jacob had hated only a month before, suddenly becoming such a large part of his life made my hands tremble.

"He helped you?" I asked, almost choking on the words

Jacob nodded. "He helped all of us."

Wait, all of them? They were all gay?

"So, what, is Sam some kind of a pimp or something?"

Jacob seemed both amused and confused at this statement.

"I guess you could put it that way," he said, half chuckling, "But he is our leader."

I put my head in my hands and tried to make sense of it all. Not only was Jacob gay, but apparently so was everyone else in Sam's gang, and Sam had them out walking the streets every night. The idea sickened me.

"You don't have to do what he says!" I argued.

Jacob shook his head slowly. "I do. It's a pack thing."

"A pack," I said, crossing my arms over my chest, "Is that what they call it these days?"

"That's what they always called it." Jacob said, a hint of worry (perhaps for my sanity) in his voice. He continued, "Wolves travel in packs."

"Wolves?" I asked, slowly, quietly. My eyes were wide in shock.

Realization struck me like a slap to the face; The giant wolves that had scared away Laurent, Sam's 'pack' out on the streets at night.

They were werewolves.

I began to laugh.

"Bella?" The worrying tone was still in Jacob's voice.

"Jake," I said in return, "We really need to talk."