Apparently Edward had made the same assumption that rang through my mind. Instinctively a low snarl ripped through mine and Edwards throats at the same time. A protective growl. Of course he was here. Nessie was the centre of his existence. He belonged to her. He was watching over her as she slept, just as her father had watched over her mother. It suddenly seemed sweet; to think that someone cared about our daughter so much, a small smirk of understanding escaped my lips. And Jacob's wide eyes drifted towards mine, like a stray caught in the headlights of a car I thought. "Get out" Edward snarled, un-derived from the fact there was a boy in his girls room. "No" came Jacobs clear answer. Again I growled at Jacob. It was one thing to care for my daughter, but another to disobey an order in my own house. Again I was acutely aware of what was going on around me. Someone stirred behind me and the soft rise and fall of Nessie's breathing suddenly spiked as she woke up with a start. "Mom… dad?" her confusion was clear. Then a bemused "Jake?" she stared at the scene with an elated expression, caught between being scared and amused. "Jake!" she squealed again, with delight in her eyes, before she leapt up to rush past me in order to embrace a 7ft werewolf in a tight hug around his waist "I missed you" her soft sweet voice like the music of summer-time was muffled into his chest. Even though Nessie, now equivalent of 16 years of age, had grown to around her fathers height, Jacob still had to bend over to return her embrace, wrapping his large hands around her "and I, you" he replied. Suddenly Nessie let go of her embrace to glance back at us, she then returned her gaze to Jacob with a quizzical expression. "Why are you here Jake?" she asked with wonder.
"I couldn't sleep knowing we were apart." Jacob replied solemnly gazing into her eyes. "That's so sweet Jakey" she sighed and reached up to kiss him. It was an odd thing to see my daughter locking lips with the man who had so passionately kissed me, once upon a time. Their lips moved rhythmically and passionately. It sent a queasy feeling down into the pit of my stomach. The vision didn't last. In a flash of vampire speed, Edward had ripped Jacob off Nessie and flung him into the wall. With an ear splitting crack, Jacob emerged from the dent in the wall glaring at Edward.
"I said get out, you filthy dog." Edward snarled between clenched teeth.
"I'll not leave Nessie, Edward" Jake replied calmly trying to diffuse the situation.
"She's sixteen!" cried Edward exasperated.
"I know she is sixteen and she's old enough to make her own decisions! As long as Nessie wants me I am going no where." Jacob was firm, cautiously trying to anticipate Edwards's reaction.
"I am her father, and you will not see her dog, you will stay away from her."
"I cant, you know that." Jacob said quietly deflated by Edwards's rejection towards him.
I somewhat understood the meaning behind Jakes words. In my time I had spent with Jacob and the other members of the Quileute tribe down in La-Push, I had learnt of an unexplainable phenomenon that sometimes occurs with the werewolf kind. Known as imprinting, on occasion a ware wolf may experience an unfathomable bonding with a human, an unexplainable love for another, in which they have no control over, but to give into the draw of the object they imprint upon. For Jacob this object was my Nessie.
"We want to be together, I want her with me always, and she wants that too. She no longer needs me to be her friend, she needs me, she wants me… to be more…. And I want that too." Jacob's voice rose with a sense of confidence and anger that I had not seen earlier as he finished this statement. Another part of imprinting, the werewolf would become whatever their object needed them to be, friend, brother, partner in crime, but something told me Jacob wasn't referring to any of those relationships. My mouth dropped open. Nessie still seemed to me so young, 16 or not, because she was half vampire half human, her growth was accelerated, and though she was a mature 16 year old, it had only taken her five years to reach this point. "And," Jacob continued almost without a breath, "we've talked about it, and Nessie and I, would like to try staying together, in LaPush."
"What!" I screeched. Shocked.
"Jake maybe now isn't the time..." Nessie whispered.
"Why you filthy..." Edward didn't finish as in a whirl of light and wind and flash of bronze hair he flung himself into Jacob. He smashed him into the Nessie's desk, crumbling in under its force sending another ear spitting crack resounded through out the room.
A hiss escaped my lips. How dare he I thought. How dare he try and take Nessie. Edward had him pinned in another swift movement. "What you think you could take care of her!" he yelled furiously at Jake. "A stinking werewolf! You could loose control... and...and … kill her!"
"Yeah? Just like you took care of Bella?" Jake retorted with rage.
"Good job you did of that! Almost getting her killed, then turning her into a vampire, and you think you have the right to judge me? Good job you did! You couldn't even save her!"
And with that Edward let him go, a torn, pained, expression on his face, it looked as though his heart had just snapped in two. I knew that Edward still hadn't forgiven himself for the fact he still couldn't protect me, the fact that I still no longer had my human life, even though we had a beautiful daughter to show for it. I hated Jake for using this against him, for using me against him, his one weak point.
Without another word Edward let go of Jacob, turned and stormed out the door.
Nessie stood there in utter disbelief. Jacob lay where Edward had released him, panting with adrenaline.
"Good one Jake." I muttered, giving him a final glare before turning to find Edward.
