Summary: What if Bella had met Alpha Jacob before Edward? What if Jacob went to the same high school as Bella? How would these change things?
Disclaimer: I own nothing! All characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. There will be no song lyrics or any other violations of the guidelines in this fiction.
A werewolf joke:
Q: What is fearsome, hairy and drinks from the wrong side of a glass?
A: A werewolf with hiccups!
CHAPTER Three: PHENOMENON
The Will Is Not Free - It Is a Phenomenon Bound by Cause and Effect - But There Is Something behind the Will Which Is Free
-Swami Vivekananda
Brrringgg~ Brrringgg~
I woke up on my stomach, with my face mashed into my lumpy pillow, to see snow covering the ground outside my window. I groaned. That meant that I would have to shovel the driveway and clear off my Dad's ramp. As I rolled onto my back, one thought burned through my mind: Bella.
I sighed as I thought about her. She was perfect.
My peaceful moment was interrupted by an awful ringing shoving itself into ear, and I turned my head to the right. On my nightstand was a lamp, my cellphone—and the fucking alarm clock Quil got me for my birthday. Quil was an asshole! The fucking bastard gave me the most annoying alarm ever. The stupid thing wakes me up at six every damn morning. After a long night of running through the forest on all fours to protect the town from monsters until dawn, I should be entitled to skip school and sleep in.
Brrringgg~ Brrringgg~ Brrringgg~ Brrringgg~ Brrringgg.
I brought my fist down on the clock as hard as I could. The bells on top popped off, and the plastic casing cracked, before finally it split into little pieces. Crap, now I'd have to buy a new one. Fuck!
I rolled out of bed landing effortlessly on my feet and stretched my back until it cracked.
I grabbed some random clothes out of my dresser and went to the bathroom to wash the evidence of last night's run through the woods from my body.
I stepped inside the shower and shut the door, closing my eyes as steam swirled. I'd planned on taking a quick shower before I went to help my dad get ready but the water felt nice and after the week I've had I would take whatever pleasure I could find so instead of getting out I tipped my head down, water tracing my jaw, sliding down the line of my throat, until it reached my feet. I pressed the palm of one hand against the shower wall and closed my eyes, imagining the water was washing away all my problems but I knew that the second I left all my problems would return; just like they always did.
I turned the water off and dropped my hands to my sides and pressed my head against the cool shower tile. What was I going to do? I put my clothes on and made my way to my dad's room. He was already awake and waiting for me.
"Good morning, son," he said, too cheery for this early in the morning.
"Morning, Dad," I mumbled as I lifted him out of bed and carried him to the bathroom.
I helped him get undressed then left him to clean himself up while I made breakfast. I made my dad some instant oatmeal with blueberries and skim milk for his diabetes. Then I made some bacon and waffles for myself. I set the table then went to help my dad get dressed. As we sat across the table from each other I could feel my dad looking at me.
"So, Sam told me something interesting last night," Dad started and I tensed.
That nosey son of a bitch! I told Sam that I would handle it! On the inside I was fuming, but on the outside I stayed cool and collected.
"Is that so?" I said, not revealing anything. I cut into my waffle and tried to ignore his penetrating stare.
"Jake, look at me," He demanded.
I am a werewolf; leader of my own pack of wolves. I hunted dangerous, bloodthirsty monsters every night! Yet my dad could still make me feel like a scolded child with just a few words. I looked up slowly.
"What?" I asked, a little sharper than I'd intended but it was barely 7:00 in the morning and I didn't get in until dawn. He stared into my eyes for a long moment.
"What are you going to do, son?" He asked.
I shrugged. "What can I do? I can't tell her. It could cause them to break they're side of the treaty. "
It was what I had been wrestling with. The treaty my great grandfather made with Dr. Fang and his coven. They would stay off of Quileute land if we didn't expose them for what they really were, blood suckers, to the pale faces. It was just my luck that my imprint happened to be Charlie's very beautiful and very pale daughter.
*Past *
Charlie had been talking about his daughter coming back to Forks for months. Charlie had asked me to watch out for her.
"I just want to make sure she has someone to talk to. Promise me you'll look out for my little girl," Charlie said, over the phone.
"I promise," I assured him.
It couldn't be that hard. After all, Bella and I had been friends since we were little.
"I'm sure you guys will be as close as you were when you were longer." He added. "She's really not good with crowds and she has a hard time making friends so try not to overwhelm her."
That didn't sound like the Bella I'd known since I was a baby.
"No, Problem Charlie," I'd said, and the next morning I went to the office to get a copy of her schedule.
I'd planned to talk to Bella before class and invite her to La Push later to reminisce on old times...but plans changed. I was leaning against the wall of building "3" trying to memorize her schedule when I saw her. She was wearing a black hoodie and walking with her head down. She was visibly shaking and her breathing sounded like she was about to have a panic attack.
I chuckled under my breath, comparing this Bella to the one I used to make mud pies with, and who used to ignore everything around her while she read a book when we were younger. She'd sure changed a lot in the last four years. Then again...so had I. I sobered immediately.
"Relax, it's just a classroom," I said, looking down at the schedule to keep from making her uncomfortable.
Once I was sure she wasn't going to bolt, I glanced up. My dark eyes met warm milk brown ones and heat flooded through me. She'd grown up to be more beautiful than I'd ever imagined.
Her skin was a creamy soft ivory, with long, straight, dark brown hair that fell past her shoulders while framing her heart shaped face beautifully. Her soft pink glossed lips were parted in surprise.
Golden warmth, a passionate aura, surrounded her. That aura meant something more to me than the loveliness it surrounded. It pulsated, reaching out to me, touching my soul, and drawing me in. She smelled of warm honey, vanilla, strawberries and sunshine. Everything inside of me came undone as her soul touched mine. A hollow loneliness, which I had learned at an early age to ignore, filled and I felt my wolf stir.
I saw flashes of our lives together: My dad, my pack and La Push mixed into an extraordinary collage with Charlie and Renée. I could see my wolf standing as protector if she needed him. For the tiniest fragment of that second, I saw the bobbing heads of two small, black-haired children, running away into the familiar forest and a radiant vision of the sun shining through the leaves of the forest and kissing the forest floor as she nuzzled against my wolf veiled my eyes.
'Mine' my wolf growled.
My wolf and I warred with each other. My wolf, tongue hanging out of his mouth, urged me to run and claim her now, but I knew we needed to wait. She let out a breath and I remembered the promise I'd made to Charlie.
"Promise me you'll look out for my little girl...try not to overwhelm her."
Gaining control of my wolf, I started to walk towards her. I would introduce myself and invite her to hang out like I'd planned.
'Mine!' my wolf cried
My wolf howled within me, wanting to go to her, mate her, and hold her close for all of time. My wolf projected these images to me causing my skin to heat up and blood to boil within me.
'Bring her home with us!' My wolf agreed with me.
I looked into Bella's innocent face and came to a decision.
"Welcome to Forks, Bella," I said as I walked past her into the rain.
"I'm sure they'll love you, babe, " I added, forcing myself to keep walking and not look back.
My wolf rose up inside me demanding I go back and talk with her. The wolf within me, wanted to love and protect her.
'Not yet.' I told my wolf. The moment my soul touched her I saw what she needed most right now.
She didn't need a lover, she needed a friend. The pull towards her was strong but my will was stronger. She was destined to be the Alpha's mate. She would lead the pack at my side against the cold one's...the Treaty!
I felt my insides go cold. I couldn't tell her about any of this. My great grandfather must not have known it was possible to imprint on someone outside of the pack. Imprinting was rare and it was supposed to find the person who would bare you the strongest cubs, or at least that's what Sam thought.
Nothing like this had ever happened before. I shook it off. I'd talk to Old Quil after school. I skipped my first hour and was late to my second before I finally got control of my urge to see Bella. I was so glad it was lunch time, I was starving. I found Quil and Embry already at the lunch table when I came in.
"Hey guys, what's up?" I asked, trying to take my mind off of Bella. Quil looked up and frowned.
"The Cullens are back," He said, and I sighed.
"Were there any casualties?" I asked, setting my tray on the table and sitting down. Embry shook his head.
"They only hunted the animals like they said but I'm still not sure how long that will last. The young blonde male looks like he won't make it on animal blood. I saw him staking out the guys around town." he said. I nodded, having expected this.
"Where are they now?" I asked, not seeing them in the lunch room.
Quil shrugged, "They're probably in the principal's office getting yelled at for missing so many days of school." he said.
"Well, go keep an eye on them. I don't want any kids dying because one of those leeches breaks their diet." I demanded and Quil nodded.
He stood up quickly and left the cafeteria. I wasn't sure how long we could keep this up. Why did the leeches need to go to school anyway? Shouldn't they want to stay out of sight and away from the public? It's not like they were going to do something with their diploma. I was going to think more on that subject when I heard someone say my name.
I looked up to see Jessica Stanley, nice girl but a bit of a gossip, talking to my Bella. My eyes met hers again and it took everything I had not to go to her.
'Mine' my wolf growled and I crushed my milk carton.
'She belongs with us' my wolf howled, struggling to break free.
'Shut up!' I told him, trying to push him back down.
"Jake, what's up?" Embry asked.
"I've imprinted on Charlie's daughter and if I can't get my wolf under control I'm going to make a seen in the cafeteria," I said casually, like this happened to me every day. I couldn't show weakness in front of anyone; not even a member of my own pack. Embry looked surprised.
"That's great!" he said and I glared at him.
"Not the wolf part but the imprinting. You've found your soul mate, bro!" He said, and then paused, glancing in Bella's direction.
"Wait, Charlie's daughter but she's a...," he stopped himself.
"I know that, Em! But what can I do? I can't just ignore her, Embry. She is mine - My mate. I have to be with her, near her. I need her… but the treaty. I don't want to start a war or endanger our people but I need to tell her. I am not sure I can control my wolf until I do. He's pulling at me to go to her as we speak," I explained. Embry was about to say something when Quil came back.
"All of the Cullens are accounted for except for the mind reader," he said.
"Where's he?" I asked, switching into back into Alpha mode. Quil shrugged.
"They said that he'll be back at the end of the day. He wanted to kill a few more bears." Quil said and I pinched the bridge of my nose.
"He's killing bears?" I asked unbelieving, trying not to show how unsettling that was.
Dead deer could be explained, a bigger animal got to them. But if people found a bunch of dead bears lying around the woods…
"How close to town?" I asked, wondering how many others I would have to send to clean up after those leeches.
"A few miles from town," he said, and I let out a growl.
"Damn it! Tell Sam to get Leah and Jarred to help with the disposal. And tell the Cullens I want meet with them later to talk about they're hunting grounds," I said. Embry looked at me.
"What are you going to be doing?" he asked.
I glanced at Bella, who stared back at me with such wonder. Could she feel it too? She looked away, blushing and my wolf started whispering about all the things we could do to make her turn that pretty shade of pink all over her body. I stared at her, frustrated by my own weakness. I listened in on what Jessica was telling her about me.
"Oh, Jacob, he's gorgeous, of course, but don't waste your time. He does not date longer than a week. Apparently none of the girls here are good enough for him. Just like that Edward Cullen, but I suspect that he's gay because he never dates any girls at all," she sniffed, and I turned away to keep from laughing. If only the mind reader had been hear to hear that.
I looked to Quil and Embry, who were staring at me with shock.
"What?" I asked, confused, why were they staring at me like that.
"You're smiling," Quil said, incredulously. I raised an eyebrow.
"So?" I said.
"I haven't seen you smile like that since when we were thirteen." Embry said and I frowned, my good mood fading.
"I haven't had much to smile about since then," I said darkly and they both looked down in shame.
"Sorry, man, " Embry said. I shrugged, standing up.
"It doesn't matter anymore," I stated and they stood up to.
We left the cafeteria without another word to each other and I knew they would be kicking themselves for letting that comment slip. I was the first one in biology class. Mr. Banner was shocked and made some snide comment at my expense but I wasn't in the mood for his crap today.
I sat at my desk contemplating what Embry said.
Thirteen…Stress, bills, abandoned, death, my fault, lies, secrets, leeches, pain.
I was so lost in my pathetic sob story that I didn't notice Bella come in the classroom until the fan blew her scent my way.
I tensed and glanced up only to stop and stare at her as she stood in front of the class and my eyes grew wide. She was a beauty, gorgeous in my eyes. I wanted to get close enough to actually touch her, hold her, and claim her as mine.
'She Ours' my wolf stated and I knew she was. I knew it even without my wolf screaming it at me. I smiled.
"I haven't seen you smile like that since when we were 13."
Embry's words came back and I shut down. I refused to go through anything like that again. I'd just have to avoid her until I talked to Old Quil. How hard could it be? Mr. Banner ordered Bella to take the empty seat in the middle row. I looked around to see where she would be sitting and I cursed silently. The only empty seat was next to me. I glanced upward in despair.
'You must really hate me, don't you?' I asked the spirits.
As Bella made her way towards me she started to fall, instinctively I caught her and for a brief second I felt her skin brush my hand and a tingle shocked me. It was a familiar sensation that I hadn't felt since I was a child.
"I'm going to fall in!" She cried, as we stepped across the slippery rocks.
"Don't worry," I said, holding her hand with a strong grip that sent a tingle that surprised us both. "I'll catch you if you fall, always." I promised.
I moved my chair closer to Bella as she sat down, sitting as close as I could without falling and stared at her, wondering how it would feel to really touch her. Would it be better? Would it be weird? Did she feel it? She let her hair fall over her right shoulder, making a dark curtain between us and I sighed in disappointment. This wasn't the first time she had done that?
"Hey, Bells, do you want to come outside and play with me and Embry?" I asked, thrilled to spend time with her. She barely glanced up from the book she was reading before letting her hair fall over her shoulder, making a dark curtain between us.
"Okay, bye," I said, sadly, leaving her alone.
"Hey, Bells! Do you want to go get ice-cream with me and mom? "I asked, bouncing from foot to foot.
Bella shook her head, working on her summer packet from school, letting her hair fall over her shoulder, making a dark curtain between us. My shoulders slumped.
"Alright, we'll bring you back a sundae," I promised, walking away dejectedly.
"Bells! Come look at what I made!" I called, eager to show her the sand castle I made for her.
Bella sighed and rolled her eyes before letting her hair fall over her right shoulder, making a dark curtain between us. I looked back at my castle just in time to see it be washed away by the ocean.
Knowing that she hadn't changed after all this time made it easier to control myself. This wasn't just some strange girl that I barely knew. This was Bella. The girl I'd worshipped since I was still in diapers. The girl I'd made pies with, who gave me my first book, and the girl who once read me pride and prejudice just because she felt like it. I couldn't just ignore her and I couldn't fight the imprint but I could change it.
What did I have to lose?
"Hi," I said, relaxing. "My name is Jacob," I said, waiting to see if she remembered me. When she didn't say anything, I tried again.
"Jacob Black," I said and she snapped out of her daze. She held out her hand to shake mine and I knew then that she didn't remember me.
"I'm," she stated but I cut her off.
"Bella Swan, I know," I said shaking her hand.
I was going to let it go but the softness of her hand made me pause. I couldn't help but bring it up to my lips and kiss it. Bella blushed and gasped in surprise. She pulled her hand back and like I'd burned her.
Oh, yeah, the werewolf temperature. I'd completely forgotten about that. I laughed internally at my stupidity and opened my mouth to tell her that it was nothing when I heard Sam howl.
'He's calling you,' my wolf growled and I nodded.
"I have to go" I said standing up. Bella looked confused and I couldn't help but smirk darkly. After all the years of wanting her to see, it took turning into a werewolf and imprinting to get her attention.
"I'll see you again later," I said, with a wink, before walking out the class ignoring the teacher's demands for me to go back to my seat.
Mr. Banner was my least favorite teacher anyway. I left knowing Sam must have found something. But I couldn't help but pause and take one more look at Bella.
'Mine,' my wolf called again, struggling to get to her.
She looked up and stared at me from her seat; her chocolate brown eyes filled with loneliness and innocence. She didn't know the horrors of the world. She didn't know that the nightmares were real. She didn't see the venom that coated my hands so thoroughly that I'd never get them clean and I didn't want to taint her
"I'll try. For you. I'll try to be what you need me to be." I said, making sure to look her in the eye as I said this, hoping she'd see the promise in them before I moved away from the door. Then once I was where she couldn't see me I added. "No matter how much my wolf longs to claim you."
I made my way outside and then I took off running into the woods. I felt the little tears as the thorns cut into my skin, but I ignored them. Their sting would be healed before I made the trees. I didn't want to Phase until I was sure that no one could see me. As soon as I was in the true forest, unbound by roads or school, I skidded to a stop and kicked my pants off. With quick, practiced moves, I rolled them up and tied them to the leather cord around my ankle. As I was still pulling the ends tight, I started shifting. The fire trembled down my spine, throwing tight spasms out along my arms and legs. It only took a second. The heat flooded through me, and I felt the silent shimmer that made me something else. I threw my heavy paws against the matted earth and stretched my back in one long, rolling extension.
'What's going on, Sam?' I asked, running towards where I could see him in my mind.
'It's bad, Jake. There were three unknown vamps in the area.' Sam thought.
'Any causalities?' I thought, hoping no one died while I was thinking about – I cut my thoughts off.
'No one was found dead…yet' Jared thought and I could see the destroyed area around him.
'What happened?' I demanded.
'Whoever was here wanted to leave a message,' Sam thought.
'For who?' I asked.
'For the Cullens,' Leah said, making her presence known.
I saw the dead bears were all lined up in a row with their heads cut off. Each one had a name curved into their stomach.
Carlisle
Edward
Esme
Rosalie
Emmet
Jasper
Alice
Alice
ALICE
'Did you contact the Dr. Leech?' I asked.
'No,' Leah said, digging a hole with her paws to throw the bear's bodies in. 'Why should we warn them? This is they're mess. They should deal with it themselves!'
'This isn't a game Leah. Get in contact with him, now! We need to know if they know these other vamps and stop them before someone gets hurt.' I ordered.
'Fine,' she grumbled, running off. Sam took over digging the hole.
'You sure you want to send her alone,' Sam thought and I could feel the worry through our bond.
'I can take care of myself!' Leah thought, angrily.
'I never said you couldn't, baby.' Sam said pausing in his digging. 'I'd just feel better if I went with you,'
'Jared, go with Leah,' I ordered.
'Yes, sir,' he said, taking off running after her.
'I'll catch up with you guys after school. Tell Dr. Fang I still want to have that meeting,' I told Leah, going to help Sam finish digging those holes.
Afterwards, I realized I'd missed my last hour class as I was running back to the school. Once I was dressed, I made my way to the principal's office. I knew Mr. Banner had probably reported me. He always reported me. The lady in the office sighed when I walked in.
"Hey, Mrs. Cope. Do you have anything for me today?" I asked, leaning over the counter and batting my eyes innocently. Mrs. Cope smacked me over the head.
"Mr. Banner said you walked out of his class during a lesson." she stated, crossing her arms and scolding me.
I shrugged. "I had to go to the bathroom," I lied. She glared at me.
"Then why didn't you raise your hand and ask for the pass," she demanded. I gave her my best lost puppy look that had gotten me out of trouble many times before.
"I really had to go," I explained. Mrs. Cope was not amused.
"You have a week's detention." she said handing me my detention slip. I nodded, taking the punishment without complaint.
"And we'll be calling your father," she added and I flinched.
"Why?" I asked, trying not to reveal how much this affected me.
It's not that my dad would get mad. He knew all about my werewolf duties, so I wouldn't be punished.
But I knew how much my dad wanted me to graduate high school. He always looked so guilty whenever I got in trouble. I knew he blamed himself for my phasing so soon and all the complications that came with it. Mrs. Cope looked sympathetic.
"This is the third time you've done something like this idea the last two months." She explained and I nodded.
We were both silent as we both contemplated what that meant. The next time I did it I would be suspended. Then soon I'd probably be expelled. No diploma, no college, and no future.
I should just drop out now and get my G.E.D.
"Jacob, what's going on? This isn't like you." she said and I couldn't bring myself to meet her eyes.
"Nothing, I'm just a little stressed. It's nothing I can't handle," I said, forcing myself to smile.
"Well, if you ever want to talk, I'm here," she said.
I was about to say something when the door opened behind me. I didn't have to turn around to know who it was. My wolf rose to attention and I turned around to find Bella looking like she was going to turn around and walk out.
"We meet again, Bella," I said with a smirk. It's like Destiny kept throwing us together.
"H-Hi," she said nervously and I wanted to hold her. She was so adorable.
The door opened again, and the cold wind suddenly gusted through the room, rustling the papers on the desk, swirling the hair around her face. The girl who came in merely stepped to the desk, placed a note in the wire basket, and walked out again.
My back stiffened as my Bella's scent merged with that of the leeches, and I turned slowly to glare behind her. Time slowed down, my wolf was so enraged that if he could have flown from my body and destroyed the leech he would have. While internally my wolf raged, I felt a deadly calm settle on my shoulders. Everything went quiet and I almost felt disembodied. I felt it to my core; I was prepared to kill every single member of this vamp's coven if he took another step towards what was mine. I didn't want those monsters anywhere near her.
The mind reader's dark, ravenous gaze moved from my mate and shifted to me before turning and leaving. Once the leech was gone, I turned back to Bella.
"I have to go," I said softly.
Then reached out and moved her hair out of out of her face. She looked so vulnerable. I wouldn't allow anyone to harm her.
"You be careful. I'll see you around," I said.
And I turned on my heels, giving her a grin, before I went out the door. The second I was in the hall I dropped the act. A new set of rules had to be made. I didn't want that leech anywhere near my Bella. The look on his face had been lethal. If I hadn't been there who knows what might have happened. The rest of the day went as could be expected. Detention sucked, Old Quil knew nothing about how to get around the treaty, and the Cullens agreed to hunt further away from town.
They knew nothing about what the message meant, but promised that they would look into it and tell us the second they knew something. The mind reader was gone. He'd run away like a fucking coward, so I warned his father.
"You will stay away from Bella Swan. I don't want your son anywhere near her!" I growled fiercely, with Embry and Quil behind me.
"I have no control over who my son hangs out with, but I will pass along the message. May I ask why he has to avoid her?" He asked. I bore down on Dr. Fang and he backed up slowly.
"She's mine. All mine. My mate" The words came out before I even realized what I was saying.
My wolf hummed contentedly at my proclamation.
'Ours' he agreed.
"Your mate?" The pixie-like-one asked quietly and I turned my stare to her and she stared back like she was trying to tell if I was lying.
"Have you told her anything about us?" The young blonde one, who was having trouble controlling his thirst, asked.
"No," I said and I could feel their eyes boring into me. I could see that he was considering his next move carefully.
"Bella Swan is the new student from Phoenix. She's the chief of police's daughter" The pixie-like-one said. "She's not included in the treaty so you have no rights to tell us to stay away from her," she said as she closed the gap between us with a hiss.
I turned on her as fast as a blink, my hand wrapping around her cold stone-like neck. All the vamps in the room tensed.
"You back off, or I'll end you where you stand," I warned. "You weren't even around when the Doctor made the treaty with my grandfather so killing you wouldn't be a violation. Now, I made an exception and allowed you and your husband to stay in Forks, but Do Not Push Me. I could tear you apart before the rest of them have a chance to move," I growled, shoving her away from me.
The blonde male caught her and took a step back, eyeing me cautiously.
"That's all I have to say," I stated turning and leaving the house before they could say anything.
Embry and Quil followed quietly behind me. I knew they were worried about me. I hadn't lost my temper like that in a long time.
I pushed down my anger and focused on quieting my wolf who was demanding their deaths. I wasn't about to start a war and the pixie did have a point. Bella wasn't included in the treaty. I thought about that while I worked on Ms. Newton's car. The $500 Mrs. Newton would give me when her car was ready would help with the bills. I thought about it some more when I was making a diabetic friendly meal for my Dad and me. By the time I helped him get into bed I was sick of thinking about it. My pack was thinking about it too as they realized the magnitude of the situation.
Their Alpha had just found his mate. They were happy for me and immediately started thinking about the girl that had claimed their Alpha's heart, but they were also worried about what this would mean. They all had loved ones who they wouldn't want hurt in the crossfire should I chose to break the Treaty. It was a stressful night and I was so tired in the morning that I debated skipping but the thought of leaving Bella alone didn't appeal to me.
Luckily I had math first hour. Math was my favorite subject. Math makes sense. There's a right answer and you can't argue with that. My grades may have started to slip in my other classes, but I was still the best math. I didn't see Bella until lunch. My wolf was agitated; worried that something might have happened to her. We looked around the lunchroom, searching, until were looking into her beautiful milk chocolate eyes. Longing, quick and hot, infused us, charged us, until my blood was on fire with need.
'Want,' my wolf whined and I couldn't look away.
I needed to be near her or I'd go crazy with the wild savageness that was consuming me.
Bella stared at me with wide eyes I couldn't help but smirk. It felt good to have her complete undivided attention.
'Mine,' my wolf purred and Bella bit her lip from across the room.
That was something Bella always did when she was nervous. She used to do it a lot whenever my sisters dragged her somewhere to play dress up. I tilted my head curiously. Was I making her nervous? I bumped Quil on the shoulder.
"I'm going to go get something to eat," I told him, never breaking Bella's gaze. I stood up and Bella's friend pulled her attention away from me.
"Your tray is still full. Are you okay, Bro?" Quil asked and I nodded.
"I'm going to go talk to Bella," I said and Quil waggled his eyebrows.
"Talk to her or 'Talk' to her?" He asked, making an obscene gesture with his hands. I slapped him over the head.
"Not everyone is as dirty minded as you," I said and Quil shrugged.
"I've been inside your head, Dude," he said and I walked away from him. I saw Bella standing in line and I quietly snuck up behind her.
"Hey," I said and heard her heart start racing. She turned around and I looked at her tray.
"You aren't going to get the pizza? That's the best part!" I said, putting it on her plate. When we were younger Bella used to love pizza.
"I don't want any pizza today," she said, putting it back.
I guess that was another thing that changed while she'd been gone. I grabbed the slice again and put it on my tray.
"Well, don't mind if I do, honey" I said, with a grin.
But inside I was worried. She so different from the girl I used to know. If I did decide to bring her into my world would she be able to handle it? Would it be selfish of me?
"So, what's up, Bells," I continued. "Are you having a good day? I know I am, now that I've seen your beautiful face." I couldn't resist adding.
"W-why do you keep calling me that?" she stuttered.
I chuckled and arched an eyebrow. What girl didn't like being called beautiful?
"Oh, you don't like it?" I asked. She frowned and I knew it wasn't the beautiful part that bothered her.
"No," she blurted. "I meant, why do you keep calling me Bells?" Oh, that's right. She didn't remember me.
"Why do you keep calling me that?" she snapped, putting her book down and glaring at me. I took a step back confused.
"Calling you what?" I asked.
"Bells! My name is Bella," she said. I shrugged.
"Because it sounds like bells when you laugh," I said. Bella, pouted unable to think of a response to that.
Charlie walked in the house.
"Come on, Bells! It's time to go home!" he called, using my nickname for her. Bella and I looked at each other in shock before we both burst into laughter.
I grinned at the memory before leaning towards her.
"Do you want me to call you Isabella?" I whispered in her ear, like I was sharing a secret.
"N-no, I like Bells," she stammered hastily, blushing and taking a step back.
"Charlie - I mean my dad – is the only one who calls me Bells. But he must call me Isabella when I'm not around because that's what people are calling me here," she rambled and I felt insulted that Charlie got credit for it.
"Oh," I said tilting his head to the side curiously.
Why didn't she remember me? I wondered, taking a step forward, and closing the distance between us. She took another step backward, clutching her tray and looking away uncomfortably. What was up with that? My ears picked up the racing of her heart and permanent blush that was dusting her cheeks.
"Do I make you nervous, honey?" I asked, finding it funny.
"N-no!" she lied, horribly and winced.
I don't know why she even tried. She'd never been a good liar. I snorted, before moving away from her. I didn't want her to have a heart attack.
"Don't worry, Bells. I'm sure the Chief doesn't call you Isabella behind your back," I reassured her.
Jessica had been in the office when Charlie had went to register Bella and had heard the principal ask if her name was Isabella before spreading it around that the new transfer students name was Isabella Swan.
I tried to get Bella to calm down. How could we ever be friends if every time I came within 10 ft. of her she almost had a panic attack? I made up stories about the people in line ahead of us remembering how she used to love telling me stories when I was young. Always carrying a big book in her arms and always eager to share with who ever wanted to listen. I warned her not to try the chicken patties. Last week, Mike Newton had gotten food poisoning from those babies.
We went our separate ways after she paid for her lunch. Embry and Quil were waiting for me, eager to hear the details.
"What did she say?" Embry asked.
"Did you ask her out?" Quil asked. I shook my head.
"She not ready," I said.
'Soon,' my wolf purred.
I looked over at Bella who was talking to Jessica about something. Jessica's eyes flickered to me before she turned back to Bella.
"Oh, he's staring at you!" she squealed.
"Stop looking at him," Bella hissed, and I grinned, looking down at my uneaten pizza.
I glanced at Bella again to see her staring at me. I smirked and winked at her. She looked away quickly, concealing her face with her hair and I chuckled. Messing with Bella was becoming my favorite activity
"He's smiling again," I heard Quil mumble to Embry.
"Good," Embry mumbled back.
I didn't look at either of them as I went back to eating my lunch; taking a big, triumphant bite of my pizza.
"Delicious," I said, softly.
After lunch, I walked Bella to biology.
"It sucks the rain stopped." I commented.
"Not really," she answered.
"You don't like the rain?" he question, pretending to be surprised.
"Or the wet." she added.
"But the rain is awesome! The sweet smell of the cleansing of the earth! Rain is the best for dancing in," I did a smooth spin, remembering a move she'd shown me once from her ballet class.
She'd tripped when she'd attempted it and I'd caught her.
"My hero," she'd whispered, giving me a peck on the cheek.
"Rain brings people closer together," I said, putting my arm around her shoulders giving in to my desire to touch her.
"It's good for standing under an umbrella together or staying inside under the covers and…" I trailed off as we walked into class. And for romantic movie kisses, I added in my head.
That was always her favorite scene in the movies; the epic kiss of true love.
"I don't like the rain and I never will." She mumbled, bitterly.
"Well, Forks must be the perfect place for you then," I joked, not fazed by her mood shift. I had two older sisters and shared a mind with a She-wolf. I could handle anything.
"You have no idea," she muttered darkly. That made me curious. If she hated Forks then why did she offer to come here?
"So why did you come here, then?" I asked, as we sat down, not one to beat around the bush.
"It's...complicated." she stumbled.
"I love a challenge," I pressed and she paused for a long moment before looking me in the eye.
"My mother got remarried," she said, sadness leaking into her voice.
"And you don't like him," I stated wondering what kind of jerk her mother married.
Was he a drunk? Did he hit her? She didn't look like she'd been abused.
"No, Phil is fine. I still think he's too young for my mother, but he's a nice enough Guy." she said and I let out a relieved sigh.
"Why didn't you stay with them?" I asked.
"Phil travels a lot. He plays ball for a living." She gave me a crooked smile.
"Have I heard of him?" I asked, smiling in response.
"Probably not. He's not that good and he moves around a lot." She explained. So, if her stepfather wasn't the reason then…
"Did your mother send you here so that she could travel with him," I asked, worried. I remember how much Bella loved her mother. She'd go on for hours and hours about how awesome her mom was and how everyone back home was jealous. Though sometimes her voice would shake and she'd get real quiet.
"My mom needs me," she'd say softly "I'm her little helper,"
Her chin raised a fraction and I knew I'd offended her.
"No, she did not send me here. I sent myself." she boasted. I smirked, the pieces of the story coming together.
"You wanted to give them a little privacy to make your mother happy," I stated. She sighed and I knew I was right.
"She stayed with me at first, but she missed him. It made her unhappy...," she paused.
And mommy's little helper couldn't have that, I added silently.
"So, I decided it was time to spend some quality time with Charlie." she finished.
"But now you're unhappy," I pointed out.
"And?" she challenged.
"That doesn't seem fair." I said.
I looked at her taking in how she'd changed, ignoring her beauty and seeing the strength. She'd been through a lot. Would it be wrong of me to add to her burden?
I was sure she could handle it now but I wasn't sure I wanted to put that on her. It wasn't fair to her.
She laughed without humor.
"Hasn't anyone ever told you? Life isn't fair." She said.
"Life isn't fair sometimes son," Charlie said, placing his hand on my shoulder as they buried my mom.
"Life isn't fair," My dad said, after I phased into a werewolf for the first time.
"Yeah, I've heard that a lot," I agreed, chuckling darkly. I stared at her trying to see into her soul again. Would it ever get any easier?
"So that's all," she insisted and I saw a little flicker of something in her eyes.
"You're sad, but not as sad as you thought you'd be," I stated, happy that she wasn't completely miserable here.
"I'd be willing to bet that you like it here more than you thought you would." I said, smirking. She scowled at me and looked away.
"Am I wrong?" I asked, confident in my answer. She refused to look at me which was just as good as shouting Bingo.
"I didn't think so," I mumbled, just loud enough so she could hear me. I wanted to get a rise out of her and she took the bait.
"Why does it matter to you?" she snapped, irritated. She kept her eyes away, watching the teacher make his rounds and I decided to be honest.
"Because I like you," I stated, bluntly. Apparently Bella wasn't prepared for my answer.
"W-what?" She stumbled, dropping her pencil. I calmly bent and picked up her pencil.
"I…Like…You," I said, putting an emphasis on each word to make sure she heard me.
I wasn't going to take it back. She deserved to know. She blushed, speechless and Mr. Banner called the class to order. She turned with relief to listen and I stared at her watching her worry her lip.
"Didn't mean to make you speechless, babe. You look like I just told you said something dirty! It's not like I told you …" My wolf was saying, and visualizing, very explicit things in my head making it hard for me to think and I paused, glancing to make sure Mr. Banner wasn't paying attention, and closed my eyes.
I sat up straighter and relaxed, stopping the internal battle with my wolf and let us slip back into the unified entity that we had been for so long now. I opened my eyes, looking at her through different eyes. She wasn't just beautiful or gorgeous, or adorable; she was hot, sexy, and vibrant.
"I want you, Bella," I drawled, low in her ear so no one would overhear. "Right here, right now. On top of this desk and I don't care who watches. You are mine and I'm going to make you feel so good that you won't care either."
Bella face turned redder than a tomato and her mouth was hanging open. I pushed my wolf down again, unable to stay like that anymore and grinned.
"I'm kidding, Bella," I lied, knowing she wasn't ready to hear that, and she sighed, her cheeks flushed as she gazed at the blackboard.
"I'm bugging you," I stated, pleased with myself for leaving a mark in that once untouchable armor she used to wear. She glanced at me.
"No, I'm more annoyed at myself. People always love to tease me. My face is so easy to read. My mother always calls me her open book." She admitted.
"Yeah, you are really easy to read." I grinned.
"You must be a good reader then," she replied, in a teasing tone.
"Oh I am," I bragged.
'But not as good as you,' I added mentally.
"But only when I like the book." I joked, smiling broadly. I leaned close to her, enjoying our closeness.
'Want,' my wolf cried, clawing inside my mind and I gripped the table to keep from giving in.
Bella, my studious Bella, tried to ignore me and take notes as Mr. Banner gave us our assignment, but I knew how to keep her attention. By the end of class we had been glared at by Mr. Banner at least 4 times and shushed by our classmate twice. A new record for me.
Bella seemed a little down when the hour ended. I was too. I wanted to stay by her side forever, making her laugh, and blush, and giggle. I could honestly see myself spending the rest of my life with her and that scared me.
"Well, I'll catch you later, honey" I said as I left the class.
She was getting to me faster than I expected, but I wouldn't let my guard down. I had to be ready for anything. I skipped my last hour not worried about what my coach would do. He wouldn't report me. He needed me too much. I made my way outside and ran through the woods so I could get far enough away to check in with the pack.
"Talk to me Sam," I thought.
"All clear Jake," Sam thought.
"The unidentified leeches haven't been scented at all today," Leah added.
"That's good," I thought, relieved at one less problem. "Anything up with the Cullens?"
"They've been quiet. Other than the Doctor, none of the others have left the coven," Sam responded.
"Okay, not sure whether that's good or bad. Anything else?" I asked.
"The mind reader hasn't returned yet," Leah added.
"That's good news. The way that monster looked at Bella…" I growled, fighting the urge to maim something.
"How is your mate?" Sam asked.
"Good," I answered, shortly.
"Does she know yet?" Leah asked.
"No," I said, leaving no room for discussion.
"Until these new leeches our dealt with make sure to do a wide spread patrol around Forks as well as our land. I don't want one of them getting to Bella," I said.
"Don't worry all mighty alpha," Leah snarled. "We won't let a vamp sink his teeth in your girl,"
"We'll protect her with our life," Sam said firmly to counteract Leah's sarcasm.
"Thank you," I said, thinking about how well suited they were.
Leah with her sarcasm and Sam with his straight forward mind. Sam was nosey and Leah couldn't care less for anyone else's issues. Sam was order and obedience and Leah was chaos and freedom. There was no one who was better match than them.
"Aww, is our leader getting all sappy now that he's imprinted?" Leah mocked.
"Leave him alone, Leah," Sam demanded.
"Whatever," Leah thought, running ahead of him.
"See you at home, Baby," Sam called.
"Pick up some dinner," she thought before she phased out.
"How do you deal with her?" I asked.
"It's who she is and I love her. I wouldn't get rid of her attitude for all the obedient, well-mannered women in the world," Sam admitted.
"Yeah, I get it," I thought, thinking of what may lie ahead for Bella and I.
"Have you figured out what you're going to do yet?" Sam asked.
"No. But I'm going to," I thought as I phased out.
I made my way back to school to meet up with Quil and Embry. I'd just met up with them in the parking lot when Paul and Jared showed up.
"Hey guys, what's up?" Quil asked.
"Guess who just met the love of his life?" Paul asked, snickering.
"Shut up!" Jarred said, punching Paul in the shoulder.
"You imprinted?" Embry asked, stunned. Jared looked away.
"Her name's Kim," he mumbled. "She's in my class,"
"What's she like?" Quil asked.
"When are you asking her out?" Embry asked.
"When are you going to grow some tits to go with the vagina you've suddenly sprouted?" Paul asked and Jared hit him again.
"Shut up!" he growled. "You're just mad because you haven't met your mate yet,"
"And I'm not going to! Who the hell would want to imprint on some bitch anyway?" Paul asked.
A rumbling sounded and we all looked up as Bella's truck passed by. Everyone turned to look at me. Paul looked nervous. I walked over towards him and raised my hand. Paul flinched, expecting to get hit.
"Good for you," I said, slapping Jared on the back before walking over to my bike.
I could feel their stares penetrating my back, but I didn't turn around. I had to drive my dad to his doctor's appointment at the Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles, then do my homework, do the laundry, cook dinner, help my dad to bed and go patrol for vamps. I didn't have enough time to be angry...but if during patrol I pushed Paul a little harder than the others and made him patrol later than the others it was only a coincidence.
The rest of the week was easily managed. I struggled with being Bella's friend and my growing attraction to her. I wanted her so much, but I would take anything Bella would give me. Friendship? Great. Being her best friend? Even better.
Even though I said I would be whatever she needs, I still found myself often wanting to push her against a wall and kiss her till she was breathless, but I wasn't going to ruin what we had. She had just moved into a new town, but the urges were getting stronger though and I didn't trust myself to have the control much longer.
Bella seemed to be making more friends which good, but I'd noticed the pixie-leech looking at her a lot. The mind reader hadn't returned yet either. The doctor said he was visiting some relatives in Alaska. I hoped he stayed there but I knew he'd be back.
By Friday, Mr. Banner was regretting sitting Bella and I next to each other. I'd made it a game to see how many times I could make her blush in one hour. He was always glaring at me and telling us to pay attention. But that was nothing new for me. Mr. Banner had always hated me. I think it's because I was hot effortlessly and he went to the gym every day and still looked like the Pillsbury dough man. I just hoped he didn't direct any of his bitterness toward Bella.
I spent the weekend working on a few Police cars that Charlie brought in for me to fix up and trying to find a loophole that allowed me to tell Bella about my secret without breaking the treaty. I was sure I wanted to tell her though. Unlike a tribe member, Bella might not believe me if I told her and she might run back to Phoenix if I showed her. What if she was afraid of me? What if she thought I was a freak or a monster? I wasn't sure I could handle that. I couldn't let my doubts show in front of my pack.
I was there leader. If a leader was weak and emotional it weakened the whole group then those vamps would tear us apart. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something like that happened; if I survived at all. So I decided not to tell her at all.
'Tell her. Need her,' my wolf argued.
By Monday morning, my head was still in a fog from the weekend; the anxiety of my decision still lingering in my thoughts. I buried it with other thoughts just so I could function without zoning out every five minutes. Maybe I should tell her?
I got to school and proceeded to go to my first hour, math. When I walked into class, Quil and Embry were sitting where they always sat. I felt a rush of guilt run over me. Embry's mom was one of the people who didn't know about what he did every day and night. It was unfair that I'd get a free ride to tell someone outside of the tribe when he couldn't tell his own mother. I swallowed hard and sat down next to them. Embry turned to me; Quil was flirting with the girl sitting next to him.
"Hey, Jake," Embry said casually.
"Hey, man. What's up?" I responded trying my best not to sound guilty. It was ridiculous. I had no shame. I hadn't done anything to be ashamed of…yet.
"Not much, but guess who's taking Brooke out this weekend," he continued.
"Who?" I asked, not even thinking.
"Me! We're going to the movies and then I'm going to take her out to first beach then maybe catch a movie," Embry said, as he pushed on my arm.
"Jake, what's up with you? You're acting like you've got a stick up your ass," Quil commented finally tuning into the conversation.
I glared at him.
"Nothing, I'm fine. I'm going to go take a piss before the bell rings," I told him, and I stood up and left the classroom.
I walked quickly through the crowd of people to the restrooms. The room was dirty and smelled awful especially with my enhanced wolf senses. I hated going in there, but it provided some much needed privacy. No one else was in there. I rested my hands on the sink and stared into the mirror at myself. I needed to calm down. I turned on the faucet and splashed some water onto my face. The cool water was refreshing and helped me get a grip. I was going to be fine.
'Want,' my wolf howled.
'Shut up!' I hissed aloud.
I made my way back to my class. I managed to get myself through whatever conversation Embry brought up. The bell was still a relief though. I didn't have second or third hour with Embry or Quil. It started snowing as we walked out of class so, of course, Quil and Embry wanted to join the snowball fight. I couldn't just leave without the guys getting on my back. After all, I loved snow. I was always ready for a snowball fight or helping the guys make a snow fight. By the time I made it to Government, I was soaked and I had a much clearer head. Being pelt in the face with snowballs did that.
Mr. Jefferson didn't say anything. He just handed me a roll of paper towels and told everyone to get out there books. I was convinced that before he was a teacher he used to be one of those Royal guard dudes in England who never moved or smiled. In Spanish, I didn't learn anything. I didn't even try to pay attention. Mrs. Goff never made any sense to me on a good day.
In English, Mr. Mason made us write a story about snow. I was so thankful when it was lunch time that I could have kissed the lunch lady. But I'm not sure Mrs. Hennery's husband, the school janitor, would have liked that very much and I wasn't in the mood to be beaten with a mop…not again.
"Jake," a familiar snarky voice called behind me.
"Leah," I stated, slipping into Alpha mode. If Leah was here that meant trouble.
"What's going on?'' I asked.
Leah smiled, but I could tell she was faking.
"Nothing, can't an old friend come visit her favorite brat at school every now and again?" she asked, dragging me to the lunch table as she talked.
"Sure, it's good to see you Lee Lee," I said, and her eye twitched. I knew only Sam called her that, but I was going to take advantage of this chance.
"What's up guys?" Quil said laughing and I knew whatever this was about was bad.
Leah couldn't stand Quil. An incident with a bottle of whisky, a pair of scissors, and a lighter secured that Leah would always hate Quil till the day he died. I don't know why though. Her hair grew back and you'd never know that her eyebrows had been burned off so what was her deal? If she told Quil before she told me than it was bad.
"Why don't you sit down?" Embry suggested, smiling to.
I sat down and Leah took the seat next to me. We pretended to joke and laugh until the kids at the table next to us moved.
"What happened?" I demanded.
Leah continued to grin but her eyes were filled with anger.
"We found a body," She said.
"Who?" I asked, trying not to panic.
"Waylon Forge," She said, and I felt horrible.
"Charlie's friend," I stated.
"And the mind readers back," she said.
Quil and I leaned away as Embry shook his dripping hair toward us. This was the hard part of the job. The mind reader coming back the day Waylon was murdered was a hell of a coincidence, but one the town would ignore. If someone said they saw us acting weird at school and a murder happened, who you think the town would blame: the upstanding doctor and his well-behaved adopted kids or the troubled kids in a gang?
"Did you report it?" I asked.
Leah shook her head, leaning on her head on my shoulder. "Seth ran to Seattle and is going to use a payphone later tonight," she said and I forced myself to laugh as I wrapped my arm around her.
"Good, make sure everyone has an alibi. Tell your dad to have a bonfire tonight and invite kids from Forks so we have people to attest that we were nowhere near Waylon's body when Seth makes that call. Also, have your mom call the school and say Seth isn't feeling well. Being sick in bed is a good excuse for his absence," I whispered in her ear, grinning so hard my cheeks were starting to hurt.
"Got it, Chief," she said, slapping my shoulder and forcing a giggle.
"Which ones did it?" I asked, almost losing my fake smile.
"The unidentified leeches did it. They left the same message as before carved into the boat and dived into the water. Sam got rid of it, but this is serious. They aren't killing bears anymore, Jake," She said, losing her smile.
"Go home, Leah. I'll handle it," I said, patting her shoulder as the bell rang for lunch to end.
"Quil, go inform the blonde leech what happened. She's the only one still at the table," I said, standing up.
"Embry, go home. I know you're worried about your mom," I said, heading to class.
Embry's mom worked at a small souvenir shop on First Beach, close to the sea. If the vamps were in the water she could be in danger. I made my way to Mr. Banner's class trying not to think about what happened. I needed to check on Bella.
'Mate in danger,' my wolf growled.
I shook my head. I could smell her scent in the hallway so I knew she was here. When I walked into Mr. Banner's classroom Bella was doodling on her notebook. She didn't look up as I sat down beside her.
"Hey love, did you enjoy the snow day?" I asked, forcing myself to sound normal.
Bella rolled her eyes and refused to speak to me.
"Wow, even when you're giving me the silent treatment you're sexy." I said, poking her in the side.
She looked up at me trying glare but her eyes softened and soon she was just staring at me. I smirked, she couldn't be that mad at me if she lost her fuel that easily. My smirk must have pissed her off, because she started glaring at me again and her hand twitched like she wanted to slap me. I really hope she didn't. She'd probably break her hand. Thankfully, Mr. Banner started class at that moment. He passed some stuff out and said some something but I wasn't paying attention.
"Get started," he commanded, making sure to send me a dirty look as he walked past.
"Ladies first, honey." I stated.
She looked up at me and I grinned. She started to stare at me again and bit her lip.
"Or I could start." I said, smiling.
"No," she said, embarrassed to be caught staring. "I'll do it."
"Prophase." She said, confidently.
"You sure?" I asked as I began to remove the slide.
My hand caught hers, to stop her, as I asked. Her skin was so soft and cool.
'Perfect,' my wolf purred and she jerked her hand back quickly.
"Something wrong?" I asked, pulling my hand back slowly.
Did she hear my wolf? When she didn't say anything I continued to reach for the microscope. I teased her for the rest of the activity, pretending to doubt her every now and then just to see that look on her face. When we finished we sat in silence for a few seconds while she looked around the class.
"Did you get taller?" she suddenly blurted.
I was surprised she noticed.
"No." I lied, before I could stop myself.
"Oh," she mumbled. "I thought there was something different about your body." she blushed after saying that.
I smirked, "Didn't know you were looking, like what you see." I said suggestively.
She blushed and looked away. She was so fucking cute! It took everything I had not to pull her into my arms. I gripped my desk as my wolf encouraged me to take her right here in front of everyone.
Mr. Banner came to our table then, to see why we weren't working. He looked over our shoulders to glance at the completed lab, and then stared more intently to check the answers.
"So, Mr. Black, I see you can get your work finished when you put your mind to it. Did Isabella get a chance with the microscope too?" Mr. Banner asked.
"Actually," I started. "Bells identified three of the five."
Mr. Banner looked at her; his expression was skeptical.
That's right, bitch. My Bella was beautiful and smart…unlike your wife, Burn!
"Have you done this lab before?" he asked.
Bella smiled shyly. "Not with onion root."
"Whitefish blastula?"
"Yeah."
Mr. Banner nodded. "Were you in an advanced placement program in Phoenix?"
"Yes."
"Well," he said after a moment, "I guess its good you two are lab partners. Maybe you can convince Mr. Black to focus." He said.
"I hope he doesn't drag you down with him, the hoodlum." He mumbled as he walked away.
After he left, Bella began doodling on her notebook again.
"It sucks the snow stopped." I commented, remembering how the rain conversation went.
"Yeah, I'm sure you and your girlfriend were planning on going ice skating or something, " she mumbled, bitterly.
I was confused. The only girl I'd been interested in lately was her.
"What girlfriend?" I asked.
"The one you were snuggling with during lunch," she said.
Oh, that's why she was mad at me. "She's not my girlfriend," I said.
"Of course she isn't. Let me guess, you're not exclusive," She snapped.
Whoa, my girl had a temper. I liked it. The little wrinkle over your nose, the angry flush on her face, the fire in her eyes. She was sexy as hell!
"She's exclusive, a one man kind of woman. I'm still looking or I was until I met you," I flirted, leaning my cheek against my hand, fighting the urge to kiss her.
She blinked before getting angrier.
"So, she's faithful to you and your still looking for someone to cheat on her with," She growled.
I yawned, trying to make her madder. She was so fun to tease and so easy to read. "She's faithful alright. But not to me," I stated.
"What?" she asked confused.
I grinned, knowing she finally understood.
"She's married, Bella." I explained.
"Huh," her mouth hung open.
"That was Leah Clearwater. She's married to Sam. She dropped by because she had something she needed to tell me." I told her.
"Oh," she mumbled.
I patted her on the back.
"It's ok, honey. You didn't know." I said, enjoying how it felt to touch her.
There wasn't a single thing wrong with her; she seemed perfect in every way possible. I realized, of course, that these feelings are shared by almost any person who has ever imprinted, yet I knew there was something different about Bella; something inherently special which made her stand out from anyone because I had felt like this back when we were kids too before I ever Imprinted on her
'Want,' my wolf whined and a longing so strong hit me that it made my hand tremble.
I looked at the back of Bella's neck, seeing a glimpse of her soft, creamy skin, and felt myself harden. Even though the sexual attraction was strong, I couldn't help but notice that my attraction to her ran far deeper. I wanted her so badly a part of me thought I might die if I didn't have her. Bella never had to be jealous. No other girl would ever turn me on like she did without even trying. The bell rang signaling the end of class. I groaned and gave in to one of my urges as I kissed the back of her neck. She shivered, and I pulled away.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Bells," I said, leaving the room before she could tell me off. I almost ran to the bathroom, threw myself in the stall and tore my jeans down.
When school ended I was leaning against my bike relaxed and my wolf was settled after I relived myself. I saw Bella as she got in her truck. She unzipped her jacket, put her hood down, and fluffed her damp hair, captivating me. She was stunning.
She looked my way and caught me staring. She quickly looked away and threw the truck into reverse, almost hitting a rusty Toyota Corolla in her rush. Lucky for the Toyota, she hit the brake in time. She carefully pulled out again, without having almost hitting someone this time.
I waved at her, smirking at how I affected her. At least it wasn't just me who lost my control around her. She blushed and stared straight ahead as she passed me. God, she was amazing and she was mine.
'Mine,' my wolf growled and I laughed out loud.
"Ours," I agreed.
*Present*
I cleaned up the table, clean off my dad's ramp and shoveled the driveway before heading to school. I sat in the parking lot waiting for Bella. I needed to see. She was so clumsy that she'd probably need my help getting across the parking lot and if she didn't then I could walk her to class. Maybe carry her books or something.
She wasn't here yet, but could I hear the roar of her truck's engine in the distance. I leaned against my bike to wait. She drove slowly into the parking lot, her eyes intent on the road and her hands tight on the wheel. Of course Bella would drive more carefully in the snow. She parked not too far from me, but she hadn't noticed me standing here yet, staring at her. I wondered what she would do when she did.
Would she smile at me? Would she be nervous? She got out of the truck carefully, testing the slick ground before she put her weight on it. She didn't look up, which made my decision for me. I'd go talk to her. I opened my mouth to call out to her when she did something odd.
Instead of turning toward the school, she made her way to the rear of her truck, clinging to the side of the truck bed, not trusting her footing. It made me smile, and she was so cute. She looked like she was going to fall, the way her feet were sliding around. I was about to go help her when Quil slapped me on the back.
"What are you look at, Bro?" he asked, and I pointed at Bella.
She paused there, staring down with a loving expression on her face. She must have found the snow chains Charlie put on her car.
"Go talk to your girl man," he said, shoving me.
"I'm going, I'm going," I said, smiling just as Tyler's van rounded the corner.
Tyler's van - the tires right now hitting the ice at the worst possible angle - was going to spin across the lot and crush the girl who had managed to hold my heart since I was just a boy. Bella, standing in the exactly wrong place at the back of her truck, looked up, panicked by the sound of the screeching tires. She looked straight into my terrified eyes, and then turned to watch her approaching death.
'No!' my wolf howled.
"No!" I shouted as I hurled myself across the lot, throwing myself between the skidding van and my Bella.
I moved so fast that everything was a streaky blur except for the object of my focus. She didn't see me – no normal person could see me when I ran at full speed- still staring at the enormous van that was about squish her like a bug.
I caught her around the waist, moving with too much determination to be as gentle as she would need me to be. I yanked her out of the way and I crashed into to the ground with her in my arms, when I heard her head crack against the ice, I felt rage go through me. I was going to kill him! If Tyler survived this accident, I was going to kill him myself. I heard the van behind us, grating and squealing as it twisted around the sturdy iron body of the girl's truck. It was changing course, arcing, coming for her again - like she was a magnet, pulling it toward us.
I had already done too much. As I'd nearly soared through the air to push her out of the way, I'd been fully aware of what I was doing. What I was about to do next could ruin everything. It could expose my pack. It could expose the leeches. There's no way this could end good but I didn't care. I put her down and threw my hands out, catching the van before it could come near my Bella. The force of it hurled me back into the car parked beside her truck, and I could feel its frame buckle behind my shoulders. The van shuddered and shivered against the unyielding obstacle of my arms, before stopping.
I knew that I was in the middle of a disaster. How much had she seen? Had any other witnesses watched me appear at her side and then push the van away? But I was too worried to really care about the threat of exposure. I pulled Bella close to me and breathed in her vanilla, strawberry scent and listened to her heart beat. I felt her soft body, pressed against mine - even through the double obstacle of our jackets, and I thanked God that she was alive. I was so happy that I didn't even care about the screaming of the witnesses around me, I leaned down to study her face, to see if she was conscious - hoping fiercely that she was not bleeding anywhere. Her eyes were open, staring in shock.
"Bella?" I asked, urgently. "Bells, honey, can you hear me? Honey, are you alright?"
"I'm fine." She said, in a dazed voice.
Relief, so powerful it was nearly agony, washed through me at the sound of her voice. I felt tears come to my eyes as I thought about how close I was to never hearing her voice again.
She struggled to sit up, but I was not ready to let her go.
"Do you hurt anywhere? You hit your head pretty hard." I said, still angry at Tyler.
"Ow," she said, her tone shocked as she realized I was right about her head.
"That's what I thought." I said, hoping she didn't have a concussion.
"How in the..." Her voice trailed off, and her eyelids fluttered "How did you get over here so fast and how did you…How did you stop the van?"
I looked up at met the concerned looks of Quil and Embry then the furious gaze of the Cullens.
I was so screwed!
{Bella's P.O.V}
I was standing by the back corner of the truck, struggling to fight back the sudden wave of emotion the snow chains had brought on when I heard someone yell. I looked up in time to see the dark blue van that was skidding, tires locked, and spinning wildly across the ice of the parking lot. It was going to hit the back corner of my truck and I was standing between them.
I wanted to run but I couldn't move my legs. Why couldn't I move my legs? I wanted to scream, but I couldn't draw air into my lungs. I couldn't breathe! As I watched it came closer and closer, I turned my head, begging my legs to work, and found my eyes meeting the horror struck figure of Jacob Black before he vanished before my eyes. I looked back at the truck and closed my eyes not wanting to see my death.
"No!" someone yelled.
Bam!
Suddenly I was snatched out of the way and I hit the ground. My head cracked against the icy blacktop, and a weight settled on my body and made me to groan heavily as I felt something solid and hot pinning me to the ground.
I opened my eyes to see Jacob Black on top of me. How did he get over here so fast? He stood up and I saw the van coming around to crush us both. Jacob put me down and stood up. I was about to scream for him to run when he held out his hands and caught the van like it was a ball. I stared at him amazed. The force of it threw him back into the car parked beside my truck, and the car shook with a loud crash, but Jacob continued standing. The van trembled and quaked against his arms, before stopping then it was silent for one long second before the screaming began.
I stared at Jacob unable to believe what had just happened. Did he really just do that?
He turned back to me and pulled me into his arms. I instantly relaxed. Even with all the chaos, I felt warm, protected, and safe. I could hear more than one person shouting. But more clearly than all the yelling, I could hear Jacob Black's voice, wild with anxiety in my ear.
"Bella?" Jacob asked, his voice still tense, but not as wild as before. "Bells, honey, can you hear me? Honey, are you alright?"
"I'm fine." My voice sounded strange. I tried to sit up, and realized he was holding me against the side of his body in an iron grasp.
"Oh!" he gasped, relief washing over his features, as I struggled. "Do you hurt anywhere? You hit your head pretty hard."
I became aware of an excruciating pain centered above my left ear.
"Ow," I said, surprised, that I hadn't noticed it before
"That's what I thought." His voice, amazingly, sounded like he was really, really worried.
"How in the..." I trailed off, trying to clear my head, get my bearings. "How did you get over here so fast and how did you…How did you stop the van?"
His eyes darkened as he hesitated, looking toward the crowd then he looked down at me and smirked.
"I run a lot of track. I could be a star one day." He lied, answering one question and ignoring the other.
I turned to sit up, and this time he let me, releasing his hold around my waist and sliding as close to me as he could in the restricted space.
"You didn't answer my question," I stated, quietly as I looked at his face.
His eyes were tight with apprehension and before I could say anything else, he slipped away just as a crowd of people with tears streaming down their faces, shouting at each other, shouting at me, gathered around.
I stared at them confused as their faces began to blur and their voices became inaudible then everything went black…
My eyes fluttered opened to be met with white walls, my nose was invaded with the strong smell of disinfectant and my ears rang because of the constant beeping coming from somewhere around me.
I lifted up from the bed and looked around. I was in the emergency room. I took a deep breath as I recalled what happened earlier came back and immediately felt nauseous. The metallic scent of rust and salt which I hadn't noticed over the smell of disinfectant filled my nostrils and I gagged. My head felt like was about to explode and I pressed my hand to my forehead to calm my raging headache.
Was I bleeding?
I looked over and realized that I wasn't alone. I recognized Tyler Crowley from my Government class beneath the bloodstained bandages wrapped tightly around his head. Tyler looked a hundred times worse than I felt. But he was staring anxiously at me.
"Bella, I'm so sorry!" he exclaimed.
"I'm fine, Tyler - you look awful, are you all right?" I asked, covering my nose and looking away from him.
He ignored me. "I thought I was going to kill you! I was going too fast, and I hit the ice wrong..." he started but I cut him off.
"Don't worry about it; you missed me." I said, not wanting him to torture himself.
It was an accident that could have been deadly but, other than a headache and some nausea, I wasn't hurt.
"How did you get out of the way so fast? You were there, and then you were gone..." Tyler questioned as a nurse walked in to change his bandages.
"You're awake," she said, looking at me surprised. She paged someone and began unwinding his soiled bandages, exposing a myriad of shallow slices all over his forehead and left cheek.
I winched, trying not to show how close I was to fainting.
Tyler was looking at me expectantly as the nurse started dabbing at his face and I wondered how I should answer his question.
"I don't know. It's all a blur. I'm just lucky I guess," I lied, before I could stop myself. I was surprised by how steady my voice sounded. Tyler nodded believing me.
"Wow, it was all so fast, I guess you probably blocked it out," he said and I didn't say anything. I didn't trust myself to lie that well twice. Another nurse came in and put a pressure cuff on my arm and a thermometer under my tongue cutting off the conversation.
I knew I wasn't crazy but there was no way to explain away what I'd seen. They wheeled me away then, to X-ray my head. I was happy to get away from Tyler before I finally gave in and passed out. I was lucky…no concussion or any other serious injuries. I asked if I could leave, but the nurse said I had to talk to a doctor first. So I was trapped in the ER, waiting for my doctor, with Tyler. Thankfully, the nurse had finished changing his bandages and I didn't have to deal with the sickening smell of his blood anymore.
Tyler kept apologizing and promising to make it up to me; I tried to convince him I was fine, he continued to torment himself. I felt guilty. If I had stayed home today then Tyler wouldn't have almost hit me…But then he might have hit someone else so I guess it was good I came to school.
I closed my eyes and hoped that Charlie hadn't told my mom. She'd be worrying herself into a crazed frenzy. Thinking of Charlie…where was he? Did the school tell him I was here?
"Bella, you have a visitor," the nurse said, giggling. What was so funny?
"Why are you pretending to be sleeping?" a husky voice asked.
My eyes flew open. Jacob was standing at the foot of my bed, smirking. I glared at him.
"Your boyfriend was really worried about you," the nurse said, walking out of the room before I could tell her that he wasn't my boyfriend.
"Hey, Jacob, I'm sorry-" Tyler began. Jacob glared at him.
"Next time, watch where you're going; you could have killed her!" he growled.
He moved to sit on the edge of Tyler's bed, facing me. He smirked again.
"So, what's the verdict?" he asked me.
"There's nothing wrong with me at all, but they won't let me go," I complained. Then a doctor walked around the corner, and my mouth fell open. He was young; he was blond... and he attractive in a fake kind of perfect way; like he was photo-shopped or something. He was pale though, and tired-looking, with circles under his eyes. Who was this guy?
"Good evening, Miss Swan, I'm Dr. Cullen," Dr. Cullen said. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine," I said quickly, hoping he'd say I could leave. He walked to the light board on the wall over my head, and turned it on.
"Your X-rays look good," he said. "Does your head hurt? The report said you hit it pretty hard."
"It's fine," I said, wondering if he was going to make me stay overnight for observation.
The doctor's ice-cold fingers probed lightly along my skull and I flinched. I heard a growl and looked over to see Jacob, who was glaring at Dr. Cullen, trembling with barely repressed fury, looking like he wanted to murder someone. My eyes narrowed.
"Tender?" Dr. Cullen asked, not looking toward Jacob.
"Just a headache," I mumbled I didn't want to insult him by bringing up the coldness of his hands. He probably had poor circulation or something.
"Well, your father is in the waiting room - you can go home with him now. But come back if you feel dizzy or have trouble with your eyesight at all."
"Can't I go back to school?" I asked, not wanting to be a burden on Charlie.
"Maybe you should take it easy today. You did faint," The doctor advised. I glanced at Jacob.
"What if Jacob offered to help me out for the day?" I asked, I had a lot of questions to ask him anyway.
Dr. Cullen hesitated, glancing at Jacob who stared coldly back at him.
"I have no control over what Mr. Black does." He finally said.
"I'll stay with you," Jacob said, turning to me, ignoring the doctor.
"Actually," Dr. Cullen corrected, "Bella has a few visitors in the waiting room."
"Oh no," I moaned, covering my face with my hands. What if it was my mom? She was probably driving herself off the wall.
Dr. Cullen raised his eyebrows. "Do you want to stay?"
"No, I'm good!" I insisted, throwing my legs over the side of the bed and leaping off hastily.
Too hastily – I stumbled and Jacob caught me and steadied me.
"Bella, you okay?" Jacob whispered anxiously, worry creasing his forehead.
"I'm fine," I assured him. "I'm just a major klutz," I admitted.
Jacob grinned. "That's not true. No one falls into my arms quite as gracefully as you do,"
I made a face. Was that a compliment?
"…Thank you," I said slowly.
Jacob nodded and patted my back. "You're welcome," he said.
"Take some Tylenol for the pain," Dr. Cullen suggested as Jacob let me go.
"It doesn't hurt that bad," I insisted.
"It sounds like you were extremely lucky," Dr. Cullen said, smiling as he signed my chart.
"Yeah, I always have good luck when I'm with Jacob," I joked, but I sent him a hard glance to let him know I remembered what happened.
"Oh, well, that's nice," Dr. Cullen said, suddenly occupied with the papers in front of him.
Then he looked away at Tyler, and walked to the next bed. I felt like something was off. Did the doctor know about what happened? Was he in on it?
"I'm afraid that you'll have to stay with us just a little bit longer," he said to Tyler, and began checking his cuts.
As soon as the doctor's back was turned, I moved to Jacob's side.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" I asked, trying not to sound wary.
He took a step back from me, his expression changing. He realized what I wanted to talk about and his jaw suddenly clenched.
"No," he said, indifferently, walking away from me.
It hurt with a surprising intensity—like someone had stabbed me in the chest. I glanced at Dr. Cullen and Tyler before following after him. I nearly had to run to keep up. As soon as we turned the corner into a short hallway, he spun around to face me. His eyes were stony and his face was unreadable.
"Why are you following me?" he asked in a firm, gruff voice.
I took a deep breath. "How did you stop the van?" I asked.
He didn't answer. He just stared at me penetratingly. He didn't respond in any way; his face didn't change. His coldness intimidated me. He was so different from the guy I'd come to know in the last few weeks.
"What are you talking about?" he finally said.
"You were by your car. Then you disappeared and suddenly I was pulled out of the way of the van and you were pinning me to the ground. Then you stood up and that van was going to crush us both – and you stopped it, and your hands left dents in the side of it - and you left a dent in the other car, and you're not hurt at all and I other than a headache I don't have a scratch on me. Would you care to explain how that happened?" I stated, crossing my arms to seem tougher than I really was.
Jacob was quiet for a minute then he rolled his eyes and came closer to me.
"You hit your head pretty hard, didn't you?" he said, brushing my hair out of my face and caressing my cheek.
"I know what I saw," I said, pushing him away.
"You were by your car-" I started but Jacob interrupted me.
"No, I wasn't." he said casually.
"I saw you." I repeated, refusing to let it go. I was right, and he was going to admit it.
"Bella, I was on my way over to you to say 'Hi' when I noticed the van coming, so I sprinted over and I tackled you out of the way." He stared fiercely into my eyes, and his voice was harsh as he leaned against me, his arm on both sides of my body keeping me where I was.
I couldn't breathe, speak, swallow or hear anything outside of my own painfully thudding heartbeat. I must have looked like a deer caught in headlights. He spoke the words right into my face; his breath was as hot as his skin, as if trying to communicate something crucial.
"No." I set my jaw and shook my head, refusing to let him lie to me.
"You fainted…You don't know-" he started but I shook my head again.
"No," I repeated. His dark eyes blazed and he let down his guard.
"Please, Bella." He begged his voice filled with distress.
"Why?" I demanded.
"Trust me," he whispered, anxiously, the pleading in his voice overpowering.
"I barely know you," I stated and Jacob recoiled, moving away from me.
His face returned back to the hard facade that he was hiding behind, but all I could see was the pain in his eyes.
"You're right. You barely know me. I want to explain—" He broke off and shook his head. Then he sucked in a deep breath. "But I can't explain…not now." he said, calmly. "I wish I could."
"You owe me an explanation," I argued.
"I told you- I can't tell you anything." He said.
I flinched back from the bitterness in his voice.
"Can you give me something?" I asked.
He glared back. "What do you want from me, Bella?"
"I want to know the truth," I said. "I want to know why I'm lying for you."
"I never asked you to lie for me!" he snapped, losing it. "I didn't ask for you to come here and disrupt everything I worked so hard to build! I never asked for any of this! You should have stayed in Phoenix!"
His face was stressed, cautious; the wrath never fully left his eyes.
"Well, I'm sorry that I came to Forks and met a bipolar asshole like you!" I cursed, I was so mad I could feel the tears coming; I tried to force them back by grinding my teeth together.
He studied my face for a long moment, speculating; the anger draining from his face at the sight of my tears.
"I'm sorry, Bells. I didn't mean it. I just…I don't know what…" he stopped talking and closed his eyes.
"Jacob, please," I whispered "Won't you tell me what happened?"
But Jacob didn't seem to be listening. He was taking deep, slow breaths, trying to calm himself.
"I won't tell you," he finally said, proving that he'd heard me.
"Why?" I asked. "I'm not going to tell anybody." I promised.
Surprise flitted across his face. "I didn't think you would." He said.
He shook his head. "Anyway it doesn't matter." He said.
"It matters to me," I insisted. "I don't like to lie - so there'd better be a good reason why I'm doing it."
He raised one eyebrow in disbelief. "I saved your life. You should be thanking me, instead of interrogating me."
"Thank you." I said, sincerely.
Then I waited for him to tell me. He chuckled.
"You're not going to let it go, are you?" he said.
"No." I said stubbornly.
"In that case... There's nothing more to say." He said.
I gaped. "There's everything more to say! You haven't said anything yet!"
We scowled at each other in silence. He suddenly started to walk past me, striding back down the hall.
"Why did you even bother?" I yelled after him.
He paused, and for a brief moment he paused, mid-step, and whirled to face me. His face was unexpectedly vulnerable. His expression was wounded.
"Because I didn't want you to die," he whispered. And then he turned his back on me and walked away.
I was so lost; it took me a few minutes until I could move. When I could walk, I made my way slowly to the exit at the end of the hallway. The waiting room was not as unpleasant as I'd feared. Mike and Jessica were sitting with Charlie. Charlie rushed to my side and pulled me into a tight hug.
"There's nothing wrong with me," I assured him, patting his back.
"What did the doctor say?" he asked, pulling away enough to see my face.
"Dr. Cullen saw me, and he said I was fine and I could go home." I explained and Charlie let me go.
I sighed in relief before I was pulled into another hug.
"Bella, I thought you were dead!" Jessica said, crying openly.
"I'm fine, Jess," I said, surprised.
I didn't know she cared about me that much. She held me, babbling apologies about something but she was crying so hard that I couldn't understand her.
"Let her go, Jess," Mike said, trying to pry Jessica off of me.
Jessica latched on to Charlie, who looked like he was about to have a heart attack.
"I'm glad you're okay, Bella," Mike said, patting my arm.
"Thank you," I said, glad that he wasn't being as hysterical as Jessica. Charlie managed to get away from Jessica and came to stand beside me.
"Let's go," I urged.
Charlie put one arm over my shoulder, and led me to the glass doors of the exit. I waved awkwardly at my friends, hoping to convey that they didn't need to worry anymore. We drove in silence. I wanted to say something to Charlie but I couldn't think of anything.
"Hey, Dad, sorry I almost died, but thanks for the snow chains. I'm sure they would have been a big help later when I drove home…You know, if I hadn't almost been crushed," I thought.
When we got to the house, Charlie finally spoke.
"Um... you'll need to call Renée." He hung his head, guilty.
"You told Mom," I said, evenly.
"Sorry." He said, sheepishly.
I rushed out of the cruiser, hoping to talk to my mom before she made herself sick. My mom was in hysterics, of course.
"Mom, I'm okay." I repeated for what felt like the hundredth time.
I'd been on the phone with her for over three hours and she was only just calming down. She begged me to come home - forgetting the fact that home was empty at the moment – and it took everything I had not to pack up and leave. This was the out I'd been looking for but…
"Relax, it's just a classroom." a deep, rich, husky voice called from somewhere to my left.
I turned around and saw a man leaning against the wall with one foot propped against the wall while the other long leg braced holding him upright under a shelter.
His eyes were lowered to a piece of paper in his free hand. He was wearing a tight black T-shirt, a brown leather jacket, and a tight pair of black jeans that looked molded to fit the heavy muscles and show off those long legs.
He glanced up, meeting my eyes, and I stopped breathing...
I was consumed by the mystery Jacob presented, and more than a little interested in Jacob himself. How could he be so compassionate and concerned one minute and so cold the next?
Stupid (adjective): not intelligent: having or showing a lack of ability to learn and understand things: not sensible or logical.
Full Definition of STUPID
1a: slow of mind: obtuse
B: given to unintelligent decisions or acts: acting in an unintelligent or careless manner
C: lacking intelligence or reason
2: marked by or resulting from unreasoned thinking or acting
Synonyms include; unwise, ridiculous, irresponsible, ill-advised, and Bella Swan.
I didn't want to leave Forks and it wasn't just because of Jacob Black. I was finding out things about Charlie, I had friends, real live people, who cared whether I lived or died. I still missed my mother though, but other than being worried she didn't seem to really need me anymore. Charlie needed me. He couldn't cook and he needed someone to keep the house clean. After my mom hung up, I went to make dinner for Charlie but he refused to let me cook.
"I'll order a pizza," he said, "You go relax," he said.
I wanted to argue but I'd done that enough for one day. I decided I might as well go to bed early that night. I took a few Tylenol from the bathroom as the discomfort eased, I drifted to sleep.
That was the first night I dreamed of Jacob Black.
Author's note; I hope you enjoyed the insight into the mind of Jacob Black.
I'd like to thank April-Shower82 for all her hard work editing this story.
She is amazing! Here's a link to an interview she did.
dcmllbeautifulmess. ?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=twitterfeed&m=1
Check it out, okay!
Please review and Pm you thoughts.
Constructive criticism welcome.
No flames!
