Chapter Four

Dangerous Territory

Jacob Black

Oh, you've got to be kidding me! First, I let the girl I'm in love with marry my mortal enemy, and now I find out she's knocked up with his killer spawn? Which god did I piss off to deserve this kind of torture? What the hell is wrong with Bella? I always had known she was teetering on the edge of insanity; I mean—she had married a rock, for Christ's sake! But this was so far beyond reality, I had to convince myself it wasn't a dream. "If only she chose me," I mumbled to myself angrily. It was the truth; if Bella had chosen me then nothing like this would be happening. She wouldn't be pregnant—on her way to the grave—and I wouldn't be as miserable as I had been.

I slowed my inhumanly sprint to a brisk jog and tried to clear my head. I had to think of what I was going to say to the pack. Sam would definitely not like this—hell, none of them would!

"Get a grip, Jacob," I muttered to myself. My hands were shaking and I was growing too angry to think rationally. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes; it wouldn't help my situation to phase while I was this angry. At my current rate, it would take me forever to control my nerves enough to be comprehensible.

As my heart rate receded, I closed my eyes and thought about Bella; it was all I could do to help my tempter. As her smiling face appeared in my mind, I found myself getting calmer. I sighed—as the imaginary Bella smiled to me—before I let the wolf take over. There was a temporary blackness as I phased—fading from one existence to another had become second nature to me. I immediately became aware of the thoughts, emotions, and secrets of my brothers. I felt a rush of exhilaration as I broke out into a quick aimless run—this was the part I loved. I stopped abruptly, remembering my purpose for phasing. However, my mind slipped and I let loose the words I wanted to keep until I could explain everything: Bella's pregnant.

"What!?" The word rushed out in a unanimous chorus. The questioning and probing minds of my brothers began speaking at once. This always gave me a headache.

"Sam," I called out to my Alpha, "you need to call a meeting immediately, I have news for you."

By the time I reached Sam and Emily's house, the others were already debating.

"I say we take them all out!" Paul flared at the group. "We've let this go for far too long! Look what they're doing now, breeding a whole new race!"

The rest of the pack jeered as they listened to him.

"Then, what's to stop them?" he continued. "What's to keep them from unleashing the little half-breed upon the entire town? It's our duty to protect the tribe and that's what we should do. We should kill them all!"

"No!" I lurched forward, my hands in tight fists, and punched Paul in his open mouth. I would not stand by and let them murder Bella. Even though she had broken my heart, I would still do anything for her. I loved her too much.

My fist collided with Paul's jaw with an agonizing crack. Paul doubled back, in pain, as I put both my hands on either side of his arms, shaking him violently. The rest of our brothers shouted and cheered for us, egging us on.

"Quiet!" Sam's voice resonated within the small house. "That's enough, Paul! Jacob, put him down!" I complied grudgingly. "Now, please tell us what news you have."

"I'll tell you what I was told," I took a seat beside Sam and sighed heavily. "It's true, Bella is pregnant with some kind of vampire spawn." The chorus of disgusted sounds echoed loudly through Emily's small kitchen, but Sam silenced them again. "However, unlike Paul hinted, not all the Cullens are for this pregnancy."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, narrowing his eyes.

"When the mind reader talked to me earlier, he told me that he doesn't want Bella to keep this…thing." I sighed and let my head fall to my hands. My anger and hatred for the leech had receded. Now, I was only scared for Bella.

"Then why don't they cut it out?" Paul jeered angrily, and the others repeated his sentiment: Why didn't they just get rid of the creature?

"It's not that simple," I said and shook my head. I had decided to not reveal Bella's intentions or her love for the creature. It was irrelevant at this point and would only harm her reputation—not that she cared anyway. "However, her husband wants to rally together and destroy it."

The look on everyone's faces was a mixture of shock and horror. It took me a second to realize that they thought Edward wanted to kill his wife. I rolled my eyes with agitation; were they really that dumb? "He doesn't want to kill Bella, you idiots!"

My brothers looked at one another before turning back to me. "Then what's their plan?" Seth asked a little worried. He had grown an infatuation with the Cullens since the newborn leech incident. It freaked us out a little bit.

"I'm not exactly sure." It was the truth. The bloodsucker had told me the summary but not the actual plan. My brothers began to grumble amongst themselves. I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm plotting against my best friend and the love of my life. "All I know is we're going to distract a few of them so the others can take care of…the problem."

"What?" Paul once again stood up. "So that's what we've been reduced to? Distractions?" Jared and Quil began to laugh as Paul continued spewing his war mongering words. "Why don't they let us do what we are meant to do?"

"And what would that be?" I shouted, my voice rising higher than Paul's. "Do you want to be the one to cut the fetus from Bella's stomach? Do you want her blood on your hands, Paul? Could you live with yourself then? Would that make you a hero?" Paul was silenced as I continued my tirade hysterically. "Or maybe you'd like to be there when she screams in agony. Or you'd prefer to rip whatever is inside her out. Would that content you at all, don't you?"

When I finally looked up from my angry outburst, I was met with looks of horror and disgust from my brothers. Paul sat down, his eyes wide with shock. "Dude, Jake, man, I'm just sayin'…."

"You're saying what, Paul?" I demanded angrily. I balled my fist as I took a step towards him, silently daring him to say one more word.

He went silent.

Sam rested his hand on my shoulder. "Calm down, Jacob. We all know this is difficult for you."

"What?" I turned on now. "What is difficult? Hearing that I have to help my enemy hurt the woman I love, or hearing that the woman I love is dying? Which one is it, Sam?" I felt my skin begin to crawl as my anger rose. I was dangerously close to phasing involuntarily. The entire pack could see the snap was coming as well. I could feel my anger pulsing through me violently, feeding into the change—for once, I didn't care.

"Jacob…" Sam was eyeing me intently now, judging my responses. "Leave the house, now." He was not concerned about the house itself; he had picked up carpentry skills in the past and could fix anything. No, his concern was for Emily in the next room.

Emily was an unknowing warning to all of us. Control yourself at all costs or suffer the consequences. Her maimed face and brutal attack had been burned into our subconscious. Sam wasn't using it as an example; he just refused to let himself forget.

Despite my incessant rage, I flung myself out the door, not caring about Paul's comments on how I was 'losing it'. Once outside, angrily ripped off my shorts and tied them to my leg. If I was going to phase, I'd want something to wear later. Just as I tightened the string around my calf, I cried out as I burst into a gigantic ball of fur.

The forest felt nice beneath my paws and the wind calmed me. I couldn't believe that I had said those things to Paul, even though he needed to hear them. He just didn't understand the gravity of the situation, none of them did. I growled as I slowed my pace. This really was a hopeless situation. I had two choices: to help Edward and have Bella hate me or to not help him and let her die. Damned if I do, damned if I don't.

I started running again, faster this time, letting my thoughts run wild. What was I going to do? Was I going to help Edward and then disappear into the shadows again, just like I had done before? I nodded to myself. Yep, that's exactly what's going to happen.

I wasn't exactly looking where I was going, nor did I have a destination. So I was shocked when I looked up and noticed I was halfway to the Cullen house.

Edward's last words reverberated in my head: she'd like that.

I moved cautiously as I crossed onto the Cullens' property. I wasn't here for violence, but I was breaking the treaty nonetheless.

A shiver ran through me while I moved, it was more than just their smell that bothered me. Something about the leeches sent a quake down my spine. Perhaps it was the wolf in me, knowing I was on my enemies' turf, or maybe it was my human instincts, telling me there was danger. Whatever the reason, I felt the tremors run through me and knew the parasites were close.

Even though I'd been here before, I still couldn't help gawking at their huge house; the term 'living large' obviously meant something to these bloodsuckers.

I growled bitterly as I hid in the bushes, preparing to phase. It's quality, not quantity that matters.

Slipping on the pants attached to my leg, I crossed the yard and stopped at the door. The land, house, and air were positively dripping with their scent. I scratched my nose, took a deep breath and knocked. I didn't knock very hard; however, the door cascaded to the ground with a loud thud. I stared for a minute, a little shocked, before moving forward warily. Bella was my best friend, but this was still dangerous territory.

I had gotten two feet past the door when I was met by an unexpectedly kind face. The leaders' mate—I couldn't remember her name—smiled at me.

"Hello, Jacob," she greeted me politely. She turned one shoulder and gestured for me to move farther inside. "Won't you come in?"

I attempted to smile but it came off like an awkward grimace. Her gracious attitude reminded me so much of my mom, and I immediately felt bad for assaulting their door. "Thank you, Mrs. Cullen. Uh, sorry about the door."

She laughed, a noise sounding like wind chimes. "Please, call me Esme."

"Um, okay," I said and proceeded to look around the gigantic space. The inside of the leeches' home was different than last time. During the graduation party it had been transformed to a small nightclub. I sneered as I passed the ornate decorations. I guess you can do all this when you're rich. Suddenly a small breeze tossed my hair and I found Esme standing next to me. I jumped in surprise, , about which, she frowned. Her sincerity and kindness forced me to apologize again. "Whoa, sorry, you startled me."

"I'm so sorry, Jacob," she shook her head apologetically. "This must be very awkward for you. So, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?"

I sighed and opened my mouth, but before I could speak, a shrill voice sounded from upstairs: "Esme! Why does it stink in the house?"

I groaned as I recognized the sound of the voice. It was the blonde—she had almost caused a fight during the search for the redheaded vampire three and half months ago. I had also learned from Edward that she was Bella's guardian. She now appeared at the top of the stairs, lips pulled over her teeth, growling. "What is that beast doing here?"

I took a deep breath but coughed as the sharp smell burned my nose. "Hey, Blondie, how's life?"

"You have ten seconds to get off our land, mongrel," Blondie hissed as she descended the stairs slowly. "Emmett!"

A larger gust of air breezed through the room, bringing with it the biggest Cullen. He squared his shoulders, extending his height as he fell in line with the other.

Esme looked worried as she stood next to me. "Rosalie, don't, he's Bella's friend." She scolded the blonde as she rested her hand on my arm.

"That's why he has ten seconds," Rosalie laughed sadistically and continued her approach.

The hair on the back of my head stood on end as Emmett and Rosalie approached me. I could take out the blonde but the big one would be a problem. Of course, if I phased, I could call the rest of the pack; surely someone was close by. I felt the internal snap brewing as I prepared to change.

As if she heard my thoughts, Bella was suddenly at the top of the stairs. Her face was a mixture of confusion, joy, and stress. I let my eyes trail down and spied the enormous obstruction under her black nightgown. "Jake?" she called out to me with a hopeful smile.

"Hey, Bells," I called and attempted to smile despite the rising revulsion. Bella was standing in the shadows, but I could still make out the curvature of her figure. Her stomach looked oddly deformed and convex. I trembled as I saw her grip the railing for support, she could barely stand. "Can you call off your in-laws?" She smiled softly at my attempted humour.

Before Bella could utter a sound, Rosalie was at her side. The blonde scowled at Bella with a disapproving stare. "Bella, what are you doing? You know you should be in bed."

I was shocked to see Bella smile at the blonde leech. Every time she had mentioned Rosalie to me, there had been a look of fear in her eyes. I was shocked to see Bella smile warmly at the blonde. "I thought I heard Jake, so I came to see," she said with an exhausted voice.

Rosalie threw me an angry look before turning back to Bella. "Well, he was just leaving, so back to bed!"

I snorted as the blonde attempted to order Bella to bed. Good luck with getting Bella to listen to you! I wonder if Blondie knows how fake she sounds.

"Can't you stay a little longer, Jake?" I had always been rather susceptible to Bella's pleading, and it already started tugging at my heart now. "Please?"

A smug smile crossed my face as Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I think I can spare some time, Bells." I grinned victoriously at the blonde, who threw a look of contempt my way. "But I agree with Blondie—you need to lie down."

I followed Rosalie as she carried Bella to Edward's room. I had to admit he had a nice place—for a metrosexual vampire. I was a little confused when I saw the bed, but quickly realized it was for Bella's sole benefit.

It was the first time I saw her in the light. Bella's previously flat stomach was swollen and protruded out, causing her nightgown to pull tight. Her skin was paler than normal, almost anemic, her eyes were sallow, sunken in, and she was unhealthily thin. Bella looked morbidly ill.

I took another deep breath—faltering on the putrid smelling air—and rubbed my nose. I swallowed heavily and let my eyes trail around the room. I was looking for anything to take my attention away from Bella's unhealthy appearance. The evidence of the Cullens' wealth was everywhere. From his extremely nice stereo to the enormous collection of music, and the giant, richly decorated bed, everything in this room screamed of wealth. I didn't even want to look in his closet—I might find a statue of gold or something.

"Disappointed?" Bella joked as Rosalie set her down.

"Huh?" I asked a little confused.

She giggled and gestured to the bed. "Were you expecting a coffin?"

I chuckled and took a seat at the end of the bed. "Maybe…I certainly wasn't expecting a bed."

She shrugged. "It was Edward's idea. I'd be fine on the couch but he wants me to be comfortable."

I nodded and my wandering eye caught her gaze.

She bit her bottom lip and her face flushed as best it could. "I know I look hideous, Jake."

I sighed and watched her anxiously twiddle her fingers. I let myself stare openly at the gigantic bulge under her nightgown. I wave of revulsion washed over me as I caught her stare. "Bells, what are you doing?"

She narrowed her eyes, confused. "What do you mean?"

Before I could speak out loud, Rosalie leaned in close to me. "Be careful, mutt, I will throw you out." She took several steps backwards before speaking to Bella. "I'll be right back, I'm going to talk to Esme real quick. Emmett will be right outside the door." I think that last part was directed at me.

After the blonde witch had disappeared, I scooted closer to Bella. "I—uh—talked to Edward," I stuttered as I spoke. I wasn't completely sure if he wanted me to tell her, but right now I didn't care.

"Oh." she said softly as her eyes trailed to her stomach. I wasn't surprised that she guessed the topic of our conversation. I was sure it was on everyone's mind. "And?"

"He said you were planning on having the b...ba..." I couldn't bring myself to call it a baby. I simply gestured to her stomach and looked away; the sight of the bump made me want to vomit.

"The baby?" she prompted, her voice getting a little firm.

I nodded. "Yeah."

Bella sighed heavily as her eyes watered. "I'm worrying him so much."

"I'll give you that," I agreed. Never before had I seen a vampire quiver as he had. She wasn't worrying him, she was making him crazy—I could relate.

"When did you see him?" she asked eagerly, a hopeful expression crossing her face.

I glanced at my watch. "About an hour ago, I think." I looked around and only now realized he wasn't in the room. In fact, I hadn't seen Edward since I had arrived. Where was he? "Where is hubby dearest, anyway?"

That was the wrong question to ask.

Bella's head fell to her hands, a sob escaping before they connected. She held her position for a second before looking back at me. "He's left me." she whispered in a broken voice.

My first reaction was shock. Edward left Bella? No, it wasn't possible. "What?" I couldn't believe it! There was no way he would plan to save her and then just…vanish. A small feeling of hope arose in my heart as I felt the urge to hug Bella. I should comfort her, let her know it's going to be okay. I should tell her that I'll take care of her.

Rosalie returned quickly, like a blur, and wrapped her arms around the sobbing Bella. "No, Bella, Alice told you he just went out to clear his head." She turned and glared at me viciously; I didn't need to read minds to know what she was saying. Good job, mutt!

"But he didn't even say goodbye when he left." Bella began to cry while trying to speak. She soon stopped all attempts and hid her face in Rosalie's shoulder.

I still couldn't believe what Bella had just said. Edward…left? Now what would happen to Bella? A divorce? My nostrils flared as the anger overtook me. How could he just leave and not tell me? We had a plan, damn it! And what was I to do about the pack? Many of my brothers were so threatened by this, it would be hard to convince them otherwise. Although, the majority of the pack still cared about Bella, so maybe I could sway them to wait.

The sound of an engine outside caught my attention as well as Rosalie's. "See, Bella?" The blonde looked incredibly relieved. "Edward's home!" She turned, leaned in, and whispered in my ear, "And he's going to love that you're here, mongrel."

I groaned—relieved and frustrated—as I heard a loud snarl from downstairs. A half second later a very angry Edward was standing in the threshold, his eyes fixed on me. I sighed as I stood up from the bed. I just had to see her, okay? I threw up my hands in defense and moved away from the bed.

I shifted uncomfortably as his lips pulled back over his teeth. "Hello, leech."

"Hello, mutt," his tone was as menacing as his stare.

"Edward?" Bella's voice was small but it was enough to break our staring contest.

Edward's entire demeanour crumbled as he moved next to Bella. She touched his face and he mirrored the image, his expression pained.

I looked away, the moment seemed too intimate for spectators. Knowing that they were in love was bearable, seeing it was making me insane.

"I thought you'd left me," Bella whispered to Edward.

He exhaled slowly. "I told you, you're my love and my life, I will never leave you."

The two continued to embrace until Rosalie rudely cleared her throat. "All right, that's enough." She pushed a hand between them, an act that obviously saddened Bella.

"But, Rose—," Bella protested as she tried to get to Edward. Edward's face was just as desperate as he clung to Bella's right arm. I knew this bloodsucker had been willing to die because he had thought Bella was dead; why was he letting this harpy push him around?

Rosalie quickly turned her harsh eyes to Bella. "Bella, stay out of this, please?"

That was enough for me. I strode across the room and grabbed Rosalie's arm—placed between Edward and Bella—and pulled her away.

The blonde turned and hissed at me, slapping my hand away. "Excuse me? Who do you think you are?"

"Me?" I demanded incredulously. "You're the one keeping him from hugging his wife. Who do you think you are?"

I couldn't believe that I was actually defending this bloodsucker; I hated him! Nothing would make me happier than to take him outside and kill him. Yet here I was, defending him and his rights as a husband. Maybe Paul was right, maybe I was cracking.

Blondie glared at me. "I'm the one keeping the baby alive!"

"Rose, Jacob, please don't fight," Bella begged from Edward's embrace.

"Edward," Blondie's venomous voice called over to the bed. "I think it's time to walk the dog."

I sighed as Edward and I locked eyes. We can do it now, Edward. I'll take care of her and you can run with Bella.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Rose, Esme and Emmett are downstairs. If you need anything, they're in earshot."

I groaned. He was speaking to me of course. Damn it; fine, let's get out of here.

Edward sighed and rose off the bed and, after planting a single kiss on Bella's forehead, walked to the door. "Jacob, I think you should leave."

"But Edward," Bella said anxiously as she gestured to the window. During the past few minutes the sky had opened up and shrouded Forks with rain. "You can't send him out in the rain."

"I'm sure he can deal with it," Rosalie remarked snidely.

However, Bella threw a sorrowful look at Edward and I could see him cave in. "All right, Bella. Come on Jacob, I'll give you a ride back to La Push," he said with a bleak expression.

I started to contest but Edward grabbed my arm and started tugging me towards the door. "All right, be seein' you, Bells."

"Jake," Bella called to me, "you'll come and visit me again, right?"

"Uh, yeah," I said, seeing Rosalie shake her head.

"How about tomorrow?" Her face was lit up now, expectant. "Please, Jake?"

"Sure, sure," I agreed without knowing if I could. "Bye, Bells."

Ten minutes later, Edward and I were in the car, silent. As we pulled up to the La Push border, he finally spoke.

"What part of 'I don't think that would be a good idea' did you not understand?" Edward growled at me angrily.

My neck shot back indignantly at his chastising tone. He was scolding me? "Look, leech, I didn't think me—"

"Exactly, you hit the nail on the head, Jacob." He snorted and raised his eyebrows. "You didn't think. Do you realize that you could have jeopardized everything? You need to start contemplating your decisions before you act on them. Your body has matured, Jacob Black, now catch up with it."

I chuckled softly at his arrogance. "Don't forget who needs who, bloodsucker." I remarked slowly. "I can very easily tell Bella about your little plan."

For a split second, that actually sounded like a good idea. Bella would finally see that he was all wrong for her. She would divorce him and be free to be with me. The idea was sounding better and better.

"I hate to rain on your parade, Jacob," Edward hissed, "but what do you plan to do then?" I stared at him, trying to figure out what he meant. "When the creature claws its way out of Bella's stomach—what's your plan?"

Alright, he had a point.

Edward exhaled and his shoulders relaxed. "We're not getting anywhere by arguing." I nodded in agreement. "What did the pack say?"

"They're intrigued and worried by this thing," I said and looked towards the forest. The memory of Paul's mongering words crossed my mind. "I say we kill them all!"

The leech's head turned to look at me immediately. "You have to control him."

"Paul won't be a problem," I muttered.

Edward reached over and grabbed my shoulder, making me yelp at the temperature difference. "I need a guarantee, Jacob. This is my family we're talking about."

I shook off his cold hand and glared at him. "Sam will see to it."

His face became thoughtful before he spoke again. "I'd like a chance to speak with Sam," he said finally. "So would my father."

I mulled over the idea for a little bit before agreeing. "When and where?"

"Where we met last time, in the clearing, half past two, just you and Sam, no one else." He said and looked at me skeptically.

I narrowed my eyes. "Fine, Sam and me, and you and your leader."

"Agreed." I opened the door but felt the leech's cold fingers on my shoulder. "Jacob? Thank you for what you said to Rosalie."

"Yeah, just don't get used to it."