I previously planned on updating sooner but I'm struggling with the direction I want to take this in as I've been kind of focused on "The Aftermath" recently. And as much as I did hope to update during this prior week it strikes me as odd that I'm updated on Friday; my normal update day. It's been an odd, exhausting week. What can I say? The perfectionist in me looks back on the last chapter and I'm embarrassed by the errors in wording and grammar I found there so I want to be more careful and not update so hastily in the future. My apologies, nothing ruins a good story (knock on wood), like bad grammar. I'll be more diligent in my future updates, I promise. Thank you to Babsy1221 for your critique; looking back I can see how the format was distracting. I'll pay closer attention to that in the future. On a side note, as women we know what the right answers would be to inane questions like, "Does this outfit make my butt look big?", but when do men actually say the right thing? And speaking of men…

A/N: Yes we all know I don't own or claim to own Twilight; so what else is new?

Chapter 4: The Alpha's Mate

Jacob POV:

I jogged along beach, with the sun just beginning to break the above the distant skyline. As much as I would have loved to phase and just let my wolf run, I needed to think so I reined him in. He still spat comments at me from inside my head.

"We have to do something, keep her away from that leech! She is our mate, ours! We need to rip his fucking head off, problem solved." He shrugged his shoulders and snorted, like this was just the obvious choice.

I'll be the first to admit that much as I did want to give in, I owed it to her to keep a clear head. For as long as we'd been alive, she and I were inseparable. As her best friend, I wouldn't let her close to them but now, it was so much more with her, more significance. A growl rumbled deep within my subconscious.

"Yeah, and while you're busy ignoring it, the blood sucker steps in and sweeps her off her feet."

I scoffed, brushing off the idea until he said what I'd been thinking the entire time I'd been running.

"Sure, he pissed her off, but you see the effect he has on her. I can, but it's obvious, if you don't understand you're an imbecile. He's a threat, a dangerous one. We need to show him his place and stake our claim on Bella."

I knew he was right as much as he did, but what was I supposed to do? We may know the tribe seeker's prediction that Bella and I would be mated, but she couldn't know. I chuckled at the memory of that council meeting. Upon taking my place as alpha after I phased, the council summoned me and also, the seeker. In our tribe, the seeker is similar to a matchmaker, I guess you could say. They saw to it that each tribe leader, including those in the pack was mated to the right person; to ensure the integrity of our blood lines. No seeker had ever been wrong, once they announced a pairing the imprint was not long after. So when it came time to name my mate, the fact that the seeker announced Bella Swan's name caused so much of an uproar that that my dad almost had a coronary, not to mention all of the other counsel leaders.

I'll never forget my father's words to me, "Son, it's not that I don't love Bella like my own daughter, I do. But I don't understand, none of the elders do. A bond between a mate and their imprint has never extended beyond our tribe. This makes them worry what it could mean, what else we don't know."

I did understand their concern; they were nothing if not traditional; true to every custom and ritual to a t. If I were to be honest with myself, I knew well before the seeker that our bond went much deeper than childhood sweethearts, but I didn't know how to approach the subject with them until that moment.

"We have to tell her! Once she feels the pull of the imprint there will be no way that he could ever come close."

I resolved that I would make a plan to tell Bella my secret. And silently I prayed that for once in the history of my people, that the seeker wouldn't be wrong.

Alice POV

This girl is turning out to be so confusing! The recent rash of visions involving this human were really making me doubt my sanity. Jasper hated for me to use the c-word considering my childhood in the asylum, but I was definitely feeling a little crazy. I almost wished I hadn't let Edward see my first vision, it built up hopes and he became assumptive and cocky and that caused her to literally blow up in his face. I shouldn't have let him see how enamored she was of him in that vision, he needed to know that she was unattainable; that he had to earn that with her. Since their confrontation in the woods I had been torn in multiple directions as Bella tossed between emotions. I really wished she would make up her damned mind! It would definitely make my life a whole lot easier, not to mention those of my families' lives as well. As I sat on my perch atop the roof of our home, I felt another vision building.

She sat on a deadwood tree; I recognized this as the beach at La Push. Now why would she be there? I soon got my answer. She sat among a group of Quileute boys around a crackling fire, laughing loudly at something. I watched from a distance, waiting to see what major decision she had made that had spawned the vision. She was quickly approached by a large boy, his back to my line of sight. Geez, what are they feeding these boys, they are huge! But none of them as tall as this one. He must be the alpha of their pack. She took a bottle from him and I couldn't help wondering if there was something alcoholic inside. I clucked my tongue at her in disapproval. Geez Bella, werewolves are not the best company to keep! Bringing myself back to focus I continued to watch as he circled around behind her. She moved, allowing him to sit and he pulled her onto his lap nuzzling his face into her hair; kissing her neck sweetly below the ear. The words I heard next caused my stomach to drop into my toes. She leaned back into him, turning her head to kiss him deeply, "I love you, Chief".

This wasn't going to go over well, and considering the rising number of dramatic Edward tantrums we'd endured lately I decided to keep my thoughts to myself. I grumbled as another migraine ensued. This was getting exhausting, they need to get there shit straight and fast otherwise things were going to get very ugly around here. Suddenly I felt my frustration begin to wane and a subtle calm settled over me. I smiled as Jasper slipped over the edge of the roof effortlessly, sitting beside me and pulling me close.

"Are you okay sweetie? I can feel your frustration reverberate through them entire house. You're practically broadcasting a distress beacon."

I sighed, knowing that I could never lie to him and that wasn't entirely a result of his talent alone. Since my first vision of him, and the long trip to Texas where I waited for him in that saloon I'd been hooked. No one else could ever match him in my eyes, and it saddened me that the life he'd known before this one was so terrible for him. Looking at him now, his eyes pierced my resolve and I gave in. "I had another vision and apparently Bella is in love with the Quileute alpha now. I want to keep it to myself because Edward is going to flip out, but then again it just makes my head hurt."

He reached over and brushed his thumb along my bottom lip, which I hadn't realized I had stuck out in a full on pout. "Then just tell him, love. It's not worth causing yourself so much distress, he'll find out eventually. I'll do as much damage control as I can, but ultimately he needs to be able to process his emotions. Especially if Bella has chosen the wolf pack's commander then he needs to understand that this is her choice; he cannot decide for her." He stood, extending his hand to lift me up and pull me close to his chest.

I tilted my face back and kissed him deeply, then reluctantly pulled back. "Okay then, we might as well go tell him and get this circus act over with." He chuckled as we stepped over the ledge, hand in hand; landing on the ground two stories below and walked inside. As we started up the stairs I called, "Oh, Edward!"

Edward POV:

After sitting with Alice and Jasper, watching her most recent vision play before my eyes, I felt my heart begin to break. I knew the effect was somewhat subdued by Jasper's calming waves washing over me, but I was oddly grateful that he didn't completely numb me out. "Thanks Jazz." He nodded, smiling kindly but it didn't reach his eyes. Alice sat up leaning toward me, "So, Edward, what are you going to do?"

I shrugged, "Well, she's chosen the dog. Women are fickle, who's to say that I can't change her mind?" I could see her begin to shake her head at me, but I cut her off, needing her to see my point. "That mutt doesn't have half the charm that I do, he couldn't offer her anything near the life that I could. All that I have to do is give her a taste, sweep her off of her feet! Don't worry Alice, I won't overwhelm her; I just want my chance at a happily ever after. After all, all of your already have yours." At that, she stopped trying to convince me. I stood and left the room without anything additional to add to the conversation. I had to figure out a way to show her what I have to offer her. I could give her anything in the world and he could, well he could barely feed himself I'd imagine. He could hurt her with his lack of self control; I will not let her be harmed!

On a good note, I knew the Quileute children pretty much live within the reservation. And there is always Biology, I just have to make the most of each moment I can get with her. As much as it irritated me, I knew Alice was right. I couldn't be too overwhelming; otherwise I'll lose her forever. To help time pass I retreated down to my music room and spend the rest of the evening and into the following morning writing a ballad for her. As images of her filled my mind, my fingers glide over the keys building my masterpiece. By the time that Emmett interrupted me to leave for school I had composed a score that I believed would really take her breath away. My first plan of attack was the find a way to convince her to let me play it for her. But first, I had to do some major damage control considering our first couple of interactions really didn't go well.

I found a way to interject myself into her path between every class, if not to speak with her at least to make her see me. Initially she brushed me off, but eventually as she saw that I wouldn't be dismissed she became irritated with me. Now this, I could work with, at least it was a reaction. But the time she took her seat beside me Biology she didn't need any provocation.

"What the hell do you want, Edward? Why are you following me around?"

I tried my best to look contrite, "I'm sorry Bella, I just- I wanted to apologize for the way that I acted before; on both occasions. It was uncalled for and I had no grounds to attack you the way I did. I'm so sorry." I saw her blanch as she didn't expect an apology.

She gulped and cleared her throat, "Well, thank you Edward that means a lot. You're right you didn't have any right to treat me the way you did, but I accept. I'm not much of a grudge keeper either." I shot her my glistening smile, the one that I knew made girls weak at the knees. She blushed and I couldn't take my eyes off of her, she was beautiful. She stared straight into my eyes and smiled back and I mentally commended her for her confidence. It wasn't often that a girl could look me in the eyes and keep her wits about her. I loved that she wasn't that weak minded. When the moment waned and she turned her attention toward picking the lint off her sleeve I spoke, not wanting the moment to end. "So, to formally introduce myself, I am Edward Cullen. I just moved her with my family."

A doubtful look glittered behind her eyes, "I know who you are Edward."

That idea made me smile, that she knew of me prior to meeting me. I chuckled, "So, what is it that you know?" At her answer I was the one who was dumbstruck.

"I know more about you than you think, you and your family are the cold ones."