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Disclaimer - This is based off of the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. She created the characters and the basic plot, and this is my spin on it. These are my words about her world. Stephenie Meyer has all of the rights to her characters and the parts that were taken from her plot.

Chapter Seven

Bella's heart pounded frantically in her chest as she pressed down harder on the gas pedal in her truck, wanting – needing it to go faster. She bounced violently in her seat as her tires hit pot hole after pot hole and every possible dip in the worn-down, neglected back roads between Fork and La Push. She was going at least twenty miles per hour over the speed limit and it the only light being shed for her came from the moon and her poorly-lit, barely functioning, dirty headlights and she knew she needed to slow down for her own safety because her seatbelt could only do so much to save her life, but the panic was seizing her chest and her mind was reeling.

She approached a stop sign quickly and slowed but did not entirely stop. Her father would have been furious if he knew of all the rules of the road she was breaking during this trip home. But she couldn't bring herself to care.

Every time she thought of the forest that surrounded her, her breathing quickened and her stomach squeezed together. The image of Jacob's body transforming right in front of her eyes into a giant beast – a wolf – flashed through her mind and she felt a sob wreck her body.

To say that was unexpected was an understatement.

And Bella did not do unexpected.

When Bella pulled into her driveway, all of the lights in the small white house were off except the one that illuminated the tiny front porch. Of course Charlie would have stayed late at the station on the one night Bella truly needed him – needed his presence, needed him to make her feel safe. She was terrified and wanted her father's comfort.

Bella sniffled, trying to keep herself together – at least until she got into the house. She was on the edge of a panic attack, and she needed to get herself to safety. She glanced around her, not really knowing exactly what she was looking for. A wolf? A human?

Would any of them have had the guts to follow her after she'd fled so quickly from the scene? Jacob hadn't been human . . . and she was sure she would have noticed a large russet wolf trailing her truck. Perhaps they'd all gotten the picture as she panicked and stumbled back in fear, eyes widening at the large animal that landed on four legs in front of her. Perhaps they knew she didn't want to see them.

When she was sure no one had followed her, she threw her truck door open, grabbed her purse, and ran straight for the front door. She quickly unlocked it, threw herself inside, and locked it behind her, pushing the deadbolt into place as quickly as possible.

Bella gasped for breath, holding her head in her hands as her mind went off on an alarmed tangent. Panic squeezed her chest as she sat in the middle of her bedroom floor, hyperventilating. Her head was spinning, her thoughts jumbling up together as she tried desperately to make sense of everything.

Werewolves. Pack mind. Vampires.

What she'd thought was just a normal bonfire being shared between neighbors was far more than that. It was a revelation. A new beginning.

Suddenly, everything was clear. All of her questions were answered. At least she finally knew how they all seemed to appear out of nowhere from inside the forest. And she knew they weren't a gang, but instead they were a pack.

But she didn't feel any better.

She sat there for at least ten minutes, hugging her legs tightly to her chest, trying to catch her breath and calm herself down. Her blurry vision slowly became clear and normal again. When she felt as though she could stand again, she slowly heaved herself up and went in search of some comfortable clothing. Mindlessly, she pulled a pair of mesh shorts out of her dresser and paired them with a hoodie she'd bought on her last vacation to Virginia Beach. She couldn't feel her body; the shock had turned her arms and legs numb. Once she was changed and comfortable, she went back to bed and picked up her phone, wanting to hear her mother's voice.

As she was dialing, the knock sounded at the door.

Immediately, the Bella's heart skipped a beat and then broke into a marathon speed. She sat on her bed, completely still, eyes widen and ears open, for two minutes. When the second knock echoed up the stairs and into her room, she bit her lip. The mattress creaked underneath her as she slowly stood and crept to the top of the stairs as silently as she could. Though, if it were a wolf, he would be able to hear her regardless.

If he were a wolf. Bella shook her head at how ridiculous that sounded – but it was true. She'd seen it. She'd thought it was all a joke – a fairytale, a laughable misdemeanor of the tribe's ancestors. How wrong she'd been.

Her mind flashed to the very recent scene.

"You don't believe us?" Jacob watched her carefully in disbelief. "You seriously think this is a joke?"

"Jake," Bella laughed. "Listen to yourself. Billy just told us a man and a woman who sucked all the blood out of a few tribe members smelled really bad, which in turn caused them to morph into giant wolves that can read each other's minds." She shook her head, giggling. "That's screwed up, even for you, Jake."

Kim wasn't taking it any better. She pinned Jared with a sour look. "This isn't funny, Jay. You told me this was a big deal – hearing the legends. You said it was an honor, but you're all making a huge joke out of it!" She smacked him on the shoulder.

He leaned back, stunned. "We are being serious!" he insisted, then looked over to Sam for back up.

But, naturally, Sam was staring at Bella. His arm was resting on the log behind her. He drew her into his warmth, trying to keep her from shivering as the wind blew a chilly gust over her face. He just watched her, scrutinizing her face.

She brushed her hair out of her face and looked to Seth. "C'mon, Seth. Tell them to be serious."

Seth opened his mouth to speak but was silenced by Harry's dark glare. He curled in on himself, his shoulders crunching together in a defensive gesture.

Sam cleared his throat. He drew his arm tighter around Bella, pressing his palm against the side of her leg. Bella shivered, but not because of the cold. He pulled her closer and tucked her shoulder under his arm. Bella snuggled closer, happy to be sharing his body heat. She tucked her hands between her knees to warm them, too. Sam pressed his lips to the top of her temple and looked at Jacob over her head. "If they don't believe the legends," he said, raising his eyebrows, "then we'll just have to prove it to them. Go ahead, Jacob. You have my permission."

Jacob met his gaze for a moment and nodded. He stood and pulled his shirt over his head, revealing his perfectly-toned chest. Quil whistled and cat-called – ever the comic relief.

He looked pointedly at Sam. "Do you want me to take my shorts off, too?"

Bella gasped. "Jacob! No way! Keep your clothes on!"

Sam growled above her. "Yes, Jacob, keep your pants on. I'm sure Seth has a pair you can borrow to wear home."

Jacob nodded and stepped back, into the open area of the yard. Bella sat up straighter, glaring at him. "Seriously, give it up! Jokes over and it wasn't funny."

Sam leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Just give him a minute. And stay right where you are."

Bella fought it all the way, arguing that they were being cruel to make a joke out of this time that was supposed to be important and special, but she couldn't deny it when Jacob's muscles began to quiver and his body transformed into a huge wolf with russet fur right before her eyes, leaving his shorts and boxers torn to shreds around it.

Bella held onto the railing as she descended slowly, deliberately. She stopped when she could peer down at the front door. Jacob's worried, anxious face was visible through the tiny window. When he saw her looking at him, he held his chin up and knocked once again. "Bella," he called, his voice muted by the door. "Open up! C'mon we have to talk about this." His face was barely illuminated by the dim, yellowish-white porch light.

She shook her head in denial.

"Bella!" he demanded again. "Let me in!"

Angry, fearful tears formed in her eyes and she didn't move.

"Bella!" It wasn't Jake's voice this time. The holler had come from Sam and Bella's body immediately responded. She perked up, eyes flying around as if he would suddenly appear next to her. It wouldn't surprise her at the moment if they could walk through walls or teleport themselves. Jacob stepped out of view, and then Sam was gazing in at her. His eyes were soft and gentle, as they always were, and he reached up to press his palm against the glass. "Bella," he said again, "please talk to me. The legends left a few things out – a few things that I need to tell you." He rattled the doorknob. "Please," he begged. "I promise you're alright. We won't hurt you – Bella, we would never hurt you. You are completely safe with us and you always will be."

Her feet moved without her brain actually giving them the instructions to do so. Before she knew it, her hand was reaching out and unlocking the deadbolt, twisting the doorknob, and opening the door that separated her from Sam.

He stared down at her, eyes wide and nervous, lips parted in a sigh. Jacob stood behind him, his hands stuffed in his pockets. She met his gaze and bit her lip anxiously. "Hey," she whispered. What else could she say? Try not to explode into a giant werewolf on my front porch. If you break anything, I don't know how I'd explain it to Charlie. And please refrain from eating me.

"Hey." Sam's voice could have been the rumble of thunder in a distance if Bella hadn't watched his lips form the word. "Can we come in? And explain?"

"Explain?" she gasped. Her hands wrapped around her midsection protectively. "How are you going to explain that you all turn into giant wolves and run around the forest fighting people that suck other people's blood?"

Sam shook his head. "Vampires aren't people. Not anymore, not after they've been turned."

Bella hiccupped and turned to look into the forest that surrounded her house. God, were there really vampires out there, lurking in the night, prowling for their next kill? How many times had she come close to death? Was any of this legit? "I-I . . . I don't understand."

"I know," Sam insisted. "Let me explain further."

She hesitated for a moment, eyes lingering on Jacob, before she finally gave in and opened the door wider in invitation. "Just be quiet," she stressed. "Charlie's asleep upstairs, and if you wake him, we'll all have a situation on our hands."

Relief flickered over both of their faces and they shuffled inside the tiny house

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Over the next two hours, Sam and Jacob worked together to provide Bella with a more stable piece-of-mind. They wouldn't hurt her. They didn't hurt people. They were protectors. It was genetic. Sam had phased first and therefore assumed the position of the Alpha male, but when Jacob turned twenty-one, he would take over as it was his birthright and his grandfather's legacy. They had to keep their existence a secret from the rest of the tribe – the rest of the world – because people would react exactly as Bella had – panic, flail, run, fear. But most would never give them the chance to explain like Bella had, and the wolves would end up dead or in a lab somewhere being tested and tortured. This rational explanation, this laid-back description, was something Bella's mind could process and accept. Hesitantly accept, she would admit, but still, she could comprehend.

But as soon as Bella thought she could breathe again, Sam threw her another curve ball. "There's one more thing, Bella," he murmured. They were sitting on the couch, fairly close, Bella sandwiched between Sam and Jacob. Their body heat was surrounding her, but after the night she'd had, she welcomed the warmth. Sam ducked his head closer to Bella's in an intimate gesture and allowed his thigh to brush against hers while Jacob sat back, not touching her at all. His arm was draped along the back of the couch, just over her shoulders, but there was no physical contact.

"What is it?" Bella asked quietly.

Sam looked up at Jacob and a silent communication passed between them. Jacob nodded, eyes hard, lips pressed together to form a line, and pressed his palms against his thighs as he heaved himself up from the plush couch cushions. He rested his hand on Bella's shoulder in a friendly gesture, grinning gently down at her, before he turned and walked calmly out of the room, towards the door.

Bella sat up straighter. "Wait," she called, confused. She didn't want Jacob to feel like he had to leave – even if she did want to be alone with Sam, to be wrapped in his arms . . . to finally feel safe after a night of fear and trembling . . . "Jacob! You don't have to go."

Jacob spun his head around to look at her but kept walking. "I'm not leaving," he promised her. "I'm just gonna chill on the porch for a few minutes, okay? I'm not going yet."

"Good," she breathed. "It's late. You shouldn't be driving. You two should spend the night here." It was almost two o'clock in the morning. Granted, they would need to be gone before seven thirty, when Charlie got up for work, but at least it would be daylight by then.

When he'd disappeared through the door, closing it gently behind him, Sam reached over to grasp Bella's hand. Bella felt her heart pick up speed and her eyes widened, though he wore a sincere expression on his face. He took a deep breath and looked down to their enjoined hands. His fingers folded over hers and he tightened his grip for moment before relaxing his wrist, almost as if he wanted to prevent her from pulling away but knew if she wanted to, he would have to let her. He kept his focus on rubbing his calloused thumb over her knuckles as he began, "There's another thing that I have to tell you about. It's a wolf thing."

"Okay," she urged when he took a long, pregnant pause.

He cleared his throat. "The legend says that each member of the pack serves his tribe in such an honorable, sacrificial way that they all deserve a reward," he continued. "But only those who truly accept their destiny – accept their wolf, I guess – can find it. Or, I guess I should say, find her."

Bella's eyebrows pulled together, but she kept silent.

"We call it imprinting." He squeezed her hand a little tighter. "When we find the gift from our ancestors, I mean. It's an imprint. She's an imprint." He shook his head and growled in a way that only reminded Bella how not-human he actually was. "I'm not explaining it right. Uh – the imprint is a girl. But she's not just a girl – she's the wolf's soulmate. His perfect fit. His other half. He imprints on her the moment he looks into her eyes for the very first time – something inside him just clicks, and suddenly . . . she's just . . . everything." He still wouldn't meet Bella's gaze, which was getting a little frustrating because she wanted more than anything to look into his eyes right in that moment. "I mean – she doesn't have to be – uh, his mate, I mean."

Bella thought it was absolutely adorable how nervous he was, but couldn't form the words to say it as his own swirled around in her head and she attempted to process what he was saying.

He lifted a shoulder to his ear. "If she doesn't want him – you know, like that . . . he can just be her friend. Or her guardian. Whatever she wants from him, he'll do that . . . be that. He's just happy to be a part of her life, to have met her, to . . . love her."

Bella gasped at the world love.

"Anyway – I guess what I'm trying to say is," he sighed, "you're my imprint, Bella. I imprinted on you. You're my soulmate – if you want to be. But I'll love you forever, no matter what you want from me. You're all I'll ever need or want for the rest of my life."

Bella couldn't speak.

Sam took her silence as a bad sign. "Or I could leave you alone," he choked. "It would hurt, but if that's what you want, I'd find a way to cope."

She shook her head vigorously, desperately trying to find her voice, trying to tell him she wanted him forever, but she still couldn't speak.

His eyebrows shot up. "You – you don't . . . want me?"

Bella shook her head harder. "No, I do!" she gasped. "I do!" Happiness and joy spread through her entire body like a wildfire.

His eyes widened in pleasurable shock but Bella didn't wait to see if he had anything else to say. She threw herself into his arms and tucked her face into the side of his neck. This Sam – the gentle Sam who caressed her face and gazed lovingly at her and treated her as if she were a queen – was actually hers. He wanted her – and she wanted him, and they could be together and he would never leave her and she didn't have to worry about her heart getting broken because she'd basically gotten it right on the first try!

Bella gasped for breath as she felt his hands slide up to rest on the small of her back, pulling her closer to his chest. His lips pressed against her temple. For a moment, everything felt perfect.

And then a thought crept into her mind. She pulled back a little but kept herself in the circle of his arms. "Is this why Harry was acting weird yesterday?" she asked carefully.

Sam's eyes darkened, but when Bella lifted her hand to rest it against his jaw, they brightened again. "For a long time, Harry thought Leah and I would be a good pair. He wanted us to be together."

A pang of jealousy shot through Bella. She rubbed her hand on his chest, feeling his strong heartbeat through the fabric of his shirt. "Well, you're not going to be, right?"

Sam shook his head. "No, we're not. Not now, not now that I've imprinted. And Harry isn't happy about that."

"That's why he doesn't like me," Bella whispered.

"He doesn't have anything against you, Bella," Sam said. "The imprint would have happened whether I'd been in love with Leah or not. It's just better that I wasn't – there's no relationship to break off. I would have wanted you the moment I saw you. The imprint is more than a magical spell cast over the wolf. You and I would have ended up together, even if I wasn't a werewolf. I would have loved you without the imprint. It's the idea of destiny." He looked away quickly, as if he were trying to hide the anger that flared up inside him at the conversation. "That infuriates Harry. He thinks that his being a leading member of the council makes Leah and me a perfect match. He thinks I should have imprinted on Leah instead of you, and is angry that I didn't. It's very complicated." He kissed her forehead. "But I don't want you to worry about him, or about Leah. I am yours, Bella. I belong to you, and nothing is going to change that."

Happy tears sprung to Bella's eyes as his words stirred emotions in her she hadn't felt before. She answered by leaning up to press her lips against his. His hands lifted to tangle in her hair and, after a few pecks, he deepened it by slipping his tongue inside her mouth to knot with hers. Bella sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer. He lifted her so he could lay her down on the couch and rested his body over hers, resting his hands on either side of her hips so he could hold his weight up and keep from crushing her. Every inch of their bodies was touching and Bella didn't have a moment to feel self-conscious. Bella's legs wrapped around his waist and she clung to him tightly. His touch made her feel beautiful, desirable. This was it – the connection she'd been searching for, the commitment she'd always wanted. It was perfect. They weren't urgent or violent – it was gentle and loving and sensual and sweet.

When he broke away from her mouth to trail open-mouthed kisses down her neck, she gasped for air and her mind cleared of the fog. She remembered Jacob, sitting alone outside in the dark, and instantly felt bad. She licked her swollen lips. "Sam," she gasped. "Jacob's out there. He's right outside."

"He's fine," he swore as he traveled lower and lower.

Just before he reached her breasts, Bella said, "Sam, stop," and instantly he froze. He lifted his head up to look at her face, eyes anxious.

"Did I hurt you?" he gulped.

"No, no," she assured him. "But Jacob's my best friend. It – it doesn't feel right to be doing this with him not forty feet away."

He watched her for a moment before straightening, pulling her up with him. He sat her down on his lap, her feet resting on the couch next to them. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him closer. His hands slid around to rest on her bottom and Bella adjusted her hair in hopes that it wouldn't look too messed up. "Jacob," he called when they were settled and had caught their breath, "you can come in now."

His voice didn't seem loud enough for Jacob to be able to hear, but in he came. Bella's heart practically stopped when she realized he'd probably been able to hear everything – even the panting, steamy make-out session.

But Jake plopped down on the couch next to them as if nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred, even though he probably knew exactly what words had been exchanged – and saliva. He rested his arms on the back of the couch. "Well, I'm not tired at all. Wanna watch a movie, since the mother hen here won't let us leave in the dark?" He leaned closer to Bella – but not too close, as Sam's eyes watched his every move – and whispered conspiratorially, "Even though, I will tell you, we have night-vision."

Bella laughed quietly. "Sure. Pick one. But you have to leave before Charlie wakes up."

"Don't worry," Sam said from above her head. "We'll be able to hear him before he opens his eyes." He rested his chin on the top of her head.

Bella sighed. It would take a while to get used to the animal instincts and the inhuman behavior, but having Sam in her life, holding her in his arms the way he was right then, wouldn't be a problem at all.

But now she would have to explain to Charlie why Sam would be hanging around a lot.


Oh, wow. 79 reviews! I am absolutely ecstatic with the response I've gotten out of this story. If we could get up to 100 reviews before Chapter Eight, that would seriously make my week.

I so greatly appreciate every single one of you out there, following along with me as I play with these characters. I have big ideas for the coming chapters and I cannot wait to share them with you.

Once again, anyone who wants to create a banner for Temptation's Reputation, please send me a PM.

As always, thank you for reading and -

See you in Chapter Eight.