Hey, guys! Sorry for the delay in updating, but I was on vacation. Expect regular updates now!
Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.
JACOBS POV
Damn. Where was my key?
I had gone back to the office after my little excursion through the woods to put on some clothes – even I would have been cold running around Alaska buck-ass naked in the dead of winter – and pick up my truck. I debated whether or not to drive over to Bella's place. Chances were pretty good that she was in bed. But I really wanted to talk to her about the vampire situation. So I decided on a drive-by. If her lights were on, I'd stop. If not, I'd keep going. Simple as that.
Her lights were on.
I had to admit, I was surprised. She'd looked pretty tired at work that afternoon. I got the feeling that something was bothering her. But she wouldn't tell be about it until she was ready; that's just how Bella was. She liked to try to work things out for herself if possible. It made her strong, which was one of the things that I loved about her.
I just hoped it wasn't something to do with god-damned-fucking Edward Cullen. He'd taken enough from her.
Though Bella's lights were on, it was possible that she was upstairs, and I didn't want to interrupt whatever she might be doing. So here I was, on the stoop in the dark, trying to pick her key out from the ten or so that hung on my ring.
The breeze kicked up, whirling loose snow around me and I caught a scent that bit sharply. Vampire. It burned my nostrils like fire. I looked around quickly, checking all directions – even the roof – but saw nothing. But I knew one of them was – or had been recently – nearby. Were they watching Bella?
My first thought was a protective one; they wouldn't get to Bella without going through me. My second thought was one fueled by anger; why couldn't they just leave her alone? It had been a long recovery for her, getting over Edward Cullen and his family. Sometimes I wasn't completely convinced that she was over him. There were times that I'd look at her and she'd have a strange, blank sort of look in her eyes, and I'd wonder if she was thinking about him.
But this time, I was ready for a fight.
I finally found the right key and shoved it in the lock, swinging the door open. The vampire scent did not lessen. It was almost as if it had been in Bella's house.
"Bella!" I called out, heading down the hallway. I could see firelight spilling into the hall from the living room and figured that was where she was. The scent grew stronger the closer I got.
"Bella!" I called again, worried now. I all but burst into the living room.
Bella was standing in front of the fireplace, a slightly worried, slightly annoyed look on her face.
"Where is he?" I immediately demanded, my gaze swinging around the room.
"Where is who?" she asked me.
I growled. "The vampire."
BELLAS POV
I hated it when they disappeared like that. There one second, gone the next. Edward used to do that to me all of the time. It was infuriating. I didn't even have a clue where Jasper had gone. It was the dead of winter in Alaska – it wasn't like he could just hop out the nearest open window.
But just then, I had more immediate concerns than Jasper's whereabouts. I had heard Jacob call my name again, and I knew that tone of voice. He wasn't happy. When he came into the room and I was his face, I knew I was right.
What was I going to tell him?
"Where is he?" Jacob's voice was hard, with an edge to it. There was no doubt in my mind that he had found out about Jasper. But before I volunteered information, I would find out exactly what he knew.
"Where is who?" I asked in a way that I desperately hoped sounded innocent.
But I don't think Jake bought it because he growled low in his throat and said, "The vampire."
I sighed. Well, here we go.
"I can smell vampire, Bella. The house reeks of it. If I didn't know better, I'd say there was one here now," he said, looking suspiciously around the room.
He was being really vague, and not using any names specifically. Did that mean that he didn't know? I decided to try to avoid the huge fight that I knew was inevitable but I didn't really feel like having then.
"To tell you the truth, Jake, there was a vampire here," I said with a sigh. I felt unbelievably guilty for what I was about to do. I never lied to Jacob. Ever. But until I figured out how to handle the situation with Jasper, I thought it the best course of action.
"What?"
I had expected exploding expletives but what I got was quiet disbelief. It threw me off. Jacob's black eyes glittered with what I knew was anger.
"Tanya was here. Just. Not ten minutes ago." Oh, God, I was going to pay for this eventually.
"Tanya?
Why?"
"She wanted to let me know that she and her family had
a visitor that had been hunting pretty close to the office compound,
but she warned him about me – to stay away, I mean." The words
tasted like bitter chalk in my mouth.
"Why would she care?" Jacob's eyes had narrowed, and I could tell he was looking for anything out of line in Tanya's visit.
I shrugged casually. "I really don't know. Maybe for old time's sake."
Jacob bared his teeth at that, releasing another growl. "They need to let it go."
"So do you," I said gently. "I have."
Jake's eyes were instantly serious, his voice doubtful. "Have you? Really?"
"Of course I have, Jake. You know I have. How could you think otherwise?" I stepped toward him, took his hand. "The Cullens are nothing to me now."
JASPERS POV
Several things had happened in the last few minutes that had my head whirling in an attempt to process.
First, the wolf's sense of smell was much stronger than I had originally guessed. It made my position in the farthest, deepest corner of the room rather precarious. I had an escape plan if I needed it, but I'd just as soon have fought my way out if it came to that.
Second, Bella had lied – just flat out lied to the wolf's face – about me. Why would she do that? She hated me. Why in God's name would she protect me? She must have a damn good reason, because I was sure that the wolf would be royally pissed when he found out. That thought made me smile.
And third, I couldn't understand why Bella's last statement to the wolf about us Cullens meaning nothing to her made me so angry. Half of me thought that it meant the wolf had won. He and his wolf brethren never liked it that she was with Edward, with us. And now she was with him. The other half of me grudgingly admitted that it was because I didn't like the idea of someone being able to turn so completely away from my family.
On top of that, her actions and her words seemed to be in complete contradiction. She claimed that we Cullens meant nothing to her, yet she hid my presence. She was contrary, to be sure.
I turned my attention back to the conversation to try to learn more, glean some answers.
JACOBS POV
Something wasn't right. I had known Bella long enough to knew that she was hiding something from me. Something big. I didn't know what it was, but it bothered me. She knew that she could tell me anything, that I would support her in anything. I knew without a doubt that she was lying about something. My gut told me that it had to do with the Cullens. She got all weird and twitchy every time I mentioned them.
It pissed me off that the damned vampires had invaded our lives. Again. I had hated it when they were around the first time; it tore me up inside every minute that she was with them. I thought I was finally rid of them. And here they were again, filling Bella's mind, confusing her thoughts. Damn them.
"I found them," I said, deciding that it wouldn't do any good to ask her what was going on. She wouldn't tell me anyway. So I just got down to business.
"You did?" She looked surprised, but not upset. "Where?"
Tired, I stepped over to the couch and all but collapsed onto it. "Near the foot of the mountains. They have a big house there, chalet style with big windows."
She sat down across from me in a deep leather chair and asked, "Did you actually see them?"
I didn't like the light I saw in her eyes. "Yeah, I saw them."
"And?"
I didn't want to tell her what I had seen anymore. It was OK when I thought she didn't care, but she was showing too much interest now. But I never kept anything from her, so I decided to tell her the truth.
"The sisters were all there, as well as the Spanish ones. And there was another." I watched her through narrowed eyes. Did she just flinch?
"Another?"
"Yes," I said with a nod. "He must be the visitor that you said Tanya spoke of."
"What did he look like?"
I nearly growled at her question. I know she must have been aware of my agitation, because she defended her question. "Tanya didn't tell me anything about him, and I feel like I should be prepared."
I made sense. Didn't it? I scrubbed my hands over my face. The vile vampire scent in the room was blurring my focus. It seemed to me like the scent should be dissipating by now. I tried to focus on Bella. She looked as tired as I felt.
"I didn't get a look at his face," I told her. "He had his back to me. But he was tall and blonde. Looked to be in pretty good shape."
She looked thoughtful. "Doesn't sound like anyone I know."
BELLAS POV
I couldn't believe the incredible stroke of luck; Jake had found the vampires, seen Jasper, and still had no idea that there was a Cullen in Denali. I was safe from his wrath. At least for the moment.
I hated lying to him. Of all the people in my life, I trusted Jacob implicitly. He was the one person who I had no questions about regarding his thoughts, his feelings, his allegiances. And right now I felt like I was taking advantage of him.
And for what? To protect a vampire who had once tried to kill me? One that represented nothing but painful memories of a torturous time in my past? What was wrong with me?
I looked over at Jacob, sprawled on the couch. Whereas Jasper had made himself comfortable in my living room, Jacob filled it. His body, his presence was so immense it was impossible not to feel surrounded by him.
Yet all I could think about was the cool sensation of Jasper's hand against mine, of the pressure of his lips on my skin. For a moment, I had been lost, unable to focus, unable to think of anything except the gorgeous blonde vampire that I hated so much.
JASPERS POV
The wolf could smell me – I knew it. But he seemed to buy Bella's story about Tanya's visit. Stupid dog.
It concerned me that he had found the Denali clan's home. Somehow we would have to make it safe from him. Although, it didn't seem that he had any immediate offensive plans concerning my new family. And as he had made no mention of it, I assumed he had not discovered my cabin.
What startled me the most was learning that he had been outside the chalet watching us and I never even knew he was there. I was going to have to be more careful. If the wolf knew that I, a Cullen, was here, he would not be so content to wait and watch. But it seemed that, whatever her reasons, Bella didn't want him to know of my presence here any more than I did. So I would let her cover for me for now. I guess that, in a way, that made us partners of sorts. Even if we couldn't stand each other.
It seemed to me that the two of them had discussed as much about us vampires as they were going to, so I decided it was time for me to go. I skirted the room, choosing a path that took me behind the wolf, keeping to the deep shadows. The last thing I heard before slipping soundlessly out the front door turned my stomach and made me so angry that I tasted venom. The wolf said to Bella, "I think I'll just stay with you tonight."
