My readers totally rock! THANK YOU so much for the great response that I received last chapter. This story will definitely NOT be canned, and it's all thanks to those of you that took the time to share some love. Without further ado, enjoy!

Chapter 7

The Uninvited

"Must be strangely exciting
To watch the stoic squirm
Must be somewhat heartening
To watch shepherd meet shepherd
But you you're not allowed
You're uninvited"

-Alanis Morissette

Edward found Jacob lying on the floor of some random house with his arm covering his eyes and a small pool of drying blood beside his head. The interior of the house was destroyed. Nearly all of the walls were cracked in some fashion, and the pictures and decorations that once made it cheery and bright were now nothing more than broken fragments strewn across the floor.

"What the fuck…" Embry said under his breath as he and Carlisle found their way past the splintered front door and into the ransacked living room. Edward glanced at them quickly before returning his eyes to Jacob, whom seemed rather content staying on the floor and ignoring everyone.

"You were right, Carlisle," Edward said softly. "He's imprinted on her."

Jacob internally cringed at Edward's announcement. Hearing it from another's mouth made the situation entirely too real. He, Jacob Black, true Alpha and Chief of the Quileute people, had imprinted on a two thousand year old, vampire-creating, blood drinking monster. Jacob wanted to curse fate, or destiny, or whatever the bitch was called that allowed this to happen; the bitch that tormented him across an entire country only to laugh in his face as he formed a permanent bond with an emerald eyed beast.

But fuck was Thera beautiful, and Jesus did it feel good to have her perfectly shaped body molded around his. Jacob's mind dove suddenly away from reality and deep into his memory of Thera. It was short—only a few seconds—but every aspect of the moment was easily recalled; her deep green eyes, and the way they pulled Jacob in; the feel of the connection as it solidified between them; the absurdly strong sense of completeness that instantly washed over him...

"The leech Queen?" Embry asked in disbelief, his words shattering Jacob's daydream. "Man, Jacob, that effing blows." Not a moment later a broken piece of picture frame connected harshly with Embry's head. Embry glanced quickly at Jacob before cowering away under the weight of his Alpha's glare. Jacob could think what he wanted of Thera—be worried and frightened by who she was—but no one else was allowed such opinions.

"Where is she now?" Carlisle interjected purposefully as he crouched beside Jacob and did a quick examination of his forehead. Besides the dried remnants of blood, there was now no sign of trauma at all.

"Not too far," Jacob replied softly as he pushed himself into a sitting position and rubbed his eyes. "The pull isn't unbearable yet."

Carlisle nodded, but his expression wasn't one of a man convinced, for only a moment later Jacob's eyes clenched tightly shut, and his hand reached immediately for his chest. Jacob's usually golden skin quickly paled to a sickly yellow, and his face looked so taught with concentration that Carlisle was amazed he had hadn't collapsed back onto the ground.

"She's so pissed," Jacob explained in a shallow, strained voice when his eyes finally fluttered open, "and scared. Fuck, I don't want her to be scared."

"Could you find her right now?" Edward asked with a look of concern.

"I don't think that would be a good idea for either of them," Carlisle observed as he rose to his feet. "Better to let Thera make the next move."

"You think she'll come back?" Jacob asked with a hint of hope. The idea of seeing her again suddenly made the entire ordeal better. He could take her pain away—her fear—and he could get rid of this god-awful pull in his stomach.

"You've created a connection with her that makes her incredibly vulnerable," Carlisle responded. "She'll want to break it."

"What do you mean 'break it'?" Jacob demanded as his face contorted into a look of horror. All of his previous feelings of happiness instantly vanished, and his entire body recoiled at the idea of being severed from her. Jesus, imprinting sucked.

"I mean," Carlisle said quietly, "that she will probably try to kill you."

"Of course," Jacob responded with a sarcastic scoff. Given his extensive history of epically failing at love, it only made sense that he would find the other half of his soul in a woman that wanted to kill him.

What was that bitch's name again? Oh, yeah. Fate.

BBBBBB

Jacob was completely on edge.

For two days Thera stalked him. Slow. Steady. Constant. She was a predator testing the limits of her pray, locating his weaknesses, and mapping out plans to escape his strengths. Jacob's only relief from the situation was the close proximity of his imprint's body. The pull in his chest always remained bearable, and at times, she became so close that it even hummed with happiness, but those occasions only pushed Jacob closer to the brink of completely losing himself. Was she going to attack? Was this the moment?

But nothing ever happened.

Instead the happiness would decrease and the uncomfortable pull would return—both signs that Thera had once again distanced herself. Carlisle presumed that these instances were tests. She was merely analyzing the strength of Jacob's connection, seeing when he could feel her presence, seeing how close she could get without being noticed. None of this mattered, of course, for Jacob could sense her no matter where she was.

After awhile it seemed that Thera reached this very conclusion on her own, for the tests completely stopped. Instead she maintained her distance no matter where Jacob went. She was always present, always watching, obviously waiting for a specific moment or oversight when it didn't matter if Jacob could feel her presence or not.

On the morning of their third day in Key West, Carlisle finally decided that it was time to make something happen. It was obvious that Thera was never going to attack as long as Jacob was in the company of two vampires and another shifter. So, after formulating a pitiful, haphazard plan, Jacob found himself very much alone. A part of him was relieved that finally something was going to change, but another part of him was scared shitless. Jacob knew that the imprint wouldn't allow him to fight back when she made her move; that very fact was what kept the others constantly by his side for so long. Jacob would be powerless against her, and he wasn't confident that anyone would reach him before she managed to snap his neck.

Attempting to keep his cool, Jacob followed the shady plan laid out by Carlisle and feigned confidence as he walked down the busy streets of downtown. He pretended to look into shops and take in the sights, the entire time Thera's eyes blazing into his back from some distant location. Carlisle's plan was completely formulated on the hope that she would attack—no matter the location—as soon as Jacob was far enough away from the others. The backdrop Carlisle picked was merely for safety purposes. Thera wouldn't rip off Jacob's head in the middle of a crowed street. Well, at least they hoped she wouldn't.

The moment finally happened towards the end of the day when Jacob had exhausted nearly every shop and was beginning to lose hope. He was tired and irritated and barely had time to register the warmth in his chest before his arm was once again twisted painfully behind his back and hot breath tickled his ear.

"I can't end this here," Thera whispered, "and neither can you, so shall we move?" Before Jacob could respond she pushed him forward until he was off the street and behind some random building.

Jacob's heart pounded with mixed emotions. There was fear, but he couldn't tell if it was his or hers. By how powerful it was, it probably belonged to them both. Apart from the fear was an overwhelming sensation of relief. His imprint was beside him, where she belonged, with her delicate fingers spreading warmth throughout his body wherever she touched. For a second Jacob could swear that Thera felt it too, for her breathing became shallow and her fingers tightened possessively around his wrist.

But the feeling must have passed quickly, for not a moment later her nails dug deeply into Jacob's skin as she tore the building's back door off its hinges and shoved him ruthlessly inside. Jacob's hands shot up just in time to keep his head from connecting with the concrete wall. He could feel Thera hovering behind him, waiting for him to attempt to phase or attack her. Instead of doing either, Jacob turned slowly around.

Her fist connected with his jaw instantly, and for a moment Jacob had a flashback of the time that Bella punched him. Bella's human bones were frail and brittle compared to Jacob's, their weakness shattering easily under the pressure of the blow. This time the situation ended very differently for Jacob. He heard the crack just as loudly as he felt it, and for a horribly painful moment Jacob felt the left side of his jaw unhinge.

Soon it became more uncomfortable than painful, but Jacob had little time to acknowledge either, for Thera kicked him so harshly in the gut that he collapsed to his knees. "Fuck, I want to kill you," Jacob gasped after a moment of attempting to recapture his breath. His jaw ached under the movement, but at this point Jacob could care less about the pain. All that mattered was making her feel some semblance of the torture he was going through.

"Then do it," Thera responded as she kicked Jacob callously in the face. The blow hurt, but it popped his jaw perfectly back into place. "Fight me," she screamed when Jacob still refused to counter any of her blows. She hadn't expected this; hadn't expected him to bow before her and refuse a fight. Killing him was far harder this way. It just didn't seem right.

"You're stronger than this," Thera taunted after a moment filled with nothing but the sound of Jacob's ragged breaths.

Jacob huffed in response and rolled carefully onto his back. On the bright side he was still alive, but on the down side his face felt totally busted, and he had no clue where the hell his rescue party was. Complicating the situation even further, Jacob's body was burning with conflicting emotions. The wolf inside was quiet, the power of the imprint keeping it completely under control, but his human side wanted to punch the ever living shit out of her. He didn't care if Thera was his soul mate; she was totally kicking his ass.

"Fine," Thera finally seethed as she grasped hold of the end of a shovel. "Huh" Jacob thought as he finally glanced around the small building. It seemed to be some sort of shed, for there were all kinds of old tools stacked precariously around it. Death by tools sounded pretty pitiful, especially for a shifter.

After a moment Jacob returned his eyes to the girl above him, and even on the brink of death, his heart couldn't help but swell at the sight of her. Thera was petite, her body more toned than curvy, but every inch of her was covered in smooth, tanned skin, and her shoulder length dark hair was wild after the few minutes she spent trying to entice Jacob to fight. Nearly every aspect of her was animalistic in some fashion, and for the first time Jacob realized just how far removed she was from a vampire. They were cold and calculated, while she—like Jacob—was running purely on instinct. She was simply doing what she could to survive.

"Stop looking at me like that," Thera said through clenched teeth as she aligned her shovel blade with Jacob's throat. His gaze was unnerving.

"I'll kill you," Thera continued when Jacob still refused to move. His eyes were deep, and pleading, and for a moment she faltered. A moment? Who was she kidding? This shifter had forced her to falter days ago. But it was stronger now. Something deep within her chest vibrated with happiness as his gaze met hers. A whisper of a promise flashed before her. It spoke of love, devotion, and safety.

It spoke of lies.

Thera had fought these same lies for days, the false sense of something wonderful that came as an aftershock to the bond that the shifter had created. The sensation was hidden under her anger and fear, but there were moments when the bond managed to grasp hold of her long enough to gain some control. But she couldn't let that happen now. Not when she was so close to ending it. Not when she was only a second away from being free.

Jacob could feel the change in her demeanor as easily as he saw it, and for a moment his heart skipped within his chest. He was going to die, and his imprint was going to be the one to kill him.

But the blow never came, for as soon as Thera's arms pulled back in preparation for the kill, Edward and Carlisle grasped her tightly from behind and slammed her body to the ground. She screamed. It was ear piercing and filled with so much fear and anger that Jacob leapt instantly to his feet and forced the wolf inside him to calm.

"Don't hurt her," Jacob shouted as he watched his imprint thrashing around wildly. Thera looked more like an animal now than ever before, her fangs out and her eyes so dark that they barely had any color.

"Thera," Carlisle said softly as he pressed his knee harshly into her chest. For a moment Jacob wanted to hill him.

"How dare you call me that," she seethed through gritted teeth. "You have no right to call me that."

"We aren't here to harm you," Carlisle continued as if he hadn't heard her. "We need your help."

Carlisle's words obviously didn't sit well with Thera, for her struggles intensified until it was nearly impossible to hold her down. Embry tried to offer some assistance, but Jacob's arm shoved him instantly away. "Don't hurt her," Jacob repeated with a hint of alpha authority after Edward pushed Thera so harshly into the ground that her head ricocheted off the floor.

One accident he could live with, but when it happened again the wolf inside became so angry that Jacob ripped Edward quickly from Thera's side. "I said not to hurt her." His voice shook with the timber of the alpha, and for a moment everyone in the small building seemed to stop. Ignoring the wide-eyed stares, Jacob pulled Carlisle from Thera and lifted her easily from the ground. She struggled against him, but her movements lacked their original vigor.

Slowly Thera quieted until the only sound was her ragged breaths as she turned in Jacob's arms and clung desperately to his chest. Warmth and calm and safety washed over her as Jacob's arms wrapped tightly around her waist and pulled her body flush against his. For the first time in days they both breathed a deep sigh of total relief.

But, as Jacob found they never did, the moment didn't last. Seeming to once again gain control of the connection, Thera pushed purposefully against Jacob's chest. He let her go promptly, his arms falling heavily to his sides as Thera backed quickly away from the group. She soon realized that she was trapped, and as any frightened animal would, began to panic.

"No one is going to hurt you," Jacob said softly as Thera began to pace. She hissed in response and stepped further into the corner. "Look," he continued, "we'll leave."

Jacob went to move away when Edward stopped him. "Don't forget why we came here," he whispered through clenched teeth. "This is our only chance."

"Back off," Jacob responded with near as much vehemence.

"Did Aro send you?"

Everyone stopped at the sound of Thera's voice. Despite the look in her eyes and the slight tremble in her fingers, her voice was even and strong and lacked any hint of fear. "No," Carlisle responded as he went to move towards her. Jacob's hand immediately flew to Carlisle's chest. With a nod of understanding, Carlisle took a quick step back before continuing. "But he is part of the reason we're here."

"I don't understand," Thera replied. The quiver was nearly gone from her fingers and her fangs were once again hidden behind the rest of her teeth. Jacob could feel that much of the fear was still there, but she was managing to control it. He smirked at the realization. His imprint was a little hard-ass.

"Aro took something from us," Carlisle explained.

Thera scoffed in response. "He takes things from everyone. I don't see how it has anything to do with me." Carlisle bit his lower lip in concentration as he attempted to formulate his next set of words. Thera was speaking, and he didn't want to say or do anything that would offend her or take away their chances of convincing her to help, but before any words could leave his lips, Thera spoke again. "I'll give you a moment of my time," she said calmly, "but I want answers first."

"Of course," Edward said quickly. He would give Thera anything if it meant getting Renesmee back.

Thera glanced at him briefly before returning her eyes to Carlisle. "How did you find me, and how does this shifter have powers?"

"The answers to those questions only Jacob can provide," Carlisle replied as he gestured to the shifter beside him. Thera turned her gaze to the cause of all of her troubles, and for a moment all she could focus on was the feel of his name as it ran circles around her head. Jacob she almost whispered, but her senses regrouped before the word could flutter passed her lips.

"I'm waiting," Thera finally managed to say.

Jacob glanced around awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck. Telling his soul mate that she was his soul mate wasn't exactly something he wanted to do alone, not to mention surrounded by a group of guys, especially when said soul mate happened to be ancient, angry, and completely capable of kicking his ass. "Can a—" Jacob started before clearing his throat, "can we discuss this at a later date, and alone, preferably."

"No," Thera replied with a stony expression.

Jacob responded with a glare. He would damn well tell her when he pleased. Just because she was old and cranky didn't give her the right to make demands. Imprinting was a personal, touchy subject, and discussing it in front of other people simply wasn't going to happen. "No?" he questioned after a long moment.

"I want to know now," Thera explained.

"Well too bad," Jacob shot back causing both Carlisle and Edward to clench their fists in an attempt to keep from whacking Jacob over the head. Embry, of course, understood. Imprinting was sacred. That moment of realization between Thera and Jacob was no one else's business.

Sadly, Thera's response was closer to the vampires' than it was to Embry's, for her face immediately tightened. Jacob could feel the fear creeping back into her as she stared at him with cold eyes. She thought they were lying. Their last few minutes of progress were now completely washed away due to Jacob's ridiculous pride and runaway mouth. Thera's demeanor had once again shifted to that of an animal one edge. Her eyes were shifty and her back taught with concentration. She was trying to figure out how to escape.

"How about a compromise?" Carlisle suggested. Thera refused to respond, but she looked at Carlisle with interest. "Let's move to a more public location. A bar perhaps? Where we can explain everything to you in detail."

Thera's eyes shifted quickly between the group before she relaxed slightly. "Fine," she replied. What choice did she really have? She was outnumbered and trapped, but if she could just get out of the corner of this stupid shed…

"Jacob," Carlisle said as he gestured towards Thera, "do you mind."

Thera immediately glared and took a step back. Well there went that idea. "I can escort myself," she remarked with a look of loathing shot directly at Jacob.

Carlisle didn't seem to believe her, for he once again signaled to Jacob. With a sigh Jacob walked purposefully towards Thera. She responded by taking several steps back until she was nearly pinned in the corner of the shed. "Don't make this difficult," Jacob pleaded when Thera slapped his hand quickly away.

"Then don't touch me," she responded with a huff.

After dramatically rolling his eyes Jacob crouched low as if he was going to pounce. Thera regarded him with a look of distrust, her back pressing even harder into the concrete wall behind her. Suddenly Jacob's hand shot forward, but she blocked it easily and attempted to kick him in the chest. He moved before she could and chanced another grab, this time succeeding. Thera kicked and screamed and clawed, but Jacob only pulled her body closer to his and wrapped his arms tightly around her. "Stop moving," he gasped when she managed to sock him directly in the gut.

"Let. Go. Of. Me." Thera extenuated each word with another kick or punch, and for a brief moment Jacob thought that he wasn't going to be able to hold her much longer, but with great care and a ridiculous amount of strength, Jacob twisted Thera's body around until her legs and arms were facing away from his body and no longer a threat.

"Ha!" he shouted triumphantly.

"I'm going to kill you," Thera exclaimed as she attempted to kick Jacob in the shins.

"You already tried that, remember?" Jacob replied with a cocky smile. Thera growled in response and increased her struggles ten fold.

"Taunting her probably isn't the smartest idea, Jacob," Edward reprimanded.

"Thera," Jacob whispered after sending Edward a glare, "please relax. We aren't going to hurt you."

"Liar," she hissed.

"Just listen to me," Jacob continued. "You want to know why I didn't fight back earlier?"

That seemed to grab Thera's attention, for her body quieted to only a few occasional twists and kicks. Taking her dwindling movement as a sign to continue, Jacob buried his face deep into Thera's wild hair and whispered into her ear. "I can't hurt you," he explained. "I know you can feel it. Don't fight it. Please don't fight."

Feeling Jacob's moist breath on her skin caused Thera's heart to beat madly in her chest. Her body weakened voluntarily, and her efforts to escape completely stopped. Jacob's arms were no longer tight chains holding her in, but a comfortable encasing of protection and warmth. His smell was comforting, a perfect blend of the ocean and forest and brimming with such masculinity that Thera swore it was created just for her. She found her head wanting to twist closer to his, to breath in the sweetness of his breath…

Ignore it! a small voice screamed in the back of her mind. These feelings weren't real—weren't hers—they were lies created by Jacob to control her actions and make her weak. Thera was unhindered only days ago; free of any bindings and nearly impossible to find. Now she felt caged and claustrophobic, her breath fighting to get past her lips.

Suddenly Thera's efforts returned in full force. She wiggled easily out of Jacob's arms and stepped quickly away from his intoxicating affection. Jacob sighed at the realization that his war with Thera was only beginning. If Carlisle even managed to convince her to return to Forks, it was clear that she had little to no interest in ever giving in to him.

"I'll go wherever you want," Thera said to Carlisle once her breathing had returned to normal and her stony expression was fully in place. "But I want this bond broken first."

Fuck you, fate. Fuck. You.

I feel like I struggled at times to really get Thera and Jacob's emotions across correctly in parts of this chapter. Both of them are so epically confused. So, please let me know what you think: if I got it right or if it still needs some work. Thanks! :)