Disclaimer: All characters belong to Ms Stephanie Meyer.

A/N: A huge heartfelt thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read, review, follow and favourite. You guys are my inspiration.

Chapter Eight.

As soon as Sam Uley heard the warning howl, he was outside and phased within seconds. Quickly assessing the situation, he ordered Collin and Brady to keep watch over Emily, and the Clearwater house.

As soon as the warning howl sounded, Jacob jumped with a start and was out of the house in mere moments, with the other three on his heels.

As soon as Charlie Swan heard the howl, which was eerily close to Sue's house, coupled with Jacob's sudden and swift movements he was automatically reaching for his holster.

"What the hell is going on Billy?"

"Calm down you old fool, nothing is going on, your imagination is running riot. Have a beer and sit down!"

Billy was finding it increasingly more difficult to divert Charlie's attention these days. Thankfully Sue came to the rescue, distracting Charlie by asking him to relay some old stories about Harry.

Charlie threw Billy a dirty look. "Billy Black, I am not the Chief of Police for nothing. I know when you are hiding something from me."

Billy looked helplessly at Sue. Between the two men, they began to regale Sue with stories of their former friend.

As soon as Paul Lahote heard the warning howl he thought to himself, "I'm fucked".

As soon as Bella Swan heard the warning howl she panicked, because she knew exactly what this meant.

Jacob was going to find out that she was in Forks. The question Bella asked herself was 'would he come'.

As soon as Jacob phased, he was hit with the vision of Bella through Paul's eyes.

He stopped running mid stride.

She was here.

'Mine. Go. Now. BELLA' his wolf was screaming at him.

Jacob took off running towards the Swan house, all the while reliving the past ten minutes through Paul's eyes.

When Jacob saw how Paul had treated Bella, not to mention two of the fucking Cullens were with her, and how Paul had almost lost control too close to her he lost every ounce of his human self to his wolf.

His wolf was salivating, trying to get to Paul. He would kill Paul for this. It did not occur to Jacob or his wolf that Paul had merely been protecting him from the one person in the world who had the capacity to break him completely.

He HAD to get to Bella. Through Paul's eyes, she was even more beautiful than he remembered. She was alive, she was beautiful, she was MINE! The wolf howled through him.

Sam, who was only minutes in front of Jacob, sensed more than saw what would happen when Jacob caught Paul. He would kill him. Looking out for his pack was Sam's first and foremost duty, and keeping this is mind he issued an Alpha order.

"Jacob. You WILL stay in La Push. Jacob. You WILL NOT go near the Swan house."

With this, Sam continued to run flat out towards Forks, to sort out this latest catastrophe.

Jacob caught up with him in seconds.

"JACOB. STOP. TURN BACK. YOU WILL NOT GO ANY FURTHER".

Jacob Black's enormous russet wolf, spun round on Sam's equally huge black form and growled out, "I AM GOING TO FORKS SAM. DO NOT TRY TO STOP ME."

Sam had felt it increasingly more difficult over the past few months to Alpha command Jacob, but right now, he had just overturned the command. Sam knew it was time.

"JACOB. STOP."

"NO." Jacob stalked closer to Sam, both wolves mere inches from each other, and Sam instantly felt the power radiating from Jacob's form.

"I AM THE DIRECT DECENDANT OF EPHRIAM BLACK. I DO NOT FOLLOW JOSHUA ULEY'S SON."

Jacob grew taller in front of the black wolf, and the shift in power was felt throughout the pack.

"I WILL NOT FIGHT YOU FOR ALPHA POSITION SAM."

Jacob Black had taken his rightful place as Alpha of the Quiluete Wolf Pack.

"I do not wish to fight you Jacob. The position always has been rightfully yours. I relinquish control to you Jacob Black".

Instinctively, all wolves stopped where they were, and bowed their heads in submission to their new and mighty leader.

With renewed power surging through his veins, Jacob turned, and resumed his sprint to Forks.

Paul Lahote was done for. Especially now. Goddamn fucking leech lover. It was her fault. He let out an almighty roar, aimed directly at Bella.

Through the pack mind Jacob saw everything.

Everything Paul had done.

Everything Paul had said.

Every reaction Bella was having.

Before Paul could go any further in his furious state, he was suddenly rooted to the spot. "PAUL. STOP. STAND DOWN. NOW!"

Paul could not move even if he wanted to, give or take an inch. His massive paws were stuck to the mossy ground, and his legs locked in place.

Bella had enough of this.

She was not backing down from Paul Lahote.

Bella Swan was her own person, and she no longer hid behind others.

When Paul's massive silver wolf had landed at her feet, Rose had been in front of her in a flash, pulling Bella behind her back.

It was from this position that Bella pushed her way around Rose.

Paul had moved several feet away from Bella when he had risen to his feet, so Bella, pulling herself up to her full five foot four inches threw her shoulders back and marched towards the silver beast.

"Bella NO!" shrieked Rose.

Bella turned to her new friend, and her expression softened slightly.

"He won't hurt me Rose, he hates me sure, but he won't hurt me. If he does, then I would rather die at the hands of the wolf pack than a coven of vampires".

Stunning everyone with this revelation, Bella continued towards Paul.

Pointing her small finger at him, whilst her other hand was balled into a tight fist by her side, Bella stood in front of Paul.

"Paul Lahote. You hate me, I get it. But you do not tell me where I can and can't go. If I want to come visit my dad, then I will. Your opinion doesn't matter to me. I didn't come here to hurt Jacob. I know he hates me, and I also know that I deserve his hatred and much more. I know because of this, the pack hates me. I made a mistake, and I will continue to pay for that mistake for the rest of my life. I have not tried to visit the reservation, and I won't. I know I'm not welcome there. Rosalie and Emmett are only here to protect me. Not from you, but from something they won't share with me. I am not going to question them, because I know they won't hurt me. I know you are only protecting Jacob from me, and I admire your loyalty. I won't hurt him Paul, never again. Now, get your furry ass out of here. Go."

Even if he wanted to, Paul was stuck fast. The Alpha order weighed him down like a massive anchor shores a ship. He had to admit though, the leech lover had balls. Not many people would dare to get in his face, even when in his human form.

Paul did not have any more time to ponder this, as his new Alpha came tearing towards him at an incredible speed, and hit him full strength on his side. Paul could feel a few of his bones crack. In pain, he crumbled to the ground, whilst the huge russet wolf stalked towards him.

Paul knew he was done for. Turning his massive silver head, he bared his neck in submission to the Alpha.

Bella, thinking that Jacob was going to kill Paul, ran as fast as her short legs could carry her. Throwing herself into Jake, she tried with all of her strength to tug his massive head. "Jacob stop! Please, no more. Don't hurt him Jacob. Paul was protecting you from me. Please stop". Bella begged of Jacob, all the while tugging at his fur.

His wolf's vision was red, and he was going to KILL Paul Lahote. The only thing which brought him back from the brink of insanity were the small hands on his neck, pulling him back to reality.

Jacob could barely feel her tugs any more than a light touch.

His wolf however, was caught between ripping Paul's throat out, and leaning into Bella's touch.

Jacob for the minute knew he had to deal with Paul, before he could allow himself and his wolf the luxury of facing Bella.

He looked into Paul's eyes, "Lahote. You have over stepped the line AGAIN. This time though, I'm your Alpha. Get this straight. You do not approach Bella. You do not speak to Bella. You do not THINK of Bella. If I ever catch you NEAR Bella ever again, I will rip your throat out. Get out of here NOW, I will deal with you later. You WILL GO and patrol the outer perimeter with Doctor Drac, and you WILL NOT show him any animosity. GO!".

Paul stiffly rose to his feet, and slowly, keeping his head down, unwilling to meet anyone's eyes, he limped into the trees.

Bella exhaled a breath she wasn't aware she was holding, and her whole body seemed to sag in on itself.

Rosalie approached her and gently said "Bella. That was a foolish thing to do. Facing a volatile wolf is not a good idea. Emmett and I are going to give you two some privacy. Call me when the dog leaves."

"Rose, like I told you before, I would rather take my chances with Paul, than a vampire."

Although Bella's voice was no more than a muted whisper as her face was still buried in Jacob's luxurious pelt, she knew that her friend would hear her.

Emmett and Rosalie tore off into the trees in a blur of white.

At the moment, Jacob was drowning in mixed overwhelming emotions. The Alpha power which was running through his veins was absolute, and he had to face the pack, find out if he was to be a lone wolf, or if the others would follow him.

The wolf within him was chanting relentlessly, 'Mine. Protect. Mine. Claim. Mine. Claim. Mine. Mark.

The human inside of him wanted nothing but to collapse into Bella's arms.

First though, he had to phase back. Nudging Bella with his massive head, he gently pushed her away, and without looking at her, he made his way into the woods.

Bella, misunderstood. She thought he was leaving her, and she wrapped her arms around her middle, hanging her head, and sank to her knees with heart wrenching sobs.

Jacob, now human, emerged from the tree line.

He wasn't aware of the tears which were running down his own face. He was only aware of Bella on the ground crying. The sight of her petite frame shaking with sobs was tugging at his own heart.

Bella felt a warm hand on her chin, and instinctively she nuzzled into it.

Jacob slowly and gently used his fingertips to raise her head, and with his other hand swept her hair back from her face.

Bella took in the man before her like a woman starved. From his jean covered thighs, over unchartered territory, over the mountains of abdominal muscles, which were gleaming with sweat, making his beautiful russet skin shine, over those strong weight bearing shoulders, over those beautiful rosy red plump lips, over his strong proud nose, and finally his eyes.

His eyes.

Her eyes.

Immediately, although an electric current had traversed through Jacob's body, through his fingertips, it travelled into Bella's body, and it changed her irrevocably.

The force of the unexpected imprint knocked Jacob onto his knees from his crouched position, and he gripped Bella's hand to keep his balance.

They looked at each other as though they had never seen one another before.

And yet.

All their memories seemed to pass between them. Being toddlers playing in the mud. Shared picnics and fishing trips with their fathers. Faster, the memories came, tumbling over one another. Motorbikes. The garage. Warm sodas. The kiss.

The power surrounding them both gathered speed, and at its pinnacle the connection they both felt was complete.

Nothing in the world mattered to either one of them but each other.

All they could see was each other.

"Jacob" she gasped out, lurching forward into his arms.

Full of overwhelming emotion, Jacob didn't have any words. He couldn't speak. Here in his arms, finally, was the girl he had loved since he could remember, and now the spirits had confirmed it.

Bella was wrapped around him, and could not get close enough. His smell was comforting. His arms were all she would ever need. His love was all she would ever want.

Pulling back slightly so she could see his face, Bella used her fingers to wipe away his tears. Running her fingers over his face, touch just was not enough. She ran her thumbs over his strong jaw, his eyebrows, she swept his messy hair back from his forehead, and slowly leaned forward.

Bella did what she should have done a long time ago.

She touched her lips to his.

The feeling which her lips invoked within him was nothing short of ecstasy. She was his drug, and he was an addict.

The kisses were feather light, and spoke a thousand words.

Bella reluctantly drew back.

"Jake. I'm sorry. If I live to be one hundred years old and I say it every day, it still won't be enough. I love you Jacob Black. I have always loved you. You are the sun which lights my life. Your smile is the one I want to see every day until I die. Your arms are the ones I want to feel every day. I love you. Jacob. Will you have me in your life?"

Jacob could not find the words. He was on an emotional high. So he simply nodded and pulled her back into his arms.

Jacob and Bella, encased in each others embrace were unaware of the vampire in the nearby trees who had chosen his perch carefully to ensure he was downwind.

He had witnessed everything.

Sam, still retaining some authority over the wolves, had assembled the pack, minus Paul, in a clearing. All of the wolves knew of the Alpha status, and they were edgy, uneasy, and unsure what was expected of them now.

"Until Jacob phases back in, we resume duties as before."

The questions were coming thick and fast, and Sam deflected them as best he could.

"Are there gonna be two packs?"

"Who do we follow?"

"What the fuck is the leech lover doing here, and why the fuck is Jacob with her?"

This one of course was from Leah.

"I cannot order you to go back to your duties, but at the moment it's all we can do. Jacob will call for us when he is ready."

The wolf pack, grumbling, full of unanswered questions went back to their duties.

Jacob and Bella, needing each others touch like a dying man needs water, continued to cling to each other. Jacob pulling back to lean his forehead against Bella's whispered out, "I don't hate you Bells. I couldn't hate you even if I wanted to."

He took a shuddering breath. "Did you mean it?"

"The part about me being a stupid naïve young girl who was too damn dumb to see what was in front of her. Yes.

The part about me loving you. Yes."

"The part about you rather being killed by a wolf than a vampire?"

"Absolutely yes."

"Bells, I love you. I always have. I can't go on if you leave me again. Not again. Not now. Not ever."

Bella's eyes filled up again. This was evidence of all she had inflicted on the beautiful man before her.

"Jake, listen to me. I love you with all of my heart. I will not leave you unless you send me away. Never. I'm yours if you want me. Forever."

Jacob looked into her eyes. She could never lie to him, her eyes gave her away. He knew she had spoken the truth.

"Forever?" he asked her with pleading eyes.

"Forever, and then some" she replied, sealing her vow with a tender kiss to his lips.

A/n: Thanks for taking the time to read.