Chapter 8 – Bella POV

Disclaimer – I am not Stephenie Meyer. I do not make any money of this. I do not own Twilight. If I did there would be a much different wolfie ending.

A/N – Thank you for all the wonderful reviews, fallows, favorites, and PMs. It makes me so happy to get them. Constructive criticism and suggestions are welcomed. Flames and basically saying "you suck" are not welcome and will be deleted and blocked from future PMs. If you don't like the story or pairing – don't read it – the choice is yours.

They all are going to come in. I need to do something. I'll make sandwiches. I've never known Jacob to turn down food. I go straight to the fridge and see what's in there. Good there is the leftover chicken, some roast, and about half a meat loaf. I pull out the meat, some cheese, lettuce, mayo, and bread.

"What are you doing Bella?" Billy asks from behind me.

"Umm … making sandwiches." I know it sounds lame but I know my face is still red from ogling Jacob. I don't dare turn around.

"Good idea. They are sure to be hungry as a pack of wolves" he laughed at his own joke.

I start dispatching the chicken so I can mix the white and dark meat for the sandwiches. The little kitchen soon becomes crowded when five brawny six foot plus natives pack themselves in. I try to focus on what I am doing, making as many sandwiches as I can out of what is in the house. Two big hands grab for the three finished sandwiches on the platter. The next thing I know I am whacking both hands with the mixing spoon.

"Hay!" growled the one.

"Ouch! I'm hungry" whined the other.

"You will wait till the food is ready for everyone or you will go without!" I snap back.

Billy laughs and Sam says "Between her and my Emily these boys will learn some manners."

"Why should we listen to this leach lover?" the first one growls.

Jacob grabs him by the throat and slams him into the refrigerator! "She is my Mate! If you ever disrespect her again I will rip your throat out Paul!" Jake's voice is as much a growl as it is spoken words. He is shacking so hard it's difficult to focus on him.

I grab hold of the arm that is holding Paul off the ground. "Jacob! Jake!" I stroke his face with my other hand. "Jacob please calm down"

He drops Paul to the ground and wraps his arms around me as he sits me on the counter. His eyes are different. They're rimmed in yellow. I can see the wolf within and he wants out.

"He was just mad that he got his hand smacked and has a big mouth. No harm done."

"You are my mate by disrespecting you he disrespects me. He will …"

I clutch his head and pull him into a kiss mid rant. His words are muffled and then he returns the kiss with such ardor I can only match his demanding need. His hand grips my hair pulling my head back drawing a growl form me. I claw at his neck …

And scream when we are doused with cold water.

As Jacob spins around with me still clinging to him. Billy is sitting there holding an empty glass. "Bella if you wouldn't mind finishing the sandwiches please. Jacob sit down at the table. Paul apologize. Embry help Bella." Billy rambles off instructions.

Paul mumbles his apology with such a lack of enthusiasm he sounded like the two year old child he is acting like. "Sorry" Then he flopped down in one of the vacant chairs at the table.

I turned back to prepping food when Embry steps up next to me. "What can I do?"

"Put some mayo on this loaf of bread. I'll take care of the meat."

He grabs a knife and sets to work. Lettuce and cheese are added as we assemble the sandwiches. When all is done there are seven chicken, five roast beef, and seven meatloaf sammies up for the offering. Embry takes plates over to the table and I bring over the food armed with the mixing spoon. "Billy, what two would you like?"

He rubs his hands like a kid at Christmas "I'll take a meatloaf and a roast beef."

"Jacob, what for you?"

"Same as Billy" his smile is laced into his words.

"Embry, help yourself to your two." The looks that are being shot around by the others are funny. I take a plate for myself and take two chicken.

"I'm sorry I don't know your name."

"I'm Jared Cameron"

"Nice to meet you Jared. Help yourself to two. You too Sam and Paul right?"

"Yeah that's right. Thanks."

There are only four chairs for the table. I grab the stool from by the phone and slide it over to the table for Embry. Once everyone has food I pick up my plate so I can lean against the refrigerator when Jacob pulls me back into his lap. Motioning to the plate he quietly says "Thanks. I'm starving"

Sam and the rest of the wolves chuckle. "That's your new norm. I don't think I've been truly full since I first phased. It takes a lot of calories to fuel a wolf."

"So all the stories are real. We grow tails and get fuzzy and go kill vampires?" Jake takes a huge bite and looks from Billy to Sam and back.

"Yes we protect the lands of La Push and Forks. Unless the Cullen's are around, then we are limited to La Push." Sam responds.

I feel Jacob growl under me. I reach up with my empty hand and stroke Jake's jaw. I feel him take a deeper breath and let it out slowly.

"We will show you the patrol routes and the treaty line tomorrow. I am impressed at your control. It's taken at least several hours if not days for each of us to phase back to human. You will need to do it a couple more times tonight so you know how to do it voluntarily. I have never seen an imprinting happen in wolf form. I didn't know it would snap you back to human form like that."

"What's imprinting?" I ask.

Sam exchanges a look with Billy. "It's a bond that is formed when a wolf makes eye contact with his perfect mate. He will be whatever she needs, brother, friend, father, uncle, lover, or husband. Her happiness is his driving force."

Jared chimes in "When I imprinted on Kim we were in class. It was all I could do to leave her at her separate class. It physically hurts to be apart for to long. My world shifted when it happened to me but it was like getting slapped in the face when you two did."

"When we what?" I look at them disbelieving. "You mean some wolf voodoo has bound me to Jacob whether I want to or not?"

"No. You have the choice to accept the imprint or reject it." Billy answers.

"What about Jacob?"

"If you accept it, he and his wolf will strive to make you happy every day for the rest of your life. That does not mean you will not argue or that you can walk all over him. If you reject the imprint, Jacob's wolf will accept it as your choice to be happy and leave you to live your life." Sam fallows threw.

"And he'll imprint on someone else, someone who will choose to accept it."

Billy shakes his head "No. A wolf can only imprint once."

I turn to face Jacob. Leaning my forehead to his "I don't want to lose you. But I'm not ready to get married right now."

"We don't have to. We will go at whatever speed you want. You are my air, my beating heart. You have been for as long as I can remember."

I smile at him and kiss him gently. I feel a peace wash over me as I relax into his warm chest.

Billy clears his throat. "That being settled, you need to go out with the pack and do what needs to happen to so we all can get some sleep."

"Charlie is going to flip out about all of this."

Sam yells "You cannot tell anyone outside of the Pack about any of this."

"I am not going to keep lying to my father about my life!"

"So you would keep the LEACHE'S secrets but not OUR'S?! It's not your secret to tell!"

"FINE!" I jump up and storm off to the bedroom.

I hear chairs crashing and Billy yelling "OUTSIDE!"

A rush of panic flashes through my soul "No Jacob" I run out the front door and head to the back.

"JACOB!" I see a black and red snarling blur at the edge of the woods. I charge towards them until I am brought up short when the wind is knocked out of me by a pair of arms wrapped around my abdomen.

"You can't get between them. You'll get hurt or worse" Embry holds me back against his chest.

I kick, hit, thrash, and scream at him. "JACOB PLEASE! PLEASE STOP THIS! I'M NOT WORTH ANYONE GETTING HURT OVER! JACOB NOOO!"

Jacob turned to look at me and Sam's jaws clamp down on his front leg. I hear the crunching and snap from where I was. The screaming yelp shot down my spine and makes me throw up. Jacob launches to the side pulling Sam along with him into the trees. My world goes black and I know no more.

I'm so warm. I'm lying on a soft cloud. .. a soft warm cloud. I don't want to open my eyes. I like it where I am.

How is it that my world could change so much in one day? This morning I wanted to curl up on a snowbank so I could imagine I was snuggled up with Edward. How could I want to snuggle up with someone so cold when my Jacob makes me so warm and cozy? I don't know how he did it but it is like he drugged me just by being around him. My Jacob makes me happy again. I feel like the vale has been lifted and the tether severed. My boyfriend is a wolf. He got hurt because of me. Because of me … He shouldn't fight because of me. Oh God is he ok?! I have to find out. I have to find him, help him.

I open my eyes and it's still so dark but I can make out the outline of a window. I'm in bed. How did I get here? I go to get up and there is something on my bed. I reach out and touch the thing and gasp when I meet a bare chest.

It sighs and snuggles in to me pulling me down against him. "Bells" he murmurs.

My world has changed so much. I have my Jacob back it will be ok. I snuggle my head in his shoulder and drift into the first quiet sleep I have had in months.

A/N – I told myself I would have this chapter out by my birthday and here it is. So Happy Birthday to me here's the chapter!