Welcome back faithful readers! Hope you don't mind the profanity in this chapter but as you can imagine Jake's pretty fired up. Enjoy! Don't forget to R&R!
Chapter Nine
JPOV
Sweet Jesus, I'm dreaming. Don't blink, this is a dream... I was captivated by Bella, her hands moving deliberately and painstakingly slow over herself, undressing in front of me. She was letting me watch. She wanted me to watch. Has she always been this little vixen? My hand grew a mind of its own and I reached out to her determined to find out, aching to touch her exposed flesh, unable to detach my eyes from those beautiful curves. With a flash of a mischievous smile she took off running like a deer in the forest. She wants to play that game, I smirked, big bad wolf and little red riding hood.
Bounding up the steps she tossed her shirt at me and I caught it by the collar, grimacing at the smell. Leech. She had spent some time with the blood suckers and they had rubbed off on her, ruining her natural scent with their pungent odor. I'd had that funk in my nose since she'd come back, and she'd been too upset for me to mention it to her but I'd been silently wishing she'd shower and wash it all away, replacing it with the strawberries and vanilla that drove me crazy. I'll be honest, she wasn't exactly showering alone when I played it out in my head; I readily joined her and things were fairly dirty before we got to any business involving getting clean.
I flung her shirt to the floor in favor of snagging her tiny waist, which I caught just in front of her room. I pulled her to me, a hunter with his captured prey, too enamored with her to stop myself from wishing to kiss her everywhere, and started to do just that. I could smell her arousal and it only spun me further, ignoring the part of my brain that cautioned me to take things slow.
It really reeks up here, what a mood killer, I thought, and tried to ignore it. I hadn't been up to her room in a while and I could remember the last few times I'd had to hold my breath part of the time to keep the stinging stench from tearing at my nose. I momentarily considered pissing in a corner to mark my territory and improve the scent of the room, and almost laughed out loud at the thought. Maybe I'd let the wolf have a little too much control.
I concentrated on avoiding the stink that swirled around us, tainting this perfect moment. Bella's amazing silky-soft skin against my fingers, so much softer than I thought it would ever be, and I'm making a concerted effort to acquaint myself with all of it, every sensuous inch. I drank her in as though my thirst could not be quenched. I would never tire of this, of her… My brain quit functioning about the time I tentatively pressed a palm to her breast. She moaned at me, oh god, and I about died right there at the top of the landing with my mind in the gutter and one hand on her ass.
I halfheartedly made a deal with myself to pause for some rational thought, Does she want to do this? Maybe we should stop? Okay, I'll keep going and let her tell me when to stop. Fuck, I don't want to stop, please don't ask me to stop… My hand brushes the clasp of her bra and I'm stalled there slipping my fingers beneath it, debating with myself whether or not to do what I hope she wants me to do. Next thing I know she's pulling me into her room and I'm still thanking the spirits for my good fortune as I tangle my tongue with hers. Okay, I decide, that's in the affirmative. But wait, something's wrong. Something's horribly, terribly wrong. That smells way too strong to be…
Before I can complete the thought I'm being strangled up against the wall and Bella's screaming; using all the weight in her body she is literally hanging from Edward's arm trying to release some of the pressure on my rapidly closing throat. I struggle and am able to gain a few gulps of precious air but he's pissed and stronger than I realized, and he'd attacked me by surprise. I don't have a chance against him in human form. I need to phase. I need to breathe.
"Get your filthy paws off my fiancée, you disgusting mutt! I heard all the depraved things you were thinking about and if you think for one second I'll let you continue stealing what's mine you're exceedingly incorrect."
"Edward stop! Let him go!" Tears are streaking down Bella's face as she shrieks in panic.
"I told you I would eliminate him from your life, didn't I, love? You shouldn't be so surprised." He's speaking to her as calmly as if they are discussing the weather and I don't know whether to be relieved at his evenness or concerned that he's more unstable than I thought.
He strengthens his hold on my throat and continues explaining, "Have a look, love. I told you he was a bad influence. You didn't listen to me, and now he's going to die. Perhaps you'll listen to me in the future. I'm going to squeeze the last breath from his pathetic usurping self, and you are going to watch. You did this." He clucks at her in disapproval, and then trains his eyes on mine. "If only you'd listened."
I'm working uselessly against the choke hold he's got me in, but I can't phase with Bella right here without injuring her for sure. She's too close and I refuse to put her in danger even at my own expense. She's at my side pulling on Edward's arms and wearing herself out, but he's barely budging.
"Please! Edward, stop please! I'll do whatever you want just let him go!" The intensity in her pleas is increasing the longer I'm up against this damn wall and I'm using all my human strength just to keep some oxygen circulating. I can't leave her alone with this cracked asshole. He put his hands on her in front of his family and I can't take any chances with her. I'm more worried for her safety than I am about my own. I concentrate on her face; the motivation to keep her safe becomes the air I need to breathe. Even though spots of color are blooming in front of my eyes indicating I'm moments from passing out, I am hoping this isn't the last image I see of her. I hate it when she cries.
"You're going to do what I want anyway, Bella. I can't trust you to make the right decisions so I'll be with you always, from now on. You just don't know how to keep yourself safe!"
At the emphasis of his words he slaps her hard across the face sending her reeling head first into the dresser, where she collapses into a lifeless slump. And that's the push I needed. Mother fucker, you have no idea what you've just done. I'm going to fucking end you right here.
The sight of Bella, my Bella, you asshole, being slapped into unconsciousness by this colossal douchebag releases the last of the adrenaline into my blood and now I'm blind with rage. I unleash every ounce of fury within my limbs as I kick him off of me, sending him bouncing onto the bed and tumbling over the far edge, landing with a thump to the hardwood. It was my turn for a sneak attack and in his arrogance he wasn't expecting this. Before he recovers himself I am on top of him, yanking him up by his shirt and tossing him like a limp rag doll out the open window.
I phase as soon as we are clear of the house and we hit the ground with an unnatural crunch. Immediately I call to the pack for help, as Edward takes off running through the woods. I'm hot on his trail and am salivating for the impending snap of his body in my teeth.
Someone, anyone, get over to Bella's now! Edward's here and I'm chasing him back through the woods behind her house but I need some backup here!
Embry is the only one to respond, Oh crap! I'm on my way over, I'll be there in two minutes! Don't hurt him, you remember what Sam said about the treaty!
I don't give a shit about the treaty, he knocked her unconscious! I pushed the visual of the scene through my mind to Embry.
Shit are you serious! I can feel his anger grow in tandem with my own and we narrow down the gap between us. Jake, I got a lead on his trail; you should get back to Bella and make sure she's alright. She's there alone and, uh, you don't want anyone to walk in and find her, ya know, like that.
Like what? Oh, shit... Embry… Not. One. Word. I'd forgotten that the whole thing went down with her in just her jeans and bra. I didn't intend for him to see that much. He's right though, as much as I want Edward's dead flesh torn in pieces she's there alone, so I turn on my heels and make a 180 back to Bella's.
Yeah man, of course. I can hear him howling our distress call in the distance.
No one else is phased?
Nah, everyone's back at Sam's waiting for the vamp meeting later. I'm the only one doing patrol right now.
Alright listen I'm back at Bella's. Let everyone know what happened, I'm phasing back. Don't let that fucker get away! With my parting warning I do a leap up the tree and through her bedroom window.
"Bella?" She is still in a heap by the corner, unmoving. "Bells, wake up! Baby, please wake up," I beg, taking hold of her limp body and laying her gently on the bed.
Her head hits the pillow and a strong wind blows through the room, shifting the curtains in their place. Either the change in position or the cold breeze has taken effect on her, and her eyes flutter open.
"Jake," she slurs, still groggy.
"Yeah, Bells, I'm here. I'm here." My heart threatens to leap from my chest, between the exertion of the chase and my relief that she's awake.
"What… Edward," she says as her eyes go darting straight for the open window.
"He's gone. Just keep still, you hit your head pretty hard," I soothe, caressing her face with one hand, clasping her hand in my other. "We should go to the hospital and make sure you don't have a concussion or something." She groans, and I know she's going to try and convince me not to go. "Bells, getting knocked out by a leech is pretty serious."
Her brow furrows and she makes a grimacing unhappy face, turning slightly to look at me. "Jake, how did you get yourself out of that? I thought you were dead," she whispers, looking concerned that this might just be her imagination on overdrive, and when she wakes up I'll really be gone.
"He hit you and I lost my fucking mind. You were unconscious in the corner there and there was no way he was getting away with hurting you a second time," I reassured her as I played with a lock of her soft hair, remembering her fighting against him for me and a fresh wave of love crashed over me. I shift my weight to my arms hovering over her, and press my lips to hers, recognizing fully that I would be incomplete without her. I lean my forehead against hers, and whisper the effervescent words in my heart, "I love you, Bells."
Her smile is dream-like when she snakes her arms behind my neck and pulls me in, skin to skin, "I love you, Jake."
I'm so lost in her, wrapped up in the warming blanket of love and the feel of our lips moving together that I don't even notice the lingering fog of scent left in Edward's wake. Forget all about before… This is the perfect moment.
Let me know what you think!
