A/N: I promise I'm working on an update of Midnight Run as well. Unfortuntly, I'm suffering from a nasty case of Lymes, and even thinking about working on anything makes me roll over and go back to sleep. Rest assured, though, things are being thought about. Kind of.

Bella

Jacob is a werewolf. Jacob is a werewolf. Jacob is a werewolf. No matter how I tried the phrase out in my mind, it was as unbelievable as when Carlisle had first said it. Jake, the only person I had known when I first came to Forks, the son of my father's best friend. Sweet, loving, gentle Jake. Jake who is a werewolf.

None of the Cullens had paid too much attention to me after Carlisle's revelation. Jasper was the priority right now, something I totally understood. After all, I had just had a mental shock, while he was in actual physical danger. Plus, I really didn't want to talk to any of them, even Edward. I just needed a little alone so I could sort it out by myself.

Finally, I was getting my chance. I was banned from the Cullen house for the next few days, since Jasper had visitors there who still drank from humans. I was nearly insane with curiosity about them, especially after the things Jasper had told me about his past two days ago, but no, I was a stupid little girl who couldn't be trusted, even when I promised to never be alone with them.

Apparently, they were so dangerous that I couldn't even be left alone at my house. I loved Edward with all of my heart, but there was a point when I just wanted some time alone. Luckily, he had agreed to go hunting, then check on Jasper before reporting back.

I couldn't imagine that Peter and Charlotte could be all that dangerous. After all, they were friends with Jasper, who was the most cautious vampire in the family. He was almost exaggeratedly gentle with me, as if he were more afraid of me then I could ever be of him. I was feeling strangely attached to him, maybe because he seemed so vulnerable right now.

Jacob was a werewolf. I suddenly remembered the story he had told me a few months ago. A story about the cold ones, who were supposedly the enemy of the Quileute tribe. The only thing that could destroy a cold one was a 'spirit wolf,' which I guess did sound much cooler than 'werewolf.' So vampires and werewolves are enemies. It would explain Jacob warning me about the Cullens, and why he hadn't wanted to hang out recently.

Another thought seared its way through my brain. If werewolves and vampires were natural enemies, I would be giving up Jacob to be with Edward. Even if it got to the point where I could be trusted around humans again, I wouldn't be able to see Jake.

See what you're giving up, Bella? Your family, your friends, your entire life. Can you give that all up for love?

Of course I could. Jasper had been right; this was my decision and mine alone, and I was choosing Edward and eternity with him. That didn't mean that I wasn't more than little glad that he was gone now, though.

Do you really want to help Jasper? You can do it, you know. The Cullens aren't allowed on the Rez, Jacob told you that, but you are. You can go talk to them. Maybe they know something that can help.

It was an exciting thought. I was really tired of being the weak link in the Cullen family, and, for once, I could do something that none of them could. Before I could lose my nerve, I called down the stairs. "Charlie? I'm going to go see Jacob, all right?"

He came to the bottom of the stairs. "He's been sick, Bella. I think Billy said he has mono."

Maybe it was mono, maybe it was a bad case of werewolfitis. "That's fine, I just won't share drinks with him. He'll probably be glad for the company."

This was one of the cool things about Charlie. Any other father would have forced me to stay home, complaining about the long drive and the possibility of germs. Charlie just trusted that I was capable of doing it for myself. "Say hi to Billy for me and call if you plan on staying for dinner."

"Thanks, Charlie. I, uh, I love you." I needed to say it more, since my opportunities to do so were steadily shrinking.

"Yeah, Bells, you too." His ears were bright red.

I rushed to my old truck, before I could lose my nerve and back down. Once I was off the curviest part of the road, I tried calling the Cullen house. Edward would probably be still out hunting, which meant I could ask Carlisle what I could do to help without him getting all upset. The line was busy, though, so I would just have to try later.

The Rez was quiet when I got there, which was unusual. Usually Jake and his friends hung around, roughhousing and joking. Today none of them were visible. Was it because they were busy doing other things, or because they were out in the woods, roaming around?

Billy seemed surprised, and not only a little bit uncomfortable, to see me at the door. "Bella, it's been a while. You should have called first, because Jake is sick. He has the flu."

He was lying. Not only had Charlie just told me that Jake had mono, not the flu, but the older man's eyes had cut down when he spoke. "Oh. Well, can I just see him for a minute? I won't wear him out, I promise."

"Bella, I'm sorry, but I can't let you up there. He's contagious, and I don't want you to catch what he has. How about I have him call you when he feels better?"

I hated to badger a man in a wheelchair, but I wasn't leaving without seeing Jake. I trained my eyes on Billy's, remembering what Rose had said about confidence. "Billy, Jake isn't sick and we both know it. I know what's really wrong with him, and I promise I won't tell anyone. I just . . . I really need to see my friend."

He first blanched, then took a deep breath. "How did you . . ." His face reddened.
"It was those Cullens, wasn't it? Those damn animals are trying to turn you against us."

Apparently, the old prejudices weren't just on the side of the vampires. But now wasn't the right time to remind him that, whether or not I had found out the truth from the Cullens, I was still here and demanding to see my friend. "Billy, please. Is Jacob here or not?"

"Yes. He's upstairs asleep, though." Billy wheeled himself backwards. "I have to let the others know about this, you know. This secret has been closely guarded against outsiders since the beginning of our tribe." I was halfway up the stairs before he called me again. "Bella, take care with him. All teenagers are emotional, and this . . . thing is making him even more so. Don't make him upset."

Angering a werewolf seemed to be a lot like angering a vampire, a comparison that I was pretty sure neither the Cullens nor the Quileutes would find flattering. "I'll be gentle."

Jake's door was closed, and he didn't respond when I knocked gently. He might have thought that that would keep me out, but I hadn't come this far to back down right in the doorway. I pushed the door open.

He was in there all right, but he was passed out asleep on the bed. He had kicked all of his blankets off, and I spent a moment just staring at how huge and ripped he had gotten. Forget a six-pack; he was sporting at least an eight-pack, and had become so tall that he had to curl up to keep his entire body on the bed. Was that because he was finally growing up, or was it a side effect of the werewolf . . . gene? Magic? Venom?

I leaned over and gently shook his shoulder. His skin burned beneath my fingers, and, for a minute, I wondered if he was sick after all. "Jake? Jacob, wake up."

His eyelids flickered open, staring at me vacantly before brightening. "Bella?" He sat up, rubbing at his face. "Hey, what are you doing here? Didn't Dad tell you I'm sick?" He looked happy to see me one minute, then angry, then heartbreakingly lonely.

"Are you really?" I sat next to him, aware of how huge his body seemed against mine.

His jaw worked in silence, reminding me of Jasper earlier. They both had something they wanted to say, but neither could get the words out. I wondered suddenly if one had anything to do with the other. Finally Jake heaved a deep sigh. "Yes. I'm sick."

He was lying, too. "I don't believe you."

Jacob put out a huge hand, taking my small one inside of it and pressing it to his forehead so I could feel the heat there. "103.6, Bella. I told you, I'm sick."

I decided that tact could be damned. "Really. And just what is it that makes you feel better? Does it have anything with turning into a wolf?"

"What!" Jake was spluttering and stammering, but he still tried to salvage the situation. "Bella, what in the world are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you being a werewolf. You are, aren't you? I'm also going to assume that at least some of the others are. Which ones? Sam? You were complaining about how distant he was. Seth? Jared? Quil? Billy? Will you tell me if I guess?"

His head dropped down into his hands. "I am so screwed. And no, if you guess anything, I won't be able to confirm or deny it. I can't."

Funnily enough, I believed him. After watching Jasper struggle, I knew what it looked like when you desperately wanted to say something, but couldn't force yourself to do it. "Who can tell me things? Can you nod or shake your head if I get it right?"

"No." Frustration burned in his eyes.

"Can your father tell me?" I wasn't going to give up.

"I don't know." He tossed his head to the side. "Let me make a phone call, okay?"

I nodded. "Do you want me to leave?" I was going to fight him on it, even if he said yes, but it was polite to ask.

"No, it's okay. If it's something you can't hear, I just won't be able to say it."

He rummaged around in the piles of stuff on the floor until he found a cell phone. He sat back down on the bed as he dialed, his muscles tense and shuddery under my hand. I patted gently, feeling the rock-hard muscles where there had been soft baby skin before.

The phone must have connected because he started speaking. "Sam? Yeah, we have a problem. Bella, you know Bella? Yeah, well, she knows about everything."

Tinny squawking came through the receiver, though I couldn't quite make out the words. "How do you think I told her? You said not to, and I have to obey you, oh mighty one." He was getting that sarcastic tone.

"No, she's still here. . . . Oh, yeah, that'll work fine. If she refuses, should I just throw her over my shoulder like a caveman and hold her prisoner? Hang on, I'll ask." He leaned into me. "Would you mind staying until Sam can get here? We can order a pizza or something."

A small surge of fear trilled in my stomach, but I could be brave. "Sure."

He muttered into the phone and hung up. "He'll be here in a few minutes. How . . . how did you find out?"

I started to tell him, but then remembered Billy telling me not to upset him. "Well, you're the one who told me about spirit wolves and the cold ones."

He didn't believe me, but he let it go. "Dad! Sam should be here in a few minutes to talk with us and I'm ordering pizzas. What do you want?"

Billy called up his order, and I gave mine. Jake called the nearest place and put in orders for four large pizzas. "Who else is coming?"

"Just Sam, why?"

"So, Sam, you, Billy, and I require four large pizzas? How much do you plan on eating?"

He shrugged. "Honestly, Sam and I will probably eat three of them. I've been kind of hungry lately."

I guessed I could see where changing into a wolf would burn a lot of calories. "Oh, so is Sam going to be driving over or . . ." I let my voice trail off, because I was pretty sure that he couldn't answer that. Still, I wanted to see what a werewolf looked like. Would they be bigger than a usual wolf? Like a wolf-human hybrid? Would they talk?

Jake looked at the ceiling. "Let me think about how to say this."

Whatever kept him from speaking, it must not infallible. He started to speak several times, then stopped. Finally he narrowed his eyes. "I believe that Sam's car isn't working right now, so he won't be driving."

"Oh. When is he coming, again?" I edged towards the window, hoping to see the wolf when it appeared.

"Any minute, and he'll be coming from the other direction." He was laughing a little at my enthusiasm. "He's not very happy."

Probably about as happy as Edward had been when I found out the truth about him. "Well, you know humans, we're nosy as hell."

Something clouded in his eyes. "I'm still human, Bella. I'm not like the Cullens." His voice was hard.

Belatedly, I remembered what Billy had said about not upsetting him. "Okay, fine. So, you know how us humans are. Nosy."

It was a tiny little thing, but he relaxed. Then his head popped up. "He's here." Jake scrambled off the bed and out of the room.

He hadn't specifically told me to wait, and I was desperate to see the werewolf, so I followed him down the stairs. Much to my disappointment, all I got to see was a handsome Native American man in cutoff shorts. God, my life is weird when I'm disappointed to see a hot half-naked man just because he doesn't look like a wolf.

He nodded gently at me. "Hello, Bella."

I felt a little shy, so I looked down. "Hi. Sam, right?"

"Right." He looked past me at Jake, who squirmed uncomfortably. "Jacob, do you want to explain this? I thought I told you to tell everyone you were sick. You are free to speak and act freely."

"How should I know? My Dad told everyone that I was sick, but she just barged in here anyway. I didn't have to tell her anything; she already knew."

Sam turned to me. "Is this true, Bella?"

I had to defend Jake. "Yes. I knew before I came here tonight."

He stared for so long that I started to feel uncomfortable. "How did you find out?"

This was going to require some delicacy. I decided to go for the lie. "Well, Jake told me a story about the spirit wolves and the cold ones last year, and we all know that the cold ones are here, so I thought the wolves might be too."

It was a pretty good story, but Sam wasn't fooled for a second. Maybe he had gotten some of the animal instincts of the wolf, because he was shaking his head. "No, someone said something recently. Tonight. I know it wasn't Jacob, because I ordered him not to speak to you about this."

"You can do that? Just order someone not to talk and he has to listen?" Something nagged at the back of my mind, but I couldn't quite figure it out.

"Bella, we can talk about that later. Who told you about us?"

There was no getting around it. "Carlisle Cullen."

His eyes blazed and his muscles started to tremble. "I knew it! Those goddamn leeches caused this, and now they're letting everyone know what's happening."

Jacob pulled me backwards, putting his body between Sam and I. "Sam, stop. Let's hear her out." He was tense, no doubt ready to defend me if he had to.

Sam took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "Talk, child."

He didn't seem happy, but he didn't seem like he was going to rip my head off either, so I took courage. "Uh, well, you know about the Cullens, right?"

"Yes." He didn't offer any more information.

"Jasper's sick. I mean really, really, sick. None of them will say anything, but I think he might be dying."

Both Sam and Jake snorted, like they couldn't care less whether Jasper died or not. Really, though, they probably didn't. To them, he was nothing more than an animal, and like any dangerous animal, he needed to be put down as quickly as possible.

To his credit, Jake did try to seem at least a little interested. "Which one's Jasper? The big one?"

"No, that's Emmett. Jasper's the blond. Tall, kind of curly hair. He doesn't talk very much."

Sam nodded. "I know who he is. He walks the boundary line all the time. Doesn't cross it, just paces it, like he's standing sentry or something. He knows that we're here, but he doesn't know what we are. At least he didn't until the doctor opened his big bloodsucking mouth."

Honestly, I wasn't too sure if Jasper knew now. He went in and out of wakefulness, and even when he was awake, he wasn't very coherent. Twice he had referred to me as "Kathy." Before I could say anything, though, Sam was speaking again. "It's very sad that the little vampire is sick, but what does that have to do with us?"

Suddenly, I wasn't sure what it did have to do with them. Carlisle had cut himself off before he revealed anything important, and I didn't even know what Jasper had said that got him all upset in the first place. "I don't know. All I know is that it has something to do with you guys. I thought that maybe . . ." I lowered my head and turned red, knowing how this was going to sound. "I thought that maybe you guys did something to him."

"If such a thing were possible, I wouldn't hesitate to harm one of them. But we're bound by the treaty our elders made, same as the Cullens. The minute one of them so much as licks at a human's paper cut, though, they'll be going straight to hell." I wouldn't exactly describe Sam's tone as gleeful, but it was pretty damn close.

I couldn't afford to get angry now, thought. I was the only one who stood even the tiniest chance of opening a line of communication between the two sides. The Quileutes were as caught up in this as the Cullens were, even if they didn't know it yet, and it was going to take them working together for Jasper to have any chance at all of surviving.

Honestly, Bella, what did I just tell you a few days ago? You act like a sheep, they'll act like wolves. Literally, this time. Be brave and get them to understand. Please Bella, he's my twin brother. Rosalie's voice was so clear in my mind that she might as well have been standing right next to me.

I squared my shoulders and glared into Sam's black eyes. "I'm taking out my cell phone and calling Carlisle. You will talk to him, and you will be polite, because you guys and the Cullens? No matter how much you hate each other, you're in this one together. It's Jasper right now, but it might be Jacob next. Or Quil. Or Embry." Carlisle had asked me directly about the two of them, so it was safe to assume that they, too, were werewolves.

From the look on his face, I knew I had hit him where it hurt. He gave Jake an evil look, causing my friend to raise his hands defensively. "Dude, don't look at me. I haven't told her anything. I couldn't, remember?"

Without giving them any time to think up a good objection, I whipped out my cell and tried the Cullen house again. This time it rang through, and an unfamiliar voice answered. "Cullen residence, Peter speaking."

"Hi, Peter, this is Bella. Can you put Carlisle on the line, please?"

He whistled at me. "Sure thing, but Bella, are you all right? Everyone here is in a panic because they can't find you."

What he meant was that Edward was in a panic. The rest of the Cullens tended to give me a little more freedom. "If he had bothered to ask Charlie or check his text messages, he would know that I'm at the Rez with Jacob. Now, I need Carlisle."

"Sure thing." I heard him calling for Carlisle, before his voice came back on the line. "Charlie told us where you were, but Alice can't see you, and you weren't answering your phone. We got worried. Oh, here he is."

Carlisle sounded worried when he answered the phone. "Bella, are you all right? Edward went to your house and you weren't there. Charlie said you had gone to see Jacob Black, but when Alice checked to see when you would be home, she couldn't see you at all."

That was weird. "No, I'm fine. I've been here with Jake, and now Sam is here, too. He would like to talk to you, about Jasper, so please be polite." I pushed the phone into Sam's waiting hand before Carlisle could refuse or ask any more questions.

"Hello, Dr. Cullen." Sam managed to get the title out without sarcasm, though I could tell that it was painful for him. "Bella tells me that you might have an issue with a member of your . . . should I say 'family'? She says that it may relate to us."

He listened for a few minutes, nodding several times. "That's very interesting. I've not heard of such a thing, but I can speak with the tribal elders and see what they may know. I'll need a detailed description of what has happened."

Both Jake and I had hunched into ourselves on the bed, hoping that he would forget we were there. No such luck, because he gestured first at Jake, then me. "You two make yourselves scarce. The doctor and I have things to talk about."

Jake started to protest, but Sam silenced him with a single look. Reluctantly, he rose. "Come on, Bella."

"But—"

He pulled me forward. "You can stay if you want to fight with Sam, but I can't."

He sounded pissed about it, but he didn't question Sam again. As much as I wanted to stay and argue my case, I was more curious about what was happening. "Okay."

We went downstairs, where Billy gave us an interested look. "So, do you want to tell me why Sam came running in here so fast that he left paw prints all over the porch?"

"Sick vampire, Cullens know about the shifting, now Doctor Fang and Sam are talking on the phone. I don't know what else because I got the order to leave the room. The world just got a thousand times weirder."

Billy raised his eyebrows. "Really. Wonders never cease."

"Can we sit out on the porch?" I wanted to see those paw prints for myself.

Jake chuckled, leading me to believe he already knew what I was thinking. "Sure."

Sure enough, the porch was covered with prints, each larger then my entire hand. I laid my hand down next to one, marveling at its size. "Wow."

Jacob laughed. "You know what they say about guys with big feet. . . ."

"You are truly disgusting."

He laughed again and sat down on the porch swing. "You know it turns you on."

"Sure, whatever." I tried to laugh it off, even though I was starting to get a little bit uncomfortable. I knew that he had a little bit of a crush on me, but I loved Edward. I loved Jacob, too, but in a different way. He was more like . . . well, more like a puppy. The thought of having any sort of serious relationship with him was just too weird. I didn't say that, though. There would be plenty of time to break his heart later.

"You were really great in there, Bells. I mean, it was awesome the way you stood up to Sam."

That was the perfect opportunity to ask something that had been troubling me. "You can't do that, can you? I mean, he tells you to do something and you have to do it, right?"

He leaned against me, the heat from his body a welcome change from the chilly air. "Pretty much. Sam's the alpha wolf of the pack. The rest of us are under him, and we have to obey his commands. That's why I couldn't tell you the truth about what was happening. He wouldn't let me."

"What would happen if you didn't listen to him? If you had said, 'Screw you, I'm telling Bella anyway'?"

"It doesn't work like that. If he says not to do something, I physically cannot do it. If I tried, I wouldn't be able to get the words out. There is no disobeying the alpha, period."

We fell into a silence as we sat there on the swing, the only noise the creak of its chain. Finally Jake sighed. "It sucks sometimes. I mean, just a few weeks ago I was a normal guy, and now I'm up to my ass in vampires and werewolves and all of that shit."

"Yeah, I kind of know what that's like." It hadn't been that long ago that I hadn't believed in vampires and werewolves either.

He gave me a saucy smile. "So, do you want to see me?"

My breath caught. "I didn't think you could. Didn't Sam say no?"

Another smile. "He did. But when he came up the bedroom, he told me that I could do whatever I wanted. He just forgot to reverse the order. So?"

"Yes." The only other time I had been so excited was the first time I saw Edward sparkle in the sun. "I want to see it."

He stood up, the cold air quickly replacing his overheated body. "All right, stay there. I can't afford to ruin any more clothes, and I don't want to be responsible for your actions if you catch sight of me naked."

He and Emmett would get along great, considering that they both had enormous egos. I whistled at him, and he laughed again, picking up his pace until he vanished into the trees.

Less than ten seconds later, the biggest wolf I had ever seen ambled out. He was at least the size of a horse, with huge paws and long legs. I couldn't quite keep the squeak out of my voice. "Jake."

The lips pulled back from wicked-looking teeth in an expression that looked too much like a smile to be interpreted as anything else. When he walked up to me, his shoulders were nearly as tall as my own. His fur glowed a rich reddish-brown in the porch light and I couldn't resist putting my arms around his neck. He still smelled like Jake, but with a little undertone of something wild. He bounced up on his hind legs and swiped his tongue across my face. "Eww!"

He blew out a puff of air that could almost be mistaken for a laugh. Jacob was Jacob, no matter what body he was currently occupying. His eyes met mine and I could read the worry in them. I pressed a kiss to his nose. "You are awesome."

Another toothy grin and he lay down on a step, his huge body taking up the entire thing. I sat one step below him and leaned against his chest. The long tail thumped once, then twice, and his chin came to rest on my shoulder.

I had almost forgotten what it was like to be with Jake. I never had to worry about not being good enough for him, or that I was just a liability to him. We were just Jake and Bella, two friends. Well, Bella the human and Jake the gigantic wolf.

The door opened and Sam stalked out, a furious expression on his face. "Jacob, knock it off! Phase back and get the others together. I have to take Bella back home, then we'll meet down on the beach. Those damn leeches have gotten themselves into a huge mess, and they've dragged us into it, too. Bella, come with me."

I pressed back against Jacob, suddenly afraid of the anger that seethed out of Sam's every pore. "Can't Jacob take me home?"

"No. I have to take you to the Cullen house, and I don't want him anywhere near them. Not to mention that Jake doesn't have a driver's license, so unless you plan on riding him like a horse, you two aren't going to get very far."

There wasn't much I could say to that, especially since Jake had already vanished back into the woods. I squashed my fear down and nodded at Sam. "Did you and Carlisle figure something out?"

"Dr. Cullen and I had a very interesting discussion which I can't talk about just yet. I didn't reject his requests out of hand." His voice told me that he was not going to discuss it any further.

"Okay." My voice was extremely meek.

He softened. "Bella, nobody is angry with you. The entire situation is strange, and I have an entire pack to protect. If protecting them means teaming up with a bunch of bloodsuckers, then so be it, but I don't have to be happy about it."

"They aren't that bad." Except for maybe Rosalie, but she had been nicer to me the past few days, too. "I can be there when you guys meet them, if that would make you feel better."

His eyes narrowed. "That may not be a bad idea, but nothing is set in stone yet. Having a neutral party may help."

See, Bella, you can do this. I gave him a tentative smile, which he softly returned.

"All right, I'll take you to the Cullens' house."

"Thank you, Sam."