Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.

A/N: Flying solo folks.

Chapter 10

"Lying, cheating, son of a bitch," Bella raged quietly to herself as she cleaned up the shattered remains of her coffee mug from the floor. Her eyes kept being drawn, as if by magnet, to the offending jacket.

The thoughts swirled around in her head. How could he have sex with one of her friends? And in her house! She thought he was impotent. And Angela was supposed to be her friend. Her stomach started to churn when she thought about the magnitude of their betrayal. She grew even more furious on Carmen's behalf. Is that why she was so insecure and paranoid? Because she'd been imprinted on by a wolf who couldn't keep it in his pants?

Dirtbag!

Bella began to rummage through her cupboards for lighter fluid. She intended to have a small bonfire on her lawn. The charred remains of Jacob's jacket would be a great sight for him to wake up to. And Angela? That traitorous bitch's clothes was going on the lawn. Let's see how she liked hunting for her skank-ass underwear in the rose bush out front.

Bella snatched up the jacket and upon closer inspection, discovered that it didn't belong to Jacob. The jacket she held had a sleek finish and flashy silver zippers all over it. Whereas the one Jacob had worn was made from high quality leather but with a simple, understated design.

The longer she stared, the more the jacket began to look familiar. Who had she seen it on?

The sound of heavy footsteps coming down the stairs, and a disgustingly cheerful whistle made her skin crawl.

She spun around in shock. "You?!"

Quil Ateara stood before her with broad Cheshire-like grin on his face. Beneath her outrage and disgust, there dwelt a relief so strong that it made her ashamed. The thought of Jacob and Angela together had triggered feelings of jealousy and rage she had no right to feel.

"I'll take that." He plucked the jacket from her hand and shrugged into it.

"How is that even possible? You're imprinted. You're supposed to be impotent."

"Impotent?" Quil asked, utterly offended that she would even think such a thing. "Claire's six. We only have a partial imprint."

"A partial imprint? What does that even mean?"

Quil seemed to delight in her confusion. "It means that I can see who ever I want."

Although seemingly impossible, Bella's opinion of Quil sank even lower. "So you decide to screw my friend because your imprint still wears pigtails?"

"Are you listening to yourself? Your friend?" Quil snorted in disgust. "You haven't changed one bit. It's still all about you, isn't it? All about the Bella show."

"Excuse me?"What the hell was he talking about?

"You're a lousy hostess, Bella. I really worked up an appetite last night. Where's my breakfast?"Quil shoved past her and stepped into the kitchen.

"Your breakfast is in the nearest shit-hole you can find." Hopefully in a place where the roaches ate for free, and the cook didn't practice good personal hygiene.

"So testy. Maybe if you had gotten laid last night, you wouldn't be so uptight."

Bella inhaled sharply as a violent rage coursed through her body. In the corner of her mind, the darkness began to stir and she was unable to escape its cruelty and thirst for blood. The darkness consumed her mind, until she wanted nothing more than to tear into Quil with her teeth. The knowledge of her friends, still asleep in their rooms upstairs, was the only thing saving Quil.

"Get out of my house before I hurt you."

Quil must have seen the madness in her eyes because his expression turned wary, his cocky grin faded from view. Something flickered in his eyes and then it was gone.

Fear.

"Whatever." Quil backed away and Bella watched him go.

The potent rage stayed with her even after she heard the door slam and his car drive away. Her gums itched, the bones in her hands began to ache. Tremors shook her body, her hands white-knuckling the edge of the granite counter.

Eyes shut tightly, Bella repeatedly whispered to herself, "It's okay. He's gone."

When that failed to work, Bella wrapped her arms tightly around her body. She drove her nails into her skin and the sharp bite of pain brought her back to herself. The darkness settled and her tremors subsided. Exhaling, the breath left her lungs with a hiss.

Angela and Quil. No damn way!

Angela had been devastated when her relationship with Trent ended. For all Angela's nonchalant posturing, Bella knew she still wasn't over him. The last thing she needed was for Quil and his wandering penis to break her heart all over again. Bella was determined to stop Quil, and she knew just the man to help her.

Bella forced her feet to climb the stairs, still shocked that an imprinted wolf could have sex with someone that wasn't his imprint. She never knew it was even possible for a wolf's imprint to be a partial one.

Bella quickly showered and pulled on her jeans and t shirt. She was in the process of adjusting her wig when Taylor began to stir. She felt a small tug on her heart when Taylor, without opening his eyes, instinctively reached for her side of the bed. When his hand met an empty space, he opened his eyes, scanning the room for her.

"What are you doing?" He asked in a husky voice.

Bella continued to fix her hair, intentionally ignoring him.

"Isabella." His low growl made her heart race.

"Oh! So you're talking to me now?" Bella still bristled from the way he'd completely froze her out last night.

Bella's face heated when Taylor gave her a pointed look, reminding her that she'd was the one who messed up their night.

"Quil slept with Angela and I need you to drive me down to the res to see Jacob."

"What is he supposed to do about that?" Taylor sat up rubbing a hand over his face.

"Jacob's like the boss down there. He's the only one that can make Quil stay away from her."

"Make him stay away-" Taylor paused to massage the dull ache in his temple. "I know you don't like Quil but he and Angela are adults. I think you should stay out of this one."

"The hell I will. I refuse to sit by and let Angela get hurt again."

"It's not like you to be this stubborn. What's the real reason you don't want them together? What aren't you telling me?" Green eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Avoiding his gaze, Bella stumbled over her words. "It's- She won't... He's just not good enough for her," she finished lamely.

The lie left a sour taste in her mouth, but she couldn't tell Taylor that Quil was a werewolf with a six year old soulmate.

Taylor regarded her silently, his face giving no indication of his thoughts. They both knew there was more to it than she was willing to admit. But after the night they just had, the last thing Taylor wanted was another argument.

He heaved a weary sigh. "Would you at least have your breakfast so you can take your meds first?"

"No time. I have to nip this shit in the bud."

Taylor made no attempt at hiding his displeasure. "You won't eat. You refuse to take your pills. I'm not driving you anywhere."

Taylor smoothly kicked up his feet and placed his hand behind his head. He looked like he didn't have a care in the world. Her irritation simmered as the movement drew her gaze to the hard ridges of his sculpted abdomen. It wasn't fair. They should've been in bed naked right now, not arguing about her need to keep Quil's wolf out of Angela's den.

"Fine. I'll get someone else to take me." With a huff of indignation, Bella spun on her heels and stomped away. She opened the bedroom door and stopped. "And by the way, withholding sex is such a chick move."

Every muscle in Taylor's body tensed, his head slowly turned to look at her.

"Yeah, I said it." Bella raised her chin.

His stern features hardened and sent Bella rushing from the room. She quickly shut the door behind her, before leaning against it with a heavy sigh.

Why did she have to provoke him?

Sometimes it felt as though her mouth had a mind of its own. She couldn't control half the things that came out of it. Still, she'd known what she was doing when she'd purposefully lied about being in the ladies' room with Jacob. Taylor had every right to be upset with her. Lying wasn't their way. She promised herself she'd work things out with him the moment she got back home. But first she needed a ride to the reservation.

Bella let herself into Zach's room without knocking and found him sprawled facedown on the bed, his naked ass in the air. Leah slept beside him, covers barely concealing her own nudity. Their discard clothes lay all over the floor, as if they'd been taken off in a hurry. She was relieved not to find Suzie Q nestled between their bodies.

Bella bristled as she approached the bed. Were she and Taylor the only ones that didn't have sex last night?

Feeling a little vindictive, Bella raised her foot and rudely kicked the mattress. "Wake up, Leah."

"What do you want, Swan?" Leah grumbled without opening her eyes. Her voice was somewhat muffled by her pillow.

"I need a ride to the res."

Leah raised her head and squinted at Bella. "Why?"

"Quil slept with Angela."

"Shit." That got Leah's attention.

"Damn it, Izzy. If you're not here for a threesome then beat it." Following a loud yawn, Zach playfully groped Leah's butt.

"Playtime's over." Leah slapped his hand away and sat up, clutching the covers to her chest.

"Really appreciate you cock-blocking, Izzy." To Bella's stunned mortification, Zach rolled out of bed and shuffled toward the bathroom, all the while scratching his naked ass. He moved as though he didn't have a care in the world. The guy would be right at home in a nudist community.

"Jeez, Zach. Would you put your balls away?" Bella wrinkled her nose.

"You guys banned me from walking around the house naked. But nobody said anything about being naked in my room." Bella lost sight of his shameless grin when he disappeared into the bathroom.

Bella turned away and caught Leah glaring at her. "I saw you looking."

"Oh relax. Nobody wants Zach." Bella rolled her eyes at the jealous she-wolf.

"Hey!" Zach protested from the bathroom and then there was the distinct sound of running liquid. "Don't mind me, I'm just draining the lizard."

When Leah's suspicious glare didn't let up, Bella raised her hands in defense and exited the room. "I'll go wait downstairs before I'm overwhelmed with lust."

In the hall, Bella speculated about where Leah's sudden possessive streak had come from.

"Bella attacked Carmen?" Sue's voice echoed Billy's disbelief.

Both Sue and Billy had been waiting in the small office for Jacob, when he came into the workshop.

"Carmen threatened her relationship with Taylor." Jacob told himself his words had not been spoken in Bella's defense. He was just providing them with an accurate picture of what happened.

Bella. His expression darkened, remembering the cold way she'd regarded him the night before. He knew she'd blamed him, along with Carmen for Taylor's anger. How was she earning Taylor's forgiveness? For his own sanity, Jacob chose not to devote too much thought into what they were doing right now.

"Carmen provoked her?" Billy's eyebrows lifted.

Jacob shook his head, refusing to assign blame. "They provoked each other. Though Carmen's drinking didn't help."

"Do you see it now, Jacob? This is why we asked you to keep your distance from Bella until we know how much her presence has damaged the bond you share with Carmen. We need to decide how we're going to deal with this as a pack." There was only concern in Sue's voice.

Jacob hadn't been convinced when the council elders first tried to warn him. But after last night, after witnessing the way they ripped into each other verbally and then physically, he believed. Their loathing of each other was so ingrained that they could not be trusted to be alone in each other's presence. Worst part of it was Bella would never know the reason why. And Jacob hoped to keep it that way.

Jacob heard Trevor's measured voice and knew that the old man was knee-deep in lecturing the wolves who were waiting out in the workshop to see him. That wasn't a good sign. Trevor only broke out his lectures when someone had been guilty of doing something foolish. Jacob was relieved not to be the one on the receiving end for once.

Billy's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "Where's Carmen?"

"She's sleeping it off at the house." He'd planned to swing by and check up on her later in the day. Bella had left some ugly bruises around her neck, the last time he examined them.

"How are you holding up, son?" Billy asked in an attempt to reach out to him. "I know being around Bella can't be easy for you."

"It's not a problem."

Billy flinched at his clipped tone, and Jacob brushed off the regret that continued to eat at him. The last thing he wanted to do was talk to his father about Bella. Even though he knew Billy regretted keeping Bella's illness from him, Jacob wasn't done being angry at his father. Not by a long shot.

Sue spoke up, deliberately ignoring the tension between father and son. "I take it Bella's been invited to the shower?"

Jacob grimaced at the question. "If I know my sister, yes. She's determined to shove Bella in Carmen's face every chance she gets."

"That's problematic," Billy said grimly. "Especially if Carmen and Bella can't be in the same room without antagonizing each other."

Sue turned away from the view of the forest. "Leah and I will be at the shower, so we'll be able to keep an eye on them. But if they keep attacking each other, a decision will have to be made."

A dangerous silence met those words before Jacob spoke, "You're talking about banning Bella from the reservation."

"I'm not happy about this either, Jake, but Carmen's the Alpha female. If it comes down to choosing sides then the council has to choose hers."

Jacob hated that Sue was right. Carmen had to come first. When it came right down to it, Carmen was pack and Bella was not.

"What about Bella?" An image of Bella with tears in her eyes flashed in his mind.

"This is also for Bella's own good. If she ever learns the truth..." Billy left his son to fill in the blanks. "Do you know how much it will disrupt her life?"

Jacob knew exactly what would happen. Which was why he'd forbade everyone, wolves and wolf girls, from saying anything to Bella. Despite how Rachel and Leah felt about Carmen, they would never go against him. Amy was the only wildcard in the equation. He was especially bothered by the liking she'd taken to Bella.

"Nothing's been decided about Bella yet, Jake. But whatever we do, it will always be for the good of the pack." Sue told him firmly before following Billy out of the room.

Jacob folded his arms across his chest, mildly curious as Seth escorted Micheal and Luke into the office by the scruffs of their necks. He released his grip and roughly shoved them toward Jacob's desk.

Seth leaned against the wall, while Luke and Micheal refused to meet Jacob's eyes. The wolf greedily drank in the scent of their fear.

"Last night, these two thought it would be funny to scare some campers up in the mountains."

Seth shifted, uneasy on his feet as Jacob's anger saturated the entire room. Through the pack bond, they were all able to sense his fury.

"Do you have anything to say for yourselves?" Jacob snapped.

Silence.

"I hope your little joyride was worth it because that's the last time you'll ever do something that stupid." Jacob straightened in his seat, allowing the full extent of his power to reveal itself in his voice. "No shifting for three days."

Seth paled. "I get that they screwed up in a big way but... isn't three days kind of harsh?"

Jacob understood Seth's hesitation. After all, Jacob just gave the pups three days of their wolves whining and clawing at them from the inside. He'd essentially handed them three days of torture.

The wolf snarled, enraged that Seth had dared to question his authority, and in front of the pups no less. In the wolf's eyes, the pack only had to obey his commands, not understand them. Jacob met Seth's eyes, barely holding his temper in check.

"We live in a time where every phone has a camera. What would they have done if those campers had gotten a picture of them?"

Understanding sank in as Seth began to imagine the media and gun-toting hunters combing the forest for a glimpse of elusive giant wolves. It wasn't about punishing the young wolves. This was about protecting the pack. Luke and Micheal's little prank was something that could never be allowed to happen again. Three shiftless days was a punishment they were not likely to forget.

"It's my fault. It was my idea to go up there." Micheal dared to meet Jacob's gaze for one fleeting second, before his courage gave out.

Disappointed, Jacob shook his head. "You willfully endangered the entire pack with one thoughtless, reckless act. Luke may still be fresh to his wolf, but I expected better from you, Micheal."

The pup had always shown so much promise in training sessions that Jacob expected him to climb high in the pack's hierarchy someday. He handled living with an alcoholic father with the maturity of someone much older. Childish actions like this served to remind Jacob that he was only sixteen.

He transferred his gaze to the young wolf standing next to Micheal. At thirteen years old, Luke's smaller frame was still gaining muscle. Although his bones had been molded by the beast, Luke was the smallest wolf, both in the room and the pack. Luke's small stature and low ranking position in the pack also made him one of the most fearful. He was only a child...

Jacob refused to waver in his decision. As Alpha, he couldn't afford to doubt himself. There was no room for softness or mercy.

Feeling a deep exhaustion in his bones, Jacob dismissed the wolves.

When they turned to leave, an idea suddenly occurred to Jacob. "Next weekend the both of you will help Carmen decorate the house for Emily's shower."

Seth hid a smirk and Jacob prepared himself to hear their protests. But there were no groans or whining, only solemn nods. The wolf was pleased.

Half an hour later, Jacob was still sitting at his desk when he heard Trevor's stern voice above the workshop's music.

"Young lady, this is a place of business. You can't just barge in."

"Out of my way, old man!"

Before Jacob could complete his lengthy sigh, Bella burst into his office and slammed the door behind her.

"Quil slept with Angela."

Jacob groaned despite his lack of surprise. He figured that was where things were headed when Angela asked him to introduce her to Quil.

"Well?" Bella stared at him expectantly.

"Well what?" His brows drew together.

"This can't happen. You know it can' t happen. You have to stop this."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Jacob sat back in his chair, tapping his chin.

Frustrated, Bella slammed her hands down on his desk. "You're the Alpha. Order Quil to keep his wolf dick away from her!"

The corner of his mouth twitched with the beginnings of a smile. It wasn't funny. At least, it wasn't supposed to be. Still Jacob and the wolf were both thoroughly amused by her outburst. She really seemed to have very little control over the things she said.

"Quil gets around, Bella. So you don't have to worry, I'm pretty sure this is a one time thing."

"Even better," Bella laughed bitterly. "Quil's just going around swinging his penis at any vagina he meets."

Jacob blinked.

The things that came out of her mouth these days...

The wolf was content to watch as she began to pace back and forth in agitation. To the wolf her movements were closer to prowling.

"Quil can say whatever he wants about me. It's okay. I can handle it. But when he starts screwing with my friends, it's time to die."

"Bella..." Jacob's voice was sharp with warning, but her mouth kept moving.

It was difficult, reining in his temper. The events of the morning had eaten away at his commonly stoic exterior. Everywhere he turned, there was someone demanding things from him. First the council elders with their ominous warnings, and then having to discipline wayward pups before he'd even had the chance to eat something. Now Bella too had come for her pound of fucking flesh. Her return had upheaved everything in his life, and yet she thought she could show up in his office and make demands of him.

"But if he fucks her over, I'll kick his ass. Then when I'm done with him, I'm coming after you."

The wolf peeled back its lips, snarling at her threatening tone.

Before Bella managed to take three steps toward the door, Jacob gripped the edge of his desk and shoved it from his path. With a furious growl, Jacob advanced on Bella, who continued to back away until the wall ended her retreat. Her eyes widened, stunned at the menacing way he towered over her.

Jacob identified Bella's problem. When she looked at him, she still saw that stupid teenage boy who used to follow her around with his tongue hanging out. With one shy smile and a kind word, he'd been willing to die for her. She thought she could waltz her ass into his workshop, and he'd instantly be cowed into doing whatever she wanted. Bella didn't see him then and she sure as hell didn't see him now.

She'd forgotten he was a monster.

He pinned her with a lethal stare. "Let me explain a few things and then I want you to get out. Who Quil sticks his dick in is not my business or yours. Him and Angela are adults. If they want to fuck, it's not for you to try and stop them. Don't you ever come into my territory and threaten me."

"Or what?" Recovering from her momentary surprise, Bella challenged heatedly, equally furious. "What are you going to do? Are you gonna eat me?" She stepped closer, boldly meeting his gaze. "Go ahead. Eat me."

He gazed at her, baffled by her constant lack of fear. His authoritative tone usually made others tremble. Not only was Bella unafraid, she still had the gall to taunt him. No one in his pack would dare speak to him like that.

Jacob flexed his fingers and heard a soft crack as his claws began to extend. He gripped her chin, the sharp nail of his thumb traced her lower lip. "That's some mouth you have on you."

Said mouth curled up at one corner. "And wouldn't you like to know just where I got it."

She jerked her chin out of his grasp. Jacob snatched his hand away mere seconds before Bella could sink her teeth into his flesh.

"Careful, Alpha. These days I bite."

Confounded, Jacob gazed at the ferocious transformation her face had undergone. Her eyes had gone black with anger, her mouth twisted into a slight snarl. He half expected her to hiss at him. She was little more than a feral beast, masquerading in human skin.

Seeing her like that put the wolf in the mood to hunt. Jacob had been completely caught off guard when the wolf stealthily slipped out of its cage and into the driver's seat.

"I bite too, Bells. Would you like to see?" Jacob growled in a rough voice that gave her goosebumps.

Bella wasn't sure when it had happened. One moment she was telling Jacob where he could stick his threats, and the next he was staring at her as though she was a bag of Kibbles 'n Bits.

Wariness flashed across Bella's features as she regarded Jacob's wolfish grin and enlarged pupils wondering - for the first time since she'd stormed into his office - if she'd bitten off more than she could chew. In that moment, she glimpsed the predator lurking behind his eyes.

"Okay... It's getting weird, so I'll just..." Her gut told her it was time to get the hell out of dodge.

As Bella turned to leave, the path to her escape became blocked by a large, muscular arm. The palm pressing flat against the wall was tipped with dangerously, sharp claws. She swallowed hard.

"Leaving so soon, Bella?"

"You know I was totally kidding about the whole eat me thing, right?" Bella nervously joked, a little freaked out by his unblinking stare.

Just then Embry burst into the office, looking as if he'd ran all the way there. Breathing a tad heavily, he waved the piece of paper in his hand. "Hey, Jake. I need to discuss this invoice with you."

Bella seized that moment to duck under Jacob's arm and make a dash for the door.

Embry quickly intercepted them when Jacob followed after Bella, and used his large bulk to keep her safely positioned behind him. In the face of Jacob's mounting aggression, he made sure to keep his eyes on the floor.

"Is he okay, Embry?"

Embry tensed when Bella placed a hand on his arm and Jacob growled.

"He's fine, Bella. We just need some privacy to discuss a few work things. Can you come back another time?" Bella frowned when Embry shrugged off her touch. After the way Jacob reacted last night, Bella touching him would only make things worse. Especially with Jacob on the brink of wolfing out.

Bella squeaked when Leah appeared behind her unexpectedly.

"I'm starving, Bella. Let's get out of here." Leah began to nudge Bella in the direction of the exit.

Embry understood Leah had made up that excuse to get Bella out of there. She too had picked up on Jacob's erratic emotions. He was grateful Trevor called him over when he did.

Ignoring Trevor's glare, Bella followed Leah out of the workshop. Luckily Jacob wasn't too far gone, otherwise he would have done everything in his power to keep Bella from leaving.

The door closed and Trevor and Embry were left alone to deal with a volitile beast.

"I like you better this way."

"What way?" Bella asked, eyebrows raised in question.

"Bitchy and pissed off. Things have definitely gotten more interesting since you've been back." Leah took her eyes off the road and grinned.

"Glad I can entertain you." Bella grumbled sarcastically. "Hey what was last night about? Why did you flip out when you walked in on us talking?"

Leah refocused her attention on the road, the previous smile gone from her face. Her hands tightened on the steering wheel. "I lost my temper."

"Lost your temper? I listened in on some of the things you said to Jacob. You were acting as though we'd crossed the line by just being alone together." Bella turned in her seat to face Leah. "What gives? You know Jacob couldn't even cheat on Carmen if he wanted to. So what the hell?"

Before Leah could answer, Bella continued down another line of questioning. "And what the hell is up with Jacob, threatening to bite me and that weird thing with his eyes? One second he wants me out and then next, he won't let me leave."

Leah knew that wasn't really Jacob she saw in the workshop. That was the wolf. And the beast had no qualms about making its wants known. Bella's constant presence had jeopardized Jacob's self-control, and now the shit was on the verge of hitting the fan. How long it would be before Bella learned the truth about what was going down between Jacob and Carmen? If the truth came out, what would Bella do? If Jacob cracked, would he even give Bella a choice?

Encouraging Bella to move back to Washington had turned out to be Leah's biggest regret.

"There are things you don't know about, Bella. Things I can't tell you. Jacob-" Leah tried to go on, but her mouth couldn't form the words. It felt as though her tongue suddenly became glued to the roof of her mouth.

"Jacob still hasn't lifted the injunction?" Bella asked when Leah gave up with a growl of frustration. "This is ridiculous. Turn the car around. I'll go back there and make him take it off."

"Don't bother. I kind of like that whatever we talk about stays between us. No one else in the pack has that privacy." Leah shrugged, secretly pleased that Bella had been willing to go to bat for her.

Not wanting to question Leah about things she literally could not speak about, Bella changed the topic. "So when are you going to tell Zach about your lupine half?"

As always, the question filled Leah with unease. "We just got back together. I'm waiting for the right moment."

"You're stalling." Bella's soft teasing irritated Leah to no end. Mostly because she was right.

"Damn right I'm stalling. It's not just about the werewolf thing. I also have to tell him I can't have kids."

Not only that. She'd also have to tell Zach she didn't want kids either. So any talk of adoption would not be happening.

And Zach seemed like the kind of guy that would want kids.

From the patient and attentive way he always handled Susie Q, Leah could easily see him with a gaggle of kids. Still, despite how many times she tried to imagine it, she never saw herself being somebody's mother. Telling Zach she didn't want kids would be the equivalent of asking him to choose between her and potential offspring. She wasn't quite ready to hear his answer.

In another life, she would've been Emily. A few years ago that knowledge would've made her feel robbed, but not anymore. Now she knew herself, knew what she wanted out of life and kids were nowhere on that list. A shudder passed through her at the thought of being the one to give birth to Sam's giant babies. Talk about dodging a bullet.

"Do you want kids, Bella?"

"I'm not sure if... I had radiation near the part of my brain that controls all that so..." Bella paused, her eyes devoid of any emotion. "Before we moved out here, I asked Alice if she saw kids in my future and she said no. So I guess what I want doesn't really matter."

"I'm so sorry, Bella." Leah didn't know what else to say.

"It's fine. The cafe will be my baby." Bella busied her hands, picking at a stray thread on her t-shirt.

Leah's uneasiness grew, watching as Bella grimaced in pain and pressed a hand against her temple.

Leah still couldn't wrap her mind around Bella having cancer. She recalled how terrible it had been for Embry's mother, Jeanne. It had been frightening to watch a sassy, vibrant woman waste away to a mere shadow of her former self. Watching what his mother's suffering had done to Embry was the worst part. Leah wished she could've been there for Bella.

"Hey, everything okay?"

"Yeah, my head just hurts a little." Bella offered her a wan smile.

"You'd tell me if it was more than just a headache, right?"

"Relax, Leah. I'll be fine after I get home and take my pills." Bella leaned her head against the headrest and closed her eyes.

"Can I ask you something, Bella?"

"Sure. Why the hell not?" Bella replied, keeping her eyes closed.

"What are the odds of the cancer coming back?" Leah felt a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach as the words left her mouth.

Bella slowly opened her eyes.

Despite the rapid beating of her heart, she spoke in a controlled voice. "Let's just say, I need to have a MRI every three months."

Leah felt like she'd been punched in the stomach as a bone-deep fear grabbed ahold of her. Every three months? She thought it would've been like a once a year exam. That had to mean Bella's regrowth risk was high.

"Come on. Don't look like that. It's only for the first year and then they'll start spacing my scans out," Bella said, as she observed the array of emotion flickering across Leah's face.

"Look on the bright side. If I bite the dust after we open the cafe, you'll own it free and clear." Bella's laugh sounded hollow.

"It's not funny, Bella."

After a moment, Bella turned away to gaze out the window. "No. I guess it's not."

Taylor glanced up from his book, when Bella entered the dining room.

"How did it go?" He asked when she dropped herself into the chair beside him with a loud groan.

"He told me to mind my own business and to get the hell out."

"He what?" His green eyes darkened with anger.

Bella rushed to explain. "Don't get mad. I sort of pissed him off when I threatened him."

"Off course you would," Taylor murmured to himself, giving his head a brief shake.

"You were right. I'm sorry." Bella rubbed her eyes with the heel of her palm, desperate to relieve the growing pain behind them.

"Don't be. I should've remembered how protective you are of anyone you consider a friend," Taylor said, thinking she was apologizing for her irrational behaviour earlier.

"No, I'm sorry about lying to you last night. I thought you'd get mad if I told you Jacob came in to check up on me. I shouldn't have lied. It's not our way." Bella glanced at him hopefully. "Forgive me?"

His features instantly softened. "Of course."

A moment passed before Taylor leaned forward and took her in his arms. Bella buried her head against his chest with a contented sigh, enjoying the way he held her tight. When Bella was in his arms, she always felt as though nothing could touch them.

"I hate fighting with you. It always feels..." Her voice trailed off, searching for the correct word.

"Wrong," Taylor supplied and Bella nodded.

Warm breath fanned her skin as Taylor nuzzled the crook of her neck. Her own breath quickened when he ran his hands up and down her back. She became overcome by a fierce desire to be closer to him and knew that he felt it too. Her mouth sought his and he kissed her back eagerly. And then, the world slipped back into focus.

Bella would fly off the handle, and Taylor would patiently wait for her to calm down and see reason again. This was how things were between them now. Taylor was the stabilizing force in her life.

"Get a room, you two!"

They separated when Liz and Angela entered the room. With one light kiss on her nose, Taylor left the table. But not before placing Bella's pillbox and a tall glass of green detox smoothie in front of her. He quietly exited the room, leaving Bella to enjoy the sight of him walking away. The man was such a tease.

"Guess you guys made up." Angela looked mildly disturbed as Bella began the seemingly arduous task of sorting and swallowing various pills.

Bella narrowly missed choking on her smoothie after catching the grossed-out expression on Liz's face. Watching Bella chug down the green brew, did a number on her friend's stomach.

"So, I ran into Quil on his way out this morning." Bella tapped her fingers on the table.

"I still can't believe you slept with that guy." Liz scrunched up her face.

"Hey! What's wrong with Quil?" Angela asked, puzzled at Liz's reaction.

Bella blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "He sleeps around."

Unfazed, Angela raised an eyebrow. "So do I."

"Not anymore. Not since Trent."

Pain flittered across Angela's face and Bella instantly regretted bringing up her ex-boyfriend. Breaking up with Trent - the man Angela used to call her soulmate - left a hole that hadn't fully healed. She doubted Angela would ever get over him completely.

Angela hid her pain behind a wall of indifference. "Last night I just wanted to have some fun and let off some steam. I asked Jacob to introduce us and well..." She shrugged. "Things took off from there. Quil and me were pretty upfront about our one night stand. I honestly doubt it's ever going to happen again."

"Are you sure this isn't the beginning of something?" Bella cast a dubious glance Angela's way.

"I had a good time, Bella. But I'm not looking for a relationship."

Bella was relieved by how matter of fact Angela was being about the whole thing. As long as Quil stayed away, Angela would be free to find a guy she could actually have a future with. Not the werewolf who was doomed to years of meaningless sex, until the day his imprint grew up.

With that settled, Liz was desperate to move on to an important topic. She leaned toward Angela with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "How was the sex?"

"He's definitely in my top three." A devilish smile lit up Angela's face.

"Start from the beginning. And don't you dare leave out any details."

"Shame on you, Bella. As if I need to get any bigger than I already am." Emily admonished with a smile as she sliced up the peanut butter cheesecake Bella had made for the visit.

"You're in for a treat, Emily." Liz claimed a seat at Emily's kitchen table.

"Yeah, you should've seen what we went through to smuggle that cake out of the house." Bella shook her head at the memory of three forlorn faces in the rear-view mirror as they drove out of the driveway.

Emily joined them at the table and started, a hand clutched her belly. "He's been kicking up a storm all day."

"What's it like being pregnant?" Liz asked, her curiosity genuinely piqued. There was something about pregnancy that fascinated her.

"You want the flowery TV commercial version or you want the truth?" Emily eyes sparked with mischief.

After some thought, Liz replied, "Truth."

As Emily began to entertain and horrify Liz with tales of varicose veins in strange places, and the agony of being kicked in the bladder, Bella allowed her mind to drift back to an earlier scene in her bedroom.

She'd been curled up in bed among the pillows, recipe book in one hand, a pencil in the other. Her mind had been rife with menu ideas for the cafe, but most of her focus was on Taylor's amazing voice as he sung in the shower. She hadn't heard him sing in such a long time. Of course there hadn't been a lot for him to sing about.

Her heart ached, remembering the last time he sang to her. It was the last time they would truly be happy. The next day, Alice and Carlisle would show up to tell Bella she had cancer.

So lost in her musings, Bella had missed when the shower stopped. However, the was no missing when Taylor entered their bedroom. His body and hair was still damp from the shower. He was completely nude, except for the dark blue towel clinging to his hips.

Muffin recipe forgotten. At that moment, the only thing she was capable of doing was gawking. If someone had asked Bella her name, her mind would've drawn a blank. Her eyes were drawn to every facet of his glorious body. She was mesmerized by the way water drops dripped from his hair and made their way down his tattooed back. The muscles in his arms flexed when he unwrapped the towel, using it to dry his hair with one hand, while searching through a drawer with the other. She couldn't help but admire the curve of his firm ass and muscular thighs.

Bella felt as though she was seeing Taylor through a fresh pair of eyes. Although Taylor had always been a handsome man, Bella still found herself more attracted to him than she'd been in a long time. Somehow throughout all the multiple hospital stays and operations, things had changed and she'd stopped seeing him like... this.

She refused to dwell on the feelings of regret and sadness. The longer she gazed at him, the more she remembered - not only what they had together - but what they'd lost too. And she wanted it back.

All of it.

Bella was yanked back to the present by Liz and Emily calling her name.

"Are you okay, Bella?" Acute concern in Emily's eyes while her hand absentmindedly stroking her belly.

Liz searched Bella's flushed face and asked, "What's going on with you?"

"Taylor and I haven't had sex since my diagnosis." Bella's declaration was met with shocked silence.

Liz was the first to speak. "Oh God! That's almost two years!"

"I know," Bella lowered her eyes, sinking deeper into her chair in embarrassment.

"Liz," Emily chided softly.

Liz was immediately contrite. "I'm sorry, Izzy. It's just- I was just shocked, that's all. I mean, to go from almost every night to this... drought must be torture."

Bella understood Liz's astonishment. Given that the draken were highly sexual creatures, a situation where one might be forced to go without sex for an extended period of time was inconceivable to her. When Ryan broke his penis during a weird sex act, forcing them to abstain until he healed, Liz's suffering was almost a bad as Ryan's.

"It's understandable. You guys were dealing with a lot at the time, Bella," Emily ventured gently.

"Yeah. It would've been jerky for Taylor to pressure you for sex while you were so sick." Liz agreed readily.

Sex had definitely been the last thing on her mind. Back then, managing her pain and making it to the toilet in time for another vomit session were the highest things on her list of priorities. She couldn't have imagine him finding her baldness and weight gain attractive. And then what was left of her sex drive, had been ruthlessly snuffed out by the antidepressants she'd been on at the time. In her mind, she knew it wasn't her fault. But in her heart, guilt reigned supreme. She felt as if she'd neglected Taylor and their relationship.

"Then there was the awkward factor of you guys living with your super-hearing vampire ex-boyfriend." Liz wrinkled her nose, and Emily chose that moment to spoon a bite of cheesecake into her mouth.

"You know? I thought for sure something would happen that night we went clubbing but then we ended up fighting and nothing happened. And now..."

"And now you're thinking about it?" Liz gave her a shrewd, assessing look.

Smiling against her knuckles, Bella could only nod her head.

"Then go for it."

"I agree with Liz. Get your life back."

Emily's encouragement came as a surprise to Liz since she kept sensing conflicting feelings each time Taylor's name came up in conversation. Even though Emily seemed to like Taylor, Liz didn't understand the puzzling traces of guilt she continuously gave off. It was as though Emily felt disloyal for liking him. When it came to Kim and Rachel, it was a different story. At first Liz thought they disliked Taylor. Soon she came to realize that their opposition mainly stemmed from Bella being with Taylor.

"I'm worried he hasn't made a move because he's not attracted to me like he was before." Emily would never know how much it hurt Bella's pride to admit that out loud.

However, Liz was another story as she immediately latched on to Bella's pain and doubt. She reached across the table and grasped Bella's hand. "Oh, Izzy. You know my brother's crazy about you."

"It's true, Bella. We can all see how much he loves you." Emily sounded as though she couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not.

Feeling confident, Bella grinned at them. "Then it's time to dust off my bag of tricks. But before that, I have some maintenance to do."

"Maintenance?" A frown marred Emily's brow.

"I sort of let the forest reclaim the land, if you know what I mean."

"Always nice to hear about your vagina, Izzy." Liz quipped and Emily covered her mouth, attempting to smother her giggles. She was largely unsuccessful.

Embarrassed, Bella swatted Liz's hand. "You're making it sound like I go around talking about my vagina all the time."

"I know you're still self-conscious about your weight, but you shouldn't be. You're still hot. If I were gay, I'd still totally do you."

Emily choked on her cheesecake and Bella groaned. "Oh my God, Liz. If you don't stop saying that people will think we slept together."

"Bitch, please. As if anyone will believe that all of this..." Liz gestured up and down her body before continuing, "is yours."

The ensuing laughter felt like weight lifting off Bella's shoulders.

"Have you two talked about Evan yet?" Emily inquired as Bella sobered.

Bella shook her head, heart twisting painfully in her chest. As always, the mere mention of Evan's name reopened wounds that never really healed. "I brought it up the other day and he totally shut me down."

Liz picked a piece of lint off Emily's tablecloth. "My brother would never admit this to you, but what happened with Evan... it broke his heart, Izzy."

"I know," Bella managed to whisper despite the tightness in her throat. God, the hurtful things she'd said to Taylor back then. Not to mention the awful things he'd said to her. Without a doubt, it had truly been the ugliest period in their relationship.

Feelings of guilt, pain and crushing sadness blanketed Liz, driving the air from her lungs. She instantly regretted telling Bella how Taylor really felt. The torment coming from her friend was too much to take. Instinctively, Liz tried to shut off her empathic abilities, and was disturbed to learn that she couldn't. That had been happening to her a lot lately. Belatedly she recalled her brother's warning against relying on her ability too much. With her control on the fritz, Liz only had two choices left. Leave the house in an effort to distance herself from the suffocating emotions pouring out of Bella, or attempt to distract her by changing the topic. She chose the latter.

"So what's the first step in your plan to get your sexy back?"

A grateful smile from Bella. "I was thinking I'd kick off Operation Get Some with-"

That was as far as Bella got before Liz and Emily burst into laughter.

"Oh God! Operation Get Some?" Liz choked out and then dissolved into loud cackles.

"Hey! What's wrong with OGS?"

"Oh, Bella. That's such a bad name." Emily wiped a tear from her eye.

Bella's defense of her name choice died on her lips when Carmen suddenly appeared in Emily's doorway.

"Hey, Emily. I'm here for the decoration list." Carmen's lips curved in a faint smile.

"It's on the table inside. I'll just be a second." Emily struggled out of her seat, a hand massaging her lower back as she lumbered out of the kitchen.

The entire time Carmen waited for Emily to return, her mouth thinned, dark eyes colder than a polar bear's ass. She gave Bella a once-over that communicated her disgust over them having to breathe the same air.

Bella noted the stubborn set of Liz's jaw and knew her friend was lying in wait - predator style - for Carmen to say something rude. Bella braced herself for yet another unpleasant encounter, but her worry was in vain. Carmen retrieved the list from Emily and left without saying another word.

"God, what is her problem?" Liz stabbed her cheesecake.

Something else troubled Bella. "What's Carmen doing with the shower list? I thought Amy was in charge of the planning."

"I forgot to tell you the shower's been moved to Jake and Carmen's house."

"Since when?" Bella faltered as she was hit by a strange emotion upon hearing Jacob and Carmen were living together. She immediately dismissed it. Of course they were living together. They were soulmates after-all.

"Since Carmen promised to take an active role in the pack-" Emily coughed, quickly realizing her mistake. "I meant to say tribe."

Lucky for Emily, Liz didn't question her slip. She seemed far more interested in hearing more about tribe politics. "What does that mean?"

Emily didn't see any harm in satisfying Liz's curiosity. "Jacob's being groomed to eventually take over his dad's position as chief of our tribe council. So that sort of makes Jacob our tribe's go to guy. If someone needs something, they go to Jacob."

"What does that have to do with Carmen planning your baby shower?"

"As Jacob's... girlfriend, it's Carmen's job to help shoulder some of his burden. She's supposed to be in-charge of planning all our events and fundraisers, but she's been pushing all of her duties off on the rest of us girls."

"I don't get it. Why doesn't she just help out?" Bella figured Carmen ought to have known about her duties after the Alpha of a wolf pack imprinted on her. Why the hell wasn't she pulling her weight?

"She has this superiority complex about her job being so much more important than ours." Emily rolled her eyes dramatically. "Jake used to let her get away with not helping out, but he finally put his foot down."

"So she's just hosting the shower to appease him." Liz concluded.

"Pretty much, yeah." Emily's expression turned sympathetic. "I hope you guys haven't changed your minds about coming to my shower."

Bella hurried to reassure her. "Of course not. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Me neither. I'm sure Carmen won't do anything to ruin your special day." From the anxious look Liz gave Bella, it was clear she didn't believe her own words.

If Carmen wanted to have a showdown with Bella, Emily's shower would be the perfect place to do it.

Jacob held the knife carefully in his hand, using its blade to carve ears out of wood. With his added strength, he would crush the small wooden animal if he wasn't too cautious. Carving animal caricatures was a hobby he engaged in when he needed to de-stress and clear his mind. Ever since his run-in with Bella a few days ago, the wolf had been riding him hard.

The wolf was a selfish, possessive creature. Now that Carmen's feelings had become the least of its concern, the wolf wanted him to go see Bella. It craved the sight of her and wanted to know everything about her. The beast was enamored by her sad eyes and her inability to control that runaway mouth of hers.

His jaw tightened, disgusted with himself for the way he almost lost control with Bella. Though she didn't seem freaked when she left, just a little weirded out by him. Thank God Trevor and Embry had been there to talk him down. There was no telling what the wolf would've done to her.

Jacob was in the backroom carving when he heard Mel and Tess enter his house.

"Did she say why she wanted us to come over?"

"No, but it sounded like she had some juicy gossip to share."

Listening to their chatter made him regret his decision to adopt an open door policy when it came to the pack. He wanted them to have access to him anytime they needed, day or night. Not many of them came over because Carmen insisted the house be their private space. Though she never seemed to have any problem with Mel and Tess dropping in without calling first. Fortunately Jacob was in a backroom of the house when they arrived, so no one even knew he was home.

It took some effort but eventually he managed to tune out the sound of their voices, and concentrate on the task at hand. They weren't aware that he was in the house as he'd left his truck at the workshop. Sometime later, he heard Carmen arrive.

"Did you get the list?"

"I did, but you'll never guess what I just overheard." Jacob paused in his carving when he heard the smile in Carmen's voice.

"What is it?"

"Bella and Taylor haven't had sex in almost two years."

Jacob's blade sliced through the wood as if it was butter, decapitating the bear's head from its body.

"Two years is a long time. But she had cancer, right? Maybe that's why." This came from Tess, who Jacob always thought of as the kinder of the two.

For the life of him, Jacob couldn't understand why Carmen would rejoice over a revelation like that. Seeing Carmen with her claws out, was beginning to change the way he saw her. And not for the better.

"It's not because of the cancer. Taylor can't bring himself to touch her ever since she cheated on him with some guy name Evan."

His grip tightened around the headless bear, crushing it.

Bella would never cheat. Jacob refused to believe she was capable of doing something like that. Not the Bella he knew.

Tess shared his uncertainty. "Are you sure, Carmen? Bella and Taylor seemed really into each other that night at the club."

"Heard it straight from the cow's mouth. She was whining to Emily and Liz about how Taylor wasn't attracted to her anymore."

"Well I'm not surprised at all. Remember this is the same girl that ran around with Jacob when she was still engaged to the vampire." Mel chimed in.

"I guess once a cheater always a cheater." Tess hesitantly agreed with her.

Through his continuous denials, slivers of doubt began to creep in. The longer he thought about it, the more it all made sense. He recalled Charlie mentioning how strained things were between Bella and Taylor. Soon after her diagnosis, Taylor'd left her. At the time Jacob had asked himself how Taylor could leave her at a time like that. Now he had his answer.

Two years ago Bella had betrayed the man she loved.

A/N: Bet some of you were surprised with the twists in this chapter. I'm rolling out the revelations, guys. Another big one coming in the next chapter.

I can't wait to hear your theories.

Review and receive your teasers folks.