After Jacob drove Renesmee back home, he went back to La Push in hope to talk to both his father and Rachel about his mother – if they hadn't gone to bed with how late at night it was. He really didn't want to leave Ness with the condition she was in, but he knew she needed sleep and rest – something they both needed it, but Jacob knew he wouldn't sleep until he had the answers he wanted.
As he pulled up outside of the little red house he had called home for so long, Jacob slowly got out of his car and into the rain whiling closing the door gently on it so he wouldn't wake anyone up if they were sleeping. The front door opened quickly after that. As he looked up, he saw Rachel in the doorway looking sheepishly at her little brother.
Jacob's lips pursed a little as he turned around and locked his car before walking onto the wooden veranda, out of the rain. He glanced inside the house, not seeing his father. He looked back up to Rachel with sensing something wasn't quite right. "Dad's in bed?" he asked huskily and quietly while looking into his sister's chocolate eyes.
She nodded. "Yeah, he wanted to stay up to see you, but he's been up since dawn."
"I understand," he murmured, resting his arm against the frame of the house, looking out to the forest for a minute after hearing a sound like a twig been broken, but he sensed nothing out there –just the rain and forest, and him and his sister standing on the veranda together.
"So, what is going on with Renesmee?" Rachel questioned in a low tone, trying not to wake Billy. Jacob sighed and turned so his back was resting up against the structure of the house. He stared up at the ceiling while biting down on his lower lip, wishing he could just forget it all. He blamed himself for everything that had and was happening, but it wasn't really his fault at all.
"She's pregnant," he murmured, lifelessly.
Rachel's face started to beam with hearing the words. She had always wanted to be an aunt, but she had never thought it would before she started her own family, but that didn't look like it was going to happen anytime soon with Paul. "Jacob, that's amazing news! I'm so glad for you," she said in a thrill.
He glanced down at her and shook his head without moving his position. "It's not that simple Rach. The baby is part vampire, its growing fast, and because Ness is also part vampire, she can't change for the baby to have enough room."
Rachel's eyes lost the bright glimmer they had with hearing Jacob. She didn't know what to think now. She realized Jacob wasn't excited about it like she thought he would be, so she knew he was worried. She couldn't believe at how hard his life was. First their mum, then Bella and now Renesmee with the baby. . . Why can't, his life just be normal, she thought.
Everything went quiet after that. The only sound around them that could be heard was the rain falling upon the already wet and green ground and trees around the house. Jacob took in a silence deep breath of the fresh, cool air while still staying still and keeping himself calm as he could. He really just wanted to go back to the Cullen's house and be by Ness's side, but he wasn't leaving without the answers he was seeking so badly, he just didn't know where to start asking though.
A small glimpse of lightning flashed across the sky, lighting up everything around them like the light of day for a few seconds before everything went dark again. Jacob took in another deep breath and closed his eyes. His hands gripped the frame of the door behind him as he leaned closer to it. "Why didn't you tell me about Jaden and mum?" he questioned in a deep tone. He was only just in control of his tone of voice and the trembling going through him. He was hiding just how upset he was very well.
Rachel fell silent after that and stared at the old wooden floor boards of the veranda, not sure how to answer his question. She knew this day would come sooner or later, but for a faint second she thought years back, her little brother would never find out about their half-brother or the gory death of their mother. It was never meant to have happened, but it did. She had hoped, wished and prayed he wouldn't ever found out the truth.
"I'm sorry Jacob. We were only just trying to protect you," she murmured.
Jacob's eyes opened slowly as his head tilted to the side to look at her through the darkness of the night. His eyes were black now. He wasn't as annoyed with Rachel as he was with Jaden. "So it's true," he murmured in a way which put his words in more of a statement of fact than question. He looked at her from the corner of his eyes. His jaw was clenched tight, as were his hands. He understood why they had lied, but that didn't really stop him from being a little annoyed.
"How did you find out?" she asked after a moment, hoping to let Jacob calm down a little. She knew Jacob didn't have as much control over phasing like the others did, because it came so much more naturally to him, but she also knew Jacob would never hurt her intentionally.
"Jaden," he murmured stiffly. "He keeps tacking us down somehow."
"Tracking is his specialty Jacob. Just like James with Bella," she murmured.
Years ago, Jacob had learnt the real story behind how Bella had broken her leg and had told Rachel only a couple of years ago. Both of them, including Billy knew most vampires were good at tracking those they wanted, but those who loved sports like hunting when they were human were perfect at the game – and that was how they saw it too. It was a game of cat and mouse to them.
"I wish he were lying," Jacob said huskily and let out a breath he had been holding without realizing.
Rachel looked to him intently, wondering if she should tell him what she was thinking. She really didn't want Jacob to know she knew what Jaden was like. She had met him on more than just one occasion without her father, brother or even twin sister knowing. Even Paul didn't know. After a couple of moments, she chose to speak, so her little brother would know and stay safe. "Jacob, if there's one thing about Jaden, he doesn't lie often. He is serious with the things he says will happen, whether you believe it or not, he will carry through."
Jacob scoffed lightly. "He said mum was a werewolf. That's a lie, we both know that. How do you know what he's like? Please don't tell me you-"
Rachel cut him off midsentence. "I know Jacob, because. . ." she trailed off after a minute and bit down on her lip. Jacob watched her closely now, wondering what she was going to say. His gaze stayed on her, not letting any emotion he saw upon her face or sensed within her pass him by. He didn't pick up on much though. "When you were little, just a few years after mum died, you were playing on the beach and he came up to you. I was watching you from the house and knew it was him. I knew if you were alone, he would kill you. I was annoyed and wasn't thinking. I said to him, how he could pick someone like you, who couldn't protect themselves or even try to fight. That was when he promised me he wouldn't touch you then, but when you were older and could fight. I didn't make him promise that Jacob. He just said it and disappeared. And, he's kept it this long and not broken it. If he doesn't keep promises, then he would have broken it before now."
Rachel spoke so quickly Jacob was barely able to keep up. He understood what she was saying, but still. . . He shook his head, still annoyed. His arms crossed over his chest as he stared out at the forest. He didn't remember that day, but there were a lot of days back then Jacob didn't remember because he didn't want to for the pain they caused. Over the years, days around his mother's death he forgot completely.
"I think he said mum was a werewolf because he doesn't know where his wolf gene has come from Jacob. He wasn't brought up on the Quileute legends like us. He doesn't know our family like we do," she said after a moment. He looked back to her with understanding what she was saying. But that still didn't mean Jaden didn't lie.
With hearing a crack of thunder, Jacob looked out to their driveway. He keeps the promises he makes, he thought. Suddenly his body shook with a memory of something Jaden had said. It scared him to think what may have happened if they hadn't come when they did. Jaden had warned them to go home before it was too late. He couldn't help but wonder what may have happened if they hadn't come home at all. He didn't want to think about it.
Jacob looked out at the stormy night sky from under the cover of the veranda. Maybe someone is watching out for us, he thought with a light sigh. He knew if it hadn't been for Renesmee being pregnant they wouldn't be home now. They would have never come home unless something like this had happened.
Abruptly, everything went silent, and Jacob noticed. It was too quiet. The silence was almost deafening. It was eerie and putting him on edge, but Rachel didn't notice it one bit. She just stared at her brother, knowing he was suddenly upset by something.
Jacob kept looking around the house and forest, searching for something – any sound from the forest, any sign of life, but it was all hiding. From the storm, maybe, but he thought not. Jacob had been listening to the frogs croaking just minutes ago and crickets just near the house. Even the rain sounded wrong now. The abrupt crack of thunder made him jump inside and his muscles tense. The light of night was getting darker.
His inner wolf snarled suddenly. After another crack of thunder and then a flash of lightning, it revealed something in the driveway. His eyes narrowed as he stood away from the frame of the door and focused on the figure – the figure of a human.
The figure was walking up to the house slowly. Jacob growled with seeing the familiar face in another flash of lightning. Rachel looked between her little brother and the shape she couldn't make out with trying to work out what was going on. She was confused by what was upsetting Jacob. Her eyes went to the figure one more with seeing Jacob's was fixed on it.
"You came home Jacob. I'm surprised," Jaden smirked with his hands in the pockets of his light blue denim jeans, looking up to Jacob with a crooked smirk on his face. His black v neck tee shirt and hair was dripping wet from the rain Jaden had been out in for hours, but it didn't bother him. Nothing bothered Jaden, unless he didn't get his way.
Jacob's jaw clenched with hearing his words. "Trust me, it wasn't out of any threat you placed upon me," he snarled and crossed his arms over his chest, trying to remain calm, but he didn't hide a thing from Jaden. He noticed and sensed just how uncomfortable his brother was. Jaden smirked cockily with liking was he was seeing from Jacob's body language.
"So, did you two talk over about your mother?" he quizzed next, looking to Rachel, who was now leaning against the side frame of the door, with her arms lightly crossed over her chest to, and her gaze upon the floor boards of the veranda. Jacob looked over to Rachel with sensing her become nervous with Jaden's words being said. He took a step over to her and wrapped his arms around her protectively and glared back over at Jaden who had taken a step onto the veranda. He growled in warning.
"Get, off, these lands, now!" Jacob snarled with holding Jaden's black graze. The words of Jacob's threat only made his smirk grow.
"Or else what, brother?" he edged. "I have as much right as you do to be on these lands. I could easily be an Alpha too, you know."
Those words stuck Jacob with sudden shock. He was right. He could be and that would make things all the more worse, but he would be a pack of one. No one Jacob knew would join up with him willingly, and he was pretty sure no normal werewolf or vampire would join up with him either. He was no threat to Jacob with being Alpha, unless Jaden's Alpha voice was stronger than his own. But that was next to being impossible.
Jacob let go of Rachel with feeling himself losing control quickly. He could be so composed and have so much self-control over his inner animal some days, but with Jaden, that all went out the window. There was just something about him which made Jacob lose it.
"Or else, you want to see or else?" he snarled and glared him in the eye, only metres away from Jaden. "Alright, or else, I'll cut you down, right here, right now without you even been able to take a breath!" Jacob's inner wolf was taking over. He no longer knew what he was saying.
Jaden just laughed. "Oh, I am so scared," he said. "How about we make it a little more interesting, hmm, Jacob? Winner gets Renesmee?"
Jacob's eyes narrowed into slits. He was trembling so hard it was hard for him to even see straight anymore. He didn't say a thing as he was trying to get his control back over the actions of his body. He turned away and stepped back into the direction of the door to the house, until he stopped dead with hearing his half-brother's new words.
"And the baby. . ."
Jacob half turned. He was in shock of Jaden knowing that already. He had no clue, no idea how Jaden would know that so soon after even he, himself didn't know fully until a couple of hours ago. It had only been a guess before that. There was no way he could have known, and yet he did.
Rachel stared at Jaden, shaking her head lightly. He looked to her and smirked, knowing how to really get Jacob to lose it properly. "And how is Paul, Rachel?" he said with a sickening smile. Jacob looked to Rachel and then Jaden in confusion. He didn't understand why Jaden would so suddenly bring Paul up like that. He instantly knew that he was playing a mind game of some kind. His guard was up and he stayed focused so whatever Jaden flung at him next, so it wouldn't upset him or lose track of what his half-brother was trying to achieve. Jacob knew how Jaden's mind games worked, and if he knew they were coming, at times he could stay in control and look past them.
"Paul is fine," Rachel said all too quickly.
Jaden snickered. "Really? How would you know? You haven't spoken or seen him since he hit you that day a couple of months ago."
Jacob's eyes went wide from Jaden to his sister's, just in time to see the glassy look of sadness and pain before she closed her eyes and looked away. It was only then he noticed the very light red mark on the side of her face. He had been too focused on making sure Renesmee was okay to have taken any notice to it earlier. His eyes widened in shocked once more. A strong tremble went through his body and made him lose it. It had been just what Jaden wanted. He knew both Jacob and Paul would get into a serious fight now, one which could make the whole pack fight if he played his cards right, then he would have Jacob alone and wide open.
Jacob jumped as he phased and pushed Jaden to the ground. Both his huge, russet paws were pressing down upon Jaden's shoulders. They held each other's gaze, with Jacob snarling and Jaden smirking with confidence and pleasure of succeeding in making his brother lose it properly. Jacob didn't hear Rachel shouting at him to calm down. He was too focused on getting the job over with, but Jaden disappeared before he could make another move.
Quickly Jacob looked around himself, around the wet ground, house, roof, driveway and forest, but there was no sign Jaden had been around at all, let alone still around. He snarled, highly frustrated he had gotten away again. But Jacob knew, one day, Jaden wouldn't get away so fast or easily.
With remembering Paul, he started to run off towards the trees. He wasn't going to get away with this! He wouldn't stand for his sister to be a doormat for a dick Jacob thought Paul was. He wouldn't stand him treating her like he had. Jacob hadn't liked Paul imprinting on Rachel in the first place and this just put the topping on the cake for him.
Just as he was about to hit the cover of the forest, he finally heard Rachel shouting out to him to stop and listen to her. He slowed his run down and took in a deep breath to calm himself a little before he turned around and looked her in the eye. She was still crying. Tears ran down her cheeks freely as she sobbed loudly.
Soundlessly, the lightning flashed overhead, making the details of just how upset his sister was more visible to Jacob. It hurt him to see her like this – so upset and crying. He and Rachel were just like twins. They were just that close.
"Jacob, don't confront Paul, please," she said, almost begging him.
He looked over his shoulder and sighed again. He phased back to his human form so he could talk with her, even know it was the last thing he wanted to do. He was leaning down in the grass when he was finally back to his human form. "Why, why shouldn't I Rach? He hurt you, and not just physically but emotionally too. I can see it in your eyes Rachel. I warned him not to do anything stupid like this. I am not going to stand for you being hurt, seeing it and not doing anything about it!"
She just shook her head and let the tears keep on falling down her face. "I pushed him too far Jacob. It was my fault. He didn't mean to. Please, just don't . . . you know Jaden is just trying to get you into a fight with the pack."
He bit his lower lip and looked away from her. It was true, he did know that, but it didn't stop him from being pissed at Paul for what he had done. He pushed his thoughts and feelings to the side with shaking his head and stood up. He wiped her tears away with his index finger and brought her into his arms to comfort her, the best he could.
After a couple of minutes thinking about it in almost silence, Jacob realized, Rachel wouldn't be the only one who was hurting if Paul didn't do it on purpose like Rachel said –and what he knew deep down was true. Rachel was Paul's imprint, and Jacob had seen him change so much over the couple of weeks after that. He really would be ticked off at himself too, and not to mention hurting because of what he had done to her.
"I'm going to go and talk to him," he murmured after a while of holding her.
She looked up to him and chocked back the lump in her throat which had formed from crying so hard into his shoulder. "No, Jacob, don't, please," she sobbed and leaned back into his shoulder.
His index finger touched her chin, making her look him in the eye. "Talk, that's it. Though, it won't stop me from punching him in the face if he's going to be a dick about it," he said with coating his voice with humour, trying to get her to laugh instead of cry. It worked. He actually heard her giggle slightly as he nodded.
"You really need to get to know him Jacob. He's had a tough life," she murmured. He sighed with hearing that. He hadn't ever really been able to get close to Paul. He always had a guard up, a wall, a wall that no one seemed to be able to break through. Paul had always been closer to Sam and Jared than anyone else in the pack. He didn't let anyone into his life. But maybe, he had let Rach in.
She looked up to Jacob and smiled lightly before suddenly realizing Jacob was completely naked. She slapped him across the chest lightly. "Get some clothes on Jacob!" she said harshly and took a couple of steps back away from him. He couldn't help but laugh a little at that before turning a little shy.
"Yeah, like I chose to be this way in front of you Rach. It's a wolf thing," he said while rubbing the back of his neck. Before he knew it, her jumper was getting thrown in his face. He looked at her confused with what to do with it.
"Put it on."
He started laughing. "Like that's going to cover anything."
"Get some clothes on right now mister!"
He rolled his eyes at her. Anyone could say what they liked about Rachel, but one thing she was really good at, was being bossy. She could be, sweet, kind and caring, and she always shocked people when she became bossy all of a sudden, even her father and brother she shocked at times.
Jacob went to step towards the house when Rachel stopped him. "Don't, step out of that grass Jacob," she warned in a deep tone.
"I thought you wanted me to get dressed?" He looked up at her confused and went to take another step towards the house.
"Don't, you dare Jacob Black!" Quickly Rachel bent over and picked up a handful of little acorns and started to throw them at Jacob. He raised his hands in defence.
"Hey, hey, hey! Rach!" he shouted. "Okay, okay, I'm going!" Just as she threw the last acorn, it hit Jacob on the head and stayed there as a squirrel jumped down from a tree above him and onto his head before jumping back into the tree with the acorn in hand. Jacob rolled his eyes and let out a huff as Rachel couldn't stop laughing. Game s squirrel, Jacob thought with a bit of a laugh to himself.
"Yeah, real funny, sis," Jacob said with a slightly smirk on his face. He had been trying to hide it.
Jacob headed for the cover of the forest before phasing and running towards Paul's house. He was the only one running. It was late at night and the storm was finally starting to clear off. The sound of thunder could be heard every now and then, and the lightning could only be seen over the mountains now.
As Jacob ran through the forest, he passed trees, logs and boulders. He ran along the river dividing Forks and La Push and listened to the sound of the water running over the rocks quickly. Every now and then you could hear a howl coming from him. As he approached Paul's house he stopped. He looked through the trees and upon the house. Inside he could hear an older man's voice shouting loudly. He wondered what was going on and then saw Paul walking out of the house. His whole body was tense and shaking hard. Jacob could hardly see Paul's figure he was shuddering so hard.
He stepped back into the cover of the forest as Paul joined him and phased. Angry thoughts soon filled his head. They were so fast he couldn't pick up on even just one.
'What's going on?' Jacob thought, catching Paul off guard, making him snarl and then back down with seeing the rightful Alpha now running along beside him.
'Never thought I would see you here again . . . Buzz off pup,' he thought and started to run faster. 'I don't need you in my life to make things worse.'
Jacob growled with hearing that and jumped in front of Paul's path, making the grey wolf stop dead in his own tracks. 'I'm trying to care, you dick!'he shot back and looked Paul in the eye, only to get a snarl back in response. He rolled his eyes, thinking how he should have known better than to think trying to care and getting to know Paul would be easy! The things he did for his sister!
Paul's thoughts stayed silent for a moment. 'And why would you care? You left us, remember?'
Jacob's eyes rolled again, knowing they could both shoot back at one and other all night and forever long, but it wasn't going to help anything. 'Was that your dad back there?' he thought, and looked back towards the house and then back to Paul.
After a moment, Paul shrugged his shoulders. 'Yeah, I guess you could say that.'
'What's he so mad about?'
'He's drunk. Like usual! What are you doing here Black?'
'Look. I know that you hit Rach and I had originally came here to kick your ass, but, Rach talked me out of it and talked me into getting to know you. I know you wouldn't hurt her intentionally, and I know how easy it is to lose control. So don't make this hard for me Paul. I'm doing it for Rach."
Paul scoffed and rolled his eyes. 'Whatever pup! Get out of my road! Like Rachel cares about me now!' He went to run off again when Jacob jumped back into his path.
'Believe it or not, she does Paul, and I know you still care about her.'
'Whatever,' he growled and got past Jacob before starting to run off and away from him.
Jacob shook his head, annoyed he hadn't been able to get through Paul's wall tonight. But he knew sooner or later he would . . . hopefully. He turned back towards home to get some sleep. When he finally got there on dawn, the whole house was asleep. He really wanted to go to the Cullens' and stay with Ness for the night, but he knew she would be fast asleep and he didn't want to wake her. The very second Jacob's head hit his pillow, he was asleep. He was just that tired.
Thanks for all the wonderful reviews on the last chapter guys. Keep them coming in! Love to hear what you all have to say. I know there's not much Renesmee and Jacob in this chapter, but it was a very important chapter for both Rachel and Jacob. Hope you all are enjoying the story so far.
Love you all, - Sky xoxo