AN: Thanks for all the reviews last chapter. Hopefully this very quick update will inspire you to leave even more reviews this time around ;)


Bella's POV:

Days passed with the same boring, mindless routine. Jane and Marcus showed no sign of leaving anytime soon, seeming to be watching us, just waiting for us to slip up. Almost as if they knew that we were lying, but they obviously didn't know anything for sure or they would have taken action, of that everyone was sure. I sometimes caught Marcus looking at Edward and I with an intense concentration and my heart hammered in my chest as I wondered how long we could keep this up. It was getting increasingly difficult to have Jasper around us at all times without looking suspicious. Everyone was constantly on edge and I didn't know how much longer we could go on like this.

I was going stir crazy as I rarely left the house. I'm sure Edward thought that if he let me out I would sneak out and see Jacob. And maybe I would. I'd like to think that I wouldn't put everyone in danger like that, but I just missed him so much. It was an intense longing that had culminated into a physical pain. The extent of our communication since we had last seen each other had been a few texts. Edward had instructed me to keep those to a minimum after he caught Jane peeking at my phone over my shoulder. When he told me I was infuriated at yet another violation of my privacy, but what could I do about it? Absolutely nothing. And that frustrated me to no end.

I was sitting alone in the house again as everyone was out hunting and Jane and Marcus found it so amusing that they went along every time. I was channel surfing and suddenly I had an idea.. It was crazy and impulsive, but somehow I knew I wouldn't regret it. I scrawled a quick note to Edward saying I was visiting Charlie so he would have an alibi for me. I ran to my truck and quickly shifted it into drive. Edward had picked it up for me from the treaty line the other day simply because I was nostalgic for something, anything from my old life. I arrived at my destination still running on adrenaline and still sure this was what I wanted.

I walked into the store and a bell chimed announcing my arrival. A tall, burly man with tattoos covering every inch of visible skin appeared from the back.

"How can I help you?" he asked gruffly.

"I'd like to get a tattoo," I answered, jutting my chin out and trying to instill confidence in my voice.

He eyed me up and down dubiously, as if there was no way a girl like me would walk into his shop on a random Friday night asking to be tattooed. I resented the judgment in his gaze, and the obvious stereotyping.

I stared back at him, determined not to be the one to look away first. "Will that be a problem?"

He snorted. "Jess'll be with you in a minute. There are books over there if you need ideas." he said, gesturing towards a small sitting area.

"That's alright; I know exactly what I want."

I sat down in one of the chairs and grabbed one of the many photo albums and began to flip through it. I admired the fine detail of some of the tattoos and laughed at the ridiculousness of others. I couldn't believe some of the things people chose to have permanently etched onto their bodies. But I reminded myself that no matter what the tattoo was, maybe it meant something to that particular person. My tattoo was definitely very meaningful to me, but a stranger flipping through a photo album would probably have the same reaction I was having to some of the pictures. And only a handful of the people in my life would understand the true significance of it.

"Hi, I'm Jess I hear you're looking to get a tattoo?" I looked up from the picture to see a pretty girl in her early 20's with long black hair and black eyes to match. She was also covered head to toe in tattoos, I guess that was a job requirement or something.

"I'm Bella and yes I am."

"Okay Bella, just follow me and we can get started." I followed her into a room in the back that was curtained off for privacy.

"So Bella, do you know what and where we're tattooing?" Jess asked as she pulled out a chair and pulled a cart full of equipment next to it.

"Um yes," I said as I watched her take a needle out of an individually wrapped plastic bag and attach it on to an ominous looking instrument. "I want it right here," I pointed to the spot on my left side below my armpit, right where my bra rested. "And well I'll draw you what I want. Do you have a pencil and paper I could use?"

"Yeah sure," she got up and left the room and I inspected the tattoo gun and the needle attached to it. It looked really sharp..

I rolled my eyes at myself. Of course it's fucking sharp, it has to pierce your skin repeatedly. Oh God, not a good train of thought. Jess reappeared with a pad of paper and a pencil in hand.

"Here,"

I went to work, trying to sketch a perfect likeness. I nibbled on the end of the pencil absentmindedly as I studied my sketch. I erased and redrew certain lines until I was satisfied.

"Do you have coloured pencils?"

She pulled a box from the bottom of the cart and handed it to me. I searched for the right pencil and filled the drawing with colour, blending the several colours together to get the exact right shade.

"This is what I want," I held the drawing up for Jess' inspection and she studied it thoughtfully, nodding all along.

"Mm okay, that's a really good drawing by the way."

"Oh thanks,"

She took the scary instrument of the cart and experimentally pressed on a petal that made the needle move up and down quickly. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," I replied with a weak laugh. I lifted my shirt over my head and pulled my bra down on the side.

She picked up the gun and brought it close to my side and I braced myself for the pain. The whirring sound announced that she had stepped on the petal and she brought the needle to my skin.

Oh, this isn't so bad. Definitely painful, but nothing unbearable. I quickly retracted those thoughts as she moved away from the more fleshy part and went over the bone. I lost my breath for a moment as a burning pain seared through my side. I squeezed tightly on the stress ball Jess had given me before we began. I closed my eyes, gritted my teeth and waited for it to be over.

"All done," she announced about an hour and a half later.

I walked over the full length mirror on the other side of the room. I looked at the small russet wolf that was now tattooed on my side and I gasped.

"Oh my, God. It's perfect!"

She smiled. "Glad you like it,"

I paid for the tattoo and Jess gave me all the aftercare instructions. I pulled back up to the Cullen's and I knew Edward would be mad that I lied to him, but I couldn't find it in me to care. I was still riding the high from getting my first tattoo. I walked inside and shrugged my jacket off. Edward immediately grabbed my hand and led me upstairs and I felt a weird sense of déjà vu.

"Bella, I told you you shouldn't go see Jacob! How can you put everyone in danger like that? We're just lucky I got you upstairs the last time before they could smell dog all over you!"

"I didn't go see him!" I insisted. "Take a whiff by all means. Do I smell at all like him?"

Edward sniffed the air and calmed down slightly. "No," he admitted. "But that doesn't mean you didn't see him. You could have had a shower this time."

"I didn't go see Jacob," I repeated firmly.

He looked at me appraisingly, then he probably remembered that I was a terrible liar and decided I must be telling the truth.

"Where did you go then?"

I didn't feel like sharing this with Edward, it was personal.

"I went out, I needed some time to myself."

"Bella.." he said warningly.

"It drives you crazy doesn't it?" He looked at me askance. "Not being able to know every little thing about me, not to see every thought running through my head."

He didn't say anything and I knew I'd hit a sore spot with him.

"Look Edward, you're just going to have to trust me when I say I wasn't doing anything that will jeopardize this. I just needed to get away for a couple hours, okay?"

There was a momentary pause before he answered, seeming to resign himself to the fact that I wasn't going to divulge to him every intimate detail of my life.

"Okay Bella, I trust you."

Jacob's POV:

"Dude, you need to chill out. Relax, have a beer." He tipped the one he was drinking towards me.

I turned on Quil. "How the fuck am I supposed to relax? My girlfriend is in the clutches of bloodsuckers and there's nothing I can do about it!" I ran my hair through my hair, wanting to pull it out in my frustration. "Every day I sit here on my ass and do nothing is another day her life is in danger."

Quil backed up, knowing better than to disagree with me right now. "I know, I know, but you said yourself there's nothing you can do, right? And Bella and Edward were already a couple so I'm sure they can act like they're still together and then the Voltoree or whatever the fuck it is will just leave."

"Oh great, that makes me feel so much fucking better." I growled. Did he think I hadn't already been thinking about that? He just had to bring it up and pour salt into a festering wound.

"O-kay," Quil said, inching closer and closer to the door. "I think I'm just gonna go, cause it's Friday night and you're killing my buzz."

"Yeah maybe you should go before your buzz isn't the only thing I'm killing." I replied menacingly. I really wasn't in the mood for his bullshit. He was the one that showed up at my house unannounced then takes off because I don't feel like partying while my girlfriend's life is in danger. I swear I need different friends.

He took off out the door, taking my threat seriously. My dad rolled in just then carrying groceries bags. I took them from him and placed them on the counter.

"Was that Quil I just saw running out of here?"

"Yeah,"

"Hmm," he said vaguely.

"What?" I asked, fixing him with a steely gaze.

"Just seems like there's a lot of people running out of this house lately."

Okay, he had me there.

"This time it wasn't my fault, he was being a jackass." I defended myself. "I'm worried about Bella and all he can think about is getting wasted."

"Cut him some slack Jake, he's just a kid."

"Uh Dad, we're the same age." I reminded him.

"I know, but it's not the same. You're an Alpha, you're genetically more mature and more capable of dealing with stressful situations. It's in your blood,"

I was surprised by this information, my dad had never really mentioned anything about my potential Alpha status before.

"Okay, but I'm not even the Alpha, Dad."

He muttered something under his breath that sounded like 'not yet'.

"What was that?"

"I said are you gonna help me put these groceries away or what?"

"Sure, sure," I said, still looking at him curiously, but he wasn't going to bite.

After I helped my dad put away the groceries I went into my room and laid on my bed. I stared up at the ceiling and wondered what Bella was doing right now. I ignored the incessant buzzing of my phone, knowing it wasn't Bella. I had set a special ring tone for her so I wouldn't get all pathetically excited every time my phone vibrated, because 9 times out of 10 it was just one of the guys. Apparently doucheward had told Bella not to text me as much, something about the Volturi leech creeping over her shoulder. Sounded like bullshit to me, he probably just thought if we didn't talk as much Bella wouldn't be thinking about me as much and he'd be free to move in on my girlfriend. But if Bella thought about me even half as much as I thought about her the leech's plan was failing miserably.

I hated feeling so helpless, and I especially hated the fact that Edward was the one protecting Bella while I just sat at home and twiddled my thumbs. It was maddening. I also couldn't remember the last time I'd gone this long without seeing Bella. Wait, scratch that. The last time was when I first phased and Sam ordered me not tell Bella about me. That seemed like a lifetime ago, so much had happened since then.

My phone went off with the ringtone I had set for Bella and I grabbed my phone instantly. I opened her text desperately.

'Love you, miss you, wish I could kiss you :p'

My heart melted as I read the text and I immediately saved it. Oh God, I am such a fucking girl. Quil and Embry would never let me hear the end of it if they could see my reaction to the simple words, the way I was clutching the phone to my chest as if it were Bella. I would definitely have to take care not to think about this when I patrolled tonight. I texted her back.

'Oh baby if you were here we would be doing a lot more than kissing ;)'

I sent another text after that.

'Ps love you more'

There was a few texts from Sam and I opened the first one.

'Everyone's at my house just hanging out, you should come over.'

I didn't really feel like socializing right now, but I needed something to take my mind off of everything. I just hoped that Quil wasn't part of 'everyone'. I rolled out of bed and walked into the kitchen where my dad sat reading the newspaper.

"Hey Dad, I'm gonna go over to Sam's."

"Alright, see you later."

I went outside not grabbing my keys, deciding to run there. I needed to relieve some tension. I made it to the tree line, shed my shorts and exploded into wolf form. I ran all the way to Sam's and it felt so refreshing to run just for the sake of running. Not running away from anything, not on duty, just running.

I phased back reluctantly and pulled my shorts back on. I walked into Sam's house to see the whole pack sitting around his living room. Everyone abruptly stopped talking when I walked in and looked over at me.

"What? Do I have bloodsucker in my teeth?" I joked, but nobody so much as smiled.

"Jake, can I talk to you outside?" Sam spoke up.

We walked outside and Sam closed the door firmly behind us.

"Oh this is perfect, they'll never hear us out here." I said with a roll of my eyes. What was with the theatrics?

"Jake, we're worried about you. You've been distracted lately, you're shirking your responsibilities and it's not like you. You were late for patrols the other night and when you are there you're not really there."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. First Quil and now Sam? I thought these were supposed to be my 'brothers'.

"Of course I'm distracted! My girlfriend is in a house full of vampires, one of whom is in love with her, and two that want to kill her!"

"I understand that Jake," I snorted, yeah he sounded very understanding. He gave me a fierce look and continued. "But your first priority is to your pack and you need to focus."

I shook my head. "I can't believe this. How would you feel if it was Emily in the same situation? Would you be 'focused'?" I asked putting air quotations around the word 'focused', mocking him.

"That's different Jacob," he said through gritted teeth, he was fighting to maintain control. I knew because I was waging the same battle between myself and my wolf. And right now my wolf was saying come on settle this the right way.

"How exactly is it different? Enlighten me," I knew I was being disrespectful to my Alpha, but right now I could care less.

"Because Emily would never get herself into a situation like this!"

I could hear the judgment in his tone and I knew what he was really saying. Emily would never get mixed up with vampires.

I was trembling, holding on to my last shred of self control.

"So you think it's her fault that all these bloodsuckers want to kill her?"

Sam was calm now, back to his usual level-headed self, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Jake, that's not what I meant."

"Isn't it though? So since this is all Bella's fault I guess that means you won't be fighting the Volturi if it comes to that." The words were out before I could stop them. That was definitely not how I'd wanted to broach that particular subject.

He sighed wearily, like I was a child asking for the same toy over and over again. "Jake, that's not our war to fight. That's between the vampires and I won't put the pack in the middle of it."

I wished I had something to hit or something to throw to release this frustration. "How can you even say that? We're talking about a human life. Bella's life!"

"I won't do it, Jake." His tone was final.

I was angrier then I had ever been and I waited to inevitably phase. But I stood there shaking, still in human form and I felt a weird ripple go through my body like something was shifting. I felt undeniably different, yet utterly the same. Which I realized made no sense and was an oxymoron in itself, but it was how I felt. I looked over at Sam perplexed.

The guys came running out of Sam's house.

"What's going on out here?" Jared asked.

Did they feel something to?

"Jake is Alpha now," Sam answered, looking none too pleased, but he didn't look like he was about to fight it, maybe he couldn't.

"I'm what?" I asked incredulously.

"You know it was always yours to take, Jacob." Sam said reproachfully.

"But I didn't do anything," I insisted, looking around at the shocked faces of the pack.

"It was time," Sam said simply.

I looked around the pack that was now under my control and wondered how a sixteen year old kid could possibly be expected to handle more.

Bella's POV:

"Well I'm gonna go have a shower," I announced unnecessarily. Everyone was too engrossed with the football game that was currently playing on the 65' flat screen.

I walked upstairs and hesitated at the door to Edward's room. No, it just felt too weird taking a shower in his bathroom. I grabbed some clothes from Edward's room and continued down the hall the bathroom connected to Alice's bedroom. I stripped off my clothes and stepped under the warm spray.
As it turns out it's incredibly hard to have a shower when you can't get your side wet, so this particular shower took quite a while longer than usual. Half an hour later I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel tightly around me. I got half dressed, leaving my shirt off until my hair dried a little more. I had my bra pushed up so it wasn't resting on the still sensitive skin. I was looking in the mirror brushing my hair when Edward burst in.

He looked surprised to see me. "Oh sorry Bella, I thought you would have been in my room. I just came in here to-" he trailed off suddenly as his eyes darted to my side. I blushed and dropped my arm to cover the tattoo.

"Bella what is that?"

"Nothing," I lied.

In a flash he was standing next to me and he gently but forcefully lifted my arm away.

He growled in anger. "That's just like a dog to..to mark you as his! How could you let him do this to you?"

I pulled my arm out of his grasp. "He doesn't even know about it you asshole!" I shot back as I angrily pulled my shirt over my head.

"This was your idea?" he asked, somehow seeming more appalled by this explanation.

"I don't owe you any explanations Edward." I told him.

"I-" he started, but he abruptly stopped talking and he rolled his eyes. "Jane is calling us,"

"I didn't hear anything," I said, straining my ears.

"That's because she didn't say it aloud. Come on," he nodded towards the door and I followed him downstairs.

Jane and Marcus were at the door with a bag full of the few possessions they had brought with them. They were leaving? They hadn't given any indication that they were going back to Italy. I didn't dare hope, it seemed to good to be true.

"Leaving so soon?" Edward asked sarcastically and I nudged him telling him not to egg them on.

"Your house, yes. Forks, well we're not quite done here yet." Jane answered.

I was confused. What was going on here? I surprised myself by speaking up.

"Why are you leaving here but not Forks?"

"We're going to meet Aro, he should be here by daybreak. See he wants to have a little chat with you two." Jane said, pointing towards Edward and I. "Well tata," she said with a wave. "It's been lovely." With that Jane and Marcus vanished into the night.

"What? Why is Aro coming here? Edward?" I asked desperately.

"They know we're not really together. They know we're lying about changing you." Edward said gravely.

I gasped. "How? How could they possibly know?"

Edward shook his head. "I don't know," I could tell it bothered him to say those words; he wasn't used to not knowing things. "Jane and Marcus are very good at controlling their thoughts."

"What are we going to do?"

"We are going to fight."