Chapter 14
Rated M
Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I didn't plan to get another chapter out, and I'd like to say the guest begging didn't help, but it did. Had some time today and maybe for the rest of my vacation. After the weekend though, I don't see this many updates. So begging won't help. Thanks to Plain Jane and Pastoneonta for the detailed reviews. They are helpful in the writing process. Anyhow, I'll shut up now. Thanks for reading!
He took the letter from her hands and read it over. Once he was close enough he recognized the putrid smell. There wasn't much to read, but he looked up to Bella, wondering her reaction.
Her back was to him and she stood staring out the window. It was pitch black outside, so she wasn't looking at anything. She was lost in her thoughts.
Why? Why now? What happened back when she was younger to bring something like this? Why can't they use a phone like normal people? Why can't they respect her privacy like she asked?
Jacob stood in front of her and waved his hand in front of her glassy eyes. When that didn't snap her out of the trance, he reached over and touched her arm. That worked.
"What does this mean? 'Alice can't see you,'" he asked, pointing to one of the few sparse sentences.
Shakily, she sat on the air mattress and looked up at him.
"Alice can see the future, or parts of it at least, and mine is gone."
"Gone?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
She stared at him waiting for him to put the pieces together. Gone, meaning there wasn't a future for her.
With realization of the meaning, he sat in front of her. Unlike Bella, he didn't trust vampires. He needed to know more before blindly following such a statement.
"Has she ever been wrong?"
"I don't think she has ever been wrong. Her visions are open to interpretation. They're based on someone's decision, but that can change. When you wake up in the morning, you might be thinking pancakes for breakfast. But when you get in the kitchen, you see the dirty dishes piled in the sink and decide cereal would be easier," Bella shrugged. She had always believed faithfully in her friend's visions.
"So, what if you being 'gone' is a misinterpretation of the truth?"
"What if it means I die soon?" she asked, her eyes brimming with tears. She dropped the note onto the ground. Damn, Alice and her interference.
Jacob didn't know what to say exactly. He'd been living in the supernatural realm for so long that things like this no longer surprised him. Of course, he knew that if she died, there was a possibility that he could as well.
He swallowed thickly. The implications were not happy ones. Twice in one night he sat by while she cried. Facing the possibility of one's death affects people differently. For Bella, it was exhaustion. She couldn't think about it anymore. She lay down and turned on her side. She closed her eyes and through the leftover snuffling was able to fall asleep.
Still not on board with the prediction, Jacob stood and left the room. He lay in his own bed drifting in and out of sleep. In the morning, he would be sure to do a thorough patrol of the area. It was frustrating to be on his own, but he didn't wish phasing again on his brothers.
A shrill screaming woke Jacob and he was on his feet and running. He flew into Bella's room and saw her sitting up in bed staring at the wall. Her heart was beating double time and her eyes were so wide, it was spooky. The screech continued like she was seeing something that wasn't there.
Jacob used his senses to determine there wasn't anything in the house and he leaned in front of Bella to see her eyes were open, but unseeing. The screaming was killing his ears and he called her name a couple of times to no avail. Finally he grabbed her and held her close to him.
"Jake?" she said, blinking, looking around the room to take in her surroundings. When she realized she was awake and that it had been a nightmare, she threw her arms around his neck and sobbed.
"Oh my gosh. That was an awful nightmare," she finally let out.
He held her and rubbed his hand up her back. Her heart beat slowed and she laid her head on his shoulder, enjoying the comfort he brought her after a terrifying dream.
"What did you see?" he asked when he thought she was calm enough to talk about it.
"There were other vampires. Vampires that weren't the Cullens. They were chasing me. Edward killed one of them. They promised to be back, to find me." She shivered with the memory.
"Anything else you can remember?"
"The one that Edward killed was a woman. She had bright red hair, like a fire burning. The other two were men, and he promised that no one would get away with what had happened."
Once Bella had her wits about her, she realized where she was seated. She squirmed a little trying to get up. But when she looked up at Jacob, she realized he had that dark look in his eyes again. She wondered if that was the wolf part of him coming out.
She released her arms from his neck, and tried to get up. His arms squeezed her gently. Leaning back, she glanced at his face. Still that look.
"Can I get up now?" she requested quietly.
All she got in return was a soft growl. She was embarrassed to admit that she liked him holding her and in reality, she didn't want to get up. She just thought she should.
His fingers gently explored her face, brushing her hair out of her eyes and tucking it behind her ears. The touch gave her shivers. He noticed and rubbed his hands up and down her arms.
Again, he felt enchanted by her. Her smell was perfect, a light floral scent that he couldn't quite name, but he knew he could find her if he was blindfolded. She was so trusting and she calmed him without trying to. Slowly he leaned his face toward hers. He expected her to move away a little, but when she didn't, he placed a warm kiss on her cheek, and then another. Lightly he kissed her face, to her neck and stopped at her shoulder.
He held her body against his and let his head rest on her shoulder this time. He pulled from her strength and took that calming energy she seemed to exude. When he hadn't moved or said anything for a little while, Bella ran her hands over his back.
"You ok?" she asked him.
"No," he whispered. "Not a bit."
"Earlier I'm convincing Danni that everything is okay and nothing has changed, but here, with you in my arms, I know that it has." He couldn't look at her face. None of this was her fault and it was a difficult place for the 3 of them to be.
"Maybe I should leave, Jake," she offered again.
He grunted. "No, you can't."
He lifted his head up and started kissing her shoulder again. He'd breathe in deeply to pull in as much of her scent as possible.
"Is this okay?" he asked, seeking permission.
She nodded her head a little and he continued his light exploration of her neck. As he kissed around the front of her neck, she leaned her head back, sighing. He lingered at the front of her neck, rubbing his nose there and kissing alternately. His tongue slipped out and tasted her skin.
Heaven the wolf thought. The man kind of agreed.
Bella squeezed her legs lightly onto Jacob's side. She was enjoying the attention he was giving her and the warmth. Two things she hadn't had, ever. Jacob's hands slipped down to her hips and gripped them tenderly. He pulled her closer to him and she found herself pushing against him, seeking something, though she wasn't sure what. She'd never done this with a man, nothing even this close. Her body was on fire and her brain had stopped thinking rationally the moment he asked if it was okay.
Just when she thought he would never kiss her on the mouth outside of her dreams, he did. It was tentative at first, testing, soft. He hadn't kissed another woman since he was in high school. His fingers slipped up under her tank top and the feeling of her soft skin on his fingers was amazing. He didn't push up, just moved them tenderly at the top of her shorts.
Finally he pulled away and looked at her with a mix of emotions. Adoration, confusion, lust for sure.
"I'm not ready for this," he admitted, almost too quietly to hear. He should have pulled away and left the room. But he didn't. Instead, he hugged her and laid her back on the air mattress. She pulled the blanket back up over her body to her nose. She inhaled deeply, recognizing Jacob's scent that was on the blanket. It was probably the best smell she'd ever breathed in her life.
He sat beside her with his feet crossed, legs folded, his arms wrapped around his knees. Neither spoke.
When Bella awoke in the morning, he was gone. Not just from the room, but from the house. She ventured into the kitchen and found a note on the refrigerator that he had gone to work for the day. He told her she should call Emily, but if she needed him not to hesitate to call.
After taking a shower and eating breakfast, Bella finally called Emily. Emily was thrilled and told her to come right over. She gave Bella careful directions and told her she would see her soon.
The two hit it off smashingly. Bella didn't have any human friends here, but to have a friend that knew all of the supernatural facts as well, she was super happy about that. They talked all day and Bella helped Emily with laundry. She insisted that she was so bored she would lose her mind soon if she didn't have something worthwhile to do.
Emily had been overwhelmed with housework, so she let the other woman help her out. All the while they talked about imprinting, the old pack, what Emily knew of the Cullens and the treaty. Overall, it was a productive day.
Nearing 4 o'clock, she told Emily she'd better head back to Jacob's house, so he wouldn't start worrying about her. Now that she knew a little more about imprinting, she understood her need to calm him and his need to know that she was safe.
She made a simple but hopefully kid-friendly dinner-chicken quesadillas. She hadn't talked to Jacob about dinner plans so she hoped this was okay.
Bella watched the clock and when 5:00, then 5:30 and then 6:00 rolled around, she figured Jacob had taken the kids out to eat. She wrapped up most of the ingredients, but left out enough to make her own dinner.
She was sitting at the table eating when she heard the garage door open and his truck pull in. She pretended to be doing something on her ipad in order to look casual when they walked in the door.
"Bella?" Jacob called.
"In the kitchen," she answered.
Jacob and the kids walked into the kitchen. They stood a little behind him, looking a little wary at the unknown woman in their house.
"Hi guys," she said. "Did you eat?"
"Yes, we stopped and got something. Sorry I didn't call but we needed to have some time together," he apologized, but avoided direct eye contact with her.
"This is Hope and this is Ryker. Guys, this is Bella, daddy's friend I told you about," he introduced her.
"You'll be really safe here," Ryker told her, confident in his dad's abilities to beat people up. Besides, he had beat Uncle Paul up a long time ago, there was no doubt he could do it again.
Her eyes flicked to Jacob asking a silent question. He shook his head subtlety indicating he hadn't given the kids the full version.
"Thanks, Ryker. I appreciate you guys letting me crash in the guest room. Nice to meet you too, Hope," she smiled at his kids.
"Nice to meet you too, Miss Bella," Hope finally said, peering out from her hiding spot behind Jacob's legs.
"All right you two, it's shower time and story time, like I said on the way home. Then you can play for a little bit before bed time," he told them. They both waved to Bella before heading to their rooms to do as their dad had asked.
"Daddy, can you wash my hair?" Hope called out from her doorway.
"Call me when you're ready, sweetie," he told her.
Jacob saw the pans sitting in the drainer and realized that Bella cooked dinner. He didn't say anything at first, but after he opened the fridge and saw the bowl of cooked chicken, assorted toppings and tortillas, he understood what had happened.
"Did you cook for us?" he questioned.
She shrugged. "It's okay. I didn't hear from you and after spending the day with Emily, I wanted to do something nice for everybody."
"I'm sorry that we weren't here and that I didn't let you know. I should've," he apologized, feeling like an ass after purposely blowing her off. After the previous night, he was unsure of how to act around her, so he decided to take the kids out to avoid coming back to the house with her there.
"Really, Jake. It's all right," she threw her paper plate away and drank the last of her water. Then she grabbed her ipad and walked out of the room.
She sat on the couch, searching different news outlets on her ipad, catching up on the world news. Unsurprisingly, she didn't find any stories about wolves or vampires. She was playing several different games and had settled on one when Hope sat down beside her, peering at her game.
"What are you playing? Is that Farm Frenzy?" she inquired.
"It is. Do you know how to play?" Bella asked her, happy to have something in common with the young girl.
"A little bit. My cousin Will plays it on his tablet. I usually kill the animals because I run out of water," she admitted.
"Oh well, there's a trick to that," Bella started, as she turned the tablet and explained a few tricks she had learned. She handed over the tablet and let Hope play for a little while, coaching her here and there on how to do it all.
"Okay, guys, it's time for stories and bedtime," Jacob announced.
"Will you be here tomorrow night too?" Hope asked, glancing at the ipad.
Bella nodded, chuckling. She wasn't sure if the young girl was more interested in her or the game.
Once Jacob got the kids to bed, he told Bella he was exhausted and heading to bed. He told her it was fine if she wanted to stay awake and watch TV. She thanked him and stayed on the couch, putting in another one of the comedies Embry had left there.
Sometime after 10, she decided she ought to head to bed herself and turned all of the lights off. She tiptoed to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of ice water. She stood staring out the kitchen window into the pitch black night wondering what had changed since the previous night. Clearly Jacob regretted what he did. She was ashamed that she didn't stop him.
Before he spoke, she knew he was there. In her chest, she could feel the slightest squeeze when he wasn't, and when he was close it was gone. Thankfully Emily talked about it, so now she recognized the previously unknown feeling.
"Hi," he said.
"Hey," she whispered back. "I thought you were asleep."
"I couldn't sleep," he admitted. "My mind is too loud right now. And the wolf is mad at me. Is it okay to leave you for a bit so I can go run a little? I won't go far."
"Of course. Go. We'll be fine."
He stepped closer to the back door, which also happened to be closer to Bella. He reached out like he was going to touch her, but let his hand drop. Pulling open the back door, he glanced back at her.
"Make sure you lock this, would you?"
She followed him out and watched him walk into the forest. She locked the door as he requested. She retreated to the living room, not sure if she needed to let him back in.
That was where she dozed off and he found her sleeping when he got back. He was sweaty from the run, but feeling better physically and emotionally. It was not doing him any favors to avoid phasing, so he'd have to start making it part of his daily routine again. Jacob took a quick shower to rinse his body off and went back to the living room. He debated whether or not to leave her on the couch or move her to her room.
In the end, he decided she would be more comfortable on the air mattress and lifted her carefully into his arms. She shifted at his nearness and snuggled into his neck. It was a feeling he enjoyed all too much, so he quickly put her to bed and went back to sleep.
Friday morning when Bella woke up, she found him sitting at the kitchen table alone. She glanced at the clock on the microwave and saw that it already 9:00. Wow, she couldn't believe she slept so late. On the table she noticed a box of store bought doughnuts and pastries. She slipped a premeasured cup of coffee into the machine and stood waiting for it to brew. Jacob still hadn't spoken to her, so she left him alone. He had his laptop open and appeared to be working.
She eased into a chair with her mug of coffee and grabbed a paper plate. She looked over the breakfast and chose an apple turnover.
"We have a meeting tonight that I need you to be at. It will be all of the guys that were in my pack and all of the elders, the Council," he told her.
"Okay," she agreed easily.
"It will also be all the wives and kids for dinner. The wives will keep the kids busy while we talk. They have heard the legends, but aren't ready to hear that it's all truths," he explained. "Including Danni."
She sucked in a breath, but nodded. In her head, she dubbed it the World's Most Uncomfortable Meeting.
After Jacob left for work, Bella called Charlie to check in with him and then called Emily to talk. Emily filled her in on everyone that Bella would be meeting. She assured her that she would be there and would talk to her so she wouldn't feel so awkward.
Jacob came home after lunch and discussed with Bella the plan for dinner. Since the meeting was at his house, he would be hosting dinner. She suggested a cook out and she could put together a few quick side dishes as well. He agreed and they went to the grocery store to pick up everything they would need.
Everyone began trickling in the door around 6:00 and Bella felt like a new toy that everyone was coming to see. Being the center of attention wasn't something she enjoyed, but she was doing her best not to be shy.
The pair worked seamlessly together preparing dinner. She put bowls of food on the picnic table and set up all of the paper goods, drinks and chips. She even got Hope and Ryker to help out.
"Bells, can you grab the big platter under the stove in the drawer?" Jacob requested of her. She froze at the nickname. He looked at her expectantly and finally she turned and went to get it.
"Mommy!" Hope and Ryker cheered as Bella bent to retrieve the dish Jacob needed. Slowly, she stood and made her way to the door attempting to be invisible. Of course, she didn't have any such luck and she tripped on the kitchen rug and dropped the platter, shattering it into a thousand pieces on the floor.
Jacob peered his head in and his eyes popped open at the sight.
"Honey, are you okay?" he asked, reaching down to help her up off the floor. The pieces of the dish symbolic of the way his life was at that moment.
"Oh my gosh, Jake. I'm so sorry. I'll clean it up. I'm such a klutz. It wasn't valuable was it? I'll get you a new one right away," she blabbered on, incredibly embarrassed as everyone stared into the kitchen.
He smiled. "It's okay. It was something somebody gave me when I moved. They were getting rid of it. I'll just get a plate."
She grabbed the broom and began sweeping the mess up. Emily stooped in front of her with the dust pan and they worked together to get it all cleaned up.
"You okay?" a sweet feminine voice asked.
Bella looked up to see that the woman the kids had been so excited to see was speaking to her.
"Yes," Bella stuttered, looking at Danni, not really sure how to act. "I'm sorry. I made such a mess of things." Her double meaning unintentional.
"Yes, you did," Danni whispered back, her double meaning intentional. "It's okay, though. It's not your fault. It was an accident. Fate, if you will." Danni lifted her shoulder and gave Bella a small smile.
She walked out of the room without another word and back into the living room with the rest of the elders and pack members. Bella stared, watching how well she fit in with the group and wondered why fate had brought her here.
Emily offered to help her finish getting things ready and she accepted the offer.
The large group ate in various places around the house and in the backyard. The kids devoured the macaroni and cheese and pudding, while the adults ate the potato salad and fruit salad, complimenting Bella on her cooking.
When everyone was done eating, the wives started cleaning up, while Jacob said they were going to start outside. Bella kept cleaning, not realizing she was supposed to step outside.
Jacob opened the door and looked at her. "I need you outside."
Bella glanced around to see the women and children looking at her, turning a bright shade of red. She would be the only woman at this meeting of men and it was not something she was looking forward to doing.
She dried her hands on the dish cloth and spread it out on the oven door handle, collecting herself before exiting the room. Billy smiled at her when she treaded out onto the deck and waved her in his direction. She sat next to him, glancing around to see the men she had already met smiling lightly at her. The elders looked at her with uncertainty and when Jacob came up beside her, he stood to address the group.
"If you look around at who is here, you've probably already guessed why I asked you to come," he began looking at each of the elders, who looked at him, with continued uncertainty.
"Jacob, we've guessed that you phased again. But what we aren't sure of is why she is here," Old Quil said, leaning his head in Bella's direction. "Why is she out here and your wife is not? Why is it that your wife remains inside a house that you are living in without her?"
Jacob remained patient. The old man always spoke first and refused to listen when he knew Jacob had something to say. It wasn't a surprise, this always happened when they met.
"I was getting to that, had you given me a chance," he chastised the older man gently. "I have phased again. Right now, I'm the only one. But I think that the others will again, possibly more. I've imprinted on Bella Swan," he gestured to her. "Danni decided on her own that we were going to separate. I was willing to try to work things out."
"But, Jacob, you know the legends. You can't refuse an imprint," interrupted Harry Clearwater.
"As I was saying, the reason Bella is here and Danni is not, is Danni's choice. Bella is here for her protection. She has had a vampire in her room and in the forest near her home."
The group of old men gasped in surprise. They all began talking at once. They were worried and didn't understand how she was still alive if a vampire was in her room.
Billy cleared his throat and the group quieted back down. "Jacob, do you know what's going on?"
"Not exactly. Bella got a letter from one of the Cullens. Alice. She seemed to be checking up on Bella. Bella had a dream about vampires being after her, but it was more like a memory than a dream."
Jacob continued on filling the group in on the details. Once they started discussing different ideas and theories, he finally sat down on the bench next to Bella. She was quiet and absorbing the reality of her life.
It was odd listening to people discuss your life decisions. Why did she live with the Cullens? Can you believe she stayed with them knowing what they were? What makes them think it's okay to pretend they're human anyway? Do you believe if she died, Jacob would too?
He noticed that her heart was beating double time again. Casually he reached over and grabbed her hand, rubbing his thumb over the back as he continued the discussion with his pack and elders.
The pack would discreetly look at Jacob to see his contact with Bella, then they would glance into the kitchen window. Danni stood watching out the window.
Inside the wives talked about their day to day lives and the local gossip. Danni knew the other women well but remained quiet. She felt like she was being pushed out of her own life and replaced in every way.
She decided that instead of standing around gossiping, she would take advantage of the time with her children. So she went in their room and played with them, read stories to them, and helped them put away a few things.
The meeting outside dragged on so long that many of the children and wives went home, the others promising to give each other rides home after it was over.
Danni helped her kids get their showers and into pajamas. The 3 laid together in Ryker's bed, reading one of their favorite books. They each had a voice and had read it so many times that even Hope had her parts memorized.
Hope and Ryker told their mom how much they missed her. She asked them what they thought of their dad's friend and they told her honestly that she was nice.
Danni told them that she was glad they liked her because she was sure that daddy would be spending a lot more time with her. Ryker was surprised at his mom because his friends talked about how their parents fought about everything when they got divorced.
"Ry, Daddy and I will always love each other. We will always love you. I am your mom and he is your dad. The only difference now is we live in different houses. When daddy says no about something, mommy's answer is still no. We both believe you shouldn't watch too much TV and should have story time before bed," she talked openly with them.
Even she had to admit how natural Jacob and Bella seemed together, even though neither of them seemed to be aware. She knew that her choice was rough all around, but was the best decision for both of them. She decided from then on she would be supportive of them, and she would do what she could to make life easier on all of them. Danni tucked the kids in to bed, promising that she would see them Sunday for dinner, and tiptoed out of the room.
Before opening the back door, she sucked in a deep breath, gathering her courage.
"Jake?" she called out.
He jumped up and went in to the kitchen.
"Hey, how's it going?" he asked her.
"Good. Real good," she smiled genuinely. "The kids are down, so I'm going to head home. Thanks for letting me do bedtime. It was a special treat."
"Thanks for coming, and staying. I'm sure they loved seeing you," he told her.
"I was thinking on Sunday, instead of meeting somewhere for dinner. You should just bring the kids to the house, and I'll make dinner for us," she suggested.
He smiled widely, "Sure. Sounds great."
"And bring Bella. I'd like to get to know her better," she told him.