A/N: I have but one thing to say…HOLY HELL! I was shocked when I received all those reviews! Thanks so much, you guys; it really means a lot to me. And I hate complaining about not receiving as many reviews as previous chapters had, but sometimes, it's needed for a confidence boost and boy, did you guys ever boost my confidence.

Sorry that this chapter is a bit later than usual; I've been really busy this summer, but fear not, I haven't forgotten this story! It's my baby and I plan to see it through to the end and then some. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the chapter!

I will say one thing, though: I don't hate Jacob Black and I normally don't like him portraying the part of the "bad guy", but for the purpose of the plotline, I have to cast Jake in a semi-negative light. I feel horrible for doing so, but it's necessary. So, SORRY JAKE! I love you…just not as much as I love Edward and all the rest of the Cullens!

Disclaimer: Is it really necessary to even pose the question? I think not.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter Thirteen

I blinked several times to make sure that Jake wasn't a figment of my imagination and that he really was standing there at the edge of the meadow. I tried pinching myself and winced when my own sharp nails dug into my skin; I had forgotten about the abnormal strength.

That confirmed it: Jake was real. I wasn't insane and he wasn't a delusion. He was there and, to be honest, I wasn't too happy about it. I couldn't ignore the burning fury deep in her chest as I stared at him in surprise. He had succeed in ruining what had been the most perfect moment in my entire life, not to mention started what would most likely turn into another heated row between myself and Edward.

No one dared to speak. Tension hung thick in the air, nearly suffocating me as I stood next to Edward, my left hand encased in his much larger one. Even though I may not be an empathic, I could see feel the anger rolling off both male parties in attendance in huge waves.

It was Jacob who decided to break the tense silence.

"Scared?" He asked, tauntingly.

I could feel Jake's cold, dark eyes boring into me and I shifted uncomfortably, taking a small step backward and shielding myself behind Edward's shoulder. It wasn't that I was afraid of Jake, not by any means; I just didn't want him staring at me like that…it made me feel funny and out of place.

"Should I be?" I retorted bitingly.

"Yes," Jake replied, pointedly turning his gaze to Edward. His lip curled at the corner and I saw a bright flash of sharp white teeth. "But not of me."

Edward growled in response and I squeezed his hand tightly. He turned to look at me and I locked eyes with him. His chest rumbled with a low snarl that he was itching to let loose. Slowly, I shook my head.

"What do you want, dog?" Edward questioned, tearing his eyes away from me and glaring at Jake.

I rolled my eyes, wishing that he would've listened to me just this once instead of assuming the role of my protector. I didn't want them to argue because I was still torn up by Jake's obvious avoidance of me. It didn't help that he was the one responsible for my grounding until the end of the school year.

A pang of hurt surged through my chest as the memory of the heated argument between Charlie and I flashed before my eyes. If I could've taken back half of the things I had said and thought, I would do it in a heart beat…but my heart no longer beat and time travel was impossible.

My attention was snapped back to the presence at the sound of a fierce growl. I turned my eyes away from the ground and looked at Jake, an eyebrow raised. His bare chest was heaving and his fists were clenched; he was resisting the natural instinct of phasing at first whiff of his sworn enemy.

"I just want to talk to her."

"What makes you think she wants to talk to you?" Edward asked.

Jake's eyes darted to me. "Is he always this controlling?"

"Jake…" I said, warningly.

But my voice went unheard, for Edward had growled so ferociously, my voice had been completely drowned out and his snarl echoed in the night.

"I'll take that as a yes." Jacob said smugly as an equally smug grin stretched across his lips. It looked unnatural on his sweet face.

Edward opened his mouth to say something, but I dropped his hand and covered his mouth with my now free hand. He glared at me and I glared back, ignoring Jake's chuckles as best as I could.

I leaned toward him and whispered into his ear. "Please, just let me handle this. I don't want a repeat of May. We've only just fixed things and another argument between us will only make things worse. So please, Edward, let me see what he wants." I sighed and pulled my head away from his ear, looking up into his eyes. "Will you please let me do this?"

He expelled a cold puff of air against the palm of my hand and reluctantly nodded. I took my hand away from his mouth and he quickly said, "Just because I'm agreeing to this doesn't mean that I like it."

"I know."

"And if I even sense that he is upsetting you, we are leaving."

"All right, fine." I sighed and nodded in agreement. "But until I find out what he wants, just stay here, okay?"

Edward grunted, bobbed his head again and took a step back. He shoved his hands in his pockets and mumbled under his breath. I wasn't able to catch what he was saying, and gave up trying to decipher his mumblings. I turned my back to him and looked at Jake.

His expression was still the smuggest, and least attractive, I had ever seen. "Has the brooding hero finally gotten over himself and actually let you make a decision on your own?"

"Jake, please." I said. "I don't want to fight with you."

"And I don't want to fight with you."

"Then why do you say things like that when you know they upset me?" I inquired, placing my hands on my hips in a very motherly fashion.

Jake locked gazes with me and his dark brown eyes smoldered with emotion as he spoke. "You don't see the control he has over you, Bella. If you told you to jump off a bridge, you would do it in a heart beat."

Knowing that Edward could hear every word that we were saying, I kept my comments to myself and didn't say anything in response because I knew that it was true, for the most part anyway.

While Edward didn't have control over me, I knew that the majority of my decisions were based on him and his opinions. His input was incredibly important to me and most of the choices I had made with his help turned out for the better. Key word being most. The thing was that, if Edward asked me to jump off a bridge, I would do it in a heart beat because I knew the only reason why he would ever ask me to do such a ridiculous thing would be for my benefit.

Deciding that delaying the point of the conversation would just lead to more trouble, I pushed a hand through my thick, brown locks and bit back another sigh. "What do you want, Jake?"

He looked over my shoulder at Edward and his eyes narrowed before he returned his gaze to me. "I wanted to make sure you were still alive."

"What do you mean?" I asked, genuinely perplexed.

"Don't you get it, Bella?" Jake said, laughing slightly, though his laughter contained no mirth. "Everyone in Forks thinks you died in the car accident."

I gaped at him, my mouth opening and closing a few times. A thousand and one thoughts were racing through my mind, but I seemed incapable of voicing them. My throat had gone dry and had closed up, rendering me speechless.

"They…they…"

"Yes, Bells," Jake said, his voice a great deal softer than it had been just moments ago. "They think you're dead. The preparations for your funeral are almost complete."

"Who's planning it?" I questioned, closing my eyes and hoping that he wouldn't say what he did.

"Your mother, of course. Who else would plan it?"

"S-she's here?" I croaked. And almost instantaneously, Edward was by my side, his gaze fixated on Jake and a low, rumbling growl forming deep within his stone chest. When he moved to fold me in his arms, I held out a hand; Edward grimaced at me and walked back to where he had been standing - close enough to hear what was going on, but far away enough to give Jake and I some privacy.

Sighing, I turned my attention back to Jake. "Is she all right?"

He shrugged his bare shoulders. "Would you be all right if your daughter died in a car accident?"

"But I'm not dead!" I shouted, my voice echoing into the night as I took a deep and steadying breath.

"I can see that, Bells." Jake replied with a small chuckle. He opened his mouth to say something else when a light breeze rustled my hair and sent a few locks flying in his direction.

The sudden change of his facial expression frightened me and I was hit by an overwhelming case of

déjà vu.

Two things happened at once: Jake began to convulse, shudder after shudder rolling up his spine as a tormented look cross over his features. He snarled and snapped his teeth at me as a tremor rippled through his stomach. Before I registered that he was about to phase, a pair of cold, stone arms wrapped around my middle and I was tossed aside like a rag doll.

I hit the ground with a loud thump and, unsurprisingly, I found that the impact didn't hurt at all. A chorus of loud growls, howls, and everything in between rang in my ears as my eyes snapped to the meadow. I gasped in shock as I pushed myself to my feet, watching in horror as Edward struggled against Jake in his werewolf form.

Jake was positively frightening; the muscles in his calves and arms rippling as he fought against Edward, whose muscles were also straining in protest. Wolf-Jake lashed out with a huge paw, slashing Edward across the chest and ripping his shirt; I couldn't tell if Jake had caused any injury to Edward's stone chest.

It was all over so fast: a scream tore through my throat as Jake pinned Edward to the ground and placed his massive hands upon his stark white neck. Before I even knew what I was doing, I propelled myself at the red-brown werewolf, colliding with its back roughly and successfully knocking him off of Edward.

Standing, wolf-Jake turned to me and we stared at each other for a long moment. I could see the pain in his dark eyes as he fought the monster he had just morphed into. Slowly, but surely, Jake began to tremble, his thick, red-brown fur falling off in chunks before he had changed back into his human form -- completely naked, I might add, though I barely noticed.

And, even though I knew that he had harmed Edward, I couldn't take my eyes off of his deep, penetrating gaze.

"Jake," I whispered pitifully.

My voice seemed to snap him back into reality and his eyes flashed with intense hatred, his features rearranging themselves in what could only be described as the most unattractive expression of the deepest loathing I had ever seen in my entire life.

"YOU'RE ONE OF THEM?!" He roared at me, his entire being shaking once again.

"Yes." I murmured under my breath, hanging my head.

"Why?!" Jake screamed in outrage. His gaze flickered over to Edward, who was slowly rising into a standing position, his face scratched and chest leaking thick, burgundy blood onto his white button-up shirt. Jake's dark eyes found mine again. "HE DID THIS TO YOU!?"

"If it wasn't for him," I shouted back, clenching my fists in fury. "I wouldn't even be alive!"

"You call yourself alive?!" A loud, long and bitter laugh escaped Jake's throat. "You're a fucking vampire, Bella! You're not alive!"

"Yes, I-."

"No!" He cut me off suddenly, stalking toward me. I retreated as quickly as I could and ended up backing into Edward's chest. His arms flew around my waist and locked tightly, holding me close to his body; I could feel his sticky blood soaking through the back of my tee shirt.

"No, Bella!" Jake growled again. "You're not alive. Not to me, at least."

I could feel tears gathering in my eyes, and I pressed myself against Edward as tightly as I could; I barely felt him stumbled backward under the pressure I applied.

Jake started backing up once again, toward edge of the meadow and the thick perimeter of trees that surrounded it.

"Jacob-." I started, but he held up a huge hand and silenced me.

"Don't talk to me, bloodsucker." He spat furiously.

"But Jake-."

"You're better off dead to me."

I took a deep breath, trying to force the tears back so that he wouldn't see that he was upsetting me. "You don't mean that." I whispered.

"No, I think I do, Bella!" Jake shouted as he took a step backward into the forest. "You were better off dead than a vampire!"

And with that, he was gone. Just as quickly as he had came, he had left and a hollow spot began to form in my chest. A whimper tore through my throat as I turned in Edward's arms, wanting nothing more than to seek refuge in his arms. I moved to press my head against his chest and let him soothe me when he staggered backward.

I picked my head up and looked into his eyes, which were glossed over with a peculiar foggy white layer. Panic consumed me as I stared at him in horror.

"Edward?!" I screeched as he leaned heavily against the trunk of a tree, his chest wound bleeding more than ever.