NTYP Chapter 25
DISCLAIMER: Stephenie Meyer Owns Twilight
"I'm going to wait in the car. Get him to hurry up, okay?" The Indian girl walked past Bella and out the front door, but not before I noticed the tattoo near her shoulder.
Where had I seen that before? Oh yeah, It was the same tattoo I'd found on my arm while I was getting dressed...after the incident with Bella on the couch. We had something in common, that girl and I. But I didn't know what. Were we in some kind of gang or something? As I continued to ask myself questions, Bella grabbed my hands and yanked me, as if she could lift my heavy body by her little self...
"Come on Jake, you can sleep in the car if you're that tired."
I helped her out by raising myself off the comfortable cushions that were calling my name, begging me to return and surrender myself to more much needed sleep.
Bella's POV
"He looks like a pretzel back there." Leah laughed.
"Shhh, he's sleeping." I glanced back to see Jacob whose huge body was squished into the backseat of Leah's little black 1995 Honda Accord.
Leah's car had belonged to her father, Harry Clearwater...but after his tragic death, Leah's mother was too distraught to keep anything that was his.
Refusing to ever drive the honda again, Sue gifted it to her daughter who had begged her for it for weeks following the funeral.
Leah had quickly become obsessed with the little car...making sure it was always immaculately clean, and never allowing anybody to drive it but her. Jacob had told me everyone figured it was her way of showing love and devotion to her dead father...even if it was just a metal box. After all...it was the only thing she had left that bonded her to her dad.
Before the incident with Jacob and the Newborn, Leah had been paying Jake to be her repair man...bringing the car to him whenever she thought she heard the engine make a funny noise. Everyone knew she was just paranoid, but Jacob would refuse Leah's money and agree to look at it anyway. Jacob's skills had kept it in pristine condition.
"I wish he'd shut up. He's ruining my song."
"I think it's cute." I smiled at Jacob's adorable snoring. It was pretty loud, though...and was drowning out the Christina Aguilera song that was playing on the radio.
"So thanks for making me...a fighter!" Leah sang loud with enthusiasm, and I shook my head and laughed.
"What, Bella? Tell me I suck, go ahead." She turned the radio off and rolled her eyes.
"What's gotten into you, Leah?" I asked her.
"What do you mean?" She threw her head back and yelled at the roof of the vehicle and growled. "Jacob, Shuut uup!" Her whining turning quickly into throaty laughter.
"Shhh!" I slapped her arm. "Don't wake him up."
It surprised me every time she laughed. Leah laughing? I'd never seen it...or heard it before. Though I admit, I'd never really hung out with her before, either.
"Leah, are you okay? Like, seriously? You're way too hyper..."
Her laughing finally ceased, and she exhaled loudly.
"No Bella. I...I'm better than I've been in a long time." She hiccuped.
"Okay, tell me what happened to you..." I said expectantly and watched her closely, eagerly awaiting her explanation for the strange new attitude.
"When Jacob almost died..." Leah said quietly, her eyes tightening.
Just those words caused me to look away from her and out the window.
"I...I lost it. I was angry at first...at him, for almost leaving us." She continued. "But, then I was angry at myself. Remember when we talked at the flea's house?"
I huffed at the mention of Edward...I hadn't thought of him much since he'd left the rez.
"I told you I was a bitch to him...to everybody." A sniffle from her caused me to glance her way, and I noticed she was gripping the steering wheel so tight her knuckles were white. "I'm not going to be a bitch anymore, Bella." She sniffed again and looked at me, wiping the wetness from under her eyes this time.
"Leah, it's alright." I placed a hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to change for him. He doesn't understand what you've been...what you're going through..."
"Exactly!" She yelled. Jacob groaned from the backseat and Leah rolled her eyes again. "That's why I'm going to change...because he has." She whispered. "I can't be a bitch to him now. He wouldn't understand."
"So you're going to be a bitch to everyone else?" This was the weirdest conversation ever.
"Well, not if I can help it. I'm going to really try." Leah nodded and sniffed again. "I know what it feels like to lose someone I love."
I nodded to her and stroked her arm, trying to show her understanding.
"Sam..." She whispered. "..and...and Jacob..." Her voice got louder. "I almost lost Jacob, Bella. But I didn't! He's alive and, I just...I want to be better. I want to be a better woman for him."
A better woman for Jacob? That sounded a little strange, but I thought I understood what she meant.
For the first time, I felt like I actually liked Leah. She did seem different. Maybe the whole almost-losing-a-pack-member thing made her appreciate what she had instead of sulking over what she didn't have.
"I'm proud of you." I murmured. I'd never said that to any of my friends, much less somebody who hated me...or used to hate me.
Leah just looked at me...the ugly scowl that used to deform her lovely features was gone. She gave me an awkward smile before returning her gaze to the road.
We finally arrived at Sam and Emily's. With the help of Jared and Seth, we were able to shake Jacob awake.
My poor baby...didn't you sleep at all last night?
Jacob swatted the two boys away, his large arms flailing around as he exited the vehicle.
"Yeah yeah, I'm awake...jeez." He stood up and I heard his bones pop as he stretched. Seth slapped him on the back and ran inside the house behind Leah and Jared.
"Where are we?" Jacob yawned, squinting as he took in the house sitting before us.
"Sam and Emily's." I got up on my tiptoes and pulled him down so I could whisper in his ear. "Emily's face is scarred real bad...so try not to stare at her okay?" He nodded and I took his hand, leading him inside after the others.
"Welcome home!" We were greeted with the cheers and squeals from Jacob's family and the pack. My dad was also there, cheering beside Billy.
This is too much for him right now...too much!
I wanted to protect Jacob, to run away and seclude him somewhere. These people were all new to him, and they were yelling and screaming. If my heart was beating this fast, I could only imagine how Jacob was handling it.
I clung to his arm and looked up at him. His eyes were wide, but he didn't look panicked. I was relieved at that.
"Jacob?" I tugged his arm and he looked down at me. "Are you okay?"
Before he had a chance to answer me, Paul's huge arms crushed him in an embrace only Jacob could survive.
"We're so glad you're alright, man. Hell, we love ya bro." Paul released him, and not a second later, another pack member was smothering him with bear-hugs and brotherly love.
Throughout the seemingly never-ending greetings, Jacob smiled and thanked everybody. I was in awe of his strength. He wasn't a weakling, that was certain.
Emily came up beside me. "Bella, how are you?" She hugged me then stood back, holding my shoulders. "We've missed you so much. You'll be around here more often, please say yes!"
"Of course." I nodded and smiled in return.
"Let's eat now, I've got plenty of food for everyone." She took my hand and lead me to the table piled high with every kind of breakfast food you could imagine while Jacob was pushed into the living room by howling boys.
I sat in the little wooden chair, unable to take a bite of the scrambled eggs on my plate. All I could concentrate on was Jacob being mobbed in the other room.
I watched from afar as the guys punched his arms playfully, laughing and telling him how much they missed him for the weeks he was unconscious. It upset me so much. I wanted him sitting next to me, with a full stomach and at peace. Didn't they know he probably needed some space?
"How's it going, Bells?" My dad threw some bacon on a plate and patted me on the back. "I can't stay long. Gotta head down to the office." He crunched on a strip of bacon and grabbed a couple biscuits. "Guess I'll take Billy home first, otherwise he's staying here the rest of the day."
I just nodded and kept my eyes on Jacob who was too far away, still surrounded by hyper teenage guys.
"Someone else could take him home." I murmured as my blood began to boil. Leah smiled at Jacob, introducing herself in the sweetest voice I'd ever heard come out of her.
Then her arms were around my Jacob, her face pressed into his chest, her hands against his strong back. I'd never felt so protective...so angry. What was wrong with me?
My hands were trembling, my fork making a clanking noise against my plate. Charlie placed a hand on mine, stopping the noise.
"Something the matter, Bells?" Charlie asked.
"No!" I shouted. "I mean...no, I...I just..." I looked up at Charlie...his eyebrows raised and his hands up like I was holding a gun at him. "I'm fine, dad."
"Oookaayy..." He made it clear he thought I was kooky, but I didn't care. My eyes quickly returned to Jake. At least Leah wasn't clinging to my man anymore.
I sighed when Sam finally walked up to Jacob, parting the ridiculous crowd. Sam was the only one who didn't attack him the minute he had a chance to.
He whispered something in Jacob's ear, then I watched as they both walked down the long hall, disappearing into a far room together.
Curiosity got the best of me...not to mention I was a little worried. I got up from my chair and started toward the living room when Emily caught my arm.
"Sam is just having a talk with Jake. He's alright." I looked at her and the friendliness she exuded made me feel at ease. I forced a smile at her and she freed my arm before offering me more food.
I refused the offer kindly before exiting the house through the back doors leading to a large porch. I sat down on the small steps and took in the fresh, woodsy air.
What's going on with Sam and Jacob! Why was I jealous when Leah held him? Jacob, oh Jake...
"Bella! What's up!" Jared plopped himself down on the steps beside me.
"What do you want, Jared?" I asked unintentionally revealing my annoyance.
"How is Jacob taking things? He hasn't said a word to any of us. He just looks at us like..."
"Like he doesn't want to talk to you? Like you're too much for him right now? Yeah, you should really leave him alone."
"Whoa, Bella. What's up your..."
"Hey. What are you two talking about?" Embry showed up on the porch, his mouth full. "You gonna eat, Bella?"
"Not hungry," I answered him without turning around.
"I wouldn't try talking to her right now." Jared said before stomping back into the house, leaving Embry and I alone on the porch.
"Jared, wait..." I turned around to see Embry with a plate in his hands, scarfing down eggs and hash browns. " I didn't mean to be so rude."
"Huh? Oh, Jare? He'll get over it." He chewed loudly. "Come on, you need to eat something. Jake would want you to."
I sighed. How could I say no to that? "Okay." I followed Embry back into the kitchen and sat down in the little wooden chair. Where was Jacob and Sam? What was taking so long? I wanted Jacob back. I wanted him back...so badly...why was I trembling?
Though I wasn't in the mood for eating, Embry said Jake would want me to, and that was enough motivation for me. I threw a few pancakes on my plate and was reaching for the syrup when I heard two familiar voices chuckling behind me. Sue? Charlie?
I turned around, and standing in front of the kitchen sink were none other than Sue and Charlie, having an all too obvious flirting session that was uncomfortable to watch.
"Ugh, how can I eat in this environment?" I mumbled to myself. I poured too much syrup on my pancakes, then made my way into the living room, plopping myself down on the brown leather couch. I propped my feet up on the coffee table.
I don't want to eat. I just want Jake
It took me a few bites of my food before I noticed how quiet it was. I could hear Brady and Collin horsing around outside and Charlie and Sue giggling in the kitchen, but where was everybody else?
I set the plate down on the coffee table and walked to the window. Emily and Leah were on the front porch talking while Brady and Collin were either trying to kill each other or were just wrestling in the grass for sport. Where did the rest of the guys go?
Jacob's POV
"Do you understand everything I've told you?"
"Yes." I stood by the large bookshelf in Sam's room, replaying the ridiculous information over and over in my head.
"Listen man, we're here for you." Embry had a sympathetic look on his face when he walked over to me.
I didn't want his sympathy...I didn't want anybody's sympathy.
"Yeah, Jake. We've all been through this. Hell, you got through it the first time." Seth said from his sitting position on Sam's large bed.
"Jacob, there's one more thing." Sam's voice was louder than the others.
There was more? How the hell could there be more?
I'm the fucking Alpha of a tribe of magical Indians who's sole reason for existence is to protect the human population from sparkly ass vampires and I'm trapped like this forever and there's nothing I can fucking do about it...and he tells me there's more?
I could feel my heart beating out of my chest at a painful speed.
"Son, just listen to what Sam has to say." Billy spoke from his chair that was parked near the bedroom door.
"Once you go through the transformation...which you did some time ago... there's a possibility of an imprint." Sam said evenly.
"Imprint?" I questioned him, my voice solid. I didn't want to appear like I couldn't handle this.
"An imprint is your soul mate, Jacob. It only happens to us wolves...the shapeshifters. When we meet the person who is completely right for us in all ways, we've imprinted."
Imprinted? My soul mate? Completely right for me?
"This will have a very huge impact on you if it happens, so I'm informing you now so that you won't be confused."
Oh I'm not confused
"When you meet this person, you will no longer care about anything but them. You will be drawn to them like no other, see them like no other, love them like no other. They'll be your lifeline."
I could feel my temperature rising as I thought of my angel. My chest constricted and I closed my eyes at the feeling of it. I thought I was going to have a heart attack.
"They will need you as well, and you will supply whatever that need may be, no matter what it costs you."
Whatever she needs, anything...
"But because of this, Jacob...you need to be aware that they have the ability to hurt you worse than anybody, because you will be putty in their hands. I know this is a lot to dump on you all at once, but you are rightfully our Alpha. You must know."
She wouldn't hurt me. My Bella, my angel, my soul mate, my everything, my...
My lungs finally expanded, allowing me an intake of much needed oxygen.
"What?" I gasped, then quickly got my breaths under control. "Oh...right." I cleared my throat and tried to clear my mind of Bella as the feeling of sweat tickled my brow.
Everything started to make more sense. The fact that I didn't know Bella, but I knew I loved her the moment I woke up in that hospital bed. She was mine and I would always belong to her.
But what if she doesn't want to be my imprint? She should have the right to choose who she wants. Wait, does she already know about it...? Why didn't she tell me?
"Jacob, you shouldn't take on your duty as Alpha. Not yet...there's no way you're ready." Sam glared at me with a worried expression on his strong face. "You opted out once, you can still do that. Jacob?"
I didn't know what was wrong with me. Everything was just happening so fast. Too much information. Too much responsibility. Then finding out my angel belonged to me. I was Alpha of a pack of crazy wolves. I had to lead them into inevitable battles with mythical creatures. I felt woozy...nauseous. I blinked, but the large guys filling the small room began to blur. Everything went black.
"Jake!" The loud voices sounded like they were shouting from the end of a long tunnel, and I felt several large hands grab hold of me before I hit the floor. "Jake!" I could feel myself being shaken until the blackness dissipated, and many blurry, terrified faces came into view.
"Do you need to lie down, Jacob?" Sam asked me.
"No." I breathed, the dizziness was gone, and everyone was clear again...sharper, anyway. They slowly helped me to a stand so I could regain my composure. "You said I am...rightfully Alpha." I stated affirmatively, willing my damn heart to slow down, but was unsuccessful. "I'm ready." Straightening my posture and eyeing the rest of my pack, I clenched my fists and held my head high.
Sam looked at me unconvinced. "Look Jacob, you may need a little more time before you take on this responsibility."
He was right. I was lying to myself. I was new to this. I was not ready.
"Fine...whatever." I dropped my head into my hands. "I just...I need to see Bella now. I have to see her."
"Yeah, we should get back to the girls. I think Jake is going to be fine, he's going to need our support, though." Sam told the rest of the guys who then ran out the door, hollering in a language I was surprised I could understand.
"Think you can handle those guys, Jacob?" Billy asked in his gruff voice.
Honestly, I didn't know. I was afraid, but I wouldn't let them know that. When would I get to meet one of these bloodsuckers? Would I fear them...or would I feel at ease around them, natural...like I was born to deal with them and rip their heads clean off without a blink? Had I already come in contact with one without realizing it? How did I turn into that giant wolf like before? Would I always be in excruciating pain every time I transformed?
"I need your help with something." I was humiliated to ask Sam for assistance, but I needed it. "I don't know how to phase."
Sam stared at me for a moment, then he burst out laughing. I looked up at the ceiling, wishing I could disappear again. Then his heavy arm slammed down on my back.
"Come on kid, I'll show ya a thing or two. You'll catch on fast just like before." He was busy telling me about my phasing talents and something about how I had more control than the other guys, but as we made our way down the hall behind Billy, I spotted her.
She was sitting on the couch, looking annoyed as hell as my Indian brothers danced around the room, hollering something about the pack being back together in the same ancient language. I paid little attention to their words ... they were of complete unimportance to me as I watched my angel take a small bite of food from her fork.
Sam was right, everything and everyone else didn't matter, only her. I couldn't tear my gaze away, she was so magnificently beautiful. All I'd ever want for the rest of my life. Every time I laid eyes on her it was like seeing her for the first time again. Then she saw me, and her face lit up like the sunrise.
She jumped off the couch...her plate of food clattering to the floor. She nearly tripped over the coffee table trying to get to me. Our bodies collided, and I embraced her for the first time since I'd been fully awake.
"Jacob, Jake...oh god I missed you." She mumbled into my chest and I held her head against me, my fingers twisted in her waves of thick hair.
"You did?" I couldn't hide the immense joy her words brought me. "Bella." I moaned and lowered my face to her hair, breathing her sweetness in.
"Don't leave me again." Her hands slid up my shirt, clutching the skin at my back.
"Uhh, guys?" I barely heard Embry's voice. Bella's hands were on me and that's all I cared about.
"I wasn't gone that long, was I?" I leaned down and placed kisses over every inch of her little face.
"Too...too long." She breathed against my cheek, wrapping her arms around my neck.
"I won't leave...you don't understand...I can't leave you, I can't." I moaned as I felt her tiny hands frantically feeling every part of me that they could.
"Jacob?" Sam's growl awoke me from my love spasm, and I looked up at him, noticing then that the room was full of dark eyes peering straight into us.
Bella seemed to have noticed, too. She lifted her face from me and began to back away, but I grabbed her wrists, keeping her close to me.
"Bells?" Charlie walked into the room, then stopped short. "What's going on?"
"Impossible." Paul whispered, looking at Sam whose piercing eyes were fixated on me and Bella. "It's not possible, Sam."