Note: A little change of pace these next two "chapters". Edward & Bella were being a bit on the quiet side (or maybe Jake just talked louder ;) ) so Jacob stepped up. In all seriousness, I tried several ways to work this part in the two voices we've had from the beginning of this tale, but the new perspective – Jacob's – was the only one that worked.

Jacob

I screwed up. Big time. Epic. I let my anger get the best of me…again. Something Sam keeps telling me I need to work on. Sometimes I want to tell Sam to bite me. But then, he might just take me up on it.

I'm pretty good at controlling my temper, I think. Usually. But when I saw the marks on Bella's neck – marks that he'd made – it took everything I had not to phase right there in the parking lot and tear him limb from limb. And the most galling thing was that he knew – the leech stood there and listened as I plotted the best ways to kill him.

The bloodsucker had the nerve to step between Bella and me, as if I were going to hurt her. I was so incensed by him – by what he had done – that I hadn't even realized that I was hurting her. Seeing the hand-shaped bruise on Bella's arm filled me with remorse and helped rein in my anger.

I quickly released Bella and he took her away while the little psychic leech lectured me. She could be as irritating as Sam. The most infuriating thing was that she was right. The last thing this situation needed was me phasing in full sight of a parking lot full of high school kids.

Not to mention what it would do to Bella – who didn't remember that her best friend turned into a frigging humongous wolf at the blink of an eye. Hell, I wasn't even certain she remembered that I was her best friend.

She certainly remembered the bloodsucker though. She clung to him like there was some sort of magnetic force that held her there. Mooning at him as if he were some sort of god. Made me want to puke just thinking about it.

And I had a long time to think on it. I had just gotten home – after another night-long patrol – and had every intention of crashing on my tiny bed the second I hung up from Bella's call.

The call that never came.

Each second ticked by loudly on our kitchen clock – the slowly moving hands taunting me. 'Surely she should have called by now' I kept muttering to myself with each passing moment. My mind conjured up horror after horror – made worse by the knowledge that I had been the one to leave her unprotected.

"Go check on her then," Billy said finally, pushing me toward the door, "if you're so worried. You keep pacing and I'm gonna ram you with my chair."

I decided to try the school first, since it was nearly time for classes to start. I had a moment's panic, not seeing the familiar red Chevy in the lot; then I remembered that Cullen had asked to drive her to school.

I spotted the Volvo easily enough – it stood out like a sore thumb in this town. I was surprised to see him climb from the back – his sister practically dancing out of the driver's seat. He leaned in and helped Bella out. My first thought upon seeing her was relief – that she was safe. And then, irritation.

"Bella!" I saw her skid to a stop just before I called out; saw her shoulders flinch at the sound of my voice. And the softly huffed "oh crap" had a smile springing to my face before I could stop it. Then, remembering how worried I had been, the irritation returned.

At the sight of the marks on her neck the world turned red. Edward had the nerve to look remorseful; I didn't want to think of him that way – though Bella had told me countless times that he wanted her to stay alive. To stay human. He didn't even protect himself when I went after him – it was only my hurting Bella that spurred him into action. Once I'd dropped my hands from her arms, he backed off immediately. No, I didn't want to think of him that way – I didn't want to feel sorry for him, showing all too human emotions. Because he wasn't human.

'How many times do we have to relive this? Can't you phase back if you're going to wallow so we all don't have to suffer along with you?'

I could hear the other pack members growl at Leah's coarse thoughts. But she was right – why did they have to suffer just because I was? Sam was gentle as he suggested I try to catch up on the sleep that I was supposed to be getting.

Easier said than done. I tossed for hours, maybe dozing twenty minutes here and there before finally giving up just after 1pm. I still had time to kill before heading over to Bella's to confront the leech.

Bella was infatuated with him, but did she know what he was? I wondered. It seemed like she did – or maybe she thought the bruises on her neck were just from an overzealous attempt at a hickey.

I killed time by running a few quick patrols out behind Bella's house. These new vamps appearing from nowhere were worrisome – especially seeing how they seemed to be honing in on Bella. Why? Was it because they caught the Cullen scent all around her? Wouldn't the local leeches send them running in the other direction?

And why had the Cullens left Bella unprotected last night? Ever since Bella's first visitor, there always seemed to be at least one bloodsucking sentry nearby. Was there a traitor in their midst? My money was on the blonde.

Embry sent out a warning when the Volvo turned onto Bella's street, so I quickly phased back, dressed, and waited in the woods outside her house. Should I rush them as soon as the car stopped in the drive?

I knew Cullen would prefer Bella be away from our discussion. Usually I wouldn't agree with that – I thought Bella was better off knowing than being kept in the dark. But now…how much could she take in one fell swoop? And how much did she know already? How much was too much?

So I waited. I watched as he led Bella into the house, his sister jabbering about graduation all the while. My teeth gnashed together as his arm slipped around her waist with an air of familiarity. He smiled down at her, though his lips were taut.

I wondered how long before Bella called him on it. As observant as she was, she had to notice the tension. Then I really looked at her and realized she held herself in similar fashion. Bella knew what was coming – and she wasn't happy about it.

I watched them settle at the tiny kitchen table, Edward making sure Bella ate something. Something else for Bella to scowl over and it gave me a perverse pleasure to see her unhappy with him.

No, that wasn't completely true. I hated seeing Bella unhappy, whatever the reason. If only she had given me a chance…I knew she could be happy with me. If only he had stepped aside; if only he had kept to the promise he had made to Charlie. I'd overheard Charlie complaining about it to my dad.

Not only was Cullen a lousy bloodsucker, he was a liar. A possessive, controlling, manipulative liar. As the thought crossed my mind I heard a chair scrape across the linoleum floor – loudly.

"Edward, what is it?" I heard Bella ask anxiously.

"Nothing," he replied after a second's hesitation. I knew Bella didn't believe him any more than I did, but again she didn't call him on it. So Mr. Perfect isn't unflappable – I'd gotten under his skin. Good.

I knew he wouldn't wait long. As if she had heard me, I heard the little one pipe up in her trilling voice, "Bella I picked up the perfect graduation outfit for you while I was out shopping today. Shall we go upstairs and see if it fits?"

"Alice…" I heard the exasperation in Bella's voice. It was a welcome sound. So she didn't like the Cullens spending money on her – how did he get around that?

"I don't." I snorted as I heard the softly muttered comment. I figured he would slip out quietly once Shorty had Bella occupied upstairs. Sure enough, seconds later he appeared at the door. He stared at me a moment, probably trying to figure out how to word his pathetic excuse for what he'd nearly done last night.

He groaned and rolled his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose as if he had a headache. 'Huh…well that's what you get for poking around in my head uninvited,' I thought sourly.

"Let's move away from the house," he suggested softly. "So Bella won't overhear us."

"Right," I scoffed. "As softly as you speak?" I added, eyebrows raised in disbelief. "And I don't need to speak at all. You can just pluck everything right out of my head."

"Emotions tend to run high when you and I are together, Jacob." I had to marvel at the even tone of his voice – I knew he despised me as much as I did him. "I would just prefer to not be standing beneath Bella's window should things turn…heated."

"Sure, sure." We moved toward the woods, still within view of the house. And the street, which made me wonder if he was thinking visibility would keep me from phasing if the situation called for it.

"Please Jacob," Edward sighed, rolling his eyes. "Surely we are mature enough to carry on a discussion without the need for physicality."

"Scared, leech?"

"Hardly." He drew in a deep breath and I couldn't help but wonder why – it's not like he needed it. "Habit," he replied, once again answering my unspoken question.

"Sorry," he apologized as my eyes narrowed. "I shall…endeavor to allow you to speak your own mind – without 'plucking it from your head' as you put it.

"And I'd like to start off by explaining the marks you saw on Bella's throat…"

"That is why we're here," I said dryly. "And Bella is the only reason your head is still attached to your neck, Cullen."

"Spare me the histrionics please. I'm trying to explain. And apologize for my…rash actions."

I could see he was struggling to come up with the right words – words he thought would appease me. And, much as I hated to admit it, I could also plainly see his remorse for his actions. That still confused me.

Bella had always said that Edward was against turning her – that he wanted her to remain a human. That it was she who kept pressing the issue – not wanting to be a shriveled old woman standing beside the forever adolescent vampire. Personally I didn't see the attraction – pale, cold, sickeningly sweet smell.

"May I continue?" he asked, interrupting my thoughts.

"Your party," I replied, throwing my hand up in response.

"The thought that Bella's home had once again been invaded by a – a rogue vampire alarmed me," he said haltingly. Much as I wanted to hate him – wanted to blame him for bringing these horrors upon her (and it was his fault – he knew it), I could see how terrifying the thought of this unwanted visitor was to him. Again, a side of him I didn't want to admit existed.

"I couldn't help but imagine the scenario – what would have happened had you not been there to protect her." Again. I heard the word though it remained unspoken, recognized the gratitude he grudgingly conceded to, and saw the pain that flitted across his face at the knowledge that, once again, he had failed Bella when she had needed him.

"The only thing I could think of was to get her away from here – away from that threat. But it couldn't eradicate the image from my mind. Even hearing her heart beating – feeling her warmth against me – it couldn't…"

"I couldn't – I can't lose her," he declared, his voice tormented. "I would do anything – everything – to keep her safe…"

"By turning her into one of you?" I spat, the fury building inside me again.

"No!" I closed my eyes and tried to push the image of his horrorstruck expression from my mind as he spoke. "That was never my intention. I…I wasn't thinking…"

'Liar!' The voice in my head screamed. Just another smooth-talking lie. Well, Charlie saw through his charm; Billy too. And so did I.

"Why couldn't you have just stayed away? Stayed true to your word to Charlie and kept your distance?"

"I won't leave her, Jacob. As long as she wants me, I will not leave her."

The red haze filled my vision again; I could hear the roar of my own breath as I tried to control my anger. "She cares for me too, you know. I could make her happy…"

"And Victoria?" I saw his features tighten, though his voice remained soft, calm. It was easy for him to hide his true feelings, while I was an open book to him. And I hated him for it.

"I can protect her from the redhead just as well as you can…"

"And who will protect her from you, if your anger ever gets the best of you in her presence?"

"I would never hurt her!"

"Not intentionally." His concession to my feelings for Bella only angered me further. "But you know as well as I how quickly things can turn dangerous…" His words brought Emily's ruined face to mind and I flinched involuntarily.

"Get out of my head!" I growled at him. "I would never hurt Bella," I said again. "Not like you did."

Panic spread across Cullen's face and, though I suspected the reason behind it, I was beyond being capable of rational thought. The dam had burst and all my hatred – my jealousy – spewed forth as I attempted to hurt him like I was hurting.

"You claim to love her, yet you left her. Alone. Desolate." I watched with satisfaction as every word hit its mark. "You crushed her…once you had gone all that was left of Bella was an empty shell. A shadow…"

Only the pained gasp to my left broke through my rage. A voice that I would know anywhere – one that did not belong to the creature I railed at.

We both turned as one to face her. Tears streamed down her ashen cheeks, her tormented gaze shifting from Edward to me and back again.

"Bella…" His voice was a hoarse whisper as he took a step toward her. My own feet seemed rooted to the spot, the horror of what I'd done draining me of all my anger.

"No," Bella cried, stumbling backward. She spun and rushed for her truck, nearly tripping over her own feet in her haste to be free of both of us. I heard Cullen's sister tell him softly to stop as Bella wrenched the Chevy's door open and jumped in. She threw the truck into first gear and sped off as fast as that dilapidated antique would allow, furiously wiping tears from her eyes as she disappeared down the road.

"Alice…"

"No, Edward. You can't go after her – not where she's going," she replied softly. A hard edge entered her voice and I knew her next words were for me.

"You. You must go and fix the damage you've done. She's gone to La Push."

"How…?"

"She's disappeared from my view. Where else could she be?" Her gold eyes blazed angrily at me. "You need to fix what you've done."

So here I was, rushing through the woods, wondering where in La Push Bella could have gone. I can't think she would have headed to my home – she was as angry at me as she was at Cullen. My only thinking was that she had headed there because she knew the leech couldn't follow.

I tried First Beach – thinking perhaps I'd find her perched on the driftwood log where she and I had had some of our in-depth discussions. But there was no sign of her – no evidence that she had been there at all.

What if something had happened to her? What if Victoria had come across her and…?

'Jake! I found her.' Embry's voice rang out, loud and clear in my head, and I gave thanks for the bizarre link I shared with my pack brothers. 'She's headed for the cliffs, Jake. The upper ledge.'

I pushed myself harder, branches and leaves hitting me in the face as I rushed toward where Bella was and praying I wouldn't be too late. I phased back quickly just before the clearing, threw my shorts on and stepped from the trees.

"Bella!"