Drowning
Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.
A/N-thank you for the kind reviews, Nikki. Be warned the last part of this chapter is not an easy read!
Part Twenty Seven
It was when Jacob gently cupped her ass in his warm hand and squeezed that pulled Bella out of her sex fuelled haze. It was something she had seen him do to the mystery girl in the garage. She suddenly felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over her, killing the mood. Bella pushed hard on Jacob's shoulder's and effectively rolled from under him as he released her a little. "You've got some nerve creeping into my room after what you've done." She raged at him.
Jacob seemed stunned. He sat up on her bed and ran a hand through his hair. It was only when she saw him do this that she noticed it had been shorn off like Billy's. "I suppose you did that for her?" She spat.
"Her?" Jacob felt confused. He stared at Bella dumbfounded, his whole posture showing he had no idea what she was talking about. His one thought when he managed to defy his father's orders and sneak over to see Bella was holding her in his arms and kissing the life out of her. He had missed her so damn much; the last week had been awful. He had been livid when Billy had ordered him to stay away from Bella for a while due to safety concerns. It was well documented that newly phased wolves could be volatile, and Billy did not want to risk anything untoward happening. It had taken Sam a good few weeks to control himself and he guessed Jacob and Embry would be the same. Jacob didn't believe that he would hurt Bella in any circumstances, he loved her too much. There was no way he would harm a hair on her head, wolf or no. But Billy would not be swayed, he issued an Alpha order on Jacob when he blatantly refused to toe the line, and this had immediately pissed Jacob off to such an extent that he had lost control which more or less proved his father's point. But over the last day or so, Jacob had noticed a change in himself. Billy would give an order to the whole pack and they would immediately follow, but he found that he could go against his father's commands. He kept this knowledge to himself, which was hard considering the blasted pack mind. Jacob hadn't been prepared for that side effect of being a wolf, having his brothers listening in to every thought and feeling. But as he learned to circumnavigate his father's orders, so he managed to slowly seal off a part of his mind from the others. He didn't know how he was doing it, perhaps it was instinctive. He was brought back into the moment when Bella demanded an answer from him. He shook himself. "I don't know what you're talking about, honey."
Bella had put her hands on her hips, her posture only accentuated her slim figure and Jacob's raging hormones came to the fore again as he stared at her hungrily. He had wanted Bella badly before, but now for some reason it felt so much more intense. It took a lot of his self-control to stay where he was. "You stay away for ages, you don't call me, you completely freeze me out, and you don't understand what I'm talking about?" Bella said bitterly. "Just go back to her, Jake. I am not that easy."
"Easy? What the hell are you implying?" Jacob was outraged. How dare she accuse him of that? He had never treated her that way. And who was this person she kept referring to? She couldn't know about Megan surely? Unless? Jacob frowned as he tried to work out who could have told her. When he had first phased everything that had happened to him previously had been laid raw for all to see, including his brief encounter with Megan. Sam would have been witness to this, and it had to have been Sam who had betrayed his secret to Bella. He knew how protective the older guy was toward her. Damn him! "You know about Megan then?" He challenged her. He saw Bella flush red which confirmed his suspicions. "Fucking Sam." He swore. "He had no right."
Bella became still, the two red spots on her face faded and she became very pale. Her large brown eyes showed betrayal mixed with a deep hurt. "Sam knew? And he didn't tell me? Oh my god, is there no one I can trust anymore? Quil was right."
"Quil? What the hell has he got to do with anything?" Jacob demanded. That feeling of possession overwhelmed him again, he didn't understand it, but Bella belonged to him, she was his. Thinking of another male trying to encroach on his territory could not be permitted.
"Let's just say Quil and I have been keeping each other company while you've been busy sucking face with that witch." Bella declared rashly. She wanted to hurt him like he was hurting her. He didn't even seem sorry for jumping on that girl one day and trying the same thing on her the next. "I don't understand you, Jake. You're like a different person. So is Sam. I can't trust you anymore."
Her words were like barbs to his soul. Jacob actually winced at the onslaught. She didn't trust him? She had no idea of the agony he had been through just to get to her. So what if he had found comfort with another girl? She had rejected him so many times and told him to live a little. What right did she have to turn it all back on him? The Quil thing was still niggling at the back of his mind but his body was getting hot and he knew if he didn't leave right then he would phase in her room. "I came here to explain." He snapped as he headed for the window. "But it looks like you've drawn your own conclusions." Without waiting for a reply, Jacob jumped out of the window, his feet running as soon as they hit the dirt. Bella rushed to the window and stared after him in amazement as he sprinted for the trees. Then when he was out of sight she burst into tears.
The whole damn pack was out running. Jacob tried to seal off his brain, but what had happened between him and Bella spooled out anyway like some kind of tragic romance. He felt his father's anger at finding out he had disobeyed an Alpha command, he felt Embry's sympathy and he felt Sam's disapproval. Jacob ignored them all. He ran through the trees, easily weaving his way in and out of the large trunks. He bounded easily over the large rocks, and landed quietly on his feet. For such a large creature he was amazed at how silent his wolf could travel. He had yet to come across any sign of their mortal enemy. He had seen the old battles that his father and Harry had engaged in when they were young wolves. Billy had opened up his memories to them to show just how vicious the cold ones could be. It was both frightening and thrilling in equal measure. Jacob felt like he could easily rip a cold one apart due to the mood he was in.
"I told you to stay away from Bella for both your sakes."
"I needed to see her. It's none of your business."
"It is very much my business. You could have hurt her."
"Stop lecturing me."
"How did you get round my order? How?"
"Perhaps you are not the almighty Alpha after all?"
"PHASE BACK NOW!"
Jacob tried to fight it, but something was different this time. Billy was brooking no argument. Jacob collapsed into his human form and was forced to walk home in his bare feet. Bitterness seeped through him as he strode slowly toward his house. How dare Billy treat him this way? Hadn't he done enough by keeping such a huge secret from him in the first place? His excuses had sounded poor when Jacob had demanded answers on why he and the others weren't warned about what was coming. It had thrown his life into chaos. He could lose Bella if he wasn't careful. Images of her hurt face filled his head and he sighed heavily as he tried to sort through his own chaotic emotions.
Sarah answered the door and tried to shut it when she saw who was on her doorstep. But Joshua Uley shoved the door to the small apartment open, causing her to fall backwards and hit the floor. Her wrist cracked and she felt tears pool in her eyes. "What do you want?" Her voice quivered.
"Not glad to see me then, sweetheart?" Joshua sneered. "You never bothered to come see me when I was inside, did ya?" He hunkered down and yanked on Sarah's damaged wrist, making her cry out in pain.
"How did you get out?" Sarah was frightened for her life. She had never seen Joshua look so evil. His hair was shorn close to his head and he seemed to have bulked up while he was inside. He looked huge, totally different from before.
"Let's just say I met a real woman, a woman with fire in her hair and in her veins." Joshua said cryptically. "A woman with friends in the right places."
"What do you want from me?" Sarah scooted backwards holding her injured wrist in her other hand. "I haven't any money, and you can't stay here. Billy would find out and go mad."
"I'm glad you mentioned that asshole husband of yours." An evil glint lit up Joshua's dark eyes. He hovered over Sarah and twisted his head slightly as if he was a snake about to attack. "I have a score to settle with him and ripping his pathetic world apart will be my payment to the woman who got me out."
Sarah's whole body trembled as she stared up at Joshua in horror. "Leave Billy alone, leave my family alone." She said faintly.
Joshua laughed sardonically as he suddenly lunged and gripped Sarah by the roots of her hair. She tried to scream but it was stifled when he clamped a hot hand over her mouth. "Now listen you pathetic bitch. I came here because I need you to do something." He hissed. "I need you to lure that little princess that your son hangs out with over here. She'll be perfect bait for what I need to do. Ring her and tell her you need her help with something. If you don't…." Joshua released Sarah's hair and put his hand around her throat and squeezed. He put his mouth close to her ear and whispered. "Let's just say you won't be breathing for much longer." He suddenly let go and Sarah flopped to the floor gasping for breath. There was an angry red mark around her neck.
Joshua held out a cell phone and forced it into her hand. "Now call her." He snarled.
Sarah felt pitiful tears pool into her eyes as with her good hand she began to dial Bella's home number. It rang a few times before she picked up. "Hello?"
"Bella….Bella…it's me. It's Sarah." Sarah couldn't stop her voice from shaking.
"Sarah?" Bella sounded wary. "What's wrong?"
"I'm sorry to call. I couldn't get hold of anyone else. I've hurt myself and I need…I need…need you to come help me. Please?" Sarah trembled as Joshua gripped the roots of her hair again when she began to falter.
"Okay." Bella agreed reluctantly. "Give me half an hour. Will you be alright until then?"
"Yes, yes." Sarah dropped the cell phone onto the floor; she was shaking so badly she couldn't keep a grip on it.
Joshua laughed as he picked it up and shoved it in the pocket of his jeans. "Good girl!" He praised her sarcastically. "I could do with a drink, what about you?" As if he hadn't a care in the world Joshua hunted through Sarah's cupboards and pulled out two bottles of wine he found inside. He poured two generous glasses and handed one to Sarah. "Now drink." He ordered her.
Sarah continued to cry as she gulped down the soothing liquid. As soon as she was finished, Joshua poured her another glass. She drank and drank until she began to zone out. The last thing she heard was a knock on the door, but by that time she was too drunk to care.
A/N-thanks for reading!
