AN: thanks for the reviews and thanks to bluebaby for betaing this chapter and correcting the same mistakes every time :)

AN2: this is the last chapter, I'll add an epilogue and that will be it. I hope you enjoyed reading this fiction as much as I enjoyed writing it, thanks to all who put me on alert, favourite or that reviewed, you made me feel that it was worth writing the story and sharing it. Now on we go...

"Every end is a new beginning"
Proverb

Chapter 37. Finally free.

I felt warm arms holding me. "Jacob..." I whispered opening my eyes slowly, but was met with the worried eyes of Paul.

"Easy Bella, you fainted and hit your head. How are you?" He asked softly.

I was feeling a bit lightheaded but my fear was for something else. "Jacob? Where is he? I remember Sam telling me..."

Paul pulled me a little closer. "He's disappeared Bella. We saw some scuffle through his mind, we heard a female leech laughing and that was it. I think he phased back."

I started to shake. "We need to find him, we need to... Paul, I can't live without him."

"We'll find him and we'll destroy what took him away. I promise you that we'll get him back safe and sound. But right now you need to be strong Bella, you're our Alpha girl and you'll lead our pack." He said resolutely.

My mind went blank for a moment, what did I know about leading a pack of wolves? "Paul I can't lead, Sam is the beta and he can do it."

"No, you have been given power even over Jacob, it falls on you." He said strongly. "Now, I'll help you up and we'll go to Sam and Emily's. There we'll think of a strategy."

I sighed and with his help I stood. I swayed a bit and he took me into his arms. "It's better if I carry you." He said gruffly.

I didn't object, but I wasn't sure I could stand on my own.

Paul drove my truck to Sam and Emily's. Along the way I started to think things through. I couldn't lead them but I would try to help at the best of my capabilities. I really didn't know anything about fights, but then I recalled Jasper's teachings before the newborns battle.

When we got there Paul helped me out of the truck. I met all the wolves there, minus Quil and Seth that were patrolling and searching for clues about Jacob's disappearance.

Paul sat me on the sofa and then sat at my feet. I looked at him a moment and we smiled at each other. He was my clutch and my strength at the moment. "Okay, I want to know exactly what happened." I ordered resolutely.

The story was similar to what Sam had told me through the phone but there was more info now. The scent that Jacob caught before falling prey to them was of three different vampires of which one we knew was a female. That didn't exclude either the Denali or Maria. But something might. "Embry you went there, did it seem like a smell of an animal-drinking vampire or human-drinking?"

Embry seemed to concentrate on my question. "I think... I think it was animal-driking!"

I smiled triumphantly. "Then they're the Denali's sisters. At least they'll be less strong than human-drinking. There are three but I guess at least they'll have created a newborn each, knowing that there are some werewolves. We have to assume there are at least six."

Everyone nodded, and then Sam spoke. "We need to find them and kill them. We'll divide the pack in two and we'll try to find a trail; then we attack."

I shook my head. "No Sam. We need to find Jake first then act. We need to know what we are fighting against. We'll divide the pack in three, so that two will fight in the front and the third part will come from the back. We'll need to block their escape."

All the wolves were watching me in awe. I felt very self-conscious. "What?"

Paul smirked. "You're hot when you go Alpha on us."

I blushed and all of them laughed. But we sobered quickly knowing that our Jacob had been kidnapped by vampires. "I'll go with group one. We need to focus their attention on me; group two will be in charge of freeing Jacob and group three will attack from behind. Does this plan sound reasonable?"

All nodded but Paul. "No way Bella, you aren't coming with us. If something happened to you Jacob would literally skin us alive."

I put my hand on his shoulder. "Paul thanks for your concern but this is my battle as well. I'll be there to see the end of it. I want the vampire world to know that if they dare hurt my family there will be consequences."

We talked some more and after a while Seth burst through the door. "Quil found a trail leading to the clearing where the black-haired leech was killed!"

I stood up. "It could be a trap but we need to send someone anyway. Seth tell Quil to wait until Sam and Embry get there. You two are experienced so if it's a trap you'll know quicker. Remember we need first to assess the situation. We won't risk Jacob's life. You'll be group two, the rescue team."

Sam nodded. "I promise you that we won't risk him. He's our brother and he matters more than anything else." I squeezed Sam's arms and he smiled grimly at me.

Embry stood up too and they left.

"Okay we need group three and group one. In my group I want Paul, Seth and Brady. Group three Leah, Jared and Colin, you'll attack from the back." I said.

Paul walked where I was. "You'll ride me." I looked up to see his smirk and I rolled my eyes. "Come on Bella, I so wanted to say that for ages now."

I shook my head but I was smiling. "Really Paul I'll have you run naked around La Push as soon as we get Jacob back."

He winked. "I always knew you wanted to see my hot body."

I snorted but then went back to business. "Okay, fun time is over. We're going there, get Jacob and kill the vamps. Spare no one."

All of them were watching me with respect in their eyes. "Listen guys, they took my mate and they'll come back if we leave them to go free. So, spare no one."

They nodded and we left for what I hoped was the last battle. I wanted my human life and my human future to start as soon as possible with my Jacob.

The guys all phased and Paul came back from behind the trees. He was huge and I felt a bit intimidated; he sat there and didn't move. I smiled at him and walked to where he was. "Paul I trust you with my life." I told him.

I sat on wolf-Paul and put my hands around his neck. He started slow to get me used to the movement but when he felt that I caught on, he increased the speed.

It was a strange way to travel. Besides Edward, I had never run with anyone else, not even with Jacob. A pang of anguish hit my heart, I hoped that he was well and that they didn't hurt him. I would have no peace if they did. But I was confident that if he was dead I would have felt it and I didn't; I needed to have hope at least until we faced them.

We stopped in the forest and I saw Brady walk towards me. "Okay Bella, Jacob is in the clearing held by a female leech; there are other two females and four newborns. What do we do?"

I knew that Paul would relay my plan to the others. "My group will go into the clearing. I'll talk with them and try to distract them so that group two can find a way to rescue Jake. As soon as group two goes I want group three to come and take care of the newborns. Is everything clear?"

Brady nodded and so did Paul. "Good, let's go and I want no one to risk his life foolishly."

We entered the clearing and the vampire holding an unconscious Jacob turned to look at me with malice all over her perfect face. "Isabella Swan, so we finally meet." She sneered.

I slid down from Paul who was still standing close to me. "Who are you?"

"I'm Irina; you killed my mate and stole Edward from my sister Tanya only to get rid of him when you got tired. But now I have the thing you care more about here in my arms. Isn't he cute?" She caressed him and I felt rage boiling.

"Don't touch him, he's mine." I spat.

She smirked. "Not for long. I want you to watch this little doggy die a painful death."

She opened her mouth ready to bite him and I screamed. "Noooooo!" I felt a huge rush of power exit from me and go straight into Jacob. He opened his eyes and phased.

Irina was pushed away from the explosion and I screamed again. "Now!"

All the wolves ran to the vampires and the fight began. I turned to see that Paul wasn't leaving my side. "Paul? Why aren't you going?"

His yellow eyes focused on me and I knew that he was staying to protect me. I smiled and put my head on his soft fur. The energy that had left me made my body feel weak. I probably had given back my gift and thus strengthened Jacob.

I was watching to see where he was and saw him ripping Irina to pieces. Maybe if we hadn't faced the newborn's army the wolves wouldn't have been so effective and deadly, but we had.

Victory was sweet. When the last of them was burned I saw Jacob turn his eyes to me and phased back. He ran to where I was and took me in his arms. "Bells, my Bells, are you ok?"

I was holding my naked Jacob to me, not caring that everyone was watching. "I was so scared... I can't lose you Jacob."

He squeezed me to him. "You won't ever lose me."

Paul barked and I looked at him. "Yes Paul you'll still run naked around La Push for your comments."

I heard the other wolves snort. Jacob looked at me. "Bells I'm going to phase back, you'll ride me."

I smiled and winked at Paul. "I always wanted to ride Jacob."

"Bells!" said an embarrassed Jake.

I laughed. "Sorry munchkin, it was a joke between me and Paul."

Jacob phased back and we went back to Sam and Emily's.

Finally life could go back to normal, as much as dating a werewolf could be defined normal.