Bella's POV

It had been a few days since Sam and I both agreed that I would eventually take over as Alpha. The others all knew what was going to happen and not all of them were happy. I didn't really expect them to be though. Sam had been the leader since the beginning and it would be difficult to accept a new leader.

Paul was the most vocal about it. He was pissed and immediately resumed his jackass attitude towards me. I got the feeling that along with being unhappy about having to switch leaders and taking orders from a 'leech lover', it hurt his ego to know that he'd have to answer to a girl. In any event, I was almost grateful for it. I was unnerved by a nice Paul.

Jared hadn't been thrilled either. He didn't hold anything against me or anything. In fact, anytime he thought about it while we were phased, he apologized. He just felt like since Sam was there first, he should be able to keep Alpha.

Embry had no problem with it. He'd been very supportive. It wasn't surprising. Embry was closest to me out of everyone else, even Jacob. We were a lot alike. We both had a bastard for a biological father, maybe even the same bastard biological father, and we both imprinted on vampires. It made sense that he'd be closer to me and that he'd take my side.

Jacob didn't really care, unsurprisingly. He'd only been a wolf for about a week. He had no preference on who led the Pack as long as it wasn't him. About the only thing he did was question why I wanted it, though not to my face. He thought it while phased a couple of times.

Speaking of Jacob, I was with him patrolling right now. Since Jacob was still very new, he wasn't patrolling solo. Tonight, it was my night to help him patrol.

Soon, Jacob's thoughts pulled me from my own. "I'm sorry, Bella."

"For what?" I asked as I turned to phase his wolf form.

"You shouldn't have to drag me around like this," he said.

"Jacob, there's no problem. This happens with new wolves. Aside from Sam, we were all accompanied by another. Training new wolves is just part of the job description," I said.

"Yeah, but you shouldn't have to deal with me," Jacob said. Somehow I didn't think he meant for me to hear that.

Unfortunately for him, I did hear it and I wasn't going to let it go. "What the hell do you mean by that?"

Jacob let out a growl. "I hate this wolf thing. I can't think anything without anyone else phased hearing it too."

"Yeah, we all hate it. What did you mean by what you just said?" I asked again.

"Nothing," he said. The rest of his thoughts betrayed him though. Images of the blowout at Billy's came to view and I caught a thought of Jake thinking that I wanted nothing to do with him.

"Jacob," I said stunned and horrified. I had no idea that he thought all that.

Jacob winced and started to run in the opposite director.

"Jake, don't," I called after him, but he just kept going. "Jacob, come back!" This time my voice was louder and deeper. It was the same voice Sam used when he gave an order.

Unable to refute me, Jacob turned around and came back. He wouldn't look at me though.

I cringed. I hadn't meant to order him like that. I had to learn to gain control of the new ability as Sam's beta to give Alpha orders to the rest of the Pack. "Jake, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that."

"So then I can leave?" Jacob asked while looking at the ground.

"Well, I won't order you to stay, but please don't leave. There's obviously something we need to talk about. I don't want you going around thinking I hate you," I said.

"Don't you? You don't really talk to me. We haven't really spoken more than a few words since the night after I phased," I said.

Okay, now I felt bad. I hadn't meant to shun Jacob or anything. Things had just been really difficult since I'd leaned the truth. I'd had a hard time dealing with the news that someone I generally thought was a good person had just abandoned me without a second thought and that I'd eventually have to take control of the Pack. I hadn't really had the chance to think about Jacob and that was wrong. "I'm sorry, Jake. I should've thought about the pain you were in."

"Don't be sorry. You shouldn't have to worry about me. That's the whole point. You have every right to resent me," Jacob said.

"No, I don't have the right and I don't. I'm sorry that I've been ignoring you. I've just been trying to figure everything out. It's not easy to have your world turned upside down. But your world was turned upside down too and I should've tried to help you. I don't resent you, Jacob. What happened is not your fault. You weren't even born yet when this all started. If anyone should be resentful, it's you," I said. I was a result of an affair Billy had behind his wife's back. Jacob and his… our sisters had a right to exist me for being the product of such an affair.

"No! I blame Dad for that, not you! You didn't ask for this all to happen," Jacob said immediately after hearing my thoughts.

"Neither did you. You're not responsible for Billy's actions. You, Rachel, and Rebecca are innocent. You were hurt by this whole thing too, and that makes me even more angry at Billy. He hurt so many people with his choices," I said. I was hit with a small burst of anger just thinking about it.

"We were the kids he chose to raise though. It would make sense for you to hate us."

"I do not hate you. You're my brother, Jake. I may not want anything to do with Billy, but I do with you. I Would like to be able to form a good relationship with you and Rachel and Rebecca," I said. I wasn't going to let Billy ruin the chance of me having a relationship with my brother and sisters. I just hoped they felt the same way.

"Really? After everything Billy's done, you want a relationship with us?" Jacob asked surprised and hopeful.

"Yes. Our relationship has nothing to do with Billy. I don't need to like him to have a relationship with you. I say we leave him out of it."

"Okay," Jacob said.

"Okay. Let's finish our patrol," I said before we started moving again.