A/N: Thanks to all you patient readers! I know it's been a while but here is the next chapter. I plan to have another one up in the next couple of days while I am on my vacation.
Again, thanks to all of you for waiting patiently and for all the reviews/ views/ favorite adds/ ect.
Chapter 51:
Jacob POV
Bella was resting soundly against me. Her one leg was hooked around me, her head was on my chest. My heart was beating to the steady rhythm of her name. I watched as her chest slowly rose and fell as her one arm was limply sprawled across me. I was still in awe over what had happened just a few short hours ago. When I thought seeing Bella just outside of this cabin, would be the last time I ever saw her. Something happened where we would stay bonded forever now. We had imprinted, something that I had always hoped for us. My brain was still trying to wrap around it. I couldn't understand how it didn't happen before this. This past week since we had been together, we had been inseperable. We were like two pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly together.
The feeling that I felt for her now, was stronger, much greater than that. I was attached to her forever now. I would do anything and be anything for her. I played a part of what had happened just in the clearing outside in my head. When she appeared, I was already beginning to fall into the darkness. Her words were beginning to become muffled as I heard myself growl threateningly at her and felt myself backing away. She wasn't afraid of me, she was scared of me leaving and never coming back.
It was then, that I tried what I could to bring my humanity back. It was hard trying to find myself again in the deep dark abyss. I was already beginning to forget parts of my memories as a human. I felt like I was drowning inside myself with no way out. Just then, I saw Bella pull the seashell from her pocket and stretch her arm out for me to see it resting in her palm. Her voice was still a bit muffled, I could barely hear her, only a few things got through to me.
"You remember this, don't you? It was the day we made mud pies together on the beach when we were little." Her voice sounded like she was talking to me from a far distance. I tried to concentrate on her voice and the seashell. I felt myself back away from her no matter how how badly on the inside I wanted to move closer. I couldn't control my actions or most of my thoughts. I tried to concentrate on that day at the beach when we were little. It was the only trace of me that seemed to be left. Even as I began to think it, it began to get cloudy and faded.
This was the beginning of the end of Jacob Black. I was in too deep and I wasn't sure if there was any way out. She continued to talk to me but I could barely hear her over the snarls escaping my muzzle. I sensed some movement behind me, knowing it was Seth trying to make sure Bella didn't get hurt. I watched as she put a hand up to stop him from moving as she inched closer to me. She spoke more now of which sounded like I was underwater. She put the shell closely now dangerously in front of me.
Bella... I don't know if I can come back... I said to myself, almost losing hope. That was when she looked at me with such determination in her eyes.
"Why can't you just see past everything stopping us and just see us?" She asked. It caught me by surprise and stopped me in my tracks. I watched as she landed in the muddy ground, her legs had buckled beneath her. She looked at me with sheer torment on her face.
"Please Jake.. Don't... leave... me..." She barely could whisper it out. Her words came more clearly now.I felt my body in the bed with Bella now tighten up. I winced thinking of how hurt Bella was. I could feel her pain, just by thinking of her in the rain. The part of her begging me to stay with a tear choked voice that easily ripped my heart in two. I wanted to phase back and tell her I was sorry. How I would never leave again. I need to get my mind back in order. I didn't have much time, my head was already submerged, I barely could reach out of my inner abyss. I jumped over Seth and ran into the woods. All I could do was concentrate on Bella.
Jake! I knew it was Seth. I heard him gasp internally as he felt my struggle within myself as he phased.
Seth, I don't know if I can stop this... I said to him, feeling a bit of me begin to fall under again.
You have to! Come on Jake, FIGHT! He yelled to me. I could feel him trying to help all he could.
I can barely remember anything... I confessed . I then saw things from Seth.
He played the parts he had seen of me and Bella over the last year. The most recent one being her face as he told her I was leaving. The more he played back to me, the more I tried to piece it together and remember. Her birthday party, how she looked at Seth and Anna with compassionate eyes then looked at me while I was talking with Paul near the tree on the side of her house. Her eyes gave away her thoughts. She wanted to be my imprint as badly as I wanted her to be. It was my decision then that I let everything go. All of my fears of losing her were gone.
She needs you Jake.. He said to me.
I looked through the brush and saw her still laying in the mud, her head hung low. The shell was still clutched and held against her chest. It was when I felt I needed to be there. I began to feel this ache all through my body and realized it wasn't my body that I was just feeling anymore. It was mine and Bella's. I could hear her heart beat as it thudded slowly like a steady drum. It sounded like a Quileute tribal chant. With every beat, a new memory returned. I suddenly felt my body shift over to my human form. I had been pulled out of the darkness. Bella had kept her promise to me. She would never let me lose myself. Just as I had pulled her out of the icy water a few years ago when she had gone alone cliff diving, she had saved me also from drowning in my own personal abyss and losing the life that I once knew.
I untied my cut off jean shorts from my leg and put them on. Seth was partly turned, not wanting to see me in my slightly naked form.
"Thanks Seth." I said, barely getting the words out as I turned around towards the brush.
"I'm not leaving Seth, I can't leave Bella. Not now, not ever." He bowed his head with understanding.
"Go to Anna, I'm going back to Bells." He nodded with a grunt and ran off deeper into the woods. I then came out of the brush as she saw me, she staggered getting up and raced towards me. As I scooped her up in my arms it was when I knew what had happened. Having her that close to me made my heart sing. I felt her happiness as I held her against me and then pulled her to me to kiss her lips. Her heart beat was still beating deep inside of me and I hoped that she could hear my heart beating for her. She put her hand on my chest a moment after I did the same thing to her a moment before. I had given up all my fears of being without her. All that remained now, was us. As she put her hand on my cheek, I cherished this moment. It was something I had wanted all this time.
"So, this is imprinting.." I said. She smiled and nodded at me as I leaned down to kiss her again. She could feel what I was feeling, so deep down she had known what this feeling had meant.
Now I was laying here with Bella in my arms, grateful that now I could spend the rest of my life with her. I had given up all my fears to be with her and us imprinting had finally happened. The real question I couldn't fully put together yet was exactly how. I had given up my fears, causing it to happen and with Bella, she had given up her fears of me imprinting. It was obvious that those were the two factors that may have blocked a part of our natural path. At the same time, it didn't make much sense. Imprinting was normally uncontrollable and definitely not by choice. Was I the first one to ever be able to make a choice of who I could imprint and mate for life with? I smirked a smile at that thought. Leave it to me to find a way to break the magic love spell.
Sam wouldn't be happy at that outcome, or Leah for that matter. It might bring up past problems all over again. Things had begun to die down with all the drama within our pack and tribe. Everyone was getting along again. Leave it to something else in our tribe to possibly stir everything up again. I gave out a heavy sigh uncontrollably, trying to think things through. I wouldn't have a choice but to have a pack meeting after Sam and the others had gotten back. None of them would believe this.
I felt Bella shift in my arms and she looked up at me with sleepy eyes. I smiled and kissed her forehead.
"Well, goodevening." I said to her. She smiled at me and crawled out of my arms and got off of the bed.
"Jacob, I had the most interesting dream." She said to me.
"What was your dream about?" I asked curiously. I didn't hear her talk while she was sleeping for the last few hours, so I wasn't sure what she had dreamt about. She smiled at me.
"It's sort of long.." She trailed.
"I don't think that'll be a problem." I assured her. She smiled and sat next to me on the bed. Her hair falling across her shoulder in damp tangles. She spilled out her story quickly, trying to get it out and in the open as fast as possible.
"I had a dream that you were running away, and me and Alice raced to get you. Alice had a vision that I would wait every day on the beach and just grow old waiting for you there, and that you might never come back..." She trailed and looked at me as I was concentrated on her face. She then continued.
"I found you in the clearing outside of here and you were in your wolf form. I tried to make you stay. Remember that seashell that you gave me on the beach when we were little?" I nodded my head at her, not being able to speak.
" Well, I kept it all this time and I showed it to you. I begged you to stay. Then you left. But, a few moments later, you came back and apparently we had imprinted." She sighed, I could see the tears welling up in her eyes.
"It was such a strange dream but I wish it had been true.." She said instantly wiping the coming tears from the corners of her eyes. I held her in my arms then and kissed her cheek.
"Bella, sweetie, that did happen. That's why we are in the cabin now. That's why you are in my clothes now. Your clothes are hanging on the tub drying." I said to her. She turned to me with surprise in her eyes.
"So, it really happened? We really did...?" I nodded my head at her. She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me. I held her close against me as we sat there for a minute.
"When the pack gets back, we are going to have to hold a pack meeting about this." I said to her.
"Why?" She asked curiously.
"Because, normally we don't have a choice for imprinting. We both wanted it to happen with each other but I'm not sure if that's why it happened or not. I'm trying to think how it could happen after all this time now." She shook her head at me.
"I really don't care how." She said pressing her fingers to her forehead. "All that matters is that it happened for us to be together." She looked at me and smiled.
"Together forever." I stated smiling at her.
"Forever.." She repeated sighing and coming in for another kiss. As our kiss broke she looked around the cabin and must've realized how dark it had gotten.
"What time is it?" She asked.
"It's been a few hours since you fell asleep so it's probably late in the evening if not night time." I answered, she shook her head.
"We should get going Jake." She said. I nodded and got up and grabbed her clothes from the tub. I threw them into my backpack, not caring if they made the inside contents wet or not. We'd get them washed when we got back to her place. I looked at her as we walked outside, realizing some things.
"Jake? Do you expect to walk all the way back to Forks?" She asked. I laughed and kissed her forehead.
"Of course not Bells. I'll go run and get my car. I'll be back in a few minutes." She nodded and smiled at me.
"I'll be waiting." She smiled at me as I pulled my pants off, handing them to her. Suddenly I felt her body freeze in place.
"Jacob..." She trailed. I could tell what was wrong already.
"Bells, if I run human speed you know it will take a lot longer. I'll come back, I promise." She nodded and turned for the cabin door. I turned around and looked at her hand frozen on the door knob.
"Bella?" I said to her, she whipped around and smiled at me.
"Yea, Jake?" I looked at her seriously now and walked back up to her again.
"Thank you..for saving me. I was lost inside myself but you helped me come back. If it wasn't for you.." I trailed. She put her finger to my lips as I heard my voice crack on the last word.
"Jake, it's okay. But it wasn't just me, Seth and Alice helped too." I scowled.
"I know I'll have to thank them later." I said. She nodded.
"I'll be here when you get back." She said going into the house. I then shifted and raced towards the car.
When I got to the car it was still at the house. I found my keys inside on the floor of the driver seat and turned it on. I didn't notice the light come on in the living room until I had already turned away from the house and headed up to third beach to get Bella. We then drove back to my house.
When we got inside, my father was sitting in front of the television. He turned towards me and saw Bella and I and gave me an understanding smile.
"I take it things smoothed out?" My dad asked as he waved the paper I had written on still in his hand in the air. I nodded at him and gave him a reassuring smile.
"Yeah dad, everything is fine now." I answered. He smiled at me.
"Sam called, he wanted tell you they were home but I told him you had left. I wasn't sure when you were getting back." He said as I grimaced.
"Did you..." Before I could finish my sentence my father shook his head.
"No son, I didn't tell him you were leaving indefinitely." I nodded and knelt down in front of him.
"Things are going to be fine dad. I'm never leaving again, I promise." I said to him. He smiled at me and I gave him a hug. His hug tightened around me and it almost put me in tears. I had been so selfish to leave because of one problem. I would've hurt my dad and the others in my pack if I had left without any real explanation. He patted me on the back and I got back up. He gave a glance in Bella's direction and smiled at her.
"Let me go call Sam." I announced. Bella sat on the chair closest to Billy and they started talking as I walked into the other room to grab the phone. I dialed Sam's number and Sam answered the phone.
"Hello?" Sam's voice came on the line.
"Hey Sam, how did things go?" I asked.
"Alright I guess, it was really hectic though. We are holding a pack meeting in the next forty five minutes. Can you come?" I snickered.
"Actually, I was just about to ask you about having a pack meeting." I said.
"Something wrong?" He asked concerned.
"Not exactly. Things are fine now, but it's still something that needs to be discussed." He let out a low huff.
"Alright. We'll talk everything out when you get here." He said.
"Bella's coming with." I answered.
"Why are you bringing Bella to a pack meeting Jake?" He asked.
"You'll find out when I get there. I'll see you all there in a little while."
"Alright see you there." Sam said. We then hung up. I then walked back into the living room.
"Everything alright?" Dad asked. I nodded.
"Yeah, things are fine dad. I have a pack meeting tonight." He nodded.
"That doesn't surprise me with Paul and Jared's little stunt." My dad said crossing his arms as I grimaced.
"Yeah, it could've been a lot worse. I have to talk to them about some things too." I added, shifting my eyes over towards Bella as she looked at me.
I then walked towards Bella and she got up out of the chair.
"I gotta get Bella back home." I said as dad waved his hand.
"Alright, see you later when you get back Jake. I'll see you later Bella." Bella smiled at dad.
"Bye Billy." She said as we walked out of the door and to the car.
"I'm gonna get you home and changed. We need to get to the pack meeting in a while." She nodded.
"Is it okay to go to a pack meeting with you?" I smiled.
"Yeah Bells, our imprints are there sometimes. I need to talk to them about what happened. It concerns you and me so we both need to be there." I said, she nodded at me as we climbed into the car. I started the engine and we started off towards her house.
