Wolf Boy

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!

Part Twenty-Six

Jacob was watching Bella worriedly, there was something wrong he could tell, but she wasn't talking. "Are you alright, Bells?"

"I'm fine." She said quietly. Her eyes remained focused on the road ahead as she drove back home from school the next day.

It was obvious she was lying. Jacob wondered if she was stressing over Lily again. He had hoped she had gotten past that-she assured him she had-but it seemed that something had happened to knock her back down again. He took her hand and rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. His touch seemed to lessen her tension as she made the effort to glance his way and smile weakly.

Jacob waited until they were back at the house before he broached the subject again. The last thing he was going to do was let her stew on whatever was worrying her. As soon as they went inside, she was straight in the kitchen, fussing around and preparing to make him something to eat. This was just another sign of how stressed she was. Feeding the wolf was one way of distracting herself. Jacob had seen her do it so many times in the past.

"Bells, stop." He said gently as he steered her toward one of the chairs.

"But you're hungry." Bella mumbled. "Let me just make you- "

"My stomach can wait." Jacob pushed her down into the chair and hunkered down in front of her so their faces were on the same level. He peered at her anxious face. Her eyes were darting everywhere but him. "What's going on?"

"Nothing. I'm just tired from studying so much."

"Try again, honey. That excuse may work on Charlie but it sure as hell doesn't work on me."

Bella's hands began to shake. She folded them in her lap and cast her eyes down, chewing on her lower lip. "You've got enough to deal with, Jake. I know Billy's been feeling pretty low…"

"Talk to me." Jacob urged her. "Please." He added at the end, his voice gently coaxing.

"Oh, god, I think I'm just being irrational." Bella twisted her hands in her lap.

"Let me be the judge of that." Jacob took her hands and held them in his own. "What's worrying you? Is it Lily?"

"It's connected." Bella swallowed thickly. She felt so guilty with burdening Jake with yet more crap. She had been trying to hide how she was feeling, but of course he would know. Edward may have been the mind reader but Jake was a Bella reader.

"How?" Jacob rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand again.

"You remember at the hospital Trent let slip the name of Lily's controlling boyfriend?"

"Yeah…it was Riley something or other." Jacob couldn't recall the guys last name.

"Riley Biers." Bella continued shakily. "Well I found out that he's missing."

"Riley is missing? How?" Jacob's eyes went wide, his hands gripping Bella's tighter.

"It was just by chance. Dad brought some work home and I caught him reading his file." Bella confessed. "This Riley has been missing for months. You've heard how Trent talks about him. What if he had something to do with Riley going missing? There's so much that doesn't make sense, Jake. Like Lily being at the Cullens when she overdosed, her and Trent just happening to be at the party you took me to, the odd way they've been acting…their connection to Sarah."

"Fuck." Jacob swore. He grabbed Bella and picked her up, taking her place on the chair so he could cuddle her on lap. His arms tightened around her as if worried she might suddenly be snatched away from him.

"Do you think I'm overreacting?" Bella whispered, barely able to get the words out, her voice hitching and catching as she tried not to cry.

"No." Jacob growled, his body tensing even further. "I think its time I confronted Trent and got some answers." He lifted Bella off of his lap as if he was about to do it right now.

"No." Bella cried, gripping hold of Jake with all her strength. "Jake, no!"

"I want to put an end to this, Bella." Jacob said sternly. "I am sick and tired of this hanging over our heads. I won't let him hurt you or me like this."

"He won't. He can't. Please, Jake, this is why I didn't want to tell you. I can't see you get into trouble. You're not in the right frame of mind. I need you. Please don't leave me on my own." She begged. She would do anything to keep him with her. She squeezed Jacob's hand for emphasis. "Please."

Jacob sighed, calming down a little. "It's alright, I'm not gonna leave you."

Bella relaxed, relieved that Jacob was thinking through his initial rash decision. She pressed herself against him, closing her eyes and drinking in his comforting warmth.

Jacob picked Bella up and carried her into the lounge. He sat down on the sofa and pulled her back onto his lap, wanting to feel her closes to him. His heart still hadn't returned to normal from seeing her to upset again. He was so angry that his jaw was aching where he was clenching his teeth together so tightly, trying to stay in control. He wanted to find Trent and beat him until he told the damn truth, but Bella was right, he'd be the one getting into trouble then and she didn't need any more stress right now.

For the next week things continued to be strained. Jacob had assured Bella that he wouldn't go after Trent just yet but she worried he was only saying that to placate her. He was as tightly wound up as she was. He was under immense pressure as it was. Sam had stepped up the patrols again. Victoria had chosen the worst time to renew her forays into La Push. With that and trying to keep an eye on Billy, who seemed to be sinking back into his old depression after Sarah died, Jacob was barely able to function. Bella was concerned it would only take something small to set him off and he would unravel.

"Dad, something needs to be done about Billy." Bella confided to Charlie one day just as he was leaving to go on a date with Connie.

"What do you mean?" Charlie shrugged on his jacket and looked at his daughter questioningly. "I saw him only yesterday and he assured me he was fine."

"He's putting on a front for your benefit, Dad. He doesn't want you or Harry to see he's not coping. Jake's having to bear the brunt of his unhappiness and it's just not fair that he's burdened with trying to cope with Billy's low moods when he has enough to deal with already." Bella's fists were curled in frustration. She wasn't really angry at Charlie for not realising his friend was in the doldrums, he was having the time of his life with Connie and was so caught up in his new relationship that he hadn't seen the signs.

"Shit." Charlie cussed as he rubbed a hand over his face. "I'll go over there now and talk to him."

"What about your date?" Bella felt guilty now. She hadn't meant for him to change his plans.

"Connie will understand." Charlie reached for his phone.

"Thanks, Dad." Bella said gratefully.

"No, thank you for being brave enough to tell me. Harry and I'll take care of Billy. You make sure that Jake takes care of himself, okay." Charlie smiled at her in understanding as he rang Connie to tell her the news.

Another week passed. Charlie was as good as his word. He arranged to take Billy away on a three-day fishing trip with Harry to give Jacob a break. He promised Bella that by the time they came back Billy would be in good spirits again. She just hoped it was true. If anyone could get through to Billy it was his lifelong best friends.

The much-needed break did Jacob and Bella the world of good. They were able to spend more quality time together. Sam eased off on the patrol shifts, allowing Jacob to spend every night with Bella. With Charlie not in the house they were able to explore and take their physical relationship to new depths without interruption from anyone else.

It was heavenly, a little bit of paradise. That was until Trent came back into their lives.

On the morning that Charlie and the others were due back from their impromptu fishing trip Bella got a call on her cell from Trent. She tensed as soon as she heard his voice, her initial reaction being to hang up on him. But Jacob had already overheard Trent's voice. He took the phone from Bella, despite her protests, his voice hard as he demanded to know what the fuck Trent wanted.

"What the hell do you want?" He growled, jumping up from the sofa where they had just been making out.

Bella stood up so fast it made her head spin. Jacob was so tense that his arms were quivering. She looked at him in alarm. "Jake, don't." She whispered. She watched him, feeling sick at what might happen.

"Come here right now!" Jacob yelled into the phone. "Let's finish this right here, right now!"

What the hell is he doing? "Jake." Bella cried, scared.

"Sure. See you when you get here." Jacob snarled, hanging up and flinging the phone across the room. Luckily it landed with a soft thud on Charlie's recliner and didn't break.

Bella couldn't believe that Jacob had told Trent to come over to the house. "Please, tell me Trent isn't coming here." She pleaded.

Jacob turned to look at her, his face hard. "Yeah, I need you to get in the truck and drive to Angela's." He instructed.

"I won't. You're being stupid, Jake. This is not a good idea." Bella whispered, tears falling down her face. She ran and grabbed her phone, intending to ring Trent back and try and stop him from coming. She couldn't let him come here, not with Jacob looking so murderously angry.

Jacob eased the phone out of her hands. "He's not going to stop harassing you or us, Bells. I just need to make it clear he needs to fuck off and leave us the hell alone." He said, pulling her into a hug.

Bella shook her head, that was probably his intention, but with Trent's bad track record, there was a chance he wouldn't listen and instead the confrontation would escalate into a fight.

"Please, don't, you'll get in trouble, please. Please?" Bella whispered. Her insides were squirming with dread.

"I can take care of this, Bells." Jacob replied, his hard expression softening slightly. "Just trust me."

A/N-thanks for reading!