Wolf Boy

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!

Part Thirty-Five

Wow! This was big! Huge! Whatever Bella expected Connie to say, proposing to Charlie wasn't one of them. She was thrilled that they had found each other. She had never seen her dad so happy. But marriage? So soon? They had only been dating a matter of months.

"You think it's a bad idea." Connie said, her enthusiasm dying when Bella didn't respond immediately.

Bella's breath caught in her throat. "No…you've just taken me by surprise."

"I know it's a huge deal." Connie sighed. "Maybe I am being too hasty. It would mean a huge upheaval for everyone." She reached for Bella's hands and held them tightly. "But sometimes, Bella, you have to take a chance in life. I've never felt like this before…not even with my first husband."

Bella could hear the ring of sincerity in Connie's voice. It was obvious she had fallen for Charlie hard, and she could tell that he felt the same. Was it her own ambivalent feelings about marriage colouring her opinion? She was beginning to think so. Just because her father's marriage to Renee had failed, it didn't mean this one would. Connie and Charlie were not young teenagers, they were mature adults. The circumstances were completely different. "Have you spoken to Colin about how you feel?" Bella asked, delaying her answer.

"My son and I are very close." Connie's face broke out into an affectionate smile. "He told me the other day how much he likes having Charlie around. He's missed having that. And he said it would be great to not be an only child anymore." Connie's eyes twinkled when she said the last part.

Bella had to laugh. Wasn't Colin only voicing the same thoughts she'd had the other day about having a sibling to share the load. "You know what, Connie? I say go for it! I have never seen my dad so smitten before." She declared adamantly, shrugging off the last of her doubts.

"Really?" Connie let out a little squeal of excitement. The two of them started jumping around in a circle holding hands like a couple of kindergartners.

"What on earth is going on in here?" Charlie stood in the doorway, looking completely mystified. Colin not so much. He was staring at his mom, a smile of amusement lighting up his face.

"Oh, nothing." Connie murmured as she stopped bouncing around and tried to smooth down her hair. But there was no hiding her flushed cheeks.

"Okay." Charlie drawled slowly, still looking confused.

Bella decided to intervene to stave off Connie's blushes. "Have you boys finished the dishes already?" She demanded, putting her hands on her hips.

"No…we got interrupted when we heard all the noise." Colin rolled his eyes in his mother's direction.

"Come on, kid. Let's leave the girls to it." Charlie shook his head in disbelief at their antics as he hustled Colin back into the kitchen.

"Wow!" Jacob said the next day after Bella had shared the news with him. "Connie's brave. Your old man is such a traditionalist, too."

"I know." Bella walked over to her bed and sat down beside him. "But you know what, I think its good to shake things up a little. Tradition can make things stale and boring."

"Go Bella Swan!" Jacob chuckled at the earnest expression on her face. "I guess that means I'm going to have to up my game in the future."

Bella couldn't help but notice how handsome he looked when he laughed. She loved the happy sound of his laughter, and the way his eyes danced. There hadn't been much to laugh about lately. She pushed him down on the bed and moved so she was straddling him. She put her forearms near his head and bent down so their faces were almost touching. "I love you, Jake." She breathed, running her fingers through his shaggy hair. The silky strands were now brushing his shoulders. "Can I ask you something?"

"Can I kiss you first?" He countered as his gaze flicked down to her lips for a split second before returning to her eyes.

Bella crashed her lips to his. His arms immediately went around her waist, pulling her closer to him, one of his hands tangling in her hair. He traced his tongue along her bottom lip slowly. Bella opened her mouth eagerly, his taste exploded into her mouth as he slipped his tongue in, massaging hers passionately, making her moan. Kissing Jacob seemed to get better and better each time. She was also burning with the need for him to touch her. He had been so careful since they lost the baby, treating her like some fragile piece of porcelain. Jacob pulled back after a few minutes, they were both breathing hard. He ran his hands slowly down her body from the top of her head down to her waist and back up again, looking at her lovingly.

"So, what is it you want to know, Bells?" He asked, gripping both his hands on her ass and squeezing gently.

Bella smiled at his beautiful face. "I want to know why you're growing your hair again. I mean wasn't the whole reason you got it cut was because it made it easier when you phased."

Jacob gasped as his cheeks warmed up with embarrassment. Bella's smile turned teasing and he groaned, shaking his head quickly. "No way. I'm not answering that." He whined, giving her the puppy dog look she couldn't resist.

"Come on." Bella encouraged. Jacob frowned and shook his head. Bella tried another tactic. "Please?" She begged, pecking his lips. "Please?" She continued in a soft whisper. "Please, Jake, I really want to know."

Jacob moaned and took a deep breath as she kissed down his neck. "Not fair!" He complained, finally giving in. "I'm growing it out because you're always saying how much you miss my long hair." He admitted, cupping her face in his hands and making her look at him.

Bella took a shaky breath. "You're doing it for me?" Her heart was racing in her chest. Jacob Black was utterly adorable. She kissed him tenderly. He kissed her back and rolled so she was lying underneath him. "I could kiss you all day." She whispered against his hot skin.

"That sounds like a good plan." Jacob mumbled.

Bella wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him closer to her, kissing him with everything she had to show how much she loved him. Jacob pinned her arms above her head and kissed her again. "I love you, Bella."

Her heart skipped a beat and her body began to tingle with need. Jacob kissed her again, stopping the words that were about to fall from her lips. She felt his grip loosen on her wrists, so she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling her closer to him. She felt him hesitate. "I'm not going to break, Jake." She murmured against his lips. "I'm okay. Please make love to me."

Jacob's concerned gazed locked with hers. "Are you sure?" He asked huskily. "I mean- "

Bella put her fingers over his lips to quieten him. "It's okay." She confirmed with a soft smile. She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly and kissed all over his face, before kissing him long and hard on his perfect mouth.

Flushed with love, Jacob and Bella came down the stairs holding hands. They had spent the past few hours while they had the house to themselves, making love, laughing and talking. Just being together-Jake and Bells.

The front door opened just as they reached the hallway. Charlie came in, looking harassed. He looked at them keenly, taking in their joined hands, flushed faces and Bella's obvious bed hair. He grimaced, his own face reddening as he tried not to think about what his precious daughter had just been up to.

"Alright." He said gruffly in greeting.

Jacob stifled a laugh at the police chief's obvious discomfiture. Bella gave him a stern look and elbowed him in the side. "Hey, Dad." She greeted him. "How was work?"

Charlie cleared his throat, his expression turning grim. "I shouldn't be telling you this, but word is already getting around so it's best that you know. Some local hikers went missing last night. They were found this morning…" He sucked in a sharp breath and shook his head as if trying to shake the memory of seeing their ravaged bodies out of his head. "It looks like an animal attack. Bears probably. Though I haven't seen anything so savage before. But we won't know until a proper autopsy has been done."

Bella began to shake uncontrollably. Her stomach swirled and her legs turned to jelly. She only remained standing because Jacob was holding her hand so tightly.

"Where?" Jacob asked, his voice was tight, controlled.

Charlie sighed, covertly glancing in his daughter's direction. "About half a mile from the Cullens old place." He revealed hesitantly.

Bella couldn't breathe. Her lungs refused to work. Her heart began to beat way too fast for her body to cope with. She knew she was descending into a panic attack, but still couldn't do anything to stop it. This wasn't an animal attack. Those innocent hikers had been victims of a vampire attack, and from the savageness of it, it was more than likely an out of control new-born. Which could only mean one thing-Trent had been turned and had been hidden right under their noses just like they'd suspected all along-in the Cullens mansion.

A/N-thanks for reading!