Epiphany

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.

A/N-thank you very much to everyone who stuck with this story over the long break. Sorry for the delay, RL has been kicking my butt lately. Anyway, onto the next chapter….

Chapter Twenty-Kidnapped

Stars filled the sky like pale corn into freshly turned ground. It was the promise of life in the darkness, a sense of warmth springing from the cold. It was a vastness to bring humbleness and an eternal space to bring gratitude for the cosiness of home. A gentle breeze ruffled Bella's hair as she continued to stare up at the night sky in silent contemplation. Jacob drew closer, pressing his warm fur against her left side.

"Thanks." Bella murmured gratefully as she drank into his warmth.

After a few minutes, she adjusted her position and leaned against his wide shoulder. It was much more comfortable that way. The clouds above moved quickly across the night sky, dimming the bright stars as thick patches crossed the moon and passed on.

Absently, Bella began pulling her fingers through the thick fur on his neck. That same strange humming sound that he'd made before rumbled in his throat. It was a homey kind of sound. Rougher, wilder than a cat's purr, but conveying the same sense of contentment.

"You know I never had a dog." Bella mused aloud. "I always wanted one growing up, but Renee was allergic. Now I figure I have two rolled into one-a giant puppy and an awesome boyfriend. Not many girls can boast about that."

Jacob laughed; his wolf's body shook with the force of it.

Bella fell silent, her amusement fading as she began to worry about the future. "Jake, what are we going to do about Edward and the Cullens? They won't go quietly. And the Volturi…" Her voice tailed off and she swallowed thickly as she tried to keep her shit together. She was tired of feeling so weak. Jacob needed a strong partner, not one who kept falling apart every time something went wrong.

He turned his enormous head toward her, so that she could see the reassurance in his dark eyes.

"I wish I could feel that positive."

Jacob leaned his head against her leg and started humming again. And it did make her feel a lot better. Bella settled deeper into his fur, resting her head against his neck. It was strange. Even though he was in this bizarre form, this felt more like the way they used to be-the easy, effortless friendship that was as natural as breathing in and out-but now mixed with so much more.

Bella felt she could wrap herself up in his fur and sleep like a baby. His very presence was soothing to her soul. It had always been that way, she just wished she had recognised it sooner. Jacob was the soul mate she'd needed for so very long. Edward had broken her heart, but Jacob had pieced it back together. Jacob knew her flaws. All of them. And he loved her anyway. Nothing would change his love. He made her want to be a better person, to be good enough to deserve him. And she was determined to try. She was going to cherish him, keep him forever safe in her love.

The next morning brought with it a heavy downpour. Resigned to the fact that she was going to have to brave the terrible weather, Bella pulled on her sturdiest coat, raising the hood over her head as she headed outside. She was planning a romantic meal for Jacob. Charlie was on a night shift, so they would have the house all to themselves.

As she left the shelter of the front porch, water washed over her skin so strongly that it felt as if she was in the flow of a river rather than a rain shower. And so, the only thing she could do was to keep walking, doing her best to steer her way through the rain that had become like a living fabric. Despite how uncomfortable she felt, Bella couldn't help but admire how the rain brought a richness to each hue, the browns deepening in a way that soothed her nerves. The grass was glossy, reflecting the light, a new bright shine to their wands, softly waving in the breeze. She raised her hand, tilting her face toward the sky, feeling the water run down her skin. Perhaps this was joy felt like, a happiness that feels pure, she decided.

Bella wished Jacob were there to share the feeling with her. If only she could bottle the memory and store it for later. Forks' one store was only a few meters away. She only had to cross the road and she would be safe within its confines.

She never reached it…

Edward appeared out of the gloom, his face set and determined, as if he had been waiting for this exact opportunity to kidnap her. He swung her up in his strong arms as if she was nothing more than a ragdoll, putting one hand over her mouth to stifle the scream that was finding its way out of her throat. He carried her over to his car- an Aston Martin V12 Vanquish-a vehicle he only used on special occasions. Strapping Bella in tightly, he locked the passenger door, and was back sitting in the driver's seat before she had time to expel her next breath.

Edward drove like a maniac. It was dark inside the car, no light had come on with the opening of the door, and Bella could barely see his face in the glow from the dashboard. The tires squealed as he spun the car around violently. Bella clutched the seat with both hands in order to steady herself as she jerked forward in her seat. The belt strapped across her bit into her skin and she let out a small cry of pain. Edward took a sharp left, racing forward, ignoring all other traffic when he cut across their path.

Bella had seen him this riled up only once before, it was the night he had rescued her from her attackers in Port Angeles. Bella stared at his flawless features in the limited light, trying to get her breathing to return to normal, his expression was practically feral.

"Edward, you need to let me go." She said, surprised at how steady her voice sounded.

"No." Edward replied curtly, his tone was livid.

Bella sat in silence, watching his face while his blazing eyes stared straight ahead, and wondering what on earth she was going to do to escape this hellish situation she had found herself in. Edward didn't seem capable of reasonable thought right now, any words of hers could push him further over the edge. The car came to a sudden stop. She glanced around, but the driving rain made it too dark to see anything beside the vague outline of dark trees crowding the roadside. They weren't in town anymore.

"Bella?" Edward asked, his voice tight, controlled.

"Yes." Bella whispered.

"Are you alright?" Edward didn't look at her directly, but his anger was still plain to see.

Bella debated whether to just play along and pretend that everything was fine, but ultimately decided she was sick of playing his games. "No. I am far from alright."

"I didn't mean to frighten you."

"Well, you did."

Edward exhaled sharply. He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. "I was out of options." He said hoarsely. "I didn't know what else to do. I had no choice but to resort to this."

"You kidnapped me!"

"I was securing your safety."

"Bullshit!"

Edward groaned, leaning his head back against his seat, staring up at the ceiling of the car. His face was rigid. "Why do you continually have to make things so difficult? I try and try and still its never enough."

"Let me go, Edward." Bella tried to inject some authority into her tone. "Let me go before you make things worse."

Edward clamped his teeth together as he started the engine again without another word, turning around smoothly and speeding back toward town. They were under the streetlights in no time at all, still going too fast, weaving with ease through the traffic.

Bella began to relax now that he seemed to have seen sense. Her house was only a block away. "You're doing the right thing, Edward."

Edward's face softened slightly as he glanced at her. "I love you, Bella."

Bella let out a long, drawn-out sigh. "I don't think it was ever love you felt for me, Edward. It was possession. Right from the beginning there was a power imbalance in our relationship. You kept saving me. Over and over again. I think you got addicted to it. It gave you an adrenaline rush. Made you feel like a hero. You stopped seeing me as a person, instead I became a possession, something for you to control in order to make yourself feel empowered."

Edward stared at her, taking his eyes off the road completely. "You paint a very damning picture of me, Bella. Black has really infected your mind and your heart."

"This has nothing to do with Jake." Bella refuted hotly. "And everything to do with you."

"I beg to differ." Edward replied scathingly. "It has everything to do with Black. I know about the imprint, Bella."

Bella drew in a sharp breath as she felt a spasm of fear at his words. "How?"

"I may not be able to read your mind but I can read theirs. The wolf pack is very vocal when it wants to be. I listened from afar and learned all I needed to know." Edward revealed, his angel's face grave. "This hold that Black has over you because of this imprint explains so much about your change in behaviour. Its not your fault, there was no way you could fight it, it was forced upon you. I will find a way to break it, Bella. I will save you."

A zealous light lit up his eyes as he spoke. He pressed his lips together and concentrated on the road ahead again. Bella sat quietly, dazed, her thoughts incoherent. Her hands were folded in her lap and she was leaning against the back of the seat. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. It took her longer than it should have to compose herself enough to talk. She looked out of the windshield, expecting to see her house coming up around the bend, only to find to her horror that while she was out of it, Edward had changed direction and was driving a different route.

"Where are you taking me, Edward?" Bella demanded.

Edward didn't answer as he increased speed. Bella shot a panicky glance out of the window, it was too dark to see much, the road was only visible in the long patch of bluish brightness from the headlights of the car, but she was sure she had seen a flash of red coming from within the trees lining the side of the road.

A/N-thanks for reading. Please review.