Jacob PoV

Once we were back in Bella's house after I had phased back, I practically collapsed on the couch. This weird separation thing earlier had taken nearly all of my strength and I fell asleep almost immediately.

My dreams were not good, but luckily enough I didn't remember them afterwards. They had something to do with the pack and the vampires and a bloody war which tore the world in two.

The TV was on when I woke up but the sound was on mute. Bella was nowhere nearby but noises from the kitchen told me where I could find her. Yawning and stretching I sat up on the couch which made the red blanket drop on the floor.

Huh? A blanket?

It must have been Bella's doing, covering me up with a blanket even though I didn't exactly need one. It was such a human thing to do that I couldn't help but laugh. After I'd folded the blanket as best as I could I made my way to the kitchen where Bella was standing in front of the stove, watching several sizzling pans, quietly humming a song. She didn't even look up when I went to her, and put my arms around her small body, placing my chin on her shoulder.

"You have a very good timing, dinner's almost ready," she answered without letting the pans out of her sight. I frowned. "Dinner?"

"You slept the whole day," Bella informed me and shot a quick look over her shoulder. "Whatever happened to you, it took all your strength because you slept like a stone. I could have watched TV on full volume and you wouldn't even have stirred."

I made a face. Whatever happened to me... While we were walking back to the house, a line of thoughts had come up, only small at that time but manifesting itself more and more in my mind. Maybe it had something to do with what was in my blood. The Alpha-Gene that I had always known was there, but I had always rejected. Maybe by defying Sam's direct orders I had done something to trigger it. Maybe this was why I couldn't hear anyone anymore. Because I no longer belonged to the pack.

This thought was very interesting but also very sad. And lonely. I placed a small kiss on Bella's neck, which made her giggle. Well, as long as I had Bella at my side, it didn't matter. We would be our own pack, our own family. I didn't need Sam telling what to do or how to live my life. The others may be content doing whatever he told them to do, but I wanted more than that.

"Okay, since you are awake, you can set the table while I finish here." She pointed to several plates, cutlery and glasses on the counter next to her.

Three plates, three knives and forks and three glasses. "Uhm, Bells... Are we expecting someone?"