SM owns Twilight. We just want to live in her world a bit longer.

Chapter 23

"Hey, Bells", Jake called to her, a nervous tone in his voice.

Bella turned to see Jacob standing in the doorway of the entrance to her house.

"Hey, what ya up to?" she asked as she picked up the knife and continued to butter the bread. She was preparing lunch, toasted sandwiches.

"I… um… I have to talk to you about something."

Bella felt her heartbeat increase, her stomach tightened. This wasn't a good something.

"W-what is it?" she asked nervously. She put down the knife and walked around the bench towards Jacob. He was still standing in the doorway.

She started to reach for his hand; she needed the physical contact with him, but he flinched away from her. She froze.

Bella slowly looked up into his pained eyes, feeling the terror in her own. She crossed her arms across her chest and waited.

"I met someone today," he whispered.

Bella instantly knew what he was saying. She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth to hold back the emotions threatening to burst free.

"I didn't mean it. You know I have no control over it," Jake pleaded.

She took a step back from him. It physically hurt in her chest to pull away from him.

"Bells, honey, I'm so so sorry."

She took another pained step, turned and ran towards the stairs. Unfortunately, the tears were blurring her vision, and she completely missed the first step. She felt herself fall and screamed as she braced for impact.

Bella woke up in her bed, her heart pounding. She instantly put her hands to her face hoping that she wouldn't find any cuts or tender marks, and was relieved to find only tears streaking her cheeks. She took a deep, steadying breath to try and calm her furiously beating heart.

She looked around her room; it was the middle of the night. The cold night air was blowing gently in her wide-open window. A shiver rocked her body, and she realized she was completely naked, only a thin sheet covering her body.

"It was just a dream," she whispered to herself. "It was just a dream." She blinked away the tears that threatened to fall. Then, she closed her eyes and focused on Jacob. She was relieved to still feel their bond, alive and pulling gently in her chest.

But she couldn't shake the feeling that something was still wrong. Jacob's side of the bed was icy cold; he had been gone for a while.

Bella rolled out of bed and walked over to their cupboard. She grabbed one of Jacob's shirts and pulled it over her head, inhaling his smell as she was engulfed in it; it came down to her knees.

Feelings of fear and anxiety were washing subtly through her body. She was sure it was partly hers, remnants of the nightmare, but it was mainly Jake's emotions she could feel. Jake wasn't supposed to be on patrol tonight, and he never left the window open when left.

Leaning out the window, she was disappointed that she couldn't see anything in the forest. A chill ran through her body that caused her to move away from the window. She started pacing across the bedroom floor. At least the movement would help keep her warm. She couldn't bring herself to get back into bed by herself.

After, what felt like hours but could have been less, Bella felt a presence nearby. It wasn't Jake; she was sure of that. She walked towards her window and saw a flash of sandy fur between the trees.

"Seth," she whispered, as loudly as she dared.

She smiled tentatively when she saw him step further out of the tree line.

"Is everything okay? Is Jake okay?" she asked him, knowing that he could only give yes or no answers.

Seth nodded his head.

"Is he coming back home?" He nodded again.

Relief flooded through her as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. He was safe, and he was coming home.

When Bella opened her eyes, she saw that Seth was gone, but she knew that Jake was not too far away. A few minutes later, a huge smile plastered her face when she saw Red's russet fur emerge from the dark. She took a step back from the window to give him room.

As soon as Jake's feet landed on the bedroom floor, she launched herself at him. It felt like she had been holding her breath, but now she could finally breathe again. His protective arms wrapped around her tender body.

After her heartbeat had returned to normal and she had assured herself that he was safe, she took care of him, washing away any traces of the fight she knew he had been in. He didn't want to talk; he just wanted to hold her. It was what she needed also.

When they finally crawled back into bed, she pulled herself as close to him as she possibly could and listened to his heartbeat. The steady rhythm always seemed to help her body relax, and she found a peaceful sleep quickly.

The following morning, Jake woke to the sound of Charlie's cruiser pulling out of the driveway. Jake lay still, marvelling at the beauty lying across his body. He had to touch her; he had to reconnect with her after last night.

No, he didn't want to think about last night just yet. He needed his girl.

His large hand found their way to her back and gently stroked her skin, gliding smoothly down her back and over her perfect butt.

Bella made a noise in her sleep but didn't wake up. Jake leaned down to her head and took a deep breath of her scent, feeling his eyes roll back in his head. He needed to wake her up.

"I'm sorry, babe," he whispered as he rolled her over onto her back, moving his body to hover over hers. Jake kissed her on the neck, and she turned her head so he could get better access. He nibbled and kissed from behind her ear to her shoulder.

**Adult content**

He slowly moved down her body to one breast, then across to the other. She was making small appreciative noises but still not fully awake.

He continued down her stomach, and the smell of her arousal hit him hard; he growled before placing a kiss on her lower belly. When he opened his eyes and looked up through his eyelashes, she was peering down at him.

"Morning," he said, and she watched him stick his tongue out and lick over her bundle of nerves.

She arched her back, "oohhh," she moaned.

Jake lifted her legs and placing one over each of his shoulders, giving him a perfect view of her body. Then, he slowly raised himself up and lifted her lower half off the bed.

"Jake?" she panted, "what…."

"Just relax. I've got you," he said before he dove back in, licking through her folds. His hand worked their way to her perfect breasts and cupped them both, running his thumbs over the nipples.

"Where… is… Charlie's?" she managed to get out.

Jake chuckled, causing her to groan at the vibrations. "Gone," he said.

"Good," she breathed. She moaned louder as he found her clit and rolled his tongue over it, simultaneously pinching her nipples.

Her back arched, and she tightened her grip on Jake's head between her thighs. He continued to roll his tongue before she threw her head back and screamed, "fuuuckk!"

Jake lapped up all the juices, enjoying every drop, as she shuddered and relaxed again. He supported her back, and she slowly dropped her legs back to the bed.

"I didn't think you could taste any better than that first night in the cabin. But damn, you taste like pure hard-on."

Bella giggled and leaned forward, puckering her lips. He climbed back on top of her and kissed her. He poured his desire and lust into the kiss, dancing his tongue with hers.

"I need you now," he growled.

"Take me," she replied.

He placed the head of his throbbing member at her wet entrance and pushed forward. He felt himself slid effortlessly inside, and he groaned at the sensation. He loved that first hint of reconnection.

Jake felt his body flood with desire, "baby, I don't think I can go slow. Is that okay?"

Bella looked up into his eyes and saw them flash yellow. Red was close to the surface. "Yes." she breathed, as he pulled back slightly before shunting into her all the way.

They both groaned, and Bella wrapped her legs around his back, her arms around his neck, and held on.

Jake set a punishing pace, it was hard and rough, but she loved it. He leaned down and sucked at the base of her neck. She submitted to him further, turning her head.

Instantly Jake froze, and all they could hear was their labored breathing.

"Jake?" she asked, confused by the sudden halt in his movements.

He raised his head back off her and had his eyes closed.

"Give me… a second," he panted.

Bella reached up to cup his face. "Hey, it's okay," she whispered. "Come back to me, Jake." She knew he was struggling for control over Red, and he was sacred.

Jake finally opened his eyes and looked down at her. Bella saw his eyes turn that familiar deep brown again, and she smiled up at him.

"I love you," she declared, staring deep into his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said, his shoulders dropping.

"Don't apologize, just keep going," she encouraged him.

She continued to look him in the eyes as he slowly started back again. Bella watched his face as he continued to battle with his wolf, wanting to be in total control. She wanted him to let go but couldn't bring herself to say it.

"I'm close," he warned her. "Slide your hand down and touch yourself."

She did as he asked and rubbed her finger over her clit. The pleasure in her body increased, and she couldn't watch him anymore. She closed her eyes and felt herself fall over the edge as she screamed out his name.

Jake groaned, and she felt his warm seed fill inside her before he collapsed on top of her. He quickly rolled off her body, and she felt their bodies separate, feeling the loss of contact instantly.

**end adult content**

Bella lay her head on his arm and traced her fingers over his sweaty stomach. "Are you okay?" she finally asked.

"Yeah, I am now. We both just need to reconnect with you."

Bella smiled at his use of the plural. "What happened last night?" she dared to ask.

"Three nomads."

"That doesn't sound too bad, for ten werewolves?"

Jake groaned, "one of them had a fucking gift… Sam's pack was somehow frozen, unable to move. They managed to do a bit of damage to a few of the guys before my pack could get there." Jake shook his head. "It was scary as fuck… if we had, have been stuck too. They would have killed us all."

Bella shuddered at the thought of her brave pack being rendered useless.

"When I was in Italy, I met a couple of 'gifted' vampires," she used air quotes. "A particular nasty pair of witch twins, as some call them. They look about twelve or thirteen with blonde hair. The girl, Jane, can make someone believe they are in incredible pain, rendering them unable to move. Her brother, Alec, can cut off your sense, so you can't see, hear or feel anything. She can only torture one person at a time, but he can blind an entire group at once. So the Volturi can torture you without touching you or paralyzes you so they can wipe you out."

Jake had a look of disgust on his face. "Jeez, no wonder they are the most powerful coven."

"It wasn't them that you saw last night?" Bella had to check.

"No, these vampires were adults, probably in their thirties, I think. Plus, I don't think the pack was in pain or completely shut off. I could see through Sam's eyes."

"Oh, good," Bella breathed a sigh of relief. They didn't need to make enemies of the Volturi.

"So, I gained a new pack member last night," Jake said happily, "and he is with Leah."

Bella sat up quickly with a smug smile on her face. "Embry?" she asked.

Jake frowned, "how did you know?"

Bella lay back down with a contented sigh, "I had my suspicions." Jake chuckled and kissed her head. "Also, all the other wolves are imprinted, too young or related to her. I'm happy for her, but why is he in your pack now?"

"Sam gave him to me when Embry was being held hostage by one of the vampires. As soon as he joined my pack, he was released from the gift and was able to bring the last vampire down."

"You need to have Quil, now. Wolves come in pairs," Bella said.

Jake paused and frowned again. "What do you mean?"

"Well, besides the alphas, they usually do everything in pairs. They phased together for the first time in pairs, and now they patrol in pairs. Jared and Paul, Quil and Embry, Seth and Leah, Brady and Colin."

"Embry phased much sooner than Quil," Jake countered.

Bell laughed, "oh, true. Well, that throws my theory out the window."

"But you are right, they do work best in pairs, and I can't have Embry without Quil. It just doesn't seem right... feels off balance."

"I'm proud of you," Bella told him as she leaned up on her elbows to kiss him.

Seth had spent the day at home, waiting for the council meeting scheduled for the afternoon. He had been thinking over the events of last night.

It was a terrifying thought that a vampire could render them completely useless. Plus, the fact that once one of them was controlled, the others in that pack were also affected. Having shared thoughts in the pack mind was great until it was our biggest weakness.

The rest of the pack was still reeling from the news of Embry and Leah together, but Seth was not surprised. Leah had come home plenty of times, and he could smell Embry all over her. He didn't say anything then, and he didn't say anything now; it wasn't his place.

Seth sat in his spot next to Jake at the meeting, listening to the discussion around him. Sam and Jacob each told the story from their perspectives.

However, the first thing that they questioned Jake with was, "what took you so long to get there?" Old Quil asked.

"I was coming from Forks," he replied, frowning.

"Why?"

"You know why."

Old Quil shook his head. "You have a responsibility to this tribe. To protect us from the Cold Ones."

Seth could hear Jake grinding his teeth together. "Are you kidding me? I did my job; everyone is alive, aren't they?"

"You left my children to fight the vampires alone and outnumbered," Sue spoke up.

Seth's head shot up, and he glared at her. "Mom, really? Not you too." Seth was angry that his mom would join in on this witch hunt. It was ridiculous. Sam was also late to the fight, but no one asked him where he was.

"We can handle ourselves!" Leah said, disdain lacing her voice.

"As the leader on your pack, you need to be more accessible, son," Billy spoke up with authority.

Jake was pissed. "You turned your best friend against yourself in an effort to keep me away from her. But when that backfired, you throw this is at me? Does no one want to discuss the fact that WE ALL NEARLY DIED LAST NIGHT?" Jake had stood up from his seat and glared at the elders, his outline blurring slightly.

Billy looked to Sam, probably hoping that he could control him. But, instead, Sam just raised one eyebrow at him, not moving to 'save them' from his son.

"If we had been frozen, along with Sam's pack, we would all be dead right now, and you can be damn sure that they wouldn't have stopped there. We smell and probably taste disgusting to them. After they had tortured and killed us, they would have followed our trails, right back to our houses. Emily, Kim, Sue, Rachel, the Artera's, the Littlesea's, the Fuller's… and you are worried about where I slept last night. Fuck you."

There was silence in the room.

Jacob sat back down on his seat, crossed his arms across his bare chest and glared at the council members. Maybe they were finally starting to see the bigger picture.

Billy cleared his throat, "you're right. We can discuss your responsibilities later." Jacob rolled his eyes.

"It appears that having two packs was the best decision," Sue spoke up, trying to break the tension in the room.

"I'd like to take Quil off Sam if that's alright with both of them. We would have two packs of five." Jacob requested without making eye contact with anyone.

"Yes!" Quil said, high-fiving Embry.

"That is fine with me," Sam's deep voice spoke out.

The elders all nodded their heads.

"The council will agree to that," Old Quil spoke up.

No of this was sitting right with Seth; he frowned, "shouldn't Jake take the whole pack?"

Everyone turned and looked at Seth, confused. "What? Why?" Sam asked.

"Well… Jake's pack had protection against the vampire's gift. Sam's didn't. Wouldn't it make sense to have us all protected?"

"Maybe they could only control one at a time," Kevin Littlesea suggested.

"No, they said something like 'why isn't it working'. Indicating that we should all have been frozen," Seth countered.

"Then why didn't it work on Jake's pack?" Sue asked.

"Bella," Seth said, like it should have been obvious.

"What's Bella got to do with this?" Billy asked.

"Well… before the Cullen's left, I met Edward in wolf form, and he couldn't read my mind like he had been able to in the past. This happened after Jacob imprinted on her and I had joined his pack."

"I still don't understand," Sue said, confused.

"Edward has never been able to read Bella's mind," Jacob replied.

Sam spoke to Seth. "Do you think that now Jacob is linked to her, the protection on her mind has transferred to his pack?"

"Yeah, I do," Seth stated, without adding 'obviously'; it was implied.

"That doesn't make any sense," Old Quill said. "It wasn't a real imprint…" he could see Jacob starting to shake his head, "but regardless of the status of the imprint, the imprintee doesn't give anything to the imprinter. It is your job to protect your imprints, not the other way around."

"Each one of them compliments our wolves and us. I'd say they give us plenty," Sam said. The other imprinted wolves were nodding their heads. Old Quil narrowed his eyes, bristling at the implication that he was wrong.

Seth spoke up, "Sam needed someone to take care of him and the pack in the beginning, so he was given Emily. She is kind and caring and loves to cook, which I'm sure is not a coincidence since us wolves need a tonne of food. She balances Sam's seriousness out, providing the feminine care that we sometimes require.

"Kim gives Jared someone to care for. With his parents too involved with themselves, he needed someone to fight for. She is sweet and innocent, the perfect companion for someone like Jared.

"Paul need validation in this pack and the tribe." Paul shifted in his seat uncomfortably as Seth continued to talk. "His parents were a disaster and nearly destroyed his spirit, so they gave him Rachel. She is basically the princess of the tribe. He was given the privilege of loving and protecting her, and she gave him a place in life. Plus, he needed someone able to pull him in line.

"Quil needed someone to laugh at his jokes…." there were a few chuckles from around the room. "He was given Claire so that he would grow up and take life a bit more seriously.

"And, that leaves Jake, the future alpha and chief of the tribe. It makes sense that the spirits gave him someone with a supernatural ability to shield herself and her mate, including his pack, from vampire gifts. The fact that you don't accept the imprint is on you. The rest of us can see it."

There was silence as they all took in Seth's insight. Jake was watching him with a smirk on his face.

Billy cleared his throat, "or, the most logical explanation is that Jake is the true alpha, and since he has finally stepped into that role, it has strengthened the pack. If a vampire can control or influence minds, then it would make sense that we should have some sort of built-in defence mechanism. Especially since all your minds are linked when you are phased."

The council was nodding their heads. The pack members were shifting in their seats, some shaking their heads.

"There are no records in our history of vampires using their gifts like that against us, so I would have to agree with Billy," Old Quil said.

"So, you want me to give up my pack and submit to Jacob?" Sam was pissed.

The council all looked at each other.

Billy spoke up, "I see no reason for you not to keep your pack, for now. Jacob isn't ready for the responsibility of a full pack yet. If you ever run into trouble like that again, you can transfer to Jacob, like you did last night with Embry?"

Jacob and Sam looked at each other and nodded.

"Yes, that should be fine," Sam agreed.

"Good, I'm glad we can all come to some agreement. The rest of you can go now; however, the council would like to speak with Jacob. Sam, can you stay as well, please?"

The pack all looked at Jake. He crossed his arms across his chest and glared out the window. They slowly stood up and walked towards the exit. Seth put his hand on Jake's shoulder and looked down at him. Silently asking him if he was going to be okay.

"It's all good, Seth. Thanks for your support. At least someone isn't blind around here… You and Leah had better get back on patrol. Only an hour or so to go."

"Okay, man. I'll see you back at my place afterwards."

"Sure, sure. Bella should be there after her shift."

Jake watched the pack members leave the hall until there was a deathly silence in the room. Then, he turned his gaze back to the Elders, looking from one to the next, until he ended on his Father.

"I think I speak on behalf of the whole council when I say that we are concerned about you," Billy spoke first.

Jake narrowed his eyes but didn't respond.

"Since the moment you first phased, you have resented this life."

"Yep," he replied, his lip's popping on the 'p'.

"You need to grow up, Jacob."

"Grow up!" Jacob yelled, instantly furious. "I am sixteen years old. Do I look sixteen to you?" He spread his arms wide, showing off his impressing arms and chest.

"Not physically, obviously. Mentally, you are still acting like a spoilt child who doesn't want to do what he is told."

"Because the one thing in this life that makes it worth living is Bella, and you are doing your damnedest to keep her from me. If you want to keep me here on the Rez at night, then find me somewhere I can sleep… with her."

"We can't give you a house, Jacob," Old Quil said, incredulously.

"Then I will continue to sleep in Forks. Are we done here?" he sneered as he stood up.

"No, sit back down."

"Or what? What could you possibly do to me; to make my life more of a living hell? I have sacrificed everything for you and our people, and what do I get in return? Nothing. Told that I am not good enough. Told the girl I have chosen is not good enough. Well fuck you, I'm out of here." Jake turned and started to walk out of the building.

"Sam!" Billy called.

Sam stood and placed one hand on Jake's chest to stop him from leaving.

Jake looked him in the eyes and said quietly, "who's side are you on?"

There was a tense moment between the two alphas before Sam lowered his hand and let Jacob pass. He ignored the calls to him from his Father and other council members.

Jake stormed out of the recreation centre and headed straight to the Clearwater's house. He needed to calm down before he spontaneously phased. Hopefully, the walk would help calm him down. If not, Bella should be there.

Seth's observations were rattling around his head. He couldn't help but feel proud of the pup. He was sometimes overlooked, but Seth was clearly aware of a lot more going on around him than others gave him credit for.

Since Jake was not getting along well with his Dad, he didn't feel comfortable in his own home; something else that had been taken from him. So he spent most of his days with his pack brothers and Leah at either one of their houses.

When Jake reached Sue's house, he didn't see Bella's truck in the driveway; however, he could smell her scent of strawberries and cream lingering in the air. He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face and felt a phantom ache in his arms, where Bella belonged.

He climbed the stairs quickly and opened the front door. There she was, sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in her hands. He smiled widely at Bella and then noticed a small girl sitting next to her. He flicked his eyes across to the other girl in the room and froze.

A/N Sorry, not sorry for the cliffhanger… haha

Who do you think the new girl is?

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed the story so far. I love getting the messages. Let me know if you are still enjoying it. I'm even open to CC. I hope to get better at this, not worse!