Authors note, I have a few medical things going on so updates will be every couple of days...I adore your reviews, I read every one! Thank you.
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The sand crunched under her boots as she walked along La Push beach with Jacob Black. The day was bleak, cold and the wind whipped the waves into a frenzy. Bella hunched down in her parka, feeling perpetually cold. Being here, this close to Sam, was all she could do to stop the torture she'd endured every moment since he had ordered her to leave him. Because here at the rez the conflict within her eased slightly and that was better than nothing.
Bella had been crawling out of her own skin every moment since she'd last seen Sam, while emotions startlingly like grief tore her heart apart. Sam avoided her now, every time she went to see him he was gone before she got there. That shit hurt - more than she'd ever realised it could. She couldn't eat because the food stuck in her throat and sleep, when it came, was fitful and not at all restful.
Jacob, however, could barely hide his happiness. He told Bella that he'd been worried about her safety. But she knew she'd never been in any danger.
She saw Sam at a distance every now and then, always with the group of men she'd first seen at the bonfire. Bella found herself studying them surreptitiously. They were curious to her. Their movements strangely graceful and coordinated, as if they were part of a ballet and yet they were larger than most men. She wondered again if the legends had any truth to them. Her logical mind soon dismissed the idea, although she knew Sam was something more.
Charlie was busier than usual with work and when he wasn't working he was at the Rez. He had asked her just that morning to stay out of the woods. The wolves which were native to these parts had become far more active than usual recently and their eerie cries could be heard during the day and night. Bella wasn't afraid of them, their mournful howls soothed her. They sounded as lonely as she was. She could have sworn that they were growing bolder, because at one time during the night there had been a howl very close to their house.
"I hate him." Jacob said. "He's always watching me, like he expects me to do something. Embry and Quil used to agree with me, but now…they're part of it."
Bella stopped and stared at Jacob. "What happened?"
Jacob sneered, his usually sunny personality absent. "They joined his group, they didn't even say anything to me…one day they were hanging out with me and the next they were with him."
"I'm sorry, Jake." She said automatically, her mind on Sam's group. He seemed like their leader. "Are they a gang?"
Jake shook his head ruefully. "It seems that way sometimes. But I don't think they are. They all work together, building houses down in Port Angeles. Sam owns his own business. But the tribe treats them like their royalty."
"All except Sam…" Bella said, remembering his ostracism from his own people.
Jacob glared at her for bringing Sam up.
Bella was undeterred, talking about him was a secret addiction, she felt her heart flutter at the mere mention of his name. She was proud to find out that he had his own company.
"Yeah, no one hangs out with him except for his group, or gang...whatever."
Bella became lost in thought, her heart beating faster as she thought about Sam's handsome face and extraordinary body. There must be something in the water here on the Rez, because all those men were built like serious gym fanatics and yet none of them seemed to work out.
"Will you go out with me, Bella?" Jacob asked suddenly, startling her out of her musings. "We could go to the movies?"
She stared at the sand and then out to sea as she walked, not wanting to answer this particular question. She knew Jake liked her, although her own feelings for him were strictly friendship. She didn't want to hurt him more than he had been already by her sudden and inexplicable attraction to their Chief.
"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Jake." She replied cautiously. "I think that it would mean something different to you than it does to me."
"You know, if you give me a chance, you might feel something for me." Jake pleaded.
She shook her head and lifted her eyes to his, "I can't. We're just friends, Jake, isn't that enough?"
Jacob pulled her to a stop, his grip on her arm far too rough. For the first time ever she felt a lump of fear gather in her belly at Jacob's expression. They were completely alone there. The beach was deserted.
"Just one kiss, Bells, please."
Bella tried to pull away. A denial on her lips.
It never came out.
Jacob grabbed her other arm and hauled her up against his body. Bella struggled but she couldn't fight his hold, Jacob was just too strong. He eagerly pressed a kiss onto her mouth. She gritted her teeth, determined he wouldn't gain access, even if he tried.
"No!" She managed past his lips. "Jake, stop !"
But he didn't.
She finally got a hand free and punched him as hard as she could. She screamed! Her hand hurt so bad, it felt as though she'd broken it. Jacob was made of steel.
" Fuuuuccckkkkk!" Bella yelled, totally out of character. The pain was so bad she couldn't bear it.
"Bella! I'm sorry!" Jacob tried to hold her to comfort her but she pushed him away violently.
"I think I've broken my hand!" She ground out through gritted teeth.
"Shit! Okay, I'll take you to Sue, she'll fix you right up."
Bella went with him, cradling her injured hand with the other, tears streaming down her face.
They arrived at the small medical center in the middle of the reservation within minutes. Sue Clearwater worked as a nurse there and she was very familiar to Bella because Charlie had been close friends with her ever since her husband died from a heart attack. Bella was shivering and crying as she stumbled after Jacob.
Suddenly Sam and his gang emerged from the trees opposite them, across the car park. Despite her pain, Bella's heart skipped a beat. She was the first one he looked at. He must have seen her expression because he was beside her in an instant, his face a mask of pure rage. Bella swayed towards him, needing his touch so badly it was an ache in her heart. This added to the agony she was already in and fresh tears tumbled down her cheeks.
She watched as Sam's nostrils flared as if he were scenting her.
Sam rounded on Jacob. "What did you do?" His voice was inhumanly deep, on the point of breaking into a growl.
Jacob dropped his gaze and shrugged sullenly. "I kissed her, that's all." He said. "And she broke her hand punching me."
Bella watched wide eyed as Sam seemed to grow in size before her very eyes, his entire body vibrating with rage. He grabbed Jacob by the throat and lifted him off the ground. The other men who followed Sam did nothing to stop him, they simply stood there, as if they were his backup. Not that he needed it. Sam was terrifying, his eyes once again held that strange luminescent glow and as he spoke his teeth flashed wicked canines.
"You will never touch her again! Do you hear me?!"
"F..fuck you." Jacob rasped. "She doesn't belong to you."
"She…" Sam stopped abruptly, awkwardly. It was as if he'd been about to say something that he shouldn't.
Sam swallowed down whatever comment he'd been about to make and tightened his hold, until Jacob began to change colour.
"Watch it Sam!" One of the men in his gang said. "Don't take it too far."
Jacob began to tremble, his arms shaking just like Sam's did.
Bella noticed this.
Sam saw it too and threw him to the ground where he landed with a sickening thud. "If you lay a finger on Bella again - I'll kill you." He said his voice was impossibly deep. There was no doubt he meant what he said.
Sam left Jacob and turned to Bella. He touched her hand, his fingers gently running over her knuckles. Strangely, his touch alleviated some of her pain. "Go to Sue." He told her quietly, his intense gaze on her face. His eyes were still wild, a vague yellow tinge showing in the otherwise inscrutable darkness.
Bella nodded, but paused, she didn't want to leave him. It was the first time they'd spoken in days. She felt safe with him.
Sue came out at that moment, she'd obviously been watching the entire scene play out through the clinic's wide windows.
She shared a loaded glance with Sam before smiling at Bella. "Come, let me see what I can do for you, Bella."
It turned out to only be a sprain. Sue bandaged the hand and gave Bella painkillers, with strict instructions not to move it for a few days.
Sam was gone when she came out of the clinic and her heart sank to her feet.
Bella refused to speak to Jacob, whirling around, she marched towards Jacob's house determined to find Billy. He would have the answers she needed.
"Bella!" Jacob yelled after her. "Where are you going?"
"Don't follow me!" She yelled back with so much venom Jacob halted uncertainly.
Bella didn't stop until she was at Billy's front door. Biting her lip, she knocked.
Billy opened the door, he was surprised to see Bella.
"Hi Bella. Are you looking for your Dad?"
"Hi Billy, is he here?" She asked. It was a good way to get inside to speak to Billy.
"No, he just left."
"Can I come in, please? I need to speak to you."
Billy nodded and moved his wheelchair to the side to allow her enough space to pass him.
Bella went in cradling her hand.
"What happened to your hand?"
"It was...a misunderstanding. Don't worry about it." She shrugged it off. "Can I ask you about Sam?"
Billy's eye brows rose, "Why?"
"I've heard some things and I want you to tell me what really happened."
"I'll tell you what I can." He assured her, gesturing for her to sit down.
"Did Sam kill someone?" She just jumped right in.
Billy stared at her, his gaze inscrutable. "You've heard the gossip, I suppose?"
Bella nodded quickly. "Only bits of it, not the whole story."
"Well it was really simple actually, Sam was engaged to a young woman by the name of Emily Young. They were in a car accident and she died, Sam blamed himself." Billy said shortly.
Bella stared at Billy suspiciously. "That's it?"
Billy was unreadable, his poker face was epic.
"He was driving - when it happened and they were fighting. It was a tragic accident, nothing more."
Bella didn't buy it. Something wasn't quite right. It felt like the whole story was off, like it was too glib and well rehearsed.
"Would you like something to drink?" Billy offered, already wheeling himself out of the living room.
"No, thank you. I'm good." She replied, rising to her feet. "I'd better go."
She said goodbye and left quickly, bumping straight into Jacob on her way out.
"You could have asked me." He said, clearly he'd been eavesdropping.
"I don't want anything from you, Jacob." Bella told him and pressed past him.
"Not even a ride home?"
Bella shook her head. "Not, not even that."
She started walking across the reservation, the wind buffeting her cruelly. Her hair was a wild tangle around her face. She pulled the hood of her parka up over her head and zipped it all the way to the top. It was freezing.
The sound of a vehicle drew closer and Bella turned around, half expecting it to be Jacob.
It was Sam.
Bella's heart stopped.