(Bella POV)

The weekend passed swiftly for Bella as she spent most of it working from home. On Monday, she caught up on the tasks she had planned for Friday but neglected to accomplish as she spent the day sleeping. Paul had also remained busy, staying relatively quiet over the previous few days. Bella was unsure if he spent any of that time around Shari and decided she did not want to know.

The entire incident and three days of relative solitude had given her plenty of time to overthink things between them. She had spent years overprotecting her heart to keep it from breaking, only to fracture it herself. Bella was in no hurry to press for changes that might destroy what was left. More than ever, she had convinced herself that casual dating was probably her best answer, especially when she was unsure of how Paul felt for Shari. He had not been angry with Leah for her retaliation, but he did seem to genuinely care about Shari.

Besides, he fucking said he fell in love with her, Bella thought as she recalled what little she had overheard for the hundredth time in three days. Sure, friends with benefits were all Paul and Shari were, technically, but Bella had heard him clearly say, I think falling in love has made me fucking stupid.

I am important, and he cares about me, but he has feelings for Shari. He went home with Shari. So why, then, had he been so concerned with my well-being? Was it the imprint connection making him feel protective? Jacob always said the imprints come first. Is that the reason he feels so … close?

Not to mention the fact that Shari and Bella were nothing alike physically. The other woman was taller, voluptuous, and as far as Bella was concerned, devastatingly beautiful - a fact she had reluctantly admitted to Jacob alone. Despite his interest in somewhat fuller-figured women, Jacob had heartily disagreed. His lack of impartiality did little to soothe her disbelief.

Perhaps catching feelings has made us both stupid, she thought to herself sarcastically. Bella was filled with many doubts, conflicted about how she should proceed, and hated it. More than that, she despised her inability to accurately verbalize her feelings. It was an issue long before meeting Edward, but her reluctance to share her thoughts had been worsened by his constant gaslighting. There was only one person she trusted implicitly, and even Jacob could trigger her into overwhelmed silence.

Bella tried to ask Jacob if Paul was in love with Shari numerous times for clarification, but the words would not come. She remained silent, swallowing the sentence like dry toast in a parched throat and blinking back tears. She absently wondered if it felt similar to the Alpha gag order.

Jacob continued to encourage her honesty about her feelings for Paul throughout the weekend, and Bella could not understand why. Her reluctance to leave herself so vulnerable left her feeling pressured and angry. She fought with Jacob on Monday morning, quickly becoming frustrated with his hovering. Overwhelmed, she hid in her room alone until he left for patrol.

As she heard the door slam shut behind him, Bella carried her dirty laundry to the washing machine. Billy sat in his recliner, wide-awake from their bickering and watching her warily. She could see him waiting, assuming she would confide in him eventually as he took slow sips of his coffee. His heartfelt consolation would be nothing new - Billy had babied Bella her entire life. When she felt calm enough to speak again, Bella sat on the couch and waited for the washing machine to finish spinning.

Billy broke the silence as he asked, "Something wrong, Sweetheart?"

She grumbled, "Um? Your son is a pushy, clingy asshole?"

Billy guffawed and said, "You should be used to that by now."

She relaxed somewhat as they both laughed. "Dad?"

"Yes, Bella?"

Bella asked, "Pursuing someone who loves someone else is moronic, right?"

Billy grunted and said, "Sometimes. Everyone has a different situation, Bella. People have to go where their hearts lead them. It's what we all do. Lessons that need to be learned, I suppose."

Bella grunted back in response. Billy glanced at her and cackled before draining his coffee cup. Bella asked him, "What?"

He shook his head and said, "My favorite, you have terrible timing with things."

Confused, she asked, "What?" What was he talking about?

"Please don't tell me that you have decided to be with Jacob now," Billy said.

Bella gaped at him wide-eyed and said, "No. Billy, t-that is not…" Her phone rang loudly in her pocket as the buzzer for the washing machine went off simultaneously.

Oh my god. Saved by the fucking bell. Bella yanked her phone from her pocket as she darted toward the washing machine. Not looking at the screen, she answered, jamming the cell between her ear and shoulder to free her hands.

With an exasperated sigh, she answered, "Hello?"

"Hello, Isabella." The phone fell to the floor as Bella detected the musical tones of a voice she hoped never to hear again and dropped to her knees.

That is not his voice; It can't be. He promised. You're hearing things, Bella. You nutcase.

Billy hollered, "Bella? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she squeaked out, trying to calm her racing heart and hoping like hell that she had not completely lost her mind. Again.

"Hello?" A male voice poured from her phone. "Bella? Are you there?"

Bella sighed with relief at the sound of Alex's voice, absolutely refusing to reflect on how much his greeting had sounded like Edward. She picked up her phone and said, "Hey. Alex, how are you?"

He chuckled, sounding relieved. "Are you okay? You worried me for a second there.

"Ern, yeah ... me, too. You startled me. You sounded like someone else," Bella admitted, moving her wet clothing into the dryer.

"Oof," Alex groaned. "Dare I ask?"

Bella hesitated to answer, not wanting to insult the poor man. "I would rather you didn't," she finally answered.

"Ah, I see," Alex said and laughed nervously. "I'm going to assume either an ex or an enemy and leave it at that."

Bella laughed in surprise as she started the dryer before leaning against it. "A little of both," she admitted. "So, how are you?"

Alex teased, "Oh, good diversion attempt. I'm well at the moment. Although... I just learned that my voice is either sexy or terrible, and now I'm thinking about taking a poll." She could not help but grin as he chuckled again and hoped a little of his laid-back nature might somehow rub off on her. They continued joking, moving from one topic to the next over the following hour. Bella was still on the phone with Alex when Jacob returned from patrol. She agreed to go out with him again, gaining Jacob's attention. He glanced over at her warily but remained quiet, appearing the spitting image of his father. Bella assumed he didn't want to argue with her again and left it alone. She was relieved as Jacob kept things light with her, and they had made up by the end of the day.

Charlie called to check on her Tuesday morning to tell her the police had no information on who had owned the Camaro or sent it careening down the street without a driver inside. Riley had been picked up for disorderly conduct in Forks on Sunday, high as a kite on multiple pharmaceuticals. Charlie questioned Riley about the incident at The Diner. Riley seemed to be under the impression that the intended target had been him. His behavior became erratic almost immediately as he insisted he was being stalked again. Charlie had accompanied him to court Monday morning. Riley agreed to revisit a mental health center, was placed on supervision and was released. Charlie repeated his gratitude that Paul had gotten Bella out of the way in time and reminded her to stay far away from Riley Biers. Bella had no objections and had already deleted his number.

By Wednesday, Jacob apologized profusely for her lack of transportation. Between his hectic schedule, work, and Reagan demanding his time, he had not been able to look for parts to fix the motorcycle. Paul had offered his help, but they both felt reluctant to ask him. They agreed she should seek out another vehicle for the time being and decided to fix the bike together as they had done years earlier. The promise of drunken garage antics, too much pizza, and beers with the boys had them both excited to start the job - whenever that would be.

Bella also needed a second vehicle since her motorcycle would be useless when winter weather came. Wednesday afternoon, Bella logged into the dating site to ask Mike Newton if he still had a truck for sale. It was a pristine early '90s Chevy pickup and had belonged to his grandfather. It needed a tune-up but had more dust from sitting in a garage than it had miles. He asked a low amount for it, simply wanting to get it out of the way. It was driven short distances occasionally and would run fine for the time being. Bella readily agreed to meet him with cash in tow after asking Jacob to take her to get it. He happily agreed, wanting to check out the vehicle before Bella handed over her money.

Numerous other messages had been sent to her, including a few from Alex. Bella responded to most of them quickly before taking a shower and practically shoving Jacob out the front door as they left.

Bella was shocked when she saw Mike in person. He was better looking than he had been in high school. His bright blonde hair had darkened into a soft honey color, and all baby fat was gone from his now sharp features. His gray-blue eyes were bright against his sun-tanned skin, and the beginning of a beard gave him a more distinguished appearance.

He seemed surprised by her appearance as she slid out of the vehicle looking far more feminine than she had ever dared to dress when she was a teenager. The long patchwork skirt Bella wore had slits up to the thigh that occasionally showed off glimpses of her bare legs underneath. Her cropped t-shirt was long enough to peek at her belly button, and both wrists were covered in multiple bracelets and bangles. Bella had left her hair in a wild, curly mess in her rush to leave.

"Holy shit," Mike called out as he looked her over. "You look fantastic, Bella."

"Yeah?" She blushed as they both grinned. "You do too. It's good to see you."

"Yeah, same," He said before looking toward Jacob. "Hey. Long time."

"Uh, yeah," Jacob said and released an awkward laugh as he reached out to shake Mike's hand. "Looks like we have all grown up quite a bit."

Mike asked, "Yeah, what are you now, man? Six-five?"

"Six-foot-seven," Jacob said and chuckled. "And still managing to squeeze into that fucking Rabbitt." Mike laughed, nodding. Apparently, their previous dislike for one another had faded with time, and Bella was grateful.

Ten minutes later, Jacob was practically gushing over the steal she had made by purchasing the emerald green pickup truck. Jacob had fallen in love with it, and she wondered how many excuses he would make to drive it. He advised her to get a plastic bed lining for the winter, as Bella would likely need to add weight to the back for traction. Bella reminded him that the snow chains to her old truck were still hanging in his garage, and she fully expected to get them back.

Mike chuckled as he watched them banter and finally asked, "You two are just as close as ever, huh?"

"Yep," Jacob said, grinning. "She will be the best man at my wedding one day."

"I'm not wearing a tux, Jacob," Bella said, cackling.

"Nope. Just godmothering my five future children," he teased back. "Tux or my kids, Bells. Your choice."

Bella shook her head dramatically before turning an incredulous face toward Mike. "Who the hell wants five kids? He's crazy."

Mike laughed heartily at that, nodding his agreement. He said, "I am nowhere near ready to even think about kids. I need to finish my degree and find someone I actually want to marry someday. Maybe have a kid or two when I'm closer to forty.

Bella asked, "What is your major?"

"I'm studying Medical Science, focusing on biology and DNA analysis in particular."

"Hmm," Bella said, impressed. "Doctor Newton?"

"I would like to go into Forensics, actually," Mike said. "Growing up here with the way people tend to disappear … I hope to be able to help solve some of those cases one day. Bring some families some closure. I have met people that later disappeared since I worked in the sporting goods store throughout high school. I find all of it both terrifying and fascinating."

Jacob scoffed and said, "As someone who has participated in far too many hikes to search for missing people … I wish you luck, man."

Bella glanced toward Jacob to see if he was being sarcastic, but he seemed sincere. Vampires weren't the only reason people disappeared in the forest after all.

"Thanks," Mike said. He tapped his shirt pocket where he had folded and stuffed the cash Bella gave him for the truck and asked, "Are you guys planning to hit up the carnival anytime this week? Maybe we could all get a beer or something?"

Jacob said. "Bells is going to go with Paul, right?"

Mike asked, "Paul?"

Bella said, "Yeah, another friend from La Push."

Grinning, he asked, "What, like Jake, here?"

"Precisely," Bella said, shooting Jacob a warning glance as he smirked at her. "He mentioned something about Saturday. I think there is some kind of demo derby or something that night? I was hoping to go a few times this week, though. I missed out on fair week during the last few summers here. Charlie always took us when we were little."

Mike grinned from ear to ear as he said, "So how about tomorrow? I plan to meet up with some old pals and bring the party back here later on." Mike nodded toward his house behind him. You guys should come if you want. Either of you or both. Whatever."

Bella turned to Jacob and said, "Yeah, you could probably bring Reagan?"

Mike looked up at Jacob hopefully and said, "Is that your girlfriend?"

"Yes," Jacob said and beamed. "She is a lot of fun, so she might be down."

"Excellent," Mike said, beaming.

Bella asked, "What time?"

"Uh," Mike frowned. "I had not figured that out yet, but I think around three for the carnival. Maybe at eight or nine, we will come back here. I can double-check with everyone and text you later?"

"Sounds great," Bella said. "I need to go to the DMV, and I'll pick the truck up as soon as I have the temporary plates."

"Excellent," Mike said again. I hope you enjoy it, and maybe I'll see you tomorrow." He waved as Jacob and Bella climbed into the Rabbit to leave.

Jacob drove to Charlie's and climbed out as Bella slid into the driver's seat. He intended to phase behind the house and head out for patrol from there while Bella went to the DMV.

Upon shutting the door behind him, Jacob froze and sniffed at the air. He leaned down into the window and whispered, "Bells, get out of here."

"Why?" Bella looked around, wide-eyed.

"I don't want to freak you out, but I smell a bloodsucker," Jacob said. "I'm going to phase and get Sam over here. Go. Now!"

"Fine by me!"

Jacob jerked back and chuckled as she rolled up the window and backed out of the driveway. She watched him dart for the woods as she pulled away. Less than a minute later, his howl rang out from the forest. Bella prayed it was merely a nomad and that they did not stick around.

(Jacob's POV)

Jacob howled for his brothers as he followed the Leech smell into the forest, where it whipped around and went straight back to the house. His stomach rolled as fury washed through him, and flashbacks of guarding Bella against bloodsuckers flooded his mind.

Jacob felt Embry phase in just before he asked, What the hell is wrong?

Suddenly seven other voices were trying to talk over one another as Jacob growled in aggravation. He ignored them as he focused on the task, knowing they would all catch on through his observations soon enough.

The scent trailed directly up to Bella's old bedroom window. It had been a few years since Jacob traversed the climb up and into her room. He grunted and phased back. Jacob yanked on his pants, leaving the rest of his items draped across the porch railing as he sought out the hidden spare key.

The scent was more concentrated in the house, though it seemed nothing had been physically disturbed. Jacob ran up the stairs to her bedroom and nearly gagged at the high concentration. Whoever it was had spent a good deal of time in the room. Despite the silence and lack of physical disturbance, Jacob could not escape the feeling of being watched.

"If you are still in this house, I'm giving you to the count of fucking five to leave," he yelled just before Sam called out for him from outside. Jacob walked over to open a window and leaned out.

"Anything in the house?"

"Not that I can see, but there was definitely a vamp in here," Jacob answered. "It feels fucking creepy."

"It's gotta be a Cullen," Embry said as he emerged from the woods and stood next to Sam. "Who the hell else would come looking for Bella?"

Jacob asked, "Sam, do you remember their scents?"

"No," Sam said. "It has been five years since they were here, and there is not enough difference between their scents for me to recognize it now. Besides all of that, they wouldn't cross into La Push. They know better and already avoided us before any of us phased. I doubt they will stop avoiding us now."

Jacob asked, "Sam, does this vamp smell like the scent you and Paul got from the Camaro?"

"Now, wait," Sam grumbled.

"Sam, this shit is not a coincidence. It can't be," Jacob snapped at him. "We caught the scent on our lands, you and Paul smelled it on the Camaro, and now here? Right up to Bella's fucking window?"

"Her old window," Embry said. "She hasn't even stayed here since her last visit home from college. Treaty or no treaty, it has to be Cullen, Jake. Who else would know to look for her here?" As much as he hated to, Jacob had to agree. It was the only thing that made any sense.

There was a rustling behind them as Paul stumbled naked to the edge of the woods. He asked, "Has anyone thought to go check the Cullen house yet?"

"Still empty, last I knew," Jacob said. "They don't even rent it out."

"So, it should be obvious if someone is there," Paul said, scowling. Before anyone could say anything else, Paul took a flying leap into his wolf form, speeding away from them toward the outskirts of town.

"Embry, go with him," Sam grumbled. "If he thinks B is in danger, he might do something stupid." Embry snorted out a laugh and calmly walked into the trees to follow Paul.

Jacob patted his sides to locate his cellphone and tried to call Bella. When she didn't answer, he texted her, asking her to return to Charlie's when she finished.

Sam knowingly stared at the determined scowl on Jacob's face and asked, "You want to put everyone back on Bella guard duty?"

Jacob smirked as he glanced from the phone screen to his Alpha and asked, "Would you?"

"Yeah," Sam said before lightly slapping Jacob on the shoulder. "At least it will be easier with her living in LaPush."

"I will be coming by here to check shit out more often," Jacob said. "We don't know if whoever this is will be back. I just told Bells to pick me up. I don't want her making that twenty-minute drive through nothing but forest alone. None of us know who this fucking bloodsucker is."

"Good idea," Sam said, grinning as he turned toward the forest. "I will follow this trail and check on Paul and Embry. You keep an eye out here?"

"Sounds like a plan," Jacob called after his retreating form.

Jacob scrolled through his contacts again to text Charlie.

Might be time to install an alarm, Old Man.

His following message was sent to Reagan to invite her to the carnival and Mike's party. Jacob refused to let Bella go to the fairgrounds without one of the wolves. It would be far too easy for her to get distracted from the group and wander off alone. Besides that, she had been stressed and would likely want to drink. If she needed a sober ride, he would rather be there. He just hoped there wouldn't be any drama. What he and Bella both needed was the chance to have some fun.

Jacob had yet to tell Reagan the truth about the supernatural world. Merely thinking of the necessary discussion made his breath catch as the fear of losing her flooded him. Jacob had not told Reagan he was in love with her yet - but he was. He had confessed he cared a great deal, at the very least. The only people Jacob said I Love You to were Bella or his father.

Jacob suddenly had an idea he hoped would make Reagan as happy as he felt contemplating it. Despite the potentially dangerous circumstances, he was looking forward to tomorrow. Maybe Bells will even let me drive us in the new truck.

He did not have to wait long for Embry and Paul to return. Sam had told everyone to go home with the all-clear after discovering nothing but fading vamp stench that disappeared outside Forks.

Sam said the scent stopped abruptly by the highway, suggesting someone had picked them up in a vehicle. Paul and Embry said the Cullen house was still empty, although the Vamp scent surrounded the house.

Sam suggested, Perhaps someone just came to check on the property and got curious about B.

Paul grumbled out, Maybe, but that doesn't explain the Camaro.

Quil finally spoke up and said, That could have been a complete coincidence.

Snarling, Paul shouted, You guys keep saying that, but the fucking smell keeps reappearing.

Jared said, Geez, Paul. Calm down, bud.

Sounding somewhat accusatory, Paul said, You and I need to chat later, bud.

Alarmed, Jared yipped, What the hell did I do?

Nothing, Paul said, softening his tone. I just need to fill you in on some shit.

Sam announced We are going to start guarding B. Just for a little while to be safe.

Thank the fucking spirits, Paul said as Quil, Seth, and Jared groaned in unison.

The complaint instantly put Jacob and Paul on edge. She is your family, Jacob growled at Quil and Seth both.

Leah yelled, Why in Hell are you guys acting nonchalant? Seth, I swear to God, if you don't care about protecting our fucking sister…

Seth yelled back, How can you even say that, Leelee?

Can it, guys, Sam lamented in frustration. This isn't up for debate. We will ensure B is safe, even if Jake, Paul, Leah, or I have to babysit her ass while you guys take all the patrols. Seth and Jared groaned again but straightened up quickly as Paul glared at them.

Bella will not like being babysat, Quil said, shaking his head. You guys know that! How often does she have to show you guys that she prefers to take care of herself? It has been five years since anyone has seen or heard from any of the Cullens.

Embry quietly interjected, I think someone just got curious and decided to check on her. We are probably making an unnecessary fuss.

Hopefully, there is nothing more to it than that, Jacob said. He strongly doubted it.