JPOV

"I'm ready." I said but I wasn't fully sure. I knew I needed to try something though and a therapist was out of the question.

"Are you sure, Jacob?" Edward asked, his prying ears likely hearing my hesitation.

"It needs to be done. This isn't about if I feel comfortable or not."

Alice took Bella off to the side to chat and I tried to drown them out so Edward would have less distractions. I tried to focus on the sound of my breathing to keep my thoughts clear.

"Your thoughts… there's something off about them." Edward said before I could focus on my breathing, and shook his head like he was trying to solve a riddle in his own head and got it wrong.

"What does that mean?"

"Your thoughts right now have a presence that even when you first phased, was not around. It's thoughts… HIS thoughts are very basic natured, almost like a wild animals would be which makes sense but there's memories I'm tapping into that aren't yours."

"How is that possible?"

Edward sat for another few minutes. Mentally poking at my brain for details before answering. "He was running through the woods and came across a cliff. It looked very much like the cliff from your memories but it was different somehow… I couldn't see anymore of that memory."

"What other memories does he have?"

"You might want to keep an open mind." Edward said in all seriousness but the suggestion made me laugh.

"A vampire is listening to the wolf alter ego in my head's memories. I think we are so very far beyond open mind."

"Of course, it's just… another memory he had was floating above the trees and hearing Bella's voice. 'Please, if there is a God up there, or many God's or spirits from the past wolves, please. We need your strength. Your alpha needs you.' His next memory was of you staring at us as you woke up from your coma."

"Are you kidding?" Bella asked, coming up beside me. "Those were my exact words. He… he was listening? H-how?"

Edward closed his eyes, concentrating on my mind. "I'm looking back at further memories. I'm going far but all I see is him floating above the trees. Wait… he's running now, on four legs, and he's back at the cliff from before. There are old fishing boats on the water with nets and spears attached to ropes. He's coming down from the cliff. There's a small village where La Push should be."

"Ja…"

"Don't interrupt them, Bella." Alice said, pulling Bella far enough away that she shouldn't be able to hear if we spoke.

Edward continued… his eyes still closed. "There's a woman there, and children. The woman goes up to him and takes his hand, places it on her abdomen. She's smiling. I think… I think maybe she's pregnant. They look to be celebrating something. He… oh!" Edwards eyes opened up. "She said his name."

"Which is?"

"Taha Aki." But it wasn't Edward that said it, it was the wolf. Edward smiled at something then closed his eyes again. Was he serious? Did I actually have the spirit of Taha Aki in my body? I thought they could only go in an empty body? And how was his spirit even around after all this time?

"I think he just needed a reminder of who he once was before he took off as a wolf all those years ago. His mind is clearing, he seems to be more capable of communicating now and his memories seem less foggy." Edward explained.

"How did you get inside my head?" I asked the spirit, not expecting more than a growl but his response was almost immediate. Edward was right, his mind had cleared.

"Your body was empty. Venom made you stop healing. You were dying. Your brain needed a push to access your ancestral abilities and force your body to heal. Without a mind, there was no chance of your survival."

"You saved my life?" I thought to him.

"Yes." He thought back.

"What is your problem with Bella? Why do you keep acting that way around her?"

"I was acting on instinct. I had been the wolf for as long as I remembered. If it had not been for this cold one's abilities, I may never have regained my own memories that kept me from doing much else besides basic instinct."

"How is she basic instinct?"

"Spirits are something that pass on to another generation when you die, reincarnation. I was not capable of that. But my wife, she passed onto another body when she died. And eventually her spirit found your Bella. I went crazy when my imprint died, and spent centuries as the wolf, so much time that I had no idea how long it had been. The human half of my soul drifted away from the wolf, and was reincarnated into you, but the wild instincts of the part left behind stayed with me. You were still able to phase but it was harder on your body than it should have been, and it took longer than it was supposed to. Having only one half to the puzzle made even your abilities weaker. My wolf body must have died sometime after your birth, and my soul just drifted around. If it had been beforehand, I would have been pulled into you just like the other half. I remember floating like when I used to spirit walk, but without a compass to point me home. Until Bella called out for help."

"So the imprinted spirits can go to just anyone. They don't stay amongst the tribe?"

"Have you forgotten already? I was there when you regained your memories, so let me remind you. Her psychic abilities came from her ties to Alice, but she has ties to the Quileute tribe as well. Her grandfather's side is Quileute. As with her friend Jessica, most families that settled here long ago, have some native blood in them."

"Right, Alice told us about Bella's grandparents when they came back. So you really do just want what's best for her? You practically drove me to insanity before my memories came back."

"The thought of hurting her was too much to bare. And I was too wild at heart to explain. I will give you all the answers you need, but then I know what I have to do."

/BPOV/

"Why are they being so quiet?" I couldn't stand it. I needed to know what was going on. Was there any progress?

"Give them time, Bella." Alice went back to talking about her trip to Sweden as we sat at a nearby picnic table.

I listened to her voice but my eyes never left Jacob. His eyes were closed and neither of them were talking.

"I mean it Bella, you would absolutely love it there."

I agreed, I probably would. Maybe Jake and I could visit there someday.

It was nearly an hour later when Jake finally opened his eyes. I felt my heart jump when he shifted his eyes to look at me, and a small blush filled my cheeks. They both got up off the ground and walked toward us. I hopped up out of my seat.

"Jake?"

"Yeah?"

"You look… different." There was something in the way he walked even that made him seem almost not like Jake at all. His expression was off too.

"I'll explain everything when we get back but I AM still me." He reassured, giving me one of his classic Jake smirks.

"Okay, just give me a few minutes. I want to talk to Edward."

I walked with Edward until I knew we were out of Jake's hearing range. "So, now you know how everything's been these past months and directly after the battle. Is he going to be okay?"

"Jacob is strong, both in mind and body. After what he just went though. I have no doubt that things for both of you will take turn for the better. However I am concerned with a lot of things I just had to see. Please be careful Bella."

"Thank you for helping. It means a lot to me, to both of us. I will be careful."

"Bella, I will always be here for you. You were my first love." Edward bent down and gave me a gentle hug then walked me back to my truck where Alice and Jasper were talking about Sweden.

"You ready to go?" Jake asked, wrapping his arm around my waist and giving me a gentle squeeze.

"Yeah. I'll see you guys."

Edward and Alice said bye and took off. Jake helped me into the truck and sat down beside me.

"I have a lot to tell you, it's probably best that neither of us have to focus on driving when I do. Would you like to go to the waterfall to talk? I know how much you loved it there."

"Actually that sounds like an amazing idea."

We drove to Sam's which was the closest spot we could park and Jake once again carried me through the forest. His body however seems impossibly bigger than last time, though I was sure that Jake had finished growing. His muscles seemed larger, and he looked a little taller.

There was no picnic waiting for us this time, but the view was just as magical as before. The cool air created a fog over the water.

I hopped off of Jake's back and despite the chill in the air, walked over to the large mossy bed and laid down, folding my hands behind my head. Jake, still in his wolf form, slowly circled me before curling up against me, resting his head on my lap. My fingers played with the long locks at his ears, his hair hadn't been cut in months and it seemed to grow faster than I knew was possible. It was already down to his shoulders but on the wolf, it made him look majestic, like a lion almost.

My eyes felt heavy, I obviously did not get enough sleep the night before, and I assumed Jake could hear the slowing of my heart as my body started to drift.

I felt the weight on my lap disappear and Jake stood over me, completely naked.

"Okay, I'm awake." I said, biting my bottom lip and giving Jake a shy smile.

"Sorry, I didn't want you to fall asleep but Quil was phased and my thoughts were going everywhere and he started asking questions. I didn't want to be rude and just phase back without finishing our conversation."

"Don't be sorry about that, Jake. I'm glad you and Quil are talking. He's missed you a lot." I spoke softly, adjusting so that I was now sitting on the moss. Jake sat beside me, still naked but uncaring.

"I know. I have a lot of making up to do. Lots of missed time, some birthdays…"

"Well everyone loves you so you can stop wallowing. Tell me what happened?"

"Ok, but it's a lot to take in."

"Jake, my whole life from the moment I came back to Forks has been a lot to take in. I can handle it."

"Okay, well first thing is, you were partly right. You are the reason I woke up when I did, but it's actually a good thing. So what happened was, my brain was too damaged from the venom. I needed to fight to get better, but there was no me in there to be able to. When you asked for help, it was actually Taha Aki who heard your plea. He had been a wolf for so long that eventually his human half died, and that part of his spirit broke away. His spirit was reincarnated into me. He roamed around as a wolf, his human memories lost long ago and when his body died, he spirit walked, but as a wolf until you called out for help."

"So you're REALLY the alpha, not just by lineage but, like you're IT."

"Yeah…" Jake scratched the back of his before he spoke next. "So here's the part that will mess with you and it's been messing with me too. Taha Aki told me that had you not called out, I would have died. There was no ME left inside there. He HAD to find me or I wouldn't have been strong enough to regain consciousness. That being said, my mind was essentially gone, which you know. But what was left behind was emptiness and not just in memories.

"I know now that it wasn't me. No matter how many of his thoughts I have to live with, it was NOT me. THAT Jake had no conscience. If it weren't for Taha Aki's presence being in his head, he easily could have done any number of things that he'd attempted or worse."

"Emptiness, there was nothing? But he… we…" Is what he said true? I knew Jake wouldn't lie to me, but this was huge. That Jake wanted to kill me. If what he said is true, Taha Aki was the only thing standing in the way of my death, and for what? So I could have sex? I was so stupid to think that Jake was still in there when everything told me he wasn't at the time.

"Bella, you okay?"

"No. Not really. I put myself in danger once again. What would have happened if he went through with it, and you came back and those were your first memories after…? I-I don't get it though, at times he acted so nice."

"He was acting in a way that kept the wolf quiet. If Taha Aki made noise, it drove him crazy. He did whatever he could to keep the voice out of his head, and that meant playing nice. Now you know why I stayed away. I may not have known it at the time but I felt what he felt and what he thought. I was inside the mind of a literal psychopath and that psychopath wanted you dead so that the wolf would shut up for good. I could never live with myself if he had gone through with it."

"Wow, and now? Taha Aki is in there with you?"

"It's more complicated than that. He fused the two halves of our spirit together, and essentially he became me. His thoughts are gone, but the power, the understanding, even his memories stayed behind. Both his human thoughts and those of when he had been a wolf for too long and no longer had his human mind. Memories that are basic like to eat and protect himself. Even the one where he heard you calling out, and he came to me, waking me up. He had been wandering for years, never knowing where to go until you called out. You helped him find his path, our path. Thank you."

"So what now?" I asked, unsure of what was going on in Jake's mind with the memories of Taha Aki and the knowledge he held. Jake could do so much with that information.

"First of all, I will be regaining my duties as Alpha. Sam stepped up but I never relinquished the throne, so to speak. He's done good without the actual Alpha authority, everyone trusts him. But it's time for me to take back what is rightfully mine, and be there for my pack.

"Aside from that I want to write down everything I know for future generations, as the voice of Taha Aki's actual memories, his knowledge should be shared, all but about the spirit walks which still remain too dangerous."

"I'm proud of you, Jake." I said, resting my head on his arm.

"You're tired. We should go."

"I was hoping we could do something else first." I stood up and slipped my panties off, then straddled Jake's lap. "I need you Jake. I can't seem to stop thinking about you, wanting you."

Jake's lips met mine, his tongue begging for access as it trailed across my bottom lip. His hands wrapped around my back and held me close as I lowered myself onto him. He laid back onto the soggy moss and once I had my rhythm, his hips lifted up to meet mine. At some point we found our way into the water. With my back pressed up against a large rock, Jake thrusted into me. Over and over again until we were both getting too exhausted. He thrust into me one last time, finishing inside me then carrying me over to the mossy bed to lay down.

"I just need to rest for a few minutes, then we can head home." I said sleepily, as Jake laid his legs over top of mine and pulled me in close, warming my body with his own, allowing me to drift off to sleep knowing I was being taken care of.