Chapter 13

Jacob

'Yes honey, I can hear you' I wanted to tell Bella but couldn't.

Bella was talking to me through her tears begging me to wake up. I gathered all my lost strength to try and move but couldn't.

My father was usually around, he talked briefly most of the times. I was aware of the surroundings but had no energy to show it. My kids were there too. My family and friends visited a lot; they were there most of the time. I attempted several times to react, move, or tell them I could hear them, but I felt weakness I'd never felt before.

I couldn't keep track of what exactly was happening, because the world kept going on and off, so I was just getting bits and pieces of the sounds and voices around me. Something very strange was happening under my skin, like my inner strengths were totally gone.


Probably a few days, maybe a week had passed before I could open my eyes. Bella was walking around, arranging stuff. She looked at my direction then gasped loudly.

"Jake, Oh Jake" She jumped acrobatically to my side. She was cautious not to move any of the wires attached to me.

She held my cannula free hand and stated kissing it before she attacked my face. I tried to react in any way but damn it, I just couldn't.

"Jacob, can you hear me?" she cried.

I looked at her, I tried to talk or smile but still couldn't.

"Jake, please!" She asked, sobbing again.

I wanted to hug her and wipe her fears away but it was like I had no control over my body.

My father has then rolled himself in the room so I glimpsed at his direction and then quickly looked back at Bella as she screamed.

"He is aware, he looked at you when you entered the room" She told my father.

"Bella calm down" he replied calmly "Son, can you hear us?"

Screw my inability. I gave no reaction.

"Jacob, blink if you can hear us." he asked.

I did so he sighed with relief.

Bella held my hand harder and I tried to hold her hand tighter to assure her and it worked.

"Billy" she screamed again "He pressed on my hand!"

She was so cute in her teary happiness, I wished I could just get up and kiss her.

"I guess we should call Carlisle." Said my father.

Wait.

What?

Carlisle?

Was this a silly dream?

I could only think of one thing regarding Carlisle: They broke the damn treaty and it was the right time to kill them all.


I had been developing well before Dr. Fang arrived, I couldn't talk, but at least I could smile and move my fingers.

The arrival was something else because I suddenly heard a knock on the door, and when I looked at it's direction I was surprised to see him.

'Something very odd was going on here' I was thinking.I haven't heard him entering the house, nor taking up the stairs and more importantly, I haven't smelled him at all.I breathed in deeper, and I didn't catch the stench, at all.

Was that a silly kind of joke?

Carlisle was extremely lucky I couldn't move yet, because he would have been destroyed like his sneaky son if I just could.

Bella didn't leave my hand all the time, she described the moment she saw my eyes open to the leech about forty times already, and it was so irritating.

Carlisle kept on examining me, checking my pulse and my blood pressure, looking at the many machines hanging around in my room. I felt nothing about his body but his cold skin and that was when I noticed Bella's touch was warmer than usual.

"Welcome back Jacob" said the leech and I had the maximum urge but not the slightest energy to kill him.

He started removing everything attached to monitor my body.

"He will be fine Bella" He talked to her easily and I was so angry she was chatting to him with ease after all what had happened and what would have happened.

"I expect him to be normal, by the end of the week" He said "Just keep me updated"

Bella nodded then attacked my face and my neck with weird kisses that actually embarrassed the vampire enough to make him leave the room silently.

As soon as he was out, I couldn't smell nor hear him anymore. I was so no longer much concerned with this change after his explanation about me being normal by time. It surely was a temporary effect, or that was what I hoped.


Bella stroked my hair and that helped make the worries go away. I closed my eyes then drifted back to sleep with her by my side. It was so comforting to have her safe in my arms.

I woke up the next day with Bella pillowing my chest. I nudged her and I could actually call her name.

"Bells" I said in a very low voice, I could barely hear myself.

She was deeply asleep; Bella was usually a light sleeper and that made me guess she missed sleeping for several nights, probably worrying. I truly wanted to let her rest, but I had missed her, and I wanted to talk to her and start living like all this hadn't happen.

"Bella" I said again a little bit higher, stroking her shoulder.

"Jake?" She sat up suddenly and smiled, the happy tears came out again like they never left her eyes.

"Oh Jake" She said again, her face lighting up with happiness "Thank you God!"

"BILLYYYY, your son is talking now" She screamed.

She was trembling and I hugged her closer.

"Shhhh honey" I said, "I'm fine, I swear"

"Oh Jacob" she said then went on with the kissing again. It wasn't sweet or romantic; it was more like eating after months of starvation. My father gave a cough when he entered the room, he probably have never seen her that way.

It seemed very early in the morning so it was a bit strange that Billy was already here.

Both the kids cried, probably Bella's screams woke them up.

Serena crossed her hands around my neck as she saw I was awake. She didn't let go for a long moment.

"Daddy?" she asked "Will we be together forever now?"

"Yes honey" I replied stroking her hair. "Nothing bad will happen."

"Daddy" she said, "We prayed, mommy and I, and it worked!"


In less than an hour, the room was full. My father who apparently was sleeping over at our place, Charlie, Sue, Rachel, Paul, Quil, Embry, Seth and Leah were filling most of the room while Serena and Andy were jumping and running around with happiness and excitement. Bella hadn't left my side since we woke up and I had Harry in my lap. He was playing in my features in his special way to express how much he had missed me.

It felt so good to see them all safe and happy. I was relieved we were all fine after all. I tried to recall the moments I nearly lost Bella and kept my eyes on her as she was glowing with joy. It seemed like she believed the nightmare was fully over. It really was in a way, but I had to inform her that there was no way on earth I would let the Cullens go with their mistake, no matter how much she craved peace.

"Bro, I can't believe you survived." said Paul with a laugh "You're such a bad ass."

"Don't ever think you will get rid of me Paul" I joked.

"For a moment I though we lost you, Jake" replied Quil "You're sometimes annoying but would never want to fully get rid of you."

"Don't ever scare us like that again, Jacob" My sister added "Worry was eating us all, Right Leah?"

I couldn't get up yet, but I could notice that Leah was very distant. I wondered what was wrong with her. She didn't answer Rachel and it was obvious she wasn't even listening to any of us.

"Leah?" I asked, "Are you ok?"

"Yes, Jake" she said with her eyes closed. She then shivered, let a hearable sob as tears fell from her eyes... As fast as possible, she then ran outside the room.

I looked at Bella; she was very concerned but not confused. Something was wrong with Leah and I knew that only one topic would make Leah cry. I wondered what brought it back to her.

"Is he coming back?" I asked them.

No one answered, so I looked at my wife for clarification. Bella's eyes were teary at that moment, but not with happy tears anymore. Fear took over me as she kept staring bluntly at me without uttering a single word.

I asked them if I could have a moment with Bella and they all hesitantly left the room. I didn't miss they all gave her a supportive pitiful look and I wondered what that was about.


"Bells" I said once they were gone "What is it? Please, Don't let me worry. What happened?"

She moved closer to my side, held my hand tighter then talked "Nothing major Jake. Always remember that what matters most now is that you are alive and that you are fine."

"No Bella, don't ever think about it!" I said in anger "I won't let the Cullens live with breaking the treaty that way just because we both survived well"

"Jake, you don't know how Carlisle helped you," she said.

"I don't care" my voice was loud now "Even if you brought Sam from the other end of the world to convince me otherwise. They will pay for their shit"

Bella was silent now, guilty, or so I guessed.

"What?" I said "You thought you will surprise me with Sam and his wise talk?"

"No, Jake... That's not it" she said still holding my hand, stroking it.

"Then what? Enlighten me," I said sarcastically, then added "But don't try to fool me Bells, I knew from Leah's tears that Sam is coming."

"Indeed he is coming Jake." Bella replied. She was crying now and that got me scared again.

I took a deep breath and talked gently.

"Bells, what is it? Tell me please, Is Sam fine?"

She cleared her throat "Jake, yes, Sam is fine and we are all fine, I'll tell you everything, but please try to remain calm."

Bella told me everything. Starting from the head leech accepting Edward's death and his request to keep the treaty intact, building on Alice's sincere help during the attack. She then told me how I stayed unconscious for days when there was no medical reason for that.

She was obviously shaking. She stuttered when she was telling me that my wolf was gone for good. Apparently the venom killed my wolf and no I won't be able to punish the Cullens for violating the treaty, nor will I ever be an alpha anymore. I lost contact with my pack's mind and Sam was coming back home with his family to lead my pack for a transition period till any of them is ready for this task.


I would have been able to accept all that if I could trust that no danger would haunt us any more. The guys had begged me for years to let them quit but I had never agreed knowing the constant danger that was after my wife. I knew Carlisle had reached a deal with the Volturi, but I had ensured keeping myself ready for any surprises. Unfortunately, at that moment I became no longer able to protect my wife from the nightmare that would arrive any time.

The weakness inside me made sense then. I thought about how hard and different it would be to live without my super strong senses. The thought was too much for the new vulnerable Jacob Black, so I let a tear fall and Bella wiped it away.

I pulled my hand away, and stormed at her... I harshly ordered her to leave the room on the spot. She moved backwards, stumbling on her way out.

Bella was obviously panicking, I could see that but I couldn't bear to look at her or have her by my side knowing I won't be able to protect her again… Ever.