A/N: After a very long absence, it's back! I lost the muse for this for awhile, had to focus on my other J/B story. Check it out if you haven't yet! Enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 9

Jacob scowled at Quil as he shoved his fist into the bag of chips, chewing loudly as he sprawled across Bella's couch. He was fast losing his temper with his pack brother, still on edge from the confrontation with Paul at the hotel. The Pack was crammed into her small apartment; even without their large size it would be tiny. He was considering kicking them all out, for their safety as well as his sanity, but the worry of what trouble they could get into unsupervised kept him from opening his mouth. He really just wanted a moment alone with Bella, they hadn't had a chance to talk, and he was worried about what she could be thinking.

At the moment she was locked in the solitude of her bedroom, dealing with a phone call that had come in. He hadn't missed the look of annoyance and fear that had flashed across her face when she'd picked up the phone, his wolf growling at the thought of someone scaring her. He gave her privacy to take the call, the urge to listen in making his ears itch, and instead focused his attention on Quil. "Knock it off Atera. She didn't invite us here to eat everything in the kitchen. And get your feet off the furniture."

Quil rolled his eyes, but was smart enough to listen, crumpling up the now empty bag of chips and lobbing it at the trash can. "C'mon Jake, why do we have to stay in here? We came to have a vacation, not be locked up in an apartment that's too small for a regular human."

Jacob pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing that phasing in Bella's apartment was even worse than the hotel, and he felt Sam's hand on his shoulder as his Beta gave him a sympathetic look. "He's right Jake; this place is getting way too crowded. Let me take them out for a while, I'll keep an eye on them and keep them out of trouble. You can talk to Bella and have some time alone with her."

Jacob nodded gratefully, shooting a stern look at Quil as he crowed in victory. "Sam is in charge. Anything he says goes, and if I hear a whisper of trouble this will be the last vacation you take this century. Understood?"

Murmurs of agreement echoed around the room, Seth looking up from his phone with a nervous look. "Jake? Can I go meet Amber? She has a doctor appointment."

Jacob nodded, smiling at Seth's enthusiasm as the young shifter immediately bolted for the door, the rest trailing after him. Sam shot him a thumbs up before closing the door, leaving him in blessed peace. Sighing he sank down on the couch, rolling his neck to try and release some of his tension, his eyes darting to the door as Bella opened it. She looked around in confusion and he shot her a smile as he stood. "Sam took the guys out so we could talk about what happened."

She nodded, he could smell her nervousness although wasn't sure if that was being alone with him or what had happened at the hotel. They stood for a long moment, avoiding each other's gaze, and finally Jacob broke the silence by clearing his throat and gesturing to the couch. "Do you want to sit down?"

Bella took a step towards him before hesitating and tipping her head towards the kitchen. "I feel like some tea. Do you want some?"

Jacob shook his head, feeling his heart sink slightly as he watched her nervously move into the other room, her body posture tense. He wasn't sure whether to wait or not so slowly approached the kitchen, watching her as she moved around the room making her tea. She let out a soft squeak of surprise when she turned to find him behind her, dropping the mug she had pulled out. Jacob caught it before it hit the ground, holding it out to her as he mentally begged her to look at him. She kept her head down, murmuring a barely audible thank you as she took it from him, turning away to place it on the counter. Jacob came up behind her; placing his hands carefully on her shoulders and feeling her stiffen. Curling his body over hers he breathed in her scent as he pressed his forehead against her hair, murmuring, "Please Bells. It's still me. I swear. Just talk to me. Let me explain."

He felt her take a deep breath, her hands gripping the edge of the counter, and then she relaxed slightly as she whispered, "Okay Jacob."

He let out a shaky breath of relief, reluctantly releasing her so she could turn to face him, her brown eyes meeting his guardedly. He took a step back, not wanting to overwhelm her, and watched as she finished making her tea, following as she headed back to the living room. She curled up on one end of the couch, her feet tucked up underneath her, and he waited until she gestured to the other end before sitting, not wanting to crowd her. She took a sip of her tea, pursing her lips as she watched him, and finally broke the silence. "So…you guys are shifters."

He nodded, surprised at her matter-of-fact tone, and she smirked slightly at him. "Don't forget, I study Native American legends. Every legend has a grain of truth to it. Not hard to figure out, especially when you see two horse sized wolves fighting in a bathroom."

Jacob chuckled sheepishly, running his hand through his hair. "Just so you know, that doesn't happen very often. It was a…unique situation."

She nodded, wrapping her hands around her mug as she studied him, making him want to squirm under her scrutiny. He wasn't sure why, but Bella Swan had an unusual effect on him, making him nervous for the first time in years. He had an urge to measure up to whatever standards she was measuring him by, his wolf too. "Bella, this isn't how I wanted to tell you. There's a lot more to us than accidently losing control and destroying a hotel bathroom."

She let out a snort of laughter at that, making Jacob grin as he dared to move closer to her, pleased when she didn't tense up. "Tell you what, instead of listening to the whole story that would take all afternoon, you ask me whatever you want to know and I'll fill in the blanks where I can."

She nodded, sipping her tea, and cocked her head at him. "When I was visiting, when Billy kept me from seeing you…that was because of this?"

Jacob nodded, a spike of anger at his father rising in his chest. "I had just phased. When we first phase, we have less control over it. Strong emotions, mostly anger, can trigger it and until we learn to control it we can be dangerous to be around. I was better at the shifting than any of the others, but Billy was probably worried about your safety." He paused, looking up to meet her eyes. "But I would never hurt you Bella. If nothing else, I need you to know that."

He saw her breath hitch slightly at the intensity of his gaze, placing her tea on the table she rose to her knees and scooted closer, gently placing her hand on his face. "I know Jake. I believe you."

Her whispered affirmation caused his heart to skip a beat and he tried to ignore how close she was, her lips mere inches from his own. His wolf howled in impatience, making his hand twitch, and he swallowed as he licked his lips. "Bells…"

He heard her heart rate pick up and she pulled away slowly, moving back to her corner as she watched him. Jacob shoved down his disappointment, knowing it was the right thing, and cleared his throat as he waited for her next question. Bella's gaze darted to her phone, swallowing before looking back at Jacob. "Do you…what do you know about vampires?"

A/N: Well what'd you think? We'll get more into Rachel and Leah soon, and meet Amber. Thanks for reading and drop a review!