Eyes Wide Open
JacobxBella
Rated M
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the franchise, as it belongs to Steph Meyers
Eyes Wide Open
Chapter 8
Bella listened intently to Billy's tale of the Quileute spirit wolves and how they protected their lands from the Cold Ones, how the Shifter gene is passed down through specific bloodlines and how some are worthy enough to be a wolf Shifter and protector of their lands. She was so fascinated by it all, finding it all very interesting. Now upon knowing this, she understood Jacob and his talk of "scary stories" when she had been trying to pry information out of him about the Cullen family and using that information to discover that they were the Cold Ones from his story. It made her feel bad that she had used him to find out about the Cullens, but what was done was done and now she had something, or rather someone—at least to her—better to focus on.
"So when you say that the Shifters protect against vampires, you mean they fight them?" Bella asked.
Billy nodded and said, "Essentially, yes. But they are designed to do much more than fight them."
Bella's eyes widened. "You mean…"
Embry looked at the blind girl and said, "We can kill vampires. It's easy for us to chase them and keep up, and our teeth and jaws are strong enough to break through their marble skin and tear them apart."
"So you could do this to the Cullens?"
"If we had to, we could," Jacob answered. "But as long as they keep to the treaty they made with the Pack before us and don't cross over onto our lands, then they won't give us a reason to attack them."
Billy frowned a bit and asked, "Does Bella know about the treaty?"
Jacob nodded and said, "Sort of. When she asked me about why the Cullens don't come to First Beach, I vaguely told her they weren't allowed to because of a treaty made with Ephraim. I didn't tell her the details because I didn't know the details at the time; all I really said was that they don't come."
Bella smiled and said, "This is all so fascinating! You guys can turn into giant, furry, soft wolves! Is it just you two? Are there more? What about Quil? Can he turn into one too? How many of you are there altogether? When did this happen? How-"
"Whoa, whoa, slow down Bella," Billy told her, cutting off her barrage of questions with an amused smile. "We'll answer all of your questions in due time. But as for how many, there are six wolves right now."
"Six, wow. Do I know them?"
Embry smiled and said, "Well, you already know about Jake and me, so that's two. And yes, Quil is one so he makes three."
"The other three are Sam Uley, Paul Lahote, and Jared Cameron. They're just a little older than us, but not by much. Well, Sam is probably the same age as you actually."
"Oh," Bella said. She was silent for a moment before asking, "Can I meet them?"
Billy and Jacob shared a look before Billy said, "Jared may not be a problem, but let's not get too excited about Sam and Paul. They're good boys, but those two are a bit…"
"Sam's got a stick up his ass and Paul's just a complete asshole," Jacob said, a grimace on his face as he did so.
Bella turned her attention to Jacob's aura and frowned before saying, "Jake, that's not a very nice thing to say."
Embry laughed and said, "Trust me Bella, when you get the chance to meet them, you'll do nothing but agree."
Billy rolled his eyes before asking, "By the way, how did Bella find out about you two? You never did tell me how it happened."
Jacob snickered and answered, "Bella threw a rock at Embry."
"Yeah, she's got really good aim for being blind, and it hurt," Embry said, slightly rubbing the side of his head.
Bella flushed before looking at Embry's green aura saying, "Again, I'm so sorry! The moment I knew I hit an animal I felt bad, but I just didn't expect to run into a bear sized wolf."
Another snicker filled the air, the sound coming from Billy as he tried to suppress his laughter at the thought of Bella hitting Embry with a rock. The thought was hilarious, especially knowing she actually hit him. Clearing his throat to calm himself he said, "Well, I'd better go talk to Old Quil and let him know a specific outsider knows about the Shifters now." At Bella's frown he said, "It's nothing personal, Bella. But it is common knowledge that you were in a relationship with Edward Cullen and it was easy to deduce you already knew what he and his family were. In truth because of your association with them, the Council may be upset about your knowledge of the Shifters now."
Frowning deeper Bella looked down into her lap and said, "Sorry."
Jake placed his hand on Bella's head and said, "It's alright, Bella. They'll get over it. Hey, how about we go into town and have breakfast at the diner?"
Smiling Bella looked up at Jacob and nodded saying, "I'd like that."
"Cool, I'll join you guys," Embry said.
"The hell you will," Jacob replied glaring at his friend. Embry held up his hands in a placating manner before shrugging, letting him know he wasn't serious.
Taking Bella's hand Jacob helped her to stand from her seat and moved them towards the front door, calling over his shoulder that they'd be back later. The moment they were out of the house Billy said, "Embry, take me to Old Quil's."
"Yes sir."
Sitting in a booth in the diner Jacob and Bella were laughing and talking while waiting for their food to arrive, each of them taking sips of their ordered drinks. Jacob smiled as Bella was telling him about some of the antics that her friend Jessica Stanley got into, if only to impress Mike Newton who she personally believed tried too hard to get girls. He couldn't help but take in how her face seemed to be alight and how she was actually invested in talking, rather than seeming to try to find something to talk about because she was reluctant to talk at all. Her browns eyes were so beautiful and were sparkling, and her sweet smile made his heart flutter all of the time, especially when it was directed toward him. Before long their food arrived and they began to eat, still talking and enjoying each other's company. At one point when conversation slowed, Bella decided to say something she felt needed to be said.
"Hey Jake," she started. "I just want to thank you again for coming to get me last night. I know it was probably out of your way, especially considering how late it was when I made the call, but thank you anyway."
"It was no problem, Bells," Jacob replied with a kind smile. "Besides, I'd come for you whenever you needed me to. Even if you didn't, I'd still come."
Bella blushed and nervously poked at her scrambled eggs as her heart raced a bit in her chest. She hadn't expected that response for Jacob, at least not that straightforward. And the way he said it almost sounded like how someone would speak to their lover or a person they were in love with. But Jacob wasn't in love with her…at least she didn't think he was. Besides, there were prettier girls he could choose to be his girlfriend, especially girls that didn't have a new disability limiting them.
A sudden poke to her forehead caused her to blink and look back up at Jacob's aura. There was a pause before Jacob asked, "What's going on in that head of yours?"
The brunette blinked before asking in return, "What makes you think I'm thinking about something?"
"Because of how your eyebrows scrunch together and how your lip pouts cutely."
If her face hadn't blushed brightly the first time, it definitely did now. She began to stammer in her attempt to say something, Jacob chuckling at her in fondness. However his chuckling quickly stopped as his nose picked up on a disgusting, sickeningly sweet stench. Turning his head his eyes landed on a pair of amber ones staring back at him on the face of the one vampire he absolutely loathed. Edward Cullen was in the diner and was glaring at them, him glaring in return. Bella, having suddenly picked up on her best friend's change in mood, frowned in concern and asked, "What's wrong?"
Jacob didn't answer right off, but then he said, "Cullen is here."
Bella froze before glancing over to see the same black aura she had seen last night. She didn't even have to ask to know it was Edward, and this time his aura was a bit darker than it had been last night. Shuddering at the menacing feel coming off of the aura Bella looked back at Jacob and said, "Jake."
Hearing the fear and concern in her voice, Jacob didn't hesitate to throw money on the table to pay for their unfinished food and stood up, taking Bella's hand in his and guiding her out of the diner. He could feel Cullen following them and in order to keep him from doing so for the moment, he "accidently" pushed a waitress carrying a tray of food towards him, causing her to trip over her feet and spill the food onto him. Glancing back he told the waitress 'sorry' while glaring at Cullen, the vampire glaring back while covered in various amounts of food and sauce, the waitress apologizing profusely to him. Once they were outside, Jacob quickly got her into Billy's truck and moved around to the driver's side and got in. He cranked the truck and pulled out of the parking lot to head back to La Push, all the while glancing at Bella to see if she was alright. Bella was gripping her white stick tightly and it was obvious she was trying to stop her trembling. It was obvious her ex's sudden appearance had shaken her.
He gritted his teeth as the thought of the leech. That asshole had purposely shown up to spook Bella, quite frankly sore from her breaking up with him. Even he could feel how menacing his attitude was coming off towards them, and it worried him that it was probably towards Bella. And it was obvious Bella was now fearing the vampire rather than having no sense of fear towards him and his kind. And what worried him more was that now that Bella was blind, she wouldn't be able to look out for him like he could. Suppressing his anger for Bella's sake, he pressed down on the gas pedal to get back to La Push faster.
Bella felt the truck accelerate and couldn't help but let out a sigh knowing Jacob was hurrying to get them back onto their side of the treaty line. As they went on in silence Bella couldn't help but wonder what could have possibly changed in Edward's mind the moment she broke up with him. Because whatever it was, it wasn't good and he was suddenly becoming—at least to her—obsessive and more stalker-ish than usual, if not worse. Yes, for the first time ever, she feared for her safety against Edward and she was afraid that because of her association with him and his family, she was putting Jacob in danger.