As predicted, Sam was absolutely livid and more than ready to rip the Cullens to shreds. But, he told an incredulous pack, they hadn't actually violated the treaty and no matter how irresponsible, their intentions were not dishonorable. Because of that, he called the head leech immediately and told him in no uncertain terms that he and his coven had until the morning to clear out completely and never, ever come back. Sam stated clearly that the treaty was void and if any of the Cullens ever came back to the Olympic Peninsula, they wouldn't be leaving it.

A council meeting was called and they supported the alpha's decision. The rest of the pack's opinion was varied. Everyone agreed that the time to play nice with the leeches was over, but the subject of whether the Cullens should ever leave Forks in the first place was a subject of hot debate.

Jacob was livid. He wanted blood, or whatever the hell it was they bled, and he wanted it all over the dirt right before he lit them on fire. Paul, who had despised Bella for as long as he'd known her, was disgusted by what they did to her and even though he and Jacob had never agreed on much of anything, they absolutely were on the same page on this. Learning what had happened to the girl who he had been so fiercely cruel to had changed his outlook on her significantly and while Paul was never particularly nice to anyone, he wanted vengeance.

Leah was particularly sensitive to anything that forced someone into a love they didn't feel and fair or not, she felt the same way about this as she did about imprinting. She was ready to dig claw and fang into them all.

Embry stood by Jacob simply because it was his best friend who was asking, as did Quil, but Jared and Seth maintained that Sam had made the right call. Jared wasn't personally invested and while he felt sorry for Bella, he didn't think the Cullens should be held responsible for their lack of knowledge. Seth loved Bella, but he saw the veggie vamps as people more than any other pack member and he did not want to see them harmed if another option existed. Collin and Brady were quiet and seemed to deem themselves too young to have much of a say anyway.

The pack ran from La Push to Forks at dawn the next morning to find the Cullen house abandoned. They burned it to the ground and returned to the reservation.

The next few months with Bella were difficult for Jacob. He finally had what he wanted, he had her, and yet, they still had to live with the ghost of the absolute mindfuck Bells had been through.

Her nightmares returned with a vengeance but this time, they were all about her becoming a vamp and decimating towns, killing her father, sometimes even draining whole schools of children. Jacob swore to her he'd never let it happen but the nightmares continued. Unlike Cullen, he refused to invade her room unless she specifically asked him to stay with her at night and she never did. He spent a lot of time sleeping below her window in wolf form and whining when she'd start screaming.

It didn't make any sense to take Bells to a councilor where she wouldn't even be able to discuss what happened to her, but Sue had approached them both and communicated that she suspected, based on her symptoms, that Bella may be experiencing PTSD. Without the leech's mojo in her system, she had to cope with the trauma of being tortured and bitten by the nomad, the experience of being controlled in the most basic of ways for over a year, and the extreme fear of Edward's return.

As soon as he had something to look up, Jacob went to the library and found everything he could on PTSD and how it would be affecting her. Bella definitely had an exaggerated startle reflex and she was constantly on guard, ready for the next shoe to drop. Despite the peace that followed the Cullen's retreat, she couldn't stop looking over her shoulder, ready for a vamp to show up and sink their teeth in her at any minute, or worse, put her back under the sway.

Even though Jacob and Bella were together, nothing much had changed and he had decided a long time ago to never push her. He had loved the way things were and now that she was his and only his, it was a hundred times better. They still held hands and now he got to kiss her whenever he wanted, but that was as far as it went except once or twice and he was mostly okay with that.

Okay, the MAN was okay with that. The wolf...

There had been a few heavier sessions, some over the clothes petting as things progressed, but that was it. The wolf didn't understand and sometimes attempted to take control by force. The instinct to claim was incredibly fierce. Thankfully, Jacob was strong enough not to be overwhelmed and determined to give her time to heal. She'd had enough taken from her that she hadn't wanted to give and he would NEVER take from Bella.

Just when she started to finally show some real improvement, a letter came reeking of leech stink from the little Pixie. The contact itself sent her through her through a loop but the content eased a deep-rooted fear that had clawed at her psyche constantly. The Volturi would not be coming for Bella. As penance, the gifted members had offered their services to the vamp ruling class for a century and the king leech had decided three incredibly talented vamps was a better offer than one potentially gifted human.

Even though it probably took Bells two weeks to recover from seeing her handwriting, the relief of not having to fight an army of gifted vampires was more than worth it.

Slowly, so very slowly, the nightmares became less and less frequent. Bella still jumped at loud noises and quick movements but her recovery time decreased significantly. Panic attacks happened less often and lasted less time and Jacob internally cheered with every single step she took forward.

The morning of Jacob's 17th birthday was rung in with an over-enthusiastic couple of wolves and a spray can. The behemoths had silently crept down the hallway into his small room before bursting in with war cries and pots to bang. Quil jumped on the bottom of his already over filled bed and banged a pan lid with a spoon while Embry attacked his face and chest with strands of disgusting smelling, pink silly string.

Jacob yelped loudly and fell to his hands and knees beside the bed, just managing not to phase in what would have been an embarrassing and incredibly destructive mistake.

"Get out!" he roared as his friends guffawed and dodged his fists on their way back to the living room. Embry side stepped but he managed to clock Quil around the head before the guy escaped.

"Get dressed, we're going to the diner!" Embry yelled down the hall as Jacob attempted to pull the fucking silly string from his hair.

He growled and stalked into the bathroom, slamming the door hard enough to make a point but not hard enough to break it. Bella had to work today, so he really didn't see why he should bother getting up and doing anything for his birthday regardless. He may have been pouting a little, but still, there was just no point in celebrating if it didn't involve Bells.

He showered quickly and pulled on an old pair of jeans along with an oil stained shirt before crawling into the back of Embry's car. Quil and Embry were laughing in the front seat, listening to the radio and smacking at each other while he dozed in and out all the way to Forks.

They arrived a short time later and with a heavy sigh, Jacob pulled himself out of the car and shuffled behind his friends into the restaurant. He inhaled the scent of bacon, eggs, and pancakes, keeping his eyes on his worn work boots, when suddenly his favorite aroma hit his nose.

Jacob's nostrils flared as his eyes shot straight to a booth in the back where a familiar brunette was smiling at him.

Vanilla and cream. Cinnamon. Bella.

His wolf purred in his chest as he picked up the pace, grinning widely as he slid into the booth next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist. She blushed as he yanked her into his side, ignoring the chuckles of his friends in favor of burying his nose in her neck and planting a brief kiss against her pulse.

"Good morning, Honey," he greeted her happily, pulling back just far enough that he could stare down into brown eyes as he talked to her.

"Happy Birthday, Jake," Bella said with a tiny grin, biting her lip lightly as she wrapped her hands around his middle and squeezed. He tightened his grip in return, reveling as he always did in the feel of her body pressed up against him.

"Good morning, Bella," Quil said loudly, looking at her with a glint in his eye that promised teasing if she didn't pay attention to him soon.

"Turns out, we're also here," Embry reminded them, grinning wryly as he picked up a menu.

"Yeah!" Quill agreed, pointing a finger at Bella and sending her a mock frown. "And your boyfriend wouldn't even be here this morning if we hadn't gotten him for you."

Bella nodded solemnly at the pair of them. "You are both so good at fetching things," she admitted, laughing out loud at the incredulous looks they shot her.

Jacob ignored their banter and turned his attention back to his mate. "I thought you had to work," he said softly, letting his hand settle beneath the hem of Bella's t-shirt so he could touch her bare skin.

Her cheeks pinked ever so slightly at his touch, but she didn't say anything about it as she shifted in her seat. "I did," she informed him, reaching for her mug of coffee and taking a sip. "But I managed to trade shifts earlier this week and I just wanted to surprise you. I'm actually yours all day."

He knew she didn't mean it like THAT, but the possessive aspects of the wolf bubbled up at her words and he had to fight back the pleased growl that threatened to rumble out of him.

I'm actually yours all day.

I'm actually yours.

I'm yours.

Jacob inhaled sharply as he pushed back the instinct to make that claim a reality.

"And what do we plan to do today then?" he asked with an inadvertently husky voice, ignoring the knowing looks his friends were sending him. Thankfully, Bella seemed oblivious to his plight.

"Whatever you want, really," she said, offering a small smile to the waitress who came to take their order.

He forced his mind to come up with a food order he wanted and not to focus on... other things he may want.

Okay, other things he DID want.

He glanced over at his girlfriend as she licked a bit of sugar that had gotten stuck at the top from the lip of the coffee mug, biting back a moan. Shit, he was hard in the middle of the diner and Bella wasn't even trying to be alluring. She was just... everything he desired and he desired SO MUCH.

Their food arrived and Jacob inhaled it, trying to focus on nothing but the taste of his meal and failing miserably.

Beating back the wolf's instincts was getting harder every day. Even now he could feel the way the animal paced in his chest, the compulsion to claim and take and MARK forcing him to take deep breaths of air as he tried to control his body's response. It had been bearable, if barely, when she was sick; his impulses had been tuned then to making her better and healthier. Now, though, the wolf saw no further impediments and the man couldn't come up with any to deter him. And he wanted.

God, how he wanted.

"You ready?" came Bella's sweet voice from beside his ear, and Jacob started. He looked down and realized he had eaten everything on his plate without even being aware of it.

"Yeah," he told her, shooting her a smile as they made their way to the door. He draped his arm around her shoulders and led her to her truck, waving at Embry and Quil as they headed to the former's car and took off.

"Um, Jake?"

Bella's voice was soft and hesitant and when Jacob looked back at her, her face was strangely flushed.

"What's wrong, Honey?" he asked, stepping back away from where he had been reaching to open the truck door. He cupped her cheeks in his hands and looked down at her worriedly.

"N- Nothing," she assured him, blushing harder under his intense gaze. "I'm just, um, a little tired, I guess? Would you mind, you know, driving us back to La Push so I can rest?"

Jacob's lips quirked up and he pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. "Sure, Bells," he assured her, leading her over to the passenger's side instead. "No problem."

He helped her into the truck before jogging to the driver's side. He slid in and turned the key, listening to the beast roar to life before he backed out of the parking lot. Once they were on the road, he shot a glance over at Bella and his worry renewed. She was sitting a little rigidly as they drove and chewing fiercely on her lip.

"Do you want to take a nap, Honey?" he asked, motioning towards the bench seat of the truck. She was acting really weird, honestly, and both he and his wolf were starting to worry something bad was happening. Was she having some sort of relapse? Maybe something had triggered a panic attack.

Bella swallowed heavily, eyeing him beneath her thick lashes before she finally seemed to tighten her jaw with determination. She nodded and undid her seat belt to lay down beside him, surprising him a little when she rest her head on his thigh.

He glanced down at her dark brown hair spilling over his jeans and his eyes softened. He brought his right hand down to run through the silky strands before placing both palms back on the wheel and pulling his attention back to the road.

Five minutes passed as they rode in silence and Jacob was content just to be with his Bells, drowning in the scent of her with her cheek pressed to his leg. He felt her shift a little, as if she was trying to get more comfortable, but he jerked the wheel imperceptibly to the left when one of her little hands landed on the inside of his upper thigh.

Jacob's fingers tightened as he tried to force his body not to respond. 'She's just getting comfortable,' he reminded himself. 'Just enjoy that she's touching you, that she's near you.'

Her fingers began to rub patterns on the denim, lightly teasing at the sensitive skin through his jeans, and he swallowed hard. Jacob could feel blood rushing south and there was no stopping it, but he tried to ignore the sensation. It wouldn't be the first time he'd gotten hard when she touched him without those sorts of intentions. She'd even touched him there WITH those intentions, just a little and only through his pants, once or twice when they'd gotten lost in each other. If she noticed it now, she would just blush and take her hand back.

At this point, they'd talked about sex a little but he'd never pushed her and she'd never offered. So the car swerved violently when her little fingers wrapped around his rapidly hardening length and she stroked him through the material of his pants.

She stilled for a moment with her hand still resting on his crotch when the truck lurched. "Do you, um, do you want me to... stop?" she asked nervously.

His knuckles popped as his hands tightened further on the steering wheel before he quickly swerved off the road and stopped the truck on the side. Bella looked alarmed, sitting up abruptly and pulling her hand into her chest as if he'd burned her. Her knees came up to her chest and she started to close in on herself.

Jacob reached out for her, but she flinched backwards and his heart broke a little. He rushed to fix his mistake, holding out his palms placatingly in front of him as he turned to her in the truck.

"Fuck, Bells, don't do that; don't pull away from me. It's not like that," he said quickly, scooting a little closer to her even as she remained rigid on the seat. "No, I didn't want you to stop. I- you know I love it when you... touch me. I just, um... what are you doing exactly?"

Bella turned as red as her truck. "What do you- didn't you feel what I was doing?" she whispered, eyes carefully averted from his face.

Jacob glanced down at where he still strained painfully against his jeans and nodded. "Yeah, Honey," he answered, reaching for her again and breathing a sigh of relief when she didn't pull her fingers away. "I definitely felt what you were doing. What I meant is, we... um, we haven't really done much of that before and I was driving and I just- I just wasn't sure where you were headed."

Bella inhaled sharply and glanced around, still keeping her gaze from falling anywhere near Jacob. "I've been thinking a lot about, you know, the- the um... next level of our relationship," she mumbled, threading her fingers with his and holding on tight. "I was trying to be, sort of, fun? I guess?"

She cleared her throat and bit her lip. "I thought, since it's your birthday, I- I'd give you... me," she whispered as her blush spread down her neck and beneath her hoodie.

Jacob closed his eyes as his entire body tensed, fighting for control of the wolf that was howling in victory inside him. Lightening shot up and down his spine and he licked his lips. "What do you mean by that exactly?" he asked hoarsely.

"Oh God, Jake. Please don't make me say it," Bella whined.

"Do you mean sex?" Jacob said bluntly, studying her averted face closely. She nodded slightly and he bit back the groan that threatened to escape his throat as his belly tightened with arousal.

"Fuck, Honey, you know how bad I want you," he forced out through a tightly clenched jaw. "But it isn't just sex with me. You know that. It's... if I get you-"

He cut himself off as a shudder ran through his body and his wolf stalked inside him, growling at him to TAKE HIS MATE.

"If I get you under me..." he trailed off, but he knew Bella knew what would happen. The first time he got inside her, he'd mark her and she'd be his forever. He wouldn't be able to stop it; it was a primal urge equal to eating or breathing.

This time, she met his eyes. "I'm nervous about the... nervous about the sex, Jake," Bella said firmly, grabbing his other hand so she held that one too. "But I know what you want and now, I- I know what I want. And I want you."

Jacob brought his forehead down to rest against hers and sucked in a harsh breath. A year ago, she hadn't been his. Eight months ago, she'd been trapped under the sway and extremely close to becoming a mortal enemy. It was impossible to believe, truly, that he might finally get the only thing he'd ever really yearned for.

"You want me forever, Bells?" Jacob asked, voice rough and raw as he rubbed his nose against hers.

"I want you forever, Jake," she confirmed softly, pressing her lips to his gently as he felt a tear slip down his face.

Jacob's wolf purred and he sucked on HIS mate's bottom lip and the for the first time since he painfully turned into a giant animal at age 16, he didn't regret his heritage. It was worth the leeches. It was worth the pack mind. It was worth breaking half the bones in his body. It was worth knowing someday soon, he'd have to be alpha. He'd never regret any of it as long as he lived, so long as he got to keep her.

AN: This has gotten much more of a response here than on AO3 but I will only post the smutty outtake on AO3, due to community guidelines. So I'll be posting this note there as well: if you want a smutty outtake, now is the time to vote for it by dropping me a comment or pm. I'm not at all holding the smut hostage, I just don't know if there has been enough interest to bother writing their first time together. Let me know and if I end up doing one, I'll add one more 'chapter' as an author's note letting you all know it's ready to view on that site when it's done.