CHAPTER SIXTY- ONE

(JPOV)

I hardly slept at all, my mind too preoccupied with what the meeting with Sam might entail. I checked on Bella twice, being sure she was alright and heading out long before dawn even began to approach. Seth and Embry had been instructed to stay close to the house on guard as I had ordered them both to do until I returned for the meeting. They had agreed to do border patrol together when dawn crept in and although Embry was still bristling over my choice to challenge Sams decision, he had come to be more supportive as the night wore on and I was grateful to him for it.

I ran on foot at first, getting far enough away from the town before stripping down to phase among the tree cover around me. I was soon on all fours, and running for the trail with Rana's scent still lingering there. The acidic potency of it soon made my lungs burn and caused me to huff as I took off in search of her, my paws tearing up the earth beneath them.

I had only run for a few miles when her sudden appearance brought me up short, the look of defeat clear on her face when she raised her head to me. She was huddled in on herself at the base of a tree, her gaze wide and afraid when it met mine. I approached her with caution, seeing her move away from me as if she were suddenly afraid of me now. I stilled where I was, focusing enough to be able to phase back to human form in front of her, the look on her face bordering on hysteria as she slowly rose to her feet. I hastily pulled on my cut offs and reached my hand out toward her, seeing her shake her head to me in return to my silent request.

"No- don't do that anymore, Jacob. We're not... allies... or friends. We're enemies. It's the way it has to be. The way it has always been between our kind. We are not family-"

"Stop it." I snapped, feeling my temper get the better of me from her words. "I'm not giving up on you that easily. So why the hell are you?"

She whipped her head in my direction, her eyes narrowing in response to my heated comment to her.

"I am merely doing what you yourself are afraid to!" She accused, quickly advancing on me and causing a growl to spill from her close proximity now. I reigned it in, sucking in a deep breath and meeting her gaze again. "Sam-... your leader-"

"He is not my leader. I am his." I irritably corrected before she continued.

"-Your respected brother then. He is not wrong. What he said was accurate and now look at what my presence has done! Your whole pack is divided! You are taking a substantial risk for me. And I am not Sarah, Jacob. I am only tied to her past... to our past and what we shared in our friendship before she was killed. Her death was my fault. If I had listened to Billy- you would still have your mother and she would be here. She would be able to see you grown and she would be there to hold your future children. But because of my ignorance back then, she is gone... forever. I believe your hanging onto me because I am a solid reminder to you of who she was. Maybe you fear that with time- you won't be able to remember everything about her? Time is cruel in that way, Jacob. It can creep up on us and cause our memories of those we love to become less clear as we age. Is that what this is? Are you fighting for me this hard because you want me near for the memory of her? So you won't lose it so easily?"

I swallowed hard, turning from her as the pain I tried to ignore lashed out at me again as the image of my mothers face came fresh to my mind. Rana was not entirely wrong. There were many times I feared losing some of the treasured memories I had with her as a child and part of me wanted her near for that reason alone. Call it selfish or not- but it was my truth. But there was another part- a larger part- that was fighting like this for her because I knew it was what my mother would have done had she been here now.

The feel of Rana's cold hand on my shoulder made me turn back around to face her, our gazes meeting as she took another step toward me.

"Yes... I want you close for that reason. But you and I both know that my mother would be fighting for you in the same way... If she could still be here with us. So I'm doing it for her. Doing what I know she would be if she could. That's my way of honoring her memory further. Sam is my respected brother and he is not wrong for being wary of you, but he is wrong in not trying to see some form of compromise here. Given that you are not a threat to our land, or to human life here, he needs to be able to keep an open mind. His refusal to do so is his own arrogance getting in the way. I'm trying to make him see that."

She nodded to me in reply, her eyes downcast when she stepped away from me and leaned against the nearby tree. Her stance still appearing weak to me.

"I don't want to separate you all this way. It leaves you open to attack and should that kind of harm come to any of you because of me-"

"It won't. Sam and I are meeting at the lumber yard at dawn. Just the two of us. We will work it out. One way or another."

"One way or another?" She hesitantly questioned, her hair falling in her face as she visibly swayed on her feet in front of me. I reached for her, seeing her eyes darken when she tried to focus them.

"You're weakening still. Why?" I asked her in alarm.

"I don't know. My powers have left me. I can hardly put one foot in front of the other. This last change back has drained me from the effort. I'm not sure if I'll recover this time."

She struggled to hold herself upright as I picked her up, her head coming to rest on my shoulder when the sound of a low growl cut in through the wind.

"He's come to kill me, Jacob. Just let him... please." She breathed to me as my eyes locked on Sam's massive wolf figure stepping out from the tree cover. His steps slow and stalking and his muzzle low to the ground. His teeth were barred and his eyes damn near glowed with rage as he sunk down in a predatory fashion, his ears laid fully back as another growl left him.

Tremors took hold of me from his challenge, causing me to let out a growl of my own to him.

"Don't-" Rana pleaded, her voice barely audible to me. "Don't fight who you are, Jacob. Don't do this for me. Just let him-"

"No." I replied, feeling the tremors grip me hard as my inner wolf tried to claw its way out. My impending phase making my hold on Rana loosen. I glanced down at her face, seeing the young woman who never got the chance to be truly loved, to be with a family that meant something to her, who never got a chance to have her own children, who would forever be alone now.

"It's okay-"

"No, it's not." I replied, my gaze flickering back to Sam who looked like he was ready to spring at any moment.

"He means you no harm, Jacob. He is only doing his duty. Just as your meant to do. It's who he is and it's who you are. Don't be afraid to lose the memories of your mother... She left them for you... in a book... a book she gave your father before she died."

Her words made me still and meet her gaze in disbelief.

"It's true, Jacob. Billy has kept it for you. He has held onto it all this time. What she wrote you will be with you forever. You won't ever lose her completely... she's part of you. Fighting Sam for me is not the way. Please... let him do what he's meant to."

I stared down at her as the tremors became to much for me to hold off and I erupted into my wolf, a roar leaving me as I stood protectively over Rana.

A/N: Okay so its been way too long since my last update and for that I am truly sorry! Thank you so much for you patience! Please review and tell me what you think? Should Jacob stand his ground or relent to Sam? Thank you! :-)