Exile

Slowly, step by step, Jacob walked over to the pack and stood beside them. It was difficult for him to stand against his sister but his hatred towards me and my kind was stronger. Bella's imprint on me was unacceptable to him.

I watched tears fill Bella's eyes as she saw her brother turn on her. Holding her to my chest, I combed through her hair a couple of times whilst she breathed in deeply. She then turned to Sam who was the last to decide. As I listened to his thoughts, I heard the conflict he was going through.

He could not decide whether he should stand by Bella or the pack. He recognised the struggle of imprinting on someone they shouldn't and facing the pack afterwards. He recognised that Bella had no control over who she would end up imprinting on as the idea behind it is that each shares a soul that was split in two at birth. A similar concept to mating.

Like Jacob he took each step slowly, one foot then the other, till he was stood in front of us. He looked everyone in the face before speaking.

"I shall have no part in this vote. Bella is a part of this pack but I'm afraid I cannot have a Cullen on our land. We have people and imprints to protect. All in all, Bella is a true member of our pack. I will not turn my back on her."

"Thank you Sam."

Silence fell over everyone as he walked away from the group and into the house nearest us; his house. His imprint and all the rest of the imprints were waiting inside. Sam began to explain what was going on to them all as he kept an ear out for what was happening outside.

"Isabella Black, on the grounds of association with a cold one, you are exiled from this pack and will never be allowed on our land again. Anyone who follows you will face the same consequences. You can collect your things from home and leave. If you can't take everything at once then someone will take it to the treaty line and wait for you there."

"Okay."

Staring at the ground, she started to walk away from us all. I slid my hand into hers and followed her. The shocked thoughts of the pack she would be leaving behind were loud in my head. Despite deciding to exile her, they couldn't quite believe that Bella was actually leaving. Whilst having Leah as part of the pack, Bella seemed to have been the sister none of them had.

Footfall started up behind us, but Bella didn't seem to notice. She was too lost in her own thoughts to notice the presence of Seth. As I walked slightly behind Bella, Seth caught up to us and began to walk beside me. In his thoughts, I gathered that there was nothing that would convince him to stay. To him, Bella was more of a sister than Leah and he looked up to Bella more than he did Leah. I gave him a smile and gentle nod of the head to reassure him.

The three of us came to a small, red, wood house and Bella walked straight in. Wrapping her into my arms as she stopped just inside, I placed my lips to her shoulder a couple of times. She sighed one long sigh before grabbing a bag and throwing some things into it. Seth joined her as they filled two suitcases and a few rucksacks and gym bags. As I didn't know what she would want or need, I left her to it and carried the packed bags out to her truck.

When I entered the house again, I heard Seth and Bella lift something that would be considered heavy to humans. It was the old piano that Bella had wanted to give to me. Even though it was breaking, it was a beautiful instrument that seemed to hold valuable memories to my mate. Taking the end Bella was holding, I kissed her forehead and helped Seth carry it.

With it in the back of the truck there wasn't any more room for more bags. Bella left the rest of her things in a pile outside the house before venturing inside one last time. I waited outside whilst Seth ran off to his house. He seemed to have figured out that I could read his mind and told me that he'd meet us later by our cottage to decide what was happening next.

Tears in her eyes, my girl left the homely house she no longer lived in and stepped straight into my arms. Her father and brother came up behind us, standing there waiting for us to leave. Jacob was disgruntled at the fact that I had stank his house out now. It serves him right for chucking his own sister out of her home and family.

"It's time to go Isabella."

She turned to her family and looked them in the eyes.

"Mom would be disappointed... in both of you. She'd accept Edward no matter what he is. I don't want to live with either of you is you can't accept that Edward is a part of me. I'm leaving and you won't hear from me ever again."

Grabbing my hand in hers, she pushed me into her truck and started up the engine. The truck roared to life as she drove off, not looking back at her family. I paid their thoughts no mind whilst we steadily made our way through the res. Tears dropped down her cheeks the further we got from her home until we passed the treaty line. She pulled over to the side of the road and sobbed uncontrollably.

"Baby. I've got you. I know it hurts. You're gonna be alright though. We're gonna get married and move somewhere far away. We'll go wherever you want. You choose and I'll get us there. It will all be worth it baby. I promise. I promise."

I continued to press my lips to the top of her head as I lifted her onto my lap. Holding her tight against my chest, I moved across to the wheel and started up the truck. With my heightened reactions, I drove as fast as her truck would allow me before pulling into the forest. Stepping into the forest with my girl in my arms, I began the fast run to our cottage.