Jared's POV
After leaving Bella's, I went running for a little while to clear my head. Then I went to Sam's. I knew Sam was going to want answers and he wasn't going to take no for an answer.
I wasn't looking forward to this. Sam I knew would understand. All would have to do is say the word 'imprint' and that would be it. There would be no gag order and no order to stay away. Sam would never get in between a wolf and his imprint.
Jake was another story. Our newest pack member was going to be pissed when he found out about Bella and me. He would most likely try to fight me and try to get Bella for himself. I wasn't going to let that happen. I liked Jake and all, but I wasn't going to let him get in the way of Bella and me. She was my world and I would fight to the death for her.
I was just coming to the porch when Jacob burst out of the house with a furious look in his eyes. He charged towards me and pushed me, causing me to stumble slightly, but I didn't fall.
"You bastard! How could you?" Jake asked again as he shoved me again.
I pushed him right back. "Back off, man."
Jake hissed and through a punch at me, which I barely managed to dodge by ducking. "How could you? You knew I loved her!"
"Okay, first of all, I don't know how much you think you know, but you can stop acting like I've betrayed you because I haven't!" I yelled at him. I wasn't taking this. My relationship with Bella began and ended long before I even met Jacob Black. "And second of all, you don't know love her. You don't even know her. You've been around Bella consistently for just a few weeks. You were good to her and I appreciate that, but do you really think that means you know her? It certainly doesn't mean you love her. You have a crush on her. That's all it is. I was with Bella for two years and before that, we were best friends since we were children. What we had was love and we will get it back again."
"Like hell!" Jake yelled before throwing another punch. This time he did connect with my jaw.
I punched Jacob right back and sent him to the ground.
Just then, Sam came out, followed by the other. "Hey! Both of you knock it off!"
Jacob and I glared at each other. "I'm not gonna let you have her. She's mine!"
"No, she's not yours. She will never be yours," I said.
"She hates you. Embry told me she slapped you twice," Jake said with a smug grin.
"She's mad at me. That doesn't mean she hates me. Hell, if anything, it's a testament to how much she loves me. She wouldn't be so angry with me if didn't love me." I knew Bella still loved me, even if she didn't know it. If she didn't love me, it wouldn't bother her so much that she loved.
"You're dreaming, Cameron. She moved on from you. She traded you in for a leach. Even the bloodsucker was better than you. You think she would've lost it like that if you left her like that. Oh, wait, you did leave her," Jacob said. Obviously he'd gotten most of the story from the others, at least what they'd heard from Bella yelling at me.
I had to work really hard to keep my tempter in check and keep myself from phasing. I was usually really laid back, but Jacob was quickly getting on my nerves and I just might lose it soon. "You know nothing about my relationship with Bella!"
"I said stop it!" Sam's voice boomed, causing us both to turn to him. "It doesn't really matter how either of you feel about Bella Swan right now. You both need to stay away from her so she doesn't get hurt."
I shook my head. "Sorry, Sam, but that's not gonna happen. Not unless you plan on staying away from Emily."
Sam stared at me for a minute as he realized what I was telling him without actually saying the words. "You imprinted?"
"No! She's mine!" Jake screeched.
"Not if he imprinted on her she's not. Did you, Jared?" Sam asked.
"Yes, but that doesn't really matter. All it is, is proof of something I already knew," I said. The imprint didn't matter much. Well, it made the feelings I already had for Bella much stronger, but that was it. It didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. I didn't need an imprint to tell me Bella was the one. I'd known that since I was fifteen.
Sam turned to Jacob with a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, Jake, but Jared's right. Bella and Jared are soul mates."
"No!" Jake yelled as he went to attack me.
Sam grabbed him and held him back. "Enough, Jacob! You will not interfere with Jared and Bella's relationship. Eventually, they will be together and you won't get in the way! Is that understood?!"
Jacob yanked himself away from Sam and took off running. I could tell he would phase very soon.
"Embry, Paul, go after him," Sam ordered.
"On it," Embry said before he and Paul took off after Jacob.
Sam sighed and turned to me. "I won't let him interfere. Have you told Bella about us or about the imprint?"
I shook her head. "I'm not telling Bella about the imprint, not until we're together again. I want Bella to choose me again because she wants to, not because she feels she doesn't have a choice. And she will. I will fight for her."
"You really loved her before this, didn't you? You got lucky. You won't have to break anyone's heart," Sam said. He'd had to break his former girlfriend's heart when he imprinted on Emily. He hated that. He loved Emily more than anything, but it still hurt him to hurt Leah.
"I already broke Bella's heart. Now I need to get her to forgive me. It won't be easy. In her eyes, I'm no better than the leech," I said sadly.
"You're not like Cullen, Jared. I don't know what happened between you and Bella, but I know you wouldn't have left her in the woods to die from hypothermia like he did. She probably said what she did to hurt you," Sam said.
"Well, either way, it's going to be hard for me to gain her forgiveness. But I will. I will do whatever I have to do it get her to forgive me and give me another chance," I vowed.
"Good for you. I sincerely hope it works out for you. Actually, I'm not sure how it could fail. She's your soul mate," Sam said.
I nodded. "I'm gonna go. I need to think."
"Alright, go. I'm gonna give you the night off for patrols so you can figure things out," Sam said.
"Thanks," I said before walking away.