Disclaimer: I do not own twilight or any of the characters, the ones you don't recognize on the other hand are mine.

Chapter 12:

My Saving Grace

Everything around me was a blur; I couldn't feel the ground underneath me I was moving so fast. All I could make out was green coming closer and closer, the trees that would hide my abduction. I tried like hell to yank my arm back and break the hold but I had no leverage to pull against. Then suddenly I was surrounded by trees and I knew it was the end, no one could help me, no one would even see me. Our pace started to slow when a force I can only describe as a wrecking ball hit my abductor and I fell to the ground. In an instant I got back up and scanned the area to see who or what saved me. They were moving so fast I couldn't make out what exactly was happening, black hair moved through the trees like lace moved through water and I could make out something tall and slender on top of it slamming to the ground over and over.

They stopped suddenly and I could see who they were, Edward had the girl werewolf that was so keen on killing Jacob at the meeting. "Who are you?" Edward yelled from behind her. He had her in some sort of headlock and she was kneeling in front of him.

"Torrance…" She could barely say, she seemed very scared, "I'm a member of the Hoh pack."

"Really…," he said and started to add pressure to her neck.

"Wait, wait I have something I need to say to her," She choked out. Edward looked over at me and saw both my fear, but intrigue in what she had to say. He loosened the hold which gave her the signal to keep talking. "Bella, I know what happened," my stomach started to curl up inside of itself, "We were running today, and I could see it in his head, like a movie being rewound and playing again and again. I'm in his pack, and law says I have to support my alpha, but what he did to you disgusts me."

"Get to the point," Edward said jerking his arm making her head yank back, he must have seen the life leave my eyes; I was beginning to shut down again.

"All I'm trying to say is that Ayden is scaring me, well he's scaring a lot of us. He used to be able to separate his wolf stuff with his normal life, but lately you are all that is on his mind."

"Me?" I said confused, I was expecting her to say Edward or the Cullens, or even Jacob.

"I don't know what's happening to him, it's become less about killing vampires and more about you. Whether it's just getting information from you, or just watching you from a far. Bella, everywhere you have driven in the past several days, he has run with you in the trees so you can't see."

"I don't understand."

"Neither do I, but I love this pack and I'm not going to let him ruin my family for his own sick pleasure."

It dawned on me as the movie that Torrance was talking about went through my head. That night with Ayden, the reason he didn't look mad, he didn't care what I said. He was planning on doing that to me even if I gave up the Cullens, she was right it was about me, but why?

Edward let go of his hold and I held my breath expecting her to lunge at me, "What if we could avert his attentions somewhere else," Edward said.

"Where?" She asked puzzled.

"Forks is having a little infestation problem, we have some newborns in town and my family thinks there are more on the way, a lot more."

"That's why I have been picking up so much lately, tracks and smells. I tried to tell Ayden about it, but he didn't want to hear it."

"Well my family doesn't think we have much time before they are here and there aren't enough of us to kill all of them…"

"I think I can probably get a few of us, but I will warn you, not all of the pack sees what I'm seeing. Why do you want to kill your own?" she said and finally stood up thinking the threat was over.

"We are peaceful and love this town; we just don't want anyone to get hurt." He said, and the look that went over Torrance's face was that of shock and disbelief.

"I told you they are not threatening, and they're not dangerous." I chimed in, thinking that I could help.

"Well like I said, I can get a few, but I can't help you."

"What do you mean you just said you would," I piped back.

"Not me personally, I have to go back to the tribe, to my father. I have to find out what is really going on with Ayden." She said and started to walk away and I could hear the school bell ring in the background. "I'll be around after school if you need me, Ayden put me on Bella patrol today; he wants to know who your friends are." She said and rolled her eyes.

Edward came over to me and just looked at my face till finally he wrapped me up in his cold and secure embrace. His rigid arms around me felt good, and we stayed like that for a few moments. He broke free and took me by the hand leading me towards the front doors of school.

Hours passed like centuries but finally it was over and I could just go home and bury my head in my hands. I walked out to my car with Edward who stayed with me all day to make sure I knew the right thing to say when someone asked about my weekend. He was keeping me strong, keeping me together. As we walked I saw Jacob waiting on the hood of my truck lazily, but when he saw me with Edward he jumped off and stood by it, arms crossed and scowl faced. Edward stopped walking and turned to me, "Bella, I can't imagine how you must feel about what happened the other night in the woods, but I also can't imagine something like that happening and me not knowing."

I knew what he meant and I knew what he wanted me to do, but just the thought of me having to tell Jacob the truth made me want to run for the hills. We both looked back over to Jake, whose face was turning more and more red as we stood there talking too far away for him to hear. Edward gave me a kiss on the cheek and walked over to the tree line where I'm sure he was meeting Torrance. I approached Jacob wearily knowing what I had to do. This was not going to be a pleasant car ride.

Jacob hugged me and ushered me to the passenger's side then ran over to the driver's side and started it up. He didn't say anything about Edward which was a relief, but I could tell it was on his mind.

"So where to?" he said pretending to be cheerful.

"Anywhere, I have to tell you something, and I'm not sure how you're going to react." I said almost under my breath, maybe if he didn't hear me I wouldn't have to do it at all. The car screeched to a halt on the side of the road not two minutes from school.

"It's him again isn't it, you want him back?" he said looking forward, I couldn't quite tell but I think I saw a tear. This was it, I had to tell him. I couldn't let him go on thinking I was choosing Edward, I loved him and once again I was hurting him.

"No Jake, that's not it at all," I said, "It's about that night you went missing and they took me."

His eyes got wide, "What about it?"

"I wasn't being 100% honest when I said they just asked some questions," I paused and tried to find a way to word it. "I got out of the car and Ayden chased me down, I got knocked out and woke up somewhere else. It was just me and Ayden…" I saw his face flush with anger and hatred before I even said it, "He did stuff to me."

"What stuff?" He said swallowing his anger with a huge gulp, what replaced it was fear and worry, "What did he do to you, Bella?"

"He touched me and grabbed me. He forced himself on me and then I blacked out, but when I woke up my jeans were almost off and I was really… sore." It was out, I said it and now he knew. I waited silently for his reaction, but it never came. He just sat there silent, looking away, no emotion in his face, "Say something," I said provoking a response.

"I'm taking you home, and I want you to stay there. Do you hear me?" He finally made eye contact, but when he did he was not my Jacob anymore. In a matter of seconds he turned from 17 to 45 and was serious. I felt like arguing with him, telling him to stay away from Ayden, but I knew it would do no good. This was why I didn't want him to know, Jacob wanted a fight, wanted to kill him, and I was scared of the consequences. I nodded my head in agreement because I knew that no matter what I said Jacob would still go and get Ayden.

The rest of the drive home was silent, all except him trying to get more information about that night. He wanted details that I was unable to give him, I told him about Torrance and Edwards deal instead. He walked me to my door and kissed me on my cheek, but as he turned away I grabbed his arm. He spun around fast to look back at me and my face turned beat red and my eyes were welling up. I was scared for him, scared of what might happen to him.

"Please don't go…" I pleaded.

"Bella, I have to go I'll be back soon."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know just yet, but something has to be done."

I looked down; this wasn't making me feel better. Jacob protecting my honor was only making things worse for me, in some ways it was a lot easier to deal with when I was the only one involved, but now I had to worry about whether or not Jacob was going to handle this ok. "I'm so sorry for this Bella, I wish I could protect you better, be there for you," He said lifting my head with his hand.

"If you wanted to be there for me, you wouldn't go and fight Ayden. He's too strong Jacob, too motivated, he'll kill you."

He started to cry and fell to his knees, "I don't know what to do, my brain is telling me to go there and rip that asshole's head off, but my heart just wants to stay with you and make sure you are ok," He looked up at me, "I'm so selfish, all I'm thinking about is me and how I'm feeling about this, but Bella how can you be so over this already."

"I'm not over it Jacob, the past two days has been hell and it's all I can think about; why couldn't I be stronger, why couldn't I have been braver?"

He stood back up and held my face in both of his strong warm hands, "You are the strongest and bravest person I know. Just a fraction of the things you've seen and had to experience would have made any normal person crumple and give up. You are a fighter Bella, you have been broken and bruised but you keep going."

"I can't do it anymore, whatever strength you seem to think I have is all gone; he took that from me Jake, what do I have left?"

"You have me, and if your strength has faltered even a smidgen, I can be strong for both of us until you get it back. I'm your rock Bella, I'm not going anywhere and you are going to be just fine." Our lips touched and a wave of warmth and security rushed over my whole body. He broke away before it got too involved and looked at me with a pained smile.

"Please don't go," I said in a whisper.

His head turned away from me, "He can't get away with this Bella."

"He won't…" Edward was walking up the driveway to the porch a little faster than my normal, but a lot slower than his normal. "Bella I just got done talking to Torrance…"

"What are you doing here, this doesn't concern you," Jacob said cutting him off.

"Anything that has to do with Bella has everything to do with me."

"Look, I appreciate you looking out for her, cause lord knows she needs an entire secret service to keep her safe, but this is our issue, and I don't want you butting in. It's time you realized she has made her choice, and I know it might hurt your cold non-working heart, but she chose me."

"We'll see…"

"What was that," Jacob said puffing out his chest, but Edward just gave him a smirk and continued.

"Torrance said that she would like you to accompany her to her father's place, for clarification." He said.

"Hell no!" Jacob yelled with a start, "I can't believe you are even suggesting she go with a member of a pack who just…" and he couldn't finish.

"Look, both of you, I can speak for myself," I interjected, "I want to go… I'll go. If it gives us some answers and maybe a way to make Ayden not a threat anymore than what could it hurt."

"It could be a trap Bella, to get you away from me so I can't protect you." Jacob said and took my hand in his.

"I read her mind, she's being genuine."

"Did you ever think that that's what she wants you to think, am I the only one that thinks this is the stupidest idea anyone has ever come up with," Jacob snapped back.

"Jacob, I'm going, and I think it would be a good idea if Edward came too." I said and regretted it as soon as it left my mouth.

"You think what," he said slowly, thoughtfully.

"He can read minds Jacob, he can tell if there's danger before it will happen. He can also tell me if they are lying to me, or not telling me the whole truth. Maybe even find a weakness." My explanation was sound, but that wasn't the real reason Jacob was upset. He still saw Edward as a threat, someone who could steal me away, it didn't dawn on him that I had to be willing to be pulled away, which I was not. Jacob was everything to me and the fact that he didn't fully know that made me feel like I was being torn apart, bit by bit. "I want him to come, but my heart will be here with you Jacob. You have me, all of me, body and soul."

I looked over at Edward who was still smirking at the thought of being alone with me, Jacob noticed too. I gave Edward the most menacing scowl I could think of, and he started to walk away.

"I don't trust him Bells," Jacob said.

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do, I just want you to be honest with me and be safe. If that means going on some road trip with him, then fine I trust you, but don't ask me to like it." Heartbreak was tearing him apart inside, but I was certain that this was our only hope, "I love you Bella," he said and walked away before I could say it back.

Again, thank you all for reading, it really does mean a lot that so many of you like my story. It's about to get a lot more intense in the next couple of chapters so stay tuned and let me know what you think.