CHAPTER 13: SAY WHAT?

The rest of the night I stared up into the night sky, praying that Bella would be okay with the new me. I was also hoping that Sam would be okay with Bella staying around. I came back to my house at around 2:30 and fell asleep instantly clothes and all. At 10:00 I woke up and I sniffed the air.

"Bella." I said, smelling the familiar aroma.

I raced out into the den and saw my father turned toward my room, waiting for me to wake up.

"She's here isn't she?" I asked ecstatic.

"Yes she is, but she may know the secret and….."

"Awesome!" I cheered cutting him off.

I grabbed about five muffins from the basket on the kitchen counter, a gift from Emily. That woman could cook. I told my dad I'd be back soon and if the pack came by, tell them not to worry. My dad nodded with confusion. I leapt out of the kitchen window and ate the muffins on my way to the beach. I continued to follow Bella's scent, I could follow it around the world itself, if needs be. Then during the run I realized she may be here for the other reason, Bella liked to get things off her chest face to face. I decided to play mean, until I figured it out.

"Hi, Bella." I said, silently dropping to the sand.

"Jake?" she asked.

"Billy told me you came by-------didn't take you very long, did it? I knew you could figure it out." I smiled, but it disappeared when I looked at her emotionless face.

"Yeah, I remember the right story now," she whispered.

"You could have just called." I said harshly.

"I know." Bella nodded and I felt a pit in my stomach. She didn't want me anymore.

"Why did you come?" I demanded.

"I thought it would be better face-to-face."

"Oh, much better." I snorted.

"Jacob, I have to warn you……."

"About the rangers and hunters? Don't worry about it. We already know."

"Don't worry about it?" she demanded. "Jake they've got guns! They're setting traps and offering rewards and………"

"We can take care of ourselves." I growled. "They're not going to catch anything. They're only making it more difficult……they'll start disappearing soon enough, too."

"Jake!" she hissed.

"What? It's just a fact."

"How can you……….feel that way? You know these people. Charlie's out there!" Bella suddenly screamed.

"What more can we do?" I asked her.

"Could you…………well, try to not being a………….werewolf?" she asked.

"Like I have a choice!" I shouted, throwing my hands up. "And how would that help anything, if you're worried about people disappearing?"

"I don't understand you."

I couldn't believe she wanted me to stop protecting people. I understand the problem I wasn't one of the Cullens, I wasn't Edward. God, I was so sick of being compared to the blood sucking leech!

"You're such a hypocrite, Bella-----there you sit, terrified of me! How is that fair?" I asked so furious my hands were shaking.

"Hypocrite? How does being afraid of a monster make me a hypocrite?"

"Ugh!" I groaned. "Would you listen to yourself?"

"What?"

"Well, I'm so sorry that I can't be the right kind of monster for you, Bella. I guess I'm just not as great as a bloodsucker, am I?" I asked furious.

"No, you're not!" she shouted back. "It's not what you are stupid, it's what you do!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I roared, full of anger. My body was shaking, I was so livid. By this point I lost all part of me caring. She really hated me this much? This is who I love?

"Jacob!" she pleaded, breaking me out of my trance. "Is it really necessary to kill people, Jacob? Isn't there some other way? I mean, if vampires can find a way to survive without murdering people, couldn't you give it a try, too?"

I shot up with complete confusion. What was she talking about, who the hell said we killed people.

"Killing people?" I asked.

"What did you think we were talking about?" Bella asked me, innocently.

"I thought we were talking about your disgust for werewolves."

"No, Jake, no. It's not that you're a…………..wolf. That's fine." Bella reassured me. "If you could just find a way not to hurt people…..that's all that upsets me. There are innocent people, Jake people like Charlie, and I can't just look the other way while you……."

"Is it that all? Really?" I asked her, trying not to laugh. "You're just scarred because I'm a murderer? That's the only reason?"

"Isn't that reason enough?"

I started laughing and she glared at me.

"Jacob Black, this is so not funny!" Bella yelled.

"Sure, sure." I agreed, continuing to chuckle.

I took one big stride towards her and picked her up into a hug.

"You really, honestly don't mind that I morph into a giant dog? " I asked full of joy.

"No," she gasped. "Can't---------breathe—Jake!" she cried and I put her down.

"I'm not a killer, Bella." I told her with a smile.

"Really?" she asked.

"Really." I promised.

Her face went from concern to complete joy and she threw herself around me. I nuzzled my face in her hair, inhaling her heavenly aroma. The two of us connected, felt so right I can't even explain.

"Sorry I called you a hypocrite." I apologized.

"Sorry I called you a murderer."

I started laughing and she pulled away from me, suddenly I felt her concern again.

"What about Sam? And the others?"

"Of course not. Don't you remember what we call ourselves?" I asked her, laughing again.

"Protectors?" Bella asked.

"Exactly." I smiled, carefree for the moment.

"But I don't understand. What's happening in the woods? The missing hikers, the blood?"

"We're trying to do our job, Bella. We're trying to protect them, but we're always a little too late."

"Protect them from what? Is there really a bear out there, too?" she asked concerned.

"Bella, honey, we only protect people from one thing----------our one enemy. It's the reason we exist------because they do." I explained to her.

Suddenly I watched the blood drain from her face and her go into complete fear.

"I thought you, of all people, would realize what was really going on." I said to her.

"Laurent." Bella gasped. "He's still here."

"Who Laurent?" I asked her.

"You know----------you saw him in the meadow. You were there……" she said wondering. "You were there, and you kept him from killing me………"

"Oh, the black haired leech?" I smiled. "Was that his name?"

"What were you thinking?" she asked in a whisper. "He could have killed you! Jake, you don't realize how dangerous……"

"Bella, one lone vampire isn't much of a problem for a pack as big as ours. It was so easy, it was hardly even fun!"

"What was so easy?"

"Killing the bloodsucker who was going to kill you. Now, I don't count that towards the whole murder thing." I added. "Vampires don't count as people."

"You…………….killed……….Laurent?" Bella asked, shocked.

"Well, it was a group effort." I admitted, though I would've proudly taken credit. Though I really didn't do much, but if it made her proud.

"Laurent is dead?" she asked, bringing me back.

"You're not upset about that are you? He was going to kill you----he was going for the kill, Bella, we were sure of that before we attacked. You know that, right?" I asked her.

"I know that. No, I'm not upset----------I'm………." she stopped to sit down.

"You're not mad? He wasn't one of your friends or anything was he?"

"My friend?" she asked, starring at me. "No, Jake. I'm so………….so relieved. I thought he was going to find me---------I've been waiting for him every night, just hoping that he'd stop with me and leave Charlie alone. I've been so frightened, Jacob………But how? He was a vampire! How did you kill him? He was so strong, so hard, like marble………" she continued to rant on.

I sat down next to her and wrapped my right arm around her, to comfort her.

"It's what we're made for, Bells. We're strong, too. I wish you would have told me that you were so afraid. You didn't need to be." I smiled, reassuring her.

"You weren't around," she mumbled.

"Oh, right." I sighed.

"Wait, Jake--------I thought you knew, though. Last night, you said it wasn't safe for you to be in my room. I thought you knew that a vampire might be coming. Isn't' that what you were talking about?" she asked.

"No, that's not what I meant." I sighed.

"Then why didn't you think it was safe for you there?"

"I didn't say it wasn't safe for me. I was thinking of you." I said with guilt ridden eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"There's more than one reason I'm not supposed to be around you, Bella. I wasn't supposed to tell you our secret, for one thing, but the other part is that it's not safe for you. If I get too mad…………too upset………..you might get hurt." I said, sadly, kicking a rock.

"When you were mad before……when I was yelling at you…………..and you were shaking………?"

"Yeah." I said, my head dropping to look at the ground. "That was pretty stupid of me. I have to keep a better hold on myself. I swore I wasn't going to get mad, no matter what you said to me. But…………..I just got so upset that I was going to lose you………….that you couldn't deal with what I am………."

"What would happen…….if you got too mad?" she asked.

"I'd turn into a wolf." I whispered.

"You don't need a full moon?"

"Hollywood's version doesn't get much right." I said, rolling my eyes. "You don't need to be stressed out, Bells. We're going to take care of this. And we're keeping a special eye on Charlie and the others--------we won't let anything happen to him. Trust me on that."

"Laurent is dead." Bella gasped again.

"Bella?" I asked, concerned.

"If Laurent died………a week ago……..then someone else is killing people now."

"There were two of them. We thought his mate would want to fight us--------in our stories, they usually get pretty pissed off if you kill their mate--------but she keeps running away, and then coming back again. If we could figure out what she was after, it would be easier to take her down. But she makes no sense. She keeps dancing around edges, like she's testing our defenses, looking for a way in------but where? Where does she want to go? Sam thinks she's trying to separate us, so she'll have a better chance……." I stopped as I noticed Bella about to faint and I grabbed her.

"Bella! What's wrong?"

"Victoria," she gasped.

"Who?" I asked. "Can you hear me, Bella? Bella?"

"She wasn't' Laurent's mate." Bella moaned. "They were just old friends…….."

"Do you need some water? A doctor? Tell me what to do." I demanded, frantically.

"I'm not sick------I'm scared," she explained.

"Scared of this Victoria?" I asked her.

She nodded.

"Victoria is the red-haired female?"

"Yes." Bella whimpered.

"How do you know she wasn't his mate?"

"Laurent told me James was her mate," she explained.

"Did he tell you anything else, Bella? This is important. Do you know what she wants?" I asked frantic.

"Of course," she whispered. "She wants me."

My heart sank and I felt an anger boil up inside me. Why would this blood sucking bitch want Bella, my Bella?

"Why?" I demanded.

"Edward killed James." Bella said. "She did get……….pissed off. But Laurent said she thought it was fairer to kill me than Edward. Mate for mate. She didn't know----------still doesn't know, I guess-------that……that…."she swallowed. "That things aren't like that with us anymore. Not for Edward, anyway."

"Is that what happened? Why the Cullens left?" I asked.

"I'm nothing but a human, after all. Nothing special." Bella muttered to herself.

I began to growl from my chest, a vicious animal growl. I felt the beast within me angry with rage.

"If that idiot bloodsucker is honestly stupid enough………"

"Please!" she moaned. "Please. Don't."

I noticed her getting worried and I nodded once, calming down.

"This is important." I said again. "This is exactly what we needed to know. We've got tell the others right away."

I stood up, taking her with me and I tried to make sure she was okay.

"I'm okay." Bella said, trying to smile.

I grabbed her and said: "Let's go."

I pulled her back to her truck.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"I'm not sure yet." I admitted. "I'll call a meeting. Hey, wait here for a minute, okay?"

"Where are you going?"

"I'll be right back." I promised and ran off into the forest.