AN: Thanks to my awesome pre-reader babylopez2008, you guys are getting this early. Thank you :)

Huge thank yous go to sujari6, team jazper, traceybuie, IcarusToSun, DreamOfTheEndless, khartgrove513, april666king, juney83uk, kittycat1980, Angel N Darkness, plbsmiles, and Solar571 for leaving your reviews.

I'm a little nervous about this chapter, and you'll see why...

Jacob's POV.

I'm not a fan of Jacob as you might know by now, but this just felt right.

Enjoy...

Jacob

I've never felt so angry in all of my life.

Six months ago I was normal and I was happy. Then something happened to me, and it made me like this. I'm not normal anymore. I'm no longer happy.

I'm cursed instead.

I'm a sixteen year old teenager stuck in the body of a twenty five year old man. I no longer grow or age. I even heal quickly. I guess some people would consider me to be lucky.

I'm not, I'm anything but lucky. I'm a freak of nature... a monster.

I guess my one saving grace in all of this is the fact that I'm not the only one. There are others who go through this hell and actually enjoy it. I may not be alone, but I feel like I am... all of the time.

So when Isabella Swan came back into town, I thought that just maybe I could have a chance at being a teenager for a change. My dad and her dad have been the best of friends for most of their lives. It seemed only right that the same would happen to Bella and me. But she was just so... broken. Damaged. I know she was forced to move in with her dad due to her mother's unexpected death, but I didn't know she would be so lifeless herself. I thought maybe we could have bonded over the fact that neither of us have a mom.

I guess not.

I held back. I wanted to go to her as soon as she arrived. My dad stopped me though; he said that Charlie had asked for some space until she adjusted. That was fine. I could give her that. I did give her that.

Those damn blood suckers got to her first.

When I finally got the chance to meet her weeks after she had arrived, all I could smell was the disgustingly sweet stench of vampire all over her.

Disappointed didn't even begin to describe how I felt about that. I was disgusted, hurt, and again, angry. I guess it wasn't her fault. She didn't know what they are. She was probably happy to have a couple of friends. I could have been her friend though. I sure as hell wanted to be.

We can't always get what we want.

Don't I know it.

I guess you could say that the couple of times I saw Bella after that first time, I was distant and maybe even rude. Billy gave me hell about it. Charlie didn't much like it either. If they could smell what I could, then maybe they'd give me a break. It's difficult to get close to that. It's not like I didn't want to, but that stench made it almost unbearable to be around her. It seemed like every time I saw her, the smell just got stronger.

And last night, when I was on patrol with Sam, I caught Bella's scent mingled with that of a vampire's. It wasn't very strong, but it was there. The smell in question didn't belong to one of the Cullens though.

I panicked.

Ignoring the thoughts of Sam and my other brothers in their transformed state, I ran.

Jacob! Sam thought angrily.

I'm sorry, I have to know- I left it at that, my train of thought interrupted by the images that Sam was thinking of... A body drained of its blood. Thankfully, he didn't know what Bella looked like. I did though. I easily replaced the body in Sam's thoughts with that of Bella's.

You know this girl? Sam asked after seeing my projection.

Chief Swan's daughter, I replied mentally.

Sam's next order was simple. Go!

I pushed my freakish body as fast as it would go, making it to the Swan's residence in record time.

I phased in the trees, making sure not to be seen, and put on the shorts that I had attached to my leg.

That's right, phased. Guess I forgot to mention I can change into a wolf...

Using my improved sense of smell, I could tell that Bella was in her room. That didn't mean anything though. I needed to see she was alright for myself.

She was, if a little shaken up.

We got into a heated discussion about her being alone in the woods. She was lucky to have made it home alive. I don't understand how she was, but I was relieved nonetheless. Especially after hearing that someone had died earlier today from an animal attack.

Animal attack my ass.

And then I slipped up. I told her that I smelt her in the woods. I knew then that I had to leave before I said something else that I shouldn't. It didn't help that I could smell the approach of a Cullen.

I had to get out of there. Sam would be pissed if he found out that I had gotten into a fight with one of them, which was what I really wanted to happen. So I left the way I came, through the window.

I ran back to my brothers, phasing back into my wolf form when I was far enough away from Bella.

It's surprising how easy it is to do that now. When I first changed into a wolf, it took around twelve hours before I could calm myself down enough to change back. Now I can do it without even thinking about it. That worries me sometimes. I don't want this life to come so naturally to me when I don't even want anything to do with it.

What if I never become normal again? Because it is possible, I've been told. I would do anything to feel human again.

After having a discussion with the Elders of our tribe, we decided that the Cullen involvement with Bella was becoming too much. It needed to stop, and soon. We would be the ones to protect her and the town of Forks, not them.

While my brothers Seth, Quil, and Embry scanned the woods for a trace of the new vampire, myself, Sam, and Paul raced towards the Cullen's house on the outskirts of town.

Now that we're here, I wished we hadn't come.

I can smell Bella.

Is she some sort of magnet for danger?

We all need to remain calm, Sam reminds us. That's easier said than done for Paul and me, especially now that I know she's in there with them.

I wonder if she knows what they are. I wouldn't be surprised if she at least suspected something after her run-in with a wild one yesterday, even if she didn't want to admit to me that it happened.

It doesn't take long for us to be joined by the coven.

We are on their property after all.

Edward

"They don't trust us in their human form," I inform my family.

"Very well," Carlisle says. "Let's go to them. We'll need you to help communicate, Edward."

My father, Jasper, Emmett and I head out to the front yard. I instruct Alice and Esme to keep a watchful eye over Bella. She doesn't need to see this. I could tell from Rosalie's train of thought that she didn't want to be involved. I can't find it in myself to argue with her, so I don't.

"Let's get this over with," I say when we reach the front door.

We file out of the door and stand in a line next to each other when we reach them. We leave a distance of one hundred yards between us and them, more because of the smell than anything.

"Good afternoon," my father politely starts. "What can we do for you today?"

The mind of the wolf closest to us remains quiet. I wonder why. The one furthest away is the boy, Jacob. I would recognise his tone of thoughts anywhere.

It's the wolf in the middle that thinks first.

We've come to warn you.

"About what?" I ask.

We are the ones that will protect this town and its inhabitants.

"Edward?" Carlisle looks at me expectantly.

"They're warning us to leave the protection of the town to them," I spit out angrily. That includes Bella. I won't let that happen.

"Surely not?" Carlisle replies, sounding a little shocked. "If we can help in some way, then is it not better to work together? I'm assuming you're here because of the nomad in the area?"

Jacob's mind flashes up an image of a blood drained Bella collapsed on the floor.

Dead.

I can't stop the growl that erupts from me.

Edward, we need to remain calm and handle this in a civilised way, Jasper thinks, Do you want Bella to see us fight?

Aw, come on. I'm bored of talking already, Emmett thinks.

"Please excuse my son," Carlisle continues while glaring at me.

We caught a trace of the nomad's scent yesterday. It was mixed in with the Swan girl's and yours by the smell of it. Are they a... friend of yours?

"Definitely not, I want the bitch dead," I tell the pack.

If my family are shocked by the use of my language, they hide it well. I can't remember the last time I cursed, and that's saying something for someone with a vampire's memory.

It seems we have some common ground then, the leader of the pack thinks. He mulls the information over while my family wait patiently.

You've got to be kidding me, Jacob finally pipes up, Please tell me you aren't considering working with these blood suckers, Sam.

If it offers more protection for the town then I don't see what choice we have, he replies.

It would seem that the wolves can communicate via their thoughts... interesting. I make a note to inform my family of this later.

Why is Bella here? Jacob demands.

"That's not any of your business, mutt," I tell him.

His wolf body crouches into an offensive position.

Jacob! Sam exclaims.

That was odd. It felt like there was some kind of power behind what he was thinking. I think it was a command. I guess this is the pack's Alpha. It would seem that an Alpha's demands must be obeyed as Jacob returns to his previous position.

"Is everything okay out there?" I hear Bella ask.

"Just fine, don't you worry about the boys, Bella," my mother replies.

I hear Bella sigh. I can just imagine her chewing on her bottom lip or running her hands through her hair. I've recognised both of these as nervous traits in her.

Does she know? Jacob thinks. He sounds slightly calmer now.

"About what we are? Or what she was attacked by yesterday?" I ask.

It attacked her? His tone becomes angrier.

I nod. "I stopped it," I reply to his thoughts, "And Bella knows everything."

In that case, thinks Sam, let me remind you of the treaty.

I sigh in frustration.

"They want to remind us about the treaty," I inform my family. "A key point of it more specifically."

"I'm well aware of the terms," replies Carlisle.

Then you'll remember you are not to bite another human, Sam thinks.

"Why would we-" I begin to say.

Bella, thinks Jacob. I'll kill you before you turn her into one of your kind.

I don't know how to respond.

I hadn't thought about turning Bella. I couldn't condemn her to this life. Would she even want that... to spend an eternity with me?

I stop myself from thinking about it. Now isn't the time.

"If you've said everything you came to say, then I think it's time you left," I tell the wolves.

Very well. The first ones to find this nomad should be the ones to kill it. Just remember to stay out of La Push. And don't forget the terms of the treaty.

The wolves turn to leave. Jacob stays to glare at me before running away.

There's no way I'm letting the wolves have the satisfaction of killing the nomad.

That bitch is mine.

AN: Thoughts?

Until next time...