I looked up to Jacob, still seeing the shock within his eyes. Who was this girl? I hadn't ever seen Jacob act so . . . star struck and over whelmed before. He was always confident and strong, but this girl had a completely different effect over him. If I didn't know better, I would have sworn he wasn't the same Jacob I knew.
I gripped his hand slightly making it known I was still there for him if he needed me. His hand gripped mine back as he took me protectively into his arms and took a step back at the same time. The look on the girl's face changed to concern and wonder, tilting her head to the side while watching Jacob's movements and then glanced down at me.
"B-bella," he murmured in stutters, almost as if he were breathless. He shook his head and then composed himself, standing up straight and hiding his emotions. "What are you doing here?" he then asked with more order and confidence in his tone.
His kept his arms tightly around me. I realized who it was with the second Jacob had spoken her name. I was worried about Jacob and what he was thinking. This couldn't be easy on him. My arm wrapped around his waist, holding him to me and letting him know I was there while trying to comfort him the best I could. I knew he would be trying to do just the same type of thing if it were I in his shoes.
Bella's face changed with hearing Jacob's words. She looked worried to how nervous Jacob had been acting and holding me close to him. She bit her lower lip, taking another quick glance at me and then to the floor of the forest before hearing his question. Her gaze shot back up to him and her eyes narrowed. I suddenly felt Jacob shaking slightly against me, but my grip didn't loosen on him. I knew he wouldn't phase when I was so close to him and if he thought he would, he would have loosen his grip around me and stepped away.
"Jacob, I'm here to see you. That's why I am here," she explained in a velvet tone. Why did her tone of voice remind me of Katherine's? At that time, I had fully forgotten she was a bloodsucker too – oh great, Jacob's gotten to me with the leech names . . . ugh, vampire names!
He shook his head in disbelief and his face turned hard. "W-why Bella? After two years, no contact what-so-ever. Why now?" Jacob's tone had turned acidic. I knew just by the way of his tone she had really hurt him in the past. I wished I could have done something more to make things better for him, but all I could do was hold him and let him know I was there.
Her gaze dropped and a saddened look came over eyes, like she was about to cry if she could. She bit on her lower lip again. From the corner of my eye, I saw Jacob's face soften slightly, like he knew something had happened. "He didn't . . . did he?"
Bella looked back up to Jacob and nodded with slight surprise within her eyes. I wondered who he was. Jacob bit his lower lip too, looking away from her and to the forest to our right. His face had turned hard again and his whole body had turned tense beside me. He shook his head, like he had made a decision. "I'm sorry Bella, but, don't now, come crawling back, telling me I'm the one! Because it's not happening again! The second he comes back, you'll be back with him, again!
"You have no idea what it was like waiting for you to call, and you never did. You had no idea what it was like, lying sleepless night after night, all because I missed you. It was as if you hadn't ever been a part of my life, like you had forgotten everything. I'm not going to let that happen again Bella." All of Jacob's words had been in a calm tone and placed in a voice of fact. I wouldn't ever doubt the things Jacob said. I believed him and it hurt me to know just how hard it had been for him.
His body half turned away from Bella as she shook her head slowly, as if in doubt of what he had said was true. He took two steps away from her, still keeping me close to his body and then paused. I looked up to him as his body stiffened and his hands turned into tight fists. From where he stood, he looked back to her. "You can find out what that feels like for once," he added bitterly and kept on walking with me.
My hand found his wrist and softly squeezed it. He looked down to me and I saw the hardness on his face disappear instantly. He smiled slightly and found my hand, holding it tightly into his own.
A cool breeze swept over us both. I didn't take any notice to it until Jacob did. He looked over his shoulder and half jumped back. I only caught a glimpse of it, but I thought Bella's hand had been on his shoulder. I looked between him now on the edge of the forest's path and her now standing closer to us – though her eyes were only on Jacob, like they mostly had been.
Jacob shook himself and looked up to Bella with shocked eyes. "Don't do that Bella. I almost phased." I looked to Jacob with shock of hearing his words. He was scared of her?
I didn't know what had happened, but before I knew it, I was pushing Bella way from Jacob in a protective manner. She was ice cold and just as hard as ice. Even with how hard I had pushed into her, she hadn't even budged an inch.
"Jade! What do you think you're doing?" I heard Jacob shouting. His hand wrapped around my wrist, pulling me into his shaking body and looked up to Bella. Her expression hadn't changed at all. She remained still and watching Jacob, like I hadn't even touched or fazed her. That annoyed me, greatly. She annoyed me greatly.
"I'm not going to hurt her Jacob," she murmured softly, almost silent.
Jacob shook his head, looking down to me for a moment. His body was still shaking and I could see he was trying to focus to stop it all. I was worried about him. I was worried for what he was thinking and feeling. I couldn't help but think, maybe, he was still in-love with Bella. That scared me. I didn't want to think what would or could happen if he did. I didn't understand why Bella was suddenly back and I didn't think I wanted to know.
I leaned into Jacob's chest as he held me to him. An abrupt sound of someone walking through the forest nearby caught both I and Jacob's attention, but I didn't bother to even look up. "Calm down Jacob," the familiar voice from Embry said as he approached us slowly. I looked up and smiled to him. At least now Jacob had someone who fully knew the story about him and Bella, and maybe would be able to help more so than I could.
Bella's gaze shifted to Embry with hearing him. He walked up to her and took her hand. Her eyes turned slightly narrow as he did. I could see she was just as confused as I and Jacob were. What was he doing?
"Bella, please come with me," Embry murmured, looking to her only. Her head tilted to the side in question.
"What are you doing Embry?" Jacob asked. His tone was shaky like his whole body.
Bella started to walk with Embry slowly in the direction of La Push. With hearing Jacob's words, Embry looked over his shoulder and held Jacob's gaze for a moment, like they were having a silent conversation. Jacob gave a soft nod of his head and held me a little tighter while looking down to me at the same time.
He took in a deep breath and exhaled it within that same moment. He shook his head before murmuring a "Come on," and started walking again. He let go of me and slowly started to walk on another path of the forest. I stood there watching him walking slowly. It was so unlike him to be so down and hanging his head while walking. Jacob always walked confident and tall. He never walked stumped over. Not while I had known him anyway. . .
I quickly ran, catching up to him and wrapping my arms tightly around his waist. He glanced down at me and smiled lightly before it disappeared altogether. Something was really wrong. It was obvious.
I went into deep thought, trying to work out what had happened before my eyes between Jacob and Bella. I didn't really understand it, but whatever it was; I knew it was that which was upsetting Jacob. I wanted answers and I knew there were only three people who could give them to me – Jacob, Embry and Bella. But I wanted answers right from heart and only one person who could answer from the heart.
"What's wrong Jacob? What's happening?" I whispered, just as we reached a small log. He freed himself from my hold and went and sat on it while staring down at the path under his feet without looking up to me. I could see he was steadying his breath and slowly the shaking disappeared from his body. His eyes closed tightly as his hands turned into fists at his temples.
I went and sat beside him, rewrapping my arms around his shoulders. He sighed and looked up to me. I could see the same sadness and fear in his eyes I had seen the first time we met. I knew now, that sadness and fear I had seen that day was all from Bella. He bit it lower lip and ran his wrist over his eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm being a baby about all of this aren't I?" he chuckled.
"No, you're not," I whispered and his kissed his cheek. He smiled, wrapping his arm around me and brought me into his body again. I loved the warmth of his body and his musky woods scent. It was always soothing. He looked down to me and held my eyes. The chocolate red russet within his eyes shone out to me brightly. I loved him so much. I just hoped he felt the same way.
"What happened?" I whispered again, looking down to the pattern of his jeans and running my finger over them for a second and then looked back up to him.
He sighed deeply again. "Edward left Bella, again," he murmured into a low tone. He looked away as my hand found his.
"And Edward is Bella's . . ." I trailed off, not knowing what Edward was to Bella. I hadn't ever heard his name before and if I had, I couldn't remember it.
"Supposed to be husband . . . the one who said he would never leave her again. He's the one who got her pregnant, and changed her because of that baby!" His body started shaking again. I got the picture now. Bella had chosen the very monster Jacob was made to kill and yet, he didn't want to hurt Bella, but, it hurt him to see her with Edward. And now, thanks to Edward, Bella was the very thing he hated most. A vampire. No wonder it hurt him so much. To see the life sucked out of the very girl he loved most . . . it would rip apart anyone I thought.
I leaned into his side more, tightening my grip around his waist as my lips brushed over his cheek while I whispered, "Calm down," and instantly it worked. His whole body stop shaking. I knew it would. That was why I had done it.
"I'm sorry," he murmured again. "It just gets me so annoyed."
"It's okay," I said, gripping his hand slightly. "But, I don't get why Bella is here now."
He scoffed at that, and shook his head again. "Because I stupidly said I would always be there for her, and yet, she's never there for me. And now, because he's gone . . . she wants me."
"So what will you do?" I asked, trying to keep my voice even. I didn't even want to think that there was even a chance he could take her back. I didn't want to think it for a second, but deep down I knew there was in fact a chance he could.
He looked to me with narrowed eyes, as if he was silently questioning me. I wanted to make myself clearer, but I knew if I spoke now, my voice would only come out cracked. After a moment, I thought he understood what I was asking him. He held me tighter and kissed the side of my face. "I would never choose her, over you Jade. Never," he murmured. I could tell by the tone of his voice, he meant ever word of it. He did mean it, I knew he did.
I smiled slightly and looked up to him. I still had one more question for him though. "Are you still in-love with her?"
Immediately, he shook his head while looking me in the eye. "No . . . I'll never be in-love with anyone else Jade."
Now that sounded like a lie, but at the same time, it sounded like the truth too. I didn't understand that. It didn't make any sense to me. "You can't promise that Jacob," I said shaking my head, trying to hide how I thought he was just covering up the truth.
He squeezed my hand tightly again. "Yes, I can Jade," he whispered, holding my gaze. His eyes had changed. They were smouldering now. I thought I could even see a flame shining in his eyes. They were so deep and yet so bright.
"How?" I questioned slightly.
"Because . . . you're my imprint," he murmured.
My eyes narrowed slightly while looking to him. What did he say? "W-what does that mean?"
"It's a wolf thing. It basically means you're my soul mate. I'm going to be bound to you, in-love with you forever, whether you choose me or not. I have no control over it Jade. I just know I love you and you're the one for me."
I looked to him in shock of what he had said. How could he be so sure that I was the one for him? That just sounded so – fairy-tale like . . . and yet, here I was, sitting on a log with my werewolf boyfriend and been hunted by a vampire, along with my vampire sister and father. I was living in a fairy-tale! This should have been something easy for me to take.
I bit my lower lip, not knowing what to say. I was speechless. I didn't know what to say or what to do. I shook my head, racking my brain and trying to work out what to say to him. His hand softly gripped mine one more. I looked up to him, seeing him nodding softly. "I understand if this changes things for you Jade. I do. And I want you to know, you're not obligated to be with me just because of it," he murmured.
I nodded, understanding what he was saying, but still not having a voice to speak with. It hadn't changed thing at all, I just couldn't wrap my head around it. It felt like a tonne of bricks had fallen on top of me with hearing those few words.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" I chocked. "When did you know I was you're . . ." I trailed off with not been able to remember what the thing was called.
". . . Imprint. I knew from the start, the second I saw you to be honest. And . . . I wanted you to love me for me. I didn't want you feel like you had to love me, because of it."
My eyes dropped to the floor of the forest. This was just so much to take in. It felt like it was more than when he told me he was a werewolf, and even more when he told me Dan was a vampire. This town was too much for me. I felt like I was trapped. I felt like the walls were closing in around meall too quickly. This was all too much for me to handle right now.
In just under a month, I moved, met a werewolf, fell in-love, almost killed by a vampire, found out my father and sister were both vampires, met werewolves and then learnt I was Jacob's soul mate. Yeah, this was definitely the topping on the cake!
I shook my head. "I need some time to think this out Jacob. I'm sorry." My arm squeezed him around the waist a little tighter as I kissed him on the cheek. I stood to my feet and started to walk home just as I felt the first rain drop fall on my head.
"Is it okay, if I see you later tonight?" he asked softly from where he sat on the log. I looked over my shoulder and smiled lightly while nodding. "Of course," I answered and kept on walking. I saw a smile come to his lips then with a nod.
I turned my gaze away and got to the edge of the forest, just near the backyard of my house and looked back to where Jacob had been sitting on the log. He was gone now, most likely running with the others. I didn't know how I was going to understand the whole imprint thing, but I was going to. I loved Jacob, I really did. He meant the world to me. He had saved my life and was still protecting me. I loved him so much for it and everything else about him.
The rain picked up and I ran for the cover of the house and the very second I reach the veranda, the door opened. I looked up and saw my father with a scrunched up face. My eyes narrowed at his expression. "What?"
"You smell like a wet dog Jade," he stated.
Oh no. Damn vampire, werewolf senses. Why did they have to hate each other's scents? I played it coy, knowing Aaron would be wondering why I smelt like a wet dog if I didn't act cool and calm. I shrugged by shoulders while taking off my jacket and walking past him inside. "Sorry, I don't know how you think that though. I haven't been near anything but the forest."
"Damn muts," I heard him murmur as I walked past. Aaron must have thought he had spoken too low for me to hear, but since being around Jacob, I had sort of learnt to hear things I hadn't been able to before. I heard things most things humans didn't and couldn't. I didn't know why that was either. It confused me to no end.
As I got the lounge room, sat down in the couch and turned on the TV, Katherine came downstairs and had the same expression on her face. "What's the dog stench?" she asked Aaron, grimacing.
"You're sister," he murmured quietly.
I was watching her and Aaron in the kitchen from the corner of my eye. An odd express now came over Katherine's features. It was the only one that said one thing to me. She knows you've been with Jacob again… I thought, turning my eyes onto the TV with seeing her entering the room.
She sat down in the seat beside me, glaring at the TV for a moment and then watched our father go upstairs. I knew she was waiting for Aaron to leave to speak something about Jacob. I just knew her all too well to think she was actually sitting beside me to watch TV.
I could hear the rain falling heavily outside onto the roof and thunder off in the distance. I started to wonder where Jacob was in this storm. I wanted so much for him to meet my mum. I actually thought that maybe she would like Jacob and not think he was like Aaron – a cheater. But I knew she would flip if she knew we were just friends, and so I knew she would have a cow if she knew we were in-love and together. I could see it so vividly to how she would react.
"You've been with that mut again," Katherine murmured after a few minutes. I rolled my eyes, knowing this was coming.
"So what if I have?" I muttered bitterly.
"Watch yourself sister," she threatened, raising the corner of her lips and showing her sharp canine teeth. I smirked crookedly. "Try it. Jacob will have the pack on you and Dan so fast you won't know what hit you."
She laughed then and looked to the TV. "I would love to see that happen. I could really have some fun with those boys."
I growled and rolled my eyes again. I couldn't believe how she spoke and acted at times. If mum knew, she would have been in so much trouble, so fast. . .
"So, has he licked you yet?" she suddenly asked.
I looked over to her with narrowed eyes and the look of death on top of it. She shrugged her shoulders innocently. "What? He's a dog. Dogs lick. You know, a kiss is a dog's lick. Dog joke," she shrugged Get with the times Jade."
I rolled my eyes at her. I couldn't remember the last time I had rolled my eyes so much in one day before. Why did she care if Jacob had kissed me yet or not anyway? She didn't care about me or Jacob. Especially while she was calling him a mut and a dog! Typical leech. . .
"I'll take you're silence as a yes then," she smiled after a moment, while looking down to a diamond ring Aaron had brought her for her eighteenth birthday. She was really annoying me now. She knew that all too well. I didn't say anything. I was trying to forget she was in the room, but I couldn't help myself from looking at her in complete shock when I heard the next thing she said.
"He's a hot. I have to say that Jade. Hotter than Dan actually," she said without any sign of sarcasm or humour. She had said it like it was just pure fact.
I scoffed I pushed myself from the chair. "Of course he is. He's a hot werewolf. Dan's just an icy leech," I grinned and walked out of the room. I was waiting for something to come from her as I walked away – a comment, a pillow, anything really – but nothing came. I guess I had hit her hard with having that said. Maybe she was jealous of me having Jacob?
A house full of leeches, I loved it! Not! I really couldn't wait until I was with Jacob again. I just wanted to be away from Katherine, Aaron and even my mother. It was driving me crazy been trapped inside the house with them. I wished I could have known other people around La Push and Forks, who were girls so my mother and Aaron would be okay with my spending time with them. But I only knew of one girl, and that was Seth's sister Leah. But from what Seth, Embry and Jacob had said, I didn't think she and I would get along too easily, especially with having leeches for a father and sister! Looked like having vampires around were a total social suicide.
I went up to my room and closed the door behind me, flopping back on my bed and staring up at the ceiling. My room felt too stuffy, so I opened my window and let some of the scent of the rain into my room. I always loved the scent of rain. It was always fresh and sweet.
I lay back on my bed, staring up at my ceiling again. I could smell Jacob's scent on my pillow while lying there. I smiled. I loved his scent more than anything. I started to think about the whole imprint thing. I didn't really understand it nor could I wrap my head around it, but, I loved Jacob more than anything and I wasn't going to stop loving him because of those reasons. Jacob was someone different to anyone who I had met before – in more than just one way of course.
Slowly night fall came and my sister and father went to 'sleep' along with my mother, though I couldn't. I couldn't stop thinking about Jacob and I. I didn't know what it was, but I just couldn't stop thinking about him. How he kissed me, held me, his perfect voice and his warm body. It all just meant so much to me.
As I rolled over onto my side and glanced at the clock, it was almost midnight and I was still no were near ready for sleep. I got out of bed and quietly snuck downstairs and outside. It was still raining, but it was surprisingly warm. There was still thunder around and the odd flash of lightning off in the distance. The storm didn't seem to be as bad as they had been lately. It was just a storm with a bit of rain. I sat down on the veranda's step, looking out to the yard and road. The rain fell slowly onto the grass and I could hear frogs croaking here and there.
I was starting to wonder where Jacob was and then I felt the warm comfort of his arms wrapping around my waist. "Miss me?" he murmured into my ear and his hot breath causing goose bumps to form over my skin. I hadn't heard him coming. I did nothing but melt into his hold around me while nodding and smiling. "You have no idea Jacob," I murmured and looked up to him. My hands covered his at the pit of my stomach. He stood as I did and held me closer to him for a moment. "I missed you too. More than anything," he whispered, kissing my forehead softly.
I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck while standing on my tippy toes. His warm and smooth lips run over mine softly, before my grip around his neck tightened and brought him closer to me. I could feel every emotion he was feeling by the way he kissed me. He loved me deeply. I could tell just by the way he kissed me ever so sweetly, but passionately. My heart picked up in pace with feeling his hand at the skin of my back. He smiled under my lips with hearing my heart beating faster. It was only when I felt his lips leave mine and then placed on the skin of my neck did my heart skip a beat or two. But then, we both froze stiff with sensing the door of the house opening.
We were dead meat. . .