It had been a few weeks since Jacob and I had fled to Brisbane Australia to get away from my father. I was starting to think they were never going to find us after all this time. I really didn't care if they never found us either. I was enjoying my time alone with Jacob, though we couldn't really do much in the way of spending money as we didn't have much. But just been together without knowing my father was about to freak out when he came in, was nice.
I lay in Jacob's arms half asleep as he watched TV on our couch. It was an abnormally hot day and I was tired from swimming in the sea earlier this morning. I smiled, feeling Jacob's hand lightly brushing against my cheek, sending me off into deep sleep for a couple of hours. I felt so comforted and safe in his arms. I had never felt such a sense of security as what I had with him.
"Hey, Jade," I heard Jake murmur after a long while. My eyes slowly fluttered open and closed again as I smiled against Jacob's lips. I always loved how he woke me up like this. His kiss was so caring, loving, sweet, passionate and tender. I never got used to how Jacob kissed me like this. My arms wrapped around his neck, deepening the kiss slightly. I moaned into his mouth as he pulled away. He looked me in the eye sternly while smiling crookedly. I knew that look meant I had once again gone overboard and pushing his limits.
"Sorry," I murmured lightly, feeling my cheeks go a light pink.
"It's alright. You're only human," he whispered, smiling, pecking my cheek and rewrapped his arms around my body, pulling me into him as he laid back against the arm rest of the couch. I giggled and smiled, leaning over top of him as he gazed into my eyes. His warm hand cupped my cheek. That brought a smile to my lips.
"I love you Jade," he whispered huskily.
"I love you too, Jake."
He smiled his bright and beautiful smile at my words, making my heart warm with seeing it. I didn't know what I would do without Jacob. He was my whole world. I wouldn't be able to live without him by my side.
His hand found my own and gave it a little squeeze. "C'mon, let's go."
"Where to?" I questioned, trusting him fully and giving his hand a squeeze back.
"I think, to that rainforest place, just up the beach. I think it would be pretty cool to explore."
"Alright," I smiled and nodded. I did have to agree that place looked pretty cool. It was like a small island, though it was still connected to a thin strip of land and sand leading up to it.
A smug smile came over Jacob's lips then. "Last one there is a rotten egg!" He sat up quickly and ran to the door.
I rolled my eyes and pretended to huffed. "Not again Jacob, I'm tired," I whined.
The smug smile disappeared as he came back over to the couch where I still sat, acting as though I wasn't in the mood to play his games.
He sat beside me, looking slightly worried. My eyes flashed to his face as I pushed him back into the couch's seat and took off running out the door. I heard him yell "No fair Jade!" as I left. Jacob always played tricks like that on me. I thought it was about time I did the same to him.
I ran along the beach as quick as I could, knowing it wouldn't be long before Jacob caught up. Been half animal always made him faster than I at running and any other game we played together. The sand lifted under my feet with each swift step I took. My legs were aching and burning by the time I got to the little rainforest like island. I was panting and breathless. As I stopped, I felt warm arms wrap around my waist tightly, picking me up into his loving arms. I squealed playfully with Jacob as he leaned up against a tree, as he kissed me while still holding me in his arms.
"You let me win," I murmured, still breathless against his lips.
His mouth curved into a dark smile. "Thought it was about time you won, for once," he replied smugly, speaking huskily from shortness of breath also. My jaw dropped as I slapped him across the chest playfully. He laughed in response, rubbing his hand over where I had hit him. I knew he was only joking and so was I.
He smiled once more, setting me down on my own two feet. His eyes suddenly narrowed and face turned serious. I could tell he was sensing and listening to everything around us.
"Jacob, what's wrong?" I murmured, touching his cheek. He took my wrist and pulled my body into his protectively, without saying a word and then I heard it. There was a swoosh sound, which was like the blowing around us in circles. I knew it wasn't the wind though.
I glanced up at Jacob's face. It was hard and his eyes were closed tightly in focus. He must have sensed I was staring at him. "Keep close to me Jade," he murmured every so quietly in a deep tone. "It's a vampire," he added, only loud enough for I to hear.
My heart started to race. I didn't know what to think or do. We were alone out here. Then I thought it may have been my father, which worried me more. A million things were going around in my mind at the same time. I could literally feel the fear pumping through my veins. I knew moving out here where Jacob had no pack was a bad idea.
His head snapped up and a growl came from his chest as he looked straight ahead. My arms wrapped tightly around his waist as Jake did the same, but his arms were tighter. My eyes strained to where Jacob was staring. After a few seconds, I saw bushes moving, something heading towards us. My breath caught in the back of my throat seeing the vampire. I felt like I couldn't breathe. Jacob's arm around me tightened more as my arms gripped around him more. I hid my face in his chest.
"Dan," Jacob snarled in another deep tone.
My face lifted from Jacob's chest to see Dan standing in front of us, smirking like a cat. His arms were folded over his chest tightly. I never thought we would see him again, but I had been stupid to think that. Of course we would. . .
"Tsk tsk tsk, Jade. You've been a bad girl. Your father has been raging sick over you," he taunted. Jacob snarled again as Dan took to two steps towards us. Tears began to fall down my cheeks. This couldn't be happening! It had to be some kind of nightmare or something. I wanted to wake up and be in Jacob's arms in our bed together. I wanted him to kiss me and tell me everything was okay, and that this had just been some kind of horrible dream. But it was all too surreal to be a nightmare.
Jacob's eyes glanced down at me for a moment. "Stay right here," he murmured into my ear, placing a kiss on my cheek. Slowly I felt his arms slipping away from around my body, leaving me feeling as though I was just an empty shell without him at my side.
I shook my head, staring at him with begging eyes. He couldn't take on Dan alone. I knew I would lose him if he did.
"Jacob, no, please," I begged, but he ignored me completely. Taking a few steps, he abruptly stopped, turning his body half towards where I stood still under the tree, how he had left me.
His eyes were dark, his body tensed with shaking hard. "I – I'm sorry Jade," he murmured huskily through violent shudders, turning back towards Dan, directly in front of him.
So many things happened within the next few minutes, it was almost too hard for my brain to take in all at once. Before Jacob could even fully turn back towards Dan, I heard two loud gun shots. It had happened so fast my eyes couldn't follow what was going on. The only thing which registered with my mind and eyes was Jacob falling to his knees and his hand gripping the side of his shoulder as blood trickled through his fingers.
"Jacob!" I cried, running the short distance between the two of us. He was breathing heavily, almost panting as his face grimaced. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as his hand rested against the sand ground supporting his weight.
"Jade, get out of here," he said huskily, meeting my gaze with serious eyes of commanding.
I shook my head. "No. I'm not going anywhere without you Jacob."
Looked around quickly, realising Dan had disappeared and no one was around now. Wondering where he had gone, I was starting to worry if he was going to come back. The wind shifted direction and heard Jake take in a deep breath before shuddering hard.
"Don't look Jade," he whispered, glancing at his shoulder and then to me. My eyes narrowed in confusion. "Don't look," he repeated, ripping his shirt where the blood was still trickling down his chest. I looked away quickly, realising he was going to pull the bullets out himself.
I looked around the area for Dan, seeing a sudden blur before my eyes just as I heard Jacob wince and groan in pain. "Silver," he muttered bitterly, throwing the bullet into the sand.
"J-Jacob. . . "I stuttered, in a shacking tone, stepping back towards where he sat on the ground.
"What is it?" he stood up, and turned towards where I stood, just as another two shots were fired. One missed and the other went into his arm. He growled, gripping his hand around the wound, searching for where the shots were coming from. He stared straight ahead as I saw a blurred figure coming towards us. I gripped his hand tightly, scared. I thought maybe Dan had done this, but he just didn't get up and leave like that.
Jacob snarled as the figure stood in front of us and smirked crookedly. "You really thought we two could escape me so easily, Jade?" the voice questioned. He was standing too far away for me to actually make out his features, but I knew that voice, and it sent a chill down my spine.
"Aaron," Jacob snarled with a shacking body, staring into my father's eyes. I gripped into Jacob's light and weak hold around my body. I had been stupid thinking we had gotten away so easily. Now Jacob was the one who was going to be paying for it. I could see the gun Aaron held in his hand. He had done this to Jacob.
His head tilted to the side. "I would get that bullet out if I were you. Don't you know silver is toxic to dogs like yourself?" he questioned smugly.
Jacob smirked crookedly and darkly. "If you think that myth is real, you don't know much about us."
The look over Aaron's face turned bitter and sour as the gun in his hand lifted, facing directly at Jacob. "Step away from my daughter mutt," he hissed.
Jacob shook his head, squeezing my hand with his. "No," he whispered, painfully. I was scared for him. I couldn't let anything happen to him. Jacob is my world, my life, my sun . . . my everything. I couldn't be without him now. I held onto him tightly, my arms staying wrapped tightly around his waist. Tears fell down my cheeks as my face stayed hidden in his chest.
"I am warning you mutt, step away from her!"
"No," Jacob murmured, shaking his head again.
Aaron hissed, aiming the gun at Jacob. I gripped Jake's back, just wanting him to be safe. "I love you Jacob," I cried.
"I love you too, Jade," I heard him reply back, in the softest and sweetest tone I had ever heard from him.
My hands gripped into his shirt as I pulled away and ran from Jacob's side. It took everything inside my entire being to let go of him like that. I couldn't let Aaron do this to him. If he wouldn't step away from me to save his life, I would. I wasn't going to let him get hurt.
"Jade stop!" Jacob shouted. I ignored him. I even ignored the feel and sense of someone running around me at full speed. The only thing I had on my mind was to get out of there to make Jake safe.
I abruptly bumped into something hard I hadn't seen while running. When I looked up, I almost stopped breathing and fell back, if it hadn't been for Dan's hands grasping my wrists, just as I heard the gun go off again.
"Jacob!" I yelled through tears, fighting against Dan's weak hold, while watching Jake just standing there, staring at Aaron with darkened eyes. How was he just standing there? Doing nothing! He could have phased. He could have fought. But instead he was doing nothing? Was he just giving up? Without even fighting?
Aaron pulled the trigger again and I had to look away. I couldn't keep watching it even if I wanted. I was crying so heavily I couldn't see through tears. I began to wish this was just some awful nightmare I couldn't wake up from. But I knew it wasn't, no matter how much I wished it was.
"Stop!" A familiar girl's voice shouted. I opened my eyes, trying to blink away the tears. When my eyes finally cleared, I saw Katherine standing in front of Jacob in a protective manner. A million things ran through my mind at once. Why was she protecting him, was my main question?
"Let, her, go," I heard a snarl come from behind Dan and I. My body turned with Dan's as he still held me within his clasp, where I saw Embry, Paul, Leah and the others. What was going on?
"Do as he said, Dan," Katherine ordered, without taking her eyes off of our father. As ordered, Dan let me go and took a step back. To my surprise, he didn't disappear this time. Seth and Embry stood at my sides protectively as Leah and Paul stood on either side of Aaron, who was looking at them both warily.
"You know this is breaking the rules Aaron!" Katherine shouted without moving from standing in front of Jacob. He was on his knees, breathing heavily while staring at her from behind, looking confused. The only thing I wanted to do was run over there and be with him. I didn't know how bullets affected Jacob's kind, but he didn't seem that strong anymore, and how he was breathing, it was like he had just been running for miles on end without a break.
"The treaty is based in La Push, Washington; Katherine! Not here!" Aaron hissed.
A dark smirk came over my sister's mouth, then. "That's where you are wrong father. The treaty goes where the alpha goes. I changed it, but you didn't want to listen to when I tried to tell you. You never listened to me or anyone. You don't think I couldn't see Jacob was the only good thing which had come into her life? And you're trying to take that away from her? Well I'm not going to let that happen, and neither will Dan. You tricked him. He was your pawn and for that, right now he could be dead because of you."
Aaron scoffed. "You really think I care about these mutts and who or what came into Jade's life, Katherine? Because if you do, you don't know me very well at all," he growled, flashing his teeth. The second he finished, Aaron fired the gun again.
I gasped, running from Embry and Seth and went to Jacob's side, feeling something hit my leg. It stung and burned into my skin. I could barely hear a thing around me. The one thing that registered in my brain was Jacob's voice and his arms wrap around me. "Jade, Jade? Can you hear me? It'll be okay. I promise. I love you Jade. I love you."
I nodded slightly, feeling my vision going dull. "Jacob. . ." I whispered and blacked out, feeling his warmth against my own cold body.
Hearing beeping around me, my eyes slowly fluttered open to a bright, white room. I covered my eyes as they stung from the light shining down. I moved my legs to sit up and winced. I couldn't really remember what had happened, and then it all came flooding back like a title wave.
"Jacob?" I shouted, looking around the room. I had no idea where I was. The white room I was in wasn't one bit familiar.
"Hmm? Your finally awake," a huskily voice whispered. I looked down to where the voice had come from, to see Jacob laying on a hospital pull out bed with a sheet over him and a pillow under his head. He yawned, sitting up, wearing nothing but a pair of jeans. I could see the almost healed holes in his shoulder, arm and chest where the bullets had been.
He came and sat on the side of my bed, patting the space beside him. I tried to move to his side but couldn't for my leg. He then lay back against the mattress and pulled my body into his arms. "I thought I had lost you," he whispered, stroking my cheek with his thumb while staring up at the ceiling.
"And I thought I had lost you," I answered back, sitting up a little to actually see his eyes glistening with tears. He turned his head slightly towards where I laid and wiped the tears away with the back of his hand before kissing me deeply with both his arms around my back.
Tears ran down my cheek at the thoughts and memories coming back to my mind. I truly had thought I had lost Jake, and if I had, I didn't know what I would have done. I couldn't live without him. I knew that much.
He sensed my crying and lightened the kiss slightly, running his thumb down my cheek, taking the tears away. He sat up and gripped me into his chest. "Shh, it's okay Jade. I'm here," he cooed, kissing my forehead.
"What happened?" I sobbed, glancing up at his face. "Where's Aaron? Where are we?"
"You're in hospital. Your mum and sister are here. The pack and Dan took care of Aaron. He hurt you Jade. You were shot. He was the reason why Dan hurt you too. He was supposed to turn you with your father's orders. He tricked Dan. He doesn't want to be like that. He's a new born and he didn't know any other way of living apart from feeding on humans. Your father knew about our treaty with turning humans into their kind and got Dan to do it, but of course Paul and I stopped him and that made your father upset."
I nodded understanding. He really had deserved his publishment after everything he had done. I didn't want to be a vampire anyway. I wondered if the same thing had happened with Katherine.
"What about mum?"
"She's upset, but isn't really. She's in shock more than anything. I think she was only staying with your father because she thought that was best for you. She's really been hurt by him Jade," Jacob looked down to my face and placed a kiss on my cheek.
"What did you tell her? About what happened?" I murmured, leaning into Jake's warm and loving touch. God I loved him more than anything. I could have just stayed in Jake's arms forever.
"The truth," he answered seriously.
"So she knows about you? Everything? How did she take it?"
He nodded once. "Okay, I guess. Least she didn't freak out or faint like I thought she would. Jade, you're mum is moving back to Alice Springs. She understandably doesn't want to live in Forks anymore."
"What?" I squeaked, looking up to Jacob's face. "What do you mean? No, this can't be happening. You're telling me you're going back, aren't you! No, Jacob. No! I can't live without you now or ever. I love you too much to lose you to something stupid like this! I'm going back with you. I can't be without you Jacob!" I started to cry harder than I ever had before, leaning into his toned and muscular chest as he held me tightly to him until I stopped my hissy fit.
"No Jade. I'm not going back. I'm going where you're going, no matter what. I told you. You're my imprint, and if I walked away now, it would literally, kill me. I'll never, ever leave your side Jade. I love you too much to leave you. I promise."
And Jacob never broke that promise. . .