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Chapter 4

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Another week passed by quickly for Bella. Each day after school, Jacob and Embry greeted her at her house in order to do their homework. They told her that Quil had finally phased but he was now under orders to stay away from her for a week or two. After he could control his anger and strength he'd be able to wrap her in his arms in one of his own versions of a bear hug.

She couldn't wait.

She'd missed her friends too much lately.

Emily snapped her out of her thoughts when she cursed under her breath where they stood in Emily's kitchen cooking together. They were in the middle of making Embry's favorite meal as a surprise for his birthday- three cheese tortellini with bread sticks and a triple layer chocolate cake for desert- and Emily had just nearly sliced her finger with the knife in her hand. It was definitely a two-person job cooking for the bottomless pits Bella now called friends- again. It had become a habit of Emily's to invite Bella over on the weekends for that reason, and to spend time with another woman, naturally.

Sam was the first to walk into the kitchen upon entering the house. He'd followed his nose, not to the food, but to his mate. He wrapped his arms around her waist and left a trail of kisses across her neck. Bella merely shook her head at the affectionate display, causing Sam to grin and lift her off of her feet into a hug. He saw her as a kid sister who he just happened to love annoying. It was like she'd always fit in with the pack- even after only a month of Paul imprinting on her.

"Put me down, Sam, you overgrown puppy!" Bella huffed.

Sam pretended to think about it until he saw Bella brandishing a wooden spoon. While it wouldn't do major damage to him, it still stung, and he knew Bella knew that. She'd started taking after Emily within two days of spending time with the pack while trying to cook for them. If they were to ask his opinion, Bella and Emily spent too much time together these days, and apparently shared everything (he winced when she smacked the spoon over his bicep).

"Alright, alright. Spoil my fun." He said shaking his head.

Bella only rolled her eyes. "Uh huh... That's what you have your own imprint for, you big ball of fur. Keep it up and you won't get food." She teased.

Jared pouted behind them. "Why is it only you two can get away with threatening him?" He gave Emily a kiss on the temple and moved out of reach when she swatted the spoon at him for trying to steal a piece of food. He likewise did the same with Bella, only narrowly avoiding a spoon to the shoulder; She'd gotten better with her aim and he mused he'd have to be lighter on his feet if he wanted to avoid being hit by her. Bella didn't harbor the same maternal instinct for the pack boys that Emily did. She was more of a sister than a mother to them- fair game for hits and swats in her mind.

Bella shrugged. "Because we're women and we can get away with anything?"

Jacob rolled his eyes and wrapped Bella into one of his famous bear hugs while kissing her cheek. "Nope, it's more like we're terrified you two won't feed us, so we let you get away with insulting us."

"We all know how much you two love cooking. All that food would go to waste if you didn't cook it!" Embry grinned, taking his turn to hug her.

Bella sighed. "I see what I've been reduced to in your eyes. I'm nothing more than a glorified- and barely paid- cook. I don't know Emily, maybe we should let them fend for themselves for a while."

"They'd die of starvation." Emily grinned.

Bella arched an eyebrow when the laughter was overshadowed by loud growling coming from the doorway of the kitchen. Paul stood with his arms over his chest glaring at Embry, who still had an arm around Bella's shoulders. It was a platonic hug, but Paul's wolf saw it as an insult none the less.

Sam only shook his head and watched Embry let Bella go with a taunting and knowing chuckle. "Easy, Embry." He warned.

Emily grinned. "Hi Paul." She said, trying to diffuse the tension some.

"Emily." He muttered, his eyes not leaving Bella and Embry.

Emily shook her head with a quiet, disproving sigh. Paul was jealous and he had no reason to be. It was his own fault that he and Bella weren't getting along. All he had to do was accept that she was his forever, his perfect match- his mate. "There's something for you on the table."

"Enjoy." Bella snickered.

Jacob and Embry frowned in confusion at her. "What'd you do?"

"Nothing much. He got a present, that's all."

She smirked when Paul noticed the wrapped box on the dining room table with his name on it. He looked around the room and noticed Bella watching him. With a raised eyebrow, he started to unwrap the gift. When he pulled the lid off, he nearly spluttered with indignation.

"What. the hell. is. that?!" Paul growled.

Jared peered over Paul's shoulder and nearly choked on his own tongue. Not only had Bella followed through on her threat to get him a leash, she'd gotten him a collar as well. There in the box, shiny and new, lay a black, leather six-foot-long leash and a matching collar for him. It was even engraved in silver lettering with his name on the back of the black leather band.

The rest of the pack looked stunned at her boldness when it came to the volatile wolf. Even Quil- who wasn't afraid of much- was wary of the silver wolf. Yet, Bella who stood all of 5' something or other and weighed in at no more than 110 soaking wet- so Jacob mused- had just played a dangerous practical joke on him. She even took every opportunity to argue with him, going so far as to tell him to 'choke on a bone' every chance she got.

"Again, I ask… what. the hell. is that?" He growled.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Oh, stop your yapping, you idiotic ankle biter." She huffed. "It's supposed to be funny. The rest of the guys think so."

"Go fuck a corpse." Not the best retort he had, but it pleased the man in him none the less.

Sam and Jared merely sighed. It had become commonplace anymore that the two would fight. The pack could see that Bella was suffering, but she refused to show that to Paul.

"Go run it off Paul." Jared cajoled. "Come on, I'll go with you."

"Why is she even here?!" He hissed.

Emily huffed and rested her hands on her hips. "She's here because I invited her Paul. I needed help cooking the food you all will be eating. She's here because it's Embry's birthday. Now, leave the poor girl alone. She's had a rough day."

"She's had a rough day? Doing what? It's got to be so hard pining after the walking dead." He quipped.

"Don't you have some sticks to fetch or something?" She asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Fuck off princess." He growled.

Bella rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Asshat." She muttered.

"Frigid bitch. Go fuck a popsicle. You'll feel better." He quipped with a smirk.

"Go bury your nose in a viper pit you overgrown mutt!" She hissed, her eyes alight with an inner fire that Paul secretly loved to see.

"Enough! Go run it off Paul. The girls need to finish cooking, and you know they won't let us help." Sam sighed.

As Paul stormed by her, Bella lost her balance and started to fall backwards in her attempt to give him more space. His arm shot out to catch her- the wolf's instinct to protect their imprint- before either of them knew what had happened. When she was righted, she realized belatedly that Paul had caught the wrist that James had bitten. She cursed under her breath when his eyes stayed trained there. He knew something just wasn't right with her. He could feel it on her skin- a cold spot that wouldn't warm at his touch and the feint smell of bleach and decay.

"Let me go, Paul." She said, trying to get away from his now shaking form.

He ignored her in favor of pushing the fabric of her sleeve away from the scar on her arm, growling his displeasure at what he saw. His eyes searched hers then, seeing the tears in them. He backed away, his head shaking from side to side. They'd bitten her… one of them had broken the treaty. He didn't understand how she could defend them- not after that.

"Which one?" He growled.

She swallowed. "Leave well enough alone, Paul."

Paul growled again, louder this time. "Which one?!"

"I won't answer you when you're growling at me!" Bella snapped.

Jared and Sam arched their eyebrows when Paul listened, following them into the living room where they watched as Bella paced the floor. Paul sat on a recliner, his back rigid, eyes watching her every move. They shared a confused look, wondering what happened in the space of just two minutes.

"Um… would anyone care to take a guess as to what just happened?" Embry asked.

Paul huffed. "She got bitten by a tick!"

That's one way to put it. Bella sighed as she sat on the edge of the couch closest to Sam. She glared at Paul, who only glared back.

"Bella?" Sam asked. He held his hand out, asking silent permission.

Bella granted it when her wrist was held out for him to see. She watched as one by one, the wolves came to inspect the wound. All of them but Paul. He stared at her, his glare and cold eyes trained on her person. She'd never felt so hated before in all her life.

"How?" Embry asked.

Bella gave him a wry smile. "I thought that that'd be obvious."

"Not the time Bella." Jacob huffed.

She sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"When?" Jared sighed. He had to fight with his own wolf not to scream and growl. Bella was like a little sister to him and he wanted to do nothing more than rip the Cullen's to pieces at the moment.

Bella looked down at the scar and traced it with her thumb. "Last year. I kept it quiet… a group of nomads came through… I saw a man walking on the side of the road walking to town to get help for a broken-down car… so… I stopped to offer him a ride…"

"Bells… that's just so you." Jacob said with a shake of his head. "Don't you know how dangerous that can be. Even in this sleepy little part of the world?"

She nodded. "I missed the red eyes in the rear-view mirror. He kept his head down and the baseball hat helped him hide his face too. When I turned around, he'd moved fifteen feet in the space of a second. The way he made me feel… like I was helpless…I felt that way when I saw Laurent in the woods too…" She trailed off, her mind replaying the events of it.

"Why are you not dead?" Sam asked, amazed.

Bella stared at him for a moment, trying to find her voice. "I stalled… asked him what his name was… who his friend was… told him about the Cullen's. He called me a pet fit to be bled. I fought and I tried to hit him. He laughed, grabbed me wrists to hold me still and started to argue with Laurent about who'd feed first. James won I guess. He sunk his fangs in right as the Cullen's arrived. Edward sucked the venom out and Jasper used his gift to put James into a kind of trance. Emmett, Rosalie and Alice ripped him to pieces after that."

"What do you mean… gift?" Jared asked.

Bella shrugged. "Some vampires gain special gifts when they're created. Alice could see certain events in the future due to people's decisions. Edward could read minds- but not mine- and Jasper could control people's emotions."

"Why couldn't he read your mind?" Jacob wondered.

"Carlisle said I'd be what they call a shield if I ever got turned, my mind stayed blocked to him. If another vampire ever tried to use any kind of mental attack on me… like Edward… it wouldn't affect me at all. I have no idea why he couldn't read my mind though. I'm glad sometimes that he couldn't." She shrugged.

"It figures." Paul huffed. "Not only do we have to fight off the red head that's been sniffing around, but I have a damaged imprint."

Emily gasped in horror while the rest of the wolves waited on baited breath. They watched Bella close her eyes and breathe deep. The telltale scent of tears hung in the air, but Bella refused to let them fall. Strong willed she may have been now, but those words still hurt. She looked straight into Paul's eyes before turning back to Sam.

"You can tell Quil it's ok to be around me, you know. I trust him. As for the red head, her name's Victoria. She was the blonde- James's mate. She's here because she wants revenge on the Cullen's."

"But… they're not here anymore." Embry said, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"Yeah, but I am." She said with a shrug.

Paul snorted. "Unfortunate for us."

The room yet again fell silent. Bella stared at Paul. "If you want to get rid of me so bad… let her have me. I'll be dead and you'll be free." She said before flouncing from the room.

"Well played, Bella." Jacob muttered.

"Well played, indeed." Jared and Embry nodded.

Sam watched Paul as the man and the wolf warred inside his head. The wolf was incensed that a vampire was after their mate. The man tried to push the wolf down into submission; He didn't want Bella. He didn't know her, and he didn't want to know her. He found her to be obnoxious, rude, loud mouthed and idiotic for putting herself in harm's way.

"We're not going to let her get hurt." Paul finally growled. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he was up and gone. The sound of torn clothes was all that greeted the remaining wolves in the silence the fell around them.

There was a secret smile on Sam's lips when he looked at Emily. It seemed his wolf had won that battle. She returned the smile and excused herself to go check on Bella, who'd holed herself in the bathroom for the time being. The pack could only wait for the day the two finally told themselves they had started falling for one another.