This chapter is dedicated to all of you, for supporting the new love square. XD

Those four simple words struck me harder then I was ready for. I lost the breath in my lungs as I gaped at him. As the seconds passed, the meaning of what he said started to weigh upon me heavily.

Leah… my Jacob… imprinting?

I sucked in a sharp breath of air. My voice turned out a bit sharper then I had intended when I asked, "How is that possible?"

A better question was- why was I so upset about this? It was perfect. It solved every problem that we had to face. Jacob could go back to being my friend, while loving Leah. I could be fully devoted to Jasper and Silas, and not have to worry about hurting Jacob. This freak thing happening was the simple answer to everything.

No matter how illogical, I was upset about it. I was still a young woman, who was emotionally connected to this boy on levels I never imagined were possible. It was probably natural for me to feel that hot scorch of jealousy run across my heart. I hoped it was natural, because it was there, and damn- was it painful.

My instantly aggressive reaction to his news put Jacob on edge. He wrung his fingers together and his body stiffened again. His eyes looked desperate and he shook his head. "We didn't think it was possible, Bella. If we hadn't been phased, and been able to feel the change in her, we might not have even realized it happened."

I blinked in surprise. "You could feel her imprinting?"

Jacob nodded, "It's a physical thing. I've told you that."

Suddenly, I was quite interested in what exactly happened during an imprint. How was it physical? There was nothing physically linking two people together.

I asked him curiously, "What does it feel like?"

"It's different for us all." Jacob started awkwardly. "With Leah, it was so powerful it affected all of us."

"Why was it powerful?" I asked him. Was it because her imprint was trying to over-ride his own for me? Was that even possible? Could Jacob un-imprint on me?

He looked away from me evasively. Suspicion prickled at me, was he hiding something? I squeezed his hand in my own and asked, "Tell me, Jake."

He sighed, but of course, he told me. "We went to talk to Sam about it. He thinks that it's because Leah might be better for me." Defiance rippled in his eyes and he whispered, "But that's not true, because I didn't imprint on Leah."

The tense air that his words started to build around us was unsettling. I tried to distract it by asking, "What about that, then? What did it feel like when you imprinted on me?"

Jacob smiled sadly at me. "When I saw you in the back that day, I felt drawn to you. Almost like we were magnets. The strongest magnets in the entire world. The second my eyes met yours, it was like nobody would ever be able to pull us apart."

Wow, it was a physical thing after all.

He whispered sadly, "Nobody except for you, anyway."

I frowned at him, but he didn't give me the chance to say anything. He just smiled sadly at me, and then shuffled back into the living room with the pack.

I tried to stop my heart from throbbing as I followed him.

For lack of room, the pack of us had moved into the back yard for mull about. Silas was sleeping in Edward's lap under a small tree.

Paul was standing around with Quil and Seth, and the three of them muttered angrily to one another as they cast shifty glances at Edward.

Embry and I were in a conversation about how faulty the school systems were. Jacob and Leah had been with us, until the phone rang. When Jacob went to answer it, she followed him. It was painful to see that- because it reminded me of how Jared had been with Kim.

"Seth!"

Everyone jumped when Leah's voice rang out from the house. She opened the back door, suddenly looking very worried. "Seth, we're going to the hospital again. Come on."

Seth's eyes widened and he darted into the house, disappearing with his sister. Embry glanced once at me before following. Paul and Quil flanked their beta as they sought out Jacob. I went over to Edward and asked, "What's happening?"

Edward furrowed his brow, and I realized he was saying what Jacob was saying to the pack. "Harry's heart is failing. Embry, take my dad and meet them at the hospital. I'm going to take Kim over to Sam's house, because her mom is worried about her. Paul, will you call Charlie and tell him about Harry?"

I felt the breath in my lungs escape me. Harry was one of Charlie's three closest friends. If he died, Charlie was going to have a hard time for a while. I hoped Paul could break the news to him easily.

Edward snapped his head away from the house and looked at me. "We're being left alone with Quil and Paul."

He looked very worried, which in turn unsettled me. "Is that a bad thing, Edward?"

He didn't answer me. Quil wandered outside and stalked over to us, sitting directly two feet away from Edward. He eyed the vampire suspiciously as he informed me, "Jacob wants you to know he'll be back soon."

"Okay." I answered nervously.

The two supernatural creatures were really glaring at one another. It was deathly silent for quite a while, until Paul exiting the house broke the silence. He came to stand behind Quil, and glared down at Edward.

I felt an odd churning of fear in the pit of my stomach when Edward growled suddenly. A low, sinister growl.

With a snort, Paul and Quil both retreated to the other side of the fence. Edward's eyes were black with a fury I've never seen in him before. Gently, but rather swiftly, he set Silas in my arms. I gripped him fearfully, suddenly getting a feeling that this wasn't the safest place for us to be.

I lay Silas on the ground behind the tree. The movement had woken him, and he peered sleepily at me. I whispered, "Silas, stay here, okay? Do not move from this spot for anything."

He looked confused and he sat up, watching me with hazy eyes as I bounced to my feet in the same second Edward did. He stalked dangerously towards the two hotheaded werewolves. At that moment, he didn't look like one of my very best friends. He was not my gentle, wise, self-disciplined Edward Cullen.

He was just one really unhappy vampire, who apparently didn't like the thoughts his mortal enemies were thinking.

Quil whispered something to Paul, and Edward snarled as he coiled into an aggressive crouch. Paul accepted the challenge- his body quivering for a few seconds before he exploded into his more fearsome half. Teeth bared and snarling, Paul flexed his back legs to spring at Edward.

I would later ask myself what compelled me to do what I did next. Why would I fear so much for Edward, knowing he could take care of himself? Why would I risk myself when I had a son to think about? A fiancé and two parents to consider?

I never did think of an answer.

All I knew during the one second that Paul took to collect his strength was that my brother could die. That my Jasper and my Alice- every member of my second family- would be shattered and heart broken when they had to burn Edward's torn up pieces.

And I knew I had to try to help. I had stood there and watched Jared die. I had held his broken body and gotten his blood on my hands. I was not about to watch someone I considered a real, true family member fall to the same fate.

The second that Paul launched himself at Edward, jaws snapping like a fox trap, was the exact same second that I jumped in between them.

A/N: In case anyone wants to know what caused the fight- Paul and Quil were plotting ways of getting revenge for Jared by killing Jasper. That didn't make for a very happy Edward.

And don't be upset about the chapter length. This is the very shortest one in the whole fic. The next chapter is the longest. It evens out, see. :D

Today I recommend the story Someone To Love Me written by me! *grins and scampers off*