She's got a way about her,

I don't know what it is.

But I know that I can't live without her.

BILLY JOEL, SHE'S GOT A WAY

Cupid's Chokehold; Chapter Two. Jacob.

It was a terrible kind of beauty. Her eyes were fierce; there were dark bags under them. The small amount of weight that she had gained back during our days together was gone. Her hair was limp and hanging down her back. To any other person she would have looked a mess.

But the only thing I could think about was how beautiful she was, how terrible she looked and how all of it was my fault. I wanted nothing more than to go and hold her, to smooth her hair away from her face, wipe away her tears, hold her, call her darling, tell her I would fix everything, do whatever she wanted.

But Sam had said I couldn't. That I shouldn't see Bella for years, months at the very least. But Sam didn't know Bella like I did. Bells was always so determined to do what she wanted. Always so headstrong. Sam didn't assume that she would come down here searching for me, secretly I hoped for it, outwardly I hoped against it. If Sam was right and I wasn't able to control myself than I could hurt Bells and I would rather die than see her hurt.

But so far through out our intense conversation I had controlled myself, every cell on my body was so focused on her. On Bella. Every cell was so focused that they couldn't even remember what it was like to transform. Although I had come to love the freedom transforming had given me, if being with Bella meant I could never be a wolf again I would gladly accept the ramifications.

I knew before our trip to the movies that I had cared for Bella more than she had wanted me to. I knew before our conversation after the movies. But what I felt now was multiplied so many times. I would do anything for her, be anything for her.

I cupped my hands around her face, she was so cold.

"Are you sick, Jake? I'll take you to the hospital. Everything will be fine," the tears in her eyes spilt over the edge. I almost smiled at her, I had hurt her and here she was worried about me.

"No, I'm not sick," I shook my head.

"But you're so warm," her cool fingers brushed against my cheek. I couldn't figure out if she was supposed to be this cold or if she was the one who was sick.

"Yeah, that's part of what I need to tell you. It's a long story," I realized then I could really tell her. I didn't have to worry about the searing pain in my head. Sam had ordered me not to see her and here I was looking at her, I had obviously found a loophole in Sam's order.

Bella shook her head, defeated, "Everyone's been saying that but no one will tell me it."

I held her close to me again, loving the perfect way our bodies interlocked. I laid my cheek on Bella's head and looked at Sam, begging him to let me tell her.

"Come on," he said softly, as if he was going to regret everything that was to come. I took Bella's hand in mine and we walked towards the door, Sam stopped suddenly and turned around, "The rest of you can go home, we can't all fit in Jacob's house anyway."

My brothers shuffled their feet and went off in different directions.

I loved the feeling of Bella's hand in my own, her fingers, so small in comparison to mine, they felt so nice intertwined with my own. They were wonderfully cool and twitching in excitement or fear. I prayed to a God I wasn't sure of that she would be okay with everything, that she would stay by me and not run away. I couldn't lose her again.

Not when it meant this much to me.

But, if Bella did want to leave me I would let her; I couldn't force her to do anything she wouldn't want to do. But I would stay in the shadows and make sure she was always safe and always happy. That's all that mattered.

My dad looked over at me from the kitchen and sighed; he knew exactly what was going on. I only had the slightest idea. I knew that things were different, that I had somehow found a loophole for Sam's order. It could be that I didn't have to follow Sam's order because I was supposed to be the Alpha, up until now I hadn't wanted to break his demands. He had told me how Emily had gotten hurt; I didn't want that for Bella. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I hurt her.

I could hear those thoughts when we ran as wolves, Sam was constantly beating himself up for scaring Emily like that, for leaving Leah like that. I didn't want to hurt Bella after everything the leech had put her through. Hurting her was the bloodsucker's thing; I was here to make everything better.

"Are you thirsty?" I asked as we sat down on the couch, Bella was hesitant to sit next to me and the fear that she would leave me rose again.

"Not really," she said, shaking her. I could tell by the look on her face that she was confused by everything. Before I had become a wolf I hadn't had one good thing to say about Sam. If only I had known that the legends were true, that we, my brothers, were the protectors of not only the tribe but of the surrounding towns.

Sam began telling Bella about the legends, the stories really since they were all true. She sat there so calmly, taking it all in. Her hand was limp in my own, every so often her forehead would crease in confusion or sadness.

"Jake," Sam said quietly, I peeled my eyes away from Bella, "Do you know anything about imprinting?"

I had only heard brief whispers about it, nothing that was for certain, "A little," I sat up from my slouched position and snuck a glance at Bella who was still curled up and leaning into the arm of the couch.

"It's what happened with Emily and me, it's why I had to break up with Leah," Bella frowned; she didn't know any of this. She hadn't lived in Forks at the time, "When a wolf imprints it creates this wordless bond for the two people. It's hard to describe or understand or explain, but the feeling is there. It's internal, instinctual. The wolf would do anything for his imprinted, be anything, go anywhere. No matter what the cost, as long as the imprinted was happy everything would be fine for the wolf."

Bella gripped her hands together tightly around her knees, "Are- are all people who are imprinted—are they all like you and Emily?"

Sam considered this for a moment, he knew everything about Bella and the leech, well, everything I knew. Bella was the only thing I could think about when I was stuck as a wolf. If I had known that he could hear my thoughts I would have done my best to not think about everything Bella had told me. Whatever little amount of information Bella had told me I knew she had told me it in confidentiality.

"Yes, everyone I've heard about has been in love, like Emily and me. Everyone has ended up married," Bella swallowed but didn't attempt to say anything, "But, I've never met anyone whose imprinted, I've only heard of people who imprinted. It's different for everyone."

"But most end up married and living happily ever after," Bella insisted.

"Yes, everyone."

I didn't need my new sensitive hearing to know that the fears in her mind were working on overdrive. "Oh."

AN: Tuesday…. Thursday…. They both start with 't.' Eh, sorry about that. Anyway, last chapter till after I finish Breaking Dawn, new chapter Sunday or Monday.