AN: thanks for the reviews and thanks to Georgia Dawgette for looking after my fiction and for adding her own to my writing, the chapters are good because she works and cares for them as much as I do.
16.
Bella woke up refreshed after a long night of sleep; luckily no nightmares had plagued her during the night. She stretched and stood up, and was startled by a knock at the window.
Jake was perched on the tree outside and was signaling at her to open up. She smiled and let him in. "Good morning IsaBells!" and he quickly kissed her cheek.
Bella hesitated a moment and then hugged him, his warm arms enveloped her. "Good morning to you and to what do I owe this visit?"
He let her go and went to sit on the bed. "I heard from Leah that you are going to the dance with Jared." His statement was innocent enough, but she could feel an undercurrent of unhappiness from him.
"Yes, he wanted to go and I thought it wouldn't hurt to make him happy." Bella said nonchalantly.
Then she walked over to stand in front of him; when he was sitting they were almost eye-level with each other. She took his face in her hands and made him look up at her. "Jake you have to let go. I know it's difficult, but we can't be together, not now not ever. You saw what happened when we kissed."
His eyes were full of pain. "I know Bells, rationally I really do. My heart though can't seem to fathom that you'll be staying human and not be with me, but marry Jared."
Bella grimaced, "I can assure you that there won't be a marriage for a long while. I'm not too keen on it, Edward had put it as a condition for my change, but seeing as that is no longer an issue, there is no hurry."
Jake looked at her with surprise. "Don't you know Bells?"
Bella felt her heart miss a beat. "Know what?"
Jake passed a hand through his hair. "Well, imprinting works this way, there is the first part where it leads the wolf to his partner, then there is the marking during... the lovemaking or right before it, after that... well the tradition is that the wedding will be within the year or so. Sam and Emily had it a bit different because of her being hurt, Sam didn't manage to mark her until very recently, and he was so scared to hurt her again. But now they are engaged, and will be getting married this winter."
Bella felt weak, and Jake caught her before she hit the floor. Taking a deep breath, she let her head rest on Jake's hot chest. "I'm sure that Jared won't be marking me anytime soon..."
Jake sighed and held her tighter. "Bells, Sam's case really was an exception. My father told me that in the last pack, the imprinted couples were all married within a year of the imprint, the pull is too strong for them to resist being together. Jared and Kim were planning to marry not long after Sam and Emily, probably springtime. It wasn't official yet, but I heard them talking about it."
Bella closed her eyes; she couldn't believe that she had managed to get out of one marriage to fall directly into another. Anger surged up. "I can't believe it! It's not enough that I had been stripped of my free will, now I have even to fucking get married within a year with a guy that I barely know!" She started pacing back and forth. "And he might not even be over Kim! Great, just great I don't believe in marriage and he wants someone else as wife. This is unbelievable!"
Bella stopped herself from continuing on with her rant, she didn't want to burden Jacob with her jealousy towards Kim and Jared. Then something else flashed in her mind. "Jake... this marking... the bite... what are the characteristics?"
She saw Jake blanching. "Bells... you don't think... I didn't think the bite he gave you was deep." He shook his head and then took a deep breath before continuing. "Usually the imprintee will have a scar from the teeth and to the other wolves it'll carry the scent of the marker."
Bella took off her t-shirt, not caring that she was only in her bra in front of Jake; and took away the bandage. "Look at it, Jake."
Jake walked closer, he put his nose on it and took a sniff. Then he recoiled. "Put the bandage back on, Bella." He said seriously.
Bella put the bandage back, and then put on the t-shirt again. "So?"
"It smells like Jared... and the scar is there..." whispered softly Jake.
Bella took a step, and then she was in his arms.
They were both startled by another voice. "You know what, this is just great, I come to get Isabella and I fucking find you in her bedroom! What the hell are you doing here Jake?" Jared growled angrily.
Bella moved closer to Jake and Jared's eyes darkened further. "Isabella come and stand by my side." The way he had said it made her want to do just that, but her stubborn side won this time. Besides she was really angry about the marking.
"I'll stay where I want to stay. You have no right to question me or Jake about what we were doing, he is my best friend and he's going to stay in my life. Deal with it!" All the anger that she felt was more due to the thought of having to get married so soon than anything else, which at this moment in her mind was entirely Jared's fault.
Bella felt guilty for treating Jared so badly, after all he was just defending what he perceived was his. Still, he didn't have any right to mark her without asking for her consent.
Jared was shaking slightly, and she took a deep breath. She couldn't let him phase in her room. Slowly she walked to him and took his hand. "Sorry Jared, I ... was upset about something Jake told me I shouldn't have reacted that way." She exchanged a meaningful glance with Jake and he nodded slightly, they would keep that information between the two of them for now. She just needed time to process this further.
His shaking slowly stopped, and he took a deep breath. "I shouldn't have ordered you either. But do you know how it feels for me to see you in someone else's arms?"
Bella didn't hesitate for a moment before she wrapped her arms around him, and after a moment he closed his arms around her as well. She breathed him in, and some of the tension she was feeling fell away, she was still hurt that Jared had marked Kim as well, and he never felt the need to tell her he marked her or what it ultimately meant for the two of them, but it wasn't the right time to bring this up. Not when her relationship with him was still so shaky.
Jared then turned his eyes to Jake. "Explain brother!"
Jake shrugged his shoulders. "I don't need a reason to be with Bells, I was just checking on how she was doing."
Jared sighed. "Jacob I'm trying to be patient here, but you are making it very difficult on me. I understand your feelings for Isabella ... believe me I do... but you can't just behave like nothing has happened. She is my imprint and she belongs to me. There is nothing else to say, you should respect this sacred bond."
Jacob was looking down. "I know Jared, I should go..."
"Well what an interesting reunion, I'm surprised I wasn't invited." said the melodic voice of Edward.
Bella turned to see her vampire ex entering from the window and held Jared more tightly. On his part, Jared moved her a bit behind him to shield her partially from Edward, and to show him that she was his.
Jacob moved to stand with Jared in protecting Bella too.
Edward's eyes narrowed. "Jacob I think you are on the wrong side of the dispute, Jared here stole Bella from you just as much."
Jacob stiffened, but didn't move. "Bells was free to choose anyone she wanted, and as long as she is happy I'll stand by her choice."
Edward laughed. "Liar! You are forgetting that I can read your mind; and I can see clearly that you want her as much as I do."
Jared calmly said, "Enough leech, give Jake some privacy, he more than deserves that. His mind should be his own; you shouldn't intrude where you aren't invited."
Bella felt touched that Jared defended Jacob even though her best friend was still totally in love with her. She didn't like that Edward was exploiting his gift to create a rift between Jared and Jacob, she was finally starting to see what everyone had told her since the beginning, that Edward was manipulative and tried to work any situation to his advantage. For the first time she felt a bit disgusted by him.
Edward shrugged his shoulders. "Just because I never tried to read your mind doesn't mean you are immune to my gift... let's see... interesting, you want Bella like you have never wanted anyone else. It's almost desperate his need to have you, Bella. Have you already forgotten your... Kim?"
Bella was shocked by Edward's words. Jared wanted her? Even more than he had desired Kim? If that was true then maybe she had a chance to be really loved by Jared. But any joy Edward's words might have given her was immediately replaced with anger when she realized that Edward was just using this in order to hurt Jared.
Jared started shaking slightly, but then stopped. "Nice try, leech. I believe that it's none of your business what I feel for Kim. But I'll indulge your curiosity, she was my woman and I loved her very much, but I had to let her go because if I ever meet her again she'll be a vampire. Vampires are my enemies and my feelings though important are secondary to the welfare of my people. I'm a protector, that's my job."
Bella could feel that Jared was telling the truth. She put a hand on his back and caressed him slightly to show him her support. Edward had really gone too far.
She knew how much it must have cost to Jared to say these things, and just hearing him say them led her heart more firmly to him.
Jared had faced loss and grief, probably he'll never stop loving Kim but the welfare of the tribe had to come first. Maybe if he hadn't imprinted on her, he would be speaking differently, but fate had chosen for them and there was nothing anyone could do.
"What about you Bella?" said Edward viciously. "Doesn't it bother you that he would put the tribe before you? I would never do that, you are my only priority, there wouldn't be a choice to make... because it would always be you."
Bella felt both Jacob and Jared tense. What could she say to Edward? It was true that he would put her first but ... "Edward, I understand and approve Jared's choice. If I could choose to save hundred people or just one, even if that one is the one I love... I would choose the hundred. My pain would be a small price to pay for it."
Jared turned to look at her with inscrutable eyes; they were sparkling with something that wasn't there before. "Isabella, I..." he closed his mouth and turned to face Edward. "You have your answer leech; now leave her room before I make you. You aren't welcome here anymore, the sooner you learn that the better."
Edward looked at him strangely. "What is this strong bond that I feel between you and her? Why are you struggling with your feelings? Haven't you told her yet that you are desperately in love with her?"
Bella gasped, and so did Jake. The silence in the room was deafening. Jared finally spat."You have no right to talk about what I'm thinking. What goes on between me and Isabella is none of your fucking business. You might be my ally against Victoria, but I won't tolerate any interference in my relationship with her."
Edward was studying him intently; and Bella knew he was going for the kill. She kept her hand firmly on his back, trying to calm him down because she knew that Edward wasn't going to be a gentleman. "Did you know... Jared... that just two-days ago she was begging me to make love to her in this very room?"
A growl escaped from Jared, and he threw himself at Edward; Jake meanwhile had taken Bella and moved her near the wall protecting her with his body.
Meanwhile Bella felt like she was blushing from head to toe, she felt totally embarrassed about Edward's words, mostly because she really cared about Jacob and Jared's opinion of her. Edward had made her feel like a wanton whore. Tears were threatening to fall but she knew she couldn't cry now, she needed to stop the fight before anyone got hurt.
Then Jake shouted. "Take it outside!"
Jared and Edward separated momentarily to get out of window; then Bella heard a rippling sound. Jared had phased. "Jake, please go to them, I'll call Alice. We've got to stop them!"
Jake sighed. "Jared totally lost it, and only when the leech badmouthed you."
Bella blushed. "It was actually true what he said, I broke up with him after the millionth refusal from him; I was so confused and I didn't know yet about the imprinting..."
Jacob looked at her seriously. "I need to get out of here, we'll talk later. Both about the mark and your awful taste in men!" he was still grinning when he jumped out of the window.
Bella sighed, and then looked around for her cell phone to call Alice. The day had barely started and already it was a mess.