A/N - Sorry for the delay - had a busy, extra long vacay! Thank you for all the reviews!
Jacob was pissed. But that was nothing new. He was always in a bad mood. For someone who once prided himself on his ability to calm himself down to phase back quicker than anyone else, lately Jacob seemed to spend more time on four legs than on two.
Once upon a time, he was a ray of sunshine; a guy with a perpetual smile always on his face. Jacob had that infectious laughter that put everyone around him at ease. He found the positive in a seemingly hopeless situation. And then one day, all of that changed.
The sunshine smile was gone.
In the weeks and then months after Bella broke up with him, the pack did their best to cheer him up but for Jacob, nothing seemed to dull the pain that settled in his chest. It was his constant companion and it was driving him, and ultimately, the pack crazy. For someone who hadn't imprinted, Jacob was certainly behaving as one who had. Not only was the pack concerned for him, but Billy was as well.
Many nights, Jacob wouldn't come home and Billy would end up calling Sam in concern. What Billy wasn't aware of was that Paul and Jared would find Jacob, completely wasted with a girl on his lap at a bar in Forks. They'd bring him home to Sam's and had him sleep off his short-lived hangover on his couch before sending him on a rigorous patrol as part of his punishment. Jacob seemed to enjoy the misery; commenting that it helped numb the pain somewhat.
It wasn't until Harry's death that Jacob suddenly woke up from his apathy. It was a rude awakening and one that Jacob was relieved he had sooner than later. As much as he hurt from what Bella had done to him, he couldn't imagine the pain of loosing Billy. He had watched that pain as Seth and Leah experienced the loss of their father through their own thoughts. Jacob had gone home and apologized profusely to Billy for being so absent. While Billy was understanding, he was still concerned that it seemed that Jacob still hadn't gotten over his break up with Bella. The littlest things would set him off. Some days, Billy could see the anger brewing beneath the surface and for his father's sake, Jacob was bottling it up. Eventually that cork was going to blow.
And blow it did!
Right into Paul Lahote's face.
'Paul! I told you to go left!' Jacob shouted in his mind before he rounded about to head back towards where Paul and Quil were regrouping by the river.
'Yeah, and I told you, the bloodsucker was going to go right and head back towards La Push. But it's all good cause Quil took my left.'
'It's not all good cause, Quil and I needed your help, you idiot! If you hadn't had your head so far up your ass with your brain centred on all things that have to do with sex and my sister, we could have caught that blond bitch.'
Paul snarled.
'Go to hell, Black! Don't you come at me with bullshit like that when we all had to endure weeks of you pining over loosing your Leech Lover! At least I have a girl who is satisfied enough and wont leave me for a fucking bloodsucker!'
'Paul, man, that's low,' Quil commented, overhearing the heated argument in his mind. He knew how hard Jacob had taken his breakup with Bella when she first left him. Despite Quil phasing for the first time less than a week after she up and left, it only took him a few minutes of seeing Jacob's memories to know the details behind what happened and how much it had impacted him.
'Stay out of this, pup! No one asked you!' Paul quickly snapped.
When Jacob didn't respond any further, Paul automatically assumed that he had phased out. While a part of Paul was cocky enough to imagine that he had caused the up and coming Alpha to break down and cry like a baby, another part of him was suddenly concerned for his pack brother and thought that maybe Quil was right and he had taken it too far. But Paul wasn't one to relent when insulted, no matter who they were.
Paul soon discovered that his concern was unwarranted when a familiar russet wolf suddenly collided straight into him, momentarily startling him and driving them both down a muddy embankment from the spring runoff and into the river.
'Fuck you, Paul!'
Jacob bared his teeth while Paul growled back at him and raised his heckles. The pair circled each other in the water, snarling and growling just as Quil arrived and looked down the embankment. When he saw Jacob lunge at Paul, attempting to snap his jaw at his neck, Quil ran off back to Sam's in fear that they would rip each other apart.
A few minutes later and one word from Sam in their minds caused the pair to stop in their tracks. Their chests were still heaving as they snarled at each other.
'Both of you, calm down and get your asses back here. NOW!' Sam's order bellowed in their minds. He was profoundly ticked and mumbled about how he felt as though he were taking care of children.
Twenty minutes later, Jacob pushed angrily through the treeline behind Sam and Emily's place, his shoes squishing with every step he took. The few remaining pieces of mud were beginning to dry and crack on his skin. Ten meters behind him, Jacob could hear Paul as he stomped, equally pissed and mumbling profanities about being wet and Jacob having ruined his only pair of shoes.
Jacob looked ahead at the house and saw Sam was standing on the porch, his arms crossed over his chest. The scent of breakfast being made inside the house caused his stomach to growl but based on the expression on Sam's face, it looked like neither Jacob or Paul were going to be eating anytime soon.
Sam clenched his jaw.
"What the hell happened out there?"
Jacob gestured towards Paul with his thumb.
"This brilliant genius here didn't listen to what I told him to do. Quil and I needed the back up."
"I don't have to listen to you. You're not my Alpha!" Paul growled at him.
"Jacob was your leader during the patrol," Sam reasoned harshly. "You were to listen to him."
He paused and looked to Jacob.
"And you - if you're going to resort to name calling and insulting those around you, I'll make sure that you'll never lead a patrol again."
"I'll give an amen to that!" Paul stated, glancing up at the sky above.
Ignoring Paul, Jacob growled and stepped towards Sam.
"He fucking ignored me and ticked me off with his ignorance!" Jacob admitted.
Paul snorted. "Everything ticks you off."
Jacob glanced back at Paul behind him.
"Only when someone is being a jackass."
"Enough!" Sam shouted, seeing Paul about to open his mouth to make a smart comeback to Jacob's petty insult.
He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration
"Paul, go home."
Paul hesitated, knowing that behind Sam, there was bound to be a kitchen with bacon, eggs and hashbrowns. He could smell each and every delicious thing that Emily had prepared that morning thanks to his superhuman nose. But one look from Sam was enough to tell him that he wasn't going to be getting any closer to that meal today.
With a sigh, he grumbled under his breath and turned to head back into the woods. Searching for a pick-me-up after the morning he had, he thought of Rachel and the fact that Billy was out fishing that morning before he headed towards his imprint's house.
Sam watched after Paul as he disappeared into the woods.
"Sam, I know you're upset about what happened out there," Jacob said, clenching his fists at his sides.
"You're damn right I'm upset. You're supposed to be in training to be our Alpha and I feel like I'm going in circles with you sometimes."
"It's Paul...he just ...he makes me so angry sometimes."
"But Paul is right, you know."
Jacob quickly looked up at Sam, surprised and confused at his admission.
"Right about what?"
"You're always pissed off."
Jacob smirked, and chuckled under his breath.
"No, I'm not."
"You're quick to anger; probably more so than Paul. With Emily being newly pregnant now, I was hoping that I could pass the Alpha position to you, but I just don't feel comfortable doing that when you're unable to control your temper long enough to lead the pack."
Jacob clenched his jaw.
"You can't keep Alpha from me. It's my birthright."
"Jake, I know but your Dad and the elders agree with me," Sam continued. "Until you can finally get some closure over...her, I'm going to continue as Alpha."
Her.
Jacob knew who was laced beneath that word - Bella. No one dared utter her name around him. Paul seemed to be the only one brave enough to do it and even then he resorted to the moniker of 'Leech Lover', finding the name 'Bella' repulsive after what she had done to his pack brother.
"Her...you mean...Bella." Jacob paused and scoffed. "I got over her a long time ago. I'm over it. I've moved on."
"I don't think you really have. I've seen your mind and your thoughts. You're still angry at her for what she did to you and honestly, I don't blame you at all for it. But Jake, it's been months...it's been nearly two years and it's still affecting how you interact with the pack and with everyone around you. We're worried about you."
Jacob groaned and rolled his eyes.
"If you want me to be happy and be full of sunshine and shit rainbows, I'll do that. I can be the Alpha that everyone expects me to be."
"No, Jake," Sam said shaking his head. "It's not something that you can fake. If you're going to take over as Alpha, you need to be able to handle the role and everything that comes with it. With that bloodsucker that keeps coming around, you'd need to be at your best and right now, you're just not ready."
Jacob huffed, grinding his teeth before taking a step towards Sam.
"You can't do this to me," he snarled, his eyes glaring at Sam. "I've worked hard. I've done everything you've wanted me to do with no questions asked."
"I'm not saying you haven't. But at the same time Jake, you haven't been living. It's like your life just suddenly came to a stop when...when she left. You have to move on. You've been going through the motions and I know..."
"No, you don't know! Bella ripped my fucking heart out and threw it back in my face!" Jacob shouted, his face within inches of Sam's, yet the Alpha remained solid and didn't move. Jacob could feel the heat of his impending phase slither up his back.
"Tell me Sam - how the hell do I move on from that?!"
Silence spread out between them before a soft voice suddenly answered the question left hanging in the air.
"You don't."
Jacob, shaking in anger looked over to where Leah stood with Seth standing worriedly at her side. Jacob met Leah's eyes, seeing the understanding. He knew that Leah could relate to how he felt; although she had never voiced it to him, Jacob could see it in her eyes.
With a sigh and his jaw clenched tightly together to keep himself in one piece, Jacob glared back at Sam before turning to head into the woods. He needed to run off some steam before he went home. There was no way in hell that he'd be able to sleep with all the pent-up anger within him.
While Sam looked on in concern, Leah raced after Jacob as Seth walked up to his Alpha.
"Is Jake going to be all right?"
Sam sighed, not certain how he should answer the younger man.
"I hope so."
The door behind them suddenly opened and Emily rushed out, her face frightened as she held the portable phone out towards Sam.
"Sam, it's Aunt Sue. I think something's wrong. I can barely hear her."
Seth's eyes widened with the mention of his Mom's name as Sam quickly took the phone.
"Sue? What's going on?"
He listened carefully to her whispered words over the phone. Sam could understand now how Emily couldn't hear. He had to concentrate but could make out her barely audible words. His eyes widened slightly when he understood.
"No! Sue, stay right there and Seth and I will be over in a few minutes," he told her, glancing over at Sue's son who seemed to be trying to overhear the conversation. A sudden crash came over the phone and then he heard the dial tone.
"Mom's alone at Charlie's. We gotta go, now!" Seth growled impatiently. Sam nodded in agreement before passing the phone back to Emily.
"Call Jared and Embry and ask them to cover patrol for Seth and I until we get back."
"Sam, what's wrong?"
"Someone has broken into Charlie's house," Sam quickly replied racing after Seth into the woods towards Forks.
It felt strange to be back, but at the same time Bella felt as if she had never left Forks. Riding in the backseat of the taxi with Daniel as he slept in his car seat beside her, Bella looked out at the buildings as they passed through the small downtown area. There were a few new stores along the Main Street, yet there were others that looked exactly as she remembered it. Considering how much she and her life had changed since she had last been home, two years hadn't left much of a mark on Forks.
The sun was just coming up over the horizon. While it seemed that the town was just waking to a new day, Bella was still on Atlantic time and she was exhausted. She hadn't slept at all during their ride with Carlisle and Esme to Halifax's Stanfield International Airport. Bella had felt the heavy unease in the car. While Carlisle drove, Esme's eyes seemed to have constantly scan the evening landscape around them for signs of Edward following them as they drove through the small towns that litered the highway towards the provincial capital. Finally during her red-eye flight from Halifax to Seattle, Bella closed her eyes but she was still well aware of her young travelling companion resting against her chest and she wouldn't allow herself to settle into a restful sleep.
Daniel had done well, despite him not feeling well. Bella had bought him a muffin at the airport which he refused to eat. To Bella's relief, he nursed for quite some time during their final flight from Seattle to Port Angeles until he dozed off on the nearly empty plane. Daniel also didn't put up a fuss when she strapped him into his car seat within the taxi after they landed.
"Must feel good to be home," the taxi driver said softly, conscious of the sleeping boy behind him. He glanced up at Bella through the rear view mirror. "Can't say that I've ever been this far out from Port A, but Forks seems to be a nice, quiet place."
"It is," she agreed softly with him, running her fingers through Daniel's soft, unruly hair as he slept beside her.
When they pulled up in front of her house, the first thing she noticed was that Charlie's police cruiser wasn't in the driveway. Bella felt a sudden disappointment to find that Charlie wasn't home. Although it was early for him to be at work, it was completely possible that he had been called in.
She also noted that parked partially on the grass was an older model navy blue Ford Explorer that she had never seen before. That wasn't the only thing that caught her eye. Her old, red pickup truck was gone and in its place sat an old gray and white fishing boat sitting on a trailer. The outboard engine was missing from the stern and a few tools were sitting along the porch beside it.
It looked to be an impressive little fishing boat and the taxi driver even commented on how well kept it seemed to be for its relative age.
While the driver continued about wanting to buy a similar boat someday, Bella's heart suddenly lurched. She had recalled how Charlie would talk in a similar fashion, pointing out a certain boat in a fishing magazine while she'd do her homework in front of the television beside him. Charlie would go on and on about how much fun it would be to have a fishing boat of his own and even stated that when the time came, Bella could join him for its maiden voyage and spend the afternoon fishing with him - a sort of father/daughter trip. At the time, Bella had cringed, not wanting to be anywhere near water, let alone spend tedious hours sitting in a boat fishing. Her mind, time and focus had been fixated on Edward Cullen.
How the times had changed.
Now, she'd give anything to get that time back to spend with Charlie. In those moments as she stepped out of the car, she suddenly realized just how much she had missed her Dad, hearing his exagerated fishing stories and their quiet banter. Bella had longed just to hear his voice those few times that she attempted to call.
Looking up at the house as she walked around the taxi to get Daniel out of the car, her eyes noted that there were a few new flowering bushes in front of the porch and Charlie had added some flower boxes along the railing. Bella was well aware that Charlie didn't have a green thumb - he had no clue what the difference was between an annual and a perennial and was liable to kill a potted plant.
Seeing her son still asleep, Bella picked Daniel up out of the car seat and held his head gently against her shoulder, praying that he stayed asleep for her. As she turned to head towards the porch, she noticed that the driver had already pulled out her one duffle bag from the trunk and had placed it by the front door. He quietly gestured to the car seat as he passed Bella, telling her that he'd grab it for her.
Bella had barely heard his words as she stared up at the front door while she walked towards it. All at once, memories flooded back at her; so much had happened in that house. Bella had never thought that it would be nearly two years before she'd open that door once again.
Carefully balancing Daniel against her shoulder while holding her old keys in her hand, she unlocked the door. The house was dark and quiet. As tempted as she was to turn on the entryway light, she wasn't wanting to deal with the crying of a sick and jet lagged baby when she was just as tired as he was. The taxi driver seemed to sense Bella's desire for silence, so tapping her on the shoulder, he gestured to the floor beside her and gently placed her duffle bag and the car seat beside her.
Bella smiled her thanks before closing and locking the door behind her. Holding Daniel against her, she slipped her shoes off before walking further into the house. Bella took a deep breath, feeling the sense of home as she heard every squeak and creak that the old floor boards made under her feet. Walking into the living room, she paused.
Charlie's lazyboy was still in its position across the room, facing the television, and the couches were exactly the same. Either than a new coffee table and a new throw blanket on the couch, it looked the same as she remembered it.
Carefully side stepping around the coffee table, Bella gently bent over and placed Daniel on the couch. He continued to sleep soundly, his mouth not even sucking the pacifier that was resting between his lips. His dark eyelashes rested against his cheeks and Bella couldn't help but lean down and kiss them. Not wanting to disturb him further, she placed some pillows around Daniel to keep him in place from rolling and headed back to grab her duffle bag by the door. Bella was eager to get some rest with Daniel, knowing that she wouldn't be getting any sleep when Charlie came home from work later that day. While she hoped that Charlie would be glad to see her, she knew the reality was that he'd be upset. Charlie had every reason to be and unfortunately, she wouldn't have much of an explanation that she could offer to him. Bella could never explain her behaviour when it came to leaving home in the first place. She could only hope that he'd be forgiving and understanding through it all.
Bella picked up her duffle bag, intending to head upstairs to the bathroom when the entryway light suddenly flicked on.
Nearly jumping out of her skin, Bella gasped and spun around to see a woman with wild yet frightened eyes, holding a baseball bat defensively in one hand and a portable phone to her ear with the other. While she now knew that it was impossible, Bella's mind couldn't help but think that she had finally returned home to find Victoria waiting for her.
But upon seeing the woman's pin straight black hair, russet skin and pajamas, Bella relaxed slightly while memories of a dinner over two years ago at the Black's house caused her to place the face.
Sue Clearwater.
As though Sue suddenly recognized Bella as well, shock swept over her face and she gasped. The portable phone slipped from her fingers and fell to the floor at her feet in a crash as she slowly lowered the baseball bat. Her eyes quickly darted from Bella's face down her body to her feet before locking onto her eyes once more.
"Oh my god...Bella?"
Bella nodded with her hand against her chest, willing her heart to return back to its normal pace.
"I'm...so sorry for scaring you like that. I wasn't expecting someone to just walk into the house, especially you."
"What are you doing here?" It was the first thought that came to Bella's still-frantic mind.
Sue had the exact same thought about Bella but she was still in shock to see her, living and breathing. For all the Quileute elders and wolf pack assumed, she had been turned into a vampire by the Cullen's shortly after she left Forks. Sue was relieved that they had been wrong but also wondered that since Bella was there, could the Cullen's be far behind? After having heard the creaking footsteps in the house, Sue was glad that she chose to call Sam rather than the police to alert him that someone had broken into the house. If the Cullen's were nearby, she'd much prefer to have a werewolf at her side.
"Your Dad and I...we've been...seeing each other for a while now."
That revelation took Bella by surprise. She had never known Charlie of having more than one date with a woman let alone getting into a relationship serious enough that someone would be staying the night. But it was obvious that Sue had been. All the small additions to the house and the changes, Bella suddenly realized that it had been at Sue's influence. A smile finally came to Bella's face.
"That's great. I'm happy for you and Dad," she told her, much to Sue's surprise. Not too many people were supportive of the relationship. A few older, staunchy Quileute's weren't pleased that she found companionship with someone who wasn't from the reservation while others thought that she had moved on from mourning Harry's death a little too quickly.
Leah hadn't been as supportive of the idea of her Mom pursuing a relationship with Charlie Swan. While Leah admitted that she was glad that her Mom had found someone to spend her time with, she still found it difficult to watch her Mother show outward displays of affection towards a man who wasn't her Dad. Leah took Harry's passing extremely difficult considering it was her phasing that ultimately caused his heart attack.
"Speaking of Dad," Bella continued, "I'm guessing that he's at work."
Sue quickly bent over and picked up the portable phone off the ground, putting it to her ear to hear the dial tone before she shook her head.
"No, no, he's off today. He's gone fishing early this morning with Billy Black."
Bella smiled weakly at the mention of Billy, remembering her last short conversation with him over the phone and his words, telling her that she was no longer welcome in La Push and to never call again.
"Bella, not to sound indelicate, but what are you doing here? We all thought that you were with Edward Cullen."
Bella shook her head, considering her words and how much to say before she spoke.
"Not anymore. I left him. That's one of the reasons why I came back. There was a..."
A loud wail suddenly cried out within the house. While Sue was surprised and momentarily distracted by the strange sound, Bella cursed softly, dropped the duffle bag to the ground and brushed past her heading straight for the living room where she had left Daniel. When Bella rounded the corner, she saw the little boy sitting up on the couch, sobbing with his pacifier in his hand. Bella quickly picked him up and Daniel instantly sought Bella's comfort and put his head on her shoulder, before sticking his pacifier back into his mouth, hiccuping softly while Bella rubbed his back and spoke soothingly to him.
Bella swayed slightly, as she had done so many times when Daniel would be upset or feeling unwell and turned to see Sue staring at her, a look of confusion and surprise on her face. Daniel seemed to notice that someone else was in the room with them and turned his head to find out for himself who it was. With tears still on his face, he leaned his cheek against Bella's chin and hooked his small arms around her neck.
Sue gasped audibly and covered her mouth with her hand. Bella had noticed her reaction and wasn't surprised at all by it. She knew that coming home with a baby in tow was going cause a few to scratch their heads or possibly even initiate some rumours, especially considering Daniel's complexion as well as his age.
"Bella, who's this?"
Bella took a deep breath.
"This is Daniel - my son."
There it was. The confirmation that Sue had been waiting for that she knew deep down was true. She had seen Bella in the baby's brown eyes the moment that Daniel looked at her. They were piercing but they held an inquisitive and serious stare that she had seen elsewhere before.
"Your...son," Sue spoke it out loud, still in disbelief. Slowly, she walked towards where Bella stood with Daniel in her arms. "I'm surprised that Charlie never mentioned anything about him."
"My Dad...he doesn't know. I could never get ahold of him to let him know."
For a moment, that took Sue by surprise. But then, she recalled in the months following Bella leaving Forks and Harry's death, more often than not, Charlie would be found in La Push, drinking his sorrows away in the company of Billy Black. For a while, no one dared leave him alone and Charlie would often find himself sleeping over night in the Black's spare bedroom. It was no wonder that Bella couldn't get ahold of him.
Sue smiled weakly and gently brushed her hand over Daniel's head as he rested it back against Bella's shoulder. It was obvious that the little boy was tired and Bella looked equally exhausted. Sue could only imagine how much they had travelled through the night. Her concern over the possibility of the Cullen's being nearby disappeared when she felt heat coming from the baby's small head.
"Bella, I think he has a fever."
Bella nodded, rubbing her hand against Daniel's back. "He's been fighting a cold for the past few days and he has pneumonia too."
"Oh, poor thing. Maybe I'll make some of my special chicken noodle soup today," Sue cooed softly at Daniel before looking at Bella. "I used to make it all the time for my kids whenever they'd come down with something and it seemed to help them get better quicker."
Bella smiled. "He'd probably like that. Daniel loves noodles."
Sue looked at the little boy who, although had his head resting on Bella's shoulder, had his eyes locked on Sue's.
"And Bella, I'd be willing to watch him so you can get some rest before Charlie comes home. He shouldn't be too long. They couldn't take the boat today. The motor is still shot."
Daniel's head suddenly popped up off of Bella's shoulder at the mention of a boat and he pulled the soother out of his mouth.
"Bo!" Daniel said, his sick eyes twinkling despite the snot and tears on his face.
Bella chuckled. "Another thing that he loves. Daniel could watch boats all day."
Sue smiled. "That's something that he certainly has in common with his grandfather."
Seeing her smile at him, Daniel grinned before sticking his soother back into his mouth and rested his head back on Bella's shoulder. In that briefest moment, Sue saw it; a smile that she'd recognize anywhere. She had seen it on the face of an old friend who passed away well before her time and it had been ages since she'd seen that smile on that woman's grown son. To see it reflected on the baby in Bella's arms made Sue's heart skip.
She knew that she was loooking at Jacob Black's son.
Just as the thought entered her mind, someone pounded on the front door before two familiar deep voices bellowed loudly, calling out for Sue to respond. Sue quickly realized that Sam had arrived and as relieved as she was, she also desired that they didn't break down the front door.
Leaving Bella and Daniel in the living room, Sue rushed through the front hallway and unlocked the front door before opening it to see both Seth and Sam standing on the porch, barefoot and half-naked, their noses flared and their eyes wide.
"Mom, what's going on? Are you okay?" Seth asked worriedly, as his eyes seemed to look past her and into the house curiously.
"I'm fine, Seth," Sue said with a broad smile. "It was just a misunderstanding."
Sam's was taking deep breaths, a growl rumbling through his chest. "A misunderstanding? Then why is there a strong leech smell coming out of the house?"
Sue shook her head, and sighed, looking past the pair on the porch towards the woods. "I can explain, but first, is Jacob nearby?"
"No. Why? What does he have to do with this?"
"I don't think he'd take it lightly knowing that Bella's here."
Seth and Sam paused at the mention of Bella's name and stared at her.
"Bella Swan? You mean, she's here? In the house right now, with you?!"
"Sam, don't worry. She's still human."
Sam took a deep breath and clenched his jaw angrily. "But if she's here, that means the Cullen's can't be far behind. Sue, we need to get you back to the reservation. We can't protect you...if they're here..."
While the sudden sound of Daniel's deep, junky coughs caused Sam's tone to change, Sue seemed to not even take note of the sound. Sure she had heard Daniel cough, but at the same time, it didn't distract her like it did to Sam and Seth.
"I don't think they came with her," Sue told them, not recognizing that they weren't even paying her any attention but instead their ears were focused on the sounds coming from inside the house. "I think something happened between her and Edward Cullen that caused her to come home."
"Sue, who else is here?" Sam asked, his eyes looking past her. "I heard someone coughing."
"Oh, that's just Daniel. He's sick right now."
"Daniel, who?"
Sue sighed.
"Daniel is Bella's son."
"Bella has a son?!" Seth exclaimed, a smile coming onto his face before it quickly disappeared. "Dude! Jake's going to be livid when he finds out."
"Jacob's not going to find out, about Bella or her son," Sam said with a growl. "He's been through enough. Bella's hurt him enough as it is."
Sue winced. "While I may agree with you there, Jacob may want to know about this."
"Why?"
With a soft gesture from her head, beckoning them to come in, Sue led the pair down the hallway and into the living room where Bella stood with her back towards them, swaying lightly as she hummed a tune to Daniel. The baby seemed to be in the midst of falling asleep, his feather duster eyelashes resting against his small cheeks while his mouth sucked at the pacifier.
While it took a moment for Seth to register what his Mom was implying, Sam saw it right away. More importantly, the wolf beneath the surface recognized the child for who he was; an Alpha's heir. As confused as he was about how everything came about, he couldn't help but suddenly feel protective towards the baby in Bella's arms.
"Holy sh..."