Ch 6. Jacob's Story

"Where is she," Jacob asked as Charlie opened the door.

"She's upstairs," said Charlie.

"Can I go in and see her?"

"You two still haven't made up have you?"

"Trust me," said Jacob, "That's why I'm here."

Charlie opened the door wider so Jacob could come inside. "Go right on up."

Jacob made his way up the stairs two at a time. He knocked on the door but there was no answer. He knocked again. Still no answer. He then opened the door to discover Spence wasn't there but she had left her evidence behind, her window that led to the woods was wide open. The room slightly reeked, a smell he had noticed before in the past few days but now it was stronger than ever and he hated it.

"Charlie," Jacob called trying his best to not bring his hand to his nose and plug it. He didn't want to seem offensive.

Charlie made his way upstairs to Spencer's room.

"Damn," said Charlie as he noticed the empty room and open window.

Jacob looked at him. "I take it she does this a lot?"

"Maybe I should consider installing prison bars on those windows."

"Something tells me that won't do the job."

"Wish I knew what to tell ya Jacob. I don't even know where she goes half the time."

Jacob was seething. He tightened his fists to keep himself under control. "That's okay, I do," his tone sounding angrier since he got here.

Charlie glanced over and looked at Jacob. The boy did not look well at all. His hands were all clammy and his body was beginning to shake. Charlie reached over and placed a hand on Jacob's forehead.

"You're burning up son," he said to him. "Maybe I should take you to a hospital. You don't look like you're in any shape to drive."

"No hospitals," Jacob said trying to keep his anger in check. "Can you just take me home?"

"Sure, come on."

Charlie helped Jake downstairs to his cruiser. The drive seemed to take a long time as Jacob sat in the passenger side to keep himself from squirming. He didn't know what was happening. For close to two weeks his friendship with Spence had been strained. It was all linked to Sam, her, and that god awful smell in her room, he didn't know how he knew that but he did.

Charlie pulled up to the red house on the Res. Billy rolled out to see what was going on and just as he did he saw his son stumble out of the car. Charlie quickly helped him up but Jacob brushed him off.

"Son," said Billy.

Jacob ignored him but as he passed his father his arm rubbed against the man's hand on the arm rest. Billy knew instantly what was happening.

"I appreciate you bringing him home," Billy said to his best friend with an elder's tone in his voice.

"Will he be all right?"

"Don't worry Charlie I'll make sure he's taken care of. Thank you."

"Sure," said Charlie.

He knew his job was done so he got back in his cruiser and took off. Once he was completely out of sight Spence came into view, clad only in a pair of shorts and sports bra and walked up to Billy.

Billy nodded to Spencer's right arm. "So you finally got your pack tattoo."

Spence looked down. She had gotten that day Embry had phased. It was the first time she felt like she belonged anywhere both to the Cullen's and to her brothers. Her tattoo was slightly different though. Inside an open space of the tribal tattoo she had gotten the Cullen crest in a teal color. Billy also noticed that.

"It suits you well."

"Thanks. Mind if I stay with him," Spence asked Billy.

"Go right ahead," Billy replied. "Do me a favor though, mind taking him out to the woods? Don't want him to destroy what small space he has in there."

Spence smiled and nodded. "Not a problem Billy."

"Look out for him will you?"

"You have my word."

Spence made her way into Jacob's room. She grabbed a pair of jeans which she easily tore at the knees to make them cut off shorts. Billy was right, it wasn't big enough, not for the space he would need. Jacob was sprawled out on the floor his body withering in pain. Jacob was in too deep so Spence knew he would be out of it for a while as his body worked through the transformation process.

She picked him up with ease and walked with him in her arms out to the woods. There was a clearing less than a few yards away so she gently placed Jacob down.

She rubbed a hand over his long black hair. "You're going to be okay Jake, I promise. Just hang in there."

Spence had seen through her brother's their own transformations, she had remembered hers but Jacob's was different. Even though he was supposed to be the rightful Alpha, he was struggling. His transformation reminded her of those other vampire television shows where werewolf transformations were painful. Jacob was going through the exact same thing. She could hear his bones begin to break, could hear his screams. There was nothing she could do to help him so she just sat and waited.

A few minutes later the boys came to check what was going on, having heard Jacob's screams. Sam was the only one who stayed with Spence and Jacob.

With most of the pain and bone breakage over Jacob then phased into a large russet wolf. He looked at Sam and then at Spence and growled.

"Woah easy there Jake, you're okay."

Jake sniffed Spence and was disgusted. It had been the same odor he had smelled in her room.

"Yeah I know the smell," Spence said rolling her eyes. "The guys give me lip for it all the time but that's not my fault. Hold up a sec. I'll make this easier for you."

She backed away to give herself some space as she turned into her half black/half white wolf self. Sam did the same.

"There," said Spence. "Better."

"So this is why you've been spending time with him," Jacob asked, "because you're all wolves?"

"Half," said Spence. "Long story short, my mom carried the wolf genes and my dad was a vampire."

Jacob moved his head. "So that's where the stink comes from."

"Yo, look who finally phased," Embry said coming into the clearing followed by the two other wolves.

"About time Black," said Paul.

"Yeah," said Jared, "What's the deal man, what took you so long?"

"Embry phased and we didn't even know he was one of us," Paul added.

"And none of us went through what you did just now bro," said Jared.

"Yeah," said Embry, "Talk about painful."

Spence replayed Jacob's withering and the sound of his bones breaking. The brother's all shivered in the agony their new brother went through.

Sam bowed to Jacob, "The spot is yours Jacob."

"What spot would that be," he asked.

"You're the rightful Alpha," said Spence. "Sam was just the acting Alpha until you were ready."

"Forget it," said Jacob. "Keep the spot, I don't want it."

"You're sure," Sam asked. Even though Jacob's tone took on some authority as the rightful Alpha he wanted to be sure.

"Hey I don't even want to be in this so keep the position. I don't want it."

"Very well then," said Sam.

"This is a lot to take in Jake," said Spence, "Trust us we know. We've all been there but it will get easier. We can help you."

"Sure, sure."

"Boys, let's go."

Jacob hated the fact that he had to follow Sam's orders and obey him when Sam wanted to leave. He saw that Spence wasn't doing anything though. Her head didn't bow in submission the way the others did.

Spence saw the look in Jacob's eyes, read the distain from his thoughts. She turned to the Alpha.

"Sam, would you mind if Jake and I go see Billy? I told him I'd look out for his son and I'm sure he'll want to know what's going on."

Sam just shook his head. Alpha rules didn't apply to Spence and often times more than not he had hated that fact so when Spence talked to him as if she were on his level he had no other option to comply since he couldn't make her take his commands.

Sam turned around and began walking toward the northwest. "Go," he called over his shoulder.

Spence shrugged Jacob with her shoulder. "Come on, let's go see your dad."

She bent down and careful not to bite, she took Jacob's shorts in her mouth.

"You're going to need these later," she said to him tossing the shorts on his back.

The two of them began walking back toward Jacob's house. As they got close Spence took a leap and then when she landed on her two feet. Next to a tree was a bag. She was glad she had brought it since her bra and shorts tore during her phase. She knew Jacob was watching but she didn't care. She still hated the nudity part of wolf life but all of her brothers had seen her and it's not like she had anything to be ashamed of. She went to the bag and put on a new bra, a black tank top, and some black underwear under some jean shorts.

She turned to Jacob. "It's easy, just aim for you want and jump. Or you can phase in place, whichever is easier."

Jacob shook off the shorts that were riding on his back and sat on his hind legs as he looked at Spence. She waited. Then with his paw Jacob made a circular motion much like Spence had seen Scar do in the 'Lion King' movie many times before.

"Oh come on if anyone should have said anything it should have been me," said Spence.

Jacob made the motion again.

"I've seen the other guys…sacks; doesn't get me turned on that way. We're cousins so I'm pretty sure you won't get me turned on either."

Jacob looked at her curiously.

Spence bit her lip. "Oh right, you don't know about that. Change and I'll explain things."

Jacob did the motion a third time.

"Fine," Spence said to him. Jacob barked. "Fine I'm going," she said taking her bag and leaving Jake in the trees.

"Better," she asked Jacob once he came and stood by her.

"Much. Though I think I might have to do something about this hair. I'm burning up."

"Why don't you go do something about that and see your dad, I'll get the bikes going."

"I left my bike at Charlie's."

Spence smirked, "I wasn't gone far when you showed up. Once Charlie took you I brought your bike back."

"So where' we headed?"

"Figured we'd go to the beach so we can talk."

Jacob nodded. It only took him five minutes since he didn't want to keep Spence waiting.

The two best friends said nothing as they walked the beach. The sun was coming toward the horizon.

"So you said we were cousins," said Jacob.

He had his hands in his pockets and his hair was cut short having done it in the five minutes he was at the house with a pair of scissors from his room. There would be plenty of time to fix I later, Spence had told him as well as get his tattoo.

"Yeah," said Spence. "My mom was Ava Two Arrows. Her parents were Mary Black and Doug Uley." Jacob only nodded.

"So you got the genetics from them. And your dad who happened to be a vampire mated with a human," he said sounding disgusted.

Spence was used to it. Her brothers had been too.

"They didn't just mate with each other, they were in love."

"Like um…like those friends of yours, Edward and Bella."

Spence smiled. Of course Jake would know about that now. "Yeah like them."

"And none of this bothers you?" he said looking at her.

She looked at him. "The only thing that bothers me is the way I treated you. I may not follow Alpha's orders but I only acted that way so I wouldn't hurt you. It wouldn't have mattered since I hurt you either way. As for all of this, I like who I am. I like what I am and that's more than enough at this point."

Jacob let out a small smile. He may have not wanted to be in a pack but he was now and at least he had Embry back in his life and Spence. Maybe that wouldn't be so bad after all.

Jacob leaned in and shoved Spence. "Well I guess I can get over that vamp stink if it means having my best friend back." He then looked at her skeptically, "Hey, you don't hunt people do you, you know because of your vampire stuff?"

"Never had a taste of human blood in my life but I don't eat human food either the way your appetites work."

"So then what do you eat?"

"I drink animal blood like the Cullen's do and if I do get hungry I hunt as a wolf and eat raw."

"So does this mean I have to like the Cullen's since you're like them too?"

"That's up to you. I know Sam and Paul are bothered by me being friends with them but Jared and Embry not so much. I'm not asking you to choose between your brothers and me Jacob. My time between both is evenly spent, split right down the middle just like my genetics and fur color. I just hope I can get my best friend back even though I probably don't deserve it."

"That I can promise," Jacob said placing his hand over his cousin's shoulder. "Shit Spence, you're freezing."

Spence smiled, "You'll get used to it."

"We'll see," said Jacob.

The two continued to walk along the beach. Things would never be the same as they had been before life turned crazy on them but at least they had each other back in their lives and that was enough. Spence only hoped that now the craziness would stop at least for a bit but given the odds, which was no more likely than her turning elsewhere. Whatever happened next, at least Spence had found her place. She could only hope that her two families would find theirs.

~END~

(Stay Tuned for the final part to the series in

'Fates Journey #3: Can't Change Fate')