Jacob's pack brothers were furious with him when they found out I knew about their secret, they told him I wasn't an imprint or a member of the tribe and I was forbidden to know. Which opened up the whole subject of what the hell was imprinting and what did it have to do with him? They told him about it being a force of nature, the spirit wolf inside all of them would claim their mate and it would be impossible to break. He was so upset that he'd phased on the spot and tore through the forest and came straight to my house where I was finishing up an essay. I'd heard him knock on the window and I unlatched it.

"You know it's daylight and I have a front door right?" I giggled but his face was dark as he pulled himself through my window. "What's wrong?"

He paced back and forth in my tiny room and I leaned on the chair watching him wear a path in my purple carpet. He ran his hands through his hair but it stayed down because it hadn't been raining, though he was sweaty and a few tendrils stuck to his face.

"I'm...I...this is...not what I signed up for. I didn't want this, any of this. It's not fair!" I was thankful Charlie was out with his buddies for a drink, otherwise Jacob's yelling would have alerted Charlie something was very wrong.

"Jake, what's not fair. What happened?" I remained in my desk chair as his pacing slowed and he sat down on my bed with a long sigh as he began to explain what imprinting meant and how they all did it. I felt my heart break at the thought of him loving someone despite what his heart wanted, that sounded miserable for him. "Why'd you tell them that I knew? Maybe they are just messing with you." I offered.

But Jacob shook his head, "I didn't. While we are phased we can read each others thoughts, see whatever the others are visualizing like we are there experiencing it ourselves. They caught me thinking about how accepting you had been and told me that I shouldn't be around you right now."

His words slapped me in the face, I didn't fully understand any of the pack business but I'd kept all of the Cullens secrets I'm not sure why this is being made into such a big deal by the tribal council. "Wow. I don't know what to say to that."

He stood and began pacing again, "You know, it's bad enough this is what my future is. But why does my wolf get to choose who I spend my life with? The wolf isn't mating with her, or talking to her...It's...just stupid."

His voice was rising again and I stood up from the desk and stopped his pacing by putting my hand out, his hard abs rippling under neath my hand. I could feel his heat on my hand, his bare skin was so warm I just wished I could crawl into his arms. "Calm down. I mean, maybe there are ways around it. You can research it yourself."

I jerked my hand back and sat down on the windowsill, him on my bed facing me. "Maybe. I just don't like this. First I turn into a freaking monster then I can't leave the reservation for school and now I don't get to choose who I end up with? Isn't turning into a wolf punishment enough?" His face fell, his heart which was normally enlarged was broken into a million pieces. I didn't know what to say so I just got up and wrapped my arms around him in a tight, friendly hug. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and layed his cheek on the top of my head. I could hear his heart racing and wondered why, but I didn't ask. We held each other until my knees hurt from kneeling on the floor, when I adjusted them he released his grip on me slightly, pulling back.

Words never came out, he just looked defeated and it was so out of his ordinary I wished I could take away his pain. "You want to do something to take your mind off of it? Your pick."

He laughed, but the smile never met his eyes, "Anything?"

I frowned, he loved testing my fears and yet I knew he needed me to be strong for him for a change. "Yes, one thing, your pick."

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I stared down at the ground, people looked like small black ants we were so high up. My knees were shaking and I was clutching the side of the guard railing with one hand and Jacob's bicep with the other as he helped the guide put his own harness on. Mine was on, and I made sure it was tight, I didn't care if it was pinching my lady bits, I was NOT going to fall out of this thing. Jake nodded and gave the guy a thumbs up as he tested his chords to make sure they were latched and turned to me, trying to pry me off the guard rail. My hands were shaking and he pried my grip off his arm and wrapped a strong arm around my mid section. "Thanks for doing this!" He was excited, which made me smile because he needed to be happy and forget about the whole imprinting thing even if just for an afternoon.

"Y-your welcome." I stammered, my heart feeling like it was trying to get out of my chest. I gripped my harness and shakily grabbed Jake's hand, which he happily clutched. His warmth doing little to ease my fears this time, the guides motioned for us to step forward as we were next. He had to practically pick me up, my body was in fear mode. "oh-oh god." I groaned, teetering on the edge of the platform.

Jacob took in a deep breath of the fresh air and smiled, "You have to get hooked up first so I'm behind you."

I nodded and let the guide hook me up to the tether, when Jacob had said he wanted me to go zip lining with him it took every bit of self control I had not to say no or yell at him to stop being stupid. But in the end I did it for him, but the catch was he had to go on the line with me and he was happy to do so.

The guide pulled Jacob forward by his tether and attached him to me and the main tether so I was sitting in his lap practically. "You guys can jump when you are ready, have fun."

Jacob waited a few seconds and leaned around me, following my gaze at the small buildings and people below and he knew I wouldn't jump. "Bells, I'm going to hug you and jump ok?" I nodded and clenched his arms around me, his warmth around me giving me butterflies. "Ready?" I nodded and leaned against his chest, I quickly felt the floor leave my feet and felt Jacob jump away from the platform. As our weight hung from the simple tether I clenched my eyes shut and squealed in fear, Jacob however was whooping and hollaring enjoying the scenery.

"Bells, I've got you. You should open your eyes, this is incredible." How he knew they were closed was beyond me, but that was Jacob...he always knew. I felt secure in his arms so I forced myself to open my eyes. The scenery was flying past us as we wove in and out of the forest, over streams and through the mountains. It truly was beautiful and was glad he'd convinced me to do this, I wasn't the outdoorsy adventurous type at all.

"Oh god. Okay...oh...Wow, this is gorgeous!"

He laughed, a free, young laugh that I hadn't heard in a while since everything got weird. "Thanks for coming with me, this is great!"

Our zip line continued to go down a hill at a slow pace, allowing us to take in the scenery. We dipped between some trees and glided over the lake and watched some deer frolic in the lake. My grip had become relaxed but Jacob kept his word and held onto me, I had a feeling he was the only reason I was so relaxed right now suspended so high above the ground.

As we neared the end of the line I felt Jacob lean his head next to mine gently and he kissed my temple but he planned the timing that way because I didn't have time to react or say anything because the guides were getting us unhooked. I knew Jacob had feelings for me, I just hadn't thought I was in the right place for a relationship with anyone yet. I couldn't deny I had feelings for Jake, but acting on them was another story entirely.

Our legs felt like jelly as we walked to the restaurant that was by the lake, we had lunch reservations and I was starving. Jake held the door open for me and we were seated instantly and from our table we could see part of the zip line. Jacob had ordered a steak and steak fries and carrots; I had steak also with carrots and a hash-brown casserole.

"So? what'd you think?" He'd asked excitedly, sipping on his coke.

"I actually loved it once I got over my fear of heights. Thank you for pushing me to do it." I say he pushed me, but he didn't pressure me into it. I just meant he encouraged me to do it despite being afraid, he'd promised to be there and support me and he was. Everything was better with him behind me it seemed.

"No problem. I loved it! Thanks for getting my mind off of everything." He cocked his head to the side and his eyes twinkled.

I giggled, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You are just incredible...You are so fun to be with, you make everything more fun. It's like I am seeing the world through your eyes and it's just...amazing."

I bit my lip, uncomfortable with the compliments. "Thanks. So, what's next?"

"Always adverting attention off of yourself." He sat his coke down and leaned closer towards me, "I'm not sure, but what do you say we go for a hike and go see that lake we saw where the deer were?"

I nodded, I told him that sounded good. We finished out lunch and headed up the mountain, I had taken off my t-shirt and jacob hung it from his back pocket with his own. My grey tank top was sweaty and I felt disgusting, but so was he so I shouldn't let it bother me. It was probably 80 degrees out in the direct sun for most of the hike, so our shoes came off when we reached the cool lake water and we sat on a log, dangling our feet in the water. It felt amazing on my tired, sweaty feet.

"Man, I could live like this for eternity and be so content." Jacob said, digging his nails into the bark.

"Would be sort of lonely."

"When I say 'this' I mean with you, so no." He pointed across the lake at a few deer getting a drink. "Look at that."

I cringed slightly, the sight of deer in their natural habitat was so beautiful. I knew Edward had killed so many deer doing just what they were, living their animal lives out in harmony and it ending so abruptly. I knew Jacob didn't kill anything or drink blood and it was nice knowing that.

"Take your shorts off." Jacob said suddenly, standing to his knees in the water. He walked to the shore and tore his clothes off, standing in his boxers. I blushed furiously and looked away as though I'd done something wrong. He laughed behind me, "Come on, you can either swim in your bra and panties or naked." He joked, I stood though, not looking at him and pulled my shorts down, laying them next to his. I would not take off my top though, luckily I wore cute underwear they were hot pink boy shorts with a lace waistband and black hand drawn hearts on them.

Jacob whistled as he whirled his hands around him in the water, "Now those are cute Bella." I blushed again, letting my hair fall around my face. The fact that I was in my underwear in front of him was embarrassing enough let alone that he was looking at my underwear and liked it. I quickly entered the water and only walked out till I was on the tips of my toes, the water was only above my belly button. Jacob was out much further and he coughed out a laugh, "Do I need to come get you shorty?"

I laughed but quickly yelled no, he would have to pick me up and I couldn't be that close to him in nothing but my underwear. He dipped below the water and I didn't see him, I counted to 20 and he still hadn't popped up. All of a sudden a pair of arms shot out around my hips and he threw me over his shoulder, his hand resting just above my waistband. "Jake!" I squealed, "Put me down!"

"Nope" He popped the 'p' and laughed, heading out to the deeper water. He finally let me down and I clung to his neck, careful not to touch my body to his. "You can swim, can't you?" He questioned, pulling away from my death grip on his neck.

"NO! Why do you think I stayed in the shallow end!" He lifted me like he would a small child and sat me on his hip, but I pulled back the thin material of my panties against his bare skin was doing things to me. "Jake, I want to go back up there. Please?"

"Sure sure" He took me back to the shallow end and once my feet touched the ground I splashed him in the face. He feigned shock and cocked his head to the side, "Oh really? You want to play that game?"

"You are an ass." I laughed, but as he went to grab me I turned to get out of the lake at the exact time and he got a fist full of breast instead of my arm. He pulled his hands back and groaned an apology and I wanted to die. "Was an accident." I splashed him again to show him no hard feelings but I was floating above us somewhere watching us play in the water. I could see myself liking jacobs touch, wanting him to touch me but I was afraid of it. I was afraid of the intimacy, jacob didn't seem bothered by it but you could tell he wanted to hold me and not just as a friend.

Jacob grabbed me from behind this time, just above my belly button and pulled me sideways into the water, soaking me. I squealed as the cool water ran over my sweaty, flushed skin and grabbed at his arms with no luck. I came up for air and pulled my dripping hair from my face jacob was standing there with his arms crossed and smiling at me like he had a secret. I immediately looked down to see if I lost my shirt or something and as I did he lunged at me again his knee going between my legs. I knew he could feel the outline of me on his leg, but he didn't let on. He kept pushing me backwards until he pinned me up against the log we'd sat on previously stretching my arms above me which caused my chest to stick out.

"Truce?" Jacob chuckled, "Say truce."

"Truce! Truce!" I laughed as he lifted me out of the water and sat me on a log, I'm assuming so my shirt could dry since he wasn't wearing one. "How about a dare, Jake?" I laughed.

"Sure."

"I dare you to take off your boxers and go skinny dipping." I knew the dare was lame but I intended on stealing his boxers and getting out of the water.

He shook his head and hesitated before going underwater, when he popped up he slowly pulled his boxers out of the water and handed them to me. But he didn't swim away he walked up to lean between my legs so his belly was on the log and he put his arms on either side of me. My legs dangling at his hips and my nether regions pressed against his pelvis. I couldn't see anything, it was in the water thankfully but I could see his 'cut' just before it dipped below the water, it was an incredible turn on and I blushed. I wasn't sure what he had up his sleeve but his close proximity was making my heart race.

"You happy now?" He breathed out huskily. I nodded proud of myself and hoping I had the nerve to follow through the rest of this dare. His face was inches from mine and I could feel his breath on my lips as he spoke to me. "What's the point of this little dare, exactly?" He questioned.

"Just wanted to see if you'd do it. But the dare was to swim naked, not just stand here."

"You wanted to see if I, Jacob Black, would have a problem being naked."

I laughed, a real big belly laugh. How stupid was I, of course he wouldn't he was naked half the time. "Jesus. I hadn't thought of it that way." I handed his boxers back and he clutched them in his left hand, but he stayed where he was and I leaned away from him trying to get his skin away from my crotch.

"Come here." He pulled me closer to him by the small of my back and we were chest to belly my heart began beating rapidly as I realized what he was going to do. I wanted to say no, I wanted to protest and tell him not to ruin our fun day but I didn't. As his lips landed on mine softly I put my hand over his on either side of me and let him kiss me. It felt good, he was the first person I'd kissed since Edward and something about it being Jacob was incredible. This was my best friend, I had no secrets with him nor him with me. Everything about us being together felt natural, it felt real and it felt amazing. His lips were full and soft, warm and he was an amazing kisser, there was no tongue but the way he moved his lips against mine set me on fire. I lifted my hands to cup his chin and tilted my head in the opposite direction of his so the kiss went a little deeper.

I felt his tongue brush my lip and I knew he was asking for access, but I couldn't bring myself to do it just yet. I pulled back and bit my swollen lips, "Jake..."

He shook his head, "No, it's my fault it was too much too soon. I'm sorry."

I met his stare and ran a thumb over his bottom lip, where my saliva still sat. "You are good at that." Causing him to smile, he pushed off the log and pulled his boxers on, I stood up on the log and we got dressed and headed back down the trail so we could head home. I'm unsure of what kind of conversation will be had about our kiss, or what it meant or what I even wanted it to mean but for now I didn't care.