Disclaimer:
All characters and known situations belong to their respective owners. Everything else came from my own mind- scary place that it is sometimes. In no way shape or form have I made or intended to make a profit from this story…. All rights still belong to Stephanie… though it's a shame she never did anything more with the wolves… ah well.. There's always fan fiction

Authors Notes:
Ok, so the destruction of Edward was going to happen in the last chapter, but it was too long. So I moved it here. Please don't kill me just yet, lol. I've got a few more curve balls to throw before the game is through. I promise nothing too bad anymore- well… maybe.

Two songs gave me the inspiration for this- one is The Animal by Disturbed, the other is Animal I Have Become by Three Days Grace. Hopefully I'll do this chapter justice when its all typed out compared to what was in my head .

Chapter 11

Jacob was floating in an ocean of black. His senses were dulled to almost nothing, save for the sound of Bella's voice. The more he honed in on that gorgeous sound, the more his other senses seemed to awaken as well. Behind his closed eyelids, dots of light danced in a bright kaleidoscope of colors. His memories were hazy, though he remembered fighting- lots of growling and biting. His wolf had almost completely taken him over and it was a hard pressed battle for the human within to regain any semblance of control. That was when he had collapsed.

Bella kissed Jacob's palm for the fourth time in a little over an hour since she had woken up that morning after having slept beside him all night. She felt guilty for scaring her friends so easily but even more guilty that she had listened to Edward- yet again. She should have known better. The pack was her family now. Brady had told her Jacob was alive. Now she had nothing but guilt for putting him through something he never should have had to deal with. Jacob as well as the rest of the pack had done so much for her; they'd brought her back to life. She sighed as she ran ideas around in her head for ways she could possibly start to make it up to them.

"Jake, I'm so sorry I doubted you. I just couldn't stand the thought that you had left. If you had died… because of my foolishness… I'd never forgive myself for that. My head told me you had left me here alone. My heart screamed at me to wait until I had seen for myself… but you must know what it's like. You dragged me from the cliffs. Jake. I don't know what I'd do without you. You have to wake up so I can scream at you, and then you can scream at me. Just please. Wake up ok?"

She sighed and made her way down the stairs. Esme had told her last night none of the wolves were very inclined to leave since both the alpha and beta of the pack had been injured and were in the house being treated. She had then gone about cooking and cleaning up after them all- which put them even more on edge. The imprints too were leery and worried. They would all be less tense when they were allowed to go home. And if seeing her healthier could ease their minds a little, she'd do that. She owed them that much at least.

The wolves sighed and turned their eyes towards the stairs when they heard Bella coming down. She gave them a small smile, still a little shaken and worried but twenty times better than she was when she had first come into the house. The girls sighed in relief and rushed to gather her to them, each one taking the time to hug her tightly before scolding her for scaring them that badly. It was something they never wanted to see again. The wolves too- Jared and Paul in particular- couldn't help but agree. They didn't like seeing her weak. It had shocked and scared them when they had seen her the night before.

Brady had handed her off to his brothers with orders to take her to Jacob and had then dragged Paul outside to talk to him. He had told Paul exactly what was said to Rachel when she asked to speak to him shortly after her arrival and he had warned him that Rachel would possibly seek him out sometime in the near future. He didn't like calling the woman out- she was an imprint after all- but Paul had assured him it was alright. They had finally come back inside through the back door half way through Bella's heartfelt talk.

When Bella saw Brady, she smiled and walked over to give him a hug. "I just wanted to say sorry to you- all of you really. I should have known better. But… I love him. He means the world to me, and I guess I was just too shocked to say anything- DO anything- other than close down on myself." She said quietly.

Brady waved her off. "I get it. You don't have to explain it to me. You said it once yourself Jake is your sun. Bella, the sun and the moon can't survive without one another. They NEED each other for balance and stability. We all understand that. Just promise us it won't happen again, ok?"

"It better not happen again!" A voice behind them answered.

Bella whirled around and almost fell against Brady in her shock. There, coming down the steps with the help of Rosalie was Jacob, almost fully healed and smiling beautifully at her. Before she could launch herself into his arms Emmett stopped her. He was quick to let her down when twin growls echoed from the room. One of was from Jacob- predictably- the other was from Bella- surprisingly.

"I didn't mean anything by it you two. But Carlisle told him no strenuous movements." Emmett soothed. "I think catching you in mid leap would be considered strenuous right now, don't you?"

Bella huffed and walked over to him. She sighed and carefully wound her arms around his body. "You're gonna be ok right?" She asked against his chest inhaling the ginger and rain smell that was uniquely his.

Jacob smiled and hugged her to his side. "Yeah. I was advised to take it easy for a couple days. But… I should be ok. How's Sam?" He asked smiling at Emily.

Emily smiled. "He's mending well. Another couple of days and he'll be right as rain."

"That's good. I'm sure he can't wait to get home." He said quietly.

Carlisle took that time to walk into the room and clear his throat. "You're both more than well enough to be able to leave. You should be healed within two days, able to phase without pain in a week."

Jacob looked around the room finally. He arched an eyebrow when he noticed one vampire missing. "Where's the mind reader?"

"I haven't heard from him since you arrived last night. He must be out hunting." Esme said.

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "More like sulking since Jacob didn't die…. What's wrong Bella?"

All eyes were on her now as she paled slightly. Her heart raced beneath her rib cage and her breath left her in nervous pants. "You weren't told?"

It was Brady's turn to pale now. In all the chaos, what with having the alpha AND the future alpha injured, he had forgotten to go to Jared about Bella almost being kidnapped. The imprints, by a unanimous and unvoiced agreement, had refused to say anything either; it wasn't their place. They didn't want to raise tensions any higher than they were. The pack was already in the proverbial lions den as it was.

Brady sighed and hung his head as he approached Jacob. "I'm so sorry Jake. I'm just so, so sorry. I should have told Jared as soon as I got here. I just didn't think about it with everything else that was going on. Rachel came to talk to me about Paul and then I had to tell him what was going on so he could be warned about it and-"

Jacob winced and waved a hand for quiet. "Just… stop. Tell me WHY you're apologizing. Please."

Brady gulped. The pack watched in awe as the imprints- Bella included- moved to stand around Brady. They were a part of this too. "Yesterday, after Victoria was killed… Edward came onto the rez. He took Bella from your yard. We had only just phased back 5 minutes ago. It wasn't until the back door was opened that we smelled a leech. He… h-he was trying to take her off of tribal land."

Jacob's face was a mask of quiet fury. He heard the Cullen's gasp in shock behind him and his jaw clenched all that much tighter. He closed his eyes and reined in his wolf enough to turn to Bella. "The reason you doubted me?"

She nodded her head. "He told me you were dead. I should have been strong enough to know better." She whispered.

"I'd never leave you like that. I promised I'd come back." He told her gently. It wasn't her he was going to take his anger out on.

"What else happened Brady?" Jared asked him. Jacob was too focused on soothing a quietly crying mate.

"We stopped him. I got Bella away from him, Collin and Seth pined him down. They didn't kill him. They're saving that honor for you Jake. They'll have taken him somewhere remote. I know that much." He said quietly.

Jacob turned to the vampires in the room. Alice looked sick, Carlisle was consoling an upset Esme and Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie looked just as furious as he felt- those three at least would be saved the wrath of the pack- it was clear they still held SOME decency. Even if none of them had asked to be changed, it seemed that Bella was right when she had first talked to Alice, Carlisle and Esme had forgotten what it was to truly be human. "You realize his life is forfeit now." It was a statement rather than a question.

Alice gasped. "Please, I beg mercy of you!"

"MERCY?!" Jacob roared- his wolf seething on the inside. The pack shifted as nervous energy built in the room causing an uncomfortable tension. The mated wolves slowly shifted their imprints behind them and out of harms way. They trusted Jacob, not the vampire he was taking his rage out on.

"Jasper… do something!" Carlisle urged.

Jasper shook his head slowly. "I can't control all of that rage. His wolf has been highly insulted. For that matter, so has the pack." He said quietly.

Jacob took two menacing steps forward. The timbre of his voice dropped to an almost growl as he locked his eyes on a now slightly shaking Alice. "Where was HIS mercy when he left my MATE in the woods to die?! Where was his MERCY when he almost bit her in the school HALLWAY?! Where was his mercy when he threatened to change her in front of my eyes? Where was it then you little tick-"

Bella stepped in front of him with her hands on either side of his face. Gasps and warning shouts were given and promptly ignored as she began cooing to him softly. "Jake… shhh. It's ok. Baby… Jake, baby look at me, please?"

Jacob inhaled and locked his eyes with Bella's. The anger was rolling off of him in waves still, but she wasn't afraid. She'd never be afraid of him. "He hurt you again. I wasn't there. I didn't save you." He whispered piteously.

She shook her head and smoothed the worry lines from his eyes, smiling when he started to relax. "You didn't get the chance this time because you bought my freedom with your blood and the death of Victoria. The pack- the pups for that matter- kept me safe for you. You didn't fail. You came back. So stop it. Just… calm down, your scaring the girls." She scolded lightly.

Jacob sighed and looked to his pack mates. Indeed, the girls were standing slightly behind their respective mates. He hadn't even noticed Sam in the room until he looked to where Emily had been. His head was hung only slightly in shame. "I'm sorry."

Sam grinned tiredly, his breath coming in short pants as she shifted his weight slightly. "There's nothing to forgive Jake. I do want to know what's to be done with the leech who attacked our Bella though."

Carlisle sighed. He turned to Bella with a sad smile. "We'll be leaving. It pains me, but Edward's life is yours to do with as you will. I'll not stop you from what you must do."

"One week. After that, I'll not stop the wolves from openly patrolling in Forks." Sam said firmly. Carlisle nodded and watched them leave. There was little to be done other than pack up and make their deaths look accidental.

The ride back to the reservation was a quiet one for Bella and Jacob. She sat curled against his side while Embry drove her truck. They stopped in front of Jacob's house and were greeted by Billy and the rest of the elders. They had come to see the severity of the injuries themselves and to make sure everyone was alright. When Sam only stumbled briefly they relaxed, assured that they were safe from harm. Jacob sighed and turned to Sam. They both knew what was coming; their wolves could feel it.

"It's time isn't it?" Sam asked with a tired sigh.

Jacob nodded. "I don't want it. The wolf does. We can feel the anticipation of the fight already."

Sam nodded in understanding. He had never wanted to be the alpha either. "Us too. I'll try to hold the wolf back as long as I can. It should be quick."

Bella and Emily gasped quietly when they realized what was going on. It was the last thing they wanted to hear. Their wolves turned to them with tender eyes. Their mates loved them so deeply. While they were worried, each woman held her head high in respect for them. Bella still wasn't completely up to par from her extremely brief relapse, but she trusted Jacob. If this was what needed to be done, she'd stand by him.

"Let's do it now. There's a lot left to do." Jacob said.

Sam sighed and nodded in agreement. Together they phased into their gorgeous lupine other halves. Sam tried to quell his wolf as much as possible. He didn't want the alpha position and Jacob's wolf was more than eager to lay claim to it. When Jacob lunged, Sam crouched and forced his wolf to hold the position. He didn't want to fight. It incensed his wolf, but Sam's control was stronger now that it had been when he had first phased. He could feel Jacob's teeth in his neck, and each time his wolf struggled those teeth sank deeper into the skin.

With a final shake of his jaw, Jacob staked his claim on his birth right. A howl of victory sounded from deep within him and was echoed by those still phased. Sam was rightfully made the beta of the pack and the wolves surrounding the pair quickly and easily acknowledged it. They breathed easy now that the tension was gone. Things were as they were always meant to be.

"Hey, Jake! Phase back baby. Seth called. He wants to tell you where they're holding Edward." Bella called from the front porch. Jacob hadn't even seen her move to go inside.

His lip curled at the name and remained firmly set in a frown when he phased back. It was only wiped from his face when he walked past Bella. He placed a kiss to her temple and moved lithely to the kitchen counter where the phone lay waiting.

"Where, Seth."

"Collin's family has an old cabin further in on the reservation. Just down the old pine trails. I think you'll enjoy the means by which we've used to keep him from running." Seth's smirk was evident in his voice, and from the sound of it, it was cruel and directed towards the vampire in question.

"Give us two hours. Sam and I need the rest. I'll send Jared and Paul to you with food, rest when they get there, but don't leave." He told him.

"Sure thing Jake." Seth chirped.

Jacob rolled his eyes. That kid was too happy. He hung up and turned to see Bella leaning against the door frame. "I'm glad I have you by my side, Bells. I need you so much more than you know."

Bella smiled. "I need you just as much, Jake. I'm still so sorry for ever doubting in your ability to stay alive."

A finger was placed to her lips. "It's fine. If I were in Edward's shoes, I'd probably have done the same thing. He's obsessed with you, and he believes you're his mate. Does he love you? I don't know. In some sick way, probably. But, honey… I've always loved you. Ever since we were little. And I always will. You're my best friend."

Tears welled in her eyes. "You're my rock, Jake. My sun. my guiding light if you want to say that. All I know is I want to spend my life with you. Why I thought it would be Edward, I have no idea. If you had asked me last year who I wanted the rest of my life to be spent with, I would have chosen him. But you've changed all of that. And I'm grateful."

Jacob sighed. He and his wolf both rumbled in pleasure at her confession. He kissed her, just a shy meeting of lips, and wrapped her into his arms. The silence that blanketed them was only broken by Jacob's stomach growling loudly. Snickers were heard from the living room causing both of them to roll their eyes.

"If you want lunch you'll shut up!" Bella called out. She smirked when silence met their ears.

Emily and the girls sauntered in and together, after shooing Jacob from the kitchen, helped Bella prepare the equivalent to a large feast for the boys. It took them no less than an hour to make it. As promised, she packed four plates of food in a basket and sent it off with Jared and Paul for them to share with Collin and Seth. She asked Brady and Quil to set the table for everyone and no less that twenty minutes later the food was gone and the wolves left at the table were leaning back in their seats completely satisfied. Bella sighed and shook her head. Watching the pack eat would never get old.

Sam glanced at the clock and nudged Jacob. They both grimaced. Jacob turned to Brady and Leah. With a smile he told them to take over patrol. He promised to have two of the other wolves relieve them when the leech had been dealt with. He instructed Embry and Quil to keep the girls inside. Not one of them was to be let out of sight. When it looked like his sister wanted to argue with him about it, he merely arched an eyebrow and stared her down. She needed to know he wasn't the same pushover he had once been.

The transition from man to wolf was flawless for both of them- one as the oldest, the other and the rightful alpha- and they took a moment to bask in the power that flowed through them. They turned towards Jacob's house at the same time to see Bella standing on the porch waiting to wave them off. It always amazed them that she wasn't ever afraid of their wolves. She really was sort of perfect for the pack.

"Where do we go?" Sam asked.

Jacob would have shrugged if he had been human. "Follow the rotting stench of bleach and death?"

"Sounds good to me… race ya?" Sam teased. They had become pretty good friends since becoming wolves, and Jacob still looked to Sam for help with a great deal of things. It was nice to think he could still do that even when their roles were reversed.

Jacob nipped playfully at Sam's shoulder before bounding off into the trees. He loved the way the wind felt through his fur, loved the feel of the ground beneath his lean yet strongly muscled body. Sam felt the same thrill as he ran beside his alpha. He relished the fact that some of the weight of running the pack was off of his shoulders.

It took them a mere twenty minutes to get to the cabin. It was homely enough, if not a little weather worn and run down in some places. The roof was still in tact and the windows were all in one piece. Jacob phased effortlessly back into his human form, followed quickly by Sam. When they both stepped onto the bottom step at the same time, it moaned in protest. Sam arched an eyebrow and allowed Jacob to go first, not trusting their weight to hold at the same time.

Collin met them at the door. "It'll be fine. It may complain a little, but this place was built to last. It's holding four wolves so far. If THAT'S not testament to its sound structure, I don't know what is." He told them.

Jacob's ears were met with hisses and growls from the far corner of the cabin as soon as he stepped through the door. Paul looked like a small kid again with mirth twinkling in his eyes as he poked and prodded at the torso of one highly aggrieved vampire. He smirked at Seth. "You're doing?"

"All Collin." He said nodded to the arms and legs strung over the fireplace just high enough that they wouldn't directly catch fire- yet.

Sam shook his head. "Did he make you THAT mad that'd you'd play with your prey before destroying it?"

Collin shrugged. "He messed with the future alpha's mate. I wanted to lay him over slow burning coals, but I didn't know if the body would catch fire too quickly or not. A hot poker doesn't seem to catch him on fire… but it's fun to watch him growl through the pain and try to act tougher than he is."

"You're only wrong in one aspect of that… he messed with the alpha's mate." Sam said with a sinister grin directed towards Edward. "And now there's hell to pay."

Collin and Seth turned to Jared and Paul. "You two could have told us!" Seth huffed.

"Oops." Paul said around a mouthful of home made potato chips. He had been snacking since he arrived. He was having too much fun making the leech mad. It was like the little boy who poked sticks into an ant hill just to watch them swarm from the ground.

Jared shrugged and stacked another log onto the fire. "Slipped my mind. I was too busy teasing the leech."

Jacob shook his head. "Didn't your mother ever teach you it's not nice to tease those less fortunate than you?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. His eyes, however, were dancing with mirth.

"Yeah, but this is a different thing all together. This is a beast that will very soon be put down for the good of humanity. I figure it'll be alright if I have ONE slip up."

"You just wait, you god awful, rotten, foul, disgusting excuse for a flea infested mutt! I'll get out of here and you'll beg for death. I'll make you WATCH while I drain Bella. Three days. It takes three days to turn. All the pain, I'll chain you in the room to hear her screams!" Edward hissed.

Jacob's wolf bristled at that. "I don't think so tick. You see… there's one flaw in your little plan. You ASSUME you'll be leaving when we do."

"He'll leave, Jake." Seth said picking at his nails. Five wolves turn their heads sharply to glare at Seth.

"He's taking a one way trip to the open gates of hell." Seth said with a casual shrug of his shoulders. He could have been talking about the weather for all anyone outside the cabin knew if they had seen the exchange.

Jared smirked. "I knew there was a reason I liked you."

Edward watched in indignant fury as Jacob walked calmly towards the ropes his limbs were suspended from. He tilted his head to the side as an idea formed in his head. Thoughts of abolishing the treaty and killing those of the coven not liked by Bella- essentially only Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett would live. Edward's eyes were wide in shock. He'd never known the werewolf before him to have such dark and volatile thoughts before.

"You'd do that? Even after I'm dead and gone?" His voice shook only slightly in his shock.

Jacob smirked. "I AM going to do that- part of it at least. And I'll enjoy it as well. You and yours have pushed me and my family one too many times tick." He growled before walking to where one of Edwards arms was hanging. He fed it slowly into the flames, watching as the fire consumed the marble like appendage an inch at a time until nothing remained but for ashes.

While Edward screamed in pain, Jacob thought of every time he and Bella had lain together- every sigh, every kiss, every teaching caress, and every scream of pleasure. His pack mates watched on in silence, a little leery of the man in front of them now. This was not the same sunny boy everyone knew him to be. This was the alpha who had had his mate kidnapped, attacked and harassed for weeks on end by a delusional vampire.

When Edward's screams had died, the second arm went into the fire. Jacob started with the hand, slowly feeding the appendage into the greedy flames. Paul shivered, goose bumps raising on his arms at the tortured cries of the leech suspended next to the fireplace. He quelled the urge to leave, sure his alpha would be displeased with him if he did. This was, after all, Edward's punishment for ever thinking he had any claim on Bella to begin with.

The legs were the next to go, fed one by one into the ever hungry fire by the steady hands of the alpha wolf crouched in front of it. He was appeasing the vengeful wolf in his mind as he watched the glittering marble skin turn to ash in the fireplace pit.

"Please…" Edward finally choked out.

Jacob smirked. He knew he'd beg eventually. "What was that, tick?"

"Jacob, please, what would Bella think of all of this?" Edward asked weakly.

A voice behind in the silence of the room shocked them. "She'd say goodbye, Edward."

Bella and Brady stood in the doorway, ignoring the shocked looks thrown their way. Jacob arched his eyebrow at them. "Brady?"

"She said she wouldn't feed us if one of us didn't bring her to you and the other girls readily agreed. I told you, wolf girls are scary when they're together." Brady said with a whine.

Bella sighed and moved to stand by Jacob's side. "It's time to end it, Jake. Let's go home."

Edward's eyes were wide in shock as he heard Bella order Jacob to destroy him. He couldn't believe it. Even if he secretly held no more delusions of her love for him, he'd always known her to be compassionate and forgiving in nature. Had he really underestimated her that much. He screamed for Jacob to wait before he was thrown into the fire.

"Bella, love, please, look at me?" He had to try once more to sway her to his side. If she agreed, he could barter his freedom for her safety. Even without arms and legs, the thrall would do her harm. As underhanded as it was, he'd do it to keep himself alive.

Bella took a deep breath and turned to him. When their eyes met, he stared in shock. This wasn't the woman he had attached himself to a year ago. This woman was strong, and… beautiful. When their eyes met, he was shocked to see nothing happened. He couldn't reach beyond the wall she had finally built to keep him out.

"Goodbye Edward." Bella said. She watched as Collin and Brady moved to throw him into the fire.

"Wait. He won't fit like this." Seth told them.

Jacob looked to the wolves remaining. "Phase and tear him apart outside- SLOWLY. I want him to suffer as much as possible. Come find me when you're done. I want nothing left of him when you get back." He demanded.

Their backs were turned as the wolves dragged the mangled body of Edward around the back of the cabin. Bella shuddered only briefly when she heard the screams start. With a straight back she walked away from the chaos with Jacob at her side. Edward was her past, and tonight, it had been laid to rest. Jacob was her future, and where her heart had always truly belonged.

She giggled when he crouched in front of her and ordered her to jump onto his back after she had tripped on yet another tree root. Confidence in herself had given her the ability to stave her general clumsiness, however, hidden tree branched in the brush and leaf litter on the forest floor still held some hazard for her health.

"Hey Jake?" She let her chin rest on his broad shoulder.

He shifted her weight higher up his back so her legs could more comfortably rest on his hips. "Hmm?"

"I love you, you know." She said with a grin.

Jacob stopped and turned his head to her with a grin. "I know Bells. Always have." He teased.

"You're house is empty right now. The elders are at Leah's house, and the pack is gone." She said quietly before nipping his ear.

He shuddered. "You better hold on tight baby girl." He growled. When she did as requested, he took off at a sprint. The wolf in him needed her, and he was damned if he wasn't going to listen. He was finally at peace with his wolf, and was more inclined now to listen to the animals demands. Claiming his mate again was chief among them. His light footfalls and Bella's giggles were all that was heard on the way to his house. By the time they arrived, Jacob was more wolf than man and Bella was more turned on than she had been before. She knew what was coming, and she couldn't wait.