Bella stood on the edge of the woods, watching as Jacob tore around the clearing in his wolf form. She had always found him beautiful, but now, as a vampire, she found him unimaginably so.
It was strange, the way her mind worked now. Before, she had been so consumed with her love for Edward, so certain that he was her destiny. But now, as her unlife stretched out before her, she found herself wistfully daydreaming about what might have been with Jacob.
She knew it was impossible, of course – he was a werewolf, and they were mortal enemies. But something about the forbidden nature of it made it all the more alluring to her, especially now that she had no reason to fear death or consequences.
So she watched him, admiring the sleek line of his back and the powerful muscles that rippled beneath his fur. She imagined what it might be like to run with him, to feel the wind in her hair and the thrill of his wild energy against her skin.
A part of her still loved Edward, of course. But she couldn't help but wonder if she had made the wrong choice, if living forever with him was really what she had wanted out of life.
She imagined him shifting back to his human form. His gorgeous russet complexion shone in the sunlight, and his broad shoulders flexed, which accentuated the beautiful muscular definition of them. His tall frame exuded confidence as he walked, and his powerful strides did something to her. He turned to look at her, the human Bella, and he smiled brightly. Her knees felt weak in reaction to the simple gesture, and as he walked towards her, her nerves went haywire. Human Bella's heart was pounding in anticipation of his approach and when Jacob reached her, he took her in his arms and kissed her senseless. She felt his lips, soft and supple, move against hers ardently, plundering for as much as she had to offer. When he released her he spoke in a husky voice. "I missed you, Bells."
Bella's imagination shifted to their married life together. She was in their kitchen; in a little house he'd built for them in La Push. She was working hard to make a special dinner for their anniversary. She'd decided to make all of his favorites. Caesar salad, lasagna, garlic bread, chocolate ganache cake, and her famous oatmeal raisin cookies. As she was finishing up the cookies, Jacob walked in through the front door in his work uniform, greased from head to toe. He smelled of motor oil and rubber, and a scent that was uniquely Jacob. He smiled like it was Christmas morning as all of the scents from the kitchen wafted in his direction.
"Hey, Bells. It smells great! Is this all for me?"
"It's for us. But I made all of your favorites."
"To what do I owe the honor?"
Bella scoffed. "Do you happen to know today's date?"
Jacob grinned mischievously. "Of course, I do honey. I just like to rile you up sometimes. You're hot when you're pissed."
Bella chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. Go wash up for dinner, wolf boy." She whipped her kitchen towel at him, and he laughed, holding his hands up in defense.
"Okay, I'm going. And honey, I am ALL man." He winked as he left the room to go shower. She shook her head in amusement.
When she finished up all of her tasks, she began to set the table for the two of them. She didn't hear Jacob sneak up behind her, so when he wrapped his arms around her from behind, she squeaked in surprise.
"Ahh! Jacob Ephraim." She giggled. The smell of his body wash and his warmth was intoxicating.
He began kissing along the column of her throat, which changed her laughter into soft moans of pleasure.
"Yes?" He asked between kisses.
She abruptly pulled herself out of his arms and gave him a look of warning.
"I made us a special dinner, so no more distractions. Sit." She looked at him sternly and gestured to his chair at the table.
"Yes ma'am." He saluted.
Bella giggled and sat in her spot. They made their plates in tentative silence and began to eat.
"Mm. Bells, this is so good. I needed this after the day I've had."
"Yeah? Tell me all about it."
Jacob filled her in on the goings on at work, including Quil pissing off an elderly woman with his poor attempts at flirting.
"Needless to say, Quil should just stick to fixing cars. I know he was just trying to make the lady's day, but she was so close to filing a sexual harassment suit. Good thing I was there to intervene."
Bella nodded in agreement. "We're all lucky to have you, Jake."
He sat his fork down at his plate and looked at her adoringly.
"Same to you, honey. I'm the luckiest man alive. Happy anniversary." He grabbed Bella's hand and she felt warm all over.
"Happy anniversary, Jake." The two of them leaned in at the same time and kissed each other across the table. Jacob tried to deepen the kiss, but the table made the task rather difficult. He huffed in irritation.
"What do you say we go celebrate?" He raised his eyebrows and winked, fostering a chuckle from Bella.
"What about dessert? I made your favorite cake and cookies!"
He stood up and rounded the table to her side quickly, looking down at her hungrily. "We can eat that later. Right now, I just want you."
He picked her up from her chair and Bella quickly wrapped her legs around his torso securely. He held her tightly, kissing her fervently, and moved them to their bedroom to celebrate their anniversary well into the early hours of the morning.
Around two a.m. the pair lay in bed together, cuddled under the sheets. Bella's head was against Jake's beating heart and she knew she'd never hear a more beautiful sound. She was absently stroking his chest with her fingers when he grabbed her hand and pulled it to his lips to lay a soft kiss to the back of it.
"I love you, Bella."
"I love you, too."
"How about that cake?" He grinned.
"And cookies!" She exclaimed, jumping up and racing him to the kitchen.
Her concentration was broken when Jacob paused in his frenzied running, lifting his head to sniff the air. Bella froze, wondering if he had somehow sensed her presence. But after a moment, he just bounded off in a new direction, chasing some scent or other.
Bella sighed, turning away from the clearing and heading back towards the Cullen house. It was a beautiful existence they lived, but sometimes she felt like she had given up too much for it. She missed the simpler life she had known before, and the warmth of human emotions. The taste of human food as opposed to animal blood. The feel of Jacob.
But it was too late to go back now. She would just have to try to make the best of what she had. After all, what could she do to change it?