Ha HAHAHA! I told you I wouldn't be gone another month. Oh, and to rock your world, I may very well post another chapter. Who knows? I do! Bwahahaha. I have the whole day to write, so I am. And hopefully, I may get done with this story and started with the third and final installment. But never fear, I shall return with more from our favorite couple! Now. Chapter 32!

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RPOV

I watched as Shelby paced in front of the picture window. Something was up. She was wearing a huge hoodie in this kind of heat that we weren't used to? The weather was too warm for that kind of thing. It had something to do with the baby, I was sure of it. But why didn't she tell me?

I didn't push her on it, because we were all worried about the pack and my family. At one point, a nasty ache shot through my chest, then pulsed. I'd rubbed my hand over my heart the way Shelby was rubbing her stomach. Lucy had come down from the recovery room in a pair of my pajama pants and a t-shirt. Her deep red hair was pulled back into a braid. Once she'd figured out that I was Jacob's mate, she'd taken to me, trying to stay close to me. Now, she was lying on the couch, her head in my lap. I stroked her hair as we watched Shelby pace. Lucy played with Jacob's ring on my finger.

From outside, we'd heard snarls, growls, and howls. Each time, I listened hard for Jacob's voice, but I just couldn't distinguish it. Or maybe I didn't want to. Esme brought out a tray of hot chocolate with cinnamon sticks as I contemplated that. My chest pulsed again, and I rubbed it.

"Thanks," I said as I took a mug.

"Shelby, sweetie, take a mug," Esme said.

Shelby shook her head and wrapped her arms around her middle. "I couldn't possibly hold anything down."

Sighing, I nudged Lucy up so that I could get up. I went to stand next to Shelby.

"Shelbs, just try. It'll help. I promise. It always helps calm my nerves. Maybe it'll help the baby. He has to be freaking out because mom is freaking out."

Slowly, she looked over at me with an equally slow blink. "What?"

"You've been rubbing your belly all night. Shelby, you need some rest. It's one in the morning. Just sit down, have some hot chocolate, and stare at the fire. It'll help."

Bright green eyes stared at me for a long moment, her hand absently rubbing her belly. She nodded. "Ok. You said 'he'."

I shrugged. "It's just a figure of speech. I can't keep calling the baby 'it'. That just seems wrong." I walked her over to one of the big, plushy chairs that I loved so much, tucked her down with a blanket, and handed her a mug. Grabbing my own mug, I sat on the arm of the chair. "Besides, something's up with you that you don't want to tell me. Don't think I haven't noticed that your bump is bigger than it was yesterday."

"I hate you," she muttered into her mug.

"Do not. You're glad I noticed and that I was the one who brought it up. Now spill, sister."

She sighed as she sipped. Then, her eyes slid to Lucy. "You don't say a word, okay?"

Lucy hunkered down around a pillow and nodded fervently, her bottom lip between her teeth.

Shelby sighed again. "I'm sorry. I'm just a little tense," she said to the girl. Then, she looked up at me. "Seth noticed this morning that I was bigger. Carlisle did an exam and said that the gestation has sped up due to the wolf genes. It's still on the slow side of things, but that could change depending upon circumstance."

"Such as stress, right?"

She nodded, her hair falling in her face. "Such as stress."

Clasping her neck, I massaged the muscles. "Then we shall keep you stress free."

As if fate had other ideas, the front door burst open. I jumped so hard that hot chocolate went everywhere. In the previously quiet room, voices shouted out, the scent of blood filled the air, and chaos erupted as bodies piled through the house. Shooting to my feet, I tried to see what was going on, but there were too many people. It seemed that most of the pack was in the house, surrounding someone. A blond head. Carlisle. But they weren't looking at him. They were looking at what, or who, he was carrying. The blood drained out of my face, and dizziness threatened to buckle my knees. Someone was hurt.

Jacob.

My first and only thought. The pack was gathered around their alpha.

"Jacob!" I yelled and started running for my grandfather.

I didn't make it.

Dad stopped in front of me and gripped my shoulders. "He's fine, sweetie. I swear. Just let Carlisle have a moment with him."

Gripping Dad's arms, I realized his skin was slick with blood. "Fine?!" I screeched. "He's not fine! You're covered in blood. It's his, isn't it? Isn't it?!"

"Nessie,-" he tried to stroke my hair as he soothed me.

Anger ripped through me. He was trying to keep me away from Jacob. Jacob needed me. The ache in my chest had been telling me that he was hurt. I was sure of it. In a surge of energy and anger, I pulled a move that Uncle Jasper had taught me, and put my dad flat on his back in the living room. Not even stopping to hesitate at taking my own father down, I bolted for the stairs where everyone was packed in tight as Carlisle moved up to the emergency room with my mate. Immediately, they all moved out of my way. Some of them even brushed their hands over me as I moved past.

When I was at the top of the stairs, I flew through the door, slapping it into the wall. Carlisle was hooking Jacob up to an IV and placing monitor clips and patches on him so fast he was just a blur of white coat and blond hair.

Jacob's eyes were closed, and I watched his chest hard to see if he was breathing. He was. Shallowly but at least it was something.

"Jacob," I breathed before launching myself across the room.

Carlisle looked up. "Sweetie,-"

I pointed a finger at him as I stopped at Jacob's side, taking his hand with my other one. "Don't you dare tell me I can't be in here. I'm his imprint. He needs me."

Those amber eyes flicked up over my shoulder. Glancing back, I saw Dad in the doorway. He nodded.

My attention went back to Jake. His eyelids fluttered when I squeezed his hand and stroked his sweat-soaked hair. "What happened?" I whispered.

The beeping coming from the heart monitor was erratic and too fast. There were no wounds on his face or neck, which made relief flood through me. My nightmare hadn't come true. But the relief didn't last as I took inventory of the rest of his body.

His right side was a mass of blood and shredded skin and meat. A giant hole was gaping just under his ribs. How could Dad say he was going to be fine? It looked like someone had tried to rip his heart out. The fury was back. But tears, hot and angry, came with it.

There was movement behind me before I felt something be positioned behind me. Looking back, I found Dad standing behind a chair he'd brought in from the recovery room.

"I said he was going to be fine because he's healing. The wound was worse when I first got to him. And he's healing even more now that you're near him. His thoughts are starting to make sense. Sit down, hold his hand, talk to him, and let Carlisle work. I'll be here if any of you need anything."

In that moment, I remembered that he was my father. He'd used "the tone", telling me what to do. That tone that said he was still my father and he knew what to do while his daughter was in shock and having hysterics.

"I'm sorry," I whispered as my knees buckled. Closing my eyes, I brought Jacob's hand against my cheek. "I'm so sorry."

I stroked whatever of him that I could reach that wasn't in the vicinity of his wounds. I watched as the tension slowly left Jacob. His whole body just sort of collapsed onto the mattress.

For two hours, my eyes followed Carlisle while he worked to stitch up Jacob. He talked to me, told me that what he'd done for Lucy he was now doing for Jacob. He estimated that the wound would be fully healed in a couple of days as long as I stayed near him. Which wasn't going to be a problem.

Eventually, Carlisle finished sewing Jacob up. He gave me care instructions and the order to call for him immediately should Jacob wake up. I listened to him as intently as I'd never listened before, promised to get him when needed, and made sure I knew where all the supplies were before he left.

When the room was empty and a hush fell over the air, I listened hard to the sound of Jacob's breathing, concentrated on the heavy sound of his heart. Darkness pressed against the glass. It was still early morning, probably around three or four in the morning. After closing the curtains, I curled up in the chair next to the bed, wrapped upper body around his hand, and rested my head on his shoulder.

Though I fought it hard, sleep sucked me down. The adrenaline had long since drained out of me. Now that I knew Jacob was safe at home and healing, I was calm. Dad could monitor Jacob's thoughts and Carlisle would check the machines every hour. He'd promised. All Jacob needed from me was my closeness.

So close I would stay.

MorganPOV

After Esme and Bella had handed out clothes to all the wolves, we slipped them on, and piled into and around the Cullen house. Nessie was upstairs with Jake and probably wouldn't be coming down tonight. Caden, Beau, and Ethan were huddled together in a dark corner. Someone, probably Seth, had called Sam. He, Emily, and Leila were all piled onto the couch. Our second in command had Shelby curled up in his lap where they sat on the stairs.

Lucas gripped my hand just before the sound of footsteps echoed on the stairs. I knew Carlisle could be silent. He'd made the sound to let us know he was coming. Everyone went on alert, stopping their conversations and staring at the stairs. Moments later, the blond vamp stopped just above where Seth and Shelby had been sitting. Now they were standing at the bottom of the steps, wrapped around each other.

Carlisle just stared at us.

"Well?" I demanded, not being able to handle the silence.

Usually, the pack would have laughed at my impatience, but not today. Not with Jake hurt.

Carlisle took in a deep breath that he didn't need. "He's going to be fine." I'm pretty sure we all sagged with relief. "The wound started closing on the way back to the house. And now that Nessie is with him, I suspect it will be mostly healed in a matter of a couple days. I did give him stitches and an IV but other than that, he'll be fine. The claws didn't get deep enough to hurt his lungs or heart." Another sigh of relief swept through the room. "No visitors until he wakes up. Maybe not even then. We'll see how his mental state is. I'll check on him every hour and give you updates. Your alpha takes strength from you."

Lucas's fingers wrapped around mine. I looked over at the group of three males. Caden, Ethan, and Beau had gone back to talking. Caden's eyes were hollow underneath, his jeans were torn at the back of his knees, and there were puncture wounds at his throat.

"What happened?" I asked.

The room went eerily silent as Caden looked over at me. Leah was hovering over him, but he'd completely ignored her except to give her a hug and kiss when they'd met in the yard.

Caden cleared his throat and looked at the floor. "Jacob saved my life. We underestimated how many of my loyal wolves were in each group, and tonight, we paid for that mistake."

Lucas growled and stepped forward. "What happened to the one who did this?"

Around the room, other wolves shifted, hands clenching as if they wanted a piece of the guy, too.

"Jacob killed him."

Complete silence filled the room. Quieter than before, I was sure that none of us breathed.

Caden stepped into the middle of the room and moved in a circle to meet our eyes. "You heard me. Jacob killed the other wolf."

"Good."

As one group, we all turned to the stairs. Nessie was standing there. Her hair was frizzy as if she'd been lying down. Those chocolate eyes were dull with fatigue and worry. But there was something else in her eyes. Something that I'd never seen before. It was a kind of coldness, one of the heart and soul.

"Nessie?" Seth asked with an uncertain tone.

Her chin jerked up. "That bastard tried to take Jacob away from me, from us. I'm glad he killed him."

"I'm not sure Jacob would agree with you," Caden said.

Slowly, so slowly, Nessie turned her head to look at him with that chill. "I dont' care." Those eyes scanned the crowd huddled in the house. "I see everything clearly now. Our lives are in danger. These monsters will stop at nothing to kill us and take our land like these are the old days. They don't care for human laws or any consequence. Well, that's ok, then. We'll fight fire with fire."

A cold rage left her expression icy. And it was understandable. Her lover and mate was hooked up and unconscious in a hospital bed. The danger was real to her now. Now, the world was a different place, vicious and cruel. Not everybody had a heart and changed when they heard the truth. Hell, some never actually knew when they were hearing the truth. Our alpha female's eyes had been opened.

For a few heartbeats, we all just stared at her. I grinned. This. This right here was the woman I'd always seen in her. A true queen to Jacob's king. I was starting to believe the saying was true. The king might be the head of the kingdom, but the queen was the neck and could turn her king's head where it truly needed to be.

Seth stepped forward, toward her, slowly. "Nessie, I know you're angry. We all are for what happened tonight. But we also had a victory. All those teams are in the cell. Jasper and Emmett are giving them their ultimatums. Tristan is on his own now with the few wolves he kept with him. Eventually, we'll capture him and give him the same choices."

I'd never seen Ness move so fast. One moment she was on the stair staring down at our second in command. The next, she was in front of him, his shirt balled up in her fist, and his face pulled down to hers.

"Angry? No. Try epically pissed off. We already lost one of our people to these bastards, or have you forgotten? Jordan is dead. They ravaged Shelby. Tristan tried to rape me, and then left me and Caden in a burning building to die. I don't know why it's taken this long to sink in for me, but with Jacob bleeding and unconscious in that bed, I am beyond angry, Seth. I am furious." She shoved him away so hard, he stumbled back into Shelby's arms. Nessie turned in a circle, much like Caden had, to survey the crowd. "No matter what else happens, whether the Volturi become involved once more, or whether it's by Jacob's hand, mine, or someone else's...Tristan does. Not. Survive. This. If blood and death is what he wants, then blood and death is what he shall get. His own."

Growls and low howls erupted throughout the room and all around the house outside. Caden grinned with an evil glint. The pack supported Nessie's decision, and would undoubtedly follow her directives even over Jacob's until this was over. Jacob had a kind heart no matter what. He didn't mind protecting in the moment, and he had no problem going after vampires, but plotting to kill someone was a concept he'd never support. Nessie, however, saw this for what it was. All out war. War where people died if the good guys weren't proactive. Being reactive still left good people dead. Proactive meant plotting murder and ambush, two strategies that our alpha female seemed to have no problem mapping out now.

I joined in the howling, throwing in my support along with my mate.

CadenPOV

The pretty princess has finally turned into a queen, I thought to myself as I watched Nessie.

She'd gone back to stand next to Seth, her mouth to his ear. After a moment, his expression relaxed, and he hugged her. I suspected she'd apologized for being so rough with him. She was still a gentle heart. Gentle enough that acting in the moment still warranted an apology when all was said and done. That was something for which I admired her. In my world, that wasn't possible. You performed an action or said something, even if it was in the heat of the moment, you had to stand by it. Apologizing and showing remorse was considered weakness there. Here it was strength.

I knew Nessie's heart was inherently good, and that's why I would stand by her in the decision to not let Tristan survive. She had finally come to the realization that that was the only option they had if they wanted to live in peace once all this was over. Tristan had always listened to me, asking for my advice. If I couldn't change his mind, then nobody could. Apparently, Nessie subconsciously realized that. And if she or Jacob could not land that final blow, I'd be more than happy to do it for them. Neither one of them should have to muddy their hearts or souls like that. Mine had already been on the dark road once before. Going back wouldn't be a problem for me, not if it meant protecting my love, my life, and my new family.

Because that's what they were to me now. I wasn't just here for Leah or Nessie anymore. These wolves trusted me to an extent. I trusted them. If that wasn't a family, then I'd probably never see one. I'd protect these wolves and vampires with my life, and if I went up against Tristan, that's what I would be doing.

Jacob had saved my life twice now. The first time when I came here, and he allowed me to live. The second from tonight, from Frederick. Jacob had killed something other than a vampire, and I knew that that would weigh on him. However, he'd done so to protect me and himself. Frederick had been trying to kill him, clawing for Jacob's heart. He'd deserved what he'd gotten, his throat torn out, spine splintered to bits.

Jacob was a good man, and a good leader. He did his best by everyone. I would have done the same for him. And that realization shook me. I didn't really know the man all that well, but he'd done everything he could to accept me into his pack, to take my advice seriously. He didn't let me get pushed to the outside. I could do no less for all he'd done for me. In a sense, I felt for him the same as I felt for Ethan. A brother. Protecting Nessie, an innocent, had been one of the best decisions I'd ever made. Because of that decision, I'd also found Leah.

I waved Nessie over to me when she looked in my direction. It took her a moment to get to me because the wolves all wanted to touch her, as wolves liked contact from a leader when they were ruffled and emotional.

"How is he?" I asked once she managed to get to me. The area around us quieted down because everybody was wondering the same thing.

"Unconscious. Carlisle sewed and bandaged him up. Dad says that his thoughts are cohesive, which is a good thing, I guess." She shoved her hands in her pockets. "What happened, Caden? Tell me all of it."

Her eyes were so serious and determined that I did just that. Every bloody detail right down to Jacob's teeth snapping Frederick's spine. Not once did she flinch or look scared. If anything, the determination grew stronger.

She nodded thoughtfully. "Good. We'd have had to kill him anyway. He wouldn't have liked either one of the choices we're giving the others in the cell. By the way, what's going on with them?"

I cleared my throat. Emotions coursed through me and I didn't like them. Those bastards cause trouble. "The wolves loyal to me want to stay. Some of the others want to just leave and never see any of us again. The rest, well, they want to rip us apart and go back to Tristan."

"What's going to happen to those wolves?"

Her expression told me she already knew, but just had to hear it. So, I told her what she expected. "They won't take either of our choices, so there's a third understood option. They knew that when they made their decision."

Again, she nodded. "Let's wait."

"Why?"

A half smile curled her lips. "Because if we can bring Tristan down, and they see it, maybe they'll realize he wasn't as strong as they thought. If we give him the choice of his pack for the surrender of his life, and he chooses to keep his life, they'll see he never truly cared for his pack." When I opened my mouth to talk, she held a hand up. "I know that your type of wolf goes on fear and not caring, but at the base of every being, we want to be protected and cared for. Some of the most brutal leaders still cared for their people, just in a not so obvious way."

Mulling it around a bit, I decided she was right. If they weren't swayed by what they saw, then their choice would remain the same and they'd know their fate.

Finally, I nodded. "Alright. I suppose you have a point."

Her smile was tired but content. Her mate was safe and healing. More than half of our enemies were in a cell. The only thing left was the deal with Tristan, but that could come later. Right now, it was all about Jacob getting better, healing.

"Well, I actually just came down here to get some water and maybe a little food. So, I'd better get it and get back to him. Dad says he heals faster when I'm around." She shrugged. "I guess it has something to do with the imprint."

"Probably. As you know, Adam and I have been theorizing with it."

"Yeah. I remember. And later, the two of you can tell us what those theories are."

Laughing, I snaked an arm around her shoulders. "Absolutely. But let's get you some water and food so you can go see to our alpha. Shall we?"

Her arm wrapped around my waist. "We shall." Then she looked over her shoulder. "Leah, you coming?"

A moment later I was sandwiched between two women that had, in such a short time, come to mean the world to me. And then we were off to the kitchen.

RPOV

The day passed by slowly. But the night wasn't too bad. It didn't take two days for Jake to wake up. Thank goodness.

The night following his attack, Jacob started thrashing around, seemingly having a nightmare. Quickly, before he could injure himself further, I hopped up onto the bed and curled around him. Instantly, he calmed, his arm coming up to wrap around my waist. Which was good. The cramps had returned. Leaning up a little, I saw that his eyes were open, the lids heavy, but still open. He smiled at me.

I gasped. "Jacob, you're awake!"

Slowly, he raised his other hand, the one with the IV in it, up to his lips. "Shh. Let's just sleep."

Tears sprang to my eyes. "Ok, but please don't leave me again."

"I won't. Now, sleep."

Cuddled into his warmth, I did as he requested. In moments, he was snoring and pulling me close in his sleep.

"Ow! Doc, was that really necessary?" Jacob's voice drifted through the crack in the door. A hiss followed the question.

I nudged it open with my shoulder to find Jacob sitting up on the bed, his legs swung over the side. The sheet was across his lap even though I knew he was wearing boxers. I'd put them on him this morning.

"Actually, yes, it was. I'm sorry. I don't like causing you pain, but I need to be sure you're healing."

"Trust me, doc. I am."

"Are you a doctor?" came the dry response.

A rustle of sheets, like Jacob was shifting uncomfortably. "Well, no, but,-"

"Then, I shall trust my own judgement. Now, tell me, does this hurt?"

Carlisle was standing in front of Jacob, so I couldn't see what he'd done. But Jacob started cussing so the answer was yes, yes, it did hurt. A laugh sounded in the corner of the room. Looking over, I found Mom and Dad huddled in the shadows, watching.

"What are you trying to do? Reopen the wound? Geez."

Carlisle looked up, and I knew what expression he was wearing. A thoughtful one. The set of his shoulders told me.

"Nessie, dear, would you come in here and touch him while I finish the examination?"

Jacob looked over Carlisle's shoulder and grinned. I placed the plate of roast beef sandwich and the glass of sweet tea on the table beside the door and grinned back at him as I moved across the room. The cramps were worse this morning. I'd woken up before him and taken some medicine that really wasn't helping.

He held out his hand to me. When our skin made contact, he visibly relaxed, the tension around his eyes easing away. He pulled me up onto the hospital bed and tucked me into his side. I pressed a kiss into his neck.

Carlisle had taken the bandage off to reveal a mass of pink scars over Jacob's ribs on his left side. The skin had been shredded, a hole bigger than my fist gaping under the ribs. Now, just a day later, it was nothing but scar tissue.

"I have a feeling," Carlisle said, "that this amount of healing is because of you, Nessie. I've seen the wolves, Jacob, heal before you came around. It was nothing like this."

Jacob squeezed me but said, "I don't know, doc. Those broken bones were rough."

Carlisle nodded. "True. However, those were not fatal and still took you some time to heal them. This was a fatal wound and only took you a day or so to heal."

"See?" Jacob said, leaning down to whisper in my ear. "I do need you."

I blushed but patted his thigh. "Are you sure you're ok? Maybe you need to lay back down for another hour or two."

Just as Jacob was undoubtedly about to argue, Carlisle said, "It would be best for you to keep resting. However, I believe you are well enough to at least go downstairs to sit on the couch."

"First, I need to eat what Nessie brought me. Then, I need a shower."

"Amen to that," Dad muttered.

I gave him a look to which he just shrugged and grinned. Mom pulled away from him to bring Jacob the food I'd brought up. As the food got closer, I could almost swear that he was drooling. Of course, he'd been unconscious for hours. It was reasonable that he'd be starving. Maybe I should have made two sandwiches even though the one I'd made was piled high with different meats.

"Thanks, Bells," he said as he dug in. A groan of pure bliss escaped him as he chewed. He swallowed, drank some tea, and turned to me. "Best sandwich ever. Thanks, babe."

I grinned. "Not a problem. If you need another, I'd be happy to make you one."

"With bacon?" he asked, perking up.

I rolled my eyes.

Carlisle chuckled. "I think a little at a time is a good way to go for now. Just build up your blood sugar slowly."

Jacob nodded and polished off the sandwich and tea in record time. Everything seemed like it was working, until he hopped off the bed. He stumbled back, his ass hitting the bed. Breathing hitched and labored, he tried to hunch around the pain, but that seemed to make it worse.

"Fuck!" he shouted when he finally was able to still his body.

"Easy, Jacob," I soothed as I rubbed his back. "Easy. Slow down. It's not a race. It's ok to have go slow. You're healing."

"I hate this," he said through gritted teeth. "I'm the alpha now. They shouldn't have to see me like this."

Unfortunately, that made me laugh. He glared at me.

"I'm sorry. It's not funny, but Jacob, come on. They understand that you're hurt, that you were nearly killed. All they care about is that you're alive. Seth is fully capable of handling the pack until you're up and around. Slow is good. Now, let Dad or Carlisle get you to the bathroom, ok?"

"Ness-,"

"Please. For me."

I knew I had him. He stared at me, rolled his eyes, then sighed. "Alright. Fine. Carlisle or Edward, could one of you help me to the bathroom?"

Dad came forward to wrap one of Jacob's arms around his shoulder. "Up we go, big guy. Breathe easy. Don't take big breaths. It'll hurt your chest. Try to control your breathing."

"It hurts."

"I know. Don't think about the pain. Think about something more pleasant. Like...my daughter. Marrying her."

As they shuffled across the room, Jacob managed to look back at me and smile weakly. I returned the grin as I played with his ring that was still wrapped around my finger and the chain around my wrist.

"Yeah, that's better. Thanks, Edward."

Within moments, they were locked in the bathroom. I turned to Carlisle. "Is he really ok?"

The look on his face told me that he really hadn't told Jacob everything. He shook his head.

"It seems as if the top layers of skin have healed, but the meat, the muscle underneath, hasn't quite gotten there yet. If it were as healed as Jacob hoped, he wouldn't need help to the bathroom. Something is still broken inside him." His eyes flicked to bathroom and back to me. "He's weak right now. So weak that I'm not sure he can shower on his own. He'll definitely need help getting down the stairs."

"Why didn't you tell him that?" I demanded.

"Because you were in the room. I didn't want him to feel weak around you. A male's pride can easily be broken if his mate is near."

"He shouldn't feel that way with me, though."

My grandfather shrugged. "Logic is often overruled by emotion. I'll tell you that as soon as you go in there to help him shower, he'll brush you off and tell you that he's okay. In order to help him, don't hover."

Understanding his meaning, I nodded. Jacob prided himself on being an independent man. I'd need to find a way to help him without seeming like that's what I was doing. That was going to be difficult considering he could read me like a book. Carlisle gave me a sympathetic look, patted my shoulder, and left the room. A moment later, Dad came out of the bathroom, steam escaping behind him. He nodded to me and left as well.

From inside the bathroom, Jacob's cussing drifted out with the steam. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open.

"Jake? You ok?"

There was a hiss and a growl before, "Yeah, I'm good. Why don't you go get something to eat. It might take me a little longer than usual."

He was just, gingerly, stepping into the walk-in shower. I grabbed a wash cloth and a couple towels. I kicked off my shoes as I put the towels on the closed lid of the toilet.

"I figured I'd shower with you. I'm due for one, too, so why not together?"

And it wasn't a lie, either. I hadn't taken a shower due to the need to stay by his side. And a shower together would help me keep an eye on him and get us both clean. Two birds with one stone so to speak.

Only, as I was about to strip out of my shirt, I realized he hadn't answered. The bathroom was filled only with the sound of rushing water and the rising of steam.

"Jacob?" I asked tentatively.

His answer, when it came, was low and angry. "Do you really think I didn't hear what he had to say? That you're in here to help me wash myself?"

I rushed for the curtain, but he held it. "No, Jacob, it's not like that. I wasn't going to do anything like that. I'm just here in case you need something. In case you-,"

"What?" he interrupted. "Fell? And what could you do if I fell? I'm twice the size of you and three times as heavy. You couldn't lift me off this tile."

"Jacob."

"No. Just go eat. I know you haven't yet. Go downstairs. I'll mentally yell for your dad if I need anything." That last was said with a bite.

"But, Jacob-,"

The curtain ripped back and Jacob's angry face glared at me. "No 'buts', Ness. Just go. Now."

His anger made the room that much hotter, and made my anger bubble to the surface. Although, it wasn't so much anger as hurt. All I wanted was to watch out for him. He'd do the same for me, and he wouldn't have taken no for an answer. However, it was clear that if I stayed, he'd just ignore me. And that would hurt even more.

I tucked my shirt back down, slid into my shoes, and nodded. "Ok." Turning to the door, I tried to tamp down the anger and hurt before it came through in my voice. "I'll just, uh, go find something else to do."

Before he could say anything, if he was going to say anything, I left, closing the bathroom door softly behind me. I wasn't exactly angry with him. I understood because I'd have been the same way. I'd have been mortified if I couldn't wash myself, but that hadn't been my intention. I really was just going to be in there with him, try to turn it into a couple-shower thing like we did sometimes. He washes me; I wash him. I had thought it would be a good thing after what had happened to him. I supposed that I put too much value on my company with him.

"Ness, you ok?" Shelby asked from the couch.

Startled, I looked around. I'd gotten down the stairs and into the living room without even paying a lick of attention. Some of the pack was milling about. Sam and Emily were on the loveseat with Leila, who gurgled and smiled. I smiled and made a face back to her reflexively.

"Ness?" Shelby asked again.

I turned to her and frowned. "Yeah. You know what? I think I'm going to go up to the house and get Jake some clothes. The shower could take a few minutes. He's not at full strength yet."

"Yeah, we heard," Sam said. Which means they'd also heard him yelling at me. I couldn't meet any of their eyes. "Ness, it's bad out there. The storm is finally revving up. Jake would kill me if I let you out there."

"He needs clothes," I said automatically. "And I need some air."

Sam stared at me for a long moment. Then he sighed. "Ok, but take someone with you."

"No."

"Nessie,-"

"No, Sam. I just need some time to myself." I turned to Caden, who was on the floor, his back against the wall with Leah curled in his lap. "The woods are safe, right?"

He frowned. "Not entirely, luv. Tristan is still out there."

"Yeah, but it would be stupid to try anything now with ninety percent of his pack in puppy jail, right?"

He sighed. "Yes, it would be stupid, but-,"

"Good. Then I'm walking up to my house alone to get my mate some clothes. I'll be back in a few minutes. Hold your breath. I won't be gone long."

He snorted. "You're a woman. I wouldn't trust you to be back in five minutes even if I offered you a billion dollars."

Ignoring him, I went for the kitchen door. Esme and Mom were in the kitchen, as usual. It looked like they were cooking enough food for an army. Which, I supposed, they kind of were. It was still morning, just later. Waffles and bacon were piling up by the minute.

As I passed Mom, she glanced at me over her shoulder. "Please be careful, sweetheart."

Surprised that she wasn't going to try to stop me, I walked over to hug her and kiss her cheek. "I will. It'll be fine."

She hugged me back tightly, and then pushed herself away from me, shoving me toward the door. "Go before I try to treat you like a child and tell you to stay."

"Love you, Mom."

"Love you, too."

"And you, Grandma Esme."

My grandmother smiled and sniffled a bit at her familial name as she flattened out some dough. "And I you, baby girl. Enough talk. Go get my future grandson-in-law some clothes. I'm sure he'll be cooled off by the time you come back if he isn't already."

"Yeah, right," I grumbled as I moved past them to the door. The air was hot and stifling, constricting. I never thought that I'd miss the cold, but I did. How had Mom lived in the heat? It was terrible. My long sleeve tee was hot and itchy against my skin.

Deep purple and black clouds hung low. There was a hum that made me think the clouds were vibrating with anticipation. As I watched, lightning flashed, veining the purple with white. A few drops fell down through the trees. I could hear the leaves rattle. The sound was familiar and eerie at the same time. Suddenly, I wanted to huddle down into a coat.

Ten minutes later, I was unlocking the front door to our cabin. Even with the heat outside, it was frigid inside. Multiple times on the way up, I felt watched. The feeling didn't dissipate as I disappeared inside and locked the door. The alarm system was wired directly to the big house and my parents' cottage.

The lights were off, the fires nonexistent. It was quiet, and I didn't like it. This was a home, but it didn't feel that way. It felt cold and as unwelcoming as it had the day Jacob and I first came here all those months ago to make up the first time I'd thrown a fit.

Instead of feeling sad about that, a wave of determination washed over me. When Jacob and I came back, we'd make this house a home. Somehow we would do it. Huddling in my thin shirt, I made for the bedroom. It was pitch black, so I took out my phone, hit the assistive light, and lit some candles. For some reason, I didn't want to turn on the light. Quickly, I packed a bag for Jake. It may take him a while to heal completely. He needed to be down at the house where he could be helped, because, though I didn't like it, he'd been right. There was no way I'd be able to lift him if he fell.

My bags were still down at the house, so I was set. Five minutes later, I had everything we'd need for a few days down there. Hopefully that's all it would take. Blowing out the candles on my way back up the stairs, I thought I heard something outside. Probably thunder. The storm was working itself up. Time to get home.

Unfortunately, what I saw in the living room made me drop the bag. A dark silhouette stood on the middle of the living room, amber eyes glowing. The outline was distinctly female.

Nyla.

Even though my heart was in my throat, I did my best to keep my voice steady. "How did you get in my house?"

"What? You think I can't pick a lock?" came the snarky answer.

My eyes went to the alarm system, which wasn't going off.

She followed my stare. "Oh, don't worry about that pesky thing. I already disabled that."

"How?"

A very ugly snort left her. "Uh, hello. We've been watching you. Duh."

My heart raced faster. They'd been watching us through the freaking windows. I swallowed hard but gathered myself.

"What, are you here to kidnap me? Again? Remember the last time you tried that? Didn't work out so well."

She laughed, throwing her head back, but those amber eyes never left my face. "Please. By the time your little family figures out that you're missing, we'll be halfway to Seattle."

"Yeah, right."

"Fine," she smirked. "Ask Tristan himself."

The blood drained out of my face as the front door opened. Another silhouette filled the doorway. Definitely male this time. Lightning flashed, and the features were illuminated. Paralyzed with fear, I met Tristan's amber eyes as he grinned slowly.

"I never thought you'd be stupid enough to travel alone, especially after what I did to you last time."

"Almost. What you almost did to me last time."

He chuckled and strolled into the house. "Well, dear, I can guarantee that it won't be an almost kind of situation this time. I've learned my lesson with Caden, so now, it's just going to be you. Besides, there's nothing I could do to Caden that wouldn't make him a martyr. Hurting you, however, not only hurts your precious alpha male, it will hurt Caden as well."

I managed to back up a step when he strode closer. It really wasn't going to help me, but I couldn't seem to stop myself. "Jacob will kill you. You know that."

Tristan circled me, his heavy boots making thumping sounds on the hardwood floor. I turned with him just to keep him sight.

"Actually, love, he won't. After I have my way with you, I will- well, there are two choices. I could try to turn you by infecting you, or I could just kill you. Either way, he'd be too broken to do anything. His pain would overrule his anger."

It was my turn to snort. "If you believe that, you don't know my mate. Sure, he'd be in pain, heartbroken, but he'd find you and tear you apart before falling into depression."

For a long moment, he just stared at me, amber eyes filling with anger.

He shrugged and held out his hands. "Well, again, either way...you'll still be dead."

And then he lunged for me. But I saw it coming in the way he'd held his body. My vampire instincts were sharp at the moment because I hadn't hunted in a while. They were sharp in preparation for a hunt. Sidestepping Tristan, I wasn't paying attention to Nyla. Her right fist snapped out to connect with my jaw. It didn't break, but it hurt like hell. My head snapped back, making me fall on my ass. Blood dripped down my chin.

I was about to get to my feet when I was grabbed from behind. Two strong hands gripped my arms and held me down. Nyla grinned, knelt down to reach for my ankles. Before she could grab them both, I kicked out at her knee, dislocating it. She screamed loud and long, falling back to grip the injured leg.

Tristan yanked me to my feet and I threw a foot back, hitting his groin. Apparently, the man never learned. His grip loosened enough that I could slip free. Turning back around, I smashed my knee into his nose before taking off for the door. Nyla tried to grab me but she hadn't popped her knee back into place and fell back to the floor. I flew out the front door and off the porch. Stairs. Who needed them when fear made you fly?

Racing through the trees, the limbs tried to pull my hair and roots tried to trip me, but my only thought was getting back to Jacob. Lightning was flashing a lot more frequently, lighting a path for me. Since the sun was blocked by dark clouds, the woods weren't as well lit. I needed all the help I could get.

Almost there! Keep going!

The clearing was just a few yards ahead. I was being followed. The crashing sound of multiple beings in pursuit rang in my ears. If I could just get to the clearing, I'd be safe.

As soon as I had that thought, I knew I was still too far away for Dad to hear my thoughts. We'd marked his boundary line, and I hadn't crossed it yet. Putting on a fresh burst of speed, I only made the collision more painful.

Nyla was standing there, breathing hard, and I knew I couldn't stop or slow down before hitting her. And she wasn't about to move. She hunkered down and tackled me backward. The momentum landed me hard on my back, throwing the air out of my lungs. As I choked to breathe, she straddled my waist, teeth bared in a snarl.

"You little bitch. I'm getting sick of you." Her fist went back one more time.

The air flew back into my lungs, and I let it out on a scream, knowing that when she hit me this time, it would do more than stun me.

"JACOB!"

Her arm snapped forward.

My world went blank.

I know, I know! Stop throwing things at me. Another cliffie...But they're my specialty, apparently. Anywhozzle. Remember, another post today? I'm still thinking about it. So be good in your reviews or I might make you wait another month. bwahahahaha! Love you guys! xoxoxoxoxo