Chapter 32:

Bella POV:

We were sitting at the kitchen table. Jake had pulled out some leftover pizza and was eating it cold. I had made a sandwich, but I hadn't taken a bite. I just sat there. Staring at my sandwich.

"Bella, honey. You have to eat for the baby. Just a few bites, OK?" he said gently.

I looked up and smiled at him. I knew he was right. I picked up half of the sandwich and took a small bite. It was all I could do to swallow it without gagging. I took a drink of milk to try and wash it down.

Jake smiled at me. He knew he had to call a pack meeting, and yet he couldn't quite bring himself to do it. I think he was hoping that this was all a bad dream or something, and if we waited long enough, he would wake up. He finished the pizza and put his plate in the sink. He stood at the sink with his back to me. I heard him turn on the water and rinse his plate then he shut the water off and just stood there.

I got up and went to stand behind him to put my arms around his waist and lay my head against his back. He turned and put his arms around me then bent down and kissed me on top of the head. He pulled back and looked down at me and smiled. "Is this shirt new?" I nodded. "You look so pretty in purple," he said as he reached up and brushed the hair away from my face.

"Thanks," I said quietly. He moved his hand behind my neck and lowered his head slowly to put his lips on mine. He kissed me slow and long, gently at first, then with more urgency. I pushed myself into him and he tightened his arm around me. I opened my mouth on his and his tongue darted inside. I met it with mine, and we deepened the kiss until we were clinging to each other. Suddenly, he turned me around and pinned me against the refrigerator. I could feel the cold of the refrigerator on my back, and the heat of Jacob burning against my chest. I had my hands under his shirt, running them up and down his back, his sides, his chest. Anywhere I could touch his skin. He had slipped my shirt off and it was now laying on the kitchen floor. He had his lips on my neck and was nipping me with his teeth. His hands ran up the sides of my body, and around to cup my ass. I lifted his shirt off over his head and let it fall. Our lips found each other again, our tongues assaulted one another. The heat of his body burned, and I couldn't get enough. I ran my hands over his strong shoulders and wrapped my arms around his neck to cling to him. He pulled my pants down over my hips, and they fell to the floor. I felt his hands leave my body and pull his shorts down. He looked into my eyes as his hands slowly crept up my body then suddenly they came around behind and he lifted me up to straddle him. I wrapped my legs around him and as I slid down, he thrust into me. I cried out and wound my hands in his hair. I pulled his lips back to mine and we ravaged each other as we moved together. It didn't take long - we came in a rush and clung to each other, panting. Jake looked at me, his eyes so intense. He put his forehead to mine. "Bella," was all he said.

I took his face in my hands and made him look at me. I kissed him gently on the lips. "I love you, Jacob."

He nodded. He couldn't speak. I knew he had tears close, and he was trying to control them. He pulled out, but kept me in place then turned and carried me back to the bathroom. He set me down on my feet and reached into the shower and turned on the water. "Why don't you take a shower? I'll make you something to eat and bring it to you in bed, OK?" Then he turned and walked out.

I got into the shower and let the water run over me. I thought about what just happened. The intensity of it was overwhelming. I let the tears come while I washed. I stood there before I turned the water off and thought about the emotion running through me. There was such an intense emotional connection between Jake and me. Sometimes it was so strong that it scared me. I knew that if I ever had to face living without him, I could not stand the physical and emotional pain it would bring. I thought about what I went through when Edward left me, and I was sure that it would be worse than that. I never wanted to know what that would feel like.

I got out of the shower and dried off then I wrapped the towel around me and combed through my hair. I walked across the hall to the bedroom. There was a tray on the bed with a plate of scrambled eggs and toast sitting on it, along with a glass of apple juice. I smiled as I walked in and picked up a piece of toast and took a bite. Then I looked over and saw the note on the pillow.

I picked up the note and read it:

Bella,

I have to talk to the pack. I sent out the word and called them to meet me here out back. Please stay here in the house. It will be easier for me if I can do this alone.

Love you,

Jake

I sat down on the bed and picked up the plate of eggs and took a bite. OK, I'll wait.

Jacob POV:

What was I going to say to them?

They came in, a few at a time. Some came as wolves, and phased back when they got close. Some came in cars or trucks. But it didn't take very long until they were all here. Paul was last, of course. He came in and grumbled, "This better be good, Jake. Rachel was . . ."

"Damnit, Paul! Shut up, will ya? You know how I hate when you talk about how hot my sister is for you, OK?" I snarled at him.

He put his hands up and walked over and sat down next to Jared.

I put my hands up and ran them through my hair. I wished that I had had time to talk to Sam first, alone. But, I might as well just get this over with.

I cleared my throat and started, "Hey! Listen up! I had a talk with Carlisle today, and he told me some pretty bizarre shit." I stopped. God, help me. I gotta get through this. "First of all, he talked to Edward about the vampire up north. We killed her mate last year, and she might be out for revenge, but they don't think so. It's still a possibility, though." OK, come on. . . "Alice had a vision today when she was with Bella. When this bloodsucker came through here, it stole Bella's ultrasound picture. Alice saw this Aro dude from the Volturi holding it and asking Carlisle about whose baby Bella is having."

I heard some grumblings and whispers. Seth spoke up and said, "Why does he care that Bella is pregnant? I mean, that should show him that she is not going to be with Edward or become a vampire, right?"

I looked at him and said, "Carlisle thinks that Aro suspects this is Edward's baby. If that were true, this would be some freak of nature vampire baby. Then he would very interested. We know that's not the truth, but he doesn't. But Carlisle thinks it may be something else entirely." I stopped. Just say it! "When they were here before, Edward heard Aro thinking . . . about us. Carlisle had warned me before he got here that he had always been fascinated with werewolves. Edward explained to him that we were different that the werewolves he knew in Europe. He explained that ours is genetic, passed down to each other." I stopped again. I ran my hands through my hair.

"Come on, Jake! Just spit it out, dude. What are you trying to say?" Quil called out.

I looked at him. "He has this horrible fucking idea that he can somehow mate a vampire and a werewolf to make some kind of super monster. Apparently, he had this idea to use me . . . in this experiment . . ."

"He wants to fucking BREED US? With THEM?" Embry shouted out.

"Jake? Are you fucking with us?" Sam had walked over and touched me on the arm.

I heard some nervous laugher around. I looked at Sam and said, "I wish I was, dude."

"Alright! Listen up!" Sam yelled. "There is no fucking way that ANY of us will be used as a lab rat by any filthy bloodsucker! We are going to do everything we can to protect Jake and Bella. They are the main targets right now. But NONE of us are safe." He looked over briefly at Leah. "OK, break it up and go home. The four of you that are on patrol, get back on it. Any of you come across ANYTHING, you get to me or Jake. Go!"

Jared, Quil, Paul and Seth got up and took off.

Sam walked over to Leah , sat down beside her and began talking.

Embry came over to me before he left. "Jake, man. I don't know what to say. I guess this isn't the time to be a smart ass, huh?" I smiled and he put his hand on my shoulder. "I want you to know, I got your back, bro. Bella, too."

"Yeah, I know Em. Thanks." He pulled me into a quick "bro hug" then patted me on the back and walked away.

Sam and Leah walked over. "Jake? Do they know about Leah? Do they know that we have a female werewolf?"

Wow, I didn't even think about that. "I honestly don't know. I don't think so, though." I looked over to Leah and put my hand on her arm. "Look, Leah. We will do everything in our power to hide you. There is no way in hell I want him to find out about you."

She smiled. "Oh, gee, I don't know, Jake. Might be fun to be a vampire incubator." She laughed nervously.

I pulled her into a hug. "Come on, Leah. It's OK to be scared. I'm terrified," I whispered to her.

She held on to me for a moment, then let go. She nodded, and started to walk away.

Sam stopped her by grabbing her arm. She looked down at his hand on her arm then looked up into his eyes. "Let go of me, Sam . . . please," she added, her voice breaking.

He kept his hand there and said quietly, ""Leah, I don't want you alone. At least for awhile, OK?" His eyes pleaded with her. She nodded.

He looked around and yelled, "Embry! Come here."

"Yeah, what's up?" he said as he jogged over.

"I don't want Leah to go out alone, OK? We are not taking any chances. We have to keep her hidden. Got it?" Sam looked him right in the eye.

He looked over at Leah and nodded, for once being very serious. "Got it."

I looked at Leah and was happy that, for once, she didn't argue with us. That's when I realized she was just as terrified as I was.

Sam finally let his arm drop to his side. Leah looked at Embry and nodded, then they walked away together.

I made my way back into the house. I checked to make sure all of the doors and windows were locked then turned out the lights. I walked down the hall and into the bedroom. There was Bella, wearing one of my t-shirts, curled up in the middle of the bed sleeping. I smiled. She looked like a little girl all curled up like that. It made me think again how I hoped the baby was a girl.

I turned the bedroom light off and stepped over to slide my shorts off and crawl into bed. She must have felt me climb in, because she turned to face me and said, "Hey."

I reached over and pushed the hair from her face. "Hey back," I said with a smile.

"Everything go OK?" she asked.

"Yeah," he answered. "Bella? About what happened earlier – in the kitchen?" I asked softly. "I'm not quite sure why . . . are you OK?"

She smiled. "Jake, I'm fine. What happened is the two of us needed each other. And we acted on that. It was kind of hot, actually."

Oh how I love this woman. I grinned. "I love you so much, Bella. You are the perfect woman for me, just like I always knew you would be."