CHAPTER FIVE

THE THIRD WIFE PROTECTION

Edward stood at the curb, like a statue. He wasn't even blinking. I was sitting on the front steps with my crossed arms sitting on my knees. Then Bella and Jacob came out the front door. Yes, they were in there together. Alone.

I wasn't jealous.

I wasn't.

Edward walked up to meet them so quickly that they didn't leave the front steps. So they all gathered in front of me.

Jacob addressed Edward indifferently, "Whoever it was, he left his stink behind. It'll be hard to miss when we cross it again. We'll handle it from here."

"We don't need you to 'handle' anything. Or anyone." He was still jealous and thought Jacob was after Bella. He still didn't know that Jacob imprinted on me?

Edward's eyes widened slightly and he looked down at me. He must have heard what I thought. "Wh-"

When Jacob took a step towards Edward, statue didn't move. "I couldn't care less what you need-"

Bella played mediator and put herself between them, "We have to work together."

The boys still stared each other down. Bella groaned, "Just stop it. I'm tired of being in the middle of a territorial dispute between mythical creatures. From now on I'm Switzerland, okay?"

"She's right," I stood up. They all looked at me. But I didn't meet eyes with Jacob. "We have to work together if there's any chance at all to protect me and Bella and get rid of the threat in Seattle. So you both really need to grow up. I know Jake's a hormonal teenager with a wolf temper but what's your excuse Eddie?"

Edward should have been insulted by the crack at his age. But instead a small smile came to his lips. I then realized my slip. I called him Eddie. And he saw that as me starting to forgive him for what he did to Bella.

Edward was listening to someone think, but it couldn't have been me. Jacob.

"Jacob is thinking that all you have to do is tell him what you need and he'll do it."

I sighed and crossed my arms, "It'd be unfair to use the imprint powers to make him do what I want. Especially when I'm fighting the imprint."

I didn't see the look on anguish on Jacob's face when I reminded everyone of that fact. I couldn't look at him and see it because for some reason... I felt it.

So I turned around and walked into the house.

That same night, I stared out the window. I couldn't sleep again. It seemed like my insomnia was coming and going. But I hadn't slept since my nightmare. I looked out my window on the side of the house and saw... my wolf.

My breath caught in my throat. He was real. I didn't know what came over me but the next thing I knew I was jogging out to the side of the house to see my wolf. He looked startled to see me barefoot in pajama shorts and a thermal standing in front of him.

"Hey..."

I don't the the wolf knew that I knew who he really was. But when I thought back to my nightmares and the fact that the wolf shifted into Jacob or the many times I looked into his eyes and thought of my wolf fleetingly.

Jacob was my wolf.

"Jake..." the wolf's ears perked up like a dog at hearing his name. "I'm so sorry... for everything. I haven't been good to you."

The wolf looked at me intently. I sighed, "But I do care about you. You were the wolf I dreamed about."

He didn't say anything. But then he whimpered slightly like a dog. "I had a nightmare..." I took a deep breath, was I sure I could do this? "Victoria killed you because she knew..." I gulped, "she knew how I felt about you."

He looked surprised, curious, but still didn't speak. "She's going to go after you to hurt me like I helped hurt her..."

I closed my eyes briefly, gearing myself up for this, "That's why you have to stay away from me. For your safety."

The wolf whined loudly in protest and the next thing I knew, he was Jacob. "Callie..."

I lifted my hand to stop him, "No, Jake. I need you to be safe. Stay away from me."

The look on his face made me want to cry and run to him. But I couldn't let anything happen to him. This wasn't forever. But it felt like it. "Goodbye, Jake."

With that I ran into the house. I leaned against the door and flinched when I heard a loud agonized howl. I started crying as I felt my body slide down onto the floor. I curled up on myself and let go.

The next day Bella said we were meeting Jacob at the treaty line. I told her that I'd ride in my jeep. When Edward stopped at the treaty line, I kept looking forward and drove right past it. I knew where I was going.

I drove all the way to Emily's house. The boys piled outside to greet me. Quil asked, "Where's Jake and your sister?"

I shrugged, "I passed them at the treaty line. Don't know what they're doing."

"And it doesn't bother you?" Jared asked.

I shook my head, "Why should it?"

"Oh cut the crap, Callie," Embry snapped, "You love him just as much as he loves you."

"We don't love each other the same way. I care about him, I admit that... that's why I'm protecting him." I sighed and walked into the house.

I gave Emily a hug and started helping her with the casseroles. I set a plate of muffins on the table after taking two for me. The boys all sat around the table murmuring to each other. But I could hear them just fine.

"She's in denial," Paul whispered.

"She's fighting the imprint because she doesn't think she's good enough for him," Quil said.

"That's not all," Jared chimed in, "I was phased with him last night. I heard her telling him how she had a dream that the red-head was gonna kill him because of her. She thinks by staying away from him, that he'll be safe."

"That's ridiculous," Paul said, "No matter what he's going to protect her. And the red-head will close in on that. Besides, if she already knows what they are to each other, how is stopping seeing each other know gonna deter her?"

"You have to talk to her," Quil said.

I heard Embry sigh, "Yeah."

"Callie," I heard Embry say behind me. I innocently turned around, pretending to be none the wiser and asked, "Yeah?"

"Come on," Embry put his hand out to me, "We gotta talk."

Embry didn't start talking until we were at some sort of clearing near Emily's house. "Callie... this whole Jake imprint thing..."

"Doesn't matter," I finished curtly.

"Yes it does," Embry grabbed my hand and stopped us from walking, "You need to realize that Jacob's your soul mate. And you can't fight this. I don't even know why you're fighting it. We can all see how much you love him."

I looked away, "I don't. I care about him. I don't love him. There's a difference." But who was I trying to convince? Him or myself?

"Yeah," Embry scowled, "You care about me. You care about Bella. You care about the guys and the Cullens. But you're in love with Jake. Even before the phasing, you two loved each other. Imprinting just showed it to you both. And yet you still fight it. You could be happy with him, Callie."

"I am already happy," I argued.

"No you're not," Embry shot back, "You have your happy moments. But you aren't happy. Jake could make you happy. And you could make him happy."

"No!" I shouted, "I've heard this same happy speech before and you know what? It's bullshit. I'm never gonna be enough. He's always gonna be comparing me to Bella. I'll always pail in comparison. I just cause trouble. Just look at this mess. There's a bunch of loose vampires in Seattle and some vampire was in our house. And Victoria's still out there. It isn't safe for him to be with me."

"But you want to be with him," Embry said.

I had nothing to say to that. I sighed and slowly nodded to him.

"That's all you have to know to realize that what you're doing is just hurting you both," Embry said.

I was quiet for a moment, my mind thinking back to our moment. What happened to me and Embry? It would be so easy to be with him. I wouldn't be so scared. "But whhat about you...?"

I could tell Embry's mind went the same place my did. Our kiss. We hadn't spoken of it since it happened but we couldn't just ignore it. Embry sighed and wrapped his arms around me, "Don't worry about me. I can see that you and Jacob belong together. It's always been there. There was a time where I could see a future with you but if we were together and I imprinted later I would hurt you. And I can't do to you what Sam did to Leah. But Jacob already imprinted on you. He would never dare hurt you. Please just..."

Just then, my phone rang. I pulled it out of my pocket and checked the caller ID. I saw Tyler's name flash on the screen and I hit ignore. But it was too late. The damage had been done. Seeing that reminded me that what I was doing was the right thing to do.

I felt my walls build back up.

That night Embry took me to the bonfire where the elders were going to tell the legends. He said that Jacob thought me and Bella should know since we're part of it now.

I knew Jacob and Bella were here when Seth yelled, "Jake!" and ran over to him. I felt bad that this young boy was dragged into this.

Jacob sat down on a log with Bella by him and Embry practically dragged me to sit on Jake's other side. Jacob looked at me, smiling slowly, and I couldn't help but smile back.

"The Quileutes have been a small tribe from the beginning..." Billy began. "... But we have always had magic in our blood."

My eyes focused on the fire more than anything as Billy's story imprinted into my brain.

"We were great spirit warriors, shape-shifters who could transform into the powerful wolf. This enabled us to scare off our enemies and protect our tribe."

I felt Jacob's eyes on me, watching for any reaction.

"One day our warriors came across a creature... It looked like a man, but it was hard like stone and cold as ice..." I imagined the story playing out. A regal vampire crossing paths with the Quileutes. "Our warriors' sharp teeth finally tore it apart... but only fire would completely destroy it." My mind flashed to when Victoria attacked me. The fire flamed but she still got away.

"They lived in fear that the Cold Man was not alone. They were right."

Again, my mind flashed to Victoria and James. Another vexed woman seeking revenge on her fallen mate.

"She took her vengeance on the village. Our elder chief, Taha Aki, was the only spirit warrior left to save the tribe, after his son was killed."

I could only imagine what I would do if that happened to me. To have to keep fighting after losing someone so precious to you. Jacob...

"Taha Aki's Third Wife could see he would lose... She was no magical being, with no special powers but one; courage..."

It all came back to courage. Courage made you grow into who you really are. I was ready to know who I really am.

"The Third Wife's sacrifice distracted the Cold Woman long enough for Taha Aki to destroy her. She saved the tribe. Over time, our enemies have disappeared. But one remains – the Cold Ones..."

I shared a look with Bella. We both hated being stuck between a old feud between vampires and werewolves. Neither of us wanted to take sides.

"Our magic awakens only when they come near. And we sense it now, feel the threat in our blood. Something terrible is coming, and we must be ready. All of us."

"And we will be," I whispered.

The legends! I like the legends. And there's some closure with Embry and Callie and their kiss.

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