Stephanie Meyer owns all, except for Monty and that B***H! but I will trade her for Jake and Bella any day. You know about my mistakes, as tired as I am all the time, it's inevitable. Thanks for your support, I know I say that a lot, but I truly mean it from my heart, even if only one person reads and enjoys them. Thanks all who follow and favorited. Thank you so much reviewers. I'll respond to each once I have my Gmail fixed.
To Hurt To Heal
Chapter Seven
(Jacob's POV)
"Bella." I woke up fast, sitting up in bed, her name a whisper on my lips. The dream I had slowly fading from my mind, the memory of it lost. I know it had to with something bad happening to her at the hands of Liza; it seems that even in sleep I can find no escape from her poisoned mind. I truly hated the girl, it's something I never thought I would feel for anyone, well, except for the vampires.
She has caused pain to everyone in her life and for her to assume that I would have anything to do with her, is a laugh. Even if she was never involved with my cousin, I could never nor would I ever, want to be with her. She is the type of girl I would look through and vaguely smile at, while running to the arms of Bella, my Bells.
I still can't get over the fact of how she had us all fooled with her phony pregnancy, really
What the hell is wrong with us that we just took her word for it, even my cousin, I know he was a little hurt when we caught her with that guy, but he wasn't heart breaking broken up about it. I have a feeling his pride hurt more than anything else. But really, she must have had some kind of reputation before he got involved with her; he should have gone to her doctor's appointment with her and gotten proof from her physician.
Now that evil witch is running as something other than human. How is that even possible?
When we saw her stretched out in that car, blood drained from her body, she was dead, wasn't she? How can someone be changed that easily or that quickly, I could of sworn it took three days to turn into one of the bloodsuckers, unless … unless the vampires that bit her were unusual ones, or maybe just one big vicious one who filled her bloodstream
with a different strain of venom.
There is one thing I am certain, she was bitten more than once.
Shit, that's all we need, first there is these crazy vampires from Italy, who's supposed to be more powerful than any other vampire in the world, who is now obsessed with getting their hands on Bella, to either turn or destroy her, now there is Liza. All this because Bella was involved with the Cullens, one in the guise of friendship, the other love, as if those dead things with their none beating heart would know the meaning or could feel either, we now have to deal with something that is obsessed with me.
Will this crap ever end?
Rubbing my face in frustration, I sit back against the head board, letting my head fall against it and closed my eyes. Movement on my side, a brush against my leg, brought my attention to my world, Bella.
The sunlight streaming through the window brushed her skin and danced in her hair, showing tints of red. My eyes was pulled to the fullness of her lips as she lay on her back, arms stretched above her, relaxed in sleep. My gaze traveled the length of her, but returned to her tantalizing tempting lips. I wanted to kiss every part of her, wanted to savor the touch of her lips as our tongues swirled, and dance together. My gaze strayed to her breast and over the flat of her stomach. I imagined how her skin would taste beneath my mouth as I moved my hands to cup her cheeks, to lay her flat on the bed and find the pleasures waiting me.
A moan escaped me, Damn, I close my eyes tightly, to dispel the images of Bella lain beneath me as I loved her thoroughly. But to be honest, neither one of us is ready for that, keeping her safe, or any innocent person for that matter.
It's times like these I wish my great-grandfather never signed that treaty.
"You okay Jake?" The sweetest voice in the world asked.
I opened my eyes and looked down at her, she frowned in concern. I reached over and brushed her cheeks. "Yeah, I'm perfect now that you are here." Just thinking about you and me making passionately love to you. I thought to myself. Yeah, as if I'd actually tell her that, though I know it will happen one day, there are too many things going on for my mind to be going in that direction now.
"You sure?" She asked sitting up.
"Yeah, I'm positive." I replied, smiling at her, pulling her over and sitting her on my lap with her legs on either side of me. She laid her head on my chest. Rubbing circles on her back. "Bella, there are something's I need to tell you.
She raised her head and looked into my eyes. "You sound so worried, don't be, you know you can tell me anything."
Well, here goes, I thought before beginning. "I'm sure you know by now that we had a meeting with the Cullens last night."
She nodded against my chest. "Yeah, Sam told me when he got back; he said it was mainly about Liza's accident but nothing else."
"We did speak about Liza's accident; they don't think it was an accident at all."
"Are they saying somebody caused it?"
"Remember when Edward went to Italy over a year ago?"
"Yeah, I do. Alice wanted me to go there to help save him. I'm so happy that you were there with me and I was able to come to my senses. We always thought there was more to it."
"Well, we were right, there was more to it, still."
She tensed up. "What were they planning?" She ask, her voice shaking a little.
I didn't reply immediately, I rubbed her back and ran my fingers through her hair until I felt her relax against me.
"When he went to Italy, he came into contact with a bunch of very old and old fashioned vampires called the volturri or something like that. They get their food fresh from the source. They're supposed to be the rulers of all vampires because they're the oldest living." When I mentioned that got their food from the source, I felt a shiver run through her.
I held her closer and kissed the top of her head before continuing. "These vampires are very powerful and stickler for the rules and their number one rule is, human cannot find out about them. When Edward went there he still had the scent of you on him."
"Nothing happened between us." She told me, looking me in the eyes when she did. "We barely even kissed."
"I believe you." I assured, and kissed her before continuing. "Because of your scent being on him, he had no choice but to tell them about you, now knowing that you know about them, they gave him a choice of how to deal with you. They must like him or something because they don't usually give choices, I'm sure they usually have the person killed, or who …"
"You're babbling Jake and you don't usually babble. Just tell me."
"Okay, okay, he has to kill you or turn you." I held my breath, waiting for the panic that usually set in but she surprised me. So I continued. "They gave him a year to get it done and if he does neither, they will do it themselves, they will destroy the whole Cullen clan."
"What could I, a weak human, do to them?" I really didn't know how to answer that. She didn't seem to need one. "So, if I went with Alice, I would either be dead or a vampire by now."
"Yeah, it was a trap, as we thought it was."
"Well, I can guess what he chose, since they've been back over a year and I'm not dead or vampire. They haven't tried to hurt me at all."
"Alice did try taking you from your home against your will." I reminded her.
"Yeah, there's that. Did she say anything about it at that meeting?"
"She said she was doing it to protect you because they are more equipped to protect you against their kind."
"After all this time, why now?"
"Because they think volturri have already sent their foot soldiers to handle the situation, in fact they believe that they are responsible for Liza's accident." I know this would be a good time to tell her about seeing living dead Liza in the woods while on my way home from the meeting, but that info might bring on the panic I was expecting earlier.
"What are we going to do?"
"We're having a meeting with them tonight to discuss it. We've agreed to join forces, just this once. We only agreed because you're in danger." I felt a shiver run through her. "Don't worry Bella; we won't let anything happen to you."
"I'm not worried about me, I know it sounds crazy but I'm not, I know you'll keep me safe. I'm more worried for you and your brothers; I don't want anything to happen to any of you."
"That's why we're having the meeting tonight, to make a plan so we'll all be safe."
"I hope so, or I'll have to come up with my own plan to destroy the Cullens myself, human or not, they will pay if anything happens to you."
I chuckled "Okay mama wolf." Holding her to me.
I was surprised that she didn't seem to be bothered at all with finding out what those vampires planned for her. I wondered if she wasn't even a little worried about the Cullens, after all they were close once. I definitely didn't want to bring it up.
Oh, what the hell. "How do you really feel about all this Bella?"
"Are you asking how I feel about Edward and Alice being in danger?" I sort of shrugged and nodded
"I realized a while back that those two never really cared for anyone but themselves, even when they professed love and friendship, it was always about them. I think I was like this new toy they were fascinated with, you know, like an experiment, seeing if they could be close to a human everyday without giving in to their urges to feed on me." She shrugged in the same way I did. "Alice was always trying to change me, the way I dressed, how I wore my hair. It's like she was trying to make a mini me of her. It's like everyday being told you're not good enough and needed to change to please them. I just humored her, and Edward tried to control who my friends were and where I could or could not go. My own dad didn't get all crazy like that."
She raised her head up quickly, eyes wide. "Speaking of which, where is my dad?"
"He spent the night at my house. Him and Billy got a little tipsy and watched a game. Leah took some food over to them."
"What was he told when he asked about me? Because I know he did."
"He was told that a group of us went to the movies and that you'd most likely spend the night at Leah's."
"I'm surprised he didn't ask where you would be sleeping." She said with a laugh.
"You know Charlie loves and trusts me, besides he knows I love you too much to ever disrespect you or do anything we both were not ready for."
"He always did prefer you to Edward and I have to agree. "I don't know what I was thinking, getting involved with vampires predators. She got this faraway look. But before I could ask her what was wrong, she shook herself out of it. "And to answer your earlier question about how I really feel. Frankly Jake, I don't give two figs about either of them, what I do care about is right here in front me and his brothers, their mates and both our dads." Then she softly kissed me. "But of course, you most of all."
Yeah, I was grinning, yep, like a fool. I pulled her in and gave her a kiss that took the breath from us both. Then we just held each other.
"Bella there is something else I need to tell you about being a shapeshifter." I said, breaking the silence. "We do something called imprinting."
"Imprinting?" She asked, resting her head back on my chest. "What's that?"
"It's when a wolf finds his soul mate, his other half. After he sees her nothing matters to him anymore but her happiness, he will be anything she wanted him to be, it's like a million cable cords tied from his heart to hers, binding them together for life."
"Hav … have you imprinted Jake?" She asked, raising her head and looking me in the eyes.
"Yes." I answered simply
"Oh, I see." She said trying to get off my lap.
I held her to me. Though I love her more than life, my Bella can be slow at times. "I imprinted on you Bella, you are my soul mate."
A shiver ran through her and she relaxed at my words, I then held her face in both my hands. "I want you to understand something Bella. The reason I love you isn't because of imprinting, I always loved you, your happiness always meant more to me than anything, this just makes it more secure, more definite, but if I had imprinted on someone else, it would make no difference to how I feel for you, I would walk right through her to get to you." I ran my fingers through her hair. "Besides I just imprinted on you today but I've been in love with you forever, before I really understood what it meant. I guess I couldn't resist the girl who made the best mud pie around." I lifted her head with my fingertips, and gentle cupped her cheeks. "My poor little heart never stood a chance."
By the time I was done, tears were streaming down her cheeks. "I love you too Jake, so very much."
I pulled her lips close to mine. "More than the world Bella." I whispered against her lips. "You are my world."
I swept the tips of my tongue along the seams of her mouth; she moaned and opened for me, allowing me to taste the intoxicating sweetness of her. This wasn't a kiss of passion or seduction, but of warmth and love, a connection of souls, a reaffirming of a deep undying love we had for each other. Nothing can ever feel better or mean more than the feel of Bella's hand on my chest as we learned and memorized the contours, the debts of each others mouth.
Someone knocked. "Hey Jake, you wake?" It was Paul.
I let the kiss come to a slow end and made sure Bella was decent, but didn't allow her to move off my lap like she tried to do, before replying. "Yeah, come in."
He opened the door and walked in. "Bella, you remember Paul." He walked over and took her hand. "It's good to see you again.
She seemed surprised because he never seemed to like her very much, but since she chose us that's all he needed to have her back. Then she smiled. "It's good to see you too."
"And may I add." He continued. "Thank you for coming back and putting him and the rest of us out of his misery." Then he winked. "You're definitely my favorite in-law."
Bella blushed. "Thanks." She said cautiously
I was relieved he didn't bring up Liza, but we will definitely have to discuss what I saw later. He then turned to me. "There is something we need to discuss with you." Then looking at Bella. "If you don't mind me stealing him for a few."
"Of course not." She replied and tried move from my lap again.
But I prevented her and quickly stood with her in my arms and followed Paul out the room.
"I can walk you know." She said against my chest in amusement. Paul chuckled.
"I know, but humor me; I'll take you to kitchen to keep Leah company while I talk with Paul."
When I got to the kitchen, Leah was there with Kim "Hey you two." Leah greeted and walked over to us as I let Bella down. Then Kim followed her over. "Bella, this is Kim, Kim this is Bella, she's Jacob's."
Kim's eyes widened then she smiled, they greeted each other. I know Leah was being careful because she wasn't sure if I had told Bella. "I told her everything." I said to Leah. "So you can speak openly." I finished, smiling at Bella
"That's great." She replied smiling at us. "In that case, I'm Sam's imprint and Kim's Jared. They were at Jacob's house yesterday before all the craziness, but they'll be back later." She hugged Bella then me. "I am very happy for you both and it's about time too. I always thought you two fitted perfect. I guess Mother Nature knew what she was doing, never allowing a wolf to imprint on a girl he didn't already love."
I knew once Leah got started it took a long time to stop, so I quickly kissed Bella on the cheek and left the girls talking and went outside to meet Paul where he was waiting with Jared, Embry and Sam, I didn't see Quil or Seth so they must be out patrolling.
"Okay." I said when I stood with them. "What did you need to talk to me about?"
"Follow us; there is something you need to see." Sam replied.
We didn't phase, I followed them on foot all the way to the boundary, not the one near the Cullens house, but on the other side a few miles from Charlie's. When we got there, Sam pointed at an area right on the boundary line. By the smell I knew it was vampire, but what he pointed at was the charred remains of a pillow, similar to the one Liza wore on her stomach to look pregnant, and by it were pictures of me and Bella together and another of Monty, the edges burnt.
"What does this mean?" I asked no one in particular
Don't you smell that, under the stink of vampire?" Embry asked
"But it can't be possible, that smell should have disappeared." I said a little shocked, and then something occurred to me. "You saw her didn't you?"
"Yeah I did and gave chase, that's how I found this." Paul replied.
We all looked back down at the spot. "That's not all." He said and began running, we followed.
When we got to the woods behind Bella's house, we stopped running and walked out. This time they didn't have to show me, there hanging from a rope at their back door, was a doll that looked a lot like my Bella with something pinned to it. I walked closer; it was a note with one word. Soon! I was relieved that Charlie spent the night at our house last night, and couldn't have seen this yet.
"Liza" came out as an angry growl from my soul.
"It seems she plans on causing even more pain in her living death as she did in life."
Paul walked angrily over to the doll and yanked it down, turning to me. "Nothing will happen to her, she is one of us, and we'll make sure of it."
I was touched, but too angry and shocked to voice it. I laid my hand on his shoulder "I know that Paul, and I thank you, but for threatening my mate, and all of you, my family, I want to be the one to end her, and it won't be a quick ending." With that we all ran back towards home.
I felt a surge of power run through me as I ran, and knew I was being given the remaining power of the true Alpha, being a true heir of the greatest Alpha ever lived as is my right. I do wish Sam had gotten the same privilege, I feel he deserved it. Bloodline or not. Now all the power of the true Alpha flow through me, and I have to admit I felt invigorated by it, it was also very humbling.
I truly appreciated it in a sense that it will give me the advantage in saving my family..
" Now you have the full power of it, the same as your great grandfather." I heard Sam whisper behind. I glanced back they were all looking at me with awed grins on their faces. I nodded slightly at them and with a speed I never knew I could attain, sped forward, until we heard a voice say
"Stop!"