A/N: Heya! Hope you enjoy this chapter! Excuse spelling mistakes and typos! Sorry for the slow updates but I was in total exam period. If anyone reading this story has lived through the Bac I admire you... It was the most tiring week I've ever been through during school!
Tell me what you think!
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
"Jacob, you were what? 16? It's perfectly normal to not feel ready at that age," Hermione smiled at him. "You were smart enough to turn down a role you couldn't handle at that age."
"I suppose you're right," he agreed.
"Could you become an Alpha now?"
"Yes, but it would be wrong of me to. I gave up that title and taking it back would be like stealing. It would put the others in an uncomfortable position."
Hermione nodded in understanding, her fingers playing with the hairs on the nape of his neck. He leaned down and kissed her. They had kissed many times and yet Hermione still found it exhilarating every time. Every nerve in Hermione's body was going crazy with emotion. His kissses were gentle and affectionate. He didn't want to demand anything from her, just take what she was offering. He only wanted to show her how much he loved her. She practically melted when he deepened the kiss, parting her lips and winding his fingers in her hair. She let out a small grunt of protest when he pulled away to breathe.
He rested his forhead on hers and smiled at her, her eyes still shut. "I really need to go though."
"Alright, I'll wait for you here."
He kissed her quickly before heading into the house. She sat on the porch step, her chin in her palm, staring at the forest.
"Can I join you, Mia?"
"Of course," Hermione said, grinning at the youngest wolf. "Aren't you going into the meeting?"
He shrugged, picking up a twig and digging into the dirt with it. "I'm still young enough to sit out of them if I want and they all know what I think about the Cullens."
"Don't you want to be there anyway? To make sure they respect your opinion?"
"As long as Jake is present I know he'll make sure to count my vote. I like the Cullens. They're fun to be around, despite their smell."
Hermione giggled. They sat in silence, Hermione watching Seth draw a wolf in the dirt until the meeting was over.
"So what decision was reached?" She questioned Jacob.
"Once she's turned, we attack," he informed her, shortly.
"Just like that?" Hermione inquired, quite surprised. She had been under the impression the wolves were rather fond of Bella.
She stopped trying to keep up with Jacob's fast pace. "I don't exactly have a choice, Mia," Jacob replied, hearing the disbelief in her voice turning to face her with a frown. "Understand that."
Her eyebrows flew past her hairline. "You don't have a choice?" Hermione shook her head, avoiding his gaze. "I was at the mercy of people who claimed to 'not have a choice'. Should I list to you the number of times people who 'didn't have a choice' tried to kill me? Kill my friends? My family? Yes Jacob, I completely understand. That's an excuse for the weak, for cowards. I feel no pity what-so-ever for people who supposedly 'don't have a choice'."
"Hermione, I-" Jake tried, stepping forward.
He felt an indescribable pain stab his heart when she stepped away from him and shook off his hands. He felt utterly ashamed when she looked up at him with disgust in her eyes.
"Perhaps your pack mates really have no choice. I remember what you told me and I know my research. A pack member can't contradict an Alpha's order but you, you're an Alpha by Blood. You have a choice."
"If I make that choice. If I refuse to do as Sam tells me, I'll become an Alpha myself and then the pack will have choose between me and him. I can't do that to them. I have no right."
Hermione smiled at him regretfully. "I respect that Jacob. You don't want them to be in an awkward situation but if you let this go on without trying to stop it you will regret it. You will be as much a murderer as the one who does end up killing Bella."
"Hermione, please-"
"I have to go," Hermione took a few more steps away from him. "If you go through with this, don't bother coming to see me. I can't stand by and let this happen."
Pulling out her wand and hoping not to startle all the shape shifters inside the house, she cast a silencing spell on herself before disapperating. Seth racing up to Jacob's side, not noticing his tense disposition, stared wide eyed at the spot she was in a few seconds ago.
"Awesome!" He yelled.
"It's baby time!" Ginny exclaimed, entering the house.
Harry bolted up right, staring wide eyed at Ginny in something akin to terror. "Excuse me?!"
"Mate, I'm fine with you dating my sister but if you've knocked her up at seventeen, I swear on Merlin's balls-" Ron hollered, his face turning as red as a rose.
"We've been careful!" Harry claimed.
"WHY would you say that to me?!" Ron yelled, looking horrified.
"I thought-" Harry started, only to be interrupted by Ginny.
"I was talking about Bella, not me you dunderheads."
"But it's only been a month!" Hermione said.
"Haven't you done your research?" Ron mocked, playfully.
"Of course I have Ron, still..."
"Are we going to go over there, then?" Harry wondered.
"I say: let them deal with their own problems!" Ron stated.
"Funny, I seem to recall you saying something along the lines of: If they want their new family member to survive, than they better accept us. What changed?" Ginny inquired.
"Can't be bothered."
"Charming Ronald, really," Hermione said, grimacing at him.
"Ron does have a point, if we don't intervene, they'll be forced to transform her for her to survive," Harry observed.
"If they transform her, the shape shifters will attack," Hermione told them.
"How do you know? Did they tell you that?" Ginny asked.
Hermione nodded. "Jacob told me, right after they made the decision."
"Speaking of that wolf, where's he been? Haven't seen him any this week," Ron spoke.
"Because I haven't seen him and I don't want to."
"Why not?" Ginny inquired, concerned.
"I refuse to stand by him when he goes to attack the Cullens under the pretense that he doesn't have a choice." Hermione didn't tell them that her heart felt like it was being teared to shreds and that she was lacking enough sleep due to her brain that wouldn't stop thinking of Jacob.
The three shared a look, knowing Hermione's aversion to the excuse: I don't have a choice. "So we let them realize they have to transform Bella?"
"Seems best, that way it'll be over and done with. It's been a long time coming."
"Perhaps we should still go over to their place. Extra protection," Ginny recommended.
"They won't attack until Bella's bitten," Hermione said.
"Are we going then or not?" Ron asked, tiredly.
Harry walked up to the window and stood, staring into the darkness for a moment. "Not just yet," he murmured.
The others waited patiently as he gathered his thoughts. "I think we might need to call in a few more favors."
Harry grinned when he saw movement in the forest, turning back to his friends who were sharing mischievous looks and nodding in agreement.
"Why do I feel we'll regret this?" Hermione joked.
"Because we probably will," Ginny retorted.
Three days later, six friends stood in a deformed circle in the yard outside of the house that sheltered four of them.
"So let us get this straight. You want us-"
"-to help you protect a bunch of vampires-"
"-who don't know we're wizards-"
"-from a bunch of measly shape shifters?" They checked.
"Yes, that's the main gist of it," Harry agreed.
"While we're honored-"
"-and touched-"
"-that you chose to call on us for help-"
"-we have a store in London that won't work itself."
"This would be a chance to test your products on vampires and shifters!" Ron defended.
"Once in a life time opportunity," Ginny added.
"You two argue valid points," Fred remarqued.
"So you'll help us?" Hermione wondered.
"Good question, 'Mione. George?" Fred said, a tell-tale twinkle in his eyes.
"You have our wands-"
"-our brains-"
"-and let's not forget the most important-"
"-our looks."
The twins smirked, shaking hands with Harry in fake formality.
"Bella has been bitten," Sam stated, gravely gaining everyone's attention.
Jacob sat up straight, fighting an internal battle. He had been grumpy ever since his fight with Hermione and he was visibly missing necessary sleep.
"I want you all transformed in the clearing in five minutes."
As if in a trance, Jake changed and sat in his assigned place in the circle, facing Sam.
You're all here? Sam checked. Once he received an affirmative answer from everyone, he went on to discussion the plan of attack.
Jacob's thoughts were a jumbled mess, it distracted his closest mates from concentrating on the conversation at hand causing them to growl in slight frustration. The russet wolf was lost in his thoughts and it took a violent nip from one of his comrades to bring him back down to earth.
Bella has been turned and the mutant was born. Our aim is to kill that thing. Fight any Cullens who try and hold you back. We're using the element of surprise, so you better be silent while we approach.
Sam, is this really necessary? It will only lead to death. Jacob tried to reason.
Only vampires will die tonight. Sam stated, confidently he then went on to assigne specific roles to certain pack members.
Finally, Sam arrived to Jacob. You, Jake, will stand watch. I don't think you have it in you to attack the Cullens, what with Bella there. So you're lookout tonight.
No. Jacob growled.
Well if you're sure you can handle it, I guess Seth can get lookout. Sam considered.
NO! I won't take part of this. Jacob stated, firmly.
You don't have a choice, as your Alpha, I order you to be present tonight.
No. I won't do it! I don't understand why it took so long for me to realize that it was wrong, Hermione saw it straight away! I should have listened to her! I can't do this!
You can and you will!
NO! I won't! Jake snarled, crouching into a fighting stance.
You will do as I say, I am your Alpha! Sam yelled, mentally.
Jacob barked and bared his teeth. You're not my Alpha. I was willing to let you give me orders for as long as they were good ones, I figured you knew what was best for the pack. But this... This is wrong.
Know your place, Jacob. Sam spat, taking the same stance as Jacob, the rest of the pack stepping back to give them room.
You're no longer my Alpha, Sam. I won't let you go through with this, I won't stand for this.
The pack watched mesmerized as the two intimidating leaders stared at each other, challenging the other, trying to gain dominance. Jacob was the same size as Sam and standing at his full hight, snarling and growling like never before, the rest of the pack couldn't help but feel the need to submit to him. Some distant part of their mind realized that they would never see a moment quite like this one again in their lives. The stare down between the two huge, impressive and very dangerous wolves would forever stay in their memories. Jacob was finally becoming the Alpha he was always meant to be and it was an unforgettable sight.
I'm not trying to steal your position Sam, but I won't let you make me do this against my will. You can stay Alpha, however, I'm leaving and you can't stop me.
He turned away and fled into the forest, not noticing Leah and Seth following him closely. He had to warn the Cullens.
"It's happened. Bella was turned," Fred said, ominously.
"How do you know?" Harry inquired.
"Harry, when you asked for our assitance, we took that request seriously. We installed a few of our private spying devices in the area so that we would be aware of what was going on," George explained.
"From the looks of it, we have three wolves heading to the Cullen coven's refuge. The others are just standing around, maybe waiting," Fred added.
"Do you have everything we need?" Ron checked.
"We have our equipment, have no worries Ronnie-Kins," Fred teased.
"Our trio has arrived to their destination. They've gone into the house."
"We should hurry, before Hell breaks loose over there."
"Race you," George challenged.
He then disappeared with a flick of his wand.
"He wasn't serious was he?" Hermione demaned. "This isn't a game."
No one was present to hear Hermione's disapproval however, as they had all disapeared seconds later. "Honestly," she muttered, turning off the lights and following shortly behind the first group.
"You lose, 'Mione," George claimed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and guiding her towards the house.
"I wasn't playing to begin with," Hermione shot back as they walked up the drive way.
The door flew open before they could take one more step. "I'm terribly sorry but we weren't expecting company and Bella is terribly sick so I'm afraid that I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Carlisle said, walking outside and explaining in more detail why the group had to leave.
Though Hermione was no longer listening, she was staring at the window of the living room where she could see Jacob, dressed in a pair of dark blue ripped jeans and a very flattering black v-neck top. He was in a heated conversation with someone else, oblivious to her presence.
"Jacob," she breathed, forgetting the anger she felt towards him.
She had missed him so badly that her heart ached at the sight of him. She had never thought she would be that type of girl but now, after a week of avoiding him, the simple sight of him knocked the breath out of her. This reaction to him worried her. She refused to dwell on it for now. As soon as his name escaped her lips Jacob's head snapped in her direction, his gaze met hers and then he was by her side, picking her up and crashing his lips against hers'.
"God, I missed you so much," he whispered, against her lips.
Hermione grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck, raking her nails through his hair, while her feet continued to dangle above the ground.
"I'm sorry Hermione, I should have listened to you," he said. "You were right."
"Ah my dear bloke, that's something you'll learn fairly soon," George stated.
"Our 'Mione here is never wrong," Fred said.
Jacob caressed her cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "She's proved that to me on many occasions and yet I ignored you when you told me to do what was clearly the right thing to do."
"I don't mean to break up the moment, but they need to leave Jacob. We're dealing with a problematic situation right now," Carlisle interrupted.
"You must be Carlisle! Harry told us you were the leader, I mean, father of the family," Fred boomed, moving towards the pale blond and shaking hands.
"We're delighted to meet you Mr. Cullen! We own a delightful store in London and we were hoping for a few willing American test subjects. You'd be up for it, wouldn't you?" George asked, innocently.
Carlisle, for what was probably the first time in his life, looked genuinely confused. "Please excuse my brothers Carlisle, they don't have any manners."
"Of course! Gred where were our manners?"
"My name is Fred, the handsome one."
"And I'm known as George, the smart one."
"Forgive the intrusion, but we felt the need to come, given the circumstance," Ron said, trying to be polite one.
"I'm not exactly sure what to say..." Carlisle said, slowly.
"Words are not always needed, sir," George stated, wisely.
"I like those two," Emmett announced, from where he and a few other Cullens stood watching.
As the British guests were allowed into the house by the Cullens, their nervous glances towards the study did not go unnoticed.
"Lovely place, very modern," Fred commented, pleasently. "Beautiful windows, I suspect it's a sort of inside joke between you lot, isn't it? Clever."
The Cullens shared a wary glance, trying to understand his comment.
George caught sight of the large wooden cross hanging on one wall. "Ah, nicely done," he observed. "Putting those muggle clichés to shame. Good for you."
Carlisle tensed, recognizing the term from a distant memory though he did not know what it alluded to, he could feel a sort of unease grow in the pit of his stomach.
"What cliché?" Esme asked.
Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione rolled their eyes, exasperated. Those twins were just begging for trouble and it was only the beginning.