A/N: Thanks to my beta: plainjanedee

2 - Anger

Jake's heart thumped wildly in his chest as he climbed out of his truck and bounded onto the beach. His heavy, boot-clad feet crushed the grains of sand unrelentingly as he went. His normally calm and pleasant demeanor had quickly changed and in its place was a beast, experiencing an all-consuming anger.

His face contorted in fury, nostrils flaring frantically, and his fists were clenched at his side. Jake's body was rigid. Apart from the robotic movements of his legs and feet, his body remained still.

He couldn't understand what was going on. Why did he have these sudden brutal urges swarming his head? The urge to fight and dominate spewed from him like a volcano releasing all its pent up emotions and pushing him to submit to the darkness.

He couldn't shake it, and to be quite frank, it was scaring the fucking shit out of him.

"What's this about, Uley?" Jake growled, his stance almost threatening. "And make it snappy; thanks to you I fought with Bella and now she's pissed at me."

Appearing unnervingly calm, Sam trained his gaze onto the rolling and crashing waves in the distance, before turning to face him. "Thank you for meeting me here, Jacob. And my apologies for the sudden change in location, I just didn't really want to talk at the garage. Prying eyes and all that," Sam explained.

"Didn't really have a choice," Jake scowled like a petulant child. "You gonna tell me why I'm here or have I gotta guess?"

"How are things between you and Bella?" Sam queried.

Arching a brow in confusion and irritation, Jake replied. "Fine. But I really don't see what that's gotta do with you."

Sam shrugged nonchalantly. "Just asking, Jacob. Looking out for my friends," he paused to fold his arms. "You two are good together. Anyone can see that and I'd just hate to see anything happen to that."

Jake's ears perked up on suspicion. "What are you getting at? We're fine."

"Are you?" Sam countered, challenging.

Sure, he knew he was taking a huge risk with calling his friend out on his marriage, but he knew the signs. Jake had been a lot angrier as of late. And while he knew this was just a phase, he really didn't want to see their marriage suffer because of their heritage.

Jake turned and scowled at Sam. "What the fuck is that s'posed to mean?" his irritated friend spat in frustration.

"Do you fight often?" Sam asked, completely ignoring Jake's question.

"Seriously, Sam, you need to back off with the personal questions," Jake said in warning. "Bella has nothing to do with this, so keep her out of it."

Sam's brows furrowed together in puzzlement. "This?" he echoed.

A low, rumbling growl of caution escaped from Jake. "Sam..."

"What's with the temper?" Sam asked.

"I don't have a tem-" Jake's jaw clenched in his attempt to control his rage; his body shaking. "I'm really not in the mood, Uley. So unless you got a point to this interrogation, I need to get home to my wife."

"Who said this was an interrogation? I'm merely asking a friend about his marriage-"

"Which has jack shit to do with you!" Jake exploded. "I can't believe this!" he said, frantically pacing the shoreline before Sam.

"Can't believe what?" the older man ventured, cautiously. He discreetly studied his troubled friend. Jake's hands were in his hair. His panicked facial expression and taut body. The unease and worry that shadowed his eyes...he'd seen it all before. "What's going on, Jacob?"

Sagging in defeat, Jake collapsed to the sandy ground and sighed in frustration. "I don't know! I just...feel angry all the time lately. I can't control it. I'm snapping at Bella and saying shit to deliberately hurt her, and I hate it! I'd never hurt her! I love her too much," he told Sam with a pained voice. "I feel like I'm being possessed or having some kinda out of body experience. I can hear myself saying this shit, and I try and stop myself but I just can't."

Sam took a seat next to his friend and nodded, "How long has this been going on?"

Jake shrugged, "Not sure. Maybe two or three days."

"And it's the simplest things that set you off?"

"Yeah. It's like something triggers it, but I don't know what that trigger is. Like before I came to meet you, Bella asked what time I'd be back and I all but ripped her head off. She's done nothing wrong, Sam, yet I'm taking my shit out on her. It's not right."

"Hmmm," Sam mumbled in deliberation, "Jacob, do you mind if I confer with the Elders about this?"

Jake's brows furrowed in confusion, "The Elders? What do they have to do with my situation?"

"I'm not sure yet, and I can't be certain, but I think they might know a little something about why you're getting so angry. Can you leave it with me?"

Puzzlement flooded Jake. "Uh, sure, sure," he licked his lips and glanced out toward the crashing waves. "Can you just do me a favour though, after you've spoken to them?"

"Of course."

"I need to know what's going on with me, for the sake of my sanity and my marriage. Can you let me know what they said? I don't give a flying fuck how good or bad it is, I just need to know," Jake said, somewhat defeated.

Sam smiled sympathetically and patted Jake's shoulder, "Don't sweat it, man. I got your back. Now, I suggest you get your ass home to your woman before she locks you out." They laughed, rising to their feet and walking back to the parking lot.

Jake's problems might not've been solved, but after confiding in his friend, he certainly felt a lot lighter.

~TBW~

"Bella?" Jake called to his wife when he returned home, before hanging his jacket on the hook and making his way through the house.

"Kitchen," her melodic voice replied.

Nervously, he buried his hands in his jean pockets and advanced into their spacious modern kitchen. Rounding the corner, Jake instantly spotted his wife standing by the sink in her jean shorts and Rolling Stones shirt with her brown locks piled atop of her head in a messy bun, washing some vegetables. He couldn't help but smile at the stunning vision before him, and his heart jerked in his chest almost painfully at her beauty.

"I love it when you wear your hair up," he breathed out in a coarse and gravelly voice as he stepped around the island.

Turning her head slightly, Bella spied her husband out the corner of her eye and smiled coyly. Goosebumps broke out across her skin as she absorbed the husky and raspy tones interlaced in his words. The man knew how to make her shiver with desire, that much was true.

Stopping what she was doing, Bella dropped the vegetable into the sink and closed her eyes as Jake came up behind her and slid his arms around her waist. With his lips on her neck and his hot breath teasing her ear, he whispered, "Makes me wanna kiss this beautiful, creamy skin."

Biting her lip, she held in the moan of appreciation that threatened to escape and leaned back into his touch. "I love the feel of your lips on me."

Lowering his hands to her hips, he curled his fingers around her hipbone and pulled her further into him. Growling slightly, he nipped at her tender flesh with his teeth and skimmed his lips across her hairline, "I love the taste of you on my lips. So. Fucking. Delicious."

Turning in his arms, Bella sucked in a shaky and laboured breath as her husband continued his mission of kissing every morsel of skin her could find. Finally, he lifted his head to hers and while gazing longingly into her eyes, Jake claimed her lips in a passionate and loving kiss.

Pulling back after a minute, he cupped her cheeks and pressed his forehead to hers. Closing his eyes, he held her tightly as if he couldn't bear to let her go. "I'm an ass."

Chuckling against him, Bella couldn't help but agree. "Yes, you are. But I love your ass."

Kissing her cheeks, eyelids, nose and lips, he nuzzled his nose into her hair. "I was a jerk; I'm so sorry, baby."

Fisting his shirt between her fingers, she pressed a kiss onto his shoulder. "I know you're sorry, honey, and you know I'm always here for you, no matter what. But don't treat me like that, Jake. I didn't like it."

Holding her with a vice grip, he answered determinedly, "Never. I promise you, Bells."

Embraced within each other's arms, with their heartbeats beating as one against one another's chests, Jake smiled before looking down at the abandoned food in the sink. "What were you making?" He asked, massaging her shoulders, comfortingly.

Purring contentedly against his taut and muscular torso, Bella replied, "Your favourite: rib roast with carrots and mashed potatoes."

Jake's stomach growled at the mention of his favourite meal; however, the burning and insatiable need he felt bubbling below the surface to finish what they started earlier outweighed his need for food. She was the only source of sustenance he needed. Reaching behind her and turning the oven off, he suggested in a low and hoarse baritone, "As much as I love your cooking, how about we save this for another day and order in," Jake's fingertip sensually circled the inside of Bella's wrist. "Then I plan on spending the rest of the night making up for my shitty behaviour today."

With her brow arched, she peered up into her man's dark chocolate brown eyes and ran the tip of her tongue along the crease of his lips. "Oh yeah? And how do you plan on doing that?"

"Don't worry, beautiful. I have my ways," he promised with a sexy grin and a wink, before grabbing the backs of her legs and lifting her into his arms.

Squealing, Bella held on to her husband as he jogged toward their bedroom. "Jake! What about the food?" She laughed.

Swatting her ass playfully, he kicked open their bedroom door before throwing her onto the bed. Just before shutting their door and blocking out the rest of the world, Jake growled, "Fuck the food."

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