Change of Plans
JacobxBella; Edward
Rated M
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the franchise, as it belongs to Steph Meyers
Change of Plans
Chapter XVII
Bella couldn't believe it. She really couldn't believe it, and yet it was true. Jacob was now acting Alpha of the Quileute wolf Pack. He had taken up his birthright, which was amazing, yet also shocking considering how against it he was in the beginning. But that left her wondering a few questions. When did it happen? How did it happen? And why did he decide to do so now? There was just so many questions swimming around in her head, but she would have to ask him those questions later.
Still looking at Jacob as he stood with the Pack, she couldn't help but notice the obvious authority and power exuding off him. And because it was exuding off him, it was spreading to the Pack, making them look just as powerful. It was a very beautiful sight to Bella, especially seeing Jacob like this. It made her feel proud of him. He truly was beautiful as he was regal.
Jasper stepped up to Carlisle and said with his southern drawl, "I'd like to get started now, Carlisle. I'd prefer to waste no time, especially with Alice saying we only have a few days."
Bella was surprised to hear this. They only had a few days before Victoria and her newborn army showed up for her? She looked over at Alice incredulously, briefly wondering why she hadn't told her this, or at the very least had Rosalie warn her. Alice gave her a small, sheepish smile while having some sort of apologetic look on her face before turning back to her mate. Bella simply scowled at the vampire before turning back to Jasper and Carlisle as well.
Carlisle nodded before turning to everyone saying, "Alright everyone, Jasper will take over from here on out. He will guide us with our battle training and prepare us for battle with the newborns."
He then turned to the former soldier. "We're ready, Jasper."
Nodding, Jasper began speaking, explaining his battle techniques from when he fought newborns years ago, before beginning battle training with members of the Cullen coven. Jasper led and demonstrated what to do, going against all the members of the Cullen clan, though was obviously having fun with Emmett and Rosalie, while having difficulty with Edward due to him anticipating his movements. As this was going on, Jacob moved and settled next to Bella where she stood, the brunette leaning against his large frame. His fur was so soft, silky even, and he really was larger than life. Sighing softly, she leant further into him, Jacob nuzzling her with his snout before turning their attention back to the faux fighting.
It was silent between them for a while before Bella finally asked Jacob, "You do know that we're going to talk about this later, right?"
Jacob gave some sort of wolfy laugh in response before nodding his large head. He turned his large eyes back to Jasper and Alice. When those two finished their sparring, Alice giving Jasper a sweet kiss on his cheek before climbing down from his back, Jasper turned to everyone and said, "This is a bit of what we will be up against. Now, as far as the wolves go, it will be different. Perhaps one of us can have a bit of sparring with one of them for learning purposes. They'll need to know what to expect besides what they already to."
Jasper turned to Jacob and asked, "Is that alright with you? Who do you choose for demonstration?"
Jacob looked at Jasper for a moment before turning to his Pack, communicating with them through their Pack link. Bella watched in interest, her interest peaking when Paul stepped forward, only for Jacob to growl at him slightly and he got back in formation. After another beat, Embry stepped up, him being the chosen wolf. With Embry willing to participate, Jasper asked which of his coven would like to spar with the wolf. Rosalie took a step forward, only for Edward to step further ahead and announce that he would do so, causing the blonde vampire to glare at him while her twin raised an eyebrow in interest. Nodding slightly, he took a step back and allowed Embry and Edward to start.
The fake fighting seemed to be going well from where Bella stood with Jacob. They were both dodging each other's "attacks", and she could tell that Embry for the most part was keeping his thoughts at bay from Edward, seeing as her ex seemed to be having a slightly hard time predicting his movements from time to time. However, things stopped being well when Edward suddenly charged Embry and grabbed his large wolf head in a headlock, squeezing down on him and beginning to cut off his breathing.
Embry yelped and whimpered at the sudden movement, trying to pry himself away from the mind-reader's grip, but to no avail. Bella gasped and shouted for Edward to let him go, but he didn't listen to her. Jacob growled loudly, as did the Pack, snarling as Quil rushed at Edward, Edward releasing Embry and moving back towards his family. The Pack stood around Embry protectively, snarling and growling at the vampires, particularly Edward, while the Cullens stood defensively against them; Rosalie glared at her stupid brother for his actions causing this reaction.
Sam growled at Edward, to which Edward simply replied, "It wasn't on purpose, Sam."
The snarl and snapping Paul gave in response let Bella know that he and the Pack clearly didn't think the same. To them, and honestly to her as well, Edward seemingly trying to choke Embry seemed deliberate. It seemed Jacob thought the same, for he walked over to stand in front of his Pack, growling at Edward and the Cullens before phasing back to his human form so he could speak to all of them without the need for the bloodsucker's translation.
Not at all minding his nakedness, Jacob told them firmly, "Let me be clear about this. Because you need our help fighting, we agreed to help deal with the redhead and her newborn army, if only for Bella's sake and that of our lands. But this agreement will no longer continue if you or your nosy coven member continue to antagonize my Pack."
"But Edward wasn't-" Alice began, only to be cut off by Jacob growling at her, "Shut up, Pixie."
Ignoring Jasper's warning growl, he continued speaking to the Cullens, particularly Carlisle. "I also want to let it be known that once this temporary alliance is over, you all need to leave Forks. Leave this area for good and never come back. You've all overstayed your welcome, and I won't stand for your presence any longer when this is over."
Carlisle could understand where Jacob was coming from, he really could. Even he had to agree that his family's return—both returns—had caused a chain of events to happen that probably shouldn't have. That, and it was obvious them being around agitated the Pack, which in turn could compromise the treaty created, though they still abided by it, something he could tell the new Alpha didn't agree with. But they couldn't just leave when things were over, not with a certain threat looming over not only his and his family's heads, but Bella's as well, one he was sure the brunette had forgotten all about.
Nodding, Carlisle replied, "I understand Jacob, and I agree that there won't be any more antagonizing from Edward during future training sessions. Unfortunately, I cannot outright agree to leaving the area just yet when this is all over."
"Yes, as there is some unfinished business that we must attend to," Edward stated, both him and Carlisle giving Bella meaningful looks, especially Edward.
Taking in a quick breath, Bella looked back at them before turning her head to the side, breaking eye contact and wrapping her arms around herself. She knew exactly what they were talking about, something she hadn't thought about in a long time and truthfully didn't want to. Her eyes darted to Rosalie who was also looking at her, though her expression was unreadable. But her amber eyes, those looked troubled as she looked at Bella.
Esme, wanting to diffuse the growing tension, suggested that they end training for the day, and come back the next day around the same time. Agreeing, the Cullens and Pack departed the clearing, Bella leaving with the Pack upon Jacob's back as he turned back into his wolf form and let her climb on top of him. As they headed to the Reservation, Bella couldn't help but feel a sense of dread building in the pit of her stomach.
Later that night, Bella laid in her bed in the darkness of her room, listening to Charlie watching television downstairs. She had retired early after spending time with Jacob at his house, telling her father that she wasn't feeling that great and was going to having an early night. But the truth was that she needed time to her thoughts, thoughts that weren't allowing her to go to sleep, thoughts that she knew would give her nightmares if she tried to repress them. And if there was one thing she knew better about now, it wasn't good to repress her thoughts and feelings, not when they manifested themselves in her sleep.
She couldn't help but think about the practice fight from earlier that day, as well as Edward's words about unfinished business. He had said those words and looked at her with purposeful indication towards her. She wasn't sure if Jacob had caught on to that, but she definitely had. She knew what both Edward and Carlisle had been alluding to in concerns to her. They were bringing attention to—especially her attention—to the promise she had made to the Volturi, the promise she had made to become a vampire.
Bella had truthfully forgotten about them and her promise to be turned. But now that she was given unwanted remembrance of it, she found that she was terrified. When she had made that promise to Aro, Marcus, and Caius in Volterra, it had been due to her knowing about vampires and not being killed or turned immediately. Not only that, but she had made that promise to be make sure that she, Edward, and Alice walked out of there alive. However, that promise had been extracted out of her under the assumption that she was Edward's mate and would be with him forever, like she had wanted and proclaimed to those royal vampires.
Unfortunately, that was no longer the case, which complicated things. Bella was no longer with Edward, she wasn't his mate, something that the Volturi knew nothing about yet. And to complicate things further, she was now pregnant, pregnant with Jacob's baby. That wouldn't have seemed bad, expect that she was pregnant by a "werewolf", something Caius had no patience for and absolutely hated. Of course, Jacob wasn't a real werewolf, but that wouldn't matter if the Volturi caught wind of her situation and found out about the Pack. If the Volturi learned about Jacob and the Pack, then it could be—no, would be detrimental to them all. And if that became the case, things were surely to end in bloodshed, something she really didn't want to happen.
Realizing the mess that she was in, Bella couldn't stop the tears that formed in her eyes and slid down her face. She felt helpless, not knowing what to do in this situation, a situation that she was caught in the middle of and was sure she was responsible for. And if not fully responsible, then definitely partly responsible. As she cried, Bella knew that she needed help. She knew the Cullens weren't going to help her out of this situation, not when Aro expected Carlisle to make sure things were carried out per his orders with her promise, but perhaps…
Sitting up in bed, the brunette wiped her tears from her face and reached over to her nightstand, grabbing her cellphone in hand. Opening it, she scrolled through her contacts before stopping on Jacob's name. As she stared at it, she realized something rather important. Upon her return from Italy, she had never told Jacob what came of it other than she had returned with Edward in tow and the two of them back together. Granted, tensions were high between them and Jacob was hurt by what she had done, especially after their intimate moment together, but she should have told him about it when things were back to normal between them again.
Knowing what she had to do, she pressed on his name and held the device to her ear. As she listened to it ring, she resolved herself to what she was going to do. She had to come clean to Jacob about her trip to Italy. She needed to tell him all the details of what happened while she was there. Bella knew that she was going to hurt Jacob upon telling him the truth, but she had to do it, though she did curse Edward for forcing her hand here. But better that it came from her than Jacob hearing it from someone else, particularly Edward. And no matter what his reaction was, she was also going to tell him that that promise was something she no longer wanted, not when she loved and wanted to be with him.
The dial rang once more before it was finally answered, Jacob's voice asking into her ear, "Bella? What is it, honey? Are you okay?"
"Jake, can you come over, please? We need to talk about something."