A/N - IT'S FINALLY HERE!
First, I want to apologize for how long it's been since I posted the last chapter. It has been killing me that I couldn't get this to you guys sooner! My hubby, then my two kiddos, then I got Co-Vid right before Christmas. It totally sucked. We missed seeing most of our family for the holiday and I couldn't even muster the energy to wrap Christmas presents (thankfully my hubs and daughter stepped in since I was the last one sick). Plus, everything else came to a screeching halt, including my writing.
Anyway, we are all healthy and pretty much back to normal now, other than my daughter and I still don't have our sense of smell back completely. After at least getting to visit my parents, then playing catch up with cleaning and laundry and the like, and getting my kiddos started back with school (I homeschool them), I was finally able to get back to tackling this chapter again, and I am pleased with the results. The next chapter is going to have some challenging revisions as well, but I pray nothing else crazy happens and I can have it up early next week (or sooner, if at all possible).
I hope you all like this chapter and the direction it's turning the story. Happy reading!

Stephenie Meyers owns the character and universe.

CHAPTER 35

JACOB POV

BELLA'S TERRIFIED VOICE echoed through my mind just as we were leaving the Seattle area. There was absolutely nothing I could do, and my stomach clenched at the realization. My only option was to send Sam, who was closest to the school, and watch helplessly as the freaking leech forcefully held my Bella in his arms. Rage pulsed through me as she struggled against his grasp then went limp in his arms and Sam wasn't able to separate them without risking harm to Bella, though I knew he would have figured out a way if Alice and the doc hadn't showed up right then.

I had felt her pain, just like the day we killed the red head, so I knew he had hurt Bella even before I saw it in Jared's memory. The freaking bloodsucker was lucky as hell that I wasn't the one who was there. Absolutely no words existed to describe the fury that had coursed through me, and it took me about half the run home to cool off enough to be able to attempt to phase back.

Embry and Quil, the only ones still in wolf form with me, had run silently at my flanks, giving me the head space to work through my raging thoughts. The images from Sam and Jared played through my mind over and over and I analyzed everything as the anger surged through me. How had he gotten so close to Bella and why the hell she was alone in the woods with him? Did he ambush her or was she close to him by choice? Had he hurt her intentionally or was it just from her struggling?

I was finally able to put the images away and focus more on calming myself when I thought of Bella's pain. Not knowing just how much pain she would be in, I wanted to get to her as soon as possible, so I turned my mind to more calming thoughts of times spent with Bella. The memory of our first kiss four weeks ago came to mind… so much had happened since then that it felt like months instead of weeks. Thinking of the changes in Bella since then, the light in her eyes, her easy laughter. How much it had changed me too. My old carefree happiness was coming back more and more often, all because of Bella's love and acceptance. Feeling less like a monster and more human, even now as I thundered through the forest on four legs, trying to control my anger. I couldn't fathom my life without her.

We had just cleared the northern edge of the mountains when I knew I was calm enough to be able to phase back, and I immediately became anxious to reach Bella as quickly as possible. Turning southwest, I picked up my pace and we made as straight a shot as possible toward La Push.

When we got to Emily's house Bella was in the shower and the whole rest of the pack was there, spread out between the kitchen and living room. Sam started to fill me in on the details that Bella had given him. I was disappointed to learn that she had willingly gone alone with Edward into the woods and talked to him without calling for me sooner. Not wanting to get worked up again, I headed outside for some air, Sam following right behind me.

I paced away from the house, stopping when we weren't too far out. Sam was a silent presence of support, waiting patiently for me to speak.

"What was she thinking?" I asked in quiet frustration, finally breaking the silence, not really expecting an answer from Sam. "Talking to him would have been bad enough when she had agreed not to, but to be so isolated in the woods with him." I shook my head and ran my hands through my hair. "Anything could have happened."

"I don't know Jake. Don't be too mad at her though. I think she feels bad about how it all went down."

Keeping my gaze focused off into the distance, I crossed my arms over my chest and breathed in the smell of the ocean floating on the breeze that brushed over my face, then let out a long breath. "I'm not mad at her. Just disappointed that she didn't realize the danger she was putting herself in before she did it. I'm mad at the whole situation… that she was even in that position because this freaking leech just won't leave her alone. That he's even here in the first place."

"Well, the other two looked absolutely horrified at what he had done, so hopefully they will convince him to leave… or at least leave her alone."

"Hopefully so."

"So, did you find anything out in Seattle?"

"Yeah actually," I said, turning my head to look at Sam standing beside me. I had actually been shocked at just what we had found. "That city is full of vampires! We didn't see any, but their stench is all over the place. We picked up at least twenty distinct scents. I couldn't believe it. Not in my wildest dreams would I have expected that."

Sam's eyes hardened and I could see him working to keep himself calm, his jaw flexing. We had stayed in human form while we were in Seattle and Bella's voice had come through just before we shifted to wolf, so we hadn't had a chance to relay the info to the others yet.

I looked away to the distance again. "I want to talk it over with Carlisle and see what he thinks or if he knows anything about why there are so many. I'll need more time before I'll trust myself to be near them again though."

Sam opened his mouth to speak again, but we both cocked our heads toward the house as Bella's muffled voice reached us from inside.

"I'll head back in now… give you two some time," Sam said. "We need to figure this Seattle thing out as soon as possible though."

I nodded in acknowledgement as Sam clapped his hand on my shoulder and headed inside. I couldn't think about Seattle right now and he knew it. A couple minutes passed when I felt Bella approaching me, my position and stance unchanging. I could tell she was nervous, and her pain was elevated from this morning, but not too bad.

She hesitated when she was a few steps behind me and instead of coming around in front of me, she took the last couple of steps and slipped her arms around me from behind, laying her hands flat on my chest and stomach, burying her face in my back, and breathing a sigh of relief as her pain went away. I placed my hands over hers, lacing our fingers together, and pressing them more firmly against me.

"How're you feeling?" I asked.

"Better now." She turned her head so her voice wasn't muffled against my shirt. "I'm sorry Jake… I'm so sorry I put you through that."

"Why Bella? Why did you go with him alone into the woods?"

Her answer was quiet and hesitant. "I… I didn't do it without quite a lot of thought, and I honestly… I didn't want to. I knew it was a risk, but I ultimately decided to go because I had a strong feeling that I needed to speak with him. Like that conversation needed to happen… I can't explain it."

"You still should have called for me sooner." I brought her hand up and kissed her palm. "He may not have hurt you or forced himself on you if any of us were there."

"I know." Emotion choked her voice, and I could feel her gloomy regret. "I truly am sorry Jake. I knew you would be upset, but something did happen when I told Edward that I didn't want to be with him anymore and that you're the one I love and the one I choose. Please forgive me for causing you so much worry and pain."

Joy and relief swelled in my heart as her words sank in. Bella had chosen me. She had been faced with the choice I had been dreading and she had chosen me. I pulled her around in front of me, turning to meet her halfway and noticing the new bruise on her right forearm. She wouldn't look up, she just hugged me tight and pressed her face into my chest.

"I forgive you baby," I said, kissing the top of her head, breathing her in, so thankful that today didn't end badly. "We got lucky, and everything turned out okay. Hopefully, he'll be leaving so we won't have to worry about it anymore."

She breathed another sigh of relief and we stood there just holding each other for many long moments.

"You said something happened when you told Edward you didn't want him?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah, it was so strange." Her head remained resting against my chest while she spoke. "The forest was so still, but several times a little breeze would blow around me. It only seemed to touch me, nothing else around me."

"That is… strange." I wasn't sure what to think of that.

"I also felt something sort of shift inside of me. Like something that had been off was set right. I don't know what to make of it."

I didn't respond, just relieved to have her safe in my arms, and a peaceful quiet settled on us. After several more long moments, I cupped her face in my hand and coaxed her to look up at me. She finally relented to my caresses and turned her face toward me, but her eyes remained downcast, remorse still written on her face. Leaning down, I pressed a kiss to her forehead, then nuzzled my nose against hers before gently kissing her lips several times, trying to get her to stop feeling guilty. When I pulled back, there was a small smile curling the corners her lips and she finally turned her gaze up to mine. As our eyes met, all the world fell away, and I sucked in a breath as the last thing I ever expected happened.

Heat bloomed in my chest… not burning like a phasing heat, but a warm comforting heat, and it spread throughout my body. My mind, my body, my entire being, disconnected from everything that made me who I was—the love of my father and sisters, the memories of my mother, my dedication to the pack, my commitment to the tribe, my hatred for my enemies, my home, my name, myself—all those connections were dissolved in an instant and the only one that remained was to the beautiful girl in my arms. It was no longer a normal connection, fragile and unstable, it was a strong and unbreakable connection, irrevocably binding me to her with a million steel cables. She was now, and always would be, the thing my life would orbit around and nothing else mattered except her happiness and well-being. Her eyes revealed to me the new center of my universe, and the beauty of it was breathtaking.

I had imprinted on my true love, my soulmate, my Bella. All those years of waiting and hoping had been worth it, to bring us to this point. All the feelings that I'd tried to push aside for all of those years we were apart now made sense. This was why no other relationship had ever interested me or ever felt right. I was waiting for her. I'd known for a long time, maybe my whole life, that she was the one I wanted, but to have this confirmation and know that I was right, that we were meant to be together… it meant the world to me.

"Jake, what just happened?" Bella's face showed confusion but also held a captivated, enthralled look. I hoped she would be okay with this considering how she felt about imprinting.

However, I had no time to answer her or contemplate anything further… I barely had time to register the imprinting shift when a new one started. I looked down, startled, as my chest began actually glowing from the heat inside, a gentle golden light radiating through my torso, down my arms, and into my hands.

Bella gasped at the sight, her eyes wide, and I felt drawn to touch her. I obeyed the urge, laying one palm on her chest and pressing the other against her upper back. A strong wind kicked up, lifting tendrils of Bella's hair as they swirled around and caressed her face. The warm, golden glow passed from my hands and into Bella, slowly spreading to her entire body until all of her skin was glowing. Her eyes slid shut and her features softened in complete peace. An ethereal aura shone from within and then surrounded her as the clouds above us opened up, allowing rays of sunlight to fall in a small symmetrical pool around us. The heavenly light was far too focused and perfect to be coincidental.

My own eyes closed as this new magical power, a power that had been lying dormant inside of me, grew in strength and flowed through both of us, passing from one into the other and back again, weaving itself into our hearts and souls, strengthening our bond further, changing us. Though my eyes remained closed, I could see the power, where it flowed, and the changes it was causing. I watched as several things occurred in quick succession.

Reaching into my core consciousness, the power drew out the authority that I had put away, accessing the claim on my birthright as the great grandson of Ephraim Black, the last Tribal Chief and Alpha, and the authority took over, making me the head Alpha, but not the only one. Sam's place remained if he chose to keep it, second only to me, but not completely submissive to me—two packs, two Alphas.

Flowing over all the injuries on and in Bella's body, including several new ones on her back and sides, it began healing her. All the bruising dissolved, from her skin all the way to her bones, the pink scars on her head faded and left no marks behind, and the broken bones in her arm were knit completely back together, as strong as ever, the pins that had held them together disappearing.

Curling around within Bella's heart, my power also took root inside of her, though it was different for each of us. In me it was the authority and wisdom to rule the pack and one day govern the tribe, in her it was compassion and healing. However, there was more to it that I couldn't comprehend, and the full extent of this new magic, and the powers it gave us, would have to be discovered.

The golden light of the magic began to glow brighter, searching for a final connection. We opened our eyes simultaneously and gazed at each other, both feeling the searching power, the pull to one another. Bella reached her arms around my neck, her fingers threading into my hair, and I lifted her up as she wrapped her legs around me, one hand under her bottom, the other gripping her back, and our lips crashed together. The kiss was deep and full of a new consuming passion as our powers collided in a bright burst of the golden light and the strong breeze continued swirling around us with new intensity. That's when the final shift happened—our minds opened completely to each other, where every thought, every feeling, every emotion, every memory could be seen and felt and heard by the other.

Trying to absorb as many of the swiftly moving memories as I could, I saw them… those memories of Bella's visits to Forks when we were growing up… the ones she never forgot, right along with the ones that she had locked away and forgotten about. The magic had unlocked them, and she was remembering them once more. Now she would know all the things I'd been longing to tell her about us, as well as her memories of my mom. Bella's warring emotions came to me through our new bond… this was going to be a lot for her to take in.

The frantic bombardment of thoughts and memories began to slow and became more focused. Like a movie playing through my mind, a selection of her memories of us together since childhood were shown to me, along with the feelings that went with them, and I knew she could see them too: snippets of times playing together as children, at the beach or exploring the woods; the day she returned after my mom had died, feeling her concern for me and her own sadness; the day she became fearful of our feelings for each other, and what it might mean, and ran away; her caring and kindness towards me when she first arrived in Forks last year that grew to a committed loving friendship as I patiently helped her overcome her pain; how that friendship had continued to grow and her love for me that formed within and around it, but it was invisible to her, and the few times she got a glimpse of it, it scared her just like when we were younger; the pain when I couldn't speak to her after I phased; the relief mixed with apprehension when she discovered the reason; I saw and felt when the love for me revealed itself to her when we kissed that first time, surprising and overwhelming her, but no longer causing her to balk away from it, she accepted it whole-heartedly; and how it had grown and strengthened until this moment. What I saw of her love now stunned me… it mirrored my own so exactly, it was like she imprinted on me. I don't know how it was possible, but her connection with me was a copy of mine with her, steel cables binding us for life.

At the same time, my memories were being played for Bella… somehow we were able to see it all simultaneously: more little bits of time together as children; my boyhood crush, because I definitely fell for her first; the way she didn't treat me differently, like a fragile, breakable shell like everyone else did, after my mom's death; how the news of her impending return helped me fully pull myself back together and gave me hope again; how my feelings returned for her almost immediately when she returned and me realizing that she had forgotten so much about us; the heartache I felt when I saw her with Edward; how I ached for her when she was hurting after he left, remembering the pain I had lived through with my mother's death; how my love for her continued to grow strong and true as I watched her come back to life, always trying to hide my feelings, but often failing; always willing to give her my love without expecting anything in return, but always hoping; how painful it was when I first phased and couldn't tell her; the relief of her discovering the secret; the fear of losing her to the vampire or her own rash actions; the utter and complete joy when she kissed me and realized her love for me; the connections that we had made since then that opened up small parts of my power to her while we wondered what was going on; and finally, that unbreakable connection: complete love and devotion only to her.

Our minds closed off again, but not like a shut door. We were permanently united with only a curtain between us that could be pushed aside when either one of us wanted or needed to share with the other, no matter the distance.

Only a few minutes had passed, and we were still locked in our intense, passionate kiss, our focus remaining solely on each other. Slowly, the awareness of our surroundings returned as the wind died down and the light began to fade, and our kiss became less urgent and more gentle, until we finally pulled apart and looked at each other. I was now kneeling on the ground, sitting back on my feet, Bella still wrapped around me.

"What. Was. That?!" Seth's awe filled voice sounded distantly, but it still didn't break through our singular focus on each other.

"Let's go inside and give them some time," Emily said quietly. For a moment I could sense that they were all there and they had all seen; and then I was aware of them no longer and once again only saw Bella.