Author Note: It's been pretty busy around here, gearing up for another school year. I just about have the next chapter done as well, so it should go up early next week. Also, I want to say a special thanks to a guest who commented a couple chapters ago about not liking to leave comments because authors tend to abandon the story if they do so. I just want to say that I promise I will not do that! I am committed to finishing this story, no matter what! If there is a longer stretch between chapters, just know that life is keeping me from devoting as much time as I need, but every new chapter will come just as soon as I am able!

As always, I don't own this world or its characters (except for Grammy Jo)

Happy Reading! :D

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CHAPTER 49

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~~JACOB POV~~

A new vampire… and on the Rez. This wasn't good.

Noses sniffing along the ground and into the air, Embry and I took in the new scent, definitely not one we were familiar with. Thankfully, it was just one leech, but he'd gotten far too deep into our territory. Usually, the concentration of our scent at our borders seemed to deter them. Even the red head had only skirted around the edges of La Push, except for that one time she was in the water after Bella jumped off the cliff. But this guy was cutting straight through.

I'm just speculating at this point, Sam was saying as he and Jared paced restlessly around us, their paws silent as they moved, but it seemed as though this blood sucker had a purpose. He was definitely focused on something, to the point of distraction, because we practically ran right into him before he reacted.

He seemed to be startled by us, Jared added, but not surprised. Not the way most would be at the sight of two giant wolves.

Yeah, I noticed that too, Sam continued. The most concerning part to me was that as soon as he realized we were going to engage him, he took to the trees… just like the red head used to do. So, he could be just some random vampire wandering through, but I don't think that's the case.

Damn, I thought, my lips curling back, barring my teeth as a growl rumbled deep in my chest, an answering growl coming from Embry. And you said Emily had a vision?

Yeah, that's why we came back out after we'd just finished our patrol. She saw a vampire running through the forest, right here near the highway…

I looked over to where the 110 snaked through the trees like a black river in the moonlight, just a stone's throw away from where we were… from where the leech had been.

At first, she saw through his eyes, Sam continued, and then she said it switched as if she was looking at him head-on. She said he was after Bella. There was nothing in particular that specifically showed her that in her vision, but it was an impression she got while experiencing the vision.

I lifted my head high, examining the trees and little bit of the dark sky I could see above as I considered the situation. With Emily's vision, it seemed unlikely that this was just a coincidental random leech, but I wanted to make sure we covered all possibilities.

Alright, Embry and I will go talk to the Cullens' after we take the girls home. We need to make sure they don't know this new leech, or if they've encountered him at all. Do you and Jared want to come?

Absolutely, Sam agreed quickly.

With the new vampire's scent logged in our memories, we headed back to Emily's. Bella knew something was wrong, but I wanted to wait until we weren't around Charlie to let her know what was going on.

Embry quietly gathered Quil, Seth, and Leah to take them to the spot so they could get the scent of this leech, then Embry returned while the other three stayed out on patrol. Everyone else started leaving soon after, so it wasn't long before Bella and I were in her truck headed back to Forks, following Embry and Angela in her car.

"So, it's not over then," Bella said after I'd told her everything, her face pale and eyes lined with worry.

"No, it doesn't appear that way."

She swiped away a tear as it slid down her cheek and I pulled her closer with the arm around her shoulder.

"I knew it probably wasn't," she said quietly, "but I'd hoped that maybe…"

"We're going to watch over you baby… you know that. At least we know now that there is a threat, instead of just guessing. We'll figure out what this one's plans are and stop him. Someone will be around your house or wherever you are at all times. We won't let what the red head did to you happen again."

"I know you won't, Jake. I just don't want us to have to deal with this anymore."

"I know, baby." I so badly wished I could take this all away from us, but since I couldn't do that yet, I wanted to keep her mind focused on anything and everything good as much as possible. "I do have a bit of good news." She looked at me, hope filling her eyes, and raised one brow. "I talked to Sam and Embry about both the Florida trip and the honeymoon, and neither of them have any problems with covering things while we're gone. They're both really excited for us."

She gave me a small smile. "Well, that's something, anyway. I'm looking forward to this Florida trip even more now." She looked back out the front window. "It's hard to reconcile all these warring emotions between the worry and fear of this new vampire threat with the excitement and joy of graduation and marrying you. I don't know which emotions to deal with."

"Well, that's easy. Your focus should obviously be on how much you adore me and can't wait to marry me."

She laughed and dropped her head as she shook it side to side. "Obviously, that's the answer. Don't know what I was thinking. Actually, I did think of something about the wedding that we should decide soon but haven't talked about yet."

"Oh yeah… what's that?" I was glad to see she was so willing to allow herself to be distracted.

"Who we want to stand up with us, and who we want to perform the ceremony."

"Ah, yes. I'm assuming you have some ideas." It excited me that she was already thinking about plans for the wedding. Knowing how she used to feel, I'd had a lingering concern she wouldn't be eager about it.

"I do. I think your dad should perform the ceremony."

A jolt of pleased surprise shot through me, and a smile unfurled across my face. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. I think I remember that he used to perform weddings when we were kids, right?" At my nod she continued. "So, if you like that idea, we should at least ask him."

"I definitely like that idea. And I think Dad will really like it as well." That was probably understating it a bit… I was sure he would be thrilled and honored that we wanted him to do it. Especially since it was Bella's idea.

"Great! So, I think I know this answer, but who would you like to have as your groomsmen."

I'd already thought about this, so the answer was easy. "I definitely want Embry to be my best man and then Quil, of course. I would also really like to have Sam. Is that too many?"

She smiled up at me. "No, it's perfect… and the answer I was expecting."

"Who do you want?" I pulled in behind Angela's car in front of her house, waiting for Embry to walk her to the door.

"Angela as my maid-of-honor, and Emily."

I drew my brows together. "But aren't we supposed to have the same number of people as each other?"

She shrugged a shoulder. "Yes, I think that's how it's usually done, but I don't really care. I want you to have who you want, but I don't want to have another girl just to make it even. That would make it less special."

I studied her for a moment and smirked. "You've really thought about this."

"Of course I have. I may not have thought out every small detail since I was five like a lot of girls do, but I still have ideas for certain parts." She glanced over to the house where the front door had just shut and Embry was turning toward us, then turned back to me and lowered her voice. "I want to ask Embry and Angela about being in the wedding at the same time, so don't say anything until we're all four together. Same for Sam and Emily."

I nodded in agreement as Embry opened the truck door and climbed inside with a quick hello and I pulled away to take Bella home. When we got to her house, Embry waited in the truck while I walked her up to the door. He and I would be leaving on four legs, but he wanted to give me and Bella some semi-privacy to say goodnight.

"Seth and Leah will be here any minute now to take the first watch," I said, pulling her against me at the bottom of the porch steps. "I won't leave until they get here. Then Embry and I are meeting Sam and Jared to let the Cullens know what's going on and see if they've encountered any new vampires in the area."

Bella wrapped her arms around my waist and held tight, laying her head on my chest.

"I just wish that you could stay with me tonight."

"I know, I do to, but I'll be nearby as much as possible. We'll have two people watching over you at all times, but others of us will still be running patrols. None of us are going to get much time off for a while."

Bella sighed, "I hate that you all have to stretch yourselves so thin like this again."

"You know that we all want to do this. Every single one of us wants to make sure you're safe, more now than ever before. So, it's worth a little sacrifice." I cupped her face in my hands and made her look up at me. "Please don't worry about us, just let us look out for you."

"I don't think it'll be possible to not worry, but I'll try."

I bent down to kiss her. Our lips had barely touched when I my head snapped up, scalp prickling and hairs standing on end on my neck and arms. We were being watched.

"What's wrong Jake?" Bella balled her fists into the back of my shirt.

I didn't answer but continued to hold her close as I scanned the tree line then remembered that Sam said the new vampire went up the trees, so I scanned nearer the treetops.

"Embry, up high straight to the north," I said quietly.

"Yep, I see it now," he replied, already out of the truck and running towards the woods, phasing before he even reached the tree line.

A howl cut through the night and within moments there were three answering howls and shortly after more joined in.

"Is the vampire here?" Bella asked in alarm.

"Yes, but not for long. The whole rest of the pack is coming. I'm staying with you until we know it's clear. Let's go inside so Charlie doesn't start to worry."

Charlie opened the door just as we reached the porch. "There you guys are. I heard howling. Was that you Jake?" he asked. When he got a good look at Bella he added, "Is everything alright?"

Bella looked at me with concern. He can't know about the vampires Jake.

I know. I don't plan to tell him that.

"Let's go inside Charlie and I'll explain as much as I can."

Once in the living room, I pulled Bella down to the couch next to me while. She was trembling and would not let go of me… that was okay, I wasn't ready to let go of her yet either. Charlie stood near the recliner, rigid with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Before I tell you anything Charlie, you should know that I probably won't be able to tell you enough to satisfy you, but most likely just cause more questions and concern. So, are you sure you want to know?"

He looked from me to Bella, taking in her pale complexion and wide eyes, then back to me.

"Yes, I want to know what's causing Bella to be so scared."

I hesitated, giving Charlie a chance to change his mind. When he continued to look at me with a steady gaze, I sighed.

"Alright, what I can tell you is we aren't the only supernatural creatures that exist in this world, and most of them are very dangerous. These other creatures are the reason that we, the wolves, even exist. Our magic created the first shapeshifters to be protectors and that's what we've continued to be. Unfortunately, some of these dangerous creatures have chosen to come after Bella. We'll have her covered 24/7 until we can catch them."

"Wait, what? What other creatures? Why are they after Bella?"

"We can't tell you Dad. There are some secrets that aren't ours to tell and could put you in a lot of danger if you knew them."

"Well, I'm not okay with that," Charlie said loudly, his face morphing through several shades of red. He paced across the room then turned back toward us. "I want to know what's put you in danger, Bella." He pointed at Jake but spoke directly to me. "Is it because you're all mixed up with the wolves that these creatures are after you?"

"No Dad, this was set in motion before there were any wolves. Jake and the others are the only reason I'm still alive."

"How? Why?" His attention turned to Jake. "I want to help protect my daughter, Jacob. You need to give me some more answers right now." He stabbed his finger toward the ground.

"Charlie, please believe me that I would if I could, but that's absolutely out of the question. I warned you that you'd only have more questions. Besides, you honestly wouldn't want to know… please trust us."

He didn't look convinced and opened his mouth to say something, but I quickly continued.

"As for you helping, there is no weapon that you have that could harm these creatures, so you'd only manage to get yourself hurt or killed. Only another of their own kind, or the wolves, can kill or even damage them. The pack will protect Bella, and you, with our lives, if necessary. You have to believe me and accept that."

Charlie continued to hold my gaze, his face still red, but he'd stopped arguing with me.

"I'm sorry Charlie. I wish I could tell you… or better yet, I wish I could make all the supernatural things just go away, but they're here to stay, and we just have to do the best we can."

I could tell he didn't like it, but he seemed to be beginning to accept that there wasn't anything he could do about it.

A quiet yip sounded outside.

"Leah and Seth are here," I said, my attention returning to Bella, cupping her face in my hand. "I need to go, and I'll check in with you later." I tapped my head to indicate I meant through our mental link. "If I don't see you again tonight, I'll be here to pick you up for school in the morning."

She nodded as she thought to me, Please let me know what happens as soon as you can. Then out loud she said, "Be careful Jake. I love you."

"I will, I promise," I said, answering both her spoken and unspoken words. "Love you too baby."

Cradling her face in my hands, I kissed her deeply, not caring that Charlie was right there. All I was concerned about in that moment was making sure she would be okay once I left. Stretching the kiss out a bit longer, I gave her my calm, then pulled back to look into her eyes for an extended moment. I held her gaze until her grip loosened from my shirt and I could see she was more settled. I pressed a final kiss to her brow then got up to leave.

"Jake, wait," Charlie said before I reached the front hall. He took a couple steps toward me, looking and sounding calmer. "You said yesterday that it's hard for you and Bella to be apart from each other, right?"

"Yeah, that's right."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not going to pretend to understand everything that's going on between you and Bella, but I talked to Billy earlier, and I can see how you two interact…just now and whatever was going on at Emily's house. And well I just… well, I just wanted to say that the couch is always available for you, if that would be helpful. I think I'd feel better knowing you were watching over Bella too, along with whoever else you have looking out."

I let out a long breath, a small amount of tension leaving me. "Thank you, Charlie. You have no idea what that means to us."

"Thanks, Dad," Bella said softly. "That will help a lot."

"Alright, well just use the key outside whenever you need to. And Jake… I do trust you. It's just hard, not being able to help. She's my baby girl and she's pretty much all I've got left. Just make her safe again."

I put my hand on his shoulder and held his steady gaze. "I promise Charlie, I'll always do everything I can to keep her safe. There's nothing more important in my life than Bella."

He nodded and I looked at Bella one more time. She gave me a small smile and then I left.

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AS SOON AS I phased, I saw that the others had chased the leech out of the area, headed northeast, just like the red head used to do, more indication that this wasn't a random vamp. Sam, Jared, and Embry were already on their way back while Quil and Paul were continuing the chase to make sure the leech didn't double back.

When we reached the Cullen's house, Carlisle and Edward met us on the porch.

"We heard the howling earlier," Carlisle said. "I hope everything is alright. Would you like to come inside?"

"Not tonight, Doc," I said. "Where's Alice?"

"She went back East where the rest of the family is. We've been trying to decide if we should head back as well or have everyone return to Forks."

That surprised me. We'd been expecting them to leave town any day, since Bella was all healed up. I had mixed feelings about the rest coming, but… "Well Doc, not that we want more vampires in the area, but after what happened today, we maybe could use your family's help… if you're willing."

I looked at the three with me and they all nodded in agreement. We were going to be spreading ourselves pretty thin until we could get this new threat taken care of. And if it was anything like the red head, it wasn't going to happen quickly.

I turned back to the two vamps on the porch. "We came across a new vampire today. The same one twice actually. Once in following the highway deeper into our territory and again hanging around Bella's house. We are fairly certain that this is one of Victoria's creations. We wanted to see if you've encountered any new vampires lately and to make sure this guy isn't a friend of yours. Although, if that's the case, he's acting pretty suspect, and he should be asked to leave."

"No, we haven't had any visitors," Carlisle replied, "and if we ever do, we'll be sure to let you know right away. I also have not come across any new vampire scents either."

Edward was suspiciously silent, and I eyed him as he shifted on his feet.

"I've encountered a new vampire over the past few days," he finally admitted.

I narrowed my eyes at him and clenched my fists, trying to still the slight tremor that had started in my hands. "You didn't think that might be worth mentioning to us?" I asked with a growl.

He sighed deeply. "I was going to tell you, but I was trying to see if I could get more information first. Whenever I've come across him, he's appeared to be watching Bella's house, but from very far away, which confused me. He seemed to be able to sense when I was near enough to hear his thoughts, so I never got more than a word or two until yesterday. I still didn't get a lot of details, but Bella was definitely in his thoughts… well, he thought of her as "sweet blood", but that's how her blood smells to us, sweet."

Anger flared in my chest, and I could sense the tension coming off of my three brothers as well. I took a few deep breaths to keep myself in check.

"Why would you not tell them Edward?" Carlisle asked. "Or at the very least tell me so that I could relay the information?"

I knew why. "Were you following her again?" I kept my voice quiet, but the threat in the tone was clear… enough that Sam moved closer to me.

"I'm sorry," he said, raising his hands slightly in a defensive posture, "but I can't stay completely away from her. She's like a drug to me. I wasn't interfering, just keeping an eye on her. Especially when you weren't around Jacob."

My arms trembling, I took a step toward the porch. Then Sam was there, his hand on my chest and body angled toward me without fully turning his back to the house. Embry and Jared had moved closer as well, but my eyes stayed fixed on the blood sucker.

"It's not worth it Jake," Sam said, keeping his voice low.

I knew it… I knew this leech wouldn't be able to keep himself away. But he'd at least kept to a watchful distance and not approached Bella again. Another set of protective eyes on her was never a bad thing, as long as that's all it was. I let out a long breath and looked at Sam as I ran a hand through my hair. Now that Bella had healed Leah, perhaps we needed to revisit the thought of her doing the same for Edward. I didn't necessarily want her to do it… not if she would have to relive everything again, but from what I saw, that seemed to be specific to healing Leah's anger. If it helped this guy move on though, it might be worth it. Anyway, it wasn't worth getting worked up about right now. He was keeping his distance and we had bigger concerns.

I shook my head slightly to clear it. "Alright, we can talk about that more at another time. Please, just don't keep anything from us anymore. Let us know right away if you encounter this leech again, or any other new ones. This guy wasn't deterred by our scent from coming onto our lands, so we need to take this threat seriously." Who knows how far that leech would have made it if it hadn't been for Emily's vision.

"We will," Carlisle said, eyeing Edward who nodded in agreement. "And I'll talk to the rest of the family about considering more seriously coming back to Forks. We'll let you know once a decision has been made. Do you require any assistance right now?"

I took a moment to consider that. It would be nice if we had one more pair to take a shift watching over the house at night. Especially since they didn't need sleep. I looked at Sam, Jared, and Embry again to get their input.

"It would be helpful," Sam said, knowing what my question would be.

"Helpful, but is it the best idea?" Jared wondered.

"I agree with both thoughts, Jake," Embry said. "You'll just have to decide whether or not you're okay with it."

My protective instincts were flaring with the thoughts of allowing him to be so close to her. However, with the new offer from Charlie to sleep on their couch whenever I needed, I would be able to stay close enough to appease that need, so I decided I could handle it as long as I was there. I wished I could trust Edward not to approach her, but I didn't want to take any chances at this point.

Edward tensed and his head snapped toward me then he went as still as a statue. "You're engaged?" he asked in a quiet, pained voice.

My mouth dropped open a little as I looked at him and I wondered which of us had thought about it. Oh well, it didn't really matter who it was.

"Yes, we are," I answered.

Carlisle looked from Edward to me, his brow going up and his mouth agape. He recovered quickly and put a supportive hand on Edward's shoulder, before turning to me again.

"Congratulations Jacob," Carlisle said, "and please extend our congratulations to Bella as well."

"I will, thank you. And about you helping out, would you be willing to take the overnight shift watching over Bella's house?"

"Yes, we can do that," Carlisle said. "Just tell us when."

"Covering the overnight shift would be most helpful, so come at 1:00 and plan to stay until she leaves for school. Does that sound okay?"

"Yes, whatever you need." Edward had apparently recovered from his initial shock and sounded a little more enthusiastic than I'd like, but I'd be there the whole time. If there was one thing I could count on him for, it would be protecting Bella, so long as he stayed away from her otherwise.

"Great," I said. "We'll just take it a day at a time for now and see if this leech starts to show any patterns. Thank you both for your help."

We phased again as soon as we left the Cullen's house and paused a few miles away when Sam pulled up short.

I think it might be best if we combined the packs for the time-being, Jake. At least until we know more about this new vampire.

That's probably a good idea, I agreed. This part of the shifter thing always made my human-self feel a little uncomfortable, the part that was all wolf instinct, though it felt a little more normal every time we did it.

Sam lowered himself part-way to the ground in front of me, his lips and ears drawn back, muzzle pointed up toward me, all a show of his willing submission. His mental connection opened to me, allowing his surrender to my authority to come through. I accepted his submission by allowing him to touch the underside of my muzzle with his nose. With everyone in wolf form, I immediately I became aware of the minds of the rest of his pack.

There had been no one to teach us how all of the shifting of pack dynamics worked, but our instincts had guided us as soon as we'd made the decision to join the packs the first time. Combining the two packs created an odd dynamic because Sam still kept his Alpha designation, he was just making a choice to submit to me temporarily, which also kept our Seconds and Thirds in their positions, my pack taking precedence over Sam's. In order to remove the Alpha title from Sam, and combine the packs more completely, I would have to forcefully dominate Sam, but I couldn't fathom a scenario when that would ever need to happen.

Paul and Quil joined us just as we split up to do a thorough check all around Forks and La Push, making sure there were no more leeches lurking about. Just before 1:00, I met with Seth and Leah so I could make sure the transition went smoothly when the doc and Edward showed up. Leah may have gotten over Bella's relationship with the Cullens, but she still didn't trust them… although I felt she had some respect for the doc, after seeing him care for Bella multiple times in her memories.

The day had been long and tiring. Between waking up early to complete repairs on a few cars, going through Bella healing my dad then Leah, helping her deal with her jumbled-up emotions, and then the encounters with the bloodsucker and patrols, I was beat. The house was covered, the entire area had been thoroughly checked out, and Paul and Quil were continuing patrols throughout the rest of the night, so I set the patrol schedule for the next day, sent everyone else home to get a few hours of sleep, and headed to Bella's house. I was very much looking forward to sleeping under the same roof as her tonight.

I had spoken to Bella earlier to let her know that Edward and Carlisle were taking a shift and that I would be taking Charlie up on his offer to let me sleep on the couch. She had been relieved to hear that they were helping take a little of the burden off of the pack… not that I ever found taking care of her safety a burden. I wasn't at all surprised, though, to find Bella curled up on the couch and sound asleep when I got to her house.

A gentle smile tipped up my lips as I silently came to stand by the couch, listening to her mumbling in her sleep. It sounded like she might be having a conversation with her mom. Her dark hair was splayed across the pillow and partially draped over her face, a stark contrast to her pale skin that shone luminescent in the moonlight coming through the windows. For several minutes, I just watched her sleep, marveling at her beauty.

Her breathing suddenly became a little uneven and her body restless. I crouched in front of her and gently pushed the hair back from her face, taking in the pretty flush of her cheeks and sweep of her long, dark lashes. She calmed at my touch, turning her face to nuzzle against my hand. I finally gathered her to me to carry her upstairs to her room. As I stood with her cradled in my arms, she stirred and wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Jake," she whispered, "sit with me? For just a little while. Please." Her voice mumbled a little through her sleepy haze.

"Sure baby." I sat down on the couch and held her against my chest. "How're you feeling?" My hand rubbed soothing circles along the length of her back.

"Mmm… better… with you. Still anxious… a little."

"Did you want to go into our solitude?"

She didn't even answer, just wrapped the solitude around us then hummed in contentment as the peace washed over us. I may have needed it as much as she had, I realized. We didn't speak. Didn't need to. I continued to rub my hand across her back and buried my face in her hair, taking in her beautiful scent of strawberries, honey, and summer rain.

It was hard to judge time while we were in that space, and I think I dozed a little. When awareness of the world around us returned, Bella was sound asleep once more, one of her hands twined into my hair. Her breathing was deep and even and she didn't stir at all this time when I stood and carried her up to her bed. Tucking the covers in around her, I gazed at her beautiful face for a bit longer, yearning to stretch out and lay beside her. Finally, I sighed and pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead, then headed back down the stairs.

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~~BELLA POV~~

A FAMILIAR SCENT TEASED my nose. My mind somewhere in the state between sleeping and waking, my brow wrinkled as I tried to place it. I was only aware that it didn't belong in my room… not anymore.

My eyes slowly blinked open, still heavy with sleep, and there was just a tiny amount of pre-dawn light filtering through the gray skies outside. I was about to turn over when a motion by my window caught my attention. I was startled by a shadowy figure standing against the dim light coming through the glass panes. It must be Jake. I opened my mouth to speak to him, but wait… the scent hit my senses again and something clicked. That wasn't Jake's scent, that was Edward's. Why was Edward in my room? He was supposed to be watching from outside. My heart began a slightly heavier rhythm in my chest as I sat up a little.

"Edward?" My voice was a sleepy whisper.

The silent figure turned and took several slow, measured steps toward my bed. Their face began to come into view, indistinct and heavily shadowed, but it definitely wasn't Edward either. Another step and one feature became clear… a pair of vivid red eyes!

My blood ran cold, and the breath was sucked from my lungs. Scrambling back, I slammed into the headboard, my mouth opened in a silent scream as the figure moved closer until it was inches from my face. Red eyes gleaming, a wicked grin spread across its blurry features. Jake's name shrieked from my throat as my voice came back to life.

Vice-like arms went around me, pinning my arms to my sides. I thrashed against their hold and screamed Jake's name again. The arms were strong and immovable, yet also… gentle?

"Bella! Bella, it's Jake! I've got you baby. Wake up and stop fighting me."

Jake's voice and scent broke through my consciousness, and I suddenly snapped awake. Confusion gripped me as I looked into Jake's face for a moment before reality hit and a sob burst out of me. I wrapped my arms around Jake, fisted his shirt, and buried my face against his chest.

"Shhh… it's okay Bella." He held me tight. "It was just a dream. I'm here now honey." He stroked my hair and began rocking me like a child. I clung desperately to him as relief slowly flooded through me. It had felt so real.

"She okay?" Charlie's voice sounded quietly from the door. I didn't turn, just kept my face pressed against Jacob, my body shaking as tears flowed down my face.

"Yeah, she's okay. It was a nightmare." Jake's voice was full of barely controlled emotion and pain.

"Are you okay Jake?" Charlie asked.

"I will be… just give me a minute," he whispered, pulling me closer and pressing his face into my hair as I continued to sob in relief.

Jake just kept rocking me and after a little more time had passed Charlie spoke again, sounding concerned and uncertain. "I'll be in my room if you need me." His footsteps retreated and his door clicked shut.

After another couple of minutes, my sobs eased, and I realized that tremors were washing through Jake in waves. I didn't even ask, I just pulled us into our solitude. In no time we had both calmed and I pulled back to look at him.

I'm so sorry Jake…

He took a deep breath and pushed my hair back from my face, his thumb stroking my still damp cheek. It's not your fault Bella. Your fear and anxiety came through and woke me up. I was halfway up the stairs when I heard you scream, and I thought the leech had somehow gotten past me and was here. I thought I was going to lose you. I knew that couldn't be, I would have smelled him long before he got to you, plus Edward and Carlisle are outside, but you were just so terrified. We're lucky I didn't phase running up the stairs. It took everything in me to hold it back.

In my nightmare, he was here. And when you first put your arms around me, I thought it was him grabbing me. It was so real Jake.

I could tell how real it felt to you. Your mind is really able to come up with some convincing images, but thankfully it was just a dream. He took my face between his hands and pressed his forehead to mine. We may want to check what time it is. Time passes so weird while we're in here.

I nodded and let the solitude slide away. It was definitely brighter outside but glancing at my clock I saw that I still had over two hours before I needed to get up.

"Will you stay with me please?" I gave Jake a pleading look. "I doubt I'll be able to get back to sleep, but I don't want to be alone.

He didn't even hesitate, just shifted around until he was leaning against my headboard. I curled up against him and wrapped my arms tightly around his middle. Closing my eyes, I pressed my ear against his chest to listen to his heartbeat and breathed in his calming scent.

The sudden sound of my alarm jerked me upright. Startled and confused, I reached over to switch it off. I actually had fallen asleep again. Turning back to Jake, I found him watching me with an amused smile.

"Don't make fun." I place my hand over his face and pushed his head away.

He gave me a look of pure innocence. "Wouldn't dream of it." His voice, however, was barely concealing the teasing humor beneath the surface.

I shook my head as I leaned into him and hugged him tight, then groaned and reluctantly got out of bed to get ready for the day.

"I'll be downstairs," he said as he stood then kissed the top of my head and I watched as he headed out of the room and down the stairs.

An hour later we were in my truck with Embry, heading to Angela's house. With a new vampire around town, they didn't want to take any chances with her either. It would no doubt be the first day of many with very little rest for the pack.

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Author Note: Don't forget to leave a comment. Thanks to those of you who have been commenting regularly. I cherish everyone of them and reread them when I am in need of some encouragement. They truly keep me motivated.