Chapter 32 - Bella

A/N: Here's the next chapter. FYI there's a lemon/smut towards the end.

I didn't understand what was happening. The only thing I knew was that I seemed to be floating. I knew I hadn't died…or at least I didn't think I had. All of a sudden a figure appeared in front of me. "Who are you? Where am I?" I asked.

"Calm down, young one. I am Ephraim Black. I am the Alpha of the previous pack." The figure said.

I tilted my head to the side confused. "Where am I?" I asked.

"The in-between. It's the spirit realm between life and death." Ephraim said.

"Why am I here?" I asked.

He held his hand out for mine. "Walk with me." He said. I nodded and took his hand. We started walking. "How have you enjoyed my journal?" He asked me.

"You've…seen me?" I asked.

He nodded. "Just because I'm a spirit doesn't mean that I don't watch over my family and the current pack, as well as those they love." Ephraim said.

"It's been very informational." I said.

He smiled. "I'm glad you think so. But you have questions." He said.

"I do. Was I always destined to be the Omega?" I asked.

"That is the million-dollar question. Yes, it was decided when you were just a little girl. Had everything gone according to plan then you would've grown up with the legends just as the others have. But alas it didn't." Ephraim said.

I thought for a minute. "My mother." I said, quietly.

"Yes. When she decided to leave your father, it changed things. So, we waited." He said, and I looked at him confused. "Levi and I. We've been watching over you since you were born." I nodded.

"So, then what happened?" I asked him.

"We waited and we watched. When we felt the time was right, we pushed Phil into your mother's sight. We knew how self-less you could be. We knew that you'd want to give them time to themselves. That left only one option."

"Charlie." I said.

He nodded. "Yes. Charlie. The only thing that we didn't foresee was the Cold One getting involved." Ephraim said.

"Edward. Yes, I can see that. He tends to butt in where he's not wanted." I said.

Ephraim laughed. "That he does." He said, as he stopped walking.

"What do I do now? Now that I'm the Omega…" I said, looking at him.

"There will be a ceremony. Essentially the pack will force an imprint on your soul. When they do, it will mark you as their confidant. You will be everything to them." Ephraim said.

"And the fertility aspect of it?" I asked. If he'd been watching over us like he'd said then he knew about that conversation.

"It is true. None of the others will be able to reproduce until you do." He said.

I sighed. "And if I'm not ready?" I asked, hesitantly.

"It will happen when the time is right." He told me. I nodded, still unsure of everything.

"And Leah…will she be okay?" I asked, worrying about my friend.

"Once the ceremony is complete, she will find her imprint. He's closer than she thinks. It just can't happen until you are recognized by the pack." He told me. I nodded. "It's time for you to go back now." He said.

"But I have more questions." I said.

"All in good time. I will see you again." Ephraim said before he disappeared.

"Ugh. What happened?" I said, waking up.

"Easy, babe. You fainted." I heard Jared say.

I opened my eyes and slowly sat up on the couch I was on. How'd I get on the couch. I saw Jared in front of me, sitting on the coffee table. Jacob was leaning against the doorframe. Emily was beside me holding a steaming mug and the rest were spread out throughout the room. "Here drink this." Emily said, handing me the mug.

I looked up at her and gave her a smile of gratitude. "Thanks." I told her and she smiled at me. I looked over at Uncle Quil. "I have to tell you some and you're probably going to think that I'm crazy." I said, as Jared moved to sit beside me.

"What is it?" Uncle Quil asked.

I took a deep breath and sighed. "When I fainted…I opened my eyes and I was floating. I saw a figure. I knew that I'd seen him somewhere and that I recognized him but I couldn't place his name. At all." I said.

"Who was it?" Uncle Quil asked me.

"It was Ephraim." I said. I heard a collection of gasps throughout the room.

"You were in the in-between?" Uncle Quil asked me.

I nodded. "Yes." I said, taking a drink of the mug. It was tea. Thank god.

Uncle Quil looked confused as to why I would've been in the in-between. "He brought you there." He said. I nodded. "Did he say why?" He asked.

I laughed. "He said quite a few things. But essentially he told me about the ceremony and what it entailed." I told him.

He nodded. "Are you ready then?" Old Quil asked me.

I sighed, then I nodded. "Anything for my pack." I said.

The entire room went silent for a minute before Jake spoke up. "Bella, are you sure about this? Just walking into this blind?" He asked me.

I sat my coffee mug down on the coffee table, standing up and facing Jake. "Jacob Black! It isn't a choice. This pack has fought and sacrificed for me. They have protected me. This was pre-destined long ago. I heard it straight from your great-grandfather's mouth, or spirit I guess." I said, causing a few chuckles to come from the room. "This is my duty to the pack. If I don't…the pack ends with us." I said, causing gasps all around.

"Are you sure about that?" Sam asked me.

I whipped around to face him. "About what the pack ending with us?" I asked and he nodded. "Yes. Ephraim told me himself. No one will reproduce until Jared and I have." I said and Sam nodded. I turned back to Jacob. "End of discussion." I told him and he nodded. I turned to Uncle Quil. "Give me two hours." I said and he nodded.

"I will meet everyone at my house in two hours." Uncle Quil said.

I turned to Jared. I held my hand out to him. He took it and I pulled him up from the couch. "Come with me?" I asked and he nodded. Jared and I walked out of Sam's and walked down the road towards our house. We were silent the whole way. When we walked into the house, we went into the living room and Jared sat in his spot on the couch. I climbed into his lap straddling him, holding his face between my hands. "Are you okay?" I asked him.

He looked up at me. I could see the tears that he was trying not to shed. "How are you okay with any of this?" He asked me in return.

"I didn't tell Uncle Quil and the pack everything that Ephraim told me. Ephraim also said that he and Levi have been watching over me since I was born. I wasn't supposed to leave Forks, but when my mom decided to leave Charlie…it through a wrench in their plans. So, they waited. When the time was right, they pushed Phil into my mom's sight, knowing that I'd want to give them space therefore bringing me home where I belong." I said telling him about my conversation. "I was never supposed to be with Edward. He decided to butt in where he wasn't wanted. I was supposed to be here. I was always supposed to be here, Jare." I said, and the tears that he was holding back, fell.

He wrapped his arms around my back and pulled me as close as he could get me, crashing his lips to mine. I tried to pull him closer to me as if that was even possible. I could feel Jared getting hard, as our kiss deepened. Jared broke the kiss long enough to pull my shirt over my head, before diving back in. I ground my hips into his briefly before I realized that he was picking me up off the couch. I pulled back breaking the kiss. "Where are we going?" I asked.

"As much as I want to…we're not having sex on the couch. Not right now anyway." He said, smirking. I couldn't help but laugh at him. He was always the gentleman, even now.

When we reached the bedroom, Jared sat me down on the edge of the bed. "Take a shower with me?" I asked him. He nodded, holding his hand out for mine.

He pulled me into the bathroom. While Jared turned the shower on, I quickly stripped out of my jeans, panties and bra. I stood there watching as Jared shed his shorts. That was one good thing about him only wearing shorts most of the time…it didn't take him long to get naked. "Mhmm…" He mumbled, licking his lips.

His eyes darkened as I looked up at him through my lashes. "See something you like?" I asked seductively.

He nodded. "I see everything I like." Jared said, pulling me closer to him and wrapping his arms around me. "Your eyes. Your smile. Your compassion. Everything about you turns me on, Bella. I'm the luckiest guy in the world, you know why?" He asked me.

I shook my head. "No, why?" I asked, barely above a whisper.

He leaned down, next to my ear and licked his mark on me. "Because I get to call you mine. Your mine in every way possible." Jared whispered, before standing back up. It sent a shiver down my spine. "And I'm yours." He said. I nodded. There were no words.

Jared stepped into the shower, pulling me behind him. The steam was already building in the shower. I turned to get my hair wet, when Jared pushed me against the shower wall. He kissed me hard, before trailing kisses down my jaw, neck, all the way to my breast before he took my nipple into his my. This caused me to moan. I knew that it would spur Jared on, it always did. Jared grabbed the back of my thighs and lifted me up so I could wrap my legs around his waist. I felt him rub his erection against me. I moaned again. "Jared…please." I moaned.

Knowing Jared, he would torture me until I begged for it. It was the only time that he was ever rough with me, and I liked it. I felt his thumb at my clit and he started rubbing. He let go of my nipple and looked up at me. I looked into his eyes and they had a yellow ring to them. The wolf was out to play. "Tell me…what do you want?" He asked me.

He rubbed harder. "You…I want you." I said, I could feel my orgasm building but I needed more.

"You already have me. I'm right here. Try again." The wolf growled.

Jared slid a finger inside me while continuing on my clit with his thumb. "Ah. Jared. Please…I need you." I said, starting to beg…but I knew. I knew he wasn't done yet.

He kissed my mark before licking up my neck to the spot just behind my ear. "You know that I don't play nice." He said.

"I know." I breathed out. I could barely speak. He added another finger before pumping them in and out furiously. "God! Jared!" I screamed as my orgasm ripped through me. But did he stop? No. He kept on. He was building me up again.

"Are you ready?" The wolf asked me. I nodded my head. I couldn't speak. "I need to hear the words. Are you ready for me?" He growled.

"Yes. Please, Jared…take me." I moaned out. I needed him inside me and I needed him now.

That was all he needed. He removed his fingers from me, placing both hands on my hips as he guided himself into me. "Ah." He said, almost relieved but I knew that wasn't it. "Do you know how good you feel around me? I love the feeling of having you wrapped around my dick. The warmth. The pleasure." Jared growled out.

He started grinding against me. Lifting me up and down on him. He reached up with one hand, kneading my breast and he continued to build us up. God he felt good. When I was close, he let go of my breast and grabbed my hair pulling my head to the side so that he could see my mark. "Cum with me!" He demanded.

I let go. "Oh Jared. That feels so good." I said as my second orgasm ripped through me.

At the same time Jared screamed my name before he re-bit my mark.

When we both started to come down from our high, Jared turned us so his back was against the shower wall and slid down to the shower floor. When I looked into his eyes, the yellow ring was gone and I knew that Jared was back. He gently kissed me. "Are you okay? I'm sorry. I couldn't hold him back." Jared said.

I put my finger to his lips. "It's fine. I'm okay. But here's a question…why did your wolf re-mark me?" I asked.

Jared looked confused for a second. "I'm…I'm not sure." He said.

After we'd finished our shower (for real this time), we got dressed before we decided to make our way over to Uncle Quil's house. When we walked in, Quil was the first to speak. "Damn, ya'll smell like sex." He said.

Jared growled at him, while I glared. "Shut it." I said.

Uncle Quil walked in from the backyard. "Ready?" He asked me.

I sighed. "As I'll ever be." I said.

He nodded and led all of us to the backyard. It was time.