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Kidnapped

Another violent tremor rocked Jacob's frame. Some internal instinct warned Bella that she needed to calm him down.

"Hey, easy, Jake. Its okay. No danger, see? Relax."

"Yeah, calm." He panted, bowing his head, and closing his eyes.

Bella felt her own heart rate beginning to slow as her initial panic began to subside. She matched her breathing to his, taking in measured, steady breaths. His hands were on resting on her shoulders, he was standing so close, she could feel the intense heat radiating from his body, warming hers. Jacob wasn't wearing a shirt, though the air blowing in the open window was enough to make her shiver. He looked so huge as he leaned over her, so big that his frame blacked out the entire window.

Suddenly, it was more than Bella could handle- it felt as if all her sleepless nights were crashing down on her all at once. She was so brutally tired that she thought she might collapse right there on the floor. She swayed unsteadily, and struggled to keep her eyes open.

"Bella?" Jacob whispered anxiously as he opened his eyes. He caught her elbow as she swayed, steering her back to the bed. Her legs gave out as she reached the edge, and she plopped in a limp heap on the mattress.

"Hey, are you okay?" Jacob asked, worry creasing his forehead.

"I should be the one asking you that." Bella looked up at him, the panicked tears not yet dried on her face.

"Forget about me." Jacob brushed aside her concerns. "I'm worried about you. I shouldn't have lost control like that. I should have been more careful. I'm so sorry, Bella." He apologized; his dark eyes full of anguish.

Bella shook her head wearily. "You don't owe me an apology, Jake. I just freaked out when you mentioned that there had been a vampire in my room. I've always felt uneasy in here. Like this room was haunted or something. And now I know why."

She felt more tears forming in her eyes as she recalled all the times that she had thought someone was in her room, watching her from the shadows. And how she thought she was going crazy. And now Jacob had confirmed she had been right to be afraid, that it was all true, it wasn't just paranoia, someone had been there, not once, but many times – a vampire!

Bella let her head fall into her hands. Her question came out muffled by her arm. "Why is this happening?"

Jacob was quiet for a moment. Too quiet. Bella twisted her head to the side – too tired to hold it up – to see his expression. It surprised her. His eyes were squinted, his teeth clenched, his forehead wrinkled in effort.

"What's wrong?" She whispered.

Jacob exhaled heavily, and Bella realized he had been holding his breath. "Dammit." He muttered.

"Jake?"

"I'm sorry, Bella, honey. I'm having difficulty controlling my emotions." Jacob laughed bitterly. "Its hard to keep my shape together these days. It's just the thought of one of those leeches being so close to you, in your room, it makes me so mad, I want to – "He didn't finish, struggling again.

"Oh, Jake, I am so sorry." Bella finally managed to lift her head; eyes full of sympathy.

"I'm sorry, too." Jacob whispered. "This is so frustrating."

They looked at each other for a long moment in the dark, both their faces hopeless.

"The part that kills me is that anything could have happened to you. And I wasn't there to protect you." Jacob lamented. He sucked in a sharp breath, and leaned toward Bella, his face shifting from hopelessness to blazing intensity in a second. He stared fiercely into her eyes, and his voice was fast and eager. He spoke the words right into her face, his breath as hot as his skin. "But I can protect you now, Bella. I'm going to track down this bloodsucker and put an end to this."

"Hey, hold on, Jake." Bella pleaded. "You're not thinking straight. If this vampire had any ill intentions toward me, then he or she, would have done something by now. I don't know exactly what's going on, but I do know that I am not having you running off recklessly into the night trying to play the hero and putting yourself in danger."

Jacob took her face in his enormous, too warm hands and held it just a few inches from his. He stared into her eyes while he whispered, as if to communicate something besides the words he spoke. "This is what I do, Bella. I am a protector. And I am going to protect you from this predator. You must trust me. I know that I am new to all of this, but I've already taken one of those vile creatures down. I will do the same to this one."

Bella blinked twice, trying to clear her head. She was so tired. Nothing made sense. She took a deep breath and tried to concentrate. "What do you mean by that?"

"Those leeches in the meadow." Jacob reminded her. "The ones I chased away when I turned wolf." He grimaced as he said the word wolf, still not comfortable saying it in front of Bella, afraid of her reaction. "I killed one of them."

He recalled the frightened look on her face when he had first transformed. It haunted his waking dreams. He was a monster. Did she see him like that? She hadn't flinched away from him yet. Could she really be that accepting?

Bella's cheeks were growing warm under his palms as she remembered, but Jacob didn't notice, hot as his skin was. "When you say killed?" She asked hesitantly.

"I tore it apart, Bella." Jacob stated baldly. "With my teeth."

There was no easy way to sugarcoat what he had done, or rather, what the wolf had led him to do. The beast inside him had acted on instinct when he chased the vile creatures from the meadow, the urge to protect pounding in his blood. The human part had recoiled in disgust, not just from the nostril searing, repugnant scent, but also from the manic bloodlust he saw in the crimson eyes. He had no experience to guide him, only the knowledge gleaned from his new body. It had wrecked him.

Even in the dark, he could see the change in the color of Bella's face. Her pale skin turned translucent, her eyes widening in what he thought was horror. He inhaled deeply, struggling to hold his shape together, fine tremors running through his fingers and hands.

Was this the moment when it all became too much and he lost her for good?

"I disgust you."

Bella suddenly came back to life. "No, Jake, no."

"You think I'm a monster."

"Jake, stop that self-pitying crap right now." Bella scolded him. "You must not think like that. You're not a monster. Its fine that you're a wolf – honestly. You did what you had to do to save me. Again."

Bella meant every word she said. She really didn't care if he turned into a giant wolf- he was still Jacob.

"It just upsets me that you had to go through that alone. I wish – "

"Is that true, Bella?" Jacob interrupted her, a smile breaking across his face.

"Yes."

Jacob started to laugh.

"Jacob Black, this is not funny!" Bella hissed.

"Sure, sure." He agreed, still laughing quietly, as he lifted her off the bed in a vice-tight bear hug. "You really don't care that I morph into a giant dog?" He asked, his voice joyful in her ear.

"No." Bella gasped. "Can't – breathe – Jake!"

Jacob quickly let her go. "Sorry." He said, taking both her hands instead.

Relief pulsed through Bella, she studied his face, glad to see that his despair had faded. Then she threw her arms around him. It reminded her of the first time she had hugged him on her own initiative – he was bigger, though, and she felt more like a child now.

Like that other time, he stroked her hair.

"Oh, Bella, honey." Jacob whispered, his brief flash of humor fading. "I wish things were different." His hands began to tremble in her hair. "I shouldn't be here, but I had to see you."

Bella tensed at his words. "What do you mean by that?"

Jacob sighed. "I had to sneak out – I'm not supposed to see you. The elders will be wondering where I am… and Billy will be freaking out."

Anger flashed inside Bella as she remembered her last conversation with Jacob's father. "They have no right to tell you what to do." She fumed.

"Its not as simple as that, Bella." Jacob continued bleakly. "It's not safe for you to be around me." He looked at her with guilt-ridden eyes. "I took a risk coming here – a very selfish risk."

"Jake, that's ridiculous. You have done nothing but protect me since we met, saving me from one crisis or another. Of course, I'm safe around you."

"There's more than one reason I'm not supposed to be around you, Bella. I was never supposed to tell you our secret for one thing – "

"I was right there when it happened." Bella exclaimed, cutting him off. "I'm glad you told me the stories; I wouldn't have been prepared otherwise."

Jacob sighed again. "Its not just that, the other part is that's its not safe for you." He emphasized the word 'you.' "If I get too mad…too upset… you might get hurt."

Bella thought about that carefully. "When you were mad before….and you were shaking….? "

"Yeah." Jacob's head drooped. "That was stupid of me. I must keep a better hold on myself. I swore I wasn't going to get mad, no matter what you said. But when I smelled that bloodsucker in your room… and the thought that I might be going to lose you…that you couldn't deal with what I am…."

"What would happen…if you got too mad?" Bella whispered.

"I'd turn into a wolf." Jacob whispered back.

"Its okay, Jake. I know you would never hurt me." Bella said earnestly. "I trust you."

"Thanks, Bella." Jacob still had hold of her hands. "I'm going to do everything I can to be here for you." He promised. "And I'll try to see you soon." He sighed. "And the old men will probably try and talk me out of that."

"Don't listen to them."

"I won't." Jacob glanced towards the window. "I have to go, honey. I've already stayed too long."

"Stay, Jake." Bella pleaded.

"I can't." Jacob was full of regret. "Though I would stay with you, if I could."

"Why can't you?"

"I must find the bloodsucker that has been in your room. If this rain continues it will wash away its scent before I have a chance to track it down." Jacob hushed Bella when she tried to protest. "This is what I do, Bells. Now get some sleep." He pushed her gently, back down on the bed. "I'll be in touch. I promise." He turned away and headed for the window.

"Don't be an idiot, Jake." Bella called after him. "You'll break your leg. Use the door. Charlie is not going to catch you."

"I won't get hurt." He muttered, but he changed direction and headed for the door. He hesitated as he passed her, staring at her with an expression like something was stabbing him. He held out his hand again, eyes pleading.

Bella took his hand, and he suddenly yanked her- too roughly- right off the bed so that she thudded against his chest.

"Just in case." He murmured against her hair, crushing her so tightly against him that he cut off her air again.

"Can't breathe!" Bella gasped.

Jacob dropped her at once, looking guilty. "I'm sorry. I forget my own strength sometimes."

"Its okay." Bella soothed him.

"Get some sleep, honey." Jacob said again. He was at the door in one stride, opening it quietly and then disappearing through it. Bella listened for him to hit the squeaky step in the stairs, but there was no sound.

Now he was gone, Bella lay back on her bed, her head spinning with all that had happened. She was so exhausted, so worn out. She closed her eyes, trying to make sense of it all in her mind. It was disturbing, knowing that it wasn't just her heightened sense of paranoia that had made her feel she was being watched this whole time. There had been a peeping tom in her room, only not a human one, but a vampire.

Bella felt violated, sickened at the thought that her every private, vulnerable moment had been observed by some sick, obsessive, control freak, who had developed a bizarre fixation on her. She could only think of one person who fit that description. The very same one who had been gaslighting her for weeks now, manipulating situations in order to spend time with her, forcing his company on her when she clearly wanted nothing to do with him. The very same person who had conveniently rescued her from the meadow. It all made complete and utter sense now.

"Edward Cullen."

Even saying his name sent a shiver down her spine. She kept her eyes tightly shut, trying to control the nightmares she knew were coming her way. She wished she had the foresight to work out who her night time visitor was before Jacob left to go track him down. She was anxious about what would happen if they came face to face with one another, fretting that Jacob might get hurt, worried that the other Cullens might intervene and gang up on him to protect one of their own.

Soon her worries were swallowed up by unconsciousness so swiftly that it was disorientating, and the nightmare started…

A light was coming toward Bella from the beach. In just a moment, Edward walked through the trees, his skin faintly glowing and his eyes black and dangerous. He beckoned to her, and smiled. He was as beautiful as an angel, his teeth pointed and sharp, glistening with venom…

Bella woke up screaming.

The muted light of yet another cloudy day eventually woke Bella. She lay with her arm across her eyes, groggy and dazed. Something, a dream half remembered, struggled to break into her consciousness. She moaned and rolled onto her side, hoping more sleep would come. And then the previous night flooded back into her awareness.

"Oh!" She sat up so fast that it made her head spin.

"Your hair looks like a haystack… but I like it." Edward's unruffled voice came from the rocking chair in the corner.

"Edward!" Bella cried in alarm. She froze, shocked at his brazenness. "I'll give you ten seconds to get out of here before I scream and Charlie catches you."

"Charlie left an hour ago." Edward laughed without humor. "And the wolf boy is still following the false trail I left behind. I must say, it was quite easy for me to give him the slip, although, to his credit, he is new to all this."

Bella deliberated what to do next. If she screamed there was no one to hear. Maybe, if she kept him talking for long enough, Jacob might realize he had been led in the wrong direction and retrace his steps. "I know you've been in my room." She said, glad that her voice sounded so calm.

"Ah, you guessed my little secret." Edward said, unperturbed.

"What is wrong with you?" Bella demanded, her anger overriding her fear. "Why won't you leave me alone?"

Edward's eyes grew soft. "I've told you countless times already. I'm doing all this to protect you. To keep you safe. It is even more imperative now. I warned you about Jacob Black. How dangerous he is. You've seen it with your own eyes…and still you willingly place yourself in danger." He moved so quickly that Bella hardly had time to draw breath before he was sitting beside her on the bed. "You are my life now, Bella."

Bella clutched her quilt with both hands and stared at him with wide eyes. "You're delusional." She whispered. "I want nothing to do with you."

Edward frowned. "Oh, Bella, you don't understand. You need answers, and its time I gave them to you. That's why I'm here."

"To do what?"

"To take you to meet my family."

Before Bella could react, he picked her up and threw her over his stone shoulder, gently, but with a swiftness that left her breathless. She protested, but he ignored her, jumping out of the window and carrying her away.

A/N-thanks for reading!