Back to the Start
Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.
Underwater Breathing
Jacob breathed deeply as he slowly began to awaken from his dream of Bella. The air that passed through his lips was cool, invigorating, and he could taste her scent on his tongue. In fact, the air was awash with her smell, the faint lingering scent of the strawberry shampoo she used tickled his nostrils. It was so fresh; it was like she was in the room with him…
Waking up real slow and relaxed, Jacob yawned and stretched, everything coming softly into focus. He rolled off his bed, his bare feet hitting the floor with a quiet thud. Bella's scent still dominated the room, it sank into his lungs like liquid peace as he continued to draw in air, filling his lungs with it.
He wandered out into the hall, yawning again, his fingers automatically finding their way into his hair as he pulled it back from his face. Digging in his pocket for the obligatory rubber band, he tied it up, although a few loose strands still managed to escape.
"Hey, Dad." Jacob called out as he padded into the kitchen.
"Hey, son." Billy answered distractedly. He was already in his wheelchair, phone in hand.
"You okay?" Jacob asked, noting the tense look on his father's face.
Billy glanced up at him, ignoring his question. "Bella came over. You were asleep. She didn't want to disturb you, so she said she'd wait for you on the beach."
Jacob gave his old man a sour look. "You should have just woken me." He complained, reaching for an apple out of the fruit bowl and taking a huge bite out of it. That explained why his room smelled like Bella. "How long ago was this?"
"I don't know." Billy waved his hand vaguely. "Half an hour maybe." He punched in another number on the phone's handset.
"Who are you calling?" Jacob could sense Billy's anxiety.
"I'm trying to get hold of Old Quil." Billy listened to the shrill ring, his impatience growing.
"What's going on?" Jacob's suspicions were heightened now. Something was clearly bothering Billy.
"Its council business." Billy muttered, ending the call, then punching in Harry's number instead. "We'll talk later. You should go and find Bella."
Jacob stared at his father for a minute, deciding whether to try and prise more information out of him, but then decided against it. He was eager to see Bella. It had been days since he had last set eyes on her, and was thrilled that she had come to see him, happy that he might get some extra innings with her. He wanted to grab her, to hug her, and to tell her how much he missed her. Not wanting to delay any further, he said a hurried goodbye to Billy, ran out of the house and headed straight to the beach.
As soon as he stepped outside into the lousy weather Jacob felt his first hint of apprehension. Rain conjured a sweet pattern upon his skin as he took the most direct route to the beach. He only realized the rain was cold because his skin carried the heat of his blood, his inner fires burning strong. Wind gusts waved the tree branches as if in a raucous ballgame celebration.
Jacob couldn't imagine Bella staying out for long in weather like this. It made him uneasy, his run turning into an all-out sprint, as he pushed his way through the tall hedge of weeds that led to First beach. As if by instinct, he followed the same path Bella had taken, the briny aroma coming off the slate-grey ocean burning his nostrils, stinging his eyes. The wild wind whipped his hair out of the loose ponytail as he loped across the rocks to the north seawall.
"Bella?" He called out, cupping his hands around his mouth to make his voice carry further. He stopped to listen, the tension inside him ramping up, his sixth sense warning him that something was wrong.
As Bella watched the white-faced woman rise sinuously from the black water like some vengeful mermaid, a scream caught in her throat. There was no mistaking the vivid redness of that hair. It was burned into her memory. Had haunted her nightmares on occasion.
It was the female vampire from the meadow.
Her hair was like burnt orange, the sea water dripped off the curly strands, gilding her whiter than white skin like glittering jewels. Her eyes were black with thirst. There was a striking feline quality to the way she held her coiled body, a lioness waiting for an opening to spring. Her wild gaze never flickered, boring into Bella like a deadly knife blade.
Tension rolled from her, nearly visible in the air. Bella could feel the desire, the all-consuming passion that held her in its grip. Almost as if she could hear her thoughts, too, Bella knew what she was thinking.
She had come seeking revenge for her companion's death-that much was obvious. Maybe he had been her mate. Someone special to her. Someone she would die to avenge.
And there was Bella, standing in full view on the beach, an easy target.
It would be quick, Bella guessed, and it would be thorough. There was no time for games here, she would not want to risk encountering the same wolf who had killed the male.
She'd want to do something dramatic. Something with impact. Something that would be impossible to recover from. Perhaps she'd stop her heart, Bella thought. Perhaps a hand shoved through her chest, crushing it. Something along those lines.
Bella's heart beat furiously at the thought, loudly, as if to make her target more obvious.
Some distance away, from far across the beach, a wolf's howl echoed through the air. The red head jerked her chin forward, her angry gaze zeroing on something behind Bella. Then with a muttered curse, she plunged back into the sea.
Bella stared in stunned silence, as a gigantic russet wolf -so enormous that it blotted out everything else around it - sailed over her head in one prodigious leap. The wolf plunged into the water after the redheaded vampire, sending foamy white spray flying, immediately sinking up to his haunches, before disappearing below the surface waves, leaving only air bubbles behind.
"Jacob!" Bella screamed, staggering forward.
"Stay where you are, Bella." Sam ordered, seemingly coming out of nowhere. It was hard to hear him over the sound of the crashing waves.
"Aren't you going to help him?" Bella cried, her fists clenching at her sides.
Sam looked at her gravely. "He ordered me to stay with you. To keep you safe." He held out his hand. "Come. I'll take you back to Billy's."
Jacob lost her when he hit the water. He was a powerful swimmer, but the red head was quicker. When he got too close, she swiveled like an acrobat, throwing her stone-like body on top of his and pulling them both down beneath the choppy waves.
Jacob fought to hold her, but her hard skin was like wet marble, making his jaw ache, and his teeth slip. She darted away from him, faster than a shark, leaving him with the sickening taste of spoiled brine in his mouth. His lungs began to scream for oxygen and it was only then he realized his mistake. The bloodsucker didn't need to breathe. She could stay submerged underwater forever if she wanted to. He, on the other hand, could already feel the burning in his lungs, the tightness in his chest, as his panicked body gasped for air.
Throughout all this, his mind could focus on only one thing: Bella. The threat to her was gone. At least for now.
Straining for air, his gargantuan body weighing him down, he pushed for the surface. The muscles in his legs and back strained as he propelled himself upwards, his paws thrashing like the overworked paddles of a rowboat. Then suddenly he was breathing, gulping in oxygen, as he paddled to stay afloat.
After all the chaos, everything seemed strangely quiet, even the sound of the wind was muted, the quiet lapping of the sea and the occasional cry of a seagull the only things breaking through the stillness.
Jacob phased at will, trusting his human body to carry him quickly to shore. As he pulled himself out of the water, he looked one last time over his shoulder. There was no sign of the red headed leech anywhere in sight.
Jacob pulled on the cut off sweats he had abandoned on the rocks, then swiftly made his way back to his house. Even from this distance, with his advanced auditory perception, he could hear Bella haranguing Sam for forcing her to leave the beach.
Despite the severity of the situation, it made him smile. That was so like her, not to think of her own safety, only his. He pictured Sam's face, his normally stoic expression slipping, as he tried to keep an angry Bella under control. Jacob knew how feisty she could be when she was all riled up. And right now, she was steaming.
Even though he knew Bella was safe, Jacob needed to see her with his own eyes, feel her in his arms, hear her voice whispering his name. When he finally reached his house, he saw Bella's eyes fall on him instantly. She pushed away from Sam, and tore across the yard toward him, stumbling and tripping all the way.
Jacob met her in the middle. He swept her up into his arms, yanking her against his chest. Bella squealed as her feet left the ground, but she didn't object, curling herself against him, murmuring his name. Jacob buried his face in her hair, squeezing as tightly as he could without hurting her, and just breathed.
"Jacob!" Bella sighed, relieved. She touched his face, reassuring herself that he was real. Then without thinking, she kissed him. His lips were warm and soft against hers. He tugged her lower lip down with his teeth. Bella opened her mouth and his tongue fluttered softly against hers. She trembled slightly, causing Jacob to wrap his arms even more securely around her, while he carried her back to the house.
A/N-thanks for reading!