*DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to the Twilight Saga and it's characters. This is purely artistic fiction drawn in inspiration from Stephanie Meyers words.
*This chapter features a pov change.
JACOB POV
When I pulled into the Cullen's drive, I couldn't help but feel as though something was severely wrong. An unspoken sense of impending doom lugubriously crawled up my spine. I kicked the jiffy stand down for the Harley, dismounting and helping Bella off as well. I could see the fear in her eyes as they quickly darted back and forth from me to the house. After stowing her helmet in the side compartment, I held her hands in mine. She looked up at me with an anxious smile.
"What are you doing?" She asked.
"I just wanted to take this moment," I swallowed. "I'm worried that once we step foot in that house, we'll start arguing again." She was quiet for a moment and stared down at her feet.
"I hope not." She whispered.
"I promise to be on my best behavior—for you." I pressed a kiss to her forehead, lingering a few seconds longer. My arms wrapped around her tiny figure, holding her to me.
"C'mon, let's go inside," she informed me, her voice muffled by the material of my t-shirt.
"I know," I replied, releasing her.
We ascended the minimal steps to the Cullen's home. Alice answered the door before we reached it and startled Bella.
"Oh," Alice recalibrated. She wasn't expecting me to be with Bella... Maybe she didn't care too much, because her demeanor changed within seconds.
"It's good to see you again, Bella." Alice drew her into a tight, marble-like embrace.
"L-likewise." Bella stammered. Alice must have forgotten her strength, and she let her go instantly.
"Oops, sorry," she quipped, turning to face me with her arms outstretched. It was weird that she offered me a hug at all. I shook my head, rebuffing her touch.
"Don't be silly," Alice frowned, pushing herself into my arms. Her cold skin froze mine as she squeezed my torso. I fought back a discreet smirk. Reluctantly accepting the sentiment, my nose burned with how prominent her extremely flowery chemical scent was. I held my breath, patting her upper back curtly. She was one peculiar vampire, that's for sure.
"There. That wasn't so hard." Alice beamed, energetically bouncing back on her toes. Her attention fell to Bella once again, a brief smile on her face. "You've got to teach him manners."
"I have them. They're usually reserved for humans." I laughed.
"Lucky me then." Alice wrinkled her nose, shooting a wink at me. I ignored it and playfully rolled my eyes.
"Where is everyone else?" Bella questioned, dismissing my unnecessary apprehension. There was an empty silence to the rest of the house, even for the expected quiet around vamps. I couldn't hear anything.
"They're all hunting," Alice murmured, pivoting on her heels. "Come in. We need to talk about some things."
She led us into the wide living room and offered us a seat on their ridiculously large white couch. Bella accepted, and I declined. Most of the furniture in the house appeared as though it was taken right off the sales floor of a high-priced boutique. There was a grand piano in front of the far wall of glass, although the lid was closed. It struck me odd that any of them were musical. Could leeches even play music without breaking the instruments? I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned against the beam near Bella.
"Well, have you figured out how to throw off the Volturi or whoever?" I scoffed.
"Not exactly," Alice paced, "there's been another development." She avoided looking directly into my eyes.
"What do you mean, 'there's been another development'?" I leaned forward off the beam.
"Jacob, easy," Bella touched my elbow from her seated position, and I softened. Alice resumed speaking.
"Since the last time we spoke, there have been multiple arguments between all of us on whether we would turn you." Alice drew her arms about herself, "I had another vision."
"Of what?" Bella sat up further in her seated position.
"I don't think I should change you." Alice deadpanned to Bella.
"W-what? Why?" Bella protested.
"It's complicated." Alice floundered. "The main reason is lack of justification. You're not dying or suffering, it goes against most of our moral codes."
"But the Volturi? Jane said—"
"Good. Thank you. Finally, someone with sense." I interrupted. Alice's voice of reason gave me a new appreciation for the Cullen's. But Bella was right, the little blonde leech was especially heinous. There was no telling what she'd do.
"I can answer your question." Alice fidgeted with the hem of her expensive dress. "Thankfully, Jane isn't allowed to decide on Aro's behalf. I saw their confrontation."
"And? What happened?" Bella murmured.
"He wasn't upset, but the idea of turning you didn't thrill him either."
"So they're not coming here?" I huffed.
"No, they're not." Relief flooded my mind, and the tension in my muscles lessened.
"Alice... why did I come here, then? You could have just told me over the phone." Bella was visibly angry, leading me to believe she still wanted to be a bloodsucker. It didn't matter now, there was no reason for her to become one. Not that I would have allowed it in the first place.
"It was better if I talked to you in person." Alice shrugged.
"Where do we stand now? They're not going to change their mind, are they?" I recrossed my arms, feeling slightly less worried about the outcome of this conversation. Bella didn't speak but stared up at Alice with an apathetic pout.
"No, not that I have seen. She's safe, that's all that matters." Alice grinned, averting her gaze back down toward Bella. "Which means we can have our girl's day finally."
I couldn't help but chuckle at Alice's blatant ulterior motives. A hesitant smile tilted one corner of my lips upward; things were going to be okay. Bella would remain human, there would be no more fighting. We would get to live our lives together—uninterrupted.
"Not today, Alice," Bella said in a chiding tone, standing from her seated position.
"Aww, why not?" She whined, skipping forward to grab Bella's hands.
"Because we had plans," I noted. "I was going to take her out for dinner before you called."
"You were?" Bella tilted her head to the side. "I didn't know that."
"It was a surprise..." I clicked my tongue against my teeth.
"Well, do you have anything you're doing tomorrow?" Alice's grin slowly dissolved.
"Jake?" Bella turned to me.
"I don't have any special plans for tomorrow," I paused, "but you said your dad wanted to change out the tires on the Chevy."
"That's not an all-day thing." Alice dictated, hugging Bella to her side.
"No, I suppose not." Bella chuckled, her sour mood was lifting.
"Yay!" Alice trilled, "it's settled then. We'll have our girls' day tomorrow."
"Are we going to Port Angele's?" Bella asked.
"Yes. They have some of the best fashion and name brand businesses there." Her voice was bright and higher in pitch, "make sure you're up at nine o'clock. Sharp. I have a lot of stores I want to visit."
Bella's mouth formed into a straight line, "of course." She hated shopping and most girly things.
"We'd better get going." I moved from my slouched position, standing securely on my feet.
"I get the picture." Alice laughed, herding Bella toward me. She tripped over her feet, and I caught her with a pointed scowl.
"I'm sorry. I always forget just how clumsy you are." Alice covered her mouth.
"It's okay, Alice," Bella stifled an embarrassed laugh, "I always forget too." She leaned into my hold and I sighed softly. When she touched me, it always calmed me.
We pulled out of the Cullen's driveway; Bella was oddly silent. She was distracted by her thoughts again. I could never guess what was going on in her mind. Sometimes she could be oblivious, and it worked to my advantage. She stared out the window for a long while.
"What're you thinking about?"
"N-nothing, really." She hesitated, shaking her head. It looked like she was attempting to force a hard reboot on her mind.
"You know I can tell when you're trying to lie, right?" I placed my right hand on her left thigh, tenderly rubbing the exposed skin. "You're not very good at it."
"Yeah, I know," she mumbled.
"So, what's on your mind?" I tried to coerce it out of her.
"I'm not sure I believe Alice." Bella impatiently blurted. I knew it.
"About what?" I arched an eyebrow, turning into the driveway to her house. I put the Chevy in park and turned the truck off.
"I don't think it's going to be that easy." She purposefully looked away from me and out the window. Bella opened her door, slamming it shut behind her after she hopped out of the truck. I followed, trying to keep up with her. She had already made it to the stoop in her flighty walk. For someone so uncoordinated, she was much faster than I anticipated.
"What is? Bells, slow down." I grabbed her wrist, careful not to hurt her but enough to stop her stride.
"I saw Jane—I know that look on her face. She wouldn't just give up." Bella flinched, reaching for the doorknob. "I doubt Aro would stop her. I'm one human, it doesn't matter to the rest of them."
"Even if that sour, bottle-blonde leech didn't, Alice would see what she decides and when."
"I guess." Bella opened the front door to Charlie's house and stopped in her tracks. "I completely forgot—you don't know... You ran off that day and didn't hear the rest."
"Hear what?" My brows knitted together, and I frowned at her. What else was there? What hadn't she told me earlier? She might have been trying to sweep something under the rug. That wasn't like her; I suspected she wanted to maintain our peace. When vamps weren't involved, we were harmonious—happy together. No arguments, no quarrels. None of it.
"Alice had a vision before the one she told us about today," Bella shied away, averting her gaze. "She told me that once I was turned, I traveled to Italy to join the Volturi." I didn't like how she worded that. As if she still planned on becoming a bloodsucker.
"That's not going to happen." I rebuffed her statement and she continued unfazed.
"—Alice said the only reason they would want me is because of my abilities as a vampire."
"But you're not going to be one," I shook my head adamantly, "she said Aro doesn't want that to happen."
"No, she said he wasn't 'thrilled at the idea'," Bella glared at me. "That doesn't mean that he won't stop her from coming here to change me."
"You're reading too much into this," I insisted. "Can we please just focus on today—living in the now? Don't make this something it's not."
"I'm not." She snapped at me. "You asked me what was on my mind, and I told you. I think something else is going to happen." Bella hurried up the stairs to her room. Dragging my feet, I ascended the stairs and stood in front of her in the hallway.
"Bells, I don't enjoy fighting. All we used to do is fight about vamp stuff. We should put our energy into more important things. Like you going to college, and our future together."
"Why do you always make it a fight?" She hissed, turning to face me from the doorway to her room. I fought back a retort, today had been a good day up until then. I wished we could escape the leeches, and just be ourselves for once.
"I don't," I said, irritation building in my voice.
"Yes, you do, Jacob." She defiantly crossed her arms and glowered at me. I scrubbed my hands down my face and did my absolute best not to come unglued. This wasn't going how I planned. I didn't want to fight anymore. Not today or any day for that matter.
"Please," I begged, gazing into her bronze eyes, "I'm sorry. You're right." She didn't see that happening, her jaw popped open from shock.
"I didn't expect you to apologize." She breathed, dropping her hands at her side. Regret was written all over her face.
"It's a work in progress." I sighed.
"I'm..." her eyes narrowed, "I'm sorry, too." She bit her lower lip and threaded her fingers into her hair.
"It's okay," I whispered. Bella moved forward and closed the gap between us, wrapping her arms around my middle. We stood there for a little while, neither of us speaking a single word.
"About these plans—where are we going?" She said with mild curiosity.
"It's a surprise, little one," I smirked, resting my chin on top of her head. I pulled her further into my embrace.
"I hate surprises. Can't you tell me?" She muttered.
"If you must know, we're going to a small place on the rez. They cook really good food there." I rubbed her back tentatively, leaving out the part about going to First Beach afterward. That would remain a mystery.
"Were you going to change before we went?" She laughed, leaning out of my hold.
"No. Why?" I looked down at her. While I could dress myself up, I wholeheartedly preferred being authentic. Less pomp and stuff-shirt, it wasn't my style.
"You smell like an auto shop." She crinkled her nose, a timid smile drawn on her perfect lips.
"Oh. Yeah... I was trying to change the timing belt and do an oil change on the rabbit."
"You mean fighting it?" She laughed. "I think you dropped something every thirty minutes."
"Doesn't matter. Is the smell that bad?" I felt semi self-conscious . Maybe I was sweaty and gross to her.
"No, I didn't say it was bad," she leaned her head against my chest, "I kind of love it."
"Really?" My heart skipped a beat.
"Yeah," she exhaled, content with our closeness, "you smell rugged."
I stifled a hearty laugh, "is that a good thing?"
"I like how you smell. I just didn't know if you'd want to change." I'd taken to keeping an extra set of clothes at Bella's since I cut down on phasing and increased spending time with her.
"Only if you want me to, I don't want to offend you with my musk." I jested, lightly shrugging.
"Jake, since when have I been offended by your smell?" She murmured, "we've been hanging out for how long—and you've done mechanic stuff around me how many times?"
"Good point." I pressed a short kiss to the side of her cheek.
Speaking of scents, hers was always so intoxicating. I couldn't get enough. She noticed my proximity and shifted her face in the same direction as mine. Our foreheads connected and we reveled in the peace of the moment. I could breathe her in for days.
"Do you mind if I change?" She asked, glancing toward her room. "I feel and smell like a sewer rat."
"No, I don't mind. I want you to be comfortable." I said softly. "You don't smell like that."
She smiled and tried to move out of my grasp but I couldn't help it. When she turned around I snaked my arms around her center and pulled her back against me. A gasp escaped her and she batted at my hands. I tossed my head back with a robust laugh. My jaw came to rest between the crook of her neck and the curve of her collarbone.
"Jacob." She protested.
"I wanted to hold you a little longer." My words were truthful.
"You could have told me that." She settled down into my arms. Her heart sped up in pace. I wondered why.
"Everything okay?" I questioned her.
"Yeah, perfect." She whispered. Her right hand came up and patted the side of my face that wasn't against her skin. "Do you think you could let go?" Bella sighed.
"I guess so." I did what I was asked and released her. She resumed her search for clothes that weren't from Alice.
Watching her get frustrated when she didn't find the right item, I remained propped against the doorway. When Bella was finished with her hunt, she faced away from me and sluggishly started for the bathroom. On her way, she dropped the shirt she was going to change into. I scooped it up and went to hand it to her. She reluctantly grabbed it from my hand and her fingertips lingered on mine. Her skin was pleasantly cool to the touch. I smiled gently at her and she turned back around. In her absence, I laid on her bed as per the norm. I reached into my jean pocket and pulled out a small black ring box. I hoped she would accept my offer. Bella returned from her shower quicker than I thought she would. I closed my hand around the box, shoving both back into my pants. She seemed none the wiser. Her hair was still mildly damp, and the fresh scent of strawberries filled her room. My favorite.
"Ready to go?" She unevenly murmured, gesturing toward the door.
"Yeah, I'm good." I hopped to my feet and we left the same way we came.
The drive to the rez was nerve-racking, my stomach twisted the moment we pulled up to the restaurant. I'd been here a few times growing up, and I knew one of the waitresses by name. She was in my grade before I dropped out. I didn't even care about eating. I was more concerned with what came after the food.
"Hi, two of you this evening?" Ami asked, grabbing menus for us.
"Yes." I nodded, draping my arm lazily over Bella's shoulders.
"Booth or table?" Ami replied.
"I dunno. Whatever is easier for you." A wide grin was plastered on my face to help with the awkward stare between Bella and her.
Ami led us to a corner booth on the far side of the restaurant. Bella and I settled across from each other. Time crawled by at a snail's pace, but I enjoyed every moment of our first official 'date' together. It was the first time we'd ever gone out in public. Everything was perfect. Before we left, I made sure I tipped Ami well. She was always kind to me at school and did a nice job waiting on us. Bella didn't seem too excited at the attention she gave me, as if she was jealous. It struck me funny because Bella would always be the only woman for me. While she wasn't openly rude toward Ami, she wasn't talkative either. We finished our food, a few bites of dessert and hit the road again. The next step of my grand plan was falling into place. The moment we turned onto the drive to head to First Beach, she knew where we were going. The setting was beautiful, sunset was my backdrop. I swallowed my nervousness and steeled myself. Since there was no immediate danger surrounding us, I needed to make sure she understood just how much I loved her.
I hope she'd say yes.
BELLA POV
At first, I didn't know where we were going after dinner. Then we turned down a familiar dirt road that lead to the beach. My thoughts were fixed on a previous memory of us. The one where I pried information from Jake on the Cullen's and he told me about the Quileute legends. That had been during springtime nearly two years ago. Summer in Forks was enjoyable. Not like Phoenix, where temps would reach as high as one hundred and twenty as soon as June arrived. I appreciated the relaxing atmosphere of First Beach, especially by the water. Early evening was the best time to walk along the shore. The sun had just begun to set, painting ethereal ribbons of gold and orange across the horizon. The colors reflected off the surface of the wake, pale foam gathering along the sand. The water would be warm still, and the temperature would soon be a little cooler once the sun went down. Both of us decided to forgo wearing socks and shoes. I also grabbed the medium-sized blanket I kept in my emergency kit for the truck. The waves were calm and serene, lapping quietly against the coast. I favored the vivid beryl color of the water; Jake held my hand as we traversed the beach.
"It's so beautiful here," I marveled at the scenery. If only I'd brought a book. Reading during sunset was something I loved to do.
"Yeah, it is." Jake looked like he was mentally preoccupied. I hope he wasn't caught up in our fight earlier.
"WSU is close by, I could attend classes during the week and come home on the weekend."
"That'd be nice," he squeezed my hand. "I could get a job near the campus. Lots of mechanic shops up there."
"What about Billy though?"
"Rach' is coming back to town soon." He paused, staring out into the vastness of the ocean. "She's gonna be watching over him since she's transferring to the hospital out here. She's a registered nurse."
"Huh, good to know. Hopefully, I won't need to utilize that information."
"I'm excited to see her. It's been years." Jake surveyed the beach, "I love my dad but I'm mostly looking forward to the freedom of not playing caretaker."
I let go of his hand and stepped forward toward the water. My toes sunk in the sand, it was still warm. Tepid sea water splashed up from the shore against my ankles and spilled over my feet. Low tide was coming in. I stood close to the shallow water for a few more minutes, continuing my leisurely stroll along the coast. When I turned back around to head back, Jake was kneeling on the blanket he laid out directly in front of me. Maybe he dropped something? Or was looking for shells?
"Did you drop something?" I squinted, searching for something obvious I didn't see between us. He was focused entirely on me, his eyes held a kindhearted sternness. Butterflies engulfed my insides, his right hand was behind his back.
"No, I didn't drop anything." He said, his voice rich and deep.
"Then what are you—"
"Bella Swan," he asserted, "I've been thinking about this for a long while." He moved the hand from behind his back in front of him. Inside his palm was a tiny, square, ring box covered in velvet. My heart stopped in my chest, all the air quickly left my lungs in a terse gulp. I clambered my shaking hands over my agape mouth.
"Jacob." I choked out, blinking in rapid succession. Was he proposing? Oh, God. This was... happening?
"Will you marry me?"
He answered my question. The smile I loved best was painted on his face. His bright, earth-shattering, knee-buckling grin. Suddenly, I forgot how to breathe, or exist. I inhaled sharply and exhaled twice as slowly. Thoughts were racing around my mind at top speed, every plausible one. My first instinct was to say yes; a tiny voice inside the back of my mind told me it was too fast. This was all so fast. We'd only been dating for two months. Pushing aside my inner monologue, I realized that I needed to say something.
"Jacob, I—" my words were like drying cement, "I don't know what to say." I was honest. I needed time to decide, but I didn't have any. Delaying a response would break his heart...
"It's not a hard question, honey. There are only two answers." He was still jovial and sweet despite my indecision.
"I know that." I swallowed uneasily. Jacob looked slightly disheartened now, and my stomach wrenched into knots. He opened the box to reveal an antique-ish silver ring with a large, marquee-cut amethyst gem in the middle of the band. Twin rows of smaller, circular diamonds cascaded around the center in a subtle 's-shaped curve. The ring didn't look like he just bought it. This piece of jewelry was timelessly gorgeous and elegant. It was an older style and visibly worn.
"It was my mother's..." Jacob said softly, a wistful expression drawn across his features.
"It was Sarah's?" I whispered faintly, "her wedding band?"
"Yes," his eyebrows furrowed, "it was promised to me after she passed. I wanted to give it to you. I love you more than anything in this world. That will never change."
The anxiety was building inside me, ready to burst out of every pore on my body. My mouth was unbearably dry, I swallowed what felt like shards of glass. Jacob was giving me his mother's ring—this was serious. The future I had envisioned with him was coming true, albeit faster than I imagined. Everything became muddled inside my brain. I wanted to be a vampire more than anything, that might never change. But that meant throwing our love away, throwing us away. I knew two things for certain. First, he was precious to me and the only stability in my enduringly tumultuous life. Second, I was leery of the unknown; marriage was unfamiliar territory to me, and I had a negative history with it. I was scared of this next daunting step for us.
Upon meeting Edward, and falling deeply in love with him so fast, I always pictured myself as this singular entity orbiting him. His discussions about holy matrimony were little more than prim, vacant words. I'd never actually considered going through with it—marriage was a piece of paper. No more, and no less. The grim possibility of ending up just like Renee and Charlie was an utterly terrifying reminder. Marrying young, or at all, didn't equate with failure but it resonated much like an ugly, implicit truth to me. I didn't foresee any of that happening in my relationship with Jake. Did I want this? I couldn't definitively say. Was I ready? I didn't think so, not entirely. Viewing it realistically, there was no actual reason to deny myself this normal opportunity. I spent enough time suffering, loathing myself; it was different with Jacob.
Why was I like this? I'd known him my entire life. The only things that changed about Jake in that time were his height, voice, size—oh—and he could turn into a giant werewolf. His heart, the soul buried under all those attributes remained the same. He was still the man I loved. This token just meant I would be able to spend the rest of my life with my best friend. Happy, loved, and blessedly fulfilled. How many minutes had it been? I was ready—I knew my answer.
Jacob.
"I love you, too," I responded, chewing my lower lip. An arrow of irrevocable clarity pierced through the clouds of my consciousness; I do want to spend the rest of my life with this man. I couldn't live without him. Marriage wouldn't ruin our connection but enhance it.
I steadied myself, "yes."
Jacob took the ring out of the box and placed it on my designated finger, the band fit perfectly snug. He stood up in one sweeping motion, lifting me off the ground and twirling me around in his arms. We laughed together, and the tears wouldn't stop. They flowed freely down my face. I was the happiest I'd ever been.
"I was worried for a second there." He laughed, setting me down on my wobbly feet.
"I'm sorry," I touched my hand to his face. I wanted to kiss him more than anything.
"I knew you'd say yes." Jake tenderly cupped my face in return, drying the happy tears I had shed.
"Please tell me it won't be a whirlwind engagement..." I joked, hiding my face in his fiery, warm hands. The temperature difference was heavenly. "I'm tempted to elope, but we'd never hear the end of it from Charlie or Billy."
"It'll be as long as you want it to be. We can get married when you're ready. I don't care if that's ten years from now, as long as I get to spend every minute with you." He murmured, covering my face with tiny kisses. I stopped him and held him still. My heart was craving a different kind of kiss.
"Jacob, kiss me." I whispered, "kiss me like you mean it."
My hands furled into his half-up, half-down hair, towing him down to my level. He wholeheartedly accepted the gesture, reading my mind. Our lips met with a fervent yet slow form of blissful hunger, emotional and raw. This kiss was a form of kismet. There would never be another action more intricate, so profoundly delicate, all-consuming; simple, without unnecessary complication, a deep, tangible symbol of our passion. His hands held me firmly, molding to the contour of my neck and angular jawline. Our heartbeats merged into one, singular rhythm.
I found myself noticing more intrinsic layers to our relationship. Jacob was my personal sun, no—more like a supernova—his existence illuminated every dark facet of my world, brightened my bleak life, and carried me back from the brink of death. We would always be bound to one another: my lonely, desolate planet encircling his warm, yellow star. Following each other into the darkness between night and day, unknowing of our future but still resolute to our devoted hearts. The destined ribbon of fate we were tied to was forever altered; our lives were tangled up, touching in every way possible, no longer parallel or perpendicular but powerfully fused. Time did not matter, not to him or me as we explored our love.
We were suddenly kneeling, laying down upon the woolen fabric of the blanket. His tongue sought mine, and I allowed this languid breach. Jacob did not rush in his approach but instilled ardor another way. His skin was like scalding fire against mine and I coveted each bold, diminutive touch like a flower left in shade for months. I was drawn to resplendence, under this pull of unyielding gravity. My hands pawed at his shirt; his musky pine, ocean, and oil scent branded me. Our lips separated and he was kissing down the natural slope of my neck. I quivered under his capable touch, enthralled by his desire. Jacob wanted me, nearly as much as I wanted him. The fire within me smoldered, sparking into a roaring blaze. We were drunk on our love for each other, lost in the bliss of our senses. He sat up immediately and froze in place.
"Wait." His eyes frantically stared out into the distance, combing the edge of the forest near us.
"What is it?" I whispered, sitting up.
"I think... I heard something." He peered into the darkness. The starlight from above revealed a bare shorefront. Nothing was visible—at least not to me.
"Like what?" I replied, clutching his shirt sleeve. He did not respond but tensed, caging me inside his strong arms.
"We're not alone."
Movement out of the corner of my eye startled me, and it was inhumanly fast. The sound was high pitched, like whistling, wind rushing by unnaturally. Jake instinctively growled, shielding me from whatever it was.
"How revolting." A tenor voice hissed from the pitch black.
"What are youdoing here?" Jake snapped, "this is our land." My eyes adjusted finally and I saw the outline of a figure in the pale rays of light.
"It's an emergency." They said, "Alice had another vision." Edward. I knew his voice too well, I was still groggy from the intense kissing. It skewed my senses—in a good way.
"And why should I believe you?" Jacob snarled, and a pit formed in my stomach.
"You don't have a choice. It's about Bella." Edward retorted.
"We were just there earlier," I huffed, befuddled with his presence. "What happened now?"
"Aro is going to try to convince Alice and me to join them." His smooth voice was algid, "you're a bargaining chip." I swallowed uneasily, mulling over his words. Somehow, deep down inside, I held a paper-thin shred of trust for him even though he almost managed to kill me. Contrarily, he also saved my life from Victoria. It was exceptionally hard to read his motives. A part of me knew he genuinely loved me, but I would never love him again. That ship had long since sailed.
"Jake, I know you won't like it but... maybe we should listen to him."
"You're right." He gnashed his teeth, "I don't like it. Call her."
"Typical." Edward sneered.
I reached into my pocket, pulling out my cell phone. I dialed the phone number programmed and it rang twice before Alice answered. I tapped the speakerphone button for ease of conversation.
"Bella, thank goodness. I was just about to call. Is Emmett there with you?" Jake and I exchanged confused glances.
"Emmett? No, he's not here. Edward is."
There was a garbled sound on the other end of the line, and Jasper's voice was audible. Alice had us on speakerphone, too.
"He's the fastest, o' course he got there first." His southern drawl was extra heavy.
"Bella, Emmett is supposed to escort you back to the house." She hesitated, "there's a problem."
"So we heard," Jacob replied cooly.
"You know already?" Alice's voice broke.
"About the leeches wanting to use Bella as bait? Yeah, we know."
"Edward saw it secondhand." She went quiet. Another sound from the woods, twigs snapping and leaves rustling. Emmett materialized beside Edward, shoving him back a few steps.
"What the hell, man." Emmett hissed, glaring at Edward. "Why are you even here?"
"I had to tell her," Edward murmured.
"I was supposed to tell them, numb-nuts." More noises from the brush echoed, and I involuntarily shivered.
"Bella, what's going on?" Alice asked.
"Emmett just got here, but there's something else, too."
"It's Leah. They're technically trespassing." Jake looked off toward the forest brush and shook his head, the sound stopped. He must have told her it was okay.
"Let's go." I pulled on his shirt sleeve again.
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
"We'll see you there, Alice." I clicked the end call button. Jacob helped me to stand, and we walked back to the truck. Edward disappeared into the darkness after we started driving. Emmett stood up in the bed of the Chevy the whole time, a defined scowl on his face. When we arrived, only Jasper and Alice were at the house.
"Where's the rest of the creepy Brady bunch?" Jake noted flippantly.
"They're preparing. This is very bad." Alice replied, "in my vision, it wasn't just one or two. The whole guard—they're bringing everyone." She grimaced, "they intend to wipe out our coven if we won't join."
"No," I defiantly muttered.
"What's the plan?" Jacob held me close, I felt like the room was spinning. Not again. Alice explained that Aro decided Jane's interest wasn't far off course. He could use it as an excuse to get Alice and Edward on his side. They wouldn't willingly go, so it made for a difficult spot.
"There is no fighting in this. We can't win against Jane or Alec." Alice buried her face in Jasper's shoulder. The room was eerily silent.
"Can't you just explain you don't want to?" I suggested. Nausea strangled my voice, and I held my face in my hands.
"What is that?" Edward stepped forward, noticing the sconce light glinting off my ring.
"It's... nothi—"
"We're engaged." Jacob grinned, his eyes were locked on him. Edward growled, his eyes flooded with wild emotion.
"You didn't—" He was in Jacob's face, who deftly shifted me behind him.
"You better back off," Jake bared his teeth, "I'll do more than re-tear that arm out of your socket. You won't walk this one off."
"Bella, why?" Edward pleaded, glaring at me around Jake's shoulder.
"I love h-him." My voice wavered, but I didn't face him. A shiver ran down my spine.
"Are you sure about—"
"Enough!" Alice yelled, she was pacing the floor. "We don't need this right now."
"I'll say." Jacob quipped, stepping backward and away from Edward with me.
"We need to figure something out and fast." Jasper nodded, his face flush with concern.
"So, you just have to go with them?" I croaked.
"I don't want to." Alice hung her head, Jasper hugged her little frame to him. He was trying his best to comfort her, I didn't feel the effects of his gift though.
"Once Aro makes up his mind, he seldom changes it," Jasper added.
"What makes him so powerful anyway?" Jake scoffed. "He doesn't sound that hard to take down. I don't understand what everyone is so hung up on."
"It's not him we are worried about. He runs the show but his puppets enforce his evil will." Emmett shuffled his feet, wringing his hands.
"The biggest issues are Megan and Chelsea's abilities. It won't matter what we choose, they can force our allegiance." Alice sighed, rubbing her temples.
"There's no way around it. We're just gonna have to fight." Emmett cracked his stone knuckles, stretching his massive limbs afterward. "He wouldn't risk losing either of them if we started knockin' some heads together."
"No, Em', there is no fighting Alec. His ability ensnares you in a senseless stupor. You can't move, see, hear—none of it." Jasper said quietly, "you're already familiar with Jane's gift... sheer agony. One look and you're immobilized with the worst pain imaginable."
"Then what do we do?" Emmett grimaced.
"We're doomed," Alice whispered.
"Is there no other option?" Jake faced her.
"No, not even Carlisle could convince him." She replied wistfully.
"There is one more option..." I said meekly.
The room was silent again, no one said a word.
"If it's what you're thinking, we decided against it," Alice frowned. I knew what I was about to say would upset nearly everyone in the room.
"I don't care, if you won't... then I'll find someone else." I braced for the worst.
"What good would that do?" Jacob squeezed me gently. "I thought you gave up on that."
"I could protect them." I urged. "There must be a good reason why Alice keeps seeing me as one of them."
Jasper narrowed his eyes at me, "Alice's sight varies a lot. Unfortunately, her visions aren't one hundred percent foolproof."
"It would help to have another vampire, and with newborn strength at that. I don't see a negative to changing me." I fired back.
"She has a point, bro." Emmett agreed.
"Please think about what you're saying..." Jake held my face, staring into my eyes. "We've been over this a thousand times already, Bells."
"I don't want to lose my family." I swallowed hard.
"I am your family now." His voice was brittle like he might shatter into pieces. "Being a vampire was out of the question the moment you said yes to marrying me. Either you choose them, or you choose me."
"Maybe she's outgrown your boyish charm, mongrel. Playing house with you doesn't suit Bella." Edward chimed in, ice coating his tone. A seething anger filled Jake's expression and I grabbed at his collar, trying desperately to keep his eyes on me.
"Don't—don't listen to him, he's playing devil's advocate." I hissed.
"Will you please leave, Edward?" Alice yelled, "you're not helping anyone." He didn't respond but sulked up the stairs and out of sight.
"Bella, no." Jake reiterated.
"Jake, why are you fighting this so hard?"
"I've already told you... I won't love you if you become one of them—I can't."
"They don't have another choice. I'm not gonna stand back and allow this to happen."
"Just like you're forcing me into letting you become a bloodsucker?" He released me, my jaw hung open.
"N-no—that's not what I'm doing." My heart ached.
"Isn't it?" He stared into my eyes. "'Cuz that's how it feels."
"Jacob." My mouth formed into a hard line.
"You know what? Don't worry about that now. I'll give you what you want," he was trembling, "I'll make it easy for you."
"What are you talking about?"
"Just... just do it." A lone tear escaped the corner of his eye, "I'm tired, Bella. I'm not gonna argue anymore. I'll love you until your heart stops beating."
I stood there on shaky ground, processing his words too slowly. Before I could react, Jacob shoved his way out the front door. I felt the earth shift within his absence. My resolution was concrete; my conscience couldn't bare it. None of them deserved to be separated or hurt. I would become the protector. I needed to be strong, for everyone involved. Would I grow to regret my decision? I'd have a long time to figure it out.
I would become that which I coveted at the irreversible cost of Jacob's love.