Alpha Beta Imprint: Chapter Twenty

Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyer. I do not own Twilight

Chapter Twenty

Bella’s POV

I collapsed onto the couch, my feet popping up in front of me to land on the coffee table. I winced slightly as I toed off the supposedly comfy sneakers. My feet were killing me after being on them all day.

“Whew! Put those puppies away before they start barking!”

I glared over at Collin, my shadow for the day, who was completely unfazed by today’s activities.

“Like you’re one to talk,” I snapped, closing my eyes as I thumped my head against the back of the couch.

“I do not stink!” Collin insisted indignantly.

“No, but you do bark,” I smirked, not bothering to look when he huffed.

“What’s got your panties in a twist?” Collin asked, flopping down beside me.

“Oh. I’m sorry. Were you not aware of anything that happened today?” I asked sarcastically, turning my head to look at him.

“Eh. So a few old biddies can’t keep up with the times. Doesn’t mean anything. Some of them were nice,” Collin shrugged.

“A few? Collin, we went to twelve houses today. Only Mrs. Baker and Ms. Poad were even remotely polite,” I argued.

“Mr. Baker was nice,” Collin pointed out.

I groaned, hitting my head against the couch again.

“Hey. They’ll come around. You just have to have faith and keep at it. Nobody said this was going to be easy,” Collin encouraged, putting an arm around my shoulders.

I looked over at the young man comforting me, surprised at his empathy and maturity, despite his young age. Collin and Brady were the youngest of the pack, barely fifteen. And yet, they were both sweet and polite. Most of the time. Like most boys, they were also loud and rambunctious, but their sweetness made up for it.

“So, Bells. Tell me. Bush or no bush?” Collin asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

“COLLIN!” I squealed, smacking him.

“What? It’s an honest question,” Collin defended.

“You don’t ask girls that!” I scolded.

“I’m not asking ‘girls’, I’m asking you,” Collin grinned.

“You better hope Sam and Jake don’t hear that in your head,” I warned.

“Ah, they won’t do anything. They know I don’t mean anything by it. It’s just curiosity,” Collin waved off.

“Imprint, Collin. That changes the rules about what you can and can’t ask,” I reminded him.

“Eh. You may be right about that,” Collin nodded, frowning thoughtfully.

I smiled, relaxing against the couch again while he thought it over. My feet were no longer throbbing and sleep was steady creeping closer.

“Hey! Stay awake,” Collin demanded, shoving me gently.

“Collin,” I whined, burrowing into the couch.

“Say my name, say my name,” Collin cheered.

“Shut up,” I grumbled, kicking at him.

“Oh, feisty,” Collin teased, grabbing hold of my ankle.

I twisted my foot out of his grip, but he ended up sprawled across my lap. He looked up at me, grinning wickedly.

“So, Bella, which is it? Or are you gonna let me find out for myself?” Collin asked.

“COLLIN!” I screamed, jumping off the couch.

“There you go! Hey, while you’re up, mind fixing something to eat? I’m starving,” Collin complained, rubbing his stomach.

“You… You… You little… Mutt!” I cried, my body trembling in irritation.

“I’m a thoroughbred, actually,” Collin smirked.

“Arg! If you’re hungry, fix something yourself. I’m going to bed,” I growled, storming down the hallway.

“Want some company?” Collin called.

I screamed in frustration, slamming the bedroom door behind me. His laughter floated through the door, irritating me further.

Taking a deep breath, I debated between taking a nap or taking a hot bath. My feet were still sore and the hot water would relax my muscles.

I was in the bathroom before I’d consciously made the decision, stripping out of my clothes. The bathtub, which was just barely big enough for me, filled up rather quickly, steam rising off the water. I sighed, sinking into the hot water, letting it wash the day away.

Sue had been sweet, taking me around with her. I had even helped bake some of the goods, happy to help in any way. I wanted the Quileute people to accept me and if that meant baking cookies and visiting the older people of the tribe, I was willing to do it.

At least, that had been my outlook when I left this morning. Truthfully, I could’ve gone worse, but not by much. Mr. Parker had slammed the door in my face after taking the basket from Sue. Ms. Niles had sneered at me the entire time we’d visited. And then dear Ms. Williams had smiled sweetly while insulting everything about me, from my hair to my skin to the way I talked. Collin had been quick to my defense during that visit, giving the coldhearted woman just what she dished out.

“Thinking hard or hardly thinking?”

I screamed, splashing water on the floor as I jumped at the voice beside me.

“Easy, sweetheart. It’s just me,” Sam soothed, reaching out to cup my neck.

“You scared the bajeebies out of me,” I accused, trying to catch my breath.

“Sorry. I thought you heard me come in,” Sam apologized sheepishly.

“I was a little caught up thinking about my day,” I admitted, sinking deeper into the water.

“How was it?” Sam asked lightly, his thumb brushing across my cheek.

“It could’ve been worse, but it could’ve been much better,” I told him, leaning into his touch.

“I’m sorry. I wish Jake and I could’ve gone with you,” Sam frowned.

“I think that probably would have made it worse,” I smiled softly, rubbing his arm.

“It would’ve made me feel better,” Sam grumbled, leaning forward to kiss me.

“I doubt it. Some of them weren’t very nice. It’s probably a good thing neither of you were there,” I claimed.

“What happened exactly?” Sam asked, his brows furrowed in anger.

“Nothing you need to worry about. We knew we were going to have people against this. It’s okay. I’m okay with it. Hopefully things will blow over, but even if they don’t, it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that I’m with you and Jake,” I assured him, my finger threading through his short hair.

“I love you,” Sam murmured, kissing me sweetly.

“I love you, too,” I grinned.

“Jake should be home soon and then we were planning on having a bonfire down at the beach. I think everyone needs it to unwind after the weekend we just had,” Sam admitted wryly.

“Oh! Fun! Help me dry off,” I demanded, holding out my hands for him to lift me.

He helped me out of the tub and dried me off, his hands lingering on my skin, making me shiver.

“Maybe we could be a few minutes late,” Sam suggested, pulling me close.

“No, no. I want to see Kim. I haven’t seen her since the last bonfire and we haven’t talked in forever. You and Jake will just have to wait until tonight,” I insisted.

“Go put some clothes on then, woman. Otherwise, I make no promises,” Sam warned, swatting at my butt as I rushed into the bathroom.

I squealed happily as he chased after me, his arms fitting around my waist as he swung me into the closet.

“Sam!” I laughed, slapping his arm playfully.

“Get dressed, sweetheart. I’ll be in the kitchen getting the hot dogs together,” Sam winked.

“Did you get the extra-long ones? You know how much I love those,” I called after him suggestively.

I heard his laugh as he walked further away, not bothering to respond. As I slipped on my clothes for the night, I couldn’t help but smile happily, looking forward to a night with the pack.

“BELLA!”

I grunted as a body slammed into mine, causing us both to crash back into the sand.

“Ow! Kim!” I complained, hand going to my ribs.

“I was so worried! Jared told me what happened but he said I couldn’t call you but I tried anyway and your phone was off and he said you were hurt and that bitch Emily did this to you and that Jake and Sam were really pissed and you’re going to file charges and-“

“Jesus, Kim! Breathe,” I commanded, patting her shoulder.

“Oh,” Kim gasped before promptly bursting into tears.

“I was so scared!” Kim wailed, clutching me tighter.

“Kim! Ribs!” I gasped, struggling to breathe.

“Jesus, baby. What the hell’s gotten into you?” Jared frowned, hurrying towards us.

“Don’t yell at me!” Kim cried, slapping his arms away.

“Kim, let Bella go. Come on, baby. Jake and Sam are starting to shake,” Jared wheedled.

I looked up and back, getting more sand in my hair, to see Sam and Jake were trembling slightly, their eyes fastened on Kim as she clung to me.

“Kim, I’m fine. Let me up, please,” I requested sweetly.

She sniffled loudly before sitting up, bringing me with her.

“Promise me you won’t get hurt ever again,” Kim demanded, pulling back enough to glare at me.

“I promise,” I agreed, realizing she was completely irrational at this point.

“Good. Jared, quit hovering. Damn it, I’m fine,” Kim snapped, standing up and brushing the sand off her.

I stood up, frowning in confusion with Jared as Kim glared at him angrily.

“Everything okay, Kim?” I asked tentatively.

“Everything’s just great, Bella. Thanks for asking,” Kim answered sarcastically.

“O-kay,” I drawled.

“Are you alright, sweetheart?” Sam asked, taking my arm to spin me around gently.

“I’m fine. She just reminded me the bruises aren’t completely gone,” I assured him, smiling weakly.

Jake came up behind me and kissed over his mark, making me shiver in hyperawareness. Sam gave me a knowing grin, kissing me briefly. I pouted when he pulled away, but he simply laughed at me.

“Come on, honey. I think we need to go save Jared and you need to talk to Kim,” Jake chuckled, taking my free hand and tugging me towards the fire.

“What’s going on with them?” I asked.

“No idea. Jared says she’s been like this for the past few days, but she won’t tell him anything. Maybe she’ll open up to you,” Jake informed me.

“I’ll try,” I sighed, moving towards her.

Sam and Jake stayed back, watching me as I carefully made my way towards our usual log.

“Hey, Jared. Sam and Jake want to talk to you,” I told him, smiling.

“Oh. Okay. Thanks,” Jared nodded.

I waved as he walked away, his shoulder hunched. I gave a small sigh as I settled down beside Kim, stretching my legs out in front of me.

“So, Kim. What’s up?” I asked, facing the fire.

“Nothing,” Kim huffed.

I snorted in obvious disbelief.

“Seriously, Bella. It’s nothing,” Kim insisted, her voice hard.

I looked over to see her glaring into the fire, her forehead wrinkled in concentration.

“Look, Kim. I’m willing to let it go, if that’s what you want, but just know, I’m here if you ever need to talk. And you should really consider talking to Jared. Cause, honey, whatever it is you’ve got going on in that head of yours is seriously hurting him,” I murmured, putting my arm around her in a half hug.

I was a little surprised when her body jerked and a sob escaped, tears coming quickly to her eyes as she turned into my embrace.

“Shh, it’s okay. Whatever it is, it’ll be okay,” I cooed, rubbing her back.

“No, it won’t!” Kim cried.

“Yes, it will. You know you’ll always have me and Jared’s not going anywhere. This whole pack is here for you. You’ll never have to face anything alone,” I promised.

I glanced over at where Jared was standing, his face tortured as Sam and Jake held him back. I bit my lip, unsure of what exactly to do to help them.

“Come on, sweet pea. Let’s go for a walk,” I decided, standing up with her.

She clung to me as we walked away from the pack, her tears slowing with each step. When we were finally far enough away that they wouldn’t hear us, I stopped, turning us to face the ocean. Glancing back, I noticed Jared, Sam, and Jake were closest to us, all three watching. The rest of the pack was busy roasting their hot dogs, completely oblivious to our absence.

“Alright, Kim. Start talking,” I insisted softly.

“I’m pregnant,” Kim stated matter-of-factly.

I blinked at her, completely thrown for a loop.

“Oh, my gosh,” I gaped.

“Yeah. Tell me about it,” Kim laughed humorlessly.

“Oh, my gosh. Kim. How?” I asked, completely flabbergasted.

“Really, Bella? You of all people should know how,” Kim snorted, arms crossed over her chest.

“Did you guys use protection?” I asked.

“Of course, but that’s not always 100% guaranteed,” Kim hissed, tears starting again.

“Why haven’t you told Jared?” I questioned quietly.

“He had enough of his plate as it is. He doesn’t need to worry about me, too. Besides, we’re only nineteen, barely out of high school. He’s got a steady job, but I’ve been working part-time. We can’t afford a baby. We don’t even have a house. We’re both still living at home,” Kim spit out.

“Kim… don’t you know?” I smiled.

“What?” Kim glared.

“Jared loves you. He’ll be thrilled to hear about this. The whole freaking pack will be! This is huge news.  And you and Jared will figure the rest of it out. I’m sure he’s been planning on this happening sometime in the future. This is just pushing the date up a little,” I insisted brightly.

“But what if he doesn’t want it?” Kim mumbled, her chin trembling.

“Kim, how could he not?” I tisked, pulling her into a hug.

She held on tightly and I could tell she was starting to believe what I was telling her.

“It’s part of you and part of him, a product of the love you two share,” I murmured.

“You really think he’ll be happy?” Kim asked, smiling slightly.

“I think he’ll be ecstatic,” I corrected.

“Okay. Okay! Let’s go tell him,” Kim grinned, tugging on my hand.

I laughed as she pulled me along, happy to see the shift in her mood. Jared noticed us hurrying towards them and began running to meet us half-way.

“Kim,” Jared sighed, all his love evident in her name.

“Jared. I’m so sorry I hurt you. I was… dealing with something and I wasn’t sure how to tell you or how you’ll react,” Kim explained nervously.

“Whatever it is, baby, we’ll take care of it together,” Jared promised.

I smiled, continuing towards my wolves to give them some privacy. Looking at my two men, their bodies outlined by the fire behind them, I had to take a moment to pause and admire the view. They truly were magnificent and they were completely mine.

Kim’s squeal of delight and Jared’s shout of joy went practically unnoticed as Jake and Sam both tensed and shouted my name at the exact same time.

I spun around, looking for the cause of alarm and spotted Edward Cullen standing just a foot away. Knowing it was hopeless, but having to try anyway, I turned back around and began running towards my wolves.

Before I’d even taken a step, his cold arm wrapped around my waist, throwing me over his shoulder and took off running. I heard the sound of clothing ripping and knew my wolves had phased to give chase. Howls sounded through the woods, a call to the rest of the pack.

“Please! Please, let me go,” I pleaded, clutching his shirt.

Edward didn’t answer, simply continued running. I looked back, my eyes widening at the trees flying past us. I had seen the wolves run before, but it was clear Edward was faster. I couldn’t even see my wolves anymore. Only their quickly fading howls told me they were still giving chase.

My body shook with sobs as I realized the possibility that I might never see my wolves again.

Sam’s POV

She’s gone. She’s gone. She’s gone. He took her, she’s gone.

The thought repeated over and over in my head, driving me steadily insane as I continued chasing after the vampire that had taken my imprint.

Sam! You’ve got to stop! Jake’s voice sounded through my mantra.

She’s gone. She’s gone.

I know, man, but the trail’s gone cold. It’s too confusing, Jake informed me angrily.

Bella, I howled, agony rippling through me.

My entire body quaked as Jake joined in my howl, our call to our imprint.

Fucking leech! Leah screamed, knocking a tree over in her anger.

We need the Cullens, Seth insisted, nervously pawing the ground.

Without another word, Jake and I took off for the treaty line. If those leeches had any fucking idea where that thing had taken Bella, we were going to take it.

We had to find her.

Jake’s POV

Shit. Shit. Shit. Fuck.

Sam was losing it, his mind repeating the same thoughts over and over as we raced towards Cullen territory. My heart ached in my chest, knowing our imprint was getting further and further away from us.

I pushed the thought from my head, focusing on getting information from the Cullens. They had to know something about what their “brother” was doing.

We arrived at their house to find them already outside, waiting for us. Sam phased while walking towards them, completely ignorant of his own nakedness. He walked right up to the coven leader and grabbed him by his shirt.

“Where is she?” Sam growled.

“Sam!” I called, phasing and pulling on a pair of shorts.

“I’m sorry. I don’t understand,” Carlisle frowned.

“WHERE IS SHE?” Sam roared, shaking Carlisle.

The rest of his coven hissed, a clear warning to Sam.

“Sam, let him go. We need to talk this through,” I insisted, my body trembling under the strain of not chasing after Bella.

Sam threw Carlisle back into his family, growling his fury.

“What the hell is your problem?” the blond, Rosalie, asked.

“Our imprint, Bella, was taken by your coven brother,” I informed them harshly.

“Edward kidnapped Bella?” Alice asked, her eyes wide.

“Yes. Do you have any idea where he would take her?” I asked, quickly losing my patience.

“Alice?” Esme questioned, looking at the little one.

“He’s not making any decisions except to keep running,” Alice frowned, rubbing her temples.

“What the hell is going on?” Sam snarled.

“Alice can see the future,” Jasper snapped back.

“So you can see where she is?” I asked eagerly.

“They’re in the forest. He’s not focused on anything and he hasn’t decided where they’re going to stop or when,” Alice answered.

“So there’s no way to know until he decides and even then, we might be too late,” I stated, defeated.

“I’ll keep watching. If I see anything change, I’ll let you know,” Alice promised.

“What the fuck do we do in the meantime? You’re out of your fucking minds if you think we’re just going to sit on our asses, twiddling our thumbs. That’s a member of our family out there!” Leah shouted, storming up from behind us.

“I understand, but there’s not much we can do at this point,” Carlisle explained gently.

“Fuck that! There’s enough of us. We can go back to the forest and try to untangle the trails. Let’s go,” Leah snapped.

“Leah,” I called.

“I won’t sit here and wait for her to die!” Leah screamed, fisting her hands in her hair.

Sam roared in anger while I growled, trying to keep my control while our Alpha lost his.

“We will get her back, but we need a plan,” I insisted.

I turned to the Cullens, looking them over as I ran through any and every scenario in my mind. Carlisle and Esme had their arms around each other, parental worry etched on their faces. Alice was staring into space while Jasper rubbed her back, whispering in her ear. Emmett and Rosalie stood a few paces back, staring heatedly at each other. At first, I thought they were about to attack each other, but it soon became clear they were communicating in a way only mated pairs could.

I frowned as I noticed Emmett’s shoulders slump and he nodded to his mate. At the same time, Alice spun on them, hissing.

“No!” Alice shouted, leaping at them.

Emmett quickly intercepted her, throwing her back towards Jasper. Almost instantly, the two couples were in a heated hissing match, all four crouched defensively. Jasper and Emmett were snarling at each other while Alice and Rosalie hissed warnings.

“Stop it right now! What has gotten into you four?” Esme shouted, quickly moving between her children.

“Rosalie is going to betray our family,” Alice accused.

“Rosalie?” Carlisle questioned.

“I won’t continue lying for you, Carlisle. They deserve to know the truth about everything. Bella doesn’t deserve this fate,” Rosalie told him.

“Shut up, you little twit!” Jasper hissed.

“Don’t talk to my mate like that,” Emmett growled, moving in front of Rosalie.

“What the fuck is going on?” I yelled, bringing their attention to me.

“It’s about Edward,” Rosalie said, staring straight at me.

The hair on the back of my neck stood up and I knew, whatever she had to say, it wasn’t going to be good.

Bella’s POV

After what felt like forever, Edward finally slowed, allowing me to take in where we were. The sun was starting to rise by this point and the forest was waking up around us. I winced as I shifted, the pain in my ribs screaming in protest at spending the night slung over the hard rock of Edward’s shoulder.

He came to a stop in the middle of a meadow and set me down on my feet. I swayed slightly after being at an odd angle for so long.

“Easy. Just wait. You’ll be fine in a minute,” Edward encouraged.

“Please, just let me go,” I pleaded, my tears completely spent.

“I will. I promise. Just, not yet. You’re in danger,” Edward insisted.

“What are you talking about? The only danger I’m in is from you and that psycho, Emily,” I frowned.

“Emily is not a psycho and I’m no more dangerous to you than you are to me,” Edward snorted.

“Oh, really? Then why did you take me away from my wolves? You do realize we can’t be apart for long. If you keep me, I’ll die. I can’t be away from them,” I stressed to him.

“I understand. I hope to return you to them soon, but I have to make sure you’re safe first,” Edward nodded.

“And how do you plan to do that?” I asked, wondering if he was all the way there.

“Easy, by making sure no one will ever hurt you again,” Edward smiled darkly.

I shivered uncertainly, backing away from him slowly.

“Please. Don’t hurt me,” I whimpered as he followed me.

“I won’t intentionally, but… accidents do happen,” Edward shrugged casually.

I tripped over a tree root, falling to the ground and staying there, curling in on myself.

“Hush now, love. You’ll be back with your mutts again soon,” Edward cooed.

I screamed as his hand grabbed my arm and jerked me into his body. My scream was quickly muffled by his hand and his mouth pressed against my throat, his teeth piercing my skin.

As things started fading from my view, I regretted not making love to Sam and Jake one last time before the bonfire. As darkness took over, I sent up a prayer that they would never forget just how much I had loved them.

Their faces were the last thought I had as my knees collapsed and I fell to the ground, the wound at my neck covering the ground in blood.

Alpha Beta Imprint: Chapter Nineteen

Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyer. I do not own Twilight.

Chapter Nineteen

Jake’s POV

Things were not going well.

I was sitting in Emily’s living room, watching as she charmed the pants off the Elders, smiling as she handed them cookies fresh out of the oven. We’d only been here for fifteen minutes and I could already see that something was up with the woman standing in front of us.

Her clothes were comfortable, jeans and a t-shirt, not the stylish get-up she’d worn just a few days ago. There was no make-up on her face and her smile was off. It wasn’t as wide, but seemed more genuine. It was Bella’s smile and I didn’t like seeing it on this woman’s face.

“Delicious,” Dad complimented, his mouth full of a chocolate chip cookie.

“I’m glad you like them, Billy,” Emily grinned, ducking her head slightly.

“Tell us, Emily, how are you?” Harry asked, finally getting down to business.

“Wonderful! I’m so glad I came home,” Emily announced, spreading her arms wide.

“Yes. Many of us were worried when you disappeared,” Dad scolded.

“Yes, well, that’s all in the past. I’m back now and I couldn’t be happier,” Emily assured them gaily.

“Have you found much to occupy your time?” Old Quil asked.

“Of course. There’s always so much to do around the house,” Emily insisted.

“Like what?” Old Quil pressed.

“Cooking, cleaning, laundry, painting, all sorts of things,” Emily listed sweetly.

“Painting?” Dad questioned.

“Yes. The bedroom. The awful yellow was really too much, so we painted it blue,” Emily explained.

“We?” Harry frowned.

“My boys and I,” Emily smiled.

“And who exactly are your boys?” Old Quil glared.

“Sam and Jake, of course,” Emily answered, looking over at Sam and I briefly.

I shivered at the look in her eye. My wolf growled a warning, knowing this woman was a danger to our imprint. From the way Sam tensed beside me, I knew he was dealing with the same thing.

“How long as you been with Sam and Jake?” Dad asked worriedly.

“Since I came back,” Emily told him.

“How exactly did it occur?” Harry asked.

“I don’t really remember. Jake just seemed to fit right into the relationship that Sam and I already had,” Emily shrugged, giving them an innocent smile.

“What do you remember?” Old Quil asked.

“I remember the night I came home to find that awful girl answering Sammy’s door. And Leah was so upset with me for leaving. I think she’s glad I’m back now.  The next morning, Sammy came to see me and we fixed everything. He told me I was his imprint and that Jake had imprinted on me the night before. I was a little apprehensive at first, but things have worked out well enough,” Emily smiled at me.

I tried not to growl back at her as we all waited for her to continue.

“Sammy marked me as his that night,” Emily informed them, stroking the side of her neck.

I looked closely, but didn’t see anything. It was the same side Sam had bit Bella on, but there was no mark.

“Jake marked me the next day,” Emily said, switching her hand to the opposite side.

I tensed, more worried than before. At first, we’d thought she only knew about the things going on at our house, but if she knew about me claiming Bella in the tub…

“After that, we all moved in with Sammy. We spent some time enjoying being together, then we had that meeting with the three of you. Then we painted the bedroom, but we ran out of paint before we could finish. Jake looks really good in blue,” Emily giggled.

Claw marks were starting to appear on the arm of the sofa I was sitting on, my nails digging into the fabric as I tried not to attack her.

“So, I had to go to the store to buy more paint. That’s when that awful woman from the first night attacked me. She scratched up my face and bruised my ribs,” Emily frowned, touching her scarred face.

My arms trembled as I bit back a growl, remembering how Bella had looked after coming home from the hardware store.

“Of course, Jake took good care of me and Sammy took those pictures so we can make sure she never hurts anybody ever again,” Emily finished.

The growl finally broke loose, nearly echoing off the walls in its ferocity. Everyone jumped as I stood up abruptly, my entire body shaking.

“Jake?” Emily questioned, reaching out a hand.

“Don’t,” I snapped.

“Jake, sit down. You need to stay calm,” Sam ordered softly, his tone allowing me to sink back onto the sofa.

I leaned back, breathing deeply as everyone looked at me with concern.

“I’m good,” I waved them off.

“Emily, are you sure that’s what happened?” Dad asked slowly.

“Of course, Billy,” Emily answered promptly.

“Very well. Sam and Jake, will you two please escort us back? We still have a few things to discuss,” Dad requested.

“Sure thing, Dad,” I agreed, standing up to wheel him out the door.

“We’ll see you soon, Emily,” Harry nodded, following us out.

“Will you be back soon, Sammy?” I heard Emily ask.

“As soon as we can,” Sam told her quietly.

I growled lowly, knowing any more exposure to Emily would just bring more danger to our imprint.

“Easy, son. We’ll take care of her,” Dad murmured, reaching back to pat my arm.

I didn’t answer as I wheeled him over to Harry’s Sedan. I helped him inside before turning to find Sam looking down the road towards home.

“What is it?” I asked him, walking over to stand by his shoulder.

“Something doesn’t feel right,” Sam told me, frowning as he sniffed the air.

I waited patiently for him to explain, scenting the air myself.

“Come on. We need to get home,” Sam insisted, taking off into the forest.

I didn’t argue, feeling a sudden tightness in my chest. It suddenly became very clear. Bella was in trouble.

Just before we got to the tree line, Leah’s howl reached us, a distress signal.

“Shit!” Sam cursed, phasing on the spot.

I followed suit, my heart pounding in my chest as we ran towards our girl.

Bella’s POV

“How long do you think they’ll be gone?” I asked Leah while I cleaned the kitchen.

“Who knows? As long as it takes for the Elders to realize Emily is completely whacked out in the head,” Leah shrugged, flipping through a magazine.

I nodded, smiling slightly as Charlie yelled at the refs on TV about a bad call.

“Sounds like the Chief isn’t too happy,” Leah chuckled, turning a page.

“He rarely is when he’s watching football,” I told her.

“The only good thing about football is seeing buff men in tight pants,” Leah snorted.

“I could say the same thing about baseball,” I shot back, grinning.

“Hey, now. Baseball is the great American pastime. You can’t knock baseball,” Leah insisted, pointing a finger at me.

“It’s just so boring! All they do is run around the bases over and over and over. Ugh! Snorefest, if you ask me,” I grumbled.

“It’s better than watching a group of Neanderthals hit each other over and over and over,” Leah huffed.

“Touché,” I laughed.

I was waiting for another comment about football and how the men lost IQ points every time they hit each other. Instead, I heard a deep growl and her chair hit the floor as she jumped up.

“What is it?” I asked, spinning around.

“Vampire. Go get Charlie,” Leah growled, pushing me towards the living room.

“Dad, come here,” I called, hurrying towards him.

“What is it?” Charlie asked, immediately sensing something was wrong.

“There’s a vampire around,” I told him softly.

“It’s that Cullen leech,” Leah snarled, her body crouched in front of us.

“What should we do?” I asked Leah calmly.

“Get in the corner of the room and stay there,” Leah ordered, pointing to the middle of the house.

I dragged Charlie with me and watched as Leah phased into a silver wolf. The fur on her back was standing on end as she paced the living room, her nose twitching. She threw back her head and howled, alerting the rest of the pack that something was wrong.

A second later, the front window exploded as snarls suddenly echoed off the walls. I screamed and turned into Charlie. He shouted, covering me with his body as the house shook around us.

I looked over to see Leah with her back to us, facing off with Edward Cullen. His eyes were black as he eyed Leah, waiting for her to make a move. She snapped her teeth at him, snarling fiercely.

“She’s mine, mutt,” Edward snapped, crouching into a fighting pose.

Leah let out a nasty growl, her entire body shaking with the force of it.

“Those idiots will never make it in time,” Edward grinned sadistically.

Leah jerked back, clearly surprised. That gave Edward the opening he needed and he darted forward.

“LEAH!” I screamed, reaching towards her.

She darted out of his way just in time, missing his teeth barely. She used the momentum to jerk around, grabbing hold of his leg and sending him flying out the hole in the wall.

I watched with wide eyes as she followed him out, her tail swishing as she disappeared through the broken glass and wood.

“Bells? You okay?” Charlie asked above me.

“Yeah. You?” I asked, sitting up to look him over.

“Fine, kiddo,” Charlie nodded, looking a little pale.

“Dad, breathe,” I insisted, grabbing his arm.

“Sorry, Bells. That was just a little…” Charlie trailed off, taking a deep breath.

“I know,” I mumbled.

I jumped as I heard a roar from outside, uncertain who it had come from. The next second, I saw Jake jump through the window, his russet fur standing on end as he scanned the room. I let out a sound between a sob and a laugh as I moved to throw my arms around his neck.

“You’re okay,” I sniffed, threading my fingers through his fur.

He lowered his head to my shoulder, sniffing me over. I backed up enough for him to see I was fine and he seemed to deflate after looking me over.

“Where’s Sam?” I asked, looking behind Jake.

He butted me with his head, pushing me back towards Charlie. I turned to see my dad staring at the hole in the wall, his expression wary.

“Dad?” I called, moving towards him.

“Huh? Oh, sorry, kiddo. Just waiting to see what comes flying through there next,” Charlie grumbled, standing.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked tentatively.

“Sure. So long as I don’t think too hard about it,” Charlie shrugged, giving me a small smile.

“I love you, Dad,” I murmured, hugging him.

“Love you, too,” Charlie huffed, squeezing my shoulders.

“Fucking shit on a cracker, Embry! Put me down!” Leah shouted, smacking her carrier as he walked into the house with her.

“There’s no way that leg has healed up already, Leah, so shut up and let me carry you,” Embry glared.

“Leah, what happened?” I asked, jumping up.

“That fucking leech got a hold of my leg and broke it,” Leah gritted as Embry sat her down on the only surviving furniture.

I moved towards her, intent on helping in any way I could, but Jake blocked me, pushing me back. I frowned down at him, confused as he glared at his pack mates.

“Jake, what are you doing?” I asked, putting a hand on his shoulder to steady myself.

“He’s pissed and he wants to make sure we aren’t gonna screw you up. Just let him chill out. He’s not thinking straight just yet,” Embry explained, poking at Leah’s leg.

“Mother-fucker!” Leah shouted when he hit a sensitive spot.

“Sorry,” Embry mumbled, going back to setting her leg straight.

“Here, son. Let me look at that,” Charlie offered, moving towards them.

“Sure thing, Chief. I’ll hold her down so she doesn’t bite ya,” Embry grinned, moving behind Leah.

“Make it quick, Chief,” Leah growled through her pain.

“You want it quick or you want it right? Sit back and relax, Leah,” Charlie instructed.

With Charlie focused on Leah, I turned my attention to Jake, trying to calm him down.

“Look at me,” I murmured, turning his head.

His light brown eyes searched my face, his brows furrowed as his body trembled with adrenaline.

“It’s okay,” I whispered, snuggling into his chest.

I sighed in relief when he sat down, his back to the others in the room. He lowered his head, caging me inside his warmth, protecting me from the outside world for a little while. A rumbled started deep in his chest, the sound soothing me until I was completely relaxed against him.

I felt the shift starting, but didn’t move as the fur receded and Jake stood in front of me, completely naked. His arms came around me, holding me close as he buried his nose in my hair.

“Where’s Sam?” I asked again.

“He took the rest of the pack and chased after Edward. They lost him and are coming back now,” Jake murmured, shuddering against me.

“Shh, it’s okay,” I whispered, rubbing my cheek against his chest.

“We heard Leah’s howl and saw everything. We were so scared we were going to be too late. He had just hurt Leah when we arrived. He was moving towards the window. If we had been even a second later…” Jake trailed off, his voice choking.

“I’m safe,” I reminded him.

“Come with me,” Jake pleaded.

“Of course,” I agreed softly.

His hand stayed on the small of my back as he followed me to the bedroom, his face pressed into my neck. I opened the door and walked inside, shutting the door behind us.

“I need you so bad right now,” Jake groaned, pulling me against him.

“The others?” I asked breathlessly.

“I don’t care. I need you,” Jake insisted, lowering his mouth to lick at his mark on my neck.

“Oh. Okay,” I gasped, tilting my head to give him more room.

His warm hands gripped my hips, bringing our lower bodies together. My fingers threaded through his hair, holding tight as his teeth nipped up and down my neck. I sighed as he licked away the sting his teeth had left, his tongue tracing along my pulse point.

“Jake,” I pleaded, aching for his kiss.

My knees buckled as he growled, jerking my head back by my hair and crashing his lips against mine. His hands turned urgent, practically tearing the clothes from my body in his task of getting me naked. My fingers slipped between us, unbuttoning his shorts and allowing them to pool around his ankles. He kicked them away, sinking to his knees as he yanked my own jeans off.

I squeaked in surprise when two more hands reached around from behind, cupping my breasts.

“Shh, sweetheart,” Sam murmured, nipping my ear.

“Sam,” I sighed, holding his wrists.

“You let him start without me,” Sam tisked, pinching my nipples through my bra.

Jake was still kneeling in front of me, having somehow managed to remove my panties without me knowing. I cried out as he spread my legs and began sucking on my clit, two fingers working inside me.

“You’re lucky Charlie left with Leah and Embry. I don’t think you’ll be able to keep quiet with what we have planned for you,” Sam said, biting at my neck.

Between Sam’s fingers on my nipples and Jake’s tongue working my clit, I was quickly approaching my first orgasm.

“Hmm. I think she needs a little more, Jake. Sounds like she really wants to cum,” Sam told him conversationally.

I screamed as Jake added two more fingers, stretching me completely as he sucked my clit between his teeth. I fell back against Sam, completely shaken as my body milked Jake’s fingers. Sam made a growling noise and lifted me into his arm, settling me on the bed and climbing on top of me.

I was panting as I looked up at him, my body still going through aftershocks. His eyes were practically black as he leaned down, pulling me into a kiss. I closed my eyes, savoring the feel of his tongue stroking mine as his body moved over me.

He moved away from me briefly to push his shorts down, but then he was back against me, skin on skin. He pushed my legs apart with his body, settling himself at my opening. His hand fisted in my hair, pulling my head back to expose my neck. I trembled as his tongue traced over his mark, his body moving against mine.

His teeth bit at his mark and he pushed into me at the same time, making me cry out.

“Sam!” I moaned, trying to shift to get friction.

He growled and tugged my hair gently, his teeth still at my neck, making me still. He shifted back, kneeling on the bed, using his free hand to bring me with him. I clung to his shoulders as he set a pace, a slow rocking motion that was steadily driving me crazy.

Hot breath on the back of my neck notified me that Jake was behind me. His fingers probed at my ass, spreading lube he had bought the day I went to get paint. I shivered at the cool feeling, moving against his fingers in eager anticipation.

Sam continued thrusting beneath me as Jake shifted to enter my ass, his erection persistent as he spread my cheeks. I moaned as he slowly entered me, letting Sam’s rocking do the work for him. I was shaking, sweat pouring, by the time he entered me completely. Sam growled and Jake grunted as they fell into synch, moving me between them.

Sam’s teeth were still likely biting his mark, but when Jake moved to suck on his, I lost it, crying out as I climaxed around them. Neither one of them stopped, continuing the slow rocking that was painful in its pleasure.

“Please,” I whimpered, feeling the slow build start again.

Wordlessly, Sam pushed me back, forcing Jake to lie down on the bed. Kneeling above us, Sam began a hard thrust, slamming into me over and over. Jake growled, gripping my hips to keep me from sliding away from him. He lifted his knees around me, arching his back to time his thrusts with Sam.

Noises were coming from me that I had no control over. Part screams, part moans, I was powerless to do anything but hold on and let them have the power. Sam’s hands were gripping just above my knees, no doubt leaving bruises. His face was screwed up in a look of intense pleasure. He was making short growling noises as he and Jake rubbed each other through my inner wall.

My thighs began trembling as I felt another orgasm coming over me.

“Oh, no. Oh, God,” I panted, struggling to hold back.

Jake growled beneath me, one of his hands reaching to rub my clit. I screamed, feeling my orgasm take over when he pinched me roughly. This time, my wolves came with me, Sam leaning down to bite his mark again while Jake pulled my hair to expose his mark and make it new again. Between the remarking and their dicks pulsing inside of me, I was sent over the edge again, the pleasure painful after so many orgasms.

When Sam pulled out a few minutes later, I gave a soft whimper at the sensitivity down there.

“Shit, sweetheart. Are you okay?” Sam asked, worried.

“I’m fine,” I breathed through the pain.

“No, you’re not,” Sam accused, horrified.

Jake moved us onto our side, easing out of me slowly to save me more pain. My breath still caught in my throat when he finally slid out.

“Damn it, Bella. What the hell didn’t you say something?” Sam growled, fisting his hands in his hair.

“You needed it,” I panted, the ache intensifying.

“Ease up, Sam. I’ll go start a bath. She just needs a good soak,” Jake insisted gently.

“Bella, I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you,” Sam grimaced, kneeing beside me.

“I know that. And I know you would’ve stopped if I’d asked you to, but I didn’t want to. You both needed it and I was willing to give it. Besides, the first few orgasms were amazing. It’s still new, Sam, having both of you at once,” I reminded him, cupping his face in my hand.

“We should’ve been easier on you,” Sam murmured, kissing my palm.

“I liked it, okay,” I smiled, pulling him down for a kiss.

“I love you,” Sam sighed, nuzzling my cheek.

“I love you, too. Both of you,” I said, seeing Jake walk back into the room.

“Next time, Bells, tell us and we won’t be so rough,” Jake insisted, a slight smile on his face.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard it already. Help me into the tub,” I demanded, lifting my arms.

Sam got to his feet and gently picked me up. I gave an internal wince at the shifting, but didn’t give any outward appearance of the pain. I couldn’t help the hiss, though, when he lowered me into the tub.

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” Sam apologized again.

“It’s fine. I’ll be fine before you know it,” I promised with a smile.

“Just relax for now, honey,” Jake grinned, his finger dragging through the water.

“Gladly,” I groaned, settling against the tub.

I sat there for a few minutes, just soaking up the warmth of the water. My wolves sat beside me, Jake at my shoulder, Sam at my feet. I smiled when I noticed they were both still naked.

“How did it go with Emily?” I asked, wanting to get it out of the way.

“The Elders agree that she needs help. The things she knows… It’s scary. She knew things about from before you came to stay with us,” Sam frowned.

“How?” I asked, picking up my loofa.

“We don’t know, but we will find out,” Jake vowed, glaring at the opposite wall.

“Is she going to try and hurt me?” I asked quietly, squirting liquid soap onto the loofa sponge.

“She can try,” Sam growled, his fists clenching.

“She will never get close to you again,” Jake promised me.

“She’s obviously very sick. I kinda feel sorry for her. To lose touch with reality so deeply,” I sighed, scrubbing my arms.

“How can you feel sorry for her? She attacked you,” Jake gaped.

“I know, but she isn’t all the way there,” I shrugged, trying to wash my legs.

Sam took the loofa from me and began washing my legs so I didn’t have to bend.

“All the way there or not, she’s not going to get away with hurting you,” Sam insisted.

“I’m not saying let her off the hook. I’m just saying I feel a little bad for her. Something awful must have happened for her to have lost her mind so completely,” I explained.

“I think the Elders are going to bring in a psychiatrist to examine her and decide just how far gone she is. It’s part of the whole process of pressing charges against an insane person,” Jake grumbled.

“Until she is taken care of, you will always be with one of the pack. I’m hoping that this will get taken care of quickly and Jake and I can stay with you most of the time, but there’s no way to know for sure how long it’ll be like this. Jared has agreed to take you to Kim’s with him when he has to watch you and I’m sure Kim would be more than happy to come hang out with you and Leah when she’s on watch,” Sam told me.

“I’ll be fine. I’ve got school work to keep me busy and between the pack and Kim, I doubt I’ll ever get bored,” I grinned.

“Can’t really argue with that,” Jake chuckled, kissing my temple.

“Now that Edward is getting more daring, we’re going to have to step up patrols as well. I’ve contacted the Cullens and informed them of Edward’s violation of the treaty. They’re still hoping for a peaceful end for all of this, but I can’t imagine it coming to that if he tries to take you away again,” Sam growled, squeezing the loofa and making soap run down his fist.

“Don’t kill my loofa!” I cried, grabbing it out of his hand.

Sam stared at me blankly as I un-balled the sponge, checking for breaks or tears.

“You’re worse than Quil with his squeaky toy,” Jake laughed.

“Don’t insult Mrs. Round Skirt,” I glared.

“Mrs. Round Skirt?” Jake asked, still laughing.

“Yes. She’s not square, so she can’t be Mrs. Square Pants,” I pointed out with a ‘duh’.

Sam made a choking noise, making me worry for a minute, before I realized he was trying not to laugh.

“You… you named your loofa? And married her to Sponge Bob?” Sam asked, losing his fight against his laughter.

“Yes! She’s porous, just like him,” I insisted.

Both my wolves lost it at that and their laughter echoed off the walls. Smiling as I began scrubbing my chest, I figured they wouldn’t mind if I told a few more stories, so long as it always brought a smile to their face.

Alpha Beta Imprint: Chapter Eighteen

Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyer. I do not own Twilight.

Chapter Eighteen

Sam’s POV

“I don’t like this, not one fucking bit,” Jake growled.

I didn’t say anything, just continued to watch him as he paced the length of the living room. He’s been like this since Leah took Bella back to the bedroom. Everything in me was screaming to go hold my girl tight and never let her go, but I was fighting it with everything I had. I needed to talk to Emily before we did anything. I needed to hear her side of the story.

“You know Emily, Jake. You know she would never act like this, at least not before she left. I want to know why she did it and she won’t talk to me if anyone else is around. Look, just stay with Bella and keep an eye on her. I won’t be gone long, but I need to know,” I pleaded with him.

“And what if Bella wakes up asking where you are? What am I supposed to tell her? That you went to have a chat with the woman who hurt her? Oh, yeah. That’ll go over real well,” Jake snorted, glaring at me.

“I’m not doing this because I still have feelings for Emily. Right now, I want to hurt her just as much as you do, but something isn’t right. Emily may not have been the nicest girl in the past, but she never hit anyone,” I told him.

“Do what you want. I’ll be here, taking care of our imprint,” Jake glowered, already walking towards the bedroom.

I sighed heavily, the weight in my chest nearly doubling in size as I stood to leave the house, but this couldn’t wait. Hopefully Bella would understand why I had to talk to Emily.

I drove the Jeep over to Emily’s, thinking the whole way about how strange this whole thing seemed. The Emily I knew would never lose control like that. She fought with harsh words and tears, not her fists.

I was still confused when I pulled up in front of her house; even more when she came out, arms open and smiling wide as if she hadn’t attack my girl.

“Sammy! I knew you’d come,” Emily smiled, throwing her arms around my neck.

“Emily, what did you do?” I asked, grabbing her arms and setting her away from me.

“Sammy, can you believe what that awful girl did to me?” Emily asked, eyes tearing up.

I frowned, a little confused as I looked her over.

“What did she do?” I asked.

“My face, Sammy. She cut it all up. You’ll make her pay, won’t you, Sammy? She hurt me,” Emily sniffled, a tear falling down her cheek.

Nerves settled over me as I looked over her face. She was gently touching where I’d raked my claws down her face nearly four years ago. My eyes widened as I began to worry about what exactly was going on in her head.

“Emily, I gave you those scars years ago. Don’t you remember?” I asked gently.

“No, Sammy. You would never hurt me. That evil bitch who’s trying to take you away did this to me. I just cleaned up all the blood a few minutes ago. I knew you were coming and didn’t want to get blood all over you,” Emily told me, smiling fondly up at me, her hands stroking across my chest.

My mind was racing as I tried to understand what exactly was happening. It sounded like Emily thought Bella attacked her, but I knew that wasn’t true. Bella had never fought anyone in her life. She hadn’t been able to even fight back when Emily started hitting her.

“Come inside! I made your favorite,” Emily insisted, pulling me along.

I let her drag me into the house, my head reeling as I took in all the differences since the last time I’d been there.

“Did you call Jake to let him know I was hurt? I thought he would beat you home since he’s just down the street,” Emily asked, moving into the kitchen.

Jake? What the hell was going on with her?

“Um, yeah, I called him. He couldn’t get away just yet,” I hedged, needing her to talk more so I could understand.

“But he is coming. He loves me just as much as you do, doesn’t he? He’s so sweet,” Emily giggled, stirring a pot.

“When did you see Jake, Em?” I asked slowly.

“This morning when you two kissed me goodbye. Oh, guess what I did today!” Emily grinned, spinning around with a huge smile on her face.

“What?” I asked.

“Come with me,” Emily encouraged, grabbing my hand and pulling me down the hallway.

I tensed when I realized she was taking me into the bedroom, not sure what exactly she was planning.

“Ta-da!” Emily cheered, spreading her arms out.

I gaped at the room, unable to believe just what exactly it was I was looking at. The walls were painted in an identical shade of blue as my bedroom with Jake and Bella. The furniture was the same and in the same exact place. There was even a book on the night stand from where Bella would study while Jake and I were on patrol. I began worrying when I noticed the smudge of blue on the floor from where Bella had managed to paint Jake’s foot without him realizing it.

Emily had recreated our room down to the very last detail.

“Isn’t it so much better than that awful yellow?” Emily asked happily, linking her arm through mine.

I nodded, unable to find my voice as I slowly began to put the pieces together.

“Where is Jake? I want him to see it,” Emily frowned, looking towards the door.

“He’ll be along soon,” I assured her weakly.

“Maybe he stopped by the store to pick up some chocolate syrup,” Emily thought, trailing her hand down to my crotch.

I jumped back, completely freaked out by the conclusion my mind was quickly forming.

“I think I’m going to go make sure he’s on his way. I’ll be back soon, Em,” I promised quickly.

“But, Sammy, it’s been a whole day. I’m feeling so much better than this morning. I want you,” Emily purred, backing me into the wall.

“Jake’ll be upset if we start without him, though. Let me go get him and… and we’ll break in those new sheets,” I swallowed thickly, my wolf furious at me for saying that, even if it was a lie.

“Oh. I’ll put them on so it’ll be ready for when you come back,” Emily grinned, leaning up and nipping at my neck.

I shuddered in disgust and hurriedly moved away from her.

“You sure you don’t want a quickie before you go?” Emily offered, mistaking my shuddering.

“Like I said, Em. That wouldn’t be fair to Jake,” I dodged, moving into the hallway.

“Well, hurry up and go get him. This time, I want you in my pussy and Jake in my ass,” Emily called seductively.

I didn’t answer as I practically ran to my Jeep, my mind racing as I started the engine and headed back home. My wolf was growling, not liking the obvious threat Emily presented to our mate. She really thought she was Bella, or rather that she was living Bella’s life. The thought terrified me and I pressed the gas to the floorboard to make it home faster.

I needed my girl.

“Let me get this straight. She actually believes she’s living Bella’s life?” Leah asked, her face furious.

I had been home for two hours now. One of those was spent holding my girl, whispering loving words to her while she slept. The last hour had consisted of me explaining what exactly had happened while I was at Emily’s.

“From what I gathered, yes. She really thinks she’s Bella. She kept asking when Jake would come home and she knew things that were way too personal for her to know,” I frowned.

“Like what?” Jake asked.

“She knew what you and Bella talked about this morning in the shower,” I answered, giving him a look.

“How the hell could she have known that unless she was in there with you?” Leah asked.

“She wasn’t there. We would’ve smelled her,” Jake scowled, glaring at the floor.

My ears prickled at a noise coming from the bedroom and I turned to see Bella stumbling into the hallway, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

“Hey, sweetheart. Feeling better?” I asked, pulling her into my lap.

“Yeah. Sorry about that,” Bella mumbled, blushing as she twisted her shirt.

“Don’t you apologize for being scared. After what my bitch cousin did to you, you deserve to be more than a little freaked out,” Leah assured her strongly.

Bella bit her lip and nodded, tears reforming in her chocolate eyes.

“Honey, don’t cry. Please, it breaks my heart to see you so upset,” Jake pleaded, coming to kneel in front of us.

“I-I can’t help it. I was so sc-cared and she was so f-fast. I c-couldn’t even f-fight back,” Bella hiccupped.

“Sweetheart, we need to talk,” I sighed, rubbing my cheek against her hair.

“I’m sorry,” Bella sniffled.

“Stop apologizing. Sweetheart, there’s a reason you were so afraid of Emily. I went to visit her just after you went to take your nap. She’s… She’s not exactly sane right now,” I told her.

“What do you mean?” Bella asked, frowning up at me.

“When I went to see her, she claimed you had hurt her. She thought you had attacked her, she thought she had your cuts and bruises, she was even waiting for Jake to come home to her,” I explained.

Bella’s breathing picked up and her eyes darted between Jake and I, uncertainty flashing in her eyes.

“Wh-what?” Bella stuttered.

“Honey, she’s crazy. She thinks she’s you. She knew things about us that no one else could’ve known. She thought the reason I wasn’t there with Sam was because I was picking up chocolate syrup,” Jake murmured, brushing her hair back.

Bella’s eyes widened dramatically and she clutched the bottom of her shirt as she started shaking.

“How could she know that?” Bella whispered fearfully.

“I don’t know, sweetheart. But we’re going to find out,” I promised her.

“I think it’s probably a good idea to have one of the pack with Bella all the time. And I don’t mean phased. If Emily comes back, she could do serious damage, especially if she plans it,” Leah insisted.

“Le, can you call the pack and tell them to get over here? They should all be off work by now. If they don’t answer, have Jared phase and send out a howl,” I instructed.

“Don’t forget to call Paul at the station. He’s shadowing Charlie there, claiming he’s looking into a career as an officer,” Jake reminded her.

“Got it,” Leah nodded, walking towards the kitchen.

I looked down at Bella, tightening my arms when I noticed the terrified look in her eyes. She leaned her head against my shoulder, her body shaking occasionally.

“We’ll keep you safe, Bella. No matter what it takes, we’ll keep you safe,” I vowed.

Bella’s POV

I buried my face into Sam’s chest, hating myself for being so scared. I felt so incredibly weak and helpless as Sam rocked me gently. Jake was sitting beside us now, his hand stroking through my hair. The reassurance that came with their touch was diminished by the absolute terror that was churning in my gut.

Emily could tear us apart.

It was obvious she would do anything and everything to get Sam back. If she was actually insane, she was capable of anything. The worst part was, if we did press charges, she would likely get off with a light sentence due to her insanity.

“We need to take pictures,” I reminded them, my voice sounding dead.

“We can take them after the meeting with the pack,” Jake said softly.

“No. Now,” I insisted, shifting to get off Sam’s lap.

I didn’t look at either of them while I stood in the middle of the living room.

“I’ll go get the camera,” Sam mumbled after a long silence.

I wrapped my arms around my chest as he walked away, his footsteps heavy against the floor. Jake shifted behind me and I swallowed thickly when he wrapped his arms around my waist.

“Don’t shut us out, honey. We love you and only you. It’s not the imprint. The imprint just showed you to us. We fell in love with you,” Jake whispered into my hair.

“She wants him back,” I told him, tearing coming back quickly.

“He wants you,” Jake replied.

I let out a wail as my knees gave out. Jake pulled me back against him, supporting my weight as I cried.

“Bella!” Sam shouted, running back into the room.

The camera clattered to the floor as he hurried towards me, sandwiching me between the two of them.

“Shh, sweetheart. It’s okay,” Sam hushed, his lips at the top of my head.

“She’s insecure about the imprint,” Jake mumbled over my head.

“Bella, I love you. I love you so much that it nearly breaks my heart every time I look at you. Let me tell you something. When it got around that you were coming back to Forks to live with Charlie, everyone who knew you got so excited. Jake went on and on about you, how he couldn’t wait to see you again. Billy couldn’t stop beaming and Charlie looked like a proud papa. Even the waitress down at the diner was excited for you to come back.

“And I knew I’d have to meet you and get to know you. Everyone talked about how amazing you were, how beautiful and sweet. I knew you were someone special. The imprint just gave me little push I needed to fall for you, but I would’ve done that all on my own. You’re perfect for me, just like you’re perfect for Jake,” Sam assured me, his voice strong despite being so quiet.

By this point, my tears had stopped and I was no longer shaking as I burrowed further into my wolves’ embrace.

“Nothing and no one will ever come between us,” Sam promised.

“I love you two so much,” I breathed, my voice husky from all the crying.

“We love you, too,” Jake murmured, kissing his mark on my neck.

“More than you’ll ever know,” Sam added before kissing his mark.

I managed a smile as my eyes closed, feeling the absolute love and devotion my wolves radiated as they surrounded me with their strength.

“Alright, enough of that. The pack is heading over and I’m sure they don’t want to walk in on the three of you getting it on.

I laughed throatily as Jake and Sam glared at Leah above my head. Leah, true to form, simply rolled her eyes and winked at me. I gave her a small smile in appreciation as Jake and Sam stepped away, pulling me to sit with them on the couch.

“What’d you tell them?” Jake asked, getting ready for the meeting.

“Just that there had been an incident and they needed to get their asses over here pronto,” Leah shrugged.

“Great. I’m sure they’ll be busting at the seams by the time they get here,” Sam grumbled, shifting closer to me.

“Eh. They didn’t need to hear any of it over the phone,” Leah assured him.

Before Jake or Sam could respond, the front door burst open and Jared, Quil, Embry, Brady, and Collin rushed in. I laughed a little as they seemed to trip over each other and their own feet in their hurry to get into the house and hear the news.

“Jesus! Can’t you idiots walk a straight line?” Leah barked, storming over to shove them into their prospective seats.

“Can’t you be a bitch? Oh, wait. Don’t bother answering. We already know,” Quil retorted.

“Shut it, mutt, or that squeaky toy you like so much is going to disappear,” Leah threatened.

“You wouldn’t dare! Not Mr. Pepe!” Quil gasped, horrified.

“Mr. Pepe?” I giggled quietly to Jake.

“Yeah. His squeaky toy is a skunk,” Jake murmured back, his shoulders shaking in silent amusement.

“Call me bitch one more time and Mr. Pepe will have to learn to swim without the use of his appendages,” Leah threatened.

“Monster!” Quil accused, pointing a finger at Leah.

“Careful or I’ll bite it off,” Leah glared.

Quil snatched his finger back, cradling it against his chest while he continued to glare daggers at Leah.

“Where the hell is Seth and Paul?” Leah asked, pacing back to the kitchen.

“Don’t get your panties in a twist. I’m here,” Paul snapped, walking through the door.

“Just sit your ass down and shut up,” Leah growled, glaring at him.

“What crawled up your ass and laid eggs?” Paul asked.

Leah snarled at him, baring her teeth in anger.

“Enough!” Sam commanded, his voice deeper than usual.

Leah rocked back onto the balls of her feet, her snarl gone as she gave Paul the stink eye. I was trying not to laugh as I watched Paul shift nervously, watching Leah out of the corner of his eye.

“Sorry I’m late! Mom had me run an errand for her on my way over,” Seth apologized as he walked into the house.

“You’re here now, that’s all the matters,” Sam interrupted when Leah opened her mouth to say something.

She threw him an irritated look, but settled down in her seat, waiting for Sam to start the meeting.

“Alright, none of you are to speak during this meeting until I tell you to. I don’t care how angry you get, you are not to say a word,” Sam instructed, looking at each of the pack directly in the eye.

They all seemed to straighten as they realized the magnitude of what was about to happen. Up until this point, I had been partially hidden behind Jake, who was sitting on my right. His arm was crossed over my lap and placed on my left leg. I was leaning into him, allowing his shoulder to hide my bandaged face from the pack.

Sam reached for my hand and pulled me into a seated position, kissing the back of my hand as the pack gasped. Thankfully, due to Sam’s Alpha command, I wasn’t bombarded with questions of what had happened.

Jake proceeded to tell them about how Emily attacked me as I was leaving the hardware store and everything up until the point of Sam leaving to go visit Emily. At that point, Sam took over, explaining the insanity that seemed to have gripped the young woman, making her dangerous to me. The pack listened intently, their expressions slowly darkening as Sam and Jake continued speaking. Occasionally, one of them would look back to me and clench their fists. More than one of them were shaking by the time Sam finished talking.

“Now, no one is to approach Emily. I don’t care how pissed you are, she’s obviously sick. We’re going to take pictures of Bella’s injuries and consider pressing charges. Emily will probably get off with insanity charges, but it’ll get her the help she needs. You may speak if you wish, but I don’t want to hear complaints about your restrictions,” Sam explained calmly.

The room was suddenly bombarded with angry growls and heated words as the pack cursed Emily from La Push to St. Petersburg. I bit my lip as they all seemed to focus on me at the same time.

“Are you okay, Bella?” Embry asked kindly.

“I’m fine. A little shaken up still, but I’m better than I was,” I smiled.

“Good. I want to take that bitch, rip her head off, and burn the pieces,” Paul growled.

“She’s not a leech, Paul,” Quil reminded him.

“Who the fuck cares? She hurt an imprint and that shit don’t fly around here,” Paul insisted.

“No one is to touch her. She’s sick, she needs help,” Sam interceded.

“How can you sit there and defend her? She hurt your imprint!” Seth exclaimed.

“I’m aware of that, believe me,” Sam glared.

I saw Seth opening his mouth to make another comment and quickly stepped in.

“I don’t want him to hurt her. If he hurts her, he gets in trouble. I’d rather just take it to court and have them deal with her. It’s better than losing him or Jake or any of you. So none of you touch her or I’ll sick Leah on you,” I threatened.

Leah snorted from across the room, but nodded when I looked at her. I knew she didn’t like the fact that she couldn’t confront her cousin, but I refused to watch any of them being marched off to jail for going after that crazy, psycho bitch.

“Is she a danger to all our imprints?” Quil asked, frowning in concern.

Jared stiffened in his chair, his eyes darting to the door nervously.

“At this point it seems like Bella is her only target. She wants to take Bella’s place and is willing to do anything to make that happen,” Jake assured them.

“Someone will be with her at all times. In human form. Phasing back to human would take too much time if Emily shows up, intent on hurting her,” Sam declared.

The pack all nodded in agreement, willing to band together to do whatever it took to get rid of a threat to an imprint.

“Go home, now. Jared, don’t worry about coming tomorrow. Jake or I will stay with her,” Sam insisted.

Jared nodded as he went with the rest of the pack out the door. Once it snapped closed behind them, I let out a deep breath, wincing at the pain in my ribs.

“Why don’t you go lay down and I’ll grab a bag of peas out of the freezer,” Jake suggested gently.

“Thanks,” I sighed, standing up with their help.

“Come on, sweetheart,” Sam urged, leading me down the hallway.

I followed him into the bedroom, completely exhausted after everything that had happened. Sam eased me down onto the bed, helping me lie down before climbing in beside me. His hand settled over my ribs, just resting as I breathed.

“You okay?” Sam asked, his thumb brushing across the bottom of my breast.

“Yeah. Just tired,” I murmured, my eyes closing.

“We still need to take those pictures, sweetheart. Are you up for it?” Sam reminded me, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Sure,” I sighed.

“I’ll be right back,” Sam promised, kissing my temple gently before moving off the bed.

He’d barely been gone for ten seconds before Jake came in and places the peas on my ribs. I groaned as the cold, shifting to try and get away from it.

“Shh, honey. Just rest. It’ll be better soon,” Jake soothed, brushing my hair back.

“Cold,” I shivered, grasping the sheets.

“I know, honey, but it’ll make your ribs feel better,” Jake assured me.

I felt Sam come back into the room and grimaced as Jake removed the peas to lift my shirt.

“Just relax, sweetheart,” Sam crooned, beginning to take pictures.

Between the two of them, they positioned me appropriately to show the extent of the damages. Occasionally, they would move me in a way that had my ribs screaming, bringing tears to my eyes.

“Almost done, sweetheart,” Sam told me gently.

I gritted my teeth as Jake eased me onto my back again. Sam leaned over me and took a few pictures of my face. I blinked tired up at him, staring through the camera. When he finally lowered it, I smiled slightly.

“We should probably call Charlie, honey,” Jake suggested from beside me.

“He’s gonna flip,” I groaned, rolling into him.

“He’ll be even more upset if we don’t. We’ll need to inform the Elders as well,” Sam frowned, his hand on my hip as he sat behind me.

“I could call Dad and have him tell everyone to meet us here,” Jake offered.

“That would probably be best. Charlie could come, too,” Sam nodded.

“You’ll tell them everything, right?” I asked, looking between them.

“Of course, honey, but they’ll probably all have questions for you,” Jake pointed out.

I nodded, my eyes closing as exhaustion crept over me again.

“Sleep for now, sweetheart. We’ll take care of everything,” Sam assured me.

I woke to the sound of quiet voices and a rough hand stroking my hair. I snuggled deeper into my pillow, knowing it wasn’t my wolves touching me.

“Wake up, Bells,” Charlie called softly.

“Dad?” I answered groggily.

“Hey, kiddo. How ya feeling?” Charlie asked, his voice quiet.

“Okay. What’re you doing here?” I asked, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

“Billy called and told me I needed to come down here. Sam and Jake just told us what happened with Emily Young,” Charlie frowned.

“Oh,” I replied smartly.

“Bells, are you okay?” Charlie as, his brows furrowed.

“I will be. It’s just a few bruised ribs and the cuts won’t leave lasting marks. Jake’s taking really good care of me and Sam’s doing everything he can to make things as easy as possible,” I informed him.

“We’re gonna get her for what she did to you, Bells. I won’t stand for this,” Charlie glared.

“I know, Dad,” I smiled weakly, taking hold of his hand.

“Love you, kiddo,” Charlie said gruffly, kissing the back of my hand.

“I love you, too, Dad,” I sniffled, fighting tears.

In a rare show of affection, Charlie pulled me into his chest, his calloused hand cupping the back of my head as I clutched his shirt. He didn’t speak, just held me, his thumb rubbing against my neck. I didn’t cry, just sat there, taking comfort in my dad’s arms.

“We’ll take care of everything, sweet pea,” Charlie vowed.

“I know you will,” I sighed, sitting up slightly.

He dropped his arms to hold my hand in both of his.

“Mind coming out here with the rest of us?” Charlie asked, moving to stand.

“Sure,” I agreed, swinging my legs over the side of the bed.

I followed Charlie down the hallway to where Billy, Harry, Old Quil, Sam, and Jake were sitting around the living room, the emotions tense.

“How are you, Bella?” Billy asked, noticing us first.

“I’m fine, Billy,” I smiled at him.

The Elders looked at my face, clearly concerned with the heavy bandage covering the scratch marks. I flushed under their intense gazes, my eyes shifting to the floor. A warm hand slipped into my own, bringing my attention to Sam as he tugged me gently towards him and Jake. I smiled as they settled me between them, Jake’s arm going around my shoulders as Sam held my hand tightly in his.

“Sam and Jake have informed us of the attack and Emily’s instability. We will be speaking with Mr. Callum to verify certain facts,” Harry explained solemnly.

“Mr. Callum?” I questioned uncertainly.

“Al, honey,” Jake answered.

“Oh,” I whispered, nodding slightly.

“And we will be visiting with Emily to insure her insanity is true,” Billy continued.

“I think it would be wise if I went with you,” Sam put in.

“While your offer is admirable, it is unnecessary. We will handle Miss Young. You being there could antagonize her,” Old Quil grumbled.

“With all due respect, you might want us to come with you. After what she did to Bella, there’s no telling what she’ll do when questioned,” Jake inputted.

“And who would stay with your imprint?” Old Quil asked, raising a single brow.

“Leah,” I answered before either of my wolves could.

All eyes moved to me and I sat up a little straighter.

“Leah was the one who found me after Emily’s attack. She’ll stay with me while you guys go talk to her,” I explained.

“And I’ll stay with them, as well,” Charlie piped up behind me.

I smiled and reached back to pat his arm. He gripped my hand briefly before settling it back against the couch.

“Very well. The two of you will accompany us to visit with Emily,” Billy nodded.

“When do we leave?” Sam asked, leaning forward eagerly.

“As soon as Leah arrives,” Harry decided, smiling slightly.

“I’ll go call her,” Jake said, standing up and moving quickly into the kitchen.

I sighed deeply as I picked up their anticipation to get this over with. Between the two of them, their worry over me was all consuming and I knew they wouldn’t rest easy until Emily had been taken care of.

As I leaned my head on Sam’s shoulder, I realized that everything would be alright. Just as soon as his insane-o ex-girlfriend was locked away in the psych ward.