A/N: If you don't like the characters or plot, then don't read. This is slightly AU as fair as Lana and their ancestry and stuff like that. But the main premise will not change.

DISCLAIMER: I only own my OC, nothing else.

WORD COUNT: 2, 541

Chapter 19

Jealousy

Jacob stared at his phone, rereading the seventh unanswered text he sent Lana in the past day, not counting how many he'd sent over the course of the month.

'Hey, Lala, it's me. Can you call me when you see this? I need to tell you something important.' Sent: 10:21 AM

'Lana, hey, I don't know if you got my last message, but I'll just send this one. Call me when you get this. Also is Embry okay? He hasn't been texting me back.' Sent 11:00 AM

'Lana, please call me.' Sent: 12:30 PM

'Are you ignoring me?' Sent: 2:47 PM

'Lana if I've done something to make you mad, I'm sorry, please just text me.' Sent: 2:58

'Call me back.' Sent: 3:15

'Are you with Paul?' Sent: 4:20

He probably shouldn't have sent that last one but he needed to know. It was tearing him up.

It had been a month since he'd seen her, a month since Bella had been showing up and even Quil and Embry stopped showing up as often as they normally did. Even his own father was questioning why Bella was always around and not Lana.

And Jacob had no answer for him.

Well, he did, he just didn't want to believe it himself. Sighing heavily, he threw his phone atop the covers of his bed his and let his head fall in his hands, trying to make sense of this whole situation.

His heart soared at the sound of a familiar ringtone.

Diving for his phone, Jacob looked at the caller ID and refrained from jumping with joy and cleared his throat- attempting to compose himself before answering, "hello?"

"Hi, Jacob. Sorry for not texting back, I've been busy this past month." Lana answered, her voice lacking some of the usual mischievousness, the spark he was so accustomed to, "getting ready for tests and looking after Seth. You know how it is."

Jacob.

Lana called him Jacob.

She never did that. Even when she was livid with him, it was always Jake- never Jacob.

"N-no, yeah, I understand. Gotta do what you gotta do." Jacob said, chuckling nervously before a pregnant silence filled the line.

"So what do you want to talk to me about? I assume this has something to do with Paul?" Lana asked, breaking the awkward tension that filled the dead air between them.

"Well, yeah. But also Jared and Sam too." Jacob cringed at the heavy sigh distorting the receiver on the end of the line, "listen, Lana, before you say anything, I need you to understand that I've got a bad feeling about that whole group. I don't want to see you get hurt because of them."

Lana gently sighed and for the first time since he called, he heard warmth in her voice, "thanks for your concern, Jake, but I promise I'm fine. You know me, both eyes open, remember? Especially after Port Angeles."

That incident made his body run cold and his blood boil.

There wasn't many things that could anger Jacob Black and there weren't many things he found to annoy him- but when something happened to Lana that caused her harm or caused her smile to slip, that was unforgivable. She'd come a long way since that incident and found herself able to trust to be around other guys but he knew the mental toll it took on her.

"Well, as long as you're careful. That's all I want, Lala."

"I get that, Jake. But, I'm not the one you should be saying that to. I heard about Bella and the motorcycle." Jacob bit his lip, his heart stuttering to a stop. He knew Lana was always against Bella doing outrageous things and would try to stop her and Jacob had become the opposite. "Do you know why she does it? Did she tell you?"

"I wouldn't think she would need to, Lana. I mean she wants to spend time with me, that's why she's here." Jacob responded, dark brows lifting in innocent question.

Lana's derisive scoff was piercing on the other end of the line, "no. She's not there because she suddenly cares for your friendship, given the fact that for the past year, you've been the one to make all the effort and I've always been there to plan things accordingly. It's only for her."

The Quileute teen's anger started to grow, "that isn't true. I don't know what's going on with you, Alana, but for the past month you've been completely ignoring me! You've ignored all my calls, all my texts! If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous of how much time I spend with Bella and you know what? I prefer her friendship over yours any day! You and Paul are perfect for each other!" His grip tightened on the tiny phone until it creaked under the strain.

Jacob didn't get a response and there was nothing but silence for a good long while.

"Screw you, Black." Lana's sudden emergence threw him for a loop but what had him respond on almost primal level was her tone. Her voice was enraged and he swore he could hear growling, "you're not Bella's best friend, you're not her shoulder to cry on and you're not who she dreams of at night. You're her friend of convenience and her enabler. Actually, you know what? You're perfect for each other," Lana mocked but it was her last comment that really made him stop, "you're both users."

Jacob heard a click and the only sound that filled the line was the dial tone, ending their conversation. The grip he had on his phone tightened until he heard the plastic creaking and his entire body shook with rage.

How dare she speak to him like that? Who did she think she is? She wasn't his mother, he could do what he liked with who he liked. Lana wasn't his only friend, he could be friends with anyone he liked! Throwing his phone down, he paced the expanse of his tiny bedroom, grabbing a pillow to fling it at one of the walls but he caught a whiff of something so overpowering. Lana had a distinct scent and he could always pick up on it, but right now, he could isolate every component and could list them easily:

Wood fire, the dewy aroma of a forest after rain, the scent of an old book, motor fuel and something he couldn't explain. A scent that made him want to rub his cheek against the pillow and bathe in the sunlight for as long as possible and now Paul was bathing in that sunlight. He was experiencing every single scent Lana emitted, drowning in her splendor.

He couldn't take it anymore.

Tossing the pillow back on his bed, he shouldered his way out of the room and stormed through the back door with visions of Paul and Lana together crossing his vision and for the first time ever, all Jacob could see was red.

Lana and Paul huddled together at the Res bonfire, too close and laughing at jokes only they would get, his grimy fingers pushing a lock of hair away from her face and she smiled warmly up at him in thanks.

Paul running after Lana whenever he saw her with the group, pulling her into a bear hug that left her breathless and pink in the cheeks and he'd wrap an arm around her shoulders, tugging her closer to his chest and she didn't even seem to care.

Even then, he had a place with her.

And he couldn't stop thinking about now, what Paul would do with Lana.

Taking her to Port Angeles for the movies, holding her hand all the way through the scene and if there were a particularly horror scene, Lana would hide her face in his neck and he'd laugh, cradling her to him.

Paul pulling Lana against his chest in the middle of La Push, lifting her up from the sand floor, his toned, muscular arms. He'd make her laugh, her dark hair cascading around them, shielding them from outside view as the sand fell from her bare feet. Their laughter would slowly die as her hands would come to frame his jaw, her fingers slipping into the hair at the nape of his neck, Paul slowly bringing Lana closer and closer until-

A deafening roar ripped through Jacob's chest and he felt as if he were exploding from the inside, the sound of material ripping was loud and between the shreds of different materials stood an imposing, massive russet brown wolf. Hackles lifted back to show sharp, glistening teeth, rage prevalent in those familiar brown eyes and a deep growl rumbled in his chest. Lifting his head, the wolf sniffed the air and caught something. A familiar, undeniable scent, weaved with another outsider scent.

A threat.

Digging his nails into the soil, the wolf's body tensed, bending low to the ground and with a snarl, the wolf launched his body toward the tree line, following the scent with only one thought.

Lana.

(..)

Lana sobbed against Paul's chest and he gently rocked her from side to side, one hand caressing the back of her head in an attempt to soothe her, "I'm so sorry, little one." He murmured against her hair, pressing a kiss to the tip of her ear. He had witnessed her rage, kicking up sand and throwing rocks and seashells into the ocean until her anger was spent and all that was left was sorrow.

"I-is this really what it c-comes down to?" Lana hiccuped, "am I just always going to be second best between them?"

"Anyone with a quarter of a brain cell could see that you are better than first place. Get that through your head." Paul answered her bluntly, but gently lifted her head from his shoulder, her tears drying against his shoulder and he straightened his tight t-shirt before framing her face with his hands gently, wiping the tears that trekked down her cheeks in a torrent, "and you should never settle for less nor give those that would rather you do, any of your time. They're not worth it."

Paul was right.

Lana had spent so much time and energy always placing herself as her own second priority and it was only natural that everyone else would follow suit, even her own sister and best-friend. Oddly enough, Paul was one of the only people that never allowed her to be second best or a afterthought and Lana appreciated it, more than he would ever know.

Slowly calming down, her tears slowly stopped and her hands lifted to cover his and her dark hazel eyes met Paul's dark chocolate, "thank you, Paul." Her tone had quietened, calmed and she watched him, her eyes following his.

"You're welcome. Always." Paul answered without a moment of hesitation, "I'll always be here for you, I hope you know that." Paul's own tone had softened, becoming gentle, for her ears only.

"I do, now." Lana whispered over the crashing waves, her grip on his hands tightening, eyes never leaving his.

"Lana. ." Paul murmured gently, his hands slowly sliding to her waist to pull her closer and he started to lean down as she raised herself on her tiptoes, her hands sliding to his toned biceps.

The moment was ruined by a roar and a massive russet wolf burst through the tree line, bounding toward them.

Lana and Paul's heads swiveled to see the wolf and their reactions differed significantly. Lana was attempting to pull Paul away from the wolf and toward safety, her heart racing in her chest and she swallowed a horrified scream. Paul on the other hand was calm, unmovable despite Lana's best efforts and he slowly pushed her behind his body to shield her. "I'm sorry you had to find out like this, Lana."

"F-find out what, Paul? What are you doing, we need to get out of here!" Lana screamed, tugging at his arm but he pulled away to take off his shirt and he looked back at her almost despondently.

"Please don't hate me after this, little one." With that, Paul turned away and what happened next would forever remain ingrained in Lana's mind.

Paul took off, kicking up sand as he ran toward the wolf. Lana screamed and nearly sprinted after him but then she noticed something: the air around Paul shimmered, almost like he was bending it or he was so hot he actually distorted the air itself.

And then there was no more Paul, but bursting from within himself, a grey and white wolf was now loping for its target who seemed to become even more out of control at the challenge Paul presented.

There was eruption of sand as both wolves collided with each other in a flurry of snarls, bites and growls.

Lana stared at the grey and white wolf, unable to wrap her head around the fact that the wolf protecting her was Paul.

"Lana!" She turned from the wolves to look wide-eyed at Embry, Jared and Sam.

"What the. . what the. ." Lana couldn't get the words out as Embry took her by the shoulders, dark worried eyes roaming over her figure before mentally assessing that she was alright.

"Lana, are you alright?" Jared asked, a little more reserved than Embry but his worry was still apparent.

"I-I'm okay, but-" Lana's answer was cut off by Sam.

"What happened?" He asked, completely serious as his eyes flicked between the two brawling wolves and a speechless Lana.

"Th-that big brown wolf just came out of nowhere a-and then Paul became-" she couldn't even get the words out let alone actually believe what she was witnessing before her"-and I don't know what's going on! Can somebody please explain this to me?!" Lana screamed, unable to contain her emotions.

"Embry, Jared, take Lana to Emily's. I'll try to reel in Paul and Jacob." With that, Sam turned away from them and phased into a like-sized black wolf to break the other two up and Lana exploded.

"What the hell is going on?! What the hell are you guys and why did he just call that other wolf, Jacob?!" Lana roared before gasping to take in air, too overwhelmed.

And for the second time in her life, Alana Swan fainted.