I was shocked to see that not two seconds after Sam had walked through the door, did Jacob and Paul walk through it. Both seemed unscathed, and, if you can believe laughing and hitting each other on the back as if they shared some little secret. While I watched, Paul punched Jacob on the shoulder and Jacob went for a kidney jab in return. They laughed again.

They might've been best buds outside but as soon as they stepped through the door Jacob's smile disappeared, giving way to an intense look of determination. While Paul seated himself at the table, reaching for a massive muffin, Jake scanned the room, his eyes stopping when he found me leaning, awkward and out of place, against the counter with muffin crumbs on my chin.

When he saw me he seemed to freeze. His eyes were wary and cautious, as if he were waiting for me to point my finger and cry wolf. (Go figure?) Then he took a tentative step forward looking at me as if he was a puppy and he was afraid I was going to kick him. He took another step and another all the while watching me as if afraid I would run away. I offered him a small smile and shock broke out over his handsome face.

Without hesitation now, he walked straight over to me, looking at me in a way that for some reason unknown to me made my breath catch and my heart beat faster. He walked until he practically blocked my view of anyone around us, his broad chest facing my shoulder and then he wrapped his arms around my waist and buried his head in my neck. I didn't mind, no, in fact I enjoyed it very much. Probably more than I should have.

"Bella." My name, all he said was my name, but it sent chills through me. There was something in his voice, something that sounded so utterly devout and … relieved? The way he said it, two syllables drawing out the –la, so it came out low and husky, on a breath of air. Bel-llaaa.

A tension I hadn't even seen in him while he was walking up the stairs seemed to drain out of him. He leaned heavily against me, slowly rotating his thumbs against the bare skin between the waist of my jeans and the tail end of my t-shirt. He moved his nose slightly in the cloud of my hair and inhaled deeply, holding my scent in his lungs a minute before exhaling. My eyes shuttered at the contact. It sent a trill through me, and the edgy feeling dissipated.

Jake maneuvered his body around mine so his front was to my back his hands clasped together and resting lightly on my lower abdomen. He lifted his head with a sigh, kissing the back of my head lightly, under my jaw, at the sensitive juncture at the base of my throat before settling his chin on my shoulder, lightly pressing his cheek to mine.

I probably should've stopped him then, it was getting way too personal, but I didn't. I relaxed against him, and let my eyes close, knowing we would not be able to sit like this for long. We had business to discuss. Victoria, other problems. Charlie. What were we going to do with Charlie? Not to mention I need much more info on the whole werewolf thing. What was it like? Did it hurt?

My heart clenched at the fact of anything hurting my Jacob.

I froze, muscles locking, breath halting. Since when did he become my Jacob? I had no claim on him, he wasn't mine.

But you want him to be.

I very nearly fainted right there. I did, I really did want Jacob to myself. I felt jealous of all the boys who got to spend so much time with him that used to be only for me, and I felt an unnatural surge of anger at the picture of a nameless girl attached to the arm of a smiling Jacob. To try to distract myself from these thoughts I turned my head into Jake's shoulder, inhaling his warm scent. It was like those spicy pumpkin scents, along with pine, and fresh-dewed grass. I relaxed even more every time I inhaled. My head started to feel light and I knew if I tried to walk right then I would surely fall flat on my face.

He must've felt me … sniffing … him, I guess because his arms tightened even more around me, possessively. Affectionately.

For the first time in a while I felt the urge to grin in more than amusement, more than effort to please … I was content to be here. I looked around and watched the boys chatter, Sam and Emily's cute displays of affection and then couldn't help tilting my head up to look at Jacob. He was staring down at me too. When our eyes met I enjoyed watching his eyes crinkle as he smiled slightly. Tenderly. There was a light in his eyes that hadn't been there before. The emotion looked completely foreign on his face, so young and yet lined with wisdom that not many grown men had. My heart pounded so hard I felt like at any moment it would burst through my chest and plop down at his feet in an embarrassing display.

"Alright" I heard Sam's voice say loudly and it took all my might to break our gaze and look across the room at Sam who was now seated at the front of the round table, with Emily standing behind him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Jacob," he said, his voice full of authority. "I want to speak with you outside for a moment."

I felt Jacob stiffen slightly but felt his head move against my hair. He was nodding.

Sam stood up, leaving the room but not without a goodbye kiss on Emily's lips. Jacob gave me a tight squeeze before removing his arms and leaving the room at a much slower pace, glancing back at me once or twice. I felt annoyingly depressed when he was gone, and an empty space sat in my chest. I found it harder to breathe and was perturbed to why I would feel that way.

There was an awkward silence I felt hesitant to break. Emily did it for me.

"So, Bella, you and Jake?"

I understood immediately what she was implying and vehemently shook my head.

"We're, I mean, me and Jake, we aren't together or anything …"

She quirked an eyebrow, her right one of course. Her face was dubious, if not incredulous.

"Really?"

I nodded slowly, a pain stinging in my chest, like a small barb. Why it hurt me so, I tried not to think about.

"You two sure looked cozy over there snuggling and all." This comment was from Jared.

"Yeah, he was plastered all over you, Bella." Embry, laughed loudly.

"Sure looked like some action was about to get going." Paul said jeeringly.

I blushed even as I said, "Jake doesn't think of me … like that … I mean, we're just friends."

"Honey, every teenage male thinks like that, and sorry, but I saw a whole lot more than a friendly hug goin' on back there." Emily chuckled throatily, tossing her hair back slightly. But her eyes didn't have the same humor. They seemed testing, wary, almost as much as Jacob's had been when he had spotted me hidden in the corner when he first walked in. except they also had a fierce fire of protectiveness about them that made me want to shrink back.

My face blushed hotter. "Well, I-I mean, w-we …"

The door slammed open and Jacob tense and angry stormed in. Sam followed in more calmly, a small smile graced his features and for a moment I was distracted. He really was a handsome man when he smiled. But it was his eyes that got me. His eyes said they knew something and when he looked at me he got this wry look and my own eyes narrowed. What was he up to?

"Would you guys please stop interrogating Bella?" Jake demanded, his shoulders quivering slightly. I didn't have much experience around werewolves yet but I did no the shaking was a bad sign. Without thinking I walked toward Jake and wrapped an arm around him, the other automatically gripping his hand closest to me. His frame was tense but when he looked down at me the agitated expression left his eyes, instantly replaced by steady warmth that slowly grew in his gaze. His face bordered on the look of awe-struck joy, the blatant tenderness and affection I had seen before, except this time even more pronounced.

"It's okay," I smiled slightly. "I don't mind, they have the right."

He scowled again, looking up to glare at him brothers. "No, they don't."

"Jake," I sighed. "Not only have you involved me in keeping this secret at the risk of your life, but also at the risk of theirs. Let them ask questions."

I looked back the boys and Emily with a steady fearless gaze even though I felt anything but. "Even if it is none of their business."

I saw slight looks of shock, followed by bubbling amusement on my comment.

Paul laughed, Embry guffawed and Jared looked impressed.

"Well, I got to hand to you Vamp Girl," I felt Jake stiffen at the name and gave his hand a squeeze. "You sure got some guts," Paul declared.

Sam laughed from the entryway, "Jake's right, you're good with weird."

Hey guys, I need a Beta, if anyones willing to put up with me and I my quirky ways just send me a message.