Death of an alpha.

Jacob.

It never occurred to Bella that this was no longer about her. She would call and he would ignore her. She would bang on his door and he would tell her to fuck off. This was not about her. Not everything was. This was his family. Sam was once his alpha and now he was dead. Why couldn't she just leave him alone? Hadn't she done enough?

Sam wouldn't have been killed if it weren't for the newborn leeches. They came looking to kill her, it was supposed to be her!

Jacob looked at the ringing phone again before picking it up and crumbling it to pieces. There was pack business to take care of and he was forced to take on the role as alpha. They hated him because of this. Everyone did. He was the one that brought her here. He might as well have killed Sam himself. It was his fault that everyone got caught up in protecting her, his fault Sam was gone. He left a note for his dad, he had things to do today.

The funeral had been hard on everyone. Sam was torn apart by two newborns, Jacob and the rest of the pack had done everything they could to piece him back together but it was no use. The burned his remains and brought his torn clothes back to Emily. She wouldn't even get to see him one last time. It made his stomach twist into the most uncomfortable knots. It was painful for them all but especially for Emily.

Emily a woman who did nothing but take care of them, a woman who loved everyone. Who was going to love her? Jacob would have to make sure to do whatever he could to take care of her, to protect her its what Sam would have wanted for his Emily.

He walked into the house that still smelled like Sam the pack was sitting there. No one greeted him, he didn't expect them to. Emily was busying herself by cooking for them. His body twitched as he fought the urge to walk up behind her and...he pushed away the thoughts of Emily and turned to look at everyone else. No one would look at him, no one but Leah, she was watching him, waiting for something to happen. He cleared his throat they finally looked up at him. He knew this would take time, they were all mourning the loss of a man who had meant so much to them, he was like a father to some and a brother to the rest. It was his turn to speak and he would need to demand that they respect him. He was their alpha now, he didn't want to be and they didn't want him to be but he was and they had to respect him.

"We have a few things we need to discuss concerning the…Cullen's" he hated the way a name, that name, felt falling out of his mouth. Hated the name. Hated the leeches. Hated himself.

He had the attention of everyone around him.

"I am going to speak with Carlisle and ask that they leave immediately." They would not argue, this was inevitable. He couldn't stop himself from shaking when he thought about seeing them. It wasn't them who killed Sam but they were all the same now, they always have been. The room was silent as they watched him calm himself down. Leah stood up and pulled him outside.

She watched as he struggled to regain control of himself.

"Calm down Jacob." he did.

He looked at her, the pain was hard for her to hide. Leah did not hate Sam as much as she let everyone think she did. He loved her and she loved him, she cried when she found him, or pieces of him lying on the grass in the clearing. She cried when she handed his belongings over to Emily and she cried when she thought no one was watching. She did not hate Sam, her voice was laced with the same pain as Emily's. Jacob hated that he did this to them, took Sam away from so many people.

"When are you going to talk to Cullen?" He watched her as she crossed her arms over her chest and her expression hardened. He understood.

"Tomorrow. I would like for you, Jared and Embry to come." Leah nodded her head. Her face was a cold mask when the leeches were mentioned. They all wore similar masks, even Jacob.

They walked back into the house where everyone was gathered at the table. Emily was smiling at them as she always did but they could see the pain in her eyes. Leah watched her for a moment, she looked torn, but she took a deep breath and pulled Emily into the bedroom where she could grieve in peace. The food was left untouched. They needed to eat if only to make Emily feel better, they had to do something for her.

Jacob stared down at the men at the table and gave his first order.

"Eat. Emily worked hard to make sure you were taken care of. Eat." They started picking up their forks and eating, the room was quiet and it made Jacob feel sick. This was going to be difficult. The life had been sucked out of everyone. He sat down beside an unusually quiet Paul and ate.

When they were done he and Seth cleaned up, Emily might have wanted to keep busy but she needed to rest. They sat around the living room, no one saying anything. Leah walked back in.

"We need to figure out some sort of rotation, Emily is not going to stay here by herself. There is a spare room and we are always here anyway, I'll stay tonight but you guys need to figure out who goes next" Jacob hadn't thought of that, Leah was always quicker than the rest of them, quick witted, quick thinking and quick on her feet, he would have to consider her role in the pack later.

"I'll take tomorrow." Embry volunteered. They went through each day and how it would work. Jacob had Fridays and he didn't mind.

They still had to run patrols in pairs, Jacob did not want to imagine having another one of his pack mates being mauled by a stray newborn, he would not let it happen. He couldn't live with himself if it happened. He wouldn't.

"Paul and Embry are on Patrol tonight, Seth and Jared will take over in the morning and Quil and I will run after them." Leah did not question her place of duty, she was assigned to stay as close to Emily as possible. They weren't quite sure what would happen to her, she was an imprint, they had to make sure she would be okay. Jacob wanted to make sure it was okay with Leah, it was still hard on her as well. He didn't get a chance to ask.

There was a soft knock on the door. Jacob stood up to answer it and she was there. He let out a frustrated sigh. Paul stood up and walked over to the door to stand next to him. His face was hard and cold.

"What do you want." Paul was in front of Jacob and he didn't stop him.

He knew if he didn't it could get ugly but something in him just shut off. He wanted to watch her cower in fear, it was sick but he wanted to see her just once afraid, as she should be. Her confidence in him was sickening. Did she really believe that after this he would still be able to protect her? He couldn't even look at her without feeling that rotten pit at the bottom of his stomach. He wanted to watch her hurt. She didn't, she stood taller and he thought for a moment how easy it would be to tear that look off her face, but he wouldn't he would not bring more death and as much as she disgusted him, it would hurt her father and he would not hurt Charlie.

"I'm here to talk to Jacob not you…dog." Jacob snapped his head up at her and growled. He had never been this angry at anyone in his entire life, not even the leeches.

"Fuck. Off." He had nothing else to say, he elbowed Paul to move and shut the door in her face. He was disgusted with her, everything she was, everything he believed she was. She was banging on the door now. Leah was watching him, he walked back to the door and she followed, he let her answer.

"In case you didn't get the hint the first time 'Bells' you're not welcome here." Leah had a way of getting under peoples' skin and scaring them shitless. Bella was afraid but she stayed right where she was. He knew that there was more than one wolf ready to spring into action, he wasn't the only one itching to pick her up and toss her across the yard.

"Haven't you done enough Bella. Our alpha is dead because of you. Emily lost her husband because of you. What Is it that you want from Jacob anyway? Because we all know you're not here to offer your condolences or apologize." Bella looked down at her feet and Leah took a step closer to her. Jacob watched the woman tower over the girl he once loved. He once cared enough to do anything and everything for. He was nothing to her then and it took the death of an alpha, their alpha for him to realize it. Leah the woman was strong, beautiful and he had never noticed it until this moment.

"He told you to 'fuck off', I am pretty sure that means he doesn't want to see you. So why are you standing here on the doorstep of Sam's house, Sam a man you killed?" The woman who spoke honestly would not give into the temptation, she could easily snap the girl in half but she didn't.

Jacob watched as she closed the door, not slam but close it in the girls face. He watched her as she walked back across the room to continue with what she was doing, like the girl who was responsible for taking away the man she once loved, had not just disrespected her and her family. Like she really didn't want to watch her die like everyone else. She didn't. And he wished with every bit of himself that he could take away her pain. He wanted to put that fire that once burned with intensity back where it belonged, he had to.

When she knocked a third time Emily charged down the stairs as they all stood around and watched. She threw open the door and glared at Bella.

"I'm sorry Emily. I didn't mean for this to happen" were the only words the girl could get out. Jacob watched on as Emily straightened, her eyes were hard and unforgiving. She was the wife of an alpha, beautiful, poised and calm. Her everything had been taken away from her and the girl in front of her could never understand.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." Her words were hard, thick and laced with a venom he didn't know Emily had.

"My Sam died protecting you, he did his job and you have nothing to be sorry for." They all watched on as Emily took a step forward and Bella took a step back. The human woman put the fear into the human girl. The pain was her weapon and Bella was being struck, with each word.

"Jacob does not want to see you, he has taken over Sam's duties. Their job is done. You no longer need protecting" she was only inches away from the girls face now. Jacob was right behind her, ready to protect Emily if he had to.

"I don't care if you stalk Jacob anywhere else but you are no longer welcome in my home, on my front step or anywhere near my property." Bella shrank back and Emily walked inside the house, Jacob did not look back at the girl when he shut the door.