Belonging
by Momma2fan
Chapter 7
Bella had been living in LaPush for a month by the time her eighteenth birthday rolled around. She wasn’t one who enjoyed being the center of attention, but since it was the first birthday of hers that her parents would celebrate with her, she didn’t make a fuss when Alison planned a small get together.
Sam and Emily were supposed to be there, which Bella was happy about as she hadn’t really spent much time with her older brother. Him not living with their parents made it difficult, as did Sam’s pack responsibilities. He wished he could be close to his sister like Embry was, but being Alpha was a fulltime job and Bella couldn’t know about the wolves.
Jacob Black had mixed feelings about being invited to the Uley’s for the bonfire. He hadn’t really been hanging out with Embry since he started spending time with his brother and the other hall-monitors on steroids, as he and Quil had dubbed them. However, he was curious to get a look at the girl everyone on the res was talking about. Quil had met her and said she was hot. At sixteen, his hormones were taking precedence over his friendship.
“Jacob, you will be on your best behavior while you’re at the Uley’s. You will not disrespect their daughter with your antics.” Billy warned as they climbed in his Ford F350.
“Jesus, Dad, you act like I’m a delinquent.”
“Jake, you can be very overbearing when you see something you like. I’m sure this girl will be no different. Just please try and rein it in, okay?”
“Sure, sure.”
They arrived at the Uley’s just as Charlie was getting out of his cruiser and Harry was pulling up with Sue and their children.
“Hey, Jake.” Seth Clearwater smiled over at the future chief and his personal hero.
Jacob didn’t say anything, just nodding his greeting. Billy sighed and shook his head. He had a feeling it was going to be a long evening as he followed everyone into the house.
“Welcome,” Josh smiled as the last of their guests walked in. Bella stood off to the side, next to Embry, trying to make herself invisible.
Sam and Emily were standing in the corner with Paul, the three of them watching silently. Sam had been thrilled Paul didn’t imprint on his sister when he’d introduced them. He prayed that Jared didn’t either, but as he was on patrol for the evening he wouldn’t be meeting her yet.
Paul liked Sam’s little sister. He didn’t know why, but he felt like she was going to be someone important. He could see from Embry’s thoughts about her that she was a genuinely nice person who had been dealt a shitty hand. Even though her life had been a good one, it wasn’t the one she should have had. He knew the Uley’s were trying to make up for lost time and he could tell her bonds with her parents were already strong. Now if only Sam would get on board.
Sam knew he was disappointing his parents by avoiding everyone, but he was scared to get close to Bella. He was more afraid his wolf would do something to hurt her like he did Emily. Emily was terrified of his wolf and refused to see him. He felt it was safer for Bella if he kept his distance.
“Hello, gorgeous.”
Bella shrank back and moved slightly behind Embry as Jacob finally saw her.
Moving forward, Jacob paid no attention to her body language and was trying to get to the beautiful girl hiding behind his old friend.
“I’m Jacob Black and you are stunning.” He held his hand out to her, with a smirk on his face.
Embry bit back a growl, but looked over at Sam when he heard two from that direction. Both he and Paul had narrowed eyes.
“Um...hi.” She reluctantly put her hand in his to shake, but was immediately disgusted when he leaned over to kiss her knuckles. She tried to remove her hand from his, but he tightened his hold. It was almost painful and she couldn’t suppress her whimper.
Hearing a sound coming from his daughter, Josh moved forward. “Jacob, let her go.”
Jacob looked at Josh and dropped Bella’s hand. She immediately wiped it off on Embry’s sleeve.
“What the hell, Bella?” Embry grinned at her.
“What?” She asked innocently. “I didn’t want his slobber on my hand.”
Her unintentional joke was enough to break the tension in the room, but it made Jacob’s face turn red with embarrassment and anger. Sam took notice, seeing the tremors run over his body and nudged Paul, who nodded his head.
“Looks like it will be soon.” Paul commented as he took a drink from his bottle of beer. “Especially if your sister continues to avoid or reject him.”
Billy grabbed his son and glared at him. “What did I tell you?” Jacob shrugged him off and walked out the side door.
Josh and Billy looked at each other and then over at Sam. The Alpha nodded and sent Paul outside to watch the young man.
Bella turned to her father and smiled, “Thanks, Dad.”
Alison walked out of the kitchen, “Dinner is ready. Everyone grab a plate.”
Billy sat beside Bella with the intention of apologizing for his son. He should have known better though, since Bella spoke before he could.
“Billy, no offense intended, but your son is a bit much. How old is he?”
Chuckling, Billy swallowed his food. “He’s fifteen, he’ll be sixteen in two months.”
“Well, that explains it,” Bella continued. She looked up as Paul, followed by Jacob, walked back into the house.
“What explains what, little B?” Paul wondered, although he had heard part of the conversation as he walked toward the house.
Grinning at her new nickname, Bella swallowed her mother’s mac and cheese. “Why Jacob was so overbearing when he met me. He’s a kid.”
Jacob glowered. “I’m not a kid. I am the future chief of this tribe and you better remember that.”
“Or what? Are you gonna do something to me?”
“Maybe,” Jacob crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her, a sinister smile crossing his lips.
Bella stood up and walked over to him, aware of the fact that all eyes were on her. “Like what? Nothing you could ever think of doing could be worse than growing up with a stranger claiming to be your mother. Nothing could be worse than finding out you have parents and siblings and a whole other life you knew nothing about. You are nothing but a spoiled little brat who thinks his heritage gives him a free pass to treat others like shit. Let me clue you in on something, Jacob Black, I’ve got you figured out. You’re no one special and the sooner you figure that out, the better. Until then, you’re not gonna have the respect of anyone, let alone the tribe you will someday be the chief of.”
Everyone in the room was staring at her in shock, except her parents and brothers, who were watching her with pride.
When she realized she was being stared at she quickly excused herself and walked out the back door to the deck. She sat down on the porch swing and stared out into the forest, allowing the peaceful breeze to cool her warmed cheeks and soothe her mind.
Bella had been living in LaPush for a month by the time her eighteenth birthday rolled around. She wasn’t one who enjoyed being the center of attention, but since it was the first birthday of hers that her parents would celebrate with her, she didn’t make a fuss when Alison planned a small get together.
Sam and Emily were supposed to be there, which Bella was happy about as she hadn’t really spent much time with her older brother. Him not living with their parents made it difficult, as did Sam’s pack responsibilities. He wished he could be close to his sister like Embry was, but being Alpha was a fulltime job and Bella couldn’t know about the wolves.
Jacob Black had mixed feelings about being invited to the Uley’s for the bonfire. He hadn’t really been hanging out with Embry since he started spending time with his brother and the other hall-monitors on steroids, as he and Quil had dubbed them. However, he was curious to get a look at the girl everyone on the res was talking about. Quil had met her and said she was hot. At sixteen, his hormones were taking precedence over his friendship.
“Jacob, you will be on your best behavior while you’re at the Uley’s. You will not disrespect their daughter with your antics.” Billy warned as they climbed in his Ford F350.
“Jesus, Dad, you act like I’m a delinquent.”
“Jake, you can be very overbearing when you see something you like. I’m sure this girl will be no different. Just please try and rein it in, okay?”
“Sure, sure.”
They arrived at the Uley’s just as Charlie was getting out of his cruiser and Harry was pulling up with Sue and their children.
“Hey, Jake.” Seth Clearwater smiled over at the future chief and his personal hero.
Jacob didn’t say anything, just nodding his greeting. Billy sighed and shook his head. He had a feeling it was going to be a long evening as he followed everyone into the house.
“Welcome,” Josh smiled as the last of their guests walked in. Bella stood off to the side, next to Embry, trying to make herself invisible.
Sam and Emily were standing in the corner with Paul, the three of them watching silently. Sam had been thrilled Paul didn’t imprint on his sister when he’d introduced them. He prayed that Jared didn’t either, but as he was on patrol for the evening he wouldn’t be meeting her yet.
Paul liked Sam’s little sister. He didn’t know why, but he felt like she was going to be someone important. He could see from Embry’s thoughts about her that she was a genuinely nice person who had been dealt a shitty hand. Even though her life had been a good one, it wasn’t the one she should have had. He knew the Uley’s were trying to make up for lost time and he could tell her bonds with her parents were already strong. Now if only Sam would get on board.
Sam knew he was disappointing his parents by avoiding everyone, but he was scared to get close to Bella. He was more afraid his wolf would do something to hurt her like he did Emily. Emily was terrified of his wolf and refused to see him. He felt it was safer for Bella if he kept his distance.
“Hello, gorgeous.”
Bella shrank back and moved slightly behind Embry as Jacob finally saw her.
Moving forward, Jacob paid no attention to her body language and was trying to get to the beautiful girl hiding behind his old friend.
“I’m Jacob Black and you are stunning.” He held his hand out to her, with a smirk on his face.
Embry bit back a growl, but looked over at Sam when he heard two from that direction. Both he and Paul had narrowed eyes.
“Um...hi.” She reluctantly put her hand in his to shake, but was immediately disgusted when he leaned over to kiss her knuckles. She tried to remove her hand from his, but he tightened his hold. It was almost painful and she couldn’t suppress her whimper.
Hearing a sound coming from his daughter, Josh moved forward. “Jacob, let her go.”
Jacob looked at Josh and dropped Bella’s hand. She immediately wiped it off on Embry’s sleeve.
“What the hell, Bella?” Embry grinned at her.
“What?” She asked innocently. “I didn’t want his slobber on my hand.”
Her unintentional joke was enough to break the tension in the room, but it made Jacob’s face turn red with embarrassment and anger. Sam took notice, seeing the tremors run over his body and nudged Paul, who nodded his head.
“Looks like it will be soon.” Paul commented as he took a drink from his bottle of beer. “Especially if your sister continues to avoid or reject him.”
Billy grabbed his son and glared at him. “What did I tell you?” Jacob shrugged him off and walked out the side door.
Josh and Billy looked at each other and then over at Sam. The Alpha nodded and sent Paul outside to watch the young man.
Bella turned to her father and smiled, “Thanks, Dad.”
Alison walked out of the kitchen, “Dinner is ready. Everyone grab a plate.”
Billy sat beside Bella with the intention of apologizing for his son. He should have known better though, since Bella spoke before he could.
“Billy, no offense intended, but your son is a bit much. How old is he?”
Chuckling, Billy swallowed his food. “He’s fifteen, he’ll be sixteen in two months.”
“Well, that explains it,” Bella continued. She looked up as Paul, followed by Jacob, walked back into the house.
“What explains what, little B?” Paul wondered, although he had heard part of the conversation as he walked toward the house.
Grinning at her new nickname, Bella swallowed her mother’s mac and cheese. “Why Jacob was so overbearing when he met me. He’s a kid.”
Jacob glowered. “I’m not a kid. I am the future chief of this tribe and you better remember that.”
“Or what? Are you gonna do something to me?”
“Maybe,” Jacob crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her, a sinister smile crossing his lips.
Bella stood up and walked over to him, aware of the fact that all eyes were on her. “Like what? Nothing you could ever think of doing could be worse than growing up with a stranger claiming to be your mother. Nothing could be worse than finding out you have parents and siblings and a whole other life you knew nothing about. You are nothing but a spoiled little brat who thinks his heritage gives him a free pass to treat others like shit. Let me clue you in on something, Jacob Black, I’ve got you figured out. You’re no one special and the sooner you figure that out, the better. Until then, you’re not gonna have the respect of anyone, let alone the tribe you will someday be the chief of.”
Everyone in the room was staring at her in shock, except her parents and brothers, who were watching her with pride.
When she realized she was being stared at she quickly excused herself and walked out the back door to the deck. She sat down on the porch swing and stared out into the forest, allowing the peaceful breeze to cool her warmed cheeks and soothe her mind.