Essence of You
by Momma2fan
Chapter 18
“Billy, come on in. You’re just in time to meet your grandson.” Bella invited.
John and Melanie Cameron stared at Bella in shock, but Jared was busy watching Jacob, who had paled at her words.
“Well, Kimberly, it seems you’ve gotten yourself into more trouble.” Billy commented as he walked further into the house, coming to stand in front of the Connwellers. “Your daughter has quite the reputation. I caught her in bed with my son no less than five times. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is his son.” Turning to face Kim, “Let me see the baby, please.”
Knowing she had no other choice, Kim handed the baby to the tribal chief with a sniff. Looking down at the child in his arms, Billy knew immediately this was his grandchild. He was the spitting image of Jacob when he was a baby.
“Jacob, come meet your son, boy.” Billy ordered.
“That’s not my kid.” Jacob protested.
“Seems to be the phrase of the day,” Jared muttered. Bella elbowed him, causing him to chuckle silently.
“I don’t know what is funny,” Jason Connweller started.
Bella looked at him, “Nothing is funny. It’s actually rather sad. A girl so desperate for love, she’ll try to get it anywhere she can.”
“I’m not—”
“I wasn’t finished,” Bella snapped her head in Kim’s direction. “Too bad that desperation led to the birth of an innocent child, one who doesn’t deserve to be used in anyone’s games.” Bella turned her ire on Jacob Black, “Certainly not to be used by his own father as a pawn in a ploy to break up a happy couple.”
Billy looked down at the child in his arms, shaking his head as the truth of what Bella was saying washed over him. Stepping forward, he handed the baby to Abigail Connweller. “I’ll be in touch.” Turning to his son, “Jacob, let’s go. Bella, Jared, would you please come to the counsel hall in the morning?”
“Of course, Chief.” Jared responded for them. Turning to his parents, he glanced at the Connweller’s and back, before raising his eyebrows.
John took the hint and turned to their uninvited guests, “I think it’s time you left.”
With a nod, Jason gathered his wife and daughter, after picking up the baby’s belongings, he led them out the door without a word.
When the door closed, John and Melanie breathed a sigh of relief and turned to their son. “I’m sorry, Jared.” Melanie spoke.
“You asked us something when you came in, son. What’s up?” John looked at the young couple before him.
Jared led Bella to the couch and sat down, waiting as his parents joined them. Once they were settled, he began. “I asked Bella to marry me today and she said yes. I wanted grandma Cameron’s ring to give to her.”
Melanie looked at her husband, who nodded. She stood up and walked from the room, returning moments later with the black box in her hand. She smiled as she handed it to her son.
“Thank you.” Jared turned to Bella and opened the ring box. Nestled inside the satin was a white gold diamond ring, with a sparkling round diamond in the center, with two smaller accent diamonds.
“Billy, come on in. You’re just in time to meet your grandson.” Bella invited.
John and Melanie Cameron stared at Bella in shock, but Jared was busy watching Jacob, who had paled at her words.
“Well, Kimberly, it seems you’ve gotten yourself into more trouble.” Billy commented as he walked further into the house, coming to stand in front of the Connwellers. “Your daughter has quite the reputation. I caught her in bed with my son no less than five times. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is his son.” Turning to face Kim, “Let me see the baby, please.”
Knowing she had no other choice, Kim handed the baby to the tribal chief with a sniff. Looking down at the child in his arms, Billy knew immediately this was his grandchild. He was the spitting image of Jacob when he was a baby.
“Jacob, come meet your son, boy.” Billy ordered.
“That’s not my kid.” Jacob protested.
“Seems to be the phrase of the day,” Jared muttered. Bella elbowed him, causing him to chuckle silently.
“I don’t know what is funny,” Jason Connweller started.
Bella looked at him, “Nothing is funny. It’s actually rather sad. A girl so desperate for love, she’ll try to get it anywhere she can.”
“I’m not—”
“I wasn’t finished,” Bella snapped her head in Kim’s direction. “Too bad that desperation led to the birth of an innocent child, one who doesn’t deserve to be used in anyone’s games.” Bella turned her ire on Jacob Black, “Certainly not to be used by his own father as a pawn in a ploy to break up a happy couple.”
Billy looked down at the child in his arms, shaking his head as the truth of what Bella was saying washed over him. Stepping forward, he handed the baby to Abigail Connweller. “I’ll be in touch.” Turning to his son, “Jacob, let’s go. Bella, Jared, would you please come to the counsel hall in the morning?”
“Of course, Chief.” Jared responded for them. Turning to his parents, he glanced at the Connweller’s and back, before raising his eyebrows.
John took the hint and turned to their uninvited guests, “I think it’s time you left.”
With a nod, Jason gathered his wife and daughter, after picking up the baby’s belongings, he led them out the door without a word.
When the door closed, John and Melanie breathed a sigh of relief and turned to their son. “I’m sorry, Jared.” Melanie spoke.
“You asked us something when you came in, son. What’s up?” John looked at the young couple before him.
Jared led Bella to the couch and sat down, waiting as his parents joined them. Once they were settled, he began. “I asked Bella to marry me today and she said yes. I wanted grandma Cameron’s ring to give to her.”
Melanie looked at her husband, who nodded. She stood up and walked from the room, returning moments later with the black box in her hand. She smiled as she handed it to her son.
“Thank you.” Jared turned to Bella and opened the ring box. Nestled inside the satin was a white gold diamond ring, with a sparkling round diamond in the center, with two smaller accent diamonds.
“Jared, it’s beautiful.” Bella smiled with tears in her eyes.
Plucking the ring from its pillow, Jared picked up Bella’s left hand and slid the ring onto her finger. It was a perfect fit. Mindful of the presence of his parents, Jared gently pressed his lips to Bella’s.
Clearing his throat, John looked at them. “Bella, how did you know Kim was lying?”
Bella looked at him and smiled softly, “Jared could tell that wasn’t his baby. It didn’t smell anything like him. So when he came and picked me up, he told me whose scent he did pick up. However, he couldn’t do anything without revealing the legends. I could.” Looking at Jared, he nodded at her to continue. “I texted Billy on the way over, told him to give us five minutes and then come over, bringing Jacob with him. I wasn’t sure of their game plan until I saw how angry he was with her.”
“You don’t think he’ll hurt her do you?” Melanie asked in concern.
“I honestly don’t know. I believe he’s capable of anything.” Turning to Jared, “We need to talk to my brother.”
After thanking his parents for their support, Bella and Jared left, heading over to Sam and Emily’s. Once they pulled in front of the house, he looked at her. “I love you, Bella.”
Smiling, she turned to him and placed a hand on his cheek. “I love you.”
Pressing a quick kiss to her lips, the pair of them exited the vehicle and walked up to Sam’s front door. Jared had his hand raised to knock, but the door swung open before he could.
“What’s going on?”
Bella looked at Jared, “I think you should phase to show him. It’ll be easier.”
Nodding, Sam and Jared went to the forest while Bella went to find Emily. She found her in the kitchen whipping up some pies for the next day, so Bella offered to help. They worked in tandem as they waited for the guys to come back. Bella couldn’t help wondering what was happening at the Black house.
~B~
Josh walked into the tribal center with Bella, Jared and Sam. He knew most of the situation, but he wasn’t sure what would be happening at this particular meeting.
Jared led Bella to a chair and sat down beside her, draping his arm along the back of her chair, as the rest of the pack filed in. Once the pack was seated and the elders took their seats, Billy called the meeting to order.
“Thank you all for coming on such short notice,” Billy began. “First, I will explain the reason we’re all here and then I will recuse myself from the voting and sentencing.”
There were quiet murmurs from those pack members who hadn’t phased in since yesterday, all filled with confusion. Jacob could be heard growling over the din.
“QUIET!” Sam ordered in his Alpha timbre. Jared and Bella watched as Jacob tried, but failed, to shake off the command.
When the room was silent once more, Billy explained to those not in the know about the events of the previous day. Then he came to the hardest part of today’s meeting.
“The actions of my son were done only in order to separate an imprinted couple, a pair of marked mates. Not because he is in love with the girl, but because he thinks his standing in the tribe gives him some kind of rights. He has decided she should be with him simply because he will be chief and she is beautiful.”
Sam, Jared and Paul observed Jacob shaking in anger and feared for the council members should he phase. Jared and Paul looked at Sam, who nodded.
“Jacob Black, you will NOT phase.” Sam ordered, watching as, once again, he tried to shake off the order. Once his body settled with the Alpha order, he turned to look at Billy and nodded his head.
“This is where I need to recuse myself. I believe Jacob needs to be punished, but I can’t decide that.”
Old Quil, Joshua, Harry, John and Merill looked at each other, not sure what to do. Old Quil was the first one to speak, “In light of the information we’ve been given and the fact that young Black has had to be Alpha-ordered twice, I think we need to council before we pass judgment.”
“I don’t get to defend myself?” Jacob stood from his seat.
Everyone stared at him, wondering what he could possibly say to defend his actions.
Harry spoke from the elder table, “Very well, young Black, speak.”
Plucking the ring from its pillow, Jared picked up Bella’s left hand and slid the ring onto her finger. It was a perfect fit. Mindful of the presence of his parents, Jared gently pressed his lips to Bella’s.
Clearing his throat, John looked at them. “Bella, how did you know Kim was lying?”
Bella looked at him and smiled softly, “Jared could tell that wasn’t his baby. It didn’t smell anything like him. So when he came and picked me up, he told me whose scent he did pick up. However, he couldn’t do anything without revealing the legends. I could.” Looking at Jared, he nodded at her to continue. “I texted Billy on the way over, told him to give us five minutes and then come over, bringing Jacob with him. I wasn’t sure of their game plan until I saw how angry he was with her.”
“You don’t think he’ll hurt her do you?” Melanie asked in concern.
“I honestly don’t know. I believe he’s capable of anything.” Turning to Jared, “We need to talk to my brother.”
After thanking his parents for their support, Bella and Jared left, heading over to Sam and Emily’s. Once they pulled in front of the house, he looked at her. “I love you, Bella.”
Smiling, she turned to him and placed a hand on his cheek. “I love you.”
Pressing a quick kiss to her lips, the pair of them exited the vehicle and walked up to Sam’s front door. Jared had his hand raised to knock, but the door swung open before he could.
“What’s going on?”
Bella looked at Jared, “I think you should phase to show him. It’ll be easier.”
Nodding, Sam and Jared went to the forest while Bella went to find Emily. She found her in the kitchen whipping up some pies for the next day, so Bella offered to help. They worked in tandem as they waited for the guys to come back. Bella couldn’t help wondering what was happening at the Black house.
~B~
Josh walked into the tribal center with Bella, Jared and Sam. He knew most of the situation, but he wasn’t sure what would be happening at this particular meeting.
Jared led Bella to a chair and sat down beside her, draping his arm along the back of her chair, as the rest of the pack filed in. Once the pack was seated and the elders took their seats, Billy called the meeting to order.
“Thank you all for coming on such short notice,” Billy began. “First, I will explain the reason we’re all here and then I will recuse myself from the voting and sentencing.”
There were quiet murmurs from those pack members who hadn’t phased in since yesterday, all filled with confusion. Jacob could be heard growling over the din.
“QUIET!” Sam ordered in his Alpha timbre. Jared and Bella watched as Jacob tried, but failed, to shake off the command.
When the room was silent once more, Billy explained to those not in the know about the events of the previous day. Then he came to the hardest part of today’s meeting.
“The actions of my son were done only in order to separate an imprinted couple, a pair of marked mates. Not because he is in love with the girl, but because he thinks his standing in the tribe gives him some kind of rights. He has decided she should be with him simply because he will be chief and she is beautiful.”
Sam, Jared and Paul observed Jacob shaking in anger and feared for the council members should he phase. Jared and Paul looked at Sam, who nodded.
“Jacob Black, you will NOT phase.” Sam ordered, watching as, once again, he tried to shake off the order. Once his body settled with the Alpha order, he turned to look at Billy and nodded his head.
“This is where I need to recuse myself. I believe Jacob needs to be punished, but I can’t decide that.”
Old Quil, Joshua, Harry, John and Merill looked at each other, not sure what to do. Old Quil was the first one to speak, “In light of the information we’ve been given and the fact that young Black has had to be Alpha-ordered twice, I think we need to council before we pass judgment.”
“I don’t get to defend myself?” Jacob stood from his seat.
Everyone stared at him, wondering what he could possibly say to defend his actions.
Harry spoke from the elder table, “Very well, young Black, speak.”