Changing Tides
by Momma2fan
Chapter 18
The Cullens, minus Alice and Jasper, sat watching Edward pace the living room, mumbling to himself. Every once in a while they would hear Bella’s name and something about him getting her back.
“You better not be thinking of doing anything stupid, Edward.” Emmett warned. “The wolves have given you a stay of execution for now. If you try to do something to Bella, they won’t hesitate.”
“Those wolves aren’t touching my son.” Esme spat through gritted teeth.
“Esme, Edward did wrong and he continues to do wrong. Why are you standing up for him?”
“Why aren’t you, Rosalie?” Esme stood and faced her daughter. “He is your brother!”
“Yes, and a week ago you called Bella your daughter.” She also stood and faced Esme. “What, because she’s pissed and doesn’t look at us the same way that instantly changes your relationship?”
“I loved that girl and she threw it in my face!”
“We abandoned her!” Emmett stood in front of his mate.
“Sit down!” Carlisle roared, moving to intercept Edward who was taking advantage of their argument and trying to slip away.
“This is doing no good. This family is falling apart.” He suddenly realized that Jasper had been controlling their emotions to keep things from being so terrible. He turned to face his family and decided it was time to lay down the law. “Here’s how this is going to work. We are going to help the pack destroy Victoria and her newborns and then we are going to vacate the area, hopefully all of us. We are done in Forks...permanently.”
“But, Carlisle—”
“No, Edward,” Carlisle interrupted. “If you survive this, we are gone. You are to stay away from Bella!”
***CT***
“What the fuck is that!?” Jacob saw Bella’s neck and was suddenly incensed. He couldn’t figure out why though. He knew Bella was Paul’s imprint, he accepted that. He only saw her as a sister now, but something about her scent was grating at his wolf.
“Back away from my mate, Black.” Paul growled.
Bella stood from her chair and slowly backed away from Jacob. It wasn’t until she hit the counter that he noticed her. Jake stalked toward her, a menacing look on his face.
“Paul?” Bella’s voice was laced with fear.
“I know, baby. Jared is right behind you.”
Bella stared at her friend, wide-eyed. She knew she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t take her eyes from his.
“What’s the matter, Bella? Afraid of the big bad wolf?” Jacob sneered.
“No. I’m afraid of the stupid dick who used to be my best friend.” Bella watched his eyes change to the wolf’s with her challenge. “What’s your plan here, Jake? You’re in a house full of your pack brothers, I’m a marked imprint. Do you honestly think you’re above tribal law? Attack me and they’re free to take you out.”
“Jacob, son, listen to her.” Billy pleaded.
“Sam, do something.” Emily hissed.
“Jacob! Back down now!” Sam ordered.
Bella watched as he tried to shake off the Alpha order, but finally gave into it and slumped to the floor. She sagged and would have hit the floor, but Jared caught her and swung her up in his arms, carrying her to Paul, who nuzzled into her neck as he walked them to the couch.
“What the hell was that, Jacob?”
Jacob looked at Bella, curled on Paul’s lap and shook his head. “I don’t know, Dad. It was the wolf. I know Bella is Paul’s, but for some reason when I saw that mark on her, he went nuts.” He looked at his father, “I was trying to fight him, but I couldn’t.”
Bella kissed Paul and snuggled further into his embrace. “I think you guys need to go phase and talk to his wolf. And make sure you make a run of the perimeter, check for any vamp scents.”
“I agree,” Sam nodded. “Outside.”
Paul kissed Bella once more and followed his pack outside. Once they were all in wolf form, Paul sat on his haunches and let Sam direct this meeting.
Jake? -S
We weren’t going after her to hurt her. We smelled something and saw the mark. We were trying to make sure it was completed correctly. When we smelled her fear, it changed. Then she challenged us. -JB
She met your eyes? -J
Yes. We couldn’t back down until our Alpha told us to. -JB
Paul, go get Bella. I want to see how his wolf acts now. -S
He ran inside the house. “Babe, we need you to come out and talk to Jake’s wolf.”
Bella shrugged and moved away from the counter where she was mixing something in a bowl. “Em, can you finish this for me?”
“Sure,” Emily took the spoon and got to work.
Bella followed Paul outside and stood to the side as he phased. When she arrived, Paul sat at the edge of the circle, while Sam phased and explained what they were going to do.
“Bella, sit down in the center here. I want all of us to sniff you and see what is different that set off Jake’s wolf. I’m gonna let him go first okay?”
“Sure, Sam.”
Bella sat completely still, while first Jake and then the others came to her, sniffing her, paying particular attention to Paul’s mark. Paul growled, trying to stay back, but his instincts were telling him to protect his mate.
“I’m okay, Silver.”
Finally their inspection was done, Jared left to run a perimeter check while Paul went over to smell his mate, licking his mark. Once he was satisfied his brother’s scents were gone, he phased and led his mate inside.
Jared came back in, just as Bella and Paul were sitting down with their plates. “I caught something, Sam. It was fresh and not one of the Cullens. This was on the rez.”
Sam took a bite from his plate, trying to show a calm he wasn’t feeling. “Just one?”
“I think so,” Jared sat down with his own food. “Probably ought to send Embry though, he’s got the best nose.”
Sam looked at Embry, who nodded.
“Finish your dinner first, Embry.” Bella sighed. “You should probably take someone with you. You need to look up into the trees.”
“What are you thinking, Bells?” Jared wanted to know.
Bella got up and began cleaning up her kitchen. “I told you about the Cullens gifts and what we suspect about Victoria. What if one of the people she has turned has a gift?”
“Jesus,” Paul started. “We have no way of knowing what we’re up against until they actually show up.”
“The next time you guys train with the Cullens,” Bella started. “I’m going with you.”
The pack erupted as soon as she finished speaking.
The Cullens, minus Alice and Jasper, sat watching Edward pace the living room, mumbling to himself. Every once in a while they would hear Bella’s name and something about him getting her back.
“You better not be thinking of doing anything stupid, Edward.” Emmett warned. “The wolves have given you a stay of execution for now. If you try to do something to Bella, they won’t hesitate.”
“Those wolves aren’t touching my son.” Esme spat through gritted teeth.
“Esme, Edward did wrong and he continues to do wrong. Why are you standing up for him?”
“Why aren’t you, Rosalie?” Esme stood and faced her daughter. “He is your brother!”
“Yes, and a week ago you called Bella your daughter.” She also stood and faced Esme. “What, because she’s pissed and doesn’t look at us the same way that instantly changes your relationship?”
“I loved that girl and she threw it in my face!”
“We abandoned her!” Emmett stood in front of his mate.
“Sit down!” Carlisle roared, moving to intercept Edward who was taking advantage of their argument and trying to slip away.
“This is doing no good. This family is falling apart.” He suddenly realized that Jasper had been controlling their emotions to keep things from being so terrible. He turned to face his family and decided it was time to lay down the law. “Here’s how this is going to work. We are going to help the pack destroy Victoria and her newborns and then we are going to vacate the area, hopefully all of us. We are done in Forks...permanently.”
“But, Carlisle—”
“No, Edward,” Carlisle interrupted. “If you survive this, we are gone. You are to stay away from Bella!”
***CT***
“What the fuck is that!?” Jacob saw Bella’s neck and was suddenly incensed. He couldn’t figure out why though. He knew Bella was Paul’s imprint, he accepted that. He only saw her as a sister now, but something about her scent was grating at his wolf.
“Back away from my mate, Black.” Paul growled.
Bella stood from her chair and slowly backed away from Jacob. It wasn’t until she hit the counter that he noticed her. Jake stalked toward her, a menacing look on his face.
“Paul?” Bella’s voice was laced with fear.
“I know, baby. Jared is right behind you.”
Bella stared at her friend, wide-eyed. She knew she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t take her eyes from his.
“What’s the matter, Bella? Afraid of the big bad wolf?” Jacob sneered.
“No. I’m afraid of the stupid dick who used to be my best friend.” Bella watched his eyes change to the wolf’s with her challenge. “What’s your plan here, Jake? You’re in a house full of your pack brothers, I’m a marked imprint. Do you honestly think you’re above tribal law? Attack me and they’re free to take you out.”
“Jacob, son, listen to her.” Billy pleaded.
“Sam, do something.” Emily hissed.
“Jacob! Back down now!” Sam ordered.
Bella watched as he tried to shake off the Alpha order, but finally gave into it and slumped to the floor. She sagged and would have hit the floor, but Jared caught her and swung her up in his arms, carrying her to Paul, who nuzzled into her neck as he walked them to the couch.
“What the hell was that, Jacob?”
Jacob looked at Bella, curled on Paul’s lap and shook his head. “I don’t know, Dad. It was the wolf. I know Bella is Paul’s, but for some reason when I saw that mark on her, he went nuts.” He looked at his father, “I was trying to fight him, but I couldn’t.”
Bella kissed Paul and snuggled further into his embrace. “I think you guys need to go phase and talk to his wolf. And make sure you make a run of the perimeter, check for any vamp scents.”
“I agree,” Sam nodded. “Outside.”
Paul kissed Bella once more and followed his pack outside. Once they were all in wolf form, Paul sat on his haunches and let Sam direct this meeting.
Jake? -S
We weren’t going after her to hurt her. We smelled something and saw the mark. We were trying to make sure it was completed correctly. When we smelled her fear, it changed. Then she challenged us. -JB
She met your eyes? -J
Yes. We couldn’t back down until our Alpha told us to. -JB
Paul, go get Bella. I want to see how his wolf acts now. -S
He ran inside the house. “Babe, we need you to come out and talk to Jake’s wolf.”
Bella shrugged and moved away from the counter where she was mixing something in a bowl. “Em, can you finish this for me?”
“Sure,” Emily took the spoon and got to work.
Bella followed Paul outside and stood to the side as he phased. When she arrived, Paul sat at the edge of the circle, while Sam phased and explained what they were going to do.
“Bella, sit down in the center here. I want all of us to sniff you and see what is different that set off Jake’s wolf. I’m gonna let him go first okay?”
“Sure, Sam.”
Bella sat completely still, while first Jake and then the others came to her, sniffing her, paying particular attention to Paul’s mark. Paul growled, trying to stay back, but his instincts were telling him to protect his mate.
“I’m okay, Silver.”
Finally their inspection was done, Jared left to run a perimeter check while Paul went over to smell his mate, licking his mark. Once he was satisfied his brother’s scents were gone, he phased and led his mate inside.
Jared came back in, just as Bella and Paul were sitting down with their plates. “I caught something, Sam. It was fresh and not one of the Cullens. This was on the rez.”
Sam took a bite from his plate, trying to show a calm he wasn’t feeling. “Just one?”
“I think so,” Jared sat down with his own food. “Probably ought to send Embry though, he’s got the best nose.”
Sam looked at Embry, who nodded.
“Finish your dinner first, Embry.” Bella sighed. “You should probably take someone with you. You need to look up into the trees.”
“What are you thinking, Bells?” Jared wanted to know.
Bella got up and began cleaning up her kitchen. “I told you about the Cullens gifts and what we suspect about Victoria. What if one of the people she has turned has a gift?”
“Jesus,” Paul started. “We have no way of knowing what we’re up against until they actually show up.”
“The next time you guys train with the Cullens,” Bella started. “I’m going with you.”
The pack erupted as soon as she finished speaking.