Chapter Seventeen

Jared

Once we jumped out of Bella's window and phased, it didn't take us long to find her trail. Her scent was fresh, so she couldn't be that far from me.

The thing that worried me was the fact that her scent wove in and out through the forest.

I could feel the ache in my chest start to dull, so I knew we were closer to her. The closer we got, a sickly sweet smell burned its way through my nose. I let out a whimper before my wolf really kicked it. There was a fucking leech near Bella.

I pushed myself faster, ignoring Jakes howls for the rest of the pack. I ignored the slight burn in my muscles, I ignored everything, except for the fact that I needed to get to Bella.

"There's a lot that happened Bella. So much I wish I could tell you, but I can't."

I slowed my pace once I saw Bella. She was standing, looking at the leech that I knew used to be her human boyfriend.

"Really, because I went, how many months thinking you were fucking dead? What, are mom and dad waiting behind that tree waiting to walk out to?" She screamed, pointing in my direction. I hunched down, knowing that she could see me if she tried.

"No, Bella, it's just me."

"Look at me!" She demanded. "What the fuck!" I watched, making sure that she wasn't going to get hurt, but knew that this wasn't going to end well. Whether it be James or Bella, someone was going to get hurt. And physically, it was not going to be Bella.

Knowing that James was alive, well as alive as a leach could be, she needed to get her feelings out before she could fully move on and be with me.

"When did you start cussing so much?"

"Did you really just fucking ask me that?" She asked. James nodded his head and she started laughing. Was she losing her fucking mind? "Well let's see here, I was in a wreck; lost everyone that fucking mattered to me. Had my "dead" boyfriends parents go off on me the day that I drop out of school. I had to move into my god-mothers house, got into trouble, that's always fun! Oh, and get this! Phil wasn't my real dad! Yeah, my real dad found me after the wreck and made me move up here to this piss poor town to live with him!" By the time she was done with her 'speech', she was clutching her sides laughing so hard, I was worried she wouldn't be able to breathe soon.

"What do you mean by you got in trouble?"

"Oh, drinking, partying, cops and oh yeah! I stayed a night in jail." She giggled out.

"Wow."

"Yes, James, I'm not a 'goody goody' anymore. I died right along with everyone, or so I thought everyone, the night of the wreck."

I held in my whimper hearing her say that. I vaguely heard my pack members’ sympathy for me, but I couldn't hear anything other than the words my imprint just spoke.

"Bella, I thought you died in the wreck. I really did. And then I saw you at the mall, and didn't know what to do. I'm so sorry."

I watched as fire seemed to spread through Bella's body and eyes. Tears sprung to her eyes, and it took everything in me not to move to comfort her.

"I knew it was you! You walked away from me, making me think I was slowly losing my mind! You knew I was alive, and you still walked away from me!"

"Bella, there's things that you just don't know about me." At this point, I almost felt sorry for him. We had all somehow ended up on the end of Bella's temper.

"Same here! Like how I used to cry every night and beg that I had died in the wreck. I wanted it so bad, I tried to end it all, and just so I could be with you all! But you had the choice; you could have come to me at the mall. I harmed myself that night, all because of you!" I felt a growl building in my chest. How many times did she actually harm herself?

"Bella, I.."

"James, Bella, what a surprise." I snapped my attention to the new addition. When the fuck did she get there?

"Who are you?" Bella snapped.

"Good question, who am I James?"

I watched as the two leaches kissed. It was fucking nasty I'll tell ya that much. I turned to Bella, but wasn't expecting the look on her face. She wasn't angry, but looked sad.

She closed her eyes, letting a tear roll down her face. I knew then that she wasn't over James, and probably never would be. My imprint didn't want me, she'd rather be dead then have to live a day without James.

"Oh look, she's crying."

"It's not from you, trust me bitch." Bella spat.

"What did you just call me?" She sneered.

"Wow, James, you can really pick 'em, let me tell you." I think my imprint is fucking crazy!

"Well if you recall, I did pick you."

"And why did you do that James? I mean really? She's plain Jane, nothing special about her." The female spoke.

"You don't know me bitch, and who the fuck are you anyway?"

"I'm James' mate."

"OK well would you like a cookie? Because that sure as fuck don't tell me your damn name, unless you like me calling you bitch, bitch? Hmm, yeah I do like it. How about you, Bitch?"

"My name is of no importance to you, you won't be alive long enough to know it anyway. James, take care of this. I'll meet you in a bit, I'm thirsty." She waved her hand, dismissing Bella. I faintly heard Sam order Paul and Embry to take care of her.

"What the fuck is wrong with this place?" Bella screamed.

"Bella, I think we should talk." James spoke with no emotion in his voice.

"Oh, you mean you want to talk before you 'take care of this'? How lovely. While we're at it, how about you explain some shit to me. Why?"

"Bella, after the wreck, Victoria found me, saved me. She changed me and as I woke up, I found her to be my true love, my mate, my soul mate if you will. I will love you, but Victoria is the one I'm supposed to be with."

"Who said anything about me wanting to be with you?" She snapped. This bit of information got my attention. She didn't want him! "James, I have changed, as have you. The wreck changed us both. I love you, always will." I whimpered, knowing she just said that I pretty much wouldn't have her heart.

"But I have found someone else, or more so he found me. I was just too stubborn to admit to it, and I may have lost him for good." She mumbled.

That was all I needed to hear. She just admitted to me, well ok not really to me, but you get the point, that she wanted to be with me. I still had questions, but that was all I needed for this moment.

"Well you know Bella, you never were that great, so I'm sure he isn't missing anything." He sneered.

I watched as pain flashed across her face and felt the pain rush through my body. He had emotionally hurt her.

"I hate you!" She screamed. I watched as he quickly moved towards her and held myself back. I was going to be the one to kill that sorry son of a bitch.

"Good, I'll make it that much easier to do what I am about to do. However, I could give you at least one good fuck before you die."

"Fuck you! Don't touch me!" He placed his lips on her neck, and that's all I could do. I lunged forward at the same time Bella let out a blood curtailing scream.

I felt my body give out, and pain consume me. It felt like the first time I phased all over again.

I laid limply on the forest floor trying to make my body listen to me. My imprint was in danger, and yet here I was in so much pain I couldn't even move.

I opened my eyes to see Paul, Jake, and Sam rush towards James. I wanted to be the one to end his miserable live, but I couldn't move. I'd rather they kill him, than him not get killed at all.

"Stop!" I heard a female voice scream in my mind. I watched as my pack stopped moving and almost bowed down like the world was just placed on their shoulders.

I quickly looked around, trying to protect my imprint from this unknown wolf. I panicked when I didn't see her, but instead saw the most beautiful white wolf standing in her place.

She was looking at me, wait the, wolf pack in front of us. Looking at them curiously, wondering what was going on.

"How did she stop you guys?" Embry asked.

"I don't care how I stopped you guys. I don't care what the fuck is going on! Get me out of this body!" She screamed.

Sam explained how to phase back and it didn't take her long to do so. She was a natural. I growled as all the guys, even James was taking in her naked form. All their attention shifted to me causing Bella to look down.

I whimpered as I saw all the fading scars on her body. I quickly phased throwing my t-shirt at her. I threw my shorts on and looked at Bella, who was looking at James. My t-shirt hung almost to her knees, but it didn't seem to bother her.

I heard movement in the branches and looked to see Embry come running out in his human form.

"She's gone." He said coming to a stop beside me.

"What do you mean?" Bella asked.

"Paul and I took care of her! Ya know killed her, or whatever." He acted like we did this on a daily basis.

"What?" James roared.

"James, you have caused enough problems today so just do me a favor and shut the fuck up!" Bella snapped.

"Sam, what do we do about him?" Embry asked, pointing his thumb over towards James.

I watched as Sam looked at Bella, almost as if asking for permission. What the fuck was going on? Why was our Alpha asking permission from my imprint? Then I remembered that Sam wasn't the 'rightful' Alpha, Jake was. Bella was Jake's older sibling, so did that mean that she was Alpha?

"Yes Jared." Sam spoke. I snapped my attention to him. "I could see it on your face. Only the rightful Alpha can overpower me. Place a command on me that I have to do."

"Wait a fucking minute! I don't know what the fuck y’all are talking about, but take that fucking gift back to the store, cuz I’m sure I don’t fucking want it!" She yelled. "As far as James is concerned," she turned her attention back to James, "now that your 'mate' is gone, I hope you live through even half of the pain you caused me. You ever stepped foot around me again, and I will kill you for placing your body on me earlier against my will. You were going to kill me so easily. How could you? You're dead to me." She mumbled the last part. "Leave, before I change my mind."

It didn't take him long to figure out she meant every word she spoke. I could tell just from the tone of her voice.

"Bella… I'm so," I started before she cut me off. She was still looking where James was just moments ago.

"Jared, don't. Just don't. I'm sorry for the pain I caused to both you and myself. I'm sorry I'm such a dumbass that is blind to everything that is front of me. It's going to take me a little while to get used to everything, and I know I'm not worth it, but please, just wait."

"Wow, now you really are a bitch!" Paul laughed out. Both Bella and I growled at the same time before looking at each other.

I felt the world shift around me again. This was stronger than the imprint, this was something above me. I looked into Bella's eyes and saw love, devotion, care. I knew in that moment, nothing could ever be that bad, because the love of my life, my imprint, just imprinted on me.