The Bonds Between Us • E.Cullen x Fem oc x B. Swan

Chapter 77

"Lia? LIA!" Bella shouted as her eyes were glued to the girl who laid lifeless on the table. "Get her out of here." Emily ordered, as Embry took Bella by the arm, gently taking her out the front door.

"Jake did that?" Bella asked, her voice shaking as her eyes were still focused on the door. "I'm sure it was an accident." Embry tried to tell her. "An accident? She's dying!" Bella shouted at the young wolf, and he just let her. It was a stressful moment, and it was about to get worse.

Stumbling out of the tree's came a bloodied Jacob, as Sam had come around the corner with Sue. The three wolves had seemed to lock eyes, one was filled with regret, one with anger, and one with worry.

"She's inside, Emily's working on her." Sam told the older Clearwater, and Sue nodded, headed inside.

"Jacob." Sam said as the muscles on his frame rippled with the restraint of shifting and tearing into the young wolf. "Sam, I'm sorry. I don't know what happened." Jacob said as his head was hanging lowly. "She could be dying, and you don't know what happened?" Bella asked her friend and Jacob looked up at her, his eyes shifting to Embry for a second before Embry evaded his eyes.

"I couldn't contain it. I had so much anger for her. She was there. When Paul shifted. You could have been hurt, and she just stood and watched." Jacob snarled and Bella backed away from the obviously still angry boy, bumping into Embry's chest.

"Cori's job is to protect Bella. If she thought there was danger, she would have intervened. You took it upon your self to make that decision for her. Don't act as if this was anyone else's fault but your own." Sam growled as he stood tall, his dark eyes gleaming with anger at the younger wolf.

"I didn't mean for it to get so far, I just meant to knock her down, show her that her actions have consequences, but Paul got in the way. It wasn't supposed to happen like this." Jacob said all three wolves heard the whimpers and cries from inside the house.

With a stoic expression, Sam huffed. "Well now your actions have consequences, Jacob." The alpha told him as he walked off towards the house, seeing what he could do to help.

"I'm gonna go inside and see what I can do. Stay out here. If you need anything, call out." Embry told the brunette girl as he shot Jacob one last look before disappearing into the house. 

Before she had a chance to say anything, Jacob was walking away from the house, and to the road leading down to the beach.

"Jake, we need to talk." Bella said, as she caught up with him, a sweat breaking out on her brow as for every step he took, it was three of hers.

"What's there to talk about? I almost killed your girlfriend." Jacob muttered, lowering his voice as if to not scare the girl away.

"She's not my girlfriend." Bella said softly. "What?" Jacob asked as he stopped, turning his head towards her. "She's not my girlfriend. Not right now." Bella restated, and for the first time, she saw the look Cori had described to her. The look of relief, and hope that seemed to bloom in his eyes, even with the devastation he had just caused.

"Just because she and I aren't together, it doesn't mean I don't love her, Jacob. Lia is my person. I love her, I couldn't live without her. I realized that today when I saw her like that. My heart is still pounding, yet has dropped into my stomach, making me physically sick until I know she's okay." Bella said taking a breath. Raising her head, she looked at Jake, their brown eyes seemingly looking into each other's souls.

"Jake, I love you, I love you like a brother, and it may be selfish, but I can't lose you either. But it will be her. It's always been her. Lia's been my rock, she loves me, protects me, makes me feel like I can do anything and defeat everything, but knowing I won't do it alone. I love her, most times more than I love myself." Bella finished as she looked at the boy who was in love with her. She could see it now. In every movement he made, in every word he spoke to her or even about her. He loved her.

"And with what happened today, it can't ever happen again. I understand everyone's been tense, but it isn't a reason to attack someone, especially Lia. All she's done is help. She cares about keeping me safe, and if that's not something you two can bond over and be okay with, then I'm sorry, Jake, but we can't be friends any more." Bella told him, tears welling in her eyes as she looked at the boy that she's known since she was young.

"Bella-" Jake whispered as he realized how much he had messed up. He almost killed someone today. Let alone it was someone Bella cared about out deeply, but he almost killed someone today.

Bella turned away from him, shaking her head slightly before facing him again. She needed to think about something other than the girl she loved possibly dying.

"So you're a werewolf?" She asked as Jacob chuckled, thankful for the relief of tension. "Yeah, last time I checked." He told her, a small grin on his face that dimmed as her eyes glanced down at the small smile. "A few lucky members of the tribe have the gene. A blood sucker moves into town then the fever sets in." Jacob told her. "Mono." Bella said quietly, realizing where the stories started lining up, and Jacob snorted. "I wish."

"Can't you find a way to just stop? I mean it's wrong." Bella told Jacob and his eyes flickered up to meet hers. "It's not a lifestyle choice Bella. I was born this way, I can't help it. You're such a hypocrite. What, I'm not the right kind of monster for you? You'd rather have someone who drains the life out of people or screams when someone dies?" Jacob asked, but realized he may have ruined his chance as Bella glared at him, scoffing.

"You remember you just about tore Lia apart earlier right? It's not about what you are Jacob, it's what you do. They never hurt anybody. You've killed people Jake." She said as she looked away.

"Bella, we're not killing anyone." Jacob told her, yet she just rose a brow. "Cori was an accident. How many times do I have to say I'm sorry." He asked. "Until I forgive you. And if you're not, then who is?" She asked. "What we're trying to protect you people from. The only thing we do kill. Vampires."

"Wait, Jake, you can't-" "Don't worry, we can't touch your little precious Cullens unless one of them violates the treaty." "That's not what I'm saying. You can't kill vampires, they'll kill you." Bella told him. "Really? We took out the leach with the dreads easy enough." Jake told her with a proud smile on his face. "Laurant?" Bella asked. "And his red headed girlfriend is next. Cori told us about her." Jake told her.

"Victoria." Bella whispered as she looked up Jake. "Wait, how long has Lia known about you guys?" Bella asked. "I don't know. That would be a Sam question, he's known her longer than any of us have." He told her, "Cori didn't tell you? Not even a hint?" "No. Nothing. " Bella said, her voice stained with sadness.

A/N: What do you think about this chapter? Bella hasn't really forgiven Jacob, but she isn't 100% on Jacob's side either.