Defective - Jacob Black {1}

Chapter 35: Readjustments

"How could you not tell us about this?" Dad questioned, his voice strained and furious. I felt like a child being scolded. I couldn't meet his eyes.

"Well everyone knows now don't they." I said hesitantly, peeking up to glance at his red face. He was not happy with that answer.

"Aria Marie, did you honestly think you could keep this hidden?" He middle named me. He was definitely on the brink of losing it.

I was sat at the interrogation table in the middle of our kitchen — I refused to call it the kitchen table considering the amount of times I had been questioned here — surrounded by the whole pack, my father, Billy, Old Quil, Sue and Catori. I was fed up with being in the firing in line. Why couldn't they call Bella here? It's her fault the newborns are being created.

"Well yeah," I shrugged, I might as well tell the truth. "That was until we knew the newborns were made for Bella, that's when the plans changed."

"So what, one night you were just going to disappear not knowing if you were going to come back or not?" He was more hurt than angry now and I tried my best not to let it affect me.

"Yes. It's my job. We are the coven closest to Seattle, it's our job to restore any unsettled peace. Just like how you guys would do that here." I explained, looking my father dead in the eye now knowing he couldn't argue with that. "Look you all know the truth now can't we just leave it at that?" I asked scanning the room.

"Do we know all the truth?" Jesse interjected from across the room. I glowered at him from his position in the corner of the room, all wrapped up in his moody self.

For the past twenty minutes he hadn't taken his judgemental eyes off of Jake and I. Jake was stood behind me, his hands were resting on the back of my chair. He was very careful not to touch me, knowing I wasn't comfortable with it yet.

In reality I was a little too comfortable.

"Well it's obvious you do." Jake muttered under his breath.

"Do you mind sharing?" Billy spoke up, looking between the three of us curiously.

If Jesse knew I was certain the rest of the pack did. Might as well get this over with. I opened my mouth to begin to explain but Jacob beat me to it.

"We've come to an agreement." He worded cautiously.

"An agreement on what?" Billy asked eyeing us.

"I haven't been entirely faithful." I held back from snorting with ludicrous laughter. Maybe Jesse wasn't entirely wrong? "Bella told Aria about certain feelings I had." He worded carefully. "Aria thought I had them for Bella and I had to correct her. We've... kind of... smoothed things out between us." I watched curiously as his eyes flickered over to Catori.

"Not romantically." I cut in quickly, that needed justifying. I didn't want to seem completely crazy.

Jesse scoffed from across the room. "I can't believe you. You are so delusional." He mocked me like it was nothing and I glared at him in retaliation.

"Excuse me?" I hissed.

"You couldn't even last a week, how pathetic." He stood upright from leaning against the wall and took a few steps forward to cross the kitchen.