"You're so freaking heavy!" I whined from my squished position on the couch, flat on my back with my arms pinned to my sides.

In reality I could easily throw him off of me but I was only messing around. It was fun being a tease.

"But you're so comfy." His protest was muffled by the pillows between my neck and shoulder.

Jacob was lying on top of me, making me completely disappear apart from my head that was visible beside his. His face was buried between my neck and shoulder and every so often he's pepper kisses along them making my toes curl.

"And you're fat!" I complained with a huff.

He gasped with offence and leaned up slightly to look at my face. "Take that back."

"I refuse." I turned away from him to try and hide my smile.

"Well that's not very nice." Jacob said and I could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Too bad." I couldn't help the laugh that escaped me when he took my chin in his hand and turned my head to look at him. The smile reserved just for me was plastered across his face and I reached up to caress his cheek.

"You're so perfect." He breathed out and I rolled my eyes with playful annoyance.

"Thank you." I mused as I smiled up at him. "But," I began using some of my strength to sit up ready to get off the couch. "We can't sit here all day. We have to go."

He groaned heavily before standing regretfully, offering me his hand. "I guess you're right." He said as I stood to my feet too. He pecked my lips once I reached my full height and he watched me for a moment before speaking again. "You spoken to them yet?" He asked uneasily.

It had been a week since the battle and almost week since I had last spoken to anyone from the Cullen family. I did not want to see Bella, I couldn't stand the thought of being in the same room with her at the moment.

On Carlisle's last visit to check up on Jacob earlier on in the week I had heard through his thoughts that Edward and Bella were engaged, it only infuriated me more. She had confronted Jacob whilst engaged and Edward wasn't even mad. I didn't get it.

Jacob had ignored Bella's calls and I finally told him just to get it over with and answer whenever she next called. What made it worse was that Bella hadn't even made the effort to contact me. Jake and Bella spoke briefly, with no mention of the impending wedding. She apologised to him for creating another problem between Jake and I.

I refused to be the first one to reach out. She had a lot of making up to do.

"No." I said monotonously as I looked down at the floor. Jacob was pressuring me to make the first move, surprisingly. He believed that family could always pull through. I held back from reminding him that Rebecca hadn't contacted him or his father in two years and Rachel hardly ever called home since she left for college two years ago.

"They're your family too." He prodded and I suddenly glared up at him. "What! You're the one that has told us that over and over again." He said defensively with a shrug.

My face softened as he looked at me expectantly, I regretted reacting so harshly. "I know." I drawled out as I wrapped my arms around him. "I just want to be around you right now." I mumbled as I rested my head against his warm chest.

We had reconnected intensely over this last week. We had forgotten all the time that we had lost and just decided to move on. Forgive and forget. But I still couldn't fully trust him until he proved it to me that he could commit.

We hadn't gotten around to discussing Jacob's ultimatum either. It was a massive decision for him to make, he would have to become alpha and challenge Sam. He had one chance before and he refused. This would now have to be a fight until the other gave in. No one wanted that, but it was the only way Jacob could prove to me he was fully committed. I decided I'd allow him a month to make the decision for himself before I began prodding for my answers.

"Alright enough cuddles." Jacob announced taking a hold of my shoulders to separate us. "We have to go." He crouched suddenly and grabbed the back of my legs and swung me up over his shoulder.

"Hey!" I squealed as my world suddenly turned upside down and all I could see was the bottom of Jake's bare back. His laugh filled the air as he made his way towards the front door, I smiled to myself as I remembered the last time he had carried me like this. I was still human and we were on our way to the beach... and then he saw Bella for the first time and that set off his crush.

Let's not think about that.

He carried me through the hallway and reached for the front door. As soon as he opened it the warm July air wrapped around me along with a scent I hadn't smelt for almost two weeks. My heart faltered and by the sound of it so did theirs. "Oh, Ryan." Jake muttered as he came to a sudden stop.

I was frozen perched across Jake's back as I stared at the outside of my front door. What the fuck was I going to say? I had told this boy Jake and I were over. Done for. Never to be together again. I had spouted all this anger and hatred towards Jake, Ryan must now think I was just some bitch that had used him as a rebound. I could swear on my life it wasn't really like that, I was falling in love with him.

"What's going on?" Ryan asked slowly, his breaths uneven. God, I hated myself.

Jacob set me down slowly and my feet touched the wooden floor of the porch silently. Jacob knew how I was beginning to feel about Ryan so this was going to be totally awkward. Jacob looked down at me curiously, internally asking me what I was going to do. I didn't have my barrier down but I could tell that was what he was thinking.

"Aria?" Ryan asked again, you could hear the hurt in his voice and I winced.

What was I going to say? Think Aria, think!

I turned around cautiously and met his inquisitive and obviously angry eyes. He stood a few steps away from the porch, his hair had gotten slightly lighter in the two weeks he'd been away, he'd caught a tan too. I couldn't see them now but I was sure he would've had T-shirt marks from his training, that was something I would've teased him about.

Oh, God, I feel awful.

"Hey, Ryan." I couldn't get my voice higher than a whisper, with everything going on these past two weeks I had completely forgotten about him.

"What the hell?" He spat gesturing with his hand towards Jacob and I. I looked up at Jake's hard face as he stared down at Ryan, he was wary, he knew Ryan had a temper.

I started to make my way down the porch steps so I was an equal distance between Jacob and Ryan. "Ryan," I began, trying to make myself look as apologetic as possible. "I'm sorry—"

"This has to be a joke." He seethed, his hands now balled into fists by his sides as his eyes turned icy. "You," he pointed at me suddenly with so much hatred I wanted to curl up into a ball and hide. "You told me you were done with that asshole." His eyes flickered to Jake behind me, I heard him take in a shaky breath.

"I was!" I stressed stepping closer to him. "But something happened." I said more calmly. Of course I couldn't expose all the details but maybe I could get him to understand that it was a serious matter. "What are you doing back anyway?" He wasn't meant to be back for another month or so.

"Oh, so you thought you'd have more time to come up with your lie?" He accused and I shook my head furiously.

"No! No, not at all!" I spluttered. "I'm not going to lie to you. Jake and I are together now." I said honestly, looking away from Ryan's accusing eyes to look at Jacob.

His stance was defensive, with his arms crossed over his chest. I could feel the tension getting thicker as they glared at each other. There was no way this was going to end well, especially with their history.

Jacob let his arms drop before he strode down the porch steps, oozing overprotection and confidence. He stopped beside me, his body lingering beside mine. Ryan's eyes watched his every move.

"Look, I never meant to hurt you." I started again, I knew what I was about to say was going to hurt Jake but Ryan had to hear it. "You know how I felt about you. It wasn't a lie at all, it was real. My feelings were just stronger for Jake, I'm sorry." I admitted and Ryan's face turned nasty.

His expression was dripping with hatred as he spoke. "Pathetic. Do you get a thrill from this, being a prick tease? I only started this back up because I knew you'd be an easy target... and an easy lay." His eyes flickered up to Jacob, letting a teasing smirk spread across his face. He was hurt and just trying to get back at us. We hadn't slept together and I was appalled he'd stooped this low.

Jacob's arm twitched, swinging around my body to grasp my hip and pull me closer to him. His body then begun to shake. "You need to leave now." He said menacingly and Ryan glared at him harshly.

"Does he always fight your battles?" Ryan asked me ignoring Jacob.

"Ryan, this isn't a battle. I've explained myself." I defended and he scoffed.

"You've just explained that you're a tease and a whore." He sneered and Jacob lunged forward, grabbing Ryan by the front of his T-shirt. Jacob was shaking with rage and I was worried he was going to phase.

"Jacob!" I warned, stepping forward to place a hand on his bicep. Ryan began to laugh as he looked between Jacob and I. He had successfully angered Jake. "Let him go." I said quietly, the last thing we needed was for Jake to phase and kill him.

Jacob stared at him intensely, threateningly, before he released him and shoved him back, leaving Ryan to stumble a few steps before he straightened himself out. "Leave." Jacob ordered darkly and Ryan laughed again but from Jacob's expression you could see he was starting to feel uneasy.

Ryan's eyes looked back to me, a silent goodbye full of anger and disgust and I hated it. If only Jacob had sorted himself out when he imprinted in the first place Ryan wouldn't be hurting right now.

He turned on his heel then and walked with knocked confidence back to his car. I felt truly terrible. My feelings for him hadn't totally disappeared yet, it had only been two weeks since we had last seen each other. He was hurt and there was no way to fix it.

Once his car was out of sight Jacob turned to me harshly. "Did you sleep with him?" Excuse me? I blinked at him in astonishment, how could he believe Ryan's false accusations? "Well?" He asked impatiently, folding his arms across his muscular chest.

"You really believed him?" I was not going to let Ryan create a rift between Jake and I. Everything had been going so well.

"I don't know what to believe. You were back and forth a lot." He commented and I suddenly became furious.

"And whose fault was that!" I snarled, I couldn't believe it. "Are you really stupid enough to put the blame on me?" I was so offended I was struggling not to hit him.

He knew I was a virgin. Why would I lie about sleeping with someone? This relationship needed to be based on honesty. How could I lie to him about something like that?

Jake immediately realised his error and became lost for words as his hard expression fell to completely apologetic. I wasn't having it. "You're unbelievable." I shook my head with disbelief. "I'll meet you at Emily's." And then without a second glance I was gone.

Sex was a big deal for me, and I hoped that he knew me well enough to realise I wouldn't do it with just anyone. And even if I did, I would have told him, because best friends tell each other everything.

God, I was so angry! How could he turn this around on me? It was his fault everything was such a mess anyway.

In my opinion, this just proved that he needed to hurry up and become alpha. I couldn't deal with going back and forth anymore.

Soon enough the sea breeze began to twirl around me, bringing with it the aroma of the salty air. Emily's house was only a couple hundred feet ahead through the trees so I slowed to a walk. Jacob's faint but heavy footsteps were closing in so I knew he would arrive shortly as well so I decided to enter the house alone.

Jesse greeted me at the door, he had been on the night patrol last night so I hadn't seen him since yesterday evening. "Where's Jake?" He asked, his arms folded across his chest.

He had a knowing look on his face yet his eyes were squinting at me like he was still curious, in that moment he looked exactly like Dad, the accusing face when he knew something had happened. Of course Jesse couldn't have known about the surprising appearance of Ryan but he knew something had happened between Jake and I.

"He's coming." I said with a shrug before walking past him and further into the little house.

The smell of fresh brownies filled the air as I entered the hallway. "Hey Aria." Emily's warm voice welcomed me as she came out of the lounge, her usual bright smile on her face with Sam trailing behind, as well as Jared.

"Hey Em." She hugged me tightly before continuing on her walk to the kitchen to remove the brownies from the oven.

"Aria." Sam nodded at me, putting an arm around my shoulders to pull me into a hug.

Over the past week a divide had been created within the pack. When Jacob phased for the first time after his injury, Billy's theory's about what I was meant to be and what Jacob must do to strengthen our bond had created tension.

Opinions on the matter obviously had not been kept to themselves due to the linked pack telepathy. Quil, Embry and Seth were all for Jacob becoming alpha, they loved the idea of it straight away. Jesse was torn between his best friend and what was right but he knew Jacob would be the right choice in the end.

Paul, Jared and the newbies were against the idea. Paul believed as Jacob already had the opportunity to become alpha and he denied it, he shouldn't be allowed a second chance. The other three believed the same, but they just couldn't get over the fact that Jacob had imprinted on a vampire. They hated them too much.

Leah tried to make everyone assume she didn't care. Everyone knew she didn't even want to be in the pack so I could understand why she didn't give an opinion on the situation. She wanted to get away from Sam giving orders, that was understandable, but she wasn't keen on Jacob either for the same reasons as Paul and Jared.

Then there was Sam. It was hard to decipher his thoughts on the matter. He somehow kept them concealed. I wasn't sure if it was an alpha thing or just Sam being Sam. Either way he remained cool and relaxed and didn't seem threatened at all. Maybe he was sure Jacob was never going to challenge him, that certainty worried me.

"Sam." I smiled up at him and he nodded before following Emily into kitchen area.

My eyes then fell on Jared. He smiled wickedly at me and I narrowed my eyes at him, waiting for the insult to fall out of his mouth but it never did. "Hi." He simply said, walking past me, leaving me in the doorway stunned.

"Hi?" It took me a while to reply as my brain was in shock. I followed the trio into the kitchen seeing the majority of the pack sitting at the table. I felt Jared's eyes on me and I snuck a peak to see him still wearing that sinister smile as he looked at me.

"So, Blue, you okay?" Embry asked from behind me before he slung his arm over my shoulder and kissed the top of my head.

"Yeah I'm good." Despite Jacob thinking I was a whore that slept with everyone and half the pack was practically against us being together. Where was he anyway? "How are you coping?" I knew it was a touchy subject but I had to ask.

Embry hadn't seen Tori since the incident on the beach and she hadn't seen Seth either. Even though it sounded creepy, Embry had been watching her from afar just to make sure she was safe. He was beginning to have withdrawal issues, like what Jake had when I told him to leave me alone a few months ago, when he looked weak and tired and just drained in general.

Tori was... recovering. She missed Seth desperately but I could see how the effect of imprinting was helping her slowly. Each day she was getting better but I soon felt like she would begin to seek out Embry and if she didn't she would become like how Embry was now. No one could ignore a connection like that.

"Not good Blue, she's just so sad and I can't do anything about it." He took a seat on one of the chairs and placed his head in his hands.

"Hey," I crouched down so I was at his level and pulled his hands away from his face. "She just needs time it won't take her much longer. She learnt about this world all too quickly, it's just taking its time to soak in." I tried to explain, sympathy lacing my voice as I held Embry's hands in mine. It made me sad to see him so tired and anxious.

"Thanks Ari." Embry pulled me in for a hug and I hugged him back tightly but I couldn't help but feel the tension in the room as soon as the air shifted. I knew Jake was standing in the doorway watching, I could hear his heavy breathing from across the room.

"I didn't know leeches had feelings." Jared mocked, winding the tension even tighter, not caring that Jacob was now in earshot.

I half expected Jacob to lunge for him but he remained stoic in the doorway. I glanced at him, waiting for him to speak but Paul beat him to it. "Just shut up, Jared. I've already had enough of you today after seeing mental replays of you and Kim going at it this morning." He snarled, screwing his face up in disgust. I mirrored him, if only Kim had the opportunity to do so much better.

Jared just sat there, smirking triumphantly and clearly satisfied... gross. "It can't be helped, your mind just wanders back to experiences like that. Right, Jacob?" Jared asked, smiling widely and expectantly at Jacob.

My eyebrows furrowed with confusion, Jake hadn't had any so-called "experiences" as Jared put it. I looked at Jacob waiting for him to spit his denial but it didn't come. Instead, he lunged forward towards us around the table, his body shaking furiously and his grasping hands reached out for Jared neck.

I scrambled up from the floor, prepared to fling myself between the two of them but Sam got there first, catching Jacob by his arms to hold him back.

"Are you fucking insane?" Jacob snarled, shoving off Sam as I stepped forward to stop him from going any closer to Jared, who still happened to be sitting comfortably at the little wooden table.

"I'm just telling it how it is." Jared shrugged, that strange, unbothered smile on his face again.

Jacob growled harshly and moved to lurch forward again but I placed my hands on his chest keeping him in place — I had to use quite a bit of strength. "Well keep your mouth shut, I don't need—"

"Don't need what, Jacob?" Jared teased, causing another ripple of rage to roll over Jake's shoulders.

"Enough!" Sam yelled, silencing the room, his eyes locked on an indifferent Jared. He was calm yet the smile had slipped off of his face.

Jacob's chest rumbled with a low growl before he turned on his heels and stormed out of the house like a charge of thunder. I rushed after him, apologising to Emily along the way for the disturbance, before following his scent through the trees just off of the gravel driveway.

He was headed for the beach and my mind was swirling just like the tumbling waves we'd meet there. Why did he explode like that?

The thing that was bugging me the most was that he didn't deny Jared's accusation of Jacob reliving sex with someone in his head whilst out with the pack, unless Jacob had just had dreams and imagined it. Maybe Jared was just trying to embarrass him?

It surprised me that Jared was going straight for Jacob in his verbal attacks, usually I was the victim and he used this to get to Jacob but this time it wasn't the case. Perhaps Kim had talked some sense into him and now just found entertainment in pissing off the leech-lover. Unless Jared was hinting at something else, that Jacob was hiding a big secret from me...

He stopped a few feet away from the waters edge. The tide was in and the water was dark and rough. Summer had ended for the time being and brought the clouds and cold wind with it. The rain hadn't made an appearance yet.

Jacob's hands were balled into tight fists as he held them down by his sides. He wasn't shaking anymore but from the sound of his breathing and accelerated heart rate the anger was still there. All of this couldn't be because of Jared, surely?

"What did Jared mean back there?" I was scared for the answer, I didn't know what to expect. From his silence it was clear to me he was hiding something from me, Jared wasn't teasing him, he was exposing Jacob's secrets. "Jacob?"

"I'm sure you've figured it out for yourself now." He said rather harshly, shaping my thoughts into facts. The experiences weren't made up images, they were real, and they didn't involve me.

My heart constricted as images of Jake being with some faceless girl hit me with full force, knocking the air from my lungs. It wasn't Bella, that was for sure, but when did he ever have time for someone else?

Wait a second...

He had the audacity to give me shit for allegedly sleeping with Ryan, but he had actually gone and done it himself and with some random girl. He had three fucking girls on the go! "What the fuck!"

I was furious. I felt pure, burning rage. He had the nerve to judge me and he was being a total fucking hypocrite. Oh my god!

He still stood with his back to me and it was driving me even more insane. "Fucking look at me!" My voice was close to a shriek. I was physically shaking I was that angry.

Jacob turned sharply at my outburst. He looked remorseful but I wasn't in the mood to be forgiving. I think that hearing my strained voice and seeing how physically affected I was by this new piece of information, he had instantly calmed. I could see in his eyes he was eager to console me, but I didn't want him anywhere near me.

"Aria." He sighed and my gaze burned into him.

"So what," I began with a sarcastic laugh. "You," I seethed, pointing at him "can sleep with anyone you want, no matter what, right? Guys can do whatever they want. But me, I'm not allowed to even consider sleeping with someone else because I am a fucking imprint!" I hissed as I ran a shaking hand through my hair, brushing it out of my face.

"Look, it didn't mean anything, I swear. It was before we were even together." He stressed, stepping forward but I held my hand out in front of me, warning him not to come any closer. He groaned in frustration as he tilted back and forth on his feet.

"Oh, that makes me feel so much better. We've only been together a week, Jacob!" His stupidity was insulting.

"No! You know what I mean." He protested and I scoffed. Did this boy not know how to use his brain?

"No, I don't think I do, Jacob." I said condescendingly, folding my arms across my chest.

"I broke it off with her right before I came to see you. I felt so horrible." He proclaimed, pulling on the ends of his short hair as he stepped forward again.

"Why didn't you tell me?" The hurt was showing more now than the anger but I had to hold back the tears. I couldn't appear weak, he had betrayed me and our friendship. "I thought we meant more than that to each other. I would have told you if I had, then you go and accuse me of seeming unfaithful."

"You don't understand, I couldn't have told you." He lamented, taking another step towards me so I was now in his reach, he was so eager to touch me, but if he tried I would refuse him.

"Why not? What was holding you back?" I spat, letting the anger back in again. "Were you just going to lie about it for the rest of our lives? You were just going to let me believe I was the only one, that you were a virgin. What was the point in that?"

"I couldn't tell you because the first time it happened—" 

"Oh, so it's happened more than once." He ignored my comment with an irritated look on his face.

"When it happened, it was the night after you saw me for the first time... after I had phased."

I couldn't breathe. My throat had closed up. I had forgotten how to function. On the day he had broken me completely, and whilst I was at home crying my eyes out, he was out having sex. I of course knew that Jacob was capable of doing some harsh things to me but this topped it all... how could he?

"How could you?" I whimpered, feeling the hot tears pool in my eyes. "Out of all the days you could have done it, why then? How could you be so heartless?"

"Oh no, please don't cry." Jacob reached out for me but I stepped back quickly.

"What is wrong with you? You completely broke me that day, I had no one, you were my last person and you left me! You... you left me to go have sex with some random girl!" I snapped, wiping away the tears that had fallen across my cheeks, the pain from that night fresh in my mind again.

He looked pained seeing me like this but it was his own fault. "Millie was an accident—" he began to explain but I cut him off, all I could see was red.

"Wait, wait, wait! Millie! Fucking Millie!" I was furious, I wanted to kill her. I wanted to kill him! Anyone but her, I hated her, loathed her. "That slut that has been trying to sleep with you since we were fourteen? The girl who threatened to have her older brothers beat me up to get me away from you? You slept with her, she was your choice?" I couldn't help but be hysterical.

Jacob looked completely helpless and guilty and he deserved to feel that way. We used to sit there and laugh about all of her useless attempts to seduce him. How had he gone from that to giving in?

"She was easy, I just needed to get the anger out of my system somehow." It was a pathetic excuse.

I laughed bitterly. "Oh, you were angry. That's okay then. You were only trying to get the anger out of your system." Sarcasm was dripping from every word that left my mouth. "Pathetic. How many times did you need to get the anger out, Jacob?" I asked him, I already knew it had been more than once. To be honest I wasn't sure if I really wanted to know the answer.

He hesitated for a moment, the pain and anguish clear on his face, then he let the answer slip past his lips. "I swear on my life it was just the one time, she wanted more but I refused. I felt awful."

I was appalled, heartbroken all over again because yet again he had chosen another girl over me. It wasn't the fact that he had sex with another before me, it was the fact that he deserted me in my time of need and decided to spend his spare time doing that instead of consoling me.

"Aria, it didn't mean anything. I just needed to feel wanted by someone." He explained and I scoffed loudly, fighting the urge to growl.

"I wanted you!" I yelled, exasperated. "Were you really stupid enough to not see that!"

"I couldn't get to you!" He yelled back, visibly stressed. "I was alpha commanded to not say a word and to stay away, it broke me too. It killed me knowing you were in so much pain, I was so angry at myself. What better way to get back at myself than sleeping with some dirty whore?"

Oh, well done Jacob, what a great explanation...

"It must have been terrible for you. Did it work, Jake? Did it help you forget about all the pain you left me in?" My anger was being overtaken by the sadness again and a new wave of tears washed over me. I wiped them away hastily.

"No it didn't. It didn't Ari and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for hurting you like that, I wasn't thinking straight back then and you know that. I thought you would have been better off without me but I could see that you wasn't and that's why I came back." He was close enough to me now to take my hands in his own. I allowed him this seeing that his own eyes were pooling with tears. "We needed each other and I was too selfish to see it then. I'm sorry."

I was torn again, and this time it was between wanting to be angry or forgive him and pretend it never even happened. He held onto my hands tightly to ensure I couldn't slip away but the more I thought about it, the more I realised I could never forget this.

He had sex, shit happens. But he had done it with a girl I hated and begun their little hookup relationship on that specific night and he wasn't going to even tell me. What even was that?

I tugged my hands from his and grip and stared up at him with meaningful purpose. "You need to promise me something." I began and he nodded quickly.

"Anything I swear." He promised, he looked almost as if he was ready to get down on his knees and beg for my forgiveness.

"You need to hurry up and take your place as alpha. Sooner rather than later." I stated seriously and his face contorted with indecisiveness. "Other people's opinions are invalid, this is your birth right, and not just that, you need to do it for us. I can't deal with this weakness that still lingers in our relationship, that needs to change. I can't take anymore secrets, Jacob."

He was silent for a short while. Most likely going over the pros and cons in his head. In my opinion there shouldn't even be cons, if he loved me like he said he did there should be no second guessing. His aim should be creating a perfect life for us.

He suddenly stepped forward, grasping my waist and pulled me flush against his hard body. "Okay." He breathed. "I'll do it."