𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩

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╰┈˚ · ° .   THE RIDE BACK TO EMILY'S WAS UNCOMFORTABLE, to say the least, and not because we had to cram three of us in a seat made for two, but because we all felt very much annoyed— and Bella was silent, anger completely gone and she had retired back into her awkwardness.

We had already alerted the other girls through the Coven link about what had happened, and who to expect as we came back— of course then we all listened to Amelia rather loudly complain in our head as she drove Bella's car to Emily's house.

Jared and Embry jumped from the bed of the track as we stopped in the driveway, whooping an imitated wolf howl to let them know we were back. They did it everytime, and everytime without exception, Amelia rolled her eyes so hard that I was sure one day they would remain stuck.

"Hey, I think we should go back and see if Jacob's okay." Bella said, those were the firsts words she had said since we had left the Black's residence.

Ignoring her whatsoever, Jared talked with his pack brother. "I hope Paul sinks some teeth in him. Serves him right."

"After Beatrice got hit? He is not gonna lose." Embry snorted, "Plus we all know that was bound to happen."

Jacob had challenged the hierarchy of the pack one too many times, a fight was destined to happen at some point, sooner rather than later.

I rolled my eyes at the two even as I smiled, "Let's go inside." Maddison was in there and I was already dreading their interaction.

"Come on in, Bella. We won't bite." Embry joked as we waited for the girl to exit the car.

"Speak for yourself." Jared commented looking towards Amelia and me, "We can't vouch for the girls."

"One thing," Mia turned towards Bella with a cold glare in her eyes, "Don't stare at Emily." Safe to say that she was still salty about the ordeal with her father, and by her rude comments that she had done through the link for all the drive, about the slap that I received too.

"Come inside." I invited her, jogging up the stairs of the patio alongside my fellow witch, honestly not bothering to hide my annoyance at the girl or put on some fake welcoming tone. She had slapped me after all.

"Why would I stare?" I heard Bella ask the two boys.

"Just try not to. It bugs Sam if you do." Embry replied in tight tone.

Then Jared casted a fleeting glance to where Amelia and I were waiting for them. "Better him than making the girls angry."

"Stop trying to scare her, Cameron." I threw him a small rock that I took from one of the pots of Emily's dozens of plants around the patio. "True though."

"She is not doing a great job at that." My friend snarked as she opened the french door that led into the kitchen.

Emily was baking blueberry muffins. I could recognize the smell as soon as I entered the house, her mouthwatering baking skills perfuming the air. She was just about to take the baking sheet out of the oven when we entered.

Layla was sitting on a stool at the kitchen counter, her book in front of her even if it was closed now and the last page that she had read was marked with a bookmark. Maddison was sitting next to her, her legs bouncing in agitation. And while the Swan girl looked almost calm, Kim was the contrary. She was standing right in front of the door, and as we opened it, she threw her arms around my neck hugging me tightly.

"Are you okay?"

"I can't breathe right now so not really." I coughed twice as I peeled the girl away from me.

"Don't joke right now." Kim glared rather harshly, her teeth biting into her bottom lip.

"I'm fine, Kim, don't worry."I squeezed her hand, passing by her— I knew she was going to attack Jared in a hug as soon as he entered— and went to Emily to give her a greeting kiss.

She smiled softly and with gentle eyes she placed a hand on my cheek, "Okay?"

"I'm okay." I nodded, my heart softening more for the woman when she placed a kiss on my head as soon as I sat down at the table.

"Good. Are you guys hungry?" Emily asked as soon as Embry and Jared entered.

"Like you have to ask. They are always hungry." Layla chuckled as she watched the two wolves stealing two muffins that were still fuming with how hot they were.

"True." Embry looked at his imprint, gently moving away a strand of her hair as he passed before joining Jared— who had Kim in his lap— at the table, making sure to have Layla at his back already eating his muffin

"Who's this?" Emily suddenly asked her gaze on Bella, acting like she had no idea of what had happened— the others would have for sure let her know.

"Bella Swan. Who else?" Jared raised an eyebrow.

"So, you're the vampire girl." Emily said, showcasing her smile.

"So, you're the wolf girl." Bella replied, stepping inside. She swallowed once before looking around at us girls, not yet catching the sight of Maddison yet since the girl had stepped inside the kitchen trying to hide herself from her. "Wolf girls?"

"Well, I'm in a relationship with one." Emily told her as she brought one of the trays with her muffins at the table.

"Not all of us are in a relationship with them by the way." Kim explained with a wave of her hand, "We are just here to make sure that they do not to stupid decisions. And Amelia is a lesbian."

"Like someone doesn't know that." I chuckled at my comment sending a wink to said girl.

"Save some for your brothers." Emily slapped Jared's hand away as he tried to take another muffin for himself.

"You have no manners." I fakely reprimed Jared, taking that one for me with a tut— which made him glare. And then, we both wiggled our eyebrows when we noticed Embry giving Layla one of the muffins.

"Want one?" Emily pointed to the tray offering the baked sweet.

Bella accepted the offer, taking a blueberry muffin for herself, "Sure. Thanks." But the new visual made her sister's presence known as she still tried to hide in the kitchen, "Maddison? What- What are you doing here?"

"She is our friend, obviously." With a smile that was just so Kim, the girl simply said as explanation.

"You knew about this? About Jacob-"

"About your bloodsucker boyfriend?" Maddison cut her off with a monotone voice, "Yes."

Bella straightened. It was clear that she felt betrayed in some ways, but like the Cullen's secret wasn't hers to tell, this hadn't been Maddison's.

"Leave it to Jacob to find a way around Sam's gag order." Emily said before the two girls could continue arguing.

"He didn't say anything to me." Bella said, coming to Jacob's defence.

"That's a wolf thing. Alpha's orders get obeyed whether we want them to or not." Embry explained seeing how Bella had looked sad about how Jacob had not trusted her.

"Embry! Would you shut up? This chick runs with vampires." Jared shook his head, for emphasis, he kicked him in the shins.

"You can't really run with vampires." it was almost comical how we all turned towards her at the same with judging looks. "'Cause they're fast."

"Yeah? Well, we're faster." Jared challenged her, leaning forward and almost making Kim fall from his lap. "Freaked out yet?"

"You're not the first monsters I've met." Bella commented.

"They are not monsters." Layla frowned, and only when Emily squeezed her shoulder she relaxed.

"They are not." I agreed with her with a nod of my head.

"Maybe you are used to other creatures." Amelia said, "But the wolves are not monsters."

Bella awkwardly cleared her throat, "I didn't mean–"

"Told you they bit." Jared chuckled, referring to the joke he had made when we were outside.

"We didn't even say anything." I frowned my eyebrows, honestly not knowing what part of what we had said was bitchy in some ways.

Sam arrived then, "Jake's right. You're good with weird." He said as he looked at Bella. He was probably expecting her to be freaked out, crying and screaming. No such thing happened. A small mercy.

Sam walked to his imprint, kissing her on the lips before showering the girl with pecks all over the scarred side of her face. It was something that he always did and that I found very sweet.

And not a minute later Paul and Jacob returned-– both shirtless so it was easy to spot the few scratches on both, but there was still a sign of a bite around Jacob's throat, even if it was already healing, it let everyone know who the two had won. Wolves showed their necks when surrendering, and it wasn't unheard for the other to bite them to instill their dominance. Even if there had been a fight no more than five minutes prior, the air around them was lighter, and they were jokingly pushing each other.

Jacob remained at the entrance, his shoulders leaning against the door while Paul stepped inside, eyes solely on me. He leaned over, moving my hair away to reveal the cheek that Bella had slapped. Paul gritted his teeth even when I nodded my head to tell him that I was fine, only then he sighed, leaving a kiss there and the one to my lips.

"Told you." Embry and Jared said at the same time as they noticed the marks on Jacob's throat, fist bumping and chuckling, which made a string of giggles leave both Layla's and Kim's lips.

"Serves him right." Amelia commented, her too now taking a seat at the table biting into a muffin.

"Did you really think there was a chance that I was gonna lose?" Paul twisted his lips into a smirk that dripped of cockiness, but as I rolled my eyes, he pulled me up before occupying my seat and pushing me in his lap.

"You are so full of yourself." I huffed a laugh which only made his smirk widen as left kisses on my jaw.

"Hey." Jacob cleared his throat, and when we turned towards him, he was looking at me, "Sorry."

My eyes widened just like the rest of the others. He was apologizing for Bella. It might hadn't looked as surprising in another context, but the fight had first broke between the two shifters because an imprint was harmed. Jacob apologising to me on her account now, by pack dynamics, made it look like he had a claim on the girl, like an imprint bond— which he hadn't, and they were not even together in a relationship.

I nodded my head with pursed lips, and I couldn't help but glance at Maddison, who had curled on herself with sad eyes as we watched Jacob and Bella walk away together.

"Well, that was fucked up."

"Tris."

"What?" I looked at my brother with a deadpan expression."It's not like we weren't all thinking about it."

"You and Amelia have been spending too much time together recently." Paul said with a sigh of fake disappointment.

"Oh please," Mia scoffed, "I can't take credit for that. The brattines is all hers and you know it very well."

Her words weren't lost in translation to the boy who grinned wickedly, I was pretty sure that even him at some point had even called me a stone cold bitch. He hated it as much as he loved it and I know it very well. "Oh yeah she is brat, alright." Paul replied as he leaned back against the chair and bit his lips.

My eyes widened at the innuendo and the heated look in his eyes and I all but slapped my hand against his mouth, turning towards my brother with a look of horror that matched his.

"I think I'm going to have nightmares about this conversation for the rest of my life." Sam looked like he was about two steps away from collapsing in disgust or punching Paul in the face the more he looked at him. "You are lucky she is your imprint-"

"I'm definitely not denying that."

Ignoring Paul's words, and with now a tick in his right eye, Sam continued, "Or I would have already beaten the shit out of you for the stunt you pulled in chemistry class." Then my brother scoffed like he couldn't believe his luck— or lack of thereof. "Of course you had to imprint on her."

I winced at the reminder. No one could ever deny that Paul was an asshole.

"I think I earned my forgiveness very well." Another innuendo. And then in my mind through the coven-pack bond that he connected solely to me, he added, "With many orgasms." I was thanking everything and everyone for my tan skin that made it hard to show a blush, but I couldn't do much for my expression since I was taken by surprise.

"Is he begging to get beaten up?" Kim mumbled with wide eyes.

Paul was taunting Sam, that much was clear. I could faintly remember a bet between him and Jared made months ago on who could make Sam's infinite patience end. Now it has become a game of some sorts between the two.

"This is getting good. Please go on." Amelia looked as intrataned as he had been the day where we had watched Jacob and Bella from her bedroom's window.

"Lahote." It was almost a curse with how Sam had spat the boy's last name, "Keep your dick away from my sister or I'll cut it off."

Amelia snorted out loud between bites of her muffin, "Too late for that."

"Okay, okay, let's calm down." Fortunately we had Emily, the only sane person in this group to stop us. She pointed an accusing finger at the air witch, "And Amelia, you are washing the dishes later for that comment."

"It was worth it." She laughed, "Sam looks like she is going to explode."

"I'm not telling you anything anymore." I glared at her.

Kim gasped as if she had been mortally wounded, "You can't do that! That's like the ultimate betrayal, Trixy."

"Wait, wait, wait," Jared cleared his throat, all of a sudden straightening his posture on the chair in total panic, "You girls talk about that?"

"You mean sex?" Layla asked, her head tilted slightly to the side.

Suddenly Embry was looking anywhere but at her.

"You would be surprised with the amount of details that are shared." Maddison commented, and for the first time since Bella had entered the house, Maddi was smiling and had that spark back into her ocean eyes.

Jared had buried his head in Kim's shoulder hiding from view, Paul on the other hand looked quite pleased and was staring at me with a raised eyebrow and a sly smirk— which I ignored since we had traumatized my brother enough that day.

"I'm too old for this." said brother commented, his imprint laughing at him softly.

"You are literally a couple of years older than us, old man." Amelia snarked, waving a hand at him, "And it's not like you and Emily are two puritans and are waiting until marriage."

"Okay." I said quite loudly, "Back to Jacob." I wasn't going to hear about my brother's sex life, thank you very much. "Are we going to ignore that?"

"You mean my twin acting like he imprinted on Bella?" Amelia said. It wasn't a question even if she had phrased it like that. It was a fact, a statement after we had all witnessed the same actions.

Sam sighed, looking for a second towards Maddison with a look akin to pity before talking, "He likes her-"

"He is in love with her." Jared corrected him unhelpfully for the broken hearted girl that was in love with Jacob.

"Yes." Sam said through gritted teeth, "He is not breaking any rules."

"Well not now but we all know that he visited her last night. We could all smell her on him, remember?" Embry cut him off sourly. He was angry about it. Embry understood pack loyalty, and he understood why we couldn't be around people that didn't know about our secret. It was hard to lie, and one misstep, and they could hurt someone. Embry knew it well, that was why he hadn't risked being friends with Jacob and Quil after he phased. And Quil now was alone and Embry was filled with guilt.

"I know, but maybe it is better this way. Now he will not fight us as much. You know how imperative it is to trust each other in a pack, more so when we are shifted. There are our lives on the line, and having distrust will only make someone get hurt, if not worse."

Maybe it was right, maybe now Jacob wouldn't fight them left and right and he would cease with all that anger and hate. He felt shackled by this life. He had suddenly got the girl that he had been in love with for so much time, and he had to leave her behind. Imprint or not, Jacob loved Bella.

"What if he wants to tell her about the girls too now?" Emily asked quietly, like she hadn't really wanted to question that but her protective instinct had made her do it. Emily had no supernatural instinct like the wolves to keep us witches safe. For them it was like breathing, carved in their dna. Emily had only her heart to thank. She had accepted Amelia, Kim, Maddi, Layla and I with so much ease that she made it look like love was easy. We were her girls, she liked to say. Her little sisters. And how Layla had once told her, she was like an alpha protecting her pack.

"He won't." Sam assured her, but even him hadn't sounded as sure of that. "He won't." He repeated as if to convince himself.

"Guys!" Jacob suddenly shouted. Bella was still with him, but her pale face had taken an ashy tone.

"What is it?" Sam stood up eyeing the wolf.

"I know who the red haired vampire is." he motioned for Bella to speak which she did after tucking a strand of hair behind her ear

"Her name is Victoria. Last year she was with her clan, two other vampires. One was the one that you killed in the woods that day a few weeks ago. The other one was her mate. James. Something happened and Edward-" Bella choked slightly on his name, like even saying it out loud was paining her. She swallowed around her emotions and continued, "The Cullens killed him and now Victoria wants her revenge."

"What happened for the Cullens to kill him?" Kim asked her.

"He uh, he wanted to kill me." She said while looking down. "And now she wants to kill me since the Cullens killed her mate."

Jacob drove Bella home after that, and when he returned, we were still talking between us about what had transpired.

"We need to protect her." Was the first thing he said once he was back, "We can't let Victoria kill her."

"No, we won't." Sam agreed.

"We need to patrol around her house, she knows where she lives. Two wolves all the time."

"Shouldn't we focus more on hunting her rather than just patrolling the area around her house?" Jared asked, "We don't have the numbers to do both."

"Agree." Paul nodded, "It would be useless anyways. If we kill her then we get rid of the problem altogether."

"Then the girls go." Jacob said, his jaw ticking.

"That is not your decision to make." I scoffed. Our duty was to the Rez, and as of now, we were spending every free minute to power up spells around homes and streets all over La Push to keep our people safe, and other than that, we had a ward in the forest that protected certain areas, sometimes we joined the wolf in the hunting.

"She is right, I don't know if that's-" Kim was cut off by Jacob who snarled aggressively.

"Why not? Because she is not one of you then she doesn't deserve to be protected?"

Jared growled in warning, but it was completely lost from the boy.

"We are not saying no, Jacob." Amelia rolled her eyes at her brother's antics.

Layla cleared her throat, "Maybe we could do a spell?"

"A spell? Really Layla? A fucking spell?" Jacob scoffed derisively, his anger turning hot as he stood up from the chair.

"Back off." Embry growled, him too standing up, now glaring fiercely at his friend, instinctively positioning his body so that Layla was covered behind him.

"This is bullshit." The boy turned towards Maddison who was looking outside the window. Whenever Jacob was with us, Maddison turned silent, and never looked at him. Like the sight of him made her heart ache too much. "Are you not going to say anything Maddison?"

"What should I say? I'm not a wolf nor a witch." Maddison shrugged her shoulders. I knew she was afraid for Bella, Maddison loved her sister, and I was sure she was going to ask us to place that spell anyways as soon as Jacob was gone.

"I don't know, anything?! She is your sister! Tell them, please."

A bitter laugh passed her lips, "Of course that is the first thing you say to me. You don't talk to me for months and now you do and it's to beg me about something about Bella."

"We are not talking about us, Maddison." He huffed as If annoyed.

"There is no us!" She yelled, months of repressed anger finally coming through. And for the first time since he shifted, Maddison looked at Jacob. "It's always her, always. You don't care about anyone but her. You didn't even care about the fact that you threw away 17 years of friendship because you were too busy with her!"

Jacob staggered back, eyes clouding, lips parting.

My heart felt so full for a second, like I was bursting with feeling and emotions. What now I had learned to recognize as an imprint bond snapping into place overwhelmed me for a second as I looked at the boy.

Impossible.

There was only silence in the room as we watched Jacob, only Maddison heavy breathing to be heard.

And then reality returned, "No." Jacob staggered back, recoiling from what had happened with wide fearful eyes. "No." He denied looking hopeless and enraged. And then he was gone, leaving behind silence only broken by Maddison's heavy breathing.

Jacob Black had just imprinted on Maddison Swan.

✎

˗ˏˋ 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 ˊˎ˗

Hello everyone! Okay, so... yeah. I feel like I shouldn't say anything other than wtf and oops my bad, I'm sorry.

This is the longest chapter in this fic btw.

Thank you for reading this chapter, I'll see you on Tuesday!

˚ · ° . 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 . ° · ˚

𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 

𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞!

– 𝐋𝐨𝐥𝐚 ☾