Chapter 38: Fiercely Loyal (Bella’s POV)

I stumbled away from Jake scared to death that I had killed him. I thought that I could control myself… Carlisle examined him as I stood there unable to move. I was paralyzed by fear. He nodded at me, “It’s alright, the change is taking place correctly thus far. I will watch him closely.” Edward came to the door and I looked at him, I could feel myself falling apart at the seams. He stepped up and put his arms around me, “It will be alright, my love.” He reassured me. My head was spinning. My daughter and niece were halfway across the world with our enemies and for the moment there was nothing that I could do about it. My best friend was making the ultimate sacrifice and I might have killed him in the process. Carlisle looked at me, “Edward get her downstairs and have her sit down,” I shook my head vehemently, “No, I am staying here.” Carlisle looked at me and spoke in a soft, fatherly tone, “Bella you need to prepare yourself mentally for what is ahead, you need to go relax. I will let you know how he is doing.” I allowed myself to be lead out of the room and Edward took me downstairs. I felt all of the eyes on me as I sat weakly into a chair. Leah shot up, “What’s wrong? Bella, what happened?” I couldn’t even look at her. “Leah, everything is alright for the moment; the events of the night have just finally caught up with Bella that is all.” Edward assured her. Emmett was trying to get Rosalie to speak. She had sat motionless in the same chair ever since we had returned from the woods empty-handed. “Baby, it’s going to be alright, we will get them back.” I went over to her and squeezed into the armchair beside her we clung together, and wept. Once again we were united and on the same front; only this time by the grief over the loss of our children and our inability to protect them. The hours passed slowly by, the sun came up. Nobody moved except for Seth who kept pacing. We listened to the strangely beating heart upstairs waiting on edge, hoping for the best. Seth was completely healed. At least that was one positive note. It was just before lunchtime when we heard the frantic heartbeat upstairs speed up. I jumped up and flew up the stairs to Carlisle’s study. Something wasn't right. “Carlisle!” I gasped upon entering the room. “What is happening, something is wrong it’s too soon.” It hadn’t even been 12 hours yet. Maybe 10 hours had passed since I bit Jacob. Carlisle frowned in worry. “I think that the venom might be poisoning him Bella.” He said quietly. A sob ripped from my throat and suddenly everyone was in the doorway; even Rosalie. Leah pushed to the front of the stunned crowd. “What is happening,” She demanded on the verge of tears. “I am not sure, Leah,” Carlisle confessed. “This process usually takes much longer I cannot tell if he is almost finished changing or if the venom has poisoned him.” A second sob filled the room and I watched as Leah backed out of the door looking as though she had seen a ghost. Seth tried to stop her but she disappeared. Carlisle turned back to Jacob, “I was worried that this wasn’t going so well. Everything is happening so fast. He hasn’t moved once, nor made a sound.” Edward spoke up, “Bella didn’t move or speak and she was fine Carlisle.” Carlisle shook his head, “Edward she had morphine in her system remember?” I shuddered at the memory of what the morphine had done to me. I lay there paralyzed while I was burning, my heart broke as I pictured that happening to Jake. Carlisle's face was pained, “He hasn’t had even a drop of morphine.” I felt my last hope fly away as his heart sped up even faster and then let out two offbeat thuds; and finally beat its last. I wondered if this is how helpless Jake had felt as he watched me die. He still didn’t move. Everyone sat waiting patiently; Seth didn’t even dare to breathe. Minutes went by and still nothing. The sobs ripped through my throat viciously now. I had killed Jacob. It was my fault. I fell down and placed my head on his chest. “Jake I’m so sorry,” I sobbed, “why did I listen to you.” A few minutes later I felt a hand on my head rubbing my hair, “I didn’t exactly give you a choice Bells,” a strange but familiar voice rang throughout the room. I gasped as I looked up into Jacobs blood red eyes. “Jake, I thought you were…” He snorted, “Well it wouldn’t be the first time that you were wrong about something.” I went to hug him and the next thing I knew I was out of his arms and across the room in Edwards’s arms with Emmett standing in front of me protectively me and Jasper had Jake pinned to the ground. Jake looked over his shoulder, “what? I’m not allowed to tease her anymore?” Jasper looked at him in shock. “You weren’t going to attack her were you?” He asked incredulously. Jake shook his head, “can I get up now?” He asked patiently. Jasper waited a moment, assessing his mood I assumed. When he sensed that there was no danger he let him go. Carlisle walked up to Jake in awe, “Why didn’t you throw Jasper off of you just now? You could have.” Jake shrugged, “Why would I hurt him?” Carlisle smiled at him in wonder, “So you truly are shape shifters, and not werewolves.” He chuckled to himself, “amazing!” Jake looked at him, “look, I know you are dying to turn me into a guinea pig and study me or whatever but can we do this later? I promise I will answer all of your questions in detail but first we have to get to Nessie.” Edward let go of me in shock, “Jake, aren’t you thirsty?” He shook his head, “not really, maybe a little but it’s no big deal.” Carlisle’s mouth hung open so wide that it was comical. “How is that possible? Even Bella, the most controlled newborn that I have seen in all of my years was thirsty.” He looked at Carlisle, his eyes narrowing, “the only thing I thirst for is revenge. We have to go now.” He started to walk out the door and everyone stood staring at him completely stunned. He stopped and looked at us, “what?” he questioned in annoyance; true to the Jacob I knew and loved. I laughed and ran to him, “you are something you know?” I joked as I hugged him. Carlisle looked at his watch. “This is incredible. He changed fully within 10 hours, his thirst is well-controlled, he can think rationally enough to remember what his purpose is and he is in control of his emotions. He is but minutes old,” Carlisle was dumbfounded. Jake looked around the room, “Where are Seth and Leah?” he asked worriedly. Seth stepped up to him staring at him in curiosity. “I’m right here, Jake.” He looked at Seth in concern, “are you alright?” Seth chortled, “You just turned in to a vampire and you are asking me if I’m alright? I have been completely healed for hours now.” Jake continued to look for Leah, “Jacob, she thought you were…” Esme trailed off. “I think that she ran outside.” Seth stepped towards the door, "I will go find her,” a smile filled his face, “I’m glad you're ok chief.” Jake put his head to the side and rolled his crimson eyes, “Seth, don’t call me that,” he groaned. Seth snickered, “glad to have you back.” with that he was out of the room off to find his sister. We all filed back downstairs to get everything situated in order to leave. We still had a lot of planning to do. I couldn't stop staring at Jake in wonder. It was the same Jacob, only more graceful. It was like all of his rough edges were smoothed out. Carlisle looked into all of our faces, “I would feel a lot better about this if we had a larger number to go to Volterra with.” Edward stepped away from me, “I have to go take care of something. I will be back.” I looked at him in curiosity but was distracted when Seth and Leah came back into the room. I could tell that she had been crying her face was tear-stained and her eyes were lined with red. She eyed Jacob warily. He smiled at her, “Hey Leah, are you ok?” She swallowed hard and nodded. A sarcastic smile spread across his perfectly chiseled face, “So you kinda like me huh?” She narrowed her eyes at him, “Shut up blood sucker…" Her tone softened and she sniffed, "I’m glad you’re ok.” He smiled back at her. Seth stormed up to him. “Ok, obviously the venom will not hurt our kind. I want to be changed too. I am going.” Jake started to argue, but something flickered in his eyes and he didn’t say a word. Seth continued on, “Jake I know you are my alpha but whether you like it or not you can't tell me what to do this time. I have imprinted on Amore, I cannot stay behind, you now that.” Jake stood up slowly and glided until he was within inches of Seth’s face. Jasper hurriedly stepped close to them in order to monitor emotions and Emmett stepped up as well to attempt to protect Seth if need be. Jake put his hand up to signal that everything was alright. Jasper assessed the situation; sensing that Jake was not a threat he shrugged and sat back down. “It is not what I would choose for you, Seth but I cannot tell you no.” Leah stood up in fury, “What? Of course you can its very simple watch…” she stomped up to her little brother and shouted at him, “NO.” Seth looked at her with an eyebrow raised, “Leah, please just try not to be so overbearing for once. Jake is fine, so obviously I will be too. Leah I love her I can’t sit back and lose her again. I can’t let her down for a second time.” Leah processed the information as another tear rolled down her cheek, she nodded sadly. She knew his mind was made up and that she couldn’t stop him. Seth hugged her,” It will be alright, don’t worry.” Carlisle's face once more full of anxiety as he got up to go take care of Seth. Jake looked up, “The only way that I will allow it is if I am the one to change him.” The room filled with gasps. “Jacob, that is impossible. You haven’t even hunted yet, you are too young. It’s dangerous,” Carlisle was more uneasy than I had ever seen him before. Jake stood firm, “Listen, I don’t know how Sam and his pack are going to react to the fact that Bella bit me and changed me. I need to change Seth this way if there is any form of retaliation it will be targeted at me. Besides, I am his Alpha, he is my responsibility.” Seth shook his head grumbling; “Now he embraces the role of authority figure." Carlisle’s mouth clamped shut what could he say. Jake was trying to protect our family…again. Carlisle nodded solemnly, “our family is forever indebted to you both.” He whispered. Jake turned with Seth to go back upstairs, my father in law followed. Jake called to me last minute, “Hey Bells?” I stood up from where I was still adhered to Rosalie in one fluid movement. “Yea Jake?” For the first time in his new life he seemed sort of unsure of himself, “Come with me?” I nodded. Leah jumped up, “Wait, I’m coming too.” Seth shook his head, “Leah you will be too creeped out.” She set her jaw in determination, "No I won’t because I am going to be changed too.” Jake and Seth looked at her their faces identical masks of horror. “Whoa, whoa, whoa…”Jake shook his head in refusal, as he walked back down the stairs into the living room. Leah ignored his anger,” Can it Jake, listen to me. This is my little brother we are talking about. I will not leave his side. I left Sam’s pack to be with him and if I have to, I will leave this life to be with him. I can’t go back to my mom without him. On top of that I am a member of this pack. Wherever you two freaks go I am going too.” Nobody could say anything to dispute her. Jake looked at her tenderly, “Leah, you don’t have to do this.” She smiled at him sadly, “Yes I do, now come on let’s get this show on the road. I want to be glittery like my fearless leader,” she muttered sarcastically. Carlisle looked at Jake gravely, “I think that you should let me do this Jacob it’s too risky.” Leah looked at Jake for a few minutes all of the scorn left her face as she spoke confidently, “I know he can do it. Let’s go.” I knew it was all in my head but I felt nauseas as Jake, Seth, Leah, Carlisle and I filed up the stairs one more time.