Lunar Black: A Twilight Story

Chapter Two: Hurt

Bella's POV

Suddenly, I saw Alice drop a plate in my peripheral, and it shatter to the floor. I felt Edward stiffen at my side, a low growl growing in his throat.

"Alice can't see anymore," he growled.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-

I looked up at Edward, waiting for him to turn his face down to look at me. But he didn't. He kept staring straight ahead, and his eyes grew cold. No one moved to answer the door.

Hesitantly, I squirmed out of Edward's grasp, and walked towards the front door. Edward growled again, but I could barely hear it over Dear Future Husband by Meghan Trainor blasting in the background.

I grabbed the handle, and, slowly, pulled it down. I swung open the door, and there, under the porch light, stood a boy with russet skin and shaggy black hair. Jacob.

"Bella," he sighed, grinning slightly.

"Jacob," I said curtly, and Emmett, Alice, and Edward were suddenly at my side.

"The wolf's back?" Emmett asked, a snide grin playing on the corners of his lips.

Rolling his eyes, Jacob shrugged inside. He walked over to the living room, and we all followed.

He turned awkwardly, and simply asked, "why are you all staring at me? Haven't seen a wolf before?"

"A dog doesn't often walk willingly into a house full of his natural born enemies," Emmett replied, smirking.

"Look, I'm just here to talk to Bells, okay?"

Edward growled, "The hell you are!"

"Stay the hell outta my head, okay? If Bella lets me talk to her, than you have no control over it."

"Bella is mine," Edward growled.

"What the hell is going on!?" I yelled, quietly, so no one else heard.

"Bella, can we please just talk?" Jacob asked, his eyes soft. Pleading.

"Sure, whatever."

"No, Bella." Edward said.

"Edward, you can't control me. And besides, Jacob's not going to do anything,"

"That's what you think," he muttered, "you have ten minutes, dog. Any longer and I will come looking."

"What do you mean 'come looking'?" I asked, "we're talking in the house, right?"

"No, I want to talk in private." Jacob said simply, and then grabbed my wrist and pulled me from the house. I looked back at Edward, and his eyes were pained.

"Sorry, I'll be back soon," I mouthed, and Edward nodded once.

-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-

Jacob pulled me over brambles and through bushes, pulling me farther and farther into the woods behind the house that, no longer than an hour ago, Edward and I talked in.

"Jacob, slow down!" I whined, nearly tripping for the twelfth time.

"No, this is urgent." Jacob started to slow as we got to a stream probably around a mile into the woods. He sat down on the edge and leaned against a tree behind him.

"Sit," he commanded, and I sat down criss-cross in front of him.

It was silent for a minute, and I began to grow impatient.

"Well?" I said, throwing my arms out beside me to emphasize my curiosity.

"You're going to hate me." Jacob said, closing his eyes and his hands balling up into fists.

"Just spit it out, Jacob!"

"Bella..." he sighed, and opened his eyes slightly, his eyes boring into mine.

I sighed, getting annoyed, "If you don't hurry up I'm going back. You have ten minutes, remember? Well, three now."

Jacob sat up straight, and looked into the stream.

"Bella, what do you see in him?"

I double took. "What?"

"What do you see in Edward, Bella? What does he have that I can't give you?"

I thought for a minute. "Jake, I can't control who I fall in love with -"

"I know that Bella, and remember? We have established that you love me too. I'm just asking - why do you love him more?"

"Because, Jake," I said, pausing slightly to pick up a lavender-greyish-colored rock, "He loves me so much, Jacob. He is selfless, kind, amazing, protective, and self-sacrificing,"

"Still not seeing a difference," Jacob muttered. I let out a heavy sigh.

"Maybe because Edward doesn't try to force decisions onto me," I snapped, remembering Jacob's forceful, against-my-will kiss that day on the pier.

"What do you mean?" Jacob growled, but I knew he knew exactly what I was talking about.

"The kiss, Jake. That day you tried to force me to choose you over Edward. The other day, when Edward was... gone... and you left me for your wolf pack, when you called my family bloodsuckers for the first time. When you threatened to kill yourself because you found out I'm planning on marrying Edward."

Jacob cringed, and threw a rock onto the stream, making it skip a few times, then landing in the stream with a plunk.

"Time's up, Jake." I said, standing up and brushing off my backside.

"Wait," Jacob grumbled, grabbing my wrist a bit too tightly. I felt my circulation cut off.

"Jake - Ow!" I yelled.

Just then, Jacob stood up, and spun me around, pinning me against the tree.

"Let me g - !" I started, but then Jacob pushed his lips against mine, kissing me with ridiculous ferocity. I tried to push him away, but that made him even more desperate. Again.

He grabbed my waist - again, too tightly - and I groaned in pain. Jacob kissed me more.

I began whimpering, tears spilling from my eyes. My wrists throbbed, my waist stinging, when I heard a roar erupt from the left of me. Suddenly, I heard a yelp, and Jacob was in the stream to my right, soaked. I slid down the tree stump until I landed on the ground with a thud, and wrapped my arms around my legs. Sobs erupted from my throat, and cool arms wrapped around me.

"Shh," Edward said, soothing me, "it's okay now."

"M-m-my wrists h-hurt! M-my w-w-waist," I groaned in pain again, in between sobs. Edward's grip tightened slightly, before he pulled away, anger glinting in his eyes, as he gently pulled off my grip to my knees, and stared at my wrists.

They were slightly swollen, bruised and red. I could feel them still throbbing. Edward's eyes filled with anguish. He stood me up, and slowly, his hands shaking slightly, lifted up my shirt to just above my belly button to look at my waist.

Red finger marks marked where Jacob's grip was, and they were throbbing as well. Edward traced them, his eyebrows creasing. Though he used the most gentle touch, I whimpered in pain when he touched them. Edward growled, turning to face Jacob.

"How... Dare... You... MONGREL!?" He roared, grabbing Jacob by the arm and throwing him across the forest. Jacob growled, and ran at Edward, shoving him into a tree behind him.

I heard roars and growls, trees breaking and rocks smashing, but I couldn't focus on what was happening. I slid down the tree again, and buried my face in my hands, crying.

Then, I heard someone howl in pain.