Betrayal of the Heart: Betray

     “OH! HOLY CRAP!!” I yelled, yanking closed the door and feeling my body spinning out of control, convulsing. The scent of a new vampire filled my nostrils, clogging my mind and burning the inside of my head so that it was hard to breathe. I jammed the key into the ignition and furiously tried to start the car, twisting it with vicious abandon, but failed.

     “What’s wrong?” Bella stammered, sounding very concerned.

     “Vampire,” I hissed,

     “How do you know?” she said, shaken up and probably scared as shit inside.

     “Because I can smell it! Dammit!” I cussed, staring out into the darkness. I couldn’t hear anything – thank God – but I knew it was nearby, out prowling somewhere, probably trying to get past me and to Bella. Well, let it try. I’d like to see that.

     “Phase or get her out of her?” I spat to myself. My eye caught Bella’s, and I took in her terrified expression and ghostly pale skin. She was shaking slightly, and she clutched at her abdomen involuntarily. My eyes narrowed a fraction as I scrutinized her. Now why couldn’t she always react to a vampire like that, aka properly?

     My eyes roved over her face for a moment longer before I let out a deep breath. “Right. Get you out.” It only seemed fit for us to leave. No need to turn it into some macho testosterone-fest, no matter how supernatural and deadly.

     I clenched the steering wheel and made a risky turn, spinning the car to get out of the dimly lit lane. Unfortunately, the part of Forks where Bella lived was in a spaced-out area surrounded by misty green forest, with few neighbours. At night, if the vampire was to come to the house in search of her, no one would hear her scream. Except for me, as I obsessively patrolled around her house every night.

     “Stop!” Bella suddenly screeched, breaking my concentration and catching me off guard. She car swerved, but I got control of it a lot faster than if I had human reflexes.

     “Stop!” she yelled again, because I had not slowed down the car. She sent a frantic glance towards a flashy black car parked across the street.

     “What?” I demanded, looking at her as if she were crazy. What had possessed her to consider stopping to examine a car when she was in mortal danger?

     “It’s not Victoria. Stop, stop! I want to go back.” Bella said, sounding a lot less panicky and desperate.

     “What?” I repeated, confusion and fear creeping into my voice. If it wasn’t Victoria, then who was it? I sneered at the sleek, expensive Mercedes. Surely not…

     “It’s Carlisle’s car! It’s the Cullens, I know it!” A wishful gleam in her eyes told all. She really wanted the return of those monsters, had never given up hope in the first place. At those words, I felt like I was losing myself… my vision was getting painfully bright and sharp, I felt a ripple of anger edge along my spine and into my bones. I grasped the steering wheel even tighter, my knuckles turning white from the force, and stared wordlessly into the darkness. Wow, and I didn’t even break it yet.

     Bella’s words brought my mind back inside the car. “Hey, calm down, Jake. It’s okay. No danger, see? Relax.” I knew she meant her voice to be soothing, but they just made the hair on my neck stand on end.

     “Oh yeah, calm,” I rasped, leaning my head forward. I squeezed my eyes shut and gritted my teeth, forcing myself to think of cool thoughts that would bring my heartbeat down. It helped to think of ice and snow. Bella was a beautiful snowflake, Edward an icy, crystallized statue. Sometimes I thought werewolves and vampires were opposite elements, like fire and ice. Certainly explains the hot and cold difference. Maybe I’ll ask Bella whether she would like to vacation in Hawaii or Alaska.

     “There’s a vampire in your house, and you want to go back?” I said slowly, my voice full of revulsion. Apparently she did not seem to understand my incredulity, because her brow creased and a prominent line showed up in her forehead, a look I’ve seen cross her face many times.

     “Of course,” she whispered with certainty, looking up at me with an innocent, doe-like look on her face. Why hadn’t I thought of the possibility of those bloodsuckers returning?

     I asked her of the possibility that it was a trick to lure her back into the house, but she was so stubbornly determined to believe that, joy to the world, the vampires are back. Hallelujah! I had a hard time controlling myself as I sat there with her in the car, and I point-blank refused to take her back to the trap. I didn’t want to physically restrain Bella – I loved her too much to do that – but I at least explained myself: I was not to be caught on Cullen turf because there return would put the treaty back in place. And I certainly wouldn’t want to breach that and have them find me on their precious territory. If it really was the Cullens, I hoped there was a chance in hell that they wouldn’t hurt her.

     I grabbed the handle leaped out of the open car door, calling out to Bella that I sincerely hoped she wouldn’t die tonight. I was so mad, my body filling with red-hot fury that consumed me as I ran, away from Forks, away from Bella, the traitor, the bloodsucker ally. I ripped off my clothes without slowing the pace, changing form with ease and keeping my clothes in my large, open mouth.

     I turned around for one last look, but she had gone with her truck. She didn’t call me back or anything. Just went right along to meet her death. I narrowed my eyes and loped away, towards the hospital. I had to see how Sam and the others were doing in the light of Harry’s death. I remembered that small gathering over at my house that he came to. Bella was there, and Charlie… Emily brought along some of her cooking… we were all enjoying ourselves before the Washington rain broke the party short. I mostly paid attention to Bella, even if she didn’t seem to notice it, but I remember Sue razzing her husband lightly for not eating healthier and ordering him to watch out for his heart.

     The weather was still a little drizzly, and I shook the flecks that had fallen on me angrily, jerking my head. I saw the hospital lights and changed back, stumbling as I tried to put my clothes back on while walking. I didn’t have to worry about privacy or anything; half of the village was probably inside trying to comfort the Clearwater family.

     I walked in through the doors and made my way up to the room on the 3rd floor where Harry and probably Sam were. Sam was standing by the open door, and I cringed when I looked at the blinding light inside of it where Harry was. I realized I was still visibly shaking.

     “How is everyone?” I mumbled, not wanting to be intrusive.

     Sam turned to look at me, his face as though carved from a russet-colored stone. His eyes were tight as he said, with obvious tension, “It’s hard on all of them.”

     “Right…” I said, backing away. “I just need to tell you that it… it, ah, looks like some of the Cullens are back.”

     “Really?” his eyes widened in surprise. “That changes things… we need to re-coordinate our boundaries, set up new defence lines.”

     “Yeah,” I sighed, realizing that this meant I wouldn’t be able to protect Bella anymore.

     “Go get some rest, Jacob,” Sam said, putting a hand on my shoulder. “I’ll take care of things here.” And with that, he strode back into the room and half-closed the door. I could hear a girl- Leah, probably – crying inside.

     My shoulders slumped, and I plodded towards the elevator. An idea hit me then, and I went to the nearest payphone. Might as well check up on Bella. I was such an idiot to leave her there, where she would be easy prey. Who knows, maybe she even called my house!

     Feeling slightly cheered by the idea, I dialed her number. She answered. “Charlie?” she asked, sounding confused.

     “No, it’s me.” I said in a gruff voice, my spirits falling as I pinpointed the lightness of her tone.

     “Jake!” she exclaimed, sounding airy and excited. It couldn’t be because of me.

     “Just making sure you were still alive.” I muttered. Just making sure the she-demon Victoria didn’t rip you to shreds.

     “I’m fine. I told you that it wasn’t…”

     “Yeah, I got it. Bye.” And with that, I slammed the phone back into its holder. I stared at my reflection in the silver metal. My eyes were bloodshot, my face contorted with rage. So the Cullens were back. Ugh! And she chose them over me!

     I thought of her reaction, and how overjoyed she was. Definitely not the sound of someone who was in post-depression. Wasn’t she ever angry with them for just ditching her like this and leaving her a train wreck? Obviously not. It never occurred to me that she never got mad at them, just blamed herself and thought it was all her fault, that she had done something wrong. She was just that kind of person. She wasn’t even afraid of them. Did she forget about the evil demon Victoria who was stalking her? I mean, she had to have seen the dangerous side of Edward and the rest of the clan before, but why was she only afraid of vampire attack a few hours ago? It’s not like the Cullens were protecting her or anything while they were in Forks.

     I found my fists pounding at the payphone machine, denting it in the side.  I quickly stepped back and released my hold, taking deep breaths. I stuffed my hands in the pockets of my pants and exited the building, running back to my house near the La Push oceanfront. I screamed openly into the evening sky, not caring if anyone heard me. I don’t care what Bella may say to me, but she’s a filthy traitor. Did those weeks we spent together mean nothing to her? How could she just drop me and go to them like a stupid, lovesick puppy?

     I came up to my house and pushed open the door, punching it violently for good measure. I went into my tiny, cramped little room and flopped down on my bed, staring at the ceiling. My thoughts, not matter how much I wanted them to, would not wander. I breathed heavily, closing my eyes. I was so tired that I began to sink down into the depths of oblivion.

     She left you. For them. That was all that mattered.