I told Paul he could go with the guys but he said he wanted to stay with me. He held my hand as we walked with Bella and Jake.

"So when did Leah join the pack?" She asked.

"After Harry died," I answered.

Jake nodded, walking his bike back to the barn, "Her little brother Seth also phased. He's only fifteen, one of the youngest we've had."

"Sam keeps him home studying, but he's struggling. It's normal though," Paul answered.

"Wish it was Leah who'd stay home," Jake sighed.

I rolled my eyes, "Leave her alone. She's had a hard time."

Bella agreed with me, "Yeah don't be such a guy."

"It's not a chick thing!" He defended while I sent him an annoyed look, "We all have to live the Lean/Sam/Emily pain-fest. Wolf-telepathy."

Bella looked at us confused, "So Sam dumped Leah for Emily?"

"It's not that simple," Paul said giving her a dirty look before pulling me closer to him. My arm around his middle, I rubbed my thumb to his side to keep him calm.

Jake nodded, "Sam hates himself for hurting Leah. But Emily was the one."

Bella looked over at me, "Yeah I guess it sort of chooses you sometimes," it looked like she was still trying to figure out for herself why we were together.

I sighed, "It's not a crush or whatever it is you're trying to come up with. Sam imprinted on Emily. Like how Paul imprinted on me," I tightened my hand around him.

"Do I even want to know what that is?" She wondered as we got to the barn.

We got inside and Jake looked at us, "Do you guys want to take this one?"

I shook my head as Paul sat down on a pile of tires, bringing me to sit on his lap, "Nah bro you got it."

He sighed as he parked his bike and looked from us to her, "Imprinting on someone is like....like when you see her," Paul buried his face momentarily into my neck, planting little kisses there before looking back up as Jacob continued his explanation, "Everything changes. All of a sudden, it's not gravity holding you to the planet. It's her. Nothing else matters. You would do anything, be anything for her."

"Sounds like you know the feeling," she commented. I cringed, but a part of me didn't like the look of disappointment on her face when she asked if he imprinted on someone.

He frowned, "You'd know if I had," he looked over at us.

"Hey we aren't that bad!" I defended, as Paul laughed hugging me close.

Bella smiled relieved before looking over at Jake, "So for now, you're still you."

He smiled back at her, "And you're still you."

She gave a shy smile, "Until graduation," His head snapped up and I felt the tension seep in the air, she noticed, "You knew this was gonna happen."

"Not in a month!" He snapped, "Not before you've....you've even lived! Or before I could-" He didn't even finish his sentence before he grabbed a wrench and flung it across the barn. Paul grabbed me and protectively covered me from it, we let Jake throw his tantrum.

I got to my feet taking Paul's hand in mine and we walked out. Bella gave me a sad look and I sent her an apologetic one before we gave them some space.

We could still hear their conversation from where we sat, Jacob said he'd rather she be dead than a vampire and a part of me felt as if he had disrespected me by saying that.

"What's wrong?" Paul asked when he saw my expression.

"Do you agree with Jacob?" I asked.

His eyebrows knitted together, "About what?"

"Would you rather I be dead instead of a vampire?"

He was shocked, not expecting that, "But you're-"

I nodded, "I know, but hypothetically speaking. If I was human and it was life or death."

I was surprised by his answer, "I don't think I would survive it if you died."

"But you hate vampires?"

"Yeah, but if you becoming a bloodsucker meant saving you're life..." He trailed off looking at the floor as he thought about it, "I would do anything if it meant you still being here with me."

I felt my eyes tear up, I hadn't expected that, "You're amazing," I whispered putting our foreheads together. He smiled as he closed the distance between our lips.

Just then Bella came out clearly upset by the way her conversation with Jake went, "Cate, can you take me home?" She asked I could see she felt awkward about interrupting our moment.

I nodded, "Sure thing Bells," I got up giving Paul's hand a squeeze and following her back to my bike.

~

When we made it back to Bella's I sent a text to my brother saying she made it home safe. I watched her walk in and not even a minute later Edward was by my side staring daggers right at me.

"Why didn't you talk to me sooner? What if something happened?" He hissed clearly upset about being left out of the loop. He didn't even wait before walking up the steps to her front door and knocking as un-anxiously as possible. I stood behind him when Bella opened the door, he looked at her completely freaked, I think the fact that his eyes were black meaning he hadn't fed in a while had something to do with his negative reaction.

"Do you have any idea how worried I've been?" He snapped.

My instincts kicked in and smelled it right away, but it took Edward a second, I already pushed my way in, running up the steps to her room.

"Cate? Edward? What's going on?" She asked as she followed us.

"Someone's been here," I muttered walking in and smelling the room. The unknown scent was fresh, whoever they were...we'd just missed them.

Edward grabbed Bella and ran with her back home while I followed as quick as my bike would let me. We quickly filled in the others and I went with Jasper and Emmett to scout the area, seeing where the trail left off. We made it back in less than five minutes.

"Someone we know?" Carlisle asked as we walked in.

I shook my head, "At least not a smell I recognized."

"A normad passing through?" Esme wondered.

Rosalie shook her head, "A nomad wouldn't have left Bella's father alive."

"The scent disappeared about five miles south of Bella's house."

The tension in the air was evident, "Someone's orchestrating this," Carlisle concluded.

"Victoria?" Bella guessed.

Alice shook her head, "I would've seen her decide."

"It has to be the Volturi," Edward determined.

I looked over, "Why come for Bella now? And why leave me alive it is really is them? Leaving me alive is a loose end for them."

"I don't think it's the Volturi either," Alice told us, "I've been watching Aro's decisions as well."

"So we'll keep looking," Emmett shrugged.

Carlisle nodded, "We'll also take shifts guarding Bella at her house."

Rosalie looked might annoyed by that, "Another protection detail?"

"Rose," I hissed.

Bella looked defeated, "No, she's right. You can't protect me, watch my dad, and search for the intruder."

"And for Victoria," Rosalie added.

"And keep yourselves fed," Bella finished feeling guilty.

"I'm not leaving you here defenseless," Edward told her.

Her eyes were glossy, "Well I'm not gonna let you starve!"

"She's not defenseless," I realized, "I'm I can get some extra bodies to help for Bella's sake."

I saw their looks, they didn't like this idea but it was our best option, and Jacob would still do anything to keep Bella safe.

~

I called Jake and the filled him in. The following morning he met us at Bella's where they left the two of us to sniff around her room.

"He was by her bed, then moved over here. He touched a lot of her stuff so we can use it to track," I explained as he circled the room.

He nodded, "Got it," then we walked out to where Bella and my brother waited for us to finish up, "Whoever he was he left his stink behind. It'll be hard to miss when we cross it again. We'll handle it from here," he nodded to Edward.

Edward looked pissed, someone needed to get this man some blood, "We don't need you to handle anything or anyone."

"Well I could care less what you need."

I rolled my eyes as they looked ready to rip each other's throats out. Bella made some stupid statement about how she's Switzerland now.

Then started our little partnership. About halfway through the night the pack would take over so the others could hunt, seemed like none of them had gone hunting in a while. I could see that while both sides were fond of me, they still hated the relationship I had with the other group. It was annoying as all hell but it also got worse when Bella decided to talk to me about how unfair it was to her.

"You just have it so easy!" She told me one night when Alice and Emmett left and Paul and Jared took their place. I was staying the night, Charlie was so happy we were having a little sleepover.

I was smiling at Paul through the window but my happy demeanor evaporated when she said that, "What's that supposed to mean?"

She shrugged, "I mean you can have them both. You live with the Cullens but you're dating Paul. You go back and forth between the two and there's no problem! But for me it's so hard," she groaned laying on her bed.

I scoffed, "Yeah cause my family hating my boyfriend and my pack hating my family is so easy! Bella my situation is royally fucked up. I can't even mention my family around the pack and I barely talk about Paul in front of them because it grosses them out! Paul and Emmett almost ripped each other apart the other day while we were hunting Victoria! You have no idea how hard this is!"

The way she looked at me, I saw she really didn't get it, "I mean you don't really need to be around the wolves though?" She asked.

I laughed like she was crazy, "Bella! Are you serious? You're the one who doesn't need to be around the wolves! You just love having Jake's attention! Don't act like you weren't jealous at the thought of Jacob imprinting on someone else! Paul is my imprint, and it physically hurts to be away from him! I don't know if you noticed, but when I was away from him I was just like you were, maybe worse, when Edward left. So don't you dare tell me I don't need them!" Her eyes were wide, mouth agape. She really didn't know what to say.

Without another word I got into my sleeping bag and faced away from her. I couldn't believe how much of a hypocrite she sounded. The following morning we were supposed to spend the day over in La Push, Edward hated the idea but boy was starving so we were making him go hunt. Bella would be safe with the pack.

I was still pissed about the night before and remained mute the car ride over. We made it to the boarder where Jake was waiting for us with his truck, it was obvious he was purposefully trying to push Edward's buttons. He was leaning against his car in nothing but his shorts and a pair of sneakers.

I hopped out and gave him a light smile, fist bumping him before climbing into the bed of the truck letting Bella say good-bye to my brother. The minute the truck started moving I got a text from Paul;

I blushed and felt myself get excited, who doesn't love a good bonfire?