The Consequences {Jacob Black}

Chapter LXI: Jacob's Point of View

"You and the Pack are always going to protect me. I know that, but," she didn't say anything more, just turned and looked at the leather seat. She wasn't telling me something... again. I thought that we had talked about this. I wanted her to tell me what she was afraid of. I wanted her to feel like everything she wanted could come true. She refused to meet my eyes, but I could smell her fear through the vehicle.

"You were scared of me, weren't you?" I asked as I realized why she wouldn't look at me. The smell got a little thicker as her fear increased. I hadn't meant for my anger to come through when I was talking to her, but I was angry at myself. We had been having a good time dancing and then the leeches had to ruin it. I was angry at myself for losing control of my temper when I should've been paying attention to my imprint.

"I'm sorry, baby," I said. "It wasn't you I was trying to scare." She just nodded, but she didn't look any happier.

I pulled her into my lap, one of her knees on either side of my hips. I stroked her hair, tangling her ringlets around my calloused fingers.

"What are you afraid?" I asked. She leaned forward, her forehead resting against my collarbone.

"I'm afraid that I'm going to be dead before you and I grow old together," she whispered so quietly, even I almost didn't hear it. She looked so worried, like she was admitting that she had committed a major felony or something. Did she realize that I dreamed about our lives together just as much as she did? It wasn't just a girl thing. I could see her staying home with our kids, just like she'd always dreamed, helping me run the garage that I hoped to own some day. I could see it all and I wasn't ready to lose any of that.

"You're not going anywhere," I growled, turning my head to kiss her where her curls stuck to her forehead a little, downy soft. "You and I are gonna have kids and watch them grow up and we'll grow old together," I said, seeing the entire thing happening in front of my eyes. "I promise you." She didn't say anything.

"Look at me, Annie," I whispered. She turned her head so that her cheek was lying on my shoulder and her blue eyes were peeking up at me.

"We're going to kill this army. Between the wolves and the bloodsuckers, we can handle anything."

As much as I didn't want to work with them, it would keep my mate safe. And that's all I really cared about. Hell, I would move in with them if it would keep my girl safe.

"You don't even like the Cullens," she said. It was like she'd read my mind. And she was right. I hated the bloodsuckers. At the end of the day, they were the reason that I was a wolf and that my life was flipped upside down. They were the reason that I had betrayed the one person who was always on my side for her sister.

"I love you, Ryanne," I said. I had made myself promise that I would only tell her that I love her when I was willing to use her full name. That was when she listened to me the most and when she actually believed me.

"If I have to work with bloodsuckers everyday for the rest of my life, I will." And I meant it. I would do anything if it meant keeping her safe. "What's going on in your head? You have that look on your face again." That look that meant that she was hiding something.

"I"m just like my sister. I'm worrying about things that I can't change; I'm trying to change things that are beyond my control. And I'm worried about dying." How could she ever think that she was like her sister? Bella was selfish and manipulative. I hadn't noticed it before, not when I thought that I was in love with her. But she had either manipulated her sister into doing dangerous, life threatening things (like cliff diving) or allowed someone else to manipulate her.

"You are nothing like your sister. Your fears are because of things your sister has done." She looked away from me. "You sister has no one to blame for what's going on but herself." She nodded ever so slightly.