The Consequences {Jacob Black}

Chapter LXIX

"Help!"

"Shhhh," the voice hissed in my ear. I struggled uselessly against the arms, but it was no use. "Annie, it's me."

I literally sagged in relief, glad that he had his arms around me to keep my upright.

"I thought there was a rule against scaring me?" I said breathlessly.

"I'm going to have to make a rule against screaming my name like that," he said in response. "Scared the shit out of me."

"Well at least we're even," I said, still breathing hard.

"What did you think I was?" he laughed.

"I didn't know; I thought I was going to die," I said. "And you are in so much trouble for all of that."

"Well, at least I know that you've learned to always call for me when you need help," he said with a shrug.

"I've always called for you when I needed help," I said with a shrug. "Remember when I was little and I fell out of the pine tree and almost broke my arm?" He smiled. "You were the first person that I screamed for, remember? And my dad yelled at me for not calling him because he was taller."

"Well if we're going by who's taller, I'll win every time," he said, falling into step beside me. The campsite was well chosen, sheltered by a sheer wall of rock and the forest. Bella was sitting with her leech in the tent, their murmuring low but still audible.

"Did you have fun with Paul?"

"No; he was a jackass." Jake growled. "I'm just kidding," I lied. "He was just fine."

"He didn't do anything wrong?" I shook my head.

"He behaved just fine?" I nodded. He had behaved about as well as one could expect Paul to behave. There was no separate tent, which pissed me off. Normally, I was a great sharer. But not with Bella. No, I had tried to share things with her and all it had done was bite me in the ass.

"I'm sorry that you have to sleep with her, but their tent was stabler." I nodded in understanding, still a little pissed.

I leaned over and pressed my lips to his, kissing him slowly. I had been trying for the last few days to pretend like I was fine, but the nightmares had gotten worse. I could sleep through them now, which was good. I knew that they weren't real. But every time I closed my eyes I saw Jake's dead eyes instead of the warmth that I knew. So I was scared. I was afraid that he was going to leave me here and I was going to lose him. And this was my last chance to say anything to him. I was finding it much easier to do something that to talk to him. The saying actions speak louder than words had a meaning now. He was kissing me back fervently, every ounce of love in his six and a half foot body pouring into my mouth. But me; I was saying goodbye to him. So that if something went wrong tomorrow, I could at least live with this memory.

The thought of losing him tore a hole in the middle of my heart. I grabbed at his shirt, surprised that he was actually wearing one, and pulled him close to my chest. I wouldn't lose him. He couldn't leave me. It wasn't going to happen. Slowly, he disengaged from my lips, his hands squeezing at my hips.

"I'll see you after the fight," I whispered.

He chuckled. "Do you really think that I'm leaving you here by yourself?" he said.

"I thought -"

"That I would really leave you here with your sister and her leech alone?" He laughed again.

"So you and I are going to sleep in a tent with my sister?" I must have sounded pissed because he sighed and turned towards the forest. "Where are you going?"