Selcouth • J. Hale ✓

xxxix.

chapter thirty-nine.

"Wait, you manipulated him?" Emily shouted in shock.

Karina sat on the counter with a bag of gummy bears in her hand, it had been a few days since her intimate moment with Jasper and she was hanging out with the wolves. Bella was with her as well, but she was off with Jake doing her own thing.

"I had to!" Karina defended herself as she ate another bear. "If he realized that I was still puking blood then he would know that there was something else that happened while he was gone."

Emily sighed, "You need to tell him Karina. None of us want to lose you."

"Why do we always talk about this? Why can't we talk about how I lost my dad's sweatshirt or how William is doing in school?" Karina groaned and ignored the look Emily shot her.

"Because I know that you're trying to avoid this, but we're scared for you Karina." Emily told her while placing her hand on top of Karina's.

Karina felt the guilt build up inside of her and she wished that it would go away but it wouldn't. "I know that Em, but that means changing and I can't just disappear on Will and my mom. My mom works more than she is ever home, and William is like a piece of me that I can't lose."

"So, you don't hide." Emily told her.

"It's not the easy." She shook her head. "When Laurent came and I smelled the blood on him, something twisted inside of me and that terrified me. I don't want to hurt Will or my mom, I would never be able to forgive myself if I hurt them." Karina explained to Emily. "I know that William is catching on when it comes to Jasper and his family, with the legends having been told to him in depth, I can see it in his eyes."

"Then he'll know, yes?" Emily questioned, still not understanding what was wrong.

"He'll know but the Volturi will kill anyone who finds out. Edward is so afraid of them catching on that Bella is still human that if William found out, I'm sure he'd try to make his family leave again." Karina ranted to her. "Look, William is going to know regardless but with this battle, he can't."

"Paul is tailing him 24/7, nothing is ever going to happen to him." Emily reminded her and Karina relaxed some.

Paul had offered to watch over William on the days that Karina was with the pack while Javier watched over her mother at the hospital. Then Embry and Paul watched over William and Karina at home until Javier arrived to do a single sentry on his own.

"I know but-" Karina didn't continue as she had a bad feeling in her gut.

"Karina what's wrong?" Emily asked her.

Karina shook her head before setting down her candy and rushing out of the door and using her vampire speed to find Bella. She arrived to find Bella struggling against Jacob as he held her in place, their lips pressed together. Karina could sense Bella's distress as she went limp in his hold, waiting for him to stop.

Jacob let Bella go and she turned away from him. Karina was furious with him, how dare he force himself on her like that? She began walking towards them and was more than ready to kick Jacob's ass, but her eyes widened when Bella turned back around and punched Jacob in the jaw.

Karina winced when she heard the crunch sound, Karina rushed over to them and shoved Jacob away from Bella as the girl held her fist to her chest.

"What the actual fuck Jacob!?" Karina shouted and Jacob flinched at her tone. "I'm going to kick your ass or better yet, I'll have Javi do it but first I need to get Bella home."

Karina wrapped her arms around Bella and glared at Jacob as they walked towards where Jacob had parked. All she knew was that Jacob was going to have to deal with Edward when they got to Bella's place.