Not just a Stamp...an Imprint: Jacob Black-Life after Bella

Waking up with Leah in my arms brought a sickening feeling to my stomach. I didn’t think I’d be able to stop her, but I resorted to brute strength and forced her to. Luckily, she was content to fall asleep in my arms, with as much clothing as I could convince her to wear. I’m just glad stopped my mistake before it went any further.
I heard clanking in the kitchen and leapt up from the couch, not worrying about disturbing the she-wolf. I finally removed my tattered loincloth and replaced them with the shorts Emily had laid out for me.
“Morning all,” I grumbled, ruffling my hair sleepily.
Oh, that reminds me.
“Do you think you could whip out your scissors for a quickie cut before we leave, Em?”
She grinned and nodded.
“But first, eat up.”
“Yes Ma’am,”
The members of the pack flooded in one by one. Leah last. She let out an aggravated sigh when I refused to look her in the eye and purposely sat across from me at the table.
No one spoke. The silence was nice for a change. I finished first and presented my head to Emily. She hacked at it as if she was trimming a bush with steel sheers. I smiled sheepishly when Sam entered, eyebrows raised.
Then we all gathered outside. Emily brought bags of food and clothes- to be carried by Leah and Seth. [Curse of the newbies].
“Okay, guys. I haven’t found where they reside yet so this may take a while depending on how strong the scent is. So just--Jake will you please stop touching your hair?”
I flushed and glared at him, bringing my hand down from my head. It was so short and soft...I couldn’t help it.
“Follow me,” he huffed, finally finishing his sentence.
I transformed easily, already feeling angry from being humiliated.
It was a good thing Sam ran fast...I needed something to release this god damn guilt and overwhelming frustration.
“Liyah...whats wrong?” Hetty whimpered for the third time in the last hour.
“Nothing, sweetheart.” I whispered stroking her head and hugging her close.
“Where’s Jacob?” she asked quietly. I winced.
“He’s gone, Hetty.”
“Why?”
I don’t know, I cried in my head. It echoed painfully in my skull, bring tears to my eyes.
“Aaliyah! Don’t cry, he’ll come back!”
Part of me hoped that was true. The other half wished I’d never have to look into those eyes ever again.
“Hetty?” She looked up at me curiously. “You remember when Papa died?” She nodded sullenly. “Do you remember why?” She shook her head. Thank god...
“If you hear any wolves tonight, please tell me, okay?”
She nodded. I could tell she was confused, but ignorance was bliss.
A tremor of terror ran up my spine as three lonesome sounding howls broke through the night air. Hetty cried out and latched onto my waist. Tears poured down my cheeks. He was coming back. He was going to kill us. He was coming to finish the job he had started with my father.

This all looks so familiar. I hope we don’t run into Aaliyah.
“Sam, are you sure we’re going the right way?”
“Absolutely. It’s so strong...” his voice was dripping with venom. No one had ever seen Sam act like this. Everything he said instilled a sense of...not fear but...disturbance within us. Sam’s mind was working in overdrive. His emotions were raw and exposed. He hated the curse that turned him into an animal. He hated the curse that caused him to harm Emily. He hated looking at her and seeing the evidence of his inner demon on her once breath taking face. He hated himself, and we could all feel it. He wanted the curse to die so no one else would have to feel the way he does now.
“We’ll stop here until nightfall. Then we’ll carry on with our task.”
He dipped his muzzle into a crystal clear spring, his dangerously flashing eyes closing with ignored exhaustion. I stood gazing a the spring in horror as the rest of the pack took a spot on the perimeter.
“No...” I gasped. “No, no, no!”
“What is it, Jake?”
Leah.
“You knew. You knew it was her the whole time. You used me to get close to her!”
“Jake, calm down,” said Paul, his voice wary as he stepped in front of our ‘fearless leader’.
“Calm down? How can you tell me to calm down?”
It was an unnecessary jab at Paul’s character which both of us knew he didn’t deserve. Sam’s eyes flashed as they glared at me from behind a seething Paul.
“How could you, being our leader, betray one of your own?”
“Jacob please explain how I’ve-”
“I don’t think so. I’m done. I’m going to go warn her before you destroy the last thing I have left to love.”
“Jake, NO!” Sam bellowed, chasing after him. The rest followed in obedient bewilderment.

It was twilight. Another day is gone. Another night is taking over. I sighed inwardly and pulled Hetty closer to my chest. She was too scared to sleep, too tired to stay awake. Now she was stuck in the purgatory of unwanted drowsiness.
There was a rustle in the bushes. Hetty awoke from her half-sleep with a terrified spasm. I hushed her whimpers and rushed her into the house. There I took hold of my bow and arrows and trudged outside. I didn’t know what I was doing. Did I think I was saving Hetty by sacrificing myself? Who would find her all the way out here? Who would take her in?
All I knew is that I didn’t want her to experience the same fate as Papa did. Never in a million years.
Now I felt like a solider. A solider walking to her death. I wonder if they all felt this restless. Not in the sense that they want to run, but that they would to get it over with. I was dying in the hands of the first man I had met, my first love. What a twisted world this was. Now I’ll get to join the spirit world. Surely there could not be this much emotional pain in a Spirit World.
The rustles grew louder, my heart pounded harder, and Hetty’s sobs intensified. I heard multiple howls, meaning Jacob brought friends. I planted my feet in the direction of the opening and waited. Bounding turned into to leaping footsteps as I drew back on the bow, eyes narrowed and focused. Waiting. Prepared.
My heart leapt to my throat as Jacob stumbled from the bushes. He was breathing hard, his eyes were wild and frightened.
“Aaliyah, run!”
I was glued to where I was standing.
“Turn around and run, dammit!”
I dropped the bow with a gasp and covered my mouth with my hands. From behind Jacob emerged six wolves. Six larger than life, fang bearing, enraged wolves.
“Get Hetty and run. Don’t look back and don’t come back. Leave, NOW!” Jacob hissed, taking a protective stance in front of me.
I don’t know what happened to the fear. But suddenly it was gone. And I don’t know what replaced it, but it was stronger than my common sense. Call it bravery, call it love, call it stupidity. But instead of taking two steps backwards, I took two steps forward to stand at Jacob’s side.
“No.” I growled fiercely.