A few days after the pack and Maya had confronted Laurent, Maya had found a new game of chase to play, this time with herself as the pursuer. Victoria had been spotted in the area a few times and the wolves, along with Maya, had been forced to give chase as she killed more hikers.
Maya had filled them all in on her history with the red head, which they had not been happy about. Especially when they figured that the red head was only after Maya and Bella because of the Cullens.
Speaking of which there had been a bit of a rough patch at the beginning of their friendship when she had told them of her relationship with Jasper, (reluctantly as talking about him only made the pull to go find him all the worse) but they had all backed off when she had told them she had imprinted on him.
Apparently, there was a law or something that made him untouchable now or something like that. It also hadn't hurt that she had told them what Jasper had done to James when he found her hurt. While they may never like him, they had accepted her relationship with him. Which she supposed was about as good as she could hope for.
Now unfortunately they were dealing with a different problem that was causing discontent in the pack. Typically Sam's orders would be enough to end it but Jacob was proving to be a bit of a problem. Since he was technically supposed to be alpha, it meant that Sam had less control over him. While normally this would not really be a problem as Sam never really gave orders, it was given that Jacob wanted to tell Bella about them. Which had led to a few arguments. Like the one that they were having now.
"Why can't we just tell her?! She already knows about those leeches and Maya! It's not like it would that big of a deal!" Jacob yelled.
"Because it goes against the ways of our people. It is against the law to tell an outsider about us." Sam refuted sternly. The other members and Maya stayed off to the side, unwilling to get involved and tired of the ongoing argument.
"What so leeches can spill their secrets but we can't make one exception?" Jacob scoffed.
"Actually," Maya said, cringing as both turned to look at her, "Vampires aren't allowed to tell any humans about their existence either. To do so is a death sentence for both the human and the vampire. The Cullens didn't tell her, she just saw Edward use his abilities to save her life and then began digging and refused to give up. From what I remember it was you telling her your tribal story about the old treaty with them that allowed her to figure it out."
Sam whirled to face Jacob, "you told an outsider our legends?!"
"Well, I didn't think they were real at the time" Jacob defended before marching off angrily.
"What am I going to do with him?" Sam asked tiredly.
"Hit him over the head with a stick until you knock some sense into him" Jared suggested, making them all smile.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A few days later they were coming out of the woods behind Billy's house to find Jacob when they saw Bella marching up to them.
"What did you do? What did you do!? What did you do to him!?" Bella shoved Sam in the chest the moment she reached them.
"Easy" Sam warned the boys.
"He didn't want this!" Bella shouted.
"What did we do? What did he do, hm? What'd he tell you?" Paul growled as his anger rose.
"Both of you, calm down" Sam said, trying to pull Paul away and diffuse the situation.
"Nothing. He tells me nothing because he's scared of you!" Bella accused. They all burst out laughing at that.
This angered Bella enough to slap Paul in the face. At the glare on his face, Maya brought her hand up to hold her head.
Of all the wolves she could have slapped, it had to be the one with the shortest temper. My darling sister really does have the worst luck Maya thought.
As Paul began to shake, Sam tried to calm him down, but Jared said what they all were thinking; "too late now".
"Bella, get back!" Sam warned. "Paul! Calm down now!"
As Paul continued to shake and growl, Maya thought Bella finally realized that she was in danger as Maya saw the glare fall from her face and fear replaced it. However, Bella still wasn't moving, so Maya grabbed her had and began to pull her away. She backed Bella and herself up slowly, not turning her back on Paul, knowing that running from a predator is the wrong thing to do and only sends the signal that you're prey.
Unfortunately it appeared that her getting Bella moving broke her out of whatever trance she was in and she shoved Maya to the side from behind her and turned to take off running. Maya hit the ground hard, her hand just managing to break her fall in time to stop her head from bouncing off a rock.
She heard the snarl and tear of clothes signalling that Paul and shifted, followed by the sound of Bella yelling Jake's name. When did he get here? she thought, turning around as she sat up. She was just in time to see Jacob shift in the air and land face to face with Paul.
Both were snarling and before Sam could even begin to diffuse the situation Paul and Jacob were fighting. Both were charging at the other, biting and clawing at whatever they could reach. They rolled over and over, crashing into Billy's old boat before disappearing into the trees.
Jared came over to offer Maya a hand up as they all stared at where the two wolves had gone, snarls still reaching their ears.
"Hey. Take Bella back to Emily's place" Sam commanded as he headed off into the trees to break up the fight.
"Guess the wolf's outa the bag" Embry joked, heading over towards Bella. Maya rolled her eyes at him while Jared smacked him over the head.
They all hoped into Bella's old truck, Embry driving as Maya and Jared rode in the back. Maya laughing happily as they bounced around in the bed of the truck, encouraging Embry to go faster or hit more bumps. When they arrived the three hopped out, heading straight for the door as Bella remained sitting in the passenger seat.
"Hey, I think we should go back and see if Jacob's okay." She said, leaning out the truck window.
"I hope Paul sinks some teeth in him. Serves him right" Jared muttered without turning around.
"No way Jacob's a natural. Did you see him phase on the fly? I got five says Paul doesn't touch him" Embry refuted.
Maya scoffed and held out her hand, "I got ten that Sam breaks it up before they settle it."
"You're on" Embry took her hand giving it a firm shake, "Come on in Bella. We won't bite."
"Speak for yourself" Jared commented making Maya fake gag.
After a few more seconds of thinking, or in Maya's opinion being dramatic, Bella got out of the truck and approached them.
"Oh, hey, about Emily, Sam's fiancée. Don't stare. It bugs Sam." Embry warned before heading into the house after them.
"Are you guys hungry? Like I have to ask" Emily commented as they entered, plating up a pile of muffins.
"Oh Emily, you make us out to be bottomless pits" Maya clutched her chest in fake hurt.
"I don't make you out to be, you are." Emily slapped her hand away from the muffins still in the pan and pointed over her shoulder to the table where the boys had sat.
"Who's this?" Emily asked, finally catching sight of Bella.
"Bella Swan. Who else?" Jared snarked.
"Hm, so ... you're the vampire girl" Emily let her eyes wonder over her before turning back to the food.
Maya held back a laugh at that. In an attempt to get Jacob to move on from her, since it was clear she was not his imprint, she had mentioned Bella's constant attempts to convince Edward to turn her. Needless to say none of them were happy to hear that, Jacob actually shouting at her for it as if it was her fault.
"So you're ... the wolf girl" Bella said awkwardly, missing the fact that Emily was referring to her wish to become one.
"Guess so. Well, I'm engaged to one" was Emily's polite reply.
Bella stood awkwardly off the side watching Maya interact with the boys, her anger growing. Once again that stray had found out about the supernatural before her and refused to share it. Bella was convinced that Maya was purposefully trying to keep them all to herself but Bella wasn't going to let her. Now that she knew about the wolves Jacob would go back spending all his time with her and she would have at least one wolf on her side. From there she could win over the entire pack and finally one up that girl. With the Cullens she had come too late, but as far as she knew Maya being with the wolves was a new thing. All she had to do was make them doubt her.
"You know you call me the vampire girl, but Maya is one too" Bella hoped that that might be enough to get them upset at her as she had obviously been lying to them. There was no way they would be so friendly if they knew she was with the enemy.
"Yeah, we know. But she imprinted on one so that's totally different" Jared explained in between bites.
"Save some for your brothers" Emily reached out to take Jared's hand as he went for another muffin.
"Imprinted?" Bella questioned.
"Shifter equivalent of vampire mate" Maya clarified lazily as she focused on her food, pretending the mention of Jasper and their bond didn't hurt her as it gave a nasty tug at her chest.
"Leave it to Jacob to find a way around Sam's gag order" Emily rolled her eyes knowing just how pleased her fiancée must be about that.
"Um, he didn't say anything to me." Bella was proud to have figured it out on her own. Even if Jacob had basically told her everything she needed to know, she still considered all the hard work hers.
"That's a wolf thing. Alpha's orders get obeyed whether we want 'em to or not. Oh, and check it out. We can hear each other's thoughts" Embry bragged.
"Would you shut up? These are trade secrets. Damn it! This chick runs with vampires" Jared scolded.
"Can't really run with vampires. Cause they're fast" Bella stated in a tone that implied he was stupid for saying that. She just wanted to know more about the wolves, who was he to stop her.
"Yeah? Well, we're faster" Jared shot back, annoyed by her. "Freaked out yet?" he hoped the answer was yes so she would leave.
"You're not the first monsters I've met."
Maya scoffed at Bella's reply. If she thought the Cullens monsters than why did she go out with Edward? Why did she practically beg him to turn her?
"Jake's right. You're good with weird" Sam stepped through the door, heading straight over to kiss Emily.
Paul and Jacob followed behind him, pushing and laughing with each other. The argument obviously forgotten.
"Sorry" Paul said to Bella as he took a seat at the table. Maya and the other two boys immediately beginning to question him on the fight so they could settle the bet. Maya saw Bella and Jacob leave the room from the corner of her eye but said nothing, only shook her head in disappointment.
She knew that Bella was definitely not over Edward and Maya wished desperately that until she was, she would stop toying with Jacob's feelings. The boy was only 16 for goodness' sake and a full two years younger than Bella! If she had to lead someone on couldn't it be one of the jerks from school that was 18 as well and not a good guy like Jacob?