One month. That's how long it had been since the last full moon. One month since his heat and one month since he and Edward had…

Jacob stopped that train of thought, shaking his head before he opened the pristine white envelop and pulled out the little white card, trimmed in gold leaf with curling black writing on it. He stared at it for a moment, eyebrow arched, before he started reading…

You are cordially invited to celebrate the wedding of Isabella Marie Swan and Edward Anthony Masen Cullen…

He didn't get past that first sentence when he crushed the card in his hand, a tremble of anger passing along his spine. He burned with the urge to phase and just rip something apart. After everything that had happened in the last few months…

…She still had the nerve to invite him to her wedding. As if he'd want to see her marry that…that…

Again his train of thought stopped dead. It wasn't just Bella's wedding, but it was his too. Jacob didn't want to feel jealous, but it was damn near impossible to deny the feeling as it welled in his chest, fueling his anger. His body shook again. His stomach clenched and burned, and coiled in anger.

How could she?

"What've you got there Jake?" Billy questioned as he flipped through his own mail, sighing heavily; it was mostly bills.

Jacob looked up from his fist-the card crushed in between his fingers and the envelope on the floor leaning against one of his sneakers-and looked at his father before he shook his head. "Nothing," he lied, bending down to retrieve the envelope addressed to 'The Black Household' before his father had a chance to see it. "It's just junk."

Billy gave him a look, one that said he obviously didn't believe him. He had seen similar envelopes in his lifetime (as a matter of fact they had just gotten one from Sam and Emily the other day), but he didn't comment on it. He could feel Jacob's anxious energy and knew he was about to bolt. "Where're you going?" He asked as Jacob started for the door.

"Out," he answered simply, not wanting to elaborate further than that, knowing his father would try to stop him or talk him out of going to her house. He had to. "I'll be back soon."

"Jake-!"

But he didn't give his father a chance to speak. He slammed the screen door and cut off the man's sentence before it was even spoken. Still he heard his father's warning, his plea not to do anything stupid following him to his car.

What could he possibly do, he wondered as he viciously yanked his car door open. It wasn't as though he could snap Bella's neck (because, really, he was that pissed off right now) because that would upset Edward and this fucking imprint prevented him from doing that.

He was in his car and already heading towards Forks before he consciously realized what he was doing…he didn't know what he'd do once he got to Bella's. Someone could get hurt. But he knew something had to be done. Something had to be said. Because this was torture. Pure, horrid torture and he wouldn't stand for it. Not from her. Not when she had him.

xxx

Edward sat on the couch in the Swan living room, playing with Bella's hair as her head rested on his leg. He was reading the papers Alice had given Bella as his girlfriend-no, fiancée-read them. It was a guest list and seating arrangement for the reception. Bella was double checking it.

The vampire cringed when his eyes fell upon Jacob Black, the name written in a neat, curly scrawl he recognized as his sister's handwriting. He didn't think it had been a good idea to invite the shifter, as a matter of fact he had been most adamant about not inviting him, but Bella wouldn't be swayed. He couldn't understand why, but he knew it wasn't a good idea. Jacob…would not take it well.

"Anything I can help with?" He asked, expelling the thoughts as he twirled a strand of her hair between his fingers.

Bella hummed thoughtfully before shaking her head, setting the papers on the floor before she turned and looked up at the vampire. "Nope. Alice said she wanted you as far away from the wedding plans as possible," she replied, smiling softly, teasing though what she said was obviously true. Edward had already been threatened with bodily harm by Alice should be try to interfere. "She said we're doing this her way…or else."

"Or else what?" Edward chuckled, returning the smile as he looked at the girl in his lap.

Bella laughed and shrugged, pushing herself up, sliding closer to him, his arm going around her shoulders. "It's Alice," she pointed out, looking at him. "Who knows?"

Edward nodded in agreement, but didn't say anything. Instead he leaned forward and captured Bella's lips with his own. He didn't realize it, but the kiss was slightly rougher than what he was comfortable with Bella, not that Bella seemed to mind. He had given in on some things seeing as their marriage was slowly, but surely approaching. Though now, more than ever, he fought with his control. It seemed as though he always had to remind himself that Bella was human. Fragile. Breakable.

For a moment he forgot himself. He nipped her bottom lip, her groan of pleasure lost to the kiss as his tongue parted her lips and took advantage of her waiting mouth, plundering it with a passion that had only seen the light of day when he was with…

…his mind was a blissful haze. Bella responded eagerly, though he knew he shouldn't…but he couldn't bring himself to stop. He didn't want to stop. He wanted Bella, that was no lie, but ever since things with Jacob, since that night, he wanted the raw passion he had felt. He couldn't do that with Bella without hurting her.

Edward broke the kiss, taking her flushed appearance before looking away (blatantly ignoring the image of his flushed face that suddenly appeared in his mind). "Sorry, Bella…" he whispered softly as the girl groaned and then pouted, pushing a hand through her hair before she leaned back against the couch.

"It's alright," she replied softly. Edward could hear her fluttering heart and knew she was turned on (once again he ignored the fact that her arousal didn't seem to have as profound of an effect on him as…his did), but he refused to give in. Not yet.

She remained still and, surprisingly, didn't try to push him. She only moved when there was an impatient knock on the front door. "I'll be back," she said softly, standing to answer the door.

Edward nodded and then suddenly stiffened as he caught the broken, furious fragments of the person's thoughts. He quickly stood and jumped over the back of the couch, reaching out to grab Bella's arm, but he missed her. "Bella, wait, it's…" But she had already opened the door.

xxx

Jacob should've guessed he'd be there, he should've known, but he had been too upset to recognize his scent. Well…he noticed it now. He heaved a sigh and tore his eyes away from Edward and looked back to his so called best friend. "What in the fuck are you trying to play at Swan?" He asked, none to politely, as he glared down at the girl.

She blinked and looked confused as she looked up at Jacob and then over her shoulder at the leech and then back at him again. She frowned and shifted. "I don't know…" But he interrupted her, shoving the crinkled card under her nose.

"The invitation, Bella!"

"Oh! Oh no…why is it messed up?"

"I don't give a fuck about that!" Jacob snarled, throwing the invitation on the ground as Bella looked up at him again. She looked frightened. "Is it some sort of joke? His idea, maybe? Or maybe it's you…you just love to torment me…shove it in my face that you're-!"

"It was Charlie's idea," Edward replied, giving Jacob a cold glare as he came up behind Bella, resting his hand on her shoulder in comfort before he nudged her out of the way.

"You could have…could've lied to him. Told him you…sent it…" Jacob tried to speak, tried to keep the anger in his voice, but he could only manage a stammer. Edward was close…too close. He smelled so good, too good…Jacob's eyes snapped open from where they had closed and he met Edward's intense glare.

For a moment there was nothing but silence between them, Bella forgotten, as Edward seemly read him like a book. Jacob tensed and felt dizzy, remembering that Edward could read his mind. Like a fucking book. Everything he had just thought, every thought he had had since coming over…Edward knew. He felt sick.

"I didn't send them out. Neither did Bella. It was my sister and she wouldn't lie to Charlie about something like that," Edward explained softly, stepping closer to him. His heart pounded furiously in his chest and he could smell, as surely as Edward could, the hormones his body was giving off.

"If Bella wants you there I will personally tie you up and drag you there, mutt, make no mistake about that," Edward continued, his voice was threatening and deep, and low enough to where human hearing couldn't pick it up. The vampire's body tensed curiously and then he took a step back, a respectable distance between them once more.

Jacob swallowed thickly. He had to get away, away from Edward, away from Bella, away from here before he did something stupid and regretful. "You could try, but you wouldn't succeed," he replied softly, turning and then walking away.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Edward asked softly before he had even stepped off of the porch. Jacob knew Bella wouldn't have heard that, but he had the sneaking suspicion that Edward meant for him to hear it.

His head snapped around and he glared at the smirking vampire before turning and leaving. He didn't say anything as he walked to his car, opened the door and got into it, but as he was pulling out of the driveway he flipped his imprint off.

"Fucking bastard…" Jacob murmured heatedly as he drove back onto the reservation, absently rubbing his stomach which rolled uncomfortably as he pulled into his driveway and parked his car. He hadn't noticed it before-probably because of Edward and the fact that he had been so pissed off-but his stomach was really upset. He shook his head, frowning as he snatched his keys out of the ignition before he got out of the car and headed into the house. Maybe laying down for a bit would help.

He had barely made it to the front door when he realized that his father wasn't the only one in the house anymore. While he was out some of his brothers came over. The shifter heaved a sigh and rethought his decision about coming home, he could still sneak off to First Beach or something…

But his stomach was really upset, he realized with a frown. Home would have to do. He pushed open the door and let himself in. Resting, however, wouldn't be an option. "Hey! We've been waiting for you!" Embry said from the couch, turning to look at him as he closed the door behind him.

"Why?" Jacob questioned.

"To hang out of course," Quil pointed out, turning on the couch to look at him as well. "We can't hang out with our best friend anymore?"

Jacob merely shrugged, throwing his keys onto the end table by the door. "Sure we can…" His stomach chose that precise moment to roll uneasily and he was forced to swallow hard to keep his breakfast down. "But I, uh, don't feel really well today."

He expected his friends to be understanding, not look at him with a mix of worry and pity on their faces. It confused him. He frowned deeply, crossing his arms over his stomach. "Okay…why are you looking at me like that…?" Jacob asked.

"Haven't you checked your calendar?"

Jacob blinked and shook his head. "Why would I?"

"The full moon, dude, it's in a few days," Embry pointed out softly and before Jacob could answer, his stomach rolled and he realized there'd be no holding this back. He had a mad dash to the bathroom and just barely made it to the toilet before he emptied his stomach.

xxx

Jacob's eyes narrowed into a glare as he turned away from his sheepish friends, looking back at the worried face of his alpha. "…don't freaking believe you called Sam…" he muttered crossly under his breath, knocking Sam's hand away when he pressed it against his forehead.

"How long have you been sick?"

Jacob shifted in his bed, frowning deeply. "Not long. Just long enough to puke once," he replied, looking at Sam, he gave his alpha a meaningful look. "It's probably just a bug…o-or food poisoning."

"Our metabolisms wouldn't allow for food poisoning," Sam stated firmly. "And it's highly unlikely that we'd be able to 'catch a bug' since our body temperatures are so high."

"It's possible though?" Embry asked.

"Highly unlikely more like," Sam replied.

"What about the full moon then?" Quil suggested. "We were just talking about that before Jake got sick."

"That's what I was thinking and it's the most likely answer," Sam agreed, glancing at Quil before Jacob pushed himself up, frowning deeply.

"It's not that. It can't be," he said impatiently. "I don't feel like I did before, just sick to my stomach. I'm telling you guys it's probably just a bug."

He huffed in annoyance when all three men looked at him with varying looks of pity on their faces. "Maybe you don't feel as bad because you've already slept with him?" Quil suggested, the other two nodding in agreement.

Jacob heaved a great, loud groan as he covered his face with his hands. He laid back against the bed before glaring at the three men. "I think I know my own body! This is different! It's got nothing to do with my heat, alright?"

Sam shook his head slowly. "It makes sense though Jacob," he replied. "I'll give you until the full moon, if you aren't better I'm calling the Cullens again."

"But, Sam-!"

"My decision's final Jacob," Sam replied, speaking as his alpha and not a concerned friend.

Jacob huffed and turned to his side, facing away from the other three shifters and slowly, one by one, they left him to sulk.

"It's for the best, Jacob…" Sam said before he closed his bedroom door.

For the best…?

It was bad enough he had to do it the first time. He didn't know how he'd do it a second. But as the days dragged on, his mysterious illness did not clear up and then, finally, it was the day of the full moon and just as he promised, Sam called Carlisle.

He toed the line and now fate was biting him in the ass. He didn't realize it, or perhaps he did because it was the simplest of truths, his destiny would always lay with his imprint. Like every shifter before him and every to come after. There was no fighting destiny. There was no fighting fate.

"Are you ready?" Sam asked, looking him over as twilight set over the reservation.

Jacob snorted softly, moodily, as he made for the door. "As ready as I'll ever be," he muttered as he left, Sam following him out into the evening.