Conquering America

Jacob walked over to Netanya’s house in the morning just after he woke. Netanya was out, but Natasha knew where she was. “She’s out shopping; you can see her when she gets back.”

“What’s she shopping for?” Jacob asked, considering meeting her in town.

“You can see it when she gets back—”

“When is she going to be back—?”

“I don’t know. Watch for her car or something. I’m busy.” Natasha slammed the front door shut; Jacob heard the clicks of the locks, so he walked a way. After grabbing some fruit from his kitchen, Jacob sat on his front steps and waited for Netanya to show up. Night fell before she arrived home, by which time he was involved in a tribal meeting. Jacob gauged an appropriate time to excuse himself and walk over to Netanya’s house. Before he could even knock on the door, Netanya swung the door open and bitterly whispered, “How is my business yours?”

“What?” was all Jacob could get out.

“Do you think showing me your cutesy metamorphic power is supposed to create a bond between us? You act in no interest of mine, so don’t try and meddle with my affairs.”

Jacob laughed from nervousness, “I’m… I’m sorry—”

“Sure,” Netanya hissed at him, “Sure thing. I paid you to do work on my car. You didn’t do it out of friendship. We walked to the beach and you turned into a wolf. Cool. I don’t care. Don’t knock down this door looking for someone who isn’t a piece of you.”

Netanya slammed the door in his face.

Jacob walked back into his house to find his father and Seth playing cards at the small kitchen table. Jacob grabbed some juice from the fridge and sat with them; his father didn’t acknowledge him until he finished his hand. Billy looked at Jacob and said, “I’m very proud of you for accepting your alpha position, but you need to learn its real responsibilities. Netanya doesn’t need you—”

Jacob slammed down his half empty glass of juice, “I can’t ask where someone is without the whole world thinking I want to be nosey and dominating—”

“You don’t see it because you’ve justified your thought process. You need to step back, Jake.”

Jacob stood up from the table, “You sat around and let a young girl suffer and die. I won’t make the same mistakes.”

Jacob started to rush to the front door, but Billy yelled, “Our mistake was that Nuhad needed us and we didn’t act; your mistake is that you’re yet to be needed, and you act.”

Jacob gripped the door handle and looked at his father. Billy seldom shouted, even in fits of rage. This was serious, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of being responsible. “It’s better to act too soon than never at all.”

Billy shook his head at his son.

Jacob stomped over to his motorcycle and rode through the muddy roads until he got onto the highway. He rode his bike much too quickly down the slippery mountain hills until he reached the Swans’ home. Bella wasn’t around, but Charlie was. Charlie poured himself a cup of coffee and asked, “What can I do for you, Jacob?”

Jacob leaned against the kitchen counter and replied, “There’s been some...violence up at The Res, and I’m wondering how to solve it.”

Charlie sipped at his coffee and sat down at the small kitchen table not far from Jacob. “You know as well as I do that reservations are considered semi-sovereign nations. The police force there has warranted power to do anything. You should be asking questions there.”

Jacob quietly sighed, “I know that, but… I don’t know. I was really hoping to uhh… to vent to Bella. Do you know where she is?”

Charlie shrugged, “She’s probably at the Cullens’ house—”

“Alright, thanks Charlie.” Jacob rushed and then bolted back to his bike. He rode slightly less aggressively this time, but still hated the idea of asking any Cullen for advice. Edward was already outside of the house when Jacob rolled up, so he quickly parked his bike and walked up the stairs to Edward. Before he could say anything, Edward told him, “Carlisle is upstairs in his study. He’s reading, but he’d be the helpful one.”

As to Edward’s request, Jacob left his muddy boots in the foyer before walking upstairs to talk with Carlisle. When he got there, he rapped on the door twice before Carlisle opened it. Carlisle smiled and asked, “What brings you here, Jacob?”

Jacob swallowed his excess spit; his voice cracked for a quick second when stating, “My dad isn’t being helpful with this whole alpha thing…”

Carlisle chucked politely, “Well, I don’t know how useful I’ll be with these matters, but come in and we can talk.”

Jacob took a seat on a vintage couch across from Carlisle’s leather, modern chair. Jacob cleared his throat before saying, “I, uhm, I feel like even though I’m young that doesn’t take away from being an alpha.”

Carlisle nodded, “Certainly so.”

“But I’ve been so doubted recently, and there are real problems happening in our tribe. I don’t know how to handle them without all this criticism.”

“That’s been the question of leaders from the beginning of time. Unfortunately the criticism only really stops when fascism is put into place, but those don’t last too long without being toppled. Plus I doubt that’d go over well with your tribe, anyway.”

They both smiled at each other.

“The rest of the wolf pack is supposed to look up to you, Jacob, but not the rest of the tribe. This may not be ageism so much as you’ve confused your position.”

Jacob sighed, “I’m so tired of hearing this! I’m just trying to do the right thing—!”

Carlisle cut him off, “I don’t mean to offended you, but to make sure we’re on the same page.”

“I just want to make sure that some brutal history isn’t repeating itself. My father, and other tribal leaders with him, didn’t act when it was their turn. It’s my turn now and I don’t want to sit around and let it all happen again.”

“What brutality are you referencing?”

Jacob shuffled uncomfortably in his seat. “Not too long ago a sister of—a girl in the tribe…killed herself because no one acted on the fact that she was being—”

Carlisle hated to see Jacob so squeamish, so he interrupted and asked, “And you’re worried that a younger sibling of this girl is going through the same thing?

“Yes,” Jacob sighed with a bit of relief; not having to repeat the story saved him unnecessary stress when trying to solve the problem. “Or no. One’s older now and the younger one has her sister, but I’m worried for them.”

“Do you believe they too are suffering similar abuses?”

“I don’t really know.”

“Do you think this is something you should report?”

“Charlie said to take it up with the officers on The Res.”

“And have you?”

“Not yet.”

“Don’t you consider this the same type of hesitance that you feel your father guilty of?”

Jacob’s whole body stiffened. “No. They knew something was happening.”

“And you’re only operating on a hunch?”

“No!” Jacob leaned forward, “I just don’t know how to intervene.”

Carlisle wiggled in his seat for a moment before committing to a position. “Well, Jacob, leading a pack is a necessity of the supernatural balance, but the crimes in humanity are solved by police. You need to bring your case up to them and not try to handle such a difficult subject on your own.”

Jacob sighed and stood up, “Thanks Carlisle.”

Carlisle nodded, “Come back when you’re comfortable to talk again.”

Jacob laughed, a bit from embarrassment. “Ok. Thank you.”

Jacob quietly made his way back to the foyer and put on his muddy boots. He didn’t see any other vampires, but their sickly sweet smells, all enveloping the sound of one heartbeat forced him out. A part of him wanted to yank Bella out of such a dangerous situation, but he did all he could for her and now she’s planning a wedding. Someone else needs him now, and old issues shouldn’t distract him. Jacob quickly got back on his bike and rode back up to La Push. He veered back onto the freeway and was almost hit by a blackish station wagon, which almost grazed the side of the mountain before parking there. Netanya flew out of the passenger side and started screaming at him, “If you’re so into suicide do it on your own accord and don’t force third parties!”

“What?” Jacob yelled back at her.

“YOU ALMOST HAD US KILL YOU. DRIVE ON THE ROAD LIKE A REGULAR PERSON OR—!”

Natasha popped open the driver’s side door and shouted, “Just get back in her, Netanya! We need to keep going!”

Netanya shook her head at Jacob and got back into her car. They drove off back up the mountain road, but the car was nowhere to be seen when Jacob got back up to his home. He sat back down with his father and said, after a long silence, “I think she painted her car.”

“Good for her,” Billy replied, acting as if their earlier argument never happened.

Jacob grabbed a blanket for his father and gently tossed it at him after sitting on their one, small couch. Jacob’s legs dangled off the side; Billy tucked the blanket around him in his wheelchair; the Sci-Fi channel played, although with low quality, on their TV. La Push had a lot of problems, but their sense of humor was never one of them.