Jacob Black was born and raised on the Quileute Reservation in La Push, Washington. Jacob was raised hearing stories about his heritage that he just wrote off as legends, exaggerations of a proud people. People who wanted something to believe in, something to give them a purpose. He never put much stock in them, rolling his eyes when it was time for the elders to sit around and tell those stories again. His father, Billy, was one of the worst for telling those same stories over and over again.
Growing up, his father was good friends with Charlie Swan, chief of police in Forks - the closest town to La Push. Whenever Charlie's daughter Bella would come and spend time with him, Jacob and his sisters, Rachel and Rebecca would hang out with her when Charlie brought her around. During this time, Jacob found her funny and interesting, and sure he thought she was pretty, but that's all it was. And eventually he found himself developing a little crush on her. However, when she stopped coming back for the summers, he let her leave his mind and he moved on. Of course, he thought about the nice girl that would play with him over the summers but that's all it was.
At least, that's all it was until he was fifteen and Bella walked back into his life. Literally. Jacob was at a bonfire when Bella showed up out of the blue. They spent some time simply talking. Unknowingly, Jacob put the thought in Bella's mind that the guy she liked - Edward Cullen - was actually a vampire. All he'd done was relate some of the stories that he'd been told and apparently, they were true. Who knew?! Well, following his father's orders, he made one more attempt to talk to her while Edward was around. Showing up at her school's prom, he warned her away from Edward. He still wasn't sure what was going on, but he knew that he was supposed to tell her something, so he did.
It wasn't until after Edward left Bella that Jake got the chance to really spend time with her. She started coming up to the reservation more and more and he relished every second that they got to spend together. Of course, each time they hung out, Jacob just fell more and more into love with her. However, something happened to Jacob during this time that would change his life forever.
One evening after leaving Bella at her house, he started feeling really sick. Over the next few days, his body started to change. He realized that the stories of his ancestors were true! He was a werewolf and his body was changing to accommodate that. This changed a lot of things for him – the traits of the werewolf taking over his body. He now could heal faster than any human, could phase in and out of being a wolf whenever he wanted, was able to communicate telepathically with the other werewolves while in wolf form, had super-strength, was exceptionally fast, he wouldn’t age until he went through a long period without phasing, and his body stayed at a constant temperature.
He knew what could happen to the women around the wolves and couldn’t bear to let that happen to Bella. Besides, the mortal enemy of the Quileute werewolves is the vampire. And the entire reason that they exist is to defeat the Cullens. So, knowing that Bella was choosing them over him was almost too much for him. However, he let himself grow close to her again only to have his heart broken. When she returned from her trip to rescue Edward, Jacob knows that they have to break all ties with each other. Not even able to hug her one last time, his entire being is crushed and he transforms. This transformation lasted a few days while he attempted to right himself.
He did his best to keep the distance between them, but he couldn’t help himself. He missed her too much. And, even though she didn’t seem to want to admit it, he knew that she loved him too. So, he does his best convince her of that. He stole some kisses, reassured her while he could. His most important goal in life is to protect Bella. He can’t seem to think of anything that would be more important to him than her safety. He challenged Edward, knowing that he was right – that Bella did love him. Finally, Bella admits her feelings, but tells him that she can’t be without Edward. His heart breaking, he lets her go, telling her that he will always be there for her whenever she needs him, and if she ever changes her mind he'll choose her over anyone.
The clincher for him is when he finds that Edward has sent him an invitation to Bella and Edward's wedding. With it a note is enclosed from Edward, saying that Jacob did not have to come to the wedding, but if their positions had been reversed he would have wanted the choice. Edward also thanks Jacob for everything he's done for Bella, especially for being her friend after he left. This causes Jacob to run away in wolf-form in anger, attempting to "leave Jacob Black behind", to escape the pain he feels from Bella's decision to become a vampire.
It was in this form, the werewolf that Jacob stayed for a few months. He couldn’t bear the thought of being without Bella and knowing that when she transformed, he’d have to live his life without her. He returned to La Push to complete the required classes for his senior year and made the decision to leave. He couldn’t be there when it happened – when she became one of his enemies. Deciding to attend KSU wasn’t a difficult decision. It was far enough away that he would be free. Imagine his surprise when he realizes that not only Bella, but the bloodsuckers are there too.
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