<P> "Jacob was my first experience with a character taking over--a minor character developing such roundness and life that I couldn't keep him locked inside a tiny role...From the very beginning, even when Jacob only appeared in chapter six of Twilight, he was so alive . I liked him . More than I should for such a small part ." </P> <P> Meyer has said that after Jacob started emerging as a prominent character in New Moon . </P> <P> Jacob is given a small role in the first book of the series . He is introduced as the son of Billy Black, an old Swan family friend . When Bella uses him to get information on Edward Cullen and his family, Jacob tells her Quileute legends and introduces her to the idea that Edward is a vampire . Bella comes to like Jacob, and he develops a crush on her . </P> <P> In New Moon, Jacob's character is used as a device to help Bella emerge from her months - long depression, brought on by her distress over Edward's departure . The friendship between the two characters grows strong, but Jacob also develops romantic feelings for Bella that she does not reciprocate . It is revealed that, as a member of the Quileute tribe, Jacob is descended from an ancient line of "shapeshifters" that assume wolf form . In their backstory, the Quileutes and vampires are mortal enemies . When Jacob undergoes his first transformation into a wolf in front of Bella, it is in response to Paul, one of the pack members who becomes enraged when he was slapped by Bella, causing him to phase and attempt to attack her . Jacob rushes outside to defend Bella, and he jumps high over her and phases in midair . Jacob rushes at Paul first and bites and pushes him . Jacob is shown in this scene to be very talented even when this was his first transformation at attacking and countering Paul as he is able to hit him before he has a chance to attack . A scene shows him tackling Paul causing him to crash into a boat rack . He and Paul later arrive at Emily Young's house and Paul apologizes to Bella . Soon, he becomes busy patrolling the forest with his pack, searching for vampires in the area . When Bella is caught by the vampire Laurent alone in a clearing, she is saved by Jacob and the wolf pack, who chase and kill Laurent . Sam first emerges from the woods, Laurent noticing more emerge runs away . Sam closes in on him but is struck back by Laurent just before he was about to tackle him . He later claims that Laurent was nothing but a simple kill . During the chase, Laurent is cornered by part of the pack while Jacob goes for the kill . Jacob and his friends are able to cover a range of 1.67 miles in just 1 minute meaning they are able to run at nearly or close to 100 mph at full run . </P>

How old is jacob black in the twilight saga