Author's Notes;

Well, this is the first story I've written in a long time. But I feel very connected to the story - creative wise at the very least - and I'm hopeful that the momentum will keep going for me. I love reviews - but I won't beg for them. So if you want to leave me one and let me know what you think, yes please do. If you just want to read along as the chapters come, so be it. Please do not leave any flames, if you don't like the story or something about it, then simply leave this page and find a different story more suited to what you are looking for. If anyone is interested in beta-ing this story for me, that would be wonderful as I could probably use the help and motivation to keep going when I'm having a bad writing day! So here is the first chapter of The Wolf & The Bear and I sincerely hope that you like it.

Disclaimer;

I do not own Jacob Black, Bella Swan, the Pack, the Cullen family or any vampires that may occur to be constant and regular cast members of the movies and/or books. Even if they were mentioned once in the book and/or movie - I do not own them. I do however own Gray Bear, Demi Bear and all other members of the Bear family that can and will be mentioned throughout the course of the story. I do not own - nor do I wish to - any of the legends of the Quileute tribes or the Penobscot tribes. Any legends or such that I invent for the purpose of this work of fiction, will be noted at the beginning of the chapter.

The old truck rattled and clunked when it was put in park - but it was a sweet old thing. Never failed yet - but the sounds it made. She had taken it to mechanic after mechanic, but they just keep telling her to buy a new truck. Gray however, refused to give in to that computerized vehicular trend. She was often quoted as saying "I prefer my old diesel pick-up as loud and rusty as it might be.".

The thankfully sleeping passenger gave a soft sigh, and Gray smiled gently over at Demi - her monster of a three year old. She was far to smart for her own good and knew way to much about life already. She'd been sleeping since the state line - but who knew how much longer that would last. She had to get the toys unpacked immediately. Step one - get Demi into the house. Step two, get to the damn toys. Demi wasn't spoiled - even though she knew that was a bit of a lie as she scooped her up in her arms - but she had one stuffed animal, a bear, that she just couldn't live without at the moment.

Getting her into the house and into her bed, was the easy part. Getting back out and getting her bear out was the hard part. Typical Gray, had forgotten to label the boxes, so now she was stuck with a giant pile of boxes in the back of the truck to unload by herself. And if past luck held true - the box with the bear would be at the very bottom of the giant pile.

Why it seemed like a good idea to climb up the side of the truck when it was icy, she would never know. But it just seemed easier. To bad it really wasn't the smartest idea in the world. She got one foot up on the tire of the truck and just as she went to bring her other foot up, she slipped off the tire. Sure the driveway was just dirt - but still, she wasn't looking forward to the headache that would surely await upon impact.

Credit where credit is due, she did try to brace for impact...but it never actually came. Just an overwhelming heat that engulfed her entire body and set it on fire - and not in a pleasant way either. That witch at the stake, get me the hell out of here kind of fire. Her eyes screwed shut - mostly because she was still expecting the impact to come.

A deep laugh like a freight train off the tracks sounded. Great, meeting a new neighbor, who has just saved my head and my ass respectively and he's laughing at me. Wonderful first impression - gotta say. That's a new low right there for me. "You can open your eyes now - I'm not going to drop you for fun at this point."

Superstitiously popping one eye open to find her stare met with a black clad chest. It was a nice chest. Being a single mom had it's down sides...very few dates and even fewer "dates" to settle the hormones. So she could do little but try not to salivate at the idea of what that chest would look like without that tight shirt. That was until her eyes got up to the face that matched that chest. God he was just a kid!

He couldn't have been more than sixteen. Not to say that I'm old - I'm only nineteen. But he was sixteen and he had a chest like that? Where had he been when she was his age! Oh right - he'd been thirteen. Studying his face, she never actually met his eyes for the sheer embarrassment.

"Thanks - for the save. I wasn't quite ready to go and visit Mother anytime soon." Despite not looking him in the eye it was easy to tell he was confused.

"Mother?" Yep, he was a teenager - he sounded like one with that tone. Once again, sounding old.

"Sorry - tribe joke. At my expense no less." He still looked confused. Even though she could really only see his chin.

"I was just a kid - three I think the elders said - when I was chasing after my mother calling for her and tripped over a rock and landed face first in the dirt. I guess I told the earth that it was a mean mother that it should want me to land on my face. Well ever since anytime someone falls in the tribe we always say 'Mother was being mean'..." Well that was awkward.

"Well then." He looked pointedly at the earth for a moment. "You mean mother - trying to make her fall on her head." She couldn't help the laugh that escaped and was thankful that he not only joined, but was kind enough to put her down finally. She was kind of glad to be out of his far to warm embrace at least a little even if he hadn't fully released her yet. Did he know he was running a deadly fever?

"Thanks again...?"

"I'll tell you my name if you look me in the eye." Not fair. But she did as he asked - how foolish to have to be asked by a sixteen year old to look him in the eye. Granted he was gargantuan in size. Gray was not small, at six foot three she was the tallest woman she'd ever come across - but he had to be at least seven feet tall almost!

Despite being a mother - she was still human and couldn't help the slow lingering gaze that raked over his chest to his broad shoulders, up his muscled neck to the beginning of his face. His chin was strong and stubborn, his lips were full and she really did just want to kiss him. He just had those kind of lips - no woman could look at them and not think kissing thoughts about those lips. His nose was straight, his skin smooth was an enticing russet colour not unlike her own skin colour - but she was just a touch darker. When she finally reached his eyes - something inside of her snapped and then clicked all in the same instance.

It was painful but beautiful at the same time. Her breath hitched for a moment - as she felt herself being pulled in two directions. Towards the man who still had his large arms wrapped around her midsection. And another pulling and begging just as strongly for her daughter. The two things connecting her in life, and they were at war. He had long since placed her on her own two feet, but his arms remained. Fingers splayed against her suddenly chilled skin where her shirt had lifted up. The heat that had once been far to much for her, even through her leather jacket now offered nothing but warmth and comfort.

"I'm Jacob Black." Their eyes were locked and it took her a second to realize what exactly he was talking about.

"Pleasure to meet you Jacob - I'm Gray Bear."

"Gray Bear?" He looked as confused as he sounded.

"Yeah - uh long story short? Tribe legend. Anything beyond that gets into the full story." She offered a sheepish smile, revealing a wide smile and pearly white teeth. "So...Jacob. Do you think you could let me go now?"

He tilted his head in the cutest way, brow furrowing to a point that made him look young and innocent again. She pointed at his arms still wrapped around her. Her midsection was so small he could have easily had his arms wrapped around her twice.

"Oh! Of course. Sorry." He gave a soft laugh, releasing her immediately. Though to any bystander - it was easy to tell they both regretted the sudden lack of contact.

"Well, I should probably get to unpacking." With the physical connection lost between them, the pull of her daughter felt stronger and more right. Her daughter was her own. She belonged to her, gave her a strength and comfort no man could ever provide. Demi was something wrong that she had done right and she wanted to hold her daughter again now. Even though she was getting a bit to big to be held all the time.

"Do you want some help?" How refreshing - a teenager with manners.

"Oh, um. No, no. I got it. Thanks for the offer though." She still couldn't tear her eyes away from his and it seemed he couldn't either.

Neither one of them heard the truck pull up, or the wolf whistles. It wasn't until the young boy was right in Jacob's ear that he actually heard him.

"Jake! Dude let's go - Sam called us." Placing a hand on Jacob's shoulder, Seth gave him a good hard shake. "Jake! Are you listening? Let's go!"

The shake did the trick, breaking their eye contact. "Sorry Gray - I gotta run. But if you change your mind, I live just next door. House with the ramp - can't miss it!" Turning to follow Seth, he pulled his black shirt off mid-run towards the truck.

Gray was once again stuck staring. It was a hot day out and she could already feel the sweat that had accumulated on her body. WIth his temperature running that high - he had to have been twice as hot - er warm! Warm as she was. Removing his shirt, he tossed it into the truck bed before hopping up in a single - and oddly graceful - leap. Showing off the strong muscles in his back and the rather nice ass.

Biting her lip she tilted her head to the side ever so slightly to watch him as they drove away. "Damn fine ass too." Turning her attentions back towards the truck full of boxes she climbed up a much safer way and began to unload.

Though they had been driving away, the unnatural hearing of the boys in the truck had caught her final parting words. It was a safe assumption that Jacob would be tormented for the comment later when they could share with the entire pack.

It was a short trip to the clearing where they parked the truck and shed their clothes for the shift. Nudity was no longer an issue among the pack. It really just wasn't practical to have clothes strapped to your paw - so most of the pack didn't worry about it when on the reservation.

As usual - the shift was smooth and painless. One form taking the place of another. Instantly Jacob was assaulted with the taunting from Paul. Serves me right for shifting last.

"Whoo! Jacob - got a damn fine ass goin' there man. Turn around let me see!" The wolf that had taken the place of Jacob offered a scowl and a soft grumble.

"Shut up Paul."

"Damn Jake - she was fiiiine! Who was she? And is she single? Cause you know she'll want 'all of this' over all of you." He really wasn't even paying attention to who was speaking. He was to lost in the memory and the thoughts about her. Seven minutes and thirty two seconds they'd been together, but it was enough time for him to form a perfect picture of her. Tall frame - she was actually taller than some of the members of the pack. She had to be at least six foot two to his six foot seven frame. She was tiny, but not in a fragile or skinny way. In a nimble way. Despite being tiny around the middle, she had broad shoulders, strong hips and muscles that made her look overly well built for a woman.

She wasn't quite as muscled as Leah - but she wasn't lacking either. For a human woman, she looked like the one to avoid in a fight. He did notice that her hands however, were soft and small with thin fingers made for gentle work and care. As well as he knew her body by sight, her face. He knew her face like he knew his own heart beat - but it wasn't enough for him. He wanted to know it even more. The tiniest imperfection in the skin, he wanted to know where it was and how it got there. Why it was there, and to tell her that it made her face perfect.

Her cheekbones were high and her nose was long and thin, but there was an almost shallow roundness to her face that he didn't see very often in women of the tribes. Her forehead was high, but covered by her black bangs. Her hair hung down bone straight to her waist and her eyes. Oh her eyes, they were a solid grey like a precious stone kept from man kind for centuries until it was a polished grey.

"Really Jake? We had to know that much about how she looked?"

The pack shared a silent gaze while he was lost in thought still, about how her skin felt. It seemed it hadn't even clicked yet for him.

"Jacob you idiot - you imprinted on her. Would you just get that already so we can go meet the leeches for their 'practice'?" Snapping out of it, Jacob nodded, trying to regain a quiet in his mind. Trotting up beside Jacob, the black wolf nudged him with a wolfish grin.

"Welcome to the club Jake."

"Thanks Sam."