Author's Note;
This chapter wasn't quite as long as the first one, but it just flew off my fingertips and it seemed like a good enough place to end it. Hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer;
Please see chapter one.
"Hey Jake." Bella offered a soft scratch behind his ears as they watched the Cullens demonstrate how the wolves could expect to be greeted by the newborn army. He allowed it, dipping his head down to give her better access to his ears. It wasn't so much that he enjoyed it, but she needed the comfort and so he offered it.
Despite imprinting, he was still a good person and that was just who Jacob was. But her image kept appearing in his mind and he couldn't keep his thoughts away from her. Sam had assured him that the constant thought of her in the forefront of his mind would go away after the imprint wasn't quite so fresh. He would always be thinking about her, but he'd be able to focus better once the 'new-ness' had worn off a bit.
"Jake – are you paying attention at all?" Sam asked the question even though he knew the answer.
"Not really no." Well at least he was feeling a bit more like himself – he wasn't so lost in his own world. Not that Sam was exactly happy to have the sarcastic overly witted teenager back to normal. Sometimes he swore if Jake wasn't the true Alpha he'd kill him. But with all brothers it lasted for about an hour, maybe two and he was back to doing anything for his brother again.
"Their done, lets just get out of here now. Please? I don't like being in their territory." Jared piped up from Sam's left, eyes never stopping as they flicked from Cullen to Cullen to Bella and back again.
Sam nodded once, and turned leaving with the rest of the pack. Jacob was the first to leave. The sooner he got back to the reservation the sooner he got a chance to see Gray again.
"Edward – did something seem off about Jacob to you?" Not that Edward really cared but he offered Bella a small explanation into her friend's odd habits.
"As far as I can tell – he imprinted on a woman named Gray."
Jacob was gone before the rest of the pack could even catch up to him. Even Leah was left behind as he made his way back to his home. Shifting back he grabbed the ever present pair of jeans on the back porch. He had a wonderful father to be sure – Billy always made sure there was food in the house and that there was a pair of shorts or jeans on the back porch.
But he never did go into the house, he made his way immediately towards Gray's house. He spotted her, still in the back of the truck trying to finish unloading the mess that he assumed was her house.
"God damn mother fffff – Jacob! I thought you were going to be gone for a while?" Why had she memorized what he'd said to her? Why was he back? Did she actually care? No.
He held back a chuckle, only letting a small smile through instead of the damn near hysterical laughter he wanted to let out. The face she'd made when he came around the corner had not only cut her swearing short but her sense of propriety. Now he knew, she swore like a sailor!
"Gray – I've been gone for four hours."
"Four? Four hours? Well this can't be good." As if on cue she heard an evil little chuckle from the house. She smacked her forehead into her palm.
"I really need to get a watch." Without a second look to Jacob she hopped over the side of the truck in a startling contrast to earlier that afternoon when she'd fallen off the side. She landed easily on the balls of her feet before heading towards the house. Only pausing when their bare arms brushed. Which was enough to make her stop and actually realize his lack of a shirt. With the sudden contact it was if they imprinted all over again.
His eyes couldn't leave her face and her's couldn't leave his. Her body leaned into his of it's own volition as she managed to get lost in his dark brown eyes. The world around them didn't exist, it was just them.
Until of course they simultaneously heard the evil giggle from inside the house once again and the tell tale click of a dead bolt sliding into place. They both jumped back as if a small explosion had gone off between them. Jacob was the first to look at the house, eyes narrowed at the sounds coming from it.
"Is there someone in your house?" She offered a soft nod, keeping her eyes away from his even if she felt cold not looking into them.
"My daughter – she's going through the terrible two's at the age of three. She's gotten into this new habit of locking the doors and well pretty much anything she can find. She thinks it's funny when I have to pick the locks to get in."
"Did you know your daughter is evil?" He was serious – that was just evil.
"I'm horrifyingly aware of her evil. According to my father however – she is better than I was at her age." She walked warily towards the door backwards, only stopping when her back hit the solid door and Jacob stood before her.
The heat coursing from his skin warmed her insides and trapped her. He was a wall of male before her and she found that she kind of liked it. Even as her hand fumbled for the locked door handle she found her gaze travelling his body. Not noticing that his was doing the same to her.
"So, uh. Jacob. Tell me about yourself some." For the life of her, she couldn't find the handle.
"What do you want to know?" God how he loved the way she said his name, even when she was nervous.
Managing to peer around the wall of well sculpted and shirtless male before her, Gray was surprised to see ten other people leaning against her truck, just watching the scene before them. Her cheeks darkened in her own form of a blush.
The hand not fumbling for the door handle found it's way to Jacob's stomach. His flesh was feverish, so much so that the maternal part of her worried for his health. She bit her lip both in wonder and in horror. He was so warm, and though his skin was soft she could feel the metal formed muscles just beneath his super heated skin. Although she was a little horrified at herself. Whether she was a mother or not – hitting on a sixteen year old man (boy just did not describe him!) was not appropriate.
"Aww what a cute stuffed bear!" A woman with scars running the length of one side of her face knelt down to pick up the missing toy with a gentle smile.
"The bear!" She found the will to push Jacob away, though it was certainly difficult to do. With long legs, she was at the woman in mere moments.
"I can't believe you found it, I've been searching for that thing for hours." One of the men towards the back snorted.
"Why, can't sleep without it?" He started to laugh with one of the other men in the back. The two of them were having a riot as Gray only raised an eyebrow at them. She was blissfully and thankfully unaware of the raised lip and silent growl coming from Jacob who formed a wall of heat at her back now.
"Well yes actually I cannot sleep without it. If my daughter doesn't sleep – then I don't sleep. But I assume you two boys are the same way with your Batman nightlights hmm?" The crossed arms and hip cocked to the side along with the 'Mother Stare' did exactly what they did to every person in the world who had a mother but wasn't one. It cowed them down.
"Ignore Paul and Jared – they can be royal asses sometimes. I'm Sam Uley – and this is my fiance Emily." Sam offered a hand to her and she shook it without a second thought. Aware of how warm his hand was. Almost instantly her palms were to warm for their own good and she felt flushed.
"Nice to meet you Sam and you as well Emily." Emily offered her hand and Gray was pleasantly surprised to find that Emily ran a normal temperature. Taking the proffered bear from Emily she smiled down at it.
"Thanks Emily – Demi will be oooph!" Glancing down at her leg, Demi clung to it. Arms wrapped around her mother's thigh and legs around Gray's knee. She'd leapt at her mother not simply clung to her.
"Momma Bear! Can I has Brother Bear back! Please please please!" The instantaneous puppy eyes from the child made nearly everyone in the group gush. Even stoic and silent Leah who hadn't looked impressed at Gray's appearance.
"Okay – now that is cute!"
"Cute, until she locks you out of your own house." Demi had the sense to look ashamed even if everyone, including her mother could easily tell that she wasn't actually ashamed of what she had done.
"I'm sorry Momma. Can I has Brother Bear back now?"
"And what makes you think that you deserve him back you little rodent? You locked your mother out of the house. Do you realize what could've happened? I could've been eaten by the boogie man all because I couldn't get into the safety of the house!"
"I'm really really sorry Momma! I won't do it again!"
"Sure you won't. I use to tell Papa Bear that all the time, he never believed me." With a soft sigh, she rolled her eyes and relented. Handing the toy to Demi who grabbed at it with eager hands and ran off into the back yard.
"Well, now you've met Demi. I'm Gray."
"Embry, Quil, Paul, Jared, Seth, Collin, Brady, and Leah." Emily was kind enough to point to each person as she named them and everyone except Leah waved or smiled in response.
"So are you guys the welcoming committee?"
"No, I think Jacob has that one covered."
"Shut up Seth!" It wasn't long before everyone except Emily and Gray were running around the front of her house. Jacob was chasing Seth, Leah was chasing Jacob. Paul was chasing Leah, Jared was chasing Jacob, Collin was chasing Jacob and Brady. Brady was chasing Seth as for Quil and Embry – they were being chased by almost everyone for their comments on the side lines.
"Are they always like this?" She jerked a thumb towards the group of men. Poor Sam, was simply standing in the middle trying to catch all of the shirtless men or Leah by the back of their necks.
"Pretty much. I brought some pasta over for you, moving in is always a pain."
"Oh food!"
"Food?" The crowd of running people was still, watching Emily and Gray like a pack of wolves – ironic no?
"Is that a bad word to say?" Gray whispered to Emily with a slightly nervous look on her face.
"With them within a 10 mile radius? Yes." Emily whispered back to Gray, moving to stand beside her. Two women, against a pack of hungry wolves.