Chapter Two: And So We Meet Again

…

Breakfast the following morning was spent alone hunkered over a bowl of soggy cereal. Jacob's father had left around five to start off his day by visiting with the other elders of the tribe and he wouldn't return until seven this evening if he returned at all. He wasn't too fond of spending time with Jacob, hasn't been fond of doing such ever since his sisters moved out and his mother passed. Jacob couldn't blame him either way and was happy for the alone time. They never truly got along anymore regardless. Not with him forcing the idea of mating down Jacob's throat with every breath he exhaled. They were at opposite ends of the universe and they liked it that way, the further they were from one another, the better.

Jacob didn't even look up when the backdoor creaked open. He could smell the scent of black coffee from miles away and it was easy to detect just who had entered. "Well don't you look like the poster child for beauty this morning" Leah barked, taking the chair across from him and straddling it. Her coffee cup plunked down on the table, its contents licking the brim before disappearing back into the plastic depths. Jacob rolled his eyes at her, spooning up another hearty mouthful of cereal to avoid having to respond. She wasn't the easiest girl to deal with but they got along to an extent. She squinted her eyes at Jacob, deflecting his nonchalant chewing with a cold glare.

"Where did you disappear to last night?" she asked, throwing back the last dregs of coffee with a hearty swallow. Her hair flew about her shoulders with the movement, smacking against the bright cream colored birth mark that was settled between the creases of her breasts. It was in the shape of the crescent moon, a ridge of flesh that stood out father than her normal smoothed skin, she exposed it like a battle wound and it intrigued the male population all the more.

Leah knew that she was attractive; she had most of the male population smushed under her fingertips and took advantage of that fact to the upmost extremes at times. "To home." Jacob swallowed, standing and dumping his bowl into the sink. He would have time for chores later. He retrieved his keys from the glass bowl perched on the counter, spinning on his heel to find Leah looking at him with arched eyebrows. She wanted to inquire for more information but he couldn't allow that. If she knew that Jacob took that poor little mistake of a girl to the Cullen's house without any protection, she would rat him out to Sam who would eventually tell Jacob's father.

He didn't like his father as it was, to have him in his personal business was a no no.

"You want a ride or not?" Jacob asked, jingling his keys.

…

They tore out of the driveway and Leah gripped at the dashboard, gritting her teeth and cursing. She had refilled her coffee cup before they left and the entire car smelled of it. The scent of burned rubber thankfully overpowered the scent though and Jacob flashed Leah a dimpled grin when she cut him a sideways glare.

"Just because you have a death wish doesn't mean that I do, slow the fuck down!" she yelped as Jacob cut off another car when veering off the reservation. They attended Forks High school, all of the tribe kids did. Their parents had made a union decision to transfer all of their children involved in pack affairs over here when the Cullen's moved back from wherever they had ventured off to. Jacob didn't really need a high school education considering that all his future obligations didn't require a high school education but he complied with his father's orders simply because there wasn't much else to do around the reservation besides fix up old vans and business cars.

"That's what the seatbelt is for Leah".

Jacob could almost hear her rolling her eyes as she drew in a frustrated breath.

…

They parked in Forks Highs parking lot near the entrance way, farther away from the double doors than the other cars. The weather was still gloomy, sticky almost with the rain that was sure to come. Other students huddled together in the parking lot, giggling and gossiping all around them in that human way they possessed. If Jacob were to stop and think about his packs situation he would assume that another reason why they were transferred here was not only because of the Cullen's, but what they represented.

They were monsters, blood suckers who had the audacity to try and live amongst the well…living. How they controlled their bloodlust was admirable but that didn't take away from the fact that they are what they are. Wolves are the protectors of the humans, the pack must keep them out of harm's way and most importantly (although Jacob hates to admit it), they must protect the Swan girl. She was the only idiot stupid enough to be so intrigued by the supernatural that she fell head first into their trap. They didn't love her, she smelled nice to them sure but they didn't love her. The pack was just here to make sure that those bloodsuckers didn't get the idea in their heads to slurp on her slender neck when they craved a midnight snack.

"I'm getting Paul to drive me home" Leah gruffed, punching Jacob's side playfully and skirting away from him before he could return the favor. "You wound me" Jacob clutched at him chest. "You would rather have temperamental, hormone driven Paul drive you home than me? That hurts Leah; I though what we had was special."

"It was before you decided to kill me! You spilled his coffee you arrogant shit!" they walked through the metal double doors of the school together, down the long row of senior lockers. The smell of school that tended to greet him every day had changed somehow, the acrid floor polish was familiar but there was something that was off. Something had certainly changed.

"Yo Jake! Leah! Wait up!" heavy footfalls pounded through the full hallway as he and Leah waded through the masses. He glanced over his shoulder to find Quil and Embry dashing through the entrance way after him, their book bags dangling on their right shoulders and bouncing in sync with one another. Jacob smiled at them, turning down the hall toward the junior lockers were he could retrieve his first period books. Leah leaned casually against the metal lockers next to Jacob's, her long tanned legs stretched rather sensually as she picked at her nails, feigning boredom. She knew that eyes were on her, with the humans, eyes were always on them, but she never let on to that. Or, she simply didn't care.

Jacob changed out his books from last night and stuffed them into his locker, slamming it shut as he clutched his English textbook in his hand. He was taking classes with seniors all this year, his counselor had taken notice to his grades and thought that it would be a wonderful fucking idea to get him to graduate a year ahead of schedule. The casual buzz of conversation that zipped through the hallway hushed slightly and Leah straightened from her casual pose. Jacob stiffened, he knew what that meant.

He was nearby, coming toward them even.

Jacob slung his bag over his shoulder, taking a breath, hating how his heart picked up pace as he looked for him.

For Sam Uley.

The crowd of students parted straight down the middle for our Alpha without really meaning to. He was there, flanked by Paul, Quil, Embry, Jared, Collin and Brady, moving in tight formation as people pressed themselves back against the lockers to make room. He moved as though he owned the entire school and all of the people in it. His head was held high and although Jacob surpassed him in height, he made Jacob feel small. His dark brown eyes darted from side to side, always wolf like, always predatory in movement. When he found Jacob, Sam cocked half a smile and Jacob challenged Sam's gaze with one of his own. He wouldn't dream of letting Sam see him look fearful, he may be Alpha but he was born to be the leader, Jacob would never fear him even when he tried to make Jacob do so.

Leah moved herself closer, fingers touching the inside of Jacob's palm. He could feel her breathing heavily onto his shoulder blade through the thin cotton of his gray t-shirt. She was nervous, her heart beat was irregular. He could hear it pounding through her delicate rib cage. Once upon a time, she had the silliest crush on Sam Uley. He was her everything, she spent hours upon hours stalking him, blogging about him, squealing over the phone with Jacob until the wee hours of the morning. That spell was broken along with her faith in men shortly after she phased for the first time. She doesn't talk about any boys in particular anymore. Sometimes she jokes that she's fucking Paul when Jacob knows that it's far from the truth. She can barely stand Paul, being near him takes too much work as it is.

All movement in the hall stilled, it was as if time had frozen. Whispers traveled from mouth to ear, but no one dared to breathe. Jacob stood taller, feeling Leah stand to his side, straightening her back. Jacob's lips twitched into a smile when Sam broke their staring match first, he had submitted, for now. Jacbo caught the eye of Quil through the throng of students as he approached with the rest of the pack. "Get out of here. I need to speak with Jacob." Sam shrugged his shoulders and the silence was broken. People scampered away and the rest of our pack disappeared along with them. Leah stayed behind, her nails itching their way across Jacob's palm as if she were asking for his permission to excuse herself.

Either that or she was struggling against the Alpha order.

"Go" Sam raised an eyebrow at her. She ducked her head and dashed after the others, her hair creating a cape of black by her shoulders. She hated leaving Jacob alone with him, that much he already knew but there wasn't much she could do about it.

"You have been distant lately, want to tell me why?" he asked, hooking a finger under Jacob's chin. Jacob pressed hisself against his locker, squaring off his shoulders. "Is there something that you need?" he inquired, watching as Sam laughed at him.

"Oh, come on Jakey. I thought we were friends?"

"We aren't friends Uley." Jacob let those words hang between them, hoping to get a reaction that satisfied him. Instead, Sam simply shook his head and sighed as if Jacob were being some charming yet disobedient pet. "Our elders are preparing the union as we speak, your father appeared at his doorstep at an ungodly hour this morning looking dashing as always." Jacob rolled his eyes, ever the kiss ass he was.

Sam leaned a bit closer, his smile slowly becoming a grin. "In order for this transition to go successfully we have to work together this week", Sam straightened, fingering the fly away strands of hair that were hanging at Jacob's shoulders. Sam's hair was cut short, like most of the pack members. Jacob for one had refused to cut his, sure his wolf hated it but as a human, he liked it best. Leah hadn't cut hers either, she didn't plan on doing so in the foreseeable future, either.

Goosebumps rose at Jacob's neck as Sam's curious fingers tickled at the skin there. "How do we go about doing that?" Jacob asked, watching Sam's shoulders tighten. Sam moved a step away. He was nervous.

"Spend more time together, merge," he said. Jacob pulled his lip between his teeth and nodded. It was a good idea although he didn't want this union thing to progress. Leah, Seth, Quil and Embry were more loyal to him than they were to Sam. As Alpha, surely that made Sam slightly uneasy. But, they had to get the pack to work as one centralized unit, union or not.

"Your father also expressed his concerns about his…."

Jacob arched an eyebrow, watching Sam struggle to find the right word. He could choose one for him but Sam wouldn't see the humor in that. "Fidelity." he bit down on the word harshly and Jacob chuckled. Sam's eyes glowed at the sound of his laughter but a worried crease settled into the crevice of his brow.

"Serves you right" Jacob poked at his chest. "You go after anything with legs and a pulse."

He flashed Jacob a wicked grin. "You're not entirely wrong about that but you see… I go after men only." He whispered the words as if it were their dirty little secret, and maybe it was. He carded a hand through Jacob's waves and pressed a hand to his temple.

"I would never leave you for anyone else."

Jacob swallowed at his declaration. How could he be so sure? They hardly knew each other, his eyes didn't mean it. He probably wasn't even entirely certain why he had said that to begin with. And so Jacob punched him, to be rid of the awkwardness. It had no effect on him but he laughed that hearty carefree laugh anyway, wrapping Jacob's wrist into a vice grip.

"That wasn't the gentlemanly thing to do" Sam tutted, leaning forward to brush his lips against Jacob's earlobe. Jacob rolled his eyes, relieved to be back on track. He don't enjoy the sentimental talk, makes him all kinds of uncomfortable…as you can clearly see. "Anyway, are we hanging out or what?" Sam released his arm, leaving the scent of sandalwood and cinnamon in his wake. He moved a bit closer and Jacob swallowed but nodded, maybe it was for the best.

"It will have to work." Jacob agreed, their pack could only become stronger by sticking together.

"Great." Sam pulled back and smiled at him, a smile that reached his eyes. "Catch you later Jakey."

He pranced out of his way before Jacob could trip him. From where Jacob stood, he could hear Sam's laughter as he ran down the hallway to his first class of the day. Jacob glanced at the clock ticking ominously on the wall and cursed.

Shit, he was going to be late.

...

Jacob bolted for his desk as the final morning bell sounded off. Mr. Vernon wasn't too pleased at his tardiness but he would let him slide, Jacob was his favorite student. Beside him, Leah clicked her tongue impatiently, she wanted details about what had happened out in the hallway. Jacob wasn't prepared to enlighten her with anything, she would find out soon enough.

Up front Mr. Vernon cleared his throat. "Gents, Ladies. Eyes up here if you would be so kind."

Leah clenched her fists into balls on the top of her desk, knuckles whitening. Her eyes were locked on the front of the classroom, a low growl filtering through her lungs. Jacob was the only one who heard it but in the silence that it followed, it was alarmingly loud. "Edward Cullen and Alice Cullen will be transferring into our class today, you have seen them around campus many times before so make them at home." Mr. Vernon peered at Jacob and Leah from over the lenses of his thick wire framed glasses. Leah's hand came to grasp Jacob's forearm and she squeezed it tightly, fingernails digging into the skin like daggers. Jacob winced, certain that he had lost some skin although he knew that it was highly unlikely.

Jacob froze, bringing his eyes up toward the front of the classroom to find a familiar head of auburn hair standing there. He had seen that face the night before but it was too dark for him to make out all of his features.

He's beautiful isn't he? Jacob thought to himself. Their eyes met then and for a minute Jacob could have sworn recognition passed there too. It obviously worked both ways. But Jacob looked away, shaking off the feeling. He was a leech, nothing more and nothing less. His presence was nothing but a nuisance. The air was filled with his heavy smell, he smelled of sugary sweets. The ones that the old witch in the fairy tales used to fatten up those poor children before killing them.

Oh what a gruesome thought process.

"Take a seat somewhere please" Mr. Vernon continued, his voice fighting against the now frantic whispers of giggling girls who eyed Edward up and down. The little pixie girl, Alice -Jacob supposed her name was- bobbed up and down beside Edward, linking her small hand in his and leading him to the six or seven desks that were empty near the back of the room.

Jacob leaned against the window heavily, grateful that Leah finally let go of his arm and settled for balling up her fists instead. She wasn't happy out this out of the blue classroom arrangement, she wasn't happy at all.

...