I don't own Twilight and I am not making any money from this. Also a shout out to my muse/editing goddess Pinkbelt for giving me that swift kick up the backside I seemed to have needed!
Chapter two: Breakfast with the Boys...
"ELLIE!" was the only warning she got before she was thrown into the air, her ribs being crushed by vice grip tanned arms.
"Down Shrek!" she yelped, finding herself at an uncomfortable height. A booming laugh caused her ears to ring while she was let back down to the ground. Looking behind her with a wide smile, she took in her little cousin who wasn't as little as she remembered. "Dude, what are they putting in the water here nowadays?" Jacob gave her a wolfish grin as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Growth spurt, I guess." Ellison rolled her eyes and turned back to her frying pan. Billy laughed at the two in the background, a large mug of coffee in hand. With a grace that she had from years of practice, she flipped the eggs in the air before checking on the bacon in the other pan. Drawn by the sound and smell, Jacob leaned in close. A swift smack from his cousin stopped the wandering hands.
"Ouch!" he stared at her, playful hurt dancing in his eyes. Returning his look with a mock glare, she held up her egg flipper threateningly. "So do you think you have enough for everyone?" Looking at the large pile of eggs and bacon already resting on a plate, Ellison nodded.
"There's enough for us." Jacob glanced over to his father, trying to hold in his laughter. "What?" her head flickered between the two when she noticed his arm. "Jacob when the hell did you get a tattoo?"
"Its a tribal thing, Sonny. Men's business," Billy replied, stoic beneath her fierce glare.
"Men's business, my arse. Mom never mentioned this to me when I was growing up." her uncle gave his son a look before turning back to Ellison.
"Its a tradition we've only just picked up again." he held up his hand to stop her from interrupting, "I promise that we'll tell you later, at the moment, however, things need to be kept quiet." Not impressed by his answer but resigned none the less, she turned her attention back to her cooking.
"So what did you mean before, by 'is this enough for everyone?'"
Before Billy could answer her, four shirtless men burst into the kitchen from the back door. With speed that belied their large forms, they were at the table, staring at her eagerly. A blush danced on her cheeks as she took them in. The group was a wall of lean muscle, dark hair and intense eyes. Strong jaws and broad shoulders captivated her yet at the same time made her feel threatened. Their eyes watched, taking in all that was around them like wild dogs scoping out prey, in this instance, her cooking. The sheer intensity of their gaze made her intellectual mind battle with her instincts. She knew they wouldn't hurt her, but the raw power that radiated out of them made her want to lower her eyes and back away in submission. Long muscled limbs twitched and tensed, ready to pounce at the slightest threat. Matching tattoos, identical to Jacob's gleamed from their arms, adding to the unleashed fury that danced underneath their skin.
Looking closer, she realized that they all had subtle differences. The boss of the group was big, built like a tank with no excess flab. His sheer overwhelming physique pushed his dominance on the room, almost pulsating in its power. On his left sat two smaller boys, all corded muscle and power, yet slightly less awe inspiring unlike their leader. Then there was the one that caught her eye the most. The one that stared back at her as fascinated by her as she was him. He was tall, packed, almost wiry, with lean sharp muscles. His skin was taunt and smooth, begging to be worshiped. Black silky hair stuck up in all directions, framing an almost elfin face. But he wasn't pretty, he was masculine, handsome, beautiful. Black on chocolate brown flashed with intelligence, and almost darkness. Drawing in the unexpected. Intense and aware. It took Ellison's breath away as he continued to hold her gaze.
"Sonny?" Billy's voice was a distant echo, a whisper on the wind. "Ellison!" his sharp voice drew her attention away from the man.
"Hmn?" her eyes widened slightly in question. Billy gave her am understanding smile.
"This is everyone," Jacob grinned. "The big one is Sam, those two are Jarrod and Embry and the one staring at you is Paul. They're probably a lot different to what you remember." she met Paul's eyes once more before she blushed and ducked her head.
"I guess I have some more cooking to do, then," she said wryly, walking over to the fridge and pulled out two more cartons of eggs. Her cousin laughed at her and grabbed more rashers of bacon. "Its good to see you all again." Low rumbling greetings came at her in reply as the focused on her cooking. Turning her back to the new visitors she started frying again, more than aware that she was being stared at.
"So how come you're not at Emily's, Sam?" Ellison heard her uncle ask.
"She's angry that I broke her wicker table, now she's refusing to cook for us until I either fix it and grovel or buy her a new outdoor setting," came the low mumble. To her it sounded almost like a wolf's growl. Billy chuckled.
"Well, that's a good thing for us," he replied. "I need to ask a favor of you boys." Another blush stole up her cheeks. Grabbing another plate from the counter, she served a large helping and put it in front of Sam.
"Let him taste the food, first, Uncle Billy, before you make the offer," Ellison grinned as she turned back to the fry pan, studiously ignoring the unending stare Paul was giving her. As she fried more eggs, Sam took a bite of his breakfast, letting out an appreciative moan as he swallowed.
"Don't tell Emily this, but I think she has a rival," He complimented, shoveling another forkful into his mouth. "Now what was that offer?"
"You know the old Rae Cabin?" Billy asked in his quiet tones. The men nodded. "Well, Sonny, here has moved back to La Push and wanted to live back home. Problem is the cabin's in disrepair. Now Sonny, here is willing to pay for tools and cook for you guys if you want to fix it up. What do you say?" While Billy was talking, Ellison served Jarrod and Embry their breakfast, not quite ready to face Paul. Sam thought for a moment and looked at the others.
"I'm in," Paul said quietly, his voice almost a purr as she placed his meal in front of him. She couldn't help but glance at him, red stealing up her cheeks. It was almost ridiculous, the amount of times he made her blush. The other two quickly agreed, their mouths full of half chewed bacon. Ellison found it odd that despite her early impression of them, only Sam and Paul seemed to retain their hunter persona. The other two were like little boys in a cake shop.
"Okay then," Sam said, finishing his plate of food. "We'll have a look over it today and let you guys know what we need to get started. Do you mind if I give Emily a call?" Billy shook his head and pointed to the phone on the wall. The other three finished theirs quickly before putting their plates into the sink.
Ellison grabbed the two frying pans and turned around. Paul was right in front of her. Gasping, she almost dropped them. He moved like a predator, taking the metal wear and putting them into the sink with a smirk. "Its been a while since we last met," he began turning his head to pin her with his smooth chocolate gaze. "I'm not sure if you remember-"
"Last time I saw you, Paul, you pushed me into an ice patch and caused me to slip and break my leg," Ellison said wryly, slipping past him to wash the dishes. He gave her an apologetic look before grabbing her hips and shifting her out of his way. Ellison gasped. Heat seared her where his hands rested. Green eyes darted to intense chocolate ones. "Are you always so feverish?" the warm palms moved up to beneath her breasts. His hot temperature seeped into her body through the clothes. She glared at him and pushed his hands off him. "I thought age brought maturity. I can see that I was clearly wrong. You're still a jerk."
He drew back, his face blank and closed. It was a sharp turn from the overwhelming stares that he had given her only moments before. Marble carved jaw clenched, Paul bit out, "I'll see you at the cabin later." He stalked out faster than he came in. Ellison sighed and sat down at the breakfast bench. The morning was such a whirlwind.
Thank you to all that added me to their story alert. And thanks to Hailey for reviewing.