The next day I got up really early to go to the big house with Mum to help Esme with the picnic lunch I'd asked her to help me make. This was my first time hanging out with most of these pack members socially, generally I stayed with the older crew because I knew them better, but these were the people I'd be going to school with so I thought there was no better time to try and get to know them than now.
Together with mum and grandma we had made enough food to feed an army, a large and extremely hungry army. There were sandwiches, wraps, pastas, salads, pastries, muffins, biscuits and sweets. Grandma must have been working on this since the time I called her last night, there was just so much food.
I'd gotten to be a very good cook over the years, it was hard not to when Esme was alway cooking up something gourmet, I just kind of followed on and it always ended up delicious. While I didn't cook often, when I did I made brilliant food for Jake and I to share. He said my food always tasted better but I think that's just because there was no vampire smell to it at all.
We packed up all of our creations in multiple containers and loaded them into the back of my Jeep for me to take on the hike. I was going to meet Jake and the others at the end of the road and the beginning of the hiking trail so I wouldn't have to worry about carrying the copious amount of food all by myself.
Jake had said he and a few of the pack were going to go a bit early to set up some stuff like blankets and bean bags to make the day extra special. Better yet, it was one of those rare sunny days in Forks so we didn't even bother with rain gear.
I drove off toward La Push with the radio playing and the windows down, soaking in as much of the warmth as possible. When I pulled up to Charlie's house I could see Sarah already peeking out the window, excited to get going.
We were wearing pretty similar attire, she had on a white tank top to my black one, she was in cargo green pants and I was in blue jeans, she had some worn out tan Dr Martins and I had on hiking boots. We even had our hair similar, half pulled back and curly.
I waved to her from the car and honked the horn playfully. She came skipping out with an expensive looking camera in one hand and brownies in the other. Sue must have warned her about how much food the boy eat because she had a LOT of brownies.
"Hi Ness, how are you?" She said merrily and she gracefully slid into the passenger seat.
"Yeah good thanks Sar, really excited to get going on this hike. Those brownies smell so good!"
"Thanks, its my Mum's recipe, the last batch just came out of the oven, Sue told me how much the boys supposedly eat so I made like 5 times the normal recipe" she laughed
"Sue was right, I'm not even sure that will be enough for them! But it's alright I packed a tonne of stuff as well so they wont go hungry thats for sure".
We made casual conversation the whole drive, she told me about her life back in Australia and her plan to become a midwife when she graduated at the end of next year but was really enjoying life in America.
"I wonder if I could do one of those exchange programs for my last year!" She piped up.
"An exchange? What do you mean?"
"You like go overseas to study for a bit and get credit for your subjects back at home, I had plans to do it in university anyway but I'd really like to stay a bit longer with Aunty Sue, Charlie and my cousins."
"That sounds like a great idea! They are just about to open up a new school in La Push that has great facilities, I'm sure you'd be able to work something out."
Just as we'd finished talking out some of the finer details of this plan I pulled up at the the tree line where the trail began. I could hear some voices off in the distance, too low for a human to hear, about how the boys needed to be careful about how they acted because a few of the imprints weren't in on the whole secret yet.
As we jumped out of the car, Jake emerged from the trees, followed by a very happy looking Blake as well as a few of the other boys.
I ran up to Jake and gave him a bear hug only to feel that spark again there in between us. It definitely felt like something was beginning to change between us and it was for the better i was sure. He gave me a quick peck on the cheek and took my hand.
We walked over to where Blake and Sarah were now happily chatting and saw another car pull up with Embry's imprint Summer at the wheel. In this car was a few more girls I recognised to be imprints of the guys. They were all about my age so I was glad that Sarah would have a few more friends she could go to if she needed that actually lived on the Rez.
(A.N sorry if this list is a bit boring but i need to introduce the new pack members and their imprints. In brackets are also their ages not super important but gives you so idea about stuff)
All together the people going on the hike were Jake and I, Blake (17) and Sarah (17), Quil (24) and Claire (11), Conor (18) and his imprint Georgia (16), Brendan (17) and his imprint Maddi (16), Kurt (17) and his imprint Chelsea (11), Nick (16) and hist imprint Annika (15), Embry (24) and his imprint Summer (19) as well as the rest of Jake's pack, Leah (24), Seth (22), Codey (17) and Chris (18). The two boys from Sam's pack, Jace (18) and Josh (18), also came as they would be starting school with us as well.
"Wow", Sarah whispered to me "you sure know how to get a group together don't you!"
"Yeah, the boys really do it all for me, they are as close as brothers and as thick as thieves. And don't worry if you don't remember everyone's name, you aren't expected to on the first go. It would be impossible without name tags!" I joked to try and make her feel more at ease with the large group.
The boys began to unload the food from my car and distribute amongst each other to carry, it turned out the girls in the other car had also brought some snacks so we would definitely have plenty of food between us all.
Once Jake had finished unloading everything, he tossed my keys back at me and took my hand as we began to set off on the hike, the rest of the group following closely behind us. It was so nice to walk at human pace and have chats along the way, I did notice however a certain couple trailing a bit further behind, said couple being Sarah and Blake.
We watched some of the boys show off a little bit, it would have been remarkable if I thought they were human but I'd seen them in all their wolfy glory so swinging from trees really didn't cut it for me.
The walk took about 40 minutes and was definitely well worth it when we got there. The boys had made a little oasis for us, full of cushions, bean bags and picnic blankets in a small clearing surrounded by wild flowers. It was simply beautiful.
I hears murmurs of "wow" and "thankyou" and "its beautiful" echo through the crowd we'd bought together. I simply reached up to Jacob's cheek and gave him a chaste kiss, he knew how much things like this meant to me already.
We unpacked the food before we got too settled so that we could have a relaxing day on the cliff top. Sarah pulled out her DSLR camera and took candid photos of the whole scene, mesmerised by both the people and the place.
Once everything was laid out I settled into Jacobs lap upon some cushions and made easy conversation with the rest of the pack. We talked about our upcoming school attendance mainly but Sarah and I also asked about the relationships between other members of the pack. I didn't feel like an outsider as such because I knew everyone by name, but i certainly hoped that I would be able to get closer to everyone when we were at school. I'd missed out on so much just because I lived in the cottage with my parents, maybe it was time for me to get out more.
I'd always been so busy learning with my family about everything from history to music to maths and science that I had forgotten to learn about the people who were so close to Jake. I resolved to find out more about each and every one of them so that I could be more a part of Jacob's world.
Our lounging around turned into running around and soon out came a soccer ball and a football. We played some games and messed around until the boys started to complain of being hungry. It was only then we migrated back to the food, simply forgetting that it was a necessity because we were in such good company.
After lunch Sarah started to take her shoes off and then the rest of her clothes to reveal bikini underneath. She said confidently over the top of all the chatter "I only wanted to come up here to jump off the cliff, is anyone else in?"
The boys all laughed, they'd done it a million times before but I was definitely surprised she was up for the challenge, especially from this height.
Blake was of course the first one to follow her lead and began to strip off. I got up too and began to undress. I walked over to her in my bikini noticing a few of the single wolves staring at both her and me. Those said boys were shot furious looks from Jacob and Blake and I just giggled. I was actually kind of jealous of her body, her tan made her look so muscular and strong and her 6 pack rivalled mine, she looked like a model in her swimmers.
"You going to jump with me Ness?" She asked
"You bet I am sister!"
We held hands and walked to the edge.
"Oh wait!" She said
"Not going to chicken out on me" I asked laughing
"Not a chance, I just want someone to get a picture when we jump!" she laughed as she ran to give Summer her camera and explained how to use it.
Seth, Jace and Josh all decided to jump with us and flipped into the water before Sarah even returned. Once she had i grabbed hers and Jakes hand and she held onto Blake's.
She was a mix of giggles and screams as Jake called out "3…2…1…JUMP!"
We all jumped into the cold water below, falling down for several seconds before resurfacing above the waves.
"Oh my god" Sarah cried concerned
"What is it!? What's wrong?!" Blake yelled concerned
"I…uhhhh….my….uhhh….turn around!" she stuttered
"Why whats wrong?!" Blake continued
"My bikini top fell off when I jumped, Ness Can you help me get it back and re-tie it"
The faces of the surrounding wolves turned bright red as they realised her predicament and they all immediately turned around to give her some privacy.
I dove under and saw it straight away, snagging it before I resurfaced.
"Got it! I called, come here and i'll tie it for you" I laughed
Once she was all tied up and bright red with embarrassment she said a thank you and swam back to Blake. I'm not sure who looked more dishevelled out of the pair of them, either way, it was hilarious.
We all swam as a group to where the rocks emerged from the water making it easy to get out. From there we began to scale the cliff back to where the rest of the group was waiting at the top.
With some help from the boys, Sarah managed to join us in the climb and shortly we were back up at the clearing wrapped in towels.
I snuggled into Jake to keep warm and adorably I watched as Sarah and Blake did the exact same thing.
We stayed in the clearing until sunset, only then did we walk back down to the cars. We all piled in to seperate cars and bid goodnight to each other. I made sure to go and say a proper goodbye to Josh and Jace as I didn't get to see them very often because they were part of Sam's pack. I also made sure to tell them to tell Sam thank you for looking after the patrols today and allowing all of Jake's pack the day off.
When I got home Jake came inside to help me put all of the containers away. All of the food had been consumed so it was just a matter of washing them and putting away. Mum and Dad had left a note saying that they were up at the big house and I could either come around for dinner or cook something here for myself and Jake. We decided to stay in and make lasagne.
Turned out that I was the one doing the cooking and Jake sat perched on the bench top and observed. Once it was in the oven we swapped spots and he cleaned up as I sat and watched. Once it was done, he nestled himself between my legs and we began to talk.
Soon we realised that the spark had come back, and the spark was not only running through my body but i could feel it between my legs too.
I pressed myself against him and he obliged by sliding me off the countertop and pinning me against him.
As I looked up into his eyes there was something there that I'd never noticed before.
"Nessie," he asked "I love you so, so much, is it ok if I kiss you, I've never wanted you more than I want you right at this moment"
"Jake baby, I don't know what it is but right now i don't just want you, I need you. Please kiss me"
And just like that our relationship became so romantic, it was the easiest transition I could of asked for, but so was everything between us. I kissed him slow at first feeling his warm and full lips dance with mine but then he deepened it when he slid his tongue into my mouth. He tasted like heaven. So warm and so beautiful. I wrapped my legs around him to try to pull myself closer to him. I needed more. His hands travelled to cup my arse and stroke my hair and I slid my arms around his and bunched them in his hair. He had my pressed between him and a wall and my hips couldn't help but slowly grind there to try and release some of the pressure that was mounting between my legs. We stayed like this for what simultaneously felt like eternity and not long enough before we broke away panting for breath.
"Ness, I'm so fucking in love with you, I can't believe it took me this long to realise that all I wanted to do was kiss you" He said breathlessly.
In response I kissed him deeply but pulled away before any more could come of it. We moved over to the couch to snuggle and escape to our own little slice of paradise only to be interrupted by the oven timer. Even though Jake cursed it for ruining the moment, his stomach thanked him as it let out an all mighty rumble.
I set the table as he pulled the lasagne out of the oven to serve. We sat next to each other talking as if nothing had changed, which was great because our relationship was already perfect, we just added another new and exciting element to it.
And that was how my parents found us, chatting away at the dinner table like any other night. Only dad's grinding of teeth would signify anything was different.
"Jacob," he said, a bit too calmly "I think it might be time we took a walk."
The pair shared a terse nod, Jacob kissed my cheek softly before following my father outside. I didn't hear any bones breaking once the door closed so that at least was a good sign.
My mum, not missing a beat, then began to question me for details. Uncomfortable with the whole situation I told her that Jacob and I had decided that we didn't just love each other but we were in love with each other and things had progressed after that. Obviously I didn't want to give her details but I did tell her that Jake and I were planning to go on a date the following night and that I wanted her, Aunt Alice, Aunty Rose and Grandma to help me get a new dress for the occasion.
I think Alice may have been starting to rub off on her because she squealed the most high pitched, girly squeal I had ever heard.
All I could was laugh at her antics as she further probed me about the details of my date night tomorrow. Unfortunately, I was about as clueless as she was when it came to the details but i'm sure Alice would manage to find the perfect outfit for me to wear without any help.
When Dad and Jake arrived back at the cottage I was pleased to see them both full, working and totally uninjured. While I suspect they had a relatively awkward conversation, I was now sure that our relationship was totally secure and my family approved.
I walked over to dad first to give him a big hug as a thank you and then took Jake's hand to walk outside.
"So what did he say?" I queried
"Now now Nessie, that would be secret mens business," He said with a wink. "I'll pick you tomorrow night at 5. I love you!"
"Love you too Jake." I smiled as he leant down for a slow and passionate kiss before he took off toward La Push.
I said my goodnights and headed up to my room to prepare for bed. I turned on my music in the background and began to swirl around my room, ever so content with how things were turning out for me. I had a shower and noticed that I was definitely filling out, I'd have to get some new underwear while we were out tomorrow. I changed into my night gown and fell into the most content slumber I'd ever had.
The next morning I was rudely awakened by Alice at an ungodly hour.
"You can sleep in the car on the way, we have to drive pretty far away so that no one will recognise us."
She was right I slept for about another 3 hours in the car until we arrived at the Westfield Southcenter mall. I quickly ate the breakfast Esme had made for me and jumped out of the car with the rest of my family.
We spent about 2 hours shopping for a new wardrobe for me, another 2 hours were dedicated solely to underwear and then finally we walked into another store where Alice picked up a bag that was already wrapped up.
"What's in that?" I asked
"Oh silly Nessie, you don't get to see what you are wearing tonight, that would spoil the surprise!" Alice giggled.
We stopped off for some food for me before returning to the car to get home. The trip was spent with me telling them all about the hike I'd been, my new friend Sarah, my plans for school and also the current situation with the vampire government.
"Well it would be nice if we could get all of the werewolves on board but some of them are still too hesitant to trust vampires after what Ciaus did to them. We want to include them in our vote but some of them have been talking to the Romanians, it seems they think if they end up in power then they will have a lot more free reign than they do at the moment." Esme contributed.
"So how are these werwolves different to Jacob?" I asked
"Well, to start with their strength is centred around the moon, while they can phase at anytime they are strongest at a full moon. They are also able to pass on the gene to other people through a bite but it can also carry on genetically, only a few werewolves are known to actively bite others and it is generally frowned up. Their body is built more like a vampire in the sense that they do not bleed and are immortal but they still require food and water." Esme replied
Well that certainly was interesting, I wonder what they would be like in person?
Once we got home to the big house i was taken upstairs to Rose's bathroom. Rose attacked my hair while Alice did my makeup and soon I knew I was going to look like a movie star.
Once they were all done alice handed me three bags, one was a small Victoria's secret bag, the other was a large dress garment bag that had Gucci on it, and the third contained a Louboutin shoe box.
I hurried off into my Dad's old room to get changed. First I slid into my new white lacey thong with matching pushup bra. While my cleavage was still developing this was good enough to make me look full chested. Jake would be going mad if he saw me right now! I then proceeded to unzip the garment bag to reveal a full length dress. It was a navy blue chiffon maxi dress and had spaghetti straps to hold it up. The deep backline was really dramatic and paired well with the loose undo Rose had done on me. Finally I pulled out the shoes to find a simple pair of black pumps with delicate crystal detail on the heel and the signature Louboutin red sole.
I walked back to the bathroom were all the girls were waiting for me and they all froze when they saw me. There was a full length mirror there now so I got to have a good look at myself too. It was obvious that body had really matured. I had always been very slender, athletic, but now the curves of my figure were very prominent and my bust had become very... Nice. Now my body was a classic hourglass shape, it always scared me when I looked in the mirror one day and was completely different the next, but that was all about to stop soon.
I had never been vain but I was definitely not self conscious about my body. I knew that men stared at me when I walked through shops, even more so when I was with Rose. My mumma and daddy always said that I was more beautiful than Rosalie but I really didn't think I held a torch to her perfection.
The girl looking back at me looked mature and sophisticated, elegant and stylish. The dress was casual but beautiful, perfectly balanced by cascades of loose curls and a bold smokey eye.
"You look gorgeous honey." My mum said as she came over to give me a hug, "Jake just arrived, you better go down to meet him."
I said my thank you to everyone for helping me shop and get ready and them proceeded down the stairs to where Jake was waiting for me with a small bunch of my favourite flowers, daisies and sunflowers, arranged simply in some brown paper tied with twine.
He looked so handsome in his chinos and button down but looked dazed by my approach.
"You look so beautiful Ness. The most gorgeous person in the world." He whispered into my ear before kissing me lightly on my lips.
"You don't brush up too bad yourself Mr Black. Thank you for the flowers, they are stunning" I whispered back.
I put the flowers in a vase before taking his hand and saying goodbye to my family and walking out to the car with him, ready for one of the best nights of my life I was sure.
