Well, this chapter has taken forever, but didn't I tell you I was working on it? Definitely didn't turn out the way I thought it would. However, I really did like it. Lot of action, no explanation. Short. Just the way I like it! I wanted to give you guys some action to help get us back into the groove of this story, so just don't think too hard about this chapter. Just read and enjoy it, go with it.
*Disclaimer*
Please Enjoy!
JacobPOV
I rolled my eyes up to the ceiling as I heard Bray sneak out of the house. Ness snickered. "Give it up, Jake. I thought you were over it."
"I've accepted it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it," I said as I looked down at her. She was lounging in bed while I got ready for work. Slipping off the towel around my waist, I pulled on a pair of boxers and then my jeans.
Her eyes darkened. "You know, you could go in a couple hours late. The kids are about to leave for school and the shop can deal without you."
I smirked. "Mrs. Black, are you telling me to play hookie?"
She shrugged and stretched her arms over her head, the sheet pulling down over the curves of her breasts. "Well, you can't tell them you're sick. They'd know you were lying. Just come back to bed for a couple hours. I'll send you off to work properly."
Swallowing hard through a dry throat, my skin tight and itchy, I shook my head. "Can't today. I have an inspection." I looked at the clock, not wanting to pass up on her playful mood. "But I have time for a quickie if you're up for it." I was already semi-hard. Wouldn't take much to get me all the way there.
Giving me a sexy little grin, she rolled over and crawled to me naked. And there it was. I got hard so fast that I almost cried out. Kneeling on the edge of the bed, she unbuttoned my jeans and then pulled them and my boxers down my thighs. Before I could say anything, her mouth was on me.
Eyes slamming shut, I threw my head back. Even after all these years, her mouth was still heavenly and sinful at the same time. She'd honed her skills to perfection.
Gripping her head, I held her still and gently fucked her mouth, hitting the back of her throat. She took me all the way, her eyes rolled up to stare at me.
"Fuck," I breathed.
Her hands moved over her body, fingers playing over her nipples before moving down her stomach and to her sex. She still shaved there so I had an unobstructed view as she played with herself. We'd gotten more and more comfortable with sex over the years, realizing that we liked to play both easy and rough.
"Are you wet?" I demanded.
She couldn't nod, so she mumbled, "Mhm," around me. The vibration pushed me closer.
"How wet? Let me see."
She delved her fingers before lifting them up. When they got to my lips, I took her glistening fingers into my mouth, my hips still thrusting past her lips. Closing my eyes, I tasted her.
"That's it," I whispered when she slid them out. I savored the taste.
Before I came in her mouth, I pulled out. "Turn around. Give me your ass."
We'd tried anal sex a few times, but it was so few and far between that it had become a hassle to prep her. And frankly, I wasn't happy watching her discomfort. But she knew what I meant now, so she turned around and went to her hands and knees.
"Back up."
She scooted back until her ass hit my hips and cock. I ran my hands over her cheeks. We could live forever and I'd never get tired of her ass. Perfect handfuls.
"Put your chest to the bed."
Without hesitation, she let her arms buckle so that her face was resting on the bed. Open to me, I leaned down to give a good, solid lick to her sex. Gripping the sheets, she moaned. God, I'd never get enough of that taste.
"Jacob, please," she groaned.
Growling with appreciation, I positioned myself at her entrance. Once the tip of my cock was inside her, I gripped her ass.
"Hard and fast, Ness. Stay with me."
"Already there. Please."
With that, I slammed into her. She cried out, but in pleasure. It was all downhill from there. I pounded my hips forward and pulled her ass back against me over and over. The sounds were all slapping skin and heavy growling.
It wasn't long until she was screaming with orgasm, burying her face into the bed. And when she came, her body tightened hard around me, limiting my movement. So I slammed into her one last time and ground against her, circling inside her. When she came again, her orgasm spurred mine into action. Gripping her ass so hard I knew there'd be bruises, I shouted out and spilled into her.
When we were both spent, I gently slid out of her and laid her down, her body moving like liquid grace. She was still breathing hard, eyes closed. I was having issues myself, but I had to get to work. Shakily, I went to the bathroom to clean myself up and tuck everything back in. I took the cloth to clean her up before sliding into a shirt and my boots.
Leaning over her, I kissed her temple. "You okay?"
She nodded, and smiled. "Very. Have a good day."
Chuckling, I softly gripped her ass. "You bet this sweet ass I will. I promise that tonight I'll worship you like you deserve. I love you."
She arched into my hand. "Mmm, love you, too. Good luck." She managed to turn her head enough to kiss the corner of my mouth.
After tucking her back into bed, I made my way upstairs. Surprisingly, the kids were still here but just about to leave.
I chuckled when none of them would meet my eyes. Except for Jules, of course.
She grinned at me. "Morning, Daddy."
I met them at the door and kissed her cheek. "Morning, baby."
The twins shared a look as we all piled outside. I locked the door behind us. As they went towards the lake to walk to school, I watched Brayden meet up with Jules, taking her into his arms. The bliss on his face the moment he touched her eased my worries even more. Piper stood beside them looking on with just a touch of envy and sadness, her arms wrapped around her middle.
"You guys have a good day," I called, wishing I could do something to help Piper.
"Good luck with inspection!" Dox yelled back.
I nodded and waved. As I was getting into the truck, I saw Piper's expression change from that desolate look to bright and surprised as she looked up in my direction. But I knew it wasn't me she was surprised to see. Frowning, I looked over my shoulder, halfway into the cab. My face probably registered surprise, too. Jason strolled out of the woods, crossing the drive, his gaze focused and intent on her. It was like he didn't even see me as he moved by.
Frowning, I reached out and grabbed his arm. "Whoa, there. Where are you going, Jason? She's got school."
Instead of looking at me, he just kept staring at her.
I shook him. "Jason."
A low growl reverberated through him. His head slowly swiveled, keeping his eyes on Piper until the absolute last second. When he turned to me, the blue was turning amber. It was a strange mix, like an exotic gemstone until the amber took over completely.
My wolf raised his hackles, threatening to put the pup in place. "Easy, Jason," I warned. "Remember your place."
For a moment, he just stared at me with those alien eyes. When he blinked, he shook his head.
"There you go. Now, what are you doing here?"
"Brayden's hands are full with the twins. Someone needs to watch over Piper."
"Jules can do that."
He shook his head. "Not while she's in class." The kid looked back toward Piper, his eyes bleeding back to the dark blue. "Please let me do this," he said in a low voice. "I need to be near her."
Looking from him to her, I could tell Piper wanted him with her. It made me wonder what exactly was going on between them. Taking a deep breath, I said, "Alright. But don't interfere in her studies. Cage the hormones."
He nodded without looking at me. The second I let go of his arm, he was moving with a touch of inhuman speed to get to Piper's side, his eyes never leaving her. She smiled shyly up at him when he got close enough that she could look up at him through her lashes. His mouth lifted at the corners a bit as touched the red tie she had around her neck.
"Mine?" I heard him ask in a low voice.
She nodded, biting her lip. Oh damn, that was a sign. All the women I was close to except my sisters did that. Ness, Shelby, and Jules all bit their lips when they were around their men. Piper's got it bad.
Before I could hear anymore, I shook my head and got into the truck. Despite being high school students, the kids were grown. We, their parents, had to accept that we couldn't watch them twenty-four/seven.
Hoping I didn't make a mistake letting him watch over her, I put the truck in drive, made a U-turn, and took off for the shop.
JulesPOV
Bray and I watched with astonishment as Jason and Piper interacted. The girl was actually giggling.
I looked up at Bray with wide eyes. And then to Ash and Maddox. Ash was smirking. Dox's eyes were squinty like what-the-fuck-is-happening.
When Jason and Piper finally turned, him taking her backpack from her, they finally realized we were still there. Piper wrapped her hand around his and wound herself around his arm, hiding her sappy grin against his bicep.
Jason just watched us with an amused smile.
Shaking his head, Bray turned around, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "I am not even gonna try to figure this one out. Come on. At this rate, you guys are gonna be late."
As a unit, we all tromped through the woods to get to school. Henry and some others had melted into the woods to keep an eye on us. Every now and then, I'd see the flash of fur between the trees.
Every now and then, Piper would giggle behind us. Jason had held her back so that they could drag behind. I couldn't help my grin.
Bray growled, hoisting my backpack higher onto his shoulder.
I stroked his chest, still smiling. "Don't worry. He'll take care of her."
He looked down at me suggestively. "Exactly."
"Hey, she's not freaking out over us someday falling into bed."
"Something tells me they're going to be falling before you and I do," he grumbled, not sounding particularly happy about that.
This was surprising. He always preached that we needed to wait. Now, it sounded like he was all for us having carnal knowledge of each other. My body flushed at the thought, warming and tightening low in my belly.
Bray's green eyes stared down at me, darkening as his nostrils flared, scenting me. He leaned down to my ear. "What are you thinking about?"
Leaning up, I put my lips to his ear. "You without your clothes on."
His eyes darkened again. "You've never seen me without my clothes."
I shook my head against his neck. "No, but I want to." Just the hypothetical image had me swallowing hard, my breath hitching.
His arm tightened around me. When I opened my eyes, I saw him staring down into my shirt. It was a tank with a lower cut and at this angle, he had a perfect few of my breasts heaving from my uneven breathing.
His eyes met mine again, and I could see the wheels turning in his head. He was thinking about something that wasn't here with us.
"Bray?"
Leaning in even more, he put his lips to my jaw. "Soon," he whispered.
I pulled back enough to look up at him, studying his face. Swallowing hard, my body lit up with the promise in his expression. "Seriously?"
He nodded. We'd been having this discussion. All he wanted to do was make out with light petting over our clothes. Sometimes, when it got intense, I wanted the warmth of his skin on mine, but he'd always stop me from taking off my shirt or putting his hands to my skin or putting my hands on his skin.
I actually vertically convulsed with the thought of us making love for the first time.
"Jules?" Ash asked. "You okay?"
Bray chuckled as I cleared my throat and nodded. "Yeah," I said hoarsely. "I'm good."
"Uh-huh," Dox muttered suggestively.
Bray shot him acidic look over his shoulder.
But Dox was never apologetic. He just shrugged. "Just call 'em how I see 'em, Ace."
"I'm gonna kill your brother," Bray muttered.
I giggled. "Don't discourage his honesty. If he learns to lie, we're all in trouble." Looking over my shoulder, I grinned at Dox. He grinned back.
Then I looked further back to Piper and Jason. His arm was around her neck, hugging her against his chest. His fingers played at the red tie around her neck. It was the same one he'd been wearing when he picked her up last night. I was burning with curiosity and had planned to interrogate her at lunch. But since he was now following her to school looking like he was going nowhere anytime soon, that probably wasn't going to be an option. Watching them, I desperately wanted to know if they'd done the deed and where. They were cuddly and, to quote Piper, disgustingly cute.
When she looked up, probably feeling me staring at her, she smiled shyly at me. Holy, crap. She was…happy. I watched as she went up on her toes, her hand on his chest, and whispered something into his ear. His chuckle was low and deep, suggestive. Holding her close, he buried his face in her neck while they continued walking. How they managed that, I didn't know.
Before I tripped and Bray had to save me, I turned back around. We were getting close to the edge of the woods and into the clearing that held the school. Something that sounded like a loud shriek echoed through the trees and a moment later, Ash was racing past us.
"What the hell?" Bray asked. He looked back over his shoulder to Jason, who shrugged.
Ash went to a screeching halt at the edge of the trees. For a moment, he just stood there, staring. And then, dropping his backpack, he took off, tapping into the vampire speed we'd inherited from Mom. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.
Bray and I shared a look before he dropped my bag and we started running for the school grounds. As we ran, the smell of something burning hit my nose, burning my sinuses. Jason and Piper weren't far behind us. Like Ash, we all froze once we cleared the trees.
"Jesus Christ," Jason whispered.
I just swallowed hard.
Dense black smoke was billowing up from the school and the grounds were chaos. Students, faculty, and parents were running around, screaming and crying. Fire licked around the building, inside and out. Windows had already been busted from the heat, more smoke coming from inside. People poured from the doors, tripping and scrambling from the building.
Ash was nowhere to be seen. Dox threw his bag down and took off, looking for our brother.
Jason put his hand on Bray's shoulder and pointed with the other. "Look. They're trapped."
"Shit!"
Like a shot, he and Jason took off for the school. Piper and I shared a look before she kicked off her heeled boots. Together we followed the boys, trailing behind their long-legged strides. There were people inside, banging on the reinforced glass, yelling. Boys were trying to punch the glass out while the girls cried, banging their palms on the glass.
Jason and Bray were already there, frantically trying to open the window, but it wouldn't budge.
Jason stumbled back. "Fuck! It's either painted or nailed shut from the inside."
Breathing hard, Bray turned to look around. Then his eyes locked on something. "Jason, help me lift one of the picnic tables. We'll bust it out. Jules, Piper, get them to back away from the window."
Piper and I moved forward, motioning with our hands to move back but they were too panicked to realize what we were trying to say. Slamming my fist against the glass in front of one of the bigger guys, I grabbed his attention and locked eyes with him.
"Move. Back," I enunciated, raising my voice to be heard. He blinked at me. "They're going to bust the glass out. You have to get everybody away from the window."
He just blinked again.
This time, Piper put her fist to the glass. "Move, dumbass! Now!"
That got through to him. Clearly panicked, he turned holding his arms out. Together, he and one other guy got the others pushed back. But I knew they were running out of time. The scared girls kept looking back over their shoulders and I could see the flicker of flames.
I turned to Bray and Jason who were surprisingly running back with a picnic table between them. I motioned with my arms. "Come on! Come on!"
"Move!" Bray yelled.
Piper and I stumbled out of the way as they positioned themselves, lifted, and swung the table with the momentum they were still riding from running. It cracked the glass so they had to do it two more times before it shattered. Piper and I ducked, covering our heads. The screams of the students sounded through the wire that was still stretched over the window space. The boys only had to ram the table through once before the wire broke. Leaving the table halfway into the window, they motioned up for the kids to climb out. The other two guys inside helped the girls onto the table and slide down into Jason's and Bray's arms. Piper and I made sure they were okay and pushed everyone away from the window.
More shouts echoed, but I recognized these voices. Henry and his team had joined us. I looked up to see Henry motion around the building to other windows. I nodded and he took off with the others.
"Jules," Bray yelled. "Stay here with Jason and help him. Piper, you come with me."
I wasn't fond of separating, but I knew what he was trying to do. He didn't want him or Jason distracted by us. Bray would be less distracted with his sister around than me. I nodded to him and Piper before they ran off. I kept helping Jason pull the people out of the classroom.
Somebody grabbed my arm to get my attention. The girl pointed up. "There's more!"
I followed her gaze, and the blood drained from my face. Shit! And that window couldn't be busted out.
Breathing hard, I struggled to make a decision. There wasn't time to go find someone else.
The girl gave me a look. "You're not thinking about going in there?" she demanded, her eyes unfocused and glassy from shock.
Swallowing hard, I looked over at Jason, who met my stare while pulling a girl out of the window, and I knew I'd already made up my mind.
His eyes widened and he shook his head. "Don't you dare! Don't even fucking think about it!"
While he had his hands tied up, I shook my head. "I'm sorry!" And then I took off for the doors into the cafeteria.
I heard him behind me. "Motherfucker!"
I busted through the double doors and kept running. Instantly, water from the sprinklers rained down on me. The room was ridiculously untouched by smoke or fire. But the chairs were upturned and thrown around everywhere. More students straggled out while I pushed my way inside.
Out in the main hall, I booked it for the stairs, taking them two at a time. The smoke was thick up here, the fire licking the ceiling here and there. I dodged falling ceiling panels and held my arm across my face. My sleeve was suffocating because it was sopping wet from the sprinklers. As I went, I tried to remember which room it was. Passing door after door, I checked each room, finally reaching the right one.
For some reason, the door was jammed where it was hanging partially open. Not big enough for anybody but a shadow to get through. I looked through the little window to see that the kids were still at the window. It also looked like a teacher was with them.
Backing up until my back hit the opposite wall, I took a deep breath and then ran for the door, praying that I didn't slip on the slick floor and break my neck. Throwing my weight against it, it budged with the sound of grinding metal. Screams came from the room. Coughing through the smoke, I saw them coming for the door.
"Stand back!" I yelled. "I'm going to hit it again. Move back!"
The teacher, who I could tell had been my freshman English teacher, ushered them back. I went back to my spot across the hall, took another deep breath, and ran for the door, throwing everything I had into it. Just before I hit, my wolf slipped throughout my body like it was a glove, lending me the extra strength. We barreled through the door and into the room.
I fell to my knees, clutching my shoulder. Most of the kids ran out around me, screaming into the smoke. "Is everyone okay? Is anyone hurt?"
The teacher, Mrs. Franks, helped me to my feet. She pointed to the corner of the room where the ceiling had collapsed against the desks. "We're fine but there's a student trapped in the desks. She says she's okay but we can't move anything to get to her."
Stretching out my shoulder, I hurried over. "Let me try."
"You're hurt."
"I'm healing already. And we don't have time to wait." I found a hole in the panels to see the girl. She was small and huddled around her knees. "Hey, there. My name is Jules. I'm gonna get you out of here, okay?" She nodded. "Stay where you are alright?"
She nodded again.
After some poking, I found a panel that was looser than the others so I started tearing at it, pulling it until my shoulder screamed. My fingers slipped, and I stumbled back, breathing hard. Putting my hands on my knees, I panted.
"What's your name?" I asked her.
"Toby." Her voice was soft.
"Okay, Toby. I can't move anything too much. You're going to have to crawl out when I pull that panel out. And I can't hold it long, so I need you to move fast. Okay?"
I could see her nod.
Straightening up, I rubbed my hands together and moved forward, gripping the edge of the panel. "Ready?"
"Yes," was her soft reply.
"On the count of three. One…two…three!" Ignoring the pain in my shoulder, I yanked back as hard as I could. Toby's hands and knees squeaked across the floor.
"I can't get through!"
Dammit! I looked around. All the other students had run out, leaving only Mrs. Franks, so there was nobody to help. My gaze landed on a large metal bar that had fallen out of the ceiling. Grabbing it, I stabbed one end under the panel. "Alright, Toby. Let's try this again." I counted to three and pushed down with everything I had. The metal of the bar screamed as it bent the panel back. Good grief, what the hell had they built this school with?
Toby managed to squeeze through. Once she was out, I dropped the bar. Toby leaned against a desk, favoring an ankle.
"Can you walk?"
She took a couple tentative steps before having the lean on the desk again. Looking scared, she shook her head. Going over, I knelt down in front of her, my back to her. "Come on. Climb up. I won't drop you. I promise."
Hesitantly, she wrapped her arms around my shoulders, one hand gripping the other wrist at my chin. Reaching back, I grabbed her legs and hoisted her up. "Alright, let's get out of here."
JasonPOV
Goddammitsonofabitch! How many fucking people are in this damn room?!
I was anxious to go find Jules. I couldn't believe she just fucking ran off into a goddamn burning building. If anything happens to her, both Brayden and Piper were going to take turns killing me.
Finally pulling out the last hysterical girl, I tried to look around but she latched onto me, her arms around my neck. She sobbing into my chest. Biting back the aggravation, I pried her off me and handed her off to one of the guys who jumped out of the window.
"Thanks, man," he said.
I nodded absently, looking around the crowd. Dammit, had she come back out yet?
"Jason!"
Fuck!
Brayden came around the corner with Piper right behind him. Some of the tension eased in my chest when I saw that she was safe.
They ran up to him, Brayden looking around. "Where's Jules?"
It took a moment to meet his eyes.
His expression turned wary and crazed at the same time. "Where is she, Jason?"
Piper was watching me with growing horror when I didn't answer.
Tapping into my inhuman speed, I ran for the cafeteria doors.
"Jason!" Piper yelled after me.
"No, Bray!" I heard Piper yell to her brother.
Good girl. Brayden had left Jules in my care, and I'd dropped the ball. She was my responsibility, so I was going to go get her.
BraydenPOV
"That son of a bitch!" I yelled as Jason took off.
Piper put her hand on my back between my shoulder blades. "That's not helping, Bray. Let him go get her. He's trained."
"As an enforcer," I snapped.
Her green eyes flashed. "Exactly," she retorted. "He's a protector. Let him do his job. He'll find her." She tugged on my hand. "Come on. Let's go find the twins."
I stared at my sister. She had faith in her man. The least I could do is have faith in her. I looked at the door where Jason disappeared. "Alright. Let's go."
I led her up onto the hill that overlooked the clearing at the edge of the trees. Students and wolves were running everywhere. Members of the two packs had phased and shifted, running in and out of the school with students on their backs. The smoke was billowing up in huge clouds above the school. Fire trucks, police, and ambulances were pulled up to the school. Firefighters were everywhere, going into the building, putting ladders up, and firing hoses.
Piper pointed. "There!"
My heart leapt, but it wasn't Jules. It was the twins she'd found. Grabbing her hand, I pulled her down the hill toward them. It took a while of pushing through the crowd, but eventually we made it. Dox and Ash were standing with Cole and a couple other guys. All of them were soaking wet from the sprinklers.
Piper and I collided with Ash and Dox, hugging them tight.
I held Dox back away from me, surprised at how worried I was about him and Ash. "Are you okay?"
Swallowing hard, he nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, we're good." He looked around me. "Where's Jules? And Jason?"
Unable to answer through the bile running up my throat, I looked toward the school.
He actually paled. "They're in there?! Why the fuck are you out here?"
I took a deep breath, wanting to agree with him. Tightening my hold on him, I held him in place before he could barrel off for the school. "Because Jason knows where she went. He's trained to protect. We have to trust him."
"Brayden!"
We all looked around to see my dad and Uncle Jacob running toward us. Dad ran up to us and grabbed Piper to his chest and clapped his hand around my neck.
His eyes were wild. "Are you two okay?"
Piper hugged him hard. "Yeah, we're good, Daddy."
I nodded.
Uncle Jacob was inspecting his sons but looked over at me, his eyes shiny. "Brayden, where's my daughter?"
JasonPOV
The school was flooding fast from the hoses. I avoided and ignored the firefighters as best I could, dodging them as I ran up the stairs.
Where the fuck was she?
He went toward the window that she'd been looking at. On hall was a dead end so I turned around. Toward the other end, there was an older woman and a girl, probably a freshman who was leaning against the wall. The woman was talking through a blockage.
I ran up to them. "What are you still doing here? You need to get out of here."
She turned to me, her eyes panicked. "Julene is trapped behind this."
Looking from her to the wall of rubble, I looked around frantically for an opening to try to see her. "Jules? Jules! Can you hear me?!" The sirens were still wailing and the sprinklers were showering down.
"Jason!"
Relief hit me hard, my heart slamming in my chest. "Are you okay?"
"Getting hard to breathe, but if we can dig me out, I'll be better."
"What happened?"
"The ceiling fell in. Mrs. Franks and Toby got through before more fell. Are they okay?"
I looked over at them. "Yeah, they're fine." I motioned at them. "Go. Get out of here. There're firefighters around."
The woman wrapped her arm around the girl's waist to help her stand. "We'll send them up."
I shook my head. "Just get out! Now!"
After I watched them turn the corner, I grew my claws and started slicing at all the debris. "Jules, if you can, grow your claws and start slicing. They're sharper than you think. I'm working my end. And keep talking to me so I know you haven't passed out."
"Alright. Got my claws out. What the hell am I supposed to talk to you about? I don't know you."
I shrugged, tilting my head. "Good point."
"We could talk about Piper."
I groaned. "I might just leave you here."
"Don't joke or I'll tell Bray you considered it. How long you think you'll be breathing after that?"
Grunting, I pulled and yanked on a piece of the roof that had fallen in. "What…do you…want to…know?"
I could hear her panting and coughing on the other side. "How'd last night go? And I am making implications. I know about the deal you two made."
Rolling my eyes. Of course the girls had talked. I pulled out a metal bar that dislodged some rubble. A hole started to open up. I could see her moving through some of the spaces.
I pulled on another bar. "We didn't have sex, if that's what you're asking."
She went quiet.
"Jules?"
"Don't hurt her."
Only could a woman try to have this kind of conversation in this situation.
"Jules," I growled, "I have no intention of hurting her."
Her breathing was getting heavier, more labored. "You think she's your true mate, don't you?"
"Come on, Jules. Stay with me." The smoke was starting to get to me, too, but I fought through it.
The blockage let out a groan and I stopped to look up. Everything slowed down, and I knew it was about to collapse. A hole was opening up.
"Jules! Jules, crawl through the hole! Now!"
Now she was coughing uncontrollably. "I…can't."
"Put your arms in! I'll pull you through!"
As the build-up groaned again, I put my arms through and held my hands out to her. "Just take my hands."
When she finally grasped my wrists, I gripped hers and pulled. Dragging her through, I kept looking up at the blockage. It started to shift in earnest and I pulled harder. I got her dragged across just in time. The hole closed up just as her feet cleared. We fell back. I sat hard on my ass in the water and she went to her knees, coughing. I could see that she was about the collapse. Getting to my feet, I scooped her up and held her face against my chest to protect her.
"Come on, Jules. Stay with me. I'm getting you to Bray."
I slipped a few times in the water as I hurried for the stairs. Behind me, the hallways rumbled and shook as the ceiling continued to collapse. Jules went quiet in my arms when I reached the stairs. Her aqua eyes were closed, her face covered in dirt and grime. I could hear her still breathing but it was shallow.
"Hey! Get out of here!" one of the firefighters said. I couldn't move as fast with her in my arms so they could see me now.
"Yeah, yeah," I grumbled as I rushed out the front doors of the school. My first stop was at one of the ambulances. I dropped to my knees, and held up her upper body. "Oxygen mask!" I yelled. "I need an oxygen mask!"
One of the paramedics came rushing forward and tried to take her from my arms. I growled and snarled at him. "Don't touch her! She's fine. She just needs a mask. Now!"
The man hurried off and came back a second later with a mask. I took it from him and wrapped it around her head. "Come on, Jules. Wake up."
"Jason!"
I looked up to see Piper running toward me, pushing people out of her way. Eventually, she dropped and slid on her knees in the mud.
"Ohmygod, Jules!" Her hands stroked her best friend's face and hair.
"She's fine," I panted. "Passed out less than ten minutes ago from the smoke. Just let her breathe." I coughed a little, trying to clear my own lungs.
Eyes brimming with tears, she looked up at me and cupped my face. "Thank you," she whispered before throwing herself around me. "Thank you so much."
Holding Jules with one arm, I wrapped the other around Piper. I dug my fingers in her hair and closed my eyes. "Thank god you're safe," I said into her ear.
She nodded, her chin on my shoulder. "I'm fine. Now that I know you're okay, I'm fine."
My wolf rumbled, grateful for her concern. I kissed her head, pressing her closer to me.
Against my chest, Jules started to cough. Piper pulled back to look at her friend. A whole lifetime worth of love passed between them when Jules finally managed to open her eyes.
Piper bent down over her, her tears finally falling. "Oh, Jules. Don't you ever do that to me again! You scared the shit out of me."
Jules weakly lifted a hand to pat Piper's cheek. "Sorry," she croaked.
Looking up away from their chick moment, I saw Brayden and Jacob plowing through the crowd much like Piper had. They were headed straight for us, both of them intense.
Bray let Jacob reach us first. Jacob gently took his daughter from me and cradled her. Piper fell against me, cuddling into my chest. I hugged her tightly, pressing my cheek to the top of her head. Bray's eyes were all for Jules, and I knew he wanted to hold her, but he wasn't going to try to take her from her father. Eventually, Ash, Maddox, and Seth gathered around.
"I'm okay, Daddy," Jules said.
Jacob briefly rested his forehead against hers before lifting his face to glare at me. "What the fuck happened? Bray said he'd paired the two of you up to avoid something like this."
Before I could say anything, Jules spoke up. "It was my fault. There were kids stuck on the second floor. I knew I'd be faster than the firefighters." She fell into a coughing fit before continuing. "There wasn't…time. I…had to…save them. Jason was helping others. He…tried to…stop me." She put her hand on his chest. "Please…don't be…mad."
He looked to me. "We'll talk later."
I nodded, holding Piper to me. She was shaking, her hands fisted in my shirt. Soon we were surrounded by pack. Shelby and Nessie joined as well as Carlisle and Edward. Shelby tried to take Piper from me, but Piper wasn't having it. She tightened her hold on my shirt and wouldn't budge. Shelby and I had a complete conversation just through eye contact before she moved on to Brayden. Even when my dad showed up, I didn't let go of her even though he stared at us like he knew something was up. I didn't care, just hugged her tighter, relieved that she was okay. Carlisle checked everybody in the group before moving on to help everyone else.
Dad knelt down beside me. "Been hearing what you and Brayden did." He clasped my shoulder. "I'm proud of you, son."
I looked up at him. "Thank you, sir."
His fingers squeezed my shoulder. "I'm glad you're okay. Your mother's worried."
At that, I looked away from him, barely containing the snort. Yeah, right.
He didn't comment on my expression. "Vice, Cecily, and Arden are looking for you."
That surprised me. "They are?"
He nodded. "They're terrified." Pulling out his phone, he called Vice and told him where we were.
As I held Piper, I felt something strange for my siblings. Sure, I got along better with them than my parents, but there'd never been a sibling like relationship with us. That included my own blood sister. We recognized that we all shared a father and that we were training to be enforcers, but other than that, it wasn't really an emotion-fest. But that they were worried about me meant a lot.
"Jason!"
Out of nowhere, two pairs of arms wrapped around my neck. Scrubbing her eyes, Piper let go of me to move back so that my sisters could hug me. Even more surprised, I hugged them both as they wrapped themselves around me. We were all kneeling in the mud, wet and dirty. But that didn't matter.
Cecily, my biological sister, leaned back to stare up at me. "Mom called me in hysterics, saying that you were involved in a fire."
I shook my head. "I got here after it started. I'm fine. I promise."
Arden's turn to pull back. "Are you sure? You sound terrible."
Seeing my sisters so worried about me actually made me happy. A smile tugged at my lips as I started to chuckle. And then it turned into a full blown laugh. They looked at me like I'd lost my mind before sharing a worried look.
Still laughing, I hugged them to me. "I swear, I'm okay. Just breathed in some smoke."
With my head between them, resting on a shoulder each, I opened my eyes to see Piper still kneeling there watching the interaction. I gave her a smile and held one of my hands out to her. She took it, squeezing my fingers.
A moment later, Vice ran up, his eyes wild before settling on me. They were glassy, like he was trying not to cry. He cleared his throat multiple times. "You scared the fuck outta me." He glared.
The smile came back as did the laugh. "Aw, you really do care."
He scowled down at me, his emotion calming. "No, you bastard. If you died, you'd have left me with those two." He pointed with his chin to our sisters.
They pulled back just long enough to give him a glare before hugging me again. I gave him an "uh-huh, I know better" look.
He crossed his arms over his chest. "Fine. I care. Get over it."
Dad grinned and shook his head at all of us.
Smiling sweetly, Piper kissed my hand.
Closing my eyes, I breathed easier with my family surrounding me.
*clears throat* So...who doesn't love Jason? I am madly in love with him. He's freaking awesome. Anywho! Tell me how you feel! Love y'all! xoxoxo
