Temper, Temper: Chapter Four: Act Like It
Waking up in the Uley home was like waking up in the kitchens of a marine ship. Pots and pans were strewn across the worktop, boiling and baking away while people's fingers were swatted away, prevented from digging greedily into the concoctions.
"I have no idea why you all flock round here first thing, breakfast is served worldwide in every household" Emily commented, the calm in her voice juxtaposing her hands, which were juggling jam's and pastries over to the table.
"You make good food" Jacob relied, before grabbing a seat for himself and eyeing the delicacies that were appearing in vast numbers.
"Yeah" Embry added, deciding on a croissant that he had just finished piling florescent raspberry jam on. "…and you make a lot of it" He added, spraying savoury crumbs down onto the oak table.
"Why is there so much noise?" The blanket Emily had given Alex muffled her voice as it lay over her, covering the entirety of her body.
"Aw did we wake Sleeping Beauty?" Quil had made an appearance, stood above the sofa before allowing his body to fall directly onto Alex, making her wriggle away from the disturbance, kicking him away with a powerful foot.
"I would rather you did not do that kid" Her hair was puffed up on the one side where she had been sleeping as a dead weight for the majority of the night. Quil puffed out his chest and held his chin out, "Kid? Kid? I am a supernatural mass of muscle!" As he raised his arms high, exaggerating his pose Alex's lips smiled mischievously. She whipped her hand put and grabbed his belly playfully, Quil's frame folded instantly as he reacted with girlish giggles.
The rest of the company laughed,
"Yeah Quil, real muscle mass" A new person had joined the breakfast club. Paul walked in with a hop in his step, barefoot and shirtless as all the others, he stared at Alex with a smirk that she responded to with a raised eyebrow.
"Anyways….bye bye" Throwing off the blanket completely Alex cracked her back and made a move to leave, she got level with Paul's shoulder before Sam's voice called her back sternly,
"Where do you think you're going?" He said, half amused at blatant attempt to leave their home and company.
"For a walk" Her brow furrowed together, dislike at being questioned clear in her expression and stance; her shoulders rounded a little and her palms twitched, ready to curl into fists.
"Breakfast first" Emily smiled warmly, gesturing to the mound of food that remained on the table, despite Embry, Jake and Quil's attempt to devour it all. Paul was holding back from his breakfast, eyes more interested on the current dialogue.
"And we're showing you the ropes today, fresh so you can start patrol shifts as soon as" Sam made his words cheerful before slinging an arm round Emily and picking up a football sized muffin for his own.
"Spectacular" Alex spat out with greeted teeth, marching back to the table, loudly scraping back a seat and throwing herself into it. Her fingers plucked a muffin from the pile and slowly she crumbled it up, throwing the small pieces into her mouth with a sour expression.
When everyone was ready, they were all wolves again, in the woods and running through everything with Alex.
'If you smell a leech trail what do you do?'
'I call everyone, taking on leeches is a dangerous business and I should not attempt to kill one without someone here as back up' Alex thought, repeating Sam word for word in the most counting, monotone voice she could muster, but she couldn't help a small memory come into her head.
Her teeth were clutched onto a leech while its arm was attempting to crush her ribs, she whined deeply but got a better hold on the vamp, holding its neck in her jaw before slowly tightening her grip.
The rest of the group were silent at that, one of them had anger leaking to his every forethought but Alex brushed it off, putting it down to her dismissive attitude to Sam's induction. The temporary bond between her and the pack wasn't as water tight as the true Quileute tribe members.
'Yes so we take it in turns, guard the borders, any vampires call for help, no being heroes – yeah got it, let's go' She garbled before they could question her. With no more 'urgent' pack business, Alex wanted to see Emmett, and the rest of the Cullen's maybe they had thought of some brilliant plan to get her out of La Push, passing the test easily and going back to Wales.
'You're going to see the leeches?' Paul's voice spat out inside her head, she couldn't hear the others and assumed they had all changed back.
Angry in an instant at the way her spoke about the Cullen's Alex's scruff bristled up as she growled lowly. Only she could say that. They had rescued her after all.
'What's it to you?' She argued back.
Paul's thoughts were putting off her usual clear cut attitude, all she could feel was his own anger, frustration and confusion.
'You're a wolf Alex, and part of this pack. Start acting like it' He managed to pull himself together and construct a reasonably calm sentence, this was a rarity. The bristles on his own neck were raised though, as was his lip curled over and growls spilling from his throat; his actions betrayed his words. Before conflict could erupt, Paul forced himself to walk away, at least he was thinking straight.
Huffing through her nose, Alex shook her head then bounded off to see the other supernatural residents of this state.
"Did you miss me?"
Alice greeted her first, embracing her in another hug before pulling the fabric of her shirt sleeve forward with her thumb and index finger. Alex ignored her disapproving look and moved onto Emmett, who ruffled her hair like an older brother,
"Emmett, I swear to God, one of these days I will punch you and I will kill you" She pulled her head from his grip and patted her hair back down, giving him a sarcastic look.
"I'd like to see you try" Arms came out to capture her but Alex easily side stepped them and hopped forward before settling to a walk, off to find Carlisle.
The good vamp doctor was in work apparently, 'No anger training today then I suppose' Alex thought with a smile, but Edward brought her back down to earth when he heard her thought. Another vampire was planning today's activities for Alex as they spoke.
"I wouldn't say that exactly. You can test out your limits during shopping, where Alice is currently planning on taking you after abducting you first"
Alex's eyes went wide as she was made aware of Alice's plans, slowly she stepped backwards making her escape.
"Honestly Edward, you make it sound so torturous" Alice side stepped around the glass table and went to Alex's side, tilting her head as she whispered to the wolf.
"You're here for two months, you can't have everyone's clothing left overs" Alice cast another disbelieving look over Alex's ill-fitting clothes. She didn't need much persuasion. They got to the garage when Alice dangled keys from her hand,
"Thought you might like to be in charge of the transportation for today" She hesitated and pulled them back remembering to add, "You can drive right?"
Alex took the keys quickly; her side smirk moving from one cheek to the other, "I'll let you decide on that one" The expensive car flashed its lights with a beep as she pressed the button. Alice looked at her with a worried smile before hitting the radio to calm her nerves after Alex responded with a playful grin.
"If you like to gamble I tell you I'm your man, going with the flow it's all a game to me!" Despite Alex's loud singing, Alice barely heard the tones of her voice; the radio was turned up loud enough to wake any afternoon nappers in a one mile radius. "The ace of spades! The ace of spades!" She slapped out the tune on the steering wheel, it was nice being in control for once.
The car ride proceeded this way until they got to the shopping centre, sharp turns, loud music, loud singing and fast driving.
It was a victory for Alex, and she was glad she took it there because the torture Alice put her through for over three hours was much, much worse. Alice analysed every outfit, comparing it with Alex's skin tone, height, hair colour etc. The result was good though, they left the place with enough outfits to span over the two months, and possibly more. Alex didn't even know half the stuff they had bought, her partner was an incredibly sneaky shopper; putting items in the bag when she was in the changing room or casting an eye over random store displays.
"Only take some clothes to La Push with you, leave the other stuff with me. That way you'll have two reasons to come and see us, no getting away now"
It was a fair plan; Alex didn't mention it would serve as a pretty decent excuse to end the crazy wolf inquisition when she wanted to cross the border. That she could definitely live without. Alex didn't bother to change back into a wolf as she walked back to the other supernatural habitat, carrying the bag of clothes she had would be harder, not to mention she'd have six other monologues to listen to.
Alex sensed the wolf before she saw it, recognising it as Paul she carried on walking,
"I know I smell like vamp before you make a comment"
The wolf's head shook slightly and Alex knew she had spoken aloud the thought he had in his head, jogging a little to catch up, Paul kept pace with her, giving her silent company on the walk back to the Uley's.
The inquisition Alex expected was not waiting, instead an enticing aroma was drifting around the area, emanating from the Uley home.
"Emily's put dinner on again" Paul stepped from the woods and walked over to her, shadowing her frame and looking down at her face with a small smile, "She's good to us". Alex raised her head in an acknowledging nod, humming her invisible thought and moving into the house slowly.
"Yeah…I know"