"Princess, where do you want this?"

I turn my head from painting the last wall of the last room in the Tribal school. The Quiluete worker has a decorative pot of flowers in his hands, looking confused, awaiting my answer. I search around the room and point with the paintbrush to the corner by the teacher's desk.

"Right there, Colin," I tell him and watch as he sets the plant by the desk an adjusts it to his liking. I turn back to the wall and go back to painting. The second it dries, the Tribal school was officially done. Twenty rooms and six weeks later, we brought the school back to life. JJacob and some of Seth's associates with the education board were in the last final process of hiring teachers and other staff members so that we could be up and running in hopefully a few shorts weeks. This was a great idea; not only do I feel good about giving back to my kingdom, but I also can't wait to meet all the kids! It'll feel like sweet victory to see the looks on their faces when they see the outcome.

And would Mom and Dad be proud of me. I smile at that.

But on the other hand, Sam hasn't been present for any of the construction he said he'd be here for. He's always trying to make a good impression on the public and tabloids, so one would think he'd at least pick up a wrench or paintbrush to help the same community he came from. I was baffled to find out Sam came from First Beach like nearly everyone here. Probably he carries himself so well and didn't let himself become a product of his environment like Quil and Embry.

The Tribal school only covers elementary and middle school kids, though. Of course, high school student's'll need a place to go so maybe-

"Princess, where should I put this?" Colin interrupts my thoughts again with another decorative plant in hand.

This time, I can't help but grin a bit. "Colin, you know you don't have to ask me. This is your community. Where do you want it?"

A bright smile spreads across his face. "Um, I think it'll look best by the window."

I nod at him. "Then put it there."

Colin takes the initiative and places the decoration by the windows, the same bright smile still on his face.

It takes me another fifteen minutes before the wall is finished. I rid of the plastic on the floor, and assist any other Quiluete volunteers with finishing decorating and checking if everything else is on the up and up. More than excited, I pay the workers double of what was agreed on and take pictures on my Polaroid to show Seth, Sam, and Rachel later when I get back to the efforts are officially finished by seven o' clock that night, and even though majority of the workers have gone home, a few- like Colin- stay behind waiting for their rides to pick them up. No bodyguard this time, I stay behind in the classroom we finished and review the notes in my notebook, feeling accomplished that we'd gotten everything from plumbing to decorating done.

"You're still here?"

My eyes look upward before I do. I'm expecting Rachel, but the bass and deepness of my greeters voice objects so.

"Yeah," I say politely to Jacob. "If you're here for Paul, he left already."

He shakes his head and does a three-sixty turn to view the room in its entirety. "Nah, I just wanted to check the place out. You're finished?"

I nod, flip a page in my book to look at my wedding plans, and try my hardest to ignore him even though I just wanted nothing more to talk to him. I haven't done so in weeks, and all I needed was a smart remark as an invitation to flip the fuck out on him.

"Looks good."

"Thanks," I mutter.

He doesn't say anything else which is a shock because at this point, he should have said something demeaning. But he's just fucking standing there! Like he's waiting for bait. I ignore him as hard as I could, but I don't neglect to side eye the fuck out of him. He inspects everything, mumbling to himself, hands deep in his cargo shorts pockets jingling what I assume are car keys. At least the paychecks he receives from Seth are going to good use.

"This looks really good, Leah. Your mama would be really proud."

When he says that, my side eyes cease and my head finally moves. He turns away from the window, shrugs, and takes his hands out of his pockets. "Seth was telling me about all the charity and stuff she did over the years, and I guess in all the years I've talked shit about your family, I've always ignored the good ya'll have done like rebuilding the school and letting kids into the castle for the club."

I have no idea what to say.

"I owe you an apology," he sighs, strides over to me and in the act of doing so, I see he has on a fresh, brand new, pair of sneakers. "Am I forgiven, or do you want me to get on my knees and beg? Or did you wanna grab my collar and yell at me again?" He leans forward to make a puppy dog's face and stands about a foot away from my face.

My first instinct is to get annoyed, but when I see he's trying to be nice, I let my walls fall and I grin giddily for the first time since he sent the roses. He does too, pokes my cheek, and stands upright again.

"Aw, there's a smile."

Playfully punching his chest, I roll my eyes in mock annoyance and sighs in relief. "You're forgiven."

Seeing him again makes my skin burn higher than the temperature of most Quiluetes. It wasn't from genetics the way my skin and blood boils when he speaks and just the sound of his deep voice makes my ears feel hallow. It's something different. It's not a hateful feeling, nor is it one of love. It's like an infatuation. I like looking at him. Correction: I love looking at him. I don't know if he feels it too, but the only thing I'm sure of is that his absence for the passed six weeks has had this pull on me. When I'm with Sam, I picture Jacob and surprisingly not even in a sexual way. When Sam and I dance, have dinner, talk, or plan the wedding all I can think about is how Jacob would hold me when we glide on the dance floor, how he would eat something, how he'd respond to something I said, or whether or not he'd wanna honeymoon in the islands or the mountains. In no way would I want to replace one with the other; it's strong curiosity of how different Jacob would be from Sam. I'll never find out, but it's nice to wonder.

"So, um, what're you looking at there?"

"Wedding plans."

"Hmm."

"What?"

Jacob shrugs. "Is that fun for you?"

"It's whatever," I say half honestly. This shit is boring, hence why Esme gets paid to do this shit.

"Can I ask you something else, though?"

"What is it?"

"This is fun for you, right?" He asks, referring to classroom. "This giving back thing?"

I nod and switch positions in my seat at the teacher's desk. "Yeah, I enjoy it."

"Yeah, but is it fun?"

"Fun?" I question him.

He tilts his heads sideways. "You do know what fun is, right?"

"What're you trying to ask me?"

He smirks and nervously chuckles. "Don't you ever wanna get away from all this? Take a break from your royal duties and go wild? Not give a fuck what a tabloid has to say? This isn't the eighteenth century, y'know. Yeah, you're a Princess, but that doesn't mean you're not entitled to let loose and be normal."

"Take a break," I repeat, shutting my notebook and sitting upward, fully interested now in what he's insinuating. "What do you mean?"

He leans on the desk again. "For one night, why don't you just be Leah Clearwater, instead of the Quiluete Tribal Princess of La Push?"

Jacob's idea intrigued me to the point where I said yes. He didn't have to do a lot of convincing.

Once the guards took me home, I had dinner with my family and almost blabbed to Rachel about what was planned for tonight, but because she has a big mouth, I keep my secret to myself and I don't even ask her to do my hair or makeup. The Quiluete Tribal Princess of La Push would wear her hair straight and put on makeup but Leah Clearwater wouldn't.

As rebellious as I was trying to be, I couldn't just walk out the door of the castle with SWAT like security over here, so we conducted a sneak out plan of which Jacob would gimme a signal for meeting him in the courtyard after everybody went to sleep. I had no clue of what the hell we were going to do, but a piece of me was trusting of him to keep me safe as not only the Princess, but his friend at least. How would First Beach react to see me at one of their local parties? Aw, Seth and Sam were gonna be pissed if anyone snaps a picture of me and publishes it to tabloids. Even throughout all my questioning, I never have a second thought. I wanted to go to a real party, drink alcohol, get piss poor drunk, and not remember shit the next morning and not care. That'll surely beat dressing up, doing cheesy dances with guests I barely know and getting reprimanded for doing something slightly out of my Princess duties.

Dressed in a pair of Rachel's jean shorts and tank top, I wait by my window, listening out for his signal. The entire time I do this, I stare at the last live rose in the vase while the other's wilt and let their petals fall. I blush harder than ever, cover my face, and squeal a bit.

Nearly startling me out of my fantasies of tonight, I jump at the haunting sound of a howl emitting from the woods, a good mile out from the castle and passed my family's property. I slip my sandals on, turn the lights out in my room, and shut my windows. I make sure I look presentable before going onto the balcony, and as I do so, I stare at my ring, deliberate for a while and remove my engagement ring, placing it on my vanity. I then shut the balcony glass doors behind me and being as quiet as possible as I climb down the escape ladder attached. I glance into the castle's glass windows and assure that I'm not in any guard's sights before making a beeline for the woods.

Of course, it's dark, and my only source of light are the stars but that doesn't stop me from running as fast as possible passed the courtyard and onto the fresh green of the lawn that went on for what was probably acres to meet Jacob halfway in the woods, where he was casually leaning against a tree with a cheeky expression.

"Look who made it."

I can tell my his woodsy scent that he'd just phased back to his human form. "You thought I would flake?"

"I'd be lying if I say I didn't."

I pout. "Well, I'm here. Now what?"

Jacob's white teeth nearly glisten against the moon waving about above us in the deep black and blue night sky. I hide my blush, and I don't think he notices how flustered just his smile makes me.

"Well, we've got a few options," he says, getting off the tree and heading towards me with an OG's limp. "Paul's having a party on the beach, but if that's too open for you and you'd rather not be exposed to any suspecting paparazzi-"

That's the least of my worries. Paparazzi don't go anywhere near First Beach; never have nor will. "Let's go to the beach."

He seems shocked at my eagerness. "Are you sure?"

"I'm Leah tonight, remember? Leah doesn't give a fuck about getting caught."

His usual expression of nonchalance returns. "Alright, Leah. Let's have some fun."

Jacob and I take our stroll through First Beach woods, conversing more about what'd be going down tonight, promising that I'll be safe, basically claiming me as his responsibility if anything were to happen. He mentions multiple times that this party would mostly be males and if that made me uncomfortable, I was more than welcome to wanna do something else and assures that if I'm having second thoughts, that it's not too late to turn around. I dismiss the thought and cling closer to him more than I regularly would when we enter a region of First Beach that I'd never been through till we finally hear music and other people socializing who I assume are Jacob's friends and the volunteers that worked on the school.

Just as Jacob warned, the party was predominantly male and majority of them were setting off fireworks, drinking beers out of coolers they'd brought, and dancing around a campfire they'd constructed. The hip hop and rap music blaring loud from the stereo was enough to make the sand vibrate. I instantly got a rush of adrenaline when I see how much fun this people were having with each other, and almost rush in front of Jacob to greet them. I remove my sandals to walk smoother throughout the white sand, and fix my hair a few times before Jacob calls their attention.

"Jake! Jacob!" They greet him drunkly, making me laugh a bit.

He waves his hands downward to calm them down. "I brought a friend. Leah, you know the guys."

I poke my head out from behind him and wave at them. "Hi there," I greet softly and get from behind him like a shy child.

Almost immediately, they sober up enough to bow before me and address me as Princess. That action alone makes me uncomfortable so I simply do the same action as Jacob with my hands.

"I'm Leah, tonight. Call me Leah. No need for that Princess shit, alright?"

Jacob proudly smiles while his friends eye me, perplexed. "Alright, who's ready for a party?"

And a party it is.

At first, I was uptight about some shit they did like setting off the fireworks in beer cans, singing loudly to the music, and basically acting a fool. As I watched them, I realized that this is what I came to do; I'd rather be here with a bunch of carefree, lower class Quiluete volunteers who are living the true high life with simplicity rather than be in the castle around people who're the exact opposite.

It wasn't even fifteen minutes after our arrival did I have a beer in hand, in a chugging contest with Paul and Colin, with encouragement from Jacob. I drink whatever's offered to me and dance as lewdly as possible with my ass cheeks hanging halfway out of Rachel's shorts with rapid and rhythmic twerking and belly dancing like I'd seen ancient Quiluete women do in the past. I take it upon myself to do these said dances against nearly everyone there and show no shame when I do so. I didn't mind the gripping, grabbing, spanking, humping and caressing that any of them do. I like how it felt to have someone be rough, and appreciate having my body against them. I'm aware I look good, so I might as well let others know, too.

I set off fireworks, take a dip in the water, and drink a little more. I don't think I'm drunk yet, but I relax a bit around the campfire next to Jacob. I'm tempted to rest my head on his broad shoulder, but I stop myself. I didn't need an emotional attachment to add on to the dancing I'd done tonight. That's the least I could do out of respect for Sam.

"Never seen you move like that."

I run my fingers through some wet sand and crush it within my palm. "There's a lot of shit you've never seen me do."

He wiggles his eyebrow. "Alright, wild child."

Scooting closer to him, I bump his shoulder. "You've seen more than Sam has."

His face settles. "And what's that?"

My breath gets uneven and I'm almost winded when he dips his eyes low to give me a once over. The way those brown and deep eyes darken over when he examines my face and takes in my features graciously. I gasp underneath my breath and realize our lips are nearly an inch a way from touching. He turns his head, shuts his eyes, and mutters some expletives under his breath.

"Hootie-hoo! Hootie-hoo!" Brady, another one of the volunteers and Jacob's friends, hollers out of nowhere and makes a run for it from the woods with flashing red and blue lights behind him and what looks like cops emerging from within and between the mangled silhouettes of the forest's trees. They're yelling demands for us to stay put, and as much as I wanna run I freeze for a moment and get distracted by the rest of the Quiluetes ditching the alcohol, fireworks and campfire by disappearing into the same woods that First Beach cops came out of. All I can think of was getting caught, being identified as a member of the royal family, and put in more trouble than the paparazzi could ever get me into. Or maybe they were here for me and someone saw me sneak out. Or maybe-

"What're you doing?!" Jacob exclaims, grabbing my hand and dragging me at first until I get my balance and sprint off into the woods with the rest of them. I don't realize I'd forgotten my sandals until the sharp thorns, twigs, and sticks of the woods stab and penetrate my bare feet. I groan, stumble, and trip up in pain, but Jacob swings me like a duffel bag onto his back with the quickness, and runs until we catch up to the rest of the Quiluetes. Yet instead of half naked, gargantuan, tan figures, they've phased into wolves just like the ones that guards at the castle can shift too. I'm amazed and fascinated at how large and majestic they look to the point of where the pain on my feet has subsided; I was fascinated 'cus they were free. They didn't have a King to report to or a kingdom they had to answer to. They were free and wild just like any shifting Quiluete should be. I stare and get startled when they howl and bark in victory when the sound of the cops sirens and flashing lights had faded miles back. Adrenaline returns in my bloodstream and I hold onto Jacob tighter when they run off into the distance and soon they're howl go mute.

Jacob slows down when we reach the Tribal school, where we enter through a window near the entrance and he helps me limp to the nurse office.

"You're not too hurt, are you?"

I shake my head and he sets my body down onto the hospital cot. He heads over to one of the cabinets and searches for a first aid kit to tend to my feet.

"What does 'hootie-hoo' mean?" I ask, not wanting to look at my feet.

He reads a few bottle label till he finds an unopened package of alcohol wipes. "It's code for 'the cops are coming.' Is there a reason why you just kinda sat there?"

I shrug. He checks the bottom of my feet and grabs a tube of Neosporin as well then shuts the cabinet, heads over to the sink, and washes his hands. He takes a seat at the end of the cabinet, taps his knee twice so I can put my feet up where he takes out any thorns or glass with his fingers. I hide back cringes when he rubs the alcohol wipes along my feet and within the cuts. Jacob suddenly looks baffled as if my feet had grown a face and invited him for dinner.

"What's wrong?"

He scoffs, tosses the wipe into the trash, and begins to open up the tub of Neosporin. "You're bleeding."

"So?"

"That means you don't heal...like a shifter. You don't phase, do you?"

"When have you ever heard of a female phasing?"

Jacob carefully applies the antibiotics upon each cut individually. "You ever heard the legend of The Third Wife?"

"No."

"Lemme give you a history lesson," he starts. "Back in the eighteenth century, it wasn't common for females to phase. Ancient legends had claimed it was a genetic only in males solely for the purpose of providing and protecting for their families. Then in about 1876, a Quiluete woman who was known as The Third Wife-being as though her husband, Taha Aki, had two others- didn't see that it was fair. So, one night she and a few other tribe women did a Caesar-esque attack on her husband by slitting his throat, then cutting herself, injecting herself with her husband's blood in the hope she'd be able to phase, too."

I glance away from my feet to see if he's serious.

"And it was first deemed that the transition was unsuccessful til The Third Wife had somewhat of a heart attack weeks later and became a shifter. News got out that the operation was successful so women in tribes across the world began killing their husbands and injecting their blood into their own stream, mating, then reproducing to start a whole new generation of shifters."

That's crazy.

"It was successful for a century or two, but I guess the notion had died out years back and rarely females can shift anymore. My sister can't either."

I nod and he puts the top back on the tube. "Wow."

"You'd be worth more than the entire land of La Push if you turned out to be one within the royal family."

"Does the fact that I can't upset you?"

He shakes his head and puts the supplies back. "Nah, it would've made you a lot more attractive than you already are."

The second he lets that slip, his eyes widen and his lips tighten as if he didn't mean it the way it came out or let it come out at all. Surprised, I coyly play in my hair and hum. "You think I'm attractive?"

He shuts the cabinet slowly and plays it off coolly. "You're cute or whatever."

"What's cute about me?"

His hands go into his pocket while his shoulders hutch upward. "Don't act like you don't know you're pretty and all that."

That's where he stumps me. Jacob takes a seat back onto the cot next to me with his arms crossed. "I'm sure your General tells you your beautiful every second he can."

I shake my head. Seeing Sam is rare anyway, but getting told I'm beautiful was something that was done on special occasions like eating at an expensive restaurant. Jacob looks just as baffled as before, laughs a bit, but stops when he sees I'm not joking.

"Are you f'real?"

"Does it seem like I'm kidding."

He eases closer. "That's impossible. If I were Sam, I'd tell you you're beautiful every chance I got."

Lips quivering nervously and sweat forming on my forehead, my hair falls over and covers my face. "You went from attractive to cute to pretty to beautiful. Which is it, Jacob," I tease and lightly poke his shoulder.

He takes a moment to answer. "Beautiful."

Ditto. "How so?"

"'Cus attractive is kinda like in general, like I could find someone attractive but want nothing of them or have a crush on them. For example, Rachel and Renesmee are attractive. Would I hit that? Probably not."

My cheeks are probably burning the fuck up.

"Cute is kinda the same way but typically for a child or how someone acts. I don't think it's sexy to call a chick 'cute' if you're feeling her the way I feel certain people," he eyes me as he explains and plops off the cot to pace the room a bit. He makes his way back over to the cot and subtly places a cautious hand on my thigh, but doesn't meet my eyes.

"Pretty is a facial thing. Someone can be pretty all they want, but beautiful is like-"

Jacob's hand transmit heat all throughout the lower half of my body, making every goosebump spread across the length of my legs. His eyes dip again just like before, and I don't know what to do but let my body go soft. My chest heaves, my mouth goes dry, my palms sweat and my own eyes follow his when they search my face for denial or discomfort.

"Beautiful is full lips." His index finger runs over my bottom lips and down my chin. "Long, naturally wavy, black hair." He twists the same finger through the ends of my hair. "Tan skin," he mutters, caressing my bare legs. "Gorgeous hazel eyes," he says under his breath staring intently right through what feels like my soul.

Jesus.

"Lee," he sighs, cupping my jaw in his hands, bringing me forward and placing himself between my legs with demand.

I allow it, purse my lips, and take Jacob's lips onto my own , first softly, then pressing forward with force. He lets my face go and guides his hands around mine when he caresses my midriff, sides, waist and legs. The kiss deepens with his tongue swirling mine, and I taste him to the point where I want more and moan into his mouth, making it vibrate. We breathe for a moment, press our lips together, and he takes it upon himself to hoist me up and secure my legs around his waist. His own plump lips match the controlled spasms of the ones mine give his. He moans himself, tightens the grip on Rach's tank, and runs his tongue pleasurably withing my mouth, turning his head accordingly so.

It's until I need a breath do I realize what I'm doing.

I pull back, and he sets me back onto the cot then lets the tank go, backs away and sighs shamefully. Facing the ground, I put a hand on my forehead as if it'll jog a memory. I exhale, but am not ashamed to look at Jacob who is shaking his head and grinding this teeth together.

"I'm sorry," he states sorrowfully, but instead of feeling guilty, I get off the cot, limp forward and take his hand in mine. He relaxes when I peck him on his lips for a second.

"Let's go," I suggest, pointing towards the school's exit.

A/N Okay, so I'm going to address the elephant in the room. YES, I REALIZE IT'S BEEN ABOUT 7 MONTHS SINCE I EVEN TOUCHED THIS STORY. But, alas, my hiatus is over because Dee (HalyconSeasons) refused to let me go to waste and I fully owe it to her and my loyal readers to finish this story. I apologize; it won't happen again. I was really about to let myself become one of those Fanfiction authors who start a story and never finish it. I'm surprised even half of you are even still interested.

Oh, and P.S... Just 'cus I abandoned this story 7 months ago, doesn't mean ya'll need to slack on reviews. This isn't a game.