A/N I don't own Twilight, Stephanie Meyer does. I want to say thanks again to everyone who is reading this, especially if you took the time to put it on an alert or left a review, I'm happy that people seem to like it. I wish more of you would review because I like to know how you guys are feeling about the direction I'm taking. Well, here we go…
**Bella POV from Sam's phone call**
I hung up with Sam and grabbed the white board marker and left a note on the fridge, 'Dad, went to Billy's to talk to Jake about something, I'll ask Sam about fixing the window like we talked about earlier. I should be back by 11:30 the latest, will call if anything comes up, -B.'
I was in the truck and halfway to La Push when it struck me; What was Sam doing at Jakes? Maybe he had been stopping by to see Billy and caught the tail end of the argument that I'd been having with Jake. That was another thing, I had no idea what the fuck crawled up Jake's ass but he had fucking nerve. He started screaming at me the second I said 'Hello'
I didn't even catch most of what he'd been saying, something about Sam ruining his life and Embry and I having bad taste in men. I have no idea what that was about. What pissed me off more was when he started accusing me of liking Sam just to piss him off and make him jealous because I knew he hated him. What a crock! I liked Sam because he was nice, chill, seemed like a really good, genuine guy, and on top of all that he was fucking gorgeous, and gave me the tingles whenever I was close to him, what was not to like about him?
When I told Jake all that, I had heard a strangled scream and then the line went dead. I tried calling him back but it went straight to voicemail, I figured he wasn't home so I didn't bother trying the house. I was worried about him, had something attacked him? I knew he was ok because Sam had said they were both at Billy's now but what had happened? I drove the rest of the way a little faster because I had managed to get myself pissed off and a little bit worried again.
I pulled up and got out of the truck I was halfway up the porch steps when the front door pulled open and Sam came through it scooping me up in his arms and hugging me tight. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hung on for a minute before we heard a throat clear behind us. I blushed as Sam set me down on the porch; I was wondering what the hell had gotten into me that made me respond so strongly to him. I turned and smiled at Billy, he pulled the door open and said, "Hey Bella, come on in."
I followed Sam through the door and over to the couch. I sat down next to him and asked, "Where's Jake?"
I heard his bedroom door open and gasped as Jake came through to the living room he was huge! He'd gone from 6'2 to 6'5 and from looking like a semi built teen to an overly muscled man in his early 20's in the course of 2 days; I started to freak out, "What? How? Jake?"
I was hyperventilating, "I? You? 2 days ago?"
Sam wrapped his arms around me rubbing my back and guiding my head down between my knees while telling me, "Shh Bella, it's ok, he's fine, we can explain everything, just breathe Baby, you have to calm down so we can talk to you and you can understand. Breathe Baby, breathe"
I was taking deep gasping breaths and concentrating on the feel of Sam's overly hot hand through my shirt on my back and the comforting sound of his voice, after about 2 minutes Sam pulled my head gently back up to look me in the eye. He held my face in his hands looking deep into my eyes, "are you ok Bella? Do you think you are alright to talk now?"
I nodded wordlessly; I don't think I could have actually spoken if I tried. I gestured at Jake and managed to choke out one word; "How?"
Sam held my hand in his and I noticed again the searing heat of him, I was thinking that maybe I should suggest he and Jake both go to the hospital when Jake broke the silence, "Bella? How much of the legends that I told you that day on the beach do you remember?"
I cast my mind back thinking of that beach trip with the kids from school and how I had flirted shamelessly with Jake trying to find out the stories about the Cullen's. "Umm you said that your tribe was descended from wolves, that they are sacred to your people and that when the 'cold one's' are near that certain tribe members will change to protect the tribe."
As soon as the last word came out of my mouth I gasped, it clicked. It all made sense…The Cullen's of course were vampires, Sam's unnatural heat, Jakes impossible growth spurt and muscles. I felt comprehension dawn on me, "You're wolves, both of you? Jared and Paul too right?"
Jake looked at me with something like pride, "I knew you'd figure it out quick. You forgot Embry though, that's what got me so pissed today, and why I called you and freaked out the way I did, which by the way I'm really sorry for. Sam thinks Quil will phase too in the next few weeks."
I sat back leaning against Sam just trying to take in everything, I looked over at him and caught his eye. He seemed like he was struggling with something, I smiled, "so? Wolf huh?"
He smiled back, "yeah, Alpha Wolf, actually. Look Bella, there's something else."
I felt my smile fade a little, "is it bad? Do you not want to see me anymore? Because you know what Edward is?"
Leave it to me to assume the worst; Sam's face was stricken with a look that I would almost call panic. "No Bella! It's just that there's another wolf thing that you need to know about."
I just looked at him and waited for him to continue, he swallowed hard, "It's called imprinting…when a wolf sees his soul mate for the first time post phase, he imprints. It's like love at first sight times a million, all the ties he has to this earth, they all switch to her, she's the only thing that matters. The wolf is drawn to the imprint, and she to him."
I tried to wrap my head around what he was saying, "So wait…you're telling me that one day somewhere down the line when we've been dating for a while or God forbid married, that you could just look a stranger in the eye and walk away from me without even a look back? Why on earth would you want to do that to me? To either of us?"
He looked like he was trying to decide between being furious with me, and flat out laughing in my face. He chose the latter. Sam laughed, long and loud; he laughed so hard tears had started rolling down his face. I gaped at Jake before coming out with, "what the fuck, Jake? Is he high?"
Jake just laughed and finally Sam started to catch his breath and come back to earth, "I imprinted on you, woman! Don't you remember the bonfire? How we were lost in each others eyes until the ass over there literally shook you out of it?"
I just stared; I had to admit, it made sense. The staring at the bonfire, I'd never been drawn to a man like that, with Edward it hadn't been him, it had been the secret, the mystery. With Sam it was just him that I wanted to know. That feeling that I had to know him. The way the sound of his voice and every deep booming laugh shot me through with lusty feelings that I'd never had before. That feeling that we were natural. It all made sense.
I leaned into him, "so you're telling me that you and I are meant to be? That we're going to fall in love, get married, and have puppies?"
Sam looked slightly uncomfortable as if I'd just asked him to do those things tomorrow, "Well umm, eventually, yeah, but for right now maybe we should just date a little and get to know each other."
I busted out laughing; the look on his face was priceless. I gasped in a big breath and told him, "Honey that's more than fine, you should've seen your face! Trust me Babe, I'm not anywhere near ready to tie you down and have babies with you, but I can't wait to start on this journey with you."
I leaned in and caught his lips with mine, I didn't forget that Billy and Jake were there but I had to kiss him, I couldn't wait any more. His lips were soft but firm against mine they molded together and I gave his bottom lip a little nip before pulling away to sit back on the sofa. I looked over at Jake, "So wolf boy, best friends?"
Jake's face broke into his sunny smile and he answered easily, "Always Bells"
It was about 9:30 and Jake, Sam and I were sitting in his living room watching tv when I remembered about the talk Charlie and I had had about finding someone to fix the front window, I had told him about Sam and that he did construction work. Dad told me to ask him if he had the time to take the job and if so to pass his number along to set things up. "Hey Sam?"
He looked up from the tv, "yeah babe?"
I snuggled closer to him and asked, "Umm, my dad needs something fixed at the house, I told him about how you do construction and he told me to ask if you had time to take the job."
Sam smiled down at me and said, "sure hon, give your dad my cell number tell him to call me sometime tomorrow. What needs fixing?"
I grimaced inwardly, and debated between a lie and the truth, "Well, when I broke up with Edward he got kind of mad and when he left he slammed the door and the big window in the door completely shattered. Dad was beyond pissed, Carlisle sent him a check to cover the damages, he said that was fine but he would have preferred that Edward be a man and apologize for them."
Sam nodded, "yeah I can see how your dad would have preferred that. It would have shown respect."
That made a lot of sense actually, Dad was big on respect and Edward showed him such a lack of it at every turn and I had just sat there and let him. I couldn't do anything about it but I decided to make a point to talk to Sam about it when we had some alone time.
A little before 10 Sam stood up and announced that he and Jake had to go meet up with Embry to relieve Paul on patrol. I got up and gave them each a big hug telling them both to stay safe for me. Sam walked me out to my truck while Jake went out the back to wait for him and give us some privacy.
As soon as I got to the door I turned and leaned against it looking up at him as he came closer and put his arm over me leaning against the frame effectively trapping me against the side, I could feel him around me even though we weren't touching. I reached my hand out and caressed his neck, he leaned in closer to me and lightly touched his lips to mine, I pulled him closer to me and wrapped my arms around his neck, this time it was him who lightly bit my bottom lip but instead of pulling away I melted against him, opening my mouth and deepening the kiss.
He pressed against me half lifting me against the car, while I wound my legs around his waist and thrust my hands into his hair, it was the most intense kiss that I had ever experienced, but just as quickly as it began it ended. Sam pulled back, placing me gently on the ground with one last chaste kiss; even from that light pressure I felt my lips tingle and I wanted more.
We smiled at each other as he brushed a stray lock of hair behind my ear and whispered, "The week will go by so slow without you Bella."
I smiled and replied, "I agree, we're supposed to come down here on Wednesday for dinner, why don't I ask my dad to have Billy and Jake up to ours and then you can come too and meet him? I want him to like you Sam. He hated Edward, I don't foresee you guys having the same problems he and Edward had but I really want you two to get along."
Sam smiled at me, "Baby I think Charlie and I will get along fine, don't forget to have him call me tomorrow about the work. I'll call you tomorrow night and let you know how everything goes, maybe Wednesday if the dinner goes well you can come down to my house for a while and we can hang out."
I nodded, "I'd like that Sam. I'll talk to you tomorrow?"
He nodded and kissed me again, fast and hard then loped back toward the yard calling for Jake. I got in the truck and drove home, when I got back to the house I left a note on the white board with Sam's number letting Charlie know to call. I made my way upstairs and got ready for bed in a daze, the second my head touched the pillow I drifted off into wonderful dreams of the kiss I had shared with Sam. I really hoped that dinner went well on Wednesday.
