JAKE POV

Reaching the shore, I was shivering and shuddering so hard my muscles tensed painfully. My legs duly ached under chilly numbness. I could barely feel my feet or hands as I worked them to snatch a towel from a small pile on the hood of Embry's old Mustang parked on the beach. I patted myself dry before getting another and wrapping it around me.

"Hey Roman, heads up!" I shouted and threw him a towel.

"Thanks."

I smiled, letting my gaze linger on Roman's figure as he dried off and wrapped the towel around his waist. Some of the markings lining his legs still shone blue. My cheeks flared hot as I looked away the instant he caught me staring.

Sudden warmth filled my stomach as I let my mind wander back five minutes. Fuck that was some kiss… and my first … I couldn't have been happier that was my first. The tip of my tongue traced my lower lip as my fingertips brushed my mouth. My eyes closed for a moment. I groaned when my mind flashed back to the feeling of how he rolled his hips into mine, and the feeling of his cock rocking against me, his full, long hardness... I groaned again, snapping myself out of the fantasy before it became evident what I was thinking. As it was, the sensation of the damp fabric brushing against my cock was almost too much.

"You okay Jake? You've been gone for over an hour." Bella's voice cut through my dazed state. At first I hadn't recognized her as I looked over my shoulder toward her. She wore an emerald green two piece, at least one size too small. Bella didn't have the most cleavage, but her bikini showed otherwise.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine." I shook the fog from my head. "You go swimming Bells?"

"No, it was too cold."

I snorted waving my hand. "Sure, sure."

"You braved it?" Her brows rose.

"Yeah. Why not?" I shrugged. "Wasn't that bad."

"Why Jacob Black, who'd you do that for?"

"What are you talking about Bells? I went with Roman. He loves the water and I haven't been able to swim for years."

"You hate the cold Jake." Her eyes narrowed, almost questioning with suspicion. "What's going on with you two? You've taken to him like a duck to water."

"What do you mean? We're friends. "

"It's just … I didn't think you'd have much in common."

"Why? He's been locked up almost ten years—so have I. He almost died, and so have I, more than once. Roman is cool Bells."

"I know, its just… he looks at you strange."

"And you don't?" I countered.

She blinked, taken aback as I made my way toward the bonfire, where the others were setting around and leaning against large logs while getting warm.

"Jake, that's not what I meant. Aw c'mon Jake. Jacob?!"

A lanky frame appeared out of the dark and into the glow of the bonfire. I instantly recognized Embry. His arm slapped around my shoulders as he turned me around, away from the bonfire.

"Jake, where you been? I've been looking for you for ages! You cut me off the phone before I could tell you the good news and then you disappeared with Roman."

"Oh?"

Emb stopped and stood before me. His dark eyes were narrowed, wary while silently questioning me. "You okay? You don't seem yourself Jake. You were excited earlier."

"Just confused about something, forget it. What's up?" I forced on a smile.

"I'm attending Forks High tomorrow! So you and me and Bella and Roman can hang. Sweet huh?" He grinned, completely excited. He reminded me of Sophia and her bouncy levels of excitement with how it radiated off her.

"Uh, sure… great. Just don't cause any trouble, please? I really like it there and as it was Emb, you got me in trouble almost as much as you when we were kids."

He laughed. "Chill, this is what I've been wanting for years, you know that. Finally don't have those crazy legends shoved down my throat every day!"

I smirked. "Wasn't that bad Emb," I said while continuing down the beach.

He scoffed. "Easy for you to say, you didn't attend school for long enough."

"Eh!" I snapped, jabbing him in the side with a grin. "No I had it worse—studies and night time stories from age two. Dad's obsessed! I still get lectures from him about them. 'Son you have to remember them. I won't be around forever and one day you'll have to take over as chief." I shook my head as Embry laughed.

My smile faded as I sighed. Reality once again hit. That was the thing about Embry, he took your mind off your problems long enough you forgot them for a few minutes. It was one reason why we were best friends. All those years I'd been sick, we could talk online or on the phone for hours. He was the best. I'd do almost anything for him.

I glanced over my shoulder to the bonfire, seeing Bella settling down beside Roman. I bit my lip. All day I had been waiting to get Embry alone to ask him if he'd ever experienced any of these feelings or thoughts, but now I wasn't so sure or confident. What if he didn't approve? What if he was disgusted by the idea, like I knew some many on La Push were? Most of these people were traditional, kept to the old times, like my dad.

For the first time in my life, I didn't feel so confident sharing everything with my best friend. Damn, I even knew Embry's first time, who and where he did it! But it was still different… it wasn't a girl. Suck it up Jake! It's just like the showers, no big deal… I coached myself and hoped to god I was right.

"So what'd you think of Roman?" I murmured, glancing sideways. Sometimes Embry was like an open book to me and I could read what he was thinking.

"He seems cool, a little distracted maybe. Why?" He lifted his head to the side to look at me.

"It's just… I don't know how to say this but—"

I paused as a voice snapped from behind us. "What's going on? Why are you tatties here?"

Emb and I turned in unison to see a tall muscular guy standing before the Atrians in the glow of the fire. Teri, Roman and Drake stood. Roman was grappling to hold Drake back as Teri stood with her arms crossed over her chest as she quietly spoke with a death stare and her 'don't fuck with me,' attitude in place. I groaned, shaking my head as I ran back up the beach with Embry on my heel.

"Sam back off!" I yelled, averting his attention my way. I could see his powerful frame shaking hard. My own hands began to shake in the pockets of my board-shorts as they fisted into clenched balls.

"Stay out of this Black!" he growled. "This has nothing to do with you."

"You're insulting my guests so yeah it does." I stood before him, holding his black eyes. I felt like I was staring into the eyes of an alpha wolf about to pounce, but I held my ground, ignoring the part of my brain that repeated, stand down. Sam stood only two inches taller than me but he was eye-to-eye with Drake standing inches behind me. "You're not even in the council Sam. Back off. Dad's already had enough of you taking charge like this."

"Jake it's okay, we'll leave," Roman murmured at my side. He took my arm but I ripped it back.

"Dad knows the Atrians are here, right Emb?" I looked to him standing on my other side.

"Uh…" He reached up to the back of his neck, rubbing it while looking to the side. "He knows about the party."

"Embry!"

"Hey, I was the one who said they could be here. Sue knows, Leah blabbed two seconds after I invited her. "

"In other words you didn't think they'd be allowed," Sam stated in a deep tone, glaring daggers at Embry. The quakes through Sam's body increased the more we—especially when I—spoke. What was his problem? The Atrians weren't causing any issues.

"They're not allowed on my lands, got it?" he snapped at Embry as he stepped forward. A threatening vibration radiated off him like that of a killer holding a gun, readying to fire. It was almost like I could read his mind before he acted. He was going to hurt Emb unless I did something about it.

As it was, my hands were shaking so hard I had to take them out of my pockets before they broke free of the thin fabric. My hands shot straight up to Sam, knocking him over like he was a lanky kid instead of a buff man. It'd happened so fast, it hadn't even registered in my mind what had happened. Did I punch him? Push him? Whatever I did, he fell hard into a shaking mess that took me aback to the point I actually feared what he might do next. I'd never seen anyone so worked up.

"Leave, Sam!" I ordered in a tone I'd never used before. I didn't know where it came from within me.

Just when Sam was about to leap forward, Drake shoved me back as though if Sam was about to attack me, he was going to have him. My eyes narrowed in confusion. Why would Drake do that?

"What's all that shouting down there?" Charlie's voice called from the top bank where the cars were parked. He held a weird looking gun in his hands as he stepped onto the beach. His eyes landed on me.

Of course the chief of police would trust me the most to get the truth from. After all, he had changed my diapers years ago. Even with my barely speaking to him all these years, I knew not much had changed between me and Charlie.

"What is going on here?" His eyes glanced over the small crowd. "Jake?"

"They're not doing anything Charlie."

"Then what was all that about?"

"Sam, being a pain in the ass again," I muttered.

"That's the big guy who's been rumoured to be using and dealing, right?"

"Yes Charlie." You would think he'd remember such an important detail about a single guy on La Push. I mean, it wasn't every day he got a call from us.

"Well, where is he?" Charlie glanced around, as if scoping for proof. The other's eyes were on us and when I looked to where I had last seen Sam, there was nothing but a flattened patch of dying summer grass.

"He was just there."

Charlie turned. "Call, right? Embry?"

"Yes sir." Emb nodded.

"Did you see where he went?"

"No. I don't think any of us did."

"Right well, it's almost ten o'clock anyway. Come on, you guys the bus." He waved his hand toward the Atrians. "You know the drill." Charlie nodded towards the bank as they lined up and headed toward the bus. Just like this afternoon, Teri once again took the lead. For a long moment Roman held my gaze.

"Thanks for having us Jake." Sophia smiled as she passed. "I had fun."

"You're welcome." I nodded as Charlie stood beside me. Another guard who had been also standing on the top bank boarded the bus.

I watched the Atrians until they disappeared on the bus and Embry had gone back to the bonfire. I went to head back there too when Charlie grabbed my arm, spinning me around to face him. His expression held a stern and serious expression.

"What?"

"Where's my key-card, Jake?" he queried quietly.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I shrugged.

"I had it this morning when I came to Billy's place. Now it's missing."

"I don't have it Charlie." And that was almost the truth. I didn't have it on me. "You probably misplaced it like you did with your gun the other week." He raised his brows with a look that could only say, seriously? "Strip search me if you wanna."

Charlie's eyes narrowed. "Don't get kinky."

"Who said anything about getting kinky? Take me on a date first and then we might see." I smirked, walking past him to the join the others. I heard Charlie groan behind me. I proudly snickered.

It took a few minutes before I heard the bus leave. I absently listened and watched the guys tell stories of a huge bear spotted in the woods not far from First Beach. If I didn't know them, I may have been worried, but these were the guys that heavily drunk moonshine. I thought it funny they believed everyone hung on their every word. I may not have been able to speak for the others, but they hadn't fooled me.

It was eleven o'clock before anyone looked to go home. Bella was the first.

"I'm going Jake. It's getting late," Bella said, hugging me. As she got up. Sand lightly dusting her lower body.

"Kay Bells. Safe trip home okay?"

"Sure. Uh can you walk me to the truck?"

"Course." I nodded and stood from sitting on the log. My ass was numb.

The walk up to the bank was silent. Bella unlocked the truck before turning toward me and running her hand through her hair.

"Are we okay?" she whispered.

"Yeah, why?"

"Just you seemed different after you came back from swimming and how you walked off earlier. And since, you've been distant. What's going on?" She leaned back against the truck's rusty hood and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Nothing, Bells, I'm just unsure of myself. Years of been locked up will do that to you." I partially lied. Obviously, it wasn't the full reason to why I was distant or walked off earlier. "There's a part of me that wants to come out, run free as I know I can be now, but there's another that's scared—in case somethings happens and I have to go back to that life. I don't know how to explain it better."

"I understand. You can talk to me, you know that right?" She slid into the driver's seat.

I nodded. "Yeah and same Bells." I smiled a small smile as the image of the volvo creeped into my mind. I wanted to ask her, but at the same time, something stopped me. I just wasn't sure what.

"Night Jake."

"Night Bells." I waved as she backed out. In the car park, I stood watching the old truck drive out of sight and I instantly regretted not asking who that silver car belonged to. I shook my head, coughing on the smell of the fuel and walked back down to the beach.

That truck used to belong to dad until he sold it to Charlie to help pay for my medical bills. It was sad the day it left me. I'd been working on it for a while. It was my plaything, fixing it up and getting it running until I did too good of a job on it and it actually passed a service for the first time in what dad thought to be ten years. The brakes had been shot, as were the gears and steering. Since fixing up that truck, I'd been the known La Push mechanic—I had my personal pr, gossiping father to thank for that.

When I reached the beach, Embry was saying his goodbyes to everyone. He looked to me as I stepped into the auric glow of the bonfire about twenty-feet from where I stood.

"Going home?" I asked as he stopped in front of me.

"Yeah, you know how mum is." He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "You were going to tell me something before Sam cut in. What was it?"

I blinked, surprised he remembered. I quickly debated whether to still ask or not. "Have you ever had a guy crush? Just because this guy at school was worried about it, because he thought he was straight and I said I'd ask you seems you been with girls..." I bounced my shoulders, trying to act as casually as I could.

Emb's eyes narrowed. "Uh no, not yet anyway. I've heard of it happening though. Earlier you made it sound like you… It's not you, is it Jake?"

I shook my head, fighting back the urge to lick my lip or bite my lower lip. "No Emb," I scoffed. "You know I like the playboy models."

"Jake, that's different. Far as I know you can like looking at girls and still be gay. It's the sex that matters."

"Right so, hate sex with girls, you're gay? I'll tell him. Thanks Emb."

"See you at school and you can introduce me to this guy. Might be able to help. Later Jake." He waved and took off down the beach to his car.

After he disappeared in his car, I groaned and palmed my forehead. That still didn't bring me any closer to an answer! And now he was expecting to meet the guy! If only I had a decent internet connection to look it all up I wouldn't have to subject myself to embarrassment and making up lies.

I sighed, feeling my hands begin to shake again as I made my way back up the beach to the bonfire. I was one of the last underagers to leave at eleven-ten. When I got home, the house was dark but dad sat in his wheelchair in front of the TV's reflection.

"Have a good time Jacob?" he murmured, looking up to me as I closed the door.

"Yeah, it was great." I yawned into the back of my hand.

"Have you eaten?"

"Yes Dad. I'm just going to take a shower and go to bed. Night."

"Night son."

I slid into the bathroom and dropped the towel at my feet. My board-shorts soon joined the pile around my feet. It was a relief to no longer hide my semi erection or have fabic teasing my sensitive tip.

On the very short drive home, my mind wouldn't stop going over the things Roman had said and done. Then the 'what ifs,' and 'what woulds,' stepped in. What if I hadn't stopped him, would we have gone further than just a kiss? How much further? Was Roman even like that? My mind was whirling with questions. Then they stopped on Roman and restarted on me: Would I have let him take things further? Was I like that? Was I confident enough to have a one night stand with a guy? No, I wasn't confident enough to do something like that.

I groaned and stepped inside the shower as fantasy images swirled through my head, stimulating my dick enough for me to feel the blood rushing through it. It lay against my stomach as I rolled my eyes. Weirdly, it felt like it was judging me. All these years I hadn't thought of that stuff, why now? And why couldn't I control my thoughts and the images that came with them?

Damn teenage hormones, I mentally cursed and turned on the hot tap. If I wanted to gain confidence enough to be with someone else, I had to start with being alone with myself… What the fuck Jake? Where'd that thought come from? My brain yelled, and to be honest, I had no answer.

I readjusted the shower head and eased back onto the plastic seat. The warm water sprayed over my frame while keeping me warm in the cold room. Steam soon fogged my view. I coughed, waving it from my face. It always got me. I leaned back against the ice cold wall and closed my eyes knowing it'd stimulate my mind along with the fantasies if they were closed. The one that had been playing on my mind since lunch instantly flashed to mind. Only I reversed the roles.

His gentle and warm lips tenderly though teasingly brushed mine. The tip of his tongue licked my upper lip. Fire shot down my cock. I moaned, turning my head to the side. He had my arms pinned above my head as I held Roman's sparkly blue eyes. He understood my silent plea and kissed my neck with open mouthed kisses. Flames ignited inside me as I arched my back, gasping at the sensation. Electricity, want and need coursed through my nervesas Roman brushed his fingertips down my stomach then up to my chest. His right hand still pinned both my hands above me. All his markings were lit, shimming a deep caribbean blue.

My stomach tensed as I brushed my fingers along my length and down to my sac, tightly gripping them before slumping further down the wall in the seat. My hand brushed up my length again as I lightly gripped myself and moaned at the sensation. Fuck, why hadn't I done this before? My every nerve was alight, on fire, as my mind was dulled with the fog of lust. Warmth flowed inside me as my stomach and sac tightened. Small amounts of thick pre-cum coated my head.

Roman released my hand and cupped the side of my face as his mouth crashed to mine. I gasped and groaned into his mouth as he parted my lips. He arched into me, brushing his cock against me.

My body jolted as I gasped, cumming hard. My eyes flashed open to see spots over my gaze before my eyes closed again, wanting to retreat back to my fantasy as my mind dulled further, locking me from what I wanted to imagine. My chest rose and fell as I tried to catch my breath. I was almost numb.

After my breath eased back to the norm, I smirked. It was a day of firsts, and that was the second best. The first, that won by far, was Roman's kiss.

By the time I emerged from the bathroom, the TV was off and dad had disappeared, more than likely to bed. I slumped into my bedroom, ready for sleep to consume me until the morning sun hit the horizon in about seven hours time, give or take.

As I lay back, I glanced to my clock. It read eleven-forty-nine in red digital writing. Though the day had been great, it had literally felt like the longest day in my life. I yawned and instantly fell asleep.

His lips brushed the length of my neck, flames raced through my stomach. I felt myself harden as he nipped my jawline. I groaned, arching myself against his cock. "Fuck Roman…" I whimpered against his mouth as he parted my lips. The tip of his tongue touched mine—

I snapped awake, gasping. Glancing down, I rolled my eyes seeing a small tent in my sheets. It was bad enough when I had icy water to wash the evidence away. Now it was worse. If I went to the shower now, I'd wake dad.

Groaning, I turned to my side and tried to fall back to sleep. But I was wide awake. My mind kept flicking over images of Roman and our kiss from earlier. Everything he'd made me feel was something I'd never experienced before nor dreamed or imagined such feelings existed. I'd rarely fantasized about anything like that and when I did, it was nothing like that. I groaned when my stomach tightened and the sheets brushed my tip.

"Fuck." I rolled over. It was one o'clock. There was no way I'd be finding sleep anytime soon.

Sighing, I flung myself up in the bed and threw on my leather jacket, along with my jeans from earlier while intentionally forgetting my shirt or any kind of underwear. I pulled up the hood of my jacket and took the keys to my bike from the top drawer of my nightstand. I silently stepped out of my room, not allowing the door to squeak closed behind me.

Once outside, I double checked I had locked the door and made my way to the shed. The moonlight shone in the center of the sky, lighting most of my surroundings. An owl swooped down from a tree, almost making me jump into the pile of wood we had stocked up against the shed.

An abrupt snapping sound in the woods not far from the house caught my attention. I looked around, feeling as though eyes were on me. I searched the tree branches for any sign of the owl, but for some reason, I knew it wasn't the bird. Why hadn't I bought a flashlight?

As the watchful sensation dissolved, I composed myself and entered the darkness of my shed where I quickly rolled out my black motorbike. A cold breeze came up. Blowing through my hair, it reminded me I'd left my helmet in my room. I sighed. I'd have to forget it unless I wanted to risk waking dad. Good thing I was a safe driver.

Down the road, the motorbike roared to life as I took off for Forks, hoping the drive would tire me out just enough I could sleep. If I got tired enough, I knew Bella would let me crash at Charlie's, as long as I hid my bike from the chief of police for having lack of a helmet.

The road heading into Forks was quiet. I think I only passed a max of two log trucks and a car. I was surprised when I didn't come across any wildlife. The La Push roads were almost silent, so you usually seen some kind of animal, though it was usually deer.

When I hit the tiny town of Forks, I found the cool night air had only woken me further and the drive had woken my senses. On the short stops before traffic lights, my mind wandered to thoughts of Roman. My dick twitched at the thought of my dream and then the shower. I groaned, shaking my head to focus as the lights changed for the other lane. I reached for my back pocket, where I felt the key-card. A smirk quirked at the edge of my mouth as I quickly changed direction. After another five minutes, I pulled up across the street from the sector.

I cut the bike's engine, watching the place as I wheeled the bike out of view. It looked more like a prison than a sector, but a quiet prison. No one was out front nor guarding the inside entrance. I pulled my hood further over my head after it had almost completely slipped off while driving. Quickly, I bought my arm up to my mouth to silent another cough as the air came up icy.

I crossed the road, dodging the security lights moving over the street and gateway. I slowly pulled the key-card from my pocket and slipped it over a small screen that lit up. A moment later, I heard something unlock and the large metal door eased open with a creak. Once inside the sector, my eyes widened at the sight in front of me. I suddenly felt like I was in outer space.

Down a single street-like-alley, lights reached from building to building that were two stories high. There were small markets where few Atrians browsed before suspiciously ducking away and hurrying inside. I felt like I had entered a whole new world by coming through that door.

I pocketed my hands into the the pockets of my jeans as I slowly walked down the light-lit alley-street. I tried to keep my head down and not pay much attention to the markets, but it was so hard. Never, had I been one for shopping, but this place had so many different things that felt so forbidden. Plants, animals—I think I saw a small phoenix—fabrics, gems… I began to wonder if these stalls contained items of the Black Market. I'd heard a rumor the guards had made an 'unspoken,' agreement with the Atrians and their out of space items. I just didn't know the extent of it or even if the rumour was true.

I passed one lady with necklaces of gemstones glowing and changing different colours with each second that passed. They amazed me and I would have loved to buy them but with each stall I left behind me, I noticed more and more of the Atrians spoke Sondvi not English.

"You boy," I heard and automatically turned without thinking. "Are not allowed here."

I felt my heart leap in panic. How did this guy know? I had kept my head down most of the time and the lights above me weren't strong enough to light my face. I then began to wonder if the Atrians had psychic abilities. I bit my lip and glanced to the side.

The guy still stood in front of me, watching my face. He had to be almost a foot smaller than me, older too with a grey-black five o'clock shadow, but something deep down said don't move. Because of the hood of my jacket, I couldn't see out the corners of my eyes, but I felt like a crowd was watching me, like I was a cobra in the middle of a circle of meerkats.

"Leave him alone," a deep voice spoke. I turned to see a guy walking up to me. The others moved out of his way like a shark through water. At first, I didn't recognize him.

"Roman?" I whispered, but he didn't look at me. He stared at the older man with an intense vibe of power. A vibration only a leader could process.

"As the son of Nox, I suggest you, Roy, get out of here. You know the guards could kill you for this."

"I'm not doing anything wrong."

"Black market?" Roman muttered, glancing up to a guard walking down the alley. The crowd was slowly disappearing the closer the guard came. Roman bit his lip and turned, wrapping his arm around me as he guided me through the crowd and toward a small three-story building.