Hey, hey, my lovelies!

Gee, guys, I'm so freaking sorry! I know I suck, you don't need to tell me, but feel free if it makes you feel a little better, really! All I can say is that I lost all motivation for this story, but I've finally forced myself to push on and it's actually coming back to me now! Hopefully, it'll stick around!

Thank you those who have reviewed the last chapter! Of course, for the favourites and alerts as well! :)

For those of you who love to read A Wolf' Love, one of my other stories, it has been updated! For those of you who don't have it alerted! :) For those of you who read my Clouded Destiny story, it'll be updated not long after this one :D

Sorry this is short, guys!

No beta. All mistakes are my own. I'm sorry in advance.

I don't own. I only play.

Without further ado … Enjoy!

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Chapter Ten

Wined and Dined

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Jacob's Point of View

D-Did she … say what I thought she said?! I thought in shock.

"Y-your imprint?" I gasped in shock, eyes bulging in my head as I stared at the beautiful woman sat across from me.

She blushed beautifully and ducked her head, nodding shyly. What? Did she think I would be mad? Or anything less than absolutely fucking ecstatic?

"Yes," she whispered in confirmation.

"When?" I demanded, unable to keep the urgency from my voice, nor the disbelief.

The woman, this stunning woman was mine and mine alone. I was hers. Fuck, could this get any better?

She didn't meet my gaze, embarrassed or sheepish for some reason. She had no reason to be.

"That first day … at school. Our gazes connected and then we …" she trailed off meaningfully.

I knew exactly when and what she was saying.

"Imprinted on each other … Holy shit, that's … never happened before in our Tribe's history," I mumbled, almost to myself as I looked to the side in thought.

My heart and soul couldn't get over the fact that my imprint had imprinted back on me. It ached to think that she could have imprinted on someone else, and the relief I felt knowing that we truly belonged to each other was astounding. If I were standing, I was sure it would have brought me to my knees.

This was one for the history books, that's for sure.

"You don't … look too happy," Nessa's insecure, shaky voice penetrated my hazy thoughts.

My gaze snapped up to hers, widening when I saw the tears collected in her eyes. I quickly reached over and grabbed her hand, holding it tightly in mine as I shook my head vehemently.

"No, no that's not it at all … I'm just … God, Nessa, I'm so fucking happy. This … this is so epic! No two other people were made more for each other than we are … I guess it's just a lot to get my head around, but don't you dare think this is anything less than the best moment of my life … so far," I tacked onto the end, making her giggle softly.

She took a deep breath but remained silent, so I continued on, "You're everything I've ever dreamed, Ness. You're everything I need, and I can only hope that I'll be everything you'll ever need. I'll try so hard, baby, so hard to make you happy and loved and safe. You're mine now. Now that I know for sure, you'll never get rid of me."

To my utmost relief, she giggled at that little comment and rolled her eyes, lifting a hand to wipe them at the same time. The little melody was like music to my ears, and I vowed to make her sing it every single day of our lives.

"Good, because you're stuck with me," she replied, smirking seductively.

I gulped lightly, caught up in the sinful curve of her lips and the twinkle in her eyes that screamed trouble and adventure. Despite the stirring I felt down below at her expression, I grinned wider at her words and moved to sit beside her. I cupped her small chin. Gently, I pulled her to me and pressed my lips against her in a tender kiss. She sighed and melted into me, opening her mouth before my tongue could them for admittance.

I smiled smugly at the soft whimper of protest that escaped her throat when our lips part with a quiet squelch. Her eyes were glazed over and her plump lips were parted. Pecking her once more, I returned to my seat but kept her hand in mine, where it remained for the rest of our dinner. The rest of the conversation centred around us, our likes and dislikes, childhood memories and such like, rather than our families or the imprints.

Laughter, both innocent and sexual, became prominent at our table. She'd tease me with a forkful of food from her own plate, retracting it back from my mouth at the last minute with a wicked grin on her face before she ate it herself. Every time tried to do the same though, she was much too quick and was able to catch the fork before I was able to pull it away. Sneaky minx.

Her foot, having sneakily slipped out of her sinful red pump heel, began to rub against my denim-covered calf. The sensation had me at full mast before she began her second stroke, but in a restaurant full of people, there was little I could do to reprimand her for her tempting behaviour. I just leered at her with lustful eyes, but that alone seemed to make her squirm in her chair and smile softly in triumph.

Once we were finished with dessert, I called for the cheque and spent a good fifteen minutes arguing with her who was going to pay the damn thing. Of course, I won in the end, much to her displeasure, and she vowed that she would pay the next one. I indulged her with an easy smile and nod, even though I knew for a fact that just wasn't going to happen.

"So … did you enjoy being wined and dined tonight?" I asked with a smile as we sped down the 101 highway.

My hand was snugly in mine, resting on my thigh, whilst her head leaned comfortably against my shoulder. Her scent was so rich and filtered through my system like some sort or narcotic. It was so addicting, and I wanted more. I was sure the smile on my face was so big and permanent that it couldn't possibly be beaten away with a ten ton club or swift punch to the jaw.

"I definitely loved being wined and dined tonight. It was awesome. A very welcome change from having to cook every night for my dumb-ass brothers," she replied, giggling softly.

I snorted.

"And you were right, that Mexican place was brilliant," she added, smiling up at me.

I couldn't resist leaning down to peck her blood red lips. As much as I'd kissed her tonight, I was surprised it wasn't smeared around her lips, but it wasn't. It was still flawlessly applied to those plump pillows.

"Ah, see, I know you so well already," I teased her.

She smiled at me again but somewhat softer. "Yeah...Yeah, you do," she murmured.

Again, we shared a kiss, soft and light before she sighed contentedly and pulled away. My eyes returned to the road, though I was confident in my abilities and reflexes to keep us more than safe.

"You sure you're okay with the imprint?" I asked after some thought. I was still a little unsure. Between the two imprints, things were going to be more intense for us than usual, and I didn't want to overwhelm her. I felt her nod against my shoulder.

"Of course I am, baby. I embrace it fully … as long as you embrace mine," she added quietly.

I squeezed her hand. "Consider it well and truly embraced, beautiful," I teased, not joking at all really. I chuckled suddenly. "Damn, imagine if one of us had imprinted on someone else."

"I'd have been pissed if my imprint imprinted on someone else!" She snorted. "I mean, what drama would that have been!"

I laughed and nodded. "I'd have hated it … hurting you like that, knowing you loved me, but I was in love with someone else."

"Well … It hasn't happened so we can just forget about that and concentrate on the fact that we will be spending the rest of our lives together," she said lovingly. "I absolutely love the fact that I have you all to myself."

"Mm, me too," I whispered, looking down at her again. "I'm gonna make you so happy, I promise … I love you."

I heard the breath catch in her throat as she stared at me with wide eyes. It took me a minute to realise what I'd let slip, that it was the very first time I'd told her I love her. I did, so much. I never thought it was possible to love someone as much as I love her, but it was very much possible.

"Y-you … love me?" she whispered with tear-filled eyes.

I smiled softly, tenderly, and nodded. "I do … Love you so much, beautiful. It feels so good to say it," I told her.

She bit her lip and smiled. "I love you too," she murmured back, making my heart swell with love and relief.

I leaned in and kissed her soundly, pushing all my feelings into that one kiss so she would know. She'd know how much I love her.

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Eventually, we made our way back to La Push. She had her hand in mine the whole ride back, and it felt so right. Her scent surrounded me, sticking to my skin and clothes, and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

As I pulled into the Library parking lot, I was slightly bummed that she still wanted to study on our first date night, but I expected nothing less from her. She was all about her studies, and whatever was important to her was important to me as well. With that said, I never complained as I hopped out the car and circled around to help her out.

We were silent as we entered the building, drawing all eyes to us as we were still dressed up from dinner. I was sure that we looked odd in this place, but I didn't give a damn – I had my Nessa on my arm and could see the jealousy in the males' eyes all around us as they stared. Having her next to me made me feel ten-feet tall, and the way she cuddled up into my arm was proof enough for me to know that the leers pointed her way had gone completely unnoticed.

We found a table nearer the back of the library, where we would hopefully be left alone. We sat, and I handed her bag over to her while opening my own. I had an English paper to work on and hardly any time to do it. It was due first thing tomorrow morning, but I just wasn't able to concentrate on it. My mind was swimming with all things Nessa. Hopefully, having her close, inhaling her scent, would help me concentrate more on my words than on the curves of her gorgeous body.

It didn't help though. I was more focused than ever on the beautiful woman beside me. I hadn't written a word in the thirty minutes we'd been there when she'd finally noticed my preoccupation.

"What is your problem? Isn't that due in tomorrow?" she asked, pointing her pen at the empty page in front of me.

I peered over at her, smiling sheepishly. "Yeah … kinda distracted though," I stated, eyeing her form appreciatively so that she'd catch my drift.

A beautiful blush covered her cheeks at my leery ways, making me smirk mischievously. She frowned suspiciously, watching me intently as I carefully slid out of my chair to kneel beside her. She gasped softly as I tugged her chair out from beneath the table and turned it. Her blush deepened as I gently pried her knees open so that I could inch my way between them. We stayed like that for a while, watching each other intensely as my hands stroked and massaged her outer thighs.

Her heart was hammering within her chest as soft puffs of her breath hit my face. Despite the blush on her cheeks, her eyes sparkled with excitement and curiosity. I knew she was wondering how far I'd take this little intimate encounter. A hand stretched up to her face, cupping her pinked cheek gently. She leant into my touch, her eyes fluttering slightly as she smiled softly. Her long lashes pranced across the apple of her cheeks and her plump lips were parted, just begging me to lean in and capture them with my own.

And so I did.

She gasped again as my tongue danced across her bottom lip before slithering into her delicious mouth. The soft moan that escaped her throat went straight to my cock and the denim encasing it was becoming bothersome. Her hands wrapped around my neck and shoulders, pulling me closer as her ass slid to the edge of the chair. I could feel her heat against my crotch. I groaned at the feeling, wishing we were in the privacy of my bedroom, rather than a secluded area of the public library where anyone could stumble around us.

"My God … you're so fucking beautiful, Nessa," I breathed against her delectable mouth between kisses. My mouth trailed along her jaw and down the side of her kissable neck, sucking gently on her pulse point.

She moaned. Fuck, it was the most amazing sound in the fucking world!

I sucked harder, despite the feeling I got that told me not to, that it would be a bad idea. The unbelievable urge to mark her in any way I possibly could took my by surprise though. In my defence, she didn't stop me, which to my wolf, meant that I had full reign.

Without my knowledge, my hands gradually pulled the fabric of her dress from beneath her, revealing her lacy panties to my fingertips. I traced the intricate pattern of her trim, feeling her shake and shiver against me as I brushed against her bare skin.

"I want you so much," I groaned before crashing my lips back to hers. My hand slithered up her dress to her smooth back, stroking up and down her spine as her nails burrowed into my own. "Fuck!"

Suddenly, she ripped her mouth from mine, drawing a low growl of protest from my throat. I was struck almost dumb at the sight before me – Nessa's kiss-swollen lips, her chest heaving and the blush of her cheeks had spread down her chest, disappearing beneath her dress. Fuck, did I want to know just how far it went … As I moved to capture her mouth again, she pulled back and shook her head. I admit, I pouted. Hard.

"We need to stop," she panted, trying to catch her breath.

I whined. "God, really?"

She pouted but nodded. "I don't want to either, believe me, I don't … but this is hardly the place. We have to stop," she reasoned.

I had a feeling that this was one of the first of many times she'd be right in our life together.

I nodded but was unable to resist just one more kiss before we got back to the mundane homework set out before us. She sighed and melted into me; I was tempted to take advantage of her submissiveness and get things heated again, but I knew she was right. This wasn't the place. I pulled back and cupped her face, smiling widely.

"I love you," I murmured tenderly.

She smiled back. "I love you too."

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Nessa's Point of View

Leaving Jacob at the library an hour later was the hardest thing I'd ever had to do in my life. All wanted to do was go wherever he was going and stay in his arms. I wanted him to hold me close and never let go. I found myself walking home when all I wanted was for him to drive me, holding my hand the entire way. The practicality of the situation wasn't really suitable as my brothers would take one look at Jacob and rip him to pieces, if they had their way. They would be beyond pissed if they knew I was with him all this time.

Tonight had been the best night of my life. I couldn't feel any higher right now and virtually nothing would be able to bring me down. I'd never laughed or blushed so much before and the fact that it was Jacob making me do those things made it even better. I couldn't wait to get home and admire my flowers again and inhale their amazing aroma. No one had ever given me flowers before; it was a very nice surprise.

As I pulled into the driveway and stepped out my car, I froze solid. Jacob's scent hit me full force. I peered around with wide eyes, wondering if he'd followed me home, but I couldn't see him anywhere in the trees. I tried to search for a reason why his scent would be so strong around my house. I looked at the house intently, noting how quiet it seemed. All the lights were off, but my brothers cars were most certainly here. There was no movement. Were they waiting for me? Why?

Panic welled inside of me, thinking they'd followed me somehow, but calmed down when I remembered that they'd had detention.

Only for an hour and a half, you stupid cow! They could have easily tracked you down if they wanted! You're an hour late coming home! My inner self bit back.

I thought of a way I could possibly deny everything, but then remembered that they would have seen the vase of flowers sitting on the kitchen counter. My panic swelled away as my eyes went wide. Jacob's scent would be all over those flowers – all over the fucking house! How could I be so fucking foolish?! They were going to flame me alive as soon as I went inside! Fuck!

They knew I was home by now, for sure. Even if they hadn't moved or flipped on a light. There was no running now. I would have to face them and wasn't looking forward to it one bit. Gulping, I cautiously approached the front door, fiddling with my hands in front of me.

Entering the house, I wasn't confronted like I thought I would have been. Instead, I was greeted by startling, suspicious silence, as well as darkness. I flipped on the hallway light and slowly approached the kitchen. If they were waiting for me, they'd probably be in the living room so I wanted to avoid that room at all costs. Of course, if I didn't go to them, they would come searching and probably would be even more pissed.

I could only hope that Caleb, and even Andrew, were home. They wouldn't let it get out of hand.

Pushing the kitchen door open, I was greeted by two things. Nothing, in two completely different contexts. Nothing, as in there was no one in the room nor any light, and nothing, as in there was no fucking flower vase on the kitchen counter! A sense of loss coursed through me – if they'd found them, Damien had surely destroyed all evidence as soon as he smelt who they were from, out of complete ire.

There was no doubt that they were home if the flowers were gone. I knew I'd have to seek them out, if only to make the situation marginally better for me. Even then, I was in some deep shit. Leaving the kitchen, I approached the living room. I was greeted by darkness, but creepily, I could see the silhouettes of my brothers through it. Being in the dark must have been to be more intimidating, as if they'd need to be any more when they were pissed off.

I sighed heavily and flicked on the light. I was greeted by all six of my brothers. Damien stood near the window, his back to me as he glared out. Ryan leaned against the wall right next to the same window, staring at me blankly. Erik and Andrew were the only two sitting. Considering the situation, they both looked calmer than I'd expected, or at least in regards to Erik. I don't think Andrew would have been too mad at what I did tonight, other than the fact that I was an hour late.

And finally, Caleb and Steven stood on the other side of the room. Steven had his feet shoulder-width apart and his arms crossed, glaring at me. Caleb was relaxed, albeit wary of Damien, as he glanced between him and I. When he caught my gaze, he wasn't exactly disappointed, rather exasperated. He sent me a look as if to say 'You've gone and done it now, silly girl'.

I was inclined to agree this time. There was no getting out of it.

To bide time, I asked, "Hey … how was detention? Boring as ever? I wanna know how you got that, by the way," I tried to tease, but it came out flat, followed by a nervous chuckle. When they didn't say anything in reply, I continued, "Library was productive. I got a lot done –"

"Nessa … enough with the bullshit … who was here?" the cold, emotionless voice of my eldest brother asked without even turning to face me.

I closed my eyes, trying not to outwardly show my panic and maintain a façade as I formulated by reply.

"J-just … a friend," I answered and cringed, knowing it was a lame one.

"A friend?" he asked with a cold chuckle.

He then turned. My breath hitched as he pulled the vase of flowers from the window sill in front of him, holding them up to showcase them to me as his eyes flashed knowingly.

"A friend who gives you flowers?"

"Friends give flowers to each other … all the time," I replied stupidly.

"Nessa. Who was here? We smelt them when we came home. We know someone was here. Don't lie to us," Ryan demanded, never breaking his stare.

"I told you. It was just a friend."

"I'm going to ask one more time and you better give me a name before I really start shouting…Who. Was. Here. With. You?" Damien pronounced singularly, his eyes boring into mine, making it impossible to look away.

"It was just a friend! I'm allowed friends, Damien!" I shouted unintentionally, but the damaged had already been done.

Faster than I could blink, a vase came flying at my face. Thankfully, I dodged it just in time, but as the crystal smashed against the wall behind me deafeningly, the shrapnel from it hit me in the face before I could shield myself, slicing and embedding into my sensitive skin. I could feel the blood trickling down my cheek, some originating too close to my eye for my liking.

And then, Damien was in front of me, clamping his large hands around my upper arms as he growled in anger, sending spittle disgustingly across my face as he snarled. I whimpered at his harsh, painful hold but remained silent whilst my brothers fidgeted behind Damien, eyeing him with disbelief and incredulity. No one voiced their displeasure just yet though.

Rightfully, no one put their hands on me, not even Dad when he was angry, but right now, Damien either didn't care because Dad wasn't here, or he'd lost his mind to the anger that was smouldering in his eyes.

"Who the fuck was here, Nessa?! Fucking tell me now, or so help me …" he bellowed, spitting even more in my face, mixing in with the blood.

I whimpered as his hands tightened even more painfully. I knew that I would have bruises. "Damien, y-you're hurting me!" I cried as my eyes stared widely up at him.

All sign of the brother I knew wasn't anywhere in sight. I'd never seen this man before.

"J-Jacob … Jacob was here. He gave me the f-flowers!" I wept, turning my face in fright as a deafening roar of rage rumbled from deep within his chest. I cried out loudly as his nails pierced my bare arms, adding the more potent scent of my blood to the room.

"You let the fucking mutt ion my house?! He was here, alone with you?!" he screamed in outrage as he slammed me back against the wall.

Pain shot up my spine as it collided with yet another vase, one Damien himself had gotten me for my last birthday, smashing under the fierce impact he'd pushed me. I could feel shards of glass hacking into my skin, burrowed deeply.

"Damien, please … oh God …" I sobbed, feeling blood trickle down the back of my thighs.

How could they just stand back and watch this? I wept silently as I glimpsed no movement from Ryan or Steven, the only two of my brothers I could see over Damien's intimidating shoulders.

Suddenly, my eldest brother was thrown across the room, smashing through the living room patio doors as Caleb roared, crouching down defensively in front of me. Andrew soon joined him as my other brothers converged onto him in retaliation. All I could truly concentrate on though was the blinding pain coursing through my back and face. The scent of my own blood was making me sick and woozy. I sunk to the floor, sitting in the shards of glass and crystal at my feet, but I didn't quite give a damn at the minute.

I thought, or hoped really, that the sudden attack from Caleb would have knocked some sense back into Damien, but I was wrong – he launched himself back into the room, teeth bared as his face flushed with anger, sailing right towards Caleb. They collided, at which point Andrew turned to me.

"Go! Go now! Run to Jacob, Nessa. Now! We'll meet you later. Go!" he ordered urgently before throwing himself into his own twin, Steven, as he tried to get back Andrew to me.

I gasped and stumbled as I tried to get to my feet with no avail. Instead, I landed back onto the shards beneath me, cutting up my knees and palms. I crawled, as it was all I had the energy to do, towards the front door, cringing and sobbing at the noises echoing from the living room.

The cold, La Push air was like pure anaesthetic on my open wounds, sharp and stinging. I hissed in protest but gritted my teeth, finally making it to my feet before bounding towards the forest. I didn't have the energy to phase, so I ran. I ran until my lungs burned and my throat felt a dry as a desert. Even then, I didn't stop.

… that was until I tripped over a fallen log and could find one single slither of energy to get myself back up. I panted and wept into the forest undergrowth, my salty tears mixing with the mud beneath my face. Dirt caked the whole of my front and filled the cuts on my palms.

A sob tore from my throat aimlessly as I tried, almost in vain, to keep my heavy head up out of the dirt. With every jerk and sag however, I could feel the mud brushing against the tip of my nose. I was quickly losing strength, due to the blood loss, and it wouldn't even be seconds before my face planted deep into the filth beneath me. I couldn't bring myself to care though.

Then I heard it. A rustle. A whine. Then nothing. I was almost disappointed when I heard nothing else for such a long time, but then jumped out of my skin and shrieked in surprise as two warm hands came down over my shoulders.

"Hey! Whoa, shh, it's okay! Nessa! It's okay, it's just me, just Paul!" he shouted over my sobbing, trying to restrain my struggling self.

It was then that his scent fully hit me, and surprisingly, it brought me a lot of comfort. I recognised him as 'Pack' almost. I knew it was due to my connection with his Alpha, my Jacob. I gasped in relief, knowing I was safe, that Paul would keep me so, and melted into his strong hold. He pulled me tight to him, hissing in tune with me as his hands scraped and pressed against the lacerations across my back. He cursed under his breath but soon brought his attention back to me rather than my back once the whimper escaped my throat.

"Shh … shh, it's okay, Ness. It's okay. I'm here. God, honey, what the fuck happened?" he gasped, also seeing the deep gouges on my face, palms, knees and the bottoms of my feet. "I'll kill who did this!"

"P-Paul …" I cried, burying my face into his neck. "J-Jacob! Wh-where is my Jacob?!"

"Hey, take it easy. He's coming. I sent out a signal for the Pack. Just relax, okay? I got you," he whispered into my hair, holding me close but was more careful and wary of my injuries than he'd been before.

There was some growling and more rustling off to the side. I whimpered and shrunk back into Paul in fright, thinking it had to be one of my brothers sent to drag me back to Damien so he could finish what he'd started, but Paul hushed me again, murmuring that it was just his Pack arriving.

Seconds later, the terrified, enraged voice of my imprint penetrated my ears as he launched himself, in human form, through the think undergrowth towards us. I was reaching out to him on pure instinct, before he'd even revealed himself, and was in his arms in the next second. Having his scent and touch surrounding me was the last straw. My dam broke, and I began sobbing into his chest in earnest, barely able to catch my breath between wails.

My Jacob was speaking to me – I could hear the vibrating hum in his chest and see his jaw moving frantically – but I was lost to my surroundings, my strength quickly waning as the horrific events only minutes before hit me hard in the chest like a sledge hammer.

My big brother, my Damien – who was supposed to love and protect me with all he had – had turned against me. He spewed hurtful words and glared at me with so much hatred. He hurt me, both physically and emotionally. Whilst the physical was healing already as I clung top my mate in pure desperation, the emotional scarring would stay with me forever. Damien had shown no mercy tonight, completely lost to his instincts and anger. I did not know the man who had been revealed tonight – he was foreign, an alien species.

He wasn't my brother.

And with that thought, my mind shut down, the edges of my vision fading like an old television as it's power supply was cut off. My eyes slammed closed and my body slumped almost lifelessly into the man frantically, desperately trying to get me to respond.

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There you go, guys! I hope you enjoyed it!

Different from the first story. Those of you who have read the first draft I posted will probably remember her not being so weak, and calling for Paul, rather than him just finding her. This way makes it a little more dramatic, I think, and like it better than the first!

Feel free to tell me your thoughts!

Go to my photobucket and check out Jacob and Nessa's outfits for their dinner!

Thanks for reading! I'll try not to make the next update quite so long next time, now I have my motivation for this story back! Again, I'm sorry for the massive absence!

Love MrsWolfPack xx