Katie moaned and turned slightly in the thick russet colored fur. Suddenly, the realization that she was sleeping on a werewolf and on top of that a boy that kissed within hours of meeting him, hit her. Quickly her memories flooded back into her mind and apparently her sleeping on a wolf was the most normal thing she had done that day compared to the accident with the vampires from the Volutri.
"Morning," she sighed running her nails over his spine and shoulder. He mumbled a wolfish yawn exposing all of his white gleaming teeth. "So apparently you ended up sleeping on the lawn anyway," she teased as Jesse silently shook with laughter. "Any idea what happened last night?" Jesse grinned and shook his head. "Thanks for letting me sleep…erm…on top of you," she awkwardly said. He extended his head and licked her hand gently. Katie just guessed this meant something like, 'You're welcome.' "Can you change back? I feel like I'm talking to myself." Jesse suddenly looked really sheepish. "What? What's wrong?" He shook his head quickly. "Wait, where are your clothes?" Jesse turned around to point his head towards the forest. "Oh, well then," she blushed not realizing that if he changed back right then and there, that he wouldn't have any clothes.
Quickly he loped back to the forest, leaving Katie alone besides the still smoking fire pit. Judging by the sun, it was somewhere in between nine and ten o'clock.
"Hey!" Jesse yelled clad only his jeans. "Sorry about that," he smirked. "I somehow thought you prefer me in clothes."
"Well, um, yes…."
"It's alright; you just learned that werewolves existed yesterday. I can't expect you to know everything already!" he laughed at Katie embarrassed expression.
"Um Jesse?"
"Yes?" he instantly sobered up.
"About last night, did, I mean about the…" she stammered trying to find the right words.
"The kissing?"
"Yes."
"What about it?"
"Did it mean something? What I mean is I've kissed a lot of guys at parties, and never spoke to them again. I just wanted to know what you think about me."
"Speaking of knowing stuff about werewolves, you should know something before I answer that."
"What are you talking about?" she titled her head to one side. NOTHING was simple anymore.
"Take a walk with me," he instructed taking her by the hand and guiding her forward into the forest. The trees wound around in what seemed like a maze. Everything was a beautiful explosion of reds, oranges, and yellows with the beginning of fall.
"It's beautiful, but how do you get around here without getting lost?"
"I grew up here, I did get lost once when I was really young though."
"What happened? How'd you get out?"
"Bella found me, and took me back home. She's a good friend of mine."
"Are werewolves and vampires supposed to be good friends?"
"As a matter of fact no, not at all, in fact they're supposed to be enemies," he sighed brushing a limb out of the way and holding it back so Katie could pass safely. "But Bella is...different. She sort of has friends of all different categories of species."
"Are you ever going to answer my question?" Katie asked indignantly. "If you don't like me then just say it!"
"NO! It's not like that at all! It's just werewolves, when they find the one person who they're supposed to be with, I guess you can say their soul mate, they imprint on them."
"What's imprinting?"
"It's basically finding the other half of you, and you're bonded to them. To be whatever they need, a friend, a big brother, or," he gulped. "A lover."
"So how does this tie in to how you feel about me?"
"I kind of just told you, if I'm right," he grinned. Her eyes widen and jaw dropped. "I know, you just had," he shivered. "Problems with your ex-boyfriend, but I wouldn't be like that. In fact I would kill that boy for hurting you. I would rip him apart," he began to rant.
"Sorry," she smiled weakly. "Bella already beat you to it."
"Dang it! I would've loved to kill him myself," he hissed. "So, you don't believe me do you?"
"I…I was wondering why you looked at me like that down at the campfire, like I was something special," she sighed.
"That doesn't prove much, 'cause you are special," Jesse smiled sheepishly swiftly turning right at a fork in the path that walked beside a creek bed. The water made a slight gurgling sound as it passed along the rocks. Katie burst out laughing much to Jesse's surprise.
"You must have imprinted on me!" she laughed clutching her stomach. "Otherwise you would've realized that there's nothing at all special about me!"
"Katie," he hissed cupping her cheeks in his large hands. "You are the most beautiful and kind girl I've ever met."
"You're delirious," she rolled her eyes. "You can't be serious."
"I'm very serious," Jesse replied, his voice becoming softer. "And I'll prove it too you," he added bending down and kissing her gently on the lips praying that she wouldn't reject him. She didn't disappoint, and this time she didn't feel like it was kissing some guy on a crazy whim. This time when she kissed boy, it felt completely real. She smiled and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him harder. He grinned in return and licked the bottom of her lip, begging for entrance. She moaned and parted her lips slowly, allowing him to take control.
"Well well well, Jesse," Maliha laughed as the two broke their kiss apart quickly, but never stepped out of each other's arms. "No wonder you kept awfully quiet last night!" Katie promptly began blushing furiously while Jesse adopted a 'little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar' expression.
"So?" Jesse laughed holding Katie against his chest. "You say that like it's a bad thing!"
"So you imprinted huh?" Jaci asked.
"Yep," he grinned.
"Well crud! There goes my plan to ask you out!" Jaci complained winking.
"Sorry J, I'm no longer up for grabs," he grinned. "Of course you were serious."
"EWWW!!" Maliha squealed. "Jesse you're like our brother, and that would be just plain creepy!"
"Yea tell me about it! Dating you is like dating Skah!" Jaci yelped.
"Okay now that, that is settled, go away!" Jesse snickered. "Can't a guy get a little privacy with his girlfriend?" Katie instantly was blushing at the word 'girlfriend'.
"Not when he has a pack around to spy on him! Besides your father needs you back home. That's why we were following you to start with," Maliha explained.
"Dad? I wonder why."
"Something about a vamp war or something,"
"The Volturi," Katie gasped. "No…"
"She knows about it too?" Jaci asked.
"We have to go now," Jesse said pushing pass the two, towing Katie behind him through the forest.
"Where are we going?" she questioned as Jesse began walking faster forcing her to jog behind him. "Jesse!" Abruptly there was a loud howl that pierced the morning sky that sent chills down her spine. "What's going on?"
"The pack is gathering, and I have to go with them," he replied quietly. "I'm part of the pack now, I have to go."
"No," she began to sob. "Please don't leave. Please."
"I know Katie," he pulled her into his arms in a tight hug. "I know," he soothed her rocking her back and forth.
"I finally get a boyfriend who honestly loves me, and then he has to leave," she sobbed.
"It's alright, it's not like I'm gone forever. It's just a pack meeting," he laughed.
"No, it's more than that. You're going to go to war along with the Cullens soon. I can't lose you," she cried. "You really are the other half of my heart."
"I know, I know, I'll come back. I promise," he swore. Suddenly she looked pensive and deep in thought. "Katie?"
"Take me with you."
"No," he groaned. "No; anything but that."
"Please, I need to be there. Besides I want to see my friends again," she smiled tracing the features of his face gently with her fingertip. "Please Jesse."
"Fine, but when I tell you that it is time to come back here, you will listen."
"Yes, I promise," she sighed.
"I'll send Jaci or Maliha to pick you up, that way you have to come home. I won't have you on the battle field."
"Thank you Jesse," Katie smiled.
"You're welcome," he half groaned. "Give me one second," he scampered into the darkness of the forest for a brief minute before reappearing as the russet colored wolf. Slowly he crouched down, lowering his right shoulder blade completely to the ground meaning for her to climb on. Katie sighed but did as he wanted clambering onto his back. She silently marveled at the way it felt to touch the strong muscles of his wolf form. He growled lightly as if to say 'Be careful' or 'Hold on'. He bounded through the trees until he was on the brink of a large clearing. Several wolves much larger than Jesse were collected in a half circle. Probably the worst part was that all of them turned to either stare or glare at them.
'What is she doing here?' David hissed.
'Yes Jesse, what are you doing?' Paul growled.
'Hey, leave the kid alone,' Seth defended.
'I'm sure Jesse has a perfectly good reason for bringing her here,' Jake calmly replied.
'She knows the Cullens and needs to talk to them,' Jesse's eyes narrowed.
'Whole lot a crap if you ask me,' David rolled his eyes.
'Well nobody asked you,' Jesse growled.
'Look, everyone calm down,' Sam ordered.
'Yea, look at the poor kid. She looks scared out of her wits,' Quil commented.
'Then it's settled she can come with us,' Jake promptly announced. Sam nodded slowly at Katie to try to reassure her. It seemed to work as she visibly relaxed her stiff muscles.
Jesse smiled at his father, 'Thanks dad.'
'Alright, now we need to move quickly. The head vampire has asked us to be there by noon. The Volutri will wait till night but that is all the time we have. We'll have to get pass the city in daylight, and this won't be easy if we don't want to be seen. Going around is the only option, follow my lead. If I tell you to stop, then do it,' Sam ordered. 'Let's go!' and with that he took off running towards the center of Forks. Behind him, Jake, Paul, Jared, Leah, Embry, Quil, Seth, David, and the rest of the pack followed in suit. However one wolf which was considerably smaller than the rest caught Jesse's eye. It was a light brown with an extremely fearful look on his face.
'Damian?' Jesse asked cautiously.
'Jesse?' the wolf asked. Jesse nodded grinning. 'Thank God, I can't tell you how relieved I am that it's not just me and David.'
'Stop complaining, I had to live through David in my head!'
'How'd you know it was me?'
'Looked familiar I guess,' Jesse shrugged.
'I guess I should've known with Katie on your back, lover boy,' Damian smirked.
'Whatever, come on!' Jesse ordered bounding behind David. Katie was officially terrified. One she was surrounded by a group of werewolves that could easily tear her apart if she made them angry. Two, she could easily fall off of Jesse. Granted Damian would probably catch her if she did, but it was still a concern. Three, her friends were going to war and there was nothing she could do to help them.
Quickly darting through alleyways and on the outskirts of the town, it was a miracle that they made it out without being caught by a human. Up in the distance, several tents were sent up in the clearing where ironically the Cullens and werewolves had taken down the newborns. It seemed everyone was busy.
Edward and Carlisle was conferring with the numbers they had and battle strategy. Bella was off arguing with another vampire that apparently was a friend of a friend, who apparently didn't understand vampires couldn't hunt in the city. Emmett and Jasper were going over fighting strategy while their wives, Alice and Rosalie were giving out rations of human or animal blood, (all of which was stolen from a blood bank).
"Oh my," Katie gasped. "There's so many of them," she remarked at the never ending groups of vampires. Jesse barked a laugh at her wide eyes. Bella turned from the very irritable vampiress, to run over to them.
"Jake!" she called as he leapt right in front of her. "Hey Jake! I finally don't have to wait at the sidelines!" Jake grinned licking her from her chin to her hairline. "JAKE!!" she complained. Jake luckily dodged her whack as now, she probably could hurt him if she wanted to.
"Good you're here," Carlisle said calmly. "We need to go over strategy."
AN: Okay, so I didn't get this chapter beta-read but I'm still new to it so I'll get the next chapter read over. Sorry about that.