Chapter Ten: Jacob

"What's up, Car?" I said. She had taken a full hour to get back from Aberdeen, on a shopping trip she'd not mentioned since. Come to think of it she hadn't mentioned Jaynie or Ruth either. Maybe that's what had her so distracted?

"Since when did I become 'Car'?" She said.

She wandered back over to me at the front of the truck, expressing the first signs of interest in me since I'd arrived. Its hood was propped up on long supports on either side of me and I was driving myself mad trying to work out why it wouldn't start. I knew enough to know that one of the wires was connected wrongly but I'd messed with the engine too many times to remember all the tweaks.

I'd test driven a three series coupe twice already, but even with my bonus, I couldn't quite bring myself to spend the money, not when this big old steam train here was working anyway. Maybe her breaking down again was a sign to trade her in; though with an intermittent engine and close to 200,000 miles on the clock, I would probably struggle to part-exchange her for a bag of sand.

"So now you prefer 'Nessie' after all?" I flicked a blackened rag over my shoulder without looking up.

"I dunno. I don't know which one I like more? Renesmee's a bit mixed up; I'm nothing like Esme and I've never even met my other grandma Renee, so being named after the two of them seems kind of odd."

"So stick with Carlie." And if I can't get her going this time, I'll bite the bullet and buy the BMW. Maybe I should discuss it with Carlie seeing as we're going to spend our lives together?

"Yeah but at the same time, 'Carlie' is basically a lie," she continued, behind me. "Everyone who knows me by it, thinks I'm someone that I'm not."

"See, that's what I said in the first place. You don't need to change anything about yourself to fit in but of course, no one listened to me." I shielded my hand over my eyes to look at her. Brown boots, skinny jeans and a loose top that floated to her hips. She smiled and her skin twinkled in the last rays of the summer sun, luminescent. "Is that what you think about when you go all quiet?" I said. Her mouth twisted and she looked like a younger, brunette version of Jodie Kidd, all chestnut curls, sultry lips and immaculate teeth.

"Nah, don't be silly." She shoved me slightly. I wasn't expecting it and fell back into one of the metal stays, which bent slightly; a reminder of her strength, which her soft beauty often eclipsed. It was a rare moment of contact but it was clearly the progression of our relationship from adolescent to adult.

"Oh so that's how you wanna play it," I teased, stifling a smile. I stood up until I shadowed almost her entire body, squaring up to her. She jumped back, the small of her waist twisting beneath the thin fabric of her top, and let out a shriek, shaking the grin from her face. I smirked and reverted my attentions back to the truck.

"So tell me something, Jacob Black, how long are we going to have to scrutinize this rusty old engine for?"

"Not much longer," I said, straining to keep my mind set on the truck/car debate when all I wanted to do was grab her to hear her girly shriek once more. There were only two ways it could go. Either she'd embrace it, or fling me off into the bushes. Now that would be interesting.

"Hurry up, J, I'm losing patience."

No, I must ignore her if I'm to get this engine purring again, if I really want to get the engine going again? Maybe I should scrap it now? Carlie would be impressed with a shiny new motor, after all that is what she's used to here with the Cullens. Or maybe I should give this old beast one last chance to perform? So, do I cut the yellow or the blue? It was much the same as my decision with Carlie. Jacob Black, stop procrastinating, just pick one and do it.

There was a sharp chime as metal brushed against metal, followed by a cracking sound between my fingers as the nuts crunched tightly in place. "Not much longer at all," I said, straightening up. My moment of truth. "Crank her up."

She twisted the big, old key in the ignition. It wasn't the healthiest noise but after an unsteady choke, the engine kicked in and started to growl. My gut reaction was indeed correct.

The next morning, the sun rose in a sky the color of weak tea. For some unknown reason I was on early morning patrol with Leah again; something I tried not to do, and now it was twice in a week. Being the only female werewolf, she had a tendency to think about things a little differently, and as a member of our pack, it meant we all had to hear about it whether we liked to or not through our 'pack telepathy'. Her thoughts no longer centered around her ex-boyfriend, Sam, which was just as well as for a while it was pretty embarrassing with him being in our pack and all. Now she'd turned her attentions to my sister's wedding; as if I didn't hear enough about it at dad's place.

'Is she really gonna be your date?' Leah thought. She was sniffing at the ground beneath a patch of shrubberies and didn't even look up at me.

'Do you really have to ask the question?' I thought, a little disgusted at her attitude. 'At least try and be understanding in front of me.'

'Alright Jake, I didn't mean it like that. I was just wondering whether she's old enough you know.' She disappeared from view, which was just as well. The terrain was steep and jagged and I didn't retaliate, nor follow her round the build up of rocks. I'd grown so accustomed to speaking to her in my mind, that her presence in the hills above La Push was only incidental.

'Treat her age like dog years if that's the only way you'll understand it. She's grown at least twice as fast as a human. Besides, there is no age limit to accompany someone to a wedding.'

'I hear your thoughts Jacob Black; there ought to be an age limit.'

I should have wrestled her to the ground for a comment like that - in wolf form, female courtesy didn't count for squat - but it was just her thoughts I was listening too. With the speed she could run, she could have been on the other side of the valley by now. I followed her scent around the corner, up to the peak of the cliff where I could see Forks in the distance.

There she was. Still. Watching me carefully. 'You know you're going to have to show her the plans you drew up for your dream home at some point,' she added. I'd started to design the house nearly five years ago. The plans were my own personal feat of style and engineering; something I held very close to my heart.

'What's it to you?'

'Not being funny but does she know anything about the future you have planned for her?'

Then, when our eyes met she snorted and bounded off down the other side of the cliff. I leapt off the rock in pursuit.

'Butt out, Leah,' I said, upping my pace to catch her.

By this point I'd lost sight of her. She'd had it in her head all morning that we should be more vigilant about the mountains. In my experience the bloodsuckers rarely came in that way; not many people to eat up there, but even so, we could never be too careful. And so I ran down the small valley and then up toward Gunderson Mountain Summit.