.11.
A loud scraping noise from somewhere in the house jolts me from my sleep.
Opening my eyes I see Caspar still sleeping, soft breaths ruffling his dark hair.
I hear the noise again, like something heavy was being dragged across the floor. Getting up, careful not to make any sounds, I tiptoe out of the room and towards the noise. I could hear hissed cursing and badly hushed aguments coming from the kitchen. Making my way into the kitchen doorway I peek around the edge, blinking in surprise at the scene in front of me.
I couldn't help but let out a deep sigh at the sight of Jacob, Seth, Embry, Paul and the boy I don't know the name of, having a heated, semi-whispered, argument around a large wooden table and group of chairs, Billy off to the side of the room shaking his head at the group. Paul suddenly jerks his head in my direction, his eyes immediately running down my bare legs as he lets out a low growl that rumbles around the room, becoming louder as the others notice me lingering in the doorway. He smacks the back of Seths head when he sees him looking at my pale legs.
"I think you'd better get some clothes on." Billy laughs, "you lot can get back to sorting this out, now put it over there by the window and stop arguing."
Caspar starts to stir when I get back into the room. I quickly chuck on yesterday's jeans and bend down, peppering kisses over the waking toddlers face. He giggles and wiggles away from my tickling hands. Laughing, I pick him up and he cuddles close to me. "Did you sleep well?" I ask carrying him out into the kitchen. The guys had arranged the table and mismatched chairs by the window, overlooking the back of the house, warmth bloomed in my chest at the sight of it, my new home was really coming together. Caspar brightens when he sees Billy and holds his arms out to him, I pass him over and turn to the other guys. "Do you guys want breakfast?"
"We can do it. You should sit down, you're supposed to be resting." Paul grumbles, walking over to me and guiding me to sit on one of the new chairs. He pulls out a sling that was tucked in his back pocket and carefully puts my arms back into position, just as Sue demonstrated. I just watch his deft movement mutely, not protesting as he tilts my head back to examine the red marks that go diagonally down my neck, skin broken in a few places, from the scuffle with the wolf yesterday. "I could kill her for attacking you like that." He rumbles out.
I suck in a sharp breath, pupils dialating, my beast standing at attention at his words. He growls, pleased at my reaction, his palm slides up my neck to rest on the side of my face, I can't help but lean into him, head tilted up towards him, half-lidded eyes not leaving his. He leans down towards me, towering over me so that all I could see was him. His hand feels scorching hot where it rests on my face.
Our noses brush. My eyes close.
"Ahem."
I snap back on my chair, eyes wide.
What the hell was that?
I look around the room to see the guys all staring at us, amused looks on their face, Billy covering Caspar's eyes on his lap."Hey now, let's keep it PG, there's young eyes in the room." He smirks at us.
Paul still watches me, chuckles as a blush heats my pale cheeks before taking the seat next to me.
"Jacob's in charge of breakfast." Billy announces, wheeling him and Caspar to the table, Cass's head resting back against his shoulder, still not fully awake.
"I can do it." I protest, starting to rise from my seat. Paul's growl and Seths hands pushing my shoulders down keep me in my chair, he quickly jerks them away when I hiss quietly at the pressure he puts on my bad shoulder, hastily apologising.
"No. Paul's right, let us do it." Embry says, smiling assuringly at me.
I cast a quick glare at the hulking man next to me before nodding reluctantly. "Fine."
The boys get to work.
... ... ... ... ...
There's a knock at the door while the guys are doing the dishes.
I'd been banned from doing anything but to sit and watch, while the others cooked and fussed over me, constantly asking if I was comfortable or wanted to move into the living room or if I wanted another drink. The whole thing was new to me, I was unused to being treated like this.
"I'll get it!" Seth jumps up and moves to the front door, coming back in followed by Sue and a younger Native woman, around Sam and Emily's age. She was a striking beauty, with her russet skin and short, black hair, her long limbed toned body held rigidly as she walked into the room, eyes wandering around the place suspiciously. Sue walks straight over to me and starts asking me questions about how I'm feeling, and how I've been treating my injuries, in full nurse mode.
I cast glances at the angry stranger standing stiffly by the door way. Sue sees the direction of my eyes and turns to look at the young woman. "I came to check up on you and to apologise. I heard what happened yesterday and my daughter was out of line and over reacted on a misunderstanding and you got hurt as a result which is unacceptable. Come over here and apologise Leah." She says sternly to the scowling woman. Leah, steps forward, tucking her short hair behind her ears.
"I shouldn't have jumped on you yesterday. I apologise." She says, a firm tone to her voice and a frown on her face.
I see Paul scowling from the corner of my eye.
"It's okay. It was only a scratch." I subtly dig at her. She narrows her eyes at me in turn.
"We're all sorry about yesterday, even Sam, he read Leah the riot act after you left, well, after wrestling Paul away from her. Mom wasn't too happy with her either so she's been feeling real sorry for herself and been bitchier than usual." Seth snickers.
"Shut up Seth." Leah snaps at him. They start bickering as I turn my attention back onto the people around the table. The guys all roll their eyes and scoff at the bickering siblings. Jacob turns to me, "Sam wants to speak to you. About what happened and your uh- wolf."
"I don't feel up to doing anything today. I just want to stay in and relax." I reply, brushing my fingers through my hair. Jacob nods in understanding, though his eyes give way that he knows I'm putting off talking to Sam about what happened.
"Where did you go yesterday anyway? I came to check on you but nobody was here." Paul asks, eyes following the movement of my hand in my hair.
"I went into town to get some groceries." I say, meeting his eyes, getting the same warm feeling in my chest I've come to expect when looking into their dark depths. "I think I met a couple of those Vampires you were talking about yesturday." I say, looking at Jacob.
I hear an angry rumbling next to me and turn to see Paul trembling, hands clenched tightly on the table, a hard look on his face. I reach out and put my hand over one of his. "Calm down, I'm fine."
"What happened?" He growls out.
"A male one was too close to Caspar, so I warned him off and he hissed at me and shoved a female one into an old truck, then sped off. Nothing really happened." I state. His tremors lessen and he places his other hand over mine, squeezing gently.
"In an old truck? I don't think the Cullen's have anything like that. What did they look like?" A boy asks, I still don't know his name.
"The male looked about my age, bronze hair, slim, the girl was a brunette, quite pretty."
The guys laugh. "That's Bella, she's not a vampire she's human."
"Yet anyway." Paul scoffs.
Jacob growls at him Paul growls back as I look between them questioningly. "The guy was Edward, bella's boyfriend." Embry explains while Jacob scowls heavily down at my new table.
"She's dating a vampire?" I ask, incredulous, the guys around the table nod their heads. "Has she got a death wish?" Jacob slams his hands down on the table, stands and storms out of the back of the house.
"Nice going." Leah snipes sarcastically.
"Jacob thinks he's in love with Bella." Paul explains at my confused look.
"You don't think so?"
"No. she's not.. meant to be with him. But he still cares about her and it kills him that she's with the leech and wants to become one of them."
"I'm going to go and talk to him." I move to get up. Paul starts to protest but I shoot him my deadliest glare, relaxing slightly when he holds his hands up in surrender, watching as I walk out the house after Jacob.
He hadn't gone far, just to the edge of my back porch, where he sat on the top step. I quietly cross the short distance to him and sit down beside him. sighing when I feel the eyes of Paul watching us from the doorway.
"I'm sorry. I didn't realise you cared for her." I start, looking over the somber expression on his face.
"Its fine. I'm just frustrated over the whole thing. I mean, how can she be with him? He's a leech." He runs his hands through his hair agitatedly.
"You love her?"
He nods mutely and I can't help but feel sympathy for the teen. The person he loves is in love with someone else, someone who also happens to be a vampire, his natural enemy.
"I know the guys dont think It's real, they think it's just an infatuation. Just because she's not my imprint doesn't mean I can't love her, I mean look at Sam and Leah. They were engaged. He loved her even though she wasn't his imprint."
I hear Paul straighten up from his slouch against the doorframe as I ask,
"Whats an imprint ?"