A/N – Thank you so much for all your reviews on the previous chapter. I read them from my cell phone while I was on the road. Definitely made me smile! I know some of you had questions, but I wasn't able to respond on my phone and I've been playing catch-up since I got back. If you had a question, please resend and I'll answer it if I can.
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Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast
William Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet
Chapter 11 – The In-Laws?
December 5, 2025 – December 7, 2025
Nate's POV
"You sure you don't want us to go with you?" Mac's son, Jason Pachena, asked. In the few weeks since Jason phased, it had been hard for me to get a moment to myself. He was eager to prove himself worthy of being a wolf. In doing so, he had become my shadow.
"I'll be fine, Jay," I told him and looked at the rest of my pack as we stood outside my parents' house.
Azra was standing by himself looking aloof, which wasn't unusual. Seth and Brady kept glancing at him and snickering. They'd been doing that for the past few weeks since their Vegas trip. They had all managed to miraculously keep their thoughts on that weekend to themselves, but I'd heard whispers of the name "Keith" which always made Az squirm. I figured it was best not to know what happened so I didn't pursue the mystery.
I'd been happy to see one memory they'd shared with me though. Ryan had shown up. He looked sickly, but at least he seemed happy. Switching my thoughts to the task at hand, I walked over to where Devlin was standing.
"Dev's in charge until I get back from Vancouver," I reminded them. "If you guys need me, call me on my cell or if I sense that anything is wrong, I'll phase and check in."
That was one of the bonuses of being Alpha. I had such a strong connection to each member in my pack, I always knew if something wasn't right.
"We'll be fine, Dad," Seth joked. "Tell Edward and the rest of the Cullens I said hi."
"I will," I said, before turning to my parents who were standing near the main entrance of the house.
"Drive safe and call us when you get there," my mom instructed. "And be polite to the Cullens. I don't want them to think we raised an animal."
I rolled my eyes. "Mom, I am an animal half the time."
"You know what I mean," she replied and I nodded.
My dad hugged me close. "Be careful."
"Always," I answered firmly before pulling away.
Getting into my car, I waved goodbye and put the vehicle into drive. As soon as I was out of view, I let the smile I'd been wearing drop from my face. Truth be told, I was nervous. Meena and I were going to drive up and spend the weekend at the Cullen house. While we were there, we were going to interview Meena's Uncle Jasper for our term paper.
I didn't know how I was going to handle being around a bunch of leeches for an entire weekend. If I married Meena someday, the Cullens would be my family. I was going to have to accept that, but it wasn't easy. Aside from the fact that they'd caused my family insurmountable pain merely by moving to Forks all those years ago, it went against my very nature to allow bloodsuckers to exist.
I'd do it though…for Meena. The past few weeks had been some of the happiest of my life because I got to spend them with her. When I wasn't patrolling or trying to ditch Jason, Meena and I spent every minute we could together, going to the movies, out to dinner, or just hanging out and getting to know each other.
The only thing that really dampened our growing feelings for each other was Gabe. He was distant with Meena. I knew she was hurting from his behavior. A part of me wanted to shake him for causing her pain. But I knew it was better to keep my own distance because if I went near Gabe, I'd attack him.
My anger with him, in fact, was growing to exponential levels. For one, his behavior towards his sister was intolerable. For another, his behavior towards my sister was infuriating. Just as Meena and I had recently grown closer, Gracie and Gabe had become inseparable since she dumped Zack. I'd tried to talk to her about it, but Gracie had told me to stay out of it and that I couldn't choose her friends. Her attitude only helped flame my fury with Gabe. I sometimes felt like I had a keg of dynamite inside me that was just waiting for the opportunity to explode. When it did, who would be left standing?
I frowned at my precarious thoughts as I pulled onto the Black property, but soon relaxed as I felt the familiar tug on my spine become stronger as I got closer to Meena. I parked my car and took a deep breath, letting my senses search the area. Gabe wasn't there.
Feeling relieved, yet pissed that he wasn't there to at least say goodbye to his sister, I got out of my car and headed towards the big white house. Jacob was standing in the doorway waiting for me, his arms crossed over his chest in a way meant for intimidation. It worked a little too. I had too much respect for the former Alpha to not feel a little in awe of him.
"Hey Jacob, how are you?" I asked politely as I approached him.
"Nate, am I going to regret letting my daughter go to Vancouver with you?" He questioned without returning my greeting.
"I hope not," I answered cautiously, not sure what he was getting at.
Jacob eyed me carefully. "Look, I know what it's like to be an imprinted Alpha. Everything you feel is so much stronger than what the other wolves deal with. It's especially harder for you because you imprinted on a girl who's not entirely human and who has an exceeding amount of hormones. I've been there. I sometimes really struggled to be around Ness when she was a teen because she was literally irresistible. Their pheromones draw us in."
I kept my face polite trying not to show that I knew exactly what he was talking about. Something must have shown anyway, because his expression turned glacial.
"What I'm trying to say is that if you knock my baby up, I'll kick your as-"
"Nate, it's good to see you again," Renesmee came out of the house, giving Jake a deadly glare. "Meena will be right down."
I nodded, my eyes still watching Jake carefully. His hands were shaking slightly.
"I won't take advantage of her," I assured him quietly. Jake nodded and relaxed slightly.
"That's a 1970 Chevelle, isn't it?" Ness asked, looking at my car with interest while trying to change the subject to a lighter topic.
"Yeah," I shifted uncomfortably, wondering what was taking Meena so long. I had never been left alone with her parents for so long.
"My Aunt Rosalie is into cars," Ness told me.
"I know," I replied. "Meena told me about her."
Renesmee laughed. "If she asks to see the engine, don't be offended."
"Okay," I nodded uncomfortably.
Ness walked over to me and put her hands on my shoulders. "Breathe, Nate. Relax. My family has sworn to be on their best behavior, including Emmett. You two should have a good time."
I felt some of the tension leave my shoulders. I smiled in return. "Thanks Mrs. Black."
"Ness," she automatically corrected before returning to Jacob's side. She looked back at my car. "So is that a V-6 engine?"
"Baby, I love it when you talk dirty," Jacob murmured against her hair, while wrapping his arm around her waist.
"Jake!" She playfully smacked his hand, but looked at him adoringly just the same.
I felt myself oddly touched by their display of affection yet creeped out at the same time. Would Meena and I be like that when we were their age? I snickered silently when I suddenly remembered that Ness was technically only a year older than me. Yet, we seemed worlds apart. She had already been married and raised a family.
My attention was immediately distracted as Meena appeared. She was wearing a lavender long sleeved sweater with jeans and boots. Her reddish-brown hair was pulled into a ponytail. She was dressed simply yet a runway model would have been found lacking compared to her.
"Hi," Meena said, giving me gentle smile.
"Hey." I smiled stupidly in return.
I took the suitcase she was holding and reached out to grab her hand with my other hand. As soon as we made contact, all my uneasiness disappeared. That's how it always was. It didn't matter how upset or tense I felt. If Meena was nearby and I could at least have physical contact, the uncertain feelings went away.
"Meena, you make sure to call us as soon as you get in," Jake said, looking at me and pointing at his eye with his index finger before pointing back at me, as if to say, I'm watching you. Ness covered his face with her hand and gave me a look that said, ignore him.
Meena, who was fiddling with the strap of her purse, missed the little exchange. "I will, Dad."
"And have fun," Ness instructed, coming over to hug her daughter and then me.
"Thanks Mom, we will." Meena replied.
We got in my car and waved goodbye before pulling out of the driveway. As soon as we were out of sight, I turned off on a side road. I had barely put the car in park, before Meena was reaching for me. Our lips quickly joined together, crashing hard against each other. By the time we pulled away, we were both breathless.
"I'm so sorry for what my father said to you," Meena said, panting still from our exchange. "I can't believe he said you were drawn to my pheromones. I wanted to die."
I snorted. "That's the sexiest part about you…your pheromones."
I nuzzled her neck with my mouth while she giggled, before pressing my lips against her rapidly beating pulse line. Sighing, I pulled back regrettably.
"I guess we should get on the road," I told her. As it was Friday and we had to wait until school was over, we were leaving a little later than I would have preferred.
I put the car back in gear and started to drive again. We talked about our term paper and the different things going on at school over the past week. I couldn't help but notice that she sometimes looked sad, though she was trying to hide it.
"What's wrong?" I finally asked when she sighed quietly.
Meena looked at me as though debating whether to tell me or not. I lifted an eyebrow, indicating that I knew something was wrong and she might as well tell me.
"It's Gabe," she said softly. "I hate that he's so angry all the time anymore."
My hands tightened slightly. "I'm sorry that you're having so much trouble with your brother."
She reached over and grabbed my hand. "I just wish there was a way I could reach him again. I miss him."
I picked up her hand and kissed the back of it. "I know you do. I wish I could do something to fix this for you."
Meena smiled sadly, but didn't say anything. There wasn't anything I could do to make things right for her. Unless, I got out of her life, maybe that would fix her relationship with Gabe…but that wasn't an option I could live with. Which reminded me…I pulled the car over to the side of the road again. Meena looked at me questioning.
"Meena, there was something I wanted to ask you," I told her, reaching onto the backseat for my bag. I pulled a small box out and held it in my hand nervously. "I don't know if this is too soon…I mean, we've only been dating a few weeks, but uh…I was wondering if you would be my girlfriend."
Meena's eyes got a little teary. "Yeah?"
"Yeah," I said, a little more confidently.
Meena wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me close to her face.
"Yes, Nathaniel," she whispered. "I want to be your girlfriend more than anything else in the world."
Our lips caressed gently without the rough passion of earlier, yet when we finally broke away we were both breathless again.
"We have a tradition in the pack," I explained tenderly. "We don't exchange class rings or anything. We give our girlfriends this."
I handed her the box nervously. She opened it and picked up the delicate promise bracelet that I had made for her. She fingered the tiny wooden wolf attached to it.
"It's made of Birchwood. It's light in color like my coat," I explained.
She swallowed before saying, "I love it. Thank you, Nate."
I kissed her again before reaching for the bracelet and tying it on her wrist. I lifted it up and pressed the wolf against her skin with my mouth so that it left a tiny imprint on her skin. I looked at the small indention possessively.
"Mine now," I whispered.
"Yes," she murmured, leaning in so that our lips could meet again. My tongue darted into her mouth to taste the sweet tanginess there. Meena moaned as our kiss deepened. Things were starting to spin past the breaking point. With more strength than I knew I possessed, I broke away and rested my forehead against hers.
"We need to get going," I said softly.
"Okay." Meena sighed, before teasingly adding, "Take me to my family's house, boyfriend."
"You wish is my command, girlfriend." I grinned widely at her.
For the rest of the journey, Meena was in a much better mood. She kept touching her bracelet and running her fingers along the wolf. Every time she did, I'd find myself smiling idiotically.
We reached Vancouver after 11 PM. Meena gave me directions to the Cullens' house. I knew we were close when we got within a couple of miles. The hairs on the back of my neck began to stand up and my nose started to burn slightly. By the time we pulled onto the property I felt like I had snorted fire.
The house was fashioned in the style of a log cabin, but it was ten times bigger than the typical rustic structure. Surrounded by forest, it blended perfectly with the environment. Looking around, I observed with my heightened senses that there was a mountain range not even a mile away. I would have been awestruck by the beauty of the area if it hadn't been for the fact that I was in physical pain. The stench of bloodsuckers was making my nose sting unbearably, causing my hands to tremble against their will.
"We're here," Meena said excitedly. She jumped out of the car as soon as it stopped moving. The front door opened and several individuals came flying out and encircled her. I started breathing through my mouth, trying to lessen the pain. I gripped the steering wheel so hard, it snapped clean off.
"Fuck!" I muttered, which caused nine people to look at me with varying expressions of disgust, concern, and amusement.
"Looks like I'm going to have to fix the dog's car before he leaves," a female leech with long blond hair remarked with derision.
"Rose, don't aggravate him. He's trying hard not to phase on us right now," one of the male leeches replied. I could tell even in the dark that he had bronze hair. This must be Edward, Meena's grandfather. He nodded, confirming my thoughts. Shit! My father had warned me he could read minds. He smiled at me knowingly. Meena looked at me with concern before walking over to me.
"Meena, don't," another female warned. This one had long dark hair and looked to be about 19.
"It's okay, Grandmother. He won't hurt me," she said confidently.
"Meena, stop," I begged. "Listen to your family."
She ignored me and opened my door. Meena leaned down and placed her hands against my cheeks, bringing her face close to mine. Her wildflower scent began to surround me soothingly.
"You're okay," Meena said in a calming tone. Her fingers ran across my cheekbones and I felt myself relax. She pulled back slightly and held out her hand. I took it without hesitation and got out of the car. We walked slowly towards her waiting family.
"It helps to breathe through your mouth," Edward told me. "Jake's pack had to do the same thing until they became desensitized to our scent."
"And vice versa," the blond female looked at me, disgust evident on her face.
Meena looked worriedly between her family and me. This was obviously not going as smoothly as she'd hoped.
"Everyone, this is my boyfriend, Nate Uley," Meena said, somewhat nervously.
"Boyfriend?" The smallest of the group, a female with short dark hair, shrieked.
Meena lifted up her hand to show off my gift. I heard Edward grumble, "another bracelet,"before he pulled Meena's grandmother possessively to him. The pixie vampire ran over to hug Meena. The blond male behind her eyed me carefully. I immediately took a step away from the girls, so I wouldn't have to feel the cold skin of the leech as she embraced Meena. I didn't want it to trigger me to phase.
"Nate, this is my Aunt Alice and her husband, Jasper," Meena said, looking first at the vampire she was still hugging then at the bloodsucker behind her.
I noticed the scars all over Jasper's face. I moved instinctively closer to my imprint. This vampire was a warrior. I needed to make sure Meena was safe. I completely forgot that this was the blood drinker we had driven up here to meet. I wasn't even thinking as a person anymore. The wolf inside sensed the potential threat to my mate. I ripped Meena away from the small vampire and placed her protectively behind me before crouching down. The warrior leech did the same with his mate. A warning growl began to rumble low in my chest. The entire family tensed.
"Jasper's no threat to Meena, Nathaniel," Edward spoke quietly.
"Is that what he thinks?" I heard Meena ask behind me.
Their conversation barely registered, but Meena's voice managed to permeate my brain, calming down my inner wolf. I slowly straightened and immediately felt embarrassed. I turned to her, expecting to see her anger and disappointment. Instead, I only saw concern.
"I'm sorry," I whispered.
"It's okay," she murmured back, placing her hand against my cheek. It was like a balm to a wound. I felt my remaining tension drain away. I pulled her hand from my cheek and held it in mine comfortingly. I turned to look at her family, filled with shame.
"I'm really sorry about that," I apologized.
"Don't worry about it. We'd do the same thing if faced with an unknown threat," a different man said. This one was blond and had an authority about him the others lacked. He looked to be in his early to mid-20s and had a faint British accent.
"I'm Carlisle," he introduced himself before turning to the woman next to him. "This is my wife, Esme. And our children, Rosalie, Emmett, and you met Jasper, Alice, and Edward. And this is Meena's grandmother, Bella."
"Hi," I said, still feeling like a complete dick.
Edward chuckled. "Don't worry. We won't hold it against you."
"Why don't we go inside?" Esme offered. "I'm sure you're tired after your journey. We have food for you."
I nodded and we headed in. Meena and I both called our parents to let them know we arrived safely. After I got off the phone, I went into the living room and sat close to Meena on the couch. Esme handed me two sandwiches which I swallowed down, trying to ignore the painful smell that accompanied them. I didn't want to eat anything. I just wanted to get out of there.
But whenever I felt the urge to leave, I looked over at Meena's face. She was more relaxed and happy than I'd ever seen her. For her, I would sacrifice anything. Edward smiled as he read my thoughts. God, that was invasive. Edward laughed softly, but when Bella looked at him questioningly, he just shook his head.
After an hour, I couldn't take the stench anymore. I thought I was going to pass out from the pain of it and I couldn't allow myself the luxury of darkness. From everything I knew of Emmett, I'd never hear the end of it if I fainted. I didn't want to give him an excuse to taunt me if I had to spend an eternity with the guy.
"You can use the backdoor entrance," Edward said, pointing in the direction I needed even before I said anything.
I hurried outside and ran as fast as I could from the property. As soon as I was a distance away, I stripped and phased. Luckily, the wolf I wanted to speak to was on patrol.
Hey man, how's it going? Seth asked.
I don't know if I can do this, I told him honestly. I went over how I almost lost it with Jasper.
You're doing fine, Seth assured me. You didn't phase and that's the most important thing.
I could feel Seth's humor so I asked, What?
That would have been an interesting fight…you and Jasper. Jasper's fought in more battles than any of us combined, but you've got that whole Alpha power working for you. You're stronger than your dad and Jake put together.
I sighed, Well, hopefully I won't ever have to find out who'd win.
I sensed someone coming towards me. Sniffing the air, I knew it was Meena. I immediately went into the Alpha part of my brain where no other wolves could hear me.
"Hey," Meena said, appearing next to me. She reached up and petted my coat, before wrapping her arms around my neck and burying her face into my fur. I moved back slightly so that I could lie on the ground. She followed me, resting her cheek against my back and continued to stroke my neck.
"I'm sorry this is so tough for you, Nate. I didn't think about how painful it would be for you," she said sorrowfully. "If you want to leave, we can."
I immediately shook my head. I was going to get through this weekend or die trying.
"Will you promise to tell me if it becomes too much for you then?"
I nodded.
"Good," she said with a sigh. "No one will think less of you if you need to bolt."
I got up from my spot. She looked at me in surprise, but I moved quickly behind a tree and phased back, pulling on my clothes before I returned to her side.
"I need to do this," I told her. "I plan on being with you for a long time, Meena. I need to get myself accustomed to your family."
Meena smiled up at me. "Thank you, Nate."
I bent down and kissed her. It started off innocent enough. Before I knew it, Meena was plastered against a tree with her legs wrapped against my waist. I nibbled at her chin, before moving my mouth to suck on the gentle shell of her earlobe.
"Nate," Meena moaned, thrusting against my hardening erection. I wanted nothing more than to strip away the clothes blocking our final connection and bury myself in her.
"Damn pheromones," I growled.
Meena giggled but it turned into a sigh as my tongue traced her ear. I found that my willpower was quickly failing. My inner wolf started to growl impatiently as my body urged me to mate. Losing it, I moved slightly away so that my hand could move between us. Bending my head to suck on her neck, my questing hand moved to her stomach before going underneath the waistband of her jeans. I soon reached the barrier of her panties and let my hand sink under them. We had never gone this far. I didn't think I could stop.
"Nate," Meena murmured, her breathing heavy. She managed to widen her legs slightly even though they were still wrapped around my waist as my fingers got closer to her dewy warmth. Almost there…
"Cough," a male voice said, causing us to jump apart. "Cough, cough."
I shook slightly in fury and frustration as Emmett appeared.
"Hey Meens, I don't mean to interrupt you two when you're getting your freak on, but your grandparents promised your parents that you'd be on your best behavior. We don't want another Gabe incidence, right?"
I was still feeling slightly crazed. The wolf inside was screaming at my more human instinct. He wanted me to lash out at the vampire who had interrupted us. The human more logical part was grateful that I hadn't slipped and taken Meena's virginity against a tree on her family's property.
"Sorry Uncle Emmett," Meena said abashedly. "We'll head right to the house."
He looked knowingly at me. Meena grabbed my hand and the infuriated wolf was quickly calmed. Sighing, I squeezed her hand gently and we walked slowly back to the house with our stupid lug of a chaperon in tow. The closer we got to the home, the better I felt about myself. I'd been furious with Emmett and I hadn't phased. I had made it this far without attacking someone. I knew I could get through the weekend. I just had to remain strong.
When we got back, I was told that I'd be sleeping in a secluded part of the house where the smell of vampire wasn't as strong. I was also far away from Meena. I didn't like it, but I understood. We were under the watchful eye of her family. I got ready for bed and then spent the next hour tossing and turning. I couldn't get comfortable and my nose kept stinging.
I grabbed my pillow and was pounding it into a more comfortable shape when I heard someone approach my door. I sat up feeling tense, but instantly relaxed when Meena poked her head in my room.
"You can't sleep, huh?" She asked, entering the room and closing the door behind her. I took in her pajamas. She was wearing a pink tank top with silk Capri pants that had hearts all over them. She looked adorable.
"Not really," I responded, pinching my nose. Meena hesitated before walking over to the bed and climbing on it.
"Scoot over," she ordered. I did as she instructed, feeling confused until she laid down next to me, throwing an arm over my waist and resting her head on my chest. I breathed in her scented hair in relief.
"What are you doing?" I whispered.
"I'm helping you sleep," she murmured before yawning.
"Won't your family object?" Especially as I was pretty positive that Edward had read in all of our minds what Meena and I had been up to in the woods.
"No," she said tiredly. "For one thing, they don't sleep so they'll know if we aren't on our best behavior…"
I heard a chuckle from somewhere in the house.
"See…" Meena remarked smugly. "For another, my grandfather used to sneak into my grandmother's room when she was still human and would spend all night with her. It'd be hypocritical if they said I couldn't do the same thing."
This time the laugh turned into a cough.
"Well…" I said slowly before bringing Meena even closer to me. "I'm certainly not going to object then."
I tenderly pushed back a stray hair before asking, "So what did Emmett mean when he said 'the Gabe incidence?'"
Meena frowned and looked sad for a moment. "Can I tell you about it some other time?"
"Yeah," I returned, kissing the tip of her nose before cuddling her even closer.
That night, I slept in a leech-filled home and got one of the best night's sleep I'd ever had in my life. The next morning, Meena and I grabbed our school bags and met with Jasper for our term paper.
We met him in the library. Meena and I sat on a dark brown leather couch while Jasper sat across from us in a green plushy chair. I tried to relax, but I felt myself leaning protectively towards Meena anyway. I knew Jasper wouldn't hurt her. He was her uncle and had known her since the day she was born. But something about him set me on edge. Perhaps it was the way he looked. To humans he probably appeared flawless. Only immortals would be able to see him for what he was. The night before, he had looked dangerous which is why I'd wanted to attack him. In broad daylight, the scars on his face were more vivid, sending out a clear warning. He'd obviously been through many battles and survived to tell the tale. I moved even closer to Meena, wrapping my arm around her shoulder. And then I was hit with a sudden urge to relax. Meena looked at her uncle and raised an eyebrow.
"What?" Jasper asked innocently. "The dog was getting antsy."
"The dog's name is Nate," I gritted sarcastically.
Jasper looked at me for a moment before a glint of respect appeared in his eyes. "I apologize. It's been awhile since we had a member of your tribe here to visit us. Not since Jacob anyway. How is Seth?"
"Seth is Seth," I remarked, not bothering to add that he was currently dating someone who's father wanted his head on a platter.
"I'm glad to hear he hasn't changed," Jasper said, chuckling. "He always had such positive emotions. He was very easy to be around."
Meena began to question her uncle about his time in the service. He told us everything he remembered of his life while human and in the Confederate army. It was probably one of the most surreal moments of my life. I was sitting across from someone who had fought in the Civil War, something that happened over 160 years before. By the time we were done meeting with him, I had a very positive feeling that Meena and I were going to get an A on our paper. I stood up from the chair and gratefully shook Jasper's hand. It was only the briefest of physical contact, but I managed to do it without my hands trembling. However, I had to quickly excuse myself for some fresh air. I made my way to the backyard and sat on a wooden chair set up on the stone patio while Meena stayed behind to talk to her uncle some more.
"How are you holding up?"
I looked over and saw Edward standing some yards away from me.
"I'm all right."
"It took Jacob awhile to adjust to our scent as well. Of course, he had motivation to stick around us after my daughter was born. So do you. I've always found your imprinting process fascinating."
I looked at him, but he was looking off in the distance, lost in thought.
"May I join you?" he finally asked.
"Sure." I watched as Edward sat in the chair opposite of me. He scooted his chair slightly away from me. I didn't take it offensively. I was sure that I stunk to him just as badly as he smelled to me. He looked at me and smiled.
"I think the only wolf that ever truly accepted us was Seth. But Seth never saw us as vampires, he saw us as people. You've been taught to hate us, yes?"
I gritted my teeth. I didn't want to get into this. Edward looked at me knowingly.
"You want to like us for Meena's sake, but you feel conflicted about it. I know my family has had issues with your father and his pack in the past and vice versa."
I knew he was referring to when my father had ordered his pack to attack the Cullens when Bella was pregnant with Renesmee.
"My father was only trying to protect the tribe," I defended. "They didn't know what Mrs. Black was going to be."
"He acted on emotion," Edward returned. "He wasn't thinking clearly because Jacob's Alpha power was coming into prominence. As you know from personal experience, Alphas can't think clearly around one another."
"So you're saying that my father was to blame?" I asked in distaste.
"No, that's not what I'm saying at all. Believe it or not, I'm trying to help you here, Nathaniel. You and Meena are happy now. For Meena to ever truly be happy though, you're going to need to find a way to accept Gabriel and he needs to do the same. You two have more than just the Alpha problem going on between you. Gabe has as many issues with the Uleys as you do with the Cullens. Both he and Meena were told at a very young age of how your father ordered an attack on our family. And I know you've been taught not to trust us either. Sam never accepted us. Mind you, he would have killed for us if he needed to because he cares deeply for Renesmee. But he held us responsible for so many children on your reservation phasing. Not only that, but Sam had hurt his girlfriend, Leah, when he first phased, then almost killed your mother when she rejected him and their imprint. He was angry for a long time over becoming a wolf. He blamed us for it."
"If you hadn't come to the area, he wouldn't have phased," I reminded him begrudgingly.
"That's true, but others would have shown up eventually and he would have phased anyway. At least with us, he didn't have to worry about being attacked."
I didn't say anything.
"There's a lot of wrong on both sides," Edward continued. "I can't say that I regret moving to Forks. I wouldn't have met Bella. Jake would never have imprinted on my daughter. You wouldn't have Meena. I can go on with this existence truly at peace, because I have my family, including my grandchildren. I could be bitter. I could be furious with Sam for wanting to kill my happiness. But none of us knew the outcome of Ness's birth. It was a tense time for all of us. I've let it go though. I have a whole eternity in front of me and I can go on in peace. If you want that with Meena, you're going to have to find some peace with us too, because we aren't going anywhere, Nathaniel. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand what you're saying." I told him. I knew I needed to let go of the pack's former prejudices. Their hate…my father's hate…wasn't mine. And Edward was right. If they hadn't come to the area, I would never have had Meena in my life. She was worth everything.
Edward grinned at me. "I'm glad we understand each other."
A scream ripped through the air just as I doubled over in pain. Jasper tore out of the house covered in blood. I forced myself to stand up, though I was shaking so badly I could barely hold myself up.
"Meena," I whispered. Before I could take a step, Edward grabbed me.
"She's fine," he assured me. "Give her a moment."
"She's not fine," I argued. "She's in pain."
I could feel it in every fiber of my being. I wobbled towards the entrance of cabin. Edward restrained me again, causing me to growl furiously.
"Meena doesn't want you to see her right now," Edward said, looking steadily at me.
I stopped in confusion. I knew he was reading her mind.
"What's going on? Did Jasper attack her?" I asked shakily.
Edward hesitated before saying lowly, "To be blunt, Meena's period just arrived and she forgot to take her medication. She's in a great deal of pain and she also needs to wash up as there was a lot of blood. Imagine the feeling of something sharp clawing at your insides accompanied with headaches and severe blood loss. Now quadruple it and it still wouldn't touch how much pain Meena is in right now. Her menstrual cycle doesn't last long, usually only a day or two, but it's about a year's worth of periods rolled into one."
I began to pace, running my hand through my hair while trying to fight off the corresponding pain I was going through. I clutched at my side.
"This is horrible. Why haven't I felt this pain before?" I wondered.
"Carlisle found with Renesmee that if he administered five horse tranquilizers into her back, it helped numb the pain. Meena usually takes something as soon as she feels the first cramp, but with all the excitement of this weekend, she forgot her shots. Carlisle is giving her something now. Give her some time."
He gently squeezed my arm. I was too distraught to even react to his closeness. For the next hour, I paced until the pain slowly began to ebb away. Bella came out and stood by her husband who hadn't left my side.
"You can go see her now," she told me, wrapping an arm around Edward's waist.
"We should probably go find Jasper and let him know he can return to the house," Edward chuckled before looking at me. "That particular type of blood isn't appealing to us, but if Jasper sees it, he finds it best to leave just to be on the safe side."
"Ah…" I said, feeling suddenly stoned.
Edward laughed as he whispered to Bella, "I think Nate is feeling the effects of Meena's drugs."
Bella walked over to me and wrapped an arm around my waist before guiding me back inside the house and leading me to Meena's bedroom. I found my imprint curled up into a ball, her face waxy.
"I'm so sorry," Meena murmured. I walked towards her and laid on the bed behind her. Bella discreetly left us by ourselves.
"It's not your fault," I told her gently as I wrapped my arm around her waist. I put my hand soothingly on the lower half of her stomach. She sighed contentedly as the warmth of my hand began to work on her cramped muscles.
"I'm so embarrassed," Meena whimpered. "Why don't you run while you have the chance? I'm such a disgusting freak."
"You're not a freak and I'm not going anywhere." I moved my hand so that I could finger the bracelet around her wrist. "Mine, remember? For as long as you'll have me, I'm not letting you go."
Some of the tension left her shoulders as she snuggled in even closer to me. She soon drifted off to sleep. I felt my eyes begin to close as well, but my mind was still racing.
It had been an eventful weekend so far. I learned what it was like to have a period. I also learned that I could be around vampires, have them touch me, and not react. It was a step in the right direction.
Now…I just had to figure out what to do about Gabe.
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End Note
You can still vote for the Silent Tear Awards. Voting goes till June 20! Forbidden Imprint (Embry's Story), has been nominated for the "Forbidden Love" category.
http:/silent-tear-awards(dot)webs(dot)com/vote(dot)htm
And don't forget to nominate your favorite stories for the TwiTastic Awards. Nominations are still being accepted until June 19. (Reminder: my stories can't be nominated as I'm co-hosting.)
http:/twitasticawards(dot)webs(dot)com/
Please review! I also updated Absent Imprint (Leah's Story) yesterday. If you haven't had a chance to read it yet, I hope you'll check it out. :)
