Hey, hey, my lovelies!

Thank you for the amazing response from the last chapter, especially considering it too a long time coming. Eleven reviews! I'm delighted to find that most of you are still very much interested and emotionally involved with the story! Of course, thanks for the favourites and alerts also! Everything makes me happy and more motivated!

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 Eleven

Familiarity

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Jacob's Point of View

My wolf bubbled beneath my skin, clawing and snarling to be freed so that he could extract revenge for his mate, my Ness. He wanted to tear into the soft, pounding flesh of the offender's throat and ravage him beyond recognition. He wanted someone to pay for what has been done to our imprint.

I wanted that too, but my first and only concern right then was getting my beautiful mate to safety and to assess her injuries. A growl rumbled deep in my chest at even the thought of her being hurt, but the evidence was glaring back at me from within my arms.

Ness had fainted, slumping exhaustedly into my capable arms as blood continued to seep from the pen wounds. Glass and crystal were embedded within her skin, preventing her wolf from healing as it should be doing. If we left it too long, the skin would start to heal over the glass, encasing it beneath her gorgeous skin, so we needed to act quickly.

I would tend to my mate for now, but later, I would be out for retribution. No one would get in my way unless they wanted to be cut down. I had an inkling as to who had done it, of course I did. Damien hadn't made her displeasure about our relationship a particular secret. I just couldn't believe he'd hurt his own little sister in that anger and displeasure. He would have a lot to answer to, as well as the rest of her brothers.

Where were they when Damien was cutting up their little sister? The thought of them just standing back, allowing it to happen, sent a new wave of rage coursing through my fiery veins.

"Jake, dude, you need to calm the hell down. Her blood loss is still quite high. We need to get that glass out," Jared stated, hovering his fingertips just over the sharp glass shards embedded in Nessa's cheek.

I growled unintentionally at his close proximity to my mate. He backed off, seeming sheepish, but I managed to send him my own apologetic grimace. I wouldn't have called it a smile. I don't think I was capable of that right now, not when my injured mate lay unconscious in my arms.

As deftly as I could, without jostling her too much, I got to my feet. My Nessa felt like she weighed nothing, though her figure was as immaculate as ever. Unconsciously, she burrowed her face into my neck. I didn't care that she was smearing blood all over my russet skin, only that even in her unconscious, hurt state, she would still seek my comfort. I held her close to my chest as I ran at break neck speed towards my house, my Pack sprinting right there beside me.

About a year ago, just after I turned eighteen, I moved out of Billy's house. He was so much more independent than he'd been initially after the accident, and he felt that it was time for me to get on with my life. I'd moved out within the week but still visited often. He was capable but still disabled – there was only so much he could still do, despite his determination.

Paul and Seth sprinted ahead of me to open up the house and get my bedroom ready for my Nessa. The Pack and I entered only seconds later. I bounded up the stairs whilst everyone else lingered at the bottom, only Sam following me up. Paul was just pulling my comforter down as I entered my bedroom. He quickly got out the way, but I hesitated.

Her back was pretty jacked up. Laying her down on it would only make it worse. I settled on carefully laying her on her left side, since her right arm was cut up as well. Moments later, Leah came hurrying into the bedroom with a bowl of warm water and a couple of cloths while Emily, who'd been here cooking when we arrived, entered with an empty metal bowl and some tweezers.

Emily hissed when she saw the state of my mate. "Christ! What happened?" she asked in shock.

"That's what I'd like to know," I growled in reply, my eyes never leaving Nessa's face.

"We need to get that glass out so she can start to heal properly. Come out the way so I can –"

"No, I'll do it," I cut Leah off with a growl. I held my hands out. "Give me what I need."

Without question, a pair of tweezers and the metal bowl was handed to me. Again, I hesitated. I knew it wouldn't be comfortable for her, but it was better that she was sleeping rather than awake for this. I couldn't stop the slight empathetic grimaces as I gently plucked the jagged crystal and ceramic shards from her face; it twitched with every single one and a soft moan would occasionally accompany it.

The quiet plink, plink, plink of the shards and her moans were the only noises that could be heard. Otherwise, the silence was deafening. Everyone was anxious and confused about the whole situation, but also angry and were feeling very protective of my mate, their Alpha female essentially.

The skin of her face was already slowly knitting back together as I began on her right arm. There was so many shards, both big and small, that the metal bowl had to be switched halfway through her arm, and I hadn't even started on her back yet. Three and a half bowls full later, her delicate skin was void of all foreign material and was beginning to heal as it should be.

I reached over for the cloth, dipping it into the warm water and wringing it before pressed it lightly to her bloodied skin. Gradually, the crimson was replaced by the soft copper tones I adore. At some point whilst I was washing Nessa, someone had set out clothes for Nessa to change, or be changed, into.

Wiping the last of the blood from her back, I replaced the cloth back into the water before drying my hands on the towel Emily handed to me in that moment. I then dabbed my mate dry, my touch light and tender around her face especially. My eyes kept roving over the angry red scars from the shards, causing my rage to start bubbling once again.

A Hand suddenly came down on my shoulder, comforting in nature. I glanced up to see Paul standing over me, his eyes filled with fire. "Don't worry, Brother, they'll get what the scum has coming to them. We don't know if they were all involved, but I can hazard a damn good guess and say Damien was the instigator."

I nodded in agreement, taking a deep breath. "Can you smell him? He's all over her. I have no doubt that he's done this," I snarled.

"Now that you mention it, he's the only one I do smell," Seth commented hesitantly.

I guess he knew I was on a short tether and didn't want to piss me off. Smart pup. Usually, the thought of another wolf scenting my mate would have earned him a swift right hook to the jaw, or a large chunk from his hide. However, the observation was only to help, and knew that he was right. I could see a significant amount of rage swirling dangerously in Seth's eyes. Sam, who had yet to speak, was glaring at the red slices littering my mate's back and arm from his stand near the window.

"We'll confront the little shit tomorrow, even if we have to hunt him down first," he rumbled, meeting my gaze.

I nodded. "For now, she needs to rest," I stated, leaving no room for argument, though I doubted anyone would want to.

It was clear that she was exhausted. We hadn't made any effort to keep our voices down, even raising them a little, but she hadn't stirred. My little mate was swiped the fuck out.

I knew one thing for sure though – I wasn't leaving her side ever again. Damien had given me the excuse to get her away from him and her brothers, because God knows I didn't like or trust any of them except maybe Caleb, and I didn't intend to let them get their claws into her again. Nessa would stay now where she belonged – by my side.

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Nessa's Point of View

A soft, almost soothing, hum was what made me stir from my forced slumber.

I felt like I'd been hit by a ten tonne truck; my limbs ached and my skin felt like sandpaper against the normally soft sheets wrapped around me, my back, face and right arm in particular. The tell-tale, slight burning of the skin's surface told me I was still healing from something or other. My throat also felt parched and like a desert as I tried to swallow. On top of that, my eyes felt like someone had come along and poured a whole pit of sand in them.

Simply put, I didn't feel so great.

As my mind became sharper so did my memories. Suddenly everything came back to me – my immaculate date with my Jacob yesterday, Damien's violence, shattered vases striking out at me, my escape and then finally, my embarrassing display in front of my Jacob and his Pack. Embarrassment hit me hard when I remembered my fainting.

As soon as the embarrassment hit me, it was gone. It was like a foreign body was extracting it from within and replacing it with the reassurance and love I was now feeling. Almost simultaneously, I felt his hands on me. All of my bodily tension released, as if he had the only switch, and I sunk further into the mattress and pillows beneath me.

His hands settled on my shoulders at first, kneading and stroking, before smoothing over my upper back and waist. I sighed in contentment, revelling in his touch. He seemed to be tracing random patterns on my skin, but I knew that there must be scarring from the shards that had been removed. My genes must have done their job because he made a satisfied sound in the back of his throat.

Warmth. That was then all I could feel as he lowered his body to hover over my closely. I felt a smile tugging on my lips for a minute before it stretched into a full-blown grin. He chuckled softly, allowing his nose and lips trail over my neck and shoulder. I shivered; I loved the feeling of his lips on my skin and wanted so much more in that moment.

Slowly, he lowered himself further until I could barely feel his weight resting on top of me, holding the rest of it on his elbows and knees, which were either side of my thighs. I rather liked this position – him surrounding me so completely – it made me feel safe and loved, two things that I haven't felt much of in the last twenty-four hours.

"Good morning," he whispered gently into my ear.

I shivered again. "G'morning," I replied, surprisingly lighter than I expected as if yesterday evening hadn't happened.

I lifted my body up ever so slightly so that my back was pressed closer to him. He took my silent hint and dropped some more of his weight over me, pressing me back into the mattress. I had never felt a better sensation in my life.

"This okay? How do you feel? I'm not crushing you, am I?" he asked in concern while stroking my hair.

I shook my head. "No … feels so nice," I murmured with my eyes still closed. "Feel safe … loved."

His lips appeared at my ear again. "Always," he purred tenderly. "Scared me so much last night, baby … everything was such a mess and … just … what happened?"

I felt my shoulders tense infinitesimally at his question. I wasn't sure whether wanted to remember or not, but felt like I should tell him everything. He began to kiss my shoulders, easing the tension that had gathered there as silence ensued for at least five minutes.

"It's okay, you know, you don't have to tell me. I was just so worried. I never, ever, want to find you in that state again. Ever. If there's something for me to know that would prevent it, I'd rather you tell me. Sooner or later," he murmured.

I nodded in understanding. Of course he needs to know. He was going to be pissed though.

"Damien. He lost it," I barely whispered, but his wolf ear [picked the words up easily. I felt the growl that vibrated within his chest, so deep that the noise was barely audible.

"I knew it," he rumbled quietly, snarling into my neck.

"It was just him though," I rushed on to explain. "I mean, sure, my brothers could have done something, but it all happened so fast. I doubt there was time for them to act until it was too late. Andrew and Caleb pounced on him, tore him away from me. They told me to run whilst Ryan, Steven and Erik tried to free Damien … I think, whether they realised or not, they have drawn battle lines and have chosen their side – Damien's side – while Caleb and Andrew are on mine, I think."

"I'm glad you said that because Caleb and Andrew have been prowling too close to the house over the last six or so hours, and I was getting ready to tear into them," he told me, chuckling softly. "I think they want to check on you, as would be expected if they helped you out."

I nodded. "Yeah, no doubt they want to see me. How long have I been out?" I asked, opening my eyes to look for a clock but saw nothing.

"Just over eleven hours. I've been a little worried, and any later, I would have been trying to wake you up," he informed me.

I nodded. "Feel all achy and stuff. Could I get some water?" I asked, a croak suddenly appearing in my tone.

At my request, the bedroom door suddenly opened and in walked Paul. I remembered how he stumbled upon me and sat with me until Jacob turned up. I sent him a warm smile as he met my gaze, and he sent it right back, holding up the glass of water he'd brought in offering.

"Feeling a little dry, honey?" he asked teasingly.

I groaned and managed to free one arm from beneath my Jacob so I could reach out for the glass. "Gimme," I demanded, flexing my fingers insistently.

Both men chuckled. Jacob, regrettably, moved from over me so that I could sit up, settling beside me on the bed as he wrapped an arm around my waist. Paul walked closer and handed me the glass, which I brought to my lips without delay. My eyes rolled in primal satisfaction as the ice-cold liquid soothed and hydrated my parched throat. I heard tow more chuckles but ignored them. I drained the glass in three gulps.

"Damn, I needed that," I gasped, smiling gratefully as I handed the glass back to Paul.

"You can have another when you come down for breakfast. Em's cooked, and it's ready, so try not to be too long," he said before retreating from the room.

"Do you think you'll be able to eat some breakfast?" Jacob asked as he wound his other arm around with his first, tugging me back into him.

I nodded. "I'm okay, Jacob. I just got cut up by the vases he threw and my back hurts from when he slammed me back into the wall, but I'm okay. My appetite is still a massive as ever," I joked, giggling.

He chuckled and kissed my temple. "I love you. I'll keep you safe now, I promise," he vowed gently.

I sighed in contentment. "I love you too … and thank you."

"Thank you? For what?" he asked in genuine surprise.

"For everything. For letting me stay here and –"

"Whoa, let me stop you there, okay? 'Let you stay'? Christ, baby, if I had my way, you'd never leave. Ever. I want you here, right here with me in my life, my home and my bed. There's no 'letting' you do anything. This is where you belong," he stated strongly.

I felt my heart swell with love for this amazing man. I peered up at him. "I know," was all I replied.

He grinned widely and leaned down to kiss me deeply. "That's good. I'd hate to keep you hear against you will, because I'm never letting you leave," he stated as matter-of-fact.

I giggled at his dominant, caveman-like statement before kissing him again. I then moved to get up, though he kept his arms around me the best he could. "Come on, I'm starving. I haven't eaten anything for eleven hours, which as you know, can be detrimental to a wolf like ourselves."

He held his hands up. "Baby, say no more. Let's go get you fed," he suggested, leading the way out the– his bedroom with my hand held securely in his.

Fuck, I slept in his bed! I thought suddenly. I blushed and was thankful that he was walking ahead of me so he didn't see. That would have been a little awkward to explain.

I couldn't contain the gasp that escaped my mouth as he pulled me into his kitchen. I could barely believe my eyes, taking in every single detail that seemed to already be ingrained in my mind. My eyes were wide and watering quickly, something Jacob and his pack mates noticed before long. Jacob pulled me to his chest, a worried frown marring his face as he peered at me in concern. A couple of his friends moved closer and hovered.

"Nessa? Baby, what's the matter? Where does it hurt?" Jacob asked hastily as his eyes scanned over my form, checking for injuries or impairments.

I just shook my head as my eyes continued to take in the whole room rapidly. I couldn't help but wonder if he kept his garbage or the pots and pans in exactly the same places as my mother did …

… because this kitchen, it was almost the exact replica of the one I'd grown up in. This was my mother's kitchen, a place I hadn't stepped foot in for almost four years. How on earth would Jacob know? How could he have even anticipated any of this? It was like he designed it while waiting for me to come along. I'd always loved my mother's kitchen, that was no secret among my family, but seeing it recreated in the house of my mate … was slightly overwhelming.

"Nessa! Baby, you're kinda scaring the shit outta me. Come on, babe," Jacob implored, stroking my cheek lightly.

Slowly, my eyes refocused onto his wide, frantic ones. He frowned deeper at the tears gathered there and wiped them away just as I smiled at him softly.

"Sorry …" I whispered, clearing my throat slightly.

He nodded in acceptance but still looked worried. "What was that? Where did you go? Do you need to pain meds?" he asked in succession.

One of his pack mates, Seth I think, began to rush from the room in, I assumed, retrieval of these mentioned meds. I held my hand up in a placating manner.

"Seth, it's okay. I feel fine," I called, making him hesitate in the kitchen doorway. He gave a wary glance between Jacob and I. I smiled. "Really, I'm okay. Just hungry."

"What was that?" Jacob asked again, drawing my attention back to his.

My throat tightened again as I thought about it. "This kitchen … it's … I …" I stuttered, strangely unable to say it. I took a deep breath and smiled at him. "You know what? I'll tell you later. It was just a shock. That wont' make sense, but it's all I'm saying right now."

Jacob stared at me for another second or two before nodding once again in acceptance. "Alright … later. Promise?" he asked with a small pout.

I chuckled and nodded. "Promise," I agreed before peering over at the mediocre breakfast buffet that supposedly the small woman with the scared face had set out along the counter. "I know a shifter's food is sacred and all, but please tell me some of that is for me?"

That elicited a laugh out of everyone, easing the tension in the room significantly. Jacob chuckled against my back and pecked the side of my head before leading me forward. The previously mentioned woman stepped forward with a large plate, filled to the brim with pancakes, sausages, bacon, eggs and fresh toast, in her hands. She smiled at me and was very beautiful, despite the scars.

"Hey, I'm Emily. I'm Sam's imprint," she introduced herself, pointing towards Sam, who grinned. "Help yourself to anything you want. This here is only to get you started." She then handed me the plentiful plate, making my eyes widened in glee.

"Food!" I groaned, hurrying over to the table to start devouring the perfection in my hands. I took my first bite of the blueberry pancakes. "God, Em, this is so good."

Emily giggled, clearly pleased with the compliment if her blush and smile was anything to go by. "Thank you, Nessa."

"You'd never guess the state you came here to us in with how you're shovelling that down," one of the other boys joked, earning a sharp slap over his head from Jacob.

"Shut the fuck up, Quil," he growled at his subordinate.

I just smiled at him. "I bounce back quickly. Nothing can keep me down for very long," I replied, biting off some more bacon.

"Is there some actual truth to that statement, because Jake says you're remarkably healed from last night, even as a shifter," Sam stated.

I shrugged. "We heal fast … You don't?" I asked curiously. "I thought it was a universal trait or something."

"Oh, we do," Sam continued. "But we haven't seen anyone heal so fast. You back, face and arm were so cut up last night. Just looking at your face, which I'd say had been the worst of it, looks pretty much good as new."

I shrugged again. "I guess we just heal faster than you then. It only takes us about two or three days to heal from a shattered bone," I informed them.

"Damn … I was out of it for nearly two weeks after the entire right side of my body was shattered," Jacob commented, almost off-handedly, but it caught me off guard.

The thought of my Jacob in a state any less than perfection was troubling to me.

"That must have been a bitch to reset," I mumbled, still frowning.

He chuckled and kissed the top of my head. "It was," he confirmed.

There was silence for a while. I found myself glancing around the kitchen again, still awed by the resemblance. I could feel Jacob watching me, and I even met his gaze to give him a small smile once or twice before continuing my perusal.

"Do you like it then?" he asked after a minute, gesturing to the room.

I grinned. "You have no idea, Jacob," I chuckled.

"Guys, I think we should start talking about what happened last night," Paul suggested suddenly, glancing between Jacob and I.

I winced at the memory, still baffled by Damien's unusual behaviour.

Paul smiled at me apologetically. "I know you'd rather forget about it, but most of us are still pretty pissed that you were so hurt, and that your brother's caused it?" His voice rose in the end, making the statement a question.

So they can't have been sure then.

With a reluctant sigh, I nodded but hastily continued to explain, "Just Damien. He just … flipped out. I've never seen him so angry before. I mean, I was well and truly pissed off. It all happened so fast, and by the time my other brothers jumped in, the damage was done."

"That pretty much what you told me too," Jacob commented, making me nod in reply.

"Is Caleb still hovering around?" I asked curiously.

One of the boys shook their head. "No, he went home some ten minutes ago actually," he answered and then smiled at me. "I'm Jared, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Jared, and I'm sure Caleb won't be away for long. He'll come back on the radar pretty soon," I said, almost guaranteeing it.

"How do you know?" Embry asked.

I smirked. "He's my brother, of course I know … and because he's who he is. He's all about family and, short of my Dad and Andrew, cares about me the most, I think."

"So … what actually went down?" Paul asked cautiously, but I could still see the curiosity there as well.

"After leaving the library last night and getting home, everything was unusually dark and quiet in the house. Knowing my brothers like I do, they're some of the rowdiest guys on the planet. Always shouting, fighting, gambling with each other. They'd gotten detention, but that wouldn't have been enough to put a dampener on any of them. It was just weird," I explained.

"What triggered it? For Damien, I mean?" Sam asked.

I sighed, casting a wary glance towards Jacob. I knew he'd blame himself for this after it came to light. He frowned at me in question.

"The flowers," I said, watching as his face fell and paled. Guilt glistened in his eyes. I had to reach over and grab his hand in reassurance. "It wasn't your fault."

"I got you them," he retorted.

"I was foolish enough to leave them out in the open. I should have taken them to my room – none of them ever goes in there without my permission," I informed him.

"Uh, what are you talking about exactly?" Brady, I think his name was, asked.

"Jacob bought me flowers last night for our date. I invited him into the house, which in hindsight, I shouldn't have done, and arranged them into my mother's crystal vase. I left them in the kitchen before we went. I never thought. They found them when they got home from detention. Scented Jacob all over them and the kitchen."

"Damn …" Embry murmured.

"Damien, he … he threw the vase at my head, and I dodged it … but it smashed against the wall with so much force. The shards sliced up my face. Then he cut up my back with another vase – he smashed me into it. I'm pretty sure at some point that I had bruises on my arms from how hard he held me too," I commented off-handedly.

"You did," Emily confirmed softly. She blushed as the attention turned to her. "I checked on you at some point and watched them come and go with your healing, but they were there. Hand prints."

Jacob growled deeply suddenly. "I just want to kill the fucker!" He snarled angrily.

I placed a hand on his shoulder. "If you kill him, you'll start a war. My brothers would want revenge … among others, maybe," I added in thought.

"What does that mean?" Sam asked.

I shook my head. "Nothing … There's so much you guys don't know about me, about my family and our legends and such. We're very different from you guys, very traditional."

"What? Like arranged marriages?" Quil snorted.

I shrugged. "In some cases, yes. I'll tell you about that another time though," I went on as he opened his mouth to ask another question. "The point is – family is the most important valuable within my tribe, or family, or whatever. A slight towards any member evokes the wrath of the whole family."

"So your family will be converging on Damien now?" Sam asked dubiously.

I grimaced. "See, it's complicated. Damien's alpha. He has been since … well, for a while now. In his mind, he can do as he likes. Nothing like this has ever happened before. We were all so close when … well, when circumstances were different. But now, there's so much more tension and pressure in the family. It's destroying us." I couldn't stop the pain that filtered into my voice at that revelation.

"So he won't be reprimanded?" Paul asked in outrage. His form began to blur.

I suppressed a smile, secretly flattered that he seemed to care about me so much already. Enough to take on my brothers in my defence. "Oh, he will!" I jumped in before he could get too out of control. "Don't think for a second that Caleb and Andrew have beat the crap out of him. My other brothers are too cowardly to have joined in, but those two have never been afraid of Damien, even now that he's Alpha."

"Can I just say, I don't like the thought of you going back there. No fucking way," Paul swore, staring me straight in the eye.

I saw Jacob and a few others nodding in agreement, and I blushed. I understood though. They were, or seemed to be, just as protective of me as my brothers were. Their opinions held value ion my eyes, even in they spoke against my brothers.

To be honest, I was comfortable with going back either. If Damien flipped once, he'd do it again, and if I did go back, his over-protectiveness would reach a whole new level. I wouldn't put it passed him to ban me from going to school and locking me up in my room.

Sam must have seen something in my expression because he rushed to reassure me somewhat. "I know I can speak for Jacob here and say that you're welcome to stay here for however long you like. You're part of our Pack now, Nessa. You're our Alpha's imprint, and we protect our own, even from her own family," he told me, glancing at Jacob for one second and receiving a nod of something in return. Pride?

Jacob then turned to me, speaking softly as if he and I were the only ones in the room. "He's right, Ness. I want you here, where I can keep you safe. If you don't want to go back there, you can stay here and make my home your own," he offered, warming my heart.

Did he just ask me to move in with him? I asked myself suddenly. Why wasn't I freaked out about that prospect as I thought I might, or should, be? In fact, I was quite excited at the idea. Was it fast? Maybe. But the imprint worked in the most mysterious ways.

"I'm … I'm not ready to go home yet … if ever. It's just not a place I find comforting any more. I'd like to … stay here," I agreed with a small nod and light blush.

"Well then, welcome home," Emily giggled, sharing a smile with me.

My God, that sounded so good! I thought.

By the look on Jacob's face, he thought so too. We grinned at each other foolishly, making the others around us roll their eyes and fake gag. Jacob flipped them all off, making me giggle. It broke the last of the tension though so I couldn't complain. Everyone broke into their own conversations while Emily finished cooking and Jacob continued to stare at me blatantly.

Peering around the room, I couldn't help the sense of … familiarity and contentment that surged through me. I felt comfortable with these people, even though I knew next to nothing about any of them, other than Jacob and the couple of others who go to school with us.

As I watched them all converse, laugh and tease each other, I felt like I belonged here. The feeling was strong, so much stronger than the one I got with my brothers even. Yes, I could definitely get used to calling this home, with my Jacob. It was fast, but what in my life was ever slow? I wouldn't have it any other way.

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Thank you for reading! Please feel free to review! I really appreciate all of them!

Pictures of Jacob's House is on my Photobucket, if you guys want to go check them out! Also, actual house blueprints are there! Enjoy!

Love MrsWolfPack xx