Chapter 12. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. Sorry for the long wait. Have a lot of work and a lot of things going on now that need a lot of attention. I am not finished with this story nor my others. Hope you all enjoy and tell me what you thinks. Have fun and happy reading. Besos.

Lifting a heavy, sleep filled eyelid I reflected that I needed much more sleep than my alarm would allow. Then I realized that I had a really big reason to get up. Jared…..

I turned off the alarm and threw myself out of bed with an energy that I never knew I could muster up at this hour in the morning. I let out a shaky breath and stood in the middle of my room trying to register what had really happened last night.

Jared is a shapeshifting, Quileute protector. He wasn´t dangerous. And….and he loved me…the imprinting thing. We were soulmates. I told him that I loved him and he didn´t laugh at me. He returned it. And I asked him to stay with me last night…..I cringed as that memory came flooding into my mind. I must have seemed like the biggest dork in the world to him.

Was this really happening? I mean…..have I gone nuts and imagined it? I couldn´t have. I know I haven´t. Wasting no time I went straight to the bathroom to shower and leave before my parents could see something was up with me. If Jared were to come to the house a second time to walk me to school they would be watching me like a hawk. After I got dressed I quickly grabbed a banana from the kitchen and tried to flee before they could ask any questions.

"Kimi! Where are you going?" My mom yelled after me, stopping me in my tracks in the doorway. Think Kim think!

"I need to get to school early to put together my history project with my partner." Nice Kim. Really nice.

"A banana is not breakfast."

"I´m fine mom."

"And you forgot your lunch." She handed me my Tupperware box which I shoved hastily into my school bag.

"Thanks mom. Love you." I kissed her on the cheek.

"Can you not wait fifteen more minutes for Josh?"

"Sorry mom. I really need to get this done. See you later."

"Bye then. Love you too sweetie."

That was easier than I had expected. I fast walked until my house was out of sight then stopped and took out my cell. While I was in the middle of writing Jared a message his voice sounded behind me.

"What are you doing out with wet hair?" I jumped a foot in surprise and turned to see him trying not to laugh.

"You scared me." I said in a strange, breathy voice. He was instantly apologetic.

"Sorry Kim. I thought I was going to meet you at yours."

"I just wanted to get out of the house a bit earlier."

"Why?" He was probing, and it was uncomfortable.

"To see you." I answered quietly. He smiled faintly and ran a hand down my still wet hair.

"You´ll catch cold like that." He adjusted my scarf and coat around my neck until he was satisfied that I was warm. "Perfect." He smiled at me again and I felt my old bashfulness returning.

"Thanks." I muttered.

"Still shy?" He asked, stepping in closer to me. "After everything?" He wrapped his arms around me and held me close to him. He was so warm. It felt wonderful.

"I can´t help it." I giggled at my own idiocy. "How are you?" I asked him. I have always ached for the chance to speak with him in the past, to get to know him, and now that I had the chance, I was going to use it.

"Great. Perfect actually." He beamed down at me, showing me his perfectly white teeth.

"Yeah?"

"Yep."

"And….what did you do last night? After Sam….called you?" I didn´t really know what verb to use for whatever mind link or superhearing thing they had going on.

"Had a meeting then patrolled for an hour then went to bed."

"So Sam is like….the leader or something?" Jared nodded.

"He´s the Alpha. I´m the Beta." I nodded, trying to get an understanding on what he was telling me. "Well, he will be until Jacob changes."

"Jacob? Jacob Black?" Jacob was a goofy sixteen year old from a grade below us. For some reason I just couldn´t imagine him leading a pack of shapeshifters.

"The one and only. The only male in the Black line. Direct male that is. That´s where I get my genes from too, but from my mothers side."

"And why is the Black line so important?"

"Because they were our Chiefs. In the past anyway. So I suppose we need to stick with that rule." Jared didn´t really seem like he wanted to be talking about those things with me. I swallowed the million and one questions I was bursting to ask and just nodded.

"Emm…your mom sort of invited me for dinner at your house tonight.."

"Yeah, she told me. Sorry if she corned you into it. You don´t have to if you don´t want to." I knew it was important for him that I went tonight. That he really wanted me there. I took his hand and tugged a little and we headed towards school.

"I want to go. If you want me to I mean…"

"Yeah I want you to Kimi. I want my folks to meet my wonderful imprint." I don´t really know if I liked the term imprint. It seemed so….scientific or something. Like I was just some sort of mate.

"I´ve met your parents before Jared. Lots of times." I reminded him.

"Yeah but not like this you haven´t. You´ll have fun. I promise. They are flipping out they are so excited."

"Oh my God." I went red faced.

"Hey! They don´t bite. Like you´ve said. You´ve met them before. It will be a piece of cake. How do you think I feel having to face your dad? He´s scarier than Sam but minus the superpowers."

"My dad is….my dad. I know he comes across as over protective but he´s just looking out for me."

"I know."

"Are you…still mad at me about…how I reacted? Before you know?" I bit my lip and forced myself to look into his eyes.

"No." He shook his head. "Of course not." He was being serious. He was also being careful around me. He wasn´t angry. He was hesitant. And I didn´t blame him. "How do you feel now? Now that you´ve had some time to get your head around everything."

"Okay. It´s still…" I struggled to find the right words. Jared looked a bit afraid. "..all so new. I would never have guessed in a million years that you are a living legend."

"A living legend that´s in love with you." He added. I felt my whole body tingle with his words.

"That neither."

We were silent for a while before I broke out into nervous giggles. Jared smiled fondly at me.

"What´s so funny?"

"I think that that is even stranger than you going against all the laws of nature in terms of being a wolf."

"You are more afraid of my love than my superpowers?"

"I´m not afraid of…your love."

"You don´t believe it or you are having a hard time believing it. I get it. Don´t worry. I will never give up." He promised and then said no more on the topic. "I finished with my part of the history project. We can put it together and then come up with the end bit."

"Great. Last time I was paired up with Danny Hernandez. I had to do everything." I laughed at the memory.

"Why did you do everything?" Jared asked, a bit confused. His brows were knit together as he looked down at me.

"You know Danny." I started. "I think he has it tough at home or something." I mumbled. Jared let out a bark of laughter.

"Danny doesn´t have anything tough. He´s just not interested in school and will try and copy off anyone who would let him. Don´t let him fool you Kim. Like in Biology that day when you let him copy your answers."

"I was just helping him out!" I pouted.

"I know. Just….I dunno…you are so nice. Certain people could see that and try to take advantage of it. When I see it I have a hard time not getting in their faces."

"When did you see it before?" I asked. Was that true?

"That time in Biology. Before as well. The imprinting I mean. Your friend Saffron bosses you around. Always has."

"Saffron doesn´t boss me around Jared!" Not that much anyway. Not now. When we were younger yes but….I frowned.

"Oh really? Who threatened that her night would be ruined if you didn´t wear those sexy stockings to a certain Hallow´een party?"

"C´mon Jared. Please. She´s my friend."

"Sorry." He said after he huffed out a deep breath. "I´m just looking out for you."

"Forget it and….thanks. I know I shouldn´t let people copy off me and stuff. I am working on it."

"Good. And I am working on being nicer. I don´t want you to think I´m some mean jerk."

"I never thought you were."

"Thanks for that Kimi. So…."

"So….?"

"Do I get to take you out again?"

"I would like that."

"Great! Now that there nothing to hide we can start this properly." He was more easy going now. It did seem like a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders and he was more relaxed around me than before.

"What do you want to do?"

"For our date? I was thinking that I could take you out to dinner and then back here to take a walk and stuff. Since you have that curfew, you know."

"That sounds lovely."

"If you want to do something different that´s fine by me. I have to know what my girlfriend likes and all." Did he really just call me his girlfriend? I felt like my heart had leapt up into my throat. "If you want to see a movie or visit somewhere we can do that. And when you turn eighteen we can go on a trip during the weekend somewhere. I kinda have the inkling that you are the sort of girl who wants to see the world." I had barely registered what he had said after he had called me his girlfriend. I forced out some more nervous giggles and he chuckled in a confused sort of way. "What did I say?"

"We…I…I´m your girlfriend now?" He stopped in his tracks which made me stop since we were holding hands. I hadn´t noticed that….

"Well….I thought after last night….after everything that I said….what we told each other…that this was…you know….kinda serious?" I nodded dumbly and he frowned and then it seemed that he came to some type of realization by the look in his eyes. "Do..do you want to be my girlfriend?"

"Yes. I want to." I whispered, totally freaked out.

"Did you ever…." He stopped himself and bit his lip. "Are you sure. If you want some more time to think about it then that is totally fine by me."

"I…no…I want to be your girlfriend…if you want…." I was getting nervous now. I knew I sounded like a dorky little girl but…..eurgghhh Kimi! Can´t you be cool for once?

"There is nothing I want more." He held me close to him again. "And you´re cool with that? You want to go out with me? You can say no."

"I said yes. I know…I know I sound a bit…" I rolled my eyes but forced myself to continue. "dorky sometimes…a lot of the time but….this is the first time a guy has said these things to me and….when it´s coming from you…you get what I´m saying?" I grimaced but held eye contact.

"I get it. And you don´t sound dorky. You sound sweet. I know I can come across as pushy, I´m working on it, but you need to know that I am one hundred percent serious about you."

"And me too. And you´re not that pushy." I smiled up at him. His eyes were soft and sweet as he looked back at me. "You have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen." I blurted out before I even had to think about what I was saying. Jared looked delighted.

"That´s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. Thanks Kim. But you are the one with the most beautiful eyes ever. I love your eyes." He dipped his head and placed a tender kiss on my lips. Oh man…..that has to be the best feeling in the world. I moaned softly in pleasure as his tongue met my own. Jared, it seemed, noticed this, by the faint groan that escaped him, but he didn´t intensify the kiss like he had done so before, like I wanted him to do. One of his large hands wove around my waist while his free hand came up and gently cupped my face.

The kiss was sweet. And amazing. It was slow and tender. Bringing my hands up from Jared´s waist I copied him and held his face in my hands. His skin was so smooth there, so warm.

Eventually he broke away and rested his forehead against mine. His eyes were still closed when I looked at him. His look of pure contentment made my heart ache. I love him. I love him so much. And if a kiss from me could make him look that happy then I was happy. He could kiss me whenever he wanted, I would give him whatever he wanted. He breathed in deeply and smiled. His eyes opening and meeting my own now.

"Sometimes I have a hard time believing that you are real." He began, being completely serious. "It´s like you are some sort of perfect dream. The most beautiful and wonderful feeling in the world in the form of you. I could have never in a million years have even dreamt that a feeling like this was even possible. Like before, I could only see certain things, but the veil has been lifted." His black eyes roamed my face. The intensity and honesty of his words left me speechless. He was describing exactly how I felt about him, but better. I could never really put into words, properly, the depth of my love for him. And Jared being Jared, just did it perfectly. "When it happened, I knew it had always been there. In the back of my head. And me never paying you much attention before, was a way of me not hurting you, because I could never hurt you. Don´t be afraid of me Kimimela. I love you."

I swallowed a painful lump down my throat and willed back the tears. Taking a steadying breath I nodded.

"You have to do everything perfect, don´t you?" Confusion was etched on his face. "I wish I could say things as perfect as you can, but I can´t. Please don´t think that….because I stutter and get nervous that I don´t feel the same way. I can´t help that I´m scared. But I said I love you before. I have loved since forever. Since I was old enough to know what love is." I bit my lip but still, I held his gaze. "This, everything, it´s perfect. What you are doing is perfect, what you are saying is perfect. You can´t imagine how happy you are making me. But you need to understand that this is all new for me. I have never had a boyfriend. I have never really kissed anyone before you. If you give me time it will come as naturally to me as it is for you."

"All the time you need." He smiled. "I don´t want to rush anything. So tell me if I am."

"I will."

"And…you want to be my girlfriend?"

"Yes." I laughed. He looked like he might burst for happiness.

"I am so fucking lucky!" He picked me up easily and held me against him, wrapping his arms around my back just under my backpack. "You are mine now." He said in a mock scary voice which made me giggle. "My precious." Imitating Gollum now. I laughed fully.

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