Finding Freedom

Thankfully, my dreams behaved themselves last night. When I awoke I could feel her warm breath on my neck. As I opened my eyes I found them falling into the depths of her turquoise pools. I wondered how long she'd been watching me sleep.

"Good morning," I said softly, mimicking her smile.

She snuggled into my neck and my kisses covered he cheeks and forehead. Heather would be arriving at around lunch, so we could afford a slow morning.

I thought back to what she had said a few days ago, how we kept being close when she didn't need the comfort. But it felt so natural. These kinds of cuddles and kisses didn't have the same sexual undertone as our contact yesterday afternoon had.

"I don't want to get up yet," I whimpered, sucking in her scent. She smelled so good in the morning.

Orla softly patted my chest, leaving her hand to rest against me.

Her hand began drawing little circles on my ribs as we lay dreamily in each other's arms. It tickled a bit. I reciprocated the action on her, and I ended up arched over the top of her, her tiny body writhing with giggles underneath me. She had a glorious laugh. I tickled more and more just to hear it, taking in every little pitch with my extreme hearing. This had to be heaven. I didn't even hear Jacob let himself in.

"Do I even want to know?" he said sarcastically as he leant against the door frame.

I groaned and flopped back onto the bed. I could feel the heat of Orla's blush as she rolled away, hiding in the sheet.

"You better be dressed under there," Jake muttered, whipping back the covers.

"Seriously man, what if I wasn't? And you've just done that!"

Orla tucked her knees into her nightie and huddled up sheepishly on the bed. I rolled next to her, pulling her into my chest. She was confused but amused at the same time as I sat up and settled her in the dip of my crossed legs.

"Go away," I grumbled, kissing behind Orla's ear. I felt her blush even more.

"I'm hungry!" he yelled, teasingly.

"You have your own kitchen!"

He merely shrugged and was back down the stairs at wolf speed.

"Sorry about him," I spluttered, untangling Orla from my arms.

I slipped a red tank over y head and grabbed some cargo shorts and boxers, heading to the bathroom. Orla followed, making her way to her own room.

"What the hell are you even doing here?" I muttered to Jacob when I'd flopped myself into a barstool.

"Eating," he said around a mouthful of pancake, leaning across from me.

Orla sat down next to me and I instinctively pulled her seat closer to mine so my arm could more comfortably wrap around her back.

I took the stack of pancakes he offered me gratefully all the same. It was probably the only thing he'd managed to perfect in a century of none stop eating.

"What are you really doing here?" I asked again as I sank the dishes into the sink to wash.

Orla hovered next to me, Jacob would dry.

"Figured you two might need a little reminder to keep your hands to yourselves when Heather gets here," he joked, flicking at my arm which was already reaching for Orla.

Orla's arm sneakily looped itself with mine when Jake wasn't looking and we shared a smile. Jacob flicked the towel again.

"See! She's just as bad as you are!"

I just laughed, taking her in for a close hug. Jake rolled his eyes.

We went through to the lounge, with Jake and I both taking up the length of a sofa each as we put our feet up. Orla perched on my sofa, careful not to lean into me. But I wasn't having that, especially when I could get more of Orla and torment Jacob at the same time. I gently pulled her down so she was lying on her back with her legs hooked over mine as I lay on my side with my knees bent to fit on. Jacob feigned a scowl, but I could tell he was mostly happy.

We flicked through the TV channels, not really watching anything. Orla and I were too occupied in our cuddle and Jake just didn't care. He settled on an old Attenborough documentary. As lunch time drew closer, tensions ran higher. Jake left the room to search through the freezer for lunch.

"Maybe we should make your bed look slept in," I whispered to Orla, feeling a tingle run through her body.

She slipped her hand in mine and we headed upstairs. I felt like naughty teenager, sneaking into a girl's bedroom. Well... I kinda was.

"Don't make me have to come up there!" Jacob called. I threw him a wink.

"You seem nervous," I said to Orla, sitting next to her on her bed.

She nodded, she was terrified.

"What's the worst that can happen?" I half joked.

Her thumb rubbed the back of my hand before she grabbed her pad.

She might make me leave.

She chewed her bottom lip.

"No one's taking you anywhere."

I pressed our foreheads together and felt her small intake of breath as I laid a little peck on her philtrum. It was the closest we'd come to a proper intentional kiss. Butterflies flipped in my stomach.

I tossed her duvet around as she dumped some of her clothes in the hamper in the corner. The room was still neat enough to be presentable, but looked used. Our fingers laced as we headed back down. Jake was loitering near the door.

"I can hear a car," he said so only I could hear.

Orla went and sat awkwardly at the bar with a text book open, acting busy. I could tell she'd lied her way through inspections before.

"Would you like something to drink?" I asked Heather politely as I showed her into the lounge.

"Tea, please," she responded, carefully seating herself a fair distance from Jacob on the sofa.

Orla did the honours and I followed her into the kitchen. All three fingers pressed against my arm as she passed me, but there wasn't a thing I could do but try and smile.

"Would you say they're getting along well?" I heard Heather say to Jake.

"They're doing good, yeah," he mumbled back.

Orla carried Heather's mug as I took some cans of pop from the fridge for us and Jake.

"Oh, honey! What happened to your hand?!" Heather exclaimed.

Orla shrugged, sending me a pleading look as she sat next to me, not quite as close as I was used to.

"Just an accident with a wall," I laughed, "Carlisle strapped it up for her. It's nothing serious."

Heather wasn't convinced but accepted it. She made some more small talk with Jacob. I could feel Orla's anxiety growing and I wanted to badly to hold her close. Jake tried his best to send us reassuring glances.

"Any hiccups?" Heather asked, the conversation changing to the reason she was here.

I shook my head, Orla fumbled with the hem of her shirt.

"Eating well?"

"Eating's great," I said, happy I could be honest, "probably not quite as much as she should, but it's all staying down."

Orla smiled at me and I let my knee bump hers as I shifted to reach my drink.

"How are you handling the nightmares?" she said as if they were just a given, that Orla had to have nightmares.

"We're... uh... coping, I guess you could say. Right?" I looked at Orla for approval, she simply nodded.

"Anything you'd like to ask of me?" Heather said.

"I want to get her a phone," I said instantly, "and I want to be able to take her places."

Heather frowned, "I'm not sure that's entirely suitable."

"Why not?" I demanded.

Orla shot her a glare and Heather's lips creased into a thin line.

"If you think you can trust her... it's your home."

I smiled.

"Can I speak with Orla alone?"

I nodded, "Take her to your room," I said to Orla, trying to be encouraging. He face was pained.

Jake and I sat, both listening intently to the conversation upstairs that we shouldn't have been able to hear. It was hard to only have one side of it. I could hear Orla taking little sniffs as she tried to hold the wall of sobs back. She wasn't upset or angry, it was just the fear and tension coming to a head. Jacob set his hand on my shoulder, easily reading my emotions – her emotions.

"I think that's all."

We heard Heather coming back down but no Orla. She excused herself with a polite nod and bustled to her car. She was obviously pretty distressed herself.

I took the stairs three at a time, bounding up at wolf speed to find Orla. She was balled up on her bed, silent tears rolling down her face.

"Oh, baby..." I breathed, sitting next to her and rubbing her back with my hand.

All I could feel from her was relief. She just needed a little moment. I let her curl into me as he tears dried up. We crept downstairs, hand in hand. Jake did his best to act casual and natural, trying to get us to catch grapes in our mouths from across the room. I felt Orla's happy aura return as we all sat down to lunch.

"Here," Jake said, smiling at Orla as he pushed a sleek black box over to her.

She opened it cautiously. Inside was a smooth, white glass smart phone. I was practically knocked over as her emotions squealed in my head and she hugged Jake. It was hardly an expensive model, just enough to give her all the modern connectabilities without being an overbearing business phone. I loved seeing her so delighted. I lifted her chin with my finger and pulled her face closer to kiss her little nose. She beamed back at me, making me fall that little bit more in love.

AN

I could do with some advise about formatting. On Word, all of my speech is on a separate line, as it should be, but on here there's a space between those lines? How do I make that stop?

Also, am I giving enough attention to the imprint and wolf senses? I feel like they get kind of neglected every few chapters.

I have some really fun ideas of where to take this plot (yup, I'm totally just winging this at the moment!) so I'd love some feedback and recommendations.

Also, a big thanks to whoever recommended me to the roleplay forum, I'll be having a blast in there sometime soon

3

lots of love, Logan.