Chapter 25

"Good morning."

"Morning," I mumbled as I entered the kitchen. I felt Aunt Corinne's eyes watching my every move. Even though it was unnerving, I paid her no attention and continued to make my breakfast: a bowl of cereal.

"What are you up to today?"

I shrugged. I knew she was fishing for answers. The news of my fight with Jacob spread like wildfire among the pack members. I knew Aunt Corinne would find out eventually with her being 'clairvoyant and all knowing.' The fact that I declined all of Jacob's calls may have tipped her off as well.

"You haven't been out much," my aunt commented.

"It's been raining the last couple of days," I said with a mouthful of cereal.

"See, even Mother Nature is crying for you and Jacob."

I rolled my eyes.

"I haven't spoken to him in two days, I think Mother Nature can survive. I am." It was a lie. I was a mess. It only had been two days since I told Jacob I didn't want to see or talk to him, and I was acting like we broke up or something. I put on a front for my friends at school, but once I was home, I stayed in my room and just stayed in bed. I knew that Jacob was pretty much in the same state; Aunt Cor made sure that I knew whenever she spoke to Sue on the phone. I was still mad, but that didn't mean I couldn't miss him. I hated being mad at him, but I hated sweeping things under the rug more. I wasn't about to do that this time.

"I'm heading to Seattle today," Aunt Cor told me.

"Today? Isn't there a storm hitting today?"

"Not till tonight. I'll be back in plenty of time before then. Astrid needs help storm proofing the store." I nodded. "You want to come with? I need to swing by La Push to pick up Sue, maybe we could stop by Jacob's-"

"No," I cut her off. "I mean, no thanks."

"Jade you can't keep holeing yourself up!"

"That's not what I'm doing! It's gloomy and all depressing outside and it just makes me want to have a lazy day today."

"You had a lazy day yesterday," she pointed out.

"Okay, I want to have a lazy weekend."

She studied me for a second before nodding.

"Can I at least pass on a message to Jacob?"

I shook my head. She sighed as she put on her coat.

"Honestly, Jade, this is silly. There's no point in you two being miserable."

"I'm not miserable," I said, crossing my arms. Aunt Cor gave me a look that showed that she didn't believe me.

"If you say so." She walked over to me and gave me a hug. "But if only you could hear how Jacob sounds. Poor guy."

I bit my tongue to keep myself from asking about him.

"Have fun in Seattle," I told her before leaving the kitchen and heading to my room. I heard her express her thanks before saying bye. I listened to the front door creak open. The light pitter patter of the rain outside covered up Aunt Cor's high heeled foot steps. I heard her car start up then drive away.

I got into bed and curled up into a ball under the covers. I wrapped my comforter tightly around me, hoping to trap my body heat in and warm up. I instantly thought of Jacob's hot skin and how quickly I would have warmed up in his arms. I groaned and closed my eyes. I tried to force sleep, but it didn't work. Instead, I laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. I began to study the little patterns on the ceiling. It was the only thing that kept my mind from wandering back to Jacob.

My phone buzzed and I jerked awake. I guess studying little ceiling patterns was as good as counting sheep. I reached for my cell phone and saw that it was Aunt Corinne.

"Hello?" I answered, sleepily.

"Jade?" I heard her say through all the static.

"Aunt Cor? Hello?

"Can – ear me?"

"Hold on you're cutting up." I got up from the bed and walked over to the window. Immediately I heard the violently pounding of raindrops against my window. No wonder my service wasn't good.

"Hello?" I tried again.

"Jade, we're stuck in –tle."

"You're stuck in Seattle?" I repeated.

"Yes. Don't know what time-" The line went dead. I looked at my phone and saw that I had one bar. It was probably on her end.

"Great," I muttered. I drew open my curtains and opened the blinds. The sky was covered by dark grey clouds. Raindrops hit against my window, and I could see the little splashes they made on the road. My eyes couldn't help but gaze over at the spot in the woods where Jacob usually sat, in wolf form, whenever he stopped by during his patrols.

I closed the blinds and curtains once more.

My cell phone rang in my hand.

"Aunt Cor?" I answered, not looking at the screen.

"Jade, it's Charlie."

"Hi, Chief," I said.

"Are you doing alright? I just got off the phone with Sue who told me that she and your aunt are stuck in Seattle until the storm passes through."

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? I could maybe pick you up and take you to-"

"No thanks," I told him. I knew he was going to suggest La Push.

"Well, I'll send one of my men to drive down there later to make sure everything is okay. Make sure you have a flashlight or candles ready in case the electricity goes out."

"Will do."

"Double check all windows doors. Make sure they're closed and locked."

"Yes, sir," I replied.

"Alright, Jade, take care then. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me or Billy or Carlisle."

I agreed and thanked him before getting off the phone. I sighed. Being home alone during a storm was not going to be fun; I hated storms.

Remebering Charlie's instructions, I pocketed my cell phone and headed down to the kitchen. I remembered seeing a stack of candles in stashed in one of the kitchen drawers. Midway down the stairs, I shivered and noticed the goosebumps on my skin. It was cold! I turned back to grab a sweater from my closet. Just then, I heard a loud humming sound and the all the lights turned off. I froze, still standing on stairs, this time in total darkness.

"Shit, I am going to die," I said to myself. Abandoning my need for a sweater, I carefully felt for the banister. Slowly I descended the remaining steps and used the wall to guide me to the kitchen. "Ow!"

Instinctively, I reached for my big toe and cursed whatever it was that I stumped it on. I hopped on one foot, towards where the kitchen island was. I opened the drawers and began feeling around. I moved on to the next drawer. I felt something sharp tear the skin on my palm and I cried out in pain. I felt something wet and I knew it was my blood. I clumsily made my way to where I figured the sink would be.

"No water," I told myself when I turned the faucet and nothing came out. Instead, I reached over for a paper towel. I balled it up and pressed it over my palm. "All alone in an empty house during a thunderstorm and I'm going to bleed to death."

A rattling sound stole my attention from my wound. I stood straight and looked towards where I heard the sound. It came from the dining room, right across from where I stood. I strained my ears to see if I really did hear something. A small thud came from upstairs. My heart started beating faster and I fumbled for my phone. With the paper towel still balled up againsed my palm, I dropped my cell phone.

"Shit!" I quickly ran from my spot against the sink and went towards the dining room. My next move was to run through the living room to get to the hall that would eventually lead me to the front door. From there I could go to the neighbors for help. That is if I don't get struck by lightning first. As I made my way through the living room, I heard the sound of heavy footsteps descending the stairs. There was no one I could avoid being seen.

I felt my body collide into someone else. Someone warm and well muscled and wet.

I screamed and began to flail my arms around.

"Jade! It's me!" I felt a strong grip on my arms.

"Jacob!" I cried. A sense of relief washed over me at seeing him, but I resisted the urge to run into his arms. "What the hell? Are you trying to scare me to death?"

"I heard you scream. Are you alright?" His hands traveled from their place on my arms to the side of my face.

"I cut my hand," I told him, holding up my hand with the paper towel on it.

"What? Let me see."

"I'm fine," I said as I winced at him touching the cut.

"Where's the first aid kit?"

"Uh, beats me," I replied. "I got this from searching for the candles."

He led me towards the kitchen. Without a word he hoisted me up and sat me on the island.

"Stay here," he said as he began to rummage around the kitchen.

"I'm fine," I repeated. "It stopped bleeding…kinda."

"Here." Jacob stood in front of me and grabbed my hand. He took of the papertowel and turned my hand palm up.

"What's- Ow!" I cried in pain as the alcohol stung my hand. "You could've warned me!" Jacob ignored me and instead took my hand and began to blow on it. The stinging eventually subsided. He began to wrap a bandaged around my hand.

"There." I rolled my eyes.

"Thanks," I said coldly, trying to hang onto the anger that I felt because of him.

"Not the most sincere, but I'll take it." I scoffed. "You're lucky I was close by or else you would've bled to death." I heard humor in his tone. He was poking fun at me. No doubt he had been watching me long enough to hear the comment I made to myself earlier.

"And here I thought you were done with that stakeout of yours." I tried to hop off the island, but Jacob stood firmly in front of me and kept me from doing so. "Excuse me." But he didn't budge. "Jacob-" Before I knew it, I felt Jacob's lips on mine. Once again, I was weak. I felt my anger melt away and this time I didn't fight it. I hated fighting with Jacob and I hated being angry at him.

"I'm sorry," he said softly after he pulled away. He rested his forehead against mine.

"Me too," I finally caved. I finally wrapped my arms around him and rested my head on his shoulder. His strong arms made their way around my body and I squeezed him harder. A chuckle rumbled through his chest. I couldn't help but smile. This was how we were supposed to be. Together and happy. A rumble coming from Jacob's stomach ruined the moment.

"I haven't eaten since last night," Jacob told me sheepishly. I frowned at him.

"Well, I'm sure there's something here we can snack on until the power comes back on. Actually, I think I remember seeing a generator somewhere-"

"Don't bother. It doesn't work," he said. I gave him a questioning look. "Last time there was a storm, Paul and I came here to check on Corinne. Generator wasn't cooperating and let's just say, Paul got frustrated."

"Surprise there," I joked. I motioned for me to jump off and Jacob helped me. "I guess we're stuck with whatever is in the pantry."

After scavenging for what we could eat, Jacob and I made our way to the living room. We let silence pass between us as we both filled our empty stomachs.

"Man, if only we were at Emily's," Jacob began. "She usual makes soup and sandwiches."

I giggled. I could practically see him salivate at the thought of food.

"Is that where everyone else is?" I asked, polishing off my one last bite of muffin.

"Most likely. She keeps enough food stored away to feed us for an entire week! But I'm sure Seth is over at the Cullens."

"Seth," I said, thinking about the cheery teenager that I grew to love like my own brother. "I can't believe you let sweet little Seth lie to me."

"He didn't lie to you!" Jacob protested. "He just wasn't allowed to say where I was. It's not like you had the chance to ask anyway."

I nodded in agreement.

"Another thing, I don't think he appreciates you calling him little." Thunder rumbled loudly outside and moved closer to Jacob. He draped his arm protectively around my shoulders and I snuggled in closer.

"I hate storms," I murmured.

"Me too," he replied quietly.

"You do?" I asked in surprised. "I didn't think anything ever scared you."

"It's not so much as me being scared of them," he said. "It's…"

I waited for him to continue.

"My mom died in a car accident." I nodded. This I already knew from Aunt Corinne. She also let me know that it was a topic the Blacks weren't too open with discussing. "It was stormy, the roads were slippery, there was lightning and thunder…"

I rubbed his arm as a way to comfort him. "I'm sorry." He cleard his throat, something that I figured was a way to end the conversation. "I wonder how long till the power comes back on."

"Probably not till the storm is done."

"Doesn't sound like it's letting up anytime soon," I commented, listening to the rain pounding against the window. "I hope Aunt Cor and Sue are okay."

"I'm sure they'll be fine," he reassured me.

"What time is it anyway?" I asked. A yawn escaped me.

"Apparently, time for you to sleep," Jacob laughed.

"No, I'm okay," I told him, though the thought of sleeping through the storm was nice.

"You sure?"

"Mmhmm." But I let my eyes close anyway. The sound of the raindrops was actually relaxing. That paired with the beating of Jacob's heart and the steady rhythm of his chest rising and falling was enough to coax me into sleep. I heard Jacob call my name, but he sounded far away. Soon my body felt light, I felt like I was floating. Then my body landed back down on something firm and cold. I stirred and opened my eyes just as Jacob placed my comforter over me.

"Where are you going?" I asked as he began to walk towards the door.

"Downstairs," he answered.

"You're not gonna leave me by myself are you?"

"No, never." I smiled.

"I meant you're not gonna go home now are you?"

"No, I'll stay till Corinne comes home. I'll just be on the couch."

I nodded.

"Good night," he said.

"Night." I nestled back into my bed, ready to go back to sleep when the sound of thunder echoed outside. I screamed as I felt the house shake.

"What's wrong?" Jacob asked, barging back into my room.

"Can you stay here?" I asked, not caring that I probably sounded like a scaredy cat.

He laughed to himself. I handed him one of my pillows and he plopped on the floor with it.

"Need a blanket?"

"No thanks. The perks of being a shape shifter," Jacob said. I layed back down on my bed. I tried to sleep, but the thunder and the house shaking pretty much scared the sleep out of me.

A series of beeps sounded from somewhere in my room. I looked over the edge of the bed and saw Jacob reach for his pocket.

Without a word, he handed me my cell phone.

"It's Aunt Cor," I told him. "Hello?"

"Jade, how – you?"

"Uh, I'm fine. The power's out but Jacob's here with me."

"That's –ood. I got a," I strained my ear to make out what she was saying, " or – ad!"

I heard urgency in her voice, but it didn't help me figure out what she was trying to say. I got up and moved closer to the window.

"Aunt Cor, I can't understand you. You're breaking up!"

"Tom—row."

"Tomorrow? What's going on tomorrow?" I heard the line go silent. "Hello?" I looked at my phone. The call was lost.

"What'd she say?" Jacob asked from his place on the floor.

"Uh, something about tomorrow?" I replied.

Light filled the room and the sound similar to a whip crack resounded. The sound of something breaking was heard followed by a thud.

"What was that?" Jacob jumped up and joined me at the window. We both peered outside. A tree from the forest was now lying on the road.

"Oh my-" Thunder rumbled again. I felt the vibrations off the window. I clung onto Jacob. "I don't like this!"

Jacob wrapped his arms around me and led me back to the bed. "It's fine. Just go to sleep that way when you wake up, it'll be all over." I slid under the comforter, but kept my hold on Jacob's hand.

"Stay with me," I said. Jacob looked surprise at my request.

"Jade, uh, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Please?" I asked, tugging on his hand. He took a few seconds before answering.

"Okay." I scooted over but I sensed his hesitation. I watched as he slowly climbed onto the bed. I noticed how he decided to stay on top of the comforter rather than going under and it was then I realized the reason for his hesitation.

I felt my cheeks redden at the thought of being intimate with Jacob. I blushed even harder thinking of Jacob thinking of us being intimate. I wanted to blurt out that it wasn't what I was thinking; that I simply wanted him close by during the storm, but I was too embarrassed to even bring it up. Instead, I turned over so that my back was to him and increased the space between us, not that it helped seeing that my bed was just a full size and he alone took up more than half the bed.

I closed my eyes and tried to go to sleep, but the thought of having Jacob beside me in bed, half naked none the less, distracted me. Him being shirtless was something I was used to and he'd been in my room plenty of times before, but my thoughts from earlier seemed to have planted a seed in my mind. I shook my head to try and clear it away.

"Are you okay?" Jacob asked. I felt the bed shift.

"Yeah," I answered. "Just trying not to think about this storm."

"I usually just think of something else. Something deep that usually zones me out."

"Like?"

"Like how different things would be."

This made my turn around to face him. He was laying on his back, his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

He shrugged. "What I'd be doing now if I hadn't phased at all."

"What do you think you'd be doing?"

He turned his head to look at me. "I'd probably still be in school," he chuckled. "Probably would've been psyching myself for senior year next year."

I gave him a sad smile. Though it was all Jacob's choice to drop out of school, I knew it was one he wasn't happy with. With all the times he'd run away to find peace of mind, he missed a lot of school days. He tried making up the classes he needed, but eventually got frustrated and just dropped out. Billy wasn't as disappointed as I thought he'd be, after all his son was an alpha of his own pack. Jacob took his position seriously and poured himself into his 'job' as a way to make up for his shortcomings school wise.

"You ever think about going back?"

"Yeah, but in the end I don't think it'd matter," he said. "I go back to school, work my butt off playing catch up, graduate, then what? I can't exactly go off to college. Not while I still have the pack to lead and the rez to protect."

"And there's the small detail of controlling your phasing."

"That too," he smiled.

"Do you resent being a shape shifter?" I asked.

"No," he answered right away.

"Really? I would've thought you would. Seth, Collin, and Brady seem like they do. Leah definitely resents it."

"I know and I understand where they're coming from," Jacob said. I propped my elbow up and rested my head on my hand. "When we phase, we end up giving up a lot of things. We take on a lot more responsibility than other people our age. I think at one point we all resented it. Giving up our old friends, spending time patrolling and hunting leeches. In the beginning I did resent it. I hated it and I wanted no part in it."

"What changed?"

"I met you," he said, looking at me again. I felt the butterflies in my stomach. I smiled at him and looked away. Another rumble came from outside. It wasn't as loud as the previous ones, but still scared me. I scooted closer to Jacob before resting my head on his arm. He brought his arm down so that it was snaked around my back.

"Distract me some more," I ordered, earning a laugh from Jacob. "Tell me about the first time you phased."

I listened as Jacob recounted his first time phasing. Soon he began to tell me about everyone else's first time phasing. I tried my best to listen and be attentive, but when he got to Quil, I let out a yawn.

"Yeah, Quil's story is kind of boring," Jacob joked. I laughed. I buried my face in his chest and closed my eyes. I felt him start to stroke my hair.

"Good night," I mumbled, sleepily.

"Good night," he answered, before planting a kiss on my head. I smiled. This moment was perfect. Nothing else mattered to me at that moment. It seemed like everything just disappeared from my mind. All that mattered was Jacob. Being with Jacob. Laying with him and holding him, and him hold me. It was perfect.

Hello readers! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Get ready because the next chapter is going to be INTENSE! An important question is going to be answered and there may or may not be more new characters on the way. ;) Just be patient because this next chapter might take a while. It's a very important chapter and I want it written well! I don't want to disappoint you guys!