The Twilight Series belongs to S. Meyer, no copyright infringement is intended. I'm just playing with the characters.
AN: I give up. I swear the muse is plotting against me, but I'm working on beating them into submission.
"So…" she began. A telltale pink stained her cheeks. She didn't think she had felt this uncomfortable around Jared ever. Not even that first time when she had cried in his arms. There had been something that she didn't understand at the time, which allowed her to feel at ease.
"You and Seth talked?" She tried again to start a conversation.
"Yep. I think we've reached an understanding."
Jared pushed his chair away from the table and slowly stood. She watched, her eyes widening as he prowled toward her. His actions made every cell in her body vibrate with anticipation. It had been too long—it didn't matter that it was only days since they had been together. All those moments—days—weeks—months that they had been separated suddenly felt like an eternity.
It had been an eternity of yawning emptiness and pain; the agony which she couldn't put into words. She wasn't even going to try. Reliving the torment when he was closing in on her wasn't worth it. Not when she knew the ecstasy that was waiting for her.
She hadn't realized her mouth was hanging open until he reached a hand toward her and gently closed it. His fingers trailed along her jaw and down her neck, tracing the delicate flesh of her collarbone before venturing down her arm. The touch was as gentle as a butterfly's wings. So faint, she questioned whether she was imagining his touch.
"And what would that be?" She asked her voice low-pitched and rasping.
He leaned in closer, his breath hot against her neck. "I think you know," he whispered.
Holy fuck, he's trying to kill me.
His tongue traced the whorl of her earlobe and she melted. Her body sagged downwards at the same time his hands reached out to grip her waist. If not for his timely intervention, there was no doubt in her mind that she would have been reduced to a quivering mass at his feet.
"…I'm not…sure…this is what…he had in…mind," she expressed breathlessly.
She felt his smirk against her skin as he replied, "He's not here and while he might not approve—he's not disapproving either."
He closed his mouth over the pulse point on her throat; the same one that was beating furiously. The rhythm almost too fast for him to count. He sucked on the small bit of flesh, his teeth nipping it before his tongue darted out to soften the sting of his teeth.
Leah's arms had been idle, simply hanging at her sides. As he kissed his way to her mouth, her arms lifted, her hands reaching underneath the thin cotton tee-shirt he wore. Her fingers leisurely touched his skin until it wasn't enough. She wanted to feel his skin against hers.
Her hands grasped the hem of his shirt and pulled it up. He broke his lips from hers and his hands joined in as the shirt was tugged off and thrown on the floor. Her eyes greedily drank in the sight of him. The stolen moments from a few days ago hadn't allowed her to see the changes the wolf had done to him.
His shoulders were wider and his frame broader. No longer was he gangly youth she had fallen in love with. His phase had added muscles and definition to him that he most likely wouldn't have until he was in his mid-20s. Whereas before he had been close to her height, he now stood around 6' tall.
He had always kept his hair short, but it was cropped even closer. Creases were present on his forehead and between his eyes—evidence of the strain and stress he been through the last few months. The internal battle he had been waging with his wolf as he fought against the pull of the imprint.
"What's wrong?" He asked softly, his fingers soothing the wrinkles in her forehead.
She hadn't realized her worry had transmitted to her expression. Shaking her head to clear it, she met his eyes and smiled. "Nothing. I was just thinking that's all."
Her hands returned to his body, wrapping around his neck and pulling him close. Standing on her tiptoes, she touched her lips to his. The kiss starting soft and gentle, but soon becoming needy and hungry; his hands grabbed her waist and lifted her up, setting her down on the countertop.
He raked his hands down her jean-clad thighs, his hands settling on her knees and parting her legs. Stepping forward, his body filled the empty space. The heat radiated from his body, making her feel crowded, overheated, and overdressed. Her hands joined his on her shirt hem and soon her shirt came to rest on the ground next to his.
"Beautiful," he murmured against her flesh.
His lips and tongue laving the exposed skin while one hand reached behind her and deftly undid the clasp of her simple cotton bra. The cups sagged, the straps sliding down her arms without any intervention from either of them. He kissed his way toward her breasts; her rosy nipples already stiff, begging for his touch.
He didn't think he had ever been this aroused. His cock strained against his shorts and he rubbed against her, seeking to calm the throbbing ache. He was emboldened by her moan and the heady scent of her arousal. His lips capturing one stiff peak in his mouth; he sucked hard, releasing it with a soft popping noise.
Kissing his way to the other nipple, he repeated the same action. Leah's fingers splayed along his head, trying to curl around his shorn locks. An impossible task, but it didn't stop her from trying. Her body arched forward and he thrust against her.
"Jared, please," she begged. Leah's hands travelled down his body to the closure of his shorts. Her fingers fumbling as she struggled to unbutton and unzip them. In the end, she stopped and instead slid her hand down the front of them. Her hand wrapped around his hard length and her question was answered.
Commando. It meant there was only one layer of clothing separating him from her hand or mouth at all times. Moisture flooded her panties as she thought of all the advantages it could have.
Her hand stroked him several times. His body moved in time to her strokes. His lips and mouth teased her nipples. His hands touching and massaging what his mouth couldn't.
He shuddered, a loud groan filling the air as she brushed her thumb over the tip of his cock. Her hand sliding out of his shorts moments later; he paused in confusion. His eyes following that same hand as she brought it upwards and to her mouth. Her tongue flicked her thumb while she released a throaty purr.
His gaze turned black when her thumb disappeared into her mouth. Her checks hollowed as she sucked on the digit. She was teasing him, just as he had been teasing her earlier. It was time to end it.
Leaning forward, he nuzzled her neck. Sucking a small bit of skin into his mouth, he bit down harder than he had earlier. Pulling back slightly, his breath fanned her skin.
His voice deep with desire and the promise of pleasure. "Wrap your legs around me. I don't think your family would appreciate me violating you in the kitchen."
She followed his instructions. Her legs wrapped around his waist and her hands his neck. They both started at the feel of near total skin-to-skin contact. His hands rested her ass, holding her in place and he began the short journey of carrying her to her room.
Once they reached it, he released her causing her to bounce slightly on the mattress. She grabbed the straps of her bra, pulling it off and throwing into the corner of her room. Then, she lay on her back, her fingers quickly going to work to release the front of her jeans and she slid them along with her panties off while he did the same with his shorts.
Within seconds, his body was covering hers. Their bodies a tangle of limbs as they pulled each other closer—the distance between them shrinking with every breath they took. His cock throbbed between her legs. The small shunting movements he made did nothing to soothe the ache.
He pulled back slightly, his gaze centering on her face. His eyes searching once again for consent; it was something he had done each time they were together. Respecting her was the most important thing in their relationship. Her black-brown eyes met his and gave him the answer.
He slid against her slick flesh. The tip of cock pushed against her entrance as her hips rose up. He thrust forward, sliding in with ease. She wrapped her legs around him as he began to plunge in and out.
With every thrust, there was a rightness to it that she felt with every fiber of her being. It had to mean something. She was sure that she had a choice, but would it be enough to help him overcome the imprint?
He wondered what she was thinking about. Her face continued to have a pensive look and either he wasn't doing his job right or she was distracted. He decided it was the latter, but she shouldn't be thinking about anything other than pleasure. Stopping, he pulled out and rolled on his side.
"What's wrong?"
"You seem distracted."
"I'm not," she protested.
"Sure…I'm not offended," he began. "Okay, maybe a bit."
Leah turned on her side and pushed him onto his back. Rolling up onto her elbow, she stared at him. Guilt caused her cheeks to turn pink.
"I'm sorry. I'm just thinking about…well, everything." She paused, her brow crinkling. "Maybe we should talk now versus later."
"Talk?" He asked, worry apparent on his face.
"Yeah," she nodded. "I'm so close to figuring it out—the imprint, Bella and you. I just feel that there's something still missing. Everything is there except one tiny piece. The one that will give me the answer I'm looking for."
"Okay, I guess," he agreed, nervously.
He hated thinking about Bella and the imprint. As long as he avoided her and thoughts of her, he didn't feel a pull toward her. And the last thing he wanted to do was think about Bella when he was naked in Leah's bed. Naked with an equally naked Leah.
"I'm sorry. I know you don't like talking about it. I get it. But we stand a better chance of fighting this—if we're together on it. It's not that I don't doubt you," she paused, her hand cupping his face and turning it slightly. "It's just I know that we can be stronger together. Look at last night."
He nodded. The words he wished to say were locked in his throat. A giant lump having blocked it. God, how he wanted to cry. It was silly and tragic at the same time. A single moment in time had sealed his future—a future he had never wanted, never asked for. Why couldn't it have been her? Leah.
"I'm sorry," she whispered as snuggled into his side. His soft sigh and the salty smell of tears made her heart ache.
She knew he wouldn't be able to talk at the moment. His emotions were too heightened. He was too close to breaking down and though he had done it before in front of her—the day on the beach when they had both said their goodbyes to Sam. This was different. This moment was filled with more agony and uncertainty. Where would they end up if he wasn't strong enough? If the imprint was forged just as strongly as coal was squeezed and turned into a diamond; he would be screwed.
So, she told him all the things she could. The things that left out her adventure of earlier today and her meeting with Rosalie. He listened as she began to piece the information together and it seemed she was right. There was something abnormal with the imprint.
It wasn't just his desire to be with Leah that had him fighting it. A small part of it was his wolf. The wolf felt drawn and repulsed by Bella all at the same time. There were times he had been able to avoid her for days and once even nearly two weeks. It was only after she had tracked him down and cornered him that he felt the pull again.
"So this is what I think I'm missing. The last piece of the puzzle—I need to know what happened that day."
He closed his eyes. It was a memory that he had locked as deep as he could in his mind. A day he never wanted to remember, but that was the downfall of phasing. Before he could easily forget the most mundane thing; it wasn't the case any longer. Every tiny detail of his life was remembered from the second of his phase. The memories he played over and over; strengthened in time.
It was why he forced himself to remember everything he could about Leah. Even while they had been apart and she had broken his heart because those memories the more he played them, the more vivid they became. There were times he couldn't be sure whether he was trapped in his memories of the past or actually experiencing what played behind his eyelids.
"It was near the end of September," he began softly. "The Cullens had left a couple of weeks before. Jake had taken to hanging around her because Charlie was worried about her. It was the second or third time he'd brought her to the rez."
"Do you remember looking at her before?"
"Probably," he guessed. "It'd be strange to be introduced to someone and not look at their face, but I'm taller than her so if she didn't look up I doubt I'd have been able to look in her eyes."
"Okay, so maybe you did—maybe you didn't. Did the wolf feel anything? Like before?"
He thought back and tried to figure out whether he had felt a pull to her. He had been in the other's minds enough to know that they had felt a need to meet their imprint. Even before looking into their eyes—their scent attracted the wolf. Embry had nearly knocked both him and Paul over in his desire to get to Rachel. Paul never looked at a girl's face. Not until Kim.
"No. There was nothing."
"So, let's say you did see her eyes the first time you met—why didn't the imprint happen then? Why didn't the wolf feel anything?"
He shrugged. It was as much a mystery to him as it was to her.
"What if, something changed inside Bella when she was bitten? Somehow it changed part of her body or brain on a genetic level? Could the imprint have come from her?"
It was a question he hadn't ever thought of. Something completely inconceivable, but it could explain the differences he had realized. If it was true, then how would they fight it? It meant that Bella was the one with the power and control.
He also realized that Leah hadn't told him everything. There was more to how she had figured it all out. It had only been days since she phased and it was the same amount of time since she had understood imprinting and had sensed the venom in Bella's body. While she had explained what she understood and her theories—there were things she couldn't have known without talking to someone else.
He turned abruptly, rolling the two of them until she was on her back with him hovering over her. His gaze burned into her. He didn't say a single word, but she was already crumbling. If he asked her, she couldn't lie to him.
"So what did you really do today?"
She glanced away from his probing gaze; her teeth pulling a small section of lip between them. The bitter scent of anxiety filled the small space. Her heart pounded furiously in her chest, threatening to break free.
He leaned closer, his lips brushing against her ear as he repeated his question. She trembled, her body quivering in eagerness as she realized this was just the beginning if she didn't confess soon. He propped himself up and reached a single hand between their bodies. His fingers ghosting along her chest and abdomen before they plunged into the crevice between her legs.
Skillfully, he stroked her clit. His fingers providing the right amount of softness and friction that she needed. Her hips rose upwards, craving more. He continued to work her up until she was moaning incoherently, her hips rolling, and her nails clawing his back. Without warning, he stopped.
She was balanced on a precipice. Moments away from tumbling over the edge. She begged him to finish; using her body, her hands, and her words, but he held fast.
"Leah—I'm waiting."
Sighing, she realized she didn't have a choice. Sooner or later, he was going to find out. And they needed to plan their next move.
"I might have met one or two Cullens today," she confessed.
"What?! Why would you do that?"
"Because I needed answers that we didn't have. Ones that I don't think Bella understands."
"But still," he protested. "You phased not even a week ago. You're lucky you weren't hurt."
She chaffed at his insinuation that she couldn't care for herself. She was just as strong and able as any of them. Perhaps even more so, because she had Sopiya to help guide her. Together they carried the knowledge and control of centuries.
"It was fine, Jared. Nothing happened. The three of us got the information we needed and came away without a single scratch."
It was the wrong thing to say. Jared hadn't realized until she said the words that it hadn't just been her. That she had taken Rachel and Angela with her. It was bad enough that she had put herself in danger, but putting them in danger was a serious faux-pas.
"…You brought imprints?" His emphasis on that single word barely contained his disbelief and horror. "Do you even realize… If something had happened…"
Without him elaborating further, she understood the missing words. The things he couldn't express.
"It wasn't my idea. I didn't want them to be there, but Rachel insisted. She threatened to tell the pack what I was planning."
"So that's what the big girls' day was all about? Are they all in on it?"
Her right eyelid twitched, answering his question. "Leah…you can't let them know—Embry and Jake will freak out. It was just them, right? Kim and Claire weren't there too were they?"
"No. Like I said Rachel insisted that she was coming with and brought Angela with."
"Which ones?"
"You mean, who we met?" She paused for a moment and waited for his nod. "Rosalie—the blonde one. Her mate showed up toward the end. Emmett."
"Why not the doctor?"
"She was the first one we found. Do you know how hard it is to find them? They change their names and erase themselves from the last place they lived. They lived here a few years and there's no evidence that they did."
"How'd you do it then?"
"Rachel. She's a complete nerd and has her ways."
"Huh."
"Are you done chastising me?" She asked her voice teasing as her hands stroked down his back to his ass. Her hands kneaded them before gripping him firmly and pulling his body into hers. "I can think of better things that we could be doing."
"For now," he replied with a smirk.
His hands tangled in her hair, holding her head while his lips captured hers. His tongue thrust between her parted lips, sweeping the interior. Pulling his hips back, he lined up against her weeping entrance and thrust forward.
This time around her mind wasn't focused on anything other than him and the sensations he evoked. A tight coil began to wind in her belly. Her legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer.
It was slow and sensual, fast and passionate. Everything she had missed for the past few months. The way he completed her and she could feel it was the same for him. His thrusts quickened as she neared her climax. Her inner muscles pulsating around him and when she arched up as she gave into her orgasm, he followed her over the edge.
FF_8756144_37 04/14/2013 7:30PM