Chapter Thirty-Seven: Charli

I looked over my shoulder waiting for Jacob to follow me into the house. I knew that inviting him in might be dangerous but I had just gotten him back I wasn't about to let him out of my sight. He ducked as he came through the doorway and I was again awestruck by how tall he was. He looked almost silly standing in my small kitchen, his hands in his pockets, his clothes completely drenched with rainwater.

"Let me get you some dry clothes." I said walking quickly into the hallway and going into my dad's bedroom. I knew my father had nothing that would fit Jacob, but I had to figure something out. I opened my father's dresser drawer and pulled out a pair of sweatpants.

"At least these will stretch." I whispered closing the drawer and heading back towards the kitchen.

"Here. I know they won't fit very well but it is better than nothing. Go change so I can throw your clothes in the dryer."

He took the sweatpants from my hands and I pointed him in the direction of the bathroom before slipping into my room. I gratefully peeled off my wet clothes and put on a dry pair of stretch pants and a tank top.

"I had to rip the pants, I hope that is ok. I'll buy your dad another pair." Jacob said startling me. He was leaning casually against the door to my room, shirtless and barefoot wearing what was left of my father's sweat pants. He had torn them off at the knee making them into cut off shorts.

"I think that he will forgive you." I said folding my arms and smiling at him.

He was watching me so intently I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. I shrugged my shoulders letting my arms drop to my sides. "So what do you want to do now?"

"Do you really want me to answer that question?" He chuckled and I felt my heart stutter as I studied the expression on his face.

"Should we have stayed at the Cullen's so Esme could keep an eye on you?" I teased, poking him in the chest as I slipped past him into the hallway. I stopped to throw my clothes and his into the dryer before making my way to the living room.

He followed behind me and laid down on the sofa stretching his legs out and leaning back into the cushions. I watched him with an amused look on my face.

"What?" He asked confused by my expression.

"I just can't get over how tall you are." I laughed turning to the collection of DVD's on top of the television.

"You are one to talk. How's the weather up there Amazon?" he shot back grinning smugly at his own joke.

"What would you like to watch? Are you a fan of Teen Wolf? Or maybe An American Werewolf in Paris?"

"Ha ha."

I spotted one of my favorite stand-by movies that I always fell back on when I wasn't sure what I wanted to watch. I pulled it out of its spot on the shelf and held it out so he could see it.

"Fast and Furious, excellent choice." He said nodding in approval.

"Hot cars, you can't go wrong there." I said as I slid the disc into the DVD player. I grabbed the remotes and lay down on the couch, curling my body up against his. I closed my eyes and smiled happily as he wrapped his arm around me and slid his hand under the hem of my shirt, his fingers hot on my skin. The pull in my chest quieted from the persistent angry snarl to a content and happy purr and I felt more at ease than I had in months.

~Jacob~

Jacob didn't have words to explain how he was feeling at that very moment. With Charli curled up beside him he had a hard time believing he ever thought she was a danger to the pack. A wave of guilt swept over him as he remembered how he acted towards her in the previous months. She should never have forgiven him, but for some reason beyond his comprehension, she had.

He wondered how Sam was taking the news that he was back in town and with Charli. He hoped that Seth was doing a good job of explaining what had happened and the circumstances surrounding the decision Jacob had made. He knew that no matter how angry the rest of the wolves would be with him, he was not going back now – he couldn't. He didn't care if he hadn't officially imprinted on Charli, the connection he had with her was just as strong if not stronger. He actually felt physical pain when he was not near her and he had never heard of any of the other wolves experiencing something like that. How could they expect him to turn his back on something that was out of his control?

He looked down at Charli and could tell by her breathing that she had fallen asleep. He gently stroked her long hair and marveled at how it felt like velvet against his skin. Her warm body pressed against his sent the butterflies in his stomach into a frenzy. He leaned his head back against the sofa and closed his eyes. For the first time in months he felt content.

His peaceful moment was short lived because seconds after he closed his eyes a loud banging on the front door caused both he and Charli to jump in alarm. Jacob held his arm around her protectively and they both sat silently, listening.

"Who could-" Charli started to ask but he held his finger up to her lips to quiet her.

Again someone banged against the door.

"Jake, dude it is Seth. Open up for a sec."

Both Charli and Jacob looked at each other and smiled, relief obvious in their expressions. Jacob stood up and walked into the kitchen leaving Charli on the sofa. He unlocked and opened the door and started laughing.

A soaking wet, half-naked Seth stood on the door step looking like a drowned rat.

Jacob took a step back and waved Seth inside.

"Wow, it's still raining." Jacob commented still chuckling.

"You are such a douche." Seth growled shoving Jacob into the door as he stepped into the kitchen.

"Oh Seth! Here let me get you some towels and some dry pants." Charli exclaimed as she rounded the corner into the kitchen. She turned and disappeared into her father's room and re-emerged with a bath towel and another pair of athletic pants

"Thanks." Seth said gratefully taking first the towel and then the pants from her arms. "You guys cool if I change before I fill you in?"

Jacob nodded. "Yeah, we'll be in the living room."

Seth nodded and excused himself to the bathroom and changed quickly. He sauntered into the living room and collapsed into the recliner across from the sofa.

"How did it go?" Jacob asked finally unable to wait any longer.

"Well, it was fine. Sam is Sam you know?" Seth said throwing his hands in the air in exasperation. "He's pissed obviously, but I think he understands that nothing is going to change."

"You think he understands?" Jacob's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Emily was there and thank goodness she is on your side because otherwise Sam would probably be here instead of me."

"Who is Sam?" Charli asked, confused.

"He is the Alpha of the other pack. He was the first of us to change, the first of us to imprint, and the first Alpha." Seth explained quickly.

"Alpha?"

"Yeah, each pack has an Alpha, or a leader. In the past it was always the chief, but since Sam was the first he kind of fell into the position because of seniority. Technically Jacob is the direct descendant of the last chief so he is the true Alpha. That was why the packs split. Jacob and Sam disagreed on something major and Jacob stepped up and claimed his right as the true Alpha. Whenever new boys phase they have to make a choice whether to stay with Sam or break off to join Jacob."

Jacob studied Charli's face looking for any sign of fear or skepticism. He saw neither and as she turned to him he was surprised to see respect in her expression.

"That takes a lot to stand up for something you believe in." She said quietly and he was sure she wasn't just talking about his split from Sam's pack.

"Yeah it does." Seth said also picking up on the meaning of Charli's words.

"So what exactly did he say?" Jacob asked turning back to Seth.

"Well after a lot of cursing and yelling and a kick ass lecture from Emily about true love and acceptance, he said he wants you and Charli to come to their house tomorrow for dinner."

"Well. . . it could be worse right?" Jacob laughed humorlessly and leaned back into the sofa.

Seth nodded emphatically. "He could have disowned you, which would have sucked."

"Yeah. That would have sucked." Jacob agreed thoughtfully. He turned to Charli. "You up for dinner tomorrow?"

"At this point it is probably the least that I could do." She smiled reassuringly at him.

"You know, you are seriously taking this vampire-werewolf thing like a champ. It is really impressive." Seth said watching Charli with amazement. "Do you have a sister?"

She laughed. "No, I don't sorry Seth. And really how could I not take this like a champ? I mean sure it's a little weird, but then again I really don't have room to talk. I can feel what you are thinking, and see your emotions. Now who is the weird one?"

"True that." Seth laughed. With a groan he pulled himself to his feet. "Alright, I better get home before my mom freaks out. I guess I'll see you at Sam's tomorrow."

"You're going to be there?" Charli sounded surprised.

"Are you kidding me? I wouldn't miss this for the world!" Seth exclaimed raising and lowering his eyebrows. "Thanks for the pants Charli – Jake, my mom told me to tell you to behave yourself or she will never make dad's fish fry for you again."

Jacob winced in mock pain. "Sheesh. Those are fighting words."

"Yeah they are. I'll see you two tomorrow."

Charli started to get up to walk Seth to the door but he waved his hand for her to stay seated. "Oh, I got it. You two get some sleep."

Jacob heard the front door open and close and could imagine Seth phasing as he reached the shadow of the trees behind the house.

"So do I need to be worried about this Sam guy?" Charli asked him, her tone serious. He turned to face her and saw that she was watching him carefully studying his every move. He was almost positive she could feel that he was nervous even thinking about tomorrow's dinner so he didn't think that reassuring her was going to do any good. He decided honesty was the best policy; probably something he was going to have to get used to since she could always tell what he was feeling.

"No use lying to you I guess huh?"

"Nope." She shook her head. "You learn quickly grasshopper."

"Yeah, I'm smart like that. I don't think you necessarily need to be worried. I mean we already have the upper hand since Emily is rooting for us."
"Who is Emily?"

"Sam's wife." Jacob said quietly. He leaned his head back on the cushion and closed his eyes.

"So is she in on the whole vampire-werewolf thing then?" Charli asked. "I mean, I am assuming that she is, but just in case I need to know who I can and can't talk to."

Jacob opened his eyes and sighed deeply. "Yeah, she's in on it. And there is probably something you should know before you meet her." He sat up and leaned towards Charli. "I don't want to freak you out or anything, but sometimes we have a hard time controlling our tempers, the wolves I mean."

Jacob paused for a moment to search her eyes. He was trying to find the right way to explain to her how being closely associated with a werewolf could potentially be dangerous for her. Part of him wanted her to be afraid. He was terrified that he might hurt her one day unintentionally just because he couldn't control himself. On the other hand he didn't want her to leave him.

"What?" She asked staring back at him her eyes sparkling.

"I don't want to freak you out."

"Seriously? Jacob, if I haven't freaked out yet, chances are good I'm not going to now." He nodded and took a deep breath.

"When Sam first phased he was actually in love with Leah."

"Clearwater?" she asked sounding completely stunned.

"Yep. They started dating in high school and everyone was sure they were going to get married. Then, when Sam phased he unexpectedly imprinted on Leah's cousin Emily."

"I heard you all say that earlier; imprinting. What does that mean exactly?"

"Have you ever heard about a baby duck hatching and attaching itself to whatever it first lays eyes on?"

"Whatever they see first after hatching they assume is their mother, right?"

"Pretty much. Dr. Cullen has been doing a lot of research on the whole phenomenon and how it affects the werewolves and he explains it as a hormonal change in our bodies that happens after we shift that automatically selects the best mate for us. Once one of us imprints it can't be reversed, and we have no say in who we imprint on.

Emily felt badly for Leah in the beginning and tried to convince Sam to stay with her, but there was no reversing the imprint. From the moment he saw her, Sam dedicated his life to Emily no matter how painful it was for him or Leah."

"That is kind of sad."

"It is and it isn't. Sam and Emily's love is so pure and runs so deeply you can't help but understand why he couldn't stay with Leah. Anyway, when we are first newborn werewolves it is very tricky for us to manage our emotions. Everything is changing in our bodies and it is a mentally and emotionally tiring process. It is very easy to set us off and we can sometimes hurt people we are close to."

"You are afraid you are going to hurt me?" She asked, the expression on her face more curious than fearful.

"No, I don't think I ever would I am pretty good at being a wolf. But I don't want you to be startled when you see Emily."

Charli suddenly lifted her hand and held it over her mouth. "Oh no." she whispered.

Jacob nodded sadly. "She and Sam got in an argument and his anger caused him to phase. He didn't know how to control himself in his wolf form and he hurt Emily pretty badly. I just wanted you to know the truth."

Without breaking his gaze, she scooted closer to him and placed her hands on either side of his face. Her fingers felt cool against his warm skin. She leaned down and kissed him so gently her breath felt like a whisper on his lips. She let her hands slide to his shoulders and she moved so that she was sitting on his lap one leg on each side of his body. He slid his hands from her waist and up her back until he felt his fingers tangle themselves into her hair. She pressed her body into his and he nestled his face into her neck, his lips and tongue tracing a path from her ear to her mouth.

When his lips found hers she kissed him eagerly, the slow and easy tenderness gone as she hungrily forced his mouth open. She made a small noise as his tongue found hers and she leaned forward into him. Jacob could feel his head swimming. He didn't feel attached to his body anymore and he found the feeling exhilarating. He allowed himself to let go and surrendered to her completely. For several long moments he felt the pull in his chest disappear completely. They were one person, joined by some supernatural force that neither one of them fully understood.

He broke away from her lips, enjoying the fact that she was panting and unable to catch her breath. He gently tugged at her hair so that her head tilted backwards exposing her neck. He gently kissed from her lips down her neck to her shoulders, loving how the way she arched her back made her breasts strain against the thin fabric of her tank top. He groaned when he saw the rounded tip of brown flesh peeking out over the edge of her top. He wanted to pull the cloth down. He wanted to see her and taste her. His eyes flicked from the tempting bit of exposed flesh to her face and he almost choked when he saw that she was watching him.

"Sorry, I just...ahem..sorry." He smiled shyly not sure what to say.

Without a word Charli silently reached up and slowly slid the straps from her tank top down over her shoulders never breaking eye contact with him. Her expression was confident, almost cocky as she tugged the top down to her waist exposing her breasts. He sucked in a reflexive gasp.

"Charli, you don't- you don't have to...its fine..." Jacob stumbled over his words awkwardly his breath coming in a rush. "Fuck me you are beautiful."

Charli just smiled slyly and gently guided his hand to her body. She closed her eyes and sighed as his fingertips tentatively grazed her hardened nipple. With a burst of bravery and hormones he leaned forward and gently licked the hardened peak, watching her face carefully, hoping he wasn't taking anything too far. Charli sucked in her bottom lip and wound her hands into his hair pulling his face to her chest. He kissed every exposed inch of her using his tongue and his lips to tease first her left nipple, then her right, each movement causing a new sound of pleasure to escape her lips.

He suddenly felt very aware of her hands in his hair, her hips pressed against his and his erection throbbing painfully against her thigh. He felt like a runaway train that was slowly gaining momentum and soon would be impossible to stop.

"Charli." He panted, trying to catch his breath. "Charli, we have to stop or we aren't going to."

She made a noise that sounded like a whimper and collapsed against him resting her head on his shoulder, her body draped over his. He gently rubbed his hand s up and down her back.

"Fish fry means that much to you?" She asked finally, a twinge of sarcasm in her tone. Jacob kissed her forehead.

"No, absolutely not. You mean that much to me."

She laughed softly. "What, not a sex on the first date kind of guy?"

"I'm really not sure what kind of guy I am." He answered truthfully. "And I wouldn't know about sex on the first date. Or at all if you want to get really technical."

She sighed and he thought it sounded like relief.

"What about you?" He asked trying to feel her out.

"Are you kidding me? I was the freaky psychic girl who no boy would ever look at long enough to even consider having sex with me." She whispered.

He didn't get it. She was quite possibly the hottest girl he had ever laid eyes on and he knew he wasn't the only hormonal teenager in school to notice her. He saw the way the other guys watched her ass and how they talked about her when they thought no one was listening. Her confidence and unintentional sexuality would bring any man to his knees. He had a hard time believing she had never had a boyfriend before.

"I'm pretty sure they were looking." He said skeptically.

"Maybe. I tried not to pay attention. Unwanted lust from every hormone charged asshole that passes you is something you learn to block out."

"Well, I think you are the sexiest, most beautiful freaky psychic girl I've ever met."

She bit his shoulder playfully. "And you are the hottest half dog half human guy I've ever met."

"Yeah I totally am."

Charli laughed and shifted her body sideways so that she was laying in his arms. She was still topless and her warm flesh on his flesh was the most incredible feeling he could ever imagine. He gently ran his fingertip over her shoulder and down her arm and back up alongside her breast unable to keep his hands off her for even a few seconds.

"So what would happen if you imprinted on another girl?" She asked him and he could tell she was trying to sound unconcerned and casual.

"I'm not sure I would imprint on another girl honestly. This connection that we have is stronger in some aspects than imprinting."

"But it's like Rosalie said, there is a possibility that one day you could find someone who is your perfect physical match and you would imprint on her. Where would that leave me?"

The thought of imprinting on another girl make Jacob feel physically ill. He knew that there might be a possibility but he couldn't imagine, even for a second, being with someone other than Charli. She was more than just his physical match, she was spiritually and mentally bonded to him somehow, how could he imprint on top of having that kind of connection?

"I would never leave you." He said firmly.

"You don't know that."

"Charli, I would rather die than leave you."

"Now that is a little melodramatic don't you think?" she asked and he could picture the annoyed expression on her face.

"I guess it might sound like that. But I'm being serious. Just the thought of being with someone other than you hurts me like someone his trying to rip my heart out with a pair of rusty pliers."

She didn't answer and instead snuggled closer to him.

"You are not going to fit on my bed or on this couch." She mumbled into his chest.

"What?"

"I'm just trying to figure out where we are going to sleep. There is just so much of you, and not enough bed or sofa space."

"Where we are going to sleep?" he repeated not sure if he'd heard her correctly.

"If you aren't cool with that I can just sleep in my room – "

"No, that's, ah – that's great actually."

She smiled and slowly started to stand. As she raised herself up off of the couch she placed a hand on each of his shoulders and purposely leaned in close letting her body rub slowly against his raising up and up until her right nipple was hovering just over his lips.

"You are not being very nice right now." Jacob whispered gently feeling his resolve beginning to crumble.

"I know."

"You like doing this to me don't you?" He leaned forward and drew her nipple into his mouth flicking his tongue over the hardened bud until she groaned.

"Maybe a little." She said throatily her breathing rapid and shallow.

Jacob smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her towards him. She knotted her fingers in his hair and he pressed his lips to her exposed stomach and then moved down to kiss the perfect curvy dip at her hipbone.

"Ok, unhand me sir. I really think I need to go get us a bed." She pulled away from him and he watched as she headed towards her room. He couldn't help but frown as she pulled her tank top back over her shoulders. Seconds later she re-entered the room dragging along with her a comforter and several extra blankets and pillows.

"If we can't find a bed big enough, we will make one." She declared as she dumped the pile in the middle of the living room floor.

"Excellent." He said as he stood up to help her.

When they had made a comfortable enough bed they both collapsed onto the pillows with exhausted sighs. Jacob wrapped his arms around her tightly and pulled her body into his, the angry pull in his chest satisfied and quiet.

"That feels so good." Charli mumbled sleepily.

"Mmhmmm." Jacob hummed in her ear.

Within seconds they were both asleep still clutching onto one another tightly.