A/N: Not beta-ed, edited by myself only once. I just really wanted to give y'all the gift of a new chapter. I appreciate the continued support so much, you don't even know.
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What do people wear to bonfires anyways? Bella asked herself as she studied her outfit in her bedroom mirror. She hadn't had much time to prepare, having only just received a text message invite from Jake the night previous.
A thicker pair of leggings, a long-sleeved undershirt and an open emerald colored flannel topped with her coat and a pair of combat boots seemed fitting enough for a chilly-weather excursion in the Pacific Northwest.
Good to go.
The sound of a horn came from outside and a quick peek revealed an excited looking Angela and Jessica in the front seat of Jessica's car. Bella grinned and dashed down the stairs, stopping long enough to grab her keys and a grocery sack filled with chocolate, graham crackers, and marshmallows.
Bella locked up the house behind her and ran for the car, ducking her face from the rain.
"Are you sure it's going to give up by the time we hit La Push?" Bella asked Jessica skeptically as she got into the car.
"Like I said when you called, it should be clear. The rain clouds are moving off finally, but Forks is catching the outer edge of it," Jessica answered reassuringly.
"Trust us, this is very normal as spring comes," Angela explained. "There are even times where it will be sunny and drizzling a bit."
"Sounds gross," Bella remarked with a small laugh.
"I call those 'golden showers'," Jessica cut in as she pulled out of Bella's driveway.
"Oh, my god, Jess," Angela sighed with a grin. She turned her attention back to Bella before continuing, "Also, it gets a little humid as it gets warmer."
"Like the Devil's ballsack," Jessica confirmed, causing her friends to erupt into a fit of laughter.
"Where do you even think of these things?" Bella asked around a snort.
"Who knows," her friend answered with a smile. "I just say things."
Angela turned to face to the backseat as the car made its way towards the highway. Directing the conversation to Bella, she said, "We really have to thank Jake for inviting us back out so soon. My mom was driving me crazy and she felt better with me going to the beach than a trip to Port Angeles."
"It isn't the same, but it will be fun," Jessica amended, sounding somewhat put out. "I mean, I'm really excited, especially for s'mores, but I wanted to get some clothes."
With her recent growth spurts, Bella could sympathize with the girl. "We'll go another time, for sure," she promised. "And we should definitely ask Rosalie to come with."
"Yeah!" Angela exclaimed in agreement. "We have to go soon; I need new running shoes. Busted through another pair yesterday," she lamented with a groan.
"Maybe order some online for now, Ang?" Jessica offered. "I mean, shipping time will suck, but you know your brand and size so you'll know they fit. Better than waiting another week or two or three."
"That's true," Angela answered thoughtfully. "Worth it since I don't know when we could go otherwise, unless I go with my mom. Which, you know–, I'd rather not."
Jessica giggled, then. "Oh, the horrors of shopping with Mrs. Weber."
"Bad?" Bella asked curiously as they neared a clearing in the trees, revealing a glowing disk, obscured and silvered from the cloud cover: the sun.
"She's just a little–," Jessica started then trailed off. "Pushy?"
"Definitely pushy," Angela confirmed sullenly. "Not physically," she clarified, "but pushes clothing suggestions on me, and tends to buy things I'll never wear."
"Yikes," Bella remarked with a frown. "I can see why you'd want to go with friends instead."
"Especially since you can't go alone anymore," Jessica commented with a grimace.
"That's for sure," Bella muttered darkly.
Jessica and Angela exchanged a quick look with one another.
"On that note," Angela began slowly.
"Has your dad mentioned if they're any closer to knowing what's going on?" Jessica interjected, unable to contain herself.
"I realize he may not even talk about work at home, but it's just so scary," Angela tacked on.
"And we wouldn't say anything to anyone," Jessica reassured the shifter.
Bella looked down at her lap, thinking back and comparing what the newspapers had said with what Charlie talked about at home.
Angela's voice slipped up an octave, clearly anxious they had offended Bella, "You don't have to–."
"No, it's okay," Bella spoke slowly. "I'm trying to recall what is public knowledge and what isn't."
Bella's friends fell silent, waiting for her proceed.
"Well, it isn't going to make you feel any better," she whispered. "They really don't know much. The force keeps telling reporters that they're working on it, and they are, but there are just so few leads."
Jessica swallowed, clearly nervous by the information.
"All of the girls had little to no family, and seemingly no friends. There were a few that were known semi-locally but weren't from the area and hadn't made many connections outside of trips to the grocery store, gas stations, and bars. They were likely chosen for that reason."
"Well, I feel a little less upset that we couldn't go to Port Angeles," Angela spoke softly.
"Agreed," Jessica chipped in with a frown.
The car lapsed into silence as each of the girls considered the dangers that had always seemed like distant incidents; things that were only ever talked about on the television and didn't really happen, not in their little corner of the world.
"Well," Jessica broke the silence nervously, "nothing like a cheerful conversation before a party, huh?"
"Fun times," Bella confirmed sarcastically with a smile, grateful for her friend's ability to lighten the mood.
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
By the time the group had arrived at the beach, their spirits had lightened somewhat considerably, thanks to a radiant, golden sun that was gracing the land and sea with its presence.
"It's beautiful," Bella spoke aloud to no one in particular.
"Isn't it though?" Jake asked with a chuckle from behind her.
"Hey Jake!" Bella called out and launched herself forward for a hug automatically.
Her friend hugged her back and stepped away to introduce a tall, dark haired girl standing next to him, around Bella's age, if she had to guess. The look on her face appeared to be frozen, gauging the level of familiarity between Bella and her boyfriend.
"This is Leah Clearwater, my girlfriend."
"Hey!" Bella greeted the stranger with as much enthusiasm as she had her friend, and leaned in to hug Leah as well.
Don't want to cause problems where there aren't any.
"I think your mom knows my dad," Bella continued as she pulled away.
"That's right," Leah answered with a slow smile.
What the fuck. They smell like–
"I'm Jess!" Bella's bouncy friend chipped in from her side, startling the shifter with her presence. "And that's Ang," she continued with a wave behind her.
"Hey," Angela called from near Jessica's trunk, hands busy with packs of soda.
"Let me help," Jake suggested quickly as he watched the girl's struggle.
"Thank you so much!" Angela answered as the two made their way to the fire pit to set up.
"So, how long have you and Jake been together?" Jessica asked curiously, unable to keep her need to know absolutely everything reigned in.
"A bit over a year," Leah answered, shooting a warm smile in the direction of her boyfriend.
"Wow! Congrats," Jessica replied with genuine happiness. "That's a while."
"It is," Leah said with a grin. "What about you? Anyone in your life?"
"Well, yes–," Jessica began, unsure how to proceed. "Not many people know, is all."
"An older man?" Leah asked with a devious smile and a wink.
"Oh, God, nothing like that," Jessica laughed nervously.
No, Leah, that would be my boyfriend.
"I see," Leah responded in a tone that indicated she didn't see at all but was willing to let it go.
"And you, Bella?"
"I'm seeing someone," Bella answered, unable to keep a warm smile of her own from spreading across her face.
"Well, it looks like we're all set," Jake said as he neared the cluster of girls, freeing them all from what could become easily become an awkward conversation if any other probing questions were asked.
That smell again…
Wolf.
Bella swallowed down a surge of fear that clutched at her throat as she realized where the scent was coming from.
"Come on, guys!" Angela called from near an already burning fire. "Running out of seats!"
Angela wasn't exaggerating, as, during that time, at least seven other boys had gathered in the yard, spreading out on the large logs surrounding the fire.
Bella had tried to calm her frazzled nerves but as the afternoon turned to evening, and the scent of wolf wafted into her sensitive nose with each movement the Quileute's made, the shifter's anxiety slowly morphed into excitement.
Maybe they know something about what I am!
Her body did not relax, however, something her Quileute companions had most definitely noticed.
Okay. Okay. Yes, you're excited to know there are people like you, but also, yes, you are outnumbered and maybe that's a little terrifying. But, they don't know why you're nervous. They don't know it's because you know they're…whatever they are.
Wolves, Bella's instincts corrected her.
Not that that helps. What can I do about it?
Bella let out a sigh and snapped back to the conversation, only to see Angela and Jessica standing up.
"What's going on?"
"Weren't you listening?" Jessica asked with a chuckle. "That was the last of your marshmallows but I think I have some back-up bags, just in case. We're going to go look and grab some of my camping chairs."
Bella looked around the campfire and realized two more faces had joined their group.
Well, this should be fun.
"Looks like we could use them!" Bella agreed quickly with a giant grin.
A tense silence filled the space as the two human girls left the presence of what Bella realized were all some form of supernatural beings. One of the newcomers, Embry, watched as the girls walked away, his eyes wide.
What the hell?
"So," Jake started slowly.
"So," Bella answered with growing suspense, her foot tapping a stone under her shoe rhythmically with physical agitation.
The verbal standoff was interrupted by a muffled squeal of "Help me!"
It was immediately followed by an exasperated sigh from Angela, and silence from the group surrounding the fire.
"How did you manage to get stuck in your trunk, Jess?"
"I don't know, it's dark!" Jessica defended herself. "I climbed up and was digging around and I'm caught."
The girls began sifting through the contents of the car's trunk and worked to free Jessica.
Jacob and his friends were working to hide their smirks of amusement. Despite his efforts, the youngest boy, Seth burst into a fit of giggles before being kicked by one of the older boys, Quil, if Bella remembered correctly.
Guess it's my turn.
"My, my, granny," Bella murmured lowly. "What excellent hearing, and wolfish grin you have."
All movement from the Quileutes ceased immediately aside from eyes flicking to Jacob.
The leader?
Alpha.
Bella internally rolled her eyes at her shifter instincts correcting her.
Jacob slowly turned to face his old friend and narrowed his eyes at Bella, weighing his next move.
"Interesting you should notice. I'm not entirely sure what we would call yours," he finally spoke.
Bella grinned deviously. "Oh, I have all kinds."
The two held eye contact, neither willing to break first, gauging the other's ability to stand ground.
They were interrupted, however, by the arrival of Jessica, who, with an undignified huff, plopped herself on the ground near the fire and tore into a bag of marshmallows.
Angela followed more quietly and began setting up the chairs for the recent arrivals. The boy that had been staring at her quickly jumped up to help her and took a seat next to the shy girl. Somehow, within seconds, the two began talking animatedly about biomedical engineering, much to Bella's surprise.
Jess rolled her eyes at her girlfriend geeking out and relaxed against the log at her back, clearly enjoying the evening.
Despite Jessica's sensitive perception, both girls seemed entirely oblivious to the scene they had walked in on.
Bella grinned silently to herself and mouthed the word "later" to Jacob, who simply nodded in acknowledgement.
"So, what," Seth asked, laughter still written on his face. "You just keep marshmallows in your car?"
Jessica burst into a fit of embarrassed giggles and launched into the story of how she came to have emergency stores of candy in almost every conceivable nook and cranny she came across.
Bella felt the multiple vibrations of a text coming from her back pocket, followed by what felt like about five more.
"Signal out here," Jacob explained, catching Bella's confusion. "It isn't always great, so you get slammed with everything you missed when they finally do come in."
Bella nodded and stood to walk away from to group for some privacy. She flipped open her phone and scrolled to read from the oldest:
There was another incident today. Stay down at the beach until I call Billy.
Dad
Bella's body tensed involuntarily as she pressed the back key to continue checking her messages:
Esme overheard a call your father received, and it seems another girl has gone missing. Em and Rose are going to see if they catch a whiff of our visitors, or if it's completely unrelated.
J
The shifter nodded her head absentmindedly, agreeing with the decision to investigate.
It doesn't feel unrelated, her instincts hinted quietly. It feels intentional.
Connected, the animal agreed quickly.
But to what?
Bella checked the final message from her father:
I need to catch some FBI liaisons up to speed. I'll be home late, but you should be safe tonight. I dispatched a few officers to patrol Forks, including our neighborhood.
Dad
The sound of crunching gravel came from near the fire and in a moment, Jacob was standing next to her.
"Everything alright?"
Bella looked from her phone, and back up to the face of her friend, then down again. Coming to a decision, she pulled up her father's text and flashed her screen towards her friend.
Jacob's forehead furrowed immediately as a frown overtook his face. "That makes how many? Ten?"
"Thirteen," Bella answered flatly, unable to comprehend how much the Olympic Peninsula had changed since she was a kid.
"We've been looking into it," Jacob spoke slowly, giving Bella a moment to figure out what he meant. "We haven't caught scent of any trails, though."
Bella couldn't stop the shiver that ran through her body at his words, nearly identical to what Jasper had told her so many weeks ago.
"I'm glad to hear that, considering wolves have been suggested as the cause in the papers. I haven't been to any of the scenes," Bella admitted, "but I'm guessing I wouldn't fare any better."
Jacob heaved a heavy sigh and rubbed his face. "The wolf scare was my fault. We thought Seth might be like us, but he's still so young–, we didn't think it would happen so soon and he happened to be out hiking when it did. Scared a lot of people. Scared himself."
"Poor Seth," Bella whispered. "I can't imagine how lost I would have felt had I been alone the first time."
Jacob considered her for a moment. "I think you should speak to one of the elder widows, Bella."
She raised one eyebrow in response.
"Her name is Tala; she moved here a long time ago from the Lakota tribe."
"Why do you think I should speak to her?"
Jacob didn't answer right away, and instead looked out to watch the moon dancing along the waves, clearly trying to think of a way to arrange his thoughts.
"When I was really young, my dad always brought me along to meetings with the elders, because one day, I'm going to be on the council," he finally spoke. "Along with Quil, Embry, and Leah, actually," Jacob continued happily.
Bella waited patiently for him to continue and glanced back at the fire where her eyes met Leah's, who was clearly less than thrilled about her boyfriend's discussion with an unknown threat.
"The elders didn't bother censoring themselves since I was just a kid, and at one point, it had been brought up that Tala had broken tribal laws by speaking to your mother, Bella. Obviously, I don't know for sure, but considering you're something, I'm guessing your mother was too?"
Bella couldn't trust her voice to come out as a surge of energy washed over her. She offered only nod in confirmation.
"Well, I should warn you, then: Tala is something too, but not like us," Jacob finished, gesturing to his friends. "She isn't pack," he clarified, "but she's our family."
Bella's mind was racing, sparked by the new hope building inside of her; hope that she wasn't truly alone in this world.
"How can I get into contact with her?" Bella asked frantically, reaching out to grip her friend's arms to hold herself steady.
"Jesus, Bella, lift much?" Jacob flinched under her touch, briefly earning the attention of the entire pack as they assessed if their alpha needed assistance.
"Oh, God, sorry," she mumbled and released her friend quickly before shifting from foot to foot. "I'm just–."
"Yeah, I can see that," Jacob smiled nervously at her.
"Sorry," she mouthed silently to the group around the fire and stopped fidgeting.
"I'll talk to Leah's mom, Sue. She and Tala are pretty tight."
Bella's eyes started watering with relief. "Thank you so much, Jake. You have no idea how much that would mean to me."
"You must feel pretty lonely without a pack," Jacob realized aloud. "You're welcome to run with us sometime."
Bella didn't want to risk outing her vampire family and chose to omit that she hadn't exactly been alone.
"I appreciate the offer, Jake. I'll have to take you all up on that sometime," she paused, her throat clenching once more as she began to process what meeting with Tala could mean. "I just have so many questions," Bella settled on a different key issue. "And with Renee gone, there hasn't been anyone to ask."
Jacob studied her thoughtfully. "Well, I hope you get your answers, Bella."
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
Bella caught sight of Jasper running alongside Jessica's car from within the woods as they neared Forks. She smiled at her mate and prepared to share the good news with him.
"Thanks so much for driving," Bella directed at her friend as Jessica pulled into the empty driveway.
"Of–," Jessica broke into a yawn, "course!"
Uh-oh.
"Are you going to be okay to drive home? It's another 20 minutes, isn't it?"
"I'll be fine," the girl answered unconvincingly fighting another yawn unsuccessfully.
"Why not let me drive, Jess," Angela suggested helpfully. "I know you're probably a little overstimulated and I'm staying anyway, right?"
Jessica thought for a moment. "It was fun, but a lot visually, yes, especially with the fire."
The girls all exited the car so Jessica and Angela could switch places.
"I'm glad we got to do something," Jessica added sleepily as she started to pass Bella on her way to the passenger side. She paused and leaned in to hug her friend. "It means a lot to me to have friends again. Not everyone can deal with what I am; I'm too much a lot of the time."
Bella's heart broke for her friend whose life situation somewhat paralleled her own.
Being different is never easy.
"You are so not too much," Bella whispered, hugging the girl back. "People tend to forget the second half of that sentence, which is: 'for me'. You aren't too much for the right people. Your brain is one of my favorites and anyone that doesn't see how absolutely wonderful you are simply isn't worth your time anyhow."
Jessica pulled away and smiled, tears welling in her eyes. "Thanks for the pep-talk."
"Any time," Bella answered sincerely.
Jessica ambled to the passenger side door and slid inside, fumbling with her buckle. The two girls gave a final wave to their friend and headed for Jessica's.
Bella unlocked her front door as Jasper cleared the edge of the woods and flitted to her side.
She turned to face her mate, burning to share the news, and more than ready to spend time together after a long day apart. The look of disgust on Jasper's face, however, quelled to urge to gush her excitement.
"What?" Bella asked quickly, startled by his response.
"Well, darlin'," Jasper answered with a lopsided grin, "I hate to be the one to break it to you, but you absolutely reek of dog."
"Oh, duh, the wolves."
Jasper's eyebrows went up quickly. "So, the stories were–."
"True so far as I can tell," Bella answered quickly and looked around. "We should probably speak inside, though. Charlie dispatched a few patrols and it would raise questions if we were just standing around."
"Agreed," Jasper said quickly.
"Why don't you make yourself comfortable while I shower?" Bella asked while she opened the front door and led them through.
A sultry smile spread across his face. "Now, why do that, darlin'," Jasper spoke lowly and leaned in, "when we could make each other comfortable while we shower?" His cool breath tickled the flesh of her neck and ignited her desire.
"How could I refuse an offer like that?" Bella teased as she locked the door behind them.
"You could try," Jasper countered as he began to pull away.
"Ah but you could pull rank, so really, my hands are tied," Bella concluded
"Only if you want them to be," Jasper whispered as he pulled her body closer to his own, seeking her lips.
Bella leaned into the kiss, and, feeling the fire build, gave her mate's shirt a gentle tug to lead him up the stairs with her.
Jasper followed her at a human pace, noticably hardening under his jeans with each step up the stairs. His lips never left hers, and a low rumbling growl escaped him as the urge to clean and scent his mate overtook all other needs.
They finally reached the bathroom, where Jasper closed and locked the door behind them while Bella started running water for their shower.
Grabbing Bella by her flannel, he pulled her close and undid each button, taking care to draw out the moment. By the time Jasper reached to remove her undershirt, steam had begun to spread in the small space and swirled the smell around her. Bella's need to be saturated by scent of her mate was nearly unbearable by the time he knelt to slide her leggings and panties down her curving hips.
He stood slowly, trailing kisses up the inside of her thigh and smattering them along her stomach until he reached her bra and promptly removed it.
Hands shaking with the effort to not rip his clothing right off, Bella moved to raise the hem of his shirt up and over his head. Jasper wound his arms around her as she reached the button of his jeans, sliding his cool palms up and down the smooth skin of her back, causing the girl the gasp.
Trembling with need, she slid down his pants and boxers, allowing his shaft to spring free and press against her abdomen.
Bella reached down to encircle him, sliding the palm of her hand up and down teasingly before gently pulling Jasper by his manhood with her into the shower and closed the curtain behind them.
Jasper reached for the shampoo and began cleaning his mate; something he clearly enjoyed. They took turns lathering one another with the body wash, working to remove the scent of wolf from Bella's body while he rubbed against her, replacing the smell with his own.
Bella finally rinsed the last of the conditioner from her hair, satisfied that she had been thoroughly cleansed. Meeting her mate's eyes, darkened with his desire, she placed her lips on his and slowly gripped him with more force than she had before, eliciting a groan of longing.
Bella took her time to tease his mouth with her tongue, biting his lower lip as she pulled away. Excitement wound tightly within her as she continued to stroke him until she finally broke the kiss. She nervously slid down to her knees, never taking her eyes from his.
She kissed the tip of his member and slowly slid it into her hot, wet mouth.
"Fuck," Jasper hissed and touched the wall of the shower to brace himself as a violent shiver ran through his body.
Encouraged that she was doing it correctly, Bella slid her head forward, sucking along his cool length. She pulled away and swirled her tongue around tip before plunging Jasper's hard shaft more deeply inside of her mouth.
Jasper wound his hands into her wet hair and began to guide her head to increase the pace as Bella found her rhythm. She happily allowed him to take control, earning a growl of approval from her mate. Her center ached for what her mouth was receiving, and a moan managed to escape her from around his cock.
Watching her take him began to undo Jasper. "I'm going to come," he groaned out, gripping Bella's hair more tightly.
Her desire trickled down her thighs and Bella tightened the grip her lips had on his cock. The scent of her arousal pushed him over the edge and Jasper spurted his cool seed into her eager mouth. Bella continued sliding his length in and out, allowing some of his cum to dribble from her lips.
"You are fucking incredible," Jasper whispered as he finally slowed her movements with his hands.
Bella's eyes closed briefly with satisfaction before carefully cleaning all traces of cum from his cock with her mouth and tongue. Making eye contact with her mate, she took a finger to wipe where he had leaked from her lips and slid it into her mouth, not wanting a waste a single drop of his sweet nectar.
Their timing was perfect, as the sound of Charlie's cruiser rumbling down the street filled their ears.
"Wait for me in my room?" Bella asked quietly.
"I'd wait anywhere for you," Jasper whispered back before grasping both sides of her face and guiding her to a stand. He kissed her deeply, thrilled to have the taste of him inside of her before he took his leave at vampire speed, grabbing a dry towel from the bathroom closet as he went.
Bella sighed happily and flicked on the bathroom fan as she reached for her own towel and heard a low click of the front door shutting, followed by a deep, weary sigh. She set to brushing her teeth and applied her moisturizer to alert Charlie that she had just taken a shower and was readying for bed.
Hearing her father enter his bedroom and close the door, Bella made for her own and shut it behind her. The sight that awaited her was a very relaxed mate sprawled out her bed, hands laced behind his head.
"You look pleased," Bella offered with a wink.
"Oh, I am, darlin'," Jasper answered with a lazy drawl. "And waiting to return the favor."
A yawn broke free from Bella's mouth, effectively squashing the idea.
"Or sleep," Jasper chuckled lightly.
"At this point, sleep is most likely equally enjoyable." Bella quickly changed into a pair of pajama pants and tee before joining Jasper, who had extended one arm to invite her close. She grinned at the offer and dove under the covers to press her heated body closely to his.
"I love you," he whispered quietly before kissing her gently, cherishing her softness.
Bella knew Jasper had revealed a side of himself to her that few, if any, had ever seen. Still, she had a hard time imaging how anyone could think her mate was anything other than amazing.
"I love you too," she sighed happily before working to stifle a yawn.
"Sleep," Jasper directed as he rearranged her pillows to support her head against his marble arm. "We can talk tomorrow."
"Are you ordering me around, Sir?" Bella managed to ask cheekily.
"Only when you want to be."
Bella hadn't given much thought to what she knew was considered power-play, thanks to porn, but her lust spiked, indicating she very much did wish to be ordered, at least some of the time.
"Good," she whispered before drifting off to sleep.
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
Jasper stared at the text he received while he and Bella had been occupied.
Howdy, Major.
Sounds like y'all have a problem on your hands. We're wrapping up a little situation of our own but will be there within two weeks. Will keep you posted.
Peter
Jasper set his phone down and rubbed his forehead in thought. He couldn't stop the sigh that escaped and checked to make sure he hadn't woken Bella, who was still sleeping in the crook of his arm.
Well, at least two of my friends took it seriously, Jasper thought with a small amount of relief.
He studied Bella's sleeping form and felt a sudden anxiety clench in his chest at the thought of his human-drinking friends meeting her.
It will be closer to the new moon, and she won't be able to shift if she needs to protect herself.
Jasper shivered involuntarily and clutched his mate more tightly to his side. He was unable to imagine a life without Bella in it, now that he knew this kind of love existed for him.
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \