Alex whirled around, eyes going wide as she searched the trees for what could have disturbed the sense of peace she'd found. She half-expected to come face to face with the blood-sucker that had been terrorizing them, and her heart leapt into her throat as there was movement in the trees opposite her.
Then Jacob stepped into view, and Alex gasped, the scream that had been building in her throat dying abruptly.
"Alex – what's wrong?" He asked, frowning at her.
Alex made an embarrassing gurgling sound. "You just scared the shit out of me! That's what's wrong!" she shook her fist at him, as if momentarily possessed by the spirit of a 90-year-old man.
Jacob's frown deepened. "That's not what- you were… distressed." He said, a little uneasily. Alex squinted at him, confused. "I thought you, um, needed me, or something."
Alex did not think she had been part of a more uncomfortable conversation. "Um. What?"
Jacob sighed, and tapped his chest. "I could feel you, like you were – I mean – ah, never mind." He dropped his hand, brow creasing momentarily. "You're clearly fine, I'm sorry I – I mean, you are fine, right?"
Alex blinked at him. "Ummm… yes. I am?" it came out as a question, and she realised that no – she probably hadn't been 100% okay before Jacob had arrived. She had been lonely, lonely enough to alert Jacob – and she wasn't sure how that made her feel. Because now she felt- well, she felt fine. Honestly, she felt a little touched – because he hadn't needed to come check up on her, but he had anyway. "I'm good." She said honestly, trying not to smile too much like a maniac, as the heat in her chest seemed to multiply and expand with warmth through her body. God, she was such a freak. It wasn't as though he'd proposed or something, he'd just come to check up on her – and now she thought about it – he had probably been on his way to see Bella anyway.
"Is Bella here?" Jacob asked, on cue. Alex felt her smile fade a little.
"Yeah, she and Emily are doing something. Probably in the garden." She said, jerking her head in the right direction, and turning to leave. "I'll catch you later."
Jacob took a hurried step towards her, and she jumped at his sudden approach. "Whoa, wait! I wasn't- I mean, it's good she's with Emily. I won't disturb her." Jacob looked pleased with something, and Alex narrowed her eyes at him. Jacob was the master of smug, and his expression only triggered alarm bells.
"Why not? Don't you want to hang out with your girlfriend?" Alex asked a little snidely.
Jacob coloured, cheeks darkening under his tan, "Hah – very funny." He said, but didn't deny the accusation, and Alex felt that odd wave of nausea again. "No that's not it. I do – but I think it's good she's hanging out with Emily. She needs girl-friends, and I'm just happy that the Pack's accepting her." Jacob said, smiling broadly. Alex resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow, as Jacob grew serious. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about too. I just wanted to say I really appreciated you making an effort with Bella the other day, I'm sure it meant heaps to her as well, an it would be cool if you could… y'know…" he looked hopeful, puppy-dog eyes in full effect.
"Are you asking me to hang out with Bella?" Alex deadpanned, ignoring his flutter of his eyelashes. "What are you, her mother?"
Jacob sighed. "No, I just… I worry about her. I hate leaving her alone, without anyone." He sounded disappointed, and Alex ground her teeth. "She's shy, Alex, but I promise you she's so loyal, and kind, and funny," Alex held back a laugh, "And I just know the pair of you would get on well if you tried." He hung his head, and through their damned connection, Alex could sense his pining – so intense that it made her mouth dry up. He cared about Bella, more than – well, more than anything else, it seemed.
Love. He loved her.
A little voice whispered in her ear, and she twitched, physically recoiling from the idea. "Fine." She heard herself say, unable to stand his defeated expression and his nameless longing. "Yes, I'll be Bella's friend. I'm sorry if-" she swallowed, "If I've been…mean to her, or something."
Jacob lit up. His smile was sunshine, and his eyes sparkled enough to put the stars out of their shine, and Alex had to look away as her chest swelled with his excitement, tamping down on her own emotional confusion. She wasn't jealous.
"Thanks, Alex, seriously – you're the best." He reached for her, and Alex only had a second to register sheer alarm before his arms were around her and she was squashed against his chest.
It was as if she had been set on fire.
She felt like she was burning; everywhere they touched alight in nameless desire that made her toes curl in her sneakers and she had to bite down on her tongue to stop herself from making a noise. She ached to be so close, but to be so far. She wanted him to hold her tighter, to press herself wholly against him, to feel his skin against hers, she wanted-
It was Alex that broke the embrace, struggling against his grip, shoving at his chest as she gasped for air, suddenly feeling lightheaded as she stumbled back from him. She wasn't the only one effected; Jacob was panting too, eyes wide and fists clenched at his side. "What was that?" he asked breathlessly, a little suspiciously.
Her heart was beating a frantic rhythm in her chest, and she pressed a hand to her sternum. "Nothing." She bit out, willing the feeling to go away. If Jacob could beat his wolf into submission, then she could beat this emotion. Jacob was still looking at her accusingly and she clung to the anger it made her feel, forcing herself to smile. "Sorry. It's nothing. Sorry." She pressed harder against her chest, until it hurt, until her heart rate began to slow. "Sorry." She said again, and watched as he visibly calmed.
"You're such a weirdo." He said, almost fondly, and Alex's throat tightened. "Anyway, thanks again. I'm gonna go see Bella. Make sure you stay near the house." He waved, a cursory goodbye, and jogged out of sight. Alex counted to thirty before she let herself relax.
She should have just gone to the beach, but she wasn't ready to see Bella and Jacob there, walking together as they often did. So, instead, she followed the path that Jacob had taken, walking as slow as she could. Thankfully, when she reached the waist high wicker gate, and the garden beyond, there was only one figure pottering around the flowerbeds.
Emily straightened as Alex made her way towards her. She had her basket cradled protectively in the crook of her elbows, already overflowing with carrots and tomatoes, and she was inspecting the zucchinis on the vine with seriousness. It was the gentle smile that bloomed across her face that did Alex in.
The tears that had been building in her eyes fell heavily, and she only managed a single shuddering breath before she began to cry in earnest.
Emily gasped, the basket falling to the ground as she lurched towards Alex, as if Alex might break if she didn't get to her in time. Alex thought she might. She sobbed into Emily's shoulder as the shorter woman wrapped her in a tight embrace. "Oh, baby-bird, what's happened?" Emily cooed into her ear, bringing a hand up to smooth Alex's hair.
"It sucks." Alex managed, sucking in harsh breaths of air, and trying to get herself under control.
"What does, Alex? Tell me, baby…" Emily let her go to touch her face instead, holding her cheeks gently, and forcing Alex to make eye contact. "I want to make it better." She looked so worried, so genuinely distressed by Alex's emotion that Alex just cried harder, sobbing like she was a child again. "Alex!"
"S-sorry!" Alex wailed, and tried to stop crying. "It's just…" she sniffed, wetly, making Emily wrinkle her nose, "it's harder than I thought it would be." She coughed and rubbed at her eyes. Emily let her face go, in favour of rubbing her shoulders, waiting patiently for Alex to get herself under control.
When Alex was mostly put-together, a few stubborn droplets still leaking from the corner of her eyes, but no longer wracked with tears, Emily stooped to pick up her abandoned basket. "Come on. I'll make you a hot chocolate and you can tell me what's wrong."
Alex nodded weakly, and let Emily manhandle her all the way back to the house and onto the couch. It was easy, Alex thought, to let Emily take care of her, to give into the mothering she gave. Emily cared so much; Alex wondered how she had anything left for herself. She took a sip of the warm drink Emily had pressed into her hand, and watched the woman put the vegetables in the fridge before she turned to her.
"So," Emily said, almost threateningly. "What happened?"
Now, in the sobering warmth of the house, the heightened emotions she had let overwhelm her just felt stupid, and Alex felt her cheeks grow warm. "it's stupid."
"Maybe it seems stupid now, but it seemed serious to me." Emily frowned, and reached out to tuck some of her fly-away hair behind her ear. Alex shifted uncomfortably at the gesture, self-consciously running her fingers through her tangled and messy hair. Bella's hair was always so pretty…
The throw-away thought just made her scowl, and she dropped her hand. "It's this whole…thing." She said, gesturing wildly with her mug. Some hot chocolate slopped over the side and splashed onto her jeans. Emily just hummed, nodding at her to continue. "It's unfair, and I know it's not right for me to say it, or think it, but I just feel like we shouldn't be putting our lives on the line for something that isn't about us." It came out in an angry rush, louder and far more aggressively than she had intended, but Emily didn't even flinch. "And Jacob doesn't seem to see it, and it's like he's just happy for the excuse to integrate her, like he's just happy she needs him, even though her little bunch of bloodsuckers-" Alex clamped her mouth shut, setting down her mug with a loud crack on the table, as anger rose like a flare of heat within her. She followed Emily's wide-eyed gaze to her shaky hands, and balled them into her hoodie's pocket, forcing a tight smile onto her face.
Emily sat back slightly, face thoughtful. "So, this is about Bella." She tilted her head, eyes narrowing. "Are you jealous of her and Jacob?"
Alex threw her head back and laughed. Emily waited, and Alex stopped abruptly at the serious expression on the elder woman's face. "Wait, what? You're serious?"
"Alex, the Imprint is very serious." Emily bit at her lip, shaking her head. "If Jacob's been neglecting you, I can speak to Sam-"
"No!" Alex yelped, jolting stiffly upright. "Fuck – no, Emily! Do not- he's not neglecting me, Jesus, its not like that." Alex scowled. "You're telling me you're really not bothered about everything?"
Emily sighed, looking to the ceiling briefly, as if praying for patience. "Of course, I'm bothered, it's my fiancée out there."
Alex blanched. "That's not what I meant, Emily. Sorry." She shook her head. "Just- never mind."
Emily waved her off, looking a little pained. "I know, honey." She sighed again. "You need to talk to Jacob if he's making you unhappy."
Unbidden, Jacob's brilliant smile came to mind, and she swallowed thickly. "I think- I mean… I think maybe I'm the one making him unhappy…" she said quietly. "Bella means so much to him, Emily." She met the other woman's gaze, trying to smile. "And I haven't been the nicest to her, and I think it's hurting him."
Emily's eyes widened, and she scooted closer to Alex, and pulled her into her chest. Alex realised too late that tears had been building in her eyes again, and she pressed her face into Emily's sweater to hide them. "Oh, Alex, you mean so much to him too. You guys are best friends." Emily held her tight.
Alex squeezed her eyes shut. They had been best friends, but she wasn't so sure about that anymore. "I miss him." She admitted quietly, hating the way it came out small and wounded. "It's been ruined by this Imprint shit, and I just want him back." Emily didn't speak, but held her tighter, rocking her slowly back and forth and Alex folded in on herself, trying to be smaller, trying to disappear into the embrace.
It was voices in the kitchen that woke her, and at first she thought she'd slept through breakfast, which was enough to rouse her further. A quick glance at the clock, however, told her it was something far more serious.
It was still dark outside, the clock reading a little past four in the morning, and yet Alex could hear people moving around the house, and Sam's deep voice. Alex wriggled her way out of bed, careful not to disturb her sister, who was curled in on herself, frowning in her sleep. She hadn't seen Sam in a few days; he'd been out near constantly, though apparently he stopped in occasionally during the day to eat. The fact that he was here now, though, told her something was going on.
She tip-toed down the hall – though Sam would hear her, she didn't want to disturb Kim – and stuck her head into the living room. Sam turned immediately at her entrance, serious and shirtless, his cut-offs not even buttoned up, clearly ready to go. Emily had stopped speaking, meeting her eyes with a frightened expression and Alex frowned.
"What's going on?" she whispered.
Emily shook her head. "Go back to sleep, Alex."
It was Jacob, appearing from the kitchen, that gave her the answers she wanted. He looked just as serious as Sam, and Alex's heart lurched, and for once it wasn't because of the flame in her chest. "Embry and Jared crossed a fresh trail."
"Jacob." Sam snapped, face like thunder.
Alex's stomach flipped, sudden anxiety making her breath short. "Fuck. Are they-?"
Sam stepped in front of her, severing her eye contact with Jacob. "Alex, you need to keep calm. Paul's with them now, and I'm confident we can end this. They've got her cornered in the mountains." This close, Alex could see the exhaustion on his face. It didn't ease her growing panic at all.
"What if-?"
Sam cut her off again, hands settling on her shoulders, and the weighty sensation of his gaze made her snap her mouth shut. This time, his voice was all Alpha and she shuddered under it. "We will end this. I want you to stay here and look after the others. Can you do that?"
It was just a testament of how much he knew her, that he was giving her something to do, something that would slightly lessen the worry. If she was occupied, then maybe she wouldn't completely freak out-
Sam had let her go to move to Emily, who looked just as shaky as Alex felt. He held her tenderly, and kissed her so deeply that Alex looked away, meeting Jacob's eyes again. Now, without Sam's attention, she could see the slight fear in his eyes. It made her lurch towards him, and tremulous, he met her halfway.
She clung to him desperately, fingers digging into his bare back, hoping he could feel her worry, her hope, her offered strength. "Promise me-" she began, hushed and desperate against his chest.
His arms were like brands around her, and the way he was holding her was almost painful, but she didn't care. "I promise." He said, just as fiercely. "I'll see you soon, okay?"
"Jacob. We have to go." Sam was at the door, and Emily was holding a hand over her mouth. Jacob let her go, and Alex had to watch them both disappear into the night. This time, she held Emily, and pretended she didn't see the tears glistening in the elder woman's eyes. Maybe it shouldn't have been a big deal, because they'd killed a vampire before, but something about this felt dangerous, and Alex felt dread settle into her stomach like a physical weight.
She wasn't particularly superstitious, nor did she believe in premonitions, but she couldn't deny the looming sensation that something was about to happen.
She could only hope her pack was safe.