Chapter 9
(EmbPOV)
She swayed in place in her backyard, before her eyes rolled into the back of her head and her body went limp, signaling her impending fall. I phased and ran forward, but Paul phased and beat me to it, scooping her up in his bare arms. Jake's growl increased in volume as I jogged into the Swan's backyard.
Tampering down my resentment I start speaking to Jake so he can phase out, and tell me, hopefully, that my suspicions are wrong. I suspect that won't be true though. If we didn't think the situation with Jake could get any worse, we were wrong. So wrong. "Jake, man, I know this is crazy, but you need to calm down, okay? We can explain everything to you once you calm down and phase back, think of yourself as a human-" I was cut off with the sound of Quil waking into the clearing and coming up beside me, his face impassive and emotionless. "Think of yourself as a human, I know you don't understand what is happening, but just try to calm down." I glance at a passed out Bella in Paul's arms, and my hand twitches with the effort to stay in place, desperately wanting to go and pick her up from Paul.
A shimmering energy goes through the air, and Jacob phases out into a a naked crouch, his face white and pale with the recent occurrences. Quil finally speaks up from his quiet stance next to me. "C'mon, lets go inside so we can explain this to you. Is chief Swan home, Paul?" Jacob begins to growl again at the sound of Paul's name, and I wonder what had gone on when I was patrolling.
"No, Bella told me that he was away for the weekend, on a fishing trip with Billy." We all head inside, Bella in Paul's arms first, then Jake, then Quil and I last, both of us not speaking to each other, tension brewing in the air. We all sit down in the living room, Bella laid down on the couch, me on the floor leaning against the couch so my head is near hers, Jake in the recliner, Quil standing, and Paul sitting on the arm of the couch farthest away from Bella's head. It's Jake who cuts the tension first.
"What the fuck is going on. How and why the fuck did I turn into a wolf. Does this have to do with the legends? Why do I have this weird connection thingy with Bells?" Dammit. "Why the fuck was Paul here today, no less on Bella's couch half naked. Why the fuck are all of you half naked? Why am I completely naked?! And why, my god, why does it smell like sex in Bella's kitchen?" I try not to react to his last statement, and thank god because Jake really isn't focusing on anyone right now. Maybe on Bella, but I'm trying not to dwell on that fact.
In the next second, Sam, Leah, and Jared barge into the house, leaving just Jared on patrol. "Jake, we can answer all of your questions soon, but first, it's imperative that you don't get too worked up or anything, because then you could phase and hurt Bella, and later on when you're in public you're going to have to remember the same thing. Eventually your control will improve and it won't be as worrisome a problem."
"Phasing? What?" Jake responds, turning his gaze from Bella, to a demanding and fierce glare on Sam. Seems as though he still isn't too happy with Sam. In the next hour, Sam explains everything there is to know about wolves, all except imprinting. He explains to Jake what happened to him just now, and his alpha bloodline that will more than likely relieve Sam of his job as alpha. He goes over the packmind and patrols, and over the Cullens and the redhead.
"Wait, so Bells knew about the Cullens? Does she know about the wolves?" Jake asked, and the whole group tenses up. This time, Jake notices our reactions and questions it. I glance at Sam out of the corner of my eye, and he decided to take matters into his own hands, letting me choose the time and the place to tell Jake about Bella and I.
"Yes, Bella knew about the Cullens. Around two weeks ago, she came across Embry as he was about to phase. It was early, around 8 am. I don't know what she was doing that early on the reservation, but as she was driving home, she noticed Embry on the road in pain."
"She was at my house, she was coming home from my house, that's where she was." I bite back a growl at the sense of possessiveness that I feel rolling off of Jake. Paul and Leah share a look before giving me the same one.
"Well, she saw him double over, and came to help him. It was on an open road, and she was able to help him get somewhere more secluded. Embry then phased, and alerted me, Paul, and Jared. We told her everything about the wolves, and she told us all she knew about the Cullens too."
"So she dated a vampire? Damn, she has no sense of self-preservation. My Bells," He sighs at the end, and it takes every modicum of control in me to keep from attacking him. This time, Sam gives me a look, and I know that I am going to have to tell him soon about my relationship. Unfortunately, I never really got to tell him privately.
Mini-Jake, Seth, speaks up after we went over everything else about the wolves, that Jake should know. "What about imprinting Sam?" He asks, and Leah fixates on him with a cold-hearted glare, chilling even me.
"What's imprinting?" Jake asks, perking up from his slouched position on the recliner.
"Imprinting is when a wolf meets his mate for the first time. After they phase for the first time, the girl who would be the perfect genetic match for the strongest pups, or at least that's what I think, would look them in the eye. When that happens, the wolf has an instant connection to her, and all he wants to do is mate with her. It is instinctive. We mate for life. The girl may feel a connection, but it's up to her to do what she wants with it, a bond like a brother, a friend, or a lover. She doesn't have to accept the imprint, though most girls do. Although the girl may want just a friendly relationship with the wolf, the wolf will feel really protective against her, and will need to be around her. He won't ever stop wanting to mate with her though, regardless of what she feels. The girl practically becomes the wolf's whole world." Paul speaks up before anyone else can, and I am grateful to him for that, because Sam, Seth, and Quil definitely might've worded that differently because of their own imprints.
Jake sits back in the recliner for a couple minutes, lost in thought. "Is that what happened between you, Leah, and Emily, Sam?" He nods his head, and Leah averts her eyes to the windows, ignoring the pointed looks from Seth and Sam.
"Is that what happened between me and Bells today after I first phased?" He asks, hopefulness obvious in the tone of his voice.
"Yes, I believe it is. Remember Jake, she can choose to do what she wants though."
"It's fine Sam, she's practically my girlfriend anyways." I grimace, pray to the gods that Jake didn't see. "Paul, what were you doing here today?" He questions, obviously remembering why he phased in the first place.
"I've become close with princess here, and we hang out sometimes. None of your business baby-alpha." He sneers at Jake, and Jake growls, angered by the tone of Paul's response.
"It is my concern if it has to do with my imprint. And why did it smell like sex in the kitchen when I walked in there earlier. I don't know how I could smell it, but I could." I look down, and I feel my ears tinge with pink. We weren't having sex, but what we were doing isn't any less embarrassing for so many other to hear. Quil and Seth glare at me, and I ignore them, trying to focus on my hands, and anywhere but Jake.
"I really don't know Jake, but we need to get going, I wanna show you the patrol routes, and everything else, and I also want to work on your control with you. It's very important. C'mon everyone lets clear out. Embry stay behind and help clean up, and then make sure she is okay when she wakes up." Sam shoots me another look, and I subtly nod at him, showing my thanks for letting me have a little time with Bella before we have to tell Jake. This really is a clusterfuck.
The whole pack heads out, after Sam, Leah, and Paul clap me on the shoulder. As they walk out of the house, I hear Jake asking when he could see her again, and anything about Bella that Sam had seen. Annoying.
I stay there on the floor for a good five minutes, wondering how everything surrounding me and Bella got so complicated. It wasn't supposed to be like this. I sigh heavily and get up, cleaning up the mess that was left over from Jake's phasing, and a bouquet of flowers, no doubt from the baby-alpha himself. Baby-alpha. I got to give Paul credits, that's going to annoy the hell out of Jake. After I clean everything up, which takes me about 20 minutes, I snag a peanut butter cookie from when Paul and Bella were baking, and then walk over to the couch where Bella was, and I leave a kiss on her forehead. That arouses her from her sleep, and she begins to stir. I crouch down in front of her, and wait for her to open her eyes, dreading what I am going to have to tell her when she fully wakes up.
She finally opens her chocolate eyes, and looks at me with love. You can tell the instant she remembers what had happened right before she passed out, and her brow crinkles before tears form in her eyes. She sits up and I rush to comfort her, hating the look of utter despair on her beautiful face.
"He imprinted on me, didn't he?" I nod, and she closes her eyes, and leans her forehead against my shoulder, seeking comfort in any way possible.
"How'd you know?"
"He had the same expression that Quil did when he imprinted. It looked funny on a wolf, but the same. You know I am not going to be with him right? I mean, I will lay down the law with him and let him know that we can only have a fraternal relationship."
"Well, when we explained imprinting to him, he was pretty convinced you were his girlfriend already. I had to bite my tongue to keep from lunging at him." She pats me on my back, and kisses my shoulder.
"I'm sorry, I don't know why everything has to be so complicated around us. What did we do?"
"That's exactly what I was thinking," I smile at her, before giving her a chaste kiss on the lips. She pulls me back and I lean over her, her mouth opening up to mine, sucking my tongue into her mouth.
"Mmmm," She moans, and I put my knee in between her leg and the couch. I bracket my arms around her and lie down on top of her, most of my weight leaning on my elbows. I kiss down her face and onto her neck, sucking the patch of skin over her pulse point.
"Have I told you how much I love you being in my shirt?" I murmur to her, tugging down the hem of my old t-shirt to nibble on her collar bone.
"Yes, and have I told you how much I love wearing your shirt?" She mutters back to me, before latching onto my earlobe. I groan and move my hands up her shirt, tracing the soft skin of her stomach, and up to her ribs, stopping right below her breasts.
(JPOV)
I can't believe everything that's happened today. Turning into a freaking wolf, finding out that all my friends were wolves too, and even finding out that Bells is practically my soulmate. Honestly my day couldn't have gotten better.
(p)Remember pup, just because she's your imprint, doesn't mean she is going to want to be with you. I growl at him, because what does he know? Just because he has been hanging out with her recently, doesn't mean he knows how she feels about everything.
(jb)Shut up Paul! Just because you've been hanging out with her recently, doesn't mean you know all there is to know about her! I've been friends with her since we were like children, I think I would know more about this than you. And, she kissed me. So fuck off!
(s)Both of you, quiet! We're supposed to be focusing on the patrol routes, especially you Jacob!
(jb)Jake is fine, Sam. When I'm called Jacob, I feel like I am in trouble. An- All of a sudden, I feel this thing pulling me to Forks, to where my Bells is. I feel as though she is awake again... She's awake! I can see her!
I speed off to Forks before Sam and Paul can stop me, not hearing their shouts in my mind.
By the time I get to the backyard, I can see that Embry cleaned up the mess of the shredded shorts and clothes that I had left behind. I quickly put on a pair of shorts that I had on earlier, and briskly walk from the treeline to her backyard, excited out of my mind to see her. I would have to ask her about the smells in the kitchen though, who could've left those?
(BPOV)
Embry begins to kiss down my shoulder and bring the bottom hem of my shirt -his shirt- up , bunching it up to the undersides of my breasts. He kissed my stomach, before looking up at me, and unbuttoning my jeans at the same time, maintaining eye contact throughout. He unbuttoned my jeans and unzippered them, and then came back up and kissed me on my face.
Suddenly he freezes, and he lets go of my shirt, and back up, so he is still hovering over me, but his chest is about a foot away from my own. He looks up so he is staring at something above and behind me.
"Em? What's wrong?" I turn my head to try and get a glimpse of what he's staring at, but I can't get a good look. Embry scrambles off of me, so he's at the opposite end of the couch, and I stare at him, confusion evident in my expression. "Why'd you stop?" I question, and as soon as I do, the backdoor in the kitchen bangs open, revealing a shocked and confused Jake. Shit. Fuck. Damn it.
I spring up off the couch and away from Embry, standing and staring wide-eyed at Jake.
Everything is silent for a minute, tension heavy in the air. Embry and I are breathing heavily, due to what was going on before Jake walked in. I tug the long t-shirt over my hips, so it falls to my early thigh, covering my unzipped pants. Jake noticed the state of my pants, and growls, his head shooting up to Embry, yellow shading over his normally onyx eyes.
"Jake, let me explain." I don't try to say it isn't what it looks like, because it exactly is what it looks like. His growls become louder, and he makes eye contact with me, his intense gaze causing me to cower. I hold my hands up in a placating gesture, and back away from where I am standing, eventually reaching Embry's chest, his panting coming to a stop. He puts a hand on my hip, and Jake flinches, and then starts to shake, his calm facade gone with the gesture. He starts to blur at the lines, and Embry moves from back of me, and moves over to Jake, his hands also palm up, showing Jake he is not trying to hurt him.
Embry starts to push Jake out of the door he had opened not 3 minutes ago, and I follow out, so I just catch a glimpse of Embry hauling Jake past the treeline and into the forest. Jake turns to me seconds before his shift, burdening me with an intense, betrayed, dominating, and frightening stare. He's tugged back one final time, before I catch glimpses of gray and red fur beyond the treeline.
The last sound I hear from the forest before I retreat inside, is a pained short yip, and a long challenging howl.
A.N. Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, I've been very busy with work. So I decided to start another story too, this one is with Paul and Bella. It's called Defenseless, go check it out. That means the updates between the chapters in this story are going to be a little longer than normal, but nothing too drastic. Until next time!