Author's Note: Please don't hurt me?
So, it's been a very long time, and I have missed you all, and have been so appreciative of your continued support. Life unfortunately caught up to me, and I have barely had time to breathe, never mind write.
I hope this one is alright, and that my writing isn't too rusty! Some movement in this chapter in terms of storyline, so I hope you enjoy it! Let me know of any theories you have, either about Caleb or Daisy – I love hearing your thoughts!
Stay safe and happy!
Michael had been minding his own goddamn business when a random prick had shoved his shoulder into Michael's chest, doing more damage to himself than the young shifter, though the pale stranger gave no indication of pain or discomfort, his face a deep and unwavering scowl that had Michael turning his lip in a near-growl, and feeling his centre shift lower as the stranger called out to him.
"Apparently someone still needs to teach you some manners, Michael." The stranger had taunted, Michael turning to face him, flanked by Will and Finn who looked half anxious, half poised for an altercation, shifting closer to their pack brother instinctively.
At the mention of his name, the hairs on Michael's arms fluttered and stood, staccato over his skin. The man was older than him, in his twenties, pale and blonde with a typical accent for the area. Michael was sure he'd never seen him before.
So how did the arsehole know his name?
Finn noted Michael's wariness, tilted his chin up and called out, "Who the fuck are you?"
They were in the parking lot of the retail complex in Forks, had been making their way to Newton's, the store that sold surfboards for Michael to browse, since surfing was a standard for the boys in La Push. It was sparsely populated since the weather looked liable to turn nasty, and the sweltering clouds, full-bellied with ominous rain, hovered portentously above, stirring, as if a gathering audience eager to watch the scene play out.
Arsehole ignored Finn, stood unflinching before three six-foot-something near-men, an unnatural calm and mocking expression suspiciously turning his features, "Daisy is obviously slacking in that department. Too busy with your Alpha dog, is she? Neglecting her guardianship duties?"
Shoulders shooting back and muscles cording tightly, Michael bared his teeth at the mention of his sister, Jacob, personal details that a stranger shouldn't know. Had someone been watching them? Had Michael failed to notice? How the fuck had that happened? What the hell did this freak want?
Will and Finn shot each other worried, unsure looks and crouched a little, taking up a defensive stance, ready to back him if the need should arise.
Michael very much felt the need rising, a venomous bile coating his throat at the eerie smirk on the stranger's face.
"I don't know you." Michael warned, his voice low and a half-growl, "So how the hell do you know anything about me and my sister?"
The stranger took a step forward, his head hardly reaching Michael's chin, and the young man thought the stranger must be fucking crazy to think he stood a chance in this situation. To be honest, the only reason Michael managed to keep his muscles from quivering to shift was because of the peculiarity of it all. There was something hauntingly hollow about the blue gaze of the aggressor, a twisted expression that appeared foreign and unnatural, and Michael couldn't figure it out.
"You're right." The stranger lifted his eyebrows mockingly, "This is rude of me. I wanted to come by, introduce myself, knock on your door, but your sister doesn't like that, does she?" He hinted, and something hot and forceful speared through Michael, shock cauterizing the anger for only a minute before Michael's hazel eyes tightened and blazed, "Maybe I'll pay her a visit tonight; bang on her bedroom door – you'll warn her, won't you, so she knows to tip the wardrobe in front of it, just like old times?"
A blinding rage seethed through Michael, memories of being a little boy, eight-years-old, crying, pressed against Daisy's chest, an echo of persistent banging and taunting voices a shadow in his mind. He flew at the stranger, shoved him to the ground, hardly conscious of the strangled yell that left his mouth through clenched teeth and a locked jaw; a jaw that wanted to clamp around bone and feel it snap with satisfaction.
The tremors had begun violently, and Finn and Will practically carried him to the forest edge, rolling in wolf form before completely hidden in the shadows of the trees. Finn and Will's voices ran through his head, replaying the scene in a panic, asking if he was alright, encouraging him to calm down, their bodies blocking Michael's ability to break free and tear the stranger to pieces.
Embry, Seth and Colin were on patrol, had heard and seen the events in Finn and Will's minds, and they ran to join the fray, but all of it was a haze of twisting voices and confused happenings to Michael, who felt more wolf than man, and could hardly gather his wits about him to process what was going on.
He didn't even notice Will slip away to call on Jacob, but something snapped inside him – brought forth a new panic, clearer and sharper – when his Alpha arrived.
If Jacob was with them, then who was with Daisy?
Michael's jittery thoughts swirled through Jacob's mind like a cyclone, the pack mind a confusion of worry and questions and concern. It was hard for Jacob to make heads or tails of what was actually going on, but his paws carried him toward the cluster of his brothers, the elastic band inside of him pulling painfully tight the further he moved from Daisy, whose anxious eyes still played in Jacob's thoughts, willing him to come back to her and wrap her up in the safety of his arms.
If Will's voice hadn't conveyed so much confusion and helplessness, Jacob wasn't sure he could have forced himself to leave Daisy, stood alone and worried on his kitchen tiles, dainty and vulnerable, berry lips still bruised and swollen from his attention as they warned him to be careful and take care of her brother.
Fuck. Whoever this fucker was that had Michael and the kids on edge, Jacob wasn't sure he'd be able to keep himself from ripping him to shreds for disturbing his reunion with his dream girl, never mind keep Michael at bay and get him to cool his head.
It had been perfect. Everything had been fucking perfect. He'd been holding her, his hands rough on the soft of her smooth, beautiful skin, her tiny, lovely hands tugging at his hair, her legs wrapped tightly around him, pulling him to her, kissing him. Fuck – the way she'd been kissing him. It had taken every ounce of willpower Jacob had to not strip her bare on the kitchen counter and bury himself into her, claiming her, loving her for hours until she couldn't take it anymore.
Jesus. He didn't think he could be so fucking happy and so fucking riled up at the same time.
Jacob was growling without realizing it, desperation to return to his better half forcing him to run faster, the memory of the feel of her body against his working him harder. He missed her again. It had been only minutes, and he missed her.
But at least now she was his. At least now, he could breathe.
He grinned.
She was his. He could breathe.
Daisy Rae was finally his. Did a luckier man exist? Jacob was sure they didn't, and he planned to take every moment he could to show her how loved she was. How happy she had made him.
Every moment once this fucking mess was dealt with.
When Jacob reached the forest that edged along the retail park in Forks he sharpened to a halt, casting his eyes around the melee of his brothers that had circled and penned in Michael, who was rearing like a restless bronco, eyes searching for a gap to break free.
Embry, Seth, Colin, Will and Finn all had their ears flat, whining and circling slowly, pawing the ground to encourage Michael to calm down. Jacob called out to him, stepping into the circle of his pack, and the storm of Michael's blistering rage and fear and horror ground to a halt, one clear thought shouting through to Jacob as Michael snapped his eyes to meet the Alpha.
'Where is Daisy?'
Jacob's heart stuttered, a recollection of a white stranger's face, smirking as he threatened to bang down Daisy's door, flickered in Michael's head before reeling further into Michael's memory: darkness, Daisy's voice hushing and catching while banging persisted in the background, her chest – Michael was wrapped up in her, his face in her chest, eyes screwed shut, Jacob realised – her chest heaving and dragging in breaths. She was crying, and a mess of voices, tone clear but words hazy, called derisively through to the two of them.
Jacob couldn't understand it clearly, knew from the depth of the shift that the memory was one buried deeper inside Michael, from longer ago, but what he did understand was the fear in Michael for his sister, and bile swam in Jacob's lungs as Michael's panic spurred his own.
Michael thought Daisy was in danger, and that was good enough reason for Jacob to turn tail and run, vaguely aware of the others tailing him, paws drumming like a warning of war against the damp earth.
All other rational thought abandoned Jacob; he ignored the questioning thoughts of his pack, all of them forcing themselves to keep time with their Alpha, to protect the imprint, to find her now, keep her safe now, and ask about it later. The only thing Jacob focused on was his fear, Michael's fear, and Daisy's beautiful face.
He'd only just found her. Nothing could happen to her; he'd only just found her.
It was only minutes before the pack found themselves in Jacob's front yard, emerging urgently from the forest, but to Jacob it felt like a lifetime. They shifted, hurried into their shorts as they half ran to the porch, just in time to see the door open and Leah exit to lean her elbows on the porch railing.
Jacob's brow knitted as he approached with his brothers, and Leah was quick to ease his worry, "She's fine, boss. I heard the shitstorm while I was running home; figured I'd come by and keep her company."
Shoulders unknotting almost painfully, Jacob sucked air into his tight lungs and ran a shaky hand through his hair and down his face, trying to work out the tension in his body. She was fine. Daisy was safe. She was in his house, and she was safe.
Fuck. Jacob wasn't sure he could keep from vomiting out the residual worry right there on the wood of his porch.
He pinned Leah with a grateful look, and she sent him a nod, Michael hurrying past the rest of them to find his sister while the pack breathed out a collective sigh of relief. They followed Michael inside to find him clutching Daisy in a tight embrace in the kitchen, her hand running soothing ministrations up and down the young shifter's back, speaking gently to him, with a hint of confusion, "You're ok. We're ok. It's alright now."
Michael shook his head, pulling away and rubbing his face, Daisy's delicate features pulled into a tight line of concern as her brother's voice rumbled out from behind his palms, "It's not alright at all." And he moved away to pace the tiles by Jacob's back doors.
Daisy's concerned eyes flew from her brother to Jacob, questioning and fretful, and Jacob's need to be touching her, comforting her, protecting her, took the opportunity to wind his arms around her petite frame and bring her into his chest, his heartbeat slowing and calming the moment he made contact.
Running his nose over her hair, feeling her pull in a deep breath and exhale slowly, taking in his scent, Jacob allowed her warm, sweet energy to swirl around him, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as her cold, little hands and cold little nose buried themselves into the heat of his chest.
Home. Jacob was home.
But Daisy pulled away too quickly for his liking, waving somewhat shyly at the rest of the pack as they made their way into the kitchen, smiling at her and seating themselves at the table, Leah hiking herself up to perch on the countertop beside Daisy instead.
Daisy looked to her brother, who had paused his pacing to lean against the glass of the backdoors, and cast her questioning gaze around the other figures in the room before using her beautiful, stormy eyes to beseech Jacob, "What happened?"
Honestly? Jacob wasn't sure. They'd sprinted here at Michael's comment before the full story could be issued, and all Jacob was really aware of was that Michael had met an asshole that seemed to know things he shouldn't about the Raes, and it had sent Michael into a frenzy.
By the time Will had stepped away to call Jacob, the dick was gone.
Nobody answered, their eyes moving from one another silently, and Daisy's eyebrows rose as she watched them, "Ok. This is the longest stretch of silence between you guys that I've witnessed so far, and now I'm really starting to worry. What's going on? Is somebody hurt?"
"No," Jacob shook his head, pulling her attention to him, his hand moving to settle at the base of her neck, massaging gently against the tension building there. Her tired eyelids fluttered prettily, and Jacob was tempted to whisk her upstairs and hold her close until she fell asleep, rested, and he was sure she was energized enough to deal with the issue at hand. But he didn't, knowing she wouldn't let herself rest without assuring Michael's safety first, without knowing what had happened. "Nobody's hurt, gorgeous."
"They were worried about you, Masochist. That's what all the shitty tension and weird as fuck drama's about." Leah sighed, tugging lightly on Daisy's ponytail with a sense of comforting affection.
"Me?" Daisy queried, tugging her sleeves down to cover her hands and folding her arms around herself, burrowing down in her vulnerable confusion, prompting Jacob to step closer to her, her shoulder leaning into his chest, "I'm fine; I've been here the whole time, drinking tea and wearing holes in the kitchen tiles. You're the ones that go running naked through the forest, patrolling and taking on marble-hard, blood-sucking vampires. Why would you be worried about me?"
A beat of silence, and Embry muttered loudly, his eyes wide and scanning the room, "Awwwwwkwaaaaaaard."
Leah, Seth and Jacob all snapped at him, in different variations, to 'shut the fuck up', Seth rolling his eyes with a more playful intonation, while Jacob and Leah were about ready to cut out his tongue. Embry held his hands up in mock surrender with a 'yeeesh', and commented clumsily, "Just trying to diffuse the tension."
Jacob sighed loudly, but did notice – with unspoken gratitude – that the air had eased a little in light of Embry's idiocy, and he felt Daisy's shoulders loosen a slight at the release. He kissed her forehead, relief still thrumming through him at being there with her, having her safe and receptive to his affections right there in his kitchen.
Everything was ok. Everything was going to be ok. He would make sure it was. But, in order to do that, he needed to know what was threatening her. So Jacob looked at Michael, flashes of Daisy's catching voice trying to soothe the child version of the young man before him still playing through Jacob's mind, and he spoke clearly, "Michael, why did you think Daisy was in danger? What happened, kid?"
The sixteen-year-old swallowed harshly, his arms folded across himself defensively, but his hazel eyes were wide and unsure as he half-rasped out in vulnerability, "He knew your name."
Jacob felt his body tense almost painfully, the tension thickening in the air again, something heavy and detrimental in the way Michael delivered those words. Michael's instinctive reaction – that the stranger was a threat – and the notion of that man knowing Daisy's name made Jacob fraught and defensive; he talked himself down, telling himself to cool off. There were more details yet to be shared, after all.
"Who?" Daisy prompted, her weight shifting and fingers moving out of her jumper to run over her arms. Jacob moved his hand down, guiding it over the expanse of her back, tracing distracting patterns over the knit of her sweater.
Michael shook his head, "That's the thing – I don't know who he is. The guy rammed his shoulder into me, and when we stopped to ask him what his problem was he commented on my manners, said you were spending too much time with Jacob – the 'Alpha dog' – to teach me anymore."
"He knew about the pack?" Jacob's question shot out of him, a sense of foreboding burrowing deep into his marrow. Who the fuck was this guy? "What was he fucking doing then, stepping up to three shifters, if he knew about the pack?" He floated, watching the others tense accordingly.
"He definitely knew," Finn chimed in, shrugging, "He just didn't seem to give a shit."
"There was something up with that, though," Will added, caution and uncertainty in his voice as he thought through his comments, "Like, he hardly seemed to realise that me and Finn were there, and his eyes –"
Michael nodded, cutting him off, "Yeah, I noticed that too. They were vacant – like he was drugged up or something." Finn and Will nodded adamantly, and while Jacob was pleased they had a cohesive story, he also had no fucking clue what impact that had on the situation. "And when I asked how he knew about Daisy and I he said he should have introduced himself, but didn't want to scare her by knocking on the door too loudly."
Jacob's eyebrows drew together: why would a loud knock on the door be a disturbance to Daisy? Why did it seem that it was a terrible revelation from Michael's expression? Why was Daisy, his dream girl, shrinking in on herself, wilting like a flower in a shadow?
"That could just be a weird coincidence, though," Daisy's voice was gentle and unsure as it hovered in the still of the air, but seeing Michael's face she paled, running curls out of her face with a lethargic hand before pressing her fingers against her lips, murmuring gently, "That wasn't all he said, was it?"
"No," Michael shook his head, "He –" he cut himself off, chewing on the side of mouth before he sighed and hurried out, "He said he'd stop by, wanted me to warn you so you'd know to put the wardrobe in front of the door again."
When Daisy exhaled sharply, her eyes alight with anxiety and – a cold fist gripped Jacob's heart – fear, he let worry and the need to comfort her seize him, stepping behind her fully and pressing his chest against her back, hands on the perfect curve of her waist, his long fingers meeting as they held her. He ducked his head to her ear, "I've got you, dream girl; whatever this means, I've got you."
She nodded against his chest, swallowing something down forcefully, moving her fingertips to run the length of Jacob's hands absently, as if to assure herself he was there.
"And that's when Michael pushed him and we had to move to the forest to shift. When I went back out to call you, Jacob, the asshole was gone." Will finished with a shrug, and a dead silence rung through the room.
Daisy moved away from him, leaving Jacob feeling cold, even as she drifted only a few feet over to Michael. Her dainty hands reached out to him, running softly, comfortingly, over his arms, "Are you alright, littl'un?"
Michael shook his head, "I don't know," he confessed honestly, and Daisy nodded with gentle sadness, pulling her brother in for a hug. When they parted, Michael beseeched her with a hint of desperation, "I definitely didn't recognize him, Daze – did you tell anyone else about that night? Anyone at all?"
There was a pause as Leah and Jacob exchanged a hesitant look, both worried and curious and wondering at the mystery of a past neither was really privy to. Daisy shook her head, almost regretfully, "Only him, I'm afraid."
"But why would he –?" Michael began, but Daisy was already shaking her head,
"Send someone to taunt us? Tell a random stranger? I don't know, poppet, but it doesn't seem like good news."
Michael's jaw clenched, "I wish I'd just fucking killed him. I wish I'd got there in time and torn that wanker apart."
Daisy's mouth had opened to respond when Leah cut across her, legs swinging backward and forward next to Jacob, whose eyes hadn't torn themselves away from Daisy's figure since she'd moved from him. "Cool. Who are we wishing we'd fucking killed, for the rest of us in the audience that aren't part of the Rae family?"
The brother and sister exchanged a heavy look before Daisy's pretty lips parted in a meaningful, tired sigh, and Jacob's muscles ached to hold her close, lay her down, pepper her with kisses and let her sleep, warm and safe beside him. Her ivory skin seemed paler than usual under the glare of the artificial kitchen light, and – before the words even left her – Jacob saw in the blue shade of her beautiful eyes the answer to the pack's curiosity.
"Caleb. He's the only person that knows the details the stranger spoke about today. He's the only other person that knows that Michael is a wolf. And apparently, he knows we're here."
After Daisy spoke, something inside of Jacob seemed to stretch too thin and snap abruptly, and a drill-sergeant version of the Alpha wolf came into play. Daisy had meandered over to the table, pulling out an unoccupied chair to deposit her worn and tired body in, her muscles feeling weak and unsupportive, and leaving her feeling slightly pathetic in the company of giant, shifting wolves.
Jacob's flashing amber eyes were constantly moving over her, she could feel them, but his full lips were barking out orders to the others, telling Seth and Colin to get back out on patrol; telling Embry to find Quil and Will and Finn to rouse the others, to pass along the information discovered, to share the image of Caleb -–Paul and Jared had seen him before in Michael's memory.
There was something delicious in the power that exuded from Jacob, a dominance Daisy was surprised to find herself enjoying at all, never mind at such an inappropriate time, and if she could have gathered the energy she might have blushed. Jacob was strong and capable, and it tickled something inside of Daisy that aroused and soothed her all at once.
When Michael had demanded to be given a task Jacob had knocked him back, said no, but upon the ensuing argument and hearing the rationale (Michael's altercation, his knowledge of Caleb, the connection to Daisy) Jacob sent him out with Leah for a maximum of a few hours only to see if they could track down the stranger and find out his association with Caleb.
Daisy had stood then, pointing a sharp finger at Michael's face, and met her brother's eyes with all of the ferocity she could muster, "You keep yourself safe, littl'un, or I will kick your arse from here to Kingdom Come."
Michael had smirked, amused, "Daze, you're 5'3."
"Uh-huh," She had nodded, "5'3 of pure savagery, Michael Rae, and don't you forget it."
Leah grinned at her, patting her back shortly, "Don't sweat it, Masochist – I'll keep him in line and get him back to you in one piece." Daisy nodded, bringing her brother in for a hug and then switching to latch her arms around Leah too, who rolled her eyes and patted her back absently, "Jesus, have you been in Rachel's stash of pink shit?"
Daisy laughed, released her friend, and waved them off, promising to meet Michael in the same kitchen they were in, so that they could head home together later. When they were gone, Daisy staring after them as they made their way through Jacob's back garden and into the forest, she felt strong arms circle her body, warm and delicious, Jacob's face moving to bury in the crook of her shoulder, his stubble tickling her as his nose ran along her skin.
She sighed and sank back into the broad width of his bare chest, running her hands over the tattooed skin of his strong, corded forearms.
"I think you should both stay here tonight." He suggested into her neck, swaying them side to side gently, rocking her soothingly.
Daisy laughed and shook her head in amusement, "Ground rules, remember? I'm not sure that shacking up on the first night counts as human-speed."
"I have spare rooms," Jacob explained enticingly, "And you would have two shifters looking after you instead of just the one." His breath was hot and wet as he whispered near her ear, and Daisy was acutely aware of the way her backside slotted against the front of him, nestled cozily against his crotch.
She smiled, tilting her head to the side to meet his sweet, honeyed eyes, "I think by most people's standards one shifter is plenty."
Jacob nudged her cold nose with his warm one, lips teasingly close to hers, "But we're not most people."
"Stop trying to coerce me with your perfect face and your perfect lips and your cute sorcery, Jacob. I will be sleeping in my own bed tonight." Daisy smiled, repressing visions of a wardrobe-blocked doorway that she hoped Jacob wouldn't ask about, too tired to try to wade through, as she thought about her neatly made bed, and the cabin bedroom. Would she feel safer sleeping there with Jacob, having him near her, being shielded, cocooned in his warmth? Of course she would. But the idea alone also made her feel sweaty and unsure.
That was too much to dependency; too much intimacy. It was wolf-speed.
"Then I could sleep in your bed with you. Or on your couch." He shrugged, as if the answer was simple, and Daisy scoffed and shook her head, a smile of despair of him on her face. She moved away from him, turning in his arms – arms that wouldn't let her stray too far – and allowed her fingertips to trace the tattoo patterns on his chest.
"Jacob, Michael and I will be fine." She issued softly, looking up from his chest to meet the glowing amber of his eyes, "Your concern is sweet, and duly noted, but we'll look after each other. We always have."
Jacob's arms tightened, pulling her impossible closer, his knees having to bend slightly to alleviate the difficulty of their height difference, "But you have a whole family here now, dream girl. You have me. I am at your disposal. It doesn't have to be just the two of you looking out for each other anymore."
Daisy stood on tip toes, eased by the weight his strong arms supported, unable to resist the sweetness of his words and expression. She brought her lips to ghost along the fullness of his, "That's incredibly sweet, Jacob Black," she uttered, her nose grazing his, his eyes watching the movement of her mouth, enchanted, "But you're still not working your way into my bed tonight."
Jacob groaned as Daisy laughed, placing, what she intended to be, a light peck against his lips, but before she could move back Jacob had deepened the kiss, pulling her into a spinning dream world of warmth and safety, heating a desire that throbbed inside of her. She pulled away a minute later in spite of his objections – apparently, wolves don't need to breathe – her skin tender from rubbing against his stubble. She rested her forehead to his, her arms locked around his neck, and felt him pepper her face with gentle kisses.
Into the heavy air, Jacob whispered in a voice that cracked through the centre of his words, "I just want to keep you safe."
Daisy's heart stuttered and tightened, and she closed her eyes against the openness of his expression, the emotional onslaught too intense for her tired fragility, "I know."
"He knows you're here, Daisy." She swallowed, trying to remember the last time she'd heard him call her by her name. Not 'dream girl' or 'gorgeous', but 'Daisy'. It settled heavily in the pit of her stomach. A semblance of cold tried to permeate the heat of Jacob's hold, but the safety he bathed her in wouldn't yield to it.
She was there, with Jacob. She was safe. Michael was with Leah, the pack. He was safe.
So she agreed feebly, "Yeah, he does."
A hesitation, and then a whispered reminder that cut Daisy, "You promised you wouldn't run."
Was that another reason he wanted her close? To make sure she wasn't going anywhere?
Could she really blame him for thinking that of her?
Daisy opened her eyes, meeting the raw beauty of Jacob's open gaze, "And I won't, Jacob. I won't go anywhere." They held each other's eyes for a moment, Jacob nodding and moving a hand to wrap up in her ponytail. The tension settled heavily, and Daisy teased lightly to cut through it, "I mean, you bought me Yorkshire tea. If that isn't enough to make a girl stick around, then I don't know what is."
Jacob grinned, a little weaker than usual, but still beautiful and heart-stopping, "I didn't just buy you Yorkshire tea."
Quirking an eyebrow, Daisy wondered at his meaning, "You didn't?"
"I seem to remember something about American chocolate not meeting your impossibly high standards…" Jacob teased, hinting playfully, and Daisy – surprised – felt her eyes widen.
"Are you meaning to tell me, Jacob, that somewhere in this very house there is a slab of Cadbury's chocolate just waiting to be found, cherished and devoured?"
Jacob snorted, shaking his head, "No. I mean to tell you that there are many slabs of Cadbury's chocolate in this house that are waiting to be found, cherished and devoured by that cheeky, perfect mouth of yours. I'll even tell you where they are. For a price, of course."
Daisy's stomach fluttered, and she tilted her head inquisitively, "I feel like a Billy goat trying to cross a bridge."
"Are you calling me a troll?" Jacob shot back, an eyebrow raised in playful accusation.
"Are you going to make me work for my chocolate?" Daisy questioned.
"Your chocolate, is it?" Jacob laughed, and Daisy smirked a little, repressing her grin the best she could.
"See, this is what I'm talking about. Very troll-like behaviour."
Jacob laughed, and then surprised Daisy by skimming his hands over her waist and using it for purchase, lifting her effortlessly onto the kitchen counter. Daisy's stomach swooped, like she'd just plummeted from the top of a rollercoaster, and – rather embarrassingly – giggled in her surprise. "Well, this troll requires a kiss to allow the Billy goat access to the chocolate in his house."
"A kiss, huh?" Daisy teased, her legs dangling either side of Jacob's frame as he leaned into her, hands resting on the marble counter either side of her hips, "Seems like the troll got a little frisky under the bridge on his lonesome."
Jacob rolled his eyes with a smile, "The troll has been waiting for the Billy goat to realise how much he fucking adores her, and has been dreaming about kissing the Billy goat every day for nearly a month now. So yeah, the troll is feeling pretty frisky, and I cannot believe I am actually going along with this analogy." He laughed at himself, and Daisy joined in, her fingers moving to dance over the grooves of Jacob's abs.
"You can kiss me any time, Jacob. No blackmail necessary." Daisy confessed, her eyes glittering as they met the heat of his, hearing the catch in his breath at the movement of her fingers over his skin and revelling in the effect she seemed to have on him.
"Yeah?" He smiled, moving his face closer to hers.
She nodded, grinning, "Yeah." They moved nearer one another, lips only an inch apart, when she stopped abruptly and shot cheekily up at him, "But I still get the chocolate, right?"
I so hope you enjoyed it, and let me know about your theories! What is Caleb's connection to this random human? What is Michael's memory about?
Hopefully your next update should follow next week, Gods be good!