June

The rest of May passed quickly and soon, the enjoyable heat of June was upon them. Grace took longer than expected to heal which Carlisle was fascinated by. He asked her to come by the house or the hospital a few times to run some tests on her. Sam didn't particularly like this development but was trying to head Ti'Hal's advice. The rest of the pack were enjoying the relative peace after the stress of the fight.

Sam made sure to loosen up their rounds since no present danger was threatening them or the tribe, so they took their newfound freedom to bask in the warm sunlight on La Push beach.

Grace and Bella would typically show up together, hand in hand to join them, on the sunnier days when Edward was tucked away. Their days were spent swimming peacefully in the ocean, playing pick up football or volleyball on the beach, or laying around in massive piles across each other's bodies bathing in the sunlight.

Grace always found herself close to Jacob, but never actually let herself touch or reach for him. It was an exercise in restraint, one that the ache in her stomach didn't agree with. She just wanted to be near him. The pack picked up on this and always left a space open next to Jacob for Grace to settle into.

When the imprints showed up, that was usually Grace's cue to leave. She'd sneak away and recast into the cove staring at the dilapidated home for too long or rested on the isolated beach watching the waves pull in until the sun set.

One day, after recasting to her cove, she heard a crashing to her left that sounded like someone coming through the trees. In the days that Grace had been sneaking away, no one had ever followed her and she was mildly irritated that someone would break her solace now. She pulled herself up on her elbows and looked toward the trees only to see Leah emerge.

"Leah?" Grace said perplexed. "What are you doing here?"

"Same as you. Getting away from the imprint-love-fest," she grumbled, stomping down the beach and coming to rest next to Grace.

Grace knew that Leah still felt uncomfortable around Sam and Emily. She could clearly see the pain etched in her face, but more than that, in her wolf form, Leah's emotions sometimes overpowered everyone around her. Sam didn't dare issue a command to quiet her, not feeling it was fair since he was the one who caused her so much pain, but sometimes Grace wished for one. Leah felt everything so strongly and even now as she sat beside her, she could feel the anxiety and pain roll off of her. A pain that she knew too well.

Absently, Grace placed a hand on her arm. Leah looked down suddenly, and took a deep breath, instantly relaxing.

"Thanks," she said.

"Anytime," Grace returned, pulling what anxiety she could from Leah's body.

"How are you feeling with all of the Paul stuff?" Leah said. Grace was surprised. Leah never asked about this stuff, but she felt something coming from Leah that wasn't just pain—she felt a desire to be closer. So Grace obliged. Maybe it was just her duty as Spirit Bird to be an emotional conduit, but she also felt the need to be close to Leah.

"I don't know," Grace breathed out suddenly, wiping her sandy hands on her shorts. "It's over, that's for sure. And he and Rachel seem to be getting closer," Grace fought a strong pang of sadness rising up in her throat. She was getting better at containing it. "So, we just….move on." she said simply.

"That's depressing," Leah muttered.

"You're telling me, babe," Grace said affectionately.

"What about Jake?" Leah turned her head to look at Grace this time. Grace was taken aback by this.

"Wh-what do you mean? What about Jake?" Grace's heart fluttered at the mention of his name.

Ever since the incident and the subsequent days of healing, Grace and Jacob's connection had intensified. When she wasn't around him, she thought about him constantly and when she was with him, it took all of her willpower to not make it obvious that what she craved most of all was to be in his arms again. The temporary time they had spent together where Grace had been mostly unconscious had somehow steeped their connection, and now the distance she was meant to endure in their unknown relationship stretched out empty before them.

"You know what I mean, Alo," Leah said simply. "If it's not an imprint binding you, it's close enough. He's tied to you too. I can see it in his head."

Grace looked at Leah suddenly. She hadn't considered how their connection compared to an imprint. But the connection still made her uneasy.

"I don't know if I'm ready for that," Grace said softly, gripping at the sand and staring out. She knew how intense the imprint bonds were, how tethered they became. Paul was a perfect example.

He and Rachel had slowly started to see more of each other and Grace tried to stay away as much as possible for her sake and his. The pain was still there like a dull ache, but she didn't want to test it by seeing it full blown in front of her and end up crumbling. Staying out of the packs heads when they were in wolf form was hard though. She always had a front row seat to the newest development in every relationship.

Her favorite place to stay was in Jake's head. It was comfortable and mostly his thoughts wandered to the cool, green area around him. It was peaceful and it was nice to not have to hear every analyzed detail of someone's encounter with another imprint. But sometimes, Jake would settle on one specific image of Grace curled up into him in his bed, breathing low and slow. Jake lingered on this memory often and it somehow made Grace feel better. She let herself enjoy the peace of that moment they had together even just for a little while before the voices pushed between them.

"I'm not saying to jump his bones by any means. Just wondering. I get stuck with him on patrols a lot," Leah said. She looked over her shoulder now at the dilapidated house. "What is this place?" Happy for a change of subject, Grace also looked at the house.

"I don't know. I kept getting called here for awhile after Paul and I broke up. But now more and more I find that I want to be here. Feels like home but I don't know why. It's weird." Grace shrugged and turned her head to stare at Leah now.

"Hmm," Leah said simply. "Looks like shit." Grace let out a laugh.

"Thanks," she giggled, leaning into Leah who stiffed suddenly at the connection but then relaxed, throwing an arm around her shoulder.

They leaned into one another watching the sunset, neither wanting to leave just yet.

Grace woke up the morning of her 18th birthday to a cool, June morning. She stretched her body awake in bed and let out a satisfied sigh. The door to her and Bella's bedroom opened and an elated Bella crept in with a plate of blueberry pancakes in hand.

"Happy birthday!" she smiled.

"I thought you didn't like birthdays?" Grace teased.

"Just mine. Yours however is one worth celebrating." Bella set the pancakes in Grace's lap and deposited a fork into her hand. "Charlie's coming up with the presents," she said over her shoulder.

"Presents?" Grace said suddenly.

"Oh yeah!" Charlie busted through the door holding up a few carefully wrapped gifts above his head and 'raising the roof', "18! You did it."

"Thanks, it was definitely touch and go there for a while," Grace joked, taking a bite of blueberry pancake. "You guys didn't need to get me gifts." she said her mouth full.

"Come on," Charlie said, rolling his eyes.

"This one first!" Bella said, excited and plopping a small box in front of her. Grace took another bite of pancake and clapped her hands together excitedly before tearing it open. It was a small ring box and Grace looked up at Bella, annoyed.

"You can't propose, we're cousins," Grace whined.

"Shut up," Bella laughed. Grace pulled open the box to reveal a small round silver ring set with a small white buffalo stone. It was simple but startlingly beautiful, the dark rivulets running through the white stone pock marked its surface like the moon.

"Sister stones," Bella said, holding out her pinkie to Grace to show she had a matching one on. "So we'll always be connected." Grace placed the ring on her pinkie and looped it with Bellas.

"Sisters," Grace said warmly. "Thank you, it's beautiful!" Bella sat back pleased with her reaction and looked up to Charlie.

"This is from your mom." Charlie said, handing her a medium, square sized package. Grace took it tentatively in her hands and unwrapped it carefully. "Said it was your dad's."

Grace gasped and put a hand to cover her mouth as tears sprang to her eyes. It was her father's pullover, one she remembered vividly from her childhood. It had been mended to its former glory, the old holes having been patched lovingly and the loose zipper being replaced by a sturdy black one. She held it to her, the bottom was a worn green fleece and the top was an intricately woven black and white pattern that showcased the whale and the eagle prevalent in her tribe's histories. She laughed with happiness as tears fell from her eyes. The fact that her mother had given up this piece for her was huge. It was her father's most iconic and memorable piece of clothing. And her mother had cherished it so deeply after he was gone.

"Woo, okay," she said wiping the tears from her eyes and threading her arms easily through the oversized pullover.

"And this last one, is a combined gift, from me, your mom, and Bella's mom," Charlie handed over a small envelope. Grace took it tentatively casting her eyes to Bella's face who wore a mischievous grin.

Grace opened it slowly and peered inside. "Tickets?"

"Two. So we can go visit them. Your mom is going to Florida to visit my mom and to interview for that new job so she thought it would be a good time for us to fly down there and have a girl's weekend." Bella said nudging her, the smile never leaving her face.

"What really?!" Grace said jumping to her knees in excitement.

"Yeah, well," Charlie brushed it off but Grace bounced across the bed and wrapped him in a tight hug.

"Oh thank you so so much! Charlie this is...this is great!" She said the tears springing back again. She hadn't seen her mom in almost a year and they're phone conversations had been short as they navigated their new relationship after the separation. She didn't even know that Grace had gotten hurt. She realized now how much she missed her mom and clutched the tickets to her chest.

When Bella and Grace rolled up to Emily's that afternoon, Grace internally felt herself squeeze with excitement. She always loved her birthday, but this was her first one getting to celebrate with so many people she loved.

She was wearing her dad's pullover, even in the late June heat and wore cut off shorts that were nearly covered by the length of the pullover. She pushed the arms of it up to bunch around her elbows and smiled as Bella came around the truck. Just as they hopped up the porch, she heard a collection of hoots and whistles pour out from the doorframe.

"She's here!"

"Birthday! It's your birthday!"

"Can we eat the cake now!?"

"All hail. The birthday queen!" Quil announced coming forward as Grace entered the living room. He placed a carefully constructed crown of bent branches, fern leafs and white and yellow flowers on her head.

"Happy birthday, Grace," Emily said wrapping her in a warm hug and kissing her cheek. Grace thought her face would freeze into a smile she'd been grinning like an idiot so much. As the pack crowded around her, congratulating her and sharing hugs and excitement. Grace couldn't help but let her eyes fall on the tall and breathtaking figure leaning against the kitchen island, just outside the circle.

Jacob.

His eyes were dark and smouldering, trained on her as if he had just made a decision. Her lips suddenly ached and she felt herself letting them part unconsciously as she got swallowed up in that look. Gravity. She thought. The pull was undeniable and the longer they stared at one another, the harder it was to tamp it down.

His face broke into a heartbreaking smile that made her knees weak for a second. Her eyes pleaded for him to come closer, and just as she was about to push through the pack to get to him, letting herself listen to that familiar pull in her belly for once, a voice snapped her back.

"Come on, we have a surprise!" Seth said eagerly. She looked around her again at the excited faces.

"Okay!" She said happily. Seth took her hand and led her out the door with the pack right next to her and Bella, Jake, Sam and Paul bringing up the rear.

After thirty minutes of walking through the trees, Grace looked around skeptically, "Seth? Do you actually know where you're going?"

"Totally." he said, but Grace still wasn't too sure. After a couple more minutes of walking, they broke into a familiar clearing.

The cove and the rundown house stared back at her. Seth smiled up at her and jogged ahead to run around the front of the house. Grace was frozen in place as she looked around at the pack members who were snickering.

"Come on," Jake said, grabbing her hand and pulling her forward. She held tight and they walked around standing a few feet back from the front porch. The pack had gathered on the front porch and Sam stood on the bottom step. Paul leaned against the side of the house, watching with a warm smile.

"Happy birthday, Grace." Jake said squeezing her hand.

"What?"

"Happy birthday!" the pack chorused holding their hands up.

"I don't understand." Grace said looking at Jake.

"It's yours." Jake nodded toward the house, that crushing smile coming across his face again. Grace looked quickly back to the house to the waiting pack.

"Mine?!"

"Leah told us about it. How you kept coming here…" Jake trailed off. Sam took up the torch next.

"Technically, it wasn't on treaty land, so the tribe couldn't purchase it on your behalf-"

"But luckily, my dad knows some people as the official tribal land commissioner. Turns out, it used be part of our land way back in the day. So he had some lines redrawn, negotiated a zoning price, and badabing badaboom." Embry said smacking his hands together.

"This is too much," Grace breathed, her eyes glued to the exterior of the house. "This is way way way too much, you guys," she was panicking a little bit.

"You can't give it back. They'll throw birthright at you and send you on your way. It's done." Quil said crossing his arms.

"Yeah, say thank you!" Jared threw at her. Jake shot him a warning look and Embry slapped him upside the head before dodging a punch to the arm.

"I-" her eyes were welling up again. They got her a home. This beautiful, ridiculous, raucous family got her a home. "Thank you!" she finally mustered through joyous tears streaming down her cheeks. They all broke out into smiles and darted down the steps to all hug her at once.

"It smells like B.O. ugh!" Leah cried.

"Get over it, we're hugging!" Jared said.

"Yeah, I agree with Leah, someone STINKS." Quil quipped.

"Jeez Seth when was the last time you took a shower man?!" Embry said poking him in the side.

"Hey!" Seth said sadly.

"Alright, alright! It's my birthday, I have the birthday crown, and I say no picking on Seth today!"

This was met with a volley of groans as the group freed each other from the hug and darted off down the beach. She turned to Jacob.

"Thank you," she said. He wrapped his arms warmly around her body and pulled her close to him.

"You're welcome," he said casually, like it was the easiest thing in the world. Grace rolled her eyes and was about to pull away to join the others when he held her there, giving her that same swallowing look of adoration. Jake's hands were wrapped around her lower back and she had placed her hands on his upper arms. She felt rooted to the spot and stared up at him. The pull in her stomach was quiet, happy. His eyes stopped at her lips and parted hungrily and his face moved closer to hers now. She could feel his warm breath across her face and lips and she felt her mouth water with anticipation as tiny bursts of pleasure shot across her palms and down her arms.

This was the closest they'd been since they had gotten hurt and Grace was melting at his touch. She felt whole, she felt right, and most importantly, she felt like she didn't want to be anywhere else. So many times with Paul she would feel that ache of absence. One that only pleasure would temporarily solve, but with Jake, her body wracked with the realization that this was it.

Grace wanted so much more of this and she was scared.

As his lips started to graze hers he whispered, "Can I?" Just as she opened her mouth gently to receive his kiss, she sucked in a deep breath and pulled her head to the side, pushing against his shoulders gently.

"Jake." She said. He straightened, looking at her confused and letting his arms fall to his side. "I'm sorry," she whispered. She didn't want to push him away. It would have been so frustratingly easy to just let him kiss her and sink into happiness with him, but she was so scared.

The fact was she was not his imprint. And that made the possibility of him imprinting on someone else very likely, almost certain. Grace didn't want to relive that pain again. Whatever Leah had said about their connection being close enough to an imprint wasn't wrong, but it wasn't the unbreakable bond that Grace had to endure as she watched Paul let her go and choose someone else.

The thought of that happening with Jacob was too much for her to bear. She could see it so clearly: In a month, a year, ten years, she'd be with him and happy and then all it would take is one look and he'd be gone. Wrapped in the arms of someone else. She wouldn't let it happen to her again. She took a step back from him and looked out across the beach.

"I'm going to Florida with Bella for a few days," she said looking back at him. Jacob was still watching her with that confused, dejected stare. "Can you look after Seth for me?" She didn't know why she said it. She just wanted this part to be over so she could push past the pain of it. The ache in her was protesting at pulling away from him so quickly.

"Sure." Jacob croaked, his hands down at his side. His eyes lingered down to the bracelet on her wrist. The one he had gifted her after only her first couple of weeks here and he clenched his fists. "Whatever you want." He said before turning up the beach toward the pack. He sounded annoyed, angry even.

Bella came up behind her and put an arm around her. "Sam agreed to let Edward and his family help with the renovations. They're going to start while we're in Florida, so do you want to walk through and tell me what you want changed?" Grace smiled sadly and nodded her head enthusiastically. "Kay, come on sis." She said affectionately, pulling her toward the door. Sam and Paul were already surveying the porch and making notes on what needed repaired and replaced.

Grace crossed the threshold of her new home and felt a whiplash of sadness and happiness pull through her all at once. She was starting her new beginning with so many people surrounding her that she loved, so why did she all of the sudden feel so alone?