Author's Note: Sooooo, it's been a while, huh?
I am so, so sorry that this story has taken me so long to update: between COVID, work and other commitments I've been completely overwhelmed. But your lovely reviews kept me going, and so here is a Jacob-centred update for you all!
Unfortunately, not a huge amount happens here – it's a little filler, but it is relationship building, there is some important dialogue, and it gets us to the next chapter, which is a little more action based!
And we may have some other familiar characters popping in soon too….
I hope you enjoy it, even if it is a little labored as far as Daisy's insecurities go. I just wanted to show you Jacob's take on it all, and Daisy's unfamiliarity with romantic relationships.
Jacob had trouble letting Daisy go that Thursday evening.
Well, he always had trouble letting her go, watching her slowly, even reluctantly, close the front door always daggered through him, cold and steely, and the wound filled inexorably with the anticipation, often desperation, of needing to be near her, the ache relieved only by the soothing warmth of seeing her again.
But shit, was it worse that evening. So much fucking worse.
They'd spent the day wrapped up in one another, Daisy not seeming to mind the insistent attentiveness of his hands, his gaze, his complete attention and adoration. His voice had barely needed to climb above a whisper, his lips on hers or by her ear every moment, asking and answering and exploring more of each other. He couldn't get enough of her, and it wasn't something he was trying to hide. He wanted every fucker in the world to know that she was spoken for, finally, and that if anyone wanted anything from her, even a fucking handshake, they'd have to go through him to get it. The waiter at the diner hadn't much appreciated their display of affection, of intimacy, or so Daisy had informed him, ducking to cover the enchanting warming flush along her cheeks.
Jacob didn't give a shit, had said as much, and sought heaven by kissing her again, not even sparing the staff a glance, bringing his hand up to trace that perfect pink blush that had mesmerized him since the first time he'd met her. Her smile, the glittering storm of her eyes fanned by thick, dark lashes fluttering up at him… goddamnit if he wouldn't sell his soul to stay there with her for the rest of his life, glares from prissy wait-staff be damned.
The more he learned of her, the more intense that feeling became. The more the addiction grew.
He'd peppered her with questions, seemingly mundane and silly, but an insight into her that he hadn't had yet. She didn't have a favourite colour, too enamoured by the beauty of every shade: shiny, deep, glittering, muted – she found it impossible to choose. She'd scoffed at him when he'd chosen the colour of her eyes, rolled those pretty irises and called him a suck-up. He'd just grinned and shrugged, because he was nothing if not honest.
Daisy loved elephants, Greek mythology, the constellations and eclectic music. She didn't like small spaces, coffee, or the smell of gas – well, 'petrol', as she'd titled it, and then proceeded to teasingly protest the name 'gas' in reference to a liquid substance. She had no tattoos, no allergies and no interest in baseball, but did find American football fascinating, if not incredibly confusing.
Jacob cherished each and every snippet of information given to him, squirreling it away to keep to himself, like buried treasure, selfish to the core when it came to his dream girl. Those trinkets she'd bestowed upon him, as well as the revelation of her time at the group home with Michael. One revelation, and her eyes warned him imperceptibly of more, that one revelation that had made him crumble like a stone titan turning to dust, had made him hurt and twist with a pain he hadn't experienced before.
He wanted her close enough to revere and protect every second of every minute of every day. After hearing her, vulnerable and so fucking tiny, relay in her sweet, soft voice – the one he had begun to recognize as laced with uncertainty and foreboding, the same one she'd used in the car only the second day of knowing her when she'd confessed to being haunted by scarier beasts than even him – a fissure formed inside of him, and it was only weaved back together by having her close.
By knowing she was safe.
So dropping her off and leaving her that Thursday evening took more strength than he knew he had. Even if he was going to be back there in 24 hours' time, it was 24 hours too many. 24 hours that dragged by slower than any he could recall.
He'd spent Thursday evening and Friday texting her. Well, actually, he'd spent the time at work and on patrol, but the most enjoyable and important part of his day was texting her. Their conversations were sporadic – both busy, Jacob aware Daisy was at the gym for a long time on Friday with Rachel and Leah, working out frustrations and energy that she was no longer permitted to relieve herself of in an early morning run in the dark – but they were flirty and funny and Jacob didn't even give a shit that Quil and Embry were taking the piss the whole day, unable to dampen the grin on his face.
Jacob had flipped them off as he'd literally run out of the garage, still smiling, and hurried home to get ready for his date, not giving a flying fuck that he was behaving like a thirsty fifteen-year-old before prom.
Freshly showered – and fifteen minutes early – Jacob raised his hand to knock on Daisy's front door when it flew open abruptly and a grinning Michael tumbled out, narrowly missing Jacob, Daisy calling after him, "Yeah, you better run, wolf-boy!"
The grin swiped off Michael's face at seeing his Alpha's raised eyebrows and stoic face and he stopped abruptly, straightening himself up with a nod and respectful, "Jacob."
"Michael." Jacob smirked, nodding in return, "Not causing trouble for your sister, are you? Because Leah and Embry are in the market for a new patrol partner…"
Michael's eyes widened and he shook his head adamantly, looking like he was about ready to shit himself or run for the hills, when Daisy meandered to the doorway, smiling teasingly with a faux-innocent head-tilt, gentle mockery in that perfect voice he had missed so fucking much, "Remind me who it is that needs protection, littl'un?"
Jacob's eyebrows shot up, putting together Michael's initial impishness and Daisy's intonation, flitting his eyes from the slightly sweaty teen before him to his dream girl, casting his gaze down to the smooth, perfect skin revealed by the short hemline of her lilac sweater dress that cinched in at her tiny-as-fuck waist. Well, if they were going to mention his and Daisy's sex life, there was no harm in letting his mind – and attention – wander, bathing in the sweet scent of her and the gathering warm filling the chasms inside of him.
Fucking heaven.
Noting his distraction, Michael coughed a little, looking to his sister in embarrassment for help and desperately bumbling out, "Permission to leave? Please?"
Laughing, she took pity and nodded, "Granted. Be home by midnight."
Vaguely, Jacob was aware of Michael scrambling away, in the same way that he was aware that the sun was near setting, that there was a pair of foxes playing five yards into the forest, that there was a group of teenagers on the beach, and Daisy's neighbour was out putting her washing on the line.
It was all background noise that he was used to. That he had learned to syphon through in case of approaching threats. But he would never be used to the wonder and beauty of Daisy Rae, and when she smiled at him that way, half-unsure of herself, half-thrilled with excitement, Jacob couldn't help himself, shot through with a temptation, a heat that couldn't be denied any longer.
He kissed her.
Her lips were perfect – soft and full, with an undercurrent of raspberry, and Jacob couldn't help the groan at finally feeling her again, of being filled completely by her. There was nothing on earth or in heaven, he was sure, more perfect and delicious than his Daisy, and kissing her was a gift bestowed on him by the gods.
He walked her backward, arms wrapped around her waist, absently shutting the door behind them, keeping the rest of the world at bay as he licked at her lower lip, wanting more, and soaring blissfully as she opened, yielding to him without hesitation.
The little sound that escaped the back of her throat, something between a sigh and a whimper, shot through him like a livewire, and his wolf responded instinctively, pulling her impossibly tighter into him with a growl. Hands clutching at his neck, holding to him, Daisy returned his vehemence in kind, and Jacob never wanted the moment to end.
But it did all the same. Allowing her to pull away, Daisy drew in ragged, quick breaths, her face still near to his, and animalistic pride swelled in Jacob at the swelling red of her lips.
Smiling, laughing slightly with a fluster that made Jacob smirk, Daisy shook her head, clearing her thoughts and throat and shot at him playfully, "It's nice to see you, too."
Jacob pulled a mocking face, keeping her dainty, slightly trembling frame tangled up in the strength of his arms, "You only got nice from that? Shit, I must have done it wrong." He ducked his head lower, wanting to see into her eyes, not caring about the ache it caused, and nudging her nose with his own, teasing them both with his lips only a centimeter from hers as she breathed a laugh, moving her hands through his hair rhythmically, not understanding that every tiny thing she did drove him fucking crazy. "God, I fucking missed you."
Daisy rolled her eyes, but the smile didn't leave her face, nor the glow of her ivory skin dim in the slightest, "You haven't had a chance to miss me: we've been texting all day. If you keep it up, you'll be bored of me in no time."
There was a tone to her voice that layered her joke with something murky, something unsure that Jacob felt in his bones, which made him guide her lowered gaze back to his with a crooked finger under her chin, watching her teeth tug at her lower lip almost uncertainly, sparking Jacob with yet another flame of roaring heat and want, adding to the inferno that had blazed, unstoppable, since the first moment he'd seen her.
Her insecurities from the day before flooded back to him, of her ridiculous notion that she wasn't worthy of him – that he had been shafted with the rough end of the deal. The very notion of it made him break into a thousand pieces: that she believed she could ever be less than perfect; that she believed he deserved more, better, as if better than her even existed – that she just couldn't see the truth of it all.
So he shook his head definitively, "Not possible. I'll never get enough of you, dream girl." And he kissed her again, shorter and sweeter, as if to punctuate the statement with finality. "If you have some of that protection lying around I'll show you right here, right now."
Daisy laughed and brought her hands to shove him, propelling herself backward as she reddened further at seeing Jacob's waggling eyebrows, and only half-playful expression. She raised an index finger, her curls thick and wild around her, and Jacob allowed himself to remain enthralled by her, "This is not that kind of date, Jacob Black – you wolves and your dirty imaginations." She shook her head, as if exasperated by him.
He moved to close the distance between them again, slow and predatory, a sly grin on his face, "When it comes to me and you gorgeous, dirty doesn't even begin to cover it." His expression was wicked, and she sparkled mischievously in front of him, a vision of innocence and devilish temptation all in one. For each step he took forward, she moved a half one back, wagging her finger from side to side at him before landing her hands on the captivating curve of her hips.
"Are all Americans this brazen, or does being a supernatural hunk come with a goliath portion of cockiness too?" And she turned from him, moving into the kitchen and to the stove, stirring a pot of something pink and steaming.
Jacob noted that the table had been set prettily, candles had been sporadically lit through the cabin, and a kind of domestic warmth surrounded him, something he hadn't felt in an age. Music played in the background, humming through the atmosphere gently. He made his way over to her, the need to touch her overwhelming still, and he wondered if it would ever peter down, ever dampen, how the other imprinted wolves ever got anything done without their better half in reach.
He settled his strong arms around her waist, pushing her silken curls aside to run his nose over the length of her neck, making her giggle and squirm a little, placing hot, open-mouthed kisses into the sensitive skin and earning a purr in return, Daisy's head rolling back to savour the sensation, Jacob thinking about how he could do this every day for the rest of their lives and die the happiest man on earth.
"Not cocky – just honest." He ran his teeth teasingly over her earlobe, reveling in the hitch of her breath, his arms tightening around her further, murmuring roughly, breath hot against her, "Smells incredible."
"You think that about every meal," she breathed back, trying to maintain enough composure to hold onto the thread of the conversation, turning the sauce down to a simmer as if to suck away some of the burning heat stirring between them.
Jacob smirked, "I wasn't talking about the food."
He felt her swallow, and wondered if she could feel his need for her, his excitement. When she responded, he was sure she could, and it made him grin wolfishly, "At this rate there won't be any food, not with you distracting me like this, and from what I've seen a wolf's got to eat."
"Yes, he does." Jacob grazed his teeth over her pulse point, nipping gently, and her hands came out to grip the counter as she pushed her back against him instinctively, inhaling quickly. He bit the inside of his cheek at the feeling of her tucked tightly against him, restraining himself as much as he could, breathing heavier, needier.
"This isn't how I remember the fairytale going." She breathed, voice airy and light, eyes half-mast and lashes casting dark shadows over the curve of her high cheekbones.
Jacob laughed, running his stubble over her neck, teasing with easy wickedness and innuendo, "We're still on track for a happy ending, I can promise you that."
The tension diffused, Daisy laughing at the pun and turning to shove him away, returning playfully, "Any excuse to get out of your trousers," before moving to stir the sauce, checking her timer.
Watching her, keen-eyes unable to waver from her figure, Jacob leant back comfortably against the breakfast counter, arms crossed and muscles flexed against the light cotton of his white t-shirt, analyzing her flustered demeanor, wondering at her discomfort. She hadn't seemed off, per se, but something was bothering her – he could feel it. Had he come on too strong? Again? Was she still shy with him, even now?
"You alright, dream girl?"
She nodded, biting her lip before turning back to the stove, shooting him a muddled look he couldn't quite grasp, "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I'm just –" she shrugged, running a fidgeting hand through her tresses, "I'm uh, still getting used to the, um – " she broke off, turning to face him abruptly, summoning her strength and bluntness, "Ok, so - I'm not exactly, you know, experienced." She wrapped her arms around herself, eyes cast away from him, and Jacob resisted the temptation to move closer to her, to put soothing hands on her, forcing himself to let her speak, "And this sex talk, and at the gym today, I – well – I know there's no rush, or anything, and that we can just take our time, but it just, it reminds me that you are. Experienced, I mean."
Feeling a little bruised, Jacob tilted his head, tone incredulous, "And what, you think I'm going to be disappointed?"
Daisy's teeth sank into her lip as she looked to him from beneath a cove of lashes, shrugging her narrowed shoulders, "I've only been with one person."
Jacob sighed in relief, selfishly pleased, "Well, I'm not gonna lie gorgeous, that makes me fucking ecstatic." He stepped forward, unable to help himself any longer, his hands moving to her neck, thumbs rough against the soft of her cheeks as the amber of his eyes soothed the storm of hers, "Not that it was him, or that he groomed and abused you – that makes me fucking sick. But knowing that when I kill him I'll be the only man alive to have seen you naked; to have touched you, been inside you – whenever it is you're ready for that – that makes me happier than I can explain."
Daisy rolled her eyes and scoffed, "You realise how hypocritical that is, right? How many life sentences I would have to serve to be in the same position?" Jacob winced at her words, at the truth of them, and skimmed his hands down to her upper-arms to keep her from moving away from him like she planned to.
"Daisy –"
She shook her head, cutting him off in wide-eyed vulnerability that he couldn't look away from, "Look, I don't want you to apologise, there's no need – you have a past, you're entitled to a past: I have a past too, everybody has a past, and my past isn't just past, it's present too, and – and I've said 'past' so many times I've lost control of my thoughts." Jacob smiled in spite of himself – so fucking cute – and gave her time to recalibrate, loving the way her mind worked around thought. He watched as she shoved an aggravated hand through her hair, huffing out in difficulty before pausing to collect her notions and continuing, "It's a lot to compete with, is all." And she shrugged a single shoulder, looking so small.
If nothing else, Jacob was going to make sure this woman knew her fucking worth from here on out. He'd combat years of insecurity and abandonment to do it, and he would fucking succeed, because he could barely stand seeing her think so little of herself.
Jacob was shaking his head before she even had a chance to finish, guiding his grip to her waist, rubbing circles with the rough pad of his thumbs as he pleaded with her in explanation, "Dream girl, there is nothing to compete with. Holding your hand is a more intense, exciting experience than every night I've had with another woman, combined. Kissing you is like a religious fucking experience. Having sex with you? I'm honestly not convinced I'll survive that kind of bliss, but hell if I won't die trying." She laughed in spite of herself, and Jacob grinned, "I mean it, gorgeous. You have nothing – nothing – to worry about. Those women weren't anything to me. You are everything. And I, for one, cannot fucking wait to show you how damn amazing it's going to be when we take that step."
Daisy sighed, looking embarrassed, focusing shyly on the material of his shirt, bringing her fingers up to trace gentle patterns into his chest, "I'm sorry – I know I'm getting inside my own head and I'm not very good at this, and I shouldn't be so-"
He kissed her softly, lingering gently, before placing soft kisses over her face and holding her to him in a loving embrace, "You don't ever have to apologise, dream girl. I want to know what's on your mind, no matter what."
Pulling back, Daisy smiled at him and Jacob felt himself flood with warm relief, remembering his desire to demolish an entire fucking forest when he thought of another man's hands on her, remember his aching soul at the pain it must cause her to know he'd practically been all over the coast the past decade. Their bond was so strong, etched so deep, he wouldn't blame her for screaming at his stupid, ignorant behaviour until she was hoarse and he was trembling.
"So there's never been anyone else? Anyone you truly wanted to be with?" Jacob paused, mouth a little agape, and Daisy raised her eyebrows knowingly, smiling without humour as she nudged him gently, "Maybe a certain police chief's daughter, for instance?"
Surprised, Jacob stared at her, astonished – when the fuck had she picked up on that tidbit of information? Had she garnered that from their brief conversation about the Cullens on Wednesday? Her knowing smirk made him think so. "You're a sneaky kind of observant, you know that?"
She tilted her head with fake humility, "You learn to look for signals in foster care. Besides, your sister's a gossip." She explained, watching Jacob groan and roll his eyes before prompting, "Young love?"
Jacob scoffed, "A stupid-as-shit crush. Made a lot of dickwad moves that I hated myself for for a long time."
"So you two were never –"
"Together?" He finished for her, adamantly shaking his head, "No. She loved her leech, and I fucking hated him. And later, both of them. Besides," he smirked smugly, "I knew I had someone much, much better out there somewhere, and I'm not big into settling for less."
Daisy tiptoed, aided by Jacob's hands on her hips, whispering her lips against his in a soft kiss, "Hmm, good answer." And she turned from him at the beep of her timer, reaching into the refrigerator and handing him a beer, "And for that, you get fed instead of being banished from my cabin covered in this chorizo sauce. Go sit down, handsome. Dinner will be ready in five minutes."
"Can I help with anything?" He set his beer down on the coaster, scanning the table, "You want a drink, gorgeous?"
Upon her stunning smile and request, he grabbed a beer for her too, grinning as he stated he didn't know she was a beer fan. Her cheeky shrug and look of painted mystery accompanied her easy response, "I'm not all tea and crumpets."
"Oh I know," Jacob sat, watching her with a rumbling stomach as she plated their food, wondering if she realised she was moving her hips in time to the music just ever so slightly, an enticing reminder of the night she admitted to wanting him, "There's the cocktails and Jaeger too."
Daisy laughed, nodding as she placed his plate – piled sky high – in front of him and took the seat opposite, "In my defense I did not choose the Jaeger. The Jaeger chose me. And by that, I mean Leah made me." She gestured to his plate, "Tuck in. Please don't eat anything if you don't like it – we can always order pizza. On the other hand, if you do like it, I made enough for an army, so feel free to grab any seconds or take some home with you - Oh!" She stood quickly and grabbed a basket from the side, placing it between them, "Almost forgot the bread!"
He refrained from grabbing her as she stood and seating her in his lap, soothing her fidgeting, warming her cold hands, feeding her from his plate. The animal instincts in him were possessive and vociferous, and he found himself tempering them consistently. Slow, he reminded himself. Human pace.
That same advice did not apply to his food, and it was only minutes before his plate was clear, the mellow spice of the sauce and garlic of the potatoes dancing on his tongue. "That was the best thing I have ever eaten in my whole goddamn life."
Daisy laughed at him, shining at the praise but shaking her head at his dramatics, her plate still half-full, "So this soulmate thing impacts the tastebuds too. Good to know." She joked, standing to serve him more before he told her to finish her plate, and that he'd serve himself.
She managed to finish most of her food, at a much more reasonable pace than Jacob, idle chatter flowing easily between them. Placing down her cutlery, she conceded to her full stomach, "Thank god for Leah's Friday combat class, otherwise I'd be going up a jean size from that meal alone."
Jacob thought she'd still be the sexiest woman alive if she went up ten jean sizes, and told her so, watching her blush and smile, sipping on her beer and calling him a smooth talker. "I'll bear that in mind the next time Emily makes muffins." She added, and Jacob grinned, nodding.
He helped her clear the plates and load the dishwasher, laughing at her when she said she'd not used it once, unsure of how to work it, having stuck to old school washing up at the sink. He talked her through it with amusement, kissing her when her eyes lit up at having a clean kitchen so quickly and a working dishwasher. They ended up on the couch for the rest of the evening, talking and laughing, Daisy curled into his side, her fingers running over the length of his, skimming absently over the tattoos on his arms, making him wild at the tenderness of the sensation.
It was only when Michael arrived home that Jacob left, disappointed and reluctant as always, kissing her sweetly so as to not illicit more than the disgruntled 'gross' from her brother. Daisy rolled her eyes at the young shifter while Jacob just shot him an amused look of warning.
And while Jacob still absolutely fucking detested leaving Daisy there, there was something he wanted to see, something he wanted to find out, and he knew where he had to go to get it.
Fortunately for him, Leah was on patrol that night.
He made it home in five minutes, tossing his shirt and jeans aside speedily and shifting as he left his kitchen, calling out to Leah in his mind and meeting her in an open clearing in the woods.
Daisy ok? Was his friend's first question, and it warmed Jacob as well alerted him that yeah, this was a conversation needed.
What the fuck happened? He asked, playing images of Daisy to show that yes, she was fine, but also the tenderness, insecurity in her eyes as she mouthed silent words, so unsure of herself, Jacob unwilling to share their conversation, selfish with her as always.
He could feel Leah roll her eyes, And you couldn't ask her instead of cornering me because…?
Jacob growled, hearing Leah's derisive snort at his overprotectiveness, Because she's too sweet to tell me if Rachel's been an asshole. Tell me what happened.
Leah huffed at the order, You're an asshole. And Rachel loves Daisy.
Jacob sneered, As if that makes a difference – she's fucking oblivious and you know it. What did she say to her?
Conceding and throwing herself to the ground in boredom, Leah lazily presented to him snippets of conversation between the girls at the gym. Rachel's excitement at learning of Daisy's agreement to date Jacob. That she was in for a treat with the imprinting bond – Jesus, he hoped he didn't look as seedy as his sister did when she wagged her eyebrows – and with that inordinate amount of practice Jacob had over the years, it might make dealing with the Staceys of the world worth it…
Yeah, there it was.
I'm going to kill her.
Leah scoffed, She was just joking and she barely said anything. Stop being such a pussy. It's not as if she knows that Daisy has esteem issues – and why would she? A Sasquatch is too good for you; Daisy's a fucking dream. We're all still trying to figure out what the hell she sees in you.
Jacob paused, trying to unclench the tightening in his jaw, the grinding of his teeth. It hurt to admit it, but he knew there was nothing malicious in his sister's words, nothing major or even untrue, Shit. You're right.
Obviously, Leah responded lethargically, and Jacob released a noise that was way too close to a whine for his liking.
She's so perfect. I just don't understand how she can't see it, Jacob lamented, folding his paws to lay on the damp grass, letting it soothe the heat of his fur.
Leah rolled onto her back, her cynicism clear, I mean, I'm no expert, but I'm guessing constant abandonment coupled with trust issues might do that to a girl. Did you tell Daisy that soppy shit you just oh-so-kindly made me suffer through?
It was Jacob's turn to look at her like she was an idiot, Yeah.
Leah continued, sounding bored with his obliviousness, Did she feel better?
Jacob thought back to Daisy's stupefying smile with a grin of his own, Yeah.
Leah's voice in his head raised and rasped, Then what the fuck are you bitching about?
Huffing, Jacob started to explain again his fear, his pain, I just don't want her to feel like she's not good enough, when she's –
Abruptly cutting him off, Leah flattened her tone, Perfect, yeah, so you've said. She rolled her eyes, continuing, Jesus. You've been on two dates –
Three, Jacob corrected, If you count Wednesday, which he did.
Growling, Leah snapped at him, Christ, shut the fuck up already. She's insecure still? You only started this shit two days ago. Give the girl some time to overcome a 22 year shit-storm of neglect and abuse, ok? Heads up, it'll probably take more than 70 hours. She scoffed, Idiot.
A pause followed, and Jacob felt like banging his head against a tree for being so needy and impatient. It was a hell of a lot easier to blame his sister, someone who he could throw violent words at and threaten to tear into, who was present and fallible, rather than admitting that there were people in Daisy's past that he'd never have the opportunity to make pay for her hurt. To make them pay for her pain.
I really fucking hate it when you make sense.
Leah laughed, not unkindly, I really fucking hate it when you whine like a bitch. We all cope. She stood swiftly, a lopsided, plotting grin on her face, And in exchange for my supreme wisdom, you can finish my last hour of patrol.
I mean, it was pretty long, and I hope not too boring. Next chapter promises to be far more fun!