Jessica Stanley, GOAT
Part XIII
Time is a funny thing. It can pass by in the blink of an eye or drag on like watching paint dry. Seriously, Jessica was just trying to process everything as best as possible. It's not like after she walked out of the front door of her mom's apartment that she expected to almost immediately run into the Cullen's and more wolves. Well not immediately, but she felt disoriented from how fast she was being carried by the one her mom referred to as Marcus. So it kinda felt like immediately because they could move at Superman speed. Which was frightening because they didn't seem like heroes.
Honestly, it all felt like everything happened in six blinks to her.
Blink.
She was in Marcus's arms while speeding out of Forks from her mom's apartment.
Blink.
Movement stopped. Her first sighting of all the Cullen's minus Bella for like almost four years.
Blink.
Wolves (similar to Seth size and in a variety of colors) were with the Cullen's displaying nasty growls and made Jessica cling a little tighter to Marcus although she was sure they were there for her.
Blink.
Seth's sandy brown wolf arrived and settled at the front of the pack while mind reading Edward (like WTF?!) began to mediate on behalf of the wolves.
Blink.
Her "new family" gave no justification why they couldn't leave without Jessica and it was pretty certain a fight was about to go down. And she found herself on the losing side again.
Blink.
While she watched sparks fly between the opposing groups, Jessica did some more self-reflection. Being in fear for your life seemed just to bring out such thoughts.
All her life, Jessica had been spoiled and selfish on a lot of occasions. In this moment, what if the most selfish person in the area could become the most selfless? Her sacrifice here and now could save a life. A martyr though not for the masses, but Seth. Because she didn't want him to lose any of his friends in this impending battle because of her mother's mess. Or even worse...for him to get hurt. So, Jessica Stanley for once in her life was going to do the kindest thing, the biggest tweak that would alter her world. She would tell the well-intentioned heroes that she was still leaving with her mother (and omit tell them it was for their protection to help eliminate protests).
Before she opened her mouth, Jessica momentarily locked eyes with Edward Cullen across the way. And for once in her life she saw gratitude harbored in the gold rings of his eyes that was meant for her. Because he knew her choice and she could only assume he agreed it was the best way forward to avoid any casualties.
"Hey!" Jessica yelled and for once all the hooligans shut the fuck up and looked at her (well, she was the focus for this standoff, right?). "I am going with my mom and her friends. Edward, hold Seth. This is my choice. I have to go and figure this out with them."
"They want to turn you." Jessica's body stiffened in Marcus's arms because she hadn't expected that at all.
"I figured. But I won't." She was a liar pretending like she figured it out on her own. And of course, Edward, the mind reading brat, knew she was bullshitting but she begged him to sell this for Seth. She wanted to act brave.
"Let him come with you. He can protect you and-"
"Can he?" Jessica didn't need any further evidence support from Edward to make her inclined to ask. She looked up to Marcus's stoic face unsure if he was the decision maker on this.
"No. Of course the mongrel can't," her captor retorted after snorting.
"But he's my...mate." The word mate was strained but she was able to coax it out. "If we separate for too long, he will die." This was a fib or maybe true. Hell, Jessica had no idea. She was pulling this out of her ass right now because she now knew they were intending to take her to Italy. "And I will be living with a shattered soul." Okay, she could admit she was going a tad Shakespeare here, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
"Aro was fascinated with these beasts when we were last here. He may be supportive since it could be his son-in-law. Let him come. If he is out of line, Jane will torture him," Alec chimed in to Jessica's delight (and perhaps Jane's?).
"Seth, turn back and promise you won't turn wolf on this trip. Or you can't come. I won't watch this sicko torture you for her own pleasure."
Not only did Seth turn back, so had Jake. Two naked Quileutes unashamed about their figures on display (and could you blame them with their ripped bods?!) were now standing at the front of the group. Jessica did her best to avert her eyes, but she could admit she got a sneak peak of Seth's package and she was not disappointed. A deep blush enveloped her cheeks not from seeing his dick (Come on it wasn't her first! She had received unsolicited dick pics in the past, ya know?) but recalling she admitted she was a virgin to him. Ahhhhh, not the time to think on this, Jessica scolded herself while wiggling her body around in Marcus's hold to perhaps be let down.
"No." Jake's voice was low and scary as he refused Jessica's request. His current aura of rage made their brief encounters in the past look like he was all sunshine and rainbows around her. She stopped wiggling and now preferred to be in the safety of Marcus's arms while a fire raged in the black pits one once called Jake's eyes. "No one in my pack is going anywhere. Including their imprint." Chills with origins of surprise and terror ran down Jessica's spine. She didn't understand why Jake was speaking for Seth? What had he meant by my pack? Was this idiot their leader? Lord help them if that was the case because Jessica had no faith in Jake as a leader of ferocious wildebeests.
A light sound of snickering caught Jessica's attention. She turned her head to find the culprit to be Edward. Light bulb. He could read her mind and was listening to Jessica's rant about Jake being an unfit leader. Oops! Well, she just hoped she wouldn't be ratted out.
"Okay...I will go without Seth." Jessica was admittedly disappointed Seth couldn't come because she wanted to feel safe and she felt like the long trip could provide an ample amount of time for Seth to come clean about EVERYTHING.
"You're an imprint, Jessica. I said you're not going." Jessica was torn between glaring at Jake with a side delivery of her middle finger or just giving in to lock in on Seth's beautiful, big brown kind eyes. Ugh. What a hot mess.
"Well, this is my family. At least my mom. I haven't been explained how the others fit in. I am sure things may have unfolded differently if Seth hadn't dropped me off. But...I have to go. And if it has to be without Seth, that's fine." She hadn't lied. It's not what she wanted. But she would still live if Seth didn't come with her. She didn't understand how the imprint or mating thing worked. She would be lying if she didn't admit she was still kind of in shock over everything and wasn't really processing anything yet. She had been acting on impulse ever since Seth first phased into a wolf this evening.
"If she is going, I am going." Seth took one step forward to Jessica before Jake grabbed his arm.
"You don't know what could-" Jake began to snarl before Seth cut him off.
"And if it was Renesmee? You'd just let her go?"
"That's not the same because we wouldn't be in this situation..."
"Like hell we weren't! Four years ago a lot more of these vampires were coming for YOUR imprint. We put ourselves on the line. Do me the favor and let me make my own decision about mine. No more holding me back with your Alpha order's when it concerns her. I know I am your beta, but she is my imprint." Seth took his eyes off Jake and turned his sole attention to Jessica. His intense gaze made her heart skip a beat. "Didn't you know? Her soul would shatter without me when we part." Seth's smooth wink on the word "shatter" shot an arrow straight into Jessica's heart. She wasn't sure if she was beginning to feel warm and tingly from embarrassment or glee that perhaps Seth was tagging along after all.
In the same moment Jake let go of Seth, Marcus set Jessica down on her feet. Jessica resisted running over to Seth in case he nabbed her and hid her behind the wolves, crumbling her efforts to end this whole ordeal peacefully. He had to come to her… and he did.
Reminding herself he was naked, she stripped off her shirt with no hesitation and handed it to him. "You're showing off your boobs to everyone, Jess," Seth hissed. Jessica held her arm to his hard, defined chest to stop him from moving forward. What a jealous dummy, she was wearing a bra.
"It's on par with a swimsuit, Seth. Wrap my shirt around your waist. Because right now you're the one really showing off the goods." Jessica returned the wink to Seth with a smug expression on her face. Seth grumbled before tearing the shirt in half like it was a piece of paper and tying it around his waist. It was hardly much coverage, but hey, at least it was something.
"Better?" Seth asked and Jessica confirmed it was by jumping up to wrap her arms around his neck to bring his head down for a long overdue kiss. The movement of their lips brushing up against one another started off nice and slow. Just when things were about to pick up-
"You guys know we're all still here, right?!" Jake's voice boomed speaking on what everyone else had to be thinking.
Author's Note: LOL! This update was funny for me to write. Two more installments to go for this story! :O Happy Easter, friends!
Response to review:
Cassy-Kay: A lot will be explained in the last two parts about what the hell is going on :D
Marianka: A lot of your questions should be answered next update! :D I hope you enjoyed what unfolded in this part!
Readaholic187: Woah! Honestly that is a great point I hadn't thought of! I am going to keep that in mind with the last two installments :D