As we walked to Sam's, completely at peace despite everything that was going on around us, a feeling I was getting way too comfortable with, Jake reached out for my hand and like he had done so many times before, he gripped it in his own. There was something different this time though. I didn't get to think about it before he answered my unasked question. He spun me around and grabbed the back of my head, my hair weaving between his fingers as he pulled me closer to him, his other hand at the small of my back. His lips met mine. They were filled with passion and need and as his tongue slipped into my mouth to massage my own I was filled with that unknown feeling again, that one that made me clench my thighs tightly together and moan his name deeply.
His fingers dug into my back when he heard me but this just forced another moan out of me, higher this time, without my consent. "Jake…" I whispered, pulling away to catch my breath. What was I even doing? Was I ready for something like this, so soon into our relationship? I breathed heavily, and blinked rapidly, trying to clear my head before covering my face and taking a deep breath. Edward and I had barely kissed, just lips and here I was with Jake's tongue in my mouth. "We have to…"
"Jacob Black." I heard my father say from behind me. My eyes went wide and my face turned a bright shade of red. I opened my eyes when Jake didn't respond and looked at his face, drained of blood as my father shot daggers at him with his own eyes. I gave a little kick at his foot to snap him out of it.
"Yes, Charlie? Mr. Swan. Sir… Chief." He audibly gulped. Nice one Jake. Act like he didn't help raise you most of your life.
"Now I know I did not see what I think I just saw. My eyes were playing tricks on me, yes?" Charlie asked. Oh God! Jake was dead. Charlie was going to kill him.
"Wh-What did you think you see?" Jake asked, his face guilty as anything.
"You putting your hands on my little girl?" Yup. He was dead. I couldn't even call the cops because he WAS the cops. How did I get myself into this mess? How do I get myself out, or more importantly Jake out?
"Charlie." What the hell was I doing? "Yes, you saw what you saw but I am capable of making decisions for myself and you don't need to protect me anymore." Oh well that could have been worse. Go, me!
"Bella, no matter your age, you will always be my baby girl. I will protect you until the day I die. Even from boys like him." Charlie said, finally making eye contact with me.
"He's good though. I know why you think you need to protect me but he's not going to hurt me like Edward did."
"You can't be certain of that and I don't ever want to see that Bella again. I couldn't handle it." How have I neglected such an amazing dad for so long? What happened to me when I moved here? Who the hell even am I? This man never asked for my mom to take me away all those years ago. He even still loved her despite everything that happened and knowing she still loved him but just wasn't a small town girl must have hurt like Hell. He deserved more respect than what I've been giving him. I have a lot of years to make up for.
"Actually, Dad, I can." No more of this Charlie nonsense. I am making an effort. I glanced at Jake for permission and he nodded. "Part of the legends about the Quileute wolf pack revolves around them finding that one person who makes them whole and they, what they call, imprint. It's essentially like…" I looked at Jake again and my entire body got warm. "It's like finding your soul mate. Your other half. These people, the imprints are important to the pack. Protected and loved and there is nothing the wolf, or the man the wolf is inside of would do to hurt their or another pack members imprint. They're physically incapable. It's like their one absolute law, protect the imprints." Something about that sentence was tickling a part of my brain but I couldn't quite figure it out. Like something was trying to get through and tell me something but I couldn't figure out what.
"So this imprint thing… he did that to you?"
"It's not something you do, it just… happens." Jake finally chimed in. "Like love at first sight even though you've seen her a thousand times before. Even when you knew you loved her from the very beginning, your heart belongs completely to her, no question, no doubt." My heart started to race, Jake's eyes piercing into my very soul. "You'd do anything for her. Be anything for her. Protector, friend… lover." Ok it was official, I definitely could not be around Jake alone, ever. His words stuck with me though, something about them but again, I couldn't figure it out. It was like my brain was mush today. He looked over to Charlie, seemingly struggling with tearing his eyes away, but he did it. "Bella is safe with me. I won't ever allow anything or anyone to harm her. Not physically and not emotionally."
Charlie took a deep breath in then let it out. "You're lucky I see you as a son because if it had been that boy… I wouldn't have given him the chance to speak."
"Thank you, Dad."
"Go on, don't let me catch you again though!" Charlie said. We started jogging away from him, then he raised his voice loud enough that we could hear but that the nearest houses wouldn't. "I have a gun, and I know how to hide a body."
"Oh my God!" I turned back to look at him as he waved with a sinister smile on his face and hit my shoe against a rock, tumbling to the ground. I closed my eyes and put my hands out in front of me as a small scream escaped my lips but I never hit the ground. When I opened my eyes, I was in Jake's arms. He placed me on the ground and held on while I steadied myself then turned toward my dad and gave a thumbs up. He reached for my hand and pulled me along to Sam's.
"Your dad is scarier than the scariest vamps. I wouldn't take him on with a pack beside me." I couldn't help but laugh at this. My amazing, strong, BRAVE, werewolf boyfriend was afraid of my dad. I guess that's kind of how things are supposed to be though, in normal relationships? My relationship with Edward, if you can call it a relationship, was never normal. He never got those normal feelings. It made me wonder, what human emotions does he actually feel? Fear doesn't seem to be one. He says love, but I feel that might be more of obsession than anything. Well whatever he feels, I never want to see him again and when this mess with Victoria is over, I want him gone from Forks forever.
We reached Sam's and Jake left pretty quick. I would not get used to this. I wanted him with me always, though I suppose that's what going to work would feel like. It's actually kind of normal, his work just doesn't pay the bills.
I helped Emily, like I normally did since I entered their world, with baking and cooking to make sure the boys, and now Leah, would have some place to come back to and recharge. I decided to also make some freshly squeezed lemonade. When I was done mixing it, I tossed in some ice cubes and turned to put it on the table and was shocked to see Seth coming in the door.
"Seth!" I'm not sure why I was so excited to see him, we were never friends or anything but I was glad he was finally on two legs again. When he found out how close his dad was to death, he was so angry that he couldn't seem to change back. Leah actually seemed to have the easiest time of all the wolves from what I heard. "How are you feeling?"
"A little wobbly. Two feet is harder than it looks and it isn't like riding a bike. I'm also starving."
"Well, you're in luck. Emily and I have a gourmet meal done up for you. Just sit down and relax those legs for a few minutes and I'll serve it up. Sam and Emily went outside. Must be hard having people always around. I dished up some meatloaf, a tomato sauce on top, broccoli and cheese casserole, a muffin and some cookies. When I set it in front of Seth he gave me this look I couldn't decipher.
"This is a lot of food, Bella." He started eating it, and looked like he was enjoying it.
"You'll probably ask for seconds. Welcome to being a wolf." My life is so weird now. As I expected, and to Seth's surprise, he finished every bite and asked for another muffin and some lemonade.
I decided to take a break from cooking and headed to the bathroom. When I wiped I noticed that there was a bit of red on the toilet paper. Oh no, the depo shot. I knew random bleeding was normal but with everything going on, I completely forgot and was no where near prepared. I finished up, washed up and poked my head out of the door.
"Emily, could you come here please?" I yelled down the hall. I could hear her respond and shortly after she was rounding the corner.
"Everything ok?" she asked.
"Do you by any chance have a pad or tampon I could use?"
Emily seemed annoyed and asked, "Do you not normally keep some with you?"
Wow, that sounded rude. "Normally yes however with everything going on, I forgot I might need them." She raised one of her eyebrows questioningly. Oh this was embarrassing. "I got the depo provera shot and now I'm bleeding a little but my period isn't due for another week so I didn't think to grab anything. Can you help?"
"Fine, but only one. Get your self to the store. These are not cheap." Emily walked into the bathroom and over to a floor to ceiling cabinet, pulling a key out of her pocket and unlocked the smaller bottom section. The top didn't appear to have a lock. She opened up the door and reached inside. Something told me to look so I leaned forward a little and peaked inside over her shoulder.
There were a few things in there, including tampons but there were two things that stood out to me. One was a folded piece of brown paper and the other was a beautiful necklace that was sitting on top of the paper. It looked familiar but I couldn't figure out why. It was absolutely beautiful. 2 rose gold hearts intertwined with what looked like a round piece of opal in the center on a rose gold chain. I stepped back so it didn't seem like I saw anything and leaned against the wall.
"So what's with the locked cabinet, anyways?" I asked, despite her cranky attitude.
"You know how boys are, don't want any pranks of them flushing the whole box and clogging the pipes." She said, still sounding annoyed.
I could definitely believe that, but I didn't. I wasn't sure if it was just a gut feeling or my weird prophetic abilities but something about those two items were calling for me. I shook it off for now and told myself to remember it for later.
When I was done I went to the dining table and sat next to Seth who was finishing off some more lemonade, good thing I made two batches. I put a few things on my plate and ate lunch. When I was done eating, Leah was walking through the door.
"Oh just the bodyguard I needed to see. I have to run to the store. Care to join?"
"I was hoping for some of this delicious looking food. Could Sam go?" Leah asked, practically drooling.
"I was kind of hoping for another girl?" I made a face and she rolled her eyes.
"Fine. I'll just grab some to go." Leah took as much as she could and walked out the door. I made a mental note to buy her something while at the store for helping me out. After we were out of earshot she asked. "Do I need to assume this is period related?"
"Yes. Thank you for coming with me. Jake would die if he knew I went alone and taking a boy with me is just embarrassing."
"You know they'll find out eventually anyways, right? Pack mind." Leah reminded me
"Yeah but this is still less embarrassing." I said, Leah shrugged. We arrived at the only store on Quileute lands, just in front of Quil's house and I bought tampons, two slurpies, ice cream bars and some Twinkies.
"I don't think that will make it back to Sam's for Jake to enjoy." Leah said, shaking her head at my full hands, struggling with the cast to hold on to everything.
"Well I bought it for you as a thank you. You've been an amazing friend and I appreciate you." Leah lifted one of her eyebrows though I could see my words meant something to her. "I did not mean to make that come out so… sappy but it's true."
"Thank you, Bella. I haven't really had a friend, a sister really, since… Well not for a while. It feels good to be able to trust someone again and I do, I trust you."
Leah hugged me, a bit tighter than I expected but it was nice. I could really see our friendship growing. Leah was such a kind person when you didn't look at the bitter outside at the life she was dealt. This friendship would be one for the history books.
Link for the necklace
www dot amazon dot com /Necklace-Plated-Heart-Shape-Pendant/dp/B07CG8VM3V#immersive-view_1622893338702
