Dearest Readers,

Thank you ALL for sticking with me. I am starting to get more energy back and here comes a wave of updates for you guys. I hope. Let me know what you think, as always, and please give me some ideas as to what YOU want to see happen ;) I have a plan for this plot, but I want to know what the readers think, too!

XOXO Ally Layne.

Bad Moon Rising

Chapter 12: The Chihuahua Named Jake

I really didn't want there to be someone knocking on my door bright and early in the morning, but then again, we don't always get what we want.

I tried to smother myself with my pillow at the incessant pounding on the door. After hiking up my comforter past my ears and trying to drown out the sound as best I could to catch a few more minutes of blissful sleep- the dickwad started to call my name.

"Andie! Answer the door!"

Ugh. At this point I would be willing to drown myself to get rid of that racket. Friggin wolves and their bad habits.

Jake Black seemed to be the worst out of all of them. And here he was, banging on my door.

"Get out of bed and answer the door, you know I can hear your heartbeat!"

I paused. He cando what?

"Then you can hear me telling you to shut the hell up," I grumbled. "Let me sleep."

"It's already noon! You've been sleeping for over 12 hours!"

I opened my eyes and checked my alarm clock to make sure he wasn't lying to me.

Damn, the dickwad was telling the truth.

But wait… "How did you know I've been sleeping for over 12 hours, you pug!"

I quickly put on a bra, a clean ACDC sweatshirt, and some jeans before stomping over to the door while hearing the sound of laughter come from the other side. I was well aware I had bad breath and my hair was sticking up in multiple directions, but at least I was wearing clothes.

Ripping open the door, I prepared myself to deliver the biggest dressing-down of the century to that jerk. But as soon as I was hit with a bright light shining from behind him, something also commonly referred to as the sun, I winced and shut my eyes with a groan.

"What are you, a vamp? Wake up, Andie, we got chaos to spread," Jake told me, his voice sounding way too chipper for me to be around this early in the day.

"What are you, a golden retriever? Go find a stick to fetch, it's too early for your mood swings," I snarked, rubbing my eyes free of the stinging coming from the bright light.

When my vision adjusted to the daytime, I noticed he was looking at me curiously with his head tilted. Was he trying to imitate a dog at this point or is it just coincidence?

"Are you just going to refer to me as different types of dogs from now on?" He asked. "First it was a pug, then a golden retriever-"

"Dear gods, you're as annoying as a chihuahua," I grumbled.

"See? Now you're calling me a chihuahua, which I really disagree with you on the annoying part, by the way."

I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the lingering exhaustion. "What do you want, Black?"

He grinned. "I'm here to bring you to my garage to show you the progress made on your car. I think it's something you're going to want to see."

Ignoring what little amount of common sense I had, I found myself nodding in agreement to his offer. Besides, as soon as I get my car back, the sooner I can get myself over to Seattle to see what's actually going on. Even if it's not involving Percy, there's something really fishy going on and it's obvious to me the locals are worried.

"Yeah, uh, let me finish getting ready," I said, trying to run my hands through the snarls in my hair. I didn't even try to hide the wince when I pulled on a particularly nasty one.

"Maybe you should make sure to brush your teeth, too," Jake added, his nose wrinkling with his words. "Or at least a breath mint."

My eyes widened. "You really don't know how to talk to girls, do you, Black?" I rolled my eyes at his mouth dropping open before turning and walking back into the house and climbing up the stairs to go do just that. "No wonder why Bella isn't dating you and still pining over that vamp," I muttered.

"I heard that!"

"You were supposed to!"

After finally getting ready with my breath smelling nice and minty fresh, I grabbed my bag that had all my goodies in it. Who knows how long this wolf was going to keep me out of the sanctuary of my home, so might as well be prepared.

"Am I a lot easier to be around, now?" I asked him as I hopped up into the passenger side of his truck.

His answering smile was damn-near blinding. "I didn't want to say anything, but…"

"But you did," I pointed out, reaching to the dial to turn up the music that was softly playing through the speakers. "And you happened to say my breath smelled after you made me climb out of bed on my day off from everything."

He glanced over at me curiously before his eyes went back to being glued on the road. "Do you even have a job?"

I glared over at him. "Of course, kicking names and taking ass. That's my job."

He snorted, which sounded oddly wolfish. "So you're not a reporter, then?"

"Well, that depends on what kind of reporter we're talking about. I mean, I do report things back to Camp, so technically I am a type of reporter." I blinked. "I'm also being paid by Camp to be here and do the reporting so technically it's a job."

He shrugged. "Sounds accurate."

I leaned back into the seat, ignoring the pull on my messy bun as I looked out the window at the woods surrounding us. "How did the patrol go last night?"

Jake let out a sigh. This was going to be good. "There's this red-headed vamp that keeps trekking along our borders. We can't get to her as long as she stays on Cullen land, but it's as if she's testing us and seeing what our boundaries are."

"Well, she must be trying to learn about the treaty land and see where she can and can't go," I offered. "She certainly seems like a nuisance."

He huffed out a laugh. "That sounds like an understatement."

"Do you think she's behind what's going on in Seattle?"

His head whipped toward me. "Do you think she's behind the disappearances in Seattle?"

I shrugged. "She might be, she might not be- it's hard to tell. I'd have to go there to learn more, which is why I'm here, after all."

His grip on the wheel tightened visibly as his knuckles paled in color. "You're not going there alone, it's way too dangerous."

"Excuse me?"

It was then that the Black Residence came into sight and he silently pulled into the drive and parked the car before turning to look at me with wide, earnest eyes. "You can't go there alone, promise me that."

My eyes narrowed. "I don't need to promise you anything."

His lips pursed. "I know you don't-"

"Then why?"

"I hope you can recognize the fact that I don't want you to get hurt," He told me, before looking pointedly at my shoulder. "At least, not any more hurt than you already are."

The look of pain on his face at his mention of what he did to me was really, really getting old.

I sighed. "I'm not hurt, so stop acting like a sad Pomeranian. Also, stop acting like I'm some weak human when I'm not. I'm a demigod, a powerful one at that, so you can't expect me to act like someone I'm not."

He gulped. "At least take someone with you, you know, as back up."

I decided to take pity on the guy. "I'll think about it."

Before he could say anything else regarding the matter, I quickly opened the door with a creak and hopped out, grabbing my bag from the floor as I went. I shut the door and hurried over to the garage that was still open from when he must've been there this morning.

I blinked. "Damn."

That sweet vehicle that I had completely totalled was now nearly completely whole again. What kind of awesomeness ran through his veins that allowed him to do this so quickly? If I wasn't so annoyed by the pup, I definitely could have kissed him for the work he's already done.

"You look like you're happy about what's been done," Jake commented from behind me.

I nodded wordlessly. I was pretty sure I was salivating at this point.

"Uh… you good?"

I turned around to look at him, and ignored the smile that was pulling on his face- at least, I definitely ignored just how handsome the smile pulling on his lips made him. Not to mention the crinkles just by his eyes from how amused he was, or the sparkle that brightened up the dark brown of his irises.

Dear gods, I was turning into a poet.

I need to go kill some monsters or something.

"Uh… Andie?"

I blinked. "Yep?"

"You good?"

"Uhuh."

A large hand patted me on my upper back, and I nearly jumped at the feeling. "Well, I'm glad you seem to like what I've done so far. It should be another week or two until it'll be fully functional and ready for you but it's definitely helped that you're willing to put the money into it, too."

I shook my head. "You're definitely going the extra mile here, pooch. Thanks for helping a girl out."

He laughed. "Anytime."

I nodded as he walked into the shop and showed me some of the missing pieces and what he was still waiting for to arrive to finish the job. He looked so enthralled with how everything fit together like a perfect puzzle, that even though I literally had no clue what he was talking about, it was easy to be pulled in, too.

When Jake was cleaning some oil from his hands after poking around the engine, I asked him, "So, does your dad get annoyed that you spend all your time holing up in here or being a dog with the pack?"

He chuckled, tossing the rag at my face, making me duck out of the way. "I don't hole myself up in here all the time."

I shrugged. "Well, I certainly don't know how you'd get this much done if you didn't."

"You're impressed, aren't you?" He asked, coyly. "I never thought I'd see the day where Andromeda Jackson would be impressed with something I did."

"I think your ability to turn into a giant version of a Labrador is pretty impressive."

"Oh, come on. I'm all wolf, dear."

I laughed, picked up the rag and threw it back at his face. Unfortunately, his wolfy reflexes allowed him to catch it. "Oh, honey, you're a golden retriever or a Labrador and you know it."

"Are you going to tell me to go fetch a stick again?"

I shrugged. "Are you going to piss me off again?"

"Duly noted."

A few minutes later, I found myself sitting on the front porch of the Black Residence while Jake went into the house to grab some food, after claiming he was hungry and had a feeling I was hungry too after not eating anything this morning.

I wondered if it ever occurred to him that he was being a total mother-hen, but then again, I didn't have too many expectations.

"Here are some nuggets and fries for you, dearest," he said, holding out a paper plate with some warm food straight out of the oven. "Sorry it took so long. The oven takes forever to warm up, now-days."

I shrugged, immediately taking a bite out of a nugget and letting out a low moan of pleasure. I didn't notice the way Jake stiffened at my side from the sound, too consumed in the taste of the wonderful dino nugget. "Thank you so much, this is heaven."

"I'm glad I can provide such a heavenly experience for you," He muttered, taking a few bites of his own. "Did you eat these a lot growing up?"

I paused, thinking about my answer. "Well, not really. We were pretty poor and a lot of the food was more like canned Spaghetti-OH's or Ramen, but my mom worked at a candy store so she'd bring some candies home every once and awhile. It was tough, but she made it work."

He nodded along, taking the words in humbly. "So you just lived with your mom and brother?"

I took a deep breath. "Actually… no. My mom is such an amazing mom because she was willing to deal with and marry a man that abused her for years for us, because his stench was so vile that he covered up our scents for any wandering monsters. She bought us extra years of peace and kept us out of the demigod world until we were 12, which is older than two demigods of our power usually get. But she put up with being beaten and verbally abused by Smelly Gabe for as long as I can remember to give us more time with her."

This time, when Jake stiffened, I definitely noticed. "Did he ever hit you?"

My silence spoke for itself.

"I'm going to kill him."

I placed a hand on his arm, noting that it was already shaking from his fury. "Don't shift, don't worry. My mom already did the deed."

Something completely washed over him as he turned to look at me in cautious confusion. "She killed your Step-Father?"

I smiled. "She turned him to stone with Medusa's head that my brother and I found ourselves in the possession of when we were 12. It was kinda cool, she turned the guy to stone and sold him as a sculpture. Not only did she get rid of him, she made some serious cash while doing it."

He blinked. "Remind me to never upset your mom."

I snorted. "She's really the nicest woman you'll ever meet, I swear. But mess with her kids, and she'll reign Hades upon you."

"Wait… actually?"

I full-on laughed at the look of terror on his face. "No, no, she doesn't control Hades. He kidnapped her, though, and she curses his name still- but she doesn't have any control over him. Actually, I'm pretty sure only Persephone does, but still."

"Now you lost me," he admitted, a light blush crossing his cheeks. "All this demigod stuff is kind of confusing, to be honest."

I nodded in agreement. "Tell me about it, I still get confused sometimes. But Persephone is Hades's wife, and she's pretty awesome."

"That's cool." Jake let out a cough. "So, have you heard anything else about your brother?"

I felt my shoulders deflate as I shook my head. "No, I haven't. The ocean has been silent and Annabeth hasn't heard anything back either."

"Annabeth is his girlfriend, right?"

I smiled. "You're catching on."

He smiled that blinding smile that made my bones warm in response.

But enough of that.

"I hope someone finds him soon," I admitted. "Percy and I… we're like two halves of the same whole, you know? We have a crazy strong bond, and the longer I'm away from him, the stranger I feel. It's like… I don't know, like I am missing a part of myself and my powers are losing their strength, and I just feel so drained…"

Jake wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "You'll find him. I know you will, because if anyone is going to find him, it'll be your stubborn self."

A weary smile grew on my lips. "Thank you." I looked up at him honestly. "You know, if you were this nice when we met, we definitely would be friends by now."

His grip around my shoulders tightened. "You mean we're not friends now?"

I felt my smile strengthen. "Well, considering everything you've done with my car, I suppose I can say we can move on and start over."

He smiled that blinding smile again. "That sounds great. I'd really appreciate that, Andie."

All of the sudden, a ringtone I've never heard before sounded out, making me jump away from Jake and check my bag that was placed at my other side.

A number was calling that I didn't recognize, but who had my number that wasn't already in the phone? Gods, I didn't even know my own number. But, as they say, curiosity got the better of me and I flipped it open and put it to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Andie?"

My eyes widened. "Annabeth? Dear gods, I thought you were some serial killer who got my number."

The tension that formed along Jake's shoulders seemed to disappear at my words.

"Oh, I guess I should've texted you after you gave me your number so you could add me into your contacts," Annabeth admitted. "But enough of that, I have some news for you."

"What happened?" I paused, remembering what she had spoken to me about before. "Did you find the boy? Is it him?"

"Yes, we found the boy with one shoe. And unfortunately, it wasn't Percy," she said, before letting out a sigh that was heavy with grief. "But he is 15, and there are two other demigods that were with him who are also 15. They're all too old to have been protected for so long, and things keep popping up that make this seem like something else is going on here."

"You think Percy's disappearance has something to do with them?"

"I think that this is too much of a coincidence for them to not be intertwined."

I pursed my lips, taking a second to think before I responded. "The gods have gone silent, too. Whatever's going on- it's like they don't want to have a part in it."

"Or, they could be the ones ensuring that it does happen."

I ran a hand down my face. "I thought we'd have more time before they decide to throw us into something else. Why us? Why now?"

Annabeth huffed out a breath on the other end of the line. "I've been asking myself that every day. This could be the second great prophecy. We will need to be ready."

"Well, I guess I'll follow your lead."

An explosion sounded in the background, followed by a bunch of screams. "Di Immortales!"

"Uh… Annabeth?"

"Andie, I got to go. The Hephaestus cabin just blew something up. I'll keep you in the loop, talk soon!"

I blinked as the line dropped and she hung up, leaving a faint ring sound until I flipped my phone closed. "Well I hope no one died," I muttered, taking a bite out of another chicken nugget before turning to Jake, who was watching me with wide eyes. "What?"

"Did something actually just blow up?"

I nodded, taking another bite, before continuing, "Yep. The children of Hephaestus are known to do things like that."

"Oh."

"Yup."

"Isn't that dangerous?" He asked, eyebrows still raised near his hairline.

I shrugged. "Being a demigod is always dangerous. I mean, we have a rock climbing wall over a vat of lava, so I don't know if Chiron, the camp director, really is up to date on the whole keeping kids safe etiquette."

He blinked. "It doesn't sound like it."

"Yeah, well, I'm sure he's more concerned about teaching us how to stay alive if we ever leave camp borders. That stuff comes in handy, sometimes."

He stared off into the woods, nodding slowly. "What did Annabeth mean by the second great prophecy?"

"Er… yeah, of course you would've heard that." I ran a hand through my hair, scratching beneath the bun as I came up to it. "Look, there's some things I can't tell you, and that's one of them."

His head tilted. Yep. He definitely looks like a dog. "Why?"

I looked at him blandly. "Besides the fact that you already know nearly way too much about demigods in the first place considering I basically just met you?"

He frowned. "If you put it that way…"

"I mean, it doesn't feel like we just met, but that's not the point, Chihuahua."

Jake bristled slightly. "What happened to calling me honey?"

"That got old."

My voice was nearly drowned out by the sound of an old engine churning as a bright red pick-up truck roared down the road and pulled into the drive.

"Bella," he mumbled.

I bit my lip. Yes, Bella aka the light of his little life.

"Hey Jake!"

I ignored the feeling of frustration that churned in my gut at the sound of her voice. Dear gods, I hadn't felt like this in ages.

"Hey, Bells. What's going on?"

It was obvious that he held the torch for her, in how he stood up and hurried over to her side and pulled her in for a large hug. "I just came to see if you wanted to hang out?"

Her eyes flickered over at my form, and I saw the slight pout in her lips. Looks like I was about to be cast to the side, yet again.

"Yeah, sure, just let me check with Andie, okay?"

Bella grit her teeth but smiled at him and nodded, before heading to her car to do whatever it was she was going to do.

I did my best to not frown at the awkward look on his face when he hurried over to me. "Andie, I-uh…"

"You're going to hang out with Bella?" I offered, gesturing over to where she was fiddling with something in the truck bed. "Yeah, I figured that one out for myself."

Jake winced. "You know it's not like that-"

"Not like what?"

He gulped. "It's not like I'm just abandoning you, you know. I'm just seeing what she wants, okay?"

I blinked. "It looked to me like she wants to hang out with you Jake. And that's fine, I don't have to stick around- you showed me the progress on my car and we even had some lunch, so it's all good."

No, it's really not.

He nodded slowly. "Okay then… uhm, do you need a ride back to your place?"

I grimaced. "No, I'll walk."

"Jake, come look at what I brought!"

Ignoring the sound of Bella's calls, I grabbed my things and put them in my bag before shifting it onto my shoulder.

Jake, for his part, briefly ignored her, too.

He placed a hand on my shoulder, making me look back up at him. "Andie, if you need anything, you know you can always call me, right?"

I nodded, not even bothering to plaster a fake smile this time. "Yeah, right."

I turned away and started the trek home, ignoring the feeling of two eyes bearing into the back of my skull.

Yeah, right.

I knew that if it came down to it, and if I needed him when Bella happened to show up- that call would go unanswered.

And I think that's what hurt the most.