I looked at Sam. He simply shook his head no.
"What time are you going to jump at?" Jarred asked.
"I think, if everyone is planning on going, how about around 3pm?" Sam asked the table.
The imprinted men sat bone still. Except for Jacob, but he and Leah had been cliff diving many times before.
"Perfect. We will be there" Rachel smiled. I smiled back at her. Paul kissed her, murmuring something about his imprint being a wild lady. This was going to be a fun afternoon.
Chapter 15: Family Roles
As Always Happy Reading
Jarred announced "Well, I guess since the pack is excited about going cliff jumping, Quil and I will take one for the team and run the 3pm hour"
Kim twisted on his lap. Her face did not hide the pain of Jarred's decision. Probably for the best, Jarred did not meet her eyes. Instead, he focused on leveling judgy looks at every imprinted man who did not outright forbid cliff jumping.
"Well, this has been fun." Leah smiled, "For the most part." She showed her disdain to both Jarred and Quil.
I had to focus on my own expression, forcing myself to not laugh. Sam brushed his hand over my thigh. The movement had me focusing on Sam. I could clearly see lines of alliance across the table.
"Can we do this more often?" I asked.
Sam felt relaxed and happy as the pack was all gathered around the table. I wanted to provide Sam the opportunity to relax more often. My mate's arms wrapped around my middle, and he pulled me closer against his chest. Sam's lips brushed against the back of my neck, sending tingles down my spine.
"It would need to happen on a rotating schedule" Jacob declared.
"No set patterns" Paul added.
The men around the table broke into jumbled conversations. I couldn't keep track of one set of words from the next. Sam looked at ease. He held me tight as the pack talked over each other.
"This is when we all ignore them" Rachel stated. I could hear what she was saying. The difference in her pitch made her words distinct amongst the commotion of the male voices.
Rachel twisted in Paul's lap. She kissed him quickly before getting up and walking out the back door. Watching, Leah did the same and followed Rachel outside. I turned to Sam. He kissed me, hesitantly letting go so I could follow the girls outside. Looking at the table I noticed that Jarred and Quil did not let their imprints leave the table. Both girls stuck to only talking to each other. Seeing as I caused the argument of the meal, I did not think I would be welcome to talk to them right now.
The warm air felt cold compared to being held by Sam. Rachel and Leah lounged lazily on bean bag chairs I hadn't noticed earlier. They looked to be almost purposefully tucked into a hidden portion of the porch. I walked to the open bean bag chair sitting down with a squish.
"Cliff diving is going to be so sick!" Rachel enthusiastically cheered.
"Aren't you glad that you have a nice wolf for a mate? I don't think Jarred or Quil will pull the stick that is currently up their asses out in time for Kim or Clare to go" Leah sighed.
"That's true. Though, I don't know why they act like that. Paul never has. Did Jake with you?" Rachel asked.
"Ha" Leah snorted "like he has the option to say no. Mom says I should probably quell my wild side before Jake takes over as chief" she admitted.
"Why" I asked, genuinely confused.
"It's all about tribal image. The chief is meant to have a partner that, for lack of a better term, is boring" Leah sighed.
"Boring?" I looked at my sister. She was anything but boring. Leah was the first female shapeshifter, she is anything but boring.
"That is true. Dad gave me lectures growing up. A Chief's daughter does this, a Chief's daughter does that. Rachel, stop, it is not becoming of the Chief's daughter." Rachel laughed.
"You got the daughter lectures and thought it was bad. Try the future wife lectures. Oh my god they are bad." Leah seemed to sink in her bean bag.
Rachel reached over, placing a hand on Leah's knee, "we should do girls night" Rachel smiled. Her eyes looked devious, like the thought of girls night was more intense then the term.
"Bella, would you be in for a girls night?" Leah asked excitedly.
"What does that entail?" I asked. The devious excitement on both the girls' faces had me nervous.
Leah went still, focusing on something I could not hear. She nodded to Rachel. Before closing her eyes, hyper focused.
"Leah is keeping an ear out for us. We will have to be quick. So, my Dad lost the key to the liquor cabinet, so he got more cut. He does not know that I stole the key and he just got more cut. So the plan is, and is always, ditch the imprints, go somewhere sans wolves, drink and talk shit. You might not have any shit to talk about the pack family yet. When you do girls' night it lets us blow off that steam before it gets too much. We can even -" Rachel explained.
Leah opened her eyes, silencing Rachel.
"We can even feel what the wolves are feeling. You might not be able to notice, yet each of us have a slightly different sensation. I, for example, feel Paul's emotions like a phantom emotion. Whatever he is feeling kinda haunts me in the back of my mind." Rachel smiled.
"I feel Jake's emotions like they are my own. Its both weird and good during sex." Leah told me.
"Oh." I thought about this. Had I felt Sam's emotions? I would have to focus on trying to feel them. All I could feel right now was the pain in my chest.
"Ladies. I was sent out to tell you that the plans are done" Brady smiled at us.
"Okay Brady" Rachel's smile to him did not reach her eyes. I could see Leah slightly glare at him. I took a mental note to ask what the fuck was up with Brady and them.
Leah was the first to get up from the bag. She offered a hand to each of us. Momentarily, I forgot she was a wolf as I debated if she could lift me from the beanbag chair. Giving her my hand, she lifted me out of the chair. Holding me up by my wrist for a moment, before letting my feet touch the ground.
"Show off" Rachel teased her.
"What? You would if you could" Leah laughed.
"True" Rachel ran past us. Paul stood on the deck. She jumped into his arms, connecting mouths the moment he touched her. I watched as they walked into the woods hand in hand.
"They will always win the most gag-worthy couple. She wasn't lying about leaving the table to go upstairs. Multiple times, I might add" Leah winked at me, "Well, maybe you and Sam can give them a run for their title"
I laughed. Only my sister would be challenging me to be the horniest pack couple.
Walking inside, the pack had dispersed. Only Sam, Jacob and Kyle remained in the room. Leah ran over to Jacob, who more than willingly kissed her, holding her against him.
"Are we patrolling together baby?" Leah asked.
"Yeah. I set us up for the 2pm patrol. We will be late for cliff diving, but give the amateurs a moment to go before we get there" Jacob smiled at her.
I watched Kyle. He looked uncomfortable. Not that I blame him. He was now in a house full of couples. That would be weird.
"Kyle, do you play Xbox?" I asked as I walked over to Sam.
The young boy looked up at me. I could tell he was trying to understand what was going on internally. Privately burning was something I used to do all the time in Phoenix.
"Yeah. I do" Kyle's voice sounded flat and unsure.
"Would you like to play?" I offered.
"With you?" I could see the hope in his eyes. I didn't mean to offer him an out that included me playing video games.
"I don't think I am good. I guess if that doesn't matter, then sure, with me" I smiled at him.
Sam stood beside me, placing a kiss on the top of my head. Looking into his eyes I saw the pride he had for me. I could tell he loved that I was loving that I pulled Kyle out of his worry.
I said goodbye to both Leah and Jacob. Sam's wolf did not have an issue with me shaking Jacob's hand. Leah looked naughty as they left the house.
"I can teach you," Kyle offered.
"Okay" I smiled.
I led the way to the living room. Picking up the controller that I had seen the boys using earlier. Sam joined us turning on the tv and Xbox.
"Wait, you have a Switch!" Kyle exclaimed.
Sam simply smiled, taking my Xbox controller away and handing me a much smaller controller. It looked like a baby's toy in Sam's huge hand.
I was grateful that Sam did not blow my technological cover. He changed the input to the one for the Switch, and an almost cartoonish screen appeared. I knew my lack of technological knowledge would be blown. It would only last a very short time, I was sure.
Letting Kyle pick the game he started going through the motions. I found each pattern of buttons quite easy to master as I focused on keeping my cute character on the track. The first few races I missed the point of the mystery boxes. Once I got it, I was competing head to head against Kyle.
"Hey cheater! How did you go through that background!?" I cried out as he found a secret passage.
"Not cheating. Everyone knows that opens up depending on your lap and character" Kyle quipped back.
"Oh, everyone knows? You are my teacher and you did not tell me that" I accused.
Kyle laughed, almost losing control of his character as enjoyment rocked through his body.
"What do you think I was doing? By going on the secret passage, now you have learned" Kyle smiled. When he smiled he looked more his age. I would not age him as older than 13. He changed into a wolf so young. I guess Leah did too.
"Well thank you oh great MARIO-Kartis-Master" I lightly mocked.
Another laugh rocked through his body. I joined in. Unlike him, losing focus caused me to completely lose control. The screen started declaring I was going the wrong way. This made me laugh harder.
Sam pulled me closer into his side as I had my laugh attack. By the time I was done the video game gave up on me, auto ending our round.
"I don't know about you guys, but I need some water" I stood as I spoke.
"Sure," Both men said in unison. It was nice seeing both Sam and Kyle relaxing on the couch.
I grabbed each of us a water bottle from the shelf that I found in the fridge, tossing Kyle his. I sat in Sam's lap, knowing that I was going to lose both men to an hour patrol at some moment today. My chest hurt at the thought of Sam leaving. I needed to distract myself.
"So Kyle, what do you think about being a protector?" I asked.
"I don't know. It's cool, but at the same time I feel like my parents are going to ground me the moment they find out." Kyle admitted.
"Oh? Why?" I asked.
"Well, the way it was described to me was that I would be needed if there was ever an incident with vampires. What if that happened during family dinner?" Kyle asked.
"You come when you can get away. You are still young, if it takes you a moment to get out, that's okay" Sam allowed. I could tell he had offered the other pack pups the same. No need to cause family drama when you do not need to.
"But I want to help," Kyle begged.
"How can you help if you are under stress? The last thing you need is to be distracted during a fight" I told him. Shock came through my body. I didn't know anything about being good during a vampire fight, yet that sounded right.
"Spoken like a true Alpha's wife" Sam kissed my temple. I could hear the pride in his voice.
"What if we are under a lot of vampire attacks? Like a coven is slowly trying to take us out?" Kyle asked. I could hear the worry in his young voice.
"If that happens, we will cross that bridge when we get to it." Sam assured him.
Kyle's face still was set with worry. I could tell he was trying to trust his Alpha. That was probably what his inner wolf was screaming at him to do. The slight worry seemed to hold his shoulders down with added unnecessary weight.
"If the vampires are bad, then I would want you to stay in one of the spare rooms. The older members can go out and fight. Sam, this might be selfish, but I think I would like Kyle to stay here with me." I told them both.
I saw the pride in Sam's eyes.
"Oh?" Sam encouraged me to continue.
"Well yeah. I was thinking that the imprints should come to this house during big battles. If we do that then I would want Kyle as my protection." I informed him.
"You would trust me to protect the imprints. Bella I, I have seen the importance of the imprints. Someone with more experience should be chosen instead of me" Kyle spoke fast.
"You will gain experience." I smiled at him.
"Well that sounds like a plan. If you are okay with it, that is, Kyle. Can I trust you to protect the imprints?" Sam spoke, his Alpha voice coming out a little as he asked.
"Yes sir" Kyle seemed to settle into the role easily. Relaxing more after his role was assigned.
"Well then, we should probably head out on our patrol round. I need you trained better than anyone else if I am going to leave you to protect my world" Sam kissed me.
"Yes of course. I won't let you down Sam. Thanks Bella! This is such an honour!" He practically skipped out the door. I watched as he burst into a wolf mid lawn. A beautiful amber wolf pranced waiting for Sam. Kyle's wolf was smaller than Sam's. Though I guess all of the other wolves are.
"He is still young. I think that role will fit him perfectly for now. Amazing call, love. Remind me to give you an extra special treat for that" Sam bit my lip.
"When will you be back?"
"In an hour" Sam kissed me hard on the lips. I could feel the need he had to be close to me. It almost, but not quite, matched my need for him.
My chest ached as I watched him leave the house. He walked across the lawn with Kyle's young wolf bouncing next to him the entire way.
Authors Note: I love everyone who has taken time to review this work. You do not know how much impact you have on my day! I love reading the reviews. Please let me know what you think! I love reading your reviews!