I opened my eyes, very dramatically, waking myself from a very deep sleep. I squinted in a bright light that blasted from the East facing windows. The morning sun was blinding me. I rolled onto my stomach, letting out a small 'umph!' into the pillows. It was hard waking up this morning.
I figured it was just mental exhaustion from the drama of my return home. Just then I felt his large rough hand slide down to my lower back. It felt nice. I stretched my arms and legs out, groaning as I readjusted. I turned to face him and found him already looking at me. I leaned in and kissed his forehead, blushing.
"Good morning." My voice rasped. He brushed the loose hairs from my eyes, gazing into them. I felt myself blush even more, feeling my cheeks get warm. I looked over to the wall, catching the time. It was close to noon.
"Ready to go?" He cut to the chase and I quickly nodded. In all honesty, I never wanted to leave this small cabin. It was warm and cozy and happy. Something about the aura of his family hunting cabin made me feel… happy and complete. Like when our family was still together. Long before my mother got sick and none of the kids had grown up yet.
I snapped back to reality, feeling him get out of the old bed. I bounced around some as he got off the fluffy mattress. It sucked you down into this cloud-like utopia. It was one of the best sleeps I had gotten in a while…
I watched him walk over to this dresser, opening the top drawer. I quickly realized I had no clothes. I had ripped them from hulking-out earlier. I thought to myself as I sat up. I realized my body hardly felt sore at all. I carefully removed my bandages and looked at my still fresh wound. I stuck the tape back onto my skin and wrapped the blanket around my upper half. I wondered if my new wolf abilities allowed me to take a certain amount of pain or injury. I had to be more indestructible now, right?
He tossed me a wad of clothes including one of his shirts, pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. I quickly slipped on the hoodie and sweats, getting myself lost in inches of fabric. I walked across the cabin to the door with him. He held it open for me as I rushed to the unlocked truck. He drove a beautifully restored forest-green Ford F-250 from 1972. I crawled into the cab. It was just as nice as the outside, accented with a metal dark-green dashboard. The large bench seat was the original brown fabric bench, decorated with stripes of green. He got in right after me, pulling the keys from his coat pocket.
"Nice truck." I croaked, still rubbing sleep from my eyes. He stuck the keys into the ignition and the truck rattled to life. It smelled like a go-kart that ran on gas, but I liked that scent. He pulled me next to him, keeping me warm. I leaned against his shoulder and drifted in and out of sleep.
The drive ended up being shorter than I imagined it would be… Then again, I had slept part of the way through. He gently shook me awake and I found myself lying in his lap. I slowly sat up and saw we were at the entrance to my family's lands.
"Is this right?" I nodded to him. He put the car back in drive and we rolled past the exterior tree line. We rode along the only skinny dirt road leading towards my childhood home. I dreaded coming back, but it was the right thing to do. Besides, if I had never come back then I would have never met Steve.
"It's right here." I told him as we got closer to the little red house. He slowed the truck to a stop, where we saw Sam already waiting. He stood on the porch with my father and some of the other pack members stood around them. I noticed Paul staring at the ground while Sam stood there burning holes into my skull. As the truck stopped, they all stared and it made me nervous to get out. I slowly opened the passenger-side door, loudly shutting it behind me. I looked from Steve back to the porch, forcing myself towards them.
As we got closer, I could see my father's concerned expression. He was staring at Steve, and I could tell he was unhappy. It didn't look great… me being with a strange burley man while also wearing his clothes, and getting out of his truck. I could hear what Paul was thinking. He was amused at the trouble I was about to get into. Strangely, I heard nothing from Sam.
"Where the hell have you been? I know, you heard me calling for you last night! When I call, you better come!" Sam laid into me, immediately. I couldn't stop myself from rolling my eyes. I wasn't in the mood for him.
"Would you like me to speak and roll over?" I always had a bit of a problem with authority. Especially when it got in my face. Above all, I just wanted to see how far I could push Sam. The answer was, not very far.
I always knew that if I became a wolf, I wanted to be a lone wolf. A wolf that belonged to a pack, but operates alone. I had refused to participate in pack activities, and I didn't plan on starting now. Just then, he blindsided me as his thick hand wrapped around my fragile neck. My tongue poked out of my mouth and I felt a little drool drip from my bottom lip as he pushed me into the wall. I was too tired to transform again. He scoffed. He was testing me, and I failed.
"Weak! You have to be faster than that!" I stared at him, my blood boiling now. I never really liked Sam. He was always the one to be too aggressive. I felt myself trembling, just slightly. I didn't want to end up like Emily. Steve came running over to me, putting himself in between Sam and myself.
"Lay another hand on her-"
"And you'll do what mountain man? You have no idea what you are dealing with!"
"I know more than you think." Sam stood there, staring Steve in the eyes. He didn't know what to say. I was in deep shit now, but I hadn't done it on purpose…. Surely, Sam would understand about imprinting on someone? No matter how strange the circumstance…
Steve turned around, reaching a hand out to me. I took it and used his strength to bring me back to my feet. I rubbed my hand around my neck, trying to rub away the uncomfortable feeling. He looked at me, gently rubbing his hand on the back of my neck.
"Are you alright?" He whispered to me as I stood there, leaned over. I was shocked Sam had done that. Steve turned back to glare at Sam, who was now inside with my father. I could see him laying into Sam, waving his hands around and pointing. My Dad and I had our differences, but he had never harmed either of his kids. Sam's actions were unacceptable.
Suddenly a large tree cracked in half. Everyone's head shot over in the direction of the large sound. Something was coming towards us from inside the forest. Instinctually, Steve stood in front of me. He stood prepared to fight whatever it was. Just then a large brown wolf shot through the tree line. Steve jumped back almost a foot and I squeezed his hand. It was just Jacob.
Just then he changed back into his human form, falling to the ground. He looked exhausted. I grabbed a large towel, hanging on the rail of the porch, running it to him. I got to my brother, dropping the towel in front of him. He slowly reached for it, panting as he wrapped it around his waist. I reached a hand out to him as he got to his feet. Immediately, he saw Steve.
"Who is this?"
"Um, this is Steve. He's, uh- I imprinted." Jake froze. His mouth hung open some as I pushed it shut with one finger. I had never felt so uncomfortable around my family. In the past I never had a boyfriend or brought anyone home. I didn't share that part of my life with my father and brother. Not since my mother passed.
"Say nothing. I want to tell them."
"What are the chances?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean- My little sister becomes the biggest and strongest wolf in the pack, runs off on her own and makes it 24-houts. You make a kill and imprint on someone in the same day? That's sort of amazing, Jo."
"If you want to call it that. I'm exhausted."
"I would expect you to be. Welcome to being an apex predator."
I rolled my eyes at Jake as we made it back to the porch. Jacob approached Steve extending out his arm to shake hands. Steve immediately shook his hand back as they officially met. Sam stepped out from the house and glared at me.
"Sorry." He shortly replied to me and I shook it off. Sam was so annoying. He turned to Jake who was still cooling down from his run. I could hear his thoughts, and he had something important to tell the entire family.
"Bella went after that bloodsucker! The Cullen's could be coming back…"
"Bloodsuckers? Like vampires? Are all the legends true?" Everyone stared at Steve. He knew way too much for someone who hadn't even formally met the family yet. I knew I was going to be in deep shit for it.
"Jacob, go inside." Our father ordered and my brother quietly went. He turned back to look at me. Sam was staring holes into my head again, he was livid. What made him even angrier was that he couldn't lay hands on me. Now, paws… that was a different situation. At some point Sam and I would have a giant dog fight. The screen door slammed shut and I felt everyone look at me.
"Who is this, Joanna?"
"Wouldn't you like to know, Sam."
"Yes, I would! I'm your pack leader now, and that means-"
"I don't want you to be my pack leader! I don't even want to be in a pack!"
"Well, that's too damn bad!"
"Stop it, both of you. Hello Sam, my name is Steven White. Everyone calls me 'Steve.' Jo and I bumped into each other in the woods. She saved my life from a mountain lion. My gun was mis-firing and that cat was going to chew me up." Sam said nothing. Just then, thunder grumbled overhead. I loved how much it rained in Washington.
"I don't like the idea of my daughter spending time with strange men who carry guns." My father started in on him and I lost it. I spun around, thunder cracking in-sync with me. I felt my skin get hot, but I had more self-control than my wolf-y relatives.
"I imprinted! Okay, Dad?" I shouted and everyone fell silent, staring at me. "He isn't going anywhere, so don't try." I snarled. They were all frozen. I could hear Sam's thoughts now, and I could tell he was impressed. A young wolf, going off on her own, making a kill and being able to control my temper. It was not very usual.
"What happened to your arm then?" Sam asked and I looked away from him. I heard him step closer towards me and I continued to ignore him. "You're a brat." He snarled. Violently, I felt him grab a fistful of my hair as he yanked my head towards him. "Look at me!" He demanded.
"Sam!"
"No, Billy! She is going to learn who is alpha. You obey my orders whether you like it or not! Now look at me!" Tears started to meet my eyes. I shot a concerned looked at Steve, a panicked expression across my face. How far was he willing to go, until I did what he wanted? He held my scalp at the mercy of his fist. I refused to look him in the eye still, and started to tear up as he continued yelling.
"Sam!" My father screamed at him, but Sam ignored him. My father was a lot less powerful being bound to his wheelchair. He used to be able to get in Sam's face, putting him back in his box. He couldn't get in Sam's face anymore and Sam was taking advantage of that.
"Look at me, damn it!" I felt Sam's hand strike against my cheek, it stung immediately. I felt defeated. I let out a sharp cry before hell broke loose.
"Get your hands off of her! Now!" I heard Steve shout. I watched in slow-motion as he charged at Sam, shoving him away. I reached my hand out, grasping at Steve's pant leg. I was trying to keep him from Sam's clawing radius. My chin slammed down into the gravel and I couldn't tell if I was bleeding or not. I closed my eyes taking in all of the pain and trying to focus on breathing. I heard the porch door slam open and there was more shuffling in the gravel.
I finally got myself back to my feet and saw Jacob and Sam fighting. Steve stood there, holding a bloody nose. I hadn't watched what happened but I knew it was Sam's doing. The sight of Steve's bloodied nose was enough to send me into a fit of rage.
I immediately felt myself transform into a great white wolf. I charged towards Sam, knocking him away from Jake. I sunk my teeth into his neck, shaking him around like a pom-pom. Hair and drool flew around the air. Sam and I had become enemies now and nothing he could do would make me stop.
I sunk my teeth into his back leg and he let out a sharp cry. He fell to the ground whimpering before changing back into his human form. He lied on the ground below me as I stood there, snarling. His blood contrasted deeply against my snow white fur.
Sam lied there holding his leg that was bleeding still. Paul and a couple of the other guys rushed to him. I stood there, still in my wolf form, watching what happened. Everyone was very quiet. I had just beat Sam in a fight. No one would be able to compare to me. Except, maybe, Jake. I was still much bigger than him. No one had seen a wolf as big as me in hundreds of years.
Sam was carried back to his house as my father approached me. I lied down in the dirt and let out a couple small pants. I could see that he was amused but still mad at me. I stood in front of me, just looking me over.
"Don't forget, the service is tonight." My father flatly spoke, rolling past us and into the house. I looked up at Steve who was watching my father go inside. When the screen door slammed shut he looked down at me. I could tell my father's irritated comment bothered him.
"Does your father hate my existence?" I smiled at his question. I shook my head but I could tell by the look on his face that he didn't believe me.
"He's just overwhelmed with information. This isn't exactly normal circumstance. I promise, it will work out." I reached up on my tiptoes and gave him a small kiss on the lips. He blushed and stepped back, my hand slowly sliding out of his.
"When can I see you next, Joanna?"
"What about dinner tomorrow night?"
"Where did you have in mind?"
"Port Angeles?"
He nodded his head starting to walk to his truck, leaving me on the deck. I sat down on the steps of the porch, still wrapped in my blanket. I had the biggest smile on my face.
"I can be here to pick you up at five, that evening!" He shouted from his truck, opening the driver's side door. I grinned at him, giving him a big thumbs up from my spot on the steps. He blew me a kiss and got into the car, driving back to his cabin. I watched the cloud of dust hover behind his truck as he drove away. Finally I could no longer see him and I went inside.
