I stared blankly as Harry Clearwater's casket was lowered into the ground. Some people mumbled some things as they began covering him up. Shovel by shovel the dirt smacked on top of the lacquered wood. It was such a chilling sound… People began walking away, heading to Sam and Emily's house. They lived closest to the tribe's burial ground. The graveyard had a mystical feeling to it, and it felt stronger now that I was a wolf.
"You're not wrong. It has something to do with being around our wolf-y ancestors." I looked up, seeing Lead walking towards me. She had heard my thoughts… I was still getting used to that 'feature.' Seth walked a couple steps behind her. She came over to me, wrapping her arms around me for a hug. I grasped onto her tightly, taking in a sharp breath.
I wasn't sure why but Harry's death had really shaken me up. Maybe it was just everything else that was adding to the emotional stress. I was glad to have Leah and my brother. Now I also had Steve… That gave me anxiety too. I had never had a relationship go well.
Except, this time would be different. I wouldn't be working 50-60 hours a week, and I didn't have nearly as many responsibilities out here. Time moved slower in the country and Forks was pretty rural, compared to Seattle.
I felt Leah let me go and I looked at her, with tears in the corners of my eyes. She took the sleeve of her black shirt, wiping my eyes dry. She pressed her forehead to mine and we stood together, our eyes closed.
'We will get through this, together.'
She spoke to me through only her thoughts and I opened my eyes, a smile on my face. This thought-communication-wolf-telepathy shit was sick. I closed my eyes again and focused back on receiving her thoughts.
'I'm sorry I left for so long. I missed you.'
"Do not apologize, Jo. You went to live out your dreams. I- I should have followed you, but I was stuck chasing my tail. In the end I lost anyway."
I threw my arms back around her, pulling Seth into my grasp too. We all stood there and hugged while we watched a couple members of the pack continue to fill the hole. The sound of dirt smacking the top of his casket had stopped and you could no longer see him. It felt very real now. Leah took my hand and Seth grabbed a shovel to help.
We quietly walked across the large field of grass, getting closer to Sam and Emily's. The sun was setting now and it was starting to get cold in this black sundress. I looked at the houses scattered along the res, admiring them for a moment. They looked so warm and cozy, warmly lit inside. Each of their little chimney's puffed white clouds of smoke from inside. It was the first time, in my life, that I had found any beauty in this place. Maybe Forks was just a place, and it was what I made of it.
We approached Sam's small two-story house. They had renovated recently to an open light concept. They had tall glass doors and huge open windows. Tonight all of the doors and windows were opened all the way. Tribal music softly played from the speakers in his house, just loud enough to be heard outside the open doors. We walked into the warm and inviting house only to be met by dead silence.
Charlie sat in the living room with the other men while the woman worked to prepare food in the kitchen. Jake, however, stood by himself. He was leaned against the frame of an open door, staring out at the trees. Leah went and helped in the kitchen while I made my way to Jacob.
I quietly walked up behind him, leaning on the opposite side of the door frame. I noticed him look over at me with only his eyes. I smiled at him looking up at the sky with him. The moon was full tonight. My life was like a goddamn D&D campaign now. 'You encounter a teenage werewolf, what do you do?
"You're hilarious." I jumped as he spoke out loud. Immediately I cursed our wolf telepathy…
"Stupid wolf telepathy!"
"You get used to it…"
"I don't want to be in Sam's pack…"
"Neither do I, but you need to chill."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, the more you resist him… the more he makes your life a living hell. Trust me."
"When did you change?"
"Not long before you got here. I just recently found my place in the pack and things are calm."
"I don't want a place in the pack…"
"Either way, Jo, you will find your place."
"Why are you over here anyway? Don't you want to discuss with the men?" He could tell by my tone that I was being sarcastic. The thing I liked least about Forks was the dynamic of the sexes. Most things out here were still pretty domestic. Woman cook for man and man hunt food for woman.
"I have nothing to say to them."
"Not even Charlie?" He looked at me, deer in the headlights. He huffed and looked back out at the trees. This had to do with Bella Swan. I hadn't been here long enough to know all the details, but I knew Jake very openly liked her. They had been spending all their downtime together.
"I just want her to be safe. Besides, she loves me. She just hasn't admitted it to herself." I smiled to myself. Sometimes my brother could be so cocky and full of himself. I looked at him with a skeptical expression on my face.
"Are you sure she loves you? Didn't you say her boyfriend abandoned her by picking up and moving away? Maybe she's just lonely Jake."
"No! I know she feels something more for me. Besides, she was dating a blood-sucking Cullen." I said nothing. We looked back at everyone as a few heads turned to look at us. We moved out of the house and into a shadow.
"Charlie is worried sick about his daughter… Dad invited him to stay the night so he isn't alone. I've been calling her every couple of hours, but her phone is off. I'm not going to give up on her."
"Food!" As soon as Emily called out the men stampeded through the kitchen, leaving wreckage behind them. Jake and I made our way to the back of the line. We picked at what was left, stacking my plate and going to sit on the patio. As I sat there a truck approached. For a moment I thought it was Bella. As it got closer, I realized it was Steve. He stopped the truck, opening the door and standing in the dirt driveway. He stared at me with a sympathetic smile on his face. I bolted from my chair and threw my arms around him as he caught me. I kissed him, shocked to see him.
"What the hell are you doing here? My father might see you!" I pushed him into the shadows of the house. He smiled down at me, not seeming too scared.
"Your father called me. He asked me to come." I didn't know what to say at first. My brain was having a paper jam.
"I don't even know what to say! Im just so happy you're here. You can formally meet Jacob." I took his hand and we walked back over to where my brother and I were sitting for dinner. Immediately Jake stood up and shook Steve's hand.
"Steve! I'm Jake. It's nice to formally meet my sister's soulmate." I groaned at my brother's boneheaded comments. Steve sat down with my brother and I walked inside to put together a plate for him. I came back out to my brother and Steve talking about hunting. I served him his food and dug into mine. I was always starving now.
"Jo, you've outdone yourself every time we are together." He smiled down at his stacked plate.
"So, Jo and Jake. Have you only lived in Forks?"
"Jake has, but I lived in Seattle for a while. Ten years or so…"
"What about you? Do you live in your hunting cabin year-round?"
"I wish! That cabin is my sanctuary. Next summer I'm adding a loft deck to it, to try and maximize my space. I only come to Forks in the summer. The rest of the year I am in my lakeside house doing whale tours in Puget sound. Sometimes I'll do a fishing expedition for a week or so. They're both pretty good money."
"I used to own a coffee shop in Seattle. Three… actually. They took up most of my time."
"Do you miss it?"
"A lot, actually. I haven't found my purpose out here, yet."
"Maybe your purpose isn't in Forks. Maybe Forks is just the connecting point to where your purpose lies."
"That is actually really good advice, Steve… I didn't know you were that philosophical."
"I like to smoke the Devil's Lettuce every now and then…"
"So, when would you be leaving Forks?"
"The last day of August. You can never be too sure with the weather."
"After that, you'd go to your home on the Puget Sound?"
"That's right… Would you consider coming with me?"
"Do you live near other people?"
"No, the house has its own plot of land. It has trees surrounding all corners of it. The back of the house faces out at the water. There isn't a major dock within 10 miles of the house. You would be safe."
"You'll have to ask my father, first." Just then we heard our father come out of the house. He rolled out onto the deck where all three of us sat. He smiled at us and nodded to Steve.
"Steve!"
"Yes sir?"
"Will you drive us back to the house now? I'm too old and I've drank too much to make it on my own." Steve smiled, nodding. I got up and hugged Leah and Seth goodbye.
While I did that, Steve worked to get my father loaded up. Jake hopped into the bed of pickup as did I. Steve got in and started the truck driving us to the house. There was a breeze now and it made me shiver. I wrapped my arms around myself while we sat in the back of the truck.
"I like him. I think he will take good care of you."
"You think so?"
"I know so. Steve is a good man, I know it. Congrats on finding someone to share your soul with." I knew part of him was even sadder now. He had no one. He had thought Bella would be the one but that's not how it really worked with imprinting…
"You'll find someone Jake. Within the next ten years I see you finding that someone."
"I hope you're right, because this is pretty miserable."
I hugged him tightly as we approached the house. The truck slowed to stop and we jumped out of the bed. Jake pulled Dad's chair out of the bed and popped it out. Dad struggled out of the truck and into this chair. We all shuffled into the house and saw that it was already eleven. I suddenly felt heavy with sleep.
"Stay the night with me?" Steve looked to my father who nodded. He smiled at me and nodded his head . He was everything my father pictured for me to have. I knew he had my father's acceptance on anything. I took his hand and we rushed to my bedroom. I opened the door and he looked in at the shell of my old room. All that was left was my bed, the desk under it and the dresser. My suitcases sat, spread out all over the room.
I plugged in the string lights and turned on the lamp on the dresser. It was a dim golden color in the room and it was making me even more sleepy. I began undressing without thinking about it. I let me sundress fall down my body, pooling at my feet. Just then I felt his hands wrapped around my waist. I could see the bulge in his pants and I grinned, biting my bottom lip.
"Let's get in bed first." I whispered in his ear as he followed me up the little ladder and we splashed into the thick blankets. We buried ourselves in the fleece, out bodies sliding around on each other. I was kissing his whole body while he ran his rough hands up and down mine. Maybe Steve was the connection to where my purpose in life was hidden.
