A/N: Because you guys requested it, here's a bonus chapter- kind of like an epilogue, but full of smut. Ha! I hope you like it. :) Please leave me a review and tell me your thoughts. ALSO- who should be next? Paul and Rachel? Sam and Emily? Seth and OC? Quil and Claire? Collin and OC? Jake and Ness? Embry and OC? Please leave me a comment!


WINTER 2005-2006

Her sister told her that eventually, Kim would stop getting the butterflies around Jared...that his steadfastness in her daily life would dull that rush of euphoria that came so easily at the beginning. Becky said it wasn't bad- just normal. To be prepared for it, and to try to remember why she fell in love with him, after the boredom set in.

But it never did. The thrill of Jared's smile, of making eye contact with the most beautiful man she'd ever seen, was enough to release the butterflies every time- every day, without fail. And when he'd cuddle her close, or run his lips near her hairline, or chuckle in that deep way, she felt such an overwhelming delight that it was enough to take her breath away.

They'd been inseparable since November; she showed up to dinner at the Cameron house only a few days after their Imprint talk, and his mom had been practically crying as she hugged Kim. She immediately wanted to know if Kim's folks celebrated Thanksgiving, and what she would want for Christmas. There was absolute acceptance of Kim's presence in their family- in a way that, had she not known about the Imprint, she may have found peculiar. Instead, it felt...natural.

Same for the Pack. It was strange to immerse herself in a world where talk of "phasing" and vampires was commonplace, but she acclimated by December. Paul's smart-ass jibes and temper tantrums that set in and departed as swiftly as a summer rain...Sam's stoic graciousness...Emily's warmth and hospitality. A few days after Christmas, Embry Call joined the Pack; Jacob Black transformed in February, and then Quil Ateara's grandson. Eventually, more would come.

WINTER 2005-2006 – JARED'S POV

They'd talked about sex early on. Kim wasn't ready and didn't know when she'd be ready. Jared assured her that he could wait as long as she wanted. At Christmas, when Paul cracked some vulgar jokes about "New Year Nookie" that earned him a slap upside the head from Sam, Kim turned pink at the table and chugged down her entire glass of milk in one gulp.

"Does it bother you?" she asked him later, with those dark eyes assessing him from behind her glasses. "That we only have messed around a little bit so far?"

He thought for a moment before answering honestly, "I'm just glad that you even want to kiss me, Kim. I'll take whatever you want to give me."

"I'm serious," she insisted gently.

"I am too." He reached for her hand, to toy with her fingers. "I'm genuinely satisfied just being with you. And I know you find me attractive, so when you're ready, I know you'll let me know."

"I find you more than attractive," she practically growled. Color blossomed over her nose and cheeks. "You're like a walking god, Jared."

"That proves my point. I'm not worried. You'll let me know when you…" He paused as the mental images assaulted him; he swallowed back the primal urges that lay ever-curled beneath the surface, ready to burst to life the instant his Imprint bade him.

And Kim did toe the line. Her curiosity would pique, her lips getting that sensuous quirk. She prompted, "I'll let you know when I…?"

When her eyes took on that particular glint, he found himself basically entranced. The air around her still shimmered- just as it had every day since the imprinting. So the added effect of his goddess's sensual gaze to her usual magic left him powerless as he answered, "...when you want me to fuck you."

Her breath sucked in; Jared shook his head to clear some of the spell. "Sorry," he added. He fumbled for a more gentlemanly statement. "When you want me to, uh, make love to you."

"Hmm." Kim mashed her lips together as a smile danced at the edge of her mouth. "I'm not ready now, but...well, I very much look forward to the day where you can show me the difference."

Between love-making and fucking. The understanding hung between them in the air.

"But I don't think New Years' Eve will be the occasion," she clarified. She tucked hair behind her ear. "I just...I want you. But I don't feel like it's time yet. For me, at least."

"Like I said, Kim. I love you. I'm not exactly hanging around for sex alone."

"Yet," she teased.

"Yet," he replied with a cheeky smirk. "Remember this when we're thirty-six and have kids screaming in the other room, and one of us is going to be pushing the other away with the old headache excuse."

She laughed heartily.

It felt so good, knowing that comments about their future together weren't off-putting to her.

It was just a certainty, like winter coming after fall. Or sunrise after the night.

In late January, as their makeout session in the back of his car turned heady, Kim gently moved his hand from her chest down, down, down- until his palm was right at the apex of her thighs, against the hot denim of her jeans. She unzipped her fly, placing his fingers against her underwear. Already wet. He touched her for the first time that day, and even just through the fabric of her panties, Jared felt his head pounding from pleasure by the time he brought her to orgasm with his fingers. She shook in his arms, peppering sweet little kisses all over his face afterward. He told her "I love you" about fifty times, and wondered immediately when next he'd be able to make her shake and come again.

He didn't have to wait long. When he picked her up from work a few days later, Kim asked him to pull over on an oft-forgot side road...and within minutes was dragging her hands down to his thighs, rubbing against his cock through his jeans. He half-hoped she'd shove his jeans down and take control….but whenever she'd go sort of mindless, hips grinding against his, he lost all expectation.

Their exploits never crossed any lines- all clothes stayed on- but it was awesome nonetheless. After all...he would do anything for her, be anything for her. So being patient...he could do that.

MARCH 4, 2006

One Saturday about a week after Quil transformed, Kim went straight to Jared's house when she finished with her Library shift. Chuck and Val Cameron were on their way out to visit the hugely-pregnant Alyssa at her new condo in Port Angeles, and waved at Kim as she pulled up their driveway.

No parents?

Apparently, his folks weren't too concerned.

When she knocked at the front door with no answer, Kim let herself in. All she had to do was follow the sound of his snoring. Down the hall on the south side of the house, to his bedroom where she'd only been a couple times before. His parents had always been home, and Jared had only shown her his bedroom in a very tour-like way...a little sheepish, unsure.

Today she opened the door and found her boyfriend sprawled out on his bed, a mass of russet muscles- clad in nothing but green boxers.

She let herself appreciate the sight for a moment; he'd been respectful of her wishes to go slow and- well, other than some heavy petting and clothed-grinding...they hadn't gotten very far. Staring at him basically naked had Kim rethinking her hesitation.

Then she saw the remnants of clawmarks on his right-side, stretching from his chest over his shoulder. She sat down on side of the bed, whispering his name.

He roused, and upon seeing her, smiled sleepily. Her heart felt too full at the sight. Someday, when they were married...she'd see this every day.

"C'mere, Kim." He moved over, shifting his arm so that she could cuddle into his side.

"Are you okay?" She fitted herself against him, per his invitation, but the contact was gingerly. The wounds would heal, she knew, within an hour or two...but that meant he'd been swiped at badly, if they were still around this late into the afternoon.

"The Vamps have been so unpredictable. In and out. The Cullens patrol their side, and we chase on ours, but- this one is just tricky, and fast."

"Yeah, you mentioned her before."

"I think she's a friend of that one we killed a few weeks back." His expression was sober as he studied the ceiling. "I nearly headed her off today. She slipped by though, and only got in a few swipes."

She touched the shiny, scarring skin. It looked like the sort of healing a human might have after two weeks. Jared's skin would be pristine by dinnertime.

"No pain?"

He turned his face toward her. "Nah. Sore, maybe, but not much." Jared breathed in her scent, nosing her hairline and tightening his embrace around her. "I'm glad you came over."

"Me too. Didn't mean to wake you up, but I didn't want to scare you by trying to sneak into your room or anything." She laughed softly, pressing some kisses to his jaw. "Are you okay, then? Like really?"

He understood she wasn't referring to the claw marks. "Yeah. I just wish we'd get her. I hate that she keeps coming around."

"Thank you for protecting us." Her voice caught; the weight of his responsibility was always on her mind.

Jared squeezed her shoulder in understanding, then after a beat, said, "It's all the fault of that Swan girl, the one Jake's obsessed with. Remember when we got the guy? We got him right as he was drooling all over her, telling her how irresistible her blood is. Maybe the redhead feels the same way. Or she's pissed about her buddy we ripped up. Or hates the Cullens." He shrugged, exhausted and at a loss.

"What is it with this girl?" Jared had explained a few details about Bella Swan and her Vampire lover, per Jacob's recollections. Generally speaking, the Pack tried to keep their intimate and romantic thoughts as private as they could- but Jacob Black's entanglement with the Vampire Girl was mystifying in a way that they couldn't help but speculate or pry a bit.

Jared shrugged. He was leisurely stroking Kim's stomach, drawing circles on her skin beneath her shirt. "Beats me. She's pretty, I guess, but it must really be a Vamp thing that makes them all wild about her. I don't get it at all. Anyway, Jake wants to bring her to a Council bonfire."

"That'll be awkward." Kim didn't know if she would be able to make polite, civil conversation with a girl whose personal choices were inviting chaos onto the Rez, and all the surrounding areas.

"He wants to imprint on her." Jared sighed. "I feel bad for him. I haven't met her yet, but from Jake's memories, I can already say...the smell would drive me crazy."

"Crazy like- irresistible? Does she smell good to Jake too?"

"He doesn't mind it, but he hates the bleachy Vamp smell that sticks to her whenever she's been with the Cullens."

"Would he have imprinted by now?" Kim clarified. She was still getting her arms around the workings of destiny.

Jared nodded, his mouth a thin line. "Yeah. Unfortunately for him."

"Poor Jacob."

"Yeah." After a quick pause, Jared breathed in the scent of her hair. "Speaking of smelling irresistible. Did you wear your peach balm?"

"I did."

He caught her lips, his kisses quickly turning heated. She hummed with pleasure as his hot body pressed close; his hardness surrounded her- from his arms to his chest to his stomach- but it was especially evident between his thighs. He was obviously trying to contain himself, to keep himself from grinding against her- but Kim's own body was responding in the familiar, carnal way that made her brain hazy. She flipped to her side to face him more fully, hooking her denim-clad leg over his much-less-clothed body as their tongues mingled.

"Kim," Jared breathed, pulling away after a moment. "I can hear that we're alone-"

"Mhmmm." She mouthed kisses around his jaw, his throat. Underneath her lips, his skin was hot and tasted like trees and earth.

"Let me put on some clothes."

"Are you uncomfortable?"

"Not at all. But this is tempting as hell."

"Preserving my chastity, huh?"

"Being respectful, like I promised," he said, but his eyes were glowing with dark sensuality. "Stay right here and I'll grab some pants-"

"No." She felt her stomach flutter; the brain-haze had cleared, restoring her rationality...but the instinct that always simmered in her bloodstream around Jared was stronger than ever.

He stilled, his eyes widening fractionally. "What?" he asked in a soft voice.

"Stay like this." She sat up. That base instinct pumped through her veins, mingling with the love that sometimes made her feel like bursting. "I want to...explore you."

He nodded, mute, and let his arms rest against the bedspread. Those caramel eyes were keen, watching her with total focus.

Kim ran her fingers down the expanse of his chest, brushing over his pectorals and down to his stomach. The impressive muscles of his abdomen rippled under her touch. She ran each of her thumbs down the V of his Adonis Belt muscles, her breath hitching when they touched the elastic of his boxers. The outline of his cock was more obvious than ever before. At the nearness of her touch, it twitched under the fabric.

"I can feel your eyes on me," Jared said in that soft, low rasp which made her own thighs tremble. "I can feel how turned on you are. It makes me- Jesus, Kim, you're driving me crazy."

She breathed out softly, making eye-contact with him as she tentatively slid her hand over the impressive bulge at his groin.

Her boyfriend's gaze was hot on hers. "I love you, Kim."

"I love you, Jared. Is this okay?"

"I'm yours, Kim. You can do whatever you want to me." As if to emphasize his point, he flexed his hips- his cock fitting firmly into her grasp. "Anything you want. I'm yours. All yours."

The days of repression and guilt were fading to dust when it came to matters of sexuality with Jared. He seemed to intuitively understand the pace Kim was comfortable with. He enjoyed their intimacy in whatever capacity she gave- he never tried to cross any lines. She was the first one to initiate dirty talk, inviting him to "describe how he felt," as their hips rocked in unison, their panting breaths mingling. He never pressured.

He was, in a word, perfect.

Kim wanted it all with him. When the time was right- all of it. She still felt a little bit too young but...not for this. Her thumbs brushed against the fabric of his waistband again. Definitely not too young for this.

No, when he was staring at her- hair mussed from sleep, his eyes smoky-dark- and she was situated over his knees...she felt like a woman.

"I'm yours, too," she whispered back.

Then, she peeled his boxers down.

Admittedly, she knew Jared was well-endowed simply from the hard-ons she could perceive through his clothes. But.

When his cock bobbed free, the full length of him extended-

Kim found herself captivated.

"Jared," she whispered. Instinct took over entirely, and Kim let her rational brain tag-out. As she fitted her palm around his mid-shaft, his chest stuttered with a sharp inhalation. She gave him an exploratory stroke, marveling at how his skin moved over the length of him- the contradictory velvet softness of his skin, especially at the tip, but then across his balls too. The unyielding swell of his arousal.

She stroked him once, twice, then countless times. Her eyes flickered up to his face, watching the minute tells of his expression as he clenched his jaw against the sensation. The piece of her chest that often reflected his emotions was going haywire with love, lust, devotion, relief, pleasure. She pulled her palm back, and, in a purely logical move, spat into the cradle of her hand.

"Uggghnnn," was Jared's response to this new tactic, as Kim's slick hand slid up and down the distended length of his cock over and over and over. Her mind wandered to the prospect of fitting this inside, of the inevitable day when she'd brace herself to receive him-

"Kim," he said in a shaken voice. When she met his eyes again, she saw the pupils were huge- like they had been when he Imprinted. "Kim, I can smell your pussy. Holy fuck- Kim. I- fuck."

"Does this feel good?" She knew it did; every pulse in her chest indicated that it did. But she wanted to hear it.

"So good," he said, eyebrows pitching upward. After a few more languid strokes of her hand, he breathed, "I'm trying to- to hold out-"

"Why? Don't you want to come?" she asked in a dark, saucy tone that she'd been getting more familiar with since they'd started messing around a few months ago.

"I want to come," he confirmed, breathlessly. Helplessly. Ravenous.

She spat into her other hand, and switched to her left hand. The renewed slick made Jared's hips jerk off the bed slightly. He watched her like she was a goddess.

"Say it again?" she asked him, searching his eyes.

"I want to come." His breathing was ragged.

"I want you to come, too," she breathed in response. Her heart was pounding with anticipation. "I want to watch how you come. And sometime soon, I want to feel you come in my mouth-"

That got him. Jared's eyes flew open wide, his heels digging into the bed as his hips shot upward- he ejaculated in five forceful spurts, hot white stripes painting the picture-perfect muscles of his stomach. Kim was wonderstruck at the sight, watching him come and moan and shudder and spurt.

He collapsed back flat on the bed in the immediate aftermath.

Kim never felt more powerful or beautiful, not once in her entire life.

This was perfection. Who knew love could do this? This was way beyond anything she'd ever imagined on her own, or reading smutty books. No, this was- holy God. This was sacred.

And then he sat up on his elbows, and the look in his eyes made her heart nearly burst. "I love you." The words always gave her a thrill, but pairing it with the Imprint shared emotions- where his felt like an ocean of pure euphoria- was electrifying.

"I love you too."

"Thank you." A sleepy, satiated grin spread over his lips.

"Thank you," she said, and meant it. "I like that you always let me go at my pace, and willingly let me-"

"Use me? Experiment with me?" he asked, eyebrows raised and gaze sparkling.

"Yes. Shamelessly." She grinned at him, then, but felt the blush burning her skin already. "But I mean it."

"I'm happy to receive whenever you're feeling frisky or curious. Experimental." He waggled his brows. Then, with a hint of gravel in his voice, added, "Or...I'm ready to give. If you want me to."

She'd had plenty of fevered dreams about Jared giving her pleasure. She just wasn't quite ready. There was something so irrevocably vulnerable about it- and with the reality of their supernatural connection, she knew one day it would happen organically anyway and it would be amazing….

So yeah, no rushing it.

"I really do want it. Someday. Maybe soon." She rose from the bed. "I'm going to wash my hands. Need anything?"

He reached for a kleenex box on the window sill. "Nope. Hurry back though."

They spent the next hour cuddling, until Kim drifted off to sleep with Jared's soft kisses on her hairline.

SPRING-SUMMER 2006

Graduation came and Kim was thrilled to make Salutatorian with a 4.08 GPA...just behind Archie Burnside, whose 4.09 clinched the top-spot. She didn't mind so much, honestly. If anyone else had earned the right to outrank her, she supposed Archie deserved it. He'd taken an additional advanced math class Junior year, and it was just enough to push him over the line at the last assessment. They'd shared a hug when the announcement was made during Yearbook class; Kim teased him about having to do a longer speech whereas she only had to issue a "Welcome" to the class at the top of the ceremony.

Sarah and Kim marched down the Graduation aisle together as the second pair to enter thanks to Kim's Salutatorian status. They clutched gerber daisies in their fists- the class flower. Jared and Paul entered in as the 35th pair, and girls catcalled Paul as they went. Jared sent Kim a cheeky wink as she applauded him from her honorary seat near the stage.

The night of Graduation, they all celebrated at La Push Senior Bonfire- a long-standing tradition. The Senior Parent Group had organized for a local band to play on the beach, and a handful of moms served homemade tacos from behind a fold-out table. Around 10 PM, the parents cleared out and graduates were left to party on the beach.

Sarah and Kim both tried champagne for the first time, with Jared and Paul faithfully keeping an eye on everyone. Kim knew Sam was lurking near the treeline with some of the younger wolves, to dissuade any potential trouble. At one point, as Kim was swigging water from a bottle in her dufflebag at edge of the beach, Kim made eye contact with Embry Call, crouched in the underbrush.

"Hey Embry," she whispered.

Embry blinked twice at her and made a soft rumble of greeting. The large wolf backed further into the darkness, just as Jared came up behind Kim to put an arm over her shoulders. He nodded at Embry just before he disappeared.

"Here I was going to suggest we go find some place private to mess around," she murmured to her boyfriend, squeezing his hand. "But I don't think it'll be at all that private, huh?"

"Not tonight it won't." Jared looked down at her, eyes gleaming in the firelight. "But we could go in my car…."

"They'll still hear me," she said, sheepishly, as her cheeks turned hot. But….well. She was feeling the champagne and feeling...well, horny. "But...well. Pack's honor and stuff, right?"

"Right." Jared kissed the crown of her head. "Only if you're up for it though."

"I'm not drunk," she assured him. "A bit tipsy. Feeling good. Maybe wondering if you can make me feel really good."

"I'll do whatever you want," Jared said, already guessing his Imprint's intention. "You're not drunk?"

"Nope. Just tipsy and wanting my boyfriend to pay attention to me," she said back, eyebrow raised in challenge. "Will he oblige?"

"He's your willing slave," he replied, before dragging her by the hand away from the crowds, through the vegetation and down to the road. They'd parked half a mile down the road, in Jared's Nissan that was one of fifty cars lining the highway near the beach.

When they made it, and gotten comfy in the backseat, Kim was feeling a little bit hot and a whole lot desperate. She wriggled out of her denim shorts and shirt; Jared was eyeing her hungrily, fingers gentle as they caressed the soft fabric of her blue paisley underwear.

"You feel hot, even through your panties," he whispered. "Since that day in class...every day, I dream about touching you, Kim."

"I want you to." She kissed him deeply, reveling in the taste of him. "Touch me, if it's what you want."

"You want to know what I want? I mean- really touching you. Kissing you. Tasting you. Is that what you want?"

She took a shaky breath, even as her skin tightened with anticipation at his words. "Yes. Please, Jared."

"I'm gonna make you see fucking stars, Kim," he groaned, before letting his hot, expert mouth trail down her body. She felt the heat of his breath over the material of her underwear, and slid her shaking hands through his hair just as he lowered his mouth over her covered-center.

She made a soft sound of surprise as she felt him kiss her through the fabric. His fingers tightened around her hips, and he made a loud groaning sound. "You smell so good, baby." He lifted his head, his gaze dark and smoldering even by the bare light of the moon. "I love how you smell when you start to go crazy. I want your scent all over me, Kim."

Her hips wriggled at that. "Please, Jared-"

"Want me to lick you, baby?"

"Yes," she said. With no underwear. Just your tongue- on me.

As if he read her mind, Jared- unblinking in his relentless smoldering eye contact- hooked a single large finger into the band of her panties, then pulled them down at an agonizingly slow pace. When she was free of her underwear, his gaze immediately dropped—as if he couldn't help himself- and he inhaled sharply at the sight of her.

"I can see how wet you are, Kim," he said in a deep growl. "Fuck, I've never wanted anything more in my whole life than-"

"Then do it."

His mouth was on her instantly, his tongue sliding against her clit like he was a man possessed.

Kim's eyes rolled back in her head at the sensation; it was unfamiliar intimacy, beckoning her to surrender as her nerves tightened with pleasure. Jared's fingers tightened on her hips, his mouth moving against her. He found a rhythm that settled into nine or ten light, gentle flicks then a languid lap of his tongue directly over the bud of her sex. She writhed with each swipe of his tongue.

Slitting her eyes open, hazy with pleasure, Kim found him staring at her with those scorching caramel eyes. Her breath hitched. The sight of him, paired with the consistent flicking of his sinful tongue against her clit, almost made her light-headed. "You're beautiful, Jared."

He didn't speak- his tongue was otherwise engaged- but the look in his eyes spoke multitudes. He slowly moved his left hand from its anchor-point on her hip...and gently, probingly, ran the tip of his middle finger down the center of her sex. She felt her sex clench when his finger dipped close to her center. But it didn't breach.

Sweet misery, the games he played.

"Please," she said in a voice that was nearly a whine. She wriggled her hips, trying not to upset his mouth's tempo, but desperately wanting to catch his finger and feel its width at her opening. "Please."

Jared, pinning her with a look that promised a lifetime, gently but firmly parted her folds with that single finger. He filled her- a merciful fullness that had her clenching uncontrollably only minutes later, as his insistent tongue pushed her over the edge. She cried out, fingers digging into his scalp as her body convulsed in rapture. And all the while, Jared's tongue didn't stop lapping at her.

When she finally came down, she whispered his name, and he pulled away- rising to kiss her softly. The taste of herself on his lips was oddly sensual.

"I could do that all day," he murmured to her, pressing his forehead to hers.

"I mean- if I could survive, sure." A shiver shot through her, an aftershock from deep within. Delicious.

"We could work on that?" he offered.

"Gladly." She almost said "I wish we'd been doing that since the beginning," but realized that- no, it was better now, when she was totally certain. When they were irrefutably, deeply in-love and in-trust with each other. It had been worth the wait.

They had a whole summer ahead. And a lifetime.

END OF OCTOBER, 2006 - JARED'S POV

Kim wanted to have sex.

Kim Connweller- his Imprint- wanted to have sex. For the first time. With him.

They were talking about celebrating their one-year anniversary since the Imprinting...and she'd shocked him to the core as her voice lowered over the phone to say, "Jared...I want it to be our first time."

He felt like he'd been jabbed in the solar-plexus.

"When you come up to see me...I want us to be together." She cleared her throat nervously.

He hadn't been up since August 20th, when he'd helped her parents move her in at WWU. The summer had been wild. The Cullens had made a truce as a Newborn army suddenly overran town, and both wolf and Vamp agreed that the redhead had to be destroyed. The fight was fucking scary and brutal, honestly. Then, a quiet and almost normal summer until they stood together in Kim's new dorm.

"I love you," she whispered to him as she gave him one last, long hug. Her mom was trying not to cry, remaking the bed in Kim's dorm for the fifth time as a distraction tactic. "I can't wait to have you visit. Please stay safe."

"Always," he vowed with an ancient intention of fealty.

"Call me. Every day."

"I will." He breathed in the scent of her, memorizing for the eighth-hundredth time what it felt like to have her soft, curving body in his arms. "Text me, all the time."

Then they waved goodbye, and he drove home in the backseat of her parents' car with a chest full of aching bittersweetness- his own, and Kim's.

His normal summer pretty much ended there. Bella Swan came back pregnant. The Pack splintered, with constant patrols where Sam hoped they'd be able to destroy the mystery creature before it tore its way into the world. After Jacob's Imprint on the Vamp Baby, there was a lull- save for more transformations which required longer days on patrol training the rookies.

There wasn't much room for time-off in September.

Even worse than the exhaustion from constant vigilance, was that...every hour of the day, he missed his mate.

Aside from that deep-down longing, Jared was actually glad that she wasn't around for the madness; he liked to imagine her safely cloistered off at school, in her element as a scholar. She was already a regular at the Campus Library, and had gotten a part-time job as a Library Student Assistant. She texted him throughout the day, every day, and each buzz of his cellphone was a reminder as to why he put up with all this shifter bullshit.

So to hear her breathe her confession into the phone was a special kind of torture. Our first time. "When do you want me up there?"

"The weekend of the 20th? Can you make it? I know things are super crazy now and I don't want to add a five-hour drive to your stress."

"Short of a Vampire Apocalypse- which we already kind of avoided- I won't miss it. Everybody else can wait." He actually relished the idea of running the full journey. Would it help him control his wolf when they had sex for the first time? May be a good way to blow off steam.

As if she read his mind, Kim said, "Please bring the Nissan. I'm so tired of not having a car on campus. Then I can actually show you around town efficiently, instead of making you hang around my dorm til we're bored to tears."

He guffawed before saying, in his sultriest voice that used to make any girl crumble, "Kim, we will absolutely be hanging around your dorm….but we will not be bored."

She giggled nervously. "Okay."

"What about Imani?" he asked, referring to Kim's roommate. Imani was a softspoken Chem major from Olympia. Jared liked her a lot when they met on move-in day; he liked her even more after Kim's stories about her.

"She's been seeing someone and will probably stay with him, if I ask her for privacy that weekend."

"Ask her for privacy. Definitely ask her for privacy," Jared said, a little too eagerly.

The weekend of the 20th came, and the drive passed in a blur. Sam had been totally fine with giving him the time-away, and Jared made the five hour drive in a mere three- his foot was practically glued to the accelerator.

Kim met him at the door to her dorm; her eyes lit up and the magic around her glittered as she jumped into his arms. He was starved for her presence- feeling her heart pound against her ribs, against his chest was enough to bring him to his knees. How could he survive off of phone connection alone? He was questioning every decision he'd made since August, now that he had her back in his arms.

She showed him around her dorm for a few minutes, then asked if he wanted to go get food. He almost said no- until he heard the lightest of grumbling from his Imprint's stomach. And well, he was a wolf. It wasn't in his nature to refuse food. So he drove her to Olive Garden, where they caught up in-person on all the wolf drama that had gone down since Kim's departure, and she regaled him with stories from her favorite classes this semester.

After dinner, they drove back to campus and walked around for a bit in the crisp Fall air. Jared closed his eyes, imagining for a moment that he was a normal guy at college with his high school sweetheart. Maybe he'd be studying conservation or physical therapy or something. He'd be with Kim every night; Vampires would be non-existent and his biggest concern would be passing his finals...not keeping a bunch of ancient parasites from murdering innocents and impregnating locals.

Didn't do much good to wonder, though.

Besides, he might not have Kim if he'd just stayed his old self.

When they went to her dorm that night, she shyly opted to change into pajamas in the bathroom attached to her and Imani's room. Jared, suddenly nervous, stripped down the moment the door closed- then yanked on a pair of sweatpants. He was already semi-hard from anticipation, and was debating putting on a shirt when the door swung open and-

Kim stood there in nothing but a lacy green bra and underwear.

Jared's mind rolled over blankly.

Kim softly closed the door to the bathroom, then leaned against it. Her cheeks were pink.

"I bought this at Victoria's Secret last month," she told him. "I liked the lace."

"I love the lace," he agreed, voice a bit hoarse from surprise.

She walked over tentatively, fidgeting and blushing- and his mouth watered at the scent of her excitement.

"I love when you blush" he informed her softly. He felt his body stiffen, and knew the outline of his cock was obvious in these sweatpants. "You're so beautiful, Kim."

She pulled her hair forward in a gesture that usually indicated she was embarrassed. But her scent didn't waver. As her gaze traveled over him, he found himself posturing- showcasing his carefully wrought muscles, and unashamed when her eyes fixated on his groin. He wanted her to look at him, to understand what he could offer her. Physically, yes, for the moment- but indicative of everything he could give her, and would give her as his mate.

"I've missed you, Jared." She crossed the remaining distance to him, where she pulled him down into the sweetest kiss. Her hands traveled over his broad shoulders, and every touch of her hand left goosebumps on his usually-too-hot-skin. He shuddered as she moved closer, with just the soft flesh of her torso fitting against his. Skin-to-skin with his Imprint was something he'd never get enough of.

And knowing just how much skin Kim had on display right now...if Jared wasn't her devoted supplicant before this moment, he certainly would be forevermore.

He took his time worshiping her after he laid her on the bed, letting his lips travel over any expanse of skin he could find. When he dipped low on her soft belly, she made a soft moaning sound of pleasure that had his fists curling into the sheets. Is that what she'd sound like when he was buried inside her?

Her fingers carded through his hair and over his scalp in that way he liked. His kisses dragged lower, until he was fully situated between her thighs, and ravenous for the hidden softness under the lace. She moaned just as he fixed his mouth to her- music to his ears, honey to his tongue and fuuuuuck.

Between her taste on his tongue, and the feeling of her fingers dragging over his head in abandon as he licked her clit, Jared genuinely thought- not for the first time- he might lose his mind. When he was with her like this, he always wondered if the lust could drive him to become the beast he'd been sharing a body with for over a year. His instincts were funneled into such simple carnality that he hoped- prayed- to be able to resurface if she demanded it of him.

When she came several minutes later- legs quivering around his shoulders and voice pitched- he felt his chest swell with masculine anticipation. His Imprint- his spirit wife, his mate- was sated for the moment and ready to receive him. He'd proven himself worthy of her, and here she was-

"Do you want me to…?" Kim breathlessly gestured to his groin, where his erection hadn't flagged in the slightest. He almost felt light-headed from the lack of circulation, honestly. His whole body was ready. It had been ready, just waiting for his woman.

"Not tonight," he said, probably a little too quickly. He tore open a condom from the bedside table. "If you give me oral, it'll be over. I just need to be inside you, Kim."

Her eyes glittered in the darkness, and Jared couldn't help but marvel at the privacy of their own little world, here on the twin XL dorm bed on the third floor of her dorm...worlds away from La Push. Just Jared, and Kim, forever. He aligned himself with the slick heat of her entrance, outstretching an arm to brace above her…

Just as the head of his cock nudged at her entrance, sliding into the wetness of her slit, Kim murmured, "I love you, Jared."

He pushed in the rest of the way, eyes rolling back as he tried to compose himself. She flinched at the intrusion, but her hands pulled him closer simultaneously. She made one of those grunting moans again. His whole body tensed at the power of the sound.

Control Control Controlcontrolcontrol.

"Are you okay?" he gritted out, endeavoring not to move; it had been over a year since he'd last had sex, and every sensation was electrifying. It had never felt this way ever. His body practically shook from the instinctive urge to thrust. But Kim. It was Kim's first time. She needed time to adjust.

"I'm good," she huffed out. "It hurts a bit but- I think if you move, it'll be better." Her hands flitted down to his hips, gently pressing him closer and deeper, as her thighs spread further to accommodate his body.

"If I move- if I go too fast, just order me to stop," he rasped. He couldn't focus on much besides the superb heat of her body enveloping his dick. He was glad for the condom; he might actually have a chance at lasting.

"I'll tell you," she said, voice breathy. She stroked a hand up his back and then back down to his hip. "It's better by the second. Make love to me, Jared."

His hips began their rhythm- firm and deep. He bit his lip to ensure he didn't get too rough.

Luckily, the wolf was in accord. His instincts were perfectly aligned in the purpose of giving Kim a good first experience, to love her-

Which was perfect and wonderful for the first three minutes until she pulled his head close, and panted in his ear, "You're so thick and it feels so good- Faster, baby, please." and punctuated it with a soft moan.

Oh hell.

Jared's body shuddered from the command, and his hips began to snap with abandon. He couldn't get deep enough, couldn't wedge himself close enough to her soul. He wanted it all. Thoughts became words, staccato strings that punctured his brain every-other-thrust until he gave himself over to the beast's drive.

Her skin, sliding against his. Her moans in his ear. Her fingers in his hair, on his back, over his shoulders. Her hips undulated wide to receive.

Fuck.

Kim. Mate. Love. Breed. Kim. Love. Kim. Mate. Claim.

Fuck.

Mine. Mark. Mine.

What started as a sloppy kiss at the juncture of ear and the column of her neck turned to teeth- and then it was the wolf's will, not the warrior's, as it marked its mate at long-last. His heart slammed in his ribs, his orgasm boiling forth with such force that his toes curled into the mattress with the taste of Kim's skin under his tongue. Kim, meanwhile, careened into a second orgasm that had her pussy clenching him deliciously, maddeningly, while he filled the condom.

When the haze dissipated several minutes (hours? days?) later, Jared had released Kim from the mating bite. He promptly collapsed just beside her, his shoulder still covering hers, and his body struggling to breathe normally again.

He felt utterly and completely drained. Of come, of breath, of energy, of stress.

Just blissful reprieve.

Like floating, with the sound of Kim's breathing and her lulling scent rocking him into tranquility.

"Happy anniversary," she murmured to him. Her whole body radiated satisfaction and warmth. Love.

"Happy anniversary." He kissed her shoulder.

After another minute of post-coital reverie, he managed to sit up just long enough to remove the condom and dispose of it in the little waste basket beside her bed. Then, plunk.

"Back down for the count?"

"I think I'm going to stay here forever. I won't be able to move," he told her jokingly, voice caught low from his own grunts. "Did it feel okay for you? It'll be better next time."

"It was good for me." Kim rubbed a hand over her face, covering a goofy smile. "It was really good. Hurt at first, but by the time you- like, it was great. Now that I've done it, I think I've got a decent handle of the physics of it all for next time."

He groaned at the temptation to imagine just what she meant. So fucking hot. "I'd try to help right now, but I'm useless."

"Completely."

"Sorry." He pressed another brief kiss to her shoulder. "I'll be very useful tomorrow. I need some recovery."

"Noted." Kim jostled a bit until she was propped up on her side, and began to run her hands lovingly over his exposed back. "Thank you, Jared."

"Thank you." He glanced at the space below her ear, where he'd marked her. It was just starting to bloom a light pink, like a mid-sized hickey. A bit more decent than the one Sam had bestowed on Emily. He knew the girls couldn't see them, and that they were only visible to the wolves, but he was proud of himself for not going total monster on her.

He kept the beast under control in the end. A proud smirk curled his lip. He couldn't wait for the next time, now that the biggest temptation was put to rest.

They fell asleep, entwined with each other and with the soft breeze of the campus whistling through her window- and Jared knew, without a doubt, that it was to be the best night's sleep of his life.


A/N: I hope you enjoyed! The last fix of smut...hope everyone liked this story! I have them plotted out and may do an epilogue update someday in the future (on this story) after I publish the other wolves' stories. In summary: Kim does become an eye doctor, and opens up a little practice in La Push at twenty-eight. Jared stops phasing gradually in his mid-twenties, training new recruits as needed but retiring mostly. Jared goes into business with Paul to open a local landscaping company, post-Pack days. Kim and Jared have two kids in their early thirties (boy then a girl). They're happy as can be, because they were meant to be. Awww.

Thanks for reading, my friends, and I hope this isn't the last we see of each other. You really have been wonderful to me, and your comments/support have been such a balm to my soul during the weird times 2020-2021 has brought. Thank you, truly, from the bottom of my heart. Please drop me a line and please let me know who you'd like next. Love you all.