Chapter Twelve
I was thoroughly wound up by the time I'd got home. Dad was waiting for me in the kitchen having let himself in. He was in the middle of unpacking the food when I flounced in, head still reeling and hurting from everything.
"Hey Kate… Poppet are you OK?" I guess my poker face was missing tonight. I shrugged my shoulders and just burst into tears in the doorway.
"Oh Kate, what's wrong?" My Dad rushed over and dragged me into a hug. I couldn't speak past my sobs so just hugged him back as tightly as I could. It took around ten minutes before I could calm down enough to speak, and even then I was hiccup almost every other word.
"Marc knew about Richard cheating on me before I walked in on him. He knew for months and never told me. And work have played me with this new job." I crumbled again and my Dad hugged me looking bewildered at my outburst.
"Oh Poppet."
I cried harder.
It was a full half hour before I could get everything out to my Dad without another full melt down. I told him everything, from Muller and the ultimatum, to the revelations from Brian today. I even mentioned Sam and Emily and my feeling like shit for the past few weeks.
"...and I'm just sick and tired of it all you know?" I moaned, wiping my sore eyes with a bit of kitchen towel. "It seems like everyone I know has been manipulating me for their own gain. I can't work out what Marc got out of not telling me about Richard, but Brian… I feel like the only reason they want to keep me was because of Marc. I can't tell you how shit that makes me feel. He called me his linchpin, so fuck me over so Marc falls into line? Who the hell does that Dad?"
Dad sat looking heartbroken. I hadn't seen him this upset for a long time.
"If there's something I've learnt in my years is that you need to look after number one. Until you can literally trust someone with your life, you take everything they say to you with a hefty pinch of salt."
I looked up at him and saw him with repressed rage on his face.
"I'm sorry I didn't protect you from Richard, Kate... no hear me out." He raised his hand to stop my protest. "I never liked the guy, I didn't like the way you seemed to withdraw into yourself around him, I only dread to think what you were like in private. I didn't want to push you away by looking like I didn't approve of your choices. I think I went from over protective to sticking my head in the sand and it didn't do you any favours. So, yeah. I'm sorry."
"Oh Dad." I could feel my tears welling up again, so I got up and moved around to give him another hug. I didn't really know what to say to that to be honest. The thing is, he had repeated the concerns about my relationship that Marc had picked up on. Having now the time and distance to look back on it myself, I was starting to think they both had a point.
"What are you going to do about this job then?" He asked as we parted. He started dishing out the now cold food before placing each plate in the microwave to reheat.
"I'm going to still go." I said, looking down at the counter. "I feel like, after everything Brian said, it's not me that they want to keep, it's Marc. So I want to go to prove to them, well, mainly prove to myself that I can do it."
I felt a certain peace at saying it out loud, and realised it was completely true.
If work loved me so much, why had nothing been offered in the past? I felt it was a weak excuse myself. It made much more sense that it was all down to Marc and his talents. Why they had us both linked that tightly I'd never know, but they were right about something, Marc was getting bored and would have taken another job soon I think, and I had my doubts that he would turn it down because of me if it was that good. The thought that work had risked me declining the role on a hunch based on Marc's friendship with me was sobering. Dad was right, you could only trust yourself and it was sheer luck it had panned out the way Brian had predicted.
He set the plate of steaming reheated chinese in front of me, and put his own plate in the microwave. I poked my noodles waiting for his to be done, before we settled down to start eating.
"You need to eat something Kate. I think your funny turn is partly down to your lack of diet lately." Dad pointed his folk at my plate. He was probably right, and even though I wasn't feeling it I forced myself to eat. It tasted bland, which I supposed help me eat the majority of it.
"I'm proud of you still, you know." Dad said, watching his plate as he scooped rice together. "I don't think Brian was completely out in cloud cuckoo land when he said you'd be good for the job. I think you just lack the confidence to see it, and Richard didn't help build you up so you've got bogged down thinking you aren't capable."
He looked up at me intently.
"Don't think you are riding Marc's coat tails either. That's not the case at all, and never has been. Yeah you might rely on him for moral support, but that's what friends are for. But don't you dare think you wouldn't have got where you are today without him."
I felt like crying again after his little speech, so I went with dark humour instead.
"Yeah, moral support. Just don't trust him." I scoffed, rolling my eyes.
"Ok, maybe don't take what I said literally. Just, pinch of salt remember. Everyone else is looking out for number one, even if they don't think they are. Just level that playing field and do the same."
"OK." Easier said than done, but hey, I had stood up for myself today with Brian. I guess there was hope for me yet.
"As for this Sam chap. Just be careful there." He looked worried.
"What do you mean?"
"I know you said he's married but it seems like he's taken a shine to you, and that strikes me as grooming-"
"Dad, for pete's sake, he's not grooming me." I actually laughed at that.
"Yeah, like Richard wasn't gaslighting you, and Marc hadn't lied to you. You haven't been the best judge of character lately, Poppet."
That shut me up. Fuck, he had a point.
"So, I'm just saying, look out for number one and watch yourself OK?"
"OK Dad."
We finished up our food, packing the rest up for Dad to take home, before going through the house. I handed over the document box that contained all the household information, and noted down anything to be aware of, such as the dodgy catch on the loft hatch, and where the water stop cock was located.
Dad left after 10pm, so I was on my own for the last night in this house for the foreseeable future. I may not even move back here on my return so it was with more tears and a lot of snotty tissues I did a slow lap of my home, reminiscing on the good times, and lamenting the future that would now never happen.
I tried to get an early night, having very little sleep these last few days, but my mind wouldn't shut down with the revelations of today, and my heartbreak over leaving my home and my Dad. My headache was still pounding and I felt flu like from the sore throat, nose and eyes from all my crying. I think I fell asleep around 2am.
I was woken violently by my alarm at five. I felt like shit. It felt like I had come down with the flu and I panicked that I wouldn't be able to travel in this state.
It was a struggle to get myself out of bed to shower and get dressed. Every step was painful and the ache in my chest honestly had me thinking I was having a coronary. I found myself hanging on to various surfaces to keep my balance as my head swam. It was only the driving force to prove everyone one, including myself, wrong that I made it downstairs.
I loaded up on painkillers and cold and flu medicine and after twenty minutes there was minor relief as they started to work. I had about an hour before Dad was coming to get me so I checked, double checked and triple checked my luggage and then the house. Another crying jag killed ten minutes, I wasn't sure if it was a continuation from last night, or if it was just because I was feeling so rough.
Dad arrived and wisely kept quiet at my crappy looking appearance. No amount of makeup was fixing this mess so I didn't even bother trying.
We, or rather my Dad, had the car loaded with my bags, and before I knew it, I was physically ready to leave. I had another mini break down in the hallway, and it took my Dad to gently usher me out the door to put the line under that part of my life.
The ride to the airport was quiet. I should be making more of this time left with Dad, but like with the same journey with Marc a week before, I couldn't get my brain to engage, only this time, instead of irritation, it was sadness driving my mental block.
Dad again did the heavy lifting, getting my luggage loaded on a trolley at departures, I flapped around, checking the car for any last minute lost items. Once I'd checked the car a second time, Dad caught my attention.
"OK, you are set. I'm not going to ask if you have everything as I know you do as I've just lifted it all onto this bleeding cart. Come here Poppet." He held his arms out and I fell into his hug.
"You will be fine. If anything I'm worried you won't want to come back and I'll have to endure obnoxious Yanks to come visit you." I snorted at that.
"I'm sure you'll cope." I retorted.
"Exactly. I will, so don't worry about me. Have a wonderful time. Love you Poppet."
"Love you too Daddy."
We hugged a last time before I pushed my trolley to the doors of the terminal. Dad was leaning back against the car watching me leave with the biggest, proudest grin on his face. I couldn't help return it and it gave me a boost of much needed confidence. I could do this.
I pushed the trolley through the doors without a backward glance and made my way to the check in desks. I was pretty early for my flight so didn't have to wait to check in. The perks of Business Class meant I could take more hand luggage and have more in the hold so there was only a small excess weight charge for my bags. I was glad to have my company Amex at this point.
The wait for the flight was nothing short of torture. Even though I had access to the Business lounge it didn't help with how I was feeling. The pain in my chest was competing with my head for the most painful body part, but my neck and shoulders were throwing their hats in the ring too, they were beginning to stiffen, and for all the pills I was popping, it didn't seem to be helping at all.
My flight, thankfully, was on time and by 1pm, we were roaring down the runway heading west.
The change in air pressure didn't help my head in the slightest, and a kind member of the cabin crew took it upon themselves to take care of me. They set up the seat to become a bed and told me they would wake me when food came round. I gave my thanks but couldn't fall asleep no matter how hard I tried and how tired and achy I was. I was starting to worry again at this point. How was I going to drive to La Push at this rate if I was exhausted? The rising worry meant I couldn't sleep and the vicious cycle continued.
I think the crew member who was looking after me felt like she'd failed her life calling when we finally landed. I'd refused all food and drink and anything she tried just didn't work. I would have felt sorry for her if I could string a sentence together.
I somehow made it through immigration and on to baggage reclaim. I think I was fast tracked because I looked terrible.
As I waited for my many bags to come off the plane, I switched on my phone fully intending to locate a nearby hotel to crash at, not trusting myself to drive at all. I wasn't expecting anyone to contact me so I was surprised with a text message from Sam.
'Have you landed yet?'
I squinted at the tiny screen, letters merging together, and typed my reply.
'Yes, getting bags.'
'OK'.
OK. Right. I felt guilty at feeling a bit...off at his short reply, I hadn't spoken to him all week I didn't really have the right to be upset with him. I felt really shitty about it, but as the weeks before I hadn't the energy to engage anyone.
The bags finally appeared, and if it wasn't for some lovely American family taking pity on me, I would never had got them on the trolley. Ready to go, I figured I'd Google for a hotel outside, so I began pushing the bags containing my life towards the exit.
I made it out into the arrivals area and parked myself as best I could out of the way as I pulled up Google on my phone. I was just about to search when another text came through.
'Need a hand?'
Eh?
'Look up'
I obeyed, and what a sight for sore eyes.
Ahead, towering over everyone was none other than Sam Uley. He stood in dark green, loose fit cargo shorts, and a black wife beater. He smiled so sweetly when he noticed I'd seen him, and he pocketed his phone and began to walk towards me. I held my breath as he approached, unable to sort through the emotions surging through me at seeing him in the flesh.
"Hi."
"Hi."
"C'mere honey."
He held his arms out I fell into them. Home. There was no other words to describe it.
"Don't cry, you're home now."
I hadn't realised but there were tears streaming down my face, and now that I knew, I couldn't stop them or the sobs constricting my chest. He ssh'd me and rocked me back and forth as I spilt my stresses and pains of the past few weeks into the cotton of his shirt. Once I got myself under some semblance of control I lifted my head from his chest, but maintaining contact with him. I don't think I could let him go at this point.
"What are you doing here?" I asked sounding like I had smoked 50 a day after gargling battery acid.
"Just making sure you had a friendly face to welcome you home." His smile faded slightly as his eyes roamed my face, no doubt taking in the disaster. I had a bout of embarrassment and went to turn my head when he gently took my chin keeping my face, and therefore my eyes locked on his.
"You feeling OK Kate? You feel warm, like you're coming down with something."
I snorted a snotty laugh at that. "That and I look like I've been dragged through a hedge backwards. I don't feel warm, actually I feel a little cold." I hadn't noticed how cold I felt before hugging Sam. His warmth was addictive and I snuggled in a little more to steal some.
He raised a hand and swiped my hair back before letting his palm linger on my forehead.
"Hmm, warmer than you should be. Come on, let's get you home. It's a long drive." He went to move and I panicked, not wanting to part ways yet.
"Oh, can we stay for a bit longer, I've missed you, I need to explain my behaviour this week before we go." He laughed at me.
"Kate, I'm here to drive you home honey."
"I can't, you can't, I need to collect my company car, I need to call the company to drop it off outside, but I don't think I can drive just yet so I was going to get a hotel room, but I need to check for availability-" The tears started again with the stress of everything.
"Kate, calm down. I had a friend drop me in Seattle this morning, he was coming this way and offered me a ride. We can collect your car and I will drive us both home OK? Stop panicking."
He smiled at my babbling and I just continued to cry at how nice he was being. He pulled me into another hug, then taking my carryon items, he smoothly added them to the top of the other bags and with me still under his arm, moved us out to the exit.
I staggered slightly as we walked and he tighten his grip on my waist.
"I've got you, you're safe."
And for the first time in what seemed like forever, it actually felt that way.
Sam
I watched as her face, creased in pain, dipped down to look at her cell. She was still beautiful, even looking like hell, her organic presentation to the world stood her apart from the rest of the people around her.
My heart ached for her. I could feel her pain and tiredness from here and I rubbed my chest as the feeling was finally starting to ebb. She clearly wasn't expecting anyone to be here for her, and it made me sad that she felt herself so alone in this world that the thought to ask for help never even crossed her mind. That was something we'd definitely need to change.
I pulled out my own cell and sent her a message. I smiled as she received and read it, clearly confused.
'Look up'
Her eyes tight with stress lifted and when they found mine…
It was simply magical. I could feel my wolf quiver with the need to get to her so I obeyed and made my way through the crowds.
"Hi."
"Hi."
"C'mere honey."
I encased her in my arms, feeling everything was right in the world and I took a long inhale of her scent. I smelled her tears before I saw them. It was then I realised how bad her final week had been. I tried to placate her and only caused her to cry harder. I let her have her moment, knowing full well a good cry could do wonders for the soul before starting to make a move home.
Her increased franticness as she misunderstood my intentions to leave had my wolf whining in shared distress. Again, there was that expectation that no one was here for her, her relief palpable as I corrected her.
She almost fell as we made for the exit. Usually the Imprint bond would settle on contact, but it seemed that she either had come down with something on top of the Imprint illness, or it was going to take a while for her to recover. It was a worry anyway and it was something I'd keep an eye on.
We made it outside and she fumbled with her cell, almost dropping it. I frowned, feeling her exhaustion through the bond. She was running on fumes, both mentally and physically and all I wanted to do was phase as my wolf and curl up around her as she slept.
"Here, let me sort this. What do I need to do?" I asked as I plucked the cell from her fingers. She blinked a few times, clearly trying to fight to get her brain working.
"Erm, need to call that number, and quote this reference." She pointed to the cell, showing a contact she had just pulled up, then handed me an email print out with a code highlighted. The paper was worn, clearly folded and refolded multiple times in her worry.
I did as instructed, and was informed it would be about ten minutes for them to bring the car round. Kate staggered again, apologising as she bumped into me. I swung my arm back around her and took her weight as we waited in comfortable silence. I could feel her slump heavily against me after a few minutes, and I kept her close to me as possible. The suddenness of her succumbing to the Imprint bond was a concern. I knew from my time away from Emily over the years that that initial contact could send the wolf, but mainly the Imprintee into a kind of shut down mode as the bond overwhelmed them. Constant contact kept the bond happy, but meeting again after no contact for such a long time, well, it was like a tsunami of feelings hitting and it took the body a while to rebalance.
It wasn't too bad for me as I had Emily to take the edge off, but Kate…
Marc had informed us after much prodding that she had withdrawn into herself at work. Brian was apparently keeping a subtle eye on her and not only letting Marc know how she was progressing with work, but also her behavior too.
I could feel it myself through the Imprint that it wasn't just at work either. The echo of her emotions were strong and the lack of phone contact was driving both my wolf and I insane with worry. Marc was getting sick and tired of my constant asking but relented in the end to just shut me up, but it painted a painful picture of how isolated she was.
Emily and I tried to not harass her too much by phone, but by the end of this week I was all but in panic mode. A sudden wave of anger and confusion struck on Friday morning, and didn't abate until I'd got Marc to get in contact with her via her Dad to see if she was OK. I didn't like the chinese whispers, needing to speak to her myself, but she wouldn't answer her phone.
I really, really needed to drill it into her that she could talk to us anytime. From what Marc had let slip over the week, it seemed her Ex was controlling in his behavior of Kate and she'd withdrawn into herself over the years. It was going to be tough to break her out of that shell, but I was confident it was possible. She was in there, it would just take some love and affection.
"Ms. Walker?" I turned my head to see a man holding a clipboard with a bunch of papers approach from the side. I'd told them to look for the tallest guy they'd ever seen. It was helpful being this height.
Kate stirred out of her stupor enough to pull out her passport and sign a thousand documents before she was handed the bundle of papers relating to the car and it's two keys.
"Car is just a little way other there." The man pointed, before bidding us farewell and disappearing into the terminal.
"Come on, let's go home." I smiled down at her. Her returning smile was delayed and incredibly dopey when it did appear, and it made my grin wider. Gah, she was so cute. The guys would crucify me for this later when they saw it in my mind, no doubt.
I pinched a set of key from her hands and flipped it over. Mercedes. Nice. Like before, I pulled her along as I pushed her luggage, randomly hitting the unlock button to locate the car in question.
"It's blue." She murmured. If I hadn't been intrinsically bound to her every movement and sound I may have missed her voice. Before I could reply, we came across a brand new Merc GLC in the aforementioned blue which flashed it's light as I hit the remote once more.
Very nice.
Priorities first, I unwrapped Kate from where she had practically glued herself to me, and being strong and ignoring her whimpers of protest, I got her seated and clipped into the passenger seat. I then made quick work of her luggage before adjusting the driver's seat and getting in.
Very nice indeed.
Jacob would cream his pants to get a hold of this beauty. It was nice to get in a car that fitted for a change. Billy had taken great joy in pointing out the Pack looked like Donkey Kong when driving as we were often too large to fit comfortably.
Making a few final adjustments and checking the fuel gauge, we were ready to go. I swung my head to Kate to find her asleep. I took off my seatbelt and removed my top before balling it up to slip in between her head and the window. Nodding in satisfaction I clipped on my belt again and started the car. It purred.
Oh, I was going to have to work out how to borrow this from Kate.
With a final look at Kate, and a smile on my face I pulled out into traffic to start the long trek home. My wolf shivered in anticipation as the distance between my two Imprints got smaller and smaller. My contentment levels were off the chart and increasing by the second. I guess my excitement was leaking through the bond as Kate finally looked peaceful, and a small smile graced her lips as she slept.
Sam
We got stuck in traffic outside Seattle so I took the opportunity to fire off messages to a few people. I sent a message to Emily telling her we were on our way, another to Sue and Billy repeating that and asking if Sue could possibly take a look at Kate give her being poorly. My final message was to Jacob. I mentioned the bond's impact on Kate and asked if we could hold off the Pack meeting her for a few days. I wanted her better and not overwhelm her with their antics just yet. He agreed and said he would let the guys know. I was about to slip my phone back in my pocket when he replied again, asking me to get Kate to let Marc know she was OK. He hadn't heard from her yet and was worried.
About two hours from Sea-Tac Kate stirred.
"Hey sleepy head, how you feeling honey?" I asked her gently as she came too. She was bleary eyed and confused as she woke.
"I thought I could smell you." She said. I must have looked confused as she held up my shirt. Oh, I'd forgotten about that.
"Oh, sorry, yeah. I didn't want you to bash your head on the glass." She smiled shyly as she fingered the material.
"Thanks Sam. Sorry for falling asleep on you, it's been a long day."
She wiped her hand down her face, clearly trying to get her bearings as she scanned the passing scenery.
"Where are we exactly?"
"Just outside McCleary." I'd taken a southern route given traffic reports on the built in navigation. I zoomed out of the map on the touch screen to show her. "We're probably got another couple of hours at least."
"Oh, that's very flash." She poked the screen and accidentally exited the app. "Crap, sorry, how do you get it back?"
I laughed. "It's fine, I know the way. I was just using it to avoid the traffic in Seattle."
She smiled again and took a good look around the car.
"Well this is all very posh. What's it like to drive?" She turned to me.
"Very nice, I may have to steal it from you if that's OK?" I joked. Half joked. It was like wafting along on air.
"Sure, I'll just get another one and bill it on my company card. It's a bit bigger than I was expecting. Colours nice." I laughed at that. "What?" She asked.
"The color, such a girly thing to mention" I teased. I saw her smile and she poked my arm.
"I have you know I do actually know how to do an oil change, and change a tyre on a car, thank you very much. Doesn't stop it from being a nice colour." She frowned slightly. "All though, come to think of it, it was the only input I had into choosing this car, so you may have a point."
"Who choose it for you?" I glanced over and saw her face tightened.
"Marc." She stated abruptly. Hello, what was this about?
"Ah, Marc. He's been harassing Jacob on your whereabouts, could you ping him a message to let him know you've landed?" Her face darkened at that, but she did as requested.
"There, sorted. Sent one to Dad too"
"Everything OK there…?" I prodded. Something had happened with Marc. That was a bit confusing as like the rest of us, he'd not had any direct contact with her the past week. She rubbed her eyes again and sighed.
"I just need to talk to him about something." She clammed up, so I decided not to push.
"If you need me to stop at any rest places, just holler OK?"
"I think I'm good." She smiled again and looked over. Her eyes roaming my exposed torso.
"Jeez Sam, not that I'm checking you out, but mother of God, I've never seen muscles like that before." There was awe in her voice, but her deadpan delivery and the poke she gave me made me laugh.
"All natural." I stated with exaggerated preening. She snorted.
"Yeah, if you're a plough horse." I burst out laughing at that and she joined in. That was a new one.
"How was your last week at work?" I asked.
I noticed it often took a bunch of questions to get her to open up, then it would be like a tap was turned on. It was like she was bottling everything up, not trusting anyone would listen, then when she realized they were actually interested, she would vomit out a whole book of words as though she was afraid they would get bored. I added it to the list of things I wanted to help her with. No one should feel like they were a burden like that.
"It was… long. Sorry I didn't speak to you or Emily. I just… there was… I was tired." She finished lamely. I could hear the stress in her voice again. It was clearly more than that, but I didn't want to push her too much right now. I wondered if something had happened that involved Marc?
"It's fine, honey. You have no obligation to us. We were a little worried, but figured you'd reach out if you needed to." It was a little suggestion which I hoped she would begin to trust.
"Thanks, I'm still sorry though. So uhm... what's the plan of action once we get to La Push?"
"Well, I figured you're going to be jet lagged and hungry, so I'm taking you back to mine first to meet Emily and have a quiet meal with us, then you can either crash in our spare room tonight, or I can take you home." I focused on the road, giving her the space to decide what she wanted to do. I suspected she would want her space.
"Thanks Sam, I'd like that. Can I let you know about where I sleep? I have trouble sleeping in new places and don't want to put you out."
"No problem. I've asked Jacob to tell the masses to stay away for a bit, give you space to get your feet under you. Everyones eager to meet you." I smiled at her, but caught her frown.
"I don't know why, I'm pretty boring." She smiled trying to make it a joke, but it fell quickly from her face. I could feel her insecurity bleed through our bond, and wondered what the hell had happened this week to shake her confidence in herself so much. I needed to speak to Emily, she if she could get her to open up.
"Na, you're fresh meat, of course they want to meet you." She smiled a bit more enthusiastically at that.
"Ah, the new toy in the toy box. I see." She grinned.
"Exactly. Don't worry, they've all been vetted and apart from acting younger than their ages and looks suggest, they're a good bunch. You pretty much have a dozen or more new friends already, you just need to remember their names."
"How do you know them all?" She asked, turning in her seat slightly to face me."
"Well, as you know, we're a small Tribe. There's a lot of familial links going way back. We're around the same age so we know each other from school and such. The community is pretty tight knit so everyone know each other anyway."
"Bit different from London then. Nine million people, and no one knows another soul."
"Yeah, I got that impression. I know about Marc of course," There was that clench of her jaw again. "But did you have anyone else you were friends with?"
"I guess there was Megan at work."
Silence.
"I mean, I've been out for a few drinks with the guys from work, they're cool I guess…"
She turned her focus out of the window, clearly uncomfortable. Great, way to put your foot in it Sam.
"Well, you'll probably be sick of all the attention from the guys once we let them off their leashes." Arg, Sam you idiot. She saved me from myself by taking the lead.
"Bunch of dogs are they?" She asked with forced cheer.
Like you wouldn't know.
"Yeah, well more like untrained puppies really."
"Do I need to bring a rolled up newspaper with me when I meet them? She asked, a little twinkle in her eye.
"A baseball bat maybe." I replied, thinking of their sizes compared to her. She was average height, five-five, five-six, but would look tiny next to the Pack.
"Jesus, what type of puppies do you have around here?" She looked a bit wide eyed at that.
"No, I mean… just wait until you see them, then you'll understand why."
"So I'll literally have to beat them off?" I raised an eyebrow at her words waiting for her to catch on. When she did, she went bright red and I laughed loudly at her slip.
It broke the tension and she threw back her head and let out a peel of giggles that made my heart clench in happiness. She didn't take herself seriously and it was refreshing to see her take a rude joke. Good, she'd need that thick skin to deal with the Pack and their puerile humour.
The rest of the journey was filled with easy banter. Her laughter rang out freely as I updated her on the Pack antics for the past week. She interjected with witty retorts and deadpan sarcasm that made my jaw ache from laughing so much. By the time we'd reached Forks however her laughter had faded with trepidation of meeting Emily, and tiredness seeping in. Her eyes became tight again and I suggested she take a couple more painkillers if her head and hand were that bad. I was concerned when she mentioned her head had been plaguing her for a while now, and I made a mental note to mention it to Sue.
It was just coming up to 6pm when we entered La Push. I mentioned it to Kate and she went quiet as she took in the area as we drove to my house.
"Wow, it's so lovely 'round here." She almost whispered. I felt a thrill of happiness that she liked the area. Most people were turned off by the wildness of it, and the rain.
She turned back to me. "It'll be nice to experience rain that's natural you know?"
Ok, that was freaky.
"Isn't all rain natural?" I said with bemusement.
"Yeah, no, I mean, yes it is, but back home it's just rain, here you can see the impact it has on nature. So all this green, it's from the rain. At home it's just what gets you wet on the way home from work."
She turned back to the window, a slight red to her cheeks. "Sorry, I'm not making much sense." She gave me a tired smiled.
"No, I get you. I wasn't in London long but it was the longest I'd spent in a City that large. It was hard to see so much brick and concrete. I missed the green."
"Hmm... I remember when Dad took me to Epping Forest when I was little. Being surrounded by the trees, it was so amazing, I'd only been in cities up to that point. I never wanted to leave."
I felt a little wistful at that point, probably feeding off her emotions. Before I could think more on it, we were at the end of the driveway, and I slowed the car to make the turn. I could see Emily waiting on the porch swing, and she stood as I brought the car to a stop. I looked at Kate and she was chewing her lip with nerves.
"Is that Emily?" She asked me quietly. I waited until she turned her head to face me.
"Why don't you introduce yourself to find out?" I replied, earning an eye roll from her. She smiled however and unbuckled and opened the car door. She paused as she was about to step out, her eyes darting back to find mine.
"That thing, this thing you said you would tell me about. You still will right?"
She chewed her lip and even though her question was garbled slightly, I knew she was referring to the Imprint. I reached over and squeezed her hand closest to me, maintaining eye contact.
"Yes. I promise. Not yet though, let's get you settled first. I'm not putting it off, I just want you firing on all cylinders before we talk OK?"
She nodded, before taking a breath and stepping out of the car and making her way up to the house.
I remained in my seat as the two halves of my world moved towards each other. I saw Kate subtly straighten her spine, clearly giving herself a pep talk, before walking to Emily, holding her hand out.
"Hi Emily? I'm Kate. Nice to meet you."
"That's far too formal for around here." Emily replied with a big smile as she took Kates proffered hand and pulled her into a hug. "Although if your manners rub off on some of the riff raff around here, we might all be better off for it."
Kate laughed and her posture relaxed.
I stepped out of the car as they exchanged pleasantries before as one, they both turned to me. Emily held her hand out for me, and I pushed off the car and made my way up the steps to the house.
"I've made a chicken casserole with some green, woah!"
As I made contact with Emily I placed a hand on Kate's shoulder. A surge of electricity shot around my body, through the points of contact with the girls. Emily clearly felt it going by her reaction. We both looked to Kate, she staggered a bit but my hand stopped her from bumping into the door frame.
"What was that?" Kate breathed. She looked a little dazed and I glanced back to Emily who was looking a little surprised herself.
"Probably me, I've an electric personality." Emily offered the joke with a forced smile. Kate laughed a little weakly.
"Na, probably me, all that flying, I've probably built up enough static to power a fridge."
My stomach made its presences known at that point and Emily took charge to pull us both into the house.
"I'll start dishing up, Sam can you get the table set, and drinks. Kate, I'll let you wash up quickly before we eat." We broke contact and if the girl's expressions were anything to go by, they felt the same loss I did. I wanted to grab them both again and never let go. Emily threw me another questioning look as she dragged Kate down the hallway to the stairs then up to the bathroom, jabbering away about having a towel for her to use. I heard the door close and Emily trot down the stairs before reappearing in the kitchen.
"What the hell was that Sam?" She asked, eyes wide. I shook my head.
"I've no idea. I got a weaker version the first time we shook hands, but I just thought it was because it was the first time we'd touched after I Imprinted."
Emily chewed her lip as she automatically served dinner, grabbing some dinner rolls from the cooling oven as she ladled the stew from the slow cooker into three bowls. I pulled out of my stupor to grab cutlery, drinks and napkins before making up places on the kitchen bench.
"It's weird, it's like I can feel her like I can feel you." Emily paused looking at me. "It's nothing like the other Imprints, I love Kim like a sister but Kate…" She shook her head and continued serving.
We got lost in our own thoughts for a moment before we both heard Kate leave the bathroom. I was surprised that Emily lifted her head at the same time I did, way longer before she would normally hear from that far away.
"Did you hear her?" I asked surprised. She shook her head.
"I didn't hear, I just ...knew?" My eyebrows flew up at that. What the fuck was going on?
We both turned to Kate she reappeared. She smiled tentatively as it as she caught us both staring. Emily broke the awkwardness and walked to her, and pulled her into a place at the kitchen bench. I made myself busy by bringing over the bowls and laying them down.
"Oh, this smells divine Emily. Is it homemade?" Kate enquired as she picked up her spoon. We both sat as Emily grabbed the dinner rolls and held the basket out to Kate who took one.
"Yup! If you like it, I can show you how to make it."
We dug in and Kate let out a groan of pleasure as she took a bite.
"Oh god, yes please this is amazing." She took another spoonful, and another and another. Emily frowned at me as I raised an eyebrow. Kate looked up as she noticed our pause.
"Sorry, I didn't realise how hungry I am." Kate blushed a bit and laid her spoon down to pick her roll up.
"It's fine Kate, I'll take it as a compliment. Besides, you haven't seen the rest of the guys yet. They make competitive eating look like afternoon tea."
"S'ok, I've seen Sam eat, I think I have an idea." She smirked at me and Emily laughed. I held my hand to my heart in mock insult and Kate laughed as well.
The rest of dinner was peaceful as we ate. Emily engaging both of us, but mainly leaving it so Kate could listen and eat. It was clear she hadn't been eating very well, she was thinner than the last time I saw her in London, she needed a few decent meals in her and I was sure Emily would take on that task with relish.
It was during her second bowl that I could see Kate's eyes starting to droop. She was on autopilot spooning food into her mouth, but she was purely feeding her bodies need right now and was no longer engaged in anything other than the task in front of her. Emily picked up on this and fell silent. She raised her eyes at me and I got the hint and made to leave the table. Kate didn't flinch, so zoned out that I knew Emily had made the right call. I left the house, grabbing Kate's Merc keys on my way, and grabbed a couple of her bags from the trunk hoping there were enough clothes for her. We'd set her up in the spare room tonight, there was no way she'd be able to deal with a new place in this state. It must be what? 3 or 4am London time. The two hours sleep in the car wouldn't be enough to carry her through to later on, and given her poor sleeping patterns this past week alone, I was surprised she was still functioning.
I came back in the house and dumped her bags in the spare room upstairs. By the time I got back to the kitchen, Emily had engaged Kate enough to get her to follow her down the hallway. I waited at the bottom of the stairs, hearing Emily guide her through the motions, before the spare room door closed and Emily appeared at the top of the stairs.
"She's out like a light." She said as she navigated the stairs. "I'm amazed she was still eating, she was practically sleep walking." She reached for my hand as she hit the last step and I pulled her to my chest, relishing her heightened scent, now mixed with Kate's. It was a heady mixture and I rubbed my cheek on the top of her head. Emily giggled and moved in closer to me. We stood there for a long minute just soaking in each other. Emily pulled away long before I was ready too and I pouted. She pulled me closer and we lost ourselves in a sweet kiss.
"Sofa?" She asked against my lips. I hummed in agreement as she dragged me to the living room. I sat and pulled her into my lap where she sat as though she was an extension of my body.
"What do you think of her?" I asked as I played with her hair.
"I like her. Really like her. It sounds weird but it feels right that she's here." She was quiet for a moment. "Any idea on what that was earlier?" She asked, referring to that zap we'd all felt.
"No idea. I remember something similar when I Imprinted on you both, but that was something else." I felt her nod at that.
"Yeah, I remember feeling something, like a static shock, but that was way more."
"I'm going to have to speak to Jacob and Old Quil but I don't think they'll have anything to add. The Pack histories are lacking."
"Well, I guess we're creating our own histories now." I could hear the smile in her voice. I guess we are.
We settled into silence, seeping in our bond. Knowing Kate was within the same walls with Emily and my growing pup had me and my wolf almost comatose with happiness. I let the moment take me and snuggled closer to Emily.
I lost track of time and jumped when my cell beeped at me from my pocket. Emily wriggled and dived her hand in my shorts, earning an eyebrow wiggle from me. She rolled her eyes before an evil grin erupted on her face as she palmed my cock giving me a tight squeeze. I sucked in a surprised breath. She let go and pulled my cell out and handed it to me with an innocent look.
"Tease." I whispered at her, kissing her neck, causing her to squirm, not helping the situation in the slightest.
"You love it." She gave me a final kiss before hopping up and making her way to the kitchen, a little more sway in her hips. I watched her ass until she vanished around the corner before raising my cell to my eyes. Jacob had messaged, asking for an update. I peaked at the time, it wasn't too late so fired a text back telling him she was asleep and he could come over if he wanted. He sent his OK and I raised myself from the sofa to help Emily clean up from dinner.
I was just wiping the counter down when I sensed Jacob at the back door.
"Hey Sam, how's it going?" He walked in, absently kissing Emily on the head before making his way to prop himself by the fridge. He was about to lean back when he froze.
"Woah, what is that?" He took a big sniff, looking every bit the dog he was as he moved his head to track the scent.
"That is Kate." I said, palming a couple of beers out the fridge and handing him one.
"It's nice, isn't it?" Emily added, as she placed the now cooled leftover stew in the fridge from under my arm.
"Wait, what? You can smell her?" Jacob asked looking confused.
"And she can sense her. Like we can." I clarified. Jacob looked more confused. "Em sensed her come out the bathroom from in here before she could hear." Emily nodded in agreement.
"Woah, how the hell?" He looked dazed. "I mean, her scent is strong, but not like heavy, more that it's so distinctive." He took another inhale. "I've never smelled anything like it before. How the hell could you make that out?" He asked Emily. He then trailed off as he pondered that.
"There was another moment earlier too." Emily prompted. Jacob swung his full attention back to us and I explained the electric shock for all three of us.
"OK, that's certainly new." I hummed and took a swig of my beer. "How's she been?" He asked looking at me.
"Probably best if I showed you." I looked at Emily, who shrugged me off with a smile. She was dying to know everything but understood sometimes the Pack mind was the better way to show the feelings of a situation better than trying to verbalize them.
We left our beers on the counter and strolled out the back, stripped and phasing at the tree line. I jumped to my memories of the day, from picking her up at the airport right up to her virtually zombie phase as she ate.
'She's lost weight' Jacob mused, echoing my earlier thoughts. I replayed the moment on the porch after leaving the car. Jacob was just as confused as we were.
'I can't believe Em can feel her and can smell her. I mean, I've heard pregnant women can have a stronger sense of smell, but I don't think that's the case. It's something about Kate.'
I felt Leah and Quil's confusion as they ran patrol. Jacob quickly showed them his memory of moments before in the kitchen.
'That's interesting. Is it because Em's carrying a pup or something about Kate?' Quil thought. It was an interesting question. The pup had changed Emily's scent significantly, had it affected her own senses too? 'I wanna get a whiff of Kate myself.' he added and I growled low at that.
'Pipe down Sam, it's not like you're protective of Em like that.' Leah added. She had a point. I had that sensation from my wolf again that Kate needed protecting, more so that the other Imprints, Emily, a pregnant Emily at that, included. Jacob shared my puzzlement and flipped back to his own thoughts from the previous weeks of there being no coincidences.
'You think something big is brewing?' Quil asked.
'I think so.' Jacob added, but not offering anymore. 'I don't have any idea so I can't work a plan. We'll just keep up with patrols until something new changes.'
'I wonder if the other Imprints can scent Kate, and not just Emily?' Leah's thoughts flicked through like a photo book of the Imprints, landing on Renesmee. 'Well, ignoring the half breed.' she scoffed.
I expected a rebuke from Jacob, but he just projected a mental sigh at the dig. His thoughts followed Leah's as he focused on his own Imprint and compared their scents.
Speaking of interesting…
We all paused in surprise at Jacob's revelation.
'Hang on, you're telling me just the lingering scent from Kate in Sam's house is more appealing to you than your own Imprint's?' Quil asking what we all just thought. Jacob was surprised as the rest of us as he replayed the comparison back in the Pack mind.
Leah's thoughts shifted through various possible reasons why in that super quick way she has to process information. I tuned it out as it often gave me a headache and I felt Quil go off on his own tangent for the same reasons. Jacob followed her however and threw in his own thoughts.
'Wait, go back to that one.' He instructed Leah.
She slowed her thoughts and pushed it out loud into the Pack mind.
'Could it be something to do with the upswing of leeches in the area?'
I pulled up her previous thoughts, my wolf hummed in agreement.
'So, Kate's been sent here by the great Quileute Spirits to what? Banish the leeches with her super awesome scent?' Quil laid out the gist of Leah's idea with a little sarcasm to his mental tone.
'Maybe. I've no idea, it's just an idea.' Leah went back to her musings, tuning us out.
'When do you think she'll be up for meeting the Pack?' Jacob turned his attention to me.
'Not yet. I think she needs more time to get better and sort her head out. Something happened last week, and it involves Marc.' I flicked back to my observations in the car after mentioning his name to Kate.
'That's strange. Marc's been pretty normal. He's been getting more worried about her radio silence, but nothing that suggests he's aware of anything changing?' Jacob did a quick recap of the previous week. Him and Jared taking over working with Marc as I was barely keeping it together.
'Marc said she's going to be pretty busy next week, so maybe we can do something at the weekend, like a bonfire or something?' Jacob mused out loud. 'I guess we'll see what's she's like tomorrow. If this Imprint separation has taken a toll on her, or if she's also come down with the flu. Has Sue been in touch yet?' He asked me. I mentally shook my head. 'OK, well if she's going to be overloaded with work, I don't want the Pack harassing her until she's better and settled in.' He decreed. He didn't make it an order, but with the increased patrol scheduled in place with the Cullen's return, he figured there shouldn't be too many chances for her to run into a member of the Pack.
The thought of the Cullens had Jacob suppressing his ire at their return. As the family of his Imprint and with the Treaty still in place, he had to have the tolerance level of a saint to deal with them. The time he had spent with them in the early days of the Imprint did not help either. It was a juggling act I didn't envy him for.
'Thanks Sam.' He said wearily. I chuffed a laugh at him. Sucks to be Alpha eh? He rolled his eyes at me and phased back. I followed soon after and stepped into my shorts as we walked back to the house.
I saw Jacob inhale deeply as we reentered the kitchen, and I couldn't help but do the same.
"Do you mind if I just take a look at her?" He asked. I looked at Emily who gave Jacob a serious look.
"If I didn't understand your freakish wolfy needs, I'd say that was a weird thing to ask. Just don't wake her, she's exhausted."
Jacob had the grace to look embarrassed, and made towards the stairs with me behind. He stopped just before the bottom step and looked at me over his shoulder.
"What? Why do you get a hit and no one else does? It's my house."
He snorted and turned to the stairs. We were outside the guest bedroom within seconds and he turned the handle silently before nudging the door open.
I watched as his eyes rolled and he literally shivered as her concentrated scent hit him. I felt the moment a fraction of a second later, but having spent a number of hours with her already today, I was able to steel myself for the impact. We stepped into the room to look upon this enigma that had fallen into our lives so recently.
She was on her back, head turned away to the window. Her hair was fanned out on the pillow. She looked like she had fallen into bed, and judging by her lack of covers and her earlier tiredness, that was literally the case. She had changed out of her clothes, and was in a sleeveless top and her underwear, showcasing her long legs and small feet. I noticed she was covered in freckles from head to toe, her pale skin not making them too obvious at first.
"Her hairs much shorter." Jacob stated. He bent to a crouch and fingered a lock of it on the pillow, before adjusting the covers to pull them over her exposed legs. She didn't stir at all. He took another lungful and made to move out of the room.
He stopped in the hallway and turned to watch me as I closed the door. He looked passed me and through the door, mind clearly still inside the room.
"You OK Jake?" I asked quietly. It took him a long moment before he refocused on my face.
"Not sure." He tapped his bottom lip with his finger. I waited patiently as he worked his thoughts out.
"I felt something." He finally said, gaze refocusing on the door. "When I touched her hair, there was a faint echo."
"Echo of what?"
He looked me in the eye then. "Like when I touch Ness."
"Imprint?" I whispered to him. He shrugged, still focused on the room.
"Not sure. Guess we'll have to wait until she's conscious to find out." He smiled but it fell from his face quickly. "Probably because she's your Imprint. You know I sometimes get feedback from the Pack. If Em is feeling it too, then there's a good chance I'm picking up shit from you two."
He clapped me on the back then made for the stairs. I followed slowly, chewing on that. That was true, he could sometimes pick up on the stronger emotions of the Pack, it was after all the main reason he moved out of Billy's place quickly after Paul moved in with Rach after they sorted their shit out. Apparently feeling the sexual tension, and then release, of your Pack brother and your actual sister was a step too far in Alpha land.
I didn't mention it to Jacob as I made it downstairs however, that it was only emotions he felt.
Never physical sensations.
Jacob
I left Sam's that evening with more questions than before. I stayed human, choosing to walk on two legs back to my place to give me time to think and keep out of the Pack mind for the moment.
I felt something. Literally felt a minor zap in my fingertips as I touched her hair. It wasn't like the usual sensations of touching the Pack nor the other Imprints, this was a literal zap.
It was like Ness.
My mind took me back to when I Imprinted on Ness, that soul binding moment. It was however only part of the process. The second step after first sight is then touch. The first time I touched Ness was holding her as a baby, not too long after she was born. The Imprint bond strengthening with the tactile act as Ness put her palm to my face to show me her visions.
I touched my cheek at the same spot with the memory, and compared it to Kate's.
It was just her hair.
I felt instability in my soul as I pondered that. I could feel my world spinning off its tracks and I was powerless to stop it. That 'something big' I was feeling in my bones? Yeah, I was beginning to wonder if it was just my life imploding and Kate was the detonator.
I wondered what it would be like to touch her skin?
My wolf shivered again in anticipation and I fought him down. She was too fragile yet, she needed to get her feet under her. I wondered if it would be the same for the other wolves too? He perked up again in protest, Ours he projected, including Sam in the picture he painted me.
Interesting.
I ran my hands through my hair, vaguely thinking of getting it cut, Ness use to say she liked it long.
I would cut it as a small act of rebellion.
I braced for the Imprint rebuke, but instead found it muted. That was odd.
This has to be something to do with Kate. But what exactly? I thought back on seeing her in the flesh tonight. Not only was her scent intoxicating, but the sight of her…
Who'd thought I'd like freckles? And I was apparently an equals opportunity man... long legs, a nice rack, and what looked like a nice ass. She was not thin like my usual pickings, she had meat on her bones in all the right places.
I adjusted my shorts, glad I wasn't phased. I mean, I was nowhere near Paul's levels of play, but I'd got a little experience in here and there. It was something that myself and Quil were determined to fix, afterall we didn't think it was right that we would be celibate until our Imprints came of age. It took a bit of effort mentally to work with the Imprint, but we managed to lose our V cards and have a little fun with the ladies over the years.
It use to wind Eddy up when I'd come home reeking of sex and some random woman. He would never say anything, after all, what father wants to look like he's grooming his underage daughter to sleep with a man 17 years her senior.
I shook my head, it was such a fucked up situation, I was so glad I moved back to La Push. My thoughts drifted to Kate again. I reckoned a week should be enough time to get her settled before a bonfire on the beach and the hordes descended. It also gave me enough time to deal with the fucking Cullens. They had impeccable timing as always. It was busy enough around here with the extra patrols, the plant work and a lot of outsiders on the Rez, it made it difficult to contain the Pack secret. The Tribe had got used to us wandering around at all hours half dressed, the Council propagating the lie that we were doing our Tribal duty to protect the Rez from drug runners and out of season hunters. I guess there was a truth to it, if the drug was blood and hunters were leeches.
I felt the summons before the howl went up. Quil calling for me. I diverted my path, shed my shorts and fell into a run, phasing on the fly.
'Quil.'
'Hey Jake, Cullens' at the border, wants to go over some shit with you.' He mentally rolled his eyes and I saw his thoughts and view of said Cullen. Thankfully it was Carlisle. It was only him and Esme that I could tolerate during my time with them.
'On it, why don't you and Leah finish up, I'll stay on until the next patrol.'
I felt their thanks, before they faded from the Pack mind. I reached the border quickly, although I didn't exactly rush. I saw him as I approached, relaxed posture and hands grasped behind his back, shifting his weight. He didn't need to act human, but I would admit, it helped rein the wolf in from an all out attack.
I phased and dressed.
"Jacob, it's good to see you." Carlisle smiled at me.
"You too Carlisle. Are you all back in town?" Please say no.
"Not all of us, no. Esme and Alice have taken Renesmee to Paris for the summer break. Rose and Emmett are in Cambodia, so it's just myself, Edward and Bella, and Jasper."
God damn it. Fucking Eddy.
"I'm guessing with your perfect memory, you don't need a reminder of the Treaty terms?" I said with a little humour. It was however, a gentle reminder that I may be bound to their family, but it didn't give them free rein in the area to hunt where the hell they liked.
Carlisle's face fell slightly at that.
"Of course, but I was hoping given our history together, we could relax the borders."
"Sorry, no can do." I left it at that. We'd been over this many times over the years. They may act human but I could never forget their true nature. He sighed but didn't push. Right, not like Bambi was tastier on the Rez anyway.
"How long are you staying for?" I asked, wanting to leave already. It had been a while since I was around the Cullens and even though their scent was marginally less offensive that a human drinker, it was still leech and it still burnt my nose.
"We're not sure. Renesmee is still deciding on if she wants to take a gap year between school and college." He looked at me expectantly.
"Ok, well if you can remind the others of the Treaty that would be great. Good to see you Carlisle."
I went to turn and walk away when he called out.
"Jacob! Do you not want to know how Renesmee is?" I turned to face him again, he looked a little confused at my lack of pining for the half breed.
I surprised myself by the thought slipping out, and even more so for the muted Imprint rebuke.
"Honestly, not really." I was going to say more but stopped myself. I owed him nothing anymore.
He stared in silence and I turned back to the trees to continue patrol.
Let him, and Eddy, stew on that.