[Jess Arc]
"The Vampire and the Wolf"
"If only the world wouldn't get in the way. If only people would just let you play. They say you're both being fools. You're breaking all the rules. They can't understand the magic of your wonderland." – The Fox and the Hound
Chapter 4
I assessed Jacob's body. Where the source of warmth that I now could put a name to came from. He...had a body that would make any woman blush. A light brown skin tone that supported muscles that rippled and bulged in all the right places. His abs were defined, as if chiseled in place by a creator who was OCD about perfect lines, cuts and angles.
I shook my head for ogling a man who was not my mate. It wasn't cheating, but it didn't feel right. Edward was the most beautiful man I had ever seen with a beautiful soul to match. Despite that, his lean, pale frame just couldn't compare. And as soon as that thought popped in my brain, I branded it as vapid and vain and buried it immediately.
Jacob did look to have been around my age. I was forever frozen at 18. I couldn't help but wonder if he was under the same predicament of being a creature cursed with immortality as well, despite his beating heart that seemed to race when my eyes lingered on him for too long.
I sat on the grass beneath us and made myself comfortable. "How old are you?"
"19." I brushed my fingers over each blade of grass in front of me. I found a blade that contained a ladybug.
"Will you live forever?" I asked him while I drew that blade of grass closer to my face.
I looked up when the ladybug took off and saw it soar past Jacob's grim face shaking his head to answer my question.
So, we cannot be friends forever then...
"Are there others like you?" I swirled my hands in the grass to search around for something else. Something sharp. And I had no idea why.
"Yes." Jacob squinted his eyes, letting a twinkle of mischief appear through his slits. He was deliberately watching my every move. I wasn't sure what he was looking for. As I myself was feeling around for this sharp object that seemed imperative I find. The ground wasn't safe.
"A lot?"
"Enough," he impassively replied with a casual shrug of his broad shoulders.
"Well...what do vampires and wolves do together for fun?" Jacob barked out a roaring laugh. I soon picked up on the joke. Natural enemies. Duh. We don't "hang". But then why us? An exception. But why?
"Nothing. We tend to stay away, if not fight each other. However..." he pondered his next words carefully. I found myself focused on his lips as I eagerly awaited for what they would follow up with. "What do you want to do?"
"Go on an adventure!" I announced with a strong sense of enthusiasm. I waved my hands at the imaginary border line that marked it had already started.
"And what adventure would that be?" Jacob's eyes glowed and a handsome smile lifted his cheeks. No one had ever reacted that way in my family when I had said something along similar lines. I pretended they were in jest amongst them knowing their weary outlook on my control, but with Jacob I 100% meant it.
"Oh, I don't know. Explore new places. Meet new people. See what there is to live for. I am tired of being cooped up in that house so often!" I spilled secrets that I had kept locked in my heart for so long. I never wanted to seem ungrateful for the precautions my family took for me. It was nice to vent to someone other than the inner workings of my mind.
Jacob's eyebrows raised nearly to his hairline. Then, a subtle tick of his jaw occurred. He was...growing angry. But why?
"Do they- I mean, you don't get to get out much I take it?" Jacob forced himself to keep a calm tone with the veins popping in his neck.
"No. I am still fairly new to this lifestyle, so I am under strict supervision to make sure I don't slip up." We both knew what I meant as the blood drained from Jacob's face. "Oh! I don't mean you. I would never do that! I have never had a drop of human blood, even once. Apparently, I almost did when I first woke up as a vampire, but they stopped me before I could do anything." My word vomit over our vegetarian diet did not seem to please Jacob.
Jacob emitted a soft growl before punching the tree next to him. The wood splintered from the trunk as if it was always an object that could be easily broken. I winced. I could tell my vampire tendencies were making him upset. I felt a familiar shame creep up in me about what I was, as I bashfully apologized for my behavior and began to turn away from him.
"No! Jessica- I mean Jess! Please don't go. I- this is hard for me to take in. But I can deal with it. That punch was nothing. And a more preferable outlet than being forced to phase," Jacob admitted gruffly with sorrow reflecting in his dark brown eyes.
"You phase when you get angry?"
"Yes. I have much more control now than I did when I first started."
"When did you start phasing?"
"Over three years ago." I felt my body still. I would celebrate my third anniversary of becoming a vampire at the end of the summer. Was that just a coincidence?
"And you kept aging after you became a shapeshifter?"
"Yes."
"Why did you-" Jacob cut me off with a snort and diverted our conversation.
"Let's save the 21 questions for another time. Tell me about yourself and who you are."
...
"Jacob, I have to go," I whispered sadly while watching the sun in the sky show signs it would begin to set soon.
Jacob wet his lips with his tongue. "Now?" he asked with a strained voice.
"I have to feed before going back or they will get suspicious."
A dark laugh emitted from Jacob's throat.
"So, they don't even know you came across me?" He asked with a dangerous edge of sounding spiteful or vicious.
"We're natural enemies. Of course not. That's what you said," I countered in my defense. I thought he would understand. Surely, he must be doing the same from his pack!
"Yeah, right," Jacob's tone was bitter. He was holding back what he wanted to truly say to me. Is that normal among friends? We keep secrets from our families and each other?
I sighed in defeat at the messy bind we were in. "Am I supposed to tell them?"
Panic flashed across Jacob's face as he shouted, "Definitely not." He ran his hand through his short ebony hair. I wondered to myself if it was as soft as his fur coat. "Sorry. You're right. We should keep our friendship a secret."
I smiled softly in agreement. "Can we... meet again?"
"Sure. When?"
"Three days. At high noon?" He nodded at me. "Do you live around here?"
"No. Taking a temporary residence before passing through. I came across a problem for my pack that I am working on."
"Oh." Sadness tinged my response as my eyes cast down back to the green grass. Besides not living forever, he wasn't sticking around here for long either. "Are they here with you? Your pack?"
"Just me. Sort of a benefit of being the Alpha."
"Alpha is the leader?"
"It is."
"Well I hope you solve your problem soon so you can return to you pack." I hoped Jacob didn't pick up on my sorrowful smile.
"Already sick of me?"
"No!" I proclaimed through a flustered voice. "I was just trying to say what I should as we try out this "friend" thing between our kinds."
"It is as easy as breathing for me."
"Why?"
"Because despite what you think, this friendship on my part isn't starting at ground zero." Jacob flashed a massive grin at me before ripping off my shirt from around his waist and phasing. He was off with a sprint on all fours and all that was left of him was the scent of a wolf. While that scent once flooded my senses and made me want to gag. Now...well now, I didn't mind it so much.
I tossed the shirt on the high branch of a tree nearby so it could be used for future meetups. It seemed like Jacob didn't have clothes on hand if I wanted to converse with him again as a human.
And I knew I would.
...
AN: The scene in the grass in the beginning of this chapter…think to Ch 9 of "But why am I Jessica?" Also, feel so-so on this chapter. Updates may be slow as I figure out where this is going. I do plan for it to be a short story, but I still have to write enough for it to make sense to me (and you). – Lalaland972
Lalaland972's Response for reviews:
Wpear: You are totally right. I think I was really vibing a sad/happy ending for one of the stories. I think…I will eventually post an alternate ending for Edward Arc that redoes ch7-9 and gives it a happier ending. But I will still keep the original. Glad you like their relationship so far. It is a little tricker to write as I try to gauge Jacob's side with his responses to her. I am still developing a back story for the last three years for him in my head. Also! Did you pick up on the 'kinda' hint to Ch9 in BWAIJ before I pointed it out in the AN? A bit of a memory seep without her realizing it. Thank you for the compliments on my writing. Always feel happy reading that : )
DxGRAYxManx: Yes, til the end! : ) good quote!