CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN
(BPOV)
...Five Years Later...
I awoke to the feel of warm hands gliding over the smooth skin of my back, the suns rays making me squint as I slowly turned my head to see the most beautiful creation I'd ever laid eyes on next to me. Jacobs smile was radiant as I met his warm gaze, his eyes full of a tangible lust as he leaned down and captured my lips. A groan left him when he pulled me closer, his seductive whisper sending delicious shivers down my spine.
"...I love waking up to you. It never gets old."
"You say that now, but when I'm eighty and wrinkled...-"
"Still won't get old to me, honey."
His lips lingered close to mine, his breath alone intoxicating and that's when I heard it. The familiar sound of pitter pattering little feet that began to echo throughout our new house. I laughed as he glanced toward the door with expectancy.
"Damn... We should of got up earlier." Jacob sighed, his large warm hands tightening their grasp around my waist.
"There's no rest for the weary, you know."
"No, but they are worth every bit of it."
I got up and quickly shrugged into my bath robe as the bedroom door swung wide open. Tiny hands soon clung to my legs as our sweet youngest reached me first, her eyes still heavy with sleep.
"Mama..." Elizabeth cooed, her dark curly hair going in every which direction as Jacob scooped her up in his strong arms. Her giggles were loud and infectious when he kissed her face and glanced my way.
"The older she gets, the more she looks like you, honey."
I shook my head in protest as I met his gaze, seeing the adoration that lingered in it when he said this.
"I think they both look just like you."
Jacob scoffed at this and turned just in time to catch hold of Jonathan who came running into the room with his dimpled smile already in place.
"Daddy!" He chimed, his dark eyes mirroring his fathers as they peered up at me with excitement. "We should make mama breakfast today. Papa Charlie and grampy Billy will be here soon! Come on!"
Jonathan wasted no time in grabbing Jacobs hand and trying to pull him out of the bedroom.
"You know for it only being seven in the morning, you sure do have a lot of energy!" Jacob chuckled, as he bent down and threw Jonathan playfully over his shoulder. They both laughed when he headed for the stairs.
"Bye mommy!" Jonathan giggled to me with a wave, his jet black hair falling in his face now.
"Bye my loves."
I took advantage of the fleeting few minutes of alone time I had and quickly showered. It was a rarity these days for me to get a shower first thing in the morning and I was grateful for the small window of opportunity given.
When I was dressed and my hair dried, I headed downstairs to see what kind of mess awaited me in the kitchen, but as I crested to last step, I paused as my gaze fell on Jacob. He had the table set and Elizabeth still in his arms as Jonathan eagerly stirred the pancake batter in the large white bowl before him. Jacob worked well with only one arm free, and I saw the genuine smile that lit up his face when Elizabeth wrapped her little arms tighter around his neck. The two of them working together now to scramble eggs and thaw bacon before our company arrived.
Both Charlie and Billy had made it a family ritual to have a huge breakfast with us every Saturday morning and while at times it felt overwhelming for me, I had to admit that I'd grown so comfortable with it now, that I'd never want it to return to any other way. It had become the new normal for us on the weekends and it brought both of them a lot of joy.
I took a few steps forward, completely content to just watch the scene unfold in front of me.
Jacob placed two skillets on the stove, carefully switching Elizabeth over to his other side, and helping Jonathan pour the well mixed batter onto one of them.
"How long do we wait before flipping it?" Jonathan impatiently asked, his hands tightly clutching the spatula Jacob gave him.
"When there's bubbles on the top." He chuckled to him in reply. "Remember?"
"Oh yeah!"
I smiled at the joy in Jonathan's small voice, his eyes glued to the cooking pancake like if he looked away a single second, he would miss something so important. It was hard for me to believe that he was already five. His toddler features changing so much in the last year that I had found myself wishing I could somehow keep him little longer. He was the spitting image of Jacob. Everything from his eyes to his lips and russet skin tone was a match to his father. I had laid awake in bed more times than not, dreading the milestones of his future birthdays, because I knew that with every passing one, he would only get that much closer to the fevered change that would inevitably alter the course of his entire life. Jacob dreaded it more than I did. Some of the those sleepless nights were spent with us talking about how we could ever shield him from it, and hating to know that we couldn't. As a mother, it made my heart pound heavily with fear for when he became a teenager.
The last five years had brought a lot of change to the pack. Sam had stopped phasing for Emily's sake and Jacob had remained in his rightful role as Alpha. He had devoted himself to it. Day and night he ran patrols, always trying to stay one step ahead of everything. There were times he would come home after running patrol with the pack all night and look as if he could barely keep standing. I would hear his tired footsteps almost every night and patiently wait for him to trudge in with the same thoroughly exhausted expression his handsome face always wore now. He would barely make it long enough to shower before crawling into bed with me and pulling me close to him. His arms would wrap around my waist and his head would come to rest just over my heart, as if he couldn't find sleep any other way.
I was soon snapped out of my thoughts from the sound of Elizabeth's shy voice carrying out to me. Although she was only three, she was incredible perceptive and well spoke for her age. I often marveled at what she'd come out with.
"You love mama."
Jacob paused what he was doing and stared at her sweet face. The look they shared, causing tears to well up in my eyes from the sight of it.
"Yes I do, baby. Very much." He softly replied, kissing her cheek before helping Jonathan to flip the pancake so it wouldn't burn.
Jonathan did as he was told and his smile was truly contagious, as he ran over to the fridge and dug out the chocolate syrup and whipped cream.
I shook my head when Jacob playfully squirted some into his mouth and gained another round of giggles from them both.
He adored our children. It was written all over his face and woven through every part of him. The way he held them close when they were within reach and how the very same hands that fiercely protected his land and his pack, could turn into the softest of touch when Elizabeth had skunned her knee or when Jonathan had fallen off his bike last Summer, earning himself two stitches on the chin as a result. When I had been too tired to stay awake any longer, he had put me to bed and rocked Elizabeth all through the night. She had a special bond with him from the very moment he laid eyes on her and it made me fall in love with him all over again. He took time for them each. Time to show Jonathan the many parts of an engine, and time to teach Elizabeth how to color within the lines and properly hold her very first fishing pole. There wasn't a single part of him that he didn't pour into me or our children and I treasured him for it.
The knock on the door startled me as I hedged forward and hurried to answer it, tripping over toys and trying to pick them up as I went. Billy and Charlie greeted me with wide grins when I welcomed them in, each of them lighting up like a Christmas tree when Jonathan and Elizabeth went running to them with open arms. I had never seen my father as happy as he was now being a grandpa and it did my heart a world of good. He often took them over nite to give Jacob and I a break and they loved spending time with him.
Billy had even had a few of his own sleep overs with the kids. Sue Clearwater had been more than willing to help and had sent home two dozen of her famous chocolate chip cookies with them. Sue was often still a Godsend for Billy.
"Are you staying all day!" Jonathan asked, his hands pulling on Charlie before he had even taken his boots off.
"I'm not sure. Maybe kiddo." Charlie huffed in reply.
"Stay as long as you like." I added. "You know you're both always welcome."
Charlie pulled me into a side hug then before shaking Jacobs hand and heading for Jonathan's bedroom with him.
Elizabeth climbed up into Billy's lap and placed a kiss on his cheek, her tiny hands touching the sides of his cowboy hat in an attempt to balance herself better. I patted him on the shoulder and headed into the kitchen to help Jacob finish breakfast. He had batter in every place but the bowl and I couldn't help but laugh as he tried to savage one already blackened pancake before finishing up the rest of the eggs.
"Are you laughing at me?" He huffed, grabbing the can of whipped cream on the counter and taking a menacing step toward me.
"You wouldn't..." I warned, retreating hastily away from him as he skillfully reached out and caught me by the waist.
"You don't think so?"
He pulled me flush against his chest then, his eyes flashing with his playful spirit and the subtle hint of something else hidden just beneath the surface. I shivered as his full lips grazed my ear with his whispered words. "You know... there's a million ways I'd love to lick this off every inch of you... but they'll have to wait till later. Cause we have company."
I tried to stifle the near inaudible whimper that escaped me as his hand snaked down and firmly grasped my back end.
"Later..." I managed, feeling the heated tension in the air that began to swallow us whole in the same way it always had whenever he was this close to me.
Some things never change.
"Later, honey."
His tone was husky and his words dripped with promise.
I slowly turned my back to him, trying to pull myself together before our guests could take notice. I felt the warmth flame into my cheeks as Jacobs fingers trailed up my arm, his chin coming to rest just over my shoulder while he flipped another pancake.
I glanced back at him with a knowing grin and quickly moved myself out of arms reach, my focus going back on the breakfast we were trying to cook. I was beyond distracted as we plated the food and sat down at the table to eat. Thankfully, Billy and Charlie were too preoccupied with the kids to notice the continued blush that had settled into my cheeks as Jacob sat down next to me, his warm hand coming to rest on my upper thigh.
The kids were finished eating before any of the rest of us and they were climbing all over Charlie while he tried to finish his coffee.
"Elizabeth and Jonathan. Sit down." I asked, gathering some of the dishes from the table in my hands and heading for the sink with them.
"You know, Bella. There's a new movie showing in town at the theatre today. Supposed to start at eleven. I think these kids need to burn off some energy. What do you say me and Billy take em' out for a bit? Maybe even head for the arcade later? We could-"
My fathers speech was cut off by the childrens squeels of excitement as they ran to me asking for their coats so they could go with him. I lifted my head in time to catch sight of Jacobs heated gaze from across the room and I managed a nod to Charlie.
Jacob helped them wash up and get dressed while my father and Billy waited patiently by the front door. I tried to keep the conversation going, but my thoughts were consumed by the look Jacob had given me just moments ago.
"We're ready!" Elizabeth exclaimed to my father, jumping for joy as he picked her up and reached out for Jonathans hand. I gave them each a kiss and told them to have fun while Jacob walked them out to the cruiser and helped my father put them in the car.
My heart hammered against my chest as I tried to busy myself with the mundane task of clearing the rest of the table, but I only managed to take hold of one plate before Jacob came back inside, his hands swiftly swinging the door closed behind him before locking the bolt. I set the plate down and met his hooded gaze, my body now aching to be touched by him. He took three long strides before I went to him, meeting him in the middle with a moan as his lips hungrily claimed mine. My body flooded with warmth when he hoisted me up in his arms and took the stairs two at a time to reach our bedroom. His mouth sought the hallow of my neck as my body arched up into his, the need for him making me squirm in his hands as he pressed me against the wall. I pulled at my shirt, trying to undo the many buttons that kept me from feeling his hands on my bare skin. Jacob groaned, the sound making me pant as he tore off my shirt with one swift tug. His tongue met mine with an urgency that made me nearly come undone when his strained arousal pressed hard against me. I bit down on his bottom lip in response and heard the low growl that come from him when he suddenly released me, the loss of contact from him almost jarring.
His eyes were as black as the night as he swiftly undid the top of my jeans and helped me to rid them. My hands couldn't work fast enough while I pulled his white T-shirt over his head and wrapped my arms around his neck. He lifted me again without effort, my legs wrapping around his sculpted waist as he pushed open the bedroom door and laid me beneath him on our bed. My skin hummed with anticipation when he slowly dragged my lace panties down over my thighs, his breathing heavy and his tone strained as he covered my body with his. The very warmth of his skin chasing away any sense of chill I had from before.
"Your so damn beautiful, honey."
I moaned aloud at the feel of his mouth languidly tasting every inch of me, his tongue soon gliding over my slick folds in a way that made my back arch and my fingers delve tightly into his hair.
As many times as he'd had me...
As many times as I'd lost myself completely in him... Each time always felt new somehow and the fire between us still burned in the most delicious way.
My legs trembled as his tongue dipped further, my body feeling as if it would combust from the inside out.
"Jacob..."
I was reduced to nothing more than the heated ache that begged for release between my legs. The ache that could only be satisfied from the feel of his exquisite fullness.
His mouth soon moved back up to my stomach, and then to my breasts, his teeth gently grazing over my pert nipples before he settled himself between my naked thighs.
I kissed him with abandon as his prominent length pressed against my slick seam, my body heated and drawn flush to his own. His thrusts were deep and torturously slow at first, his rhythm making me revel in the fullness and want to beg him for more. Like always, he sensed what I needed before I ever had to ask and his pace swiftly changed. I felt the low burn in my belly flare and spread through me as a vivid blush crept over my ivory skin from his touch. His eyes swept over my face as he laced his fingers tightly with mine, pinning my hands above my head as his thrusts became punishing. I met his gaze and cried out his name as my climax took hold. My back arched and my hips bucked up into his, matching his thrusts with a desperate cry.
Every inch of me felt ablaze as he poured himself into me, his eyes holding mine with such devotion that I couldn't stop the tears that threatened to spill.
Memories began to flash before me as I pulled him close, his body trembling and covered in a fine sheen of sweat with my own now. I gently ran my fingertips through his hair while I thought back to the very first time he had captivated me with his smile, forever changing what 'sort of beautiful' was to me, and all the while proving that even shattered could be made whole again. They say that the right kind of love heals you, makes you stronger and urges you to strive for more. That was my Jacob. He encouraged me without manipulation or demands. His love wasn't conditional but unconditional. It tested boundaries and went against gravity at times.
He was the sun to the moons enshrouding darkness that tried to claim me all those years ago. He taught me what real love was and what it wasn't. He knew me in ways that no one else ever could. In ways some may even say sounds insane. That with one look he can still read the emotions I have always tried to hide so well from others. I'm an open book to him, leaving no page unturned.
He was a bone deep part of me that could never be erased or denied. A love that knew no limits or restraints.
He was and would forever be the wolf within that mended me.
A/N: okay my faithful readers... we have reached the closing of this story. I do apologize for the wait and if it seemed too short, but I really wanted to give this the good ending it deserved. Thank you all so much for following and reading this fic! Please feel free to review and let me know your thoughts and also feel free to head over to my profile for a list of all my other Jacob and Bella stories. Till Next Time...