Chapter 8
After the legends were told and flames had died down, the two new wolves were welcomed into the pack.
Leah cut her hair straight across at her shoulders with one cut like a Quiluete Mulan. All she was missing was the sword. She didn't move a muscle or flinch when she got the pack tattoo. Billy offered to have the older council member use a tattoo gun because it hurt less than the traditional method with potted ink and deer bone needles. Leah was emphatic that she got the traditional method. She even asked for it to be bigger than most of the guys', taking up her entire bicep. She was expected to be this mythical super wolf that knew what she was doing, but she had never felt so alone. Even when there were seven extra voices in her head echoing her doubts.
Seth got a buzz cut. He didn't have the long hair that some of the boys had on the rez but it had never been this short before. He wasn't offered the tattoo gun because he was a man now. He cried silent tears as a stranger branded him the old fashioned way. He may heal fast now, but it hurts just the same.
Jake tried to hold back tears of his own while he watched the boy being forced into responsibilities he was too young to have to shoulder. He ducked his head and ran a hand over his own short hair to try and hide his face. He missed his long hair. His fondest childhood memories were of his late mother brushing and braiding his hair that she was so proud of. It was a symbol of strength in their culture. He was Alpha now, he needed to be strong. Even without his braid. Even without his mom.
Sam felt guilty for the relief he felt now that his position had been passed on to a sixteen year old boy. The weight of leadership had rested heavy on his broad shoulders and he was so, so tired. Emily's scars held down half of her smile and the oldest wolf was reminded of all of the things he had to feel guilty for. It was a long list.
Embry itched to touch Quil. A pat on his shoulder or a sly hand on his lower back to reassure his mate when nobody could see. But the Ateara patriarch was here so the two lovers could only share longing glances and promises for later. Quil watched the other couples' casual embrace with such intense jealousy that it burned in his gut and spit fire up his throat. Resentment had become the couple's greatest commonality and the main topic of every conversation. Maybe if they got away from the rez, they could live freely and look to the future with hope. But their spirit wolves bound them to a land and tribe that didn't accept them.
Jared was trying to ignore the fact that he was relieved the two boys weren't all over each other like they were at Sam's. He was happy for his brothers, they were so in love. He wanted to be happy for them. He felt horrible that he cringed every time they kissed and tried not to notice when they held hands. It was so... wrong. He loved Kim and he didn't understand how a man could love another man that way. But he knew this was just his parents beliefs that had been pressure cooked into his brain. If he pretended to be comfortable around their affection long enough maybe eventually it wouldn't bother him.
Paul liked being a wolf only because he had nothing before. He was essentially orphaned. Bella was his family now and he still feared every day that she would reject him. Why wouldn't she? He would make a terrible father, just look at his role model. He had nothing to offer her on his measly income. What kind of life could he make for this girl who deserved the world plated in gold? Maybe she would have been better off with the Cullens. They had money. Even if she could look past the million reasons to just walk away from him, she could be killed by a deranged bloodsucker at any moment. He was a worthless rez rat, but he was selfish. He couldn't bear to lose, the only good thing to ever happen to him. Paul watched the fire, held his girl a little tighter, and thought of what extreme measures it would take to kill a shapeshifter.
Billy Black's soul ached. Every single one of the Quileute protectors were trying to hide their pain. Some better than others. Sarah would have known how to help them. She had such a warm heart and a gift for nurturing everyone around her. He missed his girls. He wished with everything he had that his children could have enjoyed the innocence of childhood for just a little bit longer. Before their mother was stolen from them. Before the supernatural world made his son's nightmares come to life.
Weeks went by. Every minute of every day teenaged boys risked their lives watching their borders for red eyed monsters. They cried when they thought nobody was looking. Those still in high school watched their grades and attendance drop, losing hope of ever graduating. Families pinched pennies trying to feed supernatural appetites. The wolves felt horrible guilt every time they burst through another pair of shorts that they couldn't afford to replace.
The strain would be more manageable maybe if they weren't stretched so thin between all of the patrols and school and their families. But none of them complained because they were warriors now. They had a duty to uphold because everyone told them it was an honor.
Being on Bella-Watch was a little easier for Jake and Paul when she wasn't on the rez. It wouldn't be odd or suspicious for one of them to come hang out at her house. Charlie preferred Jake, of course. He was still apprehensive that his little girl was being manipulated by that womanizer, Paul Lahote. Charlie still had a soft spot for the boy after seeing how he grew up, but Paul also knew how to cause trouble when he wanted to. As a father, Charlie worried for his baby girl.
If any of the other wolves were on Bella-Watch, they had to stay in the woods. Bella would be a little weirded out if all of a sudden Jared wanted to hang out and Laurent was still being kept a secret from her. Paul had her down on the rez as much as possible to make things easier for the patrolling wolves. Any little thing helped.
It was Jake's turn to keep his supernatural senses at attention for the safety of his best friend. They were in Forks because Bella turned down the invitation to Emily's for the evening. She hadn't seen much of Charlie lately and they weren't as close as she would have liked. He was a busy man and she was always on the rez these days. But tonight, she was going to spend some time with her old man. She just hoped he didn't argue with Paul too much when he came by later too.
Jake was in his usual chair at the table in the kitchen. Bella had homework spread out across most of the table and was currently freaking out about finals which she said were right around the corner.
"Finals are like three months away, you nerd," Jake laughed, flipping through flashcard questions that he didn't know a single answer to. If he even still counted as a student, he would only be a sophomore. What a joke. He looked more like a professional wrestler than a high school student. He hated towering over every single person in the building. Seeing the instinctual fear of their physically imposing student in the eyes of his teachers made him feel like a monster. So he took every excuse to miss class, usually watching outside Bella's school instead of attending his own.
"You're supposed to read the questions out loud, Jake," she teased.
"I'm just looking for one I can pronounce," he justified. "Why do you need to know physics? It's not like you're going on to study particle engineering, Bells."
She heard similar complaints every time he tried to study with her. "Just ask me a question."
When he still didn't play along she asked him a question that she knew would make him prefer to talk about her physics homework: "So how's it going with Leah? You guys dating yet?"
It was a low blow. He refused to talk about Leah because Leah still refused to talk to him. They saw each other at meetings, very rarely patrolled together, and at all other times, avoided each other like the plague. His wolf was howling to get to its mate, nearly tearing his insides apart. He looked for any hint of a similar reaction from her, but Leah's mind was a bank vault when they were phased. They were able to work together as an Alpha pair, leading the pack. That part was effortless. But the mates part? Nothing.
Predictably, Jacob ignored the question and read from a flashcard, "In an isolated system, the moment of inertia of a rotating object is halved. What happens to the angular velocity of the object?"
She paused to think for a moment before answering with confidence, "It's doubled."
"Congratulations, Bells," he deadpanned. "You might as well be speaking a different language."
"You'll take physics too. If you paid attention at all, you could start out ahead of the class."
Avoiding her suggestion, he flipped through more of her flashcards looking for terms he recognized. Jake was smart. He was great with people, he had common sense, and he could take just about any engine apart and put it back together, but this? Not his thing.
Bella was too focused on her notes to see the look on his face so she continued, "What is your class schedule going to look like next year?"
"A whole lot of tracking and forestry," he tried to joke.
She looked up from her color coordinated notes when she caught on to his implication. She tried to hold back her anger before she jumped to conclusions.
"Please don't tell me you think you aren't going to school next year."
She would know if he tried to lie to her. She knew all his tells so he just spit it out, "I'm not even really going to school this year." He kept his eyes on the flashcards, refusing to see the disappointment on her face.
As predicted, she exploded, "WHAT? Jacob Black, did you drop out? School is so important. You have to finish high school."
On the rez, it wasn't unusual at all for kids to drop out. Most families had businesses that were generations old. What was the point in getting a diploma you don't need when you can start working already?
"I don't need a diploma to be Chief, Bells. That's just how things are run on the rez," he tried to pacify her.
"Don't you pull the 'white-girl doesn't know how we do things' card," she fumed. "If Paul can finish school, so can you."
Jacob Black did not like being compared to Paul Lahote. They got along better now that they were pack brothers but it was more of a tolerance over a shared concern for Bella.
"Your dick of a boyfriend didn't become a wolf until after he graduated and staying in school was part of the council's conditions for letting him live alone after his father died. Unlike him, I have responsibilities as Alpha and future Chief." He was standing now, flashcards forgotten and falling to the floor.
Bella wasn't about to just let this go but she could see that he wasn't backing down either. She thought for a moment before standing too. "Fine," she crossed her arms defiantly, "but I'm talking to Billy about how we can get you homeschooled. He'll be on my side. You're getting a diploma even if I have to tutor you myself."
There was no arguing with Bella Swan when she got like this. As much as he loved to see the fire back in her eyes since Cullen left her, he didn't always love when it was directed at him.
"You win," he sighed. "Can we drop it? I'm hungry."
The two best friends worked in silence except for the occasional huff from Bella, clearly still frustrated with him. Physics was abandoned on the kitchen table and Jake chopped whatever she put in front of him. Two casserole dishes of wolf-proportioned chicken and veggies were in the oven and Jake was determined to not bring up school again. He led them passed her homework into the living room, insisting that she needed a break while food cooked. Falling into old routines, they both flopped onto the couch. Bella leaned into his side and Jake draped his arm on the back of the couch across her shoulders. Giving her a kiss to the temple and a light squeeze, Jake sighed.
"I've really missed you, Bells."
"Yeah it's been forever since we've hung out. I see you at Sam's place all the time when the pack hangs out but we've both been so busy." He hadn't been over for a while. Usually Paul was on Bella-Watch at this time of the day and Jake was trying to catch up on sleep or dealing with something pack related. Paul was taking care of something he was really vague about and had asked Jake to cover tonight until later. Jake knew Paul wouldn't ask unless it was important so he didn't push the issue. He trusted his pack.
"Yeah I haven't been here for a while," Jake tried to think back. "The last time was uhh…"
They both jumped off of the couch so fast that Bella nearly launched herself over the coffee table. They both stared back at the couch in horror. This was ground zero for their first and only roll in the hay.
They turned to look at each other and jumped apart when their arms brushed against each other. It had never been awkward or even acknowledged that they had a very brief sexual history. They had slipped back into their easy friendship that neither of them had dwelled much on that night. Bella had learned of and accepted her imprint with Paul the next day so she had moved on. Jacob remembered that night for his first phase, more than for sleeping with his best friend. Virginity was one of those things that seemed so important until it was gone.
"I uhhh...pulled all the covers off of the couch and washed them. A few times," Bella explained.
"That bad of a memory, huh?" Jake joked.
"No, no, no, I was just afraid Charlie would somehow...know." Bella was bright red and Jake relished in the familiarity of her blushed cheeks.
"Bells, we really don't have to talk about it," he said with a wince, "But before we never talk about this ever again I'd like to say I'm sorry."
"For what?" Bella sat back down on the couch, pulling Jake with her. She made sure they were sitting in their usual positions, casually touching, ensuring their friendship survived this conversation.
"Two things," he started, "Mostly, I feel terrible that the pack saw that memory. If it makes you feel any better, I've got great control of my thoughts now that I'm an Alpha."
"I understand, Jake, it's ok. Privacy is an illusion with the pack mind and your freaky super senses. And anything you've shown them, I'm sure Paul's slips are worse. What's the other thing?"
Suddenly uncomfortable and wondering if it's weird to apologize for his next thing, he continued, "If I've learned anything in the pack mind, it's that I did you wrong."
Bella thought she knew what Jake was getting at but he wouldn't be that...obtuse? Would he?
He would.
"I know it wasn't exactly good for you, Bells, and I'm sorry that I was so selfish. If I could go back in time, I'd make sure you uhh..."
"Jake, stop talking."
"Fuck, thank you, Bells. You're right, I shouldn't have said anything. That was so awkward. You're like a sister now, especially with your imprint," Jake blustered. "I don't want to talk about your orgasms."
"You brought them up, weirdo!" She was torn between laughing and smacking him but she knew she'd only hurt herself so she just laughed it off. She'd get Paul to smack him for her.
"Speaking of your orgasms," Jake said dodging her fist to keep her from hurting herself, "how are things with Paul?"
"Things are just fine in that arena, thank you very much," she said, crossing her arms defensively.
"Just making sure you're not torturing him too much is all. I'm in his head, Bells. It's like all he thinks about."
Bella turned bright red guessing how much the pack had potentially seen of her, "I hope his thoughts aren't too graphic."
"No, not like that. He's pretty good about controlling his thoughts but the constant vibe of sexual frustration is there," Jake explained.
"He gets his rocks off all the time!"
"Gee thanks for that information, Bells," he said rolling his eyes, "I mean that his wolf is restless since you haven't been claimed."
"As much as I love the terminology you guys use," she rolled her eyes right back, "I want to make sure I love him first. Not just because of the imprint. And why can't you guys talk about it like we're humans?!"
"If you're not humans what are ya?" Charlie called from the front hall with a chuckle, thankfully having only heard the last bit of Bellas confession. Charlie did not need to know any intimate details about her and Paul's relationship. Even if they weren't sleeping together. Yet.
Charlie answered his own question, "Bunch of wild animals, I presume?"
Bella forced a laugh before escaping to the kitchen to check on the food.
Paul had a sixth sense for showing up right when the kitchen timer goes off signalling food was ready to come out of the oven. Jacob and Charlie were catching up over whatever sport was on TV, but Paul wasn't here for them. He snuck up on Bella in the kitchen just in time to watch her ass as she bent over to pull something out of the oven that smelled like heaven. A hot home cooked meal was still a novelty to Paul. Before Emily started filling his fridge with casseroles whenever he wasn't home, he lived on frozen meals and PB&J's. Do you know how many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches it takes to fill a teenage boy, let alone a shapeshifter? More than anyone should ever eat in a lifetime.
Bella jumped with a squeak when she turned around and saw Paul eyeing her appreciatively from his casual position against the kitchen door frame. He was wearing a t-shirt for once, mostly for Charlie's benefit. It still stretched deliciously across his chest. His trademark smirk stretched his lips in a way that demanded they be kissed and she would gladly oblige.
Paul didn't know how she did it but somehow that girl made taking off oven mitts sexy. She practically skipped across the kitchen and jumped up in a practiced motion, wrapping her legs around his waist and trusting his big strong arms to catch her. His hands went straight to her ass like magnets and pulled her center against his rock hard length.
She hummed into his mouth at the feeling of coming home to Paul's arms where she belonged. He set her down on the edge of the counter, sliding his hands up her sides. Bella arched her back, begging for more of his touch. He kissed down her neck to her collar bone and licked back up to her ear. Her nails dug into biceps when he nibbled on her ear lobe. He groaned in appreciation when she pushed him into her harder with her heels on his ass.
Hearing Bella's moans was one thing, but hearing Paul's was where Jake drew the line. If he didn't hear Paul come in the front door, he still would have known when he arrived based on the near instant smell of Bella's arousal. It was sickening.
"Hey you crazy kids, is my food done?" Jake called out from the living room. Did they have no shame?
Charlie gave him a confused look, following Jake into the kitchen. He didn't even know Paul was here. Low and behold, Paul was casually reclined in the kitchen chair that had become his usual spot and Bella was red as a tomato trying to look busy. Both were breathing a little too heavy for just hanging out in a kitchen.
They mostly ate in awkward silence with short breaks for awkward conversation. Charlie and Paul asked each other how work was going. Both simply said fine with a tight lipped smile. Everytime the two men got together it was tense. Charlie was waiting for Paul to slip up and send Bella running for the hills or worse, to her mom in Florida. Paul was also waiting for Paul to slip up and send Bella running for the hills or worse, to her mom in Florida. Bella was the only one at the table that trusted Paul with her heart.
Jake practically inhaled two plates of food before kissing Bella on the temple with a 'thank you' and promises of seeing her soon.
Paul had been even more protective of Bella lately and a lot less tolerant of her best friend's affections. He growled low enough not to startle Charlie, but loud enough to earn an eye roll from his girl. Jake wanted to deck him but settled for an eye roll to match Bella's. He headed for the front door, but not before mumbling something about not wanting to ruffle her boyfriends fur.
"Isn't the saying 'ruffle his feathers'?" Charlie asked mostly to himself before putting his dishes in the sink, thanking Bells for dinner, and retiring to his trusty armchair.
Paul cleaned up the kitchen to let Bella finish the last of her homework. He always wanted to be helpful and this was the only way he could at the moment. He definitely couldn't help her study for her finals and he was already doing everything he could with the leech problem. Charlie just figured he was trying to earn brownie points and that suited him just fine. He wasn't ready to tell Paul this, but he noticed and appreciated the way we waited on her hand and foot.
Charlie asked if Paul wanted to watch the game, but honestly Paul wasn't much of a sports guy. Bella had joked to Emily on quite a few occasions that his indifference to sports on TV was the most attractive thing about him. But now that she was staring at him across the kitchen, elbow deep in dish water, in a t-shirt two sizes too tight, she might have a change of heart.
Without looking back, Paul said in a low, gravely voice, "Either you're distracted or your physics homework is turning you on."
Ignoring his comment because there was no use in arguing with him, she had an observation of her own, "It's really unfortunate when you wear a shirt."
"Oh yeah, Princess?" she could hear the smile in his voice. "Even with your dad in the other room?"
His back was still to her so she goaded him further, "So what?"
"You're playing a dangerous game, Isabella."
She knew that when he used her full name, he meant business. They've been doing what she calls the 'Everything, but' dance. They do everything, but sex. And it's been driving them both wild. She was sticking to her guns though. She wanted to be sure that she loved him on her own, without the imprint, before they took that final step. And she had a feeling that might be happening soon.
"What's my prize if I win, Paul?"
He slowly turned around to face her. The first thing she noticed was his Cheshire cat grin. He flicked his eyes down and hers followed. The front of his shirt was tucked in to his cutoffs and tucked up between his waistband and his black shirt was his leaking cock. It was so large that she'd guess three or four inches of the one eyed monster were on full display and she knew that wasn't even half of it.
"Your prize, Princess."
He had the most heart-stopping smirk pulling up one side of his mouth and a gleam in his eye. It was a challenge. How far would she take this with Charlie one room over? She knew that Paul would hear him coming the second Charlie moved but what if he was distracted?
Bella stood up and very slowly pulled her hair into a ponytail with the elastic on her wrist. She knew Paul liked her neck, it was a wolf thing, and she hoped it would give him some high hopes about where this was going. She crossed the kitchen in two steps, dropping to her knees in front of him. A drop of precum spilled from the slit, slowly leaking down his painfully hard member. He'd been sporting an erection since their makeout session on the counter before dinner.
Paul gripped the counter so hard he threatened to break off chunks of tile. She slowly, so slowly, licked up the exposed underside of his cock, swirling the tip with her tongue. Paul thought his knees might buckle as his eyes rolled back in his head. A low groan escaped him when she swirled the tip a second time. She yanked his shirt out from where it was tucked and after a kiss to his perfect abs, stood up and pulled his shirt down over his frustrated dick.
"I'm going to die of blue balls," he chuckled. "That's how you kill a werewolf." He knew she wouldn't do much with Charlie next door and even that was more than he expected. His little firecracker was really coming out of her shell.
"Why do you and Jake hate each other?"
"Shit, Princess," he sputtered. "Were you just trying to help kill my boner because it worked. I'm not a fan of how often he comes up when my dick is out."
"The rule was in bed and I made sure he was put away before I asked," she explained even though she was mostly sure he was kidding. "And you know I'll gladly suck your cock later."
Well now he was hard again. His dick was going to get whiplash. He loved when such dirty things came out of such a pretty mouth. The sooner this conversation was over, the sooner he could sneak in her window after 'going home' and get into bed with his girl.
He really didn't want to be thinking or talking about Jacob right now. The kid was just too happy. What did he have to be so goddamn happy about all the time? He'd proven to be a natural at the wolf. Paul couldn't think of a single time when Jacob had phased on accident when Paul still burst into fur out of anger at least once a week. Less since Bella, though. A lot less.
"I don't hate him, Princess," he sighed. She just raised her eyebrows in challenge.
"Well I definitely don't like him," he conceded. "I respect him as Alpha and I'll admit he's doing a great job in the position. He's a natural."
"But..," she prompted him when he didn't continue.
"He's just so obnoxiously happy. What does he have to be so annoyingly chipper about all the time?"
He pulled her into him, wrapping his arms around her. She was just so small, so fragile. And she was his to protect and cherish and...Jake would always have a piece of her.
She tried to look up at him but he just squeezed her tighter against him. He didn't want her to see the hurt on his face from this realization. He didn't want to be that asshole boyfriend who says she can't be friends with Jake, but he was finally able to admit he was jealous. As soon as he thought the words, his wolf growled at him. Ok, so his wolf was jealous too.
Proving they were made for each other, Bella mumbled into his chest, "Are you jealous of him?"
"I didn't even realize it until just now," he whispered into her hair. "I'm sorry."
"You don't have to apologize for your feelings," she reassured, rubbing his back, "I want to understand."
"I don't make a habit of talking about my feelings," he shrugged. Where did he even start? The beginning. He poured his heart out, starting with how he remembered hiding his emotions even as a child. Anger was the only thing that got results. He got in trouble in school to see if his mom would even care. She didn't. He fought back against his father when he was old enough to throw a punch. He hated the Chief in Training and his perfect little family. Even after Sarah Black had died, Jacob had a support system and he was able to smile again. Nobody supported Paul. Charlie checked on him but he couldn't do much. He was jealous of the family and friends Jacob had to be there for him. And now the best thing in Paul's life was this beautiful woman in his arms. Even she was always going to be connected to Jacob.
He held her closer and absolutely refused to cry. If he got one look at those big doe eyes, the waterworks would start and Paul wasn't about to cry for the first time in nearly a decade.
Bella just let him talk. He was rambling and it didn't all make sense, but now wasn't the time to ask clarifying questions. He had to get this out and she was just glad that she got to be the one he opened up to. This big, tough werewolf could be vulnerable with her like he had never been before. She just held him and let him talk.
Charlie got up to grab another beer but paused by the door when he heard Paul's shaky voice. This was more than he'd ever heard the boy talk so he wasn't about to interrupt just for a can of Vitamin R. His heart broke for the child he had tried to help, but from the sounds of it, he hadn't tried hard enough.
Paul caught his breath. When he was confident he could look her in the eye without crying, he pulled back. He gave her a peck on the lips and swiped his thumbs across her cheeks, cradling her face in his large hands.
Whispering low so only she heard, "I'll be back in your window. I'm going to go run some laps."
Charlie thankfully didn't hear the last part. He had been waiting for an opportunity to go back in the kitchen without disrupting the moment. Bella didn't quite give the man enough credit. He wasn't as dense and she seemed to think he was. Clearing his throat to announce his presence, he walked over to the fridge.
The two kids jumped apart and Charlie had to stifle his chuckle. Bella ineffectually tried to hide her tears, wiping at her eyes and ducking her face. Paul didn't look as watery as Bella, but he still looked a little startled. Truth was, Paul was embarrassed he didn't hear the older man coming. Good thing Bella hadn't followed through on her sexual advances or they definitely would have gotten caught in a more compromising position.
"Headed out, son?" Charlie asked with a forced nonchalance.
Paul tried to school his features to copy the casual atmosphere.
"Yes, sir."
Paul stuck his hand out to shake the man's hand but it went ignored. Instead Charlie wrapped the boy in the first fatherly hug he could remember ever getting. The height difference made it slightly awkward, but Paul bent down to accommodate.
With a nervous pat on the back, the older man said "Call me Charlie," before stepping back.
Goddamnit, do not cry. "Sure thing, Charlie. Goodnight."
Everyone pretended not to hear the hitch in the boy's breath. Paul placed one last kiss on Bella's forehead, taking in a lungful of her comfort, and he was out the door in a flash.
Not addressing the emotional scene that just played out in the kitchen, Charlie wished Bella a goodnight as well and headed up stairs.
Bella had no qualms with shedding tears. She didn't care that he was jealous, but her heart broke at the reason why. He just wanted a family, a support system. She was more determined than ever to be that for him. It seemed Charlie was on board too. While she got ready for bed she made plans to do more family type activities with Paul and her father.
Teeth brushed and face washed, she made it back to her room and her heart broke once again. Paul was curled up on his side in her bed looking like an overgrown child. She stripped down to her underwear and found an oversized shirt to pull on before climbing into bed behind him. She wrapped her arms around him and snuggled her cheek in between his shoulder blades. Being the big spoon to this hulking man might have looked funny to someone looking on, but being held was just what he needed. He brought her hand up to his lips for a reverent kiss on her knuckles before pulling her arm around him tighter.
This is where they belonged. Wrapped around each other to ward off the demons. The ones haunting the woods and the ones haunting their minds. Not a word was spoken, but Paul could smell the salt of her silent tears before she fell asleep. He thanked the spirits for the millionth time for his girl.
Jared let out a playful yip from the forest just before the sun came up to let Paul know that he was here to take over Bella-duty. The wolves were always on the watch, always prepared. Having at least one wolf on patrol and a wolf on Bella at all times was really putting a strain on the pack. Nobody was getting any sleep. Sam, Paul and Jared were all out of school so they took the night patrols and slept during the day when they weren't working. Jake took most of the school day patrols on Bella but the younger boys had pretty much stopped going to school too so they could patrol the rez. Even when they managed to make it to class, they'd either fall asleep or need to leave. The blessing of the spirit wolf came with the blessing of needing to poof into fur at the slightest provocation.
Quil and Embry had it the worst. On the rare days they both made it to school, the proximity wasn't even helpful. They had most classes together but being in the same room wasn't enough. Not when they knew how it felt to be in each other's arms. Or better yet, in each other's bodies. But because they weren't 'out' at school, they couldn't even hold hands.
They were far from being ashamed of each other. That wasn't why they stayed in the closet. They both vividly remembered Christopher Jones getting the shit kicked out of him during their freshman year for bringing a boy from Forks to a school dance as a date. Holding hands with a white boy had earned Christopher Jones a broken nose and a punctured lung from one of his ribs being kicked in. He was homeschooled for the rest of the year. Once he was released from his month in the hospital, of course.
The boys who had attacked him got a few days suspension and a lecture from the council about pulling your punches. The broken nose wasn't so bad, but the punctured lung had been a bit much. That had Old Quil written all over it.
Quil and Embry weren't afraid of getting beat up, of course. But they were afraid of turning into a horse-sized killing machine in the hallway. Embry had already had a close call when some bigot had muttered an obscenity at Quil in between classes. It seemed that the rumors had gotten around about Quil getting the boot from home. Someone had apparently put all the pieces together and figured out why.
The couple ditched the rest of their classes and went straight to Embry's house. Luckily they had a few hours before Ms. Call was home and they made the most of the time they had. Wolf healing was a pain when broken bones healed wrong, but being able to have marathon sex for five hours made up for that in Quil's mind. He'll get a bone reset every once in a while if it meant he got to show Embry how much he loved him over and over and over again.
School wasn't the only difficulty for the boys. One would think living together would be amazing for an imprint couple, but they were miserable. They may have lived under the same roof but it might as well have been an ocean between them instead of a few thin walls. Quil was sleeping on the couch while Embry had to stay in his room. Tiffany Call came and went at unpredictable and odd hours and seemed to be the world's lightest sleeper so sneaking to each other was risky.
Ms. Call was supportive of their relationship, but she wasn't comfortable with anyone sticking their tongue down her baby boy's throat. She was in deep denial about the physicality of their relationship. After the first time Quil caught her wrinkling her nose at the sight of them kissing, he made sure to keep displays of affection, even chaste ones, for when they were in private. He didn't want to overstep his welcome and she was clearly uncomfortable.
So they were roommates.
The boys ate meals together, hung out in common spaces, and went to bed in separate rooms.
And it was killing them. The only place they could openly be a couple was Sam's house. Or in the middle of the woods which they had discovered was a big turn on for them both. Mostly thanks to their wolfy nature, but it always ended up very dirty in all the wrong ways. So Sam's place is where they spent most of their free time. He wasn't their Alpha anymore, but they were still pack. He loved them like brothers. But he didn't love hearing their moans echo through the house while he was trying to watch football after an early morning shift pouring concrete.
"GUYS!" he bellowed from his throne of an armchair. "I appreciate that you refrain from fucking in my house, but when you make out like that, it doesn't take much to imagine what the full show sounds like."
"Does Emily know you're imagining gay sex?" Quil snickered from underneath Embry on the couch.
Embarrassed at how carried away they had gotten, Embry smacked his lover on the chest and tried to get up off of the couch but Quil had a firm grip on his hips.
"Why are you two even here right now? Shouldn't you be in school?"
It was Quil's turn to be embarrassed. In a voice barely loud enough for Sam to hear, Quil admitted, "I couldn't handle it."
With some light prodding from the former Alpha, Quil went on to explain why school was so rough. Being in Embry's house, but not his bed was rough. Never patrolling together (for good reason, he understood why) was rough. Hiding who they were 90% of the time was rough. Not having his mom here was rough. And having to go to school exhausted and without even getting to hold Embry's hand was too much.
The boys in the living room didn't think about the other person in the house being able to hear their conversation. Emily came home from work through the kitchen back door, but paused when she heard Quil's strained voice. Emily's heart broke at the suffering this young couple went through. Her relationship hadn't been a breeze, just look at the scars across her face, but at least she didn't have to hide. She grabbed her keys again and went to talk to Billy Black.
Bella had been scheming all day. She left school as quickly as she could and made a beeline for the familiar red house. She didn't know what Jake did during the day other than patrol these days, but she was hoping to talk to just Billy. She had two problems to tackle and no solutions.
She couldn't stop thinking about Jake dropping out of school at sixteen. He may not need chemistry or calculus as the Chief but there was plenty of applicable knowledge from history or even literature that could come in handy. Just having a high school diploma opened the door for opportunities. Jake may have a job lined up, but the other boys still have to figure something out. They don't all have family businesses to work at if they drop out.
She was surprised to see Emily's old but well maintained Corolla parked out front. Jake's Rabbit was still parked by the garage and Bella's heart broke all over again. It seems like just yesterday her scrawny best friend was fixing up that hunk of junk and counting down the days until he could get his license.
Bella ran from her truck to the front porch, only managing to get a little wet from the rain. With her curly hair, that was all it took to be a frizzy mess. Trying to smooth out the flyaways, she stepped into the living room of her home away from home. Emily was sitting at the table with what looked like a cup of coffee, still in her apron from the diner. She usually worked the lunch rush so she could help with pack gatherings or council meetings in the evenings.
Billy Black's storyteller voice welcomed her from his place at the head of the table, "Well, well, well. Speak of the devil."
"And she shall appear," Bella finished with a smile before hanging up her jacket by the door. "What kinds of things are you two saying about me? You and Charlie always did gossip like a bunch of old ladies."
Emily had already busied herself making Bella a cup of coffee. She knew how she liked it perfectly because Emily was thoughtful about those kinds of things. She was the perfect pack mom and Bella was pack.
"We were saying how much the imprints have helped their wolves," Billy explained. "You didn't know him much before, but you've been a real positive influence on Paul."
Bella blushed her signature shade of pink. She didn't know what to say so she just took the seat on the other side of Billy at the table. She didn't want to think about how Paul had been left to fend for himself by the council and that included Billy. Maybe Billy didn't realize the extent of the abuse or neglect.
Emily saved her from that line of thought when she pushed a perfect cup of coffee into Bella's shaking hands and changed the subject.
"The imprint isn't helping Quil and Embry all of the time," Emily began. "That's actually what I came over to talk about. School has become near impossible for them. They haven't been going, they just hide at my house if they aren't on patrol."
Billy didn't look like this was news to him. The attendance issues have been brought to the council's attention by the principal of La Push High. Billy was also informed of the ongoing truancy issue because his own son was one of the worst offenders.
"That's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about too, except about Jake. He hasn't been going to school either," Bella supplied.
"I already know of the boys' attendance issues. As you both know better than anyone else, they have a duty. A responsibility, to their people. These are the sacrifices they will have to make." Billy sounded like this was a conversation he's had many times and wasn't happy to be having again.
Emily was quick to fire back, "What about Embry? He doesn't have a family business to work for someday like Jacob or Quil. What will he do after they stop phasing?"
"An education is an invaluable asset," Bella added.
"Girls, girls, I'm not the bad guy. These boys get a stipend from the tribe for their duties as a protector," Billy defended himself, hands up trying to placate the angry women flanking him. "They simply don't have the time or the energy for a traditional education."
Bella was quick on her feet, "So we give them an untraditional education."
"What would that even mean, sweetheart?" Billy asked. "I'm not arguing with you two for fun. Of course, I want what's best for these boys. My own son is one of them. I just don't know how that's possible."
"We homeschool them."
Both girls were surprised to hear the suggestion come from the other at the same time. They had both thought about it, and come to the same conclusion. The pack needed to study on their own schedule. They could work around patrols and Quil and Embry wouldn't have to face the physical pain of denying their imprint just to sit amongst a bunch of judgmental teens.
Emily was less confident about their solution because she didn't know who would teach them.
"I wish I could tutor them but I have my job at the diner."
The trio sat around the table staring at their mugs in silence. Bella was still in high school herself or she'd be jumping at the opportunity to help.
"What if the council hired you?" Billy suggested. If anyone could make a position like that available, it was the Chief.
Emily was ecstatic. She had always thought she'd just be a housewife, maybe pop out a few kids for Sam and be a full-time mom. This was her contribution to the pack. Jacob, Embry, Quil, and Seth would be her students and she would get to help by doing more than just making muffins and casseroles. They ironed out the specifics. They'd meet at Sam's when they could. She'd have to talk to Sue to make sure she was okay with Seth leaving La Push High full time. Emily and Bella talked near frantically about how they'd get the boys caught up on their work with such enthusiasm that Billy wished all problems were that easy.
They still had to figure out what to do with Quil. Staying at Embry's wasn't going to last if Embry wanted to maintain his relationship with his mother too. They'll have to tackle that next. One thing at a time.
Revised 10/9/2020