Chapter 11
Imprint bonds were one of the lesser understood aspects of the legends. The pack learned something with every new instance of imprinting. The council still thought imprinting was some sort of wolfy eugenics program, but clearly breeding wasn't the goal for imprints like Quil and Embry's. They had been secretly crushing on each other for years, but there was no way that relationship was producing pups.
Sam and Emily had shown them that an imprint couldn't be denied or the wolf would lose his marbles. Emily's scars were a testament to the dangers of an unstable shapeshifter.
Paul had imprinted on a white girl. That was unprecedented in the wolves' recorded history. Paul and Bella were also outliers because they were able to take things slow physically. A council member had suggested that it just showed how controlled of a wolf Paul was and Sam openly laughed in the man's face. That's how out of touch with the pack the council really was.
Jared and Kim's imprint demonstrated that it had nothing to do with attraction. Before phasing, Jared hadn't looked twice at the mousy girl that sat behind him in algebra. She had been in love with him for years before the imprint. Naturally, Old-airbag-Quil determined she was just that in tune with the spirits and she must have felt the imprint coming. It was a load of bull, but the girl was certainly in tune with her wolf now.
Kim was in hysterics pacing the Clearwater's living room. Sam wouldn't let her in to see her wolf until the most worrisome injuries were handled. Nobody had called the girl, she just showed up at Sam's house at 3 o'clock in the morning, banging on the door when Jared didn't come home from patrol. Kim tagged along after Emily when she was called to bring extra clothes and more gauze to the Clearwater's.
Kim knew something was wrong, her imprint bond was on fire. She had experienced this before when Jared had gotten in a brawl with a rogue vamp on patrol a couple months back. That time he had only broken a few ribs, but Kim still felt that something was wrong. He was healed by the time his patrol shift was over, but she knew.
This time it wasn't just an unsettling feeling, Kim was in a fit of inconsolable tears. She must have assumed the worst, but nobody could understand a word of her practically deranged blubbering. Sam and Emily both had to reassure Kim that he was healing, Jared would be fine - until Paul got to him again, that is.
If Jared had been human, he probably would have bled out in the woods. Puncture wounds from razor sharp canines and slashes from claws covered his neck, shoulders, and sides. Both of his forearms had been broken where the grey wolf's powerful jaws had latched on. Claws had left deep grooves running all the way from his back down over his hip and down his right leg. Sue had determined at least six ribs were broken as well.
If Jake had arrived one minute later, Paul would have finished the job.
In a clearing behind the Clearwater house, three wolves sat on their haunches in the moonlight. The dark grey wolf sat before the other two wolves like a kid facing their parents, waiting for a punishment to be decided on. That wasn't too far off from the truth actually.
Paul showed his Alphas the memories of what had happened on patrol with Jared. Paul was clearly working very hard to keep something hidden from them, but it was unmistakably about Bella. Jake assumed it was just to respect her privacy because the last time he saw the girl she had announced her intentions to seduce her wolf. Leah, an uninvolved party, could see the tension and hurt in the slips Paul had regarding Bella. If he didn't want to talk about it, she wasn't going to ask questions unless it became a problem that affected his duties or the pack. She didn't want to be the kind of Alpha that meddled in personal lives. That was more Jake's leadership style.
The large russet wolf nudged her shoulder, bringing her mind back to the task at hand. They had to determine what to do about the Jared situation. Was he really a threat? Could he be trusted to protect Bella? The tribe? Everyone who had ever patrolled with him could see how he thought. His priorities were Kim first. Anything or anybody else didn't even make the list.
They had seen the memories of what happened, they didn't need to share thoughts any more. Leah liked to spend no more time than necessary in the minds of her brothers, especially her actual brother, Seth. She didn't want to phase back in front of Paul if she could avoid it. Leah knew with his imprint, he didn't care about other women anymore, but she still felt dirty letting the rez man-whore see her goods. She instructed him without using the compulsion of the Alpha command. She didn't like forcing the guys to do anything. It made her feel almost as dirty as the idea of Paul seeing her naked.
Phase back, let's figure out what to do about Jared.
Paul could see from her mind the implication for him to go phase out of sight. He didn't like that he made her uncomfortable. Shame was a new emotion for him after the imprint, but damn did Leah's discomfort really hit it home. Lately he'd been thinking about how he could go about apologizing to all the women he had used and thrown away. He couldn't stomach the memories of what he had done before Bella, now that he knew what it felt to actually care for someone.
Phasing back to human, he shook his head as if to dislodge the thoughts of his imprint. He wouldn't worry about it just yet. It had been less than 24 hours since she stormed out on him. She just needed time. She asked for time and he could do that. Ok, he could try to do that if his wolf didn't kill him from the inside out first. With the imprint bond sealed, it was going to be really difficult to be away from her for a while. He only hoped she felt the pull too.
He walked back out from behind the trees, pulling his shorts on. The Alpha pair didn't even seem to notice he was back. Jake and Leah were staring at each other with human eyes, clearly having just watched each other get dressed. These staring contests had become somewhat of a joke to the rest of the pack. Obviously it was a fight for dominance that neither of them was going to win, but they both seemed to get off on trying. Leah's nipples stood at attention through the cotton t-shirt dress that loosely covered her amazonian frame. Jake's breathing was slightly labored and Paul guessed it was from trying to suppress a boner with sheer willpower.
Leah spoke first, breaking the trance and allowing Jake's eyes to drift down her body.
"We should hear Jared's side of the story first. He should be healed enough to talk in the morning. I want the rest of the pack there too in case any of them have heard anything else in Jared's thoughts to contribute to our decision," Leah spoke with the confidence of a natural leader.
"Good thinking, this is why you're my VP," Jake joked. Any implication that she was his inferior was a surefire way to get her riled up and that fire in her eyes got his rocks off every time.
"I am nobody's vice anything. I want a new title," Leah put her foot down, easily getting pulled away from the discussion at hand to defend her status as his equal. Paul groaned and rolled his eyes. There would be no circling back to the topic at hand and he knew it.
"What do you want to be? Co-president?" Jake deadpanned.
"Well, I really don't like Alpha Female," she said with a roll of her eyes. "We don't call you Alpha Male." Jacob liked that title coming off of her lips, suddenly taking the conversation seriously as his wolf preened. It sounded so masculine and virile. He was glad they had phased human because he couldn't help but imagine other situations where she would call him her Alpha Male. Damn, he really did have a dom kink that he was looking forward to exploring someday. Jake had to awkwardly shift in his cutoffs, shoving a hand in his pocket to not-so-discreetly adjust his hardening dick.
"Okay, Wolf Queen, what title do you think fits your position and your sensibilities?" Jake asked, quickly getting distracted by the mental image of her wrists bound above her head. He liked the idea of being her King. Before she phased he thought a mate determined by the spirits wasn't in his cards because he couldn't imprint. Now she was here and his wolf knew she was his and it was all too good to be true. She was too good to be true.
He had been trying to breach the subject of them as a couple for a few days now but things just kept coming up with the pack whenever they were together. He hoped that wasn't her purposefully keeping them busy in an attempt to keep their relationship strictly business. Maybe it was just a coincidence and the pack was just being the world's biggest cockblock.
"Queen?" Leah seemed to be testing the sound of the word, actually considering the title. "I don't think the guys would be onboard with referring to me as their Queen," Leah admitted, actually looking disappointed.
"I'd gladly call you my Queen," Jacob practically purred, eyes freely roaming over her body now. Leah was drawn into his orbit. She took a step into his space inhaling his woodsy scent, sending fireworks across her nerve endings. Looking just like the wolves they were, the two Alphas slowly circled each other, getting closer with every step. Their chests were mere inches apart, labored breaths pulling them together like magnets, hunger evident in their stares. If they were in their fur, the two would be rubbing muzzles but instead, their human skin itched for the contact they denied themselves. Touching as humans is where they had drawn their invisible boundary. Blatant staring was acceptable, but touching would be too close to acknowledging their bond. That hadn't stopped the two from brushing against each other every opportunity that could cast off as accidental.
Paul cleared his throat to remind them they had an audience and the wolves jumped apart. He really didn't understand why they didn't just fuck already. The sexual tension was seeping into the rest of the pack and making everyone miserable. It only heightened the imprinted wolves need for their mates and all except for Jared and Kim, that wasn't exactly helpful to the situation.
What was supposed to be a tactical meeting had turned into Paul feeling like a squeaky third wheel interrupting an intimate moment. He tried to breathe through his mouth to avoid the smell of Leah's obvious arousal. Instead of helping, all that did was pull the scent over his tongue, making his aching desire for his imprint's unique flavor more potent. Desperate to get out of this situation, Paul confirmed the pack meeting in the morning and got out of there. It was only a few hours away now but maybe Paul could get some sleep first.
Eight overheated bodies stood in the backyard of Sam and Emily's cabin style home at the ass-crack of dawn. Bella had been lured back to the rez under the guise of helping Emily with something, so none of the wolves had to miss this to protect her in Forks. Snacks weren't prepared, nobody was laughing or joking around, and the imprints were inside, safely out of range of lupine destruction if shit were to hit the fan. This wasn't a pack meeting. This wasn't a friendly movie night.
This was a trial.
Jacob and Leah stood before a pack in turmoil. The wolves formed a semi-circle in front of their leaders, tension rising with every minute the Alpha pair stalled.
Jared and Paul were on opposite sides of the line up, putting as much space between the warring pair as possible. Quil and Embry were standing in solidarity next to Paul, clearly having chosen sides. Sam was by Jared, not because he agreed with him, but because someone had to keep the wolf in line. Seth cautiously stood in the very middle of the pack as to not choose sides, looking like his large body was trying to take up as little space as possible. If it were up to him, he wouldn't take part in this at all. Jared was clearly in the wrong but Seth still hoped everyone would drop it and life would go back to being as normal as it can be when you're a supernatural beast.
Jake and Leah hadn't come up with a plan of action yet, but something had to be done. Their meeting with Paul had not been helpful in their attempts to come up with a disciplinary solution. Jared had become an issue they couldn't ignore or put off any longer. First with Quil and Embry and now with Bella. Low growls came from both sides of the yard where Paul and Jared were glaring daggers at each other.
Jake finally spoke up, his words acting as the gavel demanding order in the court, "Paul showed us what happened last night on patrol. Jared, do you have anything to say for yourself?"
"This son of a bitch cannot be trusted!" Paul bellowed with an accusing finger
"I don't see anyone else being interrogated for every passing thought," Jared spat at his Alpha pair, an uncharacteristic act of defiance. He didn't intentionally disregard Bella's safety, but she wasn't Kim so she didn't matter.
Embry had to physically restrain Paul from lunging forward, but didn't anticipate his own mate tackling Jared to the ground. Quil had the older wolf pinned into the dirt with a forearm across his throat. The phase was right under Quil's skin, shaking so hard he was vibrating into a blur. Snarling through his teeth, the words were more wolf than man, "Yeah? Like your disgust for my imprint is just a passing thought?"
Jacob grabbed Quil by the back of the neck to pull him off of his pack brother before Jared turned blue. Sam had Jared in a headlock the second he jumped up to retaliate.
Embry looked more disappointed than angry with his pack brother. "I thought you wanted to overcome your prejudices? What happened to looking past how your parents think?"
"It's too fucking weird," Jared spat from where he still struggled under Sam's arm, no longer bothering to mask the revulsion in his eyes. "Guys aren't meant to be like that together. It's not about what my parents think, or religion. It's just gross."
Before it got too nasty, Leah stepped in the middle of the divided pack, ready to act as referee if another wolf decided to attack. They may be bigger but nobody stood a chance against her Alpha order. Jake ignored the conflict with Jared for a moment, trusting his Alpha Female to control the situation. He turned his attention to Quil who was still under an iron grip, barely contained.
"How's that going by the way? Any improvements on the living situation?" Jake asked Quil with a surprisingly levity that didn't fit the tense situation. He was asking not as a concerned childhood best friend but as Alpha and leader. These guys were his responsibility. Not just during a vamp attack or when they were in their wolf form but all of the time. Jake took that responsibility to heart with his pack, but especially with Quil and Embry who he had known his whole life.
Leah kept Paul from tearing Jared's throat out with his human teeth while Jake took the time to take inventory of the boys emotional well being. Quil could already feel the burn of tears at the back of his eyes. Even just being asked how they were was too much on top of the current situation. Embry tried to calm his imprint with soothing hands over this back and shoulders. This wasn't a conversation the two mates wanted to have in front of everyone. Quil tried to compose himself while Embry explained how their wolves were constantly on edge. It was exhausting to keep their needs at bay around their imprints. They couldn't patrol together, they couldn't sleep in the same bed, and they had to be sneaky to show even innocent affections. And don't even get them started about their nonexistent sex life outside of quickies in the woods.
Embry couldn't move out while still in high school without permanently damaging his relationship with his mother so Quil was desperately looking for somewhere to live. Quil and Embry kept their conversation as muted as possible but everyone had tuned them out.
Sam was finally able to release Jared, trusting him to stay put. Seth had shrunk back to be out of the splash zone if blood was going to be shed again. He was barely close enough to be considered part of this meeting. All the while, Paul's rage was only building.
Paul was livid the focus had strayed from his imprint. Her actual life was on the line here and they were bitching about not being able to fuck whenever they wanted? He understood their wolves were on edge, he had patrolled with both of them enough to know how it was wearing on them. But this was about Jared's traitorous fucking thoughts and the threat to Bella's safety.
He couldn't even think about how Bella had hurt him right now. His wolf was hyper focused on protecting her because thinking about her rejection the previous night wasn't an option. Paul had set up residence in the state of denial.
"Is this really a priority right now?" Paul seethed. His outburst caused the rest of the pack to pause their side conversations and turn back to the agitated wolf.
"Fine, Paul, where do you even want to start?" Leah asked. Dealing with all this testosterone was beyond irritating.
"If I can't even trust this fucker" he jabbed a finger in the direction of Jared, "then I want a wolf I can trust to be with Bella at all times when it can't be me."
Jared further incriminated himself with hateful words, "Oh, and you can trust these queers, but not the guy you practically grew up with when your dad was too drunk to remember to buy you food?"
Seth inched further back, muttering to himself, "I do not understand how he thought that would convince anyone in his favor…"
Nobody heard the youngest wolf's opinion over the loud snarls coming from nearly the entire pack now. Nobody could believe Jared even had the capacity for such hatred, but now that his true feelings were on the table, every single wolf wanted his blood. They were supposed to be a pack of brothers.
Leah saw that this was going nowhere and the volume was giving her a migraine. She couldn't physically restrain all of the wolves who were seconds away from tearing their wayward brother's throat out.
"ENOUGH."
All eyes hit the ground and the snarling pack cut to silence in an instant. Leah stood tall beside Jake who was frozen in a crouch, ready to lunge for Jared himself. Slowly the pack raised back from their hunched postures of aggression, or defense in Jared's case. If Leah hadn't stopped the entire pack from attacking, all that would be left of Jared would have been a misting of blood in the surrounding trees.
In a small voice, Sam spoke up, breaking the tense silence. "What if Quil moved in with Bella?"
Sam wasn't one to voice his opinion since Jake took over. He was more than happy to sit on the sidelines, patrol when asked, and play host to pack meetings. But this seemed like an obvious solution.
Shaking the fog of red tinted rage from his vision, Jake was able to return to rational thought. He thought as Alpha he would have more control over that, but he couldn't stand for the betrayal towards three of the people he cared about the most. He silently thanked Leah for her level head with a nod. She understood his silent communication and gave him a small, private smile in return. Whether she would admit it or not, she loved the recognition from Jake.
Thinking out loud, for his own benefit more than anything else Jake mulled over the idea, "That could work. Charlie has a guest room and a soft spot for kids that get mistreated by their parents." He flicked his eyes to Paul who was pointedly staring into the trees. "I'll ask him. If we explain why Quil got kicked out, he won't hesitate to say yes. And he'd be cool with the gay thing so you could have Embry over all the time. And Bella has always joked that she wanted a sibling. You can be the annoying little brother she's always wanted."
Quil didn't exactly like that this was being decided without asking him or Embry but he could see the advantages. Charlie was a very hands off parent. That and his long hours at the station would mean Quil could sneak out for patrol without issue and Embry could easily sneak in the window at night when he could. The guest room was on the first floor on the opposite side of the house from Charlie and Bella's rooms upstairs. As much as he loved gagging Embry, it'd be nice for it to be just a kink rather than a necessity to not get caught.
"Quil?" Embry asked with a hand on his mate's lower back. "What do you think? We wouldn't have to hide from my mom, baby."
Not bothering to reply with words, Quil pulled his mate into a tight embrace and smashed their lips together. There was some hope for them yet.
Jared, getting stupider by the minute, made a retching sound from the back of the pack where he had been forgotten. Much to everyone's surprise, it was Seth's fist that immediately connected with the older wolf's jaw. A sickening crack echoed across the trees, followed by Jared's cries from where he was prone on the ground clutching his broken jaw and bloody mouth. Leah was immensely proud of her little brother and the pack's Omega. It wasn't usual for Seth's temperament or pack ranking to be aggressive, but that's just how bad Jared had pissed everyone off.
Jake stepped over the wolf writhing on the ground before anyone else got any ideas. Leah had to stop Quil and Embry with a firm "No." That was it, Jared would be handled by the Alphas before the pack took justice in the form of a flesh price. Both Jake and Leah were extremely proud of their youngest wolf, but now wasn't the time to encourage violence between each other.
Leah quickly dismissed the pack after assigning patrol duties for the next few days to cover until the next meeting. Jared was left of the schedule because Leah wasn't sure he was going to survive today after seeing the look of murder in the pack's eyes.
The pack left the clearing one at a time, most heading back to Emily's where she probably had breakfast waiting. Paul was the last to go, leaving reluctantly after seeing Jake lift Jared off the ground by one hand on his throat in a display of supernatural strength. He wanted to make sure Jared got what he had coming, but seeing that Jake wasn't taking this lightly gave him confidence in his Alphas to let them handle this.
Dropping Jared on his feet, Jake crossed his arms over his broad chest and asked the recalcitrant wolf, "How do you expect us to handle this problem, man?"
"I don't think there's a problem, man." Jared puffed up his chest, taking a step closer to the Alpha.
Recognizing the challenge, Jake straightened to his full height, a few inches taller than the older wolf. He raised his eyebrows in question, daring Jared to pick a fight with his superior.
"I don't answer to you, Baby Chief," Jared sneered. He may have a few years on Jake and more time as a wolf but Jared was clumsy. He wasn't the fastest, the strongest, the best fighter. He wasn't the best anything. But maybe he was the dumbest because Jake was a natural. Paul probably held the best chance against their Alpha and largest wolf simply because he knew how to fight and he fought dirty. Jared standing his ground against the Alpha wolf with true intentions of defiance was a death wish. In the wild, Jared would be killed without a second thought and the russet wolf was clawing to get out to do just that.
Jake couldn't deal with this in Emily's backyard but it needed to be dealt with. None of the other wolves had openly defied an order, even to Sam who had ruled with a cotton candy fist. Lacing his words with the Alpha compulsion, Jake spit out through clenched teeth, "Further into the trees. Now."
Just like wolves in the wild, Jared gets the option of fighting Jake to the death for his position as Alpha, backing down and learning to toe the line and respect his packmates, or be banished. Jared foolishly chose the fight by lunging into his wolf form and towards his Alpha's neck as soon as they had stepped further into the cover of the forest.
Russet fur rippled from under Jake's skin in a fluid motion, shredding his clothes. Leah had the time to drop her dress before transforming into the silver wolf, knowing Jake could easily hold his own in battle. From size alone, Jake had the advantage. He easily threw Jared into a tree and slashed claws through his flank before the older wolf could even regain his footing.
Jared wasn't a skilled fighter and he couldn't hide his thoughts to save his life. In this instance, his weak mental fortitude was the only reason Jake's humanity was able to stop from killing him. Underneath the visceral lupine rage, Jake could see the scared boy. The Alpha wolf was thirsty for blood, but Jared just wanted his life to go back to normal. He wanted to go to college, he wanted to marry Kim, he wanted to erase any memory of the monsters that walked among us, and he didn't want to have to hear the thoughts of anyone. Especially Quil and Embry.
He regretted speaking out against his superiors. Jared used to be Beta, second in command, when Sam was Alpha and now he felt purposeless. There was nothing special about him amongst the other wolves. He was just lost and out of control of his life that was governed by the supernatural. Acting out was something he could control. Now he was unique. Now he was the defiant wolf.
Most of these thoughts weren't put into words but the emotions behind them were flooding into Jake's mind from the older wolf that was easily pinned to the ground with his giant russet paw on his face. The Alpha's razor sharp teeth cut into the scruff of Jared's neck every time he squirmed. Jake didn't want the blood of his brother on his literal or figurative hands. Even if his brother was a disrespectful bigot and a coward, he wasn't an actual threat.
Every muscle in Jake's body was taught and rigid. Every lupine instinct still told him to kill the weaker wolf under him, even with his new understanding of Jared's actions. Leah slowly approached the two wolves, purposefully rubbing up Jake's side to ground him before replacing his paw on Jared's muzzle with her own. Feeling the support and agreement from Leah, Jake was able to reign in his wolf and release the traitor from his jaws and take a step back. He took a second to gather his thoughts before he turned back to Jared to present an ultimatum instead of a death sentence. It wasn't an order, it was an offer.
You will run Paul, Quil, and Embry's patrols for a week. You'll have just enough time to eat and catch a nap before you're expected back out there. Of course this will be after you apologize and explain yourself. Your brothers don't trust you and you will have to work to earn that back if they even feel that you deserve it.
Before Jared could put words to the stubborn disobedience they could both feel bubbling back up in the wolf's mind, Leah had her own two cents to add to Jared's dressing down.
I don't care if you approve of Quil and Embry's relationship, but you will respect them. They were chosen by the spirits just the same as any other imprint. Just like Kim. Just like Emily. Just like Bella. When you apologize to Paul I want you to think about what you would do if Kim were being hunted by a leech. If you can't take this punishment, you will be banished from tribal land, never to return.
Jared had nearly forgotten that his indifference towards Bella was what spurred this whole thing on. It had been mostly about Quil and Embry with the pack and that had probably pissed off Paul even more. Jared let out a low whimper at the thought of his Kim in danger. He still wanted to leave the rez and leave his wolf behind. He thought he'd never be allowed to leave. He was going to move to the sunniest place he could find where vampires wouldn't dare go. That's how he was going to keep Kim safe if they ever got out. Florida. Or Arizona. Right on the beach in California.
Ignoring Jared's vacation plans in his mind, Jake ordered him up from where Jared was still pathetically sprawled out on the ground. He still hadn't moved from where Jake had him pinned at the brink of death just minutes earlier.
Go run your first patrol shift. You'll run doubles everyday with one shift to sleep in between until I tell you otherwise. Keep your nose to the ground for that tick. Go.
The compulsion of his order sent Jared scrambling to his feet and running into the woods to start a patrol loop. The Alpha pair gave him about a 50/50 chance of running for the hills with his tail between his legs and Kim's hand held tight. They both saw the fear in the older man's eyes.
Making sure to block their thoughts from the asshole now on patrol, Jake freely thought about how hot it was when Leah took charge of the pups. She had been such a badass. With the pack and with Jared just now. Usually these thoughts were under tight lock and key in his wolf form but when he could see she was thinking the same thing about him, what was the point in lying? She was thinking over how strong he was handling the pack yet tender with Quil and Embry when they needed it.
Leah watched Jake melt back into human skin. The transformation looked so majestic when it was done slowly and with the grace that only her and Jake could manage with the change. He held his hand out in petition to lead her back out of the trees and tilted his head in question, exactly how a wolf would.
"My Queen."
Talking Charlie into taking in a stray was easier than Jake anticipated. All it took was one call from Billy to explain the situation with that bastard, Old Quil, and Jake had been right. Charlie jumped at the chance to help a kid who had been neglected by his family. He speculated it had something to do with the guilt the man carried for missing so much of his own daughter's childhood.
Charlie knew that Quil and Embry were the boys that hung out with Jake and Bells, but he honestly wouldn't have been able to tell you which one was which. Bella had been happily telling him stories about the boys for the past two days since Billy called asking about their spare room. She was keeping herself busy cleaning and preparing a bunch of casserole looking things for the freezer. Apparently this boy had the same giant appetite as Jake.
Charlie had not seen this much of Bella around the house in a long time. She was usually out on the rez if she wasn't at school, but the past two days she came right home. Sunday night she came home and immediately deep cleaned the oven so he knew something was bothering her. She still hadn't said anything about it and Charlie wasn't going to push. She had done a lot of growing up since that Edwin prick hurt her so he trusted his daughter to ask if she needed help with anything.
It was now Tuesday night and Quil was coming over whenever he got off work. Maybe they'd sit around and watch the game. For the first time since he agreed to take in a teenage boy, Charlie started to worry. What if he isn't a Mariners fan? What if he doesn't like baseball? Bella at least tolerated the subject and could easily hold a conversation about any major sport played in the continental United States. It bugged the shit out of Renee, but he had to teach the girl something while she was here for the summer.
Charlie did not know what he was going to do with this kid if he didn't like sports. He couldn't care less what his sexual orientation was, but Charlie was truly out of his depth if the boy couldn't sit through a Mariners game.
The doorbell snapped Charlie out of his state of panic. Bella had already skid into the entryway from the kitchen before he could even think about getting out of his armchair.
"It smells like Clorox and lasagna in here, Bells," a deep voice spoke from the front of the house. There was no way that was the boy staying here. Charlie turned to see a wall of muscle walk into the living room, a duffel in each hand.
Never forgetting his manners, Quil dropped a bag and extended a hand to Charlie, "Chief Swan, I can't thank you enough."
Charlie cut him off with a wave before he could say anything more. He was never great with emotions and if this man started going on about how grateful he was, Charlie was going to turn beet red. Bella definitely got that trait from him.
"Just call me Charlie, kid," he stammered. "Not much of a kid though, are ya?" Charlie wasn't used to looking up to many people, being nearly six foot himself, but this sixteen year old boy had at least a few inches on him and was nearly twice as wide.
"Still a kid at heart," Quil easily brushed off the comment on his size and quickly changed the subject by trying to offer to pay rent or do anything he could to help out. Charlie wouldn't even hear him out. He was just a kid, even if he didn't look like it, and he shouldn't have to worry about those things yet. The only thing he had to worry about was following the same two rules that Bella had to follow.
#1: No boys in your room.
#2: Don't do anything to give Charlie a reason not to trust you.
Rule #1 was already mentally translated to "Don't get caught with boys in your room" even if that put Rule #2 at risk. Super-hearing would help them hear anyone coming and the boys had already memorized Charlie's rotating work schedule. On the nights he worked the graveyard shift they would get to hold each other all night until Embry had to sneak back into his own house before his mom got up for work.
Quil was scheduled the daytime patrol while Bella was at school and then he'd take her to Emily's with him so he could get school work done. It was fool proof. Bella was protected, Quil still could finish high school, and the tension in Quil and Embry's imprint would get easier and easier.
Just in time for the lasagna to come out of the oven, Jake showed up under the guise of helping Quil unpack even though they all knew Quil didn't have much to organize in his new room. Bella was already doing a load of laundry for him and his school stuff was already sitting on the desk in his new room. That was about the extent of Quil's belongings.
Over dinner Charlie was relieved to discover that Quil does in fact like the Mariners and he'd be happy to watch a game whenever he was home. Conversation easily flowed between school and jobs and significant others. Bella carefully deflected a question from Jake about Paul by asking Quil about Embry. Just as she hoped, the overgrown puppy gave a colorful, yet thankfully family-friendly monologue about his perfect, wonderful, boyfriend. Bella gathered dishes and began cleaning up to avoid any further questions about her own absentee beau.
Bella was being weird. All three men at the table knew her well enough to know that she was blushing more than usual and somehow even clumsier. She managed to keep all of her fingers attached while preparing the meal, but the way she was shaking didn't give Jake much confidence in her ability to wash the dishes without a trip to the ER.
Jake and Bells cleaned up together just like old times, giving Quil and Charlie a chance to get acquainted. Quil was so friendly he could make friends with a houseplant if he wanted to and Charlie liked that he didn't have to talk much to keep the conversation going. They were going to get along just fine.
When Charlie insisted that Quil stay as long as he needed to, the boy got a little nervous. Even with Emily tutoring them on an accelerated schedule, he still had a year left of school after this semester. He was only supposed to be a sophomore right now but that was easy to forget when he looked like that. He knew Bella would probably be moving out to be with Paul after graduation in a couple of weeks here and he didn't want to be a burden. He really wanted to find a place to live with Embry but money was tight. Well, more like non-existent.
"Thank you, Chief. I'll be out of your hair in no time," Quil insisted. He would be here at least as long as the leech was after Bella. Just have to keep her safe until her own wolf can watch over her. Paul will undoubtedly kill him if anything happens to his girl and Quil was the last line of defense. No pressure, Quil.
Charlie could see the boy was struggling with something, but the phone cut off his prepared line of questioning. Charlie chose not to comment when Jake and Quil visibly flinched at the shrill ring of the old school phone. It wasn't that loud, but hell, it was obnoxious.
"Bells, it's Paul," Charlie spoke with his hand over the receiver, not knowing the wolf on the other end would hear everything regardless. "He's wondering if you're free after Quil gets settled."
"Not tonight, I'm hanging out with the boys. Tell him I'll see him later." Bella called over her shoulder with obnoxiously fake enthusiasm. The jig was up. Dismissing Paul confirmed to the two wolves that something was up and Bella was trying to hide it. Charlie was either a bad cop or choosing to ignore it because Bella was the worst liar in the world. But Charlie was a great cop and instead of analyzing why she was acting strange he took it as a good sign. Bella wasn't ignoring her friends like she did with Edward. She finally felt like the Bells he was used to again and the old man had never seen her so happy before. This was a point in Paul's favor in Charlie's eyes. Paul had yet to give the old man a reason to distrust him, but Charlie kept the shotgun clean and prepared just in case.
Bella quickly turned back to the sink to hide her face. Of course Paul could hear for himself before Charlie relayed her message. She couldn't avoid him forever, but one more night wouldn't kill him. Maybe. It was killing her. Her stomach felt like it was trying to digest cinder blocks and every heartbeat felt like a painful throb in her chest. The longer she was away from Paul, the harder it was for her to remember why she wanted space from him in the first place.
Because she didn't want to need him. She didn't like the idea that she was falling apart without him here.
Her distraction was over when there was nothing else to clean in the kitchen unless she broke out the tile brush and got started on the floor. The boys might think that was odd so she chose to move the party away from Charlie and let the man enjoy his beer and a game.
"Let's go get Quil settled. We can help you unpack," she said to nobody in particular before leaving the room. The boys played along, thinking she was just trying to get away from Charlie. They were supposed to be helping him unpack so Jake grabbed a duffel and started sorting through it. It was mostly clothes Quil had grown out of anyway.
Jake hesitated when he reached a stack of books that had been wrapped carefully in the pile of clothes. "If this is everything you own does that mean I'm gonna find one of those magazines with a bunch of naked dudes in here? Because I think I'll be scarred for life."
Bella cuts in before Quil can defend himself, "Are you that insecure with your sexuality, Jacob? Are you afraid you're going to like it?" She was just joking, but Jake turned to Quil with wide eyes, still afraid of the answer to his question.
Quil didn't want to admit that bundle was the only thing worth taking out of his grandfather's house, the photo albums with pictures from before his dad passed away. Before he started crying again, he quickly passed the attention on to the next victim ignoring Jake's question all together, "Ok Bells, spill. What happened with Paul?"
She tensed and gave her knee jerk response of denial, "Nothing happened with Paul."
Jake was quick to call her out now that they were safely away from parental ears, "Ummm something happened. Last time I saw you, you ran out of here declaring your intentions to have sex with him."
That caught Quil's attention.
"What? Finally! He's doing a great job of keeping a lid on it, I haven't seen one slip from him about it." Quil was impressed. Everyone knew if you patrolled with Quil, or Embry for that matter, that you were going to get the highlights of their latest sexcapades. How could he not think about it? Quil was still in shock. Once he got a taste, it's all he ever wanted. "Why are you here doing my laundry instead of going to his place and getting dicked?"
Jake flinched at the crass words but he wasn't surprised considering who they were talking to. When Bella didn't immediately respond, Quil jumped to conclusions.
"Holy shit, was it terrible? Is that why he was such a slut, because he was so bad nobody would sleep with him twice?" Quil was begging for some dirt to get some retaliation on his cocky pack brother.
That was the farthest thing from the truth, but she wasn't about to give these two any details. "Quil! No he was not terrible. I just uhhh.. freaked out a little when he tried to give me a Quileute promise bracelet afterwards."
All Jake could say was a muttered "oh no, Bells." That explained Paul's attitude over the past few days. He kept such a tight lid on his thoughts regarding Bella that Jake just assumed he didn't want the pack seeing her like that. Again. That explained why she was here furiously cleaning instead of off with Paul as Quil had so eloquently described.
In reality, Bella just wasn't ready to be alone with Paul. They hadn't talked since she fled his house like a crazy person and she didn't want to until she knew what she was going to say. They had spent so long getting to know each other and now that they had slept together everything felt different. Well, she just felt different. The ache in her chest got worse and the pull was stronger than ever. Why couldn't she be the strong, independent woman she read about in all those great books? She didn't want to need a man.
The two wolves waited patiently for her to gather her thoughts and explain.
"I love him, but I'm terrified to rely on anyone else for my mental and emotional stability again. I was a mess after Edward left me! I turned into a useless pile of flannel for months."
"That was because of the vampire thrall," Jake immediately jumped to her defence.
"How is an imprint any different?" Bella snapped back. She crossed her arms and looked back and forth between the two wolves before her. "It's a supernatural force drawing me in and making me need him."
Quil reacted as if she slapped him. Jake just looked dumbfounded like he had never considered it before. Vampires were evil and imprinting was a beautiful phenomenon of legends. The two just weren't comparable. Jake went into full Alpha mode. This was a pack member that needed guidance, it was his duty to help.
"Bells, does being a strong, independent woman mean you can never be in love?" Jake asked after thinking for a moment.
He had a valid point. How does she keep her individuality and self reliance while having a partner? Jake continued before she could argue, "you already told me you loved him. You can still be this amazing, self sufficient person and still need someone. You made sure you loved him before completing the imprint. You told me yourself you loved him. Just because he tried to give you a bracelet, you freaked out? Nothing changed and you still love each other. I'm going to let you think about that. But don't let him wait for too long. I know you're hurting. Just think how bad it hurts him."
Jake gave her a pointed look, daring her to argue with him. She recognized the Alpha before her. She wondered if he could call upon the spirits' wisdom because somehow her goofy best friend was the only one talking sense.
He made his excuses of patrol and was out the window in a flash. Quil kept his trap shut for once, reading the mood of the room. Bella said her goodbyes to Quil and slowly walked upstairs to her room, chewing on Jake's words. She just needed to figure out how she can be her own person while still being in love.
Because she did love him. So much it hurt.
Bella's human ears couldn't hear the whimpering coming from the trees behind the house.
Revised 10/13/2020