Cara:
With a little help from Jake and Embry, we managed to get my house- home- looking almost back to normal. Well, as normal as it could get for a werewolf. The only sign that a vampire had even ransacked the place was the lack of a sofa and the bruises on my dad's jaw and cheekbone. He played the marks off though. I'm not sure but I think they now refer to him as "defender of the weak" at work.
He knew everything now- about the Pack, vampires, the Cullens and even imprinting, though he wasn't too happy about that part. Too bad, I'd said. You're stuck with Jake now, get used to it. Even though he won't admit it and hates to leave us alone together, I think my father is already secretly considering Jacob Black a member of our two person family.
So, after a week, we could almost forget Stefan had ever existed. Almost. Nightmares kept me up all night- running from red eyes, glistening fangs just brushing the skin of my neck- but luckily, my favorite Quileute boy never seems to need sleep. Not when I call at least.
If I thought about it too much, I knew it wasn't over. Nowhere near done with. The adventure that had become my life was just beginning and I was oddly okay with that. I felt like, with everything I had gone through already, I could handle anything. So Stefan's boss or leader or whatever they called it may want revenge. I had a pack of werewolves and a coven of vampires on my side.
I was just coming down the stairs, dressed for a campfire, when the bell rang. My heart skipped a beat in that way I loved and I tripped down the last few steps, waving my father back down into his lazyboy, which he sunk back into gratefully. I swung open the big, oak door as the fluttering in my chest started up and there he was, perfect in blue jeans and a long sleeved shirt rolled up to his tan elbows. His hair was as shaggy as ever.
"Hi, Jake!" Dad's voice called and I rolled my eyes while the person in question smirked. Jacob thinks my father is just too funny- in that girlfriend's parent kind of way. Even though I might hate the way they gang up on me, I was glad they got along. And not just politely being civil. They really seemed to like each other. Is it creepy that I just described them as if they were a couple?
"Hey" Jake said in his husky voice and leaned down to kiss me. It was sweet and innocent- ended too soon and took my breath away. As usual. I could still feel his lips when he pulled away.
"Let's go, quick. Before he decides to be social" I called goodbye and closed the door, grabbing Jake's hand and pulling him away, loving the way his hand felt in mine.
Twilight. Dusk. Nightfall. They all mean the same thing. When the sun goes down and the moon comes up. When- as the superstitions say- some men turn into wolves. Well, I'd have them know women can turn too and not just at night. Full moons don't make me go berserk and I happen to like cats.
But that night, walking through the woods with Jake holding my hand, on our way to a bonfire held by other werewolves, my pulse thrummed a little faster, my heart beat a little louder. And the moon was nowhere in sight.
The glow of the fire came into view along with the voices of the Pack and a few other people. While the fire warmed me outside, my heart swelled and warmed every part of me inside. I hadn't known them long and didn't know much about them, but I loved them. Every one of them- Paul, Quil, Embry, Sam, Jared, and even Leah. They were my Pack, my friends, my family. And more than I could have ever hoped for.
"Well, it's about the time golden couple decided to grace us with their presence. We almost started without you!" Quil said, throwing his arms up in fake exasperation. Jake leaned against a log and pulled me down into his lap, wrapping his arms securely around my waist.
I stuck out my tongue, ducking when he threw a marshmallow at me and then Billy started the stories. As one, we quieted and settled in, anxious and buzzing with excitement to hear the legends that had become true in us. Even those who weren't part of the Pack felt the weight of our history. I never knew where my mother was from and Dad never mentioned it, but I have this feeling, deep down in my gut, that maybe at some point, she was from La Push. That she'd been raised on Quileute tales and never had the chance to pass them to me. I'll never know, but it's nice to hope so.
The sky darkened and the fire blazed as Billy moved through the stories. Jake's arms stayed locked around me, my body leaned against his. Our fingers were intertwined and our hearts beat to the same rhythm. At one point, towards the middle of the legends, I glanced up to see him looking at me, his warm brown eyes so filled with love I was glad the fire wasn't bright enough to show my blush. With a wistful smile, he pulled me even closer, planting a soft kiss on my hair. I just about died of emotion.
And the next thing I knew, Jacob was gently shaking me awake, grinning that huge goofy grin in what was left of the fire.
"Come on, love. Time to go home" He said. I mustered enough energy to glare at Quil who snickered at his best friend's "lovey-ness" and find my shoes, kicked off in the sand a few feet away.
"Don't forget about Friday" Emily smiled and hugged me goodbye. Her scars were barely noticeable to me anymore. I couldn't see the white lines one her face or the permanent snarl, I just saw a beautiful girl who loved people for the sake of it. And who cooked like an iron chef.
"It's marked on my calendar" I laughed before saying goodbye to the rest of the Pack. A few hugs, kisses, and hair tugs later- courtesy of Quil- me and Jake made our way back through the woods. No need to worry about surprise attacks by thirsty bloodsuckers, the forest was declared cleared of all that a week ago.
We shared the same back yard. The same portion of wilderness in the back of his house led straight to the back porch of mine. Almost as if we were made for each other. Which we were, if you want to get technical.
"If we weren't werewolves, would we have imprinted on each other?" I asked out of nowhere. Something scurried by on my left but I decided to ignore it. I didn't need to freak myself out over nothing. Jake glanced down at me, eyebrows furrowed.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean… if we didn't turn into members of the canine family every once in a while, would we be together? If we didn't imprint, would we still love each other?" My voice was a whisper, my hand tightening around Jake's. Did I want the answer to a question I didn't even know I wanted to ask? What if the answer was no?
We walked a little bit further, until my house could just be seen as a blurry shadow, the lights on in two windows. The silence was deafening. Was that Jake's way of saying what I had feared? If he wasn't forced to love me, he wouldn't. My heart started to sink and I was suddenly way too cold.
"Cara…" Jake grabbed my shoulders and turned my body so I was facing him. His hands were like fire on my shoulders and I shivered at his touch. He bent slightly so he was at eye level with me, like a parent would to a two year old, and looked me square in the eye. Brown to blue.
"Cara, I love you. Not because I imprinted, not because I have to. I love you because… because of everything. Everything you are and everything you do. I would love you even if you turned into… I don't know, a fish or something. The point is, I love you because I can and that you found a way to love me back when I hardly knew myself anymore. You make me who I am, Cara and I love you because of that"
He never once looked away, not once. His voice shook and his eyes burned like I don't know what. There isn't a word to describe how much he glowed. Jake was brighter than the sun in my eyes and I didn't know what to say. I forgot how to breathe.
"Say something, Cara" He laughed lightly, stretching back to his full height. I drew in a shaky breath, blush after blush burning my cheeks.
"What do you say to something like that?!" I shrieked. My heart was pounding and it felt like it burst out of my chest. If he hadn't been holding my shoulders, I would have fallen to the ground, my legs not able to hold my weight.
"Oh, I don't know… how about, I love you too, Jacob. You're amazing, Jacob. You complete me, Jacob Bla-" But he never got to finish his last name because I had thrown myself into his arms, partly because I was about to faint, and kissed him.
Eyes closed, fingers locked around his neck, his arms circling around my waist, my lips moved with his in dizzying patterns. If I though I was breathless before, now I was suffocating. And I never wanted to breathe again. There was only Jacob and his mouth and I was putting my life into that kiss. Putting everything I wanted to say but didn't know how onto my lips and surrendering them over to him.
"Uh…um" Jake cleared his throat, trying to catch his breathe and kiss me again at the same time. Finally, he just stepped back and dug his hands into his pockets, trying to fight that large, lovable grin spreading across his face. "You're, uh, dad's probably wondering where you are" He cleared his throat again and I grinned.
"Probably" I stepped closer and kissed just once more, quick and sweet, and whispered in his ear. "Goodnight, Jacob" Before running over up the back steps, waving to my sweet imprint and stepping into my remade house.
Dad was watching a game, as usual, and barely noticed by love struck face, asking me nonchalantly how my night was. I leaned against the wall and sighed, still barely able to breathe, let alone speak.
"Oh, you know…" I said, before hurrying up to my room to swoon some more.
--
Later that night, just as I was drifting off to sleep, there was a tap at my window. I was automatically alert, blood pumping in my ears. No shadows but the one's from the trees swayed across my windowpane, but vampires are good at sneaking around.
Slowly, oh so slowly, I slipped out of bed, flinching at the cold wood floors and crept over to my window. I glanced outside and saw nothing- maybe a shadow disappearing in the trees? The window flew open easily and, ready for anything, I stuck my head outside, adrenaline coursing through my veins.
But there was nothing there, nothing except for a rock. Not just any rock though. Tied around it with string was a piece of paper. A ransom note? A death threat? With a sinking heart, I picked it up, slamming the window shut as soon as my arm was inside. I looked at it, weighing it in my hand. I don't think vampires need to use anthrax on their victims, but still. Better safe than sorry, right?
Feeling like an idiot, I slowly untied the string, glancing nervously at the window one last time. When I unfurled the crinkled, ink splotched paper, I almost laughed from relief. And how stupid I felt.
Cara, I need to ask you a question. It's important so be ready. Don't let your imagination go crazy though, can't have you guessing. You might be right and that would just ruin everything, wouldn't it? I'll see you tomorrow around 5. P.m., not a.m. I'm not completely deranged. See you then, love. Jake.
I read the note twice, three times just for good measure, and smiled to myself at the possibilities of what he could have in store for me. Hopefully no more surprise cliff diving. Maybe that was it. He was going to ask me if he could jump off a cliff with me over his shoulder. I had a feeling that wasn't quite it, but I'd let him have his surprise.
A rock. He'd thrown a rock at my window at 2 a.m., probably some random inspiration he got and decided to follow through on- to tell me he wanted to see my tomorrow.
Just like that night so long ago, when I had climbed out my window in the pouring rain to meet an almost-stranger named Jacob.
So, one more chapter guys. What could Jake be planning for Cara? Dun, dun, dunnnn... review! and i'll love you forever!