Chapter 12

Jacob

The pack was already there when we padded onto the beach. Brooke was still in shock of it all. After she had realized how many others were like her she hadn't said anything, thoughts were constantly passing through her mind. One thought would leave as soon as it had appeared, passing onto the next. She noticed when I thought about her because her head would occasionally glance at me. She still wasn't used to having other's thoughts in her head and also having hers in everyone else's.

That's for sure, Brooke huffed.

I chuckled, It's only going to get worse.

I nodded to Sam as we joined the group, and we sat down with the rest of my brothers and Leah. Brooke froze as she approached the pack. I felt her anxiety rise as the rest of the pack entered her mind. The pack began to surround her to welcome her to our family, but I knew she was overwhelmed. I stood up and walked to her side to give her support.

You can do this, I thought directly to her, brushing up against her flank to let her know I was there for her.

I felt her stress level lower and she began to enjoy herself more. The guys started joking with her about how she took down Collin.

I don't want to mess with you, Brooke, Quil nudged her.

Looks like little miss Bee isn't so little, Paul joked.

She sure isn't, Sam joined in, She's quite the fighter.

Sam replayed for all of us him fighting with Brooke earlier that day. I had no idea this had happened, and it appeared that no one else had. We all watched the fight play out through Sam's memory. I felt my hackles rise when I watched him tackle her. I had the instinct to jump on him this second for hurting her. I watched her smack into the tree and come right back at Sam. I couldn't believe this was Brooke that was fighting him; this small but powerful wolf was the girl I had held in my arms a few mere hours before.

I could feel Brooke's pride glow off of her after seeing everyone's surprise in her abilities. Sam came over and sat next to Brooke and I and addressed the pack,

I would like to formally introduce our newest member and Jacob's new mate, Brooke White. Welcome to the family, Brooke.

Sam led the pack in a howl, with the rest quickly following him. Soon the silence of the night was filled by a chorus of our voices.

The pack broke off in their groups, most phasing back into their human forms to walk home. It was always safer because it lessened the risk of getting seen. Brooke and I stayed sitting on the beach, the bright moon shining over top of us, the sound of the waves crashing onto shore. It was all very peaceful

Why did Sam introduce me as being your mate? Brooke questioned, breaking the silence. Her bright green eyes staring strait into my own and her white and silver fur shining in the moonlight. I thought she was gorgeous as a human, but she was absolutely majestic as a wolf.

That's very sweet Jake, but seriously, what am I not getting? Her tail was once again flicking back and forth, something I've caught on quickly to know that it means she's agitated.

Its because you're my imprint.

Her head cocked to the side, her tail still flicking. Imprint? What's an imprint, Jake?

I was scared to tell her. Tell her how neither of us had a choice; we were bound together for life. I had been afraid that she hadn't felt anything back, the insufferable pull to be with one another. But after tonight, the way she looked at me, the way she kissed me, the way she had thrown herself at Collin to protect me. I knew the imprint was mutual.

I sighed. Why don't we go for a walk? I promise to tell you everything.

She nodded and began to follow me as we made our way into the woods.

So I'm assuming you now know that the legends of our people are true, that we really are descended from wolves.

Yeah, I have that much. I connected it after I went to the bonfire with the guys at the beginning of school. The legends obviously had to be true because I'm living proof of them, I just didn't expect there to be so many others.

I nodded, No one expected this many. This is the largest pack in our history. It all is because of the bloodsuckers that triggered the wolf gene in us.

A shiver went down Brooke's back and a memory of something chasing her through the woods played in her mind. Through her eyes I saw her being tortured by a vampire. The pain of her bones breaking shot through my body as I watched the bloodsucker throw her off the side of a cliff, her ribs breaking instantly on impact to the ground. I felt the fear from the memory screaming out as he approached her broken body slowly, chuckling to himself. My anger instantly raised, my instinct to protect her from those leeches. Brooke shook her head, shaking off the memory. She looked at me strangely. I was breathing heavily, my claws dug deeply into the earth. The red haze clouded my mind and vision, I could feel the rage radiating off of me.

Jake, she thought tentively, Jake I'm okay.

I'm going to KILL whoever hurt you. I could feel my anger growing as I thought about tearing that monster a part limb from limb.

Jake, it's okay, it's just a memory. I-

NO Brooke, I cut her off, it could have killed you. You're lucky you were able to get away. It could be out there somewhere-

I killed it.

-lurking, trying to find- You did what? My head snapped up and I looked at her.

I killed it Jake.

The vision of Brooke launching up, teeth barred, at the bloodsucker as he came near her on the forest floor flooded into my mind. She had caught him by surprise. I felt the ache of her injuries as she attacked, latching onto the bloodsucker's head and ripping it off. Quickly, Brooke had torn the vampire apart. She left the body parts there in a pile, but then came back to light them on fire.

…..How did you know to burn them? I was calm now, too in shock of the sheer strength Brooke had.

Because I didn't want to leave the body parts in the forest. I was scared that if I buried them, someone else would somehow find them. She shivered again, clearly uncomfortable with the memory.

We began walking again, until we arrived at her house. We entered the clearing between the forest and her house. The lights were all turned off inside.

Dad and Max are asleep. Come inside with me. She gestured with her head to around back of the house.

One sec, I ran over to my car, grabbed my clothes with my teeth through the window I left open, and ran back. I found Brooke jumping effortlessly through her window, her petite body gliding through. I followed her, landing on her bed inside her room. I heard her phasing back into her human form in the bathroom so I decided to do the same. She came out in a white cami and a pair of purple athletic shorts.

Brooke

"What are you looking at?" I teased Jake as I walked out of the bathroom. He was lounging back on my bed in just a pair of basketball shorts, his eyes glued to me.

He smiled, "Oh nothing," he moved over some on my bed, "come here."

I walked over and lay back with his arm around me and my head on his chest.

"Jake?" I looked up at him

"Hmm?" his eyes were closed as he rested on my pillow.

"What's imprinting?"

His chest rose and then lowered as he sighed. He sat up, pushing me up at the same time, and looked into my eyes.

"Its when a wolf finds his soul mate."

He must have seen my astonished look in my face because he took my hands into his, having me sit facing him.

"Do you remember that night I first saw you? The night you were sitting on that rock?"

I nodded my head yes.

Jake swallowed, " I had this feeling, this feeling that I had to get closer to you. That I needed to be near you. And you felt it too. I could tell."

"I felt safe," I told him, "I felt that you weren't going to hurt me."

"I know," he said with a soft smile. "And since that night I haven't been able to get that feeling out of my head. Then the next day when I saw you at school, I felt drawn to you. I thought it was about our past together. But I was wrong, it's so much more than that."

He was looked at me intensely now, a shiver ran down my spine.

"Earlier today, when you looked at me, it hit me. I imprinted on you." He searched my eyes for a moment, "and I'm sure you imprinted back on me."

He used my shocked silence as a cue to continue talking, "When you turned to look at me, I felt it. It's the feeling that my entire world is now centered to be around you. You are my everything, the reason for me to live. My life is now dedicated to you; to protect you, to love you, to do anything to make you happy. "

I was breathing hard now, because I realized he was right. Just from the way he looked at me I could tell. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to calm myself.

"How do you know I imprinted?" I asked. I felt that I knew he was right, but I didn't want to believe it until I heard exactly why.

"Why did you kiss me?" he asked.

I sat there and thought about it, looking down at our intertwined hands. Why did I kiss Jake? How did I go from absolutely loathing him to kissing him in the matter of a few hours? I looked up into his eyes and felt the warmth in my heart. That's when I realized the moment when everything changed. It was that moment when I turned from my door when I heard his voice. The minute I saw those deep brown eyes all my ties to everything instantly were cut and reattached to Jake.

Jacob noticed my realization and smiled, "When a wolf imprints, its for life. I will never love anyone more than I love you."

He pulled me into a tight hug, kissing the side of my head.

"I love you Jacob," I whispered into his ear. He pulled back and kissed me. I felt the electricity shoot though my body, the warmth surrounding my heart. He pulled me close into him, his lips pressing more deeply into mine. I moved my hands behind his neck and I felt his hand wrapping around my waist. From every place he touched I felt the jolt of energy fly though me.

He pulled back, both of us breathing heavily and smiling.

I hugged him again, not being able to stand not being in his arms.

"Stay the night," I whispered into his ear. It wasn't a question, and Jake knew it.

He lifted the covers and crawled under, reaching out for me to come crawl in next to him. I snuggled up against him, using his chest as my own personal pillow, him arm wrapped around me. He squeezed me into him and kissed the top of my head.

"Goodnight Brooke"

I pushed myself up so I could reach his lips and kissed him, "Goodnight Jake."