The heat of his arms encircling her was oddly comforting. Though, at the same time, it was foreign. Olivia was so accustom to Nikita's cold embrace and sweet scent, that the warm and the woodsy odor that lingered from Jacob was certainly different. It wasn't something she was used to. After a year of learning how to ignore the cool temperature, the strange warmth took her off-guard. She glanced at him curiously as he carried her so calmly back to his home. She wondered idly what his home might look like…

She'd always had a vague idea of what a vampire's home would look, sound and smell like: spotless, cold, deathly silent, an irresistible sweet odor lingering, decorated with unnecessary and expensive knick-knacks and appliances and furniture. But what about a werewolf's home? Would it be the complete opposite? Would it be messy, warm, noisy, decorated with simpler things and have a comforting woodsy scent? She pondered this for a while, but decided it really didn't matter in the end.

Her green eyes shifted from in her head, to above her head. Jacob stared straight ahead with a new sort of intensity. It wasn't intimidating, since he seemed happy. As if he wouldn't rather be anywhere but where he was. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Something about this kid… Well, she couldn't really call him kid He was about her age, sixteen or seventeen, she guessed. And Olivia had always hated being called a kid.

Jacob must have felt her staring, since his own dark eyes met hers quickly. The intensity remained, but he grinned kindly. The smile reached his eyes and they crinkled joyfully in the corners, making him appear much younger. Liv couldn't help but smile in return, but hers was faint. She wasn't sure how to respond to his behavior, yet. It really was bizarre the way he was around her. Unless, of course, he was always like this. In which case, she could understand why Bella had fallen for Edward instead of him and his confusing ways.

To be perfectly honest, Olivia didn't really like Edward. He was stubborn and overprotective. Sure, so was Nikita. But Cullen took it to extremes. At least Nick knew when to back down, and wasn't completely on edge about her being unsupervised with a werewolf. Her sudden thoughts of Nikita made her bite down hard on her lower lip in guilt and regret. She gnawed on it for a short while until she convinced herself that it was only in due time that she would have had to tell him off. Better sooner than later; rip the bandage off quick. He'd forgive her eventually, she was sure of it. He might have a talent for grudges, but he sucked at hating Olivia. It was as if some unseen force made them love each other the way they did, some sort of unbreakable bond.

But Jacob… Olivia wasn't sure how she felt about him. Sometimes he was irritating, others he was incredibly sweet. She couldn't decide which half was more dominant. At the moment, the sweet side was higher. As he carried her in his strong arms to his home, trying to make her feel better and overall concerned for her feelings, there was no doubt in her mind that his kinder side shone through brightly when he wasn't blinded by fury.

"We're almost there." Jake assured her, looking ahead again.

Liv only nodded, her eyes never budging from his russet-hued face.

A chilly wind swept through the still air, raising a thousand goosebumps on Olivia forearms, since she'd rolled up the sleeves of her jacket. Jacob saw her small shoulders shake slightly and his arms constricted a bit tighter around her instinctively. This was a strange feeling; it would take a lot of getting used to. It was different with her. She was rather passive to violence and not afraid to yell at Nikita. She didn't object when he'd picked her up, much to his surprise. Usually Bella threw a fit until he set her safely back down on the ground. Not to mention, Bella would never yell at her precious Edward. Jacob scoffed mentally at the name. What kind of name was Edward? You couldn't even make a decent nickname out of it! All you could get would be Ed, or Eddy. Lame.

The solid pavement beneath his feet faded to grass as he entered La Push, and he quickly came upon the dirt trail that led to his familiar home.

He looked down briefly at her, and his lips turned up into a smile when he saw her eyes were closed, her breathing deep and even. He ducked his head closer to her.

"Olivia?" he whispered, testing.

She mumbled something incoherent and shifted in his arms. Jacob chuckled quietly and curled her tighter against him. He wasn't even aware of how close he held her. It was as if it were reflex, or some sort of addiction. As if he had to have her with him, as much as possible. Jake continued to cradle her against his broad, bare chest while he opened the door silently and then gracefully went into the living room. Billy wasn't there, but the TV was still running. Jacob assumed his father had gone to run a couple errands and would be back soon enough.

He unwillingly lay Olivia down onto the love seat, and she seemed to cling to his warm arms for a moment. He smiled, but freed himself from her grasp easily, and she settled back into a slumber on the couch. Jacob took a long moment to look at her. He just wanted to have a peaceful minute or so to stare at her. He stared at her golden blond strands that stuck out so cutely from her messy bun, her flawless sun-kissed skin, and her eyes. Even if they were closed at the moment, they were etched permanently into his mind that he could conjure up the image of them in a split second. Their bright green color was so radiant; he couldn't even compare it to any other shade. He couldn't compare it to the lush green grass of a forest, to the deep green of a fir tree. He couldn't compare it to the lovely green of the jade-hued stones along First Beach, nor to the vibrant green of the water plants found int the tide-pools. They were such a unique shade of green… No, they were made up of hundreds of different shades. Depending on how the light hit them, a new green would appear at every angle. He adored her eyes.

Finally, Jacob realized he'd been staring at her for almost fifteen minutes. He shook his head, running a hand lazily through his shaggy black hair and plopped down onto the floor. In the process, he banged his elbow on the corner of the coffee table.

"Ouch!" he hissed, them clamped one of his large hands over his big mouth. He stared wide-eyed at Olivia, hoping he didn't wake her.

His hope vanished when her gorgeous eyes fluttered open.

However, he smiled warmly.

"Hey." He greeted in a hushed voice.

Olivia squeezed her eyes shut once more, opening them wider. "Hi…" her brow pinched as she sat up and observed where she was

Jacob caught her confused expression. "Oh, this is my house. You fell asleep on the way." He explained quickly.

She nodded slowly, stretching her arms and stifling a yawn. She took another look around, and realized it really was the opposite. It was very warm, but that might have been simply because Jacob was sitting so close to her. The woodsy smell was also evident… but that, too, could also have been from Jacob. It was small, unlike what she imagined the Cullen's house to be, and the furniture was simple. The fabric it was made of wasn't the finest silk of Italy, like the stuff Nikita had bought back at her old home. The table had a few dishes on it and there was a blanket strewn messily on the floor. You wouldn't find anything lying around in a vampire's home.

Finally, Olivia looked at Jacob. His expression was undeniably inviting and content. It calmed her for a moment, but then the wave of the recent events washed over her. She was ambushed, once again, by the sudden feelings of guilt and embarrassment.

"Ugh…" she groaned when the image of Nikita's pained face flashed beneath her eyelids.

"What is it?" Jake asked, a bit too concerned.

"I just remembered my fight with Nick…" she pulled her legs up beside her on the couch. Her voice was slightly hoarse, and Jacob was instantly standing. He hopped off to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of cold water, and then returned to the living room.

"Here, drink." He ordered, handing it to her.

She did as she was told and gulped the whole glass thirstily. "Thank you."

"Welcome." He said, abbreviating the response.

He was ready to sit back down on the floor, when he noticed the available space beside her. He eyed it meaningfully. "Do you mind…?"

She shook her head. "Not at all." Olivia scooted down a bit further to give him some more room.

Jacob fell onto the cushion with a loud sigh, and then he turned to her.

"It feels weird." She blurted out suddenly.

Jacob's face flashed a few emotions; confusion, pain, and then finally, curiosity.

"What does?" he questioned, cocking his head innocently to one side.

"Being mad at Nick." Liv sighed, staring at her empty glass mournfully.

"Hmm…" Jake nodded as if he had any interest in the bloodsucker. As far as Nikita went, the only thing that mattered was his tight bond to Olivia. "How long have you known him?" he murmured, slowly getting to a different point.

"Just over a year." Came her quick reply. It seemed like so much longer to her; like she'd known him her whole life.

Jacob raised his eyebrows skeptically. "And you've never been mad at him?"

She pursed her lips and shook her head. "Never. Well, frustrated with him, yeah. But not once have I ever been truly mad at him… I've never even yelled at him, really." She confessed.

Jacob bit his lip as he considered whether he should ask or not. Finally, he just spat it out without thinking too much. Mind as well be honest. "Do you love him?" the words were a bit rushed, and he wondered if she'd even understood what he'd said.

Olivia heard him, and his question staggered her. "How do you mean…?" she asked cautiously.

Jacob returned the careful expression. "Well, what is he to you…?" he narrowed it down a bit more.

Liv shrugged. "My best friend… or rather, more appropriately, my only friend."

Jacob fought to control the small wince which ached to spread across his features. Did she not consider him as her friend? He could completely understand why she wouldn't call him a friend yet (the whole almost killing her thing might be reason enough). But still… it sorta hurt...

Jacob smoothed out his expression, and continued. "So, you don't consider him, as Bella would categorize it, your 'soulmate'?" he used air quotes with his fingers.

Olivia's lips twitched, and she burst into peals of laughter. "No!" she gasped, giggling. "No, definitely not." She caught her breath and shook her head, trying to picture it. Nikita? HAH

Jacob's face immediately brightened. Now that he knew he didn't have any real competition, some complications were lifted. Of course, Nikita would still be an obstacle to him spending more time with her…

Olivia didn't notice the changes in his expressions very much. Her naiveté wasn't helping anyone in the current situation.

"Oh, hey," she chirped. "You never did tell me who you imprinted on." Curiosity dripped from every word.

Jacob's face darkened. He wasn't ready to admit to that. Not yet, at least. "W-well, I…" he stammered, looking down at his hands, fumbling for a response. "You see, I—

His already awkward sentence was interrupted by the front door creaking open. The squeak of wet tires closed in on the living room, and Billy emerged from the entrance in his chair.

"Jake?" he asked, though he was looking at Olivia.

Jacob's face was obviously relieved. "Hey, Dad." He greeted with a small smile.

Billy's dark eyes narrowed onto Olivia, and she immediately was on the defense. He clearly already didn't approve of her. Must be Nikita's scent, which still stuck on her clothing.

"What's all this?" he asked his son, observing Olivia with stern eyes.

Jacob stood and rubbed the back of his neck. "Er… this is Olivia… she's from… uh, out of town." He substituted, a sheepish expression creeping onto his face.

Billy inhaled through his nose, and his composure flinched. His old, weathered nose wrinkled in strong distaste. "Well that's for sure." He scoffed bitterly.

Olivia rolled her bright green eyes dramatically. "Oh, relax, Chief." Billy stared at her incredulously. "I already know, okay? There's no need to be all suspicious. We all know each other's secrets." She raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms strongly across her chest.

Billy took a moment to collect himself, and his expression turned unexpectedly approving. "You certainly aren't timid." He spoke, his voice somewhat smug.

Olivia shrugged loosely, her posture softening a bit. "Not when it comes to honesty."

Billy stared at her, his eyes thoughtful. "Jacob."

Jake was looking from Olivia to his father over and over, unsure of how the encounter was going to go. When his dad called his name, he immediately was pulled from his worries. "Whaaaat, dad?" he whined.

"Is this…?" he looked at Liv meaningfully, then back to his son.

Jacob was instantly serious as his head bobbed up and down in a short nod.

Billy hummed a sigh, looking Olivia up and down one more time. "I see… Well, this oughtta be interesting." He murmured, almost to himself. "Olivia, was it?"

"Yes."

Billy Black pursed his lips. "Do you have any… intentions… on…uh…" he coughed uncomfortably. "..'changing'?" he didn't use air quotes, but the way he said it sounded like he did.

Olivia comprehended immediately, and shook her head, much to their relief. "Currently, nothing has been arranged… or discussed." She frowned, wondering why she hadn't spoken to Nikita about if he would even consider her changing.

In unison, Billy and Jacob breathed a loud sigh of release. Billy allowed a tiny smile on his lips. "Alright, well, I'm off for a nap. It's been a tiring day…" he waved absentmindedly at Liv and Jake then wheeled off to bed.

A strange silence set in for a minute or two. Jacob was deep in thought and Olivia watched him intently. When he still didn't speak, Olivia wondered if it would be better if she left.

"Okay…" Jacob snapped out of his reverie. "...well…uh, bye." She forced a faint smile then stood. She took only two steps to the door when a warm hand caught her wrist.

"Wait!" he exclaimed, too loudly. He lowered his volume. "Where are you going?"

She didn't understand the urgency behind his voice. "Sadly, home." One corner of her mouth turned down.

"You should stay." Jacob was nearly pleading. "Otherwise, your paras— I mean, uh, Nikita, will blow." He spoke frantically, finding any excuse for her to stay, really.

Olivia smiled as warmly as she possibly could and shook her head. She freed her hand from his grasp. "He'll blow if I don't go home, is more like it."

Jacob's face crumpled slightly. "B-but… but, well… I-I… I…. oh, never mind. See ya, I guess…" he mumbled at the end, looking at the floor. Olivia didn't notice his lower lip jutting out in a small pout.

She stared at him as if he was going crazy. "Uhmm… alright… see ya…" she backed out of the room and left quietly. She wasn't quite sure where she was headed, but she could find her way out of the reservation. It couldn't be that hard.

By the time Liv was strolling along the stony beach, she heard someone calling her name. She whipped around and saw Jacob jogging over to her.

"Olivia!" he cried, soon only a few feet away from her.

"What now?" she asked, somewhat exhausted by his inability to speak a full sentence.

He stopped and stood directly in front of her, his hands shoved into the pockets of his black sweats and his head hung a bit, hiding his expression. "Listen… I, uh….you…" he attempted to clear his throat.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Jeez, Jake, just spit it out."

He looked up. "Wha—?" he asked, dumbfounded.

"Eloquence really isn't your best quality, is it?" she asked, mocking him with a smug smile.

He shook his head, suddenly extremely frustrated. "Could we walk?" he asked quietly.

Olivia shrugged. Why not?

Jacob walked with her down the beach. They walked silently, through the small section of forest that lead to the tide pools. Jake sat Olivia down on one of the rocks and paced on top of another. Liv only raised an eyebrow at him sarcastically. What was on his mind that was so tough for him to say?

He took a long, hard look at her, then sat next to her.

"Olivia… 'kay, what I have to say might work better if you close your eyes… could you?" he asked, a bit embarrassed.

Olivia, without a single question, closed her eyes and waited patiently.

That's when Jacob lost his train of thought. The sun broke through the stretch of gray clouds, lighting her face. It glittered of off her bright blond hair, and revealed her amazing natural beauty. He couldn't possibly resist that level of splendor. Without thinking his thoughts through once, let alone twice, Jacob held either side of Olivia's face and kissed her.

He pressed his warm lips to hers eagerly, one hand slipping behind her neck.

Olivia felt his hands on her face, and before she knew it, his lips were against hers with such an astonishing force of enthusiasm. She immediately froze, not moving her lips at all. Then, she brought both her hands to his chest and shoved him off. He responded to her touch, never wanting to over-power her. He backed-off immediately, but she wasn't finished. Her open hand smacked the side of his face roughly, and he felt it. Oh, did he ever.

Olivia was so used to pushing or hitting Nick playfully, that she hadn't been affected at all. Her palm tingled a bit from the force, but all-in-all, she was perfectly fine.

Jacob, however, was holding his cheek and staggering backwards a couple steps. He caught his balance very quickly and approached her. He wasn't angry, his body wasn't shaking. But he sure as hell wasn't happy.

"What was that for?" he demanded, towering over her slight frame with his mammoth figure.

Olivia wiped her mouth and spat on the ground. "Ugh, personal space." She muttered, and then glowered at him. "What was that for?!" she almost screamed, referring to the kiss.

Jacob's face flushed and he looked away. "I…." he started, then changed his mind. He'd just say it. "Olivia, you know how I imprinted?"

She nodded, her face still furious.

He looked at her as if she were missing a big piece of a puzzle, or an obvious clue that was laid out right in front of her.

Suddenly, it all added up. The intensity in his eyes, his odd behavior, the stare on that first day, Edward's smirk when he read Jacob's thoughts, the kiss…

Jacob had imprinted on her

Her marvelous green eyes went wide with shock and she gasped.

"You… you, imprinted… on …..m-me??" now it was her turn to be at a loss for worse.

Jacob smiled, glad she finally knew, and nodded. "Yes." He whispered.

Olivia's mind whirled, then went blank.