A/N: R&R is you please.
I do not own Twilight, I just play with the characters.
JAKE
"I'm done. This whole 'Council' thing is just too painful to deal with," I huff as I collapse on the couch.
"I might be able to take you more seriously if you did not say that every single day when you get home," Nessie laughs as she says.
"I can't help it that my job is awful," I pout. I had hoped that my own wife would show me a little sympathy.
"My dear, you chose this position because you are the alpha. Who better to speak for the wolves than their leader?" Nessie makes her point. She has this annoying habit of making completely valid points.
"Why must you pop my bubble? I just don't see why I have to put up with all this politicking. I'm a straightforward kinda guy and I don't care for all these alliances that are being forged in secret," I explain.
"I know, sweetheart. But you are doing the right thing and you know it," she says as she rubs my arm.
"Doing the right thing is painful," I whine.
"Not always," my wife shakes her head at me.
Nessie is right. Doing the right thing is not always painful. To be fair, I did volunteer myself for this one. Once the Volturi corked it, it was like a new age had begun. The Council offered seats for a representative from the vampire population and to my tribe. We had talked it over as a tribe. It was decided that the pack had a more vested interest in the matter. So there had to be a pack meeting. That one was long, but really helpful. We all talked and talked. There was a lot to consider. Everyone thought that I would be a good choice, but I am the alpha. My leaving could have had a bad effect. How could the pack remain whole with one of it so far away, especially if that one is their leader? But I had to decide for myself to come. I knew that I had to be the one to represent the best interests of my pack. Imagine my surprise when the pack decided to move with me.
Eventually, I had to send them all back. We were there for the protection of our tribe after all. How can the pack do that if all of it is on a different continent? It took a lot of convincing, but they all headed home. My beta is in charge while I am gone. At first that position was held by Leah. But then she found love and chased after it. Now her brother, Seth, holds the position. He can be a little rambunctious, but all in all he's a good kid.
"Did they get to their grandfather's alright?" I suddenly remember to ask.
"All six of our litter talked to me upon their arrival. My father is looking forward to the few weeks they can stay," Nessie assures me before getting up to finish dinner.
I am a father six times over. They were all born at the same time. It would seem that when you combine wolf DNA with wood nymph DNA litters really are the norm. There are four boys and two girls. Three of them are wood nymphs, like their amazing mother. The other three take after me. Well, we think that they take after me. They are human now. When they hit the right age we expect them to change into wolves like I did. But I suppose we won't really know until then. Carlisle is very excited to study our children. He says that they present him with new data to have on new species. He's kind of like a kid that has run in a candy store when it comes to his medical research.
Nessie and I eat dinner and then later we have 'dessert' in our bedroom. With six kids underfoot, there is usually little time to be intimate anymore. But we will miss the interruptions as they grow older I am sure. At least that is what I keep hearing from parents who have gone through the whole process. There are so many little steps along the way to enjoy or be annoyed at along the way.
Today is just as bad as yesterday. I am tired of hearing about budgets. I know that they are important to the running of the Council and the support of the Academy and Carlisle's new hospital. That knowledge does not make the endless discussion any easier to sit through. Every single time I think we have a budget that will pass, one representative finds a problem or a program that they think deserves more funding. Then the whole process has to start all over again. What did I ever do to deserve this special kind of hell? I guess I will just have to suffer through it. Being here, I realize that I would not wish this so called experience on any wolf in the pack. That only leaves me…lucky me.
At least I get to hang out with the whole gang on holidays. We all get together, because even though we are not actually related we are still a family, at every single holiday. The location rotates houses. It's always a huge deal. The girls spend days getting ready. It's really just one big blur of preparation. Decorations of all kinds fly through the air. We guys get drafted to put up the decorations deemed good enough by the slightly scary version of our wives that take over. Then we are forbidden to go anywhere near the kitchen for the duration of the food preparation. I mean it might be better to not even go into the house. I tried to sneak a taste and almost got my arm ripped off by my own wife. Who knows what would have happened if Rosalie had been the one to catch me? Or what if it had been Bella? Bella's punishment would be less physically painful, but probably more scarring. As it was I had to go without pants until dinner, much to all the kids' amusement.
Suddenly another call for a vote brings me out of my thoughts. I probably should have been paying closer attention. Looking at the proposal on the board, I realize that there is very little difference in the previous one. Like clockwork, a representative calls for another inquiry about the budget. This time the culprit is a flower nymph. I feel a little bad for the guy. Sure his abilities are kick-ass, but everyone thinks he is gay. Poor guy has not had a date in years. That is not for trying. He has really tried to put himself out there. But stereotypes and pre-conceived ideas are hard to battle. And I have once again zoned out. As painful as it is, I need to pay attention so that I can vote appropriately when we actually make it to a vote.