Don't own anything except OC's.

Chapter 14: The pack

Kim's POV.

Chapter 14.

"Kim."

I groaned, stirring in protest at the voice that was waking me up.

"Kim, get up." The voice paused. "Kim, you're suffocating me."

My eyes flew open and I blinked rapidly, only to realize I was hugging my sister like a teddy-bear. Snorting, I let go and she moaned as she stretched out.

"My legs," she whined. "I think my muscles have frozen."

"You wouldn't be moving if that had happened," I pointed out logically. She stuck her tongue out. "I must have thought you were a pillow or something."

"Well, thanks. That makes me feel better."

"Sorry," I shrugged, pulling her to her feet. She glared and rubbed her eyes. "Come on, we'll go and get breakfast."

"What are you doing up?" Anna-Marie asked Mike as we went into the kitchen.

He looked up from his cereal and sniffed. "I was seriously thinking about eating my sparkly pasta box so I thought it was time to come and eat," he answered. "Kim, mom and dad told me to tell you that they've gone away for four days on some business thing."

Anna-Marie halted in her actions of pouring out two bowls of cereal for three seconds and then continued. Clenching my teeth, I took a seat beside Mike and kissed the side of his head. He made a scoffing noise and I rolled my eyes, accepting the bowl Anna-Marie offered.

I didn't know why, but it hurt to know they had left so soon. Less than 24 hours ago I had spilled everything to them, cried in front of them, and now they were gone. Without so much as a goodbye or a note, they had left for four days. I wanted to kick and scream furiously but I bit it down. They weren't going to change, they weren't going to suddenly switch their priorities because I had confronted them. If anything they were going to avoid me more.

They cared, in their own strange, messed up way, they did care about us. They gave us money, presents and food, and I knew they would help us if we ever needed it. Maybe they weren't built to be parents, maybe they had tried their best and I was being too hard on them, but I was past trying. I loved them, they were my parents, but we were never going to have the close relationship I had always yearned for.

I would accept that…one day.

There was a knock at the door, I stepped into the living room when it opened and Jared grinned widely at me. Just seeing him made me feel giddy.

"Hey," I greeted.

He walked over and kissed my cheek. I bit my lip shyly. Yesterday rushed through my mind like a movie, the tears, the red nose, the blubbering…I must have looked terrible. "Hey," he smiled. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good," I answered, blushing. "My parents have gone away for four days."

His jaw clenched. "Okay."

"It's fine, I got my answers yesterday and I can get over it now…" I muttered, licking my dry lips. "Anyway, what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to ask you something. I'm going to Emily's tonight for dinner with…with the pack," he lowered his voice and glanced at the kitchen where he could surely smell and hear Anna-Marie and Mike. "Do—do you want to come?"

I blanched. "What?"

"I want you to meet them," he grinned cutely and my stomach dropped. "They're family and you're…well, you're really important to me so I want you to meet, maybe get along. Emily's dying to meet you."

I laughed nervously at the thought of meeting all those people. Those big, loud, wolf people. "I—I don't make a very good first impression," I muttered.

What if they don't like me?

"Yeah you do," he argued. "You're kind and smart and—they'll love you, promise."

I opened my mouth to respond but didn't have anything to say. The thought of meeting these people—'the pack'—made my stomach flop. They were important to Jared and if they didn't like me, what would happen? What if I said something stupid or insulting?

Sensing my apprehension, Jared's face fell. "It's fine if you don't want to come. I'll make an excuse."

"No," I shook my head. "It—what about my siblings?"

"We've got plans!" Anna-Marie shouted from the kitchen. "I'm sleeping at Julie's and Mike is sleeping at Deon's!"

"There you go," Jared beamed. "You don't have to worry about them."

I sent a look to the kitchen though Anna-Marie couldn't see it. I looked into Jared's big brown eyes and relented. He was convincing me and with his beautiful cheeky smile, I was letting him.

"Okay, I'll come."

He perked up and swooped down to grab my face into a passionate kiss. "Thanks," he panted. "I'll pick you up at five, okay? See you later."

He left then, me staring after him with slightly wide eyes. His kisses never failed to leave me breathless.

Anna-Marie skipped into the living room and demanded to help me pick out my outfit. I let her, too skittish about what was going to happen tonight. Would one of the guys phase? Would they like me?

At ten to five I was sat on the stairs pulling on my converses and nervously glancing at the living room clock. My fingers started dance when it turned five o'clock, unable to keep still from anxiousness. I didn't know what was worse, finding out Jared was a wolf or meeting the pack.

Jared's truck came into view and he beeped twice. My siblings rushed from the kitchen with their bags and down the front lawn as I locked the door. They paused only to wave goodbye and then they were gone, both off to their respective sleepover. Gulping, I tucked my keys into my back pocket and got into the truck. Jared, looking as handsome as ever, smiled at me and took my head as I settled into the seat.

"Nervous?" he chuckled as he started to drive.

"A little," I admitted shyly. "They're just all so big and…wolfy."

"Wolfy?" he howled with laughter. "They won't be in wolf form, Kim," he assured me. When I didn't answer, he squeezed my hand. "I made them promise to be on their best behaviour. Leah even promised she wouldn't bite."

It was meant to be a joke but his comment made my heart stutter. Wolves had large, sharp, scary teeth…God, what if one of them lost their temper? I would faint, embarrassing myself giving them a story to hold against me for the rest of my life. What about my perfume? Was it too strong for their sensitive noses? Would they see my spots with their super eyesight?

It was stupid things to worry about, but I couldn't help it. As if meeting my boyfriend's friends wasn't nerve wracking enough, these friends were also super natural animals that, I realized in that moment, I really didn't know much about. Jared had explained simple details, what if there was more too it? What if one of them had super natural powers like controlling fire? Was that possible?

Okay, I really needed to calm down.

We pulled up outside a small house and, despite my roaring emotions, I had to smile at the marigolds under the window. They were cheerful and bright, a massive contrast to the dull weather outside. Jared once again opened my door for me and took my hand as we walked up to the house.

"Oh, by the way, don't stare," Jared muttered.

"Stare?"

He flinched. "You'll see."

Confused, I was led by Jared into the house and I barely had time to register that we hadn't knocked and that I needed to tell Jared off when I was engulfed into a tight hug.

"I'm so glad you came," a happy voice said in my ear. "It's going to be so good to have another girl around. We're outnumbered."

The woman pulled away and I had to stop myself from gasping when I saw her face. One side, so beautiful and clear, the other marred with three angry scars.

Don't stare!

My breath caught in my throat and I swallowed loudly. She beamed at me, though the right side of her lips looked more like a grimace due to the scar that caught the corner of her lip. Blinking repeatedly, I got myself out of my curious daze and gave her a tense smile.

"I'm Emily," she introduced melodically.

"Kim," I shook her outstretched hand which I noticed was also scarred.

"I'm glad to finally meet you," she breathed. "Jared has been talking about you none stop."

"Have not," Jared mumbled childishly.

I sent him a soft smile and he grinned boyishly.

"He has," Emily waved off his protest. She gently took my hand and led me forward until she stepped aside to reveal a bunch of muscular men. "Guys, this is Kim, say hi."

I got a chorus of hello's from them and Paul smirked at me from his seat on the chair near the fireplace. I peeked around at the faces of the men and realized that most weren't men but were in fact in my year at school or younger. Jake, Embry and Quil sat on the sofa, squished as they stuffed their faces with food. On the floor was Seth Clearwater, quietly munching on a large sandwich. My eyes moved to the stairs and I saw a pair of long russet legs. Leah Clearwater was lounging on them, her expression bored and tired as she stared at the wall before her. She was gorgeous, unbelievably so, and seemed to have gotten even more beautiful in the past few weeks though I knew she has always been a looker.

Her big brown eyes connected with mine in that moment and I flushed, quickly looking away. Leah had an aura about her that made me sure I didn't want to mess with her. She was always sassy and passionate, but since she and Sam had broken up she had turned bitter to the point of being mean. I understood, what girl wouldn't be pissed? I certainly would have been, and I definitely wouldn't be in their house quietly sitting on the stairs. I didn't want to annoy her even more by staring at her, I didn't want her to think I was staring for the wrong reasons.

"Would like anything, Kim?" Emily asked as Sam pulled her onto his lap. He kissed her scarred cheek and buried his face into her neck, she giggled.

"No thanks," I replied.

She nodded, turning her full attention towards Sam to cup his cheek. Slightly anxious, I peered over at Leah. She wasn't looking at anyone, still staring avidly at the wall. Sighing, I turned away and leaned closer to Jared. I found it quite rude that they would do something so affectionate in front of Leah when they knew how much she was hurting, but I could also see how much they loved and adored each other. It was instinct, they weren't showing off or trying to make Leah feel bad, they were showing their adoration like a normal couple.

I supposed I needed to hang out with them more before judging. How did I know their normal habits when I had only seen them a handful of times and never spoken to them?

Jared led me to a spare seat and gently placed me on his lap. Smiling, I wrapped my arm around his shoulders as Jake abruptly stood and walked out the front door.

"What's up with him?" Seth questioned.

"Bella," Embry rolled his eyes. "She's been…adventurous lately."

"Bella? Adventurous?" Paul grumbled unbelievingly. "Since when? Apart from the vampire thing, she's boring as hell."

"I don't know. He said something about it…I stopped listening when he said her name for the thirtieth time."

"Who's Bella?" I whispered to Jared.

"A human from Forks," Paul answered and Jared glared at him. "Jake's obsessed with her and since her precious Edward left, they've been inseparable."

"Edward's a vampire," Jared informed me, my eyes bulged.

"Does she know?"

"Yeah. They were together and then he left because it was too dangerous," his face told me it was a long story. "It's a messy thing."

The guys nodded in agreement and were silent for a few seconds, then they went back to what they were doing. Jake returned fifteen minutes later with a frown on his face. For the rest of the afternoon I stayed quiet, watching the pack from Jared's lap as they made jokes and laughed together.

It was strange seeing them all together. They were different personalities and ages, thrown together by the secret they shared. Without the werewolf secret, they wouldn't be the big dysfunctional family they looked to be. I wondered if they ever thought like me, did they ever think about their life without the secret? Would they like to be normal? If they had the choice, would they take everything back, loose the relationship with the pack to be normal teenagers again?

After Jared ate his body weight in food, we said goodbye and got into his truck.

"Jared," I murmured as we pulled away.

"Yeah?"

"If you could, would you stop being a wolf?"

He turned to glance at me. "What? Why would you ask that?"

"I was wondering," I shrugged. "I know there's perks to being a wolf and stuff…but it's got to be really hard with the…the vampires and danger. Would you stop being a wolf? Would you take it back?"

"At first, yeah," he replied after a while. "The pain when you first phase…it's awful. Like your bones and skin are stretching too fast and it burns real bad…" he paused and cringed. I squeezed his hand tightly. "Anyway, the anger is hard to get in control and I felt like there was nothing good about being a wolf. But as time went on I realized the good things," he smiled brightly, his whole aura changing. "And then I saw you and I loved being a wolf."

"You saw me?" I questioned confusedly. "What would seeing me do?"

Suddenly tense again, he froze for a split second and then ground his teeth together. Sighing, he gazed at me as he pulled off to the side of the road. I frowned until he lifted my hand and kissed it, an action like that could make any girl soften. His deep brown eyes bore into me, his lips pursed.

"Kim, do you know what imprinting means?"

Thoughts?

Thanks for the reviews, favourites and alerts! Hope you like this chapter and don't forget I've now got pictures from the story on my photobucket, the link can be found on my profile!

Also, I've started school again this week and, sadly, my updates won't be as frequent. The only spare time I now have are on the weekends, and even then it is only a few hours. So, I'm really sorry, but my stories may slow down. I'll try to write, I promise! But I'm training to be a vet and it takes a hell of a lot of hours!

-Laylax