First Born Son

by laura-maeve

William Black is the first born son of Alpha, Jacob Black. As next in line for the throne, it's up to him to prove himself worthy of the title of Alpha Male. Little does he know, Will has an enemy, one who's out for revenge. With this enemy in his territory, he takes it upon himself to cut down the threat. The question is can he get over his teenage hormones long enough to succeed?

8. Chapter 8

Holy bajeebles, Batman! I'm back! Woo hoo! I am SSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry for being gone for so long. Those of you who messaged me, I tried to answer you. Unfortunately, I had to deal with family loss in July just before my birthday. Also, I've been diagnosed with tendinitis in my right wrist, so technically I'm not supposed to be typing. I apologize ahead of time for any typos. I've just been trying to get this chapter to you as quickly as possible. I really hope to get back in a normal updating groove, but I am going back to school this fall so just be warned.

And let me just say that I really love you guys. I mean, you've stuck with me even when you weren't sure I'd ever be back. How amazing is that? You humble me. Truly.

Alright. Without further adieu...

*Disclaimer*

Please Enjoy!

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WillPOV

So far, the party was great. Hunter was great. She stayed close to my side, meeting the pack and my family. My aunts had come home from their trip to be here. Aunt Alice had set up the large tents because it was supposed to rain. They were white with the flaps that swept down to the ground. The one over the bonfire had a giant hole cut out of the top with mesh over it so the fire could still vent. All around that massive tent, other small ones had been set up to cover the grills but were left open so the smoke had an out. The big speakers for the music were covered as well. And between all of those, people had started putting up their individual tents. Brayden's was next to mine. Jules, Piper, and Ava were all sharing one big one. The twins had set up with a group of their friends from school.

The food was amazing. There were several cakes and pies for dessert. I'd tried every one of them that wasn't vanilla. I couldn't stand vanilla. Sometimes it made my life hard, but not tonight.

Stuffed, we were sitting next to the bonfire, our backs to the logs. Hunter's hand was laced with mine, her head on my shoulder as we watched people dance, sing, or just chat.

"This is really nice," she said.

"Yeah," Piper said on my other side. "You should see the wedding bonfires. Now those are badass." She'd surprised me. Once we all got here, she'd shelved the attitude for the most part and had talked to Hunter, helping to introduce her to the pack and their families. They weren't bff's but at least she was civil.

"Really?" Hunter asked, leaning forward to look at her. "How are they different?"

Piper shrugged. "Well, if they're both pack members, we push them off the cliff so the ocean can christen them. And if it's not raining, we get to shoot off fireworks. If it is, we all strip down to dance in the moonlight and rain."

I snorted out a laugh and Jules spit water through her nose.

Hunter just blinked at her.

Piper chuckled. "I was kidding. About the stripping part. Although," she started thoughtfully.

Brayden glared at her. "Don't even think about it, Piper."

"What?" she asked innocently. "We're all animals."

"True," he said, "but that doesn't mean I want to see guys drool over my sister. That would seriously set me off. Not to mention I'd have nightmares the rest of my life."

Grinning, Piper reached over to pat his cheek. "Aww, you're so cute."

Scowling, he pushed her hand away. "Yeah, yeah. Just keep your clothes on and everyone will survive the weekend."

Hunter laughed into my shoulder while I chuckled.

"Will! Will!" A second later, blonde hair was bouncing in my face as a little body crashed into me. Parker's arms wrapped around my neck as she kissed my cheek. "Happy birthday!" There was chocolate all over her mouth and the tip of her nose.

I hugged her, laughing. "Thank you, Parker."

She curled up in my lap. "Daddy said I couldn't stay the night."

"That's probably for the best," I said pushing her hair behind her ear.

"Yeah but I wanna cliff jump," she pouted.

I looked over at Hunter but spoke to Parker. "Well we wouldn't be able to tonight anyway. Tell you what, it's supposed to warm up tomorrow. If you can talk your dad into bringing you back up, we can show Hunter how it's done."

Her face brightened. "Really?!" Then she looked over her shoulder at Hunter. "Are you Hunter? His girlfriend?"

Hunter looked up at me before smiling and nodding. "Yeah. I'm Hunter."

Frowning, Parker said, "You're prettier than I thought you'd be. Piper said you were an ugly hag."

We all leaned forward to look at Piper. She just shrugged.

Rolling my eyes, I leaned back.

Hunter chuckled. "Well thank you. You must be Parker."

Parker nodded happily. "Will told you about me?"

Reaching forward, Hunter pushed another lock of Parker's hair back. "Well of course he did. How could he not?"

Parker beamed. Leaning in, she whispered, "Piper's just jealous. But I like you. You're pretty and nice." She crawled from my lap into a surprised Hunter's. "And I can tell Will really likes you." Wrapping her arms around Hunter's neck, she leaned up and kissed her cheek. "Be careful with him, okay? He's like my big brother and I need him to stay happy. If he doesn't, he won't come hang out with me. And then I wouldn't be able to see Brayden either because Brayden always looks after Will. Please don't hurt my brothers." She cuddled down in Hunter's arms and watched the fire, content with her environment.

Hunter looked rattled, awkwardly holding her arms out as if she didn't know what to do with them. It was like she'd never been around an outgoing kid before. She probably hadn't having grown up an only child. Parker reached out and, gripping Hunter's wrists, pulled her arms around her. I could tell that the gesture affected Hunter much more than she was showing or than she thought it would.

Reaching over, I took her hand.

Still looking shocked, she looked up at me and blinked. Parker didn't seem to notice anything. She was watching everybody dance and talk around the fire.

"What do I do?" she whispered.

Chuckling, I leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Just be natural. Parker won't bite. She likes you."

"I don't know what to do with kids."

"It's okay. You're doing fine. Just relax."

It took a few minutes, but eventually the tension eased enough for her to awkwardly hold Parker. Brayden and I shared a look. He shrugged and shook his head before turning back to Jules. I'd been watching him tonight. He seemed calmer, less tense around my sister now that I knew about his imprinting on her. I suppose that as long as someone knew he was okay. Having to bottle that kind of information takes its toll. I knew the feeling and was glad I didn't have to hide it from him, the one person who was always beside me, who always had my back.

Out of nowhere, a plate of chocolate cake appeared between me and Hunter. Mom was standing there smiling. "Want anymore?"

I groaned and rubbed my stomach. "Oh no. Please. No more."

Hunter shook her head. "Oh, no, thank you, Mrs. Black. I am sufficiently stuffed."

Parker's eyes widened as she reached for the plate. "Ooo, I'll take it!"

I chuckled, taking the plate so she didn't drop it on Hunter. "Thanks, Mom."

"Don't tell Embry. For all he knows, this is for you."

"Scout's honor."

She kissed the top of my head, and then turned to Hunter. "Are you doing okay, sweetie?"

"Oh, yes. Thank you."

"My family didn't freak you out, did they? I asked them to try to give you some space since I assumed you know about us."

Hunter smiled thankfully. "They were great. Really."

The introductions had been interesting. Grampa Carlisle and Grama Esme had been their usual calm selves. Aunt Rosalie had sided with Piper and had been on the icy side of cold. Didn't surprise me any. The two of them had been close since I could remember. Uncle Emmett had pulled her into a giant bear hug and swung her around. Uncle Jasper had just nodded while I swear Aunt Alice had been mentally taking her measurements. I could tell that Grampa Edward had been reading her thoughts because of the slight frown between his eyebrows. Grama Bella had been perfect as usual just like my mother. Perfectly normal. But I knew that I'd have to talk to Grampa Edward when I got a moment alone with him so that I could pick his brain about Hunter's thoughts.

Mom smiled down at her. "Well, let me know if you need them to be peeled off of you, alright? We should be leaving soon."

Hunter nodded. "Again, thank you. So much."

"Of course." Mom patted her shoulder before moving off to Jules.

Hunter cleared her throat and went back to watching Parker scarf down her cake. More chocolate covered her face and hands.

I leaned over. "You okay?" I whispered.

She nodded slightly.

Uncle Embry ran up in front of us. A look of relief crossed his face as he saw his daughter. "There you are. I swear you need to stop running off. Gonna give your old man a heart attack."

Parker giggled. "You're not old, Daddy."

He crouched down. "Well thanks for that. You ready to go?"

As expected, Parker shook her head and cuddled more into an awkward Hunter. "No. I'm sitting with Hunter and eating chocolate cake."

His eyes flicked up to Hunter. "I can see that. I suppose your Aunt Nessie gave you that, didn't she?"

Parker pressed her lips together, a clear sign that she'd never tell even though the action answered the question.

He sighed. "I'm gonna have to have a talk with her. Now you'll be up all night." Reaching out, he motioned for her to go to him. "Come on, pipsqueak. Let's go home."

I could tell she was about to fight so I leaned in. "Hey, remember what I said about tomorrow?"

Poking out her lower lip, she nodded.

"Okay, well you need to go home to ask, alright? And get a lot of sleep."

Nodding enthusiastically, she crawled out of Hunter's lap and into her father's arms. Sometimes it was hard to believe that they were father and daughter. Parker was so light, like her mother. Pale skin, bright blonde hair, and green eyes. Nechole and Katie had darker skin and hair with hazel eyes. Parker's appearance matched how her personality was different than her sisters'. She was the oddball of the three of them.

Uncle Embry stood up with Parker in his arms. He looked down at me. "Happy birthday, kid."

"Thanks. But it's tomorrow and if Parker plays her cards right, you'll be back up here."

He rolled his eyes. "Fabulous." He kicked my foot. "Quit teaching her things."

I just grinned.

"Say goodnight, Parker."

Grinning, she waved at all of us and blew us kisses. "Love you guys! See you tomorrow. Will you be here, Hunter?"

Hunter didn't answer. I looked at her to see her frowning into the fire. Gently, I nudged her. She blinked, clearing her throat. "I'm sorry. What?"

Parker looked down at her. "Will you be here tomorrow?"

Hunter smiled a little. "Planning on it."

Parker grinned again. "Yay! Bye!"

We all waved as Uncle Embry carried her off.

Once they were out of sight, Hunter stood up rather suddenly.

"Hunter?" I asked, pushing myself up.

She shook her head, still looking rattled. "I just need a minute," she said, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Are you sure?"

Smiling slightly, she nodded. "Yeah." Leaning down, she pressed a small kiss to my lips before climbing over the logs and walking out of the tent.

I stared after her.

"What was that about?" Brayden leaned over and asked.

I shook my head and frowned. "I have no idea."

HunterPOV

Alone on the cliff, I shivered in the chill coming off the water even though the cold usually didn't bother me. All the cold air did was emphasize the chill inside me. Parker's warmth had left me feeling uncomfortably warm. Her absence left behind an icy frost. Even when I'd been a child, I'd never had that open care-free nature. I'd been suspicious and wary of everyone who came near me. Letting myself get close to people emotionally just didn't seem like a good way to stay safe. Even Melice didn't really know me all that well. He knew what I showed him, my strength. But he didn't know my weaknesses, and he never would. If he did, he'd discard me, and the pack would be free to torment me. Something I wasn't willing to let happen. I'd lied all my life, so lying for the rest of it shouldn't be so hard. Or so I thought.

Parker wanting to sit with me, even that small a thing, had affected me more than I thought possible. Will saw her as a little sister. Now I knew why. Just ten minutes with her and I was willing to protect her with my life. She was everything I'd ever craved being. Protected and safe. And the way she loved Will and he her was apparent and open. But with Melice here, she wasn't safe.

With the thought that something could happen to her, tears raced to the surface but I tried to hold them back. That kind of innocence was worth protecting.

A stick cracking behind me had me scrubbing my face.

Will sat next to me a moment later, hanging his legs over the cliff edge. "Hey."

I didn't say anything, just stared out over the choppy water.

His fingers brushed my hair behind my ear. "Hunter, what is it?"

The tears surfaced again and I choked them back. "Parker. She's something else."

He chuckled. "Yeah, she is. But why does it bother you?"

Looking over at him, I studied his features in the moonlight and the glow from the fires behind us. The copper in his black hair glowed and sparked, bringing out the light brown of his eyes. The fire danced over is tan skin, outlining the sharp planes of the muscles in his arms. He'd taken off the flannel shirt to sit there in the white tank I'd given him. He was beautiful but fierce in the light, looking like his father.

I wanted nothing more than to deny the implication, but I didn't. Shaking my head, I picked up a leaf from the ground and twisted it. "I don't know. Maybe because I'd never had that innocence, not even as a child. I'd always known how my parents died. And I was always jealous of other kids. Watching them with their parents and siblings. Don't get me wrong, I know my adoptive parents loved me. Of course I know that. But they never had any other children; they couldn't. I was their substitute. It was never said, but we all knew that's what it was. Parker is quite lovely." Looking up, I saw the faint glow of the stars through the thin clouds. "There's no tragedy here. There's a certain…lightheartedness to the air here. Death isn't violent; it's peaceful. You know, natural causes. I don't quite know what to do with that."

Reaching out, Will gripped my hand. "Was your life really that violent?"

I opened my mouth but snapped it shut. I was so perilously close to telling him what I was and where I actually grew up. Just ten minutes of tenderness and I was ready to give it all up. Instead, I kept my trap shut. "Not violent, per se. Just not this peaceful. We did a lot of moving. Most of the time it was quite sudden."

He squeezed my fingers. "I'm sorry. That must have been hard."

I shrugged. "I got used to it."

Smiling a little, Will lifted my fingers to his lips. "Well, I really hope that you'll end up staying for a while before going to off to college. Sounds like you need years' worth of rest."

His sincerity made the emotions bubble up once more, but I beat them back savagely. I, however, could not hold back what I said next. "How have you stayed single all this time? It can't be for lack of trying."

Chuckling, he dropped our clasped hands to his lap and stared out over the water. "Actually it was."

"What?"

"I've never dated before, Hunter. Ever. It just wasn't possible until now." Looking over at me, he reached over to brush some hair from my face. "There's just something special about you."

Affected by his touch more than I should be, I jerked back and snapped, "Why? Because you see me as a charity case?"

As I tried to stand up, he growled in a warning and yanked me back down. "I may not have ever been in a relationship before but I do have a sister. Don't start that crap with me. That wasn't how it sounded; and you know damn well that wasn't how I meant it. Now sit down and quit trying to push me away. It won't work. I can see right through that."

Staring at him and swallowing hard, I did as I was told. Will was an alpha. Maybe a baby alpha, but an alpha nonetheless. That kind of power was to be respected no matter if he was just a pawn in my game. He wasn't the one I wanted to hurt, so disrespecting him didn't gain me anything. But I also couldn't let his sincerity affect me. I did have something to achieve here. Unfortunately, watching him now and feeling his warm skin against mine, I had a bad feeling that my plans were going to go awry eventually.

"I'm sorry," I said, gripping his hand.

"Don't be. Just don't do that with me, alright? I can see that Parker affected you. I just don't know why. I mean, you explained, but it's so hard for me to believe that a girl like you was shown a rough life. I don't like it, and I want you to know that here, you're safe." Reaching over, he lifted my chin so I had to look him in the eyes. They were soft and kind, but full of determination. "I won't ever let anything happen to you. Do you understand me?"

"Why?" When he frowned, I specified the question. "Why do all this for me? You know nothing about me and yet you're offering me the world. I don't understand."

Looking out over the water again, he took a deep breath that clouded up into the air. "I don't know. Like I said, there's just something about you. If I knew, I'd tell you."

The pungent scent of the lie wafted out from his skin. I could hear that his heartbeat had sped up slightly. Frowning, I stared at him. "You're lying to me. There is something that you're not telling me, isn't there?"

Startled, his eyes flew to mine before he chuckled. "I've always been a terrible liar when my heart's not in it. Look, Hunter, I can't tell you. Not right now. It's not the right time."

Well that piqued my interest. "Then when will be the right time?"

He shrugged. "I wish I knew."

At least that wasn't a lie.

The air stirred behind us. Will and I both whirled around to find his parents standing there. Nessie Black was beautiful in the moonlight with her copper hair curling down to her waist. Jacob was intimidating with his huge frame and muscle bulk. Next to his petite wife, he was massive. Nessie was tall but slim under her husband's arm.

"Mom, Dad," Will said. "What's up? Snooping on conversations now?"

Jacob chuckled. "Nah. We just wanted to let you know that we're gonna head back home."

"Oh, okay." He stood up to hug and kiss his mother. The love he had for her was there in the way he touched her. She was absolutely precious to him. If anything happened to her, I was fairly sure there was nothing on this planet to stop him from ripping apart the person who hurt her. That nice, calm demeanor would fade away under the viciousness of revenge. The same went for Jacob. The way he clutched her to his side said how protective he was of his wife. Despite having children, his mate was the top of his list of importance.

"You guys behave," Jacob said. He gave me a look over his son's shoulder. It was very clear that even though Nessie was top priority, his children still meant the world to him, and he'd have no problems eliminating any threat to them.

"Dad," Will complained. "We'll be fine. Promise."

I held up my hand and smiled. "Scout's honor."

"Uh-huh," Jacob said sarcastically.

Nessie laughed and elbowed her mate in the stomach. "Shush, Jacob." Then she hugged Will again before cupping his face in her hands. "Have a good time and stay safe. And watch over your brothers and sister."

"When do I not?"

"True." She kissed his check before coming to crouch next to me. I was surprised when she cupped my cheek and kissed the other. Leaning back, she smiled a very motherly smile. "Take care of him for me?"

All I could do was nod. Motherly gestures of affection had eluded me my entire life.

Somehow, she must have understood because as she stood up, she kissed my forehead before going back to her husband and son. I was frozen to the spot, watching them interact. Eventually, I had to turn away to rub the emotion from my eyes.

"Hunter, you okay?" Jacob asked.

I cleared my throat before nodding but didn't face them. "Yes. I'm fine. Thank you." I could practically smell their frowns as Will lowered his voice to tell them that my childhood probably hadn't been filled with loving gestures. Nessie's scent of sorrow reached me, clutching my heart. Jacob's anger at my supposed mistreatment brought out the scent of his paternal protectiveness. Probably the same he felt for his own daughter at the thought of someone not caring for her the way he did.

After they finished their goodbyes, Will came back over to me. Instead of sitting, he held his hand out. I frowned up at him.

He grinned crookedly. "Come on. No more moping. This is a party."

I hesitated just for a moment before I put my hand in his and let him pull me up to head back to the festivities.

BraydenPOV

"They've been gone for a while, haven't they?" Jules asked next to me, craning her neck in the direction Will and Hunter had gone. After a moment, she turned back, her lip between her teeth. "You think they're okay?"

Piper snorted. "Of course they are. They're probably sucking face. He's gotta reign her in and all that. If he's as good as every girl dreams he is, then he's got her hooked."

"Piper," I chided.

Jules threw a piece of bread at her.

Piper sneered. "Well what are your brilliant theories?"

"Parker," I answered. "The fact that Parker wanted to sit with her made her awkward for some reason."

"Yeah 'cause she's a cold-hearted-,"

"Piper!" Jules and I said at the same time.

My sister held up her hands. "Alright, alright. Geez."

Jules turned back to me with an exasperated expression which made me wonder if she knew about the imprint. I knew why I had a problem with Piper being so rude. Will was worried about Hunter. It was involuntary. He'd admitted to not being able to stay objective about her, but Piper didn't know about the imprint. I'd made sure not to tell her as did Will. It would only cause problems. But I wondered if he'd told Jules. He usually told her everything. Or she guessed and he confessed.

Piper threw the stick she'd been playing with into the fire and stood up. "You two are boring. Later."

When she was out of earshot, Jules turned to me. "What the hell is her problem?"

I shook my head. "She just really doesn't like Hunter. I talked to her the other night about Hunter being around more. Of course she wasn't happy about it and when I asked her if it had something to do with the crush she said no. It was more about protecting Will. She knows he didn't imprint on her so she said it's not jealousy."

"And you believe that?"

Shrugging, I picked up a pine needle. "Some of it's jealousy, but I really think she's getting over that. If it was only about that, she'd have let it go and brushed it off."

Beside me, Jules shivered and wrapped a blanket tighter around her shoulders. I wanted nothing more than to pull her against my body. I wanted to be the thing keeping her warm, not a stupid blanket. Mentally, I yelled at myself. This was just going to get harder and harder the longer I put it off.

"Bray?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think this is going to end well for Will?"

Looking up, I met her gaze. And then I looked around before leaning in and whispering, "You mean about his imprint?"

It wasn't a surprise when she nodded. Yep, he'd told her. "Honestly, I don't know. As it stands, we're all pretty suspicious of her, but we don't know why. Even your dad has a weird feeling about her. With all of us feeling this way, there's got to be something going on. We just don't know what. And Chad's death isn't helping things."

She shivered again but this time I didn't think because it was of the cold. "Will said it definitely wasn't an animal."

I shook my head. "At least not a natural one. I'd have believed it was if his body had been on the ground, but the way he was tied up? Not a chance." And then I couldn't help what I said next. I'd been worried ever since the other night. "Jules?"

"Hmm?" She raised her eyebrows but her eyes stayed on the fire.

"Are you okay? From the other night?"

Now she looked at me, aqua eyes lit up from the fire. They were cautious. "You're not talking about the night you and my brother found a dead body ripped up in the woods, are you?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm not."

She studied me for a long moment before turning back to the fire. "I'm okay. Really, I am. I was pushing you and you had every right to tell me to stop. So, I'm letting you be. Whatever there is that you need to keep from me or anybody else is your business. You have your reasons." Her eyes returned to mine. "I just hope they're good reasons. I saw your eyes that night, Brayden. You were in as much pain as I was. You heard me cry that night, didn't you?"

This time I nodded, swallowing hard.

She put her small hand on my arm. "Bray, it's okay. I'm okay. And I am going to not read too much into things the way I was. However, I want you to do something for me."

"Anything."

Before continuing, she took a deep breath. "Stop playing up the crush thing to keep other guys away from me."

Not what I was expecting, the air rushed out of my lungs and my heart plummeted. "What?"

The fire reflected the glassines of her eyes which were getting shinier. "There's nothing between us but friendship, right? Just the love of best friends. Then that's how we should act. Don't-don't say things to me that a boyfriend would say. Don't look at me like," she looked over at me, "like that. You confuse me. And honestly, I should have more guy friends. If I phase, I'll need an open mind for the imprint. I need to get over…whatever this is that I think I feel for you, okay? So back off on that front. Please."

All I could do was sit there and gape for a heartbeat before I managed to choke out, "Jules-,"

She stood up abruptly. "No, Brayden. I'm serious. I appreciate your protectiveness, but honestly, I have three brothers. I have a ton of that. What I need is a friend. A male friend. If things are too…whatever, awkward, with us now, then that male friend needs to be someone else. You can just go back to being my brother's best friend. It would hurt like hell, but it would hurt a lot less than it does right now."

Before I could say anything, she turned around and walked out of the tent toward the one she shared with my sister and Ava. On her way out, she bumped into Will and Hunter. Will tried to call after her, but either she didn't hear him or she ignored him. After she was out of sight, he turned back to me, eyebrows raised.

"What the hell was that?" he demanded as he climbed over the log and then turned to help Hunter over.

Gritting my teeth, I looked into the fire, unable to meet his eyes. "Nothing I really want to talk about." Viciously, I threw another stick into the flames. "So," I said turning back to them with a fake smile, "how are you liking the party?"

Will snorted. "It's the same every year."

I looked pointedly at Hunter. "Not this year."

She flushed, pressing her face into his shoulder.

He chuckled. "Yeah, I guess not." Leaning over, he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

All I wanted to do was scream.

WillPOV

According to my watch, it was two in the morning. People were settling down in their tents. Some couples were cuddled up around the dying bonfire either making out or talking to other couples. The adults had left which was surprising. They normally stayed the first night. Oh well. After they'd all left, the alcohol came out. Hunter and I had danced, her worried frown disappearing. Even Jules had come back out of her tent to party a little, but I could tell she avoided Brayden at all costs.

Hand in hand, I walked Hunter to the tent Dad had brought for her. It was situated close but not too close to mine. Stopping in front of it, I turned to her. "You'll be okay by yourself?"

Her smile was sweet. "Yes, Will. I'll be fine. Besides, you're not too far away."

"True," I conceded.

"Well, thank you for being a gentleman and walking me to my door. If I had a father, he'd be impressed." Going up on her toes, she pressed a kiss to the corner of my mouth. "Goodnight, Will."

Thinking that her father wouldn't be impressed with the thoughts running through my head about his daughter, I just went with, "Goodnight, Hunter. Come get me if you need anything, alright?"

"My hero," she whispered against my lips.

Rolling my eyes, I kissed her back.

Laughing, she pulled away and went into the tent, zipping it behind her. Once I knew that she was settled, I went back toward my tent. Brayden was set up next to me between me and Hunter. Jules, Ava, and Piper were set up on my other side. I stopped at Brayden's tent. The flap was partially unzipped. Ducking down, I found him sitting up, legs crossed. His elbows were resting on his knees, something held between his hands. It looked like an old picture. It was the expression on his face that had me worried. Longing was an understatement.

"Bray?"

Startled, he looked up at me.

"You okay, man?"

He had to clear his throat before he said, "Yeah. Yeah, I'm good."

I put the fact that I didn't believe him into my expression. "Uh huh. You wanna tell me what happened with Jules earlier?"

"Not really."

Unzipping the flap, I stepped in and sat down next to him. "Honestly, Bray, that wasn't really a question."

I knew he didn't want to talk about it. He knew how I felt about him keeping the secret from Jules, and that's probably what this was about. Looking over his hands proved me right. It was a picture, creased down the middle as if he kept it in his wallet. It was of him and Jules after a flag football game. Both of them were covered in mud but smiling through it all, arms wrapped around each other. Her hair was in two braids framing her face. Bray's muddy head was resting on top of hers. If I hadn't known the circumstances, I would have said they were a couple.

Bray sighed. "I know you know about what happened the other night. I heard her crying from my house. Did she tell you?"

"I heard her talking to mom."

"Will, I don't want to hurt her. You know that."

"Then what happened?"

"She told me that she knew I was keeping something from her but hoped that I had good reasons for doing it." He paused, letting me know that what came next was the part that stressed him most. "And then she proceeded to tell me that if I couldn't start acting like just a friend that she'd need a new male friend. Apparently, I get to go back to being your best friend and pretending not to crush on her. Which I actually am crushing. Hell, I'm practically in love with her." Dropping the picture, he clapped his hands over his face and groaned. "Will, what am I going to do?"

I slapped the back of his head.

Jerking forward, he glared at me. "What was that for?"

"I told you what to do, dumbass. Tell her. Now why did she tell you to quit playing the crush?"

"She said that she needs to get over her feelings for me and learn to deal with the guys outside of us. Apparently, she needs to be open-minded in case she phases and imprints."

Picking up the picture and studying it, I said, "Dude, we both know you don't have to worry about that. It'll be you. And that's if she phases. But ask yourself this, man. If she doesn't phase, are you really not going to tell her? You're going to wait years to find out if she phases before you do? Seriously, man, tell her. Why are you holding back? You could be happy with her. Besides, you're making her miserable. Right now, I'm tolerating it, but if this gets worse..." I shook my head. "I'll beat the crap out of you. Remember that whole 'she's my sister' speech? Yeah, I'm invoking that right now. Like she said, you have your reasons, but they better be damn good reasons."

Before he could say anything else, I got up and went for my tent, leaving him with his picture. Stripping down to my boxers, I laid back on top of the open sleeping bag. No way was I crawling into one. Too hot. Putting my hands behind my head, I stared up at the top of the tent. The cliffs were quiet, most people bedding down for the night. Some whispers carried over the breeze and the crickets sang in the woods. It was a pretty night with no rain, perfect for running. But all I could think about was being caught between my sister and my best friend. Brayden was hurting Jules, and he knew it. At the same time, he was hurting with the knowledge. It would have been different if he didn't know or care what was happening. But he did care, and all I wanted was to know his reasons.

A stick cracking outside my tent had me pulling out of my thoughts. Frowning, I sat up a little only to see a silhouette outside the tent. It was distinctly female and when the zipper started moving, I expected to find Jules poking her head through. Instead, it was Hunter. Sitting up all the way, I watched as she came in and zipped up the tent behind her. Unfortunately, it was a small tent for two people and she was wearing some short shorts. Her body was close enough to me that I could see the bumps on her skin the cold brought on.

"Hunter," I hissed as my body reacted. Now I pulled the other half of the sleeping bag over my lap. "What are you doing?"

She turned around smiling, her hair mussed around her shoulders. She put a finger to her lips. "Shh, nobody saw me."

"But what are you doing?" I whispered as she went to her knees and scooted toward me.

Her hands were surprisingly warm on my shoulders while her legs straddled my thighs. "The adults are gone. And I wanted a better goodnight kiss."

Automatically my hands went to her hips. My body hardened even more when I realized that she was wearing only a flimsy t-shirt and those short shorts. No bra that I could detect as she moved against me. What the hell was she trying to do to me?

Grinning, she rested her elbows on my shoulders and put her hands in my hair as she bent over me, crushing her lips to mine. Her lips were flavored with strawberry, sweet and mouth-watering. Her fingers twined through my hair, tugging.

After a moment of enjoying the taste, some of my sense came back. I pulled away a little. "Hunter, what-?"

"Shh," she whispered again. Adjusting, she settled heavier over my thighs. Smooth hands came down to caress my temples and jaw. "I can't want to make out with my gorgeous boyfriend?"

I chuckled. "Well I didn't say that. It's just…uh, I didn't know you were like this."

"We all have our secrets."

"Clearly."

Sitting back, she studied me, moving her fingers over my skin. "I've never had normal, Will. I've had lovers, but nobody who actually cared about me. And I know that you and I don't really know each other except for the basics, but you've been so nice to me. All of you."

"Lovers?"

A brow quirked. "Out of that, that's what you took?"

I shrugged. "I'm a guy with a beautiful girl straddling his lap. It's good to know if I might have some guy wanting to bash my head in."

Her laugh was full-throated, deep and amused. She shook her head. "No, nothing like that. All in the past and none of them would care enough to come after me. Besides, you could take them. The son of an alpha? I'd bet on you any day."

Because I was a sap, I would describe her smile and attitude as radiant. She practically lit up the tent. Her blonde and auburn hair fanned out around her face, brushing my nose and cheeks. God, it was so hard to believe that she was my soul mate. She was absolutely gorgeous. And here. Dad had been right. I didn't know what it was like, not until it happened. Now I knew his tie to Mom and why he could barely keep his hands off of her. I hadn't seen Hunter for two days because of Chad's murder, and now that she was in front of me, I didn't want to let her go. She was mine. Period. We just had to get through this mess and I had to tell her about the imprint. I sympathized with Brayden, but Jules knew what imprinting was. Hunter didn't. She didn't really understand our world the way Jules did. Brayden had it easy.

Apparently I was thinking too much because she frowned a little. "Will?"

"Yeah?"

"Where'd you go?"

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I know that look." One of her fingers slid between my eyes. "It's that look that says you're here but not here."

I squeezed her hips. "Now don't go thinking you know me or anything.

A fake shocked expression screwed up her face. "I would never!"

Laughing, I lifted my lips up to hers. "Uh huh."

She laughed into the kiss. It was full and deep. Again, she tasted of cookies and strawberries, but also something else. If night could have a taste, this would have been it. Her body was soft and supple under my hands, curves in all the right places. This was the first time I'd ever been even vaguely intimate with a girl. It was new and exciting, but also strangely natural. Once I got past the initial shyness, instinct took over. Somehow, I knew how to touch her, how to kiss her. In experiment, I slid my hands up her sides, over her ribs, just under her breasts. She hissed into my mouth.

"No sex," she whispered roughly.

"I know."

Her hands slid down my neck and shoulders, over my chest. Nails scratched over my stomach, making the muscles convulse. The sensation sent me higher. Growling, I gripped the back of her head and rolled us so she was under me. Her hands went back up to my hair, keeping me pressed to her. Once she was sure I wasn't going anywhere, those hands moved down my back, nails sinking into my skin. When she got down to my lower back, she put pressure, pushing my hips down.

Which got my attention.

I pulled back, breathing hard.

Her eyes were closed as she licked her lips, chest heaving with her own heavy breathing.

"Sorry." My voice was little more than a hoarse whisper.

"Are you kidding? That was better than any sex I'd ever had. And all we did was kiss."

"I'm not sure whether to be humbled by that or sorry for the bad sex."

Still breathing hard, she smiled up at me. "Didn't really know it was bad until just now." She patted my chest. "Consider it a huge compliment."

Laughing, I felt to my side, leaning up on my elbow beside her. "I guess I will."

Looking up at me, she put her palm to my cheek and jaw. "What did I ever do to get you into my life?"

Shrugging as best I could, I rubbed her wrist. "Right place, right time?"

"Probably," she said with a laugh.

And then she yawned. "I guess that was the goodnight kiss I was waiting for." Sitting up, she kissed my cheek and moved as if to get up.

I put a hand on her shoulder. "Stay. Please."

"But-,"

"We both know the line. Besides, it's cold out and you don't have enough body heat to warm up the sleeping bags. And I know that you're at least chilled going by the goosebumps I saw on your legs when you first came in. I have enough body heat for the two of us."

She looked down at her legs. "You were staring at my legs?"

I snorted. "I am a guy. If I don't act like one every now and then, they'll take away my card. And you have nice legs. And you're my girlfriend."

An exaggerated thinking expression crossed her face. "True, true, true, and true." After a moment of studying me, she rolled over onto her side, her back to my chest.

I made sure a corner of the sleeping bag was between my hips and her ass. Yes, I was guy, but it was just common courtesy when we both knew sex was off the table for a while. Bundling up another sleeping bag, I tucked it up under our heads as Hunter reached back to pull my arm around her. Intertwining our fingers, she snuggled down while I stretched my other arm out under her head.

It was amazing how complete this felt, how content I was. It was easy to fall asleep to the scent of her shampoo.

As I fell down into sleep, however, something nagged at the part of my brain that was still awake. Unfortunately, I couldn't keep hold of it as I slipped into the darkness.

JulesPOV

A loud pounding dragged me out whatever nightmare I was having, so I was slightly grateful for it. Groaning, I lifted my hand to my eyes. "God, they're starting early."

"Early?" Piper said, sounding more awake than she should. "Jules, it's noon. They've fired up the grills again."

Cracking an eyelid, I looked over at her. "Noon?"

She nodded, finishing up tying her boots. "Noon, my friend." She slapped my shin as she moved for the opening. "Up, up, up. Time to party."

Groaning again, I squinched my eyes shut before opening them and staring at the "roof". More pounding sounded and I realized that it was music.

"Oh, hey, Ava," Piper said outside. "Ooo, bacon. Thanks."

Bacon? I sat up as Ava ducked into the tent with a plate piled high with the stuff.

"Hey. I brought you some before all the guys pigged out."

Stretching my neck and back, I shook off the rest of the sleep. "My hero. How many did you have to slay?"

She grinned. "A few. Nobody will notice."

Biting into a strip was pure heaven. But what I wouldn't give for a glass of blood.

"Oh," Ava said, reaching behind her. She came back with a bottle of the good stuff. "Brayden gave this to me on the way back. He said you probably wouldn't want to see him, but didn't' say why. Everything okay?"

Sighing, I took the bottle from her and stared at it. A sign of how well he knew me. "No. I'm pushing him away," I confessed before taking a large gulp of deer blood. It helped to wake me up even more.

"What? Why?" Pushing her hair behind her ear, she sat down next to me, picking up her own strip of bacon.

I took another swallow before answering her. "It may have been a mistake. But honestly, Ava, I'm so confused. The way he acts…it's not just friendship. And then he says it is, that he's just pretending the crush to keep other guys off me. I know he's keeping something from me because I asked him about it the other night."

She chewed thoughtfully. "And? What did he say?"

"I asked him if he'd imprinted on me, would he tell me. And if he had imprinted, why didn't he tell me. All he said was that he couldn't, whatever that means."

"Do you really think that what you feel for him is more than just friendship? I mean, he is your best male friend, Jules."

I sighed again. "I know. But it's so hard to explain how I feel, how I see him." Turning to her, I begged her, "Did I make a mistake? I was kind of harsh last night."

Reaching over, she wrapped her arm around my shoulders and rested her head against mine. "I think the question is, could you really push him out of your life? He's so much a part of it that it would seem hard to completely cut him off. Not to mention the pack? If you phase…"

Of course she was right. "I guess I should apologize, huh? Think he'll forgive me?"

She gave me a look. "Uh yeah. It's Brayden we're talking about."

"True," I conceded.

After finishing breakfast and the blood, I worked on getting dressed. It was warmer today than it was yesterday, the sun peeking through the moving clouds. The music got louder as more and more voices joined the crowd. I was just buttoning up my jeans when Piper poked her head in.

"Uh guys, I think Hunter is missing. I can't find her."

"Is she with Will?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Will's tent is still zipped up. He's still asleep."

"Why were you looking for her?" Ava asked, moving toward the opening. I followed her out and stretched even more once I was able to get some open space.

Piper shrugged nonchalantly. "Just checking on her. I'm suspicious, remember?"

I sighed, trying not to roll my eyes. "Maybe she went into town to pee. I could use a bathroom right about now. Will did drive her Jeep over here."

She shook her head. "I checked. Still there and the hood is still cold."

Shivering in the breeze, I really had to reel in my irritation with her. She was like a terrier with a bone. "Good grief, Piper, maybe she's mingling or something. Give it up."

Piper gave me a look. "Fine. When something happens and it's her fault, don't say I didn't warn you."

"I won't. In fact, I'll even roll out the red carpet for you to say 'I told you so'. Sound good?" Shaking my head, I started for Will's tent.

Piper and Ava followed me.

"Guys, can we please not fight about this?" Ava begged. "Honestly, Piper, we get that you don't like her. We hear you that your gut thinks she's a lying snake. Maybe the rest of us have suspicions, too, but we're letting Will take the wheel on this one. He knows how you feel, how all of us feel. He's even suspicious over her. It's not like we're not listening to you. Please."

Behind me, I could hear Piper sigh. Ava was always the logical one of the three of us. She rarely copped an attitude and almost always knew how to calm someone down. Will's tent was only a few steps from ours, so when I got to it, Ava and Piper held back.

"Will?" I said over the music and chatter. "Will!" I banged on the top of the tent, like that did any good. "Time to wake up. It's noon."

When he didn't answer, I sighed and went for the zipper, praying that he wasn't sprawled out naked. Once it was undone enough for me to stick my head in, I did. "Will…"and then I got a look at what was actually sprawled out in front of my eyes. "Oh my god."

"What?" Ava asked nervously.

Looking over my shoulder, I said, "I can safely say that I know where Hunter is."

Their eyes widened and jaws dropped.

Turning back into the opening, I stared at my brother entangled with the blonde. He actually was on his back, one hand on his chest. The other side of his chest was being used as a pillow by Hunter's head. One of her legs was thrown over his thigh. His other arm was wrapped around her, hand resting on her hip. Watching them sleep, I could honestly say they were cute together. And in that moment, I really hoped everything worked out for them. Will deserved to be allowed to have his soul mate. And from hearing Hunter's story, true or not, she deserved some solid ground under her, someone to care for her. Yes, I had my suspicions, but there was always forgiveness, and I was willing to forgive her for any misgivings as long as she kept my brother happy. So I wouldn't let finding them like this seem like a big deal.

Clearing my throat, I raised my voice. "Rise and shine, guys!"

Hunter frowned and buried her face into my brother's chest, but Will woke up. Eyes still closed, he scrunched up his face and brought his other hand up to rub his eyes. "What time is it?" he asked.

"Noon."

"Seriously?"

"Wish I was kidding. Just woke up myself. Ava saved us some bacon."

Now they both woke up. Hunter moved her head enough that she could stare at me through her hair. Will opened his eyes and looked at me expectantly. "Bacon?" they both asked at the same time.

Chuckling, I nodded. "Yeah. Hey, Hunter, it's warm out here right now, but people are awake. Would you like me to bring your bag over here?" I asked, pointedly looking at her shorts and t-shirt.

She sat up and looked down at herself, and then flushed. She nodded. "If you don't mind, that would be great."

"Sure, not a problem. I'll also bring food. Once you eat, I can take you to my house to clean up and use the bathroom."

While Will gave me a suspicious look, Hunter grinned. "You're a gem. Thanks."

I shrugged at Will but grinned back at Hunter. "Sure, I'll be right back." After zipping them back in, I went to grab her bag and the plate of food. There was also some sausage under the pile of bacon that I hadn't seen. I managed to grab a piece with my teeth. When I got to the tent, I kicked it to let them know I was there. Hunter opened it a moment later. She took the plate and bag before zipping them back in. Ava and Piper had gone off to talk to the twins, who were just emerging from their own tent.

A few minutes later, Will came out buttoning up his jeans. His white tank was shoved up under his chin, showcasing his new six pack. Several girls walking by were drooling on their chins even after he hastily pulled the shirt down.

"Move along, ladies," I said irritably. "He's taken."

"Thanks," he said sheepishly as they gave me dirty looks and moved on.

"No problem." I tucked my hands into my pockets. "So-,"

"We didn't do anything."

I held up a hand. "I know."

He frowned. "You do?"

I gave him a look. "Duh. I'm your sister. Trust me, I'll know when you finally tango. You can't hide stuff from me even though you think you can."

He choked out a laugh. "Yeah I guess not. So, why are you suddenly being so helpful and nice to her?"

Looking from him to the tent, I pulled him further away so she wouldn't hear me. "Look, no matter what happens," I said with meaning, "if everything works out, she'll end up my sister-in-law. If she and I don't get along, that could cause problems for the two of you, and I want you happy. I know it's hard for you to be objective with her right now, but I will do my best to be nice to her, to watch over her. And I'll talk to Piper. If anyone can get her to chill, it's either me or Brayden. Maybe you."

For a moment, all he did was stare down at me as if he'd never seen me before. "Thank you, Jules. That really means a lot to me."

I smiled. "Well, you are my big brother. And she's…you know." Moving forward, I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed my cheek to his chest. "I love you, and I would do anything for you. I really want this to work out for you."

He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. "I love you, too."

Leaning back, I grinned up at him. "Also, happy birthday," I sang.

He chuckled. "Thanks."

"Yeah, happy birthday, man." Brayden was beside us a second later. He was grinning up at his best friend.

They clapped palms.

"Hey, Brayden."

He looked surprised that I'd spoken to him. And then confused. "Um, hi."

Since I was sure that he'd told Will what was going on, I just said, "Uh, can we talk later? Like, when I get back?" in front of my brother.

Brayden's eyebrows went up. "Sure. I guess. Where are you going?"

"To the house. I'm gonna take Hunter. You know, bathroom and to clean up a little."

"Right, right. What about Piper and Ava?"

"I'm going down with Ava," Piper said, coming up to us. "It's best if I detach from the situation a little. Advice from Ash." Leaning over, she kissed my cheek. "Love you, chica. We'll see ya later, okay?"

I frowned a little at her new and abrupt attitude, but didn't question it. I kissed her cheek back. "Sure. Do you need anything from your house?"

She shook her head. "Nah, nothing I can't borrow from Ava."

Ava and Piper took off after that. The three of us just stared after Piper with identical frowns.

It was Brayden who spoke first. "Pretty sure your brother is a miracle worker."

A loud laugh had us turning around. Hunter was walking up with Ash and Maddox on either side of her. She and Ash were laughing at something Dox had just said. Not surprising.

When they got to us, I asked, "So, you ready?"

Hazel eyes sparkling, she nodded. "Definitely." Then she turned to Will and went up on her toes to kiss him. "See you in a bit?"

The boys all shared a frown before looking at me questioningly. I shook my head.

He returned the kiss and nodded. "Absolutely. We might be cliff jumping today so if you didn't bring a suit, see if Jules will let you borrow one."

"I've got one in the Jeep." She kissed him one more time before turning her smile on me. "Shall we?"

I nodded as I waved to the guys. "We'll be back."

Five minutes later, we were in Hunter's Jeep, pulling a K turn and heading down the dirt road. She'd let me drive since I knew the roads better.

After a few beats of silence, she put her face in her hands. "I am so embarrassed."

"Why?" I asked as I turned onto the paved road.

"Earlier. The way you found us. I mean, Will and I…we only just started seeing each other. Only been on one date. And then you find us all tangled up like that."

I scoffed. "Honestly, don't worry about it."

I could feel her wide eyes on me. "Really? Why? I figured you would have ripped into me the moment we were alone."

Looking over at her every now and then, I explained. "Look, I'm still protective. He's my big brother. The kid doesn't worry about himself. He's too busy being focused on everyone else, so yeah, I'm protective. My threat to you the other day still stands. However, in the pack, relationships happen fast, like really fast. And when a wolf feels that…instant attraction, we tend to trust it. I don't know why you're with my brother, but I know why he's with you. And that's enough for me. All I ask is that you not hurt him. Please. If your intentions aren't good toward him, and you know that this isn't going to last, please end it now. It would be better for everyone in the long run. As a wolf, he's in it for the long haul."

Her stare made me want to shift in my seat. "Are you saying that I'm it for him?"

Damn. I didn't want to give it away. The imprint speech was Will's to give her. I had no right to go into that. "Honestly, there could be someone else out there for him. But that insta-attraction is something we wolves don't really question because it's pure instinct. And it's one that hasn't led a wolf astray, at least none that I know of. If you want something with him, don't be afraid to trust him. With anything." I looked over at her. "Do you understand? If there's anything that you need to tell him, anything about your past or who you are, then do it. He'll understand. I can promise you that. If there's one person on this planet who will accept you for who you are and any sins you may carry, it's him."

Beside me, she went quiet and stayed that way for a few miles until I turned onto the drive that led up past the Cullen house and on toward my house. I heard her swallow hard. "Do you think there's anything he wouldn't forgive?"

My answer was immediate. "No. Nothing."

She lapsed back into silence.

WillPOV

This was a strange day. First, Jules's changed attitude and then Piper's. I'd asked Ash what he'd said to her. All he said was that he'd made it clear we were all in her corner but that I had to be the one to take care of it since I was closest to the situation. There was no reason for her to be nasty and if she had to, she needed to detach from the situation. My brother the psychiatrist.

Right now, since the girls were away, I sat around the reignited bonfire with a lot of the guys and their girls, tossing back a beer and a couple burgers. People had practically lined up to tell me happy birthday. Some even called me alpha.

What I wasn't expecting was the gentle tap on my shoulder. The circle went a little quiet. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Jenny. Choking down my drink, I stood up and put my stuff on the log.

"Jenny, what are you doing here? I mean, not that you weren't invited. The whole rez was. I just didn't expect to see you here."

She smiled gently, wrapping her sweater tighter against her. "I know. It's okay. And I didn't want to pull you away. Just wanted to say happy birthday. I was on my way to see Carlisle and thought I'd stop by."

I could hear the group behind me whispering about her and Chad. Gently taking her arm, I pulled her away from them. "Thank you, Jenny. Really. Is everything okay?" I asked pointedly.

She understood and nodded. "Yes, of course. I just had some questions and he said he'd be happy to answer them for me. I didn't want to do it over the phone."

Frowning, I looked toward the "parking area". "Are you walking?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Don't have a car."

I really didn't like that. At all. Not with something in the woods. Even if she stayed on the paved road, it could grab her.

Her small hand touched my arm. "It's okay. I'll be fine. I heard walking is good for both baby and mom."

Moving her further away from the group, I lowered my voice. "Jenny, that's dangerous. You do remember that there's something in the woods, don't you? And what it did to…you know?"

Her laugh was derisive. "And what am I supposed to do? I can't afford a car and I don't even have my license."

"Call. Us. I told you that you could for whatever you needed."

"Will, I am not going to call you for every little thing."

"And I'm not saying you have to, but you walking through the woods is one of the occasions that you should."

She scoffed. "I don't want to inconvenience anyone."

God, she was as annoying and stubborn as my own sister.

Before I could say anything else, Brayden popped up beside me, grinning that grin he used on people outside our circle. "Hey, sorry. I overheard the convo. Jenny, I can take you the rest of the way. I need to stop at my place anyway. It's right next to Will's."

Now she gave us both a look. "Wolf hearing?"

Brayden just grinned and shrugged.

I said, "He's taking you. End of story."

She sighed. "Fine. Whatever you say."

"That's the spirit."

Rolling her eyes and shaking her head, she moved past us toward the cars. Brayden and I shared a look.

"I wonder why she didn't phase," he said. "She's as stubborn as one of our females."

"Amen to that. Did you really need to go to your house?"

He shrugged. "I'm sure I can find something I forgot."

Laughing, I clapped his shoulder. "Thanks."

He gave me a salute before taking off after her. On his way through the cars, I heard him greet Uncle Embry and all his girls. Parker ran through the cars and crowd of people. Her blonde hair was braided down her back today, face glowing.

"Will! Will! Daddy said yes!"

I was ready and braced for it when she jumped into my arms. I'd already changed into my swim trunks since Hunter wasn't in the tent anymore. Grabbing up Parker, I hefted her in my arms. She wrapped her arms around my neck and planted a kiss on my cheek.

"Hey, squirt. So you talked him into it, huh?"

She nodded excitedly. "Uh huh. And Momma brought the video camera."

"Of course she did."

Her sisters came up beside me a second later. I could see that they also had bathing suits on under their clothes.

"Hey, Cole. Hey, Katie."

To my surprise, they both grinned at me.

"Hey, Will," Nechole said. "Um, I wanted to apologize for what I said the other day. Dad had the 'wolf talk' with me after you left. I didn't know. I'm sorry."

I put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. She's your mom. I'd have been protective and a snotty brat, too, if it had been mine. No worries."

She grinned. "Thanks. Happy birthday." She hugged me the best she could with her sister wrapped around me.

Katie hugged me next. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks, guys. If you're hungry, there are more burgers and stuff over on the tables."

"Ooo, more cake?" Parker asked.

I laughed. "Of course there's more cake. What do you take me for?"

"Yay!"

"Have you eaten lunch yet, though?"

Now she pouted. "No."

I gave her a look. "Then guess what comes first?"

Grumbling, she squirmed out of my arms to go with her sisters to get some grub. I was shaking my head and laughing when a heavy hand landed on my shoulder. It was Uncle Embry.

"Thanks for not spoiling her," he said.

I shrugged. "The kid can't survive on cake the rest of her life."

Aunt Tricia came forward, grinning, to hug me. "Happy birthday, kiddo."

I hugged her back. Thankfully, the scars had vanished from her skin. "Thanks."

"So," she said expectantly.

I shared a confused look with Uncle Embry. "So what?"

She playfully punched me. "I heard you have a girlfriend. Does that mean someone…?" Her question was open-ended but full of meaning.

I shared another look with Uncle Embry. No doubt he knew the suspicions about Hunter. But apparently, he hadn't shared them with his wife. He gave me a look saying that it was up to me.

I really didn't want to talk about this or lying to my aunt. If I even could. Her type of werewolf was able to detect lies better than mine. But I went with the lie anyway. "If I'd imprinted, don't you think Mom would have spread it like wildfire?"

She frowned. "Yeah but-,"

I touched her shoulder. "Consider it an experiment. Honestly, she's new in town and there's a bit of suspicion about her. I'm just keeping her close to keep an eye on her. Mom and Dad know about it. As do Jules, the twins, basically our circle. We're just making sure she checks out."

"But what if you fall for her?"

"Then that's on me and I'll deal with it." God, this lying stuff came so naturally. This must be what they call diplomatic.

Aunt Tricia shook her head. "You are just like your parents."

She made it sound like a bad and good thing at the same time.

I quirked an eyebrow. "How so?"

"Self-sacrificing," Uncle Embry answered for her. "That answer sounds exactly like something Nessie and Jacob would say."

Wanting to grin like an idiot, I just shrugged. "Yeah well, I learn by example."

Uncle Embry put a hand on my shoulder. "No, son. That's what an alpha would say. And do. Regardless of how many times he saw his father do it."

Pride and respect was there in his eyes.

"Thanks."

Parker and her sisters came back just in time. She had a plate with a hotdog covered in chili, no bun, and a hamburger piled with pickles and tomato. I grinned as she licked some of the extra chili off the plate.

"Will?"

"Yeah?"

"Where's Hunter? And Jules? And Piper? And Ava?"

Chuckling, I said, "They had to go to their houses for a few minutes. Girl stuff is what I was told. They should be back by the time we're ready to cliff jump." Gripping her shoulders, I turned her back around to head for the bonfire tent. "For now, you need to eat your lunch."

My aunt and uncle excused themselves to go get their own plates of food. Katie and Nechole followed us. My plate and bottle were still where I left them, but I threw the beer bottle in the trash and went for a coke.

"Where's Brayden?" Parker asked, sitting next to me.

"He also went back to his house for a second."

Nodding, she chewed happily for a second before her face lit up. "Ooo, s'mores! And cake." She turned to me. "You think he could make cake s'mores?"

Choking on my drink, I laughed. "I'm sure he would try for you."

"Awesome!"

For another thirty minutes or so, we all sat there talking and laughing about pack stuff and whatnot. Eventually, the girls showed back up, each getting their own food. When Hunter was done with hers, Parker climbed into her lap again. This time, Hunter reacted better, probably because Parker's parents were close. Every now and then I would catch Uncle Embry's wary glance toward her, but he was still civil. Piper had calmed down and even talked with Hunter about the proper techniques of cliff jumping. Brayden took a little longer to get back because of Jenny. She'd had to ask her questions and then he'd refused to let her walk home. He came back saying it really was a wonder she'd never phased. She'd nearly taken his head off. He managed to eat in record time. Parker was getting restless for her first jump. Once he was done, he promised to try the cake s'mores later after we all had our fun.

A few minutes after that, Parker and I were standing at the edge of the cliff with everyone else. I did for her what I'd done for Hunter. Parker stood on my feet and held my hands as she leaned out over the edge. Uncle Embry hovered nearby, which was understandable.

"It's so pretty," she said.

"Are you ready?"

She nodded.

"Alright, we gotta go lower down." We turned around. Hunter was behind me. "I'll be back up for you, okay?"

Grinning, she nodded. "Have fun." Then she kissed my cheek.

Not too many people could fit on the lower ledge. Jules, Brayden, and the twins went with me while I carried Parker. Aunt Tricia had gone to park out on the road so that she could record Parker's first time cliff jumping. As we went further out, I could feel Parker tremble. It was customary to be nervous on your first time. Which was why most first-timers jumped with the wolves. We could handle the beat of the waves as well as dragging someone to the shore of First Beach. Thankfully, the water was calm today. From the road, Aunt Tricia waved, letting us know she was ready. Parker gripped my neck hard and wrapped her legs around my middle.

"You ready?"

Swallowing hard, she nodded, still looking over the edge.

"We don't have to do this if you're not."

Looking up, she narrowed her eyes. "Just jump, dork."

Laughing, I looked down the line at my siblings. "On the count of three. One…two…three!"

Gripping Parker, I jumped with all the strength I had to push away from the cliff.

HunterPOV

Laying belly down on the cliff edge, I looked down on the heads of Will and the others. Parker was nervous about her jump, but even I knew she was in good hands. Will would never let anything happen to her. On his count of three, they all jumped. Parker screamed all the way down but managed to grab her nose and hold her breath just before they hit. I couldn't help but laugh and smile as they all surfaced, likewise laughing. Not surprisingly, Parker wanted to go again. She rode Will's back all the way to shore. He carried her like she weighed little more than a feather.

Movement beside me had me looking up. Embry Call sat next to me, crossing his legs.

"So," he said, clearing his throat. "You inherited the old Jamison house, huh?"

Rolling over, I sat up and mirrored him, crossing my own legs. "Yes, sir."

"How are you liking the area?"

"I'm beginning to understand what's so beautiful about it." And honestly, I was. Last night had opened my eyes to something I'd never experienced before. Tenderness. Nessie, Parker, Will. They'd all shown me kindness even when I'd shown weakness. And last night, in the tent, I'd actually given my back to Will. No alpha female would ever dare to do that to an alpha male. Not unless they were true mates. And even then, the aggression of the alpha male played a huge part in how the female acted around him. I'd never once given my back to Melice. I didn't trust him. But last night had been automatic. I hadn't thought about it until after he'd been curled around me. And it was then that I'd realized I felt safe with him, weaknesses and all. Jules's words today had hit a nerve when she'd said there was nothing he wouldn't forgive. Was it really possible that I could love this place? Love Will? I'd only known him a week or so, but somehow, I felt safe with him. Of course, he thought I was human. If I stayed around, he'd learn otherwise. I was powerful, hence the reason he and the others didn't already know, but the full moon could sway even me if I wasn't concentrating hard enough. And around Will? I lost a few IQ points when he touched me.

He smiled a small smile. "Look, I know that it's not my business, but Will is like family to me, and-,"

I held a hand up. "It's okay. I know. He's never had a girlfriend and it seems that everybody is worried over him."

For a long moment, he studied me. "Do you really understand what he is? And the enormity of him being with you?"

Now I looked over at him. "Jules said it had something to do with instinct and an instant attraction."

His eyes became wary and I knew he was going to pick his words wisely. There was something about the mating habits of the pack that I was missing. Will, Jules, and now Embry kept tip-toeing the subject. He nodded. "Yeah, something like that. Jules has always been good at describing things like that, things that a lot of people wouldn't understand."

I was just about ask if there was more to it when I felt someone come up behind us.

"Embry, what are you doing up here?" a woman asked.

We both turned. A Quileute woman was approaching us and who I assumed was her mate not far behind. Immediately, I sensed that he wasn't part of Jacob's pack, but Walker's.

Beside me, Embry shrugged. "Oh you know. Waiting for my youngest to get back up here from her first cliff jump."

The woman laughed. "Ah. Freaking out?"

"How'd you guess?"

"I was the same way when Gage first jumped. Still terrifies me."

When Embry stood up, I moved with him. Both the woman and man looked at me as if they'd just realized I was there. The woman smiled, but the guy stared and frowned, studying me.

Embry looked back at me. "Well, Will's not here to make intros so I guess I will. Hunter, this is Leah and her mate, Caden. Guys, this is Hunter. She inherited the old Jamison house and is dating our young alpha."

Leah lit up. "So this is Hunter. I was wondering. It's nice to meet you."

Reaching out, we shook hands. "You, too. You're Gage's mother, right?"

She grinned. "Yeah, you've met him?"

"School. Briefly."

The man, Caden, stepped forward, hand out. When I took it, the frown deepened just a touch and his amber eyes narrowed. "Have we met before?" he asked in a think English accent.

I shook my head. "Not that I'm aware of," I said, keeping my own accent in check. "I just moved here in April but spent the summer months in California."

"Where did you say you were from?"

"England, originally. But I was adopted and grew up in Canada." Must stick with the story. With that accent, he'd be able to detect the little bit of mine that I couldn't hide.

"I swear you look familiar."

Leah swatted her mate's arm. "Caden, leave her alone."

He dropped it, but still stared at me. Luckily, it didn't anymore awkward because in the next moment, Parker was running toward us, a huge grin on her face. "Daddy! Daddy!"

Embry braced himself and swung her up into his arms, kissing her temple. "How was it?"

"Awesome! I wanna go again but Will said he's gotta take Hunter because he promised her a jump."

"That's right. Gotta take turns. Will can't be everywhere at once. You have to share him."

The little girl turned to me. "Well, duh, Dad. She is his girlfriend. She's the only one I'll share with." She grinned at me as she said it.

I grinned back, feeling warm at her words. "And you're the only one I'll share with."

"Hey, don't I get a say in this?" Will asked, walking up to us with a towel wrapped around his shoulders. His hair was a wet mess across his forehead and eyes, and his swim trunks hung low on his hips, accentuating the V cut of his lower abdomen.

"No," Parker and I said at the same time.

He chuckled, coming to kiss my forehead. "It's settled then," he said, moving to kiss Parker's cheek. "I'm taken by the two prettiest girls I know."

Parker and I shared a look and a grin. She giggled.

"Hey, Aunt Leah, Uncle Caden. What brings you two up here?" he asked as his sister and the others joined us. Brayden was scrubbing his head with a towel while Jules wrung out her hair, dripping the water on his feet. He gave her a look while she grinned up at him mischievously.

Leah smiled. "Just wanted to come wish you a happy birthday, just like everyone else."

Will hugged her. "Thanks."

She pulled back to give him a look. "You're not letting my kid drink, are you?"

He laughed. "Of course not."

While they talked, I looked at Caden, who was still staring at me. Instead of staring back like I wanted to, I turned to Parker and smiled. "So was it fun?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "I was nervous at first, but it was totally awesome."

"I'm nervous, too. But hey, after my first jump with him, do you wanna go the three of us?"

Her face lit up. "Really?"

Reaching up, I stroked a wet strand of hair behind her ear. "Sure, why not?"

"Yay!" Reaching out, she hugged me around the neck and kissed my cheek. "You're the best!"

Her words affected me more than they should, but I fought not to show it. It helped when Will wrapped his arm around my waist.

He put his lips to my ear. "You wanna jump?"

I nodded. "I promised Parker a jump with just the three of us after my first one with you."

"Well, shall we? Let's not keep the poor girl waiting. She'll drive everyone nuts."

Ten minutes later, I'd stripped down to my shorts and bikini top. Will had stared at me for a full five minutes before I snapped my fingers in front of his face. His stare had surprisingly warmed my body. Nobody, not even Melice, had looked at me with so much heat in his eyes. Will had apologized profusely for staring, but I laughed it off. It was a compliment and I took it as such. Now, he took my hand and smiled over at me.

I leaned over to look down at the water.

He chuckled. "It's calm today so don't worry about hitting the rocks. Besides, I'll be with you the whole time. I've don't this a lot. Granted, this is only my second time as a wolf, but I think even with what little experience I have, I can qualify. Okay? Trust me?"

Well that was a loaded question, but I decided to answer it for the moment. "If Parker and the others survived under your care, then yeah, I trust you."

Grinning, he lifted my hand to his lips. "Good. Something tells me you don't trust easy, so I'll take that little bit as a compliment."

It amazed and scared me how well he could read that about me. I didn't trust anybody. But I was slowly starting to trust him. Going up on my toes, I kissed the corner of his mouth. "Shall we?"

"Count of three."

He counted and, together, hand in hand, we jumped from the cliff with me trusting him the whole time.

The fall was both long and short at the same time. Will kept hold of my hand all the way until we hit the water. It was nice and cold as it enveloped me. I came up laughing, gasping for air. The jump was a complete rush. Calming down, I waited for Will to surface. After a moment, I started to get worried…until I felt a pair of hands grip my waist. Coming up out of the water, he pushed me up and threw me. Laughing, I managed to hold my breath before I went under. When I came back up, I gripped his shoulders and used them as leverage to dunk him. He came back up laughing and pulled me close.

"So? How was it?"

I couldn't help the stupid grin. "Exhilarating!" And then I kissed him. At first it was just a hard crush of lips, but soon it turned deeper, more meaningful. His hands tightened on the bare skin of my waist as I wrapped my legs around hips. Major points for him when he didn't grope my ass when he moved his hands to my thighs.

And then a wave moved over us, forcing us apart. Here in the water, it was intimate and close. Breathing heavy, we floated there in the water just staring at each other. And I wondered what the hell was happening to me. How was he affecting me like this? In so little time?

Reaching up, he stroked my hair away from my face. "I'm glad you trusted me."

"Me, too." And I actually meant it. Which still surprised me.

Grinning again, he said, "What do you say we go get Parker?"

"Sounds like a plan."

We broke apart and together we swam to the shore to go get Parker.

A Week Later…The Next Weekend

WillPOV

The past week had been very nearly perfect. Hunter was becoming more comfortable being around my friends and family. Piper had calmed her attitude and Jules had become a constant companion. Parker had made us swear to a couple dates with her and also wanted to hang out with Hunter on her own. Mom had even invited Hunter over for dinner a couple times.

The down side? One, Dad had stared holes in my head, no doubt wondering if I'd indeed imprinted. Not to mention, Chief Yates had practically ripped me a new one after he'd pulled me out of government to interrogate me about Hunter. My hackles raised the moment he mentioned her. I'd told him that nothing had changed. I still hadn't killed the kid. Hunter and I had barely been together, even now. Maybe a week and a half or so. She'd been worried when I'd gone back into class practically fuming.

But the week was over and now Hunter and I were on our way into Port Angeles for my belated birthday dinner from her. Her hand was warm in mine over the console in her Jeep. I was driving us into town while she talked about school and the pack. She kept asking questions about members and who was related to who. Not able to help myself, I finally told her the differences between us and the Children of the Moon. Surprisingly, she didn't freak out, just kept asking questions.

"So where do you think your dad's taking you tomorrow?"

"No idea. He said that he figured out what he was getting me for my birthday but that I had to go with him. Mom said a father/son outing of some sort."

"Well that sounds fun. You'll have to keep me updated."

"Of course." I brought her knuckles to my lips before parallel parking in front of the restaurant. This place had been a dating haven for my family since my grandparents first got together. It was their first date. Well, unofficial date.

We made it in and managed a secluded booth in the back. Our waitress was one I'd had before. She was older so I didn't have to worry about her hitting on me, which was refreshing. She took our drink orders and left us with the menus. Hunter was in her seat, looking around, taking in the environment.

"This place is so cute," she said happily.

"One of my favorite places. It's sort of been in my family for years. My grandparents started here."

"Really?"

"Really.

Looking around to see if anybody was listening, she leaned in. "Don't they get recognized? I mean, since they're…you know?"

I shrugged. "They don't come out here anymore because of that. Besides, they're…you know. No solid diet, remember?"

She made a face. "Right. Sorry."

I laughed. "It's alright. My parents still come out here though. Eventually, they'll have to stop, too."

"Why?"

My turn to look around and lean in. "Because they don't age, either. Haven't you noticed that they still look like they're twenty-something? I mean, I could be my dad's brother. Which is kind of creepy now that I think about it."

She laughed. "Well, anyone who knows you sees that you're father and son. Your dad loves you. Hell, your whole family loves you."

That last was touched with sadness and loneliness.

Reaching across the table, I took her hand. "Hunter, you're not alone."

She scoffed and wouldn't meet my eyes.

The waitress came back with our drinks.

I squeezed her hand. "Hey, look at me." It took a moment, but eventually she did as I asked. "Listen to me, I can't say that I love you. At least…not yet. But you're not alone. You need anything from me, and I'll be there. I swear it. You're a hit with my parents. Jules is coming around. And the twins are thrilled to have a real challenge at video games. I know that whatever this is that we have hasn't been on that long, but I'm comfortable with you. You don't treat me like the other girls do. I'm not some rich kid to be drooled over to you. Do you really not know how much that means to me? Even only after a week and a half or whatever?"

She gripped my hand and studied my face. "You are hot," she said, breaking the moment.

I laughed. "Well, thanks, I guess. You can thank my parents for that."

"I don't think that would be a good idea. Could you imagine your mom's face?"

We both laughed at that mental image.

"That's true."

She took my hands in both of hers. "Can I ask you a question?"

I quirked an eyebrow. "Another one?"

She looked away sheepishly. "Sorry. I guess I have been annoying."

"No," I said quickly. "No, I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that one more couldn't hurt."

The waitress came back. "What can I get for the two of you?"

Neither of us had looked at the menu.

"Uh," I said before looking at my date. "You like steak?"

She smiled. "Love it."

I looked up at the waitress. "Two good cuts of meat. Rare for me."

"Likewise. Thank you."

The woman smiled kindly. "Sides?"

Hunter looked at her menu. "I've never been here. What's good?"

"Garlic mashed potatoes," the waitress and I said at the same time before laughing.

Hunter chuckled. "Sounds good all around."

The waitress, whose name I just now remembered as Macy, grinned. "Coming right up."

"Thanks, Macy."

After taking our menus, she gave me a surprised look and gently slapped me with them. "You remembered."

"Of course. I'm in here all the time, and you've served us a few times."

She practically beamed. "And I remember you. You look just like your father." She waved her ticket book. "Let me go get these orders in for you."

"Thank you." Once she left, I turned back to Hunter. "So back to your question. Shoot."

"Right." She leaned forward again. "So, I don't know how to really say this or exactly what my question is. It's more of what I heard."

"Okay," I said cautiously.

"Last weekend, at your party bonfire, I was talking to Jules on the way to your house. She told me some things about the wolves, about relationships and how they move fast. She asked me that if I wasn't serious about being with you, if I wasn't planning on something long term, to end it now because the wolves have certain instincts when it comes to mates. When they have an instinct about someone, it tends to go hard and fast. The relationship, I mean. Like, I think she said insta-attraction. That's the instinct, and the wolves tend to not question it. Embry agreed with what she said when I ran it past him. Jules said that because you have that attraction to me that you could be in it for the long haul, and if I'm not, I should back out so I don't hurt you."

Holy shit. We were perilously close to imprint conversation. And I wasn't ready for it. Clearing my throat, I gripped her hands again. "Uh, yeah. They're right. That…that instinct, we don't question it. I would say that it's like love at first sight, it's that feeling of kinship, of being able to relate to that person. But it's not love, exactly. Just a fondness. You know that feeling that you get at the beginning of a relationship that you always want to be with that person, and then that point that you realize it's turning into something else, that new level of excitement?"

She swallowed hard. "I've never felt it, but I've heard about it."

I smiled a little. "Me, too. I heard about it from my parents. But that point, that new level, that's what you feel when you meet that person. When that instinct hits you. You just want to be there for that person."

Now she looked at me as if I were a different person, a pleasantly different person. "That's what you feel for me?"

"Not when we first met, back in April. I can tell you exactly when it did start."

"When?" Now she was on the edge of her seat.

"The day I let you borrow my calculator. Remember how I just ran off after I gave it to you?" She nodded. "That was the first time I saw you after I first phased. The first day I phased was the day I had that episode in the cafeteria, the day I hit Ash. The day I yelled at you." I knew the guilt coated my tone. I just couldn't help it. The fact that I punched Ash still bothered me as well as me yelling at her.

Her fingers played over my knuckles and wrists. "Will, stop beating yourself up over that. I forgave you, and I know Ash did, too. He adores you. And I have come to really like you, Will. A lot more than I should for the short time we've been on speaking terms. I'm strangely comfortable around you, too. And if it bothers you, we don't have to talk about it anymore. Alright?"

I studied her. "So, knowing what you do and that it's true, you're not backing out?"

She gave me direct eye contact when she shook her head. "No. I won't. Since I've met you, I've known kindness and…fun. My adoptive parents kept me on a tight leash. They couldn't have their own so they were very over-protective. They never would have let me go to an all weekend bonfire or cliff jump. Or hell, go off after school to a diner with a boy."

I laughed and reached up to brush her hair back. "Well, then, I guess you're welcome. Does that mean you'll stick around after senior year?"

Her grin was playful. "It's becoming more and more of a possibility. Granted, this place doesn't get much sunshine." We both laughed. "However, I think I might be able to work around that."

"More trips to California?"

She shrugged. "And with a tall, hot werewolf for protection?"

"Of course. Didn't even have to ask."

Leaning over the table, she pressed her chocolate-strawberry lips to mine.

Not a minute later, Macy came up with our steaks. We spent the rest of the time eating and lightening up with playful conversation. Hunter twined her legs with mine, foot rubbing up and down my leg. We shared a couple slices of apple pie for dessert. I paid for the meal much to Hunter's irritation. She complained that it was supposed to be my birthday dinner from her, but Macy and I ignored her protests. And after dessert, we stayed and talked about absolutely nothing. She was still full of questions. A couple hours later, Macy told us it was closing time, so I drove us back through Forks, past my house, and to the rez. It was dark outside Hunter's house. She'd forgotten to turn on the porch light.

We walked hand in hand to her front door.

"So," she said, swinging my hand. "Even though it was supposed to be my present for you, thank you for the steak. It was, in fact, delicious."

"Mmm, you're very welcome. And the present for me was spending time with you without anybody we know watching us, or pretending like they're not watching us."

I loved her laugh, especially when it wasn't guarded. She had a tendency to hide what she found amusing. It was a mystery why.

"Yeah, I suppose that was nice. Well, I guess you need to get home before they send a search party out after you. Not to mention you should get some sleep before your father/son date."

I choked out a laugh. "Yeah, that is true. But first-," Cupping her face, I brought her mouth to mine. It was slow and warm, full of everything I couldn't yet say, couldn't tell her about our connection.

When we pulled apart, she licked her lips, eyes still closed. She nodded. "I think that is definitely worth staying for."

I pressed another chaste kiss to her lips. "Go get some sleep. I'll text you tomorrow."

Swallowing hard, she nodded. "Good night, William Black."

"Good night. Lock up when I leave, alright?"

"Of course."

I watched as she unlocked the door and went inside. I didn't head for the woods until I heard the bolt slide home on her front door. Not surprisingly, Brayden stepped out of the woods in a pair of ratty cut-offs.

"Hot date?" he asked smugly.

"You have eyes. You know she's hot."

He made a face. "Eh, you know I got eyes for only one girl."

I punched his arm. "Yeah, and that's my sister you're talking about. Speaking of, you guys are back on speaking terms?"

He ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah. We had a little chat."

"Did you tell her?"

His silence was answer enough.

"Dude, I swear…what are you waiting for?"

He sighed. "You know what she wants. Finish out high school, online college. Maybe move away to actually go to college. She wants so much for herself."

"Yeah and?"

"A relationship would hurt that."

Speeding up, I got in front of him and turned around to face him. "Brayden, are you listening to yourself? Do you really think that her not knowing that she's your soul mate will help her in long run? I mean, even if she phases, are you planning on telling her? You'd better because you know she'll imprint on you. And when she does, she'll know you were hiding from her. Either way, it's a lose-lose for both of you."

Getting frustrated, he growled a little. "And I don't see you making a bee line to tell Hunter."

"And you know why," I said in a warning tone. "Brayden, she's new here and she's human. Despite what little she knows about the pack, she doesn't know about that. She and I have only been together a couple weeks. I can't unload all that crap onto her. She's just now getting used to the fact that someone cares, at least a little, about her. Jules is a different story and you know it. Your reason isn't good enough, not for her. I'm sorry, Brayden, but it's not. In doing for herself, she'd want her soul mate, her imprint, by her side, sharing it with you. Why can't you understand that?"

Putting his hands on his hips, he looked up at cloudy night sky. "I'll tell her. Okay? Does that make you happy? I'll tell her. Just give me a week or two."

"Two weeks. I can live with that. And I know I'll tell Hunter. Just not that soon, alright?"

He held out his hand. I gripped his forearm. "Deal."

"Alright, let's get home before our parents have aneurysms, shall we?"

Side by side with my best friend, I walked home, wondering if things ever worked out the way we planned.

HunterPOV

After Will left and the house was locked up, I just laid there on the bed staring up at the ceiling. What the hell was going on with me? Two weeks. Two measly weeks and I was being a girly-girl, gushing over how he and his family treated me. I hadn't seen Melice since that night I'd found out about the murder, and honestly, I hadn't really thought about my future mate. I was more about having fun and enjoying my time with likeable people. Which wasn't what I was supposed to be doing here. I was here for revenge for my family. It was all I could think about since I'd been told the story and then been trained to fight.

Rolling over, I looked to the picture I kept on my bedside table. The only thing I really had to connect me to my lost family. And then I started to think about what my mother would want. Would she really want me doing this? Plotting to kill another person? Every time I'd killed, it was in self-defense. Here, I was getting close to the man who killed her. He didn't seem like a killer. He helped guide the young here, had young of his own. Could I really rip a father away from his family the way my family had been ripped away from me?

Surprisingly, the answer was yes. Gritting my teeth and swallowing hard, I reached out to stroke the picture. An eye for an eye. I had to suffer so why shouldn't they? Did they even know what he'd done? I guessed not from the way they all looked up to him, went to him for counsel.

But what about Will? And Melice?

Two completely different males, and yet one of them was quickly claiming me. What would Melice do if I told him to leave me here? To let me be? That was if Will could accept the fact that I'd be killing one of his lifetime friends, a member of his extended family. Could I really have a life here if I made the death look like an accident? But the way Will had talked about his pull to me earlier tonight…it seemed so much like he was talking about true mates. I'd heard and seen the pull work its magic. Was that what was happening with us? Was that why I was so drawn to him? I felt that same ache, even now, to be with him. Two nights spent beside him in the tent had been amazing and safe. I'd never admit out loud that those two nights had been the best sleep of my life. And I wanted that all the time. Being here alone in this bed was uncomfortable and cold even though I didn't get cold anymore. Will was a true shining soul. Somehow he could see through the bullshit, right down to the fact that I don't trust anyone. But that was changing. He was showing me that there are people in this world who are worth it. And he was one of them. Only two weeks and I was ready to do anything for him. I'd been firm in my belief that the man who killed my family should be slaughtered. Now, here I was on the fence about it. Debating with myself where doubt had never been before. Not even for a second. I'd even thought about the fact that he might have a family of his own and it hadn't stopped me from seething with rage and wanting his blood to run free. Now? I was starting to see what everyone else saw. An orphaned eighteen year old girl in need of a little TLC instead of a cold-blooded assassin. The question was, is that what I want to be? A normal girl? Well, kind of normal. I was still a Child, but there wasn't a pack too far away. Walker's pack. Could I let go of my grudge and settle here?

Again, I looked at the photo. And a boiling rage started inside again. A rage at the fact that I couldn't have my family, a mother's loving touch or a father's protective blanket. Why should his young get what I can't have? Looking back over my eighteen years, I remembered all the fights to stay alive, never trusting anyone. Training to know how to kill. Shifting faster than most. No. I'd get my vengeance. I had to. It's what had driven me my entire life, and giving it up now was foolish. Maybe, after the deed was done, I could still get free of Melice. That would make me an omega and anybody's meat, but I could handle myself. But I knew for certain that I'd have to leave here…and Will. Something inside me clenched with the thought. I'd foolishly told him tonight that I wouldn't back out of being with him. What would happen if I stayed even longer, encouraged an attachment, and then just up and vanished after a mentor of his was brutally murdered? He'd know it was me, and he'd never forgive me. Even if I stayed after the murder, made it look like an accident…they weren't stupid here. They'd somehow figure it out. Then what would happen to me? Would Will be forced to deal with me, to kill me? Could he do it?

Why did I suddenly care about Will? He was supposed to be my doorway into the community, to get close to my target. Getting close was a huge obstacle. I needed to know my target. How he functioned. What his schedule was. His weaknesses. I was getting there, but I needed more time. It wasn't just a game like I'd told Melice. He hadn't been trained the same way I had. He'd been groomed to take over the pack. The pack leader wasn't an assassin. His enforcers were. And that elite group of fighters was by whom I'd been trained. Melice knew how to fight, but I was fairly confident I could kill him myself. It would definitely save the world some trouble. He was a sociopathic serial killer. Born to the Children, he had no regard for human life. I was a born Child as well, but for some reason, I wasn't soulless the way he was. Apparently, I was one of those women who hoped she could change a man. I'd been promised to Melice since I'd been sent to live with his father's pack when I'd barely been a week old, so I'd grown up with him. I did my best to understand him, to get him to steer onto a less dark path. Clearly my influence hadn't worked. Like Will, Mel was a momma's boy, and his mother was nothing short of Satan in female form. She'd slaughtered every one of her mate's illegitimate young not long after they were born, right in front of their mothers. That was only one of her sins, but I never crossed that female. She wasn't fond of me, thought I was too soft. But Mel's father believed his son needed a little softness. After all, Mel's mother had only one sensitive spot: her mate. They were true mates. Everything feminine and soft was reserved for him and him alone. Nothing had been saved for her son, which was why he was as ruthless as she was. However, I knew that I wasn't Mel's weakness. We weren't true mates. That much was evident in the way I'd started feeling about Will.

Growling in frustration, I returned to my back and staring at the ceiling. Unfortunately, I fell asleep wishing Will was here beside me, his arms wrapped around me.

The Next Morning

JPOV

My son was up early on a weekend day, ready to head out by nine in the morning. Nope, he wasn't excited at all.

Grabbing an apple, he kissed his mother on the temple before sitting at the table. "So, Pops, where are we going?"

I gave him a look over my mug. "Remember the last time you called me that and I joked about grounding you?" He grinned. "Next time I won't be joking."

Nessie, trying not to laugh, snorted into her glass.

I rolled my eyes.

Still smiling, Will said, "Seriously, though, Dad, where are we going?"

Shaking my head, I put the mug down. "Not telling you. But you'll figure it out."

"Whatever," he said before taking a bite of the apple.

After Ness got a hold of herself, she patted his arm. "So, how'd your date go last night?"

He nodded. "Good. Macy waited on us last night." He looked at me. "She said I look just like you."

"It's true," Ness agreed.

"Anyway," Will went on. "Hunter is incredible. She's been through so much. I just wish she didn't have to live alone like that."

While he talked with his mother about his girlfriend, I studied him, the way he talked about her. I was fairly certain he'd imprinted. And I was very close to ordering him to tell me the truth. But if he hadn't told me already, it meant he had a reason. I knew the kids had suspicions about her still. Piper was more civil, but I could see the looks my niece threw at the new girl, and it wasn't just because of the crush. Jules was friendlier, but I could see the wariness in my daughter. Maybe I could ask him in the truck. He might be more inclined to tell me with nobody else around.

Jules came down a few minutes later, yawning and rubbing her eyes. Her coppers hair was in frizzy braids. She frowned at Will. "What is wrong with you?"

Laughing, he tugged affectionately on one of her braids when she slumped next to him in a chair. "Dad and I are going into town for some mysterious father/son thing. Figured we could get an early start."

She yawned. "Freak."

"Takes one to know one."

She sneered at him before resting her head on his shoulder. Ness and I shared a smile. It was so nice to know that our kids loved each other, that they protected each other. It's what we'd always wanted, how we raised them.

He kissed the top of her head and wrapped an arm around her. "What are you doing up?"

"The twins are up and decided to have a gaming marathon."

The three of us shared the same expression. "Ah."

"It seems they're trying to figure out who the best is behind Hunter."

Will chuckled proudly. "Yeah well, living alone, she's gotta find something to do."

Under the table, I kicked his boot. "Shall we?"

Stretching he stood up and kissed both his sister and his mother on their heads.

An hour later, we were close to Port Angeles. We talked about the pack and what was being done to make sure that what happened to Chad wouldn't happen again. We'd upped the patrols and so far nothing had come across the radar. No scents or tracks of anything bigger than a mountain lion. Will was worried about Hunter because of where her place was situated. He'd told her no more walking to school. If she went outside, it was to get straight in her car. I couldn't say I disagreed. I was all for putting a curfew on the rez but this time, the good chief didn't agree with me since no other incidents had happened since the kid's death. Being who I was, I could force the issue. However, I didn't want to have bad ties with the chief. It wouldn't help any future dealings between us.

"Son?"

"Yeah?"

"I want to talk about Hunter."

He turned toward me, a wary look in his gaze. He knew what I was about to ask him. "What about her?"

"I think you know, Will. Did you imprint on her?"

For a moment, all he did was stare at me before looking out the window as I drove through town. "Is that an order to tell you?"

I cleared my throat. "You'd know if it was. But no, you don't have to. If you're keeping something like that from me, from the pack, then I know you have a good reason. I just thought I'd ask. If you did, it's a big thing, and I figured you might have some questions."

He sighed. "Honestly, it wouldn't make a difference about our suspicions about her if I did."

"True. But there could be a different way to go at things." I looked over at him, but he was still staring out the window. "It's just a thought. You don't have to say anything. Imprinting is a very personal, intimate thing, especially if the other person doesn't know about it. I would know. I've been there. I'm just letting you know that you can come to me. And it will stay between us. Mom doesn't have to know." I loved Ness and we'd vowed not to keep secrets from each other, but when it came to our kids, confidences meant everything. It meant trust. And we both wanted our kids to trust us.

For a while, he stayed quiet. I knew the set of his shoulders. It meant he was weighing his options, trying to figure out what to say. I left him to his thoughts and continued to drive through town until I found what I was looking for.

"Yes," he finally said quietly after about five minutes. "I did imprint on her."

Even though I'd suspected, it was still a punch to the gut to hear it confirmed. My son had found his soul mate and we were all suspicious of her. It still struck me as odd that she didn't have a scent. Everybody had one. So that meant she was hiding it. Which connected her to whatever killed Chad. I didn't know how, but I had a feeling it would play out if we gave it enough time.

But I just kept calm and nodded. "Okay. You wanna talk about it?"

He gave a bitter laugh. "It seems that's all I'm doing. At first all I wanted was to keep it a secret until we forgot that we suspected her of something, and here I am spilling to everyone."

"Everyone?"

"Jules, the twins, and Brayden know."

I frowned. "Your siblings, I get. It's hard to keep that kind of secret when you're close and you live together. But Brayden?"

His expression told me that he'd said too much. But he caved. "You can't say anything. He'll kill me."

I held up my hands. "I swear it. I might be alpha and do what's good for the pack, but I'm your father first. What's said between us, stays between us."

Sighing heavily, he thumped his head on the window. "He's kind of in the same boat."

That shot my eyebrows to my hairline. "He imprinted?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I won't tell you who even though it's really not hard to guess. But she doesn't know. He won't tell her. Which is stupid. We made a deal though. He promised he'd tell her within two weeks. I promised that I'd eventually tell Hunter, but not any time too soon because she's not one of us. She's human so I figure she needs a little more time to get used to the rez and hanging around the pack."

"Sounds reasonable. Let me guess…Jules?"

His silence was answer enough. Great. So my daughter lived next door to her soul mate. Will was right. Brayden needed to tell her because if she phased before he did? Whew. That is one shit storm that nobody needed. Jules's temper rivaled her mother's. Nessie's reaction of me keeping my imprint from her was nothing compared to what Jules would do to Brayden if she phased and imprinted on him before he told her of his own imprint. She'd have the power and strength to rip him a new one. Not to mention that the fact he hadn't told her pissed me off. She loved him already without the imprint. Why couldn't he see it was killing her to know he was keeping something from her? And she was guessing it was the imprint. Seeing her hurting revved up my paternal instincts to squash him like a bug.

"Dad, you can't say anything. Not to Jules or Brayden. Or anyone else." Will's voice was telling me to calm down.

That was when I realized I was growling. Stopping myself, I gritted out, "I know, I know."

Will shook his head. "Trust me, I don't like the fact that she cries over him any more than you do. She's my little sister. I want to beat the crap out of him on principle."

That broke the tension and made me laugh. "You are definitely my son."

He chuckled as I turned into the car lot. The chuckle cut off. "Dad?"

"Happy birthday."

"No way!" His expression was priceless. "Are you serious?"

"Pick whatever you want. If there's nothing here, we can hop to the next one. But Mom said you liked your uncle's Jeep."

Grinning, he hopped out of the truck. "Hell yeah."

Chuckling, I followed as a salesman walked out to meet us. I'd called yesterday to let them know we were coming out to possibly buy. He walked up to me, hand outstretched. "Mr. Black."

"Mr. Talbot, good to see you again. Changed dealerships, huh?"

He shrugged. "Tough times." He motioned to Will. "I take it this is your son?"

I nodded. "Will."

They shook hands.

"So what are you looking for, Will?"

My son just shook his head, still in disbelief. "Honestly, I have no idea. I haven't really thought about it. This is a surprise for me. A huge one. My uncle has a Wrangler, and my girlfriend has a Liberty."

Talbot nodded. "Jeeps are good around here. Very popular with the younger crowds. Used mostly, but I'm suspecting you and your dad will be buying new."

Will looked to me and I nodded. I'd taught my son how to drive and I trusted him to be careful. Anybody who rode with him was precious to him. He wouldn't be reckless. Besides, if he did crash it, Edward would just buy him a new one.

Talbot and Will started walking and talking. I just followed.

"You mentioned the Wrangler and Liberty. Which one did you like the best? Of course we have other models, too."

"I was leaning toward the Wrangler since I know how it handles. We live out past Forks, so we're in the woods a lot."

Talbot nodded. "Well we have the original and the unlimited. I guess it would depend on how many doors you want."

An hour later, we never had to leave the lot. Will was fond of the black Wrangler Unlimited. He said that it seemed sturdier than the original after we test drove it. Of course the safety features were the first thing he looked at. We'd just finished signing all the paperwork and paying for it. Talbot, who had sold us the truck and the two SUVs, didn't bat an eye when I paid in full.

It was a precious moment when Talbot came back with the keys.

He held them over Will's upturned palm. "She's all yours, kid." And dropped them.

Will practically ran to his new baby. Laughing, I shook hands with the salesman. "Thanks for your help. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again. I do have three other kids."

He gripped my hand. "Call me whenever. If I can't help ya out, I'll find someone who can."

"Thanks." Leaving him inside, I went to the driver's side of the Jeep. "Got a fresh tank of gas. You ready to drive her home?"

My son's grin took up his whole face. "Thank you, Dad. So much. This is…freaking awesome. I hope that whenever I have kids, if I do, that I'm half as cool as you."

Laughing, I clapped his shoulder through the window. "You'll be terrified at first, but I'm sure you will be." Then I got stern. "But not for a long time. Don't make me a grandpa any time soon. I'll have to hurt you."

He laughed. "Deal."

"Come on, let's get home. I'm starving. And you have a car to show off."

I started to walk off when he called me back.

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"You and Mom were talking about selling the Tahoe, right?"

I frowned. "Yeah. What about it?"

"Well, I was thinking. Maybe we can let Jenny borrow it. You know she doesn't like to ask for help, and last weekend, she walked up to the bonfire on her way to see Carlisle. She shouldn't be walking the woods, not even the road, right now. Brayden drove her the rest of the way, but it still made me uneasy that she was walking. And she walks to school. I mean with whatever's in the woods plus Chad's drug thugs…" he shook his head.

Understanding where he was coming from, I nodded. "I'll talk to Mom. You've got a good point."

"She'd have to get her license, but that shouldn't be too hard. I think she's seventeen or eighteen."

"Alright. Yeah. Like I said, I'll talk to Mom about it."

"Thanks. And Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. Really. For the car. It's great. I love it."

Trying to remain manly, I swallowed and said, "You earned it, son. You've done exceptionally well with the phasing. Keeping up with school even with a girlfriend and everything that's been going on. I'm proud of you. And so is Mom. We both thought you deserved this."

He grinned and went back to tinkering with his new toy. I left him at it. The first drive is always a bonding moment between man and machine. Hopping into my truck, I watched as he drove off the lot before calling his mother.

WillPOV

Dad pulled into the driveway right after I did. He'd followed me all the way home. Everybody spilled out of the house at the same time that I got out of the car. Jules squealed and jumped off the porch only to launch herself at me.

"This is so cool! The top comes off, right?"

I chuckled, hugging her back. "Yeah."

"Can I sit in it?"

"No," I said sarcastically. "You are never allowed to step one foot inside my car." Laughing, I shoved her toward it. "Go for it, sis."

Ash and Dox came to stand next to me while Jules climbed into the driver's seat.

"Badass," Dox said. "Uncle Emmett's gonna be jealous."

Ash clapped me on the back. "I knew you'd pick the Jeep. You've been in love with it since forever. She is beautiful, though."

Mom and Dad moved around to stand with us.

"Daddy," Jules said in her sweet, innocent voice. "I want one!"

He chuckled. "Senior year, we'll talk."

"Yes!" She fist-pumped.

We all laughed while Mom came up to hug me. She kissed my cheek. "Happy belated birthday, sweetheart."

"Thanks, Mom. Really. Like I told Dad, this is amazing. You guys didn't have to."

"No, we didn't. But you've made us really proud to call you our son. You deserve more than this. All four of you do. But it's not their eighteenth birthdays yet."

Hugging her tight, I kissed the top of her head. Man, I loved my mother.

She pulled back a little. "Oh and Dad called me about the Tahoe. I think that is a wonderful and generous idea. How about I take it down to her tomorrow after school? A little woman to woman, mom to soon-to-be mom deal."

Grinning down at her, I hugged her again. "Thanks, Mom. You're the best."

She winked at me. "I know."

Once Jules climbed out, the twins each had to have a turn to sit behind the wheel.

"How does she handle?" Jules asked.

"For me? Better than the original. I just like that it has four doors."

She nodded. "Yeah, it feels better to me, too. Does Hunter know?"

I shook my head. "Nope. Came straight home because I know you, Ash, and Dox would have killed me."

Maddox punched my shoulder. "You have no idea."

Mom reached up to pat my cheek. "Well why don't you go pick her up and bring her up for dinner? I have extra chicken I need to fix."

"Yeah, and Ash and I have been practicing our gaming skills. Time to test them out." Maddox nodded, sure of himself, and cracked his knuckles.

Shaking my head, I rolled my eyes before meeting Dad's stare. Telling him about Hunter hadn't been on my agenda until I'd figured out what was up with her. But of course, I was his son. He knew me better than I thought he did. He knew the pressures of being a young alpha and imprinting on someone who wouldn't understand what that meant until the time was right. Over Mom's head, he nodded just slightly, reminding me of his promise to keep what we'd talked about between us. Between two alpha males leading the same pack.

Taking a deep breath, I kissed Mom's cheek one more time before hopping into my new car. On my way into the rez, I called Hunter.

"There you are," she said in greeting.

"Hey."

"I was beginning to think you'd lost my number or something."

I laughed. "Don't be like that. I have a surprise."

"For me?"

"Technically for me, but since you're in the picture, both of us can use it."

In the background, water turned on and there was a clatter, like she was washing the dishes. "Really now?"

"Mhm."

"And when am I going to be seeing this surprise?"

"Go stand on your porch," I said as I pulled into her driveway.

She made a suspicious hum before the water turned off. A moment later, I heard the locks slide on her front door and then the door itself creak open. "Okay. I'm out here. What am I looking for?"

Chuckling, I said, "Hold your horses, you impatient woman." And then I pulled around the bend in the drive.

She was standing there in her shorts and a long sleeve t-shirt. Her mouth dropped open as she turned toward the sound of tires on the dirt. "Holy shit," I heard her say before she hung up.

Laughing, I pulled up to the porch and hopped out.

She just kept staring. "A car? That was the father/son date? They got you a car?"

"I know, right? I totally wasn't expecting it. I mean, we have the truck and two SUVs. But Dad let me pick whatever I wanted."

Suddenly, she looked at me very seriously. "Can I sit in it?"

A burst laughter came out of my throat. "You sound just like Jules." I motioned toward it. "Go ahead."

After pecking my lips, she hopped up inside. "It's like the male version of my car."

Grinning, I leaned in the window. "Awesome, isn't it?"

"Uh yeah." Leaning over, she really kissed me. "Now you can pick me up for school."

I raised my eyebrows. "Oh I can, can I?"

She gave me an innocent, pouty look. "Isn't that what boyfriends do?"

Tugging a lock of her hair, I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I suppose it is what we do."

She grinned.

"Come here."

We met in the middle for a soft kiss.

"Why don't you go get dressed? Mom invited you up for dinner and the twins are dying to get crushed by you on the game front."

Pecking me with another kiss, she hopped out and skipped into the house, leaving the door open behind her. Shaking my head, I locked the car before following inside. She was working on killing the fire.

"Go get dressed. I'll do that."

She grinned up at me. "Hero." And then she took off down the hallway.

Looking around, I could see that she was settling in more. The first time I'd come here I hadn't seen any knickknacks. But over the past week, more and more stuff started popping up. Picture frames featuring people I'd never seen before. But there was also me, Parker, even Piper made an appearance. Parker and I were the front-runners though. The house was now homey, warmer.

As I bent down to finish putting the fire out, I prayed that her settling in was a good sign.

---

So no huge drama, but I promise there will be some. Many of you are going to explode my reviews and PM about Hunter. At least I wrote this thinking you would. If not, hey, I was wrong. I really missed you guys something fierce! Please review and let me know how much you hate me for abandoning you or about the chapter. Either works. Love y'all! xoxoxoxo