Sorry this took so long!!!

Chapter X

In which ice cream is eaten, a message is sent, and stars are watched.

Jacob's POV

I woke up with a very stiff neck. The couch wasn't the biggest, and I had let Embry have the bed, since it was Harper's and I didn't think he'd like me in it.

I stretched and looked at the clock over the stove, it was 1 am.

I shook my head at the stove, this camper really wasn't even a camper, it was an apartment that they hooked up to that SUV and hauled out here.

Since I had only had six sandwiches before I fell asleep, which was almost ten hours ago, and Mia had said to feel free to help ourselves, I decided I'd get something to eat. I stood up and walked over towards a set of cabinets that I thought might be housing food. Just as I turned to open it I felt something soft bump into me.

Mia made a cute little grunt, and then swore. "What the fuck?" I was still impressed with her vocabulary, most girls I knew got offended when I swore; this girl did it too though.

"I'm sorry." I said turning to look at her. "Are you al-" I trailed off as I looked at her. Mia was standing in front of me in a little satin green night gown. It had a plunging neckline and I got a good view of her cleavage. It was also pretty short, so her legs were visible up to about mid thigh. It was clingy and sheer. I gulped as I let my eyes wander up and down her body. When they reached her chest I stopped, not only was a fair amount of cleavage visible, the satin left little to the imagination (AN: I believe the phrase "It's a bit nippy in here" is appropriate. bursts into childish and hysterical giggles. I gulped again and forced my eyes back up to her face. Bloodsuckers, bloodsuckers, leeches, parasites, sickly sweet icy smell…I thought to keep myself under control. I thought of the most revolting thing I could think of to keep it from becoming apparent how much I enjoyed the sight before me.

"No, I'm sorry I should have watched where I was going. I just didn't expect you to be up." She said, blushing. She crossed her arms across her chest, probably in an attempt to make them less noticeable. It didn't really help all that much, actually it did the opposite as it pushed them up slightly. Stop it Jake, you perve! I thought to myself, but who was I kidding? Who wouldn't be looking? Though, I didn't like the idea of anyone else looking so that wasn't the best defense.

Mia cleared her throat, bringing me out of my contemplations of her breasts. I gave her a sheepish look and she rolled her eyes.

"Take a picture it lasts longer." Mia said in a sarcastic tone, but she shifted uncomfortably and turned her face away, and wouldn't look at me. Great, now I've offended her. But come on! I'm a guy! I know it's not really an excuse, but really, if I wasn't looking then I'd have to be gay, or dead, or both.

"Look Mia, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have been ogling you." I said apologetically. She bit her lip and glanced at me, she still looked uncomfortable though. "Though when a scantly clad angel appears, one can't help but stare." I blurted out. It was an attempt to defend myself, I didn't want her upset with me, but it sounded rather different out loud than it did in my head. She raised her eyebrows at me and gaped. Oh god1 did I say that out loud? "Well I mean, it's just that you are so beautiful and, I mean it's just-um never mind." I shook my head dejectedly. "I really am sorry." I finished lamely. I bent down slightly to get her to meet my eyes. It worked. She looked up at me, and smiled sadly.

"It's really not a big deal." She replied. "Honestly I'm used to it. Besides, I can't really be upset with you, after all I was checking you out earlier; it's only fair you be able to reciprocate." She said matter-of-factly.

She had been checking me out? I could feel myself blushing as she smirked at me.

"Awe. You're cute when you're flustered." Mia said in a mock baby voice. I stuck out my tongue at her. Sure, it was childish, but it made her laugh, which was good.

"Well I was going to share my ice cream with you, but if you're going to be a brat I don't know if I will." Mia taunted. Oh, now she was playing dirty. She was using ice cream as leverage. I raised my eyebrows at her.

"Well, who said I wanted any ice cream?" I said in my most bratty voice. She opened her mouth to retort but I cut her off. "What kind of Ice cream is it anyway?" I asked. She smiled wickedly.

"Why does it matter if you don't want any?' She hedged, still taunting.

"It matters. It determines whether or not I actually want some or not." That was a lie; if it was ice cream, I didn't care what flavor it was, I wanted it.

"It's my favorite kind." She said, her tone turning seductive.

"And what kind would that be." I said, I hoped my voice could be considered seductive, but it sounded more nervous to me. Her grin grew wider, and she licked her lips making me gulp. She then laughed. I didn't blame her; I probably looked ridiculous; she could see I was getting irrationally worked up over a conversation about ice cream flavor. Wow, that's sad.

"Mint chocolate chip." She said each word slowly and distinctly.

I was so flustered, and feeling pretty embarrassed for finding this discussion so- though her outfit wasn't helping my state of mind either, and I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "So it'll smell like you?"

She looked utterly confused. "What?" she said and her tone questioned my sanity.

"Um, well, it's just that, well you smell like mint." I said lamely. She lifted her wrist to her nose and sniffed.

"I don't smell like mint; I don't smell like anything." She said.

"Maybe not to your sense of smell, but to mine you smell like mint." I defended.

"Ok then, Yes, then it will smell like me." She said though she clearly didn't believe me.

"Alright, I'm sorry for being a brat. Can I have some Ice cream?" I asked jutting my lower lip out slightly. That normally worked with my sisters. She just laughed.

"Well I guess you can. You're lucky you're cute or you wouldn't be getting any." She laughed again as I just stared at her. She walked over to the fridge/freezer and took out a gallon of ice cream, then she opened a drawer and got two spoons. She held out a spoon to me and I took it. Then she walked past me and sat down on the couch. I did my best to keep my eyes on her face as I watched her. She patted the spot next to her and I sat down silently. She opened the tub and offered it to me. I scooped out some ice cream and she did the same. I loved mint, and I was childishly giddy to know that it was her favorite as well.

"So I figured after five days with no sleep you'd still be out. What are you doing up?" Mia asked.

"Well, as much as I appreciate it, this couch is not the most comfortable place to sleep. What about you?"

"I just couldn't sleep, too much on my mind, so I figured I'd com out and have a snack. It was that or listen to Harper mumble in her sleep and that got dull like an hour ago, since she's not saying anything intelligible that I can use for black mail later."

"Girl after my own heart." I said, though she didn't know how very true that statement was. "Why couldn't you sleep?" I asked.

"Too much stuff going on in my head, it makes it nearly impossible to sleep. I've always had that problem so I'm used to it." She answered. I just nodded and took another bite of ice cream.

"So," I started. "I told you all about my job, tell me about yours. The one where you see naked men all the time, enough that it didn't faze you that Embry and I appeared in the nude." I said thinking of this morning.

Mia laughed. "I'm an actress and sometimes a director, set designer, costume designer, or anything else that you do when it comes to theater I do it. I'm versatile. Or at least I was. I think I'm just going to stick to the behind the scenes stuff from now on." She said, her voice turning contemplative.

"Why only the behind the scenes, do you get stage fright or something?" I asked.

"No. I love being on stage actually. I love everything about performing, but it has recently come to my attention that I honestly can't be that good at it, and that the parts I've gotten I got because the directors, the male," she emphasized the word, "directors, liked to look at me, rather than because I had had any acting or musical skills. I just don't want another audition like the one a few months ago, so I'm not going to bother. Besides I like directing." (AN: yes I'm interrupting again, sorry, but HINT HINT for those of you curious about the horny bastard incident)

"I'm sure you have talent. What happened a few months ago? Who told you that you were only good for looking at?" I asked, anger rode through me though I remained in control. She was wonderful, and I knew that I would not agree with anyone who told her otherwise.

Mia shrugged. "I don't know. It was nothing of consequence really, just an incident. And no one told me, I gathered as much from what happened. It's no big deal. I really don't want to talk about it though." Mia said. She looked away ashamed.

"That's ok. So why are you and Harper out here?" I questioned. I wanted to learn everything about her, but it was going to take some time, so I figured I'd start with the basics.

"Well Harper decided we needed a 'change of scenery'. And apparently the biggest change from Chicago she could come up with was the woods in Wyoming. So here we are." She said shaking her head. "Though, I'm not complaining now." She whispered, and blushed as she did so. I gave a nervous laugh.

After about half the tub of ice cream had been eaten, a majority of it by me, I figured I should let Sam know we'd be staying out here a while.

"Mia, I've got to go talk to Sam real quick, I'll be back in a few." I told her.

"No, I'll go with you. I haven't been able to see the stars in a long time. You can go do your wolf business, and I'll do some star gazing. You can join me if you wish." She said nonchalantly.

"Are you sure? I mean, I know I'm kinda scary when I phase." I said, she just looked at me innocently. "I could go into the trees and let you stay in the clearing. That way you won't have to see," Mia put her hand over my mouth to stop my babbling.

"I don't think you're scary. I think you look like a very fine giant wolf, and sorta cuddly looking if my memory from this morning serves correct." She said.

"Cuddly?" I asked, questioning her sanity. "I turn into a giant monster and you think I look cuddly? Are you nuts?"

"No, well maybe, Harper suggests it every once in a while, but I don't really think so. You look big and furry. And in my experience big and furry means cuddly." She defended. I just shook my head at her. "So let me grab a blanket and let's go out and you can talk to Sam, and I can do some star gazing." Mia said, getting back to the topic at hand.

"What do you need a blanket for?" I asked, my voice taunting. She raised her eyebrows. I took her hand and leaned in closer to her. "I'll keep you real warm." I explained in a suggestive tone. She blushed.

"I'm sure you will. But I prefer not to lie on the cold, hard, dirty, ground. So I'm bringing out a blanket to lie on." She said and her voice shook, as she tried to hide how flustered she was. Well good, it was her turn to be, considering the effect just looking at her had on me, she should get a little taste of it as well.

She stood up and opened a cabinet above the couch. Her night gown hiked up as she reach upward and her chest was now at my eye level. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Bloodsuckers, Bloodsuckers, Bloodsuckers…I thought.

Mia cleared her throat. I looked at her and saw that she had a large red blanket draped over her arms. "Are we going, or are you too tired?" She asked me.

"No, we're going. Are you sure you don't want me to leave while I'm looking like a terrifying monster?"

"I wouldn't consider giant furry masses necessarily terrifying. And no, to be honest I'm just a little too curious to let you out of my sight. This should be interesting." She explained.

"Giant furry mass am I?" She just shrugged her shoulders and turned to the door.

We stepped out of the camper and Mia walked to the center of the clearing. She unfolded the blanket and laid it on the ground. It was a huge blanket, as she lay down she barely took up a quarter of it. I watched her as she stared at the sky. She seemed to be deep in thought, every once in a while her brow would furrow then relax. I was enraptured by every little change in her expressions, and I wanted to know what caused each one. She was wonderful, I thought. I wanted to sit here and watch her forever.

Forever. Could she really be mine forever? Could she be mine at all? She was my imprint, so surely it was a possibility. But I'd been in love before. And though we loved each other, it hadn't been enough; there had still been something stronger. I used to think that nothing could be stronger than love, but I had been proven wrong. If I had been proven wrong then, who's to say it won't happen again? That something out there isn't stronger than the bond formed by imprinting.

Mia turned and smiled at me. My heart swelled as she did.

"Jacob, what are you doing? I thought you were gonna talk to your Alpha guy, Sam?" She said. The sound of her voice filled me up. I stared at her in wonder. She looked radiant in the moonlight. The green of her gown complimented her skin so well and was thrown into sharp relief by the red blanket she was laying on. She was stunning.

"I was just thinking." I told her. She nodded and smiled.

"Me too. But I think you should talk to Sam. Although it's pretty late, I know it's an hour or two later here than it is on the west coast, but it's still late. Are you sure you'll be able to reach him?"

"We hunt vampires. They hunt at night. So there's always someone on watch at night, I'll be able to talk to him." I told her. "I'm going to phase now. You said you were fine with seeing it, but it isn't very pretty. I can go into the trees if you want. I promise I won't go far."

Mia shook her head. "No, it's fine I told you. Besides remember earlier when we agreed to get to know each other? This is who you are. I can't get to know you if you hide who you are from me, now can I?"

"Okay." I walked a good 10 feet away from Mia, to make sure there were no accidents. Sam felt guilty every time he looked at Emily's scars, we had to feel his guilt, I didn't want to have to add my own to that mix. Mia was staring at me intently. I had to look away from her in order to concentrate properly. Not only was her beauty distracting, but she didn't really help me phase, since she wasn't in danger and I don't think it would be possible for me to be angry enough with her to cause myself to change. As I prepared to change I realized that there was something I had forgotten to take into account, for the second time now.

"I'm going behind this tree here, cause I'm going to have to take my shorts off." I said.

"Oh, really?" She said giggling. "Well if you must be modest, then fine. Not that I didn't see earlier. Though I really didn't get a good look, I was a little distracted." She was grinning like the Cheshire cat. I felt my face heat up more than it was. She laughed; apparently she found making me squirm quite funny. Fine, I'd get her back later.

It didn't take much for me to phase. I could control it almost absolutely, keep myself from phasing when I didn't want to, and cause myself to phase when I did. I let the heat shiver down my spine, felt the hot taste in my mouth and my body shook apart. I was nothing for the briefest instant, and then I was once again a wolf.

I stepped out from behind the tree and looked at Mia. She was staring wide eyed, but not in fear or disgust as I would have guessed. It was in fascination. She was sitting upright, and she reached out her arm and indicated I come to her. She was crazy. She wanted a giant monster to come closer to her? But I obeyed.

Mia was scrutinizing my every move and it made me a little self conscious as I walked over to her. She patted the space on the blanket beside her, and I curled up there, my eyes trained to her. She smiled at me, and I was more than relived that she wasn't screaming and running away.

"Awe, who's a good dog?" Mia asked, using her mock baby voice. I rolled my eye's at her and she grinned.

I turned my attention to the task at hand. Though I was still acutely aware of Mia's eyes traveling over my fur covered body, examining me. It reminded me about what she had said earlier about checking me out.

Hey Jake! What's got you so flustered? Was it the race? Who won anyway, you both were gone all day. We weren't sure. It was Quil.

It's nothing. And technically, Embry won, but it wasn't my fault, I was stopped and he stopped as soon as he got there too, I just got there before him. I had forgotten about that. Damn.

YES! Sam owes me thirty bucks!

Speaking of Sam, can you tell him something for me?

Sure, what do you need?

Tell him- I cut off. Mia had begun pulling her fingers through the fur on my neck. It felt so good. I used to wonder why it was animals liked to be pet, but after I became one I found out it was very pleasing. I sighed contentedly. Mia giggled.

Jake? Who's the girl? Oh, she's pretty! And half naked! WOW! Anyway what was it you wanted to tell Sam? Seriously who is she?

Quil, my dear Jumbled friend, that's Mia, and don't worry about her right now. I want you to tell Sam that Embry and I will be stay out here for a while. We'll check in, regularly.

Is it cause of the girl? Mia, did you say her name was? Where's Embry anyway? OH NO, She didn't like make you her pet or something, did she? You could escape pretty easily you know Jake. Besides, I don't think it's legal to keep a werewolf as a pet, not that she would know, but even so, any wolf really… He babbled.

Quil! NO. She's not keeping us as pets. Embry is in bed sleeping. Yes it's because of the girl, well girls really that we're staying. And- My thoughts were once again cut off as Mia stroked my neck. She was leaning against me now and was absently pulling her fingers through my fur. I sighed again.

"Jacob, are you purring? I thought that's was a feline thing." Mia teased. Quil roared with laughter. If I was in human form I would have been blushing. Mia smiled at me and settled back down.

"You know what the draw back is to this?" She asked. I looked at her, to let her know I was listening.

Draw back to what? Quil asked, I ignored him.

"You can't talk." Mia concluded. "Though like I said before, you're quite cuddly like this. Very soft and warm, I could probably fall asleep laying here with you. But I like to talk, and I like talking to you, and that's difficult when you're like this."

She seriously thought I was cuddly? OK, then. But I was pleased to hear that she liked talking to me. I liked talking to her too, a lot. Actually, I just liked listening to her talk, to the sound of her voice.

Oh, I get it. You imprinted. That makes so much more sense than being her pet wolf. That's great Jake. I'll tell Sam, spend as much time as you want. We'll get a hold of you if we need you back sooner. What about Embry though?

I let out a gust of air. Embry Imprinted too. There's another girl inside the camper sleeping. Her name is Harper. I thought of Harper to show Quil what she was like. He said he approved of both girls and that we should bring them home for everyone to meet.

Don't rush things Quil. We just met them this morning.

But they're your imprints. Look, she's already totally comfortable with you, in Wolf form no less. It's part of the package man. Besides, you know the girls are going to insist on meeting them. Leah's the only one who can see them this way. Emily, Kim, and Nina are going to be thrilled. And I know Claire would love more women around for her to get fashion advice from.

We'll see. I told him.

Awe! Little Jakey and Embry are growing up and imprinting.

I'm not even going to dignify that with a response.

You know technically, that was a response.

Fuck you.

Sorry Jake I don't swing that way. But if you're interested in girls too, there's one practically laying on top of you.

Go to hell. Tell Sam Embry and I will be in touch.

I'll go to hell right after you. And I'll tell him. Now be good, don't do anything I wouldn't do.

I nudged Mia with my snout, and she sat up. I got up and walked over to where my shorts were behind a tree. I focused and came back to myself. I quickly pulled the shorts on and went back over to Mia. She was staring up at the sky again. I sat down on the blanket and just watched her watch the stars. Her beauty astounded me once again; I'd never seen anyone so perfect.

Mia shook slightly, and curled in on herself. I realized she was probably cold. I scooted closer to her and laid down beside her. I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her closer to me so that we were spooning.

"What are you doing?" She questioned. I could hear the smile in her voice and was pleased to know she wasn't upset being this close to me.

"I did tell you I'd keep you warm, didn't I?" I responded. She laughed quietly then yawned.

"You did say that. Well I'm glad to know you," yawn, "keep your promises."

"I promise to keep every promise I ever make you." I vowed. I felt her snuggle closer to me, and I held her tighter. "Mia, maybe we should go back in. You're tired, you should get some sleep." I told her, but she didn't respond. "Mia?" No answer again. I leaned over and saw that her eyes were closed and her breathing was slow and steady. I smiled, she was asleep. I looked once more at her magnificence, and closed my eyes.

The last thought I had before sleep took me, was how incredible she was and how in less than twenty-four hours, I had done what I had thought I'd never do again. I'd fallen hopelessly in love.

AN: So how was that? And how much do you love Ice Cream? LOL i just really wanted Ice Cream to be invoved! lol, and yes, Mint Chocolate Chip is actually MY favorite... lol... YUM!! And the Insomnia is me too. I really do have that problme when it comes to sleeping.

I don't know about you, but i love reading from the guy's POV something about it is just so cute. It makes me wish someone thought of me the way they think of their girls. I absolutly swoon over them. And I hope this made a few people swoon as well.

So what did you think? Let me know!!

Next Chapter should be in Embry's POV, and hopefully it will be kinda funny!

Much love, Bridget