Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight Saga or any of the characters in the story.
Unsurprisingly I am completely blown away with how far this story has come! Thank you to everyone who reviewed and I hope you enjoy this chapter! I'm starting to tear up just thinking of this story coming to an end, but it's not over yet! So enjoy this chapter and happy reading!
Chapter Thirty Seven
At dawn, Bella was pulled from her deep sleep by the feeling of her mate thrusting in and out of her body from behind. Still half asleep, Bella arched her back, pushing herself closer to the searing skin of the man behind her. One of his arms slid under her body, wrapping around her shoulders while the other hand palmed the soft flesh of her backside. It was not rushed, but there was a sense of urgency between them conveyed through their gasping breaths and moans filled with raw lust.
Bella could feel her release building and it came in a soft wave as Jake bit down on her shoulder, opposite from the mark he'd made last night. Shivering and pulsing around him, Bella heard Jake growl his own shuddering release as his arms crushed her against his enormous body.
Panting, they lay in a sweating heap on the forest floor, listening to their breathing slow along with the noises of the forest waking up.
"Are you ready?" Jake asked softly, kissing the shell of Bella's ear.
"For what?" she asked in reply, her mind blissfully unravelled and glowing in the aftershocks of making love with her mate.
"To go home," Jake replied quietly. Bella sighed and finally nodded. As she was untangling herself from Jacob's naked body she stood and stretched her sore muscles gingerly. Sleeping on the hard ground for three days had her muscles in all kinds of knots. Standing up she assessed the scraps of what used to be her underwear and the mud-caked bra.
"These are useless," Bella sighed and turned to see Jake leaning against the rock face they had been nestled against. The sight of him took her breath again and she gasped in shock.
"Jake, you're huge," Bella sputtered looking over her mate. In her memory, even from only a few days ago Bella knew that he had not been this tall. While he may have been about six foot five, Jake had grown at least a few more inches. And his body seemed to hold more definition despite the fact Bella had thought that would be impossible for anyone to accomplish, Jacob included.
Jake looked down at himself and then back at Bella with a nonchalant shrug. "My guess would be that when I slipped into my wolf's mind he made up for my human inadequacies so that we could better protect you… The effect will probably wear off in a few days or so. Once he's completely sure you aren't in anymore danger."
"Yeah… When you were phased I remember thinking you looked more like a clydesdale if all the other wolves were the size of regular horses…" Bella commented making Jake chuckle softly. He stepped away from the wall and cupped her cheeks in his burning hands. Tipping her head back all the way so she could see his face, Bella smiled softly, happy that her mate had returned to her.
Kissing her briefly and sweetly, Jake pulled away with a sunny smile. "Let's go home, Bells."
Bella nodded enthusiastically, watching as Jake stepped away from her and shifted into his wolf form. Turning his head Bella breathed a sigh of relief when she saw his deep brown eyes instead of the clear yellow ones she'd almost grown used to.
Leaning down to the ground was another familiar move and she did not hesitate to grasp the fur at the top of his shoulders and pull herself up onto his back. Settling her legs on either side of his body, Bella sunk her face into the heat of his fur, breathing in his scent and closing her eyes as she felt Jake begin to run. The wind was chilling on the naked skin of her back, so she pressed her front even tighter to his body trying to soak up his crazy body heat.
The faster Jake ran, the tighter she twisted her fingers into his fur. And the tighter she grasped his coarse fur, the more she could feel his powerful muscles moving under his skin, sending a tingle down her spine. The fact that her naked skin was pressed against his warmth made her feel so secure, and at the same time anxious to feel his human body once again.
A growl rumbled through Jake's body, only making Bella's mind fly into a thousand different directions at once. She wondered if she was feeling so in tune with him because of the residual power that was inside of her mate. Many times she'd been able to feel with perfect clarity the emotions that Jake was going through, but now as she focused on the bond she could feel him, but not as strongly as before. In a way it made Bella sad.
After a while of trying to control her hormones, Bella felt Jake slow down and she raised her head from his back to see the trees thinning and their small home ahead of them. Without waiting for him to stop completely, Bella threw her leg over the side of his back and slid to the ground without falling. Jake barked at her and snorted through his snout as if to tell her to be more careful. Bella stepped away a bit and watched as the wolf melted away and her human mate stood before her once again.
"Shall we?" he asked her, his eyes never leaving her face.
"Yes! I'm starving and I need to feel clean again," Bella said as she held out her hand. Instead of just taking her hand Jake swept up her naked body into his arms.
"But I just love having you so covered in my scent," he growled as his head leaned down into her neck, his teeth nipping at the sensitive flesh he'd marked earlier. Bella let out a breathy moan in response and Jake chuckled, although it had an underlying sound of a growl in it.
"Let's get you into the shower and fix something to eat. I'll have to call Sam and set up a meeting to make sure those blood suckers were disposed of properly," Jake ground out as he started walking towards their small home. Bella felt a shiver run down his spine as he spoke of the vampires, at the same moment that she tensed and a small spike of fear flooded her. Jake said nothing of it, and instead just gathered her small body tighter into his warm arms. She expected that they would react that way for quite some time. Bella wondered for a moment if there would ever be a day that she wouldn't be nervous being away from Jake.
She had a life to live. She had her job, and she had Charlie. Charlie!
"Oh my god!" Bella exclaimed as they made it onto the small front porch. Jake's arms tightened and she felt his body tense. Bella said nothing of it, and instead explained her outburst, "I have to go and see Charlie! He's probably so confused! We have to go and tell him what happened! Wait… Can we do that?" Bella turned her head to look at her mate whose body had finally relaxed slightly.
"I don't know yet baby, I have to speak with Sam before anything can be done. And I already told you that you aren't leaving my sight for as long as we live, so that means you're coming with me. Just don't worry, we'll figure everything out, I promise," his deep voice soothed her, vibrating into her bones and making her hug herself closer. Jake pushed open the front door and carried her into the bathroom immediately. Setting her down while he turned on the shower.
Pulling her into the small cubicle Jake stood, head bowed so that he wouldn't hit the ceiling. Bella giggled at the sight of his mammoth form trying to fit into the small shower space. Jake only smiled indulgently at her while he grabbed the soap and began to lather up her body with suds. His large warm hands were gentle as they cleaned her body thoroughly, and then gently took her elbows into them to inspect the bite marks that marred them.
Bella watched him carefully, checking for any signs that she would need to step in and calm him down. His body trembled and when Bella looked up into his face she let out a gasp, nearly stumbling backwards if it hadn't been for Jake's hands to steady her. His eyes had darkened, and a thin ring of yellow had appeared around his pupil.
"Jake, come back to me. I need you to calm down and come back to me," Bella murmured softly, not taking her eyes off of him. His eyes glanced up at hers and she exhaled sharply. "Everything's okay now. I'm with you. I'm safe. I need you to be with me. Everything's fine."
Inhaling deeply, Jake's eyes slipped closed and a shudder rolled through his spine, before he opened them again. The yellow was gone and the dark brown was back.
"There you are," Bella smiled a tiny smile at him and reached her hand up to stroke the soft raven colored hair on the nape of his neck.
"I'm sorry, honey," Jake started but Bella cut him off with a wet smack to his large chest. Jake looked at her in surprise, his eyes confused.
"Don't apologize for that, you silly boy! Everything's still fresh and I don't think any less of you for reacting like that. Your mate is hurt, and both the human and the wolf are trying to realize that the danger is over. You saved me, and I'm okay. Just another scar to add to the collection," Bella said to him in a level, honest voice. Jake looked at her a moment longer and then pulled her face up, kissing her with a passion that knocked the breath out of her. When he finally released her lips his burning forehead rested against her own.
"I love you, Bella."
"I love you too, Jake."
-8-
After Bella had finally deemed herself clean enough and Jake had managed to cover her in his scent once again through the thorough use of his talented tongue, they finally got out of the shower. Pulling down two towels from the rod on the wall Bella handed one to Jake as she began to dry herself off, wringing out her hair as she went.
Walking into the bedroom, Jake was right behind her as she went towards the dresser. Bella pulled out a pair of leggings and one of Jake's soft t-shirts that was coated in his scent. Thinking that her mate was not done yet with his claiming of her and so she decided to forego panties and a bra.
As she pulled them on she turned to see Jake looking at a pair of shorts in his hands.
"I don't think these are going to fit me," Jake said, looking up at Bella. Bella let out a giggle at the thought of him in a pair of short shorts, but bit her lip to stop once she saw that her mate was not as amused as her.
"Well, I don't know what to tell you. Maybe ask someone to run out and get you a pair of bigger shorts?" Bella asked as she picked up her brush and started to untangle the unruly mess. Jake sighed and shrugged, searching through the dresser for what was most likely his largest pair of shorts.
"I'm sure Sam will be really interested in why your wolf and you got bigger during the last few days. I bet the council is going to have a field day," Bella said, walking out of the room towards the kitchen. Halfway towards the kitchen Jake's hands found her hips from behind and she felt his heat loom over her. Bella practically purred with the feeling of complete protection that Jake provided to her.
"Try not to leave my sight?" Jake asked in a soft voice. Bella nodded and turned to take Jake's warm palm into her hand. It wasn't that odd of a request after the ordeal they had been through. Even if Jake could still hear her heartbeat and smell her scent in the next room, having her kidnapped by four vampires was enough to make his wolf go into overdrive if he couldn't physically see her with his own eyes.
"What do you want to eat, Bells?" Jake asked as he resumed walking and tugged her towards the kitchen. She noticed he had on a pair of basketball shorts that came up over his knee, however she managed to hold back her giggles.
"Anything! I think I might actually be able to eat more than you right now!" she said as she opened the fridge and pulled out some left overs. Looking through the cabinets she started to make a sandwich for herself as a few for Jake.
Meanwhile Jake had stepped away and picked up the phone dialing quickly. His eyes did not leave Bella as she fixed their meal, and after a moment someone had picked up.
"Hey Emily, is Sam there? Yeah it's Jake. No, she's fine… Yes, we're back…. If you don't mind I'd rather talk to Sam about setting up a pack meeting. Thanks, Em…. Hi, Sam. We're fine, she's okay. Yeah, I wanted to have a pack meeting. As soon as possible. Yeah? That sounds good to me. We have a lot to discuss…. I'll tell her. Definitely. Alright, see you soon."
As soon as Jake hung up the phone his arms were wrapped around Bella's waist once more.
"How's Sam doing?" she asked as she finished fixing his sandwiches.
"Surprised to hear my voice. I don't think he was expecting me to be able to phase back so soon. He told me to tell you that he's glad you're alright and that the whole pack is anxious to see you again," he replied, his arms squeezing her abdomen gently.
"I honestly can't wait to see them too. They're like family," Bella said softly. Jake's nose nuzzled into her hair, breathing deeply and evenly.
"You're their alpha female. They were worried about you," he said in his deep voice. Bella nodded and picked up the two plates on the counter, turning and holding one out to Jake with a small smile on her face.
"Well then, let's not keep them waiting, shall we?" Bella asked, taking a large bite out of her turkey sandwich. Jake smiled that sunny smile that she called her own at her, and for a brief moment she couldn't remember feeling so content.
Gotta straighten some things out with the pack! All those loose ends have to be tied up somehow! Feel free to leave a comment if you'd like to and thank you for reading! Until next time my lovelies!