AN: Okay, first off, Happy New Year to you all! Second, big thanks to those who reviewed on the last chapter! Third, sorry it took me so long to update. I didn't have a day where I could just sit and write uninterupted like I usually do. And with what free time I had, I ended up getting sucked into reading some awesome Fanfics. Which is why I find it funny that I somehow managed to write my longest chapter yet despite all that (I probably could've broken this up into two chapters but I was unsure of when I should break it up so I was just like whatever and kept it like this).
Anywho, keep on doing what ya'll do best, read. enjoy. review!
Without a second thought, Seth threw his head back and howled, alerting his pack members, but specifically Jacob. He just hoped the guy listened to his howl and didn't ignore it.
Thankfully he didn't have to wait long with anticipation. Only seconds had passed before his head was bombarded with the thoughts of the others. His ears flattened against his head momentarily, the force of everyone's thoughts hitting him like a semi. He quickly recovered from it though and once he regained his focus, he showed the guys (and Leah) his find.
He began pacing around in front of Quinn while the others voiced their thoughts on the matter.
Where's Jacob? Was a thought that instantly came to mind when he realized that Jacob's thoughts were noticeably absent among the group's.
Still at home no doubt. Embry thought back, since Jacob had opted out of joining the pack at Emily's for lunch.
Yeah, playing zombie. Jared snorted.
Hey, lay off him. You'd be doing the exact same thing if you lost Kim. Quil snapped, earning a growl from Jared.
Embry looked back at Sam. You want me to go get Jake?
Sam nodded his large head as he continued to lead the others toward the clearing at full speed. And hurry.
The five wolves burst out of the trees shortly after and proceed to make their way over to their pack brother. Is she dead? Quil wondered.
She's technically dead already, remember? Leah reminded him.
So why then do I hear a beating heart coming from her? Sam thought with a frown as he trotted up beside Quinn and started to sniff around for any traces of blood or signs of injury.
Gnarly burns on her arms. Jared commented, inclining his head toward them.
What, was the girl playing with fire or something? Leah thought sarcastically.
I tried waking her but she won't budge. Seth stated with a slight whimper.
Something's different about her compared to that time we saw her with Jacob.
She smells a little different. Quil agreed.
Paul wrinkled up his nose and snorted. Yeah, like she was rolling around in charcoal or something.
Smells more like sulfur to me.
Jared scoffed. How the hell do you know what sulfur smells like?
Seth shrugged. I don't, but I assume that's what it smells like.
Jared was about to respond when the pack mind was suddenly overwhelmed with but one word thought over and over.
Quinn, Quinn, Quinn….
It didn't take a genius to figure out whose thoughts they belonged to.
We're on our way. Embry relayed to the others as he pushed his legs even harder to try and keep up with Jacob, who was running toward the clearing like a bat out of hell.
When the last two pack members reached the clearing, Jacob all but jumped back into his human self, then quickly pulled on the jean shorts he'd tied to his leg.
He all but pushed past those who were too slow to get out of his way and instantly dropped down at Quinn's side. Since he was unsure as to what exactly was wrong with her, he scooped her up into his arms with the utmost care.
"Quinn, honey, it's Jacob…" He gently brushed her bangs out of her face in hope that her eyes would flutter open at the same time. When they didn't, he felt his body start to tremble with anxiety.
"We need to take her to Sue." Leah, who was phased back as the others were, stated. "She needs a doctor."
He could faintly hear the others murmuring similar sentiments since all he could really hear was the sound of his heart pumping furiously. He tried to control his breathing as best he could, as well as the rest of his body for Quinn's sake, since the very last thing he needed was to wolf out when she most needed him. Sam must've sensed his dilemma because he stepped forward with outreached arms.
A low warning growl instantly emitted from him as he held Quinn closer to his body. That action combined with Sam having enough sense to back off seemed to calm his wolf, making his breathing less labored.
"I need to take her to Dr. Cullen." He ignored the looks the others were exchanging with one another at the mention of a Cullen. "No offense to what Sue does," he started, briefly making eye-contact with Seth and Leah particularly, "But Carlisle's an actual doctor. He'll be able to better treat Quinn. I have to do what's best for her." He readjusted his grip on Quinn and gave a firm nod before turning his back on them and heading in the direction of the Cullen's territory.
With his long legs and determination, it only took minutes to reach the edge of the Cullen's property. He stepped out into the open and crossed the backyard at the same moment Esme and Alice came outside with confusion etched across their faces. That confusion instantly flashed to concern when they both realized who he had in his arms.
Alice disappeared as soon as he headed climbed the back steps to the door which Esme held open. He could hear her seeking out Carlisle who was upstairs in his office.
By the time he heard the back door click close, Carlisle was standing before him.
"The pack found her out in the clearing like this." he explained to the three of them, but while his gaze focused on Carlisle.
"And they don't know what happened to her?" Carlisle led him through the house before beckoning him to lay Quinn down on the living room sofa.
He shook his head as he gently set Quinn down, Esme adjusting the cushion so that Quinn's head rested comfortably on it.
"She's got burns on her arms." He warned when he looked back at Carlisle, who was partially leaning over Quinn to check for any broken bones. He reluctantly took a step back to give Carlisle some room. "And a heartbeat."
"That she does." Carlisle murmured as he gently set Quinn's wrist down after checking her pulse.
"So does that mean that she's…." Alice hesitated for brief second before saying, "human?"
"How else do you explain why she has a heartbeat now?" Jacob retorted, his arms crossing over his chest as he watched Carlisle open Quinn's right eye and check it with a small flashlight before doing the same with her left.
"What do you think happened to her, Carlisle?" Esme asked softly from beside him.
"Your guess is as good as mine, my love." Carlisle replied with a sigh as he pocketed his flashlight. He pushed himself upright and turned his attention onto Jacob. "Most of the equipment I need to run a few tests on Quinn are down at hospital. While I can bring what I need here, I feel it would be less conspicuous and simpler if we merely brought Quinn down there instead."
Jacob shifted unsurely as his gaze darting back and forth between Quinn and Carlisle. He breathed out heavily and reluctantly nodded his head. "If you're sure it's for the best."
God did he hate hospitals.
He paced back and forth in the Forks community hospital's waiting room and tried not to focus on the smells around him. Of blood. Sickness. Death.
All he could was say was thank god for him being a werewolf and never having to worry about illness or injury.
He clutched at the hairs on the nape of his neck and pulled every so often, trying to keep a grip on his control. His agitation was making his heart race wildly. It felt as though it was liable to burst if he didn't get some answers soon.
His hands dropped from his neck and curled into fists at his sides. He took a second to glance at the clock on the other side of the room and felt what little patience he had to begin with start to disappear altogether. What was taking so damn long?
Fighting the urge to punch one of the walls, he thought it best if he sat down. He slumped down into one of the small chairs behind him and buried his face in his hands, mentally praying that their was nothing wrong with Quinn. Even though he wasn't sure what good praying would do, since the supposed 'good' guys up above were the ones who had taken Quinn away from him in the first place.
"Jacob."
He jumped up out of his seat so fast he nearly knocked over Carlisle but luckily for him, the doctor's reflexes were as quick as his own. "Breathe, Jacob. Relax. Your heart is beating far above the normal rate, even for you. You're making it work harder than it needs to. You have nothing to worry about, Jacob. Quinn is fine."
At Carlisle's last sentence, he finally felt himself able to relax his muscles. "And you're sure?"
Carlisle nodded as he took a step back before beckoning Jacob to follow him through the double doors. "I took some x-rays as well as a CT, tested her blood, among other standard tests and found that she has some internal bruising throughout her body and a minor concussion. Her burns are second degree but they will heal in due time."
Okay, that's good. It's not that bad. She'll be fine. "But to clarify, she really is…" he lowered his voice even though they were the only two walking down the hallway. "…human?"
"I haven't detected anything that would state the contrary. Her temperature is neither above or below average, same for her heart rate, blood pressure, breathing…" Carlisle stopped in front one of the rooms at the very end of the hall and smiled. "She's awake now."
That was all he needed. Jacob wasted no time opening the door, in fact he nearly yanked the damn thing off its hinges in his haste.
He stepped inside and the first thing he saw were those exquisite green eyes of hers. It was like seeing her for the first time again, only this time there was less confusion and more relief than anything. For the first time since she left, he felt his lips curve upward in a smile.
But not just any smile - the biggest smile in the history of smiles. Hell he was positive that there was no person past or present who had ever come even remotely to the pure elation he was feeling right now.
"Jacob!" He watched as Quinn threw her covers aside and made a notion to jump out of bed to meet him, only to be held back by the machines she was attached to. His smile faltered when she let out a small hiss and instantly he was at her side. "Take it easy, honey. You need to-" His words were forgotten as Quinn's lips covered hers, her small fist holding him by the collar of his shirt and forcing him to lean down. An electric current coursed through his veins, reviving his body and making him tremble from all the overwhelming sensations.
He sat down on the edge of her bed and lifted her onto his lap, keeping his arms securely wrapped around her body.
She broke their kiss and pulled back, enabling him to see how flushed her cheeks were and how her eyes were rimmed red.
He pressed his nose to her cheek and lightly nuzzled her skin, unaware that his own eyes were about as misty as hers. He turned his head and met her gaze. "I take it you missed me?"
"You have no idea." she whispered, her fingertips lightly tracing his jaw as she spoke.
He leaned forward and kissed the corner of her mouth before showering every inch of her face with kisses. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and smiled as he inhaled her scent, the gesture making her giggle.
"Your scent's different." he murmured as he slowly raised his head up from her neck. "I mean, you still smell like you but it's slightly different…more…"
She moved her fingers around his neck and began to play with the hairs on his nape. "Human?" she guessed with a light chuckle.
He nodded before arching his eyebrow quizzically. "Yeah, you wanna tell me exactly how that happened?"
She dropped her hand from his neck and let it rest on his shoulder instead. "It's a long, bizarre story to say the least."
He turned his head and placed a soft kiss to the inside of her wrist, his gaze never leaving hers. "Tell me what happened."
She shook her head after taking a quick glance at their surroundings. "Not here." Her hand dropped down to her lap. "I don't think Carlisle would appreciate it if you phased at his work."
His brow furrowed. "And why would I phase?"
"Let's just save this conversation for later, okay?"
"Just tell me, Quinn." he pleaded. "I promise you I'll keep in control, no matter what. I need to know what happened after you left."
"You probably won't believe me anyways."
"Why do you say that? What, were you in Hell or something?" he scoffed at the very idea before laughing. "Did you meet the Devil?"
Quinn inwardly cringed and tried to laugh along with him, but failed miserably. "You're scary accurate."
All traces of humor left his face within an second. He shook his head and stared at her incredulously. "What?"
"Okay, I'll give you the condensed version." She rested both hands on his shoulders and soothingly rubbed them in circular moments in hopes of keeping him calm. "So the Council was being unreasonable about our situation, Santana was mouthing off as she sometimes does, and well…one thing led to another and we ended up getting thrown down to Hell. But don't freak out, the Devil turned out to be Santana's old Cheerios coach and she kind of took a liking to us and wanted us to become demons. Santana didn't want that for me and instead made a deal with Sue that would mean she became a demon and in return for her servitude I would get second chance at being a human. And yes, I know this all sounds ludicrous but it's the truth."
"You were in Hell." he repeated monotonously, prompting Quinn to nod her head.
"As in The Hell?"
She raised her eyebrows at him before nodding again. "Is there any other?"
"Well…I guess that explains why your dress is scorched at the edges," he murmured, clearly still processing her story. "and why you've got burns."
"Yeah, Sue could've at least warned me about that." she grumbled, lifting her left arm up and gently grazing her fingers over her other bandaged arm.
Jacob leaned down and kissed her arm up and down before straightening up and pressing his lips to her temple. "You know I really thought I lost you for good."
"For awhile so did I." she admitted softly, resting her head against his chest and curling up against his warm torso. She exhaled shakily as his arms wrapped around her and before she knew it, she was biting back tears.
"I was literally going insane without you." he murmured against her hair. "Couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, could barely breathe…"
Just thinking about how much pain she had caused him made it impossible for her to hold back her tears.
His thumb came up to her cheek when he heard her sniffle. "Hey, it's okay. Don't cry." He gently brushed away her tears. "All that's in the past. The only thing that matters is that we're back where we belong: together."
She was more than relieved to learn that she wouldn't have to stay overnight in the hospital. Carlisle dismissed her shortly after her reunion with Jacob and since Carlisle was still technically off for the day, the three of them got in his Mercedes and headed home. She was a bit surprised when Jacob slid in the back seat with her, as she remembered how a few weeks ago he refused to get in Edward's car with her.
She decided not to comment on it, figuring it just meant more progress was being made with his feelings toward the Cullens.
She leaned into his body, pressing her cheek against his bicep, and asked him how he found her. Apparently the pack were the ones who found her in the clearing in the woods. She didn't remember this though - the last thing she remembered was being back in Sue's office with Santana one minute and the next she was waking up in the hospital.
When Carlisle commented about her absence, she realized that time in hell differed from time on Earth (Her day in Hell equated to a week on Earth).
She could only imagine how much suffering Jacob had to endure while she was gone.
She lifted her head when she caught a glimpse of the Cullen house from the window. Carlisle pulled up front enabling her to see Esme and Alice waiting for them on the steps. She quickly unbuckled her seatbelt, eager to greet to them, but before she'd even touched the door handle, Jacob opened it for her from the other side. She steadied herself using his arm when she pushed herself upright, her legs still adjusting to carry the weight of her body.
Even though her legs felt like jelly, she did her best not to let it show as she walked up the steps to Esme. She wrapped her arms around her, her lips pursed in a tight smile as she felt the reality of Esme's strength for the first time.
"Okay, okay. I think that's enough hugging." Esme instantly pulled back and relinquished her hold on her at Jacob's tone of voice. "I don't need you squeezing the life out of my girl."
She scowled. "She was doing no such thing, Jacob. I'm fine."
"But he's right, Quinn. Now that you're human, we're going to have to be more careful with you." She heard Esme reply as she exchanged a gentle hug with Alice.
"Yes, well there's being careful and then there's being overprotective." she glanced back at Jacob, giving him a pointed look to which he merely shrugged.
"C'mon lets go inside." Alice spoke, her voice laced with knowing enthusiasium. "We have a lot to discuss."
"Like what?" She heard Jacob ask with wariness from behind her.
"Like becoming one of us, duh." Alice answered automatically as they crossed into the living room.
Jacob let out a low growl and suddenly she felt her body being pushed behind his. This sudden movement caught her off guard and caused her to bump into one of the side tables and knock over the lamp. "She is not becoming a blood-sucking leech."
The lamp shattering against the hardwood floor prompted the other three Cullens to come downstairs to see what was all the commotion about. Jasper, after taking one glance at the situation, adopted a protective stance in front of Alice that mirrored the one Jacob had in front of herself. Emmett and Rosalie stood to the side, confused at to what was transpiring.
Since Edward was the only one absent, she deduced he was somewhere off with Bella as per usual.
Alice rolled her eyes up at Jacob and shook her head. "Not what I meant, dog. I meant her becoming an official Cullen." Alice smiled back at her and clasped her hands together. "I already saw Carlisle making up the paperwork: birth certificate, social security card…"
"You're serious?" She looked to Carlisle and Esme for clarification.
"Well, you're already family, honey." Esme nodded. "Now it's only a matter of making it legal."
"Of course, only if that's what you want." Carlisle added, his hand resting on Esme's shoulder.
"You guys can't be serious." Came Rosalie's shocked voice. "She's human for Christ's sake!"
She was incredibly surprised to see Jacob actually begin to nod his head in agreement.
"Exactly. Living with a bunch of vampires as a human would be suicide." He said to her before briefly glancing over back at Jasper. "Hell, he nearly killed Bella after she got a paper cut. What if something worse happens to you?"
"I trust them enough to know that they aren't going to hurt me." She replied, noticing the flash of guilt across Jasper's face at Jacob's mention of Bella's birthday party incident. "But he does made a valid point." She stepped out from Jacob's shadow and looked to the others. "As much as I would love to officially be a part of your family, I don't want to make you guys uncomfortable in your own home."
Emmett snorted. "Yeah, I don't think that would be a problem." After noticing the looks the others were giving him, he clarified: "I mean, no offense, Quinn, but I'd rather eat human food than drink your blood. It smells about as appetizing as the dog's."
Her eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Really?"
Alice looked up at Jasper expectantly, one hand resting on his chest. "What about you, Jazz?"
"I would have to agree with Emmett's sentiment." He gave her a half smile. "You smell repulsive."
"Problem solved, then!" Alice beamed. "Which leads me to bring up…" she gestured to Quinn's scorched dress and made a face. "We need to go shopping for you. Stat."
"Back off, shortie." Jacob warned just as Alice stepped forward - probably to kidnap her for one of her infamous shopping trips. His arms wrapped around, keeping her back pressed up against his torso.
Alice huffed in frustration, much to Quinn's amusement, and swiftly spun around, looking to the others for help.
Carlisle dropped his arm from its place around Esme, a soft chuckle escaping him. "Alice, I think it would be best if Quinn got some rest now."
Esme nodded. "Yes, you can take her shopping another time." She stepped forward and wrapped her arm around Alice's shoulders. "Although if it will make you feel better, we will need to go shopping so we can fix up her new room."
"Oh perfect! And while we're out we'll need to get her a car too…"
"A car?"She all but choked on the word. "For what?"
"For you silly." Alice laughed. "If you're to be a Cullen, you need a suitable car."
Emmett chuckled. "It's a rule."
"But the last time I drove a car it led to my death." Jacob's grip on her tightened.
Alice waved that off like it was no big deal. "Different circumstances, different time. And cars are safer now anyhow."
"We could always just get her a car seat." Rosalie suggested dryly.
"I already see myself buying the perfect one." Alice announced before taking her husband's hand. "C'mon, Jazz. Let's go online and order it right away." Jasper nodded compliantly and followed her upstairs.
"Unbelievable."
Ignoring his wife's remark, Emmett moved forward and opened up his arms to Quinn. "Welcome to the family, baby sis!"
She smiled and despite Jacob's iron clad hold on her, she managed out of his arms and met Emmett's hug. "The very first breakable Cullen." he bellowed jovially when she made a comment about him squeezing her a little too forcefully. "So much for being able to overpower a vampire, huh? Bet'cha wished you'd stayed an angel."
She pretended to ponder that for a second before shaking her head with a smile. "Nope, not really. Being human is where it's at."
Rosalie snorted and swiftly turned on her heel and headed out the back double doors. Emmett sighed and reluctantly followed her, but not before ruffling Quinn's hair.
She bit down on her bottom lip as she watched them leave, making a mental note to cool it on flaunting the whole 'being human again' thing.
"I better go check back with the pack." She turned her gaze onto Jacob as he spoke. "Let them know everything's alright."
She nodded her head, taking a second to smooth out her hair. "Okay, I'll go with you."
He instantly shook his head, causing her to frown. "You heard Carlisle, you need to rest."
"I'm fine, Jacob." she stressed, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. "I can handle taking a little trip down to La Push. I highly doubt I'll drop dead on the way."
"But you need to take it easy, Quinn." Carlisle advised. "However minor your concussion is, right now it would be in your best interest to take things easy. Allow your body to heal itself."
Jacob leaned his head down and pressed his lips to her forehead. "I'll take you down to La Push another day. Promise."
"Okay, it's another day." Was how she greeted Jacob when she opened the front door.
A whole week had gone by since she came back and while Esme and Alice had done a good job the first couple of days preoccupying her with designs for her new bedroom, these days she had about as much patience her werewolf.
"Quinn-"
"Don't 'Quinn' me." She sharply interrupted, her arms folding over her chest. "I didn't become human again just so I could spend my time stuck inside like an invalid."
Sure she'd been able to play the claustrophobia card more than once, but all that got her was admittance out to the backyard.
"I just don't want you to overexert yourself while your body's still healing." he reasoned, sighing heavily. "You heard what Carlisle said-"
"You act like I'm asking you to take me mountain climbing or something! I just want to get outside and actually do something! Go somewhere!" She huffed in frustration when he seemed unwilling to relent. She pushed herself up onto her toes so she could clasp his shoulders. "Jacob, I assure you, I am fine. My concussion's completely gone. No headaches. No dizziness. I'm as fit as a fiddle."
His hands moved to her hips before he backed her up inside, where he then closed the door behind him with his foot. "Now are those Carlisle's words or yours?"
She opened her mouth, then closed it before scowling. She pushed at his chest, making him drop his hands. "It doesn't matter! I'm your imprint, you're supposed to believe me!"
"I just want to make sure you're a hundred percent healthy." He bent down and swiftly scooped her up in his arms. "The last thing I need is for us to do something and then have you drop to the floor unconscious because you had something like internal bleeding going on."
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his jaw. "Jacob, Carlisle's been giving me a check up every day to ensure nothing like that will ever happen. You don't have to worry so much."
"I know, but I can't help it." He rested his forehead against hers as he sat them down on the unoccupied sofa. "After losing you once, I just…well I can't have it happen again."
"Understandable, but Jacob, if I have to spend another day cooped up like a bird in a cage, things will get ugly."
"Okay." he breathed with a smile. She smiled victoriously on the inside. "I guess it wouldn't hurt if we spent a few hours in La Push."
"Fantastic!" She kissed both his cheeks happily before hopping off his lap. "Just let me go tell Esme."
She skipped to the stairs and climbed up to the third floor before walking into Esme's study (but not before knocking on the door). "Hey, Esme-"
"Go on ahead, sweetheart." she answered a second before looking up from the papers in front of her. "Just be careful. And have fun."
She walked around her desk and gave her a quick side hug. "I will. Thanks, Esme."
Esme smiled and patted her arm. "Be sure to take your cell phone though, just in case we need to reach you for whatever reason."
"Will do."
As soon as she left Esme and Carlisle's room, she dashed down the hallway toward her room and picked up the piece of plastic that was her cell phone off her desk before grabbing her jacket off the back of the chair.
"Expensive looking jacket." Jacob commented when she reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Yes, well, unfortunately everything in my closet is outrageously priced thanks to Alice."
The lace eyelet cardigan she was wearing alone cost nearly a hundred dollars.
He walked up to the front door and opened it before stepping aside. "So where are the others?"
"All out hunting." she replied, crossing the threshold before taking a moment to breathe in the fresh air. "But Carlisle and Esme went last night and then came back earlier this morning before Carlisle had to leave for work."
Jacob followed her down the front steps before scooping her up in his arms again, taking her by surprise. "You know I can walk, right?"
"Yes, but if you're not gonna put on the jacket, you have to keep warm some how. This way it's a win-win for both of us." he said with a grin.
"Very true. But it would be an even better win-win if you didn't have this." She fingered the fabric of his shirt and tugged it playfully.
"Mmm…you want it off all you have to do is ask." He leaned his head down and lightly nipped at her earlobe, making her shudder.
"Okay, okay, down boy." she giggled, pushing his face away when he started to trail his kisses down lower. "So are we going to your house or are we going to visit the pack, the beach…?"
"I figured we go down to Emily's and join the pack for lunch, if that's okay?" Even though she nodded her head, he frowned at the way she unsurely bit down on her lip. "What's wrong?"
"Just worried." she admitted rather sheepishly. "I mean, this is the first time I'm truly meeting the pack and I just…well what if they all hate me?"
"If they know what's good for them, they won't feel anything short of love toward you."
"I highly doubt they'll take my being a Cullen lightly." she pointed out. "Did you even tell them about that?"
He nodded. "I did. But don't worry about them. As long as you're not a vampire, you're in the clear."
"Okay, but what about your dad?" she asked, looking up at him. "Have you told him about you imprinting yet?"
"Yeah, told him everything. I didn't want to lie to him any longer. I hope that's okay."
She nodded. "So does that mean I'm going to meet him today too?"
"Only if you want." He set her down on her feet when he saw Emily's place in view. His arms instantly wrapped around her shoulders. "I'm not gonna make you do anything you'd be uncomfortable with."
"No, it's okay." She interlocked her fingers with the hand that was dangling in front of her shoulder. "It's about time I properly met him."
"Hey, Jacob!"
They both turned their attention away from each other and looked ahead in time to see Seth jogging up to them.
"Hey, Seth." Jacob instantly greeted back, his hand sliding down to rest on her lower back while he held out the other to bump fists with Seth. "Seth, this is-"
"Quinn." Seth cut off with a boyish smile. "Yeah, everyone already knows about you. Wolf telepathy and all. I can't believe you were actually an angel! That's so cool!"
She politely smiled and nodded. Jacob had told her that he'd told the pack about her being an angel and whatnot so there were no secrets to hide anymore. "Well thank you. It's nice to finally properly meet you."
"C'mon inside. Emily says lunch's nearly ready." Seth started backtracking, but kept his attention on them. "So are you gonna join us tonight for the bonfire, Quinn?"
"Bonfire?" She looked back up at Jacob, her brow furrowed. "What bonfire?"
"It's really a Council meeting. It'll be the first one since me, Leah, and Quil phased. The Elders tell the tribe's legends and there's a huge barbeque!" Seth answered enthusiastically. "Jake, you should totally bring her. It'll give her a chance to meet everyone!"
"Why didn't you tell me about this before?" she wondered, her gaze back on Jacob once Seth turned around and headed up the steps to the house.
He shrugged, lingering on the front steps. "I wasn't sure if it'd be something you'd be into, plus I didn't want you to be overwhelmed with having to meet everyone all at once."
"Well I'd like to go. It sounds like fun."
"Then we'll go." He kissed her forehead and then led her through the threshold of the house.
"Damn, the house smells amazing." he breathed, referring to the strong aroma of barbeque that greeted them upon stepping inside.
"Oh, hey Jacob." Emily greeted, taking notice of him when she walked out of the kitchen with a basket full of muffins. She walked over to them and held out her hand to her. "You must be Jake's girl. I'm Emily."
"Quinn." she replied, shaking Emily's hand. "It's nice to meet you."
"Likewise." Emily gestured to the kitchen table where Seth was sitting and eating potato chips at. "Go on and take a seat. I've nearly finished preparing everything for lunch."
"What's cookin' in the oven, Em?" Jacob inquired as he pulled out a chair for Quinn.
"Brisket." Emily replied as she set the basket of muffins on the table. She noticed the expression on Jacob's face and chuckled. "Get that look out of you eye, Jake. It's for the bonfire."
"Shame." He picked out a muffin from the basket and handed it to Quinn before taking one for himself. "So where's everyone else?" He literally inhaled the muffin as Emily spoke, making Quinn shake her head and offer him a napkin.
"I sent the boys out on a grocery run, Leah's out on patrol, and Sam's out back chopping up firewood." Emily answered as she made her way back to the kitchen. "They should be back at any minute."
"WE'RE BACK!" Jared announced as he walked through the front door, carrying a bunch of liters of soda, the others following behind.
"Hey, it's Jacob's angel girl." Embry realized as he set his bags down on the table. He flashed his pearly white teeth at her. "Sup."
"Damn, you're super hot in person." Quil grinned at her, earning a threatening glare from Jacob.
"She reeks like a leech." Paul complained, dropping his bags on the table as well and taking a second to give her a once-over.
"Suck it up." Jacob growled. As soon as she noticed his body start to tremble, she took his hand in hers under the table and proceeded to rub the back of his palm. That easily calmed him down.
"Quinn," he breathed her name before meeting her worried gaze. "you know all the guys, right?"
"Just as we all know her." Jared said with a shake of his head. "For the past two weeks it's been nothing but Quinn, Quinn, Quinn…."
"One week he's fuckin' depressed because she got banished or whatever its called and the next he's so fuckin' whipped. So annoying!"
"Just wait until you imprint, Paul." Emily smiled, patting his shoulder as she passed him. She grabbed a few things out of one of the bags and brought them back with her to the kitchen.
"So you bringing Quinn to the bonfire, Jake?" Embry wondered as he plopped down on the seat next to Seth and stole his muffin, making him scowl.
"Yeah." Jacob stood up suddenly and she turned around to see that he went to Emily, who'd just come out of the kitchen with humongous platter of deli sandwiches in her grasp, and took it from her before setting it down on the table.
The second the platter was set down, the boys all but attacked it like lions attacking a wildebeest or something. She had a feeling the only reason Jacob refrained from joining in was because of her presence.
The commotion died down as quickly as it had come and the boys now sat in their seats, ingesting the stack of sandwiches they had on their plates at a leisurely rate. Despite the fact that they'd each grabbed like seven or so sandwiches, there was still a abundant amount of them left on the platter.
Jacob placed a turkey sandwich on a paper plate and handed it to her before grabbing half a dozen sandwiches for himself. She couldn't help but chuckle when he asked her to guard his food while he went to the kitchen to grab them something to drink.
He returned from the kitchen with a water bottle for her and a liter of Dr. Pepper for himself just as Sam walked through the door, stating: "The firewood's all set."
Still standing, Jacob clasped Sam's hand in greeting as he made his way over to the table. "Sam, I brought someone I wanted you all to meet. Sam, this is Quinn and Quinn, you know Sam."
Sam nodded his head politely as he shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you. Jacob's told us a lot about you."
"Now that's an understatement if I've ever heard one." Jared murmured to Paul, who nodded in agreement.
"Shut up, Jared." Jacob warned, earning a reproving look from her. "Jacob, be nice."
Jared and Paul both snickered as they ripped through new bags of potato chips. "Yeah, Jacob, be nice." Paul mocked in a girlish voice, prompting laughs from the others.
Jacob growled and got up from his seat before shoving Paul's shoulder.
"Oh, now you've done it, Jake." Quil said through a mouthful of food, watching as Paul's smile faded.
"Take it outside or calm down. Now." Sam instantly ordered, his face dead serious when Paul started trembling.
"Chill out, Paul." Jared clasped him on the shoulder. "Here, look, food." He waved a turkey sandwich in front of his face and Paul's trembling ceased.
The others chuckled while Paul grumbled something illegibly as he ripped through the sandwich Jared had handed him.
"Take note Quinn." Emily laughed, her hand moving to the her shoulder. "The way to calm a wolf is with food. It's fool proof."
"Sex always works too." Sam whispered, now behind Emily, his hands on her hips and lips moving to her hair.
Nearly all the boys shouted: "Gross!" simultaneously before making disgruntled noises.
"I do believe I just lost my appetite." Jacob grimaced, releasing his hold on his sandwich and pushing his plate away. She took his plate and pulled it closer to her when she noticed Quil eyeing it out of the corner of his eye.
Once they finished with lunch, they hung around Emily's a little while longer watching television with the pack before he suggested to Quinn that they go down to the beach. Not that he didn't like hanging with the guys, which he did (well, most of the time), but when they suddenly made it their mission to see who could embarrass him most in front of Quinn, he'd about had it with them.
They both talked freely as they walked along First Beach together. While they were always comfortable with one another, it was the first time they were together and didn't have any heavy burdens weighing down on their shoulders. They had nothing to worry about. No secrets to keep. Their biggest obstacle was now behind them and Quinn was free to live a human life. With him.
He'd been in the middle of rambling about the time Quil got a hermit crab stuck to his hand for an hour and a half when he noticed her shiver. He gently removed his hand from around hers and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She instantly leaned into him and wrapped her own arm around his waist. "You want to head back?"
He should've realized that while he was immune to the chilly sea breeze, she was not.
She nodded, her face partially buried in his chest and without hesitation he steered them away from the beach. But they since they still had plenty of time to kill until the bonfire started, he led her into the forest, intent on warming her up as best he could.
They reemerged from the trees some hours later, the both of them disheveled in some way, shape, or form. They hadn't done anything more than make out but it had quickly become heated to say the least. He wiped his mouth clean of her lip gloss with the back of his hand and did his best to suppress a chuckle at Quinn's less than orderly appearance. "Talk about a bad idea." she breathed out as she tried to smooth out her hair so that it didn't look so tousled. "Now what's your father gonna think when I meet him looking like this?"
He eyed her pink lips which were slightly swollen and just begging to be kissed again and shrugged. "I think you look great."
"You just had to leave your mark on me, Jacob." She rubbed the side of her neck and scowled. "Just had to."
"Yes. And several times." He leaned forward and kissed her just under her earlobe before leaping out of the way when her hand came his way.
She stuck her tongue out at him and huffed before turning on her heel and grumbling about her hickeys as she walked away.
He just jogged after her and laughed, then scooped her up when he was close enough and threw her over his shoulder in one swift movement. She immediately started to protest and smack her hands against his back in hopes he would set her down, but to no avail.
He reluctantly set her back down on her feet when the bonfire and the silhouettes of everyone came into view. "You're horrible, you know that?"
He merely laughed and draped his arm around her shoulder. "But you still love me, right?"
"We'll see about that after I've suffered my humiliation." she murmured, her hand going to her neck once again.
He could feel her nerves increasing as they neared the group, leading him to believe that there was more to it than just the hickey thing. "You'll be fine, Quinn. My dad will love you."
After saying quick hellos to the pack and Emily, he took Quinn and introduced her to the Council members. With the exception of Sue Clearwater, the Elders were wary of her being here, one: because she was technically an 'outsider' despite her being his imprint and two: because she was a Cullen. The latter of the two seemed to bother Old Quil and a few others the most.
He tried not to let their prejudice bother him but what with him being able to hear their muttering behind their backs, he found it particularly difficult.
"Jake." He turned his head and smiled when he saw Sam push his dad over to them.
"Hey, old man." he greeted before leaning down and clasping his dad on the back. He straightened up and beckoned to Quinn, who was standing off to the side. "Dad, I want you to meet someone very special to me. This is Quinn. My imprint."
"Hi, Mr. Black. It's a pleasure to meet you." There was uncertainty in her eyes as she helf out her hand to his dad. She visibly relaxed with his dad smiled at her and graciously shook her hand. "Likewise, Quinn. Jake told me everything and I just want to thank you for all that you've done for my son. I always knew he had someone looking out for him all these years."
"It was my pleasure, Mr. Black." She lifted her gaze to meet Jacob's. "Truly."
When he felt that Quinn was no longer nervous, he headed over to the food and began making plates for them while she continued to talk with his dad. He kept tabs on the conversation, intent on pulling her away if things got embarrassing. Which they eventually did, much to his dismay. He quickly put the food down and all but dragged her away from his dad, who'd been in the process of showing her old pictures of himself when he was a baby from his wallet.
"I don't see what your problem is. I've watched you all your life. I've seen you in a diaper before."
"Still it's humiliating." He handed her the plate he'd made for her and grabbed a water from one of the coolers before leading her over to the bonfire. He sat down next to Quinn, who sat next to Seth and while they chatted, he scarfed down his first few hot dogs.
By the time everyone was finished eating, the Council pulled themselves together and got ready. He pulled Quinn onto his lap and wrapped his arms securely around her, much like the other imprinted wolves did with their imprints.
His dad was the first one to start with the stories, telling of the Chief Taha Aki and his conflict with Utlapa that led to the end of the spirit warriors but instead changed the men to wolves.
Old Quil picked up with the story about the Third Wife and how she sacrificed herself in order for her husband to defeat the Cold One and protect their tribe. Quinn leaned forward when his dad showed the blackened pouch of Taha Aki's that held the remains of the Cold One. When Old Quil came to talk about the treaty of the Cullens, Jacob couldn't help but notice that his gaze flickered to Quinn more often than he would've liked.
When the stories came to an end, it took him a few minutes before he realized Quinn had fallen asleep in his arms. He pressed his lips to her forehead and smiled when she curled her body closer to his. His gaze lingered on her face for a moment as he took in her beauty, silently marveling at how incredibly blessed he was to have her.
A few weeks later…
Quinn sat at the Cullen's kitchen island, flipping through the cooking magazine she'd picked up on her trip to the market with Esme the other day. She stopped at one page in particular and took a longer look before folding the corner of the page - indicating that the recipe was something she would later want to attempt.
When she finished with the magazine, she closed it and slid off the stool she'd been sitting on. She picked up the plate she used for her snack (apple slices and raspberry yogurt - an unusual but quite delicious combination Jacob exposed her to) and walked it over to the sink before quickly cleaning it and setting it aside on the drying rack.
Since almost everyone was either at work or at school (or out shopping for car parts in Emmett and Rosalie's case), the house was relatively quiet with the exceptions of the nature made sounds coming from outside. Esme was the only one home with her, but she was currently was upstairs in her study continuing with her designs for Edward and Bella's future home.
Even though she found herself bored at the moment, she was glad she didn't have to worry about school just yet. What with it already being the end of the school year for the others, Carlisle and Esme figured it would just be easier for her to start school in September. And while it had been argued over which school she would attend in the Fall (Edward and Alice wanted her to go to school in Forks), she settled on finishing high school on the reservation with Jacob. The less time they had to spend apart, the better off they both would be. And even if she were to go to school in forks, she knew Jacob would just insist on going with her and she didn't want him to have to leave behind his friends and school for her. Besides, at least in La Push she would know people aside from Jacob.
She left the kitchen with her magazine tucked under her arm and plopped down on the living room sofa in front of their top of the line flat screen television. She picked up the remote and turned the power on. Her gaze lingered on the remote, specifically on the twenty-something buttons it had. While some of them she understood what they meant, the others…not so much. She looked up at the screen and shook her head in awe (something she still couldn't help but do). The picture was so clear, so defined. Her old twenty-inch black and white television set from back in the day couldn't compare.
It never ceased to amaze her how far technology had come (But since she had little patience for the television shows or movies of today, she didn't spend much time watching television).
Leaning back in her seat, she pressed the three numbers on the remote that led to her favorite channel: TCM. It played classic films all day, every day, without those bothersome commercials interrupting every ten minutes. She focused her attention solely on the movie before her for about ten minutes before she leaned forward and picked up another one of her cooking magazines off the coffee table. She aimlessly skimmed through it, only stopping once to grimace at an advertisement for McDonalds.
Ever since Emmett persuaded her into watching a documentary on what really went into fast food chains' meals and how it was made, she couldn't even stomach the thought of eating food that someone else prepared.
Needless to say fast food was completely out of the question.
She'd sooner eat her own foot than consume a burger from Burger King or any other of those disgusting fast food places.
This time around she intended on living a long and healthy life. She certainly wasn't going to jeopardize that by putting processed food and unfamiliar chemicals in her body. So she just made all her meals herself.
Since she decided this, the Food Network had become her new best friend (Also one of the few television channels she actually enjoyed). She would make note of recipe after recipe of meals that looked appetizing to her or meals she thought Jacob would particularly enjoy. Esme always helped her out when she needed it, even though she herself never ate the food they prepared.
Sighing heavily, she picked up the remote again and perused through the television channels when the movie lost her interest. Mostly all the channels were currently on commercial which annoyed her. Seeing commercials for all the latest products or latest entertainment just reminded her of how out of the loop she was.
Sure she'd been around for sixty-six years, and while she was aware of all the changes the world had gone through even after her death, she never had to get used to them. She had one job and that was to focus on her charge, not focus on little things like how to work a microwave or how to use the internet.
Going to the mall with Alice had definitely been something of an eye-opener on how different everything was. The fashions of today were definitely something better suited for someone like Santana, what with the skirts being so short and the necklines being so low.
But thankfully she had Alice, who wasn't a girl of this day and age either. She didn't try putting her in the ridiculous outfits she'd seen the teenage girls wearing around, instead she found her modern items that were throwbacks to the kind of clothes she wore when she was human.
The same went for the market. Or should she say 'The Supermarket' as it was now referred to.
And with good reason. You go into a market nowadays and everything you could possibly think of that has to do with food or cooking could be found in that single large space. People had such a wide variety of choices (although most of it was processed and unhealthy) and almost half of the products were instant this, or instant that. People didn't even have to cook anymore, they simply had to know how to work an oven or microwave.
She knew this was solely for convenience just as fast food was, (since apparently people were much busier than they were back in her day) but it just felt like all these conveniences were changing mankind for worse rather than the these days was meant to make life easier but she felt it was just making people lazy. Instead of using their own brains, people relied on machines more than anything.
People weren't even communicating with one another like they used to. Instead of talking to each other face to face or via telephone, they used text message or email. What, was human contact suddenly a faux pas? Heck, there were even machines at the supermarket that made cashiers a thing of the past.
Glancing back at the clock on the wall, she couldn't help but let out a small huff of frustration. Time was passing particularly slow today.
Without a second thought, she shut off the television and pushed herself off the sofa before making her way upstairs to her room. She climbed up to the third floor and bypassed Carlisle and Esme's room, as well as Edward's, before walking into hers.
She contemplated picking up her copy of Jane Eyre off her nightstand and continuing with it but decided not to, instead collapsing onto her bed with a heavy sigh. She rolled onto her side and propped her head up with one arm as she glanced out the large window before her. Of the four walls she had, two of them were solely made out of windows - giving her the openness of the rest of the house and a lovely all around view of the forest.
She really liked that one of the windows served as a doorway to the outside. It served more of a purpose for Jacob than herself though. Whenever they hung out here, he would some times get a call from the pack and the window made it so that he could just leap out and phase.
She kind of wished she could do the same (leap out the window, not phase).
But now that she was human again, that was completely out of the question unless she wanted two broken legs.
After being an immortal angel for so long, she'd almost forgotten just how many limitations humans had. Things that were once easy to her were now things that could possibly get her killed (She'd all but given Jacob a heart-attack when he found her attempting to climb a tree one day).
And not to mention how much of a fragile body she now had. Just the other day she bumped into the corner of her bed by mistake and woke up the next morning with a bruise the size of a grapefruit on her leg. And yesterday she got a paper cut from turning the page of a book too quickly.
It was ridiculous. (But thankfully she was nowhere near as clumsy as Bella. Sometimes she felt like that girl would be better off in a plastic bubble).
Sitting upright, she slid toward the edge of her bed so that her bare toes grazed the hardwood floor, and then got up. She turned toward her entertainment center, which had a stereo system, a record player, a flat screen television and whose shelves were filled with numerous books and records, and even a few CDs. She also had a few DVDs (Her most prized one being her complete series of I Love Lucy that Alice had gotten her online).
She pressed play on the stereo, letting one of Edward's borrowed CDs and the music on it fill her room.
Since she really had nothing to do, she began mindlessly organizing the things on her shelves (Even though they were already fairly neat to begin with) as she hummed along to the music. She came across her spare car keys in the process and deposited them on her nightstand, making a mental note to give them to Jacob later. Maybe she'd give him the original set too.
Sure she was more than grateful to have been given a brand new black Mustang from the family but to be frank, she wasn't exactly keen about getting behind the wheel of it any time soon. However safe the car claimed to be, she couldn't help but get horrible flashbacks to her accident every time she as much as thought about driving it.
Thankfully she had Jacob, who was always more than willing to take the wheel any time she wanted to go somewhere. It looked more like Jacob's kind of a car anyhow and he had definitely been more enthusiastic when the Cullens unveiled it than she had. He had ended up spending a good ten minutes rambling on and on about its horsepower and other car terms she was unfamiliar with (but she was slowly learning though).
When she finished reorganizing her shelves, she decided to kill more time by just cleaning up the rest of her room and bathroom.
Unfortunately by the time she'd finished everything, she had all but plopped down on her bed, ready for a nap. She didn't particularly care for the whole having to sleep thing. She felt like it just cut into her time where she could be doing something more useful and the fact that she still got nightmares on occasion was just plain embarrassing.
It was only when she had Jacob sleeping beside her that the nightmares ceased (Esme knew about this so she and Carlisle permitted Jacob to sleep over on occasion). And while she liked having him with her as much as she could, she knew the others didn't exactly like having him over.
It was bad enough she pretty much permanently smelt of his 'stench' but when he came over it was ten times worse for them. But she knew the feeling was mutual for Jacob, so she always thought it best for them to hang out in La Push, where no one would be bothered by anyone's scent.
While the pack was amicable to her whenever Jacob brought her to Sam and Emily's place, she still had this underlying feeling that because she was a Cullen, there was some resentment there. But she was Jacob's imprint first and foremost, and human so they never openly gave her any crap. With the exception of Paul, Leah, and Jared, who hated that her being a Cullen made it so that attacking the Cullens for any reason would be out of the question. They'd all really looking forward to ending the Cullens once they broke the treaty with turning Bella and all.
Thinking about Bella led her to think about Santana, who she was really starting to miss. She hadn't seen her since they were in Hell together and while she figured it was just because Santana was busy doing demonic stuff, that didn't make her miss her any less. Even though she had six new siblings (including Bella), her relationship to any one of them couldn't compare to the one she shared with Santana.
Not wanting to dwell too much on whether or not she'd ever see her best friend again, she slid off her bed and walked out of her room, intent on keeping Esme company. She was about halfway to her room when she heard the faint sound of someone pulling into the garage.
Finally.
She quickly changed her route and headed downstairs, mentally hoping it was either Edward or Jasper and Alice, because if it was, that meant Jacob would be out of school as well. As she neared the foot of the stairs, she was able to better hear who it was - Jasper and Alice - before she met them in the living room. "Hey, guys." Her brow furrowed when they abruptly stopped talking on her account. "So…how was school?"
"Just another typical day." Alice gave a small shrug. "How was your day?"
"A little on the boring side." she admitted, though her brow was still furrowed. Jasper seemed uneasy and Alice, well, she seemed like she was hiding something from her.
But before she could question either of them on what was wrong, Esme came downstairs to greet them. While Esme asked about their day, she glanced back at the clock on the wall and was pleased to see that Jacob should be on his way over.
"I presume Edward's dropping Bella off at home?"
Alice nodded. "He wanted to talk to Charlie about those plane tickets you and Carlisle got Bella for her birthday. He thinks Bella should use them this weekend."
"This weekend?" Esme's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "That's a bit of a short notice, don't you think? Why this weekend?"
Quinn watched Alice's face for a clue as to what exactly she wasn't telling them. Was it a vision? Had she seen something? Was it going to happen this weekend?
More questions began to fill her head, causing her to tune out the rest of their conversation. It wasn't until Jacob was mentioned that she snapped out of it. "What about Jacob?"
"I was just making a suggestion that you spend this weekend with Jacob down on the reservation."
While she didn't dislike the idea, she still was wary of Alice's intentions. "…why?"
"Because we all need to go hunting and this weekend would be perfect for it." Alice explained, to which Jasper added, "And we just thought it best that you stay with Jacob while we're gone, so you won't be alone."
She could practically hear Santana yelling 'BULLSHIT' in the back of her head. They'd all just gone hunting a couple of days ago, there was no way they'd need to go again so soon.
She pondered for a second whether or not to point that out before eventually deciding not to. Instead, she nodded her head and acted like she completely bought everything they'd just told her.
"Are you sure your dad's okay with this?" she whispered to Jacob for what felt like the tenth time since she walked into his house. The three of them had just finished dinner and while Billy was in the living room watching the rest of the basketball game, she and Jacob were cleaning up in the kitchen. "He's fine with it, Quinn. Trust me." He leaned down and kissed her cheek as he placed another dish in the sink. "Just relax. He adores you."
"Okay, but since I want things to stay that way, I'm going to sleep on the couch."
"Over my dead body." He shook his head at the expression on her face. "I've stayed over at your house enough times for him to know that we're no strangers to sleeping in the same bed together."
She groaned and turned to smack his arm with her glove covered hand. He laughed her off and moved behind her, resting his chin against the top of her head while his arms wrapped around her waist. "Now let's hurry with these dishes so we can go to bed."
"Now there's a sentence I never expected to hear until I was married."
She also never expected to be adopted into a family of vampires or have a werewolf for a boyfriend, but oh well….
"Don't expect me to do anything more than kiss you this weekend, Jacob." she warned as she put down a clean plate on the drying rack and then took his hand off her hip.
"I don't." He chuckled, his chin still resting against her hair. "My dad would have my neck if I ever attempted anything like that while he was in the house. But the forest on the other hand…"
"And risk getting caught by one of the boys on patrol again? I think not." One of the most humiliating moments of her second human life for sure- another one being the time she had to ask Esme's permission to go on the pill.
As much as she loved Jacob and being intimate with him on occasion, she didn't want to get pregnant any time soon. There was no telling when their make-out sessions would lead to something more so she figured it best to take the necessary precautions.
She just hated that Emmett had been listening in on her conversation with Esme, and by the time she went downstairs, everyone knew about her being…active.
Talk about mortifying.
"So have you finished your homework?" She glanced back at Jacob, who was laying on his bed, watching her as she unpacked her things and hung them in his closet. She hadn't had a chance to do it last night and because of it, her clothes were all slightly wrinkled.
"Jeez, Quinn, you sound like my dad."
She hung up the outfit she planned to wear tomorrow and chuckled. "I take that as a no."
"No, it's a I'll do it later." he corrected. "Besides, it's Saturday night and I've got you here for the whole weekend. Homework is like, the last thing on my mind."
"Which in Jacob speak comes out as, I'll save it for Monday morning." She turned around and picked up her small case of toiletries before putting it on his desk.
"Ha. Ha. So funny." He pushed himself upright and grabbed onto her hips, pulling her to him until she was in his lap. "Kisses now. Homework later."
She wrapped her arms around his neck and turned her body more toward his. "Say the magic word and I'm all yours."
"Please."
"Actually, the magic word's bacon, but I guess please will do."
He laughed. "You're unnaturally obsessed with bacon, you know that?"
She playfully glared at him. "Kiss me now and I'll let that remark slide by."
"Yes ma'am." He grinned, lifting his right hand to salute before he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers in a slow, deep kiss.
As they kissed, a sharp wolf's howl suddenly erupted from the trees and shattered the night silence. Jacob swore as he pried his lips from hers and stood up with her still in his lap. "It's Sam." When he realized he still had her in his arms, he instantly set her down on his feet. "I've gotta…"
She gave an understanding nod. "Just be safe."
"It's probably nothing. Just a meeting to sort out patrols or something." He kissed her quickly and then dashed out of the room.
He phased the second he passed through the break in the trees and instantly began to run. He headed more toward La Push but as soon as he listened to Sam's order, he quickly changed direction and made his way over to the Cullen boarder. What's going on?
Something's up with the Cullens. Jared answered. They're pacing around near their side of the treaty line.
He frowned. I thought they were supposed to be gone hunting this weekend. Why would they lie to Quinn?
They look like they're waiting for something. Seth commented. They haven't moved in a while.
You think they know that we're aware of them being out here? Leah wondered.
Most likely. He replied, slowing his pace when he reached the group. Should I phase and go talk to them, see what's up?
Sam shook his head. Not yet. Let's wait it out for a few minutes first, see what happens.
He nodded and began pacing around with the others, carefully watching the Cullens for any sudden movement. He didn't understand why they would tell Quinn they were going away hunting for the weekend only to stay home. It just didn't make any sense.
Since he didn't like waiting, he figured it best if he just phased and went to see what was wrong with them. He was just about to phase back when all of the Cullen's took off to the west, running and weaving through the trees at full speed.
This just added to his confusion, until he saw it. Or should he say, her.
It's the redhead! Paul roared. She's been with them all along!
She's not with them, you idiot. He looked closely at the red blur blazing through the trees and then at the Cullens. They're chasing her.
She's the one they've been waiting for. Seth realized.
A low growl ripped through him. Alice must've had a vision of Victoria, that's probably why the Cullens suggested Quinn stay in La Push with him for the weekend, just in case. But how could they not have told him about this?
Because they don't trust you, obviously. Leah answered. Sure they tolerate you, but that's only because you imprinted on Quinn. You're still just a stupid dog to them. Their enemy.
He didn't have time to dwell on Leah's words for as soon as she finished her sentence, the redhead leaped onto their side in order to escape the close encounter with Jasper. The lot of them bolted after her, snapping and growling as they gained speed.
Even though he knew his mind was supposed to be focused on the redhead, his thoughts couldn't help but drift to Quinn and if she was alright or not.
Focus Jacob. Sam ordered. She will be fine. The boys are guarding the Res.
He snorted. Brady and Collin. They were just puppies, even younger than Seth. They'd just joined the pack, what did they know about fighting off a vampire?
The redhead wants nothing to do with La Push. Sam stated. Even if she were to double back-
And what if she's not alone this time? Huh? What if they're more? He countered. What if this is just some ploy to get us as far away from the Res as possible?
Maybe he was just being paranoid but either way, Quinn's safety was his main concern. He couldn't let anything happen to her, especially at the hands of a vampire. He had to see that she was safe.
Jake, we haven't detected any vampire aside from the one you guys are chasing. Came Brady's timid voice.
Sam nodded. Now focus, Jacob. We need you here.
Jared jumped up in the air and tried to grab onto the redhead when she began bouncing around from tree to tree but failed and fell to the ground. Sam tried as well and nearly had her but that just drove her back to the Cullen's territory. A long line of swears filled the pack mind since they were forced to remain on their side, their only option being to wait until she came back onto their land.
The urge to check on Quinn grew as they waited, prompting Sam to give him a warning growl. Jacob, I understand your concern, but if you really want to protect her, you need to keep your attention on the redhead. We could end her tonight if we're all alert and focused.
She's headed for the ravine. Embry alerted. She'll have to jump over onto our side.
At that Paul, Leah, and himself pushed themselves faster, intent on ripping her apart before she landed.
"Emmett, don't!"
He turned his head just in time to see Emmett launch himself in the air after the redhead. Paul lunged too, knowing that if Emmett missed her, he would definitely be the one to take her down. But unfortunately Emmett did wind up missing his target and instead landed on Paul. Their collision was like a clap of thunder, forcing Leah and himself to skid to a halt. They then ran down to the ravine when Emmett and Paul crashed into the water. The impact of their bodies reaching the bottom of the ravine made the ground beneath their paws shake.
Rosalie immediately met them at the bottom, crouching down on a partially submerged boulder to assist Emmett.
Paul growled violently as he circled Emmett while the rest of the pack continued to chase after the redhead. Leah jumped in the ankle deep water with Paul and mirrored his movements.
Jacob snapped at them and pushed his body into the water as well and moved between the two enemies.
Protecting the leeches now, Jake? Fuckin' traitor. Paul hissed.
Jacob just ignored him. I'm not going to let you hurt Quinn's family.
He tried to cross onto our land! Leah exclaimed before taking a snap at Emmett.
It was on accident. He moved in front of her just as Rosalie looked ready to attack. He was just trying to get the redhead. He wasn't intentionally trying to break the treaty.
The damn thing jumped in the ocean again. Sam thought as Leah, Paul, and Jacob made their way back onto their territory.
Just as he voiced that, Jacob vaguely heard Alice relaying a new vision to the rest of her family. "I saw her swim to Seattle."
This is so frustrating. Jared huffed.
Quil shook his head, sighing. I can't believe she got away again.
Did you all notice that Edward wasn't with the others? Leah brought up. What's that about?
He's with Bella. She went to Florida for the weekend to visit her mom. He explained.
A vampire that sparkles in the sunlight going to one of the sunniest places in the country? Leah snorted. Yeah, I find that hard to believe.
Seth frowned. You think it's a lie?
That's probably just their cover story. Jared thought. Maybe those leeches turned Bella and she's turning into one of them at this very moment.
I doubt it. If the Cullens were planning on changing Bella, wouldn't they at least let Quinn on it? And if she knew, wouldn't she have told him?
Maybe she didn't know. Quil thought.
You should've never let your girl become a Cullen, Jake. You should've just brought her to La Push when she came back from the hospital and said to hell with those leeches.
He sighed. She thinks of them as family, Jared. Hell, she technically is family to one of them. I couldn't have taken her away from them. Not that she would've let me anyways. She cares about them and I genuinely believe they care about her…with the exception of Rosalie.
Yeah right. The only thing they care about is her blood. Leah thought. The second she cuts or injures herself, they will be on her like an all-you-can-eat buffet. And then you my friend will be imprint-less.
There's always the possibility of them accidentally turning her too. Embry supplied. Hey, what if they decide they want her to become one of them?
A fierce growl erupted his body at the very thought. Quinn wouldn't choose that. She wants to live a human life. With me. She wants to age, have babies…
No wonder you two were doing it like animals out here the other day. Quil snickered.
And you were watching? Leah made a disgusted noise. Pervert.
I heard them while out on patrol and when I figured out what they were doing, I bolted.
After lingering for a few seconds. Jacob snapped.
Just be grateful I didn't see your girl naked. Instead all I saw was you and your naked ass. I almost scratched my eyes out right then and there.
Sam rolled his eyes and shook his head. Can we please talk about something else?
You guys talk about whatever you want. I'm out of here. Jacob took off without a second thought and headed back home.
The living room lights were still on but as he walked inside, he saw that his dad had already retired to his room. He'd been listening to Quinn's steady breathing since he phased back outside so he knew she was asleep. He carefully opened his bedroom door and slipped inside, his body relaxing at the sight of her curled up on his bed, sleeping peacefully. Since his bed was so small and he didn't want to risk waking her by joining her, he decided to just crash on the living room couch. He leaned down and kissed her forehead before leaving his room once again and closing the door behind him.
He was going to have to talk to the Cullens tomorrow, preferably first thing (well, after he ate and showered). While he figured that they'd simply kept this confrontation from Quinn just to keep her from worrying, he still wanted to know for sure what exactly they knew and whether or not it really was true that Bella was in Florida visiting her mother.
He plopped down on the couch and moved around a pillow before leaning his head back. His body was still feeling the adrenaline rush from the chase so he didn't expect to fall asleep until he calmed down.
He began to feel frustrated again as he thought back to the night's events. He wanted that redhead dead. Not just because she was a vampire but because she posed a threat to his imprint.
Sure he knew that the leech just wanted Bella, but with her darting into town every so often, there was no telling what could happen. Quinn could be in the wrong place at the wrong time one day and…
He covered his face with his hands, not even wanting to go there. If he did, he knew he would just drive himself crazy. What he needed to do was stop focusing on what could happen and instead focus on what will happen. The redhead was going to die. That he was sure of. He just needed to make it happen soon. He would talk to Sam, make a suggestion to increase the number of patrols. Maybe he could talk with the Cullens into letting them expand their patrol into their territory.
Or better yet, maybe he could someone convince both sides to work together on this whole redhead thing. It could work since they both wanted her dead and together she wouldn't stand a chance, just as Quinn said before.
But then again, maybe he was just being uncharacteristically optimistic.
Still…he had to at least try.
AN: Hopefully that all came out alright. Anyways, don't worry, we haven't seen the last of Santana.
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