Chapter 4 – Saint Jake

Emily went after Claire and brought her back to the house before she got in her car. She didn't want her to drive home if she was upset. Emily steered Claire back into the house and then to a spare room.

Sam watched with a quirked an eyebrow at the two women as they walked through the house and disappeared upstairs. Sam placed his napkin on the table next to his plate as he pushed his chair back and excused himself from the table, walking upstairs to see the two females. He followed Claire's sobs and found them sitting behind the closed door of the spare room. He walked in and closed the door behind him.

Emily heard Sam growl audibly. "Sam what's wrong?" She watched as Sam held up his hand cutting her off effectively from saying much more.

Sam knew he had to choose his words wisely. He inhaled and exhaled heavily as he stopped pacing and turned to face the two girls. "I'm not really sure what the hell went on downstairs with you two and Jacob, but this has gone on ridiculously long enough. You wanted him to have severe punishment you gave him extra shifts."

Sam paced a little more and stopped again. "He's been patrolling 10 hours a day for the whole week plus still doing his shift at the fire house. He started last night for today's 15 hour patrol and then worked at the fire house for 9 more hours. He's absolutely rundown over a damn prank. A prank he has tried to apologize for several times. A prank he has more than paid for and you two are still on his case about it. It was a joke between him and Quil. Claire I'm sure he's sorry you got trapped in the middle, but the guys have been best friends since they were practically born and you knew this. They are bound to screw with each other every day of their lives. It's just the way they've been since they became friends."

Emily stood with her hands on her hips and she started to say something, but Sam held out his hand again as he walked over and stood in front of her. "Emily I love you. You are the love of my life and there isn't anything I wouldn't do to put a smile on your beautiful face forever. But Jacob is still a part of the pack and nothing should ever make him feel like he has to leave just so someone else in the house can be happy. He is a protector just like the rest of the pack, not to mention if he ever deems himself ready; he's the rightful Alpha; I'm only the stand in until he's ready. I don't mind being the stand in but I'll be damned if I'm going to let anyone make the boys and Leah feel like they aren't welcome in our home."

Sam leaned down and brushed his lips across Emily's forehead. "I understand your need to protect Claire because she is your cousin. You have raised her more that her own parents I get it. But you need to stop trying to fight her battles for her. She's practically an adult. Claire I think of you as family just as I do any of the other imprints; even more so because you are related to Em, but it was a joke and the sooner you get over it, I'm pretty sure the sooner you can get Quil to stop being mad at you." Sam leaned over and kissed the top of Claire's head and the turned and left the room.

Emily and Claire just listened and watched as he left. Clearly Sam said what he had to say and they both just looked at each other in wonderment.

Quil growled.

'Damn it, Jake come back to Sam and Emily's. You didn't need to leave.'

Quil tried catching up with Jake. He was running as fast as his fur covered paws would let him.

Jake growled back at Quil.

'No. I just want to patrol and let Claire and you have a good time tonight. It's my fault you two were fighting. I honestly didn't mean for the joke to go so sideways. We always fuck with each other, but the way Claire just looked at me.'

The vision of Claire's face flashed through him head so Quil could see it.

'I'm sorry I hurt her. I didn't do it on purpose and you have permission to kick my ass. Human form, Wolf form, whatever is easier for you. You need to defend Claire's honor she's your imprint and definitely the love of your life.'

'She's not gonna wanna see me for a long time after what I said to her.'

Quil closed his eyes and whined a little, feeling terrible for the things he'd said to Claire, but honestly couldn't help it. She acted as though it was the greatest thing when Jacob left, after apologizing profusely. He allowed Jacob into his mind as the memory of what he said flowed to the man he considered a brother, their wolf eyes locking.

'She probably left and…'

He groaned when Jacob suddenly raced past him back toward Emily's, groaning and followed.

'Jake where are you going?'

'We need to get back to Emily and Sam's now.'

He could feel something wasn't right and he wasn't about to let Quil ruin his future with Claire. He knew he had to of hurt her feelings badly for what he'd said to her.

'What the hell Jake? Let's just patrol. I'm not worried about pleasing anyone right now. You and Embry are my best friends I'm not about to let someone dictate to me on what I can and cannot do.'

'Quil stop being so damned stubborn. Claire is your imprint and you love her. You can't just say stuff like that to her. I won't allow you to ruin your relationship because of a stupid prank I pulled. She loves you and I can understand where she's coming from. We're not teenagers anymore. This isn't high school. At some point we've all got to grow up and mature. Claire is your destiny. We are going to be brothers for the rest of our lives, but if you screw things up with Claire you're going to be miserable for the rest of your life. And I don't want to be responsible for that.'

'Sometimes Claire just thinks she can run my life and call the shots. I love her more than anything in my life, but at some point I have to put my foot down. She's been dominating ever since she knew she was my imprint at two and she knows there's a hell of a lot she can get away with since she's been with me. But you're right about one thing you are going to be my brother forever, but I can't allow her to treat you or anyone else from the pack like that.'

Quil noticed Jake stopped running as he shook out his chocolate brown fur and came to a stop as he caught up with him. 'It's disrespectful towards you. What if you were the Alpha right now instead of Sam? She would try something like that and try to get away with it and it would be wrong on so many levels to show disrespect to someone who is not only a descendant of the chief of the tribe but the Alpha of our pack. I can understand her being upset, but she took it too far; You tried several times to say you were sorry and her throwing a big baby fit and cussing and screaming at you when all you tried to do was apologize is completely ridiculous. If this is what ruins us; then she really doesn't get it and never will. It's her turn to grow up. She knows we pull pranks on each other not just on a daily basis but practically on an hourly basis.'

'Don't be so hard on her. It was a terrible fuckin prank. Maybe I went too far with it. Maybe she flew off the handle too much with it. Either way we're both at fault. And I would like to think if I was Alpha right now, we'd still fuck with each other just as much as we always have. Shit my day isn't complete if I haven't screwed with you at least four or five times and I know you're isn't complete until you've gotten me back for everyone of mine. We do some shameless things to each other all in the name if friendship. But it has all been worth it; every last second of it. For the last what? Fifteen plus years, I know it's been more that fifteen.' Jake coughed out a chuckle as they both lay in some grass outside of Emily and Sam's.

Jake cocked his head to point out Claire's car still in front of the house. 'See she's still here. Go in and talk with her. You guys need to talk and work things out.'

Quil gave Jake a sideways glance. 'I think you was a saint in your last life.' Quil exhaled heavily through his snout as he stood and went to the trees.

Jake snorted. 'Sure Saint Jake. Savor of all love relationships; when I don't even have one of my own yet.'

'Soon Jake; real soon.' Quil mumbled before he phased and pulled his shorts and a t-shirt on and jogged past Jake giving him double thumbs up. "Go phase and join every one for dinner. You know you're hungry stubborn ass.

Jake rolled his big wolf eyes and watched as Quil disappeared into the house. He'd phase in a bit. Right now he was just enjoying the moonlit sky.