Chapter 23! Woo-hoo! We are a-rollin'! Cannot wait to get to the kids' stories. Already mapping them out. One fan told me that I should do the pregnancy stories before their actually story. I think I agree. The pregnancy stories will probably only be nine chapters or less, or a one-shot. I haven't decided. If you guys have an opinion, let me know!
*Disclaimer*
Please Enjoy!
JPOV
After she had asked me if it was ok, Ness invited all of them to stay over and help decorate the tree. It was great to have just my side of the family over, to spend time with just them. Watching Ness get along with my sisters and nephew just made me love her even more.
Billy made her sit on his lap allowing Rachel, Rebecca, Henry, and Tom to take up the couch while Paul and I tried to figure out the lights. Sue and Charlie were sitting on the loveseat. Eventually, we got the tree wrapped up with white twinkle lights, but not turned on yet per request, and then it was the girls' turn to do their part. I sat next to Billy's wheelchair on the floor and watched as the girls decided what color scheme to make the tree. Apparently, that was a thing.
They picked red, white, and silver. And then they went to work, picking up ornaments and ribbon. Nessie grinned the whole time, her face glowing with joy. That was the best gift she could give me. Picking up Henry, she helped him reach up to hang an ornament.
"There ya go," she said, stepping back to adjust him on her hip. Bending down she grabbed another one and a green hook. "Here, hang this one. Where do you want it?"
She moved around the tree until he pointed.
"There!"
"Alrighty," she said moving forward so he could hang it. "Good job, Henry. That looks lovely."
He beamed at her before planting a kiss on her cheek.
With the four women decorating, it didn't take long at all. The last thing to go on before the topper was my favorite decoration of all time: the tinsel. Ness danced around the tree throwing it here and there. And then she came to me, sprinkling some over my head before skipping away with a laugh.
Billy chuckled. "Instead of Jack Frost, I believe we have a Jake Frost."
"Thanks, dad," I said dryly as I picked it off and threw it on Henry who turned to glare at me through the strands.
Billy and I both laughed as he rubbed a hand over his head, not really getting it off. Quickly, I grabbed the camera off the side table and snapped a picture. He stuck his tongue out at me.
"Alright, Jake," Rebecca said, holding out the topper in front of me.
Licking my lips, I set the camera back on the table, cleared my throat, and stood up. Taking it from her, I went to stand beside Nessie, who smiled at me encouragingly. Swallowing hard, I reached up and positioned the topper the way I wanted it before plugging it in to the end of a strand of lights.
Bending over, I grabbed the tail end of the lights. "Alright. Here we go," I said before plugging them in.
Gasps filled the room.
"Oh, Jacob," Nessie breathed. She held her hands out to me and I went to her.
And turned around.
It was really something. I even choked up at what it meant for me and Ness. Our first tree ever as a couple, let alone a married couple was perfect and beautiful lit up like a beacon in our own house.
Nessie and I shared a smile and a kiss.
"Ahem."
We broke apart to see Rachel, barely hiding a grin, her arms behind her back as she wiggled back and forth.
"What, Rach?" I laughed.
"Uh, Becca and I chipped in to have something made for the two of you." Before I could ask, she held out her arm, something hanging from her fingertips. "Becca had one made for me. And I made one for her. So we, as twinkies, made one for you."
Reaching out to hold it still, I saw that it was another ornament. It was a custom made sheet of some kind of metal. I knew it was custom because the two people dancing around in wedding attire looked startlingly like me and Ness. Underneath was engraved, "Our First Christmas" and the year.
"We sent off a picture and they sent us this."
"Oh, wow," Ness said. "Becca, Rachel, it's beautiful. Thank you so much."
Taking it from her, I said, "Yeah, thank you. So much. It means a lot."
Together, Ness and I went to the tree and picked a spot for it, a spot where everybody could see it.
We stepped back to stand with everyone else, and Billy patted my back. "Your momma would love this so much. And she'd be very proud of her children."
Rebecca, Rachel, and I all shared a smile. Becca nuzzled Henry's cheek. Rachel rested her head on Paul's shoulder. Watching them, I really hoped they got pregnant soon. They deserved it. Nessie rested her head on my chest, hand stroking my stomach. I hoped we got pregnant, too. She deserved a family of her own.
After a while we all sat back, just chatting. Nessie, my sisters, and Sue decided to make dinner. Chicken parmesan. Tom, Paul, and Charlie took up the couch. I sat back on the floor between the couch and Billy's chair.
"So, Jacob," Billy started up. "How are things with the new wolves?"
Taking in a deep breath, I sighed it out. "Interesting. They have some very...strange ways of handling their pack. And very weird customs. If they're going to stay, Calahan offered to teach me and Ness, but honestly, kinda freaks me out. Caden taught us how to utilize our wolves, make them deadlier, but really, I don't think I could embrace the other packs' ways of life."
He clapped me on the back. "Jacob, I think, in the midst of all that's going on, you're forgetting something very important."
Frowning, I looked up at him.
"Our people are spiritual no matter how we advance with the times. You and the other Quileute wolves are proof of that. If the spirits had abandoned us, you would never have phased. And if they'd have left us now, the ability probably would left you when the spirits did."
"What do you mean?"
"You are the embodiment of Alphas past. Ephraim Black's spirit is always with you, guiding you." He looked up at Paul. "Your ancestors as well, Paul. All of you who have phased. You're not infected. I know it seems obvious, but you are not the same as those other wolves. Not diseased, not infected. You're spiritual. You are kings and queens of the woods, chosen to protect your homes." He pointed out away from us. "Those wolves? They are interlopers who have had to make their own rules, some barbaric because bad men made them. Females, to them, are seen as property. With you, they are revered and respected for their kindness. Their females and lower members are made to fear the dominants. What have I always told you? Respect earns respect. Jacob, you've done your best by your pack, given them your time, your shoulder to lean on, and they would follow you into hell itself to back you up."
"It's true," Paul said.
I looked over to him.
He shrugged. "Jacob, you've fought with us. Picked us up when we needed it. You've always been there for us, been kind to us. Even when we stood with Sam to go after Bella, you didn't want to fight us. We'd follow you anywhere, man."
A heavy hand landed on my shoulder. "Jacob, son, never forget where you came from. The spirits deemed you fit to lead. You are a spiritual wolf, a man who knows himself, knows that his soul is worth something. Not some wolf that has to fight and kill for power. Your purpose it to protect your people, your family."
Looking back over my shoulder, I saw Ness do the same to give me a small nod and smile.
And I felt like my eyes were opened once more.
Billy was right. For weeks, I'd been feeling like I needed to be more vicious, more ruthless, more wild beast, than who I was to protect what was mine. But I'd lost me on the way. Not that I regretted what I'd done to Nikolai. I wasn't one to regret protecting my family. But I'd never run my pack on fear. Somehow, we'd all lost the spiritual sides of ourselves. Clearly. What had happened to the bonfires, the stories? Had we really grown up to become this?
"Thanks, Dad."
He smiled down at me. "Not a problem, son."
Looking up at the tree, at the topper, I felt a rush of something flow through me. My blood pulsed hard in my veins and a new type of strength settled over me. How had I felt when I'd first phased? After I'd gotten over the anger? Optimistic. I'd felt like I could make a difference. I hadn't like the alpha part, knowing that I was skipping over it. But after leaving Sam and the others, knowing I was outnumbered, I'd been determined to take them on, either by talking or fighting, even though they were my pack members. I'd gone with what I believed in, that it wasn't right to kill Bella. Not just because I'd thought I was in love with her, but because the baby hadn't even been born yet. They didn't know what the baby would have been like, just slaughtered it out of fear of what it could have been. Turned out, she'd been my imprint.
I'd been firm in my beliefs and how things should have been run even though I hadn't had a plan. Just reactions from the gut. Nobody else telling me what I had to do.
And what I had been like before phasing? A happy kid. Optimistic. That optimism had returned when Nessie had come along even though I'd known the road wasn't going to be easy, especially when she started growing so fast. But I'd had the belief that it was going to work out. And here we were, married. Only recently had I started to be the playful me again. Being the sickly romantic guy for my woman. Teasing, tickling, and chasing her. That's how we'd been back before we'd gotten together, back before the other wolves had come into our lives.
Standing up, I went to wrap her in my arms from behind and rested my chin on her shoulder. "I understand," I whispered.
"What do you understand?"
"Your optimism. I recognized it, and that's why it troubled me. I used to be a chronic optimist, and I'd lost that. I'd lost my spirit somewhere along the way recently." As warmth flooded me, I smiled. "You're right. We'll get through this somehow. Cricket hasn't let us down yet."
Turning in my arms, she smiled. "I missed you," she whispered.
"I know."
Going up on her toes, she kissed me. "Love you."
"Love you, too."
Behind us, the front door opened.
"Oh, wow."
Cricket and Trey were in the doorway, staring at the tree. And then they saw my family.
"Oh, crap," Cricket said. "Sorry. We can leave."
"No," I said quickly. "Don't be stupid. Join us."
"You sure?"
"Absolutely. The more, the merrier."
They both exchanged a look. Had I really been that selfish lately? Probably. Especially being married now. I'd wanted as much time with Ness as possible even though I'd told her earlier that we needed to spend time apart. But again that had been selfish, because I'd wanted the reminder of how important she was to me when I came home. It had been a selfish reason.
Nessie laughed. "Come on. We'll explain later."
While Cricket joined us, Trey looked vaguely uncomfortable around the guys, so I introduced him to them.
"Dad, Trey is pretty tech-savvy and book smart. Maybe he could help you out on your research of our family?"
"Really, now?" he asked looking at Trey.
The kid pushed his glasses up his nose. "Yes, sir. I had dreams of going to MIT."
"And why didn't you go?"
He fidgeted. "I met Cricket."
She looked over guiltily, but I winked at her. If that was what he really wanted, we'd find a way to get him there.
"So," Paul asked. "What got you into computers?"
Trey looked surprised and confused that people were taking an interest in him. "Uh," he stuttered. "Well, when I was little my mom had a computer, and I always tinkered on it. As technology progressed, I kept going. Reading and teaching myself. Alice bought me my new one, the best out there. Really, I couldn't thank her enough for it."
Paul leaned into him. "Good, can you help me find one for Rach? She really wants to start writing, and try to set up her own business."
Trey's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Sure. I'd love to."
"She wants her own business?" I asked, the first time hearing this.
Paul nodded. "She makes candles and stuff. She wants to open a shop, maybe get the other girls involved. She's very arts and craftsy."
Yet something else that I didn't know. Both of my sisters were here, were back on the rez and I hadn't made plans to spend any sibling time with them. Yet another kick in my ass.
"Dinner's ready," Ness called.
As one, all the guys got up from the couch and went for the table. Sitting down at the head of my table, I wanted to revisit Thanksgiving so that I could think that this was what I was thankful for. My sisters safely home. The danger almost over. And that we still had the older members of the family. Charlie, Sue, and my dad.
Clearing my throat, I held up my glass. The others followed.
"A toast, to our elders. Whom we're thankful for, and definitely know more than the rest of us."
"Our elders!"
Billy nodded at me from his spot beside Nessie.
Everything in this room was exactly how I'd always wanted my life to turn out. A beautiful wife. And my family home together.
WalkerPOV
"Are you serious?"
Calahan's chuckle was answer enough. He'd just told me what had happened with Ness, Jake, and one of his female wolves.
"Are any of my wolves likely to act like that?"
"It's doubtful. Marcia comes from a pack where the females were forced to bed any male that crooked his finger at them. Their leader felt that females were meant to be a man's plaything."
"Yeesh," I said, gagging. "I'm glad I don't plan on travelling, especially with the pack."
"Yes. We took her in and tried to explain, but apparently, she didn't understand. We've...dealt with the problem. But I called to inform you. I feel that if the three of us leaders are going to try to stay in one area that we should keep each other in the loop."
"Well, thank you for that. I'll be sure to let my second know. Thanks, Calahan."
We hung up, and I just stared at the phone.
"What was that about?" Christa asked, stepping outside behind me.
I turned and pulled her into my arms. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Snow had started spitting down, and the temperature had slowly been dropping.
"Some female wolf hit on Jacob and Nessie walked in on the forced kiss. Ness almost broke her face."
"Damn. I'm surprised she didn't do worse."
I shook my head. "It's Nessie. She's a kind soul. Probably just acted in the moment. But I bet she doesn't regret it."
The door opened behind her.
"Mommy? The pot is whistling."
Christa smiled up at me. "Gotta go."
"Okay, mommy."
Smiling sheepishly, she kissed my neck before turning around. "Alright, sweetie. Let's get you some cocoa." She scooped up Haleigh into her arms, and I followed them into the house.
Christa and I had been in the attic all morning, sorting through all the holiday stuff. I was a dad this Christmas with a little girl who had never celebrated it before, at least not the way we had growing up. So I had the responsibility of making sure Haleigh's first Christmas with a family was just about perfect. After we'd gotten all the stuff down, I'd spent the afternoon hanging lights. Lucas and Morgan had come over earlier to visit. Lucas had helped me with the lights on the highest part of the roof, which wasn't too bad what with the house being a one-story. They'd left about an hour ago to start on their patrols.
"Almost done with the outside?" Christa asked she poured the boiling water into a mug.
"For the most part. I was going to line the fence, too."
"Do we have enough plugs for that?" she asked, frowning.
I nodded. "Yeah. I know how to light up a house. Dad and I spent many Christmases hanging lights."
She smiled up at me. "Good. Can't wait to see it. Haleigh? What are you doing, sweetie?"
Haleigh walked past me, into the kitchen with a frown. "Why doesn't the tree smell right?"
"Because it's not real. Remember we had to put it together?"
Setting her mug on the table carefully, she crawled into the chair. "But why can't we have a real one? I like the way they smell."
At first, I could tell Christa was about to tell her that we didn't need two trees. But then she saw the pout on our kid's face. She sighed. "I suppose I could get rid of that old thing. Doesn't bring back good memories. There's a tree lot in Forks. We could go up this weekend to get a real one. How does that sound?"
Haleigh grinned and clapped her hands. "Yay!"
We both laughed as she handed me a cup of cocoa.
Haleigh frowned again. "Why do people put trees in their houses though?"
Chuckling, I knelt down in front of her. "Because once we get it home, we can decorate it. That's where all the presents get put."
"Presents?"
I nodded. "We wrap them up so you can't see them. And on Christmas morning, after Santa Claus comes to deliver more, you get to open all of them!"
"Really?"
I nodded solemnly.
"Who's Santa Claus?"
My eyes bulged out. "You don't know who Santa is?"
She shook her head.
Taking out my phone, I pulled up the Web and looked for a picture. After finding one that wouldn't scare her, I turned it to her. Her eyes widened.
"He lives up in the North Pole with Mrs. Claus. And his toy shop. You see, all year long, he watches over all the kids on earth, seeing which kids are bad and which are good. If you've been good, you get presents. If you've been bad, you get a lump of coal."
She gasped, eyes wide.
"And Santa has these elves that help him build the toys. If you want, you can write Santa a letter, telling him what you want for Christmas. You may not get everything, but he'll read it."
After a moment, her excitement dimmed. "But, why haven't I gotten anything ever?"
Shit. That was a good question. Thinking fast, I said, "Because he couldn't see you. He couldn't find you. Your pack kept you so well hidden, you and the other kids, that he just couldn't find you. But this year, we'll make sure he does. With all the lights on the house, he'd be silly not to stop here on Christmas Eve."
I held my breath, praying she bought it.
She burst from the chair, wrapping her arms around my neck. "I love you, Daddy! You're the best!"
Behind me, Christa sniffled.
Hugging her back, I whispered, "I love you, too, baby girl." I pulled back to brush her hair back. "Come on, help me and mommy with the rest of the lights."
Her eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Yeah, really."
"Thanks for volunteering me, husband," Christa said dryly with a smile.
That made me pause. Holy shit. I was a husband. With a beautiful wife. And a six year old little girl. I had a family of my own. So hard to believe that a year ago I was just a senior jock in high school. Now, I was an alpha werewolf with a wife and child.
Straightening, I took her into my arms, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "Just want you with us, wife."
She crinkled her nose. "Sounds so weird. But I like it."
"You like it?" I repeated.
"Mhm."
She dipped her finger into the whipped cream melting in her hot cocoa and popped it onto my nose, giving me a falsely surprised look, no doubt matching my real one. Haleigh giggled into her own mug. Reaching around, I picked some whipped cream from her mug and popped it onto her nose. She gasped and then giggled while I did the same to Christa.
She laughed. "Okay fine." Reaching over to the counter, she grabbed her camera. "Come here, Haleigh."
She hopped down from the chair and I picked her up, holding her so she was facing the same way I was. Christa moved in beside me, her free arm going around my waist, her head on my shoulder. Stretching out her arm, she turned the camera to us.
"Smile."
We all smiled as the camera flashed.
One good picture.
Then we took a bunch of goofy pictures involving stupid faces and more whipped cream.
"Hello, Christmas cards," Christa said.
"Seriously?"
She nodded. "Absolutely. Your parents would love these."
"That's true."
She wet a paper towel, rubbing our faces clean. "Come on, let's get the lights finished before it gets too dark. I still have to cook dinner."
"And what might we be having, Mrs. Johnson?" I asked, helping her slip into her coat. And then I helped Haleigh into hers.
Christa wrapped herself into my side as Haleigh took my hand. "Oh, I was thinking one of my favorites. Loaded potato soup."
"Mmm, sounds delicious. I haven't had that in a long time."
"Well, it took me a long time to get it right. I think I finally did. But hey, that's my personal opinion."
Outside, the snow had picked up. Apparently, the ground had gotten cold enough for it to stick. According to my phone it was quickly nearing twenty five. But, to me, it only felt like fifty. Body heat of a wolf was an amazing thing.
"I'm sure it'll be great, baby."
Together, we separated out the lights. I gave Haleigh the task of plugging them in to see that all of them worked. When they did, Christa and I wrapped them around the fence that closed in the front yard, and around the mailbox.
Once they were all tied and stapled down, I picked Haleigh up. "You ready?"
She nodded excitedly.
Christa flipped the switch.
The house lit up and Haleigh's eyes widened in wonder. The moment was perfect with the snow still coming down, landing in her hair and eyelashes. Christa came to stand with us as we just listened to the silence of the snow.
"It's so pretty," Haleigh said.
"Yes, it is," Christa agreed. "Santa will for sure see this."
"When does he come?"
"December twenty-fourth, Christmas Eve. So you have about three weeks."
"Three weeks?"
"That's right."
Haleigh wriggled out of my arms and ran for the house. "I have to write my letter. He might forget me if I don't."
Christa and I chuckled as I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. We watched Haleigh run into the house, leaving the door open behind her.
"I suppose we should get back inside so I can make dinner."
At that moment, my stomach affirmed her suspicions. "I think my stomach agrees."
On our way in, my phone chimed. Pulling it out, I saw a text from Jake.
Saturday. Bonfire on the rez. On the cliffs. All packs welcome.
"What's it say?" Christa asked as I frowned.
"Bonfire on Saturday. All packs welcome."
Christa got excited. "On the rez?"
"Yeah."
Whooping, she danced around. "Yes! He's starting them back up!"
Eyebrows in my hairline, I just watched her as she danced in the snow. "I take it you like those?"
Breathing hard she, she stopped and faced me. "Are you kidding? The rez bonfires are awesome. So much mingling and dancing and talking. And the food! So much fun. Haleigh will love it. We haven't had them in years."
Chuckling, I said, "Well, then I guess we're going."
"And don't worry about the cliffs. It'll just be in that general vicinity. Jake would never put the kids that close."
"Good. Now, let's go in before all the heat leaves the house."
I followed her inside, more than ready for her homemade soup.
RPOV
My husband was back. He'd even declared a bonfire on the rez. He said it was time to show the other packs about kindness and respect. The first step was inviting them to join the party, to mingle. Walker's and Calahan's packs had stayed separated from ours so far, and Jacob felt that that distance would never be bridged unless someone took the first step. He'd sent out a text to Walker and Calahan, plus all our wolves.
I was thoroughly excited. It had been years since one had been held, and it was beyond time to start them back up. Jake said it would be a celebration of new friends and allies. And it wasn't just going to be a one time thing. At first he'd said one every month, and then changed it to every other weekend. He was actually excited, too, instead of feeling like it was yet another obligation that he had to keep up with.
We were currently sitting on the floor. Jacob's back was against the couch. I was sitting between his legs, back to his chest. Everybody had gone home for the night. Trey and Cricket were up in their room, resting. Cricket still wasn't up to fully charged, but she could move around on her own.
His thumbs rubbed over my pajama-clad knees. "That tree is pretty spectacular," he said into my hair.
I nodded. "It is. And I love the star. Your mom had some pretty awesome taste."
"Yeah she did." He kissed my shoulder. "You want anymore cocoa?"
"Goodness, no. I'm stuffed. Sickeningly stuffed. I guess I haven't recuperated from Thanksgiving."
He chuckled. "You did eat more than you usually do."
"Ain't that the truth." When I had said sickeningly stuffed, I had meant it. I felt like I was about to toss my cookies. But it was probably just some digestion issues. I really had eaten more than usual, especially tasting and snacking.
I rested my head back against his chest. "This is so weird."
"What?"
"The waiting. The celebrating even when we know that the Volturi are coming, and we don't know how to avoid the war yet. I haven't had any brilliant ideas. And we're acting like nothing's wrong."
"Baby, I have every faith in you. If Cricket says you'll figure it out, then you will. Just don't try to force it. You'll give yourself migraines. Keep doing what you're doing. Decorating, cooking, making love to me." I laughed. "You'll have a thought that will lead you to another and then another, and before you know it-bam-there's the solution."
"You really think so?" I asked, rubbing my hands up his arms.
He kissed my temple. "I know so. You're smart. And determined. I know my wife, and I know you'll get it. Just go through the motions as if Cricket hadn't told you."
"Easier said than done."
"Maybe, but you can do it."
Instead of the tip of my tongue, I felt like something was on the tip of my brain, ready to jump off the diving board and into my pool of thoughts. Except it kept getting scared and backing off. Ever since Cricket said something, I felt like I knew what she was saying, but I just couldn't quite grasp it.
All this thinking made me tired.
When I yawned, Jacob moved to stand up. "Alright, Betty Homemaker, let's get you to bed. You've been doing a lot lately."
"Oh, shut up," I muttered.
But he was right. After he sifted the logs on the fire and unplugged the tree, I leaned on him as we went down to bed. So tired, I just collapsed on the bed, fully dressed. Jacob chuckled before coming over to get me out of my clothes. Once I was stripped to my underwear, he tucked me up on the pillows and under the blankets.
All I remembered was feeling the bed dip on his side and his warmth at my back.
The Next Morning…
RPOV
I frowned at my brush as my stomach flopped. Nerves.
My dreams last night had not been pleasant even with Jake wrapped around me. Visions of the Volturi had danced through my head. Blood dripping out of their mouths as they went around biting the wolves, infecting them with their fatal venom. Aro slaughtering Jacob in front of me.
Awesome, I thought, my stomach doing another flip.
But the thoughts of Aro made me think of my conversation with him. And that made me think of Jacob's speech to all the packs. With any luck, Aro would be bringing Jane and Tristan with him, plus the Denalis. The first two Jake and I would want to deal with in our own way, to pay them back for all they've put us through.
Wait. Did I just…?
Throwing my brush on the counter, I ran out of the bathroom. Jake was just coming out of the closet in his usual tank and jeans when I smacked into him. It was like hitting a wall. He didn't move, but I stumbled back.
Reaching out, he gripped my arms to steady me. "Ness, what the hell?"
"I think I figured it out," I said breathlessly.
"What?"
"The plan. To avoid war. I think I got it."
He pushed me to the bed where we both sat down.
"Slow down. What are you talking about?"
Gripping his biceps excitedly, I said, "You told me last night that one thought would lead to another and blah blah blah, right?"
"Right."
"Well, that just happened. I was brushing my hair, my stomach not feeling right because I was thinking about my nightmares last night." He tried to ask what nightmares, but I was already rushing forward. "Anyway, that led me to think about Aro and my convo with him. And then I thought about what you said at the meeting of all the packs. Mete out our own justice."
He quirked an eyebrow. No words, but I knew he was wondering if I was still sane.
Forcing myself to calm down, I took a deep breath. "When they get here, we demand the Denalis in exchange for the names of his traitors. No doubt Caius had been avoiding touching him or even had Abigail wipe his memory before she escaped. So there's one solution down. That is if Aro really cares. But the fighting. To avoid the war, we ask to fight those that have caused problems with us. One on one fighting. You and Tristan. Me and Jane. No doubt Caius and Caden. More like a fight ring. That we win. Once we do that, we tell Aro to leave us alone, that we want nothing to do with them or the outside world. We just want to live our lives."
"You really think it'll work?"
"Jake, it's the only brilliant idea I've had. And it makes sense. How often does that happen?"
He laughed and tugged me to him to that he could kiss my forehead. "Let's run it by your dad, Carlisle, and Jasper. Emmett won't be happy that he won't get to fight anything, but he can deal."
"Soooo, you'll go along with it?"
He sighed. "It's the only logical plan that any of us has been able to come up with. Let's talk to Cricket."
"Don't have to!" she sang, knocking on the walls as she came down the stairs. "Hope you're decent. Anyway, I heard everything," she said, prancing down the last step into our room.
"So what do you think?" Jacob asked.
"I think it totally makes sense. A whole lot of sense. How did I not see that before? Geez."
She pulled me from Jacob to wrap me in a hug. "How's your heart feel about it?" I asked, struggling to breath.
"Well, no warning bells. I'm assuming that's a good thing. Usually, if I go the wrong direction, I feel a pit in my stomach. Nothing this time."
Finally she let me go, and I sucked in some oxygen.
Cricket went for the stairs. "So, now that we have a plan, are you gonna make breakfast again? I could totally go for more waffles."
"Shouldn't you be making breakfast for her? She came up with the plan," Jacob asked.
Cricket just let it roll off her. "Pfft, I can burn water. Me cooking is not the best idea."
I rolled my eyes. "We'll be up in a second."
"Yes!" Turning she ran up the stairs, shouting, "Trey! We get waffles again!"
Jacob and I both laughed.
A couple minutes later, I was back to making breakfast. Jacob gave me a look when I didn't eat anything.
"You ok?"
I nodded. "Yeah, just still not hungry. And nothing sounds good." I did drink some sweet tea, which my stomach seemed to like. Damn nerves.
"Still feeling up to hunting?" Jacob asked.
At the thought of deer blood, my stomach let out a loud gurgle. Suddenly, I was famished.
Jacob laughed. "I'll assume that's a good sign."
"Very. Suddenly, I'm starving."
Jacob scarfed down his food in record time. Standing up, he went to put his plate in the sink and then came back to me with his hand out, waiting for me to take it. "Come on. Let's get you fed."
"I can't believe you're going to go kill Bambi," Cricket whined.
Jacob looked over at her. "Not Bambi. We never go after babies. We're hunting his dad."
"Jerk," she muttered as Jake chuckled, leading me outside.
There was at least five inches of snow outside. I was in my hiking boots and a light jacket. I'd get too hot in a heavier coat. Jacob had phased, leaving his clothes behind a big tree. He stretched out his wolf form, having not phased since they'd returned from up north. I scratched under his chin and he purred. Closing my eyes, I stretched out my hearing, listening for anything close by.
Through my stomach growling, I just couldn't tune it out. Sighing, I looked at Jake. "Can you hear anything?"
Stepping forward, he closed his eyes, ears twitching back and forth. After about two minutes, he hunkered down, hackles raising.
Grinning, I crouched down beside him. "On the count of three. One...two...three!"
At the same time, we ran into the trees with me staying slightly behind Jacob. He knew where he was going. I didn't. The snow was slick here and there. Multiple times, I had to reach out for Jacob's flank in order to stay upright. We darted in and out of shrubs, hanging limbs and over roots. It was amazing to watch him in the woods. It was like the wilderness just bowed to him, getting out of his way. Billy had been right. He was king of this forest.
Eventually, we came to the edge of a massive rock formation. He slowed and crouched down to his belly, scooting over the rocks. I crouched next to him. Down below, a herd of deer were grazing through the thin layer of snow. A large buck stood at the head of the others, watching over them. Immediately my mouth watered. As I was about to move, Jacob's large head moved to the side and nudged me in the stomach. Bot urging me back and reminding me that I wasn't at top performance right now.
I nodded. "You're right," I whispered. "You should go."
Nodding, he quietly slunk to the side and slipped back into the woods. For a good five minutes, nothing happened. The deer just kept grazing. And then a doe's head raised up, ears perky and alert. The buck went on alert, too.
But it was too late.
With speed uncommon to a normal wolf, Jacob burst from the shrubs right behind the male, teeth clapping together over the deer's bony lower back leg so as to lessen the blood loss. Scattering, the herd left in a panic. The buck's other hoof came back to clip Jacob in the muzzle. Growling, he quickly broke the back leg and then went for the throat to lessen the suffering.
"Finally", I sighed.
Hunger consuming me, I made my way down to the clearing. Jacob was working on fea-nipping the fur off around the throat as I ran over to them. Sitting down with my legs crossed, I pulled the buck into my lap and finished yanking the fur out.
"Thank you, baby," I managed to get out before digging in.
As soon as that blood hit my stomach, I felt instantly better. The stomach ache was gone. My head cleared, eyes gaining better focus. My nose picked up each scent around me right down to the roots in the dirt.
It took about an hour, but I completely drained the buck. Which had only happened once before. Jacob had even burrowed his head under the back end and lifted so that it was at an angle and the blood drained toward me. The thing was completely empty by the time I was done. I rested against the rock wall while Jacob pulled the deer out of the clearing.
Patting my full belly, I smiled at Jake who had come to sit in front of me. "That was exactly what I needed. I feel so much better. Thank you."
Inching closer to me, his nose touching mine, he licked me, right over the mouth.
Sputtering and laughing, I pulled away, wiping at my mouth. And then I saw why he'd done it. There was blood on my hand from wiping my face. He'd been getting the blood off. I finished what he started while he thumped his tail at me, tongue lolling out of his mouth.
Laughing, I managed to get to my feet. "Come on, Kujo. Let's go home. Or at least to Mom and Dad to spill about the plan."
Walking through the woods beside him, he nudged me toward our house. I felt sloshy as we walked, full of the warm, thick liquid. Once we got back home, Jacob went to phase back, grabbing his clothes. My four guards were still at the house. Jacob must have told them to stay here though I don't know why. Maybe he wasn't as strict about the security since we were pretty sure where our enemies were.
After he donned his clothes, he joined me, reaching for my hand. Twining our fingers, he led us back down the path toward the big house. He kissed my knuckles. "You sure did drink a lot. The whole thing."
I frowned. "I know. It's weird. I've been steadily hunting since we made the schedule. I don't know why I was craving it that time." I shrugged. "But hey, at least I feel better. I am not going to ask questions."
He kissed my head. "Me either. As long as you feel better. You worried me when you didn't eat anything for breakfast."
"Sorry. Apparently, my body was craving the deer."
"No kidding."
About ten minutes later, we made it down to the big house. Aunt Alice opened the door before we got to it and frowned.
"Where's Cricket?"
"Up at the house," Jacob said.
"Well, I guess I'll just have to go up there. If that's okay with you?"
For some reason that bothered me but I said, "Sure," with a smile.
She smiled at me softly. "Don't worry, Ness. I haven't forgotten that you're my niece, too."
I smiled at her. That was exactly what had been bothering me. She'd been spending so much time with Cricket that I had barely seen her lately. I was missing my aunt.
"So, what brings the two of you here?"
"Uh, well, we need to talk to Dad, Carlisle, and Jasper. But you might be able to help, too, since we came up with a plan. Maybe you can see something on our end."
"Sure. Your parents are at the cottage, but they're on their way. Carlisle's in his study. And you know where Jazz is."
"Chess," Jake and I said at the same time.
Aunt Alice laughed. "Yup. Come on in."
Jacob and I moved through the house. Aunt Rose popped up from the floor to swoosh over to me, wrapping me in a hug.
"Oh, my favorite niece. I feel like I haven't seen you in ages."
Hugging her back, I said, "I'm still not telling you what I'm getting you for Christmas. But your only niece loves you, too."
Pulling back, she frowned, and I thought she was going to say something about the Christmas joke, but she didn't. Instead, she sniffed. "You smell different."
Jacob laughed. "She just sucked down an entire buck by herself. I'd imagine she would."
"I suppose," she said slowly. And then shrugged. "Oh well. I'm just glad to see you guys."
Jacob and I shared a look.
"What are you so happy about?" he asked.
Again, she shrugged. "I don't know. I just am. And I love you both."
Jacob looked down at me. "Now I know she's sick."
She punched him in the arm.
He clutched it. "Ow, blondie. You're full vampire. Your hits hurt more than Nessie's."
She laughed. "Gettin' soft on us, huh? You need to wrestle with Emmett more."
Uncle Emmett cracked his knuckles. "I'm game."
"Absolutely not," I said. "I like my husband in one piece, thanks."
Jacob looked offended. "Don't think I could take him?"
"I didn't say that. It's just along the way, you'd lose pieces. I happen to like every piece firmly attached to your body."
"Good point," he said.
"Aww. You two are no fun anymore," my uncle pouted.
"You know what?" Jake said. "You're right. I accept that challenge."
"Jacob!"
"What? I gotta get back in the swing of dancing with the bloodsuckers. Might as well train with family. And Xavier can join in."
"Who's Xavier?"
"One of Walker's younger wolves. He needs fight training."
Jasper and Emmett shared a look.
Emmett cracked his knuckles again. "Excellent."
Aunt Rose, Aunt Alice, and I all shared an eye roll.
"Men," we all said at the same time.
"It is an excellent idea, though," Dad's voice floated over to us.
Grinning, I hugged him as he and Mom came into the house. "Hey, Daddy."
"Hi, sweetie. Was the deer good?"
"Very."
"Good."
And then I went to Mom's arms. She stroked my hair and kissed my cheek. "Love you, my little nudger."
"Love you, too, Momma."
Jacob shook Dad's hand and hugged Mom.
"So, what's this plan I heard about?" Mom asked?
"Well, we were wanting Carlisle here, too."
"I'm here," he called before moving up to stand with the group. "Let the meeting commence."
We all laughed. Still, even knowing how I was planning this, that I was planning to fight, I wasn't nervous. I actually felt like we were heading in the right direction, finally having something to grasp onto.
"Ness actually had the idea, so I think she should go over it," Jacob said, his arm wrapped around my waist.
All eyes turned to me, the house quiet.
I cleared my throat. "Uh, well, I was thinking that when we met up with them, they'll surely find the Denalis and we could make a trade. The Denalis for the names of their traitors." Aunt Alice went into vision mode while I talked. "We could have all three packs there. That's about two hundred and eighty wolves or more. Aro would see that he's outnumbered. So, to avoid an all-out war, we could bargain to take the traitors off Aro's hands, to punish them right there in the field. One on one fights. That way, Aro and our side would know that the threats are eliminated. After, we tell them to leave us alone. To let us be. That we just want peace."
When I was finished, eyes went to Alice.
"It's hard," she said after a moment. "So many wolves. But if Aro does go for it, I can see glimpses of Nessie and Jane going at it."
"What of the Denalis?" Carlisle asked. Esme had come in from the kitchen to stand by her mate.
"Safe. With us. Edward, Bella, Rosalie, all of us standing and watching." Her eyes focused, and she looked at me. "It matches with Cricket's vision. Guys, this might actually be that easy. Except for the fighting part. But Cricket does say that we win. I would assume all who fight survive?"
Jacob sighed. "Neither of you seem to know the answer to that part."
Aunt Alice patted his arm. "That's often how it goes. We can't predict the way the fight will go on the other person's behalf. What I just saw was the outcome should Aro agree with everything Ness has decided should happen. It's a guess how something will go when it could end up completely opposite."
I gripped his hand. "Hey, at least it matches up. It looks like we know what we want on our end. There might need to be improvisation but we can work with that, okay? At least we have something. Don't lose that optimism."
Taking in a deep breath, he nodded. "You're right, baby. At least we have something."
I could tell that he still had issues with the answer, but he was trying.
"So, it looks like we have a rough plan," I said. "And Jacob arranged a bonfire tomorrow. I'd love it if you came out. Cricket and Trey will be forced to join as well."
"Sure, baby," Mom said. "Is that all you came here for?"
"Uh, well that's all I had planned."
"But," Jacob jumped in quickly. "We can hang around. We haven't been hanging out with you guys enough lately."
"Absolutely."
Dad grinned. "Well, come on in. Get comfortable."
I shrugged out of my jacket and boots before following Mom, my aunts, and my grandmother to the kitchen. Now that I'd had my blood, I wanted some food to settle on my stomach. Jacob went to watch football with the others. No doubt he and Uncle Emmett were going to be throwing jabs at each other the entire time we were here.
As we started cooking lunch, the kitchen door opened.
"Knock, knock?"
Mom grinned. "Hey, Shelby! Come on in. We were just making lunch."
Shelby and Seth walked in with Brayden.
"Hey, guys," I said. "Are you hungry or have you already eaten?"
"We're good," Seth said. "Don't want to impose."
Esme waved a fork at him. "Nonsense."
"He's starving," Dad called from the kitchen.
Seth tossed a look at the door. "Thanks, Edward," he said dryly.
"Not a problem."
He rolled his eyes.
Shelby laughed. "We just came down for check-ups for the two men in my life."
"Ah," Esme said. "I believe Carlisle went back up to his study."
Seth took Brayden from Shelby and gave her a kiss. "It shouldn't take too long. You hang out with the girls."
Shelby looked uncertain, her lip between her teeth. "You sure? Maybe I should go up, too, just in case."
"Shelby, I am perfectly capable of taking my own son up a flight of stairs to see the doctor. I'm sure Carlisle would be more than happy to come down and update you." He reached out a hand to cup her face. "Sweetie, you've got to learn to let him out of your sight, unless you don't think I'm a fit dad."
Shock floated across her features. "I never said that. You're perfect with him."
"Then let me do this, Shelbs."
Her eyes darted between her mate and her son a few times before she sighed and nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry."
He kissed her forehead and went for the stairs.
Shelby sighed, plopping into a chair. "Is my mommy syndrome really that much of a pain in the ass?"
Mom and I shared a look, as if we weren't sure if she really wanted an answer.
She glared at me. "Come on, Ness. You're my best friend. Tell me. Seth won't say anything."
"It's not really my place, Shelby. It should be between you and Seth."
"But you're my best friend. You're the only person I can handle the blunt truth from."
Wiping my hands on a towel, I sat down next to her at the small table in the kitchen with a very heavy sigh. "Not so much a pain in the ass as...a hindrance. Look, Seth just wants you to know that he's perfectly capable of taking care of your son so that you can have a break to have time to yourself. Though I don't know what it's like to be a mom, I do know that you do have to learn to let him go, especially with his dad."
Reaching out, she gripped my fingers hard. "I do know he can take care of him."
I placed my other hand over hers and gave her a stern look. "Do you? Whenever Seth is holding him, you hover as if you don't really trust him."
Her green eyes went to the door they had both disappeared through. "Ever since Seth got hurt, I've been scared out of my mind. Seth is back on patrols, though not full shifts. When someone else is holding Brayden, Seth is always by my side. At all times, I have one or the other with me. If something ever happened to Seth again, I need Brayden, that piece of Seth. Losing them both would destroy me."
I shared another look with my mom. It was that look that told each other our hearts were hurting for Shelby.
Turning my hand over, I squeezed her hand. "Shelby, we aren't going to let anything happen to either one of them. Paul and Jacob were right when they said that Seth was the best of all of us. He really is. And he's going to raise his son to be the same way. We'll make sure he's around to do this. The danger is very real to all of us. And now we have Calahan's pack, adding another hundred and some odd wolves for protection." Her eyes had drifted again, and I squeezed her hand once more to get her attention. "Baby steps, Shelby. Baby steps. And letting him go in the same house is a good one. Just breathe. Help us finish up lunch. Time will fly and before you know it, both of your men will be back."
She took a deep breath that she blew out hard and nodded. "Okay. What do you need me to do?"
"Well, what do you want to do?"
"Not lose a hand due to not paying attention."
Laughing I said, "So, nothing involving a knife. Got it. Um…" I snapped. "You can finish up the meat, watch over the steaks while they're in the oven and wrap up the baked potatoes."
"Sure. Is there any chicken defrosted? I'm kinda steak-ed out."
"I think so." Checking the fridge, I said, "Aha," and pulled it out.
As predicted, time flew as we moved around the kitchen, bumping into each other playfully and throwing flour at each other.
"Really? I think I've seen more food fights in this house than I ever did in high school."
Jacob's deep chuckle followed Seth's words.
Shelby spun around and I looked over my shoulder. Jacob was holding Brayden while Seth walked wonky.
"What happened?" Shelby demanded worriedly, practically shouting.
I cleared my throat.
She took a deep breath. "I mean," she said more quietly. "Everything ok?"
I hid my grin behind her back.
Seth's eyebrows met his hairline in surprise before he smiled and hobbled over to take her in his arms. "Everything's just fine. Carlisle just wanted to take more scans to make sure and Jake came up to occupy Brayden while we were busy. And then the doc stretched me out. That's why I'm walking weird."
"So you're both healthy?"
"They're both perfectly healthy." My grandfather was in the doorway, standing beside Jake. "All scans were clear. And Brayden is perfect, still progressing mentally faster than a child his age, but nothing to worry about. The same could be said physically. But he's perfectly healthy. Good weight for his size. No signs of ear infections or any other that I could detect. He has very good genes and I don't foresee him becoming ill a lot."
Visibly, she relaxed. "Good. That's really good."
"You want him back, Shelbs?" Jake asked.
It was clear that she wanted to say yes. Instead, surprising all of us, she shook her head, swallowing hard. "No, that's ok. Take him in there with the boys."
"You sure?"
I glared at him over her shoulder. She was doing so well. He needed to stop pushing her.
She looked back at me and I smiled.
"Yeah, I'm sure," she said, turning back to him. "He keeps hanging out with the females, he's going to end up a sissy."
We all chuckled.
Seth hugged her, whispering, "Thank you." He looked at me when he said it, clearly thanking both of us. He'd known that I'd said something to her.
I nodded and winked.
Shelby let go of him, pushing his toward the living room. "Go hang out. Lunch will be ready in a little while."
Grinning, Seth turned to take Brayden from Jacob and both men went into the living room.
"Hey, Bray-man! Waddup?" Uncle Emmett said enthusiastically.
"Don't break my kid!" Shelby shouted.
"Aw, he's a werewolf. The big guy can handle it."
Closing her eyes, Shelby took a deep breath before huffing it out through her mouth. Laughing, I gripped her shoulders and turned her toward the stove.
"Breathe. Everything is ok. Right now, he is the safest baby in Forks. Werewolves and vampires surrounding him. He's fine."
"You're right. You're right." She turned back to grip my arm as I started to turn away. "Hey, Ness, thanks. I didn't really realize how I was acting. I'll need help to get over this...this thing, but I'm glad I have you to tell me how it is."
I hugged her. "You can pay me back by giving me the same speech when I have my own."
Shelby laughed. "Yeah, I think I can do that."
"No doubt, I'm gonna be a mess."
"You'll do fine, Ness. You are perfect mom material. And Jake? He's amazing. You two are going to be one of those disgusting golden couples with the perfect kids and perfect relationship."
I couldn't help my laugh. "You and Seth are pretty perfect with a gorgeous son. I think you might be one of those couples, too. So join the club."
A look of pure revulsion took over her expression. "Oh my god, you're right. We're disgusting."
Mom joined in the laugh.
"Not disgusting," she said. "Adorable."
"Adorable? No offense, Mrs. C, but that's not any better."
"Charming, then."
Shelby mulled it over. "Ok, I can handle charming."
"Ok, well, Mrs. Charming, let's finish lunch. This alpha female is starving."
"Well, we can't have that, can we?"
We all got back to work, and in less than an hour, it was all ready. All the people in the house who actually ate food gathered in the dining room. Brayden stayed with Uncle Emmett in the living room until Shelby was done so she could go feed him. When she finished with that, she left him with my uncle once more and told him how to burp him. When he refused, Aunt Rosalie took Brayden.
I nudged Shelby. "See how cute it is when people fight over him? He's perfectly safe. Mom trusted me with all these people."
"That is true," she conceded. "It's just hard because he was all I had when Seth was...down for the count."
Seth glanced at her with pain in his eyes. He hated that she'd gone through that rollercoaster. And it hadn't helped that she'd had a baby to take care of while nursing a broken heart.
Jacob reached across the table to take her hand. "Shelby, I swear to you that we're going to make our families safe again. We're going to make it to where the Volturi will never bother us again. We'll surround ourselves with allies. What happened up north will never happen again."
She squeezed his hand. "I still want to destroy Nyla for what she did to Jordan."
Jake and I exchanged glances.
"Well," he said, "you just might get your chance. Ness has come up with a rough plan. One on one fights are involved."
"What?" Seth demanded. "No, not happening."
"Seth-"
"Shelby." He pinned her with a glare. "No. I won't risk losing you. You haven't even shifted yet."
"You can't control my life, Seth."
"Watch me. Do we need to have the same 'obeying orders' talk that Ness and Jake did? You're my mate, and I am second in command of this pack."
Shelby looked to Jacob. "He can't do this!"
Sighing, Jacob sat back in his chair. "Normally, I'd sit this fight out. However, Seth, I'm with Shelby on this one."
He sprang to his feet. "What?! How could you-"
Jacob calmly watched him. "Because I'm in the same boat. I don't want Nessie to fight, but how can I say no when I risk my life all the time to keep her safe? She's willing to risk her life to keep our families safe. That's an alpha female. I would be a controlling bastard if I ordered her not to fight, not the husband who promised to treat his wife as his equal. Did you forget the stories, Seth? Of how wives of the Quileutes fought to protect their people? Ness and Shelby are no different. We can't continue to be cavemen."
Seth glared at him, breathing heavily.
Jacob just gave him calm eyes. "I've picked my battle. Unfortunately, it's not in your favor. I won't order Shelby not to fight, and we both know that I'm the only one who could do it and make it stick."
"She's not our kind of wolf. Your alpha tone won't work on her," Seth ground out.
"I'm aware of that. But she'd listen to me because I'm not her mate and the father of her child. I'm an objective party, a distanced party. You are not."
"I can't believe you're doing this to me. After everything-"
"I'm being fair. This time, none of the females sit out. But sit down, and Ness can explain the plan and how we hope it works out."
Angry, Seth stiffly sat back down, not looking at Shelby or Jacob. Instead, he stared at me, jaw locked, teeth gritted. Beside me, Jake urged me to spill. For the next five minutes, I spoke to the otherwise silent dining room.
"And you think this will work?" Seth asked when I was finished.
He was still pissed but at least he wasn't yelling at me. I had a feeling Jake would have lost his cool if that happened.
"Alice believes that the plan matches up to Cricket's visions, and that it's the most sensible plan to avoid an all-out bloodbath," Jake said.
Seth turned to Shelby. "And you think you can take Nyla?"
"With how pissed I am? Yes. Her little attitude is nothing compared to the shit storm I'm gonna put her through." Reaching out, she took his hand. "And the we still don't know how this full moon will go. I looked it up. The next full moon is this weekend. The clouds obscure it at night here or I'd have probably guessed that. Maybe we can get Caden to help me force it, like he did with Walker." When he raised an eyebrow, she continued quickly. "Not exactly the way he did, not beat me or anything. But maybe he can help talk me through it."
Seth looked away from her.
"Baby, I know you're worried and scared of losing me. But you mated a fighter. I don't lay down for anyone. Not anymore. The bitch was there when you went down. No doubt she remembered me and knew who you were to me. If you hadn't saved Jake, she would have found another way to come after you in that clearing. I want her head sizzling on a silver platter. She killed Jordan. She forfeited her life when she came after us. I'm not gonna play a gentle game anymore. This isn't tag."
He looked at her. "Can we talk about this when we get home?"
He sounded defeated, though. I knew Shelby had won the argument.
She stroked the side of his face. "Yeah. Of course."
Seth grabbed that hand and pressed it to his lips, keeping it there, squeezing his eyes shut.
Esme came in through the swinging door holding a pie. "How about some homemade apple pie?"
Jacob clapped his hands together. "I'm game."
TriciaPOV
I couldn't believe it. I was actually unpacking all my things into Embry's house. My clothes next to his in his closet. This was really happening. I had moved out and into his house. I was his live-in girlfriend. Freaking stoked didn't begin to cover how I was feeling.
He was lounging on the bed, his back against the headboard, hands behind his head. He was shirtless, and the fact that I wasn't currently molesting him would tell anyone that that's how excited I was to move my stuff in. Amusement wafted from him as I danced back and forth from the box on the bed to the closet.
"I don't think you're excited enough," he said with dry sarcasm.
Running around the bed, I hopped up on top of him, straddling his hips. "I am super excited," I said, gripping his face and kissing him all over.
Laughing, he wrapped his arms around me and rolled us, his big body settling on mine. He kissed my nose. "I can see that." His stomach gave out a roar as he leaned down to kiss me.
I smiled. "I think it's time to feed the beast. What do you want for dinner?"
His hands slid up under my shirt. "Just order a pizza. I can think of a few things to do until it gets here."
"You sure?"
He nodded. "Oh yeah."
Reaching into my pocket for my phone, I quickly looked up the nearest pizza shop and ordered a pepperoni for me and a meat lover's for Embry. Forty-five minutes was the wait time. Plenty could be accomplished in forty-five minutes. Such as...scooting down the bed under him, he sat back on his knees.
"Where are you going?" he asked suspiciously.
Grinning, I got to where I wanted to be. Face to face with his erection. Reaching around his legs, I unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans. Eyes meeting his, I reached through the jeans and the nonexistent underwear, gripping that rock hard length and pulling it free.
His body tensed, but those eyes watched me, heat boiling in those brown depths. Chest heaving, his breathing picked up as I leaned forward and caressed the tip of my tongue over the tip of his erection. Breath exploded from his lungs.
For a moment, I just swirled my tongue over the tip, lightly scraping teeth, and gently sucking with my lips. He pulsed in the grip of my fist as I gripped his shaft and sucked him down. A yell burst from his lips. The heat in his eyes now was like a sizzling pool of lava.
Letting go of him, I wrapped my arms around his legs and went to work sucking down his length and width. My mouth and throat stretched, relaxing to take him in. On the deep strokes, my throat threatened to constrict, but I stayed calm, keeping relaxed, and breathed through it. He liked when I took him deep, so I tried to do it more and more, practicing. This wasn't near as difficult as I'd thought it would be. At least I didn't have any gag reflexes.
Leaning backward, abs clenching as his core worked to hold him up, he undid my own jeans and plunged his hand between my legs, fingers slipping over me, searching.
Pausing, I spasmed as he found that magical spot, stroking over me. His middle finger probed for my opening. When he found it and thrust his finger into me, I swallowed him down with a moan.
Moving my arm up, I scratched nails down his chest and stomach. His muscles were taut and delicious. I just wanted to lick every tight edge he had. Instead, I focused on the part in my mouth, the thick length pulsing between my lips.
Embry pushed his other hand down into my hair, pulling my head toward the base of his body. I knew from talk around school that a lot of girls didn't like that. They wanted freedom. But I loved it, knowing that he wanted me all over him, to swallow him down.
His fingers played over me, inside me, deep. And then his palm pressed against that sensitive bundle of nerves, and I was immediately on the edge of orgasm.
"Tricia," he growled out. "Close."
We both were. As he increased his speed on my body, I increased mine on his. Under my hand on his torso, his breath exploded over and over, muscles tensing hard as rocks under smooth skin.
The next moment, he used that magic combination of a deep thrust with three fingers and his palm hitting that bundle of nerves and I exploded. Screaming around him must have been the magic button for him because he pulsed and jerked in my mouth before thrusting deep. In the next instant hot, thick liquid was pouring down my throat and I had no choice but to swallow it down.
After a few pulses, his body deflated. Mine was wrung out and limp underneath him as he fell back between my legs. His feet ended up next to my head.
"Dear god," he said hoarsely.
I chuckled. "Amen."
And then the doorbell rang.
Perfect timing. I was starving.
This chapter was great. And we are getting closer and closer to the arrival of the Volturi. Maybe a shift for Shelby? We shall see. Oh and the bonfire! Remember! Reviews and PMs are very welcome! Love you guys! xoxoxoxoxo