Hey guys! Sorry for a delay. I've been stuck with the flu for the past couple days. But! I am predicting maybe 2-4 more chapters for this story before I start working on the next set. Remember, those are the kids! This is the last installment for Ness and Jake. But they will be very prominent in the others, so they won't disappear on us. I love them too much.
*Disclaimer*
Please Enjoy!
JPOV
At about one in the morning, Ness and I finally made it back home. Cricket and Trey had stayed down at the big Cullen house with Alice and Jasper.
"I cannot believe that Adam and Derek imprinted...on the same guy. That is...weird," Ness said as she flopped down on the bed.
"Yeah," I agreed, slipping out of my shirt. "I've never heard of anything like that happening. But I'm happy for them. They've been so worried to even leave their house. Now, they know why they didn't imprint on each other."
She nodded, her fingers drumming her flat stomach. "At least it wasn't a Leah, Sam, Emily situation."
"That's a relief, too. They can all be together."
She turned her head to look at me. "You think Calahan will allow it? The wolf-Rhett?-is one of his wolves. Christa told me that he'd questioned Walker letting Bianca and Angelica be together. Three men together is a little more taboo than women. Which I still don't understand why."
Chuckling, I knew why, but Ness wouldn't understand. Society had a certain image of gay men, not expecting them to be super masculine like Derek and Adam. If people didn't already know they were gay, it wasn't unusual for women to hit on them. Because they didn't act, talk, or dress a certain way, everyone assumed they were straight. The point was, if a man was gay, he was no longer seen as a man by society. He was seen as a completely different entity. Which wasn't right at all. I agreed with Nessie. Everyone should be allowed to love who they wanted. I had always been taught to treat others the way I wanted to be treated. And I sure as shit wouldn't want someone(society) to tell me who I could and could not love, let alone be with.
Sitting on her side of the bed, I stroked her hair behind her ear. "I think it should be taken slowly. Calahan seems to want to progress his pack, which is good. But just like we need to be submersed and educated about their ways slowly, he needs to learn and stick his toes in the water slowly. But I think it will happen for them. They imprinted. I think it's supposed to happen, and therefore, I think it will help Calahan see what he needs to."
Sighing, she rolled over, her body pressed the length of my legs, my thigh her pillow.
"I sure hope you're right. Those boys deserve to he happy, to live in relief."
"They do."
She looked up at me. "You okay?"
I stroked her hair. "I'm worried."
"About?"
"A lot of things. But for one, Seth. He seems...more aggressive than he was before."
She stroked my leg. "Jake, he did die. As much as it hurts to say that, he did. It's not surprising that he's even more protective of his family."
I shook my head. "It's not that. That I actually understand. It's his thoughts when he's phased out. They're dark, violent. And, Ness, he drank a beer tonight. When was the last time you ever saw him drink?"
"Ummm…"
"Exactly. He's never touched alcohol in his life. I've known him all his life. Every now and then I toss one back. You know that. But Seth? No, never. Even before Brayden was in the picture, before Shelby. Not one drop. And he chugged that can like it was fucking water."
"What do you think brought that on?"
Leaning my head back on the beadboard, I said, "The mixing of blood. I think the infection in Shelby's blood is affecting him."
"You think he'll start drinking?"
When I'd first heard that Seth had been brought back because of the disease, I'd been happy that he was back, but wary that the infection would interfere with his genes. Unease had settled in my heart when he'd snapped at Shelby the other day at the table while Brayden had been out of the room. He'd never been that controlling with her before, always letting her do what she felt was right even if he didn't agree. He'd always just wanted her happy.
"I don't think it's the alcohol that concerns me. I'm having Patrick and Alana stick to him like glue. When he phases, they phase. I want to know what he thinks. Thankfully, Charlie and Sue took Brayden tonight. Luckily, Seth had agreed."
Her teeth found her bottom lip and worried at it.
"What?" I asked.
"How is Shelby going to react to this? She's probably stoked that she finally shifted, but when she wakes up, Brayden won't be at home and Seth will have the scent of alcohol on him. I was surprised by the beer, too, unfortunately."
"We just need to watch him. Maybe a talk with Caden, an intervention if needed. Maybe he'll just go back to normal after this fight is over and Shelby survives. Nerves and fear can cause us all to do weird things. And like you said, he knows what it's like to die. He just doesn't want that for Shelby."
Moving on the bed, she stopped when she was perpendicular to me, her head still in my lap, hands back on her tummy. "Then we should just watch him for now, and then wait until it's all over. Seth is a father. Having Shelby fight would hurt his pride in that he wants to protect her. Not only his mate, but the mother of his child. He knows how hard it is to live without a parent as a young person. Harry died when he was a teenager. That's a rough time, especially with the whole phasing thing happening to him at the same time."
"Maybe I'm just stupid for expecting him to be the same."
"No, baby. Not stupid. But what else is bothering you? You said several things."
Bringing this up would probably cause a fight, but I couldn't help it. I couldn't lie to her.
"You fighting."
She looked at me sharply.
"Oh, come on, Ness. You had to know that. I put on a brave face to Seth yesterday, but to my soul, it scares the shit out of me." I swallowed hard, trying to swallow the fear as well. "If plans go the way we want, I'll be busy with Tristan. And you? Against Jane? Nessie, that terrifies me."
Reaching up, she ran her fingers over my jaw and then my lips. "Oh, baby. She can't get past my mental wall."
Gripping her wrist, I kissed her palm. "Maybe a year ago. But, Ness, you haven't been meditating, keeping that wall strong. There's no telling how weak it's gotten." Sighing, I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I'm not saying you're weak. I'm saying that something that powerful needs to be used all the time. And from me demanding that you don't, you haven't used it in a while. I am terrified that, if something happens to you, that it's my fault. That I caused you to be hurt because I was selfish."
While I choked up, Ness sat up and straddling my waist. Gripping my face, she moved in close.
"Jacob, if anything happens to me, it will be my fault. You're right, I should have been meditating, building that wall up. Instead, I grew comfortable and let go of my responsibilities to you and to myself. Don't blame yourself."
Her lips pressed to mine in a gentle kiss. "I love you," she whispered. "I can take on Jane. I know I can. It won't be much time, but I'll start up the meditations again tomorrow. I promise. We have a week and half. According to Aunt Alice they come next Wednesday. We'll buckle down. Train with my uncles and I will meditate. We'll get as prepared as we can."
She studied my face, thumbs wiping away the tears that had slipped.
"I won't give up, Jake. I can't. Our future is out there. We will have a family, and they will be safe from the Volturi. You can't give up on me. I need you to believe in us; believe, like I do, that fate put us in this position for a reason. The Volturi have tormented this family for too long. It ends here. With us."
With that kind of confidence and bravery floating from her, there was no way I could let her think that she was going into this alone.
I nodded, swallowing hard. "Okay, baby. Okay. I'm with you. Always. You're right. This has to end."
"We're stronger than them. We are. That land where we're going to meet the Volturi like last time is our turf. They don't know it the way we do. Scents on the patrol shifts proved that neither Jane nor the wolves had been there. She didn't plan on a fight, a meeting up with Aro. We have home field advantage. I say, we go out there and study it more before they get here. It really wouldn't hurt."
She was gaining more and more confidence as she spoke. And it wasn't just to pacify me. She truly believed in what she was saying.
My woman wasn't running scared.
And neither would I.
Monday night...
ShelbyPOV
The next morning, or whatever time it was, I woke up in my bed, wrapped in a strange blanket, my body on fire, and Seth's back sitting up on the edge of the bed.
My throat was so raw when I tried to talk that a sad rasp was all that came out. Seth heard it, though, and turned around. His eyes were red-rimmed, face splotchy. Something had happened while I'd been out.
He laid out beside me, hand shakily stroking my face. But even that gentle contact felt like sandpaper on my skin, and I flinched. He pulled his hand away.
"It's okay. Walker and Caden brought you back home."
Moving around inch by inch, I noticed that Brayden wasn't in the room. The she-wolf inside me, content though she was in my body, also took notice and started to panic.
The panic must have show in my eyes, because Seth quickly said, "Shh, shh, shh. It's ok. Brayden's with Charlie and my mom. He's safe. You didn't hurt him. Or me."
The she-wolf calmed a bit, but not enough. If she didn't calm down, she'd force me to shift again and find our cub. Cubs that young shouldn't be away from their mother for long, and she knew we'd been out for a while.
Seth scooted off the bed quickly. "Okay, okay. I'll call Mom and have him brought here. Just stay calm, okay, baby."
He was on the phone a moment later. "Yes, Mom, I understand. But she needs to see him. The wolf will take over again, and I have a feeling she'll find her son. Get. Him. Here. Now."
Agitated, the wolf stretched my body. She didn't understand what Seth was saying. All she knew was that our cub wasn't here with us. He was away from us and she didn't like it.
"Easy, Shelby. He's on his way. Just rest."
Instead of focusing on the panic, I tried to push the wolf down, soothing her the way Seth was soothing me. How long had I been out?
Swallowing past the rasp, I asked, "How long…"
"Have you been out? It's Monday."
The wolf and I both just about went ape-shit. Two days. Two whole days I'd been out.
Seth went into the bathroom to fill up a glass with water. I managed through the pain to find the strength to sit up and lean against the headboard. I'd been burrito-ed into a blanket and was still wrapped tight, so I had to wiggle up. Seth sat on the bed, handing me the glass. The water hurt going down at first, but eventually I got the hang of it. I hurt in places that I didn't even know could hurt.
"Thank you," I said, handing him the glass.
Again, he reached out to stroke my hair, but remembered that I'd flinched.
"No, touch me. Please. It'll calm us down."
As softly as he could, he rested his hand on my cheek.
"Why is Brayden with your mom?"
He cleared his throat. "I, uh, had a beer or two at the bonfire. Figured it was better for him."
I frowned, which hurt. "You don't drink."
"I know," he said, rubbing his other hand over his face. "I don't know what it was. I just felt so...weird. Shelby, I am so sorry."
"For what?" I whispered, the rasp coming back.
Seth handed me the glass again. "Everything. For snapping at you the other day. If I were you, I'd want to kill the bitch, too. Hell, I do want her dead. She killed Jordan, nearly killed you. I just...that day, I felt so angry, so possessive. And then for Saturday. The drinking. I spent yesterday puking my guts up. It was revolting. The alcohol also made the anger worse. I didn't like feeling like that. So I sent Brayden with my mom and Charlie. Caden and Walker carried you home early yesterday morning. Caden said you'd probably be out for a few days, that it's usual for newly shifted wolves." He shoved a hand through his hair, like there was more he wanted to say.
"What is it?" I asked.
He swallowed hard. "I felt it, Shelby. The pull of the full moon. For the first time in my life, I felt it. I wanted to phase and be with you, but Caden had talked to me before Saturday. He asked me all these questions about how I was feeling. And then he asked that when the next full moon came if I could try not to phase. He explained that if another female got too close to me, it would be dangerous because you'd be unpredictable and certain actions could start discord in the new packs. He didn't want you to kill anybody for getting too close to me. Dominant females can be vicious about their mates, especially if monogamous."
"Why...did you...feel it?"
"Your blood. The infection. It mixed with my blood, not just healing me. But affecting me. I'm so sorry."
Closing my eyes, I reached up to grip his wrist. "Don't be sorry." It was there in his eyes, and I realized what he was scared of. "You're not turning into a monster. You're still the same man I mated, the same man who fathered my son."
"What if you're wrong?" he whispered.
"I'm not. I know you."
From then until the time our doorbell rang ten minutes later, we just stared at each other. We'd been wondering what the effects of my blood would be once he healed. His wolf was now infected with a disease. There was no telling how it would react. But I wouldn't let him turn into a monster. The good in him would always win. I firmly believed that.
"Seth?"
He had to clear his throat before answering. "Down here, Mom!"
A very unhappy squeal preceded Sue down the stairs. And then they were in sight. Brayden was not a happy camper. One of the only times I'd seen him this upset. The she-wolf whimpered in my head as her cub continued to scream and cry. The urge to touch him, comfort him, made my bones ache.
Sue rushed to my side of the bed as I reached for him.
"Easy, Mom. She's hurting."
Gently, Sue laid Brayden on my chest, his head over my heart. Instantly, he calmed to just whimpers. The she-wolf purred as his skin made contact with mine. Even my bodily pain had subsided a bit, enough that holding him, rubbing his back was bearable. Every part of me was now content.
"Thank you, Sue," I whispered.
"What's going on?"
Charlie had just come down the stairs. He was standing with his hands on his hips, watching me.
"I shifted Saturday night."
"What?" Sue gasped.
Seth nodded, stroking my hair. "Walker and Caden took care of her, but the shifting process is different for their kind of wolf. All her bones broke, reknit, broke again, and reknit. She's been out since early yesterday. When she woke up a little bit ago, the wolf in her panicked, aware Brayden wasn't here. Their wolves are different than ours in that they are different entities sharing the same body. Our wolves are us in wolf form. Their wolves are not. It's a completely different awareness."
"Oh, wow," Sue whispered. "Sounds...terrifying."
I pressed lips to Brayden's forehead. "It was. I was told she'd be out of control, vicious. But she wasn't. She was just happy to be able to stretch her legs. It's probably not like that with everyone, but I embraced her. She's not my beast and I don't call her 'it' the way Caden does. She's just a trapped animal."
Sue and Seth exchanged a sad look.
Brayden snuggled down my chest, mouth searching.
Sue clapped her hands. "We've been feeding him formula, but he doesn't drink it all." Getting to her feet, she went to stand with Charlie. "That's our que to leave, hun. Let's give them some family time."
Once they were up the stairs, Seth seeing them out, I positioned Brayden for a feeding. He latched on quickly and fed with the same fervor he had just after his birth. His bright green eyes kept flicking up to meet mine. And he kept smiling up at me around my breast.
Brayden was almost done feeding when Seth came back down the stairs. His eyes were still haunted, but mine weren't. They were hungry for him. Even the wolf inside me purred erotically in my head. He was in a pair of torn up jeans and a black long-sleeve shirt, the arms pulled up to his elbows exposing toned forearms.
My libido shot through the roof. If Brayden hadn't been in my arms, I'd have clawed the clothes off Seth and had him inside me already. We still hadn't made love since Brayden's birth, and the wolf was so ready to blast the dry spell to pieces.
I moved Brayden so that I could burp him. Seth draped a towel over my shoulder.
"Thanks. What time is it?" I asked.
"Eight o'clock at night."
I met his gaze. "Good. After you put him down for bed, I want you to come back down here and get in bed with me." Seth had made one of the upstairs bedrooms a nursery as well, just in case we needed some personal time, and I was willing to let Brayden go. Now that I'd spent some time away from him, I knew I'd be okay from now on.
A moment of staring at me, he swallowed hard. Pushing a hand through his hair, he said, "Shelby, that's not really a good idea. I need to…"
"Listen to your mate. I need you."
After Brayden did his thing, I cleaned him up, kissed his cheeks, and held him out to his father. My eyebrows were raised, daring him to argue with me.
Sighing, he came over to take Brayden. At the stairs, he turned just his head to look over his shoulder. "I'll be back down in a minute."
"Good. And Seth?"
"Yeah?"
"I really love you. And I'm really glad you're back. We'll work through whatever is going on with you."
Without saying a word, he went upstairs.
I'd never seen him like this. And he'd always told me he loved me in return. Of course, I knew he still loved me. And he loved Brayden. But it still stung that he hadn't said it back. He didn't believe that he could be fixed. I was more concerned with if he believed he should have never been brought back. It happened for a reason and we would work through it, as a family.
Surprisingly, the wolf was completely okay with Seth taking Brayden away. He was in the arms of our mate, so he was perfectly safe. It was strange logic, but I wasn't going to fight it.
While he went up to change Brayden and put him to bed, I managed to get out of bed. In the bathroom, I cleaned up with a wet rag as well as I could and brushed my teeth.
"Shelby?"
After wiping my mouth, I went back into the bedroom. "Right here. Did he go down?"
His eyes tracing my body, he swallowed hard and nodded. "Yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, Shelby, this really isn't a great idea. We should wait until we figure out what's going on with me."
Going up to him, I slid my hands under his shirt and over his skin. "I can tell you what's wrong, Seth." Raising my arms, I lifted his shirt, hinting that he should let take it off. When he sighed and lifted his arms, I knew I'd won. I slipped off his shirt and threw it to the floor. "You're stressed. You're worried. And your sense of pride is hurt because you want to be the one to fight for me. I get it, Seth. I really do." While I talked, I worked on his belt. "We just need some 'us' time, some family time. You, me, and Brayden. But for tonight, you and me."
He let me slide his jeans off. We hadn't slept naked together since before Brayden had been born. Once he'd kicked out of them, he took me in his arms. Being pressed skin to skin after all this time felt amazing. It was like I had been bone-deep freezing without realizing it. Now that we were like this, nothing between us, I felt the ice dissolving between us. Maybe that's what was wrong with him. He just didn't know how to explain it. He'd felt the chill that separated us, and didn't know how to deal with it. Maybe this was what we needed, this closeness, the intimacy to remind us about the fire that had raged between us in the beginning.
Seth's sigh into my neck was shaky as our bodies pressed together. "I've missed you, Shelbs."
"I've missed you, too. You've been distant from me since you came back. Let's stop that, okay?"
He choked out a chuckle. "I'll see what I can do."
"Well, I know how you can start."
He pulled back to stare at me. "Are you sure?"
Frustrated, I gripped his shoulders and shook him. "Seth, you are not going to hurt me in any way. You've just been overly moody lately, which really doesn't surprise me with all the stress and stuff. Stop thinking that just because you get grumpy that means you're going to hurt me. You won't. I want you. My wolf wants you."
At that, he looked shocked. "Really?"
I nodded. "She wants her mate, our mate. And that's you. The moment you came back downstairs from escorting your mom and Charlie out, she flared up, heated up. She's missed you, too. And we're both ready to have you again."
Cupping my face, he bent down to kiss me. Gently, at first, and turned deeper, his tongue snaking out to caress my lips asking for entry. Without a second thought, I opened to him. From there, the gentleness slipped, replaced by a hunger that proved he needed me as badly as I needed him. Our tongues danced and slipped around each other, teeth scraping and nipping our lips. The taste of blood sang on my tongue. One or both of us had gotten nicked, and neither of us seemed to care.
Something hit the backs of my legs and I realized that he'd backed us up to the bed. I hadn't even realized we'd been moving. Letting my knees collapse, I took him with me as I went down. While one hand supported his upper body off me, he used the other hand to stroke down my body. This was also the first time he'd touched me like this because he hadn't wanted to start something we couldn't finish. Well, now we were going to finish it.
His breathing was already ragged, and he wasn't even inside me yet. "I didn't realize how badly I need you."
I gripped his neck. "Then take me. I need you, too. Badly."
Growling, he hefted one of my legs up and over his hip, and then thrust into me. We both cried out at the invasion. Seth wasn't small and I was seriously tight even though I'd popped out a baby a month ago. At least I was wet from the anticipation of having him, and the glide was much smoother. His girth stretched me satisfactorily.
His breathing was labored even more as he thrust slowly at first, trying to make more room for himself inside me, even rotating his hips in a circular motion. Every single inch of his shaft rubbed against my inner walls, the friction making me press my head back into the mattress, body arching into him.
Seth must have felt good about the room he'd made because he started to pound into me.
I clung to him as he pushed us further up on the bed. "Yes, Seth. Give me everything."
"Don't want to hurt you," he gritted out.
"Hurt me, bruise me. Love me, Seth. Please."
My begging must have done it for him because he did what I asked. Fisting my hair, arching my neck, he also gripped my thigh, no doubt bruising me, and gave me everything his body had to give. Before I'd been infected, he'd held back, never fully letting himself go. Now? All the power he possessed was used to buck into me. With every thrust, that coldness inside me thawed more and more until a ray of his heat finally sank through, piercing me.
It had been so long for both of us that I knew we wouldn't last much longer. Slow was just going to have to wait. Ever since the first time we'd made love, we hadn't gone even two days without doing it again, let alone more than a month.
"Shelby," he panted.
"I know. Just come."
Our bodies were taut, both curled up tight, straining for that release. I could tell he was ready, but holding back. Not wanting him to hurt himself, I reached a hand down between us to stroke him on his way out and in.
He hissed.
And spilled over.
With a roar, he came hard and fast.
And I followed him over the edge of that cliff as he released inside me. Sinking nails into his back, I let out a yell as he bit my neck and continued to pulse inside me. I came so hard that bright white stars flashed behind my eyelids.
And there it was. As his scent filled my nose, sinking deep into my lungs, bringing back memories, I felt that connection with him strengthen. It was as if, with his death, part of our connection, except for the imprint, had gotten severed. I hadn't noticed before. But now that I felt this spark, I realized how far apart we'd really been.
When it was finished and we were spent, we just lay there, breathing hard, curled up in each other's arms.
"I'm gonna...sound like a...total guy for saying this," he panted, "but I feel better."
Laughing, I stroked his hair. "Don't feel bad for feeling like that. I feel better, too. Much better."
"Like something was broken but is better again?"
I nodded. "Yeah."
As he withdrew from me, making his way off the bed, he kissed a line down my body. I laughed when he got to my stomach because I was actually very ticklish there. He grinned, the first real grin I'd seen from him in a few days, and went for the bathroom on shaky legs.
He came back with a wet washcloth to wash both of us up. His touch was gentle and soothing, just as it had been. The washcloth was thrown over to where his clothes were, and then he tucked us into bed, his body cradling me. Again, this was the first time I had noticed that this touching hadn't happened in a while. Lately, we'd been back to back or just not touching each other. This was another notch that had slid back into place.
"I'm still scared, Shelbs." His hands rubbed up and down my back.
I stroked his neck and chest. "I know, 'll talk to Caden and Jacob, okay? Let them know what's going on."
He squeezed me to him. "Just don't leave me."
"Never," I said rather vehemently. Sitting up on my elbow, I gave him a very steady stare. "Seth, no matter what you go through, I will never leave you. And I would never even think to take Brayden away from you. You're his father. I will be here to help you through this. You've always been there for me. We're a family, and I am not going to let us fall apart." Reaching up, I traced his lips with my fingers. "You imprinted on me for a reason. Just as I'm your imprint, you're my true mate. I couldn't leave you if I tried."
His eyes studied me as they filled with tears. "God, I love you. Thank you for being Nessie's best friend and coming into my life."
Getting choked up myself, I wiped the tears away. "What can I say? I love her quirkiness. And her kindness."
"Yeah, she's pretty awesome."
"I guess that's where I learned to not give up on people. After freshman year and she disappeared, I worried over her even though she called every now and then. But I lived for those calls. And the letters she'd send without a return address. I never gave up, and I knew deep down that I'd see her again. And now, here we are. Her connection to Jacob gave me you. And in return, you gave me endless love and a beautiful son. You gave me a life, Seth. A good one. I owe it to you to help you through this. Besides, I was the one to bring you back."
He brushed the hair out of my face. "Baby, you didn't know. You had no idea that your blood would bring me back. You couldn't have known."
Now it was my turn to tear up, the drops spilling over before I could stop them. "I just wanted there to be a piece of me to burn with you."
His turn to wipe my tears away. "I know. But no matter what problems I'm having, I'm glad you did it. I'm glad you gave me a second chance to be here with you. To be able to watch Brayden grow."
Leaning up, he kissed me and the pressed my face into his neck. His fingers played through my hair as I stroked patterns on his chest. After all our activity, the talking, and the tears, I was dead tired.
"Oh, and one more thing before we pass out."
"What?"
"I really love you, too."
The rest of the tension in my body that I hadn't even known was there seeped out. Finally my body relaxed against his.
And for the moment, everything was back in place. We'd worry about the rest tomorrow.
RPOV
Deep breath in.
Deep breath out.
The alarm on my phone was going off, pulling me out of the meditation. Carlisle had told me that once I got good at it, I needed to set an alarm or anything that could grab my attention. Jacob had recorded his own voice telling me to wake up. It worked every time because it made me laugh.
Brick by brick, I disabled my mental wall, forcing myself to be slow. Eventually, my surroundings hit my senses. My butt was numb from sitting on the floor in front of the fire, which I could feel the heat caressing my skin. My nose was filled with cinnamon from the candle I'd lit. All the lights in the house were off. And the only sounds were the fire crackling and the soft sound of rain playing through my iPod dock.
Eventually, all my bricks were down and I took my last deep breath in. My spine finally decided it was tired of being straight, so I sort of slouched and stretched in different directions. I reached forward to silence my phone.
"You had no idea I was in here, did you?"
Jumping so bad my butt left the ground, I spun around, heart in my throat.
Jacob was sitting in the middle of the couch, arms stretched out over the back, legs crossed at the ankle. And he was wearing a very amused smile.
"Jacob Black! You scared the crap out of me!"
He tried to contain the grin, but it didn't happen. I was thankful for that because I'd missed the smile. For the past two days, he'd been spending a lot of time at the shop. When he wasn't there, we were mingling with the other packs. He and Xavier were spending a lot of time together. Jacob taught him about bikes and cars, even let him drive a little in empty parking lots. He really liked the kid. We even had him over for dinner the last two nights.
"I never knew you could concentrate so hard," he said.
"You should try it sometime," I said, crawling over to him and kneeling between his legs. I rested my elbows on his thighs and put my chin in my hands.
He shook his head. "Nah. I'll just watch you while you do it. Same thing."
I rolled my eyes. "Whatever."
He leaned forward and kissed me. Then took my hand. "Come on. Get your shoes and a jacket on."
"What? Why?"
"Just do it. Please?"
"Well, when you ask nicely..." I said, getting to my feet.
I slid into my sneakers and put on a heavy jacket. He took my hand and led me outside. His bike was still out. He pulled me straight to it.
"Jake, I've never ridden before."
"It's ok," he said as he got on. "Just put on the helmet, slide on behind me, and hold on."
Fear kind of made me hold back. "But this is your and Mom's thing."
He gave me a look. "Come on, baby. Your mom and I haven't ridden since she was human and your dad came back, which means years. Unless, of course, you're scared."
My jaw dropped. Okay, maybe I was scared, but he shouldn't have called it out like that.
"Bastard," I said taking the helmet from him. I fit it over my messy knot and then slid on behind him. Sliding down so that I cradled his ass, I wrapped my arms around his waist tightly. When he started the bike, I gripped his chest with my nails.
I felt him chuckle, and pinched him in retaliation. He flinched.
"Ready?"
I lifted a thumbs-up to him.
He slowly turned the bike around and went down the drive. When he got to the street, he took a right and increased the speed. The cold air licked at my cheeks around Jacob's shoulder. And despite that I'd worn my heaviest jacket, it wasn't enough to mask the cold the parts of my arms free of his heat. Eventually, I dared to open my eyes just a crack over his shoulder.
And was pleasantly surprised.
The world was beautiful at these speeds. Colors blurring together. Everything I knew seen in a different light. I laughed as he took us around bends and over hills. It was so gorgeous, and freeing. Now, I knew how Mom had felt. Exhilarated.
Too fast, the trip was over and Jacob was pulling onto a trail that led to the cliffs on First Beach, where we had our first date. When the bike was shut off, my body was still humming. Jacob hit the kickstand and left me there while he pulled something off the back. A blanket. After I took the helmet off, he draped the blanket over my shoulders.
"What are we doing out here? It's really late."
He held out his hand to me. "Just come with me."
I took his hand, using the other one to keep the blanket around me. When we got to the treeline, he stopped me to step behind me. And then covered my eyes. Well didn't this bring back memories.
"Remember this?" he whispered in my ear.
I grinned. "Of course I do. I just didn't expect you to remember."
He chuckled. "Well, you know what to do now."
Rolling my eyes under my lids, I stepped back onto his feet.
He walked me out, the breeze hitting me, before he stopped, no doubt at the edge of the cliff like last time. I put my hands over his.
"Okay, this time when you open your eyes, look up."
"Up?"
"Up."
"Okay."
"Ready?"
I nodded.
He laced his fingers with mine and pulled away, holding onto me so I wouldn't go over the cliff. When I opened my eyes, I did as he said and looked up.
And gasped.
The sky was clear of clouds for the first time in a long time, and the stars were out, shining down brightly along with a waning moon. The light winked down, reflecting on the water below.
"Oh, Jacob," I gasped. "It's gorgeous."
"I thought you might like it," he whispered in my ear. "I saw them when I came out of work."
"You are utterly perfect," I said spinning around to wrap my arms around his neck, pressing my lips to his.
He chuckled. "Not perfect. I just know my wife."
"And that would mean you're perfect."
Laughing, he kissed me back. "You're perfect, too."
"Pfft, yeah right. I still haven't figured out what to get you for Christmas." And the moment I said that, I wish I hadn't. Admitting something like that made me feel like the worst wife ever.
Chuckling, he sat down, pulling me with him to sit me between his legs. Resting his chin on my shoulder, he wrapped his arms around me and kissed the spot behind my ear.
"Baby, I don't need anything. I have you. And we have this time together. That's all I need or want."
"But still, I know you've gotten me something. I found the present on the mantle. Jacob, what kind of wife am I that I can't even figure out what to get my husband?"
"Shhh," he whispered, moving the hair that had fallen out of my bun away from my neck, kissing the spot. "You're the perfect wife. You gave me everything when you took my last name. Actually, when you accepted me as your mate, long before we got married."
"Jacob-"
"Hush. Stop it. If it means that much to you, you'll figure it out. Now shut up and watch the stars."
Instead of being offended, I just leaned back into him harder and laughed. "Oh, how I love you."
He kissed my temple. "That's all I need."
"Jerk."
His chest rumbled against my back.
We stayed out there all night, just watching the stars. And as the sky lightened, the sunrise just before the clouds moved in. It, like the stars and the moon, was beautiful.
I was nearly asleep by full sunrise. Jacob lifted me into his arms.
"Blake, I know you're out there."
Cuddled into Jake's chest, I only heard the big man come out of the woods.
"Good, you brought clothes. You know how to ride a bike?"
"Yes," was the deep response.
"I left the keys in it. Take the bike back to the house. Ness won't be able to hold onto me if I drive."
"But what about-"
"Sadie is in the woods, too. She can escort us home. I'm not leaving my bike out here to rust."
"Yes, Jacob."
And that was the last I heard as the bike started up and Jake met up with Sadie.
Later Tuesday morning…
RPOV
A week and a day.
That was how long we had until Aro showed up. And I still wasn't freaking out. Instead, I was sitting at my dining room table across from Seth and Shelby. Caden and Walker had been called, too. Leah and Christa had come with their men. It was good to see Leah and Caden together in public. They usually tried to stay away from each other for fear of causing a scene that none of us wanted to see. Even Carlisle was here as per Seth's request.
Seth had called us all for a meeting. Sue had come to pick up Brayden. Caden had worried about Shelby's reaction, but she was okay, even handed him off herself.
Jacob placed a mug of hot cocoa in front of me.
"Thanks."
He smiled at me, but said, "So, Seth, what's going on?"
He hesitated at first, as if he were still trying to decide what to say. But Shelby took his hand and smiled encouragingly.
He cleared his throat. "I haven't been completely honest with you guys about how I'm doing. And I know the pack has been able to see my thoughts when I phase."
"What weren't you honest about?" Caden asked as nicely as he could.
"I feel...different."
"Tell them what you told me. All of it. They can't help you otherwise," Shelby said gently.
Squeezing her hand, he kissed her temple. "Okay. I feel dark, like my thoughts. The other night, I did feel the full moon and it drove me crazy. I drank beer. I've never touched alcohol in my life. And these thoughts. Dark, violent. I've been twitchy, scared to be near my own son, not wanting to hurt Shelby. I need some help, guys. I don't want to hurt my family."
Carlisle stepped away from the wall. "When two bloods mix, it's perfectly logical for some side effects. In this case, it would make sense that you would exhibit some personality traits from both types of wolf."
"What kind of thoughts?" Caden asked.
Seth cleared his throat as if this were the part he was most uncomfortable with. "Hunting, ripping. Our kind of wolf doesn't have to hunt. There is no bloodlust. No hunger for meat." Now he choked up. "I've woken up, drenched in sweat after dreaming about...attacking my own son." The last was whispered.
Apparently, Shelby didn't know that last part. Her lips trembled.
I reached across the table to put my hand over theirs.
"It's ok, Seth. You haven't done these things. And you can't control your dreams. They don't make you a monster."
"Yeah, but I feel like I'm going crazy. It's not as bad after Shelby and I...were intimate last night. It was like a connection had been lost between us, we hadn't been as close, and now we are."
"Well, maybe Seth should phase out when Shelby shifts," Leah said. "Caden's less...cranky when I phase with him."
"Thanks, luv," Caden said dryly. "But she is right." He sat down next to Seth. "It sounds like you're acting like a freshly infected male. When I was first infected, I lived with my parents. I was seventeen. I had a younger brother. Before I knew what had happened to me, I'd had horrible nightmares of hurting him and my parents."
"What happened?" Seth asked.
"I found a pack that could teach me. It took some time, but in the end...Nessie is right. You're not a monster. But I'm glad you came to us. Now we can all be more accepting of what you're going through. Walker and I will work with you. In the meantime, phasing with Shelby might be a good idea. She has more control than I thought. I'm sure some family will be happy to watch your son."
Jacob clapped a hand on his back. "Seth, we won't leave you alone to deal with this. It's good you told us. Ness and I had actually talked about it. We were really worried."
"Would you watch Brayden on the full moons? You and Nessie? I'd ask Caden and Leah but," he looked at them, "I want you guys to be with us those nights."
"Absolutely," Leah said, rubbing her brother's shoulders. "Whatever you need."
"Of course we'll watch him. More than happy to help."
A phone rang somewhere and Carlisle excused himself.
Seth put his other hand over mine. "Thank you, Nessie. All of you. I was feeling so lost."
"That's what a pack does, man," Jacob said. "We always take care of our own."
Carlisle came back into the room.
"What is it, Grampa?"
He smiled at me, but said, "Your father wants us back down of the house. He says we need to see something. Cricket and Trey need to stay up here though."
"Did he say why?"
He shook his head.
I sighed. "That's my father. Mysterious."
"Seth, why don't you stay here and talk more to Walker and Caden?" Jacob suggested. "We'll let you know what's going on when we get back."
He nodded as I got up to take my mug to the sink. I turned and found Shelby standing there. She wrapped her arms around me.
"Thank you," she whispered. "You and Jake are the best."
I hugged her tightly to me. "We'd never leave the two of you to deal with this alone. You're my best friends. Our best friends." Leaning back, I wiped the tears from her eyes. "You take care of him. Jake and I will be back later. If you need anything to eat, don't hesitate. We stocked the house for pack meetings."
"Thank you."
I cupped her cheek. "I love you, sweetie."
"Love you, too."
After kissing her forehead, I went for my coat and boots. Jacob and I took off down the drive. Sadie and Blake followed us while Patrick and Alana took their places.
When we made it down to the house, I knew immediately that something was off. Not sure how I knew that, but I did. Carlisle went in first. Me next and then Jacob. The house was quiet.
"Where is Edward?" Jacob asked.
"Upstairs. In the sitting room."
"That scent," Jacob said. "I've smelled it before."
Carlisle looked back with a smile. "You have. We have guests."
The moment we got upstairs, I moved around Carlisle to find two of my favorite vampires.
"Senna! Zafrina!"
The two Amazon women smiled as I rushed forward. They enveloped me in their arms. When I pulled back, I noticed two more figures in the corner.
"Benjamin, Tia." I went to hug them, too. "What...I don't understand. What are you guys doing here?"
Senna and Zafrina came to stand with the two Egyptian vampires.
"We heard you the Volturi was coming back. We felt it was a good idea to come back you up once more."
Jacob came up behind me to shake hands with Benjamin. "With all due respect, we're not looking for witnesses. There's going to be a scuffle this time, but not everyone will be involved."
Zafrina grinned. "No matter the outcome of this visit, there will be a need for witnesses to spread the word."
"Well, it's really awesome to see you again," I said.
"You've grown so much," Senna said. She took in a deep breath. "And mated."
Blushing, I stepped back into Jacob's body. "Yes. We married a little over a month ago."
"Congratulations," Tia said warmly. "We all received the invitations, and wished we could have come. Bad timing had befallen both groups."
"We understand," Jacob said. "And thank you."
"So," Benjamin said, going to sit on the couch. "When is this meeting supposed to happen?"
"Next week." Alice came in with a vase of lilies. "Wednesday to be precise."
Jacob sat down in the loveseat, taking me with him. The four of our guests asked questions. We answered. For a couple hours we went through everything that had been going on since the last time they'd been here. The years of peace and then the seemingly sudden attacks. Apparently, they'd been under attack as well, but in a different way. Aro must have suspected that we'd figure out why he'd targeted covens in the past: in order to acquire the gifted vampires into the Volturi. He'd had to send out groups of his soldiers to try to blindside the covens that had stood by us in the past in retaliation.
While talking with them, my resolve to end this strengthened. I was done running, done being afraid. Once we got home, I was going to ask Caden if there was another pack, one closer in the States that was on our side and could get here within the week. If so, that would be even more bodies on our side just in case a war did break out. I wasn't counting on it, but it was better to be prepared.
So far, Aunt Alice didn't see any of Aro's thoughts leading toward war. He simply wanted facts, evidence. And that he could only get if I let him, if I showed him.
I'd show him. After I did my own maneuvering of the chess board.
So? I know! I love the Amazons and the Egyptians. They're cool. But don't expect too much from them. I'm focusing solely on those who will fight in the coming chapters. The four visitors are strictly witnesses. And who could have guessed about Seth? Poor thing. Kinda caught me off guard, too. Anywhozzle. Love you guys! Please review! I love to know what you think! xoxoxoxoxo