Grace packed up the boxes, hoping that she could get them to the truck without him noticing.
A knock sounded at the door, and Grace rushed to it, knowing time was of the essence.
"Grace!" The smell of pine and orange blossoms filled her with happiness as he aunt hugged her. She leaned back, and looked her over. "Oh sweetheart. You've lost weight."
"Yes," She pulled Joy inside, and quickly gestured to the boxes. "Thank you for coming here."
"It's not so bad." She sat next to her, and then stared down. Grace frowned and followed her gaze, eyes widening as the bruise on her wrist from yesterday was shown. Quickly she pulled down her sweater, and smiled. "I have the boxes here if you need help loading them."
Joy frowned, and looked at her nieces, her gaze calculating. "Grace Violet Rivers. Where did that come from?"
"I'm clumsy."
"Save the crap for someone else." Joy pulled her arm over and pushed up the sleeve, exposing the myriad of bruising on her arm. Tears filled her aunt's eyes. "Oh, sweetheart no."
Grace quickly took her hands. "Aunt Joy please. I'm sorry. I should have listened. Please. Help me. I want to go home."
Joy's eyes widened, then she cupped her niece's face. "I'm going to take you home. I swear I will take you home."
The wolves ran so fast through the trees, only streaks of colors were visible. Patrolling the borders every day and night since the Cullens returned had not been easy. There were some ways to try and lighten the somber mood.
I swear Jake if you go over about how Grace helped you make meatballs one more time I will hurt you!
Leah shouted at him through the pack link. Paul snorted, and he and Jake ran off to the north line of the rez line.
She showed you how to make balls huh Jake?
Leah growled, disgusted with Lahote and Jake snarled too, the innuendo made him mad.
Yeah Paul. Grace is thinking of sex when she is helping me learn how to cook. Is there anything else you think about?
No, not really. A flash of carpentry went through Paul's mind, but it was quickly snuffed out by a playboy magazine.
Jake shook his head, and phase back to human near his home, pulling his shorts on. "Paul, if you actually acted like yourself you may actually not have the reputation you have." The silver wolf snorted and ran off.
He shook his head, and ran to the back door.
"Jake? Is that you?"
He smiled. "Who else would it be?"
Billy wheeled himself into the hall, an eyebrow raised at his son, but his eyes shined with mischief. "I don't know. Grace maybe? She comes over almost every day now."
Jake smiled, thinking of Grace. It had been two days since Bella and the Cullens returned, and his relationship with Grace had moved forward. Not in a physical way, but in an emotional way. They had discussed Billy, and helping to take care of him. After two days of delicious diabetic friendly meals, regular trips outside, Billy was showing improvement.
Part of the improvement was Billy starting to carve a rolling pin for Grace. The handles were showing signs of becoming wolves, and a river by the wolves.
"Remember I have the meeting with Old Quil in about two hours. I would clean up if I were you." Jake nodded absently, heading to the bathroom.
"Thank you!" Grace said to the customer handing them the box of cupcakes, and two loaves of bread. She smiled as Kim helped Mrs. Call pack up some bread to take home. It had been a good week for the bakery. Business was picking up, some people from Forks actually came in. the owner of the diner came in and wanted to negotiate a deal for bread deliveries.
Grace was so upbeat at the moment. Her business was taking off, she was hiring more help with Emily Young. Granted the scars had startled her, but Grace knew that scars, physical and mental, were just reminders of hard times that the person overcame. After the shock was over, Grace hired Emily part time for two weeks, just to see how she could handle the bakery.
"I hate math!" she grumbled, looking over the log book, the money book, and the receipts of the day. Grace slammed the two books on her desk, and huffed.
A deep chuckle from the doorway made butterflies dance in Grace's stomach. She looked up to see Jake leaning on the doorframe. Instantly she smiled, her irritation still there, but Jake's positive attitude just brightened up a day.
"Hey there tall and scruffy." She held up a calculator, "Are you good at math?"
"Yes." Jake moved into the room, taking the book from under the pile, and a pencil. "I may be only 16, but I enjoy math."
Grace's jaw dropped. 16? Oh goodness, Aunt Joy had mentioned he was younger than her by a year, but she didn't believe it.
"Yeah I know, I don't look my age." She looked at him, smiling at the light blush that was on his cheeks.
"I'm sorry I assumed."
"You're not the first."
"Still, that is rude of me."
Jake sighed, reaching across the desk, taking her hand in his. The sensation was incredible. "Grace, I know that I'm 16, but I don't want to make that awkward between us." His thumb ran across her knuckles. "The last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable."
She smiled, and Jake's wolf just rolled over, so content with the bond forming. "It's not awkward, I hope I didn't make you feel awkward."
"I think we should just agree that it isn't awkward, and move on." He chuckled, earning a laugh from her.
"Agreed." They shook hands, and regrettably let go. Grace shuffled through the recipets of the day, while Jake checked over the numbers. It wasn't his greatest strong suit, but he ran the budget at his house all the time, not too difficult to translate.
"When is your birthday?"
"February 20th."
"And you emancipated yourself."
Grace nodded, and sadness filled her eyes. "It seemed like a good idea at the time. My parents died, and I just couldn't focus on getting up and going to school, and everything. It felt like I was in a daze."
He squeezed her hand, sensing her distress. She just lost her parents a year ago. She had to grow up so much. "Then, I took some online courses to complete my GED, and move on to considering a business."
Jake nodded, "Seems like a smart decision. Very mature too."
Grace stiffened. "I made the choices, but the reasons why I do regret." Jake frowned, and watched as she shook herself out of a stupor. "That's the past. Right now, I need to figure out my pay out for the day."
He nodded, and pulled his hand back, opening the account book.
"You had the diner purchase six loaves of bread, and have a contract to consider for bread delivery daily…"
Billy sanded the rolling pin, and looked up at Quil. "Should we be concerned that they met?"
The old man shook his head. "No. They were meant to meet. Remember what I told you, of the night of Jacob's phase?"
The Chief nodded. The horrible night in February, Jake had been so mad, and thankfully Sam had gotten him out of the house. His own son wouldn't talk to him for days after the initial phase back. Thankfully, Billy had managed to talk to Jake, and tell him about his hands being tied. It had helped their relationship, but so had Embry and Quil. Then Bella came back, and she helped a small amount, but Grace was helping their relationship in strides.
"Yes. February I remember."
Old Quil shook his head. "February 20th. Grace's 17th birthday."
Billy froze, staring at Old Quil. "Are you sure?"
"If I was unsure I wouldn't be telling you Chief."
"The last pack only had one like that."
Old Quil nodded again. "And before that was one other." He took the diary off of the table in the living room. He moved the glasses out of his pocket and onto his face before opening it.
"The last pack, Ephraim phased on the date of his wife's birthday."
Billy frowned. "Why is this occurring in the Black family line?"
Old Quil sat forward, placing the book on the coffee table. "I believe that the cold ones bring the imprints to an awareness that they are needed. Regardless of where they are, or what time. Something is happening that Jacob's imprint will be a part of. She is in tune with his spirit, and now he is in tune with hers. Has he been to see Ms. Swan yet?"
"No," Billy shook his head. "Since the Cullens and Bella came back, Jake has stayed on the Reservation. Granted, Bella has called multiple times every day since then, but I keep telling her that Jake isn't home."
Old Quil chuckled dryly. "I suppose that hasn't gone over well for her."
"Not at all. I'm happy she doesn't try to come over when Grace is there. That would be hard to explain, since Jake is waiting to inform her of the truth."
"Jacob is building a relationship with her before the truth can be told. It is a smart decision regarding Grace's past troubles."
Billy nodded. "Last night she laughed at a joke, and it had been so long since I felt that joy. Knowing she was happy, healing since I saw her last September."
Old Quil sat forward, bracing himself on his cane. "Chief, when did the Cullens leave last year?"
"September 15 if I recall correctly. Why do you ask?"
"We brought you to Grace in October, once she had settled in and checked by Sue."
Billy sighed. "Quil, your tact is off by about a mile, what are you saying?"
"Joy got a phone call the night of September 15th. Grace had woken up from a dream, and immediately called Joy requesting to come to La Push to live. Something connected in Grace that night, an impulse to come home. Instead of pushing it off, she decided to come."
"She told me she needed to be in La Push."
Both men looked to the doorway, Joy standing there with a tray of coffee. She moved into the room, setting the tray on the table and sitting by her father-in-law. She kept speaking as she took pillows and tucked blankets around him before starting on Billy.
"Grace told me she needed to be in La Push. That nothing else mattered she was needed here. I asked her why, and she said that 'he' needed her." Concern filled her eyes. "Was the imprint that strong already?"
Quil took her hand, and nodded. "It appears that the warrior in Jake was calling out to the imprint in Grace. He was calling her home."
"But she was delayed, and even when she came it was different." Billy said, frowning. Quil nodded again.
"Yes. Young Jacob's affection for Bella Swan filled his human half, but his spiritual half called out for his. Once she was here, he didn't call again until the night of the phase."
"Perhaps it was Grace's presence on the reservation alone that soothed Jake's wolf?" Joy looked between the two men. "Instead of Bella?"
Billy shook his head. "Jake's warrior half sensed danger when the Cullens left. That's why it called Grace here, to protect her."
Joy interrupted. "Or his warrior sensed what was going on and brought her to safety." Quil squeezed Joy's hand, comforting his daughter-in-law on the horrendous effect the deaths of her sister and brother-in-law had on her niece.
"That too. But when she arrived, maybe the warrior decided to let Jake try to save Bella. We've never known what happens when a human is exposed to a vampire for so long, or remained alive."
"You think the warrior was trying to let Jake save Bella, so she could live, while bringing Grace to safety." Joy stated.
Old Quil nodded, seeing the Chief's point. "Once Bella Swan had healed, she would have left. Then, the warrior would have made Jake look out for Grace. Whether he knew it or not, the imprint between the alpha and his female is the strongest of all the bonds. No one will get in the way of it." He looked straight at Billy, who nodded.
Jake wouldn't allow the bond to break, Bella broke the bond when she left, and if they are right then the alpha called out to Grace, bringing her home.