Chapter Five: Luck

"You know the one thing you're fighting to hold…"

I walked into the house smiling.

"What's got you smiling like a little girl?" Paul asked from the couch. Still right where I left him. Hours Ago.

"Not even you can piss me off right now Paul." I replied happily.

He hopped up at this and walked over to me. "Jake, did you…" He stared into my eyes and saw it. "OH MY GOD, YOU IMPRINTED!"

I crossed my arms into a tough-guy pose, then nodded slowly at him with a smug smile. "Yep."

"I can't believe this!" This was the most shocked I'd ever seen Paul, he didn't even react like this when he imprinted on Rachel.

"Can't believe what?" Rachel walked out the kitchen drying a frying pan.

"Jake imprinted." Paul said as if it disgusted him. Asshole.

"That's great Jacob. Who is she?" She was smiling.

"Chelsea Savage."

"Bullshit." Paul's jaw was slack now, there was no way he could've expected this. Of course he wouldn't believe me.

"Nope." I said, popping the 'p'. He just stared at me as if I'd finally done it, and went completely insane. Well…not quite Paul. At least, not yet.

"Ah, you guys I'm going to catch a movie in Port Angeles, I'm feeling pretty good tonight. Don't wait up, alright?" I grabbed my keys off the table and walked out the door.

"He's lying, I swear he's lying." Paul said looking back and forth between the door and Rachel.

"And what if he's not?" Rachel asked placing her hands on her hips.

"I'll call Sam. He'll know the truth." He ran over to the phone. After a few rings, Sam picked up. "Sam, is it true? …Dude! You're kidding me! Oh my god!!...Man, I know! He's so fuckin lucky!" He noticed the look Rachel shot him.

"I mean, he's only lucky because he'll have to learn the hard way what love is between him and his imprint since she's a celebrity, and that just means he's going to cherish it that much more." He smiled at her.

Rachel could just hear Sam asking Paul was she looking at him. "Yeah, she is." Paul replied

Rachel rolled her eyes. "I swear. You guys talk on the phone more than we do. Just like girls."


I walked outside to my Rabbit, my baby, and started her up. The ride to Port Angeles was a quick one, since my thoughts were all over the place distracting me. Just how many five star hotels were there in Port Angeles?

I got there and drove the main street of downtown, and the answer is many. There were lots of five star hotels on the main street of Port Angeles. And that's just the MAIN STREET. I parked at the top off the street and began to walk down, checking each one for extra security detail or for something that was at least out of the ordinary. Something about one of these hotels would give away the fact that they had an a-list celebrity staying in it. Two a-list celebrities, for that matter. There was only one, The Renaissance, but I hadn't thought out what to do after I'd found it.

How was I supposed to talk to her? Walk up to her hotel room? Surely I wouldn't even be able to access her floor. I sat in the lobby for a few minutes, just trying to come up with something. Suddenly, there was all this commotion near the elevators. I stood up to get a better view, no matter what I could always see over everyone's heads. All of the people, security is what I'm guessing, were surrounding this one kid. He had spiky jet black hair and tan skin, and he had to be about 5'9. He had a big cheesy smile, it made my stomach turn. I figured he must've been that Taylor somebody kid Sam had mentioned to us, and my heart dropped as soon as I realized it wasn't her. I sank back in my chair in defeat, this was hopeless.

I left the hotel and decided to walk around for a bit, trying to clear my head. This had been hopeless; I knew it was a long shot. It was silly from the beginning, coming all the way here for nothing. I walked around for about an hour, passing the stores and businesses not even bothering to pay attention. I walked pass this dark alley that was nearly pitch black and heard something. I froze, wondering if I was losing my mind, till I heard it again.

I ran down the alley to save the girl that was in trouble, with the rage inside me pulsing through every one of my veins. I got there and she was being cornered by two guys who were way bigger than she was, she was only about 5'4 and these guys were closer to my height.

"Leave her alone." I felt as if I was going to phase soon, people like them really pissed me off.

"And just what are you gonna do about it buddy?" The bigger one came over to me. I growled and be backed off scared.

"What the fuck—" He didn't even have a chance to finish his sentence before I attacked. I punched him in his jaw breaking it, then punched his partner in his stomach making him hunch over. I slammed both off them into the wall roughly, then started to stomp them. They picked themselves up to run off before I could do anymore damage, which was a good thing because my breathing had picked up to a dangerous speed and I was close to losing my grip. I tried steadying my breathing to calm down, but it was hard. I felt my fists clenching so hard my nails were cutting into my skin, and the blood was dripping out my hands.

I turned around to face to the girl I saved to tell her to run, but when I met her eyes I couldn't. I couldn't speak. I couldn't breath. Although her face was shadowed heavily by her hood, I could still see her eyes piercing into me. Those eyes…they were the same eyes from earlier at the beach. But how…

"You…" She said but her voice broke, it was barely above a whisper. Her eyes were filled with confusion and fear. I think she remembered me, too.

I took a step toward her but she immediately took a step back into the brick wall, scared of me.

When she did this it hurt me and I wondered why she did it, then I remembered that I just completely went ape shit to save her. Who wouldn't be scared after watching that?

Take it slow, Jake.

"I won't hurt you." I said, and I could hear her speeding heartbeat slow down a little at the sound of my voice, that was both a relief and a satisfaction.

I slowly approached her, letting her know I had no intentions on harming her, and picked up the bag she dropped when they cornered her. I quickly read it, and the named of the store she visited was "Thunderbird and Whale Bookstore". Strange. I tried to hand it back to her, but she was hesitant about taking it.

"Do you know how dangerous it was for you to come out here alone, Chelsea?" I asked.

She looked at me incredulously now, and I immediately realized my slip.

"How did you know who I was?" I panicked. I really panicked.

"Look, you're shaking. Let's get you somewhere warm and something to eat." This registered with her, but my subject change didn't. She didn't even catch it.

"I can't go anywhere. I'll get mobbed." She said in a small voice, she was still staring at me as if she was dreaming and didn't know it. Like she couldn't tell if what was happening real, or if she was imagining it.

"I won't let anything happen to you, I promise." I held out my hand for her to take, and she stared at it for a while. I gave her a warm smile, and then she took it. I held her close to me as we walked out the alley back onto the busy street, but put enough space between us that she wouldn't get freaked out. Or pick up on my abnormal body heat.

I took her into this little Italian restaurant, it was really small and cozy, and got us a table. The waitress was looking at me, but I paid her no attention. All I cared about was Chelsea, and she was still slightly shaken. I kept waiting for her to go into shock over the whole ordeal, but she hadn't yet.

We were seated in the dimly lit corner like I requested, and she came to take our orders.

"What will you have, honey?" She asked Chelsea. But Chelsea kept her head down.

"Please, you need to eat something." I pleaded with her softly, and I saw a quick glimmer of a smile cross her lips, then she looked at the menu.

"I'll take the mushroom ravioli, and a coke." The waitress wrote it down eyeing her suspiciously, and then looked at me. "And you?"

"I'll just have water, please." I realized I didn't know just how expensive this restaurant was, so I decided not to eat. Everything was riding on just how much money was in the pocket of these cut-offs, which I was completely clueless of. But I didn't have the nerve to check with her sitting here. So we were betting on fate. But she didn't need to know that.

The waitress walked away, leaving us alone. Chelsea finally looked up at me, and I got to see her eyes again. I hated to be the one to ruin this moment of us staring intensely into each others' eyes, but there were some questions that needed answers. And she had some explaining to do.

"What were you doing out in Port Angeles at night by yourself? Do you understand how dangerous that is?" She still seemed shocked for a second that I cared so much and she couldn't figure out why, then she looked down ashamed as she told me the truth.

"I wanted to go to this bookstore to get a book I'd been searching for, and when I was walking back to the hotel I got lost and those two guys cornered me in that alley." I looked at the title of the book. "Quileute Legends". That was even odder.

"Chelsea, you can't just run off like that. Something bad could've happened to you."

"I know…" She said looking down, toying with her fingers. I immediately regretted saying it to her, I didn't like seeing her sad. I felt my heart crumble and I internally kicked myself for being so harsh with her. I couldn't help it though, I was just…worried. I needed her to be safe.

The waitress brought our food, and she started toying with the mushrooms with her fork like she wanted to ask something but didn't know how.

"Who…who are you?" She asked in a shaky voice.

I realized her hand was still shaking a little, she needed sugar.

"Drink some of your coke first, and then I'll answer your question."

"I feel fine." She said looking at me. She was the type that tried to be strong and felt she could take care of herself, I could see that. A little defiant, if only I could tell her that she didn't need to act strong with me.

"Please?" I said softly with pleading eyes, and she rolled her eyes and took a sip. This made me smile, she was cute when she was mad.

I spoke as she sipped. "My name is Jacob, and I live in La Push."

"I knew it." She said it so low, I don't think she meant for me to hear.

"What were you doing out here in Port Angeles?" I froze. Inside I started panicking again.

"Maybe I should get you back to the hotel…" I said, checking my watch. She got upset.

"No, that's not fair. I answered your questions, now you have to answer mine." She bit her bottom lip and looked at me firmly, and I cracked under her gaze.

"I was…catching a movie, then I decided to walk around for a bit when I heard you." Well I told her some of the truth, but I think she knew I was lying. She let it go anyway. She took a bite of her stuffed mushroom, and swallowed it quickly. I guessed she was hungry.

The waitress walked back to us to bring us the bill, and I looked at it as she walked away.

$46.18.

Whoa.

I reached into the pocket of the cutoffs hoping I'd hit the lottery, and pulled out a fifty. Perfect. I put the bill in the little black book and sat it on the table. Good thing these weren't my cutoffs. Go Embry.

"We should really get going," I said and she agreed, finishing the last of her mushroom ravioli.

We left the restaurant and I walked her back to her hotel holding her hand, ready to protect her from any and everything in the world. Her hand was so soft…it fit so perfectly in mine. I couldn't help but wonder if our bodies would fit as perfectly as our hands did, like puzzle pieces made to match. She smelled so good, her scent made my head swim and it was hard for me to even concentrate on what she was saying. Her lips were so soft looking, so round and so plump, I knew they must feel like pillows. I could only dream about what kissing her must feel like. I had had it so wrong earlier, everything I thought I knew was completely off base, all the compliments I'd made about her were complete understatements. Her beauty up close was magnificent, her glow never faded…even in the dark. Her face was round and she had gorgeously high cheek bones, and big hazel eyes. Her smile was dreamy, it made you dazed. Her hair suited her perfectly; even though it was long it cropped her face in the most elegant way. Her skin was so smooth, it reminded me of silk. Everything about her had me in love. The way she blinked, the way she smiled, the way she pouted, the way she got upset…it was all so alluring. And she had me, no strings attached. I had it bad.

When we reached the doors, she turned to face me.

"Jacob…" I closed my eyes falling into the spell that is her voice saying my name, it made my heart fly.

"Say it again…" I could feel her looking at me, confused.

"What?"

"My name." I could tell she was smiling.

"Jacob?" I felt content with the world, as if I could float away at any moment and not protest.

"Yes?" I managed to say, finally opening my eyes again.

"Can I call you sometime?" She asked and smiled. What the hell else would my answer be??!?!? No??!?!?

"Sure." I gave her my number and she stored it in her phone, then we walked into the lobby. She headed for the elevators only to be headed off by that little jerk, Taylor. It looked like he said something to her that she didn't like with that same cheesy smile on his face, and she rolled her eyes. I felt my jaw tighten and my fists clench as I pictured biting his head off, till she waved goodbye at me smiling and stepped on the elevator. Alone.

I smiled at this then left, feeling on top of the world. She spoke to me. She had actually spoke to me. And we went out. On a date. An actual date. With food and everything! This was the best night of my life.

I raced by to La Push in my Rabbit and phased as soon as I turned the car off and stepped out. The rest of the pack was pretty much already here, so they picked my mind as soon as I did.

"Dude! You spoke to her!" Seth said excitedly.

"Jacob, you asshole! That was my last fifty bucks!" Embry yelled.

"Way to go Jake, you did it!" Jared said.

"See? I told you man!" Quil boasted.

"Jacob." That was the one voice that made me freeze on the spot, I knew I was in trouble and it was time to face the music.

As I reached where we were all meeting and found my place in the circle between Jared and Leah, I knew I was in for it. Everyone was silent. Sam got up and walked over to face me directly.

"Jacob. I'm not happy that you found a loophole in my command and went looking for her anyways, and I'm angry that you almost revealed our secret to the world. When you beat those guys up, you could've phased and then the world would know werewolves exist. You can't be so careless, Jacob."

I held my head down in shame.

"But I am happy that you finally found a way to get to her without harming anyone, and I would say without freaking her out but you kind of lost that battle." The entire pack laughed at my expense, but I didn't mind.

"You will take things slow with Chelsea, so you won't scare her off or freak her out. Take your time, Jacob." He said with the timber of the Alpha in his voice. For once, this was one Alpha command I would not try to break or attempt to find a loophole in. I was all for this one, taking things nice and slow. Besides, she deserved nothing less.

I nodded and felt relief flow through me as Sam's mood lightened.

I spent the rest of the night floating on cloud nine, completely in a trance over everything that happened. I couldn't believe I'd done it, and I'd acted to naturally around her. Well, for the most part. Her image was stained on my thoughts, even as I slept. I just couldn't wait till she'd finally dial my number and I'd get to hear my angel's voice again.