I'm glad that you guys liked the last chapter! Here's Chapter 35!
~SashaFierce12.0
Chapter 35
Jacob's P.o.V.
"It's been a week! Can I please g-go back to school, now?" Syanne said, coming downstairs. "M-my friends are probably wondering w-where I'm at! Athena probably thinks I'm d-dead, or something!" She groaned and plopped down on the couch next to Leah.
"Wow. A freshman that actually wants to be in school. That's something you don't hear every day," Leah laughed. "But…What do you think, Jake?" I thought about it for a second.
"I don't see why not. You got pretty good control for a pup," I smirked. But I knew I'd have to be the one to drop the bomb on her.
Better now than never…
"Syanne…About your friends," I started. Leah made a face and stood up, making up an excuse about changing Jayah. "…Uhh…How do I put this? You can't hang out with them anymore." Syanne cocked her head.
"Why not?"
"Our secret might slip. We don't want that. That's putting innocent people in danger."
"B-But what about Emily? And Jazmyn, and K-Kim, and Rachael, and Teasha…What about them? T-They're not wolves. And they know. A-Aren't we p-putting them in danger?" Syanne asked.
"That's different." Wow. I really couldn't come up with anything better than that?
"C-can't we m-make an e-exception?" Syanne stuttered. She did that a lot, but it stood out more when she was shy, or under pressure, or anxious. "W-what d-do I t-tell them? They'll think I'm part of a gang, or something! Y-you guys don't h-have that g-good of a reputation at my s-school…"
"It may seem harsh, but you'll have to ignore them. If they call your name, don't answer. In class, try to find a seat furthest away from any of them if they're in any of your classes. It's easier to avoid them that way," I said. It's what I did to avoid Quil and Embry when I first phased. But then they phased, too, so it was all really a lost cause.
I was about to talk more when Sam came through the door.
"Sorry to bother you this late, but another kid just phased," he said. "It was in front of his parents, so they're pretty freaked out; not to mention our new wolf."
"What's his name?" Leah asked, coming back downstairs.
"Malachi, I think it was," Sam said. "Yeah. Malachi Jenkins." Syanne gasped and I looked at her to see her grin.
"Mal? Let me come, please? He's one of my g-good friends! He'll l-listen to me. Let me come, let me come!" She jumped up and down in front of Sam. He nodded and she cheered.
"I'll stay here and watch the kids," Leah said, smiling. I leaned down and gave her peck on her cheek before racing out the door after the other two. Sam and I phased, and we waited patiently for Syanne to come out from behind the tree.
When she reappeared in her wolf form, we ran to the Jenkins' house. We were instantly bombarded with the thoughts of another wolf.
"I'm a wolf. A freaking wolf..." he laughed creepily, making me mentally cringe. "And...And there's people in my head!"
"Mal, it's me!" Syanne thought happily.
"Now I know I'm insane...I haven't heard from Syanne in a week, and now she suddenly reappears in my head...?"
"You're not insane, Malachi. I'm really here! I'm a wolf, like you!" Syanne explained. We reached the backyard, and saw a coal black wolf pacing around. There were shredded bits of clothing strewn around the yard and two people, most likely his parents, were standing on the patio, gawking at the giant furry creature that was their son.
"Oh, crap. There's more," Malachi backed away, knocking down a potted plant with his tail. This caused him to jump and he knocked down three lawn chairs.
"Malachi, stop," Sam said calmly. But he used his alpha voice. Malachi froze. "Good. Now we can explain things. I'm Sam. That's Jacob. And I think you already know Syanne," he gestured towards us with his head. Syanne's tongue rolled out the side of her mouth.
"Hi, Malachi!" she barked happily.
"Oh...Kay..." Malachi said slowly.
"And you're not crazy. This is real life, Bud," I said. "You've heard those stories about the Spirit Warriors, right?"
"Yeah."
"They're true. And the Cold Ones? They're real, too."
"Vampires?"
"Mhm. But we're friends with some of them!" Syanne added. "They're really nice...It just takes a while to g-get used to the s-smell."
"Hey. You're speech's getting better. Slow down a bit, though," Malachi said to Syanne. She nodded. "How's Kyle?"
"He's growing his first tooth!" Malachi barked out a laugh.
"That's great. I've missed the little dude."
"Sorry to ruin the reunion, but we gotta' teach you how to phase back," Sam said, cutting in. He turned to me. "You brought a pair of extra shorts, right?"
"Yup," I replied, and took the shorts off the rope around my leg.
"Good. Malachi, I'm going to need you to concentrate. Got that?" Sam continued.
"I...Guess..."
"Okay. Take it away, Jake," Sam sat down on his haunches and Syanne did the same.
"Why me?" I whined. "I'm not good at this, and you know that."
"What if Jayah ends up phasing one day? Don't you want to be the one to teach her to phase back?" Through his thoughts, I could see that he was smirking at me.
"Damn... I hate it when you use my own daughter against me..." I murmured, but turned back to Malachi. "I'll teach you the way I learned. Think human. Two legs, two arms. Opposable thumbs; the whole nine yards." Malachi nodded, and through his thoughts I could see him thinking about how he looked as a human. "Good. Now let your human side take over." Malachi started shifting back to his normal self. Soon he stood in front of me on two legs. Syanne barked and flopped on her stomach. Then she put her front paws over her eyes.
"Put some clothes on him, please?" Sam and I snickered, and then I threw Malachi the shorts with my teeth. He put them on.
"Phase, guys," Sam ordered. We went back to our respectable trees in the forest and soon were coming back out clothed. "Welcome to the pack, Malachi," Sam said with a grin.
"Mal!" Syanne ran out and jumped on him to give him a hug.
"Hey, Shorty!" he kissed the top of her head. Syanne jumped off of him and then turned towards his parents.
"Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins," she said sheepishly. Mr. Jenkins lifted his hand up to wave, but it kind of just hung there weakly. Mrs. Jenkins' hands were clasped over her mouth, and she was pale. The two stared at their son. Sam cleared his throat.
"I know this is a lot to take in-" he started.
"It's more than a lot! It's like a truck-load!" Mrs. Jenkins screeched. "My son is a giant, hairy...Big foot!" I raised my hand.
"Actually...We're werewolves."
"Don't get smart with me!" Mrs. Jenkins snapped. "How am I going to explain this to our friends? Our family? You have seven brothers and sisters in there..." she looked up at the window, and the rest of us did, too. About five little kids stood there, looking out with their mouths hung open. Sam slapped his hand to his face in frustration.
"This is not going like it's supposed to..." he groaned.
"...Does this mean that they'll turn into...Werewolves, too?" Mr. Jenkins asked. The way he said 'werewolves' sounded strained; like he was still trying to wrap his head around the whole thing. His wife gasped.
"Oh, no! Not my little babies! It's bad enough that Malachi's gone and done this...But not them! Oh, my little Matthew. Mark, Naomi, Esther, John, Luke..." her hands flew to her hair and tugged on it. "And Timmy!" she yelped. "They're so young!"
"Mom, quit being so dramatic," Malachi rolled his eyes. His mom shot him a cold look.
"Aunty Dee..." Syanne stepped forward. Mrs. Jenkins' eyes softened. "They're still little. And they might not even phase." I smiled at the young wolf. She was a good peacemaker. "Malachi's fine. He's s-special, like all the r-rest of us. He p-phased to help protect the r-reservation a-against v-vampires. We can all sleep soundly at night now." Mrs. Jenkins made a sound like a car screech.
"Back up; vampires?"
"Aww, Sy..." I shook my head.
"W-well they'd have to find out s-sometime!" Syanne snapped. Then she turned back to the Jenkins. "But some of t-them are n-nice. We're friends!"
"How can you be friends with something that literally sucks the living life out of you?" Mrs. Jenkins' eyes were full of fire. Syanne opened her mouth to argue, but Malachi waved his hand in front of her face and shushed her.
"Don't even try. She's pretty heated," he whispered. Mrs. Jenkins clucked her tongue.
"I'm beyond heated! I'm...I'm...! I could just EXPLODE right now! This is beyond me...!" suddenly she clasped her hands to her mouth again and let out a sob. "...I don't want one of my babies to get hurt..." Tears started to flow down her cheeks. She wiped them away and crossed her arms. "Damn pregnancy hormones..." It was then that I noticed her swollen stomach. Whoa. Eight kids and another on the way?
Sam stepped forward. "Mrs. Jenkins, as I was saying before, I know this is a lot. But this weekend, we're having a bonfire on the beach. This is something we do often. Everything will be explained. If you just give it a chance..." he trailed off at the end. Mrs. Jenkins pursed her lips, then turned to her husband. He nodded, and she sighed.
"Fine. Let's go, Malachi. You have school in the morning."
"Actually..." I began, unsure of how to explain things.
"Now what?" Mrs. Jenkins groaned. She looked up at the window, where the children from before were still staring. "Go. To. BED!" As fast as lightning, they disappeared. A smirk crossed my face.
"Mal can't go to school yet," Syanne said. "H-he has to wait 'till h-he can control his anger, first. T-that's what triggers p-phasing," she continued, rephrasing everything I had told her before.
I'd taught her well.
"How long will that take?" Mr. Jenkins asked.
"They made me stay home for a week!" Syanne rolled her eyes.
"It's better than me. I took two," Sam said with a grin. "So...One...Maybe two. But no more than that. Sure, he'll have his moments, but he'll know when it's time to get up and leave the promblem by then." He eyed Malachi, who just grinned. "And, because I don't want anyone to get hurt, he's not gonna' stay here for a while. He'll stay with us until he's got the phasing under control."
"You're not going to let me see my own son?" Mrs. Jenkins screeched. Sam shook his head, clearly frustrated. I was, too.
No offense to Malachi, but she was kind of getting on my nerves. I don't know how he or anyone else deals with it.
"You can see him, he'll just be living somewhere else for a while."
"But don't worry," I added. "We'll take good care of him. I promise."
"Wolf's honor," Syanne raised her hand in a pledge. Mr. Jenkins shook his head, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. His wife threw her hands in the air, defeated.
"Fine! Take him!" she started to go inside. "Bring him back in one piece; if you'd be so kind," she added icily. She slammed the sliding door behind her.
"Ouch," Malachi winced. "Hope the Quints are in bed. Sure don't want to get on her bad side tonight." He grinned.
"Mom just needs a little time to get over this," Mr. Jenkins said. "You know how stressed she is lately, y'know, with Obadiah due any day now..." he sighed. "But...I'm pretty okay with this now, I guess. Just took a while to sink in." He put his hands in his pockets. "You're free to go. But like the wife said: 'back in one piece!' Got it?" Sam, Syanne, and I nodded. "Okay. We'll see you later." We waved and we started walking back into the forest.
"Where to now, Boss Man?" I joked to Sam.
"He can stay with me and Emily. C'mon." We started walking back into the forest.
"So...Are we the only ones? Or are there more?" Malachi asked.
"There's more. A WHOLE lot more," Syanne answered. "But you'll meet them all soon." Sam and I walked side by side in front of Syanne and Malachi. They trailed a few feet behind us, talking.
"...How're Roger and Lydia?" Malachi asked quietly. Syanne sighed.
"Last I saw them...T-they were in a p-police cruiser headed for the big house," I could hear the faint smile in her voice.
"Wait. Really?"
"Mhm. I'm so glad that Kyle and I aren't in any r-real danger anymore. It's like a w-whole load is lifted o-off m-my s-s-shoulders. Jacob and his girlfriend Leah are the ones to thank for that. T-they've been so nice to me. They took me under their wings, gave me and Kyle a p-place to stay..." I smiled to myself and turned to her.
"Are you just saying that?" I teased. Syanne laughed and shook her head. Malachi grinned at me with appreciation.
"Alright, guys. Here's where we split. Malachi can come with me," Sam said, turning towards the part of the forest towards his house. The new wolf started walking towards him. "See you guys tomorrow." Malachi waved to us and followed Sam down the path. Syanne and I walked the rest of the way home in silence.
When the house came into view, Syanne sighed.
"I really d-did mean all t-that stuff. Y-you guys have been nice t-to me in so many w-ways."
"You're welcome. Really, Syanne. You and Kyle are great. And, this is for real, Leah and I are adopting you two so you can permanently live with us." I grinned at her and she practically tackled me like a linebacker with her hug.
"You guys are the greatest!"
"We've talked to the social worker and everything. There's a whole lot of paperwork, and crap, but it's pretty much set." Syanne had tears in her eyes.
"I-I've waited for this m-my whole life. A-and I'm happy it's you guys. I w-want to bring K-Kyle up in a good home...And I don't know a better place to d-do it." She hugged me again, and we started walking up the front steps.
"Sy, over the past week, you've become like the little sister I've never had. And Kyle like my son. I love you both just as much as I love the Pack and everyone else." We opened the door and saw Leah asleep on the couch. She laid on it like it was a bed, and had Jayah snuggled in her arms. She was, of course, sucking on her fist. Kyle laid on top of Leah and he still had his teething ring in his hand. Suddenly he let it go and it fell to the floor.
I couldn't help but chuckle.
"That's a real Kodak moment," I whispered quietly. Syanne laughed and then gasped. She ran upstairs, and then came back down a few seconds later with Leah's camera. She kneeled on the floor and snapped a picture. Looking at it, she smiled.
"That's so going on Facebook," she said. I smirked. The girl had only gotten one a few days ago, and was completely obsessed with it. Every time I turned around, she was uploading more and more pictures.
Definitely following in Leah's footsteps.
Syanne had forgotten to turn the flash off and now Leah's eyes fluttered open. She looked around until her eyes landed on me. She smiled tiredly.
"Hey, Daddy," she whispered.
"Hey, Mommy," I said back.
"How's our new wolf?" she asked.
"Fine. Can't say the same for his parents, though."
"Mrs. J went nuts!" Syanne chuckled quietly.
"That bad, huh?" Leah grinned. Then she looked down at Jayah and then at Kyle on top of her. "I'd move them, but they look so peaceful."
"Kyle's okay," Syanne said. She stood up and took him into her arms. "He s-sleeps like a rock! Once he falls asleep, a bulldozer couldn't wake him up!" She laughed, and Leah and I laughed with her.
"Wish I could say the same for Jewel," Leah said quietly. She sat up, bringing Jayah with her. "If a feather fell to the ground, she'd hear it." Leah stood, and Jayah began to cry. I rolled my eyes but smiled in spite of myself. I held my arms out.
"Let me." Leah shrugged.
"Be my guest." she gave me Jayah and I rocked her in my arms and started walking to her room.
"Shhh...I'm sure Mommy didn't mean to wake you up." Jayah's cries continued. I laid her in her crib, then draped her favorite blanket over her. She almost immediately stopped crying. I chuckled and shook my head. "You're quite the drama queen, aren't you, Jay?" The baby's fist found her mouth, and she began sucking on it. "How am I going to get you to sleep now?" I reached down and brushed her hair with my hand. "...What's that song that Leah sings to you? Oh, yeah. Waves try to treasure, the things that they treasure...Something like that." Jayah looked at me. Her face seemed be in somewhat of a scowl. "I know I have a bad voice, don't look at me like that." Jayah's eyes drooped closed, and I grinned. "Ha! Turns out I can carry a tune." I leaned down and kissed her cheek. "'Night 'night, Princess." I reached over and turned on her nightlight; it had a carousel that spun around on the inside, casting horse shadows around her wall. I left, closing the door halfway behind me.
Syanne walked by, a toothbrush in her mouth. She smiled.
"G'night, Jake," she said. I nodded and headed to my room. Leah was already in there, slipping on a t-shirt. I smiled at her and went to my drawer to pull out some pajama pants.
"Do you think any more people are gonna' phase?" she asked me. I shrugged, slipping off my shorts.
"It's possible." I slid the checkered pants over my waist and then threw my shorts in the dirty clothes hamper. Then I looked at Leah as she brushed her hair. I couldn't help the smile that graced my face. "Lee?"
"Yeah?"
"When was the last time that we spent time together?" Leah looked at me weirdly through the mirror.
"Uhh...We spend time together every night. You remember? Over there..." she pointed to our bed.
"No, not like that. I mean, like out on the town." I stood up and took the brush from her hands, then I set it down on her vanity. "Dinner..." I pulled her up on her feet. Then I twirled her around. "A movie..." She giggled and pulled away from me.
"Jacob Ephraim Black! Are you asking me on a date?"
"Depends on how you put it..." I waggled my eyebrows. "...But, yes. I am asking you, Leah Harriet Clearwater, on a date. What do you say?" Leah looked up, pretending to be in deep thought.
"Mmm...Tomorrow?" I grinned and pulled her in for a kiss.
"It's a date," I whispered into her ear. She crashed her lips onto mine. I pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. Then we sunk down onto the bed, entangling our bodies together. I was getting into it...But then Leah pulled away.
"Sorry, Mr. Black. No glove, no love," she smiled at me. I rolled my eyes.
"What cliché chick-flick did you get that out of?" Leah just smiled and ran her hands through her hair. She didn't say anything more and fixed the blanket so that she was lying under them. I stood up to turn out the light.
"Aww, Jakey. I said I was 'sorry!' It's just that we have Jayah, and Syanne and Kyle right next to us..." Leah cooed. I climbed into bed next to her but still didn't say anything. "Jacob! Baby! Honey? Sweetie...?" She twirled her fingers in my hair, but I didn't show that it changed my ticked mood one bit.
"Sleeping," I said, and turned around. Leah sighed and turned out the lamp on her side. "We both have long days tomorrow."
"Yeah. Okay," she replied. I closed my eyes and waited for sleep. It was silent and dark for a few moments before I felt Leah shift a little. She sighed again. Then she shifted around some more. My eyes shot open and I stared at the wall in frustration. Leah just kept moving around.
"Having fun there?" I asked sarcastically.
"I just can't sleep knowing that you're mad at me for not giving into you," she whimpered. I couldn't help the smile that formed on my face.
"It's okay, I'm not mad," I said. Leah sighed with relief.
"Then how come you looked pissed?" I closed my eyes again and didn't answer. "Hello! I asked you a question!"
"Ignoring," I answered. Leah muttered something under her breath and then pushed me off the bed. "What the hell?" I stood up and rubbed my butt. "That hurt!" Leah crossed her arms and smiled deviously.
"It was supposed to. You got the couch tonight." She stood and pushed me out the door, shutting it in my face.
"Wait. Does this mean tomorrow's canceled?" No answer. "Can I at least get a blanket?" I yelled at the door. It opened and Leah threw a sheet at me. She shut the door again. "Well, thanks." I muttered under my breath and headed downstairs. Plopping on the couch, I did my best to make myself comfortable. Hopefully, I wouldn't be spending any time on the couch tomorrow night. This would blow over soon...
Then again, this was Leah we're talking about. Hot headed, short tempered, Leah.
Me and my stupid sarcastic mouth...
000000000000000000000000
"Darren, stop flirting and get over here!" Paul yelled to one of the workers. The girls that Darren was talking to were here practically every other day. Always complaining about car troubles. And he was always the one to talk to them first. The girls were actually getting kind of annoying. They even went so far as to take the spark plugs out of their car so we'd fix it. How stupid did they think we were? They just wanted to watch us walk around shirtless.
And Darren? He was Sam's older half brother. He moved here a couple of months ago, and started working here shortly after. Plus, he was showing signs of phasing. So Sam wanted to keep an eye on him.
Darren flashed the girls a smile and walked over towards Paul. He rubbed his hands together. "What can I do for ya', Pauly?" he asked. Paul rolled his eyes and closed the hood of the girls' car.
"Tell them to come over when they have a real problem with their car," he growled in a low voice. I crossed my arms and leaned against the wall.
"Spark plugs?" Paul nodded and sighed.
"Again?" Embry asked. Jared shook his head with a smirk. Darren turned back to the girls.
"Ladies!" he said with a grin. They giggled. "She's all fixed up. But, please, do us all a favor and come back when you actually have a problem with your car? Thanks." He waved to them and walked into the office part of the building. Paul tossed one of the girls the keys. She fumbled with them, trying to open the door to her car. When she finally opened it, her and the two of her other friends climbed in quickly. They drove off. The rest of us guys burst into laughter when we saw them disappear quickly down the road.
"You think they'll actually stay away this time?" Paul asked, wiping his hands on an oil stained cloth.
"I hope," I said.
"I sure don't blame them for coming back every day to see us...Specifically moi," Darren said, coming back out. He flexed his muscles. "I mean, look at these biceps!" Paul threw his rag at him, and the rest of us laughed. "Ha, ha. Very funny, guys." We talked and joked around some more, and then a girl walked in. She looked tomboyish; dressed in a pair of cutoffs and a hoodie. She wore a pair of combat boots, and a flat top New York Yankees hat. It was turned half to the side. She walked with a certain sway to her hips, as if she ruled the world.
"Here we go," Embry said with an eye roll. Darren was by her side in three seconds.
"Hello, Miss. And might I say you are lookin' mighty fine on this beautiful-"
"I'm fourteen, asshole," she snapped. Darren held his hands up in defense and backed up. I laughed.
"Car troubles?" Paul asked with a smirk.
"Nope," the girl said.
"...Paint job?" Jared tried.
"Nope," the girl said again, popping the 'p.' "I wanna' know if you have any job openings," she said simply. The rest of us guys looked at each other.
"I...Dunno," Embry answered. "I'll go get the Boss Man." He turned, cupping his hands over his mouth like a microphone. "SAM!" he yelled, just as said werewolf walked outside. He stared at Embry, who smiled sheepishly.
"The chick wants to know if she can work here," Darren said, gesturing towards the girl with a flick of his head. She put her hands on her hips and glared at him.
"I think 'the chick' has a name," I said. "Which is..."
"Athena. Athena Christmas," she answered, crossing her arms and flicking her hat with her finger.
"I am loving your last name," Jared laughed. Athena flashed him her pearly whites.
"Well, Athena, how old are you?" Sam asked.
"Fourteen," she answered. "But I love cars. Absolutely love them. When Mom's got car troubles, she usually comes to me first. So, I pretty much have a good recommendation." Sam nodded and looked up when he saw Quil and some of the other guys pushing in his truck. Teasha, Jazz, and Syanne followed behind them. The rest of us hooted with laughter.
"That old thing finally gave out on you, didn't it?" Darren laughed. Quil stopped pushing and glared at him.
"Oh, my gosh! It was so scary! It broke down in the middle of the road. I thought we were gonna' get run over, or something!" Jazmyn exclaimed, her hands on her face.
"Jazz, you're so melodramatic," Teasha said with a shake of her head. Brady came from around the car with a huge grin on his face.
"Sam! Guess what, I-" he bumped into Athena and they fell down. He looked at her and his eyes softened. "Hey..." he breathed.
"Hey, yourself..." Athena said. Then she blushed. "We really gotta' stop meeting like this."
He'd done it! I just knew he had. It was in the way he talked to her, and the way he looked at her, too. There was no doubt in my mind that Brady had imprinted.
Brady stood up and helped Athena up afterwards.
"Congrats, man," Sam laughed. Brady beamed.
"Athena!" Syanne said excitedly.
"Syanne!" The girls hugged each other. "I haven't seen you in forever! Were you at school today?" Syanne nodded.
"But, really. It's only been like, a-a week," Syanne retorted.
"But it felt like forever! It was so lonely...And Malachi's gone now," she looked at Syanne with sad eyes. Sy turned to me, but I shook my head.
Tomorrow, I mouthed. She nodded and turned back to her friend with a smile.
"What are you d-doing here, anyway?" she asked.
"She's our newest protégé," Sam answered with a wink. Athena turned and started jumping up and down.
"Really? I got the job?" she squealed.
"Yeah. Can't deny a pretty little thing like you," Darren said.
"I'm not a thing!" Athena said, crossing her arms. Again, Darren held up his hands in defense.
"Athena's working here now?" Brady asked. We nodded.
"Cool. This place could use a feminine touch," Leah said, walking in. I held my arms open and she jumped into them. Then I kissed her.
"Aww..." Jazmyn said. "Couple moment!" I set Leah down and watched as she kissed Seth. And then Teasha kissed Collin.
"Too much love!" Darren said. The rest of us laughed.
"Where's Jay?" I asked.
"Still with Emily. She's keeping her for the rest of the day. We're still on tonight, right?" I grinned and nodded. She leaned up and kissed me again.
"What's happening tonight?" Seth asked. "...Wait, do I really wanna' know?" Leah smiled slyly at her little brother. "Okay! Don't wanna' know!" Leah and I laughed.
"It's okay. We're just stepping out for a while," I said. Seth looked relieved. "And here I thought we were gonna' have to cancel."
"Why'd you think that?" Jared asked, opening the hood of Quil's car. I rolled my eyes but didn't answer. Sam was practically dying with laughter.
"You had the couch last night, didn't you?" I nodded, remembering how uncomfortable that was. "It's okay. You're not alone."
"So, Sam? Mind if I take him off your hands?" Leah asked. Sam shook his head and waved us off.
"Not at all. You've done your share of work today, Jake. Darren, on the other hand..."
"Hey, when I see a couple of hot girls-"
"Shut up, idiot," Athena snapped. "It's not like any of 'em would date you, anyway." Darren glared at her and started shaking violently. He was a blur in a couple of seconds.
"Athena, watch out!" Brady moved her out of the way just as Darren erupted into a giant gray wolf. He growled but then stopped short and looked down. Athena screamed and the rest of us backed up.
"Close the garage!" Embry yelled. Paul ran and hit the control to close the huge door. Darren tried to walk around everything, as Sam and Jared tried to reach for him and calm him down. Leah turned to look at Athena, who was staring with her mouth hung open. It slowly formed into a smile and she jumped up.
"Whoa-ho-ho!" she squealed. "I made him explode! Into a WOLF! The kids at school aren't gonna' believe this! Wait 'till I tell them!"
"NO!" everyone in the shop yelled. Athena looked at us weirdly.
"It's...It has to stay a secret," Brady told her. Athena nodded eagerly.
"Okay!" she zipped her lips with an imaginary key and giggled.
"She took that easily," Leah said, clearly surprised.
"I KNEW there was something weird about you guys!" Athena exclaimed. "I didn't know before, but now I do!" She turned back to Darren. "Is he stuck like that, or can he change back?"
"He can change back, we just have to teach him first. This is the first time he's phased," Sam said calmly. "Paul, go through the front. Make sure there're no people. I want a safe passage to the forest." Paul nodded and went through the door of the office area. He came back a few seconds later and gave Sam the all clear. "Jazz." He gestured with his head towards the button to open the garage door. Jazmyn opened the door and Sam led Darren out. They disappeared into the forest soon after that. It was silent, until Jazmyn started laughing.
"Today's been so exciting!" she squealed, hopping on top of the tool table. "First, I get an A plus on my Algebra test, then Brady imprints..."
"What's that?" Athena asked. Leah patted her shoulder.
"We're gonna' take this wolf thing step by step, 'kay? You'll find out soon." Athena nodded, but I could tell she was still etching to know. Brady touched her shoulder and she looked up at him and grinned.
"...And then Quil's truck breaks down! Oh, and Sam's big bro phased!" she laughed again. Then gasped. "...Oh, yeah! I almost forgot! It's my birthday! Happy birthday to me...Happy birthday to me...!" she sang. Everyone stared at her.
"You forgot your own birthday?" Teasha asked, her eyebrow raised. "And even more important than that; you didn't tell me?"
"That does explain the big plate of pancakes my parents gave me this morning..." she looked up in deep thought, then snapped her head towards Seth. "You're my boyfriend! You're supposed to know these things!" Seth jumped like he'd just been snapped out of a deep thought.
"Sorry, Jazz," he said, smiling sheepishly. Jazmyn stood up on the tool table and crossed her arms.
"Now you get to sing it," she flipped her hair.
"Aww, Jazz..."
"Sing it...!"
"Jazzy-"
"Sing. It," Jazmyn leaned down and her eyes turned into slits. She even went as far as to growl. Seth slapped his face, then dragged his hand down. He turned and looked at us, then turned back to Jazmyn. She put all her weight on her right leg, her hip jutted out.
"I'm a little-"
"What...? I can't hear you!" Jazmyn leaned forward, over exaggerating that she couldn't hear him.
"I'M A LITTLE-"
"Ah, ah, ah! Do the dance!" Seth growled, and Jazmyn jumped down from her perch. "Shall I help you?" She turned him around so that he was facing us. Leah laughed when she saw the scowl on her brother's face. Jazmyn moved his arms so one was up and one was on his hip. "Sing!"
"I'm a little-"
"LOUDER!"
"I'M A LITTLE TEAPOT, SHORT AND STOUT! HERE IS MY HANDLE AND HERE IS MY SPOUT!" Jazmyn moved his hands so that they were going along with his words. The rest of us were practically on the ground laughing our heads off. "Jazz-"
"SIIIIIIINNNNNNGGGGG!"
"WHEN I GET ALL STEAMED UP, HEAR ME SHOUT; TIP ME OVER AND POUR ME OUT!" Jazmyn moved Seth so that he was tilted to the side. The thing that made the whole moment more hilarious was the scowl on Seth's face the whole time. Practically everyone in the shop was on the floor, laughing and gasping for air.
"Take a bow!" Jazmyn said. Seth just stood there with his arms crossed. "That's what you get for being a bad boyfriend..."
"It's not my fault that I didn't know when your birthday was!" he retorted.
"It is kind of sad, though," Leah said, still giggling. She wiped away a tear.
"Even I know when my girlfriend's birthday is," Jared said. That made everyone laugh harder, and even Seth chuckled a little. Leah leaned on me.
"Ahhh...We still love you, Baby Bro," she said.
"Yeah, yeah," Seth replied with an eye roll. Jazmyn giggled and leaned up to kiss his cheek.
"Are you guys fine fixing Quil's car? Jake and I are heading out," Leah said, taking my hand and starting to drag me away.
"We're fine! We're totally gonna' have a party!" Athena exclaimed. Jazmyn squealed and jumped up.
"Yea! I love parties!" she said happily.
"Okay! See you guys later!" Leah said, and dragged me out more.
"Don't have too much fun, you crazy kids!" Teasha joked, sticking her tongue out.
"Here, I'll go in my car and you can go in yours. I'll see you at home," I told her. She nodded and pecked my cheek. After that, we got into our respective cars.
00000000000000000000000
Leah's P.o.V.
I stepped out of the bathroom in my robe, headed for the clothes laid out on my bed. I didn't want to look cute...I wanted to look...
Sexy. Pretty. Beautiful.
I mean, Jake and I have been dating for a while. But we've never actually, you know, been out. I wanted to look good for our first date.
I chose some white skinnies that shaped nicely to my body. And then I picked out a spaghetti strap floral top. It flowed out at the bottom, and had pretty flower patterns all over it. I put on some dangly earrings, and didn't go all out on my makeup. Just some eyeliner, mascara, and lip gloss. Simple. Just like Jake.
And that's what I loved the most about him.
"Leah! You done yet?" Jacob yelled up the stairs.
"Almost, Jakey!" I yelled back. I slid on one heel and hopped to the door. I bounced down the stairs, trying to put on the other heel.
"You look nice," Jake said. "Is this all for me?" I looked up after I had it on and grinned.
"Yeah..."
"You must love me a lot."
"I do!" I kissed him. "I can't wait until I say that in a white dress." Jacob smiled.
"Me, too." He took my hand and we started walking outside to his Rabbit.
"You know, you don't look so bad yourself, Mister," I joked. I looked him up and down. He wore a light blue button up shirt and had the sleeves rolled up. The first few buttons were undone, and I could see that he had on the little chain necklace that I'd given him a couple years back. He also had on dark denim jeans that hung low on his waist. "...Sexy." I slid into the passenger seat and he started the car.
"Ya' think so?" he asked, and flexed his biceps.
"Way to ruin a moment, Jake," I rolled my eyes. A deep chuckle rose from his throat, and he took my hand.
With the radio playing at a low volume in the background, the hum of the car, and Jacob's warm hand in mine, the ride was quite comfortable.
"Where are we headed?" I asked after about two hours of silence.
"Seattle," he answered. "But that's the only answer you're gonna' get for a while. The rest of this is going to be a surprise." He kissed my knuckles. I shrugged and leaned back in the Rabbit's comfy seats. We drove for a while more, and it was around four o'clock that I decided to call Emily to check up on Jayah. I took out my cell phone and searched through my address book for her name. "Watcha doin'?" Jake asked me.
"Checkin' up on Jayah," I answered. I held the phone to my ear and waited as her phone rang.
"Hello?" Emily asked from the other end. I could hear giggling and screaming in the background.
"Hey, it's me. It sounds like someone's getting murdered over there!" I laughed.
"Oh, yeah. Claire and Jayah are all hyped up on Elvis," Emily answered loudly over the noise. In the background I could hear the song. I could hear Claire singing loudly and very off-key.
"Lord almighty, I feel my temperature rising!" she sang at the top of her lungs. I laughed.
"Since when do you play Elvis in your house?" I asked, still laughing. Jacob chuckled from beside me.
"Since Granny Young!" Emily answered. That's what Emily called her mom in front of Claire. "Remember last week when Sam and I took Claire on that trip to Disney with my parents?"
"Yeah," I answered. Emily's parents lived in California, and had paid for the three to go to Disney. It was a birthday present for Claire, and they were gone for about three days.
"Well, when we went back to their house, Claire found all the posters and old Elvis records. She listened to them...Then again...And again. So now, she's hooked. I can't play anything else in here but Elvis! You know I'm actually starting to like it?" Emily screeched. I laughed again. I remember when we were younger and she had had a pathological fear of The King. It was because of a dream she had, about Elvis himself coming back to life and punching her mom in the face.
Hysterical, I know! I'm still laughing about it.
"Claire's Disney Princess days are over! She's giving all her princess costumes-including crowns, wands, and shoes-to Jayah! And she asked Sam to redo her room with blue and white! She was all 'It's the King's favorite colors!'" Emily scoffed. "Her walls are covered with giant posters of the guy. And she refuses to wear anything with pink or purple in it. Her wardrobe now consists of aviator sunglasses, Converse, white t-shirts, biker jackets, and jeans. Again, thank you, Granny Young! She probably only has, like, one or two skirts now! And if I want her to wear one, the only thing that comes out of her mouth is 'That's fo' babies! Give it to Jewel.'" Emily imitated Claire perfectly. She scoffed again. "What's happening to my little princess?"
"Emily, I'm gonna' have to see this to believe it. I haven't seen the little girl in about a week! I don't believe that Baby Claire could make such a transition like that!"
"Oh-ho-ho, you better believe it!"
"Again, I have to see it! But tell me how Jay's doing!"
"Oh, she's a little angel! But don't be disappointed if all she wants to listen to is Elvis when she goes home," I practically hear Emily rolling her eyes.
"It's okay. Jake is a huge King fan, aren't you, Jakey?" I pinched his cheeks.
"Ha, ha...I don't think so. Hey, Em! If Jayah becomes addicted, I'm holding you responsible!" he yelled so Emily would hear him. Emily just laughed.
"Tell Jay Mommy and Daddy love her! We'll see her soon!" I said into the phone.
"Okay! I'll make sure she gets the message!" Emily giggled. "See you soon! Have fun! ...But not too much. We have enough children as it is! Bye!"
"Bye," I said with a laugh, then hung up. I shook my head. "I still don't believe it."
"What? The Claire thing?" Jacob chuckled. "What do you think Quil's gonna' say?"
"Dunno. But he's gonna' love her just the way she is, anyway," I replied. I checked the clock on the dashboard. It was 5:52. "How much longer, Jakey?" I groaned, leaning on his shoulder.
"Really? You're gonna' do this to me?" he glanced at me, and I gave him the cutest look I could muster up. He looked back at the road. "Maybe...Twenty minutes?" I groaned.
"But we've been driving for two hours!"
"What do you expect? It's Seattle!" he said the name like one would say the White House, or the Statue of Liberty. I sighed and turned the radio on to Sirius XM.
Oh, killing me softly! And I'm still fallin'...Beyoncé sang. I bobbed my head, reaching down for my purse. There, I pulled out my sunglasses. The setting sun was bright, and it bothered me. I put them on, then rolled down the window. I loved the way the wind felt in my hair, and with sunglasses and the radio playing in the background, I felt so peaceful.
I brushed my hair out of my face just as a car drove up next to us. I turned and smiled, being nice. The guy in the driver's seat was really pale, and he grinned back, showing off his pearly whites. He cracked the window a little bit, and that's when I smelled it.
He was a vampire.
My heart almost stopped. He looked up as if sniffing the air, then turned back to me. His eyes flashed, and he grinned at me again. Then he turned at the exit. I rolled up the window a little bit, still kind of wondering what had just happened.
"Lee?" Jacob asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Y-yeah?"
"Oh, just wanted to tell you that at this next exit, we're in Seattle."
"Yea!" I cheered, completely forgetting about the vampire in that car. Jacob laughed.
"What were you thinking about before?" he asked.
"Oh, uh..." the little memory came flooding back. "Nothing. Just about how peaceful this car ride's been." Jacob nodded, and left it at that.
Should I have told him?
...
No. I didn't want him to worry.
I turned to look back out the window and grinned when I saw the exit.
"Yes! Finally!" I cheered. Jacob laughed and turned. We drove for a while more until we entered the city. "Now will you tell me where we're heading?" Jacob smiled.
"First stop: Pike's Place." I gasped.
"Oh, my gosh! Really?" I squealed. "Do you know how long I've been dying to go there?"
"Yes!" Jacob glanced at me. "You won't shut up about it! So now we're going." I squealed again, just as we pulled up to a parking garage. Jacob paid for a space and then we parked. I left my sunglasses on the dashboard. When we got out, Jacob took me by my side and pulled me close to him.
We walked out of the garage and were soon enveloped by a crowd of people. I ignored the awed stares that we got because I was used to them now.
I know. Me and Jake were beautiful.
I liked thinking of it that way. When we walked by an artist painting the sunset, he turned to us and smiled.
"You're a beautiful couple," he said. "Would you like me to paint your picture?"
"No thanks," Jacob said. "But thank you, anyway. You're an awesome artist." The man nodded and turned back to his painting.
We walked by people singing, moving statues, and side shows. Finally, we got to a place where you could get a full bouquet of flowers for only ten bucks.
"Oh, Jake! They're beautiful!" I leaned down and sniffed a daffodil and carnation bouquet. "And look! Poppies!" I pointed to my favorite flowers. "On our way out, you think we can stop and get some?" Jacob nodded and kissed my cheek. I looked at the woman selling the flowers. "How long are you open?"
"Last sale 9:15," she answered in a thick accent. She continued wrapping up more flowers.
"Can you hold a bouquet for us?" Jacob asked. The woman nodded and gestured to the array of flowers.
"Which would you like?" she asked. Jacob looked at me.
"The poppy bouquet, please," I replied excitedly. The woman laughed and nodded.
"Sure. Last name?" she picked up the bouquet and took a Sharpie out of her apron pocket.
"Black," Jacob said. The woman wrote it down and put the marker back into her pocket.
"Alright. See you soon!" she waved to us and set the flowers to the side. Jacob and I waved then continued our walk.
There were so many shops, and different smells...The whole place was exciting.
"We are so taking Jayah here!" I told Jacob. He nodded and grinned.
"She'll like it," he replied. Just then, a man in a top hat came and stopped in front of us. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a rose.
"A beautiful rose, for a beautiful lady," he said. He handed it to me and I grinned.
"Thank you!" I laughed. He took off his hat and bowed. He nodded to Jacob.
"Keep your lady close, never know when you might lose her," he told him with a wink. Then he walked away. Jacob pulled me into his side again.
"What are you doing?" I asked with a laugh.
"Taking his advise!" Jacob replied, laughing, too. We walked around some more, and I put the rose in my hair. "Pretty," Jake complimented, pointing to the flower.
"Thanks. And it totally matches my outfit!"
Jake and I walked some more, our steps in tune with each other.
After a couple of minutes of silence, Jacob said, "I don't know about you, but I'm kind of hungry." I patted my stomach.
"Me, too. Italian?" He nodded.
"I saw a place about a block back. We should try it," Jacob replied. We turned around. Again, our steps matching each other's.
"Il Forno," I read the big neon sign. "Sounds promising." We walked in and were immediately hit with the smell of pasta and wine. A well dressed waiter came forward.
"Dinner for two?" he asked. I nodded and he gestured inside. He led us to a table, and then handed us menus. "My name is Cameron, and I'll be your server this evening. Can I start you off with any drinks?"
"Just some water, please," I answered, still looking at the menu.
"Same," Jacob said.
"Alright, I'll be back with two waters," Cameron said, and then stalked towards the kitchen.
"We sure know how to pick a restaurant," I said, looking around the nicely decorated place.
"I know, right?" Jacob chuckled. We stared contentedly into each other's eyes for a few moments until my phone rang. I recognized the ringtone as Seth's.
"Aww, Sethy," I sighed, and dug my cell phone out of my purse. I answered the phone reluctantly. "This better be good."
"I can't check up on my favorite sister every once in a while?" Seth asked with a laugh.
"Number one, you've never really cared to check up on me before. Number two, I'm your only sister. And number three, Jake and I were having a very romantic moment until you called and ruined it!" I growled.
"I just wanted to give you a message from Mom. Baby Jay's gonna' stay with us tonight, and we'll bring her back to you guys tomorrow morning. That way you can spend as much time together as you want, blah. Blah. Blah..."
"Aww, thanks Seth," I cooed. "Tell Jazz 'happy birthday' for me, and tell Jay that I love her!"
"Will do. Bye, Lee. Tell Jake not to do anything he'll regret," Seth replied. And then he hung up. I sighed and put the phone back in my purse, making sure to put it on vibrate so I could ignore any other phone calls.
"What'd he want?" Jacob asked, picking up the menu again.
"Jewel's staying with her uncle and grandma tonight. They'll bring her back home tomorrow."
"That's nice of them," Jacob murmured.
"He also said not to do anything that you'll regret," I said with an eye roll.
"Hmmm..." Cameron came back with two glasses of iced water. He set them down in front of us.
"Are you ready to order?" he asked, taking out a notepad and pen.
"Don't know about her, but I am," Jacob replied. "I'll have the carbonara."
"Ooh, that sounds good! Can I have the same, Cameron?" I asked. Cameron laughed and nodded, writing it down.
"Good choices. That's one of our best selling dishes. Your dinner will be ready shortly." He nodded and left to the kitchen again.
"I like Cameron. He's nice," I said.
"Yeah..." Jacob rolled his eyes.
"Jakey...? Are you...Jealous?" I smirked.
"Moi? Jealous? I don't think so."
"Jake, we're in an Italian restaurant. Your French doesn't work here."
"I don't know one lick of Italian." I laughed. "Oh, and I suppose that you do?"
"Oh, Jacob. Tu sei così stupido. Ma io ti amo ancora!" I winked at him. He stared at me.
"Did you just call me stupid? ...In Italian?" I just shrugged and took a sip of my water. "Since when does Leah Clearwater speak Italian?"
"Since now."
"You're really creepy, you know that?"
"Me?"
"Yeah. You." I playfully hit him, and then we both laughed loudly, ignoring some of the looks we were getting. From the next table over, I could easily hear the conversation that two girls were having.
"He has to be some kind of football player. Look at those biceps!" one said.
"I know," the other one replied. "I bet he has a six pack under that shirt."
"No. I know he has one."
"And what about that girl with him?"
"That's his girlfriend, I'm sure of it."
"She's so gorgeous. She has to be a European model, or something. I wonder if she'll give me some beauty tips...?" I smiled at her compliment. Me? So gorgeous they thought I was a European model? That's a good compliment.
Jacob chuckled. "Those girls don't know how loud they're being."
"Let them. I'm loving their compliments." Jacob rolled his eyes but smiled anyway. We talked and joked around some more, and I teased him with my Italian skills. "Se così pazzo!" I said to him when he told me a stupid joke.
"What does that even mean?" he asked, cocking his head to the side. I shimmied my shoulders and put my finger to my lips. He laughed and shook his head. That's when Cameron came back with our food.
"Two cabonaras," he said, setting the dishes in front of us.
"Mmm...It looks so good! And it smells good, too!" Cameron gestured to our plates.
"Enjoy. I'll be by to check up on you a little later." He walked towards the door, greeting a group of people.
"Let's taste it together," I said to Jacob. He nodded and twirled some pasta onto his fork. I did the same. I held mine out to him and he held his out to me. "To love!" I toasted, and stuffed it in his mouth. He did the same to me. I put my hand in front of my mouth and laughed, then swallowed. "Oh, my gosh, it is good!"
"You're right. And you stuffing it into my mouth only made it taste better," he laughed. I shrugged and ate a few more bites. Over dinner, we talked about the Pack and our new additions.
"We've had four phase in the past month," Jacob said, taking a sip of water.
"I know. Weird, huh?" I replied. "And Darren phased, but he's twenty-two."
"I guess it's just because he only moved here a couple of months ago." I nodded, guessing he was right.
"And Sy..." I breathed. "I can't wait until we get the adoption finalized. Then she'll really be a part of our family!" Jacob nodded.
"I kinda let it slip to her..." he smiled sheepishly.
"Jacob Ephraim Black...!"
"Sorry!"
"Ah, well...She would've found out sooner or later," I shook my head and took another bite of my pasta. "It's so awesome how well she's bonding with the Pack and Imprints...Especially the guys. If I were her, I would've been kind of scared, considering..."
"Yeah. I know."
"And her and Embry! They're getting pretty cozy, don't you think?" I waggled my eyebrows. Since Syanne had phased and Embry had imprinted on her, they've become inseparable. The only times that they were apart was when Syanne was at school or at home for the night.
"I'm actually glad that it was him that imprinted on her and not someone else," Jacob said. "He's one of the nicest guys I know."
"Jake, all the guys are nice."
"I know, but...Never mind."
"Yes! You're at a loss for words!" Jacob threw his napkin at me. I caught it before it hit my face and then threw it back at him. "And Athena seems nice," I said.
"Really eccentric and kind of crazy, but, yes, she's not bad," Jacob replied. "Hey, do you think she has sisters? Maybe they're named after the other Greek goddesses."
"Jacob. No. Just...No," I shook my head at his stupidity.
"Hey, I'm just sayin'.
Even after our food was gone, we stayed and talked some more. Then Jacob called for the check. We paid, leaving a big tip for our nice waiter.
"Thanks, Cameron," I waved to him, taking Jacob's hand. "You were great." Cameron grinned.
"You, too. Come back soon!" he waved to us and then we left.
"What's the time?" I asked Jacob as we walked back through Pike's Place.
"Uhh...7:42. We're gonna' catch an 8:30 showing at the movies," he answered.
"Cool. We'll choose a movie when we get there." Before we walked back to our car, we went to pick up my poppy bouquet. "Oh, they're so pretty!" I held them in my hands. "Thank you so much!" I paid the lady behind the flower stand.
"No, thank you," she replied, waving to us as we left.
"I like the people here. They're so nice," Jacob said as we made our way to our car. I got in and put the flowers carefully in the back seat. We drove to the movie theater in comfortable silence. When we got there, Jake let me choose what we were going to watch. "But, please. Nothing girly."
"Okay...How about...Ooh! Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close! I've been meaning to see that." Jacob agreed and soon we were sitting down watching the movie. It was sad at some parts, and happy at others. Plus, I liked Sandra Bullock. I felt that she tied the whole think together. I left feeling satisfied. "I'd give that an eight out of ten. What about you?"
"Let's see...Six, no doubt."
"What?"
"I'm not into the cry-sob-boo-hoo type of movies. It was good, just not my taste."
"Then what, Jacob, is your taste? Enlighten me."
"...I'm into horror. Bloody, gory, scream-your-head-off horror!"
"Ha, ha. So not me. I actually want to fall asleep at night, thank you." Jacob chuckled and kissed my cheek.
"That means we're made for each other! Opposites attract, you know." We got in, and were soon on the highway towards home.
"Jake, I had so much fun tonight! Thanks for taking me out."
"Anytime, toots," he replied in a Jersey accent. He grinned cockily at me. I hit his arm. The ride home was much louder than the ride to Seattle. Jake and I talked and laughed about the events that happened that night. And we rolled down the windows and sang-loudly and very off key-to some Lady Gaga songs.
"Po-po-po-poker face, po-po-poker face!" we screamed at the top of our lungs. I laughed.
"Woohoo!" I screamed out the window.
All too soon, though, we pulled up to our house. I took the bouquet of flowers out of the car and placed them in a pretty vase when we got inside. I admired how pretty they were for a while before Jacob came out of nowhere and-literally-swept me off my feet. I giggled as he carried me up the stairs.
He took me to our room and slid off my shoes for me. Then he took the rose out of my hair and set it on top of my dresser.
"Jake, tonight was so perfect," I whispered into his ear. He smiled at me, then crashed his lips onto mine. We laid entangled on the bed, kissing each other like we'd never see each other again. When it started getting really heated, I tried not to give into him.
Easier said than done.
But when my jeans hit the floor...I didn't care.
I gave in.
This is THE longest chapter that I've ever written! Oh, and here's some more character profiles for you!
Syanne Konners-14-Freshman
Kyle Konners-6 Months
Malachi Jenkins-15-Freshman
Darren Mitchell-22