AN: Okay, now don't panic, but yes, I have updated. And you all can yell at me. I've been a bad girl! Boys Are Frustrating should get updated soon as well and hey, while your waiting you all can read my Paul/OC story, Save Her and my Harry Potter, Snape-centric story. (Yes, I did just blatantly pimp out my stories. I am shameless). Also on my profile I have pictures of my Quil, Claire and Jeff, go look! Okay, now I'll let you all read. Enjoy!
Oh, and thank you for all the reviews, I really do appreciate them and love you all for taking the time to do so. Love!
Chapter Thirty-Four
I Don't Like My Family
I clenched my fists tightly and tried not to glare at my cousin. "He drove me here." I answered tightly. Quil stepped closer to me which made Marianne glare at him but that wasn't going to make him back down and I knew that best.
Marianne looked to me with a much softer gaze, a lot like my mother tried. "Oh honey, you're eighteen now, you could have driven yourself." She told me, patronizing me with each word.
"I don't drive." I informed her though my sealed lips to make sure I didn't start to snap at her. I'm starting to think this imprinting thing goes both ways.
"What? Why?" She snapped, looking at me like I was totally nutso.
I had another urge to lunge at her. "Long story, but Quil is the one who offered to bring me up here." I said angrily, pointing to Quil.
"I'll believe that when the grass grows pink." Marianne snorted, crossing her arms over her chest.
I let out a strangled breath. "Is there something I'm missing?" I asked confused looking around the room at her, Quil and Pop, hoping for some semblance of an answer.
"Quil knows he's not welcome here." She hissed, glaring at him once again.
Pop and I gave her the same look. "He is welcome in my house, Marianne." He said firmly, standing up.
Its official, Pop is my favorite person here. I looked over to him and smiled relieved. At least one of my family isn't totally psychotic.
"I don't want to fight, but if everyone here has a problem with Quil, then I'm not staying very long." I said looking between Pop and Marianne. Pop looked solemn while Marianne looked totally shocked.
"What has he said about us?" She demanded throwing Quil yet another dirty look.
"Nothing!" I yelled frustrated. I stepped back and grabbed Quil's arms. I didn't want him doing anything and I didn't want him to let me do anything. "He means a lot to me, and I'm not letting anyone treat him any less then he deserves." I said seriously. I felt Quil grip my hands tighter.
"After what he's done to this family-" Marianne tried to say something that would have no doubt been and excuse as to why Quil was all to blame and I had to stop her before she set me off.
I spun to look at Pop. "Are they all this bat-shit-insane?!" I shrieked.
"Yes," He said apologetically.
Quil gripped me tighter and I felt him lean down to my ear. "Don't do something you'll regret." He whispered. I was already regretting coming to the Makah Rez in the first place.
"I'm going upstairs to unpack." I said shaking my head at Marianne. I pulled Quil with me up the stairs and passed the annoying woman that seemed to be my cousin and a wonderful grandfather.
I had no idea where I was going once I got up the stairs and Quil seemed to know I was clueless because he steered me toward the room at the end of the hall. I opened the door and Quil pushed me in and shut and locked the door behind him. I spun and jumped on him, wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his torso. His arms were around me in less than a second, holding me just as tightly.
"Uh, not that I mind, but…" Quil trailed off against my hair.
"If I let go of you I will kill her." I muttered against his neck.
"Got it." He said holding me even closer. I easily melted into his arms and almost forgot about my anger entirely. Almost.
"Why didn't you tell me they hate you?" I mumbled as I buried my face deeper into his neck.
"Well, Pop and your grandmother liked me, even after, but everyone else just never liked me because I was from the Quileute Rez." He answered with a shrug as he sat down. "You should see what they did when I came with Sam and Seth when you were younger. They were so pissed." He laughed at the memory.
"My grandmother?" I asked almost fearfully.
He held me a little tighter and I knew the news wasn't going to be good. "She died seven years ago. Bad case of pneumonia." He told me sadly.
"I wish I could have seen her again." I muttered, frowning deeply.
"You would have liked her. She kept the family straight." He said as he played with my hair. I sighed languorously and gripped him tighter to me.
I was almost completely calm when I heard a low growl rumble from Quil. "What?" I asked pulling away from his neck.
"Natasha and Tommy are here." He said lowly.
"Who?" I asked confused.
"Marianne's sister and brother." He answered.
"They as bad as her?" I asked, wincing already.
"Worse." He grumbled.
"We're staying here." I said firmly, locking my legs around him.
"Claire, they're here to see you." He said tiringly.
"And all they will do is say something to piss me off and I'll snap and kill them." I told him warningly. I wasn't joking either. I never took kindly to anyone talking bad about my mother and if they're going to do the same to Quil and my dad, then I might as well drive up to the police station and tell him to arrest me now.
"I'm not going to let you kill anyone." He said seriously.
I pulled my head away from his neck to look at him. "You'll do it for me?" I asked hopefully. I mean, he is super strong and you know, I am his imprint, he's supposed to make me happy…
"No," He said firmly. I pouted deeply. "Don't look at me that way." He said trying to look away from me. I forgot about my imprint powers for a second.
I tried to lose my pout, but it didn't work. "How many other family members are like this?" I asked exasperated.
He made another face and I felt the little hope I had dwindle. "All of them." He answered.
I huffed and tried to wriggle out of his arms. "I'm sneaking out the window." I said trying to get to the window behind us.
One of his hands raised to my cheek and he stroked my cheekbone softly enough to make me putty in his hands. His massive, perfect hands. "Just spend a few days with Pop." He pled.
"And if they start anything I don't like?" I asked frowning again.
He let me down as he smiled crookedly. "I'll escort them out myself, at yours and Pop's request of course." He said slyly with a wink.
"I'll give it two days." I grumbled as I let him push me out of the room.
I was forced downstairs by the massive werewolf behind me and I would have used my imprint powers against him again but it would only make me feel guilty so I was stuck. At the bottom of the stairs Marianne was waiting with her siblings that looked a long like her. Natasha was prettier and Tommy was handsome but they all had that disgusted look on their face that I wanted to smack off.
"If I hear one negative word about Quil, I'm leaving." I said seriously, pointing to the door.
"I-" Marianne tried to start with her angry words and I stopped her.
"AH!" I yelled pointing at her. "One word and I'm gone. He'll only follow me because it's his truck, got that?" I asked sternly.
Pop walked up to the group and tried not to look nervous. "Anyone hungry?" He asked quickly.
You never really expect old men to be able to cook, but Pop was actually a great cook. He made mashed potatoes and meatloaf with fresh green beans and carrots, it was the food that warmed your soul. Well at least mine, Quil's and Pop's, I wasn't sure if the other 'family' members even had souls…
"Tell us about your life Claire, what have you been doing all these years?" Marianne asked with a very fake smile.
"Well, with my mother made me believe that my father was dead and I had no siblings for thirteen years and moved me all over the country so no one would find us, so it was a little depressing." I answered sarcastically. Quil groaned and Pop winced.
Marianne tensed a little but stayed civil. "How did you find your way back?" She asked politely.
"I ran into Nessie and Jacob in Seattle, they brought me home." I said looking up at Quil. Well, they did bring me to him, and he is my home.
"How nice." Marianne said tensely then filled her mouth with mashed potatoes. Twenty bucks says she has a problem with Jake and Nessie too.
"Do you have any plans for college?" Tommy asked as soon as Marianne started spooning food into her mouth.
"Not at the moment, but I've been looking into taking classes at the community college until I make up my mind." I said without almost a hint of harshness.
Natasha looked at Quil with a pointed look. "Don't wait too long." She warned.
"Well, I can go to college whenever, it's the beauty of online classes." I pointed out.
"You need to get out, live life!" Natasha said trying to smile. I wanted to smack her.
"I've been out. I've lived. I like it better in La Push." I told her blankly.
"What about your love life?" Marianne asked once her mouth was clear of food.
"I've had five boyfriends, two were serious relationships for at least three months and each one has ended in disaster." I listed off, still void of emotion knowing they were grasping for straws that didn't have Quil's name on them.
"What about now?" She asked forcing herself to look at me and not Quil.
I laced my hand with Quil's and looked at him with a small smile. "I'm with Quil." I said contently. I heard someone snort and I snapped back to look at all of them pointedly. "And I'm happy." I ground out.
"You don't sound happy." Tommy noted with a raised brow. I clenched my fork and thought about the kind of force I would need to get the prongs through his skull…
"Anyone want more meat loaf?" Pop asked desperately.
Everyone fell into silence while we ate. Quil and Pop were so tense you'd think they were waiting for a bomb to drop, which is pretty realistic with these so called family members of mine. I really wish I had just gotten Pop to meet me in La Push, it would have been easier.
"So, Claire we were thinking about throwing a little party while you're here, to celebrate your return." Marianne said suddenly, once she got her tongue in check.
"I'd rather you didn't." I moaned. The last thing I needed was to be forced to a party with these people.
"Why not?" Natasha asked frowning.
"I'm not a party person." I said sourly. That and I don't want to wine and dine with people that have an open hatred to my Quil.
"Just like your father," Pop snickered. I looked to him with curious eyes. "I think Dana is the only social butterfly out of the three of you." He noted with a grin.
"Willa has her moments." I said remembering how she got along with the Cullen's.
"Willa has a lot of moments." Natasha muttered under her breath.
"Willa is also my little sister and you don't get to talk bad about her either." I said firmly, glaring at all three of them.
"She is a bad seed." Marianne hissed.
I went to launch myself at my 'cousin' when Quil gripped my hand. "It's not worth it." He whispered.
"You bet your ass it is." I said through my clenched teeth.
"Marianne, I've told you a million times, you don't talk bad about my granddaughters, or their father." Pop scolded her. "Jeff is a good man and they're all good at heart." He said knowingly. "The same can't be said about your brood." He added pointing his knife at her.
"Jason is misunderstood." Marianne muttered.
"Being in prison for arson isn't misunderstood." Pop snapped.
"And you have a problem with him?!" I yelled pointing to Quil.
"Ahem." Quil fake coughed. I scoffed and backed away from the perfect counter argument.
"How long are you staying?" Natasha asked while her sister continued to sulk.
"A few days." I answered stiffly, still resisting the urge to smack them all.
"What about you Quil?" Natasha asked with pursed lips.
"I'm staying with her." Quil answered firmly.
"Don't you have a job?" Tommy asked snidely.
"Yes, it's to make sure I don't get sent to prison." I said lowly.
The rest of dinner was deathly quiet and I surely didn't mind. As soon as they were finished with their meal Natasha, Tommy and Marianne left without much of a goodbye and I wasn't insulted at all. Quil and I helped Pop put the food away and clean the kitchen and dining room since everyone else bailed on him.
"Thank you two for helping me clean up." Pop said smiling as we all walked out of the kitchen.
"No problem." I assured him, smiling as well.
"Goodnight, and no funny business in my house." Pop said seriously as he walked up the stairs.
"Wouldn't dream of it." Quil said with an awkward wave.
I looked up at Quil with a pout. "Does that mean no cuddles?" I asked sadly.
He chuckled. "I don't think so." He said running his fingers through my hair.
"Good, because I need it." I mumbled, wrapping my arms around Quil as tightly as I could.
Before I had a good grip on him, Quil swooped me into is arms and carried me up to the guest bedroom. I nuzzled into his neck and breathed in the wonderful smell that was my werewolf. All the stress I felt from Marianne and her siblings melted away as his scent consumed me and his arms held me.
I heard him lock the door after we were inside the room and he lowered me gently onto the bed. He situated his arms so they were wrapped around my waist and shoulders while we laid on our sides and I buried my face into the crook of his shoulder and clutched his shirt, just to make sure he didn't get any crazy ideas and leave.
His nose found my hair and I heard him mumble a very sleepy goodnight and then he was out like a light. I didn't mind that he fell asleep before me, or that he snores like a drunken seal, because it calmed me. Seeing Quil so at peace in a place I don't remember allowed me to stop worrying and enjoy the fact that I was in a soft bed, with my freakishly warm boyfriend, at the grandfathers I never knew I had. Wow, thinking about it, I have one messed up life. Well, at least Quil is gorgeous…
AN: Review!