Chapter 18

Four days later and Jake could move normally. His injuries appeared perfectly healed, but he had yet to phase again. He drove his Rabbit as far off the beaten path as it could go and then walked another couple miles, holding Emily's hand.

After the Council meeting, her and Sue went to Sam's house and gathered her belongings. Seth, mostly healed, moved back to his house and Emily found a new home in Jake's sisters' room. Billy had reservations about her living with them, but she quickly won him over.

Jake took a deep breath and released it slowly. Emily did the same.

"Are you sure you want to be here?" Jake asked.

"No, I'm not," she answered honestly

Jake nodded.

The last time Emily saw one of the wolves it almost killed her.

Trees surrounded them from all angles. One grand oak fell years ago and rested before them. Jacob removed his clothes and left them on the large round trunk.

"You don't have to watch," he told her.

"I want to." Emily sat on the fallen log and brought her knees up to her chest. Her hand shook, and she clutched her fingers into a fist.

Jacob appreciated the trust she placed in him. Taking four long steps back, he made sure to have plenty of space before phasing into his majestic wolf. His bones shifted properly and everything felt perfect.

The birds sang and squirrels scampered about and sounded amplified to his wolf ears. Emily's chest rose and fell rapidly, and her arms clung tightly to her legs. Despite being scared, she didn't scream.

Jake crouched down. Feeling the grass on his belly, he approached her slowly.

"Are you okay?" Emily asked, her voice shaking.

Jake nodded.

"Oh good!" She released a deep breath.

Jacob sat, his head tilted to the side. He wanted to know how she felt. They stared at each other silently.

"You're beautiful," Emily said. She smiled, left the fallen tree, and stepped closer to him.

Jake rolled his eyes and smiled, his tongue dangling out of his mouth.

Emily giggled. Her hand reached out towards him, slowly connecting with his soft fur.

Jake nuzzled her hand, his chest rumbling.

"Do you like that?"

Jake nodded.

Her hand pet him, becoming more confident with each stroke.

Jake couldn't be happier.

Emily had given up her imprint for him, but this moment proved without any doubt how much she loved him.

He loved her as well, with all his soul and strength. Wanting to tell her himself, Jake shifted back to his human form.

Emily gasped softly, her hand on Jake's bare back.

"I love you so much, Em." He pulled her close and kissed her.

"Love you, too."

Their tongues met and danced together as they clung to one another.


It was time for the wolves to decide. Either they accepted Jake as their alpha or would no longer shift into their wolf form. For Embry and Leah, they had already made their decision to join Jake's pack. Sam would no longer be phasing.

As usual Emily made enough food for an army along with Bella's help. Jake tried to assist, but both women kept shooing him out of the kitchen. He always thought Bella and Emily would get along well and he was right. Having his best friend and girlfriend get along felt great.

Girlfriend. What a wonderful thing to call Emily. He never dreamed he would be so lucky or could feel so completely in love.

With a plate piled high of food, Jake sat on his living room floor next to Embry and Bella. He wanted Emily to join him, but she promised she'd already eaten and wanted to remain in the kitchen. She would join him once she finished cleaning up.

The remaining wolves met at Jake's house to make their decision.

Billy, Sue, and Old Quil also gathered to make the wolf member's decision official.

Looking around the room, though it was common for everyone to have their mouths full, it wasn't so much for the room to be silent. He needed to get this meeting over as quickly as possible.

Seth and Leah whispered quietly to each other. Of the undecided wolves, Jake felt most likely Seth would join him. Paul and Jared were both wild cards.

Who should go first?

"Paul," Jake said, "what do you want to do?"

"You got balls, Jake, going after another imprint." Paul smirked. "I'm not ready to give up the claws. I'll join you."

"Alright," Jake said.

"I won't," declared Jared.

"Join Jacob or quit?" Old Quil clarified.

"Join Jake. There should be consequences for what he did," Jared added.

"It wasn't all him," Emily defended.

"That isn't the point." Jared glared at Emily.

Billy nodded. "The Council respects your decision Jared. With the understanding that if you are needed, you are a Protector first and foremost."

Jared nodded.

"What about you, Seth?" Old Quil asked.

Seth took a drink of his soda to clear his throat. "I'd like to join Jake." He sighed. "I don't approve of how Emily and Jake started, but they are both happier. And that's good." He smiled.

Emily smiled at her young cousin and sat next to Jake.

Jared glared at them.

Jake appreciate the support of Seth. When he thought about Paul and Jared, their response made sense. Paul was good friends with Sam, but everyone knew he didn't have his temper under control well enough to be able to stop even if he wanted to. Jared already had Kim and as a fellow imprinted wolf, his loyalty would be with Sam.

"Thank you all for coming," Billy said. He rolled to the center of the room, his voice leaving no doubt his authority among the Council and Tribe as a whole. "We can consider this meeting adjourned."

"Wait!" Leah stood.

"What now?" Paul rolled his eyes.

Jake's eyes met Emily's, she shrugged and leaned into his side.

The two cousins had made their peace while they were both at Jake's house when the two wolves were injured. Hurt feelings don't go away overnight and they needed time to rebuild their sisterly bond, but it seemed hopeful that it would happen, eventually. Neither wanted to lose the other.

"What is it, Leah?" Sue asked.

"I want to quit," Leah answered.

"You're siding with Sam?" Jake questioned, frowning at her. "What the hell?"

Despite their constant bickering, he considered Leah to be his friend and assumed she would think the same for him. She already joined his team, so it seemed logical that she would stay with Jacob.

"No! I'm not." Leah stepped closer to Jake, and he stood, them meeting in the middle of the room.

Billy rolled out of the way.

Leah continued. "This isn't about Sam and you. I thought I had already proved that I choose you over him." Her eyes narrowed, and she took a deep breath to calm her anger. "This is about me. I don't want to be the only girl in a boys-only club. I don't want to be the freak among freaks. I don't want to be pitied for my nonexistent love life. I don't want a tail and claws. I want to get out of here and live a normal life."

Jacob stood next to Leah and smiled at her. He understood her struggle as best as anyone could. "I accept your decision."

Leah rolled her eyes. "Don't get all sappy, Jake."

"I can if I want to." He grinned and pulled her into one of his famous bone crushing hugs.

"Stop, stop, stop!" Leah complained, but still found herself hugging him back.

Jake laughed, and the sound echoed from those around them.

Despite the strain that Emily and Jake being together caused, they all mostly remained a family. A largely dysfunctional group, but still loyal to the core.

Once Jake let go of Leah, she punched him in the shoulder.

"That's the she-wolf, the rest of us know," Embry said.

"Yeah, she's one of a kind." Jake smiled at his friend.

Embry's fingers twitched at his side and he swallowed several times. Bella whispered in Embry's hear, but Jake couldn't make out the words.

"What is it?" Jake asked.

Embry nodded towards the door and Jake followed him. If this was about the pack, then they should probably stay inside. Jake remained on the front porch as Embry hopped off the side of the ramp.

"Should my dad be out here?" Jake asked.

"No, it's nothing like that."

Jake waited.

Embry paced the length of the porch, taking a deep breath. Jake tried to think of anything his friend would be so nervous about. If it wasn't pack related than what?

"Em? Come on…"

"I don't think you are going to care, I mean you really shouldn't, but I wanted you to hear it from me," Embry stammered.

"Okay?"

"I asked Bella out, and she agreed." Embry's cheeks reddened slightly.

He's one of the shyest guys Jake had ever known, especially when it came to girls. Back when Jake crushed on Bella he wanted to be more than her best friend, but those feelings had disappeared. Embry would be great for her.

"Good for you." Jake smiled at his friend.

"You sure?"

"Absolutely. I'm a little surprised, but more from Bella than you."

"We've been hanging out, like when I would patrol her house. Then we left her scent after Harry's funeral, and while waiting for you to wake up and get better. It just kinda happened. You know."

"Thanks for talking to me. Bella never thought of me as anything more than a friend and now I think of her as the same. If imprinting hadn't gotten in the way, then I think Emily and I would have found each other, eventually."

"I agree," Emily said and let the screen door close behind her.

Embry grinned and leaped up the ramp going back inside, Jake assumed to talk to Bella.

Jake looked behind him. "Eavesdropping, huh?" He smirked and stepped closer to his girlfriend, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Yes. Can't really blame me." Emily beamed at him.

"Oh really? And why is that?" Jake pulled her close so her chest pressed against his.

"No reason." She giggled and brought his mouth to hers.

Jake kissed her passionately.

Emily was Sam's imprint, but she proved it didn't have to mean she was his. She had the choice and because of that, everything had changed.

THE END


Thank you readers! I have loved hearing your responses to this story, it seems different than most other stories and I hope this ending is satisfactory. Even with completed stories, I hope more comments will continue to come. Though this stories is very different than my other work, I hope you'll take the time to check out my website at JJLiniger dot com. I have a thriller, Poisoned, I released this month.