Chapter 7- Intensities In Lupine
Disclaimer: As awesome as it would be, I don't own any of these characters. They all come from the brilliant mind of Stephanie Meyer.
Summary: What happens when a wolf sees a certain girl in one's mind? Is it an imprint, or not? Will Jealously rear it's ugly head and blur the lines of friendship. Or will Understanding reign? ...And will Bella find her heart with a wolf that she never saw coming, or hush the call of Want, Love, and Trust? Rated M for violence, swearing, and future lemons.
Major thanks to taoist elf and Preetoaka Raven Potter Weasley for the awesome reviews and never-ending support! Also thanks to Iamtwilightobsessed, LilNewbornVamp, Dizzy4u, Analitica and sofiecanwrite. And to everyone else who reviewed. Your feedback means so much!
Bella POV:
I know that at this point that nothing should shock me. Vampires, werewolves, and imprints- Oh, my! But Jared's already blatant possessiveness is striking. He roars "Mine" and I immediately want to lose myself in his touch, his fire…In him. And, yes, the stupid Miss Martyr side of me's still awash below my skin, but with Jared it all just seems easier. Feels stronger. The sensible thing to do, if this were some crazed supernatural late-night spooky tale, would be to run away and evade as fast as humanly possible. But this isn't some campfire memoir meant to invoke a slue of lurid nightmares. This isn't someone who's just going to up and leave. This isn't some fairytale where prince charming comes along and everything is automatically candy-canes-on-rainbows. This is a real Shifter- a real man, shaped that way to protect his people- and his imprint…me. This is Jared. A strong, and already more than obviously caring person meant to cherish me, protect me, straighten my backbone, and guard his fellow man. And…This is Bella. Broken down, but (I know deep down inside) built like iron. And Jared's possessiveness of me is only causing my arousal to deepen ten-fold. I can't take my eyes off of him as he flits about the kitchen now, his muscles constricting and rolling over his sturdy shoulders and back as he bends down to open another cupboard. Kind of an odd site, seeing as how I'm normally the one buzzing about the nook. I giggle internally before instantly returning my full attention to his body.
"Where's a skillet? Do you have eggs? I could make us eggs."
His caring rambling prevaricates my ears. His teak skin, his ebony hair, his dimples. His build- cutoffs stretched over brawny thighs, leading to the place that I so secretly, and reverently want to touch. Ohhh… I feel my cheeks flush red before registering the noise of his sharp inhale. Turning his head to gaze at me, a knowing smile plays upon his lips, reaching his eyes. Within moments, he's in front of me again, caressing my face. Jaw to sensitive earlobe, making me melt. A puddle of Bella-goop on the floorboards. Yep. That's what I am.
"What are you ogling me for, Sweetness? See something that you like?" He chuckles, dimples on display, as he waggles his brows at me.
"I…I- um…"
His smirk grows softer, more serious. He leans into me. Pressing a chaste kiss to my lips and aligning his heated, naked chest with my body. It's meant to be a sweet embrace, but I can't help myself. Reaching around and urging him closer by pushing on the back of his neck, I suckle his velvet tongue into my mouth and lift my legs to wrap around him. Jared lets out a groan, heavy with want, and soon my back finds the wall. We're a mess of smoldering, sticky desire. Jared runs his hands up my torso on a path to reach my nipples. He gives each pert one a pinch through my t-shirt and I moan in delight. Ohhh…Oh… My hands tug at the hair on the nape of his neck as I suck on his pulse. Shifting myself, I grind against him; trying to sooth the ache between my thighs.
"Bella…I- I…We..Ung..Mine!"
He cuts off his own entreaty, slamming his mouth back to mine. I move again, but this time he halts his blitz of my body. Breathing heavily, I can hear the pain in his ceasing. He leans his face beside my neck whilst still supporting me with his talented hands, letting his forehead hit the wall with a quiet thump.
"We…We have to stop. I- I want to..But we have to stop now. Or I can't."
I glide one hand up and down his back in a slow caress, still breathing shakily. Nostrils flaring, I coax my voice up and out of my body. "Shh..It's okay."
Lifting his head to look at me, Jared leaves a gentle kiss upon my lips once again before letting me down to the floor. I slide down his body. So smooth. So strong. So…Stop it, Bella! My stomach loudly rumbles it's disgruntlement for the second time this morning, causing him to chortle once more.
"Now…About that skillet?"
I pull my bottom lip between my teeth as my own voice joins his in amusement. "Oh. Right. Bottom cupboard, in the corner over there." I point to wear the bigger kitchen pans are kept.
Jared gives my waist a light squeeze and ventures back across the room to retrieve said pan. Setting it stovetop, he brings the eggs from their carton and begins to crack them into the skillet. Walking to him quickly, I rap my arms around his waist and bury my face between his smooth shoulder blades.
"It's okay. I can do that if you want?"
"Nah. It's okay Bella. I've got this…I used to cook breakfast for myself all the time, before I joined the Pack. And besides…I like taking care of you." I smile into his back.
It's not too long before he finishes our eggs. His, over-easy. Mine, sunny side up. How did he know that? Pack mind maybe?
"C'mon, Sweetie. Gotta get some food in that belly of yours. It doesn't sound like it's having a good time, and I don't want any part of your body not liking me." He laughs again, lighting up that smile that's becoming so wonderfully familiar to me already. But the subtle double-meaning of that last little phrases doesn't go unnoticed. Sitting down at the table, I expect that he'll sit across from me. Instead, he sits down and proceeds to scoot his chair all the way over, pressing his leg right up against mine before practically inhaling an entire mouthful of eggs.
"I really don't know where all of you guys put it."
"What?" He looks a bit taken aback.
"No…Nothing like that. I mean the food. Where does it all go? You've got to have an end to that stomach somewhere!"
"Oh!" My wolf-man chortles, "Not really. The physicality of our work, along with the constant 108 plus body temperature makes us burn off everything pretty fast. Hell, even Embry almost ran Emily out of house and home after he first phased."
I press my side a little further into his, if that's even possible, just for the contact. I can never seem to be close enough to him. "This is great, Jared. Thank you." I grin sweetly at him, placing a hand on his forearm for a moment. "How did you know that I liked my eggs like this?"
He answers before shoveling another forkful into his mouth. "Oh..Right. Jake. He pretty much gave us all a Bella Likes This handbook when he first phased. Everything about you that he knew just kind of rushed into my brain. It's fascinating, really."
"Fascinating?" I quirk an eyebrow up at his confession."
He puts down his fork, and replaces the now empty space of his palm with my knee, turning towards me. "Yes…Fascinating. You're beautiful, Bella. And I think that instantly my wolf knew that you were my imprint. I just hadn't seen you right in front of me yet for it to be verifiable. But as soon as he thought of you, I couldn't move or speak. You were my central thought." He turns me toward him, leaning into to me enough that I can feel his hot breath on my face. "See," he points to his head, "Bella Central. Right here." Placing a soft, but firm kiss to my lips again, and then to my forehead, his lips leave me almost panting at their break with my skin. I could never get enough. I inhale his scent. Freshly cur grass…Musk…Mint. Jared…Mine. Whoa, where did that come from! I laugh outwardly at myself.
"What?"
"Oh, nothing. I just shocked myself a bit." He hitches up the corner of his mouth. "Well…I think that I'm feeling a little, er- possessive of you, I guess. And it kinda threw me off guard."
"Mon petit amour…" I can't help myself. I let out a full, hearty laugh. "Hey! Don't laugh at me!" He feigns annoyance. "I really don't know what's going on with that. But…C'mere." He picks me up, carrying me to the couch. Setting me down in his lap, he breaches a topic that I never would've expected at this moment.
"You know…He never deserved you. What he did to you…Was just messed up."
"What are you talking about?"
"Fuckward."
"Hey!" He puts a finger to my lips, cutting me off. "Sorry..I can't help but be a little defensive of him, ya know?"
He nods, but continues. "You're wonderful, Bella. He messed up. He tried to control you, did that stupid dazzling thing of his, and left you hurting and alone."
"What do you mean, he tried to control me?"
"He wouldn't let you live. Wouldn't let you breathe. He tried to control your every move."
"No. He was wrong, but I made my own decisions."
"Yes, you did. But he fucked with them every step of the way. He wouldn't even kiss you properly. How hard is that? To kiss your girlfriend? You're a strong woman, Bella. And you should be treated at such. See.." Holding my face, he pulls me to him and kisses me with all of the passionate, loving ferocity of his being before a loud growl ceases our tongues' union. Turning to look past the couch and into the doorway, I see Sam and…Oh no…
"Jake…"
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Chapter 7 Playlist:
1. "Mausam & Escape" -A.R. Rahman
2. "All Night Dance Parties In The Underground Palace" -Alesana
3. "Strange Times" -The Black Keys
4. "Stare Like You'll Stay" -Circa Survive
5. "Travel Hymn" -Circa Survive
6. "Anyone Else But You" -The Moldy Peaches
7. "I Belong To You" -Muse
8. "Such Great Heights" -The Postal Service
9. "Dream A Little Dream Of Me" -Mama Cass Elliot (The Mamas & The Papas)
10. "Incomplete Is A Leech" -As Cities Burn
11. "Blood" -Band Of Skulls
12. "Swing Life Away" -Rise Against
13. "All This And Heaven Too" -Frank Sinatra
14. "Speak Slow" -Tegan & Sara
15. "Proud" -Tegan & Sara