As promised, the next chapter is here!

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Chapter 5

Is she stronger than you? Jarred asked, his imagination showing us all an image of Renesmee picking me up, literally, at last nights kegger and tucking me under her arm like a god damn football.

No, fucker, she's not stronger than me, I growled out. The Alpha and the wolf were bristling at even the idea of the man not being the strongest and the most dominant between my mate and I. It was an animistic instinct that the pack all understood, and as Alpha, the urge was strongest in me. She's strong; I agreed, but I'm telling you now, I'm stronger. My mental voice was a deep, gravely growl of power, but to prove it, I showed the pack a little gimps of her bare shoulder as I'd slammed her, repeatedly, up against the cracking blue tiles of Seth's shower earlier this morning.

Then I saw Embry's mind flash as he remember her hand as she'd held her dad's shoulder when he was trying to throttle me. Fucking leach. She wasn't as strong s him, but she could hold her own.

Edward fucking Cullen is gunna be your Father in law, Paul laughed as he lopped thought the forest behind the reservations houses. You, Jake, are the unluckiest son of a bitch I have ever met. I sighed, I hadn't heard my brother-in-law's internal voice for a few months, he'd been attempting to stop phasing, wanting to start to grow old with my sister and their children. But the hottest head in the pack was finding it difficult, and at the word of me finally finding my imprint, Rachel had pushed him out the door demanding he phase get all the gossip from the wolves visiting down south. Trust him to find the whole situation funny.

I don't think he's unlucky, Seth added, keeping pace with Embry and I now that I'd burnt off most of the aggression and frustration and had reduced to a steady trot. I think it was always meant to be. I think his wolf knew his imprint would come from Bella, and that's why Jake held on to the pain of her leaving for so long. The wolf knew the imprint would be wherever Bella was.

.

Brady ignored Seth's fair appraisal of the situation, focusing, again, on one thing. But you let her drink your blood, dude! Was he kidding me? We were back to that again? Brady, and a few of the others, just could seem to get around the idea of the wolf allowing it. They just couldn't make sense of it.

The fact that she was Bella and Edwards child; that she was immortal; or half vampire; none of those things had been an issue for very long—not that I would have allowed it to be an issue. I was leader, and my pack would accept my chosen mate—regardless of her heritage. I considered myself a fair Alpha, I don't like forcing the wolves to do what I want. I rarely pushed my hand by taking their free will away with an Alpha order.

Yeah, I might appreciate and ask their opinions sometimes, but make no mistake… this was no democracy. They were going to accept Ness as my mate. But, thankfully, it hadn't been an issue, I hadn't needed to go Alpha on their asses. The pack saw her as I did. They saw her as mate. They accepted her as my imprint.

But the blood thing, the fact that she'd bitten me and drunk… well, they kept getting hung up on that. They didn't understand how good it had felt. And how right.

Over the years I'd practiced hard and developed a very tight lock on my thoughts and memories. The pack only saw what I wanted them to see. And, I didn't want them seeing anything of Ness as she'd laid naked beneath me.

For fuck'sake Brady, Colin thought, there's obviously more to it, he's just not gunna show you his imprint naked or whatever. My cousin was a smart man.

But still, Brady pressed on, the young wolf was unable to repress a tremor of repulsion at the thought of his alpha allowing a blood sucker to…well… to suck his blood.

My wolf let out a ground tremoring snarl in response.

My booming alpha voice silenced all other thoughts. Look, I marked her and she marked me. We bit each other.

Then finally, in frustration at their revolving fascination with the blood drinking, I let them feel the memory of the marking. I let the pack feel that first time that all became right in my world, that first release that marked the imprint as the wolf's. That first time that Ness had drunk from my lifeblood.

I let the wolves feel just how extraordinarily good it felt. No visuals, but I let them experience the best damned orgasm of my life. A highlight reel of the emotions arising from he best damned fuck of my existence.

.

There was an all-round holler of lustful groans and moans. All of them collectively being bowled over at the raw and intense emotion I'd let them feel.

Holy fucking shit! You've got to bottle that stuff Jake. Seriously, that had to be a load for the record books.

Shut up Quil.

But I bet it was the biggest load you've ever had!

Quil, you really are a dick, Embry said.

Not as big as Jake's though.

On many an occasion I'd thanked the gods that Quil had imprinted on a child, he needed the extra fifteen years to grow the hell up.

Having had enough of twenty questions from the lupine squad I asked, Can anyone see a clock? Surely it had been over an hour since Nessie left. The ache in my chest had been a persistent nag only minutes after she'd left. It had been increasing the further apart we seemed to get.

Hang on, Paul said, looking from the edge of the tree line of his yard into the clock in their kitchen, It's just after eleven.

It wasn't even a half hour that she'd been gone, but both the wolf and me wanted to be waiting for Ness when she got back to the apartment.

"Paul, is Jake still phased?" Through Paul's eyes I could see my sister approaching across their back lawn. I could feel my brother-in-law's mind pulse with happiness and contentment as they met at the tree line. Her hands combed through his grey fur as he snuffled at the scent of the cub growing in her tummy. Their warmth only served to remind me of the ache I was feeling from being away from my imprint.

Rachel's face was suddenly front and center in Paul's mind. "Jake… wait, can he even hear me?" she asked her mate. I could sense his nod and his snickering affection at her methods of communication. "I want you to bring this girl home. Let her hear all the stories from dad. Let her be a part of the pack. I want to meet my new sister. You got it?"

Sure sis, I answered.

Prior to me calling this cross-continental pack meeting, the imprints had only known that they had a new addition to the fold. None of them would have guessed my mate's linage and… species.

"Paul the second you're done I want you home and giving me the run down to the newest member of the pack."

You had better go put her out of her misery Paul. I know how demanding she can be, I said.

And with nothing but a conceptual nod, the image of my sister, and the mental watermark of Paul Lahote was gone.

.

I want to head back to the apartment, I said to the two wolves at my flanks. The rest of you can phase out if you want to. We'll talk again tomorrow.

There were several mental nods, a few repeated offers of congratulations, a few more recollections of that first, branding orgasm I'd let them feel— followed by a warning growl from me, and soon, with a lulling quietness, only the two minds of the wolves who were physically near me could be heard.

Seth had driven us a few miles north-west to a large reserve he'd been using to let off steam as a wolf. We'd already turned around and had been following a creek back towards the area we'd parked the Chevy for several minutes.

We were getting closer to the truck when the insistent ache I'd been feeling sharply increased to a jagged pain. It burned and stung. My chest felt like it was being torn apart from within. Mid-stride, I found myself back in my skin and skidding along the rough yellow grit as I doubled over on the ground. The contents of my stomach was coming up in a sticky, heated mess. Then the pain worsened still, as if cutters were hacking at the very cables that held me to the earth, the bond that tied me to my imprint.

"Ness," I choked as more bile spewed out.

.

"Sooo," mom said, turning around in her seat and finally breaking the awkward silence that had been the cabin of dad's S60 R for the past twenty-seven minutes.

We were headed north on the Interstate 5. Daddy, as usual, was weaving his way in and out of the Sunday morning traffic, completely disregarding the road rules or speed signs.

I was still feeling irritated towards my father. His rude interruption to my perfect morning left a sour taste in my mouth and my mouth had been missing Jacob's since we had left the apartment. Even with the benefit of my mother's mind shield, my father was under no illusion of how I was feeling towards him. Peeved. So irritated, in fact, that it was causing a heated burning in the center of my chest. The further we drove towards the San Gabriel Mountains, the worse the aching scorch became.

I rubbed the center of my chest and pressed the button that lowered the darkly tinted window to see if breathing in some fresh air would help alleviate the nagging ache. It did not, however it did inadvertently let in some of the sunshine that was poking out of the cloud cover. The sun did, at least, distract me briefly from the pain. I recalled how Jacob had enjoyed the sight—and feel— of my glowing skin in this morning's dawning sunlight.

With the warmth of the muted light and the wind gusting my hair from my face, I finally turned to look at my mother. Her golden eyes searched over mine, her smooth, internally youthful skin barely crinkled as a smile glanced on her lips and a subtle joy settled in her eyes.

She knew I was irritated with my father. She knew exactly what he was like and she loved him even more for it. I think she could see something similar in my eyes too. The look of unconditional love. That was what I had discovered with Jacob Black, less than twenty-four hours earlier.

As much as I was sure the release of a good run and possibly a hunt with my parents would settle my mood somewhat, it still felt very wrong to be traveling in the opposite direction of my mate; the other half of me.

"Tell me how he found you?" Mom asked, a cheeky smirk fighting its way to the surface.

My father interrupted with a childish whine to his tone,"He's probably been searching for a way to get back at us all these years and was waiting for her to be unprotected before he pounced." He was really being quite juvenile about this whole situation.

That was when it struck me. He was a juvenile. My father may be over a century old, but he had been frozen in time as an adolescent. He would never emotionally develop beyond that of a somewhat mature seventeen year old.

"Oh Edward, be reasonable," my mother chided gently, a loving hand on his arm. "If Jacob has truly imprinted on Renesmee then there is no way he could have planned it."

"What do you mean 'has truly imprinted?'" I asked, feeling the rising irritation once more. "There's no doubt mom. I felt it."

"I'm sure you think you did," daddy answered for them both. That frustrating and condescending tendency was—as always— lacing his tone. It was that same tone that had started the acrimony between my father and I. His condescension had been one of the catalyzing factors that saw me running off to the Californian hills for some collage freedom. "You're so young sweetheart," he continued, unaware of my growing irritation, "you can't possible understand and decipher through all the emotions you've been developing."

"You're kidding me right?" I said, my voice raising in indignation. "Father, I remember knowing I was hurting mother in utero, and I had the maturity to decipher that emotion of remorse and attempt to prevent causing any more pain as a NEONATE!" I said, I was barely controlling my hostility as I ground my back molars together.

One hand was digging in to the cool leather seat beneath me, the other was pressing a balled-up fist into the ever-increasing, burning pain in my chest. "Are you suggesting that I am too immature to comprehend love, either platonic or romantic? Or even that I can't possibly understand and accept the reaction of my own body if I experience lust or sexual attraction?" My feeling towards Jacob were so much more that purely physical, but I couldn't help but antagonize my father. I was being as juvenile as he was. It was a curious revelation.

"Yes. If Jacob Black is involved," he snapped back. "I never trusted him with your mother and I'm not about to trust him with my daughter!"

"Augh!" I screeched, my voice echoing out the open window.

I threw myself back against the seat like a petulant child and stared out the front as we sped down the freeway. Petulant child. Again, my revelations hit me like a ton of bricks. My father… the perpetual child. Trapped at seventeen. A stupid seventeen year old jealous boy projecting his jealousy of a flame snuffed out long ago onto Jacob and myself and the bond we had found in one another.

.

I knew there was often no point arguing with my father, especially if he had very strong views on a topic; especially with my new revelation swimming through my mind. Realizing his motivations— even if he didn't realize them himself— cooled my anger at daddy's earlier rash behavior.

I attempted to smother the enflaming ache in my chest and along with it, the growing feeling of smug superiority from of my mind. I may have had the opportunity to outgrow my father emotionally—after today's events I had developed a strong suspicion that I already had —but no matter the emotional development, he would always be my daddy. And a part of me would always respect that and hold it dear, but I was still irritated at his behavior. And to be quite frank, he'd embarrassed me. Charging in like he could control who I did or did not have relations with. It had all been in vain anyway. I was no longer daddies to control.

My heart and soul belonged to Jacob. I was his.

I looked out the window, the long dashed white lines flicked by on the road outside, the ache in my chest flared and scalded as I thought of him.

In just the course of one night, the alpha wolf from my families past had become my night, my day, and my life.

I settled in to the leather bench seat of my father's car, now warmed by my body heat. The heat reminded me of Jacobs's warmth and his passion. I missed his heat. I missed his touch. I missed his kiss. I missed him.

As I watched us speed past the trucks and other vehicles and through the bland nothingness of the cut out hills of Santa Clarita, all I wanted was to do was let this farce of a hunt be done and head back to West Wood where Jacob would be waiting for me.

.

After a few minutes of pacifying silence, mother turned back around to face me; she reached her hand back and rested it lightly on my knee. "Come on Renesmee," mom soothed, "You still didn't let me know how he found you. How did you meet?"

It was really quite shocking how, at merely the mention of Jacob, my mood quieted further and I felt my spirits lifted. My hand came down onto my mother's as I made skin contact.

It was often easier to simply replay a scene than it was to try to explain all the details. But more so, I didn't want to give my father the honor of knowing my feelings. I knew mother would tell him later, but as immature as I was, I was still too angry with him to let him have that privilege right now.

I showed mom the fraternity party. The slight inebriation and loss of inhibition I'd developed after the alcohol consumption. Then… with a push of emotion to give the scene significance, I showed my mother the sight of the dark, handsome man falling to his knees at my feet. The moment we had been irrevocably entwined as one. There was no denying the overwhelming feeling of completeness I'd felt as our eyes had met.

I can feel him mommy, I said mentally, rubbing once more the middle of my chest to illustrate. There is no trick or revenge here. From what I've learned, Jacob had not been well or even 'whole', for that matter, since you and the family left Forks. But I think he is whole now, mother. I know that I am. I didn't even realize I was missing something. But it's undeniable. I am his mate. And I need you to make father see reason. I need for you both to give me, to give us, the respect to make our own choices and to know our own hearts.

"I just want for you to be happy, Rene," she said with a smile that lit her golden eyes. My mother had always understood my need for independence and had developed as a mediator between my father and I over the past year or so.

"I am, mom. Or at least I was, until daddy stormed in and threatened to rip his larynx out that is," I said aloud for my father's benefit.

He simply pretended to ignore our conversation and continued to head down the interstate, swinging left towards the Sacramento exit. I felt the pull at my heart once more, stretching, and tearing. The unconscious task of breathing was all of a sudden more difficult that it had ever been. It felt like my heart was dissecting. Was it possible for human-vampire hybrids to suffer from aortic aneurisms? If so, I think it was dissecting.

.

"Where are we going dad?" I asked. My instincts were suddenly screaming at me. This was not the direction of the mountains and it was categorically not the direction of my apartment or of Jacob. My body was telling me that.

"We're going home Renesmee," he said, his tone quiet and resolute. "Put a little distance between you, so you can think straight."

"I don't want to go home," 'I said, the bubble of anxiety rising from within. My father and I have had many confrontations, especially this past eighteen months or so, but never had he forced me to do something against my will.

My parents were kidnapping me. Or at least my father was.

My mother turned to the front as I inquired about our direction. "Edward?" she asked.

"It's for her own good, love."

"But it's not what she wants. What you think is best, isn't always the case. Trust that she knows her own self." She placed a cautious hand on his shoulder, "Edward, we've been down this road before. And it nearly ended us all," she warned.

"But the wolf has claimed her like she's property Bella; you should have heard its thoughts."

"And you're not treating her like property right now?" Even through the haze of anxiety swirling through my mind, I could hear my mother's calm and sure tone. She could always get my father to see reason.

"He can't take my daughter form me Bella, he can't," his desperation was obvious as he shifted and griped my mother's hand tight. It was too late. I was already Jacob's.

Jacob.

.

I could feel the ache in my heart brand its way through my chest as we sped down the road. The mild ebb of nausea was now surging up to an acute, seizing biliousness. The taste of this morning's eggs were at the back of my throat like a bubbling pit of sulphurized mud.

"Please pull over," I whispered. The saliva in my mouth was pooling as I fought the nausea. The pain in my chest was now sharp and tearing, like my heart itself was being cut from my thorax.

If my parents heard my plea, they ignored me, too wrapped up in their heartfelt conversation. "He's not going to take her from us Edward, but this behavior of yours will most certainly push her away. This is Jacob. The boy I didn't chose. Don't you think we've taken enough from him already?"

"Stop the car!" I called out, a moan of pain escaping as I doubled over, my arms held tight to my chest. It was agonizing.

Finally realizing my situation, we pulled over to the side of the road. Mother exited and opened my door at super human speed just as I leant out and vomited up the partially digested eggs.

Daddy helped me out the car and I knelt on the dry, rocky shoulder of the interstate. On all fours, my stomach heaved as I cried in real pain for the first time I my life. My heart was being torn from my body.

"Renesmee," my father cried, "what's wrong?" Even though my inferno of agony, the panic was apparent in his voice.

I heaved once more, spitting aimlessly as another wave of torture surrounded my heart.

"Jake. I need Jake."

So that happened; they had a physical reaction to being apart.

Let me know your thoughts.

MarinaNamaste.