Thank you all for your reviews and adds. I hope you guys like this chapter and I'm sorry it's so late. I've been working sixty hour weeks the last couple of weeks and their kicking my butt. Anyway, let me know what you think and thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Twilight.

Chapter Nine

Johanna felt fingers brush across her forehead, down her temple, and along her cheek as she slowly opened her eyes to see JJ hovering above her. He looked concerned and almost afraid as he looked down at her, his right hand resting on her left cheek. She almost smiled at him until she remembered the pale skinned man, the things he had said, and then the large wolves that had ran into the clearing before JJ had confirmed that the story that his dad had told the night before wasn't simply a story. Johanna sat up and scooted away from JJ, who winced slightly as she pulled away, and she realized that she was on the blanket JJ had laid out for them while JJ sat on his knees beside her.

"Jo, I can explain everything," he said, his voice heavy and hopeful that she would listen to him. "I was going to tell you, not today, but soon. I just hadn't figured out how to tell you yet, and I never thought anything like this would happen. This area has vampires linger long for years. Aside from my . . .," he trailed off with a sigh as he shook his head, his eyes intently watching her face. He didn't need to tell her that part of his family tree just yet, so, he stopped himself from sharing everything right then. "Say something, please," he said as he reached for her hand, but Johanna pulled her hand away from his reach and the action caused JJ's stomach to twist uncomfortably before he swallowed hard. "Jo?" he asked, his voice soft and he watched as she took a deep breath.

"That man, with the pale skin, was a . . . a vampire, wasn't he?" she asked and JJ nodded his head.

"Yes," he said slowly.

"And the wolves?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly. JJ could hear her heart racing, the sound echoed loudly in his ears and made his own heart race even more.

"The two that continued after the vampire were Max and Andrew, you haven't met Andrew yet; and the one that remained behind for a minute was Harry," JJ said.

"And you . . . you can turn into a wolf like that too?" she asked and JJ nodded his head. "Are you as big as the others?"

"I'm . . . I'm a little bigger," he admitted and Johanna's eyebrows rose. "I'm . . . there's a lot of details to explain."

"Then explain them JJ, please," she said and he nodded.

"I will. I will tell you everything Jo, but I'd like to take you to my parents' house first," he said. "I need to get you somewhere safe." Johanna just looked at him for a quiet beat before she nodded her head.

"Okay," she said softly and before JJ could move to help her Johanna was on her feet. JJ quickly stood and he held out his hand for hers. Her hesitation to take his hand made his stomach turn uncomfortably, but to his relief she had turned from him to pick up the small bouquet of flowers he had picked for her before she slowly put her hand in his. He squeezed her hand and after deciding to leave the blanket behind for now he led her back into the woods and down the incline to where his bike waited.

He hoped that once she knew everything that things would still be the same between them, but he feared that it wouldn't and that he would lose her. The thought made him squeeze her hand once more as he dreaded what the next few hours would bring.

"Your father told me what happened before he left to meet up with Sam and the others," Aurora said the second JJ and Johanna walked in through the front door of the Black family's house and JJ sighed heavily.

"Where's Sarah?" JJ asked.

"She's with Meredith and Lacy and Meredith's house. Leah's there, along with Adam so she's fine," Aurora said and JJ nodded. Johanna's light eyes swept around the foyer and the two rooms off the foyer, but her mind was too many places to pay much attention to the details of the really nicely decorated home. "Are you all right, Johanna?" Aurora asked and the young woman looked up at her.

"I'm okay," Johanna said as she continued to hold the small bouquet of wild flowers to her chest. "Confused and honestly a little scared, but I'm okay." Aurora gave her a warm smile and nodded her head in understanding before she took the flowers from Johanna's hand.

"I'll put these in some water for you," Aurora said and Johanna nodded, a small smile turning the corners of her lips up a bit.

"Thank you," she said and Aurora put a reassuring hand on Johanna's shoulder before she gave it a gentle squeeze. She glanced at JJ briefly before she turned away and walked down the hallway along the stairs before she disappeared into what Johanna presumed was the kitchen.

"Jo," JJ said and Johanna looked at him. He held his hand out to her and that time Johanna put her hand in his without any hesitation. He wrapped his long fingers around her hand before he led her upstairs and up to his old bedroom.

It hadn't changed much since he'd moved out, but his books and other personal items were gone leaving the shelves of his bookcase and the tops of his desk and old dresser empty. The bed, however, was neatly made as the room was often used as a guest room these days. Johanna had let go of his hand when they walked into the room and he watched as she walked over to the bed and sat down on the foot of it. She pulled the strap of her purse off of her body and rested the purse on the floor at her feet and looked up at him expectantly. JJ took a deep breath and slowly walked over to her and stood in front of her.

"There are two packs, we should be one, but the reason there are two is a really long story that I or even my parents can tell you at a later time," JJ said and Johanna nodded. "My dad is the alpha of one of the packs, we're the direct descendants of the tribal chiefs, and with that comes certain responsibilities. Over the last couple of months I've been taking over my dad's alpha role in our pack, but I haven't fully assumed it. However, that's why I'm a little bit bigger than the others."

"You're bigger because you're the alpha," Johanna said, her green eyes locked with his brown, and JJ nodded his head.

"Leah, Harry and Meredith's mom, was my dad's second in command. Harry now fills that role since it's been years since Leah's phased," JJ said and Johanna frowned.

"From the story your dad told it sounded like only men were the spirit warriors," Johanna said and JJ grinned. She'd obviously been listening more intently to the legends than he had realized.

"Leah's the exception to the rule and her story is another long story that can wait. However, she's the only known female warrior. None of the daughters of the pack members, including Meredith, have changed or even shown signs of changing," JJ said and Johanna nodded her head. "When we are in our wolf forms, we communicate telepathically. Our minds are completely open with each other, but we're able to train ourselves so not everything is shared."

"Then what was the howling for?" Johanna asked.

"Harry, Andrew, and Max were on patrol when they caught the vampire's scent," JJ said. "The packs aren't mentally connected, but they are through the alphas. Since Harry, Andrew, and Max are part of my dad's pack their howls were to signal to the rest of us, mainly the alphas, of the . . . problem. It's been over thirty years since we've had any major trouble with vampires, Jo. When I was a kid there would be a rouge visitor every now and again, but they never stayed too long in Forks or on tribal land. They mostly just ran through and disappeared, nothing to cause any worry for anyone."

"You protect Forks too?" Johanna asked, slightly surprised, and JJ nodded.

"Yeah and the reason why is a part of that long story about why there are two packs," he said and Johanna nodded in understanding. "The reason we're all on high alert right now is that this vampire . . . he's different than those that were just passing through."

"He wants to challenge the packs," Johanna said and JJ blinked in surprise. "I was listening to what he was saying. I may not have understood it at the time, but I get it now," she said and JJ nodded before he sighed softly and sat down on the bed beside her. He looked away from her face and at her left hand that was resting on her thigh. He reached out and encased her left hand with his right as he mentally prepared himself to continue on to the next part that he knew he needed to tell her about. She was taking everything awfully well, but he knew that what he still needed to tell her would not go over as well as everything else. "JJ, I know he threatened me. You don't have to explain that bit, so, there's no reason to look be so nervous," she said as she turned her hand around in his and gave his hand a firm squeeze.

"That's not why I'm nervous, Jo," he said as he shook his head and slowly brought his brown eyes to her green. "He won't get anywhere near you, Jo, we won't let him. You know that, right?"

"Of course I do," she said and he squeezed her hand in response. "What are you so nervous about, JJ? Is it something bad?"

"No, it's not bad but there is something else that I need to tell you. It has nothing to do with the vampire or the packs. It has to do with me and . . . and you. It has to do with us."

"Us?" she asked and JJ heard her heart skip in her chest before it started to race. "What about us?"

"Do you remember the part of the legend that spoke of Third Wife?" he asked and Johanna nodded with a furrowed brow.

"Yes, but I don't under-," Johanna stopped mid-word and JJ swore he could see the pieces fall to place in her mind as he looked into her eyes. She looked away from him then, her face flushing as she forcefully jerked her hand out of his and stood from the bed. She took several steps away from him as she shook her head. "Everything makes so much sense now," Johanna said softly under her breath but to JJ she might have just yelled it because he heard her whispered words loud and clear.

"Jo," he said softly as he stood, already knowing where she was going before she even said the words, and Johanna turned back around to look at him, her tear lined eyes rising to meet his. "I know what you're thinking, and you're wrong."

"You're forced to care about me thanks to some mutation in your genetic makeup, JJ," Johanna said with a bite in her tone that surprised both of them, but she pressed on. "It's not real. None of this," she said with a slight pause as she gestured between them with a few tears rolling down her cheeks, "is real. You can't tell me that if it wasn't for the whole wolf thing that you would have even once looked my way, JJ."

"I'm not forced to do anything unless it's an order from my dad, and that's only because he's still the alpha," he said ignoring her last statement because he knew she was right. He wouldn't have paid her any attention, and he hated himself for it because he would have missed out on having an incredible person in his life.

"I don't believe you," Johanna said as she shook her head, a few more tears falling from her eyes, but she surprisingly maintained eye contact with him. He knew at that moment she didn't believe him, but she wanted to. She wanted to so badly that that was what was making her stay in that room with him; it was what was making her brave enough to keep her eyes locked with his and that alone gave him hope that his world wasn't going to fall apart that afternoon.

"Jo, the day I met you my entire world shifted," he said as he took a step closer to her and thankfully she didn't take a step back. "When a pack member meets his soul mate we call it imprinting," he said with another step and still she didn't move. "Everything that makes us who we are and connects us to the earth and world around us disconnects before those cables tie around our imprint and we're . . . whole. The people in our lives before we find our imprint remain important to us, but our imprint's safety and happiness is most important of all. If anything were to happen to them . . . it would devastate us to the point where life would not be worth living without her. You are that for me, Johanna, and whether you believe it or not what I feel for you is very real."

"I . . . it can't be real," she said as she shook her head.

"You know it is, Jo," he said. "I know you can feel the connection that's there, the pull that always makes us seem to drift towards each other if were in the same room." He paused when he saw her take a deep breath and close her eyes, which caused a few more tears to roll down her cheeks.

"I feel it," she admitted and JJ took another step towards her, leaving less than a foot of space between them. He raised his right hand to her face and wiped away the tears from her cheek as she opened her eyes to look up at him once more. "It's only been a week since we met, but I feel it."

"The more we get to know each other the stronger it gets," he said, his voice soft as he held her gaze with his hand still cradling her cheek.

"I don't . . . I don't deserve you," she said and the corners of his lips turned up slightly as he shook his head.

"I'm sorry but I'm calling bullshit on that. I'm not perfect, far from it really, just ask Sarah. She'll tell you all my flaws at highly exaggerated degrees," he said with a small grin and that earned a quiet snort of a laugh from Johanna. His grin slipped away before he sighed softly and lowered his hand from her cheek and let his arm fall to his side. He had to let her know she had a choice, and while it almost pained him to do so it was the right thing to do. "It's up to you what role you want me to play in your life, Jo, and if that role is as your friend or . . . or something more, that's what I'll be. The only thing that matters to me is that you're safe and happy and if being friends is wh-," he made to continue, but his voice caught when Johanna reached out and took his hands into hers.

"JJ, I'm still so confused and overwhelmed," she said softly as she shook her head and JJ squeezed her hands gently, "but I . . . I know that I don't want to be only friends. I know I want more than that with you, but I still need to process everything."

"I'm not going anywhere, Jo," JJ said as he shook his head, his shoulders relaxing and the worry that she was going to push him away left him as he looked down at her. "You can have all the time you need."

"Thank you," she said as she gave him a small smile and he smiled at her in return before he let go of her hands and wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. Johanna sighed softly as she relaxed into his arms, burying her face in his chest as she hugged him back with her arms tight around his waist. He closed his eyes and kissed the top of her head. "Is the reason you're so warm because of the whole wolf thing?" she asked and JJ chuckled as he opened his eyes.

"Yeah," he said and Johanna smiled before she lifted her head to look up at him.

"I like it," she said. "It's like you're a human sized personal heater or something. You'll come in handy when it's really cold." JJ laughed once more before he kissed her forehead. She was trying to lighten the air between them and show him that she really was okay, which made him love her all the more for it.

"My mom says the same thing to my dad all the time," JJ said and he was happy to see that Johanna's small smile remained on her lips. Before another word could be said between the pair a solid knock on the door broke the two apart. Johanna turned around towards the door as it opened and Jacob appeared in the open doorway.

"Everything all right in here?" he asked, his eyes going between his son and Johanna.

"Yeah, Dad, everything's okay," JJ said as his hand rose to rest on Johanna's lower back and Johanna nodded her head as she nervously tugged at the sleeves of her zip up hoodie.

"Good," Jacob said as he nodded his head. "JJ, I need you to come with me."

"I don't want to leave Johanna alone," JJ said as he shook his head and wrapped his arm around her waist before he pulled her into his side. "That vamp threatened her, Dad. He'll be back for her."

"I know you don't want to leave her right now JJ; trust me, I've been there; but you've got responsibilities to see to right now. We've got to meet with our pack and Sam's to coordinate increased patrol schedules," Jacob said.

"But Dad," JJ started but he didn't get to finish.

"He's gone for now and Adam, who brought your sister home, and Cam are here," Jacob said with a serious expression on his face. "They'll be watching over the girls until we're done. Be downstairs in two minutes." There was no room for argument in Jacob's tone and JJ sighed before he nodded his head. Jacob gave him a curt nod in response before he closed the door, leaving the pair on their own once again.

"JJ?" Johanna asked softly as she looked up at him and JJ sighed once more.

"It's going to be okay," he said before he leaned down and placed a chaste kiss upon her temple and took her hand. "Sarah and Mom are here and will keep you occupied. Dad and I shouldn't be gone long."

"Okay," Johanna said and JJ led her out of his old bedroom, down the hall, and down the stairs. Jacob was waiting with Aurora at the base of the stairs in the foyer and JJ reluctantly let go of Johanna's hand before he and Jacob left with softly spoken good byes.

"Johanna?" Aurora asked and Johanna took a deep breath before she turned her green eyes up to Aurora's blue. "I know you're probably still overwhelmed and maybe even still a little afraid after what happened out in the woods. If you want, Sarah and I can answer any questions you have over a late lunch."

"I'd like that," Johanna said with a small nod. "I've got so many questions that I didn't ask JJ before he dropped the whole imprint bomb." Aurora gave her a small smile before she wrapped a motherly arm around her shoulders and turned her towards the kitchen.

"We'll do our best to answer them," she said before the two of them started to walk down the hall to the kitchen, "and we can help you understand the whole imprint bomb a little better too since we're all in that boat together." Johanna gave Aurora a small tight lipped smile before she nodded her head. Her thoughts were still on JJ and what had been said between them upstairs and any more clarity she could get would be more than welcome.

Two hours later Johanna was sitting on the sofa in the living room of the Black family home with a mug of hot chocolate that Aurora had insisted on making her in her hands and the conversations she had had with JJ and with Aurora and Sarah swimming around in her head.

Johanna sighed softly before she took a drink from the large mug in her hands, her eyes going down to the mug and focusing on the dark liquid inside. She didn't know what to really think about everything. Hell, she'd just found out that vampires were real and the guys that she had come to consider her friends as well as the guy she was 'dating' could turn into giant wolves that hunted and killed vampires to protect their people. It was all crazy and she should be running for the hills, but she couldn't. She hadn't been lying when she had told JJ that she wanted to be more than friends with him since she was certain she was falling in love with him, but the idea of his feelings for her being brought on because of his 'gift' left her uneasy. However, Sarah's words made her look at it all from a different angle.

Johanna had asked Aurora and Sarah if she could be alone for a little while and Aurora had readily agreed but Sarah hadn't been as willing to leave Johanna on her own. Apparently her new friend already knew Johanna's habits well enough because Sarah's parting words to her when Aurora had practically ordered her daughter to leave Johanna be for a while had remained at the forefront of Johanna's mind for the last fifteen minutes.

"I know it's only been a week since you met, but think about everything the two of you have talked about and what you know about him," Sarah had said. "You know the way he feels about you is very real and I know you feel something for him too. Trust me, I know firsthand. Plus, the two of you complement each other perfectly. You're his soul mate, Johanna, and he's yours. You both would be lost without each other now. Remember that."

She knew that Sarah was right because Johanna would be lost without JJ, she had pretty much told him that just last night when she made her 'confession' standing in his parents' driveway. Johanna also knew that even though JJ would likely have never looked at her twice if it wasn't for the whole imprint thing, the way he felt for her was indeed very real. Not even the best actor in the world could fake what she saw in JJ's eyes when he looked at her. She still felt like she didn't deserve him, but after her talk with Aurora and Sarah things were a little clearer.

She wasn't as overwhelmed as she was earlier and while she knew what she wanted before she was even surer of it now because Aurora and Sarah had opened her eyes to the big picture and the kind of life she would have with JJ. It wouldn't be perfect since nothing is, but it was going to be as close to perfect as it could be. Smiling to herself at the thought she took a deep breath before she raised the mug to her lips and took another drink of her hot chocolate, which was still surprisingly warm and it actually eased the knot and tension that had settled in her stomach. Plus, it was delicious.

"My mom has always made the best hot chocolate," came JJ's unexpected voice and Johanna jerked slightly where she sat on the large plush sofa before she turned her head to the left and saw JJ standing in the arched doorway that led into the living room from the foyer. Johanna hadn't heard the door open and she had no clue where JJ's dad was, but then again she'd been so lost in her thoughts she wasn't really all that surprised that she hadn't noticed them come in.

"She does," Johanna said, a small smile turning the corners of her lips up, and JJ smiled at her in return before he walked over to where she sat and lowered his tall and broad frame down onto the sofa beside her. "She also answered a few questions that I had and filled in some of the gaps for me."

"Yeah, I kind of figured that she and Sarah would do that," JJ said with a soft sigh before he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs and rubbing his hands together with his dark gaze focused on his hands.

"Did you get everything planned out with your dad and the others?" Johanna asked and JJ turned his head so he was looking at her again.

"Yeah, we've got everything sorted. Before the meeting Dad had sent two guys to your house just to be safe," he said. "We're going to be doubling patrols and there's going to be at least two of us on your house at all times, and when you're not home we won't be far away."

"Is all that really necessary?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"Very," JJ said, his voice tight as he returned his gaze to his hands, which were now clasped tightly together in front of him. "That vampire threatened you, Jo. We're not taking any chances and I won't let anything happen to you." JJ's body was tense, ridged almost as he sat beside her. He was angry about the vampire, she had no doubt about that, but that wasn't what had him so tense. He was holding himself back, stopping himself from reaching out and pulling her close, and she wasn't sure why. Frowning slightly Johanna leaned forward, placing her mug on the coffee table, before she scooted closer to JJ. She reached out with her right hand and placed her hand over his, which caused his head to turn towards her and his eyes to lock with hers.

"I know you won't," she said softly and he was quick to take her hand in both of his, cradling her hand. "I'm just worried about your friends," she said with a slight pause, "and you."

"We know what we're doing, Jo, and you don't have to worry about me, Jo," he said.

"Yes I do," she said. "It comes with the territory."

"Territory?" he asked with a small frown and she gave him another small smile before she gathered her courage. She raised her left hand to the right side of his face and leaned in to press her lips against his in a brief soft kiss. When she pulled back the confusion she saw in his eyes once he opened them made her fully smile at him.

"It's normal for a girl to worry about her boyfriend when there's a chance he's going to face off against a vampire that wants to drink her blood," she said jokingly and JJ blinked at her a few times before he spoke.

"Boyfriend?" he asked and Johanna found herself laughing quietly as she lowered her hand from his face and rested it on his shoulder.

"That's all you took from that sentence?" she asked and JJ grinned before he let go of her hand and wrapped his right arm around her waist. He easily pulled her into him and settled her on his lap, however, Johanna stiffed as her hands moved to rest around his neck. "JJ, I'm too he-," she started to say, but JJ cut her off by placing a searing kiss on her lips, his right hand rising to the side of her face while his left arm remained wrapped around her and kept her pressed close to his body.

"You're not too heavy," he breathed against her mouth when he broke their kiss, their lips only a breath apart. "You're fine," he said, his left hand and arm squeezing her a bit as he kissed her far more tenderly and briefly than he had seconds before. "Perfect," he whispered and Johanna sighed softly as she opened her eyes.

"If you keep saying things like that about me, I might get a big head," she said and JJ smiled at her.

"I'm calling bullshit again," he said as he shook his head slightly his thumb running across her cheek. "You don't hear things like that often enough if you ask me." Johanna felt her already flushed face warm even more thanks to the look JJ was giving her and his words.

"So, I'm going to guess that you don't mind to me calling you my boyfriend?" she asked and he chuckled quietly as he shook his head.

"Not at all," he said before he kissed her again.

"Thank God!" Sarah practically yelled, breaking the two of them apart. Johanna turned her head towards the sound of her voice and JJ's hand fell away from her face as he sighed heavily and gave his sister and Adam a pointed look as they stood in the archway.

"I told her to leave the two of you alone, man," Adam said as he raised his hands. "She wouldn't listen."

"I was so worried you were going to push him away," Sarah said as she walked further into the living room. Johanna felt a little awkward sitting on JJ's lap with people around and made to move, but JJ's iron grip around her kept her firmly in place. "You looked like you were internally freaking out over everything." Sarah sat down on the sofa across from the couple and on the other side of the coffee table.

"Sarah, can this conversation wait a bit?" JJ asked and Sarah rolled her eyes.

"You've got her right where you want her and I doubt you're going to be letting her go anytime soon, so, no. It' can't wait," Sarah said and Johanna looked between the siblings as Adam joined Sarah on the other sofa.

"I wasn't going to push him away," Johanna said, deciding it was best to speak up and stave off a sibling fight. "I was just . . . processing. It's a lot to take in when you don't grow up knowing that vampires and giant vampire killing wolves are real." Sarah nodded in understanding.

"Okay, conversation's over. Run along," JJ said and Sarah scoffed.

"I still live here, so, you run along," she said with a grin.

"Fine," JJ said and the next thing Johanna knew JJ was standing with his right arm under her knees and his left hand remained around her back as he held her in his arms.

"Oh my gosh, JJ, put me down," Johanna said panicked before her hands wrapped around her shoulders/neck once more. JJ, however, did not listen to her and he simply carried her out of the living room and up the stairs to his old bedroom leaving a laughing Sarah and grinning Adam behind.