Thank you to everyone who read or reviewed Chapter 9! I know it took me a while to update but I was really happy that everyone enjoyed it! I decided that you all deserved Chapter 10 as soon as possible! I must say that I am quite proud of myself for how this chapter turned out and I really believe its my best one yet! I would really appreciate that everyone just take a second to review it so that I know I'm on the right track and that everyone is enjoying it! Your feedback is very important to me! Also, since I am planning writing multiple stories for the wolves, I would really appreciate if you could give me some suggestions on character names. I have been googling it for a couple days now but I can't find enough that I like! So, anyone who has a name that they like let me know!
As always, thank you for reviewing, favoriting, and following my story. Its what keeps me going!
Until next time...
After realizing what was actually happening, I threw my arms around Jacob's neck and pulled him closer. My mind had lost control to my body, and I couldn't stop myself from kissing him.
Honestly, it was a feeling I had never experienced before; it was something euphoric. I was getting high just off of his touch.
I gasped, completely taken off guard, when I felt his tongue force its way into my mouth. It was rough in a way that suggested that needed me rather than he was trying to hurt me. His hold on me got tighter; there was no space left between us. I gripped him harder, silently pleading with him to not stop.
I could have stayed lost in that moment forever, but Jacob ripped his mouth off of mine just as quickly as he had kissed me. He was a couple feet of away from me before I could catch my breath. I wanted to pull him back to me as soon as I couldn't feel him anymore.
"I'm sorry," He rasped out, taking deep breaths, "I don't…I don't know what came over me."
"Don't apologize," I said between my own ragged breathing. I placed my hands on my knees to steady myself, "not for that. That was…" I couldn't finish my sentence. I wasn't sure there was a word to describe just how good I felt at this moment.
"I agree," He smirked for a split second, "but that's not why I came to find you."
My euphoria had vanished
"I know, I know, you came to yell at me. Although I have to warn you, Embry, Paul, and Seth already beat you to it."
"I'm not here to yell at you, Scarlette. I came to make sure you were safe," He spoke quietly. I moved closer so I could hear him, "You have no idea how horrified I was to see you standing behind those leeches in Paul's mind. And to think that that filthy, disgusting, bloodsucking monster thought he needed to protect you from us is just…is just…infuriating!" He placed his hands together on the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. He was trying to keep himself calm, "We're your family, Scarlette! Paul—no, none of us for that matter—would ever do anything to put you in harm's way. You know that, don't you?"
He began to shake. Pain was etched across his face because he actually believed I thought the pack might hurt me.
I moved to him. He opened his arms to me the moment I was close enough to grab him. I could feel him relax when we made contact.
"Of course, I know that!" I said, breathing in the scent of his bare chest, "I told Edward and Alice that he wouldn't hurt me. I've never felt anything but safe with any of you guys."
At the mention of Edward and Alice, Jacob growled softly. I could feel the rumble deep in his throat.
"I want to kill them, Scarlette," Anger spiking his voice, "I want to find them and rip them to pieces for even being in the same store as you."
"Jacob…" I tried to soothe him.
"Don't. You have no idea what it felt like to find out that you were with two vampires in a place that I couldn't get to you," He cut me off. I tried to interrupt him again but he silenced me with a simple look, "It was the most painful thing I have ever experienced. You could've…you could've been killed, and I didn't even know you were gone." I heard all the guilt he was feeling in that one sentence. He wasn't as angry at me for going as he was with himself for not knowing I was gone, "It was like I couldn't breathe when I saw you with them, like someone was holding my head underwater and I couldn't break free. You were standing directly in harm's way and all I could was watch through someone else's eyes, praying that you would make it out alive. Praying that someone else could protect you even though no one could protect you better than me. I never want them to touch you or get that close to you again. Please, please, don't go back to Forks, and if for some reason, you absolutely have to, tell me and I'll go with you."
"You can't cross the treaty line." I mumbled, trying to let his words sink in. Even though I aware of everything that came along with the imprint, it was strange to see the kind of effect I had on him.
He pulled away from me so that he could meet my gaze, "Do you think I care about that? If you need me, I'll be there. I never want you to be alone there or anywhere close to Forks, for that matter. With everything that's happening with the redhead right now, I don't really want you going anywhere without me or one of the guys. She's getting closer to the reservation."
"Okay, no more Forks or going anywhere alone." I tried to hide the fear I now felt about the redhead.
Jacob pulled his hand against my cheek, "I can't lose you, Scarlette. No matter what you think, I need you to be safe. You're everything to me."
He spoke with so much conviction that it was impossible not to believe me.
I leaned into his touch, "I'm sorry I scared you."
He shook his head, "You don't have to be sorry, those leeches should have known not to go anywhere near you. They should had known that you were mine. The next time I see Cullen, I swear, I'm going to—" his tone was a vicious snarl. I didn't realize how angry the mention of the Cullen's could make him. I wouldn't do that to him again.
"No, no fighting, please," I cut him off, "You safety is important to me, too. I don't want you to risk your life because I did something stupid."
"You could never do anything stupid," He said, "however, you sometimes make decisions that aren't very bright." He cracked a small smile.
"Promise me you won't fight with Edward over this." My voice completely serious.
"He was near my imprint and I won't pretend that didn't happen. He needs to know that you are off-limits, Scarlette, that he's never allowed to go near you. But, I promise you, I won't fight with him," He told me, "Unless he starts it."
I smiled at his playfulness, "Thank you."
"You're welcome. Now, are you ready to go to Sam and Emily's? Emily's making dinner and the pack is already there." He started walking, forcing me to follow him.
"Are you sure it's okay that I go? I don't want to intrude on a pack thing."
"First of all, you are always welcome at Emily's, and second, the other imprints will be there too."
I learned within the last week that Sam had imprinted on Emily, Jared on Kim, and Quil on Claire. It made sense, now, why they were all so attached to each other but I was still trying to get used to the concept that Emily, Kim, Claire, and I were on our little clique, different from everyone else in the world. 'The Imprints' as everyone liked to refer to us as.
Jacob had slipped his hand in mine while I was lost in my own thoughts. It felt nice to be close to him after a week so I didn't pull away.
"What did you do today?" It was my lame attempt to make conversation that strayed away from the Cullen's.
"I was with Bella."
I tensed up at the mention of her name. It always came back to her.
"Why?" I tried to keep my voice calm, "Why wasn't she with Ed—her boyfriend?" I didn't want to risk mentioning his name and upsetting Jacob all over again.
"The bloodsuckers went hunting today and someone has to be with her at all times to make sure the redhead doesn't attack," He explained. Although it seemed like a fair argument, I didn't like the fact that it had to be Jacob that spent the day with her. I had the feeling, though, that none of the other guys would jump at the catch to see Bella, "Leech and the pixie must have just come back when you ran into them." He growled as the thought occurred to him.
"How was she?" I steered the conversation in the other direction for both our sanities.
"You don't have to ask me about Bella, you know. I know you don't really like her." He chuckled.
"It's not I don't like her," I said, and I meant it. I had nothing against Bella, "But, she doesn't get to have both of you. She made her decision, and she chose him. You're mine, now."
I clasped my hand over my mouth as soon as the words came out. I looked at Jacob, wide-eyed.
"I'm sorry," I stuttered through my covered mouth, "I didn't…"
However, Jacob didn't seem upset at all. In fact, he actually seemed to be swelling with pride. He stopped walking so he could pull me to him and kiss me. I hadn't been expecting that so he had to steady me when my foot got caught on under a tree branch.
"I like the possessiveness." He whispered in my ear, "Don't be afraid to claim what's yours."
He turned, and we began walking again.
I tried to fight off the blush that was slowing marking my face but it was no use. No matter how time I spent around Jacob, he would always be able to do that to me. It was like I was constantly under his spell and I would never be able to break free from it. Although, for the first time, I think I was actually okay with that.
I couldn't deny anymore that he cared about me; that he wanted to be with me and not her. After everything that had happened today, it was evident how much I really meant to him; the pain, the anger, the guilt he felt was enough to prove it to me. It was the first time I ever felt like I came before Bella. I couldn't stop the feeling of happiness that spread through me.
He took my hand again, and we walked the rest of the way in a comfortable silence, just enjoying the feeling of being near each other again.
I smiled when Emily's house finally came into view. Jacob wasn't the only one I hadn't seen in a week. I had been avoiding Emily's house in fear of running into him. I didn't realize how much I missed everyone until I was here.
"They've missed you too, you know." Jake said, practically reading my mind.
I quickened my pace when we were close to the house, I just wanted to be inside with everyone.
Before I made it, though, Embry came outside.
I stopped moving, waiting to see if he was still mad at me.
"I'm sorry about yelling you," He said quickly, his words jumbling together, "I didn't mean to scare you. I just panicked when you told me you were in Forks and I couldn't get to you."
I shook my head, letting him know that he didn't need to apologize. When we were close enough, he pulled me into a hug.
"Thanks for being so worried about me." I said to him.
"You're welcome."
"Okay, that's enough." Jacob snapped after a few seconds, pulling me away from Embry, "We've talked about the touching thing."
"Sorry, man." Embry said, but he smiled at me.
I rolled my eyes, "He's my friend, Jake. He's allowed to hug me."
"I don't like it." He said.
I wanted to say something about Bella, but I wasn't ready to fight with him again just yet.
"You can get jealous when others guys try and hug me, but not when the pack does," I told him, "Deal?"
"I get to kill other guys when they try and hug you." Jake declared, his eyes darkening at the thought.
I glared at him.
"Take it or leave it." He said, simply, "I don't want other guys touching what's mine."
I rolled my eyes at him, again, but, secretly, I liked the way he was acting. I liked that he was jealous and didn't want other guys touching me. He was protective, and it was extremely attractive.
Finally, we made our way inside and as soon as I stepped through the threshold, Emily's arms were around me.
"Hi, Emily." I said, struggling to breathe with the tightness of her hold. She was stronger than she looked.
"Scarlette, I've missed you so much," It felt good to be around her again, "Please, don't stay away so long again. It's not the same without you here. I need all the help I can get, being surrounded by all these boys."
I laughed. She knew how to make me feel better when something bad had happened.
"I'll try not to," I said as she let go of me, "I've missed you too."
"Scarlette," Sam, of course, was standing right behind Emily. I should have known he wouldn't be far from her, "Are you alright?"
"Yes, thank you," I said. It was hard to meet his eye sometimes. I would be lying if I said he didn't intimidate me, "I'm sorry if I caused any trouble."
He placed his hand on my shoulder. I think we both understood that we weren't quite comfortable enough with each other to hug yet, "As long as you're safe and unharmed, I'm not worried about anything else."
"Jared and Paul crossed the treaty line," I don't know why I felt the need to confess this to him. It was probably because he was the alpha and even though I wasn't a part of the pack, I still felt like I had to respect him, "Don't be mad at them, it was my fault."
"I gave them the okay to cross the border. I'm not mad at anyone here. We'll deal with the Cullen's later, if they had a problem with it."
"Thank you." I smiled at him.
"Never forget that we protect our own." Then, he turned to Jacob, "Can I talk to you outside for a minute?"
Jacob's eyes fell on me.
"Go," I told him, "I'll go say hi to everyone."
I tried shoving him playfully but he didn't budge.
"I haven't seen you in a week. I'm not leaving your side. You'll be lucky if I let you go to the bathroom by yourself." He looked at Sam, "Can it wait until later?"
Sam nodded.
Taking that as my cue to leave, I moved to the living room. Quil was the first one to greet me.
"Long time no see!" He cried, pulling me into a one-armed hug. He was always loud, no matter what was happening, "I was kind of starting to miss you." He winked at me.
"I missed you too." His light-hearted nature always made me feel more comfortable. He was loud but he knew how to make someone feel more relaxed.
I greeted Claire with a hug; she seemed to be shadowing Quil, moving when he moved, going where he went.
Brady and Collin refused to move from their spot on the couch but they smiled at me and said they were happy to see me again.
Seth pulled me into a hug and kissed the top of my head but didn't say anything, no words were needed between us.
Kim squealed when she was me, which surprised me because she was normally so quiet. After asking if I was alright, Jared hugged me and told me he would always have my back.
Finally, Paul was standing in front of me.
"I'm sorry!" We said together, and then laughed nervously.
We stared at each other awkwardly for a minute.
"Truce?" I asked, holding out my hand.
Paul smiled and pulled me into his arms, lifting my feet off the ground. I could hear Jacob growl behind us.
"I won't ever hurt you." He said against my neck.
"I know." I said, "I'm sorry I made you mad."
"You didn't, it was those damn leeches."
"Give me back my imprint." Jacob demanded.
Paul set me back on the ground, "We good?"
"Always."
"Just keep your hands where I can see them." Jacob threatened, his narrowed eyes glaring at Paul.
While those two continued to bicker, I moved back into the kitchen where Emily was working on dinner.
"Is there anything I can do that help?" I asked, jumping onto the counter.
"You can keep me company." She said, "How are you doing?"
I knew she just wanted to talk about Jacob.
"I'm good," I spoke honestly, "I mean, today didn't turn out exactly like I thought it would, but, all things considered, I'm pretty happy with the outcome."
"You two talked?"
"Yes."
"About?" I smiled at the exasperated tone in her voice. She just wanted the juicy details.
"He told me how terrified he was when he found out I had crossed the border and how much he cared about me. He told me I was everything to him." I explained to her. I smiled in spite of myself. She continued to move around the kitchen but I could tell she was hanging onto every word I said, "I've never seen him so vulnerable before, it was impossible not to believe him."
"Of course, you're everything to him." She said as if it was the most natural thing in the world, "You have been since the moment he imprinted on you."
"He kissed me, too."
Emily almost dropped the pot she was holding and turned to face me, her eyes bug-eyed.
"What?" She all but screeched. She couldn't hide the smile she had plastered across her face.
"Shh! Don't be so loud!" I stopped for a moment to gather my thoughts, "No one's ever kissed me like that before. It was intense and passionate and so sudden, but it was like I could feel everything he felt for me in that one kiss. What is like that for you and Sam?"
She had begun the person I went to for advice.
"It still is. Every time he kisses me, I can feel all the love he has for me. It's something that never goes away, but, trust me, you'll never want it to." She smiled as she talked about it.
"It was the best kiss I've ever had." I whispered to her. No one had ever even attempted to kiss me like that before.
"The best, huh?" I looked up to see Jake leaning against the doorframe, his arms folded across his chest, smirking at me.
I blushed, profusely, "Were you eavesdropping?"
He tapped his right ear, and I blushed even harder. I forgot that all the guys had enhanced hearing and had heard everything I just confessed to Emily.
"What are you doing in here?" I asked, too embarrassed to look at him now.
He moved, closing the space between us quickly. His hand came under my chin, forcing me to look at him. I watched Emily continue to cook, pretending that she wasn't paying attention. From the corner of my eye, I could see her giddy smile. She had been waiting for the day, Jacob and I finally accepted the imprint and each other. She was probably more excited for the two of us than we were.
"I told you, it's been a week since I've been around you," His face moved closer to mine, his attempt at teasing me, "I'm not letting you out of my sight for that long."
Just as his lips were about to graze mine, Quil burst through the kitchen yelling, "Come on, none of us want to see or hear any of that! There are minors in here!"
I laughed but Jacob turned to glare at him. He was about to say something to Quilt when Emily cut him off and yelled, "Food's ready!"
It was like a stampede after that; the guys came from all directions, pushing and shoving their way to the food. I gripped Jacob's shirt, slightly nervous that someone might knock me down, but there was laughter etched across my face.
The moved like children learning to walk, clumsy and ungraceful as they tried to reach around each other for everything they wanted.
I noticed Kim and Claire in the back—closer to the living room—rolling their eyes at the childish nature of their men trying to eat.
My smile grew.
Sam let out a loud whistle. Everyone froze. All the guys met Sam's gaze.
He had a mock glare on his face.
"Has Emily taught you men nothing?" His tone suggested that he wasn't actually mad—it was easy and playful, something I wasn't used to with him—but, still said, everyone better listen to what he had to say, "Ladies first."
It a minute for them to move, but the guys set their plates on their table and cleared the way for the girls. Brady and Collin mumbled about how they hadn't eaten in hours. Paul glared at Sam and Seth just really didn't seem to care. Jared and Quil apologized profusely to Kim and Claire.
"What are you smiling at?" My gaze found its way back to Jake's.
"Everything." I grabbed him by the next and pulled his lips to mine, spontaneity gaining control of me. I could hear Quil gagging in the background, and then Claire smacking in him playfully in the back of the head. I couldn't stop smiling through the kiss. Finally, —after some of the boys started to clear their throats—I broke away from him to hope off the counter and claim my food. He followed after me, "I'm just happy to be home."