A/N: A big thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter 12. I really appreciate it and I will PM you as soon as I can.
I'd also like to welcome my new readers! :) Hope to hear from you as well.
Rated M for adult themes and language.
Bella was strolling in the woods when she suddenly spotted a picnic table in the distance.
She hungrily approached the juicy burger that was served on a plate with the words –eat me- printed on its tag.
She picked it up and opened her mouth, her stomach grumbling at the sight of the delicious cheddar cheese melting on top.
'Go ahead, take a bite.' A tiny set of lips suddenly appeared in the burger. 'I'm just a piece of meat to you!'
Jacob's angry voice startled Bella, making her drop the hamburger in shock and back away from the table.
"What the fudge." She gasped.
The forest disappeared all of a sudden, and Bella found herself in a large teepee with a small fire lit in the center.
She was dressed in a short buckskin dress and a pair of leather moccasins but definitely no panties.
She was just about to double-check when someone entered the tent accompanied by a gust of cold wind from outside.
"Brrrr…it's freezing out there…wha-" The words died in her mouth when she saw the tall, powerful man standing before her.
He was wearing nothing but a breechcloth, his bare chest adorned with different tribal designs, including a handprint on his left pectoral.
Jacob's features looked much older and his dark hair was way longer.
She could only stare as he dropped to his knees in front of her and kissed the slight bulge in her stomach.
'My child…he's going to carry on my legacy someday.' He whispered, glancing up at her startled face.
"Y-your child?" Bella stuttered, her eyes following his fluid movement as he rose to his feet and laced his arms around her waist.
'Forgive me, Black Swan. He is our child; the future Chief and Alpha of this tribe.'
"You're the Chief?"
'Yes.' He chuckled. 'And you are my beautiful wife.'
The firelight flickered in his black irises as he leaned forward to kiss her on the lips.
She instantly melted into his embrace and kissed him back.
He was so tender and incredibly sweet, making her feel like the luckiest woman alive.
'I love you, but you need to wake up.'
.
.
"Huh?"
Her father's voice sliced through her dream like a knife, dragging her back to reality.
'Bells, you're going to be late for work.'
Disappointment flooded her system when she finally realized that dream Jacob was gone and Charlie was standing next to her bed with a cup of coffee in his hand.
"What time is it?"
'It's almost eight o'clock.'
She swung her legs over the side of the bed, fully aware that her father was staring at her with a twinkle in his brown eyes.
'Bells, what were you dreaming about?'
"Um...I don't remember." She blushed. "W-why?"
'No reason.' He shrugged. 'You had a big smile on your face is all.'
At the radio station…
"Paul?"
'Yeah?'
"Do you know where Jake is? He's not answering any of my calls."
Paul swiveled his chair around and gave her an exasperated look over his cream cheese bagel. 'He's on official pack business.'
"Oh." Bella leaned against the studio door, and debated whether or not to text him her apology. "Where exactly?"
'I can't tell you, sweetkins.'
"Does it have to do with the I-word?" She whispered.
'The I-what?' Paul frowned.
She popped her head out the door to make sure no one was listening and moved closer to the sound booth.
"It's code for imprint." She revealed, much to his amusement.
'Yep. He's doing more research on the I-word.' He chuckled, stuffing the rest of the bagel into his mouth.
"Shit." Bella blew on her hot, foamy cappuccino and decided to ask him one more question.
"Paul, what happens to the wolf if the imprintee rejects him?"
'He turns to stone.' The DJ snickered.
"I'm serious, Lahote." Bella shot him a meaningful glare and folded both arms across her chest.
'Fine.' He rolled his eyes in response. 'Sit your ass down before my producer shows up.'
Bella complied, and promised to bake him his favorite blueberry pie in exchange for more information.
'Two blueberry pies.' He demanded. 'And a batch of cinnamon rolls.'
"Jesus, Paul. I'm not a free bakery." She huffed.
'And I'm no Google, so if you want answers, you're gonna have to bribe me with food.'
"Okay! We have a deal." She conceded.
'Excellent.' He gleefully rubbed his hand together, grinning like a Cheshire cat.
'Now pay attention 'cause what I'm about to say is off the record.'
"I'm paying plenty, so hurry up and spill the beans."
.
.
.
Five minutes later…
'So in summary, the Alpha's imprint needs to have sex with him in order to seal the imprinting deal.'
"You're bluffing." Bella scoffed.
'If you don't believe me, you can go ask your precious Alpha.'
"He's not mine Paul." Bella shook her head in denial. "I don't think he imprinted on me in the first place."
'Do I need to write you a reality check, Swan? 'cause you definitely need it.'
"No, I don't." Bella hopped out of her chair. "And FYI, Jake doesn't think he imprinted on me either."
'Says who?'
"No one." She replied. "I mean…if he did, he would've told me right away."
'True, but Jacob is stubborn as hell and he'd want you to fall for him without the influence of the supernatural mojo.' Paul explained.
"Are you freakin kidding me?" B snorted out loud. "All he does is tease me and annoy me with his sexual innuendos and his cocky attitude."
'So what? I used to tease Rachel all the time until she finally jumped my bones.'
"Jesus. Is sex the answer to all of your problems, Lahote?"
'No.' He smirked 'but it's the perfect solution for sexual tension, sweetkins.'
The Tribal Library
7 pm
"Did you find anything yet?"
'Nope.' Leah replied, leafing through a dusty old book dating back to the 1800s.
'Nothing in here.'
"Paul said it's in one of these books, so we have to keep looking."
'You know, if this whole spirit warrior story turned out to be true, Black's gonna flip like a suicidal pancake.'
"Maybe, but that would explain why he doesn't wanna tell me about it." Bella scanned the delicate pages of a smaller journal written in faded ink.
The handwriting was in Quileute so she handed it over to Leah so she could translate it.
'Holy shit, this is beyond ancient.' She remarked.
"Please Li-Lo, try to read it. It's the only journal left in this pile."
The impatient werewolf fidgeted in her seat, her apparent dislike for libraries written all over her face. 'Ugh…I don't have all day, Swan, so what's in it for me?'
"Umm…let me guess…" B tapped her fingers on her chin. "Chocolate chip muffins?"
'Yep, and your famous ravioli on the side.' Leah added, rubbing her stomach in sheer delight.
"Jesus, what's wrong with you werewolves?" Bella grumbled
Thirty minutes later…
"Read the passage again." Bella hovered over Leah's shoulders, her ears in a state of disbelief.
'Once the imprint is complete, the spirit warrior has to reveal his secret name to his chosen mate as a gesture of blind trust and provisional submission.'
"Jake's wolf has a name?"
'This is breaking news for me too, Swan.' Leah peered closely at the weathered journal. 'Those idiots have been keeping me out of the loop.'
"Maybe Jake confided in Paul because he's Rachel's imprint."
'Yeah, their bromance is getting out of hand.' She complained. 'Black lets him choose his own shifts just because he's the fuckin DJ.'
"How come he gets Alpha privileges even though Embry's Beta and not him?"
'Beats me.' Leah shrugged. 'Anyways, back to the passage…'
"Oh right…where were we?" Bella toyed with her boxing charm, wondering if Jacob was back from the Makah Reservation.
'Do you want the dumbed down version?'
"Sure, why not?"
'Okay, here goes…' Leah cleared her throat in dramatic fashion and picked up a pencil from the table. She drew the outline of a girl and a boy on a piece of paper followed by a wolf with a question mark on his head.
'This is you, and this is Black…' She pointed the pencil to the three stick figures.
'And this is his penis…'
"Leah!"
'Sorry…' The she-wolf grinned. 'So…once you and Jacob do the deed and you officially become his mate, he has to give you his wolf's secret name…'
'You can use this secret name to boss him around for a couple of days.'
"You mean I can jerk him off…err…I mean around?" Bella corrected herself at the last minute but the amused she-wolf was already drawing tiny penises on the paper.
'Hahaaa…you can do both.' Leah guffawed.
"Interesting." The blushing brunette coughed in embarrassment.
'Very, and speaking of submission, I have the cutest little dominatrix outfit…'
"Shut it, Clearwater!"
'With shackles and a leather whip…'
Brady and Collin's Initiation
12 am
"Umm…where on earth are we going?"
'To a pack members only event.' Leah cryptically replied as they delved deeper into the moonlit forest.
"Shit! Are you serious?"
'Yep…and I'm your backstage pass so you'd better be quiet and follow my lead.'
"I'm not sure Jake's going to be happy about this." Bella tugged nervously on her white dress as she followed the she-wolf down a dirt path that led to the cliffs.
'Yeah, well…you're the one who insisted on seeing him tonight.'
.
.
The trees gave way to a small clearing where a bunch of guys were gathered around a crackling fire.
'Stay here.' Leah instructed as she made her way towards her pack brothers.
Bella hid behind the bushes, her eyes scanning the shirtless men for any sign of Jacob.
Brady and Collin were standing closer to the fire, their faces painted in red and black. They were obviously waiting for someone and Bella noticed that they both seemed on edge.
"Oh my God…"
The Alpha finally emerged from the shadows like a man on a mission.
He was wearing a leather breechcloth and a pair of ankle-length moccasins, transporting Bella to her dream and making her hold her breath in anticipation.
The wolf prints on his chest were reminiscent of the warrior from her latest dream. They were orange in color, much like the sun and arrow adorning his left pectoral.
'Kneel.' He ordered the young boys, moving to stand directly in front of them.
Leah sneaked a peek at Bella who was on the verge of sexually assaulting the Alpha with her hungry gaze.
'Pervert.' She mouthed before turning her attention to the rest of the pack.
Seth was giving Brady and Collin the thumbs up while Paul was pretending to snore in Embry's ear. Quil was sniffing the air like a hungry bear and Jacob was dipping his hands in a crimson liquid that looked a lot like blood.
'Embry, give me the knife.'
'Knife?' Collin trembled with fear when Embry fished out a silver blade from his pocket.
'Relax kid. I'm not going to hurt you. Yet.' The Alpha smirked.
He took Brady's hand and began reciting a few words in Quileute.
His voice was deep and hypnotic, caressing Bella's eardrums until she fell under its spell.
Jacob expertly pricked his thumb with the knife and did the same to Brady.
'Ow!'
'Don't be a pussy, Fuller.'
'Yes, Sir.'
Brady was then instructed to dip his hand into the crimson liquid before stamping his chest with it.
'We're now blood brothers, kid, so stand up and shake your Alpha's hand.'
Bella watched the young man rise to his feet and shake Jacob's hand with pride in his brown eyes.
Collin underwent the same process seconds later, leaving a similar handprint on his chest and dancing around the fire like he was high on sugar.
'Jesus…' Jacob rolled his eyes at the hyper werewolf. 'Your initiation is far from over, Littlesea.' He growled.
'But…'
'No buts! Get your ass over here NOW.'
Collin obediently returned to his original spot next to Brady and waited for the Alpha's orders.
'Each member of this pack has a task for you.'
'Awww man!' Brady whined in response.
'Oh stop whining, Fuller. We've all been there, including Leah.' Paul devilishly grinned.
'Yeah. What he said.' She nodded in agreement.
'You have an HOUR to complete your assigned tasks.'
'An hour?'
'Yep. Seth is going to set the timer for sixty minutes.' Jacob checked his wristwatch with a sexy smirk on his full lips.
'Black, I'm itching for a run.' Leah fidgeted in her place, eager to get the party started.
'Me too.' Quil grinned.
'Then by all means…' Jacob gave them his blessing and ordered Brady and Collin to phase.
'I'll see you in an hour, boys!'
They both howled in response and followed the rest of the pack into the woods.
In the meantime, Bella crawled out from of her hiding place and cursed Leah for forgetting all about her. The she-wolf had a habit of getting caught up in the moment especially when it came to pack business.
"Freakin werewolves..."
She tried to be as quiet as possible but ended up stepping on a crunchy branch and sneezing at the same time.
The sudden, unexpected noise alerted Jacob to her presence so she froze mid-step and held her breath.
'Pssssssst…'
Bella silently leapt across a log and hid behind a neighboring hemlock tree.
'Here kitty kitty!'
Her chocolate eyes widened when she realized that the Alpha was taunting her, his rich voice beckoning her to come out and face him.
She contemplated an exit strategy but that was definitely out of the question since Jacob was at least ten times faster even in human form.
'I know you're out there, Bells.'
She took a deep calming breath and almost gasped in shock when she spotted a group of fireflies in the distance.
"Wow…"
'Wow indeed.' Jacob whispered, scaring the hell out of her.
He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against his warm chest in less than a heartbeat. 'Did you think I'd let you run away from me?'
"I wasn't planning on running, Alpha." She calmly replied.
He suddenly spun her around and pushed her up against the tree, his midnight eyes threatening to consume her.
'Good girl.' He gently patted her cheek with his red-stained hand and leaned forward until his mouth was inches from her own.
Bella licked her lips in anticipation, thinking he was going to kiss her, but he didn't. Instead, he nipped her lower lip with his teeth and bit down hard on the yielding flesh.
"Ouch!" She glared at him, pressing a finger to her swollen lip.
'This is for getting drunk the other night.' He growled.
'And this is for calling me a Neanderthal.' He reached down and pinched her nipple between his thumb and pointer finger, causing her to yelp in response.
'And this…' His hand crept beneath her dress in search of her panties. 'Is for acting like a cheap stripper on top of my bed.' He then grabbed the flimsy fabric and ripped it from her body.
"You bastard!" Bella seethed.
She watched him tuck the white panties into his breechcloth but made no move to stop him.
She was torn between slapping him and kissing him senseless.
"I hate you."
A cacophony of howls sounded in the distance, forcing Jacob to let go of his imprint.
'Apology accepted.' He said out of nowhere before stripping down and dumping his clothes in her arms.
"Wh-at are you doing?"
He gave her an exasperated look before phasing into wolf form.
"Seriously?"
The russet wolf leaned down, basically asking her to ride him.
"Oh hell no!" She exclaimed. "I'm not going anywhere with you."
Jacob huffed indignantly and strutted away, wagging his tail in the air like he was flipping her the bird for rejecting him.
Bella suddenly realized that she had no choice but to follow him since Leah was her ride home. She also didn't want to risk running into any vampires, especially at one in the morning.
"Shit…"
Fortunately, Jacob was taking his sweet time down the dirt path, so she swallowed her pride and decided to hitch a ride on him sans panties.
"Jake…wait!"
.
.
Maybe her dreams were trying to tell her something after all.