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Chapter 7

Mother and Son

Bella

I wasn't sure how Leah and Jake were going to keep their promise. How easy was it to control your thoughts? Wouldn't they both inevitably think of me when they came face to face with Edward? Or on patrol as wolves when they encountered the vampire coven? It had to be almost impossible.

In that respect, I imagined - over my fourth cup of coffee - what could happen in the worst case.

I meant nothing to their family. They didn't care about me at all. If they found out that I lived here, what would they even do? Ignore me. Just like in the previous years. As I had done with them. I hadn't thought about them in so long. So, they wouldn't have given me a second thought either. I was nobody to them. The only thing that had changed was the distance between us.

My cell phone pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Mom. I'm sorry. Mr. Taylor wants to see you ... today," Jake said as apologetically as he seemed to be able to.

I dropped the phone in shock. I shivered and sorted through numerous thoughts.

The mother in me won the battle against everything else that struggled for attention. Fear, love, doubt, hope, anger. The maternal instinct was stronger. My son had messed up so badly at school that the principal wanted to see me. This had only happened once before. I even had to smile when I remembered it. He had cut off a girl's hair in the second grade. "Jacob ... William ... Black ..." I emphasized each one of his names. It was true what our parents and grandparents had known for a long time. There was something threatening about addressing your children by their full names! I noticed Jake getting smaller and smaller on the other end of the connection. "What did you do?" I continued to ask, imagining the most incredible scenarios.

Including a fight in the parking lot between wolves and vampires - surrounded by countless people. How would I punish my son for that? Or reward him?

"I got into a fight. With Michael," he explained to me.

"Why?" I asked relentlessly. I had actually taught him that one did not settle one's disputes by force. Jake had never gotten into a fight with anyone, at least as far as I knew. Moreover, he knew that he was now much stronger than his classmates. Or had the wolf changed him. Leah had quieted down. In contrast, was Jake now more quick-tempered? "Well, get a good explanation ready, son," I threatened after he didn't add anything else and I hung up.

I collected myself and took a deep breath.

After a few minutes I was completely calm and left the house.

So, it was time. It could hardly be avoided; HE would see me through the thoughts of others. But it wouldn't change anything. I lived my life. They lived their life. We just happened to be in the same city. I meant nothing to them. They meant nothing to me. In a few years, they would move on. Sporadically, I also considered whether they would kill me. I was a potential danger. I knew their secret. Then fear started to set in. Fear for my children. The way Jake and Leah had reported that first brief encounter, there was no doubt in my mind. HE had to have heard Jake expose them as vampires. Sooner or later, they would realize what exactly my children were. They were wolves. They were their enemies. They were outnumbered. They did not know that they fell under the Quileute treaty.

Were there even other Native American tribes capable of the transformation into spirit warriors?

I slowly pulled my Honda into the school parking lot and saw Jake already sitting on the steps. With head lowered, guilty, holding something against his eye. His gaze went stubbornly to the ground as I walked toward him.

"Look at me!" I asked more viciously than I actually was.

He shook his head.

Of course, he was ashamed of the fact that I had to come here. But that was not the reason for Jake not looking at me. Jake wanted to avoid HIM seeing me.

A single emotional tear formed in the corner of my eye. I wiped it away and sat down one step behind him on the stairs.

"Well, tell me about it," I now gently urged my son, placing a hand on his shoulder, and he obeyed.

My last bit of anger at Jake fell away as he told me about the fight.

He hadn't started it, knowing full well that he had to control himself and basically just defending a girl. Not just any girl ... Becky. I was proud of my son. And his father would it be no less.

"... Mom. I think I imprinted," he ended.

"On Becky, of all people?" I doubted. I had nothing against this girl. How could I? I hardly knew her. Except Jake had been crushing on this Becky for a long time. Maybe he was just telling himself that and looking for a reason to justify his feelings or even to be able to make a claim. It fit too well for him.

"Yes, Mom ... It feels different than before," he tried to say and I encouraged him to describe it to me.

His father had made fun of his pack brothers at the time, but told me a lot about what was going on with them.

"Inevitable! Like I didn't have a choice! ..." he began and I remembered that his father had been afraid of exactly that. That you were forced by the imprinting to a woman you didn't really want. Because this supernatural matchmaking didn't shy away from the fact that you might already be in love. Just like Sam in Leah. Or like Jacob with me. But I knew how fortunate those were who had truly experienced this imprinting. Even now, after years of not phasing, they were still as in love as they were then. Among them was Sam again. But also Paul and Rachel. And I doubted very much that anything would change.

"... Even you and Leah are no longer as important to me as she is!" he finished gently.

My son had truly imprinted. Whether I should be happy about it, however, I did not yet know.

"Is she still with Michael?" I cautiously asked.

My son smiled slyly.

"Not anymore, I think."

"So, what are you hiding under that ice pack?" I asked after a moment when Jake appeared happy.

"Haven't seen it yet. Feels like a black eye," he admitted remorsefully, but smiled as he did so.

"You sure?" I inquired and smirked. Jake apparently hadn't really realized it yet because of the chill.

He took the pad away and carefully palpated his face. He also grabbed his lower jaw and moved it.

I guess it wasn't just a blow Jake had taken.

"Oh," he grinned.

I was sitting behind him and couldn't see his face properly, but there was certainly no trace of the fight left. But Jake seemed a little upset. I had an idea what the reason was.

"Just because a Quileute wolf heals quickly doesn't mean it doesn't hurt just as much as everyone else," I teased, pulling him backwards into my arms.

"Seth could have mentioned that at some point," he complained.

"What does the other guy look like?" I now asked curiously.

"He'll live ... And is suspended for two weeks."

I let his words run through my mind for a moment.

Two weeks of suspension from classes. That wasn't really a punishment. Especially since, according to the school rules, an expulsion from school was actually intended for deliberate acts of violence of any kind.

"Well, let's go deal with the principal!" I then said.

Jake was getting nervous.

So far, he had managed not to look at me. What his thoughts looked like, of course, I did not know. But I had an idea in the meantime, to not be uncovered by his principal either.

I pulled out my cell phone.

We had met a few times before, but I could well imagine that he could no longer put a face to my name. After all, he was dealing with a lot of parents. Maybe I would be still able to delay my exposure in front of HIS family. With a lot of luck.

"Mr. Taylor? Good morning. I'm Mrs. Black, Jake's mother," I began, listening to the usual polite phrases from him.

"Well, Mrs. Black. Your son got into a fight with a classmate. This is a serious offense against school rules," he then said sternly. "On top of that, the other student will probably be dealing with the injuries inflicted by your son for some time. Your son didn't exactly go easy on him."

I swatted Jake on the neck as he chuckled contentedly.

It was a symbolic blow, without even the slightest bit of force behind it. I rolled my eyes for a moment.

Even if I hit my children with all the force I could muster, it certainly wouldn't impress them. Not anymore. But I had never hit eather of them.

"But do you know why this happened?" I inquired.

"By now, yes," he admitted a little more indulgently. "It has been confirmed to me from several sources that your son appears to have only been defending himself..."

"Not just himself!" I interrupted Mr. Taylor. "That Michael Hanks seems to have violently assaulted a girl, didn't he? Becky Young, if I'm not mistaken."

"I have also become aware of that. However, Jake didn't obey the rules and ..."

"So, he's going to be punished by you for saving her?" I said in a very displeased tone.

It particularly annoyed me that Jake was apparently going to be punished for his first offense, while this Michael guy, who was constantly terrorizing random students, once again got off with a leave of absence. Just because his father sat on the school board and was a generous donor!

"Now don't push it, Mrs. Black! Saving is probably an exaggeration!" Mr. Taylor now instructed me irritably.

"I'd say 'saving' is exactly the right word!", I sneered back, getting annoyed. "Do you have any idea what other injuries would have occurred for this Becky? An innocent girl? She can consider herself lucky for only getting a bruised knee. After all, Michael has already sent a few classmates to the hospital. Of course, as the principal, there's nothing you can do about it if it happens outside of school ... But don't forget that his name was also mentioned in connection to a rape. Even though nothing could be proven against him and he had an impeccable alibi ... through his father!"

Mr. Taylor gulped audibly on the other end of the line.

Michael's father would nip any suspicion, however small, against his family in the bud - with enough money if necessary. But Mr. Taylor was afraid of him. He was no longer the youngest and could be removed from his post at any time through the influential connections of Michael's father.

"I ... I think ... I think you are absolutely right, Mrs. Black. Your son is a hero."

"So, Jake is not being punished ... suspended, penalized with additional assignments, or expelled from school!" I probed more closely.

"Of course not. Jake is free to attend class immediately."

"Then have a wonderful day, Mr. Taylor," I said in the nicest voice I could manage.

"I wish you a ..." I disconnected the phone and missed what he'd still wanted to say yet.

"Mom. You're really the best!" Jake praised me.

"What won't I do for my own children," I said, pulling Jake backwards in my arms and giving him a kiss on the temple.

Jake thanked me for leaving it at that and apologized that I had to come here at all.

I stood up.

I had to go to work. Though I had called and let them know that it would possibly be a little late. Even after these last unplanned and very generously allowed vacation days, I wanted to be on time if possible.

Without looking at me, Jake took me into his arms and I gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Behave yourself for the rest of the day," I admonished, disguisedly angry. He wouldn't disappoint me. Neither he nor Leah. Never!

"Promise!"

"Good luck with Becky," I wished to him as I walked to my bike, put on my helmet and slipped on the flat ground.

Damn, I swore under my breath. That's going to bruise.

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