Disclaimer: This story is rated T+/ M (Mature) Content may be suitable for person ages 17 and older. Will most likely contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content, and strong language.
Jacob's POV
It was odd moving on my own two feet. Sam had planted some clothes behind the gas station just outside of town for me to find. I thought I could have out run the storm that hit, but a car clipped me on the way in. I had to wait in the woods across the lot for my hip to pop back in place and for my leg to readjust.
Now that I was here. Apologies had to be given, and I had many relationships to mend. I had Agreed to meet my friends first before heading home.
"Jake!" Embry and Quil stood up to greet me. I cracked a wiry smile for the first time in ages. It felt strange on my face. The restaurant noise was quickly becoming overwhelming, giving me a headache.
As I took a step towards them something rammed into my back with force. My stony expression returned, and I felt a growl build up in my chest. Throwing my shoulders back I turned around to see what the problem was.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to run into you. You see, the floor is wet so I slipped." A soft dulcet voice echoed in my ears.
A girl nearly two feet below me clutched her nose as she apologized. Must have fallen face first into me.
"No problem." My voice was incredibly gruff due to unuse. I think she was able to make out my words.
The brunette uncovered her face looking up at me with round glassy dark brown eyes.
My heart lurched and in a split second the world seemed to shift beneath my feet. Gravity moved. Tying my being around her feet. At first, I was afraid that I was shifting back into a wolf here in the diner, but that didn't seem to happen. There was no panic coming from the customers. That meant what was happening to me was internal.
The recollection hit me. Sam's words from a year ago surfaced to the forefront of my mind.
'Imprinting. It's like this...The center of your world changes. Your life, becomes her life, and vice versa. The love you experience will be like one you have never known. There are no words to describe it fully.'
My eyes locked immovably to hers. She looked just as startled as me. Then a new sensation latched onto me. Something like a hot cord of three bounds being tied. No, branded, my heart to hers. Once secured an electrical heat magnetized, and it was like that magnetism that circulated through my chest to every part of me.
Then there was something that felt like a snap. A cutting away. Severing and separating all former lesser bonds. This new cord swiped across the old ones like a hot knife.
In moments the imprinting changed everything. She broke the back of my loathing. The chains of sorrow that weighed me down shattered. My bitterness and resentment gone. The grudge I was determined to keep with an iron grip on slipped and dropped off my being entirely. Oil to water. Even the throbbing pain from the hole in my heart Bella ripped out slowly began to evaporate in this girl's presence.
It was all because of her. She became my everything. I was so speechless my mouth hung open in shock.
It was strange. I felt bound, but incredibly free. And surprisingly I was grateful.
Sam was right. Nothing compared to this love.
I had to know her name.
But before I could ask, or take in her entire appearance with true appreciation, my imprint pulled up her hood bolting out the door.
"Layla! Where are you going? You can't just-" The female manager hung over the counter calling after her. The diner lights flickered to a clap of thunder.
"Layla." I breathed. Her name felt right on my tongue, so I repeated it again. My feet moved on their own after her.
"Can one of you boys go get her? Please."
I could hear foot falls splashing through puddles ahead. When the sound stopped, I knew Layla did too. The rain came down faster and harder making it difficult to hear or see anything. Even for me.
"Hey!" I called out loudly. She stood there unmoving looking for something.
I called out to Layla again this time stepping in front of her. My body blocked the wind carrying the rain coming at her. She blinked wiping her eyes. Layla stepped back finally noticing me.
"Let's get back inside!" I raised my voice hoping she heard. I wasn't sure that she had. Layla's nose crinkled as her face twisted in confusion. She looked down at my hand extended to her. Nodding hesitantly, grasped my palm.
Once her ice-cold fingers laced into mine it felt like two puzzle pieces coming together. I could feel the warm electric current under our skin and run up through my arm, into my chest, stirring my heart. It was waking me up out of the emotional destitute stupor I've been living in. My hand clamped around hers tighter as I led her back to the diner. The ripping rain and wind slammed the door behind us. We stood dripping all over the floor once again.
"What on earth were you thinking?!" Cheryl shrieked. She had fetched more towels. Tossing one over my shoulder and the other she wrapped around Layla.
"I-I was going back for my p-purse so I could p-pay you." She stammered out.
The owner was right. No one had any business going back out there.
"Too late now honey. The tow truck must have taken it. I called your grandfather. He knows you arrived safely, but I think it's best you get a ride to somewhere warmer soon."
"Oh, okay." Layla looked down at her feet.
"I can't drive you home until the storm passes and everyone leaves. Maybe someone else here can. Some dry clothes will do you good." Cheryl persisted with concern.
"We could drive you guys' home." Embry swooped in for the rescue. Clearly, I was still out of it.
"Hi there! I'm Embry Call and that's our friend Quil Ateara." He waved from the table with a mouth full of cheeseburger.
"Let them take you home Hun." Cheryl assured her. "They're good boys."
"B-But-"
"Don't worry about it now. I know where you're staying." Cheryl winked at her.
Layla nodded reluctantly, agreeing to Embry's offer. He ran out to bring his truck around.
The guys and I greeted each other briefly hugging one another. They welcomed me back with open arms congratulating me on what just happened.
"Come on guys! Let's get you home." Embry called back to my imprint standing on the steps watching us.
Quil called shotgun forcing the two of us in the back seat. Layla climbed first. Her wet clothes weighing her down made it hard for her to move. I slid in next keeping a seat open between us. I accidentally slammed the door with a little too much force than I should have. It made her jump in surprise while Embry snapped his head back protectively over his vehicle. I needed to watch my strength.
"Sorry." I mumbled, ignoring Embry's brief glare. I was too focused on Layla.
"Where to Miss?" Embry asked enthusiastically. That's right, this must be his new truck. He was talking about buying a used car last time we spoke.
"La Push." Her answer surprised us.
"Our land? Are you trying to come home with us?" Quil teased her. I kneed the back of his seat. I knew he was trying to be funny, but I didn't like the flirtation in that tone. Embry shot another stern look through the rearview mirror at me.
"My grandfather lives there, on Moon Ranch." She explained.
"Old man Syd, huh?" Embry muttered. "We know where he lives." Quil's face looked amused as if recalling something.
"Yeah, we used to get in trouble for trespassing when we were kids." Embry didn't find the memory as funny as Quil. Probably because he would be the one to get caught.
"Oh, really?" Layla's full lips lifted in a slight smile.
"He's just mad Syd's chickens chased him down the street." Quil chuckled ruthlessly.
"Hey! They were mean and huge. I swear the brown one could fly." Embry grumbled. She laughed at that. And the sound was melodic mesmerizing me.
"So where are you from Layla?" Quil decided to take the lead on questions since I was unable to snap out of this starstruck state.
"Idiot." Embry whispered so low only us guys could hear.
"Los Angeles." Layla's teeth chattered less now that the car was heating up with all three of us in it.
"California girl. Did you move here for the rain, or what?" Quil continued.
"Something like that." I wanted her to keep speaking just so I could hear her, but Layla's demeanor was shy.
I owed it to the guys for their help. I wish I was capable of interactions right now, but I wasn't in my current condition. Learning to become a man again would be my top priority.
I tried to say something, but the sound that came out of me resembled a growl. I cleared my throat instead.
Layla looked at me as if I was coming down with something. Or maybe she thought I was crazy. Great.
Embry looked back at me shaking his head this time. "Did you move here? Or are you just visiting good old grandpa?"
"I guess I'm moving in with Syd for now. My dad has a house out in Forks, but that's in the process of being renovated." Layla's eyes desperately followed a car being towed in the opposite direction. It must have been hers.
"Do you think you'll be going to school on the rez then?" Embry asked for me.
"I'm not sure. I think it will be whatever they decide." Layla shrugged not invested.
Embry turned off the main road and onto the bumpy reservation back roads. We headed towards the back of the Quileute lands. He jerked the car to weave around potential potholes.
Layla forgot about her seatbelt because she slid into my side.
"Sorry." She squeaked, grabbing my knee for support. My arm instinctively wrapped around her so that she wouldn't fly forward on the next bump. The gravel road was always bumpier when heavy rains came to loosen the ground.
"You guys good?" Embry suppressed a laugh watching us. I shot him a glare for driving recklessly. "Yeah." Layla answered.
"You don't get to decide?" I asked her. She blinked, surprised I said anything at all.
"I suppose I could weigh in." She pushed off me gently. "I was thinking about going to Forks High though."
"Boo." The guys chimed from the front. Their carefree nature was making her more comfortable.
"I just didn't think a pale face like mine would be welcome." She glanced back at me. Our eyes held one another's with another unexplained moment of magnetism.
"You'd be safe with us." I assured her. Safe with me.
"You're more than welcome." Embry rolled up the U-shaped drive of a sand and gravel lane that led up to Syd's front steps.
The house was a typical two-story wide ranch house made of stone and wood. Some sort of barn sat off to the side on the left.
The porch light flickered on and a man stood with a stature similar to mine. Height and build, stood with a shotgun.
"Mean as always." Quil whispered to Embry. Syd approached us signaling them to roll down the window.
"What are you kids doing? Do I need to call your parents?" Syd threatened in his deep raspy voice.
"You know you didn't have to bring that out." Embry referred to the gun.
"Relax Syd, we have your granddaughter." Quil assured him pointing to the back.
"Thanks guys. Hey Gramps!" Layla hopped out of the backseat onto the muddy ground. Syd squinted at all of us as if memorizing our faces with his grey hawk-like eyes.
"You boys stay out of trouble." He grunted.
"See you around!" Quil waved at Layla ignoring Syd's threat. "Don't be a stranger." Embry winked.
"See yah." Layla's smile faded when looking at me one last time.
"Later." She closed the passenger door. Embry drove off too quickly.
"Could you be anymore lame?" Quil groaned twisting his body to look back at me.
"I did all the work for you! I might as well ask her out-" I cut him off by snarling and a swift kick to the back of his seat again. My protective instincts were growing if not taking over when it came to her.
"Cut it out! No beating up the truck! Got it?!" Embry raised his voice. Quil muttered incoherently to himself.
"Cut Jacob some slack Quil. He just got back, and none of us could have guessed that was going to happen tonight." Embry defended me.
"Yeah, he's so used to running around in wolf form he's forgotten how to talk." Quil grumbled again.
I rolled my eyes. He wasn't wrong. Being human would take some getting used to. I tuned out their banter as they drove me home a couple miles up the road. In the mean time I kept replaying my first encounter with her in my mind.
"Alright. We're kicking you out." Embry unlocked the truck doors.
"Take a shower why don't yah? You dirty mutt." Quill laughed at his own joke that he only found funny.
"Thanks guys." They drove off.
I looked to the familiar single story brick red house. My dad wheeled out on the front porch I made him under the overhang. He was up this late waiting for me. A lump of emotion rose in my throat. There was so much I wanted to say, but I wasn't sure how much I could. Would anything I said or did counter act the damage I did by leaving?