DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT NOR ANY CHARACTERS ASSOCIATED
"Mommy, when will Daddy be home?" My three-year-old son asked me as I sat in the rocking chair with him.
"He'll be home in…" I looked over at the clock. "5 minutes. Do you want to go outside and wait for him?"
He nodded enthusiastically and I laughed.
He hopped down out of the chair and ran to the door, waiting for me as I hobbled toward him as best as I could.
I took his hand and together we walked outside, sitting down on the steps of the front porch.
Sure enough, a few minutes later, my husband appeared walking out of the woods.
My son ran toward the supernatural-sized dark brown wolf as I heaved myself off the steps, walking after him.
My wolf leaned down as our son ran his fingers through his fur. I smiled at their sweet exchange before my wolf licked the side of his face and stood back up to walk over to me.
He nuzzled his mark between my neck and shoulder before lowering his head to rub it over my belly. At 37 weeks pregnant, I was ready to pop at any time and I was definitely feeling it. In fact, I'd especially been feeling it all day.
He licked my face and ran off to the woods. Moments later, he walked out with a pair of shorts on and our son ran to him with his arms outstretched.
"Daddy!" He yelled excitedly. My husband reached down and picked him up, twirling him around as he laughed loudly.
"I hope you've been good for Mommy. She needs to rest." He told our little one.
"I've been the best!" Our son responded happily and I smiled.
"Good boy. Now go get your pajamas on and climb into bed. It's past your bedtime already." My husband told him and our son pouted but eventually nodded, walking inside.
He then came up to me and put his hands on either side of my waist, leaning forward to kiss me sweetly.
"How are you feeling, babe?" He asked me curiously as he moved his hand to my belly where I could feel the baby's leg pushing up under my ribs uncomfortably.
"Tired. I've had a couple contractions already. I don't know if it's the real thing or just Braxton-Hicks again. My back has been aching all day though." I told him honestly, unable to keep anything from him.
"Paul is ready whenever we need him to take Caleb." He responded. "Our little one just can't wait to come meet her Daddy, Mommy, and big brother."
He walked me inside and I laid in the bed while he took care of Caleb. It wasn't long before I felt a painful contraction and a gush of water between my legs.
It was time.
I yelled for him and he came running in.
"What is it?" He asked worriedly.
"Call Paul. My water just broke." I told him and he nodded, grabbing the phone right away.
Caleb walked into the bedroom, holding his blanket and stuffed wolf.
"Honey, Uncle Paul is going to come get you and you're going to stay the night at his house, okay?" I told him.
"Is the baby going to be here?" He asked me quietly as he rubbed at his eyes.
"Yes, my sweet boy. You'll get to meet her soon." I responded as my husband hung up the phone.
"Paul will be here in 2 minutes." He told me before turning to our son. "Go get your shoes and your backpack and say goodbye to Mommy."
Caleb walked over to where I was laying and hugged me tightly. "I love you, Mommy."
"I love you too, baby. You be good for Uncle Paul, okay?" I replied and he nodded before walking out of the bedroom.
After Paul came and picked up Caleb, my loving husband walked back into the bedroom and sat down on the bed next to me, dancing his fingers across my stomach.
"I can't believe it's time for her to come already. It seems like it was just yesterday that I imprinted on you and now we're going to have two kids." He said to me with a smile.
I smiled back and let myself remember it all from the very beginning.
To go or not to go.
It was a choice I never thought I'd have to make. The hardest choice of my life.
No, it wasn't.
I knew deep down that my mind was already set.
Something inside me was beckoning me in one direction. It was a compulsion; one I knew I couldn't let go of. I couldn't ignore it. It was the right thing to do, and I knew in my heart that it was somehow my destiny.
"I can't go, Alice." I muttered to her quietly before turning back to Jake.
"What? Bella, he's going to the Volturi, he's going to kill himself!" Alice stood there completely dumbfounded.
"I said I can't go, Alice. I won't play the Romeo and Juliet card. He left me. I almost died in that forest and I would have if the wolves hadn't found me in time. I have a family now. One I know will never abandon me. One I won't have to die for." I told her adamantly before looking up at Jacob who was also in shock, but I could see a strong current of pride coursing through him as well. "Please take me back to the reservation. I need to be there right now."
Alice tried to block our way. "Bella, please!"
"Jake, now." I told him with a sudden urgency I'd never before experienced. I needed to get across the border. I felt like I needed it to save my life. It truly felt like a compulsion. Like one of the alpha orders Jake always talked about Sam giving.
I didn't need to ask twice. Jake lifted me in his arms and pushed past Alice with a growl, running out the door and into the woods immediately.
"Your truck is too slow. She's going to follow. I need to phase and you need to climb on. I promise I won't drop you." He told me as he stripped from his shorts quickly.
I could only nod before seeing the majestic wolf come out from behind the nearest tree. He laid on the ground and I climbed on as fast as I could, grabbing his fur and telling him to run.
He did so. For some reason it felt so freeing. All of it. Letting the wind whip through my hair and my choice to stay with the pack. I finally let him go.
I knew as we crossed the boundary into the reservation. It was a strange sort of tingly sensation that made me immediately feel incredibly safe and at home. This was where I needed to be more than anything.
I heard a yip coming toward us and Jake yipped back, laying down to let me off.
I ran my fingers through my hair to untangle it and brush out some of the leaves that had gotten stuck on our journey.
Jake phased back and pulled on his shorts.
"She's coming. She's almost at the border." Jake told me and I immediately tensed.
Just then I saw two more wolves approaching. They came to my side immediately and began sniffing me before circling around me protectively. I knew who they were, Paul and Jared.
When I heard them both growl, I turned to see Alice standing just across the water.
"Please, Bella, we're running out of time!" Alice begged me.
"She's not coming with you! She chose to stay here with us." Jake yelled at her as the other two wolves growled, crouched in front of me protectively as if ready to attack.
"I-I can't see your future anymore… not at all." Alice said in almost a panic.
"You said you can't see the wolves. My future is with the pack. Please go, Alice. You can try to save him if you can, but I'm not going. My place is here." I said with no hint of backing down.
And I believed it. I knew somehow my life was now connected to the pack in some way that I had yet to understand.
I felt like gravity itself was holding me here, like the wolves in front of me were somehow part of it. I needed them close to me.
"Bella—"
"You heard her, leech! Go now before I call for my alpha." Jake yelled at her angrily.
Alice took one last look at me before turning and running at vampire speed away from us. I felt such a relief that I almost broke down.
"Thank you. All of you." I told the three standing around me.
The wolf I knew was Jared came up to me and started sniffing me again before rubbing his head against me.
"You smell like leech, Bella. He doesn't like it. He's trying to make you smell like wolf." Jake explained to me.
I nodded and reached over to run my fingers through his fur as Paul walked over to me and started doing the same thing around my back.
I didn't know why they came or why I needed them to stay with me so much. I felt like I would fall apart without them near.
It was unexplainable but it was the most solid thing I'd ever experienced in my entire existence.
"I don't suppose any of you have a car nearby who could drive me to Emily's?" I asked with a nervous laugh.
"You know I don't." Jake muttered, scratching at his head. "I could carry you again." He suggested but I heard Jared yip at him motioning his head toward the road. "Looks like Jared has his car. He must've shredded his shorts when he phased to come out here though." Jake explained to me.
"Can you give him yours if you phase back? As much fun as that was, I'd really rather ride in a car the rest of the way." I told him truthfully.
Apparently that seemed to appease Jared.
"Sure, sure. Just don't shred these ones?" Jake told him before heading toward a large tree. "I'll meet you back at Emily's."
He phased and walked out as a wolf, leaving his shorts behind, before Jared walked behind the tree.
Jared came out and rubbed his neck before looking up at me.
Then the world stopped turning.
A/N- I really couldn't help myself. I feel like I'm on a posting spree but it feels like I'm almost getting things off my chest in a way. You all know by now that I love Jared, and I already have a few stories where Jared imprints on Bella, but I felt obliged to share this one as well. For my Bella/Paul fans, I may have something in the works but it'll be a little bit before I start posting that one.
After posting two new Harry Potter stories yesterday (you should go check them out if you like Harry Potter too), I just had to post a new Twilight story as well.
I hope all of you continue to enjoy reading my stories. It's been my pleasure to share a little piece of my brain with you all. Please be sure to review and follow for more.