Disclaimer: This story is rated T/ M (Mature) Content may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. It will most likely contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content, suicidal ideations, and strong language.
Part 1 Hawaii
Layla's Pov
The swelling had gone down overnight, but it was still sore from the bruise I knew was there.
I didn't bother looking in the mirror. I didn't want to risk freaking myself out with what may or may not be in the reflection.
Fully dressed for the day, I waded downstairs for some ice. I pulled up my hood and checked the icebox. It was empty.
"I can pick some up on my water jug run later," Syd spoke from his spot, reading the paper.
"I got the ice. Call me if you need anything." I grabbed my keys before he could comment.
The rain was trickling down through the grey atmosphere. I didn't go far, stopping off at the La Push convenience store.
I wanted to stay out of view for the next few days to heal and process my trial and error.
"That will be three ninety-nine. Did you have a good holiday?" Embry's mom greeted me like a stranger.
"Um, yeah. Just making a quick stop before Syd asks me to run more errands." She froze when the register noisily opened.
It was awkward, so I told her to keep the change.
I fumbled the ice bag from the machine outside. When the reflective metal door shut, I saw what she must have inside—no contact to conceal the silvery eye. The eyelid was swollen and discolored, a small gash was over the brow, and a handprint was evidently on my face when I turned my head under the hood.
"Oh, no." I gathered the heavy, lumpy ice bag under my good arm.
Rounding the corner, I bumped into Quil. Fumbling the bag, and ice scattered everywhere.
"Hey!" He shouted, surprised. "Sorry." I lowered my head and didn't bother to pick it up at the risk of him seeing. I made a break for my car.
"Wait." Quil grabbed the back of my sweatshirt. The movement yanked my hood down. I staggered back in his grasp, forcibly facing him.
"Let go!" He released me, shocked at what he saw. "Leave me alone." I got in my car and drove off, running over the scattered ice.
I drove around to calm down and considered getting more ice at a gas station.
I kept glancing at my phone, wary of what would happen next.
I pulled over to answer my father, who finally responded to my many late-night texts. I listened, not wanting to speak.
"Hi, Sweetheart; I'm sorry about last night. You wouldn't believe what happened to me on the golf course this morning. Not only did I twist my wrist, but on John's backswing, he shattered my hand."
So that was the lie Niccolo was going with to cover up his retaliation. I guess my dad being alive was what mattered.
"Hey, Dad." "Yes?" "I have to go. Syd's calling me."
"Yeah, of course. Love you, kid." "Goodbye, Dad." It was petty not to say it back, but I didn't care at the moment.
I had bigger problems now like Syd lighting my ass up for lying to him about where I was yesterday.
I was antically worried Ms. Call had contacted him, and I hoped the small-town talk would stay at a minimum. It was wishful thinking. He mentioned it.
"I bet she was just startled about my eye. I told you it was freaky." I attempted damage control while I turned the car around to face him.
"Layla Moon. Get back here right now!" He hung up. I was in deep trouble.
Two feet in the door, I faced my grandfather head-on. His steely anger switched targets after one look at the bruised handprint shrowding the side of my face.
Before Syd could ask who, I said. "Wren." "Wait here." He went for his keys, sputtering insults.
"Don't! He got into a golf accident this morning. Shattered his hand." I explained. He stopped, shaking his head.
Syd changed his mind and slammed the front door; it bounced back open. I assumed he marched toward his office to make an unfriendly call.
I pulled my hood back up self-consciously, unsure what to do next. "Layla." I flinched at Jacob's tone. Of course, Quil would tell him.
"We came by to bring leftovers." Billie wheeled in. It was apparent they had heard our commotion.
"Sure, set it over there," I said, getting out of their way. Sue showed up behind them, and she locked eyes with me knowingly.
Ms. Call didn't keep word to herself, and she was here to check up on me just in case Syd was the culprit.
"He's in the office." I shook my head to deter her suspicion of my grandfather doing this.
"What happened?" Jacob asked me. And, of course, Quil couldn't keep his mouth shut.
"I went to Seattle." His thick brows lowered, and he uncovered my hood. I didn't fight to hide this time, but I couldn't look at him.
I winced when his hot hand touched the tender skin. "Don't touch it," I mumbled.
"What. Happened." Jacob demanded, his hands started trembling.
"Calm down, Jake," Sue instilled. His black eyes flashed a warning at her.
"Do you want the good news or bad news?" I hissed. "The court case." He put two and two together.
"My mother didn't show up. I'm Wren's by default now." I explained. "You're staying. Then why did he-?"
"Because he was drunk, and I'm his problem now." Before I could get emotional, I pushed past Jake and ran upstairs to my room.
I didn't want to cry about it. Yet I was about to.
It was my fault for not staying away when Wren told me not to come. How could I forget how he could get about my mother?
It was my mistake to misjudge how online-ordered holy water would work on an ancient, powerful vampire, too.
My eyes burned at the remembered embarrassment and the memory of his cool lips on my skin to assert his dominance.
I didn't notice how the overhead lights turned on or how the bedroom door creaked open until Jacob pulled me into his arms.
"Are you happy? I'm staying." I cried, closing my eyes. "Not until you are." His lips brushed the top of my head.
His soft, repeated, whispered kisses helped cease my crying altogether. I took in a shaky breath.
"Is that why you didn't want me in Seattle?" Jacob questioned quietly.
I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, pulling myself closer to him. "You don't need to be there," I whispered.
Time Jump
Jacob and Syd were on the same page—no more unsupervised visits to Seattle.
I wasn't obligated to see Niccolo for another four weeks, sometime in December.
With winter creeping closer, the days were getting shorter; nightfall had taken its toll.
Jacob was rarely far from my side, lighting my dreary days when he could.
I couldn't decide if I was done pushing him away, but I let him near without putting up much of a front or fight.
Today, he had helped me cold plunge into the ocean. I wanted to see if some saltwater dips would aid my healing.
Syd lectured me that I'd take better care of my lungs and to keep warm. But this was something to do, and the rush was invigorating.
Well, until you got out of the water and the wind whipped against your wet skin.
I ran out of the water disgracefully and into the hanging beach blanket strung on the bleached-out tree.
"I think this would be more fun somewhere warm," I stammered, wrapping it around me.
Jacob jogged out of the ocean effortlessly as if he belonged on Bay watch.
"You don't want to go again?" He'd been picking me up and jumping off smaller ledges than the guys on the cliffs.
"No, I'm good. You can stay, though." I shuffled into my sandals and approached Emily's place to warm up.
"Nah, I'm good." Jacob trailed alongside me.
"Do you guys have any Christmas plans?" Emily asked, passing out hot tea and warm blankets to everyone.
I took a cup to press my icy fingers against the mug. Jacob pulled me into his lap and wrapped the oversized blanket around us to insulate the heat.
Some of the group planned to visit their elders or thought about skiing up north.
"I think Billie and Rachel are going to Kuaui to visit Rebecca and her husband," Jacob said. I twisted around to face him.
"Why aren't you going? Didn't you say you wanted to travel?" I questioned. "I didn't know what you were doing." He confessed.
"Jacob, go see your sister! Get out of the country. You shouldn't wait up on me." I lightly scolded him. He's done so much for me that I didn't want to hold him back.
"And let you go to Seattle without me again? I don't think so," he added. My stomach dropped at the mention of that place.
"I hadn't thought about doing anything." That much was true.
When I said I was taking things day by day until I came up with a solution or accepted my fate, I meant it.
"I'm not going. Paul can have my ticket." Jake's grasp tightened around me, and he tucked my head under his chin to close the subject.
On the walk home, I bundled my coat around my face. We took a break under his makeshift garage to let the passing rain spill its last drops.
"What if I go with you?" I offered. "Where?" Jacob's brows furrowed. "To Hawaii." A smile broke across his face. "You would do that? What about the money-"
"Don't worry about it. Would your family be okay having me if I paid my way?" I asked, feeling a little rude, inviting myself on his family vacation.
"I don't think that will be a problem." Jacob scoffed at the impossibility of that idea. "Yeah?" I asked. His enthusiasm was contagious.
"Let's go let Billie know. You think Syd would go for it?" Jake took my hand, running us out into the rain, laughing.
"Who cares." That made Jacob smile wider. "That's my girl."
As Jacob said, Billie and Rachel had no problem with me joining in. It was just the extended family we were waiting to hear back from.
Time skip, weeks later
Everything seemed to go smoothly as these plans fell into place. It became my beacon of hope in the deadbeat darkness of December.
I was in the middle of stuffing my suitcase and packing a carry-on with all the necessities, and I realized Niccolo hadn't called for me all month, but I wasn't giving this up.
I'd never seen Jacob so happy, and I hadn't been genuinely excited about anything in a long time.
When I came back from this vacation, the vampire could kill me for all I cared. This was the one thing I wanted from this life—a moment in time with Jacob Black.
I held his improvised Christmas gift in my hands inside an envelope.
My original gift idea was still in the making. A set of tailored suits for all the special occasions coming up. Sam and Emily's wedding, prom in the spring, graduations, and funerals...possibly mine.
I had bummed Jacob's measurements off Emily when she fitted the groomsmen. Then I sent the numbers to a designer in LA my mom was friends with. He was happy to give me a discount, which meant the labor wasn't at his forefront.
My only regret before this trip was not catching up with EJ. He'd spent the entire fall holiday with his extended family in Alaska and then prepared for the following finals, which had been occupying us both.
Portland Airport
"Ready?" Jacob stepped out of security and dragged out our checked bags.
"Um, yeah." I was distracted and anxious. I'd feel much better once we flew out of Portland and landed on a connecting flight.
There was a slim chance of running into vampires, but not zero.
Four hours later
We reached our layover in LA; I could breathe. We were hurrying to our next terminal.
"Maybe we should've waited another day. I could have shown you guys around."
"There's always the return flight." Jacob went ahead of me to get Billie situated on the next plane.
After seven hours of taxing travel, we arrived dead of night. Rebecca, Rachel's twin, was waiting for her family sign in hand.
She shoved it into her husband's chest and ran for her sister, Billie, and then Jake.
Rebecca was beside herself with Jacob's height. He'd grown two feet or more since she had last seen him at fourteen.
After the introductions, they took us to their house to crash. Rachel and I shared a room, and Paul and Jake had another.
I fell back on a twin bed and closed my eyes. "I made it," I whispered to myself, grinning ear to ear.
The vampire wouldn't dare come looking for me here, not with so much sun.
I woke up to roosters crowing, hens clucking chatter, and the light sound of crashing waves outside.
The smell of breakfast was in the air, and Jacob's family was already awake, reminiscing in the kitchen.
I hurried to shower and become presentable to join them on island adventures.
"There she is." Rebecca grinned at me. I tugged on a sheer tank top over my neon bikini and tucked it into jean shorts.
"Me?" I took some fruit from the counter. "Jacob hasn't shut up about you yet." "Oh. Good things, I hope."
"Nothing but. So, which one of you has the ring?" Rebecca's husband, Akamu, who went by Kam, snickered a laugh.
Paul went pale and cleared his throat with the morning brew. "What?" Clearly, the jet lag was making me slow.
"Oh, nothing; I just thought with the big trip, someone would have some big news." Rebecca scampered off to sit with her dad, overlooking the private beach.
Several days later
Jacob's Pov
Layla stepped out into the sun, bright and beautiful as ever. My imprint made herself comfortable at my side, snacking on her fruit bowl.
"Hey, beautiful." I brushed back her sea breeze curls. Her spoon slipped from her fingers and fell between the wood planks.
"Jake, I look like a crispy piece of bacon," Layla grumbled. "Wouldn't be a problem if you let me help you put on sunscreen."
"Speaking of sunscreen, we're out, and I'd like to get some more coffee."
I frowned, tracing the dark circles under her eyes with my thumb. Layla hadn't slept much since our arrival.
We've been making the most of our time with family, trying to get in as many activities as possible.
Amongst the hiking, snorkeling, and sightseeing, I forgot Layla was still recovering.
I've just been so happy being here and with her. I've never seen Layla this joyful; I bypassed it.
"Maybe we should hang back today. I can put up a hammock while everyone surfs."
"That might be a good idea after a quick trip to town. I have to get my daily dose of shaved ice."
"Cool it, snow cone queen. You can't live off of coffee and sugar the whole trip."
"I'm fine, Jake. What do you want to do today?" "No worries there." I plucked a piece of pineapple from her bowl.
"Hey, guys. I need you to do me a huge favor so I don't tip off a certain someone." Paul gave me a knowing look. "Okay?" Layla asked, clueless.
"I need to find the perfect spot, but I don't have time to scout all the places. Can you and Layla check 'em out and get back to me?"
"Sure." Jacob took his list, and Paul hopped off to find his girlfriend. "I'll explain on the way."
Jacob's Pov
I explained to Layla Paul had asked my dad for Rachel's hand before we left. He planned on proposing to her somewhere on the island.
"Well, she is a part-time photographer. Somewhere picturesque would be nice. What time of day was he thinking?" Layla swung our joined hands.
"Paul never thinks that far ahead."
We began at the botanical gardens and worked our way up to the Wai Koa loop trail. It was a lot of walking, and Layla was falling behind.
"You know I'm partial to the flowers. Do you think Rachel wants a crowd or..." "I think Paul would like it private." I reached out a hand for her.
We were on a bend of a hike near the beach where some Lover's Cove was supposed to be.
"How's the sand? I know you wanted to see snow..." "Forget snow. I think I needed the sun." Layla picked up pace again, stepping through twisted tree roots.
The rock face beside the jungle sloped into a perfect arch, and under it trickled a small stream. The pebbly bank was splayed wide for people to walk underneath.
"Is this the spot?" Layla questioned, her voice echoing into the open cave system. "Yeah, I think so." I ducked under the opening.
"It's too dark for pictures. That's too bad." She frowned, stepping back to get the full effect. "What about right here?" I stepped down into the cave.
Layla came closer. "I don't know. I can't imagine it. This is intimate, but Rachel would like the lookout trail better at sunset or something."
I bent down on one knee for the full effect and took her hand. "How about now?" The wind blew a spray of trickling water our way.
"I dunno." Layla laughed and sputtered. The stream reflected light on the rock ceiling above us.
"Are you sure?" I stretched my arm out and plucked a flower from the vine, pretending it was a ring.
Layla pretended to be pleasantly surprised, playing the part of Rachel. "Will you marry me?"
I heard some girls squeal up the trail when they caught sight of us. Layla's smile faltered, noticing company approaching.
Layla's Pov
A lump caught in my throat, and my heart swelled. We were messing around. I reminded myself.
If I weren't already pink in my cheeks from my sunburn, I'd be worried about what Jacob would think about me getting carried away here.
"It's not the right place or time." I stammered, and then I looked around decidedly. Jacob's smile was marvelous as he tucked the flower into my hair.
"Did she say yes?" I heard the girls on the trail whisper. I hid behind Jake as we passed them on our return trip.
I didn't hear Jacob's response. I was mulling over the fact I may never get married, especially to Jacob, and the weight of that notion hurt.
I had days before I turned myself over to the vampire.
"You okay?" He squeezed my hand. "I'm a little tired."
Despite Jacob's complaints, I managed another cup of caffeine before rejoining his family on the beach. Jake jogged over to Paul to share our findings with him.
My efforts to stay awake were wasted because I fell into a sunbeam-induced nap in the hammock.
"Wake up, sleepy head." Jacob was nudging me. I opened my eyes to lit tiki torches and dusk, sinking under the shoreline.
"Jacob, Why didn't you wake me?" It was night, so I had to be on the lookout. "You looked so peaceful I couldn't." He admitted.
I sat up in my bikini and moved over for him to sit.
"What did I miss?" I asked. "Nothing much. Paul's being a chicken." Jacob rolled his eyes.
"It's a big question, and they're so young. What's the rush?" I asked. "When it's the right person, you know. It's not that hard." He said.
The dim firelight made his black eyes shine against the pending darkness.
"I wanted to give this to you." "We said no gifts," I said. "It's not Christmas, so it doesn't count." Jacob pulled out a necklace and placed it in my hands to inspect.
Fine pieces of abalone shell and buffed-out sea glass were delicately woven into a leather-bound necklace.
In the center was a milky teardrop stone that caught faint colors in the light. It was the necklace he promised to replace at the Pow-wow.
"It's gorgeous, Jake." "It will look better on you." He placed it around my neck.
"What stone is this?" I pointed to the centerpiece. "Moonstone." "Jacob," I warned.
"I made the rest. 'Sides, I had to do something with the chunk of cash you left behind." "That was for you, for fixing my car months ago."
"And I told you not to pay me." He countered. I bit back my argument and thanked Jake by kissing his cheek.
"Thank you. I hope you know I appreciate you." I looked down suddenly, shy. "It's still good to hear." He tilted my chin back up.
I wondered if it would be wrong to kiss him with time running out. Our lips brushed, and I let selfishness guide me.
His met mine slowly, softly, and hesitantly, gauging my reaction until I kissed him back.
I leaned into his scorching skin. He held me close and leaned us into the hammock. The ropes groaned, and I giggled when Jacob pulled me on top of him.
My fingers tangled in his shaggy black hair, and his burning hands glided up and down my body's sunkissed skin.
My sunburned shoulders stung, but I didn't care. In this moment, I was his, and he was mine.
I hooked a leg on the other side of his hips so I didn't sink into the hammock, and then I leaned forward for leverage to deepen our kiss.
He squeezed my outer thighs and then gradually lowered his grip to cup my butt. I giggled again when we made the hammock sway.
When the ropes groaned again, I pulled up for a breath. "Maybe we should stop." I gasped. "Why?" Jacob pulled me against him again.
"What if we break it?" I questioned. "It won't break." He neglected my warning and magnetized me to him once again.
Jacob took all the energy I gained from the power nap. I lay tiredly in his arms. His fingers stroked my skin gingerly and lovingly.
I didn't look up, enjoying the sensation and being close to him; I pressed my hand to his chest.
"What if we stayed here," I whispered. "Fine by me. I don't mind sleeping outside." Jacob mused.
"No, like, what if we didn't go back to Washington?" I gauged his reaction. "You'd want to stay on this tiny island?"
"It doesn't have to be Kauai; maybe we can go to Maui instead." I kept the tone light, but I was completely serious.
"Why?" His mouth twitched in humor, and his brows furrowed.
"I guess I'm not ready to trade paradise for pine needles." I laid my head back down on his shoulder, disappointed.
"We'll come back." He assured me. "You will," I mumbled. He went to sit us up and ask what I meant. Then, there was a sharp groan and crack.
Jacob's weight broke the rope, and we tumbled into the sand. I landed wrong and hissed in pain when he landed on top of me. "Oh, Layla. I'm sorry."
"I'm good. Maybe we should head inside," I sputtered out sand.
Later, at the Luau
Paul was anxiously pacing behind a wooden stage, mumbling something to himself. I nudged Jacob, who hadn't stopped staring at me with his fond gaze.
"Is he going to do it?" I questioned. Jacob peeled his eyes away to see Paul sweating. Rachel had found him, and he stashed the ring away in his pocket.
"Who knows? I bet he'll do it on the last day." Jake passed me a bowl of ube. The fire dance was impressive.
"I bet he'll propose to her tomorrow." I leaned into Jacob's side to keep warm; he willingly tucked me into his side as we ate.
It felt like Jacob and I were in our own little world tonight. At least I didn't seem to notice anything else.
"I like this on you." He tugged on the strapless red sarong bound around me. Rebecca had lent it.
"Thanks, but minimal pulling, okay? I'm not sure I put it-"Jacob interrupted me with a prolonged peck of a kiss.
Rachel cleared her throat, breaking us up. The torches were out, and the food was cleared from the tables.
"The rain is coming in." She pushed past us, irritated. Paul grumbled to himself, moving after her.
"What happened?" Jacob looked to Billie. "A misunderstanding. Rachel reached in his pocket with the ring." He told us.
"Oh, Did Paul get defensive about it?" Jacob guessed correctly.
Rachel turned into bed early, huffing about Paul.
That's when I had the nerve to check my phone. So far, no phone calls, no messages, until now.
'You have 48 hours to book a return flight to the mainland. 72 to arrive in Seattle. Or else.'
I didn't want to know what 'or else' meant, but I also didn't want to leave my paradise with Jake. It couldn't be all over.
But if I didn't, I knew something worse would happen.
Did I chance one more day? Tomorrow was Christmas Eve. I didn't want to ruin things.
Rachel was fast asleep when I gathered my bags. I scribbled a note to Jacob and placed it in his gifted envelope.
I peeked out of the room to catch Jacob walking to his.
"What's up?" He asked. I shut the door behind me to hide the suitcases.
"Nothing." Before he could say anything, I hugged him. "Thanks, Jake." "For what?" His arms wrapped around me.
"For listening to me and for coming here." "Sure, sure." He bent down to kiss me goodnight.
I should have stopped him, but this was perhaps our final kiss.
I caught Jacob's lips with mine and wrapped my arms around his neck. I didn't hide behind coy playfulness like I did in the hammock.
Parting my lips for him to enter, I made my desire known. He seemed surprised at the slow, intense tempo, but he didn't hesitate to intertwine my tongue with his.
After a minute, he leaned us into a wall to compensate for the height difference. The impact made me cut my tongue on his sharp teeth.
"Sorry." Jacob pulled back first, and I covered my mouth. "It's okay. I was getting carried away." I retreated to the room Rachel was in.
"Layla?" Jake spoke behind me. "Yes?" I paused, hand on the handle. "I love you."
"Good night, Jake." It would have been cruel to say it back, even if I meant it with what I was about to do.
The next morning
Jacob's Pov
I slept like a baby after having the second-best day of my life. My imprint kissed me, really kissed me.
With three days left on our trip, we could potentially go home together as a couple.
Excitedly, I leaped off the bed, almost crushing Paul, sleeping on the floor.
"Where's Layla?" I asked my sisters. "That's the first thing?" Rebecca started. "What happened to Good Morning?" Rachel grumbled.
"Well? Is she still asleep?" I took a seat on a stool.
"No, we drove her to the airport last night." Akamu slid an envelope to me. "She said to give you this and that she's sorry."
"What?" I stood up, knocking the chair over. "Cool it, Jake. Her mom isn't doing well; she's meeting her in LA." Rebecca explained.
"One of you will drive me to the airport," I demanded, opening the letter.
'Dear Jake, I'm sorry. I didn't want to bother you with this last-minute thing with my mother. Please stay with your family. It's Christmas Eve, don't leave them for me. I'll call you when I can.~ Layla. Ps. Don't let the helicopter tour tickets go to waste.'
In frustration, I shoved the envelope into Paul's chest. "Jacob!" Billie called after me.
There was no trace of Layla at the airport. No tickets or flights were available until our original departure.
I made call after call, but she didn't answer.
Layla's Pov
I made a pit stop in LA to rest and readjust to the time zone. Call me crazy for wanting to be coherent for my death.
My mom's visitation was a lie I devised to leave Kauai. I did enter my mom's mini-modern mansion alone.
The keypad on the gate worked, and I had a spare key with me.
The foray was well-kept, and the house had nothing out of place since I left in July. I flipped a light switch.
It felt like Lily would walk around the corner any minute, but she wasn't here and wouldn't be.
I climbed the glass steps, set alarms on my phone for tomorrow, and texted Niccolo my following flight number to buy me some time.
I thought about seeing Ashely and B, but I couldn't risk them making me stay.
Instead, I had to look for clues about my mother's disappearance by pawing through her things.
Bethany had cleared the safe, the office was swept clean, Zach's room was empty, and I strode towards my mother's master suite, saving my room for last.
Lily's loft was more of a closet than a bedroom, so there was much to go through.
I flopped down on the water bed an hour and a half later and sighed. I packed three suitcases of her things I'd mail to Syd's.
If I survived, I'd pawn her Hermes purse and designer shoes online for a private investigator because I was pretty much useless.
I used the wave of the water bed to hop on my feet and started on the vanity.
That's when Jacob called for the millionth time. I reluctantly decided to pick it up as I went through the lipstick collection.
"Hey, Jake. Did you get my note?" "Yeah, I got it." He was irritated with me, and he had every right to be.
"What's going on? Why did you take off like that?" Jacob pressed. "I had to see my mom," I mumbled the lie. "Is everything okay?"
I looked into the mirror, seeing my reflection disappear. "It was the only opportunity I had. I'm sorry, Jake." Panic pitched my voice.
Even the lipsticks I touched would fade away. Freaked out, I dropped them all. "Layla? What's wrong?"
"I have to go. I'll call you back." I hung up on him and curled up in a ball, exhausted on the floor.
Christmas Eve Morning
I thought I was going crazy. I heard voices and giggling.
"Mom? Bethany? Ashley?" I had fallen asleep in a pile of my mother's clothes.
The sound wasn't an echo of my memories. It was Ashely. But how did she know I was here? I trotted over to my room, where I heard her, and flung wide my bedroom door... to walk in on her and Embry. She and I screamed, and Jacob's friends rushed to cover himself up.
"What the hell, Ash?!" I marched past them and locked myself in the bathroom. "You're supposed to be in Hawaii!" She jangled the door knob.
"Have you guys been using my room as a love shack, or is this the first time?" I yelled through the door. "Um...Please don't be mad."
"How long?!" I demanded. "Layla-" "Shut up, Embry!" I flung the door open; he was halfway dressed, and Ashely had sheets wrapped around her.
"You know what? I don't care." Embry blocked the doorway. "Move." I glared at him. "Hear us out, Layla," Ashley begged.
"I'll hear you out. Then you." I pointed at Embry. "Does Jake-" He started.
"Yes. He knows. I was supposed to meet my mom today. You're lucky I'm the one who found you."
Ashely bit her lip and lowered her head in shame. I let her dress and explain things to me.
"Kenneth dumped me at the last minute before homecoming. Embry showed up out of the blue to be my date that weekend. It was so romantic, straight out of a rom-com. He borrowed a suit, bought me flowers, and we had a wonderful night. I couldn't take him home; my mom would've had too many questions about me having a different date she didn't know, so we came here after the dance...one thing led to another and-"
"Why didn't you tell me?" I questioned. Ashely looked over at me pleadingly. "I didn't want you to judge me for jumping into bed with your friend's friend, and I didn't want to start any drama if it didn't go anywhere."
"I think I still had a right to know since you were using my bed." I scoffed, standing up. Ashley caught my hand.
"Don't yell at him, Layla. I think I'm in love with him." "Okay, I'll go easy, but did you have to pick my room?" I hugged her.
"You know the first floor has cameras," Ashely said.
I still had a few choice words for Embry, and his presence would make my Seattle arrival tricky.
Ashely promised to clean up and mail me the suitcases I packed with my mother's things.
"Do you want me to call Brianna to be with you? Or we could stay." "That's okay. I need to speak with Lily alone."
"I'll be back later. Jacob wants me to fly back with you." Embry shot me a stern look like I didn't have a choice.
"Don't bother." I retorted. The last thing I wanted was for Embry to experience Niccolo's wrath. "Don't be like that, Layla." Ashley sighed.
When they left, I went to check the cameras she mentioned. Maybe there would be security footage of my mom.
I downloaded the months of footage onto a USB drive when a random car pulled up to the gate.
"Bethany," I stated. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming? You haven't answered my calls! I've been worried, and Syd was such a prick."
Bethany crushed me with a hug. "How'd you know I was here?" I questioned. "Your key card at the community gate..."
She took me out to eat to discuss a few things before dropping me off at my flight gate.
"Are you sure you have to go? It's Christmas Eve. You can stay with me." Bethany tried to coax.
"Yes, I'm sure. Christmas Eve is for family." I know what I said stung; my mom and I were all the family she had, but this was the final push.
"Please, Layla. Let's talk-" She seemed genuine this time. "I don't have time...Thanks for everything, Bethany. Merry Christmas."
Part 2 Screwed
Layla's Pov
Niccolo was there waiting at the airport for me himself. He didn't speak, expecting me to follow him.
Fearful tremored through my body, and I wondered where he was taking me and what fate he had in store.
Justina looked at me in disapproval when she hooked me up to the IV chair. No compelled nurse today.
At this point, I had accepted he'd drain me of blood completely.
Niccolo sat across from me on the couch. His nostrils flared, and his eyes were intent, not his usual crimson but an onyx black and unnaturally unblinking.
I couldn't look away, and the silence was unbearable. "Niccolo."
"I told you Los Angeles was too far, yet you defied me and left the continent completely." His fierce expression was intimidating.
My throat went dry, and my mouth dropped a gape. "Tell me what possessed you to disobey me."
Panic filled my chest when he moved so fast that I couldn't comprehend it. He appeared in front of my face; all I could focus on was his dark eyes and sharp teeth.
"I needed the sun." I stammered. Tears welled up and spilled over.
Niccolo plucked the tube from the IV bag. "Foscari," Justina warned. He placed it into his mouth and sipped like I was his personal juice box.
My breathing became shallow, and my heart palpitated. "You do taste better." The crazed vampire's harsh onyx gaze turned bright crimson.
The tension in his body lessened. "I was only going to be gone for a few days. I would have been on your doorstep by the 31st." I hurried the explanation.
He pinched the tube and reattached the IV bag. "It seems you took survival into your own hands. Forgive me; I should be taking better care of you."
Niccolo paced the floor with intentional slowness. "I will keep this in mind, but as for your punishment..."
Jacob's Pov
I paced the beach back and forth, throwing clumps of sand at the water.
"What the ocean do to you?" A local girl with short, black, wavy hair and hazel eyes balanced a surfboard under her arm.
"You know the best way to ease a bad vibe is to catch a wave. My uncle owns the stand; grab one if you want."
She jerked her chin toward the boards stuck in the sand while entering the water herself.
What the hell else was I supposed to do? I gave the helicopter tickets to Paul, Rachel, and Billie.
No doubt he would propose at the landing sight, and they'd be back with their love story. I had to get my mood together before they returned.
I grabbed a surfboard, parted from the shore, and joined the random surfer chick in the ocean.
We didn't talk. She caught more waves than me. I bet Rachel probably knew her since they were always out here.
"Okay, what's got you down?" She paddled closer to me when the waves mellowed out.
"My imprint..." "What?" She asked. "I mean my girlfriend." I recovered. "Break up over Christmas?" She questioned, leaning forward on her board.
"No. Nothing like that; she had a family emergency, so she had to fly back home." Talking about it to a stranger did make me feel better.
"Long distance, huh?" She pried. "No. I'm not much of a surfer. I think I'm going to take a swim."
"I'll come with you. I think the best caps have flowed out. I'm Alani, by the way." "Jacob."
It was peaceful diving in the deep. I found a large empty conch on the sea floor for Layla when I was down there.
"Lucky." Alani had broken sand dollars and small shells on the end of her board.
"Thanks for inviting me out." I'd probably swim out here by myself anyway, but the company wasn't bad.
We dragged our boards out of the water and set them in the sand.
"So, do you live around here? I don't think I've seen you here before." Alani stripped off her wet suit in front of me.
"Nah, I live on the mainland. My sister and her husband surf." I dried myself off with a towel.
"Well, if you'll be around. I'll leave you my number." Alani had already picked up my cell phone and began typing.
"You don't have to," She finished before I could stop her. "Bye, Jake."
I suddenly felt wrong for hanging out with Alani and deleted her number.
Layla's Pov
"Look up there." Niccolo pointed up at a tall building. A man was standing on the ledge. The winter whipping wind made his blazer flap violently.
"The holidays are a tough time for most. Poor Wren, all alone. He lost his job, his wife, and now his daughter won't speak to him." Niccolo held me in place.
"Dad? No! Don't do this. Please, no!" I writhed in his rigid arms.
"I'd like our relationship to begin uncompelled. From this moment forward, if you disobey me, there will be consequences."
"Niccolo, don't!" "What did I say?" He stated. "I'm sorry. Please don't kill him. I'll do as you say."
With a wicked glint in his eye, he released me and pushed back my frazzled hair. "Don't move."
The vampire was gone in a blink, and my father was off the roof and onto the sidewalk with us.
"Thank you." I hugged my dad, who was stuck in a daze. "We're not done. You have the message, but this was not your punishment."
I sat sniffling in his wide basin bath in the vampire penthouse.
According to him, I smelt like a salty wet dog and was to sit in here with strong bath salts until I didn't.
Two things I came to realize: my dad wasn't going to die today, and neither was I. Niccolo was more twisted than that.
Justina worked her magic straightening my hair this time and helped me into a festive velvet emerald cocktail dress.
I met Niccolo in the penthouse rooftop garden again. "Dashing, my Bella." I took his icy hand.
The vampire seemed to have company—a holiday party with modelesque monsters chatting and sipping on blood in tiny glasses unbeknownst to the humans there.
The furniture had been pulled out of the way for a raised platform with a board painted with a target in the middle.
I wasn't sure if Niccolo hired the circus or created his own with compulsion. "I see you brought Christmas spirit," I muttered sarcastically.
"As much as I enjoy tradition, It's not like the pagan days where we can rampage villages on a bloodthirsty hunt."
He turned so we could watch the performers scattered across the black marble floor. The gymnasts were up first.
Then Niccolo whispered a repulsing compulsion into my ear as the knife thrower approached the portable platform.
"Stop! I have my own knife thrower I wish to use." Niccolo announced.
The man in the sparkly gold mask bowed and handed me his five needle-like daggers. My body moved to the stage, fearful of what was to come.
Greta's evil eye turned into a vicious grin, and Caleb's expression flickered with sympathy. Tessa looked on curiously as other vampires gathered with intrigue.
My father was brought to the target, and he stood in place blindfolded, cheery on wine.
"It's not me that's hurting your father, Layla. Your decisions affect others." Niccolo whispered in my ear.
"Ready? One!" My arm moved on its own, launching the first knife. It hit the board, grazing his core and slicing his suit.
"That was a little close..." My dad awkwardly chuckled. "Two!" Niccolo counted. I nailed my father in the leg, and he cried out. I recoiled, taking a step back.
"Okay. Get me down! Jokes over." Wren demanded. "Three!" Niccolo called out. "I'm sorry, Daddy," I closed my eyes and threw the next one.
My dad cried out in pain as I hit him in the core, shoulder, and thigh again.
The vampires laughed and clapped, then moved on to the next morbid activity. Vitaly pulled Wren off the board and took him away to be patched up.
"I think I made my point." Niccolo reappeared next to me. "Nicco?" Greta greeted him.
"You may part take. Merry Christmas." She beamed and launched herself at the closest circus freak, ripping out his throat.
Vampires threw their champagne glasses down, and a hissing roar erupted with the shattered glass.
"Looks like Greta started a frenzy. Clean up after yourselves!" Niccolo compelled.
He hooked an arm around my core, forcing me to witness the chaotic bloodshed.
La Push, First Beach
Layla's Pov
Everything was grey: the waves, the rocks, and the dense overcast clouds.
Under the bleached-out tree, I tugged up my new winter coat's collar. The gloves didn't protect me from the winter chill; my numb fingers ached when I moved them.
I'd left Syd with his Christmas specials hours ago and told Iris I'd think about stopping by. Her cousins were back, and I was sure they were driving her up the wall.
I didn't know what to do. How to act. I'd witnessed close to a dozen people murdered by vampires and nearly caused my father to die twice.
My breath no longer turned into a white puff of smoke. There was no way out of this nightmare. I knew that now.
I was Niccolo's blood bag, tapped at his request, and he had no intention of letting me go.
The Turstin house, hours later
Rowan's Pov
"Layla! I'm so glad you made it." Iris glided over to her friend. "It's good to see you." Layla kicked off her shoes.
I kept by the Christmas tree looking at old trinkets and flicked an ornament. It flew off the branch and rolled across the floor.
"Hey, sweetie." Aunt Anne picked it up with a complaint.
"Don't mind him. He's usually a jerk, but even more so since... never mind." Iris was talking about me like I wasn't in the same room.
My dad died, my mother was missing, and a murderer was on the loose. I knew a vampire was to blame.
I wish I had been home when it happened, but I was turning up at a pub with friends after my 'turn year.' I got into a brawl and fell asleep at an old mate's house.
It was selfish. I wish I had stayed behind; then, maybe I wouldn't have found my dad decapitated on the floor.
Now, I was forced into hiding until the werewolf council could find the leech. I wanted in, but they wouldn't let me.
I bet they were more worried about how I'd lose it on the next full moon. Cowards.
"Rowan?" Iris's clumsy, goody two-shoe friend had a surprisingly pleasant dulcet drip to her voice. What was more irritating was the way she looked at me.
Most people couldn't hold their gaze on me long. Abnormal silver eyes and all that. "What?" I whipped the question.
She didn't flinch my harshness. The sparkling dark brown eyes I remembered were somehow different, dull, almost as sorrowful as mine.
I looked down at the tiny present in her palm. "A pity gift?" I scoffed, opening it. "It's Christmas." Her innocent whisper was faint. Inside was a leather wallet.
"My grandfather works with leathers. I try my hand at it sometimes. If it falls apart on you, you can come by and pick something else out." Layla trailed off.
"You could say thank you," Iris interjected. "I was getting to that," I mumbled.
What perplexed me more was the Celtic knot emblem pressed into the inner fold. How did she know our clan's mark?
I kept up in my room until supper. I wasn't going to stick around for girl gab.
Layla glanced at me throughout the meal, and my Aunt Anne kept trying to include me in the conversation.
"I was thinking you girls could show Rowan around." I choked down some veg and chased it with water. "Whenever he's ready." Aunt Anne added.
They keep talking like I'm some pathetic wounded animal. "He can get along just fine." Iris spat. "Fuck off." I spat back.
"I'm not hungry." I stormed off to my room. Aunt Anne didn't stop me and apologized to them about my 'hard time adjusting.'
Hours later, there was a knock at my bedroom door. "I don't need a flat-chested pumpkin-headed-" I opened the door to Layla.
"Sorry to bother you." "Then why are yah bothern'?" I snapped out of habit. She stuck out a folded packet of brochures bound together with a rubber band to me.
"I had these in my car from when I first moved here. It gets boring fast. I thought this would help."
I took it without a word. "Okay, then." Layla turned away.
I flipped over the tabs. She didn't leave her number. So, I guess she wasn't a flirt and was trying to be helpful.
"Hey, How'd you know about the emblem?" She turned to face me on top of the stairs. "The what?" "The mark you put in the wallet."
"I don't know." Layla hurried down the stairs.
Around midnight, I stole a bottle of bourbon from the top shelf and sipped it outside in the backyard.
The glass door glided open and closed. I groaned, thinking it was Aunt Anne for one of our little chats.
Instead, light gasps irrupted behind me. Layla clung to the railing of the porch.
"If you're gonna hurl, don't aim for the flowers." She was startled, not expecting me either. "What are you doing?" Layla questioned.
I held up the bourbon and swished it in the bottle. "How about you?" I took a sip. "Can't sleep." Her stare was a thousand yards away.
"Want some?" I expected her to return inside and snitch on me like Iris would. "Sure." She sat beside me.
"So Miss Goody Two Shoes isn't so good after all." I passed the bottle. She drank deeply, winced, and coughed. It was the strong stuff for a reason.
"I'm not feeling like the good guy anymore." Layla shook her head and had that stare again.
"What? Did you steal a car, rob a store, do the dirt on your best friend's mate?" I rambled off a list. "No." She smirked humorlessly.
"What about you?" Layla asked. We passed the bottle between us. "There's not much you can do with a dead dad and a missing mom. The reason why I'm here."
Layla coughed and handed the bourbon back. "I'm sorry." "Why bother? It won't change nothn', not that you know." Bitterness edged every word.
"I do." She whispered. I lowered my drink to look at her.
"About the mom part. My dad was close to dying yesterday, and it was almost my fault..." She trailed off. "You don't need another sob story." Layla clipped.
"You're right. I think we should keep drinking." I made her chug the rest of the bourbon while I raided the liquor cabinet again.
"What happened?" She asked when I returned with vodka. "I thought we were drinking to forget deer. Cheers." I handed her a shot glass.
Layla was a funny girl, and strangely, we didn't have to talk about much to get along.
Neither of us felt the cold air anymore, and we moved out to the grass to evade noise control.
"And then I found them in my bed." She laughed at the story of her gal pal Ashely and some guy called Embry. "Did you get a good look for her?" I snickered.
She swayed, slapping my shoulder. "Why would I do that?" Layla turned red, and her eyes were glassy from the booze.
"Come on. I've walked in on my friends a hundred times. You can't tell them if they've got a good man or done a good job?"
"I wouldn't know." She threw back a shot. "You've never seen anything?" Layla shoved another shot toward me and poured another.
"I've never done anything." She admitted. "That's hard to believe. You look like that, and I assumed-" "What did you assume about me, Rowan?"
"Stop the lights, Layla." I tugged her back down to the grass with me. Maybe I was getting a bit bent, too.
"I didn't mean it like that." I ruined the moment by giving her the smolder I would use when picking up a girl at a pub.
"I bet you get anyone you want with those eyes, huh?" Layla laughed, throwing her head back. I had to say it hurt my pride the way she blew me off.
"My mother did." She added. "What?" I leaned in toward her.
The grandfather clock inside the house chimed the first Noel, and the icicle lights behind Layla shimmered.
"You're not that special, Rowan." She laughed at my demise when I smoldered again, this time as a gag between us.
"Harsh." I threw back a shot. "Nope." Layla stuck her tongue at me and moved her contact to the side.
My face fell in shock—a silver eye. The rare werewolf genetic quirk that manifested in me was carried in her.
She smirked victoriously and nudged the nearly finished vodka bottle toward me.
How much did this girl know? Was she messing with me?
"Layla-" She fell on her back into the grass drunkenly. "You know I've never seen the snow? Haven't had a real Christmas either." Layla slurred.
"So far, this has been the worst-best one, or is it best-worst?" She continued, closing her eyes. "That's desperate," I mumbled, watching her.
"Yeah, how lame." Layla yawned. "Come on, let's get you inside." I picked her up, kicking over the bottle.
"Thanks you." She slurred again. "Let's get some water so we don't turn to ribbons tomorrow." I set her on the couch beside the balsam.
Then, I brought water over from the tap. "I'm sorry for staring at you earlier." "Ah, I'm used to it," I mumbled.
"It's just every time I look at you, it feels like home." Layla's eyes got all glassy again.
"Sshh, it's the booze talking. Lay down." I tucked a blanket around her. "I'm afraid I'll never have that again." She jumbled the confession with heavy lids.
"You're a drunk truth-teller, aren't you? That's a dangerous thing." I grasped the back of the couch and hovered over her.
Layla grazed my cheek fondly with her fingertips, glided her touch down my busted nose, and then looked at me with so much adoration that I couldn't help it—being the wolf that I was.
"Close your eyes," I suggested. She did as I said, and then I kissed her.
I shouldn't have, not like this. Layla was passed out drunk, and I was not. The alcohol was had already processed through my system.
But these pillowy tulip lips were the best consolation prize for this 'worst-best Christmas.'
If only I could smell her to see if she was my mate.
The following morning
Layla's Pov
My head pounded as Iris's mom poured the orange juice for us. I coated my stomach with cinnamon rolls.
Iris looked just as worn despite not staying up and drinking with us. Rowan ignored me. I wondered if I offended him last night in the grass.
I was thankful he dragged me inside because I didn't remember how I ended up on the couch.
"Thank you, Mrs. Turstin. I should really get back to La Push." "Anytime, deary."
"We're hitting the bookstore in Portland next time," Iris informed me on the way out. Rowan said nothing, only glancing at me once.
I walked to First Beach again to continue the sobriety process. The sun was a hazy orb in the sky, hiding behind the thick clouds.
Pebbles noisily clattered together with the turning tide, adding to my headache. Jake and his family would be back tomorrow.
I touched my lips, chapped by the cold wind. I didn't know how to face the consequences of kissing Jacob. He would be under the impression we'd be together.
How could we? If Niccolo would make me throw daggers at my own father, what would he do to Jacob?
I clutched the moonstone necklace Jacob made me. I didn't want to, but I had to stay away from Jake to save him.
"Layla!" The wind carried my longing wish was fulfilled. "Jake?" I stood up. "Layla!" The heavy steps increased in repetition.
He was sprinting toward me. I couldn't help smiling or running over to meet him. "Where have you been, loca?" Jacob picked me up and spun me around.
"Everywhere and nowhere." I hugged him tight, and he held me. "Don't scare me like that again." He swayed us back and forth.
"I'm sorry, Jake. I couldn't help it." My eyes stung in the cold when I blinked up at him. He held my face in his large, burning palms when we pulled away.
He kissed me warm, slow, and firm. I let his relief console me until cold, wet bits pinched my face.
Light white cottony clusters fluttered down from the sky. It melted on contact. "What's this?" "Flurries." Jacob's white toothy smile grew.
"This is snow?" I giggled excitedly with a dance of my own. "Yes." Jake laughed.