Chapter 9: Challenge Accepted
The summer continued without Jake.
I spent a lot of my time with Charlie and Paul, and also with Leah, Jess, Kim, Emily and Angela, but almost as much with Sam. Paul and Leah were right about the pull of an imprint, and anytime Sam and I are apart we can physically feel it. Today I am with Leah, and we had decided to try the smaller grocery store in La Push to get some groceries to help feed our wolves, where we happen to run into three of them.
"Nice shirts, boys." Leah snickers as we approach the three shifters. Jared puffs his chest out and laughs and Leah playfully punches Paul's arm.
"Trust me, we don't want to be wearing them." Paul replies grumpily, "We all have to work our real jobs today."
"We are responsible adults." Jared adds sarcastically.
The conversation continues, but all I can do is focus on Sam. He's wearing his uniform for the La Push PD internship, and for a moment I think it's almost better than his shirtless chest.
The same shirtless chest that I've slept on for the past several nights.
The first night he slept over it was just the nervousness from Jake's earlier visit, and after that night Sam had given me more space than I wanted. We still talked every day, and he was incredibly patient and kind, but I started to feel the pull in my chest when we were apart. I was starting to have real feelings for Sam, and one evening I finally broke down and asked him to come over when Charlie was on duty. After that, the next few nights were unspoken, and he would just show up without me asking him to. Instead of our nightly phone conversations after Sam got home from work or patrolling, he'd stop by, and with Charlie's overnight schedules Sam just ended up staying over, and we'd snuggle together in my bed and have quiet conversations for hours. We'd blame it on my being alone in a house most nights since Paul was usually patrolling the overnight shift, or staying over with Emily, but, it's the rez, where we rarely even lock our doors.
Jake's hostility hasn't improved at all. Not only did he continue to be angry at me, but he continued to demand that I reject the imprint. He was convinced that without Sam's imprint I would have chosen Jake as my natural path. No matter how many times I would remind him that I was still going to make the choice that was best for me, he refused to trust me at all, and his constant push was doing nothing more than alienating me.
Leah, who was once the biggest cheerleader for a relationship between Jake and me, realized that Jake didn't seem mature enough to handle the situation. I was starting to feel like friendship was all I could offer Jake, but I was waiting until he was better in control of his wolf before telling him. No matter what, he was my best friend, and I never wanted to cause him pain. I had mistakenly believed that all of Jake's anger was only due to the wolf gene becoming active, but as time went on I realized that the personality traits had always been there simmering under the surface, and shifting only exposed what was already there.
"Hey." Sam said to me quietly while the others were still ribbing each other.
"Hey yourself. Did you give Jared and Paul a ride out of pity?" I asked and his lips quirked in the briefest of smiles.
"Maybe. Full disclosure is I missed you, and I knew you were coming here, so I offered them a ride to have a reason to see you before I go to work." He moved a little closer to me and I breathed him in.
"I missed you too." I said quietly and he finally smiled as he tucked some of the hair that had escaped from my messy bun behind my ears, his hands lingering on my face as he cupped my cheeks.
It had only been two hours since we'd been apart, with Sam sneaking out of my room when he'd heard Charlie's alarm go off. When mine went off an hour later, the spot he had slept in was cold, but his pillow still smelled like him, something spicy, with pine needles and the faint scent of whatever body wash he used.
"I manged to get a few hours off between work and patrol tonight, can I see you?" He asked, and I'm faintly aware of Paul watching us. I nod, and Sam hooks his finger with mine, giving us the touch that both of us seem to crave, and with a quick squeeze he drops it, "I already can't wait to be off work." He whispers.
"I feel exactly the same." I reply just as quietly.
He reaches for my hand again and pulls it up to his mouth, then presses his lips to each of my fingers before playfully biting the tip of my pointer finger. I giggle at him and he pulls me closer, swaying us back and forth with our arms wrapped around each other.
"For fucks sake, stop being a pussy and just kiss her." Paul huffs, but he shoots me a wink.
I can feel the heat on my cheeks, and I chuckle nervously. For as much time as Sam and I have spent together, we've been realtively chaste in our physical interactions. We cuddle and hold hands often, but we've not gone any further.
Sam's warm lips press to my forehead, and he pauses to breathe me in before slowly moving away, "I'll text you when I'm off. Miss you already, Birdie."
"Me too." I whsiper before we break apart.
I watch him walk to his truck and I feel it again, the tug in my chest, the slight ache from our distance. He looks at me and then touches his own chest and nods at me. With a longing look, and a blown kiss and wave, he finally leaves. Leah loops her arm with mine and drags me to the store to start our shopping.
"That was intense." She says quietly as she pushes the buggy through the aisles.
"Yes." I agree.
"Have you two... um... have you two sealed the imprint?" She asks and I turn to her and raise my eyebrow, "Um, well first you verbally accept, then eventually it's physically accepted, and with the way you two just were, and how he's always sleeping at your house, I thought maybe you did." She whispers.
"None of those things have happened. We've spent time together, he...um... sleeps over. But nothing physical, and he's not pushed me to make a decision, and I still haven't talked to Jake. I feel like such a jerk."
"You're being too hard on yourself, Bella. You've tried talking to Jake, and he's tried to order you around like he's your Alpha. Fuck that." Leah replies angrily.
She has a point, and I tell her that. She gapes at me, but before she can say anything else Jared finds us inside of the store and gives us his best puppy eyes.
"I have time before my shift starts, can I add some stuff to the list?" He replies with his hands full of packages of cookies and snacks, and Leah grins at him and gestures towards the cart.
He kisses both of our cheeks before shuffling away, where we hear him telling my brother to grab some chips.
Sam and I have been texting most of the day, and through our conversation I learn that they're hiring for a file clerk at the police station. I get Leah to drop me off at the station, and when I get there the receptionist named Pam smiles at me.
"Hey Bella, are you looking for your uncle?" Pam asks and I shake my head.
"I'm actually here because I'd heard you were hiring for a file clerk." I reply and her smile widens.
"Are you interested in applying?" She asks and I nod, and she ushers me behind the counter to fill out an application. After I'm done, Pam has an informal interview with me, and during that Charlie catches me sitting with her.
"Hey kiddo, what's up?" He asks.
"Bella has applied to be our new file clerk Chief; would you like to interview her?" She beams at him.
Charlie laughs, "She's hired. I'll get Sam to help her with her new hire paperwork."
I thank Pam and follow Charlie to a small office, and I meet the dark hazel eyes of Sam. He grins when Charlie explains why I'm there, and he quickly gathers the paperwork Charlie requested. With a quick hug from Charlie, he excuses himself, after reminding Sam to behave. As soon as Charlie closes the door, Sam pulls me to him and hugs me.
"Congratulations." He murmurs before letting me go.
"Thank you." I grin at him.
I fill out all the necessary paperwork, and Sam asks me to wait while he turns it in. He only has half an hour left in his shift, so I wait with him while he finishes typing up case notes. We say goodbye to Charlie and Pam on our way out, and she hands me my schedule and tells me she'd see me the next day. I see the knowing look on both of their faces when they see Sam and I together, and thankfully neither say a word when Sam unconsciously threads his fingers with mine.
"We can carpool." Sam says when I get into his truck.
We talk the entire way back to Emily's house, which is the unofficial pack house, and as Sam walks around the truck to open my door I see an angry looking Jake walking from the front porch. I watch as Paul and Jared follow behind him, keeping their distance while also paying close attention to Jake.
"Why are you with him?" He asks me angrily, and he grabs my hand and pulls me away from Sam.
"Jake, stop-"
"We are going to talk." Jake interrupts, and I feel his fiery hand grip on to mine.
"You're interfering with an imprint, Black. Sam is giving you a huge fucking pass because he understands you and Bells have history, but he's our Alpha and you need to respect him. You need to let this go." Paul growls and Jake grips my hand harder.
"I'm the rightful Alpha, a real Alpha cannot imprint. We choose our mate, and I've chosen Bella as mine. She's mine." Jake replies angrily and I think I see a flash of yellow in his eyes.
"I get a fucking choice, Jake." I reply, louder than I meant, and I yank my hand away from his.
"This could get violent." Sam warns and Jared and Paul move closer.
"You won't let him hurt me." I reply softly and Sam shakes his head.
"Never."
"Jake, Sam is giving me time to make a decision, he's not pressured me for anything, and you've done nothing but try to take my choices away. I love our friendship; you've been everything for me throughout the years when I was dealing with Renee and our constant moves. You helped me find Paul and Charlie, you helped me get here, you've been a wonderful friend, but I can't give you more than that. It wouldn't be fair to you when a piece of me will always be with Sam."
"You just met him; I've known you our entire lives. Don't do this, don't choose him." Jake pleads.
"Jake, I need my friend back, your wolf is making you irrational. Please." I counter.
The yellow tinge in his eye's fades, and he takes a deep breath, "Bells, I just want you to give me a chance too. Don't accept the imprint without giving me the same chance."
"I'm going to make the best decision for myself, but I needed you to give me the time and space I've asked for."
"Time and space? Do you think I don't know that he's been sleeping at your house? How is that giving me the same fucking chance?" He seethes as he angrily approaches, causing Sam to jump in between us.
"Cool off, Jacob. Go for a run-"
"I don't have to listen to you!" Jake yells and I feel myself being pulled away from Sam, "Are you just going to fuck him, Bella? Why don't you fuck me too? See who the real Alpha is-"
"You will not speak to my imprint that way!" Sam says angrily.
"She's not your anything!" Jake shouts, and he reaches for me, causing Sam to physically get in between us.
"Bella, that's Jake's wolf causing him to act this way." Emily says as she carefully pulls me away from the men, "He's intense, and can be jealous and immature, but he'd never act like this purposely. Jake is the natural Alpha by bloodline, and his wolf is having a terrible time submitting to Sam's."
I hear Jake shout something about a challenge, and suddenly both Sam and Jake have shifted. They run off towards the woods, and I yell for Paul and Jared to help. They both shake their heads and walk back to where Emily and I are huddled together on the porch, and they gently explain that Jake has made a challenge for his birthright.
"What will happen to Sam?" I ask.
"He will have to submit or fight for it." Jared says.
"So, if he beats Jake in a fight, he will remain the Alpha?" I ask and Paul crouches in front of me.
"That's not how this works, Bells. If Sam's wolf doesn't submit, they fight until one of them no longer can. The only way Sam can remain Alpha if Jake doesn't submit is if his wolf kills Jake's." Paul says and I feel the tears begin pouring down my cheeks.
"No, you have to stop them, go-" I shove him away from me, "Go stop them, please Paul."
"We can't." Paul says and I bury my face in Emily's sweater, shaking from sobs as my brother wraps his arms around both of us.
Emily is kind, gentle and a calming force to my overall hotheaded brother, but even her methods of trying to soothe our group didn't work. I had nervous energy, as did the pack, and we spent our time pacing back and forth across the old wooden floors. Quil and Embry eventually joined us, and when Leah got to the house she spent a lot of her time just holding my hand and pacing with me. She somehow knew I needed a physical touch to help me with the painful pull I felt in my chest from being separated from Sam.
We hear a desperate sounding howl, and all the remaining pack came outside with us, running past us and shifting on their way to the woods.
They found Jake before Sam, and even with what I now understood is their accelerated healing process he still looked awful. Quil and Embry were carrying him in, and we gave them a wide berth as they passed through the door. There were bleeding gashes, bruises and swelling all over, one of his arms was hanging at a strange angle and he had an exposed bone poking through the skin on his leg. Emily and Kim had immediately jumped into helping, and Leah explained to me as imprints they always were compelled to help with any injuries our wolves suffered. I wanted to be with Jake, but I was kept away because of his continued volatility, especially towards me.
I was a mess, and I kept looking for Sam, although everyone warned me against being outside when he returned, I wouldn't listen.
I knew he'd never hurt me.
Sue Clearwater showed up to help with the injuries, and I could hear moaning and yelling coming from Jacob as she worked on him. Quil joined me outside and lit a clove cigarette, blowing its strongly scented smoke out through his nose.
"What happened?" I ask.
"I don't know," He took another drag from his cigarette, "Jake's in not in the mindset to talk about it. None of us have felt a shift in power, but we also didn't find Sam yet."
"What does this mean?" I ask nervously.
"The only thing I can think is that Jake submitted." Quil replies.
"Jake is asking for you, Bella." Kim's soft voice calls out to me, "He's sedated and can't hurt you."
I take a deep breath and follow her inside. My mind is whirring and my stomach is a mess; it had been almost two hours since Jake returned to the house, and there's still no word from Sam. Quil and Embry left to help in the search, and Leah, Kim, Emily, and I have helped Sue in various ways. I'd stayed out of the room where they'd treated Jake, allowing the space for Sue to work. She'd needed the strength of Quil and Embry to rebreak and set Jake's bones, and she'd kept him heavily drugged to help with the pain.
"Bella..." He slurred when he saw me, and I could feel the tears burning at my eyes.
"Jake... you could have died."
"I didn't." He replies slowly.
"What happened?"
"He's still Alpha. I submitted." He replies sleepily.
"Why?" I ask and his unfocused almost black eyes meet mine.
"You should ask him." He replies before the medication takes full effect and he's snoring.
Another hour passes, and none of our wolves are home. It's almost time for Charlie to get off work, so I text him and tell him I'm staying with Paul at Emily's. We've moved back to the porch, and my nervous energy is overflowing.
"He's okay, Bella. I'm sure he's just having a hard time shifting back." Leah says as she wraps a sweater around me.
"He's shifted back." I reply.
"You don't know that for sure-"
"I do know! I can feel him. I can feel his pain, I could feel his anxiety during the fight. His wolf took over, but it's the man who's suffering right now. I need to find him." I reply and I notice that Kim and Emily share a look.
"Bella, you have to stay here." Emily's normally soft voice has a more serious tone, and somehow I know I need to listen to her. Out of everyone here, she likely has the most experience with the pack, and her time with my brother has taught her the patience required to handle pack issues.
"You've never accepted the imprint?" Kim asks and I meet her dark eyes.
"I haven't specifically accepted or rejected. We've been getting to know each other, Sam has been so patient with me." I admit.
"Can you feel any type of connection like this to Jake?" Emily asks and I shake my head.
"I worry about Jake when he's not around, but when it comes to Sam, I can feel everything. He's ashamed right now, he's disappointed in himself, and he's worried I won't accept him."
"That shouldn't be possible…" Emily trails off.
"Just like I can feel your sadness and worry, and the anxiety I'm causing you by staying away." Sam says and I turn quicky towards the sound of his voice. He limps slowly towards us, holding his left arm tight against his side, and I run towards him. He puts his good arm around me and leans heavily against me, too exhausted and pained to walk further, and he's quickly scooped up by the pack and taken inside the house.
Paul won't let me into the room with Sam, explaining they were going to have to rebreak his bones, so they'd heal properly with his accelerating healing, and that as soon as they'd gotten him stable they'd allow me in. Jared and Paul volunteer to help get Sam stabilized while I sit between Leah and Emily on the couch, with Kim on Emily's other side. I watch the nervous energy Quil and Embry have as they listen, and when Sam calls out in pain, I try to go to him, only giving up once Embry has lifted me up and taken me outside again.
"This is my fault." I cry when he finally puts me down.
"No, this was going to happen regardless of the imprint, Bella. Jacob is the bloodline for Alpha, and he will be the next Chief, regardless of you being in the picture they would have had to do a transfer of power. If you hadn't of been here, it could have been so much worse." He sighs.
"How?" I ask incredulously.
"Because with you being here Sam had something to fight for. Had he not, he might have made different decisions." He replies, "You're Sam's entire world now. Before you, he didn't have a reason to live."
Embry loops his arm around me and I lean my head on his shoulder. His scent reminds me slightly of Paul, something almost sweet like vanilla, and I find the familiarity of it puts me at ease.
When we finally walk back inside, Sue explained that they had given Sam morphine through an IV, but he would be on a high dosage since his body would burn the medication off so quickly. I am finally allowed in with him, where I find his left arm wrapped around his body, stabilizing serious rib injuries and broken bones in his arm and shoulder. He looks like he's sleeping fitfully, and when I gently touch his only uninjured arm he finally seems to calm down.
"Lay with me," He slurs quietly, and I shake my head, "you won't hurt me." He prompts.
I crawl into the bed with him carefully so as not to jostle him at all, and when I'm close enough he threads his fingers with mine. He hums in appreciation, and I turn towards him and press my lips to his shoulder, feeling the burn of his overheated skin.
"I'm so sorry, Sam." I reply as tears leak out of my eyes.
"I'm not." He says in his drowsy voice, "It was inevitable."
He squeezes our joined hands and I sigh, pressing my lips to his shoulder one more time, and I eventually hear his quiet snores. The warmth from his body, and the sound of his breathing lulls me to sleep shortly after.