A/N: Kind of a filler chapter but it sets it up for what happens in the next chapter. Updates will slow down, but I'm aiming for at least once a week.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight nor Inuyasha. Both belong to their respective owners and not me. But please, please no flames and if you have nothing better to say, say nothing at all.

Chapter VIII – The Next Day

The house was quiet on that Saturday morning. It was the kind of quiet that only came when everyone was still deep in sleep. Kagome had woken a little after eight and moved through Angela's kitchen with ease.

The rest of the Weber family was away on a weekend-long camping trip, leaving the house entirely to them. Angela had told them the night before that they were free to help themselves to anything, as long as they cleaned up afterward. Her mom kept a spotless kitchen—a fact made evident by the pristine state of the countertops.

Kagome moved to the stove with ease, enjoying the rare moment of solitude as she brewed a fresh pot of coffee. The rich aroma filled the air, mixing with the scent of butter and cinnamon as she worked on making French toast.

It was early—too early considering how late they'd all stayed up last night—but Kagome had never been one to sleep in, even when given the chance. She welcomed the peaceful silence, needing the space to think.

Because today was supposed to be her "not a date" with Sam.

Her lips pressed into a thin line as she flipped a slice of the French toast in the pan, her grip on the spatula tightening. That wasn't happening. After everything at the bonfire, after the strange pull she felt toward all of them—toward Paul—she wasn't about to throw herself back into whatever mess was happening with those boys. His response had been so raw and instinctive.

She'd get out ahead of it. Cut the ties before they tangled around her any further. Though her curiosity burned, she feared what might happen if she got any closer.

Her chest bloomed with a dull ache and she rubbed at it absentmindedly, as if it might help ease the stinging throb.

A low groan from the stairs snapped her from her thoughts, followed by the slow shuffle of socked feet against the floor.

"Kill me," Bella muttered as she slumped against the doorway, hair a tangled mess, dark circles under her eyes.

Kagome smirked, reaching for a mug and pouring her a generous amount of coffee. "Morning, sunshine. I'm surprised you're up, you could've slept in more."

Bella glared at her weakly, making no move to stop the coffee Kagome pushed toward her. She took it with a quiet grunt of thanks before sinking onto a chair at the kitchen table. "I had to pee and now I can't sleep."

"Well, someone got really hammered last night. Any particular reason why?" She hedged, sipping from her mug as she manned the stove.

Bella groaned again, rubbing her temples. "I just…felt like it," she offered as an explanation, though even to Kagome, it sounded like an excuse.

"Alright, don't tell me," she said, turning away to flip more French toast in the pan while taking a light sip of her coffee. "But I'm here if you want to talk."

Bella made a pained noise, burying her face in her arms. "It's just...ugh! Like…god! He makes me so…angry, sometimes, y'know?"

Kagome chuckled, leaning against the counter before setting her mug down. "Right, I completely understand the feeling. Just…ugh!" She laughed as Bella gave her a flat look.

"C'mon, you know what I mean," Bella sighed, frustrated. "He wasn't…happy about me going to La Push last night and we argued about it. Said I shouldn't be participating in recreational activities because I could get hurt. Like I can't protect myself!" she bit out hoarsely.

"No, you're completely right. He should trust that you know what you're doing. You were with us most of the night, and nothing happened. So Edward will just have to suck it up and accept it," Kagome said, glancing at her with a smile.

Her sister opened and closed her mouth, as if she hadn't expected Kagome to agree with her. "Y-yeah, exactly…wait, you're agreeing with me?"

Kagome laughed. "Well, of course. Only you know what's best for yourself. If you make mistakes along the way, well, you're the one who has to live with them—whether those you love like it or not."

Bella looked down at her coffee thoughtfully, gaze distant. "You're right but…I guess I'm just so used to people making decisions for me without asking me what I want, you know?"

"I get it," Kagome said as she set a plate of French toast in front of her sister. "It sucks when you feel like no one is really listening. But that's when you need to pull yourself together, put your foot down, and show them you mean business."

Bella hummed in response, a thoughtful noise at the back of her throat as she accepted the plate. She dug into her breakfast, her expression distant, lost in thought.

A peaceful silence stretched between them–Bella nursing her coffee, while Kagome started on the eggs and bacon at the stove.

"So," Bella began, between bites of food. "Ang told me you met Paul last night, how did that go?"

At the mention of his name, Kagome's hands stilled over the stovetop, the scent of sizzling bacon and eggs momentarily forgotten.

She swallowed thickly. "Yeah, he was…" she trailed off, trying to find the right words.

" –an ass? The biggest jerk you've ever met?" her sister supplied, and Kagome laughed.

It was obvious she'd met Paul, if the grimace on her face was anything to go by.

"I was going to say it was…interesting, considering he didn't really say much. Just took one glance at me and then got all…well, he didn't look happy, anyway," Kagome explained, carefully leaving out how they had all suddenly left—and the howl that had followed.

After piecing together everything she knew about the Quileute boys she'd met so far, Kagome had come to a conclusion: they were definitely wolves.

The bacon sizzled on the stovetop as those thoughts swirled in her mind. The more she lingered on her theory, the more sound it seemed, judging by their odd behavior and the way their auras were reflections of who they were. There was also no mistaking Sam and Paul's aura last night in the woods on the way down to the bonfire, they zipped through La Push too quickly for her to track. She could sense the immediate change in their energy, and something about the land itself felt…primal. Raw.

Were they a pack, then?

It would make sense if they were wolves but they were a different kind, because they didn't feel like anything she'd known before. Kōga had a clan of wolves that he considered a pack, and so did Inuyasha. The Inutachi had been his pack—a family in every sense of the word.

A pang of longing pierced her chest, an ache for a bygone era that no longer existed.

Bella snorted, setting her fork down. "That's the understatement of the century. He's a jerk and has the worst temper. Be careful around him—Jake used to say they would get into it all the time because the slightest thing set him off."

Kagome hummed but otherwise didn't comment. She didn't know Paul and though she was thrown off by his behavior last night, that didn't give her the right to judge him based on one interaction.

After a few minutes, the bacon and eggs were done and Kagome placed them on two separate plates and set them down at the table. Angela and Jessica were still asleep, they spent most of the night after they left the bonfire drinking up a storm and only just recently went to bed around three in the morning.

"By the way, did you tell Sam you were sleeping over at Angela's?" Bella suddenly asked and Kagome swallowed thickly, setting up a plate of breakfast for herself.

"I'm not going," she answered simply.

Bella blinked, looking up over the rim of her mug. "Huh?"

"The thing with Sam. I'm not going." Kagome shrugged, trying to sound casual. "I don't even have his number so I was just...going to call Billy or something and leave a message, unless Angela has the yellow pages laying around here."

Bella frowned. "Um, can I ask why? Did he…say or do something last night?"

"No, he wasn't there. I just…think it's a bad idea, I mean, I won't be here long anyway," Kagome said, waving it off. "I was gonna call and just cancel."

Bella set her coffee down, frown deepening. "I mean, that's fine. I get it, don't want to get too…deep into it but," she paused, considering Kagome with an unreadable expression. "Ang told me you came back looking really…down. Are you sure nothing happened at the bonfire?"

Kagome froze for half a second before reaching for her mug. "Of course not," she said, keeping her voice even. She took a sip, letting the warmth settle her nerves before setting it down carefully. "I just don't think it's a good idea to get involved with…any of them."

Bella raised a skeptical brow. "Any of them?"

Kagome exhaled, rubbing her temple. "You know what I mean."

For a while, her sister didn't respond, instead leaning back in her chair with a thoughtful hum. "Well, if that's your decision, then I won't push it. Are you sure they didn't do anything though?"

Kagome let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. "I'm sure, Bella. Plus, your big sis can handle herself just fine. I know self defense."

Bella hummed, clearly unconvinced but she left it well enough alone.

Kagome focused her attention on cleaning up, standing to gather their plates. She was actively keeping her distance but could hardly begin to explain why, exactly.

How could she tell her sister that something felt off. That there was this strange, undeniable pull toward the Quileute pack that set her instincts screaming and heart racing?

She wasn't about to voice that out loud.

Instead, she washed their dishes in the sink and busied herself with placing the leftover breakfast into containers for Angela and Jessica when they woke up.

"Angela should have a copy of the yellow pages in the living room I think," Bella said, already heading over to grab it.

Kagome nodded, drying her hands on a dish towel as Bella disappeared into the other room. She took a deep breath, rolling her shoulders to ease the tension building there.

It would be fine, she'd just leave a message, cancel the whole thing, and move on. It's not like she owed Sam anything.

But then, from the other room, Bella's voice carried through the quiet house. "Found it!" The rustle of pages flipping, then, "Alright…here it is."

Kagome strode over to the living room, where her sister was leaning against the wall where the phone was mounted, yellow pages in hand.

"There's no Sam Uley but there is an Allison Uley, I think it might be a relative or something," Bella stated, pointing at the name on the page.

Kagome's stomach dipped slightly. She hadn't really thought about Sam's family but she hoped they weren't the type to ask questions. It was awkward enough she had to call and tell him she wasn't going.

Still, she forced a casual tone. "It's probably his mom."

Bella nodded, handing her the phone before punching the number in. "Guess we'll find out."

The phone rang. Once, twice and then–

"Hello?" A woman's warm voice answered.

Kagome cleared her throat. "Oh, hello. Um, my name is Kagome, I was looking for Sam?"

There was a pause before, "Oh, I'm sorry, dear. He's not here. Hasn't been around since yesterday morning."

Bella was staring at her with a frown as she fiddled with the phone line cord. This was definitely his mother, she could tell by the way she used 'dear' to address her. Well, this was awkward.

Kagome hesitated before responding. "That's alright, then. Can you just tell him that I need to cancel my…outing with him today?"

"Oh, I see. Of course, I'll let him know," Allison said, her voice still warm but carried something else–something unreadable in her tone.

"Alright, thank you," she replied before hanging up.

The call ended with a soft click and Kagome set the phone back on the wall as Bella shut the yellow pages, leaving it to the side.

"So….what happened?" Bella asked, crossing her arms.

Kagome shrugged. "Nothing, she just said she'd let him know."

Even she was a bit surprised that Sam's mom didn't ask her a million questions–especially about who she was and why she was canceling. Not that she was complaining, she was relieved she didn't have to make something up on the spot.

"Well, at least you didn't need to go through the awkward experience of explaining yourself to his mom," Bella admitted, shaking her head as she began heading up the stairs. "Anyway, I'm gonna shower, and then go back to bed."

Kagome only nodded, heading back to the kitchen where her mug of lukewarm coffee sat. Something told her this wasn't the last unexpected turn today would take.

Jared woke abruptly, the lingering howl of the pack bouncing around his skull. His body protested as he shifted, the ache of last night's patrol sinking deep into his bones. The cabin was still, but the tension in the air felt like a thread waiting to snap. A leech had crossed the border in the late hours of his shift last night and it took all of them phased in to drive the redhead away. She was so fast, easily able to evade them for hours that night.

His body was sluggish with exhaustion, the strain of patrol pulling at his muscles, but the sight of Seth in his doorway–shoulders slumped, eyes shadowed with fatigue–snapped him into full awareness.

"The redhead came back again," Seth muttered, scrubbing a hand down his face. "The others finally drove her off not too long ago."

Jared swore under his breath, already swinging his legs over the bed. He thought they'd finally seen the last of her. They couldn't keep playing this game of chase.

Seth sighed, shaking his head. "I'm heading home, Sam should be getting off shift soon but he wants three of us on patrol at night in case the redhead appears again." He didn't wait for a response, already disappearing out of the cabin.

He barely had time to process that before the phone rang, sharp and intrusive in the quiet cabin. Jared cursed, moving through the stillness of the room as he grabbed it with a groggy grunt, pressing it to his ear with a quick, "Hello".

"Jared?" Allison Uley's voice came through the receiver, warm but tired. "Hey, boy. I just got a call from a girl named Kagome–said she can't meet Sammy for their little date."

He stiffened. Kagome? She was canceling on Sam?

Jared's grip tightened on the phone, an odd sensation creeping down his spine–something he could only describe as fear.

"Cancel?" he echoed, his voice rough from sleep.

Allison hummed in confirmation. "Yeah, didn't say much 'bout why. Sounds like a nice girl, though. But she seemed…resolved about it."

Jared ran a hand down his face. Just great, he thought tiredly.

"I'll let Sam know when he comes back," he said. Allison offered a quick goodbye before hanging up.

The good thing about Sam's mom–she didn't ask questions if it wasn't her place. Being an elder probably had something to do with it, especially after her husband had deserted the tribe long ago. Jared appreciated that. He didn't think it was his place to tell her about Sam's imprint.

The imprint.

The word hung heavy in his mind. Jared set the phone back on the receiver and moved into the kitchen, grabbing himself a beer.

He cracked it open, enjoying the cold bitterness as it slid down his throat. Last night had been a mess–five out of seven of them had already imprinted.

And Paul? He was still taking it hard, torn between acceptance and denial. His abandonment issues with his mom still plagued him, and Jared figured he needed to deal with that before he could even begin to accept Kagome.

But Kagome.

She was… beautiful, in every sense of the word. There was no denying the bond was growing. He didn't feel the all-encompassing need to be near her like the others did, but he knew—prayed—that it could happen to him too. To him, it didn't seem like the end of the world.

Jared finished off the rest of his beer and moved to the shower, washing away the grime of last night as cold water cascaded down his bare back. A part of him was scared he wouldn't imprint at all— that he'd be left wondering if he'd spend the rest of his life alone, phasing to protect a tribe with no one to come home to.

The hours in Sam's cabin passed in relative silence, and Jared tried to busy himself with cleaning up. He'd been living with Sam ever since his parents had kicked him out after he first phased, thinking he was a no-good son. He hadn't looked back since.

As he set about warming up some leftover Hamburger Helper, he felt Sam's heavy presence outside as he phased back, striding in as naked as the day he was born.

There was a pair of joggers on the couch, and Sam pulled them on tiredly before finally collapsing on the sofa with a huff.

Jared grabbed a beer from the fridge and tossed it over. Sam caught it easily with one hand.

"Thanks," Sam said, his voice gruff.

Jared said nothing, settling on the opposite end of the sofa with his plate that was overflowing with food.

And then—"Your mom called, by the way."

Sam grunted. "I'll stop by her place later. Did she say what she needed?"

"Kagome called her," Jared said evenly. "She, uh…she canceled your little coffee date today."

Sam sighed, tipping his beer back before tossing the empty can across the room, landing it in the trash without effort. He shut his eyes, exhaling through his nose.

"I had a feeling she might…" he murmured, voice trailing off.

Jared set his plate down as he glanced over at him. "Are you gonna see her?"

Sam rubbed a hand over his face. "No, If I go, she'll probably backpedal and make another excuse." His tone was calm, but even to his own ears, he could hear the pain of not seeing her. Seeing their imprint through the pack mind link, Jared felt how painful it was leaving her at the beach and not having her near.

"You should still see her, maybe it would be better if all of you just told her already," Jared muttered, but Sam snorted through his teeth, shaking his head.

"C'mon, Jared. We do that and she'll run for the hills if she's not planning to do that already." Sam leaned forward, forearms resting on his knees. "We need to come together as a pack first and figure out a way to make this work before we decide to approach her with half-hearted feelings. And Jake…" His jaw tightened slightly. "I'll figure out how to bring him back into the pack."

Silence settled between them heavy and laced with something unspoken.

Sam's gaze drifted to the ashtray on the coffee table, spotting a half-smoked joint. He reached for it, lightning the end and taking a slow drag, exhaling the smoke in a steady stream. The thick, pungent scent of weed clung to the air, curling lazily around them.

They said nothing after that, wordlessly passing the joint back and forth between them until Sam finally stood, stretching before heading off to shower and get a few hours of sleep. They had another shift later—just in case that redheaded leech decided to come back.

"By the way," Sam started, pausing before disappearing down the hallway. "Can you stop by the Weber's and drop off the donations for Sue? She asked me the other day. Said they were away on a camping trip or something."

"Sure, sure. I got it. Just get some rest already." Jared waved him off.

Before he knew it, Jared was piling into Sam's truck with the donations from Sue loaded into the truck bed as the morning passed in relative silence. The drive to Forks was uneventful, taking about an hour. The Weber family lived in the suburban area of town, down Russell Avenue.

As he turned onto the quiet, pristine street, Jared caught a scent on the wind–something sweet. Not a leech, but something so incredibly mouthwatering that it had him at half-mast almost instantly, his pants tightening uncomfortably. He shifted in his seat, the scent growing stronger the closer he got to the Weber's home.

And then, his heart slammed against his ribcage, pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears. Realization struck him like a freight train.

Kagome.

It had to be fate that put her in his path because there she was, carrying a box into the open garage just as he pulled up. Jared thought she was breathtaking, dressed in dark blue overalls and a pink top, her hair parted into pigtails.

She straightened as he climbed out of the truck, her frown deepening as he approached with a smile. His heart thundered incessantly, fear gripping his chest as those blue eyes turned on him.

Jared's entire world shattered.

The imprint hit him full force–the ground felt like it was giving way beneath him, and every connection he'd ever had in this world suddenly didn't seem to matter anymore. The loneliness in his chest vanished, replaced by something electric, something raw. Every nerve in his body felt charged.

It was as if an invisible rope had tied itself around him, binding him to her. He clung to that feeling, letting it pull him under, drowning in the tides of euphoria as the bond slid into place.

Jared felt ridiculous for ever doubting it would happen–because here he was, standing in front of the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life. And didn't that sound so damn mushy, even for him?

He'd fooled around with girls more times than he could count, even tried for a real relationship back in high school. But none of them had ever made him feel like this–like he was finally seeing the world through a clearer lens.

"Um, can I help you?" she suddenly asked, crossing her arms with a frown. "Are you…one of Sam's friends?'

The grin that stretched across his face almost faltered.

He hadn't expected her to make that connection so quickly. Then again, the group of them were always together on the Rez, and she was Bella Swan's older sister.

Had Bella told her about them?

No…he didn't think so. If she had, this would be so much easier.

"Yeah, I'm Jared," he introduced, holding his hand out. "I just came to drop off some donations from Sue Clearwater for the Weber's."

She glanced down at his hand skeptically before finally shaking it, and the soft feel of her palm against his much larger one sent a shiver of want rippling across his skin. Up close, her scent was like a drug–addictive and compulsive in its pull.

"Kagome," she replied quietly, though he already knew that. Still, it was nice to finally meet her face to face.

"Angela is inside, I can go get her if you'd prefer to speak with her?"

"No." He stopped her as she dropped his hand, immediately cursing himself when she gave him a strange look, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Sorry," he muttered. "It's fine. I'll just drop the boxes off and go."

"Alright, I'll…leave you to it then. Do you need help?" she asked carefully, her tone uncertain–almost like a skittish lamb or kitten.

Jared didn't blame her. She must be feeling a thousand different things, and he idly wondered–could she sense it? The full force of the imprint? Did she feel the tug in her chest like he did?

He swallowed thickly, trying to form anything resembling a coherent sentence.

"Yeah, for sure. There's a lot of it, so uh, I'd appreciate the help," he replied, grasping at any excuse to extend the moment–to keep her close, just for a little longer.

He walked around to the back of the truck, letting the tailgate down while she followed silently. Four measly boxes sat pushed to the back.

Kagome frowned, planting her hands on her hips as she leveled him with a knowing look.

"Wow," she said dryly. "That's quite a few boxes you've got there…"

Jared rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, unable to keep the grin off his face as she huffed and began climbing up. His gaze betrayed him, straying to the curve of her ass and the long, slender lines of her legs as she bent over to push the boxes toward him.

Dear God, help him.

She had no idea what she was doing to him. Jared clenched his jaw, forcing himself to avert his gaze as she started climbing back down. He offered his hand immediately, and she seemed startled by the gesture before placing her dainty hand into his palm once more.

Her other hand landed on his shoulder, and thank god he'd worn a shirt this time, because if she touched his bare skin again, he didn't think he'd survive it.

Every time their skin met, it sent a surge of something electric crawl over his skin, goosebumps prickling in its wake.

Kagome thanked him quietly, and together, they carried the rest of the boxes toward the house—just as the door to the Weber's home swung open.

Bella stepped outside, looking momentarily startled to see him.

"Kago—oh. Jared," she said, her tone shifting as she crossed her arms and walked toward them. "What're you doing here?"

The two sisters shared a look, and Jared wondered what passed between them in that silent exchange.

"Just came to drop off these boxes for Sue," he explained, his voice a little stilted. "I was…just about to leave. Um, I'll catch you later?" He turned to Kagome, eyes lingering on her.

She didn't reply, but she gave him a small smile. That was enough for him.

He didn't want to overwhelm her. And with Bella here, it wasn't like he could really talk to her anyway.

Fishing for his keys, he backed away. Every step was excruciating, his veins burning like fire, urging him to stay.

Jared breathed through his mouth, committing Kagome's scent to memory—searing the image of her perfection into his mind as he backed out of the driveway.

He imprinted.

And now, there was only one left—the rightful Alpha.

Jake.