A/N: I promise we'll see more of the rest of the pack get closer to Kagome. And eventually, she'll meet the Cullens.

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 X – Meeting Jake

When Kagome came back to the Swan Residence on Sunday, Bella immediately disappeared to Edward's place. She vaguely mentioned arranging a meeting with Alice and Rosalie–Edward's sisters–before inviting her over to meet the rest of the family. Kagome was intrigued by the prospect, a bubbling sense of anticipation filling her.

In the meantime, Kagome tried to keep herself busy as the days passed.

The pain in her chest kept flaring up and Kagome tried to keep herself busy, folding laundry, and reorganizing the kitchen cabinets–anything to distract from the growing ache. It wasn't exactly painful, she'd been through worse but it just felt...off. Like something was missing, something vital.

By Monday, the ache hadn't gone away. If anything, it persisted and that began annoying her to no end.

At first, she chalked it up to exhaustion, maybe a side effect of the cold weather or stress from everything lately. But things only got worse. A dull pressure in her chest, not quite painful, but always there. She found herself rubbing at her sternum absentmindedly, trying to ease the strange, heavy sensation.

Kagome cycled through every remedy she knew–painkillers, herbal tea, and even the traditional medicines Kaede taught her. When the pain worsened on Tuesday, she finally caved and visited a doctor but even they couldn't find anything wrong. As a Miko, she should have been able to sense what was wrong, but for once, she had no answers.

Dread coiled in her stomach as she traced the pain back to its origins. She had told the doctor it had only been a few days–since Sunday at the earliest. But now, as she let the memories sink in, the truth was undeniable: the bonfire had been the tipping point, everything had taken a sharp turn for the worse.

She tried to push it out of her mind, to ignore the nagging suspicion that it might be connected to the Quileute pack. Ever since she met each of them, her heart raced, and she felt…dare she say it, happy. It was as if an invisible rope had wrapped around her heart, tugging her toward La Push with an intensity she didn't understand. Was it their affliction as wolves that affected her so much? But…no, even that explanation didn't seem to make sense anymore.

The worst part wasn't even the discomfort, though. It was the longing.

Kagome didn't know exactly what she longed for–only that it was constant, gnawing at her insides.

By the end of that week, it was already Friday.

Kagome woke up that day absolutely exhausted. She ran a hand across her heart, inhaling deeply, as if that might somehow ease the discomfort. The early morning light spilled across her room, and she closed her eyes, willing the pain to go away. But it was no use–something was wrong, and she couldn't shake the feeling that it had everything to do with that night at the bonfire, with those boys from La Push.

With a frustrated sigh, she pushed herself out of bed, padding down the hallway to the bathroom. Her appearance in the mirror seemed to reflect her mood. Dark circles lingered beneath her eyes, evidence of restless nights filled with dreams about wolves and a longing she couldn't quite name.

"Get a grip, Kagome," she muttered, hands bracing the sink. She tried to push the nagging ache aside and turned the faucet on to splash water on her face, as if that might help wash the pain away.

After relieving herself, Kagome went back to her room and busied herself with straightening up the room. Maybe if she stayed busy, she could forget this inexplicable pull that had lodged itself deep in her chest.

She would not go down to La Push–she couldn't.

Kagome moved through the house quietly, grabbing a bottle of painkillers from the kitchen cabinet and swallowed a couple with a glass of water. The pills did little to dull the ache, but she forced herself to get on with her day, distracting herself by cleaning every inch of the house. Dusting, vacuuming, reorganizing shelves again–anything to keep her mind from drifting back to the wolf she'd met in the woods this past weekend and the pull she felt toward La Push.

But no matter what she did, her thoughts kept circling back. The Quileute wolves wouldn't leave her mind and the pain in her chest throbbed stronger when she lingered on them. The unsettling silence that had fallen that night at the bonfire kept replaying in her mind.

By the time evening rolled around, Kagome was exhausted from the day's efforts. She joined Bella and Charlie for dinner at Carver Cafe, grateful for a change of scenery. It was a small diner, filled mostly with locals from the town. The waitress, an older woman in her late thirties named Cora, seemed happy to see them, stating she hadn't seen Kagome since she was five. Which, she remembered nothing about but she smiled anyway, determined to keep the growing unease at bay.

"So," Charlie started, his voice warm and a little excited. "I talked to Billy today. Seems like Jake's back home now. He's doing good, and Billy wanted to know if you two would be down for dinner over there tomorrow night."

The words sent a rush of anxiety rolling through Kagome, her fingers tightening around her glass cup. She glanced at Bella, who appeared strangely subdued, sipping at her water briefly. When she looked at Charlie, his expression was one of happiness and anticipation. He looked so hopeful.

"That's…fine, I guess. I'll meet you guys there after I come back from Edward's. He and his family are going out of town to visit family," Bella replied softly, head down as she fiddled with her napkin on the table.

"Great. I mean, good, yeah. At least there's some…separation between you two." Charlie took a sip of his coffee, ignoring the way Bella rolled her eyes at him as he glanced at Kagome over the rim of his mug. "What do you say, Kagome? I figure if you girls can help me make a couple of pies for Billy and the boys, they'd be really grateful. Those boys on the Rez eat him out of house and home."

Kagome swallowed hard, forcing a smile. "Sure, that sounds…nice," she replied, her voice sounding far more casual than she felt.

Bella glanced at her curiously but the moment passed when Cora came around with their food. Her fingers curled tightly around her fork as a silence descended. The warm glow of the cafe's lights cast soft shadows against the wooden walls, the scent of grilled burgers and potatoes filling the air. The chatter from the nearby patrons felt like a distant hum, mere background noise that seemed to fade as her heart pounded incessantly in her chest.

She shifted in her seat, taking a steadying breath, but the air felt thin, like she couldn't quite pull in enough. And the tightness in her chest felt like an invisible weight.

Her pulse pounded against her temples, her hands clammy around the cool, metal of her fork. Not now, not here. Just breathe.

Dinner moved on at a slow tempo. Kagome forced herself to take a slow bite, her food turning to paste in her mouth. Swallowing felt like a struggle, her throat tight and dry. Her vision blurred slightly at the edges, the dim hum of conversation between Bella and Charlie fading to static. She had the odd distinction that she was having a panic attack because the idea of going down to La Push sent her nerves into overdrive. Her fingers twitched, tingling faintly, and she had to resist the urge to clench them into fists.

Five things you can see. Four things you can touch. Three things you can hear…

The scratch of Charlie's fork against his plate. The distant sound of a car passing by outside. The quiet creak of Bella shifting in her chair. The little girl one table over crying about wanting her dolly. There. Focus on that. You're fine, you're fine.

"You okay?" Bella asked. Kagome blinked several times before she forced out a light laugh–fake and unconvincing–even to herself. Without missing a beat, she lowered her gaze as she waved her sister's concerns away and sliced into her steak.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just…zoned out for a second." Kagome forced a smile, and shoved food into her mouth to keep from elaborating.

Bella didn't look convinced, but Charlie gave a grunt and returned to his meal, satisfied with her answer.

As the conversation moved on, Kagome couldn't shake the anxiety and the ache in her chest persisted like an angry thorn in her side.

The afternoon sun cast an amber glow along the red, wooden slats of the Black's home, and Jacob leaned against the porch railing, a blunt dangling between his fingers. Smoke curled around him and the haze started settling into his bones like a second skin. He hadn't taken a drag in days, trying to kick the habit along with everything else, but old tendencies were hard to kill. The embers burned low, barely smoldering, before he took another drag and flicked it away, watching the ashes scatter into the wind.

Everything changed since he came back. His head felt clearer, his body stronger–but the weight in his chest hadn't lifted. A week. A week since the imprint, since the night he found her. And he still hadn't seen her.

It wasn't for lack of trying. Every instinct in his body howled at him to go to her and the pack, they were clawing at the bit to see her. Even Paul couldn't deny how badly he wanted to go to her again, though he outright scoffed anytime one of them pointed it out. Jacob wanted to make sure she was okay and he ached to hear her voice again. It seemed so silly, so corny, even for him. But his chest ached and every moment in the pack mind link was filled with nothing but her–Kagome.

But instead, he'd buried himself in patrols, running the redheaded leech off their land again and again as she kept slipping through their grasp. He had frequent chats with the pack and they tried to come to terms with how this shared imprint was going to work, how they would even get her to come down to La Push in the first place.

It was obvious she was okay with the wolf, that meant she already accepted them even if she didn't know everything. That was a start.

But there were other matters Jacob had to deal with. Like their rather silted meeting with the Cullen's to discuss adding the Swan's place as part of their territory after the mind-reader divulged the reason why the red head–Victoria, was so hell bent on coming back to their territory.

The leech wanted Bella, because of an incident that resulted in the Cullen's killing her mate. She was out for revenge.

From that moment, it became clear they had to eliminate this threat because hell would freeze over before the pack allowed anything to happen to Kagome. Jacob didn't know how he'd even begin to explain everything to her, let alone the imprint stuff. It wasn't conventional for one girl to be with seven guys and in a small town like theirs, people talked.

Suffice to say, shit was complicated.

Quite reluctantly, the pack and the Cullen's went into a shaky alliance to track down Victoria. But even their combined efforts weren't enough to pin her down. Suspicions about other vampires working with her became a hot topic, one more thing to worry about.

And yet, Kagome was the only constant thing in his mind that mattered.

"I invited Charlie over for dinner tomorrow," Billy said, breaking the monotony of his thoughts, wheeling himself outside.

Jacob hung his head, chuckling lowly as he dragged a hand down his face before glancing down at his father who looked entirely too pleased with himself. His father tried to appear innocent, but he knew exactly what the old man was up to.

"You invited him," Jacob repeated with a laugh, turning the words over in his mouth.

Billy nodded. "Figured it'd be good for you. You know, to see her."

Jacob couldn't help the laugh that came out of him, his old man was sly. Of course. His father had been careful not to push too much, but he saw right through the lot of them.

"Thanks, Dad." He clamped a hand over his shoulder and the weathered fingers of his father's hands felt like a balm to his soul. He missed these quiet moments on the porch, just living in the moment.

The very thought of seeing Kagome again sent his chest tightening. He needed to see her, to confirm she was real–that she hadn't just been some fever dream that had turned his world upside down.

But then, his dad continued, "Bella's probably gonna come too."

And just like that, his stomach twisted.

Jacob had been so caught up in Kagome that he hadn't even thought about Bella. He hadn't seen her since she up and left with the pixie leech for Italy. So he cut all ties, because she made her choice and it hurt, it really, really hurt. For months, he spent those moments in a perpetual haze. And then he imprinted on Kagome, her sister, and now his whole world revolved around this beautiful girl.

"Figured you'd want the heads up," Billy added, patting his hand before wheeling himself back inside the house.

Jacob swallowed, pushing the knot of unease down. It doesn't matter, he told himself. Bella was his past and Kagome is his future.

Before he knew it, the fateful day had finally come and Jacob could hear them before he saw them.

The familiar rumble of Charlie's cruiser pulling up the dirt road sent his nerves into overdrive. Right behind him was Bella's loud, old red truck as it followed behind the cruiser. He'd been pacing inside for the last ten minutes, barely paying attention to whatever his dad had been rambling on about. His father was pretending to be unfazed, but Jacob could tell he was watching him closely.

Then, the car doors opened.

His heart pounded, his pulse quickening too much, too fast. He wanted to run out there, to see her–to make sure she was really here–but his feet were rooted to the ground. The living room and kitchen had an open layout so it was easy for his dad to maneuver around. Jacob tried to busy himself with cleaning up, leaning against the kitchen sink as the window overlooked the driveway.

And then, he caught her scent.

Even before she stepped inside, he knew. That same, addicting, warm, right scent curled around his senses, settling deep into his bones like a drug. It filled his lungs like the first drag he took from a blunt, soothing the ache in his chest. She was here.

There was loud chatter, Charlie's familiar rumble and then her soft laughter as she giggled at something his dad said. The door creaked open, and Jacob finally moved to lean against the sole beam separating the kitchen and living room. Charlie stepped in first, grinning like he owned the place. "Nice to see you, old man," he greeted, clapping Billy on the shoulder before turning back. "Girls, come on in, just leave the rest of the pies, Jake can get it."

Bella entered after him, shifting uncomfortably as she avoided his gaze. He barely looked at her.

Because then she walked in. Jacob swore time slowed down, and he could hear his heart beating loud like a drum in his ears. All the sound drowned out, muffled like he was underwater as Kagome followed after her sister.

He could say her name over and over like a mantra and still never get tired of it. His imprint. His mate–the pack's mate, the force that shattered their world in an instant.

She looked different in the soft glow of the evening sun–more real. Dressed in a simple, long-sleeve sweater and skinny jeans, her dark hair pulled into a low ponytail, she was…breathtaking. But something was off.

She looked tired.

The way her smile didn't quite reach her eyes and the usual vibrancy in her gaze seemed oddly subdued. There were dark circles under her eyes and her skin seemed paler than he remembered. And then it hit him–the imprint. She'd been feeling it too.

"Jake, c'mere and meet Kagome," his dad called, and Jacob moved from his spot in the kitchen into the living room that suddenly felt ten times too small.

She didn't meet his gaze immediately. Instead, she was focused on Billy, offering a polite smile as she greeted him.

"Billy, it's nice to see you again," she said, her voice steady, but he caught the way her fingers twisted slightly at the hem of her sweater. Nervous.

His father smiled warmly. "Good to see you too, kid. Don't gotta be such a stranger, you're always welcome on down without your old man here."

Charlie scoffed, but he seemed happy at the idea. Yeah, me too, Chief, me too.

Jacob swallowed. He should say something. Anything. But his throat was dry, his thoughts a mess.

Then, she looked up–finally–and their eyes met.

"This is Kagome, Jake–remember, you two used to make mud pies as kids," Billy introduced with a knowing smile and Kagome gave a shy smile in greeting that made him instantly hard.

He inhaled sharply, counting to ten in his head. He thought up everything he could to make his boner go down as he swallowed thickly.

"It's nice to meet you, again," he offered with a smile, shifting on his feet.

A part of him longed to ask what had drawn her to him that night at the bar–if she had known it was him–but he couldn't. Not now. Not here. Not yet.

His gaze cut to Bella and the smile faded from his face as he gave her a brief nod. It was certainly awkward now, Bella had her hands stuffed in her pockets as she inclined her head with a tight-lipped smile.

Jacob cut his gaze back to Kagome and his mood instantly lifted. There it was. The pull, the magnetic force yanking at his ribs, the deep-seated knowing that she was his. And then…she looked away.

It was subtle, barely even noticeable, but Jacob felt it like a gut punch as Kagome looked away, moving past him to place the pies they brought into the kitchen. There was a flicker of hesitation, of wariness. She was uncomfortable.

His chest ached.

Charlie, completely oblivious to the tension in the room, clapped his hands together. "Well, let's eat! Jake, can you get those pies in the car, doors open."

His dad chuckled, and Jacob forced himself to look away from Kagome, from his beautiful imprint, to do what Charlie asked. The cool, brisk air was a balm against his skin and he took greedy gulps of air to clear his head before he entered back into the haze of his home where her scent would curl around him like a drug.

Inside the house, they were already bringing the food to the dining room table. Jacob worked hard to cook something he thought his imprint would like and it wasn't much–fried fish with potatoes and salad.

"Alright, let's sit down before the Chief starts gnawin' on the furniture," Billy said with a laugh, rolling himself to the table.

Bella seemed to stick close to Charlie, but Kagome hesitated as Jacob set the pies down on the kitchen counter. He grabbed the pitcher of iced tea from the fridge and took his usual seat next to his dad while he held his breath on where she'd sit.

Please, sit next to me. Please.

And then, she sat across from him next to her sister which placed Jacob in the middle of two, middle-aged men.

Jacob cursed his rotten luck. His fingers twitched under the table as his dad passed him a plate with a knowing grin. Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up. He knew he should've snagged the seat Bella was in. He could handle this, play it cool. He could pretend like his entire existence wasn't unraveling in the presence of the one person he'd been waiting his whole life for.

As the night wore on, a low stream of chatter picked up around the table. It was mostly Charlie and his dad, Bella and her sister kept quiet as they ate. He couldn't help staring at her, though he tried to be discreet about it and shift his attention to Charlie or his dad every now and then. Couldn't have the Chief chew him out for checking out his eldest daughter.

The clinking of silverware against plates filled the air, but to Jacob, it all felt distant–background noise to the real problem sitting across from him.

Kagome wasn't looking at him.

Not once since she sat down had she even glanced in his direction, instead keeping her focus trained on Billy or Charlie, responding when spoken to but otherwise remaining quiet.

It was driving him insane.

"So, Jake," Charlie started, taking a sip of beer. "Heard you started up at West End Mechanics again, how's that going for you?"

Jacob forced himself to pay attention. "Yeah, " he said, voice rougher than intended. He cleared his throat. "It's alright, West pretty much gives me free reign of the place. I uh, plan to take over eventually with Quil and Embry," he added, and finally, his imprint glanced up at him.

"Good, good. I'm glad you're…cleaning yourself up now, missed you around these parts," Charlie replied after a bite of his fried fish.

She glanced at him again and the corner of his lips curved into a smile. "Yeah, me too." He didn't miss the way she swiftly looked down at her plate, almost embarrassed at being caught as he hid his smile with a bite of his food.

Bella watched the exchange with a frown, and the conversation quickly turned to talks of the next baseball game between the two dads in the room. Jacob's smile persisted, he couldn't help it, his imprint was sneaking glances at him and it might've inflated his ego a bit. Briefly, he wondered if he was being too obvious about his interest in Kagome. It didn't matter to him if Bella found out about the imprint but he wanted to tell Kagome first. And he wanted to do it with the pack, because they all deserved an equal chance with her.

After dinner, they put a movie on but he was barely watching it. Some old cop movie that was his dad's favorite from the 80's. He'd taken a spot on the couch next to–blessedly–his imprint. There wasn't much space anyway but she fit next to him just right. The close proximity made her flush right against his side and he was so damn glad he laid his arms out along the back of the sofa because it brought her that much closer to him as she flicked her hair over his arm.

Up close, she smelled entirely too mouth-watering and whatever shampoo she used for her hair was his new favorite smell. His heart was beating so fast, he barely knew what his dad and Charlie were saying, they were so engrossed in the movie and getting absolutely hammered that Jacob was in his own little world with Kagome.

He swallowed with much difficulty, and darted his tongue out to lick his lips when she drew her legs up, rubbing her toes. Everything she did sent his blood running south. He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, counting to ten as he willed his raging boner away. He'd definitely need to rub one out later.

"Cold?" he whispered, and she peered up at him with a soft smile, shaking her head.

Jacob smiled, stretching his legs out more. The action made Kagome shift slightly, as if subconsciously adjusting to his presence. Her knee barely brushed against his, sending a warm jolt up his spine, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she tucked her feet beneath her, settling in more comfortably—like she belonged there.

He was hyper-aware of every little shift she made beside him. The warmth of her thigh brushing against his sent a slow, steady hum through his veins, and he had to force himself to keep his breathing even. Every now and then, Bella's eyes flicked toward them curiously, like she was trying to figure him out.

Jacob shifted slightly, his knee bumping into Kagome's, and before he could stop himself, he smirked. "You getting comfortable there?" he teased, keeping his voice low so Charlie and Billy wouldn't hear.

Kagome glanced at him, arching a brow. "You're the one taking up half the couch," she shot back, but there was no real bite to it.

He chuckled, stretching his arms lazily behind his head. "What can I say? I'm a big guy."

Bella huffed, muttering something under her breath from her spot on the recliner, but Jacob ignored her. Kagome didn't move away, and for now, that was enough.

It wasn't long before the movie ended and as the credits rolled, the dim glow of the TV cast flickering shadows across the living room. Charlie got up and stretched, rolling his shoulders as he padded to the kitchen.

"I think it's time for some pie now," Charlie said, rubbing his stomach.

They all decided to have a slice of pie while Jacob had an entire pie for himself. He might've laughed at the way Kagome's eyed how quickly he put it away, already inching to reach for the second pie they bought.

Charlie chuckled as he finished off his piece. "That's why we made six, because Jake here can put away two all on his own."

Kagome looked at him incredulously, her lips parting slightly in surprise, and Jacob couldn't help but laugh. There was something about her reactions–so genuine, so unfiltered.

Out in the living room, Billy and Charlie made their way to the porch, the sound of the door creaking open followed by the hiss from their beer cans. Jacob could already hear them settling into their usual routine–talking about old stories, fishing trips, complaining about whatever nonsense had gone on in town that week.

Bella lingered at the dining room table, scraping the last bits of pie from her plate. She glanced at him occasionally, like she was debating whether or not to say something. At times, her gaze strayed to her sister and she'd purse her lips into a thin line and Jacob had a feeling she was beginning to connect the dots.

He turned his attention back to Kagome, who had set the ice cream back into the freezer. Jacob felt her eyes on him more than once, like she was studying him, trying to make sense of something.

"Something on your mind?" he asked, smirking slightly.

Her cheeks tinged red and she shook her head. "No, it's just…you're different from what I expected."

Jacob raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? What were you expecting?"

Kagome pursed her lips as if considering her words. "I don't know, I didn't have a solid idea besides whatever our dad's said about us as kids. But you're…warm."

His smirk faltered just a fraction. Warm. It was such a simple word, but the way she said it made his chest feel tight.

He rubbed the back of his head, shrugging. "Well, I do run hot."

Bella snorted, eyes on her plate while Kagome rolled her eyes but smiled anyway. "I meant personality-wise."

Jacob chuckled, leaning back against the counter. "Well, I'll take that as a compliment. If you ever need your own personal heater, let me know."

She laughed, and the sound sent his heart soaring. He'd never get tired of hearing her laugh, it sounded like song bells to him.

The kitchen lapsed into silence for a beat, comfortable but charged with something unspoken.

Then, Bella cleared her throat. "I should probably head out."

She looked at her sister, her gaze lingering in that way that told him there was more she wanted to say–but she held back. Instead, she just sighed. "You coming? Or are you catching a ride with dad?"

Kagome hesitated, and Jacob prayed she stayed here with him. He caught the brief flash of reluctance in her eyes before she shook her head. "I'll stick around for a bit and catch a ride with dad back home."

Bella's brow furrowed. "Alright, drive safe. Dad had quite a few to drink tonight."

Kagome said her goodbyes and Jacob felt like he could finally breathe when the sound of the car engine revving outside signaled her departure. He heard his dad and Charlie telling her to get home safely but he knew she was going to see her blood-sucker boyfriend. At least this time, it no longer hurt to think about them being together.

Jacob turned back to Kagome, watching as she absentmindedly wiped the counter with a nearby rag.

"So," he started, keeping his voice easy, teasing. "You sticking around because you like my company, or are you just trying to steal more ice cream?"

She huffed out a laugh, shaking her head. "A little bit of both, I think."

Something in Jacob's chest tightened at that. Yeah, he could definitely get used to this.

Kagome felt…strange being around Jacob. From the moment she arrived in Charlie's cruiser, pulling up to the house, and finally stepping inside the Black's home–she knew.

He was the wolf from the woods.

The revelation sent her reeling. She never would have guessed that the Jake she had apparently grown up with as a child during her summers in Forks was the same wolf from that fateful night.

He was incredibly handsome, with silky, russet-toned skin and raven-black hair, now buzzed short, accentuating his sharp jawline and intense dark eyes. It was clear he had cleaned up himself. His spirit felt fuller–not quite healed, but getting there. She didn't want to fool herself into thinking it had anything to do with her influence, with the reiki she had given him, but the thought still made her smile to herself.

Jacob's sheer presence was almost overwhelming. He towered over her by several heads, and if she had to guess, she'd place his height at around six foot seven. He was different than she remembered from that night behind Tavern 69–more confident, more sure of himself. His aura spoke of his commanding presence and she could see it now, in the way his wolf stood tall and proud like a shadow around him.

He was certainly easy on the eyes.

Like the rest of the pack, his body was built like a linebacker–powerful and solid, every muscle honed. The red t-shirt he wore stretched tightly across his broad chest, the fabric pulled taut as if it might rip at any moment. His cutoff-shorts slung low on his hips, leaving little to the imagination. Goodness, if she imagined the pack together in one space, they would be quite the sight.

Half the night, she spent feeling incredibly nervous, hyper-aware of his every movement, of the way his presence seemed to fill the entire space around her.

As the night wore on, she and Jake sat around the dining room table, talking about anything and everything. Kagome half expected some kind of confrontation–some question about why she had approached his wolf in the woods that night–but he never brought it up, even when they were alone after Bella left. Resolutely, she decided maybe it was for the best that she pretend it never happened.

And then, their conversation drifted into more…intimate topics.

"So, you've lived most of your life in Japan and came back to America for summers up until you were eleven," he rephrased, shifting in his seat so that his body angled toward her. "You, uh…left anyone back home?"

The smile on her face faltered. Suddenly, she felt uncomfortable.

Kagome tried to laugh it off. "Oh, uh…I don't really have anyone like that anymore."

Something in Jake's expression shifted. He leaned forward on the table, his warmth radiating like a furnace. Sitting near him felt like being beside a roaring fire–she wasn't exaggerating when she said he was warm.

"But there was someone back home? Was he…important?" he asked.

Kagome visibly frowned, confused as to why he was pressing the issue.

"Yes, there was. But no offense, Jake, I don't think that's any of your business," she corrected, standing up and crossing to the kitchen. She busied herself with cleaning up–an excuse to put some space between them and escape the anxiety crawling over her like a parasite.

"Hey," he said softly, brushing his heated hand against hers by the sink.

She stilled, looking anywhere but at him.

"I…I'm sorry for pressing the issue," he murmured. "You're right, it's not my business. I just…really want to get to know you. Forgive me?" He leaned down slightly, meeting her gaze with earnest eyes.

Kagome's heart skipped a beat at the look he gave her–like it was vital that she accept his apology, that it physically pained him to upset her. It was…strange, but sent her heart all aflutter. She sighed, shutting off the water before drying her hands. Then, turning to face him fully, she leveled him with a look.

He leaned in with a slow smile, his expression almost pleading–like a kid being scolded. Kagome let out a soft laugh, nudging his arm.

"It's alright, no harm done," she assured him, and the ache in her chest felt just a little lighter when he gave her one of those easy smiles. It wasn't completely gone, though, a dull throb still lingered but it did feel a bit better that Kagome wondered why it suddenly seemed to ease around Jake.

"So, now that I'm forgiven again…is it safe to ask if I can see you again?" Jacob asked seriously. "I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted to get to know you better."

Kagome swallowed, realizing just how close he had gotten–his body angled toward hers, looming over her smaller frame.

She wetted her lips, her throat suddenly dry. "Jake, I–"

"Please?" His voice was softer this time, almost hesitant. "It doesn't have to be anything more than just…friends. I just…want to see you again."

Kagome thought her heart might jump out of her chest. He looked at her so earnestly, his gaze warm and unguarded. Then, carefully, he slid his hand over hers. When she didn't pull away, he turned his plan under hers, cradling it light. The heat of his touch sent shivers down her spine.

Something in the air between them shifted–charged, electric. Goosebumps prickled along Kagome's skin, and her breath hitched when he inched closer, her body instinctively leaning toward him. It was almost like he was going to–

"Hey, kiddos! Time to head on out. I think it might finally be bedtime for me."

Charlie slammed the door open, startling them apart. Kagome quickly slipped her hand away from Jake's warmth, turning toward the fridge to put away the remaining pies, pretending nothing had happened.

As they said their goodbyes, she resolutely avoided looking at Jacob, though she could feel the weight of his gaze following her every movement.

Billy waved from the porch, while Jacob followed them down the steps, stopping beside the driver's seat where Kagome got in behind the wheel. She started the engine as Charlie got in, cruiser idling.

Charlie, already half-asleep, let out a yawn and slumped back in his chair. Still, he managed to tell Jacob goodnight, his words sluggish.

"Get home safe," Jake said, bracing his hands against the cruiser's window frame before leaning down–though it felt like his gaze was only on her. "I'll, uh…call you later, then?"

Charlie raised a brow, crossing his arms. Kagome felt her face flame.

She didn't trust her voice, so she just smiled and nodded. The way Jake's face practically glowed with excitement sent a pleasant thrill through her, one that she quickly tried to ignore as she backed out of their gravel driveway and into the darkened night.

Kagome fully expected Charlie to say something. She could feel his speculative stare burning into her throughout the ride until she finally had enough and sighed.

"Dad, I can feel that you have something to say, so you might as well say it," she told him, glancing his way as they drove through the dark roads of La Push.

And then, a howl lit the night. She could sense Jacob's familiar presence nearby and Embry, not far off. They were lurking somewhere in the shadows beyond the darkened forest on either side of the road. A soft smile crossed her face despite herself.

"I'm just surprised, is all," Charlie finally said. "I, uh, didn't know Jake was sweet on you, thought he had something going with your sister, actually. I probably shouldn't tell you this, but she worried me a few months back, had a falling out with Jake over Edward." He shrugged, but his words hung in the air like a bad omen. "Remind me to get you some pepper spray, by the way."

Kagome rolled her eyes but didn't comment further.

Jacob used to like Bella? That thought unsettled her, especially since she hadn't seen him even glance at her sister all night. And Bella…was that why she seemed so uncomfortable and quiet? Was she just a replacement again?

While she didn't doubt Jacob was a good guy–Billy and Charlie's long-standing friendship spoke to his character–Bella was still her sister. If there was history between them, Kagome wasn't going to risk hurting her by entertaining romantic advances from him.

A painful pang flared in her chest at the thought, and the farther she got from La Push, the worse it became. It hurts again, she thought idly.

Kagome tried to push it from her mind. If anything, it only reinforced her desire to stay away. She knew she had to now–not just because she had no intention of playing second fiddle in a relationship again, but because she was afraid of getting hurt.

She was tired of losing people. And if she never got close to anyone, she couldn't be hurt.

But even as she tried to convince herself of that, Kagome couldn't shake the feeling that her life was never going to be the same again.