Hungry Like The Wolf: A Paul and Rachel Novella

Chapter 6: Dismissal

Playlist:

Bruno Mars – Grenade

Alanis Morrisette – Can't Deny

John Mayer – Gravity

Jon B. – They Don't Know

Adel – Love Song

Mint Condition – Pretty Brown Eyes

Quileute Words and Phrases:

Hach chi-í – Good morning

Ayásochid -How are you, said to a woman

Háchli, ho – I'm good/well

Special thanks, of course, to my beta, LauraWesley.

Chapter 6: Dismissal

Jacob. He wasn't recognizable. His hair was misshapen and long but not in a good way. He stood in the doorway in rumpled, dirty shorts and tattered Converse sneakers. He was filthy and smelled like dirt and sun and air.

But he was here.

My fingers let go of their rigid hold on the broom. I tackled him, throwing my arms around his huge frame. "Jake!" And in my moment, all of my despair and worry drifted away, that I could feel my baby brother against me and knew that he was safe. It took me a while to get past the realization that I was on my tip-toes and not even able to even reach my chin to his shoulder.

His arms came around me securely, a chortle leaving his mouth and into my hair. "Hey, sis."

My head buried in his chest, and a trembling exhale left my mouth.

He's safe, I thought. Jacob was finally home.

Suddenly, I pulled away, shoving him with the flats of my palms against his gigantic chest.

"What the hell, Rachel?"

"You stupid ass!" I blurted, all my frustration coming out in that one breath.

"What?"

"What'd you have to run away for? You worried the hell out of me and out of Dad! Even Becky's wondering if she should move back." Okay, so the last part wasn't exactly true, but she was still trying her best to get here on nickels and dimes.

He sighed, rolling his neck. I could hear his joints crack. "Well, I'm fine, and I'm back, so it's all good, right?"

Somewhere in the aging lines of his eyes, I saw the young, little boy that was my baby brother peering at me. And I couldn't help but hug him again.

I was reaching as high as I could and completely on my toes just to do so. "I can't get over how tall you are. Did you, like, grow a foot since I last saw you?"

His laugh was muffled against my hair.

I rested my weight back on my heels and took a good look at him. The torn shorts and shoes. The beginnings of a mustache and beard, which totally threw me considering he was my little brother. "Good Lord, child, what have you done to yourself? You're a hot mess."

"Thanks, sis! You really know how to bring on the welcome wagons!"

"Shut up, Jacob! You couldn't at least take care of yourself while you were gone?"

He stared at me for a moment, hesitating.

"What?"

"Nothing," he said, his head shaking. "Nothing that you'd understand."