Chapter Eighteen, Pack Bond
The morning after Margot and Jasper had completed their bond, she woke up feeling happy and content in Jasper's arms as she let out a contented sigh snuggling deeper into his chest earning a light hearted chuckle from the man and a kiss to her forehead.
"Good mornin' darlin'." Jasper greeted happily, kissing her head once more. "How're you feeling?"
"Morning Jasper." Margot mumbled sleepily, kissing his chest over his heart. "I feel wonderful. You okay?"
"I'm feeling amazing now that I know I didn't hurt you last night." Jasper sighed with clear evidence of relief coating his face and which made his amber eyes shine brightly in the bright morning sunshine.
"You could never hurt me, Jazz." Margot assured him, looking up at him with a warm tender smile on her face as she leaned up to kiss him which he readily reciprocated; the pair sharing every warm feeling they had for each other. "If you had, I promise I would've told you." Margot promised once they pulled back.
"Okay." Jasper said relieved. "I'm going to make you some breakfast in bed so all you need to do is relax. I'll make some for Paul too and place in the microwave for when he gets up."
"Oh. Thank you Jasper." Margot replied startled but with a small smile on her lips.
"You don't have to thank me, sweetheart." Jasper stated, kissing her once more as he climbed out of bed slipping on some pjs as he went.
While she waited, Margot sat up against the headboard relaxed as she lost herself in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince book for the hundredth millionth time; not that she cared. She loved them and it was as simple as that. While deciding the pack deserved a respite, a day to just relax without patrol or anything like that and made a mental note to speak to Sam about it as she was the Alpha Luna and Sam the Alpha, they co-lead and had decided to always run new ideas past each other. With that in mind she finished the chapter she was on and replaced the bookmark before taking her phone off charge. Sam answered on the second ring.
"Hello?" Sam's tired voice obviously just woken up.
"Hi Sam, it's Marlie. I'm sorry to wake you up but I have an idea and you needed to know before anyone else went on patrol."
"Hey Marlie." Sam said through a yawn. "Don't worry about it. Are you okay? What's your idea?"
"Well, I was thinking that the whole pack deserves a rest day without patrols or worrying about protecting the Rez a chance to be with each other and our Imprints - though Jasper won't be able to because of the sun, but I think he said Emmett wanted to go to the mountains to hunt bears. So I was thinking that we could all have a picnic at the beach and invite the soon-to-be members as well. Sort of like a pack bonding day.
We could play soccer, football, swimming, play chicken, cliff diving, relaxing and sunbathing and obviously Jayden will be there too." Margot told him, rambling a little as she was excited for this.
"I think that's a perfect idea, Marlie." Sam replied without a second thought. "But I'm sorry Jasper won't be able to come." He added sadly, he felt bad that on nice days she couldn't be with her Imprint unless they were at home.
"It's okay, Sam." Margot replied, smiling up at Jasper as he entered the bedroom. "I'll text everyone and get started on making things for the picnic."
"I'll help and make some things too." Emily's voice came from the background. "And I'll bring some of the beach toys I bought for my nephew."
"Thank you Emily but you're spoiling him." Margot laughed.
"Oh shush." Emily chided but it was ruined by her laughs. "We will see you at First Beach at midday."
"Bye Emily. Bye Sam."
"Bye Marlie."
"I'm sorry you can't come with us." Margot whispered sadly, looking out the window at the rare sunny skies.
"Hey," Jasper soothed, gently lifting her chin to meet his eyes. "It's okay baby. I had you all to myself all of yesterday and last night. It's only fair that you get to spend the day with your pack. Besides, you were right about Emmett, he texted me yesterday, but if you still feel bad how about when we both come home you, Jayden, Paul and me have a movie night?" He suggested placing the tray containing pancakes covered in Nutella and chopped bananas, a glass of orange juice and a cup of honey tea on her lap.
"That sounds amazing. I would love that and I know Paul and Jayden would too. I miss our little man but my Mum and Dad need time with him too and this smells amazing, thank you Jasper." Margot replied, kissing his lips happily.
"You're welcome sweetheart. Now eat up. I'm going to grab a quick shower and I'll be right back. I love you." Jasper said happily.
"I love you too." Margot replied brightly.
* * *
Paul had agreed wholeheartedly with his twin sister, his other half. So glad was he that none of them had to deal with being wolves for a day that he couldn't explain it. The moment they had picked up Jayden from their parents' house - Jasper joining them to the house to see Jayden before he left to go with Emmett - Margot had hugged her son tightly pressing a kiss to his forehead, nose, cheeks and lips with Paul and Jasper doing the same to the toddler's delight. They had all missed him and despite having a good time with his grandparents Jayden has apparently missed them as well.
Bidding Jasper a see you later - Jasper promising to pick up drinks and snacks for when they returned - Margot, Jayden and Paul got back into the Impala and headed off for First Beach only to see they were the last to arrive.
"Margot! Paul! Jay!" Numerous voices shouted excitedly the moment they made their trek across the beach to their pack, Seth bounding up to them excitedly.
"Hi Marlie. Hi Paul. Hi Jay-Jay." Seth enthused, tickling Jayden's tummy earning bright laughs from him as he squirmed in Paul's arms.
"Hi Seth."
"Hey kid."
"Can I take Jay to build sandcastles?" Seth asked, the twelve year old not at all bothered by asking to play with a two year old. Margot and Paul were like siblings to the young boy along with his sister Leah so he saw Jayden as a nephew and was therefore more than happy to play with him.
"Course you can, kid." Paul agreed, carefully handing Jayden over to Seth who gently set him down so he could walk but made sure to hold his hand. "But make sure he doesn't eat anything -"
"- and if he gets hungry or thirsty, bring him over to me, okay? I've got his juice and lunch in the cooler." Margot finished the twin speech, holding up one of the coolers she held, while Paul held one that contained an assortment of different drinks.
"You got it!" Seth agreed brightly, walking away at Jayden's speed agreeing to whatever the toddler was saying, making everyone - especially Margot and Paul - smile.
"Do you mind if I go play soccer with Jared, Leah, Cara, Sam, Jacob, Quil and Embry?" Paul asked his sister, as always being the overprotective big brother that she knew and loved with all her heart. Unlike other siblings Margot and Paul very rarely ever fought growing up and were extremely close and protective of each other, if they did fight they hated it and would apologise to each other within minutes.
"Of course not." Margot smiled, kissing her big brother on the cheek. "Go have fun. I'm going to sunbathe and talk to Emily and Kim before going for a swim." She told him as she quickly stripped out of the white off-the-shoulder top and blue denim shorts leaving her in her dark green bikini and beige wedges, tilting her face up to the sun to soak up as much rays as she possibly could. Shaking his head at his sister with a laugh Paul headed over to Kim and Emily dropping off his cooler, with a quick hello later, and he was joining the others in the game.
"Hey girls." Margot greeted, smiling happily as she sat on the large blanket with Kim and Emily pulling them both into a hug once her arms were free of two coolers and her clothes.
"Hey Marlie. I love the bikini. Dark green looks amazing on you." Emily complimented, kissing her friend's cheeks.
"Thanks Emily. I love the dress." She returned, spotting the red summer dress the elder girl had on which reminded her of Lilo's dress which was Emily's favourite Disney film actually. "Hey Kim. I told you yellow suits you. What have you both been up to?" Margot asked, lying down to sunbathe but still talking to two of her best friends.
"I know and thank you." Kim returned, waiting until Margot had settled down before diving on the girl in a hug causing the trio to laugh loudly attracting the attention of Paul, Sam and Jared but when they saw they were okay and were happy they went back to their game.
"I've been okay. The job at the nursery is going really well and I've finally passed my course so I'm fully qualified for it now." Kim stated, proudly, grabbing some bottles of elderflower for the three of them only to be suddenly enveloped in her friends' arms as they squealed excitedly while claiming how proud they were of her, causing a red tint to coat Kim's cheeks. "Thanks girls." Kim smiled happily, resting besides Margot to sunbathe while Emily lay vertically above them; and although Margot gave the impression that she was fully relaxed with her eyes closed both Kim and Emily saw her eyes dart to Seth and Jayden every so often who were only sat four feet in front of them playing in the sand.
Seth, bless his heart, was trying to teach Jayden how to build a sandcastle but Jayden thought it was just like his bricks when he'd help someone build it and knock it down. Unlike most who would get frustrated despite the toddler not understanding, Seth just took it all in his stride as he laughed with the happy baby and instead turned it into a game where he'd build the castle as fast as he could and even help Jayden knock it down to Jayden's delight as his laughs and screeches of pure and utter delight were wonderful to hear and a balm on the four shifters hearts, as the others had even paused their game to see what had got Jayden so happy, only to smile and laugh as they watched him clap his hands and laugh in pure bliss with his Uncle Seth.
As Emily opened her mouth to talk to Margot they heard Paul whooping in delight as he did his weird 'victory dance' as he calls it, at the water's edge obviously just winning at soccer if Jared's team consisting of Cara, Jacob and Sam's disgruntled faces were anything to go by. While Paul's team consisting of Leah, Embry and Quil were all cheering happily along with Paul. Shaking her head at the soccer mad members of the pack, Emily turned back to Margot chuckling along with the two girls as they laughed over how goofy Paul actually was and not this hard faced man his ex-friends from high school made him out to be. He'd cut friendship and all ties with them when they had decided to try and bully his twin in their senior year, despite the fact that she could protect and handle herself.
If there was one thing that Paul would never forgive was any sort of harm coming to his twin sister and now his sweet nephew. Everyone on the Rez knew how overprotective the Lahote twins were of each other.
"I think it's a brilliant idea you came up with,
Marlie. Especially including the soon to be members of the pack, as it creates a camaraderie between you all which will only be better in the long run." Emily praised, smiling proudly at her younger friend.
"Thanks Em." Margot beamed.
"I think this should be a regular thing especially if those still in school join the pack. I'll talk to Sam but I think it should be once a week or at the very least once a month. We all need time to unwind and relax for not only to bond as a pack but also for our physical and mental health as well."
"See," Kim pointed out, jabbing her elbow into Margot's side. "You already are a great Alpha Luna and an amazing and wonderful mother. I actually want to be like you when Jared and I have our own in the far off future." She stated, remembering a few days ago when Margot had called her, Cara, Leah and Emily to come round when she was home alone with Jayden; in tears as she feared she was a horrible mother and she'd make a horrible Alpha Luna.
The three girls had rushed over to Margot's to reassure her with lots of hugs and comedy movies and spent most of the evening having a girls night doing face masks and talking and doing each other's nails as they reassured the young mother.
"Kim's right." Emily pointed out before Margot could say anything. "Sam and I actually had this conversation and we agreed that we will want to be like you Margot when we have our own.
But you are an amazing Alpha Luna and all of the younger ones look up to you. But you know Kim, Leah, Cara and I are always here if you ever need to talk."
"Thanks guys." Margot smiled feeling beyond touched as she smiled happily at them relishing the fact that she had such amazing friends who will always stand by her.
—————————————————————————
Author's note: DO NOT ask me to update in any way shape or form. There are other ways of telling me what you thought of this. We've got two more chapters after this one and then act two will begin in Twilight and the arrival of troublemaker Bella Swan.