"One last exhale, Jake. Last one."
I forgot how much I've pleaded for him to breathe and made sure he's alright before my hands helped Carlisle break his bones and rearrange it. Every crack echoed ten times, every scream he made was a stab to the heart, and his firm grasp nearly breaking my fingers. But he continued to hold on to me as Carlisle placed a gentle hand on his torso, and cracked the last of the last. It probably helped that I could see him in my head. I could see whenever he'd flung his arms for something to hit whenever he's in so much pain. I see everything before he could even say a word.
Carlisle nodded then, content that all his bones would heal correctly this time that I hugged him gratefully as he left before leaning down to wipe Jacob's tears and sweat. His warmth was overwhelming—burning even. But he looked much, much better now than he was when I first arrived. The man did so much as a flinch that he'd cry endlessly in agony. Now, his improvements seemed to show when he's able to readjust on his small bunk, finding a comfortable position.
"I'm sorry." I immediately croak with utter regret and shame as his hands moved to clasp between my fingers. "I'm sorry I pushed you away again. I'm sorry I broke my promise. I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you and most of all, I'm sorry I broke all your bones again." Jacob managed to laugh even though he was still going through extensive healing. It was fast enough for rearranging to hurt that much.
"Jade, please." He murmured under his breath, "You didn't do anything. I think—I guessed that maybe she did something so unforgivable that you had to deal with her alone. I wouldn't take that right away from you. Not in a million years." My god, I've never been so undeservingly lucky. I did all that and he still understood without a word. "Besides, I had to protect the pack. Leah was in trouble and even with her constant complaints and anger, she has a family with us. So, you never need to apologize for what I chose to do. And for giving my bones a complete makeover. I think you and Doc actually fixed the injury I got when I was a kid."
I shoved his shoulders, forgetting he was healing when he groaned a little but laughed at the same time. "Caius came to see me." I said, knowing he deserves to know every bit from a to z. "He found out about you, about the wolves."
"What?!" Jacob flinched but I pushed his chest down at the mattress.
"You better not mess with my handiwork, wolf." He nodded warily, "Don't worry. I told him the truth. That you're my mate and if he ultimately decides to be stupid, I'll kill him."
"Can you trust him?"
"We'll never really know the answer to that, Jake. I guess he somewhat left it to fulfilling a debt he owed me a long, long time ago. I have to trust his word. And if he chooses to betray me eventually, then I'll send him to hell together with his army of idiots in outdated cloaks."
Jacob chuckled but held firm on my hands, "We'll fight side by side, Jade. I'll kick his ass for you. You only need to ask." I smiled, bending down to kiss him, to embrace his warmth, to hear his gentle heart beating fast across his chest.
"Also, I think we'll have to retake the better predator test. My guess is that I will win. I'll bet a fortune on that."
"How will you win, then?"
I told him in clearer detail what happened to me all throughout the whole day. "I struggled with some of the facts a while ago but now that I realized it, and remembered every last detail, it became clear to me that the reason why I was struggling to function is because my ability needed time to regenerate. I wasn't at my fullest capability. It wasn't very heard of that a vampire develops later in their full maturity. But anger had a role in it, and as that fueled my rage to the extent, it just happened. I still feel like a newborn again. Like a shark in a frenzy. But it can be kept at bay. That's why when Carlisle asked for help, I channeled my all to not damage you any more than you already have. My hands are dangerously strong and it occurred to me that I can't hold you right just yet while I'm getting used to it."
Jacob stared at me long enough, and then, the fact that I could see him—in my mind. See how his fingers tangled gently between the pieces of hair that fell on my face. He did all that—Jacob Black tucked it behind my ear and pulled me close to him. "I see you, Jake." He opened his mouth to ask but I beat him to it from my mere excitement. "I see you in my head, I see you, your pack. I see your form and everything else. Jacob, I could finally see you."
I knew he did something to test me when his right arm flinched to surprise me but I was able to hold on to it before it could. The act definitely catching him by surprise. "No way!" I nodded, laughing. I'd cry if I could. "Oh my god. That's amazing!" He reached for me and embraced me whole. "You're amazing, Jade Cullen. And I love you."
"I love you, Jake."
A soft knock reverberated from the door and it opened to Bella's worried features. I knew they needed time to talk so I excused myself out of the house and found that the rest of the pack was still there, waiting, and Carlisle's car already gone. I made a beeline towards Paul just by Jacob's motorcycle parked at the side, making sure to thank him for his deliberate promise. "You know," he began, already chuckling, "I literally didn't let him close his eyes. I said I had to see his pupils every five seconds that he almost kicked my face off the earth."
I laughed, imagining how funny and equally nerve-wracking that must've been. "Thank you for doing that, Paul. I owe you one."
He sure was glad of the concept of debts when his face practically lit up. No doubt already devising plans to mess with me and maybe shave my head, too. They may hold their own sacred but it could still grow back. Ours wouldn't even if I begged and bawled my eyes out. "I'll have to mull the offer over. I'm gonna need three days to prepare for the opportunity of a lifetime." And I'm not wrong.
"How many times have I reminded you that you're such an idiot?"
Paul grinned, "One too much, Jadey Jade."
I drew my head back and saw Seth a few inches beside, looking up. I followed the way of his gaze and found that the moon, albeit shining brightly amidst the gloomy sky, was slowly being sunken by darkness. I watched as it covered the moon with its darkness, entirely with no means of escape until it budged, just a bit, and all at once. "Eclipse." Seth muttered quietly, as if we're the only ones to be able to see it.
"Is it over?" I heard Paul asked lowly and full of hope.
"I hope so."
-
"I'm not asking again, Jacob. Slow the hell down or you'll throw us both in jail for speeding. God knows how Charlie's already beyond pissed at me when I got that ticket the other day! I mean—would you believe it? I wasn't even on the highway! Unbelievable!"
Jacob continued down the road like his own boss when he revved the motorcycle back to the rez in full speed, or the fullest that it could do. Because even if I know he tried his best fixing this junk—it still sound like it. Junk that seemed to be giving out any minute now. "He's not gonna throw me in jail. The man likes me." I rolled my eyes and almost did slapped him at the back of his head when I remembered he specifically made both of us wear helmets to look as normal as we can. Jacob's safe, for now. "You, however, I think he still got a couple of reservations." He added, laughing at his own stupid joke.
"I regret coming with you, did you know that?"
He continued, knowing the truck following must've already missed us back at the highway. They know where they're going but I feel like it was agreed to follow. Little ol' wolf boy didn't listen though. To the truck that carried the new bed and mattress that I bought for his massive ass. The one he got back home gave out when we... well, it tore in half and it was partly my fault, so we made our way to town for a new one. I didn't know how we'll make it fit on his door but I agreed he needed something bigger than the one that broke.
We reached back the rez over another minute of speeding, turning down to the shed where he parked the motorcycle and we started walking back home. "Jake!" Seth found us along the road, and his constant presence was a delight. A change of scenery from Paul's annoying one. He couldn't decide how he'll make me pay from the debt I owe him so every day, Paul tries messing with me in hopes that it could do. News flash, it still didn't. "Hey, Jade! I heard you guys bought a bed. You got anything in town for me?" The boy grinned that Jake chuckled and turned out his pockets for some sweets.
"That's a month's worth of candy. Don't munch on it all at once of your sister will kill me." Seth agreed immediately, not wanting to deal with Leah's bad side. To be fair, I quite understood why she's always irritated. I guessed it was my scent all over the rez that pisses her off. "Where's the bed anyway?"
I huffed, "Ask him." I said, pointing to the man currently holding me by the waist, "He's the one that left them on the way here. I sure do hope you gave the right direction, Jake. I'll throw you on the other side of the ocean if they get lost." It was nearly night time and the way to the rez was a little dark from the lack of lights.
"They're not. I drew them a map, they'll get here in time, I promise." He said, kissing the side of my head which, in his luck, did the trick of making me less annoyed.
"Well, they're not here yet. Wanna go to the beach? Emily's setting up a bonfire and there'd be lots of food out there." Seth said, already walking to the direction of the beach.
"Yeah. Come on." Jacob was equally persistent that I agreed albeit wanting to wait for the bed to come. Pulling my hands gently on the way as we trekked by. It wasn't quite far ahead and the low embers of fire were visible nearby. But Jacob tugged me again by the left, seeing if Seth had followed but there was no one behind us anymore, and we're walking a little farther from our destination.
"Wait, are we checking the house? Paul said there's still an infestation the other day when I went! I'm not in the mood for a cockroach party, Jacob Black." He only smiled as his fingers clasp tight, only then realizing how cold his hands immediately turned the closer we get there.
I opened my mouth to say something but then, suddenly, torches were lit up from either side of what once was a hollow and bare wooden structure turned into a... house. The dull red paint of their house that resembled a barn was a complete contrast of the house he and his brothers built all on their own. It was painted russet, like the color of his fur, with two small windows at the either side of the oak door. They've expanded it to the left, made it look bigger than when I first saw it, and added more windows to it. One was large enough and pointed to the way of where we're supposed to go. "I wanted you to see the beach better." I didn't have words. Words doesn't feel enough.
Jacob pulled me closer, and closer that I felt immediately my feet light and my head hazy. "It's not much. I guess we'll have to furnish it a bit more but I—I couldn't wait for you to finally see it." He urged me to hold on the golden knob that my hands almost quivered when I touched it. It felt warm, and as I turned it, I was welcomed by the sight of home.
There was a loveseat by the living room, a small fireplace, everything else was bare wood and it felt just right. The kitchen was at the farthest side of the room, and two doors to the expanded part of the house. Jacob practically jumped as he opened the door and from the way the windows looked like from outside, I didn't think it was big enough to have a good clear view of the ocean. Stars littered the skies, the bonfire blazing brightly at the farthest left, and the view of the woods bringing comfort. There was a seat right by it, and soft pillows.
I turned and found Jacob, proudly standing over a piece of paper with written words, 'Bed' at the other side of the room. "This is where I'll put my bed." He said jokingly, making me laugh and at the same time, almost boke from so much gladness. "I know you don't sleep but—I guess you're welcome to join me?"
I didn't think twice when I ran to him and kissed the hell out of his lights off. I was lost for words—lost for anything to say. I knew he promised me a house by the beach, but he gave me more. He gave me a home. A place to stay and finally live a life.
"I've been running for so long, Jake. Running from everything else in my life. But today, here in the house you've built for us, I'll stay. I'll be with you for however long lifetime takes."
"That's an awful lot of forevers, Jade Cullen. You sure you're good with that?" He joked that I laugh and nodded profusely.
"Forever, and then some more, Jake."
The man grinned, kissed me passionately like a fervent fever dream, and pulled away with a big smile across his face. His arms around me, his forehead on my own in our home. Everything was perfect. Everything is where it should be.
"Marry me, Jade Cullen. Marry me and be mine for the rest of our forevers."
"I will."