After pulling up into his yard Jake palmed my waist lifting me out and carried me inside. He let me down in his room and I nervously sat on his bed while he rifled through his closet. He was different, taller, broader, his muscles bulged. His face more fierce and the planes hardened.
"I still have some of your stuff, why don't you take a shower, then we can talk" he said approaching me. In his hands was some of my clothes from when I had needed to change after getting soaked by rain and my small extra travel case. I took both gratefully, " thank you"I whispered and headed into the bathroom noticing the shadow under the door and the low thud as he sat down.
I soaped up and washed my hair and face letting the hot water sooth me like a balm. When I was done and dried off I toweled my hair as dry as I could, then let it do it's thing. I had left a red, navy, and white plaid flannel long sleeved shirt, a pair of ripped jeans and white tennis shoes. Lastly a second pair of glasses, I took out my contacts and put them away trading for the wide large navy glasses.
When I opened the door he was right there. " Hey" I whispered trying to smile though it wobbled. " Hey" he crooned slowly in concern and cupped my face tenderly then brushed his thumbs under my eyes catching tears. " I'm sorry Jake, I've missed you so much. I was just so scared after what happened " I told him thickly.
He pulled me into his chest tightly and it felt so good."No baby, don't be sorry " he murmured kissing my hair. " That night was so messed up, I'll explain everything okay?" he told me softly. I nodded as his scent calmed me.
Before I knew it I was being carried again.
Jake barked orders as he walked, his voice making his chest vibrate. It didn't take long before before he broke through the trees. " Where are we Jake?" I asked furrowing my brow at the house I didn't recognize. " It's Sam and Emily's place" he told me " I was wrong about them honey."
The door opened and another man almost as tall as Jake's new height nodded to Jake as we came inside. " What happened" a woman about my age asked as Bella and I were brought inside. " Leech thrall" Jake spit sitting with me in his lap. His hands rested on my hip and knee while I had my forehead against his neck and my arms free.
Another girl came in bringing a mug of something for Bella and shortly after the first with scars on her face brought a mug over to me. " Hey, Stevie. I'm Emily we can get to know each other later, but for now I brought got some Jasmine tea. It always helps soothe me " she whispered passing me the mug and patted my hand. " Thank you" I told her trying to smile a little.
Others gathered around and Jake quietly pointed the ones out that I didn't know. Jared the one who had held me earlier grinned and waved. Otherwise I knew Sam, Paul, and Embry besides Jake.
" Can you tell us what happened honey " Jake asked me tenderly as he tipped my chin to see my eyes. I nodded " Jasper stares at me in school, but he and the other Cullen's mostly kept to themselves. Tonight though I was surprised when he showed up at my front door. My dad answered the door and encouraged me to go since I'd been studying so much. They'd been worried about me a bit so far pretty much pushed me into going.Bella and Edward were in the car already" I told them as they watched intently.
" When we got there they were all about showering compliments. Inside we separated Jasper asked to dance and I went with it" I said rolling my lips, "then what honey?" Jake coaxed brushing my hair back.
" I was thirsty and needed a break, so we went to the edges of the dancing area where the drinks were and I got some water. While we were there I started feeling warm and like the walls are closing in and Jasper looked at me really intensely and asked if I wanted some air. My head felt so fuzzy like when you have a cold. He made me look at him and asked again.It was like I couldn't control my own reaction and then he was walking us out to one of the empty rooms. When he left me to shut the door, my head cleared and I was scared. I backed away from him but he caught me and made me look at him. My head became fuzzy again as he breathed in my face " I said and my voice started to get thick and my face reddened. " He asked if I wanted to kiss him and somehow these feelings that felt separate from my own intensified and I wanted to kiss him " I sobbed and tried to get control of myself.
" And then I heard Jake in my head telling me to stop and this warm feeling came over me with visions of you and I came back to myself. Jasper tried to control me again, but I didn't want him to. He found the bite and touched it when he was kissing me . It was like fire and acid burned all my nerves there " I said and shut my eyes then shivered" it was agony, beyond agony and that's when you came in " I told them.
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After Bella told her side of things the group disbanded and Jacob and I headed back to his house. " I know you want answers, but I think we should wait for in the morning. You can barely keep your eyes open and neither of us have been getting much sleep " Jake murmured wrapping his arm around my shoulders and brushed my hair back from my face.
I shook my head " no, I want to know what made you do that Jake. I've tried to figure it out, I know you've never meant to hurt me but I didn't come up with anything. I've missed you so much, I need to know what really happened " I said
We were coming up to his property now and he pulled me with him behind his garage. I leaned back against the building while he stood in front of me. " That book you have on the legends of the tribe, did you read it?" he asked after pacing a little. I nodded furrowing my brow " yeah".
" The legends are real Stevie" he told me simply. I stared wide eyed up into his handsome face as he cupped my cheeks and searched my eyes running his thumbs under my eyes. " I'm a wolf honey. Sam, Paul, and Jared phased first that's why they were watching Em and me. That night I bit you was the wolf awakening in me, he was trying to take what he chose was his. The bite was him marking our mate" he told me.
My throat thickened as we stared at each other. I painfully stepped back out of his hands "your lying" I whispered and started walking away. "No I'm not, damnit honey come back!" he said in exasperation as he followed me. " You have to be, you said it yourself that they're just stories " I threw over my shoulder angrily. " I was wrong, you've gotta believe me Stevie. You can't leave " he said grabbing my arm and spun me around. " Why not!" I cried angrily.
"Because I love you" Jake yelled looking into my eyes with so much love and passion and longing that I froze. " Because your my imprint and I'm lost without you" he said more quietly and gripped my arms tightly, " Because I love you so f@@king much, that I'll never let you go " he told me passionately while I cried.
"Jake I..." but he covered my lips with a warm finger " hush honey, I need to show you something " he told me softly. Stepping back he held up a finger " stay here a minute" he told me and ran into the woods. I waited for barely a moment before there was an audible pop and then something came out.
A russet wolf the size of a large horse came out the the edge of the trees. " Jake?" I whispered incredulously and hesitantly stepped forward. The wolf nodded his large head and came closer, stopping about four feet from me.
Looking into his eyes I saw the same warm hematite I had fallen for. Staring in wonder I came closer and reached out slowly to pet his shoulder. " Your beautiful Jake" I murmured sticking my hand into his thick coat on his chest. A thrum reverberated from his chest as his eyes closed in delight and I let out a soggy chuckle " you remind me of Shade". His eyes flew open and a deep rumble reverberated from him as his lips pulled back a bit revealing huge sharp teeth. " A much more huge, scary, and ferocious version of course"I offered sagely.
Seamlessly his coat melted to skin and my Jake sat on his knees in front of me . He wrapped his arms around my hips pressing his face into my stomach. " God I missed you" he sighed breathing deep luxuriant breathes from my waist " I hugged my arms around him catching the ends on his long black hair, " me too Jake, I love you so much " I murmured.
Standing he caught my lips in a passionate kiss that made me gasp as he lifted me up bridal style. We met each other stroke for stroke as we got reacquainted on the way to the house. Jake set me down as soon as we came through the door. " Go ahead and grab a shirt to sleep in honey, I'll wait till your ready " he told me quietly and rubbed my back as I passed him to his room.
I found myself a La Push High t-shirt with a wolf graphic and a clean pair of navy boxers and changed into them leaving my folded clothes on top of Jake's dresser. When I was done I opened the bedroom door finding Jake out of his shorts and into a pair of boxers, " ready for bed honey?" he asked.
I nodded shyly " more than, I can hardly keep my eyes open" I murmured. Jake chuckled as he came in " c'mon honey" I told me tenderly and brought me with him to the bed. Getting in I curled up on my side and Jake got in behind me curling his big body around me. He rooted his nose into my hair finding my neck and kissed the back and wrapped his arm around my waist palming the flat of my stomach covering it in delicious heat and ran his other arm under my pillow. I was already falling asleep and I faintly heard him speak. " I swear Stevie, I'm going to spend the rest of my life keeping you safe " he whispered.