---Jacob’s POV---
I groaned and rubbed my hand over my neck while I stared at the map in front of me. We had decided to track Paige’s parents down, instead of going from sighting to sighting. I brushed the fold out of the map and looked at the list in my hand, checking if I had marked every town that had shifter activity in them.
A warm hand brushed across the width of my back, making the muscles there contract without a command. A smile tugged on my lips when I curled my arm around my mate’s waist and pulled her closer to me. “Who’s distracting who now huh?” I teased, placing a kiss on the side of her head.
Laughter filled the air around me while a warm feeling settled in my stomach. I really loved the sound of my mate’s laughter. Paige shook her head slightly while she peered at the map. “I just wanted to come take a look at your work.”
I placed a hand on my chest in mock-pain. “You didn’t even come down to see me? You’re cruel, baby girl.” She smiled and pecked my lips. “I’ll make it up to you.” She promised before she wriggled under my arm and stepped in front of me, looking at the map.
Her eyes scanned the map before she tapped on one particular spot. “Seems like mom and dad are fond of Canada…” I stepped forwards and looped m arms around her, nestling my head on her shoulder. “I’ve thought about it…the Boreal forest is large, full of wildlife and plenty of places to hide.”
Paige nodded again before she frowned slightly. When she didn’t say anything, I turned her around and put a finger under her chin to make her look up at me. “Hey, what’s wrong?” I asked while I looked worriedly at her expression.
“I’m scared Jacob.” She sighed before she glanced away from my face. “What if we don’t find them? What if we are too late? What if-“ I silenced her by placing my mouth on hers, coaxing her in a passionate kiss that removed all those doubts. Crowding her against the table, I reluctantly pulled away and leaned my forehead against her, watching her intently.
“Don’t bother with ‘What if’ Paige. It will only unnerve you more and more. If you worry too much about what could have been, you miss everything out on what is.” I pecked her lips again when they curled in a smile before she looked up. “I just knew you were a big softie at heart. Who knew you would like ‘Letters to Juliet’?”
I scoffed and looked up. “I did not. You forced me to watch that chick-flick.” Paige ran her hands over my chest before she flicked my nose. “Uh-huh.” She hummed while a smirk graced her lips. “That’s why you laughed so hard when Charlie fell of the branch?”
This time, I did crack a smile while I pulled away to roll the map up. “Maybe…” I trailed of, feeling her eyes resting on my back. “Okay, I admit, Charlie did have some good points.”
Paige blinked while I worked on clearing the table and stuffing everything that was needed in a set of bags. ”Like what?” She yelped when I spun around and pulled her flush against my body. “Like not being a fool like that idiot Romeo; if I wanted a woman, I wouldn’t stand there, staring up at the balcony. I’d just get up there and state my business.”
I smirked down at her. “And right now, I want you.” She giggled before she laughed loudly when I hoisted her over my shoulder and proceeded to carry her through the house, much to the amusement of the pack.
Paige was still laughing but began to fight back. “Jacob, you better put me down!” I just shook my head while I made my way towards our room, while I tossed our bags at Nick, who was shaking his head with amusement.
I flinched lightly when Paige pinched my but. “Honey, I know you love my ass but don’t tempt me too much.” I said, chuckling slightly when I heard her mutter something under her breath. Next thing I know, a pair of feline claws sank in the same place where Paige first pinched me, causing me to loose grip on her while I yelped.
Paige landed on the floor in cat form and smiled at me before she dashed off. “Oh, no you don’t.” I mumbled while the pack was hollering and giving catcalls. I shot after Paige, rounding a few corners while I heard her delicate paws brush against the ground. Right when I was convinced I had her, she slipped around another corner while I ran straight ahead.
I cursed and quickly turned around before I ran after her, only to skid to a halt when I spotted her. Paige showed me a wide Cheshire grin while she flicked her tail from side to side. But that wasn’t why I felt nervous…no; she was perched on father’s shoulders.
“Uh…” I stammered while dad glared at me. He had already given me a warning that I was supposed to hurry up with preparations so that we could leave tomorrow morning. Dad crossed his arms over his chest while he glanced at Paige, making me suspect that she was mentally talking to him. Crap.
“Jacob.”
That was the only warning I got while father took a step forwards. Next thing I knew, that old-timer had me on my scruff, dragging me through the house. “I might be getting old and I might be passing the position over to you but until that day, I AM still alpha.”
“I was just-“
Father ignored me and the onlookers that were softly chuckling behind his back. “So, when I say ‘Prepare for the journey’, I didn’t say that you could keep harassing your mate. Keep that to the bedroom, in your private time.” Father dragged me to the office, where the others were apparently waiting for us. “So, since all your preparations are done, you’ll be leaving right now.”
“What!” I shouted out before one look of my father made me shut up. Paige purred while she brushed her small head against Dad’s cheek, electing a soft smile on his face before she jumped down on Nick’s lap.
I growled a little at the sight before I let my eyes dart through the room. Everyone of our team was ready and waiting for us. Nodding at them, I said “Prepare and say goodbye’s, we’re leaving in a few.” before I glanced at my mate. “Tease.”
She purred as an answer and leapt of Nick’s lap before she padded towards Alexis, shifting halfway in her cougar. Alex wrapped her arms around Paige while saying “Bye Paige. Come back soon.”
The rest of the pack said their goodbyes before we strapped our bags on (the wolves did this loosely, so it wouldn’t tear off when we shifted) and then we were off.
---Paige’s POV---
I shifted in my wolf-form like the rest of the group and looked back at the vampires. A smile crept on my face when I noticed that Lizzie was clinging to Cian’s back while Beth was hanging on Carry. Both of the witches smiled dreamily while the vampire brothers smirked at each other.
“Ready?” I asked them while I shot the amusement I felt at them. Cian, the more laid back brother, shot me a grin while he moved Lizzie in a better position on his back, keeping his hands firmly on her thighs. “We are.” He smirked while I heard a few barks of laughter before we ran off.
I noticed that the vampires were holding back a bit, since they were faster then the wolves. Running up beside them, I glanced at them from the corner of my eye before I looked at the sky; clouds were moving around and blocking the sunlight.
“Uhm, not to be rude or anything…but shouldn’t you guys be hiding? All the stories do claim that you guys turn to dust at sunlight.” I sent them, wearily checking if I offended them. The twins surprised me by chuckling while Sean had a smirk on his face.
“We don’t turn to dust.” He scoffed, glancing at the clouds before he looked back down at me. “Only some of us, the oldest and more powerful, can walk into sunlight without risking any burns.” He stated casually with slow breaths, almost as if he wasn’t running fast enough to make a blur of the surroundings.
I nodded in understanding and nipped at Nick’s paw when he strayed in front of me. He yelped before glowering over his shoulder with a low growl. I let out a throaty chuckle and thought back at what Sean said.
“I’m guessing that you guys are old then?” I asked, not able to stop the curiosity that was flooding through me. This time, it was Cary that answered. “Well, I can only speak for myself and my brother but yes, we are old. Both of us are well over 1800 years in fact.”
I tripped over my feet and landed on the ground in a dust cloud while the rest skidded to a halt. Sean and Jacob stood by my side in a flash, helping me back to my paws. I shook my fur out and swallowed a few times in an attempt to get some moisture down my throat.
“Over 1800 years?” I managed to croak out while Nick, Sean and the twins all laughed at my shocked tone. Turning towards my brother, I asked, “How can you act so casual about this?”
Nick rolled his eyes and stretched his back with a yawn. “I’ve been brought up in a community full of immortal beings Paige. Jake’s father is over 90 years old, although he looks like a man in his early forties. As soon as the immortal genes get to work, we can change the way we look to prevent us from arousing suspicion amongst the mortals.”
I snorted slightly while I began walking again. “Well excuse me for acting so shocked. I have lived amongst mortals most of my life, I know next to nothing about what I am or about any other species.”
Sean ran next to me while we made our way to the forest, his expression giving away that he was thinking of something rather amusing. He noticed that I was looking at him, because his lip twitched slightly when he suppressed a smile.
“I’m guessing that you’re wondering how old I am?” he said, still glancing at me from the corner of my eyes. I let out a confirmative yip while I kept my eyes to the front. The others were interested as well but didn’t want to show it as much.
“Well, I’ll tell you when we set up camp. We don’t want another crash now, do we?” Sean said with amusement in his eyes. Nick snorted in front of me, causing me to narrow my eyes on him.
“….fell in a huge cloud of dirt….what a sight….”
A few bits from his chain of thoughts flowed my way and I tensed slightly before I shifted without a sound. Jacob noticed from the corner of his eyes and smirked slightly while Cary motioned his head towards Cian before they both watched what I was about to do.
I slowed down slightly, focusing on Nick’s tail waving behind him while I took a deep calming breath. If I wanted to outrun him, I had to be smart on this. My cheetah-form was ready and I quickly darted forwards, causing Nick’s head to snap up.
A strangled yelp came out of his throat, much to the amusement of the pack before he darted away while I closed the distance between us.
“Come on Paige, I’m your brother! Paige! Let me-“ Nick smacked to the ground with a satisfying thud when I swiped his hind paws from under him. He skidded further and landed face first in a puddle of mud. He snorted and quickly jumped to his feet before he spun around to face me.
Mud was dripping from his reddish pelt and just as I was on my breaking point, he huffed, creating a mud bubble on his nose that busted with a loud ‘Pop’. My snickers turned into full laughter while the rest joined in. Nick growled in annoyance before he lunged for me.
I couldn’t make a move to defend myself, I was just laughing too hard. Luckily, Jacob stepped over me and growled possessively, making Nick back off with a small whimper. “No fair! Why did you have to pull the mate card?” Nick whined before shaking his fur out. “Because I can, I will and I want to.” I smirked as a response.
My ears pricked up while the others laughed; I heard a distant crunching sound, like someone was walking towards us. The vampires must have heard it too because they were looking at the general direction of the sound. Making up my mind, I quickly shifted in my falcon and flew up before I weaved through the branches.
“Paige?” Jacob’s voice sounded confused in my head while he looked up at me. “What are-“ I flapped my wings to speed up while I muttered “Be quiet, someone’s following us.” A growl rumbled through his throat, making me roll my eyes. Wow, that felt strange in this form. “So much for being quiet.”
A mental chuckle was the only thing heard when they grew quiet so I could investigate. After a few more flaps, I set my eyes on our pursuers and mentally groaned. “I should have known.” Jacob’s thoughts were filled with questions before he asked, “Rogues?”
Shaking my head, I flew over the pursuers, following them from the sky while I sent back “Worse. Much worse.“ I let myself drop from the sky, shifting to my human form before I clung to the fur of the wolf beneath me. The other one jumped away with a startled yelp.
“Tyler Cole McGrath and Amy Melissa Rodriguez. What are you two doing here?” I said while jumping off Tyler’s back. The others dashed out of the bushes, growling at first but started to chuckle when they noticed Tyler’s wolf face down in the dirt.
“More wolves for the team?” Cian suggested while Cary frowned slightly. I noticed that he swallowed a couple of times, his jaw muscles ticking slightly. “Cary, are…are you thirsty?” The others turned around while Cary swallowed harshly. “A bit.” He mumbled before he looked down. “I haven’t fed since before the battle.”
Cian patted his brother on the shoulder while both Lizzie and Beth looked worried. Not for themselves, but for their mates. “We’ll fix that. After we settled somewhere for the night.” Cian said while Beth gingerly placed a kiss on Cary’s cheek. “Thanks love.” He whispered, causing a flush on Beth’s cheeks.
I turned around at Amy and Tyler, who both went behind the bushes to shift. “Back to you guys. Why are you here?” Amy glanced at Tyler with a strange look, which he ignored, before she said, “We wanted to help you guys. We don’t need to stay back home so we can help. Please?”
Jacob came from behind me, grabbing my waist to pull me against his chest. “Why didn’t you ask before we left?” he asked sarcastically. I raised my eyebrows at that; he had a good point. “Yeah,” Nick added, coming from behind a bush. “Don’t you guys hate each other?”
Tyler laughed loudly at that before he just shook his head and said “Well, we each left on our own and we stumbled on each other when we came here.” Jacob growled softly while he looked closely at Tyler. I pressed my back against him while I thought “Not now, Jacob.” The growl softened before it stopped completely, followed by a deep sigh before he nodded.
“Fine.” He sighed exaggerated before he grunted when I elbowed him in the ribs. “Paige!” He whined while rubbing his ribs. Sean shook his head while the Cary and Cian were switching holds on their mates.
“You two have been awfully quiet…enjoying the view, maybe?” I teased; causing Beth to flush while Lizzie smacked her lips and mumbled, “I’ll say!” much to the pleasure of the vampire twins. Cary turned his head to look at Lizzie with a strained smile. “Careful my eternal love. Don’t tempt me, I might be temped enough to get a taste of you.”
Lizzie swung her arms around his throat and leaned forwards to peck a kiss on his cheeks. Before she whispered something in his ears that caused both Cian and Cary to tense before they growled deeply. “If you don’t mind, I’m taking you up for that offer…later.” Cary replied with a wider smile and a twinkle in his eyes.
“Keep it PG-13 guys! Or rather, keep it PG, I don’t want to know what happens in your bedroom.” Amy said jokingly, making everyone laugh slightly before Jacob looked at the sun.
“Come on, let’s go. We’ve wasted enough time as it is.” He said before going back in the bushes to shift. I just shifted back, enjoying the fact that I had my own, private set of clothes.
“Show off.” Sean joked, making me wag my tail before I jumped forwards, nipping playfully at Lizzie’s feet when they dangled in front of me. “HEY!” she yelped before laughing out loud when Cary started to chase me, with her on her back. I barked a laugh and quickly dodged him.
Lizzie shook her head, still laughing and Beth remarked “Gosh, if Paige is a bundle of energy, I’m wondering how her parents are.” The others yipped in agreement, making me huff slightly. Jacob ran beside me, brushing his fur against mine in a pleasant way before he nudged my side slightly.
“How do we know if we’re close?” Tyler asked. I could feel that Amy silently agreed with his question but I was surprised when Beth replied.
“We can feel it when a pure blooded shifter is close. We’ll give a sign-“ she said before her red-headed sister replied, “But until then, MUSH!”
I snorted, barely containing my laugh while I weaved through the forest. Although people who looked at us would find this pack rather strange, I loved every single bit of it. I only wanted some more answers to all my questions.