Start Living Now

I was awakened by the annoying sound of Jacob’s cell phone vibrating. Knowing that he was fast asleep by the sound of his deep breathing, I untangled myself from Jacob’s arms and checked to see who was calling. Alice.

“Hello?” I answered groggily, wiping the sleep from my eyes.

“Jael! I knew you’d answer!” Alice giggled, no doubt implying she had another vision. “Are you awake?” she asked.

“I am now,” I replied while trying to stifle a yawn. “What’s up?”

“Oh nothing. I’m about to leave and pick up Emily so I can get her ready for the wedding ceremony. I was wondering if you’d like me to come and get you as well? I could help you get ready once I’m done with Emily.”

I turned to look at Jacob’s sleeping figure. Although I knew Alice would definitely make me look good, I wanted nothing more than to hang up the phone and curl up next to Jacob again, welcoming the warmth of his naked torso. Besides, I already knew what I was going to wear.

“Actually Pixie, that’s alright. I can get myself ready. You’ll need to focus on Emily more than me. It’s alright; I’ll head over there later.”

Alice laughed. “Jael, you are most certainly NOT wearing that light yellow sundress. You have much better dresses than that in your wardrobe. I’ll be there in an hour and a half. I trust you’ll be ready by then. See you soon!”

The screen of Jacob’s cell phone lit up, indicating that Alice had hung up. I sighed in frustration. So much for a lazy morning. I checked the digital clock on the nightstand and had to do a double take. It was seven-thirty in the morning! The wedding wasn’t until one in the afternoon. How long did Alice expect it to take to get a bride and her friend to get ready?!

I set the alarm to wake me up in twenty minutes and laid back down next to Jacob. He was still fast asleep. Softly chuckling to myself, I wrapped Jacob’s arms around me and rested my head against his chest. He was slightly stirring; every now and then he’d shiver whenever my hand would rest against a sensitive spot on his back.

“Shouldn’t you be taking a shower now? You know you’ll be late if you stay here any longer.” Jacob quietly mumbled. I stopped myself from sarcastically commenting on the fact that he pulled me closer to him as he told me to get ready.

“I have another twenty minutes. Go back to sleep. I’ll wake you up when I leave; you have to be at Sam’s by eleven.”

“I know, I know. I’m not his best man for nothing, after all. I won’t be late,” he said as he kissed my forehead. “I have to take my dad to Sue’s place anyway, so I HAVE to get up in time.” I could feel his chest shake as he gave out a short laugh. Shortly afterwards both of us were in a deep sleep.

After taking a quick shower and making sure my face was completely devoid of any makeup –as ordered by Alice- I realized I had left my clothes in Jacob’s room. Even though I set my alarm, I was still running late and had only grabbed a towel and my underwear on the way to the bathroom. Slipping on some nude colored underwear –once again, ordered by Alice- I wrapped my towel around myself and dashed for Jacob’s room in the hopes that Billy wasn’t up and about just yet. Jacob was awake and leaning against the wall next to the bed. Ignoring Jake’s snickering, I went for the large trunk I kept my clothes in and began to look for something to wear that was comfortable, yet easy to change out of when the time to get ready for the wedding came.

“I knew you’d be running late, so while you were in the shower I got your clothes ready,” Jacob said as he pointed to a bundle of neatly folded clothes.

“Oh, Jake, you’re a lifesaver!” I exclaimed as I kissed him on his cheek and started putting my clothes on; a ripped up pair of jeans, a white tank top and a corset-leathered belt. After slipping on a pair of socks, I went to the closet to grab a pair of shoes, only to hear Jacob sigh and toss me a pair of black calf-length boots.

“I’ll see you at the wedding, okay? Don’t be late to Sam and Emily’s house, and make sure your dad is ready!” I shouted to Jacob on my way out the bedroom door.

“Jael, wait! You forgot something,” Jacob said as he grabbed my wrist and pulled me back into the room. Before I could even ask what he meant, he slipped something cold and metallic on my left wrist. As he pulled away so that I could see what the object was, I gave out a small gasp. It was a buffed brass-tone cuff. In the center was the elaborately carved Mark of the Quileute wolf pack. It looked exactly like the one tattooed on Jacob’s right shoulder.

“Seth helped me make it; I’m not the best at carving something on metal,” Jacob softly said. “Do you like it?”

“Are you kidding me?! I love it!” I exclaimed as I threw myself into Jacob’s warm arms; as if he couldn’t tell be the jaw-breaking grin on my face. “I can’t believe you made this for me, thank you so much!”

“Well even though you haven’t been here long, and you plan on leaving, the pack considers you as family. I figured it was time you had our Mark, in some form,” said Jacob as he bashfully stuffed his hands in his short pockets, the tiniest look of sorrow in his eyes.

I pulled Jacob into a hug and smiled as I took his scent; he was a mix of pine and musk, neither one too strong and overpowering, but still just enough to differentiate. “I don’t know what else to say except ‘thank you,’ I’m touched. I really am. This means a lot to me.”

Jacob held me closer than he ever had before, I could feel him breathing in my perfume. “I know it does, which is why I was hoping we could talk about some important stuff later. After the wedding, we both have to get going. Alice should be here in a bit.”

Sure enough, as I grabbed my bag and grabbed a piece of toast from the kitchen, Alice pulled up into the driveway, impatiently honking the horn of her yellow Porsche. I said goodbye to Billy before I ran back to Jacob’s bedroom to tell him I’d see him later. The room was empty; frowning in frustration, I turned to leave, when Jacob grabbed me from behind with a playful growl. I laughed as he spun me around and told him Alice and Emily were waiting for me. As he put me down he softly grabbed my face in between his two hands and hungrily kissed me, catching me off guard. I entwined my hands in his hair, returning the kiss with just as much vigor, which only caused him to pick me up so I could wrap my legs around his waist, each of us kissing one another so passionately we were gasping for breath. Jacob set me down on the floor again and rested his forehead against mine.

“I’ll see you at the wedding,” he said.

“Okay, if I have time, I’ll look for you before the ceremony. I don’t know what Alice has planned.” I said with a laugh as I sighed. “See you later then.” As I left Jacob’s warm and muscular arms he pulled me back to him for a quick kiss.

Needless to say, I got into Alice’s car with the biggest smile on my face. Alice and Emily looked at each other knowingly and left me to my thoughts.

“Come on, Pixie. You’ve been getting me ready for three hours. Shouldn’t you be taking care of Emily and the rest of the bridal party?”

Alice smacked my shoulder with the flat end of a brush. She was wearing a soft grey dress that was embroidered with an intricate leaf design. Her grey heels and simple yet sophisticated jewelry and make-up made her look like a movie star from the 40s. She was beautiful. “Quit your complaining. I’m almost finished. And don’t worry about the bridal party, or the bride; they’ve been ready since eleven.”

The wedding was to be at the Kalaloch Lodge; a small resort not too far from La Push. The resort was pretty much devoid of technology, but it was warm and friendly; it fit Sam and Emily’s personality perfectly. The two were going to be married on the cliff the resort was built on, and the reception would take place in the party room. All that was left to be done was to make sure the seats that the guests were going to sit on outside were dry in case it rained, and to turn the twinkling party lights on. Alice had taken care of everything else, and I had seen Paul and Jared wiping down seats in their tuxes not too long ago.

“There, you’re ready. Would you like to see?”

Alice helped me stand up and turned me so that I could see myself in the large mirror she had set up on an easel in the room the bridal party had gotten ready in hours before. It took me a moment to realize the woman staring back at me in the mirror was me. Alice had chosen a short, grey and dark crème colored dress for me to wear, the colors changing and blending in together perfectly. The dress was slightly ruffled at the bottom and fanned out just right. The straps were thick enough to cover the scar on my shoulder; something I had worried about earlier, I didn’t want any stares or weird looks from strangers because I knew I would get bashful about it. A small charcoal colored belt rested on my upper torso just below my chest. Crème colored open-toed heels and a pearl necklace and bracelets complemented the shades of color on my dress. My dark hair cascaded down my back and hugged my face in loose, defined waves, and my makeup enhanced my brown eyes and tanned skin.

“Oh Alice, you are amazing. Have I told you that recently?” I breathily asked as I analyzed myself in the mirror. “Thank you so much! I could have never pulled this off on my own.”

Alice handed me a crème beaded clutch purse and sprayed some more CK1 on me. “No you haven’t, so thank you. And you’re welcome. Now let’s get going, the wedding starts in ten minutes and we can’t be late. It’s tacky to rush into a ceremony when you’re supposed to be sitting in the front.”

As we walked to the cliff, I couldn’t help but search for Jacob. But the bridal party was assembled in the white tent further away from the cliff, and I knew I wouldn’t have luck finding him with so little time before the wedding. Alice excused herself and walked off in the direction of the tent; no doubt to make sure everything was in order. Jared and Quil were the ushers for the wedding, so I cautiously walked over to them to ask where my seat was; the slightly uneven path and my tall heels made me nervous. The two look polished and clean; their hair was cut short and both wore dark charcoal colored suits, a yellow flower pinned on their jacket fronts. When I approached Jared and Quil, their eyes widened in shock.

“Jael?! Is that you?!” Quil asked with his mouth hanging open.

Jared wore a similar expression but seemed to quickly come out of his stupor, because he punched Quil’s arm and exclaimed, “Of course it’s her dummy! Stop asking stupid questions!” He turned to look at me with a mischievous grin. “Hello gorgeous, looking good for Jacob, eh?”

Quil rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Smooth, Jay. Real smooth.”

Ignoring their antics, I asked them where my seat was, which allowed Jared to tease me some more as he escorted me to the front of the assembly where my seat was. As I sat down in the third row, Jacob and Sam made their way up the aisle. Jacob briefly paused when he saw me; I think he actually did a double take. As he stood next to Sam on the pavilion, he had the largest smile on his face. His eyes screamed “You look beautiful.” He winked at me; I winked back. Traditional Quileute tribal music started playing. The sounds of the drums and wood instruments playing in perfect harmony made me a bit homesick, and for a moment I wondered how my grandfather was doing, or if he was even alive for that matter.

*

The heat was intense. Smoke consumed my lungs and my eyes were watering. Someone had set fire to the house Niko, myself, and the rest of the pack shared. I kicked open the door to my room; cursing myself for being able to sleep like the dead. The wood splintered as I kicked at it, sending sparks and splinters flying. I heard voices outside despite the intense cracking noise of burning wood. As I maneuvered my way through the burning building, I called out to my fellow pack members. No one answered. This made me nervous; someone was always home. Thoughts of betrayal, concern and suspicion ran through my mind, among other things. Was this a set-up or an accident?

“She’s alive!” I heard the distinct, guttural voice of Xavier as I searched for a way to get to the first floor. “Niko, she’s alive!”

“Don’t let her escape! Kill her!” said a feminine voice.

I knew exactly who it was; Janae. My supposed “long lost” brethren who had shown up on the reservation about a month ago, claiming she had nowhere else to go and that my grandfather and I were the only family she had left. I still don’t know how we’re related. Ever since she arrived, I had kept things on a short chain; I didn’t’ trust the girl. Unfortunately, almost everyone in the pack did, and they welcomed her with open arms. She took a specific liking to Niko, which also raised my suspicions. When she showed she too, could Shapeshift, I had no choice but to accept her into the pack, because she threatened to expose us all if I didn’t. (Sounds silly that someone would believe her, right? It would’ve been if our reservation knew so much about us through legends and myths passed down from generation to generation.) She corrupted the pack, dividing us with attempts at mutiny. Did I mention she practically had Niko wrapped around her finger? Or that we were on the verge of breaking up because she claimed Niko and I weren’t meant to be imprints and that she’d do whatever was possible to get what she wanted?

I suppose now would be a good time to realize that killing me wasn’t going to be an issue for her, and that Niko sure as hell wasn’t going to stop her.

I heard shouts and glanced down the staircase. Sara’s glaring face met mine. “There she is! Get her!” More shouts. They were coming into this burning mess to finish Janae’s dirty work.

I scrambled as best I could to the guest bedroom on the second floor. It wasn’t so badly burned here, for now. I tried to get the window open, but burned my hands. If I hadn’t been so concerned with keeping my groans of discomfort at a minimum, I would’ve sensed I wasn’t alone in the room. By the time he had his hands wrapped around me, one covering my mouth, the other holding me tightly against him, it was too late.

“Stay quiet and listen to me if you want any chance at getting out of this alive. We have to get you out of here! Pops is waiting for you at my parent’s house,” a strong yet gentle voice urgently whispered.

He allowed me to turn and look at him. He had a nasty cut on one cheek, and a shiny bruise was beginning to show on his left eye. “Yuma.” I whispered.

*

I broke out of my reverie just in time to realize that Sam and Emily were about to say their vows. I had practically missed the whole ceremony! I’d have to ask Alice exactly what happened.

I noticed Jacob was discreetly looking at me, his eyes full of concern. He made a sweeping motion underneath his eye, and I mimicked him. I brushed away tears from my face. I hadn’t even realized I was crying. I knew Jacob was wondering if I was okay, so I shook my head and smiled at him, letting him know I was fine. At least, for the most part.

“Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“I do,” Emily replied with a teary grin.

“I now pronounce you man and wife. You are now one. In turn, your families and friends are one. Know that this marriage has been blessed by the Ancestors. You may kiss the bride!”

A voice inside my head reminded me that no matter what happened, I had a close circle of people who would be there for me; the pack, Billy, the Cullens, even little Claire. At the center of that circle, was Jacob. In a way, they had become my family.

As I watched Sam and Emily embrace, I turned to look at Jacob. He looked at me out of the corner of his eye, and I knew his smile wasn’t meant just for the newlywed couple. We both cheered and clapped and blew bubbles in the air with the rest of the congregation as Sam and Emily made their way down the aisle as man and wife. Tears welled up in my eyes. This time I didn’t brush them away.