Hells Angel

Avery rolled her eyes. “Shut up, Jacob,” she whispered.

Jacob smiled. “Is that a 'yes, Jacob, please kiss me!' or...no?”

“Just shut up,” she told him, leaning up and pressing their lips together. His lips were warm—just like she thought they would be, and she quickly found herself falling deeper and deeper.

Jacob pulled away a couple of seconds later. “Hey, no fair. I'm supposed to make the first move.”

Avery rolled her eyes. “Yeah, well, you took too long.”

“Of course I did,” Jacob said, nodding.

“I should get headed home,” she said, tilting her head to stare at the window. She frowned. “It's still pouring out there, isn't it?”

“Yeah, it's not going to stop for a while. Would your dad be okay with you staying here?”

She sent him a look. “Maybe?”

“I'll sleep on the couch, I promise,” he told her, holding his hand up. “Scout's honor. I have nothing but pure intentions.”

“Sure,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I'll give him a call.”

Jacob nodded. “Okay. I'm gonna get some water and...talk to the guys.”

“Something tells me that they're not exactly thrilled I know your secret. Even though I'm not going to tell. I'm really good at keeping things under wraps,” she told him.

“I'll be right back,” he told her, standing up and walking to the door.

“Wait,” Avery said. “Seth thinks you just find a new imprint?”

Jacob nodded.

“Do you think you've found a new one?”

“I...don't know.”

“I mean, when you do...find one, that is...do you tell them? Or not? I mean, I would think you wouldn't because wouldn't that sort of...trick their feelings in some way? By putting it in their head that they're pretty much it for someone, wouldn't it sort of...almost guilt them into thinking they feel the same?” she asked. “What if they don't feel the same way about you?”

Jacob shrugged. “I really don't know, Avery.”

“How were you...going to act around Nessie?”

He turned around, leaning against the wall. “I guess I always thought I would just...be there for her. Consistently. Just so she knew I was always there and just hope she developed the feelings that I had for her.”

Avery nodded. “What would you do if you found another imprint?”

He smiled, softly. “I'd try to act as normal as possible. I'd do everything in my power to keep her safe.”

“That's sweet,” she whispered. “Why are some people imprinted and not others?”

He laughed. “You're full of questions tonight, aren't you?”

She shrugged. “I'm just curious.”

“Well, apparently it has something to do with...breeding.”

She rose an eyebrow. “Really now?”

He laughed, slightly uncomfortable. “Like, who would be the best mate to create a stronger line.”

“Can your kind only imprint upon others who have the same blood?” she asked.

“Not necessarily,” he told her. “Just...something we inherently know, I suppose.”

She nodded, slowly. “That's. Kind of creepy.”

“What is?”

“Imprinting, to be honest.”

Jacob laughed. “How so?”

“Well, I mean, in theory you would become completely obsessed with them. And everything in your life kind of revolves around them. That's what I gather from what you're saying, anyway. And that's a little weird. Is there any way you'd act normal?”

“Well, it is normal,” he said. “Just because everything inside your head is about them doesn't mean you act all up their ass, you know? You can...have an imprint without it being obvious to everyone. And usually, when those relationship starts, the other doesn't usually know so the relationship is normal in hopes that those deep feelings will develop.”

Avery nodded, soaking it all in. “That...makes sense. I'm sorry that I'm full of so many questions. It's just...rather fascinating. You can go...talk to your friends if you want. I'm just going to call my dad and...let him know I'm staying because of the storms.”

“Okay,” Jacob said. “I'll be back in a few minutes.”

“Okay,” she said quietly as he walked out of the room. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, checking her text messages—two missed ones, both from Linley, and she didn't bother reading them. She was about to hit her dad's number on speed dial when Jacob walked back in the room. “Forget something?” she asked.

Jacob didn't answer. He walked over to the bed, grabbed her arm, and pulled her up, pressing their lips together. Avery gripped his arms tightly, hoping not to fall over, as she fell deeper into his kiss. The kiss was fast, as if he were afraid they would be interrupted at any minute. Avery couldn't stop the whimper that escaped her lips when he finally pulled away, nearly gasping for breath.

“Not fair,” she whispered, still gripping his arms.

Jacob laughed breathlessly. “I'm sorry. I'm really going to go talk to them now.”

She nodded. “You do that.”

Jacob looked down at her hands. “It's not like there's an earthquake or anything.”

“Hmm?”

“You can stop holding onto me for dear life. I mean, I know I'm good but—“

“You disgust me,” she said, pushing her slightly.

Jacob smiled. “I do not.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Fine. You don't.”

“I knew it.”

She rolled her eyes. “Leave now.”

Jacob nodded, “I'll...just be a couple of minutes,” he told her, backing out of the room slowly.

Avery sighed. “You're going to be the death of me, Jacob Black,” she muttered, pulling her cell phone out and sitting back down on the bed. She dialed her dad's number, slightly nervous over how he would react. He usually didn't mind if she stayed out...she just knew he wouldn't be too happy it was at a boy's house. But the storms were always bad and she knew they were just going to get worse.

”Avery? Where are you? It's almost eleven.”

“I'm at Jacob's. I got lost in the woods,” she told him.

He laughed. ”How did that happen, Aves?”

“I'm an idiot,” she said easily. “But the storms started and...it's getting pretty bad out.”

”Yeah, it is.”

“I, uh, was just going to stay at Jacob's tonight. Just so the storm dies down because the roads are horrible up here on the reservation,” she told him slowly.

”You know I trust your decisions, Avery.”

“I know, dad, I just don't want you to get the wrong impression.”

”Just be careful, okay?”

She rolled her eyes but still smiled. “I will, dad. I love you.”

”Love you, too, Aves.”

She hung up her phone and kicked off her running shoes, laying back on Jacob's bed.

+

Jacob walked out into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water. He hesitated just for a minute before he went to face his pack in the living room. Seth was smiling. Sam was frowning.

“I told her everything,” Jacob told them, though he didn't exactly have to—they already knew.

“So she knows she's your imprint?” Seth asked, excited. He still had an air of innocence surrounding him because of his age—but the guys always saw him as one of their own.

Jacob paused.

“Of course he didn't tell her that part, Seth,” Sam said, his voice deep and low.

“Sam, it wouldn't be right to tell her that we're pretty much destined to be together after she just found out about the shape-shifting deal,” Jacob told him. “I don't want her to think she doesn't have a choice in this whole situation.”

“She doesn't,” Sam said.

“She does,” Jacob insisted. “I'm not going to hurt her. And I'm not going to say anything that will make her think that she has to feel this way.”

“But what if she never does?” Seth asked. He hated the constant tension and animosity between the two strongest members of the pack and he was always the one who tried to stop them from fighting—but it didn't always work.

“Then she doesn't,” Jacob said, as if it were actually that simple.

“You can't just lose her, though. That's not fair!”

Jacob shrugged. “I just want to take it slow to see if these feelings develop for her on their own.”

Sam scoffed, shaking his head. “Don't you get it, Jacob? She doesn't have a choice—neither of you do. From the minute your eyes met, it was game over for both of you. She just hasn't realized it yet.”

“I get that, Sam,” Jacob said. “I'm not an idiot.”

Sam crossed his arms. “You sure about that?”

Jacob growled, low in his throat. “You want to get into this now, Sam?”

“Maybe we should just go,” Seth said, his voice quiet.

“Maybe we shouldn't get into this now, Jacob. This is potentially dangerous,” Sam said.

“You wanna see potentially dangerous, Sam?” Jacob asked.

Seth tried to interject. “Guys—“

+

Jacob smiled when he walked back into his room—Avery was lying on his bed, curled up on her side, eyes shut. He walked over and sat down next to her, pushing a strand of hair out of her face. She shifted slightly, her eyes opening slowly. “Did you fall asleep?” he asked, smiling.

Avery shook her head. “No, sir.”

He laughed. “You lie.”

“Maybe,” she said, pulling him down on the bed and curling up next to him. “Why do you smell like wet dog?”

“About that,” Jacob said, laughing. “Sam and I got into it so we just...took it outside.”

Avery rolled her eyes. “Boys and their egos. Fists before words, huh?”

“Paws.”

“What?”

“Paws before words. When we get really mad, we shift. It used to be involuntary but now we can control it a lot better,” he explained.

Avery sent him a look. “You boys need to learn how to behave. You know that, right?”

Jacob shrugged. “Growing boys need to fight a little bit every now and then,” he insisted.

“You're going to grow more?!” she asked, sitting up, shocked.

Jacob shook his head, laughing. “No. I think I might be done soon. Unless I decide to keep bulking up. What do you think?” he asked, flexing his bicept.

Avery rolled her eyes. “Now you're just fishing for compliments. And I'm not going to boost your ego.”

“I don't need you to. I know you think I'm foxy.”

“Foxy? Really?”

He smiled, cupping his hand around the back of her neck and he pulled her down, pressing their lips together. He could have stayed in that position forever—her bangs touching his hand, her skin cool under his. Part of him was too afraid of losing control around her—another part of him didn't care.

“You know you think I'm foxy,” he told her, smiling, after he pulled away.

Avery sighed. “If you say so, Jacob. If you say so.”

“Just admit it!”

“Go to sleep,” she told him, resting her head on his chest, his arm around her waist.

They remained like that for the rest of the night.