Snowfall

“Why did I not realize this was coming?” Stephanie muttered in anguish, trudging through the snow as it piled higher and higher, the few groceries she was carrying growing heavier and heavier.

She had gone to the grocery store just ten minutes ago to get a small list of groceries when the snow started coming down. Her car was in the shop, so she had decided to walk to the store, which was only three minutes by car, so it didn’t take long by foot. She noticed the clouds building on her way over to the store, but didn’t think nothing of it since the weather forecasts said that it was to snow just two days later on Christmas.

‘Looks like the snow came early,’ she thought, adjusting the grocery bags in her hands again, since they were starting to get heavy. Her hair was starting to get wet from the snow coming down, her earmuffs only covering what they were named after-her ears.

‘I wish that I was able to talk to Jacob more often, then maybe he could have helped me fix my car,’ she thought sadly. Her and Jacob’s relationship was rocky ever since Bella married Edward. He was in such a grumpy mood, and wouldn’t talk to her. Even when he took her to the bonfire to listen to the story of the legends, he didn’t speak to her then. While listening to the story though, she had pieced together what he was, and decided to wait for him to tell her rather than ask him about it up front.

She continued walking to her house, her pants slowly getting wet at the edges because of the snow floating around. The snow fell in piles, it seemed. All she could see around her was white, which started to scare her. She had only been outside for fifteen minutes or so and already it was a winter wonderland.

Her arms were starting to burn, the muscles not wanting to take anymore of the load of groceries she was carrying. She finally decided that she couldn’t hold them anymore, and sat them down in the white fluff that was the sidewalk, and leaned against the lamppost.

She sat up quickly when she heard a rustle in the forest nearby. She looked into the forest as far as standing on the sidewalk would let her, and didn’t see anything. She then felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to see a certain tall werewolf.

“Jacob!” she said in surprise, jumping a little. He was in his usual attire, the only thing on his body being his frayed shorts. She tried not to look at his well-toned body but was failing. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, I was in the neighborhood. Thought I’d stop by,” he said shrugging. He nodded towards the bags on the sidewalk. “D’ya need any help?”

She bit her lip, debating on what to say to him. His mood had changed drastically. He wasn’t the mad, grumpy Jacob. She smiled, and answered, “Yeah, I guess I do.”

He then picked up the heaviest of the bags, leaving her to carry the lighter of them. They walked in silence, Stephanie trying not to shiver visibly from the snow getting to her. “So how’d you end up having to walk home from the grocery store?” Jacob asked, trying to start a conversation.

“My car’s in the shop, and I needed some groceries, so I decided to walk. I didn’t realize that it would snow, otherwise I would have tried to find a side dish to eat for dinner until the storm subsided and I could get there safer,” she explained, trying not to sound like this was his fault.

“Well I could have tinkered with your car to see what was wrong with it if you would have called,” Jacob told her, sounding a tad hurt that she didn’t think of him.

“I would have, but you were so mad, so…so grumpy,” she said, not finding a good word to describe his sullen state, “I wasn’t sure you wanted me to call. I thought you would get mad if I did.” They were nearing her house, starting to go up her driveway when he stopped walking, causing her to turn around to look at him.

His expression was disbelief as he said, “I wouldn’t have gotten mad; Not at all. I’m sorry if I seemed that way to you, but I guess I was just getting over Bella.” He started walking towards the house, Stephanie following him. “I’m sorry if it seemed that I didn’t appreciate you, or talk to you or anything like that,” he continued, taking long strides towards the front door.

Stephanie got her keys out, not saying anything. She was stunned that he wasn’t mad. As she opened the door for them to go in, she asked, “You weren’t mad? Then all of that moping around and not talking was because of Bella?”

They both walked in, Jacob setting his bags of groceries on the kitchen table, Stephanie doing the same.

“Well,” Jacob said hesitantly, “It wasn’t all about Bella. I realized that I hadn’t told you something. I was asking Sam if I could tell you, since I couldn’t have otherwise, and he said I might as well, so I am.”

Stephanie waited, knowing what he was about to tell her.

“I’m a werewolf,” he said, rubbing the back of his head and laughing nervously. “Well, we all are: Sam, Jared, Quil, Embry, Seth, Paul…all of us. We’re a pack.”

“I knew that you were,” she said, his eyes widening. “I knew when you took me to the bonfire and the story of the legends were told. I had pieced it together what you were, but I didn’t know that the rest of them were werewolves too.” She took off her jacket and walked to the fireplace, Jacob following, setting up the fire. She tried not to shiver in front of him, and started the fire quickly, the smoke going up the chimney.

“You knew?” Jacob asked, anger flashing in his eyes.

“Yes, but I decided to wait until you told me yourself. I didn’t want you to freak out or anything if I pointed it out that I knew,” she reasoned, holding her hands out palms up towards the fire, trying to warm them.

Jacob’s eyes softened. “Okay.” They both sat in silence for a moment, Stephanie warming her hands before Jacob whispered huskily, “You know, I know a better way of getting warm.”

He pulled her close, the heat radiating off of his body making her want to curl up around him and never let go. He kissed her cheek, his lips lingering before kissing her lips. She kissed back, wrapping her arms around his neck, his heat warming her more than the fire did.

He kneaded her back as he kissed down her jaw line, causing her to moan and press into him, grinding a little. He growled at the contact, causing Stephanie to chuckle a little. “Getting a little anxious, aren’t you wolf boy?”

“You have no idea,” he whispered lowly, kissing her again before they fell back against the floor, limbs tangled.

Both were oblivious to the raging storm outside, and left the non-perishable groceries sitting on the table.