Accidentally

I closed the car door and looked at the old house filled with people. Involuntarily I gulped.
Last time I was here I learned about the existence of werewolves. Something I could only dream about was now in the house in front of me, all chatting and smiling, acting as if they were on en episode of the Brady Bunch.
I felt something warm squeeze my hand and looked over to see Jacob by my side with a reassuring smile.
“It’s ok.” He sort of whispered while he took a step and gently tugged me towards the door. Slowly I began to walk and soon we were right at the sliding glass door.
Some noticed us and others didn’t, it wasn’t until Jacob opened the door which caused all conversation to stop and every eye to focus on us. Again I gulped.
Emily was in the kitchen; whatever she was stirring was at a stop while she looked at me with a smile. Sam stood next to her but his face didn’t hold a smile, it looked worried and concerned.
Quickly I looked away from him and to the table in front of us. Quil, Jared, Seth, and Kim all sat there with cards in hand. In Quil’s lap sat a little girl, probably no older than 4, whom I’ve never seen. Both she and Quil had bright smiles. In fact the whole table did.
I smiled back finding more confidence from the situation.
In the living room sat Paul, Embry, and Leah, they all laid there looking tired. With them were two boys I never learned the names of. Embry and the boys smiled but Paul and Leah didn’t. Both of them just focused back on the T.V which played silently in the background.
“It’s good to have you back.” Emily spoke and I looked towards her. As soon as the words left her mouth everyone returned to their conversations from before. It was like I never walked in the door.
Jacob took a big whiff and I looked over to him, he was smiling towards Emily. “Smells good Em. Mind if we join?”
“Of course you can. I hope you like spaghetti Laney.” She said.
I smiled towards her and nodded. “One of my favorites.”
Jacob then led us towards the stools by the counter. We both took a seat on them and while Jacob was facing towards the kitchen talking to Sam I turned towards the table to see what game they were playing.
“Goldfish.” The little girl said happily to Jared whose face fell as he took another card. “Kim, do you have any… 3’s?” She asked.
Now Kim’s face fell as she handed the toddler two cards.
Quil laughed as the girl laid down four 3’s in front of her. “I told you guys. She’s a card shark.” He said tickling the girl’s side a little making her squeal in delight.
Everyone at the table smiled looking at them.
“That’s my niece.”
I turned around to see Emily smiling at Quil and the girl. I glanced back one more time and then looked at Emily. “What’s her name?”
“Claire. She’s 3, almost 4.” She smiled and then went back to cooking.
“Well Quil seems to like her.” I said as I heard another fit of giggles and Jared cursing lightly under his breath.
“That’s because she’s his imprint.”
My smile dropped as I looked at Emily in shock. She resumed cooking with a smile like she hadn’t said anything out of the ordinary. That’s not natural, how could a 3 year old be an imprint.
I looked back at the table and Quil was happily helping Claire with the game, telling her who to ask and for what. They looked more like brother and sister, not… imprints. Unless that’s what imprinting should be like.
I quickly looked towards Kim and Jared, whom Jacob told me were imprints. Jared had his head on the table with only a couple cards in his hand while Kim leant over and patted his back. Alright that didn’t help.
I turned around and looked at Sam; one of his hands was on the small of Emily’s back while she cooked.
I sighed a little out of relief. I almost thought that imprinting meant Jacob and I would have to be like brother and sister. A shiver of disgust went down my spine.
“Emily?” I asked trying to shake off these nasty thoughts.
“Hm.” She said barely glancing up from the meal.
“How does that work? Quil and Claire?”
She stopped stirring the sauce and looked up at me. She then smiled reassuringly. “I know, it’s a little weird huh?”
I nodded.
“Well we were just as shocked when Quil first imprinted on her. I was also a little scared; I mean she’s only 3. But then Sam explained to me a little more about imprinting. You see Laney, the relationship Claire and Quil have is just like a big brother, little sister. Like every imprint, he’ll protect her and always be there for her in whatever way she needs.” She said.
I nodded slightly letting everything soak in.
“If she needs a brother, he’ll be a brother. If she needs a best friend, he’ll be a best friend, and when she’s older and needs a lover. Well he’ll be that too.” She said with a hint of bitterness in the last part. I would be bitter too if a 17 year old imprinted on my 3 year old niece.
“Ok.” I said finally starting to understand.
I then felt something hot grip my hand that sat on my lap. I looked down and noticed Jacob’s large hand holding onto my small one. I looked up to him and he kept talking to Sam like nothing was happening.
“Alright. Dinners ready.” Emily spoke loudly so everyone could hear.
In the seconds it took to feel Jacob’s warm hand grasp mine, his hand disappeared and he, along with the rest of the pack, were piling food onto their plates.
I rolled my eyes and sat at the counter watching everyone pile into the kitchen for food.

Once everyone was dished up and stuffing their faces Emily and I helped ourselves to the leftovers.
I sat back down in my chair next to Emily and Claire who happily ate her noodles with her fingers.
“So Laney…” Paul said with a mouth full. He was much happier now that he had food in his stomach, or at least working its way there. Once he swallowed he spoke again. “Heard you met the leeches.”
The whole room seemed to stiffen the slightest. Jared almost coughed up his food hearing this news.
“She what?!” He said when he finally cleared his throat. He looked from me to Paul and then back again.
“Yeah, didn’t ya hear? Jakey boy had to go in there and get her out before they could make her dinner.” Paul laughed.
I froze at the words he said. Dinner?
“Shut up Paul.” Embry laughed shoving his elbow into Paul’s side. Everyone was now looking at my shocked face. Jacob stood up with his plate in hand and walked over to me.
“They wouldn’t eat you.” He said to me.
I didn’t believe him. Especially after Paul scoffed. “Oh yeah, because their… vegetarians.” This time the whole table chuckled.
I turned to Jacob. “Vegetarians?” How was that possible?
Jacob looked up from his food. His face was blank, showing me that he didn’t like the subject of the Cullen’s one bit.
“They don’t suck the blood of humans. Only animals.” He said and then continued eating his food as he stood by me.
I just nodded my head and pushed my noodles around on my plate, this subject made me lose my appetite.
I could feel Emily’s eyes burning into me and I refused to look up from my food to meet her gaze. At least I wasn’t the only one who had to go through this, being an imprint and all. Both Kim and Emily probably felt the same way I do, at least at one point in their life. Luckily Claire would be growing up with it, this would probably be as normal as breathing to her.
But one thing that separated me from this entire room was Bella. Because of her I was connected with vampires. I mean yeah, Jacob hated vampires and I guess, hunted them in a way, but this was different.
Bella was family and this made Edward part of my life in a small way.
Here I was sitting in a house, listening to these boys making fun of and bashing the Cullen’s. Each one was laughing and having a great time doing it also.
Even if monsters the Cullen’s didn’t hurt me like I feared. They actually helped me when I needed it. How could they be the monsters?
To me thinking Edward was a blood thirsty monster was like thinking Jacob was one too. And I refused to believe either would ever harm a person intentionally.
“You done?”
I snapped out of my thoughts and looked up to see Emily looking at me worriedly. I tried to fake a smile while I nodded and handed her my plate.
She took my plate and smiled back unsurely. She knew something was wrong with me. I was always such a bad liar.
I stood up and walked into the kitchen.
“Here I’ll help with dishes.” I said grabbing the dirty pot and putting it in the sink. I didn’t even wait for a response as I turned my back on everyone in the room and washed the pot, trying to push my conflicting emotions aside.

When the dishes were finally done and the kitchen was clean I felt more relaxed. The boys finally changed the subject and stopped talking about the Cullen’s.
I walked into the living room to see Quil, Seth, Claire, and the two boys I didn’t know sitting on the ground.
Claire sat between Seth and Quil. She was watching the movie ‘Balto’ with a large smile on her face. Ironic movie.
I smiled. Although, everyone else in the room looked uninterested in the movie besides her and Quil.
Embry, Jared, Kim, and Paul sat on the couch. Kim was on Jared’s lap and both were too preoccupied with each other to notice anything else.
On one of the chairs Leah sat with her legs crossed while she watched the movie with little interest. And on the other chair Jacob sat not even paying attention to the movie as he looked at me.
When I noticed his gaze I looked away with a blush on my face.
Sam and Emily were the only ones left in the dining room as they sat at the table discussing something.
I made my way across the room which was way too small for all these large people.
I sat on the armrest of Jacob’s chair but in an instant a warm pair of hands grabbed onto my hips and slid me off. I landed in Jacob’s lap and looked back at him with a shocked face. I then looked to everyone in the room and no one seemed to notice at all.
Feeling a bit better I turned so my legs hung over the arm rest and I was cuddled up against his chest. I let my head rest on Jacob’s shoulder, while his hands wrapped around my body and held me close to him.
Closing my eyes I took in a big breath and smelt his woodsy scent. The heat from his body engulfed me and I felt almost on fire.
His skin was so soft against mine, and his hands were just as smooth, as they rested on my body and stroked my skin gently. His steady breaths and rhythmic heartbeat made me feel so calm, I could almost fall asleep.
I never felt so relaxed or safe in my whole life.
I felt his head rest against mine and realized his body seemed just as relaxed as mine. I smiled against his shoulder knowing that I could have the same effect on him.
This was a perfect moment. One I never wanted to end.
Suddenly California never felt like home. It felt like a place I would be sent to soon, a place I didn’t want to go to. It felt as if it were Washington.
But that wasn’t true, Washington felt more like home than my own house. Jacob felt like home, everything about him felt so easy and right. It was all so natural.
Sitting here, feeling the way I did. My heart tore two ways. One wanting to go back home, to hug my mom and sleep in the same bed I’ve had for years.
The other wanting to stay right here, just beating while being held against Jacob. My new home.
This was going to be the hardest goodbye ever.