BELOVED, jasper hale [02]

ix. wolf boy

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𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐃

❀ 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘦: 𝘸𝘰𝘭𝘧 𝘣𝘰𝘺

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𝐤𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤

     ALL IT TAKES IS a single moment for everything to completely flip upside down. One wrong word; one wrong phrasing, and it's all done. It's completely screwed for the forseeable future. Well, not necessarily screwed, but just that little bit thrown off balance; a change of perception that makes the world seem that little bit different.

     Kathleen's phone rings, blaringly loud in the darkness, and her worry spikes when she sees who's calling. "Sam, what's wrong? Has something happened to Embry?"

     "Embry's fine, Kathleen," Sam replies, his tone telling the female that there is something else concerning him. "It's Jacob. He's phased for the first time, and we're having trouble calming him down."

     "What can I do? He's a wolf, Sam, one that's only just phased. It's not a good idea for a vampire to be around him given his instincts at the moment."

     "Is that, Kathleen?" she hears Jared ask, Sam grunting an affirmative. "Pass me the phone. Baby vamp, we need your help with this."

     Kathleen rolls her eyes. "How the hell am I meant to help? I can't do anything."

     "You can control emotions, Kathleen."

     "And, like I told Sam, it's not a good idea for me to be around Jacob with him being newly phased. If I get hurt, Jacob won't forgive himself — and Embry will definitely hold a grudge, me being his Imprint and all. And if I hurt Jacob, we all know that I won't forgive myself even if you all forgive me."

     "Just please get here." There's more desperation in his voice than Kathleen ever thought she would hear from his lips. "We're not far from Jake's place."      

     Huffing, she reluctantly gives in. "Okay, fine. I'll be there in a second."

     She doesn't wait for Jared's reply, harshly pressing the red end call button on her phone and shoving it into my pocket. Staring in the mirror of the small apartment she has moved into, knowing what she knows now, Kathleen somewhat regrets not returning to Italy with her mother. But she's also glad that she was able to remain in Forks with Embry. Tugging her jacket on, she heads out into the night, running through the trees until Kathleen finds where Sam and the rest of the Pack are out the back of Billy's place, the wheelchair ridden man nowhere in sight.

     A sickening sensation crawls along my skin as the vampire watches Paul and Embry attempt to contain and calm an almost seven foot tall reddish-brown wolf, Jared pacing back and forth not too far from Kathleen, all of their phased forms much smaller than Jacob's. The only one remaining in human form is Sam, his dark eyes watching his Pack carefully, although Kathleen can tell just how much he is itching to phase and help his brothers.

     She walks over to the Alpha. "Are you sure that you want me here, Sam?"

     "If there was any other option, I wouldn't be risking your life," Sam replies, his voice tight. 

     "He won't recognise you as the Alpha?"

     "No. Not with his own Alpha blood."

     "Right. Ephraim Black is his grandfather. That would explain why he's so big." Considering for a second, Kathleen strips her jacket off and throws it over a branch, rolling the sleeves of her shirt up. "This is going to be one hell of a wrestling match."

     Sam's eyes are wild as they watch the young vampire walk towards Jacob. "Kathleen, wait!"

     The voice Sam uses to call for Kathleen draws the attention of Embry, Jared, and Paul, ready to obey his every command. Grateful for the distraction, she runs past the Pack and tackles Jacob's muscled body, animalistic snarls leaving the reddish-brown shape shifter, his teeth snapping as he tries to rip her off. Or try to kill the vampire, whichever it is right now. She hears Embry bark out in horror, Jared snarling at her recklessness, and even Paul whines in concern, all of them knowing well enough the damage a shape shifter can cause.

     Jacob's conflicting emotions batter against Kathleen: anger and irritation, confusion and distrustful wariness, unyielding disgust and hatred; the love and adoration he holds for his friend. He writhes in the young female's hold, trying to shake her off so that he has a clear shot at killing her before she cause any harm, and it makes Kathleen smile. He's so similar to the other shape shifters, but his desires seem much more potent; more like that which he knows he has a right to, and simply what he needs to reach out and take hold of.

     "You will get everything you deserve, wolf boy," Kathleen murmurs, holding tighter and forcing the reddish-brown mass of fur and muscle into submission, fully aware of the audience she has. Emotion manipulation is a somewhat handy ability to have, but it is rather irritating that she has to be touching her target in order to manipulate them. "But, for now, I need you to calm down before you end up destroying that chance."

     Jacob whines in submission, his body trembling as Kathleen helps him regain control of his emotions, fur retreating and his bones snapping and returning back to human form, his long black hair a knotted mess and what little remains of his clothes torn to shreds around them. "Kathleen..."

     "Hey, wolf boy. Will you be okay if I let you go? Hugging a naked guy is not how I thought I would be spending tonight."

     A laugh rips free from Jared. "You sound just like your mother, baby vamp."

     At Jacob's shaky nod, Kathleen lets go and straightens my clothes, walking over to her mother's best friend. "You're a cheeky asshole, Jared. It's a wonder than no one has given you a broken nose yet."

     Heat slams against Kathleen, arms wrapping around her body and holding her tight, Embry's solid build trembling. "Don't you ever do something like that again. Ever."

     "Embry..."

     Kathleen lets the younger male hold her, knowing full well that there is nothing she can say to prevent him worrying about her every second of the day, and knowing that there is a very slim chance of him ever accepting that the vampire is far too reckless for him to contend with. Jared huffs and drags both Embry and Kathleen into a hug, trying his hardest to retain solid control over his emotions and not letting anyone see what he's hiding on his face with no one looking at him. Paul reaches over and half ruffles her hair, keeping up his maintained macho-brother act, a somewhat worried grin on his face.

     Looking over at Jacob, Kathleen watches as Sam kneels down beside the newest wolf, wrapping a blanket around the younger's shoulders and covering him up. Jacob's dark eyes look over at the vampire, confused and conflicted at her presence, but it soon settles into understanding once Sam begins to explain a little of what it means to be part of the Quileute Tribe and its shape shifters.

     He has a bumpy road ahead of him, and he's not going to come out fully unscathed, but he will fight tooth and claw for what is destined to be his.