Swan Goin' Wolf

January

 Sam and the guys have had to step up watching Jacob Black and Quil Ateara since the new year. Billy had called saying that both boys were sprouting up, but Jacob also bulking up. The guys and the council estimated that Jake would join the pack soon. They figured that Quil would take a little longer seeing as he was showing fewer signs than Jake though it wouldn't be long.

I had been a little scared when Sam came home from visiting Billy and told me that Bella had been over to the house hanging with Jacob. I started to freak, but Sam calmed me down, saying that they were watching Jacob closely and that if something started to happened they would be there to get her away and to safety. I hated the idea of Jacob getting mad, not knowing what would happen and end up with Bella in the hospital or worse.

My fears where made worse when dad told me that Bella was getting better as she hung out with Jake. He was slowly bring her back and becoming her replacement Edward. I knew that when he phased that he would have to cut her off and she would swirl back to her pre-Jacob, post-Edward depression and the cycle would repeat. I didn't want her in any way, mentally or physically, but there were pros and cons on both sides that I couldn't control and it was all slowly driving me nuts.

I have pretty much resorted to keeping myself so busy that I didn't have time to think. The guys basically had their heads on a swivel trying to keep up with me as I bounced from one task to another. I was currently making lunch for the three bottomless pits with Kim while Jared sat at the table looking through a car magazine while watching us from the corner of his eye.

There has been a new leech running the boys ragged, so the new rule of thumb was that there was always a wolf with an imprint. Kim and I were both antsy with always having a babysitter, but didn't bother to complain knowing that the boys were just trying to calm their own fears. Kim's parents had thankfully finally accepted Jared and let her hang around with us more, she was even allowed to stay at the house a couple times when the guys had been out chasing this leech.

"As much as I hate to say it, it's going to be a lot easier once Jacob phases." Jared sighed as he flopped the magazine down on the table, leaning back in the chair and watching Kim and I.

"How's that?" Kim asked.

"An extra wolf will give us an advantage on this red headed bitch, Sunny will finally be able to quit the constant worrying about her sister and finally hold still for longer than a minute, patrols will be shorter, and everything will calm down." Jared said as he listed off all the things on his fingers. I snorted.

"As long as Sam's still alpha things will never be calm here." I said shaking my head.

"The way everything's going right now, we might as well replace the door for a revolving door with the way you, Paul and Kim are always here." I said and focused on the cutting of the tomato in my hand.

"Sam didn't tell you?" Jared asked as he sat up in the chair looking confused.

"Tell me what?" I asked and set the knife down on the counter.

"If he hasn't told you I'm not going to tell you, that's his job. But things will even get calmer for you and Sam when Jacob phases." Jared said and I stared at him perplexed. How would Jacob's phasing calm things down? The council was always calling looking for Sam, the guys were always here and the little time left seemed to be spent with Sam patrolling the forest surrounding La Push. I couldn't figure out how adding another person into the mix would make that change.

As we resumed cooking there was a scared howl that pierced the air from the east. Kim and I froze as Jared leapt from his seat and went running out the door to the trees. With the slamming of the door behind him, Kim and I went into lock down. We locked the windows and doors, pulled the blinds, and silently returned to the task of cooking almost in auto-pilot. It was routine when the boys let out the call. Cooking and baking was like our coping method, as long as we cooked, baked, cleaned, chatted about absolutely nothing, then we weren't thinking about the danger that our boys were in, they weren't running around the forest as wolves, weren't hunting blood thirsty vampires, or welcoming another poor boy that would have to grow up too fast.