Belonging
by Momma2fan
Chapter 11
Watching the imprint happen to someone else was interesting in Sam’s opinion. He wasn’t sure how he felt about Jared imprinting on his sister, but there was nothing he could do about it and at least it wasn’t Jacob.
“Come on, you two. We need to talk to my parents.” Sam turned and began walking home, with Paul at his side.
“I don’t think baby alpha is gonna like that too much.” Paul commented as he glanced at the pair over his shoulder.
“If it was going to happen, I’m glad it’s Jared,” Sam commented as his parent’s house came into view.
Jared and Bella were talking and slowly getting to know one another. She found out he had turned nineteen the month before her eighteenth and still lived with his parents. His father, John, was on the council and his mother was a teacher at the res school. Any other conversation was interrupted as they followed Sam and Paul into the Uley home.
“Mom? Pop? You home?” Sam called as he held the door open.
Josh walked out of his office and Alison walked out of the kitchen. “Everything okay, son?” Josh asked.
“We need to talk to Bella about another legend, Pop.” Sam looked at his father pointedly as Alison gasped in the doorway.
“Should I call John and Melanie?” Alison questioned. Josh nodded and she went to the phone, speaking quickly and quietly. When she hung up, she walked back into the living room. “They’ll be here in ten minutes. Bella, honey, why don’t you come help me make up some snacks.”
“Sure, Mom.” Bella moved away from Jared and into the kitchen. The two of them had just plated some fruit and cheese, with crackers and some sandwiches for the boys when the doorbell rang.
“Bella grab that pitcher and the glasses and we’ll go into the living room to have a chat.”
Following her mother’s instructions, she carried everything into the living room slowly, praying she didn’t drop anything. Jared watched her enter the room and immediately stood up to help her with the drinks.
“Let me,” he said as he took the pitcher from her hand.
“Oh, thank you.” Bella smiled at him as she set the glasses down on the coffee table.
Jared smiled at her and then sat back down on the couch. Almost as if she were drawn to him like a magnet, Bella settled beside him, close enough she could feel the heat radiating from his leg.
John and Melanie Cameron followed Alison into the living room and saw their son sitting with the Uley’s daughter, close enough they were touching, but neither of them realized it. John noticed Sam and Paul watching them, as well as Josh.
Clearing his throat, John looked at his son. “Jared, did you...?”
With a smile, Jared nodded. “Yeah, Dad. You’re here to help us explain that legend to Bella.”
Bella unconsciously leaned in closer to Jared as she looked at her brother. “There’s more?”
Sam nodded and took a seat near her, placing his elbows on his knees. “Bella, do you see how close you’re sitting to Jared?”
Bella looked at him, meeting his eyes before turning back to her brother. “Yeah, but I didn’t even realize I was. I’m just really comfortable around him even though we just met.”
Sam nodded and looked at their dad, who leaned forward in his own chair and smiled at his daughter. “Bella, there is something that wolves do after they phase and see a particular woman. It’s called imprinting.”
“What, like with ducks?”
Everyone in the room chuckled, causing Bella to blush and lower her head in embarrassment, which in turn caused Jared to growl lowly.
Sobering quickly, Josh continued. “Not really, honey. Imprinting is the way the wolves choose their mates, the one woman who is their perfect match. It’s kind of like love at first sight, only not really. Jared, why don’t you explain what it felt like when you looked in her eyes.
Jared looked at her and swallowed nervously. “It was like gravity moved. I felt there were a thousand steel cables wrapping around me and tying me to you. All I want is for you to be happy. I’ll be whatever you want me to be, a brother, a friend, a lover, anything to make you happy.”
Bella looked at him for a moment longer and then turned to her brother. “Has anyone else imprinted?”
“Just me, on Emily.”
Bella nodded and thought for a minute about how to word her question. Finally, she looked at her dad. “Hypothetically, what happens if the imprint isn’t accepted?”
“A wolf can’t live without his imprint. It’s written that when an imprint dies, the wolf dies as well, sometimes on the same day. Essentially it would be like the loss of his soulmate.”
Bella took a minute to think about everything she had just learned. She had taken one look at the beautiful man at her side and known he would be someone important. She hadn’t realized exactly how important until now. She knew she couldn’t walk away, not from someone who had the potential to be her perfect half. Most people spend a lifetime looking for their soulmate, hers was right beside her.
Sensing that she needed some time, Jared placed his hand on hers. “Bella, I know it’s a lot to take in right now. Take some time to think about things. I’ll be around when you’re ready to talk.”
Bella turned her hand over and gripped his fingers with hers. “I don’t need to think about it. I would be a fool to let my soulmate walk away, so if you need to hear me say it, I accept the imprint.” Jared smiled at her and squeezed her hand. “However, I want us to be friends for now. I don’t know you and I’m just learning the truth about who I am. Can you handle that?”
Jared nodded, “Of course. We can take our time and get to know one another. From what I know of the imprint, it doesn’t create feelings, it just points you in the right direction of the right person.”
John and Melanie Cameron, as well as the Uley’s and Paul all smiled at the two of them. Josh, Alison and Sam were happy they were going to take it slow, while the others wondered how long it would be before it became romantic.
Bella smiled at Jared and then turned to her brother. “Now, tell me why those three vampires were chasing me.”
“What vampires?” John asked as he stared at the Alpha. “Is this something the council needs to be aware of?”
“No, well, maybe.” Sam started. “It was three of the Cullens. The bronze haired one, the mother and the blonde daughter. They said they were meeting someone about purchasing one of the buildings in town to set up a business when the boy caught Bella’s scent. Apparently she is what is called a singer. Her blood is more potent than anything on earth for him and now that he has smelled her, he wants her more than he’s ever wanted anything. According to the head leech, he will stop at nothing to get her.”
“So you’re saying that it’s possible there could be a treaty breach?” Josh asked his son.
Sam nodded, “It’s highly possible. There are five of us now and I think Jake is closer than ever, so I’ll be ramping up patrols along the treaty line. It would be easier if you,” he looked at Bella, “stay on the res at all times unless accompanied by a wolf.”
“What happens if he can’t stay off the res?”
“Then he dies,” Paul growled.
Bella visibly shivered at the sound of his voice and leaned closer to Jared’s side as he put his arm around her shoulders. “We won’t let anything happen to you, Bella,” he whispered in her ear.
Nodding, Bella relaxing, just as a howl wrenched the night.
“Sounds like baby-alpha finally phased,” Paul grinned.
“Let’s go. Bella, you can call Emily if you have any questions about the imprint and I’m sure Jared will be around.”
“Thanks, Sam.” She looked at Jared, “I’ll talk to you soon.” He nodded and followed the other two out the door to go check on their new pack brother.
Watching the imprint happen to someone else was interesting in Sam’s opinion. He wasn’t sure how he felt about Jared imprinting on his sister, but there was nothing he could do about it and at least it wasn’t Jacob.
“Come on, you two. We need to talk to my parents.” Sam turned and began walking home, with Paul at his side.
“I don’t think baby alpha is gonna like that too much.” Paul commented as he glanced at the pair over his shoulder.
“If it was going to happen, I’m glad it’s Jared,” Sam commented as his parent’s house came into view.
Jared and Bella were talking and slowly getting to know one another. She found out he had turned nineteen the month before her eighteenth and still lived with his parents. His father, John, was on the council and his mother was a teacher at the res school. Any other conversation was interrupted as they followed Sam and Paul into the Uley home.
“Mom? Pop? You home?” Sam called as he held the door open.
Josh walked out of his office and Alison walked out of the kitchen. “Everything okay, son?” Josh asked.
“We need to talk to Bella about another legend, Pop.” Sam looked at his father pointedly as Alison gasped in the doorway.
“Should I call John and Melanie?” Alison questioned. Josh nodded and she went to the phone, speaking quickly and quietly. When she hung up, she walked back into the living room. “They’ll be here in ten minutes. Bella, honey, why don’t you come help me make up some snacks.”
“Sure, Mom.” Bella moved away from Jared and into the kitchen. The two of them had just plated some fruit and cheese, with crackers and some sandwiches for the boys when the doorbell rang.
“Bella grab that pitcher and the glasses and we’ll go into the living room to have a chat.”
Following her mother’s instructions, she carried everything into the living room slowly, praying she didn’t drop anything. Jared watched her enter the room and immediately stood up to help her with the drinks.
“Let me,” he said as he took the pitcher from her hand.
“Oh, thank you.” Bella smiled at him as she set the glasses down on the coffee table.
Jared smiled at her and then sat back down on the couch. Almost as if she were drawn to him like a magnet, Bella settled beside him, close enough she could feel the heat radiating from his leg.
John and Melanie Cameron followed Alison into the living room and saw their son sitting with the Uley’s daughter, close enough they were touching, but neither of them realized it. John noticed Sam and Paul watching them, as well as Josh.
Clearing his throat, John looked at his son. “Jared, did you...?”
With a smile, Jared nodded. “Yeah, Dad. You’re here to help us explain that legend to Bella.”
Bella unconsciously leaned in closer to Jared as she looked at her brother. “There’s more?”
Sam nodded and took a seat near her, placing his elbows on his knees. “Bella, do you see how close you’re sitting to Jared?”
Bella looked at him, meeting his eyes before turning back to her brother. “Yeah, but I didn’t even realize I was. I’m just really comfortable around him even though we just met.”
Sam nodded and looked at their dad, who leaned forward in his own chair and smiled at his daughter. “Bella, there is something that wolves do after they phase and see a particular woman. It’s called imprinting.”
“What, like with ducks?”
Everyone in the room chuckled, causing Bella to blush and lower her head in embarrassment, which in turn caused Jared to growl lowly.
Sobering quickly, Josh continued. “Not really, honey. Imprinting is the way the wolves choose their mates, the one woman who is their perfect match. It’s kind of like love at first sight, only not really. Jared, why don’t you explain what it felt like when you looked in her eyes.
Jared looked at her and swallowed nervously. “It was like gravity moved. I felt there were a thousand steel cables wrapping around me and tying me to you. All I want is for you to be happy. I’ll be whatever you want me to be, a brother, a friend, a lover, anything to make you happy.”
Bella looked at him for a moment longer and then turned to her brother. “Has anyone else imprinted?”
“Just me, on Emily.”
Bella nodded and thought for a minute about how to word her question. Finally, she looked at her dad. “Hypothetically, what happens if the imprint isn’t accepted?”
“A wolf can’t live without his imprint. It’s written that when an imprint dies, the wolf dies as well, sometimes on the same day. Essentially it would be like the loss of his soulmate.”
Bella took a minute to think about everything she had just learned. She had taken one look at the beautiful man at her side and known he would be someone important. She hadn’t realized exactly how important until now. She knew she couldn’t walk away, not from someone who had the potential to be her perfect half. Most people spend a lifetime looking for their soulmate, hers was right beside her.
Sensing that she needed some time, Jared placed his hand on hers. “Bella, I know it’s a lot to take in right now. Take some time to think about things. I’ll be around when you’re ready to talk.”
Bella turned her hand over and gripped his fingers with hers. “I don’t need to think about it. I would be a fool to let my soulmate walk away, so if you need to hear me say it, I accept the imprint.” Jared smiled at her and squeezed her hand. “However, I want us to be friends for now. I don’t know you and I’m just learning the truth about who I am. Can you handle that?”
Jared nodded, “Of course. We can take our time and get to know one another. From what I know of the imprint, it doesn’t create feelings, it just points you in the right direction of the right person.”
John and Melanie Cameron, as well as the Uley’s and Paul all smiled at the two of them. Josh, Alison and Sam were happy they were going to take it slow, while the others wondered how long it would be before it became romantic.
Bella smiled at Jared and then turned to her brother. “Now, tell me why those three vampires were chasing me.”
“What vampires?” John asked as he stared at the Alpha. “Is this something the council needs to be aware of?”
“No, well, maybe.” Sam started. “It was three of the Cullens. The bronze haired one, the mother and the blonde daughter. They said they were meeting someone about purchasing one of the buildings in town to set up a business when the boy caught Bella’s scent. Apparently she is what is called a singer. Her blood is more potent than anything on earth for him and now that he has smelled her, he wants her more than he’s ever wanted anything. According to the head leech, he will stop at nothing to get her.”
“So you’re saying that it’s possible there could be a treaty breach?” Josh asked his son.
Sam nodded, “It’s highly possible. There are five of us now and I think Jake is closer than ever, so I’ll be ramping up patrols along the treaty line. It would be easier if you,” he looked at Bella, “stay on the res at all times unless accompanied by a wolf.”
“What happens if he can’t stay off the res?”
“Then he dies,” Paul growled.
Bella visibly shivered at the sound of his voice and leaned closer to Jared’s side as he put his arm around her shoulders. “We won’t let anything happen to you, Bella,” he whispered in her ear.
Nodding, Bella relaxing, just as a howl wrenched the night.
“Sounds like baby-alpha finally phased,” Paul grinned.
“Let’s go. Bella, you can call Emily if you have any questions about the imprint and I’m sure Jared will be around.”
“Thanks, Sam.” She looked at Jared, “I’ll talk to you soon.” He nodded and followed the other two out the door to go check on their new pack brother.