The Heat of You
by Wizardtho
Chapter 19:
Fuck, she’s beautiful.
I slowly made my way into the backyard, so I didn’t scare my mate. Bella was curled into a ball and shivering, so I knew she was scared out of her mind, but she was also the most beautiful wolf I’d ever seen.
The purest ivory coat covered her body, getting darker as it traveled up her body until it was the color of sand from her ears to the tip of her tail, all along her back. She also had a sand-colored band down the center of her face. Her eyes topped it off… they were that same striking ice blue as when she was human.
Her head popped up when I came into her sightline, her thoughts scrambled as flashes of the Cullens continued to play repeatedly in her mind.
‘Paul?’ Her voice cracked, and it broke my heart to see her like this.
‘I’m here, Sweetheart. I’m here. I know you’re scared. Try to block out everything but me. I’ll help you calm down.’
A fat tear rolled down the fur of her cheek, and she shook her head as a picture of her covered in blood with lifeless eyes came to the front. ‘Paul, they… blood. So much blood. They… the pain…’
‘You don’t have to say it. I know, Baby Girl. I can see the flashes.’ I curled my body around hers protectively, then laid my muzzle on top of hers as I thought, ‘We won’t let them get away with this, Bella. I promise you.’
Bella’s head snapped up as Sam walked into the backyard on two legs, so I thought, ‘It’s just Sam, Baby Girl. Here’s here to help. He’s going to help me get you calmed down enough to shift back.’
I felt her acceptance, then suddenly her underlying shock spiked as she asked me hysterically, ‘It’s real? I phased? How am I a wolf, Paul?! I don’t have Quileute blood! I don’t… I know I don’t!’
I looked to Sam with a ‘help me’ expression, so he dashed back around the corner of the house to phase in. Once he got the gist of her thoughts, Sam explained, ‘No, Bella. You do not have Quileute blood. You have a strong Quileute warrior for your mate, who marked you not once, but twice. We knew there could be unknown factors connected to that second marking. That’s why I wanted you to keep an eye out for anything odd when you took to running and sparring so well. I’ve watched you this last week become more focused, more toned physically, and both stronger and faster while sparring. I had my suspicions that this might happen, but there was no guarantee. I didn’t want to worry you needlessly, so I chose not to tell you or Paul. I believe, and this is just my own thought here, that you were given this gift to help us get justice for what’s been done to you. Knowing you as I do, I do not believe that us getting justice for you, and you hearing about it secondhand, would help you in any way. You need to see it… be a part of it… to heal from this.’
Bella’s thoughts swirled, then one train of thought stuck out, ‘Wait… I can do that? I can be a part of hunting them? I don’t have to stay when Paul leaves?’
Sam thought seriously to my mate, ‘You will need training in this form. You will need to listen well and learn quickly. If I feel that you’re ready when it’s time, you will be going with your mate to hunt the Cullens. Bella, I need to tell you, you’re quite a bit smaller than Paul in this form. You can either learn to use that to your advantage, or it can become a hindrance. How you go about this will determine whether you go with Paul or not. I have to think about all sides here, and if I feel that you’ll be a distraction to Paul, that he could be hurt because he’s too focused on making sure you’re okay during a fight, I won’t let you go.'
A murky thought of me being injured in a fight flashed in Bella’s mind, and she whimpered before thinking strongly, ‘No… I get it, Sam. If you don’t think I’m ready, I’ll stay back. I won’t go against you. Just the option of training, of learning and working toward that goal is enough for me. Even if I just end up being Paul's sparring partner to help him before he goes.’
Now that you’re calm, I’m going to go around the corner and phase back. Is there a robe somewhere that I can bring out for you? ~S
Bella sat up a bit, ‘Hanging over the back of the chair in the bedroom. Sam? Thanks for explaining.’
Sam nodded before ducking around the corner. I let out a heavy breath, making Bella’s eyes meet mine, then I thought, ‘Once Sam puts your robe down and disappears, I want you to think of calming thoughts… human thoughts. Relaxing hot showers, hugging your dad, or anything else that relaxes you. Make sense?’
Bella hummed, ‘Yes. Calming thoughts. Easy, warming, comforting thoughts. Got it.’
Let’s see how long it takes her. ~JB
Bella growled, causing me to snap, ‘Shut the fuck up, pup, or I’ll have Sam Alpha order you to phase out. She doesn’t need your bullshit right now!’
With a huff and the mental equivalent of straightening her spine, Bella thought cockily, ‘How’s the cheek, Jake? Learn anything from that? Need a matching one?’
She let loose several more flashes of what she endured from the Cullens, then purposely compared some of what they had done to what Jake had done when he forcefully kissed her.
Jake gasped loudly, then shame filled his thoughts as he offered solemnly, ‘I get it, Bells. Point made. No more broken bones needed. I’ll give you guys 5 minutes before I phase back in to finish patrol.’
He phased out, and after a few seconds of not feeling him in the mind link, Bella asked, ‘Do you think he finally got the message?’
I gave a mental shrug, ‘Only time will tell, Baby Girl. Ready to be on two legs again?’
Her thoughts swirled with the pain of her phase, so I assured her, ‘That only happens the first time you go wolf, Bella. I promise it won’t hurt like that again. From now on, it should only feel like a vibrating sensation.’
She gave a mental nod, and once I gave her the okay, she started thinking calming thoughts. I was surprised, though, that those thoughts were of me. Me holding her, her hugging my wolf, my scent, the way I looked at her and not through her, us curled up in bed together, the way our hands fit when they were entwined, and finally, her kissing me.
They cycled a couple of times before I felt her vibrating, which signaled that she was shifting back to human. As soon as I felt her fur disappearing, I stood back a few steps and shifted myself. We both dressed quickly before coming back to hold each other.
I took a second to whisper to my mate, “You did so well. I’m proud of how fast you were able to shift back. It took me a good while after my first phase to be on two legs again.”
She chuckled into my chest, so I kissed my mark before whispering, “By the way, you’re just as beautiful in wolf form as you are in human form. I was struck completely dumb for a minute when I came through the trees earlier.”
She looked up at me while biting her lip, then asked in a bare breath, “Really? You’re not just saying that, are you?”
I took her hand from my arm, placed it over my heart, then rested my forehead against hers. “I swear, Bella. I’d never lie to you. I’ll show you my thoughts when you phase the next time, if you need me to.”
She nodded once, then called out, “It’s clear, Sam.”
He came back around the corner, then smiled, “Well done. That was fast. It took Paul hours. How do you feel? Any pain while changing back?”
With a shake of her head, Bella confirmed, “No pain. My thoughts are still a bit chaotic, but Paul’s contact helps. I feel good physically, though. Different… like my skin is tighter? But it’s not bad. I don’t really know how to explain it.”
Sam nodded, “That’s normal. We’ve all felt that way. It should settle within the next few phases. Don’t be surprised if you feel like your skin isn’t yours at times. It’s your wolf and human trying to find a balance… trying to coincide. Your wolf will take over your thoughts at times, too. They’ll be more primal… more animalistic. Again, they’ll find a balance in time as your wolf and human become more in sync.”
Bella nodded, curling into me a bit more, so Sam gave her a small smile, “Take this morning to settle in. Paul I’m going to put her with you tonight, so you can take her out to get their scents. Try and get used to phasing today. Eat, eat, and eat some more, so you have enough energy to train. You won’t gain weight, Bella, so seriously, eat all you can. Food is your wolf’s fuel. Once you settle in for a week or so, I want you and Paul to start hunting once a week in wolf form. The reserves you’ll get from a hunted kill will be needed for your travels.”
I gave Sam a serious look, then he offered Bella one more soft smile before jogging toward the road. Bella let out a long breath, then rested her head against my chest. Her voice was soft but sure as she said only, “Come with me.”
Fuck, she’s beautiful.
I slowly made my way into the backyard, so I didn’t scare my mate. Bella was curled into a ball and shivering, so I knew she was scared out of her mind, but she was also the most beautiful wolf I’d ever seen.
The purest ivory coat covered her body, getting darker as it traveled up her body until it was the color of sand from her ears to the tip of her tail, all along her back. She also had a sand-colored band down the center of her face. Her eyes topped it off… they were that same striking ice blue as when she was human.
Her head popped up when I came into her sightline, her thoughts scrambled as flashes of the Cullens continued to play repeatedly in her mind.
‘Paul?’ Her voice cracked, and it broke my heart to see her like this.
‘I’m here, Sweetheart. I’m here. I know you’re scared. Try to block out everything but me. I’ll help you calm down.’
A fat tear rolled down the fur of her cheek, and she shook her head as a picture of her covered in blood with lifeless eyes came to the front. ‘Paul, they… blood. So much blood. They… the pain…’
‘You don’t have to say it. I know, Baby Girl. I can see the flashes.’ I curled my body around hers protectively, then laid my muzzle on top of hers as I thought, ‘We won’t let them get away with this, Bella. I promise you.’
Bella’s head snapped up as Sam walked into the backyard on two legs, so I thought, ‘It’s just Sam, Baby Girl. Here’s here to help. He’s going to help me get you calmed down enough to shift back.’
I felt her acceptance, then suddenly her underlying shock spiked as she asked me hysterically, ‘It’s real? I phased? How am I a wolf, Paul?! I don’t have Quileute blood! I don’t… I know I don’t!’
I looked to Sam with a ‘help me’ expression, so he dashed back around the corner of the house to phase in. Once he got the gist of her thoughts, Sam explained, ‘No, Bella. You do not have Quileute blood. You have a strong Quileute warrior for your mate, who marked you not once, but twice. We knew there could be unknown factors connected to that second marking. That’s why I wanted you to keep an eye out for anything odd when you took to running and sparring so well. I’ve watched you this last week become more focused, more toned physically, and both stronger and faster while sparring. I had my suspicions that this might happen, but there was no guarantee. I didn’t want to worry you needlessly, so I chose not to tell you or Paul. I believe, and this is just my own thought here, that you were given this gift to help us get justice for what’s been done to you. Knowing you as I do, I do not believe that us getting justice for you, and you hearing about it secondhand, would help you in any way. You need to see it… be a part of it… to heal from this.’
Bella’s thoughts swirled, then one train of thought stuck out, ‘Wait… I can do that? I can be a part of hunting them? I don’t have to stay when Paul leaves?’
Sam thought seriously to my mate, ‘You will need training in this form. You will need to listen well and learn quickly. If I feel that you’re ready when it’s time, you will be going with your mate to hunt the Cullens. Bella, I need to tell you, you’re quite a bit smaller than Paul in this form. You can either learn to use that to your advantage, or it can become a hindrance. How you go about this will determine whether you go with Paul or not. I have to think about all sides here, and if I feel that you’ll be a distraction to Paul, that he could be hurt because he’s too focused on making sure you’re okay during a fight, I won’t let you go.'
A murky thought of me being injured in a fight flashed in Bella’s mind, and she whimpered before thinking strongly, ‘No… I get it, Sam. If you don’t think I’m ready, I’ll stay back. I won’t go against you. Just the option of training, of learning and working toward that goal is enough for me. Even if I just end up being Paul's sparring partner to help him before he goes.’
Now that you’re calm, I’m going to go around the corner and phase back. Is there a robe somewhere that I can bring out for you? ~S
Bella sat up a bit, ‘Hanging over the back of the chair in the bedroom. Sam? Thanks for explaining.’
Sam nodded before ducking around the corner. I let out a heavy breath, making Bella’s eyes meet mine, then I thought, ‘Once Sam puts your robe down and disappears, I want you to think of calming thoughts… human thoughts. Relaxing hot showers, hugging your dad, or anything else that relaxes you. Make sense?’
Bella hummed, ‘Yes. Calming thoughts. Easy, warming, comforting thoughts. Got it.’
Let’s see how long it takes her. ~JB
Bella growled, causing me to snap, ‘Shut the fuck up, pup, or I’ll have Sam Alpha order you to phase out. She doesn’t need your bullshit right now!’
With a huff and the mental equivalent of straightening her spine, Bella thought cockily, ‘How’s the cheek, Jake? Learn anything from that? Need a matching one?’
She let loose several more flashes of what she endured from the Cullens, then purposely compared some of what they had done to what Jake had done when he forcefully kissed her.
Jake gasped loudly, then shame filled his thoughts as he offered solemnly, ‘I get it, Bells. Point made. No more broken bones needed. I’ll give you guys 5 minutes before I phase back in to finish patrol.’
He phased out, and after a few seconds of not feeling him in the mind link, Bella asked, ‘Do you think he finally got the message?’
I gave a mental shrug, ‘Only time will tell, Baby Girl. Ready to be on two legs again?’
Her thoughts swirled with the pain of her phase, so I assured her, ‘That only happens the first time you go wolf, Bella. I promise it won’t hurt like that again. From now on, it should only feel like a vibrating sensation.’
She gave a mental nod, and once I gave her the okay, she started thinking calming thoughts. I was surprised, though, that those thoughts were of me. Me holding her, her hugging my wolf, my scent, the way I looked at her and not through her, us curled up in bed together, the way our hands fit when they were entwined, and finally, her kissing me.
They cycled a couple of times before I felt her vibrating, which signaled that she was shifting back to human. As soon as I felt her fur disappearing, I stood back a few steps and shifted myself. We both dressed quickly before coming back to hold each other.
I took a second to whisper to my mate, “You did so well. I’m proud of how fast you were able to shift back. It took me a good while after my first phase to be on two legs again.”
She chuckled into my chest, so I kissed my mark before whispering, “By the way, you’re just as beautiful in wolf form as you are in human form. I was struck completely dumb for a minute when I came through the trees earlier.”
She looked up at me while biting her lip, then asked in a bare breath, “Really? You’re not just saying that, are you?”
I took her hand from my arm, placed it over my heart, then rested my forehead against hers. “I swear, Bella. I’d never lie to you. I’ll show you my thoughts when you phase the next time, if you need me to.”
She nodded once, then called out, “It’s clear, Sam.”
He came back around the corner, then smiled, “Well done. That was fast. It took Paul hours. How do you feel? Any pain while changing back?”
With a shake of her head, Bella confirmed, “No pain. My thoughts are still a bit chaotic, but Paul’s contact helps. I feel good physically, though. Different… like my skin is tighter? But it’s not bad. I don’t really know how to explain it.”
Sam nodded, “That’s normal. We’ve all felt that way. It should settle within the next few phases. Don’t be surprised if you feel like your skin isn’t yours at times. It’s your wolf and human trying to find a balance… trying to coincide. Your wolf will take over your thoughts at times, too. They’ll be more primal… more animalistic. Again, they’ll find a balance in time as your wolf and human become more in sync.”
Bella nodded, curling into me a bit more, so Sam gave her a small smile, “Take this morning to settle in. Paul I’m going to put her with you tonight, so you can take her out to get their scents. Try and get used to phasing today. Eat, eat, and eat some more, so you have enough energy to train. You won’t gain weight, Bella, so seriously, eat all you can. Food is your wolf’s fuel. Once you settle in for a week or so, I want you and Paul to start hunting once a week in wolf form. The reserves you’ll get from a hunted kill will be needed for your travels.”
I gave Sam a serious look, then he offered Bella one more soft smile before jogging toward the road. Bella let out a long breath, then rested her head against my chest. Her voice was soft but sure as she said only, “Come with me.”