Alpha Beta Imprint: Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyer. I do not own Twilight.

Chapter Four

Sam’s POV

I watched from the safety of the trees as she worked. Her dark hair kept falling into her eyes, obstructing her view of the frying pan in front of her. She huffed angrily as she pushed the strands away again, glaring slightly as she flipped the bacon.

I’d been trying to build up the courage to go inside for an hour, just watching from the tree line. I wondered vaguely why she didn’t know I was already here. The bond between us should have told her I was close by.

She moved away from the window, plate in hand. I listened to her footsteps, wondering where she was going as she walked out of the kitchen. She was the only one in the house. I figured she would eat at the table, watching TV through the doorway.

The sound of the door slamming shut made me jump, glancing at the back door. She was looking right at me, scowl in place as she tapped her foot.

“Get over here, Sam, and stop being so stalkerish. It’s creepy to look up and see you watching from the bushes,” Leah snapped.

I sighed, moving forward as she continued to glare at me.

“How long have you known I was here?” I asked, leaning against the porch railing as she took a seat on the swing.

“Since I came downstairs. It’s kind of hard to ignore that Alpha energy you’ve got going on,” Leah informed me, biting into a piece of bacon.

I watched her eat, smiling slightly as she refused to make eye contact. No matter that Leah was a wolf and part of the pack, she was still a girl and someone watching her eat made her uncomfortable.

“Would you stop staring and tell me what the hell it is you came here for?” Leah barked, her brown eyes flashing.

“I wanted to make sure you were okay with me imprinting,” I confessed, watching her closely.

“What? You gonna go against it if I say no?” Leah scoffed, rolling her eyes.

“No, but… I know you have to be angry, Leah,” I sighed, running my fingers through my short hair.

“I’m not angry, Sam. You deserve to be happy. I wish it wasn’t with her, and I wish Jake wasn’t involved at all, but I accept it. I think the three of you will do okay together,” Leah admitted tiredly.

“I still love her, Le. My imprinting on Bella doesn’t change that,” I told her.

“I know. And I hope that one day, you’ll be able to take down those pictures and put new ones up of you, Bella, and Jake. I know she was my cousin, but you deserve happiness, Sammy. More than Em could give you,” Leah decided, giving me a small smile.

I groaned as I sat down beside her, throwing my arm across the back of the swing.

“Do you really think I’ll be able to take down those pictures one day?” I asked, unsure.

“Of course. You’ve got Bella now. And from what I’ve seen from your and Jake’s head, she’s a great girl. I look forward to meeting her,” Leah grinned.

“You’ll get your chance sooner than you think. She’s coming to the rez today and Jake and I are hoping to convince her to stay for the bonfire tonight,” I smiled.

“Good. Gotta make sure she understands that she better take care of you or she’ll have to answer to me,” Leah mock growled, pounding a fist into her palm.

“She doesn’t know about Emily, Le, and I’d like to keep it that way. I don’t want her to know…” I trailed off.

“It wasn’t because you weren’t good enough, Sam. Emily walking away was all on her. She didn’t love you enough. If she did, she never would have walked away,” Leah murmured, her hand on my knee.

“If I hadn’t hurt her… she’d still be here,” I whispered, feeling my throat close up with unshed tears.

“And it would’ve hurt her so much more when you found Bella,” Leah pointed out.

I closed my eyes, knowing Leah was right, but not wanting to admit it. Bella was absolutely amazing and I couldn’t regret meeting her, but… Emily would always hold a special place in my heart.

“If you want to blame someone, blame the damn bloodsuckers that moved back here. If they hadn’t come, you wouldn’t have started phasing, Emily wouldn’t have gotten hurt, and you wouldn’t have imprinted on Bella,” Leah shrugged.

The thought was painful and I clutched at my chest as my heart pounded furiously. I saw Leah smirked out of the corner of my eye and growled a warning to her.

“That’s what I thought. Only known the girl a day and you already have a deeper attachment to her than Emily,” Leah said smugly.

I blinked at her, trying to decipher what exactly she meant by that. Her satisfied smile made me a little irritated as I tried to work it out in my head.

“What do you mean?” I asked, coming up with nothing.

“I mean that little Miss Bella Swan has a hold of your heart much tighter than my cousin did. A few months after you met Emily, I mentioned something about what would’ve happened had you never met her. You brushed it off, as if it wasn’t even an issue worth discussing. I mention you not meeting Bella and you’re just a hair short of phasing on my back deck,” Leah chuckled.

I looked down to notice I was, in fact, shaking pretty badly. Taking a deep breath, I allowed thoughts of my Bella to settle the trembling.

The shrill ringing of the telephone snapped me out of my thoughts. Leah stood up slowly, sighing heavily as she went. The screen door slammed closed behind her as she went to answer the phone.

“Hello? ….. Yeah, he’s here… Okay, I’ll let him know… Shut it, Black! I said I’d let him know! …. Yeah, yeah. Go lap up Embry’s jizz off the carpet. I’ve got bacon calling me name.”

I chuckled as Leah stormed back outside, her face furious as she resumed her seat on the swing.

“So, what did Jake say?” I asked, still grinning.

“That your girl will be pulling into his driveway in five minutes,” Leah shrugged, munching on bacon.

I was up out of the swing before the last words were out of her mouth, taking off down the back porch.

“Girl’s already leading you two around on a leash!” Leah called, laughing as I hurried into the forest.

I didn’t bother responding as I quickly shed my shorts and phased, making my way towards the Black’s house.

Jake’s POV

I had just hung up the phone after talking to Leah when I heard the roar of her truck. My heartbeat kicked into overdrive as I practically ran outside, skidding to a stop at the steps of the front porch.

The truck lurched to a stop in the driveway, rocking back and forth once before Bella shoved the door open and slammed it shut, the metal groaning in protest. She was smiling as she walked up the front walk towards me and I couldn’t help but jump down and meet her half way.

“Good morning, Bella. I missed you last night,” I sighed, hugging her to me.

“Really? Because I woke up quite a bit last night and there was always a black wolf and a russet wolf hovering just in the shadows of the trees. You guys are stalking me,” Bella accused.

“Guilty as charged, honey. We can’t help it though. You’re our imprint and we have to protect you,” I insisted, breathing in her scent.

“What could happen while I’m asleep?” Bella laughed.

The sounds set my heart soaring as we stood there in the front yard.

“Well, if I remember correctly, you are rather clumsy,” I teased, moving to look down at her.

The blush that I loved so much was instantly on her cheeks, making her even more beautiful. My fingers trailed along the edge, feeling the rush of heat beneath her silky skin.

“You are so beautiful,” I murmured, my hand moving to cup her neck.

Her eyes widened slightly and her blush increased. I smiled slightly as heart rapid heartbeat reached my highly tuned ears. Her breathing picked up, the soft exhales blowing across my bare chest.

“Sam’s on his way. He should be here soon,” I told her quietly.

She nodded, her eyes not leaving mine. The wolf inside of me growled in pleasure that our mate wanted us. It was in the way her pupils were dilated, her breathing was off, and the smell coming off of her had me wanted to throw her into the dirt and mate like the dog I was.

Instead, I brushed my thumb across her cheek and bent down to gently press my lips against hers. It was in no way, shape, or form what I wanted it to be, but the way her lips molded to mine was pure heaven. I had to tamp down on the desire inside of me that longed to be unleashed on this unsuspecting beauty in my arms.

The kiss ended almost as soon as it started, just a mere peck by any standards. Her brown eyes stared up into mine, sparkling in their uncertainty.

“I’m sorry, honey. I’m just finding it really hard to stay away from you,” I whispered, leaning my forehead against hers.

“It’s okay. I understand,” Bella assured me, blushing away.

I smiled, closing my eyes as the wolf began to calm down, settling back into place.

The sound of movement in the trees had me spinning around, keeping Bella behind me. I scented the air, relaxing only when I recognized the smell of my Alpha.

Sam came walking out of the trees, his eyes focused entirely on Bella. I stepped aside as he came closer, allowing them a moment to greet each other. I smiled when Bella walked into his embrace easily, no fear or hesitation present.

“How was your night, sweetheart?” Sam asked, his lips pressed into her hair.

“Alright, I guess. But, like I told Jake, you already know that. Don’t think I missed the two of you snooping outside my window last night,” Bella scolded.

Sam shot me a smile over her head, tightening his hold on her.

“What do you expect from us, Bella? You’re the most important thing in the world to us. We have to keep you safe,” Sam explained.

“Which is exactly what I told her,” I chuckled from the side.

Bella turned her head slightly to give me a false glare, her eyes smiling as she attempted to appear fierce. I chuckled again, admiring the way her brown eyes sparkled as Sam held her close.

“So, Bells, what would you like to do today?” I asked, spreading my arms out to indicate the area around us.

“Could we just hang out? I’m not really up for anything too adventurous,” Bella shrugged.

“Of course, sweetheart. What did you have in mind?” Sam asked, moving so only his arm was around her shoulders.

“I don’t really care. I saw a car in your garage, Jake. Are you fixing it up?” Bella asked, tilting her head slightly.

“I am,” I answered, smiling at the wolf-like gesture.

“Why don’t we hang out there? That way you can work on it and I can just sit and watch. Maybe I’ll even learn a few things,” Bella teased, grinning widely.

“If that’s what you want,” I agreed slowly.

“It is,” Bella assured me.

“Alright, then. You get to watch your men in action. Sam’s not really as good with cars as I am, but I’m not as good as buildings as he is. One day we’ll have to take you to the house he’s working on. You’d be amazed at what he’s accomplish,” I commented.

“I’d like that,” Bella smiled, looking up at Sam.

I nearly laughed at the nervous pleasure Sam was displaying at the positive attention our mate was showing him. I turned slightly, offering my arm to Bella, smiling wider as her slim arm slipped through mine. Sam took up her other side, both of us easily slowing our stride to match the angel walking between us.

Looking over a few minutes later to see her lying on the sectional I’d moved out here, I couldn’t help the feeling of contentment that coursed through my body. As Sam and I tinkered under the hood, slowly rebuilding the old Rabbit’s engine, I knew he felt the same way. It was amazing how in tune we were in regards to Bella.

I knew, without a doubt, that she was going to be the best thing that had ever happened to us and to this tribe.

Bella’s POV

Whore. Slut. Harlot. Lady of the night. Street walker. Easy.

I was all of these and more. At least, that’s what they all seemed to think of me.

As soon as I walked to the bonfire with Sam and Jake on either side, I could feel the judgement glares, the curious side glances, the she’s-banging-both-boys wide eyes. My skin was crawling as Sam and Jake smiled wide, not noticing that anything was wrong.

I knew I shouldn’t have come here.

When Jake brought it up a few hours after I arrived, I had been more than a little unsure. I barely knew the two of them and they already wanted me to meet their friends. I had tried to beg off, claiming I had to get home to feed Charlie.

Charlie apparently likes bonfires.

And he was watching me with my boys, his eyes furrowed in parental confusion.

No daddy wanted to hear his little girl was with one guy, let alone two.

I still had my doubts on whether or not I was with them both. They both claimed to love me, to want to be with me, but neither one had said anything in regards to forming a relationship. Maybe to them it was obvious, but I needed some clearing up.

“Come here, Bells. We want you to meet the rest of the pack,” Jake whispered in my ear, leading me away from the prying eyes.

I sighed in relief as we came upon a smaller bonfire, this one much more welcoming. The boys were wrestling in the sand, cheering each other on, while the two girls chatted on a log, occasionally glancing over at the man-beasts.

“Hey! Break it up before one of you rolls into the fire!” Sam barked, drawing attention to us.

I blushed and moved to stand behind my boys, nervous about meeting the people who made up their pack. The two girls stood, one of the guys moving over to wrap the smaller one in his arm. The taller one with short hair smiled as she walked forward.

“What are you doing hiding behind those buffoons? It’s not like they could actually do anything,” she scoffed, waving her hand dismissively.

“Leah,” Jake warned, moving to block me further.

“Oh, hush. It’s not like I’m going to hurt her. Move out the way, Black,” Leah demanded, reaching out to actually push him aside.

Jake stepped away slightly, still sticking close as Leah came to stand right in front of me.

“So, you’re the one our ancestors decided could handle not one, but two wolves? And not just any wolves, but the current and future Alpha?” Leah derided, hip cocked to the side as she observed me.

Sensing the pissing contest for what it was, I stared right back at her, saying nothing.

“A pale face, the partner of the two leaders of the tribe. The Quileute people will never accept this,” Leah said, shaking her head.

“They don’t exactly have a say in the matter,” I told her, my hackles raised.

“Really, now? You’re gonna go up against the entire tribe just to be with these two chumps?” Leah questioned haughtily.

Not entirely sure where all my bravado was coming from, I stepped forward until we were toe to toe, my hands clenched into fists at my side as I glared up at the girl who was questioning my very being.

“I’ll go up against the whole damn country if that’s what it takes,” I informed her in a deadly calm voice.

We stared at each other for a long time, each assessing the other for faults or falsehoods.  When she smiled widely, laughter in her eyes, I allowed my muscles to relax and returned her smile.

“Well, then, welcome to the pack, qahla,” Leah smiled fondly.

“Thanks,” I nodded in appreciation.

With that, the air around the pack seemed to ease. I was suddenly surrounded by the rest of the pack, receiving hugs from overly heated bodies and one normal body.

“I’m so glad to finally meet you! You have no idea how great it is to have another human in the know,” a small girl exclaimed.

Before I could even respond, she had me by the hand and was leading me over to the log she and Leah had previously occupied.

“I’m Kim, by the way, Jared’s imprint,” Kim introduced herself.

“Bella,” I answered, smiling slightly.

“I know that, silly! Jared told me all about you and Sam and Jake. It’s so sweet, the way the two of them are all twitterpated over you,” Kim giggled.

“Twitterpated?” I chuckled.

“You know what I mean,” Kim huffed, waving me off.

I smiled wider, finding that I liked Kim’s easily excited personality. The sound of shouting took my attention away from Kim and towards the boys tumbling around in the sand. Sam had one of the boys in a headlock while one of his feet pressed down into another’s chest.

“Uh-oh. Looks like Paul and Quil were picking on Collin and Brady again,” Kim snickered.

I nodded, having no idea who she was talking about. A sudden grunt pulled my attention to my left to find Leah sitting at my feet.

“Kim, she doesn’t know who any of those idiots are,” Leah sighed, reclining against the log.

“Oh, right! Well, the one under Sam’s foot is Quil and the one in the headlock is Paul. The two sitting in the sand next to them are Brady and Collin. Collin’s the one in the jean shorts, Brady’s in basketball shorts. Embry is the one with Jake. That leaves Jared and Seth. Jared is the one trying to convince Sam to let Paul and Quil go,” Kim explained.

“And I’m Seth,” a young boy said, plopping down in front of us.

He smiled widely, revealing pearly white teeth.

“You’re Bella, Sam and Jake’s girl,” Seth stated.

“I am,” I agreed, blushing slightly.

“You are quite the popular lady here on the rez,” Seth smirked.

“Really?” I asked.

“Yup. Everybody’s talking about the pale face who seems to have captured the heart of not only one, but two, of the future leaders of the tribe,” Seth whispered loudly.

I felt the blush increase and ducked my head.

“Seth!” Kim squealed, swatting at him.

“Aw, come on, Kim. You know I’m kidding. Well, not really. Everybody is talking about her. But, like my big sis said, she’s pack now. And we look after our own,” Seth nodded at me.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, tugging on a strand of hair.

“Anytime,” Seth winked.

“Stop flirting with the Alphas’ mate,” Leah scolded, slapping her brother in the back of the head.

“Leah, she’s Jake’s mate, too,” Kim scolded.

“And Jake is an Alpha, Kim. I said ‘Alphas’, as in plural,” Leah sighed, sounding bored.

“What’s it like, Bella?” Kim asked, completely shifting the topic.

“What is what like?” I countered, confused.

“Having two mates,” Kim answered, as if it was obvious.

“Oh, um, it’s okay,” I stuttered.

“She hasn’t slept with them yet, Kim. Damn, girl, does she look like a slut to you?” Leah glared.

“No, of course not. I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry, Bella,” Kim frowned, placing a hand on my arm.

“It’s okay. I’m sure it’s what everyone assumes,” I assured her.

“I wasn’t asking that, though. I swear, Bella. I just know how… exciting it can be when you first start off with your wolf. They like to touch, a lot. It makes it difficult to keep your wits about you. I just wondered if it was any harder with two wolves instead of one,” Kim explained.

“Oh, that. Yeah, it does get pretty intense,” I blushed, ducking my head.

“I bet. Especially with all that Alpha power. Mmm. First time you guys go further, you call me the next morning. I’ll want details, lots of them,” Kim insisted, wiggling her eyebrows.

“Kim!” I cried, completely shocked.

“What? We wolf girls have to stick together,” Kim encouraged.

“That has nothing to do with my sex life!” I gaped.

“Sure it does. Look, I’ll tell you all that you need to know about being with a wolf and, in repayment, you will tell me everything about being with your wolves,” Kim offered.

“Jeeze, Kim. How the hell does Jared put up with you?” Leah scowled.

“He loves me,” Kim grinned.

“Nah. He just likes the way you suck his-“

“LEAH!” Jared shouted from across the fire.

“Oh, come on, Jared. Like we don’t all hear it in your thoughts,” Leah scoffed, rolling her eyes.

“Jared!” Kim giggled, no doubt blushing under her dark skin.

“Aw, come on, babe. You know I can’t help it,” Jared smiled, crossing over to us.

Kim continued to giggle when he took her spot, placing her precariously on his lap. Everyone else was soon forgotten as they began to devour each other’s mouths. Feeling more than a little uncomfortable, I quickly turned to face the fire, a deep red blush tingeing my cheeks.

“I think your boys are signaling you,” Leah smirked, one eyebrow raised.

I glanced over to the other side of the fire to see both of my boys watching me. Jake was smiling slightly, but Sam was unreadable, his face completely dark as the fire reflected in his eyes.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I stood up and made my way over to them. The closer I got, the faster my heart pounded until I thought it was going to come right out of my chest.

“Hey,” I murmured, coming to a stop in front of them.

“Hey, beautiful. You enjoying yourself?” Jake asked, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

“I am. I like the pack,” I smiled up at them.

“Good. They like you, too,” Jake informed me.

There was a long silence as Jake continually glanced over at Sam, obviously waiting for him to say something. I peaked at him through my hair, nervous at his intense stare and persistent silence.

“Sam,” Jake said slowly.

He turned his head slightly to look at Jake, his expression remaining the same. Jake simply raised his brows, clearly waiting for Sam to say something. Sam turned his attention back to me, his features relaxing slightly.

“Do you want to get out of here?” Sam asked quietly.

More than a little surprised at his question, it took me a minute to respond.

“Uh, sure,” I agreed, glancing at Jake.

He seemed just as confused as I was, but he held out his hand for me to take. I slipped my hand into both of theirs, knowing I’d be grateful for the heat as we moved away from the fire. We walked away from the ongoing parties, moving further along the beach away from La Push.

After we had been walking for some time and the fires were just little dots on the horizons, Sam stopped, turning to face me. Jake moved behind me, his hand resting at the small of my back.

“This isn’t going to work,” Sam said emotionlessly.

“What isn’t going to work?” I asked, confused.

“Us. All three of us. People are talking and it’s not good for any of us,” Sam elaborated.

A pounding started in my ears at the same time darkness began encroaching on my vision. My heart felt as though it was being ripped out of my chest, phantom hands clawing at my ribcage. I struggled to get enough air into my lungs, gasping for breath.

“What the hell, Sam?” Jake barked, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me into his chest.

I shivered against him, trying in vain to gain control.

“No, that’s not… I didn’t mean that we wouldn’t be together! Shit,” Sam groaned, running his fingers through his hair.

“Explain. Now,” Jake snarled, holding me tighter.

I turned into his chest, one of his hands stroking my hair while the other rubbed my back. I felt tears run down my chest, splashing onto his chest.

“Sweetheart, don’t cry. Oh, God, Bella, that came out wrong. Please, look at me,” Sam pleaded, his voice breaking.

Jake’s chest vibrated beneath my cheek, the growls coming continuously as he glared at Sam over my head.

“I want us to be together, Bella. I love you. I just don’t think we should flaunt it in front of everyone. The pack knows, they’re the only ones who need to know anything. The rest of these narrow minded people are going to be cruel and shun us. I couldn’t bare for you to have to go through that,” Sam explained gently.

“I don’t care. It’s not like they have any say in our relationship. I don’t want to hide,” I cried, turning just enough to glare at Sam.

“You say that now, but once school starts… everyone will be talking. You’ll be hounded for information about us. I don’t want you to have to go through that,” Sam frowned.

“I don’t care,” I repeated.

Sam sighed, lowering his head.

“Bells, we’re going to walk right over there for a minute. Sam and I need to have a talk,” Jake growled.

I nodded, moving out of his hold. Jake started walking away immediately, trembling violently. Sam stepped towards me, his face pained.

“Bella, I’m sorry. I won’t give you up. I just wanted to make this easier on you,” Sam murmured, pulling me into his arms.

I stood stiff for a few moments before falling into him, burrowing into his chest.

“Well, don’t. I’m a big girl. I can handle myself,” I mumbled against his heated skin.

“I know you can, sweetheart,” Sam sighed, pressing a kiss into my hair.

We stood there for a while, me absorbing his heat while he breathed in my scent.

“We’ll be right back,” Sam promised, pressing one last kiss to my head.

“I’ll be here,” I smiled weakly.

Not wanting to intrude on their conversation, having already guessed what Jake would be saying, I turned to face the ocean, watching the waves crash against the shore. I wondered absentmindedly if I would be able to keep my word and not allow the rumor mill to bother me.