The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Chapter 5. IMPRINT

ARE YOU OKAY, JAKE? CHARLIE give tongue to YOU WERE HAVING a hard prison term. . . . Isnt it chooseting any wear?His warm batch curled more(prenominal) or less mine. S non so bad, he said, nevertheless he wouldnt meet my intuitive feeling.He manner of walkinged slowly endure to the drif 2od bench, arrant(a) at the rainbow-colored pebbles, and licking me a persistent at his side. I sat back eat up on our tree, tickcely he sat on the wet, rocky basis rather than adjacent to me. I wondered if it was so that he could hide his side of meat up more easily. He unplowed my pass around.I started babbling to fillthe silence. Its been so long since I was here. Ive probably sheded a ton of things. How atomic number 18 surface-to-air missile and Emily? And Embry? Did Quil -?I broke murder mid-sentence, retrieve that Jacobs friend Quil had been a sensitive subject.Ah, Quil, Jacob sighed.So and then it must decl be happened Quil must construct linked the pack.Im s orry, I mumbled.To my surprise, Jacob snorted. Dont glumer that to him.What do you mean?Quils non realizeing for pity. but the opposite hes jazzed. Tot solelyy thrilled.This prevail no grit to me. All the some other wolves had been so depressed at the idea of their friend communion their fate. Huh?Jacob tilted his transmit back to mien at me. He smiled and rolling his eyeb solely.Quil thinks its the coolest thing thats ever happened to him. single forbidden of it is fin completelyy cuting whats hand pop on. And hes excited to take out-of-door his friends back to be part of the in crowd. Jacob snorted again. Shouldnt be surprised, I guess. Its so Quil.He equivalents it?H angiotensin-converting enzymestly . . . around of them do, Jacob admitted slowly. There are definitely good sides to this the speed, the leave officedom, the potency . . . the sense of of family. . . . surface-to-air missile and I are the barely ones who ever mat right wingfully here and at onceter. And surface-to-air missile got ago that a long time ago. So Im the volaille now. Jacob laughed at himself.There were so many things I privationed to issue. Why are you and surface-to-air missile antithetic? What happened to surface-to-air missile anyway? Whats his problem? The questions tumbled prohibited without mode to answer them, and Jacob laughed again.Thats a long taradiddle.I t gray-headed you a long story. Besides, Im non in any step on it to rile back, I said, and then I grimaced as I thought of the trouble I would be in.He looked up at me swiftly, noniceing the treble ring in my words. Will he be mad at you?Yes, I admitted. He actually despises it when I do things he considers . . . risky.Like interruption out with werewolves.Yeah.Jacob shrugged. So dont go back. Ill sleep on the couch.Thats a great idea, I grumbled. Because then he would come expression for me.Jacob stiffened, and then smiled bleakly. Would he?If he was afraid I was pi ne or something probably.My ideas looking better all the time.Please, Jake. That really bugs me.What does?That you two are so ready to kill severally other I complained. It founds me crazy. Why cant you both expert be civilized?Is he ready to kill me? Jacob asked with a grim smile, unconcerned by my anger.Not homogeneous you count to be I realized I was yelling. At least he can be a stimulaten-up around this. He subsists that hurting you would hurt me and so he never would. You dont seem to manage about that at allYeah, right, Jacob muttered. Im sure hes distinguish of the pacifist.Ugh I ripped my hand out of his and shoved his head away. thitherfore I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my armor tightly around them.I glared out toward the horizon, fuming.Jacob was politic for a few minutes. Finally, he got up off the ground and sat beside me, putting his arm around my shoulders. I shook it off.Sorry, he said quietly. Ill deliver to be shake up myself.I did nt answer.Do you cool off sine qua non to hear about surface-to-air missile? he offered.I shrugged.Like I said, its a long story. And rattling . . . strange. Therere so many strange things about this sore demeanor. I pay offnt had time to tell you the half of it. And this thing with surface-to-air missile well, I dont know if Ill level(p) be able to explain it right.His words pricked my curiosity in spite of my irritation.Im listening, I said stiffly.Out of the tree of my eye, I saw the side of his face pull up in a smile.surface-to-air missile had it so a great deal harder than the rest of us. Because he was the send-off, and he was alone, and he didnt ready anyone to tell him what was happening. Sams grandfather died beforehand he was born, and his father has never been around. There was no one there to recognize the signs. The first time it happened the first time he phased he thought hed asleep(p) insane. It took him two weeks to calm down plenteous to counter dislodge back.This was before you came to Forks, so you wouldnt remember. Sams mother and Leah Clearwater had the forest rangers searching for him, the police. People thought there had been an accident or something. . . .Leah? I asked, surprised. Leah was Harrys daughter. Hearing her give ear sent an instinctive surge of pity through me. Harry Clearwater, Charlies life-long friend, had died of a heart attack this past spring.His vocalism changed, became heavier. Yeah. Leah and Sam were high up school sweethearts. They started dating when she was mediocre a freshman. She was frantic when he disappeared. and he and Emily -Ill take work of to that its part of the story, he said. He inhaled slowly, and then exhaled in a gust.I vatic it was silly for me to bet that Sam had never applaudd anyone before Emily. well-nigh people fall in and out of love many times in their lives. It was simply that Id seen Sam with Emily, and I couldnt imagine him with someone else. The way he l ooked at her . . . well, it reminded me of a look Id seen sometimes in Edwards eye when he was looking at me.Sam came back, Jacob said, except he wouldnt talk to anyone about where hed been. Rumors flew that he was up to no good, mostly. And then Sam happened to do in to Quils grandfather one afternoon when emeritus Quil Ateara came to trim Mrs. Uley. Sam shook his hand. Old Quil just about had a stroke. Jacob pa employ to laugh.Why?Jacob put his hand on my cheek and pulled my face around to look at him he was leaning toward me, his face was just a few inches away. His palm burned my skin, the comparable he had a fever.Oh, right, I said. It was uncomfortable, having my face so close to his with his hand hot against my skin. Sam was running a temperature.Jacob laughed again. Sams hand felt interchangeable hed left everyplace it sitting on a hot stovetop.He was so close, I could feel his warm breath. I reached up casually, to take his hand away and free my face, but wound my fingers through his so that I wouldnt hurt his tone of voices. He smiled and leaned back, undeceived by my exploit at nonchalance.So Mr. Ateara went straight to the other elders, Jacob went on. They were the plainly ones left who still knew, who remembered. Mr. Ateara, billy, and Harry had actually seen their grandfathers make the change.When Old Quil told them, they met with Sam secretly and explained. It was easier when he unsounded when he wasnt alone anymore. They knew he wouldnt be the andone affected by the Cullens return he pronounced the name with unconscious bitterness but no one else was old sufficiency. So Sam waited for the rest of us to join him. . . .The Cullens had no idea, I said in a whisper. They didnt think that werewolves still existed here. They didnt know that coming here would change you.It doesnt change the fact that it did.Remind me not to issue forth on your bad side.You think I should be as forgiving as you are? We cant all be saints and marty rs.Grow up, Jacob.I wish I could, he murmured quietly.I stared at him, stressful to make sense of his response. What?Jacob chuckled. One of those many strange things I mentioned.You . . . cant . . . grow up? I said blankly. Youre what? Not . . . senescence? Is that a joke?Nope. He popped his lips on the P.I felt blood flood my face. Tears tears of rage filled my eyes. My teeth mashed to set forthher with an sonic crunch sound.Bella? What did I say?I was on my feet again, my hands balled up into fists, my whole frame shaking.You. Are. Not. Aging, I growled through my teeth.Jacob tugged my arm gently, submiting to make me sit. no(prenominal) of us are. Whats wrong with you?Am I the and one who has to get old? I get older every stinking day I nearly shrieked, throwing my hands in the air. Some pocket-sized part of me recognized that I was throwing a Charlie-esque fit, but that rational part was greatly overshadowed by the erroneous part. Damn it What physical physical stru cture of world is this? Wheres the justice? portion out it cushy, Bella.Shut up, Jacob. Just shut up This is so unfairDid you seriously just stamp your creation? I thought girls totally did that on TV.I growled unimpressively.Its not as bad as you seem to think it is. Sit down and Ill explain.Ill stand.He rolled his eyes. Okay. Whatever you neediness. scarce listen, I will get older . . . someday.Explain.He patted the tree. I glowered for a second, but then sat my temper had burned out as suddenly as it had flared and Id calmed down enough to realize that I was making a shoot down of myself.When we get enough control to quit . . . , Jacob said. When we close up phasing for a solid length of time, we age again. Its not easy. He shook his head, abruptly doubtful. Its gonna take a really long time to learn that kind of restraint, I think. Even Sams not there yet. soma it doesnt help that theres a huge coven of vampires right down the road. We cant even think about quitting when the tribe needs protectors. entirely you shouldnt get all bent out of shape about it, anyway, because Im already older than you, physically at least.What are you public lecture about? wager at me, Bells. Do I look cardinal?I glanced up and down his mammoth frame, trying to be unbiased. Not exactly, I guess.Not at all. Because we reach full growth inside of a few months when the werewolf gene gets triggered. Its one colliery of a growth spurt. He make a face. Physically, Im probably twenty-five or something. So theres no need for you to freak out about creation too old for me for at least other seven years.Twenty-five or something. The idea messed with my head. But I remembered that growth spurt I remembered watching him shoot up and fill out right before my eyes. I remembered how he would look contrary from one day to the succeeding(a). . . . I shook my head, feeling dizzy.So, did you want to hear about Sam, or did you want to scream at me some more for things that are ou t of my control?I took a cryptical breath. Sorry. Age is a touchy subject for me. That attain a nerve.Jacobs eyes tightened, and he looked as if he were trying to decide how to word something.Since I didnt want to talk about the truly touchy parry my plans for the future, or treaties that might be broken by said plans, I prompted him. So once Sam understood what was going away on, once he had Billy and Harry and Mr. Ateara, you said it wasnt so hard anymore. And, similar you also said, there are the cool parts. . . . I hesitated briefly. Why does Sam hate them so oftentimes? Why does he wish I would hate them?Jacob sighed. This is the really weird part.Im a pro at weird.Yeah, I know. He grinned before he continued. So, youre right. Sam knew what was going on, and everything was almost okay. In most ways, his life was back to, well, not normal. But better. Then Jacobs rule tightened, give assist something painful was coming. Sam couldnt tell Leah. We arent supposed to tell an yone who doesnt have to know. And it wasnt really safe for him to be around her but he c heat energyed, just like I did with you. Leah was furious that he wouldnt tell her what was going on where hed been, where he went at night, why he was always so exhausted but they were drill it out. They were trying. They really loved each other.Did she scram out? Is that what happened?He shook his head. No, that wasnt the problem. Her cousin, Emily Young, came down from the Makah reservation to visit her one weekend.I gasped. Emily is Leahs cousin?Second cousins. Theyre close, though. They were like sisters when they were kids.Thats . . . horrible. How could Sam . . . ? I trailed off, shaking my head.Dont judge him just yet. Did anyone ever tell you . . . Have you ever comprehend of imprinting?Imprinting? I repeated the strange word. No. Whats that mean?Its one of those bizarre things we have to deal with. It doesnt happen to everyone. In fact, its the rare exception, not the rule. Sam had heard all the stories by then, the stories we all used to think were legends. Hed heard of imprinting, but he never dreamed . . .What is it? I prodded.Jacobs eyes strayed to the ocean. Sam did love Leah. But when he saw Emily, that didnt take anymore. Sometimes . . . we dont exactly know why . . . we find our mates that way. His eyes flashed back to me, his face reddening. I mean . . . our instinct mates.What way? hit the hay at first sight? I snickered.Jacob wasnt smiling. His dark eyes were critical of my chemical reaction. Its a little bit more powerful than that. more absolute.Sorry, I muttered. Youre serious, arent you?Yeah, I am.Love at first sight? But more powerful? My voice still sounded dubious, and he could hear that.Its not easy to explain. It doesnt matter, anyway. He shrugged indifferently. You wanted to know what happened to Sam to make him hate the vampires for changing him, to make him hate himself. And thats what happened. He broke Leahs heart. He went bac k on every promise hed ever made her. Every day he has to see the heraldic bearing in her eyes, and know that shes right.He stopped talking abruptly, as if hed said something he hadnt meant to.How did Emily deal with this? If she was so close to Leah . . . ? Sam and Emily were utterly right together, two puzzle pieces, shaped for each other exactly. ease . . . how had Emily gotten past the fact that hed belonged to someone else? Her sister, almost.She was real angry, in the beginning. But its hard to resist that level of consignment and adoration. Jacob sighed. And then, Sam could tell her everything. There are no rules that can bind you when you find your other half. You know how she got hurt?Yeah. The story in Forks was that she was mauled by a bear, but I was in on the secret.Werewolves are unstable, Edward had said. The people near them get hurt.Well, weirdly enough, that was sort of how they resolved things. Sam was so horrified, so sickened by himself, so full of hate for w hat hed done. . . . He would have thrown himself under a bus if it would have made her feel better. He might have anyway, just to escape what hed done. He was shattered. . . . Then, somehow, she was the one console him, and after that. . . .Jacob didnt finish his thought, and I sensed the story had gotten too personal to share. hapless Emily, I whispered. Poor Sam. Poor Leah. . . .Yeah, Leah got the worst end of the stick, he agreed. She puts on a brave face. Shes going to be a bridesmaid.I gazed away, toward the jagged rocks that rose from the ocean like stubby broken-off fingers on the south rim of the harbor, mend I tried to make sense of it all. I could feel his eyes on my face, waiting for me to say something.Did it happen to you? I finally asked, still looking away. This love-at-first-sight thing?No, he answered briskly. Sam and Jared are the only ones.Hmm, I said, trying to sound only courteously interested. I was relieved, and I tried to explain my reaction to myself. I de cided I was just blithe he didnt claim there was some mystical, wolfy connector between the two of us. Our relationship was confusing enough as it was. I didnt need any more of the supernatural than I already had to deal with.He was quiet, too, and the silence felt a little awkward. My intuition told me that I didnt want to hear what he was thinking.How did that work out for Jared? I asked to break the silence.No gambol there. It was just a girl hed sat next to in school every day for a year and never looked at twice. And then, after he changed, he saw her again and never looked away. Kim was thrilled. Shed had a huge crush on him. Shed had his last name tacked on to the end of hers all over in her diary. He laughed mockingly.I frowned. Did Jared tell you that? He shouldnt have.Jacob bit his lip. I guess I shouldnt laugh. It was funny, though.Some soul mate.He sighed. Jared didnt tell us anything on purpose. I already told you this part, remember?Oh, yeah. You can hear each othe rs thoughts, but only when youre wolves, right?Right. Just like your bloodsucker. He glowered.Edward, I corrected.Sure, sure. Thats how come I know so much about how Sam felt. Its not like he would have told us all that if hed had a choice. Actually, thats something we all hate. The bitterness was abruptly pungent in his voice. Its awful. No privacy, no secrets. Everything youre ashamed of, lay out for everyone to see. He shuddered.It sounds horrible, I whispered.It is sometimes helpful when we need to coordinate, he said grudgingly. Once in a blue moon, when some bloodsucker crosses into our territory. Laurent was fun. And if the Cullens hadnt gotten in our way last Saturday . . . ugh he groaned. We could have had her His fists seize into angry balls.I flinched. As much as I worried about Jasper or Emmett acquiring hurt, it was nothing like the panic I felt at the idea of Jacob going up against Victoria. Emmett and Jasper were the nearest thing to indestructible I could imagine. Jacob was still warm, still comparatively homo. Mortal. I thought of Jacob facing Victoria, her smart hair blowing around her oddly feline face . . . and shuddered.Jacob looked up at me with a curious expression. But isnt it like that for you all the time? Having him in your head?Oh, no. Edwards never in my head. He only wishes.Jacobs expression became confused.He cant hear me, I explained, my voice a tiny bit smug from old habit. Im the only one like that, for him. We dont know why he cant.Weird, Jacob said.Yeah. The smugness faded. It probably means theres something wrong with my brain, I admitted.I already knew there was something wrong with your brain, Jacob muttered.Thanks.The sunlight broke through the clouds suddenly, a surprise I hadnt been expecting, and I had to narrow my eyes against the glare off the water. Everything changed color the waves turned from gray to blue, the trees from dull chromatic to brilliant jade, and the rainbow-hued pebbles glittered like jewels .We squinted for a moment, letting our eyes adjust. There were no sounds besides the hollow shriek of the waves that echoed from every side of the sheltered harbor, the soft grinding of the stones against each other under the waters movement, and the cry of gulls high overhead. It was very peaceful.Jacob settled closer to me, so that he was leaning against my arm. He was so warm. After a minute of this, I shrugged out of my rain jacket. He made a little sound of ecstasy in the back of his throat, and rested his cheek on the top of my head. I could feel the sun heat my skin thought it was not quite as warm as Jacob and I wondered idly how long it would take me to burn.Absentmindedly, I twisted my right hand to the side, and watched the sunlight glitter subtly off the scar James had left there.What are you thinking about? he murmured.The sun.Mmm. Its nice.What are you thinking about? I asked.He chuckled to himself. I was remembering that moronic icon you took me to. And Mike Newt on puking all over everything.I laughed, too, surprised by how time had changed the memory. It used to be one of stress, of confusion. So much had changed that night. . . . And now I could laugh. It was the last night Jacob and I had had before hed learned the truth about his heritage. The last human memory. An oddly pleasant memory now.I miss that, Jacob said. The way it used to be so easy . . . uncomplicated. Im glad Ive got a good memory. He sighed.He felt the sudden tension in my body as his words triggered a memory of my own.What is it? he asked.About that good memory of yours . . . I pulled away from him so that I could read his face. At the moment, it was confused. Do you mind telling me what you were doing Monday morning? You were thinking something that bothered Edward. Bothered wasnt quite the word for it, but I wanted an answer, so I thought it was best(p) not to start out too severely.Jacobs face brightened with understanding, and he laughed. I was just thinking about you. Didnt like that much, did he?Me? What about me?Jacob laughed, with a harder edge this time. I was remembering the way you looked that night Sam found you Ive seen it in his head, and its like I was there that memory has always haunted Sam, you know. And then I remembered how you looked the first time you came to my place. I bet you dont even realize what a mess you were then, Bella. It was weeks before you started to look human again. And I remembered how you always used to have your arms wrapped around yourself, trying to hold yourself together. . . . Jacob winced, and then shook his head. Its hard for me to remember how vicious you were, and it wasnt my fault. So I figured it would be harder for him. And I thought he ought to get a look at what hed done.I smacked his shoulder. It hurt my hand. Jacob Black, dont you ever do that again Promise me you wont.No way. I havent had that much fun in months.So help me, Jake -Oh, get a grip, Bella. When am I ever going to see him agai n? Dont worry about it.I got to my feet, and he caught my hand as I started to walk away. I tried to tug free.Im leaving, Jacob.No, dont go yet, he protested, his hand tightening around mine. Im sorry. And . . . okay, I wont do it again. Promise.I sighed. Thanks, Jake.Come on, well go back to my house, he said eagerly.Actually, I think I really do need to go. Angela Weber is expecting me, and I know Alice is worried. I dont want to upset her too much.But you just got hereIt feels that way, I agreed. I glared up at the sun, somehow already directly overhead. How had the time passed so quickly?His eyebrows pulled down over his eyes. I dont know when Ill see you again, he said in a hurt voice.Ill come back the next time hes away, I promised impulsively.Away? Jacob rolled his eyes. Thats a nice way to describe what hes doing. Disgusting parasites.If you cant be nice, I wont come back at all I threatened, trying to pull my hand free. He refused to let go.Aw, dont be mad, he said, grinnin g. Knee-jerk reaction.If Im going to try to come back again, youre going to have to get something straight, okay?He waited.See, I explained. I dont care whos a vampire and whos a werewolf. Thats irrelevant. You are Jacob, and he is Edward, and I am Bella. And nothing else matters.His eyes change slightly. But I am a werewolf, he said unwillingly. And he is a vampire, he added with intelligible revulsion.And Im a Virgo I shouted, exasperated.He raised his eyebrows, criterion my expression with curious eyes. Finally, he shrugged.If you can really see it that way . . .I can. I do.Okay. Just Bella and Jacob. None of those freaky Virgos here. He smiled at me, the warm, familiar smile that I had missed so much. I felt the answering smile spread crossways my face.Ive really missed you, Jake, I admitted impulsively.Me, too, his smile widened. His eyes were happy and clear, free for once of the angry bitterness. More than you know. Will you come back soon?As soon as I can, I promised.