Howling Moon

Author's Notes: I took Jake's outfit (mostly the necklace) from the outfit shown on this beautiful BJD, found here:

http://www.iplehouse.net/shop/step1.php?number=780

I can just imagine Jake looking dreamy in this outfit, and I love the outfits these little dolls wear. If only I could get (i.e. afford) one that looks like Jake. Le sigh.

RESPONSE TO REVIEWS:

FallenAngel2010: LOL! Yeah, I felt a little bad putting poor Jake through all of that, but it was such a fun chapter to write! Thanks for the second review!

Reaper07: Thanks! I'm trying to make this all make sense as I go along; I'm not used to writing fan fictions straight from my head, so I'm hoping things turn out well for Jake in the end. I hope you like this chapter! Thank you so much for the review!

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The next day, I slept in until noon; my estrogen-filled weekend had left me completely wiped and a little cranky. I lolled around in bed for a good hour, trying to come up with a good excuse to see Amelia and drag her into town. I felt that asking her to lunch or a movie was a little forward, and I didn't trust myself enough not to pounce her once she answered the door. I momentarily entertained the thought of calling up Bella and Edward to ask their advice on the matter, but I had endured enough torture from the Cullens that weekend to last a lifetime and quickly dismissed the idea. When the phone rang, I grabbed the receiver before the first ring had even finished; I was excited and hoped that it would be Amelia on the other end.

"Hello?" I was sure my voice sounded a little high with my excitement, but I cleared my throat to try and cover it up, repeating the greeting in my usual voice.

"Hey! What's up?"

It was Quil on the other end. My heart sank.

"Hey, Quil. What's up?"

I was sure my voice betrayed my disappointment, but Quil didn't seem to take notice.

"We're going to the beach today with a few folks, you wanna come along?"

My heart soared to life again. The perfect excuse! I HAD promised Phil to try and get Amelia to meet some other people, and this was the best way to do it. I had some backup, with the other pack members that would be there, and while I was sure they would notice the strange attraction I had to Amelia, I knew they would back me up if something went horribly wrong.

"Sure! I'll meet you there in a bit! I'll bring Ame-- the new girl, too. I promised her dad I'd help her meet new people."

Quil agreed to meet me and Amelia there and hung up the phone. I leapt from my bed, dashing across the room to the bags of clothes that Alice had picked out for me. I picked something that wasn't too flashy: a new pair of jeans (she had said mine had too many holes and oil spots) and a white, long-sleeved button up shirt. I dug around in the bags until I found the necklace she had purchased for me as well, saying that it was the 'perfect accessory to bring out my eyes'; it was a black and silver slide necklace, with a circular pendant hanging from the middle. I normally wouldn't wear jewelry, but I secretly hoped that Alice's choices would catch Amelia's eye. I had a few other outfits set aside for a dinner date, if I could snag one with Amelia.

I hurried into the shower, not bothering to look at myself in the mirror, and after a quick shower and shave, I actually took a look at what Alice had done with my hair the day before; it didn't look terribly different, as it still hung lifeless to my shoulders, but the closer I got to looking, she had somehow made it look a little less wild and it hung in such a way as to frame my face and make it look more defined. I silently told myself that I would have to thank her for this one; she made me look a bit more boyish and less like a full-grown man, though I still would tower over Amelia. I quickly got dressed, opting to leave the first few buttons of the shirt undone and opted for a miniscule amount of body spray. The smell assaulted my nose, at first, and I made a face, looking down at the bottle as though Alice had bought a can of insecticide for me. The bottle claimed that I was supposed to smell like chocolate, but I quickly capped the offending thing and set it on the bathroom counter before retreating from the room. After a while, I got used to the overwhelming smell and it actually did start smelling like chocolate. I hurried to my room, grabbed a small bag and stuffed it into my pocket before heading over the Clearwater's to pick up Amelia.


It was a beautiful day outside, and I couldn't help but smile and whistle a bit as I stepped up onto the porch of the Clearwater's, filled with confidence that my request for Amelia's company would not be denied. I tried not to look smug, but I knew that I looked like a foxy catch, and was extremely confident that nobody would resist my charms, much less the girl that I had imprinted with; it would be an easy catch, like how the vampires' glamour snares a woman into stillness just before he bites. Amelia would not resist me or the singing in our blood!

I knocked loudly on the door and waited, rocking back and forth on the balls of my feet as I waited and listened for the sound of Amelia's approach. When it did not come, I knocked again, leaning over to peek inside one of the windows that flanked the door. Again, there was no answer, and I lifted my nose to the air in hopes of being able to smell if she was there or not. I could not readily tell, however, for her scent permeated the house. I felt like a dog in heat almost instantly, but felt a little like a kicked puppy when, on my third attempt, there was still no answer.

Let down, I made my way down to the beach anyway, kicking rocks the entire way; I felt a little lonely and rejected, but I tried not to think of it that way-- how was she supposed to know I'd come knocking on her door to invite her out to a beautiful walk on the beach. When I arrived, I took a deep breath and forced myself not to look as though my soul had been ripped in half. I met up with Quil and Sam on the outskirts of the beach and clasped wrists with them in a sign of good faith and brotherhood. We quietly talked as we headed further along the beach, and I could see from where we were that there were quite a few people who had come to crash their little party.

There were a few girls from Forks down there, frolicking around in their little bikinis and wetsuits, giggling and splashing at each other from the very edge of the ocean. Quil turned to me, however, as a stiff breeze from the sea blew my scent toward him; he wrinkled his nose and craned his neck away from me.

"Jake, are you wearing cologne or something? What, you expecting a date?"

My cheeks flushed and I looked away from him to hide it, giving a nonchalant shrug.

"Nah... Just felt like looking nice today, that's all."

Quil dropped the subject as we commenced on the small group of people. I said my hellos to some and shook hands to meet others, not at all concerned about meeting someone new as I might have been the week previous; I had already imprinted, and none of these girls held a candle to Amelia, in my eyes.

Still feeling a little dejected, I separated from the crowd and made my way further down the beach toward the spot where Bella and I had always ended up when we came there; we affectionately called it 'our tree', and still did when she came to visit on cloudy days and early evenings. I figured that I would sit there and do my best to think of a new plan on getting Amelia's attention. I was shocked when I looked up from my trudging feet to see a petite body coupled with a mass of dark hair already occupying the spot. I knew that it wasn't Bella-- it was too sunny outside for her to come to the beach, and she would've called, anyway. I prepared myself to excuse whatever woman dared take my special spot when a gust of wind blew past her and caught my nose...

It was Amelia.

My heart soared in my chest and my cheeks instantly felt hotter than usual. I could feel a stirring my gut and the small bag in my pocket felt like it weighed a ton, making it impossible to forget it's presence there. I steeled myself, taking a long, deep breath of her scent and holding it in my mouth for as long as it would stay. I was terrified, but I knew I would have to confront my 'other half' sooner or later; I already felt like I had died inside with the longing I felt for her touch, though she had never touched me before in our lives... At least not this one.

"Hey, there..."

My voice came out quieter and less sure than I had hoped, but I was lucky to be speaking at all with the delicious smell of her assaulting my nose as I approached. Amelia didn't seem to be startled, but looked up at me curiously, her cheeks flushing hot as she caught my gaze. No doubt she felt the same longing that I did, and was probably doing her best to quell the strange feelings that stirred inside of her. With her onyx gaze fixed on mine, I suddenly felt as though the clothing I wore was too tight and too hot to wear, and I wanted nothing more than to shed it all and dive into the ocean stark naked... With her at my side.

Amelia said nothing, but offered a shy, timid smile in response.

"Can I sit with you?"

My voice sounded a little more sure, but I swallowed a little too hard in an attempt to rid myself of the large lump that had formed there. Amelia nodded, and I took careful steps before my rump found the log next to her.

"... Nice day out, huh?"

Amelia still said nothing in response to my words, and I wondered if maybe she was mute; could I have imagined her squeaky, mouse-like voice before?

"Hey... I wanted to give this to you before... You know, like a welcoming present. All the girls are wearing them, now, and I thought you'd like it."

I was lying, I didn't even know what was in the bag, but I had hoped that my excuse made it sound like I had purchased the gift and not some other woman; I still had no idea what the girls were wearing around town as fashion statements. I pulled the bag from my pocket and held it out to her with my classic 'sunshine smile'.

Amelia looked at me and still said nothing, but timidly reached her hand out to receive the gift. For the briefest of moments, our fingers touched in the exchange, and I quelled a soft moan at the contact. Amelia paused for a moment before pulling her hand and her gift away. Amelia quietly pulled the gift from the bag and held it up to the light to examine it.

It was a golden charm bracelet, completely devoid of charms except for one-- a small, howling wolf head that had her name engraved on it. I flushed hotly as I caught sight of it, and I was sure Bella'd had a hand in picking it out; it was similar to the bracelet I had given to her for her graduation, but the wolf, here, was made of the same gold of the bracelet instead of a wood carving. I was certain the gold wolf-head looked better than anything I could make, and I reminded myself to thank the Cullen girls again.

"... Thank you; it's very pretty."

Amelia's voice finally made it's appearance, and it was just as soft and mousy as I remembered it to be. I flushed in the cheeks again.

"Here... Let me help you."

Amelia held her tiny, delicate wrist out, and I helped her clasp the bracelet on. She smiled, which made my heart soar, and held her hand up to examine how it looked on her. She seemed happy with the gift, and I vowed to never let her know that I hadn't been the one to pick it out.

"I'm... Sorry I freaked out last week. That was very rude of me; I haven't been feeling too well, lately, but I feel much better, now. I hope you can forgive me, Miss Amelia."

Amelia smiled shyly again and nodded, actually responding this time around.

"It's alright, Jacob. Please... You can just call me 'Amelia' if you like."

I smiled broadly. We were finally having a real conversation! I was ecstatic!

"And you can call me 'Jake', Amelia. So... How do you like it here in La Push?"


Amelia and I sat and talked about whatever popped into our heads until the sun started to go down. I was really enjoying her company, and thought that even if I hadn't imprinted on her that I would have enjoyed her company just as much. Amelia turned out to have been born in La Push, but had moved up to Seattle with her mother and father after a few years. Amelia's mother had died in a car accident when she was seven, and her older sister had gone missing after the incident. Phil hadn't remarried and Amelia's sister, Gracia, had never been found and was assumed dead. Despite Amelia's rather grim past for an eighteen year old girl, Amelia was quite upbeat about life and had requested they come back to live in La Push; Amelia had felt that coming back to her birth place would help calm her soul and ease the suffering that Sue and Leah had felt after Harry's passing.

I spoke with Amelia about my own life in La Push, and even though it dulled in comparison to Amelia's story, she still seemed to listen raptly to everything I said. After night began to fall, our conversation seemed to peter out a bit. I looked over at Amelia with a smile; she was beautiful to me. Her hair was long and arrow-straight, the black liquid reaching to the middle of her back. Her cheekbones were set high and her nose was a little smaller and more narrow than average, but it made her delightful, black eyes look wider and more innocent. Her lips were just a shade darker than the rest of her skin and looked so kissable that I had a hard time not wanting to throw out Bella's previous advice. I felt that I had done a good job, however, in keeping to my promise of not defiling Amelia's innocent, beautiful body with my carnal desires; it had been very distracting at first, but I was slowly becoming accustomed to her scent and using her words as a distraction from my soul's howling for her own.

"Do you want to head back? I think most of the others are getting around to it, themselves."

"Sure. Would you walk me home?"

Amelia's request for me to walk her home made my heart bounce in my chest again, and I smiled wide. I nodded my response and stood up, holding my hand out to her in an offer to help her up. She took my offer and reached out to take my hand, and when our flesh touched I had to close my eyes against the wave of emotion that flooded my heart. I never thought that imprinting could have been so painfully emotional for me; I knew that Sam and Emily were inseparable and generally made someone feel like they were going to be sick with how they looked at each other... But I felt like doing the exact same with Amelia. I stared down into her eyes as she stood in front of me, our hands still linked together, and I could not help but smile. I could feel the electricity between us as though it were as palpable and visible as lightning.

I quelled the urge to kiss her, despite how strongly I felt that this was the right moment to do so. I reigned in my emotions and instincts and took a deep breath, offering Amelia another smile.

"Come on, Amelia. Let's get you home."

My voice was soft, almost a whisper as I turned and led her, still holding her hand, back toward her house. We walked alone and said nothing, and all I could do was drink in the sight and smell of her so near. It felt like we had been walking for only minutes when we finally arrived at her doorstep.

"Thank you so much for the gift, Jake. You've made me feel very welcome, here in La Push; I'm glad to be back."

"Don't think anything of it, Amelia; I'm just glad you had fun today. You did have fun today, right?"

Amelia giggled softly at my nervous question, lifting her free hand to her mouth to hide the tinkling laughter. I could only sigh and wistfully smile down at her when she did so; I knew I looked like a soppy-eyed lovesick fool, but I didn't really care; Amelia's laughter was like singing to my ears, and her response to my anxious question made the blood pump hot in my veins.

"Of course I had fun; you're a blast to be around."

I felt like I had finally broken through the shy, timid shell that Amelia had placed around herself-- like I was the only one who could and would ever see this raw, unashamed side of the delicate young woman in front of me.

"I'm glad..."

My voice came out soft again, and I could feel the sparks begin to fly as I looked down and into Amelia's capturing gaze. We stared into each others' eyes for what felt like hours, and I felt the same familiar sense that now was the time to kiss her. I leaned my head further down, my eyes closing half-way as I did so; I could see through my hazy gaze that Amelia's eyes were now closed and her cheeks bled red and hot. She was ready for my kiss, and I could feel my soul aching with the slowness of which I descended. I could taste her sweet breath on my lips, and it was hitching in her throat. I could hear her heart wildly beating in her chest and smell the permeating perfume of her excitement. I was but a fraction of an inch away from her lips when the phone rang.

Dammit! SO CLOSE!!

I paused, hoping that Amelia would ignore the sound, but she pulled away and took a step back, clearing her throat.

"That's... Probably my dad. I... Thank you for the bracelet, Jake.."

Amelia's hand left my grasp in a heartbeat and before I knew it, I was standing alone, shocked, disappointed, and fish-faced on her front porch and her front door was slamming behind her. I cussed softly under my breath and quelled the urge to snap my fingers in disappointment. I let out the breath I'd been holding, feeling my face start to go blue, and made my way across the street and back to my place.

I had been so close! So close, I could've just dove in for the killing shot if I had been but a minute sooner in taking her home!

Once inside, I shut and locked the door behind me, turning the porch light off. Billy was snoring in his bedroom as I passed his door on the way to my own room, and I quietly, sullenly, shut my bedroom door behind me. I flopped down on my bed and let out a huge, frustrated sigh that ended up sounding more like a growl than anything else. I decided not to feel too disappointed about not getting that dramatic first kiss from Amelia, and vowed that I would wait for the moment to hit again. We had the rest of our lives ahead of us, but I wasn't sure how much longer I could last; I felt like I was dying inside without her! I drifted into a restless sleep, dreaming about the would-be kiss. My dream turned into a nightmare as I relived that damned phone and how it had interrupted the most beautiful, movie-like kiss that ever would have existed or been known to man. So close!