Imprint - Jacob Black X Reader

07

I spent the night waiting for Jacob to come home. Billy assured me everything would be okay, but it did little to soothe the anxiety that settled in the pit of my stomach. It churned, washing over me again and again, dragging me under into cold sweats and heavy breathing.
Jacob's words echoed in my head. Deep down, I knew that it was fear talking, there was no manual for turning into a gigantic wolf.
By three, he still hadn't returned. Billy joined me in the kitchen. "Why now?" I asked, glancing out into the night.
Billy sighed, "There's no exact age, no exact timing. It just builds and builds. For some, it hurts forward with emotion." His words struck fear inside me.
"So... like me?" I asked, he nodded gravely. "We always thought they were just stories."
"You also thought that Sam Uley was leading a cult."
"And because my parents... I don't stand a chance, do I?" Billy shook his head gravely.
"It's between you and your cousin next."
"Quil?"
"His family have also been in the Pack for generations." He informed, "It's up to the individual whether they see it as a blessing or a curse."

It was midday when Jacob returned. I had set up camp on the couch, the TV playing as I stared at the door. It wasn't just anxiety, something else compelled me to wait, loyal as a dog, for Jacob.
The phone rang and rang, the shrill noise perforating my eardrums. I pulled the chord from the socket and resumed my post.
I leapt up when he walked in, overpowered by the need to see he was okay. I froze, looking at the boy - the man in front of me. It was as if he had grown overnight, not just taller, but broader. His muscles had expanded, his jaw more angular. "What happened to your hair?" I looked across his bare chest, along his bare shoulders. His silky, black locks had been cropped short. He looked at me then, it felt as though, in that moment, I collapsed and expanded all at once. As if every cell in my body was charged.
"Y/N." He stepped forward, cupping my face in his warm hands, carefully bringing his lips to mine. When we parted, he studied my face. "I'm so sorry." His voice was gentle, sad.
"It's okay." I took his hand, intertwining our fingers, "You couldn't have helped that."
"You didn't deserve that." His skin was so warm, it was like standing next to a heater.
"I'm just happy to have you back. I was so worried." With his free hand, he brushed a lock of hair behind my ear, then led me to the couch. "What was it like?" I asked, Jacob took in a shaky breath.
"Terrifying. I was so scared that I was going to hurt you."
"Jake, you wouldn't have." He shook his head.
"It's so easy." His expression was pained, it hurt me to see him this way, "I could lose control, I worry that I could lose myself. If I can't control it and you're too close..."
I lay my head on his shoulder, I felt his body relax. "You won't hurt me, Jake. I know you."

Jacob explained everything to me on the way to Sam's house. He had shifted, instantly connected to the minds of the others in the pack. Nothing was sacred, as he quickly learned.
The others caught up to him, ran with him for a while, then helped him shift back. They spent the rest of the night having him shift back and forth, practicing control. Sam was the lead, the Alpha, and the only wolf bigger than Jacob. He told me about Emily's scars, how they weren't actually the result of a bear attack, but of close proximity to an enraged werewolf.
Sam's house was as small as ours, with faded grey walls and window boxes full of marigolds. We parked outside, the air filled with the smell of freshly baked muffins. Jacob walked in with ease, I followed.
"Hi guys." Emily greeted. She was well liked on the reservation. She was placing muffins onto a place, "Sam will be down in a minute." Her smile lit up her face, even the half decimated by Sam's claws. Jacob watched me carefully, I pretended not to notice, to be unbothered by the prospect that it could one day happen to me.
Sam joined us in the small kitchen, his and Jacob's broad frames taking up most of the space. "Y/N, thank you for coming." He pecked Emily on the cheek before sitting at the table, his expression serious. "I know the past twenty four hours has been a lot."
I nodded in response. He continued.
"I asked you both to come here because we have a problem, the problem being Bella Swan."
"What?" My tone was harsh, "How is she an issue?"
"Bella is a liability. We have a vampire problem as is, she's already proven to favour them." He sighed, "I know she's your friend Y/N, but you're one of us. The time will come for you to be a Protector. The needs of the many are greater than the needs of the few. It isn't safe."
"So I have to cut one of my best friends out of my life?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Or rather, what I wasn't. I turned to Jacob, who was silent beside me. "And you're cool with this? Just running with whatever someone else says?"
"It's not like that." He avoided my gaze, "I can't."
"Can't what?" The frustration gave way to anger now, "Can't make your own decisions? Can't have your own friends? Jacob who even are you right now?" He flinched at my words. It hurt to see, but it was the truth. It was as if my Jacob had vanished overnight.
"Y/N, it isn't that simple." I ran a hand through my hair, turning back to Sam.
"I don't know what this is," I motioned between them, "But I won't be dictated to or told who I can and can't spend time with." I rose from my seat, the chair scraping against the floor. Emily had left, clearly aware of what Sam was going to ask of us. "I'll see you later."
I managed to get to the end of the dirt road before I burst.