Chapter Text
Relief. So much relief.
(M/N) couldn't remember the last time he felt this free. Sitting here, with Jacob, it felt like he had no worries for the first time in his life. It was exhilarating to feel so empty. All the baggage he had been hauling around no longer seemed necessary. He laughed, and the Jacob-wolf cocked his head slightly.
"I'm just now realising how miserable I was before I came here."
Jacob huffed and offered him a deep look. (M/N) didn't know what that look meant. It seemed almost... intimate, but he was too embarrassed to admit he didn't know what Jacob was telling him, so he said nothing of it.
"We should probably head back, it's getting cold." Jacob moved closer to (M/N), who could easily feel the heat radiating off his giant furry body. "That must be nice."
Jacob dipped his head, as if he was nodding.
(M/N) lifted his hand outward and held it there for a moment, before letting it rest against the soft fur. It was quite warm, how had he not noticed this the first time? Maybe because he was too busy coming to terms with the fact he had nearly been turned into a vampire after attempting to jump off a cliff.
Jacob lowered his stomach to the floor, wanting (M/N) to hop on. (M/N) noticed Jacob's clothes sitting behind a rock, and laughed.
"You don't wanna forget these, do you?" He said, walking over and picking them up before moving back to Jacob, who looked sheepish. (M/N) climbed over his back and got a good grip, then they were speeding down the steep hill and onto flat ground. Now that (M/N) was focused on the moment, he could feel the heat where his body made contact with Jacob's. (M/N)'s arms were looped around the wolf's neck, leaving him practically hugging the beast as his cloak soared behind him.
They were back in the forest in no time, but Jacob didn't slow down until they had arrived at his house. To not run into any trees at the speed he was going was quite impressive. The wolf stopped moving for a few moments, and (M/N) realised Jacob must have been waiting for him to get off. But when he did, Jacob seemed annoyed. Perhaps he liked the feeling of (M/N) hugging him.
He took his clothes from (M/N) in his mouth, disappearing behind the trees and then reemerging as himself again.
"Sorry, we stayed out longer than I planned, we'll have to settle for leftovers."
After they had eaten and washed up–trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake Billy–they got ready to sleep.
"I can sleep on the couch if you'd like," Jacob offered.
"I'm not letting you sleep on the couch just because you offered to let me stay here," (M/N) countered. "I can sleep on the couch."
"Not a chance."
"Then I hope you don't move around a lot in your sleep," (M/N) said, climbing onto the bed. He took the side closest to the window.
"Not usually." Jacob laid down on the other side. It was quiet for a few moments, neither of them moving in the dark.
"I know I already said this... But thanks, Jacob, for saving me. This is quite literally the best thing that's happened to me in ages."
He could hear Jacob shifting in the dark. "I'm glad. I mean–not that you've been miserable, I was trying to say–"
(M/N) cut him off with a light laugh. "I know, relax."
He fell asleep quite easily. He was woken up once the sun had risen high enough to peer in through the trees and directly into his eyes. He felt uncomfortably hot, and when he tried to get up, he realised why.
Jacob had him locked in a tight grip and he couldn't get out.
"Jacob."
Nothing.
"Jacob." (M/N) nudged him and he groaned. He slowly opened his eyes, coming face to face with (M/N) who watched him with an unamused expression. He was still for a few seconds before he seemed to realise what was going on and quickly retracting his arms, practically launching himself off the bed.
"My bad..."
"Do you not feel uncomfortable when you're that hot all the time?"
Jacob raised an eyebrow. "You think I'm hot?" he teased.
(M/N) narrowed his eyes. "Don't test me."
Jacob raised his hands in defence before leaving the room.
It was a rather hot day in general, so Jacob suggested they head down to the river, which (M/N) hadn't seen before.
"Every day you show me something new," (M/N) said as they walked through the forest. "I swear this place has everything."
"I mean, it kind of has to, since we've lived here for generations," Jacob answered.
"That makes sense."
(M/N) didn't know if they were heading in the same direction as yesterday. He recognised some buildings, but the wilderness beyond that was just indiscernible. Jacob always seemed to know exactly where they were going, though. If (M/N) lived here his whole life, he supposed he would also become adept at recognising where everything is based on small environmental cues.
The sound of running water filled his ears after some time, and he spotted part of the river flowing downwards.
"This way." (M/N) followed Jacob alongside the river, and the sound of water grew louder, until they reached a small waterfall that dropped into a small pool area much like the place Jacob showed him in the mountains, but there was a small opening at the other end that kept going into the river.
"So what are we doing?" (M/N) asked.
Jacob pulled his shirt over his head and smiled at (M/N). "Swimming, you said it was hot today. It would probably do you good to take the cloak off."
(M/N) rolled his eyes but unfastened the cloak from around his shoulders. He was quite warm, and swimming sounded fun. He pulled his shirt over his head and took his shoes off, Jacob did the same. After piling his things by the base of a nearby tree, he moved closer to the water, trying to see how deep the bottom was from his position.
"You can jump from anywhere, it's pretty deep," Jacob said. (M/N) crouched down to dip his fingers into the water where it flew over the cliff edge. It felt pretty nice in contrast to the hot sun beating down through the trees. (M/N) was startled when Jacob wrapped his arms around his waist and lifted him up, moving closer to the edge.
"Let me go!" (M/N) thrashed about, but couldn't break free. "I can jump on my own!"
"Nah, this is more fun!" Jacob leaped off the edge and they were very quickly submerged. The cool water immediately relaxed (M/N)'s body, but he was more focused on trying to get Jacob to let go as they resurfaced.
Jacob laughed. "See? Fun."
He finally let go of (M/N), who turned around and pushed down on Jacob's shoulders to submerge him again. When he came up, (M/N) splashed him with water.
"I should drown you."
Jacob smiled gleefully at him. "I'd like to see you try. Does the water feel nice?"
(M/N) rolled his eyes. "Now he asks me."
"Oh come on, the jump didn't hurt, did it?" Jacob asked teasingly, but also slightly concerned.
(M/N) gave him a deadpan look. "Just because I'm not a werewolf, doesn't mean I'm made of glass." He swam back a little, feeling the water flow around him. "It is pretty nice here."
"I like to sit under the waterfall, it's pretty relaxing," Jacob said.
"Yeah, getting pummeled by water. So relaxing," (M/N) said. Jacob smiled at him and reached forward. (M/N) tried to swim away but Jacob grabbed his leg, pulling him into his chest as he swam back towards the waterfall.
(M/N) didn't even try to fight him this time, just let himself be dragged through the water. Jacob's skin still felt hot against his back, even in the cool water. It was a strange contrast, but not unpleasant. Getting slammed in the head by water was unpleasant, though.
"I'm not a ragdoll!" (M/N) shouted over the roar of the water, he didn't even know if Jacob could hear him, since he was also getting slammed.
Then (M/N) was being pulled back further, behind the waterfall into a small cave area. Jacob finally let him go, but there wasn't any room to swim away, so they stayed huddled together.
"Pretty cool, huh?" Jacob said knowingly.
"Unlike you."
"True. I'm hot."
"Do you still feel hot in the water?" (M/N asked. He reached out slightly to touch Jacob's arm, trailing a hand up to his shoulder. Jacob was quiet the whole time, not speaking until (M/N) moved his hand away.
"Yeah I do," Jacob said in a quiet voice. He snapped out of whatever trance he was in and went back to his usual self after that.
The next few days passed by, and (M/N) grew closer to Jacob, and the other wolf boys. Sometimes they would go to Emily's to hang out. Today was one of those days.
"Hey, you wanna come with us?" Jacob asked.
(M/N) looked up at him from the table he was at. Embry and Sam had just left not long ago, heading for the mountains while Jared and Paul went home. Jacob stood there expectantly.
"What, on patrol?" (M/N) gave him a dubious look. "That doesn't make sense."
"I'm only patrolling the mountain's edge, all the way around, so Sam said I could bring you."
(M/N) raised an eyebrow. "Did he?" He couldn't imagine Sam just being okay with that.
Jacob gave a cheeky smile. "Well, he more so just doesn't care anymore, because he knows I'll keep annoying him. Anyway it's like I said; I'm not going far, so if anything happens, they'll be first to find out, not us."
"Well how long would we be out there?" (M/N) asked. It was late afternoon right now, and they usually stayed out for a while.
"Early morning, but I was just saying you could come for the first few hours, then I'd take you back," Jacob suggested.
"Sure, I guess," (M/N) said.
That was how (M/N) ended up walking through the forest outside the mountains with the giant russet brown wolf. It was his first time leaving the mountains since he arrived, and they looked even taller from outside. And uninviting.
Jacob kept a pace slow enough to match (M/N), which (M/N) was becoming increasingly conscious about.
"Are you meant to go this slow? Me being here just seems like a big inconvenience," (M/N) said, pulling his hood over his head. The sun was setting, and the air was getting cooler.
A low rumble filled Jacob's chest, then he shook his head.
"It's not?" (M/N) guessed.
Jacob nodded, then growled suddenly. (M/N) assumed the other boys were saying something to him, and he had to remind himself that they could hear everything happening through Jacob's mind.
"Sounds like it is," (M/N) said.
Jacob made a movement (M/N) couldn't understand, but didn't stop walking, so (M/N) dropped it. They kept going until it had been dark for a while, then Jacob insisted they go back.
"This seems really inconvenient to do," (M/N) said as he hopped onto Jacob's back. "It'd be better if I didn't come with you out here."
He said that, but he rather enjoyed it. They had been out there for hours, and still hadn't circled the entirety of the perimeter. Walking through the surrounding forest was relaxing though.
Jacob didn't bother arguing with (M/N) this time, just took off sprinting once (M/N) was seated comfortably. Of course, it took mere minutes to get back after how long they had been out. They stopped outside Jacob's house.
"Are you going back out?" (M/N) asked. Jacob dipped his head. "Okay then, have fun I guess." (M/N) felt the urge to pat Jacob's head, and laughed when his tail started wagging. "You're like a giant dog."
The next day was the same, as Jacob asked to patrol the perimeter again just so (M/N) could come. This time Paul and Jared were out while Embry and Sam stayed back. Most of the time it was the same as yesterday, with (M/N) having short conversations with Jacob. Well, more like one-sided talking, which he wasn't used to. But even when it was silent, it was peaceful.
They had gone the opposite way that night, and eventually they reached a drop-off. It was like a small ravine, the bottom filled with water that flowed out from small openings in the mountain. This must be where the river went.
Jacob gestured to his back, and (M/N) assumed Jacob was telling him to get on, probably so they could jump across or something. (M/N) spotted a large tree growing over the edge. The branches looked decently thick and they almost reached the other side at the angle they were on.
"What if I went across from there, instead," (M/N) teased. Jacob huffed in clear disapproval, but (M/N) liked how nervous Jacob looked, so he decided to do it. "Trust me, it's fine."
Jacob moved in front of him, but (M/N) swiftly moved over his back and ran to the tree, climbing up before Jacob could bite into his clothes to pull him back.
(M/N) climbed up towards the part where the branches moved over the ravine, watching Jacob pace back and forth underneath him anxiously. It was amusing, it felt nice to have some form of power over Jacob.
Jacob whined when (M/N) moved over the edge, balancing on the branch. It was big enough that he could walk across it, but halfway across, he pretended to slip, shouting as he dropped onto the branch. A loud yelp could be heard from behind, and he burst out laughing as he clutched onto the branch.
"What's the matter, Jakey?" he said once his laughter died down. Jacob growled, whether at him, or at the boys who (M/N) had no doubt were having a go at him right now, (M/N) wasn't sure. He grinned as he continued over to the end of the branch, jumping the short distance to the other side of the ravine. Jacob backed up slightly, before running forwards and leaping over to (M/N)'s side. He trotted over and nipped at (M/N)'s arm, who pulled it back.
"Ow!"
Jacob huffed angrily.
"You can't blame me. You had it coming after we went swimming," (M/N) said.
Jacob rolled his eyes. As he went to move again, he froze. (M/N) imagined one of the others was talking to him, but it didn't seem playful anymore.
"What?"
Jacob crouched down and quite literally pushed his body through (M/N)'s legs, which forced (M/N) to widen them to let Jacob through, or else he would lose his balance. Jacob very obviously wanted (M/N) to get on his back, so (M/N) sat himself there, and Jacob took off at top speed moments later. (M/N) kept a tight grip as they moved through the forest, until Jacob made a sharp turn into a small entrance through the mountain. In no time, they were back inside, and flying through the forest.
Jacob only came to a stop once they had arrived at Emily's house. Jacob pushed his head against (M/N)'s back until he was through the door, then he ran off back towards the mountain.
(M/N) watched him disappear in shocked silence. What happened? The mood had switched almost instantly, they must have found something, a vampire?
Probably Edward.
A shiver ran through (M/N)'s spine. He had nearly forgotten about the vampire in recent days, but now he was reminded that Edward was still out there, and probably close by.
"What was that about?"
(M/N) looked at Emily, who had seen the whole exchange from the living room.
"I'm not sure," (M/N) said.
The wolves didn't come back until the next day. When they got back, they told him and Emily that Embry had picked up on a vampire's scent, one that had been circling the mountains, and they were trying to find him. The chances of it being Edward were pretty high, considering they said that most vampire's kept their distance when they smelled the wolves, but (M/N) didn't know how they would catch him when he could read their minds.
The wolves started going out as a group a lot more. (M/N) couldn't say it didn't make him anxious, and that feeling in of itself made him more uncomfortable. Worrying about another person, it made things a lot worse, because he couldn't just focus on himself. Jacob said the wolves were made to kill vampires, but if they were all going out at once, it couldn't be that easy.
(M/N) quickly found out that Emily wasn't in that different of a position than him. She always worried when Sam and the others went out, and couldn't always sleep, so sometimes he went over and she would teach him more sewing, to keep their minds occupied. The boys always came back unharmed, but they did confirm that it was Edward running them in circles, Jacob saw him.
That also meant that Edward knew for sure that (M/N) was here now, no doubt seeing that in their minds, so they had to be more careful to make sure he didn't slip past them.
One night, (M/N) was woken up by voices outside. Jacob and Sam. It sounded like they were trying to be quiet, but their voices were harsh at the same time. After a little while the front door opened and (M/N) heard who he assumed to be Jacob approaching, Jacob froze when he walked into his room and saw (M/N) watching him.
"Sorry, did we wake you?"
(M/N) ignored him, more focused on the red marks and bruises covering his torso. He moved off the bed and walked over to Jacob.
"What happened?" he hissed quietly.
Jacob shrugged. "The bloodsucker's hard to catch when he can read your every move. I jumped him, but he's slippery."
"Slippery? It looks like he did more than just run away!"
"Relax, that's another wolf thing. We heal really fast."
So it was worse, (M/N) thought. He didn't want to imagine what Jacob looked like right after getting attacked. But he was right, Edward's ability to see what they were going to do before they did it made him dangerous to the wolves.
"You're ridiculous," (M/N) said, examining the long line trailing all the way up Jacob's right arm.
"It'll be okay. We'll catch him," Jacob said.
"He's gonna kill you," (M/N) added.
Jacob gripped his shoulders. "(M/N), you've gotta have more faith in us. Actually, I was gonna ask you how you kept him out of your mind, seems like a real handy skill."
"It's not something I just happen to be able to do. Years and years of manipulation just makes it second nature for me." (M/N) walked back to sit on the edge of the bed, Jacob joined him. "Even then, it's not a walk in the park. Trying not to think of anything all the time is difficult."
Jacob sighed. "It would be easier if you were a wolf and I could see your mind."
"Well I'm not," (M/N) said. "If you pay enough attention to people's features, it's almost like a form of mind reading, anyway."
"In that case... What am I thinking right now?" Jacob challenged. But when (M/N) looked at him, he looked nervous.
"You're clearly worried about something, I don't think that's hard for anyone to guess." (M/N) looked away and waited for Jacob to speak again, but he didn't. (M/N) looked at him again curiously. Jacob was still looking at him nervously, but there was a deep look in his eyes, one that was longing–
(M/N) blinked in surprise. "Oh." He suddenly felt warm, despite not touching Jacob. "I... don't know what to say to that."
Jacob seemed to take that negatively. "I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable, I can leave–"
"No, that's... not it." (M/N) would have laughed at the flustered feeling he had, but didn't want to risk making Jacob feel worse. "I've never had anyone feel that way before, obviously."
"And... what do you think?" Jacob asked cautiously, moving a little closer.
"I think... I like that," (M/N) said. Jacob was evidently satisfied with that answer, and he gently moved his hand towards (M/N), palm up. (M/N) looked at it for a moment before placing his own hand on top, enclosing his fingers as Jacob did. His hand was warm, comfortable.
"We'll definitely get rid of the bloodsucker, I promise," Jacob said.
(M/N) leaned his head on Jacob's shoulder. He missed this kind of contact. Well, even with his family, it wasn't like this. This was something new entirely, and he didn't want to lose it. "I'm gonna hold you to that."
He felt Jacob shift, and lifted his head to look at him. Jacob's face was close to his, and (M/N) could tell immediately what he wanted. He did nothing as Jacob slowly leaned closer–his breath hot against (M/N)'s face–and connected their lips.
It was very warm, and his lips were soft. After a very long moment, Jacob slowly pulled away, and they looked at each other in silence. (M/N) tried to calm his heart.
"Have you ever done that before?" he asked.
Jacob shook his head. "Have you?"
"Of course not." He smiled softly. "I liked it, though."
"Well, there's plenty more where that came from," Jacob said, but (M/N) stopped him when he leaned in again.
"It's late, we should probably sleep."
Jacob sighed but moved away. "Fair enough."
When (M/N) woke up the next morning, Jacob was already awake, tracing a finger down his arm. (M/N) could feel the warmth pressed up against him.
"Sleep well?"
(M/N) sat up and twisted his back. Jacob wasn't kidding about that healing thing, (M/N) couldn't see a single mark on him anymore. "Yeah, what's the plan today?"
Jacob rose as well. "We're probably all going to go out again once it starts to get dark."
(M/N) nodded. "Emily's been teaching me to sew, so I might head back to hers again today."
"I'll come with you. Sam wants us to meet him there, anyway."
After getting ready and grabbing something to eat, they left the house and made their way to Emily's. Looking at the sky, (M/N) noted how dark and cloudy it was, blocking the sun from coming through. The air felt heavy as well, it was probably going to rain at some point, maybe even storm. Either way, it left an ominous feeling with (M/N).
The wolf boys–minus Embry–were already seated around the table, eating an exorbitant amount of food as usual.
"Took your time," Jared said in between mouthfuls when Jacob sat down at the table. Jacob elbowed him.
"Close your mouth, pig."
"You'd rather spend time with him, we get it," Paul snickered.
It took some time for (M/N) to get used to the fact that every time they phased, Jacob would inevitably let some thoughts of their time together slip, and the rest would hear it, so they had taken to teasing them quite often. It didn't bother (M/N) too much anymore, though. He didn't miss the look Jacob gave him, and he knew that the next time they phased, they would definitely hear what happened last night. At least (M/N) wouldn't have to deal with the aftermath of that before Jacob.
(M/N) moved to the kitchen, where Sam was hugging Emily from behind while she cleaned up. She smiled at him.
"More sewing today?"
"Yeah, if you don't mind."
"Of course not, I enjoy it. Just let me finish up here."
(M/N) turned back to the table, before looking at Sam. "Where's Embry?"
Sam didn't let go of Emily, but turned his head to look at (M/N). "He's still on patrol from earlier this morning, he should be getting back soon."
(M/N) nodded before returning to the table with the other boys while he waited for Emily to finish up.
(M/N) spent the next hour or so copying Emily's movements with a thread and needle, before a distant howl caught their attention. That couldn't be anyone except Embry, and they moved back into the main room to find all the boys except Sam already gone. He was about to leave as well.
"Embry must have seen him again, we have to go help him."
They watched as he ran out of the house with worry. (M/N) hoped Jacob wouldn't get hurt again.
"They'll be okay, it's what they're made for," Emily said. She didn't sound very sure, though.
A couple more hours passed and eventually they moved to the kitchen. (M/N) helped her cook up some food–enough for all the boys, but they didn't show up. He had started hearing faint thunder outside, the clouds were even darker.
After they ate, (M/N) helped Emily pack away the extra food before deciding to go for a walk, grabbing his cloak. He was too anxious to sit still. It was already weird enough that they caught sight of Edward during the day–though (M/N) supposed the thick layer of clouds in the atmosphere keeping the sun well away from reaching the ground meant that Edward wasn't as weak as he would be–but there hadn't been any sign of the boys since they left. Usually some would come back, or they would all be done within a couple of hours. At least, that was based off of when they patrolled while (M/N) was still awake. Majority of the time they would go out after midnight, but a fair few times they had left hours earlier.
(M/N) wandered through the forest for a while, passing the various houses and buildings. Everyone else seemed to be going about the day normally, but he supposed the whole wolf thing wasn't a concern to the general population, especially when they weren't filled in on any potential threats lurking beyond the mountains.
He went out to the meadow again, trying to calm himself with the view. It didn't feel as nice as the first time, though. Not having Jacob here and the strong breeze whipping at (M/N) made it hard to relax. The mountains surrounding the land didn't feel as protective as they did before. How close was Edward? Was he fighting the wolves? Were they hurt? Was Jacob hurt?
Eventually he got up again, walking off towards the place where the pond Jacob took him to was. He just wished they would get back already, he hated feeling like this.
It started raining and (M/N) brought the hood over his head, debating whether or not he should continue forward or go back. He was closer to the mountain than he was to the forest by now, so he decided to keep going, jogging to get there quicker. The thunder was much louder by the time he reached the base of the mountain, flashes of lightning lighting up the sky every now and then. (M/N) relaxed once he made it to the pond. He sat down in the under cover area, wringing out his cloak and flipping the hood back. It didn't stop the rest of him from being drenched at all, but he didn't really care, it was just water.
At some point he dozed off to the sound of rain, and he was startled awake again when a particularly loud rumble of thunder echoed through the air. It sounded as if it was almost directly above him. He didn't know how long he was asleep for, but it looked darker outside. It was hard to tell for sure, since the thick clouds still covered the sky, pouring down rain. However late it was, he was sure Jacob would have been able to pick up on his scent by now, so if he hadn't, that must mean he still wasn't back. Or maybe the rain washed away any traces he had come over here? His clothes weren't completely soaked now, moreso damp, so it had to have been a decent amount of time.
He hoped the rain didn't wash away his scent. If it did and Jacob had come back, he would be worried when he couldn't find (M/N). Maybe he should just tough it out and run back through the rain.
(M/N) jumped when that loud thunder rang through the air again. That wasn't right. It sounded like it was closer this time, but there was a slight difference to it. He stood up and moved closer to the opening. It sounded like it was coming from higher up on the mountain, further to the right a bit, maybe. It was almost like someone banging metal against something. But who would be up there, especially in the middle of this storm?
"That would be me."
(M/N)'s heart dropped at the familiar voice. How was that possible? He slowly turned around to see Edward standing at the other end of the pond, a giant metal pipe in his hand. (M/N) felt sick when he saw blood on it, trailing down to the bottom and dripping off when the rain washed it away.
Where were they? Where was Jacob? He knew this wouldn't end well.
He quickly made himself shut up, emptying his head the best he could in his panicked state as Edward stalked towards him, circling the pond. (M/N) copied his movements, trying to keep as much distance between them as possible, but he knew if Edward really wanted to, he could grab (M/N) in the blink of an eye.
"It's good to see you again, Little Red," Edward said. "Or should I say, (M/N)."
(M/N) couldn't stop himself from wondering how much information Edward had gotten from Jacob's mind.
"Quite a lot, actually. Including that you and that mutt got pretty close. A shame for you."
(M/N) resisted the urge to throw up and kept a straight face. He might have let his guard down these past few days, but he hadn't lost his touch. "You're just saying that."
Edward just smiled and held up the pipe, which had mostly been washed clean, but there was still some blood there, supporting his point. Someone had clearly gotten hurt. (M/N) wouldn't give in to his fears, though. Jacob was strong, they all were.
"It's a little funny you think that, I must say. Even with all of them at once, I still managed to slip through."
"Why can't you leave us alone?"
"This chase has been the most fun I've had in a long time. Making those dogs look like idiots, while finding you." Edward laughed. "I will admit, I did have thoughts about stopping when you first got away from me. I knew that mutt would take you back to this place–I'd passed by a couple of times–and I knew it was always heavily guarded. But after reading his thoughts... I knew you were too good to give up. He made it so much easier after trying to attack me." Edward smiled knowingly at (M/N), his blood-red eyes piercing through the dark. "Did you enjoy the gift I left you?"
(M/N) was reminded of when Jacob came back with red marks all across his skin. Edward clicked his tongue.
"I knew they healed fast, but not that fast. You didn't get to see just how badly–"
"Shut your mouth," (M/N) said, a hint of anger slipping through his voice.
Edward narrowed his eyes. "Letting the cracks in your facade show. It seems like you've gotten sloppy. This should be fun."
"They'll track you down," (M/N) said, but he didn't believe that, he didn't even know if they were still alive.
Edward was in front of (M/N) in the blink of an eye, the wind force blowing his cloak back. He barely had time to stumble before he was thrown over Edward's shoulder and they were soaring through the air. No, not the air, up the side of the mountain at an incredible speed. The rain hitting (M/N)'s body at this speed was incredibly painful, and suddenly he found himself standing at the top of the mountain. There wasn't a lot of room up here, barely any flat ground before it dropped off a couple of metres onto the steep slope moving down. The clouds were much closer now, and visibility was even worse. (M/N) could barely see Edward through the thick rain.
"Now let's see them try," Edward boasted. Did he mean to gloat that much? It implied the wolves were still around. They must have known he slipped through, if he brought (M/N) all the way up here. Edward's narrowed expression proved him right. All (M/N) had to do was hold out.
"You're too smart for your own good, Little Red." Edward grabbed his arm and pulled him in, the grip incredibly painful. (M/N) tried to wrench the icy fingers off his arm, but to no avail. "I can't wait to see the look on his face when he finds out you're a vampire."
"No," (M/N) hissed. "Over my dead body."
"I'm afraid you don't have a choice."
(M/N) was panicking now and slammed his hands against Edward as hard as he could, but all that did was hurt him. Edward's arm stayed locked around his waist while the other moved his head to the side.
Immense pain shot through his body as Edward's teeth broke through his skin like paper. He yelled at the top of his lungs and thrashed. It felt like liquid lava was spreading through his veins. He had never experienced anything as painful as this, but Edward didn't stop. His body shook slightly as he moved closer. (M/N) barely noticed in his hysterical state. Did he lose control? It seemed like it. (M/N)'s body became incredibly weak in an alarming amount of time. Whatever happened, he was no longer turning. The venom had been sucked back out, but now his blood was leaving his body, too.
His voice died down and his movements became sluggish, until eventually he went limp. He felt so cold, and tired. Was this it, then? The end? His eyelids drooped as he tried to keep breathing, which got harder by the second.
Even with the roar of rain and thunder, (M/N) suddenly heard an incredibly loud snarl rip through the air. Edward seemed too out of it to realise, and suddenly his head had been ripped off his body. (M/N) barely caught the sight of a red wolf–no, it was Jacob, his fur was just matted with blood.
Edward's body lost its hold on (M/N), and he fell backwards. He expected to hit the ground, but remembered how high up they were, and how little stable ground there was. He was filled with a dreadful feeling as he fell a couple of metres. His back slammed into something hard and uneven–the mountain side. He barely had enough time to register the extreme pain before he kept falling.
(M/N)'s body was too weak to do anything, but he felt every bit of pain as he fell. Every single rock, scrape, smack. It shot through his body in full agony. He was still going to die.
He caught sight of a blur speeding towards him, and suddenly his body was covered in fur. It was Jacob, he had curled his giant body around (M/N)'s as they dropped. The pain lessened greatly as (M/N)'s body was no longer taking the brunt of the hits, but the damage had already been done, he could feel it. The smell of iron was strong on his nose, but he couldn't tell if it was from Jacob's blood or his.
He was completely disoriented as they spun, until eventually it stopped, and they fell straight down a great distance. After a few seconds a yelp echoed from Jacob as they hit the ground. (M/N) tumbled off of him and onto the grass. He could barely keep his eyes open, and felt warmth across his body, especially on his forehead. That was definitely blood. He wanted to get up, check on Jacob, who let out a deep whine, but he couldn't even lift a finger. (M/N) spotted more movement in his narrowed vision, and then familiar voices. The other wolf boys.
"What happened?"
"Is he still alive?"
"Jacob, stop moving!" Sam's voice ordered. (M/N) could feel a muzzle nudge his back gently, he knew it was Jacob, given the pained noises that were still escaping him.
(M/N) tried to lift a hand, a finger–even just let out a heavy breath, but he couldn't. He felt more movement, Jacob must have been trying to shift back. "Don't! Your bones are broken, you need to heal first!"
Jacob growled in protest.
"We'll take him," Sam assured Jacob. (M/N) felt his body being lifted into the air and suddenly the person carrying him was running. (M/N) was barely conscious, and only saw things happen in pieces, yet he didn't feel like he was unconscious. He vaguely remembered his body being lowered onto something soft, a bed maybe.
"He's lost a lot of blood."
"Look at the marks, he was bitten."
"But not turned."
"He needs blood, badly."
"Get some blood bags!"
"What's his blood type?"
"This one, I can smell it."
In and out of reality for a while. (M/N) had no sense of time in this state, on the brink of death. At one point he could hear Jacob's voice, but had no idea what words were being said. It felt like an eternity before he was fully aware of his surroundings again. His sight focused on the beige room. He quickly realised he was in a small soft bed.This must have been a hospital room of sorts. He winced when he tried to move and he focused on someone sitting in a chair by his bed. They looked like they were asleep, hunched over. It was Jacob.
"Jacob?" His voice was hoarse and speaking took a decent amount of effort.
Jacob's head snapped up almost instantly. He got up and leaned over the side of the bed railing.
"(M/N)! How do you feel?"
(M/N) smiled slightly. "Terrible." There were tubes connected to his arm. "How long have I been here?"
"A couple of days, you've been in and out for the most part."
"What happened to–"
"The leech?" Jacob spat with pure disgust. "I ripped him apart. The others burned the remains. He's gone." Jacob frowned and clenched his fists angrily. "I'm sorry I wasn't faster. I realised he had slipped past us too late. If I was quicker–"
"It's not your fault. I shouldn't have been out there," (M/N) said, reaching out to rest his hand on Jacob's fist, which relaxed instantly. "It's over now though, right?"
Jacob nodded. "Yes. It's over." He gripped (M/N)'s hand gently. "I promise I won't ever let anything like this happen ever again. I'll keep you safe."
"What about you? You took most of that beating when we were falling. We fell a huge distance!" (M/N) winced at the pain when he spoke too loud.
"Hey, relax. You still need to heal. As for me, I guess it's a good thing I heal fast, right?" Jacob said with a smile, before it reverted back to a frown. "I thought you were dead. You weren't moving at all, and I could tell–you lost so much blood to that parasite."
"Well, I'm alive now. No point in dwelling on bad experiences."
Jacob stayed with (M/N) until he was deemed well enough to go free, which couldn't have come sooner. His body felt pretty stiff and sore at first, but he denied Jacob's offer to carry him everywhere. It got easier after some force, and eventually he could walk properly again. Once he was well enough, everyone went to Emily's for a sort of dinner celebration. It was rather fun, minus the boys' teasing (M/N) and Jacob, but even that wasn't too bad.
(M/N) stepped outside some time later, running the fabric of the cloak through his fingers as he sat by a bench next to the house. The cloak had gotten ripped up again, but Emily had it fixed up before he could even ask about it. Wisps danced about throughout the whole forest. They always made things feel magical. (M/N) snorted at that, as if werewolves and vampires weren't magical enough. He watched the night sky for a few minutes before Jacob joined him.
"Trying to escape, are you?"
(M/N) huffed in exaggeration. "Yeah, you're just too insufferable."
"You wound me," Jacob said. "What, are you afraid of the big bad wolf, Little Red?"
(M/N) raised an eyebrow at that. "You're bringing that back, are you?"
"I claimed the name, since I beat the bloodsucker. What, don't like it?"
(M/N) hummed. He hated hearing it from Edward, but from Jacob, it held a different meaning. "No, I don't care."
"Then what's the issue?"
(M/N) pretended to think for a long moment. "Big? Maybe. But bad? You're too cute to be bad."
"You wanna put that to the test?" Jacob challenged.
"Well it's definitely cute that you think you can challenge me." (M/N) nudged Jacob lightly. "Outside of raw strength, I've got you beat, sorry to say."
Jacob smiled and turned (M/N) to face him. He leaned in and placed a deep kiss on his lips that (M/N) happily reciprocated, bringing his hand up to brush across Jacob's cheek. When their lips parted, Jacob wrapped an arm around (M/N)'s waist, pulling him close while he rested his head on top of (M/N)'s. "Always, Little Red."
End