chapter 28

A/N: Warning: This chapter has a rating of MATURE!


 Once again I would like to that leelator for all of the info on the Quileute and Pacific Northwest tribes. I do have to say that typically, February is not a month for hunting seals, but since I am using a fictional tribe, I can have them hunt seals whenever they want. *shrugs*

Chapter 28
It would be nearly a week before Black Wolf had a chance to talk to Jasper in person. Jasper had come to the village to introduce himself to Alice and to tell her how her siblings were doing the day after Emmett and Bella went to live with him, just as he had agreed to do. However, Black Wolf had gone with Fighting Dog to do some hunting that day, so Jasper simply spent the time getting to know Alice instead of being able to visit with Black Wolf too.

At first, Alice was just as nervous and panicky as she was around most strangers, but Jasper’s warm smile, calm demeanor and funny personality began to quickly soothe her until she was able to talk to him without stuttering or trembling in his presence. Over the next couple of visits she became good friends with Jasper, loving the funny stories he often told her about growing up in the cabin with his father.

He even told her about the times he had visited the village to see Bella and Black Wolf, plus stories about growing up around the Quedeyona. She began to see the friendships he shared with people like Black Wolf, Mountain Lion Guides and Fighting Dog. His talks with her went a long way in making her feel more at ease with the people in the village.

Jasper also took messages to Emmett and Bella for her and vice versa. This also went a long way in calming Alice because it was a way to let her know her family was still close by.

However, when Jasper arrived for his latest visit nearly a week later, he found Black Wolf waiting for him with some surprising news. Mountain Lion Guides had convinced his neighbors to sell Rosalie to Black Wolf so that he now had sole possession of the two people Emmett was hoping to free soon.

This move had been Mountain Lion Guides’ idea after a few conversations that he had with Owl Sees Truth. She had told Mountain Lion Guides that she knew Rosalie would never be happy living among the Quedeyona for the rest of her life the way she was. Now that she was expecting a baby with Mountain Lion Guides, she had her own family to think about without constantly worrying about her moody little sister.

So, she had told Mountain Lion Guides that it might be a good idea for Rosalie to be given to someone else who could care for her better than Mountain Lion Guides’ elderly neighbors, someone who could keep an eye on her for Owl Sees Truth’s peace of mind.

That had given Mountain Lion Guides the idea of having Black Wolf take her in as his slave, plus he figured Black Wolf would be able to persuade Emmett to let Bella be with him in return for both Alice and Rosalie’s freedom. Both warriors were hoping that when Emmett came to the village once more to try to buy them, he would agree to the trade instead.

Still, as Black Wolf and Jasper talked about it, Black Wolf asked Jasper not to divulge any of the conversation they were having with Emmett or Bella. He wanted to make sure Emmett wouldn’t have time to come up with something else to prevent Bella from being with him.

Upon seeing just how miserable Black Wolf was without his White Swan, it also let him understand just why Bella had seemed rather down since she had arrived at the cabin. He had also noticed how Bella tended to avoid Emmett whenever possible, often giving him the silent treatment. Knowing the reasons behind Black Wolf and Bella’s behavior, Jasper agreed to keep his silence in order to help them out.

He tried to lift Black Wolf’s spirits by filling him in on how Bella was doing at the cabin. While she spent most of her time in and around the cabin tending the place or cultivating the garden she had started next to the cabin, Emmett was working with Jasper so he could earn the money he needed to get Alice and Rosalie. However, Jasper mentioned that it would take some time before Emmett would make enough to free both of the girls.

Bella seemed happy to be able to spend her time in the garden or in the cabin when Emmett wasn’t around. She was also very friendly to Jasper, holding lengthy conversations with him or joking around with him while leaving her brother out of their interactions. There was no doubt in Jasper’s mind that Bella wasn’t forgiving Emmett for what he had done to her any time soon.

Black Wolf thanked Jasper for the update, then excused himself to allow Jasper some time to visit Alice. He knew Alice still wasn’t very comfortable being around anyone besides Rosalie or Jasper, even though lately she seemed to be warming up to him too. Because of her skittishness, Black Wolf had delegated the household chores to Alice so that she didn’t have to leave the safety of his home while Rosalie did all of the other chores.

Since Rosalie was currently out doing her chores, Black Wolf went to visit Fighting Dog and Porcupine Smiles so that Jasper could be able to spend some time alone with Alice. Although Jasper mostly visited Alice to trade messages between her and her siblings, he also spent time simply talking to her, to get to know her by asking her how her day was going. It went a long way towards making her learn to trust him until she was confiding in him the way she did with Rosalie or her family.

Later, after another day spending time with Alice, Jasper was on his way out of the village when Black Wolf caught up with him to ask if he could give a message to Bella without Emmett being able to hear it. Jasper told him it wouldn’t be a problem, so Black Wolf gave him the message then saw him off to the cabin.

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Bella slid out of the bed as quietly as she could, quickly pulling on the pants and shirt Jasper had lent her for the night. He had returned from his visit to the Quedeyona village with a message for her from Black Wolf.

While Emmett was busy hunting their dinner in the woods, Jasper had quickly filled her in on how she was going to sneak out that night to meet Black Wolf. He had given her the pants and shirt so she could move much easier than in a skirt, then told her he would make sure Emmett wouldn’t find out she had gone out for the night.

Now that the two men were fast asleep near the fireplace, at least Jasper was pretending to be, Bella finished dressing before tying her hair up into a knot behind her head. Then she picked up the heavy coat that Jasper had also lent her. Moving to the window where she had set a chair earlier, she tossed the jacket out, then climbed carefully out of the window so she wouldn’t make any noise. Landing on the ground in a semi-crouch, she got her bearings before putting on the coat, then set off in the direction Jasper had instructed.

Once she reached the tree line, she picked up her pace to begin a slow run through the trees, despite the thick snow on the ground. She stayed on the faint path Jasper had told her was visible if she knew how to look for it even in the dark with snow covering the ground. Following the path wasn’t difficult for her since she had picked up some tracking skills from living among the Quedeyona.

She passed the first marker Jasper had set out for her which were two heavy stones set side by side right beneath a bush with slightly yellow leaves. Glad that she was doing good so far, she continued on her way for a while until she reached the second marker.

A moss covered tree stump with a stack of wood next to it made her slow to a walk since Jasper had said Black Wolf would be waiting for her just beyond the second marker. She stepped into a small glade, looking around in expectation.

Across the way Black Wolf stepped out of the trees, smiling at her. “Hi Bells.”

She laughed with happiness as she ran to him. “Jake!”

He held his arms open, enveloping her in a tight embrace once she was against him. They held on to each other for a while, simply savoring the feel of each other.

Black Wolf was the first to pull back slightly as he cupped Bella’s face in his hands to give her a deep kiss. Bella slid her arms around his shoulders and surrendered her weight to him as they both enjoyed the kiss.

When air became necessary, Black Wolf pulled away to grin down at her. “I brought some furs to relax on so we could talk for a while.”

Bella nodded as he walked to the area where he had been waiting for her, retrieving the rolled up furs he had brought with him from where he had stashed them against a tree. Then Black Wolf led her to the moss-covered tree stump where he laid out two furs on top of each other to act as a soft place to sit. He and Bella made themselves comfortable, with Black Wolf leaning back against the trunk while Bella sat between his legs leaning back against his chest.

Holding hands beneath the rest of the furs that Black Wolf had covered them with, they began to talk about what had been going on since they had last seen each other.

“Mountain Lion Guides and I have been trying to find a way to see if we can convince Emmett to let you come back to me. Mountain Lion Guides thinks Emmett might give you to me if we have something Emmett really wants.”

Bella sighed. “I don’t know, Jake. He’s being really stubborn! I’ve been trying to talk to him when I’m not mad at him, but he always seems to find an excuse not to listen to me. He’s been really busy trying to make enough bounty so he can go get Alice and Rose.”

“I know, Jasper told me Emmett is working with him now, but I’m sure he still has a long way to go.”

Bella shrugged before leaning back to look up at him. “He’s being such a jerk! I don’t think he even sees me for me anymore. I feel like I’m just a possession to him. He’s just not the brother I used to know when we were young.”

Black Wolf nodded. “Things have happened to you both since you were separated. Plus, you are both adults now, not children. Of course you are both going to be different.”

“Yeah well, sometimes I feel like he still treats me like a child,” she huffed.

Black Wolf slid his fingers beneath her chin, turning her head to the side so he could look into her eyes. “He’s making up for lost time, Bella. Despite how he is acting, I know he still loves you and Alice. You are the only family he has left.”

Bella curled her fingers around his wrist. “I love him too Jake, but it’s you I want to be with. It’s you I love more now.”

“I promised you, Bells, I am not giving up on marrying you. I will find a way past the stubborn man that is Emmett.”

She sighed. “But he isn’t the only thing between us anymore, Jake. I know the council has to be pressuring you. You are going to be their new chief, after all.”

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back against him so that he could bury his face against her neck. Taking a deep breath, he inhaled her scent before answering her.

“They have already made me chief, Bells…and Mountain Lion Guides is now a council member too. With him there, we will hold off the rest of those who want me with Brown Skunk. You have to trust me, ko’nali,we will find a way to solve all of this.”

Black Wolf didn’t want to go into details over what he and Mountain Lion Guides were doing to insure that Brown Skunk was out of the picture or how they were planning to get Emmett to let go of his sister. He knew he should tell her that Emmett had actually had help from Brown Skunk, but he didn’t feel that it was the time or place to tell her.

Plus, he was afraid that if he told Bella what her brother had done to him during the raid, she would be angry at her brother. He didn’t want to risk letting Emmett know that he now knew the truth. Black Wolf was counting on the element of surprise against Emmett, it was the only way he felt he could get Bella back. Otherwise, Emmett would just find another way to keep that from happening.

He hugged her tighter to him. “I promise you, Bella, we will be together again.”

She smiled at his reassurances before leaning in to kiss him. Black Wolf cupped the back of her head as she turned around until she was straddling his lap.

In between kisses, Bella slid her hands over his chest as she breathed against his lips. “I miss you so much, Black Wolf.”

“I miss you too, White Swan,” he mumbled against her lips.

She pulled back to look into his eyes. “Will you make love to me?”

He stared at her as his breath caught. “Are you sure? I-I mean…”

“I’m sure. I want to be with you, Jake.”

He gave her a gentle smile which she took as a good sign. Reaching behind her head, she took her hair out of its knot and shook it out. Black Wolf’s smile lifted as he slid his hands through her silky tresses while she reached down to the hem of his shirt.

Bella slid her hands beneath the shirt, letting her palms slide up his smooth, muscular chest as she lifted the shirt up and over his head, then dropped it to the side after Black Wolf had lifted his arms so she could remove it completely. Her hands began to glide over his broad shoulders, then back down his chest as he took his turn removing her shirt. Once he had lifted it off of her and tossed it away, he leaned back to allow her to continue running her hands over him.

Bella traced the lines of his chest, her eyes following the path of her fingers. She spent a few moments enjoying the way his muscles twitched and bunched beneath her light touch before moving her fingers lower. She continued a haphazard trail over the tight, lean abs until her fingers ducked beneath the edge of the soft leather pants he wore.

As the tips of her fingers grazed his shaft, he sucked in his breath but otherwise didn’t move. Bella scooted back so she could sink her hand further inside his pants to grasp him completely. As she began to stroke his length, his eyes went to half mast even as he tilted his head back against the tree trunk.

Bella smiled at the look on his face, enjoying the fact that she was the one putting that look there. Leaning over, she began to nibble her way from his collarbone to the pulsing vein in his neck. Never once stopping the steady strokes of her hand, she continued nibbling up until her lips covered his again.

Black Wolf deepened the kiss immediately, sliding his tongue into her mouth to tease hers even as he drank her in completely. He knew he couldn’t let her tease him like that much longer or she would end up disappointed.

Taking hold of her hips, he lifted her off his lap until she was standing before him. Quickly, he pulled her pants down and off until she stood completely naked to his gaze. He was naked from the waist up until he pulled off his moccasins, then pushed his own pants completely off of him.

As soon as he was naked, he leaned back against the tree trunk before Bella began to straddle his thighs again in order to resume stroking him. Black Wolf growled as he slid his own hand between her legs, using his fingers to test her readiness. She was already slick and hot, but it was the fact that she bucked her hips when his fingers rubbed her nubbin that told him she was more than ready for him.

Still, he teased her a bit more as their tongues continued to dance together while her hand stroked him in time to his rubbing. Soon, he took hold of her hips, then adjusted the angle of his body so he could watch her as she took him into her soft body.

Bella’s lips parted with a sigh as she sank down on him until she could feel him, thick and hard inside of her. She gripped his shoulders as she began to slowly ride him with his help. Black Wolf kept his hands on her hips for a few moments just watching as she undulated over him. He groaned at the way her walls felt as they gripped him tightly, the look of pleasure on her face only adding to it.

Soon she picked up the pace, completely oblivious to the cold night air as she dug her fingers into his shoulders, intensifying their pleasure. Black Wolf lifted his hands to cup her breasts, kneading them, then teasing her nipples with small tugs of his fingers until she tilted her head back and moaned.

“Jake…”

Knowing what she was asking for, he teased her breasts with his hands a little bit more before sliding a hand down between her legs. As soon as he began to rub her clit again, she began bucking more wildly against him even as she seemed to moan in a soft cadence.

“Yes….Jake!” She suddenly cried out as her nails dug into his shoulders.

Black Wolf gritted his teeth as he felt her walls tighten even more around his throbbing shaft. He continued to rub her sensitive spot, picking up the pace until her nails bit into his shoulders, nearly breaking the skin as she finally cried out in completion.

Glad that she had found her release, Black Wolf took hold of her hips, then began to thrust his hips up to pound into her again and again. Not only did his thrusts increase her pleasure to the point that she came again, but it helped him to rush towards his own release.

Giving a shout of her name, he thrust up to bury himself deep inside of her until he was completely spent. Bella held him in her arms as they both reveled in the aftermath of their intense, yet satisfying lovemaking.

Black Wolf wrapped his arms around her when he could move again, running his hands up her back until they were buried in her hair again. Tilting her head to his, he took his time kissing her even while she remained on his lap. He could feel himself going soft, slipping out of her, but didn’t want her to move from her position just yet.

They stayed embraced that way for a little longer, just enjoying sharing kisses and quiet murmurs together. All too soon, Black Wolf knew it was almost time to let her go so she could return to the cabin.

He gave her another tight hug before helping her to stand then handed her clothes to her. They dressed in silence, each knowing they had to say goodbye again. Once fully clothed, Bella helped Black Wolf fold the furs before he took her back in his arms to kiss her again.

“I’ll send word with Jasper the next time he visits, so you will know how things are going,” whispered Bella when their lips had parted.

Black Wolf nodded. “I will do the same…and if it becomes too much, I will send word that I want to meet you again.”

“As long as I can do the same,” replied Bella with a sad smile.

“Of course you can,” he paused to run his thumb over her cheek. “Don’t look so sad, Bells. We will find a way.”

She leaned her cheek against his hand. “I know.”

He sighed before giving her a quick kiss on her forehead. “You should go now. I love you.”

She nodded before pulling away to walk back the way she had come. Black Wolf watched her go, waving to her when she turned to wave at him. Once she had disappeared into the foliage, he hoisted the furs over his shoulder and walked into the forest until he reached his horse. Once he had the furs secured, Black Wolf mounted the horse, then nudged it back towards his village.

It was easy for Bella to find her way back, even in the dead of night. It had been a relatively straight walk to the glade, so she kept that in mind on her walk back. In no time at all she passed the bush and stone marker before finally emerging into the clearing where the cabin was.

As quietly as before, she crawled into the window, closing it then undressing. As she put her gown back on, she took a deep breath. She was happy that she got to see Black Wolf, but hated that she had to sneak around like that.

As she climbed into bed, she resolved to begin anew with Emmett, hoping that soon she could wear him down. If he could be stubborn, so could she and this time she was going to win.

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Black Wolf stood on the shore staring out at the ocean. His mind was in turmoil, as it was wont to be ever since White Swan had left the village. It didn’t matter that he had just been with her during the last moon. All that had done was make him want her more. He knew it wasn’t good to be moping over her, especially since he was currently getting ready to do some seal hunting with Fighting Dog and Laughing Antelope.

For all of his jovial personality, Laughing Antelope was one of the tribe’s best sealers, plus he was incredibly handy with a spear just like Fighting Dog was. While Black Wolf could hunt seals, his specialty was actually whale hunting. Unfortunately, now was not the season to be hunting whales, but as the new tribal chief it was his duty to help provide for the survival of his people.

It was that duty that had found Black Wolf rising early with the sun in order to accompany the others on the hunt, despite the late hour in which he had gone to his bed. Now, here he was, doing his duty while wishing he was somewhere else with someone else.

As he stood there, unmoving, Fighting Dog stopped what he was doing near the canoe. Straightening up, he walked slowly to Black Wolf’s side and gave him a gentle nudge.

“You okay, brother?”

Black Wolf simply nodded without taking his eyes off of the ocean. Even with his non-reply, Fighting Dog knew what was on his brother’s mind. Again, he gave his brother a nudge.

“Come on, we cannot waste time if we are to bring in a good bounty for the tribe.”

Black Wolf sighed as he finally tore his gaze from the ocean. “You are right. Let’s get moving.”

Fighting Dog watched as his brother joined Laughing Antelope at the canoe where he began securing the harpoons and spears they would be using to hunt the seals. Shaking his head in sympathy, Fighting Dog went to help them finish loading up the canoe before they began to push it out into the water.

As they each climbed into the canoe, they took up the long paddles that they used to row themselves further out into the ocean. As they traveled through the water, even the usually happy, talkative Laughing Antelope was silent. There was no need for their silence since they were not near the seals usual gathering place, but Black Wolf’s melancholy mood seemed to permeate the air around them all.

Laughing Antelope glanced at Black Wolf’s back before looking at Fighting Dog in question. Fighting Dog simply shook his head to indicate that now wasn’t the time to be discussing his brother’s mood. Shrugging, Laughing Antelope went back to looking out at the ocean, watching for signs of the animals they hunted.

After a short time, Fighting Dog leaned over to give Black Wolf’s arm a squeeze as he whispered to him. “Do not worry, we will get many seals and in the end, you will get what you need. Listen to the wind, my brother, it is saying your wish will be granted.”

Black Wolf closed his eyes and breathed the ocean air deep into his lungs as he listened to the wind and the ocean. He let the peacefulness of his surroundings and the lull of the water fill him up, freeing his troubled mind for the moment. With a sigh, he opened his eyes to look at his brother and nodded.

“You are right. I must put my troubles aside for now. My people need me and I cannot fail them. This hunt will be a good one.”

With that, he resumed his paddling along with the others until the first seal was sighted. Now that he had put his troubled thoughts aside, he was able to concentrate on the task at hand.

In the end, Black Wolf was able to return to his village with a canoe full of seals which would provide much needed food, oil and clothing to his people. As he took note of the joy on the faces of those who came to get what they needed, he wondered if he would ever again feel the same joy that his people felt, or was he destined to live a life devoid of happiness and love.