---Jacob's POV---

I took deep, calming breaths of Paige's scent while I held her against my chest. For a moment, all I could think about was the joy of having her in my arms, to have her back at my side. My wolf, which had been on edge since she was kidnapped, finally relaxed and purred to show his happiness.

Right now, it didn't matter that we were still in Kale's stronghold or that I was standing next to the ripped remains of a vampire. All of my attention, all of my senses, everything was focused on my mate. Sadly, that meant that I could see every bruise on her skin, the dark rim under her eyes and the dried blood on her neck. I suppressed the growl that wanted to come out, lecturing myself that I would wake Paige up.

Looking up from Paige's content, sleeping face, I looked at the vampire twins in front of me, who still held their arms up in the air. "You can relax." I said softly, making sure that I didn't wake Paige up; she had experienced enough during the past days. Now she just needed to rest.

The twins slowly lowered their hands while their eyes kept searching over the wolves and witches, assessing any possible threats. Nick walked closer to me and looked over my arm at his sister. "I'll take her Jacob, you can talk to-" I interrupted him with a low growl, staring at his arms while Paige pressed herself closer to me. The physical contact calmed me down instantly, preventing myself from possibly attacking Nick.

"Mine." I growled in a threatening way, pleased to see that Nick was smart enough to pull his arms back and lower his head in submission. As soon as he backed off, I shook my head slightly before I apologized. "Just... don't try to take her from me Nick. Although you're her brother, I've just got her back. I need her to stay sane."

Nick nodded again, smirking slightly. " I know, it was a stupid thing to do but I thought you wanted to know the intentions of the vampires?" he spoke, ending his sentence in a question. Looking over at the vampire twins, who now were talking with Sean, I took a step in their direction, which gained their attention.

"Well?" I questioned, slightly raising a brow. Sean stepped forwards and said, "I can only speak for myself, but I never wanted to join Lucius' coven. I had to leave mine because of some...personal issues. Family problems, if you want to know. When Lucius went after someone's Beloved, that went too far for me."

I nodded, indicating that he could step back before I turned my gaze at the twins. Nick frowned and looked between us, muttering "Beloved?" One of the twins looked at him and replied "Our partners, soul mates. I belief you call them mates?" Nick smiled when he understood and nodded, gaining an amused chuckle from the twins before they looked at me.

"I'm Cian," the first one replied while the other finished "And I'm Cary." Cary looked at his brother, who rolled his eyes before he explained, "We hooked off as soon as we heard they were targeting someone's Beloved. Lucius never gave us details about the hit, only the fact that we needed to kidnap her and bring her to the hunter." Cary nodded while they both looked at Paige, who was soundly asleep.

A possessive growl escaped my throat while I pulled Paige closer to my chest, glaring at the three vampires who showed interest in my mate. The twins chuckled before Cary replied "Don't worry, we would never steal someone's Beloved." His face turned painfully serious "we've witnessed the pain it causes."

I sighed, not sure how to get out of this mess without stepping on someone's toes. Shrugging slightly, I started walking towards the doors while I glanced back at the vampires. "Follow us, don't provoke the pack. As for my pack, don't harm the vampires. Got it?"

The wolves yipped in agreement while the three vampires smiled slightly and followed me outside, where I immediately darted towards home, so I could get Paige in a soft bed.

___

I opened my eyes when I felt Paige stirring. Looking down at her, I noticed the small frown on her face and that she was shivering slightly. A smile crept on my face when she sighed as I pulled her closer to me, wrapping my arms around her waist. I nuzzled her neck happily, looking at the faded mark that was left there from both me and... Where was Kale's?

Not that I wasn't happy that it wasn't there but...I felt it when he marked her. I was still looking at her flawless skin when she stirred again, groaning slightly. She turned in my arms, pushing her slightly cold nose against my neck, what in turn caused me to shiver.

Paige's lips curled into a soft smile against my skin and I chuckled slightly, shaking my head at her antics. "Back to this old trick, huh?" I teased. My heart soared when she laughed with me, stirring up some memories of her pranks...amongst other things.

She pulled her head out of the crook of my neck and looked up at me, still with a soft smile on her face. Mine wavered a bit when I noticed the dark rims under her eyes, the signs of bruising on her neck and the haunted glint in her eyes.

Paige traced a finger over my clenched jaw before she rested it on my cheekbone. "Hush, I'm here Jacob." I nodded at her attempt to sooth me but grunted "Yeah, battered and beaten. And who knows what those freaks did to you!" My own hand traced the bags under her eyes before I brushed over the side of her neck towards the bruising.

She swallowed harshly; pain appeared on her face before it was gone in a split second. But I knew she still felt it; her jaw was tighter, as was her smile while she kept the pain off her face. "I'll go get the doctor." I murmured, reluctantly loosening my hold on her. With a soft growl, I pulled myself up and moved to push the comforter out of the way.

The next thing I know, Paige yanked on my arm, causing me to fall back in the bed, barely hovering over her. I smirked slightly at the blush that spread over her face because of the close contact and decided to tease her a bit. "Not that I don't like this position..." I started, leaning my lower half more against her, which made her eyes bulge slightly before she bit her lip. "But... what was the idea behind it?"

"I-uh-what-" I smiled slightly, pleased that I could make her flush and stutter with a simple gesture. The male satisfaction grew even more when my lips kept drawing the attention of her eyes before she started nibbling on her own. Paige swallowed loudly before she slightly bared her sore throat. "Watch." She said, closing her eyes slightly.

I leaned back, slightly shocked when a white light slowly appeared, seemingly out of Paige's skin. The light acted like smoke, rushing over the damaged skin of her throat, where a pair of distinctly hand shaped bruises was formed. When the smoke/light faded away, I let out a shocked gasp when her skin was completely fine.

"What the-" I said before I gingerly brushed over the soft skin. Paige chuckled at my confusion, clearly amused with it. I looked at every side of her throat but the bruising was gone! I blinked slightly before I looked at her spotless shoulder and then back at her. "Is that why there's no sign of Kale's mark?"

Green eyes looked into mine with a mischievous glint before Paige nodded. "Yeah, I didn't know I could do that. One moment I was clutching my shoulder in pain, the next moment I was healing it." She chuckled slightly before she said "I guess that's my gift; healing."

I smiled, tracing my own mark with my fingers and smirked with a satisfied feeling when another shiver ran over her body. "I'm sorry Paige but...I have to mark you again." I sighed, gaining a confused look from her. I sighed again, tapping at the spot where Kale had bitten her.

"Because Kale had marked you, my claim on you has weakened. So did our connection through the marks. I have to reinforce the claim by marking you again, so that the other males don't get any bright idea's." I growled a little at the end, grasping at the bedding at the thought that another male would go after my mate.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by the pleasant sensation of Paige's hands, brushing over my shoulders before she interlaced them in my hair. Paige smirked a bit when I leaned into the touch and growled.

Leaning back a bit, I chuckled when Paige's attention was drawn by my abs; I only threw on some trousers before I had placed her in my bed. At the time, I was more concerned about my mate's health then my attire.

"Well Jacob, I trust you and love you..." she started, never looking up at my face. I shivered when her hand trailed over my abs, making the muscles contract under her fingers. Her teasing smile made me growl but she placed a finger on my lips in an attempt to shush me.

I narrowed my eyes at her when she shook her head, grinning. "Na-ah Jacob. I'm in control here." "We'll see about that." My wolf purred before I licked the hand she used to cover my mouth, making her yelp while she pulled it back. "Jacob!" she shouted out with disgust, her nose scrunched up before she slapped my arm. I couldn't take it any more and laughed, lowering myself so I could rest my head besides hers while I tried to calm down.

She huffed in annoyance, which only made me laugh harder. I swear, I nearly had tears in my eyes while I lay there laughing. I felt Paige shake her head while she said "And here I thought about telling you that you could complete the mating process in one go..."

I froze, suddenly very aware of the warm body under me. All of my instincts came on high alert while my wolf fought for control; I became painfully aware of the scent of Paige's heat, the warmth of her body, her rapidly beating heart and the sound of her breathing, that hitched slightly when I pushed myself up to look at her.

---Paige's POV---

Jacob froze, his warm breath stopped before it rapidly fanned over my neck, what made me shiver in delight. I had given it some thought during the lonely hours in my cell and I had made up my mind; I wanted to be fully mated with Jacob. When he changed the subject on marks, well, I just blurted it out.

Now I waited for his reaction, but, judging that he was nearly panting while he looked down on me with pitch-black eyes, I guessed it was a good reaction. Next thing I knew, his lips came crashing on mine with an urgency that I've never experienced before.

I answered his kiss, locking his lips with my own before they moved in sync, a perfect harmony between pushing and pulling. He released my lips, both of us gasping for breath while he brushed his lips over my jaw, down my throat to the side of my neck before he nuzzled his mark.

"I'm not going to mate you Paige...not today." I shivered when he kissed the mark and groaned out "Why not?" As an answer, Jacob pushed his body flush against mine, smirking widely at the involuntary moan that left my mouth. "One, you're too weak from being drained. I think you'd like our mating to be...memorable." He smirked again before he laid besides me.

"Two; Dad and your brother are going to check on you in about 5 minutes. I don't think you want them to walk in while we..." he trailed off as I blushed a deep red, hiding against his chest. Jacob traced his mark with his finger before he leaned in and placed a soft kiss on it.

Quickly, his lips were replaced by his elongated canines, breaking through my skin and reinforcing the mark as pleasure flooded my system. Jacob cleaned the wound thoroughly before he pulled me against his chest.

"And finally, " he laughed, "You'll be too tired from being marked that you won't be thinking about mating right now." I rolled my eyes, causing him to laugh even harder. "Jerk." I muttered, my eyes fluttering shut; he was right though, I was too tired to do anything else, except resting.

A low growl rumbled through Jacob's chest while he pulled me closer, slowly nuzzling my neck and cheek, occasionally placing a kiss here and there. "Well, I could say something amongst the lines of 'I'm your jerk' but then again, that sounds cheesy." I giggled slightly, nodding in agreement while Jacob kept placing soft kisses on my face.

I frowned slightly, thinking back at everything that had happened before. "What exactly happened to Kale?" Jacob sighed slightly, looking at my other shoulder whilst rubbing over the spot where Kale had bit me.

"Because he had marked you, he got his wolf back. Only partially; he got him back but he never earned it. His wolf turned against him." I swallowed harshly before I asked, "So...?" Jacob placed a kiss on my head and lingered there for a moment, deeply inhaling my scent.

"He started to shift, like any other werewolf. But, because his wolf was still absent, he couldn't complete the shift. His body shifted back and forth without stopping until he died." I felt myself pale at that part before I started thinking everything through. I frowned slightly, before an idea started to form.

"Say, when you allow another in the pack, you mark them in wolf-form, don't you?" Jacob looked confused at the change of subject but answered it anyway. "Yeah, mostly on the shoulder, unless you aren't a werewolf." I nodded, frowning in concentration. "And that mark is different from the mating mark? A female can allow a male in the pack?"

Jacob spun us around so that we both lay on our sides. His hand brushed my hair out of my face before he answered, this time with a deep frown on his face. "Yes, the pack mark is different from the mating mark. You don't lay a claim on the other male or female, you just connect his wolf and himself to the pack."

I nodded again. Jacob laughed when I laughed and barely could keep my eyes open. He moved us so that his arm was wrapped around my and my head rested on his chest. "Mind telling me why you want to know all this?" I sighed, cuddling against his chest while I moved on his slow breathing.

"Just an...idea for...Damon's...wolf." I muttered incoherently, fighting against the sleep so that I could answer Jacob's question. He chuckled, holding me against him when I spooked slightly of the sudden movement. "You need to rest, love." I didn't answer him; I was already asleep.

-------

I slept another four hours before I was recovered of Jacob's mark. As soon as I was awake, Jacob had called the pack-doctor and his parents; the doctor to check up on me and Jacob's parents for my suggestion.

After what seemed forever, the doctor gave me the advice to get a blood transfusion, since I was still weak on my legs. It would take a while before my blood was remade so Jacob offered to give me some of his blood. So that's what was happening now; I was sitting down in the couch with a drip in my arm while the Alpha pair sat down in front of me.

"So, you want to gather the pack now?" Isabella asked, a soft smile on her face. I shook my head slightly, motioning at the drip with my head. "Not now, but as soon as this thing is out of my arm, yes please." Jacob laughed loudly, shaking his head in amusement. Just at that moment, Nick decided to walk in.

"What's so funny?" He asked, confusion clear on his face while he looked from me, who was glaring at a laughing Jacob, which nearly fell of his seat. "Who would have thought, the only mix between soulshifters has a fear of needles!" This time, he did roll on the floor but kept laughing, quickly joined by Nick's chuckles.

Nick quickly shut up when I glared at him; he gave me an apologetic smile before he sat down besides me and looped his arm over my shoulders. I was still kind of tired. Jacob on the other hand kept laughing. A low hiss rolled from between my teeth but Jacob ignored me.

"You know that offer that I made you this morning? I take it back." That caught his attention; his head snapped up, his mouth still ajar from laughing while his eyes shot at mine, seeking out if I was lying.

The next moment, his whole expression changed. Now he was looking at me like I had run over his puppy. Nick started laughing again, followed by Isabella and Luke, who shot Jacob a sympathetic look. "Ah-you don't really mean that...right Paige? It was a joke, right? Right?"

My only answer was that I crossed my arms and looked out of the window, which resulted in an even harder wave of laughter. "What's so funny?" I sent at Nick, knowing he would answer me; He did; he gave me a mental image of a paled Jacob, who looked at me in shock. I bit my lip to contain my own laughter but I couldn't contain the small snort that escaped my mouth.

Jacob chuckled behind me before I felt the seat dip and his warm arm looped around my hip. "I'll persuade you." I looked at him at that mental image and noticed that his eyes were slightly darker. He noticed my stare and wiggled his eyebrows before he looked at the blood-bag.

"Yep, time for a pack-meeting." He said before nodding at Luke, who gained a distant stare to his eyes. Joshua walked in, quickly followed by his brothers, Damon and Adrianna. "Hey guys." I waved from my seat while I avoided looking at my right arm, where the drip was placed.

Everyone smiled at me, giving me his or her 'hello' or 'hi'. Joshua still looked rather pale but the silver in his body was slowly dissolving. The doctor came in and started working on the drip while I pointedly looked at the other way. When I noticed the smirk on Jacob's face, I gave him a look while raising one eyebrow.

His face turned blank rather quickly before he cleared his throat and looked the other way. I smiled sweetly before I stood up when the drip was removed. Jacob ushered me outside, the others following us to the yard.

The vampires were standing under a tree, looking at the pack gathering. A few witches appeared as well, coming closer to the house and the trees. "Hey, Paige!" a pair of hands shot up, waving me over. I rolled my eyes slightly before I ran towards them. Lizzie and Beth gave me a hug while the vampires stepped closer, greeting me as well.

"Shifter." The twins said with a nod, smiling at me. I nodded again, smiling as well before I stuck my hand out. "Technically speaking, the whole place is flooded with shifters, as the werewolves can shift into a wolf. So, call me Paige."

Sean chuckled slightly, while he stayed close to the shade that the houses provided. I stepped closer to the shade, allowing them to shake my hand. "Cary and Cian." One of them said, pointing at his other brother when he said "Cian."

I smiled at them, feeling slightly tired from everything that happened the last few days. "Paige, Lizzie and Beth." I answered, pointing at the witch-twins behind me. Cary and Cian nodded at them, a confusing expression on their face.

Suddenly, Anna walked up from behind them and smacked them on the back of their heads. Cian and Cary growled lowly, spinning around to face Anna, who didn't seem fazed for a second.

"Treat my granddaughters with respect. We'll talk about who's going to live with who later." Anna looked rather smug while both set of twins looked shocked. Lizzie and Beth were the first to recover. "Okay, question. Who's bonded with whom? Because you two can separate us due to our hair but you two look identical! How do we know which one is ours?"

I chuckled slightly; now I understood. The vampire twins were bonded with the witch-twins. Go figure; the spirits were being original. But, then again, they seemed to fit together perfectly.

Cian looked shy all of a sudden. Cary rolled his eyes at his brother before he took a step forwards. "Well, in our world, when twins are bonded to twins, we share our Beloveds. So that would mean that miss Lizzie and miss Beth are both our Beloveds and vice versa."

Lizzie and Beth looked at each other with raised eyebrows before they squealed and jumped up and down. "Instead of one mate, we got two?" Lizzie shouted out in disbelief. Beth punched her fists in the air while shouting "Whoop whoop! Damn girl, wishes do come true!"

Everyone laughed at that while Cian and Cary flushed the tiniest bit. Lizzie and Beth poked at their cheeks, laughing that they could make vampires blush, which automatically resulted in a deeper blush. I shook my head smiling and walked towards the center of the yard.

There, I explained what I wanted to try and everyone agreed; Damon has earned his way in the pack and had eared the right to have his wolf again. When Damon agreed to the test, I shifted in my wolf form. "Shift." I commanded, although I knew Damon didn't have control of his wolf.

He shivered slightly but nothing happened, as I expected. But still, there was a feeling, coming closer to the surface...a humming of a sort. The sensation that you get when a thunderstorm is passing through; the current in the air is unsettling, causing an unnatural silence.

With a small movement of my head, I cut his mental connection to the pack, except with Adrianna. If he wanted his wolf back, they had to do it by themselves. Damon looked startled, glancing around while he tried to keep his eyes on me as I was stalking closer.

"Do you submit to this pack, to Luke's and Isabella's rule and later to mine and Jacob's? Or do you wish to fight?"

I didn't know where the words came from; I just had a feeling that it was right to say them. A small hint of gold appeared in Damon's eyes before it disappeared again. Damon shivered again, longer this time before he replied with his mental voice.

"I will submit to both Alpha pairs, although my loyalty will be stronger with you Paige. You gave me hope. You gave me my mate back while all others resented me for what I am."

My silver eyes raked over his body, not to see what he looked like, but to look at his soul. Kale's was a swirling grey, tainted with black. Lucius' was black all over. But Damon's... his was pure. Not as pure as a child's, because what he has seen and done. But it still surprised me that, although he probably had killed werewolves, other souls, his was nearly untainted by his actions. Meaning that he only had killed when he had no other option.

I walked closer towards Damon, who instinctively bowed down until his fist rested on the ground while he was kneeling on the floor. My tail swished through the air before it curled high, showing all those present that I was Luna. My eyes strayed from Damon's eyes to his shoulder.

Quickly, I bit down at his shoulder, marking him as pack and family. Normally, the ritual ended here; I would release him and he would be greeted as one of the pack. But not now.

With my teeth still in his shoulder, I tilted my head to the side, forcing him to lie down. When Damon struggled, a low, warning growl rumbled through my chest while my lips curled up in a snarl. He tensed before he complied and lay down, followed with a low whimper that seemed to shock him.

I followed him down, only letting go of his shoulder when every inch of his body was on the ground. When his back hit the ground with a huff, my jaws slowly opened, wide enough to let his shoulder slip out without causing damage.

The current was stronger now, just below the surface. It was as if his wolf was caged in his body, but was throwing itself against the bonds that held him. The humming was now a pulsing, a beating heart with a stronger beat after ever four smaller ones.

Instinct took over and I let myself act on it. My body moved forwards, placing one paw on his heart and the other on the shoulder that held the mating mark. I leaned forward, gazing in Damon's eyes, which flashed golden on each stronger beat while the tremors in his body were now constant.

I stopped, just before our noses made contact and took a deep breath before I closed my eyes and concentrated. Then, I slowly exhaled through my mouth, letting my breath flow over Damon's face and ignored the shocked shouts and murmurs from the pack.

Jumping off Damon, I turned towards Adrianna and sprinted towards her. "Shift!" I commanded harshly, knowing that Damon would need his mate for the change. Adrianna nodded and turned into a silver-gray wolf and ran back towards Damon with me.

We were ten steps away when I heard the first snap, soon followed by others. I lingered behind while Adrianna dashed forward, whimpering at the sounds of her mate's breaking bones. She lay down beside him, nuzzling his shivering body and gave him an affectionate lick.

The snapping stopped quickly and all of us looked at the golden-brown male wolf, which lay beside Adrianna. She stood up and nudged him in the side, wagging like a pup that found a new playmate. Damon shook his head before he stood on four wobbly paws.

I returned his connection to the pack and smiled. "Welcome to the pack Damon." He turned around and gave me a wolf grin while his tail started wagging as well. His gratitude, happiness and joy flowed through me before he darted around, playing with his mate and pack members.

A warm nose stuck in the fur on my neck and inhaled. I licked the snout and shook myself so Jacob lost his grip. I smirked at him before we joined our pack, playing and teasing one and another.

---Jacob's POV---

It had been a few days since Paige gave Damon's wolf back. And I had to agree with her; he was a welcome addition to the pack. He became a second Beta, with his uncanny ability for strategy and battle plans.

Paige was still sleeping in my bed, which made my wolf howl out at her. Yeah, I was really getting sexually frustrated now. Paige made her promise come through and wanted to go home after the playing. I nearly begged her to stay, promising her that I wouldn't make any comments over needles what so ever. She complied, finally, with a satisfied smirk on her face.

But still, even if she had allowed me to mate her... she was just recovered from being kidnapped and had several blood transfusions. And now that I wanted to keep my promise, my father had to call me to a meeting.

I stood up with a soft growl before I swiftly walked out of my room, gently closing the door behind me. Making my way towards the office, I couldn't help but let my mind stray of a bit. Now that Paige was healed, my wolf and I wanted to complete the bond. Especially since it's the last day of her heat; her scent is more alluring then ever.

Plus, Paige was getting frustrated as well. We had a few hot make-out sessions but I stopped them when it seemed too much for her to handle. But now, she really was trying to push my buttons.

My father limped out of the office, looking around in the hallway with a tired expression. I smiled when he found me. "Hey old man. How's the leg?" Father smiled slightly before he scowled. "Old man? Have some respect, I'm still your Alpha." I chuckled, shaking my head. While I was inside the stronghold, looking for Paige, father took a bullet through his hipbone, shattering it on the spot.

Although it has been healed, the muscles and sinews around the shot wound were too much affected with the silver in the bullet that they were damaged beyond repair. That's why father walked around with a slight limp. At times it was as if he had to drag his leg with him.

I offered him a sad smile before I walked around him, offering him support at his wounded side, if he needed it. "Well, why did you call me?" Dad looked up with a smile. "Straight to the point huh? What, was I interrupting something?" his smile became a teasing smirk while I groaned slightly. "I wish." I thought to myself.

"No dad, but Paige is still asleep and I had wanted to discuss something with her." A smile crept on my face while I thought about my mate, sleeping in my bed. Dad chuckled slightly, shaking his head. "The way you are looking, I doubt that there will be many words used during your discussion."

My ears were a bright red by now and I looked uncomfortably to the side. This wasn't a subject that I wanted to discuss...maybe with Paige but not with anyone outside the mating bond.

"Anyway," my father said, seeing my discomfort with the current subject. I smiled gratefully while we walked to the back of the packhouse. Father sat down in the chair on the porch with a loud sigh before he looked at me. "I've been thinking about turning the Alpha position over to you Jacob. You've learned from your mistakes and you've proven that you can guide the pack through rough situations."

I sat back in my own chair, taken aback. Father wanted me to take the pack over? I scrubbed my hand over my face, slightly in shock. Damn, now I had to tell him about my plans.

Clearing my throat slightly, in the hopes that my voice hasn't been warped by shock, I replied, "Well, this is...quick. I'm honored that you trust me enough to guide the pack." Dad shifted in his chair so he could look at me, a slight frown on his face while his eyes darkened a bit. "But?" he asked tiredly.

I caught bits and pieces of his thoughts, surprised that he wasn't shielding his thoughts as well as before.

"...Really was hoping that he would take over...probably too soon...too busy with friends and his mate, perhaps?"

I shook my head in denial, before I quickly stopped father's thoughts, speaking out "Dad, dad! It's not like you think, trust me." I sighed slightly, rubbing my neck before I tried to explain what my plan was.

"Damon had found some papers amongst the rubble in the stronghold. Based on those files and from what Damon knows, the Hunters are tracking two people down. Two soulshifters." Dad's face cleared up slightly while he leaned back in his seat. "Paige's parents." He gasped, his whole expression seemed shocked before he tapped his lip in thought.

I nodded before continuing, "That's why I have to decline dad. At least for now. I want to give Paige the change to have her family back, her real family. If Kale has brought it to the other hunters' attention that the shifters can give them their wolves back..." I trailed of, letting my father put the pieces together.

He nodded, still in thought. "Then they will order a hunt on Paige's parents and will try to capture them, ultimately forcing them to give their wolves back. Yes, I see." Dad rubbed his temples slightly, thinking about it. "So, you want me to stay in charge until you've found Paige's parents. Deal, I'll do it but I hope that this journey doesn't take too long."

A relieved sigh escaped my throat before I gave my dad a hug. "Thanks dad. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to talk with my mate." I said before I walked towards the stairs. Dad's deep chuckle followed me in the hallway, making me remember his comment about this discussion.

I gingerly opened the door and let out a soft breath when I noticed Paige's still sleeping form in my bed. A smile formed on my face while I quickly shed some layers and squirmed myself under the blanket with her. She let out a happy sigh when I looped my arms around her, pulling her closer to me.

"Mmm..." she hummed while I placed a kiss on her forehead before I pecked her lips as well. Her eyes fluttered open for a moment before she closed them during a yawn. "Good morning." I murmured, tracing my lips to her ear. She shivered slightly, humming again. "Good morning to you too." She turned around in my arms so that she was facing me. "You're up early." She muttered while her fingers started trailing over my bare chest in an imaginative pattern.

I growled in appreciation before I replied "Yeah, dad wanted to talk to me. And I wanted to discuss something with you." Looking down at Paige, I noticed that she wasn't paying attention to the conversation. Instead, she was more focused on the movement of my lips. I smirked slightly before I flicked my tongue out over my lip.

Paige's eyes followed the movement before she seemed to notice the pleased smile on my face. As soon as she looked at me, she flushed a deep red before she tried to hide her face away by pressing it against my chest. I chuckled amused before I rolled us both over, so that I was hovering above her.

A purr escaped Paige's throat when I did that, making me groan slightly while my boxer tightened a notch. "You're going to be the death of me." I groaned before I swooped down to claim her lips.

---Paige's POV---

My whole body was humming with energy while Jacob trailed his lips over mine and moved towards my shoulder. My nails dug in his back when he nipped at his mark, causing him to chuckle hoarsely. "Jerk." I huffed making him laugh slightly before he pulled back to look at me.

His eyes were pitch-black, holding his hunger, lust and the promise of pleasure in them. I shivered slightly, making him grin with that male satisfaction clear on his face. "What are you doing?" I panted incredulously while Jacob placed kisses over my shirt, breathing through it. He smirked slightly before he replied, "Persuading you."

My breath caught in my throat when Jacob trailed his lips and nose from my chest to my lips, slowly dragging them over my heated skin in a sensual caress. My lips quivered when his rested at the corner of my lips, barely touching them. "Persuade away." I muttered while my thoughts were jumping incoherently.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice was slightly teasing while was busy trailing his fingers over my thin shirt and shorts. I nodded slightly, which was rewarded with a smile.

His fingers trailed towards my shirt, where he tugged at the edge. "And what if I can...persuade you?" he asked, glancing up at me with eyes laced over with lust. I smiled at him, my voice shaky when I replied, "I'm sure you can figure something out."

That was all Jacob needed before he locked our lips back together until we were both breathing heavily before he pulled back. I sighed in content and briefly closed my eyes, wondering how Jacob was going to persuade me.

-------

The room was silent, only disturbed with our breathing. I laid on my side, my eyes closed in content and soft purrs rolling through the air. Jacob was spooning me from behind, our legs intertwined while his fingers were tracing small figures over my curves.

His soft touch stopped at my throat, feeling the vibrations of the purr, which caused him to chuckle. "Happy?" he stated, his face shining while he grinned widely. I stuck my tongue out at him, making him chuckle before he licked it. "Ew, Jacob!"

He laughed, shaking me slightly with his laughter. "Don't tease me because I'll tease you back my love." I huffed, unable to feel angry while I was still floating on cloud 9.

Jacob chuckled, nuzzling my neck before he smiled. "I wanted to give you something." I quickly looked up at him, my curiosity getting the better of me. "Really? What then?"

He smiled before he got out of bed and walked towards his closet, not even bothering to put his boxers back on. I enjoyed the view until Jacob chuckled which made me flush and I dragged my eyes away before I got caught.

The bed dipped again and Jacob showed me his hand, which contained three rings. He picked up a small, silver ring. "This is one of the three rings that I want to give to you Paige. It's an eternity ring, because my love for you only knows a beginning, not an ending. I...uh, I was hoping...that you'd want it?"

I smiled before I held my hand out, allowing him to slip the ring on my finger. I glanced back at the other rings in my hand and looked at them. "And those?" I asked, although I had a hunch for what they were. Jacob picked the white one up. "This is the engagement ring." He placed the silver ring, covered in tiny diamonds back in a small case before it was joined by his golden brother, with the words "And that's the wedding ring."

Jacob pulled me to his chest, smiling slightly before he said "And I have a suggestion, if I may?" I nodded, smiling widely while I admired my new ring. "Go on..." This time, a few files were placed in my lap. "We found these in the stronghold. They contain information about a male and female shifter, traveling together." I held the files up, my hands shaking slightly while I quickly looked at them.

Jacob squeezed in my hand before he smiled slightly "We're going to track them and give your family back Paige." I squealed and hugged Jacob before I yelped "Thank you!" over and over again. I was so full of energy, I just had to shift.

Jacob followed suit and both of us dashed out in our wolf forms, jumping over each other and running into the forest, followed by other members of the pack. I howled my joy out to the moon, joined by my new, large family.

I had held my promise to my parents; I had searched and found the werewolves and I became strong enough to fend the hunters off. Now, I made a new promise for myself; I was going to find mom and dad and reunite with them before I would convince them to join my pack.

Jacob ran beside me, fur against fur and I sighed. I would see my parents again.