herumtreiber

Title: Accompanied sonata - 11
Author:

herumtreiber
Rating: R
Warnings: Suggestion
Characters: Edward/Jacob
Chapter length: ~4,400 words
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does. I don't make any money from this writing.
Summary: After the events of Eclipse, Edward mulls over his upcoming marriage. A relationship slowly develops between him and Jake. They face opposition from the pack and some members of Edward's family. What will happen to Bella and how will the Volturi react?

Table of contents

Chapter ten

On the way back to Seattle, I drove deliberately slowly. There was little traffic on US 101 at this time of the morning. Not that it mattered because I drove efficiently, but it gave me the leisure to concentrate on what I had to say to Jake.

The Quileute was silent, looking at the highway as he fiddled with the GPS. He kept touching it, listening as the robotic voice delivered the instructions to get to Forks. In his mind, Jake was picturing detours he would take that would get us to Forks faster. The sense of direction the wolf possessed was uncanny. His thoughts were tainted with worry though, wondering what the pack would say when he got back. The wolf's hand touched my leg from time to time, seeking reassurance.

I loved how well we fit together. He trusted me not to hurt him when we made love; he was brave and daring, my Jacob.

The sunlight passed through the window, illuminating his bronzed face. Unfortunately that meant my face sparkled in the morning sun. Jake didn't seem to mind though; he was too interested fiddling with the radio as he tried to find good music.

He leaned back on the seat, his chest flexing enticingly as the melody from 'What's new' came out of the Boise loudspeakers. He mumbled, "I like this music, it's soothing."

The big band sound of the song reminded me of the time it was first in vogue, during the Second World War - and the loss I suffered. With a knot in my throat I realized Jake deserved to know the truth about me.

I wondered how I would broach the subject while Jake touched my cheek, thinking, 'His skin is like finest marble. My own personal Greek statue.'

Frowning because the wolf didn't voice these thoughts out loud, I turned to him. "Why don't you say it, Jake?"

He pouted, crossing his arms around his chest. "Last time I tried, you told me I was a 'poetic pup.'"

I grabbed the sensitive mutt's hand, turning it to kiss his wrist.

Jake wrenched it out of my grasp, though. "Hey, man, keep your eyes on the road."

I smirked while I caressed his thigh. "You forget my reflexes, Jacob. I'm sorry I said that, I really appreciated your words. You have to understand though," my hand flittered across his face. "I'm not used to hearing compliments from-"

The wolf interrupted me. "Bella didn't say anything nice?"

I shrugged, tapping my fingers against the steering wheel. "Well, she did. At the time I was more interested in protecting her. To return to the issue at hand, I guess I didn't know how to react when you said that and sarcasm comes naturally to me."

Jake smiled winsomely as he laid his hand on my shoulder, rubbing my cotton shirt. "I know, it's just… I'm not used to having a male lover."

He gazed at me earnestly. "What are we anyway? Lovers, boyfriends?"

Hearing his words caused me a pang. The feeling of disquiet I'd felt at the club, when I wondered if Jake would imprint someday and leave me, returned with a vengeance. Noticing the Quileute's expectant look, I answered fast, "We're whatever you want us to be, wolf. Let's settle on boyfriends and work from there."

Staring straight ahead at the road, I started the story Jake had to know. "You're not my first boyfriend, mutt. There was a-"

Jake hit the dashboard as he growled. "Who else? Don't tell me you went out with one of Bella's friends? I'll find them and then-"

"Hush, pup. It was long before you were born."

He calmed down, shrugging. "Sorry, man. I got carried away."

"It was in the summer of 1942. I met him in Alaska. His name was Arthur Wilson and he was a sailor in the Saratoga."

Jake fiddled with the safety belt, it scraped against his bare chest. "Dad's uncle, James Black, was in the Navy. He was in the Yorktown and died in the battle of Midway."

Looking at me, he smiled sadly. "Never knew him of course, Dad talks highly of him though." He tapped my shoulder playfully. "Sorry to interrupt your tale, Edward."

I swerved to the left to pass a white truck, meditating on what the mutt had told me. His relative had served and paid the ultimate price, something I could never do.

Jake prodded me. "You met him in Alaska, then?"

I smiled at the eager wolf. "Yes, I was in high school at the time."

He nudged my ribs, smirking. "Bet you have a lot of textbooks."

"I do, Jake. Anyway, we hit it off instantly. Arthur was very mature. We didn't do much, except kissing and holding hands. In those days, people could kill you for being gay."

Jake sighed. "They still do, Edward. People like Sam who can't understand and want everyone to think like they do. So-"

He blushed, looking down at his boots he mumbled, "I was your first then."

I touched his shoulder for a moment before I downshifted. "My first and my everything, wolf. You've stolen my virginity like you stole my heart."

He punched my arm. "So the poetic leech says."

I smiled indulgently for in his thoughts Jake was jumping up and down. 'I can't wait to pop his cherry.'

Jake fiddled with the controls of the radio and a Placebo song started playing. "What happened with Arthur? I guess you must have been lonely. Did you go out with him after the war was over, or did he die at sea?"

I sighed in relief. It was easy talking to Jacob, he understood what I meant. He wasn't like Bella who didn't ask the right questions.

Staring straight ahead at the road, I sighed. "Arthur died just before he could return to the aircraft carrier."

"Sorry, man." Jake squeezed my shoulder in sympathy, hard. "You must've been devastated. I know you, Ed. You probably blamed yourself when he was really killed by homophobes."

That comment stung. The wolf obviously didn't know me very well if he thought I blamed myself for everything. Turning to him, I tried to smile but reading Jake's thoughts, I realized it came out as a grimace.

"At first I thought the same thing, mutt. I couldn't believe he was dead. We'd been careful not to attract attention." I shuddered recalling the memory. "When I read the coroner's mind, I found out Arthur had been completely drained of blood."

Jake scowled. "So a vampire attacked him. That stinks, man! Did you find out who it was?"

"I couldn't, Jacob. I tried very hard, believe me. It was in vain. The vampire that killed Arthur covered his or her tracks very well." Gazing at him, I said, "I don't want to be the cause of someone's death, ever again."

He leaned his head on my shoulder, mouthing against my shirt. "Bet you want to protect me like you did with Bella, leech. Don't worry about me; I can take care of myself."

It felt nice, his warmth against my cold body. Jacob's words gave me pause. It was true that he was a shapeshifter and could fight with any vampire in terms Bella simply could not do. Despite this, I felt a strong urge to protect the wolf. In my mind I pictured him splayed on the bed, ready for me to plunge my cock into him for his first time, and the degree of trust that required. I resolved to protect Jake even if the stubborn wolf didn't want me to.

The Quileute reached his hand to turn off the radio.

The next minutes passed in silence, I heard only the rush of the occasional truck and car as we passed them, and Jake's soothing, strong heartbeat. Its rhythm would add a nice cadence to the tricky part of the sonata I was working on. The silence felt comfortable. After all Jake and I had gone through in terms of enmity and fighting for Bella, I'd managed to know him well, though I had to admit he had many facets. He could be enticingly vulnerable, like last night when we made love. I refused to think we just fucked; there was plenty of love mixed in our lust.

Looking at his broad shoulders, I reflected that Jake could also be tough as he'd been when he faced Sam's challenge. I looked forward to learning more about him.

His phone rang. Jake shrugged, looking at me guiltily as he took it out his pocket.

"Hiya, Leah."

I heard the agitated voice of the Quileute woman on the other side. "Jake, I don't know what to do!"

"What gives?"

"The guys on the pack, they're driving me nuts!"

"They are? Doesn't surprise me." Jake nodded as the blue light of the phone screen tinted his cheek. I was tempted to lean down and trace a path from there to his nipples. I wanted to fuck him in the car but I knew he might not appreciate that.

"Quil and Embry, they keep joking! They won't take anything seriously!"

"What about the others? Jared and," The wolf paused and finally spit out. "Paul."

"Haven't seen them, they're staying away. Works for me though, don't think I could handle them right now."

Jake snorted. "Bite them."

"What? I'm not your boyfriend, Jake."

Jake laughed, the sound made me shiver and called up my dormant cock to attention.

"Don't mean it that way, Leah. You have to assert yourself, show them who's boss."

Leah replied mournfully. "They'll never accept me."

"They will. Quil and Embry are jokers but they're loyal. They've stayed with me through thick and thin." Jake shrugged as his fingers played with the buckle of the belt. "There's no reason they shouldn't follow you. Since Jared and Paul are staying away…"

Jake looked at me with worry in his eyes. "How are you managing patrols?"

Leah snorted; I could hear her calling to someone. "Seth, get your ass down here and do your chores!"

She resumed the conversation. "The patrols? I talked to Emily and told her to relay to those guys that they should take care of stray vamps on Wednesdays and Fridays."

Jake hefted the phone and put it in his other hand, leaning away from me. "See? You're already ironing out the details. That's what a leader does. Those fuckers will feel the pull of the pack with time and resume patrols with you."

"So what do I do with Quil and Embry?" Leah's voice grew fainter. "Seth, you need to do the washing. Tell you what, if you finish it on time you can watch American Idol."

Jake chuckled when he heard Seth's whining response. "Do I have to?"

Leah said, "Heard they are going to sing your favorite song."

Jake smiled at me as he waited for Leah, who finally said, "Sorry, had to persuade the damned kid to do the laundry."

Jake suggested in a raspy voice that made me shiver and lose concentration for a second. "You can deal with Embry and Quil the same way you dealt with Seth."

"Well, since you mention it, I can try to persuade Quil I'll help with his imprint and…"

I didn't pay attention to the rest of their conversation for Leah's mention of the imprint made me worry about Jake. What would I do if he imprinted on someone else? Would he follow the person around like Quil did with that baby? Would he forget about the phenomenal sex we had last night and give himself to the woman or man?

My vision grew dark imagining some guy fucking Jake, having him when only I had the right. A stranger seeing the delectable vision of Jake's strong legs parted and his cock jutting out as he slid his cock into Jacob's slick hole. I couldn't stand the thought of anyone else riding that thick prick, tasting his essence like I yearned to do right at that moment.

Jake's touch on my brow startled me. "What's up, leech? Your eyes got dark all of a sudden. You hungry or something?"

I grabbed his hand and pulled him to me, wrapping my arm around him while my left hand steered the wheel. "I hunger for you, mutt. You know what I want to do? I want to stop the car and have you ride my cock. Here, in plain view of the other drivers. If you feel sore, let's go to the back and I'll ride your cock ever so slowly, driving you mad with want."

Jake looked at me with a defiant look in his eyes, daring me to carry out my plans. I could smell his arousal and was tempted to park the car on the shoulder of the road and do what I wanted. Much as I would have liked to do that, I felt it was too early in our relationship to do that. We would do those things with time.

What weighed heavily on my mind, I had to admit, was the thought of getting in too deep with Jake without the assurance that he would not imprint on someone else.

"Tell me about the imprint, Jake." I looked at the wolf who was glancing around as we sped by the forest. We'd just entered Olympic National Park, and the road wound around the endless forests, as untamed as the Quileute right beside me.

Jake fiddled with the phone; sighing, he put it back in his pocket. "You'd better talk to dad, Edward. He can explain way better than I can."

Glancing at Jacob, I saw he had that stubborn set to his mouth and eyes which told me he would not be moved. I downshifted to take a curve as I made plans about how to talk to Billy Black outside the Reservation. I would need Carlisle's help for that.

oOoOo

My father rushed into his hospital office while he fingered his stethoscope, though he hardly needed it because he was able to listen to any heartbeat without it. He liked to maintain appearances.

"Sorry I haven't around much lately, son, but there's been an outbreak of the flu." He sat down on his chair and pushed a heavy folder towards him. "Your sister has kept me informed of developments with young Black."

I leaned on the chair on the other side of the desk, glancing at the door. His secretary was busy playing Hanger on Facebook so I knew we'd have some privacy. I put my elbows on the gleaming desk. "Actually, I need your help in a certain matter."

He raised his eyebrows. "I trust Jacob is in good health? I met Seth when he came with his mother for their flu shots; he told me about Jake's problems. "

Carlisle smiled at me as he fished a flimsy paper out of the folder and spread it out in front of him. "Seth holds Jacob in high regard, son."

I fidgeted with the cuff of my shirt, unsure of my plan now that I had to put it into motion. Frankly the notion of speaking with Billy Black was daunting. Jake looked up to his father so much. If I made the wrong impression on Billy, I didn't know what I would do. Curiously enough, I never had this problem with Chief Swan.

I tapped my fingers against the desk. "Carlisle, I need to talk with Jake's father. I have to find out more about the imprint. The thought of my wolf imprinting on someone else is driving me mad!"

Carlisle stood up and went to the corner, opening a metal cabinet as he turned to me. "I think I have a solution, Edward."

That was one of the things I loved about him. Carlisle took a no-nonsense approach without asking awkward questions. He trusted me implicitly and that made my chest soar with pride. There was something about his tone of voice and collected manner that was quite soothing.

He sat down again and glanced at the sheet of paper. Smiling at me, he took his phone out of the pocket of his lab coat and quickly made a call.

"Mister Black? I trust I'm not interrupting anything."

Billy's raspy voice came over the phone. "Dr. Cullen? No, I was just watching a documentary on TV. Nothing important."

Carlisle fiddled with the stethoscope as he talked to Jake's father. "Mr. Black, as you may know, the hospital is trying to deal with the flu. We've been inoculating people from Forks. I've just checked the list and you haven't received your shot yet."

"Guess I've been busy, Dr. Cullen. I'll call Sue to see if she can drive me over to the hospital, she's coming over today… so I hope to be there in a few hours."

"Fine, Mr. Black. I'll be expecting you."

oOoOo

I prowled the corridors of the hospital for hours, wishing I could bite my nails. I feared what Billy would think of me. Finally, after I bought a Coke from a vending machine just to have something in my hands, my phone beeped. Looking at the screen, I saw Carlisle terse message. 'Billy Black is in Room 122. Good luck, Edward.'

I dashed out of the elevator and made my way to the room, standing for a moment on the threshold. A nurse was dabbing Billy's arm with antiseptic as Carlisle held a thin syringe.

After the shot, Carlisle smiled at the Quileute and walked out of the room, motioning to Sue Clearwater. "Ms. Clearwater, I need to talk to you about informing the people at the Reservation about the flu shots."

Billy waved at Sue. "Go on, I'll wait for you." When he looked at me, Billy took out the alcohol swab from his arm and smiled craftily. "I guess I won't be bored."

I nodded at my father as he went by, Sue right behind him. The Quileute woman looked imposing in a floral dress, her two black braids a stark contrast to the lilac fabric. She nodded to me as she left the room. "Good afternoon, Edward."

Billy patted the bed near his wheelchair. "Sit down, Cullen. You seem to have walked in at the right moment."

I stood by the wheelchair, putting my hand on a metallic tray near a medical monitoring device. I felt so awkward, like I'd become a teenager again. "Mr. Black, I wanted to talk to you about-"

Billy made a stabbing motion with his hand. "Tell me, Edward, do you truly care for my son?"

"I do, Mr. Black, very much." I waved my arms, trying to get him to understand how much Jacob meant to me. "He inspires… he complements me. Sometimes Jake drives me nuts."

I essayed a weak smile as I fidgeted with the buttons of my shirt. "But he makes me feel so alive! Your son is so strong and yet there's a vulnerable side to him I want to cherish. I don't want him to change but I can't wait to see where he ends up when he grows older. He-"

Billy held up his hand, apparently satisfied with my answer. "I see, Cullen. I care very much for Jacob." He looked out the window at the rooftop of Chief Swan's house on the opposite side of the avenue. "After my wife passed away, my daughters left town, saying they couldn't cope with the loss of their mother. I only had Jacob; it's always been him and me. My son has always been there for me."

Billy rolled down the sleeves of his plaid shirt and started buttoning his cuffs. "Jacob is very noble, Cullen. Don't take advantage of that or you could break him!"

"I wouldn't entertain the thought, Mr. Black."

"Let me tell you a story. When Jacob was seven I bought him a G.I Joe set. How he loved to play with those toy soldiers!" Billy grinned fondly. I saw in his mind the image of a young, thin Quileute boy with short-cropped black hair playing animatedly with the soldiers.

I smiled, lost in Billy's recollections of my young wolf, knowing I would treasure these stolen memories until the day I left this mortal coil. They gave me a glimpse into a part of Jake's past when he was free of the curse of being a shapeshifter, when he knew nothing about wolves and vampires.

"Anyway," said Billy, rolling the wheelchair back and forth as if he was nervous. "One day, oblivious, clumsy Bella visited us and she saw the toys. She wanted them to play with… to dress them up or something like that." Jake's father frowned at the window as if he could see Bella in her room. "Of course Jacob gave them to her even though they were his favorites. I guess Bella played with them in Chief Swan's house. She never returned them. Jake never asked her to give back his cherished toys. Even as a kid, he was noble."

Billy looked at me sharply. "Don't use Jacob's greatest quality against him, Edward. Don't do what Bella did!"

I crossed my arms, nodding to him. "I won't, Mr. Black. Jake is everything to me. He's burrowed into my heart."

I mustered all the courage I had and asked him, "What if he breaks me, though? What if he imprints on someone else?"

Billy rolled his wheelchair to the corner, staring intently at the tray with sterile needles. His hands rubbed the leather armrests of the chair as he turned back to look at me. "I understand your fear, Edward. The imprint is powerful and relentless, but let me tell you that love is stronger. I never imprinted on my wife and when she passed away, I lost my world. Only Jacob's presence grounded me. You see, my son saved me, even as a kid."

He rolled the wheelchair back to the bed and grabbed my hands, staring straight at my eyes. "I don't think Jake will imprint. By the way he always hung around you and Bella, trying to stand between you two in this unwholesome triangle of yours, I thought-"

Billy let go of my hands, gazing at the window.

"What, Mr. Black?"

"Our tribe is rich in legends, Edward. The elders hold different views about imprinting. Many think it's something that will ensure our shifter genes propagate but I think it's more than that. I believe it's a union of souls."

The Quileute glanced at his watch, murmuring, "I hope Sue returns soon, I want to watch that basketball game." Turning to me, he said in a louder voice. "I think Jake half-imprinted on you and Bella. That's why he was always so torn up by the triangle situation. It's as if he was destined to fully imprint on Bella's child…"

I shook my head, wondering if Billy Black was right. There was a certain truth to his words. Bella, Jake and I had strong ties. Certainly my wolf's feelings about Bella and I were passionate, as if he had half-imprinted on us. If I had gone on and married Bella, our son or daughter would have been the one Jake imprinted on.

I sighed in relief, for it meant I need not fear my wolf imprinting on someone else.

Billy leaned towards me. Looking at his earnest, weather-beaten face, I crouched on the floor in front of his wheelchair. Billy patted my head with affection as he whispered. "Jake also won't imprint because of his song."

I recalled Seth's elusive words concerning my wolf. The boy had stopped suddenly, almost uttering the word 'song.' I suspected Seth was under an alpha order not to mention it.

Since Billy was an elder and thus outside the scope of any such order, I trusted he would tell me. I asked softly, "What song?"

Billy waved his arm around the sterile room to encompass the town of Forks. "My son's full name isn't Jacob Black. The naming is a custom the outsiders forced us to adopt. In reality, every Quileute child is given a song."

I leaned towards the man. "What do you mean?"

"When a Quileute child is born, his father sings a special song, naming him. Whoever knows the song has power over the child, that's why it's forbidden to talk about such matters."

Billy paused, taking a deep breath. "My Jacob's is a song of power and devotion, just like him. I was truly inspired by the ancient spirits which dwell on this land when I sang it to him on his crib."

Billy's voice rose in a crescendo as he described lyrically the moment which I visualized through his mind. The bare room in his house, the wooden crib with the dark-haired baby and the dreamcatcher hanging on the wooden rails. "I was moved by the ancient trees of the forests; the ancestors' spirits filled me with awe and music." He pointed to his chest. "These names we hold? We were forced to take them, but our songs, we freely choose them."

Billy grabbed my hand and squeezed it hard. "The moment has come for you to hear it, Edward Cullen. If something should happen to me, I don't want Jake's song to be lost. I trust you will sing it to him when the right moment comes."

With a knot on my throat, I nodded. I went to the door and closed it, returning to sit on the bed beside Mr. Black.

Billy started singing. There was no accompaniment, only his hoarse voice carried the melody, yet it was heartbreakingly beautiful, the work of a poet. The song soared and fell, meandering like the Quilayute, just like my wolf.

In my mind's eye I pictured Jacob through the years. The lonely boy who stared at the woods with wonder; the teen who tried everything he could to bring joy and love to the girl he loved when she was in despair, only to end up rejected by her. The young man I loved with an intensity that drove me out of my mind.

Billy Black held my gaze as he sang and I glimpsed then the final movement of my piece, Jake's sonata. It befitted my Jacob like a soft mantle made with angel feathers.

Unbeknownst to us, though, someone else listened.

Chapter twelve