"Thank you for listening to our presentation," Jacob finished off, "we hope that you have enjoyed and learnt something new along the way."

The class clapped in obligation as the two hurried back to their seats, each one more flushed than the other. The presentation had been forgotten at the back of their ninds ever since that supid incident with the vampire, only for Natalia to call Jacob in the middle of the night, frantic about what they were going to do since they'd barely gone over anything.

As a result, Jacob was quick to slide through her window before they spent the early morning hours debating what should be said and done in a manner so frantic Natalia thought that the world was going to come to an end.

"You literally had a run-in with vampires and that's what you're most scared of?" Jacob teased when she'd confessed to him after they started gathering their things in their respective backpacks.

That had caused her to scowl up at him, "some people take their studies seriously you know," she scoffed, "and anyway, why aren't you? You gonna be a werewolf for the rest of your life?"

Jacob chuckled, "no. I wanna be a mechanic. Work on cars. Stuff like that."

"You're not going to university?"

"Not sure," he tugged open the window, slinging his backpack onto his shoulder in the process, "don't know if we have the money. My dad's old now and practically retired."

"Would you have liked to?"

"I guess. Yeah. It's an experience we don't get back. But I don't mind either way. I have my projects," he grinned at her knowingly, "you probably will huh? Get away from La Push as soon as possible?"

Heat exploded through her cheeks as she stuttered, "n-no. Well yeah. That was the plan,' her eyes slid to the clouds beyond Jacob's form as her voice softened into a murmur, "but I don't know. I kind of like La Push."

It was probably the most honest conversation she'd had with him ever since discovering that he was Red, and as she waved him off that morning with a promise to ace the presentation, something warmed in her chest at the thought that maybe he was putting in the effort because of her.

The class was a breeze once they were done and Natalia all but slumped in her seat, eyes heavy with tiredness as she rubbed them, yawning in the process. Jacob's shoulder leaned into hers before his mouth found her ear.

"You think we rocked it?"

"I think we could've done better."

"But we still rocked it?"

Natalia's lips curved into a big smile, "we still rocked it."

The smile he returned made hers grow tenfold as she failed to ignore the way her heart thumped once. Twice. Skittered a few times.

----

"What's this smell?" Paul sniffed as he traced the scent back to the Lings' kitchen, popping his head around the doorway only to see Natalia in the midst of a cooking storm, "uh, you good Talia?"

"Fine," she replied without taking her eyes off the mixture that she was busy whipping like her life depended on it. Paul strayed closer to look over her shoulder and she felt his warmth envelope her, a welcoming feeling in contrast to the cold winter air that seemed to seep through the house despite how much she'd turn the heating dial up.

"What's this?" Paul asked with a wrinkle of his nose.

"Matcha powder."

"What's that?"

"It's a powder grounded from special tea leaves," Natalia explained, "it's popular in the Asian community, gives you good health benefits or something."

"And you're doing that because?"

"Because it's good for your brain cells," She sent him a pointed look, causing Paul to chuckle before he headed back to the living room where the rest of the wolf pack was busy studying.

The exams were coming up in a few weeks and with all the training sessions and patrolling shifts, the wolves barely had time to sleep, let alone try catching up with all the missed schoolwork. Natalia and Leiana had done their best to jot down as many notes as they could, which would hopefully help them at least pass — barely.

"This is why I hate studying," Embry groaned aloud before shifting around to get more comfortable. He was currently sprawled on the ground, leaning against Natalia's used-up couch with an English Literature book in hand, "can't wait for my next shift, seriously."

Quil, on the other hand, was diligently scanning the Physics notes that he'd stolen from one of his classmates just yesterday, "speak for yourself," he said.

"This isn't even going to help us in reality," Embry complained, "where in the world will I be using this kind of language? I know how to write. Isn't that enough?"

"Well you are clearly going to be jobless if you think that way," Jared rolled his eyes.

Nevertheless, the group studied for a good three hours before caving in and ordering some takeaway pizza. The Matcha Cheesecake that Natalia had baked was now chilling in the freezer, waiting for dinner to end to be tasted with relish. Between Jared stealing another piece of pizza from Paul and Jacob and Embry arguing about mundane topics, Natalia couldn't help but smile at the quaint picture they all presented. That, however, did not go unnoticed by Leah.

"They're idiots," was what she said when Natalia's eyes clashed with her own. She, too, had a slight smile curling at the edge of her lips, "and seems like you're fitting right in."

"Says a lot about me, I guess," Natalia smiled back tentatively. It was still a weird friendship, the one with Leah. She was a girl, more complicated than most boys, thwarted by emotion and unspoken feelings and built-up frustration. But somewhere along the line, Natalia thought — hoped — that they had gotten just a little closer.

There was some good in Leah, beneath all that cold, harsh exterior.

They were in the middle of sharing the dessert — a lot of 'ooh's and 'aah's making their way out of the boys' mouths as Natalia cut the slices — when three knocks resounded on the door. they all stiffened, though Jacob was the one reacted to it first. Strange, her mother would normally just let herself in and if not her, then who would come around at this hour?

"Bella," Natalia's ears perked up at the mention of the particular girl's name. Of course. Who else? Her mind thought with prickled annoyance, "what are you doing here?"

"Hey Jake," Bella's voice made her want to hit something. Or worse, scream. The growing dislike since their initial encounter still made Natalia wonder why in the world was she being so sensitive, "Billy said you'd be here. Can we talk?"

"Uh, sure." Jacob turned, popped his head around the doorway and instantly locking eyes with Natalia, "I won't be long. Don't eat my slice," he directed this one at Paul, who merely sniggered in response.

It took all of Natalia's energy to focus on her English Literature notes, pushing aside thoughts of Jacob and Bella together in favor of trying to get as much revision as possible. It wasn't an easy feat, but between Embry's continuous teasing and Quil's never-ending set of questions, it didn't take long for her to forget about the pale-faced girl altogether.

That was, until she volunteered to take out the trash.

It was later then, almost ten in the evening and almost all of them were already asleep as she gathered the pile of soda cans and takeaways, shoving them in a big plastic bag before heaving it towards the back door. She hadn't intended on accidentally stumbling across Bella and Jacob's conversation, only realized it as she was setting the trash down by the bin when their voices permeated through the cold night air.

Natalia froze, then decided it was none of her business, and turned to go back inside when she heard her name fall from Bella's lips.

"—been hanging out a lot with Natalia these days."

There was a distinct pause. Natalia stiffened, hand gripping the door handle so tight her knuckles turned white.

"Yeah," Jacob's voice, "guess I have."

"Well...I miss you," Bella's voice softened and Natalia heard a rustling, cringing even further against the door in hopes of not making any noise. At the back of her mind, she was well aware this wasn't right. Yet, she couldn't possibly get herself to move, "we used to spend so much time together—"

"Things have changed, Bella. I'm not the same old Jacob that can protect you anymore. We're not—we can't. As long as you're with him. You know that."

"I know but—there must be a way," Bella paused, "Jake, you're my best friend—"

"That didn't stop you from running back to him as soon as he came back."

"Don't be like that—"

"Be like what?" Jacob's voice was so sharp it made Natalia wince. The anger laced in his voice was tangible, "may I remind you that the reason why I—why everyone is — like this is because of your goddamn bloodsuckers in the first place?"

"You're different. Is it...It's because of her, isn't it?"

"What?"

"Natalia," Bella murmured, though it was loud enough to read the said girl's ears, "it's because of her. You've—changed."

"It's not—"

"Then why? Why are you suddenly being so petty about everything? I love Edward, it was always him, Jake. But now I feel like I'm losing you too—to her."

"She has nothing to do with this—"

"You—Are you in love with her or something?"

"Bella—"

"Or is it something else?" Bella's breath hitched, "did you imprint on her?"

Natalia could feel her heart beating wildly, too wildly, against her chest. She felt breathless. Imprint? What in the world were they talking about? And why was Bella so upset when she already had her one true lover, as per what Jared called him?

"You did." Bella's voice broke and something inside Natalia's stomach curled in anxiety, "you imprinted on her—How could you—"

"I don't choose—" Jacob took a breath, released it softly, "I don't choose who I imprint on, and—"

"But don't you see?! It's disgusting! The way they make choices for you! It's like you—you—"

At this point, Natalia had heard enough. She slipped back inside, didn't even bother closing the door for fear that Jacob would hear, her heart pounding so loudly she wondered whether he could hear it from his spot behind the wall. She walked the remaining steps back inside before pressing her back against the wall of the corridor, glad that no one was asking around for her. She couldn't quite explain what was going on with the tightness in her chest, and the way her hands seemed to fill with sweat...

An Imprint? What was an imprint? And why had Bella sounded so hurt by the fact that Jacob had imprinted? And on her? All thoughts swirled around Natalia's head, making it hard for her to focus. She felt dizzy with too much information and let out a straggled breath, fingers carding through her hair as she bit down onto her lower lip in thought.

It was all too much to take on at once. All the words plummeted down onto her like rain. Bella's scorn, the anger, the frustration filling her voice with such anguish — what had upset her so? Natalia couldn't, for a second, try to understand and despite knowing that Jacob was a wolf — yes, a mythical creature that shouldn't exist — she felt completely in the dark. Alone. Fearful.

Natalia's legs gave out underneath her. She slid down the wall, looked up at the ceiling, and wondered why she felt suddenly so lost all of a sudden.

———-

"Hey can I ask you something?"

Paul was in the middle of gulping down his third glass of fresh water — straight from Emily's tap, who else?—when Natalia managed to corner him. He blinked, swallowed everything down before frowning at the look of worry etched upon her face.

"Yeah?" He glanced towards the clock, noticing that he still had fifteen minutes before his shift begun, before he motioned towards Natalia to go ahead.

"Well," she sat down at the kitchen island, her nervous demeanor apparent on the way she kept picking at her fingernails and chewing onto her lower lip, "I—I overheard Jacob and Bella talking the other night."

His eyebrow rose in suspicion, urging her to go on.

"They had an argument."

Paul hummed, "keep going."

"About...about me?" Natalia fidgeted in her seat and tried not to squirm underneath the intense stare of the werewolf boy. He knew it all too well that he was slightly intimidating still and yet didn't even bother trying to tame himself, "something about an imprint. Or something."

Paul sucked in a breath. Jesus. He surely hadn't signed up to be talking about that first with Natalia. Him, of all people.

"Bella sounded upset," the words tumbled out of her mouth then. She was unable to control herself any longer like a dam breaking apart, "she said Jake didn't have a choice, that he—he imprinted on me. The way she said it sounded like it was something really bad that happened so I'm not sure—I don't know—What's an imprint? Why did she sound so worried?"

It took a long, drawn-out moment of Paul staring at her for a few beats too long to be comfortable, before he let out a soft sigh and looked towards the kitchen table. Natalia waited, slightly impatient as he leaned back against the kitchen counter and re-diverted his gaze back to her.

"Imprinting," he said it carefully, slowly, as though he was afraid she might miss it the first time he explained it, "is stronger than love. It's like a bond...just different."

It was clear that the Lahote boy was slightly uncomfortable with this conversation, with the way he kept swallowing and darting looks everywhere but at her. He continued:

"It can happen at any stage of a wolf's life. When it does, everything becomes secondary and the one whom the werewolf imprinted on becomes first priority. It's almost like a soulmate thing." His voice softened slightly, "people describe it as a bond where the werewolf takes on whatever role the imprinted needs him or her to be, in that moment."

"Have you?" Natalia probed, "imprinted?"

Paul swallowed thickly once more and for a minute, she caught sight of not a strong, angry-powered werewolf, but a bashful boy with an immense crush, "yeah." He croaked, "done and got the goddamn t-shirt."

"Do you...choose?"

"No," he scoffed, "it just so happens, people say it's our ancestors, choosing the best mate for us to live with for the rest of our lives."

That was all too much for Natalia's brain, "so...Jacob, he imprinted on me."

Paul dipped his head into a nod.

"Shit," her breath escaped her in a rush, "shit."

Jacob had imprinted. On her, of all people.

And yet, his heart laid elsewhere.

He was in love with Bella.

He was in love. With Bella.

"Hey," Paul, having noticed the look of worry and denial apreading across her face, couldn't help but reach for her shoulder. He squeezed it firmly, "Jacob might not have seen it coming, but he's okay about it."

"He doesn't want me," she looked at him. There was a sudden hole breaking in her chest and she wasn't even sure why. She barely knew the guy! Why was she so affected by mere words?! And they weren't even coming from Jacob! "He loves Bella."

"He did," Paul brought her closer into a one-armed hug, "but if there's one thing he doesn't want, is to hurt you."

No matter how much Paul comforted her that night, it was impossible to push away the mere possibility that Jacob didn't want this, that he didn't want her. How could one's heart change so easily? And if so, did that mean it to be true?

She loathed the thought of it, wished to hide away until the ocean of feelings would allow her some rest. Peace of mind.

Because the truth was, as much as she hated to admit it, Jacob Black had become somehow of a friend. A friend she leaned on, a friend that made her feel enough. Alive.

And that newfound friendship was suddenly catapulting into disaster, what with everything she'd learnt these past few hours.

"Hey Paul?"

He hummed, dark eyes flickering to her face as he leaned back.

"Thank you," Natalia bit the inside of her cheek, "for being there."

He didn't say anything back, but she could tell from the slightest tilt of his lips that it touched him.

----

A/N: and here we gooo with some more drama. With Natalia's newfound discoveries, will that change the way she interacts with Jacob? Only the next chapter will tell haha ;) tbh, I don't find Bella that annoying if you don't count the parts where she acts upon her own selfish volition and gets everyone around her involved despite her saying that she 'doesn't need protection'. I also hate that the entire plot series revolve around only her. It's crazy.

But anyway, we got Jacob Black out of it so hey, who am I to complain right? ;)

See you in the next chapter! Love you and thanks as always for the support xx