Rise of the Underdogs: JACOB

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I walked into the packhouse, bags slung over my shoulder, and inhaled deeply. Breathing in the familiar scent of Ember’s infamous French cuisine. The smell drifting into the front room filled me with peace. Baguettes, Coq au vin, Ratatouille, and Soupe de poissons filled my senses. Under it, layered just right, was the scent of Sarmale or beef-stuffed cabbage rolls, Stuffed Peppers, Cozonac (literally the best freaking sweet break on the international market), and Romanian-style birthday cake.

All of it pointing toward the fact that I’d arrived home on the day of my older brother’s birthday.

Obviously, through a bunch of trial and error, we’d found out that Paul had a love of exotic (meaning overseas) food. French and Romanian, to be exact.

Grinning, I adjusted the straps on my luggage and called out: “Honey, I’m home!”

“Thanks for the warning!” Heaven called from the curved staircase.

She was holding and trying to make the loop reach the catch, but she was falling short. The net was practically pulling her toward falling, filled with rainbow-coloured balloons that would fall during the usual open-door pack party we held for founding members. A time when rank didn’t matter and every pack member was invited to celebrate.

She growled, low and deep. A sign that her wolf was nearing maturity and almost ready to break free and shift for the first time. Heaven glanced down, her eyes dancing playfully, “Come help me with this. I wanna get it done before Paulie gets back from patrol.”

Already climbing the stairs, I grabbed the rope loop from her hands and shimmied up the banister. Locking my legs around the pole that stabilized the staircase, I hooked the rope loop onto the iron clasp. I gave a satisfied nod, “All set, sis.”

“Thanks, Jakey! Vince called when you were on the way, so I had Velora draw a bath and warm your rooms for you. Bed’s been refreshed and all your stored laundry was cleaned,” she rhymed off.

Her intensity, once thought to be some kind of OCD or something, was actually her extreme attention to details almost everyone else missed. My baby sister didn’t have an issue, she had an unbreakable system. One where everything had its place and if anything was moved, something or someone had been in a place they shouldn’t have. It was that attention to detail that helped warn the rest of us when we were kids.

The attention she paid to Logan when he thought no one was looking. The way she used those details to send whoever was the most equipped to handle whatever darkness he was wading through at any given moment.

“Awesome,” I called over my shoulder as I grabbed my bags from the floor. Before I could reach them, another hand darted out and took them from my grasp. “Uh…”

Looking up, I saw a young Vampire girl, nervously fingering the straps as she looked at me for orders. As gently as I could, I shook my head and reclaimed my baggage. “But…”

“I can handle my things. This is not your concern right now. Please go assist with setting up for the Beta’s birthday dinner,” I said, pointing her to the main floor where several others were running like chickens with their heads cut off.

Fun fact from my obviously disturbed mind: Chickens have been logically and scientifically proven to be able to “run around” for minutes after beheading. This is because their spine is still intact and causes an involuntary muscle movement similar to contractions.

Yeah, I’m weird. If you were inside my head for a nanosecond, you’d go cray-cray, too.

“Wait, you’re new?” I called after her as she cautiously made her way to the stairs.

She turned, her eyes wide, “I’m Leo’s sister.”

“Oh, so that’s why you seemed familiar,” I commented. “Well, shadow your brother for a while to see how things are run here. Don’t be scared to ask for clarification, either. Alpha loves it when people actually confirm orders rather than assume.”

Blinking comically at me, she offered a small smile and nodded. “Thank you, Sir.”

Making my way to my rooms, I sighed. It was good to be home, but it was also fun to join my bestie in making chaos happen in a Vampire training camp. Opening the door, I tossed my jacket over the arm of the reading chair in the corner. Dropping my bags to the bed, I unpacked methodically.

Depositing my clothes in the hamper, I grabbed a clean towel and clothes before making my way to the bathroom. Scrubbing myself of the residue of my Russian stay, I hummed softly while the cold water rained down around me.

Yes, cold. Frigidly, teeth-clatteringly cold showers were my favourite. Others found them only useful when keeping their libido at bay, but I liked how they regulated my body temperature.

Someone banged on the door as I turned off the taps and patted my body clear of the droplets. “Snacks on your table, Jake!”

“Thanks, Em!” I called back, drying my hair before getting dressed. She was still there when I walked out, jeans hanging just off my toned hips. In her hands was my coat, her eyes wide and glassy, her mouth barely open. “Em?”

I didn’t want to reach out, not yet. It would only disrupt the vision she was in the middle of having. Instead, I sat down and waited until she snapped back to her senses. The cookies and tasters she’d brought me were delish, so I ate them while she worked though her unpredictable powers.

She hauled in a breath, blinking as she came back from seeing whatever it was she saw. “Wow… you had a load of fun.”

“See anything worth-while?” I asked, not bothering to pretend I didn’t know what she was talking about.

“A shadow, the smell of ice and iron. Like you were in contact with someone important to me,” Ember replied, her voice a mix of confusion and caution.

I scowled, “Other than Valik, I was in contact with quite a few other guys and girls. Only one had a scent remotely similar to that, though. He’s an in-training Elite cadet, but he’s loyal and fun.”

Tilting her head, her green orbs pinned me with a look that said more than she ever did (trust me, this girl is as quiet as death until she’s on top of you with a blade to your throat in defense of her friends). Her gaze flickered around the room, “I saw him… only a shadow, but I... I think he’s… mine.”

“Whut? Well, that’s a good thing, isn’t it? Wait, you’re not going to go into desperation, are you?” I asked, actually concerned for her well-being.

“Concerned?” She asked, her tone daring me to deny it. When I nodded, she smiled, “Don’t be. Even if he doesn’t want me, I know my worth. I will not allow any man to dictate that.”

My grin made her smile widen, “I know, Em. I just worry. If you were wondering, his name is Peiter Von Hoist.”

Her lips twitched, “Great! At least, with a name, I can look into his background to see if he is worthy of me.”

Taking the now-empty plate, she grinned, “So, see you at dinner?”

“If it was anything like that sampler plate, hell-to-the-yes,” I laughed.

Having known Ember since she was only two and a half years old, with her being my baby sister’s best friend, I treated her the same way I treated my sisters. Besides, our crew operated on a sibling-oriented basis. We were from different backgrounds, different origins, but we had one, unrelenting goal: to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves.

The door clicked shut behind her, but her warmth lingered. Getting my sneakers out, I finished getting dressed before heading down to annoy my family the best way I knew how.

Being present and grinning like an i***t.

Why does this unsettle my family? Simply because I only did that if I was up to something. And I was totally planning something.

Rather than the stairs, I went immature and rode the rail down. Jumping off at the last second, I stuck the landing and reached for a glass of the go-to drink for the pack. No, it wasn’t alcoholic. Logan could be crazy, but not stupid crazy.

Nah, we drank birch beer and the non-alcoholic Heineken. Good times, good friends, and good vibes were all we needed. Then again, having good food was great, too.

Paul grinned at me, raising his own drink as he cuddled his pregnant Mate protectively. “Welcome home, Jake.”

“Happy birthday, old man,” I called back, laughing with the surrounding pack members who understood our way of getting along.

“Wait for it…” I heard Samuel mutter as he shook his head.

My eyes followed Paul’s movements, taking in every little cue. The tilt of his head, the half smirk, the gentle way he set his woman to the side so she didn’t get hurt.

Yup, he was about to give chase.

Sensing the shift in the air, Logan glanced over at us. “Clear a path to the door. My Beta and his brother are into it again.”

Sure enough, as soon as the path was opened, Paul shot to his feet. Me? Oh, I was already out the door.