10A/N: Unfortunately this one is shorter but if you're a Paul and Jacob fan hopefully you will enjoy it none the less.
Chapter Three
Jacob walked briskly across the dimly lit lobby of his apartment building. The person at the front desk only looked up briefly from her book to mutter a greeting. Jacob mumbled a reply of his own as he passed on his way to the elevators but didn't deign to look over at her as he did so. His last tutoring session had gone longer than he expected, if he didn't hurry he was going to be late. He could picture her so clearly, sitting all by herself as she waited for him.
As soon as the elevator doors opened he dashed inside and immediately hit the close button before mashing his own floor button. As soon as the doors opened Jacob resumed his brisk pace all the way to his door. Inside his apartment was dark and quiet, the living room and kitchen lights off. Jacob tossed his keys onto the kitchen counter and walked into the living room where he dropped his messenger bag onto the couch with a contented sigh. He would never stop appreciating the quiet of the Grad apartments compared to the undergrad dorms.
Glancing at the clock next to the entertainment center Jacob hurried down the hallway that lead to the bedrooms. He paused outside the first door on the right looking at it uncertainly. The unmistakable sounds of a videogame were coming through it.
Jacob held up his fist to knock and hesitated before rapping loudly on the door. "Paul! Can I come in a minute?"
"I don't care." Jacob could tell just by the tone of his face that he was completely immersed in whatever game he was currently playing. That was never a good sign. Usually Paul only ever got super engrossed in a game when he was irritated at something.
Jacob slowly opened the door to find the room completely dark save for the glow of the tv screen. In the far corner of the room Paul was sitting up in his bed, legs stretched out in front of him with a Playstation controller in his hand.
"What is it," he asked without looking up from the screen.
"I'm about to talk to Emma. Is there anything you want me to tell or ask her?"
Paul snorted in derision. "No, I'm just a lackey remember? I'm sure if she has any new orders she'll have no problem just shooting a text."
Jacob had to suppress a sigh. Paul and Emma's relationship had always been tenuous at best but at this point it was virtually nonexistent. Paul had been growing more and more frustrated at Emma's lack of communication with him over the past year. It wasn't uncommon for him not to receive responses for his texts/emails and half of the time when she did communicate with him it was through Jacob. At one point he had attempted getting Paul into the room whenever he had his Skype chats with her to discuss plans but it was like trying to herd cats.
"You two can't keep up this little spat of yours forever you know. At some point you're gonna have to get over it."
"You wanna bet?" Paul smiled as he continued to keep his attention on T.V. screen. "That's the beautiful thing about being immortal Jacob. I can hold grudges for as long as I want."
Jacob finally let an irritated sigh escape his lips. "Fine."
He turned and trudged back out into the hallway closing the door to Paul's room behind him. Once inside his room he flipped on the light switch and went to his computer, turning it on and logging in as quickly as possible. Finally he went into skype where Emma was already waiting.
"Hey," she said, her entire face lighting up at seeing him. "I was worried that you had fallen asleep or something."
"No, one of my tutoring sessions just went on longer than I thought it would." Jacob smiled back at her in return.
Emma's smile faded and her eyes darkened. "Listen, Roderick got into contact with me. He told me that two of our people went hunting a few days ago and haven't turned up yet."
Jacob blinked in surprise. It was the last thing he expected to hear. Sure there had been a few hiccups here and there but so far all the plans had been running relatively smoothly. Judging from the fact that Emma had brought it up first thing he was guessing it was more than just a case of them not picking up their cell phones. Unease crept into his mind yet Jacob attempted to remain an optimist, at least for Emma's sake. "Maybe they just got carried away while hunting and went on a killing spree?"
Emma shook her head. "No, it was Amanda and Alex. Believe me if those two idiots had gone on a killing spree it would have been all over the news by now." There was no mistaking the irritation in her voice. She always had little patience for people straying off course.
"What else could it have been though?" The thought of any of them just ditching everyone else- ditching Joe-was unthinkable.
Emma took a deep breath before continuing. "Maybe they ran across other vampires, or hunters. We have a few theories."
"You think someone killed them?" Jacob's mind spun at the thought. He was so used to thinking of Emma and the others as the ultimate predators. It was hard for him to picture any human taking them down, but maybe another vampire. "You don't think it's Ry-"
"No." Emma cut him off immediately. "Like I said we just have a few theories but we're not jumping to any conclusions. Ryan and his little cohorts aren't the first vampires to attack their own kind." She sneered when mentioning Ryan's name.
"So, what are Paul and I supposed to do?"
"Well, right now it's probably best to recruit a few more people. Do you have anyone in mind."
Jacob racked his brain thinking of all the students he tutored on a regular basis. There were a few that would occasionally confide in him during their sessions but none that seemed desperate to run away from their problems.
"None that really come to mind." Jacob avoided her gaze and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I haven't volunteered at the crisis counseling center recently though. I can afford to skip out on my study group meetings to start again."
"Don't stress out about it too much," Emma reassured him. "Roderick can also recruit from his end as well, just keep your eye out for potentials."
Jacob nodded although he doubted he would find anyone so soon. The others took time to get to know and groom. The problem with his fellow college students is that everyone seemed to breakdown or panic at some point. It was hard to pinpoint the ones that truly had issues that would attract them to another life after only a meeting or two.
"Also, make sure you and Paul go hunting together. If there's someone else out there I don't want them catching one of you off guard when you're by yourself."
Jacob's heart sped up at the mention of hunting and he felt his palms begin to sweat. "Right, will do. Paul and I usually go hunting together anyway." He kept his voice even as possible but the words still came out much quicker than he would have liked.
Luckily Emma didn't seem to notice. "Make sure you guys keep a closer eye on the others as well just in case some of them are sneaking off."
Given how young some of the people in the group were Jacob didn't blame her for being concerned but he still couldn't help but grin a little bit. "Don't worry about that. Paul installed cameras at the house forever ago to make sure they don't destroy the place or kill each other. I think he watches the feeds whenever he gets bored, too."
Emma pressed her lips together in an attempt to keep back a laugh but was unsuccessful. "Well, I guess that takes care of that." The smile remained on her face as she gazed at Jacob with adoration. Her entire demeanor shifted and she was no longer a higher up in the chain of command giving orders but the girl he had met at the diner almost two years ago, just not as shy anymore.
"I miss you," she told him quietly as if someone would overhear her in one of her more vulnerable states. "I can't wait to be with you again, hopefully it won't be much longer now."
Jacob felt his heart skip a beat. You might not want me when you see me again.
He still managed to smile around his nervousness. "I miss you too. I'm sure you're right, Joe will be ready to move on to the next part soon." Jacob was beginning to feel nauseous with anxiety, something that hadn't happened since his first year of college.
Emma glanced at something off screen. "I have to go now. I love you."
"I love you, too." Usually saying those words made him feel lighter than air for just a few moments, but now he felt a sense of defeat as he said them. As if they were already sealing his fate later on.
Emma blew him a kiss before signing off. Jacob stared at the black screen, his mind blank then with a loud sigh leaned back into his chair. He ran both hands over his face and into his hair gripping it lightly.
"God, what am I gonna do?"
"Seriously."
Jacob spun his chair around to see Paul standing in the door way shaking his head.
"You still haven't told her? You know, I'm no relationship expert but I'm pretty sure keeping something like this a secret for a year tends to be a deal breaker."
"There's just never been a good time," Jacob snapped, his voice going up an octave. "That's not something you can just drop over a text message or a skype call."
"Well, at least she can't kill you through a computer screen," he snickered. "You can also screen cap the exact look on her face."
"Would you just stop?" If he was being honest Jacob knew that not wanting to tell her over the computer was just an excuse but it wasn't something he was in the mood for discussing. "Besides, there's something she told me that we need to talk about."
The humor faded from Paul's eyes and he stiffened. " What did she say?"
"Two of Roderick's went missing. They think another vampire or hunter may have done it."
"What makes them think they're dead?" Paul's tone was disbelieving with just a hint of contempt underneath it that probably had more to do with the fact that the news came from Emma.
"It didn't sound like they've ruled that out, but you'd think that if they just took off they'd have some warning signs."
Paul's forehead creased in concentration as the gears began turning in his head. "That's true but if they were together it would have been hard for a hunter take them down singlehandedly. We would have known if a team of them came to town."
"Emma was wondering if maybe one of ours went off on their own and got into a spat with them."
As expected Paul only made a face and shook his head at that. "No way. I check the footage of what they're doing every day. If one of them had left for any extended period of time I'd know by now."
"Yea, that's what I told her." Jacob notice Paul's lips part just slightly in surprise and felt resentment simmer inside of him. It wasn't as if he never took up for him or anything.
"So, what did Emma suggest we do then?"
Jacob shrugged. "To just stick together and keep a close eye on the others. She mentioned not feeding by ourselves."
"I'll have to go with each group whenever they feed from now on so that won't be much of a problem."
"Maybe you should stay with them until this is all over. That way you don't have to travel without back up."
"So, then you'll be by yourself? No way." Paul's tone was insistent. "No one's going to be attacking me on the campus and like I said I can feed with the others."
"I know," replied Jacob miserably. He slid further down into his chair. "I just hate being useless."
"Hey, don't talk like that." All the bitterness and sarcasm in his voice was gone. He walked across the room and placed a hand on Jacob's shoulder. "We wouldn't have gotten this far without you."
Jacob avoided his eyes."Yea, well I'm not doing anyone good right now am I?"
Paul moved his hand from Jacob's shoulder to the side of his face so that they were looking each other in the eyes. "It's not going to be that way much longer," he told him softly. "You're gonna make that leap, okay? I'll help you through it." Paul gave him a small smile, his usually hard eyes softening.
Jacob had noticed that most of his genuine smiles were small and close mouthed. The only time he really saw Paul smile widely or grin was when he came back from hunting, which always made him seem much more predatory to Jacob than truly happy. He'd always found it both awe-inspiring and terrifying whenever he witnessed it.
"Thanks," he murmured shifting his gaze away from Paul's intense gaze. Unfortunately Paul's earnestness in helping him transition made him feel just as guilty as lying to Emma. Only difference was that Emma thought he was something he wasn't while Paul wanted him to be something he didn't think he could be.
"Since we were on the topic of feeding..." Paul slid his hand from the side of Jacob's face and stood straight. "It's been about a week and given what just happened with the others do you mind if I-"
"Yea, of course," Jacob said before he could even finish. He hopped up from the computer chair and walked over to the bed in the corner, rolling up the sleeves of his sweater. His heart began to speed up as he laid down on the bed though from excitement or anxiety he couldn't be sure.
It wasn't the first time Paul had fed on him. Part of it had started out as curiosity. Jacob had wanted to know what it felt like to have fangs pierce his flesh, hoping it would calm some of his fears. After wards, when he realized it hadn't been as bad as he had thought Jacob suggested it as a regular thing so Paul wouldn't have to go hunting as much.
Paul's fangs extended out as he approached Jacob on the bed his expression neutral. Even after almost a year Paul was extremely careful in how he fed on him. He never showed any signs of eagerness or hunger, and every movement was slow and measured. Paul kneeled down at the side of the bed and lifted his arm gently up. He bowed his head over the crook of Jacob's elbow causing Jacob to look away a second before he bit down.
Jacob winced a little at the pain but soon relaxed. It really wasn't any worse than donating blood. Once the pain from the fangs piercing his skin faded it was fine especially since Paul was good at taking just enough so that he would only feel a little tired afterwards. Not long after he had started Paul raised his head, licking his lips. Jacob could only watched transfixed as Paul bent his head down again and lapped up the blood that was beginning to well up from the two puncture wounds.
"The gauze and wrap is in the bedside drawer," Jacob told him in a breathless whisper.
Paul stopped his own ministrations and pulled open the drawer next to him. "You keep everything useful in here, don't you," Paul remarked playfully. He pulled out the gauze and pressed it gently against the crook of Jacob's elbow. Lifting his arm up again Paul wrapped his arm and placed the supplies back in the drawer. He then looked back down at Jacob's arm and smiled at his handiwork.
"Perfect. Looks just like you went to give blood on the big red bus." His eyes traveled back up to Jacob's face. "You feel alright?"
Jacob nodded. "Yea. I'm still going to lay down for a while though, just in case."
Paul's hand moved up to his chest. "Wouldn't want you to almost pass out again."
"Hey, sometimes it doesn't hit you until you start moving," Jacob said defensively. Granted he should have known better to get up and start doing chores after losing blood given that he was premed but still.
Paul chuckled and before Jacob could say anything he bent down and pressed his lips against his lightly.
Jacob's heart skipped a beat. He felt a thrill go through him that only seemed to happen whenever he and Paul locked lips.
"Paul," he breath when the other man pulled back so that his face was just a few inches from his.
Paul cocked an eyebrow in mock confusion. "What? Just thought you might like a little preview of what blood tastes like."
"It's not that." Jacob shifted on the bed his eyes avoid Paul's gaze. "You just fed off me so it's really not a good time for me to be getting...'excited'"
Paul snickered. "So, basically you can't afford to have any blood-" he moved his hand to Jacob's waist "-shifting downwards to less vital organs?"
"Pretty much," he admitted feeling his cheeks heat up.
"Well, maybe I can join you in the shower later." He bent down again, this time to kiss him on the forehead with more tenderness than one would expect. He stood up and gave him a grin. "Wouldn't want you to get light headed and fall down."
With that he left the room, shutting the light off as he went. Images of Paul in the shower, soaking wet entered his mind but he quickly pushed them back out again for fear that he really would cause himself to accidentally pass out. He thought back to Emma's smiling face and felt a pang of guilt.
There were too many tangled threads in his life and he was getting closer to the point where they were going to unravel. For once Jacob was actually grateful for the weariness that came after being fed on. It made it so much easier for his worries to fade into the background of his mind as sleep quickly overtook him.
A/N: As usual let me know what you think. Concrit is appreciated. I know this chapter may seem a little fillerish but I promise that the next will really start to get into the main plot.