J X K

How The Tables Have Turned

Jared's POV

"What are you doing?" Paul hums, smacking the phone out of my hand. "Looking at porn? OH."

"Don't." I warn, growling it out. My shoulders tense, and I have to fight back the urge to claw the phone out of his hand.

"You're googling the best ways to romance women?!" Paul doubles over onto Emily's front porch in laughter, dropping my phone to clutch at his stomach.

"You're such a—" I snarl, hearing how my voice distorts into a deep rage that isn't human. Birds immediately fly away from the trees at the sound of it. Forcing a fake calm that isn't there, I don't speak till my voice evens out. "A prick."

"And you're a dork." Paul rolls his eyes, a smirk still firmly in place on his face. "I can't believe ladies man Jared Cameron is googling how to get a girl."

"Just shut up." I grunt, crouching down to get my phone back. I remind myself to breathe. Breathe like Sam told me ... deep breaths in, deep breathes out, and repeat.

I have to have a grip for both us. Paul barely has any restraint, he's struggling with his anger and will already. If I lose control Paul won't be far behind. The last time we fought we knocked a tree over and it missed Emily's house by half a foot.

"Do you need a minute?" It wasn't considerate. It was a challenge.

"I need you to shut up." I bite, still glaring at the forest floor between my feet. We're waiting for Sam to come back from his patrol, but he's taking too long. I don't know how much longer I can hold out. Paul's trying to pick a fight like a kid brother. He pushes and pushes. Our anger is definitely not the same. Paul is always angry, angry since he was a kid. While I'm just pissed about my new life, and the only thing that makes me feel any better is Kim or punching Paul right in his face!

"Stop antagonizing your brother." Sam cooley orders, buttoning the top of his shorts as he comes out of the tree line. I back down, lowering the fist I didn't even know I made. Sam orders Paul into the forest, telling him to go on ahead of me for patrol.

"Try to keep up." Paul smirks, leaving me behind. Sam takes Paul's seat, twice as tall and massive as the beta.

"I wasn't—"

"Shh," Sam doesn't let me get a word. I open my mouth again, but he holds his hand up to silence me. Sitting in the quiet, I prepare myself for a lecture or maybe a shouting match. I can't tell. We wait till the birds come back, and it's when we hear actual crickets and chirping does Sam speak up.

"He's jealous of you." Sam says simply like he's talking about the weather. I now get how Sam waited till Paul was far enough away before bringing him up.

"Is that why he's been getting on my nerves so much lately?" I groan, kicking at the ground.

"Maybe jealous is too strong of a word." Sam thinks it's over. "But you transformed before he did. You control it better. Now you've imprinted."

"You think he's jealous of Kim?" I ask, going rigid. I instantly feel like I'm on the brink again. If Paul tries to make a move on her I'll pulverize him.

"No." Sam knowingly shakes his head. "More of he's challenged by you. To him, you're the better werewolf."

"That's dumb." I sigh. We have more important things to worry about than rankings.

"That's Paul." Sam shrugs, but he's so stiff and serious it doesn't look natural on the big guy.

"Should I let him win a fight or something?" I ask.

"Don't fight with your brother." Sam gives me a pointed look. "He just needs a full normal week at school to make him think he's doing a good job with adjusting. Maybe stop obsessing over your imprint in front of him so much. He says he loves being the wolf, but it's not good for him to be a wolf most of his time."

"I guess I can help him with homework. But I'm pretty behind too." I admit sorely, remembering all the crap I have to do. "Do you really think I'm obsessed over Kim?"

"Yes." The corners of his mouth twitch, threatening to breakout in a grin.

"No wonder she's won't say yes to me." I groan, kicking at the ground again but harder till it splits. Kim use to be obsessed with me and I hated every moment of it. I dreaded seeing her obsess over me, and her struggling to talk to me was painful for both of us. Now I'm the one whose the loser whose out of his league trying to get her to go out with me.

"It's normal." Sam reassures. "Emily says I practically hunted her down till she couldn't deny her feelings for me. Don't do that. Like Emily said, she's been in love you from the beginning, she's just not ready yet. You have time. Focus on school or something till Kim's ready for you."

"Sam, you big old softie." I joke, which earns me a glare.

"I'm serious. Go to school." Sam ends our little heart to heart by getting up and going inside.

Kim's POV

"You're different lately." My dad stops the car out of the school to give me a hard look.

"Am I?" I beam. "Am I finally growing into my teeth?" I joke.

"You're beautiful." He insists like every dad is suppose to. "It's not a physical change. Not like a growth spurt, but something is very different about you."

"How?"

"Hmm, you're more yourself lately. You've been less shy, more sure of yourself."

"Dad, you really know how to compliment a girl." I grin gratefully while grabbing my book bag and lunch.

"Have a good day." He waves off, leaving me at the curb. Coming to school this early feels like a Saturday, there's barely anyone here yet besides some teachers. My parents' morning shifts start earlier than most, so I'm always early for classes. I kill the time with a long breakfast or a homework I hadn't finished yet.

The halls are nearly deserted when I get to my locker. The metal sounding extra loud as I open it.

I don't believe it when I see it. I do a double take at it. I accidentally closed my locker before realizing it, and had to put the combination in all over agin.

There, clumsily taped to the inside of my locker door is a single plucked purple tulip. A sticky note hangs from its stem, written in unmistakable boyish handwriting.

"I didn't know your favorite color, sorry. I hope you like purple, I thought it was pretty as you."