67.
The thing about a new pack carving a territory of their own is conflict. One way or the other, the neighboring packs who are older and more experienced can come to wipe the new, smaller pack. Jacob didn't just build himself a new house. He had to grow up as a responsible adult and a real alpha. So He went back to college and finally got his degree. Work two jobs to make ends meet. Everyone in his four-member pack contributed. They sweated together, ate together, and slept in a rundown cabin in the middle of nowhere. They eventually purchased that plot of land. Made it official. Jacob Black's pack. At last. It took them a while. But they did it.
Those ten years away from his mate, not only made him vicious but also caring for his pack. He had to constantly keep the boundaries of his new domain from rogue mutts, lone killers, and Sam. Sam's pups harassed their pack on a weekly basis. So Jacob had to recruit new members. With Quil, his beta, Leah, and Seth. They just weren't enough to push back the threats. He took in two brothers who were on a run from rival packs. Their parents were murdered in a conflict involving rival packs and their alpha was not too keen on keeping troublesome members that could bring the war to his doorstep. So one day, he told Dean and Malek to take a hike.
Jacob gazed at his small family around the dinner table in the main kitchen. The larger cabin was used as an office, kitchen, meeting room, and just the pulsing heart of the pack. It was surrounded by four small cabins, one for Leah, one for himself, and the two others were shared among the boys. Leah had insisted she would fight her own fights when Malek was drooling over her. Jacob had stepped in and fixed the problem. Malek now averted his eyes from a smiling Leah as they shared a late-night snack. They always end each run in their wolf form with a feast.
Jacob's eyes lingered on Renesme at the head on the table. The place of honor, for the newly crowned queen. She didn't eat. She wrinkled her nose at the feast displayed on the table. The wolves darted wary eyes at her. They can feel it too. Her power, the darkness that edged around them. Whatever she was, she was not a vampire...not human either, not anymore.
She was a raw, untamed force of nature. If she was an element, she would be the bottomless sea or a roaring volcano. Something with no sense of good or bad. Something to fear. Her head snapped in the direction of Jacob like she had been listening to his thoughts...to all of them.
"I'm tired," she said and silence fell around the table. Jacob got to his feet and joined her.
"Come, let's retreat to our cabin," he said and Quil smirked at them. Seth whistled and the brothers clapped. Leah eyed them as they left. "Behave," Jacob snapped, but he had an amused smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Their alpha was happy and they could feel it through the link that held the pack together.