Seth Clearwater Imprinted With Trouble

Chap. 2

“Hey,” I said to her.

“Hey,” she responded. She cocked her head and listened intently with a raised eyebrow. I know she could hear the quick, bird-like fluttering that was actually the sound of my little one’s heart. She looked back at me and said, “We have company.”

“I know,” I told her. I pride myself on being honest. I hate lying or evading a subject, partially because I’m no good at it, but also because that I just feel that it is plain wrong, especially since, when in wolf formation, every single brother, or sister, of my wolf pack is telepathically linked to each other’s minds. We always know what each other’s are thinking, whether we want to or not. Also, our pack and I hang around a little coven of vampires—backwards, huh?—called the Cullens’. They’re vampires that only drink the blood of animals, not humans, and ever since our buddy Jake went and imprinted with Edward and Bella Cullen’s half-vampire-half-human daughter, Renesme, or ‘Nessie’, and the Volturi came down to try and mess us all up, we’ve all been hanging a lot. Edward can read peoples’ minds. Bella is like an anti-everything-that-is-mentally-forced-upon-you shield; she rejects all mental and telepathic abilities that she doesn’t consent. For example, Edward can only read her mind when she wants him to. Renesme can, through touching, show you images within her mind right into yours. The ‘parents’ of the family are Carlisle and Esme. Carlisle is a doctor of Forks and Esme is the motherly caretaker of everyone. Then comes Edward and Bella, who married after they met in highschool and Edward turned Bella into a vamp not too long ago. Emmett and Rosalie are another couple. Rosalie was the second “kid” that came into the Cullen’s family and then Rosalie found Emmett and yada yada yada. Alice and Jasper just kinda walked right in on the family. Of course, Carlisle and Esme welcomed then with open arms. How could they refuse Alice? No one can. Alice can also see the future and Jasper can change peoples’ emotion however he wants.

So they’re a talented family. Being around so many people that will simply not be deceived kinda makes you not even try.

Leah looked at me. “The heartbeat, Seth. We’ve heard it before.”

“Yeah…” I said really softly. “After she’s rested up a bit I’m planning to take her to the Cullens’. They’ll know a bit more than me on what to do.”

Leah looked me dead in the eye. “We can’t keep her, Seth.”

My anger soared. It just raged. I tried to keep it under control. Leah doesn’t mean to be a terrible bitch, but sometimes she just can’t help it. She’d gotten her heart broken—no, shattered and then scattered across the world—when she was in her teens. And now she’s super bitter. Understandable, really. But right now, it isn’t.

“She’s not a dog, damn it! I don’t care what she is, she’s—“

“What? Important to you? She’s just a little girl. And even worse, she’s a half-vampire just like that Nessie—“

“I imprinted with her.”

The silence after my remark showed me how truly astounded she was at that. Leah can usually draw blood with her remarks and she can wield’em at just about any time.

“Her name is Clarianna, she can’t speak English, and I need you to watch her long enough for me to get to a store to buy her some clean clothes.” Remember what I said about the whole lack of the ability to lie or evade the subject? I’m not really good at plans or subtleness either. “Honest. Just long enough to run to the store. She’ll stay asleep the entire time.”

Leah just kinda looked at me. Not just looking, though. She looked at me. With that gaze she saves especially for stupid, obnoxious people that get on her nerves. I licked my lips nervously.

“I promise.”

She stayed silent for a long time just debating while staring at me. Finally, after forever, she sighed. “Fine,” she drew out. “So long as I don’t have to do much.”

I sighed in relief and I turned to leave the house when I heard a small footstep behind me. I looked back and I saw Clarianna’s face partially hidden behind the door to my bedroom. I bent down and held out my arms and she came darting over to me. She threw herself at me and landed squarely in the center of my chest. The weight of her didn’t even cause my breath to waver. She wriggled a little bit and settled into the niche of my shoulder, snuggling her head into the side of my neck. I have to admit it, I was a little surprised about her still being up and awake. Leah must’ve seen the look on my face.

“Looks like she knew. You two really did imprint. What a smart move to make,” she said scornfully, but she wasn’t able to hide the yearning in her eyes. Leah really just wanted to have someone in her life that could help heal the gaping hole in her heart. Unfortunately, when you’re a werewolf, not many people can do that. That’s why imprinting with someone is so… so… time-stopping, life changing, just so everything. You know, the whole I can see clearly now that the rain is gone… thing. “Look, just manage to convince her that you’re not going to leave her forever, because she can’t go with you and she probably can’t go in her old clothes either. I’ll take care of her till you come back.” She stepped away from us a step and scowled. “But you’d better hurry.”

I looked back down at my little bird. Her eyes were half-lidded and she was sucking on her thumb again. Even though it lowers my Overall Amount of Manliness Points, I can’t use any other word to describe her but adorable. Just so completely adorable. I tapped her on her chin to get her attention. Her eyes slowly opened.

“I’m going to leave for just a little bit, but I’ll be back later, I promise, okay?”

She looked at me with those big, blue eyes of hers. I now know the true picture of puppy-dog eyes. We couldn’t even speak the same languages but, apparently, puppy-dog eyes are universal.

“Okay?” I asked gently. Her little mouth dropped into an ‘O’ and her eyes widened farther than they were supposed to. He breathing grew faster and harsher, and I could hear her tiny, hummingbird of a heart drum as fast as it could, so fast that it had to hurt. Her hands tightened on my shirt and started to shake.

I dropped to the floor, instantly terrified. I grabbed her chin and forced her to look into my eyes. “Clarianna, I swear I will come back. I promise to never leave you alone. Never,” I told her, my heart breaking with each ragged breath her lungs pulled in. She kept going for a couple more seconds and then a strange light came into her eyes. Her face became blank for a brief second of an eternity and then she relaxed in my arms. She looked up at me and reluctantly nodded before hugging me as tightly as her little arms could. I set her down gently and she slowly let go. She stood in the same place as I turned my back to leave house. I felt her eyes on me the entire way to the store.