The pack and I instantly made our way over to the Cullen's home to assess whatever had happened. All Sam told us was that there was a vision.
We arrived promptly and were invited into the living room to sit amongst the Cullen family while we waited for the other arrivals.
"How are you feeling, Oakley?" Esme asked me kindly as I entered.
I smiled at the maternal woman. "Getting there, thank you."
Finally, Alice and Carlisle entered the room.
"Alice has had a vision which lines up with Oakley's information." Carlisle introduced, speaking softly at all times despite the clearly pressing matter.
Alice stood forward to gain our attention. "Oakley was right. The vampires that turned her are creating an army with the purpose of overpowering the Volturi."
The room took in the information silently.
"What does this mean? Are they coming back to make Oakley fight with them?" Seth asked worriedly.
"That's what Alice saw. In her vision, Joseph, the man that turned her, he will be sent to fetch her within the coming days. Then from there, they will be moving to rule."
Seth began shaking beside me. "No, they aren't taking her. No way." he demanded.
"We won't let them, Seth. Don't worry about that." Sam assured.
"How big is their army?" Jared wondered out loud.
"Bigger than the army we faced over Renesmee." Alice said, recalling her vision with a look of worry.
Sam nodded in remembrance. "Ok. So what's our game? Sure the Volturi are a bunch of stuck up pricks but they're surely better than murderous newborns?"
Carlisle nodded quickly. "Agreed. And I believe that siding with the Volturi may protect us in the future."
"What, do you have them on speed dial or something?" Jared quipped. "How does one contact a vampire government these days?"
I tried not to snort in laughter at Jared's lack of seriousness.
"Baby that's what I'm here for," Juliet spoke from beside him. "I can drop a letter and run so I stay anonymous."
Carlisle nodded gratefully. "Ok. Let's give them a heads up, tell them we'll stand beside them. Alice how long do they have to get here?"
"Three days."
"But what about Oakley? She can't be mixed up in this, the Volturi barely honoured our truce last time, and it was even worse when they heard about Renesmee. What the hell are they going to say about a wolf-vampire hybrid?" Seth panicked.
"Hopefully if she's in wolf form at the time of the battle they won't know. They tend to stay away from your kind naturally, we can hope that her appearance will deter them from analysing too closely." Jasper offered.
I nodded and laid a hand on Seth's reassuringly. "It's ok, Seth."
"Ok. Three days. We have some training to do." Sam finalised, looking at me in particular.
---
"No Oakley, we can't get Leah to slap you before the battle. Your vampire side needs to be comfortable with phasing, so we're staying out here until it doesn't hurt anymore and you can do it over and over again." Sam demanded, getting tired of me screaming in pain and knowing he couldn't do anything about it.
"But you're gonna see me naked over and over," I whined.
Sam sighed and brought a hand to his nose in exhaustion. "Well then I'll send out Leah to supervise you instead. But you're going to phase until it's easy. We need to loosen up the transition."
I groaned loudly like a child and rolled my eyes at my alpha, wishing it would be over. I knew he was right, but every time I phased, my bones got stuck in transition and fought against the process, making it 10x more painful than it should have been.
Jared and Jake had to hold back Seth who was stressing out more than ever listening to my cries of pain and knowing how much it was hurting me to phase. He was furious at Sam for making me do this, even though he too knew it was necessary.
Paul didn't love it either but he was much more understanding, knowing it was for my own good, and honestly getting amusement out of Seth's intense reactions. He later told me Seth was feeling physical pain in his chest every single time I screamed, which broke my heart as well as warmed it.
Leah made her way into the yard finally. "Want me to slap you?" she offered.
Surprisingly, I nodded, knowing that the sooner I phased, the sooner my transition wouldn't hurt anymore.
Without even hesitating, Leah walked up to me and smacked me hard across the face even worse than last time, inducing my wolf's anger.
As predicted, I phased. It took a long time but I got there.
"Ok good. Phase back, do it again." she demanded, making herself comfortable on a log sitting nearby.
I whimpered in wolf form and willed myself to phase back.
"It isn't getting any easier," I spoke breathlessly and exhausted, still in pain.
She shrugged with a sympathetic look on her face. "It will. Let's keep at it."
Nodding and attempting to not give into my pure exhaustion, I phased again on my own. Using the anger I had at the whole situation helped, and I began realising that channeling anger into it and trying to convince my wolf that it was being threatened enabled it to takeover easier.
I did this over and over, Leah getting comfortable and reading to herself as she mindlessly watched and coached me every now and then, making sure I wouldn't run off or pass out. It took time between each phase, burning intensely all through my body each time, and I had to fight to stay conscious and not pass out from the pain.
I then figured out the one thing my wolf was most protective of, the one thing that no matter how exhausted or pained I was, the wolf would jump out immediately to protect.
Seth.
"Hey that one was the quickest yet! You're getting it!" Leah celebrated happily after a while of supervising. "What did you do?" she asked as I phased back.
I sighed and looked at her knowingly. "I thought of Seth...Seth in danger." I spoke quietly, noticing my wolf already attempting to fly back to the surface and phase me right then and there at the sheer words.
I gave in, letting myself phase in an instant. It hurt less, my wolf's desire to protect its imprint far outweighing any vampiric DNA I had lingering in me.
Leah stood up satisfied. "I think you've done it. It seems we've figured out your switch," she said, coming over to pet me sympathetically. "Let's call it a day. I can tell you're exhausted."
I happily phased back and put on the shorts and bralette I had brought with my for when I was done. "You okay?" she asked as she watched me change.
I nodded. "Every part of me is in pain and I feel like I'm gonna pass out, but yeah. Happy I can say I figured out the trigger." I whispered breathlessly.
As we walked back to the house, I stumbled slightly in exhaustion, and Leah grabbed an arm to support me. "Woah there, let's get you to bed to rest up." she said.
Even then, I couldn't walk, and I collapsed in utter pain and having no energy left to give. Leah thankfully caught me and picked me up bridal style to walk me the rest of the way as I slipped in and out of consciousness.
Entering the house, Seth and Paul were on their feet instantly. "What happened!?!" They both yelled, coming over to us.
"She's fine, she's just exhausted and in a lot of pain. She's phased back and forth 112 times in the last few hours. We counted." Leah explained.
The boys all gasped at the number, knowing how physically tiring the phasing process was at all let alone for someone who struggled with it that much due to their vampire side and doing it over a hundred times. The guys were sick even thinking about how I must be feeling.
Seth took me from his sister's arms protectively. "Oh Oak," he whispered sadly at the sight of me.
"I'm okay, I figured out how to do it," I whispered barely audibly as I attempted to stay awake.
Leah took over. "She figured out how to make her wolf angry enough to overtake the vampire side of her, completely phase in a second flat."
Paul looked impressed. "What was the key?"
"Him." Leah pointed to her brother as he held me tightly in his strong arms. "She thought of him in pain or something."
Emily let out an audible 'aww' at the understanding, but Seth was too worried about me to react.
"I'm gonna take her home to let her rest this off." he announced.
I didn't even need to look to know that everyone was smirking and making faces at Seth's declaration, no doubt making everybody uncomfortable.
But I was grateful for him as I felt him carry me all the way back to my house.
I could practically feel the worry dripping off Seth as he carried me home. "Seth, I'm okay, I promise." I whispered breathlessly, attempting to fight the sleep that was determined to claim me.
"I don't want you to be okay. I want you to be amazing, happier than ever, safe." he whispered back sadly.
I gained enough consciousness to wrap my arms around Seth's neck rather than flopping like a dead body, cuddling into his neck as he walked.
"You're so warm." I cooed, breathing in his scent. "I could stay like this all day."
The second I said it, my heart picked up speed, realising I probably wouldn't have said that if I wasn't drunk on fatigue. The fear of overstepping made me wake up slightly, and I began to stutter. "I uh-Sorry, that was...I just mean you're warm and I-"
"Me too."
He put an end to my rambling by agreeing with me, making me beam at the thought that he wanted to remain intertwined also.
The rest of the walk was silent as Seth walked with me in his arms. I could tell he was debating something, clearly thinking too hard, because whenever Seth concentrated too hard he grew these adorable little lines between his eyebrows and he bit the inner corner of his lip and cheek while he looked away all zoned out.
Fuck...had I really been looking that closely?
I mean I guess everyone notices that stuff though...
"What are you thinking about so hard?" I questioned, slurring my words as sleep came closer.
He snapped out of his daze and smirked slightly to the side, blushing. "Go back to sleep, nosy one." he scolded playfully, pushing me back into his neck so I couldn't see his face.
I was too tired to protest, and being in Seth's neck and chest like that was...pure happiness.
I must have fallen back to sleep, because the next I knew, Seth was carrying me down the hallway and cautiously lying me in my bed. I felt him place me gently before covering me with the blankets and going to close the curtains.
He crept over slowly, bending down to place a soft kiss on my forehead, allowing me to sense his nervousness. "Rest up, Oak." he whispered ultra softly before straightening up.
Maybe it was the fatigue, maybe it was the stress of the upcoming battle, maybe it was the lingering smell of Seth's cologne in my nose, but as he turned to leave me to rest, I caught his arm.
He turned around curiously, looking down at me with questioning eyes. "Stay," I begged in a whisper, craving his closeness. I slept better when I saw him, when he was around. He made me feel safer than anyone in the world, and I wanted him near me selfishly.
He hesitated for a second before nodding, and moving around the other side to climb into bed with me. He was moving gently, as if he was scared he would scare me off or cross a line. So to ensure him I meant it, I rolled over to face him, resuming my place in his neck. I felt Seth pause in surprise, his breath hitching, before his arms happily returned the embrace, keeping me securely on his chest and safely in his arms.
"I told you I could stay like this all day," I whispered before letting sleep consume me, having never felt more comfortable in my life.
(Seth POV)
My emotions were in overdrive. First, seeing Oakley in pain and as drained as she was, my heart dropped and my wolf was threatening to come out at the sheer sight. The only reason I was able to remain human was because I was too worried.
Imagine that, too worried to phase.
Then holding her in my arms, my emotions turned to excitement, happiness, I felt so lucky to be holding her, so privileged she trusted me to take her home and so protective and worried at the same time.
But then, hearing Oakley whisper into my chest that she could stay here all day, only to follow it up by asking me to stay and getting back into that position, dude my heart...
I had tried to be a gentleman when I laid her down, refusing to look too much around her room or touch her too much when I put her to bed. I had kissed her on the head sweetly and forced myself to leave against every inch of me wanting to get in beside her and cradle her, keep her safe and make sure she knew I was there and never leaving her.
And as if a gift from god himself, she caught my wrist, shooting a million fireworks through my veins into my heart. The contact alone was enough to drive me crazy, but the words asking me to be with her sent me into a frenzy. My imprint wanted me near her, my heart literally felt like it was exploding with happiness, my skin alight with fire at her touch.
I laid down slowly, worried she would wake up too much and change her mind. I was petrified of being pushed away by Oakley, especially knowing how much she'd been through.
But snapping me out of my cautious entry to her bed, Oakley turned towards me and found her position on my chest, nestling into my shirtless body comfortably as if it was always meant to be her place.
And it was. It really was.
I stopped breathing for a second, feeling the eruption of chemicals and butterflies all over me at her touch, and being so close. I could smell her, the beautiful natural sweet smell of mangoes that she had from her shampoo, mixed with her signature subtle perfume. It was just enough. I breathed in my imprint, never wanting this moment to end, and allowed myself to play with her hair soothingly as she fell back to rest, recovering from her hundreds of phases.
I know how tired me and the pack get when we phase more than twice or three times in a day. It literally takes everything out of you, your body needing to heal and your bones aching, your mind dazed and out of it from the transformations.
Oakley had done it literally hundreds of times today, out there for hours trying to master the back and forth. I couldn't begin to imagine how wrecked she felt.
Before long, our heartbeats had synced and Oakley fell straight back into a deep sleep, leaving me to lay there thinking I was dreaming. How else could anything be this perfect? I felt so fulfilled, so able.
But then it hit me.
What if something happened during this battle? Oakley was the most vulnerable out of all of us. Because of her new status, and her hybridism, her trouble phasing, and her inexperience. There were so many things that could go wrong. And I hadn't even told her how I felt about her yet.
I hadn't taken her on a proper date, I hadn't kissed her...I hadn't made her mine.
My stomach dropped at the sheer thought of making moves, my nerves taking over.
But I remember how my heart nearly stopped beating when Oakley was bitten and I thought I'd lost her. I remember the sleeplessness, the anger, the sheer fear, the depression that hit me. Imprints were not meant to be separated. And I promised on that day that I wouldn't waste time, I would cease the moments.
The feeling in my chest, the physical pain at the thought of her being dead that first day, was enough alone to drive me to promise myself I would man up and do something about this. My feelings for Oakley were boiling over, and I was finding it harder every day to not grab her and kiss her, tell her I love her.
It was already hard when she didn't know about any of this. But the addition of her imprint power on top of mine...fuck it was messing with me. I was literally uncontrollable, in a frenzy over her.
I was aware of not moving too fast or overwhelming Oak. But I didn't want anything to happen and give me another reason to have regrets.
No way.
When Oakley woke up and the time was right, I would be making moves. No regrets. No reason to wonder 'what if'.
I would make her mine.
AN // Awww Seth's afraid of losing her before he gets to experience their love :(
Libby xx