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𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 "𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞" 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤. 𝐈 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐮𝐝𝐞. 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭.
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𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀 𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐀 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐘 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐎𝐎𝐍, 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐖𝐎𝐋𝐅'𝐒 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 𝐈 𝐊𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒𝐍'𝐓 𝐆𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐘 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐒. I wasn't anyone's until I decided I wanted to be. Yes, I may be his imprint (whatever that means, I have no clue, but it sounds like it's similar to mates) but that doesn't give him the right to attack the people I care about. If he wants me he shouldn't act like a child about it.
There were two ways this could go down. This wolf could realize that messing with someone's mate is just as bad as messing with someone's imprint and stand down. Or he could decide that taking me out of my mates' hands would be better for me.
Being away from my mates would be detrimental to my health, both physical and emotional. I would rather die than be away from them right now. This wolf has to know that. Nobody could be this stupid. If he had imprinted on me wouldn't he want what's best for me? This just didn't make much sense, but I had to have faith that things would turn out alright in the end.
"Fennie, don't move too much or he'll smell you," Carlisle ordered, rolling up his sleeves. "Alice, can you see anything? Somebody get Emmett out here."
With all the orders flying over my head, I huddled myself behind Edward and Carlisle, who looked like they were on the verge of biting this guy's head off.
Looking back on it, this is definitely something that would happen to me. Little Fenella out here in the world finding out that she's destined to be in a polyamorous relationship with a coven of vampires. This is stuff you'd expect out of a TV show or a book, but it's happening to me right now. Adding in a pissy wolf can't be too bad, just adds to the tension of my living situation. If I were anyone else this wouldn't work.
"Edward, what if he thinks you're trying to hurt me? That could be why he's so fiesty," I said, looking up at my much taller boyfriend. "Plus he called me his imprint. That clearly means something to him. I don't want any of you guys to get hurt because of me..."
"Fenella, this isn't your fault," he soothed, rubbing the small of my back. "Nobody will get hurt because of you. If anyone does get injured it's because this wolf doesn't understand that you're our shared mate. The bond we have can't just be tampered with because someone wants you all to themselves. That would hurt you and all of us. Imprints are a way for the Shifters here in Forks to find their mates. Although they can be whatever the imprint needs them to be, it's almost always romantic in nature. Two beings who are a perfect match."
A perfect match... So why would he do anything to hurt the people I care about? If he actually wants me he wouldn't do this. What, does he think that I'll drop my other mates to be with him? That's ridiculous. I'm not just leaving for a single wolf when I have 8 vampires to keep me company.
With little left to do, I did the unthinkable, pushing past Edward and running up to the forefront of the confrontation. My mates hissed as the wolf took a few steps towards us, his brown coat illuminated under the sunlight.
I didn't want to fight, that much I knew. While I haven't known my mates for long, I knew that they would do anything to protect me. It was only fair that I do the same for them, human or not.
"Wolf, if you don't leave me the hell alone I'm going to throw a rock at you and your stupidly pretty fur coat!" I exclaimed in annoyance. "I don't care if you don't like the Cullens! Whatever this imprinting business is, it sounds a whole lot like mating bonds. I already have eight mates, so you can either pack it up or get in line. It's not your turn.
"Don't act like I can't find out who you are and get a restraining order! Or better yet call the sheriff and tell him that you've been harassing me and the people who are supposed to be giving me life-saving treatment. Carlisle is my doctor and my mate, Edward is posing as my boyfriend, which I guess he is, Alice is adorable, Jasper keeps me calm, Emmett gives nice hugs, Rose likes to pick out my outfits, and Esme cooks me food. If that isn't enough to prove that they're good people I don't know what is.
"You may be a wolf and they're vampires, but this has gone too far. The whole cats vs dogs thing is supposed to be for Facebook moms looking for laughs. Purely for fiction."
Brown wolf eyes filled with anger turned into human ones. A man ━ a boy ━ with dark hair and tanned skin emerged from his wolf form, humanity glinted in those dangerous eyes of his.
The pull was there just like with my vampire mates, but I had more control than he over this one. I was the one to decide whether or not I would accept the bond. The Cullens had made sure I knew that from the start with their newly triggered mating bonds.
I had two choices: reject or accept. After everything that happened, I didn't know if I would be ready to accept him just yet. As much as the bond pulled me closer to him, I needed an apology for the stress he put on me. Possessiveness isn't allowed because it leads to conflicts with my other mates. Letting him get away with this means that it could happen in the future.
Actions have consequences, especially when you try to kill your soulmates' other soulmates.
His eyes shifted to my mates. He snarled at the group of vampires. I snapped my fingers, forcing him to avert his gaze back to me. My face held a heavy frown.
Taking in a deep breath, I continue, "Believe it or not, I have other mates that have feelings just like you. Did you even take one chance to wonder how terrified any one of them could be with a random wolf running up to their house trying to take away their shared mate? If any one of them were to be taken away from me I would flip out. I'm theirs, not yours. You haven't earned a claim on me. I don't belong to you. I don't belong to anyone. I'm not some mate to be fought over. I'm a person too, with feelings that will be hurt if you try to hurt any of my mates."
I knew he heard me. The teenage wolf took a few more steps towards me, putting me within hearing range.
"That doesn't change the fact that they're my enemies and that you're my imprint."
I shook my head at his blatant disregard for everything I'd just said. And this is why women are frustrated with men. No offense, Ed, you're respectful and nice. Not pushy like this guy. Does he think that some bond is going to stop me from rejecting him? He's not obligated to have me be with him exclusively when I've established that being with him exclusively ain't gonna happen.
"You're walking on thin ice here, Jacob," Carlisle budded in. "We will always protect our mates. Our nature is just as strong as yours. It will always be up to her whether or not she accepts the mating pull between you two. Rejection is still very much possible. You're a good kid Jacob, don't mess this up for yourself."
"You're vampires━" My face heated with flushed anger. Vampires. Who gives a shit if my soulmates are vampires?
"And I will be too by the time I turn 19. Get over it," I snapped. "Apologize now or I'll make sure I never see you again."
"Fenella, don't you think that━ " I cut Carlisle off.
"No. Nobody gets to barge into my life, click a bond with me, and expect that I reject bonds that I've already accepted into my heart. Nobody gets to insult someone, hate someone because of their species. It's a new form of fucking racism I never thought I would have to see. Vampires don't always choose to be vampires, but I need to turn. I will die if I don't find a permanent solution to my condition. I'm damn terminal and this motherfucker thinks that he can hate on any vampire he sees just because he's a wolf. Newsflash Jacob," I hissed his name with newfound anger before continuing, "You have no control over me and my other mating bonds. I'm a shared mate, meaning that in this coven sharing is caring. For you and whatever pack of wolves you come from that has to be the case. If you want to get all rabid dog at the idea of me being with a vampire you can get the hell out of my life and never see me again."
A long pause followed my outburst. Deafening silence poured through the area, with nobody wanting to speak first.
I huffed, crossing my arms. My mother once told me that if your boyfriend or girlfriend wants you to leave your friends, they aren't worth it. While the Cullens aren't my friends (they're much more than that), the same rule still applies.
Jacob. What a name.
"She's giving you a chance," Alice piped up, rushing to my side. She ran her hands through my bleached hair and smiled. "That's more than most girls would give after the stunt you pulled. I say she's wonderful."
"He'd have gotten punched if it were me," Rose muttered.
"Yes, yes," my pixie mate said, wrapping her arms around my waist. "Now, will you share or will you lose the greatest gift your ancestors ever gave you."
"Why━"
"Yes or no. And don't be smart with us. Fennie deserves the best and only the best from all of her mates." I smirked at Alice's protectiveness over me.
Jacob looked down at the floor before muttering, "Yes."
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