Stronger

Prologue

“You look absolutely beautiful, sweetheart.”

“Simply exquisite.”

“He’s not going to be able to take his eyes off of you!”

The compliments washed over her as Kyrine stared in the full length mirror, running her hands down her sides to smooth any creases and blemishes of the breathtaking white gown she wore. It was a simple silk one piece with a hoop neckline and long sleeves, showing off her slim curvy body, flowing out at her feet. It had embroidery beading on the front that made the dress shimmer in the lights, giving the dress that special bridal feeling. The moment Kyrine laid eyes on the dress; she knew this was the one she wanted to marry him in.

Her eyes closed thinking of her fiancé, not believing what an unbelievably unselfish man he was. Kyrine still had no idea how she was going to tell her mother what was going to transpire later on that night, but she would figure it out eventually. All that mattered was being married to him, being his wife and living. Kyrine swallowed hard as her mother fixed the veil over her eyes, which was a simple silk sheer material that brought out her beautiful midnight blue eyes. Her dark chestnut hair –it had natural red tints throughout it- was half swept up in tons of spiral curls that framed her face and rested on her shoulders gently.

Tears came to her eyes at the thought, remembering the first time she met him and sighed gently. Kyrine had to move to Forks, Washington because of an operation, diagnosed with congestive heart failure at the tender age of six. She’d lived with this condition for over a decade, though it’d been two years since Kyrine moved to Forks. She had multiple surgeries to replace heart valves to help her heart pump faster, but it was getting to the point where the heart wasn’t getting better or healthier.

Slowly but surely, her heart was slowing down as every day passed, remembering what her cardiologist, Doctor Miles, told her a few years ago. A heart transplant was needed in order to save Kyrine’s life or she was going to die. Time was running out and Kyrine had begun losing hope until Doctor Miles gave her the news that changed her life. Her eyes closed, remembering that moment Doctor Miles walked in the exam room and gave her the news that changed her entire life forever…

~!~

The door opened as Doctor Miles walked in, a middle aged man in his fifties with graying short black hair and deep grey eyes. He was tall and the best, which is what the McTavian’s required, having moved from their home in Michigan to Miami to see the best doctor in the world. He was the preeminent cardiologist in the country, only the finest for their daughter, and the McTavian’s wouldn’t take anything less than that.

“Well hello there, Kyrie.” Doctor Miles greeted with a soft smile, holding her chart in his hand, wearing dark blue scrubs with a white overcoat. “How are you feeling today?”

“Nervous.” Kyrine repeated the same thing she told the nurse, Patricia, when asked earlier, causing the doctor to chuckle softly.

“Well, there’s no reason to be nervous because you’re here for a very good reason today.” Doctor Miles set the chart down and pulled the chair up, sitting right in front of Kyrine, Natalie standing beside her daughter in pure anticipation.

Kyrine felt as though she couldn’t breathe; especially when Doctor Miles took her hand in his own comfortingly, midnight blue eyes incredibly timid.

“Kyrie, I have incredible news for you. We found you a heart.” Doctor Miles announced with a bright smile, watching those midnight blue eyes widen as they instantly filled with tears.

Natalie couldn’t help it and instantly began sobbing, knees giving out as they hit the floor, burying her face in her hands. “Oh thank you god!” She cried out with joy, Kyrine just sitting there as huge tears slid down her face, not able to take her eyes off of Doctor Miles.

“A-A heart?” She stammered out, covering her mouth with a shaking hand when Doctor Miles nodded, confirming it again.

“We found you a heart, Kyrie.”

Kyrine couldn’t help it and began crying as hard as she could, feeling as though her heart would burst in her chest. Her mother’s arms wrapped around her, holding her close as she buried her face in her chest, clinging for dear life. They found her a heart, which meant Kyrine wasn’t going to die. She was going to live a full and happy life, slowly pulling away from her mother as Natalie mopped her face up with tissues.

“The heart is in Forks, Washington and they’re waiting for the donor to die. They will not take him off of life support, but he only has so much time left.” Doctor Miles explained, causing Natalie to nod, smoothing her daughter’s hair out with her hand.

“When can she get the transplant?” Natalie instantly asked, hardly containing her excitement, kissing the top of her daughter’s head. “You’re going to live, my darling.”

“Well, you will have to move to Forks and wait until the heart is ready to be harvested. It can be anywhere from three to four months.” Doctor Miles stated, sighing when Natalie and Kyrine looked at him in confusion. “The family refuses to take the donor off of life support until a family member arrives home from overseas. They promised and signed a consent form that if the relative doesn’t arrive home in time, they will take him off life support and harvest his organs. That heart is yours, Kyrie.”

Kyrine just nodded, still not believing this was happening, looking up at her mother through tear filled eyes. “I’m sorry we have to move again.” She whispered, the guilt washing through her, and Natalie just held her close.

“Don’t you dare apologize, Kyrine Elizabeth McTavian! We don’t mind moving. Forks, Washington will be happy to have us just like Miami and Detroit did.” Natalie stated, knowing Nicholas would more than agree to do anything for their daughter, kissing the top of her head.

“Now then, you know what needs to be done, but I want you to take extra precaution Kyrie. Minimal activity and I want to add a couple of foods to your diet to help you gain some weight. You need to be strong enough to withstand the transplant and ninety five pounds won’t cut it. I’m also going to prescribe a new blood pressure medication to help that lower, which means absolutely NO STRESS whatsoever.” Doctor Miles instructed in a strict voice, knowing this girl would be fine as long as she obeyed what he said. “I think that’s it, if you have any questions, you know how to contact me.”

“I actually do have one, Doctor Miles.” Natalie cleared her throat, placing her hands on Kyrine’s shoulders gently but firmly. “Nicholas and I talked with Kyrie about this and we don’t want anyone else doing the transplant. We will pay you handsomely and do whatever it takes to fly you out to Forks, Washington to perform the surgery. We want only the best for our daughter, you understand right?”

Doctor Miles smiled gently, nodding, and stood up from the chair. “I was already planning on doing the surgery. When the organs are ready to be harvested, I will be on the first flight to Forks.” He promised, causing Natalie and Kyrine to sigh with relief, shaking both of their hands.

“Mom, I’m getting a heart.” Kyrine whispered after Doctor Miles left the room, causing both of them to burst in tears again, holding each other tightly.

~!~

“Don’t cry sweetheart, you’re going to ruin your makeup.” Natalie McTavian stated, jolting her daughter out of her thoughts, trying not to cry and couldn’t help it since this was her only baby girl.

Now she was getting married and Natalie just wished she could have a little more time with Kyrine. She remembered bringing her home from the hospital wrapped in a purple blanket –Natalie despised the color pink- and the first time she’d taken her into the newly built nursery. Kyrine was a lonely child, Natalie only wanted one child and Nicholas understood that completely, happy with their beautiful daughter. Neither realized just how much of a nightmare their lives would become six years down the road and how they’d gotten to this point now.

Swaying slightly, Natalie immediately wrapped an arm around her daughter’s waist, frowning. “Kyrie, do you need to sit down?” She asked, watching Kyrine shake her head, sighing heavily. “Sweetheart…”

“I’m fine mom, I promise.”

Kyrine smiled when her cousin, Amaya, walked up to her, wearing a blood red strapless bridesmaid gown that went two inches above the knee, hugging her hips and had a hoop neckline. She had black lace arm warmers, being the only bridesmaid and maid of honor, the wedding just a very small ceremony. Amaya Robinson stood around five nine and had blonde hair with blood red highlights throughout it –she changed it every three months to a different color- with deep violet eyes. The McTavian’s took her in when she was five years old, after her parents were involved in a horrific car accident, both of them killed instantly on impact. To say Kyrine and Amaya were close was an understatement; they were sisters.

Amaya also knew what Kyrine was planning that night with her fiancé and completely understood why.

“Why don’t you go find the coordinator and make sure everything’s set?” Amaya suggested with a smile, wanting a minute alone with her sister, tears shining in her eyes. “Give the bride a few minutes to collect herself.”

Natalie sighed, knowing Amaya wanted to talk with her sister alone, and kissed her cheek gently. “I’ll be right in the hall if you need me, both of you.” She squeezed both of their hands before exiting, her sisters Sally and Amelia following suit.

“Thank you.” Kyrine breathed a sigh of relief and went back to staring in the mirror, closing her eyes as a wave of nausea overtook her. “I’m fine.” She held her hand up before Amaya could touch her, just needing to breathe. “I’m nervous, I’m only eighteen and I’m about to get married.”

“To save your life.” Amaya reminded her gently, placing a hand on her shoulder, tears stinging her eyes. “How do you think it will feel?”

“I don’t know.” Kyrine whispered, still not believing she agreed to go along with this, but at this point there were no other options. “You know this is the only way, Maya.”

As much as Amaya didn’t want to admit it, she knew Kyrine was making the right decision, swallowing hard. “Just promise me this isn’t the last time we’ll see each other...” Grasping her hands, tearful violet eyes stared into saddened midnight blue. “Kyrie…”

“I can’t promise that.” She whispered, slipping her hands out of Amaya’s, knowing this was going to tear the woman apart. “We’ve already had this discussion. It’s going to be a very long time before we see each other again.”

A knock on the dressing room door caused both women to snap their heads toward it, the father of the bride, Nicholas McTavian, poked his head in with a smile. “Mind if I come in to wish my daughter well?” He asked, causing both women to giggle and stepped inside, first hugging Amaya, his second daughter in his mind and heart. “You look lovely.”

“Thanks Dad.” Amaya whispered, accepting a kiss on the cheek before he moved to the most beautiful bride, even though she was slowly dying. “I’m gonna go make sure Mom isn’t changing anything.”

“Good idea.” Nicholas chuckled, the door closing as he took Kyrine into his arms, trying hard not to muse her. “You look stunning, Ky.”

“Thank you, Daddy.” She whispered, closing her eyes, remembering when she told her father she was getting a new heart.

~!~

“What did Doctor Miles say?”

“Daddy…” Kyrine couldn’t help it as tears filled her eyes, feeling him cup her face in his warm hand, touching her cold one over his. She had cold hands because of poor circulation, though Nicholas had gotten used to it over the past decade. “Daddy, I’m getting a heart.”

Nicholas’s deep sea green eyes stared down at his daughter in shock, tears filling his own eyes, and lifted her up as he twirled her around very gently. “My beautiful angel…” He murmured in her ear, feeling her hold onto him as tightly as she could, not believing this was happening.

“I couldn’t believe it either.” Natalie was crying like a baby again, but couldn’t help it. Their family had been through pure hell over the past decade and this news was the biggest weight lifted from their shoulders. “We have to go to Forks, Washington, Nicholas.”

“Anywhere.” Nicholas stated, setting Kyrine down on her feet, kissing the top of her head lovingly. “We’d fly to Australia if that’s what it took to get you this heart, angel.”

“You’re getting a heart?” Amaya finally asked, letting the shock wear off, and tried like hell not to start crying, but it wasn’t happening. “Oh man chick, that’s great! Get over here!” She hugged Kyrine close, they were more than cousins, more than sisters…Kyrine and Amaya were best friends and hung out as much as they could, though they were completely opposite.

“I know! I started crying in front of Doctor Miles when he told me.” Kyrine sniffled as she pulled back, wiping her tears away, giggling because Amaya instantly went to check her makeup and hair. “We have to move again, I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing, Kyrine.” Natalie ordered her daughter, feeling Nicholas’s loving embrace, sighing gently. “We told you we’ll do whatever it takes to save you.”

“That’s right Kyrie, stop worrying so much.” Amaya ordered, wrapping a loose arm around her shoulders, a smirk spreading across her magenta colored lips. “So when do we leave?”

“As soon as possible.” Natalie had already called her realtor while at dinner with Kyrine earlier that night.

“Forks, Washington here we come!”

~!~

“Are you ready to do this?” Nicholas asked, trying hard to keep his emotions at bay around his daughter, not wanting to let her go.

“Yes, I’ll be out in a minute. I just need a minute to myself.” When her father hesitated, Kyrine sighed and kissed his lips softly, hugging him tightly around the neck. “I’m fine, Daddy.”

Nicholas nodded, hugging her tightly against him as his eyes shut as well, swallowing hard. “I love you, Ky.” He murmured in her ear, being very gentle because he knew how fragile she was right now, even though she tried hiding it.

“I love you too, Daddy.” Releasing him, Kyrine turned back to stare in the mirror, the door closing once more, and took a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart…her dying heart.

No matter what, Kyrine knew she couldn’t back out of this because it was her only chance to survive. Her fiancé would give her what she needed most and Kyrine wasn’t going to pass it up for anything or anyone in the world. He promised her as soon as they left the reception, their wedding night could commence and Kyrine shivered at the thought, clasping her hands tightly together in front of her.

This was it.

The time had finally arrived.

Grabbing her bouquet, Kyrine fixed a few flowers on it with a smile on her face, inhaling the beautiful roses the florist had gotten for her. It was made of blood red and white roses, the colors of her wedding, the most important day of her life. The door opened and closed, Kyrine too busy fixing her bouquet to look perfect for this moment and turned around with a huge smile on her face, ready to walk down the aisle to greet her soon-to-be husband.

“Hello Kyrine.”

Suddenly, Kyrine’s eyes closed as she slumped forward, a strong arm catching her before she hit the floor. He nodded once, lifting her up gingerly, knowing he didn’t have much time to get out of there. Walking over, he slipped out of the window he’d snuck in, knowing everyone was at the ceremony, waiting for a bride that would never show up.

It was for Kyrine’s own good.

Chapter 1

~Past~

Preparing to move to Forks, Washington was definitely both exhausting emotionally and physically.

Once the shock of the news from Doctor Miles wore off, Kyrine began wondering what he meant when he said she had to wait for her donor to die. Obviously her donor was still alive and, with that being the case, Kyrine would be a murderer. She sat up in bed that night, after taking her medications, sighing heavily while staring out the window. Kyrine looked down at her hands, wondering what it would feel like to get a new heart. To have someone else’s heart beating within her chest…someone who had to die in order for her to live.

Kyrine already knew her parents had made the arrangements to move to Forks, Washington and that just caused a new wave of guilt to wash over her. It was because of her they had to leave Miami, which meant her and Amaya swapping schools again. She wondered how Amaya truly felt about her, if she really despised her with how much moving they had to do over the past ten years. Kyrine wouldn’t blame her at all if Amaya hated her, though it would break her already damaged heart.

Her mother would have a conniption fit if she knew Kyrine was awake right now worrying about this. Doctor Miles had ordered Kyrine to have absolutely no stress in her life, or the bare minimum, which was very hard to do. How could she not think about the life she was about to take in order to save her own? Even though the donor was technically brain dead, that didn’t make the guilt any less powerful.

Another thing Kyrine wondered was what new adventures lay in store for her family in Forks, Washington. Kyrine had done some research on the small town, the population a little over three thousand people as opposed to over a million in Miami. They were going to be moving to a sardine can, though Kyrine was actually looking somewhat forward to it. She didn’t like congested cities and, according to the map, there was a lot of wooded area and the Pacific Ocean wasn’t far off either.

Kyrine loved the ocean.

Slipping out of her bed, Kyrine walked over to the window and pushed it open, allowing the warm breeze to blow through her raven locks. Forks, Washington never went past seventy degrees, which she knew Amaya would despise because the woman hated cold weather. Kyrine sighed as she walked back over to slip back into bed, knowing she should be saving her energy for the big move. No sleep would be coming to her that night though as Kyrine took her diary out, unlocking it, and proceeded to write down her thoughts about what was coming.

A new heart.

A new home.

Could this possibly be a new beginning for the McTavian family? Amaya’s last name wasn’t the same because Natalie and Nicholas felt it would tarnish her parents’ name, even though they adopted her when she was five years old. Kyrine hoped Amaya wasn’t resentful toward her when all of this was said and done, when she finally did get her new heart. Whoever this donor was, Kyrine truly owed them her life and closed her eyes, shedding a few tears before finally calling it a night.

The following morning, Kyrine was up after only getting five hours of sleep, walking into the kitchen where breakfast was waiting for her. A fruit salad with a glass of apple of juice, knowing this was probably a change in her diet since she’d lost more weight. She looked over at Amaya, who had her hair up in a clip, the magenta highlights looking as though they were going all over the place on top of her head.

“Morning darling.” Natalie greeted happily, the sparkle in her midnight blue eyes, which Kyrine hadn’t seen in a very long time.

“Morning mom.” She greeted softly, talking over to the table and sat in front of Amaya, who was looking over some notes for her upcoming Biology test. “Hey Maya.”

“Oh hey chick!” Amaya laughed softly; setting her notes down and took a bite out of her honey cluster cereal. “I didn’t even hear you walk in. Did you sleep well?”

“Some.” Kyrine chewed her bottom lip, seeing the dramatic makeup Amaya wore was still intact, not able to help smiling. “How about you?”

“Meh you know how it goes with me. I’m an insomniac through and through, nothing a little energy drink can’t take care of.” Amaya winked, her eyes rounded in thick black eyeliner with matching eye shadow, a hint of magenta within it. Her lips were also painted magenta, along with the tips of her nails. “Hey Nat, did Nick say when we’ll be leaving Miami?”

That stab of guilt cut through Kyrine, causing her to take a small bite out of her fruit salad.

“I’d venture to say within the next month.” Natalie answered truthfully, knowing they had some time to get everything adjusted before they had to leave. “So you two will be able to say goodbye to everyone and cover any loose ends.”

“Cool, I was just wondering.” Amaya honestly didn’t care how many times she moved, enjoying the new adventures, a smile on her face. “I think Forks, Washington is going to be awesome.” She winked at Kyrine, who cracked a hesitant smile, the smile instantly vanishing from Amaya’s face. “Ky, are you alright chick?”

“Yeah I’m fine.” Kyrine murmured quietly, not looking up at Amaya, refusing to show her just how guilty she felt with this upcoming move.

Natalie had left the kitchen and Amaya took that opportunity to slide over to where Kyrine was, sitting beside her. “What’s really going on, Kyrie?” Amaya demanded, taking her hand, not even flinching at how cold it was. She was used to it after ten years and squeezed it reassuringly, sighing when a few tears slipped down Kyrine’s cheeks.

“How come you don’t hate me, Maya?” Kyrine finally asked, looking up at the woman she considered more than a cousin and best friend…more like an older sister, even though they were mere months apart.

Amaya couldn’t help laughing softly, wrapping a comforting arm around Kyrine’s shoulders. “Ky, there’s no reason for me to hate you. You’re my sister, my best friend, you’re the one who gets me out of a lot of shit when I pull it with Nat and Nick.” She chuckled, knowing she was somewhat of a hell raiser, but the McTavian’s didn’t love her any less. “Why do you think I hate you?”

“Because we have to move again.” Kyrine sniffled, causing Amaya to laugh softly again, kissing the top of her head.

“Chick, listen to me very carefully. There is no reason for me to hate you for that. Hell, I’m sick of Miami and ready for a new adventure. But that’s not the only reason for this move…” Amaya lifted Kyrine’s chin with her hand, tears shining in those violet eyes. “You’re getting a new heart, a second chance at life, Kyrie. That’s the whole reason behind this and I can’t wait for you to be better so we can run around and raise hell together.”

Kyrine couldn’t help laughing softly, leaning against her sister, sniffling gently. “I’m not a hell raiser like you.” She pointed out, causing Amaya to wink with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

“Trust me, when I’m done with you, you will be a bone-a-fide hell raiser, possibly even crazier than me.” Amaya promised, taking the napkin and mopping her sister’s face, kissing the top of her head again. “Now stop worrying about it. You know this would be happening if it was any one of us.”

“I know, I just can’t help feeling guilty.” Kyrine sighed heavily, lowering her head again, and took another nibble out of her fruit salad. “That’s not all that’s bothering me.”

“What else is?” Maya asked, arching a slow eyebrow at Kyrine, taking her hand reassuringly. “Come on Ky, talk to me girl. What’s on your mind?”

Kyrine knew this was going to sound really stupid, but couldn’t help feeling the way she did. “Someone else has to die because of me.” She whispered, running a hand through her raven hair. “I mean…granted, the donor is technically on life support, but they’re still alive and I have to take their heart to live. How can I not feel guilty about that?”

Amaya sighed gently, honestly not blaming Kyrine for how she felt because she wasn’t sure how she’d feel if the roles were reversed. “You just have to think of it as a part of the circle of life.” She knew that sounded really cliché, but it was the truth.

“What is this The Lion King?” Kyrine retorted, trying to crack a joke as she wiped the tears away from her eyes. “I know what you mean, sorry.”

“No problem.” Amaya grinned; glad Kyrine was trying to find some sort of humor in this situation. “But honestly this is the way it’s supposed to be, sweetie. Your donor is brain dead, the only thing keeping them him or her alive is a machine with a lot of tubes in their body. That’s it, without that they would die. Whoever this is deserves to be called a hero for being a donator and helping others live.”

“Yeah I guess you’re right…” Kyrine sighed as she took another bite, knowing her mother wanted her to eat all of this, but wasn’t sure if she could. “What time do we have to be at school?”

“We still have some time.” Amaya assured her, not caring if they were late for school, since they knew Kyrine’s condition and whatnot. “Just finish eating and stop stressing over everything. You can’t be worrying like this, it’s not good for you, Ky.

Kyrine knew she was right, knowing Doctor Miles would be very upset with her if he found out how much worrying Kyrine was doing. Worry was almost as bad as stress, which Kyrine had to really limit herself on, and sipped some of her apple juice. Somehow, Amaya always made Kyrine feel better, no matter the circumstances and Kyrine was blessed to have her in her life.

Natalie walked back inside, seeing the girls were still eating, arching a slow eyebrow. “Kyrine, I want all of that gone before you leave.” She stated, remembering the weight loss, worry evident in her blue eyes. “Please?”

“I’m trying, Mom.” Kyrine assured her with a small smile and looked over at Amaya, who winked at her encouragingly.

“Good, I have to get to work and your father won’t be home until late. He’s going to be breaking the news of our departure to the staff.” She watched Kyrine flinch and walked over, wrapping her arm around her daughter’s shoulders, kissing the top of her head. “Stop worry, darling. This is almost over and we can finally have a normal, happy life.”

“Don’t worry Nat, I’ll take care of her.” Amaya assured the woman she considered the closest thing to a mother, smiling when Natalie nodded. “I say we take the day off from school today and just veg out.” She stated as soon as Natalie left the house.

Kyrine blinked, knowing her parents usually didn’t mind when she took a day off from school, eyes narrowing slightly. “You didn’t study for that test did you?” When Amaya just rolled her eyes, Kyrine couldn’t help giggling softly. “No wonder you want to stay home so badly.”

“Well I can’t fucking help it! I don’t understand the shit!” Amaya whined, frowning as she looked down at the notes, which were mostly scribbled with doodles and drawings. “Come on Ky, let me use you as a scapegoat, please?”

“I don’t know…” Kyrine folded her arms in front of her chest, tapping her arms with her fingers contemplatively. “What’s in it for me?”

Amaya laughed and walked over, wrapping her arms around Kyrine’s shoulders from behind. “I’ll go to the video store and get our usual movies and snacks. We can veg out and talk about our big move to Forks and get your mind off of things. School sucks, come on Ky!”

Knowing she would probably regret doing this, Kyrine finally groaned, nodding reluctantly. “Fine, fine I’ll call mom and have her call both of us off.” She chuckled when Amaya jumped in the air, tossing her fist in the air, and raced out the door to get to the movie store. Kyrine took her cell phone out and dialed the number, waiting patiently for her mom to answer.

“Natalie McTavian speaking?”

“Hey mom, it’s Kyrie. Listen, I’m not feeling so good and Amaya is worried. She’s going to stay home with me from school today.” Kyrine said, hating to use her sickness as a scapegoat, but honestly she hadn’t studied for the biology test either.

“Oh my god, darling, do you want me to come home?” Natalie’s voice filled with worry instantly, causing a wave of guilt to crash over Kyrine again.

“No mom, it’s fine. I think I didn’t get enough sleep last night. I had a lot on my mind and Amaya wants to stay with me just in case. Can you call us off of school?” Kyrine asked softly, chomping on a piece of pineapple, smiling when her mother instantly agreed. “Thanks mom, you’re the best.”

“You rest, my darling. I will take care of everything and pick up yours and Maya’s homework after I get off of work.” Natalie stated and they hung up moments later, Kyrine feeling awful for lying to her mother.

“Oh well.” She sighed and sat back down at the kitchen table, finishing her fruit salad.

Amaya came through the door about a half an hour later, carrying two bags of goodies with movies, causing Kyrine to walk over and see what she picked out. “Ooo you know how much I love the Die Hard movies.” Kyrine grinned, instantly taking the third one, and walking into the living room to get it ready to start.

“Only the best for us.” Amaya called over her shoulder, bringing the snacks in the living room with apple juice and Pepsi. They ran upstairs quickly, Amaya faster than Kyrine, to change out of their school clothes and into pajamas. “So Nat bought it then?”

“Yeah, I hate lying to her though.” Kyrine sighed, walking out in a pair of white pajama pants with a matching long sleeved shirt. “That’s the last time I do that, Maya.”

“Yeah, yeah whatever.” Amaya laughed, walking out in her black pajama pants and matching tank top, instantly frowning when she noticed Kyrine’s lips turning blue. “You need to really rest and relax today. Your lips are blue again.”

“I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night…” Kyrine admitted sheepishly, walking down the stairs slowly because she couldn’t exert herself too much, snuggling on the couch with her favorite dark blue blanket. “I’ll be alright.”

“Well just in case, you need to take at least a four hour nap today.” Amaya ordered, worry clear in her violet eyes, having washed the makeup off since she wasn’t going anywhere today.

Amaya knew Kyrine was running out of time and snuggled on the opposite side of the couch, glancing at her. They had to get that transplant fast because it’d been ten years since Kyrine was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. She’d had at least ten open heart surgeries to repair damage to her heart and the doctor finally told them two years ago that it was time for a heart transplant. Deciding not to think about it right now, honestly not able to fathom losing her sister, Amaya focused on the movie and laughed gently with Kyrine.

Chapter 2

A month later, the McTavian’s made the big move from Miami to Forks, Nicholas having hired a moving crew to take care of everything. Natalie was extremely worried about them breaking something, so Nicholas paid for extra insurance, wanting to ease his wife’s mind. She had enough on her plate what with their daughter’s heart transplant on the horizon.

Amaya was extremely excited about the move and kept assuring Kyrine everything would be fine. They said goodbye to their friends, who all wished Kyrine good luck with the heart transplant, and promised to keep in touch via internet. Of course it never happened, but it didn’t bother the girls because they always managed to make new friends wherever they went.

At least Amaya did.

Kyrine was the quiet one and generally tried keeping to herself, though people still befriended her. Out of sympathy she wasn’t sure, but Kyrine didn’t question it. She simply rolled with the punches, knowing she had to keep her stress level down like Doctor Miles instructed. Her heart would last at least another two years if she didn’t strain it too much and kept up with her medications.

The house wasn’t as big as the one in Miami, though it would suffice. It had two stories, the girls having the entire upstairs, which didn’t bother them a bit. It was white with black trimming, the colors mostly neutral, though upstairs was completely different. Kyrine’s room was different shades of blue, a calming soothing color, while Amaya’s was decked out in magenta, black and white all swirled together. The carpeting was black all throughout the upstairs, which went with both of the girls’ rooms.

By the time they arrived, the movers had just finished so the McTavian’s could just kick back and relax in their new house. Forks, Washington was definitely different and surrounded by a lot of woods, which both girls enjoyed because they liked going for walks. Of course, Kyrine couldn’t go for a long period of time, but it was good for her to have some exercise.

“So what do you think?” Amaya asked, walking inside Kyrine’s room, seeing all of her things were placed exactly where she wanted. “Do you like it here?”

“It’s peaceful.” Kyrine replied with a small smile, knowing Amaya would probably paint this small town red the first chance she got. “I like the rain.”

“It’s way smaller than Miami, but I’m sure I can find something constructive to do.” Amaya grinned; walking over to sit on Kyrine’s bed, seeing her lips had a small tinge of blue to them again. “You’re tired.”

“I know.” Kyrine nodded, not able to deny it, yawning softly as she stretched her arms in the air. “I hate jetlag.”

Amaya nodded, knowing the traveling couldn’t be good for Kyrine, but luckily they didn’t do it often. “Get into bed and I’ll pop in a movie for you.” She instructed softly, pulling the comforter back as Kyrine slipped under it, having done this ever since they were little. “What movie do you want to watch?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Kyrine whispered softly, yawning even louder and longer this time, already feeling her eyes drifting shut. She was exhausted because of the jetlag mixing with her medications, which usually knocked her for a loop anyway. “Love you sis.”

Amaya looked over her shoulder at Kyrine and walked over, after popping in the movie, lying beside her stroking her hair. “Love ya too, sis.” She whispered, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, vowing to do what it took to protect her from anyone in Forks High School who even THOUGHT about messing with her little sister.

Amaya was older than Kyrine by four months, but she still took the big sister duty seriously.

“Is she alright?” Nicholas asked from the doorway, having witnessed the interaction between his daughter and Amaya, smiling worriedly.

“She’s exhausted from the flight.” Amaya whispered, not wanting to disturb Kyrine’s rest and slipped from the bed slowly, walking out with Nicholas. “I’m worried about her too, Nick.”

“You know you can call me Dad, right?” Nicholas pointed out quietly, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “You know we consider you like one of our own, Amaya.”

“I know that Nick, but you know nobody, not even you and Nat, can take the place of my parents.” Amaya hoped she didn’t sound mean when she said that, but very rarely sugarcoated anything, not even when it came to her aunt and uncle. “I love you guys, you know that.”

Nicholas chuckled, having gotten used to Amaya’s rather brash ways, nodding as he kissed her temple. “Well I just wanted to let you know that you are our daughter just like Kyrine. We love you both equally.”

Amaya nodded, though she didn’t believe that, honestly fine with it. “Thanks Nick.” She glanced back at the door, chewing her bottom lip nervously. “She’s running out of time isn’t she?”

Nicholas sighed with a reluctant nod, not wanting to acknowledge that fact, but couldn’t deny it either. “She really needs to rest a lot more until the surgery is scheduled. She’s going to be a whole new person with that heart.” He sounded confident, causing Amaya to nod.

“I can’t even…I can’t lose her.” Amaya swallowed incredibly hard, feeling a lump form in her throat, tears stinging her violet eyes. “Losing Mom and Dad was hard enough, even though I was only five years old. I still remember how I felt when you and Nat told me about it. Losing Kyrie would be too much for me, I don’t think I could honestly take it.”

“You’re not the only one, but we’re not going to lose her, Amaya.” Nicholas pulled her into his arms, holding her close, not doing this often because Amaya tried putting up a tough front with him and Natalie. “Everything is going to work out, Am, I promise.”

Amaya could only nod as she clung to Nicholas for dear life, glad she’d wiped her makeup off because right now it’d be smearing his white dress shirt. “Sorry.” She whispered, pulling away a few minutes later, trying to regain her composure.

Nicholas chuckled softly, running a finger down her cheek in a fatherly way. “Anytime Am.” He winked, glancing at the door of Kyrine’s door. “Let me know when she wakes up. Natalie is cooking spaghetti and I know Kyrine will want some.”

“You got it, thanks again Nick.” Amaya watched him walk down the stairs, knowing he would keep what happened between them a secret, and headed to her own room.

Kyrine ended up sleeping throughout most of the night, which didn’t happen ever, though it was a good thing. She needed it, especially with how little sleep she’d gotten lately; it was her body’s way of shutting down and forcing her to relax. Natalie made a plate for her and left a note on her daughter’s nightstand in case she did get up starving.

Of course Kyrine was hungry when she got up at a quarter to five in the morning, knowing she had her first day of school at Forks High School that day. She felt rejuvenated and stretched her arms in the air, slipping out of bed to turn her DVD player and TV off. Amaya was such a saint and knew exactly what to do to make Kyrine fall right to sleep.

After a quick shower, Kyrine brushed her teeth and hair, leaving it down as it went to the middle of her back, wondering what to wear for her first day of school. She decided on a pair of blue jeans with a long sleeved white shirt, pulling a short sleeved blue shirt over it that had a V shaped neckline. Slipping on a pair of white and blue tennis shoes, Kyrine walked out and went downstairs to the kitchen, having read her mother’s nightstand note about the spaghetti.

It was breakfast time, but Kyrine couldn’t pass up her mother’s famous spaghetti, warming it up while she flipped on the small TV on the island. Kyrine took that time to look around the new house, seeing it was nearly the same layout as the house in Miami, her mother had a certain taste she liked. The kitchen attached to the dining room and living room with an incredibly big open floor plan, plenty of room to move around freely.

The microwave beeped and Kyrine took the plate out, grabbing a fork, and proceeded to eat every bit of it. She was starving, having skipped lunch and dinner the previous day because of how horrid her jetlag was. Just as she finished the last bite, a sleepy Amaya came stumbling into the kitchen, muttering something about needing coffee.

“Sit down, I’ll get it.”

“Thanks chick, you’re the best.”

Kyrine winked, rinsing her plate and fork off before slipping them into the dishwasher, starting a huge pot of coffee. Her parents would want some no doubt, Kyrine wasn’t allowed to have any caffeine because of her congestive heart failure. The caffeine would definitely speed up her heart rate and that’s what everyone wanted to avoid happening as much as possible.

“How did you sleep?” Kyrine asked, slipping back in her seat across from Amaya, sliding over the cup of java.

“Like shit.” Amaya muttered, running a hand through her frazzled blonde magenta highlighted hair. “You know how I am the first few nights in a new place. I’ll adjust and be sleeping like a log in no time. What time did you get up?”

“About five this morning.” Kyrine answered, shrugging her shoulders when Amaya raised a slow eyebrow. “I slept throughout the night if you didn’t remember.”

“Yeah I know and you needed it. Your lips are the color of roses again and you have a lot more color in your face.” Amaya observed, sipping her cup of coffee slowly, sighing in contentment as it instantly awakened her. “So are you excited about today?”

Kyrine shrugged, chewing her bottom lip. “I’m nervous to be honest, but I know everything is going to be fine.” She smiled when Amaya nodded, no doubt in her reassuring violet eyes, which is what Kyrine needed.

“Morning girls.” Nicholas greeted, kissing Kyrine’s cheek and then Amaya’s head, pouring himself a cup of coffee. “Did you both sleep well?”

The girls started laughing softly, Kyrine nodding while Amaya shook her head. “I need to go get ready for school.” Amaya walked out of the kitchen, having finished her cup of coffee, and headed upstairs passing Natalie on the way.

“Kyrie, you ate spaghetti for breakfast?” Natalie sighed when her daughter nodded, not able to help chuckling. “Do you have any room for fruit?”

“Sure, I’ll eat a few pieces mom.” Kyrine knew she had to have some kind of fruit in the morning because it was part of her eating regiment. Her mother took it very seriously, though there were some things Kyrine couldn’t resist…like her mother’s spaghetti.

“What am I going to do with you?” Natalie chortled, kissing her daughter’s forehead, setting a small bowlful of cup up fresh fruit in front of her. “Don’t forget, you girls don’t have to be to school until eight o’clock.”

Forks had a later school schedule, though Natalie didn’t mind it. They got out at four o’clock instead of three, which would mean all of them would get home around the same time, depending on how late Natalie and Nicholas worked. Kyrine smiled with a nod, knowing her and Amaya would have a lot of free time to kill because her parents were somewhat workaholics. Still, they always managed to somehow always be there when either girl needed them or both of that matter.

“Well I am officially ready for the first day at Forks High School!” Amaya announced with a grin, walking in with her dramatic makeup. She wore black pants that flared around her black knee high two inch boots with a black long sleeved shirt that had slashes throughout it, a purple material underneath so it didn’t show off any skin. Her hair was half up and half down, bangs angled for style, also having magenta streaks through them. “Kyrie, you really should let me dress you one day.”

“No thanks, I prefer remaining conservative.” Kyrine replied with a soft smile, causing Amaya to roll her eyes, grabbing a bagel with some cream cheese.

“That’s because you’re no fun.” Amaya stuck her tongue out at Kyrine, who reciprocated the notion, both girls laughing.

“Enough you two.” Natalie shook her head, looking amused, wearing a blue and white pinstriped long sleeved pant suit with a silver dress shirt underneath the matching cardigan. Her beautiful blonde hair pooled down her back and over her shoulders in waves. “Okay I really have to get going, you both have your keys right?”

“Stop worrying Nat. I promise to take good care of Kyrie.” Amaya winked, causing Natalie to flash a quick smile, kissing both girls on their heads.

“Call if you need anything.” She walked out, Nicholas having already left, both of them lawyers so they had clients backed up. There were days when they had to fly to different cities, though the girls didn’t mind because they had each other.

“You ready?” The excitement in Amaya’s eyes was contagious because Kyrine felt her heart speed up a bit, nodding in agreement.

They both grabbed their book bags and walked out the door, heading for Amaya’s red Toyota RAV 4. They slipped inside and Amaya instantly began blasting Breaking Benjamin, winking at Kyrine reassuringly. She pulled out as they headed to Forks High School, the rain having not stopped, though both girls didn’t seem to mind.

They arrived about ten minutes later as Amaya pulled into the high school’s parking lot, cutting the ignition. Eyes instantly landed on the red Toyota RAV 4 and Amaya smirked, that mischievous gleam sparkling in her eyes. Kyrine groaned inwardly, really not wanting to know what Amaya had in mind as they both slipped out of the SUV, Amaya instantly going to her sister’s side.

“Do you all have a staring problem?” Amaya demanded sharply, causing everyone to lower their eyes instantly, sighing happily. She still had the intimidation factor, which is what was needed because they were the new kids on the block.

“Do you really have to do that?” Kyrine whispered, causing Amaya to roll her eyes, shouldering a black book bag over her shoulder.

“Yes because they won’t mess with you if you show them who is boss first.” She replied simply, causing Kyrine to sigh gently, both of them walking past a group of people who had stared at them from the moment the red Toyota RAV 4 SUV pulled into the parking lot.

The girls had every class together, thanks to the McTavian’s request, because Amaya was the only one who could handle Kyrine if and when she had an episode. They weren’t taking any chances, especially with how close Kyrine was to getting her heart transplant. The school knew exactly what kind of condition Kyrine had so she didn’t have gym on her school schedule, instead taking another health class.

Kyrine was begging for the heart transplant to arrive so she could be a normal high school student.

Chapter 3

The first class was science and Kyrine ignored the looks everyone gave her, knowing both her and Amaya had walked in late. Mr. Stanley had simply nodded and smiled, introducing both of them before asking to choose a table to sit at. Amaya squeezed Kyrine’s hand beneath the table, silently letting her know everything was going to be alright. Surprisingly, the class went by fast with Kyrine taking notes, knowing she would be putting them in an outline later on to decipher them easily.

Kyrine was a straight A student and had been since the day she started school, having the uncanny ability to rarely study and ace all quizzes and tests. It also helped that some of the material Mr. Stanley currently taught both girls already knew, Florida schooling a little more advanced than Washington’s. When the teacher asked a question regarding a constellation, Kyrine’s hand shot up and she answered without preamble, impressing the teacher to say the least.

Amaya could feel a pair of eyes on her and immediately turned her head, noticing a guy with short blonde hair and blue eyes staring back at her. She smirked back at him with a wink before turning back to the teacher, knowing she still had it even in Washington. Not a saint by any means, Amaya had lost her virtue at a young age and honestly enjoyed a good romp or two with a guy, depending who he was. She was picky in choosing the guys she slept with, not wanting to gain a reputation for being the school’s easy lay.

After class, Amaya walked with Kyrine down the hallway, when that blonde came strutting up to her. “What’s up?” The guy asked with a smile, wearing what looked to be a Forks High School varsity jacket and blue jeans, his hands shoved in the front pockets.

“Going to class, what’s up with you?” Amaya shot back with a smirk, folding her arms in front of her chest, raising an eyebrow when his eyes drifted from hers to her chest. “Hey junior, my eyes are up here.”

Chuckling, the guy nodded, though his eyes never left her chest. “I’m fully aware where your eyes are, sweetheart,” He paused briefly to finally trail them up her body before locking on fiery violet eyes. “I just happen to enjoy another view right now.”

“Oh really?” Amaya stepped forward, pretending to be turned on by him. “Do you know what view I enjoy?”

“Uh uh, what might that be?” He asked, her hand sliding slowly down his chest and groaned, her touch already lighting him on fire. That groan quickly turned into a high pitch squeal when her hand suddenly grabbed his lower extremities, squeezing as hard as she possibly could. “OWWW!!”

Kyrine groaned, knowing exactly what Amaya was doing and shook her head, stepping back to stay out of the way. “Let’s get one thing straight, junior, I don’t appreciate being looked at the way you’re looking at me. I’m not a piece of meat dangling on a damn string for your enjoyment to try catching. And I’m not the slightest bit interested in anything you have to offer me. So the next time you talk to a woman, make sure you look into her eyes and treat her with some damn respect! Do you understand me?” When he didn’t say anything, she squeezed harder, smirking wickedly when he nodded.

“Y-Yes! God please stop it!” He cried out and stumbled back when she shoved away from him, his groin burning from how hard she’d squeezed. “You stupid teasing bitch!!”

Amaya growled and stalked after him, watching him immediately retreat down the hallway holding his sack. “I think he got the message, don’t you?” She asked innocently, though her eyes burned with mischief, daring another boy to walk up to her without an ounce of respect.

“You do realize you’re going to get in trouble for that right?” Kyrine couldn’t help chuckling when Amaya shrugged her shoulders, knowing her cousin didn’t take any drivel from anyone.

“Hey, when a guy walks up to you fucking you with his eyes, he needs to be put in his place.” Amaya simply stated, refusing to apologize for what she’d done. “Maybe next time he’ll have more respect for a woman.”

Kyrine couldn’t argue with that and followed Amaya down the hallway toward their next class. “I still think you overstepped boundaries.” She whispered, causing Amaya to roll her eyes heavenward, draping an arm around her cousin’s shoulders.

“That was mild, Kyrie dear.”

Around lunchtime, Kyrine walked inside the cafeteria of Forks High School, seeing all the tables were taken up and decided to just go outside with a bowl of fruit salad. Amaya was down at the principal’s office due to punching a girl in the face for calling her a freaky bitch. Kyrine couldn’t help smirking, remembering how fast Amaya’s fist flew forward and chuckled softly, the smell of rain in the air.

Spotting a table under a nearby tree, Kyrine headed in that direction and slipped on the top of it, knowing she had to eat so she could take her medication. Kyrine honestly wished she could wait until after school to take it, but Doctor Miles and her parents would have a fit if she didn’t. Sighing, Kyrine began to slowly eat her fruit, wearing a heavy black sweatshirt she’d brought with her because of how cold Forks was. Still she loved it, especially the fact that it seemed to rain all the time, the sound of it tapping at her window very soothing to both her mind and heart.

He watched her from a distance, raising a slow eyebrow as she ate alone, wondering who she was. Something was definitely different about this girl, though he couldn’t put his finger on it. Of course, any new girl intrigued him at first, but soon they got boring and he moved on to the next one. This one definitely piqued his interest and he decided to go introduce himself, hoping he didn’t intimidate her.

“Hello.” He greeted in a low voice, watching as Kyrine’s head snapped up to stare into a pair of unbelievable golden topaz eyes.

His breath hitched in his throat at the sight of her sad midnight blue eyes, knowing there was way more to this girl. The amount of melancholy and kindness in those eyes actually made his heart hurt, causing him to mentally scoff because he didn’t have one. Of course she didn’t know that and took a step forward, watching her instantly chew her bottom lip nervously.

“Hi.”

Again, his breath hitched at the sound of her angelic voice, closing his eyes to savor it.

“What are you doing out here all by yourself?” He asked, those amber orbs locking with hers again, causing the girl’s eyes to lower to her food as she took a small piece of pineapple in her mouth.

“Waiting for my sister.” She answered softly, wondering what this guy wanted and hoped he didn’t cause any trouble with her.

Her heart was already pounding fiercely, something Kyrine knew shouldn’t be happening, but couldn’t stop it. This guy was very intimidating, standing well over six feet tall and towered over her even as she sat on top of the table. He had short cropped black hair and wore a long sleeved dark grey shirt with what looked like a black one underneath, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows along with black jeans.

What captivated her most about him was the color of his eyes, she’d never seen anyone with pure golden eyes. His skin was pale white, reminding her of the moon and looked as though he could crush anyone with one of his muscular arms. The shirts he wore stretched across his chest to show off his strapping torso. When he took a step closer to her, Kyrine instinctively backed away, setting her nearly untouched fruit to the side.

Kyrine had to learn how to breathe again.

He frowned, not liking her reaction and knew he’d already scared her, sighing. “I won’t hurt you.” He assured her, hating the fact he always intimidated people whenever he came around, which is why he normally kept to himself. “I’m sorry, I’ll leave…”

“No wait.” Kyrine wondered what made her say that and blinked, watching him slowly turn those golden eyes back to her. “Please stay.” She had no idea why she didn’t want him to disappear, but Kyrine already felt a connection to him.

His dark eyebrow rose, wondering if she was serious and once again became drawn by those midnight blue eyes, tilting his head slightly. “Are you sure? I don’t want to scare you…” He watched her nod, picking up her bowl of fruit again, a soft smile spreading on his lips.

“Sit with me.” Kyrine requested in that same beatific voice and he couldn’t deny her anything, already knowing this girl had her wrapped around his finger.

Walking over, he sat down on the lower bench of the table, looking up at her again. “What’s your name?” He asked in a soothing deep voice, watching her take another shaky bite of fruit. “You don’t have to tell me, but I am curious.”

“Kyrine. What’s yours?”

“Emmett.” He smiled gently, still not believing she hadn’t stopped him from leaving. “Kyrine, that’s an unusual but beautiful name.”

Roses bloomed in her cheeks from his compliment, hearing his soft husky chuckle and Kyrine once again felt her heart rate speed up. “Thanks, Emmett is also an unusual name, though it suits you.”

He shrugged and moved to sit right beside her, staring down into her eyes again. “Did you recently move to Forks?” He couldn’t help asking, his curiosity burning to get to know more about her.

“Yes, this is my first day.” She sighed almost wistfully, glad to have someone other than Amaya to converse with.

“Where did you move from?”

“Miami, Florida.”

That surprised Emmett because normally people who lived in the sunshine state rarely moved all the way to a dreary rainy place like Forks, Washington. “Interesting, do you like it here, Kyrine?” Her name slipped from his mouth in a gentle caress and Kyrine honestly wouldn’t mind him saying her name more often.

She nodded, taking another bite of fruit and closed her eyes when a soft wind blew across her, causing a few wisps of black hair to brush across her cheek. Emmett couldn’t stop himself from doing so and reached out to swept them away from her face, tucking it back behind her ear, their eyes locking again. Kyrine entranced him in ways Emmett couldn’t begin to fathom, wondering where this angel came from and then remembered she’d been in the warm sunny state of Florida.

“Why did you move from Florida? Most people who live there prefer the sun over rain.” He pointed out, their noses practically touching and Kyrine suddenly looked away, breaking the eye contact.

There was no way Kyrine could tell him why she was really here or anyone for that matter, not wanting to be pitied. “My parents are lawyers, they had to move here.” She lied smoothly, though her voice trembled slightly and Kyrine knew it was time to take her medication.

“They had to move from Florida to Washington because they’re lawyers?” Emmett’s voice sounded skeptical and Kyrine knew she had to get away from him, not wanting him to find out about her disease.

For once, she felt like a regular girl with a guy talking to her and Kyrine didn’t want that to disappear, knowing it would the moment he found out about her heart condition. This feeling was too great, Kyrine now realizing what Amaya felt like every time a guy walked up to greet her or try to make small conversation. Kyrine felt normal and blinked away the tears that began stinging her eyes, not wanting to show weakness in front of Emmett.

“I’m sorry to cut this short, but I really need to get going.” Kyrine slipped from the table and shoved her half eaten bowl of fruit in her bag, slinging it over her shoulder hastily.

“Whoa, whoa hold on a second.” Emmett stopped her by reaching out, his hand grabbing her arm, forcing Kyrine to turn around as their eyes locked together. “What’s wrong?” He could see her trying to fight back tears and frowned, wanting to help her with whatever she was going through. “Kyrine…”

“Please don’t.” She whispered, pulling her arm out of his grasp, shaking her head. “I have to go, Emmett, I’m sorry.”

He could only watch as she headed inside the school as fast as she could, frowning, wondering what had scared her off. Knowing there was more to Kyrine, Emmett was going to find out, deciding she was his new interest. The bell ringing throughout the school grounds signaled it was time to get back to class and Emmett groaned, wishing he could just go speeding through the woods to clear his mind. Esme wouldn’t be happy if he skipped class again and Emmett didn’t want to cause her anymore grief, reluctantly heading inside a different way.

“Ky?” Amaya watched her cousin running toward her, blinking, wondering why the hell she was in such a hurry. “Honey calm down.” She ordered, knowing Kyrine was straining her heart, sitting her down in a chair in the hallway. “What happened?”

“N-Nothing…” Kyrine had her bottle of medication in her hand, trying to calm down as she leaned her head back against the wall, closing her eyes. “I’m fine…”

“No you’re not, you’re full of shit.” Amaya growled, hating it when Kyrine tried lying to her because it never worked. “What happened?”

Kyrine swallowed hard and lowered her eyes, struggling with her bottle, Amaya taking it from her trembling hands. Amaya frowned, not liking how her cousin was acting and handed over a pill along with her bottled water. Taking it, Kyrine swallowed down the pill and placed a hand over her heart, trying to just breathe, feeling Amaya’s arm around her.

“Breathe, Kyrine, breathe.” Amaya coached, wondering the made Kyrine hyperventilate and looked up down the hallway, not seeing anyone following her cousin. “You’re safe now, I promise.”

“I was never in danger.” Kyrine assured her, once she felt her heart calm down to its normal slow beat, but didn’t move from the chair yet. “I’m sorry if I worried you.” She wasn’t going to tell Amaya about Emmett, knowing her cousin would go on a rampage and get hurt in the process. “We need to get to class.”

Amaya knew Kyrine was hiding something from her and hated it, but knew she couldn’t push Kyrine, nodding. “Come on, the teachers all know the reason we’re late.” When Kyrine frowned, Amaya shrugged because it wasn’t her fault. “Your rents did it, not me.”

Kyrine wished her parents would just let her be a regular school student, knowing they were too worried for her safety and well being to do so. The heart transplant would change everything and Kyrine could hardly wait, knowing they had to be patient until the donor’s family came back from overseas. Kyrine just hoped it happened sooner rather than later, honestly not knowing how much more she could take.

Chapter 4

Emmett could only stare out the window as rain fell from the cloudy sky, thunder rumbling shortly afterwards, which was very soothing to the ears. He had his elbow pressed against the glass above his head, his forehead doing the same thing, trying to get his mind off of Kyrine. Never in his life and existence had he ever encountered someone like her and Emmett knew she was special.

Not yellow school bus special, but special as in she had something more to offer and deep demons that she refused to unleash. He could almost smell the fear coming from her, wanting to know all of her secrets that were behind those saddened midnight blue eyes. Also, he could tell that she was sick, but he had no idea just how serious it was, fighting not to pry because it wasn’t his business.

Hell, if Emmett really wanted to, he could simply go to Edward and ask him to read Kyrine’s mind, but again that definitely was an invasion of privacy. He wanted to get to know Kyrine and see if she would trust him enough to tell him what was wrong with her. Somehow, Emmett knew it would be quite awhile before Kyrine opened up to him and he was a patient man, deciding he would definitely be approaching her at school to befriend her.

“You’re a million miles away, Emmett.”

He turned and smiled sadly at the woman he could only claim as his mother, Esme Cullen, before looking back out the window. “Yeah, got a lot on my mind, sorry.”

Esme simply smiled and walked over to stand beside him, staring out the window at the rain. “I’ve been watching you for the past five minutes and you’re usually very alert when someone is close by.” She pointed out softly, her voice sounding like an angel’s, turning to face him. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Emmett wasn’t sure if that was a good idea, especially since he was interested in a human, who could very well put their existence in danger. Then again, Edward had done the same thing when he fell for Isabella Swan and now she was one of them, married and they both had a beautiful daughter named Renesmee Cullen. Isabella was a simple human girl that moved from Phoenix, Arizona to Forks to live with her father, Charlie Swan, who was the sheriff of Forks, wanting to spend time with him.

Her mother, Renee, had married Phil Dwyer, who was a minor league baseball player. He’d gotten a job offer in Florida and Bella didn’t want to intrude on their new life together, so she requested to move to Forks to spend time with Charlie. Bella and Edward soon met, instantly having a connection, had their ups and downs, but in the end they ended up getting married just after Bella graduated from Forks High School. On their honeymoon, Bella wanted to feel what it was like to make love human and ended up becoming pregnant shortly after.

Edward wanted to kill the baby, but Bella refused, actually asking Rosalie’s help to protect the baby from Edward, claiming she could be saved during the birth by being changed into a vampire. Edward hated the idea, but ended up doing what she wanted, saving her life after a rather bloody and brutal birth of their daughter, Renesmee, a human-vampire hybrid. Emmett remembered that night and fought back a shiver, having been evacuated from the house so none of them would attack Bella since she was still human and there was a lot of blood.

The Volturi, which was their brand of royalty in the vampire world and enforced laws –they were the foundation of peace and civilization as well, even though most viewed them as supposed villains- paid a visit to the Cullen’s after finding out about Renesmee. Irina Denali –she was one of the original Denali sisters out of the Denali Coven, which was located somewhere in Alaska- had gone to the Volturi claiming that they spawned an Immortal Child. She wanted revenge on her lover, Laurent, which was killed by the shape-shifters that protected the lands of La Push, Washington.

The Cullen’s had a peace treaty with the Cullen’s, promising never to feed on a human, only animals, and they couldn’t cross the treaty line, which was at the very edge where La Push and Forks territory met. If the treaty was broken in any way, there would be all out war with the shape-shifters and that was definitely something the Cullen’s wanted to avoid at any and all costs. There was only one time the treaty had been broken and that was Bella becoming a vampire to save her life, though Edward had asked permission before doing so, not wanting a war with the shape-shifters.

After giving false information to the Volturi regarding Renesmee, Irina was executed by Caius, one of the main members of the Volturi, and burned before everyone to add to her humiliation. Alice and Jasper had saved Renesmee by tracking down another human-vampire hybrid, which was completely different from an Immortal Child named Nahuel, which was enough proof to the Volturi that Renesmee was not a threat to their kind. The Volturi left in peace thankfully, promising to be back to visit and hoped it was on better terms, though Emmett hoped he never had to see any of them again.

His thoughts turned to Rosalie, his ex-wife, gritting his teeth as he remembered how she’d just left without a word. It was a simple split, nothing special. Rosalie had decided she wanted to go back to Volterra with the Volturi to join them, more importantly with Volturi guard member, Alec. He had stayed behind for several months after the Volturi came to investigate Renesmee, though the Cullen’s had no idea.

Rosalie would sneak out at all hours of the night to see him, claiming she was hunting and preferred doing it alone, which was very suspicious to Emmett. They always hunted together. Emmett had decided he had enough of Rosalie’s lying and followed her one night, catching both of them in the act. Alec had Rosalie straddling his lap, both completely naked, and they were screwing deep in the woods where nobody would hear them…or so they thought.

Emmett didn’t know what to feel or think, wanting to attack Alec for destroying his relationship with Rosalie, but then he heard something that changed everything. Rosalie had been in the heat of passion and cried out that she loved Alec while he growled he loved her in return. He could only watch in true mortification as they had sex, rolling around in the dirt and grass getting filthy, but none of it mattered to them.

The sounds of Rosalie’s moaning was something Emmett never heard before because never once, in all the time they’d been together, had she sounded like that when she was with Alec. For hours, he watched as they took each other in every position and Emmett finally pulled himself away just before the sun came up, deciding he wouldn’t say anything to Rosalie. He didn’t have to wait long because the following evening, Rosalie came to Emmett, confessing her affair with Alec and she was going back with him to Volterra.

“Go.” Was all he said and Rosalie left the Cullen house that same night with Alec.

For the next few years, Emmett kept to himself and was never the same, often thinking about that night he caught Rosalie having sex with Alec in the woods. He didn’t sleep, there was no need for it, but slowly it tore Emmett completely apart, causing his temper to rise. It finally got out of hand one night when Edward came to him wanting to help and Emmett threw Edward through the glass window of the living room, screaming that he didn’t want any help. Jasper decided it was time to use his gift, pathokinesis - an ability to both feel and manipulate emotions of those around him, to basically control others emotions.

That night, Emmett was forced to talk about what was bothering him, about Rosalie leaving and everything else. Every time he would stop, Edward would read his mind and Alice would help out by stating certain things that Emmett simply couldn’t say. With Jasper’s ability, Emmett couldn’t get angry and lash out at any of the Cullen’s, even though he desperately wanted to. After that, Emmett hadn’t spoken hardly a word to any of the Cullen’s, just wanting to be left alone. Everyone knew it would only take time and patience for Emmett to get over Rosalie’s infidelity, though they were honestly happy that she was no longer there.

Nobody really liked Rosalie, but dealt with her for the simple fact that not only did Carlisle save her life, but she was Emmett’s wife.

“Nothing to really talk about, Esme.” Emmett finally rumbled, his voice low and distant, which told her not to push him.

Esme nodded in understanding and placed a hand on Emmett’s shoulder, feeling the pain radiating from him. “I just want you to know that whatever it is, whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here to listen. You have family and friends here, Em.” She said, wanting to remind him he wasn’t alone.

“I know, thanks.” He managed to give her another sad smile before his face turned to stone again, feeling the itch to suddenly go for a run through the woods. “Tell the others I’ll be hunting alone tonight.”

Esme could only watch as he opened the window and leapt out of it, shaking her head, and turned around right into her husband’s waiting arms. “I don’t know what to do for him anymore, Carlisle.” She whispered, clearing her throat hoarsely.

Carlisle had watched the exchange between Emmett and his wife, having kept an eye on Emmett ever since the incident with Edward occurred. “He just needs time to heal, though Alice told me that he’s met someone new.” Sometimes his adopted daughter’s skills were put to good use.

Shocked, Esme pulled back to stare into her husband’s golden eyes, blinking. “What do you mean?” She couldn’t help asking, both of them walking out of Emmett’s room. “I thought he was still upset over Rosalie leaving…” Now she was confused.

“Make no mistake about it, he still is.” Carlisle ran a finger down Esme’s cheek, smiling. “But whoever this new girl is will probably help him heal faster.”

“We can only hope at this point. I hate seeing him in so much pain. It’s been at least three years since she left.” Esme didn’t even want to think about if Carlisle did something like that to her, knowing he was her true soul mate, lowering her eyes. “I just wish there was some way we could help him.”

Carlisle loved the fact that, even though their hearts no longer moved with life, Esme had never forgotten her human instinct to have one. “Only time will tell, my love.” He kissed her lips softly, guiding her downstairs so they could all get ready to go hunting.

“Did Alice tell you anything else?” Esme couldn’t help asking, glancing up at him. “Like a name or what she looked like?”

“She’s human and goes to Forks High School, that’s all I know for now. No name; Alice can’t look that far in-depth, though Edward could if he was close enough to the human…” Carlisle said it thoughtfully, stroking his chin. “I wonder…”

“No.” Esme held her hand up before another word could come out of her husband’s mouth. “Edward and Emmett already have issues between them, please do not make it worse.”

As much as he hated admitting it, Carlisle knew Esme was right and heaved a sigh, nodding reluctantly. “Alright, I won’t.”

“Promise?”

He chuckled, kissing her once more. “I promise.”

Moments later, everyone split up into two groups to go hunt for animals that helped sustain their existence.

~!~

Kyrine was in her bedroom that night brushing out the knots in her hair and closed her eyes when a clump fell out, immediately tossing it in the trash. She hated brushing her hair and knew it was because of her heart condition, tears stinging her eyes as another clump came out. It wasn’t cancer, but congestive heart failure was almost as bad because it affected so many areas of the body. Because of how strong her medication was that Doctor Miles gave her, it was causing her hair to slowly fall out, which is what chemo did to cancer patients.

That’s exactly what Kyrine felt like at the moment.

A knock sounded at her door moments later and Kyrine immediately blinked the tears out of her eyes. “Come in.” She called out and smiled when Amaya walked in, looking fresh out of the shower.

“Hey chick, do you mind if I use your brush?” Amaya asked, walking in while towel drying her rat’s nest of a head, rolling her eyes. “I swear, if I have to go through one more brush, I’m going to just hack this shit off.” It had grown to the middle of her back and Amaya was already annoyed with it.

“No don’t!” Kyrine shouted, immediately lowering her eyes and Amaya blinked at the sudden outburst, noticing for the first time how truly upset she was.

“Ky, what’s wrong?” Amaya tossed her towel to the side and walked over to grab her sister’s hands, feeling how cold they were. “Talk to me.”

The tears began flowing and Kyrine couldn’t stop them, Amaya instantly pulling her into her arms. “I’m tired of living like this.” She sobbed softly, not wanting her parents to overhear them and was thankful Amaya had shut her bedroom door after entering. “Maya, my hair is starting to fall out…” Pointing to the trash, Amaya’s violet eyes moved from her sister to the trashcan, swallowing hard at the two huge clumps of dark chestnut hair, feeling sick.

“Kyrine…”

“Please don’t pity me.” She sniffled, wiping her tears away and pulled back from the embrace. “Mom and Dad do it enough, please don’t add to it. I knew it was going to happen eventually because of the strong meds I’m on. Just once, I want to feel normal in my life and I don’t think it’s ever going to happen. So please, just be thankful for the hair you have, that you’re not having clumps falling out every time you brush it after showering.”

Amaya’s heart broke for her sister and didn’t know what to say, knowing time was truly running out for Kyrine to get this new heart. The donor’s family had to hurry because they were racing against the clock, knowing before long Kyrine would be in the hospital hooked up to machines that kept her alive. The blue lips and poor circulation, now the hair falling out…Amaya wanted to call the doctor and demand to give up the heart now, only caring about her living to see another day. The donor’s family would understand considering this was a teenage girl that was dying and their family member could save her life.

“I have an idea.” The light bulb suddenly went off in Amaya’s head as they both sat down on Kyrine’s bed, smiling. “What if me and you went out shopping for Nat and Nick?”

Kyrine’s eyebrows drew together, her mind temporarily off of what just happened moments ago. “Shopping?” She couldn’t help echoing, seeing the wheels in Amaya’s head slowly turning. “You know they’d never allow that, not without supervision…”

“No check this out. Nat told me that she had to go to La Push to a special store that sold a few things her and Nick need for their special diet they’re going on.” She fought back a roll of her eyes, secretly hating the fact that Kyrine’s parents were so adamant about what they put in their bodies. “She can’t do it because of meetings and neither can Nick. She was complaining tonight during dinner, remember? So what if we did the shopping for them? It would be a fun day out for both of us and you seriously need to get out of this house before you’re driven up a wall. I know I do at least.”

“They would never allow it.”

The sadness in her sister’s voice just made Amaya that much more determined to do this, grinning with sparkling mischievous violet eyes. “Just leave the rents to me. I promise, we’ll be going shopping alone together. Don’t worry about it, Ky.” Amaya would get permission even if it meant guilt tripping Natalie, which was easy to do when it came to Kyrine. “You just get some rest and leave everything to me.”

Kyrine reluctantly agreed and could only hope Amaya could convince her parents to let her do this, desperately needing a day out without them breathing down her neck.

Chapter 5

“Come on Nat, please?”

“No.”

“Why the hell not?” Amaya demanded, folding her arms in front of her chest. “Do you have any idea what Kyrine is going through right now, what she’s feeling? She’s not feeling like a normal teenager and it’s bringing her spirits down!”

“It’s much too dangerous.” Natalie simply said, packing up her briefcase for her meeting and sighed when Amaya wouldn’t drop the subject. “I can’t risk…”

“Risk what? Kyrine going shopping with me?” Amaya shot back, hurt shining in her violet eyes, lips pursed tightly together. “You trust me with her at school and La Push isn’t that far away from Forks! Give me one reason why you don’t trust me to take her out shopping.”

“It’s too strenuous for her.” Natalie supplied, scratching her head as she walked away from Amaya to grab the bagel out of the toaster oven. “Walking around a store will be too much for her and I can’t risk that happening.”

Amaya could not believe the words that were spewing out of Natalie’s mouth, trying not to explode. “Look Natalie, Kyrine needs to feel normal right now. Her spirits are down and she was crying last night in her room because she was losing clumps of hair out of her scalp.” She didn’t want to have to resort to guilt tripping, but Amaya was running out of options and desperate.

Natalie’s eyes widened, turning to face Amaya. “She did?” Why hadn’t Kyrine told her about this? “I didn’t know…”

“She told me she’s tired of not feeling normal and she’s sick of you guys constantly watching over her. She just wants a girl’s day out with me and it’s not like the store is huge or anything. It’s a small diet store that has what you and Nick need.” Amaya had done research on it the night before, after talking to Kyrine about the shopping trip. “I swear, nothing will happen to her, but you really need to start thinking about what Kyrine needs and wants. She doesn’t ask for much and what really shocks me is the fact that you allow her to go to school full-time, which requires strenuous activity and walking, but yet you won’t let her go shopping with me for a few measly hours in the next town over.”

Natalie sighed heavily, knowing she was being an over-protective officious, but couldn’t help it. Kyrine was her only baby girl and she was sick with a very serious condition that would potentially kill her if the new heart didn’t come through. No matter how many excuses she came up with in her head, Natalie knew she couldn’t argue the facts that Amaya threw at her. Before she could open her mouth to protest the shopping trip again, Kyrine and Nick walked in the kitchen.

“Morning sweetheart.” Natalie greeted with a smile, already having a bowl of fresh fruit and oatmeal waiting for her daughter.

“Morning.” Kyrine mumbled sadly, taking the bowl and accepting a kiss on her forehead from her mother, sitting at the table with her head down.

The smile on Natalie’s face faltered, causing her to look at her husband worriedly before turning to Amaya, seeing the knowing look in her eyes. “Ky honey, is everything alright?” She asked, walking over to sit beside her.

“Nope, I just wish I had more trusting parents.” Kyrine blurted out and stood up from the table, pushing her breakfast away.

The pang of guilt suddenly hit Natalie like a ton of bricks, tears filling her eyes. “Kyrine, you know your father and I love you and we’re just trying to protect you…” She reasoned, frowning when her daughter refused to eat her breakfast. “You need to eat for strength…”

“No I don’t, Mom!” Kyrine snapped, having heard the whole conversation Amaya had with her mother and couldn’t help feeling resentment. “I’m not hungry and if I don’t want to eat, then I don’t have to! I’m sick and tired of being protected, I feel like I’m suffocating and all Amaya wants to do is take me out for a day, if that! All because you don’t have time to do your shopping and she’s offering just to get me out of the house for some fresh air! Why can’t you see that all she’s trying to do is help me while you’re trying to barricade me in this house, sucking the life out of me?”

In all the years Kyrine had been alive, Natalie could not remember her daughter ever lashing out like this, swallowing hard. “Kyrine…”

“NO!” Kyrine already had her school bag thrown over her shoulder, tears filling her own eyes. “I’m sick of it, Mom. I asked Dad if I could go with Amaya and he told me only if you allowed it. I’m sick of it. You never let me do anything I want to do. I know my limitations and yet you STILL try justifying why you keep me locked in this house unless I’m at school. I never want to come home from school because I’m tired of being stuck under your thumb. I love you, Mom, but I want to feel NORMAL for ONCE in my life! This is no way to live and even Doctor Miles said that living as normal as I possibly can is GOOD for me! But you obviously don’t believe him or you’d let me go with Amaya for a simple shopping trip!”

Nicholas couldn’t help agreeing with his daughter wholeheartedly and was glad she was finally standing up to Natalie. He tried so many times talking to his wife, only to be shut down at every turn and finally gave up after awhile. But standing there watching his daughter finally say everything that’d been on her mind did his heart good and Nicholas had a feeling this had been building for quite awhile. He didn’t say a word when Natalie looked at him, begging for help, and all he did was sip his coffee with a smile on his face.

Natalie scowled at him, not believing he wasn’t doing anything to help her and knew everything both Amaya and Kyrine told her was the truth. “Fine.” She finally gave in, standing stiffly from the kitchen table, deciding Nicholas would be sleeping on the couch for the next few nights. “As much as I don’t think it’s SAFE or SMART for you to do this, I’m not going to stop you from going with Amaya, Kyrine.”

Kyrine’s eyes widened, her mouth dropping open and looked back at an equally shocked Amaya. “Really?!” When Natalie stiffly nodded with absolutely no smile on her face, both girls squealed with excitement and Kyrine hugged her Mom tightly around the neck, a few tears of happiness falling from her eyes. “Thanks Mom, I promise I’ll be safe and if anything goes wrong, we both have our cell phones.”

“Not to mention we know how to dial 9-1-1.” Amaya piped in with a smirk, wrapping an arm around Kyrine’s shoulders and winked down at her. “Thanks for letting her go with me, Nat. Now where’s the shopping list?”

“I have it.” Nicholas finally spoke and walked over, handing it over without hesitation, grinning down at the excited girls. “Take your time, La Push is beautiful.” Just to show Natalie he wasn’t afraid of her backlash, he handed over a credit card, causing Amaya and Kyrine to look at each other bewildered. “There’s a five hundred limit on it and I want you two to enjoy yourselves. Ky, if you get too tired…”

“I’ll take it easy and rest when I need to, Daddy.” Kyrine hugged him tightly around the neck, not believing he was actually giving them a credit card and ignored the angry look on her mother’s face. “Thank you so much!”

“You’re very welcome. Now you two get going and make sure to stop to get some breakfast on the way to school.” He knew Kyrine already had her medication, which is why he didn’t mention it.

Unlike his officious over-protective wife, Nicholas actually trusted his daughter to know her limitations with her condition and hadn’t felt this good in what felt like years.

“I can’t believe you did that.” Natalie snapped as soon as the girls were out of the house, shaking her head in pure disappointment. “What if something happens to her, Nick?”

“You really should have more faith in our daughter and Amaya.” Was all Nicholas said before walking out, actually inhaling the fresh after rain morning air, knowing nothing could ruin his day.

~!~

Jacob Black was not happy in the slightest.

Scowling down at the list his old man gave him to go shopping at the local store in La Push, he couldn’t help wanting to ball it up and throw it away. What the hell did the old man need that was so important it couldn’t wait until later? He simply shook his head, walking through the woods as twigs snapped beneath his gym shoes, wearing just a pair of black cargo shorts with a red short sleeved shirt that hugged his muscular chest and arms.

It was bad enough Jacob couldn’t even go hang out with his friends because his old man was still punishing him for what he did years ago. Billy knew how to hold a grudge, though honestly Jacob knew he was getting older and had brittle bones, which made it difficult for Billy to go to the store by himself. Granted, Jacob knew he deserved everything Billy gave him and more, but he couldn’t stick around after what happened to the woman he supposedly loved, Isabella Swan.

He’d known Bella since childhood and when she moved back to Forks after years of no contact, Jacob had slowly developed feelings for her that he thought was love. Not friendly love either. Bella had met Edward Cullen while attending Forks High School and instantly fell in love with him, which didn’t bode well with Jacob. He stayed away though, only popping up once in awhile to check on her, or whenever his father dragged him to the Swan residence to watch a football game with Charlie on his big flat screen. It didn’t happen often, but Bella always seemed to be home when he came by, which pleased Jacob to say the least.

Unexpectantly, Edward and the entire Cullen family left Forks months after dating Bella, though Jacob didn’t exactly know why and honestly didn’t care. It took Bella four months to get over Edward leaving before she finally went to La Push and began hanging out with Jacob almost every day, doing life-threatening stunts like riding a motorcycle or going hiking, anything to get her mind off of Edward. During this time, Jacob had gone through several changes and tried pushing Bella out of his life because he feared for her safety, refusing to tell her why.

It broke Bella’s heart and nearly killed Jacob on the inside.

The reason why Jacob couldn’t tell Bella why he pushed her away was because he had become a shape-shifter, phasing out of the blue and joining the wolf pack. It consisted of all his friends Sam Uley –He was the alpha of the pack, though Jacob was supposed to be as soon as he phased, but Jacob refused the job-, Embry Call, Jared Cameron, Paul Lahote, Quil Ateara, Seth and Leah Clearwater –she was the only female in the pack that phased-, Brady Fuller and Collin Littlesea.

Sam had ordered Jacob that he couldn’t, under any circumstances, reveal the secret of the Quileute tribe to Bella, which Jacob hated. Instead, he went to Bella’s and gave her clues and even that wasn’t easy, but Bella had been smart enough to figure it out on her own. He carried a gene that descended from the Quileute tribe to protect the lands from one thing and one thing only: Vampires. When Bella found that out, she was torn because she still missed Edward deeply, but also didn’t want to lose her friendship with Jacob.

Edward came back after being gone for six months, just when Jacob and Bella were getting closer, completely destroying Jacob’s chance to be with her. It tore Jacob apart because Edward was a vampire, his natural born enemy, but he also didn’t want to hurt his best friend either. Even though Bella went back to Edward, Jacob flat out refused to stop fighting for her and did…up until he found out Edward had proposed marriage and Bella accepted.

That’s when Jacob left La Push for a few months, needing to clear his head, but he managed to make it back just in time for Bella’s wedding. Edward had requested him to make an appearance, a gift for his newlywed bride and Jacob reluctantly went, only to find out that Bella was going to try consummating their marriage before she was changed into a bloodsucker. Jacob completely flipped out and lost his temper, vowing he would tear Edward apart for hurting Bella and left the reception with Bella in tears.

That’s when Jacob decided to be a wolf for awhile, wanting to feel animalistic so he wouldn’t feel the constant heartache Bella caused him, and stayed phased up until Bella returned from her honeymoon deathly sick.

When Jacob found out about Bella’s pregnancy, after she came back from her honeymoon, he immediately went to the wolf pack and told Sam about it. Sam thought the spawn Bella carried would be a danger to the lands and Quileute tribe, which they had sworn to protect and ordered the pack to attack the Cullen’s to destroy the danger. Jacob left the pack, along with Seth and Leah, refusing to let anyone kill Bella because she was still human and the pack had vowed to protect ALL humans no matter what.

Therefore, Jacob became his own alpha and had his own small pack, protecting the Cullen’s from Sam’s pack attacking.

It ended up being that Sam’s wolf pack wiped their hands clean of the problem and Jacob granted Edward permission to change Bella into a bloodsucker to save her life. He felt sick for doing it, but also knew it was what Bella wanted, refusing to let her die because of his selfishness. He was technically an alpha and ended up going back to La Push, Sam deciding that Jacob was ready to be the only alpha of the pack. Jacob once again declined and told Sam he wasn’t ready yet, just wanting to be a part of the pack again, but it was never the same.

Jacob had been so deep in thought about the past that he didn’t realize he’d been walking into the store, until he collided with someone, blinking. “Crap sorry.” He mumbled half-heartedly and went around the person, not even looking at them.

Kyrine watched as the distracted man walked away from her, arching a slow eyebrow. “Yeah okay.” She snorted, not believing the half-assed apology he threw at her and could clearly tell he was from the area.

She decided to split the list with Amaya so they’d get done faster, wanting to get the shopping underway. Amaya couldn’t help agreeing, deciding since it was a small store she would be able to find Kyrine rather quickly if anything happened. Currently, Amaya was on the other side of the store looking for some kind of diet pills while Kyrine took care of the food, both of them wondering what the hell the rents were thinking.

Though now, all Kyrine could think about was the man who had been rude to her, continuing with the shopping.

Chapter 6

Jacob knew he sounded like a complete ass to her person, but he had other things on his mind, going down the pill aisle. “What the hell?” He growled when he bumped into someone else and this time looked up, locking dark brown on narrowed violet eyes.

“Yeah, I should ask you the same damn thing.” Amaya definitely wasn’t one to back down and placed her hands on her hips, the cart in front of her. “Didn’t you see me standing here looking for something specific? Why don’t you stop looking at the damn floor when you’re walking and look up before you end up hurting someone, idiot?”

His eyes widened at the spitfire and Jacob actually found himself backing away, holding his hands up. “Damn I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to run into you, lady.” He couldn’t help thinking how hot it was that a woman actually stood up to him the way she had.

“Yeah well if you were looking straight ahead instead of at your muddy shoes, you would’ve noticed and not collided into me.” Amaya snapped back, refusing to accept his apology and snatched a bottle of pills from the shelf.

He felt like a scolded dog, which was very close to the truth since he was technically a wolf, and lowered his head a little. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to run into you, ma’am.” He tried again, this time more sincerely and watched as her violet eyes softened just a little.

Amaya couldn’t help admiring the physique this man had on him and tapped her chin in thought, contemplating if she should forgive him or not. “If you’re really sorry, then you’ll make it up to me somehow.” She finally said, leaving him with that thought before walking away to finish the shopping list.

Jacob zeroed in on her beautiful rear and smirked, having a feeling he would run into the violet eyed beauty again. Amaya could feel his eyes on her and winked over her shoulder at him before turning the corner, seeing Kyrine headed her way. She didn’t look exhausted, more annoyed than anything, and Amaya wondered what could’ve happened since it wasn’t exactly a big store. Then again, she had been busy berating a big brute who was in desperate need of some manners and eye coordination.

“Alright, who do I have to kill?” Amaya demanded, only half joking and watched as Kyrine waved her off, hating it when she did that. “Come on Kyrine, what happened?”

“Nothing, I’m done with my half of the list.” Kyrine refused to tell Amaya about the big Neanderthal that nearly bulldozed her, thankful she had enough sense to hold onto her cart. “Come on, I wanna do some real shopping.”

Amaya decided to drop it for now, knowing Kyrine would eventually tell her and headed to the counter to check-out the items. While they were standing in line making idle chit-chat, Amaya felt someone tap her shoulder and turned to stare back at the big hot dark eyed brute that ran into her earlier. She simply placed her hands on her hips and stared hardening at him, wondering what he wanted and why he insisted on bothering her.

Kyrine could tell Amaya was about to unleash on the guy and decided to stick her nose in a magazine, facing forward toward the cashier.

“Well?” Amaya wasn’t a patient person by any means and raised an eyebrow when the guy handed her a piece of folded paper. “Look, I don’t have time for games so just spit out whatever it is you want to tell me.”

“You’re rude you know that?” Jacob growled, though amusement shined in his dark eyes, his arms folded in front of his chest. “Just read the damn piece of paper.”

Instead, Amaya balled it up and threw it right in his face, smiling sweetly though it did not reach her eyes. “Sorry, but I don’t play games with little boys. So when you wanna be a man and actually tell me whatever you wrote on that paper, let me know.” Before she could turn around, Jacob’s hand shot out to stop her, their eyes locking again.

“Go out with me.”

His voice was low and husky, it made Amaya tingle all over, though she wasn’t about to admit that to anyone. Neither of them noticed that Kyrine stepped outside since Amaya had the credit card that would pay for the items. Amaya simply stared at the man with slightly narrowed eyes, just like she’d done when he ran into her earlier, completely skeptical of what he said.

“You want to go out with me.” It was a simple statement.

“Yeah, you said I had to make it up to you and I figured asking you on a date would be the way to go.” He said with a smile, nearly taking her breath away. “Come on, just one date. You can invite your friend if you want and make it a double date.” Jacob had no idea why he offered that, but if it made this violet beauty accept his date offer, he was willing to do just about anything.

Amaya contemplated that and turned to ask Kyrine her opinion, frowning when she didn’t see her sister anywhere in sight. “She went outside for some air, said you’d pay for everything.” The cashier offered with a smile, gesturing toward the open door.

“Oh…thanks.” Amaya turned back to face her potential date. “What’s your name?”

“Jacob Black.” He answered with a grin, extending his hand. “Most call me Jake though. What’s yours?”

“Amaya.” She refused to give out her last name in case this guy turned out to be a creep, shaking his hand. “Tell you what, Jake, you give me your number and I’ll call you within the next twenty-four hours to let you know if I accept your offer. I have to speak with my sister first because that double date idea sounds promising and I’m not going if she doesn’t.”

Jacob chuckled with a nod, feeling Amaya release his hand. “Sounds fair to me.” He asked the cashier for a pen and took the piece of paper that Amaya crumpled up, turning it over to write his cell number down on it. “Here ya go, I look forward to hearing from you, Amaya.”

“I’m sure you do.” She retorted with a smirk, taking the piece of paper and this time folded it to slip into her back jean pocket.

“Looking forward to it.”

Amaya paid for the items for the McTavian’s and walked out of the store, seeing Kyrine was sitting on a nearby bench staring out into space. The girl was lost in thought a lot these days and Amaya began worrying if it had anything to do with the medicine she had to take for her condition. She walked over slowly with the three bags and sat down on the bench, slowly reaching out to tap Kyrine on the shoulder.

“Hey chick, sorry about that.” Amaya didn’t know why she apologized, but felt it necessary since this was supposed to be a girl’s day out.

“No problem.” Kyrine smiled, turning to face her sister. “Got everything?”

“Sure do, though I did get a rather interesting proposition from that hot piece of La Push ass in there.” She giggled when Kyrine flamed red, actually covering her cheeks as the cool wind blew across them, glad they both brought sweatshirts. “Hey, you know I’m not the shy type.”

“Still…” Kyrine groaned, shaking her head as she tried getting her cheeks to return to normal. “What did he ask you?” She was almost afraid to ask and could see the mischievous gleam in Amaya’s eyes, groaning again.

“Well,” She paused, loving to keep Kyrine in suspense. “He asked me out on a date.”

“Did you accept?”

“Not exactly…” Once again the gleam worried Kyrine and Amaya could see the apprehension in her eyes, wrapping a comforting arm around her sister’s shoulders. “Relax, I told him I’d think about it after talking to you.”

Now Kyrine was confused. “Why me?” If Amaya said it was because she wanted to be there for Kyrine, she was going to absolutely snap. “Maya…”

“Well he actually came up with a great idea, which is hard to believe considering I don’t even know him.” Amaya studied her painted nails, which was currently magenta, winking back at Kyrine. “He offered a double date situation. I told him that if you didn’t accept then there was no way I could go.”

Kyrine’s jaw dropped, putting her head in her hands. “Why would you do that?!” She stood up from the bench infuriated, wondering what the hell possessed Amaya to give up a date because of her! “I don’t need you babysitting me all the damn time! Didn’t you hear a word that I told Mom this morning?”

“Yes and I think it would be good for you to go on a double date with me and Jake.” Amaya wasn’t fazed in the slightest by Kyrine’s outburst, knowing exactly why she did it. “Come on Kyrie, when’s the last time we did something like this? I know you can find some hot hunk to ask out.”

“You’re out of your mind.” There was no way Kyrine could find anyone who was interested in her, she’d barely spoken a word to anyone since moving to Forks. “There is no one…” Kyrine suddenly trailed off and looked thoughtful, turning her head to look out toward the woods again.

“Or is there.” Amaya suddenly remembered what happened to Kyrine at school and narrowed her eyes, standing up from the bench. “Kyrine, when you ran back into the school the other day, you were running from someone weren’t you?”

Midnight blue eyes lowered to the ground and all Kyrine could do was nod, remembering how Emmett had tried keeping her from running away and asking what was wrong. “Yeah…” She hated that Amaya knew her so well and hoped she didn’t go running off to tell her parents about the incident. “He didn’t do anything to me. All he asked me was what was wrong and I kinda…I just ran away from him…” Kyrine felt like a coward and slumped her shoulders, heaving a sigh.

Amaya caught the fact that the person was a male and any male around her sister without her there was unacceptable. She wasn’t going to tell the rents though, that wouldn’t be smart, especially after the fight she had with Natalie that morning. However, she was going to find out who this guy was that scared Kyrine to the point where she ran back into the school nearly hyperventilating in the hallway.

“That’s all he asked you and you ran off?” Amaya didn’t buy it, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. “Are you sure?”

Kyrine knew exactly what Amaya was thinking, deciding if she didn’t come clean that Amaya would go hunting down Emmett and that couldn’t happen. “He came up to me while I was outside during lunch and started talking to me. He just asked me innocent questions like my name and where I was from, things like that. Harmless questions. He was really cute too.” She blushed, cheeks flaming red again as a small smile curved her lips. “He was sweet too. He had these golden eyes that…I’ve never seen eyes like them before and he looked strong, incredibly strong. He didn’t hurt me or anything, I swear it. You know how emotional I get when I’m asked what’s wrong because I don’t feel like repeating myself fifty thousand times. I simply told him I had to go back inside for class and he just let me go. I feel terrible because all he was trying to do was be friendly and I totally blew it by running away from him.”

It sounded like Kyrine really liked this guy, whoever he was, and Amaya decided that Kyrine was being truthful, grinning from ear to ear. “Soo what you’re saying is he’s a really hot guy and you wouldn’t mind getting to know him better?” She chuckled softly and patted Kyrine’s shoulder, letting her know everything was going to be alright. “I think you should ask him out for the double date.”

Her head shot up, midnight blue eyes widened in both shock and fright. “No, I can’t! I can’t even look at him right now, Amaya! I ran away from him like a coward, he probably thinks the worst of me right now! How can I just walk up to him and say ‘Hey Emmett, I know I ran away from you like a coward when we first met, but do you wanna go on a date with me and my sister?’ Get real, Maya!” Kyrine was beside herself and Amaya looked thoroughly amused, never seeing Kyrine act like this over a simple male.

“Emmett eh?” Amaya smirked when Kyrine realized what she did, the groan telling her all she needed to know. “Well, I’m sure Emmett wouldn’t mind going on a double date with you. He’s the one who approached you after all and you didn’t exactly run away from him. You did tell him you had to go back to class.”

“But…”

“No buts about it, you like him and I have a feeling he likes you. You’re asking him out on the double date.” Amaya wasn’t backing down from this, daring Kyrine to argue or try to coax her way out of this.

“But…”

Amaya shook her head as they began walking away from the shop, heading to another one that was for them instead of the McTavian’s. “I already know you’re going to say your parents won’t let you go out on a double date with me. I think your old man is getting sick of your mother’s overbearing ways and that’s why he gave us a credit card to spend fully today.” Amaya was banking on using them against each other in order to give Kyrine the freedom she wanted. “So we’re going to get you a new outfit with shoes, jewelry, the works, along with me and you leave the rents to me. I’ll make sure you get to go, even if we have to tell a little white lie.”

Kyrine swallowed hard, looking up at her devious sister and couldn’t help wondering if this was going to blow up in their faces. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea…” Lying to her parents is something Kyrine NEVER did and always believed was wrong.

Waving her off dismissively as they walked into the dress shop, Amaya guided Kyrine through the aisles, whistling. “I said leave it to me. It won’t be lying so much as keeping them from the full truth.” She justified it that way, immediately pulling clothes off the racks to try on.

“What exactly are you going to tell them?” Kyrine was suddenly afraid of what Amaya was getting her into, chewing her bottom lip when an outfit was handed to her to try on. “Maya, this isn’t right…”

“Trust me okay?” Amaya stirred her in the direction of the dressing room, sounding flabbergasted. “I’m simply going to tell them we’re going out for a girl’s night to catch a movie.” There was no reason the McTavian’s had to know that they were going out with two guys, Amaya knew that would never be allowed, not even by Nick. “Now go try that on and stop worrying about it.”

In other words, Amaya was going to lie to her parents about the double date entirely. Kyrine could only groan behind the closed door as she began changing into outfits to model for Amaya, not feeling good about this upcoming date. Then something occurred to her: She hadn’t even asked Emmett if he would go on this date with her and Amaya was forcing her to try on outfits!!

What if Emmett said no?

Kyrine paled and walked out to show Amaya the first outfit, her stomach twisting at the upcoming conversation she would have with Emmett.

Chapter 7

What in the hell had Kyrine gotten herself into?

No, more importantly, what the hell had Amaya gotten Kyrine into?

There he was standing across the parking lot of Forks High School, looking more gorgeous than ever. He had on a dark blue long sleeved shirt that once again looked like a second skin on him with tight khaki pants, everything about him flawless. He currently leaned against his Jeep Wrangler, looking as though he was waiting for something and Kyrine could already feel she was losing her nerve to approach him.

The double date had been set for that Friday and it was now Thursday. Amaya warned Kyrine if she didn’t ask Emmett by the end of the day on Thursday, she was going to approach him and ask him herself on behalf of her sister. Kyrine couldn’t have that, promising she would do it and waited until the very last minute to do it. She pulled her gaze from Emmett and glanced over at Amaya, who was tapping her wrist while leaning against her own car, watching to see if Kyrine would do it or not.

When it looked as if Amaya was getting ready to approach Emmett, Kyrine felt her legs begin moving, putting one foot in front of the other. Kyrine didn’t know what shocked her more, the fact she was moving toward Emmett without faltering or the fact that she hadn’t lost her courage to even attempt this yet. She was definitely a shy person, Kyrine had never in her life asked a guy out and the fact that Amaya had threatened to do it for her, made Kyrine that much more tense.

“Hi.” She squeaked out, stopping a few feet in front of him, her bag over her shoulders.

Emmett stared back at the midnight blue eyed beauty and couldn’t believe it was Kyrine talking to him, afraid he scared her off when they met. “Hey.” He turned to fully face her, seeing how nervous she was and couldn’t help wondering what it was about, arching an eyebrow. “How are you, Kyrine?”

“Y-You remembered my name.” She observed, trying to get the trembling out of her voice and took a deep breath.

He smiled, which nearly took her breath away, nodding. “Of course I did. You don’t hear the name Kyrine often, it’s unforgettable.” He almost said she was unforgettable, but stopped himself just in the nick of time. “So how are you?” He tried asking again, tilting his head slightly when her eyes just gazed at him for a few seconds.

Her cheeks had flamed red at the compliment of her name and Kyrine knew she was making a complete fool of herself, shoving her hands in the back pockets of her light blue jeans. “I’m fine.” She didn’t stammer that time, this was getting a little easier. “Actually, I uh I came over to ask you something…”

“Alright.” Emmett bit back a chuckle at how adorable and cute Kyrine was when she was nervous, folding his massive arms in front of his chest. “What is it?”

“Umm well…” She swallowed past the lump that suddenly formed in her throat, wondering why this was so hard to do, suddenly lowering her eyes to the ground. “I umm…”

Stepping forward, Emmett took a chance and slowly reached out to hook his finger under her chin, forcing those anxious filled eyes to meet his again. “Don’t look down when you talk to me, Kyrine.” He ordered in a husky voice. “You don’t have to be afraid of me. You can ask me anything.”

That was easy for him to say! He wasn’t the one standing here looking like a stargazed idiot trying to ask him out on a double date! His voice sent shivers throughout her body and Kyrine was finding it hard to think, her mind becoming fuzzy. It took a lot for her to nod her head, his touch ice cold, but felt incredible to the touch because she was used to being cold. It was comforting somehow and Kyrine felt a smile light her face, those golden eyes piercing her down the depths of her soul.

“Would you…like to go out…on a double date with me and my sister…tomorrow night?” She had to take several pausing breaths to ask him or Kyrine would never get it out, the roses in her cheeks blooming fully, just like when they first met. “My sister, Amaya, was asked out and…told him she would go only if I did…”

She was actually asking him to go on a double date with her and her sister?

Emmett didn’t know how to react or feel about it, but the happiness infiltrated his body, knowing he was wrong in assuming that he scared her off. “Do you have any idea how cute you are when you’re nervous?” He watched her eyes widen slightly and chuckled, running a gentle cold finger down her cheek. “I’d be honored to go out on a double date with you, Kyrine.”

“Really?” Kyrine’s smile turned into a full blown grin, her eyes filling with excitement and felt alive for the first time in years. “Okay well…we decided on going to see a movie and we’ll meet you at the theater around seven. Does that sound alright?” She hoped it did because that was the only time they could find that would suit everyone, including the parents.

They still had no idea the girls were going out on a double date instead of just the two of them.

Emmett had a feeling there was a reason why Kyrine and Kyrine’s sister’s date wasn’t picking them up at their house, deciding not to question it. “Sounds good to me. I’ll be there.” He suddenly had an idea, wondering if she would go for it and glanced over her shoulder at who he could only assume was her sister, his eyes moving back to Kyrine. “Before the date though, how about we go for a walk through the woods and I’ll take you home the long way?” He suggested, wanting to spend more time with her now that she wasn’t afraid of him.

Kyrine didn’t know if that was a good idea, but one look in Emmett’s eyes and she instantly melted. “A walk sounds really nice.” It had rained again the previous night so the after rain fresh air was amazing, something only Forks could offer Kyrine was sure of it. “I’ll have to tell my sister though, if you don’t mind waiting.”

“Not at all, beautiful. Go ahead.”

Kyrine blushed furiously and touched her cheeks before turning around to walk toward Amaya, not able to wipe the smile from her face. “He said yes!” She tried keeping it down, but the amount of excitement in her voice did Amaya’s heart good.

“I have a feeling he wants something else from the way he was eyeballing me over here.” Amaya stated, placing her hands on her hips. “Well?”

“He wants to take me for a walk through the woods so we can get to know each other before going on the double date. He said he’d take me home. I won’t let him get near the house though.” Kyrine didn’t want to blow their cover with the double date, having already convinced her parents that it was just the two of them going to see a movie. “Please Maya? I feel like I owe him after running off the way I did last time…”

Amaya sighed resignedly, knowing she would have to come up with one hell of an excuse for Kyrine’s absence and could tell how much this meant to her sister. “Go on, I’ll cover for you. When they ask, tell them you had to stay after school for an extra credit assignment that I wasn’t a part of.” They had all the same classes so naturally the McTavian’s would automatically ask why Amaya hadn’t stayed after as well.

“Thanks Maya, I owe you one.” She kissed her sister’s cheek and gave her a big hug before walking back toward Emmett’s direction, keeping her bag with her since she was supposedly staying after school for extra credit.

“Everything copacetic?” Emmett asked, already opening the passenger door of his jeep for her, smiling softly.

“Yeah.” Somehow, Kyrine knew she could trust Emmett and hopped into the jeep, buckling up while he got behind the wheel, driving off moments later from the high school.

Amaya could only watch as Emmett Cullen drove off with her sister and hoped she did the right thing by letting Kyrine go, slipping into her own car to leave.

“So, where are we going for this walk?” Kyrine asked after a few minutes of silence, looking over at him.

Emmett smiled over at her and took her hand in his, surprised at how cold it was. “Tell me where you live and I’ll know where to park the jeep so it won’t be that far from your house.” He watched the nervousness return to Kyrine’s face and sighed gently, knowing he would have to get used to that for the time being. “You can trust me, beautiful.”

“I know.” Kyrine gave him her address and leaned back against the seat, staring out the window at all the trees that surrounded them.

Ten minutes later, Emmett pulled over on the side of the road and jumped out, opening the passenger door for Kyrine before she could even reach for the handle. He simply winked at her puzzlement at how fast he was, extending his hand and helped her out of the jeep. Kyrine inhaled the air and sighed in contentment, allowing Emmett to guide her into the woods, knowing her parents would have a conniption fit if they knew where she was at that moment.

“So, what movie are we going to see tomorrow night?” Emmett asked, breaking the silence between them, glancing down at her while they slowly headed toward Kyrine’s house.

“I’m not sure what it’s called, but Amaya made sure it wasn’t romantic in any way. She prefers action movies so I’m sure we’ll all enjoy it.” Kyrine responded, not minding when Emmett laced their fingers together and couldn’t help loving the surroundings of the woods, the air smelling of pine and rain. “It’s so beautiful here.”

‘Not as beautiful as you.’ Emmett thought, still not believing how trusting this human girl was and felt himself drawn to her in ways he couldn’t explain. “What’s on your mind?”

“So many things.” Kyrine breathed it out in a mere whisper, feeling them stop as Emmett turned to face her, staring up into his amber eyes. “What about you?”

Emmett knew that was a vague answer to his question, but let it go for the time being, not wanting to upset Kyrine. “Honestly?” When she nodded, Emmett pulled her closer to him, towering over her tiny frame. “I’m wondering why you asked me out. There are a lot of boys in that school and yet you chose me. Why?”

Kyrine lowered her eyes and chewed her bottom lip, not expecting Emmett to ask her a question like that. “You were the only one that…approached me.” She didn’t know how else to explain it, not to mention running away from him made her feel incredibly guilty and she wanted to make it up to him somehow. “You’re the one guy that noticed me.” There was no way Kyrine could call Emmett a boy because he was far from it.

“You’re very hard to miss, Kyrine.” His voice dropped an octave and Emmett felt Kyrine shiver, instantly wrapping an arm around her waist as their bodies pressed closer together “You have no idea how much you stand out.”

Her head once again spun and Kyrine felt herself melting into his arms, feeling her knees weaken and suddenly couldn’t stand by herself anymore. It was a good thing Emmett had his arm wrapped around her or else Kyrine would’ve collapsed to the ground, trying to breathe. Emmett saw how flushed she was and could feel her knees trembling, her breathing quickening, his senses much sharper than hers.

“Are you alright?” He asked concerned, suddenly lifting her up and carried her over to a nearby log as he sat down, Kyrine straddling his lap. “Is that better?”

What was wrong with her?

Kyrine just nodded and felt his hand cup her flaming cheek, completely embarrassed that she nearly collapsed in front of him. It wasn’t because of her condition either, he made feelings sprout within her she never knew existed. Her entire body felt alive and full of heat, especially when her eyes locked on his again, his touch also being a contributing factor.

“Sorry, I just got a little lightheaded.” She managed to say, getting lost in his eyes again. “Emmett…”

“Can I kiss you, Kyrine?” His voice was merely a whisper now, his mouth mere inches from hers, wanting to take it slow, no rushing. “Just one kiss?”

Her heart rate skyrocketed, which Kyrine knew wasn’t good, but couldn’t help how Emmett made her feel. “If you want.”

Her voice was so angelic and soft, it lit Emmett’s entire body on fire, especially the feeling of her straddling his lap in jeans that hugged her thighs and beautiful ass perfectly. He’d been wanting to kiss her since the first moment he saw her in school, which was at the table outside during lunch, when he first approached her. He pulled her closer to him, both of his arms now wrapped around her waist, knowing this wasn’t their date, but Emmett couldn’t hold out any longer. Her lips looked so delectable and delicious, he just wanted a small taste of them, the curiosity of what they tasted like too intense to ignore.

Suddenly his lips were on hers and Kyrine’s breath was stolen from her, instantly returning the soft tender kiss, a soft shaky moan escaping her. Her arms wrapped around his neck and shifted on his lap, hearing him groan against her lips and that just caused the moment to intensify much more. Kyrine knew if she strained her heart too much, she would end up in the hospital and honestly didn’t want that happening after experiencing her first kiss. She couldn’t pull away though and shivered when his tongue slowly snaked out to swipe across her lips, instantly opening her mouth, giving him permission to deepen the kiss.

Instead, Emmett broke the kiss and stared back at Kyrine, her lips slightly swollen from what they just shared, smiling. “Sorry beautiful, I don’t want to move too fast with you.” He explained, not needing air to breathe, but knew she did, the taste of her lips still on every part of his mouth. “I think I’d better get you home before they send out a search party.”

Kyrine could only nod and blushed when Emmett brushed his lips very softly against hers once more before lifting her from his lap. He knew he would need to do something to relieve his problem later on and wrapped an arm around Kyrine’s shoulders, feeling her lean against his side. They arrived at her house, but Emmett remained in the shadows, wishing he could walk her up tot eh door at least to make sure she got there safely.

“So, until tomorrow night?” He pulled her into his arms again, Kyrine’s smile once again making that tingling sensation course through his cold body. “Seven right?”

“Yes, see you tomorrow at the theater.” Kyrine murmured, accepting another soft sweet kiss from Emmett before heading out of the forest, feeling dazed. “Good night, Emmett.” She whispered over her shoulder before walking across the street and up to her front door, noticing him in the rapidly approaching night.

“Good night, beautiful.” Emmett rumbled and watched as she walked inside the house, closing the door behind her before heading off to his own, knowing the family was going to notice something different about him.

Honestly, all Emmett wanted was tomorrow night to arrive so he could see Kyrine again.

Chapter 8

Why couldn’t it be Friday night already?

Jacob sighed heavily, feeling completely restless and sat in his small room of the Black house, leaning back against the wall. He couldn’t believe he actually asked a paleface out on a double date, honestly not caring what the others thought if they found out. Granted, Jacob had been careful whenever he was phased not to let the double date, or Amaya for that matter, enter his mind. When the pack was phased, they had the ability to read each other’s minds, which was both annoying and helpful, though it didn’t leave a lot of room for privacy. Amaya hadn’t called him to give him the answer yet, but Jacob had a feeling she would, knowing he was very hard to resist.

“Jake?” Billy’s voice called through the door, causing Jacob to stand up from his bed to see what his father wanted.

“What’s up?”

“Phone call.” Billy handed the phone over and rolled away in his wheelchair back to the living room to watch television.

“Thanks.” Jake mumbled and put the phone to his ear, shutting the bedroom door for whatever privacy he could get. “Hello?”

“Hey Jake, it’s Emily.” She greeted, waving Sam off when he went to say something to her. “Listen, we’re having a little meeting over here tonight and Sam wanted me to call to tell you. I’m making dinner so if you haven’t ate yet…”

Why did Sam insist on forcing Emily to do his dirty work? “Yeah I’ll be there, Em.” He looked at the clock, seeing it was a little after four o’clock. “What time do you want me there?”

“Around six or a little after that.” Emily answered promptly, busy stirring batter in a bowl to make homemade rolls. “Everything okay, Jake?”

“Yeah, just tired.” He answered, refusing point blank to say anything more, rubbing his eyes. “I’ll be there.” Then something occurred to Jacob, causing his eyes narrow slightly. “Emily, you have my cell phone number right?”

“See you at six, Jake.”

The phone went dead and Jacob felt the anger consuming him, rolling his neck as bones cracked under pressure, growling. What the hell was Sam up to? They hadn’t been the same pack ever since Jacob went against them in order to save Bella and Renesmee. Jacob thought at one point he imprinted on Bella’s vampire-hybrid daughter, but it ended up being false because Seth ended up being the one to imprint on her.

Imprinting was an involuntary mechanism that forced shape-shifters to find their soul mates, the ones the Quileute gods selected for them to be with.

The pack was still having a hard time accepting that fact and often stayed away from the Clearwater residence because Seth had invited Renesmee over to the reservation for dinner. Because she was a vampire-human hybrid, it didn’t break any laws in the treaty, which Seth had to point out several times to the pack. There was no clause that stated a vampire-human hybrid couldn’t step foot on their lands.

Just vampires.

Leah had moved out of the house shortly after Seth imprinted on Renesmee Cullen because she finally imprinted on Embry Call, which nobody saw coming. It was adorable the way they baited each other and everyone was honestly happy for them. Embry knew Leah wasn’t comfortable with her brother being with Renesmee, so he offered to get a place with her since they would end up married with babies sooner or later. There was no rush, but Leah took Embry’s offer almost immediately and moved out within a few short weeks after the proposal.

Everyone was waiting for Embry to pop a marriage proposal next.

Honestly, Jacob was happy for Seth and Renesmee because they both deserved to be happy and Renesmee would stop aging once she reached seventeen. Because she was a hybrid, she aged incredibly fast and the genes within her would stop the aging process, according to Carlisle’s extensive research. She would never look a day over seventeen, which was perfect because, as long as Seth kept phasing, he would hardly age so it worked for both of them.

He was also happy for Embry and Leah because they deserved to be happy, completing each other to near perfection.

Jacob knew he hadn’t imprinted on Amaya, but that wasn’t going to stop him from going on the double date with her. Until he did imprint, he was going to date whoever he wanted, be a free spirit, just like his best friend Paul. They, along with Collin and Brady, hadn’t imprinted yet and were having a lot of fun trying to find their other halves…Paul especially. He was definitely a playboy and told everyone he didn’t believe in imprinting, feeling as though it wasn’t supposed to happen to him.

It made Jacob think that maybe he was the same way.

Sighing again, Jacob went to stand up as he began taking his shirt off, deciding he would phase to burn off some of this restless energy, when his cell phone blared. Turning, Jacob wondered who it was since he didn’t recognize the ringtone and picked it up, seeing the name Amaya Robinson flash across the screen, a smile instantly touching his lips. Flipping it open, Jacob collapsed back on the bed and stared at the ceiling, deciding phasing could wait.

“Well hello there, spitfire.”

Amaya chuckled softly at the sound of his voice and what he called her, busy holding the cell to her ear as she continued doing her toenails. “Hey yourself, Dasher.” She shot back, knowing he’d get a kick out of that.

“Dasher?” Jacob scratched his chest, raising an eyebrow. “Since when am I one of Santa’s reindeer?”

“You are an idiot.” Amaya laughed, leaning back while she let the paint dry on her toenails. “I’m calling you that because you dashed and didn’t watch where you were going, which landed you asking me on a double date with my sister.”

Jacob smirked at her explanation and stroked his chin in thought, deciding that was definitely a fitting nickname. “How many times are you gonna bust my balls for that, woman?” He demanded teasingly, sitting up a little, enjoying the sound of her laughter.

“As many times as it takes to make you realize that you need to slow the hell down and stop acting like your pants are on fire, Dasher.”

“Alright, alright fine you got me.” He let out an audible sigh, which caused her to laugh harder. “What’s so damn funny?”

“You.”

“Oh really? What’s so funny about me?”

“Too many things to count right now.” Amaya shivered when he growled, closing her eyes and wondered what he was doing at that moment. “Mmm do that again.”

Jacob was surprised at how low Amaya’s voice dropped, actually feeling his mouth go dry. “You like it when I growl at you?” That was definitely interesting and Jacob put that in the back of his mind as a reminder for a later time when they were face to face.

“Growling from any man who can do it correctly is incredibly hot and…stimulating.” She smirked, deciding he deserved a little tease before she gave him her answer, waiting until the absolute last minute to call him.

“Oh really now?” Jacob sat up a little more, licking his lips and wondered what Amaya would think if he came to pay her a late night visit. “So, I’m assuming your calling about the double date offer? We going or what?”

“My my what a pushy little man you are.” Amaya stood up from the bed and walked over to stare out the window, wearing just a simple black nightgown that was spaghetti strapped and went to her mid-thigh. “What will you give me if I tell you the answer?”

“You love playing games with men don’t you?” He retorted, dropping his own voice an octave, not realizing it turned Amaya on immensely.

Her seductive laughter told him he’d definitely gotten under her skin a bit. “Oh you have NO idea, Dasher.” He was in trouble once she got her hands on him, they definitely wouldn’t be watching a movie in the dark movie theater. “But I do suppose I owe you an answer since you did ask me, yes?”

“That would be helpful so I know if I should make plans with someone else or not.”

Amaya blinked, not expecting to hear that and narrowed her violet eyes slightly. “Oh? And who else do you have your eye on right now, Black?” She demanded in a somewhat cold voice, gritting her teeth when he started laughing.

“Damn, I managed to get under spitfire’s skin!” He crowed amusedly, hearing her huff over the phone and couldn’t help smirking wickedly. “So what’s your answer? Yes, no, maybe so?”

Amaya was going to kick the living hell out of him when she saw him tomorrow night, scowling. “That was not funny.” She grouched, clearly not amused. “To think you’d ever choose to go out with someone else over me.”

“Only if you decline my offer. Hell, I’m a free agent.” Jacob was cocky and openly admitted it, hearing her growl at him. “Ooo should I call you a tiger instead of spitfire?”

“Keep it up, Jake.” Amaya warned, hearing him chuckle at her annoyance and vowed to wipe the smirk off of his face she knew he currently had. “And yeah, meet us at the theater at seven tomorrow night. Can you handle that, Dasher?”

“Sure spitfire, whatever works.” Jacob glanced at the clock, seeing it was going on five and knew he would have to get off the phone soon if he wanted to go for a quick run before heading to Emily’s. “I take it your sister found a date?”

“Yes she did.” Amaya heard a knock at her door, knowing it was time to end the call. “Gotta go, see you tomorrow night and please try to grow some manners between now and then.”

Jacob didn’t even have a chance to respond because the line went dead, wondering what hurried her off the phone so abruptly. He shrugged it off and closed his phone before shoving it in the front pocket of his shorts. Opening his window, Jacob removed his shorts and tied the cord around his ankle before attaching the shorts. Emily didn’t have replacement clothes and none of the pack members appreciated nudity that much. He could handle the bare feet, hating to take shoes with him and knew Emily wouldn’t mind.

Jumping out the window, Jacob felt the fire rush down his spine as his body shifted in midair, landing on all fours seconds later, his beautiful russet colored fur glistening in the twilight of the day. Jacob immediately took off into the woods, running at top speeds and immediately pushed the double date or anything to do with it out of his mind, in case anyone else was phased. He didn’t trust the pack members, they had tried sneaking up on him a few times and Jacob was determined to have some privacy, even if it meant forcing himself not to think about certain things.

It wasn’t easy by any means.

Hey Jakey. Paul’s voice entered his mind, causing Jacob to sigh instantly, glad his suspicions were right. What’s got you in a funk?

I’m not in a funk and stop calling me that, Pauly.

Paul hacked out a cough, his silver fur glinting under the cloudy rapidly darkening sky. I take it you’re going to Emily’s for dinner? He loved annoying Jacob, it was one of the highlights of his day.

That’s a stupid question. What do you want? Jacob demanded irritably, though there was no malice in his tone. Shouldn’t you be with your flavor of the week?

We’re taking a bit of a break. Paul decided to give Jacob a visual of his flavor of the week, which made him hack out more, trying not to laugh when his friend groaned. Hot little number, isn’t she?

Man that is SICK. Jacob knew he’d be scarred for life after seeing something like that, shaking his head. Do I even wanna know how you got her to do THAT?

Paul ran alongside Jacob and looked over at him, a twinkling in his dark eyes. I’m Paul, I can make a woman do anything. He stated smugly, causing Jacob to roll his eyes as they continued on toward the cliffs.

Uh huh and I’m sure if she found out she was fucking a dog, she definitely wouldn’t do anything you wanted.

Wouldn’t be too sure of that, she’s kinky as hell. I’ve never been with a woman quite like her. Paul almost sighed wistfully, deciding to change the subject so he wouldn’t miss his flavor of the week too much. What about you? You need to get back out there, not gonna find your…imprint…if you don’t keep looking. Paul couldn’t help snorting out the word imprint, not believing it would ever happen to him. Then again, maybe you prefer penis?

Jacob was tempted to tell Paul about his double date, but decided against it for several reasons. Paul couldn’t keep a secret to save his life or keep his mouth from running away with him. The pack didn’t need to know his personal life and he would do whatever it took to keep it from them as long as possible, even from Seth. He told Seth everything usually because the little man could keep his mouth shut, remembering when Seth first told him about imprinting on Renesmee.

Seth felt Jacob deserved to know first, not to mention Seth felt guilty because he honestly thought Jacob had imprinted. Being a vampire-human hybrid, Seth had to ask Jacob if there was any way possible that because she was half human and half vampire if there could be two imprints. Jacob assured him he wasn’t angry and congratulated Seth, secretly thrilled that he hadn’t because he didn’t want to be stuck with Bella’s kid as his soul mate for the rest of his life.

I assure you, man, I’m strictly for women. Jacob assured and heard Paul cough again, suddenly tackling him in the grass. Come on hold still so I can leave a nice mark on you for your flavor of the week to see!

For nearly an hour, the wolves wrestled around with each other, which was the perfect way to burn off some of the energy Jacob had. They barely made it to Emily’s on time by the skin of their teeth, barreling through the front door like a bunch of animals. Emily was not amused and pointed at the door, demanding them to walk in properly and without acting like a bunch of immature buffoons. Whatever Emily wanted is what she got, both Jacob and Paul walking inside and hugging Emily, apologizing for their antics.

The meeting was generic, the same things being said about bloodsuckers and whatnot. Seth hadn’t left the pack, but he wasn’t as close with any of the members as he used to be, not even with his sister. Jacob was the only one he trusted to talk to, nodding whenever Sam gave him an instruction where to patrol to protect the Quileute lands. After they were all given their patrol assignments, Jacob walked out with an extra kick in his step and instantly fazed, glad he got tomorrow night off for the double date.

The best part was he didn’t even have to ask someone to switch with him or make up some excuse, howling happily into the night.

Chapter 9

“Kyrine, sweetheart we’re going to be late for the doctor’s appointment!” Natalie called, tapping on her daughter’s bedroom door and stepped inside, trying to put a smile on her face.

“Sorry Mom, I’m almost ready.”

Kyrine pulled a long sleeved blue shirt on over a white tank top, the lace of the tank top poking out of the bottom for style. She had on blue jeans and her white tennis shoes, leaving her hair down because she honestly didn’t have the strength to do anything with it. The night before had taken a toll on Kyrine and she wasn’t about to tell her mother what happened with Emmett, knowing the woman would just blow it out of proportion.

No matter what the doctor said, Kyrine was going on the double date later that night.

“You look tired.” Natalie commented, leaning against the doorway, wearing a simple pair of black dress pants with a lavender long sleeved top.

“Yeah, I didn’t sleep well last night.” Kyrine murmured, finishing getting ready and could see the concerned look on her mother’s face, sighing. “Mom, I’m fine and I don’t want you worrying about me. We both know I’m sick, but you suffocating me with your overprotective ways isn’t helping me get better.”

Natalie frowned, wondering where this attitude suddenly came from and had a sinking feeling Amaya had talked to her daughter. Then again, Nicholas had refused to sleep in their bedroom the previous night, instead opting for the couch. They’d gotten into a huge argument over Kyrine with Nicholas saying that Natalie had to back off with being overprotective and Natalie reminding him that Kyrine was their only daughter and she was dying. Things were very stressful between the McTavian’s and the last thing Natalie needed was her daughter reiterating what her husband had so blatantly and rudely told her the night before.

“Come on, we’re going to be late.” Natalie decided it was better not to respond to what her daughter said, just wanting to focus on getting her better.

Sighing heavily, Kyrine nodded and walked out of the house, slipping into the car heading off to the hospital. Doctor Miles had picked out a specific doctor that would be taking care of Kyrine until it was time for the transplant. His name was Doctor Cullen and he’d been at the hospital for several years, one of the very best. Natalie trusted Doctor Miles’s judgment and hoped her daughter felt the same way, glancing over at her while soft music played from the radio.

It wasn’t that Natalie wanted to be overprotective over Kyrine, but she couldn’t stop it from happening. This was her only baby, her only child, why couldn’t anyone understand that? She’d been through hell and back with Kyrine through the years, seeing her daughter literally on her deathbed in the hospital with Doctor Miles pumping medication through her to keep her heart beating. All Natalie wanted was for Kyrine to get better, to get this heart and to be a normal teenager capable of doing anything she wanted, reaching her goals.

Apparently, all she’d been doing was driving Kyrine away, along with her husband, and Natalie didn’t want that.

They arrived about twenty minutes later and walked inside the hospital, checking in at the receptionist, who directed them where to go. Doctor Cullen…Kyrine wondered if he was related to Emmett and bit back a smile, knowing how observant her mother. Keeping the double date away from her parents was extremely hard, especially since Kyrine wasn’t as coy and sneaky like Amaya. Then again, she hadn’t even told Amaya about how her walk with Emmett ended, surprised when her cheeks didn’t flame red as the memory quickly washed over her, lips still tingling.

Once they arrived in the waiting area of Doctor Cullen, Natalie sat down while Kyrine grabbed a magazine to flip through, eyeing her daughter skeptically. “You’re awfully quiet today, darling.” Natalie observed, folding her arms in front of her chest. “Any particular reason why?”

“I told you I’m tired, Mom.”

“Uh huh.” Natalie wasn’t buying it and watched as her daughter idly flipped through the magazine, not even looking at the pictures, wondering what was going on. “Amaya told us that you had an extra credit project yesterday at school. What was it about?”

This was her mother’s subtle way of trying to find out if Amaya had lied to her about where Kyrine was. “It was for the art class. The teacher told us that if we added an extra part to the project we finished yesterday, then we’d get extra credit for it. I know I’m going to be missing some school once the transplant comes around, so I’m trying to prepare for it.” Kyrine explained, already having the story ready in her head so it didn’t sound like she was making it up.

“What was the project about?” Natalie pried, remembering what Amaya said, but she hadn’t supplied what class or what it involved. “I thought you and Amaya had all the same courses?”

Kyrine felt like ripping her hair out, but managed to somehow keep calm. “There are two classes we don’t have together. Art and gym. The school even called and told you about it before we had our first day. Mom, just stop okay? Stop asking me questions about my schooling and start trusting me and Amaya.”

“Kyrine…”

“No, I’m done discussing this with you.” Kyrine cut her off, going back to flipping through the magazine. “I’ve never given you any reason not to trust me and here you go again being suspicious.”

“Because I know something else is going on.” Natalie stated, not born yesterday and couldn’t remember the last time her daughter took on extra credit at school. “What movie are you and Amaya going to see tonight?”

“I don’t know yet. It’s at seven, that’s all I know and it’s in Port Angeles.” Kyrine stated somewhat irritably, finally tossing the magazine on the table in front of her.

“I don’t think you should…”

“Mom, I’m going to see a movie with Amaya tonight. I’m seventeen years old and Dad already gave us the money to go. He told me to tell you that if you tried telling me I can’t go, that you can take it up with him.” Kyrine wasn’t trying to be mean to her mother, always having respect for her, but right now she was getting on Kyrine’s last nerve.

Before Natalie could even open her mouth to retort, the door opened and a nurse stepped out with a chart in hand. “Kyrine McTavian?” She called, smiling when the women stood up and could already feel the tension between them. “Hello Kyrine, my name is Gloria, how are you feeling today?”

“A little tired, but I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.” Kyrine was always honest with her doctors, but they didn’t need to know about the kiss that sent her heart racing the night before, which in turn exhausted her. “Other than that, fine.”

“Good.”

Gloria first took her weight and found out Kyrine had actually gained a few pounds, which was a very good sign. Her blood pressure came next and it was a little low, but nothing for them to be concerned about. Natalie didn’t say anything and just let the nurse do what she had to do, nodding when Gloria told them Doctor Cullen would be in shortly to see Kyrine. Kyrine thanked her and sat on the bedding with her head down, not able to look at her mother right now.

A half an hour later, a knock sounded at the door and Doctor Cullen walked in, Natalie’s eyes widening slightly. He was incredibly pale white, which instantly reminded Kyrine of Emmett, and the same beautiful golden eyes. His blonde hair was slicked back and he had the most breathtaking smile, a charm that made Natalie weak in the knees. He looked very young too, no more than in his early twenties, but none of that mattered to the women.

“So you must be the infamous Kyrine I’ve heard so much about.” Doctor Cullen smiled and extended his hand, watching his patient take it with absolutely no hesitation. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“It’s nice meeting you too, Doctor Cullen.” Kyrine softly replied and released his hand, tucking her hair back behind her ears as he pulled the otoscope out of his white jacket, beginning the examination.

“So what grade are you in, Kyrine?” He asked while doing the initial checkup, which was mandatory before he started the heart examination.

“I’m a Senior.” She answered with a smile, doing whatever Doctor Cullen instructed her and nodded when he told her she looked in great shape all things considered.

Doctor Cullen was specialized in every form of medicine, having every degree with all masters. The heart was definitely one of his favorites, though having young patients like Kyrine was a little harder than others because her life was barely beginning. He kept a soft smile on his face, not wanting to scare her in any way and asked her to lay back on the bedding while he began pressing in certain areas of her abdomen, another part of the mandatory checkup.

He fired up the heart monitor, which is what Kyrine was waiting for, and removed her long sleeved shirt so it was easier for him to press attach the electrodes presoaked in alcohol to her arms and chest. Doctor Cullen began the electrocardiogram (ECG), a test that checked for problems with the electrical activity of her heart. It translated the heart’s electrical activity into line tracings on paper, the spikes and dips called waves, which showed arrhythmias of her heart. With congestive heart failure, it of course made the machine go haywire and Doctor Cullen took his stethoscope out to listen to her heart while the ECG test continued.

It took around ten minutes and Doctor Cullen nodded, removing the electrodes while Kyrine pulled her shirt back on, sitting up chewing her bottom lip nervously. She could tell the look on Doctor Cullen’s face was filled with worry and Kyrine just prayed he had some kind of good news for her, having had enough of these tests to know when the doctor tried keeping in good spirits. He pushed the ECG machine out in the hallway and shut the door, walking over to sit down in the nearby chair with the chart out, writing down a few things.

“Well Kyrine, this probably won’t surprise you, but your heart is steadily getting worse. I know you’ve opted not to receive a LVAD, but at this point, I don’t know how much longer your heart will pump on its own.” He could tell that news completely crushed Kyrine, knowing the transplant was so close yet so far away at the same time.

An LVAD was an implantable mechanical pump that would help pump the blood from her lower left chamber of her heart to the rest of her body. It would help with circulation and was used for people who had weakened hearts or heart failure. Kyrine had been offered to have one implanted in Florida by Doctor Miles, but told her it wasn’t necessary at the time. However, with this new ECG and not knowing when Kyrine would get the donor heart, Doctor Cullen didn’t want to take any chances, especially with this being her Senior year in high school.

This news was bitter to swallow and all Natalie could do was look up at her daughter, tears filling her eyes. “Darling?” She could tell Kyrine was upset and stood up to hold her hand, wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders.

“Is there no other way?” Kyrine finally asked, having tried to avoid any other major surgery and swallowed hard when Doctor Cullen shook his head.

“I’m afraid not, Kyrine.” He watched saddened as tears slid down her face, standing up to walk over and took both of her hands in his cold ones. “The fact of the matter is your heart is giving out slowly but surely. With all the activity in your life, especially this being your last year in high school and graduation around the corner, it would be in your very best interest to receive the LVAD. It would give you better circulation and give your heart a much needed rest, giving us more time to wait for the transplant. It is major open-heart surgery to implant the device and there are risks of complications, but I assure you this is your best option.”

“How long will it give her?” Natalie had to ask, looking up at the doctor while wiping tears away from her daughter’s face.

“People can live with an LVAD for years and they are lifesaving.” Doctor Cullen explained softly, trying to keep both women calmed, especially his patient. “We doctors like refer to it as a ‘Bridge to Transplant’. Most people who are waiting for a heart transplant have an LVAD implanted just to give their hearts a rest and letting the device do most of the work.”

“How long will the surgery take?” Was Natalie’s last question, knowing Nicholas wouldn’t like hearing any of this.

“The surgery takes four to six hours, depending if any complications arise. You’ll be connected to a ventilator to help you breathe during the surgery and you will more than likely be on it several days after the surgery. You’ll be in the ICU and your lungs may not work right away after surgery, so that’s why you’ll be kept on the ventilator. It’s a precaution more than anything.”

Kyrine’s eyes widened slightly and looked over at her mother, who looked completely heartbroken. “H-How long will I be in the hospital?” She hesitantly asked, feeling Doctor Cullen squeeze her hands gently, trying to comfort her in any way he could.

“The amount of time you’ll spend in the ICU will vary, depending on your condition before the procedure and how your body recovers from the LVAD. I’ll say anywhere from one week to a month, but a month is the worst case scenario, which you’re not.” He answered honestly, trying not to let her tears bother him, even though they did. “You’ll be prescribed antibiotics and blood-thinners to prevent infection and other complications while you’re here. I will order blood tests periodically to check your kidney function and make sure your medications are working. If everything goes well with your recovery from surgery, you’ll be able to return to school and do anything you want. You will have weekly appointments with me until the transplant to check on your progress and make sure the LVAD is doing what it’s supposed to do for your heart. Because you’re waiting for a transplant, your activities need to remain limited like they are now and your stress level has to stay down because stress causes strain on your heart, which needs to be avoided.”

“What are the risks?” Natalie could tell this type of surgery scared Kyrine, but they needed to know everything that could happen during.

“Blood clots that can be prevented with the blood-thinners I will prescribe, excessive bleeding, but that’s more after the surgery than during. Infection…because the device is outside of the body and connected through a port in the skin, germs and bacteria can cause serious infection, but the antibiotics will more than likely prevent that. The device can malfunction at any time, it is a machine after all and if anything goes wrong with it, you need to get immediate medical attention.” He stopped to take a breath, knowing this was a lot of information to sink in for Kyrine, but there was one other risk he had to tell her. “The last risk is right heart failure. The LVAD pumps more blood from the left ventricle of your heart than what your heart might be used to before your LVAD is implanted. Your right ventricle may be too weak to pump the increased amount of blood needed for circulation and we do have medication to improve the pumping ability of it. Worst case scenario, you may also need an RVAD implanted to support the right ventricle.”

Those were a lot of risks and Natalie wasn’t sure what to say or even think, looking back at her daughter with worry shining in her eyes. “How long would she have without the surgery?” She finally asked after a few minutes of silence, the doctor letting the information sink in.

“Based on the ECG, I’d say a month if that.”

Natalie closed her eyes and felt huge tears slide down her cheeks, covering her mouth with her hand. “A month? Even with a dobutamine drip?” She swallowed when Doctor Cullen simply lowered his eyes with a solemn nod of his head.

“With her condition, she would end up living in the hospital on that drip and even then I’m not sure if it would keep her alive long enough to wait for the transplant.”

As much as Kyrine hated doing it, she reluctantly agreed to have the surgery, which was scheduled for the following week.

Chapter 10

Whistling.

He was actually whistling.

Alice had noticed something change within Emmett and wished she could read his mind, knowing there was no way she could go to Edward. Their falling out had pushed Edward over the edge and he hadn’t been around the household, staying in his little cottage with Bella and Renesmee deep in the woods. It wasn’t far away from the glass house, but enough that Edward and Emmett had space from each other so there wasn’t any altercation. The family tried a few times to get them to talk, but in the end Edward just simply left with Bella and Renesmee, refusing to apologize for what happened.

“Hey Al.” Emmett grinned walking past her, wearing a black buttoned up long sleeved shirt with the top two buttons undone and dark blue jeans.

Alice blinked and slowly turned as her eyes followed him into the bathroom, tilting her head slightly. “Hey Em.” She greeted softly, deciding to follow him, her curiosity burning. “You look nice tonight. Going somewhere special?”

A smirk spread over his lips as Emmett looked at her through the reflection, winking. “Maybe.” He sprayed some cologne on and decided to roll the sleeves up on his shirt to his elbows, nodding when he was satisfied. “You and Jazz doing anything tonight?”

“Probably just hunting, might run up to the mountains.” Alice was still eyeing him, pursing her lips together thoughtfully. “So…who is she?”

“None of your business, Al.” There was no malice in his tone, but he was in a hurry.

Emmett walked past her, heading downstairs to let Carlisle and Esme know he was leaving for the night. He was actually concerned about Kyrine because she hadn’t been at school all day, wondering if he’d scared her off. That was until her sister Amaya walked up to her, making sure he wasn’t backing out of the double date with her and Kyrine that night. When Emmett questioned where Kyrine was, all Amaya told him was it was none of his business and that he’d see her that night.

Something made Emmett stop just outside the sitting room, especially when Emmett heard them talking quietly to each other and simply listened in. Alice went to walk past him inside the room and Emmett’s hand shot out to stop her, pressing a finger to his lips, wanting to overhear what their adopted parents were talking about. Deciding to humor him, Alice remained silent and also listened in, even when Jasper joined them moments later.

“Car, there’s nothing you can do about it, darling.” Esme said, watching as her husband sat on the couch with his head in his hands.

“You don’t understand, Esme. She’s only seventeen and so young. She’s had congestive heart failure most of her life, since she was a little girl. And now I had to basically hand her a death sentence if she doesn’t have this surgery.” Carlisle felt horrible and knew his wife would help him through it, needing her more than ever right now. “I love helping people, I love being a doctor, but…there are some things I don’t like about being in the medical field and this is one of them.”

Esme frowned and walked over to stand beside her husband, rubbing his shoulders comfortingly. “Life is cruel and unfair, that’s one of the many things you’ve taught me in all the time we’ve been together. I don’t like it anymore than you do, but all you can do is perform this surgery to the best of your ability and give her enough time until this transplant arrives. The donor is there, but they’re waiting for the family to come back from the army overseas, right?”

“Something like that.” Carlisle didn’t know the entire story and rubbed his temples, finally turning to wrap his arms around Esme’s shoulders. “The look her mother gave me when I told them about the surgery…I can’t get it out of my mind. She looked as though I’d sucked all the life out of them, figuratively speaking of course.”

Esme cracked a sad smile and kissed her husband softly, tenderly. “Everything will work out for her and you’re going to give her a chance to live longer with this surgery. Just relax and try not to think about it until you’re at work. You have to learn to separate your personal life from your professional.” Knowing she was right, Esme extended her arms to Carlisle and felt him pull her into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Thank you.” He whispered, pressing his forehead to hers and began dancing with her throughout the room, not caring if they didn’t have music.

Emmett, Alice and Jasper stepped away from the door a few feet because it was apparent Carlisle needed some time alone with Esme. “What do you think that was about?” Alice wondered aloud, looking at Jasper before turning her attention to Emmett.

“No idea, but we might go to school with her.” Jasper said helpfully, looking over at Emmett. “Maybe we can find out who she is?”

Emmett could only shrug, his mind currently on his date for that evening Kyrine, and left a few minutes later to head to the theater in Port Angeles.

Alice and Jasper watched him go, deciding they would do the investigating on who this seventeen year old girl was that upset Carlisle at work.

~!~

Amaya came home from school and hoped Kyrine’s doctor appointment went well, a big smile on her face, excited for their double date that night. Natalie and Nicholas were completely clueless, which is what both girls wanted and everything was going according to plan. The girls would leave at six o’clock to make it to the theater in plenty of time before the guys. Jacob had called Amaya and left a voicemail saying he would be a few minutes late, but he wasn’t standing her up, promising to hurry.

“Kyrie?” She called out, beginning to head upstairs and stopped when Natalie’s voice sounded from the kitchen.

“In here, Amaya.”

Just by the sound of her voice, Amaya instantly had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach and headed in the kitchen, tossing her bag on the couch on her way. Kyrine was sitting at the kitchen table sipping some juice with Natalie, both of them looking somber. Nicholas was nowhere to be found, though it was still fairly early for him to be home from work. Kyrine looked up at Amaya and instantly felt tears swell in her eyes, looking back down at the table while slowly taking another sip of her juice.

Something wasn’t right.

“What’s going on?” Amaya asked, walking over to sit down at the table beside Kyrine, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“We have to wait until Dad gets home.” Kyrine quietly said, placing her head in her hand while closing her eyes, still not believing what was revealed at her doctor’s appointment.

Now Amaya was really worried and frowned, worry shining in her violet eyes. The last time Kyrine said that it was regarding the heart transplant and them having to move from Miami to Forks. The time before that Natalie had called her while she was at school and Amaya was taken straight to the hospital in Miami because Kyrine had collapsed at her doctor’s appointment, being admitted. She was forced to go on a dobutamine drip for a few days to give her heart a rest because it had overworked itself, which was rare to happen.

Luckily, her heart managed to heal on its own to the point where Kyrine didn’t have to live on it, but the limitations began.

“Nat?”

“We want the entire family to be here, Amaya.” Was all Natalie offered, sipping coffee since she felt like all the energy had been sucked out of her.

“Well when the hell is he coming home?” Amaya snapped, the worry evident in her tone, honestly not caring about anything except her sister at that moment. “I have a right to know!”

“I called him at work and he’s on his way. It shouldn’t be too long now.” Natalie’s voice remained grave, not even getting upset with Amaya’s outburst because she honestly had no energy left to exert.

“Are we still on for tonight?” Amaya had to ask in case she had to call Jacob and cancel the double date, watching as Kyrine’s head shot up instantly.

“No!” Kyrine swallowed hard when Natalie’s eyes widened slightly, clearing her throat and lowered her eyes. “I mean no. What we have to say to you and Dad won’t affect our movie night.” The double date was the only thing Kyrine had to hold onto at that moment and Natalie agreed to let her go because of the upcoming surgery.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, please don’t cancel on me, Maya. I need tonight, especially after…” Before Kyrine could continue, all three heard the front door open and Nicholas rushed inside the kitchen, tossing his briefcase on the counter.

Kyrine couldn’t handle the frantic look on her father’s face and stood up, instantly letting him engulf her in his arms, tears streaming down her face. She was a daddy’s girl from the moment she was born and right now needed him more than ever, her crying turning to heart wrenching sobs that completely broke his heart. Nicholas had no idea what happened at the doctor’s and looked over at his wife, seeing the tears pouring down her face as well, his breathing quickening a little.

“Kyrine baby, let’s sit down and talk.” He suggested softly, frowning when the clutch of his shirt tightened and lifted her up in his arms, sitting down at the table with her curled up on his lap.

Natalie couldn’t even look at her husband right now, ashamed from all the fighting they’d done lately and how she treated her daughter. Instead of protecting her, Natalie had stopped her from living and that’s not what she wanted, knowing she deserved to be happy. She could only sit there and cry, Kyrine’s sobs just making her feel worse and knew what they were about to tell Nicholas and Amaya would change their family possibly forever.

Once Kyrine settled down enough to talk, she pulled back from her father’s shirt covered chest, wiping her tears away. “Sorry.” She murmured with a gentle sigh, finally looking up into his eyes. “Daddy, my condition is getting worse.” It was the only way to start out breaking this type of news and Kyrine didn’t know how else to do it, trying to take slow deep breaths.

Nicholas nodded, knowing the doctor was going to tell her that, but didn’t say a single word, glancing over at his wife that was falling to pieces. “Go on, baby.” He encouraged quietly when Kyrine didn’t continue, running his fingers through her hair. “Tell Daddy what the doctor said.”

Kyrine took a few more deep breaths and finally spilled everything about her examination with Doctor Cullen, not leaving out anything. The LVAD surgery was scheduled for next Friday right after Kyrine got out of school, wanting the weekend to recover, though she wouldn’t be back in school until Doctor Cullen released her to do so. She explained that it was a life or death surgery because her heart was giving out on her quickly and, without the LVAD, she would die within a month. When Nicholas demanded if this Doctor Cullen was the best and he’d spoken with Doctor Miles, Kyrine assured him, which made him feel a little better.

Amaya could only sit there in shock and listened to her sister pour her heart out to both of them about the doctor’s appointment, silent tears sliding down her cheeks. Kyrine was truly dying, her time was really running out and without the LVAD, she wouldn’t make it until the transplant arrived. Suddenly, the double date was the furthest thing from her mind as Amaya got up and immediately hugged Kyrine as soon as she was off of Nicholas’s lap, closing her eyes tightly shut. She loved Kyrine more than a sister, they were closer than closer, and if Amaya lost her it would probably be the end of her as well.

“I-I’m gonna be there every single step of the way.” Amaya promised, her mouth right by Kyrine’s ear, not letting her go as more tears fell, both girls trembling slightly. “Even if I have to take off school, I’m NOT leaving your side, Kyrie.”

“No.” Kyrine broke the hug to pull back, staring into Amaya’s bloodshot violet eyes, wiping her tears away. “Don’t you dare stop living your life because I’m sick. I would absolutely hate that and feel guilty, which I know you don’t want. You can be there for me during the surgery in the waiting room with Mom and Dad and even through the recovery, but you are NOT missing any school. Do you understand me?”

“But…”

Kyrine shook her head, smiling with hopeful blue eyes. “Listen to me, I knew this was going to happen eventually and I’m ready for it. I’ll do whatever it takes to live long enough to get that heart, even though I feel guilty every day that someone else had to die in order to give me a chance. But I don’t want to think about that right now. I want to go to the movies with you and enjoy our night. I want to get my mind off of the upcoming surgery and live. So stop crying and let’s go upstairs and get ready.” She walked out of the kitchen, smiling when Amaya began following her, knowing she would want to do her hair and makeup.

Nicholas and Natalie just looked at each other before he took his wife in his arms, both of them apologizing for all the heated arguments lately.

An hour later, Kyrine stared in the mirror with a smile, glad she’d let Amaya talk her into getting this outfit for tonight. They both had to be careful with what they wore, more Kyrine than Amaya –her style was always eye-catching, so the rents wouldn’t think anything of it-, because she rarely dressed up for anything. They both decided on a white short sleeved baby doll that had colorful flowers embroidered from the middle to the bottom along with dark blue leggings and white flats.

She left her hair down, allowing Amaya to put loose curls throughout it and had two butterfly colorful clips on each side of her head, pinning them just above the ears. Her makeup was simple foundation with blue eyeliner and natural shimmering eye shadow, pink gloss on her lips. She had a beautiful matching butterfly necklace around her neck along with a matching ring on her left pointer finger, her nails having a French manicure both girls had done while they went shopping in Port Angeles.

Kyrine could only hope Emmett approved, chewing her bottom lip nervously, and looked over at a breathtaking Amaya.

A mid-thigh high blood red tank dress hugged all of her curves to perfection, though it left plenty to the imagination, which is what Amaya wanted. It had black lace on the top and bottom hems that gave it more of a gothic style along with black fishnet tights that went with her three inch black Mary Jane pumps. They would definitely put her at Jacob’s monstrous height, another thing Amaya wanted to achieve. Her hair was half up and half down, curled and hanging down her back in a haphazard condition, the blood red and black streaks- she’d specifically picked out the dye because of her dress- definitely showing through the blonde. She also added a black band that smoothed the top of her hair back for added effect, a black lace choker around her neck and dangling earrings that looked like black spider webs.

“You ready to go?” Amaya asked, trying to get the excitement in her voice and glanced over at Kyrine, who looked incredibly tense.

Kyrine nodded, picking up her purse after placing some simple diamond studs in her ears, hating the dangling ones, and followed Amaya out of the house for their double date.

Chapter 11

Emmett stood outside of the movie theater, arriving before the girls and Amaya’s date, wondering where they were. Then a sudden thought occurred to him and Emmett couldn’t keep the smirk off his pale face, chuckling. Amaya was probably being stood up; he wouldn’t blame the guy considering what kind of attitude she had.

Then again, she was definitely a beautiful woman, but nothing compared to Kyrine. Her kind saddened blue eyes and hair that looked soft to the touch…Emmett felt the familiar tingle come over him as the memory of their kiss from the previous night flooded his mind. And the best part was she wasn’t afraid of him, there wasn’t an ounce of fear that came from Kyrine whenever they saw each other, just pure curiosity.

His golden eyes looked up when headlights flashed in the distance and Emmett could already feel the smile curving his lips, knowing it was the girls arriving. He had excellent hearing and vision, watching from his perch against the building as Amaya and Kyrine stepped out, his mouth watering at the sight of his date. She looked absolutely stunning in white, like an angel, and Emmett suddenly felt nervous about everything as she approached him.

Kyrine noticed Emmett as soon as they pulled into the parking lot and couldn’t stop smiling, everything from the day’s events floating out of her mind for the time being. He was hard not to notice because of his sheer size and figure, looking more gorgeous than he did at school. As soon as the car stopped, Kyrine stepped out of the car and headed toward her date, feeling the butterflies erupting throughout her stomach as blue locked on golden topaz.

Only able to watch as Kyrine floated toward Emmett, Amaya couldn’t help smiling at how her sister was acting, knowing she liked the man a lot. Amaya hadn’t said much on the ride to the theater, trying to make small talk about anything except the doctor. Kyrine wanted tonight to be about fun instead of constant worry about her health, which Amaya honestly didn’t blame her for. Though she had told Amaya Jacob was going to be a few minutes late for the movie because of some family business he had to attend to.

Emmett pushed off the building once Kyrine stood in front of him and didn’t say anything at first, just allowing his eyes to devour her completely. He drank every inch in, from the top of her beautiful curled chestnut hair to the tips of her black flats. How could an angel like this be interested in someone like him? Pushing that question out of his mind, Emmett wasn’t one to question much and extended his hand to Kyrine, immediately pulling her into his arms as soon as her hand touched his.

“There are no words, Kyrine, so I’m not even going to try telling you how you look because there are none that scratch the surface.” His deep voice rumbled, watching as the roses bloomed in her cheeks and ran his finger down one of them, feeling the heat radiating on his cold skin. “Simply exquisite.”

Kyrine fought the urge to look away from him, but those golden eyes captivated her and kept her grounded, her lips shimmering in the dim lighting above them from the theater. Her hand reached up and caressed his soft face tenderly, the cold skin not bothering her in the slightest because her body currently flooded with this newfound heat that only came whenever she was with Emmett. He leaned into her soft touch and moved his face as his lips brushed against her palm, sending shivers throughout Kyrine’s body, her heart rate growing rapid.

“You’re gorgeous.” She complimented softly, running her thumb across his eyebrow to smooth it and sucked her bottom lip between her teeth when a soft growl escaped his lips.

“I really like it when you touch me.” He admitted openly, his eyes closing briefly to enjoy her gentle touch, his hand covering hers as their fingers laced together. “I wish we didn’t have to spend our time together in a movie theater.” What Emmett really wanted to do was just take her deep into the woods again where they were completely alone and ravage her lips with his again, possibly her body too.

Now Kyrine was flushed and she had to look away from him, her cheeks burning a deep crimson red because the look in his eyes were desire and lust-filled. “The movie won’t be that long and we don’t have a curfew.” She softly said, feeling Emmett hook his forefinger beneath her chin, their eyes meeting once more as he brushed his lips against her forehead. “Do you?”

Emmett laughed, not able to stop from doing so because of the simple fact that Kyrine had no idea who she was dating. “No I don’t, beautiful.” It was an inside joke and Emmett stopped when he saw the confused look on her face, simply winking. “So you’re saying I can get you alone after this movie is over with?”

“Sure.”

Kyrine already informed Amaya on the ride over that she would more than likely escape with Emmett once the movie ended, wanting to spend some time alone with him while she could. Once she had the surgery, Kyrine knew Emmett wouldn’t want to be around someone as fragile and sick as her. She wanted to look her best tonight so at least, once she was bound to the hospital bed after her LVAD surgery, Emmett would at least have one memory of her being normal and healthy…even though she wasn’t.

There was no way she was telling him about the surgery, or anyone for that matter, refusing to let anyone from Forks pity her. It was bad enough Amaya already did along with her parents, though Kyrine couldn’t stop them from doing so. She asked her parents to simply tell the principal she was going on a month vacation with her grandparents and would make up her homework while away.

“What’s on your mind, beautiful?” Emmett could tell that Kyrine had delved into deep thoughts, raising an eyebrow when she jumped slightly at the sound of his voice.

“Sorry.” Kyrine blinked a few times, mentally shaking herself out of the thoughts and looked up at him with a reassuring smile. “I have a lot on my mind, but I’m hoping you can get my attention on something else.”

Emmett smirked, pulling her into his arms again as their foreheads touched, rubbing his nose against hers. “I’ll do my best.” He really wished he had Edward’s mind reading ability at that moment, the curiosity burning within him wondering what was on her mind, what was going through it.

While Emmett and Kyrine talked quietly by the theater, Amaya was leaning against her car waiting for her own date to arrive, sighing. If Jacob Black stood her up, she was going to make him regret the day he ever bumped into her at that diet store, folding her arms in front of her chest. She couldn’t help glancing over her shoulder at Kyrine and watched how comfortable her sister was with Emmett, wondering if it was the smartest thing to do. She hardly knew the guy and was already letting him touch her and kiss her forehead, even running his hand up and down her back while they laughed together as if they knew each other for years. Then again, she couldn’t help thinking how cute they looked together because of how tiny Kyrine was compared to Emmett, chuckling softly.

“What’s so funny, spitfire?”

Amaya jumped about a foot in the air and spun around, instantly glaring at a laughing Jacob Black and wanted to clobber him with one of her Mary Jane shoes. “You asshole!” She growled, holding her chest because it felt as though her heart had leapt into her throat. “You scared the hell out of me!”

Jacob tried to stop laughing, but couldn’t help it, his dark eyes glittering with amusement. “Sorry I couldn’t resist. You looked really deep in thought and I didn’t know how to approach you without scaring you.” He could tell she was already irritated with him for being late and simply rolled his eyes, walking toward her bravely. “Come on, you can’t stay mad at me.”

“Oh yeah, Dasher?” Amaya snorted and placed her hands on her hips, angry violet meeting those hypnotic dark black orbs, the anger slowly draining out of her. “Watch me.”

“Oh I am.”

Jacob stopped right in front of her, but gave enough space to let his eyes slowly run down the length of her body, finally noticing what she was wearing. That dress…Jacob suddenly wondered what it would feel like to have those long legs wrapped around his waist, rubbing the back of his neck. Her style was definitely gothic, but it also had a little punk mixed in, never dating a woman quite like her and a paleface at that. The only other paleface he somewhat dated was Bella, but Jacob couldn’t even call it that, immediately pushing her out of his mind.

“You look sexy as hell.” He blunted stated, watching the curve of Amaya’s blood red painted lips develop into a smirk, extending his hand.

Amaya was too busy consuming Jacob with her eyes and fought back the urge to attack, keeping her hands on her hips where she knew they were safe. He wore a tight short sleeved black shirt that looked like it would bust off of him at any given moment with dark green cargo shorts that hung loose on his muscular hips. He had black sneakers on his feet, his hair spiked and he smelled incredible. She noticed a tattoo barely poking out on his upper right bicep, half of it covered by the shirt, wondering what it stood for.

It was some kind of marking she could only guess it was Quileute and it just made him that much sexier. When she noticed Jacob still had his hand extended with that smirk on his face, Amaya wondered if playing hard to get would work with him, deciding to humor him as her hand slid into his. Jacob slowly turned her around in a very slow circle, finally making her face him again as his arm snaked around her waist, the material of the dress lighting his blood on fire.

His arm scorched her skin beneath the thin material of her dress and Amaya suddenly wondered if body temperature that high was healthy. As soon as she looked up into his smoldering black eyes, she knew he was not only healthy, but he wanted her. So much lust…Amaya found it hard to breathe and couldn’t remember the last time a man had this much of an effect on her, resting her hands against his shirt covered chest. The material didn’t hide his body heat much and Amaya honestly didn’t care, suddenly wondering why they had to spend their time at a stupid movie.

All she wanted to do was ravage him from head to toe and knew Jacob was thinking the same thing.

“Come on, we’re going to miss the movie entirely if we keep standing here.”

Amaya stepped away from him and took his hand, knowing she had to introduce her sister to her extremely hot date, her heels clicking against the asphalt as they crossed the street. Jacob’s eyes were only for her, wondering what suddenly made Amaya so nervous and wondered if she was feeling the same way he was. A movie theater wasn’t the place to do what he wanted to do to her, but Jacob would make it work, suddenly grinning devilishly at the thought. The notion of whether or not Amaya wore panties was among the dirty thoughts running through his mind at that moment and Jacob fought back a groan, taking a chance to glance down at her beautiful round shaped ass.

“Eyes up front, Dasher.” She ordered in a lower voice, having felt his eyes burning a hole through her ass.

“My eyes would rather be looking at something else right now, spitfire.” He laughed when she elbowed him, growling, deciding right then and there she liked it rough.

Jacob had absolutely no idea just how rough Amaya liked it when it came to sex.

“I’m sure they would, but you need to behave long enough to meet my sister and her date.” Amaya stated, laughing when Jacob whispered something completely vulgar in her ear and smacked him lightly, feeling her cheeks flush slightly. “Keep it up and you won’t get anything from me later on.”

“Ooo promises, promises.” Jacob growled, low enough to where only she could hear, and finally looked up at the couple they were on the double date with.

“Ouch!” Amaya grunted when she felt Jacob squeeze her hand harder, looking up at him through narrowed violet eyes and could see how tense he suddenly became. “What the hell?”

“You.”

Emmett turned around and came face to face with none other than Jacob Black, his own golden eyes narrowing, immediately placing Kyrine behind him out of sight. “What the fuck are you doing here, Black?” He demanded through gritted teeth, his hand on Kyrine’s to let her know that she was safe.

“I could ask you the same damn thing.” Jacob released Amaya’s hand instantly and backed away a few feet, trying to contain the anger that suddenly overflowed his body. “Amaya, care to explain to me why your sister is dating HIM?”

Amaya was very confused, looking back and forth between Emmett and Jacob, wondering what the hell was going on between them. “I’m going to assume you two know each other.” It was obvious. “I had no idea you and Emmett knew each other considering you live on the reservation in La Push while he lives in Forks and goes to a different school than you do.”

The girls had no idea just how much history was between Emmett and Jacob.

“Excuse me, but what’s going on here?” A soft voice finally spoke up, Jacob’s eyes instantly moving to the owner of it, and swallowed hard at the sight of Amaya’s sister.

Suddenly, it was almost as if the earth stopped moving and Jacob felt his entire world spin off its axel, his feet cementing to the sidewalk. Everything else disappeared around him as his eyes locked with deep midnight blue, every part of his body feeling like a magnet pulling him closer to her. It was almost as if a golden glow had surrounded the beautiful girl and all the dirty thoughts about what Jacob wanted to do to Amaya instantly vanished.

All the feelings he had toward Amaya went with those thoughts and Jacob found himself barely able to breathe, think or even move. He couldn’t believe what was happening, who he was staring at and didn’t hear Amaya calling his name or Emmett growling. All he could hear and focus on was the angel in white standing before him, knowing what just transpired in what felt like hours, but was only mere seconds.

Jacob Black had just imprinted on Amaya’s sister.

Chapter 12

Kyrine felt her heart nearly stop with the way Amaya’s date stared at her and felt an instant connection toward him, swallowing hard. She could feel the anger radiating from Emmett, but all Kyrine could do was stare into two dark black pools filled she couldn’t quite read. She was losing her mind and had to say something, anything, finally managing to rip her gaze from his, her entire body wanting to convulse from the intensity of their stare down.

What the hell was wrong with her?

“Hi.” She extended her hand rather stiffly, a soft smile on her face. “I’m Kyrine McTavian, Amaya’s sister.”

Jacob couldn’t stop himself even if a gun was pressed against his head and took her small hand in his, swallowing it whole. Instantly, a volt of electricity shot up his arm as soon as their hands connected and Jacob was betting she felt it too. It just made the magnetic feeling that much stronger and Jacob knew exactly why he was feeling this way, wondering why the fates were so cruel. More importantly, he wondered what this beautiful seraph was thinking, feeling, experiencing, their hands slowly moving up and down in a slow motion handshake.

“It’s really nice to meet you, Kyrine.” Her name even sounded angelic and rolled off his tongue in a smooth caress, his eyes never leaving hers.

Emmett had enough of this and immediately stepped up, pulling Kyrine gently but firmly out of the handshake against his side, wrapping a protective possessive arm around her shoulders. “She’s my date, Black. You have your own.” He reminded the dog, growling at the foul stench that suddenly radiated from Kyrine and knew she would be smelling like it for the rest of the evening.

Jacob narrowed his eyes, not appreciating the way Emmett had just handled his imprint, but knew he couldn’t pull her back toward him as much as he wanted to. “I know that, bl-Cullen.” He hissed out, nearly calling Emmett a bloodsucker, but caught himself just in time.

Taking Amaya’s hand in his own stiffly, Jacob pulled her to stand beside him, both men staring each other down crossly. “Okay what the hell is going on here?” Amaya demanded and yanked her hand out of Jacob’s while Kyrine stepped away from Emmett, both of them looking extremely uncomfortable with these turn of events. “You obviously don’t like each other, care to explain to us why?”

Kyrine decided to let her sister do the talking and looked up at Emmett expectantly, her blue eyes pleading with him to calm down. She took his hand and laced their fingers together, all of the intense feelings she felt for him suddenly gone. Chalking it up to the awkward and tense situation, Kyrine pushed the intense feelings she experienced only moments ago with Jacob in the far recesses of her mind, wanting to have a nice evening with Emmett.

“It’s a long story.” Jacob tried not to growl, looking down at a bewildered and angry Amaya, a frown marring his tanned features. He had to be the bigger man and squared his shoulders, clearing his throat. “A story we don’t need to get into right now because we have two beautiful girls to entertain.” A movie was definitely out of the question and Jacob wrinkled his nose, the icy sweet stench infiltrating, causing him to groan.

“No, we’re going home.” Amaya walked toward Kyrine and blinked when she shook her head in response, clinging to Emmett’s side.

“I want to spend time with Emmett.” Kyrine softly stated, ignoring the glare from Jacob and looked up at Emmett with that same smile. “We’re just going to go for a walk in the woods and...”

“Hunt?” Jacob jabbed through gritted teeth, refusing to let his imprint go off alone with the bloodsucker. “Kyrine, maybe going with your sister is the best for now.”

Amaya had no idea how Jacob felt toward her sister and honestly didn’t care, nodding over at Kyrine, deciding to give her whatever she wanted. “Just don’t get in too late and call me when you’re on your way so we can arrive together.” She ignored the incredulous look that Jacob shot at her, shrugging nonchalantly.

“Have you lost your mind?” Jacob demanded, watching as Emmett once again wrapped an arm around Kyrine’s shoulders, the possessive look in his eyes just pissing him off further. ‘Get your hands off of her!’ His mind screamed and it took every ounce of resistance not to bellow that out, suddenly wondering what he was going to do about Amaya.

“I’ll make sure she gets home safely, Amaya.” Emmett assured, already pulling Kyrine away from the theater across the street away from the dog, wrinkling his own nose in disgust.

Maybe the woods would get rid of the stench from Kyrine because Emmett honestly didn’t want their date ruined because of Jacob Black. Kyrine couldn’t help looking over her shoulder back at Jacob and her sister, more importantly Jacob, wondering what the connection was between them as she leaned further into Emmett’s side. She trusted him and knew Jacob didn’t, which bothered her for some ungodly reason. Up until a few minutes ago, Kyrine didn’t even know Jacob Black existed and now she was worrying how he felt about her going off with Emmett.

Again, what the hell was wrong with her?

They walked through the woods for a few minutes, letting the silence build between them, until Emmett couldn’t take it anymore. “How come you weren’t in school today?” He decided to start with that, meaning to ask her that sooner, but it honestly slipped his mind.

“I had some things that I needed to do with my Mom.” Kyrine couldn’t tell him she had a doctor’s appointment, not wanting him to know anything about her illness. “She actually sliced her hand open on a knife while making us breakfast and I had to take her to the ER.”

Emmett cringed, not realizing that Kyrine just lied to him and tightened his arm around her shoulders a little more. “Damn, I bet that was scary for you.” He looked down at her, seeing Kyrine nod and both of them looked straight ahead again.

“Yeah it was.” More than he could ever know. “But they stitched and patched her up, gave her some pain meds and she’s fine now. It’ll take a little while for her hand to heal, it was an accident.” Kyrine hated lying, but knew she had no other alternative right now, stopping when Emmett did.

“I missed you today.” He rumbled gently, pulling her into his arms and glad they were finally alone. “I thought I scared you off when I kissed you last night.” He realized how stupid that sounded as soon as it came out, but Emmett wasn’t one to keep much hidden…besides his past relationship with Rosalie.

He could never tell Kyrine about that.

“You did?” Kyrine couldn’t stop her cheeks flushing again, smiling widely. “I missed you too, Emmett. You need to stop worrying about scaring me off. I don’t scare easily.” Her hands ran down his shirt covered chest, those midnight blue eyes meeting his. “And for the record,” She paused to rise up on her tiptoes, Emmett leaning down so she didn’t have to strain too much, cupping his cheek with her hand. “I enjoyed you kissing me and I wouldn’t mind if you did it again.”

“Oh really?” His voice had dropped considerably, brushing a strand of hair that blew across her cheek, tucking it behind her ear. “What would you do if I kissed you right now?”

“Do it and find out.”

Her soft voice challenging him was Emmett’s breaking point, losing all sense of control and covered his mouth with hers, wrapping his strong arms around her waist. Kyrine moaned softly against his mouth, running her hands up his arms to wrap around his neck, her feet suddenly leaving the ground. She remembered how Emmett carried them over to a log to sit down so she could straddle his lap and that’s exactly what he did, which Kyrine enjoyed. She smiled against his lips and knew there was no time limit, her cell in her purse, which slid off her shoulder to land in the grass beside them. Her hands moved from his neck to stroke his hair, experimenting because Kyrine had absolutely no experience with men and hoped her kissing was good enough for Emmett.

Obviously it was or he still wouldn’t be interested.

“Emmett…” She breathed out when his lips finally left hers, moving down her jaw to her neck, loving how cold he felt.

He felt like pure stone and that just heightened her desire for him more, her hands moving to the buttons of his shirt. Emmett pulled back slightly to stare in her darkened eyes, which looked black in the woods, their only light the dim moonlight that peeked through the clouds in the sky. They wouldn’t go too far, but Emmett wasn’t stopping her from removing his black shirt, leaving him clad in a white beater while he buried his hand in her hair, continuing the exploration of her neck.

She was innocent, he could smell it and that just made Emmett want her that much more. He would have to take it slow because he didn’t want to scare or push her into something she clearly wasn’t ready for. Arriving at her shoulder, Emmett slowly began pushing the baby doll sleeve further down, caressing the soft skin with his lips and tongue. Kyrine just enjoyed every second of this moment with Emmett, knowing there wouldn’t be another once she had to go for her surgery the following week. Unbeknownst to Emmett, Kyrine couldn’t help letting Jacob Black enter her mind as she made out heavily with him, giving everything she could at the moment.

So many secrets they both held would eventually challenge their budding relationship and feelings for each other once they were out.

~!~

“You have a lot of explaining to do, Dasher.” Amaya stated, watching her sister walk off with Emmett and wasn’t concerned because Kyrine was usually a great judge of character. “And unless you start now, I’m leaving and finding someone who doesn’t ogle my sister in front of me.” She couldn’t help feeling a little resentment toward Jacob, refusing to blame Kyrine for anything because Jacob had been the one doing the ogling.

“How could you let her leave with that…THING?” Jacob had bit his tongue to stop calling Emmett a bloodsucker, wanting to run into the woods and rip him to shreds for touching Kyrine. “He’s not safe.”

Amaya raised an eyebrow and tilted her head slightly, placing her hands on her hips. “Seriously? You’re STILL on about my sister going off with her DATE?” Scowling, Amaya never in her life felt rejection from a man and she wasn’t about to start now, clenching her jaw.

Before Jacob could respond or retort, he felt Amaya grab two handfuls of his shirt and yanked him against her, their lips crashing together. Amaya had a lot of confidence in her beauty and looks, always managing to make men weak in the knees begging for more. She felt Jacob’s arms instantly wrap around her waist pulling her closer, hell bent on getting his mind off of her sister and solely on her, their tongues touching for the first time.

As good as this felt, Jacob couldn’t help worrying about Kyrine’s wellbeing alone deep in the woods, knowing Emmett could kill her if he wanted to. But the way Amaya kissed him, Jacob suddenly felt guilt consume him because he was supposed to be here for her, instantly returning the kiss. There was no love in it, just pure lust and apparently that was enough for Amaya because she began running her hands up his shirt to feel his rock hard abs, shivering. Jacob groaned when her mouth opened for access and instantly took the invitation, tasting every inch that he could reach while tightening his arms around her just a little more.

“Let’s get out of here.” Amaya breathed as soon as the intense kiss broke, his hands resting on her hips. “Take me back to your place or anywhere we can be completely alone.” Her violet eyes had darkened to a dark purple clouded over with desire and Jacob couldn’t deny her that request.

Imprint or not, he wasn’t about to pass up in invitation like that and kissed her lips soundly once more, lifting her up as her legs instantly wrapped around his muscular waist. “What’s gonna happen once we get there?” He kissed down her jaw line to her throat, nipping it gently with his teeth, emanating some deep moans from her sweet lips. “Tell me, Ama.”

She actually enjoyed being called something new and tilted her head back, letting him do his own exploring while holding her in his strong arms right in front of the theater, the dress barely covering her panty clad ass. “Get us there and find out.” She challenged, burying her fingers in his thick short black hair and ripped it up to where their mouths clashed again.

Growling from low in his throat, Jacob knew this was probably going to be a big mistake, but right now he couldn’t deny what his body was crying out for. “In the woods good enough for you?” He demanded roughly, watching as a sly smirk suddenly curved Amaya’s lips, her eyes moving from his to her car before looking back at him.

“I’m not one to get dirty, but…I’ll make an exception for you just this once.”

Giggling when Jacob growled, he slowly slid Amaya down his body, letting her feel briefly what she was doing through his cargo shorts, and took her hand as they headed toward the vixen’s car. They knew ravaging each other in the movie theater parking lot probably wasn’t the best idea, but as soon as Amaya and Jacob slid inside, he managed to maneuver her to straddle his lap, that short dress around her hips now. Amaya was the one who moved her panties to the side and unsnapped Jacob’s cargo shorts, the zipper sliding down to release his current problem. She managed to push his shirt up and over his head, raking her nails down his muscular chest while Jacob managed to run his hands up the front of her dress to cover her bare breasts, loving that she didn’t wear a bra and tweaked her nipples.

Neither cared who saw or heard them as Amaya covered his mouth with her own, knowing having sex with Jacob on the first date was a little slutty, but honestly couldn’t stop herself. It was almost as if a possession overtook her and she craved to feel him inside of her, staring into his eyes to make sure he wanted it as much as she did. They didn’t say a word and Jacob managed to pull a condom out of his pocket, sliding it on, knowing neither of them wanted an accident to happen from this.

Only moaning and groaning flowed through the car as Jacob began filling her until Amaya was pretty sure he couldn’t go any further. Her nails dug into his bare shoulders while he rocked in and out of her receptive body, their heavy breathing telling each other they were fully enjoying what was happening. It was a good thing the movie wasn’t going to be over for awhile because that meant nobody was in the parking lot to witness what was happening in Amaya’s car, thankful she had tinted windows.

At that moment, Kyrine was the furthest from Jacob’s mind, which is what Amaya wanted.

Chapter 13

Several days passed and Kyrine was spending every available minute with Emmett, even at school during lunch. It wasn’t fair to him and Kyrine knew it, but every time he looked into her eyes, she felt like the normal teenager she wanted to be. The weird thing was Kyrine wasn’t dreaming of Emmett whenever she fell asleep, even though he was the only man she could think about.

Only in her dreams, she saw Jacob Black, Amaya’s boyfriend and Kyrine felt the guilt eating away at her. Dreaming about her sister’s boyfriend was wrong, especially when Kyrine’s feelings for Emmett were growing…except when it came to the dreams. Kyrine didn’t know what to do or think because the dreams weren’t exactly PG rated and were filled with so much passion that Kyrine actually woke up in a sheen of sweat.

Kyrine contemplated telling Amaya about them, knowing there was absolutely no way she could tell Emmett, but decided against it. Between going in for life-threatening surgery and trying to stay alive, it wasn’t the best time to tell Amaya about her dreams regarding Jacob. Not to mention, it didn’t look as though Amaya and Jacob were that serious, though Kyrine hadn’t exactly asked about their relationship status.

It was awkward after what happened on the double date.

What was it about Jacob Black that forced Kyrine to dream about him? She didn’t even know him and yet felt this incredible sadness whenever she woke up and he wasn’t there with her. What did it all mean? Kyrine knew Jacob felt the same connection as she did the moment their eyes locked on the double date, the jolt of electricity. Now she couldn’t get it out of her mind, subconscious or not, and it was frustrating Kyrine to no end.

Whenever she was with Emmett, Jacob was the furthest from her mind, but it was only when she was alone that he suddenly popped up. She didn’t understand why it was happening, wishing it was Emmett she was thinking of instead of her sister’s boyfriend. Groaning, Kyrine slowly stood up from her bed and walked over to stare out the window into the dark night, staring up at the full moon. Forks didn’t have many nights like this and Kyrine suddenly wanted to experience it, knowing everyone in the house was sleeping and should’ve been to.

She couldn’t.

Kyrine pulled a hooded white sweatshirt on over her head, already having warm white pajama pants and slipped her tennis shoes on, leaving the hood down. This newfound desire to sneak out definitely was new for her, but Kyrine could feel her adrenaline pumping and wouldn’t be getting much sleep. If anything, sleeping was the last thing Kyrine wanted to do, especially since every time she shut her eyes Jacob Black was there waiting to haunt her even more.

Sighing, Kyrine glanced outside one final time before tiptoeing to her bedroom door and slowly opened it, glad there wasn’t creaking. Kyrine stuck her head out, looking back and forth before stepping out in the hallway, closing her bedroom door behind her. Just a few minutes, a short walk, and she would come back to get whatever sleep she could.

Slowly descending the stairs, Kyrine tried making as little noise as possible and finally made it to the front door, looking over her shoulder to make sure she wasn’t being followed. Smiling, Kyrine opened the door and closed her eyes as the fresh cool night air washed over her, knowing she was dressed warm enough to where she wouldn’t freeze. This is exactly what she needed, just a small walk to clear her head about everything that was and had happened in her life.

Once Kyrine made it to the backyard, she stopped and just stood there staring up at the moon, never seeing it so big and beautiful. Miami had a lot of distractions that took away from the sheer beauty nature had, but in Forks everything was calm and quiet, giving her the opportunity to really appreciate the beautiful nature that surrounded her. Kyrine jumped when she heard a rustling noise and turned her head, raising an eyebrow at the dark woods that she’d been in countless times with Emmett.

Just not at night.

“Hmm…” Kyrine looked back at the house, knowing she should go back inside where it was safe, but something told her to go into the woods. “A little walk won’t kill me.” She rationalized, chuckling because she was talking to herself, and turned to head into the woods.

The moon was her only light and Kyrine promised herself not to venture too far from the house, not wanting to get lost. Twigs snapped beneath her shoes as Kyrine moved branches aside to keep trekking, finally finding a dirt path and began following it. She shoved her hands in the front pocket of her hooded sweatshirt as she kept walking, blue eyes peeled for anything that moved besides the leaves from the cool gentle breeze.

Kyrine stopped after a few more minutes, not hearing anymore rustling, and chewed her bottom lip nervously. It was time to head back to the house in case anyone woke up to check on her, which Natalie was famous for. As she began trekking back toward the house, Kyrine froze when she heard the rustling again and whipped around, trying to slow her suddenly heightened heart rate.

“Is someone there?” She finally called out and knew it was stupid to do, but Kyrine was beginning to panic a little. “Hello?”

Nothing.

She was back on the dirt path trail and Kyrine began walking a little faster than before, not realizing she was heading further away from her house. The rustling had stopped, but that didn’t make her feel anymore and Kyrine didn’t know why, thinking she was close to being home. She didn’t realize how wrong she was and could feel someone watching her, knowing she wasn’t alone walking in the woods.

Blood red beady eyes watched her every move, enjoying the sense of fear and panic that radiated from her body. He had watched her from her bedroom window and hoped she came outside into the woods, where she would be easy prey. Now he was simply toying with her, licking his lips and could feel the blood racing through her veins, the innocence leaking out of her pores. Innocent blood was the sweetest and he had to have her, jumping from tree to tree, smirking whenever she turned around to see if she could see him.

She would never be fast enough.

When Kyrine heard footsteps instead of rustling, the panic became full blown and she took off running down the dirt path as fast as she could. Tears stung her eyes as she kept looking behind her while running, knowing this was against doctor’s orders, but honestly she wasn’t thinking about her heart condition at the moment. She was more worried about surviving and finding her way back to the house, knowing her heart would eventually force her to stop running.

When Kyrine looked back to pay attention where she was running, she didn’t see a tree branch that was somewhat uprooted from the ground and tripped over it. A soft cry echoed through the woods as Kyrine flew over the tree branch and landed with a hard thump on the ground before rolling down a small hill. She finally stopped against a hard log and scrambled against it, ignoring her throbbing head and aching body.

Dirt covered her white hooded sweatshirt and pajama pants, but Kyrine didn’t care, her face having smears of dirt on it as well. Kyrine looked from left to right repeatedly and up into the trees, trying to figure out where the rustling and footsteps had come from, blinking as a few tears slid down her cheeks. No matter how hard she tried, Kyrine couldn’t move an inch and hoped she could somehow camouflage herself with the log, knowing that wasn’t happening since she was wearing pure white.

Rustling sounded again and Kyrine barely had time to let out a scream when a dark figured suddenly flew at her.

~!~

It was Jacob’s night off.

Normally he would be with Amaya having great sex, but they were taking a night off to recharge the batteries. Between patrolling twelve hour days, working at the local mechanic shop that he co-owned with Paul and Jared and dating Amaya, Jacob was worn out. Not to mention, he couldn’t get the fact of imprinting on Amaya’s sister, Amaya, out of his mind.

He knew imprinting was the Quileute tribe’s way of showing the pack members the way to their soul mates. However, Jacob couldn’t help enjoying his time with Amaya, but also knew he could never fall in love with her because of Kyrine. He would never love anyone, no matter if she was a complete and total stranger, as much as Kyrine and it wasn’t fair of him to keep stringing Amaya along like he was.

Jacob decided he had to put some distance between him and Amaya for a few days to clear his head. He knew she wouldn’t like it, but also didn’t want their relationship to be based on just sex, which is exactly what it was turning into. Maybe he would go and talk to Emily about this situation, knowing she was the perfect person to talk to because she was discreet.

She was also very understanding considering she had basically stolen Sam away from Leah simply because he imprinted on her. Sam and Leah had originally been together and everyone thought they were completely in love, but that was until Sam did the unthinkable and imprinted on Emily. Sam tried being with Leah after the imprinting, but all he could think about was Emily and finally had to tell her.

Ignoring an imprint was one of the most excruciating and painful experiences for both parties involved. It literally ripped them from head to toe emotionally, mentally and even physically. Jacob knew this because he often went into Sam’s mind when they were both phased together and saw all the guilt he felt for hurting Leah. Sam often thought about how he tried staying away from Emily to make his relationship with Leah work, but the amount of pain and agony Sam was in was indescribable.

What Jacob wanted to know was how Emily felt during her time apart from Sam because it would give him a good idea of what Kyrine was going through. Then again, Emily had known Sam all of a few seconds, just like Jacob did, before he imprinted on her while he was with another woman. This was almost identical to what Sam and Emily went through, which made Jacob believe even more that Emily was the perfect person to talk to about this.

Suddenly, Jacob bolted upright in bed, his head snapping toward the window with narrowed eyes. Another thing about imprinting is Jacob could now feel every single emotion that rushed through Kyrine, which currently was fear. Ever since that night at the movie theater, her emotions were mostly confusion and joy, but there was also fear.

It was nothing like this amount of fear though, Kyrine was terrified and in danger.

Not thinking twice, Jacob ripped his shirt and shorts off before leaping out the open window into the dark night, phasing instantly. Jacob raced through the woods at top speed, going as fast as his legs could carry him and snarled when a scent filtered his nose. It was the familiar icy sweet smell, the smell of only one thing that made Jacob’s blood light on fire, making him sprint because that smell was near his imprint.

A bloodsucker.

Kyrine was absolutely petrified and scooting further back against the log, tears streaming down her face as her shoes dug into the ground. Why did she leave the house instead of staying safe and warm? Now she was staring into the blood red eyes of a monster that was probably going to kill her, though it was taunting her first. She couldn’t even speak and closed her eyes, starting to pray to any higher power that her life was sparred, crying even harder when the creature cackled.

“Nothing can save you now, my sweet peach.”

Just before the bloodsucker could get even a finger on Kyrine, their blood red eyes shot open when a ferocious growl resounded through the forest, knowing exactly what it was. Suddenly, a monstrous beast leapt over the log, forcing Kyrine to duck down, the russet colored fur glimmering in the moonlight. Kyrine watched in both horror and fascination as the huge beast attacked the blood red eyed monster to the ground, her mouth dropped open and knew she was definitely straining her heart because of how scared she currently was.

The beast didn’t waste a second and clamped his huge jaws right on the bloodsucker’s throat, his teeth digging into the skin before ripping the head right off. Kyrine screamed out as the head flew over her head and the log, landing on the other side with a sickening thud. It didn’t stop and dismantled the monster by ripping off its arms and legs, tearing it to pieces. Kyrine was shocked to discover that no blood came out of the red eyed monster; instead it looked as though the body parts were made of complete stone.

Jacob knew he would have to come back to burn the pieces later, but right now he was more focused on making sure his imprint was alright. He slowly turned around and watched as her midnight blue eyes widened, fresh tears stinging her eyes, instantly breaking his heart. What the hell was Kyrine doing out in the woods at this time of night? He wanted to phase and give her a piece of his mind, but also knew that would just terrify her further and somehow Jacob knew that was the last thing she needed.

“P-Please don’t hurt me…” Kyrine stammered out in a alarmed whisper, trembling from head to toe as more tears fell, not sure what to think after what she just witnessed. “P-Please…”

His heart shattered at her pleading and Jacob had to take this extremely slow, trying to think of a way to get her to trust him. He wanted to take her home, but the only way to do that was stay in his wolf form, completely forgetting to bring a pair of shorts with him. So instead, he slowly lowered on all fours until his stomach touched the ground, his head resting on it with his paws outstretched, dark eyes pleading with her through the darkness to trust him.

Kyrine tried taking calm deep breaths to stop her heart from racing and stared at the huge wolf for what seemed like hours. She couldn’t believe wolves were this monstrous and knew Amaya would never believe her if she told her about this, deciding against it. It would just make her and the family worry more, which Kyrine didn’t need, not with her upcoming surgery coming up…if she made it out of the woods alive. Her eyes locked with the dark orbs of the wolf and Kyrine suddenly felt a sense of safety wash over her, not understanding it, searching them for indication of danger.

She didn’t find any.

Very slowly, Kyrine pushed herself up from the log and wiped the tears from her eyes, hoping her legs still worked after tripping over that tree branch. She had a tear in her knees, her face was dirty along with her chestnut hair and her hooded sweatshirt was covered in dirt, a few leaves stuck in her hair. One foot in front of the other, Kyrine hesitantly reached her hand out to the wolf and was shocked when it didn’t move an inch, just kept staring at her with those big dark pleading eyes.

Had she completely lost her mind to trust a ferocious beast like this and touch it?

Apparently she had, Kyrine’s hand came in contact with the huge head of the wolf and slowly began stroking it, actually smiling through the tears when the wolf scooted on its belly to get closer to her. It saved her life. Kyrine couldn’t help lowering her head to press her forehead against the nose, the chill throughout her body suddenly gone because of how warm the animal was.

“Thank you for saving me.” She whispered, actually kissing the wolf’s nose and chewed her bottom lip when it looked up at her, wondering if she should’ve trusted it. “I want to go home, please help me.”

Chapter 14

Her touch felt amazing, better than anything Jacob ever felt before, and when she kissed his nose his heart nearly skipped a beat. Jacob heard her request and watched as she backed up, slowly getting up on all fours to stare at her. He moved toward her and gently took the sleeve of her sweatshirt, making sure not to puncture anything vital, pulling her over to his side. He could tell she was confused and huffed out a little, nodding his head toward her, hoping she got the message of what he wanted her to do.

Kyrine blinked a few times, not believing a wolf of all things was directing her what to do and closed her eyes, knowing she’d officially lost her mind. Somehow, Kyrine managed to straddle the wolf and leaned forward, wrapping her arms tightly around the wolf’s neck as she buried her face in the soft fur. Jacob made sure she wasn’t going to fall off before turning and running through the woods back toward her house, her sweet smell of raspberry surrounding him.

He didn’t run nearly as fast as he had when Kyrine was in danger from the now dismantled bloodsucker, but that didn’t stop him running nonetheless. Jacob wanted to get Kyrine home as quickly as possible, feeling her exhaustion and knew she would pass out if she was outside much longer. Jacob arrived at the house a few minutes later and stopped, seeing none of the lights were on and came to the quick conclusion that Kyrine had snuck out to go exploring in the woods.

Jacob definitely would have words with Kyrine at a later date.

Kyrine could barely keep her eyes open and had dozed off a little, when she felt the wolf come to a halt. She looked up from having her face buried in fur and breathed a huge sigh of relief, kissing the top of the wolf’s head again. The wolf didn’t move an inch as Kyrine slowly dismounted and stood right in front of it, those dark eyes once again locking with hers.

Why did she feel like she recognized those eyes?

“Thank you so much.” She whispered, no hesitation this time when she dropped a kiss on the wolf’s nose, smiling with great appreciation. “Stay warm.”

Winking, Kyrine took off as fast as she could to the front door, looking behind her as the wolf remained in the woods, but she could feel its eyes on her. Jacob didn’t move a muscle until he watched his imprint walk inside the door and closed it behind her, wanting to make sure she made it in safely. He didn’t even move after she was in the house, sure that someone had noticed she was gone, only to see no lights besides the one in Kyrine’s room.

He walked over and looked up at the window, seeing her pull the dirt covered hooded sweatshirt off along with the pants, watching her toss them in the garbage can that was right by the window. She looked like she was hiding the evidence and Jacob coughed out, which was his way of laughing when he was in wolf form, not expecting her to be this sly. He coughed more when she began plucking leaves out of her hair, trying not to think about the fact he was watching her in just her white bra and panties.

It was only when Kyrine walked away from the window is when Jacob reluctantly left, feeling like a peeping tom, even though he just wanted to make sure she was alright.

Jacob.

He groaned, hearing Sam’s voice in his head, and knew the alpha had probably smelled the vampire in the area. Sam, there was a bloodsucker in the woods and I think it was the one we’ve been tracking for the past few months. It tried attacking Kyrine and…

Who is Kyrine? Sam demanded, already on his way to wherever Jacob was and had sent the howl out throughout La Push for the other pack members. What happened?

She’s Amaya sister and she was in the woods… Jacob knew he had some serious explaining to do and ran away from the McTavian house, heading toward where the pieces of the bloodsucker still lay.

What the hell was she doing in the woods at this time of night? Sam wasn’t happy, growling as he headed in the direction of Jacob’s scent. Everyone meet Jacob, wherever he is, near the McTavian house. He knew who the family was and they were innocent people, though he wondered what the paleface was doing out of her comfortable safe house at three o’clock in the morning.

It took minutes for all the pack members to meet at the sight of the dismantled bloodsucker, all of them growling from the foul stench that still lingered in the air. Quiet all of you. Sam’s alpha voice boomed throughout their heads, sitting down while staring at Jacob with calm eyes. Explain what happened, Jake. You aren’t supposed to be patrolling tonight.

Jacob sighed with a nod, knowing he was supposed to be resting and relaxing, but his imprint was in trouble and nobody knew he’d imprinted yet or on who. He really didn’t want them finding out like this, not this soon, especially when he was dating his imprint’s sister. This was a big mess, but Jacob knew if he lied to Sam about the real reasoning why he saved Kyrine, there would definitely be problems among the pack. He would be considered a cheater in a way because he was dating someone who wasn’t his imprint, which was a sin to the Quileute tribe.

It was a sin, but one that Sam had tried a long time ago with his situation regarding Leah and Emily.

Sam, I really don’t want to discuss this in front of the pack…

Why not? Paul demanded, sidling up next to his best friend, both him and Jared eyeballing Jacob suspiciously. What are you hiding, Black?

Nothing.

Sam could clearly tell something was going on with Jacob and tilted his head slightly, the black fur glinting in the moonlight. Something had been bothering Jacob over the past few days, ever since he went on his double date with the two palefaces, and Sam wondered if there was some kind of connection. Suddenly, it dawned on Sam that Kyrine was Amaya’s sister and Jacob was dating Amaya...Sam decided that he would be speaking to Jacob privately regarding the situation, deciding to let the rest of the pack deal with the carnage of the bloodsucker.

Seth and Leah, dig a hole. Embry and Quil, gather wood for the fire. Paul and Jared, pick up the pieces along with Collin and Brady. Make sure they are all burned. Jacob, come with me back to my place. Sam ordered and turned around, heading back through the woods with Jacob following, knowing the job would get done properly.

They didn’t dare think a word because the entire pack was phased and could hear everything they were thinking, which is not what Sam wanted. Jacob didn’t know how he’d ever repay Sam for this and hoped the man realized why he did what he did instead of letting one of the others handle it, like Paul or Jared, who were on patrol for the evening. There was a very good reason and Jacob wasn’t going to apologize for protecting Kyrine, looking up when Sam suddenly stopped right in front of his house, looking over his shoulder at Jacob.

I’m going inside and have Emily get you some shorts. Sam knew Emily was up because he’d bolted out of bed and told her something was wrong, that he’d be back as soon as possible. Give me a few minutes okay?

Sam? Jacob swallowed hard and lowered his head, closing his eyes. I need to talk to Emily about this, if you don’t mind. I know she’ll understand where I’m coming from and then after I talk to her, I’ll tell you everything. Jacob really needed to talk to Emily first because he had to know what Kyrine was feeling and going through, if she was in as much pain as he predicted.

No problem, Jake.

Sam walked up to the steps and sure enough Emily was standing there inside the screen door, holding a pair of shorts. He coughed out a little, giving her his best wolf smile, and phased right on the porch, staring into Emily’s beautiful eyes. She had three deep scars that ran along the right side of her face and distorted her features, pulling down the corner of her eye and mouth. Nobody noticed it because of Emily’s beautiful spirit and kind heart, but Sam had to stare at them every day and night of their life together.

When Sam imprinted on Emily, he came clean and told her everything about the Quileute tribe, about the pack, his wolf form and abilities. She completely brushed him off because of his relationship with her cousin Leah. She tried convincing him to return to Leah’s arms because Emily knew how much her cousin loved him, but Sam couldn’t because of the imprinting. It went on for awhile with Sam visiting Emily on a daily basis and she rejected him every time, refusing to break her cousin’s heart by taking the love of her life away.

On the darkest day of Sam’s life, Emily ordered him to go back to Leah when he came to see her like always, but he refused. He’d always left and tried doing what she said, but the imprint was too strong for Sam to be with Leah. Emily called him a liar and said he was just like his father, Joshua Uley, which outraged Sam, forcing him to lose complete control of himself.

He phased into a wolf right in front of her and Emily was too close, which is when he scarred her badly. They told everyone as a plausible cover story that she’d been mauled by a bear and he saved her life, but Sam and Emily, along with the rest of the pack, knew the truth. After the incident, Emily finally gave up and stopped fighting Sam, accepting him fully and ended up destroying her cousin, which she still felt guilty about every now and then.

She ended up being the caretaker of Sam and the entire pack along with cooking, cleaning and finding clothes for the boys whenever they forgot clothing when phased.

“Jacob needs some shorts…” Sam chuckled again when Emily simply handed over another pair, kissing her lips softly. “Thanks beautiful.”

“Uh huh, now both of you get inside, I’ll make some tea.” Emily ordered, winking and headed into the kitchen, while Sam went outside to deliver the shorts to Jacob.

Jacob phased as soon as Sam came toward him, taking the shorts with a sheepish grin. “Thanks Sam, I don’t know what any of us would do without Em.” He honestly meant that and slipped them on, letting them hang loose on his hips like always, not worried about a shirt.

“Neither do I.”

They both headed inside and sat at the kitchen table, Emily tossing Jacob a shirt along with Sam, setting three cups on the table. “The tea will be ready shortly.” She refused to give them coffee because Sam had to patrol the following day and wanted him to be well rested. “Sam, you look really tired sweetie.”

“I am.” He admitted, knowing he couldn’t lie to Emily even if he wanted to. “Jake wants to talk to you if you’re up to it about something…alone.”

Emily quirked an eyebrow and looked in Jacob’s direction, slowly settling down at the table. “Then why don’t you go rest and I’ll bring your tea up when it’s ready?” She suggested softly, placing her hand over his and smiled, letting him know everything was fine.

“I’m actually gonna take a shower first.” Sam stood up and kissed the top of her head, nodding at Jacob. “We’ll talk tomorrow about what happened tonight.” He wanted to give Jacob plenty of time to talk with Emily, having a sinking feeling he knew what it was about and headed upstairs to have that much needed shower.

Once Sam was out of sight and hearing, Emily turned her full attention on Jacob and took his hand, her kind dark eyes staring back at him. “Take your time, Jake. I know something’s been bothering you lately. I was waiting for you to come talk to me about it.”

Jacob couldn’t help chuckling, knowing Emily had a sixth sense about when one of the boys were hiding something or they were bothered. “Sorry.” He cleared his throat, slowly pulling his hand out of hers to clasp them together, resting his elbows on his knees. “The thing is…I don’t exactly know how to tell you this without sounding like a complete asshole.”

“One thing I’ve grown to respect about you, Jacob, is your straightforwardness about life. You don’t hold anything back, even if it hurts someone’s feelings, which is a great quality to have. You don’t take it too far though and know when to pick your battles.” Emily explained gently but firmly, wanting to give him the encouragement to spill out what he wanted to talk to her about. “Anything you tell me will stay between us, you know that. I won’t even tell Sam.”

“I know.” Jacob took a deep breath and knew there was no turning back, raking a hand through his hair. “You know how I’ve been dating this girl from Forks named Amaya Robinson?” When Emily nodded, Jacob swallowed hard and suddenly had to stand up, pacing back and forth. “Well, we had a double date a few nights ago with her sister Kyrine and her…” His eyes suddenly darkened with inner rage and Jacob had to take several deep breaths before he could continue, beginning to tremble. “Date.” He practically hissed that last word out through gritted teeth.

“Yes I remember that.”

“Well, until that night I’d never met Kyrine McTavian and I found out that the girls were really cousins, but they view themselves as sisters. The McTavian’s took Amaya in when she was a little girl after her parents died.” Jacob waved that off because it wasn’t important compared to what he had to tell Emily. “Look, I’m just gonna come right out and say it: I imprinted on Kyrine when I met her on the double date.”

Emily’s reaction was not one Jacob expected, expecting her to stand up and begin shouting every name in the book at him, telling him what a heartless man he was for what he was doing. Instead, she merely sat there with her hands folded in her lap, looking calm as a cucumber, which confused him. He slumped back in the chair and lowered his head in shame, knowing what he was doing with Amaya was completely wrong in every way, but he was trying with everything inside of him to ignore the imprint.

It was several minutes before Emily spoke. “So in other words, what you’re telling me is you’re dating your imprint’s sister.” When Jacob’s head shot up, Emily smiled sadly at him, having been in this situation before and understood why he was adamant about talking to her. “And you want me to tell you what to do about it because of what happened between me, Sam and Leah, correct?”

Jacob nodded silently again, the desperation in his dark eyes.

“All I can tell you is to follow your heart, Jacob.” Emily didn’t know what to say honestly because even she didn’t know how she managed to rip her own cousin apart by taking Sam away because of the imprinting. “What you’re doing with Amaya isn’t wrong. You were dating her before you even imprinted and now you’re trying to stay with her because you think it’s the right thing to do. I will tell you this though, imprinting can be one of the most terrible things you will ever experience because of how intense and deep the feelings and connection is between you and Kyrine. I tried fighting Sam for months and months, sending him back to Leah whenever I could, but in the end the imprinting won over because it was too strong for both of us to ignore.” She stood up and kissed the top of his head, knowing she probably hadn’t told him exactly what he wanted to hear, but what he needed to instead. “I know you, you’re a great guy and you’ll make the right decision in the end.”

With that said, Jacob watched as Emily walked away from him and upstairs to check on Sam, a cup of tea in her hands and leaving Jacob wondering what exactly the right thing to do was.

Chapter 15

Kyrine never went to sleep after the wolf brought her home.

She took a shower to wash away the night’s events and changed into warm clean clothes, a simple long sleeved baby blue shirt with black pajama pants, thinking she’d be exhausted enough to sleep for a year. Her lips were tinted blue, which didn’t surprise Kyrine in the slightest because she’d put her heart through a lot of strain from being scared to death thinking she was going to die. Kyrine took in a shaky breath and contemplated asking her mother if she could stay home, but decided against it, desperately wanting to see Emmett.

More importantly, she needed to be in his arms.

Kyrine swallowed hard, not able to get those blood red eyes out of her mind and decided sleep was definitely out of the question. She knew the doctor wanted her to get proper sleep, but Kyrine was too terrified to even close her eyes, vowing to never leave the house in the middle of the night again. Curling up on the huge windowsill, Kyrine leaned her head against the wall as tears slid down her cheeks while staring out the bay window, looking into the deep woods.

Her mind managed to replace the blood red eyed monster with the warm dark eyed wolf that saved her life. Kyrine didn’t understand it, having always thought wolves were dangerous animals and never thought they were as big as the one she saw tonight. There was something about those warm eyes that just drew Kyrine in and made her feel safe, like nothing in the entire world could harm her. The most bizarre thing about the whole night was she actually trusted a wolf, a hot blooded animal that could rip her to shreds in two seconds, to take her home.

Kyrine pressed a hand over her heart and had managed to finally settle it down, knowing what happened tonight was the last excitement she could have until after the LVAD surgery. It probably wasn’t best to keep seeing Emmett, but right now Kyrine didn’t care about the consequences, missing him like crazy. A funny thing was Kyrine also missed Jacob Black and again she couldn’t comprehend why, the wolf actually reminding her of him. How peculiar it was that a wolf reminded her of not only her sister’s boyfriend, but a man she knew absolutely nothing about besides how hot he was in bed, according to Amaya.

The full lit beautiful moon suddenly disappeared as the sun began peeking over the horizon and Kyrine knew everyone would be getting up soon. She was taking the night from hell to the grave, refusing to tell anyone about it, and had destroyed all the evidence that proved she’d even left the house. Amaya would simply berate her and her parents would keep her locked in the house until her surgery, which Kyrine simply didn’t need, not when she only had so much time left with Emmett.

Around six o’clock, Kyrine finally pulled herself off the windowsill and changed into school clothes for the day. She kept the long sleeved baby blue top on and swapped her pajama pants for dark blue jeans, wanting to be simple today. Surprisingly, the only mark that Kyrine sustained from the attack in the woods was a small gash on her head, though her hairline covered it up. She’d been very lucky she hadn’t cracked it harder and sustained brain damage along with her heart condition.

That was all she needed was brain damage on top of a bad heart.

Shaking her head, Kyrine outlined her eyes –she put eye drops in them to get rid of the redness from her lack of sleep- with midnight blue eyeliner and painted her lips gloss, thankful they had turned back to a rosy pink instead of having the blue tint. She brushed her hair again, leaving it down and slipped her white tennis shoes on before heading out, swinging her bag over her shoulder. The smell of breakfast permeated the air and Kyrine was suddenly starving, walking downstairs toward the kitchen, her stomach growling.

“Morning.” She greeted softly, watching as Natalie used her waffle maker, a plateful of waffles already on the counter.

“Morning sweetheart.” Natalie greeted with a smile and walked over to set the syrup and butter on the table, a sparkle in her eyes.

Kyrine rolled her eyes when her mother turned her back, knowing her parents had made up for their arguments. “That smells really good, Mom.” She complimented, getting up to get a glass of orange juice, knowing she would more than likely catch a cold from being out in the woods.

“Thank you.” Natalie flipped a waffle over in the maker, soft country music playing from the radio above her head. “How did you sleep?”

“On and off.”

“Man, what the hell smells so good in here?” Amaya’s overly boisterous voice resonated throughout the house as she walked into the kitchen next, grinning from ear to ear.

“Waffles, Mom and Dad made up.” Kyrine stated deadpan, winking when her mother turned around to glare at her, though it didn’t meet her still sparkling eyes.

“Since when don’t I cook for my family?” Natalie shot back, already dressed for work in a pair of black dress pants with a dark red short sleeved dress top.

Amaya snorted, raising a slow eyebrow the same time Kyrine did, deciding to be the one to retort. “Since we moved in here.” She sat beside Kyrine, both of them giggling, just as Nicholas walked in with the same sparkling eyes as Natalie had.

Oh yeah, they definitely made up.

Scoffing, Natalie rolled her eyes and turned back to making breakfast, smiling when Nicholas’s arms wrapped around her waist, whispering something in her ear. Both girls began laughing when Natalie’s cheeks tinged a dark crimson red, groaning when Nicholas followed that up by slapping her ass. Kyrine had to lean against Amaya when Natalie squealed out her husband’s name and actually chucked a waffle at his head, causing him to whip around just in time to catch it, winking at her, before joining the girls at the table.

“That was totally wrong to witness and my poor virgin eyes will never be the same again!” Amaya cried out animatedly, smirking when Kyrine simply raised an eyebrow at her and nudged her at the table.

“Virgin eyes?” Nicholas chuckled softly, seeing Kyrine didn’t look bad today, which was a good sign that her heart was still pumping with life. “Did you sleep well, baby girl?”

“Yes Dad.” Kyrine answered for the third time and began devouring the bowl of fruit that was placed in front of her, ignoring everyone who was staring at her with wide eyes.

“Enough.” Natalie ordered, trying not to sound amused, and set the plate of waffles on the table so everyone could dig in.

Breakfast was great for the first time since Kyrine could remember, no tension and no fighting involved, not even an argument. She ate two waffles along with the fruit, finally satisfied while Amaya ate two waffles with an orange. She had a thing for oranges and always smelled like them, which apparently was very appealing to men. When Natalie and Nicholas began feeding each other, the girls decided it was time to leave for school before they lost their breakfast they just ate.

“That was totally not what I needed to see first thing in the morning.” Amaya grunted, causing Kyrine to giggle as Amaya drove them to school like always.

Because of Kyrine’s heart condition and the severity of it, she wasn’t allowed to drive until after she got a new heart. Amaya didn’t think it was fair that her sister had to miss out on so many experiences and driving was definitely one of them. Kyrine assured her that she wasn’t jealous and one day she would be able to get behind the wheel of a car, refusing to let anyone get her down. Even the upcoming surgery, Kyrine was still optimistic and Amaya thought she was a true inspiration to anyone who had congestive heart failure.

They arrived at school, both deep in their thoughts and Amaya honestly missed Jacob, having gotten a text message from him saying he needed a few days to recover. She smirked, knowing she wore his Quileute ass out, and decided to tease him a little while she was in the shower earlier that morning. It was a small video, but would definitely get a rise out of him and Amaya couldn’t wait to receive a text or even a call from him about it. One thing about Amaya, she was not a shy person and proud of her body, loving to show it off to those who she deemed worthy.

Jacob definitely was.

As soon as Kyrine stepped out of the car, Emmett was right there pulling her into his arms, hugging her close to him. She blinked when he suddenly pushed her away, drawing her eyebrows together and watched as he wrinkled his nose almost as if in disgust. Kyrine swallowed hard, wondering if he somehow smelled the woods on her, even though she’d taken an hour long shower as soon as she got back to the house. Somehow, Emmett knew something wasn’t right and she looked over at her sister, thankful she was too busy texting on her phone to someone, probably Jacob.

That made her feel worse.

“Emmett, what’s wrong?” Kyrine couldn’t help asking, chewing her bottom lip as sadness filled her eyes, rejection slowly following.

He couldn’t help it. Kyrine smelled like disgusting wet dogs, even though her body wash, usually smelling like sweet raspberries, but it wasn’t covering the foul stench up. Who the hell had Kyrine been around from La Push? More importantly, when did this happen because, according to Emmett’s memory, he’d been with her every waking moment, only leaving her when it was time for her to go to bed.

“Sorry.” He grunted, knowing he just hurt Kyrine and could see the refutation in her eyes, deciding he wouldn’t breathe her in while she smelled horrible. “Ky, I didn’t mean to do that sweetheart. Please forgive me.”

“I-It’s alright…” Kyrine trailed off, having her arms wrapped around herself and sighed when Emmett pulled her right back into his embrace. “Is everything okay?”

Emmett smiled down at her, nodding and kissed her forehead softly. “Yeah, I missed you.” He also had felt like something happened the previous night, but didn’t want to jump to conclusions, especially while he was out hunting with the family. “I actually wanted to ask you something.”

Kyrine instantly felt the butterflies erupt in her stomach, staring up into those golden eyes of his. “What is it?” She quietly asked, knowing the bell was going to ring at any minute to go to class.

“What are you doing tonight?” Emmett blurted out, not meaning it to sound so forward, but he knew they were running out of time. “Are you free?”

“As far as I know.” Kyrine was all smiles again, leaning further against him. “What did you have in mind?”

“Well,” Emmett paused briefly to move behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder. “I want you to meet my family tonight. Unless you want to do something else, but I don’t want to keep you a secret anymore. I want to be with you in a relationship, boyfriend and girlfriend, whatever you want to call it.”

Kyrine closed her eyes and felt the guilt sweep over her because in a few days she was going to have to tell him she was going away for a month for the surgery. Now he wanted to introduce her to his family, to take her into his home where he slept, his private haven. This was starting to get out of hand, but as soon as Kyrine turned around to decline the offer, those golden topaz eyes locked with hers and she instantly melted.

Emmett definitely didn’t play fair.

“Sounds good to me. I’ll send Amaya a quick text and we’ll come up with a story for my parents.” Kyrine told Emmett they were extremely overprotective of her and he hadn’t questioned anything more.

Emmett chuckled, kissing the top of her head. “What exactly are you going to tell them?” He wondered, raising an eyebrow when Kyrine chewed her bottom lip.

The light bulb suddenly clicked in Kyrine’s mind and she turned to quickly kiss Emmett on the lips, just as the bell rang. “I got it covered, I’ll meet you out in the parking lot after school.” She jogged away from him to catch up with Amaya, who was currently being hit on by a member of the Forks football team. “Maya, I gotta talk to you.” She grabbed her sister’s arm and guided her away from the jock, still feeling Emmett’s eyes on her.

“Where’s the fire woman?” Amaya demanded, blinking because she’d never seen Kyrine act like this, both of them slowing down once they were in the hallway.

“Sorry, but this is really important.” Kyrine took a few deep breaths, knowing jogging was definitely against doctor’s orders, but honestly didn’t care at the moment. “Emmett invited me out tonight to go meet his family.”

Amaya’s violet eyes widened, turning to fully face her sister as they both halted. “Seriously?” When Kyrine nodded, Amaya hugged her as tightly as she could, happy for her sister. “What are you going to tell Nat and Nick?”

Kyrine smiled innocently, her eyes filled with mischief. “Well, that’s where I need your help…”

Folding her arms, Amaya raised a slow eyebrow, listening to Kyrine’s plan. “Okay...Let me see if I got this straight, you wanna tell the rents that we’re going shopping and to a movie, so you can go with Emmett to meet his family.” When Kyrine nodded, Amaya couldn’t help laughing and there wasn’t a hint of amusement in her mirth. “So what do you expect me to do for those hours that you’re gone with Emmett?”

“Well…Why not go see Jacob?” Kyrine suggested, feeling a sudden sting of pain jolt through her body, ignoring it. “I know you guys are taking a few days apart, but I don’t have much time left before my surgery.” Her voice dropped lower, not wanting everyone in the hallway to overhear their conversation. “So please, please do this for me, Maya. I’ve done a lot for you, especially in Miami when you wanted to sneak out to see a guy and I covered for you with Mom and Dad. I’m not asking much and I think Jacob wants to see you.”

After the video Amaya sent him earlier that morning, she had no doubt in her mind he did, eyeballing her sister skeptically. “We have to be back at the house no later than eleven o’clock. It’s a school night, which means our curfew sticks.” When Kyrine nodded, promising to be on time, they hugged and walked inside their first class just as the final bell rang, taking their seats.

Kyrine couldn’t stop smiling, hoping this school day ended rather quickly so she could be back in Emmett’s arms.

Chapter 16

The longest day of school finally ended and Kyrine met up with Emmett in the school parking lot with Amaya of course. Amaya didn’t want to seem like an overprotective sister, but she was worried for her Kyrine’s safety because they didn’t know much about Emmett. Hell, Amaya really had no room to talk considering she had sex on her first date with Jacob. But it wasn’t the first time Amaya did that and it probably wouldn’t be the last. Amaya had a sinking feeling her and Jacob wouldn’t last much longer and this was her innocent little sister, so her own rules didn’t apply.

“You sure you’re gonna be alright?” Amaya asked for the umpteenth time, glancing down at her sister, sighing when Kyrine rolled her eyes. “You know I worry about you because I love you.”

“Keep talking like that and I’m gonna start calling you Mom.” Kyrine smirked when Amaya made a face, winking. “I’ll be fine, I promise. Emmett just wants to introduce me to his family and he’ll have me home on time. We each have cell phones, there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Doesn’t matter, I’m still gonna worry about you.”

“Have you called Mom and Dad yet to tell them about what’s going on?” Kyrine suddenly asked, knowing she couldn’t just leave with Emmett unless the plan was set in stone.

Amaya rolled her eyes this time, snorting. “You really have no faith in me do you?” It was a rhetorical question and caused a frown to form on Kyrine’s face.

“I didn’t mean…”

Amaya laughed softly, kissing the top of Kyrine’s head. “I’m just fucking with you, Kyrie.” She dodged a slap from Kyrine as they headed toward Emmett, who was waiting by his Jeep Wrangler, tilting her head slightly at his vehicle of choice.

“Hey beautiful.” Emmett greeted, hopping off of the back of the jeep, smiling from ear to ear with pearly white teeth that Amaya knew couldn’t be natural. “Everything set?”

Kyrine nodded, looking up at her sister with an encouraging smile. “Yeah, Maya is just being a little overprotective and wanted to say something to you.” All Kyrine could hope was that her sister didn’t embarrass her in front of her boyfriend.

Emmett simply stared back at Amaya with slightly narrowed golden eyes, remembering their earlier confrontation when Kyrine had been with her Mom instead of at school. He simply asked Amaya one question and she bit his head off for not minding his own business. The woman definitely had an anger issue, one that she had to fix before she walked up to the wrong person one day and they destroyed her. Because Amaya meant everything to Kyrine, Emmett hadn’t spent an ounce of energy on her by fighting, simply asking her to tell Kyrine to call him when Amaya saw her.

Amaya was thinking about the same thing and flashed him a cocky grin, violet eyes gleaming wickedly. “I don’t think I have to tell you that if you don’t take care of my sister and have her home on time, I will hurt you.” Kyrine didn’t know about their little confrontation, deciding what her sister didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her. “Do we understand each other?”

Hurt him? Emmett could rip Amaya apart in two seconds if he really wanted to, knowing there was no way she could ever harm a hair on his head. Of course, Kyrine didn’t know all of his secrets and Emmett planned on revealing them all tonight with his family.

If he was going to have a meaningful relationship based on honesty and trust, Emmett couldn’t keep anything from her, including what exactly his family was. He’d already went to Esme and asked if he could have a guest over that night, not really giving her any details. When Esme asked if this was the woman he’d been spending all of his time with lately, having heard from Alice and Jasper, Emmett simply nodded and that was all that had to be said.

“I’ll have her back on time safe and sound.” Emmett promised, refusing to let Amaya ruin his mood and pulled Kyrine away from her into his arms, kissing the top of her head. “Ready Ky?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

Amaya watched like a hawk as Emmett helped Kyrine into his Jeep Wrangler before getting behind the wheel, driving out of the school parking lot. She looked down at her cell phone when it signaled she’d received a new text message, sliding her phone open to read it. Wanna meet up for a few hours and hang out? It was from Jacob. This plan was working out better than Amaya originally intended, knowing her teasing video had definitely lit something under him.

See you soon. Sending him a quick text back, Amaya slipped into her car and headed toward the La Push border, knowing Jacob wanted to meet in their secret place.

Kyrine wasn’t surprised when she received a text from Amaya, laughing softly. “Lord…”

“What?” Emmett glanced over at her while driving through the woods toward the Cullen house, which was deep in the woods just on the outskirts of Forks.

“My sister is insane, that’s what.” Kyrine flipped her phone closed and turned it on silent, slipping it into her bag out of sight. “She sent her boyfriend a video this morning, wanting to tease him because he asked her for a few days break, and apparently he had a change of heart because she’s on her way to see him now.”

“Your sister is insane.” Emmett couldn’t help agreeing and actually felt a twinge of pity for Jacob Black, wondering if the dog realized what he got himself into. “She’s a wild one eh?”

“You have no idea.”

The rest of the drive was made with small conversation, Amaya dropped for the time being, though Emmett had been mildly curious about how crazy Amaya exactly was. He didn’t understand how Kyrine and Amaya could be related in any way because they were completely different, yet best friends. While Kyrine was sweet and shy keeping to herself, Amaya was out-going and had a no prisoner’s attitude, not caring what people thought of her. He both respected and loathed it, especially after being snapped on for simply asking where Kyrine was that day she was with her mother.

Kyrine couldn’t help wondering what she was going to do about Emmett once she had to go away for surgery. It didn’t help her surgery was going to be right in Forks because everyone at school, including her principal, thought she was going out of town for a month regarding family matters. She felt guilty for lying to everyone, but Kyrine honestly didn’t need the community knowing about her sickness, knowing it would just complicate things with her life.

In Miami, everyone knew everything about her congestive heart failure and threw fundraisers for her among other things. They tried to raise money for the family even though they were financially well off. It was terrible being pitied and constantly asked if she was alright every day she would go to school, just wanting to be regular. It’s not that Kyrine didn’t appreciate what the community did for her, but eventually it got tiring.

She wanted to keep it that way in Forks High School if at all possible.

When they pulled up to the huge glass house, Kyrine’s mouth fell open, her big midnight blue eyes widening as far as they could go. “This…is where you live?” She looked over at him, blushing when Emmett laughed and slipped out of the car to open the passenger door for her, extending his arm.

“Welcome to the Cullen home,” He grinned at her shocked state, finding her even more beautiful when she blushed, those rosy cheeks adding to her splendor. “My lady.”

“Thank you, kind sir.” Kyrine giggled when Emmett snorted, their playful banter common and it was one of the main reasons why Emmett was drawn to her to begin with.

Together, they walked up the stairs to the front door and Emmett opened it, allowing Kyrine to step in first. Kyrine couldn’t believe how beautiful the décor of the house was, not knowing what exactly she was expecting, thinking the Cullen’s definitely had great taste. Emmett gently took her small black jacket off and hung it up, along with his, before taking her hand guiding her through the house to the sitting room.

Nobody was there yet and Emmett knew Carlisle would be a little late because of his job while Esme had a clothing line she worked on strictly through the internet, having recently started it up with Alice’s help. Jasper did his own thing, though Emmett wasn’t exactly sure what that was, and didn’t stick his nose in other’s business unless he was brought into it. Emmett guided Kyrine toward the couch as they both sat down, smiling when she snuggled against his side, rubbing her shoulder up and down soothingly.

He hadn’t discussed exposing the Cullen’s secret with the family, but Emmett figured since Edward hadn’t done that with Bella, he didn’t have to do it with Kyrine. He was ready to tell her everything, but didn’t want to blurt it out. He had to somehow ease the secret into their conversation, deciding maybe a hypothetical approach would be best. As much as he wanted to, Emmett didn’t feel the need to expose the Quileute tribe’s secret because that had nothing to do with his secret besides they were mortal enemies.

Nothing more, nothing less.

“So what’s on your mind?” Kyrine asked, leaning against her folded up knuckle while her elbow leaned against the couch, knowing Emmett brought her here for a reason.

Emmett couldn’t stop staring at her and didn’t want the way she was looking at him now to disappear after he revealed his secret. That’s what he feared most is that she would laugh at him or run away screaming in terror. If Emmett knew what Kyrine went through the previous night, he wouldn’t be nearly as hesitant as he was now. They had only been dating for a short amount of time, but Emmett knew he was already falling for her…faster than he had with Rosalie.

“Whatever it is, you can tell me, Emmett.” Kyrine rose up to wrap her arms around his strong muscular neck, staring into his beautiful tawny eyes with a soft smile. “I know we haven’t known each other that long, but there’s nothing you can tell me that I won’t understand. I’m not easy to scare off, remember?”

“I know, I know.” Emmett grumbled, hating that she was right, but also loved it at the same time because she knew just what to say to make him feel better. “I just…I don’t want you to not…” He didn’t know how to say this, pressing his forehead to hers. “The way you’re looking at me now might change once I tell you what I need to. I don’t want it to change because I love the way you look at me. Do you understand what I’m saying, Ky?”

Kyrine didn’t know what to say honestly and nodded, simply staying where she was with kind blue eyes. “I’ll never not look at you the way I am right now.” She promised, hoping that didn’t sound stupid because it didn’t make sense as soon as the words left her lips. “Just tell me. Rip the band-aid off with no anesthesia, get it over with. That’s what Amaya always tells me whenever I have a problem telling her something personal.”

Emmett took a deep breath, deciding he wasn’t going to stall anymore and removed her arms from around his neck, instead holding his hands in hers in front of him. “I’m dead.” He blurted out, watching the confusion instantly register in Kyrine’s eyes and cringed when her hands suddenly slid out of his.

“W-What are you talking about?” There was no humor in her stammer and Kyrine wondered if this was a sick joke, blinking. “Emmett, what are you talking about? You can’t be dead…”

“I am.” Emmett took her hand and slid it under his shirt against his ice cold skin, until it rested against where his heart should’ve moved with life, his eyes locking with hers. “I exist, but I’m not alive. I’m a vampire, Kyrine.” He sighed when she paled even more than normal, yanking her hand from beneath his shirt to press it against her warm chest over her beating heart. “Please…”

Kyrine didn’t say anything for a good long while, simply staring at her boyfriend as the shock flooded through her, trying to think clearly. She opened and closed her mouth several times, but no words were coming out, knowing Emmett was getting upset. When he went to stand up, her hand shot out to stop him from doing so, pulling him back down even though he let her, their eyes locking again.

“Vampires…exist?” She slowly asked, remembering how scared Emmett was prior to telling her this, so the last thing Kyrine wanted to do was freak out in front of him. “I always thought they were a fantasy or myth.” Honestly not knowing what to think, Kyrine knew Emmett definitely wasn’t lying to her because of how rock hard his body was and he didn’t have a beating heart.

“A lot of people think that.” Emmett couldn’t believe she was reacting this way, definitely not expecting it, glad he was honest with her. “If you have any questions, feel free to ask them. I won’t keep anything from you.”

Not knowing what to ask, Kyrine decided to just ask whatever was off the top of her head. “So…you can live without a beating heart?” Kyrine couldn’t help asking because of her current situation, trying to slow her own down because she’d been through enough the previous night.

“Yeah.”

“And…how old are you?”

Emmett smirked, pulling her to sit sideways on his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist while she leaned her head against his shoulder, still looking up at her with curious blue eyes. “I’m over a hundred.” He wasn’t going to pinpoint his exact age and ran a finger down her cheek, the roses blooming once more. “But to everyone in school, I’m seventeen, but I was changed at the age of twenty.”

Kyrine went to ask him something else when they heard throats clear behind them, jumping off of Emmett’s lap as they both hastily stood up from the couch. Her blue eyes widened at the sight of her doctor, Carlisle Cullen, and knew this was definitely a mistake coming here, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. So her suspicions had been confirmed: Emmett was Carlisle’s father or whatever.

He was standing before her with wide golden eyes alongside who Kyrine could only guess as being Esme. There were two other people standing in the doorway and Kyrine instantly recognized them as Alice and Jasper, Emmett mentioning them during one of the times they hung out. Alice and Jasper noticed Carlisle’s widened eyes and immediately looked at Kyrine, piercing the puzzle pieces together, having their suspicions.

She was Carlisle’s heart patient he’d been upset about.

Chapter 17

“Kyrine.” Carlisle finally stepped forward with a gentle smile, extending his hand to her, and had no idea that THIS was Emmett’s current girlfriend. “So you’re the girl that’s had Emmett’s mind preoccupied these past days, hmm?”

Her cheeks turned even darker and Kyrine didn’t know what to think or do, completely forgetting about her suspicions regarding her new doctor. “I guess I am.” She looked up at Emmett with a small smile, her hand slowly slipping out of Carlisle’s, Emmett instantly taking it.

Carlisle bit back a frown because of how cold her hand was, which was due to poor circulation because of her heart, worry shining in his eyes. “How are you feeling, Kyrine?” He had to ask and watched as she tensed from head to toe, drawing his perfectly shaped eyebrows together.

“Why don’t we go get some refreshments?” Esme suggested before the girl could utter a word, smiling softly and pulled Carlisle gently by the arm, trying to be polite.

Emmett was more confused than ever and actually scratched his head, Alice and Jasper walking in to sit down on the other couch. “That was weird.” He commented, looking down at his girlfriend, watching her shoulders shrug and did the same thing himself. “Have you met Carlisle before, Ky?”

Kyrine closed her eyes, knowing she couldn’t lie to Emmett because she had a feeling Carlisle would end up telling Emmett that she was his patient. “Yes I have.”

She walked over to sit back down and tried figuring out how she was going to get out of here without Emmett finding out her own secret. The guilt already surfaced because Emmett was brave enough to tell her what the Cullen family was, which explained a lot as far as Carlisle’s youthful flawless look, but Kyrine couldn’t bring herself to tell him about her heart condition. Emmett could tell something was bothering Kyrine and took his place beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, letting her know he was there for her no matter what.

“Here we are.” Esme walked in with a tray full of glasses filled with water, setting it down on the table, taking one herself.

Carlisle followed after with another tray of cookies, looking over at his wife as if she’d lost her mind. He remembered when Edward brought Bella over for the first time and they tried making Italian for her, only for Edward to say that she’d already eaten. It was definitely amusing, though Emmett’s ex didn’t think so and ended up shattering a bowl in her bare hands right in front of Bella. Of course, Bella already knew their secret so it wasn’t a huge shock to her. To make sure that didn’t happen again, Esme decided to take a simpler approach with water and cookies, thinking Emmett didn’t tell his new girlfriend about them.

She didn’t realize Kyrine already knew about their secret.

“Thank you, Mrs. Cullen.” Kyrine politely said, taking a glass of water and cookie, chomping on it with a smile.

“Please call me, Esme.”

“And you can call me Carlisle since we’re not in the hospital anymore, Kyrine.” Carlisle requested and took a glass of water his wife handed him, trying not to wrinkle his nose at it.

Emmett laughed and shook his head when Esme handed him a glass next, clearing his throat. “I already told her, you guys.” He stated, cringing when Esme dropped the tray and Jasper in lightning quick reflexes caught it with one finger, the glasses not tipping over or anything.

It was amazing.

“So, how do you two know each other exactly?” Alice inquired, looking from Carlisle to Kyrine with an innocent smile, her twinkling voice sounding like bells.

“She’s a patient of mine.” Carlisle answered before Kyrine could, watching her eyes widen and immediately regretted saying that. “You haven’t told Emmett yet, have you?”

Kyrine couldn’t look at Emmett, tears stinging the back of her eyes, but she wouldn’t show them. “No.” It was time to leave as Kyrine stood up, trembling a little. “This has all been fun and everything, but I’m not feeling very well. Emmett, I need to go home.”

Emmett frowned, wondering what came over Kyrine all of a sudden and noticed she refused to look at him. “Wait a minute, what are you talking about Carlisle? What hasn’t she told me yet and why is she a patient of yours?” So many questions flew out of his mouth at once, his eyes locking with the man he considered to be his father. “I want to know what the hell is going on right now.”

“No!” Kyrine yelled, completely panicked by now and instantly covered her mouth with her hand with huge midnight blue eyes, not believing she just did that.

Every single pair of golden eyes landed on her and Kyrine suddenly felt very exposed and vulnerable, shaking her head at Carlisle, pleading him silently not to say anything. Kyrine had no idea what came over her, but she didn’t want Emmett knowing she was deathly sick, wanting to enjoy whatever time she had left with him. The LVAD surgery could kill her, Kyrine wasn’t stupid by any means and had done extensive research on the procedure, not wanting any surprises. Carlisle had covered nearly everything the internet said, but Kyrine still checked and Natalie called Doctor Miles to make sure he agreed with what Doctor Cullen’s prognosis.

“You’re the girl aren’t you?” Alice stood up, a frown marring her pale features and slowly walked toward the alarmed human. “You’re the one Carlisle was so upset about…” Jasper and Alice had tried everything to find out exactly who the teenage girl was that Carlisle had spoken privately to Esme about.

“How did you know about that?” Carlisle demanded, standing up from his seat, folding his arms in front of his chest while glaring at his children. “You eavesdropped on my conversation with Esme?”

Alice lowered her eyes along with Jasper, even Emmett looking guilty, and Carlisle merely stood there stunned. “I told you I heard someone outside the door.” Esme stated, standing up alongside her husband, trying to diffuse the situation. “No matter, it’s obvious what is going on here.” She walked over to where Kyrine stood, gently nudging Alice to the side, and couldn’t help feeling the way her husband did because Kyrine was incredibly young to have to endure congestive heart failure. “Sit down, Kyrine. You don’t need to be afraid, no one is going to hurt you here.”

“Is she the one, Carlisle?” Jasper wasn’t letting it go, watching as Carlisle nodded solemnly and looked over at the human girl with sadness in his eyes. “She’s so young…”

“I know.”

“Enough both of you.” Esme ordered, golden eyes flashing at both Jasper and her husband, telling them silently that the poor girl was terrified.

“I want to go home.” Kyrine couldn’t be here right now and blinked as a few tears slid down her cheeks, refusing to do what Esme or anyone else said. “Emmett…”

Then it suddenly dawned on Emmett what Alice and Jasper were referring to, remembering the eavesdropping conversation and felt his eyes slowly move to where Kyrine stood. She was Carlisle’s heart patient? Kyrine was sick and he didn’t even know about it? She didn’t look that sick, granted her pale complexion he chalked up to not getting a lot of sun, but then Emmett remembered she used to live in sunny hot Miami, Florida. Her hands were freezing all the time, again he didn’t think anything of it and thought that’s just who she was.

“Kyrine…”

“Please don’t.” She whispered, blinking as huge tears slid down her face and if Emmett had a beating heart, it would’ve broken instantly. “Just take me home, Emmett.”

“What surgery are you having?” Emmett wasn’t moving an inch, watching her tense even more and didn’t care, refusing to back down. “What death sentence did you give her, Carlisle? What does she have?”

“I don’t want to talk about it!” Kyrine snapped, feeling Emmett grip her shoulders and kept her head down, wishing Amaya was here to take her away. “It’s none of your business! It’s patient confidentiality, right Doctor Cullen?” How did Emmett even know she was having surgery?

“It has to do with her heart.” Alice piped in, ignoring the angry look Carlisle and Esme shot her. “I’m guessing it’s a surgery to help buy her time until her donor is ready. She needs a heart transplant, I’m guessing.”

It felt as though Kyrine’s entire world was crashing down around her at warp speed and she couldn’t believe the audacity of Carlisle Cullen to mention his patients outside of the office. “How dare you!” She suddenly shouted, gritting her teeth as more tears fell from her eyes, not caring how fast her heart pounded at the moment. “How could you break the patient confidentiality by telling your family about me! I trusted you, Doctor Cullen and so did Doctor Miles and my own family! How could you do this to me?”

“He didn’t do anything, we did.” Alice said in a soft voice, knowing she had really upset the human girl, but Emmett had a right to know what exactly he was getting involved with. “We overheard him talking to Esme about an upcoming surgery he had to perform on a teenage girl that was life-threatening. He didn’t mention a name and he didn’t say exactly what the surgery was, only that he had handed her a death sentence. Jasper and I have been trying to figure out who it is for the past few days and couldn’t…until now.” The explanation was enough for Kyrine to calm down a little, though the anger still burned in her blue eyes. “Please don’t be angry with him. Be angry with me and Jasper. Emmett didn’t even care about the conversation because he was too busy being excited about his double date with you and your sister.”

“I came clean with you about everything I am, Ky.” Emmett stated, having kept silent long enough and forced her to meet his eyes by lifting her chin with his finger. “You told me not to be afraid to tell you my secrets…that you would understand no matter what. Now I’m asking you to do the same thing for me. I’m asking you to trust me enough to tell me what’s going on about every aspect of your life.”

He was right and no matter how much Kyrine wanted to run in the opposite direction, she knew she couldn’t. “Sit down.” She ordered in a soft voice, knowing this was going to be difficult for him to hear along with everyone else except Carlisle. “I’ll tell you everything.”

Doing as she said, Emmett lowered himself back on the couch, pulling her down with him and kept a firm arm around her shoulders so she couldn’t run away. “Take your time, beautiful. I’m here for you, no matter what.” He promised, kissing her forehead and that just made more tears fall from Kyrine’s eyes.

“Part me of me wishes you weren’t because then this would be so much easier.” Kyrine whimpered, taking a tissue from Alice who sat beside her, Jasper next to her while Carlisle and Esme remained standing.

Starting at the beginning, Kyrine explained how she was diagnosed with congestive heart failure at the age of six. That followed with a lot of different medications and surgeries, until three years ago at the age of fourteen when she was told she needed a new heart in order to survive. Kyrine was instantly placed on the transplant list, but nothing came and she knew her time was running out. That was until Doctor Miles came to her a few months ago telling her he found her a heart and it was here in Forks, her reason for moving from Miami. The donor was currently on life support and couldn’t be removed until their family returned from overseas to say goodbye to their loved one.

Her eyes slowly looked up at Emmett, having been looking down at her hands the entire time so she didn’t lose her nerve when explaining her heart condition. “I lied to you and I’m sorry. I was with my Mom, but I went to my first appointment with Doctor Cullen to see how my heart was progressing. I didn’t know if you were related to him or not and I meant to ask you when I saw you again, but it slipped my mind. He told me my heart wouldn’t last me another month if I didn’t have an LVAD surgery done, which is basically this little device that pumps my heart for me and gives it a chance to rest and wait for my new heart.”

“When is the surgery?” Alice asked, seeing Emmett was stunned by everything he just heard and trying to digest it all, her voice quiet.

“Friday.”

Emmett’s eyes shot open, staring down at his sick girlfriend and swallowed hard as all the culpable tears poured down her face. “Friday…W-What were you going to tell me, Kyrine?” He was almost afraid to ask and had a sinking feeling he knew what the answer was.

Kyrine buried her face in her hands, knowing Emmett would hate hearing this next part. “I was going to end things with you before the surgery.” It was only a few days away. “Please understand, I don’t want anyone knowing about my condition because…in Miami, everyone was so understanding and kind to me that it was unnerving. They would throw fundraisers to help raise money on my behalf, do car washes, even though my family is financially stable. They were exceedingly kind, almost if they were forced to be, and I felt like everyone was always walking around on eggshells around me. Forks was my chance to be normal like everyone else, my one chance to live fully, before my heart transplant.”

“What did you tell the principal and all your teachers, Kyrine?” Esme asked, somewhat baffled by what Kyrine’s explanation and honestly didn’t blame her for wanting to be treated normally.

“My Mom told them I was going away for a month or so to my grandparents for personal reasons.” Kyrine answered, wiping her tears away and knew Emmett was furious with her, not blaming him at all. “I don’t want pity because I’ve been living with this illness for over a decade and I know what my chances are at survival. This surgery will help me, as much as I don’t want to do it, I know it’s in my best interest to have it done. My teachers are giving me my schoolwork on Thursday and if I miss more than a month, they agreed to send it with Amaya to give it to me and I would send it back.” She slowly stood up from the couch and stepped a few feet away from it, knowing Emmett needed some time to himself to maul everything over. “I’m sorry for lying to you, Emmett. I never thought a guy would even be remotely interested in me and I was fine with it…until you came along and changed my whole outlook on everything. I’ll never be able to repay you for all you’ve done for me, for actually treating me as a normal girl and making me feel things I’ve never felt before.” There was no way Kyrine was telling him her dreams about Jacob Black, knowing that would just anger and upset Emmett more than he already was. “I-I don’t know what else to say except…I’m sorry…”

He didn’t say anything for awhile, just sat there with his hands clenched tightly together staring straight ahead, every part of his body tensed. “There’s only one thing I want, Kyrine.” He finally spoke, slowly standing up from the couch and walked toward her, ignoring everyone else in the room for the moment. “And that’s you.” Before Kyrine could even open her mouth to protest, Emmett’s lips captured hers in a fiery kiss that made her weak in the knees, gripping his arms to keep from collapsing. “You can’t get rid of me that easily, beautiful.” He murmured against her lips once the kiss broke, rubbing his nose against hers. “And I’m going to be there with you every step of the way from here on out, I promise.”

All Kyrine could do was look in his eyes and knew he was telling her the truth, a newfound hope restored within her heart.

Jacob Black suddenly entered her mind and Kyrine felt the urge she had to tell him about her condition, not able to comprehend why. He popped up in her thoughts out of nowhere, even when she was with Emmett, which hadn’t happened until now. Something definitely wasn’t right and Kyrine wondered if maybe she should talk to someone about this, not understanding. She knew she was slowly losing her mind, especially when she began feeling guilty for telling Emmett about her heart condition and not Jacob. Kyrine had no idea she would have these feelings and an unbreakable connection as long as she was breathing.

After spending a little more time with the Cullen’s and calming down, Emmett took her home, the drive made in silence, with Kyrine trying to think of a way to forget Jacob Black existed, while Emmett contemplated what would happen if he lost Kyrine.

Chapter 18

“You actually TOLD him?”

Kyrine nodded and looked down at her freshly painted blue toenails, both girls giving each other home pedicures, knowing Amaya was shocked. “Yeah, I had no choice because his father is Doctor Cullen. He’s the one who is going to perform the surgery.” She explained softly, pressing her cheek against her knee.

“Wow…” Amaya let out a whistle while finishing her hot pink toenails, blowing on them a little. “So I take it your time with Emmett isn’t going to be over before Friday after all?”

“Not at all.” Kyrine actually smiled and squirmed her toes a little, chuckling when Amaya smacked the top of her feet to make her stop. “I wasn’t looking forward to ending things with him and I’m relieved I came clean before it was too late.”

“What made you decide to tell him anyway?” Amaya asked, mildly curious and set the nail polish down on the nightstand, leaning back with her feet angled up so her toes would dry faster.

Now Kyrine was in a dilemma because she didn’t know whether or not she should tell Amaya about the Cullen secret. She couldn’t just come right out and say Emmett and his family were vampires, Amaya would’ve laughed her out of the bedroom. Not to mention Kyrine hadn’t asked Emmett if she could tell her sister about what they were, so she didn’t know if it was a good idea or not.

Half of Kyrine wanted to stay loyal to Emmett, but the other half kept reminding her that she kept absolutely nothing from Amaya.

They were enjoying the evening together because it would be the last one for awhile, the parents having left them alone to have dinner with a couple they’d met while grocery shopping the other day. Actually, it was Natalie who dragged Nicholas along, explaining to him that it would be rude if she showed up at another married woman’s house without her husband in tow. Nicholas grumbled the whole way out the door, mumbling about missing yet another game because of his wife’s social customs.

The girls could only laugh and ordered pizza, thanks to Natalie forking over some money before departing.

“If I tell you why I told him about my condition, you have to swear to me you won’t freak out, kick me out of your room and tell every living soul what a lunatic I am.” Kyrine decided since she trusted Amaya with her life that she could tell her about the Cullen’s, knowing Amaya could keep a secret better than anyone.

Amaya couldn’t help laughing at how serious Kyrine looked, wondering what had gotten into her and bit her lip when Kyrine began pouting. “Oh come on Kyrie, the look on your face was priceless, how could I not laugh?” She retorted, dodging a pillow that Kyrine lunged at her.

“Never mind, I’m not telling you now.”

Amaya tried not to laugh and gave her best pout, violet eyes pleading. “Please? I swear on my own grave I won’t freak out, kick you out of my room and tell every living soul that you’re a lunatic.” She vowed, holding her hand while reciting Kyrine’s demands. “Your secrets are safe with me, Kyrie.”

Eyeballing her skeptically for a minute, Kyrine leaned back against the headboard with her arms folded in front of her chest. “Fine, I was going to tell you anyway.” She chuckled when Amaya rolled her eyes, making a hand gesture that told her to continue. “Emmett told me something about him and his family that…quite frankly I still can’t believe.” Vampires existed is what Kyrine actually meant, but she wasn’t just going to come out and say that. “Since he trusted me enough to tell me his secret, I had to tell him mine, especially with Doctor Cullen standing there asking me how I was.” It was definitely gauche.

“So what was his big secret?” Amaya urged, seeing how nervous her sister was, feeling her stomach tighten. “They’re not like orgy lovers are they?”

“Oh my god, no!” Kyrine gagged, not believing what a sick and twisted mind Amaya had. “Is that all you can think about is sex?”

Amaya smirked, not ashamed of her insatiable sexual appetite. “Hey, it has to be something completely off the wall and nine times out of ten, it has to do with sex.” She stated bluntly, beginning to start her second coat of polish. “So out with it, what is so secretive about Emmy and his family?”

Kyrine giggled at Amaya’s choice nickname for Emmett, knowing he wouldn’t appreciate it, but she couldn’t help finding it amusing. “Emmy? Do not let him hear you call him that.” Kyrine’s eyes bugged out when Amaya grinned, saying he already had. “Oh lord…”

“Stop stalling, Kyrie.”

“Emmett and his family are…not like us.” Kyrine remembered how Emmett told her and bit her bottom lip, refusing to just blurt out they were dead. “They’re different…”

Amaya’s eyebrow quirked, stopping in mid brush to look up at Kyrine. “Different how exactly?” She didn’t like the way this conversation headed and had a feeling she would screw her toes up if she continued, deciding to wait until Kyrine finally finished. “Just say it, Kyrie. It’s not that hard and it can’t be that bad.”

“It’s not exactly bad, just kind of…unbelievable, I guess?” Kyrine didn’t know what other word to use and looked down at her toes, more interested in them than this discussion. “I’m trying to tell you, it’s just hard because I don’t want you to think I’m messing with you.”

“Didn’t I already promise and swear on my own grave I wouldn’t freak out or laugh?” Amaya grunted, hurt shining in her violet eyes by now. “Obviously you don’t trust me enough to tell me, so just forget it.”

Kyrine groaned, hating it when Amaya guilt-tripped her, and took a deep breath. “They’re vampires.” She divulged, refusing to meet Amaya’s eyes that had suddenly shot open. “I know you don’t believe me, but it’s the truth. Emmett doesn’t have a beating heart, he showed me and that explains why they’re so pale and have flawless complexions. It’s why Emmett always feels so cold and hard against me, like marble, when we’re touching. I didn’t want to believe it either, but…it’s the truth, Maya. Vampires exist…”

As much as Amaya wanted to laugh and not believe a word Kyrine just said, something wouldn’t allow her to do it. Truth was, Amaya knew something was going on with Jacob, but for the life of her she couldn’t figure it out. His skin was always hot to the touch, but felt amazing to Amaya because it wasn’t hard for him to warm her up.

When she questioned him about his body temperature, Jacob simply brushed it off and changed the subject, which Amaya respected. Now that Kyrine was telling her about the Cullen’s being vampires, it made her wonder about Jacob and what exactly was going on with him, deciding she had to find out. He’d been distant from her the previous night during sex and Amaya confronted him about it afterwards, only for Jacob to thank her for another incredible romp and headed out to work.

Who the hell worked at a mechanic shop at ten o’clock at night?

“I believe you.” Amaya meant it and didn’t smile or anything when Kyrine’s head shot up to stare at her in disbelief. “Don’t ask me why I do because under normal circumstances I wouldn’t, but from the moment we moved here, I knew this place was different from Miami.”

“Why?”

Amaya shrugged nonchalantly, resuming her pedicure with mild interest. “I don’t know, just a feeling I guess.” She didn’t need to burden Kyrine with her silly assumptions about her boyfriend, wanting tonight to be about them. “And if you say that they’re vampires, then that’s what they are.”

Kyrine was stunned at how cool and calm Amaya was about her revelation, wondering if maybe she was sick or something. “It doesn’t bother you even a little?” She pried a little more, trying to get more emotion or…hell Kyrine didn’t even know what she was trying to get out of Amaya. “They don’t drink human blood either. They explained it all to me at the house.”

“What do they drink then?”

Amaya still wasn’t staring at her like she’d grown three heads, alarming Kyrine. “Maya, are you even hearing what I’m saying?” She waved her hand in front of Amaya’s face, chuckling when she shot Kyrine a deadly glare.

“Of course I am! I just asked what they drink didn’t I?” She blew on her toenails a little, having finished the second coat and wondered what Jacob would think about her color choice. “I’m listening to you Kyrie, okay? I don’t think you’re insane or have lost your marbles. I believe you, I’m simply asking questions.”

“That’s just it.” Kyrine suddenly stood up and began pacing in front of Amaya, chewing her bottom lip, her toenails already dry. “Why DO you believe me so easily? I wanted to freak out and bolt in the opposite direction when Emmett told me…”

“But you didn’t.”

Kyrine opened her mouth to say something and immediately closed it, sinking back down on the bed. “You’re right.” She whispered, suddenly understanding why Amaya was so calm about this because that’s exactly how Kyrine had acted when Emmett told her. “I mean…I didn’t want him touching me at first, but…I didn’t flip out and call him a liar. So why would I expect you to do that?”

Amaya smiled softly, scooting over very carefully so she didn’t ruin her pedicure. “Listen to me, Kyrie, there isn’t any reason for me not to trust you or believe what you tell me about anything. I’ve always believed there’s supernatural beings out there around us, like spirits and witches. Hell, there’s even a religion based solely on witchcraft. Granted, vampires I never did believe existed except in movies and nightmares, but obviously they do.” She pulled back a little, staring into Kyrine’s blue eyes. “The real question is: Do you believe what Emmett told you?”

“Of course I do.” Her voice was softer now, Kyrine smiling shyly as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “He’s given me absolutely no reason not to trust him. There’s no reason why he would just blurt out ‘I’m dead’ unless it was the truth.” Kyrine knew deep down she was trying to convince herself more than Amaya and, as always, Amaya grounded her to make sure she thought things over. “When he found out I was sick, he told me he wasn’t going anywhere and I couldn’t get rid of him that easily.”

For the first time since Kyrine and Emmett started seeing each other, Amaya was starting to see Emmett in a whole new light. “He really does care for you.” She commented and stood up from the bed, both of their stomachs growling. “I didn’t think he did at first.”

This was new as Kyrine stood up to follow Amaya out of the room, both of them heading downstairs toward the kitchen. “Why?” She trusted Amaya more than anyone and wondered why she hadn’t voiced her opinion of Emmett until now.

“It’s not important.”

Kyrine stopped her on the stairs, turning her around until their eyes met. “Be honest with me, Maya. Why didn’t you think he cared about me until now?” She wasn’t letting this subject drop, pursing her lips tightly together when it looked like Amaya was battling inner demons. “Tell me.”

Amaya sighed and knew she opened up a whole can of worms by opening her mouth, groaning. “Look, I just…I thought all he was after was what every man is usually after, Kyrie. He approached you out of nowhere, when none of the other guys in school did, and it was a little suspicious to me. I thought he was using you for some reason and that’s why I was extremely protective of you against him.” When Kyrine raised an eyebrow, Amaya knew she literally inserted her foot in her mouth. “Fuck.”

“Okay that’s it, I knew you were keeping something from me when it came to Emmett and I demand to know what it is NOW.” Kyrine ordered in a stern voice, flat out refusing to let Amaya walk away from her, gritting her teeth. “We’re supposed to be completely honest with each other, Maya. Why can’t you just stop trying to protect me and be blunt for a change?”

“Oh whatever! That’s a low blow and you know it, Kyrine.” She growled, a little hurt by her sister’s words, but knew deep down she was right. “Fine, you wanna know so badly, I’ll tell you. Let’s go into the kitchen so I can pop a pizza in the oven. I’m starving and you need to eat too.”

“This isn’t a tactic to try to distract me right?” Kyrine eyed her suspiciously, finally surrendering to what Amaya wanted and followed her down to the kitchen, hopping up on the counter. “Now what did you mean by being protective of me against him?” When Kyrine saw Emmett after her doctor’s appointment, she knew something wasn’t right between Amaya and Emmett, but thought she was reading too much into things.

Obviously she wasn’t.

Amaya didn’t say anything for awhile, preheating the oven and waited until it beeped before popping the pizza in, knowing Kyrine wasn’t going to let this go. Why had she opened her big mouth and said anything about Emmett? This was Kyrine first real boyfriend and Amaya knew how sensitive she was right now, especially with her upcoming surgery on the horizon. Then again, if Kyrine didn’t survive the surgery –Amaya flat out refused to believe she would be just fine- and died without knowing the truth on her feelings for Emmett, then Amaya would never get another chance.

Slowly, Amaya told Kyrine about the day at school that Emmett approached her, asking where Kyrine was. Amaya had completely blown her top and told him it was none of his business and he should stay away from Kyrine if he knew what was good for him. She basically told Emmett to take a flying leap off a short pier, though they weren’t exactly her choice words. She didn’t appreciate a man walking up asking her about her sister’s whereabouts, especially when they didn’t even know him.

“And you know the most fucked up thing about it was?” When Kyrine slowly shook her head, not amused in the slightest, Amaya snorted. “He didn’t even fight me on what I said. All he did was smile and said ‘tell her to contact me when she has a chance, thanks’ and walked away from me without so much as a fuck you. It was insane. It was almost as if he knew I was testing him in a way, even though I really wasn’t. I meant what I said because I thought all he wanted was a piece of ass because he just looked like one of those fuck’em and leave ‘em types. Obviously, I was wrong and I’m sorry, Kyrie.”

It didn’t surprise Kyrine with what Amaya said to Emmett nor did Emmett’s reaction because he really was a great guy. “No need to be sorry, I know how you are.” She hopped off of the counter and walked over, both girls embracing; a twinge of guilt suddenly piercing through Kyrine again because Jacob Black was suddenly in her mind. “Thank you for telling me.”

“You’re welcome.” Amaya murmured, kissing the top of her sister’s head, having vowed to protect her at any cost when they moved to Forks. “Now come on enough with the boy talk.” It was starting to depress Amaya because Jacob wasn’t nowhere near as sweet as Emmett was to Kyrine and it was bugging her. “Let’s just enjoy tonight with pizza and junk food.”

“Sounds good to me.”

The last thing Kyrine wanted to talk about was Jacob Black, especially to Amaya because she would blurt out something about the erotic dreams she’d been having lately. That just wouldn’t bode well for a girl’s night with Amaya. The girls laughed and watched comedy movies while eating pizza, chips and candy, finally crashing out around midnight.

As soon as Kyrine’s eyes closed, she was instantly sucked into a black vortex that ended with her staring into the dark eyes of Jacob Black.

Chapter 19

“What’s wrong with you tonight, Am?”

Amaya looked up at Jacob while they walked slowly on the beach of La Push, enjoying the tranquility, shrugging. “I don’t know, just thinking about some things.” She murmured quietly, wearing a simple long sleeved black dress that went an inch above the knee and had a hoop neckline, carrying her black heels in her hand as they dangled from her fingers.

For once, they weren’t sexing it up deep in the woods and Jacob even invited Amaya to one of La Push’s bonfires, wanting to her mind off of things. Something was bothering her, but Jacob couldn’t figure it out, hating how hard Amaya was to read through those violet colored orbs. Jacob wanted to make things work with Amaya, even though all he could really think about was his imprint, but he had to face facts she was with a bloodsucker. She didn’t want him and Jacob would rather have a woman that enjoyed being with a man that had a beating heart instead of a dead man.

Truth was, Amaya was depressed because Kyrine’s surgery was the following day and she didn’t know how else to feel. This was a life-threatening procedure and nobody knew if Kyrine’s heart was even strong enough to survive the surgery. All the tests the hospital and Doctor Cullen had administered earlier that day came back with positive results. Doctor Cullen assured the McTavian family that Kyrine would pull through as long as there were no complications, knowing anything could happen once she was under the knife.

Amaya sighed when Jacob stopped her from walking, turning her to face him, their eyes locking. She didn’t even realize she’d been crying until he wiped her tears away with the pads of his thumbs, frowning. Violet eyes lowered to the sand as Amaya tried pulling away from him, but Jacob had her wrists in his scorching hands, hating to show weakness in front of anyone. Crying was foreign to Amaya and the fact she was doing it in front of her boyfriend completely mortified her.

“Talk to me, Amaya.” Jacob pleaded in his deep voice, seeing she was trying to hide herself from him, and pulled her against him until her hands rested on his shirt covered chest, placing his hands on her hips. “You can trust me with anything. Whatever is bothering you, let me help you with it, girl.”

“Damn it.” She whispered, more tears falling and hated herself for it, feeling as though her heart was breaking. “Why does the world have to be so unfair?”

“I don’t know, baby.” He hated seeing her cry and began rubbing her back up and down, trying to soothe her. “The world is a cruel unforgiving place, but at least some good comes out of it.”

Amaya snorted, trying to break away from him, but Jacob wasn’t letting her budge. “There is no good in this world, not when…” She stopped talking and turned to look out into the ocean, the cool breeze blowing through her blonde blood red streaked hair. “Never mind, I don’t want to talk about it.”

Jacob growled, not liking the fact his girlfriend was hiding something from him, and whipped her around before smashing his lips against hers. “Tell me.” He demanded in a husky voice, feeling her hands instantly slide up his arms to wrap around his neck, her fingers delving in his thick black hair.

“No.” Amaya knew she would completely break down if she did and the last thing she wanted to discuss was her sister possibly dying tomorrow. “I want to forget about it for tonight.”

Jacob suddenly released her and shoved his hands in the front pocket of his black cargo shorts, his eyes moving to stare out into the water this time. “You don’t trust me.” He muttered hurtfully, sighing. “I don’t blame you for it, you don’t really know me and I don’t really know you.”

Frowning, Amaya felt guilty as she saw the rejected look on Jacob’s face and began chewing on her thumbnail nervously. “You really want to know that badly?” She finally asked, deciding maybe it was time she should talk to someone about her sister, having bottled all of her feelings up inside for so long. “Dasher?”

A smirk slowly curved his soft red lips as Jacob slowly looked up, walking toward her. “Yeah spitfire, I wanna know what’s bothering you. I want you to trust me enough to tell me anything that’s on your beautiful mind.” He reached out to run a finger down her cheek, a tear landing on it. “Talk to me.”

“Alright, I want to sit down though.” Amaya didn’t care about the sand and sat where they stood, burying her toes in the sand, loving the feeling of it squishing between her toes. Jacob sat down beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and Amaya leaned against him, needing warmth more than anything. “My sister is sick.”

Jacob instantly felt his throat tighten at the mention of Kyrine, feeling his chest constrict a little and tried keeping his breathing controlled. “What do you mean she’s sick? She has the flu or something?” From the moment Jacob imprinted on Kyrine, he could always feel like something was wrong with her, but couldn’t figure it out.

He was about to get all the answers to his questions.

“I wish.” Amaya coughed out a watery laugh bitterly through tears, sniffling as more tears fell splashing into the sand. “I would give anything if it was only the flu. No…what I mean is she’s sick as in…she’s dying.”

His heart nearly stopped beating for a few seconds as Jacob stared at Amaya, wondering if this was some kind of sick joke, breathing a little heavier now. “D-Dying?” He stammered out, looking away from her to stare down at the sand, having his knees belt up so he could rest his elbows on them, blinking repeatedly. “I don’t understand, Amaya. Please make me understand, explain to me what you mean.” Every part of Jacob’s insides felt as though they were currently being torn to shreds, especially his heart.

“She has congestive heart failure.” Amaya stated, closing her eyes tightly shut, her voice cracking. “She’s had it since she was six and she needs a new heart…or she will die.”

“Have they found one for her?” He quietly asked, afraid if he raised his voice any higher it would crack under pressure.

Amaya sniffled a little and wiped her nose on her dress sleeve, honestly not caring if she ruined it or not. “Yes they have, that’s why we moved here from Miami. The problem is the donor is on life support because their family is currently overseas…or what’s left of their family…and they’re the only ones who can officially give the word to pull the plug. The donor’s heart will go to Kyrine, but she’s running out of time. So tomorrow, she’s going in for a life-threatening surgery to hopefully give her heart a much needed rest and time to wait for the transplant. She might not make it off the operating table alive, it’s going to depend on if her heart can handle it.”

This was a lot to process and Jacob was aching from the top of his head to the tip of his toes, knowing there was absolutely nothing he could do to help Kyrine. “I don’t know what to say right now, Amaya.” He murmured, raking a hand through his hair and didn’t dare look up at his girlfriend, so much pain flowing through his dark eyes.

His imprint was going under the knife and Jacob couldn’t even be there to say goodbye because Kyrine had no idea about the imprinting or what was going on. She could die and would never know he was her soul mate, the one she truly belonged with, instead of an ice cold corpse. Jacob suddenly felt the anger rushing through every part of his body and stood up from the sand, backing away from Amaya. When Amaya stood up as well to follow him, her bloodshot violet eyes wide, Jacob held his trembling hand up as his teeth gnashed together violently.

“STAY BACK, AMAYA!” He roared, gripping his hair between his fingers, knowing he couldn’t even escape into the woods out of sight because the urge was too strong.

A scream echoed throughout the night as Amaya witnessed Jacob leap high into the air and exploded into one big ball of russet colored fur, landing on all fours in front of her in the sand, before letting out a pain-filled agonizing howl.

~!~

The night before Kyrine’s surgery arrived faster than anyone wanted.

Kyrine wasn’t feeling well after being poked and prodded all day at the hospital or the fact she had to be at the hospital at seven AM for preparation. She was scared about her surgery, but also trusted Doctor Cullen, who had assured her everything was going to be fine and he’d do everything in his power to make sure she survived. All Kyrine could think about the entire day was what if she didn’t make it, what if her heart wasn’t strong enough or a complication arose during the procedure.

There were so many things Kyrine wanted to do before she died and hadn’t done nearly half of them.

Emmett had made her promise to spend the night before her surgery with him, having a few surprises in mind. He wanted this to be the most special memorable night that Kyrine would soon never forget, knowing this could be her last night alive. He trusted Carlisle and had faith in the man’s medical abilities, but there was always that chance Emmett would never stare into her beautiful blue eyes.

He wasn’t taking any chances.

He showed up just after six o’clock and waited outside of her bedroom window, knowing Kyrine was sneaking out because Amaya had already left around five to meet her boyfriend. Kyrine was finishing getting ready, wearing a simple light blue dress that had long sleeves and went down to her knees with a V shaped neckline, her hair down. She had no makeup on her face and looked pale, hoping Emmett wasn’t appalled. There was no reason to hide her sickness because the Cullen’s knew everything, glad they hadn’t said anything at school about it.

A gentle tap sounded at Kyrine’s window, her head snapping up from the vanity mirror and blinked at the sight of Emmett outside her window. It was a good thing her parents were downstairs and her bedroom door was closed or this would’ve been awkward to say the least. She still hadn’t told them about Emmett and wanted to keep it that way, which is the only reason why Kyrine had agreed to go out with Emmett on the night before her surgery. Walking over, Kyrine slid the window open and cracked a small smile at Emmett’s handsome face, leaning over to softly kiss his lips.

“Ready to go, beautiful?” He asked, not having a problem climbing the thin tree outside her window, his quick speed and agility in his favor. “I’ll help you down.”

“Yeah, let me grab my shoes.” She whispered softly and walked away to slip into her black flats, refusing to be uncomfortable on what could be her final night alive.

As a last thought, Kyrine grabbed her black sweatshirt and slipped it on, turning her light off before heading over to where Emmett waited outside her window. Kyrine had already bid her parents good night, telling them she wasn’t feeling good and wanted to be well rested for her procedure. They each hugged her close and told them they loved her, making her promise not to worry about anything besides her future. Kyrine agreed and set up her bed to make it look like she was sleeping in case they checked in on her during the night, knowing she would be out late with Emmett.

It was Amaya’s idea.

Gently, Emmett pulled Kyrine through the window and let her close it before leaping down from the tree, landing in the grass with silent grace. Kyrine had buried her face in his neck so she didn’t feel hardly anything, looking up when Emmett began carrying her away from the house into the woods. She was scared after the attack and tried not to show it, instead snuggling further against Emmett, actually glad he was carrying her. Kyrine really didn’t have any strength left and hoped Emmett understood, looking up at him as he smiled down at her.

“So where are we going?” She asked, breaking the silence while they continued venturing through the woods.

“Somewhere special, just relax and trust me, Ky.” He murmured in a husky voice, leaning down to talk right in her ear. “I promise, you’ll enjoy it.”

Kyrine didn’t say anything, wondering if she would ever be able to enjoy anything ever again, and decided trusting Emmett was all she could do. She missed Amaya already, wishing she could’ve spent her final night with her sister. As much as she liked Emmett and enjoyed being with him, nobody took the place of Amaya, probably never would. Emmett stopped walking after a little while and cleared his throat, jolting Kyrine out of her thoughts.

“Something on your mind?” He asked, gently setting her down on her feet and watched as her eyes widened, pleased with his choice.

It was the most beautiful meadow Kyrine ever seen, looking all around her and inhaled the incredible scent of the flowers that surrounded them. Kyrine loved nature, which is one of the main things she fell in love about Forks, along with the rain that always soothed her in ways Miami couldn’t. Her energy was suddenly restored as Kyrine slowly moved through the meadow, touching the colorful flowers and turned around to face her incredible boyfriend with tears shining in her eyes.

“This is breathtaking, Emmett.” She whispered sincerely, the small smile now full blown, and allowed him to pull her into his strong arms. “You’re incredible to do this for me.”

“No, you’re incredible for putting up with me and what I am.” Emmett replied, pressing his forehead against hers as their lips softly touched, his arms encircling her waist.

Something suddenly came over Kyrine as she pulled back from the gentle kiss, taking a few steps back. “Emmett, there’s something I want you to do for me.” Her voice became a little shaky, nervousness pouring out, but Kyrine wasn’t changing her mind as she reached behind to slowly unzip her dress.

“Kyrine…” Emmett felt his breath hitch in his throat as he watched the blue dress slowly slip down her beautiful body, leaving her clad in just a matching pair of lace bra and panties.

Kyrine slowly walked toward him, having kicked her flats off and began slowly unbuttoning his black short sleeved silk shirt, midnight blue eyes never leaving his, her trembling hands running up the length of his body. “I love you, Emmett.” She took both of his hands in hers, gently pulling him while she walked backwards, and pulled his face down their eyes locking. “Please make love to me tonight.” If this was Kyrine’s last night alive, she wasn’t going to spend it as a virgin, wanting Emmett more than anything or anyone on the planet.

Not able to deny this entrancing woman anything, Emmett pulled her into his arms to lift her up, gently guiding her down into the flowers and hovered over her as they stared into each other’s eyes. “I love you too, Kyrine.” He rumbled in a low voice, their lips connecting in a passionate soul searing kiss as Emmett began slowly undressing the rest of her body, being as gentle as possible so he didn’t hurt her.

Neither of them noticed the pair of dark rage filled eyes of a russet wolf, watching as Emmett claimed Kyrine completely for his own.

Chapter 20

At seven AM sharp, Kyrine walked inside the hospital to check in, Natalie on one side and Amaya on the other, Nicholas following suit.

Kyrine was extremely nervous and looked like she hadn’t gotten hardly any sleep, glad her parents had chalked it up to being nervous about the surgery. If they only knew what Kyrine did and experienced the previous night with Emmett…she immediately pushed those memories to the back of her mind. It was definitely a night Kyrine would never forget and would die happily because at least she got to say and do what she wanted with Emmett.

Amaya didn’t look much better, no makeup on her face, and looked as if death warmed over. Truth was, Amaya had bolted screaming in terror from the beach after witnessing her boyfriend exploding into a giant mutant wolf before her eyes, scaring her nearly to death. She was lucky her heart hadn’t stopped and somehow miraculously made it home without crashing her car, having blurred vision the entire drive from tears.

What the hell was going on in Forks and La Push, Washington?

First Kyrine found out Emmett and the Cullen’s were vampires and now Amaya’s boyfriend, Jacob, morphed into a gigantic monster that could kill her with just its jaws! Vampires and now…werewolves? Amaya definitely didn’t get any sleep and simply sipped cup after cup of pure black java, needing all the caffeine she could get to make it through this dreadful day. She refused to not be here for her sister, even if her eyeballs were red and swollen from getting zero sleep.

Who the hell could after witnessing what Amaya did?

Kyrine noticed the dark circles under her sister’s eyes, but didn’t ask because she was more concerned about the surgery. She did wonder what was wrong and knew it had to do with Jacob more than likely. Kyrine let out a sigh at the thought of him. The guilt had returned tenfold as soon as Emmett dropped her off the previous night, after their lovemaking, and Kyrine couldn’t understand what was going on.

She loved Emmett; she hadn’t lied when she said it and during their lovemaking, all Kyrine could think about was how wonderful his marble cold skin felt against her. As soon as Emmett was gone though, Jacob Black entered her mind and the shame nearly devoured her, feeling as though she’d done something wrong. She was consensual and loved Emmett, who was her boyfriend, so Kyrine couldn’t figure out why she felt like she just made the biggest mistake of her life by giving her innocence to Emmett.

Kyrine had no idea that Amaya had already told Jacob about her illness and the surgery.

As soon as Kyrine fell into a deep sleep, she was back in the same meadow with all the sweet smelling flowers, laying completely naked in the grass under the moonlight. Only it wasn’t Emmett hovering over her, it was Jacob and Kyrine hadn’t fought him off, giving herself completely to him in every way possible. It felt incredibly real; every thrust, caress, touch and kiss more intense than it had been with Emmett, especially when Jacob whispered in her ear she belonged to him.

Kyrine woke up trembling from head to toe with wide tear-filled eyes, breathing heavily. The power of the dream alone shook her to the core and Kyrine knew these dreams were getting out of control. They were more erotic and passionate than the next, but now Kyrine was dreaming about having sex with Jacob in the same exact spot Emmett had brought her and taken her virginity. It was border lining invasion, but Kyrine couldn’t stop her subconscious from conjuring up Jacob.

In a very weird way, Kyrine felt like she cheated on Emmett with that dream.

“Darling, are you alright?” Natalie asked, jolting her daughter out of her thoughts, watching her slightly jump.

“Y-Yeah I’m fine, Mom.”

“I know you’re nervous, but there’s nothing to worry about.” Natalie assured her softly, keeping an encouraging smile on her face, trying to stay strong. “You’re in great hands with Doctor Cullen.”

“I know.” If only her mother knew what Kyrine was thinking about, Natalie probably would’ve had a heart attack.

Something else was bothering Kyrine and it bothered Natalie that her daughter wasn’t coming clean with her, wondering what it could be. She decided to let it go because the last thing she wanted to do was upset Kyrine before her surgery. Today was all about Kyrine and Natalie had made sure nobody at the high school knew about what was going on with her daughter, not having a clue about Kyrine telling the Cullen’s.

“Kyrine McTavian?”

Closing her eyes for a second, Kyrine knew this was it and nodded, slowly standing up while Amaya clutched her hand. Kyrine could already feel the tears burning the back of her eyes and knew Amaya was trying to keep it together, but that didn’t stop the tears from forming. The girls embraced tightly as they let the tears flow, more Kyrine than Amaya, knowing this could be the final time they did this and Kyrine wouldn’t go under the knife without saying goodbye.

“What am I going to do without you, Kyrie?” Amaya whispered, trembling slightly, not wanting her to let Kyrine go for anything.

“You’ll move on.” Kyrine pulled back to stare into Amaya’s eyes, wiping the tears away from Amaya’s cheeks, smiling bravely. “Whatever happens, promise me you will move on and live your life to the fullest. Promise me, Maya.”

Amaya frowned, gritting her teeth because she hated it when Kyrine tried saying goodbye. “How can you expect me to make a promise like that?” She grunted harshly, lowering her eyes.

“Because if it was you going in there to be cut open, I would want you to do the same thing. We all can’t live forever. So if this is my time, then I can’t go without knowing you’ll be alright.” Kyrine wiped her own tears away, looking back at her parents, who were waiting patiently along with the nurse. “Promise me or I’m not going in there.”

“Goddamn you.” Amaya felt more tears slide down her cheeks and pulled Kyrine against her for one last embrace, swallowing hard. “I…promise.” She reluctantly stated, pulling back again and tapped Kyrine’s nose with the tip of her finger. “I’ll see you when you wake up.”

‘Or on the other side.’ Kyrine added in thought, nodding, refusing to give up hope that she would survive this before finally joining her parents and the nurse. Before she fully walked through the door, Kyrine looked back at her sister, blowing a kiss. ‘I love you, Maya.’ She mouthed, the door closing behind her.

Amaya dropped back down in the chair of the waiting room, knowing she wasn’t allowed back there, and buried her head in her hands. “I love you too, Kyrie.” The tears didn’t stop flowing as Amaya curled up in the chair, ignoring everyone else and ignored her cell phone vibrating with text messages.

Nothing else mattered right now.

~!~

Jacob raced through the woods at top speed, snarling and growling at anything that got in his way, even trees. His anger level was maxed out and he’d been phased since the night before when he scared the hell out of Amaya. He knew Sam was going to be livid with him, but Jacob honestly didn’t care, the wind ripping through his fur only angering him further. Between finding out that his imprint was dying and then actually watching as she willingly gave her body, everything, to a bloodsucker was more than Jacob could handle.

He was at the breaking point.

Kyrine’s moans still filtered through his mind as images of Emmett pulling her up to thrust deeper inside of her joined them. The way her body arched and moved in rhythm with the dead man, the sweat glistening on her skin every time Emmett switched positions to fulfill every one of Kyrine’s desires. It was enough to make Jacob sick because it should’ve been him instead of Emmett making love to her in that meadow.

He hadn’t been able to leave, almost if his paws had been cemented to the ground, feeling his heart being shredded repeatedly every time his imprint moaned out the bloodsucker’s name. Jacob could hear every single word they said to each other, the word love pouring out of Kyrine’s mouth as she professed to Emmett, just hurt him more. It was only after Kyrine released and their sexual escapade ended that Jacob finally left, wanting to make sure the bloodsucker hadn’t hurt her, though he had left bruises on her skin.

Jacob wanted to rip Emmett Cullen apart, just like he’d done to other bloodsucker that almost attacked Kyrine, but knew he couldn’t.

The more he thought about it, the more rage filled him and Jacob knew he had to find some way to break the imprint, knowing it was impossible. The pull was too powerful and Jacob knew Kyrine felt it too, even though she tried denying it repeatedly. The connection was simply too strong, which is why Kyrine was losing control over her subconscious, forcing her to face the truth. He stood outside her window night after night, hearing her questioning herself about why she was dreaming of her sister’s boyfriend. Why she was thinking about him instead of Emmett.

It was really quite simple: She didn’t belong with the bloodsucker and never would.

Jacob.

He was tempted to ignore Sam, just wanting to run as much and fast as possible, trying to get his rage under control. What Sam? Now isn’t a good time. Just the sound of his voice told Sam Jacob was angry about something, which is why he hadn’t been able to phase back into human form since the night before.

Make it a good time, we have things to discuss and you need to calm down so you can phase back. Sam ordered in his alpha tone, knowing the command would automatically calm Jacob down enough.

The bonfire had been cancelled as soon as the pack overheard a scream resonate from the beach, but when they arrived, Amaya had fled the scene and driven back to Forks. Sam knew it was Amaya because he witnessed Jacob phasing in front of her, having been sent by Emily to retrieve them for dinner. He stayed back and listened to the conversation about Amaya’s sister Kyrine, cringing because Jacob finally came clean to him about imprinting on her.

If Sam had found out about Emily the way Jacob had about Kyrine, he honestly didn’t know what his own reaction would be, so he wasn’t exactly angry with Jacob. It was the fact that Jacob had lost control in front of Amaya and could’ve potentially hurt her by phasing as close as he did. He didn’t want Jacob going through the same guilt and pain that Sam did on a daily basis, even though Amaya wasn’t his imprint. She was still his girlfriend though, a human being, and the pack had vowed to protect ALL humans no matter the circumstances.

There was also something else bothering Jacob and fueling his anger, which is what Sam wanted to get to the bottom of because their communication wasn’t as good as it used to be. If Jacob wanted to hide anything from the pack, he could do it by putting up walls around his mind, because he left the tribe at one point to defend the bloodsuckers because of Bella. To the Quileute ancestors, whenever a member left the tribe of their own free will, they were considered their own alpha and had betrayed the pack in a way.

Growling, Jacob knew he had no choice except to respond to Sam’s order, already feeling the anger diminishing from his body. He kept running through the woods, heading toward Emily’s, knowing that’s where Sam was waiting for him. Stopping just outside of the house, Jacob closed his eyes and felt his body return to its normal state, looking down to find a pair of cargo shorts waiting for him. Sighing, Jacob slipped them on before walking out of the woods, his lips formed in one fine grim line, shoulders squared as he approached the front porch where Sam was waiting for him.

“You did that faster than I expected.” Sam commented, standing up from the porch swing he installed for Emily, opening the screen door. “Come in.”

Jacob did as he was told and followed Sam inside, the smell of food filling his nose, feeling his stomach rumble because he hadn’t ate since yesterday afternoon. He knew what Sam wanted to talk about and Jacob wasn’t sure if he could, sitting down at the table, his eyes refusing to meet Sam’s. Being angry at Kyrine was irrational and Jacob knew it because he hadn’t gotten up the courage to tell her about the imprint yet, but he couldn’t help feeling betrayed by her.

“What’s up, Sam?”

“Why don’t you tell me?” Sam retorted, sitting down across from Jacob with his arms folded in front of his chest. “I’m not angry at you for phasing in front of Amaya, even though you already know it was very irresponsible and dangerous to do it so close to her. I know finding out about Kyrine…” He watched the anger flash through Jacob’s dark eyes, confusion registering in his own. “You’re mad at Kyrine I take it?”

Jacob clenched his jaw tightly while gritting his teeth, a flashback of Kyrine and Emmett together entering his mind. “Stupid BITCH!!” He suddenly lost control and stood up, flipping the table over as the food that was on it flew all over the place that Emily worked so hard to make.

“What the hell?” Emily cried, rushing out of the kitchen and immediately stopped when Sam threw his hand up, standing in front of her.

“Stay back, Emily.” He ordered in a low voice, seeing just how much rage Jacob currently had and knew this wasn’t a good idea to order him over. “Jacob isn’t in the right frame of mind right now.”

Emily had never seen Jacob like this and watched as he punched a hole right through their wall next, jumping at the rippling growl that tore out of his mouth. She was terrified of him, always thinking Jacob was one of the sweetest and calmest pack members, but obviously she was wrong. Sam could feel her trembling and pushed her back a little more into the kitchen, still blocking her from view in case Jacob lost all sense of control and lashed out at him, bracing himself for it.

“Jacob, calm down now!” Sam once again used his alpha voice, not believing just the mention of Kyrine had set Jacob off in a frenzied rage like this. “CALM DOWN!!”

“NO!!” Jacob knew he could block the alpha voice if he truly wanted to and his rage was doing just that, not caring that his hand was bleeding or the fact he was tearing Sam and Emily’s house apart. He didn’t care. “DON’T FUCKING TELLING ME TO CALM DOWN, SAM!! WOULD YOU CALM DOWN IF YOU SAW YOUR IMPRINT HAVE HER VIRGINITY STOLEN BY A BLOODSUCKER? WOULD YOU CALM DOWN IF YOU HEARD YOUR IMPRINT MOAN OUT A DEAD MAN’S NAME WHILE HE FUCKED HER RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU? WOULD YOU?!” He bellowed, not caring who heard him anymore because the secret was out anyway. “GODDAMN IT, KYRINE!!!”

Ripping the screen door right off its hinges, Jacob tossed it out of his way as he stormed out on the porch, already feeling the fire course through his body, knowing he was going to phase again. Sam and Emily both looked at each other in stunned silence and could only watch as a rage and pain-filled Jacob Black phased right back into wolf form, tearing through the woods away from their house. Emily immediately stepped away from Sam as tears slid down her cheeks, bending down to begin cleaning up the wreckage that Jacob caused, only for Sam to stop her.

“Go upstairs while I clean this up.” It was Sam’s fault for not realizing just how angry Jacob was and ordering him over, so it was his responsibility to clean up his pack member’s mess not hers. “Please.”

Emily kissed Sam softly on the lips before doing as he asked, heading upstairs to take a soothing bath, completely shaken up by Jacob’s explosion.

Chapter 21

Alice and Jasper could only watch as Emmett stared out the window of his bedroom, knowing he was worried for Kyrine. Carlisle still hadn’t called them with an update and it’d been hours, having promised to do so just as soon as the surgery was over. Alice felt terrible because she had a vision the previous night, a vision she still hadn’t told Emmett about. The only person she’d told was Jasper and he definitely suggested for her to wait until after they received the call from Carlisle before telling Emmett about it.

Emmett was going out of his mind with worry, not believing he agreed to stay away from the hospital until the surgery was completed. Kyrine had asked him to because of her parents not knowing about their relationship. He was fed up with hiding and sneaking around, deciding once he got the call from Carlisle telling him Kyrine had survived the surgery, he was going up there to see her.

Consequences be damned.

“Jazz, what am I going to do?” Alice whispered, looking up at the love of her life, wishing he had the answers. “I do not want to hurt him. He’s been through enough.”

Jasper sighed, using his pathokinesis ability to keep both Alice and Emmett calm, though neither knew it. “We’ll figure it out, Alice.” He whispered, suddenly having an idea and pulled her further away from the doorway, not wanting Emmett to overhear them. “What if we went to Edward about this?”

Alice blinked, her eyes widening slightly. “Have you lost your mind, Jazz? Do you remember the last time those two were in the same room together?” She demanded quietly, wondering if Jasper was thinking clearly.

“Emmett needs family right now and it is time for them to make amends.” He was already heading downstairs, having his mind made up, knowing Bella could convince Edward to do just about anything. “Besides, Edward can read thoughts and if anyone can break the news to Emmett about what’s going on, it’s him.”

As much as Alice didn’t want to agree with Jasper, she couldn’t stop nodding her head reluctantly. “We have to hurry. Carlisle could call at any minute and I want to be here when Emmett receives the news.” She hoped for the best, but was always prepared for the worst, especially with the current vision she had.

Bella was surprised when Jasper and Alice showed up at her front door, having kept their distance ever since the explosion between Edward and Emmett transpired. “Hey you guys…” She looked behind her when Renesmee walked in, a huge smile crossing her beautiful face as she ran right into Alice’s arms.

Alice smiled, lifting Renesmee up with ease and kissed her forehead. “Hey Nessie.” She set the little girl down and immediately followed her into the small living room of the cottage, stopping short at the sight of Edward.

“I know why you’re here.” Edward hadn’t moved from the couch, reading the local newspaper he picked up while in town earlier, not bothering to look up at Alice and Jasper. “And what makes you think he will listen to anything I have to say?”

“Because you’re the only one who can make him listen.” Jasper piped in and walked over to sit beside Edward, resting his elbows on his knees. “It’s time for this feud to come to an end. Emmett needs the family right now…the entire family. The worst that can happen is you are rejected, but at least you’ll have the courage to try instead of simply standing aside.”

Edward sighed, setting the newspaper down on the table and leaned back against the couch, contemplating what Jasper said. “This will not be easy for him to hear.” He stated, knowing he couldn’t turn his back on their family. “I have felt his pain for months until recently. Her name is Kyrine, correct?”

Jasper nodded with a small smile. “Yeah, Kyrine McTavian. I take it you know what’s going on with her?” He watched Edward nod, the small smile turning into a smirk. “You’ve been spying.”

“Somewhat.” Edward smirked, shrugging nonchalantly and stood up from the couch with Jasper, knowing the girls vacated so they could talk. “Bella knows something has been going on, but I’ve kept it from her and Renesmee.” The guilt hadn’t been easy to cope with, but Edward didn’t want Bella rushing over to the glass house without knowing the full story first. “Bella has a tendency to…”

“Overreact?”

Edward chuckled, clapping Jasper gently on the back. “Precisely.”

“And what do I overreact to exactly, Edward?” Bella overheard the end of their conversation, folding her arms in front of her chest, tilting her head slightly with narrowed golden eyes.

Edward instantly lowered his head, knowing he put his foot in his mouth, though the smirk never left his face. “Nothing, Bella love.”

“Uh huh right.” Bella knew what he meant by her overreacting at times, but that was only because she followed her gut instincts. Sometimes it paid off, sometimes it didn’t. “So I take it we’re going to see the family?”

Edward knew Bella was brushing what he said off for the time being and nodded, knowing they had more important things to worry about at the moment. “Yes.”

He also had overheard some of Jacob’s thoughts as well whenever he was nearby the treaty line that separated the forest between Forks and La Push. Again, Edward didn’t want to upset Bella and kept it to himself. Jacob’s thoughts were disturbing, especially when it came to Kyrine and Edward knew about the imprint, wondering why Jacob hadn’t told Kyrine about it.

He figured it was due to her being with Emmett, but Jacob was never that noble when it came to Bella back when he fought tooth and nail for her against Edward and she wasn’t even Jacob’s imprint. There was another woman in Jacob’s mind besides Kyrine and Edward had delved further in, finding out her name was Amaya. He assumed she was his girlfriend, but that was until Edward found out Amaya and Kyrine were sisters.

Jacob was dating his imprint’s sister.

“Father, you are troubled.” Renesmee stated as she looked up at him, walking through the forest toward her grandparent’s house.

“I’m fine, Nessie.” He murmured softly, glancing over at Bella and hoped she wouldn’t stay mad at him for too long.

They arrived at the Cullen house within minutes, walking inside and Esme had just came downstairs, stopping at the sight of Edward, Bella and Renesmee with Alice and Jasper. “Oh my!” She ran to Edward first, hugging him tightly before embracing Bella, finally moving to Renesmee with a bright smile. “It’s so good seeing all of you! What are you doing here?”

“I was just about to ask the same question.”

Everyone except Edward cringed at the unmistakable voice of Emmett, only because he could hear Emmett’s thoughts when approaching. “Good evening, Emmett.” Edward greeted cordially, nodding his head once and knew Jasper was already using his gift, along with Bella.

Bella’s ability was a mental shield, which was a power that blocked any and all kinds of other powers acting on the mind, not necessarily malevolent ones. Her mind was impenetrable; no one could read her thoughts unless she allowed it. She could shield herself from all types of psychic attacks and learned to shield those around her. It definitely came in handy when the Volturi came to investigate Renesmee because she could block out Jane, who was the most dangerous Volturi member. Currently, she was shielding Edward from Jasper’s gift because if Emmett did attack, she didn’t want Edward calm, remembering what happened last time.

“Hey Ed.”

Emmett slowly walked downstairs past Esme, placing a hand on her shoulder to let her know he wasn’t going to lash out, finally standing right in front of Edward. Each man sized each other up silently, both of them wondering if the other would attack and Emmett finally extended his hand. Edward instantly read Emmett’s mind, wanting to make sure this wasn’t a trap and accepted after reaching the conclusion Emmett was being sincere, his own way of apologizing. They were brothers, if not closer, having lived with their existence for decades and centuries.

Everyone around them breathed a huge sigh of relief.

“Was that Carlisle on the phone?” Esme asked hopefully, breaking the moment.

“He called already?” Alice demanded, trying to keep the panic out of her voice and watched Emmett nod. “W-What did he say?”

Emmett didn’t look upset, which was a very good sign, but Alice was still holding out for the absolute worse. “She made it through the surgery and is in the ICU right now.” He notified, walking into the living room to sit down, putting his head in his hands. “She’s still alive…that’s all that matters.”

Alice really hated herself for what she was about to do, looking at Edward for help and felt Jasper’s arm wrap around her shoulders as Edward sat down beside Emmett. “Emmett, there is something we need to discuss.” He watched as Emmett slowly pulled his head out of his hands, their golden eyes locking.

“What’s going on, Edward?” Emmett demanded, looking up at Alice and Jasper, slowly standing up from the couch as his stomach tightened a little.

“It’s about Kyrine…”

Just as Alice said that, the phone rang.

~!~

How were they supposed to tell her?

The McTavian’s still couldn’t believe the news as they rushed to the hospital to see their daughter. Amaya was still at school and Natalie sent her a quick text telling her to get to the hospital as soon as she could. Kyrine’s surgery had been successful, after a minor complication dealing with her heart, but it wasn’t life-threatening and Doctor Cullen pulled her through without much difficulty.

It seemed as though the McTavian family couldn’t catch a break, no matter how good of news came their way, feeling as though a cloud always hovered over them. Natalie couldn’t stop crying the entire way while Nicholas drove, her heart breaking from what Doctor Cullen told them. Nicholas couldn’t believe it either, having left an important office meeting to rush home to his hysterical wife, trying to comfort her any way he could.

Even though he was trying to stay strong for his family, Nicholas wanted to crumble just like his wife.

Nicholas pulled into the hospital parking lot fifteen minutes later, both of them getting out just as Natalie received a text from Amaya. She was on her way, having told the principal something happened at home and she had to leave immediately. Apparently, Natalie didn’t have cell service for nearly the whole drive because when they both stepped out of the car, Amaya was waiting for them, rushing across the parking lot worriedly.

“What’s wrong with Kyrie?” She demanded, breathing a little heavily and watched as Natalie broke down in Nicholas’s arms again. “Oh god no…NO!!”

“Amaya, wait!!” Nicholas called, but the girl wasn’t listening to him, knowing he couldn’t go after her with Natalie in this current state.

Tears streamed down Amaya’s face as she raced across the street and into the hospital, her heart pounding vigorously. Kyrine wasn’t dead…she COULDN’T be dead!! She was stronger than that! Amaya didn’t stop running through the hospital hallways, knowing exactly where Kyrine’s room, and ignored anyone who told her to slow down as tears flew behind her.

Amaya skidded to a halt just outside Kyrine’s room and looked through the small window on the door, pushing it open slowly as more tears fell. She hadn’t cried at school, even though she desperately wanted to because of everything that happened lately. Between Kyrine’s surgery and finding out Jacob was a mutant wolf, Amaya was at her breaking point, but all that mattered at the moment was Kyrine. She lay prone in the hospital bed still intubated, which helped her breathe, since she couldn’t do it on her own.

Walking over, Amaya took Kyrine’s hand gently in hers, wondering why Natalie was breaking down in the parking lot in her husband’s arms. They obviously knew something she didn’t and Amaya couldn’t figure out what it was, looking up at the monitor to make sure Kyrine’s heart still beat with life. Or rather the LVAD was doing most of the work, giving her heart the break it needed, her circulation already better because the hand she held was warm. Kyrine had always had cold hands, so that had to be a good sign that she wasn’t dead, right?

“What’s wrong with her?” Amaya asked as soon as the door opened, not even looking to see who it was because Natalie’s sniffling was enough. “Her hand is warm and everything seems to be working fine, so why are you acting like she’s dying?”

Nicholas could feel the tears burn his eyes and kept holding Natalie, who currently had Kyrine’s other hand in her own. “Doctor Cullen will be in shortly to tell us.” He couldn’t tell Amaya, knowing hearing it from Carlisle would make it more realistic.

“No, you’re going to tell me now.” Amaya ordered, her violet eyes flashing up at Nicholas, pursing her lips tightly together. “What the fuck is wrong with her?”

“Watch your mouth, Amaya.” Natalie quietly reprimanded, though she had absolutely no strength or force behind it, too busy worrying about her little girl.

Before Amaya could respond, Doctor Cullen walked in at that moment with a chart in hand, trying to find it in him to smile at the family. This news was not something he wanted to tell the McTavian’s, not after they put their full trust and faith into him, but what happened was completely out of his hands. He had no control over the circumstances and hoped the family understood, especially Amaya, knowing she was the closest with Kyrine.

“I’m assuming you haven’t told her what I told you over the phone?” Doctor Cullen asked in a soft quiet voice, watching as the McTavian’s slowly shook their head.

“It’ll be easier if you tell her. She’ll think we’re lying or something…” Nicholas hoped the doctor understood and watched as Doctor Cullen nodded attentively.

Personally, Carlisle thought the McTavian’s should’ve broken this news to Amaya themselves, but he wasn’t about to argue with what they wanted. “Amaya, the surgery went smoothly as I said and there’s nothing wrong with her right now.” He wanted to start out with telling her something positive, watching as those violet eyes filled with tears.

“I’m sensing a but somewhere in this explanation otherwise you wouldn’t look as morose as you do.” Amaya stated, looking back at her sister and felt a few more tears slide down her cheeks. “What’s wrong with her?” It was a mere whisper filled with heartbreak and sadness, not pulling her eyes away from Kyrine.

“There’s a very big chance that we’re going to have to insert an RVAD as well because…” Carlisle was having a hard time saying this, Emmett’s roar of anger and pain still echoing in his mind. “We have to find her another heart.”

Amaya’s head snapped up the same time she stood from the chair, staring at the doctor with wide eyes. “What? What do you mean you have to find her another heart?” Her breathing became labored a little, covering her mouth with her hand as the realization crashed over her. “The donor…”

Carlisle nodded regretfully. “The donor passed away during her surgery and Kyrine’s heart is gone. I’m sorry.”

Alice’s vision had become a reality.

Chapter 22

Distraction.

That’s all Amaya needed and finally answered Jacob’s text message after a straight week of no contact. She refused to talk or see him after the episode at the beach, not answering his text messages or anything. Still, Jacob sent her at least one text message a day asking how she was doing and when she wanted to talk, he would be waiting for her. Amaya thought that was incredibly sweet and decided Jacob deserved a chance to explain what happened on the beach.

Kyrine was dating a vampire and now Amaya had found out she was dating a werewolf or whatever Jacob was.

When Jacob received a text from Amaya saying she wanted to talk, he couldn’t have been happier, knowing he could get information about Kyrine. His anger had simmered for the time being, especially after his explosion at Emily and Sam’s. Jacob still hadn’t shown his face around there, feeling ashamed for the damage he caused and hoped he could somehow make it right.

In fact, Sam had taken Jacob off of patrol because he wasn’t in the right frame of mind. Also, Jacob was banned from Emily and Sam’s until further notice because Sam didn’t trust Jacob’s temper around his imprint, which the entire pack understood. Even Jacob did; he would’ve done the same thing if he was in Sam’s shoes so he wasn’t angry or resentful toward them.

Amaya agreed to meet him at his house in La Push, which would definitely be a first for her, after school that day. Kyrine was still in a coma, but Doctor Cullen kept assuring them it was normal after major open heart surgery. She had no idea what was going to happen once Kyrine finally did wake up and find out her heart was gone. She would have to wait for a chance at another one while trying to keep her current heart beating in the meantime.

That would require an RVAD to be inserted so both sides of her heart were working at the same pace and Amaya knew Kyrine probably wouldn’t do it. She knew her sister was tired of fighting and it would take a lot of convincing on everyone’s part to make her go through yet another open heart surgery. Amaya didn’t see it happening and could already feel the tears burn her eyes as she walked into Forks High School, sighing when Emmett walked up to her.

“I’m not in the mood, Emmy.” She grunted, trying to sidestep him, but it wasn’t happening. “What do you want?”

“I want to see her.” Emmett stated, having arrived at school early just so he could purposefully run into Kyrine’s sister. “I’m tired of hiding our relationship and I need to be there for her when she wakes up. I’m going after school, I just thought you should know.”

Amaya knew this was coming eventually and simply nodded, rubbing her temples. “I already told the rents about you.” She confessed in a softer voice, the edge gone for now. “They didn’t freak out or anything, Natalie knew something was up with us and when I told her you were Carlisle Cullen’s son, she didn’t even put up a fight. Do you know what’s going on with Kyrine?”

Emmett nodded solemnly, the sadness creeping into his gold eyes. “Yes, that’s why I want to see her.” Of course he knew, Carlisle wouldn’t dare keep something this grave about Kyrine from him. “I need to see her and I’ve already asked Carlisle’s permission.”

“Then why are you even telling me this?” Amaya shot back impatiently. “Were you afraid I would say you couldn’t see her or something?”

Emmett wasn’t sure, but felt it necessary to inform Amaya on what he was going to do, clearing his throat. “No, but you have been covering for us and I didn’t know you’d already told your parents about our relationship.” He didn’t want to take anyone by surprise.

“By all means, go see her. It might do her some good, though she hasn’t woke up yet.” Amaya walked away from him just as the final bell rang, cursing, knowing she was going to be late for class because of Emmett.

Emmett contemplated skipping school, but knew if Esme found out she would be furious, and reluctantly heading inside and hoped this day went fast. ‘Just a little longer, Ky.’ He thought, hoping she woke up soon so he could stare into her beautiful blue eyes again.

Amaya raced to her car before anyone could stop her, needing to get to La Push and far away from Forks for the day. It seemed as though she couldn’t stop thinking about Kyrine for even a second because every single person in the damn school kept coming up to her asking where her sister was. She hated lying to everyone, but knew they couldn’t find out that Kyrine was dying, simply telling them she was away with their grandparents for private reasons. One girl had the audacity to demand why Amaya hadn’t gone and now she had a black eye for her troubles, warning her to keep her nose out of the family business.

Naturally, the girl had ran away terrified and surprisingly hadn’t told on Amaya.

Racing down the highway, all Amaya could think about was what her reaction would be to Jacob. She could not for the life of her get the image of him exploding into a mutant monstrous beast out of her head, no matter how hard she tried. Amaya hadn’t slept well since that night, having nightmares of the mutant wolf with russet fur attacking her, ripping her throat out. Still, Amaya had to make amends with her boyfriend or end things, either way she needed closure and wasn’t sure what would happen tonight.

When she passed the sign ‘La Push’, butterflies instantly erupted in Amaya’s stomach, feeling both nauseous and anxious all at once. Half of her wanted to turn the car around and drive as fast as he could back to Forks, but the other half needed to see Jacob to at least get an explanation. Amaya turned the corner and slowly drove down the dirt grassy path that lead to the small house where Jacob lived with his father, pulling up toward it, cutting the ignition.

Jacob had heard the car coming from a mile away and walked out of the door, glad his father had gone to Sue Clearwater’s for awhile, giving him and Amaya some much needed time alone. He watched as the violet eyed beauty stepped out of her car, wearing black slacks with a black long sleeved shirt, just black eyeliner on her eyes. She looked stunning all in black and Jacob had a sinking feeling he knew why she wasn’t in her normal flashy attire, slowly walking down the wooden steps.

“Hey Dasher.” She tried forcing a smile on her face, but it wasn’t happening, holding her hand up to hesitantly wave.

Jacob could already smell the fear radiating off of her and sighed heavily, knowing he had really scared the hell out of her on the beach. “Amaya…” He watched her push off of her car and slowly came toward him, his dark eyes devouring her from head to toe, honestly missing her even though she wasn’t his imprint. “I’m sor-”

“Don’t.” She whispered, not wanting to hear anything from him right now and pulled his face to hers, kissing him fervently, every part of her body lighting completely on fire. “Jake, make me forget.” Amaya pleaded desperately, pulling the shirt from his body as they kissed hungrily again, trying to ignite some kind of connection and fire between them. “I need to forget, please help me…”

This was very wrong, but Jacob couldn’t deny anything this beautiful woman wanted, swallowing down his guilt. He lifted her up with ease, her legs wrapping around his waist and kissed her as he stumbled inside the house, kicking the door shut behind him. He barely made it to his room, kicking that door shut as well and pulled the blinds down, really not needing an audience.

Clothes flew everywhere and soon Jacob had given Amaya exactly what she wanted, distraction. He filled her body completely, though it wasn’t nearly the spark he knew he would have if she was his imprint, wishing she was. That didn’t stop him from thrusting inside her willing body, both of them sitting up with her legs locked around his waist. Gliding in and out of her at a rough fast pace, Jacob devoured her neck with his lips and tongue, loving the sounds of her moans echoing throughout his small room.

They came together and Amaya couldn’t believe what she had done. She actually had sex with a man who exploded into some kind of beast and didn’t understand why. His burning body kept her from getting cold, which was a perk, but that didn’t stop the tears swelled in her eyes.

“You’re a fucking animal.” She murmured quietly, meaning it in so many ways and slowly pulled away from his shoulder to stare in his dark eyes.

“I know.” Jacob muttered, trying to catch his breath from their intense bout, pressing his forehead against hers. “But you still trust me or you wouldn’t have fucked me just now.” He pointed out, wondering what was going through her mind and brushed a few of the tears that spilled out of her eyes from her cheeks with his lips. “Talk to me, Amaya.”

She shivered, remembering their last conversation before he exploded on the beach, swallowing incredibly hard. “I don’t even know where to begin.” She did though, the question that had burned on her tongue for the past few days suddenly spilling out. “What are you, Jake?”

Jacob expected that question sooner or later and didn’t move an inch, content with both of them being completely naked pressed against each other. It made it harder for her to simply get up and run out the door away from him, much like she had done that night on the beach. It didn’t hurt Jacob nearly as much as watching his imprint screw a dead man, but he couldn’t think about that right now, focusing solely on his current girlfriend.

“There are legends within the Quileute tribe about ancient spirit warriors, our ancestors, and they revolve around them morphing into wolves to protect our land and humans.” Jacob knew this probably didn’t make any sense, but knew Amaya deserved a proper explanation, seeing pure wonder in her eyes for now. “We’re called shape-shifters and there’s only a handful of us that have this wolf gene that’s passed down through generations. I know it’s really hard to believe, but you saw it for yourself, which I’m sorry about by the way. I did not mean to scare you.” There was no way Jacob was going to tell Amaya why he’d gotten so angry that he phased without warning.

“So these legends about your ancestors are true then.” When Jacob nodded, Amaya took a deep breath and saw the hesitation in his eyes, running her fingers down the side of his face. “What did you do when you first…changed?” She didn’t know how else to put it, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“I went to a movie with a friend of mine and I had a really bad fever…or so I thought. I went home and it just…happened. It was the weirdest and painful thing I’ve ever felt before. I had zero control over my body and it felt like fire shot down my spine before engulfing my body. When I realized what happened, all I could do was snort, spit, growl and howl. Sam, my alpha, instantly came to my aid though and helped me understand what happened along with my friends, who had phased before me.”

That definitely was the most painful, unforgettable night of Jacob’s life to date.

Amaya frowned, her heart going out to her boyfriend. “That must’ve been so hard for you to deal with.” She said softly, watching him nod and kissed his lips, letting him know she wasn’t afraid of him.

“It wasn’t nearly as bad as when Sam first phased. He was completely alone and didn’t know what was happening or going on. I couldn’t imagine going through it alone.” He was thankful to Sam and always would be, pressing his forehead against Amaya’s, his arms remaining around her waist. “Being a shape-shifter is definitely interesting, but I want you to know that I will never hurt you, Amaya.” Not physically anyway, emotionally was a different story.

She smiled, needing to hear that and rubbed her nose against his, sighing in contentment. “I know you won’t, Jake.” Amaya was thankful that he’d been honest with her about why he’d exploded into a wolf in front of her, now fully understanding or as much as she could at least. “Thank you for telling me the truth.”

“Thank you for coming down here so I could.” Jacob honestly felt terrible when he’d phased and watched Amaya bolt away from him as fast as she could, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I wanted to go after you, but I knew there was no way I could phase back right away and you were terrified. I also knew you would come back to me eventually so I could explain myself. You’re not like other women.”

“You’re right about that.” She giggled quietly, knowing Jacob was probably a little shocked that she’d taken the news so well. “So, what do you protect the lands and humans from?” She hadn’t missed that, watching as Jacob’s eyes lowered, frowning. “You know whatever you tell me I’ll believe you, right? You have to trust me, Jake.”

If she stuck with him through the explanation about his ancestors and the tribe, then Jacob wondered if hearing that vampires existed would be her breaking point. “The Cold Ones.” He gritted out, trying not to let the anger consume him as Emmett Cullen suddenly flashed through his mind, a vampire he wanted to rip apart. “Vampires.”

Amaya swallowed hard when she heard that, slowly unwinding her arms from around his neck, knowing exactly what the Cullen’s were. “Vampires…” She echoed thoughtfully, looking away from him as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “So…you’re saying my sister and I are dating enemies?”

“Mortal enemies, yes.” Jacob stated, releasing Amaya because he knew she didn’t want to be touched right now, letting her keep the blanket since he was used to being naked. “We rip apart any bloodsucker that comes on our territory.”

“What about the Cullen’s?” She couldn’t help asking, thinking instantly of her sister, watching as Jacob squeezed his eyes tightly shut. “Never mind, I shouldn’t have asked…”

“No, you have a right to know everything.” Or as much as Jacob was going to tell her. “We have a treaty with them. Centuries ago, our ancestors made a treaty with the Cullen’s, they’ve been around here for a long time. Basically, we can’t touch them as long as they don’t bite a human. Their eyes are gold because they feed on animals only, not wolves of course.” He smirked, knowing it would take a miracle for the Cullen’s to actually take the pack down, eyes flashing briefly. “If they so much as sink their fangs into a human, the treaty is broken and we can attack them on principal.”

What Amaya didn’t know was the treaty had been broken at one point, but Jacob and the pack had reluctantly allowed it.

Amaya breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that, suddenly smiling again, but Jacob no longer was. “You don’t like them I take it?” She inquired, pulling her bra and long sleeved black shirt back on.

“Long story for another time.” Jacob stated, knowing he had more important things to tell Amaya, sitting beside her on the bed. “Amaya, your sister dating a bloodsucker is dangerous. I’m not going to go into details, but there’s a girl by the name of Isabella Swan and she ended up becoming a bloodsucker because she was dating and ended up marrying one of the Cullen’s. You have to convince her she has to stop seeing Emmett Cullen because he’ll do the same damn thing Edward did to Bella.”

Somehow, Amaya had a feeling Jacob wasn’t telling her everything and raised a slow eyebrow. “My sister can make her own decision, Jake…” She stood up, suddenly not comfortable anymore as she pulled her panties and pants back on. “I’m not going to tell her anything like that.”

Jacob growled, suddenly grabbing Amaya by her arms, forcing her to stare into his angry dark eyes. “You HAVE to!! Do you want her to die?! He will KILL her and turn her into a monster if you don’t!!” He shook her a little, not meaning to, but his anger was overwhelming every other sense he had left. “Save Kyrine!”

“Get your hands off me!!” Amaya cried, feeling the searing pain shoot up both of her arms, struggling against him, but his grip felt like iron. “JAKE!!”

“JACOB, LET HER GO!!”

Amaya scrambled away from him and whipped around, staring into the dark eyes of who she could only assume as another shape-shifter, breathing heavily. “I didn’t…” She watched him hold his hand up, tears shimmering in her violet eyes, holding her arms.

“It’s alright Amaya, it’s not you. You need to go see your sister.” Sam stated, stepping forward to extend his hand, smiling tentatively. “My name is Sam by the way, I’m sure Jacob has told you all about me already.”

“N-Nice to meet you…” She quickly shook his hand and looked back at Jacob, seeing he was breathing in and out harshly. “Jacob…” Amaya blinked as the tears poured down her face when he looked away from her in disgust and bolted out of there as fast as she could, the sound of squealing tires echoing throughout La Push seconds later.

Chapter 23

Edward had read Emmett thoughts, delving deeper than he probably should’ve, because the unforgettable evening in the meadow came back, among other moments. “He’s in love with her.” He said out of nowhere while he drove to the hospital in his Volvo, holding Bella’s hand, his family meeting the rest of the Cullen’s to give Emmett their support. “Almost the same way I fell for you.”

“Really?” Bella smiled when she heard that because after what Rosalie put Emmett through, he deserved to be happy. Her smile faltered however when Edward didn’t return it. “What is it, Edward?”

“There is something I have known for a while and…it could jeopardize everything between them.” Edward admitted, hating that he had kept this from Bella, but it honestly wasn’t his or anyone’s business.

“What is it?” Bella asked quietly, her golden eyes filled with worry and concern, watching as Edward shook his head. “Edward, you have to tell me. Emmett deserves to be happy and if she doesn’t feel the same way…”

“She does, but…” Edward hated his gift sometimes and now was one of them, gripping the steering wheel tighter than necessary. “She is also conflicted because of something happening that is out of her control.”

Bella frowned, not liking the sound of that and looked out the window deep in thought. “Do you know what it is?” She was almost afraid to ask and knew Edward wouldn’t lie to her.

“No.” Edward lied, hating himself for it, but the Cullen’s couldn’t interfere with anything the pack did…especially Jacob Black. “Though I am sure everything will work out in the end for them. She does love Emmett deeply.”

Bella could only nod as they continued on their way to the hospital.

~!~

The same time Amaya left to drive to La Push, Emmett was on his way to the hospital to see Kyrine, stopping to get a colorful bouquet of flowers for her. He didn’t know what to expect when he arrived, but knew he couldn’t just stand back letting her go through this alone. It wasn’t fair to let her go through this alone after all the trust and love she put into him; Emmett didn’t care if her parents approved or not.

It nearly destroyed him when Carlisle called them to talk specifically to Emmett, telling him about the donor heart for Kyrine. When he hung up and looked directly at Alice, he instantly knew she’d had a vision; it was Kyrine’s donor dying, taking the heart with them. As angry as he was, Emmett didn’t attack or yell at her because he knew her visions were out of her control and everyone had tried telling him. It was why Alice and Jasper had brought Edward because they knew he could break the news easier.

Emmett understood everything.

He knew Alice and Jasper were going up to the hospital along with Esme, Edward and his family to see Kyrine. They wanted to meet the lucky woman that had brought Emmett out of his slump, something nobody could ever do. Anyone who was important to any member of the Cullen family was automatically accepted, no matter the circumstances.

Being vampires didn’t mean they couldn’t walk out in the sunlight, hardly any due to the constant rain and clouds in Forks, so it worked for the Cullen’s. When the sun was out, Carlisle usually pulled them out of school to go on a family camping trip because if anyone else saw what they looked like in sunlight, people would automatically know they were different. Emmett hadn’t shown Kyrine yet and hoped he hadn’t missed his chance, wanting her to see his skin glisten like diamonds the same way Edward had shown Bella when they first met.

Emmett personally hated the effect, but had to deal with it and tried staying away from the sun if at all possible.

Ten minutes later, Emmett pulled into the parking lot of the hospital in his Jeep Wrangler, heaving a sigh. He didn’t know if this was a good idea as he stared at the ominous building, almost snarling because it held his love captive. All he wanted to do was rip her out of this place and take her far away so he could take care of her, but Emmett knew the machines she was currently hooked to kept her alive. He pressed his forehead against the steering wheel, needing a minute to compose himself so he didn’t walk in there a raving lunatic when he saw her.

“Emmett.”

He looked up and stared at his adoptive parents, seeing small smiles on their faces with hope in their golden eyes. “Hey you guys.” He greeted glumly, cutting the ignition and stepped out with the flowers in hand, taking another deep breath.

“Come on Em, we’ll get through this together.” Esme encouraged, something she was very good at doing, and right now Emmett needed it as she looped her arm through his guiding himself inside the hospital. “Edward and Bella are already here, they left Renesmee with Jasper. Alice is here too.”

Emmett could only nod and felt Carlisle pat him on the back lightly, the doors sliding open as they stepped inside. Carlisle waved to a few of the nurses and doctors they passed by, keeping a smile on his face, though deep down he was worried for Emmett. Kyrine still hadn’t woken up and Carlisle knew her body had suffered tremendously during the surgery, especially her heart.

So he wasn’t surprised that she was still in a coma because her body was healing, though she had been taken off the ventilator because she began coughing the night before. Carlisle was paged to the hospital immediately to extubate her, but Kyrine hadn’t woken up during the procedure. Breathing on her own was definitely a sign of recovery though and Carlisle had called the McTavian's immediately to inform them on what happened, not surprised when they rushed to the hospital.

“Just remember, she’s breathing on her own so that’s a good thing, Emmett.” Carlisle reminded him, watching the man merely nod and kissed the top of Esme’s head, walking up to where Edward, Bella and Alice sat along with the McTavian’s.

“Doctor Cullen.” Natalie instantly stood up with a smile alongside Nicholas, both of them walking over to greet the miraculous surgeon and his family. “This must be Emmett, I’m assuming?”

“Natalie…” Nicholas warned, smiling as well because of what happened the previous night to their daughter. “Behave.”

“I am, Nick.” Natalie grumbled, extending her hand to the large man, finding it hard to believe he was in high school. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Emmett. I’m Natalie McTavian and this is Nicholas, Kyrine’s parents.”

“Nice to meet you.” He shook Natalie’s hand somewhat stiffly before walking directly toward the doorway of Kyrine’s room, inhaling a sharp breath at the sight of her.

She looked like a sleeping pale angel lying on the bed in the hospital gown, her beautiful chestnut hair fanned over her shoulders and bunched up on the pillow. Her arms lay prone at her sides with IV’s sticking out each of them to pump fluids through her body so she didn’t dehydrate. She had a nasal tube across her face, the blanket hiding anything else because it went up to her chest.

Slowly, Emmett walked toward her and set the flowers on her nightstand, glad she’d gotten her own private room, his golden eyes devouring her from head to toe. She was still alive and breathing on her own even, Kyrine was definitely tough, making Emmett love her even more. Gently, he took her hand in his and felt how warm it was, which was definitely different, but that’s how it was supposed to feel.

“I couldn’t stay away, beautiful.” He whispered, stroking her hair and leaned down to softly brush his lips against hers. “Please wake up, Ky.”

~!~

Kyrine had walked for what seemed like days, trying to find her way out of the woods, remembering the night she’d been saved from the russet wolf. It was almost as if she was reliving it, only it was daylight instead of dark. That quickly changed the further she trekked through the woods, wearing a long sleeved white silk wedding dress of all things, her feet bare. Her chestnut hair was hanging in loose curls down her back, a simple tiara on top of her head with the veil hanging down.

“Hello?” She called out, finally stopping near a tree to catch her breath, the bottom hem of her dress covered in dirt from how long she’d been walking. “Can anyone hear me?”

“Yes I can.”

Gasping, Kyrine whipped around and stared back at the dark eyes of Jacob Black, knowing she was dreaming. “W-What are you doing here, Jacob?” She asked, backing up a little when he took a step forward, looking from side to side quickly as her heart raced rapidly. “What do you want from me?”

“I think you know, Kyrine.” Jacob stated with a smirk, his eyes trailing her body, feeling the hunger begin consuming him. “You know exactly why I’m here.”

Kyrine swallowed hard, her back pressed against the tree trunk, tears shining in her eyes. “N-No I don’t…” He was in front of her before she could inhale another breath, feeling the heat radiating from every pore of his huge body, towering over her. “P-Please…”

“Please what?” Jacob taunted, pressing himself against her, their lips mere inches while his fingers ran down the side of her face delicately, scorching her skin. “You belong to me, Kyrine.”

“No…” She whispered, shaking her head in defiance, not able to pull her eyes from his. “I love Emmett, not you…”

“Liar.” He chuckled ruefully, wrapping one strong arm around her waist, searing her through the thin material of the wedding dress. “You belong to me and I know you can feel the connection between us. It’s about to become even more intense when I do this…” Just as his lips barely grazed hers, another voice flowed around them.

“You will have to choose.”

Both Kyrine and Jacob’s heads snapped to the side as a beautiful auburn haired goddess appeared before them, wearing a sheer white dress with flowing sleeves. Jacob snarled as he held onto Kyrine tighter, eyes narrowing to slits while the goddess merely smiled at him, her golden eyes sparkling. Kyrine was so confused and didn’t fight Jacob off, the pull to him too strong to fight at the moment, blue eyes never leaving the gold that reminded her of Emmett.

“W-Who are you?” Kyrine stammered, gasping when Jacob’s heat surrounded her, making her head spin.

“What are you doing here, bloodsucker?” Jacob snapped, gritting his teeth as his eyes flashed, though he couldn’t bring himself to attack her. “This has nothing to do with you.”

“Oh but it does.” Her voice sounded pure angelic as she came toward them, reaching her hand out. “Jake, you don’t want to do this, not this way. You need to let her choose with her heart…the way I did.”

“NO!” He roared, ignoring Kyrine’s trembling against his body, feeling her fear permeating the air. “She belongs to ME!! I won’t let him change her!!”

The golden eyed goddess sighed softly, folding her arms in front of her chest. “She has to choose without your interference and forcing her to do anything else will jeopardize both of your happiness. Do you want that, Jake? She will hate you if you force her into this. She will die either way.”

“What do you mean?” Kyrine squeaked out through tears, having a sinking feeling she knew what Bella was telling her. “I will die?”

“You don’t have much time to make your choice, Kyrine. That is all I can tell you. I am merely a shadow cast in your subconscious, trying to lead you down the right path.” Bella ignored Jacob’s growling for the time being, not afraid as she stepped forward once more. “Everything you thought was going to happen is changing, it is up to you whether you want to live forever or die at a young age.”

“ENOUGH!!” Jacob couldn’t hear anymore and growled ferociously, stepping away from Kyrine, her body sliding down the tree trembling from head to toe. “One bloodsucker took you away from me, Bella. I won’t let it happen with my own soul mate…even if I have to kill you to make it happen.”

He suddenly leapt into the air and Kyrine watched in fascinated horror as Jacob Black shifted within seconds into a…russet colored wolf. The beast landed in front of her and began slowly circling the golden eyed goddess named Bella, tears sliding down Kyrine’s face. She knew she had to do something to save Bella, feeling it down to the pits of her stomach, but her body was frozen in fear against the tree.

Just as the russet wolf went to attack Bella, Kyrine suddenly gained strength she didn’t know she had and pushed off of the tree, running straight at the wolf at full speed. The wolf let out a shriek of pain as it flew away from both women and landed against the same tree trunk Kyrine had been against moments ago. Bella blinked and watched as Kyrine’s eyes suddenly locked with hers, the thirsty blood red shined through her once blue eyes…

“Ky.”

Kyrine turned around and smiled widely at the sight of Emmett, running toward him, only to be suddenly blanketed in a white light that blinded everyone…

“NO!!!!”

~!~

Her finger barely twitched against his and Emmett didn’t feel it, his forehead pressing to hers, fighting back all the emotion coursing through him. Her chest began rising and falling just a little faster, but not nearly enough to alert anyone. Kyrine was almost certain she could hear Emmett’s voice and tried getting closer to it, but something held her back. The white light she had saw slowly began deteriorating and Kyrine felt something cool against her forehead, every part of her body coming alive.

Emmett had no idea how long he’d been there and honestly didn’t care, looking over his shoulder when Bella walked in, placing a hand on his shoulder. “She’ll wake up soon, I know it.” Bella said, looking down at the human girl that had stolen Emmett’s heart, wondering what conflict Edward referred to earlier. “She’s beautiful.”

“And more.” Emmett murmured, refusing to leave Kyrine’s side, slowly looking back at her.

“You…really know…how to make…a girl blush…” Kyrine rasped out in between deep breaths, her voice carrying out of the room and slowly fluttered her eyes open, tears instantly spilling out of them.

Bella gasped while Emmett dropped to his knees, the shock of Kyrine waking up overwhelming him, his eyes never leaving beautiful hazy blue. “Ky…” He whispered, reaching out to cup her face gently with his hand, a huge relieved smile crossing his face.

“Carlisle!!” Bella cried, rushing out of the room to get Kyrine’s doctor, golden eyes wide. “She’s awake! Kyrine is awake!!”

Carlisle dropped the cups of coffee he brought the McTavian’s and rushed past Bella into Kyrine’s room, smiling widely at the sight of his awake and alert patient.

“Welcome back, Kyrine.”

Chapter 24

“My heart is gone isn’t it?”

Deciding to wait a few hours after Kyrine woke up to tell her the bad news about her heart donor, Carlisle walked in to check on his patient and break the news to her. So when those words came out of her mouth, Carlisle froze on the spot and stared at her, wondering how she could know that. If his heart still beat with life, it would be shattered at the sight of tears sliding down her pale cheeks, her head lowering.

“We’ve put you back on the donor list, Kyrine.” Carlisle replied, quickly recovering from the shock and walked over to check her vitals with a warm smile. “You’re at the very top so the next heart is yours, I promise.”

Somehow, Kyrine knew her dream had been a warning of sorts informing her that the heart was gone. Her one chance at living a normal healthy life was taken away from her and Kyrine didn’t know how to react. The amount of pity and sadness in Amaya’s eyes when she visited earlier was enough to destroy any hope Kyrine might’ve had left. Amaya promised she would be back as soon as she went home to shower and change, feeling dirty after her visit at Jacob’s.

Kyrine was oblivious to Amaya’s tension.

“Thank you.” She whispered, not knowing what else to say and lifted her arm as Doctor Cullen checked her blood pressure, which had gotten a lot better.

“There is something else I want to talk to you about, Kyrine.” Carlisle said, placing the stethoscope on so he could check her heartbeat, which had also improved drastically.

Kyrine didn’t even look at him, knowing unless she had a new heart, she probably wasn’t leaving the hospital. “What is it?” Her voice was low and quiet, still frail from being in a coma for a week straight.

Carlisle took the seat beside her, having sent Emmett home with the rest of the family, so Kyrine could rest once visiting hours were over. “Do you remember me telling you about the possibility of needing an RVAD inserted?” He watched her eyes slowly shut and knew this wasn’t the best time, but he wanted to give her every second he could to extend her wait on another heart. “Kyrine…”

“No.”

Carlisle blinked, placing his hand gently on top of hers and sighed when she merely pulled it away. “Your heart…”

“Is dying, I know.” She sniffled, wiping tears away from her eyes and leaned further into the pillow. “I don’t want another surgery. I don’t care how long it’ll give me, I don’t want to feel or live like this anymore, Doctor Cullen. I’m tired. I’m so tired of fighting this disease that is obviously destined to kill me…” Her voice cracked and Kyrine stopped talking for a minute, letting the tears flow down her face. “If this is my time to go, I’m not going to fight it anymore. I’m not going to fight what fate wants. I’m ready for death at this point because all I’ve done since I was six years old is fight for survival. After eleven years, I can’t do it anymore. I just can’t, please understand…”

As much as Carlisle hated what his patient said, he couldn’t help respecting the seventeen year old girl’s wishes, completely understanding why she felt this way. He wasn’t sure how much more her heart could handle because of how deteriorated it was. She had less than a year left with the LVAD and the RVAD could possibly kill her, ending any other time she would have with her family and friends. He wasn’t going to argue with her over this and knew her parents weren’t going to be as understanding, but Carlisle listened to his patient first and foremost.

“I do, Kyrine.” He spoke softly, releasing her hand after giving it a gentle squeeze, a sad smile on his face. “There still is hope for a heart to come through, just remember that.”

“I know.” Kyrine didn’t believe it would happen and simply nodded, wanting to go home to sleep in her own bed, hating hospitals. “Doctor Cullen, can I ask you something?” She suddenly asked, the dream flashing through her mind and watched as he slowly turned to face her.

“Of course, what is it?”

“Do you know who Bella is?” Kyrine had meant to ask Emmett earlier, but there was too much chaos and she honestly let it slip her mind momentarily.

Carlisle quirked an eyebrow, wondering where this came from and cleared his throat. “She is my son’s wife, my daughter-in-law.” He answered, wondering how Kyrine knew Bella, wondering if she’d somehow caught a glimpse of her earlier when she was waking up. “Do you know her?”

“No, not that I know of.” Kyrine murmured thoughtfully, eyebrows furrowing together. “Was she here earlier with everyone else?”

“Yes she was. She ran to get me when you woke up.” Carlisle informed, completely fascinated by now and could see the wheels in Kyrine’s head turning. “Did Emmett say something about her?”

“No.” Kyrine shook her head, having the overwhelming desire to tell Carlisle about her dream and didn’t understand why. “I know this isn’t going to make sense, but…I need to talk to her.” She ignored Carlisle’s bewildered expression, too busy in her own thoughts as the dream kept replaying over and over in her mind. “I can’t explain it, I just need to talk to her and it has to be alone.”

Bella had all the answers, Kyrine simply knew it.

Carlisle left the hospital completely baffled, not sure how he was going to ask his daughter-in-law if she would chat with Kyrine…if he could even call it a chat. Kyrine looked very determined to talk to Bella for reasons unknown. He couldn’t help wondering why, wondering if maybe Alice had a vision or Edward caught something when they were at the hospital earlier. Carlisle snorted as he slipped into his car and pulled out of the hospital parking lot, heading home.

Bella just finished getting back from hunting with Edward and Renesmee when her cell phone went off, blinking at Carlisle’s number on the caller ID. “It’s Carlisle…” She flipped it open and walked away while Edward guided Renesmee into the sitting room to watch some television. “Hello?”

Incorporating twenty-first century equipment into the cottage was just a few changes Bella made in Edward’s life, all for the better.

“Hello Bella.” Carlisle greeted, knowing this was going to be awkward for both of them, but somehow he felt he had to do this for Kyrine. “Do you have a minute to talk about something?”

“Sure.” She held her finger up to Edward, pointing outside and watched him nod while he flicked through the channels with Renesmee, closing the door behind her. “What’s up?”

“I know this is going to sound incredibly strange so I am apologizing ahead of time.” Carlisle said, stopping at red light, wishing he’d simply ran to work since it seemed a lot faster. “Kyrine has requested to speak with you alone.”

Bella blinked, wondering if she’d heard Carlisle correctly. “Kyrine wants to talk to me? Do you have any idea why?” Considering they’d never met before, Bella found this request a little strange.

“Unfortunately, I don’t and when I asked her, she sounded just as confused.” Carlisle admitted, running a hand through his pale blonde hair. “You do not have to speak to her if you do not wish too, but she seemed pretty adamant about it…”

“Of course I will there’s no reason why I shouldn’t.” Bella reasoned, easing Carlisle’s mind almost instantly and smiled softly. “I’m just curious why she would want to talk to someone she’s never met before.”

“Believe me, I am wondering that myself.” Carlisle rubbed his temples, pushing on the gas when the light flashed green, and hoped Esme had something to drink waiting for him when he arrived home. “Thanks Bella, this is nice of you to do.”

Bella knew if she was still human, her cheeks would be tinged pink, looking out into the woods. “No problem, I’ll go see her tomorrow and find out what she wants.” She hung up when Carlisle wished her a good evening, putting her cell phone on vibrate so she could spend the rest of the night with her family, heading back inside.

“Everything alright, Bella love?” Edward asked, standing up from the couch to walk over to his wife, seeing the confusion on her golden eyes.

Bella waved him off dismissively, shrugging. “Carlisle just had to ask me something, no big deal.” She knew Edward couldn’t read her mind, which Bella definitely used to her advantage.

Edward groaned because he knew Bella was using her shield ability, pulling her into his arms, kissing her softly. “You do not play fair.” He grumbled, rubbing his nose against hers.

“I know.” Bella grinned and pulled away from him, deciding against telling her husband about visiting Kyrine tomorrow. “Now stop worrying and just enjoy the evening.”

If only Bella could read Edward’s mind, she would find out he held one of the crucial pieces to this Kyrine puzzle that nobody seemed to be able to solve.

~!~

“What in the hell were you THINKING, Jacob Black?!”

Jacob was tired of the lectures and simply rolled his eyes, keeping his arms crossed in front of his chest, sitting in the chair on his porch. It was the same thing he’d heard repeatedly ever since he met these two palefaces and imprinted on one of them. He didn’t mean to hurt Amaya, but she wasn’t listening to him and taking her sister’s life being in danger seriously. It ticked him off and he put his hands on Amaya, trying to shake some sense into her so she would tell Kyrine dating Emmett Cullen was a fatal mistake.

Of course, Amaya was bullheaded as usual and completely futile.

“I was thinking what was best for my imprint.” Jacob stated, finally standing up from the chair and narrowed his eyes at Sam. “Look, I know you’re my alpha and the leader of the pack, but don’t forget I’m also an alpha since I LEFT the pack. I don’t have to listen to you or follows orders if I don’t want to. I wasn’t trying to hurt her. She wasn’t taking what I was saying seriously and I could feel it. Kyrine is in danger with Emmett, you know it and I know it. I also know you would do whatever it took to protect your imprint, no matter the cost or who she was with. So don’t you dare stand there lecturing me because I’m DONE with it!!”

“Just like you were done when you decided to wreck and destroy Emily’s kitchen table?” Sam shot back angrily, trying to stop the fire from shooting down his spine, ready to phase to knock some sense into this pup. “Jake, I know this is difficult…”

“NO YOU DON’T!!” He bellowed, tossing the chair off the porch as it crashed to the grass below, storming past Sam down the stairs. “You don’t know SHIT! You have NO idea what it feels like watching your imprint have sex with someone else RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!!”

“You shouldn’t have been spying.” Sam tried reasoning, knowing he was just pissing Jacob off more, but it was the truth. “I may not understand what THAT’S like, but I DO understand what it’s like having your imprint completely ignore you and try denying everything about it. I know what it’s like feeling so much pain that your insides feel like they might rip in half! So don’t stand there and tell ME I don’t know what it feels like because I DAMN WELL DO! Emily ignored me for MONTHS and you had to suffer one night of pain because you can’t be honest with your imprint! Not to mention, if you had the balls you would simply go see Kyrine and tell her everything instead of spying on her in the woods like a COWARD!”

Jacob gritted his teeth and knew he should’ve walked away, but Sam had crossed several lines. “You know I can’t tell her until she’s away from Cullen.” He snarled, wishing he had something to punch to relieve at least some of the anger pulsating through his body. “We’re not allowed to interfere with those bloodsuckers!!”

Snorting, Sam wondered if Jacob thought he was completely deluded, folding his arms in front of his chest. “You want me to believe that load of bullshit coming out of your mouth? Did we suddenly forget about Isabella Swan or are you forgetting all about her because she didn’t choose you? You really need to grow up, Jacob, or you’ll never get anywhere in life. We have absolutely no issues with the Cullen’s and you know it! You’re the only one who seems to have an issue and, in case you suddenly forgot, SETH IMPRINTED ON RENESMEE! She’s a CULLEN, a half-vampire hybrid with a beating heart! We’ve all accepted it and now just because your imprint, who doesn’t even know she’s supposed to be with you, is dating Emmett Cullen, you suddenly want all of us to hate them? It’s not going to happen, Jacob! The world doesn’t revolve around YOU!!”

Everything Sam said was true and Jacob hated him for it, turning his back to stare out at the woods, closing his eyes. “I have to get her away from that bloodsucker. THEN I’ll tell her everything. She won’t listen to me until she’s away from him completely.” He stated reasonably, feeling the cool breeze blow through his short black cropped hair. “I need to get Amaya to understand…”

“You are not allowed around Amaya anymore.” Sam ordered, using his alpha tone and watched as Jacob slowly turned to face him, their eyes narrowed at each other.

“What?”

“You heard me.” Sam walked toward him, squaring his shoulders. “If you go near Amaya or the McTavian’s, you’re out of the pack.”

“Sam, you can’t…”

“YES I CAN!!” Sam roared, shoving Jacob so hard he landed on the ground, sneering down at a man he used to consider his friend. “You have hurt her TWICE already and being the alpha, it is my responsibility to make sure that ALL humans are safe from harm! You cause her nothing but pain and it stops NOW!!”

“She’s my girlfriend…”

“I DON’T CARE!! You imprinted on her sister and you’ve been using her for sex to try to get information about Kyrine!! You’re using her the same way Bella used you to get back with Edward Cullen!!” Sam knew that was hitting him below the belt, but something had to open Jacob’s eyes; something had to convince him what he was doing was wrong.

That was the absolute last straw.

Jacob suddenly phased as the anger overwhelmed every other part of his body, a snarl rippling through the sky, his dark eyes flashing dangerously. Sam knew Jacob didn’t have to listen to him and watched as Jacob raced past him into the woods, wondering what he was going to do now. He didn’t know what Jacob was going to do and the pack couldn’t get involved as long as the Cullen’s were involved with the McTavian’s. All they could do was sit back and wait, knowing if things got too serious, then the pack would have to step in.

Forks territory belonged to the Cullen’s and, as long as no harm came to any humans, the pack agreed to stick to their own grounds.

Chapter 25

After what happened at Jacob’s, Amaya knew she had to tell Kyrine about it.

It’d been a week since Kyrine woke up from her a coma and Amaya had been avoiding the hospital, trying to figure out everything out. She visited Kyrine once since she’d woke up, but since Kyrine was still weak from being in a coma for two weeks, Doctor Cullen advised to limit the visits. Of course the McTavian’s were up there every single day, Natalie having taken time off from her job, while Nicholas went to work because someone had to pay the bills.

Nicholas told Amaya he was keeping Natalie at home away from the hospital because her stress level was extremely high. Natalie fought him every step of the way. That was until Nicholas explained to her they would have the house to themselves and he had an entire day of fun planned. He had to distract his wife from Kyrine for at least a day because she hadn’t gotten off the phone since they found out the devastating news of Kyrine’s donor, desperately trying to find a heart.

He had no idea who she was calling because the transplant had to be approved by UNOS through the hospital. When Natalie told him she wanted to move to Los Angeles, Nicholas put his foot down, knowing the girls had been through enough, especially Kyrine. Moving was not going to solve their problem, not unless Doctor Miles told them UNOS had another heart for Kyrine.

Of course Nicholas would move his daughter anywhere to save her life, but for now they were staying in Forks under the care of Doctor Cullen. Nicholas knew it wasn’t Doctor Cullen’s fault and had to convince Natalie the same thing because at first she’d blamed him for the donor dying. It was out of anger and luckily Natalie didn’t lash out directly at Doctor Cullen, finally breaking down to her husband once they arrived home.

Afraid his wife was on the verge of having a nervous breakdown and both were off on Saturdays with Amaya leaving, it was the perfect opportunity for Nicholas to distract his wife from what was happening.

Since it was Saturday, Amaya didn’t have school and headed straight up to the hospital as soon as she woke up. Amaya dressed in a simple pair of blue jeans with a long sleeved magenta fishnet shirt, pulling a black baby shirt over it. She’d redone her nails in magenta and had thick black eyeliner with magenta eye shadow, her lips painted magenta. She pulled her two inch black knee high boots on, tucking her jeans in them before heading out, grabbing her purse and keys on the way.

Kyrine had just finished eating her breakfast, trying not to choke on the hospital food since it wasn’t appetizing. She had to keep her strength up as much as possible, refusing to give up living. The donor died, so now Kyrine had to find a way to live long enough for Doctor Miles and Cullen to find another heart.

Most people would want to give up their life, but Kyrine didn’t and wouldn’t. Though, she refused to have another machine inserted inside of her in order to force her heart to pump. As much as Kyrine wanted to live, she accepted that if it was her time to go, it would be with a smile on her face. Kyrine felt blessed that she had a good seventeen plus years on this earth and hoped her family wouldn’t fall completely apart over her death.

That was her biggest fear.

Kyrine jolted out of her thoughts when a soft knock sounded at her hospital door, looking up from her hospital food, smiling at the sight of Amaya. “Hey stranger.” She greeted weakly, trying to sit up a little in the bed and rolled her eyes when Amaya held her hand up stopping her.

“Sorry, school has been kicking my ass.” Amaya knew that was a lame excuse. “And I have been up here several times to see you, but you’re always sleeping, which is good…” Having a lot of rest meant her heart wasn’t being strained or damaged from working too hard. “How are you feeling?” She asked, sitting down beside Kyrine, immediately taking her hand.

“That is a bad excuse, on both counts.” Kyrine shot back lightheartedly, looking over at her sister with a smile. “But I forgive you.”

“I know.” Amaya grinned, glancing at the hospital food and felt like gagging at the sight alone, shaking her head. “They call THAT food? What the hell is it supposed to be?”

Kyrine made a face at the hospital tray, snorting. “Chicken noodle soup with lime green jello. And it’s disgusting.”

“That is NOT chicken noodle soup. That looks like some kind of poisonous concoction they slopped together and it’s not food suitable for my sister.” Amaya was glad she’d stopped at Subway on her way to the hospital and pulled out a foot long chicken, bacon and ranch with honey oat bread, just a little bit of lettuce, the way Kyrine liked it. “Now THIS on the other hand…”

“Maya!!” Kyrine beamed and took the sandwich, immediately unwrapping it, her stomach growling with some ferocity and definitely didn’t agree with the hospital food. This on the other hand… “You are the best, you know that right?”

“I know and you need REAL food to boost your energy. Can’t have you slacking.” Amaya admonished jokingly, though she meant the last part, watching as Kyrine began devouring the sandwich with gusto.

Amaya waited patiently while Kyrine finished her food, not having a clue how to go about telling her what happened with Jacob. For some reason, he was adamant about warning Kyrine about the Cullen’s and could only come to the conclusion that he didn’t want any human being with a vampire. He told her they were mortal enemies and she understood that, but still Amaya wasn’t going to tell Kyrine she should stop seeing Emmett just because Jacob was worried for her safety. Somehow, she knew Emmett would never hurt her sister; he loved her, she could see it in his eyes whenever he looked at her.

“Something is on your mind.” Kyrine observed, tossing the Subway wrapper away in the nearby trashcan, looking at Amaya with knowing eyes. “You want to tell me something, I can feel it. Something’s bothering you.”

Sometimes Amaya hated how well Kyrine knew her and lowered her eyes, clasping her hands together. “Yeah I do.” She admitted softly, taking a deep breath. “I just don’t know how to tell you this without upsetting you or stressing you out.”

Kyrine rolled her eyes, reaching out to grab Amaya’s hand. “Whatever it is, you know you can tell me. Remember we’ve been completely honest with each other. Just tell me. Get it off your chest because even through that makeup, you look like you haven’t slept well and I know it’s partially because of me. But there is something else too.”

“Jacob completely freaked out on me. I went to see him at his house for the first time in La Push and…we had sex like always. After we were done…Okay I’m just going to come right out and say this like you did to me,” Amaya paused, gathering her thinking a little. “Jacob is a…shape-shifter.”

“Shape-shifter?” Kyrine echoed, confusion entering her midnight blue eyes. “What the hell is that?”

“He shifts into a wolf.” Amaya watched Kyrine’s eyes widen as far as they could possibly go, nodding. “N-Now remember when I was understanding about you telling me Emmett was a vampire…”

“What color?”

That question took Amaya completely by surprise. “W-What? Color?” When Kyrine nodded stiffly, Amaya was the confused one. “Uhhh, I-I don’t know…I’ve never seen him in wolf form…”

Kyrine nodded and lay back against the pillow, staring straight ahead as the dream she had went through her mind again. There was a goddess named Bella and Jacob, who shifted into a russet colored wolf, both of them arguing over her having to make a choice. All of this was somehow connected and Kyrine was determined to find out, hoping Doctor Cullen asked Isabella Swan to talk with her. She looked over at Amaya and knew her sister was more perplexed than ever, deciding she should explain the dream.

Or maybe it was a premonition of some sort.

Before she could say anything else, another knock sounded at her hospital door, both heads turning to stare at a beautiful pale white woman with long dark auburn hair and golden eyes. She had on a long sleeved dark red slim dress that went down to her feet, her beauty radiating around the doorway. Kyrine knew exactly who it was, the goddess from her dream named Bella, a soft smile gracing her lips.

“You’re Bella, right?”

Bella smiled and gently nodded, stepping inside the room as the dress flowed behind her, shutting the door to give them some privacy. “I am, Kyrine. I was told you wanted to speak with me about something from Carlisle.” She said in the same angelic voice that was in Kyrine’s dream.

“Yes.” Kyrine sat up a little more with Amaya’s help, smiling softly up at her. “You have the answers I need; at least I hope you do.”

Bella raised an eyebrow and walked over to sit down beside Kyrine on the opposite side, very intrigued by Emmett’s girlfriend. “I’ll do anything I can to help.” She said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Softly, Kyrine explained her dream that involved both Bella and Jacob, ignoring Amaya’s incredulous look for the time being. She didn’t have time, keeping her eyes on Bella and watched the different emotions cross her face. With every word that came out of Kyrine’s mouth, Bella listened intently wondering what this connection could mean and decided to ask Alice about it. Amaya was completely stumped and could only hold Kyrine’s hand, finally locking violet on guilty blue, chewing her bottom lip.

“Please don’t be mad at me.” Kyrine blinked as huge tears slid down her face, releasing Amaya’s hand to wipe them away. “Please…I didn’t mean for it to happen and this isn’t the first time. I don’t know why I’m having these dreams about someone I don’t even know, but it’s only dreams right? I love Emmett, I gave my virginity to him and he has my heart. But for some reason I keep dreaming of Jacob Black in my subconscious and I don’t know why. I was hoping you knew something Bella and why you showed up in my subconscious.”

“I’m not mad at you, Kyrie.” Amaya whispered, not trusting her voice at the moment. “It’s not your fault and clearly you’re not interested in Jake…right?”

“Right! I love Emmett, not Jacob!”

Bella was perplexed as much as Amaya at this point, blinking. “I-I know Jacob, we used to be best friends actually.” She watched as both sisters turned their heads to stare at her, wondering if she said the wrong thing. “Jacob and I grew up together when we were little and lost touch when I moved from Forks to Phoenix to live with my Mom. I moved back when my Mom decided to move to Florida and met up with him again. We became best friends after Edward tried leaving because…he wanted me to have a normal human life. Edward is my husband, also a vampire.” Bella explained, continuing when it seemed as though neither sister was going to freak out. “When he left, I fell completely apart and Jake helped piece me back together, but my love for Edward never changed. Not once. Jake thought he was in love with me and, in truth; I was in love with both of them. But I knew who I couldn’t live without and that was Edward. Jake reluctantly stuck by my side through everything, including the graphic and bloody birth of our daughter Renesmee. After that, Jake kind of disappeared out of my life and I haven’t spoken to him in years.”

“So…why would you show up in my dream?” Kyrine asked, none of this huge mystery solved. “What’s the point? You said I had a choice to make between living and dying. What does that mean?”

“I wish I had the answers, Kyrine, I really do.” Bella wished wholeheartedly, knowing how confusing this must’ve been for Kyrine to go through on top of her heart condition. “Unfortunately, I have no idea. Did something else happen that would maybe make you dream of him?”

There was no way Kyrine could ever tell anyone about her night in the woods when she was saved by a russet colored wolf from a blood red eyed monster. “No…I do have another question for you though.” At least Bella would probably know what Amaya didn’t, hoping anyway.

“What is it?” It was times like these where Bella wished she had Edward’s gift of telepathy.

“What color is Jacob when he…shifts into a wolf?” Kyrine asked, hesitating on the last part, but she had to know for her own sanity that she wasn’t totally crazy.

“He’s a russet wolf.” Bella answered, remembering how she would stroke Jacob’s soft fur while she was human, when the wolves and vampires banded together to protect her from two deadly vampires named Victoria and Riley.

That was part of Bella’s human life she didn’t want to relive.

Kyrine swallowed hard when she heard that and closed her eyes, knowing she wasn’t crazy. Jacob had been the one who saved her that night in the woods; she knew it wasn’t a coincidence. That still didn’t explain why she was having these dreams about Jacob, which started even before he saved her life. What was the point? There were puzzles missing and it was driving Kyrine crazy, making her not want to sleep at night.

“There’s gotta be something else we’re missing.” Kyrine said more to herself than anyone in the room, chewing her bottom lip thoughtfully. “It all started when we went on that double date with Emmett and Jacob. The moment I shook his hand…” This was very embarrassing to reveal to her sister, who was dating the guy, but Kyrine couldn’t keep it hidden anymore. “I just don’t understand.”

Bella didn’t either, but knew there was definitely a connection somewhere in all of this, especially if she showed up inside Kyrine’s dream telling her she had a decision to make between life and death. “Kyrine, I know this is a long shot, but maybe Alice knows something we don’t. She has the ability to see the future, visions. She’s Carlisle’s adopted daughter and if anyone can help, maybe she can.” It was all the help Bella could offer, which wasn’t much, but it would have to suffice for now.

“Live forever or die at a young age…” Kyrine murmured and looked at Bella thoughtfully, something suddenly clicking in her head. “You said you were a human at one point, right?”

“Yes, I was changed in order to live forever to be with my husband and daughter.” Bella explained, not seeing the realization dawn in Kyrine’s eyes. “I chose to become what I am and I don’t regret it. I can live forever without worrying about getting ill and I’m with the man I love more than my own existence.”

Suddenly, the hospital door opened, all three women looking up at Emmett, his eyes widened. “You’re not going anywhere, Ky.” He walked over to her bedside, Bella moving instantly out of his way, his golden eyes locked on midnight blue.

“I-I don’t understand…” But somewhere deep inside her heart, Kyrine knew she did. “Emmett…”

Pulling something out of his pocket, Emmett lowered himself to one knee by her bed and opened the blood red velvet box, revealing a beautiful marquise shaped sapphire ring set on a silver band, two small marquise diamonds beside each of them. “There is a way for you to survive, Kyrine.” He stated, ignoring the bewildered looks on both Amaya and Bella’s faces, his eyes only for the woman who he refused to lose because of a heart condition. “Marry me and live forever with me. You don’t have to worry about getting a new heart. I will marry and change you into what I am, just like Edward did with Bella, and we can be happy together for the rest of eternity.”

Kyrine’s jaw completely dropped at the beautiful ring and Emmett’s proposal, feeling as though her heart might leap out of her chest as it pounded vigorously. Jacob suddenly flashed through her mind and Kyrine couldn’t answer Emmett right away, seeing those dark eyes as human Jacob suddenly turned into the russet wolf. This felt wrong in so many ways, but then Bella’s words from the dream echoed throughout her mind. Kyrine’s eyes slowly met Emmett’s, the man she knew she truly loved, and knew what she had to do.

Live forever or die at a young age.

Taking the ring from the box, Kyrine slipped it on her left ring finger and passionately kissed him, tears leaking out of her eyes. “Yes Emmett, I will marry you.”

Chapter 26

The day after Kyrine admitted to having dreams about Jacob, Amaya went back to La Push to confront her boyfriend once and for all. She was tired of the games. If Jacob had feelings for Kyrine, she deserved to know so she didn’t waste anymore of her time on him. He didn’t stand a chance, even if he was in Kyrine’s dreams, because the simple fact was Kyrine was falling in love with Emmett.

When Jacob opened the door to stare at his girlfriend, he instantly stepped toward her and frowned when she backed away from him. “Amaya, I didn’t mean to scare you the last time we were together.” He apologized, not liking the fear that entered her violet eyes. “I want to make it up to you.”

Amaya eyed him warily, wondering if what he said to her was the truth and watched him extend his hand to her. She slipped her hand into his and let Jacob pull her into his arms, their lips instantly meeting before Amaya knew what was happening. They had the house to themselves once again and Jacob didn’t waste a second, shutting the door before pressing her back against it, his hands roaming her body. Amaya’s head spun and couldn’t help returning the kissing and touching, her entire body lighting completely on fire in pure lust.

What happened at the hospital suddenly broke Amaya out of her passion haze and she broke the kiss, both of them breathing heavily. “No.” She pressed her hand against his chest, feeling the muscles ripple beneath her fingertips, stopping him from kissing her again. “I can’t, Jake. We have to talk…”

“Later.” He growled huskily, his mouth right by her ear since she’d turned her head away from receiving another kiss, nipping her earlobe. “Let me make up what I did to you first, Amaya.”

Amaya couldn’t help letting a moan spill out of her mouth as his lips and tongue began attacking her neck, instinctively burying her fingers in his hair. “Jake…” She breathed, arching her neck to give him better access and felt him lift her up, legs wrapping around his waist, their lips meeting as Jacob headed directly for his small bedroom.

Regretfully, Jacob managed to seduce Amaya into his bed with his voice, touch and lips, succumbing to the sexual desire they both felt. It was pure lust though with absolutely no connection and Amaya let Jacob use her body just as she used his. It didn’t help that Jacob had apologized several times how sorry he was for hurting while thrusting in and out of her body, promising to never do it again.

When they finished, Amaya lay in the bed staring up at the ceiling, for once feeling low and used, but believed his apologetic whispers for hurting her. Amaya didn’t know why either because what Kyrine told her was locked in her mind, wondering if Jacob was dreaming of her sister too. Jacob was good at distracting her from asking him though and ended up staying the night for the first time, letting him make everything up to her for what he did.

The next morning, Jacob made Amaya breakfast and brought it to her in bed, which she thought was incredibly sweet. That was until he asked her flat out if she’d warned Kyrine about the Cullen’s. Truth was, Kyrine had stopped her before Amaya could explain what fully happened with Jacob and his freak out over Kyrine dating Emmett. She’d asked about Jacob’s wolf fur color and then Bella showed up, which made Amaya temporarily forget about what she wanted to tell Kyrine in the first place.

When Amaya told him what happened at the hospital –she left out telling Jacob about Kyrine having dreams about him because she figured it wasn’t important anymore, not after last night-, he wasn’t thrilled but understood, asking her to try again. What the hell did Bella have to do with any of this? The last time Jacob checked, Edward and Emmett had a falling out and they weren’t on speaking terms with Emmett. So why was Bella at the hospital talking to his imprint when it was none of her business?

Amaya was totally oblivious to Jacob’s building anger and figured everything was fine, not realizing Jacob was angry at Bella. Amaya decided against confronting Jacob about his protectiveness of Kyrine, deciding it was simply because Emmett was a vampire and Kyrine was a human, nothing more…or so she thought.

While she ate breakfast, Amaya decided to tell him about the upcoming wedding between her sister and Emmett. “…So Emmett came in before we could finish the conversation with Bella and did the unthinkable.” She watched Jacob’s eyebrow slowly raise, smiling while taking another bite of eggs.

“What did he do?” Jacob was almost afraid to ask, chomping on a piece of toast, watching the biggest smile cross Amaya’s face.

“He proposed to her!!” Amaya cried out happily, violet eyes sparkling and didn’t notice the fire of rage erupt in Jacob’s eyes. “He’s doing it because he loves her and he wants to change her…” That was all Amaya said before a loud bone-chilling roar came from Jacob, watching him hop off of the bed.

“WHAT?!” This was the breaking point for Jacob, hearing that his imprint was marrying a bloodsucker instead of him, and she was going to be changed into a monster!

He couldn’t contain the rage anymore and felt the fire rush down his spine, cracking his neck and fingers, not caring that Amaya was mere inches away from him. It didn’t matter anymore. Kyrine was going to throw her life away because she wanted to live forever instead of wait for a heart, which Jacob knew would come if she was patient enough.

He couldn’t help letting pure anger and rage fill every part of him at the mere thought of his imprint, his soul mate the Quileute gods chose for him, becoming a bloodsucking leech. Without warning, Jacob actually phased right in front of Amaya in his small bedroom, exploding into a ball of russet fur, another growl rippling throughout the room. Amaya screamed out in horror, not expecting it and didn’t back up far enough because one of his huge claws had caught her arm and sliced it open.

The wolf snarled before leaping out of the window as glass went everywhere, Jacob racing through the woods as fast as his paws could carry him, wanting to rip Emmett Cullen apart for taking his imprint. The glass shards sprayed over Amaya and luckily she’d shielded herself with the blanket. Amaya dressed quickly and ran out of the house as fast as she could, tripping down the steps holding her bleeding arm in the process.

It felt like déjà vu…only this time Jacob had physically hurt her.

Amaya twisted her ankle and held it as rain poured down on top of her, sobbing violently and freezing from the weather. She couldn’t move because not only was she freezing, but her ankle was throbbing, curling up in a tight ball in the muddy grass, the rain washing away the blood from her slashed arm. Crawling toward her car was useless because Amaya was stunned from both what happened with Jacob again and falling down the unlevel wooden porch stairs.

Suddenly, warmth enveloped her entire body as Amaya felt her body rise from the ground in a pair of arms, not able to fight off whoever it was. Even if it was Jacob, at this point, all Amaya wanted to do was soak up the warmth this body gave her, burying her face in the strong chest, shivering fiercely. She didn’t even feel the individual race through the woods toward an unknown destination on the reservation because the warmth was all she cared about, not even feeling her injured ankle.

She ended up falling asleep on the way there.

When Amaya woke up, she wasn’t outside in the pouring rain anymore and remembered a warm body, nothing more. Her drenched clothes had been replaced with a long sleeved black sweatshirt and dark blue and black flannel pajama pants with socks way too big for her. It looked like she was drowning in the sweatshirt, but at least she was warm again, her hair still damp from the rain.

“Relax Amaya, you’re safe now.” A low voice had rumbled from the dark doorway of the room, watching her head snap up, violet locking with black onyx eyes.

The moment their eyes locked, Amaya suddenly felt as if she couldn’t breathe and simply sat there on the bed, feeling her heart pound harder than ever in her chest. The black onyx eyes never left her as a light flipped on, revealing another Quileute Indian man with cropped black hair and onyx eyes. He had dark green cargo shorts on, no shirt, and had the same tattoo on his right upper arm that Jacob did. Amaya instantly knew he was also a shape-shifter and part of the same pack Jacob was, beginning to tremble slightly with tears swelling in her violet eyes.

Paul felt as though his world had been turned upside down and his feet were cemented to the floor as he stared at the red streaked honey blonde beauty. The draw to her was incredibly strong when he found her lying outside of the Black house in the pouring rain, but Paul didn’t understand it. Now he did. He never thought it could happen, especially with a paleface and his best friend’s girl, but they couldn’t control when it happened.

Jacob clearly wasn’t the one for her and Paul suddenly felt protective, eyes narrowing slightly at what his friend did to the woman he just imprinted on. She was his soul mate according to the Quileute gods and Paul didn’t know what to think or how to even react, one of the last in the pack that hadn’t imprinted until now. As far as he knew, Jacob hadn’t or he could’ve and was just hiding it from the pack, but none of that mattered. All Paul was concerned about was the fact that he found his imprint lying in the muddy wet grass with a nasty cut on her arm and a twisted ankle, wanting to suddenly rip Jacob Black to shreds.

It was the strength of the imprint.

“W-Who are you?” Amaya stammered, scared out of her mind and slowly backtracked on the bed, breathing heavily. “P-Please…” She’d never been this frightened in her life and Amaya was usually levelheaded, but right now she wanted to get as far away from La Push as possible.

“My name is Paul Lahote.” His deep voice resonated throughout the room, surprisingly calming Amaya down almost instantly. “I won’t hurt you, I promise Amaya.”

Amaya swallowed hard, though the fear in her eyes slowly diminished the closer Paul came toward her, though she was still guarded. “W-What am I doing here?” She demanded in a shaky voice, trying to gain some sort of backbone. “And how do you know my name?”

Paul chuckled at her questions; his suspicions confirmed that this was the infamous Amaya, Jacob’s girlfriend. Knowing why Jacob found her so attractive, Paul wanted to reach out to touch her, only to refrain. “I found you at Jacob’s place outside in the pouring rain and I’m assuming you’re the only girlfriend he has right now. You’re well known throughout La Push for dating Jake. You were hurt. I brought you here to doctor you up and give you shelter. Was that wrong to do?”

“N-No…”

“Good.” Paul smiled, not realizing he was melting Amaya’s insides into mush, making her warmer with each passing second. “How are you feeling? You twisted your ankle so it should heal in a few days. You also had a nasty cut on your left arm, but luckily you didn’t need stitches.”

Pulling the sweatshirt down since it was so big; Amaya touched the bandage on her arm with trembling fingertips, tears returning to her eyes. “T-Thank you…” She didn’t trust her real voice at the moment, remembering exactly how it happened and the awful realization crashed over her that it wasn’t a dream.

Jacob had phased and hurt her.

“How did it happen, Amaya?” Paul asked somewhat tensely, hating the pain his imprint was in, but couldn’t let his temper overcome him right now. “You can tell me. Was it Jake?”

Amaya closed her eyes tightly shut, a few tears slid down her cheeks and nodded. “I-I told him something that upset him and…and changed in front of me…” She could see the anger building in Paul’s eyes and reached out of pure instinct, touching his hand. “Please don’t be mad at him. He didn’t mean to do it.”

“That’s no excuse.” Paul growled, standing up from the bed and raked a hand through his hair, knowing Sam had to be informed about this. “You are a human and the Quileute pack is sworn to protect all humans at any and all costs. What Jacob did today was stupid and could’ve killed you…”

What would’ve happened if Jacob had accidentally killed his imprint? Paul didn’t even want to contemplate it and took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself down before he ended up doing exactly what Jacob did earlier. Paul began walking out of the room when Amaya grabbed his arm, forcing him to turn to face her, instantly calming down at the sight of beautiful violet eyes. Amaya didn’t know what pushed her to stop him from leaving, but she definitely didn’t want to be alone after what happened, pleading with him to stay with her.

Just her touch alone was enough to break Paul completely down and knew he couldn’t leave her right now.

“I-I don’t want to be alone right now. Please…” Amaya knew she should leave to go home and leave Paul to do whatever, but for some reason she felt safe with him.

Paul instantly pulled her into his arms, letting her head rest against his chest to hear his steady heartbeat, rubbing her back gently. Even through the thick material, his hands still scorched her skin and Amaya loved it, snuggling closer to him. Paul couldn’t help relishing the feeling as he rested his cheek on top of her head, both of them just standing there listening to the falling rain outside and silent serenity.

“How about I drive you home?” He suggested softly, pulling back to stare down in her violet eyes. “I went to get your car, I hope you don’t mind. I’ll take you home because you’re in no position to drive.” Paul also wanted to make sure she made it home safely.

That’s not what Amaya wanted though, but knew Paul probably didn’t want to put up with Jacob’s girlfriend, nodding. He had his own life and Amaya wasn’t about to stay where she wasn’t wanted, feeling cold again from not being in his arms. Paul wished he knew what was going on behind those violet eyes and reached out to touch her, knowing for Amaya to step back to walk over, grabbing the bag in the far corner with her newly washed and dried clothes.

It’s not that Paul wanted her to leave, but at the same time he had to tell Sam about what happened at the Black house, knowing Jacob’s temper was out of control. If they didn’t put a stop to it soon, Paul was sure Jacob would end up doing something that could potentially endanger the entire pack as well as La Push. Paul had no idea how right he was because nobody besides Sam and Emily knew about Jacob imprinting on Kyrine, and they were about to get a rude awakening.

That night, Amaya had a dream about Paul and a silver colored wolf, sleeping better than she had in over a week.

Chapter 27

Three months passed and Kyrine was finally released from the hospital, Doctor Cullen deciding she deserved to spend as much time with her family as she could before the wedding. Once she was married to Emmett, he would change her on their wedding night into a newborn –a new vampire- and she would have to be trained on her bloodlust. So there was no way Kyrine would be able to see her family for at least a few years, possibly more, depending how long it took to get her bloodlust under control.

Their wedding was only a week away, Alice having made all the preparations and it was a good thing because the LVAD had ruptured, sending Kyrine back to the hospital for a replacement. This was a sign that Kyrine was dying quickly and they had to move up the wedding closer before it was too late and her heart gave out completely. Doctor Cullen installed another battery into the LVAD, but had a feeling it would malfunction again because of how much damage Kyrine’s heart had already sustained.

It took the McTavian’s a little time to adjust to the idea that their seventeen year old daughter was getting married, one week shy of her eighteenth birthday. At first they had completely flipped out and refused to let Kyrine get married, but eventually listened to the reasoning behind it. Carlisle had sat down with the family, inviting them out to his home in the middle of the woods on the outskirts of Forks, and revealed their secret to the McTavian’s. Natalie was beside herself while Nicholas didn’t know if he should believe the family; that was until all the Cullen’s showed them old photographs of their past lives that they managed to find throughout the years.

“I want this Mom and Dad. This is the only way for me to live and you’ll see me again, it just won’t be for awhile.” Kyrine reasoned, surprised her parents actually listened to her and deep down everyone knew this was her only chance at survival.

Not to mention she loved Emmett and wanted to be with him forever.

Bella had asked Alice about her visions and unfortunately she didn’t have any answers, though she also wondered why Kyrine’s dreams were filled with Amaya’s boyfriend and Bella. That’s all Kyrine’s dreams were filled with, repeatedly, and it got to the point where Kyrine couldn’t sleep at night unless Emmett was with her. It was against her parents’ wishes for them to sleep together, even though they’d already made love once, so Emmett snuck into Kyrine’s bedroom window at night.

They decided sex could wait until after she was changed because Emmett didn’t want to strain Kyrine’s heart. She needed all the time and Alice was finalizing plans for the wedding, not able to wait until Kyrine was his for the rest of eternity. Emmett always thought Rosalie was supposed to be his mate, but he knew that was wrongful thinking. He honestly couldn’t imagine going through the rest of his existence without her by his side.

After Jacob had accidentally attacked Amaya, he completely disappeared off the face of the planet. The pack tried tracking his scent, but once they went near Canada, it was gone and Sam called off the search. Sam was furious with Jacob for several things, mainly attacking Amaya, and couldn’t believe what Paul had told him.

Paul decided against telling anyone in the pack about his imprinting on Amaya, even though the pull was so strong, it physically hurt him to be away from her. He could feel her pain as well because whenever she was alone in her room at night; she would cry her heart out thinking it was because of Jacob’s disappearance. In reality, it was the imprint that she had no idea happened because Paul didn’t know how to tell her, hesitating even though Jacob was out of the picture for now.

The dreams about Paul didn’t help matters any and Amaya thought she had officially lost her mind.

So Paul would end up standing outside of her bedroom window late at night, having been ordered to watch over the McTavian residence by Sam because Jacob was banned from the premises. Sam didn’t trust Jacob anymore and didn’t know what he was capable, so he had Seth and Leah watch over the Cullen’s, even though he knew they could take care of themselves if need be. He wasn’t taking any chances and decided to tell the pack about Jacob imprinting on Kyrine, wanting everyone to understand how serious this situation was, even though Jacob was nowhere to be found.

It was the night before the wedding and Kyrine had a small bachelorette party at home, needing to save all of her strength to walk down the aisle. She refused to use a wheelchair or tubes, wanting to look perfect for her future husband. Once Kyrine was completely alone in her room –Emmett had been banned from the house because of Alice, the whole groom not able to see the bride before the wedding tradition-, Jacob suddenly popped into her mind and Kyrine couldn’t help letting a few tears fall from her eyes.

For the past nearly four months, Kyrine hadn’t thought about Jacob at all because Emmett was already with her, distracting her from thoughts. Even when she was with Emmett she didn’t have that recurring dream about Jacob and Bella, which was a huge relief. That’s why she always wanted Emmett beside her because, as soon as Kyrine had a moment by herself, that’s when Jacob snuck in and the guilt nearly ripped her to shreds.

Kyrine had no idea why she felt so guilty because she was never with Jacob and didn’t love him, but there was an undeniable connection between them. Tomorrow it would all change because Kyrine would be married to the man of her dreams, the love of her life, the one she literally could not live without, and Jacob would just be a faded memory. She smiled at that thought, feeling the guilt slowly diminish from her body and Kyrine finally lay down to get some much needed sleep for her big day.

Meanwhile, Amaya was tossing and turning, not able to get even a minute of sleep, finally giving up as she threw the covers off. Paul was in her mind AGAIN and she hadn’t seen him since he saved her life all those months ago. Growling in frustration, Amaya slipped her boots on along with a black zip up hooded sweatshirt, wearing a long sleeved dark blue shirt with black pajama pants, just needing some fresh air to clear her mind. She didn’t even bother wondering if she woke anyone up, heading down the stairs and out of the front door, the cold breeze instantly feeling splendid.

Amaya had no idea that Kyrine had done the same thing months prior and walked down the stairs, looking up at the clear beautiful wintery sky. Snow crunched beneath her boots as Amaya walked to the center of the yard, closing her eyes as she let the winter chill every part of her body, turning her cheeks rosy red. Her sister getting married tomorrow and Amaya was happy for her, but would also miss her more than anything. Once Kyrine became a vampire, she wouldn’t be able to control her thirst for blood and would have to be trained before she could come near the family again, including Amaya.

It was going to be a bittersweet occasion.

What the hell was she doing outside in the freezing winter like this? Paul snorted through his muzzle, wanting to bend her over his knee and whip her ass for being stupid. She was going to end up getting pneumonia or something, even if she was bundled up, knowing it was below freezing outside right now. He watched her walk out of the house and could feel her frustration, knowing it was because of him. He couldn’t wait any longer and knew he had to tell her tonight about the imprinting before she was driven to insanity.

Unlike Jacob Black, Paul wasn’t a coward and refused to let his imprint slip through his fingers.

Silently, Paul walked behind a tree and instantly closed his eyes as the silver fur disappeared from his body, standing up on two legs instead of four seconds later. Luckily, he’d brought a pair of black shorts with him, his body temperature keeping him from getting frostbite. He quickly slipped them on along with his shoes, taking a deep breath before stepping out behind the tree, watching her from a distance. She was so beautiful with the blood red highlights in her honey tresses; absolutely no makeup on her face, Paul barely stood looking at her without wanting to just sweep her in his arms.

Amaya could feel someone watching her and opened her eyes, turning to see who it was, feeling her heart nearly stop at the sight of Paul. He was shirtless with black shorts on and Amaya thought he was completely crazy to be out in zero below degree weather wearing as little as he was. He was going to freeze to death! She didn’t even think about the fact he was a wolf and had natural body temperature that protected him from freezing and getting sick.

“What are you doing here?” She quietly asked, completely baffled as he slowly walked toward her, shoving her hands inside the pockets of her sweatshirt.

Paul chortled, stopping only when he stood mere inches from her, missing her more than words could say. He could see the confusion in her violet eyes along with the tears, watching as one slid down her cheek and instantly reached out to catch it with his finger. His finger felt like a hot iron had just pressed against her cheek, but in the zero below winter, it felt amazing. Those black onyx eyes captivated her in ways Amaya didn’t understand or even wanted to, feeling as if she was suddenly complete with Paul standing here.

“Don’t cry, Amaya.” He whispered softly, his heart breaking at her tears and suddenly couldn’t stop himself, cupping her face in his hot hands to kiss her lips.

The moment his lips touched hers, Amaya instantly melted against him as her cold hands pressed against his chest, slowly sliding up to wrap around his neck. She missed so much, Amaya didn’t want to wake up if this was a dream and felt him lift her with ease, wrapping her legs instantly wrapping around his waist. Paul couldn’t pull away from her even if his life depended on it, feeling her bury her fingers in his short black hair, the heat from him searing through her clothes. It didn’t matter why he was here, Amaya wasn’t going to waste a second by asking, just wanting his lips sealed to hers until neither of them could breathe.

“Amaya…” Paul rasped and had to pull away from the kiss, not setting her on her feet though, groaning softly at the lust in her eyes mixed with love. He knew it was love because the same look was in his eyes, both of them wanting to tear into each other. “I-I have to tell you something…”

“I don’t care what it is.” Amaya kissed him again, this time more passionately and could feel her thighs trembling from not having sex in months. “I want you, Paul.” She wasn’t shy and rather blunt at times, but Amaya wanted to get the point across to him, refusing to play games. “And I know you want me too.”

By the Quileute gods, Paul wanted her every way possible and couldn’t help kissing her again, but he had to tell her about the imprinting before going any further. “I imprinted on you.” He blurted out once he could breathe again, watching her violet eyes widen as far as they could possibly go, knowing he probably just either scared or confused the hell out of her, maybe both.

“What?” Amaya couldn’t help laughing softly, tilting her head to the side slightly, never hearing of imprinting. “What are you talking about? What’s imprinting?”

Paul knew Jacob hadn’t come clean about imprinting on Kyrine to anyone, so he wasn’t surprised by her confusion, pressing his forehead against hers. “Let’s go inside and I’ll tell you all about it.” He didn’t want her out in the cold anymore, even if he was keeping her warm, not wanting to risk getting her sick since her sister’s wedding was the following day.

Amaya wasn’t going to deny him anything and felt him slowly set her on her feet, sliding down his rock hard body in the process, smirking. Paul growled at her teasing and followed her inside the quiet dark house, nodding when Amaya pressed a finger against her lips. They managed to arrive in her room without disturbing anyone and Amaya took the opportunity to take her sweatshirt and pants off while Paul looked around the room in admiration.

“Your room is…” Paul’s words died instantly as soon as he turned around, eyes widening at the sight.

His imprint stood before him in nothing but a thin black spaghetti strapped tank top that showed the swell of her breasts and black lace panties. He caught Amaya and let her tackle him to her bed, the moonlight their only light, his vision absolutely perfect thanks to being a shape-shifter. Paul felt her lips crash against his and instantly rolled her over to where he hovered over her, knowing the discussion of imprinting would definitely have to wait.

He removed his shorts and ripped her panties right off her body, not caring about anything else except claiming his imprint in every way possible. Amaya’s violet instantly turned to a dark purple clouded over with barely contained desire, quickly removing her tank top as Paul covered her naked body with his. They didn’t even need a blanket and Amaya was glad she remembered to lock her bedroom door because she definitely didn’t want anyone barging on her in a compromising position.

The second Paul began filling her body, Amaya trembled from how intense the connection was and knew it had something to do with this imprinting he wanted to tell her about. The feeling of him rocking in and out of her body was enough to make Amaya fall over the edge, trying to hang on as long as she possibly could. Their first joining was more intense than anything Amaya ever felt with Jacob and she didn’t even feel guilty because they were broken up as far as she was concerned. Technically it wasn’t official, but him disappearing told Amaya that clearly they were over and all she wanted was Paul.

They silenced their passion noises by keeping their lips on each other or Amaya covering her mouth as well as his, digging her nails into his shoulders the harder he took her. Amaya loved every single second of it, their eyes locked when both couldn’t hold out any longer, spiraling out of control as Paul filled her with his seed and Amaya accepted every drop of it. When they both finally settled down, Paul could only pull Amaya to lie on top of him and ran his fingers through her hair, both of them hearing each other’s heartbeats.

“You’re my soul mate, Amaya.” Paul whispered in the dark after awhile, looking down as those black onyx eyes locked with violet, bringing her face up to kiss her softly. “And I’m done with running away from you.”

“Good.” Amaya didn’t even question what he meant by soul mate because somehow she understood it.

Curling up against him more, Amaya instantly fell asleep with Paul quickly following, both completely spent from their intense bout.

Chapter 28

~Present~

“We’ll find her Amaya, I promise.”

“HOW?!” Amaya sobbed, furious that she had left her sister alone in the bridal suite and felt the guilt nearly swallowing her whole. “How can you even say that when we don’t know who took her or what the fuck happened?”

After their night of passionate love making, Amaya invited Paul to the wedding as her date and he accepted without hesitation. It didn’t matter that it was a Cullen getting married, which warmed Amaya’s heart because that meant Paul didn’t have any animosity against them. Paul knew Sam wouldn’t be happy about it and honestly didn’t care, refusing to decline any offer to spend time with his imprint.

He finally managed to explain exactly what imprinting was to Amaya and all she did was kiss his lips, letting him know she understood fully and accepted it. Kyrine was beyond excited for her sister when Amaya told her about her night with Paul, glad she hadn’t minded the impromptu invitation. She’d never seen Amaya so happy and congratulated her, knowing Jacob had really hurt her when he disappeared. Whoever this Paul was, Kyrine knew he would never hurt her sister or maybe she would just full of positive energy on her wedding day.

Either way, both sisters had been incredibly happy.

Now they were both miserable, one missing while the other couldn’t stop sobbing in her boyfriend’s chest.

“It was definitely a dog.” Emmett growled, having been the first to go to the bridal suite to check on Kyrine because of her heart condition.

When Kyrine hadn’t shown up to meet Nicholas to be walked down the aisle, Emmett could feel instantly that something was wrong. He left the alter without preamble and went to see if she was alright in the bridal suite, knocking on the door. There was no answer and Emmett threw open the doors, noticing Kyrine was nowhere to be found, but her veil was lying crumpled on the floor with a note attached to it.

~She belongs to me and I will make sure you never change her into a monster.~

Emmett crushed the note in his hand and rushed out of the bridal suite, informing everyone that Kyrine had been kidnapped. Paul had immediately whipped his cell phone out calling Sam while the Cullen’s instantly got to work trying to locate Kyrine’s whereabouts. Alice had been able to see her in the arms of someone, though she couldn’t identify the face, only to disappear right before Alice’s vision became clear.

“Who the fuck could’ve kidnapped her?”

“Emmett, calm down.” Jasper ordered sternly, immediately using his powers to settle the groom down before he ended up ripping the entire place apart. “We will find her.”

Alice chewed her bottom lip, knowing deep down Emmett was right and looked over at Carlisle worriedly. “She’s gone, I can’t see her at all.” She flinched when Emmett suddenly hurled a chair across the room, not aiming for anyone thankfully.

Bella immediately rushed over to Alice, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, knowing everyone was on edge with Kyrine’s kidnapping. “Don’t worry; it’s not your fault.” She assured her sister, glaring at Edward and silently told him to stop Emmett somehow. “What do you mean you can’t see her at all?”

“I mean I can’t see her at all, so I have no idea who took her.” Alice felt like a failure, lowering her head with a heaving sigh. “It’s almost like…”

Bella watched Alice’s golden eyes suddenly flare, blinking. “Alice? Almost like what?”

She didn’t say anything at first and stared over at Edward, their golden eyes locking, communicating silently. “Are you certain?” Edward demanded heatedly, walking over to Alice, watching her nod curtly.

“Yes, there’s no doubt about it.”

“Will you two please stop that and just tell me before I lose my temper?” Bella demanded somewhat irritably, glancing over at the McTavian’s while Paul spoke heatedly in his phone to Sam. “Like WHAT?”

“Do you remember when I came to visit you, Bella?” Alice asked, catching her sister off guard and flashed a tight smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “After your cliff diving adventure? When we all thought you were dead, Edward included?”

The realization dawned in Bella’s eyes and she covered her mouth with her hand, staring at both Edward and Alice in disbelief. “You can’t see her because...”

“Kyrine is with a shape-shifter.” Edward finished Bella’s statement, clenching his jaw tightly and glared over at Paul, who clearly heard their entire conversation. “Luckily, Paul didn’t know anything about the kidnapping so he is not a suspect.”

Amaya followed Paul over to where the Cullen’s stood, keeping her hand clasped in his, trying not to start crying again. “Are you absolutely sure on your accusation?” Paul demanded gruffly, keeping his imprint close to his side, not trusting any of these bloodsuckers.

“We are not bloodsuckers; please do not call us that.” Edward grunted, not fazed when Paul shot him a glare. “And yes we are certain. It makes perfect sense because of what happened with Bella.”

Paul ignored Edward’s request, snorting.

“What happened with Bella?” Now Amaya was intrigued, refusing to just stand by and let everyone else help locate her sick sister, staring at Bella.

Bella sighed, not enjoying reliving these memories and felt Edward squeeze her hand encouragingly, smiling up at him temporarily. “Do you remember when I told you and Kyrine how Edward left me and Jacob had to help piece me back together?” When Amaya nodded, Bella continued. “Well, I began doing these dangerous stunts that heightened my adrenaline because that’s when I would see Edward and he warned me away from danger. I didn’t listen to him. I was so heartbroken and hurt over him leaving that I just didn’t care if I lived or died. Jacob had promised me we’d go cliff diving together because it’s what the pack does for fun. Only, I went by myself because Jacob had been put on double patrol to hunt down a vampire that was after me named Victoria. Long story, not going to get into it right now. Anyway, I felt so alone because Jacob stopped hanging around with me to keep my mind off of Edward’s betrayal, so I just jumped off the cliff by myself. Only…I thought I’d seen Victoria coming toward me because vampires can swim and she wasn’t technically on Quileute lands, so it would’ve been the perfect spot to kill me. It was a hallucination though and Jacob ended up saving me from the water.”

“I had a vision of Bella jumping off that cliff.” Alice piped in, still not believing Bella had pulled such a ridiculous stunt. “Only I thought she had drowned because I couldn’t see her being pulled out of the water. My visions are completely blank when it comes to the shape-shifters of La Push. They are our mortal enemies so there’s something inside of their minds that blocks me from seeing them, which is why I came back to Forks to pay my respects to Charlie, Bella’s father.”

“She didn’t need to though because as soon as she walked inside my house, she saw I was alive.” Bella finished, watching as Amaya’s jaw slowly dropped and then closed, violet eyes wide.

“So…you’re saying whoever took my sister is…a wolf?” She looked up at Paul with worry, having a sinking feeling she knew who it was, only Edward stepped up first.

“I know who took her.”

All eyes turned to Edward as he stood there, looking so sure of himself it was frightening and he didn’t look happy in the slightest. “What do you mean you know who took her?” Amaya demanded, not caring if he was a vampire and felt Paul hold her back before she could storm up to him. “Who was it?!”

Edward knew he would be in hot water with his wife for keeping this crucial information from everyone, but honestly didn’t feel it was necessary to say anything…until now. “It was Jacob Black.” He stated, looking over at Bella as her golden eyes widened in shock, nodding solemnly. “And I know why he did it too.”

“W-WHAT?!” Bella snapped, staring at her husband in disbelief. “What the hell do you mean you know why he took her? Edward Anthony Mason Cullen, you come clean to everyone right now what you know!!” She knew Edward was keeping something from her and Bella had a sinking feeling it was the final piece to the puzzle everyone had tried searching for.

Edward actually cringed at the full use of his name, knowing Bella was extremely upset with him and sat down in a nearby chair. “Jacob imprinted on Kyrine.” He looked up at Amaya, watching tears fill her violet eyes. “Much the same way Paul did to you, Amaya.”

Suddenly, it all made sense. The constant dreams of Jacob, the connection nobody could figure out and Kyrine’s constant confusion about why she couldn’t stop thinking of him. Bella looked over at Emmett and felt her dead heart break for him because there was absolutely nothing they could do about Kyrine’s kidnapping. She was on the reservation lands, which meant they would have to break the treaty in order to retrieve Kyrine and that was out of the question.

“MOTHER FUCKER!!” Emmett exploded, both Jasper and Carlisle holding him back as his eyes suddenly turned to pure black, his rage not being able to be contained any longer. “SHE’S NOT HIS!! SHE’S MINE!!”

“With all due respect, she does belong to Jacob.” Paul stated, ignoring the incredulous look Amaya gave him, squaring his shoulders. “When the pack members imprint on someone, no matter who it is, they are that pack member’s soul mate. Kyrine was always meant to be with Jacob and he didn’t have the balls to tell her or anyone about it.” He was angry at his pack brother for keeping such a big secret and couldn’t believe this was happening. “There’s nothing we can do about it, it’s done.”

“What do you mean it’s done?” Amaya demanded, stepping away from Paul finally, looking up at him with angry violet eyes. “There is no done about it! Kyrine doesn’t love Jacob! She loves Emmett and she deserves to be with who she loves!!”

“Amaya, she’s been having dreams about him and the connection is undeniable. It has hurt her to be away from him, but it could’ve been blocked whenever Emmett was around her because he’s the enemy.” Paul explained softly, trying to get her to understand and sighed when she shook her head. “Kyrine is Jacob’s soul mate, his imprint, and there is no way he’s going to let her marry a…”

“A what?” Amaya spat angrily, gritting her teeth. “Just say it, Paul.”

“A vampire.” He wasn’t going to call any of the Cullen’s a bloodsucker in front of them because it was disrespectful. “I’m sorry, baby. I wish there was something I could do, but she doesn’t belong with Emmett…”

“SHE WILL DIE IF SHE DOESN’T MARRY HIM!!” Amaya shrieked, pushing on his chest as hard as she possibly could and wanted to beat the hell out of Jacob for doing this to her family. “HER HEART WILL GIVE OUT AND EVERYONE WILL LOSE HER, INCLUDING HIM!!”

Paul hated seeing his imprint so upset and torn up about this, but there was nothing he could do about it. “I know.” He whispered, knowing Jacob would have to be killed in order to rip Kyrine away from him, his imprint, shivering with dread at the thought.

“Jacob told me once that he’d rather see me dead than become a vampire.” Bella stated out of nowhere, her voice full of anger and sorrow, looking at the bewildered McTavian’s. “And I know that’s exactly what he’s thinking when it comes to Kyrine. She is his imprint and he’d rather have her die a human than become one of us.”

“That does make sense.” Paul couldn’t help agreeing, wishing Amaya would let him pull her into his arms.

“So he doesn’t care if she lives or dies? As long as she’s human while doing it?!” Amaya couldn’t believe this and stormed out of the building, running as fast as her heels could carry her. “JACOB BLACK, YOU BRING HER BACK TO US RIGHT NOW!!” She bellowed as soon as she was outside, dropping to her knees in the snow and sobbed her heart out, knowing time was running out for Kyrine. “KYRIE!!!”

Paul rushed out after his imprint while the Cullen’s convened to try to figure out what to do while Jasper constantly controlled Emmett’s emotions. “Carlisle, there’s nothing we can do for her? She doesn’t want to be with Jacob. She wants to be with Emmett.” Alice looked at her adopted father with pleading golden eyes, knowing they could not step foot on the reservation without breaking the treaty. “There has to be.”

Carlisle sighed resignedly, running a hand through his slick pale blonde hair. “Unfortunately, I am not willing to break the treaty with the wolves over this.” As much as Carlisle hated admitting it, a human being kidnapped and brought to the reservation wasn’t something he was willing to start a war over…even if it was on Emmett’s wedding day. “I’m sorry.”

Esme stayed silent, not knowing what to say honestly with these sudden turn of events.

“How could you keep something this vital away from us, Edward?” Bella was furious with her husband and smacked him upside the head, growling. “This is your entire fault!! If you would’ve just been honest with me instead of lying, this could’ve all been avoided!! We didn’t know what the connection is between Kyrine and Jacob and now it’s too late because of you!! You knew the ENTIRE time Jacob had imprinted on Kyrine and didn’t say anything!! HOW DARE YOU!!”

“Bella love…”

“DON’T YOU DARE PULL THAT BELLA LOVE BULLSHIT ON ME, EDWARD CULLEN!! INSTEAD, EXPLAIN TO EMMETT WHY HE’LL PROBABLY NEVER GET TO BE WITH THE ONE HE LOVES!!” Bella shrieked irately and was the next to leave the building, needing space away from her husband for his stupid decision to lie to her.

Edward couldn’t even look at any of his family members and knew if he didn’t leave, Emmett would try killing him. He could tell that everyone was extremely disappointed and angry with him, not blaming them a bit because what Bella said was completely true. He should’ve came clean with the information he knew and didn’t because he it was none of his business who Jacob imprinted on.

Even if it was Emmett’s girlfriend/fiancée, he didn’t feel it was necessary at the time, not even after Bella came home from the hospital calling Alice and asking if she’d seen any visions with her and Kyrine lately. Alice hadn’t and now everyone knew why: It was because of Jacob’s imprint on Kyrine. Emmett couldn’t take it anymore as he watched Edward walk out of the building and punched Jasper in the face, overcoming all the gifts thrown at him, storming out while Alice tended to her love.

Kyrine would be back in his arms, Emmett silently vowed, and ran off into the woods as snow began falling.

Chapter 29

After convincing the McTavian’s not to call the police about Kyrine being kidnapped, Paul decided it was time to pay Jacob a visit. Amaya refused to stay behind, wanting to see her sister and Paul couldn’t deny his imprint anything, knowing she was worried. He could feel it right down to his bone marrow and Paul hated it because there was nothing he could do to help her. The only thing that would was Amaya seeing her sister safe and alive, which is what Paul was hoping to accomplish by going to Jacob’s.

“I’m going to maim him for ruining Kyrine’s wedding.” Amaya growled, sitting back against the seat of Paul’s truck, the anger radiating off of her causing Paul to physically flinch.

“May, you can’t attack him or he won’t let you see her.” Paul reasoned, wondering why the Quileute gods would think a woman with a temper more heated than his would be his perfect match. “We have to stay calm.”

“Fuck that!” Amaya snapped, staring over at Paul like he’d lost his mind, violet eyes lit completely on fire. “He kidnapped her and you expect me to act all hunky dory around him?! I’m going to beat the hell out of him for trying to kill my sister!!”

Paul knew Amaya would only end up getting hurt and suddenly stopped the truck, pulling over on the side of the road. He held his hand up when Amaya began ranting at him, stopping her instantly. There was no way he could bring Amaya to Jacob’s with her in this frame of mind, knowing it would simply end in disaster. Jacob wasn’t in the right frame of mind himself so the more level-headed people around him, the better off the situation would be.

“I know you’re angry right now, May, and I don’t blame you. But if you go there the way you are now, you’re going to make everything blow up.” Paul explained, keeping his voice calm and cool, trying to diminish some of the fire in those violet eyes he normally thought were beautiful.

Right now, they were downright frightening.

No matter how much Amaya wanted to argue with Paul, she knew he was right and lowered her eyes to her lap, folding her hands. What was she supposed to do? Walk into Jacob’s acting like everything was alright when in reality it was a complete disaster?

He was killing her sister by keeping Kyrine from marrying Emmett, knowing being changed into a vampire was the only way to save her. Another heart could take years to find, it wasn’t easy to find and Amaya couldn’t lose her sister because it would completely destroy her. It was selfish thinking, but Amaya was willing to do and sacrifice just about everything and anything to keep her sister existing, even as a vampire.

She would still be the same Kyrine.

“I just want to see Kyrie.” Amaya whispered, all the anger draining out of her body, knowing Paul wouldn’t start up the truck unless she calmed down. “Please.”

Eyeballing her for a few seconds, Paul could see and feel her calming down and fired up the truck, heading toward La Push. He didn’t mean to be so strict with her, but Paul also knew that Jacob’s mindset wasn’t stable and didn’t want to end up killing his pack brother for hurting his imprint. What happened before the imprinting between Jacob and Amaya wasn’t his business and Paul was letting it slide. However, the second Paul did imprint on Amaya, she became his number one priority besides the pack and anything Jacob did to her was now his business.

The rest of the ride to Jacob’s was made in silence, Paul silently sending a prayer to the Quileute gods that nothing bad happened when they arrived.

~!~

Midnight blue eyes slowly fluttered open as a soft groan resonated around the room, her body slowly coming alive. Kyrine blinked several times to adjust her vision, staring up at a ceiling that didn’t look recognizable. Her head swam a little so Kyrine couldn’t sit up right away, waiting for the dizziness to diminish. When Kyrine felt a little better and stronger, she finally managed to push herself up from the small bed she occupied.

She definitely wasn’t in the bridal suite or anywhere that looked familiar, which instantly put Kyrine on alert and tried taking several deep breaths to slow her heart rate. She swung her legs from the bed to the floor, the soft swish sound making her look down and felt tears sting her eyes, fingering the fabric of her wedding dress. Kyrine tried racking her mind to remember what happened, but all that came to mind was the bridal suite.

She was heading for the door to marry Emmett and then everything went black.

Had she gotten married and just didn’t remember it?

Where was she?

Had she passed out in the bridal suite because of her health condition?

All those questions ran through her mind as Kyrine continued looking around the small room she was in, nothing memorable jumping out at her. “Emmett?” She called out timidly, slowly standing up from the bed, feeling a sense of fear consume her. “Hello?”

He watched her from the dark corner of the room in a chair, not making a single sound, gritting his teeth when she called out the bloodsucker’s name. That would all change soon; he would make sure of it. Dark eyes slowly ran down the length of her body, the wedding dress making her look like a beautiful angel…his beautiful angel. It was risky what he did, but there was no turning back and it was the only way to get Kyrine completely alone with him in human form.

“He’s not here.”

Kyrine jumped at the sound of the low voice, whipping around faster than she should’ve blue eyes wide in pure fright now. “W-Who’s there?” She stammered out, already backing up, her heart pounding furiously. “Show yourself!”

“You sure you want that?” The dark voice asked, watching as Kyrine squinted her eyes to try making out the dark figure she finally spotted in the corner.

“Yes.” Kyrine felt her eyes widen even more when the dark figure slowly rose in the corner, the rickety sound telling her he’d been sitting in a chair of some kind, watching her. “W-Who are you? P-Please don’t hurt me…”

The terror in her voice broke his heart. “I could never hurt you, Kyrine.” He rumbled in a soothing tone, trying to calm her down and could already feel the intense pull to her. “You’re the love of my life; I couldn’t hurt you even if I tried.”

That wasn’t comforting to hear. “Love of your life?” Kyrine swallowed hard, watching as the dark figure slowly moved toward her from the corner, feeling her back hit the wall, a few tears slipping down her cheeks. “I-I don’t understand…”

“You will soon enough.” The figure promised, moving slowly so he didn’t scare her anymore than she already was. “Everything is gonna be explained to you, Kyrine. You’ll finally understand it all.”

“W-What are you talking about?”

Kyrine felt up the wall trying to find either a light switch or doorknob, anything to get her farther away from this strange man. The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but Kyrine immediately pushed it out of her mind, too terrified to register anything. As far as she knew, Emmett was the only love of her life and nothing would change that, no matter what this kidnapper did to her. If he hurt Emmett…Kyrine gritted her teeth at the thought and finally found a switch, flipping it on, her heart nearly stopping at who was standing before her.

“JACOB?!”

It took a few seconds for Jacob’s eyes to adjust to the light, since the room was pitch black, and nodded back at his imprint. “Hello again, Kyrine.” He couldn’t move toward her because of how scared she was, wanting to reach out and pull her into his arms to drive all of that fear away.

“What the hell is going on here?” Kyrine demanded, feeling a little braver now that she knew who the dark figure was, eyes narrowing. “Where’s Amaya? Where are Emmett and my parents?”

Jacob fought back the anger at the mention of the bloodsucker again, though it flashed through his dark eyes and took a step toward her. “I don’t know where Amaya is, probably off somewhere with Paul and I don’t care where the bloodsucker is, as long as he’s nowhere near you.”

“Emmett is not a bloodsucker, don’t call him that!” Kyrine snapped, becoming defensive over her fiancé being called something that vulgar. “Where am I and what’s going on, Jacob? I demand to know right now!”

For a woman who was on the verge of dying, Kyrine had a lot of fire and that just made the pull that much more intense toward her. “I call all vampires bloodsuckers because that’s what they are.” He stated, folding his arms in front of his chest and was ready for the fight Jacob knew would happen the moment he decided to kidnap her. “You’re in my house in La Push, far away from him. You don’t belong with a bloodsucker, Kyrine. You belong with me and you don’t want to change into a damn corpse! That’s exactly what you’d be, your heart would no longer beat and you’d be living off drinking blood! You’d be a monster and I refuse to let my soul mate become a bloodsucker!”

“Soul mate?” Kyrine blinked, her anger temporarily gone because Jacob’s was scaring her a little. “Jacob, I’m not-”

“YES YOU ARE!!” He roared, suddenly stalking over to where she stood, pinning her to the wall and cupped her face with his trembling hand, dark eyes boring into hers. “You are my soul mate, Kyrine. You’re my imprint and you belong with me, not him. I know you feel the pull to me and I know you’ve been dreaming about me.”

Her eyes widened when he said that, Kyrine breathing a little heavier as her hands pressed back against the wall, wishing she could disappear through it. How did he know she’d been dreaming about him? How did he know about the strong connection she’d tried ignoring for months, ever since they first met at the movie theater the night of the double date? His hand felt as if it scorched her cheek and the body heat was making her heady; Kyrine could feel the barely contained anger radiating off of him.

“What’s an imprint?” She quietly asked, refusing to acknowledge any of the other accusations, trying like hell to keep the shakiness out of her voice.

Amaya hadn’t told her about being imprinted on by Paul? Now things were getting even more interesting and Jacob slowly pulled his hand from her face, the softness of her skin feeling wonderful. Her scent engulfed every part of him, which instantly relaxed Jacob as the anger disappeared for the time being, but it would return if she mentioned the bloodsucker. He went to take her hand and Kyrine immediately snatched it away, her lips pressed in one firm grim line, still having fight left in her.

“I’m surprised you don’t know considering Amaya is Paul’s imprint.” He watched the flicker of emotions in Kyrine’s eyes, chuckling ruefully. “She didn’t tell you.” He stepped away and held his hands up, sinking down on his small bed, his eyes never leaving her. “First off, you know what I am, right?”

“Amaya told me about it.”

Jacob nodded, not surprised by that and ran a hand through his hair. “Imprinting on someone means that we’ve found our soul mate in life. We will never love anyone as much as the person we imprint on. Our entire universe and life revolves around them and we’re anything our imprint needs us to be. Brother, best friend, lover, companion, whatever they need is what we are to them at the time. It develops overtime depending on what age we find our imprint. An imprint is like a soul mate, she is the perfect match and the one the Quileute gods of the tribe have chosen for us. Paul imprinted on Amaya, which is why we’re not together anymore…one of the reasons.” Jacob took a deep breath to pause with the explanation, seeing the conflicting emotion in Kyrine’s eyes. “Amaya wasn’t meant to be with me. The night at the movie theater when we first met…I imprinted on you.”

Kyrine felt as if her knees could buckle, feeling them shaking and blinked as more tears slid down her cheeks. “H-How could you do that to me?” She whispered heartbrokenly, feeling as if her entire world was crashing around her with nowhere to go.

“It’s out of our control. We don’t decide who we imprint on, Kyrine.” Jacob stated, knowing somewhere deep down she believed every word he said. “Once we imprint, there is this magnetic attraction and pull that is overpowering and it physically hurts us to be away from our imprint. It nearly killed me when Amaya told me you were marrying that…THING.” He decided not to upset her further by calling Emmett a bloodsucker, eyes narrowing. “The thought of MY imprint, MY soul mate, wanting to marry a bloodsucker, my natural-born enemy, was too much for me to handle. That’s why I disappeared for the past couple of months because I couldn’t deal with the pain of what your upcoming wedding was doing to me. I couldn’t handle knowing that my imprint, the one the Quileute gods chose for me, was going to be changed into a bloodsucking monster that I would end up hating and wanting to destroy.”

“You’re lying.” Kyrine practically growled, her fists clenched tightly at her sides, the anger beginning to surface as it poured from her body in thick waves. “You actually think I’d believe the amount of bullshit coming out of your mouth? You’re a heartless monster, not Emmett!! I don’t believe a word you say!! You didn’t imprint on me, you just wanted me for yourself and used my sister to get to me!!” Now it all made sense to Kyrine and the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to rip him apart. “You kidnapped me from the most important day of my life, only to tell me I’m your soul mate or whatever? Seriously?! NO!! The ONLY man I belong with is Emmett Cullen and he will come for me! He will come for me and kill you for doing this!!”

“I’M NOT LYING TO YOU, KYRINE!! DO YOU THINK I WANTED THIS? DO YOU THINK I WANTED TO IMPRINT ON SOMEONE WHO DOESN’T WANT ME? I DID ALL OF THIS BECAUSE YOU NEEDED TO KNOW THE TRUTH BEFORE YOU ENDED UP MAKING A BIG MISTAKE!!” Jacob roared, letting his own temper get the better of him, but didn’t move toward her in case he ended up phasing like he did with Amaya. He refused to hurt his imprint. “You don’t belong with him and you damn well know it.” If he could just make her see the truth, somehow, then Jacob knew Kyrine would have no choice in accepting him. “I love you and you love me…”

“Don’t say that!!” Kyrine cried, holding her head in her hands, feeling her heart shattering into pieces. “I DON’T LOVE YOU, I LOVE EMMETT!! I’M NOT YOUR SOUL MATE, IMPRINT, WHATEVER THE HELL YOU CALL IT!! I DON’T BELONG WITH YOU AND I NEVER WILL!! SO STOP ALL OF THIS AND LET ME GO!!”

Jacob growled, storming over to her and took her by the upper arms, making her tear-filled midnight blue eyes lock with his. “You do love me and the sooner you come to terms with it, the better off you’ll be. I’m not letting you go and there’s nothing that bloodsucker can do to save you from the truth. If he comes into our territory, he will die.” His voice had lowered into a tone that sent a shiver of dread down Kyrine’s spine and it showed in her eyes.

“No! You can’t kill him!!” Kyrine began struggling against him, but Jacob’s grip was too strong on her arms, shaking her head violently. “LET ME GO!!”

“I will if he comes near you again.” Jacob vowed darkly, leaning forward to brush the tears away with his lips, feeling her trembling against him in pure fear. “I will rip him apart limb from limb and burn the pieces, he will never come near you again and you’ll never see him again, Kyrine. You are MINE.”

Kyrine gasped when Jacob’s lips suddenly crashed against hers aggressively, the grip on her arms moving to wrap his arms around her waist, pulling her from the wall to crush against his body. She knew Jacob wouldn’t loosen his grip on her unless Kyrine pretended to reciprocate the kiss, which is what she did. As soon as she found an opening, Kyrine took it as she brought her knee up as hard as she could, nailing him between the legs and shoved him away from her with all the strength she had. Jacob roared out in pain as he curled up in a ball holding his junk while Kyrine found the door and tossed it open, rushing out with tears flying behind her.

“I’LL NEVER BE YOURS!!” She screamed over her shoulder, pushing open the screen door to the house and lifted her dress to run down the wooden steps. Only to stop short when a truck suddenly pulled up to the small house and the individuals that stepped out sent a wave of relief crashing over Kyrine. “AMAYA!!”

Chapter 30

The moment the truck came to a stop, Amaya had hopped out of the truck and ran straight for her frantic sister, both of them embracing tightly. Tears of sheer relief slid down Amaya’s face, thankful her sister was unscathed and unharmed, refusing to let her go. She didn’t know what Jacob was capable of, especially after what he’d done to her, one of the many reasons why she’d begged Paul to take her to La Push.

“Shhh it’s alright, Kyrie…” Amaya crooned, rubbing her sister’s back while Kyrine sobbed against her openly, looking over at Paul with narrowed violet eyes. “Did he hurt you?”

“N-No…” Kyrine could barely get that out from how hard she sobbed, clinging to her sister for dear life. “P-Please get me out of here, M-Maya…”

Amaya knew she couldn’t do that, not without being stopped by Paul, having promised not to try running off with Kyrine. “Just calm down first, Kyrie; your heart can’t take this and you know it.” She could already feel Kyrine relaxing a little and nodded, running her fingers through her sister’s dark chestnut hair.

Something she only did when Kyrine had to calm down quickly.

“I-I don’t understand…” Kyrine stammered out once she relaxed a little more, staring into Amaya’s helpless violet orbs. “Please tell me what’s going on, Maya. I’m so lost. Where’s Emmett? I thought you would’ve surely brought him with you…”

Amaya sighed heavily, wishing with all her heart she could’ve done that, but knew it was impossible. “The Cullen’s, or any vampire for that matter, aren’t allowed on the reservation…or in La Push for that matter.” She watched Kyrine’s eyes widen slightly. “It’s part of the treaty the pack has with the Cullen’s, which is the only reason why they’ve stuck around in Forks as long as they have.”

“E-Emmett can’t come here?” Kyrine felt light-headed and had to sit down, suddenly sinking down in the grass in her wedding dress, seeing Amaya carrying something over her shoulder. “So he can’t save me from your psycho ex-boyfriend?”

Amaya couldn’t help smiling because that was genuinely the perfect term to describe Jacob Black at the moment, sitting down with her. “No he can’t…and neither can I.” Now she couldn’t meet Kyrine’s eyes, feeling tears fill her own, sniffling. “Believe me Kyrie, if I could take you away from here right now, I would in a heartbeat so you could marry Emmett, but I can’t…”

“Why not?” Kyrine demanded, wiping tears away and could feel her body filling with barely suppressed anger. “What’s stopping us from getting in that car right now and driving back home? Why aren’t the authorities here? Chief Swan would surely help me…”

Kyrine’s words died when Amaya simply shook her hand, taking Kyrine’s hand in her own, squeezing it gently. “One of the stipulations Paul gave me before he brought me to see you was that I couldn’t in any way, shape or form help you escape from La Push. If I do…I’ll betray him and I can’t do that, Kyrie. He’s my soul mate…”

Scoffing, Kyrine tore her hand out of her sister’s and stood up from the grass, not caring that her dress was completely destroyed, pursing her lips tightly together, which had a slight blue tint to them. “Then what the hell are you doing here?” She asked heatedly, folding her arms in front of her chest, not believing she was kidnapped and nobody could do anything to help her. “What about Mom and Dad? Why haven’t they called for reinforcements?”

“Because Paul convinced them not to.” Amaya refused to move from the ground while Kyrine stood above her, knowing her sister was angry because she could feel it radiating off of her body. “Because you’re Jacob’s imprint, the pack can’t do anything to stop him from what he’s done to you and that’s including keeping you here against your will.”

“I AM NOT HIS IMPRINT!!” Kyrine exploded, actually stomping her feet and clutched her chest when a pain zipped through her heart, forcing her to her knees as more tears fell. “NO!! It’s not true!! It can’t be true!! How could I possibly be destined to be with such a monster like him?! I LOVE EMMETT, NOT HIM!!”

Amaya pulled Kyrine into her arms instantly, knowing this wasn’t easy for her sister to hear and felt tears of her own falling. “You are though, Kyrie…” She whispered, rocking Kyrine in her arms back and forth while both of them clung to each other for dear life. “Paul imprinted on me just the way Jacob imprinted on you, which is why we could never work out. That’s why he treated me the way he did because I wasn’t his soul mate and the guys can’t help who they imprint on…”

“I-I don’t believe that…” Kyrine hiccupped through new sobs, burying her face in her hands, shaking her head back and forth repeatedly. “I won’t believe it ever. I can’t be his imprint, soul mate or whatever you call it. My heart belongs with Emmett. I want to be with him. I don’t want to be with Jacob Black. I HATE JACOB BLACK!!”

Honestly not blaming her sister for how she felt, Amaya could only hold her tighter in case Kyrine tried doing something irrational, like running away from her. “You may say that now, but judging from what you told me about your dreams and everything that involved Jacob…”

“None of that matters.” Kyrine whispered, wishing she hadn’t said anything about those stupid dreams because all it resulted in was her being kidnapped. “I want Emmett, nobody else. He’s the only one who can save me from this heart condition and open me up to a whole new way of living. Granted, my heart won’t beat with life anymore, but I’ll still be here and I’ll still be me…”

Amaya knew that wouldn’t happen, but didn’t say anything more, not wanting to upset her sister further, simply continuing holding her close because she only had so much time with Kyrine before Paul would whisk her away.

While the girls stood in the yard reconciling, Paul had stopped Jacob from going after Kyrine when he stumbled out the front door. “What did you do to her?” Paul demanded gruffly, trying to keep the anger out of his tone. “No, more important question, what the hell were you thinking kidnapping her, Jake? Have you completely lost your damn mind?” He held his hand up when Jacob went to open his mouth, growling and shoved his pack brother right back into the house, wanting to give the girls a moment alone. “Don’t answer that either, just sit your ass down.”

“No! She can’t run away!” Jacob shouted and blinked when Paul shoved him full force on the couch, causing him to actually tip the couch slightly. “She’s my imprint!”

“No shit!” Paul growled, towering over Jacob and dared him to try getting past him out of the door. “She’s not going anywhere; Amaya promised me she wouldn’t try leaving La Push with Kyrine.” It was one of the stipulations Paul gave Amaya before even agreeing to bring her to see Kyrine.

“How can you trust anything that woman says?” Jacob muttered, groaning when Paul whacked him upside the head, growling. “What the fuck, man?”

“You deserve that and much more.” Paul snarled crossly, dark eyes staring a hole through his pack brother, trying to maintain his temper.

He was known as the ill-tempered wolf of the pack and Paul was giving himself credit for not ripping Jacob apart already, especially after what he did to Amaya four months ago. However, at the same time, he owed Jacob for scaring the hell out of Amaya because Paul had found his imprint and love of his life. He wished he would’ve met Amaya sooner, but it was like that old saying goes: Good things come to those who wait. Paul waited patiently and started to think he would never imprint…that was until he had to rescue Amaya from freezing to death in pouring rain.

“Just be grateful I haven’t kicked the shit out of you for what you did to Amaya.” Paul added, sitting down on the couch as they both stared straight ahead, the tension so thick in the air it couldn’t be cut with a knife.

Jacob sighed heavily because he did deserve a beating from what he did to Amaya. He honestly hadn’t meant to slash her arm or even phase in front of her twice, but Jacob had lost as sense of sagacity when Amaya told him Kyrine was marrying a bloodsucker. Paul had every right to tear him to shreds and Jacob wouldn’t fight back because, if the roles were reversed, he would’ve torn Paul apart for hurting his imprint.

When Jacob didn’t say anything, Paul decided he was going to force his pack brother to talk. “I’m only going to ask this one more time: What the hell were you thinking, Jake?” Paul demanded, trying to maintain his temper and listened in outside just in case Amaya went back on her word. “You know she’s dying from a heart condition and you kidnapped her on her wedding day! That probably caused a lot of strain on her heart and sped up the process of it weakening, you idiot.”

“I did what I had to do.” Jacob growled, also keeping his ears peeled because if he even heard the car door open, he would be flying out the door with or without Paul’s consent. “She was going to become a bloodsucker if she married that leech.”

“That’s her decision, Jake.” Paul held up his hand when Jacob went to argue, shaking his head. “It doesn’t matter that you imprinted on her, she has EVERY right to ignore it and be with someone else. That’s her CHOICE. You can’t force her to be with you, Jake, just like I can’t force Amaya to be with me. Granted, she wants to be with me willingly and I’m thankful for that, but if she truly wanted to marry someone else, even if it was a bloodsucker, I would deal with it because it’s what would make her happy.” He explained, trying to make Jacob understand the huge error of his ways. “Do you understand what I’m getting at?”

Jacob didn’t want to agree with Paul because he hated how right Paul was, growling in frustration. “But her becoming one of THEM would break the treaty.” He pointed out gruffly, watching Paul’s eyebrow slowly rise. “Bella was different. She was dying…”

“Just like Kyrine is.” Paul shot back, clasping his hands tightly in front of him, his elbows resting on his knees. “Kyrine is dying, Jake, and it’s out of everyone’s control. She’s doing what she feels is best for her and keeping her on the rez away from Emmett is only going to drive her further away from you.”

“I just need a little more time…” Jacob tried using every excuse in the book, too stubborn to see the error of his ways, standing up from the couch, but didn’t move to leave the house. “She just needs a little more time to find a heart and then she won’t have to resort to becoming a bloodsucking monster.”

Paul sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. “What if she wants to be a vampire?” He suddenly asked, watching Jacob whip around as their eyes locked. “What if she wants to be a bloodsucking monster and live forever with Emmett Cullen?”

Not wanting to think about that, Jacob walked over to stare out the window, seeing Amaya was still holding Kyrine tightly against her as they quietly spoke. “I’ll change her mind. She just needs to be with me for a little while and then…”

“She will die if you keep her on the rez, Black.” Paul growled, wondering what part of that statement Jacob did not understand because it was pretty self-explanatory. “So you’re willing to kill her instead of letting her choose her own path?”

“Paul, she is my imprint, my soul mate. I’m not letting her go and if I have to kill that bloodsucker to make it happen, so be it.” Jacob rammed his fist into the wall, putting a hole right through it and closed his eyes tightly shut, breathing heavily. “I once told Bella that I’d rather see her dead buried in the ground than marry Cullen, but I only said it out of spite because I THOUGHT she was the one for me. Kyrine is different, she IS my imprint and I’d rather lose her to a disease I can’t heal than let her run off with a bloodsucker and lose her soul.”

Every word that came out of Jacob’s mouth actually scared Paul, which wasn’t easy to do, because the man meant every word. He didn’t know what else to say to make Jacob realize what he was doing to his imprint was wrong, having promised Amaya he would try talking to Jacob into letting Kyrine back to Forks. That clearly wasn’t happening and Paul felt like a failure to his own imprint, knowing he nor the rest of the pack could get involved because they would be going against one of their own kind, especially when it came to an imprint.

If Jacob physically hurt Kyrine in any way, like rape or a brutal beating, then the pack would be allowed to step in to rescue her, but he hadn’t done any of those things. Until he did, the pack had to stay out of it and that included Paul or else he would be going against the tribe, which wasn’t going to happen. As much as he loved Amaya, he couldn’t do that to the pack, his loyalty lay with them and because bloodsuckers were involved, he definitely had to choose the pack over everything to do with this situation. Given Jacob was simply keeping his imprint away from bloodsuckers, Paul definitely couldn’t intervene in any way, shape or form, hoping Amaya understood.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, Jake.” Paul finally said, not knowing what else could be said because Jacob’s mind was one-tracked right now. “You do know that her doctor is…”

“I know.” Jacob cut him off, turning to stare at Paul again. “And if her heart does give out before they can find her a new one, THEN I’ll allow Cullen to step in to help her. But she’s not going to become a bloodsucker to save her life. There is no life becoming a bloodsucker, just an eternity of never-ending pain and savagery. And if she does die, her last memory will be of me, nobody else, and it will be in my arms.”

Both men could only stare out the window at their imprints, Paul wondering if he was doing the right thing by standing aside and letting Jacob do what he wanted with Kyrine while Jacob watched to see if Amaya would try escaping with his imprint. They definitely wouldn’t get far; Jacob would make sure of it and felt his eyes narrow at the sight of Amaya whispering something in Kyrine’s ear. He didn’t care if she was Paul’s imprint, if she went against him, it meant she was an enemy of the pack and he would stop her from taking his imprint back to Emmett Cullen.

Kyrine belonged to Jacob now and forever.

Chapter 31

Everyone at the Cullen house was on edge, especially after what happened with the wedding. Emmett refused to talk to anyone and Carlisle had no idea what to do about the situation because he couldn’t break the treaty. Emmett was like a son to him, there was no doubt about that, but after finding out that Kyrine was Jacob Black’s imprint complicated things. Esme agreed with her husband, there was no way they could break the treaty and start unnecessary war, but that didn’t stop Carlisle from worrying about his current heart patient.

Kyrine was running out of time, one of the reasons why they bumped the wedding up, because the LVAD wasn’t buying her as much time as he originally thought it would. Carlisle rubbed his forehead while sitting in his office, trying to figure out what the right thing to do was. If he went to the reservation, he would be torn apart by the pack, but Carlisle had to find out Kyrine’s status somehow. He suddenly thought of Amaya and immediately dismissed the idea because Amaya was with Paul now; her loyalty was to the pack and not them.

“Carlisle, do you have a minute?” Alice asked from the doorway, having kept her thoughts about what happened at the wedding hidden because she honestly didn’t know what to think about it. “It’s important.”

“Of course Alice, come in.” Carlisle waved her in with an uneasy smile, hating all the tension the Cullen house suddenly held. “What is on your mind?”

Alice chewed her bottom lip, not sure how to go about saying this without upsetting Carlisle further, but couldn’t keep this information to herself. “I had a vision,” She began hesitantly, not taking a seat across from Carlisle because she couldn’t keep still, instead pacing back and forth slowly. “And it involves Emmett.”

Carlisle’s eyebrow went up, his focus fully on Alice. “What happens in your vision?” He somewhat demanded, knowing Emmett hadn’t come home after the kidnapping of his fiancée and they had no idea where he was.

Alice swallowed hard, sadness entering her golden eyes. “Someone kills him, Carlisle. I don’t know who yet because the killer in my vision is blurry, but…someone is going to try killing him.” She watched as Carlisle stood up from his desk, worry evident in his eyes. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t keep this hidden and I know you’ve been through a lot lately…”

“Don’t apologize, Alice.” Carlisle stated, walking over to place his hands on Alice’s shoulders. “I need you and Jasper to go out, find Emmett and bring him back here immediately. If he’s here, that means he’s safe. Do you have any idea who might be after him?”

Alice shook her head with a deep frown. “I wish I did, but it looks as though there’s more than one person involved…” Suddenly, she had a thought and looked up at Carlisle, their eyes locking and apparently brains too. “The Volturi?”

“Why would they want Emmett dead though?”

Carlisle had the same thought Alice did, but the connection didn’t make sense, both of them even more worried now. He dismissed the Volturi for the moment, even though they did have problems with them in the past, because there was no reason to target them automatically when there had been no inclination that the Volturi was angry with Emmett. The last time they’d had problems with the Volturi, Alice’s visions had been more frequent and not abrupt like this.

“It’s not Edward, is it?” He hoped not, Edward had made himself scarce along with the rest of his family because of the secret he kept regarding Jacob imprinting on Kyrine. “You don’t think Emmett and Edward get into an altercation and…”

“No.” Alice was confident in her answer, shaking her head. “If it was Edward, the vision wouldn’t have been blurry. I don’t think it’s the Volturi either. We haven’t had problems with them in years.” She rubbed her temples, wishing her vision had been clearer, hating it when they looked like shimmers in a pond. “It was dark and in the woods, I know that much. I think that’s why the vision is blurry because of the surrounding of where it happens. It’s somewhere in the woods here in Forks.”

“We have to find him immediately.” Carlisle rushed past Alice and called out to the Cullen clan, knowing it would take the entire family to find Emmett. “Alice, I need you to go retrieve Edward, Bella and Nessie, they need to help with this. We’re family and it’s about time we start acting like it.”

Alice nodded and Carlisle soon had Jasper follow because of his ability to control emotions, knowing it wouldn’t be easy convincing Edward to help with the search.

~!~

Sad red eyes stared out into the night as the wind blew through her pale blonde hair, dressed from head to toe in dark red velvet spun from the finest material in Volterra. She lived like a queen here and was treated as such, having a huge house and could do anything she wanted. That included drinking human blood instead of animal, which had also been a nice change, but something was missing from her existence. Even with everything she had in Volterra, Rosalie wasn’t satisfied and deep down in her dead cold heart she knew why.

Emmett.

She missed her ex-husband very much, not able to stop thinking about him lately and didn’t understand why. Then the Volturi gave her the answers she needed the previous night during a gorging of twenty humans, one of the Volturi’s so-called celebrations. It was for Rosalie and Alec because Alec had asked her to marry him, Rosalie accepted and the Volturi gave them first turn at having any of the humans they wanted. It was a bloody engagement present, one that Alec enjoyed thoroughly and Rosalie had to pretend she did as well.

The beautiful blood red stone cut in the shape of a square shined on her left ring finger and Rosalie knew she should’ve been happy, but she was miserable. The stone felt like it weighed a thousand pounds on her stone finger and Rosalie suddenly found herself wondering why she ever agreed to the marriage to Alec. Granted, sex was amazing with Alec and she enjoyed spending time with him, but it didn’t feel right because he wasn’t Emmett.

After the gorging, the Volturi were making lewd comments about each of the vampire clans who refused to join them and the Cullen’s came up. That was when Aro announced that he’d heard from the Denali that Emmett was going to marry a human girl, but she’d been kidnapped on their wedding day. The Denali had been invited from Alaska to attend the ceremony and relayed the information to Aro shortly after the kidnapping happened, though Aro wasn’t about to get the Volturi involved.

Rosalie could not believe this!

Emmett, HER MONKEY MAN, was going to marry a HUMAN blood bag?! Whoever kidnapped the human had done the right thing because the only person Emmett should be with is HER! Rosalie was already planning on going back to Forks as soon as she could sneak away from the Volturi, which wasn’t an easy task and beg Emmett to take her back. It wouldn’t be too hard; she knew Emmett could never love anyone as much as her, especially a weak pathetic human girl.

Rosalie had gone to Chelsea, one of the Volturi guard and also one of the only people she trusted in the Volturi, to tell her about her plans. Chelsea was a dedicated member of the Volturi and was married to Afton, another one of the Volturi guard. She had light brown hair and blood red eyes like everyone in the Volturi, her special ability being relationship manipulation.

Aro discovered Chelsea in the midst of a rather difficult time in the Volturi because his brother-in-law, Marcus, had lost his wife Didyme because she was brutally murdered and he couldn’t find the killer, becoming suicidal. He wanted to join her in death and Aro had Chelsea use her special ability to tightly bind Marcus to the Volturi so he wouldn’t have suicidal thoughts, not wanting to lose his brother-in-law. Since then, Chelsea became the linchpin in the Volturi by keeping the guards unified and the coven more functional. Because of her vital role, whatever she wanted from Aro she normally received with little grief.

Rosalie had gotten to know Chelsea ever since she arrived in Volterra, both of them actually sharing personal information with each other and made a pact never to tell anyone about their conversations. So Rosalie figured Chelsea was the only one in the Volturi she could fully trust with knowing her plan, not wanting to just leave without saying goodbye. Once she was back in Forks, everything would be a lot better, even though Rosalie was about to defy and betray Alec. It could possibly start a war between the Volturi and the Cullen’s, but all Rosalie cared about was her happiness.

Nothing else mattered.

“You had better be careful, Rose.” Chelsea cautioned once Rosalie spilled her feelings, frowning at the pure determination in her friend’s eyes. “The Volturi does not take kindly to betrayals. So if you do this, you can never return here and that means you can never see Alec again. Are you sure this is what you want?”

“I love Alec, Chelsea; I’m not saying I don’t.” Rosalie lowered her eyes from Chelsea, knowing everything her friend said was the truth. “But how can I marry him when I can’t stop thinking about my ex-husband? Emmett is who I’m meant to be with. I had to leave him to realize that and I’m ready to go back to him.”

Chelsea raised a slow eyebrow, folding her arms in front of her chest. “Don’t you think that is very selfish on your part, Rosalie? What is this really about?” There was something more to it, something deeper, and Chelsea couldn’t stop the curiosity burning within her. “There’s more to this sudden temptation to want to run back to Emmett, I can feel it.”

Gritting her teeth, Rosalie hated how well Chelsea could read people and wasn’t about to keep her in the dark. “I refuse to let him be with a weak human girl who can’t give him half of what I can.” She stated darkly, red eyes narrowing at the thought of Emmett having a relationship with a human. “I have to make him see that I am the only one for him and that I still love him. I know he still loves me.”

“Even after he caught you and Alec having sex? Even after you cheated on him countless times with Alec? Do you have any idea what will happen if Alec finds out where you’ve run off to?” Chelsea shot back somewhat derisively; looking down at the ring on her left hand and was very thankful she wasn’t in Rosalie’s position. “You better think long and hard about this before you act, Rosalie. What if Emmett wants nothing to do with you if you decide to go back to him? What if he’s moved on with this human girl?”

“Looks like I’ll have to kill her then, won’t I?” Rosalie walked away from Chelsea, not feeling any better and left her with that parting shot, knowing she would have to put her plan into effect faster than expected.

Neither women saw the glowing red beady eyes watching their every move and hearing every word they said. So Rosalie was planning on betraying their clan, how very interesting indeed. A slow smile spread across her face as the woman stayed where she was, watching Rosalie storm away from Chelsea and waited. When she was sure Rosalie was completely gone, the woman stepped out from the shadows and cleared her throat behind Chelsea, smirking when she jumped.

“Oh! It’s just you Jane, you scared me.” Chelsea hadn’t heard Jane approach her, too deep in her own thoughts about what she just heard from Rosalie, sighing. “Is something wrong?”

Jane didn’t say a single word and simply locked eyes with Chelsea, a second later watching one of the guard writhing and screaming in agony on the marble floor. Jane had the ability to create the illusion of pain –burning- in the minds of those who she felt deserved it. Due to the pain Jane experienced during being burned at the stake by villagers when she was still human, she gained the special ability of illusion of pain and was one of the most prized members of the Volturi. She smiled coldly as Chelsea begged her to stop and Jane decided to take pity on her, looking down at Chelsea with a sneer.

“Did I just hear correctly that my very own brother is about to be betrayed by his fiancée?” Jane asked in a sweet voice, though it didn’t match the coldness of her eyes. “Or do I need to clean my ears out?”

Chelsea swallowed hard, backing away from Jane breathing heavily, shakily nodding. “Y-Yes my lady, she is.” Jane was well respected throughout the Volturi guard and Chelsea knew better than to lie to her, refusing to cover for Rosalie if it meant saving her own existence. “She’s planning on going back to Forks to be with Emmett Cullen.”

“Is that right?” Jane didn’t sound surprised in the slightest, tapping her chin in thought. “Well, I very well cannot allow my brother’s heart to be shattered by the likes of her now can I? I do believe Rosalie deserves to be punished for this severely.”

Chelsea did not like the sound of that and felt her red eyes widen, watching as Jane swept away without another word, wondering what those ominous words meant.

Jane made her way directly to her brother’s whereabouts and found him on top of the building, overlooking the city of Volterra. “Alec, we need to talk.” She said by way of greeting, watching her brother turn around to face her with slightly narrowed red eyes. “It cannot wait either.”

“What is going on, Jane?” Alec had smelled something in the air, but could not put his finger on it, raising an eyebrow at his twin sister. “Well?”

Jane normally didn’t have a problem relaying bad news to anyone, no matter the circumstances, but this was her twin brother and knew how much Alec had grown to actually love Rosalie. “It is about Rosalie.” She sighed when Alec instantly went on the defensive, holding her hand up. “I overheard a conversation that I think you have the right to know about and you might be interested in.”

“What could you possibly have overheard that involves my fiancée, sister?” Alec demanded in a sneer, jumping from the ledge right in front of her, tilting his head slightly. “More importantly, why should I believe a word you say?”

“She plans on leaving you.” Jane was blunt, folding her arms in front of her chest. “I overheard her talking with Chelsea about it and she plans on leaving you to go back to Forks…” Jane watched her brother’s eyes narrow more, actually becoming a little nervous because his red eyes began turning darker with anger.

Alec gritted his teeth, clenching his fists at his sides, knowing Jane would never lie to him. “You are certain of this?” When Jane nodded, that didn’t stem Alec’s rage any, cracking his neck and knuckles at the same time. “Why would she want to go back to Forks knowing there is nothing there for her?”

“Emmett Cullen.” Jane answered without preamble, flinching when Alec let out a furious growl and placed her hand on her brother’s shoulder. “Stop it. She has not left yet and I have a plan to keep her here permanently and to teach her a lesson not to think about betraying us again…if you are interested.” This was the Jane everyone knew, her eyes gleaming with pure wicked intentions.

Alec was intrigued, wondering what could possibly be floating around in his twin sister’s head. “Do not keep me in suspense, tell me.” He ordered in a low voice, his eyes returning back to their normal red color and listened to everything his sister had to say. A slow devious smile spread across his pale lips the more Jane talked, enjoying what she was saying and rubbed his hands together, nodding. “When do we leave?”

“Tomorrow evening.”

Chapter 32

“Are you sure you want to stay on the rez with me?” Paul asked, putting his truck in park once he pulled into the driveway of his small house. “I know we don’t really know each other and I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.”

“As long as that asshole has my sister under lock and key, I’m not leaving the rez.” Amaya stated, turning to stare at Paul with her arms folded. “You don’t want me to stay with you? I can always go ask Emily…” She knew Emily from her relationship with Jacob, having met the woman right before their relationship ended.

Paul growled, pulling her over to straddle his lap as soon as the seatbelt was off of her. “Of course I want you to stay with me, May.” He nuzzled her neck affectionately, running his hands up and down her sides. “If you even think about going to Emily’s, I’ll tie you to my bed and do wicked things to you.”

“Is that supposed to be a threat?” Amaya shot back seductively, wrapping her arms around his thick muscled neck. “Because I have to tell you that sounds inviting if anything.”

Paul groaned from low in his throat, nipping hers teasingly. “Woman, don’t tempt me.” He opened the door and slid out of it with her in his arms, her legs wrapped around his waist, carrying her to the front door. “I’m warning you ahead of time, I’m not the greatest housekeeper.”

“Just open the damn door already.” Amaya ordered with a roll of her eyes, his lack of housekeeping not about to scare her away. “I love you regardless if you live like a pig.”

Paul chuckled and stepped inside, reaching over to flick the light on. It wasn’t much, but Paul enjoyed his little bachelor pad and wouldn’t trade it for anything…unless Amaya wanted to add her own touch to it. He wouldn’t have a problem with his imprint changing anything in his place; it definitely did need a woman’s touch.

“So what do you think?”

Amaya looked around as Paul slowly set her down, taking in everything around her and couldn’t help thinking the same thing that Paul was…it definitely needed a woman’s touch. “It’s you.” Amaya finally answered, turning around to stare up in Paul’s hesitant dark eyes, leaning up to brush her lips against his. “This is your place and it fits you, Paul.”

“I’m sensing a but coming…”

She laughed and jumped up into his arms as Paul caught her, wrapping his arms around her bottom to hold her up, their lips crashing together. “The only but that’s coming is mine and it’s the one you’re currently holding onto.” Amaya murmured against his lips, after breaking the kiss, and pressed her forehead against his. “And my butt wants to know where your bedroom is.”

Never meeting a woman as bold as his imprint, Paul’s blood lit completely on fire and he growled, squeezing both of her cheeks in his strong hands. It was obvious what Amaya wanted and Paul wasn’t about to pass up any opportunity to make love to his imprint. It didn’t matter how dirty and downright naughty the sex was, it was still making love in Paul’s eyes because she was his imprint. Though, some of the things that flew out of Amaya’s mouth were just downright filthy and Paul actually enjoyed it, wondering if she ever said some of those things to Jacob when they were together.

It didn’t matter; she belonged to him now and nobody else.

As soon as they were inside what Amaya presumed to be Paul’s bedroom, she wasted no time as clothes began flying from both directions. Paul barely kicked the door closed and Amaya had already exposed her full breasts, his mouth instantly attacking them. Amaya felt her back hit the bedding, her fingers delving in his short soft black hair and arched her body into him, completely forgetting about everything else that had happened for just a few hours.

~!~

Later that night, Jacob was sitting in the living room, his father once again over at Sue Clearwater’s, watching a movie when a knock sounded at his door. It was after midnight and Jacob checked the clock on the wall just to make sure, wondering who it was. If it was Sam or anyone from the pack coming to lecture him, Jacob would end up tearing them apart. Kyrine was in his room again, having cried herself to sleep after Amaya and Paul left and Jacob made sure there was no way for her to escape.

Shock registered when Jacob opened the front door to reveal his ex-girlfriend, Amaya, dark eyes immediately guarded. “What are you doing here, Amaya?” He demanded gruffly, not in the mood to deal with her, especially after the day he had. “Where’s Paul?”

“Sleeping.” Amaya answered, stepping inside the house and walked past Jacob, not wanting for an invitation. “I’m here to talk to you, Jake.” Sitting down on the couch, Amaya watched as he slowly closed the door behind him.

Amaya waited until Paul fell asleep before swiping his keys and drove here, knowing he would be upset if he found out. She basically had sex with Paul until they were both completely spent, which took several hours. Amaya had to talk to Jacob because she wanted to know his true intentions with Kyrine, always thinking of her sister. Even during sex with Paul, all Amaya could think about was her sister’s health and the situation she was in.

“I’m not cheating on my imprint, Amaya.” Jacob grunted, testing her to see if that’s what she was here for, arching a brow when her own violet orbs narrowed. “Just making sure you weren’t here for one last romp.”

“Unlike you, I know where my loyalty lies.” Amaya shot back contemptuously, immediately regretting it and sighed. “I’m not here to fight with you, Jake. I just want to talk, no arguing.”

“Is that possible with you spitfire?” Jacob snorted, walking past her to grab a beer out of the fridge, deciding one was in order as he cracked it open before taking a seat in the huge chair. “Fine, what do you wanna talk about then?”

Amaya smirked when he called her spitfire, remembering when they first met and how she’d put him in his place. It all seemed so long ago. “Well Dasher,” She paused, not able to help sharing a smile with Jacob even after what he did. “I want to know why you didn’t come to me sooner with your issues. Do you realize all of this could’ve been avoided if you’d just opened your mouth and told me you imprinted on my sister?”

Jacob didn’t say anything at first, taking a sip of his beer thoughtfully. “Would you have honestly believed me?” He shot back, locking his eyes on her. “When I first imprinted on Kyrine, I felt guilty because I was with you. We were in a relationship, having sex, the whole nine yards. Things were great with us. I tried ignoring the imprint because I didn’t want to lose what we had and built. I really liked you, Maya.” He sighed heavily, leaning back against the chair with slumped shoulders, lowering his eyes. “But the imprinting got the best of me. I started doing stupid shit that was uncalled for, including phasing in front of you twice and hurting you...” His eyes went to her arm, remembering how he’d slashed it after phasing the second time and he’d simply been too close to her. “I hope you believe me when I say that was a complete accident, I would never hurt a woman…not intentionally anyway.”

Violet eyes widened at Jacob’s confession and Amaya felt her heart go out to him because of the simple fact he tried doing the right thing. “You tried ignoring the imprint?” When Jacob nodded, Amaya stood up from the couch and moved to sit right next to him on the big chair, staring into his eyes. “Why would you do something like that to yourself, to Kyrine?” Paul had explained to her how much physical pain it took a person to ignore imprinting, which also clarified Jacob’s sudden hostile and recent volatile behavior.

“Like I said, I was trying to do the right thing and failed miserably.” Jacob muttered and felt Amaya take his chin between her forefinger and thumb, forcing his eyes to meet hers. “I never meant to hurt anyone, Maya, you gotta believe me. But I also refused to let my imprint marry a bloodsucker.” He gritted his teeth at the mere thought of how close he was to losing Kyrine to Emmett Cullen. “I know you hate me for kidnapping her, but it was the only way to buy me more time and give us a shot. She doesn’t believe a word about the imprinting. She thinks I’m lying to her and I’m not. I guess I don’t blame her…”

For the first time, Amaya could really tell how much pain Jacob was in because of Kyrine’s rejection and swallowed hard, knowing she would have to talk to her sister again. She couldn’t imagine putting Paul through that, no matter what he’d done and Amaya could smell lies a mile away. Just the sheer pain and agony in Jacob’s eyes made her believe strongly that every word he said was the complete truth. That didn’t mean she fully forgave him for the kidnapping, but now she understood it a little better, which is why she came here to begin with.

“She does believe you, Jake.” Amaya watched his eyes widen, pressing a finger over her lips. “Just listen to me for a second before you say anything, alright?” When he nodded, Amaya smiled and was thankful he was being cooperative. “The day Emmett proposed to Kyrine at the hospital, after her surgery to have the LVAD installed, Kyrine told me and Bella Cullen something that I haven’t been able to get out of my mind. And it also makes me believe that she does believe you, but she’s in denial right now.”

Jacob looked confused, tilting his head slightly. “Bella went to visit Kyrine? Why would she do that?” What did Bella have to do with all of this besides being a Cullen? Jacob had to take a few deep breaths and knew Amaya wasn’t talking right away until he calmed down, forcing himself to.

“Yeah, I was on my way to the hospital and about to tell her about our argument and your warning about her dating a vampire. I was so pissed at you, you don’t even know.” Amaya grumbled that last part, feeling Jacob nudge her and nudged him right back. “I’m getting there, Dasher, stop being impatient.”

“Then stop leaving me in suspense, spitfire.”

“Anyway, I brought Kyrine some real food because I knew how much she hated hospital food and I managed to tell her about you being a fur ball.” She smirked when he scoffed, rolling her eyes before continuing. “Get over it, you have a tail pop out of your ass, you’re a damn fur ball.”

“I’m the cutest fur ball though.” Jacob corrected with a smirk of his own, trying to ease the tension between them because he honestly didn’t want to fight with his ex-girlfriend. “I already know Paul is your number one fur ball, you don’t have to say it.”

“Thank you, may I continue?” Amaya demanded somewhat irritably, folding her arms in front of her chest and slapped Jacob upside the head when he laughed softly. “ANYWAY, I was totally shocked when she didn’t laugh me out of the room and she asked me instead what color your fur was. I didn’t know because I’d never seen you in wolf form before and that night on the beach does NOT count. I didn’t know what was going on and I wasn’t even paying attention to what color your damn fur was. I was more concerned with why you were exploding into a ferocious beast in front of me.”

Jacob looked down when she reminded him of that night, honestly regretting losing control the way he had and scaring the hell out of her. “Sorry…”

Amaya waved him off dismissively. “Water under the bridge. Anyway, Bella showed up right after Kyrine asked that question and apparently Kyrine asked to speak with her. It turns out that Kyrine had been having dreams that she couldn’t explain and they weren’t about Emmett. There was one dream in particular that she told us about and apparently you and Bella were both in it. She cried and apologized to me because she felt guilty for having dreams about my boyfriend, which I don’t blame her for. I know Kyrine would never try stealing a guy from me because she’s not that type of person. She did say she loved Emmett, not you, but there was something in her voice that told me differently. I didn’t want to analyze it at the time, but now that I’m sitting here discussing it with you…” Amaya was speaking from her heart and once again lifted Jacob’s head until their eyes met. “She does feel something for you because of the imprint. You can’t force it on her though. You have to be patient otherwise you’ll just drive her further away.”

Jacob nodded, knowing Amaya was right and he’d blown this situation completely out of proportion. “What did Bella say about the dream?” He couldn’t help asking, his curiosity peaked. “And she’d never met Bella before that day at the hospital and she had a dream about her? Like some sort of premonition or something?”

Shaking her head, Amaya chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully. “She told us about what happened between you two, including how you pieced her back together when Edward left while she was still human, but she ended up choosing him over you. I have to tell you, I thought she was a crazy fool because I honestly did feel lucky to have you on my arm…until I met Paul that is.” Her violet eyes sparkled whenever she mentioned Paul’s name, which made Jacob believe even more that an imprint could overcome any other kind of love, no matter what. “Bella managed to tell us what color of fur you had and that’s when Emmett arrived, cutting our conversation off and proposed to her.”

Jacob closed his eyes, wondering if what he was doing to Kyrine was truly the right thing, not wanting his imprint to be in pain. “I shouldn’t have kidnapped her…” He murmured, knowing he couldn’t rectify this without losing Kyrine forever, feeling more lost than ever. “How did any of you find out about the imprinting anyway?” Jacob hadn’t told anyone besides Sam and Emily, trusting that they wouldn’t say anything and they hadn’t attended the wedding to his knowledge.

“Edward Cullen knew.” Amaya watched Jacob’s eyes fly open, nodding at the disbelief that suddenly clouded them. “I couldn’t believe it either. He came out with it at the wedding after you kidnapped Kyrine…” She didn’t sound angry about it anymore, not after having this talk with Jacob. “Apparently, he found out about it and kept it to himself because it wasn’t his business. Emmett was so pissed off. I’ve never seen him that pissed off in my life, but in my opinion, Edward did the right thing. What business is it of his to tell people who you imprint on?”

That was a very good point and Jacob suddenly owed Edward because the man had kept his mouth shut about his secret, even from his own family. “Bells must’ve been pissed off too.” He chortled, trying to crack a joke and the laughter died because he couldn’t imagine what Bella was putting Edward through right now. “She didn’t know right?”

“She screamed at him.” Amaya said helpfully, looking up at the clock and couldn’t believe it was going on two AM already. “Wow, the time really flew…” Paul would be really angry if he got up and noticed Amaya had stolen his car to come here, knowing she had to get back. “Listen I have to go, but I wouldn’t give up on Kyrine just yet. Ever since Paul imprinted on me, I finally understand what it’s like to be totally and completely in love with someone in every single way. I know that’s how you feel for my sister now, I just had to be sure and I’ll talk to her about it, make her see the truth.”

Jacob nodded, walking Amaya to the door. “Thanks, I appreciate that Maya. Again, I am sorry for what I did to you. Forgive me?” He blinked when Amaya reached up, hugging him tightly around the neck and kissed his cheek. “I wasn’t expecting that…”

“If you hurt my sister, Black, I’ll hurt you.” She promised sternly, watching him nod in understanding and smiled when he walked her out to the truck since it was so late at night. “I’m giving you a chance, don’t fuck it up.”

“I won’t, you have my word.” Jacob vowed, even saluting her and both of them laughed while Amaya started the truck up. “Drive safely.”

“Always.”

As Jacob watched Amaya pull away in the truck, neither of them noticed the pair of midnight blue eyes watching out the window of the Black house and had heard every word that was said both inside and outside.

Chapter 33

Amaya had gone to the local clothing store in La Push to get some clothes for Kyrine, knowing her sister didn’t want to sleep in her wedding dress for the rest of her life. Paul had paid for everything without blinking, putting it on his credit card and waved Amaya off when she tried paying him back for it. He felt this was the least he could do for Kyrine because he couldn’t take her out of La Push due to the vow he made with the pack. A pack brother always came first and that’s also why Sam hadn’t paid Jacob a visit to reprimand him for what he did to Kyrine.

All the pack was on Jacob’s side because of two reasons: Kyrine was a human girl that Jacob was protecting from bloodsuckers and she was Jacob’s imprint.

While they were on their way to Jacob’s, Amaya received a phone call from a distraught Esme, having put her cell number down as one of Kyrine’s emergency contacts at the hospital. “I’m so sorry to do this to you, Amaya, but my husband is really concerned about Kyrine’s condition.” Esme stated, knowing Carlisle would be very upset with her if he found out she’d stolen Amaya’s number from Kyrine’s chart. “If he could just examine her once…”

Amaya sighed with a heavy heart and frowned. “I wish there was something I could do, Esme, I really do…” She ignored the glare Paul shot over at her, holding her finger up in a one second gesture. “As far as I know, the LVAD is still working for her. Paul and I are actually on our way to see her right now.”

Paul wondered what the hell was going on and why his imprint was talking to the Cullen’s, eyes narrowed. “Amaya, hang up.” He ordered quietly, growling when she ignored him completely.

“If you could find out what her condition is, I’d be eternally grateful to you.” Esme said, looking up when both Alice and Jasper flew through the window. “I have to go, thanks again.” She hung up and looked at her children, both of them having looks on their faces that clearly said Emmett was nowhere to be found.

Blinking, Amaya pulled the phone away from her ear and closed it, rolling her eyes when Paul began berating her for talking to the bloodsuckers. “Number one: Don’t call them that because they don’t drink human blood. They drink animal blood, animals that are overpopulated in this part of the country, mostly deer. Number two: You have a tail grow out of your ass and a temper that needs to be checked before I end up going back to Forks and taking matters into my own damn hands.” Just because Jacob had imprinted on her sister, didn’t give him the right to hold her captive and Amaya would break her promise if Paul pissed her off enough. “And don’t you dare try telling me who I can and can’t talk to. I’ll talk to and hang out with whoever the hell I want, when I want and for however long I want. I may be your imprint, but you don’t own me, Paul. You don’t decide what I can and can’t do. The same goes for Jacob because Kyrine and I don’t take kindly to being told what to do, if you haven’t noticed. Number three: Keep your damn mouth shut unless you have something intelligent to say and I would start with an apology.”

Paul could only open and close his mouth several times before grumbling incoherently under his breath, his hands wrapped around the steering wheel so tight his knuckles were turning white.

“Oh and number four: That was Esme on the phone wondering how my sister’s heart condition is since Jacob refuses to let Dr. Cullen come to examine her.” Amaya added for extra affront, snorting when Paul didn’t say a single word to that because he knew he didn’t have a shot in hell winning this argument.

There were a few times since the treaty had been made that Carlisle was allowed on the reservation, simply because he knew how to treat both human and supernatural injuries. The wolves weren’t completely invincible and Jacob had learned the hard way when he’d nearly been crushed to death during a fight with some Newborn vampires. They were basically freshly made vampires and anytime a human was transformed, they were actually at their strongest and therefore so were their bloodlust.

That’s why Kyrine wouldn’t have been able to see Amaya or any of the family for awhile after Emmett changed her. She would not only be a danger to herself as well as all the humans in the world, but Kyrine would have to be trained how to control her bloodlust and strength, which would deteriorate and mold to her body in time. This had all been explained to Kyrine prior to the wedding and she still wanted to do it because it meant she would still be living instead of buried six feet under and would be with Emmett for eternity.

“What do you want me to do, May?” Paul wasn’t going to apologize for being protective of his imprint, but he also knew the situation she was in was very difficult. The Cullen’s were harmless, Paul would have to get used to her talking to them because he knew she became close friends with the family. “Tell me what to do and I’ll do it…within reason.”

Amaya didn’t cry often, but she couldn’t help letting a few tears slip down her cheeks silently. “I don’t know.” She whispered, immediately wiping the tears away. “Carlisle just wants to know how she’s doing because he’s legitimately worried about her. She is his patient and was supposed to be his daughter-in-law, so he’s gotten close to her. They all really love her and it has nothing to do with Emmett. It’s about making sure Kyrine wakes up to live another day and about keeping her heart beating until he can find a donor. Jacob is being stubborn though and not letting Carlisle on the rez to see her.”

“Do you want me to talk to him?” Paul’s heart completely shattered when he heard his imprint crying, having never felt a pain quite like this in his life and knew it was the imprinting. “Don’t cry May, please don’t cry.” He pulled her against him as far as he could go without her having to unbuckle her seatbelt, frowning. “Just tell me what you want me to do. Short of actually taking Kyrine out of La Push, I’ll do anything to try to help.”

Looking up at him, Amaya knew he was telling her the truth and suddenly had an idea. “Anything?” When Paul nodded, Amaya knew she had him right where she wanted, taking a deep breath to calm down. “Would you be willing to go to the Cullen’s to give Carlisle a report on how Kyrine is doing?”

Paul let out a groan and knew he couldn’t deny those tear-filled violet eyes anything, nodding reluctantly.

~!~

For the next several days, Kyrine sat in the bedroom, rewinding the conversation she’d overheard between Jacob and Amaya in her head.

She wasn’t upset that Amaya told Jacob about the dreams, even though she should’ve been the one to tell him. Kyrine was more upset with what Amaya said regarding her being in denial about how she really felt for Jacob, trying to give him some kind of hope. She loved Emmett and wanted to be with him, imprinting wasn’t going to change that fact. Sooner or later, Jacob would come to his senses and release her unless her heart gave out on her first, either way she would be seeing Emmett again.

Just because the Cullen’s couldn’t break the treaty Amaya told her about didn’t mean Kyrine couldn’t because it didn’t apply to her.

Kyrine did believe about the imprinting because she could already feel a pull toward Jacob, including the dreams and fought it every step of the way. She didn’t know anything about Jacob, how could she be in love with a complete stranger and her sister’s ex-boyfriend? How could she let something like imprinting decide who was she was supposed to be with? This was her life, no matter how little time she had left of it, and Kyrine wasn’t going to let imprinting interfere with how she felt for Emmett or change her mind.

The more Kyrine thought about Emmett, the more her heart broke because he was out there somewhere, she was sure of it. He was completely helpless though because of the treaty, which would stir up a war between the Cullen’s and wolves if it was broken. Kyrine didn’t want Emmett to break the treaty because of her and knew he wouldn’t because Carlisle wouldn’t allow it. When Carlisle had to be, he was strict with his family, especially when it came to the survival of their kind.

Keeping her strength up was another thing Kyrine had to do because it would keep her heart pumping. That was the only reason why she ate anything Jacob brought her and even let her roam around the property to get some fresh air. She didn’t say one word to him though and kept staring down at her hand that once held the beautiful ring Emmett gave her. She’d given it to Emmett prior to their wedding ceremony so he could use it to slip on her finger again, wanting her engagement ring to also be her wedding ring.

Now it was gone.

If Kyrine didn’t have a heart condition, she would’ve tried making a run for it away from the Black house the first chance she got. If she could just get into Forks territory, she’d be back in Emmett’s arms and everything would be right with the world again. That’s all she wanted was to be back in Emmett’s arms again and with the Cullen’s, where she knew she was safe. Not to mention Carlisle was her heart doctor and no doubt he was going out of his mind with worry over what Kyrine’s condition was.

So far, the LVAD was working, but Kyrine knew it was only a matter of time before it didn’t anymore.

Kyrine broke out of her deep thoughts when a car pulled up in front of the Black house, sitting on the porch with Jacob close-by. He was giving her the space she needed instead of being forceful with her like he had when she first woke up in his bedroom. A kind woman named Emily had brought over a few things for her to wear so she wouldn’t have to be stuck in her wedding dress and Kyrine was thankful for it. So currently, she had a pair of faded blue jeans on with a long sleeved black shirt, refusing to be her normal colorful self since her world was in shambles right now.

“Paul and Amaya.” Jacob announced, knowing Paul’s truck anywhere and watched as Kyrine nodded before heading off the porch to greet them.

Her feet were encased in a pair of knee high black snow boots that were a little big on her, but Emily wanted her feet to stay warm. It hadn’t snowed that much, but there was enough to cover the ground in a thin layer and everyone knew winter was just around the corner. When Amaya slipped out of the truck holding three huge full bags, Kyrine knew her sister had gone shopping and it was all for her.

“What are you doing without a coat on?” Amaya demanded, after hugging her sister and frowned at the blue tint of Kyrine’s lips. “You shouldn’t even be out here. Has Jacob lost his mind?”

“I asked to come out for some air.” Kyrine murmured, not even realizing her lips had changed from their usual pink to the ugly blue tint. “And it’s not that cold out here, Maya.”

“I don’t care. Your lips are blue again, that’s not good, Kyrie.” Amaya was here now and would make sure her sister was well taken care of, having grabbed a few things for herself. “Paul, take these in the house.” She ordered, wrapping an arm around Kyrine’s shoulders and could feel how cold her sister was, worrying her even more. “Come on, I’m gonna get you inside to warm up and then make you something to eat.” She shot Jacob a glare on her way up the stairs, clearly telling him that what he was doing to Kyrine wasn’t helping her condition.

Jacob sighed heavily and just helped Paul lug the bags inside, having also noticed the blue tint of her lips. “What did I do now?” He couldn’t help demanding once they were all inside, closing the door behind them. “I’ve been feeding her and making sure she’s getting plenty of rest.”

“It’s not his fault…”Kyrine didn’t look at her sister, tears stinging her eyes and felt the warmth of the house engulf her. “I know what I’m supposed to do and I’m not doing it.”

“Why not?” Amaya wasn’t happy in the slightest and folded her arms in front of her chest, having gone into the kitchen to start some hot tea for everyone. “I know you’re not happy here, but you have to take care of yourself, Kyrie. You’ll end up dying if you don’t.”

Kyrine didn’t say anything, feeling her own anger rising and closed her eyes when Amaya continued berating her for being foolish. “Just STOP IT, AMAYA!!” She suddenly exploded, standing up from the couch with fire-ridden midnight blue eyes, scowling. “You think this is easy for me? Being kept here against my will instead of with Emmett?! YOU HAVE THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE, I DON’T!! SO DON’T STAND THERE LECTURING ME ABOUT HOW I’M COPING WITH THE LOSS OF MY FREEDOM!! THIS ASSHOLE WON’T EVEN LET MOM AND DAD COME TO SEE ME BECAUSE HE THINKS THEY’LL BRING THE POLICE, WHICH THEY RIGHTFULLY SHOULD, TO COME TAKE ME BACK TO FORKS!! YOU WON’T EVEN HELP ME ESCAPE BECAUSE YOU’RE IN LOVE WITH PAUL AND HAVE COMPLETELY CHANGED SIDES!! I AM YOUR FLESH AND BLOOD AND YOU’RE TAKING A MAN’S SIDE OVER MINE!! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW THAT MAKES ME FEEL? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH I WISH I WAS DEAD ALREADY SO I WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE MY OWN DECISIONS? I DON’T WANT TO LIVE IF I CAN’T HAVE EMMETT!! I DON’T LOVE JACOB, I NEVER DID AND I NEVER WILL, NO MATTER IF HE IMPRINTED ON ME AND IF I’M STILL DREAMING ABOUT HIM!! THEY ARE JUST DREAMS, THEY DON’T MEAN ANYTHING TO ME BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT THE REAL THING!! I DON’T KNOW THIS MAN AND HE KIDNAPPED ME ON MY WEDDING DAY, RUINING THE BIGGEST AND MOST IMPORTANT DAY OF MY LIFE!! SO HE CAN GO TO HELL ALONG WITH THE REST OF YOU!!”

Amaya was shocked at the outburst from Kyrine, not remembering her sister ever losing her temper quite like this. Everything Kyrine said was what she felt and Amaya didn’t know what she could say to make her sister feel better about the situation. It wasn’t just about Emmett, even though he was a big part of it, but her freedom had been stolen from her. All Kyrine really wanted to do was go back to Forks and she couldn’t, Amaya felt so guilty that she couldn’t even look at anyone in the room because she had chosen Paul over her sister.

“Kyrie…”

“No, don’t you dare say anything to me, Maya. I trusted you and so did Emmett, only it turns out that because you’re Paul’s imprint, you suddenly have to be on the pack’s side. I overheard everything you and Jacob talked about when you came to see him those few nights ago, every single word, and I felt so betrayed that you would go behind my back to give my kidnapper hope that I would eventually break out of my ‘denial’ and be with him. That’s NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN. Do you understand me?” Her cold blue eyes suddenly turned to Jacob, gritting her teeth angrily. “I will NEVER love you. I don’t care what this imprinting does to you and if it kills you on the inside! You deserve it after what you’ve done to me. I’m fighting it with every fiber of my being because I know sooner or later my heart will give out and then maybe Emmett can somehow save me and change me…”

“THAT’S never going to happen, Kyrine.” Jacob growled, not appreciating the hurtful things she was saying to him and couldn’t believe this was the woman the Quileute gods chose for him, snarling. “Believe me, I wish I hadn’t imprinted on you because you’re nothing but a cold selfish bitch!”

“THAT’S ENOUGH!!” Paul snapped, shoving Jacob so hard, he ended up going right through the coffee table, glaring down at his pack brother angrily. “You did this to yourself and you have nobody to blame, Jake. Everything she said to you is the truth and you need to either face it or deal with it. You chose to ruin her life and made her sicker than she already was, now it’s YOUR responsibility to fix it. Don’t you DARE stand there calling her names when you’re the one who couldn’t let your balls drop long enough to tell anyone, including her, about the imprinting. This is YOUR damn fault!”

Jacob didn’t say anything and simply lay there, knowing Paul would rip him to shreds if he so much as tried to get up, ignoring the incredulous look that Amaya shot both of them. “You shouldn’t have overheard our conversation, Kyrine…” He grunted, watching as Paul slowly moved his dark eyes to settle on his imprint, who looked ready to burst into flames because of how red her cheeks were.

“So that’s where you went with my truck?” Paul demanded, walking away from Jacob to stand in front of Amaya, lifting her chin until their eyes met. “You could’ve just told me you wanted to talk to Jacob by yourself. You didn’t have to sex me up.”

“Sexing you up is fun though.” Amaya murmured with a smile, though the hurt and heartbreak flooded her violet eyes because of what her sister said to her. “I didn’t know if you would let me come here and I had to talk to him alone, to find out what his true intentions are…”

“I hate to break up this love fest you two are in,” Kyrine spat spitefully, pausing to let them both turn to face her. “But I’m glad I did overhear the conversation between you and Jake because now I know whose side you’re really on, Amaya. I love you and will always love you, but right now I’m so disgusted with everything I’ve heard and everything that’s happened that I can’t look at you. How you can tell Jacob to keep at it and not give up…That just makes me fully believe that you were never behind my relationship with Emmett. I know he’s a vampire and I don’t care about that because he’s the most loving wonderful man I’ve ever met in my life. I will never love any man as much as I love him, even after I do die.”

“Kyrie, you’re not going to die…” Amaya broke away from Paul, tears filling her eyes. “Please don’t hate me for this, but I truly believe that you belong with Jake now…”

Tears streamed down her face as Kyrine stared at her sister in disbelief, shaking her head sadly. “No I don’t. Even if Emmett wasn’t in the picture and in my heart, I STILL wouldn’t want to be with someone who stole my freedom and ruined my life.” She sniffled, placing a hand over her chest and could feel the LVAD working overtime because of how worked up she was. “I’m going to lie down and you need to leave me alone, Amaya. You’ve done enough damage.”

The bedroom door slamming shut signaled that the visit had officially ended and Paul had to carry a sobbing Amaya out of the house, leaving a helpless Jacob alone with a pissed off dying Kyrine.

Chapter 34

After Paul took Amaya home and tucked her into bed, - she’d cried herself to sleep on the drive from Jacob’s-, he decided to go do what she asked of him earlier. Crossing into Forks wasn’t going to be an easy task, Paul would have to do it human unless he felt a threat, then he would phase into a wolf. He decided against taking his truck, not knowing what the Cullen’s were going to do to him once he arrived on their territory.

Snow began falling, but it didn’t bother Paul because of his one hundred and nine body temperature, wearing simple cargo shorts and sneakers like always. Even in winter, the guys in the pack had no reason to wear more clothes because their body temperature kept them more than warm enough. Paul was on edge after Kyrine’s explosion and he honestly wanted to kill Jacob for all the pain he was causing his imprint, but because of the pack vow, Paul couldn’t get involved.

If he wasn’t a part of the pack, Paul would have no problem taking Kyrine back to Emmett in the blink of an eye because it was obvious and clear as crystal how much she did love him, bloodsucker or not. Sighing, Paul raced through the woods as fast as his legs could carry him, stopping just short of the treaty line and took a deep breath, inhaling the air. He frowned, a familiar sickly sweet smell entering his nostrils and knew the Cullen’s were probably out hunting, deciding not to smell the air anymore until he was back in La Push.

The smell being this close to the treaty line should’ve worried Paul, but it didn’t because somehow he trusted the Cullen’s and knew they would never cross into La Push territory, not even with Jacob kidnapping Kyrine. The hair on the back of his neck stood up as soon as Paul crossed over into Forks, already on high alert and kept his eyes peeled for anything suspicious or out of the ordinary. He knew where the Cullen’s lived and even if he didn’t, Paul could easily sniff them out, heading in their direction.

“Kind of late for a midnight stroll, isn’t it Paul?”

Paul’s head whipped around and stared back at his alpha, seeing the man hadn’t crossed into Fork’s territory, but Paul was only a few feet into it. “Not really. It’s a beautiful night.” Paul shot back, wondering why Sam was following him and tried to keep his temper in check. This was his alpha after all. “What are you doing out here, Sam?”

“It’s my turn for patrol.” Sam answered, having phased into human form when he saw Paul hadn’t phased, eyes narrowed. “And I should ask you the same thing. Where are you going in Forks?”

Paul knew Sam wasn’t going to like hearing this and took a deep breath. “I’m doing Amaya a favor she asked me…”

“About Kyrine?”

Paul nodded, not appreciating being cut off and would’ve lashed out if it was anyone else from the pack. “Yes. Carlisle is worried about her heart condition and since Jake refuses to let him check on her, Amaya asked me to go tell the doc about it.”

Sam shook his head sadly, sighing as well. “Paul, that’s interfering and being a part of the pack, there are certain-”

“This has nothing to do with being in the pack, Sam.” It was Paul’s turn to cut Sam off, gritting his teeth. “I’m doing what my imprint asked of me just like anyone else in the pack would. This isn’t about taking Kyrine from Jacob, we all know she’s his damn imprint, but she also has a serious health condition that is slowly killing her, Sam. She’s dying. Doctor Cullen is the only one who can help her and Jacob won’t let him. So I’m doing what I CAN do and that’s going to the Cullen’s and telling them what is going on with her. Maybe the doc will have some suggestions on what we can do to help her since Jacob refuses to see what he’s currently doing could kill her sooner rather than later.”

Sam couldn’t help agreeing with Paul’s logic, knowing deep down keeping Kyrine under lock and key was the worst thing for her. “Fine, since you insist on going, I’m coming with you.” Sam ignored Paul’s shocked state as he stepped over the treaty line, wearing just a pair of cargo pants and shoes like Paul, both of them looking grim.

“You don’t have to-”

“Paul, being the alpha isn’t easy and you feel strongly about going to the Cullen’s about Kyrine’s condition. Our first and foremost vow in the pack is to protect ALL humans no matter the circumstances.” He clapped Paul on the back, but no smile came to his lips. How could anyone smile under state of affairs like this? “I’m not letting you go alone. It’s not that I don’t trust the Cullen’s, but I also know that Emmett isn’t in the right frame of mind. That and Emily asked me to go talk to them because she was concerned about Kyrine’s condition after bringing the girl some things earlier.”

Paul couldn’t help smirking, raising an eyebrow. “So this is about Emily eh? You never planned on stopping me from going?” When Sam shook his head, Paul growled playfully and put Sam in a quick headlock. “Old man, you’re gonna get your ass kicked.”

Sam growled in return, struggling against Paul, both of them just having a moment to release some tension. “I may be an old man, but at least I’m not a pup wet behind the ears.” He managed to get out of Paul’s headlock, both of them calling truce for the time being. “And you were right in saying that you’re doing what your imprint asked of you just like anyone else in the pack would. Emily asked me to do this and that’s the only reason why I’m sticking my nose where it probably shouldn’t be.”

“You’re a good man, Sam.” Paul felt a little less tense now that he had someone coming along with him, knowing Kim, Jared’s imprint, would’ve had a field day had he asked Jared to come to Forks with him. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“I wish I could say the same thing. Let’s get this over with.”

Paul nodded as they both trekked through the woods, breaking out in a run to make it to the Cullen’s faster. Around twenty minutes later, the glass house came into view, both Paul and Sam looking at each other skeptically. They could instantly smell the sickly sweetness that permeated the air, both wrinkling their noses simultaneously before walking out of the woods into the front yard. They didn’t get to the front door when both were tackled from behind, both of them coming face to face with Alice and Jasper Hale, two of the Cullen clan.

“What are you two doing here?” Alice demanded, immediately getting off of Paul while Jasper released his hold on Sam, both stepping away wrinkling their noses. “Ugh, I told you I smelled wet dog, Jas!”

“Indeed.” Jasper nodded at his beloved, never taking his eyes from the wolves. “What brings you two to our home?” The snow falling didn’t seem to faze any of the four individuals standing in the Cullen yard, narrowed gold orbs on stone black, neither letting their guard down.

“We’re here to speak to the doc.” Paul stated as if it was the most obvious reason in the world, scowling. “And don’t appreciate being pummeled to the ground, vamp.” He was going to call her a bloodsucker, but decided that wouldn’t be the smartest thing to do.

“Sorry about that, we’re on alert right now.” Jasper apologized, ignoring Alice’s incredulous look and smiled uneasily. “We’re looking for Emmett, but haven’t been able to find him. Have you two seen him?”

“Jasper, is everything alright?” Another sweet voice sounded from behind the four, all eyes turning to stare at Esme. “Edward said he heard Paul’s thoughts and said he was on his way here.” She smiled at Paul warmly, walking toward him. “I’m so glad you could make it, Paul. Please come inside, both of you. You’re here about Kyrine, yes?”

Paul blinked when Esme actually looped her arm through his, feeling a chill run down his spine, but didn’t push her away because she was only being kind. “Yeah, Amaya was really upset from your phone call and asked me to come talk to the doc about Kyrine. Is he here?”

“Yes, just inside. Please don’t be angry with Edward. Sometimes his gift isn’t controllable, especially when he’s deep in his own thoughts.” Esme hoped Paul wasn’t offended that Edward had already heard him coming miles away, keeping the smile on her face. She looked over her shoulder at Jasper and Alice. “Why don’t you two come inside as well? We’ve searched high and low for the last few days and nights. Emmett will come home when he’s ready.”

Emmett not being here didn’t surprise Paul in the slightest, deciding he would be keeping that information from Amaya. She would go to Kyrine and that’s the last thing Kyrine needed to worry about was Emmett’s whereabouts, especially when she was being held against her will by Jacob. That was enough for her to deal with. Paul was here to do one simple task and that was to tell Doctor Cullen about Kyrine’s condition. Then he would be running back to La Push like his shorts were on fire with Sam, knowing he felt the same way, the smell completely awful and burning their nostrils.

“Paul and…Sam, how wonderful of you two to pay us a visit.” Carlisle greeted politely with a warm smile, his pale complexion not hiding how stressed out he’d been over the past few days. “Nessie, please go get them some refreshments, my dear.”

“Okay Grandpa.” Renesmee smiled and stood up from the couch, walking past Paul and Sam on her way upstairs to the pristine kitchen.

“Do you smell that?” Sam suddenly asked out of nowhere, sniffing the air and looked over at Paul, both of them looking bewildered. “Is there another wolf here?” He directed that question at Carlisle, eyes narrowing slightly.

“Well…”

“Hey Carlisle, how do you-” Dark eyes widened as both Paul and Sam whirled around at the same time, both of them staring perplexed at none other than one of their own from the pack, Seth Clearwater. “Oh shit…”

“Oh shit doesn’t even begin to describe it.” Paul was flabbergasted while Sam looked bemused, at a complete loss for words. “What are you doing here, pup?”

Seth scuffed his shoe against the carpet and chewed his bottom lip, his hands clasped behind his back. “I was going to tell you guys, but I wasn’t sure how to do it…” He looked up when Renesmee suddenly walked back into the room, his dark eyes instantly drinking her in as a brilliant smile crossed his face. “There you are, sunshine.”

Renesmee grinned back at Seth, oblivious to both Paul and Sam’s stunned stares while holding two glasses of water. “Grandpa asked me to go get them some water…” Then she realized why Seth looked so uneasy, frowning as she walked over to him instantly, golden eyes worry-filled. “You haven’t told them yet, I’m guessing?”

“With everything going on, I haven’t had the chance Nessie.” Seth felt terrible, not wanting her to think he was hiding her like a dirty little secret because that was far from how he felt for her. “Sam, I imprinted on Renesmee.” He blurted out, Renesmee having handed the glasses of water to both Paul and Sam, only for Sam to spew his water out of his mouth while Paul snorted it out of his nose.

“WHAT?” Both shouted simultaneously, followed by a lot of growling and groaning.

“I know things haven’t been…easy on the rez the past couple days, but…” He looked down at his imprint adoringly, his arm wrapped securely around her shoulders. “It just happened one day. I was patrolling the grounds and Renesmee managed to accidentally stumble into our territory. I know that it’s against the treaty, but the moment our eyes met…she became my whole world and I got her out of La Push safely. Being half-human though, I think the treaty can be bent a little because of that factor, don’t you?” He hoped anyway, smiling apprehensively at his pack brothers and more importantly, his alpha.

Sam pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering what the hell was going to happen next. “I’m not mad about her stumbling into our territory, Seth. I don’t even know what to say or think right now, but she is allowed on the rez because you’re right, she is half-human.” The treaty said nothing about hybrids and Sam honestly trusted her, knowing she did eat human food and drank animal blood like the Cullen’s. “We’re here because of Kyrine.”

“Is she still alive?” Carlisle immediately asked, the shock of Seth imprinting on Renesmee put on the back burner for the time being. “How is her blood pressure? Is she keeping food down? Is the LVAD still working for her?” This would be so much easier if Carlisle could just go examine her, feeling helpless.

Sam blinked, not knowing the answer to any of these questions and looked up at Paul, hoping he did. “Paul?” He nudged his fellow pack member, who jolted out of his apparent shocked state, having been staring at Seth like he’d grown a second head. “Paul, focus!”

“S-Sorry…” Paul looked back at Carlisle, swallowing hard, though he had heard the questions for the most part that the vampire fired at them. “She’s fine, but…the woman went off her rocker tonight, man. She hurt Amaya with what she said and…we think she’s giving up because of what Jacob is doing to her.” He lowered his eyes from Carlisle, knowing the man was probably going to be very upset hearing this. “Amaya asked me to come here and tell you that the LVAD is still working, but…her sister has completely given up on living. She’s not eating right and her lips are this weird shade of blue…”

Carlisle closed his eyes and stepped away from the men, needing a moment. “I was afraid of this.” He whispered, looking back at his wife worriedly. “That means she’s not gaining enough strength and her circulation is getting worse. The LVAD isn’t buying her enough time for a heart. I’ve been searching all over and so has UNOS, but nothing has come up yet. Her parents are starting to wonder if she’s ever going to come home, but they still haven’t called Sheriff Swan, thankfully. And Emmett is missing, we can’t find him anywhere.”

“We already told him about that, Carlisle.” Alice piped in, feeling terrible for the man she considered a father, chewing her bottom lip. “So what’s going to happen once that LVAD goes out? Kyrine’s heart gives out too?”

Carlisle nodded solemnly. “I’m afraid so, Alice. The fact of the matter is since her spirit is crushed from what Jacob Black has done to her combined with not taking care of herself properly, it’s speeding up the process of her death, which is what she wants from what I’ve heard.”

“Is there anything we can do for her?” Paul asked somewhat desperately, knowing he couldn’t go back to Amaya with nothing except the same information they both already knew. “Please, if there’s anything to help her, Doc…”

“I honestly don’t know.” Carlisle heaved a sigh, walking over to stare out at the falling snow. “I know how to treat physically injuries and anything to do with the body, but…emotional pain is out of my league. She won’t get better with all the negative energy surrounding her and with Emmett missing…I’m afraid her time is nearly up.”

Paul frowned, his heart actually breaking for his imprint and Kyrine. “So nothing can be done? We can’t do a single thing to help her?” There had to be something, Paul wasn’t giving up that easily as he stepped toward Carlisle.

“Pray.” Carlisle locked eyes with Paul and then Sam, watching the alpha stroke his chin thoughtfully. “That is the best advice I can tell you and when the LVAD does give out, you need to call me immediately no matter what Jacob Black says. If he wants her to live, he will let me come take her to the hospital in Forks. We have machines there that can help pump her heart and keep her alive long enough to try finding a match.”

Sam cleared his throat, all eyes landing on him. “As the alpha of the Quileute tribe, I’m granting you full access to Forks once that call is made. I’m going to gather the Quileute tribe and do a tribal healing séance for Kyrine, hoping some of that energy will flood her body and help her live longer.” It was a long shot, but Sam knew the Quileute tribe was very powerful when the situation called for it.

Carlisle smiled encouragingly, nodding, and watched as the men exited the house to return to La Push, hoping the tribal séance helped heal some of the pain Kyrine was in.

Chapter 35

There was a reason nobody could find Emmett.

That was due to the fact he completely left Forks, just needing to get away to think. He ended up going all the way up to Alaska to visit the Denali coven. They were just like the Cullen’s as far as drinking animal blood only went, but different other than that aspect.

Emmett honestly wanted to rip Edward apart for keeping the secret of Jacob imprinting on Kyrine a secret from everyone. In a way, Emmett knew Edward did it because he didn’t want to get involved in something that didn’t pertain to him, but that was no excuse. It didn’t matter if it was his business or not, if Emmett had Edward’s gift and found out that Jacob imprinted on Bella, he would’ve told Edward straightaway.

Instead of doing what he could to avoid Emmett getting hurt, Edward just kept the information to himself and that ticked Emmett off.

The family was probably looking everywhere for him, Edward included, but Emmett didn’t want to be found. He made the Denali promise not to tell Carlisle he was there when he contacted them, which happened after the first two days of his disappearance. Tanya tried helping Emmett forget about his life in Forks with seduction, but it failed miserably. There was only one woman Emmett wanted and that was Kyrine, his fiancée who had pieced him back together after Rosalie’s distressing betrayal.

“I thought I might find you up here.” A soft voice broke Emmett out of his deep thoughts, his golden eyes turning to stare at Tanya. “How are you holding up?”

“Good, just deep in thought about some things.” Emmett muttered, hating to be pitied even though he knew that’s not what Tanya was trying to do. “What are you doing up here?”

“Thinking can be deadly you know.” Tanya half-joked, walking over to stand beside him, wearing a spaghetti strapped black dress that went two inches above the knee, her blonde hair up in a tight twist with chopsticks holding it. “And I’m thinking also. You’re going back to Forks aren’t you?” It wasn’t a question.

Emmett closed his eyes when her hand rested on his broad shoulder, heaving a sigh. “I have to. Kyrine is waiting for me and I refuse to let her go because of a dog’s jealousy issues.” He cracked his knuckles, already knowing what he was planning. “I know my family will hate me, but I have nothing left to lose. Kyrine is the love of my life, I can’t just abandon her.”

“But haven’t you?” Tanya hadn’t meant it to come out rudely, but she also wasn’t about to sugarcoat the truth. “You ran away and came here because you didn’t know what else to do. She’s been with the dogs for how long now? It’s been nearly a week, hasn’t it?”

Against his better judgment, Emmett had confided in Tanya about everything that transpired, including Edward keeping the imprint secret. He had to explain to her what imprinting was, having heard it from Bella when Jacob thought she was the love of his life at one point when she was human. Everyone thought Jacob imprinted on Renesmee, but that turned out to be false, which the family was thankful for.

He was just extremely close to Renesmee because he’d helped Bella through the birthing process of having Renesmee. Emmett wished Jacob had imprinted on Renesmee because then he would currently be on his honeymoon with Kyrine. Instead, he was in Alaska a broken pitiful mess and would’ve changed her into a Newborn, saving her life and cementing them being together for eternity. Kyrine loved him even if she was imprinted on because she hadn’t mentioned anything about Jacob Black whenever they were together.

That and the look in her midnight blue eyes told him all he needed to know.

“I love her, Tanya.” Emmett locked eyes with the blonde, meaning what he said. “I have to go back and save her before she’s lost forever.” He also told Tanya about Kyrine’s heart condition and how fast it was deteriorating, which is why they’d moved the wedding up faster than originally planned. “If I have to break the treaty…”

Amber eyes widened as Tanya stared at Emmett in shock, wondering if she’d heard him correctly. “You’re going to…break the treaty over a human girl?” Emmett wasn’t in the right frame of mind, there was no way the Denali could let him leave right now. “Emmett, what if…” She sighed, not knowing how to ask him this next question without angering him.

“Just ask.”

“What if she only wanted to marry you because of what you could give her?” Tanya frowned when Emmett’s eyes turned black, effectively angering him. “Please don’t be angry with me, but…It just sounds that way. It sounds like she’s using you so…”

“DON’T SAY THAT!!” He roared suddenly, standing up from the rock he’d been sitting on, the snow beginning to fall. “You don’t know anything about her!! How dare you accuse my fiancée of doing something that treacherous!! Are you really that cold that you would stoop to that level just so I’ll fuck you?”

Tanya gaped, her own eyes narrowing to slits and slowly turning black, flashing. “Of course not and how dare you accuse me of such indignity!!” She shrieked furiously, wanting to claw his eyes out with her long black painted fingernails. “As far as I’m concerned, I was just trying to help you forget what happened when I offered myself to you! You can do whatever the hell you want, Emmett Cullen! Leave, go back and be betrayed again because that human girl will not be waiting for you!” Snorting, Tanya turned on her heel and stormed back to the Denali house in a fit of rage.

Emmett wasn’t fazed by her words in the slightest, rolling his eyes and knew it was definitely time to leave Alaska, staring into the deep dark woods as nightfall came. “I’m on my way, Kyrine. Just hang in there a little longer.” He already had his bag with him and hoisted it over his shoulders before heading further away from Denali territory.

~!~

They had searched high and low for Emmett, but there was no sign of him, no trace whatsoever. Jane and Alec were ready to give up, having attacked a few humans in Forks, but knew they had to keep low profiles. Currently, Jane had her fangs sank into a man’s neck, draining him dry as the blood flowed from the corners of her mouth while Alec had a woman in his grasp, having his fill. Alec inhaled the air and suddenly released the woman, inhaling the air deeply as his blood red eyes closed.

“Brother, what is it?” Jane had managed to finish off her meal, wiping the blood from her mouth with a handkerchief, stuffing it back into her cloak pocket. “What do you smell?”

“Him.” Alec growled out, looking down at his sister and watched as her eyes also closed, an evil smile stretching across her blood stained lips.

“Just as we were about to give up too.” She practically purred in excitement, thankful they had stuck around Forks for a few days instead of just leaving right away when they couldn’t sense Emmett’s presence. “Come on, we do not have much time.”

Leaving the two bodies, Jane and Alec disappeared into the woods to track their next victim.

~!~

Rosalie paced back and forth in her room while chewing her thumbnail, wondering where Alec had run off to. The Volturi wouldn’t tell her anything, only that he had left on business with Jane and they would return in a few days time. This business made Rosalie postpone her plans to go back to Forks because she had a feeling whatever Alec was doing had to be important. The last thing she wanted to do was put more stress on him, not to mention Rosalie was starting to lose her nerve about leaving and betraying the Volturi.

They would kill her if they found out.

A knock sounded at the front door of her and Alec’s house, Rosalie frowning as she walked over to answer it, blinking. “Chelsea, what are you doing here?” She pulled the woman inside and closed the door, seeing how startled Chelsea was and felt her nerves heighten.

“Look, I’m not supposed to be telling you this and I do not even know why I’m risking it, but…”

Chelsea had gone back and forth about what the right thing to do was, already knowing how evil Jane was. She had tried warning Aro several times, but the man simply brushed her off because Jane was his prized possession, the strongest of the Volturi guard, because of her gift. Jane had warned her not to say a word, but Chelsea never took threats lightly and made the decision to tell Rosalie about the confrontation with Jane.

“Jane knows, Rose.” Chelsea placed her hands on Rosalie’s shoulders, worry in her red eyes. “She overheard our entire conversation and knows that you’re planning on betraying Alec and the Volturi. She knows everything. She knows you’re planning on going back to Emmett Cullen.”

“W-WHAT?” Rosalie shouted, backing away from Chelsea covering her mouth with her hand, feeling as though her dead heart had sunk down into her stomach. “S-She overheard…?”

Chelsea nodded solemnly, frowning. “Yes, she came out of the shadows after you walked away from the conversation and…warned me not to say anything, that she would punish you for your betrayal to her brother.” She swallowed hard, those ominous words having plagued her mind for days. “I think I know where this business trip is that Alec and Jane went on…”

Rosalie flew out of the house as soon as ‘Forks’ uttered from Chelsea’s mouth.

Emmett was in danger.

~!~

This was outright disturbing.

Charlie Swan couldn’t believe what he was staring down at while the forensics team came in to examine the two bloody beaten bodies. He’d gotten a call from an anonymous number telling him he should check the woods on the east side of Forks. Charlie immediately went on the hunt, taking a few officers with him, only to stumble on this gruesome sight.

Sometimes he really hated his job.

“Impossible!!” Charlie whipped around when he heard that, seeing the shocked expression on the EMT’s face.

“What?” He demanded, looking down at the woman corpse. “What is it, Frank?”

“Her heart is still beating.” Frank wondered what the hell was going on around Forks and immediately placed a breathing mask over the woman’s face. “She has a very weak pulse, one that I nearly missed…”

“Get her to the hospital immediately.” If Charlie could save this woman, she would be able to tell him hopefully who had attacked her. “Do we know who they are yet?”

Frank frowned deeply, nodding. “It’s the McTavian’s, sir. Natalie and Nicholas McTavian.”

Charlie heaved a sigh and headed back to his squad car while Nicholas’s body was zipped up in a body bag. “They have two daughters.” He murmured to himself once he was alone in his squad car, not knowing how he was supposed to reveal this information to two teenage girls.

~!~

The snow had become thicker as Emmett traveled down from Alaska back to Washington, trudging through the woods at top speed, heading straight for La Push. He wasn’t even going to Forks, not with Kyrine back in his arms, and didn’t care about a stupid treaty anymore. If Carlisle couldn’t understand how much he truly loved Kyrine, that was on him.

Emmett had one goal in mind and that was rescuing Kyrine from Jacob Black, running off with her to get married and changing her. The dog wouldn’t want her after that, he was sure of it. Emmett smirked at the thought of returning to Forks with his newlywed vampire bride, knowing Kyrine would be even more beautiful. His family would have a field day and the pack in La Push would probably be dead because Emmett breaking the treaty would signal war between the Cullen’s and wolf pack.

He had the perfect plan in mind and moved even faster.

Just before Emmett could move closer to Forks, he was suddenly met by two individuals in black cloaks, stopping him dead in his tracks. “What the hell?” He grunted, inhaling the air and knew instantly they were vampires, raising an eyebrow. “Something I can help you two with? I’m kinda in a hurry.”

An evil laugh sounded from beneath one of the cloaks, making a shiver shoot down Emmett’s spine. “My, my no manners whatsoever. Wouldn’t you agree, brother?” The sweet voice resonated around Emmett, both individuals blocking him from even moving to walk around them. “We’re in a hurry too, Emmett, so we’ll unfortunately have to make this quick.”

“What are you-?” He barely got those three words out before the other cloaked figure attacked him, punching him right in the stomach.

The force caused Emmett to instantly double over in pain, knowing only another vampire could put him down. “Yes unfortunately, sister.” The deep voice growled before landing a boot right into Emmett’s stomach, intensifying the pain.

The cold snow didn’t give any relief to Emmett as he rolled away from another kick, these two cloaked figures on him instantly. “I-I don’t understand…” He suddenly kicked both of them at the same time in the stomach, causing them to fly back as they landed in the snow with sickening thuds that would normally break a human back. “And I’m not in the mood for games either.”

“Enough of this!” The once sweet voice turned completely venomous as the first attacked revealed themselves, blood red eyes locking with stunned amber. “Hello Emmett.” Jane greeted calmly and watched as he suddenly sank to his knees in the snow, her eyes glowing as he writhed in pain in front of them on the ground. “That’s much better, you belong on your knees before me anyway.” She brushed the snow off of her cloak, the second attacker revealing her brother, Alec. “Don’t touch him or the pain will stop, Alec.”

Alec did as Jane told him, slowly squatting down to stare into Emmett’s terrified stunned eyes, knowing that’s the look he would have on his face when they finished him. “Remember me, the vampire who stole the love of your wife and took her in every part of these woods?” He smirked when Emmett growled through the searing pain his entire body currently felt, nodding appreciatively while licking his lips lewdly at the memory. “You see Emmett, we had no problem with you…not until my fiancée decided she was going to betray me and the Volturi by returning to you.”

Emmett was in too much pain, wishing it would stop and actually breathed a sigh of relief when Jane relinquished her gift for a moment. “R-Rosalie isn’t h-here…” He stammered out, trying to get up and roared out in pain when Jane began torturing him all over again.

“We know that, you ignorant fool.” Jane laughed wickedly, shaking her head and wondered if this meathead really was all muscle and no brains. “But to prevent her from having the urge to even THINK about betraying us, we need to dispose of you. My apologies, Emmett. You were definitely a candidate to join the Volturi one day once you decided to leave your coven. Such a pity you will never get a chance to do so.”

Alec was through with the talking and grabbed each side of Emmett’s head, his blood red eyes locking with amber, smirking with no remorse. “Die now.” He whispered sadistically, amused Emmett tried fighting even as he was being ripped apart.

A roar echoed throughout the night as Alec dismantled Emmett limb from limb, his head rolling in the snow behind them, hitting another pair of boots. “What have you done?” Rosalie whispered, sinking down into the snow as Emmett’s body parts surrounded her, completely horrified by what she witnessed. “W-Why would you do this?”

“Because you belong to me and the Volturi.” Alec simply stated, stalking over to his fiancée and yanked her up by her upper arm, slapping her across the face. “This is your punishment for attempting to betray me and the Volturi. You do not belong here and now have absolutely NO reason to leave Volterra.” Alec snarled, kicking Emmett’s head and watched as it shattered against the huge tree trunk.

Rosalie whimpered, holding the side of her face while Jane dug a hole to burn the pieces. The entire time, Alec forced Rosalie to watch and both Volturi members were pleased when she simply stood there still as stone. Jane tossed the parts of what used to be Emmett Cullen in the fire pit, gathering the pieces of his head that she could find and added them to the flames, the pieces disintegrating right before Rosalie’s eyes.

“Time to leave.” Alec ordered, having a firm arm around Rosalie’s shoulders and buried his nose in her hair, inhaling deeply. “Perhaps next time you will think twice before betraying me, my bride-to-be.” He smirked when all Rosalie could do was lower her head in shame.

Emmett’s death was on Rosalie’s head and she had nobody to blame, looking back at the fire pit one last time before heading back to Volterra with Alec and Jane.

Chapter 36

When Carlisle was called to the hospital for an emergency, the last thing he expected was to stare down at his heart patient’s mother. It was Natalie McTavian and she was a pile of broken bones, bruises and blood. She’d been checked by a neurologist, among other doctors, and pronounced brain dead because of a blow she’d sustained to her head. During the attack, she smacked her head on something hard in the woods where her body was found with Nicholas.

“The miraculous thing about this is her heart is still beating and in good shape.” The cardiologist on duty, Doctor Hill, stated while looking up at Doctor Cullen through slightly bewildered eyes.

“Do they know what attacked her?” Carlisle asked quietly, walking over to further examine Natalie and instantly spotted the two puncture wounds on the side of her neck, gritting his teeth.

“An animal, probably a wolf or a bear. They’re thinking it was a bear though.” Doctor Hill replied, swallowing hard at how tense his fellow attending was, suddenly feeling uneasy. “If there’s nothing else…”

“You may leave, Doctor Hill. Thank you.” Carlisle whispered, already knowing it wasn’t a bear or any kind of animal that attacked the McTavian’s and had no idea how he was going to tell their girls about this.

Doctor Hill nodded and began walking out of the room, but stopped short, turning to face Carlisle again. “Doctor Cullen, you instructed that every donor who came through the doors of this hospital was to be tested for your patient, Kyrine McTavian…” He knew this was Kyrine’s mother laying on the hospital bed, having been mauled by something in the woods, but he also had a job to do. “I had the test ran and…”

Carlisle turned around slowly and saw the piece of paper being extended to him, closing his eyes. “Is she a match?” The question came out in a whisper, Carlisle not able to use his real voice because he was afraid it would crack.

“Yes.”

~!~

Seth, Brady and Quil had been on patrol, doing a double shift because they were all informed about the special Quileute séance happening the next night. It was for Kyrine’s heart condition, everyone in the pack knew about it because of Sam, Paul and Amaya. Sam had called an emergency meeting shortly after coming back from the Cullen’s and told them about the tribal séance they were doing to try to help Kyrine. It was mandatory that every single pack member be present for the séance because they needed as much positive energy as possible.

That meant there would be no patrolling the following night.

Do you guys smell that? Seth asked, leaving Renesmee reluctantly once he heard Sam’s howl, knowing a meeting was being called.

Besides the sickly sweet smell that’s all over you, no. Brady retorted, trying not to become amused when Seth growled at him.

Enough, both of you. We all have to accept the fact that Seth imprinted on the vampire-hybrid and be done with it. She’s still half-human and we have to remember that. Quil affirmed sternly, shaking some snow off of his chocolate brown fur while Seth and Brady did the same thing.

Brady groaned when another lump of snow fell from one of the trees, landing right on his head. Man, that is SO not cool… He grumped, swiping some of the snow off of his snout with his paw, growling when Seth began laughing in his head. Keep laughing pup and watch what happens.

Quil would’ve joined in the laughter, but there was a scent in the air he didn’t like, immediately becoming alert. Seth, what did you smell before? He asked, sniffing the air a little deeper and immediately narrowed his eyes, slowly coming to a halt in the snow.

You smell it too? When Quil nodded, Seth sighed with relief as he padded over to sit beside Quil, both of them just inhaling the air. It’s getting stronger.

Nodding, Quil dug his paws into the snow and hoped Brady followed his stance. It’s blood, there’s definitely blood in the air, but there’s something else too… He glanced over at Seth, knowing the pup probably couldn’t smell the other scent because of who his imprint was. There’s bloodsuckers.

Seriously? Why hadn’t Seth caught onto that?

He frowned and bit back a whimper, feeling like he was letting the pack down because he could no longer smell a vampire nearby. It didn’t bother him that his pack brothers called vampires bloodsuckers because that’s how the pack was and one of their habits that couldn’t be broken. However, Seth had asked the pack to try not calling the Cullen’s bloodsuckers because they were good beings and far from regular vampires. They didn’t drink human blood and his imprint was partial vampire, so she needed blood in order to maintain the balance between being half-human and half-vampire.

You’ve been around the Cullen’s too long, pup. Brady grunted and immediately lowered his head when Quil shot him a look that clearly told him to keep his thoughts to himself when it came to the Cullen’s.

You’re just as much a pup as he is, Brady, so don’t start. Quil ordered, jumping up on the branch ledge, wrinkling his snout a little, the smell of burning flesh adding to the blood and sickly sweet scent only vampires carried. Something happened here… Luckily enough, it was outside of the La Push and patrol grounds, but Quil couldn’t just ignore the scent Seth first caught onto.

Something bad… Seth mumbled, the crunching of snow being the only sound for the moment.

He jumped up to join Quil, Brady following, all three of them sniffing around the grounds and recently used dug up fire pit. It was obvious that a vampire had been killed here, the scent still lingered in the air and there were small specks of burnt clothing. Whoever did this had been in a hurry and hadn’t gotten rid of all the evidence, which was a good thing.

Quil immediately phased into a human to look around the area more, pulling his shorts on he carried with him on a cord like all the other pack members. The wolves’ body temperature kept every part of them warm enough that the snow melted under their touch instead of giving them frostbite. He began shifting through the snow and picked up the little specks of burnt clothing, pocketing them to show to Sam, while Seth and Brady searched for anything else that might tell them who was burnt in the pit.

If it was a human, the pack would instantly double their patrol because it meant another innocent life was stolen, but somehow Quil doubted it was a human. Only a vampire would be burnt alive in a dug up fire pit like this, Quil was almost one hundred percent certain. He yelped out slightly when he stepped on something sharp, the cut on his feet already healing, but a few droplets of blood stained the white snow beneath him.

“You alright, Quil?” Brady demanded, rushing over to his pack brother and frowned when Quil held up a hand, pulling the sharp object from the snow. “What the fuck?”

Seth turned around, his curiosity morbidly peaked and walked over to stand beside Brady, instantly turning green. “Is that…a…?”

“Finger.” Quil finished Seth’s question, his voice morose as he examined what he thought had been a sharp rock. “A vampire finger…”

Seth swallowed hard, his dark eyes widening along with Brady’s, knowing whenever vampires were ripped apart they were pure stone. “Where’s the scent of blood coming from then since it’s obvious a vampire was destroyed here?” He wondered aloud, looking at his pack brothers, both of them shrugging because they didn’t have the answer. “Oh no…”

“What?” Both Quil and Brady demanded, seeing the pale complexion that came over Seth suddenly.

“Emmett Cullen has been missing for several days now…” His dark eyes darted to what he’d found in the snow prior to finding out what Quil had cut his foot on. “And I found this…” Dangling from his fingers was a thick black braided bracelet that had a single silver charm attached to it, black letters etched in the silver charm.

“What does it say?” Brady was almost afraid to ask, watching as Seth merely turned it over in his palm and all three guys sucked in a sharp breath, harsh realization filling their eyes.

E & K.

Not wasting another second, the guys phased back into wolf form before rushing back to La Push with the specks of clothing and bracelet, needing to show their alpha immediately.

~!~

After Kyrine’s blow up, Jacob decided to give her some much needed space and stayed outside in his wolf form, enjoying the cold snow that fell around him. He understood that Kyrine hated him, but there was also love there and that little ounce of love is the reason why Jacob had kidnapped her. It didn’t matter how long it took for Kyrine to realize that she felt some kind of love for Jacob, he would wait an eternity if necessary.

He hated that she locked herself up inside his bedroom again, wishing she would just talk to him for five minutes and believe what he told her. Jacob wasn’t a liar, he told the truth whether people wanted to hear it or not and sometimes did things a little rash…like kidnapping his imprint on her wedding day. He hadn’t meant to hurt her, but there was no way he was letting her give up her human life in order to have an eternal one with someone that wasn’t her soul mate.

He loved her too much to let her slip away from him.

His thoughts were cut in half when he heard a car pull into the driveway and jumped out of the woods instantly, spotting Sam. Emily had come to the house and told Kyrine about the Quileute healing séance that could possibly help with her heart condition. It was better than sitting around waiting for her LVAD to stop working and her heart to stop beating. It was only because of Emily that Kyrine very reluctantly agreed to the séance and Emily had brought her a simple brown authentic Quileute Indian tribal long sleeved dress that was made from animal skins and hides.

Phasing back into human form, Jacob walked over to greet his alpha, having made peace with Sam and Emily, which wasn’t easy after everything he put the pack through lately. “Is it time?” He asked in a low voice, wondering if Kyrine had changed her mind as he glanced back at the house, sighing heavily.

Sam nodded, rubbing the back of his neck and wondered if he should wait before talking to Kyrine about what Quil, Brady and Seth found in the woods the previous night. “Before she comes out here, there’s something I need to show you because maybe you know something about it…” He looked over his shoulder when a truck pulled up, nodding as Paul and Amaya stepped out, his eyes moving back to a confused Jacob.

“What is it, Sam?”

Sam didn’t say anything and simply pulled something out of his pocket, holding it out in his palm for Jacob to clearly see. “Quil, Seth and Brady found this in the woods last night during patrol just outside of La Push grounds.” He said quietly, glad Paul and Amaya hadn’t interrupted them. “Emmett has been missing for the past week, Jake. Paul and I went to the Cullen’s to inform Carlisle about Kyrine’s condition.” He held his hand up when Jacob’s eyes narrowed, fire erupting in his. “You listen to me and listen good, that girl has been through pure hell in her life and you’re not going to let her die in La Push. As your alpha, I am ORDERING you to stand down when it comes to her health. You love her, we all get that and understand it, but her LIFE is in jeopardy the longer you keep her here. So I gave Carlisle permission that as soon as her health deteriorates, which it will because the LVAD she has won’t last forever, he can come into La Push and take her to the hospital to keep her heart beating. That is the most important thing right now, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.” Jacob mumbled, lowering his eyes to the snow as he scuffed some with his toe, not having shoes on. “She’s not going back home though, she’s coming back here once he does save her life…if he does…” He wasn’t giving an inch with his imprint and watched as Sam shook his head, knowing that’s not what he wanted to hear.

“Whatever, kill your imprint, Jake. Go ahead and kill her, you’ll never forgive yourself if you do.” Sam decided to let the subject go for the time being, still holding the bracelet in his hand. “Do you know what this is?”

Jacob took one look at the bracelet and sucked in a sharp breath, nodding stiffly. “That was a gift Kyrine gave the bloodsucker during one of their dates.” He stated petulantly, refusing to meet Sam’s eyes because of all the pain his was filled with.

After Jacob imprinted on Kyrine, it didn’t take him long before he started following her around everywhere she went, wanting to make sure she was alright. That included Kyrine’s dates with Emmett, which Jacob knew was an invasion of privacy, but at the same time, he was doing what he felt was right for his imprint. One thing Jacob would never forget was the night Kyrine had given her virginity to Emmett, the pain in his heart still fresh from having to witness that. Jacob often had dreams, or nightmares in his case, of Kyrine screaming out the bloodsucker’s name while Emmett made love to his imprint and did all the things Jacob was supposed to do.

“They found it in the woods?” Jacob demanded, his voice gruff, trying to push his pain away while pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Yeah…” Sam knew what that meant as he pulled the bracelet away from Jacob’s vision, feeling how much pain the man was in and honestly felt his heart wrench in his chest. “Jake…”

“Don’t.” He held his hand up, just needing a moment to regain his composure, having remained strong and knew if he broke down now, he would lose everything. “What else did they find?”

“Fragments of burnt clothing and…a stone finger…” Sam’s words trailed off, seeing Jacob’s shoulders slump and both came to the awful conclusion silently together. “There was a fire pit dug up as well and it’s been freshly used…”

Jacob turned around just as the front door to his house opened, Kyrine stepping out in the Quileute tribal dress Emily gave her to wear for the séance, looking more beautiful than ever. “Don’t tell her tonight.” Jacob practically pleaded with Sam, knowing the last thing Kyrine needed to hear was that Emmett Cullen was dead.

Sam nodded, both of them walking over while Amaya helped Kyrine down the steps of the Black house. “She’s getting worse.” He murmured to where only Jacob could hear him, feeling Jacob nod beside him silently. “Are you sure you’re doing the right thing by keeping her here?”

Jacob honestly wasn’t sure what the right thing to do was anymore.

Those cold midnight blue eyes locked on his briefly and once again the pain in Jacob’s heart seared. They were so cold and unforgiving, Jacob wasn’t sure if Kyrine would ever come around and accept the imprint. It had to be killing her not to be near him, to hole herself up away from him because of how strong the pull was. She was fighting it and in doing so, putting even more strain on her heart, but Jacob couldn’t do anything to stop her from ignoring the imprinting.

They left the Black grounds and headed toward Sam and Emily’s, where the séance would commence. Jacob didn’t take his Rabbit; he phased into wolf form before Sam could stop him and raced through the woods, needing space away to get rid of the pain Kyrine caused him. It was his fault and Jacob knew it, but he honestly panicked, not knowing what else to do to get her away from the bloodsucker.

Emmett Cullen was dead now.

Jacob should’ve been jumping for joy, but all he felt was pain and mourning because of what this was going to do to Kyrine. He knew Kyrine was going to fall completely apart when she found out that Emmett was gone and Jacob wouldn’t be able to do anything to stop her from feeling the pain he knew would come. She still thought and hoped Emmett would break the treaty to come save her from Jacob, but the harsh reality was Emmett no longer existed and Jacob knew Kyrine was going to blame him for it. Possibly even accuse him of Emmett’s murder, which Jacob was ready for and would take anything his imprint threw at him.

He’d come this far, there was no turning back now.

Emily was outside in her own Quileute tribal gown when Sam, Paul, Amaya and Kyrine arrived, wondering where Jacob was. She frowned, wondering if Jacob would even be here to extend his own positive energy and figured he would be because Kyrine was his imprint. Then again, Kyrine hadn’t given him the time of day and Emily couldn’t blame her, though her heart did go out to Jacob as well. She knew the more Kyrine fought the imprinting, the more pain she was putting herself through and that included her heart.

Not saying a word, Emily began guiding Kyrine from Paul’s truck to the teepee tent that was put up strictly for the séance, smiling encouragingly down at her. Amaya watched with a heavy heart, wishing Kyrine would say something to her and knew she’d really screwed up with her sister. Tears slipped down her cheeks because Kyrine had never in her young life been as cold and callous as she was now to everyone around her…even Emily.

Just before Kyrine stepped through the tent, she suddenly stopped and gripped her chest tightly, dropping to her knees in the snow. “What’s wrong?” Emily demanded, placing her hand on Kyrine’s shoulder and frowned when the girl began wheezing for breath. “Kyrine?”

“Kyrie!!” Amaya rushed over to her sister, falling into the snow and crawled over to where she was, staring into Kyrine’s eyes. “Talk to me, what’s going on?”

“M-My heart…” She wheezed out and suddenly felt her eyes close before collapsing against Amaya.

“KYRIE, NO!!!”

Chapter 37

Jacob arrived just as Kyrine collapsed against Amaya, his dark eyes wide with fright. “Sam, what the hell happened?” He growled, rushing over and actually shoved Amaya away when she tried cradling her sister against her. “I have to get her to the hospital, Maya!” He lifted Kyrine in his arms and pressed his ear against her chest, his enhanced hearing allowing him to feel and hear how slow her heart was. “I’m taking her to Forks.”

Amaya blinked up at Jacob through tear-filled violet eyes, trembling from head to toe and watched as Jacob took off into the woods with Kyrine. She prevented Paul from going after Jacob, grabbing his arm. “Stop, he did the right thing.” She whispered, knowing Jacob hadn’t meant to shove her as hard as he did. “He’s scared, relax.”

“I told him not to put his hands on you again.” Paul growled, his temper up and was fully ready to rip Jacob to shreds. “I warned him…”

“PAUL LAHOTE, STOP YOUR EGOTISTICAL MALE SHIT RIGHT NOW!” Amaya bellowed right in his face, actually shocking Paul out of his anger and saw how worried his imprint was.

“May, he hurt you…”

“No he didn’t. He did what was best for my sister and that’s all I can expect from him.” Amaya argued, cupping Paul’s scalding face in her cold gloved hands, sniffling. “Please take me to the hospital.”

Nodding, Paul guided Amaya to his truck while Sam did the same thing with Emily to their own vehicle, everyone else watching as they sped off toward Forks. “Go Seth.” Quil ordered when he saw the anguish in the pup’s eyes, knowing he wanted to be there for Renesmee. “We got La Push, go see her.”

“Thanks Quil.” Seth took off into the woods without a second thought, heading straight for the Cullen’s.

Jacob’s heart was pounding vigorously in his chest as he raced through the woods as fast as he could, déjà vu coming over him from when he saved her from being attacked that snowy night months ago. Except he wasn’t in wolf form this time. Jacob stared down at his imprint worriedly, her complexion pale and lips a darker blue than before. Her entire body was growing cold against his and Jacob could hear her heart slowly stopping, only moving enough to pump life into her body.

“Don’t you dare die on me, Kyrine, you hear me?” He growled down at her, tears forming in his eyes as he kept trekking through the snow, knowing the woods better than anyone in the pack. “Keep your heart beating!! I know I’ve been an ass to you and I’m sorry, but don’t you dare die on me. Don’t you give up on me!! I love you, damn it!”

“Jacob…” Kyrine breathed out, his warm body making her circulation keep flowing because she felt as though she was wrapped in a heating blanket. “I…” She couldn’t speak because of how constricted her chest was, feeling as though it was caving in on her, and felt tears leaking from the corners of her eyes.

Whatever she was going to say, Jacob would never know because he arrived at the hospital in Forks, rushing into the emergency room. “DOCTOR CULLEN!!” He bellowed at the top of his lungs, scaring several of the nurses and even a few of the doctors, growling when they all tried coming toward him. “I NEED DOCTOR CULLEN NOW!!”

The hospital staff blinked at the shirtless Quileute boy before them and immediately backed away as he cradled the fragile looking girl against him tightly. “Sir, we can help her…” A nurse tried coaxing and jumped back when the boy growled at her, swallowing hard at the fire in his dark eyes.

“DOCTOR CULLEN!!” He stormed past them, not caring if security was called and looked down at Kyrine, panicking when he could barely hear her heart. “GET ME DOCTOR CULLEN!!”

“Ja-cob…” Kyrine wheezed out, managing to slowly open her midnight blue eyes as his onyx ones locked on hers, her chest rising and falling slowly. “Don’t…yell…at…them…” She managed to get out, knowing he was legitimately worried about her and closed her eyes when he kissed her forehead.

Carlisle had heard Jacob’s bellow from his office, which was clear across the hospital and made his way there as fast as he could without scaring his fellow co-workers. “Jacob, I’m here.” He stated, walking past the bewildered ER staff that had tried several times helping the small girl. “So we meet again, Kyrine.” He looked down at her and couldn’t believe even with how sickened and fragile she looked, she still managed a smile. “Let me have her, Jacob. I can take care of her.”

Jacob trembled slightly as he looked down at Kyrine and back up at Carlisle, the sheer panic in his dark eyes, but knew Cullen was her best shot at survival. “Don’t let her die, Doc. She means everything to me. I love her.” He stated, not relinquishing his hold on her as a few tears slipped down his hot cheeks, but they instantly dried up due to his body temperature. “Don’t let her die please…”

“I won’t Jacob, but you have to give her to me now. There’s no time to waste. We found her a heart.” Carlisle locked eyes with Jacob, seeing the sheer relief flood his dark eyes and smiled sadly, knowing Kyrine would be alright if he got her into emergency surgery. “Is Amaya on her way?”

“I-I think so…” Jacob finally handed his imprint over to Carlisle, trying to stop himself from shaking, but it wasn’t happening.

He watched as Kyrine’s body was placed on a gurney, a breathing mask placed over her nose and mouth to help her breathe while an IV was injected into her arm. Carlisle wheeled her down the hallway with Jacob following closely, surprised when the doctor didn’t stop him, ignoring all the looks he was currently receiving. They found her a heart, Jacob believed even further that he’d done the right thing by stopping his imprint from marrying a bloodsucker, wondering if Carlisle even knew about his own loss.

None of it mattered right now, all everyone cared about was saving Kyrine’s life and knew the clock was against them.

Paul and Amaya arrived a half an hour later, having taken their time because the roads were slick from the fresh snowfall and the plows hadn’t yet come out. Sam and Emily had followed, not wanting Amaya to be alone with this, none of them realizing what was about to happen with her family. Her entire life was about to change, Paul could sense it in the air and kept his arm firmly around Amaya as all four headed inside the hospital, going straight to the cardiologist floor.

“Jake, what’s going on?” Sam asked as soon as they met up with him, stopping him from pacing a hole in the floor and watched the tears silently flowing down his cheeks, frowning. “Jake…”

Emily couldn’t help letting tears fall as she grabbed Jacob tightly, wrapping her arms around his neck, feeling how much pain radiated from his body. “It’s going to be alright, Jake, I promise…” She soothed, feeling his arms wrap around her, trying to comfort a boy she considered a son to her since Emily was the pack’s mother of sorts.

Anything they needed whether it be food, clothes, shoes; she got for them without blinking an eye. She was always there for any of them to talk to, Emily was the easiest to spill feelings to and she kept them under lock and key. In a way, Emily was somewhat their therapist, only she didn’t charge them to listen to their problems and feelings. Jacob may have destroyed her kitchen in a fit of rage, but Emily forgave him for it, refusing to hold a grudge when all he was trying to do was relinquish some of the suffering he’d been in lately.

“No…” Amaya whispered, locking eyes with Jacob and slowly broke away from Paul to walk over to him, her bottom lip trembling. “Jake, please tell me she’s not…” She couldn’t finish the statement and buried her face in her hands when Jacob kept staring at her through those sorrow-filled dark eyes. “Kyrie…”

“Is going to be fine.” Carlisle finished from behind, watching Amaya whip around to face her and sighed when she tossed herself into his arms. “She’s going to be fine, Amaya. We found her a heart…” How was he supposed to tell her whose heart Kyrine was about to receive without completely destroying Amaya? “We need to sit down and talk. She’s stable for the time being and on a breathing machine to keep her heart beating while the OR is being prepped. There’s no time to waste, but…There’s something you need to know, Amaya.”

Amaya didn’t like the sound of his ominous words and let Carlisle guide her over to a nearby set of chairs in the waiting room, swallowing hard. Paul began following, but Emily stopped him, shaking her head silently. This was something Amaya had to do alone and Paul couldn’t save his imprint from whatever Doctor Cullen was about to tell her. Sam actually pulled Paul and Jacob from the waiting room into the hallway, Emily following, giving Amaya and Carlisle complete privacy.

“What’s going on, Carlisle?” Amaya wasn’t afraid to use his first name and felt his cold hands grip hers, his distressed golden eyes locking with scared violet. She had to suck in a deep breath and braced herself for whatever he was about to say, thankful that her sister was going to get a new heart. “You said Kyrie was going to be okay…”

“She is…” Carlisle cleared his throat and was thankful that the pack had given them a moment alone, not releasing Amaya’s hands. “And I’m going to implant that new heart inside of her as soon as I get your approval to do so.”

Amaya blinked, being caught off guard. “W-What are you…I don’t understand…” Then suddenly something occurred to Amaya that was off about this entire situation, violet eyes narrowing slightly. “Why aren’t our rents here? They would give permission instantly…”

Swallowing hard, Carlisle felt his throat close up and knew he had to be strong enough to tell Amaya what happened, squeezing her hands just slightly so he didn’t hurt her. “Your mother is here already,” He paused and watched her eyes widen, knowing he had to continue before he lost his nerve. “Just not the way you anticipated.”

“What do you mean?” Amaya yanked her hands out of Carlisle’s, feeling her chest constrict painfully and had to press a hand over her stomach because a bad feeling suddenly began forming. “Why is she here? Where is she?”

“Down the hallway in a room, waiting to be taken off life support.” Carlisle answered solemnly, those violet eyes instantly filling with stricken tears. “Amaya, your parents were attacked last evening by two vampires that we’re currently searching for. Natalie is brain dead because of a blow she sustained from the attack, but her heart…”

He didn’t get to finish, everything suddenly piecing together for Amaya as tears streamed down her face, covering her mouth with her hand. Her parents were dead. That’s what Carlisle had been trying to tell her and Amaya suddenly crumbled in front of him, burying her face in her hands, heart-wrenching sobs flowing through every portion of her body.

Natalie was brain dead and ready to be taken off life support while Nicholas was more than likely in the morgue, both of them having been attacked by vampires that had someone snuck under everyone’s radars.

Carlisle held her tightly against him while she sobbed, rubbing her back soothingly, trying to get her to calm down. He looked up when Paul suddenly burst into the room and was instantly pulling Amaya into his arms, lifting her up to sit in the chair with her in his lap, all of her pain and anguish nearly crushing him. He couldn’t stand watching his imprint crying, but this was much worse and Paul wondered what Doctor Cullen had told her to make her completely break down like this.

It took Amaya ten minutes before she could even look up from Paul’s chest, looking up at a patient looking Carlisle. “Y-You started saying something about Mom’s heart…” Normally, Amaya called Natalie and Nicholas by their nicknames, but now wasn’t the time for that because honesty they were just as much her parents as Kyrine’s. “That’s the heart for Kyrine isn’t it?” It wasn’t a question, Amaya already knew the truth and closed her eyes when Carlisle nodded silently, fresh hot tears instantly falling down her cheeks. “Kyrie has no idea?”

“No…” Carlisle watched as Amaya stood up from Paul’s lap, wiping her tears away, wondering what the girl was thinking. “Amaya…”

“I’m not giving you permission without Kyrie knowing whose heart she’s about to receive.” Amaya refused to do that to her sister, knowing this was going to be devastating for her to hear, but like Carlisle said there was no time to waste. “I’m not doing it, Carlisle, not without HER permission. Not without hearing from their actual daughter’s lips because we’re not blood sisters. I’m actually her cousin. I was adopted at a very young age by the McTavian’s after my parents died in a horrible car accident. Kyrine is their next of kin, not me, and she deserves to know above everyone what’s happened to Natalie and Nicholas.”

This definitely did complicate things because Carlisle honestly thought Amaya was the McTavian’s daughter just as much as Kyrine’s. “Very well, please try to be quick about it.” He requested gently, hating to sound desperate, but Kyrine’s heart could only take so much more before completely giving out and gave Amaya the room number.

When Paul started following Amaya down the hallway, she stopped him from coming with her, shaking her head. “I love you, but I have to do this alone.” She stated, cupping his face in her cold hand and felt his hand wipe more tears away from her face, kissing him softly on the lips.

Amaya hoped he understood and managed a sad smile when Emily stood beside Paul, stopping him from following by taking his hand. Both women had a look of silent understanding between them and Emily watched as Amaya took off down the hallway, not believing what they found out. The McTavian’s had been attacked and killed by vampires. Even in the hallway, the Quileute men had overheard the conversation because of their enhanced wolf hearing and instantly knew those vampires were linked to Emmett’s death.

Sam cleared his throat awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck and wondered if Carlisle knew about his own son’s death yet. “Carlisle, do you have a minute?” He asked softly, stopping the doctor from walking out of the room. “It’s about the McTavian’s attack. We found some things in the woods that you haven’t been told about yet.”

Carlisle saw the sorrow in Sam Uley’s eyes and took a deep breath, knowing he wasn’t going to like what he was about to hear. “Of course.” Together, they sat down in the same chairs that Amaya had occupied only moments ago to hear about the loss of her adopted parents.

Emily hugged Paul tightly around the waist as silent tears slid down her face while the love of her life broke the news about Emmett’s death. It didn’t matter if they were vampires; it was still heartbreaking to witness, especially when Sam showed Carlisle the bracelet Kyrine had given Emmett as proof of his death. Carlisle buried his face in his hands, everyone knowing if he could cry he would be sobbing as much as Amaya had been.

Emmett was like a son to him and now he was gone forever, there was no bringing him back. She looked over at Jacob and was surprised when he placed a hand on the doctor’s shoulder, walking over to join him. They were trying to offer their condolences the best way they knew how and Carlisle accepted it, nobody surprised when the Cullen’s suddenly entered the hospital room with stricken looks on their faces.

Carlisle looked up at them while having the bracelet in his hands and immediately went to Esme when she dropped to her knees, holding her close to him. Bella and Edward held each other tightly along with Alice and Jasper while Seth held onto Renesmee as tightly as he could, knowing he wouldn’t hurt her. He had been the one who broke the news of Emmett’s death to them and Edward hadn’t believed it until he delved into Seth’s mind, seeing the truth in how the wolves had found Emmett’s belongings by a recently used fire pit.

“Is it true?” Esme could only whisper out, looking up at her husband through broken golden eyes and closed them tightly shut when Carlisle nodded gravely.

“I’m afraid so, love.” He murmured, standing up with Esme to walk over to his family, gathering all of them in a group hug.

Everyone stayed quiet, having a moment of silence in honor of Emmett Cullen.

Chapter 38

How the hell was Amaya supposed to do this?

Kyrine was minutes from potentially dying and Amaya had to tell her that Natalie and Nicholas were dead. Everything about this was wrong and Amaya knew there was a chance that Kyrine wouldn’t accept her mother’s heart. Hell, Amaya didn’t even know what she would do if the tables were turned, wondering if she could even live with her mother’s heart beating inside of her. Taking a deep shaky breath, Amaya slowly pushed open the door to Kyrine’s hospital room, her own heart sinking at the sight of her sister.

There were tubes everywhere coming out of her body to help keep her alive, including up her nose and even a breathing mask to pump oxygen through her. Amaya blinked as huge tears slid down her cheeks, hating that she couldn’t stop them from falling and slowly walked toward her sister, taking her hand instantly. Kyrine just lay there and didn’t react to the touch, pale white with deep blue lips, literally on her deathbed.

“How did we get here, Kyrie?” She whispered, running her fingers through the top of Kyrine’s head gently, sniffling while never releasing her hand. “How could I let it get this bad? How could I choose Paul over you? I should’ve helped you when I had the chance and I didn’t. I failed you and I’m so sorry…” The guilt was overwhelming her and Amaya fought to remain standing, tears flowing freely. “Kyrie, please don’t die on me...” She pleaded heartbrokenly, pressing her forehead against Kyrine’s, coughing a little to catch her breath. “Please don’t die, I can’t lose you too…”

“Maya…” Kyrine breathed through the mask, slowly reaching up with her free hand to remove it from her face, her chest rising and falling gradually. “D-Don’t cry…” There was always a chance this would happen and Kyrine wasn’t afraid of dying, closing her eyes to gain some more breath to speak. “I-It’s going to be a-alright…”

Even on her deathbed Kyrine was still positive and it completely blew Amaya away, seeing the fight in her sister’s midnight blue eyes. “They found you a heart, Kyrie.” She had to get this over with so Carlisle could finish the job and save her sister, squeezing her hand a little more when Kyrine managed a weak smile. “But your permission is needed before they can give it to you.”

Confusion entered those midnight eyes, Kyrine raising a slow eyebrow at her sister. “What d-do you m-mean?” She could tell there was something Amaya had to tell her and coughed harshly, placing the breathing mask over her mouth and nose so she could breathe for a few seconds. “Tell me.” Her voice was muffled, but Amaya could clearly hear what Kyrine said.

Amaya could feel her bottom lip trembling, knowing she was scaring Kyrine, but she honestly had no idea how to do this without completely breaking down. “Kyrine, your parents –our parents- were brutally attacked last night by two vampires in the woods.” She watched those midnight blue eyes widen and fill up with tears in two point five seconds, already crying herself. “D-Dad didn’t survive and M-Mom is brain dead on life support…with a heart…”

The monitor began beeping rapidly as Kyrine began hyperventilating, tears streaming down her cheeks as Amaya told her that her parents were dead. They were gone. She would never see them again because of…vampires. Kyrine gritted her teeth angrily as she kept her eyes squeezed shut, her heart racing and tried slowing it down because she knew she was in critical condition. Then suddenly, the last part Amaya said hit her like a ton of bricks and Kyrine’s eyes flew open, locking with reddened swollen violet orbs, shaking her head.

“N-No…”

“Kyrie, it’s your only shot at living.” Amaya managed to say it without stammering over her words, feeling Kyrine release her hand, crying harder. “You have to do this, you can’t just let the grief kill you…”

“I-I am not…” Kyrine had to remove the breathing mask, placing it on her chest, which was still rising and falling rapidly as more tears fell. “I am n-not taking M-Mom’s heart…” Had Amaya completely lost her mind? There was no way in hell Kyrine could live with her mother’s heart pumping life inside of her while she ended up buried six feet under. “G-Give it to s-someone else…”

Now Amaya was angry and squared her shoulders, glaring down at Kyrine through narrowed slit violet eyes. “Are you serious? You’d rather give up the ONLY heart that could save your life instead of taking it because it’s MOM’S?” Half of Amaya wasn’t surprised by Kyrine’s attitude, but the bigger half of her was screaming for her sister to fight. “I already lost Mom and Dad, but I REFUSE to lose you with them, Kyrie!! No!! You will fight this!! You have to fight this and you have to accept this heart!! It is your ONLY OPTION!! Do you hear me?!”

Kyrine didn’t say anything for awhile, replacing the breathing mask over her nose and mouth, knowing Amaya would never understand what they were asking her to do. To actually take her mother off life support just so she could live was…inhumane. That heart would haunt her for the rest of her life, her mother would never be able to rest in peace because a piece of her would always live inside of Kyrine. How could Kyrine take her mother’s life away from her, literally, even if she was brain dead? She knew Natalie would’ve given anything to save her life, but Kyrine refused to live being haunted by her mother’s heart beating inside of her.

When Kyrine didn’t say anything to her, Amaya was fed up and tossed her hands up in the air. “Fine, have it your way. Don’t expect me to be here when you finally do die because you’re giving up on living.” Before Amaya could walk out the door, she froze at the next words that came out of Kyrine’s mouth.

“Emmett will save me.”

Feeling her shoulders slump completely, Amaya pressed her forehead against the door as it closed with her weight pressed to it and knew Kyrine had no idea about Emmett’s murder. “No he won’t, Kyrie.” She whispered, loud enough for her sister to hear and slowly turned around when Kyrine began coughing.

“Y-Yes he w-will…by c-changing me…”

“No he won’t, Kyrie.” Amaya repeated, a little sterner this time, seeing the determined look in her sister’s eyes. “He can’t.”

“I d-don’t care about the t-treaty…” Kyrine rasped out weakly, sinking further into the dark abyss that was crying out for her to enter. “Emmett…”

Why was fate so cruel to them suddenly? Amaya not only had to tell Kyrine about their parents’ death and about Natalie’s heart being the only way to save her, but now Emmett. When was it all going to end? Paul was probably going out of his mind with worry because she knew he could feel everything she was feeling. She had to push Paul out of her mind for the moment, trying not to break down again as she once again headed over to Kyrine’s bedside.

“Kyrie, Emmett isn’t here anymore.”

“W-What?” That caught Kyrine off guard, looking up at her sister and felt her weakened nearly dead heart collapse into the pits of her stomach. “W-Where is he?”

“He’s gone.” Amaya didn’t trust her voice at the moment, so all she could do was whisper, feeling Kyrine grasp her hand as tightly as she could. “I-I’m sorry, Kyrie…”

“No…” Kyrine shook her head, suddenly letting out an anguished cry. “NO! He’ll be here a-any minute!! H-He promised...!!”

Squeezing her sister’s hand tighter, Amaya forced Kyrine’s eyes to meet hers, trying to calm her down by stroking her hair even as she tried pulling away. “Kyrie, listen to me...” She sighed when Kyrine just kept shaking her head, knowing she had to continue even if Kyrine was in denial right now. “The vampires who attacked our parents’ are the same ones that killed Emmett. Some guys in the pack found specks of his clothing by a dug up fire pit in the woods just outside of La Push territory along with…the bracelet you gave him…with the charm…”

Kyrine couldn’t believe what she was hearing and could see all the grief swimming in Amaya’s eyes, knowing she was telling the truth. Emmett was dead along with her parents? She’d lost three of the most important people in her life in one night, all at once? Her plan to have Emmett save her life instead of taking her mother’s heart was no longer available and that just tore Kyrine to shreds inside and out. Vampires…She suddenly hated them all and pulled her hand away from Amaya, turning her head away as silent tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Kyrie…”

“Just go away.” She whispered, sounding completely broken and didn’t want to hear anything else Amaya had to say. “Please go away, Amaya…”

Completely defeated, Amaya could only push herself to exit her sister’s hospital room and barely made it two steps before collapsing on her knees, burying her face in her hands. A pair of warm arms wrapped around her instantly and Amaya knew exactly who it was, burying her face in his chest, needing his comfort more than anything. That was the hardest conversation Amaya had with her sister and it didn’t end on a good note, knowing that was probably the last time she would ever be able to talk to Kyrine. Her body left the hospital floor as Amaya was suddenly set down in a lap, not lifting her head from the warm chest.

Paul had no idea what happened in that hospital room and honestly didn’t care, too concerned about his imprint at the moment. The more she sobbed, the further his heart broke and seared with pain, wishing he could do something to take it away. He was tempted to leave the hospital, but knew there was no way in hell Amaya would leave Kyrine’s side. He looked up at a worried looking Sam, who simply held Emily close to him while Jacob paced back and forth like a caged animal. Everyone was on edge about what was going to happen now and the only person with the answers to their silent questions was Amaya.

Her sobbing trembling form was preventing her from talking.

When Carlisle walked into the hallway ten minutes later, Paul looked up from stroking Amaya’s hair, having managed to calm her down a little. “May, what happened?” He finally asked, watching as her head slowly lifted and her reddened swollen violet eyes told him none of it was good.

“S-She doesn’t want the heart…” Amaya stammered out, jumping about a foot in the air in Paul’s lap when Jacob suddenly exploded.

“SHE WHAT?!” Carlisle wasn’t fast enough to stop Jacob, nobody was, as he suddenly stormed inside Kyrine’s hospital room with narrowed dark eyes. “You will be taking that heart, Kyrine.” He stated, ignoring how much pain he was in from seeing his imprint in the current state she was. “You will take it and live!”

“You can’t t-tell me what to do, J-Jacob Black.” Kyrine hissed back, not even looking at him as she kept her eyes closed, not even worried about the breathing mask because nothing mattered anymore. “Just get out.”

“NO!” He bellowed, stalking over to her bedside and stared hardening down at her, knowing Carlisle wouldn’t let anyone inside until he was done talking to her. “I’m done with your cold heartless attitude, Kyrine McTavian! I’m tired of you pretending that you don’t feel something for me when you clearly do! I didn’t mean to imprint on you, I don’t know what else I can say and do to make you understand that we have NO control when it comes to imprinting!! THIS ISN’T MY FAULT!! Amaya might be giving up on you, but I’M NOT!! You’re going to take that heart and get better, damn it!! You have to!!”

“Y-You can’t force me to d-do this…” Didn’t he understand how much pain she was currently in, that she was grieving for the loss of not only her parents, but who should’ve been the love of her life? “I-I won’t t-take my mother’s h-heart…”

Jacob pulled the chair over to sit at her bedside, refusing to leave her until they hashed this out and she agreed to choose life over death. “You probably don’t care to hear this, but I’m gonna tell you anyway. My mother died at a young age, Kyrine. I was nine when she passed away in a car crash, leaving my father to raise me and my two sisters, Rachel and Rebecca. Rebecca married and currently lives in Hawaii while Rachel is currently off at college making a life for herself. Don’t you see? Our mother died and we moved on from it because there was nothing we could do. I remember her smile and miss how she always made me feel better, no matter what kind of mood I was in. She was the only one who could do that…” Jacob never spoke of his mother’s death to anyone, not even Bella, but knew it was the only way to possibly open his imprint’s eyes and make her realize what she was doing was wrong.

“W-Why are you t-telling me t-this?” Kyrine rasped the question, more tears falling and knew it was all she could do because she was getting weaker. “W-What does y-your m-mother have to do w-with this s-situation, J-Jacob?”

Jacob stood up from the chair and cupped her cheek, not surprised when Kyrine tried pulling away from him, but he grabbed her chin forcefully so she could do nothing except stare in his dark eyes. “Because I know if I’d been in that accident and it was my life or my mother’s, she would’ve given her heart to save me. She would’ve wanted me to live to see another day. You’ve been fighting this disease your whole life and you’re suddenly going to give up because your mother is no longer here? Someone else will get her heart if you don’t take it, Kyrine! So either way you slice it, someone else will live and you will die. I would rather have a piece of my mother living inside of me than to have her completely buried six feet under leaving me with scattered memories. You could live with a piece of her inside of you, she would never be fully gone. She wouldn’t haunt you, she would protect you and there is a reason why she survived that attack long enough to keep her heart safe…it was meant her daughter. It was meant for you to have, Kyrine. So live damn it! Live to see another day and don’t let the grief consume you. Fight! You have to fight because I love you and I won’t let you go.”

Before Kyrine could comprehend what was happening or respond to what Jacob said, his lips covered hers in a soft passionate kiss, keeping his firm grip on her chin. Kyrine tried pulling away from him, but the pull from the imprinting was too much for her to fight off, not when his lips felt so right and wonderful against hers. It wasn’t a forceful kiss like the other times, but a soft tender caress that sent her weakened heart racing rapidly, her entire body flushing with newfound heat.

His lips weren’t cold and marble hard like Emmett’s had been, they instead held warmth and pliability, making her heady in a way not even Emmett could. Jacob was shocked when Kyrine suddenly kissed him back with equal fervent, managing to sit up long enough to allow his arm to wrap around her waist, pressing herself against him as their lips continued molding together. When both needed air to breathe, Jacob reluctantly broke the kiss as he pulled back long enough to stare in her midnight eyes, running the pad of his thumb across her slightly swollen bottom lip.

“Now that was a damn good kiss.” He rumbled in a low voice, not caring that her lips were still tinted blue and softly kissed them again before pressing his forehead against hers. “Take the heart so we at least have a chance together, Ky. Emmett wouldn’t want you to give up living either and you know it. He would want you to be happy, even if you do deny me after taking your mom’s heart. We deserve a chance though and that kiss told me that there is more than enough feeling between us to make it work.”

Kyrine had a choice: She could keep fighting what fate obviously had in store for her and give up living to join her parents and Emmett on the other side or she could take her mother’s heart and live to see another day to give Jacob Black a chance.

It was definitely the hardest decision of Kyrine’s young life.

Chapter 39

Tears poured hard that matched the rain falling from the cloudy sky as she stared down at the huge thick tombstone. It was absolutely breathtaking and cut in the shape of a star, fitting considering who the grave was marked for. The snow was slowly melting since it was the beginning of March, spring just around the corner, though it was still considerably cold. The actual funeral ceremony had been four months prior, but she still mourned for her family, wishing she could’ve had more time, even another day.

The worst part was she wasn’t able to attend the funeral ceremony and never got a proper chance to say goodbye.

A warm hand clasped hers, making her look up into the pure onyx eyes of her soul mate, sniffling softly. He cupped her face and wiped the tears away with the pads of his thumbs, a frown marring his handsome face. Her cold hands slid up his warm arms to cover his, their fingers lacing together and accepted the soft kiss he planted on her cool lips. It didn’t matter how many times she came here, which was once a day, he was always there, comforting her the only way he knew how.

“Stop feeling guilty.” He murmured softly, knowing exactly what she was thinking because it was the same thing every time she came here. “You have a very good reason for missing the funeral, baby.”

“I know…” She mumbled, lowering her eyes from his and sighed when his hand instantly cupped her chin, lifting her head up, refusing to let her look down to him. “I can’t help it though. How does someone miss their own family’s funeral?”

“When that someone is fighting for her own life in the hospital.”

Kyrine ended up taking her mother’s heart, choosing life over death, because she wasn’t ready to give up. She wasn’t afraid to die, Kyrine had known all of her life that there was a chance she would end up losing the battle to congestive heart failure. Still, that didn’t stop her from fighting with everything inside of her.

She admitted that taking her mother’s heart wasn’t the easiest decision to make, especially after Amaya told her about the deaths of people she loved most. It was all at once, her parents and Emmett, and part of Kyrine just wanted her heart to stop beating so she could join them. But a bigger part of her made Kyrine remember how long she’d fought this disease and giving up would be cowardly, which Kyrine wasn’t.

Jacob’s pleading had also been a contributing factor because, for the first time, Kyrine saw how much he genuinely did love her, even if it was because of imprinting. She decided they did deserve an opportunity to at least give each other a chance and Kyrine wasn’t done living yet. Loving life had won over the grief from the loss of her parents and Emmett. She had too much unfinished business and couldn’t leave Amaya to fend for herself, Kyrine would’ve hated herself even in the afterlife if she left her sister all alone.

The girls needed each other more than ever.

The heart transplant went smoothly with no complications, though Carlisle was positive that Kyrine had made her decision just in the nick of time. Her left chamber had completely shut down, which explained why Kyrine had collapsed and had deteriorated due to being overworked. Her circulation improved overnight and Kyrine didn’t have cold hands for the first time in her life, which was definitely a first. The blue tint of her lips instantly diminished as soon as the transplant was completed, even before Kyrine was taken from the OR to the ICU for recovery.

Two days later, Kyrine woke up with Amaya and Jacob by her side and couldn’t help letting a few tears fall because she was alive. The surgery had been a success and she was breathing without her chest feeling constricted, something that was very new to Kyrine. It was as if her body had been gained a newfound energy and Kyrine knew it was because of her mother’s heart pumping in her chest. That just made her cry harder because the harsh realization crashed over her that she was alive because of her mother’s death.

Jacob held her close while she cried, assuring Amaya she was in good hands. No sooner had Amaya started crying, Paul had arrived at the hospital to make sure she was alright and to check on Kyrine’s condition. Sam told Jacob not to worry about patrolling, being beside his imprint was far more important and the rest of the pack had the grounds covered. Jacob was the last person Kyrine ever expected to actually give her comfort, security and love, but somehow he managed all three perfectly.

Ten days later, with a scar down the middle of her chest, Kyrine was released from the hospital in Jacob’s care. It would take about six weeks before her sternum fully healed from the operation so Kyrine couldn’t drive until then. The scar started at the notch, or top of the sternal bone, just under her neck and ended just past the end of it.

She knew it would fade overtime, but Kyrine wasn’t concerned about it because the most important thing was she was breathing and alive.

Carlisle gave her three main anti-rejection medications along with other ones to prevent infection, which was standard after a heart transplant. Because of the McTavian’s death and the fact the girls were still underage, the bank had no choice except to take the house in Forks. Jacob didn’t want Kyrine to worry about anything except healing from the surgery and told her she would be staying with him until she got better. Kyrine didn’t argue with him, knowing she had nowhere to go and that Amaya was staying with Paul on the reservation.

For the next three months, Jacob waited on Kyrine hand and foot, not letting her do anything too strenuous. He made sure she took every single one of her medications on time, even if she wanted to be stubborn about them. If she wanted to cook –Kyrine could definitely whip up a delicious meal when she wanted to-, he was there by her side helping her with the meal. If she wanted to go outside, he gave her time alone, but was always close-by in case she needed him. Jacob didn’t want to smother his imprint, especially with everything she’d been through and the major losses suffered. He knew she missed her parents and Emmett Cullen, which he tried not letting bother him too much because he couldn’t control her emotions.

Kyrine felt what she was going to and Jacob could only be there for her when she needed him.

It was true. Kyrine did miss Emmett a lot and had completely broke down when Carlisle gave her the bracelet she’d made him shortly after she gave her virginity to him. Emmett was the only man who made her feel like she was worth something, who had approached her when nobody else would, and made her feel like a regular teenage girl instead of walking around on egg shells around her. He hadn’t been afraid to be with her, not even after finding out about her heart condition, and proved it by treating her like every normal healthy woman.

Even when her lips were tinted blue and she had bad days with her condition, not once did Emmett ever make her feel apprehensive about it or pitied her. Instead, he would try getting Kyrine’s mind off of it and help her anyway he could, even if it meant just laying in bed holding her in her bedroom. If Kyrine didn’t feel up to going out, Emmett always sensed it and would make a suggestion to stay in for the evening before she could. Emmett had been the love of her life, the man Kyrine thought she would honestly end up being with, no matter if she grew old and wrinkled while he remained frozen in time.

A month after Kyrine was brought to the Black house from the hospital to recover, Jacob had given her the engagement ring Emmett proposed to her with. Kyrine was floored, she honestly thought he’d destroyed it and cried her heart out while clutching it against her chest. The pain was still very fresh, but Jacob knew how much the ring meant to his imprint and felt he owed the deceased bloodsucker something for whatever reason. He was going to destroy it when he first kidnapped Kyrine, but with everything else going on, Jacob honestly forgot about it until after bringing her home from the hospital.

“Why are you giving this to me?” Kyrine had asked while staring down at the beautiful diamond ring, but didn’t slip it on her left ring finger.

“Because I owe you that much after what I’ve done to you.”

Those words cemented the fact that Jacob legitimately loved her and Kyrine decided that she had to give him a chance. She had put the ring back in the box Jacob kept it in and stood up from the bed, believing what he said wholeheartedly. The imprint pull was so strong, Kyrine couldn’t stop herself from reaching up and wrapping her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly as a few more tears fell. Jacob had been shocked, but that didn’t stop him from instantly wrapping her in his strong embrace, never wanting to let go. He’d been careful not to squeeze too hard because of how fragile she was from the transplant.

Jacob was confused when Kyrine started smiling, knowing she’d been deep in thought about something and hated that he couldn’t read her. “What made you suddenly smile?” He had to ask, dark eyes staring down at her questioningly. “Talk to me, Ky.”

“I was just thinking about how you took care of me and the night you gave back my engagement ring.” She replied honestly, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressed her forehead against his. “It was the first time you actually showed me how much you truly loved me and put your feelings aside to try helping me.” Jacob would never understand how much that meant to Kyrine, not as long as he lived.

“Yeah well…” Jacob cleared his throat gruffly, not having thought about that moment for awhile. “I’m not a complete asshole, even though some people might argue with that.”

Kyrine chuckled softly, playing with the hair on the back of his neck. “You just don’t want to admit that you do have a soft side, Jacob Black.”

Slowly but surely, Kyrine was pulling the softness of Jacob out and wouldn’t stop until she completely did so, knowing he was hiding under a rough exterior. On the inside, he was nothing more than a teddy bear that would protect her with his life and do anything for her. He showed her on multiple occasions over the last four months by staying up late at night with her whenever she couldn’t sleep, playing board games, watching movies and holding her when he knew Kyrine needed it most.

There was one night in particular that Kyrine would never forget, flushing at the memory of it.

Jacob had been out most of the day running errands for his father –Kyrine adored Billy Black and instantly connected with him the first time they officially met- and doing a few things for Sam since he wasn’t patrolling for the pack. He was sweet enough to ask Kyrine if it was alright that he went out for most of the morning and of course she didn’t deny him. He didn’t need to ask her permission, but Kyrine also knew how worried Jacob was about her recovery. It was two months into it and Kyrine was starting to slowly feel like a new person, always sending a silent thank you up to her mother in her prayers when she went to sleep at night.

Kyrine spent the morning trying to figure out what to make for dinner and ended up making barbeque ribs that Sue Clearwater brought over for them to try. They were officially dating, it was the cutest thing Kyrine ever saw, especially when Sue would come over to whisk Billy away with his wheelchair. She always had this happy gleam in her eye and Kyrine knew the man would definitely be getting his exercise with Sue around. Billy was once again over at Sue’s and Kyrine knew he wouldn’t mind if she made them, feeling she owed Jacob with how wonderful he’d been during her recovery.

Sometimes he was overbearing, but that was Jacob and Kyrine learned to deal with it, knowing he wouldn’t change his ways.

She ended up whipping up some garlic mashed potatoes, cheesy vegetables and some hot rolls that she’d made from scratch. It was her mother’s recipe and Kyrine was pleased when she’d nailed it, knowing Natalie was smiling down at her proudly. Kyrine decided to make the ribs in the crock-pot so they would be extra tender, having started them first since they wouldn’t be done for several hours. It was nightfall when Jacob finally made it back home and Kyrine had just finished setting the table, their eyes locking as soon he walked in the door.

Tears formed when Jacob walked over and handed her a beautiful bouquet of colorful flowers, apologizing for being gone longer than he planned. Kyrine took the flowers from him, set them aside and brought his face down to hers for a soft tender kiss. It was the first kiss they shared that was initiated equally. Every other one had been forced upon her, even the day in the hospital when Jacob pleaded with her to take her mother’s heart so they could have a chance together.

Kyrine didn’t know what came over her, not knowing if it was the thoughtfulness of Jacob to bring her flowers or the fact that she’d missed him like crazy, but the moment her lips touched his, her entire body lit with a newfound fire. The softness quickly turned passionate and it wasn’t Jacob deepening the kiss because he wasn’t about to force anything more out of her. They were taking things slow and at her pace. Something ignited inside of Kyrine and she ended up jumping into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist with Jacob holding onto her for dear life.

He returned the fiery kiss with equal passion, everything about the moment feeling right and the best part was she fit perfectly in his arms.

They ended up having their first heavy make-out session that night, but never went past kissing and touching, just slowly exploring each other. Eventually the dinner was ate while they snuggled together on the couch, stealing kisses from each other and Jacob thanked her for the wonderful meal. That just made Kyrine straddle him and started another session, which Jacob definitely didn’t complain about. Sleep didn’t come that night because in-between the make-out sessions –Kyrine didn’t want to torture Jacob too much-, they actually talked and got to know each other.

That was the night Kyrine finally admitted she was in love with Jacob.

“There you go again thinking.” Jacob laughed, seeing the dreamy gaze in his imprint’s eyes and rubbed his nose against hers. “You’re going to drive me crazy if you keep doing that, Ky.”

“Sorry.” Kyrine shook that memory of her mind for the time being. “You know I don’t mean to drive you crazy, it just comes natural.”

Jacob growled softly in her ear and swatted her ass gently, kissing her forehead. “Come on, we gotta get going to Emily and Sam’s or we’re going to be late for Amaya’s birthday party.”

“Alright, let me say goodbye first.”

Smiling when Jacob simply nodded and gave her a quick kiss, Kyrine watched him head off to his Rabbit to wait for her patiently like always. Kyrine sighed, the smile instantly leaving her lips as she turned to stare down at her parents’ tombstone, feeling guilty for being so happy while they rotted in the ground. Her mother had saved her life and Kyrine didn’t know how she would ever be able to repay her, not even knowing where to begin. She’d started a foundation through the hospital, with the help of Carlisle, to help children and young adults with congestive heart failure, calling it the McTavian Foundation in memory of her parents.

It didn’t feel like enough though, but it was all Kyrine could do for the time being.

“I love you Mom and Dad. I know Amaya does too and we both wish you could be here to celebrate her eighteenth birthday. You’ll never know what you’ve given me, Mom. I know I would be dead right now without your heart.” She placed her hand over her chest, feeling it beating rapidly with life and wiped a few stray tears from her cold rosy cheeks. “For the rest of my life, I promise I will do everything in my power to live each and every day to the fullest. I will try to be happy and not mourn you too much because I know that’s not what you want for me. You wanted me to live and fought with me every step of the way to get a new heart. We just didn’t realize it would end up being your heart that would end up saving me.” Sniffling, Kyrine knew she had to head back to the Rabbit because they couldn’t be late for Amaya’s party. “I have to go now, but you’re always in my thoughts and prayers. Mom, you’ll always be alive through me, I’ll never forget that. I love you both.” Kissing two of her fingers, Kyrine pressed them against the tombstone before turning and walking away, closing her eyes when a cold wind blew over her, breathing it in.

It was the spirit of her parents giving her their own farewell.

A few minutes later, Jacob and Kyrine were on their way to Emily and Sam’s.

Chapter 40

Amaya wasn’t happy.

Paul could feel her apprehension and chuckled softly, reaching over to take her hand, only for her to pull away. “Would you stop worrying?” He demanded, not believing how stubborn his imprint was being. “I told you you’re going to love where I’m taking you.”

“I hate surprises.” Amaya grunted, folding her arms in front of her chest, not amused. “They make me nervous.” Not to mention this particular day wasn’t one that Amaya cared for, especially with everything that happened lately.

She had no idea that Paul figured out when her birthday was because Amaya refused to tell him. He only knew she was underage and couldn’t take over the McTavian house, which is why the bank had to foreclose on it. Amaya wasn’t overly worried about losing the house and accepted Paul’s offer to stay with her until either she got on her feet or decided to just stay with him permanently. Somehow, Amaya knew she would eventually tell him she wasn’t going anywhere, but keeping him in suspense was amusing.

So, Paul did a little sneaking around in her boxes, found her birth certificate and immediately went to Emily to start planning a surprise birthday party. She was turning eighteen, that was a big one in Paul’s eyes, so he wanted to do something extra special for her. Emily was more than happy to oblige and together they began scheming, trying to figure out what the perfect party would be for Amaya. With her style and the type of woman she was, it definitely wasn’t going to be one of Emily’s parties she usually threw every couple months.

When Paul told her they were going out for the evening and to dress her best, Amaya immediately became skeptical of him. He stopped asking her about her birthday two months prior so Amaya immediately nixed the idea of him doing something for it. That didn’t stop her from wondering what Paul had up his sleeve, but reluctantly did what he asked. Amaya was going to cut Paul’s sex supply off completely if she didn’t enjoy whatever he had planned.

She decided on a dress that was a dark blood red that matched the freshly dyed streaks in her hair and had black lace images all over it. It had three-quarter flowing sleeves with a V shaped neckline, an arced tunic-length hemline and fit her curvaceous body nicely. Since it was still cold and snowing outside, Amaya wore black velvet leggings that kept her legs warm with the dress and black knee high boots on her feet that had dark red fur around the top of them and inside to keep her feet even warmer.

Her nails were freshly done as well in dark red with black tips and she had a black velvet choker around her neck that matched the leggings, which also had a dark red oval stone attached to it. Deep violet eyes were outlined in black eyeliner that had an Egyptian style to them along with dark red eye shadow to bring them out even more. Her lips were painted in a dark red gloss –Amaya hated lipstick and tried avoiding it at all costs, only using it a number of times in her life- and she had oval shaped dark red earrings dangling from her ears that matched the choker.

That was about as dressed up as Amaya ever got.

Paul had gotten used to Amaya’s different style and found it arousing, especially when she wore those leggings that hugged her beautiful legs, thighs and ass perfectly. He just wanted to reach out and grab a handful every time she wore them, smirking at the thought. His blood boiled even more, if that was possible, when she wore fishnet stockings with her knee high boots. It was the sexist look on a woman Paul ever saw and he actually showed her how much he appreciated those fishnet stockings on more than a few occasions. He wasn’t surprised that she had them in every single color available either, it just made her that much more unique and beautiful to him.

Emily had requested that everyone dress up a little for the surprise party. Paul decided on a short sleeved dark green shirt that fit him like a second skin and looked as though it would bust off of him at any moment. Instead of his regular cargo shorts he usually wore, Paul had on a nice pair of Khaki pants, which was definitely out of style for him along with white tennis shoes. His thick short black hair was spiked up a little in the front and neatly trimmed –Emily had given all the guys in the pack a quick clean-up the night before the party-, even having a silver chain around his neck that he rarely wore.

Amaya tried jumping him before they left the house, trying to convince him that they could just stay in for the night. Paul didn’t budge an inch, Emily would absolutely kill him if he didn’t bring the guest of honor to the party, especially after all the planning they’d done for it. It took everything inside of him not to bend to what Amaya wanted, but somehow Paul managed to get her out of the house and into his truck. That was probably another reason why Amaya was sulking, she wanted sex and didn’t get it because Paul had other plans in mind.

“There is no reason for you to be nervous, May.” Paul stated, glancing over at her when he had to stop at a stop sign, seeing her arch an eyebrow at him. “Have I ever steered you wrong?”

“No, but we haven’t exactly been together that long.” She pointed out bluntly, violet eyes narrowed slightly.

It was Paul’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “We’ve been together for seven months. That’s not exactly a short-term relationship.” He argued, pushing on the gas when she merely rolled her eyes.

“I’m still going to be nervous until you tell me what is going on.”

Paul didn’t respond to that and squeezed her hand comfortingly, hoping she didn’t hate him for the surprise party. He knew she was going to be angry at him for snooping around her things, but he’d been desperate. Not to mention he’d already asked her every night since she’d moved in if she would marry him.

Every night before bed, Paul would ask Amaya to marry him and she always shot him down because she felt she was too young for it. Marriage at her age was too soon and fast for Amaya, though she knew eventually she would cave to Paul and accept his proposal. She just wanted to have fun for the time being and didn’t feel the need there was a rush for marriage. If she had a ring on her finger, it would feel like a weight and Amaya didn’t want to feel either of those things, telling Paul exactly how she felt.

Paul accepted it and stopped asking her after she broke down to him spilling her feelings.

When Paul pulled into Emily and Sam’s driveway, she immediately relaxed, knowing they were probably going to one of Emily’s parties she threw occasionally. “What is so secretive about going to Sam and Em’s?” She couldn’t help asking, confusion swimming in her violet eyes and didn’t wait for Paul’s response, stepping out of the truck as soon as he cut the ignition.

Paul cleared his throat nervously and walked over to take Amaya’s hand, stopping her. “I wanna walk in together, stop being in a hurry.” He laced their fingers together, feeling Amaya was more relaxed and knew that was about to change.

They walked up the front steps and Paul stopped, turning to stare into Amaya’s violet eyes. “I love you.” He cupped her face in his hands, kissing her softly, the taste of cherries from her lip gloss making him groan instantly. “Just remember that.”

“Okay…” Amaya suddenly felt uneasy again as Paul opened the door and pulled Amaya inside with him, her eyes suddenly enlarged.

“SURPRISE!!!!”

Everyone laughed at the bewildered look on Amaya’s face, Kyrine standing in the front with the biggest smile on her face, applauding. She walked over to greet her sister, knowing this was definitely the shock of her life and hugged her tightly around the neck. Amaya could only return the embrace, blinking and locked eyes with midnight blue, knowing Kyrine was concerned about her reaction. Honestly, all Amaya could do was blink and stare, slowly moving her eyes from Kyrine to look around the room, admitting that the decorations were amazing.

There was black, red, purple and silver balloons attached to different colored balloon weights around the house, but it wasn’t over the top tacky. In the center of every bundle of balloons was bigger ones that had the number 18 on each of them, one for every balloon weight. There was the same color of streamers mixed together dangling around the house for extra decoration, along with black lace over all the colored table clothes.

Emily had completely turned her house into a party hall of some sort with round tables for the guests and long ones for the huge amount of food made. The smell of her cooking was incredible, everything she made mouth watering and tonight was no exception. Amaya knew she was addicted to Emily’s cooking because she got excited every time Paul told her they were having dinner at Emily and Sam’s.

It happened at least three times a week.

There was a banner hanging in the middle of the room that said in big bold black letters ‘HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY AMAYA’, the letters outlined in the four colors that Emily chose for the décor. Everyone was there from the pack, even Seth’s imprint Renesmee, who was allowed on the reservation simply because she was partially human. They were all dressed up too -none of the guys had cargo shorts on- and Leah even had a beautiful long sleeved velvet silver dress on that made her look radiant.

“Breathe May.” Paul murmured in his imprint’s ear, knowing they had all completely caught her off guard and hoped she wasn’t angry.

Amaya couldn’t believe all the trouble everyone went through for her birthday, wondering how they found out and eyeballed Kyrine. She would definitely be asking her sister later on and smiled widely when Emily came over next to hug her, wearing a short sleeved dark pink dress, her hair swept up on top of her head in curls. Amaya couldn’t remember ever seeing Emily in a dress and returned her embrace, trying to find her voice.

“Are you okay?” Emily asked softly, staring into Amaya’s eyes worriedly. “I know you weren’t expecting this, but an eighteenth birthday is a big deal and needs to be celebrated properly.”

“I’m fine.” Amaya assured, Emily squeezing her hands before the next person came up to hug her. “Thank you everyone, this is really unexpected…” That was all Amaya could think to say, everyone applauding her again and laughed softly, Paul’s arm instantly wrapping around her waist.

The party started with everyone eating a delicious meal, mostly Amaya’s favorites, and even Kyrine had an appetite. She wore a simple black velvet long sleeved dress that had a hooped neckline, went down to her ankles and black boots on her feet that were identical to Amaya’s. Because she visited her parents’ grave, Kyrine felt it was appropriate to wear black and it also fit the theme for Amaya’s party. She let her sister mingle with everyone and kept quiet for the most part, talking to a few people who approached her, having become good friends with Renesmee.

Jacob didn’t mind the friendship between his imprint and Renesmee, nothing really bothered him about the Cullen’s anymore. He blamed it on the imprinting, which he didn’t regret happening and held Kyrine’s hand while she talked about whatever Renesmee brought up. It was mostly Seth, not surprising, so Jacob tried tuning them out and was thankful when Paul came up to start a conversation with him.

After food, it was time for presents and Amaya ended up pleased with everything people got her. Movies, jewelry, clothes that fit her style and even a pair of beautiful boots –she was obsessed with shoes- that were silver. As much as Paul wanted to give Amaya a ring on her eighteenth birthday, he knew she wasn’t ready for it and decided on a beautiful dark silver bracelet that had blood red and black gems in it. Amaya loved it and actually tackled him after opening it, raining kisses all over his face, making everyone laugh.

The party went clear into midnight and by the time it ended, everyone was exhausted. They each bid Amaya congratulations and wished her well, Amaya reciprocating, thanking everyone for coming. When it was just her, Paul, Kyrine, Jacob, Emily and Sam left at the house, Amaya finally whirled on Paul and her sister, violet eyes narrowed. They both knew it was coming and Paul was going to have to come clean, trying to smile charmingly at her.

“Don’t even try charming your way out of this, Lahote.” Amaya chastised, folding her arms in front of her chest, lips pursed together. “So, which one of you came up with the idea to throw me a surprise party?”

Normally, Amaya would’ve pinpointed Kyrine because she was the only one who knew when Amaya’s birthday was. However, something told Amaya that Kyrine wouldn’t do something like that, knowing she wasn’t fond of birthdays to begin with. So now Amaya had to figure out and try to pry the truth from Paul, knowing it wouldn’t be that difficult with a few idle threats that would surely be effective.

“Well?”

“I didn’t have anything to do with it. I was just told to be here at a certain time and to dress nicely.” Kyrine said truthfully, holding her hands up with wide midnight blue eyes. “You know I wouldn’t tell anyone anything you didn’t want me to, Maya.”

Paul groaned, hoping Kyrine would’ve tried helping him out. “May, you had fun and-”

“Nope, that’s not going to work either.” Amaya cut him off, placing her hands on her hips now, glaring. “You have five seconds to tell me the truth or else your sex supply will be cut off indefinitely.” As much as it would pain Amaya, she would do it if it meant getting the information she wanted.

“Damn Paulie, it looks like you got no choice in the matter.” Jacob clapped his friend on the back, wincing at Amaya’s threat. “She’s not kidding.”

Paul frowned, glaring at Jacob, before finally turning guilt-filled onyx eyes on Amaya. “Fine, alright…I found out when your birthday was from your birth certificate. You wouldn’t tell me when it was and I wanted to do something special for you. We’re living together and…” He cringed when Amaya’s eyes widened.

“You went through my things?” Amaya couldn’t believe what she was hearing, gaping. “All so you could celebrate my birthday?”

Paul nodded, not able to look at her and shoved his hands in the front pockets of his Khaki pants. Amaya shook her head and knew her boyfriend was stubborn, but didn’t realize the levels he would stoop to in order to make her happy, until now. She walked over and lifted his chin up until their eyes met, the biggest smile spreading on her face. Shock didn’t begin to cover how Paul felt when his imprint passionately kissed him, instantly lifting her in his arms, groaning when she nipped his bottom lip.

“My sneaky devil.” She murmured, rubbing her nose against his, not angry with him in the slightest. “Even though I don’t like you going through my things, I know why you did it and I love you.”

Grinning, Paul kissed her lips softly. “I love you too, May. Ready to go home?” He wanted to personally remove those velvet leggings from her and spend the rest of her birthday with both of them naked in his bed.

“Absolutely.”

Emily, Sam, Jacob and Kyrine laughed as they watched Paul walk out with Amaya, who shouted another ‘thank you’ over her shoulder. “Those two are a piece of work.” Emily commented, finishing cleaning up and smiled at Kyrine’s help. “You should head home, you look tired, Rine.” That was Emily’s nickname for her.

“No, you shouldn’t have to do this on your own and I’m happy to help.” Kyrine insisted, sighing when Sam stepped in with a gentle smile on his face. “I’m fine really…”

“I think Jacob wants to spend time with you.” Sam smirked when Jacob walked over to wrap his arms around Kyrine’s waist, knowing he hit the nail on the head. “Go on you two, we’ll finish up here.”

“Thank you for everything you did for my sister. It was an awesome party.” Kyrine broke away from Jacob long enough to hug both Emily and Sam, kissing their cheeks.

Emily waved her off dismissively, beaming. “You know I love throwing parties and she deserved it. Now go home and get some rest.” She knew Kyrine was still recovering from her transplant, even though the woman was mostly healed, but nobody was taking any chances.

Jacob guided Kyrine out of the house and drove them home, knowing Billy was staying with Sue again. Eventually, Billy would end up moving in with Sue and leave the house to Jacob, which he was waiting for. He opened the front door for Kyrine and watched her remove her boots, his eyes darkening at his imprint. As soon as she stood up to ask if he wanted some hot chocolate, Jacob simply shook his head and cupped her face, kissing her passionately.

“I can think of something else I’d much rather have.” He rumbled huskily, running his hands up and down her sides, nuzzling her neck lovingly.

They hadn’t made love yet because they were taking things slow and Jacob wanted to make sure Kyrine was not only ready, but recovered from her transplant. Kyrine was nervous, she hadn’t made love with anyone besides Emmett and it’d been awhile since she had any strenuous activity. She was healed both physically and mentally, already knowing Jacob was her unexpected soul mate and loved him deeply. They were definitely ready to take it to the next level.

Kyrine took his hand and lead him to the bedroom, her midnight blue eyes blackening with cloudy barely contained desire. Jacob actually swallowed hard by the intensity in them and kicked the door shut behind him, watching as Kyrine turned to unzip her dress, pushing it down and off her body. Jacob growled when she stood before him in just a black lace bra and panties, immediately undressing himself, before walking over to help Kyrine with her garments.

Once she was fully naked, Kyrine crawled into bed under the covers and smiled when Jacob joined her, fully ready to give herself to him completely. “Make me yours, Jake.” She whispered, gasping when he filled her to capacity and held on for dear life, nothing except moans and groans filling the room.

Hours later, Kyrine lay in bed stroking Jacob’s hair with her fingers while he nuzzled her chest, both of them completely spent from hours of love making. “You make me stronger, Ky.” He said, breaking the silence between them. “Before I met you, I was completely weak and ready to give up on finding the one who completed me. But then I met you and I’ve never felt stronger in my life.”

Kyrine beamed brightly, the afterglow from love making radiating off her skin. “You made me stronger too, Jake. When I wanted to die, you made me fight to live and I’ll never be able to thank you enough.” She murmured, meaning every word she said. “I love you so much.”

Jacob leaned up, brushing his lips against hers. “We made each other stronger, Ky. You don’t owe me anything. After what I did to you, I’m blessed that you’re giving this a chance and I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure we’re stronger with every day that passes.” He vowed, not bothered by the fact that Kyrine was scarred because it was her ultimate badge of honor. “I love you too, more than you’ll ever know.”

From that day forward, Jacob never broke his vow and their bond only grew stronger, never weakening for a second, both finally finding what they were looking for.

The End.