Chapter 2

[Seth]

About fifteen minutes after we got in the door at Sam's place Hannah was snoring. Loudly.

"How do you ever sleep with that?" Embry asked incredulously. He laughed then. "Well I mean you obviously don't sleep with her." His laughter was so loud I thought for sure Hannah would wake up but she didn't. I threw a pillow at him roughly. "I'm just kidding, I know it's kinda rough right now." I sighed. The pack knew everything. "Hey listen," he said leaning towards me. "I heard Emily talking to Sam about her. Emily really thinks something else is going on. Have you talked to her?" I nodded looking back at Hannah. Her nose twitched just a hard, making me smile.

"I asked," I said. "She said she was tired is all. I guess we'll see after this." Embry nodded, agreeing.

[Hannah]

I could hear voices talking. All men. I knew I was with the pack and I tried to pick out Seth's. Easily I picked his out. They were arguing about something. Somebodys scent. They had found a trail. Human.

I rolled over then knowing it wasn't anything to be worried about and was almost asleep when someone grabbed my arm roughly. I screamed and sat up.

"Sorry," Seth said, although he didn't look it. "I need to ask you something and I want you to answer honestly. I don't want you lying." I was confused.

"I didn't lie to you. I never do," I said sleepily rubbing my eyes. "What's going on."

"Embry ran by your house to grab my shorts from your house and he smelled a human scent inside your room. Before, you told me it was your brother. Your brother's on vacation, so I know it's not him," he said. "I'm not trying to be controlling, but," he paused. "are you cheating on me?" I sat straight up again.

"No Seth, no, go no," I said tears instantly coming to me eyes. "I would never do that to you, you know that." I was hurt he even thought of the possibility. I saw his eyes relax and lighten and his whole body loosened.

"I just," he started. "I had no idea what to think." I shut my eyes and leaned my head back. Everything was about to come out. "Han," he said. "Who was in your room?"

"I need someone else in here," I said apologetically. "I know you." He nodded.

"Jake!" He yelled. Jacob pounded in with his puppy dog gait.

"Hey guys what's up?"

"I have to tell Seth something I know he's gonna get really upset about," I said my eyes flicking back to Seth. "I needed you." Jacob nodded and stood a couple feet behind Seth, pretending not to listen.

"I don't know how to tell you this," I started my voice surprisingly steady. I think I had been waiting for the day this would happen. "But first," I entered, "I need you to promise me that you're not going to blame yourself for what I'm about to tell you." Seth nodded his eyes wide and solemn. I took a deep breath in, getting a little more nervous. "You know that Michael kid from school?" He nodded.

"Yeah." He reached out and barely brushed his thumb against my knee from where he was kneeled in front of me.

"Well, before you, we were kind of thinking about getting together and stuff," I said, nothing wrong there even though I saw Seth stiffen. "And then you came around," I said smiling. "And I practically forgot about him until he showed up at my window one night." I flinched remembering the sound of him pushing the window pane up. "He wasn't very happy that I'd chosen you." Seth was watching me so carefully and so gently a few tears escaped me. "So, I mean, he said pretty much, "I guess I'll have to teach you a lesson." He sat a gun down on my nightstand and I thought I was done for. I just kept quiet and you know…" I said, my voice barely a whisper. "Let him do what he wanted." I flicked my eyes to Seth's and saw the pain in his and I struggled to not start bawling. "He left, but came back on nights you weren't there." Seth started to shake and I looked at Jacob who looked like he was having trouble staying calm.

"Seth," he barked pulling him up by the arm. "Get out now." Seth reeled and hit him across the face. His shaking had stopped suddenly.

"I don't need to," he snapped. He turned to me and looked at me so sadly. "Can I hold you?" I nodded. Seth scooped me up into his lap and tucked my head down on his shoulder. "Leave Jake."

"Don't eat her," Jacob said slamming the door. Every once in awhile Seth's chest trembled and I stiffened ready to jump up but after the third time I realized he was shaking from holding in sobs. I looked up into his brown eyes filled with hot, angry tears.

"You said you wouldn't blame yourself," I reminded him.

"That condition is gone." I sighed. I didn't want to fight, not now.

"We need to go somewhere else, Emily needs in her house." He leaned down as if to kiss my forehead but recoiled at the last second. He nodded and stood up.

"Can I carry you out? Please." I nodded softly.

"I need to talk to Emily," I said. He looked like he would never put me down again. "Wait in the truck." He shook his head. "Seth," I whispered stepping closer and sliding my hand along the stubble on his jaw. "Nothing's changed." He took my hand, squeezed it and then walked down the drive. A few seconds later I heard the engine start up. I turned and walked into the garage where Emily was lounging on an old lawn chair reading. "I'm sorry…" I said. "We're going now." She stood up and I noticed her eyes were rimmed with red.

"You should have told me," she said pulling me to her. I hugged her back tightly. She knew why I didn't tell her. If I had told her, Sam would've found out, and then Seth would have been told. I had to be the one to tell him. "I love you." She kissed my forehead and let me go. "Go, he's waiting." I nodded smiling softly at her. I walked down the drive thinking it'd be a long time before things became normal again.

I opened the truck door and slammed it shut in complete silence. After a few miles of driving Seth spoke. "I'm not taking you back home. Call your parents and tell them you're staying at a friend's house." I sighed and pulled out my cell phone. After a quick conversation I was home free. The silence separated us like a brick wall.

"Pull over," I commanded. Seth looked in the rearview and pulled onto the shoulder. I unbuckled my seatbelt, reached over, took the keys out of the ignition and pounced on Seth. After a minute maybe two or futile attempts of kissing him I sat back my legs on either side of his. "Seth don't do this to me," I said. "I can't do it again." He had gotten quiet like this after his mom had died. He didn't phase for months, barely ate, barely talked and I think he touched me a total of three times in two months, and two of those were when he was sleeping. "Nothing's different okay?" He swallowed. "I'm still the same girl I was two hours ago before you knew. I was that one you watched sleep on Emily's couch, the one you held tight to when you picked me up from school, then one you kiss every night before we fall asleep together. I haven't changed. It has been going on for MONTHS and you didn't know and everything was fine, just because you know now doesn't mean anything is different. I still love you as much as I did every other day since I've known you." I took a breath. "I love you more than anything in this world Seth and you know I'd do anything for you." Seth sat there silent. I looked down at my lap. "I know you need to phase so just go." As I said that, a tremor rocketed through Seth's right arm. He closed his eyes and put his left hand on the door handle. "Just come home," I whispered. For the first time during that long hour, Seth looked at me.

He scooted maybe an inch closer to me. "Can I kiss you?" I nodded smiling slightly. Seth had asked me that on our second date a few months ago. I had laughed profusely but said yes of course. The deal was sealed with that kiss. "I'm not leaving you alone." I sighed and sat back. "Can you go to Abigail's house or something? Someone I know?" I nodded, I could give him that much. I called Abigail who was thrilled to have me over for a night since I usually reserved those for Seth. We rode to Abigail's illegally. I was curled up on the bench seat with my head resting on Seth's leg. As we got closer I could feel that Seth would be okay and be normal eventually. He shut the truck off. "Do you want me to get you some stuff from Emily's? I shook my head.

"I want your t-shirt," I said. He smiled and stretched it off of himself, handing it over to me. The smell of it, of him, almost brought tears to my eyes.

"Ill be back around eight tomorrow morning, so don't stay up all night," he said sounding like his old self. "Please be careful, okay?" I nodded. "Han?"

"What?"

"I love you no matter what," he said. "You know that right?" I nodded. I wondered in my head if it would be different if he hadn't imprinted on me. Of course it would be. Almost reading my mind, he said, "Even without being a werewolf I would still love you unconditionally." I smiled. He tilted my chin up towards him so, so gently and asked permission with his eyes. I nodded and he lowered his lips softly onto mine. "8 o clock," he said after pulling away. I grabbed his t-shirt up and slid out of the truck. I turned and waved to him, which would normally be when he'd drive off. This time I noticed he waited until Abigail opened the door.