Rejection
Looking as glum as she had been from the moment Wynter had been bitten, Alice sat between Paul and Embry on the couch, as if it were the most normal thing in the world for her to do. Although they had been getting along over the past weeks, the pack and the vampires still couldn't handle the smell of their opposites, and Paul was still a bit temperamental when it came to being too close to their former enemies. Usually Alice was no exception, but when he looked at her to say something about her stench, he bit his tongue. She was depressed looking. The normally bouncy and chipper Alice Cullen was depressed, and he just couldn't bring himself to be the one to dampen her mood anymore.
"What happened?" asked Harry, standing next to Hermione near the kitchen.
"She woke up," Carlisle began explaining to them. "I explained to her how Seth bit her, and she asked if he was alright. She wanted to make sure that he wasn't beating himself up over it. When she asked me how long she's been out for, she tried jumping up to start training again. I was stumbling on the proper way to explain to her how she was now… how the bite transformed her-"
Rolling his eyes as his father was taking too long to tell everybody the really interesting parts, Emmet jumped in. "Draco walked in, and he told her that she was a shape-shifter now. But before he could fully get out the entire story about what happened, Wynter was reaching out for him while he was making his way closer to her-"
"We ran downstairs just in time as he reached her," Rosalie grinned in a wicked way, "Clamping his hand in hers, Wynter pulled Draco down onto the bed with her."
"Oh Merlin, this isn't good."
"I'm going to go stab my brains out now."
"Wynter's not going to be too happy about this."
"At least now she'll finally shag him."
"Ginny!" came the gasps from a couple of the shocked members in the room.
Looking around, Ginny placed both of her hands on her hips. "Oh, come on now… you guys can't all be blind to those two? It's been that way ever since he beat her up in that corridor the first day we met her. There's always some sort of sexual tension between those two, and she's always trying to deny-"
"How could I be so stupid?"
Turning away from the red haired vixen that he had learned to fear, Jasper turned to his wife, "You aren't stupid."
"I am," Alice frowned, jumping to her feet. "It all makes sense now; the reason why I saw Wynter with Draco in my visions – she was imprinted on him. I was curious why in my visions they were so love with each other, when in reality she refuses to have anything to do with him. It all makes sense to me now," chewing on her lower lip, she shook her head. "I have to go."
"Where are you going?"
Turning her back to her family, Alice shook her head, "I need to see something. I'll be back in time for the war."
Her skin was burning, a permanent flame dancing on it, with his icy breath taunting her. Pressing her body tightly against his, she tried to cool herself down. She was heating up, and only his iciness could cool her down. Fingertips lightly brushed against the sides of her body while her fingers ran through his hair; such silky hair; such smooth hair. It fell like feathers against her fingers, tickling her. It didn't take long after she woke up to realize that she was wearing nothing more than a sheet, allowing her to see that Carlisle had stripped her completely naked somewhere along the process of fixing her up. Her eyes were shut tightly, but she didn't need them open to see the perfect vision pressing against her.
"You need to sleep," her voice was raw, her lips pressing against a point on his collarbone that made his knees buckle against her.
"I slept enough," he spoke in a hushed breath.
"You're lying to me," she shook her head; "You're tired. I can see it in your eyes."
Feeling the vibrations emanating from his body when he chuckled, his voice was like music to her ears. She already knew that he could whisper from miles away, and she would hear his voice. "Your eyes have been shut from the minute you pulled me onto you, love."
"I don't need to have my eyes open to see you Malfoy."
"Malfoy?" trying to pull away from her arms, but falling back against her tightened grip, Draco cocked a confused eyebrow. "Why aren't you calling me Draco?"
Hearing a throaty growl laced into her own chuckle, Wynter simply shook her head. "I may be imprinted to you Malfoy, and the Quileute shape-shifter blood in my veins may have me convinced that I'm in love with you, but I'm still myself. I still have my memories, and I still have my own thoughts. "
"Really, Morris?" he groaned, struggling against her grip. "Even when loving me is the only thing that will save your life, you're still going to fight it?"
She felt him resisting her. There was annoyance and a fire in his voice. He was pulling away from her, and with every pull he made, it tugged some of her with him. "Mal-" feeling a final tug from him that forced her out of his arms and crashing onto the ground, Wynter released a painful shriek of pain. Something was wrong with her.
"Morris!" shouting her surname, Draco jumped back to his feet, and ran over to the bedside. He didn't know what to do. Holding onto her abdomen in pain, Wynter was continuing to shriek. It sounded worse than when she was bitten. Reaching out for her, he gasped when he saw her eyes. "Morris, Morris! Dammit, Wynter, what the hell is happening to you?"
Realizing he didn't know what to do, Draco wrapped his arms tightly around Wynter and prayed to Merlin that apparating wouldn't harm the witch any more than she was already hurting. Shutting his eyes, he continued to plead with her to tell him what was wrong, until he heard shouts from all around him. Feeling arms tugging at him and voices demanding to know what happened, Draco opened his eyes. Allowing Hermione to pull him away from the screaming Wynter so that Sam and Billy could tend to her, he started explaining their conversation.
"She's dying," Billy realized once he heard Draco's explanation. There were tears in his eyes as he looked down at the pitiful girl he had come to admire.
"What?" struggling against Hermione, Draco didn't notice Harry and Ginny were trying to hold him back as well now too. "No! Morris!" he shouted, trying to call Wynter's attention, "Morris, wake up you stupid bint!"
Ignoring the tears in his eyes, Ron ran to the center of the room. Kneeling next to Sam who was trying to hold down the resisting girl, he saw that her body was jerking as if in pain. "Her eyes," he noted, looking up at Billy. "Why are her eyes black? And why is she bleeding?"
"Draco rejected her," Jacob replied, pulling Hermione into his arms, and telling Harry and Ginny to release the struggling wizard.
Nodding his head in agreement, Billy explained it to the vampires, witches, and wizards. "When Wynter explained to Draco that she still had her own mind and her own opinions, Draco pulled away from her. When he questioned her about it while pulling away from her, the shape-shifter blood in her saw it as him rejecting her. This is what happens when a mate rejects an imprint. It takes only an hour before they die."
"No!" not caring that he was forcing himself between the pack leader and a very irate Ronald Weasley, Draco pulled Wynter into his arms. "Dammit Morris, you stupid, stupid girl; I wasn't rejecting you. I told you that I loved you that day in sixth year. And I reminded you after the war, asking if we could talk about it. Why the bloody hell would I reject this imprint, when I've been trying to make you understand? So wake the hell up!"
Flying her hands to her mouth, Hermione gasped. It all made sense to her now; the reason why Wynter was acting odd for a couple days before they left for Forks, and why she tried her hardest to avoid Draco. "Malfoy."
Widening both of her eyes, Ginny suddenly had a frightening smirk on her face. "I knew it. The twins owe me thirty galleons."
"Come on!" holding the twitching and bleeding girl in his arms, Draco placed her head tightly against his chest and began to rock her in place. "Come on," he pleaded with her through gritted teeth. "Come on Morris. Wytner, please. Wake up. Stop convulsing, stop bleeding from your eyes, nose and mouth, and wake the hell up. I accept you! I accept being your mate. Just wake up! Come on Wynter, don't give in so easily. Fight this. If anyone can find a way out of this, it's you."
Violet Hayes does not say anything back to Mr. Steenwilly because she has not seen his look; she is too busy trying to protect her jugular against the fangs of the monitor lizard. The lizard also does not reply to Mr. Steenwilly in words, but it does let loose with a furious kee-waaa that I believe is akin to the hunting call sounded by raptors when they've grounded pterodactyl, and begun moving in for the kill.
I cannot feel any sympathy for Violet Hayes, because my own moment of reckoning is nearly at hand. The tuba solo is approaching, swimming toward me though the composition like a hungry giant octopus.
There is nothing in the known universe that can save me now. Our school has thick walls, so it is unlikely an alien space-craft will be able to beam me up from this basement band room. Nor is our school likely to catch fire in the next seventeen seconds. Nor, am I sorry to report, are we in an earthquake zone. I am doomed. (pg. 87-89)
"We just got another letter," Harry said, entering Jacob's room.
Placing her bookmark back into her book, Hermione pulled out from Jacob's arms. "Who is it from?" she asked, turning back to the sleeping figure on the bed and placing a kiss on his cheek before putting the book on his desk.
"Seamus," he replied, leading Hermione out of the room.
"Seamus?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow. "What did he say?"
"It's better if you just read it for yourself."
Harry,
Tell Ron not to kill Malfoy. Obviously that ain't the brightest thing to do now is it? Especially not if killing Malfoy is going to kill Wynter, I mean blimey, is he really that daft? I'm glad I'm still in London right now though, especially when she wakes up. She ain't gonna be too happy when she hears that she was almost killed because of the ferret. Well anyways, about the Order and the DA…
Remus was injured in an ambush. We managed to kill four of them, but three got away. Remus is still banged up pretty bad, but Fleur's helping him to heal. The rest of us got away with only scratches and bruises. Sirius isn't too happy about everything that's happening over in Forks seeing as how Hermione got imprinted and not only did Wynter get bitten and turned into a shape-shifter, but she's also imprinted on Malfoy, but thanks to Mrs. Weasley, he calmed down. Don't tell Hermione, but Sirius blamed Kreacher for all of this, and soon even the twins were taking pity on the poor little ugly thing. Dean and I caught them trying to knit scarves for the miserable little house-elf. Well anyways, we're going on another mission tonight. We got an owl from an anonymous source. We have a feeling on who we think it is, but we don't want to say anything until we know for sure.
At least me, Dean, Neville, Luna, Charlie, and Bill think we know who it is. No one else wants to believe us on it. But if we're right, then this could work in our favor. We'll owl you within the next week once everything gets settled. Owl us back once Wynter wakes up. All of the DA and half of the Order are betting she's going to kill Malfoy and just sacrifice herself in the process. Mr. Weasley's on our side.
-Seamus
They were all seated around the Black's living room. Jacob was still sleeping in his room, and Hermione curled up on the couch between Harry, Ron, and Ginny. The vampires were all scattered throughout the area – minus Alice who still didn't return from her solo mission – and the pack members were all scattered as well. Draco was forced out of the spare room that Billy threw Wynter into, and he wasn't looking too good. It's been three days since the imprint took place, and he hasn't left her side yet. Not even to shower. There were a couple of times when Sam's girlfriend Emily would have to threaten him with Sam just to get him to eat something. He refused to leave Wynter's side, fearing that her body would go through convulsions again; thinking that he rejected her.
"I'm not that bloody stupid," Ron huffed out in annoyance, folding his arms over his chest. "Bloody Irish git; who the hell does Seamus think he is? Blimey, I'm not that daft to kill Malfoy now that I know Wynter's imprinted on him."
Scratching his forehead, Draco saw everyone was staring at him. "I think I might know who gave them a tip. And if I'm right, then it'll help us to win this war even more."
"Who do you think it is, Draco?" ever since Hermione learned that Wynter imprinted on Draco, she found herself calling some sort of silent truce with him. She knew firsthand how weird it was to be the mate to someone; the sensations that you get when you aren't near them and the worry that you have when they're gone for too long. She may have been with Jacob for only a couple of weeks, and Draco may have been with Wynter for only three days, but she could see it in his eyes. The guilt eating away at him; gnawing away in his mind, blaming him for her almost dying, and not waking up yet; it was evident in his eyes and on his face. Even Ginny pitied him.
Muttering to himself in a tone so low that even the vampires couldn't hear what he was saying, Draco heard everyone fall too silent. Looking up, he saw that all eyes were on him. "What?" playing back the conversation in his mind, he remembered Hermione's question. "Oh, right, erm… I'd rather not say it just yet. I want to be sure first."
"Emily's giving her a sponge-bath right now," Sam announced, watching Draco quickly jump to his feet. All of the wolves pitied the poor pale wizard. It was obvious enough that he loved Wynter from the moment they met him, and to him being the witch's imprinted mate was like a heaven sent gift, but so far she's only been conscience for half an hour within the past week. Draco was going through hell, watching his mate suffer, and there was nothing he could do about it. It was as if his love intensified when the imprint happened, and knowing that Wynter herself was going to try to fight it eventually… well it was starting to show in the wizard's features.
Nodding his head, Draco stayed in place, "I know. I wasn't going in there. I have a letter to write. Potter, I need the owl."
Is it you? –D
"Is it you?" Harry questioned, watching as Draco whispered into the owl's ears, before sending it out of the window. "Will they understand what you mean?"
Nodding his head, Draco took in a deep breath. "Yeah."
"And if the letter gets grabbed from someone else?"
"They won't understand it," he simply replied. His voice was so sure of himself that the vulnerability in his face looked out of place. "But I'm sure it won't be intercepted. I gave the owl precise directions on how to get it directly to each of them."
"Each of them?" Harry scratched one of his elbows. "You mean you suspect more than one of them?"
Nodding his head, Draco coughed. "I'm pretty sure it's two of them," he nodded his head. "And I'm also pretty sure that I'm completely right in who it is. And my guess is that I'm thinking about the same person as Finnigan."
Thinking about it for a second, Harry suddenly gasped. "The rumors were true then, weren't they?"
Smirking, Draco nodded his head. "You mean of one of the lions prowling around the snake's den? Yes, the rumors were true."
Draco watched her slowly drag the wet sponge over her face. This was something she did at least ten times a day. In the beginning, when she first tried to touch Wynter, he and Sam nearly killed each other. He didn't appreciate a woman that he'd never met before touching her, and Sam didn't appreciate his girlfriend being threatened by a wand. After nearly an hour of being calmed down, Sam finally relaxed and explained to Draco that Emily would never harm Wynter, and that she only wanted to clean her up and take care of her in ways that a doctor couldn't. Over the three days, Draco grew accustomed to the Indian woman's incessant humming while she got used to his watchful gaze. They became comfortable in each other's silent company; him knowing not to question her scarred face, and her knowing not to question his dark mark.
"You're starting to stink."
Smirking at the woman's sudden choice of conversation, Draco nodded his head, "I haven't showered yet."
"I know," she nodded her head. "Tell me Draco, do you think that when she wakes up, she's really going to want to have to smell you? A shape-shifter's scent is superb. So if you stink to me, just an ordinary human, imagine how intensified it will be to her."
"I'll shower once she wakes up."
Sighing, Emily shook her head. "Very well then; I cannot force you to shower Draco, but if that's the case then can you at least use your wand to clean yourself or something? I know that you guys have the ability to do that sort of thing."
"I would have figured, Emily," entered Emmet's joking baritone from the door, "That with all the years you've spent with Sam and the rest of the dogs that you would have been used to such a stinking smell by now."
Lightly laughing, Emily looked away from the still unconscious girl on the bed and up at Emmet. "They have more of a wet dog type of aroma to them," she winked in a playful way, "Whereas Draco here just stinks. He smells like sweat and dirt. And honestly, it's getting to be a bit nauseating."
Chuckling, Emmet shook his head then walked up to the bed. They all knew that Wynter was a shape-shifter once Sam explained it to them, but no one really wanted to believe it. It wasn't until six days before when she fell into a deep sleep because her shape-shifter blood assumed Draco was rejecting her though, that it actually dawned on them. Wynter was no longer just a muggle-born witch with blood ties to the darkest wizard to ever live. But she was now the first female to ever be bitten by a Quileute pack member and turn. To make matters worse, the one person who was sent to murder her, picked on her, had a hand in torturing her, and somewhere along the way fell in love with her, was the one that she became imprinted to. Billy and Carlisle talked it over, and they both came to an agreement that Wynter would move from the guestroom in the Cullen's home and over to one of Billy's daughters' old rooms. Now here she was. Six days after waking up, and still unconscious.
"How's she doing?" Emmet asked.
"Still sleeping," Emily sighed, turning all of her attention back into wiping the girl's face with the sponge. "She's starting to talk a little though."
"It's mostly nightmares," Draco frowned, trying to will Wynter to wake up. "Of what I did to her during the war, and back in school."
"It isn't your fault Draco," Emily tried to assure him, already knowing all of the stories; "You couldn't control what you did in those days. Your family was being held against you."
"And in the end, I still lost them."
"Draco," entering the room, Hermione and Jacob saw the sullen look on Draco's face, and the pity in Emily's face while Emmet showed no emotion. "Is everything alright?" Hermione quickly asked, moving her gaze onto her unconscious friend.
Nodding his head, Draco stood up and walked over to the happily imprinted couple. "What is it?" he asked them.
Thanking Emily once again for taking such good care of her friend, Hermione quickly kissed Jacob goodbye then grabbed Draco's hand and ran out of the room. Stopping in the living room, Draco gasped. Kneeling over a bleeding tanned girl was the Irish git he had spent most of his years hating and fighting with. He noticed the blood covering Seamus Finnigan's body while tears fell from his Shamrock colored eyes. All eyes were now closely watching Draco, waiting for his reaction. Slowly taking steps towards the two newcomers, Draco peeked over Seamus's hunched shoulders, and looked down. The sight caused his knees to buckle and he fell down. Lying there with her eyes shut was one of his only real friends; Pansy Parkinson.
A/N: Since I can't not write, I decided on a new thing. I have really bad insomnia. Like I can't sleep at night, so I'm literally up all the way until 7 in the morning. Then I sleep until 12 in the afternoon, and stay up all the way until 7 in the morning again. In the hours that I'm wide awake, I'm usually hooked on tumblr or writing, so this is what I'm doing now… in all the nightly hours that I am wide awake, I am going to just write as much chapters as I can. Each night, I'm going to work on just one story then upload a new chapter. Hopefully this works out for me because it's keeping my mind extremely occupied.
Just push that little button and let me know what you guys think(: any ideas as to why Alice took off so suddenly? What about your thoughts on Wynter still trying to deny Draco and how her shape-shifter blood reacted to when he 'rejected' her? And Pansy? Who is the other person they suspect to be on their side? Hmm…
