Okay, so no one can be too mad at me. Erin is Erin and you all love her and her stubbornness, remember that in this Seth narrated chapter because she comes off mega bitchy (she's hurt? and honestly, she's scared.). Also, I say in the description Seth and Erin's relationship has highs and lows. So… enjoy, haha.

I own nothing but Erin.

Seth's POV

Dear god, Seth! She is your imprint! It's not like she's going to go and break the imprint just because she's pissed. Now shut up, please! Paul snapped at me as we ran through the woods, side-by-side. I whined, barely caring enough to keep pace with him. Nothing really seemed worth much effort lately to me.

I hadn't spoken to Erin in three days, which was a record for us since after I shifted. It wasn't because I was giving her space either; it was because she refused to speak to me. Or be in the same room as me. Or look at me. Basically, she wasn't acknowledging my existence. She wouldn't answer her phone and whenever I tried to go to her house, she either 'wasn't home' or sent Rachel out to send me away. Once, she'd even had Paul come out to tell me to get lost.

Even worse, Paul, fucking Paul Lahote, who was still allowed on the property, had sadly become my only solid link to my girlfriend. At least I hoped she was my girlfriend; the bright side of her not talking to me was that she hadn't broken up with me, if that was her final intention. I still did even understand why she was so pissed off, anyway?

Yeah, I screwed up and I knew it. I should have never attacked Embry, but it wasn't like I had much choice. In the moment, it had all been instinct. My first thought was to make sure Erin was okay and then everything in me just screamed to defend her, protect her from any threat. And he had appeared to be a threat, so I had attacked. Erin had seen Paul loss control before, she knew the temper we wolves were capable of, so why did my actions make her so angry?

Seth! You have got to let this pass! Erin's just got a stick up her ass about this, she will get over it! Quil broke in, running the perimeter on the other side.

I think she's just being a bitch for attention, Leah muttered. I growled. Simmer down, Suicide-Watch. You attack me and it gets back to 'Rinny, she'd probably be even more hissy with you.

Forcing myself to relax, I glowered. But, she's okay, though? Right? I asked Paul.

Dude, I don't know. She doesn't exactly talk to me much, you know? I know she sleeps over at Kim's or in Rachel's room with her. I know she talks less and when you do talk to her, she's a straight up b-i-t-c-h. And that's about it. Rachel won't tell me anything because she says it's Erin's business and not the whole Pack's. I just don't know, man. Paul answered, running ahead of me.

Ugh! I huffed, forcing myself to catch up with him.

At three, we changed positions and I was replaced by Embry as usual. One way I'd tried to get back into Erin's good graces was forgiving Embry. I obviously understood now what losing control felt like, plus Erin wasn't talking to him either and he'd dumped his first girlfriend, too. I could see for myself how sorry he was. They might not have had the more traditional relationship, but Embry and Erin still cared for each other like a full brother and sister would. And while I knew it was different for me because of the imprint, I also knew that being ignored by Erin Black was about the most unpleasant experience someone could endure.

Leah and I trotted back to our house, breaking away from each other to get our clothes. I got dressed and pulled my cell phone out of my pocket, clicking it on. Hope flickered in my chest, despite the evidence that the infuriatingly amazing girl still hadn't called me back.

I was greeted, as usual, to my screensaver of said girl. She'd fallen asleep one afternoon, studying for a test. Her head was to the side, resting on her arms; her hair sprawled out across her open textbook. Her perfect pink lips were slightly open, making her look both insanely adorable and completely at ease. She hated it but it was one of my favorites, it was just so entirely my 'Rin.

Going to my contacts and then favorites, I hit the first number. The phone rang three times like always. My heart sunk.

"You've reached Erin Black but she either doesn't want to talk to you or is too busy at the moment. Leave a message for her though and I'll- I mean, she'll try to get back to when she can!"

I sighed, closing my eyes and waiting for the stupid fucking beep. At least I got to hear her voice on the message. "Come on, 'Rin! I'm sorry! I don't know what to do to make this right and honestly, I don't even really know what I did wrong! Please, just tell me or give me a hint or something!" I swallowed, shaking my head, "I can fix this, I know I can. I miss you."

The message timer beeped just before I could add an 'I love you'. Ending the call, I trudged up to my house, ready to face another sleepless night despite the exit wound in my chest.

I pulled up to Kim's house in the minivan on Wednesday, officially four days into my shunning. Erin hadn't been home and Rachel had snapped at me about being a 'stalker' and to 'just leave Erin alone'. I wondered how she would feel in my position, away from Paul for this long and knowing he was pissed off at her.

Kim stepped out of the house as I got out of the van. She was in her pajamas with a shawl around her shoulders, shivering slightly in the morning air. "She's not here." She answered before I could speak.

I sighed, looking up at the grey sky in frustration before turning back to the van to leave.

"Seth." Kim called. I turned to her, eyebrows raised with the rest of my expression slack. "It's not that she loves you less because of the fight. It's more like she loves you so much that she wants what's best for you."

What did that even mean? How am I, a pretty dumb, definitely inexperienced, gullible, 15-year-old boy, suppose to figure out what I need to understand when you're that cryptic? Girls!

"She's what's best for me, always has been, always will be." I clenched my fist, trying to keep my breathing even. How could nobody seem to understand things from my side? Erin Avery Black was all I had ever wanted. "Where is she, Kim?" My voice sounded tired and desperate, even in my own ears.

Kim looked at the watch on her wrist and then back at me. "Miss. Lahote's, I'd guess. She's only two hours into her shift."

"Thank you." I gasped with shocked eyes, any irritation with the older girl gone. Now, I had to resist the urge to hug her as I got back in my van, pulling out of the driveway and speeding to the bookstore. I might have even double parked but I didn't remember later or care. I got out and practically ran into the store. This close, I could feel the tug in my gut that always lead me back to her. Throwing the door open, I unfortunately ended up almost toppling into my imprint, crashing into her side.

"What the he-" Erin turned those crystal blue eyes to me and my breath caught in my throat for a second. Even looking annoyed as hell, the girl was a fucking goddess in my eyes. Upon seeing it was me who had nearly knocked her over, her face went blank for a second before she glared. "Seriously, Seth? Can't you just leave me alone? Have you ever heard of giving someone space?" Her glower was fierce and angry, but her voice was just as tired and desperate as mine had been in Kim's driveway. Maybe she wasn't sleeping well again...

I wasn't.

"I'm sorry, it's just, I needed to see you, okay? I want to apologize and you won't even look at me, let alone talk to me, so else could I do?" I asked, following her down a book aisle as she stubbornly stomped away. Damn, she'd worn my favorite skinny jeans on her; they fit her just right and made her legs look miles long. I mentally smacked myself; it was so not the time to be checking her out. No matter how hard it was not to.

"You could go away, because that's obviously what I want." She snapped keeping her back to me, taking some books from the shelves here and there. I continued to follow her with a sigh.

"You don't miss me at all? Not even a little?! Because, honestly, I've been feeling like I'm walking around without a part of my soul, nothing feels right with you gone, 'Rin." I hissed at her, wanting nothing more than to just grab her by her hips and make her face me. How could she not feel the same?

She froze, her hand dropped back to her side, whatever book she'd been about to grab forgotten. I saw the slightest tremble in her lip and watched as tears gathered in her icy blues, sending my heart plummeting into my stomach. Was there any way to be around her without hurting her more? I never wanted to hurt her...

"Go away, Seth." She whispered, closing her eyes.

"You don't want me to leave." I tried, indignantly. Something slowly clicked together in my head, a theory that every legend I'd heard about imprinting supported. Erin whirled around to fully face me with angry tears in her eyes and the glare back in place, only now much easier to see through.

"And how would you know that?" She snapped, actually sounding mad for the first time during our whole conversation.

"Because if you really wanted to send me away, I would have to go. Wolves can only do what their imprints truly want. What you really want is me here, so I'm here." I reasoned to her.

The glare dropped and my heart, which wasn't fairing all that well anyways, broke. Erin, my 'Rin, was about the toughest person I knew. I'd long lost count of the number of times she had awed me by refusing to back down, by never breaking apart, by just unquestionably being herself.

But now she looked broken. She looked vulnerable and scared. Her big blue eyes were wide and pleading, tears still pooling in them and dangerously close to falling. Her lip trembled and her hands were shaking as she crossed her arms over her chest, like she was creating a barrier against me. Never before had I felt this far from her, like we were miles apart with dozens of walls between us.

"I miss you all the time, okay? Is that what you want to hear? That I sit in my room, playing your voicemails over and over just to hear your voice and I haven't slept right since the party? Does that make you feel better, Seth? I love you so damn much, it kills me to do this! But I have to! I saw a part of you on Friday that I never want to see again. A part that would turn on one of his best friend over some girl and that's not okay, Seth! I am not worth it!"

How could she not see herself like I did? Because Erin wasn't, would never be, just some girl.

I broke in, feeling the need to defend myself, "That was the wolf instinct, I don't get to control that and you know it! And when it comes to you, 'Rin, it's like nothing else matters. I just want you to be safe, that's all! I want to protect you!"

Erin slammed the books she holding down on a table next us, "I want to protect you, too! I want you safe, too! Just because you don't age and you turn into a giant wolf doesn't mean you can't get hurt or die, Seth! And then, what would I do? If I'm this mental case after barely four days away from you, what would I do if-" She stopped, looking out of the window behind the table while biting her lip painfully hard.

"Erin, there are things you can't protect me from." I whispered gently, thinking of the newborn Riley and the redhead Victoria.

"But, there are things I can protect you from." She whispered back, looking at me with those eyes. "Like being around me."

"So your brilliant plan is to avoid me and turn me into a heartbroken, useless mess?" I asked, looking at her incredulously, feeling close to a panic attack.

She shook her head, looking out of the window again. "You should go, Seth. I really can't do this right now."

This time, for the first time, I felt the tug in my stomach and it was pulling me away from the love of my life. I knew it really was time for me to go. I painfully started towards the door before turning back to her slowly, leaning down and kissing her forehead. "I love you, Erin Black."

And then I left, feeling helpless, because she wanted me to go.