"It was like everything finally fell into place," Jake said.
It all made sense now. Why Jake, a shapeshifter, was willing to spend endless hours in a house full of vampires. It wasn't because of loyalty to her mother or to keep a close eye on his enemies. It was because of a little girl who loved to paint his nails bright pink.
"It wasn't gravity holding me to the planet anymore," Jake continued. "It was you."
Had Uncle Jasper been in the attic he would have been driven insane by the malfunctioning traffic light that was Nessie's emotional state. Joy, anger, excitement, panic, and confusion fought for dominance in a dizzying blur. Nessie hoped her grandfather was well versed in neurology. It would be helpful if someone knew what to do if her overwhelmed brain decided to stroke out.
"At that moment I knew I'd be anything you wanted me to be," Jake said. "A friend, a protector, an older brother,"
"A boyfriend?" Nessie said, glaring at Jake. "I was a baby. What kind of a creep falls in love with a baby?"
It seemed anger won out over all the other emotions.
"Please, believe me, Nessie." Jake pleaded. "I didn't feel anything inappropriate towards you."
The slight quiver in Jake's voice gave Nessie pause. What was she thinking? This was Jake, the best friend she'd ever had, not some creep in the park. Didn't he deserve a chance to explain himself?
"Sam, Paul, and Jared are all married to their imprints," Nessie said.
They all seemed so happy at ease around their imprints. Was that happiness real or was it just an act to hide a terrifying secret?
"That's what their imprints wanted," Jake replied.
Did they? Or were they unable to say no to men who transformed into horse-sized beasts when upset?
Nessie crossed her arms. "So you're telling me that all the other imprints ended in marriage but we're the exception?"
Jake sighed. "Do you remember Quil and Claire?"
"Of course."
Nessie's vampire half gave her a near-perfect memory. She recalled the day she met Claire as if it were yesterday instead of over five years ago. It was Claire's fifth birthday. To celebrate, Quil arranged for a fairy princess-themed party in a park near First beach. Claire, lover of all things pink and glittery, made Quil a pair of butterfly wings. Quil wore them all afternoon with a smile on his face. He didn't even growl when his packmates teased him. He was too busy chasing a giggling Claire around the playground.
Nessie's eyes widened. "Is Claire...Quil's imprint?"
Jake nodded. "Yes."
Claire had been living in La Push with Emily since her parents died during the blip. She was in high school now, old enough to have heard the Quileute legends. Did she know they were true? Did Emily tell her about the man who smiled when she put unicorn stickers on his car? Or was the name Quil taboo in their house?
"Quil only wants the best for Claire," Jake said. "He'll do anything to make sure she feels happy, safe, and loved. I've heard his thoughts through the pack mind. There's never been so much as a hint of romantic attraction."
Nessie's head was spinning. She'd always assumed Quil spent so much time with Claire to give her mother a break. The poor woman was left raising three children on her own after her husband walked out on the family.
"What if...Claire grows up and decides to marry someone else?" Nessie asked.
She loved Naheul, not Jake. Knowing about the imprint changed nothing.
"Quil would accept that," Jacob replied. "He'd walk her down the aisle with a smile on his face."
Nessie thought of Nahuel and all the wonderful days they'd spent together. How would he feel if he knew Nessie was a floor above him talking about shapeshifters and imprints? What if he told her he didn't feel comfortable with the imprint? Would Nessie be willing to say goodbye to Jake? Did it make her a bad fiance if she didn't know?
"What if Claire grew up and decided to join the Avengers?" Nessie asked. "Would Quil support her?"
One of the biggest fights Nessie and her mother had was over the Silver Bullets. Nessie wanted to join them but her mother wouldn't allow it saying it was too dangerous. Nahuel, who'd also been turned down, promised he'd find a way to help Nessie become the hero she was destined to be.
"He'd fight by her side," Jake replied with zero hesitation.
Nessie recalled the sickening sound of Nahuel's ribs breaking. While Jake had the strength necessary to be a hero, his temper would be his undoing. Maybe shapeshifters weren't meant for doing more than taking down the occasional rogue vampire.
"So a wolf would do anything for his imprint?" Nessie asked.
Jake nodded. "Yes."
Nessie wasn't sure how she felt about that. It sounded like mind control.
"What if Claire told Quil to leave and never come back?" Nessie asked. "Would he do it?"
"It would be agonizing but he would do it," Jake said wincing.
Nessie thought of Jake lying half-dead on the dining room table. The image of his broken body would forever haunt her nightmares.
"Do you think that's what Claire wants," Jake asked
Nessie shook her head. "No."
While she was still a bit creeped out by the concept of imprinting, that didn't mean she wanted Jake to leave. They'd find a way to make things work. The idea of never seeing him again was unbearable.
Nessie and Jake sat in silence for a few minutes. They could hear her father, aunt, and grandfather talking outside. By the sound of it, they'd fallen victim to the "stun shield." Her father was worried about her mother. She wasn't there when he woke up. He was certain Uncle Jasper had done something awful to her. Nessie wasn't at all concerned. Her mom and uncle Jasper were probably off doing what they did best, talking down bad guys together.
Nessie heard her family take off into the woods. She decided it was best to just let them go. It was far past time they learned about the Silver Bullets.
"So I really have a choice?" Nessie said, turning her attention back to Jake.
Jake nodded. "Yes."
Maybe this wasn't the end of the world. Jake said an imprint didn't have to be romantic. They could just be friends. It could work, right?
Suddenly exhausted, Nessie leaned back against the wall. "How are we going to hide this from my dad?"
If finding out about the Silver Bullets hadn't already sent her father over the edge, finding out about the imprint would certainly finish the job. A vision of Jake's head stuffed and mounted above their fireplace popped into Nessie's head. While she knew it the imprint couldn't stay a secret forever, the odds of Jake keeping his head were probably better if they waited a few days before coming clean.
"Don't worry about that," Jake said. "He already knows. He was there when it happened."
Nessie froze. "My dad knows about the imprint?"
How was Jake still alive? Why hadn't her father told her?
Jake cursed under his breath. "Yes. He and your mother weren't happy."
Nessie snarled."Mom knew too?"
And she thought her mom keeping her relationship with Uncle Jasper a secret was bad.
"Yes," Jake said. "She nearly tore my head off when she found out. Your dad got a kick out of that."
Nessie curled her fingers into a fist. "Did anyone else know? My grandparents? My aunts and uncles?"
"Them and the other members of my pack," Jake said.
"Why didn't any of you tell me?"
Nessie couldn't stand to look at him anymore.
"Please believe that none of us did this to hurt you," Jake said. "We had reasons for not telling you sooner."
"Reasons like what?"
"We all agreed it was best to allow you to have a normal childhood."
Nessie could understand not wanting to tell a child about imprinting before they were old enough to understand. For that reason, she could see herself forgiving her family members who died during the snap. However, those who survived were a different story.
"But I'm not a kid anymore! Nessie shouted. "Why did my mom tell me? Or my grandma, Aunt Rose, or Uncle Jasper. Any of them could have told me but chose not to! Why?"
Jake dropped to his knees and covered his ears. "No! No! No! Not again!"Before Nessie could react, the house started shaking. Wood splintered. Chunks of plaster rained down from the ceiling. Something hit Nessie on the side. Then there was darkness.