A/N: AU and Slightly OOC. Set post Breaking Dawn 2. I hope you like it, and thank you for reading!
Chapter 1-
This wasn't supposed to happen.
Not to her.
Especially not to her.
If being the sole female shape-shifter in a pack of hormonal- borderline disgusting- teenage boys, or being the reason, her father was no longer living, wasn't enough, this definitely had to take the cake!
Why else would fate have decided to strangle her in this sense?
She couldn't have deserved it.
Karma couldn't be this brutal.
And yet, it was.
She probably deserved it all coming her way…. losing her fiancé to her cousin two weeks before the date of her wedding- her wedding gown lying in tatters in the closet… all her so-called friends abandoning her at her lowest- citing how her well-expected anger was not something they wished to deal with…. losing her job and any sense of independence that she had treasured- why would anyone hire a girl who thrashed and threw the things around her when upset?- and the shittiest of them all- becoming a shape- shifter and losing her father the same night. She was the reason of his death. His wide eyes as he had observed her morph into something clearly not human…. she could never forget the pain, the shock, the complete terror his face had depicted.
He was terrified of her. His heart unable to cope with the trauma his mind was forced to witness. It had given up. He had given up. And she had to live with the guilt of being the reason her mother had become a widow, or the reason her young brother had lost his hero.
Though, she couldn't truly feel sorry for her mother these days. Of course not. It was no secret to the small town of La Push that Sue Clearwater was shacking it up with Charlie Swan these days! Gosh. It was embarrassing. There were rumors floating around, obviously there were, a few of them stating that the couple in question were secretly engaged, or that Sue Clearwater was with child, and hence was planning a hush-hush wedding, Charlie Swan repeating the same mistake twice. He had married that flighty Renee almost two decades ago owing to a one-night stand gone wrong- and now it was her mother's turn to wear those same dirty shoes.
She could not care any less though. Be it the truth or just a dumb rumor. Her mother had lost all respect in her eyes, the minute she had taken Sam's side post their ugly breakup, stating some bullshit of how Emily was a perfect fit for Sam. She no longer had it in her to trust Sue Clearwater, or even be happy for her. Though, she wouldn't deny that she had scooped around in Sue's bedroom, coming across clothes a size bigger than she generally wore.
Whatever!
She was desperately searching for an exit; she wanted an out. Away from this place and all the bad memories it brought with it. She did not want to be a shape-shifter, or even talk to these people she was forced to share a mind with.
They were so immature. And dumb. And happy.
What was there in life to be happy about?
It sucked.
Quil was super happy to be eternally tied to a child; now, she was aware that Claire would come to grow up- she wasn't a leech- but Quil would be a middle-aged man when Claire entered the dating age. He was seventeen years older than her!
Why would she want to date him?
Why would he want to marry and have babies with her?
Yuck.
She was like a daughter, or in the least, a younger sister to him!
It was so fucking creepy.
Quil should have been desperately finding a way to break the bond, not celebrating over his doom. And had Leah been in his place, she would have killed herself. Or if not that, would have at least moved mountains to get rid of this curse. She would not have been celebrating, or attending her future spouse's second birthday party.
Jacob was in the same boat. His imprint was a kid. Supernatural kid, yet a kid. It wasn't as creepy as Quil's scenario, and yet it was even more cringy and capable of making one puke.
The she-monster was half human and half leech; technically Jacob about to procreate with his own mortal enemy.
Wonderful!
The Alpha's bloodline was about to be tainted in an irreparable way, and not to mention Billy was ecstatic about this! Cue the sarcasm. The dark circles under his eyes suggested how little he was sleeping these days, searching for a cure for his brain-dead son, who for the record was immensely content with the bimbo nature had gifted him with. He was planning to become a house-husband to Miss. I shall force you to listen to my thoughts- his bags packed as he left with the actual dead family to go to whichever graveyard they preferred.
Poor Rachel, Billy had all but threatened her to produce a son. And fast at that. Paul no longer had any responsibilities towards the tribe or his pack…his only responsibility being…yes, that.
In clearer words, Paul and Rachel were ordered to fuck at least three times a day. Billy, who was the chief of this tribe, had officially ordered it. Leah could hardly stop laughing. And to make matters funnier, Sam was the chosen person to assure that the order was adhered to. He literally stood outside their door…listening in.
Karma surely did have a sense of humor at times!
And coming to Embry… there was not much to say. His life was well boring with a capital B. His mother had a decent job, stuck to the no gossip routine, propagating the same to her only son. And while Embry had not imprinted, or did not know who his father was, he stuck to the shadows. Content to be single; no melodrama following him.
And yet, he too was happy.
Leah couldn't quite understand why. He had nothing worth mentioning going for him. But he strangely was.
And that made Leah the odd one out.
Quil was extremely happy with the chaos he called his life, Jacob too. Even Embry, there was a hum of satisfaction that regularly crossed his lips. And Seth. Did he even count?
He was the happiest person Leah knew of! Always cheery; always smiling.
It was weird.
Almost as if he compensated for Leah's rudeness and monotone sadness; being the bubble of happiness that their broken family needed.
It was claustrophobic.
Her so- called family was a mess, and it was high time Seth accepted this fact. Their mother had already moved on. And so was she, taking the first exit that presented itself.
She did not wish to be a shape-shifter, neither did she wish to live in this small town for the rest of her life.
And most of all, she did not wish to be tied down. She never wanted to imprint. It was a curse; her life certainly did not need any more of those.
But it seemed like fate had once again played it cards; crushing her as it laughed at her misery.
He was…her so-called imprint was….
No.
She wanted nothing to do with him.
She hated him. She hated his kind.
Why had she looked into his eyes? Or even looked up and fearlessly presented herself when he gazed around the field hoping to see a friendly face?
Her tribe was no friend to him. All she had wanted was to scare him off, daring him to come to these parts ever again, her plan backfiring like none other. It was laugh worthy indeed! She had wished to scare him off, and now she was the one terrified and crying like a baby!
He was her…
She was his…for eternity…
No.
No. No. No.
She refused to accept this dumb trick fate had played on her.
She was going to break this curse named imprinting.
He was a half leech.
She wasn't as desperate as to fuck a corpse.
No, that honor was completely Jacob's to have and keep.
She did not even want to be in a relationship, or think of being tied to someone.
Fuck this shit.
She knew better than the imprinting Gods.
They had fucked up big time. But she wasn't about to accept their goofy error with open arms.
Nope. Not happening.
She was going to fight this. With all she had in her.
Yes, she had run out of the clearing, the rest of her pack, Sam's pack and the leeches having arrived to fight against those creepy kings, still in there. Celebrating. Unaware of the shitstorm coming her way.
Why would they even care?
They hadn't before. And they wouldn't in the future.
Nobody would.
Not her mother, brother, or Alpha.
They would tell her to accept it.
It was a blessing; they would foolishly claim.
She knew better though.
She had to get away from this curse out to destroy her life…out to take away any minimal sense of happiness she had in her stride.
Nahuel…even saying his name gave her the butterflies…he was her enemy.
And that is all he would remain.
Ever.
She would hide this from everyone.
He was bound to return to wherever he had come from.
And that would be the end of it.
She would never see him again.
Free of this curse and joke the imprinting Gods found funny.
She was smarter than them, and she was proud to know so.
'Leah.'
Fuck.
He was in her head.
Not he.
Of course not.
But the he that should have still been celebrating with his imprint back in the clearing.
'I was worried about you. We all were.'
She was fine.
They didn't have to worry about her.
'This changes everything.'
Like she didn't know that already.
'He can't leave town! He is your imprint!'
But she did not even want him!
He could go and die for all she cared.
'Leah.' He chided. 'You don't mean that.'
Like he knew better than her of what was in her heart and mind.
'I will see you at the Cullen house in ten minutes.'
As if!
'It is an order. I will not let you reject your imprint.'
Fuck you, Jacob!
'You have to fuck him. Not me.'
Lame.
He let out a booming laugh, sounding like a weird growl as it left his wolfy mouth.
'I will be waiting at the Cullen house. And so will he. Your imprint.'
Not funny, you immature jerk.
While she didn't wish to run in the direction of that creepy mansion of the undead dead, her feet seemed to leave her with no choice, as ruled by the order of the Alpha, they began to head her towards her imprint.
Damn it.