Author's Note: Thank you for continuing to read! Please review the listed trigger warning, listed just in case it may upset someone!
Trigger warnings: Mention of death.
Chloe's POV:
I know it sounds dramatic but I think waiting is worse than if James took me at this point.
I know that's the wrong thing to say but I feel so sick to my stomach and I just want it to go away. I hate think helpless feeling.
Ever since I found out all my friends are wolves and we live in a world with vampires I've been pretty okay about being a human still. Sure it's super cool Quil can shift into a wolf, but it's not like I'm dying to be him.
It's been about two hours and there's still no update from anyone. Two fucking hours.
My legs shaking and I can't resist running my hand through my hair for like the hundredth time. Nothing I can seem to do will ease this worry and stress though. All I want is for someone to call and say it's all over. Everyone's safe, Bella wasn't hurt, and we can all move on. Better yet, I want Quil and Bella to come here and show me they're okay. I want Quil to kiss me like it's the first time and I want to squeeze Bella so hard it might crack a bone. I want to feel okay.
Emmett and Esme have done their best to get my mind off of it, but nothing is working.
Right after the call to Sam, Alice and Jasper had left to help out. Rosalie is away on a solo hunt and Carlisle is at the hospital, so it's just us three. Sam's plan was for Jake and Quil to help him while the rest of the pack stays on patrol. Edward had figured out where James was taking Bella, so it was all just a matter of getting there, over powering James, and rescuing Bella.
She's probably so scared, that's what I keep thinking about. Sweet, kind Bella is scared. Jake and Edward are probably scared too, I mean they both seem to have feeling for her.
After hanging around the Cullen's and Emmett telling me stories about Bella I can tell Edward loves her. I mean he really does.
Esme's shoes click on the wooden floor as she walks over to me with a kind smile. She kneels at my side as I sit on the couch, "Honey can I get you something to eat? You must be hungry."
Hungry, no way. I'm sick to my stomach and anything I eat will only make it worse. I shake my head, but try to force a smile. She's so kind and motherly, I don't want her to think I'm a jerk. "I'm okay." She nods, seeming to understand, and heads out to the kitchen again. Emmett says Esme loves having Bella around because she can cook, which is sort of surprising that a vampire can cook, but of course she was once human too.
Emmett's put on a movie after asking me probably every question he could think of before giving up. He asked about Quil, he seems to think it's fairly funny that a "dweeb like that guy" has an imprint. It doesn't seem like Emmett has any hard feelings towards the pack though, he seems to want peace. I think that's the overwhelming reaction to all the Cullen's, they want peace.
The doorbell rings throughout the whole house and instinctively I rise to my feet, looking straight to the door. My heart beat seems to come to life at the idea of it being Quil or Bella, someone to tell me it's all over and okay. Emmett rises to his feet as well and steps in front of me, blocking me from whatever lies behind that door. Esme flutters across the house and pulls open the door right as I peer past Emmett's thick frame.
There stands Embry. He's in his typical white t-shirt and jean cutoffs, freshly off his shift I'm assuming. His face is standard, not sad or angry, a good sign I'd think. "Hello, I'm here for Chloe."
Emmett allows me to move past him and I raise across the house to Embry. I've never been this happy to see a familiar face in my life. Relief stricken him as well as his face relaxes and he extends his arms right as I wrap my arms around his neck, holding tightly. He sighs in relief, holding me. "Thank god you're okay Chloe." He lets out a breath.
I suck in a breath, pulling away after a moment. "Have you heard anything?" I ask, with all the hope left inside of me.
He shakes his head, looking sorry to give me the news. "No, not yet. Sam sent for Jake and Quil a while ago and Quil asked me to check on you when I got done. Are you alright? Are you hurt?" He quickly sweeps his eyes over me for wounds.
I shake my head, "I'm fine."
"Would you two like to stay until we hear something?" Esme offers kindly.
Embry speaks for us, "Thank you, but I think I'll take Chloe home so Quil can find us." I want to hug Embry again for the suggestion. Anything to get me closer to seeing Quil I'm all for.
I've been holding out on him so much, but every bone in my body is begging me to find him. Imprint or not I'm scared he's hurt or in danger. Imprint or not I care about Quil.
Esme nods understandingly and Emmett comes to her side, offering me a fist bump. "Nice meetin ya kid, come around sometime."
I bump his fist and thank them both for everything before following Embry's lead out to his car. Thank god he drove here and didn't run. My body feels exhausted and so does my mind. Once Quil's home I'll sleep for days.
I step off the last step of the porch and let out a sigh as the cool air sweeps over me. It does its best to relax my stiff muscles and my overworking head.
I take a step but pause and let out a wince, clutching my chest as a sharp but dull pain strikes the center of my chest. Embry turns to look at me right as I glance up at him. Worry seems to flood his expression as he walks back over to me, placing a hand on my bicep. "You okay?" He frowns.
"Yeah there's just-ah!" I let out a scream of agony, dropping to my knees within a second as a piercing pain stabs through my chest. Pain overtakes me and I can't think or move as I drop down to the dirt, crying out of pain. It last no more than ten seconds, but the pain is excruciating and sharp.
When the pain begins to fade I pant, opening my eyes again. I see dark spots but otherwise I'm recovering. Embry had fallen to his knees as well and did the majority of the work holding my upper body up so that I didn't get a face full of dirt. Esme and Emmett have also rushed outside to my aid and have crowded my form on the ground. "What's going on?" Esme rushes out, sounding worried.
Breathless I clutch my chest. "My chest, it hurt so bad, I don't know-" A horrific and powerful sensation washes over me. Loneliness. Sadness. Self pity. Grief.
I've felt it all before but it feels so foreign, like I haven't felt that in years which isn't true. It's how I felt a few months ago, when I had no one. Before Kim and I made up. Before I knew what the pack was. Before Quil imprinted on me.
Realization hurts worse than the pain in my chest. Much, much worse.
Tears spill out of my eyes faster than they can well up and an overwhelming sick feeling sets in. "He's dead." I sob, dropping my hands to the dirt floor. Waves and waves of grief and pain wash over me, consuming me so quickly I can't even comprehend it.
Someone's warm hands are forcing me up from the ground, holding me to him. I clutch at Embry's shirt as tightly as I can, sobbing loudly. "What's going on?" I hear Emmett's voice, just hardly over my cries.
"The imprint is cut, Quil is dead." Embry says the words slowly, like he's coming to his own realization.
Quil's gone. He's gone. I never told him I love him. I never let him in. I never accepted the imprint. I made him miserable in his last days.
Pain and guilt are like no other. They consume you so hard and fast it's like you can't breathe. Like you'll never feel anything but this again.
I cry and cry and cry as Embry hold me firmly, not letting me fall to the dirt like I want to.
I hear a distant phone ring, voices, and movement, but I can care less. I can't process anything but Quil dying.
Embry strokes my back but it's unwanted and only making me feel worse. Quil's Embry's best friend, he must be in so much pain right now. I'm feeling selfish. Still I can't get up. I can't stop crying. Not when my head ache or when my eyes burn. Not when I feel like I'll puke because I'm crying so hard.
"Quil's at the hospital, I'll drive, we need to go now." Emmett says quickly, tugging me off of Embry. I'm placed on my own two feet before I can realize what's happening and when I take a step and stumble I'm lifted into Emmett's cold arms and placed into the backseat of an unfamiliar car. Embry tumbles into the passenger seat and Emmett takes the drivers side, speeding out of the driveway faster than I can realize what's happening.
My crying is quiet now. I press my head against the cool window and silently cry, sniffling every now and again.
Everything between now and the car ride is a blur. At some point Emmett made it to the hospital and helped me inside to the private waiting room where Sam, Jake, and Embry all sit. My ears are ringing and if people are talking I have no idea what they're saying or what's going on. All I know is Carlisle has Quil and Bella is being treated. The Cullen's are somewhere here waiting on Bella's results and Emmett flutters in every fifteen minutes or so to see me and then return to Edward.
My head is pounding and tears still continue to spill. Embry and Jake both have red, blotchy faces and swollen eyes. Sam looks upset but is holding back any possible emotions, I guess that's how a leader looks. I haven't asked questions, I'm frankly not interested in the answers right now.
I aggressively rub my eyes to soothe the burning and wipe some wetness away and when I drop my hands Carlisle is standing before me. He's calm and orderly, there's not a drop of blood on his perfectly white jacket or his fresh blue scrubs. "It was touch and go for a while, but Quil's alive and in recovery." I hear him say after a muffle of words.
I stand on my feet faster than I should have because a dizzy spell comes on, but I ignore it. "He's alive?" I say in one breath.
My heart pounds so loudly I can hear it and I don't move so I can clearly hear him say it again. "He's alive, I'll take you to him."
Following Carlisle into Quil's room is like a slow motion walk. It feels like it takes days to make it. We round the corner and Carlisle motions me to go inside the room. I hear a steady beeping sound as I walk in, my eyes landing on Quil. I hold my breath until I see his chest rise and fall. He really is alive.
Tear stream down my face and a sob escapes as I make it to his best. He looks paler than normal and his face is patched up with some miner cuts. He's wearing a hospital gown and he's covered by a thin cream blanket, likely hiding his other wounds. I place a hand on his, feeling his body heat. It's just the same.
"He's okay?" I cry out, not bothering to look at the doctor.
"He's okay. He's going to be recovering for a while, wolf or not. Still, he'll be just fine in a few days. His body heat will burn through his medications but I have some natural remedies that I've applied to help him out."
I feel like I can breathe again. Really breathe.
I sniffle, nodding my head. "Thank you-"
"No need for that." He says gently. "Just focus on your imprint, I'll send in everyone else in a minute. Okay?" I nod my head, swiping away some tears.
I lean down, pressing a kiss to his hand, then doing it over and over again. I squeeze my hand in his before kissing his cheek and forehead, lastly his lips.
He's okay. He's alive. He's going to be okay.
I stand in silence, basking in the noise of the beeping, until several minutes go by and footsteps start pouring in the room. A hand clamps gently on my shoulder and I glance up to see Embry beside me. I lean my head on his shoulder and he wraps an arm around mine.
Jake comes to my other side and strokes his fingers through my hair, showing me he's here for me. Sam stands at the foot of the bed, giving us our space, but remains present for support.
Quil inhales sharply and we all seem to pause, zoning into him. I watch his eyes slowly squeeze tighter shut before they begin fluttering open. It feels like the air sucks out of my longs as I watch him with such attention. He stares up at the ceiling for a moment before his eyebrows furrow and he turns his head slowly, finding the three of us at his side.
His lips part before his tongue snakes through, licking them. His throat bobbles and he tries to sit up but quickly falls back down, grunting a little. "I'll get some water." Is all Sam says before stepping out of the room.
Quil glances down at his hands which are hooked up to some wires and realization seems to dawn on him. "Shit." He mutters, his voice hoarse.
Jake lets out a breath, maybe one of relief. "You're okay now man." He says quietly.
Quil turns to look at us with a frown. "What happened?"
"You got hurt, James went for your heart but Edward was able to kill him in time. You died for a minute there, but Carlisle was able to bring you back." He explains softly, gently as if to break the news. "We weren't sure you'd make it, but we should of known you're too stubborn to die."
That elicits new tears and sniffle from me, which Quil seems to pick up on as his eyes snap to me. "Chloe." He says sadly, his hand slowly raising to mine. I grab his hand firmly, holding on tight. "I'm sorry." He says solemnly.
I shake my head, sniffling again. "Don't be sorry. I thought you died." I whimper.
"I'm sorry I scared you." He presses.
I shake my head again, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
Quil breaks eye contact to look at something next to him and then he looks back at me. "No goosebumps." He mumbles, his eyebrows stringing together. It takes me a moment but I realize what he's saying and look down. He's right, no goosebumps. "I-I don't feel you." He grabs at his chest, only to wince as he made contact with his wound. "Why don't I feel it, why don't I feel her?" He starts to panic, looking to the boys for answers.
Right then Sam walks in, bringing his water to his bedside. "Sam I don't feel her, I don't feel the imprint-"
"Quil you died." Sam speaks gently. My eyes shoot to him, feeling my own panic. "You died and the imprint ties broke, Chloe felt it break."
A lump forms in my throat. "But he's alive." My lip quivers as I speak.
Sam nods solemnly. "Now, yes, and we're lucky for that. He did die though and the ties broke, maybe he will imprint again and it will go back to normal."
"Maybe? What do you mean maybe?" Quil asks defensively, holding onto my hand so tightly it nearly hearts. I get his worry though because now I'm terrified. What does all of this mean?
"Wouldn't he have imprinted again right as he saw me?" I squeak.
Sam looks between us. "We don't know, this is all knew. We know the ties broke when you died, but we don't know what happens next. This has not happened to anyone else. We can assume Taha Aki picked Chloe for you once, so he will do it again."
"Oh my god. Oh my god!" I cry, looking to Jake and Embry, but they don't have answers either. They look just as shocked and confused as I am.
Quil's quiet now, maybe in shock, maybe angry, I'm not sure.
The last twenty-four hours have been the worst of my life.
Carlisle was able to release Quil from the hospital after a few hours of observation and dabbling with the natural remedies to help his pain. His chest wound is not infected and has begun healing, so he was able to leave.
Bella has some broken bones and other injuries, but she will also be okay. She'll stay in the hospital longer to heal and to get used to all the drugs they put her on for pain relief. Charlie came and was told she was in a car accident, which he believed. Edward hasn't moved from her side and Jake was busy bouncing in between rooms until Quil went home.
Sam went to the council for more answers on the situations, but Old Quil had never heard anything like it. He promises to continue looking through his books for answers, but has not found it yet.
Embry and Jared helped get Quil home and situated in his bedroom. He's sore beyond belief and bed ridden until further notice, but he's eating and drinking plenty of water. Joy and Old Quil stopped by to fill the fridge with food for everyone and to check on Quil. Old Quil left some extra remedies that may help him as well and gave Embry the instructions for them.
Quil's physically holding up, but otherwise I'm not sure. He's quiet and closed off, two things he never is. I try to play it off that he just died and he has to come to terms with that, but I'm worried it's something else. Either way I've left him to have to alone time and maybe to get some sleep.
Sleep is on my mind too. I've showered, eaten some light food, and now I'm in bed ready to let sleep overtake me. More than anything I want to lie in Quil's bed but I'm scared to hurt him and I want him to have the space he needs. So for now my own cold bed will do.