AN: Thank you to my reviewers; Guest, Anony, and serenity1006, I love reading your thoughts!
I agree with you, serenity1006, imprinting can be creepy when they're young. So, I'm going to say this now – there will be no child imprints in this story; no Nessie and Claire, because I find it too strange as a concept.
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Chapter Forty Nine: Devastating Consequences.
Over the next few weeks, Sam was torn. He was heartbroken over the end of his relationship with Leah and devastated that he couldn't prevent hurting her. Leah didn't understand why he had suddenly ended their relationship. Sam had never wanted to hurt her, he loved her, but not in the way he had done anymore. He avoided going to the shop for food or travelling through town, afraid to see Leah's betrayed expression. When I went to visit her, to offer some comfort, she had sent me away with distressed tears running down her pretty cheeks. But her hurt turned to anger when she discovered Sam had been attempting to see Emily.
But Sam couldn't prevent his genes from driving him to seek out Emily, even though he knew how much it hurt Leah to do so. He went to Emily, explaining everything. Emily had yelled at him, telling him he had to go back to Leah. Both girls were furious with him, even though Emily knew the circumstances, and both were absolute about never forgiving him for his behaviour. Thought Emily was curious about the Tribe and their 'supposed' connection, she couldn't accept their imprint. Emily would send him away, time after time, trying to push him back to Leah, and he would leave, but only to return again the next day. It caused a painful situation for all involved.
Sam's guilt ate at his mind and temper, causing him to shift uncontrollably at times. He spent many nights roaming the forests between La Push and the Makah Reservation. He tried to preoccupy himself through helping Paul Lahote adjust to life in the Pack, but his mind continued to drift. Often, he'd unconsciously leave Paul and Jared to patrol La Push, while he ventured closer to Emily.
One day, he went to Emily, to try to speak with her again. She had lost her patience with him, yelling at him to return to his relationship with Leah, swearing that she would never accept their connection when he was hurting her cousin. He had tried to explain that he couldn't go back to Leah, that it wasn't possible anymore. Emily screamed he was liar and a traitor and just like his father.
Sam phased.
But he was too close to Emily, his long claws accidentally racking down the right side of her face and her right arm. She had screamed and went into shock. The blood flowed freely from her wounds and her chest urgently stuttered, as her body fought to keep her alive. Sam was distraught. Sue and Jared rushed her to the hospital, where I met them. Emily spent hours in the emergency department, with Sue, Jared and I by her side. Emily told the doctors that she had been mauled by a bear, to protect the tribe and Sam.
As she was being transferred to a ward, Jared informed me that Sam was too hysterical to phase. With Emily's permission, I went to find Sam, who was hiding in the nearby woods with Paul. The look of concern and despair on Paul's face gave me the realisation of how close the Pack was and how it extended to other Tribe members entangled in their world. Nodding in greeting to Paul, I turned to Sam. His usually intimidating form looked crumpled and broken on the ground, his spirit crushed under the weight of his guilt and anguish. I kneeled by his head and placed a hand on his warm snout.
"She doesn't blame you, Sam." I murmured, trying to reassure him, "She understands that you couldn't control yourself at that moment." A tear leaked from his large, dark eyes and he shook his head, "She wants to see you."
Hope briefly lit up his eyes before it shattered inside him. He would never forgive himself for harming Emily. The weight of his sorrow and remorse hung heavily, cloaking him in a dark aura. I sat with him for a tense minute, allowing him to settle his mind, before Paul nudged his prone form. Paul must have communicated telepathically, as Sam suddenly rose to his towering height and disappeared into the woods. I shared a briefly worried look with Paul, before Sam reappeared in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.
"She wants to see me?" Sam clarified uncertainly, looking as if he were about to enter death row.
"Yes, she's asked you to go and see her." I nodded, "Sue and Jared are with her, but they'll give you two some space to talk."
Sam sighed to himself and rubbed a stressed hand down his face, before hurrying into the hospital. His imprint was finally asking for him to be at her side and he would never deny her call. Looking at Paul, I frowned uncertainly and waited for Jared to join us.
Within minutes, Jared and Sue crossed the parking lot to meet us at the forest's edge. Both looked worried and exhausted, but Jared had a shyly hopeful gleam in his eyes.
"They're talking." Jared explained.
"Good." I smiled back, "They need to resolve this. It's been destroying them both."
"Yeah." He nodded in agreement, "But it looks hopeful."
"I'll take you home, Bella, it's getting late." Sue motioned to her watch and looked at both boys, "Are you two on patrol tonight?"
"We will be." Jared nodded at Paul, "I'll take over from Paul, once I've eaten something."
"Why don't you come back to ours? I'll cook for you both." I offered.
"I'm not going to say no to food." Jared chuckled and rubbed his hands together and Paul licked his lips hungrily. Laughing at the wolves' shared, never ending appetite; I turned to leave with Sue.
As we climbed into her car, I glanced back at the hospital and prayed Sam and Emily would work things out, though I doubted the situation would be resolved easily or without pain. Sue merely looked ahead at the road and didn't speak for the whole journey, knowing the consequences of today would only hurt her daughter more and she couldn't prevent it. I couldn't imagine how Sue felt; keeping secrets from her daughter, while watching Leah get hurt over and over by them. Fate was truly cruel.