Chapter 7

Seth's POV

I wasted little time as I sprinted to Sam and Emily's house. I was anxious to spend another day with Angel, my angel, my imprint. I knew that I shouldn't have been so whipped by her after just a few days, but it was so hard not to be. She was adorable in the way she laughed, her interests, her jokes. She found the smallest things interesting, from small flames to even lightning bugs. Everything seemed to make her happy, and she seemed to care about every living-thing so intently. When I was around her, it was so easy to feel like I was young again, that I was the same person before I shifted.

I quickly ran up the front steps and found Collin and Brady arm wrestling over the smell of bacon. I rolled my eyes and ran into the kitchen. "Good morning, Emily," I say happily. She smiled and waved at me, too focused on cooking to respond just yet. Once the bacon was off the stove-top, on a plate, and safely placed at a height where neither Brady or Collin could reach it, she turned to me. "Good morning, Seth. I haven't seen Angel just yet this morning, but I'm assuming she's sleeping in," she said with a smile.

I nodded, trying to hide the frown on my face. Not that I minded her getting rest, I just missed seeing her smiling face. Shaking myself out of it, I walked back towards the living room and began switching through channels when a distant howl could be heard. Brady and Collin broke away from each other for a moment as we all looked up before quickly running out. At the forest line, I dropped my clothes, leaving them safely under some brush before shifting into my grey wolf. Once everyone had shifted, Sam, the head of the patrol this morning, began filling us in.

Leech near the cliffs and another on the north end. Seth, Brady, Collin, and Jared, handle the one at the cliffs. There's another smell, so be careful.

I nodded and sniffed the air, realizing I wasn't too far from the cliffs. My heart immediately dropped as I picked up Angel's unique scent almost covered by the smell of bleach. I let out a painful howl before running as fast as I could. My pack brothers all picked up on my concern, and Collin, Brady, and Jared were soon by my side. I heard a small scream and found myself sprinting past the other three, desperate to see my imprint safe and sound. As I arrived on the scene, my vision began shifting to a pulsing red.

Angel was clearly afraid. Her face had turned a pale white and she seemed to be shaking in fear. The vampire had her throat in a tight grip, and there was a red bruise on her cheek, making me growl. The leech began leaning forward, but I quickly tackled her back. She immediately got up and ran for the woods, where she was surrounded by Paul, Jared, Brady, and Collin.

Go check on her, Seth. We can handle this.

I nodded a thanks to Paul before running back to Angel. I shifted back to my human self among the trees before running out to her, caring very little for clothes. Angel seemed to be in another world as she stared blankly in front of her, her skin ice cold. "Angel, sweetheart, it's okay. I promise it's okay. You're safe," I whispered softly but she seemed unable to hear me. I frowned and quickly picked her up. She would occasionally mumble a series of words resembling "crimson eyes" or "vampire."

I quickly burst through the door of Emily's door. She gasped at the sight and quickly cleared a spot away on the couch as she began feeling Angel's forehead. "I'll call your mother," she said quickly before grabbing the phone. Sam and Jacob quickly entered the door, and Sam growled at me. "Seth, clothes, now," he said in his alpha tone. I groaned and ran back outside to change into my clothes before sprinting back inside, my shirt inside out.

Sam was gently trying to talk to her, but she seemed to not hear him as she continued staring ahead. I quickly sat down and wrapped my arm around her shoulders, concerned by how cold she felt. "What's wrong with her?" I asked desperately. "I think she's in shock," Sam responded as he stood up. I frowned and took Sam's spot before gently holding her face. "Angel, it's okay. I'm here. It's okay," I say softly. Desperate to hear some sort of response or to pull her out of whatever state she was in, I found myself gently pressing my lips against her.

She suddenly began to blink, and I pulled away, sighing in relief as she eventually spoke. "Seth, there was this vampire and a wolf and my attacker," she said quickly as she began to hyperventilate. I nodded and grabbed her hand. "I know, I know. Just calm down. It's okay, you're safe now. I promise you're safe," I say softly before pulling her tightly against my chest. She wrapped her arms around my neck and began to softly cry, making me wince. I soon switched our positions so that she sat on my lap as I continued comforting her until she was able to talk.

"The vampire, she-she had these eyes, crimson eyes. They were so familiar, that I was forced to remember. I was attacked by a vampire before. I was looking for a map, and I asked him for help, but he attacked me. He tried to touch me, and when I fought him, he slammed my head back," she said slowly as I began to violently shake, my grip on her tightening until she cried out in pain. "I'm sorry," I whisper before taking a deep breath to calm down.

Sam gave me a warning glance, and I nodded in understanding. "Do you remember anything else, a name, a place?" He asked gently. She shook her head. "No, nothing, but I think I was looking for them, my home I mean. And the clothes, that I was in when I was attacked, they weren't mine. I stole them. I wasn't wearing clothes when I arrived," she said, making my eyebrows knit in confusion, but I knew this was a question for later, especially with Angel so shaken up. Sam nodded with a sigh as Emily brought some hot chocolate over. She remained on my lap for the remainder of the day, even when my mother came by to check on her injuries and new bruising. It was as if we both needed each other in that moment. I needed to know she was safe, and she needed to know I was there, and even without uttering a word between us, we seemed to make this silent agreement together.