A/N: This chapter is going to be pretty intense. And it's going to clear the air for a lot of people who kinda hated Sera for being a little pansy about a kiss, while she went and fucked someone.

Excuse my french.

The story is starting to get darker and more complex. Shit is about to get real now. ;)

Love, Chels.

Chapter Song: Decode, by Paramore.

"Attachment is the great fabricator of illusions; reality can be attained only by someone who is detached."

~ Simone Weil

Seraphina POV

With shaking hands, I pulled out my cell phone with the intention of making a text and a phone call.

I first sent the text because it was the easiest – I sent one to Jesse, telling him I couldn't hang out. I rarely ever used this phone to text Jesse, because it was my father's. I had never given it back after that night. Jesse texted me back, but I never read it. I was too busy dialing Edward. He would know to give the phone to my dad.

My dad answered before the first ring was over. "Seraphina?" He seemed shocked that I had even called. I hadn't talked to him all week.

I pushed my feelings down as a bad daughter and got straight to the point. "Dad, someone was in my room. A foreign scent. I-I don't know what they want. They left a note..." I was already shaking, just saying it out loud.

My dad let out a prolonged snarl. My dad was usually the most even-tempered of my family behind Grandma and Grandpa, but he reacted strongly. I knew that of all the times, this was the appropriate time to be angry, but I still stayed quiet. I wasn't so much angry as I was in shock. "We're coming now. Stay put and lock the doors." There was no need for questions. Someone was in my room, and that was enough. My family was coming to get me.

It looked like my hiatus was over.

He hung up the phone, and I let the device slip from my weak hands onto the bed. This was the time for bravery, I knew it. I would have to set aside my trembling emtoions to keep everyone safe.

What would it be like now, to be a part of the Cullen clan again? I know that they had been my whole life, them and the wolves practically all that I had ever known, that that seemed like eons ago.

But alas, it was this week. The most miserable one of my life.

It didn't seem like much, only a week, but in the terms of a hybrid, one week could equate to half a year of development in some cases.

I tried to push it all aside so I could do what my dad instructed me to do. I locked all of the windows and doors, but thankfully there weren't many in Nessie and Jake's relatively small house. And as soon as I was finished, there was a knock on the door.

I looked into the peephole – Mom and Dad.

I unlocked the door and ran instantly into their arms. I was trembling all over. Just the fact that someone had the nerve (considering this was a house full of supernatural creatures) to go into my room just to give me such a vague note gave me chills. Why would that monster go to such extents? Why would they want me to know their presence? I know that I was a hybrid, but I thought all the buzz was about Nessie, being the first hybrid the Volturi had ever met and everything. The one everyone was curious about. The one with the survivng mother and an imprint for a husband. Nessie was the special one, not me. I came after all the drama. So why me?

I felt a gush of wind sail past me and into the house, with Embry and Jacob following closely behind. And just like that, my family had arrived. My heart started to flutter nervously.

"Seraphina – hey," Bella said first, walking up the porch to give me a gentle hug. Rosalie kissed my forehead, and my uncles took turns patting me on the back. Grandpa and Grandma embraced me gently.

Seeing all of their faces was a sight for sore eyes. I really missed them. Nessie, Allegra, and Jake came into the house in a way made me wonder if they were ashamed, which I didn't get. It wasn't their fault some deranged vampire had wandered into my bedroom. Jake was on edge and Allegra was silently clinging to Embry. Embry was extremely paranoid over the fact that the vampire had been in the same house Allegra had been in while she was sleeping. His eyes darted nervously everywhere, and occasionally he would hold Allie tighter, like he couldn't stand the thought of her not being next to him. I didn't have time to think much of it though. Nessie grabbed my hand and pulled me aside into the kitchen, away from all the chaos in the living room, where people were already dividing up responsibilities for a security detail.

"Are you okay, honey?" Nessie asked endearingly. I nodded my head, but it was jerky and forced.

Nessie ran a hand through my tangled hair and sighed. During the time in which I found the note and my family had showed up, I threw on a black t-shirt that went down to my calves. It had been Seth's at one time, but the scent was rooted so deep that no one would even guess. I didn't even remember until this morning, when my mind was already on that track.

I never realized how many of Seth's belongings I had. They were probably from all those times I got dirty from afternoons of playing and he would give me his shirt to cover myself up...

No, Seraphina. Don't go down that road.

I already had enough to think about as it was, mostly concerning my own life and the life of my family members.

Nessie released me from her embrace and I heard the murmuring quiet down. "Seraphina, come here sweetie," I head Rosalie call from the other room.

Nessie gave me an encouraging smile, and I took a deep breath. This would be the first time I would be facing all of them at once.

I walked into the living room. Everyone was standing in a haphazard circle, all engaged in their little priorities. I noticed that Jake wasn't there, but everyone else was present. My hands started to tremble.

And they were all looking at me. I wonder – if they looked at me long enough, would they gather the fact that I had been messing around with Jesse and his friends?

"Baby, we were wondering if you could use psychometry on the note," Rosalie said. They all looked at me gently, like if they stared at me for too long I risked bursting into flames.

I nodded and swallowed hard, walking over to the note. I picked it up tenderly. The note was heavy, but it felt poisonous.

I closed my eyes and focused my energy to my hands.

The normal electric feeling burst into my body and my vision was replaced by another. A dark-haired woman with messy hair and pale white skin had jumped into my room while I was asleep. She watched me for a second, and tilting her head curiously, she placed the note on the dresser before jumping out of the room. For a minute, she watched. Through her eyes, I watched myself toss and turn, and eventually stand up to take out the shirt that smelled so much like Seth out of my bag, and put it on...

I remained holding the note, focusing hard on the rest of the vision. I had never practiced my gift for so long before. I tried finding the reasons behind it, but I quickly realized that I couldn't do that while I was awake. I focused even harder, feeling my muscles tense with force, and things soon started going black...

I took a shocked breath in as my vision was, yet again, replaced by another one. I was stuck in dream world, the scarier and more precise realm of my visions. I knew that because of the airy quality of all my surroundings. However airy, my surroundings were as familiar as an old friend. I was in La Push.

And I was watching myself run for my life.

I looked crazed. I had a healing gash on my arm and my own blood, as I suspected, was matted in my hair. I was running through the woods parallel to the beach with a determined look in my eye, but I looked absolutely terrified. I wasn't really running to save my life however, it seemed like I was running to save someone else's...

I yelled at my vision-self, to turn around and look at the vampire that was stalking me in the shadows. But I couldn't be heard.

My vision started leaving me. No! I needed to find out what happened!

I screamed as my world went black for a second time.

It couldn't have been long, the time I spent in that world. "Seraphina!" I heard someone call, and I felt a sharp pain against my cheek.

I was slow to open my eyes. It felt like sandbags were weighing down my eyelids. Even with my eyes closed, the light in the living room still burned. Oooo, ugh, why were lights invented, I thought rather dumbly. I heard Edward mutter to someone to close the blinds, and I felt Emmett's heavy footfalls leave my side for a moment before returning.

It felt better to open my eyes then. I opened them slowly, carefully, like they might shatter if I did it to fast.

Like I expected, in the clammer of noise that ensued when I opened my eyes, my mother was the loudest.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" she asked, brushing the hair out of my face.

"Um, yes, I think." I blinked hard, trying to clear the blurring in my vision.

"What happened?" Grandpa asked, moving through the crowd of people swarming me to check my temperature. I did feel very flushed, like I had been running for a long while. Allie hissed at them to all back up when they moved even closer. I don't think anyone was more shocked than Embry. They all did as they were told, warily eyeing the little girl with crossed arms and concerned green eyes.

"I did psychometry for too long I think, longer that I ever had. It made everything go black." It was true. My visions never lasted that long. Normally a small touch was enough to discern the future, but lately, it felt soggy, like mud was seeping through. It made me second guess my visions. It made my visions not as powerful.

"What did you see?" Emmett asked curiously, and Dad punched him in the arm. Emmett shrugged at him.

"I saw...a woman. With dirty hair and pale skin, vampire. She watched me while I slept and then put the note on my dresser before leaving." I left out the part about the shirt and how she watched me put it on...I felt so violated.

"Is that all?" Rosalie pressed.

I shot Edward a look, who seemed somewhat pained. Don't say anything about the shirt. I can't admit it to anyone.

Edward sighed and gave a slight nod.

"I went into the other realm, the one I go to when I sleep," I said, to satisfy Rose's question. Everyone looked interested then. They all knew this was the more accurate version of my visions.

They looked at me expectantly. I took a deep breath. I would eventually have to tell them about the figures that I've been seeing, the ones that smelled like death...

If Edward could look more suprised, his eyebrows could have fallen off.

Damn.

"Well, I saw myself at First Beach. Not at it, but in the woods just parallel to the beach. I was running. And...I was bleeding. I was running to someone, but I don't know who." That was the barest amount of detail that I could give without lying. I didn't mention the terror I felt behind it, how I wasn't concerned for my own life, but a stranger's.

It was implied though. I didn't need to mention the excrutiating details, because hisses erupted from around the circle.

"We'll keep you safe," Embry promised.

"What should we do?" Mom asked, turning to Grandpa. Everyone turned to face him too.

He looked studious for a moment, gazing out the window. "Well, the clear choice is that Seraphina should come back with us. But somehow I fear – "

"Carlisle, Jasper. I need to talk to you." Jake reentered the circle with a grave expression. Something about that told me that it was important, because he wouldn't have interrupted otherwise.

"What is it, Jacob?" my father asked.

Jacob left the cirlce, and after a brief moment, Grandpa and Dad followed him. They left a wake of shocked silence.

Edward sat down with his head in his hands, and Bella sat next to him, massaging his shoulders gently. Everyone else remained mute.

Suddenly, I felt exausted. I was still sitting on the floor, and there was still a circle of people around me. Emmett saw this and picked me off the floor like I was physically four again, and sat me down on the couch with his unwavering Emmett-smile. I chuckled a little. But only a little. The circle moved to be around me again.

A few minutes later, Dad, Jake, and Grandpa returned, all looking solemn.

Their faces...I couldn't take it. I already had so much to deal with. It looked like I was going home after this whole ordeal that had just occured, to the place I had been trying to avoid during the upheaval of my life. But when I start to have some semblance of security at Nessie and Jake's, this thing just meandered into my room, invaded my personal comfort which left me with the crawling skin I had now, just to leave me an ominous note.

The note, however simple it was, had an ulterior message that I read loud and clear.

We are watching you, and you are not safe.

I started trembling and my eyes started to water with terror. Not for me, but the reprocussions that came with the supernatural life and what it might mean for my family.

If any one of my family members perished saving me, wolf or vampire, I would never forgive myself. I wouldn't know how to continue to be without any one of my family members. They all had such an intregal part in who I had become. I couldn't imagine what I would be like, or where my life would be right now if my mother and father hadn't walked in on my gruesome birth.

Who would I be without them?

Jake and Edward seemed to be having a silent conversation, much like a tennis match. Some of my family members were even watching back and forth.

From the outside, it would have looked amusing. I might have even laughed. Under the circumstances...not so much.

My dad looked sad. I didn't realize how sad he actually was when he walked in, but now that he was here, watching me, I could see just how much he was.

This was a grave atmosphere at any rate. I didn't have a very good emotional climate, nor did anyone, but especially me. I must have been toxic for him. I must have been toxic for everyone, which just made me want to leave the room and run into the forest. Maybe call Jesse or Duke.

Edward broke away from the conversation. "Don't think that about yourself."

I blinked. With his silent conversation going on, I wasn't even aware that he was listening to me. Everyone turned their faces to mine with a question in their eyes.

I felt nervous. I looked down at my hands.

Bella was the first one to break the silence. "Well, glad to see she hasn't lost that Seraphina aspect."

"What?" I asked.

Bella smiled gently as everyone else caught on. My dad let out a sigh of relief as the tension in the room evaporated a little. "If you could furrow your eyebrows any more, I think they might permanently stay that way."

I blinked a few times as I let that sink in. It was such a simple, quirky trait about me. But the fact that Bella pointed it out made me feel like I was in there somewhere. A habit that I have done since I was very little, it was like being reminded that there was still a breathing person inside this shell of mine.

It gave me more hope than I thought was proper or even possible. But in any sense of the word, it gave me hope.

"You've aged some too," Bella also pointed out, as Edward and Jake continued on with their silent conversation.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah. I think that...all you've gone through, it's increased the aging process. You look closer to eighteen than you do sixteen, from about a week ago. It could also be because you just need to smile, for god's sake."

I smiled as warmly as I could without my face feeling like it would crack. "That better?"

"It's a start," Bella said, winking at me.

I appreciated Bella telling me how it was. I didn't like everyone around me being so afraid to step on my toes, always making sure that they spoke to me in a low voice and never said anything too out there. It made me feel closer to normalcy. However, I was still breakable.

And Edward and Jacob were still having a silent conversation. It clearly had something to do with me, because they kept giving me long sideways glances. Jacob would think something out and Edward would respond in any way he could, sometimes even blatantly pointing at me. I couldn't take it.

"Please just say it out loud! It's clearly about me!" I said, feeling annoyed.

Everyone looked a little shocked at my outburst. Allie – sweet girl – came to sit by me and grabbed my hand, telling me it would be all right. I smiled at her appreciatively.

Jake turned to face me slowly, his eyes full of pain. I braced myself, gripping Allegra's hand tightly.

"Seraphina, there's no easy way to say this, so it's just going to be like a band-aid and I'm just going to say it and get it over with," he said slowly. He got a look of determination on his face. Why did he look so pained?

Then he said something that was definitely a fork in the road. "I left to phase so I could tell Seth what was going on, since he has that right to know. Even if you aren't speaking to him. I told him about what just occured last night. He's, well...he's coming back. Here. I'm really, really sorry."

Everyone held their breath.

And I shattered.

Seth. Seth. It was too soon. No, I couldn't face him. His name in my head, the fact that he was coming back, the fact that I would have to face him...

I whimpered aloud. Allie leaned her head against my shoulder, but I barely noticed.

Why would Seth even want to face me? I had rejected the imprint. I had told him to leave, and he ran. I had told him to leave with my mangled heart, and I knew that whatever I felt, he was feeling too.

That was the way an imprint worked.

But...I had a strange thought. It had been a kiss. I had destroyed my integrity that night and gave away my virginity, which was worse. Maybe the force of what I was feeling – the force of my broken heart – was actually mixed with his?

But I was a hybrid. I was driven to extremes on a daily basis. I already had a rebellious streak in me that refused to go away, even now. And I soon figured out, right after it happened, that when my heart broke, it broke with a passion. The force of my emotions was enough to drive Seth and my family away from me, all at once. I hurt to deeply, and loved too strongly. It was no wonder that I had been driven to such dire extremes. He kissed someone, I had sex with someone. No matter which way I went, it would be extreme.

But it wasn't just me that I was feeling, I knew that now. No matter how much I wanted Seth to leave that night, no matter how much I believed he betrayed me, we were irrevocably connected.

This I realized. No matter how much I may have wanted to deny the imprint, there was no way I could. And moreover...I didn't want to.

I had sensed danger last night with my heightened intutition. I was aware of the danger, but my subconcious knew everything that I was realizing now. Everything. And it's reaction was to take the only thing I owned that was saturated with Seth, and put it on my body.

Because Seth was a part of me.

Because my subconcious knew that I needed Seth.

Why was I so unsure? A week ago I was convinced that I hated him. It was so out of character for me, to hate anyone. But I had felt it so strongly. And now, I was sure that I would need to be the one grovelling.

And I wasn't going to get better without him here, I knew that though. It didn't matter if he refused to talk to me. It didn't matter if he had developed a certain hate for me, even though it was Seth and probably couldn't hate a fly. Being apart was equivalent to sucking the life out of both of us.

But even with all of this, how could I get over everything I had felt?

It was silly of me to think of all these things and how much I needed him, but couldn't get past everything I had felt this past week. Would it ever be the same? Could I even look at him the same? When he found out what I did, would he look at me the same?

I didn't even realize I was sobbing. I didn't even realize that I had three pairs of hands consoling me. I didn't even realize that my dad had to leave the room, because I really was toxic. Just me. Me and my wallowing.

I looked down at my cousin, who I felt extremely protective over. Would she learn from my mistakes? Her feelings were starting to change, but what about Embry? Was he looking at me, also trying to learn from my mistakes?

I prayed that her imprinting story would be much less uneventful and harsh than mine was unfolding out to be.

Seth POV

I was running down the countryside as a wolf. I couldn't tell you details, because I wasn't paying attention to them.

I was somewhere in Canada, where it was pretty unpopulated. Probably northern Canada.

The only details I had been going over had been combed over so many times, it was like torture now. I had gone over every detail of that night, one week ago. Every detail. It was like a broken record.

It's funny that they tell you to not have regrets in life, but to me that was bullshit, especially if you were in my predicament. I was sure regretting that night. I would do anything to erase it from everyone's memory, to erase it from history.

Why did I have to go to that freaking party? I could have said, "No, this party is going to be too dangerous for my Sera, I don't want any creeps looking at her and thinking that they could destroy her innocence," and been on my way. I could have still been watching her from a distance as she smiled and laughed and moved as gracefully as a ballerina, falling even more hopelessly in love with her than I already was. I could have been laughing at her quirks – her expressive eyes, her undisputed genius, the way she would go to such extents to dodge her mother when she was getting dressed, the furrow in her eyebrows...

This is the longest I had ever gone without seeing Sera's beautiful face. I just wish I had realized how beautiful it really was before it was too late.

I had always thought Sera was the most beautiful creature I had ever set my eyes on, but never in the creepy way. Now, all I wanted to do was lock her up in a bedroom with me and never let her go.

I shook my head, trying to get that image out of my head. I couldn't remember the last thing I ate. That was another detail that escaped me. I smelled a deer about a half of a mile in, but I didn't feel very hungry.

Another image that never left my head – the girl I had stupidly kissed.

I sat down at the couch, watching my beautiful imprint leave my side. I instantly missed her. I missed her so much that I didn't even notice the blonde I was sitting next to.

"Seth?" she asked, shocked.

That got my attention. I turned my head towards her. Something about her rung a bell, but I couldn't remember from when or how she did.

Compared to Sera, this girl had nothing on her, I thought proudly. But this girl knew my name, so I paid attention.

"Do you remember me?" she asked, fluttering her eyelashes.

Was I supposed to? "I'm sorry, but I don't," I said apologetically.

She pouted. "Maisy Cavanaugh."

I sifted through names and faces, but anything before Sera seemed just...unimportant somehow. And I could say without a doubt I didn't meet her when Sera was alive.

Which would have been a few years ago. That was a long time back to remember someone.

She stared at me bluntly. "You and I had sex, after we got back from John's party a couple years back."

And there it was, the light bulb. She was the last person I had ever had sex with.

"You know, I remember you being really good in bed," she said in a sultry way, moving closer to me.

I laughed nervously. "Um, thanks I think."

How were you supposed to respond? Yeah, I was an idiot. I know. I egged her on.

She nodded slowly, her eyes becoming hooded as they never left my eyes. She was clearly drunk, maybe a little high judging by how red her eyes were. I felt her hand creep onto my leg, which startled me immensely, but being around vampires so much, I became still. I stared at Maisy's hand like it was going to turn into a cat.

She took this as a sign. "Why don't we...get better acquainted?" she purred, and closed the distance in between our mouths.

She must have been pretty drunk to be so bold with someone who had barely even said anything to her. For the life of me, I would never understand what she was thinking.

For a second, I was too shocked to do anything. I could only fathom the fact that she had her mouth on my mouth. But (clearly) without thinking, I started moving mine with hers.

It may have seemed like a misunderstanding, but I blamed myself, as I should have. In any sense, I had kissed her back. I should never have stayed quiet. I should have told her I came with someone and I wasn't interested, which was the 100% truth. But my shocked brain, fried by my all of the emotions I felt earlier about Sera, didn't respond fast enough. And when I thought it could only get worse, my brain didn't even function enough to stop. My mouth, on its own, started moving with Maisy's.

This was the biggest mistake of my life. Because I soon found out that Sera was watching, and nothing would be the same.

I was an absolute idiot! I was the world's biggest idiot, allowing myself to kiss Maisy back.

I don't think I could ever forguve myself, especially since I had hurt Sera by doing it.

It took a few seconds before I realized what was going on.

Maisy was kissing me. It felt all wrong, but my mouth acted on its own accord and my tongue slid into Maisy's mouth.

SETH, FUCKING STOP, I screamed at myself. How could I be doing this? I must be the world's worst imprinted wolf. None of the other guys ever had this problem. They had their gir, and that was it. But my body was reacting to Maisy, which I didn't even know was possible. They probably never found out it was possible because THEY WEREN'T KISSING OTHER GIRLS, I roared in my head. I pushed Maisy back, maybe a little too aggressively.

"Maisy, stop it," I told her. She was already trying to climb back on me. She was so wasted.

"Why should I?" she purred.

I held her back. I literally had to hold her back. "I...I'm drunk," I lied, probably not very well, but it seemed better than explaining I was a werewolf with an imprint. "I have a girl. I love her."

It was weird admitting that. But the words rang true. I was in love with Seraphina Marie Cullen-Whitlock.

"She's not here," she reasoned, her eyes glinting. I was taken aback. Did she think that I would cheat?

Technically you already did Clearwater, the dickhead little voice said in my head. I felt sick.

"No. She is. She's away right now, about to come back here. And she could probably take you out." Haha.

Maisy harrumphed and crossed her arms across her chest, looking all pouty. "I bet she couldn't."

I laughed out loud with the thought. My girl had a temper and was part vampire. Maisy would have a chance if Sera reacted to stakes and silver, which was crap. "Trust me, she could."

I tried to stand up. I felt sick with the thought that my tongue had willingly gone down her throat. I wanted nothing more than to clean my mouth with bleach. However, Maisy clung to my hand. Being that I was a nice guy, I stayed.

So, so stupid.

"Where the fuck are you going," she snapped, almost desperately. What did she want from me? I was just Seth Clearwater. I was nothing to her. I think.

I sighed and turned to face her, gently tugging my hand free. Using my nice guy voice, I told her, "Maisy, you're going to find a guy who's going to love you unconditionally and you're going to settle down with him and have children and be happy. I can guarantee without a doubt that I am not that boy for you. I've found her. She's the one." I smiled to myself as I walked away from her. She yelled for me to turn around and face her, but I never did.

I hated that I always had to be so nice. Normally, it wasn't a problem, but at that particular moment, in that situation, it definitely was.

Leah always said that it was my fatal flaw. It was great up to a point where it would be my downfall. I wonder if Leah also had powers of fortunetelling...

I banged my head against a tree. Seth, why did you fuck this up, out of everything that you could have done?

I felt someone sigh. I realized wasn't alone in my head. Still killing yourself slowly? Jake said sadly.

I looked down at the ground in shame. How could I not, Jake?

He sighed again. I could feel his head buzzing. Sera's face popped up...

Sera looked terrible, which instantly made me whimper. She had lost weight and her eyes looked...emotionless.

The fact that I had caused that made me want to throw myself off a building. I deserved any amount of revenge – if she wanted to do it – that I would get.

If she even wanted me home.

No home without Sera...

Seth, please listen to me. You're going to freak out... Jacob warned.

Wha- I started.

And then I got it. Information. Faces. Horror. A vampire.

Oh.

Oh oh oh.

I snarled. Someone had been in Sera's room, while she was sleeping. They had left her a note, "hello."

Hello, I was going to rip you apart and burn your ashes with a blowtorch.

How dare they, I snarled, instantly pacing back and forth as I tried to sort it out. My inner animal was practically roaring with rage. I would kill every vampire that tried to threaten her without a question asked. And even if she hated me, I could still protect her...

I could still watch her. I could still love her.

So I take it that you're coming back? Jake asked, hopeful. Nervous. Straight to the point. A second ago I had been torturing myself with memories, the next I was planning my return.

There wasn't an option for me though. I didn't care if Sera banished me to the ends of the Earth. As long as I killed whatever was bothering her, as long as she was safe, I could die content.

Until then, I would protect her until she was safe, and then she could instruct me to lay underneath a moving bus if she wanted.

There wasn't an option, none at all until she had the freedom to make that choice. This I had to do for her. I hope to whatever god was out there that Sera found it in her heart to forgive me, even though I didn't deserve it. Because I needed Sera, I freely admitted this. I needed her more than I needed air and being away from her was like having my life energy sucked from me.

Embry has been watching her and keeping an eye on her, Jake informed me, breaking into my pitiful declaration of love.

So why was he not watching her last night? Why was he not protecting her then? I growled. Of course my mind immediately jumped to that. I had threatened Embry before, I would do it again...

He only watches her during the day time. She says she doesn't leave the house during the day but she does. I found out in this train of thought that he was instructing Embry not to tell him the specifics of what she was up to, because Jake was the only one talking to me.

Why did you not want him to tell you? I asked, confused.

Because I didn't want to subject you to any more pain, just in case she was up to no good. It was for oyur sake. He said this quietly.

Then what does he actually do then? I grumbled. Even though I was slightly pissed off, I appreciated that Embry was watching her. I think. It made me feel like a terrible imprint, which I was.

He makes sure she's not in danger. Not to stop her from making stupid decisions if she makes them. Danger from the more...supernatural side of things. She doesn't know he follows her, Jake explained.

I wanted to hold her so badly. But I couldn't. She was probably terrified beyond words, but never for herself. No. She was too self-sacrificing, too selfless. She was completely terrified for her family.

She was utterly beautiful. Perfect. Wonderful.

I did not deserve her.

Well, if there was a better time to win her back, it would be now, Jake reminded me.

He was absolutely right.

I needed to win her trust back. I just needed for her to be able to look at me again.

As soon as I came to this conclusion, I started running full speed back to Idaho. Back to home, back to Sera.

I'll see you when you get home, brother, Jake said, and with the thought of Renesmee suddenly consuming his mind, he phased back.

I had to come home. No choice. I needed Seraphina.

Seraphina POV

I had stopped crying.

That was pretty much the only good news I could share.

I sat on the couch very still. Allegra had moved to sit with Embry, and he was currently occupying her with some chatter. It was a good white noise.

Grandma sat with me on the couch, and Bella was in the kitchen making something for the five food-eaters. Everyone else was gone, tracking the scent of the vampire who came into my room last night.

But Seth was coming back.

I probably looked like hell. I knew I looked terrible. Compared to all of my stunningly beautiful relatives, I looked the least human out of all of them, surprisingly. I looked actually dead.

I needed to stop wallowing. I was annoying myself.

"Honey, we've missed you so much," Grandma said, putting her hand on my hand.

A lump formed in my throat. "I've really missed you guys too." That didn't cover it. I didn't even realize how much I had missed them.

"It's been tough not having you at the house, but we understand," she informed me, giving me a sweet smile. Out of every person I had ever met, my grandma Esme was probably the sweetest. She just had a way about her. It was impossible not to adore her.

I looked down at my lap. "It's just been tough in general I guess."

Not to mention I had "fucked up royally," as Emmett would have put it. I didn't know how I would come clean about that. Or if I could ever come to terms with it.

Grandma gave an understanding nod. "We know. I am no imprinting expert, but what I can gather from it is that it is definitely special and something to be cherished. Even if you can't bear Seth's company right now, in time, he will be worth hearing out."

Embry and Allegra were listening now. From the corner of my eye, I saw Allie sneak a sideways peek at her best friend.

I sighed for her sake.

"I just don't know how to go about it."

"About what, dear?" Grandma asked.

What was I saying? I wasn't sure.

"Go about...everything, I guess. Starting with him coming back. How would I react? I'd probably just avoid him, to be honest. I can't think of anything else I would do."

Grandma nodded slowly, thoughtfully. "I think if you let things happen naturally, everything will just fall into place."

Fall into place. Like they had so wonderfully before.

I felt my eyebrows furrow. I was just exhausted. Being mad at Seth and depressed over what followed was wearing me down to the core. I hated that this is what I turned out to be.

Seriously, what was messing with me? Even with my hybrid emotions, I was never this bad.

I wanted to get better, I really did. But there were a few loose ends I had to clean up first.

"Grandma, do you trust me?" I asked suddenly. I had a plan. And it had to be done.

"Yes, I do," she said without hesitation, even though I had done nothing to earn her trust. Embry shot me a look.

"I need to leave for awhile," I confided in her with a low whisper. Her eyes widened.

"Oh Seraphina, I don't think that's such a good idea – "

"Please, Grandma? It'll be good for me, and I'll be right back. I can – I can take Dad's phone with me."

This was a terrible time to be asking, but I still looked at her with pleading eyes. If I had any chance of doing this, it would have to be while everyone was away, and it would be now.

She looked torn. "But you're in danger – "

"If they were coming for me, I would know," I promised. I wasn't completely sure about that though, but she didn't need to know that.

She still looked torn between trusting my intuition and giving into the present dangers. "Technically Grandma, I'm physically eighteen. That makes me an adult," I said wryly. I probably just looked older since, like Bella said, I needed to smile. I was growing faster than Nessie had at my age. I would stop growing when I looked about nineteen or twenty which would be about when I would turn four and a half, and then hit menopause all together when I was around seven or eight. At that point, I would never be able to have children again.

Her lips twitched. "I trust that you trust yourself, my love. That I will always trust in, even when you don't believe it yourself all the time."

She sighed and I remained mute. "You've always been wise beyond your years, considering your actual age especially. Much more mature though. Although you've always been mature and a little serious."

It sounded like her mind was made up. I smiled to myself, knowing that at least, I couldn't disappoint one person. "Well, I hoping to heal myself. Which is why I really need to go."

Grandma stared at me for a moment, and then gave a consenting nod. "Please text me when you're done?" she asked hopefully.

I kissed her on the cheek as I stood up. "Of course."

I said this as I was running out the door. I didn't have much time, and there was a snake I had to take care of.

Unknown POV

Things were going smoothly.

My sister had been using her power, making little Seraphina unsure with herself, dulling her vast powers of foresight, allowing us to move in.

She was such a clever girl, it had been hard to seperate her from all the knowledge she had, creating a fog in her visions. Creating moodswings. The little stunt with the psychometry today was a close call. She was more powerful and stubborn than we had realized.

My little girl was in a state of heartbreak. It made her fragile emotions easier to mold to our will. No silly girl would be so heartbroken over a wayward and misunderstood kiss. She would have simply been angry and talked it out with her pet, as she would have if she had been left to her own clever advices. They would have been free to love each other.

But my sister's power was useful. It allowed us to strain their relationship and create discord in the Cullen household.

The Jesse boy was useful too. With a trick in his emotions, it made him want to keep coming back for more of Seraphina, and with a trick of hers, it was easy enough to drive her to her own natural extremes and force her to open her legs for him.

I thought this to myself as I wrote to her the next note for her finding:

My Dearest Seraphina,

The game has begun.

A/N: So Sera wasn't this heartbroken by herself over a misunderstood kiss. And what do you guys think about the unknown character? What about Seth's POV finally? REVIEW! :D

Chels, xx.