I am not Stephenie Mayer. I do not own the rights to the Twilight Saga.
I was so tired. I had been running in circles for what felt like eternity.
I had decided that I fucking hated this forest. I felt like the very trees were hiding Nessie from me and I despised them for it.
Debris on the floor kept cutting the pads of my paws but I only felt momentary pain before they healed up. Besides it was nothing compared to the agonising ache in my chest. It felt like my heart was actually breaking, like pieces of it were being chipped away by an invisible pickaxe with each passing moment I was without her.
I threw back my head a let a mourning howl rip it's way out of my chest, lamenting what was lost. Why couldn't I find her? I knew she was near, I could feel her but she wouldn't come to me, which lead me to two possible conclusions. Either she was ignoring the pull or she wasn't able to act on it. I was leaning towards option number two, considering the way in which we both got here. I was sure she wasn't able to act on the pull because her kidnapper was stopping her. I'd already decided that I was going to personally obliterate whoever was keeping my imprint from me. They were already dead, they just didn't know it yet.
I stopped running. I needed to sleep. I didn't bother finding somewhere comfortable or hidden. I simply stopped where I was and slumped on the ground. I think I was asleep before my head hit my paws.
***
I awoke with a start, unaware of how much time had passed. It took me a nanosecond to realise what had woken me up.
She was near.
I jumped up and started running with new energy. I let the pull guide me as my heart beat out a tattoo on my ribcage; she's near, she's near, she's near.
I moved silently, a spectre in the green sunlight that was filtered through the leaves above. I wanted to howl in triumph and let her know what was coming but I didn't dare. What if her kidnappers were with her and wanted me too? I needed to stay silent, I would use the element of surprise to rescue Nessie – as well as tooth, claw and my own life if necessary.
The wind changed, blowing the sweetest most beautiful scent towards me. I felt it feather through my fur like her pale hands used to. It was her, I could smell the vampire in her, smell her human side. Her fragrance was the perfect balance as far as I was concerned: a spectacular sweetness, but not overly, cloyingly, nose achingly sweet like the rest of her family. She smelled like strawberries in the rain.
I reached a clearing and the pull within told me to stop. I obeyed immediately and crouched down in the bushes to watch a massive stag drink from a gurgling stream. I watched, waiting for Nessie and her kidnappers to emerge.
Four seconds passed before I spotted her, it was the longest four seconds of my life but when I spotted her it was like I could finally breathe again. The breeze was my friend, blowing her scent straight towards me.
She was so much more beautiful than I could have possibly remembered. My mind could never conjure up her true beauty but my eyes would drink in as much as they could take. She hadn't seen me yet, she was eyeing the stag. I decided I would take a moment to assess whether she had company or not...and perhaps just look at her. I had always loved watching her when she wasn't aware. Watching her sleep was my favourite but watching her hunt was a close second.
Her muscles were taught and coiled. I could see her calves and thighs, rock hard and tense beneath the skin tight leggings she wore. Gods, I wished I were those leggings.
My eyes moved upwards to the smooth curve of her hips. Her hips had often been a subject of wonder for me. They weren't like Bells', they had more curve but not an ounce of fat. Bella got her body from her mom so I wondered if perhaps Nessie got her body from Eddy's mother – though I had never dared ask.
Further up my eyes moved, coasting over the flat, muscled surface of her stomach and lingering on the soft mounds that were her breasts. I forced my eyes further up. They slid over her smooth, slender neck to take in the astronomical beauty of her face. Her top lip was slightly fuller than the bottom, she had a small nose, high cheekbones and eyes that were quite simply the perfect shade of liquid brown. All of that was framed by perfect bronze ringlets that were pulled into a bun at the base of her neck. I pictured the last time I had seen her hair down.
She had been naked, bouncing on top of me. Her hair cascaded down her arms and chest and back, giving me only a partial view of her breasts and making her look like Lady Godiva, only hotter. I remembered grinning because each time she bounced, her ringlets would bounce with her, giving me a sneaky peek of her erect nipples before settling back and brushing against my stomach.
The look on her face had been perfect rapture, she had let out excited little moans every time I felt myself plunge into her. When she had been close, she'd leant forwards to whisper in my ear as she ground her hips into mine with supernatural force. She nibbled gently, careful not to break the skin (not that I would have minded) before whispering two words huskily in my ear with urgency. "Now, please"
I blinked several times, bringing myself back to the reality that was the dream standing across the clearing from me. The sunlight caught her pale skin, giving it the pearlescent glow of the moon. The most wonderful juxtaposition, sunlight and moonlight in one.
If I was a werewolf, she was my moon. I changed for her, sang to her and worshipped her.
She scanned the bushes I was crouched in and caught my eyes. Every nerve in my body thrilled with the eye contact. I inched toward her infinitesimally....and she growled at me!
I heard it clearly, aimed at me, a warning. I didn't understand. I knew she was alone as I would have smelled, not to mention heard anyone with her.
She eyed the stag once more, choosing to ignore me. What the fuck?
I stepped from the bushes and into the clearing, sending the stag sprinting away. I moved slowly and deliberately, trying to work out what was wrong with her. She growled again, moving her body into a slightly lower posture and eyeing me with...with absolutely zero recognition. I whined, asking her in wolf what was the matter. Her posture relaxed a little, her head cocked to the side slightly and her eyes narrowed. This was it, she was recognising me! I didn't pause to think otherwise, I just launched myself at her thinking of nothing other than licking her face 'till she giggled uncontrollably and begged me to stop cos I was getting slobber up her nose.
As I travelled through the air I looked at her face expecting to see the same elation I was feeling but her face held fear and horror. She looked like a rabbit caught in headlights.
I turned my body at the last second, landing painfully on one of my back legs. The pain was gone in the next second, replaced by the pain of her fear.
I didn't want to move for fear of scaring her away but she seemed like she couldn't move if she wanted to. She just stood there, staring at me and panting. I could hear her hummingbird heart beating too fast.
I dropped my tail as low as it would go, crouched my body and flattened my ears – showing her my submission in an attempt to quell her fear.
How could she not recognise me? I just couldn't understand the lack of recognition in her eyes. Did she think I was just a wolf?
I laid down, allowing another whine to leave me and she seemed to relax a little more.
I edged closer to her, crawling on my belly and whining a little more. She crouched down too, looking directly into my eyes with her head cocked to the side again.
She was fighting an internal battle, I could see. It renewed my faith to see that she obviously still felt the pull of the imprint – even if she didn't know who I was she was still my imprint, the magic was still strong and connected us like invisible strands of taffy.
I watched as a perfect hand stretched out towards my muzzle, slowly and cautiously. "You're beautiful" She told me "Don't be afraid."
I crawled towards her a little more, there was only a few inches between us now. She kept her hand outstretched and I licked it. She tasted better than I had remembered, once again my crappy memory had been betraying me.
Musical bell tones filled my keen ears as she giggled "Well now, you're not scary at all are you?" I gave her my best wolfy grin, letting my tongue loll out the side of my mouth.
She moved forwards once more and gave me the gift I had been craving, her touch. Her warm hands stroked over my fur, sending shivers down my spine. I wanted to phase back, allowing her hands to touch skin instead of fur but I was afraid I'd scare her seeing as she obviously thought I was just a wolf. Albeit a really really huge wolf.
Too late! I felt the heat receding in me, I was changing back.
She moved so quickly, standing at once and staring at me with pure horror. I was crouched naked on the floor as she let forth a massive, ear piercing scream.
"Don't be afraid." I wanted to tell her, but the words wouldn't come out of my stupid mouth. My throat was too dry from not having had anything to drink in so long.
Before I could clear my throat to speak she cut me off
"Humber sent you." Was all she said before she turned and ran. I scrambled to give chase but her rejection had cut me like a knife. I wanted to lie there in my own hurt and pray that this was all a nightmare. I wanted to wake up back in our little cabin to see her sleeping beside me, her rhythmic breathing the perfect accompaniment to the tiny smile that would play on her lips as she dreamed. I would slip my fingers into her clenched palms and spy on her dreams. They were always of us.
I forced myself up and let the impossible heat claim me once more as I exploded into a form of fur and power. I had no chance of catching her on two legs, only on four.
I could hear her superfast footfalls ahead of me but she was just out of sight and I was so tired despite my recent sleep. I willed myself forwards, I couldn't lose her again.
As I let a fresh burst of speed that had been willed from nothing power me forwards I heard a strange noise, like creaking wood. Then there was nothing. She was gone and I knew it. The pull was still there but she wasn't. I'd lost her, again.
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