omg!! Thank you SOO much for everyone who added me into their favorite stories and authors list and for those who reviewed!!! As your reward, here is another chapter. I hope you enjoy!

Barely a Scratch

"Hey Jacob!" Sage greeted opening the door for him.

"Is Renesmee here?" he asked looking past her. "We're supposed to meet... " he glanced at the clock, "in 15 minutes. Damn, got here faster than I thought."

"Come on in. She'll get here when she gets here." He closed the door behind him and walked in.

"What were you doing?"

"Mr. Emmett challenged me to a Street Fighter match, so I thought I'd practice. Wanna play?"

"Sure, sure." They got set up and commenced their game.

"If it's okay to ask, what happened to the woman with all the scars?" Sage asked Jacob. He paused for a bit before looking at Sage. He didn't need to answer. Edward was there to speak with Carlisle. She saw that day play before her from Jacob as Sam had unintentionally shown him and the others.

"Sam was the only wolf at the time; he didn't fully understand what was happening to him or how to control it. A lot of us, we've been wolves for along time so we can control it better," Jacob tried to defend Seth.

"Do you guys consider Emily's story whenever one of you imprints? Warn her of the risks?" He couldn't lie.

"To be fair, we often overreact concerning our person's safety." Sage's face didn't change, so he continued. "Seth never loses control; it takes something huge to make him that angry." Chun Li knocked out Ken. Jacob stared at his gloating opponent on the screen.

Sage smiled to herself before looking up at Jacob.

"He's persistent, isn't he?" she asked.

"Who Seth? He's a lot of things. Persistent is definitely one of them. Is he near?" Sage nodded. "Do you like him?" Jacob tried to ask casually while selecting his next character.

"I haven't decided yet." Jacob won the next round with quite a fight from Sage before she stood up to stand by the door. She was waiting for him, maybe even a bit eagerly, but she waited for him to knock before opening the door. He heard her heartbeat, he knew she was standing there. He was dressed in a polo shirt and shorts. Sage had to admit how good Seth the human looked. He wasn't as tall as Jacob, but he still towered over her and his muscular frame and broad chest would make any athlete cry.

It was the first time Seth met Sage in her natural self, no wolves or vampires chasing her. He was blown away by how beautiful she really was on an objective level, if he were capable of that. An angel stood in front of him, slender and petite with a smile so bright that it could end of the world's energy crisis. Her skin was pale yet rosy. He noticed the slant of her shoulders and the way her collarbone accented her neck, revealed by the white and pink tube top she was wearing over white jeans. She wore a beaded bracelet and her hair was set in a high ponytail. Then he remembered her skill and realized Edward was home.

"Mrs. Alice is quite fond of my willingness to experiment with fashion," Sage explained, waving at herself. "Today is California Girl."

"You look good," Seth complimented, remembering the rose he held in his hand. "Uh, my mom has a rose garden that she's kinda proud of. She wanted me to give you this." He wanted to give it to her, too.

"Thank you," she said taking the rose. "Come in. Jacob's here and Ness will be here soon." He followed her inside.

"Hey Seth," Jacob hollered.

"Hey Jake." Esme was already filling a long narrow vase and put the rose in, complimenting Seth on the rose's quality. Seth promised to pass on the compliment to his mom. Renesmee walked in the door a few minutes later.

"Jake? I'm sorry I'm late," she called running in. I went to Grandpa's house earlier with Mom. Do you guys have a new wolf?"

"Yeah, Avery," Jacob sighed. Seth looked down. Renesmee gave a confused look. "He's.. uh... resistant of the change."

"He makes Jacob look like a cheerleader when he first changed," Seth added.

"Well, I guess that explained that. We only drove by him and we saw him shaking and screaming before Sam grabbed him and ran off.

"I guess he's joined Sam's pack then?" Renesmee asked.

"Yeah," was all Jacob said.

Renesmee and Jacob left their picnic, leaving Seth and Sage behind. Sage led him up to her room. She saw on her bed and Seth sat at her desk.

"So, you look pretty settled," he stated looking around her room.

"I probably shouldn't be, at least not now. I was only supposed to be here until I figured out what my next move was."

"So, tell me about yourself," Seth said trying to change the subject. Sage noted it.

"What do you want to know?"

"How old are you?"

"19. How about you?"

"27." Seth remembered something. "Did you say 19?" He took a second to calculate something in his head. "I think I remember your brother mentioning you. He said he had a younger sister who was 10. That was -"

"9 years ago?" Sage finished for him. He chuckled.

"Your brother saved Ness' life, you know."

"That sounds very much like him."

"What is your favorite food?"

"Human or vampire?"

"Human."

"Cheese." Seth laughed a little too hard. "I like the texture, especially soft cheeses. And it has a tart taste to it that doesn't make it bland." They talked more about their favorite things, families, likes and dislikes, and life goals. And farther and farther Seth felt himself fall into the Friend Zone. He forced himself to be content. It's what she wants.

"Is it okay that I find it strange that you can become a giant wolf at will?" Sage asked. Seth laughed at the question.

"It is strange; I think sometimes I forget that it is."

Jacob, Renesmee, and Sage went hunting the next day. It started to rain on the way back. Jacob's home was close, so he invited them to wait out the weather there. Sage was thinking while running. There were only pros concerning Seth, no cons. Even her heart felt warm around him, but she wasn't sure how she felt about him, if anything at all, or if she should. She almost passed Jacob and Renesmee when they stopped.

"Is it your turn?" Jacob asked. Sage saw Seth in only his grey sweats. Sigh.. how could a human have so many muscles?

"Yeah," Seth muttered. "But Sam doesn't trust me all that much," he added waving in Sam's direction." The girls gave the guys confused looks.

"Seth is babysitting the noob," Jacob explained. "So we probably shouldn't be here."

"No, I'm fine, Jacob, I swear," a boy spoke up, whom Sage assumed was Avery. Behind Seth stood a young man in a uniform similar to Seth's, but he seemed too young for his body.

"Avery, you almost lost it when a car drove by you," Sam protested stepping forward.

"They don't even smell too bad. I kinda wanna meet them." Seth looked at Jacob, wondering what he should do. Jacob looked at Sam and Sam complied. "Hey, I'm sorry about before. I was out of line." Jacob just nodded.

"Avery, this is Renesmee and Sage," he introduced. Avery held out his hand and the guys stiffened as the girls shook his hand.

"I'm Avery," he said. "So, you guys are really vampires?"

"Half," Seth corrected.

"So you drink blood and burn in the sun and stuff?"

"We have that and regular food," Renesmee answered, wanting to help the kid transition to her mystical world. "And we don't burn in the sun."

"But the blood.."

"My favorite is mountain lions. My dad likes to take me to get them a lot. And we just hunted deer not too far from here."

"I prefer cheetahs. They make the chase a little more fun." Avery made a face.

"It's not so very strange for wolves to also hunt and feed on animals," Renesmee pointed out.

"We eat raw animals?" he gasped.

"We can, our bodies are designed with those instincts, but not many of us choose to do that," Sam said, looking at Jacob.

"How are you with all of this?" Renesmee bravely asked.

"To be honest, I hate it," he answered frankly. "My dad doesn't know, so he's always freaking out about my temperature and crazy puberty changes, not to mention me disappearing whenever Master Sam blows his whistle." His hands were in his pockets and he kicked up some dirt. "At school, I was the short scrawny one with glasses and acne. Everyone said things got better for them after, but people tease me even worse now. Now I'm the guy who's trying too hard to fit in." He started kicking at the base of a tree near Sage. "Plus my mom just died of cancer a few weeks ago, so that helps none." Avery started to pant and struggle while shaking.

"Easy, Avery," Sam encouraged. He managed to calm down and compose himself. "None of us wanted this, and we all had to make our sacrifices. We just to have to learn to make the most of it." Avery just nodded.

"Why does this happen?"

"To protect our people," Sam answered.

"Protect. Protect from what? What could be so dangerous that we need two packs of indestructible overgrown wolves?" And then it clicked in him. He looked up at Renesmee and Sage.

"Get them out of here!" Sam barked. Before the girls even realized what was happening, he, Seth, and Avery phased all at once. Avery was close, too close, to Sage and struck her cheek down to her chest, winding her. Jacob easily pulled her up and grabbed Renesmee before running. Seth shoved Avery back, exposing his sharp and ready teeth. Sam stepped in between them and looked at Avery who backed down still on the offensive, no doubt obeying an Alpha command. Sam looked back at Seth and motioned him to go after Sage. Seth was not a hateful person, but he would not easily forgive his new brother for harming his Sage.

When they were far enough, Jacob stopped to examine Sage's face.

"It didn't break the skin," Jacob concluded. "But your scratches are red and bumpy."

"I'm fine. It doesn't hurt too much," Sage reassured her friends. "I was just shocked more than anything."

"You sure you're okay?" Renesmee asked.

"Yeah. I think I'm getting used to wolves attacking me," she joked.

Seth was running fast, following Sage's scent. He ran just a tad too fast. He had wanted to phase back before catching up to them, but he caught sight of Sage's gaze before he had a chance to. He paused before turning his back to shift.

"No, don't go," Sage called after him. She walked past her friends towards him. He slowly walked towards her with his head low and then sat down so he could meet her eye to eye. Renesmee slipped her small hand in Jacob's big one and pulled him back and away.

Sage slowly approached the eager wolf. She stretched her hands and touched the fur of his neck as he leaned into her hands. She began to pet him, moving close to his face. She gently stroked the top of his head and behind his ears, then finally his nose, staring into his black eyes. Seth whimpered and touched his nose to her face.

"Barely a scratch," Sage answered his inaudible question. "Nothing a little time won't heal." He whimpered again. "Don't tell me you blame Sam for his wife's scars. It's not your fault. And don't hold this against the kid. He'll learn." She smoothed her light hand over his beautiful strong face. She remembered this face when she first saw it staring at her with such intensity. It was different now. She was blinded by fear to see the human in his face. "Thank you. You're always protecting me. I'm such a bother, aren't I?" Seth yelped and shook his head. Sage laughed to see an animal act so human and put both hands on his face. "I still haven't decided what I'm going to do with us," Sage started, "but I'm very sure I'm going to end up falling for you." She gave Seth a soft kiss on his nose. Seth moved his muzzle to rest on the crook of her neck.

Sage put her hand on Seth's head to signal that they should be going. Seth yelped and waved his head for her to mount his back. She carefully climbed on him and hugged his neck. He let out a high bark before taking off through the forest. Sage squealed with delight as he jumped left and right, feeling the strength of his warm body with every stride. He slowed as he approached her doorstep and let her down. Sage walked around until she was standing right in front of the wolf. She smoothed his face one more time and kissed his cheek before running into the house. Seth yelped and wagged his tail before running home, joyfully howling, maybe even prancing, all the way.

Sage stared out her window until she couldn't hear her wolf anymore. She felt overwhelmed with emotions. He must have some broom to sweep me off my feet like that, she thought to herself, laughing at how cheesy it sounded to her. She wanted to do something for him. She was undeniably falling for him. She tiptoed over to Rosalie and Emmett's room door and knocked. Rosalie opened the door.

"Sage! What happened to you?" she gasped pulling her into her room and throwing her onto the bed. Sage groaned. She forgot about her scratches.

"Oh, I had a small accident with the wolves," she explained.

"Those good-for-nothing dogs?! I never liked that Seth..."

"Not him. A new wolf. He's a bit unstable. We kinda sorta accidentally made him realize that he became a wolf because I'm here," Sage explained pointing to herself. Rosalie sighed.

"Oh good, because I don't mind Seth too much. They certainly are overdramatic." She examined Sage's face as Jacob had done. "Well, nothing Carlisle will need to look at, but I don't know how soon those marks will disappear."

"Actually, Mrs. Rosalie, I wanted some advice about Seth."

What did he do?" Sage started to defend him, then realized that he did do something.

"He imprinted on me." Rosalie closed her eyes and sighed.

"Emmett told me."

"Then he saved me, like three times."

"And?"

"At first I was really unsure of everything, and now I don't know."

"It's good to see the clarity in your mind." She looked at Sage more seriously. "You like him, don't you?" She bit her lip and nodded her head. "How do those animals always take away our children?" Rosalie sighed. "You wanted advice."

"I just... don't know... how long I'm staying," Sage managed to say. "Your family has been incredibly hospitable, but you never intended a permanent arrangement and I do think that I am capable of living on my own now."

"And what if we wanted you to stay?" Rosalie asked tucking in a lose strange of hair behind Sage's ear. "What if we wanted to take you as part of our family? Would you stay for us?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Cullen already has so many of you," Sage argued.

"I'll probably never be the mother Esme is, but I would like it to be my turn." Sage started at Rosalie, slowing letting her words sink in.

"I think I'd like that very much.. Mom." The girls laughed.

"I could get used to that. Now, seeing how I'm obviously too late in influencing your judgment of the opposite sex, or another species for that matter, at least I can help you with whatever choice you've made?" Sage nodded excitedly.

"I want to do something for him, or give him something. But I'm kinda useless and I don't have any heirlooms." Rosalie thought a second before getting up to search for something in her closet.

"When I was human, I had a friend whose boyfriend, who later became her husband, didn't have a lot of money. So he would get creative. At the time, I thought he was pathetic. I loved being showered with expensive gifts, but now when I think back on it, I don't think there was anything more romantic about the way he showed his love. I don't know if it's Seth's thing, but it might be nice to show him that you're embracing who he is." She pulled out some grey terry cloth. "Since we tend to have a lot of time on our hands, I went through a project phase, which included sewing and designing. Of course, I lost interest in it, but I did end up with some very nice fabric.

"What project were you going to use this for?" Sage asked.

"I threatened to make Emmett a one piece pajama suit if he forgot our anniversary one more time. I bought the fabric so he knew I wasn't kidding."

"That's awesome," Sage said laughing out loud. It was a strange relationship that she was forming with Rosalie, but one that she wanted very much.

Keke.. i actually tried to make my sister a one-piece terry cloth pajama suit, but I didn't end up finishing. I thought it'd be really cute to make a wolf doll out of that material. anyways.. rn't you happy that Sage is falling for SEth?? About time! Thanks again for people who added me. I feel very honored you like my story. I'm also starting to write a Jared and Kim imprint story, which I'm hoping will turn out well, but I'm trying to work a difficult concept in so right now, I'm not quite happy with it, so it'll be awhile. I'll keep you posted! Please review! I love hearing your comments. :D