Disclaimer: Don't own SWAC

Hello, there, Fanfictioners!

"Ooh, and the plot thickens!" –Connie Monroe. Thank you all so much for your incredible reviews. I loved them! And I think I responded to every single one- right? If I skipped you please feel free to hunt me down and have evil squirrels throw their nuts at me. That's what my sister said today, I couldn't resist.

I'm so happy about the new names I'm replying to in my inbox! Thanks to people who reviewed last chapter:

purple dynamite

SagraIvette

monkey87

digimondragonmaster

obsessedwithbooks

-FriendOfTheFallen-x

Hiilani

So, you guys pretty much made my week! And my happiness inspired me to write so quickly! Told you it would come in less than a week- I LOVE SUMMER!

So, anyway, here's the next chapter. What will happen? Eep!

Sonny.

xXx

My body went cold.

Well, you know what I mean. I went even colder than before. My body tensed, and I stood frozen.

I will not deny it- marriage was something that flickered around in my mind once or twice. Mostly it was just a thought of romantic longing. I wanted to be everything I could with Chad, because, as I've said a billion times in the past, I'm on love with him. But it was just a fantasy. It was just a small, entertaining thought that I would occasionally think of but never really consider.

The next thing that struck me was fear.

What was I supposed to say to him? I realized now I shouldn't have pressured him so much to tell me something that I wasn't sure I wanted to hear or not. I wished I could have just shrugged it off, but how can you shrug off trust? It's too important. My brain swirled with a ton of thoughts, images, pictures, but none of them seemed to push me toward an answer. My stomach tingled with nerves and for the first time in my eighteen years I seemed to get dizzy.

What would each answer lead me to? If I denied him, what would he do? What would he say? I didn't want to him to be angry with me, and I didn't want him upset with me. I didn't want him any bit unsure of my love for him. It was there- of course- but would saying no make his confident feelings falter?

I wasn't sure. I wasn't sure of anything right now. My mind now filled with images of Chad, broken and rejected. I shivered. Would I have that much of an affect on him? Would just a simple no tear him apart so much?

Never in my life had I ever been at such a loss for words. I didn't dare look at his face, so I let my eyes glaze over and stare into space. I didn't look at his expression or anything. I didn't know what to do.

Do I say no?

But if I said yes, I was sure he'd be ecstatic. We were in love, right? Right. He would be so happy he wouldn't think of anything or anyone else. We would take it to the next level and confirm our love with rings and vows. But did I need a diamond on my finger to prove to myself or anyone I loved Chad?

No. Absolutely not.

Why was I so sure about the positive and unsure about the negative?

To my surprise, my confidence faltered. I had no idea what to do in this situation. I was completely unprepared.

The next pang was one of frustration.

Why did he just ask me that? Why couldn't we just glide along, complete and undisturbed. Why did he have to just go and put me in the worst possible position? Why couldn't he have dropped a few hints that I could pick up and make something out of? Why did he spring it on me now, completely out of the blue? Guessing that this was on his mind would have been as easy as searching for a specific drop of salt in the ocean. I was doomed.

What do I say? What do I do?

I didn't know. I don't know!

I thought about what he said to me.

"I want to marry you, Sonny."

How do I get around that?

Then it hit me. He never even really asked me! I could work off that. He never said to me: Sonny, will you marry me? So he doesn't need a direct answer.

But then what would I be doing to him? He said the right thing at the right time, but when you look at the bigger picture it was the right time in the wrong time. I was clueless. Utterly clueless, and I didn't know how to move forward with the conversation.

I focused on the rain, pattering on the roof and down along with all the other raindrops. I was soaked to the bone already, and my hair was drenched, clinging to my cheeks. I felt so weak at this moment I felt as though the extra pound on my clothes would throw me to the ground.

"Sonny," He whispered through the rain.

I couldn't stand this. Chad probably assumed I would be jumping with joy and kissing him like a maniac right now, but I was torn. Yes. No. Yes. No.

Chad wants me to say yes. Of course- he asked me! But should I do this? What were the pros and cons? I didn't have enough time to think about them.

I was almost completely unaware of time, but I still kept small tracks. It had been twenty-seven seconds since he announced his train of thought. Thoughts were meant to keep inside you head, Sonny, I growled at myself.

I felt like crying.

There was so much going on right now. Chad, his pack, Lucy, Collin, the vampires, the Malexia, my job, my secret…

I wanted to sneak away and hide in the lake for the rest of my very long life. For the first time ever, I felt like hiding my beautiful face from everything. Just run. Away. From life. From blood.

If I said yes, Chad would be happy. We've already established that. We've already established the joy, smiles, love, completion, rightness…but now, at this moment in our lives…it wasn't right, was it? But at the same time it was. So much is going on, a wedding is the last thing we need, but it's the first thing we want. We? So we both want it, then? I confused myself even more as the seconds ticked by.

If I said yes, Chad would have nothing else on his mind, and that is the most unsafe thing I can throw upon him. I need to keep him safe. And what we need is more important than what we want. I want him. I want his love. I want his heart.

I looked up.

Chad stared at me, his expression blank.

And the moment of truth came:

Do I accept his heart, or do I break it?

xXx

Chad.

She didn't answer me.

I felt my heart skip a beat, then start again on overdrive. She looked torn on the spot, not knowing where to go from here. Not knowing what to do.

I read her face carefully, internally sighing. Why did I say that? Why did I just spring it on her? Jus randomly I told her that I want to marry her.

That's what I want. I want her. I want her love. I want her heart.

Would she take the next step and give it to me now once more, or hide it away?

The seconds ticked by. I cut off my mind from me for the half second it took her to answer me.

My expression was emotionless. I had already fantasized about when she said yes to me, throwing her arms around my neck and kissing me like there was no tomorrow. I had smiled to myself, my body warming at the thought of the relief and joy running through me. But the yes I wanted hadn't come yet.

I waited.

And I waited.

It's been five seconds.

What the heck?

I could feel the pang of rejection coming on. Oh, my God. She was going to say no. Why? What had I done? What was so important she had to say no?

Maybe she was just stringing it out for dramatic affect. But as I stared at her face, I knew that wasn't the case.

Oh, my God. Oh God. Oh God oh God oh God.

I felt myself crumbling inside. I had failed. Why would she say no? My legs trembled. I was ruined. She loved me, right? I knew she did. She had told me a billion times that she did, and even expressed it to me when we made love on the forest floor. (A/N Sorry, I just grossed out when I typed that, but I had to say it.) She loves me and I know it.

But what harm would it bring to just give me a simple yes?

Just one word.

One. Small. Word.

One small word that would save me or kill me.

I was still as she contemplated it. The fact that she hadn't given me the answer I wanted right away, the fact that the scene didn't play out as I'd predicted made me want to cry. I was doomed.

I shouldn't have done this to her. It's all my fault. Oh, God. Help me! What do I do? What do I say?

Maybe I just wait.

I stared at her face.

She looked up.

My expression stayed the same, but my insides jumped all over the place.

The rain still poured down on us to add dramatic affect.

Here we go. My heart was in her hands and she couldn't either throw it to the ground or accept it. I held my breath as she opened her mouth slowly.

"I'm sorry, Chad." She shook her head, tears falling in synchronization with the rain on her skin.

I was flooded with emotion.

That's all I remember as I fell to the ground.

"Chad! Chad…"

xXx

When I awoke, I tried to make out the scene and still stay completely still.

We were inside. I had on dry, warm clothes. I was laying on my side on what smelled like Sonny's bed. It was still raining outside. Something cold was draped around my waist and pressed against my cheek. It was still night.

I realized it was Sonny who was lying next to me, sobbing like a maniac. Her arm was around my waist pulling me towards her and keeping me secure and up against her body. Love coursed through my veins, directed totally at her. Her thumb stroked my cheek as she lay with me. I sighed.

Opening my eyes, I saw her beautiful face.

Sonny's sobs stopped for just a moment. "Chad." She whispered. "Chad, Chad, Chad."

"I love you, Sonny." I whispered tiredly, bringing my arms up and wrapping them around her too.

She nodded. "M-me too. I love you so much, Chad."

She loves me. So why did she deny me?

"I have to go." I said, shifting.

"What? No! No, Chad, you're not leaving."

"I'll be back later."

Her expression became terrified and she followed me out her bedroom door.

"No. You're not leaving." She zoomed to the front door and stood in front of it.

I just needed time to myself. I just needed to run. Like the wolf I was.

"I'll be back later." I repeated, advancing.

Sonny was going nuts as she was unsure of my words. When I reached her, I grabbed her waist and pulled her toward me. Quite roughly actually. And then I crushed my lips to hers.

The kiss was full of a passion I'd never experienced before. There was an insane longing on both our lips, aching to be touched by the others'. I brought my other arm up and placed it on the nape of her neck, never letting her pull away until I wanted to. I was at least getting some of what I wanted then. Her lips moved against mine in a way that drove me mad. She panted unnecessarily. I began to slowly pull my arms back, not breaking our contact.

She whimpered. I moved my hands to her cheeks and then pulled away from her. Sonny automatically steeped toward me again. We were the perfect balance for each other, hot and cold. We were perfect. It made me want to cry. I moved my lips to her forehead and kissed it lightly.

"Later," I reminded her in a breath.

"What does later mean?" she said hurriedly as I opened the front door.

I took a step back, and faced the door. Staring at her face, I shook my head.

"I have no idea."

She nodded. "Neither did I."

You had no idea what else to say to me. You had no idea whether or not to deny me or make me the happiest man on earth.

Tears fell from the eyes she stared at me with. I looked back out the door and then back to her, then back to the door. The world outside was poured on. I smiled, and began to spring forward.

Sonny gasped.

My body began to change, and my paws hit the earth with a soft thud. She followed me outside as I shivered in my new body. I felt amazing. Free.

She came in front of me, and began to scratch my ears. I playfully shoved her back, and she giggled.

"I love you," she whispered brokenly.

But then she stepped away, and looked out into the night where I would be running into. The forest behind the house was calling to me. So I went to it.

I just…ran.

xXx

Aaaaah! Don't hate me! *shields herself from flying tomatoes*. I absolutely hated this, but Sonny was so confused and blah blah blah you know. And so she just had to say no, you know?

Please review and the next chapter will come sooner.

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