UPDATE!

Chapter 22: Going One Layer Further

Ivy

School had been boring, and the walk home even worse. Danni and I never spoke a word to each other. The only thing that was said was a soft 'hi' when we met up at the front of the school. The only thing that was new was the fact that Riley wasn't there today. He hadn't been showing up lately, but I was fine with that. The guy freaked me out beyond my scariest nightmares. Ever since Danni had phased though, he had been staying away. When I got home I saw Seth sitting at the table eating a pancake. I laughed as he took another big bite while starring out into space. When he heard me laugh he put down the pancake, swallowed, and gave me a hug. He picked me up and threw me over his shoulder.

"So how was school?" he asked casually as he walked to the living room. He sat me on the couch and then sat down next to me.

"Hey, Seth." I asked quietly

"What is it, Ivy." He asked starting to look worried.

"Let's go for a walk in the woods." I said faking a smile. I stood up and took his hand. Then I dragged him through the back door and out into the forest when we were a good distance away I released my power and picked up the pace. Then an idea came to my head.

"Hold on tight, Seth." I said starting to focus when I felt him tighten his grip on my hand. I thought about the clearing and then teleported. When I opened my eyes I looked at the clearing my dad used to take me. I let go of Seth's hand and he fell to the ground.

"Are you alright?" I asked worried.

"Yeah, just a little dizzy." He said into the grass. I sat down next to him and waited till he was back to normal. "How do you do that?" he asked rubbing his head.

"Do what?"

"Teleport and not fall over."

"One, I close my eyes, two, I love spinning." I said as he sat up.

"We haven't really gotten to talk since I told you about the imprint, have we." It was more of a statement then a question

"Yeah, about that…what does it mean for us?" I asked quietly.

"Remember what I promise the night I gave you the promise bracelet?" he asked

"Yeah, you said you'd be there whenever I needed you and that you be whatever I needed you to be."

"Well, it's the same thing." he said as he took my hand in his. "Ivy? Are you all right? Your hand is freezing cold." He said

"I'm alright. I feel fine." I said

"Ivy, I know as well as you do that you can't control you temperature when you emotional. And you only control you temperature when you're in dire need." He had it dead on. I had been emotional lately. I knew why as well. It was because she was back. I pulled my hand from his and walked a couple feet away. I looked at my feet feeling tears begin to form in the corner of my eyes. Just then I felt and arm wrap around my neck in a strangle hold. I saw Riley looking at me with his beady red eyes. He was an idiot. Seth pretty much insta-phased and tore him apart…literally. I produced afire around the pieces my singing a slow war melody.

"How did you do that?" he asked after phasing back

"I'm a siren; did you think that I couldn't do something with my voice?" I asked in a joking tone.

"I just wasn't expecting it." He said still in shock. I took his hand and led him to the center of the clearing. I looked at the ground. They were faint, but I could still see the paw prints from that night twelve years ago.

"You know, it's been twelve years since the last time I was here." I said quietly

"Same. I never really had a reason. This was where it all began for us."

"Seth, I talked to Danni and he said that there were layers to an imprint. When I asked him more about it he said the only one who could tell me was you."

"Well, imprints do have layers, like an onion." He stated surprisingly keeping a strait face at the last comment.

"What kind of layers?"

"Emotional, it varies for each imprint. Like for example, Danni and Alexa. Theirs started as lovers right off the bat. Embry and Crystal's started at friends, but now they are soul mates. There are five different layers. Friend, sibling, lover, couple, and soul mate. The more layers there are, the closer you are when you reach the final layer." He stated shifting back and forth.

"Where did we start?" I asked curious

"Take a guess."

"Friends?"

"Yup."

"So what are we at now?"

"That's up to you."

"I don't want to decide that!"

"Then why don't we start as friends and see were that takes us." He said smiling

"Friends who sleep in the same bed."

"As weird as that sounds, yes."

"I'm fine with that." I said walking over and hugging him gently. He pulled me closer to his bare chest and softly kissed my head. We stayed like that for a while, and as the sun began to set we headed back home.

XXX

Ivy

When we got home, no one was there. There was a half-eaten pizza on a table with a quickly written note, but I knew it was a lie. I ripped the note in half and let it flutter to the ground without reading it.

"Why'd you do that?" Seth asked, so he was in on it to…

"I already know it's a lie. Daniel would never leave half a pizza unless it was an emergency. The note was also written in a hurry. And then there's your reaction to me ripping the note." I turned to face him "Seth, what's going on?" I asked.

"Don't worry about it…"

Since he wouldn't answer I would have to find out my way. I closed my eyes and before Seth realized what I was doing, I read Danni's mind. I saw him looking around with Dad and Mom. Danni and Dad were wolves and Mom was in her released state. Then I saw her. She was standing in the middle of the clearing laughing and almost rolling on the ground.

"I never thought I would see you again, my dear. I thought you would have died after I sent my little bed buddy to kill you." She said to my mom.

"Well here I am, I'm not going to let you touch my daughter again. She doesn't fully understand her life. She doesn't deserve to die, she's hardly lived yet. She's to innocent." My mom said back

"Innocent? Hardly, I've kept a close eye on her for a long time. That wolf friend of hers has gotten pretty close. They day she was told about the imprint, to be exact. I saw him force her against a tree and kiss her. She was struggling." That was old news, I had told them myself about that incident. They understood what happened. I saw Danni moving around and charge at the vampire. Before I could see anything I backed out of his mind. As I came out I fell backwards, thankfully Seth caught me before I hit the floor. I looked up into his eyes as he looked down worried at me. Then he glared at me.

"What did you do, Ivy?" He asked sounding a little more angry than usual. I reached up and slapped him, which set him off even more.

"Stop lying to me, Seth! I know she's back specially for me. I just saw it! You don't even know how I feel!" I yelled. I ran up the stairs and into my room, but before I could close the door and lock it, Seth appeared and stopped it from closing. He pushed it open then closed and locked it behind him. Uh-oh. I backed away, but I felt my bed and fell back onto it. Seth came over and leaned over my, my legs hanging off the edge of the bed. He glared down at me.

"Then why don't you tell me?" he asked angrily in my ear. I began to shake, then I burst into tears.

"Seth…I'm scared. I'm scared about what she'll do to you and my family and my friends. How do I know that she won't try to kill all of you just to get to me? How can I trust myself enough to make the right choice. From my standpoint right now, I think I should just hand myself over right now. Then maybe, she'll spare you all." I smiled with tears streaming down my face. When my vision cleared slightly I saw Seth looking shocked. Then I saw anger.

"You idiot! You would just through away your life when the people who want to protect you, and die for you are doing everything in their power to make sure you stay alive. You're surrounded by love and friendship, and you would just throw it away?" he asked

"Yes! I would if it meant that everyone would be spared. That everyone could live on without me. I don't deserve to live, I'm just a shell of someone that used to exist. I want to die." I yelled at him. The last part took him off guard. He leaned up a little higher so he wasn't so close.

"Why would y-" I cut him off

"I don't have a reason to live, Seth. I achieved one of my greatest goals. I became a famous singer." I said

"How is there nothing left, your just beginning to live. So how can you say you want to die?" he asked horrified.

"I was kidnapped as a child because of how I smelled, now that smell is stronger so I'm putting everyone around me in danger. My father hated me for the longest time because he hated himself. I became a star and have no personal space from the outside world. How can I live my life like this? The only way would be isolation, and I don't want to spend the rest of my life trapped like a bird in a cage." I whispered as a new wave of tears fell down my face.

"You can love, can't you?" he whispered back

"The only person I could love just wants to be friends." I said referring to him.

Seth looked off to the side. "Who said I didn't love you?" he asked quietly.

"What?" I asked

"I love you, more than you know…I thought you knew."

"You said we should just be friends."

Then he did something completely unexpected. He leaned down slowly and kissed me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed back. When he pulled away he whispered in my ear. "I love you more than anything in this world Ivy; if I could I would hide you away from everyone just to keep you to myself. When it comes to you, I am to selfish for my own good. I love you Ivy, more then you will most likely ever know." Then he leaned down again, and kissed me with all the love in the world.