Sam decided that Sunday was not the day to leave his Imprint to carry out Paul's punishment. Layla had a nightmare and woke up screaming, quite literally, and kicking. Sam moved quickly and grabbed Layla to calm her down, pulling her as close as her flailing limbs would allow. Once Layla smelled Sam's bonding scent, she began to calm down and refused to let Sam out of her sight, much less out of arm's reach. Sam kept asking for her to tell him about her nightmare, but she refused. She would just bury her face against his neck and breathe deeply. Sam held her close and ran his hands up and down her back, sliding them beneath her shirt to get skin to skin contact. He felt so many scars that were raised in her skin and he wanted to know who did them all so he could take the pound of flesh owed for hurting his love.

Layla laid on Sam's chest, soaking in his touch and his warmth when Charlie came upstairs to her attic bedroom. He raised an eyebrow. Sam was shirtless, wearing only a pair of mesh ball shorts while Layla looked to be wearing one of his long t-shirts and a pair of panties. Sam's hands were under the back of her shirt, moving slowly.

"She had a nightmare." Sam said.

"I appreciate you staying with her in the hospital and here, but I think it's time you go back home. I just don't feel it's appropriate that a young, easily impressionable, and injured sixteen year old girl be spending all her time with a nineteen year old man, especially in such private and intimate situations such as this." Charlie said.

Sam frowned and stilled his hands. Charlie… Charlie wanted him to leave?

Without Layla?

He wanted Sam leave and not bring Layla?

Sam sat up, making Layla whine softly and sit up as well. Layla looked up at Sam and saw him staring. Layla looked over and saw her uncle Charlie and didn't understand Sam's stiffened body language.

"Come on, son. Time to go. She needs to rest before the homebound teacher comes tomorrow." Charlie said.

Sam looked upset and worried. He had to force himself to move Layla off of his lap and stand up. He was stilted as he walked over to his bag. Layla stood up and, naturally, followed Sam. Sam wanted to shift into his wolf and challenge Charlie. Sam pulled a shirt and his shoes on, zipping his bag. Layla grabbed her sweatpants and shoes as well, thinking her and Sam were going to go somewhere. Charlie moved to intercept Layla.

"She's fine. We'll see you at the next bonfire, Sam." Charlie said.

Sam wanted to throw up. As far as he knew, the next bonfire wasn't scheduled for a few more weeks. There was no way he could be away from his Imprint for that long. He picked his bag and his keys up, heading for the stairs. He heard Layla try to get around her uncle to go with Sam. Charlie held her by her arms and shook his head repeatedly. Sam felt the pain his chest as he got to the front door.

"NO! I'M GOING WITH SAM! DON'T SHAKE NO...I WANT TO GO WITH HIM… PLEASE!" Layla cried out. "SAM! PLEASE!"

"Go on, Sam. She'll be fine!" Charlie called out.

Sam's chest was burning by the time he stumbled out to his Wrangler. Everything in him was begging to go back and get Layla. To defy Charlie and forcefully take Layla back to his house. Sam could only drive as far as the corner before he opened the driver's side door and threw up. His wolf was very, very unhappy and was clawing at him, whining about his Imprint. Sam grabbed his phone and managed to push redial. The only sound he could make was a raw, hoarse shout. Jake alerted Leah and Seth to help him find Sam, that Sam was hurt.

It didn't take very long four the trio to find Sam's Wrangler. Jake and Leah and Seth ran to the drivers door, seeing Sam looking pale and sweaty and shaking. Seth and Jake helped Sam out and to the side of the road. They found no injuries which only freaked them out even more.

"Leah, drive the Rabbit. Seth, take the Wrangler. I'm gonna stay with Sam. Maybe if he shifts with me I'll figure out what happened." Jake said. "Sam, shift."

Jake kissed Leah and gave her his keys. He pulled Sam into the forest. Sam's wolf ripped through with a vengeance, howling the most pain filled sound Jake had ever heard. It shook him to his core as he shifted, pressing his forehead to Sam's in an act meant to comfort. Jake felt every ounce of his pain as he saw Sam's thoughts. The part that hurt the worst was Layla begging and pleading with Charlie to please, please let her go with her Sam.

Sam was a broken wolf.

Layla kept trying to sneak out and leave to go to Sam's, but Charlie blocked every attempt. She didn't understand why she couldn't go and stay with Sam. She cried and begged but Charlie gave the same answer: No. Layla laid in front of the front door, knowing Sam had to come back.

Right?

All evening she sat in front of the door, refusing to move.

Why did her Sam leave her?

…

Monday finally came around. Jake had finally got Sam to his house and into the bed. He had never seen his best friend and Alpha this empty and broken. Sam howled until his voice was gone completely. Jake rubbed his chest, feeling the pain radiating from his Alpha. He quickly called a pack meeting for 5 p.m. to discuss everything. He was angry and hurting and he needed an outlet. He left Leah to watch over Sam as the rest of the pack was still in high school with strict orders to call him immediately should something happen.

Paul had just walked out to his truck after school had finished on the rez and saw Jake leaning against the door. He smiled and walked up to him. "Hey, brother. Your car quit on you?" Paul asked.

"Car's fine. There is a problem, though." Jake said.

"What's up?" Paul asked.

"Your punishment for phasing in front of Layla and causing her to get hurt. For fucking KISSING Layla and showing her your boner! This is Sam's Imprint! Sam! Our Alpha! It's not a fucking game!" Jake growled dangerously.

"I'm not playing a game, Jesus Christ. I really do like her. There's something about her, I can't get her outta my head. I like her, Jake. And I am not going to discourage her from me and push her to Sam. She's free to make her own decisions without being forced or influenced." Paul said. "Imprints are supposed to be whatever the Imprintee wants, right? What if she only wants him as a friend? It's her decision!"

"How about I Beta order you? Because I won't fucking hesitate. She's Sam's. End of. You do not fit into her life whatsoever. I'm Beta ordering you, Paul Lahote! You're to have no contact with Layla that even remotely suggests anything romantic or sexual! No kissing, no touching, no innuendo, no talking, no flirting! In fact, I'm demoting you to the bitch Omega position. You wait until the entire pack and their Imprints are served and have eaten their fill before you even think of touching a plate. You do every shift that is unwanted. You do anything and everything your superiors tell you to. You're the bitch now." Jake growled, his voice taking on a deep timbre, though not as deep as Sam's Alpha timbre.

Paul growled, wanting to shift and challenge Jake, but he knew that Jake would have Leah, Seth, Jared, Embry, and Quil against him. He could give Jake a run for his money, but not all of them combined. Jake got nose to nose with Paul, growling deep in his chest. Jake growled and his order forced Paul to his knees, to show him submission to the higher ranked wolf in the pack. Paul finally felt himself break down and obey through clenched jaw and gritted teeth.

Do you understand me?" Jake snapped.

Paul's head dropped.

"Yes." Paul bit out.

Jake stood his ground for several more seconds before backing up. Paul finally felt the weight be released and he stood back up, glaring.

"Yes what, Omega?" Jake growled.

"Yes. Beta." Paul ground out.

Jake marched away and Paul rubbed his chest. He felt the ache grow stronger in his lungs and heart and threaten to pull him under. He was gasping for a full breath by the time he managed to drive home.

If she wasn't his Imprint, then why did this hurt so bad? Maybe since she was the Alpha's Imprint, that Paul had a lesser degree of attraction to her? He had seen how ragged and broken Sam was. He felt like he wasn't that far from him.

Paul managed to make it into his room before all but collapsing on his bed. He wanted to rage and confront Jake and defy orders and-and-and…

Paul grabbed his pillow and screamed into it, until he felt himself go hoarse. He laid in bed, ignoring his dad when he told him dinner was ready. Ignored when he mentioned chocolate cake for dessert. His appetite was left in the school parking lot with his heart.

…

Layla was sitting at the kitchen table, eyes red and nose stuffed from crying so much. Emmett and Rosalie sat across from Layla, their hearts breaking. When Edward came over to see Bella, Bella filled them in on what had went down.

"She was begging. She sounded like she was in pain. She cried all night long. She was hoarse when I talked to her before leaving for school. She begged me to sneak her to the rez. Dad had to physically restrain her from running outside." Bella said.

Emmett tried to pick Layla up and comfort her, but she moved away. She didn't want anyone but Sam.

20 minutes away, Sam was staring at the pictures of himself and Layla on his phone. Leah tried getting him to eat, but he had no appetite. How could he eat knowing that his Layla was crying for him? He asked Leah to pull the folder from his bag that contained information on Layla's childhood. He needed to know.

Jake had called the meeting and publicly ordered Paul to get everyone's order for food and go get it. He made sure that his dad, Sue, and Old Quil was present. He was grasping at straws. Jake needed to fix it.

"I'll see if Charlie will listen to me about it. I'm afraid though if I tell him the legends are true… and show him proof...he'll keep Layla even farther away until she's of age. Sam won't survive that time away. He physically will not survive it. Mentally… no hope. His wolf will drive him to insanity." Sue said.

"Bring him to the bonfire. I will figure something out to reunite the Alpha and his Imprint. No one else is to do anything. That is an order. Tend to the Alpha wolf. Let this old man work it out. No accomplices." Old Quil said.

If Layla just accidentally happened to ditch school early and accidentally go to rez and accidentally see Sam… well, accidents happen all the time. And if they accidentally end up at the home of the Cullen family until Charlie accepts the legends as truth and agrees to not bar Sam from Layla?

Well, old people were known for accidents.

...

just in case net neutrality gets taken away tomorrow, here is the next chapter. Drama bomb central! Poor Sam and poor Layla.

Y'all i need some good vibes and positive thoughts and prayers sent my way. I'm so stressed right now and i just can't handle much more.

Leave comments please?

Should my next story (if net neutrality is kept) be a Leah/oc Imprint or a Seth/oc imprint? Lemme know.

Xoxo