A/N: Love all your reviews, thank you for reading my story!
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight nor Inuyasha. Both belong to their respective owners and not me. But please, please no flames and if you have nothing better to say, say nothing at all.
Chapter IV – The Ripple Effect
The moment Seth had entered the boutique, something sweet smelling and divine hit his senses. With his sensitive nose, people usually smelled pretty weird or really bad. But someone in the shop had the most delicious, sweet smelling scent he'd ever come across and he wanted to smother his face in that scent.
His gaze instinctively combed the store as his mom chatted with her friend behind the counter. He'd only come to help fix the pipes in the back but they were too busy catching up until he spotted the cute, Asian girl checking out the clothing rack. And then, he'd seen Bella nearby and wondered if they were friends, maybe he'd be able to get her number somehow. He didn't usually fool around with girls like the pack did–or even spoke to any, but this girl smelled really, really good.
But the moment Seth laid eyes on Bella's sister–as she introduced, his entire world tilted.
It wasn't gradual. It wasn't a slow realization. It was like the universe cracked open, rearranging itself in a single, irreversible instant. His breath hitched, Seth felt the ground beneath him shatter.
His heart, steady and familiar in its rhythm, suddenly stuttered—like missing a step on solid ground. For one terrifying second, he swore it stopped completely. And then, it started again. Stronger, louder, like a steady crescendo.
His entire body felt like it was surging forward without him, pulled by an unseen force, every fiber of his being redirected, rewired, reprogrammed for one sole purpose.
Kagome–that was her name, wasn't it? He repeated it over and over again, completely awestruck by her beauty and shy smile. No wonder she smelled so damn good–this was his imprint!
"Earth to Seth! Hello, anyone there?" Bella waved a hand in his face as Kagome shifted on her feet uncomfortably. He'd been caught staring like a damn fool.
Crap, that was so uncool of him. "Hi uh, I'm Seth," he said, flashing a quick grin that didn't quite hide the way his voice wavered.
"Yeah, that's literally what I said…" Bella slowly intoned, crossing her arms in confusion.
Kagome only smiled at the exchange.
"It's nice to meet you," she replied softly with a gentle smile; it was absolutely breathtaking.
Seth hesitated for a beat too long before finally extending his hand, hoping she wouldn't notice the slight twitch in his fingers. "Y-yeah, nice to meet you too," he said, and the easy grin on his face stretched impossibly wide.
She appeared surprised by his gesture, her brows lifting slightly, like she hadn't expected it. Panic crept in. Was this weird? Should he have just waved? No, he'd look like an absolute dork if he did that.
Then, finally, she reached out.
Her fingers met his—delicate, hesitant, unsure—and for a second, he forgot to breathe. Her touch was soft, yet there was a quiet strength in the way she grasped his hand. His grip instinctively tightened, swallowing her tiny fingers in his own callous strength. Steady but not overbearing, though he swore he could feel his pulse pounding all the way up to his ears.
It was just a handshake. A normal, casual handshake.
So why did it feel like the entire world had narrowed down to this exact moment?
Her eyes were so extraordinarily blue, Seth didn't think he'd ever seen an Asian girl with blue eyes before and he was completely mesmerized by how beautiful they were.
Bella fixed him with a pointed stare, the weight of her suspicion settling like a heavy stone. Her eyes glanced between them as if she was trying to figure out his weird behavior. Sometimes Bella was too sharp for her own good.
"Hey, Kagome this–oh!" Angela's sudden presence broke the awkward exchange as she came out of the fitting room with a brunette he vaguely remembered as Jessica, nudging her with a knowing grin, who quickly shared her amusement.
Seth's mouth opened and closed, like he'd been caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar–realizing too late that he was still holding Kagome's hand. The warmth of her touch lingered, his grip instinctively tightening before the awkwardness hit him like a slap. He let go–too fast, too sudden.
Kagome blinked, her lips twitching slightly before she pulled away, her gaze shimmering with unspoken humor.
Seth cleared his throat, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Uh–sorry," he muttered, though he wasn't even sure why.
"Um, we'll let you all catch up. Jess and I will just be up front checking out," Angela replied with a small laugh, glancing between them with mirth in her eyes as they quickly left giggling up a storm.
Bella wasn't amused, though Kagome didn't seem too bothered as she smiled.
Seth swallowed thickly. "Are you enjoying your time here in La Push?" he asked, though it escaped him why he'd ask such a question–as if he was trying to find a way to keep the conversation going somehow, someway.
"Yes, it's really beautiful here, so far I love it," Kagome replied evenly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. The action made his mouth dry and he swallowed thickly.
Damn, he really couldn't get hard here. Not from a small, tiny reaction.
"That's great, yeah." He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "You should, uh, come around more of–"
"Actually, I think we were just about to go, right?" Bella interrupted, her words clipped as she glanced at Kagome.
Seth blanched, she couldn't go yet–not when they just met!
His mind was still reeling from what had just happened. His entire body buzzed with restless energy, like an electrical current surging beneath his skin. He needed to move, to think, to figure out how the hell he was supposed to act normal after—
"Oh, we can go if you're ready," Kagome replied, oblivious to the panic and turmoil in his mind.
His focus was shot, his thoughts tangled in a whirlwind of emotions he didn't fully understand. He needed to say something, anything, before she walked away.
Seth opened his mouth and didn't know what else to say to fill the space. And then he felt it—his mother's gaze.
He stiffened as his mother, Sue Clearwater, crossed the room toward him with a perceptive gait.
Seth knew that look. It was the same knowing, all-seeing mom-look she gave him. The one that meant she had already figured everything out before he even had a chance to deny it.
"Hey, sweetheart," Sue greeted casually, her eyes flicking between him and the two girls. Her lips curled into a small, amused smile. "Everything alright?"
Seth, who had not yet figured out how to act normal, nearly choked on his words.
"Yeah! Yeah, totally fine!" he blurted, gesturing to the girls. "Just, uh—ran into Bella and, uh—Kagome! She's, uh… nice."
Sue arched a brow, clearly unimpressed by his half-baked attempt at playing it cool as she greeted Kagome and Bella.
"It's nice to meet you dear," Sue smiled, and gestured with her head towards the back room. "I'm afraid I need to steal my son here for a bit, but you two girls enjoy shopping."
Real smooth. She gave him a quick glance as she turned to leave and was already walking away after putting some items on a nearby shelf. God, he was putting his foot in his mouth here.
"Well, uh, I should—um—go check on those pipes then," Seth stammered, pivoting on his heel.
"Um, before you go," Bella said, stopping him mid-step. "Do you have a minute?"
Seth inwardly groaned. He turned slowly to face Bella, forcing himself to meet her gaze while pretending his insides weren't in a chaotic freefall.
Bella glanced at Kagome, then back at him before sighing. "I'll see you in the car," she told her sister.
Kagome hesitated, her eyes flicking back to Seth with something unreadable—shy, maybe?—before offering him a small wave.
He barely managed to lift his hand in return before she disappeared out the door.
And just like that, his eyes followed her—tracked her—until she was out of sight. A soft sigh escaped him, breathy and longing all at once.
Seth met Bella's acute stare as she crossed her arms. She pulled him behind one of the tall bookshelves as some customers went towards the fitting room.
She exhaled sharply. "Okay. Yeah, that's what I thought."
Seth blinked, snapping back to reality. "Huh?"
Bella gave him a look. "Are you into my sister?"
Seth gave a sheepish smile. His throat felt dry, and now he wanted the ground to swallow him up.
Bella rolled her eyes, fixing him with a pressing stare. "Because if you are, you should know Quil is also into her. And you—" she jabbed a finger at him, "—are a good guy. But I don't need my sister getting hurt. Especially not with the…you know."
Of course Quil was into Kagome. But knowing that piece of information actually mattered now, because of what she was to him and it sent a strange, unfamiliar pang through Seth's chest.
Seth's stomach twisted. He got the gist well enough. Kagome didn't know about them being wolves. But she could, he could tell her everything and it would be okay, right? A small voice at the back of his head worried and he weighed his words, unsure what to say.
Kagome was his imprint. If Quil expected anything to happen then…well, that was up to Kagome, wasn't it? He didn't know her yet, but he wanted to. If she told him all she wanted was his friendship, then he had to be happy for her even if part of him wanted to be selfish and keep her to himself.
Seth sighed as Bella just shook her head.
"Look, she's only here for a short time until the wedding. And then she's leaving," Bella told him, and the reality of her words hit him.
"I don't believe you'd ever intentionally hurt her but don't get too deep into it," she finished, nudging his shoulder playfully.
Seth only nodded, trying for a smile though it didn't quite reach his eyes,
Bella turned to leave, hands in her pockets, but stopped with a concerned look in her eyes. "How is…I mean–it's been months, have you heard from…" she trailed off, and Seth got what she was asking.
Jake. He was the only one who kept in contact with Bella about Jake, though he rarely said much these days. Seth hadn't seen him in almost a month now, only knew what he gleaned from the others through the pack mind link.
Seth shrugged, shaking his head. "Same ol', same old. None of us know what's going on with him ever since he left the pack. Sam and Embry check in on him sometimes, but he's…well, he won't talk to anyone," he said, exhaling heavily.
He couldn't tell Bella that the Jake she knew didn't exist anymore. Replaced instead by a broken man who was a shell of himself that spent most of his time phased and when he was a man, he drank and smoked till he could feel numb.
Bella looked away, almost shamefully. "I see…well, thank you, for letting me know. And uh, don't forget you're invited to my wedding."
Seth's smile was gentle as Bella cast him one last glance before heading out the door.
"Son, you alright?" his mom asked as he went to the back of the store, hand on his forearm.
He turned to her with a sigh, rubbing a hand down his face. "I imprinted, mom."
Saying the words out loud made it feel that much more real and Seth didn't know what to do from here.
The car barely pulled out of the parking lot before Angela and Jessica erupted into excited squeals from the front seat.
"Oh my god, Kagome!" Jessica twisted in her seat to face her, eyes practically glowing with mischief. "You've been here, what, a day? And you already have half the guys in La Push falling over themselves for you!"
Angela laughed, nodding enthusiastically. "First Quil, and now Seth? You have some kind of magic, girl."
Kagome blinked, then let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. "It's not like that," she said, waving off their excitement. "They're just… friendly."
Jessica scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Oh, please. Guys don't look at girls like that when they're just being friendly."
Kagome rolled her eyes, but a small part of her couldn't completely brush off their words.
Because the truth was… something was off about the boys from the reservation.
It wasn't just their imposing presence, or the way they all seemed to carry a quiet intensity about them. Even the physical signs like the sheer heat they emanated or the shadow of their wolves that clung to them like a second skin. No—there was something deeper, unspoken. Like a shared secret none of them were allowed to talk about. There was magic here, like something spiritual in the land or in their blood, maybe, that set them apart from everyone else. She was sure of that much at this point. Part of her wanted to ask Bella if she knew anything about their history, she seemed to know the boys on the reservation well.
Kagome swallowed thickly and then thought better of it. How could she even broach that topic without seeming overly interested in them?
And then there was this feeling inside.
That strange, almost magnetic sensation in her chest—the same one she'd felt when she first met Sam, then Embry, then Quil…and now Seth. It couldn't be a coincidence, right? A pull, something inexplicable, like invisible strings weaving them together in a way she didn't understand.
It unnerved her.
She shifted slightly in her seat, sneaking a glance at Bella. Her sister had been oddly quiet, staring out the window. But every now and then, Kagome caught Bella stealing looks at her, as if she wanted to say something but was holding back.
That only made Kagome more curious.
What had she and Seth been talking about back at the boutique?
Before she could ask, Angela spoke up.
"Oh! So, about the bonfire on Friday," she said, her excitement bubbling over. "You're still coming, right, Kagome?"
Jessica smirked in the side-view mirror. "Yeah, I bet Quil would love to see you there. And Seth, too," she added with a giggle.
Kagome felt her face flame. "I'm beginning to rethink going now if they're going to be there."
Angela laughed. "Oh, come on! They're harmless, promise. Besides, Seth in particular is really sweet too," she added thoughtfully. "One of the good guys, he's always helping his mom out and they come every last Sunday to drop off donations to the church."
Jessica hummed and Kagome appeared thoughtful, feeling that weird sensation stir in her chest at the mention of Seth and Quil's name. She put it out of her head, dismissing it for mere attraction because they were handsome men.
Despite Seth's strange behavior at the boutique, he seemed…sweet.
And that only made this whole situation even more confusing.
After they dropped Jessica off at her house, Angela drove them to the Swan's quiet lane and parked in the driveway with the car idling.
"Thanks for today, I had a lot of fun," Kagome told Angela with a smile, as she got out with her sister.
Bella gave a tight-lipped smile as she shifted on her feet, hands in her pocket. "Yeah, we should uh, do this again sometime."
"Of course! Wait–maybe we can do a sleepover this weekend. On Friday, after the bonfire, both of you should come over. I can call Jess, we'll make it a whole thing. We can have a girls night, there's this bar in Port Angeles that Jess says let's in eighteen and over, so it'll be perfect." Angela rushed out, gesturing wildly behind the wheel in excitement.
Kagome couldn't help but laugh at her eager expression, she never had girls to do this with. Not with her childhood all but ripped away from her after…well, getting away sounded exciting anyway even if she wasn't fond of crowds and drunken hoards of people.
Bella, however, looked uncomfortable at the idea. "I'm not sure that's–"
Angela groaned. "No, Bella! You're coming, no buts! You can leave your truck at my place after the bonfire," she added with finality in her voice.
"It'll be fine. It's just a sleepover and a night out," she said, nudging her sister. Bella finally cracked a smile, laughing. "Oh, but I do have a little…thing at noon on Saturday. If that's okay, I can head back to yours afterward so we can get ready?" she asked Angela, feeling their combined stares—because she might have forgotten about her "not a date" with Sam.
"What're you doing on Saturday?" Bella asked, curious.
Kagome shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, it's just this coffee thing with Sam in town, not a big deal."
Angela's jaw dropped and she squealed, high pitch, giggling uncontrollably. "Oh my god–you have a date?!"
"Wait, Sam as in Sam Uley?" Bella asked, incredulous.
Kagome waved them both off, laughing. "It's not a date, just two people hanging out over coffee. And yes, Sam Uley. Remember, he picked me up with Billy yesterday," she finished as Bella visibly frowned.
"Yeah, okay–sure, not a date. That is totally a date! Now you have to sleepover so we can get you ready and oh my god, I'm telling Jess. I'll call you girls later, okay?" Angela smiled, already backing out of the driveway before she could protest that it was not a date.
Kagome could still hear her squealing as she and Bella waved at her retreating car until it was just them standing in the driveway awkwardly.
"So, what do you want for dinner tonight?" she asked her sister hesitantly but she only shook her head and laughed.
"Ice cream and popcorn?" Bella suggested hesitantly. Kagome simply smiled as they agreed on a movie night with junk food and cheesy, rom-coms.
For the moment, Kagome could forget the strange day she had and pushed her earlier concerns to the wayside. There would be another day to deal with those pressing thoughts.