A/N: Ho boy, this was a little difficult to get out but I really love reading all your reviews so much! I worked all day to make edits to this so let me know your thoughts. Trying to keep all the imprints straight is a challenge, lemme tell you lol.
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 VII – The Bonfire, Part II
Bella had warned Kagome about three things when they arrived at First Beach:
One–Mike Newton was a sleazy dirtbag.
Two–Dad had given them each pepper spray because he wasn't born yesterday.
Three–she was getting absolutely shit-faced tonight which meant Kagome was in charge of driving.
That told her all she needed to know about what happened with Edward–Bella was drowning her problems in alcohol.
Suffice to say, this bonfire hadn't exactly lived up to the hype, as she had mostly been delegated to the role of chaperone. The beach was packed with dancing bodies, a sea of people locking lips, grinding against one another without a care in the world.
Most of the native kids had their own smaller fires going, sticking to their own circle of friends while others mingled with the palefaces–as Jessica had so helpfully put it.
Kagome had the unfortunate experience of meeting both Mike Newton and Tyler Crowley, finally understanding why her sister had warned her about the former in particular.
The moment Mike laid eyes on her, he fired off every question under the sun–most of them focused on her being Japanese–and the blatant curiosity made her skin crawl. A shudder of disgust ran through her as she instinctively moved away, and thankfully, Angela picked up on the hint. She stayed close, subtly steering Kagome away before she did something reckless–like socking Mike in the face.
That was when she finally spotted the Quileute boys she had been so nervous about seeing again.
They were further down the beach, gathered around their own small fire. Four of them–Quil, Seth, Embry and one more she didn't recognize. But his aura…it was familiar.
Kagome realized with a jolt–this was the man she had sensed with Sam in the woods earlier. So he was the one with that angry presence. He certainly looked the part.
A permanent scowl etched into his face, he threw back what had to be beer like it was water, his posture rigid despite the relaxed atmosphere around him. While he was certainly handsome, she got the strange feeling he wasn't so pleasant to be around with the cocky flair of his aura.
"Oh my god, they're literally staring right at you, Kagome," Jessica giggled, gesturing vaguely toward the Quileute boys as a whole.
Their combined gaze felt even more intense here, their eyes locked onto her like a pack of predators. A shiver ran down her spine, and heat pooled in her gut.
Kagome waved it off. "I highly doubt I'm the only one they're staring at," she said, shaking her head.
Nearby, Angela shot her a flat look. "Oh, please! They're totally staring at you. And—oh my god—Quil and Seth are coming over right now," she added, turning Kagome around.
Sure enough, they were already halfway across the beach, heading straight for their little fire.
Smoke drifted along the shore, mingling with the heady scent of alcohol and salty air. Angela and Jessica turned away with knowing smiles, while Bella had already disappeared to grab herself a drink.
Kagome, being the responsible older sister, started to follow—but Angela waved her off with a reassuring smile, nudging her straight into Quil's awaiting arms. Jessica was giggling beside her and she could only roll her eyes because it was obvious they were enjoying this way too much.
"Hey, cutie. Miss me?" Quil greeted, grinning.
Kagome couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips at the cheesy nickname.
Trying to avoid them was impossible when they kept appearing out of nowhere. And goodness, were they handsome.
"Hardly. It's only been a few days," she replied, shaking her head—though the warmth blooming in her cheeks betrayed her.
Behind him stood Seth, and their combined presence was like a beacon of warmth—both of them radiating heat like the human embodiment of a summer afternoon. They reminded her of overgrown golden retrievers, their sunny personalities and infectious smiles making it near impossible to ignore them.
Quil mimed a shot to the heart, staggering dramatically, and she laughed at how ridiculous he was.
"I bet you must've missed me, though, right?" Seth tried, flashing what she was pretty sure was a dimple in one cheek.
Kagome hummed, pretending to think as she tapped a finger to her chin. "Hm…I don't know. Remind me again?"
If it was possible, Seth looked like a kicked puppy as his face fell, but Kagome laughed, nudging his arm.
"I'm kidding. It's nice to see you again, Seth," she amended, and the way his expression lit up with a happy smile sent a flutter through her chest.
"You're beautiful when you laugh, you know that?" Quil commented casually.
Kagome felt her face burn at the easy compliment, but she could tell he meant it—the warmth in his aura remained steady and bright, as unwavering as his grin.
Kagome ran her tongue over her lips absentmindedly as he chuckled lowly, unable to look him in the eyes. With their enormous heat came the distinct aroma of cannabis that lingered in their already potent scent that often reminded her of the open woods and something uniquely them.
A shift in energy around her made her glance up–Quil's grin had stretched wider, a glint of amusement flickering in his eyes. Seth, on the other hand, had gone oddly still beside him, his gaze flickering away so fast she might've missed it if not for the faint tension in his posture.
Something about their reactions sent a small tingle through her, and it was almost…pleasant.
She frowned slightly, nibbling on her bottom lip before shaking off the feeling and turning her attention back to the fire.
Seth nudged her with his elbow, gesturing toward their bonfire farther down the beach. "You should come over to our fire. It's cozier and, uh—"
"—has the best-looking guys on the Rez," Quil finished for him, flashing a grin that looked almost feral in the dim firelight. "What'dya say? I'm sure it'll be a lot quieter over there, plus we'll introduce you to the rest of the guys,"
"C'mon, please? If you're uncomfortable at any point, you can walk away—I promise," Seth added earnestly, and Kagome appreciated that he was thoughtful of her comfort.
"Alright, alright," she sighed, laughing when Quil let out a little whoop.
So dramatic, but it was quickly endearing him to her.
Kagome barely had a moment to protest before Quil and Seth successfully dragged her toward their bonfire, each taking one of her hands in their much larger ones.
The heat of their palms sent a jolt of awareness through her. They were so blatantly forward in their interest that a small part of her was already second-guessing whether going with them was a good idea.
Their energy buzzed with excitement, practically radiating off them and Kagome found it hard to resist when the gaping hole in her chest felt that much more full. Seth's grip gave hers a gentle squeeze, while Quil kept flashing her his sunny, mischievous smile. Their heady presence was already getting to her, short-circuiting every coherent thought in her mind.
"And here we are, my lady," Quil declared with an exaggerated flourish, making Kagome laugh.
Seth grinned, leaning in slightly. "Are you a campfire? 'Cause you're smokin', and I'm getting way too close."
Kagome giggled, they were so cheesy.
The fire crackled in front of her, casting flickering shadows across the sand, but it was nothing compared to the charged presence that lingered just beyond the flames.
Two figures sat apart from the others—one calm and quiet, the other practically vibrating with barely contained tension.
Embry she was familiar with, his aloof presence feeling the same as it had before—reserved and steady. But the other one…
A slow shiver crawled up Kagome's spine as she turned her gaze toward him.
"Right, so now that we finally kidnapped you from your sister and her friends, let me introduce you to the two broody assholes over there—Embry, and the one with the scowl permanently etched on his face, that's Paul," Quil said, gesturing toward the two, towering figures hovering near the fire.
The air was thick with an electrifying buzz. Embry's charged gaze looked her up and down, tilting his chin up in greeting, his easy smile sending goosebumps all over her skin.
She smiled, unable to voice anything coherent with all of them surrounding her.
And then there was Paul. The moment her eyes landed on him, her breath hitched. His aura was unlike the others—thicker, heavier, laced with something volatile. Where Sam felt like an unshakable wall and Quil carried a mischievous energy, Paul felt like a live wire, humming with barely restrained anger. His presence stretched toward her, raw and demanding, crackling like a storm barely held at bay.
But there was something else beneath all that fury. The shadow of his wolf felt aggressive, dark silver fur and a size five-times larger than his frame.
Paul stood rigid, his entire body taut like a coil about to snap. His jaw was clenched, the joint in his hand fell to the sand and his knuckles were white as he gripped the now-crushed beer can. For a moment, his eyes flicked toward hers, and Kagome felt something deep in her chest shift—that strange pull, like a rope tied between them, had suddenly gone taut.
"Uh, hi," she greeted softly, sensing Seth and Quil standing just a little bit in front of her, almost protectively.
Paul's entire body jerked, as if he had been physically struck. He cursed, chest heaving and she could see the wolf in him clawing to get out, its lupine gaze trained on her.
Then—before she could even react—he bolted.
Kagome barely had time to process what happened but Quil and Seth were impossibly close, bodies tense. Embry shot her an unreadable glance, muttering something under his breath before chasing after Paul into the darkness.
Her heart pounded, and the tug in her chest lingered, invisible but steadfast.
Something felt off—something more than just her earlier assumption that they were drawn to her aura.
Kagome tried to explain it away. She didn't know these boys, yet they seemed earnest—too earnest—to know her.
And that scared her.
"Don't worry about Paul, he's like that with everyone," Quil laughed, but the sound felt forced, his voice trailing off too quickly.
Kagome got the distinct feeling there was more he wasn't telling her.
"I don't doubt that, but I really should check on my sister," she said, already stepping away from their warmth.
Seth reached for her hand, as if to stop her from leaving, but his grip loosened before he finally let her go, his expression forlorn as he watched her retreat.
They didn't stop her.
They didn't say another word.
And Kagome didn't know why her chest ached at the sight of their dispirited expressions.
She walked away with a shaky breath, an unfamiliar weight pressing down on her chest—something tight, painful, breaking.
Like someone had struck her heart with a blade.
And then—a howl split the night.
Kagome felt them—Sam, Paul, and another presence she didn't recognize. It pressed at the edges of her senses, but her mind was too muddled to piece it together.
She turned back toward Quil and Seth—but they were gone. The firelight had vanished, leaving only the soft embers glowing in the darkness.
The moment Paul and Embry phased in, Jared's mind was immediately flooded with nothing but thoughts of Kagome.
Sam was patrolling along the cliffside near Second Beach, but he was already on the move toward Paul as the imprinting memories engulfed the pack mind.
Shit. It was really happening. They were imprinting like wildfire.
That makes five of us already, Jared muttered through the mind link, though Sam barely acknowledged him—Paul's mind was too chaotic, consumed by the overwhelming need to get away.
You just had to lose your shit! You were this close to phasing near her, you dickwad! Embry snarled, snapping his jaws at Paul.
Paul answered back with the same simmering fury, slamming into Embry as they crashed through the forest in a tangle of rage and raw instinct.
Paul, Embry—calm down. Sam's voice cut through the pack link, his Alpha tone dripping with authority, but neither wolf heeded his warning.
Jared sprinted after them, pushing his legs harder, determined to stop the fight before it escalated.
He had never seen Embry this angry before, but the wolf's recent thoughts told him everything he needed to know.
Embry was struggling with the imprint. He hated that Kagome's choices were being stripped away. He didn't want to endanger her, to lose her before he even had the chance to know her.
It was scary, the imprint was so strong that Jared could feel Embry's fear as if it was his own. Multiply that by five and it was no wonder he was always so exhausted after phasing back to human, the combined weight of all their imprinting flooded the pack mind like an oppressive drug.
Sam got to them first, and they went tumbling through the underbrush before Paul scrambled back to his feet, pacing the small clearing as anxiety rolled off him in waves.
I can't! I need to get away—I have to get far away from her. I—I can't do this right now, he whined, ears flattening against his skull.
Embry prowled around Sam, who stood between them, his stance firm as they faced off at opposite ends of the clearing. Join the fucking club. You're not the only one dealing with it now. It happened—just like it happened to the rest of us.
Both of you need to chill. Jared came ambling through, stopping just short of Paul's visibly shaken form. His fur was raised, and his mind was torn between running back to Kagome or fleeing as far from her as possible.
Easy for you to say—you haven't imprinted yet, Paul snapped.
Jared, quite wisely, stayed quiet. Paul got defensive when he was angry, and the fact of the matter was—he was right.
Enough, already! Sam sighed, understanding flooding the link. I get it, really, I do. But if you fight this, Paul, you'll hurt her—and you'll hurt us. She'll feel it the most. Do you want that for her?
But instead of calming him, Sam's words only made Paul's hackles rise higher. He snarled, snapping his jaws. I never wanted this!
Neither did we, dumbass! Embry bit out.
Before Sam could stop them from going at each other again, Jared felt Quil and Seth phase in. He groaned, already sensing the fight about to escalate as their combined thoughts flooded his mind.
Ha! I fucking knew you'd imprint. Serves you right, Quil laughed, already making a beeline for his location with Seth hot on his heels. But you didn't have to be such a dick. God, you need anger management or something.
Oh, fuck you. I didn't phase just to get a goddamn lecture from half the pack, Paul snarled, his fur rippling with unrestrained anger.
Sam let some of his Alpha presence weigh down on him, keeping Paul from losing control.
Jared whined in his throat—he could feel the pressure of it even from here.
Well, you made her go away so I think you deserve it, Seth added, irritation bleeding through. It was rare that the baby of the pack was ever anything but a ball of sunshine or Mr. Goody Two Shoes. Hey! I resent that!
Yeah, I should kick your ass for that. I swear to god, if she avoids us because of this…Quil trailed off, frustration flowing through his veins.
You'll what? None of you wussies have the balls to fucking challenge me, Paul goaded, and Embry was one second away from plowing through Sam to get to him.
You guys can't fight without hurting Kagome! Seth tried, snapping at Quil's feet to get him to stop, but it wasn't enough—because before Jared knew it, they were careening through the clearing.
Quil slammed into Paul, and Embry crashed into Sam as the four of them went tumbling through the thick of the forest, tree trunks toppling like dominoes, dirt and debris kicked into the air.
Rage seared through their bodies, driving them at each other's throats.
Jared, on Embry—now! Sam commanded, and Jared lunged into the fray as Seth hung back, whining, because his brothers were fighting, and it was fracturing their pack.
Jared clamped his jaws around Embry's neck just as he lunged for Sam's flank, while Sam clawed his way between Quil and Paul.
They circled the clearing, until the full weight of Sam's Alpha command pressed down on them like a crushing stone.
SILENCE, he roared, tone absolute.
The pack stilled. Quil's anger evaporated as he bared his neck, and Embry—who had been struggling in Jared's hold—finally went slack. Jared released him as Seth whined, pressing himself low against the ground, while Paul fought it with everything he had.
His fur rippled with bitter resentment, every muscle tense.
It took Sam rising to his full height, teeth bared, his growl a low, rumbling warning—deep, lethal, absolute.
Stop resisting, Paul. Submit, he commanded, and Paul whined in the back of his throat as his wolf finally succumbed to the Alpha's order.
There was a raised piece of land where Sam perched himself, looking for all the world like the Alpha he commanded himself to be.
By law, no wolf is allowed to harm a fellow packmate without condemning his own imprint in the process, Sam began, his gaze settling on Quil, Embry, and Paul—who growled low in his throat but otherwise remained pressed against the ground. So there will be no fighting among us. We're a pack, and that means we deal with this together.
His tone left no room for argument.
As punishment—Quil, Embry, and Paul—you three are running double shifts together.
The pack mind was silent, but Jared could feel the tension lingering in the air as the weight of the Alpha's command was finally lifted.
They eased up, Paul shaking out his muzzle, but otherwise remaining silent as his thoughts swirled like a tornado of confusion and anger.
Most of it bled away—but not completely.
Not really.
Sam didn't like doing that, using the Alpha command. But sometimes it was necessary.
Look, this isn't the most ideal situation. But we can't keep going around and around about why and how–it happened, that's all there is to it, Sam sighed, leaping down from the raised land. We're imprinting, and we don't know who else will be next but there's two of us left and if it plays out the way I suspect, then Jared–you and Jake are next.
Jared wasn't sure what to make of the imprint. It was daunting, inevitable–but strangely, he wasn't afraid of it. He had no one else in his life but the pack, so maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't mind if it happened to him. Embry nudged him, a silent show of support, and Jared exhaled a low chuff, gratitude laced in the sound.
But Jake…he's…Seth trailed off, and the memory of Quil going over to Jake's the other day came flooding back.
Jake had been a wolf for a long time apparently, judging from the countless animal carcass laying around the dilapidated cabin. Try as he might, Quil couldn't get through and ended up sitting there next to Jake, smoking a joint to wash the exhaustion away.
I'll go to him, it's time he came back to this pack already, Sam responded evenly, and the finality in his voice left a quiet hush over the pack. And once he does return, we're sitting down together to figure this out and make it work.
Jared recognized the subtle weight of dismissal in Sam's tone. The pack drifted off, each going their own way, their presence fading from the mind link until the once-crowded space felt hollow, leaving only him and Sam in the quiet stillness of the night.
Sam..is Jake really coming back? Jared finally asked. Sam exhaled heavily, saying nothing at first. Alone together, Jared felt the subtle crack in his usual composure. They had been friends long before the shift–he didn't need words to know that Sam was just as uncertain as he was.
Sam shook his muzzle. I don't know but…if he imprints then maybe…maybe Kagome can bring him back.
Jared said nothing, but doubt lingered in the back of his mind. Was it really that simple?
They moved through the night in silence, patrolling the edges of the tribe as the crescent moon hung above them, cold and distant. All they could do now was wait, and he prayed Kagome was strong enough to withstand the bond that threatened to consume them all.