Chapter Text
She didn’t know how long she walked. Minutes? Hours?
The forest blurred around her. Greens, browns, and grays melted together in her vision as her breath began to come in ragged gasps. As she called Edward’s name until her voice broke, her chest began to feel hollow, scraped clean. Bella tripped over roots and stumbled her way through underbrush. Scraping her palm along the way, refusing to accept that he was gone. All of them were gone.
Her legs eventually gave out. She collapsed beside a fallen log, curling into the fetal position. The forest fell silent. She couldn’t even cry. The shock and abandonment were too deep, too raw, and too numb all at the same time. She closed her eyes, and the world faded.
*****
Sam had been running through the Forks territory for hours, ever since Billy had called to inform him that Cullen’s had left and Charlie Swan’s daughter was nowhere to be found. His muscles burned pleasantly as the forest whipped past him in a blur. Running was routine for him now as patrols had become a necessary, monotonous part of his daily life, but this run was different. This time, there was a clear danger. The pack hoped that the Swan girl was unharmed, but they were not hopeful with the Cullens’ quick, silent departure from Forks.
Until the scent hit him. Human, female, familiar. Beneath that, fear, shock, and sadness. Sam skidded to a halt, calling through the pack mind for Paul and Jared. He shifted directions instantly, his wolf instincts roaring to life as he followed the scent trail. He quickly travels a distance that would have taken a human searcher hours to travel.
What the hell was the leech thinking, bringing her this far out? He hears Paul angrily yell through the pack mind.
Suddenly, Sam froze as he saw a small figure, wrapped in a tan coat, curled beneath a large tree.
He quickly phased back to his human form as he heard Paul and Jared both let out a string of expletives regarding the Cullens’ disregard for human safety. He untied his shorts from his ankle and slid them onto his body. No need to scare this human girl anymore than she already is. Although Sam’s lack of coat would certainly be cause for concern from any human living in Washington in September, not that Bella Swan was likely to notice anything at the moment.
“Bella?” His voice was rough, deeper than usual.
She didn’t respond. He knelt beside her and brushed her wet hair away from her face. Her skin was ice cold. Her lips pale.
“Bella?” He said a little louder this time, wanting to wake her but not scare her. As he waits for her response, he does a quick scan of her body and deems her to be physically unharmed. “Can you hear me?”
Her eyes flickered open.
“Edward,” she croaked out at a whisper barely audible to Sam’s wolfish hearing.
Sam froze. Something ancient, primal, and sacred ignited inside of him. It was her, Bella. The imprint hit him like a tidal wave. There was nothing gentle or subtle about the feeling. Nothing like the “love at first sight” scenes that plague big Hollywood movies. It crashed through him, rearranging every fiber of his being. Her heartbeat synced with hers. His instincts sharpened, shifting from just being tasked with bringing her home to protecting her until his last breath. Every fiber of his being screamed one truth: She is mine to protect, guard, and keep safe.
He slid his arms beneath her, lifting her to his chest gently. She involuntarily curled into his warmth, shivering from hours spent in the cold Washington rain. Sam curled her closer. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”
The journey back to the Swan residence felt endless. Bella rested her head against his chest, her breathing shallow. Sam kept one hand on her back, rubbing slow circles, trying to get all of the warmth back into her body as he could. The imprint bond thrummed beneath his skin, urging him to move faster, protect her, and get her to the safety of her heated home.
Sam had never felt anything like this. He had heard the legends from the elders, but nothing prepared him for the reality of the absolute, undying devotion that flowed through his body. Bella Swan was his imprint and she was broken. That thought made something inside of him twist painfully.
He reached the edge of the forest and crossed into the backyard of the Swan house. Lights and voices filled his senses as Chief Swan and other volunteer searchers devised plans to find his daughter, Billy Black and Harry Clearwater among them. However, neither Billy nor Harry planned to set out into the woods themselves, as they had already sent the wolfpack out.
“I’ve got her,” he yelled to the crowd of volunteers. Charlie looked up sharply, exhaustion and worry clear on his face. He came running up to Sam and attempted to take Bella, but Sam refused to loosen his hold.
Charlie relented, “Bring her inside to the couch.”
Sam carried Bella inside and gently placed her on the couch. Charlie grabbed multiple blankets and wrapped them around her. Sam knelt beside her, unable to step away. Billy and Harry watched from the doorway, taking in the strange sight.
“You okay, Sam?” Charlie asked quietly.
Sam swallowed. “I’m not leaving her.”
Charlie studied him for a long moment. Something in his eyes softened. “Okay”
Bella’s breathing steadied slightly, though her eyes remained closed. Sam brushed a thumb across her cheek, wiping away a raindrop or maybe a tear.
Charlie sat in his recliner, rubbing his temples. “She’s been through hell,” he muttered. “I knew something was off with that boy.”
Sam didn’t trust himself to speak. Rage simmered beneath his skin, not the explosive kind, but a cold, focused fury. Whoever had hurt Bella would answer for it. He didn’t care if it was a vampire, a human, or a ghost. No one hurt his imprint. Bella shifted, whispering something unintelligible. Sam leaned closer, listening.
“Don’t go,” she breathed.
His heart clenched.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he whispered back.
Hours passed, and Charlie eventually fell asleep in his chair. The exhaustion and stress of the day finally won out. The house was silent except for Bella’s soft, even breathing, Charlie’s quiet snores, and the sound of raindrops hitting the window. Sam stayed beside Bella through the night, watching her chest rise and fall. He memorised every detail. The soft freckles on her face, the curve of her jaw, the way the ends of her hair curled when it was damp. He never touched her again, content to sit by her side and keep watch. She needed her space and rest and what she needed was more important than any of Sam’s wants.
As night turned to early morning, Bella began to stir, her eyes fluttering open and landing on Sam/
“Sam?” She whispered. He leaned forward ready to do anything she asked.
“W..Why are you here?” She asked in confusion.
Sam cocked his head, “ You asked me to stay. I found you.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “He left me.”
His chest tightened with his imprint’s pain. “I know.”
She looked at him, really looked at him for the first time. Her gaze searched his face, as if to understand the new feeling that she couldn’t quite name. A silent tear slipped down her cheek. Sam caught it with his thumb before he could stop himself. Bella didn’t flinch. She just closed her eyes and leaned into his warm touch. Sam exhaled slowly, grounding himself, warning himself to take it slow. He couldn’t push. No matter what his instincts were telling him. He would be patient as long as she needed him. Bella laid her head back down on the couch and her breathing evened back out.
Sam stayed awake, keeping watch. He didn’t know what the future held. He didn’t know how she would react when she learned the truth about him. The imprint, or the whole other supernatural world she was just forced into.
But there was one thing he did know. He would not leave her. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever.
Bella Swan had been abandoned in the woods, Sam Uley had found her, and neither one of them would ever be the same.