The Fun Process Of Imprinting

The Fun Process of Imprinting

IMAGINE: You are the adopted child of the Cullens and you learn the hard way you are Paul Lahote’s imprint.  WORD COUNT: 4.1k

“You coming Y/N?” One of your brothers yells at you.

Rolling your eyes, you say goodbye to your friends and turn around. Your third oldest brother smiled as you made your way over to him and the rest of your siblings.

“You guys are really impatient, you know that right?” You tease Emmett, softly slugging his arm. His wife, rather, one of your sisters, grabbed you by the hand and led you into the car.

“Carlisle wants to see us right away. Esme called us and said it was an emergency.” 

Your eyebrows immediately scrunch together as you pile into the family’s car. Alice starts up the vehicle as the rest of you try not to worry about what your father wanted to talk to you guys about.

“It’s probably nothing,” Jasper tried to soothe you. 

Your emotions were coming off strong as you tried suppressing your fear. He leaned across Emmett (Both your sisters sat in the front as Rosalie called shotgun!) and took your hand in his.

Despite him having problems with blood and humans, your brother taught himself to familiarize your scent ever since you were a child. It didn’t affect him as bad as Bella did or the others did.

Seeing that you were still stressing out, Jasper manipulated your emotions until you felt calmer. Sending him a smile, you nod your head in thanks.

“Let’s see how much trouble we’re in now,” Emmett muttered as Alice pulled into the driveway of the house.

“I have to what?!” You ask your father incredulously. Carlisle sighed as he repeated the news.

“Bella,” he began, gesturing to Edward’s girlfriend, “has talked to Billy Black about our… Situation. The pack has taken it into their own hands and has asked to talk to you.”

The first time you heard it, you flat out refused. The wolves already brought trouble to your family. Jacob Black, an old friend of Bella’s had gotten pissed once he found out she was dating your brother. He was ready to tear your family apart.

“No!″ You stated firmly. “If they’re worried that you guys turned me into a vampire, can’t Bella just tell them that I’m still human?”

Carlisle shook his head. Running a hand through his blonde locks, he stared you down with his golden eyes.

“Y/N, we don’t have much of a choice. Sam Uley has demanded your presence. It’s for the best that we respect their wishes.”

After a small stare off, with you glaring at Carlisle as he pouted silently, you finally gave in to your father’s puppy-like gaze and huffed. 

Turning to Bella, you begrudgingly asked, “When did they want to do it?” You watch as she and Edward share a wary glance before spitting out an answer.

“Now.”

Bella’s truck purred underneath you as she drove to the reservation. The two of you were quiet as she drove down the road. To say you were mad was an understatement.

You were livid!

What were those mutts thinking when they demanded that you were brought before them? They acted as if the Cullens had no say in the matter, and it pissed you off.

To keep your mind off of what was to come, you gaze out the car window and watch the scenery roll past. The blurred trees reminded you of your childhood, and you gleefully lost yourself to your memories.

Your ten-year-old self stumbled through the forest as you climbed over a fallen tree. Out of the corner of your eye, you see a familiar blonde peeking out from behind a tree.

Several hundred yards away, you hear Esme call out to you. “Run little deer!” She laughed. “Don’t let Rosalie catch you!” A giggle escapes your lips as you run even faster.

Out of nowhere, dainty hands wrap around your waist as you’re suddenly lifted into the air. You can’t help but shriek with glee as you make eye contact with Alice.

“Got you, you little monkey,” she teased as she tossed you into the air. The other Cullens suddenly crowded the two of you. They all greeted you with smiles as they complimented you.

Surrounded by people who cared about you, feeling genuine love and care. You were glad that you found the Olympic Coven. You were one with the Cullens, despite your mortality. Life could never be better.

Bella gently tapped you on the shoulder, breaking you out of your trance. “We’re here,” she explained, pointing to a wooden house. 

It looked cozy and if you weren’t living with the Cullens, you’d be interested in getting a house like this. But knowing that it was home to shape-shifters made your skin crawl in a way that it shouldn’t.

With a groan, you exit the car and walk to the front. As Bella sided up to you, she sent you a reassuring smile before leading you to the door.

As if sensing her presence, the infamous Jacob Black stepped through the open sliding door. “You’re here!” He said incredulously, not believing his eyes. His gaze between you and Bella constantly changed, switching between total adoration and deep skepticalness.

“Look,” you suddenly state, surprising both teenagers. “Neither of us wants me to be here so lets cut to the chase. Take me to your pack leader or whatever and say what needs to be said. I can feel my family pacing back at the house and it’s driving me up the wall.”

Jacob raises an eyebrow but gestures for you to follow him. He leads both you and Bella into the kitchen where you see a woman busying herself with food. Your friend quickly recognized her and wasted no time in giving her a hug.

“Emily!” Bella greeted her happily.

“Bella!” Emily replied in the same tone. As the two parted, you finally got a good look at the girl who embraced the loner of Forks. 

The scar lines did not faze you, but it raised your ever-growing fear of shifters. You knew how dangerous they were, and this sight did not help.

“You must be the Cullen’s special child,” she noted, offering a hand. You take it politely, not wanting to seem rude. 

Growing under Carlisle’s hand had its effects on your mannerisms.

“That I am,” you confirm, giving her a firm shake. After the two of you properly introduce yourselves, you ask the girl about the pack’s whereabouts.

“Oh, they’ll be here in a bit,” she assured you. “The boys always go out for a run this time of day and they’re starving. Just give it a minute.”

It doesn’t take long for the boys to pile in but by then, you, Bella and Emily have gotten into a pleasant conversation. It quickly ends when you hear an obnoxious voice complaining about a repulsive smell.

“Great, another leech lover roaming around here. Since we’re getting so cozy, why don’t we just invite the damned things over and be done with all this bullshit?”

Turning around, you see a handful of dark-haired males make their way to the door. Emily smiles as she made her way to greet them. One man detached from the group as he pulled Emily into a loving grasp.

The other males walked in and made their way to the kitchen, immediately ransacking it of any food they could find. You look to Bella in disbelief, to which she only shrugged. Shaking your head, you quickly stand up and clear your throat. All eyes quickly find their way to you.

“Look, I know you guys aren’t in a big rush but I’ve got school tomorrow and my dad is going to kill me if I miss a class. So can we just cut to the chase and get this over with?”

The man who previously had busied himself with Emily, nodded as he carefully pushed past his girlfriend. “Sorry for calling you on such brief notice,” he told you. “I’m Sam Uley, this is my pack.”

You glance at each of the wolves. Most of them seem as disinterested with you except for one. His dark brown eyes burn into yours as your stare meets his.

He freezes for a moment, but you quickly brush it off and return your attention to Sam. This mutt has probably never seen a girl that wasn’t born on the reservation.

“What has my family done to piss you guys off now?” You ask calmly.

“Nothing,” Sam promised you. “It’s just, our ancestors and the Cullen’s have made a treaty with them. They can’t-”

“I know all about the treaty,” you interrupt. “My family can’t harm humans or cross into Quileute land. I may not be a shape-shifter like you guys, but I’m not a dumbass. Even if you think I’m just a leech lover.”

You watch the pack leader send a quick glare to the mutt who couldn’t keep his gaze off of you. It quickly softens, making you curious at the sudden expression change.  

Looking back, you see that his eyes haven’t left your figure. The only difference this time, you see his lips pulled back in disgust. 

“Got a problem, pretty boy?” You snarl at him.

The wolf looks taken aback by your snarkiness, but quickly replied with his own comeback. “I just don’t see why the hell you’re even here on our territory. I guess you’re human, which means we can’t kill you, but if it was one of those bloodsuckers…”

Everyone was quiet as you marched up to the man and pressed your finger to his chest. You heard the girls gasp (And even a few of the guys) but you paid no attention to that.

“Listen here, you little shit,” you told him sharply. “I don’t give a damn on what your views are on vampires but let me set one thing straight. You will never disrespect my family ever again! Do I make myself clear?”

He quickly smacked your hand away as he leaned in closer.

“Paul…” Sam warned with a growl. “Don’t do anything you might regret.”

“It’s not my fault she comes from a family of monsters,” Paul shot back, not breaking eye contact.

“The Cullens aren’t the monsters here,” you spit at the wolf. “I’m standing in the presence of a certain snot-nosed dog who has never heard of a nose hair trimmer.”

You watched as the shirtless male snarled; his nostrils flaring as he struggled to control his breathing. A pang of fear flashed through you as you watched him slowly lose his temper. One wolf noticed and quickly grabbed your hand, attempting to pull you back.

Paul had not taken this lightly.

“Quil, remove your hand before I do it for you!” He barked, baring his teeth like a pissed off animal. The wolf quickly lets go of you, sending you into a spiral of confusion.

“Sam?” Bella asked out of nowhere. “What did Y/N do to Paul?”

The pack all shared a look before most of them dog-piled the angry shifter. Sam ordered Jacob to take you and Bella home. As Black hesitated, Paul shook more and more as his anger took over him.

“NOW JACOB!” The leader screamed before joining the pile.

Wasting no time, Jacob grabbed you and Bella by the hands and dragged you out of the home. All three of you scrambled into the vehicle as Jake stole the keys from his friend and started up the car. As it roared to life, you peeled out of the driveway and hit the road.

“Call them,” Jacob commanded Bella. “Gather the Cullens and get them as close to the reservation as they can. Y/N needs all the protection they can get.”

“From Paul?” You ask. “What the hell is even going on?”

Bella looks to her friend in realization as it hits her. “He couldn’t have… It’s not possible!”

“Anything is possible,” Jacob replied. You watched as the numbers cranked higher and higher on the speedometer.

“Would you mind telling me what’s possible and what it has to do with me?”

It was as if you were invisible. Both Jacob and Bella knew what was going on with Paul, but they left you in the dark. This is why you preferred vampires. They always said what was on their minds. Most of the time at least.

A loud howl breaks you out of your thoughts, making Jacob stiffen. "What is it?" You ask him worriedly. 

"Paul's pissed," the wolf muttered. Without another explanation, he forced the Chevy pickup to run even faster, causing it to emit several groans under the stress. 

"Carlisle is sending Edward," Bella reported. 

Her friend slammed his palms against the steering wheel. "He needs to bring all of them! Call him again!" 

"I can't!" She replied. "He's already on the way!" 

"Would y'all just calm the hell down and tell me what's going on?" You scream at them, tired of being ignored. 

And just as it seemed like one of them was finally going to answer your questions, something heavy slammed itself against the back of the truck. 

The car went flying as it skidded across the road. You and Bella held onto the dashboard as Jacob struggled to keep the truck from flipping. The car came to a sudden stop when the same weight latched on and forced it to slow down. 

Bella looked over her shoulder and paled at the sight. "What is it?" You ask her, not wanting to see whatever was keeping you back. You knew exactly what it was, but you preferred not dying if Paul was still angry. 

"Stay in the truck," Jacob ordered as he quickly left. He left your line of sight as he headed towards the back. Bella quickly ignored this as she noticed her boyfriend approaching the scene. 

"Edward!" She cried, throwing off her seatbelt and running into his arms. Giving her a kiss, he spared a glance towards Jacob and Paul before looking at you. 

'I'm fine,' you told him mentally. 'Just get me out of here before Paul rips out my throat!' 

Just before you can even think about getting out, you hear a series of growls and snarls before the sound of crying catches your attention. You quickly whip around and see two giant wolves fighting each other. 

The shifter who had cried out had been the chocolate brown wolf with the limp. The back legs were matted with fresh blood and his coat covered in dirt. A gasp escaped your lips as you watched him struggle to fight back. 

The other wolf was different. 

Its fur was silver and gray, and it shined in the darkness. The mouth seemed to be covered in red as it snapped at the other animal. Despite being smaller, it fought with more ferocity than you thought it had. 

As you scrambled out of the car, Bella cried out as she watched the fight. "Jacob!"  At the name, the chocolate wolf turned its head in your direction. The silver shifter took this chance and tackled him. 

Fear hit you as you realized that this was Paul. 

Edward focused on him as Bella rushed to you. "Stop him!" She told you. "He'll kill Jake!" 

"What do you expect me to do?" You asked her. "It's not like he'll listen to me! Didn't you hear him call me a leech lover?" 

"Just do it," Edward said. "Paul imprinted on you Y/N. He can't resist you." 

Before you could ask what he meant by imprinted, your brother pushed you towards the wolves. Automatically, Paul focused his attention on the vampire behind you. He bared his sharp teeth angrily as he snarled. 

With another shove from Edward, you gulped silently before approaching the wolf. He paid no mind to you as he stared your sibling down. 

"Say something to him," Bella offered after you struggled to distract him. 

"Paul?" You shakily called out.

The wolf let out a growl as he spared a glance at you, but otherwise did nothing. 

"I know we just met and all," you try again, taking a hesitant step towards him. "But I think I know when to say you need to take a chill-pill or something." 

Still nothing. 

"You need to encourage him," Edward instructed. 

As you turned around to look at him, you heard Paul snarl angrily. Snapping your head back in his direction, you try something different. 

"Paul, I need you to calm down," you tell him. Two more steps. "I can't have you hurt any more people. I don't know what you're going through, but I'm not worth it." 

This had caught Paul's attention. He tore his attention away from Edward and Jacob as he settled his gaze on you.

Another pang of fear hit you as Paul slowly approached you. His sly movements reminded of how a hunter goes after its prey. The fear worsened as you realized you were the prey.

As if reading your thoughts (Which he probably was) Edward spoke up. “He won’t hurt you. He’d rather die than do anything of the sort.”

Proving the point, Paul gently prodded his large snout against your hand once he was close enough. You flinched at the blood that soaked into his fur, but otherwise froze at his presence.

He tried poking you again before he let out a whimper.

“He thinks you’re rejecting him,” Edward explained. “You need to show him you aren’t.”

With a shaky breath, you slowly place your hand on top of Paul’s head. His giant ears twitched, making you freeze. It wasn’t until he whimpered again that you moved. Your fingers run through his fur eagerly. A low moan left his muzzle as he leaned into your touch. Once you were sure that he had calmed down, you faced Bella and Edward.

“Get Jacob out of here,” you tell them. “Paul’s stable now, but I can’t say the same later. Go now. Take the car.”

Bella goes to argue, but your brother took her by the arm and shook his head. They make their way towards the wolf. As you watch the girl try to coax her friend to come with them, Paul catches your attention once more.

He ran his giant tongue across your open palm, which you quickly recoiled from. Only after hearing his sad whine did you apologize.

“I’m sorry. I just really don’t want you to bite off my hand or anything. I know you don’t like my family, so...”

Paul growled angrily, making you jump back like a frightened cat. The shifter realized his mistake and whimpered. Tired of not being able to talk to you properly, he slowly backed away before he changed.

You winced at the sound of bones snapping and arranging themselves in a different order. The thick fur seemed to melt away as the silver wolf disappeared into Paul.

You had gone to say something before you realized that he was very nude. 

Especially down there.

“Y-you’re um... You’re not really... Covered,” you mumble, keeping your eyes glued to his face. You can feel your face burning up as he glances down to see that nothing was covering his area.

“Sorry,” he told you sincerely. “But I don’t really have anything to cover it up.”

Without a second thought, you shrug off your plaid and hold it out to him. Paul sends you a grateful smile as he takes the shirt. Quickly tying it around his waist, the shifter then scratched the back of his head nervously.

“I didn’t mean to scare you back there,” he told you honestly.  “It’s just- I’ve got problems with anger and- You’re my soulmate and it doesn’t help that your family are vampires and- There’s so much on my mind right now.”

You barely make eye contact with him for a second before you quickly look away.

It’s not that you feared him. I mean, you were terrified, but the things that were coming out of his mouth were terrifying. You were soulmates... With an angry shifter who hated vampires.

Things didn’t look so bright for you.

“We should probably go check up on Jacob and the others,” you tell him quietly. “Bella called my dad and my family is probably worried by now.”

As you walk back towards the reservation, Paul grabbed your hand. You jumped at his touch but calmed down when he gave you a reassuring squeeze.

“Why won’t you look at me Y/N?” He asked quietly. “I know I’m not exactly what you’re used to, but I’m honestly trying here.”

“I... I know you are. But it’s just a little hard. This is just so sudden.”

Just as you go to say something else, you stumble over a sudden dip in the road. If it hadn’t been for the shifter’s quick movement, you were sure you would’ve fallen on your face.

Paul had grabbed you by the arm and pulled you into his grasp. Once you had been close enough, he then scooped you up into his arms, far off the ground. On instinct, you wrapped your arms around his neck and clung to him like a baby koala.

“You all right?” He asked you quietly.

“I-I’m fine,” you stutter. “J-just having a b-bad day, apparently.”

Paul made sure you were all right before he continued to make his way back to Emily’s house. You were content just staying there in his hold, but something felt off.

You did just meet this guy an hour ago.

“Are you going to set me down?” You ask Paul quietly. The shifter glanced at the road before he shook his head with a smug grin. He only held you closer as he carried you back towards the reservation.

“Set him down there,” Sam commanded Edward. With a nod, the vampire helped a newly shifted Jacob onto the couch.

“It was my fault,” Jacob groaned suddenly. “I was stupid enough to separate Y/N from Paul. That’s the worse thing you could ever do.”

Edward took a step back as the other shifters surrounded their brother. They all joked about how stupid he was, but anyone knew that they were just happy he was okay.

“I can’t contact Paul,” Sam confided within Edward, away from all the fiasco. “I know he’s somewhere out there but-”

“He’s right outside,” Edward interrupted, looking towards the staircase.

Sam took a single whiff of the air before he bolted down the steps. Edward gave Bella a swift kiss on the forehead before joining the shifter downstairs.

What he saw made him want to screw the treaty and rip off a shifter’s head.

Paul stood in the kitchen practically naked. The only thing that covered him had been a (Favorite Color) plaid around his waist and Y/N clinging to his chest. One of his arms supported their legs while the other held their body closer to him.

Edward took a step forward to check on his sibling, but the shifter had other ideas.

Paul let out a low growl, a ferocious sound as he glared daggers at the vampire. His grip on Y/N only tightened as he bared his teeth, ready for an attack.

“Paul,” Sam warned. “It’s okay, just let him check them.”

Paul let out another growl before slowly nodding his head. Edward didn’t waste another moment as he placed his hands on Y/N’s face. The shifter couldn’t hold back a cocky grin as the figure in his arms almost recoiled at the coldness in the touch.

Paul... Want to stay.

Edward grimaced at the fact that Y/N willingly wanted to stay with these mutts, but he was in no position to deny them. Especially since he could never deny his baby sibling of anything.

“They’ll be safe here?” Edward asked no one in particular, removing his hands from the girl’s face.

“I’d protect them with my life!” Paul snarled protectively.

I know you would, the vampire thought. Refraining from rolling his eyes, Edward spared Y/N a last peek before making his way back up the stairs to retrieve Bella.

Paul didn’t spare him another glance as he stared at you.

This was going to be a complicated relationship, but neither of you would dare to pass it up.