Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Thomas!” Emily’s shout made him sigh for the second time before he obeyed and headed downstairs.

Paul, Jared, and Embry were already seated at the table in the center of the small house Emily shared with Sam, where they also housed Thomas.

“Good morning,” Embry raised an eyebrow at him in greeting, smirking as he popped another piece of muffin into his mouth.

Emily turned to him and smiled sweetly, as always. She placed another plate of muffins on the table and invited him to sit with the others.

“How did you sleep?” she asked as Thomas took a seat next to Jared, who playfully ruffled his hair.

Thomas shrugged nonchalantly, reaching for a muffin. “Fine.”

As usual, Emily didn’t push. Paul grimaced at his response but said nothing, continuing to joke around with Embry.

A minute or two later, while Thomas sat silently, Sam entered the room, smiling as he spotted his partner. When Emily returned the smile, Sam turned to his pack.

Sam Uley was the alpha of the pack Thomas had joined a few years ago. His parents had died, and when he became part of the pack, Sam and Emily decided to take him in. Paul, Quil, Embry, Jared, Leah, Seth, and Teresa were like siblings to him—a big family.

They all shared a deep, fierce hatred for the Cullens. Those pale, rich bloodsuckers were irritating just by existing. Of course, they respected the treaty, but the animosity lingered every time they encountered one of the vampires out hunting, nearly crossing the invisible boundary the treaty defined.

The pack always kept close to the boundary, ensuring none of them forgot the most important rule. They didn’t trust the Cullens. You couldn’t trust a bloodsucker; that’s what they’d told Thomas. But things had been calm for a few months since the Cullens left for a vacation far away.

About two years ago, he met Jacob Black, who had recently joined Sam’s pack, cutting his hair and getting the tattoo on his arm like the others. Thomas had one on his right arm too. But unlike the rest of them, Thomas wasn’t tan at all. He was much paler, with dark hair and whiskey-brown eyes—a stark reminder that he didn’t belong to their lineage.

Not that it seemed to matter to anyone. They loved Thomas like any other member of the family.

“We’ll be at the beach,” Sam announced, casting a glance at everyone at the table. “Jared.” With that and a nod, Jared jumped up, finishing his last bite of breakfast as he tugged off his shirt and followed Sam out of the house.

Thomas didn’t think much of it and laughed softly when Embry kicked him under the table. He returned the favor, and soon they were playing like little kids.

After breakfast, Thomas, Paul, and Embry headed to the beach as Sam had instructed. Some pack members and others not part of Sam’s group were sitting around or playing in the water at the shore.

Teresa, his best friend and one of the two female wolves in Sam’s pack, was there when they arrived. Leah and Quil were chatting with her nearby, sitting with the rest of the pack.

They spent at least half an hour there before Jacob appeared out of nowhere, tackling Thomas from behind.

“Jake!” Thomas protested with a laugh as they began wrestling in the sand. “I should have seen that coming!”

Jacob laughed, and the two started rolling in the sand. Paul and Embry immediately began teasing them.

“Why are you so quiet, Thomas?” Jacob asked through a chuckle, using their supernatural strength to try to pin him down.

Thomas rolled his eyes, grabbing Jacob’s arm and flipping him onto the ground. The boys laughed as Jacob gave in, and Thomas climbed off him when Jared’s voice came from nearby.

“Hey, Jacob!” Jared called out, stopping when he reached them.

Jacob’s expression shifted as he stood up. “What’s up?” he asked, but Jared shook his head, motioning for him to follow.

Thomas watched in confusion as Jacob reached out, brushing his fingers against Thomas’s palm before walking away—leaving his scent on Thomas’s hand and the places he had touched during their scuffle.

Teresa raised an eyebrow, though it had become normal for Jacob and Thomas to mark each other’s scent since Bella arrived in Forks. They’d spent a lot of time together while guarding the girl, and scent-marking had become a habit. Even if they weren’t anything more.

Leah exchanged a long look with Teresa and Quil before Paul spoke up.

“I think they’re going to patrol the area,” Paul said after a moment. “I heard the Cullens are back from their vacation.”

Thomas’s smile faded.

“How do you know that?” Leah interrupted, crossing her legs and narrowing her eyes at Paul.

Paul shrugged. “I might have overheard Sam talking to Billy.” He replied, making Teresa shake her head, though they all knew he wouldn’t snitch to Sam.

Thomas clenched his teeth. His siblings noticed immediately.

“Hey, those bloodsuckers won’t bother us,” Embry said, catching Thomas’s gaze.

Thomas just shook his head. “How dare they come back after what they did to Bella?” he asked, a scowl forming on Paul and Embry’s faces.

Everyone on the reservation knew what had happened with Bella Swan, Charlie’s daughter. She had come to Forks last year and quickly caught Edward Cullen’s attention. Because of him, Bella had ended up in the hospital months ago, put in danger by his actions. And the worst part? Bella knew they were vampires.

Thomas stood up.

“Where are you going?” Paul asked, standing as well.

“Where do you think, dude?” Embry sighed, rising too, as the others stayed on the beach, unsure of what to do.

Thomas immediately felt them following as he left the beach and entered the woods.

Paul grabbed his arm before Thomas could take off his shirt to shift.

“Are you sure? You know Sam doesn’t want us to—”

“I just want to know if they’re really back,” Thomas interrupted, pulling off his shirt and tossing it aside. “Are you coming or not?”

Embry sighed, removing his shirt. “You know I’m in, brother.”

With that, Paul followed suit, and Thomas shifted first, his two brothers right behind him.

Thomas’s wolf form had dark gray fur, almost black, with silvery highlights that gleamed under the light, making him stand out. He wasn’t as large as Sam but resembled Jacob’s wolf.

Paul’s fur was a lighter gray, almost white, while Embry was marked by dark gray. They all looked somewhat similar.

“I still think this is a bad idea,” Paul said through their shared thoughts, casting them both an exaggerated look.

Thomas nearly rolled his eyes internally and turned away to show he didn’t care. With a gesture, the three began running through the forest.

Paul and Embry’s voices echoed in his head, warning him repeatedly that this was a mistake, that Sam would be furious for disobeying orders.

Right now, Thomas couldn’t care less. Bella had been his friend for a long time. Edward was a damn bloodsucking idiot who had nearly gotten her killed, and his family could go to hell if they really were back. They’d left after what happened with James, leaving Bella heartbroken after Edward’s abrupt departure. And now they were back. All of them.

Thomas abruptly stopped running, his front paws digging forcefully into the ground to avoid tumbling down the mountain into the water below. He had reached the boundary separating the territories, as defined by the treaty.

Another voice—this one more feminine—echoed in his mind, and he almost growled at all of them.

“Thomas, what are you planning to do? Are you insane?” Leah’s voice registered in his brain, mingling with the warnings of his two friends behind him.

Before any rational thought could cloud his mind, Thomas stepped back slightly from the edge, causing Paul and Embry to retreat as well. Then, as the voices quieted, he leaped into Cullen territory. His four paws landed firmly on the vampire soil, and he turned toward his brothers, whose alarmed shouts filled his mind again.

“Get back before one of the Cullens sees you!”

“Are you crazy? You’re breaking the treaty!”

Leah let out a low growl and moved a little closer. “Sam’s going to kill you for this. If the Cullens don’t do it first, Thomas.”

“They broke it first when they touched Bella,” Thomas replied, and without waiting for a response, turned and ran toward his primary target.

He raced through the forest as fast as his legs would carry him, his brothers’ thoughts echoing faintly in the background. He didn’t care about the treaty or Sam at that moment.

He definitely didn’t care when he came to a stop outside the Cullen house, emerging from the trees.

He could smell them, and he knew they could smell him too. He wasn’t even surprised when Bella’s distinct scent reached him. She was here, with Edward.

In less than a second, the vampire family emerged onto the porch of their grand house. A low, menacing growl rumbled from Thomas’s throat as Edward appeared with Bella, who moved cautiously forward. She knew it was Thomas.

Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and the newest member of the family, a newborn named Newt, stood there as well.

Thomas hated Edward Cullen, but if there was one person he hated more, it was Newt Cullen. The newborn had been adopted by Carlisle and Esme when they found him lost and alone. At the time, he could barely control himself around humans, much like Jasper, which was why they had taken him in a few years ago.

“What is that mutt doing on our land?” Rosalie spat, her voice dripping with disdain. Emmett placed a calming hand on her arm.

Esme glanced at her husband, who was the next to speak. “Calm down, everyone. I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation for breaking the treaty this way,” he said in that soothing voice Thomas despised.

Edward narrowed his eyes at Thomas. “The pack knows we’ve returned,” Edward explained to his family, reading Thomas’s thoughts. “Thomas just wanted to make sure Bella is safe with us.”

That was a lie. Thomas knew Edward was covering up his real thoughts.

Almost everyone’s expressions softened visibly, recognizing that the wolf was Thomas—the one who had stayed with Bella and cared for her during the months the Cullens were gone.

“I told you the mutt would come,” a voice, accented and distinctly British, came from the newborn.

Alice rolled her eyes. “I can’t see them, Newt. He’s a wolf,” she said, annoyed.

Thomas refused to look at the pale, blonde newborn leaning against the glass wall of the luxurious house, his arms crossed.

He almost growled in frustration. He knew this newborn had the gift of visions, like Alice, but his ability was different. Newt could see conditional futures. His visions shifted depending on actions and choices, making them less clear than Alice’s. However, unlike her, he could see everyone—including shape-shifters like Thomas.

And as if that wasn’t enough, Newt was the only member of the Cullen family with two gifts. He possessed Temporal Convergence Visions and Shadow Manipulation. Of the two, Thomas hated the visions more. Although he knew the shadow manipulation was incredibly dangerous—arguably the most lethal ability among the Cullens—he loathed the former.

Thomas turned his gaze to Edward, who pressed his lips together, clearly reading Thomas’s thoughts and glancing toward his brother, Newt.

“Thomas,” Bella’s voice cut through the air as she stepped cautiously down the large wooden porch stairs. “I should’ve sent you a message or called you so you wouldn’t worry. I’m sorry.”

Thomas lowered his snout slightly, his aggressive stance softening as he looked at her.

“He says he was worried about you,” Edward interjected, his expression unchanged.

Bella sighed, a faint smile tugging at her lips as she stood before the wolf. “Alice called me, and I came here as soon as I heard they’d returned after what happened with the Volturi,” she explained gently, reaching out to scratch behind one of his ears. He allowed it. “Everything’s fine now.”

Thomas let out a low growl, nudging his snout against Bella’s shoulder. She looked at Edward, expecting him to translate.

“He says he’ll kill me if I hurt you,” Edward relayed, his face emotionless, as if the threat didn’t faze him at all.

Carlisle extended an arm to stop Rosalie when she stepped forward, clearly ready to lash out at Thomas.

“It’s not a threat, Rosalie.”

“That disgusting mutt broke our treaty!” she hissed, glaring at Thomas, who pulled back slightly from Bella and growled menacingly at the blonde.

All eyes shifted to Carlisle, who calmly placed his hands in his pockets and looked at Thomas.

“I don’t think it was his intention.”

Thomas almost laughed at that. He didn’t know why, but Carlisle always seemed to defend him from the rest of his family.

In the end, the laugh came instead from the newborn.

Damn idiot.

Edward frowned, his gaze bouncing between Thomas and his brother.

“Newt,” Edward warned softly.

Newt shrugged but didn’t look at Thomas. Instead, he addressed his family.

“I didn’t say anything,” he said seriously, a stark contrast to his earlier amusement.

Thomas growled louder, pawing at the stone ground with a sharp scratch.

That was when the newborn, whom Thomas had met two years ago, locked eyes with him.

Something inside Thomas tore and clawed at his chest violently, as though his wolf was fighting to escape. He whimpered—a mangled sound—and stepped away from Bella. His eyes stayed locked on Newt’s, whose expression had shifted into a frown.

Suddenly, Thomas felt it. He felt it, and he wanted whatever was forming in his body and mind to stop with a brutal blow. But it didn’t. It grew stronger.

“One look, Thomas.” That was what Sam had said when he told him about Emily. One look was all it took for him to imprint on her.

Just one look.

Thomas had made the mistake of looking into those damned eyes. Those… no! He tried to look away the moment he realized his thoughts. Something was changing inside him.

Something bubbled in his chest and tingled through his body, focusing only on the eyes of that newborn who kept staring at him. There was no turning back now. Thomas knew it.

He had… oh my god, Sam was going to kill him.

“Thomas?” Bella tried to get his attention, frowning. “What’s wrong with him?” she turned to look at Edward, who had a shocked expression on his face.

Carlisle immediately looked at him, as confused as the rest of the family. Newt kept staring at Thomas.

“No… he’s not saying anything clear,” Edward tried to explain, looking at the wolf, who lowered his head to avoid looking at the newborn again.

Before Bella could open her mouth, four or five wolves emerged from the forest, threatening and dangerous. Thomas barely registered the flood of thoughts pouring into his head.

Esme pulled Bella by the arm, guiding her back onto the porch. Carlisle stepped in to stop Rosalie and Emmett once again, while Jasper and Alice exchanged a long look.

The newly arrived wolves surrounded Thomas in a furious and frantic circle. The only wolf that mattered to Thomas at that moment was the large black wolf pacing in front of him: his alpha.

“The rules were clear for everyone, Thomas!” Sam’s furious voice echoed in his head.

Thomas lowered his gaze, ashamed, almost letting out a pained whimper. In other circumstances, he would have been embarrassed by this, but he had just imprinted and…

Crap.

His eyes suddenly met Edward’s. He had read his mind.

Edward’s eyes widened slightly, catching the attention of the rest of his family. Carlisle was the first to speak.

“Edward?”

“Thomas imprinted,” he said quickly.

Sam stopped growling at Thomas and turned to look at Edward, who now raised his gaze slowly toward Newt. The other wolves moved to stand beside Sam, their eyes following in the same direction.

One by one, everyone’s eyes settled on Newt, as though they had uncovered a secret.

Not long after those seconds of shock, Bella looked at Thomas, more than surprised, as if she wanted to approach the wolves.

Suddenly, Sam roared fiercely at the Cullens, who immediately braced to retaliate. Embry, Paul, Quil, and Jared growled dangerously behind their alpha, who held them in place.

Thomas allowed himself to look up, feeling his heartbeat quicken as his gaze met Newt’s once again. Everything in his mind seemed to blur; only he mattered. His thoughts focused solely on him.

He barely registered Sam’s warning growl, demanding his attention. He kept staring at Newt, unable to concentrate on anything else. That newborn filled his mind and senses.

It wasn’t until a loud growl from Sam jolted him that Thomas broke eye contact. Blinking, he focused on his alpha, who growled deeply, warning Thomas, causing him to lower his head in submission.

“Wait, is that even possible?” Bella’s voice broke through the tension that had built in mere seconds.

Thomas tried to tear his gaze from the ground, thinking about how Newt was still there, staring at him; Thomas desperately wanted to know his reaction.

Before he could even attempt it, Sam seemed to read his train of thought and growled again, dangerously.

“Submit. Now,” Sam’s voice commanded, stepping forward to stand directly in front of Thomas, who cowered in place.

Edward winced awkwardly, reading all the thoughts swirling around. Carlisle and the others didn’t fail to notice.

Thomas lowered his head even further, used to this. He tilted his head to the side, baring his neck as much as he could to Sam.

Jared and Paul growled at the Cullens when they heard a movement. Jasper had grabbed Newt’s arm when he saw Sam and Thomas’s exchange.

Still, Thomas remained in place as Sam stepped closer, running his snout over his neck, accepting Thomas’s submission.

“Let me go!” Newt’s voice rang out again.

Sam turned toward the Cullens. Jared tried to get Thomas’s attention, but without a signal from his alpha to leave, Thomas reacted and bolted, dashing into the forest to escape everything that had just happened in mere seconds.

Seth joined him as soon as he fled the scene. He didn’t say anything, not even through telepathy. He simply ran beside him, as if trying to help in some small way.

What just happened? What had just…? Thomas wanted to smash his head against a tree. He wanted to be buried alive and never unearthed again. He wished this imprinting had never occurred.

Because now he didn’t hate Newt Cullen. He couldn’t even imagine despising him as he had before the imprinting. It hurt to think about how much he loathed him before. Something in his chest burned fiercely when Newt’s perfect face projected in his mind, and he hated himself for it.

Seth let out a low, pained whimper as Thomas stopped running in the middle of the forest, overcome by the strong emotions of the imprinting. He felt like crying, screaming, laughing, and running back to his… soulmate?

Was that what the newborn was to him now?

Overwhelmed by the surge of emotions, he shifted back into his human form almost unconsciously. His nakedness hardly mattered at that moment as Seth stood beside him, nudging his arm with his snout to support him when his knees buckled.

“Seth…” he whispered his brother’s name, blinking as his vision began to blur.

His younger brother whimpered softly, unable to support him properly, and Thomas collapsed unconscious to the ground, face down as Seth managed to cushion his fall slightly to prevent him from hurting himself.

When Seth howled loudly, Sam and the rest of the pack came running to meet him after hearing the cry for help.

Chapter Text

When Seth’s heartbreaking howl shattered the calm of the forest, the response was immediate. The wolves stationed in front of the Cullen house tensed in unison, their bodies vibrating with contained energy. Without exchanging a single word, Sam Uley led the pack toward the origin of the call, their paws barely touching the ground as they vanished into the trees.

From the porch, Bella watched with growing concern as the imposing figures of the wolves disappeared into the thick forest. Her heart raced, her mind filled with uncertainty.

“What’s happening?” she asked, her voice a quiet whisper heavy with unease. She took a hesitant step forward, but Edward stopped her with a swift movement, positioning himself in front of her, blocking her view.

“It’s not safe for you, Bella. Stay here,” he replied, his eyes still fixed on the spot where the wolves had disappeared. His expression was tense, focused, as if listening for something only he could hear.

Bella frowned, frustration flickering in her chest, but she complied, though her gaze never left the direction of the forest. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong, and her impatience to understand what was happening gnawed at her.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Cullens turned almost in unison to glance at Newt, who stood motionless at the edge of the porch. His jaw was clenched, and his normally warm, though restless, eyes were fixed on the direction of Seth’s howl, as if he were battling with something deep within him, something he could neither control nor understand.

Alice was the first to break the silence, her voice barely more than a whisper in the tense air.

“Newt…” she began, but she didn’t finish her sentence.

Newt, sensing that all eyes were on him, turned abruptly, his frustration barely masked by his exasperated expression. Without saying a word, he spun around and disappeared inside the house, his footsteps echoing sharply against the wooden floor as he hurried away.

“We’ll talk to him,” Jasper said, his voice calm but firm, a quiet promise that things would be addressed. Without further delay, he and Emmett exchanged a quick glance before following Newt into the house.

Newt didn’t stop until he reached his bedroom on the upper floor. He slammed the door shut behind him and leaned against it, his breath coming in shallow, ragged gasps as he fought to calm the storm inside him. The images in his head were a blur, but one thing stood out clearly—Thomas, the wolf with dark eyes, the inexplicable connection that drew him toward him like a magnet.

As he tried to steady his breathing, his mind spiraled with conflicting emotions. He couldn’t make sense of it. He shouldn’t be feeling this way, especially not about a werewolf. But the pull was undeniable, overwhelming. It was like a force he couldn’t fight, no matter how hard he tried.

When Jasper and Emmett reached his door, they paused before entering, exchanging another silent look.

“I’m going to talk to him,” Jasper murmured, and Emmett nodded, staying on the other side of the hall, ready to intervene if things got out of hand.

“Newt,” Jasper called softly, tapping on the door. “Let me in.”

Inside, Newt squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the flood of emotions that threatened to consume him. He felt trapped, overwhelmed. After a long moment, he stepped back and opened the door, but his face was still taut with frustration.

“I don’t want to talk,” he said, his voice low and tight.

“I know,” Jasper replied calmly, stepping into the room. “But you need to. Whatever you’re feeling, we can help.”

Newt let out a bitter laugh, moving toward the window.

“Help me?” he repeated, his voice edged with disbelief as he stared out at the forest through the glass. “I don’t think you can help me with this, Jasper.”

Jasper stood still for a moment, his gaze never leaving Newt. He could sense the turmoil inside him—the confusion, the anger, but underneath it all, there was something deeper. Something that felt like fear.

“It’s about him, isn’t it?” Jasper asked quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Newt tensed, his fists clenching at his sides. He didn’t answer immediately, but the weight of the question hung in the air.

“Thomas,” Jasper pressed, his voice gentle but insistent. “It’s him.”

Newt’s body stiffened at the name, and he spun to face Jasper, his eyes blazing with emotion.

“You don’t understand!” he exclaimed, his voice trembling with intensity, his emotions raw and unfiltered. “It’s like… like I have no control. Like something inside of me… is forcing me to feel this way about him.”

Jasper nodded slowly, his expression softening with understanding.

“I understand more than you think,” he said, his voice low but steady. “The connection between you and Thomas isn’t something you can control, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong.”

Newt collapsed onto the bed, burying his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking.

“He’s a werewolf, Jasper. I’m a vampire. This doesn’t make sense.”

Before Jasper could respond, the sound of hurried footsteps in the hall interrupted them. Carlisle appeared at the door, his serene face tinged with concern.

“The wolves have gone to Seth’s call,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “It’s about Thomas.”

The mention of Thomas’s name immediately made Newt lift his head, his eyes narrowing, but he didn’t seem overly concerned.

“And?” he asked, his tone sharp as he scrutinized his father’s face. “What’s happened to him?”

Carlisle exchanged a quick, meaningful glance with Jasper before answering.

“I’m not entirely sure, but Seth’s howl was meant to summon the pack. They’re going after him.”

Newt’s heart skipped a beat. Seth’s call wasn’t just a random cry—it was urgent, a signal that something was wrong, something dangerous. And Thomas… Thomas was at the center of it.

The tension in the room mounted as Newt’s mind raced. There was more to this than anyone was telling him, but the only thing he could think of was getting to Thomas.

•••

It had been at least two days before Thomas finally woke up. The sensation of heaviness in his body was almost unbearable, as though an invisible weight was holding him to the bed, unwilling to let him move. He let out a weak groan as he tried to sit up, his brow furrowing with pain as he finally managed to prop himself up against the headboard. His eyes slowly scanned the room, immediately recognizing the wooden walls and the familiar mess of his belongings scattered here and there. He was in his room, in La Push.

He realized his torso was bare, with only a pair of cut-off jeans hanging loosely around his hips, barely covering him down to his knees. The heat radiating off his skin was suffocating, so he yanked the blankets off of him, letting them fall to the floor, desperate for any bit of relief.

“You’re awake.”

The familiar voice startled him, forcing him to turn his head toward the door. There, leaning against the doorframe, stood Jacob Black. His best friend’s face was a mix of relief and concern, but even with the tension in his expression, a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Thomas tried to respond, but his dry throat only produced a raspy sound. He cleared his throat before trying again. “Jake.”

Jacob walked over with a confident stride, sitting down at the edge of the bed. The warmth emanating from his body was soothing, and Thomas almost felt it like a balm for the internal chaos that was consuming him. Jacob placed a firm hand on his bare knee, offering a sense of calm that Thomas didn’t realize he needed so badly.

“I think you’ve gotten yourself into a bit of a mess, buddy,” Jacob said, his tone half-joking, half-serious.

The comment made Thomas’ heart race. His mind was immediately swept back to the events of the past few days, and the memories hit him like a speeding train. He dropped his head, unable to hold Jacob’s gaze, and murmured softly, “I’m sorry, I didn’t… I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

Jacob, sensing the guilt in his words, leaned in a bit closer to him. His hand gently moved up his leg until it rested under his chin, lifting it slightly so their eyes could meet. Thomas had no choice but to face the calm intensity of his friend’s gaze.

“They’re looking for solutions, okay? Everything’s going to be fine,” Jacob reassured him in a soft voice, almost like a whisper. His smile, though faint, radiated a confidence that Thomas desperately wished he could share.

But despite Jacob’s attempt to reassure him, Thomas’s thoughts were already somewhere else. Somewhere else, in another face. That face. The one of the newborn.

Newt.

The image of the vampire appeared in his mind with disturbing clarity. His pale skin, his golden eyes, that inexplicably magnetic aura that seemed to surround him every time he was near. Thomas clenched his jaw, struggling against the conflicting emotions that flooded him. He couldn’t understand it. He didn’t want to understand it. And yet, there it was, etched in his mind like an impossible-to-remove tattoo.

The familiar warmth crept up his cheeks. It was ridiculous. He shouldn’t be thinking about him like this, but his treacherous heart didn’t agree. He flushed, quickly averting his gaze from Jacob.

“Thomas,” Jacob called gently, noticing the shift in his expression. “What’s going on?”

Thomas swallowed hard, unsure of how to explain it. The need to leave, to see him, to find Newt, was growing inside him, making him feel as though he were about to explode from the pressure. He didn’t even know what to call it, this urgency, this ache he couldn’t shake.

“It’s nothing…” he muttered, his voice barely convincing, not even to himself.

Jacob withdrew his hand and glanced toward the stairs visible through the open door to the room. Voices echoed from downstairs, a tense murmur that seemed to grow more urgent with each passing second.

“You should go downstairs,” Jacob suggested, nodding toward the door. “Unless you still don’t feel well.”

Thomas’s eyes flickered toward the door and then back to Jacob. He could hear the voices downstairs, but it wasn’t the conversations that pulled him—it was the overwhelming need to find Newt, to understand what was happening to him.

“I’ll be fine,” Thomas said quietly, his voice heavy with the weight of his thoughts. “I just… I need to figure something out.”

Jacob didn’t push him further. He simply nodded, standing up from the bed. “Take your time, man. We’ll be down there when you’re ready.”

But even as Jacob left the room, Thomas remained frozen, his thoughts racing. The connection he felt with Newt was undeniable, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that something had been set in motion that neither of them could control. He wanted to understand it, to make sense of it, but the emotions were too intense, too confusing. He had never felt anything like this before.

He glanced again at the door to the stairs, hearing the muffled voices. With a deep breath, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood, though his knees wobbled slightly. The heat in his chest remained, a persistent reminder of the overwhelming pull he felt toward Newt. He didn’t know what was going to happen next, but he knew one thing for certain: he needed answers.

Slowly, he made his way toward the door, bracing himself for whatever would come next.

Thomas didn’t respond immediately. He remained seated on the edge of the bed, his elbows resting on his knees and his gaze lost on the wooden floor beneath him. The tension in his body was palpable: his shoulders were stiff, his hands clenched into fists. It was as if he was trying to hold back an internal storm, a torrent of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him.

Jacob sighed heavily and stood up from the chair where he had been sitting. He extended a hand towards Thomas, a silent invitation to help him get up. At first, Thomas seemed to hesitate, but after a moment, he accepted the offer, placing his hand in Jacob’s.

The contact was brief, but it was enough for Jacob to feel how cold his friend’s touch was. Thomas struggled to stand, his movements slow and unsteady, as if his own body weighed more than usual. The weight of his emotions seemed to carry a physical toll on him, making even the smallest movement feel like an effort.

“Come on, don’t make things worse by staying here,” Jacob’s voice was gentle yet firm.

Thomas nodded with an almost imperceptible movement, and slowly made his way toward the door. Each step seemed heavier than the last, and the thought of facing anyone, especially the entire pack, filled him with dread. He didn’t want to explain himself, not in front of them, especially not in front of Sam, whose judgment was never anything short of harsh and unyielding. But deep down, he knew he couldn’t avoid it forever.

The silence on the staircase was oppressive. As he descended, the voices from the living room grew clearer: the deep tone of Sam, Emily’s soft interjection, and the occasional murmur from Billy, whose presence carried undeniable weight as a figure of respect within the pack.

When Thomas reached the bottom of the stairs, every pair of eyes in the room turned to him. The air in the room seemed to grow heavy with tension, thick with the unspoken words that hung in the atmosphere. Sam, who had been standing beside Emily, turned his head toward him. His dark eyes glistened with a mix of authority and expectation.

Thomas swallowed hard, his throat tightening. The weight of their stares was nearly unbearable.

Sam took a step forward, leaving the chair he had been sitting in. His posture was rigid, and his presence filled the room with an undeniable sense of control. Thomas could feel the power that Sam exuded, and it only made the room feel smaller, more suffocating.

“Sam, I…” Thomas tried to speak, but the words caught in his throat, refusing to come out.

The alpha raised a hand, signaling for silence. Thomas lowered his gaze, as was customary, tilting his head slightly to the side in an instinctive gesture of submission. It was deeply ingrained in him, this need to show respect as a member of the pack, but this time, it felt humiliating, like a betrayal of his own feelings.

Jacob, who had followed Thomas down the stairs, moved to the side, positioning himself close to his friend, almost as if to shield him. But before he could speak, Billy’s voice rang out from his place by the fire.

“Jake, don’t interfere.” The warning was clear, though tinged with a faint trace of displeasure.

Jacob pressed his lips together and took a step back, though he didn’t move far. Thomas, on the other hand, kept his gaze firmly on the floor, his jaw muscles tight with tension.

Sam placed a firm hand on Thomas’s shoulder. The contact was both a gesture of control and authority, a reminder of who held the power in this space.

“It’s alright, but we need to talk about this,” Sam said, allowing Thomas to lift his gaze cautiously. “But it doesn’t look good, Thomas.”

Confusion flickered across Thomas’s face. For a moment, the fear and frustration that had been plaguing him were replaced by a flash of irritation.

“What do you mean? What doesn’t look good?” he asked, his tone sharper than he had intended.

The room fell into an uncomfortable silence. Emily and Billy exchanged glances, their expressions taut with unease. Even Jacob seemed unsettled, as though he were bracing for an imminent storm.

Sam stepped back, returning to his place next to Emily, and rested a hand on the back of the wooden chair.

“Thomas, you can’t ignore what happened. You broke the rules. You crossed the boundary, and…” he paused, searching for the right words, “and what happened there… it’s not something we can take lightly.”

Thomas furrowed his brow, his hands becoming fists at his sides.

“I did it because I had to make sure Bella was safe! Nothing else!” he protested, his voice rising in frustration.

“Nothing else?” Sam raised an eyebrow, his eyes locking onto Thomas as if he could see straight through him. “Is that really what you think?”

The question was loaded with implications, and it left Thomas speechless. A knot formed in his stomach as the memory of that moment hit him again—the instant his eyes had met Newt’s. It had felt like a shock, a jolt of electricity that coursed through him and left him breathless.

“Sam…” Thomas began, but the words failed him.

Sam shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Everyone saw it, Thomas. The pack felt it. The imprinting.”

Thomas’s heart stopped for a beat. The word felt like a sentence, something impossible to comprehend, let alone accept.

“No… it can’t be…” he whispered, but his voice trembled with uncertainty.

“But it is.” Sam’s voice was firm, almost compassionate. “And the worst part… is that you imprinted on a vampire.”

The silence that followed felt like an explosion without sound. Everyone in the room stared at Thomas, but he could barely move. The weight of Sam’s words hit him with a crushing force, stealing the breath from his lungs.

A vampire. Newt.

Impossible.

But deep down, he knew it was true.

Thomas could feel the searing warmth of Jacob’s hand at the base of his back, a tangible reminder that he wasn’t alone, though it did little to calm the whirlwind of emotions that surged within him. His breathing was heavy, each inhalation more laborious than the last, as if the very act of drawing breath had become a struggle. Jacob, ever direct but trying to soften the blow, broke the silence with a seriousness that carried a weight deeper than mere words.

“Your imprinting… The agreement…” Jacob’s voice was low but firm, filled with a mixture of compassion and concern. He first glanced at Thomas and then at Sam, as if seeking support. “The Cullen vampires don’t want us to set foot on their territory again. Sam has tried to talk to them, but… it doesn’t look good.”

The words hit Thomas like a punch to the chest, his heart lurching painfully in response. He swallowed hard, the effort almost too much, and shifted his gaze toward the trees that lined the clearing where the pack had gathered. The cold air from the forest pierced his skin like needles, but nothing could distract him from the knot forming in his stomach, a tightness that seemed to spread with every passing second.

If he couldn’t see Newt…

He couldn’t even finish the thought. It wasn’t fair. He hadn’t asked for this. He hadn’t asked to imprint on someone like him. And certainly not on a vampire. Not that vampire. His fists clenched tightly, as if holding onto something would somehow keep him from falling apart entirely.

Sam, who had been watching him with the keen attention of a protective alpha, raised a hand, interrupting the uncomfortable silence. His voice was deeper and more serious than Jacob’s, but there was a hint of understanding in it—enough to let Thomas know that Sam knew exactly what he was going through, even if there was nothing he could do to ease his burden.

“We know, Thomas.” Sam crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze fixed firmly on the young wolf. “And we assume the Cullens know this is hard for you. More than any of us can understand. But right now, we need to think of other solutions.”

The words “other solutions” ignited something within Thomas. His head snapped up sharply, and a flicker of frustration flashed in his dark eyes.

“Other solutions?” he repeated, his voice rising slightly, loaded with indignation. He could feel Jacob’s hand on his back pressing harder, an attempt to keep him grounded as his rage began to swell. “I didn’t choose to imprint on that vampire. I didn’t choose any of this, but you can’t deny me my right. You can’t—”

Before he could finish, Billy, who had been watching silently from his chair, interrupted with a calmness that was as sharp as a blade.

“That Cullen has the right to reject you.” Billy’s tone was firm, almost unyielding, but there was a shadow of sadness in his words. He looked at Thomas like a father who wanted to protect his son from an unavoidable pain. “It’s not what we expected for you, son, but you can’t change it. And you can’t force him to accept it.”

Thomas felt his jaw tighten, his body stiffening as he tried to maintain composure. But Billy’s words hit him like a direct blow to the chest. Rejection. Of course, Newt would reject him. He had always hated him, and rightfully so. They had been enemies from the moment they met. If it weren’t for that damn imprinting, Thomas probably would still hate him too.

The silence stretched, heavy and suffocating, like a blanket over the pack. Thomas tried to appear angry, as if anger was the only emotion he felt, but deep down, he was shattered. His shoulders trembled slightly, though he tried to hide it. His entire body felt on the verge of breaking, but not from fury—rather from a pain that he could barely comprehend.

Finally, a soft voice broke the silence. Emily, always the calmest of the group, spoke cautiously, as if her words might shatter something even more fragile within Thomas.

“Can’t he talk to them?” she asked, looking first at Sam and then at Billy. Her tone was so gentle, it contrasted sharply with the palpable tension in the room. “Maybe if someone explains what this means for Thomas… for all of us, we could find a solution.”

Sam let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his short, dark hair.

“We’ve already tried, Emily.” His voice was tired, but there was a hint of frustration in it too. “Carlisle seems reasonable, but they can’t ignore what Newt is. And with the newborns… things are more complicated. We can’t risk this turning into something worse.”

Thomas couldn’t take it anymore. He stepped forward, pulling away from Jacob, who looked at him with a mix of concern and warning.

“Something worse?” he repeated, his voice nearly breaking with the intensity of his emotions. “What could be worse than this? What could be worse than knowing I’m tied to someone who hates me and who I should hate? This shouldn’t even be possible!”

His words hung in the air, and for a moment, no one knew how to respond. Jacob tried to move closer to calm him, but Thomas took a step back, shaking his head. He didn’t want comfort. He didn’t want empty words. He wanted answers. He wanted to understand why fate had decided to bind him to someone like Newt.

And more than anything, he wanted to stop feeling like his heart was breaking every time he thought about the rejection that was undoubtedly waiting for him.

The silence that followed was thick, heavy, as if everyone in the room was holding their breath, afraid to break the stillness. Thomas, his chest rising and falling rapidly with each breath, slowly sank onto a nearby log, his hands buried deep in his hair. He couldn’t look at anyone, especially not Sam or Billy, who seemed to carry a truth that he wasn’t ready to accept. Jacob stood nearby, watching him with the tension of someone who wanted to comfort but knew that any words would be futile, ineffective in the face of the storm inside Thomas.

Emily, with her gentle and compassionate gaze, was the first to break the silence. But this time, her voice was laced with concern.

“Thomas… we don’t know how this works,” she said, her voice soft, almost hesitant. She paused for a moment, as if she were carefully choosing her words. “We’ve never seen an imprinting with a vampire. We don’t even know if the Cullens have any idea what this means. But…” She glanced briefly at Sam, searching for support from her alpha. “You can’t carry this all by yourself. You need time.”

Thomas lifted his head slowly, his dark eyes gleaming with a mix of rage and helplessness. The words hit him like a slap in the face, but he wasn’t ready to let them sink in.

“Time?” he whispered at first, his voice barely audible. Then, as if the weight of his frustration couldn’t be contained any longer, his voice rose, louder and stronger. “I don’t need time! I need this to end. I need…” He faltered, his voice breaking at the end of the sentence. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to hold back the torrent of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him.

Jacob, who had been standing silently, finally crouched down in front of him, placing both hands on his knees, forcing him to meet his gaze. His expression was serious, but there was a warmth to his eyes, a silent invitation for Thomas to open up, even if he wasn’t ready.

“Listen, T.” Jacob’s voice was deep, but there was an edge of urgency to it. “I know this sucks. I know this is the last thing you wanted, and believe me, I can’t even imagine what you’re feeling. But you need to think about what this means. Not just for you, but for us, for the pack.” He paused, his eyes searching Thomas’s, trying to reach him, trying to make him understand. “If you cross that line again… if you go after him without a plan, Sam won’t be able to protect you. And neither will I.”

Thomas stared at him, his jaw clenched as he processed Jacob’s words. He knew Jacob was right. He knew that crossing the Cullen territory again would be a direct violation of the agreement, and that Sam would be forced to take action. But the thought of not seeing Newt—of not being near him, even if it was just to exchange hateful looks or have arguments—was unbearable. The mere idea made his chest tighten in a way that felt like suffocating.

“I can’t just… stay here,” Thomas finally spoke, his voice heavy with despair. “I can’t pretend this isn’t happening. Every time I think about him, it feels like I’m losing my mind. And the worst part is…” He trailed off, lowering his gaze, unable to finish the thought.

Jacob tilted his head, waiting for him to continue, but it was Sam who spoke next.

“The worst part is what, Thomas?” Sam asked, his voice calm, but there was an edge to it, a sharpness that came from years of leading the pack.

Thomas lifted his eyes to meet Sam’s, his gaze burning with a mixture of frustration, anger, and pain. His emotions had built up so much that it felt like they might burst free if he didn’t release them.

“The worst part is that I can’t hate him,” Thomas whispered, the words coming out in a broken breath. As soon as he said them, he felt exposed, vulnerable, more than he ever had before. He closed his eyes for a moment, unable to look anyone in the eye. “Everything in me tells me I should hate him. But I can’t. And I can’t stand it.”

The confession seemed to shock everyone in the room. Even Jacob tensed up slightly, though he didn’t look away. Sam let out a long sigh, rubbing a hand over his short, dark hair as he looked at Billy, almost as if seeking his opinion.

“It’s the imprinting,” Billy said, his deep voice cutting through the tension. “It’s not about what you want, Thomas. Or what he wants. It’s something stronger than you, something you can’t control. But that doesn’t mean you should lose yourself in it.”

Thomas clenched his fists, fighting against the urge to shout, to scream out the frustration that had been boiling inside him since this whole nightmare began. The idea that he couldn’t control it, that this force had taken over his life in ways he couldn’t fight—he couldn’t stand it. It was like being trapped in a cage, with the walls closing in, and no way out.

He wanted to argue, to shout out that no one could understand the weight of what he was feeling—that this wasn’t some simple thing that could be brushed aside. But he knew that they were right in some way. He knew this imprinting was a force beyond his control, that it wasn’t about what he wanted or what Newt wanted, but about something bigger than both of them.

Still, the thought that he would have to accept this, to live with the consequences of something he didn’t ask for, was almost too much to bear. It was as if he was being torn in two—one part of him desperately wanting to break free, to find a way to live his life without this torment, and the other part tethered to Newt in a way that he couldn’t escape, no matter how much he wished to.

For a long moment, the pack was silent, each person lost in their own thoughts as they processed what had been said. Thomas sat there, his body rigid, his fists still clenched, his mind racing in circles. He wanted to scream, to fight against the bond that held him captive, but all he could do was sit there and feel the weight of it all pressing down on him, crushing him slowly from the inside out.

Jacob remained crouched in front of him, not speaking, just waiting. Emily’s gaze was soft, but there was an undeniable sadness in her eyes. Sam, ever the leader, stood with his arms crossed, his expression unreadable, but there was an understanding in his posture, as if he knew there was no easy answer to the chaos that had been unleashed.

And Billy, who had always been the voice of reason, stood quietly beside Sam, his eyes thoughtful, his presence a calm anchor in the midst of the storm.

Thomas closed his eyes once more, trying to block out the world around him, trying to find some peace in the chaos. But there was no peace to be found, not while his heart was torn between what he wanted and what the imprinting had made inevitable.

The silence stretched on, thick and suffocating, as the pack waited for Thomas to process everything, to find some resolution in the turmoil that had overtaken him. But Thomas knew that resolution was a long way off. For now, all he could do was endure.

“What am I supposed to do?” Thomas snapped, his voice thick with frustration. “Am I supposed to sit here and wait for him to officially reject me? Wait for him to look at me like I’m… less than nothing?”

Emily, who had been silent up until that point, took a small step closer. Her gaze was filled with tenderness, a quiet compassion that was almost palpable in the air between them.

“We don’t know if that’s what he’ll do, Thomas,” she said gently, her voice like a balm soothing open wounds. “But you won’t know what he’s thinking if you don’t talk to him.”

The words Emily spoke landed heavily, like a stone thrown into water, sending ripples of tension through the small group. Thomas turned his gaze toward her, his eyes clouded with a mixture of confusion and something that resembled hope. But deep down, he knew it was futile. There was no point in hoping for something that seemed so out of reach.

“Talk to him?” he repeated, his disbelief evident in the tone of his voice. “How am I supposed to do that without crossing his territory? Without…” His voice faltered, and he couldn’t finish the thought. The idea of even attempting to approach Newt, knowing the line he would be crossing, felt impossible. It wasn’t just about physical boundaries; it was about the emotional chasm that had formed between them, a chasm that felt insurmountable.

Before anyone could respond, Jacob’s voice cut through the thick tension like a knife, firm and resolute.

“I can talk to them.” Jacob stood up from where he had been sitting, crossing his arms over his chest as if he had already begun planning the next step in his mind. “I’ll go see Carlisle. I’ll explain what’s going on. Maybe they won’t like it, but they need to understand. This isn’t just your problem, T. This affects all of us.”

Thomas stared at Jacob, a mix of surprise and reluctant gratitude flickering in his eyes. He had never expected Jacob to offer to step into this mess, especially not for him.

“You’d do that for me?” Thomas asked, his voice almost a whisper.

Jacob let out a deep sigh, shaking his head slightly, a small ironic smile playing at the corners of his lips.

“No. I’d do it for the pack.” He paused, glancing at Thomas with a look that carried a hint of humor. “But you come with the package, don’t you?”

The faint glimmer of humor in Jacob’s eyes was enough to ease some of the tension in Thomas’s shoulders. It didn’t make everything better, but it was a small relief. The weight he had been carrying felt a little lighter, even if just for a moment. However, the underlying worry remained, like a shadow that refused to be shaken off. The fear of what would happen next, the fear of rejection, of facing the reality of his imprinting, still loomed over him.

As the pack continued to discuss the details of what would happen next, Thomas fell into silence. His gaze wandered toward the edge of the forest, where the trees stood tall and dark, their branches swaying gently in the breeze. His mind, however, wasn’t focused on the present. It was far away, with Newt. He couldn’t help but wonder: What was Newt doing right now? Was he thinking of him at all, even for a moment? Did he still hate him as much as he had in the past? Did any of it matter anymore, now that Thomas was bound to him in a way that he could barely understand?

The truth was, Thomas had no idea. And that unknown terrified him more than anything else. Not knowing what Newt was feeling, or if he was even capable of feeling anything for him, was a gnawing, painful uncertainty that Thomas couldn’t shake. The silence between them, the distance, the coldness—everything felt like a wall that had been built up over time, and Thomas had no idea how to break through it.

He tried to imagine what it would be like to be near Newt again, to speak to him, to see him look at him—not with disdain, but with something else. But the thought of being rejected again, of seeing that look in Newt’s eyes, was enough to make him feel like the air was being sucked out of his lungs. It was a suffocating feeling, and Thomas felt trapped in his own mind, unsure how to move forward.

There was a soft rustling behind him as the others continued their discussion. But Thomas’s thoughts remained fixed on Newt, on the imprinting, on the fragile connection that had been forced upon him. His heart ached with a longing that he couldn’t explain, a yearning for something that seemed impossible to reach.

His hands clenched at his sides, and for a moment, he considered running. Running far away from all of this—away from the pack, away from the Cullens, away from the imprinting that had changed everything. But he knew that wouldn’t solve anything. It wouldn’t make the pain go away, and it wouldn’t make the confusion in his heart any clearer.

So, instead, he stayed there, in the silence, surrounded by the pack that was trying to help him, even though they didn’t fully understand what he was going through. And even though his mind and heart were miles away, tangled up in the uncertainty of what Newt might or might not feel, Thomas couldn’t shake the feeling that he was about to face something far bigger than anything he had ever encountered. Something that would test him in ways he couldn’t yet comprehend.

The air inside the Uley cabin was thick with tension, heavy and almost suffocating. Sam had arrived just in time to prevent things from spiraling out of control with the Cullens, but he knew that this was only the beginning. Thomas, his pack, was caught in a whirlwind of emotions that not even Sam fully understood. The situation with Newt—the vampire Thomas had imprinted on—only complicated matters further. While Sam knew that imprinting was not something Thomas had chosen, he also knew he had to protect him, no matter the cost. The pack was his responsibility, and Sam wasn’t about to let anything or anyone tear them apart.

As Sam prepared to face the Cullens, Thomas sat in one of the back rooms of the cabin, far removed from the rest of the pack. Bella, who had followed him into the room, stayed by his side, offering what little comfort she could while the chaos continued to unfold outside the safety of the room.

Thomas sat on the edge of the bed, his back hunched slightly, staring ahead without really seeing anything. His mind was a tangled mess of thoughts: the inexplicable connection with Newt, the vision of a future that seemed more uncertain with each passing moment, the shadows that had always clung to him, and the constant doubts that plagued him about whether he truly wanted to be bound to this destined relationship. He never wanted to imprint on a vampire, let alone someone like Newt, who saw him more as a threat than anything else. But the bond between them was undeniable, and with each passing day, it grew stronger, and it became harder to ignore.

Bella sat next to him, quietly observing. Since arriving in Forks, she had witnessed Thomas struggle with something far bigger than he could handle, something she couldn’t fully comprehend herself. The tension with the Cullens, the complicated dynamics within the pack, and the uncertainty of her own relationship with Jacob had left him in a constant state of confusion. But now, with the imprinting complicating everything even further, it all seemed so much more out of his control.

“Thomas, what are you thinking?” Bella asked softly, her voice gentle, trying to break the heavy silence that had settled in the room.

Thomas slowly lifted his gaze, his dark eyes filled with a mixture of despair and frustration. There was something about Bella that made him feel less alone in this chaos, something that calmed him in a way he hadn’t expected. Though he never anticipated that things would reach this point, he felt a sense of understanding from her that he hadn’t found elsewhere. It was as if she saw the complexity of his struggle without judgment, in a way that no one else did.

“I don’t know, Bella,” he confessed, his voice cracking slightly as he allowed himself to feel the full weight of the situation for the first time. “This is killing me. I can’t stop thinking about him. It’s like something is pulling me toward Newt, something I can’t control.” Thomas rubbed his face with his hands, his fingers pressing into his skin as if he could drown the emotions that were suffocating him. “I don’t even understand how this happened.” His words came out in a frustrated burst, raw and unfiltered.

Bella looked at him with understanding, not offering judgment, but simply offering her silent support. She knew what it felt like to be caught between two conflicting worlds, to be torn between choices that you couldn’t control. She had experienced it when she fell in love with Edward and had to face the dangers of being with a vampire. But unlike her, Thomas hadn’t chosen this path consciously. The imprinting was something that had been thrust upon him, and now, more than anything, he didn’t know how to navigate it.

“What you’re feeling isn’t something you can control, Thomas,” Bella said firmly, her voice a steady anchor in the storm of his emotions. She moved a little closer to him, her hand gently resting on his arm as if to offer him some form of physical comfort. “But you need to understand that you’re not alone in this. Jacob is here, your pack is here to support you. And I’m here too. No one is going to let this destroy you.”

Thomas turned to look at Bella, silently grateful for her words, even though a part of him still resisted. He knew Bella was trying to comfort him, to offer hope in a situation that felt so hopeless, but the reality was that the situation was far more complicated than she could fully understand. The connection with Newt, a vampire who seemed to view him as a threat rather than someone close, made Thomas feel like a pawn in a game whose rules he didn’t understand. The more he tried to push the bond aside, the stronger it became, and it only added to the sense of helplessness that he couldn’t shake.

Bella, sensing his internal conflict, didn’t push him further. She simply sat there, offering him the space to process his emotions, knowing that sometimes words weren’t enough to provide comfort. She had been in his shoes, torn between love and danger, and she knew that the path ahead for Thomas was going to be incredibly difficult. But she also knew that, no matter what, he wasn’t alone in this. He had people who cared for him, even if he couldn’t always see it in the midst of his confusion.

Thomas leaned back against the headboard of the bed, closing his eyes for a moment, trying to block out the overwhelming thoughts that threatened to consume him. He couldn’t stop thinking about Newt, about the bond that tied them together in ways he couldn’t explain. Every time he tried to distance himself, the pull back toward the vampire was stronger. And that was what terrified him—he couldn’t control it, and he didn’t know what it meant for his future. Would he ever be able to live a normal life again? Would he ever be able to escape this unrelenting connection, or was he doomed to be trapped by it forever?

For a moment, the room was silent, save for the sounds of the wind rustling outside and the occasional creak of the cabin’s wooden walls. It was a quiet that gave Thomas a brief respite from the storm inside his mind. But even in that silence, he could still feel the weight of the world pressing down on him, suffocating him with its uncertainty.

Bella, sensing his need for quiet, didn’t speak again. Instead, she simply remained beside him, offering her presence as a comforting reassurance. No matter what happened next, Thomas didn’t have to face it alone. And that, for now, was the only thing he could hold on to.

Meanwhile, outside the cabin, Sam was facing off with the Cullens. He had arrived at the Cullen house with Jacob by his side, determined to defend Thomas at all costs, regardless of what the vampires might think. Though Sam knew things wouldn’t be easy, he was resolute in his decision to do everything in his power to protect his pack. The safety of his pack was paramount, and Thomas was one of their own. Nothing was going to change that.

Carlisle, who stood at the forefront of the Cullen family, looked concerned but, at the same time, seemed to understand Sam’s position. He had been aware of the connection that had formed between Thomas and Newt, and while he couldn’t deny its existence, he also understood the dangers it posed. Newt, the fledgling vampire who had joined the Cullen family two years ago, was anything but ordinary. His abilities made him even more unpredictable, and Sam knew this. Not only could Newt see the future in sporadic visions, but he also possessed the dangerous ability to manipulate shadows—a lethal power that made him one of the most dangerous members of the Cullen family, despite his relatively young age. Sam knew that this combination of factors made the situation more volatile than anyone could have predicted, and he had to tread carefully.

“Sam, I understand that this is difficult for everyone involved, but we’re talking about the safety of all of us here,” Carlisle said, his voice calm but heavy with the seriousness of the situation. His normally composed demeanor was tinged with a rare edge of concern. “Newt doesn’t have full control over his abilities yet, and Thomas’ presence only complicates things. We can’t allow this to put our family in danger.”

Sam met Carlisle’s gaze with an unwavering intensity. There was no room for compromise in his response. His pack, his family, was at risk, and nothing was going to sway him from protecting them—not even the Cullens. The safety of Thomas was his responsibility, and he would not back down.

“Carlisle, I know your family has its own set of rules, but Thomas is one of us,” Sam replied, his voice firm and resolute, the tone of a leader who would not bend under pressure. “What’s happening with him is not something he can control. The imprinting isn’t something that he or anyone else can choose. It’s a bond that forms without warning, and you can’t just ignore it, no matter what you think it means.”

Carlisle paused, his expression softening for a moment, and he lowered his gaze. He knew Sam was right. Carlisle had witnessed Thomas’ internal struggle from the very moment the imprinting bond with Newt had formed. He had seen the pain and the confusion in Thomas’ eyes, the weight of a bond that he hadn’t chosen, one that seemed to bind him to someone who might very well be his greatest threat. Carlisle knew that both vampires and werewolves had their own rules, and these were not always easy to navigate. But Sam’s point was undeniable, and Carlisle knew that the situation was more complicated than it seemed on the surface.

“I understand, Sam, but we can’t ignore what’s at stake here,” Esme chimed in, her voice softer but equally firm. Her eyes were filled with genuine concern, not just for her family but for the situation as a whole. “Newt isn’t prepared for this kind of bond, and the danger of things spiraling out of control is very real.”

Sam sighed, his jaw tightening as he stared at the Cullens, weighing his options. He knew that he couldn’t make them change their minds immediately, but he wasn’t willing to let this escalate further. The Cullens had their own concerns, but his pack’s safety was his top priority. This wasn’t just about Thomas anymore—it was about the entire pack’s survival.

“Then here’s what we’re going to do,” Sam said, his voice steady and unwavering. He turned to Jacob, who stood beside him, his arms crossed over his chest in silent support. Jacob nodded in agreement, his expression just as serious as Sam’s. “If we can’t come to a solution right now, Thomas stays at the cabin with his pack. We don’t want any more conflict. He needs time to process everything that’s happening, and we’ll handle it our way. Nobody’s going to touch him until we can figure out a real solution.”

Carlisle and Esme exchanged a brief glance, their eyes silently communicating as they weighed Sam’s words. Carlisle opened his mouth as if to argue, but Esme placed a hand on his arm, stopping him. They both knew that Sam wasn’t going to back down, and they understood that Thomas would be safer with his pack for the time being. While they might not agree with the decision, they were well aware of Sam’s unyielding loyalty to his pack, and the potential consequences of pushing too hard at this moment.

After a moment of silence, Carlisle gave a reluctant nod, his face lined with the weight of his decision. “Very well, Sam. But know that we’re watching this situation closely. We can’t afford to have things get out of hand. If we see any further risk to our family, we won’t hesitate to act.”

Sam’s eyes never wavered, his focus unshaken. “I understand, Carlisle. I’ll make sure nothing happens to your family. But Thomas is under our protection now. We’ll figure this out, and we’ll do it on our terms.”

Esme looked at Sam, her expression softening ever so slightly. “I hope you’re right.”

With that, the tense conversation between the werewolves and the Cullens came to a temporary halt. The decision had been made, but neither side was entirely satisfied. The situation was far from resolved, and Sam knew that this fragile truce would only hold for as long as it took to find a real solution. But for the time being, Thomas was safe within his pack’s protection, and that was all that mattered.

As the Cullens turned to leave, their expressions tight with unresolved tension, Sam stood his ground, his mind already working on the next steps. He knew that this was just the beginning of a much larger conflict, one that wouldn’t be solved easily. But as long as his pack was behind him, he felt confident that they could face whatever challenges lay ahead. His loyalty to them was unwavering, and he would protect them, no matter what.

Meanwhile, inside the cabin, Thomas’ connection with Bella remained a refuge amid the chaos that surrounded them. Bella, despite having had her own complicated relationship with Jacob, understood the struggle Thomas was facing. She had seen firsthand how difficult it was for him to navigate the emotions tied to his imprinting, especially when it involved someone like Newt—a vampire who was as dangerous as he was captivating. Bella knew all too well the weight of being caught between two worlds, and she could relate to the confusion and frustration Thomas felt.

Thomas’ past was no less complicated. A year ago, he had been in a relationship with Teresa, another werewolf in Sam’s pack. Initially, their bond had started as something more than friendship, but as time passed, both of them realized that their connection wasn’t destined to be more than that. Despite the strong emotional ties they had once shared, they agreed that it was best to remain friends. Teresa still remained a part of Sam’s pack, and things between them were amicable, but the memories of their time together lingered in Thomas’ mind. Now, as he struggled with the imprinting on Newt, he couldn’t help but compare the two situations. The bond he felt for Newt was far more intense, more consuming, and the emotional conflict was unlike anything he had experienced before. The stark contrast between his past with Teresa and what he was going through now only deepened his confusion, making it harder to understand his own feelings.

As Thomas sat on the bed, his mind racing with questions he couldn’t answer, Bella remained by his side. She had seen him struggle, seen the turmoil in his eyes, and she wished more than anything she could make it easier for him. There was a deep sadness in his expression, a vulnerability that made it clear how much he was struggling with the situation. She understood, perhaps more than anyone, how powerful the imprinting could be, having witnessed its effects on Jacob and the emotional toll it had taken on him. But this was different; Thomas wasn’t choosing this—this connection, this bond, had been forced upon him, and it was tearing him apart.

“I don’t know how to get out of this, Bella,” Thomas whispered, his voice barely audible, but it carried the weight of a thousand unspoken fears and frustrations. The anguish in his words was clear, as if the very act of speaking them aloud made the situation more real, more inescapable. His hands trembled slightly, and he ran them through his hair in a desperate attempt to find clarity. But nothing seemed to make sense. The more he tried to reason with himself, the more tangled his emotions became. The connection with Newt felt like a knot in his chest that he couldn’t untie, no matter how hard he tried.

Bella, watching him with a mixture of compassion and sorrow, moved closer. She could feel the tension in his body, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. Without saying a word, she reached out and gently placed her hand on his arm, offering what little comfort she could. Her touch was light but steady, a silent promise that she was there for him.

“You’ll get through this, Thomas,” Bella said with a quiet certainty, her voice soft but unwavering. There was a strength in her words, a confidence that she hoped would be enough to give him some semblance of peace. “You don’t have to face this alone. You have everyone here for you. You have your pack. And I’ll be here, too.”

Her words, though simple, seemed to settle over him like a blanket, offering a small measure of solace. Bella knew that the road ahead would be difficult for him; that much was clear. The imprinting was a force he couldn’t control, and the emotional turmoil it caused was something she couldn’t take away. But at least she could be a steady presence in his life, someone he could rely on when everything else felt uncertain.

Thomas looked up at her, his eyes filled with a mixture of gratitude and uncertainty. The weight of his emotions was still heavy in his chest, but Bella’s kindness and support gave him a small sense of relief. He couldn’t deny that he felt a little less alone in that moment, knowing that she understood, even if she couldn’t fully comprehend the depth of what he was experiencing.

“I wish it were that easy, Bella,” Thomas said, his voice thick with emotion. “It’s just… it’s not as simple as you’re making it sound. I feel like I’m being torn in two. On one hand, there’s this pull toward Newt, something I can’t ignore, and on the other hand, there’s the rest of my life, my pack, and everything I’ve known. I don’t know how to reconcile the two.”

Bella gave him a small, understanding smile, knowing that his words were the truth, even if it wasn’t what she wanted to hear. The complexity of the situation was something no one could fully grasp unless they were in his shoes. And even then, it was hard to understand the force behind the imprinting—the way it could alter someone’s world entirely, making everything they thought they knew feel insignificant.

“I know, Thomas,” Bella whispered, her voice filled with empathy. “It’s not easy. But you don’t have to have all the answers right now. Just take it one step at a time. And when you’re ready, we’ll face whatever comes together.”

Thomas closed his eyes, letting her words wash over him. He wasn’t sure how he could face the future, how he could move forward in a world where his emotions felt so out of his control. But having Bella there, offering him a sliver of hope, made the weight of everything just a little more bearable. For the first time in what felt like forever, he allowed himself to breathe, to take in the comfort of her presence, even if it was only for a fleeting moment.

The room was still, filled with the quiet hum of their shared understanding. Outside the cabin, the world seemed to be spinning out of control, but in this small, intimate space, Thomas found a temporary refuge. And for now, that was all he could hold on to.

•••

A week had passed since Thomas had imprinted on Newt, and in that time, his life had taken a turn he wasn’t sure how to navigate. Each day that passed without being able to see the vampire, he felt more and more incomplete, as though a crucial part of him was missing. The pain was constant, gnawing at him from the inside, and though he was surrounded by his pack, by Bella, and by Jacob, he couldn’t find any relief. There was an emptiness within him that no one seemed to be able to fill. Every time he closed his eyes, he could almost feel Newt’s presence, as if the vampire were just nearby, yet when he opened them, the harsh reality of the situation slammed into him: he couldn’t get close to him. He couldn’t break the agreement with the Cullens, and he certainly couldn’t risk having his pack involved in a larger conflict that had the potential to escalate into something far more dangerous.

He was trapped.

The silence in the Uley cabin was suffocating, but the tension in the air was overwhelming, almost tangible. Thomas sat on the couch, his hands rubbing over his face in frustration, trying to push away the overwhelming thoughts that seemed to crowd his mind. His mind refused to let go of the same thought, the same presence that had consumed him since that fateful night—Newt. The imprinting had changed everything, and no matter how much he tried to distract himself or push the thoughts away, they always returned, relentless. The visions he had been having since the imprinting didn’t help either. No matter how many times he tried to see the future, all he could see was the same unbreakable connection between him and Newt, pulling him in, slowly tearing him apart. It was like trying to escape from his own skin, a bond so deep and so uncontrollable that it was suffocating him.

He tried to ignore it, to fight it, but the more he resisted, the more powerful the pull seemed to be. He knew that Newt, with all of his gifts, had probably seen this coming. After all, Newt was known for his ability to see the future, to anticipate the events that would unfold. But how did a vampire like Newt, who had lived for centuries, react to something as unpredictable and sudden as an imprinting? Thomas had no answers, and the uncertainty gnawed at him every day.

The rumors he had heard about Newt’s abilities only added to his sense of unease. He had heard whispers from others in the pack, stories about Newt’s talents, and some of those stories made him uneasy. Not only could Newt see the future, but he had the terrifying ability to manipulate shadows, to bend them to his will. It made him one of the most dangerous members of the Cullen family, perhaps even the most dangerous. But Thomas couldn’t help but wonder if Newt would see this connection as something more than just a bond. Would Newt accept the imprinting as something unchangeable, as something that would tie them together in ways he couldn’t escape? Or would he see Thomas as a threat, someone who needed to be eliminated to protect the fragile balance of his world?

These were the questions that plagued Thomas, the doubts and fears that echoed in his mind day and night. He couldn’t shake the fear that Newt might view him as nothing more than an obstacle in his path, someone who had to be dealt with. The uncertainty of the situation made his heart heavy, and no matter how hard he tried to think rationally, he couldn’t escape the feeling that everything was spiraling out of his control. His life, his future, and his heart were all tied to Newt, but he had no idea how to approach the vampire, how to even begin to understand what Newt was going through in this situation.

Thomas didn’t know if the connection was something that would eventually fade or if it was destined to grow stronger, but the longer he was away from Newt, the more it felt like the weight of the imprinting was crushing him. His thoughts kept returning to the same place, the same person: Newt. And every time he pushed those thoughts aside, they would come back, louder and more insistent than before.

A deep sigh escaped him as he leaned back against the couch, his mind spinning. There was so much at stake, and yet, it felt like he was stuck, unable to move forward. He couldn’t risk his pack, but he also couldn’t ignore the pull he felt toward Newt. It was a constant battle, a war waging inside of him that he didn’t know how to fight.

Outside the cabin, the world seemed to carry on, indifferent to the turmoil that was consuming him. But inside, in the quiet of that room, Thomas felt trapped in his own mind, overwhelmed by emotions that he couldn’t control. His pack, Bella, Jacob—they were all there for him, offering support and understanding, but it didn’t change the fact that the real battle was one he had to face alone.

As the days stretched on, the ache of being apart from Newt continued to grow. There were moments when he thought he might go mad with the intensity of it—the longing, the desire, the need to be near the vampire who had imprinted on him. But he couldn’t risk it. Every time he thought about breaking the distance between them, the consequences loomed over him like a shadow he couldn’t escape. The Cullens had their rules, their boundaries, and Thomas couldn’t just barge into their world without thinking about the repercussions. If he did, the entire pack could be put in danger.

But the longer he stayed away, the harder it became. The absence of Newt’s presence, the absence of that connection, left him feeling like a part of him was missing, a part of him that he didn’t know how to get back. And so, he sat in the cabin, surrounded by the people who cared for him, but still feeling more alone than he ever had before.

At the Swan house, Bella felt just as distant. Even though she knew that Thomas was in a complicated situation, her own struggle to understand where her relationship with Jacob fit into the chaos of everything, and the constant threat of the vampires’ presence, left her feeling drained. In the back of her mind, she also felt the loneliness that Thomas was experiencing. They were both trapped between two worlds, stuck between two beings they couldn’t control. However, unlike Thomas, Bella didn’t share the bond of imprinting, but she understood it well enough to know that Thomas’s battle was not going to be an easy one. The weight of it, the isolation, and the emotional turmoil were things Bella could empathize with, even if she didn’t fully share his burden.

One afternoon, when Bella was in her room, lost in her thoughts, she heard a soft knock at the window. She got up immediately, curious and a little anxious, wondering who it could be. As she opened the window, she saw Thomas standing at the edge of the forest, his eyes fixed on the house, filled with an expression she couldn’t quite decipher. His face was etched with frustration, and there was a deep sadness in his gaze, but beyond that, something else shone through. It was a look of vulnerability, as though he was fighting an internal battle that he couldn’t win. Bella felt a pang of sympathy for him. She knew he was struggling, but she couldn’t help him with all of his pain.

“Thomas, is everything okay?” Bella asked, her voice soft but laced with concern, trying to break the silence that hung thick in the air, the tension almost palpable. She couldn’t stand seeing him like this.

He didn’t respond immediately. Thomas stood there, staring at the house as if he were hesitating, unsure whether to take the next step. Bella saw him glance toward the house, as if he wanted to get closer, but something was holding him back—something unspoken. He knew the rules, the boundaries that couldn’t be crossed, but he also knew he couldn’t stay away forever. The ache inside him, the constant longing for Newt, was pulling him further than he could handle. He was losing control, and the agony of being apart from Newt was consuming him.

Bella watched him silently, feeling a mixture of helplessness and worry. She knew her presence might not be enough to calm him, but she couldn’t just stand there and do nothing. She was about to say something else when she heard the sound of a door opening from inside the house. It was Charlie, her father, who had just returned from a long day of work. However, there was something off about his behavior this time. Bella turned her head toward the sound, her brow furrowed in confusion.

“Dad?” Bella called out, her voice suddenly tense, a sense of unease creeping in. She hadn’t expected anyone else to be home.

At the sound of Charlie’s voice, Thomas immediately tensed. His heightened senses kicked in, and he quickly noticed something odd. Someone else had entered the house, someone who wasn’t supposed to be there. It wasn’t Jacob, and it certainly wasn’t anyone from his pack. His instincts told him that none of his pack members would venture this far, especially not when the situation was so precarious.

“Who else is in the house?” Thomas asked, his voice low, his eyes narrowing as he turned to the door of the Swan house. His enhanced senses never let him down, but something didn’t feel right. There was a strange scent in the air—something unfamiliar. It wasn’t the scent of an ordinary human, and it wasn’t the familiar smell of a vampire from the Cullen family. It was something else entirely, something… different.

Bella frowned, completely taken aback by Thomas’s question. She hadn’t noticed anything unusual, but now that she thought about it, the presence of Thomas in her yard was beginning to feel more unsettling. If someone else had entered the house, it couldn’t have been a coincidence. The fact that Thomas, a wolf from Sam’s pack, was already breaking the rules by being here made the situation even more tense. Now, with this new development, Bella realized that something bigger was at play.

“What’s going on?” Bella asked, her voice now tinged with nervousness. “Did you hear something?”

Without wasting any time, Thomas moved toward the window and quickly closed it, the sound of the latch clicking sharply in the quiet evening air. He could feel it, the weight of something wrong in the atmosphere—an unnatural presence, an energy that didn’t belong there. His instincts had already warned him, and he knew this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. He could sense it clearly now, the wrongness in the air that made him uneasy.

Inside the house, Charlie seemed distracted, unaware of the tension building right outside the door. But then, just as quickly, Thomas heard something—a faint creak coming from the back of the house. It was barely perceptible, but it was enough for his sharp senses to catch. Someone was trying to move stealthily, but not with enough caution. They were careless, and Thomas immediately knew they weren’t trying to hide their presence well enough. Without a second thought, he darted toward the back door, slipping away from Bella to investigate further.

When he rounded the corner of the house, that’s when he saw it—an intruder. At the threshold of the back door stood a figure, one that didn’t belong. The figure was no human, and it wasn’t one of the Cullens. Thomas’s heightened senses quickly pinpointed what he was dealing with: a vampire, but not one of their usual kind. The vampire’s skin was pale, almost translucent, and his eyes gleamed with a brilliant golden hue. It wasn’t the familiar golden of the Cullens; this vampire had a different aura about him, one that felt dangerous, foreign, and unsettling.

Thomas didn’t hesitate. The tension in the air was suffocating, and his protective instincts surged forward. He wasn’t going to let this vampire get any closer to Bella, no matter what. His body coiled with energy, ready to spring into action.

“Who are you?” Thomas growled, his eyes fixed on the intruder with unwavering intensity. There was no time for questions, no room for hesitation. He was ready to defend Bella, and anything that threatened her was his enemy.

The vampire, however, just smiled arrogantly, not saying a word. His gaze was cold and calculating, but there was something about his presence that made the air itself feel heavier. Thomas knew he wasn’t there by accident. This vampire had a purpose, and it was something he hadn’t anticipated.

Bella, hearing Thomas’s voice growl with authority, quickly stepped outside, her heart racing. When she saw the strange vampire standing there, something inside her clicked. She knew this night was about to change everything. Nothing would ever be the same again.

“Thomas, be careful,” Bella warned, stepping closer, her instincts telling her that whatever was about to happen, it wouldn’t end well. Thomas, however, had already stepped forward, closing the distance between them and the vampire. The tension in the air reached its peak.

Everything Thomas had feared—the idea that his connection to Newt would pull him into something darker, something far worse—was about to become a terrifying reality.

The tension in the air was palpable, thick enough to almost be felt physically. Thomas stood completely alert, his entire focus on the strange vampire who had shown up at Bella’s house. His senses were fully engaged, every muscle in his body ready to react. The vampire, standing just a few feet away, took a subtle step back, his golden eyes glowing like the last rays of a setting sun. There was a strange mixture of curiosity and disdain in those eyes, an emotion that Thomas could read without needing to hear a single word. It was obvious that this was no ordinary vampire, no member of the Cullen family. He was certain of that. The aura surrounding him was completely different from what he had felt with the Cullens.

Before Thomas could make another move, before he could react with the speed and precision his instincts demanded, the vampire turned with superhuman speed and vanished into the darkness of the night. Thomas’s sharp gaze followed the movement, but the vampire was gone almost as quickly as he had appeared. Unlike the Cullens, who moved with a calm, calculated purpose, this vampire moved with a speed that was almost unnatural, a blur in the shadows that Thomas couldn’t track with his enhanced vision. He had never encountered anything like it before. It was as though the creature had simply melted into the night, leaving no trace behind.

The air shifted, the wind picking up briefly, scattering a small cloud of dust as if the earth itself was disturbed by the vampire’s sudden disappearance. The night’s silence returned, but it was different now. It was a silence that was heavy, pregnant with an unspoken danger. The vampire had vanished as quickly as he had appeared, but his presence lingered, creating a strange void of uncertainty and fear that now enveloped both Thomas and Bella.

Thomas couldn’t help but tense even further, his heart still pounding in his chest from the adrenaline. For a moment, he had thought he was going to have to fight, that he would need to protect Bella with every ounce of strength he had, but the vampire had simply left, disappearing without a trace. His sudden departure left behind a deep sense of discomfort, a feeling that something much larger was unfolding, something they didn’t fully understand yet.

When Thomas finally turned to look at Bella, he found her standing there in a similar state of shock. Her eyes were wide, her lips slightly parted, as though she was struggling to process what had just happened. She stood motionless, still trying to comprehend everything she had just witnessed. It was clear that the encounter had shaken her to the core.

“What…?” Bella gasped, her voice barely above a whisper, and the word hung in the air, unresolved, between them. She couldn’t find the words to express the confusion, the disbelief that had overtaken her mind. She stood frozen, as if waiting for an explanation that didn’t come. It was as if the world had just tilted on its axis, and she was struggling to regain her footing in it.

Thomas, though still on edge, tried to calm himself. His heart was still racing, but he knew they couldn’t just stand there forever. There was something urgent in his instincts now, a call to action that he could no longer ignore. He wasn’t sure exactly what they should do next, but the sense of impending danger had already settled deep in his bones. They couldn’t stay there, not with the strange vampire’s presence lingering like a threat in the air.

“We have to go to the Cullens,” Thomas said, his voice steady, though tinged with a shadow of uncertainty. He wasn’t completely sure what they should do, but the urgency of the situation outweighed any doubts. The words came out with a firm conviction, even though a part of him questioned whether it was the right thing to do. His gut instinct, perhaps amplified by his bond with Newt, told him that the Cullens needed to know what had just happened. Despite the fractures in the relationship between their packs, despite the distance now separating them, Thomas understood that the situation had changed. This wasn’t just some random event. It was something much bigger, much darker. There was a threat in the air, and they couldn’t ignore it.

Bella’s gaze shifted, uncertainty clouding her expression. Her lips pressed together in a tight line, and for a moment, she seemed torn. The fear she felt wasn’t directed at Thomas—she knew he wasn’t the cause of the danger—but at the situation itself. The idea that a vampire, one she didn’t know, had come so close to her, had come so close to her father, was a stark reminder of how fragile the peace she had fought so hard to maintain really was. It could all fall apart in an instant, and the terrifying thought of what that could mean weighed heavily on her. She didn’t know what was coming, but her gut told her it wasn’t good.

“Do you really think it’s necessary?” Bella asked, her voice trembling slightly, laced with worry. Her question wasn’t born from doubt about Thomas’s judgment—it was about the uncertainty of the whole situation. She could feel the complexity of what was happening, the things that were too big to fully understand, and the mention of going to the Cullens only made her anxiety grow. She had her own reservations about the Cullens, about the fragile trust that had been built between them all, and the idea of reaching out to them now, when so much had changed, only complicated things further. But she also knew that Thomas was right. They couldn’t simply do nothing. If they didn’t act, there was no telling what might come next.

Thomas nodded, his eyes burning with determination. Though his mind was still clouded by the confusion of what had just occurred, there was no room for hesitation. The vampire’s actions hadn’t been random. It wasn’t just a strange encounter—it was an intentional move, a sign of something deeper, something more dangerous. The vampire had come and gone too quickly, too calculatedly. Despite not engaging in a direct confrontation, his presence had been a clear threat. And now, despite his disappearance, Thomas knew that something bigger was afoot.

The vampire hadn’t just been there; he had acted with purpose, with an underlying intent. His very presence was a declaration of danger, and Thomas couldn’t shake the feeling that this was just the beginning. The questions were piling up in his mind: Who was this vampire? Why had he come so close to Bella? He didn’t belong to the Cullen family, that much was certain, but who else could he be? The uncertainty gnawed at him, a feeling that grew stronger with each passing moment. The unknown vampire wasn’t just an isolated incident—it was the opening move in a much larger game, one that they were only beginning to understand.