A/N: How's Quarantine holidays my lovvies? this stupid chapter was wayyyy WAYYY past due, my most sincere apologies :)

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"Get yourself together, drink till you drop, forget about tomorrow and have another shot"

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GOOS...FUCKING...FRABA!

Paul

Two words, eight letters, yet you somehow succeeded in screwing it up. What the hell's wrong with you? I harshly berated my idiotic-self, wishing I could miraculously find the answer. Maybe I could get a heart transplant and a lobotomy? Yeah, as if that would work. Fuck. I'm so sick of this. Why does she hate me so damn much, anyways? Well, maybe 'cause you've been nothing but a jackass to her—yeah that's probably it.

SHUT IT! I thought fiercely back at my inner wolf. She isn't making this whole situation any easier for me and you know it. Of all the female never-ending population, of all the possible imprints in the world, of all the million girls I could have imprinted on… I end up with the annoying obstinate one. How fucking fair is that, huh?!

Funny you say that, since you're just like her, in fact—she's like the mini, female version of you!

Shut the fuck up already! I did not want to think about any more of this bullshit. I have had more than enough of my own incessant jabbering.

My brisk pace came to an abrupt halt as a troublesome grunt departed from my mouth, making my hirsute body go slack leaving me sitting on my haunches. I definitely needed to cool off. I craved my human form, but my blindly enraged beast wouldn't allow me to shift, not while being so damn ticked off. Oddly enough, I wished for a grovelling leech to appear, so at least I could give my mind a well-deserving rest from her. My head tilted backwards as my lungs expanded, holding captive a considerable amount of air that would be soon released in the most anguish howl this forest has ever witnessed. Although my plans went right to hell when I heard that mellifluous voice.

I'm standing on a bridge

I'm waiting in the dark

I thought that you'd be here by now

There's nothing but the rain

No footsteps on the ground

I'm listening but there's no sound

Isn't anyone trying to find me?

Won't somebody come take me home?

It's a damn cold night

Trying to figure out this life

Won't you take me by the hand?

Take me somewhere new

I don't know who you are

But I... I'm with you...

My ears perked up instantly, feeling the sweet unswerving voice of my imprint flooding through every single cell within me. Her voice was beautiful, enchanting, and refreshing as a cool summer breeze. I was mesmerized. The fullness of the sound coated my skin like a warm, fluffy blanket, giving me a sense of security and safety.

I was snapped out of my reverie by the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance. Dammit, Gwen! What was she doing out here anyway? Did she have a death wish or something? In hindsight, I realized that it was pouring rain—not that it affected me, running a temperature of 108°F, I hardly felt anything—nevertheless, Gwen could get sick. This was no ordinary rain. It was a fucking downpour. She needed me. I closed my eyes and focused all thoughts on her, attempting to pull myself together. It was as if the air was trembling around me, swaying out from me in small waves. A tepid breeze surrounded me as I felt my bones shrinking back to human size and the fur covering myself vanishing. In a matter of seconds, I got back to my normal, common, boring human self. Finally. Smiling to myself, I untangled my pair of cut-offs from my left ankle and hastily put them on. The delightful scent of chocolate mixed with a soft hint of wild berries suddenly engulfed my nostrils evoking a genuine smile from me as I bolted toward its origin.

It wasn't long before I found her. The view was clearly something to withhold. The breath-taking scene unfolding in front of my eyes consisted in my little imprint sitting on a rusty old bridge with her eyes closed, a small smile lifting her features as she hummed softly. I opted to approach her carefully as my eyes roamed her petite body, looking for any possible injuries. As far as I could see, she was unharmed, but she was soaked and her clothes were ripped and caked in mud. Was she running away? But…why? I shook my head, trying to clear it off the uneasy feeling that was slowly yet determinedly swallow me whole as I scooped her up into my arms from her rooted spot, abruptly ending the focus of the tune she seemed to be chanting.

A sharp frown soon marred my visage when I notice how cold my little mate's body was. As if this wasn't enough, she couldn't cease her unrelenting shivers. Her breathing was rapid and shallow and I noticed a bluish tint to her lovely lips. My survival instincts were trying to kick in, sending subliminal messages to my lips to smoothly yet swiftly encounter hers, just for a minimal amount of time in order for her to regain a normal temperature, but sadly, I was deeply aware I couldn't. I was already walking on a thin line with her and I didn't want to give her any more reasons to dislike me. So, ignoring my aching heart I focused on getting her home, needing to warm her body as soon as possible. Gwen was displaying the early signs of hypothermia and I felt panic creeping up my neck. As if she could read my thoughts or she knew how serious her condition was, she snuggled closer to my chest, her frozen body yearning for my heat. A smile found itself attached to my lips at the wondrous sight of the limp body in my arms—Man, she's tiny.

Out of nowhere, I felt an icy cold pressure prodding my heaving chest. "T-t-t-tha-a-a-" she began to say, but her teeth were chattering so badly that it was very difficult for her to form coherent words.

"Shhh, it's okay, I'm here now, you're safe," I told her, seeking to reassure her.

"P-P-P-P-Paul?" she wondered, pressing her icy cheek to my scorching chest. Fuck, she's colder than a leech!

"Dammit, Gwen, you're freezing!" I grunted, picking up my pace.

"Whe-Wher…" she tried once more, but after endeavouring to get the word out she gave up.

"Shhh, please, don't force yourself, shawty, we're almost there," I said, pressing a lingering kiss to her forehead. Wait—did I just give her a nickname? HAHAHA the mongrel's got it BAD! I was on the verge of growling at my inner wolf to get the hell away from my business when Gwen said the words that had been dancing in my head since the day I met and imprinted on her.

"I'm s-s-s-sorry."

Had I understood that right? Had she just apologized to me? I felt my lips curving up as a smile took over my concerned visage. Hugging her closer to my chest I whispered, "You stole my line."

Finally, my eyes spotted my house in the distance. My inner wolf gave a victory dance in my head as I dashed to the doorway. I kicked the door open with Gwen still in my arms, and without thinking twice, I rushed up the stairs taking two steps at a time. I arrested in front of the bathroom and gently lowered her so she was standing on her own two feet. A chuffed smiled formed on my face at the sight of her left cheek emanating a pinkish glow, reminding me of her snuggling against my chest.

"Shower, now," I ordered, giving her a playful shove in the right direction, nevertheless she didn't budge. Shocker. She stared right back at me, her stunning, bright blue eyes questioning my soul.

"N-n-n-n-n-no," she protested, stomping her foot like a spoiled five-year-old.

"Just do it, please, we need to talk and I can't do it if you die from hypothermia." She still didn't move, so I sighed and very calmly said, "Look, I promise I won't try anything funny. I just don't want you to get sick." Which was absolutely true. She pondered my words carefully as I held my breath, something in my expression must have given away my escalating fears concerning her well-being since without further ado she ventured into the room I had pointed before, slamming the door shut behind her.

I waited until I heard water running before going to the kitchen, thinking of making her a cup of hot chocolate. I wished to please her and do something nice for her, considering she's my imprint and we hadn't gotten off to a very good start. I was stirring the warm milk in a pot when suddenly the lights went off. FUCKFUCKITIFUCK. My werewolf instincts instantly kicked in as my vision sharpened. All of my senses enhanced adjusting perfectly to the darkness that now surrounded me. Lovely perks of being a supernatural nature-freak.

Without dawdling, I turned to my left and opened the fifth drawer on the left counter, acutely mindful of the candles that were inside.

I then hurried into the lounge where I lit as many candles as I could without making it look like a cheesy porno before rushing to the kitchen where I turned off the burner and poured the milk into two different cups, adding two bars of chocolate to each cup, three spoons of sugar, and after some stirring VOILA! It was done.

With a sudden sense of clarity, I remembered that Gwen was upstairs with no light and was probably scared out of her mind. Forgetting about the steaming cups, I sprinted up to the bathroom. I had made it halfway up the stairs, only seven steps shy of making it upstairs when I heard a blood-curdling scream. Blinded by my rush to reach out to her, I tripped over my feet and face planted into the floor. A sharp irritated growl tore from my throat as I sprinted the rest of the way to the bathroom. Ripping the door open, I regarded the place, another high-pitched scream echoed in the room. The loud unexpected sound making me jump startled as I realized it had come from Gwen. The poor thing was curled in a tiny ball with her back glued to the shower wall. She was wet and naked with the curtain rod pooling at her feet. I stopped dead in my tracks, hearing her heart thumping at record time.

"Shhh, Shawty, relax, it's only me, are you okay?" I asked, finally finding my voice again and slowly approaching her so I wouldn't scare her further.

"P-Paul? What happened? I can't see you!" she said, panicked.

"I believe that there was a power outage. Don't worry; I'm here, just stretch out your hand."

"But…I'm n-naked," she shuttered quietly. Oh, fuck, right. I pulled off my shirt and tossed it towards her, glancing at the door to offer her some privacy. Not that it made much of a difference because she couldn't see me, but still. I turned back around a few seconds later to see her groping around like a blind man for something steady to hold on to. I moved on closer to her, stretching out my hand to hers. Suddenly, her fingers brushed against mine, sending a pulse of tingling energy through my arm and down my spine. YOWZA. I could tell she felt it too since she flinched away from me and slipped. Without thinking, I rushed to her and grabbed her by the waist, preventing her from smashing her head against the cold uninviting floor.

"T-thanks."

"Are you alright?" I asked for what felt like the thousand time, pulling her closer to my body. A soapy curl was clinging to her face, and she was blowing at it softly, trying unsuccessfully to move it. Chuckling to myself, I caressed her cheek gently with my knuckles, before pushing the wet curl from her face and tucking it behind her ear. Damn, she's adorable with her hair soapy and smelling like cinnamon. I could only guess that the water got cut off while she was shampooing her hair. Poor thing, her luck was just horrible.

"You're soapy," I pointed, feeling my lips curl into a broad grin.

"Um…yeah, I was about to wash my hair when the water got cut." Told ya. That bloodsucking leech Alivia, Allegra or whatever the fuck her name is can suck it! She has nothing on me.

I started to lean closer to Gwen as she closed her eyes. I wanted to go for her lips but thinking better of it; I changed direction at the last minute and settled for burying my face in her soft hair, inhaling her scent. Could she be any more perfect?

"Um…what do you think you're doing?" Great job, Lahote, now she thinks you're a weirdo.

"You smell nice," I complimented her, without thinking. As if things couldn't get any more awkward.

"Uh-huh…do you think you could let go of me now?"

"Yeah, uh, sorry," I bashfully apologized, releasing her waist, but my left hand moved on its own accord, searching for her hand. I grinned to myself when she didn't complain about me holding her hand.

"It's fine. So, um, what do we…what do we do now?"

"We wait. I bet they'll restore the power soon. Fancy a cup of hot chocolate while we wait?"

"Sure," she said as I hauled her out of the bathroom and down the stairs into the lounge, which was still illuminated with blue candles.

I left her on the couch while I went to retrieve our cups from the kitchen, thanking my lucky stars that they were still warm.

I returned to the doorway of the lounge, stopping abruptly as I took in the sight of my divine imprint illuminated by candlelight. She was perched on the edge of the huge couch, wrapped in my shirt, which hung loosely on her tiny body and reached her calves. She was so small that her feet couldn't reach the floor; instead, they were dangling in mid-air. I cocked my head to the left, hoping to catch a better angle when she said, "Take a picture, it'll last longer." She had said it in a teasing way, but the blush spreading across her cheeks was absolutely adorable.

"So cute," I mumbled under my breath while handing her a cup.

"Thanks," she smiled, taking a sip out of her cup. Her body shook all of a sudden evoking a very noticeable frown on my visage. Was she cold? I scolded myself for being so fucking careless. Leaving my untouched cup on the table, I dashed to the closet that was underneath the stairs to retrieve a thick, red blanket, which I draped carefully over Gwen's shoulders before sitting beside her.

My inner wolf was literally screaming at me to apologize to her, but it was too damn difficult. A troubled, thoughtful sigh parted my lips.

Get your shit together, Lahote, it won't get better than this, so just DO IT.

"So…" I began, unsure of how to deal with the subject.

"So…" she said, chewing on her rosy bottom lip.

Gwen sighed and closed her eyes; I shook my head at myself and plucked up the courage to face her.

"I'm sorry," we said at the same time. Uh—what had just happened? My little imprint opened her eyes to stare at me with concealed amusement gleaming in her greenish-blue orbs.

"I'm really sorry," we both said again. Okay, this was not working. Maybe if I approached it from a different way. Yeah, that'd work.

"It's just that…" we continued, trailing off as we realized that it had happened again. FUCK, she's stubborn. I had to get it off my chest, so I covered her mouth with both of my hands and grinned at her annoyed expression before saying, "Shhh, hear me out. I'm really sorry for the way I've treated you. I know there's no excuse for the way that I behaved, but I have…issues relating to food and that day I was especially incensed. I tried to apologize later but…um...Well I kind of suck at poems—well, you already know that—anyway…could we maybe start over?" I dropped my hands from her mouth and was surprised to find that she was smiling at me.

"I'd like that."

"Well, hey there, my name is Paul, Paul Lahote," I pronounced each word carefully, stretching out my hand to her.

"Hi, I'm…" she began but trailed off.

"Yes?" I asked, attempting to encourage her.

"I'm…" But her words were cut mid-sentence by some rough knocks on the front door.

I ground my teeth together and shouted, "No one's here!"

"I CAN HEAR YOUR VOICE, STUPID, NOW OPEN UP! GWEN'S MISSING!" Collin yelled, banging even harder on the door.

"Fucktard puppy, has the worst timing ever," I muttered to myself, storming to the door.

"WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK TOOK YOU SO LONG? DON'T YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR IMPRINT?" Collin spat at me.

"She's here."

He continued yelling at me as if he hadn't heard what I said. "IF YOU DON'T, AT LEAST HAVE THE GODDAMN DECENCY OF HELPING OUT THE PACK! SHE'S LIKE A SISTER TO US!"

"Cole, she is here."

"SHE DOESN'T HAVE ANYWHERE TO GO! DON'T YOU HAVE A FUCKING SOUL?!"

That's surely did the trick.

"DAMMIT COLE, JUST OPEN YOUR FUCKING EYES!" I shoved him into my house neglecting the puzzled look on his face.

"GWEEEEEEN!" he cried, lunging at her and trapping her in a bear hug.

"Can't breathe," she coughed.

I felt my body begin to tremble as a growl escaped my lungs. How dare he hurt her?! In a matter of seconds, I was behind him, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and shoving him out-of-the-way. My eyes did a double scan of her luscious body as I worriedly asked her about her well-being.

"I'm fine," she said, before bestowing a dazzling smile and meeting my eyes. I wasn't sure how long we spent staring at each other before the lights suddenly turned back on. I didn't need the lights to see her, but now she could see me clearly. She dropped her gaze as heat crept up her cheeks, giving her that adorable blush that I loved so much.

"You have a beautiful voice, you know," I said, hoping she'd like being praised. I took advantage of the situation by taking hold of her shoulders and pulling her closer to me, bending down and moving aside the soapy strands of hair that covered her ear before I whispered, "Just so you know, I'm with you." And with that, I released her, leaving her thunderstruck.

"SMALLS!" Leah's voice suddenly echoed through the room as she launched herself at Gwen, enveloping her in another bear hug. "Don't you ever leave again, you hear me?!" Leah berated sternly. Gwen was silent for a moment before she nodded, bestowing Leah a reassuring smile which she easily returns.

The front door opened once more and the rest of the pack rushed inside. I bit back the unbearable urge to tell them all to fuck the hell off since they were all intruding on my precious time with my mate, but their concern expressions spoke volumes so I begrudgingly move aside. Both Embry and Quil took a step towards her to greet her, but Seth's eager figure beat them both as he rapidly moved to where she stood. He didn't dawdle in grabbing my imprint by the waist and easily lifted her lightweight of the floor, embracing her as he rocked her soothingly. My body resumed its all too familiar quivers as my inner wolf growled demandingly at me, wanting nothing but to tear Seth Clearwater from limb to limb. She's ours, not his. I realized then that my body had rotated position on its own accord, so I was now standing a few inches away from them. My muscles had grown taut clearly demanding to put at ease their frustration as I moved forwards pulled by the blinding hatred that coursed my bloodstream. I went to make a move when my eyes took in Gwen's devastated stance, fresh tears were adorning her rosy cheeks as she kept hugging my pack brother.

Keep your cool, Lahote, I chanted to myself. What was that stupid assword they had used in that movie Anger Management? Oh yeah…Goosfraba, goosfraba…

"Never ever do that again. I was worried sick about you," Seth shook her. Fucking pup, keep your hands to yourself—goosfraba, GOOSFRABA. My wolf was thrashing, snarling and baring his teeth, but I somehow managed to keep my composure.

"I'm so—so s-sorry," she sobbed.

"Shhh, you're here now. That's what matters," he murmured as he gently placed her on the floor. Fucking finally, he needs to watch where he puts his hands when he's around her.

"You need to let the wolf out of the bag," Jake deadpanned, glowering at Gwen. What the fuck? Jake needed to calm down—Alpha or not, upset my imprint and you'll just have to deal with me. "You lied to us."

He stepped closer to her and both Seth and I stepped in front of her, screening her from Jake's judgmental eyes. I felt my body shift into a defensive stance as I growled, "Back off," to baby Alpha.

Although my tense shoulders melted instantly when I felt her soft touch. Turning, I faced her with puzzled eyes.

"He's right, you guys have provided me with food, clothes and a cosy roof, the least I can do is be honest with you. But first could I, um, get dress and maybe wash my hair?"

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Goosfraba, goosfraba, goos-fucking-fraba! UGH. Who was I kidding? That bullshit wasn't helping. God, I wanted to go to England and hunt him down. That old sick bastard, beating his only daughter and blaming her for her mother's death. He shouldn't be allowed to exist and live his life. Gwen's pathetic excuse for a father was on my Shit List and I didn't even know him. He was only still alive because 'Almighty Jakie' had gone all Alpha on my ass and had strongly prohibited me from hunting him down and ripping him apart. This is too fucking much; I do not wish to think anymore! It hurts being unable to protect her! It fucking HURTS. No, you know what? I am far too sober for this shit.

As if God had heard my prayers and was answering me, my phone started playing the only ringtone I had wanted to hear at the moment.

"I got a hangover, wo-oh!

I've been drinking too much for sure

I got a hangover, wo-oh!

I got an empty cup

Pour me some more

So I can go until I blow up, eh

And I can drink until I throw up, eh

And I don't ever ever want to grow up, eh

I want to keep it going, keep keep it going, going, going, going...",

"Kenneth!" I said, smiling into the phone. "Just the man I wanted to talk to."

"Hey man, long time no see, wanna do something fun?"

"Only if there's booze involved."

He chuckled and said, "You know me too well. There's this huge opening party for this new pub in Seattle. I think it's called 'SOULS'. You in?"

"Hell yes, I am," I said eagerly.

"Cool, I'll text you in a few with the directions so we can meet there."

"Sounds good, bro, see you soon."

I ended the call, smiling to myself. Why the hell not?

Let's get fucking ETHANOLIZED!

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This fic is ancient and seriously cringe-worthy XDDDD I've seriously grown as a writer since I published this, I strongly recommend you check out my second imprint generation fic, "Kismet's Touch" you won't regret it ;)