𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬. sam uley

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

❧

He found her.

Of course he did. The bond probably allowed him to locate her no matter where she was in the world. Either that or he picked up her smell before the rain started pouring in Forks.

Sage was running through the northern forests of Canada four hours later when he ran into her. She had heard him coming, but her speed had diminished ever since she started her diet on animal blood. He caught up rather easily, framing her in with his giant paws. He growled at her insistently before she held her hands up in surrender. After that, his wolf shifted off of her, staring her down until he began shifting into a human. The bag he carried in his giant mouth fell out and he reached for it, pulling out some clothes before staring at Sage.

Sage averted her gaze and allowed him to get dressed before she stood on her own two feet, brushing the dirt off her body. Night was falling, the sun melding into the horizon, creating a pink and orange burst of color that shone through the canopies of the trees.

"Sage," Sam said, and he sounded heartbroken. Like she had taken his heart with her when she ran, the muscle clenched in her hand, beating in her grip until she decided to squeeze it into nothing. "Sage, you've got to let me explain."

"I never had a choice," Sage said quickly, glaring at him, only seeing Antonio and his roaming hands and obsessive eyes. "My entire life I have never had a choice, Sam. It's always been someone else's hands forcing me to do their bidding. I've been a puppet my entire existence."

"Sage," he said helplessly, reaching for her. "Sage, I should have told you."

"I do not know you, Sam Uley!" Sage snapped, running her hands through her hair. She thought about the lack of freedom she had earlier, and decided that this wouldn't be like this. It would be different. She would have a say in this. "And I thought, why am I thinking such odd thoughts about someone I don't even know? Why do I wish to make him happy when we have spoken sparsely? Why do I enjoy seeing him smile? Why did it hurt when he spoke of Leah the way he did?"

"Sage, please. . ."

"But it was all a part of the bond, wasn't it? It was this--this imprint! In the forest, when you were about to kill me, you imprinted, didn't you? Seth said eye contact was the main reason for it, and we locked eyes, Sam. And you imprinted."

Sage glared at him, clenching her hands together in front of her. It was almost the same way that Antonio imprinted on her. Like she was his. Like he was entitled to her. Sam hung his head, hand gripping his hair. He looked like he was in agony.

"I did," he whispered. "Sage, I did, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I just. . . There wasn't a right time. You were settling in and I had just come to terms that I had imprinted on someone--on a vampire."

"What does my being a vampire have anything to do with your imprint?" Sage asked, glaring. She didn't choose to be a vampire. She didn't choose to be his. She wasn't his. But still--despite that, part of her was hurt because she could sense the regret in his voice, the absolute pain that he had, in fact, endured when imprinting on her.