𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬. sam uley

𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫

It's weeks later when Emmett and Elis come to retrieve the vampire along with Leah.

Sam's heart gives an odd twinge of pain when he sees her standing behind Elis, ready to defend him at all costs should it come to it, and he's thankful for their bond being severed so she can't witness the darkest, most bitter parts of him that wishes Elis would have never came into the picture.

In his wolf form, Sam listens to the tragic hope waver in the vampire's voice as she speaks to who she believes is her brother. He watches with disinterest, even when Elis betrays her, when he presses her up against a tree relentlessly. Growls only rip through him because of the imprint, not because he truly cares about the life of one vampire.

However, Sam can't help but think that some of his anger is misplaced. Since coming to neutral terms with the Cullen coven, Sam and the pack have learned a lot about Elis like the fact that he and Laurent were a thing before Leah came into the picture. How he swore vengeance against the entire pack but was denied because of Carlisle making the treaty with Ephraim Black. There is no denying that there is a part of him that still longs for the could have been with Laurent, and that is the part of him that attacks the vampire so heatedly.

It isn't until Leah-sweet, bold, courageous Leah who never backs down when needed-phases in front of them that Sam turns his head away, aware that he has no right to her privacy.

He listens to her speak, however, ears twitching at the soft tune of her voice. She tells Elis everything that Sam was thinking; the anger that Elis feels is misplaced. He does not want Irina alive, only wants Laurent present in case there was a chance that he would choose Elis.

And Sam's entire body burns with the thought of it. How could he even think about someone else when he had the best partner in the world? How could Elis even think about leaving Leah for someone else who didn't even care for Elis as he said he did? How could he even have a thought of someone else when he had Leah?

As he's thinking about the technicalities of waging war with a vampire, Leah comes over to him and pats him on the back of his shoulders. Sam jumps with the contact, trying not to give into the tremble that reverberates through his spine at the warmth from her hand. Instead, he turns to stare at her, rumbling deep in his chest in affirmation.

"Sam," she says, whispering so low that not even the vampires will be able to hear it. "Sam, don't mess this up, okay? You deserve something to make you happy. And remember, imprints are never wrong. Never."

Sam takes the advice with a snort, turning away from her in a huff. What does she know anyway? Imprints can be wrong. Just because most of them haven't been doesn't meant that he was destined to be with this filthy bloodsucker.

He glares at her until she shifts back into a wolf and then walks over to the vampire, who looks like she's contemplating running again. Earlier, Emmett and Elis had told him that Carlisle wished to speak to her about possibly living with them, a place of asylum for her lost soul, and they had asked Sam not to let her escape if they were to become distracted. What was he to do but keep their will alive?

"Move," the vampire says unkindly. "Please do not make this hard for yourself."

Sam stares at her, tilting his head to show just how little he believes her threats. He almost wants to huff out a breath of air to show her how amusing he finds this entire interaction to be, but he figures that she's been through enough and settles for glaring at her until she puffs out her own breath, her arms crossing over her chest as she stares back at him.

When Emmett and Elis do come back and Emmett convinces the vampire to come back to Forks with them, Sam does his best to keep his aggression in check, especially when Emmett gives her the go ahead to feast on a human before heading into Forks.

"She's never hunted an animal before," he muttered to Sam when he growled his discomfort. "Chill out, dude, we can't force her to drink from something that she's never tried before. Go ahead if you don't like it."

And Sam had gone ahead after he growled at the vampire with all the animosity that he had in him. After she shrunk away from his form in what he hopes was guilt, he ran ahead with Elis and they made it to the Cullens' house an hour before Emmett and the leech.

Sam doesn't need to go inside and meet her, but he does anyway. He changes and spends his time talking to Esme, sending Leah and Elis inquiring glances every now and then. When the vampire arrives with Emmett, they both leave, and Sam forces himself to stand upright in case she tries something.

(He tells himself that the tug on his heart that feels like a guitar string being pulled taut was because of Leah leaving with her imprint and not the vampire who walks into the room moments later.)

Leah already said that Seth being present was a bad idea, but it was his choice all the same. Ultimately, Seth stays and automatically introduces himself to the vampire with a smile on his face, all too eager to talk about how "dangerous" the pack thinks she is.

"Seth!" Sam calls for him, trying to get him to stop. He didn't want Seth to give her any ideas nor did he like the way her eyes kept flitting over Seth's face as though she found a star for the first time and couldn't help but admire the sheer vibrance of it. There's a stone in his stomach at the thought of her being captivated by the charm Seth has.

"Oh, lay off, Sam!" Seth doesn't care, has never really cared. He loves making new friends no matter if they were malicious vampires or not. Nothing mattered to him except the companionship they brought with them. "I just want her to do that nifty trick again. Don't be such a spoilsport."

Sam frowns. He's not a spoilsport, just has common sense. Anyone can see the way the vampire's eyes are glancing around the room, the way that she holds herself tightly like a bundle of yarn wound up too tight. He does not wish for her to go berserk in front of everyone, nor does he wish for her to close herself in a cocoon again.

If she could make a cocoon, who is to say that she could not make something more dangerous? Who is to say that she could not make a weapon strong enough to kill them all?

This is on his mind when she makes her way to him, small frame cowering under his large build. His eyes take in the grimy clothes clinging to her body, old robes that are a century old, then his eyes drift up to meet hers. He does his best not to flinch at the blood pooled in the irises, but his eyes narrow even more, part of him disgusted while his imprint still tries to convince him that this is the person he is supposed to be with.

His heart flutters despite himself when she says, "N-Nice to meet you."

He should answer. Sam's mother taught him proper etiquette, but all words fail him as her voice connects with his ears. He's heard it before, of course, but now it sounds silky rather than grating, pristine, even if it is tinged with nerves. Sam is drawn to the way she speaks, softly but with presence as though she is always trying to make herself heard.

He watches her walk away with Carlisle and feels something unfurl in his chest, warming over the cool that was stationed there before. It's like drinking that first sip of hot chocolate on a winter day, waiting as it sifts through his entire chest with a comforting burn.

"Imprint finally kicking in, Sam?" Emmett comes over to him when Sam doesn't move for a couple of seconds, prodding Sam with his elbow.

Sam scoffs, pushing the feeling down with a steel toed boot. "Of course not. I would never do something so horrendous."

He leaves the house when the vampire agrees to Carlisle's proposal of living with them, his heart racing in his chest. Emmett's laughter echoes behind him, Seth's concerned glances embedded in his brain as he makes his way home.

He ignores his mother's concerns for him and goes to his room, where he throws a pillow over his head with a groan, closing his eyes against the headache prodding at his skull.

He does not think about the soft caress of the vampire's words or the way that his heart races in his chest thinking about the small statured leech.

He does not think about anything at all.

(Red bleeds into his mind, anyway.)