CLEARLY, I DID NOT KNOW SHE GOT THAT BIG.

Frankie and Alice arrived at a truce of their own when she, Edward, and Jasper arrived back at school. There wasn't that much left in the semester anyway, and Frankie didn't have to be around Emmett, who she was still refusing to see. Unfortunately, in exchange for not talking about Emmett or trying to apologize to her again, Frankie had to let them sit at their lunch table.

It made her feel uncomfortable, every bone in her body telling her that they were her enemy. And yet she found herself laughing at things Edward said under his breath and talked with Jasper about the outcomes of baseball games.

She could feel herself falling back into the easy pattern of loving the whole Cullen family, which aggravated Frankie to no end, knowing it was only a matter of time before she weakly caved and saw Emmett again. But the pack was at least hoping she'd hold out until graduation — Embry and Jared were the only ones betting she caved before then. They had no faith in her.

Currently, Frankie was sitting next to Mike and helping Tyler address graduation invitations since his handwriting was so horrible — though Angela pointed out that Frankie's wasn't much better. As they did that, Mike was messing with Jessica, having stolen her notepad where she was writing her Valedictorian speech.

Frankie suspected something might be coming up between them again, especially now that they were always whispering about werewolves and Spirit Warriors when together. The pair didn't know for certain that the Cullens were vampires, but they knew they weren't human. Edward had been in for a really big fucking shock when he came back that first day of classes and read the minds of Mike and Jessica.

He dragged Frankie to a corner and tried to berate her, but she just rolled her eyes and shoved him away. After all, she didn't have to be scared of some ancient vampires that would kill her for spilling secrets. If Sam got over it, so could the Cullens. Besides, she was pretty sure Mike was too stupid to figure out they were vampires — she had been.

"My fellow students," Mike began, claiming to be helping Jess. Frankie just grinned. "Right?"

"Yeah," Eric encouraged him.

"Cute," Jessica said sarcastically as Mike pointed to her for her input. She rolled her eyes and tried to snatch the notebook back, but he held it out of reach. "Frankie, get it back!"

"No, I wanna see where he's going," she said with a sly smirk.

"We are the future. Anything is possible if you just believe," Mike added, packing on the clichés.

"Perfect," Frankie said, pointing a finger gun at him before filling out another invitation.

"Don't encourage him," Tyler groaned in annoyance.

"Blah, blah, blah. Perfect. And got yourself a speech," Mike said, scribbling all that nonsense down. Then he ripped the page from the notebook and handed it to an unimpressed Jessica.

"No, this will be my speech. When I want everyone to throw diplomas at my head. So—" She crumbled up the speech and threw it at Mike. "Thank you."

"Ya gotta embrace the clichés, Jess," he told her, leaning back and smiling proudly.

"They are the bread and butter of all valedictorians," Eric claimed, making his girlfriend cringe.

"And that is why you are not valedictorian," Angela said, rolling her eyes.

"And Jess doesn't need clichés," Bella spoke up. "The speech is gonna be epic."

"Epic?" she said, grinning. "It'll change lives. Stanford has no idea what's coming for them."

Frankie smiled sadly down at the pizza on her plate, hating that she couldn't go to Stanford with Jessica anymore. But she'd make the most of her impossibly long life in Forks until she wasn't needed anymore — or maybe some rouge vampire would take her out when she was just too exhausted by living.

Edward heard her thoughts, hating how similar they were to his own in the past. He went to whisper comforting words to her but was stopped when Jasper and Alice joined them — Jasper had gotten a lot better at controlling his thirst in their time away from Forks. Frankie still watched him carefully though.

"I decided to throw a party," Alice announced suddenly, grinning brightly as Jasper pulled out her chair for her.

"A party?" Frankie asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow. Since when did the Cullens socialize with anyone outside of Bella?

Jasper nodded to her with the corners of his mouth turning up. "After all, how many times are we gonna graduate high school?"

"A party? At your place?" Angela asked for clarification.

Jessica's eyes were wide as she looked at Alice. "I've never seen your house."

Eric rolled his eyes and nudged her shoulder. "No one's ever seen their house."

"Frank has seen their house," Mike said before cringing. They weren't supposed to be reminding her of Emmett.

"Another party, Alice?" Edward asked flatly, clearly not thrilled with the idea. After all, the last had pretty much ruined all their lives.

Frankie narrowed her eyes at Alice, who did her best to ignore her. Just the idea of having another party, this one with all her friends from school present, made Frankie furious. She began shaking, but Jasper used his powers to calm her down, earning a sharp look from her. Frankie hated that he could just force her to feel whatever he wanted. Her anger was justified.

"It'll be fun," Alice insisted.

"Yeah. That's what you said last time," Bella said in a somber tone, glancing at Frankie, remembering how she ran in horror that night.

Suddenly, Alice froze, forgetting all about defending the party. Frankie looked at her warily, realizing this was her having one of her visions that Bella told her about. She used to think Alice just spaced out a lot, but now she knew better — she knew the concerned look that made its way onto Alice's face meant something bad.

"Edward? Alice?" Frankie asked, keeping her voice low so that the humans couldn't hear.

Edward leaned on the table casually and covered his mouth while resting his chin in his hand, making sure the others couldn't see him talking. "Victoria is coming back."

Frankie found herself mirroring his position, growing tense as she realized their short month of peace was long-lived. "When?"

"Sunday just before the sun sets. Near the treaty line. Be ready."

☽︎

Frankie was taking up the back of the pack as always — she didn't like leaving the slower ones unguarded. But right now, it was just her, Sam, Jared, and Paul waiting for Victoria while the rest spread out around the land on the off chance Alice's vision was wrong.

They could all hear the Cullens, who were waiting a mile away. So, when Alice murmured, "She's almost here," they tensed and got ready for the chase. Maybe the boys couldn't defend on the other side, but Frankie was free to cross in her shifted form as she pleased — because who could stop her?

As soon as Frankie heard a branch break, she took off, sensing the new scent of death that was much worse than the Cullens — those that drank human blood smelled much worse, she learned, after Alice returned that night. Her pack stayed alongside her, and soon, they came up on the river dividing the land.

Frankie ignored the Cullens who were running just as fast as she was and instead kept her eyes on the red-haired leech that was so deadset on hurting Bella. Not trusting that she didn't bring friends, she also made sure to pay attention to their surroundings. Paul was plenty aggressive enough to fight the vampire on his own. Frankie's priority had to be protecting them.

Then the time came — Victoria lept across the ravine, making the Cullens come to a screeching halt.

"Wait. She's in their territory," Carlisle warned.

"She'll get away!" Rosalie shouted.

Jasper was the first to see the wolves as they broke through the trees and caught up to Victoria. "No, she won't!" He may not have trusted the wolves but he knew that they'd take Bella's safety just as seriously as they did.

It was like a game to Victoria as she began leaping back and forth across the river, realizing that the others weren't crossing the invisible border. The only one to get even close to her was Emmett, and it ended with him getting thrown into a tree, breaking it in half from the force. Frankie had to shake her head to keep from looking at him to make sure he was okay.

Evidently, he wasn't that harmed, because he was up in seconds and running after Victoria, who'd jumped the ravine once more.

"Emmett, don't!" Esme shouted, seeing that he wasn't slowing down.

But the vampire was seeing red as he flew over the gap. The second his feet hit the ground, Paul rammed into his side, knocking him back and into the water. Paul growled angrily, and Sam had to let out a low, warning sound to make sure he didn't attack the vampire while Emmett was glaring up at him from the water, soaking wet.

Frankie was the only one not distracted by the standoff and continued to chase Victoria, only for it to end with her escaping since Frankie was on her own. She let out an angry huff and turned back on her pack, knowing that Paul shouldn't have let the treaty get in the way when Victoria was so close.

The Cullens all watched with wide eyes as a large black wolf stormed up to the silver one, jumping into the water and still towering over him as she got between him and Emmett, letting out an angry snarl, clearly upset. The smaller wolf let out a whine and shrank in on himself, touching his nose to the ground. More than anything, the Cullens wished Edward was there to translate.

"Frankie?" Rosalie whispered, her voice shaking a bit. The wolf turned to look at her sharply, letting them know it was indeed her. "Alice, you said she shifted. You didn't say she was so big."

"Clearly, I did not know she got that big," Alice said in just as quiet a tone as if she couldn't hear them.

Frankie rolled her eyes and looked back at Paul. "It's your fucking fault she got away," she thought to him.

"No, it was the leech! He was breaking the treaty," Paul countered, not wanting to take the blame as he got some of his confidence back against her. It was against their nature to oppose her just like it was to oppose Sam. "It says—"

"And I say we do whatever it takes to kill the redhead," Frankie cut him off. "Go get Embry and stay on patrol for the rest of the night."

The wolves all moved to leave, but a soft voice stopped the largest of them all.

"Frankie?" Emmett asked, sounding so pathetic as he stood in the water, not wanting to watch her walk away.

An angry roar built up in Frankie's throat that she let out, turning to glare at him with red eyes. But the sound died out into nothing, Frankie forgetting how to breathe as she saw eyes as golden as the goddamn sun looking up at her. Those eyes that were suddenly the center that her entire world revolved around.

Frankie's knees buckled and she fell on her front paws, still taller than Emmett as she did so. When she finally took in a breath, all she could smell was him — not the death that clung to his family.

Behind her red eyes, a million lifetimes flashed in her mind, Emmett right there alongside her for all of it. Playing video games, dancing and laughing in a rainstorm, throwing a football back and forth on the La Push beach as his alabaster skin sparkled in the sunlight, a breathtaking smile on his face that made her heart nearly stop from how perfect he was.

"Frankie?" Emmett asked, growing concerned as she dropped to her knees and let out a whine. "Are you hurt?"

All she could do was let out another pathetic whine, staring at him. It was like she was seeing him for the first time, noticing every little detail of his form — pouty, kissable lips, strong arms she dreamed a million times about being wrapped up in since he left, black curls he let grow out the slightest bit because he knew she liked it that way.

Against her will — not that she minded — Frankie slowly began to shift back, growing smaller and less hairy until she was on her knees in the river, not caring at all about the freezing cold water or his family looking on.

"Hey," Emmett said softly, instantly kneeling next to her. He pulled off his wet hoodie and put it around Frankie's body, zipping it up as fast as he could. "D - Do you have a concussion again?"

"No." It was Sam who spoke, having shifted behind the trees and put on the pair of shorts tied to his leg. He had a somber expression on his face despite understanding — Jared did as well as he appeared. But Paul couldn't shift back. He was too fucking angry by the turn of events. "She's not hurt."

"Yeah, she's better than not hurt," Jared said with a smirk, remembering how useless he'd been when he imprinted on Kim in class. It was kinda funny to see Frankie so caught off guard. "Dude, you just got imprinted on."

☽︎

Sam was tasked with going and filling in the Elders, all knowing they couldn't tear Frankie away from her Imprint so soon. It only took two minutes to get to Frankie's trailer, which was empty since Raylan was at the Swan house. The whole time, Frankie could only pathetically stare at Emmett, unable to believe she could've known months ago what he was to her if she weren't so stubborn.

"We have to talk about what happened, Frankie," Emmett said softly as they sat on her bed. He was holding her hand and tracing light circles on her palm.

"We don't have to," she murmured, watching his every move.

"No," he said, shaking his head. He knew Frankie was just still high off the imprint, but he hurt her and needed to make up for it. "We do. Because you hated me an hour ago."

Frankie shook her head and frowned. "I didn't hate you, Em. I tried so fucking hard," she admitted. "And I stayed angry at you, but I could never hate you."

"How do I know you aren't just saying that because you imprinted?"

"Em," she said, cupping his face. "You were my whole world before you left — that's why it hurt so much when I found out."

"I'm sorry it happened that way," he mumbled.

"Why did it?" Frankie asked, her eyes watering. "Bella knew, but I didn't. Did you just not want me as much—"

"God, no," he cut her off. "Frankie, I'm always gonna want you."

"Then why didn't you tell me?" It didn't matter that she imprinted — she was still hurting from the betrayal.

"Part of it is because you just never figured it out," he told her. "Bella questioned every weird thing about us, but you just accepted us, and that made me love you more. And we're not allowed to tell humans — it would've put you in danger. Even now, the rulers of our kind want Bella dead or turned. I didn't want you to be in danger."

Frankie's face grew hard. "No one is touching Bella," she said in a firm tone. Her stomach turned at the thought of her friend becoming a vampire.

Seeing the look on her face, Emmett opted out of telling her that Bella wanted to be a vampire. "It's not just all that though," he admitted. "Everything was so perfect with you, Frankie. I was too scared it'd be ruined and you'd be mad at me because of what I was."

"I wasn't mad because of what you are, dumbass," she said, rolling her eyes. But then she frowned. "It made more sense after I shifted and really found everything out. Sam and the elders said you were harmless."

"I don't know about harmle—"

"The night I found out, though, I asked a question," she said, cutting off his complaint about being called weak. "I know you eat animals now, but have you ever killed anyone?"

Emmett looked at her with sad, wide eyes. He needlessly swallowed before nodding his head, unshed tears welling in his eyes. "Twice," he whispered, ashamed of himself. "Some humans have more tempting blood than others. I lost control early on after turning. I've spent all my years trying to keep from hurting anyone ever again."

Frankie took a moment to process it, and for a moment, she pictured him like Jasper that night, feral and ready to kill some innocent girl. She shut her eyes and willed the image away, knowing that Emmett couldn't help what he was any more than she could. Finally, she nodded and took in a deep breath, looking back up at Emmett.

"I trust that you won't," Frankie said softly, leaning against his chest.

"Do you have any more questions? I'll never hide anything from you ever again."

"Do you have any secret powers like Edward and Alice?"

Emmett smirked and tightened his hold around her, secretly glad he didn't have to hold back with her anymore. "I'm one of the strongest vampires there is," he bragged, flexing a little.

Frankie shamelessly eyed his arms, which stretched the fabric of his plain white shirt. "Not as cool as seeing the future, but very hot," she noted. "I know you have a bed in your room, but do you guys have secret coffins in the basement to sleep in?"

"We don't sleep, actually," he revealed.

Frankie sat up and looked at him in horror — she loved to sleep. "Wait, so the nights you slept over in my room? You were awake the whole time?"

"Well, it wasn't like I ever got bored what with your GameBoy being here and the sleepwalking," he joked.

Her mood dimmed a little, thinking of her mother that she hadn't seen since her birthday. She really had disappeared after Frankie shifted. "I don't do that anymore, at least," she told him. Then she sighed and grew more serious. "How does someone become a vampire if Bella is at risk?"

"We just have to bite," he explained. Emmett opened his mouth, showing off his blunt teeth that were stronger than they appeared. "We have venom that's deposited. It's one of the most painful feelings in the world — worse than dying. Though I don't think venom affects your kind."

"And the vampire leaders? The ones that want Bella to change, tell me about them."

"They're called the Volturi," Emmett explained. "The three leaders are Marcus, Aro, and Caius, and they have a guard full of gifted vampires to protect them and keep anyone from opposing them. They enforce the rules to make sure no one exposes what we are."

"And Edward went there when he thought Bella was dead hoping they'd kill him," she murmured, remembering how upset Alice had been that night. Emmett just nodded in confirmation. "You wouldn't do something so idiotic, would you?"

Emmett drew his eyebrows in, not even wanting to think about it. "Frankie, I couldn't even go past Alaska, feeling like it was too far. Had Bella not come for Edward, I would've come back for you eventually and begged on my knees for forgiveness. So, I don't think I could stand an eternity without you."

Frankie shook her head and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Then we'll just make a deal, because I want forever with you, too," she said, pressing her forehead to his. "No one dies."

"No one dies," he agreed. Then he cupped her cheek gently, and she leaned into his touch. "I can't believe you're actually here with me."

"I'm not going anywhere, Cullen," she said before kissing him.

Fuck, it was like fireworks went off inside of them both as they kissed for the first time in months. Also for the first time, Emmett's lips didn't feel as hard as stone or quite as cold, her own body balancing him out now that she'd shifted. Her heart pounded in her chest, every part of her knowing that she was meant to be held by the man for her entire life as he slowly slid his hands down her waist. His touch felt like a fire she'd never want to extinguish.

The kiss grew more heated, and soon, Frankie pushed Emmett onto his back. As his tongue explored her mouth, she began to writhe against his jean-clad leg, now more aware than ever that she hadn't put on real clothes, still just in his jacket and nothing else. She whined into his mouth as she found a steady rhythm, grinding against his leg. Emmett gripped her hips tightly — bruises formed and healed in mere seconds — to help her along. Her thigh would brush his hardening length with each thrust of her hips, driving him wild.

"Fuck, I missed you," he muttered, lips traveling down her neck.

Then Emmett used his super speed to flip them over so that he could hover above her, thinking she looked like an angel with her swollen lips and dark hair fanned out beneath her.

Frankie wasn't having it though. Before he knew it, Emmett was back on his back, realizing quickly that Frankie was as strong as he was — if not stronger. Fuck, the thought had his cock twitching in his painfully tight jeans, unable to believe how powerful his mate had become in the last few months.

Emmett bit his lip and looked up at her in awe as she pulled off his hoodie, leaving her bare above him, looking just as perfect as he remembered. Then she swooped down and her lips sought out the skin beneath his jaw, slowly kissing down his neck. When she reached his collarbone and the neckline of his shirt, she grasped the fabric and ripped it from his body, earning a hearty laugh from him at her eagerness.

But the laugh died down and morphed into a moan when she grinded against him. That coupled with her warm tongue tracing the outlines of his abs had him feeling like putty in her hands.

"Oh, god," he groaned as she teasingly licked the hard lines that formed a V and disappeared beneath his jeans.

"Don't call him here," she said in a teasing tone while undoing his belt. Though she paused and thought for a second. "Can vampires transfer STDs?"

Emmet couldn't help but chuckle and shook his head. "I don't think so — not that I have one — but I can wear one if it makes you more comfortable." He'd lay down his life for Frankie, so wearing a condom when it wasn't necessary was as easy as breathing so long as it meant he'd still get to feel her walls clenching around him.

Frankie smiled sweetly and then moved for her nightstand. And Emmett subtly looked at the box, pleased to see it was the exact same one with the same four that'd been left when they were still together. Sure, Frankie would've had a right to move on, but he'd have been miserable if she had.

It didn't take her long at all to get him completely nude beneath her, and Frankie took in his Adonis-like form, wondering if he was what reincarnated gods would look like. As she took his length and pumped it a few times, she watched his golden eyes flutter shut for a moment as he dug his nails into her thighs.

But he opened them back up before she began to line herself up and lower herself onto his thick, throbbing cock. Emmett groaned at the sight coupled with the feeling of her sinking onto him, taking him all the way to the base in one fluid motion.

Frankie's head fell back as she let out a soft moan, beginning to roll her hips. She braced her hands on his firm stomach, feeling the muscles contract as he began to shift upward, meeting each of her thrusts with the snap of his hips.

It was like the first time all over again — better because of the imprint bond. It was like Emmett was touching her very soul as he pulled her down into a sloppy kiss. She could feel every inch of him like he was in her stomach, truly appreciating how perfect he was with every fiber of her being. And it was like he could read her mind, not just her body, as he sped up just when she needed him to and when he'd move his hips in a new way that made his cock hit even deeper inside of her.

She was an absolute mess above him, hardly able to focus on her movements because of the pleasure he was giving her — fuck, he really was strong to be able to pound up into her from below without faltering as he sucked deftly on her neck.

"'M close," she breathed out, rolling her hips again and again while pulling him back for another kiss.

The cacophony of ecstasy built up inside of her until she couldn't take much more, an orgasm hitting her. Her mouth fell open in a low moan, and Emmett sucked on her bottom lip while flipping them over so that Frankie was on her back.

He worked her through the orgasm, continuing to thrust deeply at a relentless pace. And because he just needed more, he brought his hand down to her clit and began to rub firm, quick circles around the bundle of nerves.

Her toes curled and she let out a whine from the sensitively, unable to believe she wasn't far off from a second orgasm — then again, vampires and werewolves didn't exactly need recovery time. Frankie scratched at his back, knowing there would be no marks as proof in the morning.

"Gimme another one, babe," Emmett grunted out, his thrusts growing a bit sloppy as he neared his own release. "Got six months to make up for, little wolf."

Frankie's eyes rolled back in her head as he rammed into her with even more force, so much so that the wooden bed frame began to crack and splinter, the mattress hitting the floor hard. Soon, she was seeing stars behind her eyelids as she came again, her thighs covered with cum as he slid in and out of her once, twice — a third time before he had his own orgasm.

Emmett groaned loudly, his face falling on her neck as she caught her breath. Frankie brought her hand up to run her fingers through his hand, feeling closer than she ever had with her Imprint.

Slowly, Emmett began placing soft kisses up her neck and along her jaw until he reached her lips. He sought out one of her hands, holding it gently as he looked down at her adoringly.

"I love you, Roman."

"I love you too, Cullen."

☽︎

"It's unnatural!" Paul shouted. "And it's taking Frankie's freedom away! She was better off without that leech."

"Well, we know that's not true," Leah muttered, knowing how miserable Frankie had been the past few months.

The whole pack aside from Frankie was gathered, the Elders included. They were discussing how this new Imprint would affect the treaty. Sam and the Elders were agreeing that Emmett could be allowed on their land so long as Frankie was with him and he didn't hunt their animal population.

Some of the pack thought that was sensible — mainly Jared, Embry, and Quil, who was the newest pack member and hadn't actually grown to hate the Cullens yet. Leah didn't necessarily like it, but after seeing it through Frankie's mind, she wanted more than anything to imprint on someone to forget about Sam.

Paul, Embry, and Jacob hated the turn of events, but there was nothing they could do but complain. An Imprint Bond was sacred to them all. Emmett Cullen was to remain forever unharmed and welcome.

"It'll be nice to meet him," Emily said, smiling. "Boys, you'll make him feel welcome if she ever brings him by."

"Goddamn it," Raylan muttered. He scratched at his beard. "I'm gonna have to let him keep coming around the house now."

"Or you could ground her for until ever," Embry suggested, making the others roll their eyes playfully.

"Just make her choose!" Paul said, crossing his arms. "Them or us!"

"Look!" Sam said in a hard tone, wanting the whole ordeal to be over. "We know the power Frankie has over this pack and the vampires. None of you are stupid enough to give her that ultimatum. Paul, you'll understand one day when you Imprint. Frankie cannot stay away from him."

"Do we think she will bring him by?" Seth asked, looking to Leah with a hopeful expression. Because Seth loved Frankie, he therefore cared about Emmett as well. He couldn't hate the vampire that was the center of Frankie's entire world. "Do you think he'll like me?"

Jacob snorted and rolled his eyes. "You wanna know if the blood-sucking monster likes you?"

"Jacob," Billy said, glaring at him to get him to lay off Seth. None of them were thrilled, but there was nothing that could be done but welcome Emmett with semi-open arms.

"The amendment to the treaty will not extend to the others," Old Quil said, taking a seat. "Their leader will need to make sure he understands that."

"Are we not worried about Frankie's loyalty now?" Jacob asked. "Like Sam said, we know who she'll pick in an ultimatum. What about when they break the treaty? When they kill someone or change them?"

Sam looked at Jacob, not liking that he was trying to make Frankie out to be the bad guy in this situation as if the ancestors hadn't handchose Emmett to be hers. "Jacob, Frankie knows the importance of this tribe. The Mekko wolf is bred to protect the lands above all else. There isn't a doubt in my mind that if any of the other Cullens step out of line — harm a human — Frankie will be the first to kill them. Emmett will just have to look the other way."