Within the walls of the Cullen residence, a somber mood had prevailed. Edward had left to take Bella back to her house, saying their farewells quickly and sombrely. The training had been fun for Kiara to watch but it had only amplified the danger that was quickly approaching the small town.

Things had turned a lot more intense when Carlisle had asked Alice if she had seen any visions of  the Volturi stepping in to prevent the newborn army from attacking the town and she had unfortunately informed him that there had been no glimpses of any of the vampire elites in her mind. Rosalie wasn't sure if she was glad to hear this, as it meant keeping Kiara far away from the Volturi, or if she was concerned at what it could mean for them if they allowed this army to keep growing.

Kiara wasn't sure what to make of it all. She knew that they had strict laws regarding the secrecy of their kind and the interactions with other supernatural beings, so she was a little surprised that they weren't stepping in to stop the disappearances in Seattle before people started to get even more suspicious than they were. Regardless, a piece of her was kind of happy that they didn't also have the Volturi to deal with. The prospect of also having to face the Volturi was nothing short of terrifying, even for the formidable Cullens.

"I won't run and hide," Kiara declared, her voice resolute as the rest of the vampires turned to face her, having been discussing that she had been one of the main targets by the army alongside Bella. "They might come after me, but I won't back down from protecting my pack and this town."

Emmett gave her a nod of approval as a grin broke out on his face from her fighting talk. He wouldn't admit it in front of Rosalie since she wasn't happy about it in the first place, but he really was looking forward to seeing the wolves fighting in action. "That's the spirit, Kiara!"

Rosalie found herself gazing across the room once more at Kiara with an expression of both adoration and worry. The passionate twinkle that crossed Kiara's eyes reminded her why she had fallen for the werewolf in the first place, but she couldn't shake the feeling of unease as Kiara all but volunteered to face off against the newborns. As a vampire, Rosalie was no stranger to peril, but seeing the person she cherished so badly being exposed to the dangers of the supernatural world was a weight she couldn't bear lightly.

Jasper sensed Rosalie's unease, and instantly turned the conversation back to what they could due in the meantime that didn't involve rushing into any battles that the wolves weren't quite prepared for. 

"We can set up a perimeter around Forks, monitor their movements, and intercept them before they get too close to Forks or the reservation. We need to neutralize the threat swiftly and decisively," he said, his mind still in battle mode from the training earlier. Beside him, Alice nodded as she tried to reassure the rest of the family that they were keeping everything under control.

"I'll keep a close eye on their actions, but their unpredictability makes it challenging to predict their exact movements. We'll just need to be agile and adaptable, and since I can't see Victoria's decisions as she keeps changing them, on guard at all times too."

Kiara nodded, rubbing subconsciously at her arm as she looked at the rest of the coven. Esme had just excused herself with Beverly to go hunting, knowing that they needed to be at full strength at all time. Alice had predicted that they still had some time before the army would arrive, but nevertheless they had all agreed it was important to remain vigil.

"You won't be doing any protecting until that arm is sorted," Carlisle replied, his lips in a tight line as he looked at the arm that they had discovered had healed incorrectly from her sudden phasing abilities coming to power. 

"Great," Kiara gulped as Carlisle and Rosalie motioned for her to follow them upstairs to Carlisle's office. She didn't really understand the point in giving her 'privacy' when the rest of the house would still be able to hear every pin drop that happened in the room, but she didn't complain about it anyway.

Rosalie motioned for her to sit on the small examination table in the corner of the room, her hand outstretched for Kiara to connect their fingers together while Carlisle fiddled around with a few things in his drawers behind them both.

"This is going to hurt," Rosalie gently murmured to Kiara, placing a soft hand on the side of her face as she leaned in for a quick kiss. Kiara smiled against her lips, rolling her eyes a little as she chuckled a bit at the idea of it all. "I'm serious, Kie."

"She's right," Carlisle replied as he turned around, having put on some gloves and readjusted the lighting in the room over the examination bed so that he could focus on breaking and resetting her arm in the perfect conditions. "I need to resnap the bone and then force it back into its correct place. Your healing is going to try start to reconnect it as soon as I made the first snap, so it's not going to be comfortable."

The werewolf looked at Carlisle as he outstretched his arm towards her own. She looked down at it for a moment, knowing that it was about to be twisted into undeniable pain. Kiara's conflicted expression softened as she looked up and back into Rosalie's eyes. She knew she couldn't avoid the procedure any longer. Nodding reluctantly, she braced herself for what was to come.

Carlisle instructed Kiara to lie back and try to relax. He knew that, despite her strong front, this was a difficult ordeal for her. Using a combination of precision and strength, Carlisle swiftly re-broke Kiara's arm, eliciting a pained scream from the werewolf. Rosalie winced at the sound but maintained a firm grip on Kiara's hand, providing both comfort and support.

Downstairs, the others grimaced as they heard the yells and swears from their friend upstairs. Jasper had remained downstairs, having not fed in a few days and being worried that should Carlisle accidentally break skin that he'd struggle to remain focused. They were all aware Kiara's scent was less disarming than the rest of the pack, and he didn't want to find out if her blood was the same.

Once the bone was realigned, Carlisle worked with speed and precision to set the fracture properly. Kiara's breathing was ragged, and her fingers gripped the edges of the examination table, her knuckles turning white. Through the haze of pain, Kiara could feel Carlisle's steady hands and the support of her Rosalie surrounding her. She was even pretty sure that Jasper was attempting to channel calmness into the room from downstairs in a feeble attempt to ease Kiara's suffering as best he could.

As the procedure neared its end, Carlisle's skilled touch worked to keep her now-healing wrist bone in the one place on Kiara's arm. "Almost there, Kiara," he reassured her, his voice gentle and soothing. With the fracture set and the bone snap healing, Carlisle stepped back, allowing Kiara to catch her breath. The pain slowly began to subside, replaced by a sense of relief that the worst was over.

"Thank you, Carlisle," Kiara managed to say through clenched teeth. "Sorry for calling you a bastard."

Carlisle smiled warmly, his golden eyes reflecting genuine concern. "You're welcome, Kiara. Now, with proper healing, your arm will be as good as new. But for the record, you didn't call me anything."

Kiara's cheeks turned red as she realised that she had just been thinking it, and hadn't actually said it outlaid. Rosalie chuckled as Carlisle held back a laugh, the three heading back downstairs as Kiara gently cradled her arm into her chest.

The Cullens gathered around Kiara, offering her their unwavering support and care. As the moonlight filtered through the window, a newfound sense of unity and strength enveloped them all, reaffirming the bonds that had formed between vampire and werewolf, bridging the gap between their supernatural worlds.

____

Sam stood in the doorway as he watched Seth and Leah bicker over the last blueberry muffin that Emily had baked that morning. Kiara and Paul were watching in amusement, not wanting to interrupt their argument to inform them that Emily was just about to start baking another batch and that it really wasn't that deep. The alpha's mouth twitched upwards for a second in a smile as he looked at the four pack members, knowing that what he was about to say next would be appreciated by two of them and argued by the other duo.

Sam wasn't stupid - he knew that a lot of the pack were itching to just get the chance to kill some vampires. He could sense their eagerness and determination to take on the newborn army, even though their training with Jasper had been showing them that they had a lot to learn and not enough time to figure it all out. 

"Guys, a quick word," Sam began, his voice carrying the weight of authority. "I know that you've been training like the rest of us, and have that desire to protect our home and our loved ones. But I cannot risk the lives of our youngest and less experienced members in this fight," he continued, his tone unwavering. "Seth and Kiara, you will not be joining us on that battlefield."

Seth's eyes widened in disbelief, and Kiara's face fell. Seth had been training tirelessly in his spare time with the older wolves to ensure that he wasn't going to hold the pack back during the encounter, and Kiara knew that she was one of the main targets. If she wasn't there, she knew in her heart that they'd tear apart the whole of the West Coast just to try and find her. 

"Sam!" Seth protested, "I'm strong! I can fight!"

Kiara nodded in agreement, her determination unyielding. "If I'm not there Sam, you know fine well that the army won't stop until they find me!"

Sam's expression softened, his empathy for his pack members evident but his word was final. He had given this a lot of thought since their first training session, and he'd also be lying if Sue Clearwater hadn't been talking his ear off about protecting the youngest pack members. 

"You are strong," Sam acknowledged, not wanting to knock Seth's self-esteem. "And your enthusiasm is commendable, Seth, it really it - but strength alone does not guarantee survival. You heard Jasper, these vampires are going to be at the strongest that they'll ever be and I cannot bear the thought of losing any of us, especially when both of your parents have been begging me to keep you out of it."

Kiara and Paul shared a look a that. She was aware that the silence and lack of reaction from Paul and Leah told her that they likely already had known that Sam had made this decision, but she was more focused on the fact that her father had supposedly spoken to Sam about not wanting her involved in the fight.

"My dad spoke to you?"

"Billy was worried about both you and your brother," Sam clarified, but huffed a little as he reached out and placed an arm on her shoulder. "Especially since the Cullen's think you're one of their main targets now too."

Kiara's dark eyes reflected a mix of emotions as she traced the delicate patterns on the wooden tabletop with her fingers. Her father's recent words at her graduation weighed heavily on her heart, and she couldn't help but feel torn between her imprint and his expectations. Billy telling Sam that he was worried about her probably shouldn't have surprised her as much as it did, but there was a small part of her that was certain their relationship was never going to be the same again.

"Your father loves you deeply, Kiara, and it's natural for him to be worried about your well-being," Sam reassured her, knowing that she was struggling with this information. There had been a lot of change in all of their lives recently, but Kiara and Seth had equally drawn the bad straws. "I'm not telling you to forgive him for what he said or did, but I just want you to think about your last conversation with him because if you go on to that battlefield and something happens to you - god forbid - I don't want you to regret anything."

Kiara didn't know what to reply, so she simply sunk back into her seat as Seth continued to argue back about being benched. The truth was that Kiara didn't care about being benched, she just wanted to be there to protect Rosalie.

She didn't want to live in a world without Rosalie Hale. She couldn't live in a world without Rosalie Hale.

_____

Later that night, Kiara tried to avoid her father as Sam's words continued to bounce around her head. The man that had been so willing to let her die trying to break the imprint bond between her and Rosalie was now worried about her safety against an army of vampires? It just confused her to no end.

The flickering fire in the hearth that usually provided warmth and a sense of comfort to Kiara was only making her feel more hot and frustrated as she rushed around, getting ready for the next round of training with the Cullens and the rest of the pack. Jacob had already left to go pick up Bella, saying that it was his turn and not Edward's. To be completely honest with him, Kiara informed Jake that she really couldn't care any less than she already did about his and Edward's schedule for Bella pick-ups. 

Jacob had rolled his eyes, ignoring her nippy comment. He knew that she was just acting out because of the uncomfortable tension in the house and he had already reassured himself that things were going to work out perfectly after this battle anyway. Kiara would make up with their father, Bella would pick him over Edward and the Cullen's would stop being a pain in his ass.

Kiara wasn't so sure that she and Billy Black were going to make amends anytime soon. The tension between her and her father had been building over the past few weeks, even with his surprise appearance at her graduation.

"Kie," Billy began softly, the girl having been too lost in her own thoughts to realise that he had entered the living room. "There's something I need to say to you."

She glanced at her father, her eyes filled with a mix of emotions. She wanted to give him a chance, but she was weary from the recent arguments and the hurt that seemed to linger between them. Rosalie was her imprint, and everything in her was screaming at her to walk away from him for his constant disrespect of her and her family.

"Can we talk later, Dad?" she replied, her voice strained. "I just can't deal with this right now, I have to get to training. Sam's waiting on me outside and you know he hates to be late."

Billy hesitated, his heart sinking. He had hoped this would be the moment to bridge the gap between them, but he respected his daughter's need for space. Sue had made it very clear to him in her constant scoldings that he had really hurt not only his relationship with Kiara but he had also hurt the girl emotionally too. He knew his daughter, and he knew that her even allowing him the chance to say hello to her was a step up from where they had been before.

"Of course," he said, trying to hide his disappointment in himself for letting their bond become this broken and strained. "Tell Sam I say hi."

With that, Kiara brushed past him and walked towards the cabin's front door. The cold air hit her face as she stepped outside, taking in the breathtaking beauty of the wilderness that had always brought her a sense of peace. Her eyes narrowed in on the black wolf that was sitting at the tree line, its large head nodding in her direction as she slipped her crocs off on the front porch. They'd been a gift from Emmett, and she had no intentions of ripping them to pieces (no matter how much Rosalie and Alice wished she would... they thought they were the ugliest thing that humans had created in centuries).

Billy watched his daughter leave, his heart aching. He knew that he had let his emotions and stubbornness cloud his judgment in recent times. He had hurt her with his words and actions, and he longed for the chance to apologize and make amends. 

He just knew that if Kiara's mom had been here, she'd have given him the exact same look that Kiara had given him there. 

Billy couldn't help the feeling that something awful happening was imminent to their family.

_____

The sun set over the tree line, casting a warm golden glow over the clearing as the temperature began to drop in the forest. Rosalie and Kiara lay in the grass together, their fingers intertwined as they watched the colours of the sky transform. Time had been passing quickly, and Kiara knew that it wasn't soon before the newborn army would begin to make their way towards them.

The plans had been finalised now - Bella and her would reside in tents higher up in the mountain, and their scents would be used to lure the newborn army to the clearing that her and Rosalie were currently laying in. There, the wolves and Cullens would stop the army before they managed to reach herself and Bella, saving not only the girls but the town of Forks.

Rosalie, always perceptive, gently squeezed Kiara's hand. "You seem on edge," she said with a soft murmur to the other girl.

Kiara blushed a little, unable to hide her emotions from the blonde. "I am, but it's a good kind of nervous. With this battle coming up and graduation now out of the way, I've been thinking a lot about us, about our relationship and the imprint."

Rosalie's eyes sparkled, showing that she was equally invested in this conversation as she sat up and looked down a little at Kiara who had been deep in thought the entire time they'd been watching the sunset. 

"I've been thinking about it too," the Hale admitted, a small smile on her face as Kiara turned her head to meet her eyes. "Being with you has been the most beautiful experience of my life, Kie."

"Me too, Rose," Kiara replied, her voice filled with sincerity. "You've brought so much joy and love into my life, even before the stupid imprint came around. From that very first day in class, I just wanted to get to know you more and more. And I want more of that. I want more of you, more of us."

Rosalie smiled as Kiara continued her sudden emotionally charged monologue.

"Traveling to new places, experiencing different cultures, and making memories that will last a lifetime. I want to hold your hand as we hike through lush forests, and I want to dance with you under the stars."

A soft smile played on Rosalie's lips. 

"That sounds perfect," she whispered.

The soft rustles of the forest around them made the moment seem even more surreal. Things couldn't have been any worse for the pack or the Cullen family, but for just a moment, everything was good and gold and bright in the world.

"I love you so much," Kiara said softly. "Imprint or no imprint, it's always been and always will be you for me."

They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment, taking in the beauty of the setting sun. The waves whispered softly, as if encouraging them to take the next step on their journey together.

"Kie," Rosalie whispered, breaking the silence, "For what it's worth, I love you too. I know we can't predict the future entirely, but I promise you this: I will love you fiercely, and I will be your partner in every sense of the word."

In that moment, Kiara didn't care about her strained relationship with her father or brother, she didn't care about the newborn army and she certainly didn't care about Victoria's desire to kill her and Bella. In that moment, all Kiara cared about was Rosalie Hale.

The world around them seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them and their boundless love.