𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟎

𝘼 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙝 

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╰┈˚ · ° .  MADDISON SWAN WAS SOMEONE WHO LOVED LIFE. Big moments like birthdays, weddings, big celebrations—she had been so hyped about the graduation of the few people that she knew had finished high school that she had planned an entire menu to cook. But little moments were her favorites. Hanging out with her friends, learning new skills for her favorite thing to do—which was cooking—passing time with her father, walks on the beach... There were a lot of things that Maddison loved about life even when it had not been the kindest to her with how her mother had completely forgotten about her existence, still Maddison loved life.

Now, red puffy eyes, cheeks stained with tears, her shaking hands clutching at her chest, Maddison didn't look like she was loving much about anything at all.

After leaving Emily's house, Kim, Layla, Amelia and I drove to the Swan's residence and we were met with a sight that made our hearts ache.

Maddison was crying, sobbing curled on herself. She was shaking and sweating exactly like Jacob had done, but this looked far worse.

When we had heard Bella's voice coming from her room, seeming through the cracks in Maddison's door, the girl's pain seemed to increase involuntarily.

"We need to get her out of here."

And we did. We holed up for three days in Layla's room. The Thompson household was chosen because Layla's bedroom had been the biggest out of hers and Kim's—Amelia's and mine house were not an option—fortunately for us, the water witch's parents were the silent type, they were too happy that her daughter had made friends to complain about something or how much Layla was out recently. They seemed to love us, which was great, and when they caught the sight of a heartbroken Maddison they made sure to keep Layla's very nosy youngest sister, Erika, away from us and offered to get anything that we would want or need.

It took one day for Maddison to start talking—after she had fallen asleep crying and shaking for more than 13 hours—another two days to be functional once we had told her what Jacob had done with Bella.

Heartbroken didn't even come close to how she was feeling.

After three days of ignoring the world around us, it had arrived the time for us to go back.

I was already dreading seeing Paul—who I had ignored as the rest of the others. Kim had tried to postpone this as much as she could—the girls was actually winching every time her boyfriend's name was brought up—as far as I knew, Kim and Jared hadn't had an actual fight before, they just weren't the type to shout and rage, more likely they fucked that argument out of their system, but that was beside the point.

Amelia had stayed with Maddison, though, driving her home to Forks where she would wait for her to change into her own clothes before we would meet again.

I walked home, twisting the ring on my thumb that had once been Paul's, now forever mine. The house was unusually silent from the outside, and I was hoping in vain that no one but Emily—who had kept contact with us throughout the three days—would be home. As I said, in vain, because as soon as I opened the front door, there were about almost all the members of the pack in the living room.

"Shit." I mumbled to myself. Here it goes trying to go unnoticed and sneak out before anyone would know.

"Where have you been?!" Sam shouted as soon as he saw me.

I ignored him, walking towards my room, "Beatrice, it's been three days and no one knew where you girls were! You can't ignore me!"

"I was doing just fine until now." I snarked back.

"I was worried! You can't just disappear!" Like him was left unsaid.

"Sorry if I needed to take care of my friend, you selfish asshole."

"Three days and no call, or text. I had no idea where you were!"

That's the thing, Sam and I rarely fought, but when it did, well, it was always harsh and heavy and like fire.

He was making it sound like I was copying our father's actions. Disappear without leaving any trace. I was literally less than 10 minutes from here. I didn't know why it was the first thing that I thought about, but I did. I don't disappear, I'm not him.

I clenched my jaw, I was not him. "We were at Layla's." I said for the others in the living room—that were clearly listening to us fight—"Maddison wasn't feeling great after you pack-brother," Yes, I snarled the last words like it was coated in poison, "Did a soul-infraction on their bond." I looked at Jared and Embry, Leah as well even if it was more subtle. I wasn't dealing with them as well when I had my own wolf that imprinted on me and that was glaring at me from the other side of the room. "Kim is going home, Amelia is driving Maddison before they both come back. And we were at Layla's, so she is still home."

Sorry girls.

Jared didn't wait another second before speed-walking away.

Embry contemplated his own action for a moment before he too walked away, but I saw him stop on the porch, phone in hand. Leah, well she stayed still, eyes out of the window.

"What's a soul infraction exactly?" Seth suddenly asked sheepishly.

"Yes, we would all like to know." Sam crossed his arms over his chest and an aggravated sigh.

"And you'll know, later. We have three days of spells to power up and redo, and wards to check." I said, already feeling the tiredness seeping into my bones.

Quil frowned, "You check spells everyday?"

"Not all but yes, you guys are not the only ones pulling the weight around here." I deadpanned.

"Tonight, tell the others."

I nodded my head, "Tell Jacob to be there." I said, he needed to be there. When I was safe from their questions in my room, I heard the front door slam shut violently and a growling howl followed soon after.

Paul.

Well, shit. And this wasn't going to get any better that night, actually, things would probably about to get much worse.

══════ 🜂🜁🜃🜄 ══════

╰┈˚ · ° .  I could feel the exhaustion pulling at my bones as we entered the pack's house. It was still mid afternoon so I was sure that no more than one or two wolves would be inside, fortunately for us, it was none.

We had just spent the majority of the day checking the spell and charging them where it was needed. We had to re-do more than a few wards—mostly near the schools—which took a lot of power. The fact that we had little to no sleep made it even harder.

Emily was waiting for us when we arrived, engulfing Maddison in her arms as soon as she saw her, before doing the same with the rest of us. It was good to eat her food again, and we had seen Maddison smile and be more relaxed in that small lapse of time where Emily had dragged her into the kitchen than for the past few days. The Swan girl was still lighty shaking and clutching at her chest every once in a while, the clear signs of a soul-infraction that were displayed on her body.

It made my rage come tenfold stronger every time she winced in pain.

"It's the right choice, right?" Layla whispered to us. We were watching Emily and Maddison in the kitchen baking, we couldn't take our eyes away from Maddi as if we were afraid that she was going to disappear at any time soon.

"She has the right to know it's possible." I nodded. "And he needs a good scare if she decides that she still wants to keep it."

"What about the others?" Kim asked, looking as if she was in pain, "Do you think that they would ever-"

"Jared loves you." Layla squeezed her hand, "He would never do it."

"You didn't see how he looked at me before." Now Kim was tearing up, "he was so angry with me that he phased."

"He was worried, there is a difference. Jared is so in love with you that is sickening." Amelia said—not unkindly—that was just her way to speak. "Even when it snapped in place, Jared was so happy. He never thought of it as anything but a blessing."

"None of them would ever do it intentionally." I said. Maybe I was trying to convince myself as well because I couldn't lie and say that the doubt hadn't crossed my mind at all. And looking at Layla, I could see her pondering worriedly the same thing.

Even Amelia now didn't look so sure.

We are fine. He loves me, I know he does. He loves me.

It wasn't enough, though. Doubts, doubts, doubts... I was honestly about to worry myself sick. I snapped my hands and the grimoire was in my hands. Worrying about possible futures was not what we needed right now. "Let's study the ritual, we don't know if we would actually need it."

As soon as the first wolves arrived, the tension in the room thickened. Embry and Quil entered the house and sat at the other end of the table. We stayed in silence as we waited for the others to arrive as well. Leah and Seth, Paul, Jared and Sam. There was a clear division now, one that had never been so stark before. The pack and the Coven. Wolves and witches.

Jacob arrived last—what a surprise—he looked for a second towards Maddison before Amelia glared warningly at him.

"Let's start, shall we." it was easy to coate my tone in venom, just the sight of Jacob was enough to feel the rage bubbling in my system.

"Why do you think that we are here for?" Amelia asked, eyes on her twin.

"I'm still trying to understand, to be honest." Jacob had the gut to say, "you all disappear for the three days after whatever the hell you did to me and now here we are."

"You kissed Bella." I said starkly, we didn't need to go around the real subject. I felt Maddison flinch at the words, but we had already told her that things were going to be said tonight, harsh and true.

"And how is that your problem?"

"You have an imprint." Now he was the one he flinched, his gaze found Maddison's.

I knew I was being mean when I raised an eyebrow mockingly, I just didn't care "Did you just remember it?"

"I don't want this bond, I don't love her. I don't know why I should feel the need to remember the imprint at all when it's with the wrong person."

Amelia let out a humorless laugh, "You mean you wanted to imprint with the girl who broke her hand to punch you after you kissed her? That girl? The same one that is in love with a vampire."

"She loves me too."

"Sure, whatever you say." I chuckled.

"I still don't understand why I'm here." Jacob crossed his hands over his chest.

"Your wolf comes from the magic of spirit warriors. It takes the form of a wolf that is why you phase into one." Layla started to explain, "The Imprint happens when that soul in you meets the one that has the most potential to match. Your soul laches into it, binding it. That is when the bond happens. It is a match of souls."

The wolves were listening attentively, there wasn't much information on imprinting bonds on their part, and they were drinking any new information with the ferocity of people dying of thirst.

"Soul-infractions." Kim continued on with the real problem, "They happen when that bond of linked souls is threatened by another one. Which happens when you go against the instinct of the bond, consciously ignoring it to a grave extent.

Amelia then started, "A soul infraction with platonic imprints can happen when the wolf ignores his instinct and his imprint gets hurt, or he is the one doing it. Romantically," Her eyes narrowed on Jacob, "When there is another person involved. Cheating."

"And wanting this bond or not, kissing Bella is a soul-infraction." I said, "You tore a rip in both your souls because of this. That is why you are both shaking and sweating and your heart aches."

"Bullshit." Jacob scoffed.

"Soul-infraction is the only way an imprint bond can be severed." I finally said.

Silence rang through the room before the anger and disbelief was voiced loudly.

"You can't do this. It's not possible."

"Beatrice!" Sam shouted over his pack-mates, "This is not possible, why wouldn't we know about this if it's true."

"What would you have done if you had known this before? Before you fell in love with Emily? " I only said. And Sam looked caught off guard, "The truth, Sam."

He hesitated. Looking at Emily and then Leah—his girlfriend at the time—and then back at me before he sighed a breath tinted with shame, "I would have thought about it."

"Exactly." Kim said gently, "This is why you don't know about these things."

"You can't do this. This is not- not right!" Jacob shouted, anger boiling in his system.

"Now you want this bond?" Amelia scoffed, "You clearly didn't a minute ago!"

We were shouting at each other now, wolves against witches. There was chaos. There was nothing more sacred to shifters then imprints. This, even thinking about the possibility of breaking this bond, was unfathomable to them. Even to Jacob who had been the one that cheated on Maddison.

"Do it." It was so soft that I almost didn't catch it. "Do it!" Maddison shouted louder, "Break it, destroy it, I don't care. Just–just take it away from me, I don't want it. I don't want him anymore." She was clenching her jaw so hard that I was sure she was about to break a tooth, anìd her blue eyes, always so filled with life, had a sheer disgust and hate, and filled with tears of heartbreak "Break it off." She turned towards us witches, "Please."

After years of loving him, Maddison had finally enough of the pain of his rejection.

"I can't take this anymore. I can't do it. I don't want to. I don't want to feel this pain for the rest of my life knowing that he would never choose me." she said, "I'm making this decision, I don't want him. I don't fucking deserve this!"

Silence again. Kim, Layla and Amelia were already looking at me. "Votes?" I asked them through the coven bond, this wasn't just a decision I could take alone.

"Yes."

"Yes."

"Yes."

So I nodded my head at Maddison, "If we have the ancestors' blessings then we will break it." Everything was connected to our ancestors. We would need their agreement for this type of spell.

"You can't do this, please. I'm sorry, Maddison."

"Look who is begging now." I snorted derisively.

"This is not right." Sam said, "You can't do this." his tone had been altered slightly but the alpha tone in it.

"We can." I glared, squaring my shoulders at him once I heard the command, "I get it, you are trying to protect one of your wolves, it's the alpha in you that makes you do it. But never, never use your alpha command on me again." Not like it works anyways. "You are protecting one of yours, even when he doesn't deserve it, and we are protecting one of ours. We are doing what needs to be done."

It was cold. I didn't like it. We were a family and we were taking sides and fighting. I didn't like it at all. I wanted to look at him, at Paul, but I was too afraid of what I would find. Imprintings are sacred, and we had just touched those bonds. I couldn't see if he was disgusted by me, I would not be able to take it. Not his hate, not again. My heart was already bleeding from it even at just the thought.

But then I looked at Maddison. She didn't deserve to be chained to a loveless life like this. She deserved so much better. We needed to do this, for her. Maddison wasn't just a human, a normal girl passing through momentarily, she was part of our family. She shouldered so many responsibilities, she loved us even when anyone else would have run away. She firstly lost her best friend because of us, her life had been turned upside down because of us.

She deserved more than not doing anything, to not even try.

"Once we have the ancestors' blessing, the bond will break." 

✎

˗ˏˋ 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 ˊˎ˗

Hello everyone!

Ouch. Sorry, I'm sorry. Are we breaking the imprint bond or not? What do you think? 

Beatrice my love, Paul loves you, don't worry. This is making me cry because they have come so far! And now, ouch. 

All the girls worried that their wolves would want to break their imprints too is so sad omg. Even Amelia! 

Maddison, I'm sorry girl, I love you so much! 

And of course, this is all my plot, there is actually little to no details about the imprints bonds and how they world so yeah...

Thank you for reading this chapter, I'll see you on Tuesday!

˚ · ° . 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 . ° · ˚

𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲

 𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲

 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞!

– 𝐋𝐨𝐥𝐚 ☾