Keep Me Together

Elenia calmed down eventually on the walk back - at least enough to start asking questions. Seth had put her down again and they were walking beside each other but not holding hands, Elenia was freaked out.

"Was he a...?" She let the sentence trail of and looked up at Seth's face to see his reaction.
"Yes," he said simply because he knew what she meant. Elenia was almost as familiar with the legends as he was, except knowing they were true.
"The cold ones exist," Elenia nodded her head slowly to let it sink in before she asked her next question, "Which means the other part is true as well, meaning you are a werewolf?" It ended like a question.

"Shape-shifter is the correct phrase, we are not controlled by the moon like the real werewolves," he answered before he got the chance to think about what he said.
Her eyes widened. "The real werewolves? So there are hairy men walking around killing people?"
"Not in this area; I have never met one before," he reassured her.

"You said we, how many shape-shifters do I know?" she stared at the ground she was walking with focused eyes.
"It's only me, Jacob, Brady, Embry and Harry that is phasing now."
Elenia gasped. "Harry is a shape-shifter?"
"Yes, he phased for the first time two years ago," Seth told her.
"So when he was sick and had to go away to that hospital, he was really just running around in the woods?"

"No, he was mostly staying with Billy Black, but yeah, he was out in the woods a lot. It's difficult to control our temper in the beginning, but Harry is a natural - probably because of his great personality." Seth tried to see how Elenia reacted to all the information but she let her head hang with her hair shielding it from his look.

They didn't say anything before they reached the road and Elenia stopped.
"Where are we going now?" she wondered.
Seth glanced down the road before meeting her eyes. "I think it's best if we go talk with your parents."

"What do they have to do with everything?"
Seth sighed. "Your father was a shape-shifter before."
Elenia's eyes widened. "My dad too?"
He smiled and took a hold of her hand carefully in case she would pull it away again but Elenia only started walking.

Elia and Paul was at home - and Robbie wasn't which was good because he didn't have to know about it yet.

"We crossed path with a vampire," he told them.
They was taken aback when Seth started talking and shot worried glances in Elenia's direction where she sat next to Seth on the love seat.
"You crossed path's with what?" Paul asked and tried to cover Seth's mistake.
"Seth has already told me daddy," Elenia smiled a little at him.

"Did he hurt you bambi?" Elia asked her highly beloved daughter.
Elenia shook her head. "No, Seth exploded into a gigantic light brown wolf and chased the cold one away."
Paul smiled in relief at his daughter before he turned to Seth. "Have you told her everything?"
"No," Seth said and glanced quickly at Elenia.

"What more is there?" Elenia asked. "Everybody is wolves and vampires are running around town." she stated.
"There is a lot more, Leni," Seth said and brushed his fingers over her cheek before her mother and father started talking.

Her father told her more about the pack and how it had been when he first changed - he also explained why Seth had asked the vampire if he was a Cullen; the treaty were still intact. Her mother told her about the wolves in Italy, how her own father had been a wolf. They also explained how they met; about the imprinting. They didn't say anything about Seth's imprint on her; he had to say that himself.

Suddenly something occurred to Elenia and she felt anger flare in her body. "Why haven't you told me before?" she gave her parents hurt and accusing looks.
"How can you explain to a three year old not to tell her friends her father is a werewolf? How do you get a five year old to keep a secret?" her father asked her.
"But I'm not five anymore!" She yelled. " You could have told me when I was ten, twelve or fifteen!"

"Elenia, it's all my fault," Seth said and made her look at him. "It has been up to me the whole time."
"Why?" She asked again.
"You remember the imprinting from the legends, right?" Elenia nodded at him in confusion; she thought the imprinting was the most magical part of it all. "You are my imprint, Leni," Seth said it slowly so she would get the meaning.

Elenia's eyes widened in shock and she gasped for the tenth time - at least - that day. "I...I don't know what to say..." she mumbled.
"You don't have to say anything, bambi," Her mother told her and Elenia stared at her mother for a second before she looked at her father. Would she get what they had?
"Does it mean that I'm destined to be with Seth no matter what? Don't I get a saying in this?" Elenia was a stubborn girl; she liked to decide herself.
"Not if you don't want it," Seth said and tried as hard as he could to hide the hurt in his voice, it pained him that she reacted that way. "I'll be whatever you want me to be, like I have for as long as you can remember." He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it softly.

"Princess, go to your room," Paul suddenly said but stared at Seth. "It's getting late." He had right sort of; most of the day had disappeared when they sat talking.
"I'm not tired," she argued.
"Elenia, I told you to go to your room, do not argue with me young girl," Paul didn't have to raise his voice for his command; Elenia had plenty of respect for her father.

She hugged Seth and told him she would come over the next day before she walked upstairs. She went to her room and changed to her PJ's and crawled into her bed. Elenia knew she wouldn't manage to sleep for a long while yet; she had too much information to digest.

She heard their voices from downstairs - first muffled but then they rose in volume and she could almost hear what they were saying - and tiptoed over to her door and cracked it open to hear better.

"I forbid you to make her fall for you, Seth," it was her father's stern voice.
"I already told her it's up to her," Seth's voice was guarded and he was grateful Paul didn't phase more.
"You'll end up hurting her," Paul said.
"Honey, now you are being unfair," her mother said and Elenia could imagine how her mother would place her hand on her father's shoulder to calm him.

"Elenia should get to chose; she shouldn't be tied down to this small town, she has to go out and explore the world."
"I won't tie her down," Seth said simply. "If it turns out she chooses someone else I'll accept it."
"Why would she chose someone else, Seth?" Elia asked softly. "I can already see how she lightens up when she sees you or talks about you."

"You will not tell her you love her," the tone in her father's voice scared her, it was deathly.
"Paul, stop it!" Elia raised her voice for the first time.
"My daughter should have a choice!"
"You of all should understand the bond, Paul. You're such a hypocrite!" her mother was angry now.

Elenia didn't want to hear more; she always felt sad those rare times her parents fought, it only brought back memories from so long ago when they fought daily. She closed her door and walked back to the bed where she crawled under her duvet and buried her head in the pillow.

She must have fallen asleep because the house was silent when she woke. She no longer felt tired and her clock alarm told her the time was just past midnight. Elenia locked her bedroom door before she walked over till the window. She pushed it open before she reached out to the branch of the old oak closest to the window. She didn't care she wore her pajamas outside; she had done it before. It was with experienced hands she climbed down the tree, she knew exactly where to place her feet.

She jumped from the last branch and landed with a low thud on the damp grass in the backyard. She ran the short way from her house to Seth's apartment and let herself in with the key from under the doormat. She spotted Seth asleep on the couch with the TV still on. She sat down in his lap and kissed his cheek. He jumped a little when he woke.

"Leni?" he asked in confusion and wiped the sleep out of his eyes.
"I couldn't sleep," She said sheepishly.
He smiled and wrapped his arms around her, ignoring Paul's warnings. "I'm glad you came."
Elenia rested her head on his shoulder and sighed.
"It's been a crazy day," he mumbled against her hair.
"It has," she agreed as a plan formed in her head.

Elenia pressed her lips against his neck before she started moving it upwards to his ear. "I love you Seth," she whispered to him.
Seth closed his eyes with a smile on his mouth. "I love you too, Leni."
Elenia straightened up in his lap and moved so she was straddling him before she planted her lips on his in a passionate kiss. Seth returned the kiss willingly and wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her closer and knotted the other one in her hair.

Elenia moved her mouth from his lips and to his cheek as she looked down at the buttons on the shirt he had changed to. She hadn't gotten further than to the second button before Seth froze and took her hands in his before he pushed her away carefully.

"What are you doing?" he asked her in a hoarse whisper.
"I love you; I'm your imprint."
"Being my imprint doesn't mean you have to have sex with me now," he was out of breath and stared into her eyes with furrowed eyebrows.
Elenia felt the rejection soar through every fragment of her body and she slid down from his lap and onto the couch beside him.

"You didn't seem to reluctant to this," she motioned her hand at herself then him. "Before I knew."
"Elenia, I don't want you to do anything you're not ready for," Seth brushed his fingers over her cheek but Elenia swatted his hand away. "I know you're not ready for a sexually relationship; you're not over what happened with Kenny Newton."
She froze with the mention of his name and she stood up abruptly and glared at him. "You don't know anything," she hissed before she went over to the door and flung it open. "Don't you dare to follow me Seth!" she yelled over her shoulder and disappeared into the dark night.

She walked with tear streaked cheek back to the oak and climbed just as easily up it and back into her bedroom. Elenia cried herself to sleep.