Imprinted (Progress) by Sara Imes (great books for teens TXT) 📕

little cleaning up. Dylan was about to say something back to Seth mentally, but then Jake spoke. “So how do you know Hayden?”, Jake inquired. Seth swore he could see Hayden cringe behind Jake, who was standing in front of Hayden, with his arms crossed over his chest. Ignoring Jake’s question, Seth leaned over slightly to look at Hayden over Jake’s shoulder. She looked absolutely beautiful, even though she had a severe case of bedhead. The tank top she was wearing was showing off her curves, and a hint of something else that made Seth’s face hot. “You haven’t told him about what happened?”, Seth said with a fake hurt in his voice.. Jake whipped around to Hayden, his eyes big and full with the question. “Hayden. What is the werewolf talking about?”. So this is the guy Hayden was trying to pass over as her boyfriend. Seth thought. Hayden didn’t say anything for a while, only glared at Seth over Jake’s shoulder. Then she spoke softly and carefully. “When I was going after the Mayland pack alpha these guys interrupted me.”, Hayden said, pointing an angry finger at Seth and Dylan. “That’s why I didn’t get the answers I needed out of him. And the other thing is…” Hayden’s voice trailed off. Seth was certain she wasn’t going to tell Jake about the imprint, so he opened his mouth to tell Jake himself. But then Hayden spoke again, meeting Jake’s questioning eyes. “Seth imprinted on me. We kissed. Twice. The first time was when he was trying to find out if I was lying about me and you being together. The second time was in the bedroom I was going to stay in at their cabin. Oh and the Head Councilman knows I exist and sent out his pack to kill me. But you clearly see how that went.”, Hayden said hurriedly, adding the last part as if it was an afterthought. As Hayden finished explaining what happened to her to Jake, she tried hard not to reminisce in the memories of her and Seth almost kissing. Twice. Once Hayden said the words, she noticed that Jake’s green gold eyes became darker and darker until they were a darkish green. He didn’t say anything either. Just stared blankly at Hayden. No. Through her, as if she was a ghost. Then Jake smirked Then laughed. Hayden looked at him in confusion. Hayden surely thought he would burst in a torrent of anger. But laughter? Jake suddenly stopped laughing and turned to the couch where Seth and Dylan were sitting. “Oh you stupid, stupid werewolves.”, Jake said, chuckling softly. “Hayden was just playing you. We are dating”. Abruptly, Jake turned back to Hayden. He suddenly grabbed Hayden by the neck, pulled her forward, and kissed her deeply.

 

 

Chapter Twenty Five

Hayden gasped at the feel of Jake’s lips suddenly on hers. She almost fell off the counter, but Jake caught her by the waist and held her body close to his. Hayden looked over quickly to where Seth was sitting. He was staring at them both with wide and surprised eyes, his fist clenched at his side. This is my chance, Hayden thought. Hayden closed her eyes and started to move her lips against Jake’s. Hayden wrapped a hand around Jake’s neck and slide a hand through Jake’s hair. Hayden felt Jake smile against her lips. Jake pulled her even closer and lifted her off the counter slowly.

Suddenly Hayden felt Jake’s lips off hers and heard a loud crash. Hayden’s eyes flew open and she then saw the cause of the crash. Seth was standing up now, breathing hard. His ears were pointed up sharply, black fur growing on his arms and face, his nails turned into claws, and his usual black-brown eyes were now red. Hayden never saw Seth this angry for him to halfway shift into a werewolf. Not even when he had Ashley’s throat in his grasp and her feet levitating above the ground. Hayden then heard a moan come from somewhere on the ground. It was Jake. He was laying face down in a pile of glass and books.

“Jake!”, Hayden yelled and ran toward Jake. She knelt down next to Jake and rolled him over slowly, carefully. He was bleeding from several cuts on his arms and face. His shirt was ripped in the front, exposing his flat ebony stomach. He looked up at Hayden and smiled, raising his hand up to caress her face. “Your so beautiful”, he said, his words slurred slightly. “Shhh”, Hayden said and wrapped Jake’s arms around her neck, slowly pulling him up. Seth was staring at Jake with complete and utter loathing.

“I think it’s best for the both of you two leave. Now. And please don't come back.”, Hayden said, suddenly tired. “Hayden wait”, Seth said, back to his normal form. Seth stepped forward, but was stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder. Seth turned and saw Dylan. Dylan shook his head slowly and turned back to the door, hoping Seth would follow. Seth followed Dylan to the door and turned to watch Hayden carrying Jake up the stairs. Without Hayden looking, Jake turned his head and gave a cocky smirk to Seth.

Seth slammed the door shut behind him. Seth let out a sigh and saw his breath form in front of him. It was the middle of December and Seth felt the chilly air around him, not that it bothered him much. “You really screwed up this time”, Dylan said. He had. Hayden was never going to forgive him for what he did to her boy-. Seth stopped suddenly. He couldn’t believe it was true. Hayden and Jake were together. A couple.

But then why did she almost let her kiss you? Twice, a voice said in Seth’s head. Maybe she was faking it. Maybe she was playing him. But that doesn’t make any sense. Seth thought back to the intimate moment in the bedroom Hayden and him had shared. The way she turned her voice to sound seductive. The way she looked up at him when she asked for him to kiss her.

She couldn’t have faked that, Seth thought, could she?. Seth, reluctantly, started to replay the moment when Jake took hold of Hayden and started to kiss her. Hayden at first looked surprised, but then recovered. She started running her hands through his hair, kissing him back fiercely. Somehow Seth noticed that Hayden didn’t shiver slightly when kissing Jake, like she did with him. Hope rushed through Seth. Maybe he could get Hayde to forgive him.

“Hello. Earth to Seth”, Dylan was saying worriedly Seth shook his head slightly and looked to his friend. Dylan was staring at Seth, his eyebrows drawn together. “Sorry. I was just thinking about something.”. “Let me guess. Hayden?”. Seth nodded. Seth was always thinking of Hayden. Dylan chuckled, making more clouds form in front of him. “So I guess we're not leaving, then?”, Dylan inquired. Seth looked up to the moon, which was slightly covered by white puffy clouds. Seth smiled then. “No. Were not”.  

Chapter Twenty Six

 “Ow”, Jake exclaimed. “Sorry”. Once Dylan and Seth left, thankfully, Hayden carried Jake up to her room. She laid him down on the bed and took of the shredded remnants of his shirt. “That was my favorite shirt”, Jake had said, sniffling softly. Hayden laughed, throwing him a shredded piece of the shirt. “There. You can hang it on your wall as a shrine”. Hayden was sitting on the bed next to Jake, taking out shards of glass that was lodged into his skin. A bowl filled with water was sitting next to her. After Hayden had taken out all the shards of glass, she got a rag and dabbed away the blood left on Jake’s skin. The water was now slightly red with Jake’s blood.

“You know, I can get used to you being my caretaker. All you would need is a nurse’s outfit. But just a little shorter.” Hayden laughed and punched Jake lightly on the shoulder. “Shut up. I wonder why it’s taking you so long to heal. I mean you are a full vampire.”. “It’s because of the glass that was in my skin”. Hayden stood, taking the bloody water and rag into the bathroom. “At first I thought he was lying. That werewolf. About imprinting on you. Then I knew it was true by the way he looked at you as you came down the steps and how he reacted when I kissed you.” Hayden nearly dropped the bowl.

“What do you mean by the way he was looking at me?”, Hayden asked while cleaning out the rag, watching the blood from the rag swirl down the drain. Hayden’s stomach suddenly rumbled. “Yeah. He looked at you as if you were the only girl in the world. Like you were his girl. But we all know you're mine.”. Hayden walked out of the bathroom and sat back down on the bed next to Jake. “I'm your girl”, Hayden asked, curious. “Yeah. You are”. Hayden smiled and shook her head slightly. “I thought we both decided that our relationship status was going to stay mentor and student”. Jake sat up on his elbows, looking up at her. “Yes, we did. But still….”, Jake trailed off. “You...you still have feelings for me, don't you?”.

Jake nodded, evading Hayden’s eyes. Hayden sighed and looked out the window, then she wondered if Seth actually left, if he finally gave up on her. “But, i'm guessing you have feelings for that werewolf boy huh”. It wasn't a question, Hayden noticed as her eyes snapped back to Jake’s face. “What? Why would you guess that?”. Jake shrugged as if they both had this conversation before.

“You said you both kissed. Twice.”. Hayden cringed, “Look, Jake I-”, Hayden’s words were cut short when Jake leaned forward, grabbing Hayden by the waist, pulling her under him. Hayden looked up to Jake, surprised. Jake smiled down at her. “You don’t have to explain, Hayden. I know you only did it to play him. I know you love me”.

But do I really? Do I really love you, Jake? I guess...I have to find out. Hayden smiled and wrapped a hand around Jake’s neck. Jake smiled back, showing all of his white sparkling teeth, and leaned down to kiss Hayden. Thier lips crashed together. There kisses were very different from Hayden’s and Seth’s. Jake kissed Hayden roughly, with a heated passion, knowing what he wanted.

And knowing how to