* FINISHED *

TRIGGER WARNINGS: SLIGHT ANGST, MAJORITY FLUFF, MAYBE SECOND-HAND EMBARRASSMENT?

INSPIRED BY: Hurricane - Luke Combs

Fem Pronouns : Human : Georgian :

Alpha Jacob Black has to come to terms with imprinting on the new southern girl that moved to La Push.

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Jacob Black whole-heartedly, soulfully, despised the imprinting process.

He had seen it first hand, had a front-row seat, to how the process had completely and utterly destroyed one of his closest friends. He had bared witness to the wreckage and carnage it was capable of causing, and that set him undoubtably on edge.

The entire ordeal hadn't sat right in his gut, even when he had had absolutely no idea as to what had happened back then, but now he was in the loop; he knew. He knew all-too-well, in fact, about the way it made the imprinting wolf react. He'd heard numerous times about how it felt, retold over and over again on repeat by Sam or any of the other imprinted wolves, that it was almost as if he had done it himself.

The idea of having someone out there basically made to compliment your every flaw, made to carry the weight you couldn't, made to laugh with you, made to love you so unconditionally that the power itself could power the entire planet, or even cause the entire rotation of the world wasn't what made unwavering anxiety build in his chest and constrict around his heart like a greedy, starving snake. It wasn't the idea of being in love with someone made specifically for you.

It was the idea, the feeling, of rush and impulsiveness, that the entire thing was only a force and fate that bound two souls together that scared - no, terrified - Jacob Black to damn-near death. He didn't want a supernatural bond interfering with the one spot in his life he wanted complete control over. If his wolf counterpart was the one in charge of the people he associated himself with, or his morals of right and wrong, or his choice over who to fight for and alongside of, then he wanted at least one part to himself that was completely left up to chance and decision-making. He, Jacob Black, the human; not Jacob Black, Alpha of the Black Pack.

He wanted to be able to choose who he developed a crush on, became infatuated with, then slowly, but surely, fell in love with.

Jacob Black hated the imprinting.

______

"Jake, you coming, or what?"

Jacob heaved a dark sigh, his shoulders relaxing momentarily at the voice of his Beta, Leah. However, when he stood from his spot in the sand, his body tensed once again as his chest clenched painfully. One of his hands raised to rub at his bare pecs, smoothing over the skin in an attempt to ease the agony within his ribcage. If Leah took notice, she didn't show it.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming. Don't wait up," Jacob gruffed out, stretching his arms out wide above his head to shake loose some of the built-up tension in his muscles. It was fruitless, as he thought it would be, as his nerves remained pulled taut.

His body had been screaming in protest at him ever since it had happened, pleading with him to give in to the inevitable. For 3 weeks it had been like this, a constant battle within his own mind to stay away, continue on with his life as if nothing had ever occurred.

As if he had never imprinted on you.

He'd been avoiding you since he'd laid eyes on you, unloading your boxes from a U-Haul truck and lugging them inside the house beside your parents. You had just moved all the way across the States - Georgia, he learned later from Sam Uley's pack, as they never seemed to shut up about how cute you were. Against his better judgement, Jacob had to agree, though he tried in desperation to rid himself of any thoughts pertaining to you in the slightest. However, that proved to be difficult pretty soon, since you seemed to be anywhere and everywhere he looked.

First, it had been at the small home-warming gathering the Reservation had held, even though you hadn't moved directly onto it, just beside it. Nevertheless, Emily and Sue insisted, relentlessly, that everyone spend the night by the fire, exchanging pleasantries and stories of home. Jacob hadn't been able to keep his eyes off of your beautiful figure, again, much to his dismay.

Then, it had escalated to sightings on First Beach. Both Black and Uley packs found themselves there, hanging out and catching up, more often than not. But then you were there; walking down the shore, feet bare and fingers wrapped loosely around a pair of sandals, you made your way mindlessly further along the beach. You hadn't even noticed the large group huddled together until they'd all let out whoops and hollers. Yours and Jacob's eyes had met, and that was when he'd come full 180, turning and hightailing it off of the beach with Leah and Seth tagging his heals in worry. You'd only been rendered stunned before you continued your small journey, a rock of confusion dropping to your stomach.

Every other occurrence after those were seemingly always at the local diner, or in Emily's home. Leah had taken a shining to you almost instantly, your southern drawl drawing her in like a curious puppy to an unknown toy. Because of this, Jacob could always find you wherever his pack-mates and best friends were. It irked him, yet caused an unwanted warmth to swell in his chest and made his heart rate spike.

However, for the last couple of days, Jacob had yet to see you around. He shoved all of the imprint-bound disappointment deep into the roots of his toes, choosing instead to silently rejoice at your lack of presence. He had convinced himself that this way, the imprint bond wouldn't make him do something that he didn't want to do, that his genetics wanted. His mind was finally at a temporary peace, and he could - somewhat - breathe easy. He was doing just fine without you.

How he'd spoken so soon.

With reluctance, Jacob leisurely jogged to meet his pack-mates, eyes still trained on the beach below his feet. His wolf-hearing could pick on the sounds of slightly unfamiliar voices conversing in front of him, then the interjection of Leah and Paul interacting with them. Still, Jacob didn't glance up at them, even as Seth slung an arm over his shoulders - the boy had done some growing since the Volturi had visited - until he heard a sound that he tried to, once again, convince himself he loathed.

Jacob's head had never snapped up so fast at the sound of your laugh.

Black coffee eyes took in your form, clad in jeans and a flannel - true southern fashion, Jacob thought - as your H/C hair whipped wildly through the wind. Your torso was leaning out of a pickup truck's window, the harsh air nipping at your cheeks as they flushed pink with the assault. Your lips were pulled up into a brilliant, beaming grin as you laughed, shouted and laughed again. Small, yet calloused hands, Jacob knew, gripped hard onto the hood of the truck, clutching it to keep yourself steady as the truck roared down the road. It slowed down, pulling off into the grass before coming to a full stop and parking.

"Howdy, y'all!" Your greeting was rushed, slurred with giddiness as you pulled yourself back into the truck, just before you hopped out, your brother following closely behind.

Heartbeat pounding, breath hitched in the back of his throat, and hands shaking, Jacob nearly fell to his knees in the sand. The crushing weight of this unbridled affection quaking in his chest just about had him close to tears as he watched you skip down the shore. Your hair was rolling over your shoulders, the wind snagging it and pulling it back to reveal more of your bright, carefree expression. The people gathered around the pack all cheered for you, welcoming you into the group as you approached.

Before he could stop himself, Jacob's feet were moving on their own, brushing past everyone in a haze to get to you. As your E/C eyes fell onto his frame, an overwhelming amount of adoration crashed through Jacob like a hurricane, mowing down all of his past built-up resentment towards imprinting, towards you.

Jacob extended his hand out to you, suddenly. A pleading question flooded coffee-colored eyes, silently begging you to slip your hand in his, to accept him as he was going to try and accept you. With great, and called-for, hesitance, you did as he quietly asked, clasping your hands together and allowing Jacob to gently pull you away from your friends, back the way you came. Your brother shot a strange look your and Jacob's way, an inquiring glint in his gaze that you shook your head at. He turned in understanding, immediately jumping into an upbeat conversation with Jared.

The two of you remained in silence even as you walked, hand-in-hand, down the beach in the direction of your brother's truck. When the two of you reached it, you pulled the passenger door open and plopped down in the seat with your legs out the door, facing Jacob. With the both of you now at eye-level, Jacob suddenly lost all the words he had been silently preparing in his head, but instead gulped noisily. He opened his mouth to begin, but you had already beat him to it.

"I don't hate you, Jacob. If that's what yer even gonna say, anyway. Actually, I like you. A lot. A lot more than I'd pers'nally care to admit. So if yer here to tell me to piss off, 'M sorry, but I ain't gonna. I found so many friends within that lil' group 'o yers, so just get over it 'n accept it, or fuck o-"

Jacob had, apparently, had enough of your anxious rambling, instead opting to give in to his undeniable attraction to you. His lips met yours forcefully, a large hand roughly gripping the back of your neck to drag you to him. In a state of shock, your eyes widened for a moment before they slipped closed. Your own hands found themselves nesting in Jacob's cropped hair, tugging him between your widened legs to get him closer.

He hadn't realized that the entire time he'd spent trying to avoid you, trying to push his imprint-induced feelings away, and trying to keep you from entering his mind any free chance he had, you'd always been there anyway. You were constantly on his mind - albeit in an attempt to not think about you - and you'd just admitted to having feelings for him. Feelings that had nothing to do with an imprint, nothing to do with an unfair, unnatural bonding that had reduced his family to a heart-broken mess.

He hadn't realized that, if asked aloud he'd deny, he found you insanely beautiful, immensely gorgeous, and intensely breathtaking. He'd be reminded of the picture of your flying H/C hair in the wind whenever he took a day on the beach, be reminded of your shocking E/C eyes whenever he heard a crack of thunder and a flash of lightning. He'd be reminded of the image of your starry smile whenever he gazed up at the stars, be reminded of your radiant, warm laughter whenever his eyes caught a glimpse of the sun or moon. All of which had slowly brought him to the absolute and inevitable truth.

Jacob Black had fallen in love with his imprint.

He didn't know it as he pulled away from your lips to stare into your shining eyes, a beaming grin matching his slow one. He didn't know it as he chuckled along with your disbelieving, yet joyful cackle, that you, too, had fallen in love with him.

Maybe imprinting wasn't as bad as Jacob had made it out to be.