Jacob Black never asked for the curse that lived in his blood. Becoming a werewolf wasn't something he wanted—it was something that awakened inside him, unstoppable and wild. His new abilities, the heavy responsibilities, the weight of the pack... it tore through everything he once thought he was. He hated his new self.

But before the transformation, there was peace. There was her. From the day she arrived in Forks, Jacob felt it—something different, something warm and steady that pulled at him without warning. When she smiled, the weight in his chest lifted. When she spoke, the world quieted. And her eyes, so beautiful and captivating that he couldn't think straight when meeting her gaze. He wanted to be close to her. Needed to be. The feeling scared him more than any monster hiding in the woods.

When he transformed and the wolf inside grew stronger, so did his fear of hurting her. The urges, the rage, the unpredictability—it made him dangerous. So he pulled away. Cut ties. Disappeared without explanation. Every day since, he regretted it. She didn't deserve the silence or confusion, but Jacob believed staying away was the only way to protect her.

So he isolated himself, cutting all contact, avoiding her and not answering her calls, forcefully blocking her out despite the heartache as the days blurred by. His mind spun, unable to focus without her by his side. His pack members noticed his growing frustration, but they couldn't help. Jacob was left in solitude with his thoughts clouding his mind, watching the rain continuously drizzle down their small town.

Still, she never left his thoughts. Through every sleepless night and every frenzied run through the trees, her face stayed with him. He thought of her smile, the sound of her laugh, the way her eyes searched his when she spoke. It never faded. He realized, no matter how far he ran, he could never outrun the truth: he loved her.

So he reached out. One message. One meeting in the woods. A last chance to say sorry, to explain everything he never had the courage to before. He expected it to hurt. He expected her to walk away. But what he didn't expect—what shattered him completely—was the moment their eyes met again. The pull hit him like lightning. His entire world shifted in an instant.

He had imprinted.

It was a rainy evening, as usual when it happened. Lightly sprinkling down, but the trees served as protection from chill water. The cool breeze remained strong, whistling through the foliage eerily. Jacob stood amongst it all, waiting for her. Shirtless in the rain, wearing cargo shorts after having just phased into his wolf form. He had asked her to come, to say one final goodbye. So he could finally stop thinking about her. Little did he know, his entire world would be turned upside down at the sight of her.

And so she came. And Jacob imprinted—his heart thudding heavily in his chest as the realization dawned upon him. She was his soulmate. He could hardly breathe, let alone process her angry words as she shouted at him, but he knew he deserved every word. He blinked dazedly as she continued cursing him out, his eyes widened slightly and chest heaving.

Fuck. I screwed up. The thought echoed in his mind, his gaze locked on her beautiful face contorted in anger. He swallowed thickly, his eyes darkening. Jacob was finally snapped out of his daze as she stopped talking, crossing her arms over her chest and waiting for an explanation.

But the words ran dry in his throat. The heavy feeling of his imprint was overbearing, making his eyes darken and his breaths ragged. Without wasting another moment, Jacob lurched forward, his hands grabbing her. He leaned in, pressing his mouth against hers in a hungry kiss.