Distance »» Edward Cullen Bwwm

Chapter Twenty Eight

Aster's Pov
Emily's words hit me like a brick.
Imprinted? My lips parted, but no sound came out. I looked down at the warm bundle cradled in my arms.  My baby girl, still yawning softly, her small fingers curling against my chest as if sensing the tension vibrating through my body.

"No... that's not he can't," I whispered, rocking her instinctively, protectively like any mother would.

Emily gave me a cautious look, her voice calm but full of gentle weight. "I don't think he meant for it to happen. It's not a choice, Aster. You know that."

Yes, I did. At least in theory. I had heard Jacob talk about imprinting before. The absolute gravitational pull. The way it tethered one soul to another in whatever way was most neededprotector, friend, eventually something more.

But Harper? My daughter,  my one day old daughter

My heart thudded unevenly in my chest. I pressed my lips to Harper's forehead, her soft baby scent grounding me, keeping the swell of panic just beneath the surface. "What the hell does this mean?" I asked quietly. "What happens now?"

Emily sat down slowly, her face serious, her eyes full of quiet understanding. "Nothing you don't want. He'll keep his distance until you're ready. Until she's older. It doesn't mean anything inappropriate, Aster. It's a soul tie, not a romantic one not now. Probably not for a long time, maybe never. It's up to her."

I stared at the door Embry had run through, my body tense. He had imprinted. On my child.

This was not how I thought today would go. Edward was going to lose his entire mind.

That thought alone had me exhaling a breathless laugh, more out of disbelief than humor. "Edward's going to tear him apart."

Emily winced. "Maybe don't tell him... yet?"

I gave her a look. "Do you want to be the one to keep secrets from Edward Cullen?"

She grimaced, lifting her hands in surrender.

Before either of us could say another word, the back door opened again. I stiffened. But it wasn't Embry this time.

Jacob stepped in, the screen door slapping shut behind him with a loud whack. His gaze found mine instantly. "Emily, I just saw Embry bolting down the trail like he was being chased. Did something-"

His eyes dropped to the bundle in my arms.

Silence.

"Oh," he said quietly.

"Oh what?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

He stared at Harper for a moment longer, then met my gaze. "He imprinted, didn't he?"

I blinked. "How the hell do you all know this so fast?"

Jacob gave a crooked smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "We feel it. It's like a ripple through the pack. Everyone feels when it happens."

I didn't respond. I just tightened my hold on Harper and looked down at her tiny, innocent face. She blinked once in her sleep, stretching her little hand out and then curling it again.

Jacob crossed the room and crouched near me, his voice gentler now. "He's terrified, Aster. You don't have to worry. None of us would ever let anything happen to her."

"She's my baby, Jacob," I said quietly. "I just had her. I'm still bleeding, still aching, and now this... and Edward isn't even here."

He didn't touch me. Didn't try to comfort. Just nodded once. "We'll protect her. All of us."

For a long moment, I didn't say anything. Then I looked up. "I want to talk to Embry."

Emily's head whipped around. "Are you sure?"

"I'm not going to yell. I just want to understand," I said. "I need to understand how this... works. And if he's going to be in her life-then I want to be the one to set the rules."

Jacob straightened up and nodded. "I'll find him. He didn't go far."

As he stepped back outside, the sunlight filtering through the windows hit Harper's face just right. Her pale skin shimmered faintly-subtle, almost undetectable to humans. A telltale sign of her vampire blood.

My daughter was a miracle. A one-of-a-kind life. And now-already-she was bound to someone.

When Edward came back, he was going to need me to be calm. Rational. So for now, I just held Harper close to my chest, feeling her small heartbeat against my skin.

"I'll protect you," I whispered into her soft baby hair. "No matter what happens. I promise."