Imprinted to be Yours

Answers

She kept fighting against my hold, making it hard to try and keep her warm. "Put me down Jacob!" she cried, hitting me in the shoulder again. I was sure Ness had broken something by then, but I couldn't have cared less. The only thing on my mind was getting her inside, out of the snow and getting her warm again.  

Her fighting became slower and weaker until she finally gave in and leaned into the warmth of my chest and arms around her. I could sense she was growing weak by then. I just hoped it was from fighting me and not the hypothermia taking over. 

Getting to the little cabin, I reached up and grabbed the keys from the veranda's roof. Unlocking the door, I closed it behind me quickly and felt the instant difference in temperature from been outside. It was a little warmer in here.  

The place was small. The walls were painted a light cream and there were only two rooms. A little bed was in the corner on my left with a dark blue, heavy and thick quilt cover on it. The place was dusty from not being used much since Ness had started college years back. There was a dark, wooden table by the bedside with photo frames sitting upon it. The carpet was a light pink with a white couch against the wall on the other side of the room. A TV was sitting on a black stand in front of the couch.  

I carefully carried Ness into the bathroom, hoping the hot water in the place still worked. The house had everything other than electricity and a kitchen. The hot water came from the Cullen house so I was told when it was first built. I only knew of one way which would raise Ness's body temperature quicker than I could alone. Though I knew her father wouldn't probably approve of it, I really didn't care. I could sense Ness's body temperature was dropping at a worrying rate. She almost felt like how Bella did against me - an ice statue. That worried me the most. 

Ness was staying silent against me as I started to run warm water in the bathtub until it was just a few degrees warmer than her. I went and got a few towels from the cupboard and placed them beside the bath. I could tell Ness was only just awake in my arms. 

"Ness, do not go to sleep on me, you hear?" I said in a deep tone, hoping to catch her attention. 

"I'm so tired Jacob," she murmured back, leaning her face into my chest, her grip around my neck was loosening somewhat.  

"Focus on my voice Nessie. Do not go to sleep. I'm going to get you warm okay? I've got to get you out of these wet clothes." I knew I should have done it the second I stepped through the door. Wet clothes on a already cold body wasn't helping her keep what warmth she had. 

"No, leave me alone Jacob," she muttered bitterly. I knew I that was the hypothermia talking and not Ness. That was one of the deadliest things about hypothermia: you couldn't be yourself or help yourself once it had taken hold. Ness wasn't acting herself now or when we had been walking up to the cabin. I should have seen it sooner. She would understand everything I had done to protect her and William, whether in the end it changed my feelings for her or not. I was angry at myself for not seeing and understanding it sooner. I knew all the signs of hypothermia and yet I had ignored them. 

"I'm only trying to help you Ness, deep down you know that," I murmured, brushing my lips over her icy forehead where I placed a soft peck. When she didn't reply back I was starting to think either she was ignoring me or was slipping in and out of consciousness, though I should have been able to sense it if that were the case. 

I quickly stripped her off and laid Ness in the warm water. I noticed her hair was also wet. I got a small cup and used the water to warm her head too. I knew the head was one place where heat of the body escaped the quickest. After a couple of minutes, I thought Ness would be warming up a little, though her teeth started to chatter for the first time since coming into the cabin.