Coming Home (Paul Lahote Imprint Story)

Chapter Eight

Tala's POV

"You imprinted on me?" I asked confused. "What does that even mean?"

"Well it is essentially when a shape-shifter finds their soul mate, their other half, the reason they live" Paul explained while taking a step closer to me "The shape-shifter would do anything, be anything for their imprint, whether it be a brother, a friend, a lover, but always a protector" Paul said taking my hands into his. "I will always be here for you, someone to talk to, someone to listen, you are my life now" Paul finished.

I just looked at him, not knowing what to say. I began thinking about everything he just said and the only thing that made sense of all this was the fact that if it were not for the imprint he would have had zero interest in me. "So, you're forced to be with me then" I said quietly looking down and feeling a tear slide down my cheek.

"No, no, no that is not true" Paul told me sounding a little panicked.

"Yes it is. If it were not for the this imprint whatever then you wouldn't have been so drawn to me and we never would have kissed and thus never would have been together." I explain to him still looking at the ground.

"Tala, you don't get it" Paul started.

"I don't get what Paul? That because of this magical whatever, you have been forced to be with me, you or I get no choice in this" I say interrupting him.

"Tala, please you need to listen to me, the imprint is just a push in the right direction, if none of this had happened we still would have found our way to each other, it just would've taken a little longer" Paul tried to explain.

"I-I think I just need some time" I said before running in the house, to my room, and locking the door behind me before falling to the ground and crying. "I am never going to have a relationship that is real, first Daniel and his abuse and now Paul and him being forced to be with me, I am never going to be loved for me" I said to myself while sobbing.

After crying in my room for a while I decided that I should get ready and just go to bed and try and rest up for my 12 hour shift tomorrow at the hospital. So with that I went to bed and fell asleep with no dreams.

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~3 days later~

It had been 3 days since I had last spoken to Paul. I am not going to lie but I feel awful, I can't sleep well, I feel really irritable, and I am always sad. I can't help but think it is because I have been avoiding Paul.

My shifts at the hospital have been uneventful and I am about halfway through my 10 days in the ER before I am placed somewhere else. I am just now getting ready for my 5th day and was about to head out the door for my shift.

When I got to the hospital I had been having this weird feeling like something was going to happen. It was weird but I just push it aside and continue my rounds with my patients and doing vitals. I was about 3 hours into my shift when I got a pain in my chest and I gripped until it passed. It was really strange but I just sat down and had some water and took a few deep breaths and I felt fine again.

I stood and got back to work. I was working with one of my patients when the charge nurse got everyone's attention "listen up guys we have a 23 year old male coming in with severe injuries, Tala, I want you on this case and I will get someone else to cover your patients" Hayley the charge nurse said.

I nodded and waited by the ambulance bay with the Dr. Andrews for the patient to arrive. As soon as the door opened we had a paramedic telling us what happened "23 year old unconscious male with severe lacerations to the upper chest, impaled with a sharp object, and high-grade fever, all other vitals are normal"