Flowers for Lilah (Seth Clearwater)

chapter twenty one

"Lilah, baby, wake up," I feel a warm hand shake my shoulder softly.

"Hmphhf," I grumble something unintelligibly and open my eyes. I feel like I had been asleep for both two seconds and two days, and was incredibly surprised at my surroundings. Where was I? I tried to sit up but was stopped by the tightening of the seat belt against my waist. Oh yeah. I was in the Seth's car, I look up at the open car door that was slowly letting frigid air seep in, where Seth was standing.

"Are we home?" I rub my eyes, the sky was still spinning, it felt like we were still in motion.

"My home," Seth clarifies, reaching over and undoing my seatbelt, "Whoa!" He reaches forward to grab my waist as I stumble out of the truck, nearly falling on the ice. "Here, I gotcha," He keeps a firm hold on me as I step unsteadily towards his front door. Part of me thinks it's overkill, but the other part of me- the part that is dizzy and has jelly legs- appreciates it.

"I have to go home," I protest, "My papa- he will killlllll you if I'm not home-"

Seth sighs, "He'll kill me more if I bring you home drunk."

"I'm not drunk!" I protest as we step through the doors, my voice echoing in the dark, tiny Clearwater cottage.

"Shhh!" Seth shushes me, an amused look in his eye, and I realized that I was shouting, I dissolved into giggles, "Oops. I'm not drunk," I whisper as silently as I could. Seth helps me up the staircase, his hands firmly on my hips to guide my stumbling steps. Once we're in his room, he takes off his shirt. I pout a bit, I liked our method of taking his shirt off earlier much better.

"Here," He guides my shirt up over my head, and guides his T-shirt on me. It's still warm from him, and smells of my favorite scent: Seth. He reaches down and unbuttons my jeans, pulling those off, I'm lucky I'm intoxicated, otherwise I would be blushing to embarrassment. Seth turns around and sinks into his bed, patting to the spot next to me.

"Seth Clearwater, are you trying to get me in your bed?" I tease, standing over him and giggling.

He grins, and giggles a bit with me. "No funny business, Lilah, I just want to rest."

I sigh, and put my hand to my chin like I'm thinking about it. "Okay.... I'll join you.... on one condition."

"Anything." Seth automatically agrees, nodding his head eagerly as his eyes light up.

"If I can tell you my secret!" I whisper dramatically.

If Seth was sleepy, now he is at full attention, sitting up and eyes hungry for me to keep talking. I finally pieced together that he was desperate to know what Emily and Kim had helped me decide, it had probably been eating him alive since i mentioned it. But, ever the gentleman, he wasn't prodding me.

This was so different for me; to be so bold and outspoken. Normally I was quiet, in jeans in the background, hanging on every word of Seth's. Now, I stood brazenly over him, in just his shirt. I was the one doing the entertaining, I was the one who couldn't keep my mouth shut; or my hands to myself.

"Okay, but you have to promise to not tell your wolf friends when you're on patrol!" I add.

He nods eagerly, "That's going to be hard, but I'll try my best."

"Aaaand," I add in, "This one is more serious," I take a deep breath in and finally sit down close to him on his bed, "You have to promise you won't leave me. That you won't disappear, or do anything dangerous to take you away from me."

Seth smiles, and reaches his hands out to caress my face, "Lilah, I promise you, I will never leave you. I will never, ever want to leave you."

"Okay," I sigh, satisfied with his answer, "I decided I am going to love you."

Seth smiles widely at this, but I keep talking, "I decided to let you show me how 'amazing' this so-called Imprint thing is, I'm not afraid of it anymore. I decided to give in to you, and I am going to love you."

Seth is quiet for a minute, an unreadable look in his eyes sparkles, I keep talking, "And there is nothing you can do about it."

Finally he speaks up, his smile is wide. His dimples are apparent. His eyes are full of joy. "Lilah Black, I love you. I love you so much. And there's nothing you can do about it."