The Unwanted Imprint

Chapter 42

TW: mention of domestic and sexual assault

Jacob stopped dead in his tracks. "Your mom? But I thought that your mom was dead!"

"So did I!"

The woman had caught up to them by now, stopping and staring at them. "Nichole..."

"Mom..." Nichole got out of Jacob's arms, going over to her. Her skin was pale, her eyes glowed red. "Y-you're a vampire? But I thought that you were a hunter. I-I don't understand."

"I was a hunter. But I got too cocky on a trip, I was bit. So I left. I didn't want to hurt you or your father. Is he here?"

"Dad?" Nichole swallowed thickly. "He, um, he's gone."

"What do you mean?"

"He...he changed after you left. He became really abusive. I ran away one night, and this man, Carlisle found me-"

"Carlisle? As in Carlisle Cullen?"

"Well, yeah-"

"A vampire took you in? And he didn't kill you?"

"Not all vampires are bad, mom. Carlisle and his family, they've treated me like one of their own."

"And none of them have tried to kill you or turn you?"

"Well, it would be kind of hard for them to turn me when you poisoned my blood."

Her mother sighed. "I did what I had to do to keep you safe."

"Keep me safe?!" Nichole scoffed. "You poisoned my blood. Let's see, what else? Oh yeah, and you also left me with a man who beat me on a daily basis and sexually assaulted me! If it hadn't been for Carlisle and his family, I would be dead!"

"Nichole, what are you talking about? Your father would never do that to you!"

"Well, he did. You left us and it left him cold and bitter, so he decided to take it out on me!"

"I didn't want to leave either of you, but I had no choice!"

Nichole shook her head. "Everyone has a choice, Mom. You chose to abandon us, and because of that, I almost died on multiple occasions. How could you be so selfish?"

"And how could you be so stupid?" Her mother countered. "I mean, you're living with a group of vampires, ones that could turn on you at any moment."

"They wouldn't do that to me. They risked their lives to rescue me from a psychotic vampire that tried to get married to me."

"They're going to turn on you eventually." Her mother took a step forward, but Nichole shook her head, stepping back. "No, they won't. They're not like you, they wouldn't abandon me like you did."

"How dare you talk to me like that! Do you know how long I've been searching for you? You're my daughter, and you're coming with me."

"I don't think so," Jacob said with a growl as he stepped in front of Nichole, which caused her mother to laugh. "You think that the mutt is going to be able to protect you? I've killed plenty of dogs in my time, you wouldn't be the first."

"You're not going to touch him." Nichole's voice turned steely, causing the other two to look at her in surprise. "You know Mom, I used to look up to you, used to dream about all the memories that we had together. But I realize now that woman, the one that I held so dear, was just an act. This right here is the real you. You're cold and heartless, you're a monster, more of a monster than any vampire or any other supernatural creature could ever be."

"Enough of this!" Her mother grabbed Jacob, throwing him to the side, and Jacob shouted as he was thrown into a tree. She then grabbed Nichole in a vise-like grip. "You're coming with me, whether you want to or not."

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Nichole tried to tug her arm out of her mother's grip, to no avail.

"I would much prefer it if you released my daughter." Carlisle jumped in front of the two, from seemingly out of nowhere.

"She is not your daughter." Nichole's mother hissed. "She's mine, and I'm taking her with me."

"So the hunter has become the hunted. I hate to tell you this, but Nichole is a part of our family now. You were doing what you thought was right to protect your family, I get that, but you left, and Nichole found a new family, us."

"I won't let my daughter live among your kind."

"But you are our kind now. You may not have wanted it to be that way, but that's the way that things have become. You love your daughter. Look at her, look at how scared she is of you. If you really love your daughter, would you hurt her like this?"

She looked down at Nichole, she saw the wide eyes, saw the fear in those eyes. "What am I doing..." She whispered. She released Nichole, and the girl ran to Carlisle's side.

Carlisle wrapped his arms around Nichole, holding her securely.

"Nichole..." Her mother gazed at her. "I'm so sorry. I...I don't know what I was thinking."

"I love you mom, and I always will, but I want the Mom back that I had before, the Mom that took me to ballet classes and sleepovers, the one that would let me stay up late watching movies and eating popcorn. I don't want this version of you, the one that's willing to do whatever it takes to get what she wants. I don't want the hunter in you, I want my Mom back. But I don't think that Mom, the Mom that I know and love, is even there any more.

"Nichole, please, can't we just talk about this?"

Nichole bit her lip. Should she talk to her mother? Try and reconcile things between the two of them? Would it even work? Nichole could hardly remember her mother the way that she used to be, and this version scared her. But she had to try, right? "Fine, but not here." She looked at Jacob, who was rubbing his head, and Nichole could see a knot forming. She went over to him, placing a hand on the knot, causing Jacob to wince. "I'm sorry, I'm trying to be as gentle as I can. Does the cabin have a first aid kit?"

"I think so."

"Okay, I'll fix you up there then." She glanced at her mother. "We'll talk after I'm done helping Jacob. But if you try anything on the way there, then I'll never try to fix things with you, understand?"

Her mother quickly nodded her head. "I won't try anything, I swear."

"Good, let's get going then."