Inside the Cullen house, everything moved with the sharp precision of a military operation.
Esme and Alice packed clothes at vampiric speed, folding and stacking without a wrinkle or pause. Jasper and Emmett cleared space in the living room, shifting furniture aside so maps could be spread across the floor. Carlisle stood calmly near the staircase, issuing quiet instructions while Edward moved between them all like a ghost caught in his own storm.
The baseball game had been perfect; perfect weather, perfect thunder, perfect chance for everyone to relax.
Until the nomads arrived.
Three strangers stepped out of the trees, red eyes gleaming with interest, asking to join the game like it was nothing more than a neighborhood picnic.
Everything had been fine, tense, but fine, until one of them caught Bella's scent.
A human. Protected by a coven.
James, the hunter, had reacted instantly. Edward's snarl when they suggested "sharing" Bella only encouraged him. To James, this wasn't an ordinary meal anymore; it was a challenge, the ultimate hunt.
And he wanted it badly.
Bella stood in the living room now, pale and trembling as Edward reassured her over and over that they had a plan, that she'd be safe, that they would handle James.
He was mid-sentence when everyone suddenly paused.
Every vampire in the room inhaled sharply.
Bella blinked. "What… what is it? What do you smell?"
Edward's voice dropped to a whisper. "Stay here. Don't move. Don't speak."
And then they vanished, one blur of movement after another, leaving Bella alone with her racing heart.
Outside, the Cullens took positions automatically, forming a loose semicircle as they waited for the owner of the scent to emerge from the tree line.
Branches shook, a deep thud vibrated through the earth. Then a massive shadow stepped forward.
Esme gasped. Alice sucked in a sharp breath.
Emmett whistled, low and impressed. "Now that," he said, "is one big ass wolf."
Bigger than big.
The creature was gigantic, easily twice the height of a man. Snow-white fur, thick and gleaming. Muscles shifting under its coat like living stone. Blue eyes glowing like polished ice.
And hanging from its jaws, swinging slightly with every step…
…was Laurent's severed head.
The same Laurent who had come just minutes ago to warn them about James.
The same Laurent who was supposed to be halfway to Alaska already.
Esme took a step back, eyes wide, fear tightening her features.
Jasper didn't move. He simply straightened; posture perfect, rigid, as he assessed every angle, every potential weakness. His eyes flicked over the wolf's height, its leg length, its likely reach, calculating, planning.
Carlisle, as always, remained composed. Calm. Analytical. Though even he couldn't hide a flicker of shock in his eyes.
Edward, for his part, tried to do what he always did with strangers.
He tried to read its mind.
And then he froze.
Inside the wolf's head, loud and obnoxiously clear, a song blasted at full volume.
Never gonna give you up~
Never gonna let you down~
Never gonna turn around and desert you~
Rick Astley in full chorus.
And the dance.
THE fucking dance.
Edward didn't need to hear anything else, his head dropped into his hand.
Of course.
Of COURSE.
The wolf, this towering, monstrous creature capable of tearing a vampire apart like tissue paper, was none other than Mike Newton.
The human migraine.
The boy who lived inside a constant 24-hour musical fever dream.
The boy whose mental playlist had personally contributed to half of Edward's existential crises.
And now he was a twelve-foot murder-wolf carrying a severed vampire head like a chew toy.
Edward exhaled a long, suffering breath.
"Mike," he said flatly.
Emmett blinked. "Mike who?"
But Edward didn't answer.
He was too busy watching the giant wolf trot closer with an expression that could only be described as: "Can one of you please help me throw away my trash?"
…
Edward blinked hard, trying to shake off the mental image of Rick Astley's hypnotic dance, but the damn melody kept looping. He pinched the bridge of his nose and tried again.
"Mike," he did his best to keep his composure, "what happened?"
But the only answer was: 'Never gonna give you uuuup~'
Edward stiffened, jaw clenching. Emmett, who was staring between Edward and the enormous white wolf, suddenly barked out a laugh.
"Wait, hold on." He jabbed a finger at the creature. "You're telling me that's Newton? Really?"
Carlisle looked genuinely startled. "Mike Newton?"
Everyone swiveled to look at the wolf again with a whole new level of disbelief.
Edward rubbed his forehead. "Yes. The same one." He lifted his gaze toward the wolf's bright blue eyes and said aloud, exasperated, "You know I can't understand anything if you keep singing so loudly…"
The wolf froze mid-pant.
Then, mentally; hesitant, and embarrassed, Mike thought: 'Oops.'
The music cut off with the mental equivalent of yanking a plug. Edward exhaled like he had been underwater for a full minute.
'Sorry,' Mike added, the thought sheepish. 'Reflex. It's… uh… happened a few times. Whenever I smell you, my brain just kind of panics and throws a song at you.'
Edward repeated Mike's thoughts aloud so the others could also hear.
Esme covered her mouth, either to hide a smile or a gasp, it was hard to tell.
"Alright," Edward muttered, regaining composure with some difficulty, "just… tell me what happened."
Mike did. He replayed the event through his thoughts: running through the forest, the sudden ambush, Laurent lunging at him like he was his lunch, the jolt of instinct that ripped the wolf out of him like a snapped cord. The fight, the speed, the tearing. And the shock of realizing he'd won before he consciously understood he'd shifted.
The Cullens listened raptly as Edward narrated. Jasper's posture went even stiffer, if that was physically possible. Rosalie looked horrified but impressed despite herself. Emmett looked like he wanted popcorn.
When Mike finished the mental recap, Edward asked, "And… why bring his head to us?"
The giant wolf shifted his paws, looking very much like a dog caught doing something awkward.
'I need a fire,' he admitted. 'To finish him. But I can't exactly…' His enormous paw lifted off the ground in emphasis. '…light a match like this.'
Edward blinked. "Why not just turn back into a human?"
Mike projected a long pause, annoyance mixed with embarrassment.
'I tried.' He looked away.
'I think it's because I can't calm down enough. Adrenaline or whatever. My body's stuck like this.'
Rosalie muttered after Edward voiced Mike's thoughts, "Fantastic. A giant panicking wolf on our front lawn."
Mike flattened his ears, which, given his enormous scale, was surprisingly endearing.
Edward ignored Rosalie and continued, "And what made you think we, a family of vampires, would help you… kill another vampire?"
Mike lifted Laurent's head slightly by the dreadlocks, as if to say "come on, look at him."
Then he projected clearly, simply, and without hesitation: 'Because you're good people. You don't hurt humans. He did. I figured… you wouldn't mind helping finish the job.'
The Cullens collectively stilled: surprised, touched, and unsettled in equal measure.
Carlisle stepped forward first, calm and steady. "He's right."
Edward stared at the wolf for a beat before sighing. "Fine. We'll help. But first, put the head down, Mike."
Mike gently set Laurent's head on the ground.
Emmett whispered to Jasper, "Dude, this is the weirdest day ever."
Jasper murmured back, "And I fought in the Civil War."
And Alice was pouting because she didn't see this coming.
…
Edward, Emmett, and Jasper moved through the forest like streaks of pale lightning, as Mike guided them back to where the rest of Laurent's body lay scattered. The giant white wolf padded in front of them, silent except for the heavy thud of his paws against the earth. It didn't take long, vampire senses and Mike's nose made the grim scavenger hunt quick.
Once all the pieces were gathered, Jasper arranged a pyre with methodical efficiency. Emmett struck the match with a grin that said he still couldn't get over the fact that Mike freaking Newton was the massive wolf beside him. The flames rose high, bright orange reflected in Mike's icy blue eyes.
As Laurent's remains crackled into ash, Mike lowered his head respectfully and sent a simple thought toward Edward: 'Thanks.'
Edward passed it along aloud. "He's grateful."
Emmett snorted. "Don't sweat it. If you ever wanna repay us, just drop by for a spar." He threw Mike a feral grin. "Wrestling bears is fun, but they snap like twigs when you get serious."
The giant wolf huffed, half amusement, half disbelief, because only Emmett would consider using a grizzly as warm-up cardio.
When they returned to the house and the danger was officially dealt with, Bella finally stepped outside. She glanced at the group, then saw him, the enormous wolf towering over the vampires, fur white as new snow, shoulders broad as a small truck, blue eyes glowing like cold fire.
She sucked in a sharp gasp and stumbled backward, tripping over her own feet and landing hard on her rear.
"Ow!"
Mike's head whipped in her direction instantly.
And then their eyes met.
And the world, his world, shifted.
It wasn't subtle. It wasn't gentle. It slammed into him with the force of a cosmic revelation. One second he was Mike Newton, accidental werewolf with dreadlock-flavored aftertaste still lingering in his mouth, and the next…
It was like being Isaac Newton discovering gravity, only infinitely worse and infinitely more personal.
Because suddenly it wasn't Earth that kept him grounded.
It was her, Bella.
Everything in him anchored to her. Centered on her. Bowed to her.
He felt it: the instinct, the devotion, the fierce protective surge that made every nerve in his massive body stand on alert.
He would protect her.
He would defend her.
He would be whatever she needed.
He would…
'Oh, hell fucking no!'
The loud mental snarl blasted through him.
'My fucking imprint is BELLA?! Are you kidding me?!'
His hackles, even his soul's hackles, went up.
'No no no NO! What the hell do the stupid spirits expect from me? That I duke it out with EDWARD for Bella's love? That I follow her around like a lovesick puppy until she picks me? Not. A. Fucking. Chance.'
His internal voice grew sharper, angrier, more desperate:
'You want me to keep her safe? Fine. I will. But I'm not changing Leah for anyone. Not for Bella, not for destiny, not for you wrinkly old spirit bastards. You don't get to decide who I love.'
Edward staggered a half-step, so subtle only the Cullens noticed, but for a vampire that was essentially the equivalent of tripping over his own shoes.
He felt the imprint happen.
Felt the emotional impact slamming through Mike's mind.
Felt the devotion, the instinct, the fierce protective pulse that made wolves bond permanently.
And for one horrible second, Edward's cold heart clenched with fear.
Because if Mike; gentle, joking, annoyingly catchy-minded Mike, had wanted Bella romantically, imprint or not, there was a chance that Bella might have actually chosen him. Edward knew it. He had weighed that possibility more times than he cared to admit.
But then Mike's furious internal rant hit him. And Edward's entire body loosened with relief he didn't show on his face.
He exhaled softly, unnecessary breath, but grounding.
He stepped subtly in front of Bella, more out of instinct than worry now.
Jasper raised a brow and touched his chest, feeling the sudden emotional whiplash.
Emmett mouthed, 'What the hell was that?'
Rosalie looked like she could sense drama even without telepathy.
And Alice's eyes narrowed, because visions of the future were already warping sideways.
But only Edward truly understood.
Mike Newton, the giant white wolf glaring murderously at an unseen spiritual council, had just imprinted on Bella Swan…
…and immediately rejected any romantic implication out of sheer loyalty to someone else.
For the first time that night, Edward felt a spark of hope.
A strange, unexpected hope.
Because this imprint?
This wasn't competition, it wasn't a threat. This was something else entirely.
A guardian, a protector. A fierce, stubborn ally bound to Bella's safety.
And Edward held onto that with quiet, profound relief.
…
(Alright guys, before you take out the pitchforks and torches, please hear me out. This development was planned for a while now, and don't worry, the pairing keeps being Mike x Leah, and I won't be writing any unnecessary conflict in their relationship. Mike is a good, loyal boi. So please don't diss me too badly 🫣)