Ephraim Black Jr.: The Alpha Story
Chapter One: The Hybrid Child
I walked through the woods, listening closely for my family. We were playing "tag" and I was on the look out for my grandfather. I knew my parents were hiding near the river and most of my uncles were at the bear cave. My aunts, great grandfather, and great grandmother were the only ones that weren't playing with us.
"Psst, Ephraim, up here," my large uncle hissed above me. He was hanging upside down, grinning cheekily at me. I rolled my eyes but kept on walking. I made sure not to step on the twigs and leaves that were on the ground.
A familiar scent filled my nose. I grunted and turned around, sprinting back the way I came. Footsteps ran quickly behind me, gaining steadily on me. I saw a shadow pas over me before felt extra weight on my back.
"Got you! Your breathing is still too loud, Ephraim. I could hear you miles away," Grandpa Edward said. I scoffed. I was being quiet and he knew it too.
He patted my shaggy head before jumping off of my broad back. I shook out my reddish brown fur and followed after Edward to the house. My (great) uncles appeared on either side of us as we traveled back to the house. My parents probably just walked back to the house on their own.
I phased back to my less hairy self and slipped on my shorts while my family kept walking. I trotted after them, eagerly awaiting the food I could smell in the air. Grandma Bella met us outside, kissing my cheek before grabbing Edward's hand and running back into the woods. I scrunched up my nose and continued into the Victorian house that Esme had rebuilt years ago.
"Make sure you put all your stilettos in this box and all your Gucci shoes here!" Aunt Alice yelled up the stairs to Aunt Rosalie. I heard a frustrated sigh from upstairs from Emmett's wife.
The women in my family (excluding mom) had been taking the whole morning to pack up all of our stuff for us so the movers that were coming later today wouldn't have to stay too long with a bunch of vampires. Mom, dad, and I were moving back to Forks so I could spend time with great grandpa Charlie and great grandpa Billy while we were still able to. The rest of the family was going to live in their house in Sequim (which was a town close to Port Angeles).
"Please, put these on the porch for me, Ephraim, then you can help me finish up your lunch," Esme stated, smiling at me while two heavy boxes to me. I hurried and put the boxes on the porch so I could get to my food faster.
My dad is Jacob Black, rightful alpha to the pack at La Push, and husband to Renesmee Carlie Cullen for the last ten and a half years. I was their ten year old hybrid baby, born six months after they were married. I had reached full maturity on my tenth birthday but I've been able to turn into a wolf for two years now.
I gazed at my new house, amazed that Esme had built this house as well. I ran ahead of my parents, leaving them to unpack the boxes so I could pick out my room for our stay here. I picked a room on the third floor. It faintly smelt of my grandpa Edward and there was even a very, very faint smell of human. It made me thirsty.
"Ephraim, get your stuff!" dad yelled up at me. I ignored my thirst and went back down to get my boxes and hauled all four of them up the stairs easily.
"Can we go hunting soon?" I asked after I had moved all of my stuff to my room. Dad rolled his eyes.
"I think your appetite is growing," he teased. Mom smiled fondly at me and nudged dad before taking the lead out of the house and into the woods. Dad and I phased while mom continued on, giving us our privacy.
I was as tall as my father now that I was fully grown and proudly boasted about it when I got a chance and I swear that my muscles were starting to get to his size as well. Mom says that it's the alpha blood making me "powerful" but I always laughed when she talked about it. I wouldn't be an alpha, dad always would be.
Son, I think I should give you a warning since we're in the area with other wolves here. Some of the other boys in the pack won't take to you very well because you're part vampire but you should ignore them. And another thing is imprinting.
Dad, please. I know about imprinting. You don't have to explain it to me again.
Well, I'm warning you actually. You never know when you'll find your soul mate, especially in La Push.
Whatever, dad.
We found a herd of deer. Mom took down a buck; dad took down one buck also while I took down two, gorging myself on the meat and blood. I licked my chops, making sure to get as much of the blood off my muzzle.
The three of us raced back to the house, all coming close within each other so we didn't call a winner. For the rest of the week we unpacked the boxes and decorated the house under mom's close watch.
I wasn't allowed to leave the Forks area yet. My dad wanted to be with me when I visited La Push since other wolves would be there.
This didn't stop me from visiting great grandpa Charlie every day though. He was more gray haired then brown now but that didn't seem to slow him down from his job and fishing every other day. He seemed okay with his great grandchild being ten years and looking like he was twenty. Charlie was getting good with the abnormal.
Friday was supposed to be the day that I'd get to see Billy and my Aunt Rachel and Uncle Paul and my two cousins. I had only seen dad's side of the family once before but I was only two years old then and my cousins were a few years older than me then.
I waited anxiously all week for Friday and it finally arrived much to my delight and excitement. Mom laid out my clothes for my important day, designer jeans and black and white polo shirt that Alice had bought for me and a simple pair of sandals for my big feet.
We drove down to La Push in dad's big truck; I was crammed into the back of the cab while my parents were all stretched out in the front. It didn't take long for us to arrive at Billy's house.
Billy rode out to greet, not leaving the porch though, not wanting to get stuck in the mud in the yard. Two tall men stood in the doorframe, watching us warily. I recognized my Uncle Paul and I guessed that the other was his son and my cousin, Mallow.
"Dad," my father mumbled, stepping up and bending down to give him a hug. Mom stepped up and gave him a light hug and a kiss on the cheek. I stood awkwardly behind them, not sure if I was supposed to give him a hug too. Billy looked past my parents at me.
"Don't be shy. Get over here, boy," he said, giving me a wrinkly eyed smile. I grinned and gave him a hug also.
Dad shook my uncle's hand and hugged his nephew before making his way into the house, mom following close behind, patting both of their arms before disappearing into the house. I helped great grandpa Billy into the house, smiling at my uncle and cousin when I passed. My cousin didn't smile back though.
My mother and Aunt Rachel were talking already and dad was making small talk with my other cousin, Maj. She looked about fourteen by now and if my math is right (and it always is) then that made Mallow sixteen years old.
I listened to my family talk for a few hours, but I realized with a jolt that my cousins were avoiding having to talking to me and even my uncle seemed reluctant to talk with me. I sat confused for a while until I remembered what dad at told me earlier in the week. Some of the other boys in the pack won't take to you very well because you're part vampire. It hadn't crossed my mind that my own family would act that way.
I stayed on the edge of the conversation the whole time we were there until dad said we had to go make one more visit before we could go home. I gave my aunt and grandpa a hug but gave my cousins and uncle a pat on the back before folding myself in the truck again.
"Where are we going?" I asked, poking my head in between their seats.
"To the Uley house. He wanted to meet you, you know, to make sure there won't be too much of an alpha problem between you and his son," dad answered. I didn't bother to ask any more questions, I knew they wouldn't be answered.
We pulled to what looked like the newest house on the reservation which put it at about ten years old. It was painted a light blue with white shutters and the porch was small but had a nice homey look to it. For what I could see it looked like the Uley's had a pretty big back yard that was mostly woods. I liked it.
I stayed behind my parents, wary of meeting this Uley boy after hearing about alpha aggression. I didn't even know if I had the alpha blood while my father was an alpha as well.
Dad knocked on the door and reached back, grabbing mom's hand and pulling her up beside him. I swallowed and stood on dad's other side, waiting for the human on the other side of the door to open it.
A lady with a large scar running along her face opened the door. I easily noticed that the scar was done by another wolf, probably her husband or one of his friends. She was rather beautiful though, in a motherly house wife way. I liked the look of her even if her smell made my throat flare a little.
"Jacob, Nessie! Oh, I haven't seen you two in years and this must be your son, Ephraim!" she gushed, pulling both of my parents into her arms for a warm hug before pulling me into her arms next. I stiffened before almost melting into her arms.
"You're warm just like the wolves. I bet you've got most of your father's genes too," she said, pulling all of us into her house.
A man was sitting on a worn out couch and I could sense that this man demanded respect from everyone. He was the former alpha of the La Push pack, Sam Uley. His hair was cut short and he was starting to get wrinkles, which I'd guess was from the stress from all those years ago of hunting vampires.
"Sam, how are you?" father said, holding out his hand to shake. The two old friends shook hands and greeted each other politely, even teasing one another. I watched carefully though, looking for the "alpha aggression" that I've heard so much about. It didn't seem like there was any tension between the two anymore. Probably because Mr. Uley was a retired alpha.
"Would you like anything to eat? I was just about to start fixing dinner," Mrs. Uley asked, walking into her kitchen. My stomach growled loudly at the mention of food as did dad's stomach. Emily Uley laughed and took that as a yes.
Sam and Emily didn't seem to have a probably with talking with me like my own family did because they asked me all kinds of questions about my childhood, growth spurts, and my hobbies.
"It is just about six, the kids should be coming home soon," Emily sated suddenly, glancing at the clock. I tensed. I'd have to meet the alpha now and I wasn't sure how I would react.
Emily had just finished cooking when the back door banged open. Emily was the only one in the room that jumped in surprise.
"Jeez, Kaleb, can you be more of a brute?" a girl's voice joked. I'd guess the girl was fifteen/sixteen, from the pitch of her voice and from the sounds of her light footsteps. There were two other pair of footsteps with the girl, probably her brother and a pack brother is my guess.
Two big boys, both around the age of sixteen/seventeen that were wolves as well, had their hair cut short like Sam and were the standard tall and muscled like every other wolf that I've met. The boy on the left though looked remarkably like Sam though and made my blood boil and my hands shake.
The alpha aggression seemed to sizzle between the two of us suddenly; making both us tense and tremble, glaring at the other alpha. Anger and aggression charged through my blood like a bull, making me feel winded and a little dizzy but I felt powerful and threatened all at the same time.
"Ah, well, Kaleb, why don't you step outside for a moment and cool down while our guests are here," Mrs. Uley said, patting her son's arm. My eyes followed the boy out, my body still tensed for a fight for this territory.
My body didn't relax though. It must be the female Uley. She probably has the alpha gene as well. My glare fell down on a pair of light brown eyes that were shining out of a heavenly face. My scowl melted off my face, replaced by awe. I felt my connection with my parents, uncles, aunts, grandparents, and great grandparents snap away being replaced by an even stronger connection to this girl, like steel or perhaps titanium. She was the one dad had warned me about.
"Oh no, it starting again," I heard someone say from far away. My hearing seemed to become unstopped and every sound hit me at once. Kaleb Uley breathing heavily outside in the woods, my parents talking worriedly with Kaleb's, and the other wolf's low growling which was directed at me.
"Ephraim, why don't you come into the kitchen with us?" mom suggested, watching the other boy worriedly. I reluctantly followed my mother and Emily but continued to glance into the living room to watch the girl.
The girl had amazing light brown eyes that seemed to sparkle but I suppose that could be a trick of the light. Her black hair was up in a messy bun but it seemed to suit her attitude for today. The girl's body was slim and tall but seemed to have curves that girls her age always seemed to want. She was perfect.
I listened in on their conversations while I set the table for my host. The dads were discussing the pros and cons of having alpha sons while the girl and the other wolf boy sat next to each other on the couch, whispering quietly to each other that I had to really strain to hear them.
As I watched them I started to notice that the two of them acted oddly together. The boy would play with her bun while she played with his large hand, smiling at each other. They reminded me of Alice and Jasper.
My stomach suddenly jolted in realization. They were a couple; dating, seeing each other, together. Jealousy filled my gut quickly, much like the aggression had earlier. That boy was not meant to be with her. My jealousy diminished just as quickly as it came. She wouldn't have to be with him anymore. She wouldn't have to continue to look for her soul mate because I had found her first.
Dinner could be described with one word, awkward. Mrs. Uley and mom tried to start a few conversations but it didn't work. Dad and Sam sat with this weird powerful aura around them, making it even more awkward for the one other wolf at the table, my imprint's boyfriend. I wasn't sure what my aura was like but I'm sure it didn't help considering I wasn't fully human and that made me "dangerous".
I continued to examine the girl all through dinner, picking up on the little things that she did as she ate. She always cut her bites into half inch pieces before eating and never took a drink until after she finished one portion of food off of her plate. She was so interesting to watch that I barely even got to touch my own food.
I caught Sam once looking at me, almost glaring, but it seemed like he was sizing me up, probably wondering if I would be good enough for his daughter. Every father's concern from what I've picked up from Grandpa Edward. I smiled at him before going back to inspecting his daughter's eating habits.
The girl didn't seem affected by the awkward silence and the stares that everyone was sending one another. She kept on eating and would sometimes ask her parents a question about something unimportantly human and common.
It was after dinner that Kaleb showed back up but he didn't spare any of us a second glance before going up the stairs, probably to his room. Irritation flickered inside me when he walked past but it disappeared once he was out of sight.
"I'm sorry for saying this but I'm not really sure who you people are?" my girl said suddenly. I looked at her expression; she didn't look sorry, just curious.
Mrs. Uley seemed embarrassed and tried to shush her daughter while my dad laughed lightly and mom smiled. I just sat there, waiting for someone to answer her question.
"Old friends of your dad's," mine said, chuckling still.
"Like wolfie friends or actually real friends?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. My parents and I tensed, unsure of how much this girl knew about the legends and what we could say.
"Yeah, like wolfie friends, Ayasha," Mr. Uley said, grinning at us. My heart seemed to stutter for a moment. Her name was Ayasha! It was a beautiful name and even sounded Native American. I'd have to look up the name when I got home.
"This is Jacob and Renesmee Black and their son, Ephraim Black Jr." Mrs. Uley introduced us. The other wolf's eyes got wide and stared at my parents but Ayasha looked at me curiously. I smiled at her.
"This is Ayasha, our daughter, and Blaise, Jared and Kim's son and, um, Ayasha's boyfriend," Emily continued on with introductions. The parents looked at me warily, waiting for some kind of jealous explosion or something. I didn't though because I know that we'd end up together just like every other imprint couple so I had nothing to worry about.
We stayed for an only a few more minutes before dad said that he had to head home. I asked Sam if I could come by tomorrow. He agreed but he didn't look too happy about it.
My parents didn't talk about my imprinting on Sam's daughter until we got to our house. Mom was ecstatic for me and was on the phone immediately to call her parents about my news. Dad sat me down though so we could talk reasonably.
"I suppose we're going to living here a little longer than we thought," he said thoughtfully. I grinned but let him continue. "It's kind of funny that my alpha child would imprint on another alpha's child. It's like fate is trying to make sure that there is only one alpha later on down the road."
My face scrunched up as I considered what he as saying. It did make sense in a way. When Ayasha and I had a kid, the kid would be a pretty powerful alpha. I guess imprinting really was just a way to strengthen the wolf bloodlines and such.
"So, does that mean I've got to start making babies with her now?" I asked. He laughed, a fully out, coming from the belly, deep in the throat laugh.
"And what makes you think she'll have you?" dad asked, tears coming out of his eyes. I scowled and crossed my arms.
"We're soul mates," I stated, glaring at him.
"Oh really? So you're going to tell a teenage girl that she needs to break up with her boyfriend so she can make alpha babies with you. Good luck with that, son," he laughed, walking out of the room.
I stared after him in confusion. Didn't it always work like that?
Author's Note: Lol, Ephraim so doesn't know what is going on and what he is getting into. I don't think he really understand imprinting like he thinks he does. I'll make sure Ayasha gives him a tough time! ;)