A/N: The first 300 words were written for a weekly prompt (it had to start in a nightclub), but I loved these characters so much I decided to enlarge upon it.

Leah had been dancing for hours, but you could never tell. She was fresh and cool, unlike her human date. He was trying to keep up with her, but he was sweating and wheezing. She grinned. "Okay, let's sit this one out." She took his hand and headed toward their table in the crowded club, where Jonah's sister sat watching the door. She was a beauty, tall and slender with the traditional Quileute coloring - long, straight black hair and ebony eyes.

"Shit!" Leah released Jonah's hand and glared across the dance floor. Her younger brother, Seth, was showing his ID to the bouncer when he felt an arm around his shoulders. Leah steered him to a relatively quiet corner and hissed "What are you doing here? It's a nightclub, Seth, and you're only 19!"

Seth waved a driver's license in her face. "I think you're mistaken, dear sister. See here?" He pointed to the date of birth. "Looks like I'm 22."

"I'm pretty sure I'd remember if I had a twin," she growled. "And I don't think Mom will be fooled by the phony license, do you?" She waved at Jonah, who was looking their way. It had taken him a minute to recognize Seth, who actually did look older than he was in a grey silk shirt and black jeans. The heels on his boots made him appear even taller than his actual six foot three.

Seth was unruffled. "If we're gonna talk with Mom, don't forget the secrets I've been keeping for you, Sis. I'm sure she'd be interested to know where you've been spending the nights you said you were at Rachel's." His smirk was maddening. "Now move along - here's my date." He slipped out of Leah's grasp and into the embrace of Jonah's older sister, Aiyanna.

Leah grimaced as Seth bent to brush a kiss over Aiyanna's lips. It became increasingly obvious this wasn't their first date. "Well, come on then. I guess you're the reason we got a table for four," Leah sighed. "You could have told me, ya know," she grumbled.

Aiyanna laughed. "No way, Leah. Seth warned me. Besides, age is just a number." She raised Seth's hand to her lips. "Does this look like a 19-year-old to you?"

"Still looks like ten, if you ask me," Leah grumped.

Smiling, Aiyanna linked her arm with Leah's. "I know you two had to grow up fast." Leah shot her brother a look, but he gave his head a gentle shake. "I mean, with your father dying so suddenly." Leah released a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "Anyhow, how many teenagers do you know who are over six feet tall and built like a brick...well, like this? You could easily pass for 25, Seth."

Leah shook her head in disgust. The girl looked absolutely starry-eyed. As the evening wore on, Leah relaxed. She and Jonah had been dating for several months and both pairs of siblings were close. They danced and drank, but the Clearwaters seemed unaffected by the liquor they consumed. Their metabolism flushed it through their bloodstreams too quickly to have a lasting effect. Jonah and Aiyanna, on the other hand, were a bit tipsy as they walked out into the cool night air.

Approaching Seth's truck, he and Leah both sniffed the air at the same time. A tall, pale man with a blonde ponytail and a leather jacket stepped out of the shadows. "Well, what have we here?" he purred.

Leah stepped forward, and the man growled as he got a whiff of wolf. Her voice was low and menacing. "Looks like it's your lucky day, leech. If you turn your rotting corpse around and go back the way you came you might live to fight another day." Aiyanna grabbed Seth's hand and realized he was vibrating - not trembling, but almost crackling with pent-up fury.

As the tall man disappeared into the night, Leah gripped Seth's shoulder. "It's okay, Seth. He knows he's outnumbered."

Jonah looked at Leah. "Was something wrong with that man? He was so PALE. And his eyes…"

Leah shook her head. "Albino," she whispered. She hoped the two of them had enough alcohol in their systems to forget all about it by morning, but the encounter seemed to sober them instantly. They would have more questions in the light of day, questions she and Seth were forbidden to answer.

Seth watched Leah climb in the driver's side of Jonah's truck, and he helped Aiyanna into his before he swung easily into the cab. She slid across the bench seat and wrapped her arms around his neck before he could start the engine. "I think that went well," she whispered against his lips. Seth shivered as she traced his lower lip with her tongue, and he shifted in his seat.

"Anna, I think I should get you home." His voice was deep, his hands resting on her waist. "You're drunk, honey."

"I'm not THAT drunk," she pouted, fumbling with the buttons on his shirt. "C'mon, baby, let's have some more fun." Her hands slipped inside the silk and slid over rippling muscles.

Seth grabbed her hands and closed his eyes. "You don't make it easy to be a gentlemen," he said softly.

"Don't want a gennelman," she muttered.

Kissing her forehead, he reached for the seat belt and buckled it around her. "So tempting," he said with a grin as he started the engine. The powerful V8 rumbled to life and he backed out of the space, watching the speed limit carefully as he drove to her apartment. In the eight minutes it took to drive her home, she leaned her head on his shoulder and fell fast asleep. Chuckling softly, Seth took out his key and carried her inside, depositing her on the bed. He pulled off her shoes and kissed her cheek, then covered her with an afghan and tiptoed out, locking the door carefully behind him. Leah's room was dark and empty when he got home. He grabbed a pair of clean boxers and headed for their shared bathroom and a cold shower.

Leah's room was still empty in the morning. He smiled and shook his head, long legs skipping every other stair on the way down. Sue was in the kitchen, humming as she stirred a pan of sausage gravy. "Smells great, Mom!" Seth gave her a quick hug and poured himself a cup of coffee from the percolator on the stove.

"You're up early for a Saturday," she said as the gravy coagulated in the cast iron frying pan. She turned off the gas and reached for a pot holder. "Got plans?" Sue slid a tray of fluffy biscuits out of the oven and set them on a trivet. Seth snatched one, tossing it from hand to hand a couple of times before biting it in half.

He nodded, wolfing down the other half before speaking. "Yeah, I promised Aiyanna I'd pick up breakfast."

Sue reached in the cabinet and withdrew some Tupperware containers. "You're not bringing her that fast food stuff, Seth Clearwater."

He grinned. "Thanks, Mom." He filled a travel mug and snapped the top on. "Where's Leah?"

"She's at Rachel's. They were going to some club last night, and she said they'd be late. Billy sleeps like the dead, so they knew they wouldn't bother him with their laughing and carrying on." Sue raised an eyebrow. "At least that's the story I got." Sue Clearwater was nobody's fool.

Aiyanna was asleep, shades drawn tightly, when Seth let himself in. He set the package of food on the counter and walked into the bedroom. Sometime during the night Aiyanna had showered and changed into an oversized T-shirt of Seth's, and she was now snuggled under the covers. He sat on the edge of the bed and lifted her dark hair, kissing her neck. Without opening her eyes, she smiled and moaned softly. "I'm sober now," she breathed, inhaling deeply of his familiar, masculine scent. Undressing quickly, he slipped under the cool sheets.

By the time Aiyanna tackled her breakfast, it was stone cold. Seth popped both containers in the microwave and handed her the coffee. She sipped gratefully. "I don't know how your mom makes such awesome coffee in that old percolator - but it's delicious."

"Speaking of delicious…" Seth kissed her slowly, then reached for the biscuits and gravy. "Hungry?"

"Mmmm…" He watched as she devoured four biscuits covered in the rich brown gravy.

"How do you DO that?" he asked, eyes wide. "You eat like I do, and you don't gain an ounce!"

She laughed and winked playfully. "Must be my exercise program. Now do you want to answer a couple of questions for me?"

Seth nodded, wide-eyed and innocent. "Sure. What's up?"

The girl shivered slightly and set down her fork, gazing into his bottomless black eyes. "That man, Seth. Who was he?"

After a moment's hesitation, he shrugged. "I never saw him before, Anna. I swear."

Her eyes didn't waver. "Then why did Leah threaten him?"

"Did you hear him growl at her? Leah doesn't take any shit…"

Aiyanna cut him off, shaking her head. "I'm Quileute, Seth, just like you. I know all the stories, all the legends. Know what I think? I think he was a vampire." She watched for his reaction.

"So. You believe these vampires, the cold ones in our legends, are real? That they exist in 21st century Washington?"

"I do. Assume for a minute that I'm right. Why on earth would a vampire be afraid of your sister?"

Seth shrugged. "That would be a bit strange now, wouldn't it?"

Her reply was so soft that he would never have caught it if not for his superior hearing. "Not if she was a scarier creature than he was."

Seth was the first to break eye contact, and he took a deep breath. "Look, Anna, this is something we need to talk about. I've been putting it off, but I guess it's time." He took her hand and led her into the living room, pulling her down on the couch beside him. "You up for a story?"

She looked up at him, eyes wide, and nodded. He pulled her close and looked deep into her eyes. "You remember how...suddenly I fell for you? From the moment our eyes met, I was lost in you."

She nodded. "I felt it too. Still do. It seemed almost supernatural."

"It's called imprinting," he said, his left hand absently stroking her hair. "It's common in the animal kingdom, most often to preserve a pure blood line. It's rare in humans, but it sometimes happens to members of our tribe."

Anna was nodding. She'd heard most of this before. "The shape shifters," she breathed.

He nodded. They were silent for a while, letting this information soak into her consciousness. After a few minutes, without looking at him, she murmured, "So you...and Leah?"

"Yes, Anna. Both of us. I'm only allowed to tell you this because you're my imprint. Do you have any questions?"

Silence.

"Anything. I'll answer honestly."

"Can I see him? Your wolf?" Her voice was a whisper.

"Of course." He lifted her chin and kissed her lightly. "He's very big. And a little scary. But he'd never hurt you. He couldn't." He smiled. "I mean I couldn't."

She nodded. "Still. I really want to."

"Okay. Let's get dressed and we'll take a ride. Away from people. We'll walk into the forest, but you'll be safe with me. Always." He kissed her again, gently, his lips soft on hers.

In the depths of the woods it was dark, cool and damp. Small animals scurried in the pine litter on the forest floor, and something larger crashed through the brush not far away. Stepping out of his cutoffs, Seth stood before Aiyanna, bronzed and naked and beautiful. "Don't be afraid," he warned her as he walked to a safe distance from her. "Are you ready?"

She clasped her arms around herself, nodding. Her voice squeaked slightly when she murmured "Ready."

There was no sound as Seth's body began to shift. The air around him shimmered, bones shifted and elongated, and in seconds a huge wolf stood in his place. Golden eyes focused on Aiyanna as the enormous animal settled onto the ground, resting his chin on giant paws. His tail swished slowly as she approached.

Reaching out a tentative hand, she hesitated. The shaggy head nodded, and she patted the fur on the side of his face, closer to his ear than to the fearsome teeth. The fur was surprisingly soft, and she scratched gently. "Can you hear me, Seth? Understand me?"

The great head nodded again. "I'm speechless," she said, walking around him and stopping again in front. She stared. "Does it hurt?" she finally whispered. He shook his head and blinked as another voice invaded his thoughts.

"What the HELL are you doing, Seth?" It was Leah. He'd forgotten she was due to patrol this morning, and she must have just phased.

"She's my imprint, Leah. Can't you see that?" He projected the thought to the other wolf without any visible sign of their conversation.

"Shit." Through the mind link, he could see what Leah was seeing - the beginning of the trail that ran along the perimeter of the reservation. "Well, you'd better make sure she doesn't tell her brother - because I didn't imprint. This should be fun."

This time it was Aiyanna who was trembling. Seth held her tightly, his bare arms warming her as she clung to him, her face pressed against his chest. "I thought I was ready, Seth, but - oh my god!"

"Shhh...it's okay, baby. I know it's a lot to take in. Come on, let's go sit in the truck and talk, okay?"

Seth sat in the passenger seat and pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her again. Her shaking subsided eventually, and he let her take her time. Looking up at him she asked "Is that why you're so warm?" He nodded.

"And this...preserving the bloodline thing. I'm expected to carry your pups?"

Seth grinned and kissed her nose. "No, Anna. You and I will decide where our relationship goes from here. The imprint is involuntary, but I will be whatever you want me to be. A friend, a lover, a brother - or the father of your children. There's no hurry, and we'll sort it out. I do love you, though. I want you to know that. But I'd never take away your choices."

She relaxed in his arms. "Do you think our children would be...like you?"

"Hopefully there won't be a need for another generation of shape shifters. But as long as there are vampires that threaten our people, tribe members will phase to protect them. You ready to go home?" He turned the key in the ignition and set the heater on high.

She nodded, buckling her seatbelt and leaning back against the custom leather upholstery.

At the door, she turned to him. "I need some time to digest all this, Seth. You understand, don't you?"

He nodded and kissed her lightly. "Of course. You sure you're okay?"

She managed a weak smile. "I'm fine. It's just...it's been quite a day."

Seth was just pulling into the driveway when his phone buzzed. Glancing at the display, he saw it was Aiyanna and answered on the second ring. "Hey. Is something wrong?"

"Nope. I just wanted to let you know that I decided I'd like two of each."

He frowned. "Two of each what, Aiyanna?"

"Two boys and two girls." He detected the smile in her voice just as she ended the call.