Caroline knew she shouldn't have been at First Beach, she didn't particularly want to be there either. She had an essay to write and college applications to fill out in the comfort of her warm home where she could watch a movie with her sister and try to get some sleep. Instead she had wrapped herself in two jackets and drove through the rain to the birthday party she now sat at. It had been fun for a while but as the night went on people got drunker and boys got leery and she wished she was anywhere but here. Cold and unhappy, she slowly inched her way to the outskirts of the group where her company was discarded beer cans and the occasional bird swooping on scarps. Caroline liked the peace she felt as she looked out at the dark sea, it's waves crashing down like a lullaby. She wished it was warm enough to swim. As a child she always tried to swim out to the buoys but her mother, always the worrier, would call her back before she would reach them. Those faded red figures always felt so unattainable and it only made her want them more.

From behind her a commanding voice startled, "Excuse me miss. We're going to need your group to quiet down or we will have to ask you to leave."

Standing exactly one foot taller than her at six foot eight, Caroline turned to stare right into the chest of Samuel Uley, town legend. Caroline needed to take a step back to look him in the eye and when she did she felt her stomach twist. The fire behind him seemed to give him an outline of a harsh glow, heat radiating off his body straight into her heart, and he looked every bit as intimidating as she expected him to be, regardless of the dopey expression he wore. His eyes felt heavy on her.

"I'm sorry." Caroline mumbled, "I was just getting ready to leave."

The dazed look was wiped off of Sam's face and for a moment he seemed distressed before slipping back into his usual hard gaze. The intensity made Caroline feel naked. "You don't need to leave, just quiet down. Also we need to confiscate your alcohol." Sam gestured to another, equally sized man who was throwing beer cans in a trash bag as teenagers glared but did nothing to stop it. "You haven't been drinking have you?"

"No, sir." She wondered how old Sam actually was. Her guess was at least twenty four. She remembered her father mentioning something about him once, possibly about his age or his job

Sam gave a little chuckle at her, "No need to call me sir. Just making sure no one's driving drunk. I'm Sam."

Caroline took his extended hand in her own. His hand was warm and rough. "Caroline Jones. I guess I'll see you around."

She moved to walk past him but he grabbed her arm. "Is it ok if I give you my number? Just to make sure you get home safe, of course."

"Uh sure, but I can't find my phone" She said as she dug through her purse for a pen. "What is it?"

Sam gave her his number and watched her as she walked to her car and continued to watch her as she drove off down the road. He didn't need to tell Jared what had happened, he had felt the dynamic of their pack change. Sam had heard legends about imprints, and he had thought they had been just that, legends. Then again he could turn into a wolf so he supposed anything was possible at this point. Jared walked him home silently and then left to take over patrols from Paul. Back home, hours later, he sat in silence. His hands dug grooves into the wooden kitchen chair as he fought the pull in his chest that would undoubtedly lead to Caroline. He wondered if she was safe in her bed or if she was in some kind of danger or if she would even call at all. The phone rang and with inhuman speed her ran to it

"Hello?"

The voice on the other end was not one he wanted to hear. "Sam, this is Billy. The council requests a meeting first thing tomorrow morning. It is very-."

With a loud crack the wooden chair was in pieces on the floor. Sam felt like he was going to burst and the pressure in his chest increased by the second. The phone rang again.

"Hello?"

"Sam? Hi, it's Caroline. From the party." Her voice had a tired ring to it and Sam thought it was terribly sexy.

"Hey. I'm glad to hear you got home safe. I, uh." Sam couldn't think of a thing to say to save his life.

Luckily for him Caroline could, "Yeah I got home just fine. Did a cell phone turn up after I left?"

No. No one had. But Sam saw a way to see her again so he took it. "One turned up, yeah. Would you want to stop by and pick it up tomorrow?"

"That would be great. You live down the road from Billy Black, right?" How did she know Billy Black? Still, he told her yes and begrudgingly hung up when the time came.

Sam always felt like he was battling himself, he battled to find some sort of balance between man and wolf. Since his first phase, so scared and alone, he battled his feelings. He was a monster, he was sure of it. Monsters didn't deserve happiness, they didn't deserve to feel joy. Sam would never move away, he would never go off to college and live his life. He was rooted deep. So Sam laid in bed and stared at the ceiling and told himself just that.

Caroline came over in the late afternoon the next day. Sam liked the way she looked, sitting in his kitchen with a cup of coffee. Caroline was "traditionally" beautiful with dark hair contrasting against light skin and blue eyes. Her eyes roamed over the kitchen before shyly looking down into her cup. He wanted to make this an everyday event. From his shorts pockets he pulled out his old cell phone and passed it to her. Her face fell and he regretted his choice immediately.

"That's not it. Thanks anyway, Sam." Her smile was genuine. She stood to leave and the look of her legs in shorts just about killed him. He wanted those legs wrapped around him and suddenly he felt much more man than he had before. She turned to him and her eyes trailed up his bare chest to meet his eyes. Her brown hair fell in front of her lust filled eyes. Sam extended his hand to push her hair away and that was when it all exploded.