I know this is going to sound bad but I switched Collin and Brandy's last name because Fuller sounds whiter than Littlesea. Since Collin was adopted by a white family when he was born, and his mother was a "Jane Doe", so he took their last name.
I sit on a thick log, at the edge of the forest surrounding the beach, watching my pack mates lounge around with their imprints. Thus far Jacob Black, Embry Call, Brady Littlesea, and I are the only single wolves left.
The three younger boys like to say that they're happy not having imprints, cause they still have free will, but I can't wait to imprint. As the second oldest wolf, and the half brother of the oldest wolf, I know how much imprinting can hurt.
Since I phased a week after Sam I got a front row seat to the shit storm that was his imprint. I watched Sam suffer with the guilt of imprinting on his fiancé, Leah Clearwater's, cousin, Emily Young. Not to mention the pain of Emily's rejection, due to her loyalty to Leah, and the torment he felt after he lost control and nearly killed Emily.
Yeah after witnessing that I had a pretty cynical view on the topic. My best friend, Jared Cameron, shared my opinion. That is untill he imprinted on Kim Blackwave, a girl in his honors math class. She's had a crush on him for years but he never noticed her till four months after he phased, as she was away that summer. When he started blowing me off to spend more time with her my distain for the act grew, especially when I realized I was just a fifth wheel.
As you can imagine I was ecstatic when Embry Call phased. But my happiness turned to anxiety when I realized he could be the bastard of one of the elders. Or a younger brother for Sam and I. Well that is until he got into a fight with his father during a council meeting. Embry got so pissed he phased but, to our shock, so did his dad. Next thing we know a massive scraggly looking three legged wolf with gray fur that is littered with black spots, like Embry's wolf, has our young pack mate by the scruff of his neck and is dragging him back to their home. Turns out Mr. Call comes from a long line of wolf shifts that dates back to the revolutionary war. He phased when he was Embry's age but stopped after he got his leg blown off in Iraq. He refused to officially join the pack as our alpha, says a three legged wolf is to much of a liability. However he does give us more guidance than the elders can. He's the one that told me imprinting could save your life.
I didn't believe him especially after Leah and Seth phased. Due to the Elders gag order on us she never understood why Sam and Emily betrayed her. That all changed when she phased. Sam couldn't keep his thoughts in check, he ended up showing her everything which only hurt her more. She was really depressed after that she always thought she wasn't good enough for Sam, the imprint only confirmed that in her eyes. Then, to add insult to injury, she was forced to watch Sam and Emily get the happily ever after that she never could. She tried to commit suicide multiple times to get away from the pack but it was no use. Without vampires suicide is damn near impossible for us. She was literally tortured by our thoughts but there was nothing anyone could do, that is till Collin Fuller phased.
The boys always had a crush on Leah so he was ecstatic when he found out that she was his imprint and not Sam's. In his eyes it proved what he'd been saying all along; He was destined to be with her because he was the only one worthy of her perfection. From that day on Leah's been the happiest imprint on the Rez because she knows Collin was right, he is the only person good enough to be with her. The happiness that he brought Leah helped her reconcile with Sam and Emily, which healed the pain their imprint caused, bringing the pack closer than ever.
Then Seth imprinted on Jacob's sister, Rachel, who left the Rez to get away from the painful memories left in the wake of her mothers death. She never got a chance to properly grieve, as she was forced to take care of her grief-stricken father and her heartbroken little brother with the help of her equally numb twin. So Seth is helping her do so while he grieves over the lose of his own father. Because of that she has started to let her past go and move on. Now she wants to get a teaching job at the local elementary school and plans to stay on the Rez with her family after she graduates from college.
I also found that imprinting matures you. For instance Quil use to be the most immature pup in the pack. He was the kid that would bit off more than he could chew just so he could say he did. He does it to impress his grandfather, cause he felt like he was a major let dow to the old timer pre-phase, but that's not a good enough excuse for his behavior. I think the rest of the pack realized that when he almost got himself killed while we were hunting the red haired leech that was hell bet on killing my cousin, Astrid Swan. Sam couldn't trust him on his own anymore so he always had me run his patrol routes with him, mainly because he's scared of me. About a week later he imprinted on Emily's three year old niece, Claire Young, and did a complete 180. He became as serious as us older wolves. Mainly because she needs him to be mature to fulfill his duties as her imprint. Since a three year old can't take care of a three year old, that is. So by "growing up" he is now the best protector any three year old girl could ever ask for and a much better wolf.
So now I believe that imprinting make you a better person, it gives life meaning, and brings a happiness that humans all over the world wish for...a happiness I, Paul Lahote the La Push man whore, wish for.
"SAM! SAM!" Brady yells as he runs out of the tree line.
I look at the naked boy as he jumps over Collin and Leah. The she wolf yelps in disgust as Collin growls at the other wolf. Everyone else makes sure to get out of his way as
he races to my older brother. Embry and Jake walk out of the trees shaking their heads.
"What happened?" I ask, as they were patrolling with him.
"He saw a big white and black tiger eating a dear. Her crimson eyes met his browns and he freaked. I bet Jake ten bucks he'd piss himself." Embry announces with a chuckle.
"Did he?"
They nod while watching him rant about the she demon tiger. Leah walks over and slaps him before running into the ocean.
"Guess Leah got hit with some spray." I joke as we approach our scared brother.
"Brady calm down. Just tell us what happened, slowly this time."
"I was running then I smelled blood so I followed the scent... There, in this barren clearing, was a huge snow white tiger with black stripes eating a stag. I accidently stepped on a twig and it looked up at me, I swear it's red eyes were looking into my soul. So I ran back here, where it's safe."
The whole group burst out laughing while I ponder what Brady said. He saw a tiger in Washington...
"Since when do wild tigers live in Washington...scratch that since when do wild tigers live in America?" I ask.
Everyone ponders my question then Quil says, "There were tigers at that Zoo, I took Claire to. With all that's been going on in Seattle I wouldn't be shocked if we see a tiger escape or brake out reported later."
"The drive from Seattle to Forks was over four hours. Plus with the added time it would take to get from Forks to around here there's no way it could have gotten here. Not on its own at lest and definitely not without being seen or reported missing." Leah says as she walks back over.
"Maybe it belongs to the Cullens, you know a better meal." Seth chimes.
"The Cullens would never let their food cross into our territory." Sam mutters.
We all stop to think about it then Kim says, "It could be someone's pet."
We all look at her in a way that prompts her to elaborate.
"Well I've heard that some people like to tame tigers and keep them as pets."
"Dad did say someone bought a house in the area we were patrolling." Jacob adds.
Sam mulls this over then looks at Jacob and orders. "Call Charlie, ask him if anyone has registered a tiger as their pet."
"Don't bother, if they're living on our land they wouldn't need to register it and since they live just outside the tribes population they don't really have to see the Elders either." Leah states.
"She's right, remember old man Joans?"
We nod so Collin continues, "He use to have a black panther chained up in his back yard. Uncle Billy was always saying he wished he could get rid of the damn thing."
Jacob nods with a smirk. "Yeah he hated that thing."
"Grandpa said they didn't even know it was there till some boys went on his land to get their fly ball. He let it chase them off the property." Quill pipes.
"So it was just someone's pet?" Brady asks.
"looks like it pup." I chuckle.
"Oh."
Leah slaps him upside the head causing everyone to laugh again.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Running through the wood I chuckle as I look around the area where Brady saw that tiger. Sam asked me to look around. Honestly if I didn't see it in Brady's mind I wouldn't know it was here, which is weird. There's no corpse, no blood, no nothing. It's just a barren clearing in the middle of the woods.
Sniffing around I pick up the faintest hint of blood...that's odd...really really fuckin odd. My fur stands as I feel eyes following me sets in. Turning around my eyes meet captivating crimson. My world is swallowed up by a black hole and replaced by a white tiger. She has perfect black strips along her slender body. She looks...different from other tigers, bigger. In fact she's bigger than me...and Sam...and Jacob, that's strange but really sexy...wait no...I...this...OH SHIT!
Backing up I turn around and take off, back home. I need to talk to Sam...no the elders...No...wait I could ask Mr. Call yeah he'll know. Shifting courses slightly I run to the Call house and phase. In that moment I'm hit with an odd emptiness...oh shit I...I just imprinted on a fuckin tiger.
