This is a story that stems from my one-shot "Not My Imprint"

I have a fascination with the wolves telling their imprint what they mean to them as well as the pain Leah felt at fate's betrayal of her heart. I tend to think back to that a lot and it comes out on the page more often than I care to admit.

When I wrote "Not My Imprint" I was just in one of those terribly depressing moods where nothing seems to go right and it came out in the form of two broken hearts.

Now, in a slightly better mood, I find myself drawn to that scene again and again. I love the way it turned out but I can't help but feel that it isn't finished.

This story is going to be about what happens next.

If you think you know what's going to happen, save it. There might be someone who wants it to be a surprise.

If you don't like where this is headed, go away.

Paul didn't look back. He couldn't.

How could he ever face her again after what he'd just done? She was the love of his life. But she wasn't his imprint.

He shifted into the silver wolf just as he hit the tree line. His clothes flew in tattered shreds behind him as he started running.

He tried to ignore the other minds joining with his as he ran. He tried not to think at all. But the image of her tear-filled eyes and the sound of her heart breaking as he left her wouldn't go away.

I'm really sorry man. -J

Go away. -P

It's for the best Paul. You've seen what my imprinting did to Leah. -S

But I haven't imprinted! -P

That's the point. If she were meant for you it would have happened the first time you saw her after you phased. You're saving her worse pain in the long run. -S

Maybe I won't ever imprint. Maybe I don't have an imprint. Did you ever think of that? It's supposed to be this extremely rare thing anyway. -P

Do you really want to risk that? When the elders warned me of imprinting I ignored them. I thought I loved Leah enough that it wouldn't matter, and besides, what were the odds? The imprint is something that changes you completely. It didn't matter that I still loved Leah because she wasn't the one for me. We might have figured that out in fifty years when the love changed to irritation or loathing. Or we might have lived quite happily and grown old together. Except that I can't grow old. As much as I love Leah, she is not my soul mate. As good as what we had was, it was never what was meant to be. -S

Sam let that sink in for a minute before continuing. Suddenly, Sam's dreams for a future with Leah, as he'd once dreamed them, zoomed across the pack mind. They were married and happy and there were children everywhere.

Then the image changed. Leah was old and the children had children of their own but Sam still looked like Sam. In his prime.

I will go on living just as I am but she will not. -S

Emily will age too. What then? -P

Sam's thoughts turned dark and brooding for a minute.

I will find a way to stop phasing and I will age with her. -S

You could have done the same with Leah. -P

It's possible. But the legends show that Taha Aki did not stop phasing until he met his imprint. He was needed by the tribe despite the strong sons his first two wives had born him. He kept phasing until he met her. And when she died, it killed him. We might be stubborn enough to carry on a relationship with someone who isn't our imprint. We might even be able to stop phasing and grow old with them. But when you do imprint it no longer matters how stubborn you are. You can't stand to be with anyone else. It hurts to even think about. -S

But that could take years. It might take lifetimes to find her. I could live a happy life with her until then. -P

That's a naïve way to look at our situation. But even then, if you manage to avoid imprinting until she dies you still have to deal with the life you made together. You'll have children who will look at you and wonder how you can cast aside the love you had for their mother. You will have a community that does not understand why you no longer grieve. They won't understand why you suddenly hang out with someone a quarter your age and drool over her like a teenage boy. Do I really need to list all the ways you could hurt her or yourself by ignoring the fact that she is simply not the one for you? -S

I've loved her from the moment I met her. I just don't understand how she isn't the one. -P

Only the ancestors know why one person is our imprint and not another. I begged for Leah to be the one for me. I tried to force the imprint bond to shift to her. It isn't in our control. -S

Love should be a choice. -P

It is meant to be a gift - knowing without a doubt who your soul mate truly is. -S

Where do I return it? If she's not it, I don't ever want to imprint. I just broke her heart because of something that was forced on me! I destroyed her. -P

She's strong. She'll recover. -S

Sam was desperate for his advice to be true. He had hurt Leah, after all. He knew the pain of destroying someone you hold so dear.

But it was different for Paul, who had been the one to rebuild his love after life had tried to destroy her. He knew exactly what it cost her to lose him, to have him tell her they can't be together anymore.

He forced his mind back into the shape of a human and his body followed. He couldn't stand to listen to Jared's sympathy and Sam's advice any more. He just wanted to wallow in self-pity for a while and remember the good times they had shared.

He walked on and on without a thought to where he was headed. When he finally looked up he was on First Beach.

He stared at the spot in front of him, recognition putting a small smile on his face.

This is where it had all started for them.

Flashback eight years.

Paul kicked at the sand as he walked along the beach. How could they do this to him? Didn't they care that they were ruining his life?

Paul's mom and dad were getting a divorce. They told him that morning over breakfast. His dad had gotten mad when he asked them why they couldn't just be happy together. Paul didn't understand. I mean, sure they fought a lot, but didn't everybody?

He continued kicking at the ground in front of him until his toe struck a rock and the missile went flying.

"Ow!"

Paul's cheeks reddened and he hurried to his victim.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you! Are you okay?" "Watch what you're doing. You could have put my eye out!" "I'm really sorry."

Paul looked at the girl he had accosted. She was pretty. Long blonde hair hung in a braid off of one shoulder, storm-gray eyes glared at him. She was holding her cheek, red where the rock had hit her.

"I'm sorry, I should have been paying attention." "You shouldn't be kicking things in the first place." "I know. I was upset." "Well, now I'm upset. What are you going to do about it?" She looked at him expectantly and he stuttered over an answer. "Um...I...uh-" "What were you so mad about anyway?"

Paul shut down the apology clawing its way up his throat. He didn't want to talk about his parents. Especially not to some girl he happened across on the beach.

"It's none of your business." "I'm making it my business. You hit me with a rock!" "I said I'm sorry." "That doesn't make the pain go away. And neither does bottling everything up inside. Why don't you sit with me and we'll talk about it." It wasn't a question. She pulled him down to sit beside her in the sand. She leaned back against one of the big driftwood logs bleached white by sun and sea.

"My name's Hunter, by the way. What's yours?" "I'm Paul." "Well Paul, what are you doing kicking things at people this early in the morning on a beach in the middle of nowhere?" "What are you doing sitting on a beach this early in the morning in the middle of nowhere?" "My parents just moved to Forks. I don't like being cooped up and the beach is the best thing in the world. Even if there isn't any sun. Now you." "My parents are getting a divorce."

Why did he go and tell her that? Who was this girl? Why was he so comfortable with her?

"That sucks. Do they fight a lot or was it unexpected?" "They always fight but they always have. I don't know why they waited so long and I don't know why they can't go on waiting a while longer. Do they have any idea what my friends are going to say when they find out? This is a small reservation and everybody knows everything about everybody else. My friends are gonna treat me different." "Then they aren't your friends." "What?" "It's not your fault your parents can't get along. Trust me." "How do you know?" "When my mom and dad split I blamed myself. See, dad liked to think he was freer than he was. He cheated on my mom. Turns out he has a whole other family back home. He has the son he always wanted. I used to think that if I had just been born a boy he would have stayed with mom and they would have been happy."

She contemplated the sand for a moment before continuing.

"Then I found out that his son is a year older than me. He had been cheating on her a lot longer than either of us could have imagined. He hid it all so well. Said he had business trips and worked late at the office. Mom knew he had a condo in the city but she had no idea he was living a whole other life without us." "Do you see him still?" "No. I used to spend summers with him and his new family. But it drove me insane. They were always looking down on me and acted like I was the reason they had problems. It never occurred to them that my mom was his actual wife and she was the mistress." "Are they all like that?"

She looked thoughtful for a moment before turning to him and smiling, "No. I'm just lucky." "Lucky?" "I don't have to pretend to like his new family. And my mom got remarried last year. Phil is a good guy. He doesn't mind my mood swings and he hates my dad almost as much as mom does. Phil can't have kids of his own and he really treats me like family. Like he would have chosen me." "He did." "What?" "Well, he knew you were part of the package when he married your mom, right? So in a way, he did choose you." "I like that."

They sat in silence for a minute, watching the clouds block the sun and feeling the breeze over the waves.

"It will be okay Paul." "I hope so. I don't really care that mom's moving out. Not really." "Are you going with her?" "No. She's leaving La Push. Dad won't let her take me with her." "My mom would never have left without me. That sucks." "I don't think she ever really wanted to be stuck on the reservation. She stayed because she got pregnant with me. The council is really serious about parental and tribal rights. I'm Quileute so I stay." "That's harsh. Do you want to go with her?" "I don't want to leave my home." "I can understand that. I mean, this place is really beautiful. It's a pain to get to though." "How did you get out here? Did your mom drive you?" "No, I walked." "From Forks?" "Yes. I like to walk." "Me too but my mom would never let me walk that far. I mean, I'm only twelve." "Me too! It's nice to meet someone my own age. Mom and Phil are great, but they don't get me." "Maybe you'd like to hang out with me and my friends sometime?" "Sure. I'd like to know someone before school starts." "Well, we all go to school on the reservation. You'll be going to Forks Middle School, right?" "Oh that's right. That really bites."

Paul searched his head for a way to make her smile again. He wanted to see this strange girl again. He had to.

"We could still hang out." "Yeah, sure. We have the whole summer and Forks really isn't that far from La Push." "We have bonfires and cookouts and things here at the beach sometimes. The elders all tell stories and it's a lot of fun. Sometimes the kids from Forks show up. Mostly the high school kids though. Your mom might not like you hanging out with them." "I wouldn't be hanging out with them. I'd be hanging out with you. Duh."

She smiled and pushed him over into the sand.

"Hey watch it!" "Serves you right. I'm probably going to have a black eye tomorrow." He looked at her face, the mark had already faded but her smile said she was joking.

"Don't be such a baby." "I am not a baby! You hit me with a rock!" "That was ages ago." "That was like ten minutes ago." "So get over it already." They were smiling as they went back and forth. Suddenly Paul's day was looking a lot better than it had when he started down the beach.

"There's Paul!"

At the sound of his name they both looked around. Coming down the beach was Paul's best friend Jared and some of the younger boys, Embry and Quil and Jacob. Paul groaned. He was definitely going to get teased for this.

"Hey Paul" "Who's the pale face?" Embry smiled at Hunter. Something in Paul really didn't like that. He didn't want to introduce his friends to the new girl.

"I've got to go." "What?" "Come on guys, let's go." "Hey, wait a minute!" "I want to meet the pale face." Quil offered his hand and when she reached up to shake it he kissed her knuckles like he'd seen in some movie. "I'm Quil, and you are?" "My name's Hunter. Could you stop drooling on my hand please?"

She pulled her hand away from a suddenly blushing Quil and turned to Paul. "Do you want to introduce me to the rest of them before they start drooling too?"

He couldn't help but smile at her. He introduced the rest of the guys and sat back down in his place of honor right beside the new girl.

Now

Paul smiled as he remembered the rest of that day. It had started out so awful. But she made him forget that his family was falling apart and that he was afraid of his friends' reactions to the divorce.

They had all stayed on the beach until lunchtime. Hunter had looked at her watch and started gathering her things in a frantic state. She had been grounded for a week after that.

She never thought to leave her mother a note about where she was going. Phil was on the phone with Charlie Swan, the police chief, when she'd stumbled in the door, still finding sand in unpleasant places with her hair plastered to her face with sweat from her run.

It had been a desperate couple of weeks waiting for her to make a reappearance at the beach. She had run off without getting or giving phone numbers. They had no idea how to find her except that she lived in Forks and they were all too young to drive.

Paul had gone to the beach every day. His friends gave up trying to persuade him to do anything else. They brought a ball and played catch on the beach or else surf boards if the day was warm enough. He was afraid to miss her and so he stayed.

When she showed up again Paul had already lost hope but he didn't know what else to do with himself so he went to the beach anyways. There she was, in the same spot she had been sitting in when he'd kicked a rock into her face.

She looked up at him and smiled like he was her favorite person on the planet.

Paul sat in the sand and cried as the memories overwhelmed him. So much of the last seven years had been spent with her. All of his favorite memories included her.