A/N: Ok this the introductory chapter for my story. I promise some more entertaining chapters but this is just to kick things off.
For those of you who have read this previously, I have changed a few details of this story, so that I can round the ending off properly. After all, you wouldn't want an ending that makes no sense now would you?
Disclaimer: Although I deeply wish it, I do not own the Twilight Saga or any of the characters, Stephanie Meyer does.
Chapter 1 -Homecoming
Running faster than a arrow shot from a bow, I race through the forests of the Olympic Peninsula. The sun overhead is shining brilliantly but the forest floor has been cast into darkness thanks to the shadows of the towering fern trees. A cool wintry wind whips at the fur around my face, not slowing me down in the slightest. I continue to run further—the bushes and hedges are a solid green wall beside me—never looking back. The smell of brine dominates the air and several twigs snap beneath me as my paws make contact with the ground. Birds' songs sound loudly from above, their sweet melodic tunes spreading throughout the entire area. Small animals remain huddled in their burrows as I fly past them, startled by my fierce run. I'm close. I can tell. I easily dodge the next set of trees and weave through the bushes, leaping and ducking until I finally reach the edge of the forest.
The scene before me is one that I haven't seen in a while. I stare blankly, looking for any possible signs that the land before me has changed. But there are none. Everything is more or less the same. It's still the same La Push that I'd left all those years ago. The same La Push that I had once called home.
From up here I can see the majority of the tiny worn down houses that are hidden amongst the tall jade-green trees. These are the homes that belong to my people, the Quileutes and somewhere among them is my own. I close my eyes briefly, knowing that if I listen hard enough I will be able to hear the waves hit the bottom of the jagged cliffs, the children's laughter as they play on the mile long crescent otherwise known as First Beach. Even further away, I can hear the shop doors swing open and shut as customers walk both in and out of the local store. A flock of seagulls circle the sky above, obviously choosing to fly instead of wandering on the multitude of coloured pebbles on the beach. I peer out towards the horizon to St. James' Island and the other small islands that sit on the sky-line. The surrounding Pacific Ocean is sapphire blue and the blazing sun takes control the sky.
With a slight feeling of remorse I sigh and plop down onto my haunches. Of course things have changed. It's foolish of me to think any different. But it barely seems like time has passed at all. I just refuse to believe that it's been eighteen years since I was last here. Almost two whole decades in which so much has happened.
Ever since I discovered that I, along with several other Quileute youths, could morph into giant wolves my entire life has changed completely. My personality, my social life...my love life, just to name of a few.
Not that I minded being a wolf, there are several perks that eased things: the speed, the strength, the feel of belonging and the fact that I could heal almost instantaneously after being injured. However with the good comes the bad and one of many negatives is that I now know why the love of life—my childhood sweetheart, Sam Uley—broke my heart.
Imprinting is a strange bonus that comes with being a member of the my people's most exclusive club. Although our legends stated that imprinting was supposed to be rare, we soon found out about the myth when around half the pack met their match. You would see your Imprintee—the name which is given to whom ever the wolf brother imprinted upon—and the whole of universal would suddenly shift around them. Basically it's love at first sight, only on a far bigger scale. Despite the fact that most of my brothers probably won't ever imprint, this bonus isn't open to me, full stop. The obvious reason why, being that I'm a girl.
So Sam broke my heart all those years ago, along with all of his promises so he could be with his Emily, who is practically a sister to me. I had accepted this knowledge with good grace and avoided to think much about the subject, as things would become a little awkward now and then; like Sam and Emily's wedding where I was the maid of honour, for instance. But I dealt with it and moved on. What had bugged me in the past and quite frankly still bugs me now is the pity that the other pack members feel for me.
As wolves we share each others thoughts, feelings and senses, which equals to no privacy whatsoever as everything is put out on display for everyone else to see. And it blew my temper out of proportion. I became a bitter harpy who couldn't care for anyone but herself. Not only did I change but the whole pack's perspective of me altered too; they thought I was snide, egotistical and whiny, although it didn't bother me much.
What hurt me most that Sam had thought that too—despite that it was him that'd caused my cold, bitchy personality—and that knowledge had crushed my broken heart even further. At the time I knew he felt guilty for making me the way I was but now I hardly even acknowledge it. Mostly because it hurts too much. The only thing I want is for the pain to go away. But it will never happen. Not for me anyway.
No matter how much I want to imprint the chances of it actually happening is practically impssible. All because I can't pass on the ever-important "wolf gene." This immediately makes me the odd one out. The freak. I have to go out and fall in love like every other normal being. But my previous feelings for Sam will never go away. My heart aches with the pain of my grief as I think of my one and only desire.
Minutes later, when the throbbing of chest ceases, my thoughts suddenly drift to my family. How long has it been since I last saw my mother? Or my brother, for that matter? I know the answer already. Too long. Apart from the few the few occasions when I'm obliged to fulfil my duties to the pack, I hardly ever see them nowadays.
Seth is usually with Jacob, who spends most of his time with the bloodsuckers, while Sue tends to hang out wtih Charlie, the bloodsucker Bella's Dad. It's only now that I realise how much I miss them both. How I miss my mother's condescending tone and my brother's huge happy grin. Pain strikes hard in my chest yet again. My mother is now reaching her late fifties; she has to age while her kids remain forever young.
Another disadvantage of being able to transform into a wolf is that you have to watch your loved ones grow old and die. It saddens me deeply, knowing that Sue won't be there for the majority of my stretched-out life, and Seth feels the same way too. That's why he remained in La Push after graduating from high school; so he could spend as much time with our mom as humanly possible before it's too late. At least he's there to care for her whenever she needs him. Unlike me. I'm never home anymore.
I also come to the realisation that my friends too have aged and are probably married by now with a few kids, starting families of their own. Something I still can't do. I sigh. My friends have no idea how lucky they are.
For I brief moment I wonder if any of the other wolves have been able to quit the pack and start aging again. If so, I'm going to need their advice. I know what I want from life now. Finally, after eighteen years of traveling the Earth, I am finally ready to settle down and begin to lead a normal life.
I glance at the ocean again, realising that the sun has already set and that the clouds have made a reappearance and promise rain. The waters have turned black and the sky a thunderous grey. The air is even cooler now—it's around 30 degrees fahrenheit—but it doesn't bother me. I stand up lazily and shake my fur out before I start to run again. For some unfathomable reason excitement pulses through my veins as I race down the hillside much faster than I did before. There's a new feeling in the atmosphere now, one of hope. The roads of La Push are not far now. I'm almost home.
Well there you have it! The first installment. I can't guarantee rapid updates but reviews make it much easier to get them up here!
This is my first fanfic so don't be surprised by the lack of quality. Although reviews are still welcome! Opinions and ideas will be greatly appreciated. I take constrictive critisism too!
:)