I do not own Twilight. Anything familiar belongs to Stephenie Meyer. Everything else belongs to me.

And a few quick things: Jacob is not imprinted with Renesmee in this story, and he won't. Paul isn't imprinted with Jacob's sister, either, and I don't see that happening. Also, I'm not sure how prominent the Cullens will be in this story. Right now, I see the story mostly happening with the pack.

So... yeah. I think that's it. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter One

Embry's POV

"You can have some fun, you know," Paul told me for like the fiftieth time in my head as we ran patrol. For a guy with such asshole tendencies, you'd think he'd leave me alone to live my life. But no, he had to try giving advice. Because clearly he was the guy to go to when that was needed. "Just because the other guys are dropping like flies doesn't mean you and I are going to. I mean, what are the odds? And hell, if we do manage to find them, wouldn't it be a good idea to have gotten it all out of our system beforehand? Sow those wild oats or whatever."

I gave him complete silence for a few beats before saying, "You are an idiot."

"Call me what you want, but at least I'm getting laid." He sounded so smug. As if he had it all figured out.

Truth was, I didn't envy him. He did what he wanted with whomever he wanted, but I had no desire for that. A few months ago, I might have been tempted to see things his way. But now after being around so many imprinted couples, there was nothing I wanted less than to be like Paul.

No, I wanted to find my imprint.

I wanted to be happy. I wanted to share those looks like Jared and Kim. I wanted to give kisses whenever I felt the urge like Sam and Emily. I wanted to be able to laugh and laugh with my other half like Quil and Claire.

Though it'd be great if I didn't end up with an imprint I'd have to wait over a decade to really couple with. I wanted an imprint more than anything, but I also hoped mine would be of a certain type. Nothing too demanding, just above eighteen. And nice. And funny. And hopefully pretty. The ability to cook wouldn't hurt. But honestly, I'd take her however I could get her if I got to experience whatever mix of intense emotions I'd witnessed in the other guys and their imprints.

"Interesting," I heard Paul think, and I instantly dropped my line of thought, assuming he'd been paying attention to my longing and standards. When I peeked over to his head to see what he was referring to, I was relieved to see it had nothing to do with me. Instead, he was settled on his stomach near Sam and Emily's place, watching through the trees as a woman and a small child walked to the front door. "Recognize them?"

I huffed, setting off in his direction. We were supposed to be patrolling, but taking a couple of minutes to check out what was going on couldn't hurt. Plus, Jared and Quil were slated to take over for us soon. "Right, because I hang out with people who aren't you guys all the time. I have so many friends you don't know about."

Paul's furry wolf form came into view, and he tipped his head. "Stranger things have happened." He thought of the people, chicks, he saw on a regular basis that he didn't share in depth with us about. Thank goodness for small miracles that he didn't.

Refusing to dignify that with a response, I stared at Sam and Emily's house as Sam opened the door. Based on the look on his face, the visitors were not expected. As Paul and I witnessed their interaction, my heart beat a little faster. Weird. I chalked it up to eager curiosity. Random people didn't walk up to our doors often.

As I kept trying to explain away my strange heartbeat to myself, Paul's voice in my mind echoed my biggest questions, "Wonder who they are? And why they're here?"

Sam's POV

Emily and I were curled up on the couch, watching some nonsense show that amused her more than it really should as we talked over wedding plans and waited for the cookies she'd popped into the oven a couple of minutes before to bake. I'd scored one of her beautiful laughs, her face tipping back with a smile, giving me the perfect opening to drop a kiss or two or ten all over her face. I gave an extra couple to the side with those damn scars. Hard as I wished I could take them away, turn back time and change the moment when I'd given them to her, that was not possible. So I'd make up for it the best I could by placing as many loving kisses there as I could. Shit way of making up for it, but it made Emily happy, so I'd do it until the day I died.

Finally reaching her lips, we were just sinking into a sweet kiss when a knock sounded on the door. Both Emily and I froze, connected at the lips. As if we were teenagers caught beneath the bleachers at a football game. A moment later, we separated, grinning like fools. Shaking my head, I ran a hand over my face to compose myself as I moved toward the door.

I paused for a moment before tugging it open, listening to get an idea for who was out there. Definitely not any of the pack members, since they never knocked anymore. They just barged in like a bunch of hooligans. I'd gotten over complaining, though, because Emily loved that they treated our home like theirs. Like we were all one big family.

Honestly, I liked that, too, but I'd rather not admit it.

Listening, I heard two heartbeats. One obviously of a child. Realizing a child was standing out there in the cold, I wasted no time in opening the door.

A woman in a business suit stood there, clutching the shoulder of a small girl who seemed to want no contact. She was pulled into herself, almost as if she were cuddling a stuffed animal of some kind minus the animal. When the door opened, she'd been staring at the ground, but after a moment of my watching her, she peeked up at me.

Those eyes. Those big, emerald green eyes. Lost and sad. They pulled at my heartstrings.

"Mr. Sam Uley?" the woman asked, tearing my attention away from the girl.

I nodded. "That's me."

She nodded back, like she knew I'd say that. "I'm here on behalf of Ms. Hillary Stanley. She passed away-"

Confused, I interrupted, "I'm sorry, who?"

Another nod, as if she expected this. "I will explain everything to you. Can we come in for this conversation? I think she's getting cold." The way she said it made it clear she cared little for the girl. She just wanted to get inside herself, a quick shiver revealing this fact.

But regardless of her intentions, the child was starting to shiver, too. It was for her that I said, "Yes, please, come on in." Stepping aside to allow them entry, I turned my head toward the living room. Emily was standing in the doorway. "We have visitors."

Emily being Emily, she strode forward, a welcoming smile on her face. "Hi there. Please, come sit in here where it's comfortable." She gestured to the living room she'd just exited. "Can I take your coat?"

The woman waved her off, heading over to the couch with the little girl in tow. "No, thank you. I hope to get through this as quickly as possible." A pointed look at me. Apparently I needed to get my ass in gear.

Suppressing a sigh, I shut the door and sat in the recliner chair. "Okay. Explain." My patience with this lady was wearing thin.

Lucky for me, she was in some kind of hurry and got right to it. "I'm here on behalf of Hillary Stanley. She passed away a few days ago, leaving behind this child," she pointed at the girl on the couch next to her, as much space between them as the piece of furniture would allow. "She is the child of Hillary Stanley and Joshua Uley." She leveled her gaze on me, leaving me to connect those dots.

"Are you saying this is my little sister?" I asked cautiously. While this woman wasn't shaping up to be one of my favorite people, I didn't want to scare the young girl. My wolf bristled in my core, annoyed at the prospect of having a sister I'd known nothing about. A sister who was apparently going through something terrible right now.

"Precisely. And with her mother passing, she has no family left. That is, no family… except you." Did this lady not see how every time she spoke of the girl's mother "passing," she cringed? Who had put her in charge of this?

I pushed back my wolf again, taking a deep breath. Calm. I needed to stay calm. "Okay…" I was pretty sure I knew where she was going with this, so the sooner she got to it the better.

"So you are given the choice of taking custody of her. You are not obligated, but we have to give you this choice before we name her a ward of the state."

I blinked. A ward of the state? Did this woman honestly think I'd let that happen? I felt Emily's hand land on my shoulder, squeezing. Of course her thoughts were following along the same lines. "That will not be necessary," I said. "We'd be more than happy to take her in." I paused. "What is…" No.

Standing, I walked over to where the girl sat, kneeling in front of her. She'd been focused on the floor again, and when I stooped to her eye level, she had no choice but to look at me. I gave her a soft smile. "Hello. My name's Sam. That's Emily." She remained watching me even though I pointed at Emily. "What is your name?"

She stared at me, unblinking. She clearly heard me. Clearly comprehended. But still she said nothing.

"Yeah, about that," the woman whose voice was really beginning to annoy me said, "she doesn't talk. Hasn't said a word since she was found." She shrugged, like what could she do?

Emily spoke up this time, probably guessing that I needed to take some deep breaths again. "Found?"

I could tell she made some gesture in my peripheral vision, but my eyes remained locked on the girl's. My sister's. "Yes. She was found along with her mother." She stopped, and I thought I'd have to bark something at her for being the worst at filling us in on everything, but she continued without prompt after a brief hesitation. "Her mother hanged herself."

"Dear god," I heard Emily's intake of breath at the same time I saw the girl squint her eyes shut, warding off memories I was sure she did not want brought back up so casually.

My hands balled into fists, and I finally pulled my gaze away from my sister. She did not deserve my glare. No, that was all for this inconsiderate woman who paid no regard for the child who'd just lost her mother - and had apparently been the one to find her body, no less. "You tell me then," I demanded in a tone I tried to soften for the girl's sake. "What is her name?"

Appearing more put out by this than a person with her job should, she said, "Kinley. Kinley Grace Stanley."

"Kinley," I whispered to myself.

"That's so pretty," Emily said from where she stood by the chair I'd been sitting in.

I looked over at her and nodded. Definitely pretty. And definitely fit this adorable little girl. I focused back on her. "Hey, Kinley. Can you tell me how old you are? You can use your fingers."

She studied me warily, trying to figure out my intentions. I let her, saying nothing as she thought through whatever she needed to. Finally, after an entire minute of staring, and a huff from the woman to my left, Kinley raised one hand, all five fingers splayed. Then she added her thumb right next to it.

"Six?" I asked, just glad she'd communicated. "You're six?"

She nodded, lowering her hands back into her lap.

Before I could attempt more, the woman stood. "If you are accepting the responsibility of being her guardian, I need you to sign some papers, and then I'll go once you get her bags from the trunk."

Oh, good. This woman was testing my patience. Her leaving would be great. Then Emily and I could talk to Kinley some more, try to draw her out of her shell a bit.

Rising to my feet, I met Emily's eyes. They held some sorrow for Kinley, but they also held a light they hadn't earlier. She was looking forward to adding this child to our family. If I hadn't already loved her more than life itself, I would have fallen head over heels right then. As I stepped into the kitchen with the woman - how had she not introduced herself? She really sucked at her job - I saw Emily move to sit beside Kinley.

Yeah, Emily was the best.

Hurrying through signing the papers, and the short description of what to expect on the legal end of things in the coming weeks, and then shooing the lady out the door and snatching up Kinley's bag from the trunk with the quickness, we finally bid whatever-her-name-was goodbye. Clicking the door behind me again, it hit me.

I had a little sister. A little sister named Kinley. Her mother had died, she had no family. And now Emily and I were raising her. Such a different reality from the one we had been living in only a few hours earlier. A new member to our family.

Our family.

I needed to tell the pack.

Please, please, PLEASE leave a review and let me know what you think! I love imprint stories and have been wanting to write one for a while now, so I am so excited to get going with this one. Thank you so much for taking the time to read the beginning my story, and I hope you follow along as it continues! :)