Hello Everyone. x.

I am writing this story as this idea popped into my head and wouldnt go away. I am afraid that I cannot promise any regular updates but will try to update as soon and as much as I can. x.

Please read and review but no flames. Thank you, hope you like it. x.

It is almost my 16th birthday. Today is the day that I officially join the tribe, the day I officially become an adult, and the day I begin to count down the days until I die. You see, I am no normal teenager. My family, and thus myself, are members of the Tripeke Tribe. We are all shape-shifters. The really weird thing about our tribe is that most tribes only shift into a certain animal, ours however changes with the person. On our 16th birthday at midnight we transform into our animal. Apparently the animal you shift into somehow represents our characters and our personality. My three best friends have already shifted. I am the baby of the group. My friend Jamie shifts into a spotted, black leopard. I think he is a gorgeous animal. And it does suit him. I call him spots. Calum transforms into a bear. I call him pedo-bear. He is a little bit of a pervert... ok, a major pervert. Cassia is a fox. It suits her so well. She has always been so sly and she is sometimes quiet but its usually just because she's plotting something, otherwise she can be very loud to get what she wants. I, myself, have no idea what animal I will become. The only thing that I am worried about is me or any of my friends not being able to find our imprint i.e. our soul-mate. Unlike other tribes similar to ours if we dont find our imprints by the time we are 18 then we will die. We lose almost 2/3rds of our tribe every year. It is rather unlikely that we find our imprints in time but all 16 year olds in the tribe have free reign over where they go and when. The adults say that if we stay in ouir animal forms for a while then our instincs will take over and will instictively lead us to our imprints.

"Ivy? Come on, we've got two minutes until midnight. You ready?" I heard my father call me.

"Yes, Papa. I'm ready." He nodded and let me outside and into the woods. He transformed into a lion. He would be here for me through my transformation as although we cannot speak in animal form, unless someone is the same animal as you, our animal instincts can take over and we can communicate as other animals can.

Suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my chest and I gasped in pain and my eyes involuntarily closed tightly as if to block out the pain. I held my chest as if it would fall to peices without me holding it together. Why did no-one tell me that it would be this painful? I cried out in pain as I felt my body shake. I could feel my bones re-arranging themselves and I collapsed onto the floor.

When I opened my eyes again I was staring down at fury white paws. I finally shifted. I ran over to the lake near our house with my father following me ans looked down at my reflection. Looking back was a pure white wolf with shining emerald eyes. I was very small, almost like a pup but I assumed it was because I was so small as a human. I looked back at the lion behind me and yipped before taking a drink of water from the lake. Looking around everything looked so different as a wolf. So clear and I didn't need my glasses. I could see perfectly in the dark and could hear almost anything from over a mile away. It was amazing. I had never felt so free in my life. I felt like the world was at my feet and I could now do absolutely anything that I liked but there ws still one thing weighing me down. My Imprint.

What if I couldn't find him? What if he doesn't except the imprint? Either way will lead to me death and I don't think that I am ready to die yet. I'm too young. I have spent my whole life dreaming about getting old with my imprint. Never having problems and never fighting. Living in harmony in a little house by the beach. A few kids maybe? But... These dreams may be impossible for me depending on my imprint. Honestly, I was terrified of finding him, but even more terrified of not.

There was a growl from the lion in front of me, obviously realising that I wasn't paying attention to what he was trying to show me. I yipped softly and began to copy his movements. Eventually I was standing in human form once again with a huge smile on my face. I could shift! I was a wolf! I laughed out loud and my dad just shook his hed and threw a large faux fur coat over my shoulders to cover up my nakedness.

"Thank you." I said, still smiling, while pulling the coat tighter around myself. He smiled at me and led me back inside the house where my mother was still awake sitting up waiting for us with a cup of tea waiting for me.

I drank my tea and chatted excitedly about my transformation before I went upstairs. I stood staring at my reflection in the mirror for a while. Deep emerald green eyes. I have a small birthmark below my left eye, three small black dots. Pale white skin that was so pale it practically sparkled in the light. I had long delicate fingers to play piano and had short curly grey hair. Well, my hair was more of an ash colour really. It seems to get lighter every year. I looked unusual enough to fit my life.

Sometimes I wonder if I actually am from this tribe. Everyone in this tribe is born with pale skin, blonde hair and blue eyes. Tribes seem to all have their own 'look'. Most have brown eyes, brown hair and tanned skin, tall, muscular. But our tibe is mainly tall, skinny, blonde, pale with blue eyes. Me? I dont fit into any of these really. I may be skinny and pale but i have green eyes, ash hair, and I am 'small and dainty' as I have always been described. It canbe frustrating sometimes, having to look up to speak to everybody that I live near.

Then my phone rang and it broke me out of my thoughts. I turned to look at my mobile that was playing Fer Elise. My favourite piano peice. I checked the called ID and saw that it was Cassia. I tentatively answered it knowing that I would probably regret my decision soon after.

"IVY! HOW DID IT GO? WHAT ARE YOU? TELL ME!" With that screamed at me I promply hung up the phone. I'll speak to her tomorrow when she is more calm... and quiet. I turned my phone on silent and put it on my bedside table, ready to get some sleep. I rolled over, snuggle dinto the quilt and fell asleep with a deliriously happy smile on my face.

Thanks for reading... Sorry its so short, its just because it's the first chapter. I promise the next one will be longer :)

I hope you enjoyed it so far, please leave a review to tell me what you thought. x.