Chapter 2: Possibilities

I reached home and found the house empty.

What did I expect? They'd already be hunting by now. I sighed, lying on my back against the snow. I couldn't take Yen's face off my mind. Simple yet perfect.

"Hey, dude," Quil greeted, sitting beside me. Cheerful as ever.

"Hey…" I muttered, feeling glum.

"What's this? You're sick?"
"No!" I punched his shoulder. "Where's Claire?"

"She's asleep."

"Old habits never die."

He kicked my head. Quil never liked it when I teased his Claire, his imprint.

"I'm hungry…" I complained.

"Esme cooked some food and muffins. Go ahead—kitchen."

I jumped up, sprinting toward the house. The smell hit my nose real hard—blueberry muffins. I started to salivate and I heard my stomach growl. I've always been thankful of Esme—Edward's mum—since she takes care of all of us like her own children.

"Hey, Seth," Claire greeted, rubbing her eyes when I got to the kitchen.

"Hey, mummy. Wanna eat?" I invited, rummaging through Esme's muffins for the largest one.

"Nah… I ate mine."

Something was different about her hair.

"Alice?" I asked, pointing at her head.

She shook it. "Ness," she said. "Where's Quil?"

I pointed outside, where Quil was seated on the snow. I found the largest muffin with a whole blueberry on top and swallowed it whole. Finally having Esme's food in my system felt like heaven.

Claire went out and sat beside her Quil. I watched in envy as they cuddled each other. And I can't help but wonder… Will Yen and I ever be the same?

I sighed, swallowing my third muffin before shoving the tray back in the fridge. I went toward Claire and Quil.

"Where'd they hunt?" I asked, suddenly getting the urge to play some vampire-wolf baseball.

"Let's go!" Ten year old Claire said, jumping in excitement.

"Get your coat, young lady," I told her. Having one human around wasn't so bad—except when you have to keep reminding them to keep themselves warm.

She took off to take her coat.

"You're ready to… IMPRINT?" Quil suddenly said, wide-eyed when Claire was inside.

"What?" I asked in disbelief.

"Dude! You're in LOVE!"

"How the hell do you know that?"

He rolled his eyes. "Just wait and see," he muttered. "Just wait and see." He stood up and patted off some snow flakes from his pant.

He ran toward the trees, and he phased there. He emerged as a wolf.

I made a face before walking toward him to phase, too. I got my long-sleeves off, then kicked my shoes toward the house. I got my shorts of and ran, jumping to phase. I felt the heat… the electric sensation of phasing. I landed on all fours with a low thud. I picked my clothes up as I passed them back toward the house.

I dropped them on top of Claire's head.

"SETH!" She said, getting them off.

I laughed—no, growled.

Claire fixed my clothes beside Quil's on the porch before running back and jumping to sit on on his back.

Horsie, I thought.

Oh shut up. You and your girl's gonna end up this way soon, he thought back.

You two are so slow, I heard Jake. Leah's here. Make it fast.

This made me stop. Leah? My sister's here? Why?

To check on you, I heard her arrogant voice.

Leah, my sister, came here to study, too. But she prefers to live on her own and not 'burden' Esme anymore than three more big wolves already do.

I growled before lurching forward toward the rocky mountain range twelve miles to the east.

Again, I enjoyed the long run. Running on all fours at speeds only vampires could match up to… the wind in my ears… the soft smell of snow flooding my nose. We got there just as another inning was starting. Nessie held the ball, and Carlisle was batting. As usual, Esme and Bella were only playing along to make sure no one cheats.

"Ready?" Alice asked.

I nodded.

"You take second base. Leah, you be out-fielder," Emmett said.

Same team, luckily.

Finally, I heard Leah thought.

She ran toward the out field as I took my place behind Edward. Nessie took a deep breath and gave an impossible pitch—for humans. The sound of Carlisle's bat hitting Nessie's pitch echoed the lightning that just struck a few kilometers away.

What's with the weather? I thought.

"We're having a snowstorm tonight," Edward announced.

I picked up the ball and threw it toward Emmett just as Nessie reached second base.

We then all sat back, watching as Emmett and Ness raced for fourth.

"OUT!" Bella shouted one hand on the platform and another in the air.

I heard Em chuckle as Nessie muttered 'unfair' under her breath.

"No cheating, hunny," Bella said, flicking her nose.

Alice was suddenly right beside me, clutching my fur as she stared wide-eyed.

"Alice?" Edward spoke my thoughts.

She shook her head, and a smile broke through her lips.

I thought you couldn't see a half's future? I asked.

"I thought you couldn't see a half's future?" Edward.

"It's not you," she said, eying me head to paw. "It's a girl from class. The transfer kid?"

"Alice!" Edward spoke my thoughts, but his facial expression changed. "Jeez, Seth."

And, as expected, I was thinking of HER again. Of Yen.

"What did you see?"

Alice looked at Claire on top of Quil. "She's happy…" She turned back to look at me. "…with you."

I shivered. And no, it wasn't because of the cold. It was the sudden relief that washed over me, mixed with regret, agony, fear and a tinge of excitement.

"Wait… What?"

Now I was sure it wasn't only me confused. I heard Leah's thoughts in sync with mine.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Obviously, dearest little brother of mine, you'll be imprinting on her."

I gasped, but it came out as a growl.

Why was I so scared, or mad about this whole thing? Shouldn't I be happy?

Seth, calm down, I heard Jake's Alpha voice in my head.

I looked at him. Dude, is it really possible for us to fall in love at first sight?

He glanced at Nessie, who gave him a knowing smile. Or imprint at first sight.

Just admit it, I heard Quil.

Admit what? Leah.

That I'm in love with Carrienne White, I succumbed.

Both Quil and Jake howled.

"Victorious," Edward said, breathless from laughing.

"What, what, what?" Emmett asked. Excited, as usual.

"Tell you later," Edward said.

EDWARD! I screamed.

"Better not to keep him in the dark, Seth. Trust me, better," Edward warned with a smile.

"We should head back," Carlisle said, joining our little circle.

"He's right, before the winds get too strong," Bella said.

Nessie and Jake were with us, now, too.

Are you coming for dinner? I asked Leah on the run back home.

As long as Esme promises to cook for me, I'll eat, she answered.

You always prefer Esme's cooking over Nessie's, or Bella's, Jake whined.

We got to the house to find everyone else there. Esme was in the kitchen, assisted by Claire while Quil was buttoning up in the porch.

I'll phase here, Leah thought, stopping in the middle of the forest where we usually phase. I went on and picked up my clothes before running back toward the forest to phase back.

Leah already had her clothes in. She had shorts and a lady-like looking blouse. I felt the familiar tickling electricity again as I faced back to human form.

"Introduce me to her soon," she said, winking lightly as I got my pants back on.

"In your face," I said, sticking my tongue out. Whenever she was with me, she always had this childish big sister mask. She held her hand out to me as I walked toward her.

Blushing, I took it, and we walked hand in hand toward the mansion.

I heard Claire laugh loudly as we walked in, finding Jake and Nessie cupped up on the sofa, watching Jasper and Emmett's 'No Telepathy' chess game. Edward was playing the piano—again, while Alice, Bella and Rosalie kept themselves busy in front of the computer. I let go of Leah, who leaned on the back of the sofa behind Nessie and Jake to watch Jasper and Emmett. I checked the kitchen to see what Claire was laughing about.

She was holding one of Esme's icing tubes, and was putting the frosting all around Quil's face while Esme cooked. Carlisle was there, too—giving Claire tips on what patterns to put on Quil's face.

At this everyday stuff I just had to be happy about. Seeing wolves and vampires coexist peacefully and happily like family. And in the middle of it all, Claire, a ten year old human, living with us comfortably and happily. I wouldn't trade this home for the world.

But no matter how warm I felt here, it just didn't seem complete without Yen, especially now. I've always thought of living without a mate, but a life that way seemed too solitary, even for me. And now that I've found the most amazing girl, I just didn't seem content with loneliness anymore.

Now I know how Edward must have felt before he found Bella. How it felt to see your family matched together through eternity by fate, and you see yourself all alone without a hand to hold through the dark nights.

I shivered as I thought of Yen. How my imprinting would have affected her life. How my presence itself in her life affect it.

I sighed.

"Mum, call me when it's dinner time," I told Esme. She had always been one for me, as good as Sue was my whole life.

Esme turned away from her pot to look at me. "Of course, son. You go rest," she told me with a smile. I smiled back, and waved at everyone else in the kitchen before crossing the living room to the stairs.

I went up two floors to the end of the hall, where the big red doors indicated the safety and comfort of my room.

I almost screamed when I saw the person lying across my bed.

"JEEZ, Edward," I said, clutching my bass drum chest.

"Sorry," he said, getting up to sit on the couch instead.

"You need anything?" I asked, taking his place on my bed.

"It's… Carrienne."

My eyes narrowed as I looked at him. "What about Yen?"

He raised his hands to his sides as though in surrender. "Look, it's not what you think. It's just… she's different. Altogether different."

"How… Different?"

Edward shook his head. "I don't know. When she looked at me, the first thing I saw in her mind was a man… A vampire, to be exact. I reminded her of my own kind, only she didn't know I was one, too. And, haven't you noticed her scent?"

I tried to think on that one. "She smelled like… honey?"

"And?"

I felt my face go blank. Bloodless.

"Correct."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't mean anything, Seth. It's just that it was rare if not impossible to see a human mind that has an image of a vampire when she sees one."

Who do you think she is?

"I don't know, Seth. But I think it would be better if you stayed on your guard—Alice admitted in her head she can't really see the both of you. She saw Bella happy with you two."

My eyes went wide. And for the second time tonight, I shivered. I shook my head, thinking about what Yen possibly might be. I know what 'bloodless' people smell like… like hungry vampires or humans that have been killed by them. They sort of smell like sweet water. They smell overly sweet but there's a smell of freshness somewhere, if you sniff them real hard. Or memorize their scents, like we have.

But there are only a few possibilities of what Yen might be, right?

"Yes. First, she, too, is a vampire."

This possibility sent shivers down my spine.

"Second, she's just like Renesmee. And third, she's just one unlucky human who got herself involved with vampires... and wolves."