Merle didn't know exactly what time it was when he woke up, but he knew it wasn't that late. The sun hadn't reached its peak yet, but he was burning up sitting on top of this roof. It probably had to do with the over-five-foot tall wolf shifter he had lying very close to him. It looked like she hadn't moved at all during the night, except when she had to take patrol, which was probably a good thing because even in the summer in Georgia it still got damn cold during the nights in open places. He knew he needed to get up, but he just didn't want to move from his spot. He had never had anyone want to take care of him, but this lovely little lady was wanting to do just that and more. He couldn't really describe the feeling that gave him, but he wasn't stupid enough to take it for granted. He'd keep clean and wouldn't give her up for anything. He'd need to ask her if that bite she gave him was helping with his withdrawals because he wasn't feeling the normal jitters he usually felt when he didn't get his fix.

He was brought out of his thoughts by Isabella shifting her weight around next to him and standing.

"Time to get movin' darlin?" He asked her and she simply nodded her head then looked to the others. The other shifters were also moving beside their mates and looked to be getting ready for the day. He noticed each wolf sniff their mate and he had noticed Isabella doing it every time she had to move away from him.

"Do you know what we're doing darlin? Where we're goin?" He asked and she shook her head. Apparently the plan hadn't been thought out yet. She quickly stepped away and shielded him from the other shifters as they shifted into their human forms. He knew she was protecting him from any accidents. The one he knew as Jake came up to Isabella's side as soon as he was back in human form.

"We can either start heading to your encampment or we can wait here to see if your brother shows up to rescue you. If we wait here a couple of us are going to try and scavenge for things we need. As shifters we can carry very heavy loads and it'll be better to get whatever we can now then having to come all the way back to the city later on." Jake stated and Merle stood as he started to think over the options he was given.

On one hand he knew his brother would come for him because that's what they always did for each. They were all each other had until he met Isabella. There was no way Daryl would leave him in this city to rot or worse, to become walker chow and turn into one of those undead son of a bitches. On the other hand he wanted to get off this roof as soon as possible and he knew Isabella did too. She had told him during their talking session last night. The shifters didn't feel safe up high. They were more suited to being on the ground where their speed, mass, and agility were a benefit to them. Here on this roof it was a hindrance as they couldn't move around easily in their wolf forms and it would be easier for them to get hurt.

"I think I should wait for Daryl. I know he'll show up and I can't leave him thinkin' I'm dead or that I've been turned. We're all each other's had for years now." Merle stated and Jake nodded then looked to Isabella. He knew they always relied on each other since they were brother and sister.

"Is that alright with you Isa?" Jake asked and Merle could tell that Isabella rolled her eyes, which looked really strange on a giant wolf.

"Of course. I should have known what your answer would be. Well then some of us will go scavenge while the others stay with you. The imprints will stay up here also so the wolves aren't worrying about them becoming walker food while we're out in the open." Jake stated as he walked away.

"Thank you darlin. I just don't want to abandon my brother. We've been abandoned enough in our lives and he may act like a tough son of a bitch, but being without each other would hurt us greatly." Merle told her and she nodded. He knew she understood.

~oOo~

It was hours later when Merle was startled awake from his short nap. The heat had been getting to him and he was taking shelter in the shade that Isabella's body provided when she was standing next to him. He heard someone scream his name just as Isabella gave off a pained yelp and fell backwards.

"Merle! Are you alright?" Daryl asked as Merle watched him run towards him as he inspected Isabella's wound on her shoulder from the crossbow bolt that Daryl had shot her with.

Merle watched as the other female shifter ran at Daryl, knocking him down and scratching his chest with her massive paw.

Before Merle could move a muscle Isabella had the female knocked away from Daryl and was licking the wounds on his chest as she looked him in the eyes. He watched as Isabella's eyes went wide and he had a feeling he knew what happened. It was the same look she gave him when they imprinted.

"Did you just imprint on him darlin?" Merle asked and all Isabella did was nod her head.

"What the hell is goin on Merle? Who or what is this? And why the hell are you talkin to it?" Daryl asked in a pained voice. The wounds were closing, but it seemed they still hurt like hell.

"This beautiful wolf here is a shifter named Isabella. She imprinted on me yesterday when she found me up here and saved my life. Imprinting is when people like her find their soul mates. We knew she had another mate, but I never suspected it would be you. Congratulations brother. She's a great woman from what little I've gotten to know of her so far. You have a choice though. You can choose not to accept the imprint or you can accept it, but keep in mind that she's perfect for you. You'll never find a better woman." Merle explained quickly and watched the emotions cross his brother's face. He knew his brother would accept the imprint.

"I'd be stupid not to accept it." Daryl stated while looking into Isabella's eyes.

Merle knew his brother was a closet romantic even if he acted like an asshole to most people most of the time. He knew Daryl would love Isabella just as much as he was starting to.

Before he could say anything else Isabella had finished licking the wounds on Daryl's chest, that were almost completely healed, and bit into his shoulder. Daryl gave off a yelp, but Merle just pointed to his own shoulder and Daryl let it go. Merle wondered if there was anything else to her claiming them.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the other female wolf standing back up and growling at Isabella. He knew his little mate wasn't going to take that and he was right as she gave one last look at Daryl before charging at the other wolf. The male shifters that were still on the roof backed the other imprints away and two wolves came over to him and Daryl to, what he assumed was, make sure they wouldn't be hurt in the scuffle. Isabella still had the crossbow bolt in her side and that bitch, Leah, made sure to take advantage of that when she pushed it further in.

"That bitch is going to hurt her. She'll kill her if she pushes it in any further." Daryl hissed out and made to ready another bolt in his crossbow.

"Stop! You can't do that. They have to fight it out. Leah is challenging Isabella for you. Even though you're not her imprint Leah feels like she would make a better mate for you. If Isabella loses then she has to give you up. There's nothing we can do to help Isabella. They have to settle this themselves." The one he knew as Sam stated as he quickly hopped over the edge of the roof followed by Jake.

"I'd never be with that bitch." Daryl spat out.

"Isa knows what she's doing, see? She's not going to lose. Her connection with the both of you won't allow it. She'd rather die. She's doing just fine though, see?" Jake pointed out and sure enough in the few minutes that they had been distracted Isabella had Leah pinned to the roof with her jaws wrapped around her throat. Merle knew Isabella wanted Leah to surrender before she had to kill her.

"Will Isabella kill her?" Daryl asked cautiously.

"She will if she has to. She won't want to, but you're her imprint. She'd die for you and the wolf won't allow anything less. Leah's threatened your bond and that's against all of our laws. Leah seems to think that just because we're in this undead world now that our laws no longer matter. She's been this way for days, testing everything we've ever believed in." Jake stated and they all watched as Leah finally gave off a pained whimper and went limp.

"I didn't think Leah would give up." Sam said with a bit of awe in his voice as they watched Isabella let go of Leah's neck and step back over to them.

"Isa wasn't really giving her much choice. She told Leah that if she didn't back down then when Leah found her imprint she'd kill him right in front her of since taking Daryl would be doing the same thing basically. Leah knows what happens when you try and take a marked imprint from a wolf." Seth stated after he shifted back human and Merle knew then his little wolf had a mighty big temper. He made a mental note not to piss her off.

"What's going on Daryl?" Merle heard and he looked over to see Officer Friendly come onto the roof. That instantly pissed him off and had him on edge, which he noticed put his Isa on edge as well as she stepped in between the two with her lips pulled back over her teeth. She had the most vicious look on her face that Merle had seen yet.

"Well if it ain't the son of a bitch that chained me to the roof like a dog and left me for dead." Merle sneered. He may have been grateful to meet Isabella, and that wouldn't have happened if he hadn't been left, but he still didn't like being treated like some second-class citizen.

Once that was out of his mouth Isabella was in front of the man growling with her teeth bared. Merle knew she'd bite him if he asked her to, but he didn't want that on her conscience. He also realized that all the other members of the pack were growling as well.

"Easy darlin it's alright. At least the asshole came back for me, even if I doubt it was willingly." Merle said as he ran his fingers through Isabella's extremely soft fur.

"He brought me here to get Merle, Isabella. I know you probably hate him right now, but he was trying to get to his wife and son. He was desperate and with Merle acting the way he was it was slowing him down. What would you do if it were you and you were trying to get to one of us?" Daryl said and Merle knew Daryl was telling the truth. Isabella huffed and backed away towards the brothers. He knew she'd not be forgiving Officer Friendly anytime soon, but at least she wasn't takinga chunk out of his ass right now.

"How about we get that bolt out of your shoulder darlin?" Merle asked and Isabella nodded.

"This is going to hurt darlin." Daryl said as he pulled the bolt quickly from her shoulder and Isabella transformed back into her human form with tears in her eyes.

"Here's your clothes darlin." Merle said as he handed her the clothes she had taken off last night.

"Thanks baby." Isabella whispered as she carefully dressed herself making sure not to move her shoulder too much until it healed, which Merle noticed it was already scabbing over like it was days old instead of only about an hour old.

"I really am sorry about shootin' ya. I just thought something was about to happen to my brother and I got protective." Daryl said and Isabella could see the remorse in his eyes.

"It's alright. I would have done the same and I'll be fully healed in a few minutes now that the bolt is out." Isabella said and Merle smiled at the two actually getting along.

"Well, as wonderful as this has been we should get going. We've got enough food to last the pack at least a month which means it'll last the group about two weeks and then we'll all have to hunt which won't be so bad in our wolf forms. We have other supplies as well and once were down on the ground with the others we'll put the stuff in packs to carry back to wherever it is we're going. You'll be able to catch a ride on a wolf as long as there isn't an imprinted person on them." Sam stated and everyone nodded. Well everyone but the newcomers on the roof.

"Someone want to tell me what the hell is going on?" Officer Friendly demanded. He looked so confused and slightly pissed off. Merle had no idea what the hell he had to be pissed off about, but he wasn't going to mention anything. He didn't want his mate to get angry again.

"It's simple. We're all shifters and can turn into giant wolves. We've been traveling this way for a while since before the outbreak started. One of our pack felt her mates were somewhere on this side of the country so we all left to help her find them. It's that simple." Jacob explained as he looked at Isabella.

"Well, alright then. I guess that explains it. My name's Rick Grimes. Behind me is T Dogg, Glenn and Andrea." Rick said and everyone nodded.

"Now that introductions are out of the way maybe we should get going. We found some weapons down on the street that I'm sure the humans could use. We won't need them." Jacob said and Merle saw Rick's eyes widen.

"That was the other thing we came into town for. I had left a duffle bag full of weapons here when I found the group earlier. I'd gotten barred down inside of a cement truck and Glenn saved my ass." Rick explained and Merle couldn't help, but let out a snort which earned him a soft elbow in the ribs.

"Let's get going. The sooner my wolves are off this roof the better off we'll all be. We aren't good in high places." Sam said and they all nodded.

Once they were down on the ground every wolf that was there started to transform, ripping the clothes that they had on.

"I guess ya'll got some new clothes while you were out." Merle questioned nad Isabella nodded her giant head, but then nodded to her back.

"You want us to get on?" Daryl asked and Isabella nodded again.

"Want front or back Darylina?" Merle joked and Daryl gave him the finger before getting on Isabella's back as she crouched down.

Once they were both on they looked around to see everyone on a wolf, even though some were doubled up like they were. The russet wolf gave a bark and they were off towards camp.