A/N: I want to suggest a story for you guys to read, obviously you don't have to, but here it is:
'Part of The Tribe' by 'Heavan Hell Angel'
I really loved it and it's what influenced the pairing for my story! Hope you like it, if you read it.
*Also I have pictures of Ephraim and Tala on my profile if you wanna check it out!*
The Alpha, The Wall and The Imprinting.
Chapter Two : Little Wolf.
BPOV
It has been four days since the five wolves found me and Angela at third beach. Four days since I found out I was to be mated and married to the Chief and Alpha of the tribe, the handsome God I stumbled upon on my first night in the community, Ephraim Black. I was terrified of this intense need to see, touch, surround myself with Ephraim. But my mind wanted me to hold tight and just observe him before I gave myself to him fully. This had proven to be torture, for me to walk the other way when he was walking towards me. Especially since part of me had already been stolen by him, but those parts had gone willingly. A beautiful giggle filled the air around me and distracted me from my thoughts as my face lit up with an adoring, loving, smile as a beautiful eight year old native girl ran up to me, smiling broadly with mischief in her eyes, too much alike to her fathers as she jumped on my sitting figure.
Another thing about Ephraim; I wasn't the first love he had had, in fact he had a lot of notches on his bedpost, or so Sue and the other native mothers told me. I didn't enjoy that thought. I wanted to be the first to steal his first kiss, to touch, to love, but since we were over a hundred years in age difference, I couldn't shake my head at his behaviour, everyone has needs. His needs came with the price of a family - a huge one - the youngest of his children being only eight years old, his little wolf, Tala.
"Mama!" I wanted to frown, but I simply couldn't deny the love that swelled in my heart as this beautiful little girl that already saw me as her mother, so my smile widened as did hers at my acceptance of her. "My Collin is teasing me!" She pouted beautifully as I chuckled at her innocence. Collin had imprinted on Tala the moment he saw her, but their imprint differed from Ephraim's. All imprints were destined to mate, but in cases when the imprinter found his/her imprint at such a tender age, their love would grow with the child. Right now Collin is her brother, when she gets older she will see him as her best friend and then crush on him and date him, then mate like mature imprints would. She wouldn't stop aging until she was the same age as her imprint. It was sad that she wouldn't experience any other man, but that also made it more special.
"You should get one of your brothers to beat him up for you, then he wont tease you any more." I said in a mock serious tone as her brow furrowed in concentration with a thoughtful expression.
"You should tell him off for me." She nodded, pleased with herself for her logical outcome. However, I gulped and fidgeted as she pouted, knowing I wasn't for that idea. The boy who was only fourteen, towered me. He, just like all the wolves, were muscled and intimidating looking. And I was a stranger in the tribe, an outcast, an outsider. I would not be received warmly if I demanded a boy stopped teasing my Tala after only living here four days. Then there was Ephraim, what would he say to me scolding his wolves? But it was his daughter I would be defending. "Please mama? I don't like Collin teasing me." She sniffled and my heart broke as she won me over.
"Where is he?" I asked, looking around the busy woodland area that was filled with a range of races, religion and aged people that scurried along minding their own business. The place we lived reminded me of Robin Hood - the one with Kevin Costner in. There were homes built in the trees with bridges between them, but there were homes scattered on the forest floor also. It was so naturalistic, like it was back to living off of the wild life, it seemed perfect.
"He is up there!" She craned her little neck all the way back and looked up at one of the tree houses, pointing to the hut where the elders hosted their meetings. I cringed. The room was lit with lanterns as dusk fell upon us, meaning they were hosting a meeting, probably arranging a patrol rota, like Leah had told me in passing the other day. Tala sat in my lap and sighed. "Papa doesn't like me interrupting him, so I thought you would help me instead?" My heart was beating in confusion. I couldn't deny her, yet I was scared of disturbing the meeting. But with a deep breath I picked Tala up and sat her on my hip as I stormed over to the makeshift elevator that rose to the first layer of huts up the trees.
"If I get in trouble I'm blaming you!" I teased as she rolled her eyes and cuddled into me as she yawned. Of course she was tired, it was getting late, the night was falling faster around us and soon it would be curfew for everyone to go inside, say for the wolves of course. "What did he say to you, to upset you so?" I cooed gently to her as the elevator screeched to a halt. I walked us down the wooden walkway towards the glowing hut where loud booming, joyous, voices echoed from.
"He kept saying I loved him. I do love him, mama, but I don't want him to know that." She blushed adorably and I giggled softly as she slapped my arm playfully as he hid her burning cheeks into my shoulder.
"So was he teasing you, if it was true?" I asked softly as she shook her head stubbornly. "Maybe Collin knows how you feel even better than you know your own feelings?" She sat up and sighed sadly.
"But I know I love my Collin, just like you love papa, but you don't tell him you love him so I wont tell Collin." My walking halted abruptly as I stared down at the intelligent child in my arms.
"You should not try to copy someone else, you should be your own individual. We all have our own minds, so you should make your own mind up. You are so pure and wonderful, Collin would love you even if you don't admit you love him back." She bit her lip and nodded.
"But I want to be like you, mama. If I act like you, I will grow up like you and I will be able to save my people from werewolves - just like you." Everyone had heard of my escape from the werewolf, ever since then I have had Tala tell me she wants to be like me, but to this extent? It was scary to see just how observant she was that she would even try to copy me in the romance department.
"My little girl." I Eskimo kissed her as she kissed back. "Even the bravest woman, who escapes werewolves and fights other monsters, can be terrified of falling in love with a man." I sighed as she nodded, I doubted she understood, but the way she spoke tonight made me think that maybe she just might understand. "Plus your mama, and I'm sure your papa will agree, you are too young to fall in love. Keep growing up and let your love grow with you and then tell Collin you love him." She giggled and nodded. "Are you staying with me tonight?" I asked, she nodded instantly as I sighed and nodded.
We had only stopped a short way from the hut with loud men, so as we reached the hut, Tala giggled and beat me to tapping on the door I tickled her softly as she squealed. "Who said you could knock the door, huh?" I teased and laughed as she squirmed in my hold and jumped down only to fly through the now open door to the safety of Collin as she watched me like a hawk as I stayed outside. "Chicken!" I teased as she puffed out her chest and ran straight at me with determination as the men inside just watched our display with confusion, but humour. I easily picked her up and peppered her face with kisses as she giggled and squealed as she kissed lots of little kisses on my face too.
"Tala?" A stern voice called out. "Why did you come up here, you know your not meant to." She bowed her head as she held on extra tight to me as one of the Elders told her off.
"It's my fault. I was just going to ask Ephraim if Tala can stay with me tonight?" Ephraim did not make eye contact with me, which annoyed me, I imagined this was how he felt when I attempted to ignore him on a daily basis. No one answered me, but they continued to berate my Tala. Anger was setting my bones alight with burning fuel at the thought of Tala getting upset by these ass holes.
"What if you fell? You could have hurt yourself. You know to have one of us with you, who can protect you. Why must you insist on breaking our rules?"
"I was with mama…" She trailed off as they scoffed.
"Isabella can not protect you." My eyes narrowed as they talked about me as if I wasn't here at all. "And the pale face is not your mother, you know this." My heart clenched as her little whimpers and sobs escaped her. Her hot tears splashed onto my skin as she rubbed her little button nose into my skin and breathed in my scent.
"Shh." I cooed, kissing her forehead, then turned to focus on the Elders and other men in the room. "I can protect her better than some old men sitting in a hut and smoking on their pipe as they berate a child for an adult's mistake. I did not know she could not come up here, so it is me you should scold, not her. Will you scold an adult? And don't ever tell Tala that I'm not her mother." They actually flinched away from my glare as Tala giggled as her chest vibrated from her chuckles. "Your not helping my look of wrath little wolf." I teased as she zipped her lips shut and threw away a key, making me smile, but as I faced the men in the room I scowled. "We only came up here to tell you Tala is staying with me tonight, Ephraim. Good night and have a nice evening, gentlemen." I glared at the men inside before stalking off towards the elevator with Tala in my arms. The men protested from inside the hut, some even following us towards the lift. But it was lowering us to the ground before they caught up, which was surprising.
"Papa loves you, so you are my mama, right?" She whispered in a broken little voice that physically hurt to hear. "Papa told me you will be my mama, but why do the Elders say your not?"
"Of course I am, uno piccolo. You are mine." I couldn't help the Italian that fell from my lips, reminding me of my language classes I took at college before monsters revealed themselves, as I spoke to her. "I may not have carried you in my belly or given birth to you, but I am yours as you are mine. Don't let those men tell you any different. I love you Tala, as I love my Angel. You two are mine." She sighed as she nodded and drifted off to sleep in my arms as I carried her back to Sue's.
Sue could tell I was upset, she was also smiling at seeing Tala with me, she knew how much this little girl meant to me. I was blessed to be placed with Sue and Harry, they loved watching Angela for me whilst I went out and helped the tribe with little things I could do. I kissed Sue's cheek as we passed to my bedroom, where Angela was already asleep and propped up by pillows. I easily dressed Tala in one of my tops, which drowned her, to sleep in and placed her next to Angela and then myself so Angel was in the middle. I kissed both my girls foreheads and found an uneasy sleep awaiting me.
I woke up to Angela's cries. Tala just moaned and turned over to go back to sleep, used to Angel crying in the night. Sleepily rubbing my eyes I picked Angela up and walked us to the kitchen to warm some milk up for her. It was early morning, nearly dawn as I stared out the kitchen window to dark empty streets. My little Angela guzzled the milk greedily as I rocked her gently, then burped her. She easily found sleep again as I placed her in bed by Tala, but I could not sleep, so I ventured back to the kitchen to sit and think, but only thoughts of my dream haunted me.
My dreams scared me. The elders words came back to haunt me as wolves and vampires came and hurt Tala, but my fragile, weak, human body couldn't protect her. She died before my eyes. Tears ran down my face as I thought of the horrid dream that could easily turn true. I couldn't protect her. I could barely protect myself.
"What troubles you so?" A gruff voice pulled my attention to the soundless intruder. My head picked up to see Ephraim standing there, his back resting against a thick wooden beam that supported the house, his arms crossed over his bare chest as he frowned, watching me.
"Just a bad dream." I croaked and winced at the rough sound. He didn't relent though. His body was covered by shadows, but I could see him in the faint light that the candle gave off. He was only half dressed once again, his long ebony locks framing his face as he stared.
"It must have been a bad dream to make you cry like this." He accused as I nodded.
"They were right. I can't protect her or anyone. My dreams terrify me because it could so easily happen. She died at the hands of monsters and I couldn't do anything but watch them do it, I couldn't even wake myself up to stop the vision, only Angela crying stole me from my dream." I was sobbing horrifically as heat enveloped me. I wanted to yell at him, demand he tell me why he didn't help his daughter out in that little hut that the Elders used. Why didn't he interrupt and save me from the humiliation of their cold, truthful, words. But I couldn't because somehow I knew he needed to see my reaction. To see how I fared against them.
"You are stronger than others think." He breathed against my ear, my body trembled against his touch, his warm breath that fanned against my cold skin. "If you were weak you would not even be here. You would have died along time ago, when vampires and werewolves came out of hiding, when you were running, when your parents died, when you ran from the werewolf, when you climbed down the cliff. You are strong, you have to be to be the imprint of an Alpha. But situations like this will occur again. They are testing your strength, not your physical, but mental strength, to see if you are strong enough to be Alpha female." His lips scraped against my ear and across my cheek as I trembled wantonly.
"Your not mad?" He pulled back slightly, only enough to see into my eyes.
"Tala has chosen you, just as much a you have chosen her. My other children were raised by their mothers, Tala never even met hers. My little wolf is aggressive, she loves fiercely and hates more so, but you have gained her love, that was half a battle in itself, the others will simply fall into place." I swallowed thickly. "Tala is my baby, the youngest. The Elders and the pack are all very protective over her. She has chosen you, and that means a harder fight against them, because Tala means so much to them. Just be glad you weren't around when Collin imprinted on her, that poor boy had it rough." He chuckled softly as I sighed.
"Mama?" A little tired voice asked from the darkness as she stepped forward into the light and smiled huge. "Papa!" I smiled as she ran into the kitchen to hug her papa and then climb into my lap as she slumped all her body weight on me and placed her thumb in her mouth as she shut her eyes. Her papa quickly picked her up and whispered to her as he walked her back to my room with Angela in.
"She got scared when you weren't there, she thought you had left her for good." He said as I frowned sadly. I wouldn't ever leave her, not intentionally anyway. "When others test you, I am not allowed to involve myself." I nodded. I knew this, I don't know how I know, but I did.
"Do you regret imprinting on me?" I asked as he growled in his chest, my eyes snapped open to see the anger, the hurt, in his eyes at my question.
"No."
"I'm not a beautiful native girl though, I'm a pale face." I said disgusted with myself, let alone how he felt about my pale colouring.
"You are the most beautiful woman I have met. Not just on the outside, but in here." He placed his hot palm over my heart, skimming his fingers along the curve of my breast as I bit my lip to refrain from moaning. That raw need to claim him was still there burning away, but I wanted to know him before we were intimate. His powerful black orbs stared into my soul through my eyes as every fibre of my being focused on him. "I wont push you into loving me the way I love you, but I want you to know that my heart is yours and your alone - I lie, my children and theirs do hold a big space, but it feels as if my heart has duplicated in size and that whole side belongs to you." He pressed his forehead against mine and nuzzled our noses in a kiss as I smiled softly at this beautiful affectionate side he had not shown until now.
"I want to know you before we mate." I whispered shyly as he smiled, bringing his lips closer to mine, his body heat burned my flesh as he brought contact between our lips, skimming gently over my own in a tender closed mouth kiss.
"We are already mates, we have yet to be mated though." He teased lightly as I nipped at his lower lip, reprimanding him for his tease, but his resounding growl made me believe that he enjoyed his punishment as his own mouth secured against mine with added pressure as his lips parted and his tongue tasted my lower lip. Curiously parting my own lips to allow him his exploration, I breathed through my mouth to taste his pure scent a his tongue collided with my own as his hands gripped my hips and easily picked me up so he didn't lean over me any longer. At his full height, which was close to seven foot, my legs wrapped around his waist instinctively as my hands held onto his neck, whilst his hands held me up under my ass.
My heart was beating furiously as a little giggle pierced our personal moment with a bang as I ripped myself from Ephraim's delicious homely taste as I looked down to find Tala standing shyly behind the beam her father was moments ago propped against. Ephraim smiling down at his daughters innocence as he effortlessly picked her up with one arm and held me secure to him with his other. "If our Angel was with us, I would be complete." He nuzzled his nose along my throat, before turning to Tala. "Why did you get out of your bed, little wolf?" She bit her lip and looked at me with a sheepish smile.
"I could not sleep without my mama there to protect me from the bad dreams." She admitted as my heart swelled and Ephraim's face lit up with happiness and love.
"But now Angela has no one to protect her from bad dreams." Her papa stated as her little eyes widened in horror as she squirmed to get down and ran off to the bedroom as I laughed softly at her innocence. "I only beg that I am not dreaming, because surely this would be a bad dream if it was only a dream that teased me of something I long for." His lips trailed up my neck and jaw as I moaned and pushed my body tighter to his.
"If this is a dream, then don't wake me up." I moaned a very cheesy line as he chuckled, acknowledging the cheesiness of said line. "I feel full, complete, when you are near me. But when we touch, I feel alive." I whispered as my lips kissed his soundly as he hummed his approval.
"Court me, Isabella?" He breathed heavily as he rubbed our noses together, traditionally kissing me with an affectionate, loving, feel, for the second time in so many minutes. I wanted to laugh, he really did show his age when he asked to court me instead of ask me out, but my smile didn't falter as I nodded and leaned in to kiss his lips.
"Yes." I breathed against his lips as his own mouth curved under mine.