Hopefully this one is a little more drawn out. Yeah, I reread the first chapter, but I figured I'd leave it cause I didnt want to be redundent in the second chapter. lol

Hope you all enjoy this one!

CHAPTER 2

CHANGES

I walked to the tree that Embry stripped behind and removed my clothes. I felt the urge that used to come so freely to me as I let it pull me. I crouched down, closing my eyes.

Seconds later, my eyes opened and I walked out slowly toward Jackie, Embry and Jacob. I wasn't as tall as they were, but I didn't care.

"I know you could do it sweetie." Jackie said softly.

I walked closer, hearing mumbles in my head. I shook myself trying to clear my mind when I heard Jacob and Embry talking.

A mini version of us? What the frick! Embry said in my head.

Embry…this is weird. Jacob said. Think she can hear us?

Yeah. I can. Both of you. I thought. Why are you guys so huge? We came of this to do the same thing…didn't we?

To kill bloodsuckers? Embry thought.

We, I mean Jackie and me came of this to protect in general. I thought. Why don't you guys phase back. Jackie can explain better than I can.

Jacob and Embry ran to the trees where they phased minutes earlier as I ran to Embry.

Embry, before you phase can I show you something? I thought.

Cas, you can tell me anything. Embry thought in my head.

I ran up to the tree he was behind, ignoring Jacob's naked body as he phased and started in on my thoughts from the time before I came to La Push.

--

I was five years old, all alone in a wet ,dark, smelly room. I heard voices out in the hallway and I screamed for them to let me out. I heard my mother shushing the others away from the door in a hurried tone. SHE was afraid of me. I cried for her to let me out, but she never did. No one did. The only time that anyone would come near my door was when it was time to eat or if she were gone. The food was slopped into a dog bowl and shoved quickly into my room with no silverware. I was kept like an animal who was never let out of her cage.

I knew I had a brother and sister who were older than me. They came in my room when they thought our mother was asleep sometimes to reassure me that everything was okay. I loved them, but I hated them too because they never seemed to help me escape my prison. They had freedom I never knew. Leaving to go places where I had been forbidden. I wished that my Aunt Jackie would come. I loved her with all of my heart. She spoiled me when she and her sons Jeff and David would come visit my mother. They were oblivious to the fact that I was treated like an animal when they weren't there.

Then the nights came too often when my mother would go out and get drunk. She would come home in a drunken stupor and come into my room and beat on me for reasons I wouldn't know until later.

I stayed locked in that room for four years until Jackie decided to show up unexpectedly in January. My mother must have been gone as I heard Jackie calling my name. I screamed for her, hoping she would somehow unlock the door and let me out.

When the door finally opened, I jumped into Jackie's unsuspecting arms sobbing. She carried me out of the house and took me home with her… her home in La Push.

When we arrived at her house. Jeff and David were shocked to see me in such horrid shape as Jackie carried me inside. They found out that I had absolutely no skills; I couldn't write my own name, I couldn't even eat with utensils. I could only talk and walk.

They boys would go off to school during the day and when they didn't have to work they would help me act more human than animal. Jackie worked at the hospital in Forks but when she had the day off she would be helping me with everything. She became my mother the minute she rescued me from that hell.

A few months passed when Jackie decided to let someone else into my world. She introduced me to her best friend, Sarah Black, a Quileute descendent, who had three children of her own. Jackie had Sarah swear to keep me a secret until she thought I would be safe enough to enter the 'real world'. I always had someone there with me to talk to and play games. My speech improved, thought I was still a very quiet child.

One day while Jackie was at work and Jeff and David were at school, Sarah came to baby sit me. During the day we would play board games and do some easy house work for Jackie. We were doing the dishes at one point and I accidentally dropped a glass, breaking it. I had gotten so bad at myself, I began to tremble. That's when it happened, the first time I had changed since I had been rescued. I coward as I saw Sarah staring at me in disbelief. She called Jackie and she came home to talk me down enough to change back into my human form.

Sarah had promised that she would never say anything about 'our' secret to anyone. Not even her husband, Billy.

Finally the day came when Jackie thought it would be a good idea to go visit Sarah. I sat at the table quietly as I listened to Sarah and Jackie babble away about nothing at all, when a young boy came running in. He was jumping around trying to get Sarah's attention while she tried talking to Jackie. He was about my age, shoulder length black hair and a real Indian too. I was scared by the way he acted. I'd never seen a reaction like that from anyone before.

Sarah calmed him down and introduced us. He turned and smiled at me, then Sarah suggested that Jacob take me and show me some of the land. I looked up at her in shock and Jackie nudged me letting me go. This was the first time I had been without anyone I had known well enough to go out and play.

I was leery at first though Jacob took hold of my hand and led me outside. He took me to the 'fun spots' as he called it, where all the kids would hang out and have fun. Then, Jacob took me over to the beach. I stood there for what seemed like forever as I saw nothing but ocean. I was awestruck by the view and Jacob laughed.

"Your first time seeing the ocean?" He asked with a smile.

"Yeah." I said quietly. "This is cool."

"Come with me!" Jacob said all excited. "I'm gonna take you up there!" He pointed to an enormous cliff.

"Okay." I said as he grabbed hold of my hand and pulled me along to the cliff.

We didn't really talk as we walked together up to the cliff. There, he found two of his best friends on the reservation. Embry Call and Quil Ateara.

"Took ya long enough Jake!" The tall one said. It was Embry, I found out later.

Jeez Jake! Ya go to ask your mom if you can go cliff diving and you come back with a girl?" Quil asked sarcastically.

"Jackie was there. This is her niece, Cason." Jacob told them "This is Embry and Quil." He told me.

"Hi Cason." Quil said smiling.

"Nice to meet ya Cas." Embry said. "Can we call you Cas?"

"Yeah, guess." I said as I looked on the ground.

"Lets go then!" Quil yelled.

I watched them jump one by one off the cliff as I leaned over the edge as I saw them splash into the water. I crawled back to the wall of the cliff and started crying. I didn't know what was going on or why they decided it would be fun to jump off the cliff in the first place. They ran back to the cliff, where I was, as I sat there curled up into myself, rocking and crying. Jacob ran up to me asking me what was wrong. I didn't answer so Jacob took Quil with him as they ran away for something. Embry stayed with me keeping an eye on me until they came back. They weren't gone long as they brought Sarah and Jackie back with them. Jackie tried soothing me as she grabbed her cell phone and dialed. She talked to David and hung up. When he arrived he picked me up into his arms and carried me to his car, driving me home.

Every day after that, Jacob, Embry and Quil would come and visit with me to see how I had been. They were never told my secret.

When school started that year, Jackie made sure that I was placed in the same class that Jacob was. I was so scared to go to school with a bunch of Indians! As I found out on my first day, Embry and Quil were in the same class that Jacob and I were. The teachers must have been informed by Jackie and Sarah that I be seated next to the three boys.

Every year after that in Elementary school all four of us were always in the same class.

During Junior High, I would become so overwhelmed by my life that I would run away. Hiding for days at a time, not wanting to leave my safe place. Jacob always found me in the same place. He told me that things were okay and that I shouldn't be afraid of anything. La Push was the safest place around and that I should go home because Jackie was always worried that something happened to me.

Eventually I would finally give in and go back home, returning to school.

--

I started walking away.

Wait! Embry thought to me, It's okay Cas. You don't have to leave.

Please listen to Jackie explain this to you and Jake. I thought to him. I just want to clear my head. I started running. Embry, please phase back.

I felt Embry shutter and I knew he left. I was alone in my mind again as I wandered around the woods alone. I found a place that I thought would be safe and crawled into a small cave. I laid down and closed my eyes.

What seemed like only minutes later, I heard foot steps walking in my direction. I opened my eyes and saw Embry and Jacob looking for me together. I whimpered as they turned in my direction.

"Cas." Embry whispered as he walked slowly toward me. "Would you phase back? It's okay, Jackie told us what she could."

"Come on Cas." Jacob said as he sat down a short distance from me.

I shook my head as I looked up into Embry's beautiful brown eyes.

"Why not?" Embry asked. I nudged my muzzle at his pants. "Clothes?" I nodded. "Crap we forgot her clothes, Jake."

"I'll run back to Jackie's and get her clothes." Jacob said as he stood up. "Be back in a few."

"Would you phase back if I took my shirt off to give to you?" Embry asked after Jacob left. "I'll do anything for you Cas. Just please phase back." I nodded.

Embry took off his shirt, I phased in front of him and he covered me without even trying to look at me.

"Thank you." I whispered. I shivered a bit.

"You cold?"

"Little"

Come here, I'll warm you up." Embry said as he pulled me on his lap. "This is kinda nice." He whispered in my ear and kissed me.

"You're so warm." I whispered as I felt his hand rubbing my waist.

"Too warm?" He asked as he pulled me closer to him.

"No." I said as I wrapped my arms around him. Embry moved his hand up to adjust me on his lap. He touched my breast. "Embry?" I gasped.

"What? Did I do something wrong?" He asked as he looked down to where his hand was resting. "Oh! Sorry. I didn't mean to."

"It just took me by surprise, that's all." I said as I lay my head on his shoulder.

"Why did you run away like that?" Embry asked after a few minutes of silence.

"I don't know. I guess because I was so overwhelmed with what was going on." I said as I looked up at him. "Why couldn't you guys just tell me what happened to you, instead of abandoning me?"

"We were told not to by Sam." Embry told me as he looked off into the trees. "Everyone from the tribe thinks that what we are is nothing but made up stories to scare little kids." He finally looked down at me asking, "Why didn't you ever tell us?"

"It never came up." Now it was my turn not to look at him. "I don't even know why I become a wolf. Jackie never explained any of it to me."

"She told us she's not exactly sure why you become one either. She just told us that the females in your family can phase."

"If it's only the females, then why did my…mother," I gritted my teeth when I said her name. "only lock me up. My older sister had more freedom than I did."

"I don't know, Cas. That's just what Jackie thinks though." Embry said as he leaned his cheek on the top of my head. "Maybe it's because she never phased like you did in the memory you showed me. How did Jackie get custody of you anyway?"

"I don't really know that either." I told him. "I never knew that she got custody of me until I was already in school. She saved me from a living hell."

"From your memories, it looks like you're in paradise now." Embry whispered.

I lifted my head to look at Embry, "What's this imprinting thing anyway?"

"It's kinda hard to explain." Embry started. "Like I told you earlier, it happens when you find your soul mate, but more intense.

"When I saw you sitting on the beach, I couldn't look away from you. It's like my soul left this world. It doesn't hold me here anymore. You are what holds me here. Its like the force of nature is no longer a part of me. You are now that force. The one purpose for me to be here. It's weird though, not that I imprinted on you, but that so many of us have imprinted."

"Who's all imprinted?" I asked out of curiosity.

Embry sniggered, "Sam was the first. To Emily, Leah Clearwaters cousin. Then Jared did with Kim. I guess she's had the biggest crush on him for a few years now. Then it was Quil….who imprinted on Emily's niece, Claire. And to finish things off for now, I did with you."

"Quil imprinted on Emily's niece?" I asked thinking Embry was joking. "But, Embry. Isn't Claire like only two?"

"I think three. But it's not like that right now, but it will be someday." Embry said. "It's like he will protect her from everything. Then when she gets older, he'll be her best friend, somebody to confide in. Then she will finally realize that she loves him and the rest, well… they'll end up married some day."

"Weird." I whispered. "So that means we will get married too?"

"Probably. Not right away though. I don't want to rush you into anything."

"What would happen if I didn't want to marry you?" I asked out of curiosity.

"I guess I would no longer have a purpose. I'm not really sure. Why, don't you want to be with me?"

"I am now aren't I?" I said smiling. "I'm wearing your shirt and sitting on your lap. I think that's something."

Embry smiled. "Yeah, it is. Remember when we were in elementary school? How we would hold hands?"

I giggled, "Yeah I do. I remember you and Jake were always wanting to hold my hand. Then you two decided to share me…you got to hold my hand for a week and then it was Jake's turn."

"Should have made a move on you in Junior High." Embry whispered into my hair.

"Your move?" I asked raising my eyebrow.

"Yeah, I did care about you then ya know."

"I kinda thought maybe you liked me more than a friend."

"Yeah, but Jake was always with you then."

"Didn't you ever think about finding my schedule and taking classes at the same time as me?"

"I did find your freshman schedule." Embry said looking away from me now. "I tried like hell to change them. Then last year I tried to get as many with you as possible. But that didn't work out too good either, did it?"

"Up until you missed school." I whispered as I looked up at him. "That's when it happened isn't it?"

"Yeah." Embry said as he nodded. "I was so freaked out by it all and I couldn't afford to lose you. I had only one choice and that was to accept who I became."

"And you never looked at me for the rest of the school year?"

"Tried not too. I knew you were upset, but I had to stay as far away from you as I possibly could. You did like to piss us off at times." he smiled.

"I did not Embry!" I said as I playfully slapped his chest.

"Ouch! Did too." Embry smiled.

"Shut up, will ya." I told him.

"What ever." Embry told me. "Jake's on his way back." I started to get off Embry's lap. "No, don't leave me yet. It's fine, Jake is okay with it. He has to be, it isn't his choice."

"Could he fight you if he wanted me?"

"Yeah, he could but it really wouldn't matter if you cared for me enough."

"I do care about you Embry. But right now, it's a little weird. Just not knowing why all of a sudden it was me you imprinted on."

"It's just one of those things.""Hey guys." Jacob said as he ran up to us. "Here Cas. Jackie found them for me. Oh, I ran into dad too and told him about you. He wants to set up a counsel meeting tonight with you and Jackie, Cas."

"Counsel meeting….with me and Jackie?" I questioned.

"Yeah, bout six tonight." Jacob told me.

"Don't eat." Embry said. "Well on second thought you might, cause with ten of us eating plus the elders, we tend to go through like a weeks worth of food in one night."

Jacob laughed. "And then the finally is all of us devouring a cow, each!"

Embry laughed at my expression. "Not all of us, just Jake." He smiled down at me.

"Then I better get goin or we'll be late." I said as I pulled away from Embry. "Uhm. Are you guys gonna leave or at least turn around so I can put my pants on?"

"Sorry." Embry said as he got up. "We'll just walk over there. Meet us when you get dressed."

Jacob and Embry walked away from me and stopped. I could still see them as I put my pants on. They never turned to look to see if I had gotten dressed yet.

I walked over to them and they walked with me toward Jackie's house.

"Hey Cas." Embry said as we were almost to the house.

"Yeah."

"Don't say anything to my mom about what we are, 'kay?"

"Okay, I guess I can do that." I told him. "But your mom doesn't like me anyway."

"Well she doesn't really care for any girls I hang out with right now. She thinks I sneak out at night to find girls. Or some other teenage thing?" I laughed.

"Guess you don't have to live up to that one anymore do ya?" I said sarcastically.

Jacob and Embry laughed too.

"Yeah, Emb. You'll have to come up with some other reason for sneakin out." Jacob teased him.

"I don't tell her anything." Embry told him. "I sit and take my punishment like a good kids supposed too."

"Then you ignore her when Sam wants you to patrol." Jacob said rolling his eyes. "Sam should just let you tell her the real reason why you sneak out."

We reached Jackie's and Jacob left to go home to tell his dad. I walked inside with Embry as he held my hand.

"Jackie?" I said as we reached the living room.

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"Jacob said there's gonna be a council meeting tonight. We are invited." I told her as I led Embry to sit on the couch.

"A council meeting?" Jackie asked. "Sounds like fun. Where's it at Embry?"

"It's up at the cliffs." Embry told her. "We usually eat and then Billy tells us the same stories we always heard before we phased."

"You mean the ones about the spirit warrior?"

"Yeah." Embry nodded. "The others too, about how we became wolves."

"I know all of them, but yeah. I'm up for it." Jackie told him. "Cas, why don't you go take your shower and get ready."

"I gotta go anyway." Embry said as he stood up. I'll meet ya there? Or can I come pick her up Jackie?"

"You can come pick her up." Jackie said. I think that would be kinda cute." I rolled my eyes.

"I'll be back in a few, Jackie." I said as I walked out with Embry. "I remember you sayin something about not knowin who your dad is." I said as we stood in our small drive. "Did you ever find out who he is?"

"Not yet." Embry said. "I found my birth certificate but it doesn't have my dads name on it. It's just blank."

"Do you have any idea who it might be?"

"Not a clue." Embry said as he held both of my hands. "But I'm leaning toward Sam's dad. Everybody would think we were brothers, well before everything happened."

"Do you think Sam would take a DNA test or something?" I asked.

"Never really thought about it. It's not like it really matters who my father is, does it?"

"Well I wouldn't mind knowing who my father is." I said as I looked up at him. "I never knew mine either."

"We can talk about this later, 'kay?" Embry said as he touched my cheek with the back of his hand. "Go take your shower. I'll meet you here in an hour." He kissed my cheek and walked off toward home.

I watched Embry until I couldn't see him anymore. I then walked back inside to talk to Jackie.

"Go take your shower sweetie." Jackie said in her loving tone.

"I will in a minute." I said. "Are you okay with telling them about what we are?"

"Yes. They are almost the same thing." Jackie told me. "Only it's more difficult for us to explain why we became this to them. I don't really have many stories to go by. I'm in the dark about this just like you are."

"What nationality are we?" I asked.

"Little bit of everything." Jackie said. "I don't think we have any Quileute blood in us, either. Now, go take your shower. I thought I heard Embry say an hour?"

"Oh my god, Jackie. What a time to use your perfect hearing!" I said rolling my eyes. "Please don't embarrass me tonight."

"Oh, alright. I'll stop." Jackie said smiling. "Now go, before you're late for your date with Embry." She said smiling.

The hour drug by slowly, as I waited as patiently as I could. The time I spent away from him made me feel a burning need to have him close to me again. It was really weird. I know now about the imprinting, but it was still weird to think that I really missed Embry. I did love him, but right now I was so confused over everything that I didn't really know how I loved him. Was because he was always my friend or just because he imprinted on me? I hoped that Embry would want to take it slow enough for me to fall in love with him.

I sat on the couch, looking out the window as I waited nervously for Embry to come over. Jackie noticed my fidgeting and sat down beside me.

"What's wrong sweetie?"

"I don't know what to think anymore, Jackie." I said as I turned to look at her. "Embry imprinting. I never thought it would have been him."

"I know you didn't sweetie." Jackie consoled me. "Embry has a lot of feelings for you though. I think it's nice that he did, not that I understand the whole imprinting thing myself. He's a good kid and you two do look good together."

"You know I thought it would always be Jake, though." I said. "We don't imprint ourselves do we?"

"No, we don't. I think we pick out the strongest male we can and then we try to build a relationship with them. Embry will be yours, like you are his."

"But I still have feelings toward Jake." I whispered. "Will it pass in time, do you think, or will I just fall head over heals in love with Embry and spend my life with him?"

"I'm pretty sure you'll end up with Embry." Jackie said. "That boy is going to give you everything you want. Something Jake won't ever be able to do for you anymore. Embry will be there when you need him the most. You won't be able to help yourself when he asks you what's wrong. You'll just spill your guts to him."

"I guess that's what I did with Jake then? Spill my guts to him when I needed too."

"Not anymore." Jackie said smiling. She looked out the window and pointed. "Your future awaits."