1

The light in my room was blinding, and the pillows were strewn on the floor again. I had morphed in my sleep, and was stretched across my matress, my paws hanging off the side of my bed. I opened one eye and growled, seeing Leah's silhouette in the doorway.
What? I grumbled. I knew that Embry and Sam were doing border patrols, because their attention turned faintly to mine.
Seth? What are you doing in wolf form? Did you have a nightmare again? Sam babied me, and it was begining to be annoying. I was always the puppy of the pack...even though I wasn't. I was a subordinate rank, yes, but still. I was seventeen, I didn't need to be cooed.
I'm fine. I barked back, slipping off the bed and returning to my human form. "What, Leah?"
"It's noon. I'm leaving tomorrow, at exactly 11 am. Are you going to sleep when I leave for college?" I sniffed. If I was lucky, I would.
"No, I won't."
"C'mon. Get up and go wander the beaches or something. Oh, Sam and Jake want a meeting later in a few." My door shut loudly, and I could hear Leah walking down the hall. In less than twenty-four hours, she would be gone. Thank God.
I got up and scrounged around my dusty room for clothes. Course, not of it was clean. I needed to do laundry.
Ever since Dad's death and Leah deciding to go to Washington State, Mom hasn't been exactly on top of things. Hard enough with her job and all. I don't blame her. I am seventeen, anyway.
I walked out of my room, down the hall and into the kitchen. My mom was at the kitchen table, a mug of coffee in her small hands.
"Hey Mum," I leaned down and kissed her head. I had grown to six feet. It wasn't a problem much though. My mom patted my back with one hand, the distant look not leaving her face as she smiled.
"Hey Seth," She mumbled into her coffee. "Heading to the beach?"
"Yeah. See what's new." One thing I loved about summer-Warm weather and beach swimming. Not that I was particularly a swimmer, but the girls who were there did like to tan....and I liked to be their fan.
No, I do not stalk them. I just admire them.
"Alright, make sure you eat." Mom went back to her dreaming, and I walked out the kitchen door. It was a short walk to the beach, and the sun shone warmly on my skin.
Unfortunately, I was only a block down when I heard Leah's voice.
"Hey! Bonehead!" I kept walking. "Be back by three! Jake's holding a gathering!"
Wow, subtle.
I continued merrily towards the beach, saying hi and waving limply to the natives.

When I reached the Beach, I sat down instantly on a fallen tree, worn smooth by the crashing waves. I pulled a Cola out of my shorts pocket shortly after. I had planned to down it with a few swallows, but I had to stop.
Of course, I had seen my fair share of beach babes- tanned blondes or natives that entrigued me...but she...she had a whole new look.

She wasn't tall or paticularly thin...but she was perfectly porportioned. Her blonde hair fell to the bottom of her shoulder blades in small waves. She was dressed in a black tank top and short jean shorts, revealing rather light skin. Her bright, smiling face was flushed, and she seemed to trip over the waves herself. When she looked over at me, the light caught her eye, and she closed her lips and looked down.

I smiled, and stood up, walking over to her.
"Hey," I started. Words seemed lost at that moment.
"Hey." She said, keeping walking.
"Are you from around here?"
"No. I just moved here. Are you?"
"Born and Raised." I chuckled. How simple questions, you learned so much. Shyness and being reserved didn't fit me well, anymore. Plus, I thirsted to learn more about this girl. I needed to know a name. "So, where are you from?"
"Seattle. I was born and raised there." She had some defiance in her tone, obviously expressing distaste to moving to La Push. I understood, while I loved my home.
"That's a big change. It's like moving to the middle of nowhere from a huge city." I was exaggerating. I'd never really been to Seattle, but I knew it was big.
"I know."
There was a pause, and something in her eyes seemed to catch my attention. I must have imagined it, but her eyes looked oddly slitted-like a cat's. She looked away before I had a chance to see anymore. Someone called in our direction.
"That's my mom..." She said. She was hesitating, watching me. "I should go.." She started to move away, and my whole body screamed. I wanted to stop her, now.
"Wait!" I reached for her. She turned back quickly.
"What's your name?"
"Seth. Seth Clearwater."
"Your last name is funny." She giggled, revealing unusually pointed teeth.
"I don't think so." I smiled anyway.
"How old are you?" She asked, starting to walk backwards away from me. My body screamed louder, sending shivers up my spine.
"Seventeen."
"Wow. You can drive?" she took three steps away. I followed three more steps.
"Yeah."
"Do you drive?" I laughed.
"Not really, small town La Push." We stared at each other, smiling. I couldn't think of anything else to say. There was another call, louder and urgent now. A slightly annoyed look appeared on her face.
"It was nice to meet you, Seth Clearwater." She smiled wider, making her face look plump.
"Wait, you are leaving?" My mind screamed again, like I was a pup, being deserted by my mother.
"I don't have a choice, my mom's calling me." She looked defeated again.
"Oh." I didn't know what to say...how to cheer her up.
"Yeah." She looked at her feet. There was silence. It was awkward, and another urgent and now irritated call came. I couldn't distinguish it though-as if it were in some language I didn't understand. "I do need to go, though."
"Could I ask a few more questions?" I had found a few in the back of my mind.
"If you hurry, Seth, Yeah." I went right to the most important.
"What's your name?"
"Uh, I need to go." She glanced behind her, hearing the strange call again.
"How old are you?" I wasn't going to stop until I got my answers.
"I'm Sixteen." She smiled walking farther back, to where she had to shout to be heard.
"Wait!"
She didn't wait, she didn't turn either. She walked steadily backwards, over the rocky bank, smiling at me. She was beautiful.
"What's your name?" I called again, though I couldn't move towards her. I saw her bend slightly with laughter.
"Katina Le Corte!" She called back. After hearing her name, I grinned and waved. She turned and ran quickly up the last of the bank.

I repeated her name on my tongue, laughing. "Katina Le Corte," The name made me feel unusually happy, as if something caged had been released inside me. I felt the unsual want to skip up to my house, and shout out her name.
Then I remembered.
I looked at my cell phone to see that I had been here for almost four hours. It seemed ridiculous, four hours and just a short conversation. I pocketted the cell phone and started to run towards my house. Leah had mentioned earlier about holding it there, I could only assume...
As I arrived, I felt relieved to see various of the pack's cars parked along the drive. I hurried up the short steps and opened the door, into the cool entry room. Only to realize that the most unpleasant person was waiting for me on the other side of the living room door.
"Look who's back, finally." Leah was sitting on the couch in the empty living room. Her arms were crossed, and her lips pursed as she stared me down. I had grown taller than Leah, but she still had seniority. I was tired of her though, I wanted the happy feeling to stay there.
"Hi Leah.."
"What took you five hours? Sam and Jake needed to have a mee-ting. Remember, bonehead? They're gonna woop you little tanned butt. They're all in the kitchen." She was exaggerating on her words, drawling them out as if I didn't understand. It was at times like these that I just wanted to scream at her, smack her upside the head. I always refrained.
"Shut it, Leah." I felt the awkward happiness overwhelm me again. "I have some interesting news."
"Really?" She instantly changed, her curiousity covering her moodiness. "Spill."
I paused, trying to figure the best way of putting this.
"I...I th-think I imprinted."
"WHAT?!" Leah shouted so loudly that Sam burst into the room. In previous cases, I had had Leah in the death hold when she shouted so loudly. Now, instead of happy, she looked angry. She was one of the only ones left to imprint, and she loathed the fact that her little brother imprinted first. Sam was bracing himself, and he looked from Leah to me, and back.
"Whats going on?" He asked. Jacob Black walked through the other door, Quil and Embry on the other side of him.
"I imprinted," I stood tall, looking to each of them. I felt older, now, like imprinting had gained me some kind of authority. There were a few shouts and claps, mostly from some of the older members in the pack. I laughed, obviously a bit embarassed.
"So who's the lucky guy?" Leah remarked, her voice thick with malice. She sat back down on the sofa heavily, she looked away, clearly not wanted to be part of the conversation.
"Who is it?" Jake asked, enthusiastic enough for me.
"Her name is Katina Le Corte." Right as her name left my lips I instantly regretted it. Almost the whole pack recoiled, and Sam's eyes glazed.
"You must be mistaken..." Sam spoke up after a moment of silence. I felt young again, I had lost my small bit of authority. "The Le Corte Family lives far away from La Push. They wouldn't dare to even come near us."
"I don't understand." I spoke.
"Seth, I know this is hard for you." Sam walked over and put a hand on my shoulder. "But you must never see Katina Le Corte again."
In the back of my screaming mind, I saw Leah smirking.