Author's Note: Bam! Chapter 6! Can I just say that Quil and Claire are adorable? They are such a sweet couple. Reviews are greatly appreciated! :)

QPOV

Adrenaline coursed through my veins as Claire and I drove to down to the beach. She stared out her window contentedly, her long, black hair falling over one shoulder, partially covering her face. She wore a pair of dark jeans and a green zip-up hoodie, a necklace I'd given her when she was younger hanging from her neck. She was beautiful, and I reached over, squeezing her hand, her cool skin against mine. She glanced at me and smiled, running her free hand over my forearm.

We were the last ones to arrive at the bonfire, and the smell of the burning wood filled the air. It was cool, the sand slightly damp, waves crashing into the shore with a muted roar.

"Claire!" Nessie hugged her, wrapping her thin arms around her shoulders. "How's my girl?"

"I'm great, Aunt Ness," she replied. "I haven't seen you in forever!" Nessie squeezed her into her shoulder.

"I know, right?" the blonde yammered. "You and Quil should come up to the house for dinner soon." She winked at me.

Jake strode up behind the two women, kissing his wife on her cheek, and then Claire on her forehead. He was the biggest of all of us at 6'7", an Alpha without a doubt, with traditional Quileute looks - tall, dark, and handsome. Before he married Nessie, girls threw themselves at him left and right, though he had no interest in them anyway. He and Nessie were a stunning couple, soul mates, imprinter and imprintee.

"Hey, guys - Quil, Claire. Ready for tonight?" He gave me a pointed look. I gave him a slight nod, and he understood.

"You know me," Claire answered, ever chipper. The telling of the Quileute legends had always been one of Claire's favorite events. Since even a small child, Claire would beg me to tell her the stories over and over again, never getting tired of the history of the Pack.

"Well, shall we get this party started?"

I scarcely listened as Billy spoke, instead focusing entirely on Claire. She listened with intendment, hanging on every word, eyes focused, engaged. Leaning against me, I ran my fingers through her silky hair, soothing more myself than her. Could she hear my heart racing? She shivered, and I pulled her closer to me, enveloping her in my body heat. How much of the legends did she really understand? A soft hand touched my face. Claire looked up at me, worried.

"Are you okay?" she whispered. I forced a smile and nodded.

"Just fine," I reassured her, taking her hand to press a kiss to it.

In all the time I had known Claire, she could read me better than anyone, better than the Pack. Even at a young age, she seemed to sense when I was sad, like when my grandfather passed away, or upset, like when Jake broke away from Sam's pack. Claire listened when I needed to vent or counseled advice if I asked. She held me up at my weakest and rejoiced with me at my strongest. She was my everything, my other half.

Billy finished, and everyone clapped, patting him on the back with admiration and respect. Claire stood up and walked over to give the now elderly man a hug before joining me once more, entwining her fingers with mine.

"Let's go for a walk," I suggested, swallowing my fear as best I could.

"Alright," she agreed. "It's a pretty night out anyway." We started along the length of the beach, silent, listening to the waves and staring at the stars.

"So, what did you think?" I asked once we were finally out of earshot.

She scuffed her feet in the wet sand. "Incredible as always. Grandpa Billy is really a great storyteller. And the legends, they always amaze me - to think that they're true."

"Yeah," I agreed. "They're not just legends. Even the part about imprinting, it's real. Look at Sam and Emily or Jacob and Nessie. It's hard to believe it, but it happened." Claire nodded, still looking at her feet. I swallowed.

"Can I tell you one more story?" I asked, fighting to keep my voice even. "I don't believe you've heard this one before, and I think it's time."

Now she looked up at me, curious. "Does it have to do with the legends?"

"Sort of," I stumbled. "I mean, yes. It's-" I took a deep breath and sat in the sand, Claire following suit, leaning into my side. "There was this wolf, you see. And one day, he met this little girl who was visiting her aunt's house. He was still pretty new to the Pack, and he had been warned about imprinting, but he didn't even give it a second though since it was supposed to be really rare. Well, he had just come back from a run, and he walked into the house, heading to the kitchen since he was pretty hungry. The little girl's aunt happened to also be in the kitchen, holding her, and when he walked in and saw her, his whole world changed. The Earth no longer held gravity for him; she held it. He instantly felt attached to her, concerned for her happiness, wanting to protect her from all harm's way. Unfortunately, he forgot about his own safety for a second, and his pack leader, the little girl's uncle, dragged him out the backdoor and punched him in the face.

B-but it all worked out. The uncle made the shit scared wolf phase, and he realized that he only wanted to make the little girl happy, and even though the wolf ended up with two black eyes for a couple days, he got to watch over the little girl. And the girl's mother accepted the wolf, and the wolf was really happy because he cared for the little girl a lot. And the little girl grew up, and he watched, always looking out for her, and, and-" Claire squeezed my hand, staring at me with tender eyes.

"It's okay, Quil," she said soothingly. "I know."

"Y-you know?" I stuttered. "You're not mad?" I stared at her in amazement, stunned. She laughed softly, laying her head against my chest.

"Of course I'm not mad, Quil," Claire answered. "How could I be? You basically just told me that we're soul mates." Her words hung in the air for a moment.

"How?" I asked. "Or who? And when?"

"At the end of the summer, we had that bonfire, and Grandpa Billy was telling the legends. I never really had thought much about imprinting, but I knew that Uncle Sam had imprinted on Aunt Emily. I also heard that Uncle Jake imprinted on Nessie as a baby, and after that, it really got me thinking how similar our relationship was to theirs. It made me wonder, and really hope, that we really were meant to be together." She paused. "I became more certain after we confessed our feelings for each other, and I knew that if it was true, then when you were ready, you'd tell me. You've never been dishonest to me, so I knew that if you didn't tell me, you had a good reason. So, I decided to wait, because God knows you've waited for me."

I cupped her jaw and turned her towards me, capturing her soft lips with mine. "I love you, Claire Young."

"I love you too," she whispered.

A/N: Don't worry! This story is not over yet! There is drama still to come! ;)