IMPRINT

All sound stopped the instant the man stepped into the room and took a look around. His eyes were glued on Nina. It was like he was soaking in the sun after years in the dark. She couldn't seem to look away either. There was something familiar about that gaze, those dark chocolate eyes flecked with amber.

She remembered the day she had moved to La Push: she had been sitting at the park, enjoying a rare sunny day, as Henry spoke with the tribal council about his new position and got the keys to their new house. She had been watching the children playing and wishing for her own.

When Henry had come back to pick her up she had felt as if someone were staring at her but there had been so many people, children and their parents mostly, enjoying the warmth that she hadn't been able to discover her admirer. As she had gotten into the car she smiled at a man across the park, at the woods edge, with dark chocolate eyes flecked with amber who seemed to be appreciating her husband's taste in cars.

PACK

Mine.

The thought was inexplicable and yet made perfect sense. This was his imprint.

This was the woman who had consumed his every thought for months. This was the woman who tied him to this earth and made his existence bearable. This woman gave him purpose.

He had finally found her.

And he was staring.

IMPRINT

He was still staring.

Emily came to her rescue as she blushed a shade no native should ever reach.

"Nina, this is Paul Lahote, one of the boys in the pack who helps Sam on the conservation team. Paul, this is my friend Nina."

Emily had lost her smile and was struggling to regain it as she looked between the two. As it dawned on her what was happening, the smile slipped permanently from her features. Sam regained his voice before she did.

"Paul, sit down so we can eat. Nina, you said Henry was working late?"

The tension was broken fractionally. Nina looked away from Paul and stammered out an answer to Sam and Paul practically fell into a seat across from his imprint where he continued to stare at her as Emily filled his plate for him. The desperate look she gave her husband begged for an answer as to what the crap should they do?!

PACK

Paul could listen to his imprint talk all day and all night for the rest of eternity. Literally. As a wolf he didn't have to age and die. He could just phase and listen to her speak.

The rhythm of her voice was soothing. The ache in his chest he had felt since imprinting was gone. He had found her at last.

He had felt like an animal caged for so long now. Nothing had placated his need to find her. He hadn't slept soundly in months and he hadn't kept anything down. Now he shoveled food into his mouth as he watched her talk.

The sounds were like a lullabye. Soothing. So melodic.

She was saying something about...WHAT?!

"Henry and I are waiting to have children until his job settles down. He wants to be a part of their lives and right now everything so just so crazy with work." "You're married!?"

Everyone at the table went silent and stared at Paul. Nina blushed furiously and his wolf did a happy dance at the sight of it. Paul shook his head and ordered himself to focus.

"Um...yes? My husband, Henry, is the tribe's legal liaison." "Weren't you listening at all?" "No, sorry, I meant, how long have you been married?"

Paul blushed and hoped he managed to pull that off. Nina blushed furiously again and ducked her head as she answered,

"Oh, just five months. It hasn't been long at all." "How long have you known each other?" "Paul, what's with the third degree? She's not on trial." "Sorry, just curious." "It's okay Em, I don't mind. We met about a year ago. He kept showing up at the diner where I worked and asked me out at the end of every shift. I kept turning him down. Then one night he ordered everything on the menu and refused to leave until I agreed to sit down with him. He said that he fell in love with me the moment I spilled coffee on him the first time and he knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me and that he didn't want to wait another minute. i took a little more convincing but neither of us wanted a long engagement and now here we are." "Are you happy?"

She went from pushing peas around her plate with a faint smile at her memories to meeting his eyes with a shocked look of her own. "What?" "Are you happy? Here, with Henry." "Yes, of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"