A/N: The votes are in and I am bending to the will of the majority! Just not yet. ;-)
Here is what was originally plotted as being the final chapter of Emily's little project, but events in her Alternative Universe have compelled her to continue for one more chapter…
Thank you so much for reading! ~LJ
Chapter 6: Q & A
Over the past year, there have been other questions new imprints have had. I'll try to answer them here, and if you have any more, you can always ask one of us at our usual get-togethers, because you probably know by now that we have them!
Gravel rolled and slid under the tires of Sam's truck. His brakes squealed – he ought to have Jake look at them. Worried, Emily flew from the desk, running barefoot out to meet Sam.
"What happened, hon?"
His expression was torn between humor and anguish. "New pack member."
"Who?" Emily saw a series of faces flash in front of her eyes. "Seth?" she whispered, thinking it'd be hard for him to start this life at his young age.
Sam's lips thinned into near-invisibility before he answered. "Leah."
"Oh... Sam..."
She embraced her werewolf, feeling his heart race in his chest as she gathered her own thoughts. "I guess she'll finally understand what really happened with us, right?"
His short, hard laugh was more felt that heard. "Yeah. Leave it to you, hon, to find a bright side."
"Do you need me for anything?"
He kissed her with a sudden passion. "No. Just be here, Emily. I might be a while."
An idea raced across her mind and Emily pushed herself away from Sam to run to their bedroom. "She might need these," she said, tossing Sam a handful of fabric. "Tank top and a pair of yoga pants."
Rolling the clothes into a ball that fit into one large, capable hand, Sam smiled crookedly. "Have I told you today how amazing you are?"
Emily leaned against the wall across the room from him and shook her head. "Not this morning."
"Well. You are. I love you."
"Love you, too. Go take care of Leah."
His forehead furrowed in discomfort. "Yeah. See you, hon."
As the screen door clattered shut with a sharp, high sound, Emily blew out a huge breath and shot a glance to her computer, which was on the desk under the high window near the round dining table. "Well, this screws up my project. I'll make a note in the next chapter."
Her mind wandered, though, to her poor cousin, who was surely completely freaking out at this point. "Poor Leah. I wonder if we'll get to be friends, again?"
The following are some questions I've heard the other imprints ask one another or me, or just talk about around a bonfire. If you're reading this, chances are a few of them have crossed your mind, too.
I'm worried about my werewolf. What would happen to him if something happened to me?
The legends of our people say that if the imprint dies while the werewolf is still phasing, he might go insane and try to take vengeance on anyone who caused her demise. If you are taken from him by disease or accident, your werewolf would spend a time out of his mind and he would need all of his brothers to watch out for him. But we would care for him, believe us.
Mostly, though, try not to get hurt, okay?
What if I choose to stay with my current relationship and he moves on and then something happens with my relationship? Will he always feel this way or what?
It would probably take months if not years for the imprint to cease to have a hold on the werewolf. We would ask that you not toy with him, because we will kick your butt. But if your life changes and he is available, look him up. You never know!
Tell me the truth, Emily. How do we handle this No Secrets in the Pack thing? How do we manage to look any of the guys in the eye without blushing?
Who said we don't blush? We all did, at first. Mostly, the other guys who have imprinted will try not to be too obvious about what they know...but not always. Remember, they're guys. Supernatural, super-human, amazing in a lot of ways – they're still young men with all the usual impulses of rowdy young men everywhere.
You know what? They blush, too. Keep your eyes open. Teasing your werewolf is totally acceptable.
What if I want to be with him, but I can't? My folks won't let me relocate.
There is no real substitute for your scent, your touch and your voice. Your werewolf will need to experience these things regularly. It is highly possible that he might relocate to be with you. At least at first. You two will have to talk about it.
Or you can try web cams.
Sitting with someone whose body is that hot is great and all, but what do we do when it's just too hot?
The guys know they run hot. They don't really get offended if you tell them you're getting too hot. They will probably give you a hard time, but remember he wants you to be happy and safe. He'll tease, but he'll also work to make you comfortable. Me, I drink a lot of Gatorade. Seriously.
Wait. Um. I'm just a kid and I am totally not ready for this stuff yet. Is the werewolf going to get all weird on me? My folks are freaking out.
Oh, I completely understand! I hope by now I've talked to your family. Our youngest imprint is three years old, so we've already learned a lot about this.
Your werewolf is not going to get all weird on you. He wants you, remember, to be safe and to be happy. Do you have a hard time finding someone who wants to play your favorite game with you? Ask him – he'll have a great time. Do you want to go to the movies? Ask him – he'll protect you and make sure you can see everything. Do you ever feel like your parents just don't understand you? Talk to him. He'll listen and sympathize and he'll keep all your secrets.
And if that's all you ever want from him, it should be okay. Really. He loves you like the best big brother in the world.
And if you change your mind... in a few years or whenever... Let him know. And get to know our three-year-old. You'll probably have a lot in common!
Is it safe to have a werewolf around kids?
One of our werewolves' is expecting twins and I haven't heard his wife worry at all. But, as with yourself, keep an eye on your wolf if he starts getting agitated. If the children are yours, keep him occupied with something if you are concerned. If they're someone else's, there's nothing more important than the preservation of life, so take a walk with your werewolf.
Bet you can find something distracting to do with him almost anywhere!
Wait. Exactly how long does it take before that sanity thing comes into play? I mean, I heard that some of the guys have to be near their imprint or they'll go nuts. How does this work? How long does it last?
The timing on this differs with each of the guy, for starters. The Alpha of the Pack – my husband, Sam – was able to stay away from me for up to four days before he lost his mind. It was horrible for him. The guy who's father to the upcoming twins had a window of about thirty hours.
This changed when his wife got pregnant, for the record. The sanity thing is about procreation, remember. And when the wolf has sired children with his imprint, apparently the mating imperative has been satisfied and the sanity limit is no longer an issue.
I am fairly certain that there will be no need to be concerned about it at all when the werewolf is able to stop phasing entirely.
Until then...get used to it. And enjoy it. There are worse things in the world than having a hot young man around!
My boyfriend is really jealous of my wolf. What do I do?
Honestly? My first reaction is, "Good! Every guy should be up to some competition!"
I know, it's not terribly helpful. So I'll ask you this: Does he have reason to be jealous?
If yes, then you should consider breaking up with your boyfriend and exploring the possibility of a relationship with your werewolf. If no, then you should consider having a sit-down with both your boyfriend and your werewolf and clear the air.
Remember, your werewolf wants you to be happy and safe above all things. If you are happy, he will not push to change things. (Well, he won't push when you have insisted he stop pushing.) His sanity will be preserved if you are careful to work with him. He will love you, yes, but he will love you with a love that will let you go, too. He might wish to be your friend. It will be awkward, but it will work. Eventually.
I should leave some blank pages after this. I need to figure out how to bind this, too. A spiral binding from the copy place won't work.
Oh, I forgot one more question. No one's asked it yet, but I should stick it on here anyway.
Will I ever change into a werewolf? Are there any female werewolves?
No, an imprint will not change into a wolf. Yes, there are apparently female werewolves. Only one is of the right bloodlines to phase right now, but we do have one.
Poor Leah.