"This has to be the first yellow baby shower in this century!" Leah laughed as she strung yellow and white crepe paper across the ceiling in her mother's living room.

"Well, they didn't want to know," Sue commented, handing Leah a roll of tape. "I think I understand that. There was a thrill attached to the surprise when you guys were born. I had no idea either time." She chuckled softly. "Your dad was really hoping for a girl first, but he pretended he didn't care."

Leah smiled. "Yeah, I certainly was Daddy's girl. But they're both so sure it's a boy. I wonder if they've even chosen a girl's name."

"Not that I've heard." Sue was working on decorating a special chair for the mother-to-be. "I'm having trouble getting my head around my baby boy being a father!"

"Tell me about it," Leah groaned. "He's barely twenty years old. But they are great together. I think this baby lucked out in the parent department." She stepped down from the stool and hugged her mother. "Like Seth and me."

There was a tap on the screen door. "I know we're early, but we figured you might need some help!" Lily and Sheila pushed through the door loaded down with plates of food and gaily wrapped baby gifts.

"Sure! Food goes in the kitchen, and I'll take the gifts." Leah smiled at them. "Nice to see you again, Sheila. See if Mom needs a hand. She's cooking and cleaning and decorating, all at the same time." The newcomers grinned and walked into the kitchen.

"Oh, good! Extra hands!" Sue hugged each of them. The kitchen was steamy but smelled delicious ."There's a pile of folding chairs on the porch. If you could arrange them in the living room, it would be a big help." She turned to stir a large pot simmering on the stove. Lily set their desserts on the counter and led the way to the back porch.

"You were right, Lily," Sheila whispered to her friend. "They treat everyone like family. I'm so glad you invited me. I'm an only child, and it's nice being a part of all this." She waved a hand at the house. "You and Jake are like the brother and sister I never had, and the rez finally feels like home." She hugged Lily impulsively.

"We feel the same way," Lily said with a grin. "I guess it's a tribal family! And speaking of family, here's Jake's sister Rachel." Rachel was wiggling a huge package out of her car, and Sheila rushed down the steps to help her.

"Hi, Rachel. Let me give you a hand with that. I'm Sheila, by the way."

Rachel beamed at her. "Oh, you must be Jake's imprint. So nice to finally meet you!" Sheila opened her mouth, then snapped it shut. It was time to have a talk with Jake. Lily's wolf ears caught every word.

Emily arrived just before the guest of honor. She made a beeline for Lily after depositing her gift on the growing stack in the corner. "Lily, I was so sorry to hear what happened to Jake." She didn't look particularly sorry, if her smirk was any indication.

Lily jumped and turned to Emily. "Something happened to Jake?" She frowned and reached for her phone, scanning its face for a message she might have missed.

"I'm talking about the imprint," Emily hissed.

"Oh, that." Lily relaxed. "Turns out it hasn't been a problem at all. Looks like Leah could use a hand - excuse me, Emily." And she hurried over to Leah, who was carrying a heavy armload of coats toward the bedroom - a load either of the wolf girls could manage easily with one hand tied behind her.

At the buffet, Emily tried again. She found herself next to Leah, plate and flatware in hand as they moved slowly toward the food. "Looks like Lily is holding up pretty well," she whispered to Leah.

"Holding up? You mean the imprint thing?" Leah's smile was condescending. "Apparently it's not an issue. That's Jacob's imprint over there." She nodded to Sheila and Lily, talking animatedly and laughing together.

"They get along?" Emily looked suspicious.

"Yeah." Leah nodded. "Sheila's practically one of the family. She's an only child, and she says it's like having the brother and sister she always wished for."

Aiyanna picked at her food. At almost eight months along, her baby bump was unwieldy. Sue noticed she looked uncomfortable and put a small pillow behind her. She brought a footstool and insisted Aiyanna put her feet up.

"Thanks, Sue." Aiyanna smiled. "That's much better."

When the gifts were all opened it was time for cake, and boyfriends and husbands started arriving - like the proverbial moth to a flame. They all knew Sue Clearwater's reputation as one of the best cooks on the rez, and they were just as certain that she would have made extra food for them. Sam was gnawing on a chicken breast in the deserted kitchen when Jacob arrived.

"Hey, Sam." Jacob nodded as he piled potato salad on a paper plate.

Wiping his hands on a napkin, Sam nodded back. "How are you doing, Jake?" He reached for a paper bowl and scooped baked beans into it.

"Never better," Jacob replied, selecting a chicken leg from the platter. "In fact," he whispered, looking toward the doorway, "I'm planning to pop the question one of these days. Already bought the ring."

"Ring?" Sam looked confused. "For Sheila?"

Jacob's hand froze halfway to the stack of dinner rolls. "Sheila? Why on earth would I buy a ring for Sheila? I'm proposing to Lily, Sam!"

Sam shook his head in honest confusion. "But...didn't I hear you imprinted on someone named Sheila?"

"Oh, that!" Jacob's grin widened. "Well, yeah - but neither one of us was looking for a romantic partner. She has a boyfriend, and I'm in love with Lily." He looked confused. "So it looks like I got myself a little sister."

As if on cue, Sheila entered the kitchen with a stack of paper plates. "Hey, Sheila," Jake smiled at her. "Have you met Sam? Sam, this is Sheila."

Sheila nodded at Sam, but she seemed preoccupied. "We need to talk, Jake. What's an imprint? Your sister referred to me as your imprint."

Just at that moment, Jonah walked through the back door. "Hey Sam. Jake." He grabbed a plate; this may have been his first rodeo, but he could take a hint. Jacob took Sheila's hand and led her outside as Sam watched, bemused.

They sat side by side on the steps. It was dark, the moon obscured by the ever-present clouds. Sheila shivered, and without thinking, Jacob wrapped an arm loosely around her shoulders. She didn't object.

"This has been a long time coming, Jake, but my spidey sense has been tingling ever since we met. Something is just not kosher." He smiled at her choice of words, but she continued. "I can save us a little time. I know what imprinting means in the animal kingdom. But what's it got to do with us?" Sheila looked up at her friend.

Jacob sighed. "I have secrets, Sheila. As my imprint, you're allowed to know them - but you can never share them with anyone outside the pack." He hesitated, pondering how much she needed to know.

"Your pack?" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Meaning wolf pack?"

He turned to look at her, his eyes wide. "I know the tales, Jake. And like everyone else in school I always assumed they were just that. Stories. Legends. It would take some convincing to change my mind."

"I can do that if it's necessary, Sheila. I am one of those Quileute shape shifters you read about. Alpha wolf of my pack, actually. And the first time I laid eyes on you, I imprinted. It's a physical thing. Hard to explain." He hesitated, searching for the right words. "It's actually painful for me to be away from you for any length of time. A permanent separation could kill me." The silence was complete as he let the words soak in.

Sheila made a time-out gesture with her hands. She looked a trifle panic-stricken as she said "You mean we're a pair? Like - to maintain the purity of a bloodline?"

He was shaking his head. "Not necessarily. As your imprint, I'm bound to you - but as whatever you want me to be. As a brother figure, for instance. And yes, it's the reason I applied for my job. I wanted - needed - to be near you, but I didn't want to scare you away. I hope I'm not doing that now."

She looked up into his eyes. "No, it's okay. I feel the connection too. But I need to see the wolf."

They both turned as a board creaked behind them. It was Lily, and Jacob knew she had probably heard most - if not all - of their conversation. Her nod was almost imperceptible. She took his place, her arm around Sheila's shoulders, as Jacob melted into the darkness. Without a sound, the darkness shifted in on itself, and out of the murk an enormous russet wolf walked slowly toward them, halting a few feet from the bottom step.