Chapter 9

Luke

I didn't see my father come up from behind while I watched Kate fade away in the back of her father's truck. He thumped me on the back hard.

"Ow," I said distantly.

"You didn't tell me you imprinted!" he said cheerfully.

"You never asked," I muttered.

He shook his head and chuckled. "Well, look at that."

"What, Dad, spit it out," I said, finally looking at him.

"It does me good to see my werewolf son imprinting."

I turned my attention back to the now vacant road. "Yeah, yeah."

There was a silence. "I guess you're not coming home tonight."

I turned to him. "I'll be sleeping outside her house."

"In the forest, yeah. I know how it goes," he said.

"You do?" This was news to me.

"Well, from your Uncle. He imprinted on Sal, you know?" he said.

"Oh, right." My uncle moved away from La Push the moment he could control not phasing into a werewolf. Before that happened, though, he found Sally. I've never seen them together much, and when I had, I was only a few years old. But now, I can clearly imagine what he must have gone through.

"I'll be back tomorrow morning," I said.

"Okay. I'll see you," he sighed, turning to the house.

I started for the forest, making sure to strip first before phasing. I left my shirt and tied my pants to my leg, and soon was flying through the forest. I wasn't surprised to find I wasn't alone in my head.

That you, Luke? Kevin asked.

Yes.

He paused for a second as I silently recalled today's eventful happenings.

So you finally learned her name, he observed.

I grunted in response.

Kate, he noted. I like it.

The rest of the pack, from hearing my thoughts all the time, loved Kate as well. They didn't share the same intensity that I had, but they already felt somewhat close. Seeing her in their heads and feeling what I felt was the catalyst to that.

He ascertained that I wouldn't be chatty tonight, so he said, I'll leave you alone. You might want it to be quiet tonight.

Thank you, I said, and my head became silent.

Running had always been one of my favorite parts about being a werewolf. I felt so free, boundless when I ran. The feel of my muscles pulling against each other was calming. Nothing could stop me once I began, but once I saw Kate's truck moving down the highway, I slowed to run alongside, grinning when I saw Kate still in the back, leaning against the back window of the cab, nodding off.

I stayed beside her until I felt we were getting close to Forks. The truck slowed down to the town speed limit and I branched off to loop around and beat them to the house and already be there when they arrived.

Kate

"Wake up, sweetie," my father crooned. "We're home."

My eyes opened slowly. The settings around me were confusing, but I soon remembered where I was, and what had happened earlier.

I was still in the back of the truck. My dad had let me stay back there on the ride home, and at some point I drifted asleep.

My father held out his hand and helped me up and out of the truck. As he gathered the fishing stuff, I clumsily made my way up the walk to the front door.

Before turning to open the door, I glanced ahead into the forest and caught sight of something familiar.

They were eyes, but I wasn't completely sure. They were looking at me, and I faintly remembered the chocolate color surrounding them from a past dream, but I couldn't quite dredge it up fully to understand.

Disregarding the whole thing together, believing it was my tiredness that was playing tricks on me, I turned the handle on the door and stepped inside.

Undressing was a hard task, but when I ascertained that I was in my nightclothes, I sunk into my welcoming bed and fell swiftly asleep, having the strange, comforting feeling that I was being watched over.

Luke

The morning came slowly. I woke when the light finally touched my eyelids through the trees and I could tell that it was late morning by the slanting of the sunlight.

Reluctantly, I lifted myself from the bed of pine needles I laid on last night, shook my fur, and sprinted for home. While I ran, it took me while to get fully awake. Running was so second nature that it was easy to keep my footing while doing so. But as the morning drowsiness wore off, I ran fast, eager to get the truck and bring Kate to La Push and have her meet the pack.