Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Twilight series-Three days later-

-Collin-

"Collin. Stop pacing, you're making me dizzy," growled Paul.

I stopped pacing. "Sorry." I muttered. I pulled out my phone and flipped it open, checking for the second time if I had left it on silent; the reason why it hadn't rang yet. Nope, it was on its loudest ring setting. I sighed and closed it shut and stuffed it back into my pocket.

"Checking your phone isn't going to make her call sooner." Brady chuckled.

I glared at him. He shrugged and looked away, turning his attention back onto the tv screen. I sighed, "I'm gonna go head home."

The pack nodded in acknowledgement but didn't take their eyes off of the screen. I heard the news reporter saying something about people going missing in Seattle. I left the house quickly; I didn't want to hear anymore. I couldn't let myself get insecure about Carolyn's safety. She was safe. Even though Jade was an incredibly annoying vampire, she was also incredibly over-protective.

I started the jeep and began the drive home. I turned on the radio and listened to a radio station that wasn't on a commercial. I didn't pay attention to the music though, I was too busy thinking about what Carolyn and I could talk about when she did call me. She looked genuine when she said she would so I didn't doubt her. A loud ring tone rang from my pocket; I jumped in surprise. I answered the phone with my heart beating quickly; I really shouldn't have put the ringer on such a loud setting.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hey, Collin," said Carolyn.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked casually.

"Mm, nothing much. I'm just behind the desk with nothing to do."

"Oh, you're at the animal center?"

"Yeah."

"The way Jade was acting I thought you were never going to be let out of your room."

Carolyn laughed. I loved her laugh. "Me too, but Aunt Cleo needed me to watch the animals for a couple of hours and Jade isn't going to do it so that leaves me," she said, somewhat smugly.

"You aren't too lonely over there, are you?"

"A bit," she admitted.

"Need some company?"

"That sounds great."

"…You aren't creeped out by the whole imprint thing?"

Carolyn chuckled as if I was being silly. "No. Should I be?" she asked in a light, joking tone.

"I don't think so."

"Cool."

"Hey, Collin?"

"Yeah?"

She hesitated, "Um, can I see what you look like…as a wolf?"

A grin spread on my face, but it then disappeared. "I won't be able to morph in Seattle. It would have to be in the woods were no one will see me."

"Oh, ok." Carolyn said; I detected a bit of disappointment in her voice.

"If you want, I could come over and when you're done we could go out and you could see me…I don't think Jade will take too kindly about that though."

"She can deal with it."

I was pleasantly surprised. "You sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. I don't know what was up with me earlier…" Carolyn trailed off.

"Just do what makes you happy."

Carolyn was quiet for a moment and then she said, "Being with you does make me happy." Her voice was barley above a whisper; the result of being embarrassed.

A large grin appeared on my face my, heart rate increased, and I felt warmth spread throughout my body. "Being with you makes me happy too."

Carolyn was quiet for another moment, "Is that because I'm your imprint?"

Her question caught me off guard, but I hastily answered, not wanting to make her anxious, "Because you're my imprint? I would love you even if you weren't."

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

"Carolyn?"

"You said you loved me."

I was about to reply when a chill went down my spine. Something was wrong. I took in a sharp breath when I saw smoke streaming in the air; coming from the area where my house was. I pressed my foot further down onto the gas pedal; lurching the car forward. "Carolyn, something's come up and I don't think I'll be able to come over tonight."

She heard the alarm in my voice. "Is everything okay?" she asked, worry colored her tone. My house came into view, and it was definitely on fire. Orange flames licked the windows; blocking the inside of the house from sight. I parked my car on the road; I didn't want to risk the car catching fire in the driveway. I stepped out, the phone still to my ear. Part of the house caved in, making a loud crashing noise. "Collin? What was that noise?"

I swore when I remembered that Ginger was still inside. I closed the phone and shoved it into my pocket and ran towards the burning house. I could felt the heat radiating from the structure as I got closer. I took a deep breath and then kicked the door open and jumped back quickly. Flames reached out, but missed me. The heat was more intense, but it didn't bother me too much; I was used to it because of all of the bonfires I had attended. I took a deep breath and dashed inside. The heat was extreme, but I crouched low and tried to ignore it. Being tall had its disadvantages; there was the higher risk of inhaling too much smoke. It suddenly felt strange to move; I looked down and saw that the soles of my shoes were melting. I quickly took them off; I needed to be able to move quickly –slipping on melted rubber wasn't going to help me much. "Ginger!" I called out in hopes of getting a reply. I strained my ears to hear any recognition. I heard a quiet meow from upstairs.

I hurried up the burning staircase, trying to not pay attention to the fact that I was receiving burns. A stair that was on fire collapsed beneath me, but thanks to my quick reflexes I was able to move to the next stair. I reached the upper level and I was close to suffocation. The heat was so extreme and it made it hard to breathe; the smoke didn't help either. "Ginger!" I called again. I accidentally inhaled some ash and began to cough. A meow came from my room. I ran over an opened the door; burning my hand on the metal handle. I pulled my hand quickly back out of instinct to avoid further damage. I took a deep breath, which did the opposite to relax me since I only got ash and smoke in my lungs, making me cough once more. I covered my mouth with one hand and used the other to quickly open the door. Flames shot out, at the surge of oxygen; I shielded my face with my arms and then stepped inside.

It was strange to see my room on fire. All physical representations of my memories –burning in front of my eyes. A picture frame that sat on my desk was turning black from the fire; the image of my mom, dad and a ten year old me had vanished. I felt a wave of remorse, but then I remembered that there was a life much more important than the my objects from the past. "Ginger!" I saw the small orange cat in the corner next to my guitar; she had her ears flat and her eyes were wide in terror. I rushed over to her and picked her up. Ginger meowed softly; she was shivering and I could tell that she was in shock.

I exited my room; leaving all belongings behind. I jumped the flight of stairs and landed expertly on my feet. I looked out of a window that had not totally blackened and saw that it was raining outside. Good. That meant that the flames would go out in a few hours. I headed for the door. There was a cracking sound above me; I knew what it was and I knew that I didn't have time to get out of the way. I tossed Ginger out of the open front door as the roof came falling down. I felt the impact of the collapsing ceiling and then another impact as I hit the floor. Everything went into a burst of color and then a pitch black.

"What do you want?" I asked the vampire female in front of me.

"Stay away from Carolyn," said Jade; her eyes were filled with determination and another emotion that I couldn't place.

"What happens between me and Carolyn is none of your business."

Jade sighed, "Look mutt, this isn't about you being a werewolf."

"Then what is it about?"

"If Carolyn stays with you, she will get hurt."

"I would never hurt her."

"I never said I was talking about you."

My eyes narrowed, but my heart froze over with fear. "There's someone else, isn't there?"

Jade nodded.

"Tell me."

Jade shook her head. "I honestly wish I could, but I can't. Just stay away from her and keep her away from you. Things are going to get messy very soon."

"Jade, tell me what the hell you are talking about!"

"The fire was just the beginning -a warning."

"That doesn't tell me shit! Stop giving me the cryptic crap and tell me!"

Jade gave me a sad smile, "Your pack is calling you."

Her image blurred and then disappeared completely. All of a sudden, I was in searing hot pain. My body ached and felt hotter than ever. I couldn't breathe; a heavy weight was on my chest, crushing my lungs. There was a taste blood and ash in my mouth. The scent of burning wood was overpowering and it made my head spin -something that I did not need. My ears then began to work; I could hear yelling but I couldn't register what was being said. The voices sounded familiar; low and loud. I moaned. Damn my entire body hurt. I then heard desperate meowing and the sound of rain. The voices came closer. The sound of objects being frantically pushed out of the way got louder as the people drew nearer. Couldn't they hurry up? Maybe bring me some hot dog sized dosage of Tylenol with them? A cat meowed again. The people were very close now and I could now register what they were saying.

"I think the cat is saying that he's here."

"Quil stop messing around!" hissed a voice.

"Leah, I seriously think he's right here. It can't hurt to check."

There seemed to be a silent agreement because weight was pulled off of my chest. I gasped for air, but I inhaled ash and began to cough. Each cough brought a sharp pain in my chest and abdomen, as well a painful throb to my head. I felt strong hands pull me up, I was coughing too hard to open my eyes and see who. The pack was talking to me, I was sure, but their voices became a low hum and the sounds soon died away. I fell into unconsciousness once again, embracing the numbness that slumber brought.

I opened my eyes. I saw an unfamiliar ceiling. I sat up, wincing at the pain.

"Collin." Sam breathed out in relief. I saw the other pack members looking just as relieved.

"How do you feel?" Seth asked tentatively.

"Like crap." I chuckled, and then winced. It hurt to laugh. I really shouldn't do that. "What's the damage?"

"A concussion. A few broken ribs. Some internal bleeding. As well as scrapes and burns all over," answered a blonde vampire.

"Oh, you're here…um, thanks Dr. Cullen."

Dr. Cullen smiled, "Its Carlisle."

"Okay."

"You would have died if it weren't for your genetics. Just try not to morph if you can help it. Relax for a day or two. "

"Hmm. Where's Ginger?"

"Ginger?" Carlisle asked, looking confused.

"My cat. She's the reason why I went into the stupid house."

Carlisle chuckled and pointed. I looked over to my left, curled up beside me was a sleeping orange ball of fur. Ginger had some singed hairs, but she looked fine other than that.

"That cat has issues," grumbled Paul. "It tried to kill me when I picked her up."

I laughed, but then stopped when pain stabbed at my ribs. "She doesn't like to be held."

"I wasn't trying to hold her; I was trying to get her away from you while you slept. She kept pawing at you trying to wake you up."

"She's an impatient cat."

"Frick' man. Since when do you have a cat?" Embry asked.

"I adopted her from Carolyn's Aunt's animal shelter."

"Why did you do that?"

"Carolyn asked me to."

"You're whipped." Paul rolled his eyes.

"Just you wait, Paul. Just you wait."

Paul opened his mouth, but Sam cut him off, "That's enough. Collin needs his rest."

"You're awake," said Billy, wheeling himself into the room.

"Am I at you're house?" I asked.

"In my bed too," said Jake.

"I've got some…troubling news, Collin." Billy said. He looked older than ever, as there were shadows under his eyes from sleepless nights.

My heart sputtered at his words and went into a frenzy. The surge of blood gave me a head ache. "What is it?" I asked, my sounding voice hoarse.

"Your mother is on her way."

This is the end of this chapter. I hope you liked it…a sweet moment between Carolyn and Collin will happen. I'm kinda delaying that though because drama is a strongpoint of mine, while romance isn't. I get embarrassed when I try to type it. lol, sad isn't it? I mean, what the heck am I doing writing an imprint story if I can't do romance? I don't know, but I'm going to try. Thank you for all of the reviews, I really appreciated them. For those who put this story on your story alerts…..please review as well. It won't kill you -I promise. Lol.