Reluctant Imprint

Tragedy

My father left the house when I was only eight years old. I remember my mother and father constantly arguing, the screaming and yelling at each other on the days that led to him leaving the house. The last memory I have of him is of his back as he walked away, holding the duffel bag over his arm and the teddy bear I gave him to remember me, in his left hand. Lynn, Leighton, and I watched from the attic window. It's where we went whenever Mom and Dad argued. I didn't like the screaming. It made Leighton angry, and Lynn always cried.

I remember waiting every evening for him. I would save him some of my food, because I knew that he would return hungry. He often left for weeks at a time, but he always came back. This time, he did not. I waited for days, a month, perhaps, but he never came. The food I saved for him, would spoil, and Mom would get mad at me. She changed after he left. She was never a good mother to begin with, but at least we were never covered in bruises. She began to drink. At first, she would come home and crash on the sofa. But as the years passed, she resented us and became violent. She blamed us for her mistakes, for her failed marriage, and for our father's faults. She began to hit us for every little thing we did wrong. If we were five minutes late from school, she would punish us. If Lynn cried or wet her bed, we would get spanked. Leighton, my older brother, took the brunt of most of it. He would get between our Mom and us to protect Lynn and me. It almost became a routine at our house. Mom became an expert, she knew where to hit. She made sure that the bruises would be covered, so no one at school would know that she was abusing us.

Things changed as Leighton got taller and stronger. In fact, we all changed. We became distant, each of my siblings drifting in separate directions. None of their paths crossed mine. I wasn't wanted. It was lonely being at home. Leighton met Erika when he started community college. Lynn spiraled out of control the moment she entered high school. I became depressed, sinking down a dark hole of agony. I tried very hard to live, but I wasn't living. I was surviving, because until the moment that I met Paul, I wasn't alive. After Paul came into my life, things began to slowly look brighter. I had something to look forward to. New emotions sprung forth – hope, desire... love. His kindness and even his roughness attracted me to him. I loved his carefree persona. He was a bad boy. Who doesn't love a bad boy? Paul was amazing - is amazing! He rode motorcycles, cursed like a sailor, and got into many fights to count with my fingers. He was rough, but whenever I was around him, he was gentle. Whenever he held me closed in his arms, I felt like I found that peaceful place – my place in the world - a place where I finally belonged.

Our friendship slowly progressed into something so beautiful. I knew from the moment that I first saw Paul that it would be hard not fall for him. I tried so hard not to let my heart go after his. I tried not let myself be tangled in the turmoil of emotions that he inspired within me. I tried hard not to love him, but he made it so easily for me to fall. His touches, and kisses awoken unfamiliar emotions and feelings. I felt head over heels in love with him.

At first, it all seemed so right. The more time I spent with him, the truer my feelings for him became. I loved him with every ounce and fiber of my being. He was my one and only love. I was willing to accept the fact that a mystical force brought us together. I was willing to accept everything about him. I was desperate to believe that I was meant to be with someone like Paul. Every day that I glanced in the mirror, I questioned what he saw in me. I felt elated to know that he might see some good quality in me, and that was why he chose to be with me.

"You don't want me?" I asked, slowly pronouncing each word.

He didn't understand my question. Paul continued rambling on about how he didn't want to be with me, but finally accepted his destiny. He just settled with someone like me.

"You didn't want me?" I asked again, snatching my hand away. Just like my parents, the world; Paul didn't want me. If he knew how much that hurt! "You didn't want me, either? You didn't want to be with me. Am I that undesirable?" I asked.

"No! That's not what I mean," he said carefully. His sorrowful expression pierced my heart. I wanted to erase the pain from his eyes. I wanted his smile to return. "No, that's not what I meant," he said, touching my lap. "You don't understand. I meant –"

"You've said enough, Paul," I said, accepting my fucked up future. "I understand. I'm not good enough for you."

"You are wrong! You are perfect for me. You are the best thing in my life. You don't get it! Let me finish, will you?"

"Yes, I understand." I nodded angrily. "You didn't want me. You are forced to be with me, so you gave up and accepted your destiny. I need to go."

He raked his fingers through his hair and cursed. "You came with me, remember?"

"Can we go and pick up Lynn now? I want to go home, please," I asked. I wanted to get away from here. Being with Paul was too much at the moment.

"What about the bonfire?"

"I don't care about it. I just – I want to get away, please. I want my sister." I said.

I searched my pocket for my cell phone. I had this strange urge to be with Lynn. I needed her – or perhaps she needed me. Whatever may be the reason, I desperately wanted Marilynn. The phone began to ring, and I sighed, when I saw the familiar number on the screen.

"Lennox," a strange, struggling voice spoke in the other line.

"Lynn?" I asked confused.

"No, it's Keena," she sobbed. "Marilynn is dead!"

"What happened - Keena? Why are you calling me?"

"Marilynn got hurt. I think that she is dead," she said firmly.

My mouth fell open, and I forced myself to gulp. "Is she okay? Keena!" I demanded. I couldn't understand what she was saying. All her words were muffled by the sound of screams in the background. "Stop crying and tell me... is my sister okay?"

"I don't know! She's unresponsive!" Keena managed to shout.

"What do you mean that you don't know?" I wept. The numbness in my legs caused me to fall on my knees. The tears were falling down my face. I looked around, praying that I didn't see Marilynn's specter beside me. A sighed escaped my lips, when all I saw was Paul staring worriedly at me.

"Lennox, what happened?" he asked concerned and moved closer. I couldn't reply. He knelt beside me, placing an arm under my knees and another under my neck and gently scooped me in his arms, and settled me on his legs. Somehow, he managed to remove the cell phone out of my hand. He held me tightly next to him, as he shouted into the phone. I wanted to pry the phone out of his hands, but I couldn't get my body to move. I closed my eyes and silently prayed for Lynn. The sound of howls in the distance frightened me, but I was safe in Paul's arms.

"You'll be fine, princess," Paul said, as he kissed away the tears from my face. "You'll be fine." He said, moving me closer into his embrace. He began to walk, but came to a sudden halt. He tightened his grip and slowly lowered me. "Don't be afraid." He warned me.

I tried to follow his line of vision, but the cloud of tears made it impossible to discern what was in front of me. I wiped the tears and gasped when I saw the wolf coming closer to us.

"He won't hurt you," Paul said with a scowl. A loud growl came from behind us, and I jumped. "Relax. It's only Sam –"

I clutched tightly to Paul and hid my face in his chest. I wanted to disappear and teleport to where Lynn was. "Take me out of here, please," I begged him, gripping tightly to the fabric of his shirt. "Get me out of here. I want to be with Lynn."

"And you will," Paul said soothingly, as he caressed my back and hid his face in the crook of my neck. "She'll be fine. You will be too." he reassured me.

Sam's black wolf form was several feet from us. I forced myself to look at the scenario before me, but I couldn't understand. There, in front of us, was a wolf kneeling on the floor, whimpering submissively.

"Sam is his Alpha," Paul explained. "The new wolf has to obey his Alpha,"

"I want Marilynn! Something happened to my sister," I said, looking away from the wolves. "I need to be with her."

I felt a hot, humid breath over my back that made my skin prickled. I slowly glanced over my shoulder and found another wolf breathing down my neck. I tensed, and flushed my body closer to Paul.

"I gotta get out of here," I sniffled into Paul's shirt.

"Move back, Embry! You are crowding her," Paul commanded. Embry's wolf form took a step back, but it nipped my jacket and pulled me away from Paul. "What the fuck are you doing, Embry!" Paul demanded angrily; as he yanked me back in to his arms.

"You have to get her out of here," Sam said in his booming voice. I didn't see him phase, but I knew it was him speaking. "Embry knows where Keena lives. He'll guide you there. You'll find her sister there. Hurry up. I'll get the elders."

"Okay," Paul said, furrowing his brows. Gingerly, Paul put me down. "Can you walk?" he asked me.

I nodded and looked over at the submissive wolf, hiding its face behind its front paws. I wanted to question Sam, but Paul was dragging me away from Sam and the other wolves. I was in a daze. I couldn't reason at the moment. Everything was happening too fast. Perhaps, Paul had been right. I didn't need to know too much about the wolves and their mystical powers and legends. I was fine with what I knew of Paul. There were vampires. Paul was a wolf, he killed them – and that was it. Things weren't too complicated then.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked, when Paul sat behind the wheel.

"To Keena's house," Paul said tensely. "Let me handle this, okay?"

"Why? What aren't you telling me?"

"I don't know what happened exactly, but I have an idea," he said, as he peeled out of the front yard. He sped down the empty road. I don't know how he knew where Keena lived. But somehow, Paul knew what I was thinking. "Embry is running along the side of the road," he explained, as he pointed toward the foliage. "He is hidden by the darkness and the trees."

I nodded, forcing my eyes to see beyond the darkness. The ride to Keena's house seemed eternal. I tugged at the seatbelt and shifted in my seat. "We are almost there," Paul said, and touched my hand. I snatched it away and turned to face the window.

"Okay," I whispered.

When Paul parked across Keena's house, I bolted out of the Jeep. The cold win blew, as I approached the house. The front door was opened, and I could hear the commotion coming from the backyard. I ran as fast as I could. I spotted Lynn's leg from a few yards away. She was lying on the cold grass, surrounded by a few of her friends. I moved closer, and pushed passed the people around her.

"Move!" I ordered, as I pressed my way into the middle of the crowd. "Give her space!"

"Lennox," Keena was holding my sister's head in her lap. "It happened too fast. She was out here with Thane." She sobbed. "An animal came from the woods and took Thane. It also hurt her. No one saw how it happened. We just heard Lynn screaming... and when we came out to see..." Keena trailed off. "Marilynn was covered in blood."

I inspected my sister. Her eyes were closed and her shirt had been ripped. Her breathing was sporadic and her pulse was slow. Blood was oozing down her shoulder, left arm and her hair was sprawled over Keena's lap. I took off my belt and wrapped it tightly around her arm.

"Did you call for help?" I asked. "Are they on their way here?"

"No," Keena shook her head. "I didn't call for help. I called you. I only called you."

"Why not?" I asked aghast.

"We are minors. We were drinking and smoking," she said shamefully. "I'm sorry. I don't want my parents to get into legal troubles."

"You are such a bitch! My sister could be dying and all you care about is – I hate you. You are not her friend." I shouted angrily. I launched forward, but Paul's arms caged me in. "Let me go! Let me rip that bitch's head off!"

"She's not worth it. Come on. Let me help you. We need to get her out of here. Let's drive her to the hospital." He said, and slowly released me. "Lynn is more important. Later, you can rip her head and limps off. But right now, Lynn is more important. Got it?"

"Yes. Yes." I nodded and looked back. "What the fuck are y'all looking at?" I shouted, as I looked around. Paul gently picked Lynn's body off the ground. Her bloody hand dangled, as Paul moved.

"Come on," he said solemnly. "We don't have much time."

I nodded and clenched my feet as I trekked after him. Paul took long strides. I tried to keep up. We made it to the Jeep. Embry was waiting for us. Paul instructed me to get in the backseat. "You get in the front seat and explain what the hell happened."

"Okay," Embry said, as he clambered in the front seat.

"Hold her head." Paul instructed me. "Keep pressure on the wound on her shoulder. I think she severed a vein. She'll be fine. We'll take her to the hospital," he reassured me again and slammed the door. He quickly got in the Jeep and headed to the hospital.