Thank you for reviewing! DarkFireAngel00 – thank you so much! I know…the debate is still there for me too, Kim is independent and not someone to just drop everything but then Jared is struggling with this too and won't want her to change her dreams entirely for him either. Hope I keep doing them justice for you!

KPOV:

I was amazed that I managed to sleep at all last night, but I had, in fact, slept for almost ten hours straight. It was like I'd been drugged. I had sat crying on the floor of my hall for what felt like hours but was only a couple of minutes, before dragging myself up and into bed. I passed out the second my head hit the pillow and my dreams were filled with swirling images of animals and fighting warriors and cold men.

It took me a few seconds this morning to remember what had happened, what I'd experienced. In the day light it seemed even more ridiculous than it had done last night, with the low voices and the flames creating magic in front of my eyes.

I'd checked my phone and expected to see a missed call or a text or something from Jared, but there was nothing. I know I'd hurt his feelings when I didn't want him to take me home, but he'd seemed terrifying to me for a split second whereas having Rachel around had been calming.

Whilst a couple of my questions had indeed been answered, they had been replaced by a hundred new ones. Not least, why the hell had he entrusted me with this information about him? Was this common knowledge amongst the town? Did everyone but me know about the pack?

I shuddered inwardly at the word. It was exactly the right way to describe that group of men though. The way they communicated, the protectiveness…that all made sense now.

I made my way downstairs, expecting to see my mom but instead found a note on the counter.

Kim, I've gone to Port Angeles to run some errands and see a friend for lunch. Back by the evening.

Great. My mom's one day off in the week and she preferred to spend it with someone else. I could really have done with seeing her today, her stilted conversations would actually have been a good distraction.

I contemplated calling Tokala, but I really couldn't stomach seeing him either. I actually didn't think there was anyone I wanted to see today.

I felt a tug in the pit of my stomach and blew the air out of my cheeks heavily. Okay that was a lie. There was one person I wanted to see.

As if on cue there was a loud knocking on my front door and I almost jumped out of my own skin. I cast a look at myself in the hallway mirror and sighed. My hair looked like a small animal had made its home on my head, my eyes were blood shot, I was wearing a stained oversized T-shirt and an old pair of pyjama shorts. I was a mess.

I took a deep breath in as I prepared to open the door. Don't freak out Kim. It's just Jared, he's the same as he was before yesterday.

I closed my eyes for a second and then tentatively pulled open the door. I cracked my eyes open and then blinked a few times in shock. There was a tall, dark and muscly man on my doorstep, but it was not the tall, dark and muscly man that I was expecting.

I swallowed heavily, feeling more nervous by the second.

'Um…hi?' I croaked out.

'Hello Kim. Would you take a walk with me?'

Sam was looking down at me like a father might look at his daughter who'd been caught sneaking out of the house at night. Worried, disappointed, slightly bemused.

I could barely speak. He was huge. He was the largest one of all the guys and he commanded respect just by the way he stood. Arms folded, chest back, straight as a rod. I didn't think his question was a question, more of an order.

I nodded without even meaning to but didn't move.

He cast his gaze quickly over me and smiled slightly. 'Perhaps you should get changed?'

I blushed immediately and nodded again. I didn't know if he wanted to come in or wait for me outside and I turned to ask him when he quickly spoke again. 'I'll be waiting here for you.'

I shut the door gently and ran up to my room, half hyperventilating as I threw my hair into a high ponytail and splashed some water in my face. I yanked on jeans and a jumper, not caring how I looked today, and took a deep breath.

The only think keeping me from being totally petrified was the fact that he was getting married to Emily, who was one of the kindest and most gentle people I'd ever met. They told you their secret willingly, I kept reminding myself.

I walked downstairs and pulled on some boots again and steadied my breathing before opening the door. I shoved my phone and keys in my pocket as I stepped out to meet him.

He smiled again and nodded once, waiting for me to join him on the sidewalk outside my house, before turning and striding towards the end of the road.

He said nothing as we made it onto a path that started to lead into the words.

I cleared my throat, 'You're not going to kill me, are you?' I tried to make it sound like a joke, but my words came out an octave higher than usual and I almost choked as I began to speak.

Sam raised an eyebrow at me and shook his head, that same bemused smirk plastered on his face.

'I came to see how you were coping, after hearing everything last night.'

I nodded vigorously, 'Yeah…totally fine honestly, really great, I won't tell anyone else if that's what you're worried about, honestly, all good here!' the more I spoke, the more unhinged I sounded.

He laughed gently, 'Right.' He continued a few steps before he turned to me again. 'Emily actually ran away from me, screaming, when I first told her what I could do. You're actually handling this very well even if you are panicking.'

I offered him half a smile and nodded, 'It's…a lot.'

He shrugged, 'We know. It's a lot to learn about. It's a lot to live through too.'

I stopped in my tracks. I hadn't even thought about that. I'd been so caught up in how crazy and mental the stories had been and the utterly unbelievable idea that people I'd grown up with and gone to school with could turn into wolves, that I hadn't even thought about what it had been like for them.

I felt awful.

'It must be terrifying for you guys.'

Sam's eyes sparkled as he started to walk again, and I followed. 'It was, at the beginning. I was the first one and had no idea at all about what to expect, what it meant. Chief Black found me and helped me, taught me about the legends. Paul phased a few months after me and then Jared and Embry this spring. The rest of the guys have joined in the last couple of weeks.'

I said nothing, just stared at him as we picked our way along a path that seemed to wind and twist its way along a stream.

'I'm the Alpha of the pack Kim, the leader. It's my job to help the others, to point them in the right direction. My priority is keeping our people safe.'

I nodded again, it made sense; his stature, his calm voice, the way he carried himself.

We were quiet for a few minutes before I managed to formulate words that made sense again.

'So, what do you guys…do?'

He chuckled slightly, 'You mean, what's the day job?'

I blushed slightly.

'We help out around the reservation, look out for everyone. I run a mechanic shop and garage and the guys help out. But mainly, we're here to protect you from danger, from enemies. We patrol the whole reservation, day and night.'

I shivered and he looked at me. 'The Cold Ones?'

He nodded, 'Kim, have you understood what they are?'

I paused for a second and then shook my head.

'Vampires. The Cold Ones are what you would know as Vampires.'

I stopped dead in my tracks this time and almost laughed. Then I remembered the nature of this very conversation and let the laughter go. Hell, I'd found out a large number of my peers could turn into wolves last night, what's to say every other mythical creature wasn't also real?

'Like…with fangs?'

Sam cast me a look. 'Not exactly fangs, but an entire set of razor-sharp teeth. They have blood red eyes, skin freezing cold and pale. Their strength is unmatched to anything but ours. They're evil, Kim, completely insidious.'

His words were spoken softly but I could hear the hatred, the pure venom behind them. I didn't understand but I felt it. The fear, the way he spoke about them. I shivered slightly.

He smiled again, 'But that's where we come in. We're the one thing they're afraid of. Their only enemy.'

I nodded again, still completely bewildered.

We carried on walking once more, another question forming in my mind.

'Sam?' I called out, he turned to me but kept going along the path. 'Why tell me all this? I mean, I'm not trying to sound rude or ungrateful or anything, but why was I invited yesterday?'

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair as we stepped into a clearing.

'That's something I'm going to leave for Jared to explain to you.' He nodded his head in the direction of a house that sat nestled close to the trees on the other side of the expanse of grass. A large wooden porch wrapped around it, and the front door was swung open.

I could hear voices and laughter and felt instantly relaxed.

I blushed at the mere mention of Jared's name.

Sam cast me a knowing look before leading the way towards the house. As we neared the porch, he turned to me.

'Wait here,' he muttered. I did as I was told.

He leapt up the stairs and entered the house. A moment later Jared appeared on the porch in front of me. He looked completely shocked to see me as he walked slowly down the steps. His eyes had dark circles under them, as if he'd not slept at all. He cheekbones seemed to protrude more than normal; his hair was standing on end. He was still completely and utterly gorgeous.

He stopped in front of me and I offered him a small smile. 'Hi.'

JPOV

'Hi.'

With that one word I almost broke down. Just seeing Kim here, stood in front of me, was too much to bear right now. I'd been so sure, so completely sure, that she'd never come near me again, that she wanted nothing to do with me. I had seen the terror in her eyes as she'd backed away from me yesterday, and it felt like my heart had been ripped from its chest.

I'd wanted nothing more than to follow her, to go straight to her house, to be there this morning, but Sam had forbidden it. He had Alpha'd me. I was furious but he was unwavering. He had claimed that I was too volatile, too emotional.

Seeing Kim's big dark eyes peering up at me know, I knew he'd been right.

'Hey.' I breathed. I could barely form words in her presence at the best of times, this was excruciating. I needed to know what she was thinking, how she felt about me now knowing what I was. I shoved my hands in my pockets and nodded to the other side of the clearing.

Kim seemed to understand what I meant because she followed me, keeping at least a foot distance between us. I sighed. She was still utterly terrified.

'So,' she broke the silence when we reached an overturned tree stump on the edge of the forest, 'You can turn into a wolf?'

I nodded slowly. She stared at me for a minute as I found myself being sucked into her gaze. She really was mesmerising; her beauty quite literally took my breath away. Her dark hair was pulled up into a tight ponytail, accentuating her sharp cheek bones and thick plush lips. Long, black eyelashes framed her deep eyes, as I found myself falling, melting into them.

Her delicate hands were splayed on the tree she sat on, keeping herself upright. I wanted nothing more than to grab her and hold her to me, promise her that I'd keep her safe forever. I stayed still.

She looked up to the sky for a second then back at me. 'Can I see?'

My heart stopped. Was she fucking crazy? There was no way in hell I was going to phase into a gigantic fucking wolf in front of my imprint. No way I was going to put her in harm's way like that.

I shook my head swiftly, 'Kim, no. It's dangerous. You could get hurt.'

She said nothing, just looked at me.

'Seriously, Kim. I can't…I can't have you see me like that. Like I'm a monster. I saw how scared you were last night; I can't be the one who scares you even more.' I was begging her now.

She glanced down at her lap then back up at my face. Her eyes seemed as big as saucers as they stared up at me, emotions swimming in them, I was drowning. Her voice was so soft, so fragile when she finally spoke again that I was almost brought to my knees.

'Please Jared?'

I felt like I'd been sucker punched. I know the other guys teased that there was nothing you could do when your imprint asked for something, and I'd always thought they were just whipped but this was unreal. My chest constricted, my wolf snapping on the inside, furious with me as I clenched my fists. Her voice, her eyes, her face. I couldn't say no. I couldn't deny her anything. I would walk to the ends of the earth if she asked me to.

I sighed and rubbed my hands over my face, nodding slowly.

'Sam.' I called out hoarsely, knowing he would hear me from inside the house. He appeared a few seconds later and made eye contact with me as he nodded. He stayed where he was on the porch, but I felt better knowing he was there when Kim would inevitably run as far from me as possible once she saw me shift.

Kim glanced at him then back at me, as I heard her heartrate speed up.

I backed away from her slowly, shedding my top as I went. I removed my shorts and underwear behind a tree and took a deep steadying breath. I let my mind go blank and within seconds I twisted, landing on the ground on four paws.

I stood still for a moment before slowly starting to move through the trees to where she was sitting. I tried to make myself as small as possible as I approached her. I heard her breathing quicken, catching in her throat as all the colour drained from her beautiful face.

I let out a whine and crouched to the floor, this was physically painful for me. It went against everything to be the one to cause her discomfort, to frighten her.

Her hands were gripping the tree trunk so tightly I thought they were going to break through the wood. She barely blinked, just sat there staring at me as I stared back. Her eyes were connected to mine, my wolf was ecstatic at seeing her so close, at having her be here.

I don't know how long we sat like that; I didn't care. I made sure to hardly move as I breathed in and out through my nose, careful not to show any teeth, any claws.

After what felt like a lifetime, Kim slowly slid off the tree trunk and started to move towards me. She took a few steps, swaying slightly on her feet and then stopped. She looked at me and I sensed what she wanted. She wanted me to come to her.

As slowly as I could, I raised myself to my haunches and then onto my feet. I stood there for a minute, and then padded quietly towards her. I stopped as close as I dared, when she closed her eyes and pressed her fingers to her temples.

'Holy fuck.' She whispered.

I let out a snort and her eyes flew open. 'Fuck.' She repeated. 'Fuck, Jared?'

I nodded my head purposefully up and down.

'Can I touch you?'

I nodded again.

She took a second, then stepped towards me and reached her hand out. So gently, and so tenderly, she ran the back of her fingers down my nose. I closed my eyes as a calmness descended, washing through my entire body. Being touched like this by Kim, was heaven.

She continued this pattern for a few minutes and then trailed her hand through the thick fur on the side of my head and over my shoulders. My chest was rumbling with pleasure as she scratched behind my ear.

She leant her head gently against my side and I tried not to freeze up. It was crazy that she was more open, more tactile with me as a wolf than as a human, but I would take whatever contact I could get.

'This isn't happening.' I heard her whisper into my fur. 'This really isn't happening.'

I moved my head slightly, trying to press her further into my side as she laughed slightly. Her voice thick and heavy, she was about to cry. 'Fuck.'

I rubbed my head slowly along her arm, trying to reach as much of her as possible without totally overwhelming her. I wanted to phase back there and then and wrap her against my chest, but I had a feeling she wouldn't allow it. This was more intimate, more magical, than I'd dared to dream about.

She really was amazing. I thought she'd scream, cry, maybe throw something. These were the reactions of Emily and Rachel, but Kim was different. She was strong and calm and just totally and utterly perfect. I was falling for her harder and faster than I'd thought possible, and having her here with me in this form, was making it even more impossible to fight.

We stayed like that for a few minutes longer until I started to pull backwards. I was itching to phase back, to speak to her. Kim loosened her grip in my fur and stepped away. I moved slowly, keeping eye contact with her as I slunk behind the trees again. I phased as quickly as possible and threw my clothes back on.

Kim was sat back on the stump with her eyes closed and her face towards the sky. I stopped for a second just drinking her in. The sun was streaming through the trees and bouncing off her delicate face, her brows were creased slightly in the middle and she was breathing deeply in through her nose and out through her mouth. She was trying so hard to stay calm and it made my heart hurt.

I cleared my throat, and she opened her eyes to look at me again, I could feel my own filling with tears, and I willed them not to spill over. This was more intense, more powerful than I'd anticipated. I swallowed heavily before I trusted my voice to work.

'Are you okay?'

She stared at me, her mouth opening and closing a few times before she finally blew out heavily and replied, 'I think so. This is…this is just so much to take in. You're just…you're a wolf.'

I nodded and ran my hands over my face, I was physically aching to reach out and touch her, my body shaking with the effort of staying still. I was trying to be cautious, to get her used to being around me again.

'Sam said you're here to protect us. Against vampires?'

I sucked in a breath, just hearing her say the word made me angry, my head was reeling with the idea she even knew what they were. I'd have been happier her living her life without ever having to find out about the bloodsuckers but that wasn't how our story was supposed to go.

I took half a step closer to her and shoved my hands into my pockets, I needed to do something with them to stop them from stroking a stray hair that had escaped from her pony tail, behind her ear.

'That's why we exist Kim. To protect you, the reservation, from harm. We're not easily hurt, our bones heal within hours, we can't really die…' I trailed off as her eyes widened.

'You're immortal?' Her voice was barely a whisper as she spoke again.

I shrugged, 'Technically yes, as long as we keep phasing. We think it's the phasing, the shifting in and out of wolf form, that keeps us from aging. A lot of the side effects are the same in wolf and human form, we're faster and stronger, we can hear and smell and see from much further away. We grow.'

She a raised an eyebrow when I said that. 'Is that why you all went off sick and came back looking like MMA fighters?'

I laughed, 'Yeah, pretty much.'

I was pretty blown away with how she was handling it so far, especially for someone who had no idea about the stories before yesterday. I'd felt sick all day in the lead up to the bonfire, seriously regretting inviting her but desperate for her to learn about us at the same time.

I knew the others were worried about how I'd be, Sam had asked Embry and Brady to physically restrain me if I started to lose it, Paul and Jacob had made sure they were by Kim's side the entire time, to gauge how she was taking it. It was amazing how caring the others were towards her, but I knew how they felt. We were all connected to the imprints, we knew what it would do to our brothers if anything happened to them, they were to be protected above all others.

When she had almost passed out, I'd been beside myself, but Billy had remained calm. He thought she was being reconnected to the Spirits, to allow it to happen. It hurt, so badly, when she'd shied away from me, I'd almost lost control there and then. Now, having her in front of me again, I knew I needed to explain everything in one go, to let her know about the imprinting so I wasn't keeping anything else from her.

'There's something else you need to know.' I began, stepping closer to her. Her breathing started to quicken again as I breathed in her scent, steadying myself. Her eyes were staring up at me, so big and so vulnerable that this time I did crumple. I lowered myself to the ground, so I was crouching in front of her and stared at the earth for a second before meeting her gaze.

'When we phase, something happens to some of us, something that connects us to other people.'

Kim was staring at me with concern now as I knelt in front of her, she said nothing, but I could hear and feel how her body was reacting, she was getting scared again.

I inhaled slowly and tried to continue, drawing on the conversations the others had had to try and package it the best way for her.

'It doesn't happen to everyone, as far as we know, and it's quite amazing really.'

'Jared,' she croaked out, 'Just tell me.'

I nodded and ran my hands through my hair a few times, this was so so much harder than I thought it would be.

'It's called Imprinting.' I began, 'It happens when we meet the person who centres us to the Universe, who our wolf knows is our soul mate.' I cast my eyes towards her and continued. 'It's unlike anything else in the world, you're pulled to this person, you'd do anything for her, be anything she needs, protect her against anything. Your whole word shifts the second you look into her eyes, it's…life changing.' I took a deep breath and held her gaze with mine.

Kim was looking at me intently, her own breath coming out in short bursts as her hands clenched against the tree again.

'You…you sound like you've experienced this.'

I nodded slowly, 'I have.' I closed my eyes as I barely managed to stutter out my next works, 'Kim, I imprinted on you.'

'You imprinted on me?' she repeated, so softly I barely heard her.

'Yeah, yes. I did. I'm sorry.'

'Why are you sorry?'

I shrugged, burying my head in my hands where I was still crouched on the floor. 'It's not fair to just put this all on you in one go.' I looked up at her, as earnestly as I could, 'I have no expectations Kim, there's no pressure, I don't need you to do anything or…or change or anything.'

She nodded and lowered her eyes, a slight blush starting to spread up her cheeks, 'Is that why I feel different with you?'

I tried to hold back the smile at her admission and just looked up at her.

She sighed and nodded to herself again. 'What…what does it mean? Do I need to do anything?'

I shook my head and stood straight up again, as slow as I could. I didn't want to do anything that could startle her. 'No Kim, please believe me, I don't want you to feel any pressure, to do anything.'

She was silent for a while as she chewed her lip in her teeth. I wanted to smooth my thumb across it, to kiss her to stop her from biting it but I just pinched the bridge of my nose between my fingers to stop myself.

'Has it happened to anyone else?'

I smiled slightly at her, 'It has. Sam and Emily and Paul and Rachel.' I paused for a second, 'And Quil and Claire.'

Her eyes shot up, blazing at me, 'What?' she whispered, her voice catching in her throat.

I held my hands out to placate her, 'No Kim! It's not what you're thinking at all, Quil he… he'd rather die than hurt her. We all would, we wouldn't let him be around her if it was anything else. He's her big brother, her protector, that's all. It's all about the imprint, whatever they need.'

I could see her turning everything over in her head and I stayed silent. Finally, she slowly spoke again.

'So, this…this imprinting, it doesn't have to be romantic? It can just be friends?'

I swallowed heavily, my heart pounding against my chest as I wanted to grab her and hold her close to me, tell her that no it's not just friends for me, it's total and utter adoration, it's more love than you ever thought you were capable of feeling, but instead I steadied my voice and tried to reply as calmly as I could,

'It's whatever you want Kim, whatever you need.'

She seemed happier with this which about broke my heart, 'Okay.' She said, blowing the air out of her cheeks, 'Okay…I think I can handle that.'

I reached my hands out towards her and then stopped myself. She looked so small and delicate sat on the tree stump that I couldn't fight the urge any longer. She seemed to understand my inner battle as she slowly slid off her seat and stood to face me. Our eyes connected as she floated towards me, closing the distance in two of her small steps.

My breath was stuck in my throat as she stopped a few inches from me, I was being pulled towards her as her deep, dark eyes drew me in.

As softly and as slowly as I could, I used my fingers to brush the stray hairs away from her face, ghosting them across her temple and behind her ear. She closed her eyes for a second and then smiled up at me, her lips stretching slightly as she breathed in deeply.

'Thank you.'

Thank you again for the reviews! Next chapter will be up soon and will be less heavy and more Jared and Kim getting to know each other!