Whenever I had the dream, I always felt like I could remember everything. I remember the trees and the wind and the smell of pine and red alder trees. The wet loamy earth was like stepping on pillows. I always know where to go to get to the cliff. And I always know that the wolf will be waiting. Each time I'd reach the treeline that opened out onto the jutted edge of rock that formed the cliff, I'd hesitate, thinking: Maybe this time I won't walk through or Maybe this time the wolf won't be there and I'll be alone up here. I never make the decision to walk out onto the cliff. I'm suddenly just there, and the wolf is always there before me, it's dark chocolate eyes sizing me up. I take another step forward and reach my hand out as if to touch him but I'm still too far away…

The drive to Third Beach trailhead took about 15 minutes from Maya's home. At first, the drive was very quiet. Paul stared straight ahead out the windshield, intent on keeping his eyes only on the road. Maya shifted in her seat and preemptively pulled on her gloves.

"Are you cold? I can turn up the heat," Paul said gently reaching for the vent controls.

"No, I'm okay," Maya said looking at him now.

"I run pretty hot, so I don't really notice the cold," he explained. Maya watched his mouth as he spoke and then trained her gaze out the windshield.

"You're the second person to say that," she said with a light laugh. Paul raised an eyebrow and Maya answered his unspoken question, "Jeremy said the same thing."

"Oh, right," he said.

"Speaking of," Maya took a chance, casting a sideways glance at Paul. His gaze darted from her to the road curiously. "What's with all the favors?"

"What do you mean?" he said, clearly confused. For a hot second, Maya thought that Jeremy might actually have been playing her.

"Jeremy..checking on me. He said he was doing it for you?" Maya said tentatively, a blush slowly forming on her cheeks. If she was wrong about this she was going to be so embarrassed.

"Oh, that," Paul said, a sly smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. She thought for a minute he might apologize but after a brief pause he just shrugged and said, "This imprint thing can be intense, so I wanted to give you some space. But I'm also not that great at space."

At least he was honest, she thought.

"I see..well for the future, you can just check on me yourself. I like Jeremy, but having him glued to me 24/7 is kind of suffocating," she had no idea where all this honesty was coming from. Maya was very confident when talking to people, but she was also very considerate of others feelings, which meant she would generally keep things to herself if she felt like it might hurt their feelings or come off too strong. But with Paul, she didn't feel the need to hold back.

"Noted," he said with a warm smile in her direction. "Anywhere outside of school, I'll take care of myself." Maya rolled her eyes at this. He was basically telling her that Jeremy was still going to keep an eye on her in school without explicitly saying so.

They made it to the trailhead and Maya hopped out of Paul's white forerunner and pulled up the hood of her raincoat. It had started to drizzle.

"You sure you're not going to need a coat?" she said skeptically to Paul. The rain was already starting to make his hair slick.

"Nah, I'll be fine. Let's go, I want to show you something," he said motioning toward the forest with his head.

They started down the path together walking side by side. Conversation came easily, she noticed. He asked her about her plans for college, her friends, what she liked to do on the weekends, even her favorite color. Maya buzzed with warmth, and the close proximity to Paul also made her stomach flip. Whenever he stole a glance at her, or stood behind her as she climbed over a fallen log, she couldn't help but feel a little lightheaded. Dizzy even.

As they trudged up the path, Maya interjected, "Okay, you've asked me a million questions, I want to ask you some." She saw his jaw clench but he tried to seem open and nodded anyway.

"Shoot," he said. Maya paused for a minute, every question flitted out of her head.

"I actually can't think of any now," Maya admitted, blushing. Paul let out a barking laugh and glanced at her.

"Fair enough," he said. "It's up here." Continuing up through the trees, Maya could see a clearing up ahead. She hadn't really been paying attention to her surroundings, but now as she followed the narrow path Paul cut ahead for them, she got a crushing sense of deja vu.

As Paul pushed through the trees, Maya gasped. Her eyes roamed around the clearing and she realized that she was standing on the same cliff that she found herself in in her dreams. The same cliff with the wolf. Paul walked ahead of her and out onto the narrow jutting rock that hung over the edge of the cliff. The dark, roiling waves churned below. Maya was frozen to the spot. Paul turned to look back at her and again she was plagued with that overwhelming feeling of deja vu. Paul stood in the same place that the tan wolf always stood. The sky behind him mimicked the off color one that tinged the daylight with blue in her dreams.

"I come here a lot," he said suddenly, looking at her intensely. Maya still hadn't moved, her feet firmly planted to the ground. "It's actually kind of peaceful." He looked back out over the waves and then back to her, noticing that she was still glued to the treeline. His eyes were suddenly etched with worry. "Oh shit, I didn't even ask if you were afraid of heights. Are you?"

Maya couldn't find it in her to answer, her voice had been melted away by the shock so instead she just shook her head slowly.

"You okay?" he said, taking a step toward her. She swallowed hard and yelled at herself to pull it together.

"Ye-yeah, sorry," she managed. Maya took one step forward and then stopped. Paul's eyes darted down to her feet.

"You sure?" he asked skeptically and taking a couple steps toward her again. Maya nodded. "Come look," he offered his hand out to her and she felt a rush move through her body. In the dream, she'd never gotten this far and for some reason, it felt like a huge moment to take this step in real life. She scanned her eyes up to connect with his, feeling that familiar anchoring sensation ground down through her and then she reached her hand out to connect with his. He clasped it firmly in his and pulled her forward toward the edge of the cliff.

His palm was searing with heat and she could feel it radiate through her woolen gloves. As she peered out over the edge, she let out an excited squeal followed by a huff of breath. "Wow!" she said. They were much higher up than she had anticipated and just the thought of the sheer drop to the ocean below sent a thrill through her. Paul looked pleased.

"Pretty cool huh?" He still held onto her hand tightly and pointed to some landmarks that ran along the beach edge that they could see from the cliffs. They stood out on the cliffs for a long time until Maya startled sniffling and Paul thought they should head back to the warm car. He let go of her hand once they were safely back in the treeline. She wondered what it would feel like to hold his hand without the interference of her gloves. To feel his skin on hers. The thought of it sent a wave of excitement through her and settled in her belly.

They talked all the way back to Maya's house and when he pulled up into her driveway, Maya was a little disappointed to have arrived back so soon. Wanting just a little more time, she turned in her seat and looked at him.

"Paul?" she said tentatively.

"Maya." he replied warmly.

"I thought of a question to ask you," she said. He nodded for her to go ahead, "Chief Black said that the imprint defines the relationship. Do you think that's true?"

Not expecting this question, Paul opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before saying, "Yes. You get to decide what the role of this bond is, not me. The imprint is based on protection, meaning it's meant to make me want to protect you and as an extension, the tribe. Not that I need an incentive…" he trailed off and then suddenly realized what he had said when Maya's face fell. "No, I didn't mean..fuck," he said. "Maya, you're more than an incentive for me."

She nodded, still not completely sold. "Okay. I've been thinking about it. And it would be really great if we could just be...friends." Maya bit her lower lip in anticipation. Would he be angry? He couldn't be if he believed that the imprint sets the relationship. The look on his face was unreadable, it was just as if he was considering what she said. "Is….is that okay?"

"Yeah, of course. Whatever you want," he said. She nodded and satisfied with his answer, she popped open her door and jumped down.

"Thanks for today," she said, turning back to him. He was still looking at her with that completely stone-faced look.

"Anytime" he said shortly before she gave him one last smile before shutting the door and hurrying up the porch steps. He stayed until she made it inside and she gave him one last wave before she closed the front door.

Once shut, Maya leaned against the front door and let out a sigh. She was so relieved that he had agreed to just be friends as part of their imprint, but at the same time, even as she asked it, a gnawing sensation had started in her belly. Maya pushed that feeling down, hung up her raincoat, and bolted upstairs to call Keye and Becks to report back.

"F-F-F-F-FRIEND ZONED!" Keye yelled on the other end of the line. Becks was laughing and Maya covered her mouth to stifle some giggles.

"Jeez Maya, you're fast. First solo hangout and you set the record straight. Respect." Becks joined in.

"Oh my god, it wasn't even like that. It was clear we were just going to be friends from the start. As if he would be interested in me," Maya said somewhat subconsciously.

"Okay, first of all. That's a weird thing to say. Second of all, you're his fucking imprint. Doesn't that mean that you can just flip the switch whenever you want and then he's like...on his knees for you?" Keye said.

"Well when you put it like that," Maya cringed. "No, I don't think Paul is like that. When we were hiking, I got the distinct feeling that he's the kind of person who is very much in control of his shit. Like he doesn't seem like the type to be wishy washy. So telling him what I want now is a good thing. It feels like we're not dancing around each other. We're just friends and now we can move on and this imprint thing can just be a little blip. I just gained a new...intense friend," Maya concluded.

"So since you're just friends now, does that mean that Jeremy won't be required to hang all over you at school?" Becks inquired. Maya wasn't sure. Paul had implied that Jeremy would still be around to keep an eye on her, but that was before she had asked to just be friends, so maybe not?

"Mmm, I don't know. Probably not." Maya said, although she didn't feel too sure about that. She would make it a point to tell Jeremy that her and Paul were just friends so he didn't have to be her security detail anymore.

"Glad you figured it out! Now, can we pleeeease find a time to hit up that club? My parents are going to be out of town in February, so I think that's the best time to do it. We can say we're staying at mine and then have the whole night free!" Keye said excited.

"Sounds good to me," Maya thumbed through her planner and jotted down a reminder for February.

"I'm in," Becks responded. Keye hooted in joy.

The next week at school was dull. Maya was getting into the groove of balancing school work, helping her mom organize some upcoming events for the community, and participating in student council. She was the vice president to Beck's presidency.

By the end of the week, Maya was surprised that Paul hadn't texted her. Jeremy was still hanging around, but she hadn't gotten up the courage to tell him that he didn't need to be around anymore. She liked his company and she didn't want to hurt his feelings. Plus, it was kind of nice not to have guys jostle her in the hallways anymore for the sake of teasing or scoring a date. Jeremy was like her own personal hall guard.

During their passing period to lunch, Maya threaded her arm through Jeremy's. It had almost become a habit at this point.

"Hey so.." she started. Jeremy looked down at her, the tone of her voice gave her away too soon. "I told Paul a couple of weeks ago that I just wanted to be friends with the whole imprint thing, so you don't have to keep an eye on me anymore."

"What do you mean?" he quirked an eyebrow and gave her a smirk.

"I mean...if you wanted to drop the whole charade we got going on and pursue something real with, I don't know, Katie Seraff, that would be totally okay. I know how to get to my classes without a bodyguard," she joked nudging into him.

"Ooooh, you think I like Katie Seraff," he said not addressing her main point, "I'm actually more into Sarah Littlesea. I'm surprised you didn't pick up on that."

"Jeremy," Maya fixed him with a serious stare. "For real, we don't have to do this anymore." She pulled her arm out of his.

"Aahh, but I kind of do," he said pulling her into him, and wrapping his arm back through hers.

"Noooo, you don't," Maya said, pulling her arm out again.

"Listen, I know about the whole friend-zoned imprint thing. But my original orders are still in place. Plus, I like having you as my fake girlfriend. It's really chart topped me as the guy most wanted in our grade," he gave her a lazy smile and Maya was speechless for a moment, "What?" he asked at her expression.

"I don't understand, Paul and I are just friends so there's no need for you to play protector anymore. I'm not spoken for so if a guy wants to ask me out, he can." Maya said firmly. It's not that she particularly wanted anyone to ask her out, she just wanted the option. She thought things with Paul were sorted, but apparently she missed something.

"Ah, you're gonna have to talk to him about that. I don't think he'd like it if you were getting asked out by dudes, even if your friends or not," Jeremy said.

"That makes no sense," Maya said as they made their way to their lunch table. Jeremy finally released her when they sat down.

"Take it up with the boss," he said to confused looks from Keye and Becks.

Oh, Maya would. If he ever talked to her again.

It was two weeks exactly from when Maya last heard and saw Paul that a text message lit up her phone. She was sprawled out on her bed, half asleep and knee deep in a paper about Socrates when the buzzing brought her back to life.

Paul: Hey.

Maya snorted. 'Hey'? After two weeks, all she got was a 'Hey'? This imprinting thing was total bullshit. Maya set her phone down and turned back to her textbooks. If he waited two whole weeks to text her, she could make him wait at least ten minutes for a text back. She didn't have to wait long though.

P: Sorry I've been MIA. If you want, you can come over and study at my house. I'm usually out working in my workshop, so you'd have the place to yourself. There's plenty of food, and it would help me out and get the council off my back if we started having more face to face time.

Maya looked at the text reading it over and over again. Was the council bothering him about her? Maya suddenly remembered Chief Black's words the first day she was told about the imprint. There must be a relationship of some kind.

That was pretty much nonexistent at this point. If the council had found out, maybe they weren't happy with the friend thing. Maya chafed at this. As she poised her fingers over the keys, she saw the three dots pop up again.

P: No pressure.

Maya smiled at that. She let out a breath and immediately texted him back.

M: I could do that. When works for you?

P: You can come over any day you want, after school, the weekends. I don't mind.

M: K. I'll have Jeremy drop me off Monday after school. I get out around 2:30.

P: See you then. And thanks.

M: Whatever helps.

Maya closed her phone and fell back against her pillows. Zero to a hundred seemed like their style now.

Maya had been tapping her foot impatiently all day waiting for school to get out on Monday. She didn't know why, but she was excited to see where he lived. Maya thought it might give her better insight into who Paul was and she'd get a chance to see him in his natural element.

When Jeremy dropped her off, Maya was immediately enamoured with the small blue house. It didn't look like any of the other houses on the reservation—a stone wall adorned the front right side of the house. Ivy laced the brick in intricate patterns. When she hopped down from Jeremy's jeep and waved goodbye, she took a minute to smooth out her blue suede mini skirt and retuck her black ribbed turtleneck. She wore sheer black tights with her knee high black suede boots. Her hair was pulled half up out of her face and fell around her shoulders in massive waves. She took a minute to take in the front of the house, noticing the beach just under the haze of the clouds. The house sat up on the side of a hill and overlooked the ocean but Maya could see a clear path that had been carved in the brush that led down to the beach.

She realized her heart was hammering in her chest as she made her way to the front door. As she knocked gently, she looked over her shoulder, uncertain. Paul pulled open the door and she was winded by the sight of him. Her reactions to him were almost involuntary and she always seemed to have to scramble to compose the look on her face.

"Hey," he said, clearly pleased to see her. That exhaling feeling melted through Maya's body.

"Hey." her face pulled up in an automatic smile. She saw him glance her up and down quickly and then trying to recover, moved out of the door so she could come in. The house emanated warmth.

There was a wide long window off the kitchen set with a low bench seat and lots of comfortable pillows that looked out over the ocean. The cozy living room was in that same area and a dark leather couch was draped with thick knitted blankets. She saw a study just off the living room and a staircase that she assumed led to his bedroom. Maya took her time letting her eyes dance around the room and Paul watched her carefully.

She turned to fix him with a smile. "This is really nice. I've never seen a house like this before."

"Oh, well that makes sense. I built it," he said casually. She rolled her eyes playfully and smacked her forehead.

"Oh of course!" she let out a light laugh and his eyes flitted to the sound. That unreadable expression was back and Maya was determined to figure out what was behind it. "So, uh, where do you want me?" she said. Paul's mouth dropped open and then he tilted his head, unsure of how to answer her question. Maya blushed bright red and quickly corrected herself stammering, "I-I mean wh-where should I do my homework?"

"Right," he said flashing her surprising smile. "Uh, anywhere you feel comfortable. The kitchen table has a lot of room, or my study is right through there...it doesn't have a desk though. I don't have a desk," he said, suddenly realizing that she might need one.

"Kitchen table looks good," she peered down the open hallway. As she said this, Maya leaned down and zipped open the side of her suede boots, slipping them off easily and setting them next to the couch. His eyes were glued to her and when she turned to walk down the hallway, Paul let out a relieved sigh and followed her. She deposited her book bag on the kitchen table and pulled out her books.

"So...My workshop is just out there." he pointed out the double french doors that led to the side of the house. She could see the open front of his workshop that faced the house and the tools and wood laid out in there. "If you need anything, just let me know..Otherwise….make yourself at home," he said awkwardly. Maya gave him a reassuring smile and sat down on the soft wooden bench.

He watched her for just a minute more and then made his way down to his workshop. Maya had a good view of him as he worked from her spot at the kitchen table. She was eager to take a solo look around his house but her massive pile of work won out this time. Plus, if she was going to make this a regular thing, she'd have plenty of time to snoop.

Maya got sucked into her homework and before she knew it Paul came in through the back double doors, wiping at his hands with a dirtied rag. It had grown dark outside without her realizing. He looked at her with a quizzical look and said: "Have you eaten?"

Maya shook her head, somewhat distracted and he moved over into the kitchen, pulling things out of the fridge. As she finished up her paper, Maya heard the sizzle of oil in a pan. It smelled amazing. She hopped up off the bench and crossed the short distance to stand next to him.

"Need any help?" she said. He glanced in her direction and said "Sure. Cut up some bread."

She pulled the loaf of french bread from a wooden bread box on his counter and cut two thick slices. "Do you have anything to drink?" she asked, suddenly realizing how thirsty she was. He pointed with the wooden spatula toward the fridge.

"Help yourself."

Maya pulled open the fridge, biting her lower lip, feeling completely out of place and settled on some sparkling water.

She carried the bread to the table as he draped some noodles on a plate and poured some of the sauteed vegetables on top. He set the plate down in front of her and said "Eat."

"You're very bossy, you know?" She replied. "Thank you," Maya gestured to the plate and unfolded her napkin in her lap. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

He fixed himself a plate and sat across from her buttering some bread and plopping a piece on her plate before getting one himself. She watched him over bites of food and tilted her head. She was sure he noticed her watching him right away but he let her. Then he let out a laugh and finally said, "What are you looking at me like that for?"

"Like what?" she prodded.

"Like you have something you wanna say, but it's a secret," he replied looking at her, amusement glittering in his dark eyes.

"That's just how my face looks," she retorted jokingly. He laughed and took another bite.

"I like it," he replied. Maya's stomach did a somersault.

"Is the council really bugging you?" she said without thinking. Maya was surprised at herself. She never just came out and said things like that. Paul leaned back in his chair to look at her.

"They seem to be under the impression that we are 'resisting' the imprint," he said, disdain laced in his voice. Maya went wide eyed, her fork hovering just outside of her mouth.

"What?! Why?" she was genuinely thrown off by this. Paul shook his head.

"You got me." he replied genuinely.

"Do they want us to put on a show or something?" she asked, spearing a pepper a little too aggressively. Paul watched her with a familiarity that made her shiver.

"I don't know, but if word gets out that you're hanging out over here, maybe that will help them settle down."

"Are they okay with the 'just friends' thing?" Maya probed.

"I wouldn't know, I didn't tell them," he said, not meeting her eyes. It sounded like he really didn't want to talk about this.

"Why not?" Maya said a little annoyed. Paul's eyes shot up to look at her seriously now and the breath caught in her throat.

"It's none of their business what goes on between me and you," he said, defensively. Maya watched him, stunned. He held her eyes there and she saw the fire burning again.

After dinner, Maya insisted on helping wash the dishes. Paul stood next to her drying the plates, pots, and pans she handed him. She was very much aware of the closeness of their bodies. More than once, Paul reached behind her to grab a dish towel, open and close a drawer, or grab something that didn't seem wholly necessary. Each time he moved around her, she felt the gentle brush of his hand on her lower back or her arm, whether he meant to or not. Every time his hand brushed her, it sent an sizzle of electricity through her.

When he dropped her off, Maya saw the curtains flutter in her living room window. It was most definitely her mother. Maya let out a small groan and unbuckled her seatbelt. While Paul may have thought it wasn't the council's business what went on between them, Maya got the distinct feeling that that didn't apply when it came to her mother.

"Text me if you want to come over again this week," Paul said hurriedly as she opened the door. Maya looked over her shoulder at him.

"Do you want me to come over again this week?" She said suddenly confused. Maya was under the impression that this was a once-a-week kind of thing.

"If you want," he said. Maya fixed him with a look and Paul stared right back.

"But do you want me to? I'm not going to wear out my welcome for the council's sake if you think once a week is enough," she said defiantly. Paul gripped the steering wheel tighter.

"Yes, I want you to," he admitted. Maya's heart fluttered involuntarily. She saw the pulse of the muscle clench in his jaw.

"Okay," she said, still confused. Why was it that his words said one thing but his body said something completely different? It was like he had to will himself to say yes. Maya walked up to her front door, feeling Paul's eyes on her still. She didn't look back this time when she walked through and instead shut the door quickly behind her.

He's kind of jerk. Maya thought to herself.