Chapter Seven - Broken

I was lost for words. I've always known that imprinting existed but never been a witness to the actual process of it occurring. Mom and Dad. Sam and Emily. Seth and Bena. Leah and Bryson. The list went on. They were already together, so it never bothered me. Now Michael. And with my little sister?

"Ephraim?" Michael interrupted my thoughts. "Let's go outside and talk."

Before he got up from his chair, he leaned down and placed a kiss on Sara's cheek. Their display of affection threw me off. I've never considered these two as a couple. Now they were bound together for life.

The overcast in La Push with its cool breeze kept my heated body down. I couldn't relax. We walked to my dad's shop and stopped inside. My dad was organized with his gear, and the smell of auto parts with gasoline invaded the entire room.

"So spill it, Michael. What happened?"

"Which part do you want to hear first? The phasing into a wolf or the part with your sister?"

I didn't know how comfortable I would be hearing him confess his imprint on Sara, only cause she was my baby sister. Granted she was eighteen now and he was a year older than her, but they were so young. What did they know about love? They haven't even had a chance to live outside this town.

"Ephraim, my phase was pretty shitty. That night after the beach, as I'm lying in bed, my body was burning like a torch. I thought it was the venom from the vampire bite. I seriously thought I was turning into a vampire. I grabbed the scissor on my desk and was about to slit my wrists cause there was no way in hell I wanted to turn into a cold one. Then I noticed I couldn't grab the scissor with my hand cause I was growing a freaking claw. I screamed out of fear and anxiety. My dad heard and barged into the room. Luckily, he pulled me outside before I would have destroyed the house. That old man smiled like he was a proud papa bear when he saw me phase. I think my mom would have preferred me as a bear, but I'm a Quileute first, Ephraim. A Quileute, our people, our kind."

"You don't have to convince me, Michael. I know who my people are."

"Well, yeah, then you know it's because of those cold ones that I turned. We only turn because there's a threat. Something is coming, Ephraim, and our bodies know. It's preparing us for what's to come."

"What the hell are you talking about? There's no threat. No one would defy my mom."

He shook his head and placed his hands on my arm. His body temperature was hot, and his strength was squeezing me too tight.

"Hey, man, easy on the hold!"

He let go quickly. "Sorry. Keep forgetting these immense powers I've gained. It's surreal. And you know what? I'm freaking fast too. I could outrun you on that damn bike of yours."

He laughed at his newfound gift.

"Challenge accepted, Wolf Boy."

"But hey, about Sara."

He didn't know how to say it as he kept silent for a while.

"Just spit it out. What's done is done."

He took in a deep breath and brushed his hair back with his hands.

"She's like . . . Nothing I've ever imagined. Before I never noticed her, didn't think of her any other way except as your sister. You know me, I never focused on girls, just the beach and my studies. Then my dad and I came here to talk to your dad and mom about my phase. Sara walked out of her room and that was it. It's hard to explain. My soul literally left me and she holds onto it now. I almost couldn't breathe at first because everything I saw in her was when life became real for me. She is my sole purpose in life, to protect her and love her."

"Alright, I get it. You're getting your happily ever after. To be honest, I'm glad it's you. So what are you plans?"

He shook his head and raised his eyebrow, "I haven't thought that far. All I know is your dad wants me to train with the pack. As for, Sara and me, she calls the shots now."

He laughed at his surrendered state to love. I couldn't believe the guy. He was truly happy.

We went back into the house, and my mom had the worried look on her face. I know she wanted to know if I was going to finally accept the idea of imprinting. Now that Michael provided his personal testimony, then maybe it would ease my mentality about it. There was a sense of security knowing Michael and Sara looked completely smitten with one another. But I wanted more than a solid relationship. Whatever happened to self-discovery and exploring?

She came up to me and rubbed my cheek with her hand. "Ephraim, don't shut me out, okay?"

"Mom, look, I get it. Michael and Sara are happy as ever like a Disney ending. I'm not against them."

"So you're open to the idea of imprinting?"

I didn't have a final answer yet.

Sara unexpectedly opened her opinion out loud, "Mom, he's met someone!"

I rolled my eyes and gave her a death glaze. She would forever remain my annoying little sister.

My mom's eyebrows furrowed and she tried to get something out of me.

"Don't listen to her. She doesn't know what she's talking about."

"Yes, I do. It was the girl who saved Michael. I forget her name."

Sara turned to look at Michael for the answer, and I nodded my head to Michael. He kept quiet and pretended he didn't remember by shrugging his shoulders.

My mom knew our intention and she looked at the both of us, "Why the secrecy?"

"It's nothing, mom. I have to run."

She pulled my arm back, "Ephraim, can we talk."

I looked at the time. "I'll be back tomorrow, how about that? Maybe you can make your famous pork chop that I love so much?"

I leaned down to kiss her cheeks and headed out the door. I ran right into my dad.

"Hey, why the rush? Stay for dinner at least?"

"I got to go, Dad. I told her I would be back tomorrow."

I set off towards my bike but I could still hear them talking about me.

"Jacob, you're never going to believe this about your son, and he wouldn't even give me the chance to tell him."

"What?"

Before I could hear what she had to say to my dad, I had placed the helmet on my head and already rode off back to Gramps and Gram's house.

Why was I afraid to admit to my mom about Ashling? But then again, Ashling and I weren't in a serious relationship. We were still trying to get to know each other. If and when it would become more serious, then I might conjure up the courage to introduce her to my parents.

Sara almost gave me away. Thank goodness for Michael. I owed him one for sure.

It didn't take me long to recognize her standing out front. She was wearing cut up denim below her knees with a tiny tee that allowed her abs to peek through. Her long thin overcoat flowed down pass the length of her jeans. She wore heels. Odd choice from what I was used to seeing the girls wear in the States, but this was Ashling.

"I assume you don't need to hunt and feed since you're in heels?"

She stared down at her heels and with a bright smile bent her knees and did a curtsy. She was a weirdo alright, but my weirdo.

"You're back so soon."

"It was a quick visit."

"Is Michael okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine." I brought my lips in to bite them before I could tell her. "He, uh, he imprinted."

"Oh?" She nodded her head up in the air.

"With my sister."

"Oooh. Interesting. Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm completely fine with it. They actually look good together."

"So you're fine with your written destiny then?"

"I'll deal with it when it happens."

"Yeah, one day at a time, right?"

"Yeah. So why are you dressed up?"

Her giggle echoed thru the forest. "This isn't dressed up. This is actually dressed down."

"Ok. So why heels?"

"Actually, I was hoping you would want to get out of town. Port Angeles, maybe?"

"I thought you didn't want the city life?"

"It's for one night. I think I can manage."

"Alright, let's ride then."

She ran up to me and jumped behind me on the bike. She wore her helmet then held onto me. I was getting accustomed to her icy touch, and it helped me settle down from wanting her. All I knew was, this was going to be the longest ride for me.

We arrived at the usual bar that my dad and I often visit when I passed through Port Angeles. It was owned by the Elwha Klallam tribes, and they were shape shifters themselves. They were majestic eagles and probably had the coolest abilities with flight. They were also Paco's tribe.

"Ephraim! You damn stranger, where the hell have you been?" Peyton came around the bar and held on to me. He saw Ashling behind me and immediately knew she was vampire.

"She's cool, man. She's with me."

He winked at me and punched my shoulder, "Anyone who's cool with you, it's cool with us."

"Thanks, man."

He turned around and threw his arm in the air and yelped like a dog, "Aye! Look who's here! It's our very own Prince! Hands and eyes off the lady, alright!"

I shook my head out of embarrassment. "Alright, shut up."

I grabbed Ashling's hand and walked her over to a table. I raised two fingers up to Peyton for drinks to our table. She was studying the bar and couldn't stop smiling.

"I like this place."

I snickered at her comment. "It's a dirty old bar."

"Look past that. It's the people and the environment."

Our drinks came and before we took a sip, I raised it, "To one day at a time and ... you."

"Me? Hardly." She squint her eyes to think of her sappy toast, "To broken horizons and dirty old bars!"

We both laughed and then chugged our drinks.

"Broken horizon? That's an interesting toast. What's behind your meaning of it?"

She shrugged her shoulders and pulled her cascading hair behind her ear.

"Promise me you won't laugh?"

"There's no guarantee." I tried not to force a laugh out.

"When we arrived at the beach of La Push and that very moment when the sun was setting, the horizon seemed so perfect. As if the sun was meant to melt right into the ocean peacefully; I knew at that moment something was going to break it. And within that split second I recognized my life was going to change because I was going to allow you into my life. And whether I liked it or not, you had already broken me."

Well, I'll be damn. I leaned forward and with my hand I pulled her face to me. I kissed her hard on the lips as if my life depended on it.

"That was one hell of a confession, Ashling."

"That was one hell of a kiss."

Peyton brought over a pitcher for us for the rest of the evening. We played a few rounds of pool, and it went longer than expected since it was her first time at the game. The evening sky was losing its light yet we remained in the bar. Her laugh echoed throughout the bar and I enjoyed each sound she released.

However, the front of the room became silent and I smelled that familiar stench.

It was Luca, and he wasn't alone. He had two other vampires with him. They didn't seem pleased to see my arms around Ashling's waist.

Peyton lifted his towel to the other side of the shoulder to showcase his tattoo. "We have a problem, boys? Don't want any trouble in my bar."

Luca didn't turn to Peyton. Instead, he locked his eyes on me, "No problem, sir. Just wanted a word with the lady."

"Well, unless she wants to talk with you, you're not going near her." I knew Peyton had my back. He knew I had no strength like the rest of his shape shifter gang.

Ashling finally replied to Luca, "We're done, Luca. There's nothing more to say."

"You lied to me. Guess you care for this dog meat after all."

I wanted to kill him! I took one step forward but she grabbed my hand and I'll be damn! She was stronger than me.

"That's right, dog. Let the woman fight your battles. You can have her; she was way too easy in the bed anyways."

Something in me burned my gut. It didn't take but one step and I was already in front of Luca. However, his two vampires blocked him. My hands turned hot and my fist went through both their heads with one swing. Their heads shattered into a million pieces of ice all over. The sound was a shrieking sound that was unheard of. Luca saw and his eyes turned frantic. He slipped so fast out the front door before Peyton's men could grab him.

I landed on my knees and looked at the headless bodies. What came over me? My panting was fierce and in quick repetitions. I felt something warm on my lips then I saw blood dripping onto the floor. My hand went up to my face; my nose was bleeding heavily. Next thing I remember, I fell forward and crashed onto the floor. I saw Ashling's heels running towards me. I could see her mouth moving and she was panicking, but I couldn't make out her words. Peyton then was down on his knees and was facing me. His mouth murmured something but I couldn't understand. Then the room closed in and everything turned black, and all was silent.

Thank you to those who have left comments! I truly appreciate all the feedback. Please continue with them, and I will continue writing. Much appreciated!

-kl