I was being dragged to Emily's house by Sam and Brady after Embry had sprinted off into the woods. As soon as we got there Emily came rushing out of the kitchen with a smile on her face, as soon as she saw my face her smile dropped.

"Shit!" Yeah girl, shit is right.

Sam sat me down on his couch while Emily brought me some water, not that I could consume anything seeing as how I felt I was going to hurl right here on her beige carpet. Brady sat next to me as Sam sat across from me. After a few minutes I saw Embry emerge from the woods behind their house in just a pair of cut off jeans. He entered the house quietly, with his eyes set on my face, and sat down next to Sam.

"Kai, I'm sure you have some questions… Can we explain a bit first?" Sam began. I nodded and saw Embry stiffen a bit. "Ok great, thank you. Do you remember the old legends of our people?" He asked. Suddenly my childhood flashed before my eyes. Bonfires and the waves crashing against the rocky shoreline. Billy Black's gravelly voice drifting around the fire and tickling the ears of all of us sitting there. My parents hushed me as I giggled with Embry and Shay. Mostly I remember the stories I loved. The ones that inspired me to go into art. I grew up drawing those legends. Shapeshifters… vampires… what was supposed to be fantasy is now a reality and it's in front of me. My eyes felt as if they were going to pop out of my head.

"Shapeshifters, protectors of the tribe, wolves. You are all protectors," I whispered. They all looked as shocked as I probably did, except for Embry.

"Yes, Kai, we are. We protect the tribe," Embry paused. "Is there anything else you remember about those legends?" I took a minute to think. Then it hit me. The Third Wife… imprinting.

"Imprinting. You guys imprint…" Sam smiled over at Emily and she smiled back. Then it clicked. Most of Embry's new friends all had wives or girlfriends… they all had imprints. "So you imprinted on Shay. Does this mean Brady imprinted on me?" There was a sudden tension in the room. Brady grabbed my hand and squeezed it and Embry growled. Sam held his hand out to silence him.

"Not exactly Kai. I didn't imprint on you, I wish I did believe me! You are perfect I just," another loud growl ripped through the small house. Embry was shaking and fuming mad. Then it clicked and I turned back to Brady.

"You didn't imprint on me, but Embry did…" Embry's shaking stopped. Suddenly he was in front of me kneeling on the floor. He ripped my hand out of Brady's grasp and stared into my eyes. I felt my heartbeat pick up.

"Listen Kai, we don't get to choose but the fates have deemed us a perfect match. You are my other half, you are my soulmate, you are my imprint. I would do anything to make you happy, anything to make you feel safe and loved." He confessed. My heart broke with every word.

"What about Shay?" I whispered. His eyes became sad.

"I thought I could fight the imprint, stay with her, but after this… I can't Kai. I can't be with her when I belong with you. I need you. I want you. I don't want her." My heart was in pieces. I yanked my hand back and pushed him away from me. I stood up and stepped away from all of them.

"No."

"Kai, what do you mean? I lov-"

"NO!" my scream echoed off of every wall and effectively silenced everyone. I was furious.

"You don't actually love me. You are being FORCED to be with me so I am going to free you from it. You belong with SHAY, not ME! She loves you more than life itself and you've loved her your entire life. I am not going to let some stupid MISTAKE destroy that so from here on out I don't want to see you, hear from you, or have anything to do with you until the wedding. Only then I will be around you as you marry my best friend," I had to pause to take a deep breath because the tears streaming down his face almost made me take back everything I had just said. "I refuse to be your imprint. I don't want anything to do with the legends, or shapeshifters, or whatever dumb shit is going on here. I'm going to forget it happened and frankly I'd appreciate it if you just forgot me!" I ended my rant and felt a tug on my heart.

Embry was almost full on sobbing. Emily and Sam were staring at us sadly, she had tears in her eyes. Brady stood up and stepped toward me but I stepped back. His eyes held hurt and questions.

"I'm sorry Brady… I can't be around you either. I can't be around any of you. Me coming back was a huge mistake. Frankly, I don't plan on being around for long. So thanks for all the help with moving and stuff but please, stay away from me," at that I turned and walked out of the house. As I got into my car (that Sam forced me into almost an hour ago) and started backing down the driveway I watched as Embry ran out on the porch and collapsed. He was sobbing and screaming words I could barely make out except for a few words…

Please don't leave me...