Chapter 31

Many things happened simultaneously, and Kal-lape could only watch what was unfolding before him; all this had to happen. There was no way around it.

One of the imprints was screaming. "No! No! I lo... love you Jar... I'm your mate!" she was sobbing uncontrollably, and her wolf tried to comfort her but was clearly shaken as well. "Don't please... you... you cannot leave me. I love you! You love me! We are meant to be!" the girl sobbed.

She was getting hysterical.

"YOU!" she shouted, turning abruptly at him. "YOU DID THIS!" she screamed at Kal-lape, and before he realized she had launched herself at him and was hitting his chest with her fists. "YOU DID THIS! It's all your fault!"

Kal-lape let her hit him, to get the pain and despair out. Deep down, she had known that she and her wolf weren't mates, but she had hoped, and she had needed to believe it. There was no denying that she loved him, but the imprint bond was not romantic as she as her wolf had been made to think. Her wolf came to get her and wrapped his arms around her, murmuring something. They were both crying.

While the devastated imprint had been shouting at Kal-lape other pair had been staring at each other. "Emily, your face!" her mate cried out and took her hands and placed them onto her cheek were just moments ago had been deep scars. "All of your scars are gone!"

"What!?" she whispered incredulously. She felt her face with her fingertips, but her hands shook uncontrollably. Her mate helped her keep her hand steady on the spot where the scars had been. Tears started to fall when she realized that the wounds were indeed gone. This turn of the events had surprised even Kal-lape.

Two of the couples were just staring at each other like they saw each other for the first time, and in a way, they were. Then they embraced each other.

The wolf with a toddler looked at the small child with the same expression as before, but he was relieved. Kal-lape could sense his understanding. He'd realized his role with this baby and why they needed each other. The little girl giggled when her wolf lifted her to his shoulders and started to run towards the water edge.

The alpha pair watched Rachel Black, gasping for air holding her hands over her chest. Her father, brother, and his mate were trying to talk to her and ask her what the matter was. She mumbled something incomprehensible. The purification hadn't helped her as much as Kal-lape had hoped it would, and he got the feeling she wasn't going to let go of the delusion implanted in her mind about her and Young Alpha being destined to each other as mates. Maybe their imprint bond had been romantic, and being broken so violently without getting the help she needed had left permanent scars in her soul—poor woman.

"Why do we imprint if it's not for mating, passing on our genes, gaining a soulmate?" One of the wolves with a mate by his side asked.

"But you have gained a soulmate. Being soulmates doesn't mean being in a romantic relationship. It can be either romantic or platonic. When you imprint, you experience a profound connection with each other on a spiritual level; you feel in your soul that you are connected, and it has happened to you, the recognizing each other immediately upon meeting. Imprinting opens your soul to another, and if the soulmates are also destined to be mates, they become aware of this at this precise moment. In these cases, it isn't - it shouldn't be love at the first sight kind of thing - as Elder Ateara's spell forced it to be."

No one said anything, so he continued.

"Imprinting - the souls finding their counterpart - happens because the connection is vital to the shapeshifter for regulating his mental and physical state while shifting between human and the spirit animal. The connection, the imprint, gives you both a sense of security and wellbeing on a deeper spiritual level."

"Imprinting keeps a shapeshifter human. It grounds him. That is why you imprint. Not to find romance and someone to have babies with but to have someone who will always understand you and your double existence. It's the souls that find their match, not your libidos. Being connected to the other human being on such a deep level is a gift only you can receive when you imprint."

"What there is for the imprint?" the bloodline imprint asked.

Was she serious? "Do you really need to ask that?" Kal-lape asked. He could not understand the connection between this imprint and her mate. He had never met a vainer and shallower human being as she was. But she was still very young; she was able to improve.

His question silenced the imprint, and she looked ashamed, as she should be. Her wolf wrapped his arm around her and whispered something to her. If Kal-lape was to give his opinion, this was another imprint that didn't seem to be worthy of her wolf. But The Spirits had to have a plan for this couple, and he could not misdoubt The Spirits.

"Why haven't I imprinted yet?" the wolf without an imprint asked.

"You will, once you find your soulmate," Kal-lape answered. "It won't be long before it happens. In the history of shapeshifters, it has never happened that the wolf hadn't imprinted; since it is essential for your wellbeing, the spirits will help you find her sooner than later."

The young man smiled and high-fived the wolf, who had a toddler on his lap.

"Was your imprint romantic or platonic?" Alpha's mate asked. Ah, he liked this woman, always asking interesting questions.

"It was platonic. She was my good friend's sister. Her name was Awena," Kal-lape said. "She had a husband and two children by the time we imprinted. You can imagine what devastation it would have caused if our connection had been romantic. It has happened a few times, and it is not pretty. I've had two wives myself in two different eras and many children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and so on."

"Is any of us your great-great-great grandchild?" one of the wolves asked.

"No. None of you are. There aren't any of my descendants in your pack. I think they are either too young to phase or aren't living on the reservation."

"Do you know who they are?" Bella asked.

"No. And it is the best to keep that way."

"What happens when an imprint dies? We were told that we die too," the former alpha asked.

Yet another lie.

"When imprint dies, shapeshifter cannot phase much longer, but you don't die; the wolf does. Awena died when I was 80 years old, but being a medicine man and knowing the supernatural elements, I was able to keep phasing and live this long. But the longer I live, the less I'm certain why I'm still here," Kal-lape chuckled.

The descendant of the elder Ateara had been sitting silently staring at the fire whole this time, his imprint watching him. Kal-lape could sense realization, sadness, and rising anger from the wolf.

"You did this!" Young Ateara said in an even emotionless voice, pointing his finger at his grandfather. "You drugged us all used your sick magic because I fell in love with Neil." His voice was rising, and he got up from the driftwood he'd been sitting on. "It was you who made Neil and his family move away from here, so I would forget my feelings towards him after imprinting on Claire?" The young man was trembling now. His imprint wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her head against his chest. The effect was instant; the trembling ceased. A Flood of tears was now running down his face.

"Of course, it was me, you fool! I did all this because of your sick perversion," elder Ateara spat with loathing. "What is the future of us Atearas if you don't marry this young woman," the elder pointed to the imprint hugging his grandson, "and get her pregnant? The Atearas, who had been the foundation of this tribe for hundreds of years, would exist no more. And my spell was working. You did forget that... that boy... and were happy with Claire. If you ever pursue a relationship with a man, I will disown you. You are a disgrace to me, your family, the tribe, and the spirit warriors. You will..."

"Enough!" echoed Young Alpha's deep voice. "All you said is bullshit! You are not allowed to talk like that to the protectors of this tribe or any other human being. Every one of us is now free to love whom we want. No form of love is disgraceful or called a perversion. Do you hear me?!"

"You don't..." elder Aetara started.

"DO YOU HEAR ME?!" Alpha's voice rumbled over the pack, and Elder Ateara shut his mouth. He was powerless and unable to open it again, and all he did was nod. Alpha had overridden the elder.

Kal-lape laughed out loud, earning glances from the people around the fire.

"Quil, you are free to love Neil or whoever you want. You are not a disgrace or an embarrassment. You are a valuable member of our pack and this tribe. Do you understand?" Young Alpha walked to his packmate and gave him a hug clapping his shoulder. Young Ateara wiped his tears and smiled at his alpha. The Young Alpha bowed his head ever so lightly, his hands in front of him like praying to show gratitude and respect to Young Ateara. Young Ateara returned the gesture by bowing his head.

Young Ateara and his imprint sat back on the driftwood. They started to whisper among each other. Yes, they will be okay, Kal-lape thought. The imprint was strong and would mend what was just broken.

Kal-lape was so proud of the Young Alpha. For someone so young, he showed great compassion and leadership skills. This pack and the tribe would be in good hands. He'd been worried for a while, not knowing who could fill the void the betrayal of the two elders had caused. Young alpha and Elder Harry Clearwater would get things back to normal. The tribe would be in good hands.

"Are there any more questions?" Kal-lape asked.

"How did my scars disappear? Why?" The woman with the healed face asked. She smiled widely, she was a beautiful woman, and she had a good heart.

"Your scars were caused by the spell. Your mate was in love with another woman when he imprinted on you. The spell made you bond advance too quickly, and the man and the wolf were in conflict, which made him accidentally phase too close to you and scar you. All the suffering would have been prevented if your love had had a chance to grow gradually in its natural pace."

The woman nodded, and her mate pulled her under his arm, his eyes full of pure love and adoration.

"We all know how fucked up our lives had been after phasing until now," Young Alpha said. "And now that we have been told the cause for all that, and been helped to get rid of the fucking curse, we all can finally start getting back to our lives and continue as normal as possible. We are still protectors, as Kal-lape told us. And our duty is to this tribe. Life is shit, and sometimes you don't get what you want. But it is important to remember we wouldn't be here today if not for Elder Ateara and Elder Black. They have manipulated us and tried to take control of our lives, and I don't know if we can ever forgive them. The ones that have the most to forgive are Rachel Black and Quil. Their flesh and blood used them, violated them the most in trying to get what they wanted."

"But Paul, I love you. It's not my father's doing that I love you."

"Goddamn it, Rachel. Grow up! You lived all your life thinking whatever you want; you'll get. And so far, it might have been the case. You left your brother to cope with your father's sickness and handicap to pursue your dreams. You came back here and thought that everyone here is entitled to make you happy. You went as far as trying to kill my mate to get what you wanted. You need help, and you need to be punished for what you did. It is up to the council and elders to ensure you'll get what you deserve."

Rachel choked and sobbed. Her brother hugged her, and her father took her hand. Young Alpha sat down, and his mate kissed him slightly on the lips.

"There are few more things for me to say to you Elders before I leave," Kal-lape said. "Elder Harry Clearwater, you failed when you turned a blind eye to your fellow elders' misdoings. You knew they were up to no good, but you didn't interfere, not soon enough. If you had, you might have been able to stop all this from happening. But in the end, you saved the day, and you have the strength and the moral compass needed to lead until Jacob Black is ready to take his position as a chief."

Elder Harry Clearwater bowed his head, his hands in front of him. Kal-lape bowed back.

"Elder Sue Clearwater, you should have trusted more in your instincts. You were too naïve, thinking that whatever your fellow elders did was for the best of the pack and the tribe, not questioning when you felt ill at ease. In the future, be stronger and help your husband to be a good chief."

Elder Sue Clearwater bowed her head, her hands in front of her. Kal-lape bowed back.

"Elder Billy Balck, your son is still on his way to becoming a great man, a leader to this tribe. You haven't managed to ruin him. He has a pure heart, integrity, empathy, humility, resilience, and positivity, all qualities needed to be a good leader. You will do well by him by stepping down as a chief and giving the position to Harry Clearwater. He will be the chief until your son is ready. Help him get ready. Help all these young people to be what the tribe needs."

Elder Billy Black bowed his head, his hands in front of him. Kal-lape bowed back.

"Elder Quil Ateara, teach these young people the language, tell them stories, let them read all it is written. Don't keep it hidden in the archives and return what you took. Earn the trust back, if possible. Elder Harry Clearwater is your new chief; he is also above you as an elder. You don't deserve this tribe or these people, but you hold too much information, and it needs to be shared. All this means that you still have a duty to these young people, your tribe, history, and heritage. And if you are lucky and live long enough, you might, just might earn the trust back. These young people might forgive you for what you've done. But don't hold your breath."

Elder Quil Ateara bowed his head, his hands in front of him. Kal-lape bowed back.

Utter silence fell over the people around the bonfire. The fire was dying away, and Kal-lape felt like the fire looked like, spent and exhausted, ready to vanish. It was his time to leave.

"So, you beat us all, after all. You must be pretty pleased with yourself," the imprint to the bloodline alpha spat at Bella, envy clear in her voice. That girl was a mean-spirited human being.

"Milly, I never wanted to beat you, whatever that means. All I needed was just to be with Paul. You made it clear from the very beginning that a pale face like me wasn't worthy of you. I wasn't good enough to be part of your little group."

"But you are not worthy of an alpha. It was I who should have been the one mated to the alpha. Jacob should have been the alpha. I was born here; I'm part of this tribe and its heritage. You cannot even have children."

"Yet still his wolf chose me. Get over it, Milly, and try to be happy with your wolf. He clearly loves you and wants to make you happy. Be worthy of him."

To that, the mean imprint didn't have anything else to say. Kal-lape wanted to believe that she was ashamed of what she'd said, but Kal-lape didn't understand why she'd said such a thing.

"All of you imprints," Bella said louder, "get to know your wolf. Meet him and spend some time with him. He's an amazing creature. You don't have to be afraid of him. Let him take you up to the mountains to watch the stars. Feel the sheer strength and speed of the animal when he runs. There's nothing like it."

Proud of his mate Young Alpha wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back against his chest.

"You are blessed with a wise and good-hearted alpha pair. You will be in good hands, and you will prosper. Listen to your heart, give your mind space to marvel and dream, and don't be afraid to take chances. Live and let live. Take care of yourself, your imprint, and your tribe: its people and the land."

"One more thing before I go. It seems that there is some misunderstanding amongst you all. The Alpha wolf never fails to impregnate his mate when he marks her, and it is the case with this young one here as well. Your alpha pair will be proud parents of twins by the end of April next year."

Loud gasps, shrieks, and screams of joy erupted from the group.

Kal-lape saw the total astonishment on the faces of the said couple, and as they turned to look at each other, the connection electrified the air around them. Everybody in the pack felt it, and despite the high-wired emotional distress, all were genuinely happy and pleased for them, well, almost everybody.

The eyes of the Young Alpha filled with tears, and he grabbed his mate into a tight embrace. Two of them disappeared from the rest of the crowd into their world cocooned by Bella's shield. Kal-lape felt such a rush of love, joy, happiness, devotion, and admiration radiating from them that he was almost knocked out of his feet.

And then it hit Kal-lape; he'd been a bit slow with the realization, losing his touch, you old sod. He almost laughed out loud.

But it was as clear as day: it was foreseen that he needed to exist until this time. That there would be a pack that needed his help. For he wasn't feeling the hunger for the life any longer, hadn't for a while now. He wasn't lonely or miserable, he loved his life, but he had started to feel more and more ready to leave this place, leave his bodily existence in recent years. But he had had a feeling that something was holding him back. Now he knew, and he had fulfilled his purpose.

There was nothing for him anymore; everybody he had ever cared for and loved had died. He'd lived three lifetimes and had had two families in different times. His genes were carrying on, but he wasn't part of the lives carrying them.

To see these two young people loving each other, being the perfect match for each other, and soon becoming parents, creating a family evoked something from within him; it was time to go. There was no fear in death, only peace.

He glanced once more at the Young Alpha holding his world in his arms and sighed: the world was better because of that love.

He saw Harry Clearwater lifting his arm and waving at him. He waved back and then turned his back to the loud group and vanished into the woods.

All was good in La Push now and for years to come.

THE END

AN:

Okay guys, this is it. Well, sort of. It's up to you now. Do you want to read more? The happy couple got their HEA, baddies got their asses kicked metaphorically, and Kal-lape will rest in peace in the spirit world.

Was I too gentle with the baddies? What did you think about my idea about imprinting? Did I break the magic? Was it too confusing? Made any sense? This was my input to the storyline where the wolf breaks the imprint to be with the one he loves. I didn't plan how it would happen when I started to write this, and this is how it ended up being. I love those stories (A drop in the ocean is my favorite), and there aren't enough of them; hence I wrote this one. I don't like imprinting, but it's a great way to create drama.

I proofread the story at the end of May 2022. And it is much better now. There were quite a lot of problems with wording and grammar. But I think the story is now easier to read and, as such, more enjoyable. Tell me what you thought about the story. Thank you for reading.

I've started a sequel to this story; it's called We're in this together.