I'd like to tell you that my sky's not blue

it's violent rain

I don't need anyone

I just need everyone and then some

As an alpha, Sam had always held himself to a higher standard of responsibility than the others. He didn't get to make mistakes, nor think any decisions through poorly. The tribes', and La Push's, safety hinged on his ability to make the correct decisions. Which was why he found himself guarded, and irate, about letting a potentially rabid lycan in his home, even if she didn't know she was one.

Emily had been the most resilient against his orders of palming her off to the Cullen's - considering they couldn't hand her into police without exposing the world of the supernatural - and so he sat and watched the teen closely. Like a predator waiting for its prey to let their guard down, but the moment had yet to arrive.

Alina had an attitude; that became abundantly clear quickly. She narrowed her eyes at him just as he had done at her, and if it were a less life threatening predicament Sam would almost chuckle at such a small thing being so confrontational with him. She sensed that he would not warm to her quickly, and amidst her fear and confusion her barriers of self preservation built up. Sam did not want her in his home, but his wife evidently held a larger footing of power than him, enough to have given her a warm bed and her clothes.

The kid couldn't recall how she had ended up in the woods, nor recognised the large bite mark and scar that travelled the length of the nape of her neck and shoulder blade. As her panic had risen so did Emily's calm, and she appeared to have no problem sending her back to her guest room to get some more rest.

He recalled the conversation he and the vampire doctor had had upon tending to Alina. The scent of her not being human was there, but only just. It was Dr. Cullen whom had surmised that she was probably a lycan, the fresh scar on her back indicated so, and the severed frozen limbs of his kind also had too. What neither of them could figure out, however, was if she was the creature responsible for the human bodies that were piled up.

'Seth found an unmarked van parked up nearby,' said Sam, 'the scents were all the same.'

'If she was the one responsible for all the bodies, why has she only turned up now?' Carlisle voice was soft, and indicative of his doubt that Alina was responsible for any of the bodies.

Whomever it was had been doing so for a while, it was carefully orchestrated, and a teenager with a temperamental attitude was an unlikely culprit.

Jacob called the next night, having gleaned as much as he could from Charlie without breaking anything legal.

'Her full name's Alina Kim, parents are from Korea and died in a car accident when she was nine. She was in foster care and ran away six months ago.'

Sam mused on the information for a few moments, the static on the other end of the line irritating his ear. Reception had never been the best out in La Push, which was why they mostly stuck to a landline in the house.

'Did the foster parents report her missing?'

'No, but it's not her first time running away. They were expecting her to come back eventually.' Jacob's voice momentarily broke up as a frown settled between Sam's brows. So, he had a juvenile delinquent on his hands. Great.

'Listen, Sam, the Cullen's have been hearing some stuff going on in Seattle. Lots of kids and homeless going missing, they think it's connected to the bodies turning up.'

'We'll increase patrols on either side of the treaty border.' Sam said steadily, dark eyes almost glittering in the pitch black darkness of his home. It was almost dawn, and he was just returning from a shift. 'I'll work on getting the kid to remember something.'

He hung up after that, unwilling to be pulled into Jacob's incessant need to get involved with whatever was going on in Seattle. Sam's priority was the tribe, and keeping everyone on their land safe. However, thanks to Jacob's imprint and extension into their lands, he considered vampire affairs a concern to his pack. Which was technically true, Sam would admit, but he'd involve himself as little as possible if need be. It wasn't his concern nor his business.

For a brief moment Sam lingered by the sliding doors of his home, releasing his grip on the phone. Now forced to abandon his unreasonable suspicion of the kid, he'd now have to decide what exactly he should do with her. Though, embarrassingly, he knew that was already decided by Emily. She wouldn't just abandon a teenager as easily as he could, not one that wasn't part of the tribe or a resident on their lands.

Besides, who knew what would happen when she shifted on the full-moon, to release back into a system of foster parents without understanding her full capability of what she could destroy would have been irresponsible and unethical.

Sam's heard jerked in the direction of their guest room upon hearing her screams, ones that had been sudden and spilling with terror. He acted instinctively, shoulders tensed and raised as he speed walked into Alina's room, bursting the door open.

She lay in completely darkness, fighting against her duvet as her head thrashed to the side, trapped in a nightmare. The screams that ripped at her throat climbed, piercing his ears, and Sam winced as he momentarily stood there dumbfounded. Unsure of what to do.

Moving closer into the room Sam stepped into action, perching on the side of the single bed and placing one hand on her shoulder. His grip was soft, the pressure only slight as he shook her slightly, calling her name.

'Alina-' her hand thrashed out at the touch, briefly smacking Sam squarely in the face, and though it caused no pain it did surprise him.

'Alina!' His voice held more ground the second time, the depth of his voice rumbling in his chest. 'Wake up.'

Sam's free hand wrapped around both her wrists as her thrashing became more violent, and it forced him to shake her harder. When he called her name a final time, it was louder enough to echo down the hallway, and inevitably wake Emily.

'Wake up!'

Alina's eyes flew open, and her heart was beating so quickly that it drummed against Sam's ears, his wolf-like hearing amplifying the bass in it. The teenager took in her surroundings, not fully comprehending her whereabouts as she came to and out of her sleep. Her eyes filled with tears that spilled over quickly, and she looked at Sam almost helplessly as she sat up and latched herself to his chest. Uncaring that he was shirtless. Her nails dug deep into the skin on his back, though it caused no pain for him, as she sobbed loudly.

He was frozen for a moment, and out of the corner of his eye Sam registered the light flickering on in the hallway, and the soft shuffle of Emily's footsteps as she came into the room. Though his wife's eyes were laced with sleep, and her hair tangled, she was still alert. The worry palpable in her frown as she cast her eyes on the pair.

Sam placed one hand on Alina's back, and the other atop of her head.

'It- there was so much blood-' she sobbed, the tears and snot mixing together as her chest wracked with sobs. 'It- it - had claws- and it kep-kept- biting me- ripping me- apart ... I-I screamed- for-for help-'

'It's okay, kid.' Sam said gruffly, his hand on her back now rubbing circles, 'It was just a nightmare.'

Emily wrapped her arms around herself, stepping closer into the room, and taking a seat on the other side of Alina. Her and Sam looked at each other over Alina, and in that moment he could tell exactly what she was thinking; that Alina wasn't going anywhere, that she was traumatised, and lost, that she needed them. Even if she didn't know it.

He recalled a time when he felt exactly the same; confused and without anyone to help him understand what had happened to him. The trauma perhaps tenfold for a kid as young as her, and with her memories only beginning to piece themselves together it was bound to only exacerbate her fears.

'It- was a monster.'

'It was just a nightmare, kid. You're okay.' His hand didn't cease on the rubbing of her back, and Emily tentatively leaned further to run hands through her hair.

'We're here, Alina. You're safe.'

In the morning, he'd tell her everything.

I promiseeeeeeee Embry is coming, but I just really really want to set up a dynamic with Sam, Emily and Alina. I have such cool scenes re them as a trio/family and it makes my heart warm lots. I want there to be a foundation between them so that I can build on Sam's protectiveness for Alina outside of her being an imprint.

The first two chapters were really about setting the stage, so the next ones will focus wayyyyy more on Alina.

Thanks for the review, btw, Nana! The answers you're looking for will be revealed pretty quickly. Thank you for reading it and reviewing, it made me so happy!

Reviews and constructive criticism are super welcome, I love love loveeeee them, so please do so if you can!

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