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Inspirational Song: Red Jumpsuit Apparatus – Your Guardian Angel

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Thirteen. Just a month under Collin, making me the youngest of the pack.

And they never let me forget it. Even Collin seemed to look at me as the youngest.

I was really tired of it all. I was tired of feeling so strange as the transformation settled. I was tired of being told what to do. I was tired of sharing my mind with everyone, especially when I ran patrol with those that had an imprint.

I was tired of being the youngest. I was tired of shaking when I got just a little annoyed, whether it be from getting picked on for my height or failing a test because I had been running patrol the night before and didn't have time to study.

I was tired of no one asking what I wanted.

Mostly I was tired of feeling like I was all alone.

Even though it was an oxymoron really, I wanted to find my imprint. I knew that it would take even more of what little control I had away, but I had seen how happy Sam and Jared were.

I wanted that. I wanted to not be alone anymore. I wanted the person I could tell anything and everything too.

I wanted my other half.

No one was to know our secret apart from the Elders and the imprints. And it felt like a waste of time to try and talk to the pack about anything. In all honestly, I really felt like more of a bother then a brother to them.

Of course, Sam would say I wasn't a bother when he caught my thoughts. That got old real fast, especially when Paul would make a joke about me being the pup of the pack and everyone would burst out laughing.

Thankfully, I had gained full control over my thoughts quickly, probably quicker than anyone else in the pack had since some of them still didn't have full control over what they thought and didn't.

A howl sounded off in the distance, telling me it was time. I rolled my eyes and tossed the pencil onto my book, knowing I was going to fail the test whether I studied or not. I had slept through almost every class because of the extra patrols we had been doing.

I snuck out the window, which was easy even though it was on the second floor, and jogged towards the woods.

The shorts pulled off easily and fit into the tie around my ankle just as easy. I let the wolf loose for just a second, letting him stretch my bones and muscles till they fit his, but took control once I landed back on the floor. Without another thought, I took off running.

Within a few minutes I caught up to Jared. He gave me a wolfish grin and ran faster.

Jared was probably the easiest for me to get along with out of the whole pack. Sure, he had an imprint and such who was always on his mind, like now, but he was more laid back and easy going then everyone else. He knew when a joke had gone too far.

Ahhh, it's nice to know I'm your favorite Brady! Jared's playful voice sounded in my head.

I rolled my head and started going over what would happen tonight.

We would be meeting up with them.

I could understand why we were; the red head had been on our territory and didn't seem to be leaving any time soon, but I wasn't looking forward to meeting up with a coven of vampires.

One made me uneasy as it is, but seven? One of which was a mind reader and the other psychic? I heard another one could even mess with a person's feelings!

And each of them apparently had a mate. They would be even more on guard tonight if that was the case.

I had heard that their mating was just as strong as our imprinting. Apparently, even strong enough to cross species, considering one of them was mated to a human.

Is someone scared of a little vampire? I could just picture Paul's mocking face.

Think more wolf like...there, now you have how I look, pup!

I started counting to a hundred, trying to keep my thoughts to myself. Just as I reached 88, we met up with the rest of the pack.

Is everyone here? The alpha demanded, looking around. He gave a slight nod of his head in satisfaction. Good. Now, I want everyone on their guard, but I want all emotions in check. One leech is a mind reader so he will be interpreting for us. Are we ready?

A few said yes while others just nodded. I nodded as we fell into rank.

Sam of course in front, flanked by Jacob and Jared. Paul went next, followed by Embry and Quil. Leah stayed with Seth, and Collin stayed close to Leah. Even if they hadn't imprinted on each other Collin still thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

Shut it! Collin snapped.

I heard a few chuckles and could only guess that if Leah had been human right now, she would be blushing.

I would not!

I cringed. I really needed to stop thinking aloud to myself right now.

I second that. Shut up, Brady! Everyone agreed with Paul, and some threw in a few more colorful words as well.

I dropped my head and resumed counting.

Leave him be, there are more important things at hand. Now, quiet. Sam's alpha command shut everyone up in an instant.

We took our stance along the tree line. I stayed to the back, shifting a bit from foot to foot.

Paul turned back and gave a smirk, Still scared, pup?

100, 101, 102, 103...

He rolled his large eyes and turned to face the leeches.

My nose burned as the wind blew from the west. But there was something else mixed with it...a sort of woodsy orchid? I shook my head, trying to clear it.

When I looked back up, they were here.

A large group of them stood all around the human girl Jacob was infatuated with and who was the reason the red-haired leech was on our land.

Jacob snarled in my direction.

I dropped my shoulders as the tall patriarch of the coven stepped forward.

It was strange to see a creature like that smiling, "We all welcome you and are so grateful that you have agreed to help us. We will be forever in your debt."

111...112...113...115...Wait where did 114 go? Actually, where did 104 through 110 go?

Shut up BRADY! A few wolves yelled at me.

I slumped my shoulders a bit more but turned my attention back to the coven's leader.

How are the newborns different from them?

Yeah, they smell the same!

Are they really any different?

"They want to know how the newborns differ from us." Another one of the coven stepped forward. His bronze hair looked strange in the moonlight. He must be the mind reader. Not because he had strange hair but—

Brady!

I sighed, trying to keep my thoughts quiet. Usually, I had such good control over them, why would tonight be any different? Maybe I was just nervous.

I plucked up what little courage I had, to prove it to myself not the pack, and looked to the two vampires before me.

I paid close attention as the leader told us how newborns were uncontrollable vampires, who were stronger than normal vampires because they still had some of their human blood pumping through them. A second blond one stepped forward and told us how they fought and how deadly they were.

I chuckled a bit at that. Of course, they were dangerous. But my focus still grew more intense as he told us how to...um...dispatch of them? They were already dead so could you really kill them a second time?

I heard a chuckle in my head but choose to ignore it.

What a pup!

I sighed and continued to stay focused. And that was when I felt a very precise attention on me. I looked around the pack, but everyone was focused on the vampires.

Jared turned back, his eyebrow raised, What's wrong?

Just a feeling.

I looked over to the trio of vampires. The mind reader was looking all around the pack, trying to follow every line of thought. So, it wasn't him.

I looked over the other leeches. Not a one of them was looking at me so it must be...

And that was when my world shifted.

There was only one word to be said.

Only one word came to mind. Just one. And that one word changed everything.

Imprint.

The pack's shared mind was fuzzy, even as everyone shouted their thoughts, trying to figure out what had just happened. Even what the leeches said was lost to me as I looked at the beauty before me.

I had found my other half. The missing piece of my heart. The missing piece of my soul.

A short, dark-haired vampire turned her around and started to pull her away. I couldn't help myself as I walked forward, trying to get closer as she was pulled farther from me.

Growls and snarls erupted around me, but my thoughts were only on her as she turned back around and looked at me. I was captivated.

Her beautiful eyes and her soft rose-petal lips. Her long brown hair with curls at the end. The honest lines of her soft heart-shape face. The innocence to the curve of her nose. How small her hand would look in mine. How she would fit just perfectly in my arms...

"Get. Her. Out. Of. Here. NOW." The mind reader growled.

"Edward, what is wrong?" The leader asked, stepping between the pack and his coven.

"That dog imprinted."

"What? On who?" Someone asked.

And then he said her name.

"Bella."

Bella.

I tried the name out. It meant beautiful, but that just didn't do her justice.

Time seemed to stop as I saw Bella crumble and fall to the grassy floor. Panic set in and I sprinted forward. But I was a fraction too late.

He beat me to her. The leech snarled as I came to a stop. I crouched down and growled back. My ears were flat as I bared my teeth.

BRADY! Get back here, NOW! The alpha ordered. A part of me wanted to obey my alpha, but a greater part, the part refusing to leave my imprint in the hands of my enemy, wouldn't let me.

Sam, his imprint is stronger than both ours! Is that even possible?

I don't know, Jared, but we need to get him to think rationally. We can talk to the Elders later.

Let me try. Hey, Brady! When did you start falling for a leech fuc—

Paul didn't have a chance to finish as I charged towards him, pinning him before he could react.

I snarled down at him and snapped my teeth at his neck. He couldn't move and there was fear clearly written in his eyes.

Enough! Sam called. But that wasn't what called me off.

I heard Bella stirring before anyone else. I turned and trotted over to where she lay, surrounded by them.

My ears were pulled back tightly against my skull as my eyes trailed throughout the coven. I would take on anyone that tried to keep me from her.

They knew it too. A few of them stepped back, watching me cautiously, while the leader and the mind reader stayed by her head.

But I didn't care about them. I cared about her.

I stopped and sat, waiting for her eyes to open. After a few minutes the wind picked up. When I saw she wasn't going to wake, I laid down beside her, taking great care to make sure she wasn't crushed by my large mass.

I lay with my head on the ground, just staring as her eyes fluttered behind her lids. My eyes couldn't move from her, even as everyone talked around us and about us.

All I could do was hope that her dreams were sweet and peaceful, and make sure she was kept safe and warm while she slept.

Something I promised myself I would do from now on.

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