Chapter Two

Well, I did wake up in a grungy apartment.

Just not my own.

And I also didn't wake up as myself. I woke up as a wolf.

How the hell did you get me up here, wherever here is, without being seen!?

I thought angrily at the Cullen chilling in front of me with the most serious of looks on his face. Edward was leaning against an old dresser, and with my accelerated hearing in that state- I noticed a distinct lack of heartbeats...for miles.

"Where are we?" I went to ask, but instead it all came out was a garbled bark. Thankfully the mind reader understood.

"One of my family's safe houses" the way the words flowed off of his tongue, it sounded like he was reciting poetry when he talked. I loved it.

It was when I looked up the most peculiar thing I never could have predicted, even with this being a fictional series I 'appeared' in, happened. I imprinted on him.

In the shades of yellow and the layers of confusion, doubt, and distrust that made up Edward's eyes- swam a thousand hundred visions of our future together. From cooking while pregnant, to him holding my hair through the morning sickness. Of course (in real time) as I saw it; so did he. And if vampires could get any paler...let's just say he was shook.

That's not possible I thought.

But then again so is everything regarding my circumstances.

That was when it hit me- why couldn't I hear Sam? Surely he would be patrolling all day since it was the beginning of the beginning. I doubted very many wolves had phased.

"We're a few miles outside of Seattle. Out of range- basically" Edward sounded empty, then.

My heart hurt for him. I understood. I whined- he didn't want this. He was upset with me, the situation, whatever. All that mattered was that I try to make him feel better.

So...I did Paw.

Yes, the dog trick.

I figured what's better than this de-humanizing trick.

Rosalie would get kicks off it for years, she hates my kind, I thought toward him.

That did it. My golden boy cracked a smile and even snorted. How cute! My tail wagged. I could feel it swishing against the hardwood dusty floors.

We have way too much to discuss...I flopped back on my doggy body.

I wish I could go running right now- I thought. There are so many sick aspects to being a wolf girl. Although the whole clothes shredding thing is an issue. Whenever I come back to my human form, I'm gonna be bare-ass naked. Not really the romantic first time I wanted for my imprint and I.

"That we do. How do you know what you know?"

He asked it straightforwardly, the amusement I'd created having fizzled with the reminder of what's at stake.

Staring at the old roofing tiles- I thought back to my last memory before I woke up in this body.

Kicking back a beer and ignoring the cold chills in my palms and my feet, fingertips flying across my keyboard and the brightness of the laptop drying the fuck out of my eyes. Feeling exhausted.

I had to get a bunch of work done late because I'd slept in earlier that day.

I went to bed. I woke up here.

In my world, your lives- everything that now exists, is just a fictional book series written by a middle aged American woman. It's called the Twilight saga and it's all about this crazy little love story between yourself, and a human named Bella Swan who has yet to come to Forks.

His beautiful eyes looked about ready to pop out.

Edward smelling her hair that first time they met in Biology and nearly losing control, then stalking her and watching her sleep, her liking it, him saving her from the crash and nearly exposing his family.

"Alright- enough!" The man himself snapped at me- sounding more tired than angry.

We sat in silence at that point. Him unsure of what to do, me fantasizing about food.

Of course as I calmed down and my thoughts became more human...so did my form. I was mid fantasy- at an In'n Out 2 cheeseburgers deep, when my back split in half. Edward seemed as unsettled as I was- witnessing the grotesque scene. Canine fur receded, flesh took its place. Small splatters of blood littered the area as my vision hazily returned to normal.

"Man, I need a massage. Stat" Even my voice sounded fucked up.

I looked up at Edward suddenly- somehow sensing the way his once bright eyes now shined dark as the night. They raked over every inch of my naked body with perversion. Only for a moment, because as soon as I noticed...he was gone.

Damn. That's literally my move.

"Thanks, GENTLEMAN CALLER!" I hollered semi-weekly at my imprint, not actually upset.

Clearly I'd overwhelmed him.

It's one thing to stomach the truth about his whole existence being an entertaining tale for preteens, it's another thing to get told that this wolf girl is your new destiny. With kids and the whole enchilada. Remember the breakdown he had when he found out about Nessie?

Poor fucker probably thought that it would be a normal, mundane, day in his eternity of normal, mundane, days.

I decided running away probably did his character justice even if it was a little annoying. I could never actually be annoyed with him.

My body did just shapeshift; I could take care of myself. I'll have to clean up my corpse-like appearance with whatever's already in this crib and drag all the way to school, while somehow not letting Sam find out what happened today. It would be better not to lie but beggars can't be choosers and I need to think things through more thoroughly. I don't think I'm dreaming anymore.

Luckily; the Cullen's big bank account saved the day with running hot and cold water.

As an impressive level of water pressure cleaned all the muck and grime from my tumble in the woods off- I mourned the loss of myself. Or my previous self. After all, my new one was nothing to scoff at.

Serena Dawn McDougal had been my name. I worked hard my entire life. I was orphaned at a young age by a car accident, and spent my years going from foster family to the next- until I aged out of the system and roamed homeless. My singing talent got me an interview with the right people, I put out enough tracks that did well. I bought my first apartment and got a well paying gig doing freelancing on the internet. A Jack of all trades. I could do anything from hacking, to scrubbing systems clean for people, to journalism.

I died single, a virgin, and sad as hell with this big dumb ideal that I had a light at the end of the tunnel.

The light must've been Edward's eyes- I thought with a small smile, allowing myself a bit of happiness.

It's not everyday you get confirmation that you've found your soulmate for all eternity.

By the time the water ran cold and my head was about ready to collapse from the stress- after all even if he's my soulmate...he's not meant to be. I stole someone else's fate. I'm probably going to hell for it too. That was just how I felt about it.

I turned the faucet and got out. Drying off and staring in the mirror didn't do much to help.

I'm beautiful like I always wanted, I thought.

But I was beautiful before in different ways. Ways I'll never get back.

Exiting the safe house wearing a dress that could only belong to Alice, it being abandoned on the couch in all its glory- short as shit and skintight black leather. As if things don't get worse- the only pair of shoes I could find were these beaten-down old dad flip flops under one of the sofas. I'd been on my last limb when I checked there.

I stared out into an empty road with nothing for miles except for grass and a few hay fields.

Where in the fuck? I thought.

How is this outside of Seattle? The sun sat high in the sky with only a few clouds. Leave it to the Cullen's to find the only alcove from the dreary weather within miles and plop a house down. I felt a bit of pride for my supposed future in-laws. If anyone could appreciate such a spectacular property; it was me. I'd lived in thousands.

Vroooooom, skrrrt!

Like a bat out of hell, or a knight in shining armor (take your pick) Edward's telltale volvo slammed into view. I couldn't tell how fast he was going, I could only guess that Rosalie had tinkered with the engine. And from the sour look on my imprint's face- I could only think I'd guessed right.

"You're not going to say it?" I asked childishly, hopping into the passenger seat with excitement.

Edward furrowed his brow and I admired his features in the light of day, all shiny and sharp. I wanted to lick him everywhere.

I sat up straight in alarm and embarrassment. It'd take some getting used to; having feelings for someone who knew every single thing that popped in my brain the second it happened.

"I was gonna say, get in loser we're going shopping" I managed to cough out despite the need to vividly beat myself up in my head.

He laughed. I didn't care if it was at me or with me, and I wanted to play it in my head a hundred billion times until I couldn't anymore, and I found myself laughing too because what a silly thought to have. My heart felt like that of the grinch. Tiny as hell to start, but now the size of jupiter. I felt like I'd found that little slice of hope I'd spent my entire life as Serena McDougal trying to find.

I guess suffering through what I did, and jumping universes, (as traumatic as those things are) are not too bad when the reward is Edward Cullen.

You'd have to smell him, see him, and be me to get it. A one of a kind experience- imprinting.

Edward turned the car on and began the drive back to town- breaking many traffic laws and outrunning two cop cars. I felt mildly impressed, and wildly thrilled, with the wind whipping my sleek chop in all different directions.

Just when I thought we'd be going back to the school though, he turned at a different fork in the road. Pun intended. I didn't bother to ask where we were going but Edward answered that question aloud anyway.

"The Vice Principle has already reported your absence. Sam will smell the bloodsucker on you the second you return and he will find out the truth."

"Well, alright fuck…" I sighed inwardly, kind of defeated. There goes that plan of what he doesn't know wont hurt him.

To my surprise, Edward reacted to me the way I did to him. He seemed upset for me instead of with me like before, in the safe house.

"I'm taking you to a neutral part of the treaty, a small riverbed between my home and La Push. My best guess for things going peacefully...is for you to phase, let him see where you are, and then phase back. It'll get him to come unguarded and you can explain things the way you see fit. You've already made it clear you think that your new family will come for mine in the event that things go the way they do in...Twilight."

He said the title like it was the most disgusting thing on the planet, like it was a sin just to utter it.

"But now everything is different. It's about...you...and not a human they have to protect. In some cases worse! You're the Alpha's only sibling!" Edward seemed exasperated then, running a hand through his golden locks. Sure there were tinges of red, but not enough to say brown or russet even.

My handsome king! I couldn't help but think.

Edward all but threw his head back in a nearly human gesture, as if to say 'come on!'

"Can you be serious with me? Please!"

I was being serious though, much to his doom and demise.

"Listen...I can't help it!" I blew a strand of hair that had flown over with the wind "I'm in love with you. I've never been in love before. Sue me for enjoying it in the midst of a war our grand romance could cause. You've probably been a lawyer before" I joked, completely defeating the purpose of his request.

He didn't crack in his very distressed demeanor but I could feel a fondness that wasn't one sided and wasn't an imprint induced hallucination because I'd never experienced it in my previous life.

I intended to help him find his own form of casual. Even if that meant just pretending to be tired of my antics. Adults give up on their childhood as if they have to. It was a very heated argument from my past life. I often got in trouble for acting on whims, behaving with reckless abandon.

"For the record" I raised a hand as we entered a trail path, probably leading to the river he'd mentioned "if this was up to me, we'd be doing it over some delicious food I'm bribing Sam with and you'd be there to ask for his permission to 'court' me."

At that point, I began to babble a bit- enjoying the way Edward listened so carefully to every word. As if I'd just disappear like I had entering this world.

"I mean, what's the treaty supposed to protect? Humans from a bunch of vegetarian vampires? It's not like the ones who want to eat the civilians are adhering to such a quizzical piece of 'law' written up by a bunch of old men no longer alive being carried by their not-even-shapeshifter ancestors" I shrugged "It's an admirable idea but what do they patrol for? I don't think stranger vampires are roaming y'all's property line looking for a snack."

"They'd be better off putting their new wolves to use by having them spread their scent in human form all over town, and then having the experienced ones on standby in the most populated areas. Even if that means laying in dog form in a bush like fifteen feet from the woods. Then when say Victoria" I flashed an image and some context memories through the forefront of my brain "stops by for a bite at the Shake Shack, Bam- Paul Lahote takes her out."

I hummed ominously and the drive carried on, oldies playing at what could've only been quite a low volume. The change really amped up my hearing, and it sounded clear as could be. Crisp medium, even high volume to my new ears.

The car's race-like drive came to a startling halt and Edward's arm shot forward, keeping me from flying through the windshield.

"Seatbelt. Next time" He growled.

I tried to hide my arousal and failed miserably, which added to the mayhem. He jumped out of the car at lightspeed and flew to the other side to open my door for me, looking like he wanted to be anywhere else but also not knowing whether or not to leave my side.

"Try to stop feeling like that, I don't think that will help with the whole 'peace' outcome we're hoping for."

I batted my eyelashes at him, allowing the dress not my own to ride up as I shimmied out of his passenger side.

"So there is a we?"

He pushed me a little roughly to the side and slammed the car door shut.

"That's just turning me on worse" I shook my head and tutted as if he was doing it on purpose "I suppose you'll have to screw me on the rockbed over there" cue the less than ashamed shrug.

And then just like something out of my fantasies, he had me up against a tree with a choke hold on my throat. His fingers felt like ice on your forehead during a fever, just...calming...refreshing. He wasn't using very much force, if any.

But my head did hit the tree with a slight thunk thanks to the speed at which he travelled. Apparently I'd gotten on his nerves just the way I was hoping to. And I liked the outcome. Loved it even.

"You shouldn't be thinking like this right now. If you're my soulmate, then please understand that this is so far from the time or place. And if you weren't so busy obsessing over every detail of our encounter" he huffed as if it was hard to say something rude to me "you'd have noticed that Sam is tracking your scent already. He must've caught it on the way up here since we had no choice but to go by the school."

I winced.

So maybe you're right! I'm sorry! I got this! I reassured him mentally.

That seemed to be all it took for him to pick me up by either arm like a porcelain doll and set me plainly on my feet as if nothing had ever happened.

"Okay no more touching if I'm to get my mind out of the gutter" I tried to order, but it came out more like a weak admission of the truth he'd get from my head either way.

Nonetheless, Edward backtracked and stuffed his hands in his pockets. With confident strides- he only stopped a few feet over. It seemed he wanted to be able to intervene if things somehow went wrong. He wasn't dressed how I expected him to be. He wore a leather jacket, not a trench coat or anything old styled, and a wife beater with jeans and sneakers. He just looked like an extremely extremely attractive model for Abercrombie and Fitch. Whereas Stephenie portrayed him more like a fashionable old man. It was a look that had me staring, a change I could appreciate.

Although Sam would never hurt me.

Maybe you, but not me.

That thought made all the hairs on my neck stand up and my senses slam to alert. Just like a fish on a boat tracker, my ears pinpointed the rush of paws on the wet ground and the thunk,thunk,thunk,thunk of Sam's worried heartbeat. I cringed. I didn't need to have the memories this body was built upon to feel bad for worrying him, that just made me human. Family is something I didn't need to be born with. I'd take it anywhere from anyone. A side effect of growing up in the system.

A thunderous growl more animal than human and a black blur later- and bam! Sam stood in all his wolf-ie pride, haunches raised, and tongue licking at razor sharp teeth with intent to kill pouring off of him.

"Sam!" I called out, strong. I had to get his attention. With a memory from the final movie clear in my head- I gave it my best shot at stopping every thought of war on the fool's brain.

"I imprinted on him. And don't bother trying to deny it because you will see when I phase next! He saved me! I would have hurt people, he helped me get away from the school when it happened!"

I remembered Emily's scarred face and knew in my bones that he would hold some appreciation for that. Edward had spared me a lifetime of guilt. There had to be stories in the archives of Quileute's and the horror wreaked upon their lives due to phasing at the wrong place and wrong time. And then the whole thing that stopped war from being declared due to Nessie's birth, was the law. Thou shalt not harm any imprint or imprint's family.

Of course leave it to Sam to do the last thing I expected.

He ran forward and made a grab for my arm, dragging me roughly as full speed to where I could only assume the treaty would separate us from Edward. Apparently the call for being gentle with a family member flies out the door in circumstances such as they were. And apparently Edward was kind of cool with that, even alarmed as he was, because obviously he heard Sam decide to just take me the second it was thought up.

"I'll call you!" I hollered out to my imprint against the breakneck winds and the pain in my arm as the flesh pierced under my brother's toothy grip.

Nothing that a little shapeshifter magic couldn't fix. It did heal (with the help of pain relievers) Jacob's back once upon a time.

With the thought of Edward in my mind and an ass beating on the horizon- I drifted off into the abyss of sleep wondering...

What's going to happen to Bella's life, without her being involved in the supernatural? Or would it tie in a different way? Maybe she'd be taking the place of Reneesme's existence, as Jacob's imprint?

No answers were found as I dreamt of picking oranges during a simpler time, before the world of Twilight had ever been thought of and before my parents' accident.