Now I'll be bold
As well as strong
And use my head alongside my heart
So take my flesh
And fix my eyes
A tethered mind free from the lies

I Will Wait, Mumford and Sons, from the album Babel, released in 2012

There had been some discussion over where Bella should sit during the ceremony. We had a specific way to sit, due to the way it had been done back in my Grandfather's day. And since the Tribe was incredibly reluctant to both change traditions and the way of doing things (a trait we had picked up, as evidenced by our hatred of the Leeches even before they broke the treaty) we were left relying on the way things used to be done, with a lack of modernisation.

Each of the Elders made the four points of a circle: the twelve, three, six, and nine o'clock positions respectively. Then the pack filled out the gaps, each Imprinted wolf having the Imprintee next to them on the left. And while some might think that it didn't matter, hierarchy was an incredibly important thing. Even if it was a ceremonial thing. You may also happen to think that Bella, as this was an imprint recognition ceremony, she should sit next to me as an Imprint-my Imprint.

God that was weird to say. The only problem with that was that she was also being recognised into the Pack, as a wolf. She would be running as a wolf, leading as a wolf, and howling as a wolf. So, should she not sit as a member of the Pack if she was spending so much time as a wolf? Should she not sit with the pack in formation as a representation of her wolf?

As the true Alpha's mate? As I took my place next to my father, who was occupying the twelve o'clock position, and the other wolves and imprints took their places, Bella looked lost, like a deer trapped in headlights. I made to get up and to go help her- anything to wipe that look off her face- but Sue had apparently noticed the look, and gestured towards my left, causing Seth to shuffle up a bit in an attempt to make room.

Fortunately, despite the growth spurt and normally common stature of our wolves, she was still on the short side, meaning there was more than enough room for her to sit down next to me, seeming tense and rigid. Could she be nervous? She hadn't had much time to even talk with those within the Pack, outside our game of chase with Quil during the whole 'I can't hear your mind' fiasco, so it wouldn't surprise me. They could be pretty intimidating.

Wanting to make a gesture to relax her, but not to further unnerve her, I settled for wrapping my arm around her waist, trying to wrap her with my scent. Instinctively, I knew what I was doing, but the human part of me, was telling me that this was no way to behave, that it was wrong, I was weird, I should be ashamed.

However, I cared for more for Bella, and since her posture had lowered somewhat, no longer as rigid as a rod, I continued to do it, ignoring the human part of my mind and focusing on the wolf side. A management I was used to, and a mindset that could come in handy, provided I didn't let my wolf impose a challenge for the position of Alpha.

I had a good enough control usually though, and my wolf was far too busy on Isa. Dad wheeled over, straightening himself up in his wheelchair, and the hushed voices silenced, as he peered over the sticks and tinder set up for a fire, and finally opened the ceremony. The one that would either cement or doom my status as an Imprint.

"The Quiluette's have always been a small tribe from the beginning. Known for our skills with whaling, and our close relations with the Makah tribe, we still kept to ourselves, rarely reaching outwith our own tribe. Despite this, we've always had magic in our blood."

He threw a flaming bit of tinder into the non-lit fire, causing it to flare up in a magnificent hue of orange and red, blazing and smoke spiralling into the dark night sky. The stars were shining brightly, but no constellations were visible due to the faint fog lining the blue sky.

Everyone's attention was on my father as he continued to tell the tale, his voice commanding and helping to bring us further into the tale. It was just as mystical as the first time I had heard it, and I had heard it many times since.

"We were great spirit warriors...shapeshifters, that transform into the powerful wolf. This enabled us to scare off our enemies, and protect our tribe."

Images of Bella having been attacked by the Leech flowed through my head as I winced- that should be amended..it allowed us to attempt to protect our tribe. And yes, while Bella may not have been born into the tribe, the minute she both became a wolf and an Imprint, she was just a member of our tribe as I was, as Embry was, as anyone was. I turned to look at Bella, and she was looking, brown eyes wide, at the fire, transfixed and mystified.

"One day our warriors came across a creature...It looked like a man, but it was hard like stone and cold as ice."

Once again, Edward- as a comparison to the story- appeared in my head, as we, the Pack, circled surrounded him, but in this version of events, we managed to take chunks of his stone-cold flesh out, exact revenge upon him for the deed he committed. Bella, looking graceful and confident in her wolf form, lunged towards his neck, biting it successfully and tugging it clean off, ruby-red eyes staring into the dirt, the venom sinking deep into the earth.

"Our warriors' sharp teeth, finally tore it apart...But only fire would completely destroy it."

The flick of a lighter, being launched onto Edward's headless torso fell onto the floor in a kneeling position. Like a dog hungry for its food, the fire eagerly spread up Edward's body, reducing it to ashes. Following suit, his head was next to go, until there was no more of the Leech to be recognised, and the smell of musky ash and thick heat being the only things to litter the sky.

"They lived in fear, the Cold Man, was not alone. And they were right. She took her vengeance out on the village. Our elder chief, Taha Aki, was the only spirit warrior left to save the tribe after his son was killed."

I could clearly envision what I thought Taha Aki would look like, and I could all too easily imagine what losing someone would be like. If it was anything like what I had felt when I lost my mother... I could feel the bursting rage like it was my own, and I had to double-check that I was still wearing my own skin, and not that of the wolf's.

"Taha Aki's Third Wife could see that he would lose… The Third Wife was no magical being, no special powers, but one. Courage."

I could almost envision the Third Wife wielding the knife..and I could even project Bella's face onto the Third Wife, staring down, without fear, a Vampire, which Edward had taken the place off.

Ruby red eyes once again met chocolate brown, as she charged towards Edward, before plunging the knife into her chest, causing the scent of coppery blood to linger all over the immediate area. If I had my way, she would never be in that situation...plus she could defend herself, unlike the Third Wife. I'm overthinking this, aren't I?

"The Third Wife's sacrifice distracted the Cold Woman, long enough for Taha Aki to destroy her. She saved the tribe. Over time, our enemies have disappeared. But one remains...The Cold Ones."

We wouldn't have to worry about the Cullens...especially with how we could attack now that they had essentially burned the treaty into ashes...much like their body would be. We would fight any leech that would encroach into our territory, acting with extreme prejudice, especially if it was the Cullens or any non 'vegetarian'.

That didn't mean that 'Vegetarian' vampires were safe either. If there was one thing we were good at, other then whaling, it would definitely be holding grudges. They say an elephant never forgets, but perhaps it should be a wolf never forgets.

"Our magic awakens when they near. And we sense it now, we feel the threat in our blood. Something terrible is coming. And we must all be ready. All of us."

Dad paused, before gesturing for me and Bella to go into the middle of the circle, the blazing fire at our backs as we turned and stared into one another's eyes.

"But that can be forgotten for one day. Today we gather to celebrate the union between Jacob Ephraim Black and Isabella Marie Swan, by that of the highest order- the Imprint. When Isabella was forced to obtain her own version of our magic, she was granted the form as such. When her wolves eyes and Jacob's wolves met for the first time, the two of them instantly connected in a way that no other can. Now, we gather today to either confirm the existence of the Imprint or deny the Imprint. Now, Isabella Marie Swan, Female Beta in the La Push pack, daughter of Charles Swan, do you accept the Imprint between yourself and Jacob Ephraim Black?"

My heart was beating harder than a drummer at gunpoint, and I was literally sweating. I was still gazing into her eyes, and my wolf wanted to pounce on her right this minute, even if Bella wasn't ready for that. I was too busy concentrating on my inner turmoil that I almost missed her answer, lost in the depths of her eyes.

"I do."

Now my heart was doing cartwheels. She actually accepted. I was her Imprint, and she was mine. I had to fight the urge to launch myself towards her, as I impatiently waited for Dad to get to the part where I said 'I do'. At least then I could justify the action of wrapping myself around her, to cover myself in her scent, and her, mine.

"...accept the Imprint between yourself and Isabella Marie Swan?"

"I do."

Dad smiled as we grabbed each other's hands, wanting to snuggle into her chin. The fire was almost blazing upwards, and I was convinced that it was going to make smoke signals in the dark blue sky.

"Then by the power in me as the chief of the La Push tribe, I deem the Imprint complete. Now turn away from your Imprint, walk into the bushes and phase into your wolf. Once the eyes of the two wolves meet once more, shall the Imprint be irreversible."

I forced myself to let go of Bella as I turned away from her, striding into the bordering forest with a confident stride. I had not much else to fear- Bella had accepted both me and my Imprint, and I was as happy as Claire on a sugar rush. Although Quil didn't quite know I had given her the sugar in the first place... Safely obscured by the trees, I stripped off, not wanting to ruin any more of my clothes.

It did leave me wondering about the bracelet I had given her..while I was 90% sure it would survive her phasing (if it didn't, it was easy enough to repair), she would probably feel more comfortable taking it off beforehand. Unbottling the bottle and releasing my anger, I underwent a rapid phase, my bones rearranging, senses enhancing, and my entire mentality changing.

The Pack Mind was silent, with only the silent wall that was Bella being present. She probably hadn't realised that her wall- which we really had to figure out- had snapped back around her mind. Upon hearing my father's soft 'okay' ring out, I walked back into the circle with four legs and a new coat. Bella's luscious coat, in all its shiny, wonderful glory, greeted me, as we once again met each other, her warm eyes meeting my own ones.

It was like I had imprinted all over again, her wolf form burning forever into the back of my mind. I could lose everything and yet still be happy if I was with her, and I committed everything about her to memory. Her unique splotched coat, her shy yet protective nature... I wished that all of that could overwrite the horrific image of how I had found her.

Even for the sake of my own happiness, if I had to give that up to change the way she had been treated and left for dead by Edward, I would. I knew that for a fact. Sue had gotten up after me and Bella had met again, presumably to collect our clothes, which she would no doubt carry back to my house. From where the once weakened bond laid, it suddenly strengthened, and I was invaded by feelings that weren't my own.

The best way to explain it was like this: before it was a single, thin piece of thread. Good enough to hold things together, but weak in itself. Anything heavy on it, and it would snap. In that sense, the bond was weak, and if you wanted to sense your Imprint's emotions, you would have to concentrate to the point where it would give you a headache. It simply wasn't strong enough to constantly send that to your brain. But now, it was thicker, like a heavy-duty rope.

You could lift extremely heavy things with it, keep things together, and it wouldn't snap under pressure. It was tightly binding. Now, that was what our bond was like. In the back of my mind, and in the back of Bella's, emotions from our counterpart were constantly flooding into our minds. If you didn't focus on it, it sort of faded into the background, a small hum that you knew was there, but easy to ignore. At this stage, although difficult, it could be broken, albeit not without pain to both sides.

Once it was broken, it was irreversible, and it would cause immense pain to the wolf in question, almost soul-destroying. That was why it was rarely done. Now, once it was consummated..there was no undoing it. Nothing could break it. Not even in death. It was the final step, the final sign of trust and adoration between the true Imprints, a bond that would forever be there.

If we go back to my rope analogy, think of the thick rope, just coated in the strongest rock known to man. Now imagine that said man didn't have the tools we have now. It results in an unbreakable rope. Anyway, I nuzzled her before we both threw our heads back and howled, a joint, united chorus filled with unmistakable sounds of bliss and joy. From both sides of the forest, the rest of the pack approached us, before throwing their own heads back and following our lead, a choir-like howl shattering the melancholic silence that had lingered before.

It was quite comical to see Emily and Kim cling on to their respective wolves back. Little Claire was too young to travel through the night, plus even if Quil went slow there was a good chance that she could fall off. So it was much safer to just leave her out of it until she was a little older. She did, however, come to the Bonfires, because she loved to hear the 'fairy tales' and also loved to be near Quil.

Due to her age, she didn't quite understand what an Imprint exactly was, but she tended to linger near Quil during such meetings. For her sake, we would introduce her to Bella at a later date, presumably in the morning sometime. She liked to see everybody else's 'special one' (her term for Imprint), and quite liked to give them her seal of approval. She was adorable in that way.

After we had finished our song, the pack mind was filled with hustle and bustle, various congratulations and other meaningful phrases being thrown our way. It was like we had just had a baby! Not for a looonng time, and it was certainly not being discussed while Bella was at my side. We awkwardly arranged ourself into some sort of formation. Me and Bella were at the front, taking point, as was our honour. Paul, Collin, and Brady were behind me.

Sam, Quil and Jared were behind them, and Leah, Seth and Embry behind them. So in a 2-3-3-3 formation. Quil, Sam, and Jared were in the middle as in the unlikely event we were attacked, the Imprints would be in the centre of the pack, which would make them easier to defend if it came to it. It was also the only time that the Alpha didn't lead because normally the hierarchy would be Alpha and Alpha Female, Beta and Beta Female, and then Third and Third Female.

Of course, this in itself was a differentiation from normal wolf packs, because they had an 'Omega', which tended to be the one picked upon and the scapegoat. We didn't want that role, as much as we didn't want to treat someone like that. So, we didn't.

"Where are we running to?"

The route changed every so often, but more often than not north. Because the forest south of us didn't stretch nearly as far as the northern forest did, which made it difficult to hide about in. Can you imagine the international manhunt we would face if the general public learned about 'giant, horse-like wolves' seen in Washington of all places?

I could see the headlines now: 'Giant Killer Wolves seen in Washington. Are they on the rise?" or, even better, "Massive footprints in Washington. Is it Big Foot or Wolves? You'll be surprised!" We would be, for a lack of a better word, fucked if they found out about us. I have better things to do then get hunted down by scientists who want to take our blood and do whatever the hell else.

"Probably a few miles short of Canada, if that's okay with everyone else?"

It wasn't like we could ask the Imprints themselves (excluding Bella), but they trusted in us enough to make sure that we wouldn't go somewhere uninhabitable. Our natural temperature came in handy, as did fur coats. Plus, they had brought their own blankets and stuff to lay on if by some chance it began to snow. There was a chorus of agreements, and Sam and Jared made sure their Imprints were secure before we began our run.

"Ready?"

After another chorus of agreements and a quick nuzzle to Bella, we started off at a long lope, before we picked up a manageable speed, traversing through the dirt and expertly manoeuvring through trees like dogs through those weird pole things. Perhaps that was rather an adept phrase..

I lost myself in the thrill of the run, my wolf and I becoming closer than we ever had been before, as we both concentrated on the scents flooring the forest, the dirt beneath our paws, the exhilaration that accompanied the speed, but most of all, my wonderful Imprint who was by my side, who looked as in tune with her wolf as I was. Her walls were still expanded all over the pack, and I could almost lose myself in her mind, if not for the fact that I would bang into a tree-like Quil did.

"That was ONE time!"

We snickered as a collective group as poor Quil was planning his revenge on me as soon as we stopped. If we were going to get into a massive game of chase, I was going to be the victor. And Imprint or no Imprint, I wasn't going easy on Bella.

"Good. I wouldn't have it any other way...although someone might have to tell me the rules.."

I'm sure that could be arranged.

Author's Note

So, A quick clarification of the Imprint ceremony, regarding where the two of them split and go into the woods, before phasing into their wolves. Had Bella been a human, she would have stayed with Billy, with only Jacob going and phasing. But since they are both wolves, they had to change the ceremony a bit.

Another small note, I used most of the Third Wives tale from the Eclipse Script, and as such, don't take credit for it. I added in a few amendments, but not enough to even consider claiming it as my own.

Now, here's the first half of the Imprint ceremony, with the second coming next Thursday! I've finally finished all of my exams, so I can hopefully give more time to writing, especially after EITNIP is wrapped up. I've got another story coming up after that, one that belongs to another fandom entirely, one I've never written for before. I'm hoping it goes down well.

I know I've said it before, but before I close off this author's note, and with it, the chapter, I'd like to thank everyone for their reviews. I make it a point never to ask for them because I believe people should only do it if they want to, and not because I've asked for them. Because of this, every review is one I cherish, even if it's just telling me they like how the story is going so far. So, thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate it (again, another phrase I've been repeating), more then I can ever describe.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your week

Edit Note 28/5/19 - Grammatical Issues, paragraphing issues fixed

Edit Note 22/03/20 - More grammar issues. Said Billy 'stood up', please forgive me for that. It was my mistake, and I take responsibility for it. Thank you to BlueCandyMac for pointing this out.

~Cait