Chapter three. New Beginning. Claire Young.

I woke with the feel of the warm sun on my skin. My curtains had been drawn back, revealing the light blue sky that strayed over La Push. My luck was with me today. Thus being, that today was my seventeenth birthday. Finally.
I knew the plan was just a small family party, which didn't bother me in the slightest.
I fumed with chagrin as I remembered Quil. And his annoying mood swing. It frustrated me, that he seemed to have no problems with blocking me out. While I was miserable.

I dragged myself down the stairs, still in my grubby sweats and singlet.
"Happy Birthday!" Sam and Emily chorused as I stood in the kitchen door frame.
"Thanks." I mumbled. Letting a small smile force its way across my lips.
"Feeling any different yet?" Sam asked, chuckling as I sat down at the seat next to me, Breathing in the delicious scent of Emily's pancakes.
"Ha, do I look any different?" I shot back. Sam roared with laughter and Emily set the plate of food in front of me, smacking Sam on the head as she walked by.
I eyed the presents sitting on the table. Quil had already dropped his off. This really didn't help my already crap mood.
"Happy Birthday, sweetie" Mum said, walking through the kitchen and dropping a light kiss on the top of my head.
My mother, was a tall long legged woman. Her hair was grown out long and curled down her back and she looked alot like Aunt Emily, but her eyes were the same pale colour of mine. Making them stand out against her dark skin.

"Thanks." I said again, this time my smile wasn't forced. It was hard not to be happy with everyone's cheerful mood.
I opened the presents. From mum, there was a pretty yellow summer dress, that I would probably never end up wearing. Chloe had added her name to mum's card, claiming that she had some input to choosing the dress. Sam and Emily had gotten me a video camera, to document the up and coming holidays.

I tore the paper off Quil's present for me, revealing a huge boom box that I had been expecting. I grinned and picked up the note stuck to the wrapping paper.

Claire Bear,

We need to talk. Come to my house tonight as soon as you can. I'll be waiting..

Quil.

My stomach tightened in unusual knots. This really wasn't like Quil, so serious. It worried me a great deal.

The day went by as slow as I expected it to, every minute more agonizing. As soon as six came I left the house. The wind whipped around me, making my cheeks sting. I pulled my parka closer to my body. The sun was still setting, slowly but the wind was cold.
I quickened my pace down the road, and when Quil's house came into view I broke into a run, desperate to feel Quil's warmth. The warmth I missed so much.

I sprinted up the driveway and before I could even knock, the door swung open and Quil stepped out, bare chested, and shut the door behind him. I felt my eyes widen. This was worse than I expected. A shiver ran through my body, not an effect from the cold.
The Quil grabbed me into a tight embrace, catching me off guard completely. He held me close against his warm, dark skin. My feet were half a foot off the ground and Quil's hair tickled my cheeks. I breathed in his heavy scent.
"Come with me." He whispered in my ear, setting me down on the gravel floor and he took my hand in his.

We walked in silence, Quil kept at my pace, helping me over the rough, uneven forest floor. We were sheltered from the wind in the trees, It started to get darker.
Quil pulled me through an opening, and I found myself looking over the edge of a shear drop. I could hear the water fall trickling and the leaves rustling above us. I looked up, the stars twinkled against the dark, black sky.

Quil took me to the edge of the cliff and he sat down, pulling me with him, letting his legs dangle over the cliff face and I did the same, following his lead.

He kept a firm grip on my hand.

* * *

Quil Ateara

I let my fingers fall through my wind swept hair. I was nervous, my hands shook violently. Claire clung to me, gripping my hand so tight her knuckles turned white, like I was going to leave her. Was that the impression I was giving off to Claire. Guilt washed through me.

That was definitely not the case.

I turned my body so I faced her. She looked up at me, innocence in her eyes.
"Claire.." I started, I could see tears in those gorgeous eyes now. "I need to tell you something.." She stared at me for a second, then looked away.
"So I gathered." Claire snapped back, sharply. This made me grin, and she scowled at that.
"So.." She prompted.
I sighed. "You're not going to believe me when I tell you, Claire." I could feel myself shaking.
She was silent for awhile, then she said "Try me.."
My breathing picked up and I could feel my heart start to shudder.
"Honey, do you remember the old Quileute legends?" I asked, in hope, that she did.
"...Yes" Claire whispered, turning toward me.
"Do you remember the one, about how we consider wolves our equals, and the legend behind that?"
"Yes.." Claire started to look worried, biting back on her lip softly.
"What would you say." I knew I was taking a risk. "..If I told you, it was true." My voice cracked at the end of my sentence.

It was silent, for a minute or two, but, that felt like forever. Then Claire coughed lightly. It made me smile, even with the nauseous feeling in the pit of my stomach.
"Quil?" She asked, her voice so sweet and soft.
"Yes, Claire?"
"Are you trying to tell me" She coughed again. "That you morph into a wolf?"
"Yes.."
"Oh, thank goodness!" Claire cried. I felt my mouth drop in surprise. She wrapped her arms around me and cried, great heaving sobs.
"Wha- What?" I managed to splutter through the shock.
"I... I th-thought you ha-hated me!" She groaned, her face buried into my chest. I pulled her chin up, so she looked into my eyes.
"No, Claire, Never." I promised. Then, without thinking about it, I pressed my lips to hers, and to my utter surprise, Claire kissed me back. Her lips so soft and smoothed, moulded to mine, it made me weak all over. My whole body felt like it was on fire and my usual temperature of one oh nine shot up to two hundred. She broke away, cocking her head to one side, tears drying on her cheeks.
"Do you believe me?" I whispered.
"I don't know." Claire whispered back, a quality I truly loved, was her honesty.
"If you promised not to get scared," I looked away. "I can show you.."
Claire's eyes grew wide. I knew I was taking another risk. One Sam had told me not to take unless I really had to.
She thought for a moment, debating. I could tell because Claire looked almost pained by the amount of concentration.
"...Okay." She agreed. With that I leaped from where I sat and ran into the trees. I stripped off my sweats and I let the rippling feeling take over me. The black fur washed over every inch of my gigantic wolf form.
Then, I walked back into the opening, cautiously. Careful not to frighten the girl who shivered quietly, watching me in the distance. I crawled low, so that my head was in level with Claire.

She uttered a shocked gasp, letting one hand fly to her gaping mouth and she cowered back, gripping the grass she sat on. I whimpered and sat around twenty meters away from Claire, bowing my head.
Claire became more curious and she got up, crouching and staring at me.

I took another step toward her. Curiosity now filled her eyes and Claire dropped to her knees silently.
"Its true.." She breathed and too my shock a wide grin flew to her face, it seemed this girl would never cease to amaze me. Taking this as an approval I waltzed toward her, prancing around and showing off.
I let Claire run her fingers through my fur and I rumbled with content. She giggled and wrapped her slight, bronzed arms around my wide spread neck.

I broke away after awhile and ran back into the woods. Reappearing with my sweats back on, I knew Claire would have alot of questions.
"Before, you say anything." I said, putting a finger to her lips when she opened her mouth. "I need to explain something."
She still had a huge grin on her face. "Go on?" Claire prompted, leaning her frail body into mine as I sat next to her again.

I let a sigh blow from my slightly parted lips. "One... extra... thing, that comes with being a wolf.. Is imprinting."
I looked at her, Claire's eyebrows were pulled together, but she stayed silent.
"Imprinting, is, well, you could call it an act of fate." This was harder than I thought it would be. "You see the one, and she is the only thing in our world that truly matters. As soon as I laid eyes on you, Claire, you became my very reason for existence." I glanced at her quickly, to see the reaction.
She had that look on her face that Claire got when she concentrated.
"So.." She said, slowly. "You're saying we have some sort of magical connection?" Her voice broke into a whisper. Claire's cheek was pressed against my shoulder and she stared out into the forest.
"I love you, Claire." I felt her stir beside me "Its so much more than a connection."
"What do you mean?"
I drew in a another long breath, "Claire, I've known that you were the one, since you were three."
She gaped up at me.
"No! No, sweetie, not like that. Thats what I mean. I love you in so many ways, I can't explain it. But as you grew older, that love changed into something much, much stronger."
Claire placed a hand on my chest, then brushed her other along my cheek and for a second, my heart stopped. Then she whispered to me something I will never forget.

"I love you, Quil.. More than anything, I love you."

I think, I died.