Author's Note: I'm a little nervous about this chapter. I tried writing it in Jacob's perspective, and I'm not 100% sold on it yet. So please give me some feedback and let me know if I should just stick to Caiden's POV or both. Thanks :)
JPOV
The best thing about being a wolf is the speed. I love how fast I can run. I could run for days at a time and never feel tired. Feeling my paws on the earth, forcing my muscles to flex in strength and agility, is my natural high. I love it! Running no matter how angry I am, or unsure of what I should do, always has a way of making me feel like everything will be okay.
The next best thing about being a wolf is all of the other senses that get enhanced when we turn, like our hearing and smell. If I went into the woods right now I'd be able to smell all of the different scents by themselves instead of being combined with one another, and I'd be able to hear all things move from miles away. With these enhanced senses, our strength, our endurance, we as a pack can keep our people safe from attack. We can protect our community and the ones we love. It's like being a superhero, only we're ten times cooler.
Angela sitting on a beach in a skimpy bikini suddenly flashed before my eyes.
"Come on Embry! Stop thinking about that kind of stuff when you wolf!" Quil yelled in our heads.
"Sorry, slipped up."
"You always slip up! And then, you yell at us if we think about it later! If you don't want us to think about Angela like that, then don't give us the mental pictures!"
Somewhat agreeing with Quil, but wanting to stay out of a fight, I rolled my eyes, I woofed to get their attention.
"How about we go practice some the new techniques Sam showed us the other day?" Without waiting for a response, I started to run, "Race you!"
I felt the ground thundering underneath be as Quil and Embry tried to catch up to my lead. Enjoying myself and feeling in the moment I let out a howl.
"Owowooo!"
We were heading to our clearing, well really it was a meadow, but clearing sounds much more macho. It was the place that Sam always brought us when he wanted to show us new techniques and tactics to make us a more efficient pack.
Quil and Embry were starting to gain some ground, and were trying to snap at my heels to make me falter in my steps. Seeing the clearing ahead, I pushed myself even harder to win.
"Yes!" I yelled twenty feet away from the clearing. Once again, I won, and as our custom I let out my victory howl, and bounded into the clearing with Quil and Embry coming up behind me.
Being the sore sports that they were, Quil and Embry pounced on me from behind, knocking me to the ground. But the wolf was in my blood more than theirs, making me much larger and more powerful, so I rapidly got up and pinned Quil before they even blinked.
"Whoa."
Startled, we looked up. A human. I don't know how we didn't see or smell her. Maybe it was because she was sitting amongst the flowers, which were masking her true scent, but there she was. She was starting at us with wide eyes. I could smell the fear rolling of her in waves. Squaring her shoulders, she stared at each of us intently. When her eyes locked on mine, I felt a bolt of lightning course through my body.
I don't know why it mattered to me, but I didn't want her to fear me. I wanted to show her that I wouldn't hurt her. That I was as harmless as a puppy. Without even thinking, my body started to move on its own, walking towards her very slowly.
"Jake! What are you doing?!" Quil shouted.
"I need her to know…"
"Oh man. He just…"
The voices in my head faded into darkness, and the only thing I could hear were her shallow breaths.
She wasn't starting at me in fear anymore. Actually, she looked curious. I felt a huge sense of relief when she got up and started walking towards me as well. Step by step we walked, until we were finally a foot apart.
She was beautiful. Sun kissed skin, long chestnut hair that was straight, shinning eyes, and heart shaped lips.
Carefully she raised her hand, "Can I?"
Her voice sounded like chimes. As though a spell washed over me, I started to bow down to her, letting her know it was okay to pet me. I wanted her to pet me. I wanted to feel her hands in my fur, and I wanted to bow at her feet.
A deep growl broke me out of my magical spell.
"Jake! Stop!" Sam commanded.
Growling and barking, I turned on him. Sam ruined this moment for me, this magical moment. Didn't he see her beauty? Didn't he see how much I wanted her to pet me? Didn't he see the magic? No, he didn't, and for that he was going to pay.
I could hear her running through the trees, panicking.
He made her afraid of me. Advancing on him, my growls and barks became deeper and deadlier. I wanted to tear him limb from limb.
"Jake! I said STOP!" He was trying to use his Alpha power over me, but power be damned.
Lunging at Sam, I caught him on the shoulder and pulled him down to the ground. I was biting and clawing everywhere I could reach. He was trying to fight back, to overthrow me, but I was to powerful for him.
"Jake man, stop!"
"Ahh!"
Quil and Embry launched themselves at me, knocking me off Sam, but that's didn't matter now. I heard her scream, my perfect creature. She was hurt somewhere and I had to help her.
Bounding out of the clearing and into the trees, I ran at a breakneck pace trying to get to her. I needed to help her. I needed to know she was okay. I needed to see her beauty again. Dodging fallen trees and branches, I ran. Hearing a pursuit behind me, I tried pushing myself faster and harder than I ever have before. But it was no use. When I finally saw my beautiful creature again, see was speeding down the dirt road and onto the highway.
"So that was imprinting?" I asked the Elder Council. "I almost killed Sam!"
"Yes you do, but that was not your fault. An Aplha should know not to interfere with an imprint, especially at the moment of imprinting," Sue Clearwater said, shaking her head at Sam.
Sam was standing by the door. He looked worse than I felt, and that was pretty bad. His body still had every claw and bite mark that I left on him, and even though it wasn't my fault I still felt guilty.
What was worse, he was no longer the Alpha. I was.
I didn't mean to strip Sam of his power; I never really wanted it, but the minute I fought against Sam I took it from him. When the Council told me about this, they said it was my birthright and that it was only a matter of time before it would come to me.
Placing my head in my hands, I sat like that for a long time.
Feeling a hand on my shoulder, I jerked my head up.
"You okay?" Sam asked.
"Me?! After everything you've been through today, you're asking me if I'm okay?" Damn I really hit him hard.
"Nothing today was your fault Jake. The Council was right. I should've have interrupted your imprinting."
"But I attacked you!"
"You were defending what was yours. If it were reversed, I would've done the same exact thing." Laying his hand on my shoulder he gave it a squeeze, "You're going to be one hell of an Alpha Jake."
I didn't feel like I was going to be a good Alpha. I couldn't even figure out what I was doing half of the time, so how was I supposed to manage a whole pack. Even more, I was I supposed to manage a pack when half of them didn't even want me as their Alpha.
Looking Sam directly in the eye, I asked him "Will you help me?"
