Note: I don't own anything you recognize...there is swearing in this story so be aware...i have pulled some direct dialogue from the movie in the later half of the story...it's my first and probably only Twilight story so please don't flame me if you don't like it...with that, Enjoy!

"Why do you like me, Paul? You went from yelling at me on the beach to suddenly nice and, well not quite sweet but you know."

"Something in your eyes when I finally looked in them. Maybe I recognized on some level how we were similar and screwed up. I can't really explain it. I just know that I want to get to know you better."

"Me too."

Over the next several days, many things have changed. Paul and I hung out constantly when he wasn't busy with work and I helped out around the rez. I had always been good with kids so I helped out looking after the little ones while their mothers could get work done around their houses. Even though I couldn't swim, we would head down to the beach to play in the shallow water.

The army would congregate at Sam's house most nights and I bonded with them. I noticed that Jacob was getting tense and tried to talk to him about it but he wouldn't say anything. I finally wormed it out of Seth that it had to do with Bella Swan getting married. It must be killing him that the woman he liked was getting married to someone else. The rest of the army wasn't thrilled either since it seemed they all had hung out with her before the engagement but it was hurting Jacob even more.

There was to be a special bonfire that night when the elders would tell me about the legends. I was looking forward to knowing more about my ancestors. Sue even offered to help me track my ancestors to the original tribe. She said it was something several kids have done and that the elders kept track of lineages.

The burn was slowly fading and I usually left it uncovered. At times my left hand begun to really itch and tingle and I worried that it wasn't healing properly. Since I had a few hours before the bonfire, I was heading into Forks to see Dr. Cullen again. Paul was busy with work so I went alone.

The smell of the hospital hit me full force as soon as I entered. My stomach rolled slightly as it always did whenever I visited Mom at the hospital during her cancer treatments. I checked in with the front desk and was told that Dr. Cullen was nearing the end of his shift but she would see if he could see me before leaving. She escorted me to a different exam room and left to find the doctor.

"Is everything alright, Ms. Jackson?"

"I'm not sure," I said before explaining what was happening with my hand.

He sent me for another X-Ray to rule anything out. When he came back with it, he ran his fingers through his perfectly styled hair and sighed.

"Your hand looks perfect in this X-Ray. I don't know how to explain it other than the other X-Ray must have been defective in some way. I suggest we take the cast off. Be careful with what you do and if you have any further problems, come back in to see me."

"Sure, I guess."

How could my hand heal in matter of days unless what Dr. Cullen said was true? Maybe it wasn't broken in the first place but swollen and immobile from punching Paul. I wasn't a doctor so I couldn't explain it. Dr. Cullen sawed off the cast and sent me on my way.

I walked through Forks for a bit before hitting up the diner for a snack. I saw Bella sitting at a table with a different guy but her body language spoke how close she was to him. This must be her fiancé. As I ate my pie, the pixie girl skipped into the diner and took a seat at their table.

"Come on, Bella. It's time for the dress fitting. I can't believe it's this Saturday."

"I get what you mean, Alice. I just wish Jacob would take my calls. Billy said he ripped up the invitation that I sent to him. I know the Cullens and his pack don't get along but why can't he be supportive of me?"

The man pulled her in for a hug and a quick kiss before Alice pulled Bella away. I finished up my pie and headed to the grocers to grab the food that Sue asked me to grab. Heading back to La Push, my mind got to thinking about random things and one was finalized when I pulled the car up in front of Sue's place.

The army, including Leah, and the elders surrounded the bonfire. They had all heard the legends before but still came so they could be there for me. Paul was sitting on a log behind me and I sat on the ground between his legs. His hands were playing with my hair while the elders got situated and were about to begin.

"The legends say our people are descended from the wolves. They are revered and sacred to the Quileutes," Billy began.

The elders would alternate explaining the legends to the group. The one that really fascinated me was the story of Taha Aki's third wife. I know it's a legend but it would have made a great movie. I listened as they explained thecold ones and how Taha Aki transformed into a gray wolf to protect his people. Rather than see more of her people die, the third wife sacrificed herself so that her husband -the wolf- could rip the cold one apart.

"There you go, Paul. You said you believed in werewolves. If the legends are true and warriors were able to transform into wolves, could it still be possible today? And why was Taha Aki's wife never named if she was the one to save the tribe from annihilation? She's never named."

"I believe that if the wolves are needed then wolves would reappear. Another legend surrounding the wolves is the act of imprinting. It is a way for the men to find the person who completes him," Billy stated.

"Like a soul mate?"

"Exactly. The imprintee completes and makes the wolf stronger. Being imprinted on isn't simple. If the pair is not together, then it can cause physical pain and harm to the wolf. We do not know if it causes the same harm and pain to the imprintee."

"So you're supposed to drop everything to be with the man if you are imprinted on? What if you're already in a relationship? Does it have to be a romantic relationship?"

"In most cases, the wolf and his imprintee do form that kind of relationship. Our people believe in the power of imprinting so it is understandable when a couple separates after the wolf imprints on another."

"So in other words, if Paul imprints on someone else, then I'm thrown out like yesterday's garbage? All the time we've spent together has been for nothing?"

Jacob tried to stifle a laugh but couldn't. I glared at him to shut him up. Leah had a small smile on her face and Sam looked sad.

"What if the imprintee doesn't want a romantic relationship but like a close friendship?"

"It's like this, Mikayla. The wolf will be whatever you need him to be but it is believed that their offspring would be blessed to have come from a soul mate bond. To not be able to have that bond would almost kill something in side of the wolf and there would be no chances of having kids for wolf. Pack comes above all else."

"I heard that word today in the diner. Pack. You talk like you are wolves already."

The group went silent. I looked to Sam then Jared then Jacob. I tilted my head back and looked up at Paul.

"Is this true? Have some already changed?"

He wrapped his arms around my shoulders as he leaned down to whisper.

"It is and I've imprinted on you."

"That's why you've gone all nice to me. If you hadn't, would you have still been that asshole from the beach?"

"Probably, maybe. I'm not usually a happy guy and my temper can run away from me at times."

"So you only want to be with me because of this imprinting? Not because of who I am?"

I scrambled up and ran from the bonfire. If that was the only reason…

"Mikayla, wait. Please, just wait."

I ran until we got back to Sue's house and I sat on the front step. Paul sat beside me and took my hands in his large ones. He asked me to look at him and it took me a second before I raised my eyes to his.

"You know I have plenty of reasons for being a moody asshole but you've opened yourself up to me and I've seen that I can be someone better. I'll still have times where I'll be that moody asshole but not to you. Our first meeting might not have been the greatest but it'll sure be a story to tell others how we cursed each other out and you flipped me off.

"I see the imprinting as a bonus. We found each other because of it. Could you image you going out, dating losers, and maybe settling down? You'll have that nagging feeling in the back of your head about the guy and I know I'd never trust a woman fully so I'd continue to sleep around. The imprinting is keeping us from that and we have the rest of our lives to make up for our shitty childhoods."

I thought of what Paul said and gave him a smile.

"Who knew you could be so sappy, Paul? But I'm glad I could hear what the imprinting means to you. While I didn't know what pulled us together, I am glad that we've gotten together."

"So we're still together?" he asked, hopefully.

"Yes, dumbass. We're still together."

I leaned in and kissed him. He kept still for a moment until I deepened the kiss. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer. Paul didn't take it further than that and I was glad for it. I pulled back and smiled at my wolf.

"What do you look like as a wolf?" I asked.

He gave me one of his smiles and stepped away from the steps. He turned his back to me and removed his shorts. His tight muscular ass was mere feet from me. Paul looked over his shoulder at me and smirked.

"When we change, we'd tear anything we're wearing so it's better to strip down first."

"I'm not saying anything. I'm getting a free show right now."

It didn't take Paul long to transform. His wolf was massive. While I'm decently tall for a woman, at 5'10, the top of Paul's head came to my chest. The coloring was a mix of different grays, making it took almost silvery. His eyes were darker than in human form and I wondered if everything in his wolf form was different than normal.

"I know you can't really speak to me while as a wolf but you can nod or shake your head. Do you enjoy being a wolf?"

A nod.

"I guess your senses are much more powerful, hearing a deer in the distance or seeing a small fleck of dust in the air."

Another nod.

"I'm sure I'll have more questions later but you'll need to be human for that."

The massive wolf turned around and transformed again into Paul, who made a bit of a show pulling his shorts back on. We sat on the front step for hours talking. He told me about the pack and how Sam was Alpha. He mentioned how at the beginning he couldn't control his temper well and would 'phase' because of it. His term of phasing was so much better than how I described it as transforming. He does literally phase into the wolf and back.

Paul escorted me up to bed and gave me a goodnight kiss. Since I knew about the pack, he could restart his patrols around La Push and wouldn't feel bad about lying to me anymore. I wasn't going to be doing much but going into Port Angeles and Forks over the next day or two.

The next morning started off quite well in that Sue was able to help me find a little house on the rez that I could purchase from the elders. It would need some work but I'm sure my small army of shape-shifters would be able to help out. Once I had that settled, I drove into Port Angeles to deal with the bank transactions and such. I also put my small apartment up for sale and, yet again, the army will be needed to help move all my meagre things to the new house.

My future was taking shape but I needed to figure out something to do. Settling myself at the counter at the Forks diner, I pulled out the local paper for the classifieds.

I know Sue's a nurse and maybe she could train me but I might have to go to school for that. What would be useful to the pack? Emily's got the cooking down pat so aside from helping her out occasionally, I can't be the cook. I sew decently so I could repair anything they tear up. The only other thing I'm good at is my art. Maybe I could get Paul, Jacob, and the others to pose for me. I'm sure people would buy that kind of art, I thought.

"Excuse me. You're Mikayla, right?"

I turned and saw Bella talking to me. I smiled and nodded at her.

"You're Bella. I've met your dad, not in a work capacity, just a friendly manner through Sue Clearwater."

"You know Sue?"

"I'm actually staying with her on the rez right now. I came up looking for family and found it."

In more than one way.

"So you know Jacob?"

"He's a bit hard to miss, all 6'5 and bazillion pounds of muscle. I swear if Seth gets any bigger, he'll be turning some heads soon. Why do you ask?"

"I know it's not my place but I invited him to my wedding and I haven't heard back. I'm wondering if you could give him another invite for me. Please don't let him rip this one up."

"I had heard you were engaged. Congrats. When's the wedding?"

"Saturday."

"I'll make sure he shows up if I have to drive him there myself. I can be quite persuasive and if not, I'll sic my brother on him. He won't be able to refuse anything Sam tells him."

"Sam?"

"Oh, yeah. It seems I'm part Uley so that makes Sam my older brother. He's really trying to make up for missed time so if I turn on the sad puppy dog eyes and ask that Jacob goes to your wedding, even for a little bit, he'll see to it."

She beamed and was quick to hug me.

"Thank you. I know he and Edward don't really get along but it would mean so much to me if he came."

"It's no problem."

Bella drew out directions to the Cullens' house where the wedding was being held and left the diner. I smiled down at the invitation and tucked it away. A bride is supposed to be happy on her big day and if that means dragging Jacob there, I would do it. Forgoing the job hunt, I went to the grocers and picked up some ingredients for dinner. It was going to be just Paul and I.

Dinner went fantastic. I started off dinner with a nice Caesar salad. To go along with our steaks, I made corn on the cob and potatoes. Warm dinner buns rounded out the meal. Dessert was going to be black forest cake. Conversation flowed and we would randomly change topics and ask the most craziest questions. It was during dessert that I brought up my plans.

"So I was thinking of asking Sam if I could change my name to Uley."