Whatever An Imprint Wants…???
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters but my theories are strictly my own because some of what I read didn't make any sense whatsoever. SM made things a bit too complicated in the end and I feel it's my job as a Team Jacob/Team Leah/Team Blackwater (WOOHOO!) fan to make things right…or at least give a different spin on things.
Quil storms out the back door of the Black's home growling and grumbling to himself. He was pissed that he bothered to sit through that crap. Leah had sat down explaining her theory about imprinting. It wasn't the fact that she said it wasn't about being 'in love' with them or even about procreating and creating bigger and stronger wolves. Those ideas of Sam's had always creeped and weirded him out. But what she said about why the wolves that did imprint had to imprint is what really pissed him off.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Alright let's hear it." Jacob says sitting back down and crossing his arms. Because of his massive size he does strike quite the intimidating figure; however, his beta is completely unfazed. In fact, Leah crosses her arms and squares her shoulders mimicking him.
"Sam would have us all believe that imprinting is about love and strengthening the pack through babies." Leah says with a small frown. "But, the legends tell us that imprinting is rare. None of our great-grandfathers imprinted." It's a statement that causes both Jacob and Quil to frown. "So either they didn't love their wives," Leah says weighing the option in one hand. "Or there was no need for them imprint." Leah says with the other. "So…why?"
"Why what?" Jacob asks his serious stance quickly forgotten.
"Why didn't Ephraim, Levi and the others imprint?" All three men exchange looks seeing if any of the others have any ideas.
"Maybe they'd already found the right woman to bear…their…kids…?" Quil suggests meekly.
"Maybe." Leah says surprising Quil and Jacob with her encouraging attitude.
"The…pack didn't need to be strengthened?" Jacob throws out with a frown. The conversation feeling more and more rhetorical and hypothetical with each passing second. Is there a right answer? Jacob questions to himself.
"So what makes that pack different from ours?" Leah questions. "Why do we suddenly need so many imprints? Our numbers are the largest since the early days when the Spirit Warriors were common." Quil frowns starting to see where Leah's questions are coming from. They did make sense and were logical. He just never bothered to think about it. Looking up at Jacob and Embry neither did they; that is until Leah brought it up. Why were they imprinting? If it was rare, who so many? Why was he the last one? Why on Claire? The question always made him feel uncomfortable because to feel that way about her made him feel…well dirty. She was like the younger sibling he never had.
"Is there, well…what's wrong with us then?" Jacob asks out loud but upon looking at him it would seem that he is really asking himself and not the group.
"Maybe we're too young?" Embry throws out after a couple of minutes of thoughtful silence. Leah smiles at him as this seems to help get the ball rolling again.
"No, that can't be it because according to the legends Taha Aki's own son was close to our age. And so go the other stories." Jacob states matter-of-factly knowing some of the details from Billy.
"And if that was the case why did Seth, Collin, Brady and the rest of the cubs phase? Shouldn't it've been someone else in our class? Or older?" Quil throws out with a shrug. Leah's small smile is a big encouragement for them to keep going.
"Location, maybe?" Leah throws out to answer Quil's question. "We all live on the southeast side of La Push. While most of the others live further west or even north, close to Makah."
"But far enough away from the leeches." Jacob says his eyes brightening seeming find the answer to a long awaited question.
"So that explains why we phased." Quil says with a nod agreeing with the theory. "But why so many imprints? Does it strengthen the wolves?"
"Well that can't be it." Leah says shaking her head. "Jake can change the fastest. Sam speculates it's because he has the gene on both sides."
"You don't?" Quil asks as Leah shakes her head.
"I figured initially that it was because he was of the Third Wife's line." Embry adds with a shrug. Jacob narrows his eyes at Embry thus giving further proof that he and Leah have already had this conversation.
"It would make more sense and fit in with Sam's theories." Quil admits with a nod as Jacob looks at Leah intently.
"Would if it were true." Jacob answers. "I'm not of the Third wife's line. The first wife's children kept the honor of being chief of the tribe."
"The Second?" Embry questions.
"The Masons. Supposedly the Second wife was picked by Utlapa after he took over Taha Aki's wife who according to Billy was really his own wife. They have no claim to the right of being chief. The Third wife lines…" Jacob begins but trails off as realization seems to hit him.
"Ended over 100 years ago." Leah fills in. "They never had anymore sons but the daughters married into the Uley, Clearwater and now the Woods; possibly some others."
"So…there's no direct male descendant of the Third Wife?" Quil questions and Leah solemnly shakes her head.
"You've been talking to Billy." Jacob states leaning forward resting his elbows on his knees.
"Yea plus went to the library and did some census checking. The cubs had a family tree assignment I helped them with." Leah explains with a shrug earning a chuckle from Jacob thinking about Leah cycling through microfiche for the cubs.
"So…imprints don't strengthen the pack or the babies." Embry states with a sigh.
"Then…they strengthen the individual." Jacob says slowly and Leah and Embry both watch as Jacob and Quil mull over the idea in their heads; just as they did weeks ago.
Leah had brought up the discussion one day to Embry and the two of them sat around throwing back ideas, suggestions, observations and the like until they arrived at a startling conclusion.
"So, what? How can we be sure imprinting doesn't strengthen the pack?" Quil questions with a frown.
"How are Sam, Jared and Paul stronger?" Leah asks and Quil begins thinking it over. "Jake and Embry are the strongest and best fighters." Leah comments. A simple fact that makes both, Jacob and Embry, anxious; the mildly hidden facts of their similarities.
"Paul used to be a pretty good fighter." Embry throws out as Jacob nods his head vouching for that fact.
"And now Seth can take him. Sam as an Alpha has his size as an advantage." Leah continues on.
"Jared's been decent but again he's older and been in his form longer." Jacob adds.
"When we broke away from the pack," Jacob states looking directly at Leah. "He sent Paul, Jared, Quil and Collin as his representatives to bring us back. I always wondered why he sent Collin and not Embry. It was more or less an imprint front."
"Well, you're one of my best friends. After I realized that you weren't leaving with the Cullens or something dumb like that was when I came onboard." Quil explains.
"I didn't like being under Sam's command and Leah without Sam and Paul is better than just Paul any day." Embry says throwing a quick wink at Leah.
"So what? We're more homebodies." Quil says with a shrug.
"There's a limit to how far imprinters can go without their imprints." Jacob states. A minor issue when the packs were one; Sam, Jared, Paul and even Quil were given patrolling areas closer to home. The 'meadow' or rather Edward and Bella's meadow where they found the dark skinned dreadlocked leech was a serious stretch on Sam's range. Sam had said that La Push was their primary goal and explains why they never followed the red-headed leech any further than a few miles south of La Push.
"Imprinters make ineffective trackers." Leah says after a heavy sigh looking down at her hands.
"So what? Excuse me for being tied to Claire."
"They age." Embry states
"Eventually you all will stop." Quil points out.
"But why stop when there are leeches around? The Cullens are still getting visitors to see Renesmee." Jacob notes.
"The legends says that Taha Aki lived for hundred of years. Aging gradually but all that went out the window with the arrival of the Third Wife. By the arrival of the Cold Ones he was already too old to be effective in a fight." Leah states.
"And?" Quil asks rolling his eyes.
"He, he was no longer useful to the pack before the Cold Ones arrived." Leah whispers sadly.
"The pack is only as strong as its weakest link." Embry says looking down with a frown repeating a saying he'd heard their basketball coach tell them.
"Imprinting forces the wolves to age." Jacob states repeating the key points. "Limits the territory. It gradually removes the wolves that are…ineffective or weak." Jacob says looking at Leah as she continues looking down at her hands before turning to Quil.
"What?!"
"Sam refuses to give up his Alpha status. It's not his rightful position. Discord among the pack is a weakness that affects all." Leah says as Embry wraps an arm around her holding her close and keeping a close eye on Quil. Jacob recognizes the speech given to him by the elders in regards to Sam. They wanted him to recombine both packs again with him as the rightful Alpha in place. A fight if necessary to achieve it. Jacob refused wanting to grow used to running his small pack and not having to deal with either Sam or Paul's attitudes; after all he was a 'leech lover'.
"'Sides why fight him when he'll stop phasing to grow old with Emily." Jacob repeats his own answer from the meeting. What was it then? Why did they imprint? Sam imprinted,
"Sam imprinted not too long after you turned the Alpha position down." Leah says seeming to answer both Quil and Jacob's unspoken question. "Paul only became an even bigger ass after phasing feeling so high and mighty." Leah states rolling her eyes. "Jared, although, not an ass definitely became cockier. Imprinting basically re-focuses the wolf or wolves to the task at hand."
"Well…what about me?"
"You didn't' take the matter seriously." Leah says quietly. "You were so excited to be a wolf, phase, skip school and hang out with Jake and Embry,"
"So?!"
"It was a game to you guys. Seth would've been right there with you if it wasn't for my mom. Sam made him focus on school and not goofing off, stuffing muffins down his gullet,"
"So what because I actually wanted this; it's a weakness? While the three of you either hate it," Quil growls out pointing at Leah and Embry. "Or avoid the responsibility." Pointing at Jacob.
"Calm down, Quil." Jacob says trying to gain control of the situation. "It's just Leah's theories." Jacob explains trying to smooth everything over.
"No different than Sam's." Embry adds as Leah sighs shaking her head.
"The only difference is that she's being a bitter bitch about it." Quil snarls jumping up from the couch and glaring down at Leah.
"Don't call her that!" Embry growls back standing up from the couch and glaring darkly at Quil.
"Oh, so now you're defending her? Just 'cuz you're now getting some pussy, you think,"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Jacob growls getting in between the two violently shaking males. "Quil, go cool down." Jacob states pushing Embry back.
"Now you're defending this bullshit?"
"It's just theories, man. Don't take it so personally."
"Oh! So since I'm the weak link,"
"DROP IT!" Jacob growls a hint of the Alpha command in his voice.
"Fine, Almighty Alpha." Quil salutes before turning and heading out the door.
"You okay?" Jacob asks looking down at Leah as Embry sits down beside her.
"Yea." Leah says nodding her head. "I kinda expected it." Leah states looking up at Jacob with sad eyes. Over the last couple of years Leah had patched up many relationships and built up some new ones. She and Quil were getting along great. When they were patrolling together they shared stories about Claire's excitement over something new. Or sitting somewhere talking about video games or TV shows. Leah could be found curled up next to Quil if she wasn't with Jacob, Embry or Seth. Her eyes held the sadness of one who has possibly lost a friend. "Honestly, maybe there's a chance that Quil isn't a weak link since he imprinted on someone so much younger. I think it also has to do with what the wolves are looking for too. Sam was looking for someone like Emily and not me."
"Lee?" Embry whispers pulling Leah into him. She sighs contently at the welcoming warmth as Jacob looks on quietly with a frown.
If Leah's theory was correct then chances are that Quil wouldn't want to be with Claire in a more mature and intimate way. Maybe there's a chance for him to mature and grow out of his…childish ways? But why would Leah phase in the first place? The legends only mention males but no females; or at least as far as Dad and Old Quil know. "Embry, you and Seth are patrolling tonight." Jacob says sitting down on the other side of Leah as Embry looks in between his Alpha and Beta before getting up with a nod.
A/N: Sorry for the delay but after having this discussion with my sis and a friend; I started to realize that there's no easy and uh, what's the word safe way to explain imprinting. Either way someone's going to wind up pissed and angry. And I felt really bad because I didn't give Quil an out and so I've just been sitting on it trying to find a way to right my wrong but…I can't. Sighs. Although me and my sister both agreed that Jacob would have to be of the First Wife line and that most likely these descendants were possibly part of the Elders or Council by the time of the Third Wife. But me and friend found it odd that the wolves instead of living for as long as they can protecting the tribe only keep it up for a short period of time. And that Taha Aki just kind of left…his two sons after the Third Wife died which means there is a certain co-dependency upon the imprint that goes way beyond a simple kind of love. As if they can't function without them which if something major went down would leave an imprinted wolf out because of the restriction that is placed on them because of this strange bond. Which then lead my friend to wonder so why is there a girl? And…well he likes the idea of Leah because she changes back naked. But that's for another chapter. But anyways I wrote this while at work and typed this up around 1am when I'm supposed to be asleep because I gotta get up extra early to shovel 2-ft of snow out the drive way.