A/N: Hey guys! So here is the next installment of Gleeclipse. I hope you enjoy it. I'll try to have another one up soon.

Enjoy!

Happy Reading!

And as always, REVIEWS = LOVE!

ProTIP:

I changed "Imprint" to "Brand" because Brand seems like a more intense word to me. To Brand is pretty much the same thing as to Imprint.

Disclaimer the same as on previous chapters.

THIS FANFICTION IS UNBETA'D BUT PROOFREAD BY HUMANS. ANY REMAINING MISTAKES ARE UNINTENTIONAL. APOLOGIES FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.

"Are you sure it's ok that I'm here?" I asked as I climbed off of Mav's bike. Gail's house was exactly like I remembered it. Beautiful and tucked away in the woods. All the same wonderful Native American art still decorated the porch. "I am the vampire girl, remember?" I asked but before he could answered, the door slid opened and four large, smiling guys came busting out the door and into the dirt yard.

"Hey! Look who's back!" Garth called.

"What's up, Mercedes?" Courtland said lining up with Garth, Matthew and Garret. They all had big drumsticks in their hands.

"Court? You too?" I asked with a smile.

"Yep. Finally made the pack," he grinned.

"I'm glad you're here, Mercedes," Courtland said his eyes on Mav. "Maybe we can get a break from Mav's obsessive inner monologue," he laughed, causing the other three to laugh.

"I wish Mercy would call," Matt teased.

"I wish Mercy wouldn't call," Garret teased, his mouth full of chicken.

"Maybe I should call Mercy," Garth mocked.

"Maybe I should call Mercy and hang up," Court mocked and they all broke into a fit of laughter again.

I thought it was amusing that they could tease each other like this and it not cause problems. I mean I was a little...dismayed that all of Mav's inner thoughts were about me but I don't know why I feel that way. I'm not so disillusioned as to think that what he and I had was nothing but a deep friendship. I loved him. I still love him but that love is just not as deep as what I have for Sam.

"Alright, you can shut up now," Mav said with a grin. I could read the embarrassment in his eyes but at least his cheeks didn't betray him by flushing pink. His brothers probably would have never let him live that down.

Suddenly a girl with cropped black hair, long toned arms and legs, a very pretty heart shaped face even though her lips were in a thin line and she was scowling, stalked up to the line of boys. She wore a gray cotton tank top, cut off denim shorts and Jordan's. She just stared at me.

"Mercy, this is Tara Littleleaf. Winston's daughter," Maverick introduced.

"Hey. I'm really sorry about your father," I said sincerely. "He was a great man."

"If you're here to torture Maverick some more, feel free to leave," Tara said harshly.

"What?" I asked, my head cocked to the side. "Listen, just because you can hear his inner thoughts doesn't mean that you have to the right to give commentary on his life or the people in it. I offered you my sincere condolences for your father and all I get in return was bitchiness. A simple thank you would have sufficed," I told her with finality, throwing her my best judging you face for good measure. When I was finished, she glanced at all of them then stalked off.

"Fun, isn't she?" Mav joked.

"Mercy! Hi!" Gail called as she ran told me and wrapped me in a tight hug.

"Hey," I said hugging her back.

"I was wondering when we'd see your face around here again," she smiled.

"Same here," I smiled back.

"Dyl, we good?" Mav asked Dylan as he joined us in the yard.

"We're good. She won't be getting through our line any time soon," Dylan told him.

"Cool," Mav said.

"Yeah, that's right boys!" Garret cheered as they all ran off, shifted and jumped off the cliff. Tara stood there for a second, glared at me then shifted and jumped.

"Mercy, you staying for lunch?" Gail asked.

"Nah, taking her back to my place," Maverick answered for me.

"Well, it was great seeing you. Be sure you get back here," Gail smiled, hugging me again.

"I will," I said returning her hug. "See ya, Dylan," I waved as Mav and I headed back toward his bike. I put the helmet on, he kick-started the bike and we were off. We sped along the path through the trees and ended up in front of Mav's house. We hopped off the bike and he began to push it toward the converted barn. "So when did Tara join the pack?" I asked as we walked.

"Around when her father died. Her brother, Mikey, shifted too," Maverick told me. "He's only fifteen. One of the youngest we've had. Dylan keeps him home studying but he's chomping at the bit," he said. "I wish it was Tara who would stay home."

"Come on, don't be such a guy," I said nudging him with my elbow.

"No, it's not a chick thing," he chuckled. "It's a, you know, a triangle thing. We all have to live the Tara/Dylan/Gail pain-fest. Wolf telepathy, remember?"

"So, wait. Dylan and Tara were together?" I asked. He nodded. "Then what? Dylan breaks up with Tara and starts hooking up with Gail? That seems not like him at all," I said.

"Yeah, it was like that at all," Maverick said. "Dylan hates himself for hurting Tara but Gail was the one."

"I guess it sort of chooses you sometimes," I chuckled nervously.

"It's not some crush," Mav said angrily.

"Ok, well, this is absolutely none of my business but what happened," I asked, ignoring his sudden anger.

"Long or short version?" he asked with a light chuckle.

"I've got time," I told him as I settled on my stool in the garage.

"Alright, well, first thing you should know is that Gail and Tara are cousins," Maverick began.

"Like real cousins?" I questioned.

"Yeah their dad were brothers," Mav answered. "Tara and Dylan had been dating for a few years. They were happy and in love and engaged," he told me. "But then one summer Tara's beautiful cousin, Gail from The Beech Tree Reservation in Toledo, comes for some family thing and BAM! Dylan's in love. Instant, real and deep. He had to break up with Tara and at the time he couldn't even tell her why. Dylan was the only member of the pack. Garth like to tease him about being a lone wolf," Mav chuckled. "Gail had become his life. Gail tried to resist him but she couldn't. She felt what he felt, even though she had no idea what it was. Neither of them meant to hurt Tara but it couldn't be helped."

"I don't understand," I said, my brow furrowed. "That kinda seems like he got a look at the new girl and started seriously crushing but you said it wasn't like that."

"It wasn't. Dylan was branded on her."

"Branded? What's that?"

"Being branding on someone isn't what you're thinking. It's like, like when you see her – everything changes," Maverick explained. His eyes in a far off place. "All of a sudden, it's not gravity that's holding you to the earth, it's her. Nothing else matters," he said his eyes meeting mine. "You would do anything. Be anything for her," he finished. "So, Dylan didn't have a choice."

"Sounds like you know the feeling," I said softly. "Have you...branded on someone?" I asked. We looked at each other then quickly looked away.

We were silent for a long moment before he spoke, his voice thick, eyes averted toward the floor, "You'd know if I had." Silence again. "I just have a direct line to Dylan's thoughts."

"So, for now, you're still you?" I asked.

"And you're still you," he grinned.

"Yeah," I said softly. "Until graduation."

"Graduation?" Maverick asked, his eyes meeting mine, his voice heavy.

"You knew it was gonna to happen," I told him.

"Not in like a month!" he yelled. "I mean, not before you've...you've even lived. Or before I could..." he trailed off. His breathing grew heavy and he threw the tool he was holding across the room. "For a second, just a second, I thought...but he's got his hooks in you so deep..."

"I decided this. Not him," I said, anger marring my voice.

"Mercy, they're not even alive!" he said loudly. "It makes me sick," he growled. I clenched my jaw and looked into his eyes. "Better you really be dead than one of them," Maverick said with malice. My heart stopped for a second. I was trying to force myself to get my head around what he had just said.

"I can't believe you said that," I said as I took a few steps and stopped on the other side of his bike, where he was standing. He looked up at me. His face stricken with sadness and hurt. "Sam was right. I shouldn't have come," I said as I made my way toward the door. I hadn't driven myself so I figured I'd just followed the path back through the woods to Gail's house and get a ride from her.

"Come on, Mercy, please," his pleaded softly, grabbing my hand. The heat from his palm pressed against the outside of my hand. I turned to face him. "I'm sorry."

"Why would you say something like that?" I asked turning my hand so that our palms touched.

"I didn't mean it. You know that I didn't," he pleaded. "I'm just...I'm just...shocked."

"I get that but..."

"No, don't say anything."

"I think we should talk about this," I told him.

"You said you decided this," Mav said softly, "what's left to say?" I just shrugged. "Come on, I'm hungry," he said leading me back toward the house.

Mav and I spend the rest of the afternoon, talking about his sisters and how one of then was coming home for the summer and how everything was different on the rez now. People looked at him with admiration and little kids looked up to him. It was kinda weird and awesome.

As the sky grew darker, I decided it was time for me to head home. We hoped into Mav's car, which was a bit of a tight squeeze for him now and he drove me home.

"Thanks for the ride," I said when we pulled to stop in front of my house.

"Yeah no problem. I'll see ya soon, Mercy," he said with that boyish grin that I had grown so fond of.

"Bye, Maverick," I said pushing the passenger side door open. I watched him pull off into the darkness before I made my way toward the house. I unlocked the door, opened it, stepped inside, closed the door and just as I turned to take off my jacket, Gordon was standing in the doorway that lead from the living room.

"You know, Sam could at least respect meal times," he said, leaning on the wall.

"I was just with Mav," I told him with a smirk.

"Oh," he said, "good."

"Right," I chuckled. Then there was a knock on the door. I took a step back toward it.

"I'll just give you two some privacy, then," Gordon deadpanned as he went back into the living room. I wrenched the door open excited to see Sam.

"Hey," I said.

"Do you understand how worried I've been?" Sam asked his voice taut.

"I was perfectly safe," I reassured him.

"I almost broke the treaty to make sure..." he trailed off suddenly inhaling heavily.

"I know. I smell like a dog. I'm sorry," I said finally shrugging out of jacket.

"No. Something's wrong," Sam said as he pushed past me and zoomed up the stairs to my bedroom. By the time I made it up there he was standing at the head of my bed, my dreamcather in his hand.

"Sam's what's wrong?" I asked, panicked from the doorway.

"Someone's been in here," he answered, turning to face me. "I've got to get home," he said as he rushed by me again.

"I'm coming with you," I said stumbling down the stairs behind him.

"Where are you going?" Gordon asked, meeting us at the bottom of the stairs.

"Sam's house," I said my eyes flashing from my dad to Sam.

"My mother wants to see her," Sam lied.

"I'll be home before midnight," I told him.

"Is that a promise?" he asked me although his eyes were on Sam.

"Yes, sir," Sam said, his hand held out. Gordon shook it, kissed me on the forehead and went back into the living room. "Let's go," Sam said holding the door open for me.

xxx

Sam had called home when we were in the car and let them know about the intruder and that we'd been there soon.

When we arrived at the house, Sam took me to the white open living room. Sam, Will, Emma, Rachel, Santana and Brittany, Blaine, Lauren, Quinn and Tina and Kurt, who were sitting on either side of me on the couch holding my hands, were waiting for Finn, Mike, Puck and Artie to return.

"Who was it? Someone we know?" Dr. Schuester asked.

"This stranger, I didn't recognize his scent," Sam told him.

"A nomad passing through?" Emma questioned.

"A passerby wouldn't have left Mercedes' father alive," Rachel replied.

"The scent disappeared about five miles south of Mercedes' house," Mike said as he and his three brothers entered the room.

"Someone's orchestrating this," Will said as Rachel, Lauren and Quinn rose to their feet and grabbed the hand of their respective mate.

"Scarlett," I told the room at large.

"I would have seen her decide," Tina said turning to me.

"It has to be the Malignita," Sam stated.

"I don't think it's the Malignita, either," Tina said. "I've been watching Lilith's decisions, too."

"So we keep looking," Finn said.

"We'll also take shifts guarding Mercedes' house," Will told his children.

"Another protection detail?" Rachel questioned nastily.

"Rachel," Will admonished.

"No, she's right," I said. "You can't protect me, watch my dad and search for the intruder."

"And for Scarlett," Rachel added.

"And keep yourselves feed," I said as I gazed around at all the darkened eyes looking at me.

"I'm not leaving you here defenseless," Sam said tightly.

"Well, I'm not going to let you starve," I said with finality. "And I wouldn't be unprotected. I have..." I trailed off and looked away from his eyes.

"What?" he said, his voice hard. I was silent. I looked at him. "Say it," he demanded.

"I have the pack," I whispered.

"Is she serious?" Rachel asked with harsh chuckle.

"Mercy, no," Kurt said shaking his head.

"I vote no," Finn said raising his hand.

"I'd have to agree," Mike said.

"I don't wanna have to go all Puckzilla on one them," Puck added. "I thought I was going to have to break the treaty when they tried to rough up Finn."

"Mercedes," Will said putting his hand up, stopping his children from speaking. "Do you trust the wolves?"

"I do. Completely," I answered honestly, my eyes on Sam.

"No," Sam said aloud, his eyes on Will.

"It's her choice, Sam," he said calmly. "She's right and you know it. We can't do it all." Sam clenched his jaw and stalked from the room.

I slid my hand from Kurt's and pulled my phone from my pocket. I searched my contacts before pressing the name I was looking for.

"Hello?"

"Hey Mav, I need a favor."