Thanks to Gothic Girl 3000, La Belle Morte, LiTlTe BeLlA sWaN, aquakim, BellaSwanCullen, angel in hell, and MrsBellaEdwardSwanCullen for reviewing.
Medusa Sparrow-Descouedres: You are absolutely wonderful...

4. Imprinted

I sprang away from Alex, gasping. "W-what am I doing here? And you? What happened?"

Alex's face was thunderous. He stalked over to me, gripping my wrists tightly.

"What you're doing here is that you sleepwalked all the way to the cliff, you were just about to fall off and I pulled you back. What I'm doing here is that I was outside when I saw you sleepwalking so I decided to come follow you, and good thing I did, otherwise you would have fallen and killed yourself, even if you're a vampire. What happened is that somehow you managed to get outside your house and, as if almost by purpose, you came here. And you're covered with glass, you're bleeding."

This close to him, noticing the high cheekbones, the brilliant emerald of his eyes, the curve of his lips, I couldn't do anything but stare.

Alex growled, frustrated. Then without warning, he lifted me in his arms and sprinted through the night, the wind rushing past us, until he reached what seemed to be his house. He carried me inside and took me up the stairs to what seemed to be his room. I stared at him, still traumatised, growing alarmed.

He noticed my expression and his eyes went dark. "For your information, I don't take advantage of innocent girls. I need to get you cleaned up before you even begin to look presentable."

I finally found my voice. "I can look more presentable than you lately, at least. And you're more the type to take advantage of willing girls, and there are plenty of them."

Alex grimaced. "They don't interest me."

I sat up; trying not to feel overwhelmed, appear normal. "So who's the lucky girl who's stole the heart of the famous Alex Black?"

Alex glanced at me; his face unreadable, and then glanced away. He still looked like hell and it made my heart ache.

"Wouldn't you like to know."

"Actually, I would." I pressed.

"We have to take care of you first. Look at you, all bleeding and covered with glass."

"I don't hurt. As you called me before, I'm a vampire, right? So I don't bleed."

"I know normal ones don't, but I don't know what you are." Alex's voice was low.

My breath caught; I couldn't think.

Why does he always have to do that to me?

I blinked, trying to clear my cloudy mind.

"Would anyone be home?"

Alex shrugged. His face was expressionless now, that bruised, tired, dull look back.

"They wouldn't even notice you were here."

"Oh…okay. I'm. Confused. And I don't know why you brought me back, my parents were still awake, they could have come looking for me."

"I don't know about that. I had the feeling no one was actually tracking you. And if you want to go into screaming mode, please do it once you're…cleaned up."

"Fine." I looked at my lacy white nightgown, which was torn and had glass splinters entangled in it. And a little blood.

"Wait here." Alex went away and I heard voices outside his door. A second later, a girl who looked older than him came in. His sister.

The girl smiled. "Hey Lizzie, nice to finally meet you. Alex's told me a lot about you. I'm Marie."

"It's just Liz, actually." I smiled back hesitantly.

I'll just put that about him telling his sister everything about me with the vampire comment and what he was doing in the middle of the night when he decided to follow me.

"C'mere lets get you cleaned up in my room. If you stay in his room too long, since it being the middle of night and all, I don't trust what he would do to you." She held out a hand and I took it, heat flooding up my face at her remark. She stopped at the door and looked back at Alex.

"If I were you, I'd prepare the bath, get a towel, and make Liz a warm cup of coffee while you're at it."

Alex chuckled. "Yes ma'am."

Marie laughed and led me to her room. It was small, neat. A bed was on one side of the world with plain white sheets, and there were posters stuck all over the walls of boy bands and movie stars. A desk was in one corner with stacks of books on it, and a dark wood drawer was next to the bed, with a reflective glass surface.

Marie rummaged through her closet, looking for something. She finally pulled out a nightgown and a bathrobe.

"Here, will these fit you?"

"I…yes, thanks."

"Here." Marie laid them on the bed and picked off the splinters that were in my arms, moving up to my hair. "What about your parents?"

I shuddered, remembering the dream. "I don't know. They'll be awake and wondering what happened to me."

"I think you should phone them. You can use the downstairs phone later."

"Thanks."

"So, sleepwalking, huh? Thank god Alex was out tonight otherwise you would have died."

I grinned. "He said the exact same thing."

Marie smiled softly. "You have lovely hair; is the colour natural?"

"I've had the same hair since birth. My mother told me I inherited from my Dad's mother; apparently my eyes and hair are from her."

"She must have been a southern belle back in her day."

"Actually I wouldn't know. She died before I was born, and not even my Dad knew much about her."

Marie winced. "Sorry."

"No it's okay."

"I think it's a good thing you moved to this town. About time Alex imprinted. And you're really nice."

I spun around, backing away. I'd never heard the word before, but if it sounded like what it apparently meant…

"Imprinted?"

Marie looked shocked. "Wait – you don't know?"

"Know what?"

"That… what Alex is. What his friends are. I thought… your family must know."

"Know what, exactly?" I didn't understand.

"Alex is a werewolf."

"No, I didn't know. Was I supposed to? I've never actually met any."

"But you've heard of them?"

"They come in a lot of books and movies."

Marie frowned. "Oh. Well… if you're not sure, you could ask your parents. I'm sorry; I didn't know that you never knew. But imprinting is – I'll try to explain it as best as I can – It's finding your other half."

Someone was going to have a lot of explaining to do. "And why is Alex convinced I'm the one for him?"

"You just know when you see them. Apparently you're the one for him, hundred percent."

That couldn't be right. "You're wrong. Alex doesn't like me."

Marie shrugged, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "You'll have to ask him."

That was what I definitely was going to do. After I had showered and dressed in Marie's borrowed clothes, mine in the washing, I came out from the bathroom and immediately ran into someone.

"Sor-" I started to say, when I looked up.

"Its fine." Alex muttered.

"Oh."

"Do you want to come downstairs?" He asked, watching my face intently.

I nodded, following him to the living room.

I sat down on one end of the couch, Alex on the other side. I was hyperaware of him sitting a few inches away from me; it made my heart flutter and static crackle around me.

"Lizzie?" Alex asked.

I blinked, and took in a deep breath. "I'd like to ask you something…"