Chapter two
Six weeks later I'm patrolling on the Canadian border with Kai when I feel my best friend Shila phase. It's been six torturous weeks since I imprinted and about that many seconds since I thought about her. I found out her name and that she lives in LA but that's all I could learn about her.
Her name was Adrian Fox, four days after the imprint and the festival had packed up and left town Shila came bursting into my bedroom followed by his twin brother Miles and my little sister Willow. I looked up from the book I was pretending to read and Shila Uley shoved his laptop in front of my face. I was about to growl at him and complain then something on the screen caught my eye. I turned my attention to Shila's laptop and saw my angel looking right back at me. She looked a little younger than when I'd imprinted on her by maybe a year or two. T
he picture was of her and the guys she'd performed on stage with. Her hair was straight instead of curly and she a black tank top and a red tartan miniskirt on, high heeled boots and a leather jacket, she looked hot but young. In fine print below the photograph it read from left to right the names of the band like she'd introduced on stage that night but this time her name was among them, now not only did I have a picture of her but I knew her name, Shila was the best friend ever I really owed him for that. There was also a date turned out the photograph had been published five years ago, 'Third rib and up' had been a really promising alternative rock band at the time and were on the verge of signing a record deal it didn't say how but somehow everything went belly up for them and the band broke up. I'd been unable to turn anything more up about the band or Adrian and a name alone wasn't much to go off in a city as big as LA.
I tried to keep positive that it was fate, destiny wanted us together so it would happen eventually we would meet again one day, I just hoped it was soon. Whenever it happened I was never gonna let Adrian out of my sight ever again, I'd win her heart, tell her my secret then put a ring on her finger that was the plan at least, but this was all on the assumption that I ever find her. I snapped my attention to Shila wondering what he'd just tuned in for he didn't have patrol today.
Shila: Duck dude you're gonna want to see this.
Me: See what?
I wondered what he could be talking about but couldn't think of anything, I could feel in my head there was something he shouldn't be mentioning or at least was trying his dammed best not to show me.
Me: What are you hiding Shila?
Shila: Nothing just come meet us on the pier Miles is gonna come take over your patrol
Me: Why would he do that?
Shila: Because you've been completely miserable since you imprinted and this might actually cheer you up so come on
Kai: What are you waiting for Duck? Go if I had a free pass out of patrol I would not be questioning it get out of here
I feel Kai laughing, he had a point
Me: Ok I'll see you at the pier
Shila: Cool I'm with your Dad and Seth at a new surf and turf bar that just opened meet us there
Then he phased out I stayed in wolf form and ran towards First beech I hit the edge of the trees in a matter of seconds. I shifted back into human form and untied the black jeans from the cord around my ankle. I slipped them on and started to jog across the beech it was the height of summer and it hadn't rained for almost four days that had to be some kind of record. The beech was full and busy I guess all the high school kids were spending their summer break here. I reached the pier and spotted the new bar Shila had been talking about, the place had been under renovation for weeks now and had just opened yesterday. This had better be good I was gonna kick his ass if he'd called me off patrol just for a really good steak.
For the last six weeks since I lost my imprint I'd thrown myself into work be it patrolling or working for my Dad at the garage as long as I kept myself busy I could keep my thoughts off of her. I pushed through the doors of the bar and I instantly felt better my heart felt lighter and I felt marginally happy. Maybe this was what I needed just spend some time with my pack I spotted, Dad, Seth and Shila at a table in the middle of the room, Seth looked up and waved me over I took the empty seat in between Shila and my Dad. "So what's this all about?" I asked impatiently.
"You'll see" Dad told me. He and Seth exchanged a knowing glance I huffed and turned to Shila.
"You're my best friend you have to tell me what's going on" I tell him.
"What?" he laughed.
"Don't make me go alpha on you" I threatened and he laughed again
"Duck you know that doesn't work in front of Jake his alphaness over rides yours" he says and I sigh he's right.
"Jake? Seth?" a cheery female voice called from behind me I froze mid thought, I knew that voice it belonged to my imprint. My heart was racing but I was too afraid to turn around then the smell of oranges and ginger hit my nose and I saw her walk over to our table out of the corner of my eye she stood in between Dad and Seth with a hand on each of their shoulders. My breath caught and I couldn't stop myself from staring at her. "You two are back already didn't you stuff your faces enough last night?" she jokes and they laugh. Last night! They met my imprint last night and waited till now to tell me I almost phased at the table in pure rage. Adrian looked up at me and I audibly gasped at her eye contact and immediately stopped shaking. She smiled at me before asking "Who are your friends?" Seth jumped in to answer her.
"This is Shila Uley and Duck Black" he says pointing to each of us in turn. I growled at him for introducing me with my stupid nickname.
"It's Riddoc" I spit out. I don't mean to talk in front of her with so much venom I'm just pissed at Seth, she's the last person in the world I want calling me Duck.
"Black huh? So what are you two brothers?" she asks me and Dad. I'm about to nod and tell her yes we usually say Dad and I are brothers and Mom and Willow are sisters considering none of us looks a day over eighteen, it was just easier that way.
"Actually Riddoc's my son" Dad Says. She frowns and looks from me to him.
"How's that you look the same age" Adrian says
"Ness and I were sixteen when we had him" he tells her that's strictly a lie but it sounds better than the truth although my Mom was technically eight years old when she fell pregnant with me she was physically seventeen but my Dad was twenty four. He imprinted on her the day she was born and had to wait for her to grow up before they became a couple, he was a big brother to her first then when she got a bit older he was her best friend and then they started dating when she was seventeen. "Wow and you're how old eighteen?" she guesses, I smile and shake my head.
"Twenty one" I say and her mouth falls open a little bit she turns to my Dad still looking shocked.
"Jake you and I are gonna share skincare regimes later" she grins and everyone cracks off laughing except me I'm still staring at my imprint.
"Adrian!" one of the waitresses calls to her and rushes over "There's a phone call for you" so Adrian works here that's great news.
"Ok thanks Misty get these boys four steaks and the half lobster with everything ok? On the house" she tells the waitress, I only just realise that Seth is staring intently at Misty, Shila grins at me and I realise he's just imprinted on her.
"You don't have to do that" my Dad says.
"Are you kidding the amount you two and Embry packed away last night you paid my bills for month, it's on me I insist, it was nice meeting you both" Adrian says to me and Shila and turns to leave "Hey Misty who's on the phone?" she asks snapping her out of her eye lock with Seth.
"Oh erm... I think it was your Dad" Misty says. I notice Adrian's body tense up and her face fill with worry.
"My Dad?" she whispers and Misty nods before Adrian practically runs off to the phone. Misty takes our drinks order then wonders off to get our food and Dad and Shila start congratulating Seth on his imprint, I have to admit Misty is really pretty she's just got nothing on Adrian.
"What the hell? You guys met Adrian last night why didn't you tell me?" I ask
"We didn't realise who she was at first when we realised why she looked familiar we were gonna tell you but by the time I got home you were already sleeping off your patrol" Dad tells me squeezing my shoulder.
"Yeah plus we kind of wanted to surprise you, you've been so unhappy lately" Seth tells me.
"I think you could have woken me up for that Dad" I huff and fold my arms across my chest.
"Relax Duck, the bar would have been closed by then anyway so you wouldn't have been able to see her or anything" Seth says
"You got an imprint like three seconds ago Seth when you're away from her for the first time tell me that it doesn't hurt like hell" I snap
"Riddoc?" my Dad Cautions me and I sigh.
"I'm going to the bathroom" I say and push myself back from the table.