A/N: Any wolves you recognize from The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyer.

Basically everything else, including past and present wolf pack members, imprints, wolf families, and additional characters in this story belong to the universe created by the amazing, brilliant, and wonderfully talented yay4shanghai!

Thank you everyone who reviewed, it really means a lot to me. I'm really excited that you like the story so far and I hope that you'll keep reading.

It's great to be part of the Team! They are all very talented writers and the characters all have their own great tales to tell, so don't forget to check out the other stories in this universe.

Also, congratulations to yay4shanghai for winning The Sparkle Award for Best Original Character for her story The Pathetic Ramblings of a Homosexual Werewolf!

As always, thank you yay4shangai for being so encouraging and basically the best beta ever!

And So It Begins

13 June 2041

I had never seen her before so I don't know who she is. She might not even be from around here. What would I do then? I answered that without hesitation and with no uncertainties in my mind; I would follow her anywhere and never look back. It was instinctual, part of the all consuming need to be close to her that filled my very soul during the better part of the last half hour. Nothing could change my mind, not even if I never got the chance to be a part of her life.

My decision made, I followed when she pulled out of the parking lot. Without even delaying long enough to notify the others; my only thought was tracking her. The wolf was completely in charge now and like a hunting dog, I used her remarkable scent to sniff out her trail.

It was hard to stay hidden in the trees and let her out of my line of sight, instead of chasing right behind the bumper of her civic coupe like a stray dog, but with a determined persistence I managed to run back and forth dodging branches and leaping roots through the woods lining Forks. I stayed parallel or perpendicular to her route while she zigzagged around, crossing and re-crossing the same streets until she finally lead me to her destination.

None of that really mattered or registered at the moment because I had been over the moon since I realized she lived here in town, so close to my own home. That meant one less obstacle, from a very long list of potential complications, needed to be hurdled. When she parked in the driveway of a neatly manicured white two-story house and stumbled out, I grinned, thoroughly amused that it had taken her over 30 minutes to drive the 15 or so miles home.

I was even more thrilled to discover that the back of her house was conveniently nestled against a dense set of woods. Unfortunately, I was on the wrong side of the street to make use of them.

An animalistic need to see her again made me too impatient to meander through the trees until I found a place that allowed me to go around. Instead it drove me to do something I ordinarily would have considered too risky and foolish to contemplate while in an unfamiliar neighborhood and even more so considering it was happening in broad daylight. With a quick look to check that the area was empty, I sprinted the distance past the house in front of me, across the street, and around the back of her house into the brush at the edge of her yard, running faster than I knew I was capable of.

I think I got lucky and no one saw, and if they did, I doubt they would believe their eyes. So here's hoping Freddie never finds out about that little stunt. I am not willing to sit through the lengthy lecture he would surely impose if he did.

The pull that compelled me to leave the beach and follow this girl I had never met was still leading me, but a quick search of the air to catch her scent confirmed that she was upstairs and at the other end of the house. I made my way that direction, padding through the denser undergrowth.

I could see in the room, but not completely and more importantly, I couldn't see her. I needed to see her. The need was driving me; the world could be ending and I would still only care about seeing her one more time. Looking around, I searched for a good tree that could double as a stake out. Finding what I was looking for only took a minute; it was an older oak that looked sturdy enough to support my added wolf weight. I didn't want to phase back and be assaulted by my thoughts again or chance someone seeing a naked boy sitting in a tree spying on a girl in her bedroom. That couldn't possibly go well.

It was astonishingly easy to claw my way up to a branch at the prefect height and get settled so I was lying down facing her window, I figured all that climbing as a kid helped even when I was a wolf. The spot could not have been better. It had a direct view into her room and there was enough foliage to cover me since it was located a few trees back from the yard.

Once I was situated, I took in the sight of her, ecstatic to see her again. Right then, I had no desire to ever look away again. She was lying face down on her bed with her long wavy blonde hair fanned out around her. Why? Was she ok?

In answer to my silent question, she turned over and less than a minute later picked up her phone, pushed a couple buttons then tossed it back on her nightstand before burrowing under her bed's heavy quilt and closing her eyes. Her movements were hypnotic, but it didn't escape me that on one of the warmest days this summer she was using such a thick blanket. I wondered if that indicated she got cold easily.

I was so curious; I wanted to know everything about her. I had always been a curious person, but never was a subject more fascinating.

The most peaceful expression covered her face while she slept. Knowing that she was safe and happy allowed me to finally relax. The tension slowly drained away and to prevent its return, I refused to think about the future or anything that might happen later. Instead, I basked in the sight of her.

This was something I seldom did on purpose, enjoy the moment. I suppose I was usually to busy observing and analyzing the going-ons around me, but for now there was only her and the joy that accompanied having finally imprinted. I found my other half; the person fate determined was perfect for me. If this was real, then the rest would come later, probably sooner than I expected, but I would wait and deal with it then.

Closing my eyes and taking deep breaths, I memorized her appealing aroma, wanting to remember it always. The desire to see her again was too irresistible so I added trying to brand her face into my mind so that I saw it every time I closed my eyes while I persisted in my quest to commit her scent. I took in her smooth flawless skin and the faint pink in her cheeks thinking that it must be a result of the sun because it didn't fade in sleep. I saw that her eyelashes, which were a few shades darker blonde than her hair, delicately brushed her cheeks and fluttered occasionally. I loved how much fuller her bottom lip was compared to the top and contrast in color with her cheeks, because they were a shade more nude than the pale pink staining her skin. I wished I could taste them.

Time lost all meaning as I continued a deliberate and meticulous examination of her face wanting to memorize every minute detail. I focused only on her, ignoring anything that threatened to divert my attention and interrupt my careful study.

It did feel a little weird to be watching her without her knowledge and approval. Does it count as stalking if it's only my imprint I am watching? This was something that the other wolves unanimously agreed about, no it didn't. I wasn't sure if they decided in its favor as a result of so many of them having done so, and now I understood why they did—the pull was too strong to fight, or if it had more to do with knowing we wouldn't cause them any harm so there was nothing to worry about. It didn't really matter either way because nothing would prevent me from sitting outside her window every night from now on.

Things were a little different in this situation than most of the other wolves' cases. I had to be more careful because she knew nothing about our world, the world where nightmares, or fairytales depending on the point of view, were real. And I was one of those monsters. Again, that stuff would come later. First, I had to get to know her then I had to see if she could fall in love with me. I wouldn't have to worry about telling her the wolf stuff if she didn't want me and that was a very distinct possibility.

The setting sun indicated that time hadn't stopped for the rest of the world and that it was getting later, but she still hadn't woken up yet. My stomach growled when I smelled food cooking in her kitchen, but it wasn't painful enough to entice me to leave. She hadn't moved so I didn't either.

Solace's mind popped into my head then. He didn't say anything at first and I was too engrossed to ask. Besides, I didn't need any company or disturbances while I was watching her. It took more effort than I cared to spend in order to push the images coming from his mind aside.

Goodbye privacy, at least it lasted a little while. That caused him to chuckle. For a moment I was stunned that I slipped and he heard it. Generally I take after my uncle Jordan; I live entirely inside my head, and like my uncle I had amazing mind control, which I apparently lost when I imprinted.

How are you doing with that? He asked without preamble and it was easy to detect the concern attached to the casual inquiry. I was still far from ready to deal with everything I knew would be facing me in the near future. I wanted to remain in the happy bubble that enveloped me after phasing and learning that she was from here.

You're staying there then? Good, I'm already on my way. He let me know and I noticed the trees flying past him as he made his way to my location.

Why? Did Mark and Jordan send you? I didn't mean to make them worry, but I wasn't thinking straight at the time and I didn't want to go find them now.

Of course we're worried, we care about you. Jordan made dinner, one of his grandma's pasta recipes. I volunteered to bring you some. We figured you must be hungry, but wouldn't want to leave any time soon.

Thanks. I loved when he made those and it sounded great since I was unexpectedly starving now that I knew it was one its way.

Mark also let Anna know that you were staying with me to help watch the girls tonight. We assumed you would want to be the one to tell your parents, but didn't want them to worry when you didn't come home. You should go see them in the morning.

Thank you, again. It really—thanks. I was touched that they did that for me and didn't know what else to say. I didn't plan on asking and I tried not to think it, but it was out before I could stop it. Do you have any advice on what I should do? What to do next or how to make watching her easier? I wanted to smack myself then for being so pathetic. I was ridiculously lacking when it came to this stuff, but I was aware that he had a lot of experience in all of these matters. Asking him made the most sense and I trusted that he would help without making me feel even more pitiable, at least it was him that I turned to for guidance. I wasn't even trying to control my thoughts anymore.

This was actually the other reason I offered to bring dinner. I'll always be willing to help if you need or want me to. Don't be afraid to ask for it. If you really want to know what I think, it's that you should talk to her.

I can't. And before you suggest it, I won't have someone translate. Don't push this. I had my reasons, but I wasn't going to get into them now.

Alright. As for watching her, a few tips to start with—don't be seen, don't get caught, don't invade her privacy, don't overreact to anything you see or—umm, yea that you see or you'll give yourself away. That should cover the basics for now. In a few days I'll teach you some disappearing tricks. Those are good to use with vamps too so we can cover them in training. This conversation should be disturbing, but instead I found it oddly reassuring. Solace arrived then, looping up to my tree with a lumpy black canvas bag tied to his back. Before I forget, Chloe told us her name is Krista.

He phased back then and the bag fell to the ground suddenly too loose. Excitement filled me then at having a name to go with the still sleeping girl. Krista. It was as beautiful and enchanting as her. He had already dressed and was pulling an extra pair of matching gym shorts from the bag when I jumped down from my perch. I trotted over to him and he threw them at me so I phased back and put them on.

My thoughts weren't nearly as overwhelming as I expected them to be. The euphoria that came along with having just spent a couple hours getting my fill of the site of her and now knowing her name formed its own little bubble in my mind. The bubble expanded enough to block out the insecurities and fears and they weren't sharp enough to pop it. I was very relieved about this when I noted the number of tupperware containers Solace also removed. I was happy that my appetite wasn't ruined and I could enjoy dinner, although I wasn't sure how I was supposed to eat that much food.

'He got a little carried away, but I'm sure you'll manage to finish it all anyways. It's really good tonight, I ate with the others before heading over,' he signed when seeing my incredulous look.

I breathed in, expecting the appetizing scent of garlic and mint and instead identified a lavender and chamomile fragrance of someone else nearby. Looking back at her, Krista's, window I was shocked to find a girl with massive multi-colored curls standing there. A second later she turned and walked farther back in the room.

'She was with Krista at the beach today,' Solace signed when he saw my confusion and slightly concerned expression. It took a moment for that to sink in, because I was busy trying not to do something rash at what I automatically perceived as an unexpected threat to Krista's safety.

'I didn't notice her,' I signed to him. Thinking about it, I cocked my head to the side massaging the back of my neck out of habit and realized I really hadn't seen anything past Krista. He urged me to start eating before saying anything else and I dug in.

'That doesn't surprise me. She just told Krista's parents to let her sleep and not wake her because she was probably exhausted after her excitement at the beach today,' he let me know to reassure me further and clue me in on what I missed hearing. Excitement? Was that good or bad and did it have anything to do with me?

'Anything else,' I waited as long as I could before asking what I knew I should not ask, because asking would be an invasion of privacy, but I had to know. I had to see if there were any answers to my questions. I was already almost finished with all the food at that point.

'Nope, just chatting nonsense now. If you're good here then I'm going to head back to pick up Chloe and Ava now,' he signed, not willing to leave if I needed him. I nodded and gave him a grateful smile that I hoped he knew was for everything he did tonight as I packed up the empty containers. He returned the smile, stripped and phased, then let me tie the bag back around him and took off.

I didn't phase back after he disappeared; patrol started about now and I wanted to be alone with my thoughts. I also didn't want congratulations when nothing certain had been accomplished yet. That thought made me shake a little, but a few lung fulls of wildflowers and mountain air helped me get myself back under control.

I climbed back up the tree then and leaned back, content to spend the next few hours watching Krista sleep. I loved having a name to go with her now. She was a calm sleeper, hardly moving an inch. Not even when the other girl I'd seen came in about two hours later and joined Krista in bed. She rolled over and fell asleep quickly as well.

I stayed like that the rest of the night, not daring to fall asleep in case I woke up to find it had all been a dream or something happened to her and I failed to protect her because I was sleeping. I had never been so aware of one thing, one person, before in my life.

It was just before six when I headed home, leaving prior to the sun coming up anymore. I hadn't gotten very far before the rush of feelings, all indicating an eagerness to get back to her, filled me.

When I got home I set about starting the coffee then making whole wheat blueberry pancakes, toast, and bacon, or meat candy as Taylor jokingly refers to it, since my parents were still asleep when I arrived. It was still pretty early for a weekend after all.

I munched while cooking, eating at least as much as I made to keep busy when all I really wanted to do was head back to her place and watch her sleep for just a few more minutes. Eating also served to subdue the worry and doubts creeping back in. They were harder to ignore when I couldn't smell or look at her as a distraction. As it was, every thought I had inevitably lead back to her for one reason or another.

I had just laid the spread out on the table when they joined me in our homey breakfast nook which doubled as a dining room area. They nodded tired good mornings and joined me at the table sipping the coffee I poured them. I began tearing a pancake into tiny pieces just for something to keep my hands busy since I was too full to eat another bite. It also helped me plan how to bring up the topic, but I just kept coming back to how crowded the table seemed even with two empty spots. That must have been a manifestation of my nerves.

I think my mom figured out something was up first, but my dad picked up on the concern emanating from her almost at once. Picking at my food was typically a dead give away that something was wrong with me. They looked at each and had one of the silent conversations that partners, siblings, and best friends all seem to master after years of practice. Their conclusion appeared to be that my father would initiate the conversation with me.

'What's up? Did something happen,' he signed, eyeing me to judge my reaction. Mom scooted a little close to him, but didn't add anything.

'I imprinted yesterday at the beach,' I let them know, deciding it was best to just jump in and lay it out there. This way it would either shock them into not reacting until after I was gone or we could just get everything out of the way now. Either option had reasonably good odds that they wouldn't make it into a huge deal.

Just mentioning it increased the insistent tugging to get back to her that I felt and I was anxious to get out of there as soon as possible. You cannot fight the Laws of Gravity and each second away from her felt like an unnecessary, pointless struggle.

'That's great. Who is she,' my mom asked, unable to stop herself after the revelation sunk in. They were both a little shocked by the unexpected declaration, but that quickly past and happiness replaced their astonished expressions. I am relatively confident that they weren't expecting this to happen prior to the birth of another little girl within our group of friends. I sighed, looks like we were going to get everything out now.

'Her name is Krista. She looks around my age and lives in Forks. She is gorgeous,' I didn't mean to add the last part. I just got caught up thinking about her and my hands formed the words before my brain comprehended what they were doing. I was embarrassed so I looked down and focused on wiping my hands off and breathing in the familiar scents coming off of my parents combined with our breakfast and the house for a minute.

When I tiled my head a little to look up my mom was smiling and giggling reminding me where Mel's energy and enthusiasm came from while my dad looked happier than I had seen in quite some time. I rubbed the back of my neck and gave them a lopsided smile in return. That was the end of the conversation, they didn't push for more details and I didn't offer any.

~x~*~x~

22 June 2041

After that morning, much of the last week and a half was spent the same way and I quickly fell into a routine after the first day. My focus was centered on Krista and my activities revolved around her and hers. Everyday had been warm and sunny, a very unusual occurrence around here even in summer. She seemed to love the beach; so as a result, it was where the majority of each day was spent.

My days consisted of waking up after catching a few hours of sleep sprawled out in the tree I was rapidly starting to consider mine and jogging home to shower and make breakfast for my parents and myself. I hated this part of the day. It was the longest time I spent far away from her and it felt unbelievably wrong.

While we ate, my parents always asked how things were going, but thankfully left it alone other than that. Once or twice I offered them a new tidbit that I'd learned, such as she lived with her parents and worked mornings at their shop and that she had a little sister.

The few extra details I managed to find out, I'd kept to myself, mostly because I needed them to feel closer to her. I was trying, but it was a frustratingly slow process, hindered by my physical and social disabilities. At this point, I just did not know her very well and learning anything significant was a difficult and intricate affair. It was the most exasperating experience of my life and I was just beginning.

In the short number of days since I saw her for the first time I had really only discovered superficial things. These included that she loved the color green, because nearly all of her clothes were in various shades and her room was painted a light sage color—it took me three days to even notice, she unconsciously bit her lip when people talked to her, and that she had the barest hints of dimples, but you only saw them when she was alone with her friend because that was the only time she truly smiled. It was like I had become an extremely porous sponge made for the soul purpose of soaking up all information related to Krista, but I was stuck wading around in the shallow part of the fact pool and a rope blocked my path into the deep end.

After eating, my mornings continued by making the trek back to her house where she was usually just finishing up breakfast herself. This usually consisted of unsweetened black tea and cereal with fresh berries in it. When she was finished, I'd follow her to the little grocer shop where she worked for approximately four hours each day, give or take.

I never bothered using the car I had inherited from Solace. The sports car was too conspicuous and I preferred running anyways because her wildflower, mountain air, and coconut scent was stronger out in the open.

While she worked, I sat in the park just down the street, far enough away that she wouldn't see me, but close enough to smell her. I used this time to be alone and obsess about every little detail I knew about Krista, it was the only thing I could do. My concentration was too scattered for reading and I stopped after the first couple days when I tried using this time to strategize plausible scenarios that would allow me to get closer to her, but always ended up with my emotions in a jumble of turmoil, positive that my situation was hopeless and shaking so badly I was seconds away from phasing.

That is when I discovered something else this week. It was easier to calm the chaos in my mind and retain some form of rational thought when she was close enough to see, well at least as long as I did not even consider attempting contact with her. Then, without fail, I panicked worse than when I was away from her. I felt safe saying that if this kept up for too long, I think it might drive me insane.

Typically, when she got done with work she would head home to get ready for the beach and pick up her sister. I used this time to run home and get ready myself. Also grabbing lunch, then heading to the beach where I met up with whichever family or families I knew from our circle that were already there. The Uleys, Lynchs, and Atearas brought their kids almost everyday, a few younger couples including Jesse and Seth, Annabelle and Brady, and Maribel and Freddie, and many of the older couples stopped by every now and then when they could as well.

I brought Eli with me several times since Mark worked nine to five as a legal advisor and Jordan had classes to teach. This worked well for both of us because he could see Ava and I had a legitimate excuse for going to the beach. I'd also help watch the other kids, but usually I spent almost the entire time watching Krista.

Everyone in a hundred mile radius seemed to have similar thoughts about enjoying the good weather, knowing it wouldn't last, because they swarmed to the beach everyday. For once I didn't mind the heavy congestion and actually succeeded in using it to my advantage. It was easy to disappear on the teeming beach when I got worried about being too blatant with my staring and I had reason to be concerned.

No matter where I watched her from, I would manage to draw her attention and catch her eyes at least a dozen times each day. I wished this could give me hope that she felt the pull of the imprint too, but it was inconclusive. There was no way to be absolutely certain that she was looking at me because she felt it and was interested or if it was just a natural response to all of my initial staring. She never tried to move toward me and when our eyes connected I was constantly the first to look away.

Chloe, Ava, and now Maddox and Harley as well, seemed to become fast friends with the little blonde girl that Chloe informed me was Krista's little sister Beth. She was closest to Maddox in age, but got along with Harley and Chloe the best. You could almost envision the disaster Beth and Harley had the potential to leave in their wake as they blazed a trail through life. I knew Harley was loyal and loving, and being Krista's sister, Beth probably was too, but I feared for anyone who got in their way.

It was also through Chloe that I was told that the girl who rarely left Krista's side was her best friend Sabrina. I liked her a great deal. It didn't take long before I was able to witness how protective she is of Krista. Some guy grabbed Krista's ass and when she jerked away, Sabrina hauled off and punched the guy, busting his lip open so he had blood running down his chin. It was a great swing and it was over before I even got a chance to move.

I knew I could ask the girls for more information about Krista, but I refused to do that. It just didn't seem right, so the only things I learned from them were what they told me without prompting.

On the days I brought Eli with me, Jordan would stop by to pick him up and drop off some dinner for me which I always appreciated. He was good at letting me know he was there and loved me without words. The other break I received this week was that Freddie gave me the week off since he knew I wouldn't be able to concentrate and that I would hate the others hearing my fears. So after I finished dinner, I headed directly to Krista's place and set up shop for the night.

Sabrina stayed with her for every night except one. They usually talked for a couple hours each night and sometimes played cards. They would also spend time each doing their own thing while in the room together. I could not hear them, nor could I read their lips to understand what they said, but seeing them together made me miss Devlin. For once, the nostalgia was a little less painful.

Today was Chloe's 12th birthday and as per her request, we were having a bonfire tonight to celebrate. But before that happened, I had to drop by Taylor's and let him and Melody in on everything that happened this week. I had put it off for too long already.

~*~ ∞ ~*~