AN: Tomorrow is a busy day, so I'm updating now, I hope you all like it and no there are no vampires on the loose to try and kill Claire. I think I'll leave that for a later chapter. :P And thank you all again, this story is at 306 reviews! THAT'S CRAZY!!! I love you all, keep reading! I do it for you!!!

Chapter Twenty-One

Lost In The Woods

I kept walking straight as I left Quil's backyard and called his name out a few times, feeling foolish each time I did. I was in the woods, alone, calling out for someone that was most likely an animal at the moment.

I should have stuck to the smart decision.

I don't know how long I just walked through the woods, but it was getting old. Everything is so green and the trees don't help sunlight shine through and since the sun is almost totally gone I'm practically blind out here. I blame Quil, this whole thing has me loosing my good sense. Under normal circumstances I never would have gone into the woods just before sundown looking for someone!

"Quil!" I called out pathetically and was once again met with silence. I groaned flopped down onto a log. The forest I had just lost myself in was almost completely dark. If I turn back now, I might find civilization if I'm lucky. And I'm not lucky so I'm not going to chance that. Directly ahead of me was one of the few tree's I had seen that had branches low enough for me to climb so I walked up to the tree and started climbing. It's probably best if I knew which direction was best for me to travel.

I got about as high as I felt comfortable with and looked at the area around me. There was a slight glow which I guessed was street lights that I could only follow from the tree. That wasn't very helpful. I sighed and tried to find a way to get out of the tree without breaking my neck when I saw a flash of dark brown twenty feet ahead. I froze and didn't even breathe when I got a clear look at it.

It was a giant wolf that had to be at least six feet tall from the head to the ground, and had rich chocolate fur, which was the same shade of brown as my own hair, that made it look even bigger. It wasn't a normal wolf. It could have been a bear, but I knew what it was.

It was a werewolf.

I had to gasp, I mean, what do you do when you see something so monstrous?!

It skidded to a stop and snapped its head to me. Its black eyes stared up at me and I gripped the tree a little tighter hoping that it was a werewolf because that thing could take down the tree I'm in and swallow me whole if it wanted to. It started to back up and then ducked behind a tree. I was amazed at how quiet it was and the fact that it was hiding from me.

I looked around but the bear-wolf-hybrid-thing was no where to be seen. There was no way a tree could hide that thing. I climbed back down toward the ground and peered around the tree as much as I could without moving too far from the one branch I could easily get to.

There was no other movement and no other sounds. Had I just imagined that all? I looked back up the tree to see if I could still see the warm lights of the houses of the Rez and I couldn't. I sighed looked back to the tree the wolf-like animal had hidden behind.

Stalking toward me was a half naked Quil from the tree previously used to hide the wolfy thing. "What are you doing out here?!" He yelled.

I think I jumped out of my skin and my heart dropped to my feet. "Don't do that! I already at risk for a stroke as it is!" I shrieked fearfully. Its true, my both my grandmothers had a grand total of five strokes.

He closed the space between us quickly and when I mean closed, I mean I was pressed against the tree while Quil was a grand total of five inches away and his head looming over mine. "How long have you been out here?" He asked through a clenched jaw.

I was finally able to get my breath back as much as I could with Quil's chest directly in my face. "W-was that you?" I stuttered pointing to the tree.

"I asked first," He growled.

"I don't know, I don't like wearing watches." I said trying to hold up my wrist to show him.

He looked like he was about to explode and spun away from me with clenched fists. "How where you planning on getting back?" He demanded throwing his finger toward the general direction the light of civilization was coming from.

"Flying on my boom-stick," I spat sarcastically. He threw a scowl in my direction. "You haven't answered my question." I said impatiently.

He lost his scowl and he walked back up to me and took my arm gently and started leading me away. "Come on, Jeff is probably worried." He said quietly.

I stopped, swiftly took my arm out of his grasp and sat down on the nearest rock. "I'm not going anywhere until I get my answers." I said defiantly, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

He didn't turn to look at me for few a seconds then turned at such a speed it made my head spin and his face was flushed with anger. "Do you have any idea how stupid that was?!" He exclaimed frustrated.

"Climbing a tree?" I asked stupidly.

"No, that was probably the only smart thing you did because you were up there I couldn't attack before I knew who you were!" He yelled irate.

I jumped to my feet with a pointed finger aimed at his face. I tried my hardest to say all of this calmly. "Look, I know it was stupid coming into the woods on my own, really, but my smart option was going to take too long and I wanted to find you an apologize." I explained hastily.

His face dropped and he looked like he just got run over by a bus. "What?" He mumbled.

"I left pretty abruptly and with a bit of an icy demeanor, and I don't want you to think I'm angry with you for any of this. I'm just still really confused." I answered as coherently as I could.

I let out a long sight and dropped his head. "Yes," He said suddenly

"Huh?" I asked confused.

He looked up at me with a rueful grin. "That was me." He said nodding back to that tree.

I threw my head back and laughed abruptly.

He looked at me worryingly as I howled like a hyena.

I finally stopped laughing and looked at him with big smile. "We match." I said breathlessly.

"What are you talking about?" He asked utterly lost.

"Your fur and my hair, we match." I said pointing to my hair then to him.

He snorted a laugh and rolled his eyes. Quil became deadly silent and his eyes became pained and distant.

"What?" I asked anxiously.

"You don't realize how bad I could have hurt you." He said quietly. I knew he could hurt me in his other form, but he hadn't so I didn't want him dwelling on it.

"Stop worrying about what could have happened, beside's, it's not like anyone gave me any warnings." I pointed out, slightly annoyed. "Oh by the way, don't go into the woods alone, the werewolves attack everything that moves." I said mockingly.

"Now you know." He said lowly.

"Yes, now I know, next time I'll just wait at your house." I said reassuringly. No more stupid missions like this, hopefully this will be the last time I have to run into the woods to apologize to Quil…

"Didn't you have other questions?" He asked impatiently. I thought I was supposed to be the restless one here?

"Yeah, I'm still kind of fuzzy on the whole 'imprinting' deal and Dad was no help so some clarification on that would be great." I said sitting back on my rock.

He made a face but sat down next to me. "What do you want to know?" He asked tiringly.

"Are you forced to love me?" I asked trying not to sound sad.

"No," He answered knowingly, shaking his head. "When it happened it just took all of my connections to the world and rerouted them through you. I just kind of lived for you from then on. To make you happy, to keep you safe. Nothing else mattered." He said smiling a little.

"Yeah, because that doesn't sound forced at all." I said sardonically.

He rolled his eyes at my tone. "It's not love, its admiration, its devotion, its never wanting to see you hurt. Love, is something that grows. It doesn't happen immediately." He said firmly.

"Were you ever with anyone while I was gone?" I asked before I could stop myself. Yes, Claire, ask the man about his dating history, that's not awkward at all.

"No," He answered immediately. Not in that, too-fast-he's-guilty tone, but in that honest-to-God-sure tone.

"Why not?" I asked confused. Quil was odd and a werewolf, but really, he's freaking hot and he's an absolute sweetie, who wouldn't date him?

"Why are you so curious about my dating habits?" He asked grinning.

"Why are you avoiding the question?" I countered with a grin of my own.

He let out a heavy breath through his nose and I knew I had won. "I didn't want to be with anyone." He answered simply.

"Martyr." I muttered under my breath.

He chortled. "Anything else?" He asked amused.

"Yeah, I thought you were supposed to look like a wolf, you look more like a bear." I said as more of an observation than a question.

"It's relative." He answered none to sure.

"Can you really hear the rest of the packs thoughts?" I asked worryingly. Did I have to watch what I said around Quil and the others?

"Only when were wolves." He answered.

"Bears," I corrected.

"Whatever," He said tiringly as he hauled himself to his feet. "Can we get out of the woods before it rains?" He asked nodding toward the dark sky. Was it going to rain?

"Getting wet never hurt anyone." I said shrugging. It was kind of nice talking with Quil in the middle of the woods.

"Famous last words before pneumonia." He said dryly.

"I have some meat on my bones." I said insulted.

He looked me up and down then leaned back to examine me from behind. "Where?" He asked blankly.

"Har-har," I said sarcastically.

"Let's go," He ordered as he pulled me up and started pushing me along.

After a few feet he let me walk on my own, then I almost tripped and cracked my skull open on a rock and I had to hold his arm or I was going to be carried, his words not mine.

"Quil?" I asked looking out at the forest.

"Yeah?" He asked softly.

"You know I'm not mad at you right?" I asked trying to look up at him and walk at the same time.

"I know," He murmured.

"So why were you out here, alone?" I asked sadly.

"I just, needed to think. I really didn't like unloading the truth on you after last night, I hated overwhelming you like that." He explained almost pained.

I wrapped my arm tighter around his and rested my head against his arm. "Well, at least I know the truth now, which helps everything, I think." I said still a little confused. I'll probably be asking questions for the next year or two, but I think I've got a handle on it.

"Just promise me you won't go into the woods alone, sometimes there things worse then us out there." He said desperately.

"Well I think you guys are cute, well, you at least. But yes, I promise." I said flashing him a teasing smile.

He rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"Is Nessie a vampire?" I asked suddenly, but didn't surprise Quil.

"I'm not saying anything." He said firmly.

"Why not?" I whined.

"That is Nessie's story, I already told mine I'm not loosing my head over your curiosity." He said still unwavering in his decision.

"So, that means she's strong." I noted slyly.

"That means she knows how to inflict pain, she gets it from her aunt." He growled sourly.

I knew I could get the answer out of him if I continued to press him, but he had already spilled a few things I know he was uncomfortable with, so I'll let this slide and ask Nessie about it next time I see her.

"Are you really thirty-two?" I asked curiously.

"Yeah," He groaned.

"Wow, you don't look it." I mumbled as I looked back up at him and at his chest. "At all." I added astounded.

"I've been twenty-five since I was sixteen, I'm not supposed to look it." He chuckled.

"Can you ever stop?" I asked as the question popped into my little head. He looked at me with softly knitted brows. He looks so cute when he's confused… "Changing I mean. With vampires running freely, it would be hard to stop if you had to keep protecting the land." I clarified.

"It's getting easier to go longer periods of time without phasing." He said with a hint of pride.

"But, you'll still be young for a while?" I asked somewhat jealous.

"Yeah," He answered a little full of himself. I'll let him get away with that, for now.

"Quil?" I asked before a silence could even settle.

"Yes?" He asked patiently.

"Can you take me to Nessie's tomorrow?" I asked sweetly.

"You want me to come?" He asked surprised.

"So you don't have to hide in the woods." I said smiling.

"Jeff told you everything didn't he?" He groaned.

"I think so." I said unsure.

"Great," He growled.

"So…?" I asked expectantly just as we broke the tree line and my house of all places appeared before us. That was fast…

"Yes," He answered with a half grin. "You should go to bed, it's pretty late." He said nodding to the back door as he walked me to it.

I placed my hand on the door knob and looked up at him. "Pick me up around ten tomorrow morning, okay?" I asked timidly. I didn't want to sound too bossy.

"I'll be here." He said smiling.

"And sleep in your own bed, I think it misses you." I said teasingly, opening the door just enough for me to slip through.

"Goodnight Claire." He said lowly.

I giggled as I slipped into the house. I think I'm finally starting to understand all of this.

AN: Review!