My head was whirling. I sat back down on the couch as I tried to wrap my head around what Sam had just said. A warm hand touched my leg. I looked up and saw the familiar eyes of my friend. "You know it'll be ok. Let Paul mope around outside. Let me and you go somewhere and get food.I'll buy you dinner to make up for hurting you. How is your arm by the way?" Rae glanced at the bandaged up wound.
"I am fine. It wasn't even that bad. Emily says it'll scar though. Food sounds good though. Is Embry coming?" I glanced over at him and smiled. "You can come Embry." He smiled back and nodded.
"If it is ok with Sam that we leave. Sure." Embry said looking to Sam. He thought for a moment and nodded. "Yes. Be back soon. I have a feeling Jake will phase tonight. Jared and Paul or out right now. I'll relieve Jared soon. You will relieve Paul. Rae also needs to learn to ropes of patrol and know where the boundaries lie." Sam finished speaking and headed outside on the front porch. Emily kinda shook her head and followed him looking exasperated.
I decided I liked Emily. She was kind and had a warmth to her. Sam...he was curt and short and thought about his words carefully. Said only what needed to be said. I liked him too. I already liked Embry him having been apart of our group of friends before he went missing and started hanging out with Sam. Knowing what I know now I see why he did what he did. Rae, Embry and I began walking out and into the woods. "So why do you let Sam boss you around like that?" It was a general question meant for Embry, but Rae answered instead.
"He is alpha. I...heard it when I phased. He as in my head, him and Emmy, and Jared. That was the other wolf there. Paul was with Emily at home. His word is law." Rae said.
I didn't have anything to say to that I just nodded and kept walking with them. It took as awhile to get back to our cars, which we had parked about ten minutes from our original spot where Rae had phased. Total is was about a half hour walk from the cabin where Sam lived. "I guess i'll take my care to the Diner and meet you two there?" Rae nodded her head and her and Embry got into her car. I hopped into my car and drove out of the Rez and into the town and to the dinner. I had somehow made it there before them so I ordered Rae's usual and a small salad and juice for me.
"You should eat more than just a salad." I jumped at the sudden voice from in front of me. I must have been lost in though because I didn't even notice Paul Lahote was sitting in the chair across from me. His eyes seemed to be studying my every move. "You should eat more than just a salad." He repeated.
"Oh uhm...I am not that hungry, but thanks." I floundered for words. I was searching my head for something else to say, but just then Rae and Embry came in. They didn't seem surprised that Paul was with me. Did the imprint thing meant that Paul would be with me everywhere now? I didn't know how to feel about that. Rae and Embry sat down. "I ordered your usual Rae. I didn't know what you would want Embry sorry." He shrugged and ordered a two sandwiches Paul did the same. I stared wide eyed at them as they devoured their food. "You know you're supposed to breath in between bites…" Paul and Embry stop and stare at me then cast looks at each other and laugh. Clearly I was not in on the joke. "
"It's a wolf thing. We have such a high metabolism we have to eat a lot. It's also why we are really warm." Paul tells me matter of factly. "You'll learn more about us the more you're around us. Don't worry." He gives me a small smile and continues with his food. I sigh and shake my head and continue my salad. Suddenly my cell rings. I dig it out of my pocket and recognize by the ringtone, imperial march, that it's Bella.
"Hey sis, what's up?" I ask her.
"Hey I just dropped Jake off at his house. Had to cut movie night him and Mike got sick. What are you doing I don't feel like going home...do you want to hang out?" She actually sounded worried for Jake and like she genuinely wanted to see me.
"I am with friends at the dinner. There are already four of us so it's a bit crowded...it'll just be worse with you here...if you wanna hang we can go for a walk when I get home in about a half an hour. Sound good?" If she was sincere about hanging out with me fine. I didn't like her, but company was company and she was family. I always tried to be nice to her.
"Yea I'll go home and wait for you. No problem...Uh see you later Hath." She hung up.
I looked up at my wolf friends. "Hey I think Jake is going to phase soon. Bella said she just dropped him off because he was sick. Should ya'll go check it out?" Paul visually tensed and Embry looked defeated.
"Yea me and Paul will go. Rae have Hathor cut your hair. We can't have a giant shaggy wolf running around on patrol. Sam's orders." Embry got up and left some cash on the table and kissed Rae's head good bye. He walked out waving to me. Paul stayed behind. He was looking me in the eyes again. He sighed and stood also leaving cash on the table and walking out .
I glanced over at my friend. I know how much she loved her hair and knew she wouldn't want to cut it. "Head to my place cut your hair and head home?" I nudged her with my foot under the table. "C'mon Shaggy. Let's go." When I uttered the word Shaggy her head snapped up and her eyes narrowed. I blinked in surprise at her sudden anger. "O-kay...No shaggy. But we do need to go." Rae sighed and stood gathering up the cash and putting into her wallet and paying for our meal with her debit card. "
"I'll take your car. Paul and Embry took mine back to the rez."
We were in the bathroom and my house. Bella was waiting downstairs. The scissors in my hand and Rae's hair tied in a ponytail. I was biting my lip. I wasn't nervous about cutting her hair. I cut her and my own hair all the time. I was nervous because I had never seen Rae with hair above her elbows. Our entire lives she hah always had long hair. I understood she had to now that she had phased and in her wolf form she needed to be able to move around and not stumble over it every two second...but it still didn't feel right. "Do it." Rae told me. I sighed and cut her hair off at the ponytail, and handed it to her. She took the hair in her hands and stared at it for a long while then looked up at herself in the mirror. "Wow...I look so different…" She put a hand up to her face, which looked older than her 16 years. "Okay...finish up. I don't want it to look all ragged. I smiled and evened out the hair. I didn't want to cut it too short, or Rae would lose her femininity; but I cut up to about two inches below her ears. Rae blinked and ran her hand through her hair in awe. "It's going to be a lot easier to wash now...and Sam was right it needs to be short." I smiled and looked at my friend in the mirror. The phasing, the imprint, the hair. It all meant we were starting a new chapter of our lived, and that we would still be together for it. It meant that everything was going to change from here on out.