First off, big apologies for my recent delays in posting but you know working full time, attending uni and college and having a nearly three year old...well life sometimes gets in the way...so am very very very very sorry and I hope it won't happen again....that said this chapter is kind of a preface to some important interactions and actions between Jake and Nessie....ooh and it's New Moon tomorrow..have my ticket booked and am so excited to get to see Jake and the rest of the wolves in all their glory and yes I suppose it will be nice to say Hi to Edward too....anyway enjoy. Love Tink. xxx. Ps italics are wolf thoughts.

I hummed softly into Jake's mouth as his lips met mine, a sound of pure pleasure escaping as slowly but surely he began to walk us backwards. Passion flared to life between us and within seconds I was light-headed and weak kneed, as his tongue sought mine. Gripping his arms tightly I allowed him to lead me towards the door and the inevitable separation but my lips clung to his unwilling to be parted for longer than was necessary. Unable to help myself I tried to jump, to wrap my legs around his waist and align my body with him. I didn't make it very far before we were rudely interrupted.

"Uh hum" a familiar cough met my ears and I felt myself flush. I peeked around Jake to see Leah stood there expectantly, watching us.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" she said with a small smirk.

The arms around my waist flexed a little "I was on my way" he grumbled

"With Ness attached to your lips?"

"Hey I have to say goodbye properly" he teased but underneath his words I knew there was a deeper meaning, in case he didn't come back.

"Looks to me like you were saying goodbye improperly" she said with a grin as he reached for me again to press a last lingering kiss on my ready mouth.

"Oh give me a break…Will you just get out of here, she'll still be here when you get from patrol" I heard Leah mumble.

Then from outside my attention was caught by an impatient howl and I felt rather than saw Jacob sigh. It was time to go.

"Go Jacob…they're waiting for you" I murmured against his lips.

"I'll miss ya," he whispered but I knew Leah would still be able to hear anyway.

"Me too…be safe" I told him and reluctantly stepped from the circle of his arms. My eyes lingered on him as he vaulted across the porch and hit the ground running, before disappearing into the thick forest line. Seconds later I heard a hauntingly familiar howl and I hugged myself, holding the sound inside me until it trailed away. I felt empty, bereft, as though part of, me was missing.

"Fucking imprints" I heard Leah murmur, as she turned to head back into the house.

I jumped.

"What did you say?" I gasped, not upset but intrigued. She said imprints. She knew what it meant.

For a long second she looked uncomfortable but then she pasted on a smile and said "Nothing"

Imprint. I had heard the word before, many, many times in relation to the pack. Nobody had ever explained it to me no matter how many times I had asked.

"You said imprint, I heard you," it sounded almost like an accusation "Leah do you know what it means?"

I expected a quick shrug followed by a hasty and obvious denial but instead I heard her sigh softly.

"Ness, this isn't a conversation you should be having with me, ask Jake he'll tell you"

"But you know what it means and you're here now… who knows how long they will be patrolling…I want to know what you know"

Her face twisted a little and the old angry Leah appeared "Trust me Ness, you really don't want to know what I know about imprinting"

I could hear the pain and anger in her tone, what had happened to make her sound this way? Even as a child she had always seen so angry and so hard, so bitter and cynical. But now there was an edge to her voice, a layer to her pain and it was obvious it was something I knew nothing about. I knew she was reputed to be the bitch of the pack, literally.

"Leah please…all my life I've heard people talking about imprints and imprinting, as though it were a dirty little secret"

She snorted derisively "You know that might be a good way to see it for some of us"

"Is it bad…I am bad?" was that why no one would tell me, it was a bad thing. Was that why Leah was so hurt? In so much pain?

The hard lines of her face softened as did her voice "no Ness, imprinting isn't supposed to be a bad thing… unless you're me"

"Then why will no one tell me about it?"

"Probably because it's not their place, just like it's not mine"

I growled in frustration sounding so much like Jake that I smiled a little. Beside me Leah smiled wryly "Ladies and Gentleman we have an imprint"

Realization hit me like a battering ram "I'm an imprint?"

Her eyes were wary, her face betraying her unease "Yes…you're an imprint"

"But I thought it was a pack thing…a wolf thing"

"It is…Ness this really would be so much better coming from Jake you know"

"He won't tell me"

"Just ask him outright, tell him you want to know, to know everything"

I crossed my arms with a defeated sigh "He still won't tell me"

Then to my surprise she grinned widely "Oh Nessie, if you ask him I think you'll find he has no choice"

I ran south, my nose close to the ground Seth and Embry on my flanks. Lately I'd begun to resent my patrols; they took me away from time I could have spent with Ness. Though I wanted to be sure she was safe and patrolling reassured me that I still had my finger on the pulse, it was an interesting and yet painful dichotomy. I had to be away from her to protect her, but when I was away from her I couldn't protect her.

None of us knew exactly how much time we had left, which was why I took every opportunity to kiss her, hold her, feel her coming apart in my-

"Whoa there Jakey…think I'm way too young to hear about this" Seth's amused voice intruded in my thoughts.

"Sorry man" I apologised, but sometimes thoughts of Ness overtook me so much that I forgot about the shared pack mind.

"No worries…seems like you finally got your shit together then?"

"Yeah I do, I really do"

"How do you do it Jake?" he asked sounding interested, real interested.

I came to a dead stop "What…the…Fuck?"

I growled, turning around to look at him, noticing his wolfy grin "Not that dude, you really have a one track mind lately…I mean how do you be away from her? It aches man… Saszi is only a baby but it still hurts to be away from her…how do you do it?"

I took off running again and thought for a moment about what he had said

"Because I know I'm coming back"

"What about when you were away…when you were kept away from her?"

I snarled inadvertently, hating to think about that time, hating the unease and dread, which washed over me. I didn't want to answer, didn't want to think about it, wasn't ready to face it yet. There was silence. Seth was waiting for an answer and as his alpha and as a fellow imprinter he deserved to know.

"The physical pain was incredible but the emotional pain was far far worse…I relied on the torture to distract me, to stop me missing her… I could cope with the pain but the thought of never seeing her face again. It burned me up inside man…I tried not to think too much"

I heard him clear his throat "And what about after….when they…you know"

Seth had seen what happened to me, knew what had finally broken me, all the wolves had seen it when I phased, seen what I had to endure and survive.

The knowledge shamed me "That's why I finally went feral I think…I just couldn't live with myself knowing what had happened to her…knowing that I hadn't stopped it, death would have been fucking easier"

"You ever asked her how she feels when she's away from you? Will Sazi be in pain, will she be hurting?" the idea horrified him.

"I don't know…she still doesn't know about the imprinting and we've never discussed it…I think she feels something, uneasy maybe but nothing as extreme as we feel"

"I can't believe you still haven't told her"

"I don't want her to feel obligated…especially now…I like the fact I know she has feelings all by herself…if she knew about the imprint then it would change things"

"I don't know, I think you're selling her short Jake…she'd understand…you're made for each other…she'd have to"

I snorted, Seth was still so young sometimes " Exactly…the imprint"

There was silence again, we ran in close formation, circling through the forest, when something hot and sickly tickled my nose. Vampires? I growled at the thought. It smelt like bloodsucker and the scent was eerily familiar, like someone I knew but could not place. How had the pixie missed this? There were leeches here and she hadn't told me? Were they from the Cullens?

"You smell that?" I growled, searching for the source. I heard the answering snarls of the pack as we moved swiftly and silently following the trail back the way we had come. We moved through the forest as silent as shadows.

Engrossed in the tracks I didn't realise where we were until I heard a familiar voice calling my name and I lifted my head.

"Nessie!"

I was home, the scent of the vampire overpowering. Barely suppressing a howl of fury I tracked the smell, across the ground and up onto the covered porch. It had been here, recently, the scent stopping at my door. Hissing out a growl I turned to look at Nessie who watched me guardedly. There was an uneasy look on her face. Shit! Had I scared her?

"Jake?"

I whined, moving my head to nudge her hand gently, trying to reassure her. Behind me Seth, trailed around, growling as he too realised the scent dispersed by my door. Where the fuck was Leah? Why hadn't she smelt this?

I could see the worry and anxiety in Nessie's eyes but was torn between the need to carry on the hunt and phase so I could reassure her.

"Speak to her Jake, we can take it from here" Seth voice interrupted my thoughts.

"You'll call me immediately if you find anything" it wasn't a question and Seth took it as such. He inclined his wolfy head and with a sharp bark took off into the undergrowth.

I nudged Ness again and shooed her towards the door. I needed her inside, where I knew she would be safe and so I could phase. When I finally got naked with her, it would not be under these circumstances.

"So pushy" she murmured but she was smiling, her fingers tangling briefly in my fur for a second as I continued to move her along. I loved that she didn't question me; it warmed me that she trusted me enough not to argue with me. With a final butt against her open palm I turned and charged back into the tree line to phase.

I was worried. I tried desperately not to show it but seeing Jake appearing home so soon after starting his patrol I knew something must be very wrong.

I would never be scared of him in wolf form but there was something about him phased which touched me inside, appealed to me in a way that made me want to stay beside him. Like there was a pull towards him which was especially strong since we had become a couple and when he was in wolf form. Trying for relaxed I sat on the couch and waited for him to appear. When he didn't I couldn't help the way my heart beat just that little bit faster, to see him shirtless and slightly sweaty.

" Everything okay?" I asked feigning nonchalance.

"Leah around?" he asked ignoring my question; I noticed the way he clenched his jaw when he spoke and knew it wouldn't bode well for Leah.

"She went to check in with Sue"

He took several deep breaths and appeared to be struggling for control. That worried me. If Jake was worried and on edge then I was too, there must be something wrong.

"Jake? Is everything alright?" alarm had crept into my tone.

"I don't know…have you had anyone at the house? Anyone at all…anyone from your extended…family?" his teeth were gritted and alarm flared inside me.

"No one Jake...why what's wrong?" I pressed coming to my feet to stand beside him, his presence offering me some comfort.

"I'm not sure Nessie…we picked up a scent…a familiar one but I don't know whose…I need to speak to Alice" he squeezed my hand in his and tugged me with him as he moved down the hall to the phone.

He sat down at the table and pulled me into his lap even as he dialed Alice's number. Just being close to him calmed me and I could see it was the same for him, his jaw relaxed as pressed me close breathing deeply. I saw his nostrils flare and realized he was taking my scent inside him.

"Something you need to tell me pixie?"

I could hear everything Alice said.

"Why what's happened? Is everyone ok?"

"Nessie's fine Alice…but I picked up the scent of a l- vamp…something I recognise but can't place"

I could hear the frustration in his voice.

"Nauhel"

My heart jumped. Nauhel. I hadn't seen him in years. Why was he here now?

"What's he doing here Alice? Is he with them?"

"No… but he thinks he …Christ why didn't I see this coming…whenever you dogs are involved it really clouds my thinking"

"Spit it out Alice…what is he doing here?" Jake was vibrating with anger and I stroked his face trying to soothe him, reassure him I was with him.

"He thinks he would be better for her…he's here to claim her…save her from the Volturi" she finished on a whisper.

Fear dropped like lead into my stomach. He meant to claim me? I didn't know what that meant but I knew it couldn't be good.

"Over my dead fucking body"

I felt Jake tense and heard his words escape as a barely human growl.

"I think he's relying on the Volturi to do that for him"

"You have to find him Alice…warn him to stay away from her…otherwise he'll have the whole pack after him…I can't be responsible for what would happen to him…you know the rules for touching someone's imprint, it doesn't matter who he is to you" he murmured his voice no less menacing

Imprint. There was that word again, it made me heart beat a little quicker.

"Jake I understand but Nauhel feels that she's like him...it makes sense to him" Alice was trying to placate him, explain it to him but I knew from Jake's face it didn't make a damn bit of difference.

"I don't care Alice… find him and tell him to back the fuck off or I won't be responsible for what happens to him"

"Jake…he's not going to listen to us…he thinks he's saving her…doing what's best for her"

"How in the hell does he even know what's happening here?"

"You know how word spreads in our world… especially after last time… Jake he won't stop until Nessie is with him…he totally believes that he is helping to save her…so he has no fear, he thinks he's doing the right thing" she sounded worried now, which scared me more.

I felt numb inside…why was this happening now; didn't we all have enough to deal with? How could he think he was best for me? Jake was best for me. It was him I needed, him I wanted, him I loved.

"And what about the Volturi?"

"They don't know about him yet…. but when they do…watch your back Jake… you don't have long…a week maybe" her voice was flat devoid of emotion, sounding as numb as I felt.

"A week…"

Nessie turned her startled gaze up to mine and instinctively I reached out and comfort her, to reassure her. I hugged her closer to me, feeling the heat of her next to me, her gentle weight on my lap and I breathed deeply taking her inside me as she snuggled her face into the crook of my neck.

"I'm sorry Jake, I really am…I wish I could tell you more"

I sucked in another deep breath, inhaling Nessie's scent as though I couldn't breathe without her. Beneath me I felt her nostrils flare as though she were doing the same thing.

"I know…but I meant what I said Alice, find him and tell him to stay away"

"I'll see what I can do" she said and ended the call.

For long seconds I crushed Nessie against the wall of my chest, ignoring the press of her breasts in favour of the feeling of her being close to me. My body shook but not with suppressed desire, this time it was anxiety, tension and something I hated to admit to…fear. I had only a week left with Nessie, a week in which to cram in a lifetime of memories in case the leeches succeeded and I didn't survive…or even more horrifying…she didn't.

"Jake?" Nessie's voice was soft against my skin.

"Yeah honey?"

She lifted away from me to look into my eyes and I felt her hand touch my cheek, almost reassuringly.

"We need to talk don't we?"

I sighed "Yeah Nessie we do"

As much as I didn't want to think about the possible bleak future ahead of us, we had to discuss it sometime, to talk about what she would do if I were not there to protect her. To talk about the worst possible scenario.

She stretched up her mouth to mine and kissed me tenderly yet thoroughly, her fingers tangling in my hair as she tugged lightly. When she pulled away again she forced a smile but it was sad and didn't reach her pretty eyes.

"Can I go first?"

I nodded too overcome with emotion to trust my voice.

"What's imprinting?"

Oh fuck.