Chapter 5 - Bella

Walking back to Sam's, I couldn't help but think about Jared. Everything seemed so simple but I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something that Jared wasn't saying. I'd have to talk to Uncle Quil more about imprinting. I wanted to have all the facts. Did we even know everything there was to know about imprinting.

Walking up the porch steps and into the house, I noticed that Sam and Emily were the only ones in the house. "Where is everyone?" I asked.

"I sent them home. In case you wanted to talk. Where's Jared?" Sam said.

"He headed to see Jake. Wanted to be the one to tell him about the imprint." I said, making my way to the kitchen. I quickly busied myself in Emily's kitchen trying to get dinner done. Then I thought about Jake and Billy. They would need food. God knows neither Billy or Jake can cook. I looked for Emily but she'd disappeared. I noticed Sam sitting at the kitchen table. "Do you have anything I can make plates for Billy and Jake?" I asked him.

He nodded. "Sure." He said. He walked over into the kitchen and started rummaging around. He found me some Tupperware. He set them on the kitchen island for me. "Does anyone know?" I asked him. He looked at me confused. "About my connection to the tribe?"

"I haven't said anything." Sam said.

I nodded at him as I kept moving about in the kitchen trying to get dinner done for everyone. "Billy's helping me find a job down here." I told Sam as he stood on the other side of the kitchen island.

"That's good. It will relieve some of Jared's worry." Sam told me and I nodded.

I moved about the kitchen finishing dinner. "Do you think Jake will be upset?" I asked finally.

"It's hard to tell. I've seen his mind. He cares for you…a lot." Sam said.

"I know he does." I said as I started taking food to the table. "I care for him too, it's just not…the same way that he cares for me. I've never felt that way about Jake. Even before the imprint." I told Sam.

"I get it. Jacob ever tell you anything about before I imprinted on Emily?" He asked me.

"A little. He said that you were engaged to Leah when you phased for the first time." I said, taking more food to the table. "He said that when you phased for the first time that you were all alone. Ran the woods for weeks. He said that when you finally phased back that Leah was the first person that you went to see." I said. I knew that Sam didn't like to think about those days.

"Those days were hard. When I got to Leah's, Emily was the one that answered the door. I took one look and I imprinted on her. I didn't stay that night. I had no idea what was going on. I left and went to Billy's. I needed to know what was happening to me. Billy explained the legends that I'd heard my entire life. He explained that I was the Alpha until the time came for Jacob to take over." Sam said.

"Why Jake?" I asked confused, taking the last of the food to the table.

"His great-grandfather Ephraim Black, our chief, was the Alpha of the last pack. Jacob is the rightful Alpha of the pack. He just doesn't want it. Says he doesn't want the responsibility." Sam said.

"I guess I can understand that. I mean he's seventeen after all." I said, looking at Sam. There was a look of hurt on his face. "I'm sorry Sam. I didn't mean it like that." I apologized.

"I know you didn't. None of us wanted this. I know that sometimes they think that I'm hard on them…especially after the first phase. But I don't want anyone else to go through what I've gone through with Emily." He said.

"How did that happen?" I asked leaning against the counter.

"The day after I'd talked to Billy, I went to see Leah. Obviously, I couldn't tell her I was a wolf, she would've thought that I was insane. So I told her that I was going through something and that I didn't think that we should be together anymore. She was heartbroken. Still is I guess. The next day, I was down at Joy's store when I saw Emily. She started yelling at me, telling me that I was a piece of shit for breaking Leah's heart. When she calmed down, I asked her if she could stop by my house so that I could explain things to her. She reluctantly agreed. That night, Emily came by. I explained everything. She freaked out. We got into an argument and I got angry, phasing too close to her." Sam said, and I could see the guilt on his face.

I reached across the kitchen island and grabbed his hand. "Emily loves you Sam. I don't think that she blames you." I said.

"I know she doesn't but it's a reminder of how unstable I was in the beginning." He said. I nodded.

"Dinner's ready. Wanna call the boys?" I asked.