Chapter 4: The Truth ( Quil)

Quil looked at his father. trying to study his features. His father hadn't aged at all. Barely a day. He still looked the same after all these years. The only difference was that his hair was longer, and it had one streak of white in the front. He had also grown a goatee. But physically he looked the same.

"you have to be a ghost." He accused.

His father sat on the edge of the bed and shook his head.

"no ghost here son. It's me."

"But.. but I don't understand… mom said you were killed in a fishing accident. I came home from school and you were dead."

His father sighed heavily and ran his hands through his hair.

"that's the story your mother and I concocted up. listen, son, I owe you an explanation, but I think you should eat first."

"All I need are my ears while my mouth chews," Quil said bitterly. As the shock was wearing off, he had one emotion.

Anger. Anger at his father and his mother. From the one thing his father had told him, his mother had been in on whatever this plot was.

"that's fair, ill be back with food."

As Quill waited, the door creaked open to reveal the same little girl as before. This time she looked fully chastised.

"I stuck my hand in my mouth…" she told him as she climbed up on his bed. A rumbling could be heard, as she showed him a giant bag of chips.

"you stuck your hand in your mouth?" Quil repeated as he looked at her. it was then he realized what she was trying to say.

"you mean you stuck your foot in your mouth."

"yes! that! Anyway, I stuck my hand or foot whatever you chose in my mouth, by calling you big brother. Daddy wasn't too happy about that but what did he expect? He's been talking about you forever and the one time I get to meet my awesome big brother im not supposed to say anything? Adults don't make sense."

"that's something I can agree with you about. Adults don't make any sense." Quill told her.

He sighed as another wave of anger and confusion hit him. This little girl was supposed his little sister, not to mention, his father had told her about him. So what? Had he been living his life here with another woman while he suffered?

Quill felt his wolf shake under the surface. He gripped the bed and an angry growl slid through his clenched jaw.

Unbeknownst, to him the little girl who he couldn't quite believe was his sister, crawled over.

"It is ok, big brother. We all get angry sometimes." She then patted him gently on the arm.

To his surprise, he felt himself calm down. It wasn't instant. But this little girl had his wolf's attention.

" Ayana joy Ateara what did I say about bothering your brother."

Ayana? That was her name? it was really pretty. And did he call her joy? Like after his mother?

Ayana sighed and said "You said to let Big Brother rest until the time was right. But daddy that's not fair. He was already awake and look he was shaking. I helped him calm his furball."

Immediately his father's eyes widened with concern.

"you know you're not supposed to do that Ayana. It's dangerous. Now why don't you go out back? And stay out of your mother's yucca flowers."

"fur ball?" Quill questioned.

"It's what she calls the wolf."

"you phase?" quil asked.

"I used to but that's neither here nor there. you eat, I'll talk."

He then handed Quil a plate of something unfamiliar. Sensing his discomfort, his father explained.

"It's Ethiopian food. Rice, beef, and a bread, called injera. Use the injera to scoop up the food."

"scoop up the food, go it. now talk." Quil ordered as he looked at his father in disdain.

His father sighed and stood up.

"you were only five years old when I left. Son, if I could have taken you with me, I would have. Let me start from the beginning. When I was a teenager I met a young woman by the name of Ajana, she was traveling with her parents to visit some historical sights. Her parents were archeologists. Anyway, she would come to the reservation every summer and we began a romance like no other. By the time I was eighteen, I knew I wanted to marry her. but... I couldn't. We were from two different worlds and two different races. Besides, I had tribal duties. I was to take over for my father as the tribe shaman. But I didn't want to. I wanted to travel the world with Ajana. I wanted to discover different lands with her. After another year of being miserable, I decided I was going to live my life. I loved my tribe and I would carry my culture with me always. My children would know where they came from but I couldn't stay on the reservation. Just two days before Ajana and I were going to meet up, my father called me into a council meeting. Standing with the elders at the time was Joy Quepha. She was the daughter of one of our elders. I had seen her on the reservation but I never interacted with her. I hung out with my friends around the res and forks but I never interacted with her. anyway, as soon as I was in the room, the doors were closed and the sound of chanting began."

His father stopped as he rubbed his hands through his hair. A slight tremble was seen as he moved his arms.

"the room began to cave in on me, and then I felt a presence next to me. it was my father. he was speaking in a language I didn't understand. But one word, I knew for sure was the word imprint. Being the next tribal shaman, I knew what was happening. They were going to force an imprint."

Quil Froze. A forced imprint? He knew a lot about tribe medicine and folklore but never a forced imprint. Disgust instantly ran through his body.

His parents had a forced imprint. Immediately some of the anger he had at his parents dissipated.

"they… they forced you and Mom together didn't they?" he said sadly.

"yeah, they did. Any emotional ties I had to Ajana were cut. I couldn't feel her anymore. I couldn't even look at her the day she tried to find me. I sent her away. Joy was all that mattered to me. but it was false. All of it. because deep down I was screaming. I was miserable, it's crazy because the day I imprinted on joy, I saw you in a vision. you were such a bubbly child. but the years she and I were married. It wasn't kind to us. we were forced to marry just a month after we were imprinted. And then, Joy was forced to give up her life to run the family shop. I know she hated it, but she didn't have a choice either. That was something we could agree upon. So eventually we settled. By the time I was twenty-six, I had a growing fishing business, Joy had the shop and we had you. we were stuck. And the day you turned five, all of that changed. Your mother and I had come to a livable agreement until one day we just couldn't do it anymore. My father was pushing for me to take over his position. Joy's family wanted her to have another child. neither one of us wanted that. We weren't in love, nor were we happy. You brought us happiness but we couldn't keep up with the charade. It was then, your mother did some digging in the tribal archives. We could break the imprint, but it would have dire consequences for both of us. if I was in her presence after the broken imprint, I would want to kill both of you. the spirit wolf within me would see you both as a threat. I didn't want to hurt you guys, but she said we could live with it if that meant we didn't have to be miserable anymore. I refused her. I wasn't in love with her but I cared for her and you. On a rainy day, just as I was getting ready to go fish, she blindsided me. called into a room, and when I stepped in, I unintentionally stepped in a circle. She began the chant and gave me a drink, that made my wolf temporarily docile. As soon as I took it, I could see clearly, without the imprinting haze. This wasn't meant to be my life or her life. Our choices were taken away from us. From there we made a plan. I would get on my boat and crash it. I would then swim to third beach, where a backpack of stuff would be waiting for me. I was free to leave from there. but guilt overwhelmed me. how could I be free when your mother or you were not? But your mother, the smart woman she is, already had that in mind. She would raise you until you were eighteen, that gave me time to banish the wolf from my body, and not want to kill either of you. once the wolf was gone and you were of age, she would leave La push with you in tow and we would meet again. however, that plan changed just a few days ago when the spirits imprinted you on that child. I had never been so disgusted. And then for the elders and the pack to force you to accept it. son, I almost came down there myself. But your mother stopped me and told me she was sending you to me. when she could, she would then leave la push herself, heading in the opposite direction. especially if the pack was going to follow her and see if they could catch up with you."

Quil covered his face with his hand and took deep breaths. To his shame, tears began to fall.

" All this time, I thought you had died! All the things a father was supposed to teach me I missed out on! All the time, my friends would have weekends with their dads! And yet here I was living without you! just for you to be here playing house! I am not saying I don't understand the stress you were under. the forced imprint was horrible. To have the love of your life cut off from you and forced to be with another. Gah, I don't want to be angry with you but I am! One day you were there, and the next you were gone. We buried you, Dad! I used to visit your grave! And yet, I can't help but feel sorry for you! because I understand what it's like to be forced into an imprint you never wanted. They forced me to accept that baby and I dropped her. I could have killed her dad and now I have to banish my wolf. Out of all the pack, I was the one who embraced mine first. I was the one who had the deepest connection with him and yet I have to turn him away because of something he nor I can control? But if I don't banish him, I'll be tied to the little girl forever. I can't do this…."

To his surprise, Quill felt warm strong arms bury him into a strong and hairy chest. When did his dad get chest hair?

"ssh son, it's alright. You have a lot on your shoulders. I will be here with you no matter what. I support whatever you want to do."

Quil wiped his eyes but didn't lean away from his father.

" I really missed you, Dad."

" I missed you too son. You have no idea."