Bella
Jake and I walk to the beach where he first told me the Quileute legends months ago.
"So... you're a wolf. Vampires and wolves... What can I expect next? Mermaids? Fairies? Elves?" I hand Jacob one of the muffins I had grabbed.
Laughing and taking the muffin, he says, "Don't be silly! Those are just myths."
"Up until yesterday, I thought you were too."
"Fair enough."
"So, tell me... obviously, the full moon thing isn't true. What about silver bullets? Wolfsbane?"
"All made up. The only thing that is harmful on that level is a bite from one of the leeches you love so much."
"Used to love. Anymore, I don't really know what to think. But I am glad I don't have to worry about some hunter shooting you with a silver bullet or you wolfing out on a full moon."
"Just whenever I get mad, feel threatened, or if I want to phase."
"Ahhh, gotcha."
"Why are you taking this so well? I kinda expected you to be mad and not want to talk to me."
"I am a bit pissed that you didn't just tell me, but other than that, look at who I have been with for the last year. I'm a little used to the weird and supernatural."
"Well, when you put it that way, I guess it makes sense."
"One thing though, why do you have to phase? Like, you don't drink blood to survive, and you have a human form. I guess I'm just wondering the why of it all."
"Well, do you remember in the legends I told you about the cold ones how we struck a treaty with the Cullens because they don't live on human blood? Not all vampires are like that. We phase to protect humans from them. The Cullens being around made a few of us phase, but when we sensed the redhead and the guy with the dreads coming around a bit, a few more of us phased." By this time, Jake has eaten both of his muffins, and we are sitting on the sand, looking out at the ocean.
"Wait, Victoria and Laurant?"
"Yeah, took care of 'Laurant' easily enough, but Victoria keeps dancing around our borders making the pack uneasy. Even Seth Clearwater phased."
"Harry's son?"
"The one and the same."
"Harry talks about Seth and Leah all the time when he visits Charlie. Wait! Charlie! Does he know?"
"No, it's a need to know thing. I mean everyone from the Rez knows the legends but not everyone knows they are true. And we work very hard to make sure they don't find out about it. Of course the council knows, but other than them and the families of the wolves are the only ones. Until you. You're the first outsider to know."
"So, are there female wolves?"
"After the tragedy and sacrifice of the third wife, the Great Spirits declared that that wouldn't happen again. So, they made it where the mate of the true alpha can have the Spirit of the Wolf bestowed upon her for the protection of the pack-"
"So Emily is a wolf too?"
"No, according to pack history, the Uley's have always been Betas. Second in command. Sam is only alpha until the true alpha accepts."
"So, if the Uley's have always been Betas, who is supposed to be the true alpha?"
"I guess that would be me. The Black family is the Chief bloodline."
"Wait, you? You're the true alpha?"
"Thanks for the vote of confidence. But yeah... If I ever choose to accept."
"Sorry, that's not what I mean. I just mean, if you're the true alpha, why wouldn't you accept?"
Jacob stops walking, "This isn't the life I wanted Bella. It's bad enough that now I am saddled with the protection of humans. I don't want the responsibility of leading the pack too." His voice seems both angry and sad. "All I wanted was to grow up, go to school to be a mechanic, find a wife, settle down and be normal."
I've heard those words before- This isn't the life I would have chosen. "Can you choose different? Can you just choose to not phase?"
"It's not that simple Bella. People depend on me. I can't just let them down. I have to protect them. Now that I know the truth, I couldn't live with myself if I abandoned them."
I can tell Jake is starting to get riled up so I step up to him and place my had gently on his face, "That's not what I meant. I'm sorry. I was just asking... I guess out of curiosity. I wasn't trying to say abandon anyone." I decide to change the subject, "So, have you imprinted on anyone?"
"Well, I could, but I haven't. Of course, it's not as simple for me though."
"What do you mean?"
Jacob takes a deep breath, "With other wolves, the first time they meet someone after they phase, if they are meant to be together, it just happens. The guys who have imprinted have said it felt like their whole reason for being shifted. Like suddenly, it wasn't gravity holding them to the Earth anymore, but it was that person."
"Well, that's... romantic."
"Romantic? They don't belong to themselves anymore. They are bound to this one person, no matter what. And if that person decides they don't want them, then they live a shattered life." The venom in Jacob's voice seems to come out of nowhere.
"So, the imprint is kind of like a love at first sight thing?"
"Not necessarily. It's hard to explain, but whatever she needs, that is what we would become. A brother, a friend, a protector... and if she chooses it, a lover."
"What if she wants to have you as a friend and chooses to be with someone else? Could you be with someone else?"
"We could, but what girl would willing be with someone who will always have a deep, emotional, and supernatural bond with someone else? If she chooses someone else, then we would basically just have to live alone for the rest of our life."
"That is kind of miserable. I can see where you would say that it is unfortunate. So what is the difference between that kind of imprint and the imprint of a true alpha?"
"Well, that one is even more confusing. See, the imprint isn't immediate. There is a connection, almost undetectable at first, but as the two people get to know each other more, their connection grows."
"That's not so bad. It's almost like how it is for humans."
"The confusing part for a true alpha is that if they don't meet this person, or if they just miss out on getting to know this person, they miss out on their imprint. They can marry someone else, and they'll be happy, but they aren't perfectly in sync the way an imprint bond would be."
"Do they know there is something missing? Or is it just after the fact, later, when a true alpha meets his imprint, people look back and realize something was missing?"
"We don't actually know for sure... because for as long as the council can remember, no true alpha has met his imprint... or at least gotten to the place where she would accept him and the bond."
"What do you mean accept him and the bond?"
"Well, it's the main difference between the normal imprint and the true alpha imprint. For the normal imprint, it is instant, but for the other, it is gradual, like I said. But there comes a point, like in all relationships where they have to decide whether they are going to remain together. Once she has heard the legends, and knows the potential responsibility she would be taking on as the alpha's imprint, then she must make the decision of choosing the alpha as her mate. I guess it's kind of a consent thing. She has the opportunity to get out, but if she does decide to say no, then she forfeits being with the alpha. Completely. She has to leave. But according to our history, that is as far as we know. As far as we know, no one has ever accepted the role, or even been found to be given the option."
"Wow, never?"
"Well, you have to think, the Cullen's only come around every hundred years or so. So, the pack isn't needed when they aren't around. Of course, there are those who have the gene if there ever was a situation, and the legends are told regularly, so they would know what to do, but there's only been a few times that we have been needed."
"So when you say 'potential responsibilities' of the alpha's imprint, what do you mean?"
"After the Great Spirits declared that if the true alpha found the one who was meant to aid him in protecting the tribe, they said she would be his imprint and would have the Spirit of the Wolf bestowed upon her and she would help protect her mate, the pack and the tribe. She would become something of a 'mother' to the pack. Emily has been fulfilling the role but according since Sam isn't the true alpha, she didn't become a wolf."
I don't say anything, I just sit there, watching the waves roll. My mind swirls with everything I have just heard. Then something dawns on me, quietly I ask, "What if you fall in love with someone and she chooses you... then later you find out she is either someone else's imprint or you imprint on someone else?"
"Well, that is something I hope doesn't happen. If it did, there wouldn't really be anything I could do about it, but would have to live with."
Looking down at the sand, I almost whisper, "I'm sorry Jake. I really am. I hope that doesn't happen to you. You've been through so much, you don't deserve that." Silently, I feel my heart break for him a little bit. *I wish I could be that for you.*
Suddenly, something shifts inside of me, and I am hit with a wave of emotions, and I look at Jacob with wide eyes to see him looking back at me with the same shocked expression on his face..."Whoa, did you feel that?" I ask shocked I didn't get knocked over at the impact.
"Yeah I did." His face changes and the words he says next floor me, "You're my imprint."