Umm, so I don't know why the chapters aren't loading onto the site for this story or it's just on my end. But I'm hoping it clears up with this chapter when it's posted.

…

6:03 am 30, Tuesday October, 2007

…

I woke up from a dreamless sleep. Restful, nonetheless. I'm still going to see what this… thing is with Seth. It was the first thing on my mind when I started to wake up.

I showered and ate, barely. I have some time to do whatever before work and I don't know what to do with myself. I have so much… time on my hands. I hate this.

I hate this so much.

I might try baking after my talk with Seth. I don't know. I have so much time. Too much time on my hands. I need cookies and I need brownies, and I want to refrain from more spending. I have the money for a second car, a car for Michael, if I ever get them back.

I'm going to get them back. I have to get them back. I'm going to get them back. I have to keep telling myself this over and over.

…

10:06 pm

I was right.

About the something with Seth. I was right.

But it's not what I ever could've imagined it was.

I got out of work at 2 today and then I came home. I showered and tried to think about what to do to come about this. I didn't want to make sure suspicious aa out calling her to ask to talk to Seth, I contemplated what to do. I could go look for him but then I imagined myself in my minivan looking for the kid. I was definitely going to get myself arrested, so I stayed in the house. And I waited, I just had a feeling sooner or later he was going to pop up.

And he did with Embry. I let Embry go upstairs, looking like a wreck and I really didn't want to ask questions. His hair was everywhere, and I don't know if he showered in the past couple of days, it didn't look like it. Seth didn't look bad, but he looked tired.

"Embry, you can make yourself at home," I said as he climbed the staircase after questioning eyes and a nervous stature.

He gave me a look when I crossed my arms and did not move from my place, but he didn't move either.

"Hi, Makayla."

"Hi, Seth."

He smirks timidly, he looks down at his shoes, "What'd I do?"

"What is this?"

Seth's head snapped up, "Huh?"

"This. What is this? Why—How? Why is—ugh," I uncrossed my arms and ran a hand through my hair.

He stared at me for a long moment in silence, I could hear Embry upstairs, everything behind his eyes was reserved and then he looked like he realized something, shocked and then he looked away.

"I don't know what you mean—"

"Why is your mother okay with you being here? Jarrett's not here. No one's here but me. And Embry. What is…" I crossed my arms and looked away, I suddenly felt stupid in that moment.

He didn't answer for what felt like ages, or I was just impatient and feeling more stupid by the second.

"Do you know who Jake is? Jacob Black, I mean."

My eyebrows furrowed intensely, "Charlie knows him."

"Yeah…" Seth heaves a sigh before running his hands through his hair, he glanced at me nervously, "I-I don't know ho-how to tell you what this is."

"Rip it off like a band aid." Embry says from upstairs.

Seth glared up at the staircase.

"What? Does he know? Why can't you tell me? What the hell is this? Why-why? Wh-wha-what is th-this?!"

Seth grabbed my shoulders, he looked overwhelmed, "Makayla." I stopped, I heaved a sigh, and he let go of my shoulders.

I stopped and kept my arms crossed.

He exhaled heavily through his nose, "In our tribe we have legends when a certain person comes to a certain age, and we can turn into wolves."

At first, I thought he was going to say something about teenage puberty and then the latter of his explanation of lies about mythical creatures is absurd. I let him continue.

"And we have this thing that determines our soulmates for the rest of our lives. It's called imprinting, and it's unbreakable and it's sudden. Embry imprinted on Kristen and I… imprinted on you Friday afternoon after school. It's like…"

Seth had avoided my gaze as he explained, and his posture had been nervous, when he spoke again, he looked me dead in the eye and I could see his newfound confidence burn in his eyes, square his shoulders, and prepare him for what he was going to say. My heart fluttered harder, I felt like I already knew but it just needed to be spoken, "When you see her… everything changes. Gravity shifts," I felt my heart fluttering in my chest. "It's not gravity holding you to the Earth, it's her. Be anything for her, do anything for her, unconditionally. Whatever she needs, whatever she wants, a friend, a brother, a protector, a lover… and I can never hurt you."

The inhale I took helped what he said process in my flustered mind over my siblings and my son, the exhale that left my lungs settled something within my chest. I felt like I was honestly going to cry, maybe because I was stressed out or the heaviness within his words that made something, click into place like corresponding puzzle pieces and filling holes in my life that had been empty and I was unaware of the loneliness of those parts of me. But that loneliness was gone as soon as I realized it, and it was replaced with a peaceful feeling that made all my worries go away. A peaceful feeling that erased everything that hurt me before, the feeling of that pain was unrecognizable.

And then, the logical and sane part of me came knocking on my brain with a bat. This situation could end up horribly. Whatever I needed and whatever I wanted, he is fifteen. But that doesn't mean that someday, someday it'd be more, and I felt that deep within my chest. But then I had to think about the fact of my natural attraction to him since Friday, my natural curiosity to him because of Jarrett, and the fact that what he just said hit me hard like the night Liam was born and I seen him for the first time. This unconditional feeling towards him wanted everything great for him, I would give my life up for him and that is dramatic, but it is the truth, it was just naturally me. This hit hard because I knew that he was telling the truth and that… was more sincere than anything I've ever experienced.

"Are you serious?" I breathed; I was in shock now.

Seth never broke eye contact with me, "Yes."

Another pause of silence between us. He's serious.

"You can turn into a wolf?"

He smirked quickly, "Yeah. Embry can too."

"What? Who else?"

"My older sister, Leah, she's two years older than you. Embry's cousin, Jacob, our alpha. And others."

"Alpha? Like literal wolf pack alphas?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why do you… turn into wolves? Wait, are you guys' werewolves?" I can't believe I was feeding into this insanity, but it didn't feel insane.

"Hardly."

We both turned to Embry at the bottom of the staircase.

"We're shapeshifters, technically. Werewolves—the ones that shift during a full moon—do exist though."

"Along with vampires."

"Vampires?"

"Blood drinking vampires."

"Where?"

Embry shrugged, "Forks and Seattle."

"Embry," Seth hissed when I felt the blood drain from my face and my head began to spin.

As soon as he touched my arm, a shock of electricity struck along my forearm travelling down to my hand, my fingertips and up my arm to my shoulder and into my chest. My heart began to beat dramatically hard against my ribcage. And then it was gone and my heart slowed down, temporarily distracting me about the vampires nearby. And then it came rushing back and I tittered on my feet and everything went black.

When I woke up again Seth was right there, and Embry was standing off to the side looking guilty. I was on the couch, sitting upright against the cushions with Seth right in front in a squat position.

"What happened?" I asked while rubbing my face.

"You fainted."

"That was my fault. I'm sorry about that."

Vampires.

"Vampires…" I breathed my hands running through my hair.

Forks and Seattle. Embry had said.

The house phone began to ring then, and I was up looking for it, startling Seth and he stood up, stepping away from me.

"Where is it?" I searched the living room.

"Upstairs in Kristen's room." Embry answered and I took the stairs two at a time.

I found the phone on the desk and answered it before it hung up.

"Hello?"

"Makayla?" Jarrett asked through the line.

"Jarrett! Hi, are you okay?"

"I'm okay. I don't know about everyone else. They split us up all over Seattle."

"What? Where are you?"

"I'm in a diner in downtown. I'm not allowed to use the phone at the house."

"Why?"

"We're not allowed to have contact with you. I don't know the details but whatever Christian said is sticking with the state."
I heaved a sigh, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. I want to come home. I hate this city."

I chortled, "I know you do. I'm sorry, I'm doing everything I can to get you guy's home."

"I know. It's not your fault, Kay."

"I should've known better."

"You couldn't have known about him… have you seen him?"

"No, I've been staying in the house once I get out of work… Guess what I got."

"What'd you do?"

"I went shopping. I got the bills straightened out with the locked account."

"Makayla we all agreed not to spend that money."

"I had to, I have to. It's the only way to keep the house. I need you kids back."

He sighs and is quiet for a moment, I can hear the ruckus of the diner he was in. Music, babble and laughter, it sounded… homey and exceptionally light in atmosphere.

"Okay… I guess I can't argue with that. You should talk to Charlie about carrying a strap."

"Jarrett!" I gasped in mortification, "Are you spazzing?"

"I'm serious… Christian is around. Pepper spray and a taser won't keep him away."

And then I asked this question without thinking, "Did you know about Embry and Kristen? The uh… the thing."

Silence for a moment and then he spoke again, "I did… he told you?"

"Seth did."

"Seth… Did he… tell you about his thing?"

"Yeah."

A short pause of silence, "Is he there?"

I looked around the room, Embry was sitting on Kristen's bed with her plush quilt in his hands. He was really distraught, and Seth was standing in the doorway. They both made moves to leave the room with hand gestures, but I shook my head, confirming they were okay to stay. It was… not strange to me to have them around, I don't know how to explain it, I enjoyed their company and it's not because of the empty house.

"Yeah."

"Okay. I need to talk to him and you about this, separately, but I can't talk about it here."

"Alright, Dad."

"Yeah, whatever."

Jarrett had always been the loud overprotective brother; Michael was the silent one with the murderous glare. Jarrett would tear you apart to get answers, Michael just had the look. Equally dramatic but the love is real.

"I love you, Jarrett." I murmured.

"Oh, God. Ew, sentimental." He dramatically gagged through the phone, I smiled and glared up at the ceiling, rolling my eyes. I heard Embry chuckling on Kristen's bed, "I love you too, Makayla. I miss you. Um, we are watching Mortal Kombat when I get back. If you went shopping, I'm assuming you have the ingredients for mochi and ramen."

I almost started crying, I turned in the rotating desk chair, my bottom lip quivering, "Of course." My voice was surprisingly stronger than I felt.

"Okay, I should go. But stay by the phone. I'll be calling again."

"You remember the call number, right?"

"About that…" He chuckled nervously, "I had it on Friday, I forgot I had it and… my "parents' confiscated it."

It was my turn to sigh, the knot in my throat dissipating as I dropped my forehead into my palm with my elbow bent against the desktop.

"Jarrett."

"I'm sorry. They promised from the deepest parts of their being that they're going to give me that phone when I am of age. Guess what age that is…"

"What age, Jarrett? 18?" I asked, biting my lip not to laugh at his aggravated, mocking sarcastic peppy tone of voice.

"Eh! 35!" I can hear his aggressive irritation through the phone, and I can picture the way he's standing.

I, unconsciously, laughed, "Oh, stop! It's fine. I'll get another one tomorrow after work, I should get out at 2. If Charlie kicks me out."

"Kicks you out. What did you do?"

"Oh, the usual. Run around with my head cut off like a chicken. You know, I didn't think having five kids would make me insane by the way."

"Well, isn't that charmingly attractive. Why are you harassing Charlie? Leave that poor sad man alone."

"He is not sad; you leave Charlie alone. He's just…"

"Sad."

"He is not sad."

"How would you know? Are you making him happy?"

I almost threw up, "Oh my God, don't ever say that again."

He's laughing, "My mistake, I forgot. You're tied to a fifteen-year-old shifter, isn't that sexy? Bye!" He said in a rushed whisper before hanging up and I stared at the phone in mortification feeling blood rushing to my face.

I looked over at Embry and Seth, Embry busted out laughing once he read my face. Seth shifted on his feet not looking at me but staring at his worn pair of sneakers. Wait a minute, they're both dressed in cut denim shorts and sneakers, that's it.

This isn't morally suspicious at all. You know it's not like I'm not turning nineteen soon and I have naked teenage boys near my house. Oh, that's fine though too. That thought left behind an uneasy feeling in my stomach. I got up from the desk and went into Jarrett and Michael's rooms and snatched up t-shirts that would fit them and they both looked at me dumbfounded holding out the t-shirts.

"Please." I pressed holding out pieces of fabric further.

Seth took the shirt closest to him and Embry followed suit. I felt spent when I walked down the hallway to the staircase. I sat down on the couch with a huff, replaying the conversation with Seth and Jarrett. I had to get up and eat something, my head was beginning to hurt, and I needed a distraction mostly. I couldn't eat the sandwich I made though and just decided to eat up the ziti I made and froze over the weekend.

"Makayla." Seth says from the kitchen doorway.

I kept my eyes on the stove as I preheated the oven, "Hm?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Are you okay?"

"Yeah… I wanted to… ask you what you… were thinking about."

If I had to be honest, I didn't want to think right now. And I know… he was looking for an answer to what I was trying not to think about. But I needed to say something. It's out there now, and I wanted to know. I had been expecting him to have a crush on me, but I wasn't expecting… this imprint thing. This is… serious. This was real. I can feel it. I just don't know what I want but I didn't want anything to happen between us that could lead me into more trouble. Like JAIL. But… I had a feeling… about this imprint… like something else with other people who were included in shifting. Ugh, at the same time, this was Celine Dion and her husband. Why did I have to think of that?

"I…" My words left me. I looked over at him, I didn't realize how close he got, I didn't hear him. He was good three-foot distance away from me. His eyes scanned my face, "I… shit."

He held out his hand to me. It was on instinct that I stepped closer to him and took his hand; he gave my hand a gentle squeeze, his skin was warm very warm, concerningly warm. "It's okay," He gives me a reassuring smile.

"It doesn't feel okay. I feel like I need to answer you. And I…"

"You have a lot going on. I didn't want to tell you yet and I couldn't lie to you. If you need time to think about it, that's okay. There's no rush."

I needed a hug. I wanted a hug. I stepped closer to him, and he analyzed me as I closed the distance, he let my hand go so I could wrap my around him. I felt like an idiot and felt… nervous but he seemed to understand and let me lean into his side. His left arm that had extended out to me wrapped around my back and his hand rested on the lower side of my ribcage.

He smells so good. He's so warm that I didn't even realize how cold I felt. I closed my eyes and leaned more into him. He's so warm.

"I do know one thing…" I murmured.

"What?" His voice was quiet, and his heart reacted to my voice with quick strumming with each word.

"You give the best hugs."

I don't know how long we stood there but it was enough time for the oven to announce it's time to sizzle. I heated up the ziti for nothing. Jacob had called Embry and Seth, and I remember Jacob. He had been one of the boys that had stared at me on Friday.

I ate my sandwich and honestly, I waited to see if they would come back. The ziti had to be eaten, and it didn't look like they were coming back anytime soon as I'm sitting here. I made lunches for myself with the ziti, I wasn't really looking forward to it, but I couldn't let it go to waste. I heard some howls about an hour or so ago, one of them had been close about a mile or so out and the others were distant. They were beautiful, I missed hearing the howls of wolves. But that truly meant that Seth and Embry were telling the truth. I had a minor meltdown, and I am back, and recovered.

If they turn into wolves because of vampires… then the stories around the towns about gigantic wolves lurking around in the woods are true. Vampires, who are the vampires? What does… a real vampire even look like?

I started thinking about what Jarrett, little freaking idiot that Jarrett. I miss him. I miss them all. I miss Liam, I could go for his giggling spells and run around the house. I wish they were all driving me crazy. Embry said vampires were in Seattle. I prayed to God that the kids would be safe, that they would come home soon.

I need them back home. …

I just watched Seth climbed into my window, what is he doing?

For the record, I don't climb into adult girls' windows for fun; and it's not what it looks like. Just needed to know everything is okay. –Seth.