A/N: Old readers that have been here for a decade please go back and reread chapters 1+2 as this story has been overhauled and rewritten. This chapter won't make sense unless you do so. New readers, hi and hope you like the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight nor Inuyasha. Both belong to their respective owners and not me. But please, please no flames and if you have nothing better to say, say nothing at all.

Chapter III – A Strange Occurrence

Quil drove back to Sam's cabin in a daze. He almost forgot why he had originally gone to Seaside Edge; Paul had placed an order for all of them an hour earlier while Sam had been away all morning.

The pack usually spent all their time at Sam's cabin, it quickly became a second home for most of them when they weren't at their parents' place. Today was no different and yet, more than his ambitious appetite, Quil's head was full of Kagome.

He shook his head. Good thing he remembered the food, he'd been three seconds away from forgetting it altogether. Quil had patrol duty later with Paul and Jared, and rightly so, they were fucking hungry.

None of the pack could actually put together anything decent except maybe for Seth and Jake but the latter was usually missing in action. So half the time it was usually Sue or his mom who took care of the meals. Today was one of those rare days when they had to order out.

I imprinted, he thought, not for the first time.

It didn't feel real—the intense sensation in his chest, in his mind. Every thought was consumed by Kagome. What was she doing right now? What was she planning to do tomorrow? How could he go over to the Swans' without it looking weird, just so he could spend time with her? Quil pondered these questions, mostly on autopilot, as he finally reached Sam's long dirt driveway.

When he parked in front, Paul and Jared emerged, wolf calls on their lips, to grab the two bags of food they had ordered.

"Finally," Paul groaned as he carried one bag inside. "Dude, did you get lost or something? It's literally been over thirty minutes since you left!"

Jared moaned around a mouthful of food. He had already set his plate out, and the takeout was scattered across the table in the kitchen. "No, seriously—it felt like my stomach was about to eat itself."

As Paul and Jared dug into their food, Quil, still functioning on autopilot, suddenly blurted out, "I imprinted," his words ringing with stunned clarity. Paul paused mid-bite, his burger oozing with sauce, while Jared choked on a mouthful of fries.

"Wait, what?" Paul exclaimed, placing his burger down. "On who? Is it someone we know?"

Quil hesitated before replying, "It's Bella's half-sister—Chief Swan's oldest daughter." He offered a lazy grin, still recalling how her smile had lit up her whole face.

Paul and Jared erupted in laughter, clearly finding the situation hilarious. They playfully shoved Quil's shoulder and ribbed him about imprinting on the so-called 'leech-lovers' big sis'.

"Does that mean you have to call the Chief 'Dad' now?" Paul joked, turning back to his burger.

"Fuck off, Paul. We haven't gotten that far yet," Quil retorted, but that only made them laugh even more.

Jared was no better as he leaned over with his damn chicken bone in hand. "Better start getting used to calling Bella 'little sis' now."

Quil rolled his eyes as he shoved a mouthful of fries into his mouth, flipping them the bird.

"Damn, you leave for thirty minutes and come back a changed man. Sucks to be you, bro." Paul shook his head, and it was obvious what he thought about imprinting.

Out of everyone in the pack, Paul was the most vocal about not letting anyone tie him down. Given how often he slept around and the string of failed relationships he had experienced, Quil secretly prayed for the girl he would eventually imprint on. Unlike his brothers in the pack, he saw nothing wrong with imprinting. Even though he didn't know Kagome yet, he was certain he would because he already liked her.

"Well, my imprint is great and she's fucking hot. Even her name is amazing–which just so happens to be Kagome. So if the fates have blessed me with her, then so be it," he stated proudly, earning another round of ribbing

At that moment, Sam made his presence known—his tools clattered to the ground by the door. He had heard his truck coming down the driveway, thanks to their sensitive hearing, even though Sam had been away for a while, covering all the patrols the other day.

Quil turned to him, puzzled, and Paul and Jared shared the same confusion as Sam glared at him with a mixture of exhaustion and anger. What the hell was up with him?

"What did you just say?" Sam asked again, incredulous.

Quil noticed the change in Sam's tone and stood up; the lighthearted mood around the table grew tense.

"I imprinted on Chief Swan's older girl. What's the problem?" he added, already feeling his hackles rise at the shift in his Alpha's demeanor.

Sam's face fell, his expression darkening. "That's what I thought you said–that's impossible," he replied.

Jared had long forgotten his food as he stood, surveying the situation. As Sam's second-in-command, he was ready to step in if need be but Quil hoped it didn't come to that. Paul remained seated but even he could sense the tension hanging in the air.

Quil frowned. "What the hell are you talking about?" he snapped, his temper flaring as his body rippled with anger.

Sam dragged a hand down his face, and he could hear his heart pounding heavily in his chest—it almost sounded…panicked. Quil was confused; something was going on that Sam wasn't saying.

"Embry and I both imprinted on Kagome too," Sam stated, and the silence that followed was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

"Oh shit," Paul cursed, looking between them like he expected a fight to break out.

"Oh shit is right–how the fuck is that possible?" Jared breathed, incredulous.

Quil felt his heart drop. "You're telling me, like what the fuck?"

Even Paul looked stunned as he dragged a hand over his face. "Ha–better you guys than me but wow that's…that's super fucked." he added, shaking his head in disbelief.

Sam scowled, and Paul opened his mouth likely with a sarcastic quip to add but seeing the deadly expression on both of their faces he quite wisely shut his mouth. That was probably smart of him otherwise Quil was two seconds away from smacking him upside the head.

"Look, there's obviously something going on and the ancestors must have a reason for making Kagome our…shared imprint." Sam sighed, shaking his head.

Shared imprint. God, that was so messed up. He loved his brothers, but the idea of sharing the same girl? And then a thought occurred to Quil–she was leaving probably right after Bella's wedding. Fear took him as his anger faded replaced instead by the horror of possibly losing Kagome before he even had a chance to get to know her.

Jared sat back down as silence descended. Quil felt his anger ebb until all he was left with was disbelief and confusion. The delicious food wafting from the table didn't seem good anymore. Sam and Embry didn't have any choice on who they imprinted on and by tribal law, he couldn't and wouldn't dream of harming one of his brothers.

"Shit, what the fuck do we do? I mean, she's fucking leaving right after the wedding." Quil panicked, hands on his head. "Shit, this is so fucked!"

"It's fine, we'll figure this shit out. I mean, according to tribal law she has a right to know, right?" Paul stated, crossing his arms.

Sam fell into the nearby seat at the table and held his face in his hands as he bowed over, resting his elbows on his knees. "Technically yes, we can tell her–about the legends and the imprint but this is a lot and I…I don't want to pressure her into staying or scare her away if we do it too soon," he answered, setting his keys on the table as lines of age marred his tired face. "But I know this isn't just up to me or Embry now, this includes you too, Quil. All I know is we can't deny the imprint, that'll hurt her."

Quil looked away with a sigh. He was suddenly very tired and wanted nothing more than to go home and pretend this whole situation never happened.

"No, I agree. The last thing I want to do is hurt her. I just…I don't know," he admitted carefully. "I want to get to know her, but I feel like we all need to be on the same page. What does–I mean, how does Em feel about all this?"

Sam huffed out a tired laugh, but even to Quil it sounded hollow.

Jared winced. "I'm guessing Embry didn't take it very well…" he trailed off and Sam shook his head.

"Is that why he looked like he had a stick up his ass? Because I went to Billy's to check on him after you both came off patrol but he looked fucking pissed. Completely ignored my ass." Paul shook his head, finally taking a bite of his burger.

Quil couldn't even think about food right now, his stomach was full of knots and his head chock full of worries.

Jared snorted through his teeth, reaching over for his food which had gone cold. "I mean, no offense but he's always had a stick up his ass until he finally got laid. Now, the only thing he needs to worry about is sharing the same girl and worrying about time slots just to see her."

Quil shoved at his shoulder and Sam shot Jared a look that clearly said: shut the fuck up. He held his hands up and quite wisely went back to his food. Yeah, he better be quiet.

"Okay, but to be frank–how are we going to organize this between the three of us? Like, I want to take her out but if you take her out and Embry…well, let's just say he does too, how the fuck are we organizing this without freaking her out?" he gestured wildly, trying to make sense of this tangled web they got themselves into. Quil was just beginning to realize what a damn headache this was turning out to be.

Sam rubbed the back of his neck and Jared nudged him with a raised eyebrow. "You fucker, did you ask her out already?"

"I did, this Saturday. For coffee, just to hang out." he admitted, and Quil felt a flare of jealousy rear its ugly head before he stamped down on it.

He couldn't get mad at Sam for that, he had just as much of a right to see Kagome as he and Embry did. The wolf seemed oddly okay with it but the man–the man had trouble processing it. Still, Quil was nothing if not a beacon of optimism. He had to see the good in the situation in order to deal with it.

So he did what he did best—turned it into a joke. "Damn, it's been less than twenty-four hours, and you're already ahead of me. That cuts real deep, bro," Quil said, miming a dramatic shot to the chest.

Sam let out a tired laugh, some of the tension in his shoulders finally easing.

The tension in Sam's cabin gradually faded, replaced instead by a strange silence. The four of them sat around the worn wooden table, the remains of their meal mostly forgotten as the weight of what had just been revealed settled over them. Paul and Jared mostly ate on autopilot, but Quil stared at his food without seeing it. Sam and Embry had imprinted on Kagome too–it didn't feel real.

It wasn't supposed to be possible. And yet, here they were.

Quil leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, a smug grin creeping onto his face as he attempted to diffuse the situation further. "So, any chance I can tag along to this little date?"

Sam shot him a glare, clearly not in the mood. "It's not a date," he muttered, rubbing his temples. "I just need to talk to her."

Paul snorted. "Sure, sure. Not a date."

Quil, never one to pass up an opportunity to tease, leaned forward with a cocky smirk. "Funny. Because I got her number, sooo…I'd say I'm winning here." He paused before correcting himself. "Okay, technically, it's just the Swan residence number, but close enough."

Jared laughed, throwing a fry at him. "You would find a way to make this a competition."

Paul grinned. "Quil thinks he's slick, but Kagome's got two imprints ahead of him. What are you even gonna do with a phone number?"

Quil shrugged. "I don't know, call and awkwardly flirt? Ask Charlie's permission to date his daughter? Oh! Maybe I can ask if he wants to be my future father-in-law." He waggled his brows, enjoying the way Paul and Jared cackled at the idea.

But across the table, Sam had gone still. Quil didn't miss the look of dread that suddenly appeared on his face. The laughter died down and Sam's expression darkened, his jaw tightening, his fingers curling into fists.

"What?" Quil asked, suddenly wary.

Sam exhaled sharply, but his voice was grim when he finally spoke. "What if it's not just us?"

The room fell silent and Quil felt nauseous all of a sudden as his stomach twisted with stress. "You mean, what if we all imprint like a domino effect? Man, that would suck."

Paul's amusement faded first despite his attempts at another joke. "That's not fucking funny," he spat, suddenly serious.

Even Jared's usual optimism seemed to have gone, he seemed…worried. Quil didn't blame him, he'd already lost his scholarship when he phased and got trapped in La Push. Despite knowing the risks of imprinting, the elders told them it was a rare occurrence. They didn't think it would happen so the pack really got around, it wasn't a secret they dicked down girls in both La Push and Forks.

Could it be possible that maybe more of them may imprint?

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here, because that sounds crazy as hell." he tried, but the others didn't seem so convinced.

Sam lifted his gaze, something haunted lurking beneath the surface. "Think about it–what if more of the pack imprints on Kagome too? I thought the buck would stop at Embry but you just imprinted on her today, Quil."

Quil had meant it as a joke but when he said it out loud like that…

Some of that unease crawled up his spine. Because suddenly, it didn't feel so funny anymore.

And that? That scared the hell out of him.

Another silence descended and this time, Quil didn't have it in him to say anything witty or funny anymore. Instead, he stood from the table and muttered something about going to find Embry so they could have a smoke session because someone had to fill him in about what was going on. And then maybe…maybe he'd go see Jake. Because he could use one of his best buds right about now.

The short ride to the boutique was filled with talks of boys and light teasing. Kagome smiled and laughed along but generally tried to divert the attention elsewhere. She wasn't quite sure what to make of Quil yet–his presence had left a lasting impact and considering Bella's reaction, well, Kagome was sure there was something she was missing.

"Yeah, he's Jake's friend. One of the boys who lives on the Rez."

Kagome hadn't given it much thought—after all, in a small town like this, it wasn't surprising that everyone knew each other. Yet, something about the way Bella said it felt…off. There was an edge to her tone, almost like anger, but not quite. It was as if just speaking the name left a bitter taste in her mouth, like it carried a personal sting Kagome couldn't quite place.

Ever since they left the restaurant Bella had grown even more distant, staring off into space with unseeing eyes. She wouldn't probe where she wasn't wanted; after all, the two didn't know each other well enough anymore. But even Angela could sense something was off as she tried to include Bella in conversations,

"Oh, look at how cute it is! I bet they have a neat book collection you can look at, Bella." Angela stated as they pulled up into the parking lot of the shopping center.

Willow and Lace boutique was emblazoned with cursive lettering against a black and white banner with intricate framing above the storefront. In the window, there were two mannequins dressed in cute outfits adorned with frills and soft pastels.

Kagome had to admit, it was such a cute store. They entered the shop as a group where only two other women were perusing the clothing racks. Soft music played as the soft hum of chatter and the occasional rustling of fabric filled the small boutique. Kagome went through the clearance rack, her fingers brushing over price tags marked down for the shop's grand opening. The scent of fresh linen and faint traces of perfume clung to the air, mingling with the rare warmth of sunlight streaming through the windows.

A few feet away, Angela and Jessica giggled as they held up dresses against themselves in front of a mirror, debating which outfit suited them best. Before long, they were heading into changing rooms with a dozen clothes in their hands. There were quite a few cute dresses for sale and Kagome was tempted to go over and check out a few herself.

Bella, on the other hand, had distanced herself from the commotion, perched on a small bench in the corner, flipping idly through a stack of books on a nearby shelf. Her posture was relaxed, yet Kagome noticed the way she lingered a little too long on the pages, like she was somewhere far away in thought.

The doorbell chimed, signaling a new customer, and Kagome instinctively glanced up. The moment she did, a peculiar sensation crept over her—something deep and familiar, yet undeniably different from what she had sensed before.

A man, tall with an easy stride, stepped inside. His youthful face held a boyish charm, but his hulking frame made him appear quite older, almost twenty-five at best. His features were sharp yet kind, but it wasn't his appearance that initially caught her attention. It was the presence that clung to him.

Just like with Sam, Embry and Quil–he had an aura that separated him from the rest. Unlike Quil's playful nature, this stranger had a natural warmth. Where Sam was authority and Embry held a quiet strength, this boy looked like quite the charmer.

The shadow of a wolf lingered around him, light grey with streaks of dark brown in his fur. While unseen, she felt his wolf deeply, an echo of something primal and ancient beneath his skin. She got the sense that he wore his heart on his sleeve as he greeted the woman behind the counter, who was likely the owner. The doorbell chimed again and an older lady who resembled him came into the store up to the counter.

They were talking for a few minutes as Kagome went back to examining the clothing rack, trying to ignore the magnetic pull of the man's wolf and his presence. Kagome's fingers froze mid-motion against the fabric as she watched the tall, burly boy scan the store before his gaze landed on Bella. His expression lit up instantly, his easy grin stretching across his face as he made his way over.

"Bella!"

Bella stood as if on instinct, closing the book she had been flipping through. "Seth," she greeted, her tone lighter than Kagome had heard it all day.

She barely registered their exchange as her entire body tensed as an unsettling sensation washed over her. The moment the boy—Seth, as Bella called him—stepped closer, she felt it again.

That same, inexplicable pull in her chest.

Her stomach churned, insides twisting like someone had a vice grip on her heart. She could already tell he was like Sam, Embry, and Quil—his presence radiated that same intense energy, thick and unshakable. And the intense heat that surrounded them, Seth exuded warmth like an open fire. Even more unsettling, he looked just like a carbon copy, all corded muscle and towering height, as if he had been crafted from the same mold. They could almost be noted as brothers now that she thought about it and yet, there were the little things that set them apart.

Kagome clenched the dress she had been holding, fingers gripping it tight like it was her only lifeline. She breathed out softly, willing herself to calm down, but the air felt thick—oppressive. The store, once small and cozy, now felt suffocating.

Kagome busied herself with the clothing rack again before moving to the accessory stand where an array of ribbons and bows were on display. She tried to give Bella space to speak with Seth in her efforts to brush off the unsettling sensation in her chest. But when Bella turned slightly, gesturing toward her, she forced herself to focus.

"Oh, right—Seth, this is Kagome, my sister," Bella said, introducing them. "She's in town for, uh, the wedding. She's already met some of the guys. In fact, we just ran into Quil earlier."

Kagome couldn't help but notice the subtle shift in Bella's demeanor as she addressed Seth. There was something lighter in her tone, a faint warmth that eased some of the gloom hanging around her. It made her wonder if Bella was particularly fond of Seth, or if he simply had that effect on people.

"He was actually pretty weird earlier, by the way," Bella continued with a small laugh, and Kagome wondered what her sister meant by that comment because even to her ears it sounded oddly forced.

Kagome shifted her gaze to Seth and his grin was impossibly wide as he shifted his attention to her. "Oh, yeah, I—"

Then, his smile dropped and his words trailed off when they made eye contact. His dark eyes held hers like an unyielding force, drawing her in. She smiled faintly, giving him a small wave but his countenance remained the same.

Kagome watched as his expression flickered—like something invisible had just struck him. His easy confidence evaporated in an instant, his mouth open wide as if to say something, only for the words to never come. Up close, Seth's height was made that much more obvious in such close quarters and she could feel the space fill up with his heat. It felt like the area was filled with his presence and Kagome swallowed thickly under the intensity of his gaze.

He just…stared. It was unnerving.

Kagome visibly frowned, this was beginning to be a running theme around here. As flattering as it had been, she didn't find it so great after the fourth time in just two days.

She had no idea what was going on, but she knew one thing for certain.

Something was very, very strange around here.