Sweet Lemon

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Reader POV

You felt sluggish as you followed close behind Sam. Bella’s house wasn’t far, but it felt like you were about to pass out.

“Sam.” You called out. “Can we stop for a second?”

Without answering he slowed down and turned to look at you. You came to a stop in front of him, panting to catch your breath.

“How are you feeling?” He asked glancing at your shaking legs.

“Tired.” Was all you could say.

“It’s okay take your time. The others should be at Bella’s by now.” You could see the worry in his eyes. Then in an act you didn’t expect he leaned in close and with his snout moved you to lay down.

“Thank you.” Was all you could say, still surprised by the action. He gave you a curt nod in return and moved towards the bushes surrounding you.

It took a couple minutes to calm your racing heartbeat and regulate your breathing. During that time you watched Sam keep guard as he looked out towards the forest and occasionally back at you. Raising your eyebrow you pondered his sudden protective nature towards you. Then it hit you.

“You felt it too, didn’t you?” You asked.

“Hmm?” He questioned still looking away from you.

“The imprint.” You stated. He finally looked back at you; his eyes wide like he had just realized something.

“I didn’t know imprints could feel like that. It wasn’t like when I imprinted on Emily.” He walked closer to you his eyebrows drawn together as he tried to work through the new information.

“Like I told you before, there’s different types of imprints. A pack imprint is small compared to a soulmate one it’s more of a gut feeling.” You got up to stretch your legs out. Looking up you could see Sam still looking at you, wanting to know more. “It’s like when the boys shift for the first time and your gut instinct is to help them through the process and bring them into your pack. My alpha back in California used to say it was like a father seeing their baby for the first time.”

Sam wrinkled his snout as he reeled back. The reaction made you burst out laughing. “I didn’t mean it like that.” You said in between laughs.

“So you’re not my daughter?” He asked chuckling along.

“No, it just means you’re my new alpha. That you’ve accepted me as part of your pack.” You answered.

You looked at him trying to see his reaction to that. In return he gave a nod confirming your acceptance into his pack. His family.

“Are you good to move on now?” He asked looking away.

“Yes.” You happily replied. You knew he wasn’t the sappy type, but that was okay with you. Still tired but with a new pep in your step you followed after your new alpha.

___

Wolf Pack POV

They were all waiting around the perimeter of Bella’s house. Keeping an eye out for anything that might have fangs. A flash of red caught Paul’s eyes, but he instantly knew the coppery color wasn’t a threat. Instead Sam stepped around a tree with [Y/n] right behind him.

She looked better than the last time he saw her. The white sheen covering her eyes was gone and their beautiful [y/e/c] color shined through. He knew it was obvious how much he was staring at her, but he doubted she would have noticed by the way she kept staring at Sam.

She was looking at him like he personally hung the stars in the sky. Like a lost pup, she followed his every move and stared at him in awe.

Paul was too busy simmering in annoyance at this new adoration that he almost missed what Sam said.

“Any sign of them?”

“No blood suckers around here.” Jared responded by his side. Paul huffed in agreement as he finally took his eyes off her. Though they quickly returned when she yipped, and Sam answered back.

“Leah and Emily should have put clothes in the shed by now.” He said jerking his head in the shed’s direction. Taking one last look at Sam she quickly trotted over to the shed and slipped inside.

“What was that?” Paul snarled before he could stop himself.

“She wanted to know if she could go see Bella.” Sam replied like it was nothing new.

“So you can hear each other now?” Paul asked with disdain.

“Yeah, I guess after we imprinted I-“

“WHAT?” Paul growled out.

Jared looked between the two and took a step back. He knew Sam could use his alpha status to defuse the situation, but he also knew Paul was impulsive.

Paul looked at Sam for an explanation, yet none had come from the leader. Sam was just staring at him waiting for Paul to calm down. The only thing the wait was accomplishing was making him even more furious.

“What do you mean after you imprinted?” He tried again. Sam shifted on his feet as he tried to respond, but Paul’s growl stopped him. “First you break Leah’s heart by imprinting on Emily and now you imprint on [Y/n] too.”

“It’s not like that Paul.” Sam snarled back as he took a step forward. He rose to his full height in a show of dominance. Behind them Paul heard [Y/n] walking over to the tree line.

“Is something wrong?” She asked buttoning up one of Bella’s borrowed shirts.

Paul was too overwhelmed to do anything else but run. It’s one of the smartest decisions he could have made. If he stayed he might have growled back at [Y/n] or started a fight with Sam. His mind was overloaded with questions and emotions that he didn’t know how to handle.

He ran towards the edge of the cliff side further down from their usual jumping spot. He liked to come here when he needed time to think or calm down, and right now he needed both.

Laying down on one of the outcropping rocks and looking out towards the dark waters his anger died down and all that was left was sorrow. A soft whine sang out from his nose as he closed his eyes.

Sam had made a connection with [Y/n] and now he’s lost her forever. He would have to see them together every day and act like it’s not breaking his heart. Suddenly he felt regret for looking down at Leah. He used to think that she should just get over it, but he knew he’d never get over this.

It was about ten minutes later when he heard the bushes move behind him. He didn’t bother looking back or acknowledging that they were even there. Paul knew who it was, and he would rather ignore him in hopes that he’d go away.

“Your thoughts are echoing throughout the forest.” Sam simply stated from his position near the bushes.

Paul just stared out towards a bird gliding to the rhythm of the waves.

“Fine, I’ll talk and you can choose to listen or not.” Sam tried again.

The bird dipped towards the waves and rose back up with a fish in its claws. Paul thought it might be an eagle. Maybe he should learn more about birds.

“You know you really are dumb.” That managed to perk his ears up and raise his lips in a silent snarl.

“Don’t you remember what she told us about imprinting the first day we met?” Sam continued. “My imprint towards her was nothing like the one I had with Emily. It was more like a severed bond had suddenly been mended.”

Paul scoffed at that, “So what like a side chick?”

Sam growled at that. “You don’t disrespect me like that.” Paul lowered his ears and finally looked back at Sam.

Seeing that he had Paul’s attention he decided to go into further detail. “When I imprinted on her I saw flashes of memories I had never seen before. The warmth I felt was so familial, like she was always meant to be a part of my life.”

He heard a whine and noticed the wet sheen in Paul’s eyes. “Like a little sister.” He finished.

 Paul nodded his head in understanding and looked back out towards the hypnotic waves. Sam slowly approached him and sat beside him mirroring Paul’s gaze. He was giving Paul time while also thinking over his new bond.

___

Reader POV

Jared told you Sam would bring Paul back. He told you not to worry, but you couldn’t help it. You knew he was upset from the growling you heard. Then there was the look he gave you when he ran off. It was a mix between anger and sadness.

You couldn’t stop the pang in your chest. You felt responsible for that look. Did you do something to him while you were under that vampire’s control. You remember most of what happened, but it was hazy, almost like a dream that you slowly forget after waking up.

The night had been going so well. It felt like you and Paul were getting closer at the festival. You were reminded of that fact as you walked into Bella’s house and saw a small stuffed animal prize sitting on the couch.

You could hear them talking about vampires and what they could be planning. Your head was still swimming with the aftereffects of whatever happened to you and your sudden flood of emotions. Instead of paying attention to the conversation you walked over to Bella, sitting on recliner.

“Hey, you okay?” You asked taking in her empty expression.

“Yeah.” She replied clearing her gaze to look up at you. She gave you a small smile and scooted to make some room for you. The seat was small, but you felt the pull for some comfort. You held onto her as you both adjusted on the plush recliner.

“You look exhausted.” She said leaning her head on your shoulder.

“Feel like I was brought back from the dead.” You sigh laying your head over hers.

“So you’re a werewolf too?” She asked.

“Eh, more like werefox.” You answered. “And apparently you know about vampires.”

“Eh, just dated one.” She shrugged.

You couldn’t help the small giggle that came out of you. Somehow people involved with the supernatural always seem to find each other.

Bella managed to fall asleep while you occasionally listened into the conversation around you. It was around 10 when Sam and Paul reappeared in the backyard. You took Bella up to her room and made sure she was in bed before heading back downstairs.

“We’ll have someone keep watch while two others do their usual perimeter checks.” Sam was finishing when you walked into the living room.

Paul looked up as you walked into the room. The look of sadness resembled the one he had in his wolf form, but this one wasn’t mixed with anger, instead it looked like guilt. When Sam was done talking and it looked like everyone was ready to head out Paul slowly stepped up to you.

“How are you feeling?” He asked.

“Tired.” You replied looking down at your shoes.

“Can I walk you home?” He offered.

“I should stay here with Bella.” You said finally looking up at his face.

“You need to sleep, and besides Jacob and Embry are going to be monitoring the house tonight. She’ll be okay.” He said holding out his hand.

That reassurance lifted a weight off your shoulders and made you feel just how weak and exhausted you felt. You nodded your head as you placed your hand in his.

“Help me lock up before we go?” You asked.

“Yeah.” He smiled giving your hand a squeeze before going over to the back doors and locking them. You both checked the windows and finally locked the front door from the inside before closing it behind you. Tugging and turning to make sure it had locked properly.

This time you held your hand out to Paul hoping he wouldn’t turn you down. The warmth that enveloped your hand did not disappoint. Looking up at him and the sincere smile pointed at you only spread the warmth from your connected hands towards your chest.

You started the short walk towards your house. Occasionally noticing Paul look at you through your peripheral vision.

“Are you okay?” You asked out into the night air.

“Hmm?”

“Earlier you seemed upset. Did I do anything to upset you?” You stopped walking and turned to face him.

“It wasn’t anything you did. It’s me.” He answered lowering his gaze to your still connected hands. You started moving your thumb in a slow back and forth movement on the back of his hand.

“I get stuck in my own thoughts sometimes. I-” He sighed moving his eyes towards your face. “When Sam said you had imprinted, I took it the wrong way.” His nose scrunched up and the look of guilt had reappeared.

You could tell he was uncomfortable in his admission, and you didn’t want to push him further. “It’s okay, you can tell me more when you’re ready.” You smiled and returned to your previous position.

The following silence towards your house wasn’t uncomfortable. It was nice just being around Paul. He made you feel safe and understood.

Walking up to your door you could hear the T.V. on in the living room. You could also make out the sounds of Moose mindlessly chewing on his favorite stuffed lamb. Your mom must have gotten off her shift early.

“Thank you for walking me home.” You said letting go of Paul’s hand to reach for the door handle.

“No problem.” He replied looking more nervous than before. “Um [Y/n], would you…”

You looked at him patiently waiting for him to finish his question.

“Never mind. Good night.” He said giving you a small wave and waiting for you to head inside before walking away.

Reader POV

The man before you grinned as his eyes followed Emily’s running form. Before he had the chance to chase after her you were already shifting and charging at him.

As soon as he saw your form coming at him, he turned towards the woods. Almost like chasing after him was all a game. Not this time, you would make sure this was his last day in Forks. That thought alone seemed to make you faster and more focused.

It felt as if seconds had passed as you closed the distance. He was about to jump into the branches above until you crashed into him. Slamming your whole body into his side.

This caught him off guard and made him forget about trying to run. Instead he turned all of his attention on you. It was a stale mate as you both circled each other, waiting for the other to make the first move.

This gave you time to really look at him. His skin was somehow paler than the other vampires you had seen. His red eyes more manic than the deep burgundy of the older ones. He didn’t look newborn but the erratic energy you were getting from him confused you.

“Who are you?” You asked.

“Branislav.” He said as he held his hand over his chest and tipped his head down. His accent and name sounding foreign and antiquated at the same time.

“What are you doing here?” You tried again, not liking his one-word answer.

“Enjoying the festivities as you were.” The grin on his face spread wider.

“For someone who’s sure to have seen many festivals in their lifetime a small town like this must seem boring.”

“Not at all, the food is particularly good.”

“Well I’m afraid the food is no longer available. I’m gonna have to ask you to leave.”

“I’m sorry my dear, a friend has requested my services. Thus, I must extend my stay.”

“And who would this friend be?”

“A beautiful woman with red hair as lively as your fur.”

You immediately knew he was talking about the vampire you had seen before. Her red curls descending the cliff flashed through you mind. If Paul hadn’t stopped you, you would have jumped after her.

“What kind of services do you provide?” You asked.

The chuckle that reverberated from his chest seemed to expand out of his body and surround you. You closed your eyes to try and shake that echo in your head, but when you opened them a second later he vanished right in front of you.

Quickly looking around the trees you tried to spot him. You thought he must have run off again until you felt a shiver run through your body. You felt his breath ghost over your right ear before his voice followed.

“My services…” His soft whisper somehow making your body freeze in place. “..could be compared to a psychiatrist.” He chuckled once again, though this time you felt it reverberate through your head until it was pounding against your brain.

“Except, I can do whatever I want with your mind.” The dull pounding against your brain seemed to shatter a barrier at his last word.

Suddenly your eyes were blurring, and your hearing was dulling. In seconds all of your senses were shutting down and the world around you had disappeared.

In a panic you didn’t know what to do but call out for help. There was only one person you had started to look up to, started to trust, started to see as your alpha.

“Sam!”

______

Wolf pack POV

They managed to snatch two picnic tables that were placed by one another. They would be able to seat everyone and eat in peace. Sam, Paul and Jared took a seat while everyone else went to get everyone something to eat.

“So did you ask her out yet?” Jared asked.

“What?” Paul asked a bit bothered by the question.

“You guys looked like you were having a lot of fun back there. I just figured you asked her out already.” Jared replied nonchalant.

Sam just nodded his head in agreement. He had seen how close Paul and [Y/n] were getting. Even if [Y/n] didn’t know about the imprint it still meant that they were bound to be close. Be that as friends or something more, they were supposed to be in each other’s lives.

“No, I didn’t ask her out.” Paul grumbled out.

“Aww, why not?” Jared continued.

Sam was ready to step in and stop Jared’s teasing. It was one thing to get Paul riled up in the privacy of his cabin, but out in public was a dangerous line to cross. He was about to ask Jared to calm it down until he notices Paul’s frustration fade and his shoulders sag.

“I just… I don’t know. You guys heard her talk about how she imprinted with her old pack. What if…” Paul seemed to be thinking if he should voice his concern out loud.

“What is it Paul?” Sam asked trying to understand his friends’ feelings.

“What if she imprints on someone else? What if I’m not her soul mate?” He answered quietly almost like he was ashamed about his worries.

“Paul, imprinting is a hard thing to understand. I loved Leah, I thought she was going to be the girl I would marry and spend the rest of my life with. We don’t get to choose who we love or what our imprint means to that person. All we can do is hope for the best and try to do right by that person.” Sam answered the best he could.

He knew it was a hard subject to get into. He still hated how much he had hurt Leah, but he wouldn’t change it for the world. Emily was everything to him. He would do anything for her.

Just as he was deep in thought about his imprint he caught sight of her running towards him. He instantly got up and met her halfway, Jared and Paul close behind them. The look on her face alerting him to danger.

“Emily, what’s wrong?” He asked as soon as he reached her.

“The vampire is here… [Y/n]’s with them.” She managed to breath out.

Jared went to alert the others as Paul and Sam ran out to the parking lot. The farther out towards the parking lot they went the heavier the stench of death became. It wasn’t long before they found the dead body behind the cars.

Sam took one look at the body and immediately began scanning the trees lining the woods nearby. He saw a dent in the bushes and new they had gone in that direction. With Paul behind him and the others not far behind he shifted as soon as he entered the darkness of the woods.

As soon as his paws landed on the leaf covered ground a voice he had only heard in human form rang through his mind.

“Sam!”

He instantly sprinted into action. It seemed like his body knew where he was going before he did. Paul followed him without question. The clear worry written all over his face.

It wasn’t long before they spotted bright red fur shining through the trees. Sam was racing towards her until Paul blocked his path.

“Wait! Something’s not right.” Paul said looking back at the fox shifter.

“What do you mean?” Sam asked looking at her as well.

“I don’t know something just doesn’t feel right.” She was standing still and blankly staring out into the woods. Almost like she was in a trance.

“Paul I heard her; she needs our help.” Sam didn’t understand Paul’s hesitation.

“You heard her?” He asked, confusion lacing his every word.

Sam was about to answer him when he heard the others running towards them. Leah came up to them puzzled at their stance away from [Y/n].

“Why are you just standing here?” She asked.

“Something’s off.” Paul rushed to say. Though he was too late as he saw Embry almost crash into the fox.

“Hey are you okay?” Embry asked taking a step back from her.

The way she slowly turned to face him sent a chill down everyone’s spine. Her eyes had lost their [y/e/c] hue and instead a smoky white peered out towards them. She gave out a warning growl, but in Embry’s confusion he just stood in front of her.

“Embry get back!” Sam called out to him. Paul was right something was wrong with her.

Embry jerked his head to the side to look at Sam. The sudden movement had set her off. The snarl that took over her face was more animalistic than they’d ever seen her. It was like her human side was gone and the animal had taken over.

Her snarl grew pulling her ears back and finally lowering her body into a crouch. She was ready to attack at any second.

Sam took a risk and slowly approached her. Once she spotted him her snarl deepened and she growled his way. He lowered himself to her level and kept his eyes locked on hers as he moved in front of Embry.

“[Y/n]” He called out to her. There was a jerk of familiarity in her face before it quickly disappeared.

“She can’t really hear you my friend.” A voice called out from above them.

Sam dared to take his eyes off her form to look up. In the trees a blond man wearing all black glanced down at them.

“What did you do to her?” Paul growled positioning himself under the man.

“Nothing yet.” He called out jumping onto another branch. “It’s not your pack that I’m after.”

“Who then?” Sam asked.

“That small brunette. Apparently she is the reason for the death of my friend’s mate.” He replied in a cool manner. “With you all here Victoria has nothing to worry about.”

Sam knew Jacob was still with Bella, but he wouldn’t be able to catch the vampire if she tried running again. He jerked his head towards Leah and Seth wordlessly asking them to catch up to Jacob and Bella.

“Tsk tsk, bad choice. You won’t be able to get both of us if your pack is separated.”

“Then we’ll just have to kill you before we kill your friend.” Paul growled still positioned to attack.

The blond man chuckled before jumping onto the next tree branch and began making his way through the tree branches. Paul sprang into action to chase after him but was shoved out of the way by a mass of red fur.

“What are you doing?” Sam called out to her. It looked like she heard him but that only made her charge in his direction.

“Don’t lose him, I’ll take care of her.” He called out to them. The others ran out to follow the order, but Paul hesitated.

“I won’t hurt her.” Sam called out to him. With a jerky nod Paul began running in the direction of the vampire.

“[Y/n], I know you can hear me.” He tried talking to her. They were circling each other now waiting for the other to slip up. “You called out my name, I heard you.”

Her eyes that were tracking his every move suddenly looked lost. The look vanished instantly just like before. The small moment of hesitation seemed to frustrate her to the point of lunging in his direction.

He dodged away from her as much as he could. She was focused on his every move and began to notice what he was doing. When he went to dodge her next attack she moved to tackle him from the other side.

Once she was on top of him it was hard to get away. His arms were much longer and were the only thing keeping her from biting into his flesh. Her fangs were sharp and dripping saliva onto the fur of his neck.

When she tried pushing her weight down to chomp at his flesh he used the momentum to flip them over and pin her down. It didn’t matter to her in her feral state. She was still snarling and trying to bite at anything near her.

“[Y/n]!” He growled using his alpha tone. That managed to grab her attention.

For just a split second the white covering her eyes appeared to fade. Suddenly she used strength he didn’t know she had to shove him off. She began to charge at him again, the feral look back on her face.

______

The vampire must have thought they were a joke because it didn’t take long for them to catch up to him. He would stop every once in a while to mock them.

“I’m gonna kill him.” Paul grunted as he jumped from the boulders the vampire had just passed.

“We need to catch him first.” Jared called out.

“We could split up and corner him.” Quil said running beside them.

Jared nodded as he split off to run further north. Quil and Embry veered south, and Paul stayed on course to make sure he didn’t lose sight of him.

“What’s wrong little volk, did your friends leave you?” He taunted from a cliff side.

Paul growled and started to climb the slope of the cliff. He began running alongside the leech on a lower ridge. Paul was growling and snarling anything to keep his attention on him.

He could hear the vampire laughing all the while. It was when the laughing was abruptly cut short that Paul knew Jared had caught up.

The vampire jumped over him towards the trees below the ridge. Before he could make it to the branches Embry and Quil sprang out of the woods each one biting onto an arm.

Paul jumped down from the ridge with Jared right behind him. The vampire was cursing in his native tongue as he struggled between the two wolves.

Paul walked up to him and pressed his weight down on the pale man’s chest. The rough cracking of his arms being ripped off rang through the air. The man’s yell thundered even louder as he started writhing on the ground. Paul leaned forward snarling in his face.

“Stop! If you kill me now your friend will never return to normal.” He cried out trying to save his pathetic life.

It was Paul’s turn to laugh at the man. “We know that your powers stop working as soon as you die.” He said as he held him down with all his weight.

Jared positioned himself in front of them and easily tore the head off his body. The stiff body, discarded arms, and emotionless head looked like every other vampire they had killed before.

They were about to gather the pieces together to move on to the next step of disposing the leech. As soon as the pieces were close though a weird smoke began rising from the body. The smell that lifted into the air was worse than death.

The four boys took a step back wrinkling their noses from the stench. Confused and disgusted they watched as the smoke started bubbling on the crystal skin that peeked out from his tattered clothes.

“What the fuck is going on?” Embry asked.

“I’ve never seen this before.” Jared replied.

Before anything else could happen the smoke around the body thickened. It quickly enveloped them in a thick fog blinding them from their surroundings.

“Jared?” Paul called out. The only response he got from the fog was a rumbling chuckle.

“Did you really think it would be that easy to kill me?” A dark silhouette asked from the gray mist. It stepped closer but the only thing that became visible was a wide grin. The sharp white teeth taunting him.

Paul lunged at the figure, but it seemed like he didn’t move an inch. The figure was the same distance it had been a second ago.

“Uh-uh little volk, it doesn’t work like that.” It said wagging a dark finger in the mist. “Tell that little foxy I will see her soon.” It said as it stepped back disappearing into the gray nothingness.

At the mention of a fox Paul felt his anger rise. He chased after the figure in the fog determined to sink his teeth into him.

It felt like he ran a mile until he saw a figure close in front of him. Without thinking he rammed his whole weight into the figure.

“Wow Paul calm down.” He heard Jared’s voice call out.

The fog around him began to evaporate as the figure began to turn into a chocolate-colored wolf.

“Shit, are you okay?” He asked stepping off Quil.

“Yeah, are you?” Quil asked back.

_____

Reader POV

You could see everything you were doing. The way Sam was avoiding your attacks and holding you back when you managed to pin him down, made you upset. You tried to stop, tried to get control of your body.

The muscles on your body tightened before you sprang towards a tree. The bark scraped against your paws as you used it ricochet your body towards Sam. He wasn’t able to move out of the way, instead he twisted his body using your own weight against you. You could feel the sting of rocks and exposed roots digging into your side. Sam’s weight settling over you.

You were so tired. You didn’t want to move, but your body jerked against him. You mouth snarling and biting in his direction.

“[Y/n]!” He called out your name again. Every time he called out to you an invisible force in your chest lurched towards him.

Your fox wanted to submit to the alpha and follow his orders. Yet the sensation was quickly yanked back by another force. It felt like an invisible hand had a hold on your soul and yanked it in the opposite direction.

Another surge of energy rushed through you like a zap of lightning. You were about to push him off when your body suddenly went limp.

You didn’t care that Sam was still on top of you. You used the control you regained over your body to take a deep breath. It was almost like you were hyperventilating as you tried to calm your body down from the unusual adrenaline that still coursed through you.

“[Y/n]?” Sam asked as he slowly began to move away from you.

“Yeah.” You said in between breaths.

“Jared,” You heard him call out. “What’s going on?”

All you heard was silence, but Sam seemed to hear a reply as he kept talking to Jared. You ignored the one-sided conversation in favor of standing up and trying to ease your tight and cramping muscles.

“Are you coming?” Sam asked close beside you.

“Huh?”

“The guys are close; we’re heading over to Bella’s house.” He explained. The look he was giving you was still wary with a hint of concern. You could feel a familiar sense running through your body as you looked back at him.

Mentally smiling you nodded your head and followed after your new alpha.

“So you’re hanging out with Bella now?” Jacob asked as he took a muffin off the plate Emily had set down.

“What do you mean now? She’s the only normal person in that high school. I’ve been hanging out with her since the first week,” You replied taking a muffin for yourself.

“Wait you’ve been friends with her for a month and I’m just now hearing about it?” Jacob took the seat across from you looking like a kicked puppy.

“Why is this such a big deal?” You asked the other boys around you.

“Oh Jacob has this huge crush on Bel- OW!” Quil was cut off by Jacob kicking him under the table.

It didn’t take long for the boys to start arguing. After a couple of minutes Embry decided to jump in. You smiled behind your muffin as you watched the arguing turn into wrestling.

“Hey, come on guys take it outside,” Emily called out from the kitchen.

“You heard her, take it outside,” Sam called out as he walked through the front door. He made his way over to Emily in the kitchen. You watched as he hugged her from behind and bent down to kiss her head.

“You always have that look on your face when you see Sam kiss Emily,” Jared commented as he took the now vacated seat next to you.

“Can you blame me,” You sighed. “I wonder what it’s like to meet your imprint.”

Jared chuckled as he turned to look at the couple. “It’s amazing and scary at the same time. Being what we are you never really know if it was meant to be or if it’s the animal inside you making the choice.”

“Wow who knew Jared could be so deep,” You joked. That made him snort as he turned to look at you with a mischievous smirk.

“I can’t wait until you imprint,” he said with the smirk still plastered on his face.

“Alright, well I’m gonna go,” you said pushing his shoulder as you stood up. “I’ll see you guys at the fall festival this Saturday right?”

“Yeah, we’ll be there,” Jared replied taking a muffin from the table.

You said bye to Sam and Emily before heading outside. The three boys were no longer wrestling but instead looking at a bike they had recently gotten to repair. You said bye to the three and asked them to remind Leah and Paul of the fall festival when they got back from their patrol.

----

The week went by slower than you hoped. You didn’t have many chances to see the pack, having more homework than usual. By Thursday you and Moose were both too wound up to stay inside for another day. Quickly finishing you last science question you rushed to grab your drawstring bag from your room.

“Come on Moose let’s go for a run,” You called out. He ran trough the house and waited for you by the back door.

Opening the door you noticed a few leaves sprinkled on the ground. The trees surrounding your backyard announced the autumn season. The colors reminding you of pumpkins and spiced lattes.

You made your way into the woods and found the bushes you knew would cover you from all sides. After the first time, you made sure to have a better hiding spot when taking your clothes off. Carefully placing the bag around Moose’s shoulders you took a deep breath of the crisp air before shifting.

With all four paws on the moist forest floor you stretched and shook your fur out. It had only been four days since your last shift, but even that felt like a long time to your fox form.

You yipped at Moose to follow you as you started making your way deeper into the woods. You haven’t had much of a chance to explore the many wooded areas around Forks. Today you just wanted to take a nice run to the river you had seen before. It was close to the cliff you had almost went over before Paul pushed you out of the way.

Even though it’s been a month since that happened, you couldn’t stop thinking about it. Especially what Paul was going to say to you in the laundry room. You haven’t had another moment alone to talk to him. You’ve either been with the rest of the pack or on separate patrols. You were hoping to get the chance to talk to him at the fall festival.

You were thinking about what you might say to him all the way to the river. The rush of the water against the rocks brought your attention back to your surroundings. The autumn colors reflecting in the river made it look like fire shimmering across the waters surface.

You saw Moose looking intently at the water and the small creatures peeking through the rocks and plants. Chuckling you made your way over to him and carefully maneuvered the drawstring bag with your clothes off his back. Placing it by a tall cedar tree you pranced your way into the river prompting Moose to jump in after you.

You waded through the water as you watched him trying to catch small fish. It was the peaceful and relaxing scene you needed after a busy week. Finding a nice patch of grass by the edge of the water, you laid down with your paws submerged in the cool water. The sun warming your red fur and made your eyes droopy.

This was a perfect spot to take a quick nap. Your eyes were closed, and you were taking in the crisp autumn smells. The smell of spice and decaying nature. Though autumn back in California never smelled this decayed. You were about to ignore it until you realized the pungent smell was growing thick and heavy.

Getting up you began to scan the trees around you. Seeing your anxious posture Moose stopped making noise and stood still beside you. The rustling of leaves to your left alerted you to their arrival.

You nudged Moose to the other side of the river and found a thick cluster of bushes to hide behind. As soon as you both crouched down the sound of footsteps crunching leaves reached your ears. You peeked through a small gap to catch a glimpse of them.

Their back was turned away from you, but from their position you could see this was a different vampire than the one you had seen before. The redhead was smaller and thinner. This vampire was tall and muscular.

You were glad you decided to hide. There was no way you would have been able to take on this vampire alone. His sheer strength would crush you easily.

He began to look around the riverbank and sniffed the air around him. Seeing the side of his face you noticed his nose scrunched up at the scent he picked up. You laid closer to the ground in hopes that he didn’t see you.

He took one last look around the area before he dashed off in the opposite direction. You stayed in the bush for a while to make sure he wasn’t coming back before you came out. Taking a look around the trees you motioned for Moose to follow you. Quickly grabbing your bag of clothes you ran towards Sam’s cabin.

Once you were close to the cabin you shifted back and rushed to put your clothes back on. Running the last 20 feet to the cabin with Moose at your heels. You were about to jump the three steps onto the porch when the door burst open.

You stopped in your tracks as you looked up at the alpha. He could see the distress on your face as he slowly made his way towards you.

“What is it?” He asked once he was at the top of the steps.

“There was another one. Stronger, bigger, looked like he was tracking something,” you said as you tried steadying your breath.

“What did they look like. It could have been one of the Cullen’s,” Jared said walking out of the cabin.

“He was tall, really muscular, blond, the usual red eyes,” you said waving to your own face for emphasis.

“That doesn’t sound like Emit,” Leah said joining in. The rest of the pack following her through the cabin door.

“Even if it was, they were on our land,” Paul said leaning against the side of the house.

“The festival this weekend is basically an all you can eat buffet for a bloodsucker,” Embry pointed out.

“We’ll just have to do more patrols and try to find them before they get a chance to hurt anyone,” Sam said. There was a collective groan from the pack, but you agreed with Sam. You were starting to like this town and would hate if anything bad were to happen.

---

Your busy week got even busier with the new vampire roaming around. Leah and Quil managed to catch a glimpse of him during one of their patrols. That was on Friday night and there hasn’t been anything since. They ran two patrols today, one early in the morning and then after lunch.

“With all the people gathering at the festival he’s sure to show up there,” Leah said slumping onto the couch exhausted.

You sat down next to her, leaning your head on her shoulder. “Promise we’ll have some fun too,”

“I can’t promise much with those guys joining us,” She fake whispered.

“Hey we’re fun!” Embry called out from the kitchen.

“Yeah!” Seth replied as he sat on the spot next to you. He leaned over and you easily wrapped your arm around him. Being in the middle of this sibling sandwich lessened your exhaustion and replaced it with a warm sense of tranquility.

The rest of the night was spent hanging out at Sam and Emily’s. The warmth from the fireplace was more for Emily but it gave the living room a nice glow. Everyone was talking about school or random things that happened throughout the week. It was around midnight when you heard the soft snores by your shoulder.

“I think we should start heading home,” Leah said getting up from the couch and stretching out her arms.

“I’ll join you guys,” You whispered trying to sit up. “Seth, hey time to go home bud,” you said shaking him gently.

“MmmHmm,” Came his response as he leaned more into your side. You thought it was cute but the boys around you thought it was hilarious. The laughing all around him managed to wake him up.

He gave a quick apology as he pulled away from you. His blush running down his throat was bright red.

“Don’t worry about them Seth, you can sleep on me whenever,” you told him while ruffling his hair. His bright blush turned red hot.

Without saying anything he just followed Leah out to the truck. You said some quick goodbyes and headed out with them.

Saturday was a slow day. You slept in and then did some homework while you ate your breakfast. You went on a small patrol around your neighborhood to give Moose a walk and also to make sure there wasn’t any unwanted creatures around. By then it was already afternoon.

After a quick lunch you started getting ready for the festival. It was a simple outfit of jeans, a white shirt, and some sneakers.

Checking your makeup in the mirror you got a text from Bella saying she was almost there. It wasn’t long before the rumbling of her truck could be heard down the street. You grabbed your cozy sweater and purse to meet her outside.

“Ready for some fun?” You asked as you slid into the passenger seat.

“Not really,” She mumbled back.

“Oh come on, we’ll eat some food and play some games. You deserve to have some fun once in a while,” You replied.

Getting to know her during all of October you’ve come to notice that there were days where Bella would shut herself away from everything. Almost like becoming an empty husk of a person. During those days you wouldn’t talk much with her, but you stayed by her side and made sure she knew that she wasn’t alone.

Yesterday had been one of those days. She stayed in her room just staring out her bedroom window. Still you stayed by her side. You read a book or softly played some music, then made sure she ate something before you went home. As you were about to leave though you made her promise to come out to the fall festival.

With you and Jacob there she would at least feel somewhat comfortable. Though what you didn’t expect was for her to instantly leave your side and stick to Jacob like glue. From their combined scent you could tell there was a weird connection between them. Like they were supposed to be together, but not romantically. You couldn’t really place it.

While Jacob introduced Bella to the others you made your way over to Leah. “Hey where are Paul and Jared?”

“They went straight to the food trucks as soon as we got here,” As soon as she said that the boys in question rounded a corner with three corndogs in each hand.

“Please tell me you’re not going to scarf all of that down by yourselves,” Leah groaned.

“Come on Leah, we’re not that selfish,” Jared defended himself as they started passing out the corndogs. Of course, contradicting himself, Jared got an extra one.

You thanked Paul as he handed you one. He simply nodded and stood the right of you. You weren’t sure why, but you felt a small flood of happiness course through you at his closeness.

While everyone started talking about what they should do first, you took the chance to look over at Paul. He was wearing a casual outfit of jeans and a green long sleeve shirt. His sleeves were pushed back a little. You didn’t realize you were staring at his forearms until you heard him cough to get your attention.

You could feel the blood rushing up your neck to your face. The tips of your ears felt like they were going to burst into flames. “Yeah?” You asked trying to gain back some composure.

“Want to actually enjoy the festival instead of talking about it?” He asked looking at the boys still arguing over what to do.

“Wait where’s Bella and Jacob?” You asked looking around the group.

“They already left, said something about riding all the big rides before sunset,”

“Then we should catch up. These guys might not decide before that,” You smiled up at him. To your surprise Paul smiled back. It wasn’t his usual smirk; it was a soft smile that made his eyes shine.

Before you knew it Paul held onto your hand and led you further into the festival grounds. It wasn’t long before you caught up to Jacob and Bella. Though you were kind of disappointed at how quick you found them, because as soon as Paul saw the pair his hand had left your own. It didn’t however make him leave your side.

You were happy to see Bella actually having fun. Though it looked like she was getting a little too into the rides.

After the third roller coaster ride you wanted to do something more at ground level. Paul saw you looking at one of the game stalls. It had the little fishbowls that you throw Ping-Pong balls into.

“Do you like fish?” You heard him ask beside you.

“Yes actually, it’s just sad seeing them in those small bowls,” you said looking back at the bright orange fish.

“Would you like one?”

“Uh sure, but don’t they cheat in fair games?” You asked.

“One, this isn’t a fair it’s a festival, and two, you’ve never seen me play them,” He answered, his signature smirk back on display.

“Oh yeah, Paul has some weird luck with carnival games,” Embry called out somewhere to your right.

“Alright, I would like to see this,” you said leading the way over to the stall.

You watched as he confidently gave the stall worker two dollars in exchange for five ping pong balls. He turned to you with a wolfish grin. You could almost imagine the sharp canines of his wolf form poking through.

Ten minutes and twenty dollars later you were still fishless. Your laughter growing louder the more he seemed to growl in frustration.

“Are you kidding me,” He snarled as the last ball bounced off the glass bowl.

“I told you they were rigged,” You gasped holding onto your sides.

You could see him starting to shake in his frustration. Placing a hand on his shoulder caught his attention. You didn’t finch as he quickly turned his eyes in your direction. The anger clear on his face.

“Let’s see what other games they have,” you said without missing a beat.

This time it was your turn to take his hand. The further you got from the stall the calmer he seemed to get. His hand in yours became less stiff and almost molded to yours. His footsteps behind you easily caught up to match your own.

“Thanks,” he said sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

“That’s okay. I know how high our emotions can get sometimes,” you replied. The squeeze to your hand let you know how appreciative he felt about your understanding.

Though just like before his hand left yours earlier than you would have liked. The sound of the boys reaching you before you could spot them. You heard a soft grunt come from Paul at the sight of Seth carrying the biggest stuffed panda you’ve ever seen.

Taking a look around you noticed you were two people short.

“Where are Bella and Jacob?” You asked.

“Oh they left early,” Embry answered. Quil gave a wolf whistle and a wink.

“Not like that, Bella said she wasn’t feeling good.” Leah replied giving Quil an exasperated look.

“Well I’m not ready to leave yet,” Quil said unbothered by Leah’s stare. The others agreed with him talking about the food they haven’t eaten yet.

You rolled your eyes at how much they seemed to eat. You and Leah were shifters just like them, but their increased hunger was somehow unique to them.

“If we’re going to stay longer I’m going to get my coat from the car,” Emily said.

“I’ll go with you,” you said wanting to take a little break from all of the lights and smells of the festival. “You guys can find us a nice spot to eat.”

“Hurry back,” Sam said leaning down to give Emily a kiss. Emily nodded as she kissed him back.

The smell of the festival food followed you and floated around the parking lot. It was a warm smell that almost beckoned you to turn back around and stay within the festival grounds. You were about to mention it to Emily when another smell cut through the fried sweetness.

It was the unmistakable stench of death. The same one you had tracked down by the river. The further back of the parking lot you went the stronger the stench got. Emily was happily talking about the festival beside you that she hadn’t noticed your tense posture.

It wasn’t until you placed yourself in front of her to block her view. A few cars away from Leah’s truck was a mess of blood and agonizing gurgle of a woman. The figure leaning over her finished taking its last swallow before turning towards you and Emily.

“Emily, run back and tell Sam,” you said pushing her further behind you and away from the figure straitening itself in the shadows.  

“But- “

“Go!” You yelled as she tried to protest.

Reader POV

Your first week of school was made more bearable by the peculiar girl you sat by during lunch. On your second day you had seen her again in English and decided to sit next to her. She had glanced over at you when she heard you approach. From the look on her face you could tell she didn’t want to talk, so you just smiled at her.

On Wednesday you had learned her name was Bella when the teacher handed back an assignment. You were beginning to wonder what her voice sounded like or why she didn’t talk. From a quick whiff of her though you would tell she was heartbroken.

It was a constant heavy scent of a wet forest floor after a heavy thunderstorm. Though there was always a lingering scent of decay and something else around her. It made you want to know more about her and why she was so depressed.

You got an answer to one of your questions on Thursday. Your mom had just called you to let you know that she wouldn’t be able to pick you up after school. She had to take another shift at the hospital.

“It’s okay mom, I’ll find a way to get home.” You said picking at the salad in front of you. “I’ll see you when you get home. Love you.” You sighed putting your phone into your back pocket.

“I can give you a ride if you want.” You heard a soft mumble to your side. It almost surprised you that it came from Bella looking down at her own lunch.

“Are you sure?” You asked just to make sure it really was her talking.

She looked up from her food and gave you a half-hearted smile. “Yeah, It’s close to my place.” She assured.

“How do you know where I- Small town?” You answered your own question before you could even finish it.

“Yeah.” She chuckled a bit. “And the police chief’s daughter.”

Your own smile widened at hearing her small laugh. This was almost a completely different person than the mute you had first met. The lunch bell rang before you could talk to her some more.

“I’ll meet you at the parking lot after school then.” You said getting your things ready.

“Mine’s the orange truck.” Bella replied mirroring your actions.

“I know the one. Hey, thanks.” You said giving her another smile.

She gave you a small smile back and nodded her head. After that you both headed to your afternoon classes.

When the last bell rang you walked out to the parking lot and noticed Bella was already standing by her truck.

The drive home was a quiet one. The rumbling sounds of the old truck creating a nice background noise. It was a comfortable quiet, so you didn’t bother starting a conversation. The only time you talked was letting Bella know where to turn.

“Thanks for the ride, do you want to come in for something to eat?” You asked her as she pulled up into your driveway.

“Um, sure.” She replied a bit unsure.

“My mom made lasagna last night, and we had a lot of leftovers.” You said getting out of the truck.

She followed you up to your front door. You could tell she was uncomfortable the way she played with her hair. You could hear the thundering pawprints inside the house already rushing towards the door.

“Heads up, he doesn’t bite but he is heavy.” You warned before you opened the door.

Moose crashed into you, instantly giving you kisses.

“Hi, moo-moo.” You greeted him in a baby voice. Bella chuckled at the sight from behind you.

When he spotted the new person next to you he immediately shifted his attention to her. His tail wagged so hard half his body was moving along with it. Bella tentatively let him sniff her hand before she went to pet his head.

The greeting from Moose really made Bella feel more comfortable. You were able to talk to her about school and moving to Forks while you reheated the leftovers.

“So why do you sit by yourself during lunch, if you don’t mind me asking.” You said as you placed a plate of food in front of her.

“Well, uh, before you moved here my boyfriend, now ex I guess, suddenly moved away and he broke up with me.” She stuttered in reply.

“Oh, I’m so sorry I asked.”

“It’s okay, you didn’t know.” She picked up a fork and started pushing her food around. “Besides, if they didn’t move we wouldn’t have met.”

“Wait, your boyfriend was a Cullen?” You suddenly pieced together conversations you had with your mom and what Sam told you about them. A million questions raced through your mind. Did Bella know what they were? Was she aware of other paranormal creatures? Is that why she smelled faintly of decay?

“Yeah.” She replied slowly with a look of confusion. She must have had questions of her own.

“My mom has some big shoes to fill. Dr. Cullen seems like a hell of a doctor from what I hear.” You quickly added.

“He’s a great guy.” She said, finally taking a bite of her food. You decided to follow suit and end the conversation.

You didn’t want to out your secret to someone who possibly knew they were dating a vampire. If she only knew about vampires, you didn’t want to risk somehow revealing the packs secret too. The best thing to do would be to just keep a close eye on her.

The rest of the time was spent eating and the occasional school talk. Bella had talked about her friends and how she basically stopped talking to them after the breakup. Her scent would change anytime she brought up the breakup. You had smelled this before; it was a clear sign of depression.

“Well, I should get home and start on my homework. Thank you for the food.” She said starting to gather her things.

“Here take some food for your dad. We still have a lot of leftovers.” You said adding the food into a tupperware container. You handed the container to her and followed her to the door.

“Thanks again, my dad will love this.”

“It’s no problem. I’m just glad I made a friend.” You said smiling at her.

“Me too.” She said blushing. She said a quick goodbye to you and Moose, then got into her truck. “See you at school tomorrow.” She called out the window.

You waved as you watched her drive off. You were about to go back inside when a sudden movement caught your eye. The heavy scent of decay hit your nose.

Without thinking you ran into the woods, Moose trailing behind you. You didn’t have time to strip out of your clothes. You shifted in mid stride, your clothes tearing to shreds behind you. The second you shifted you were trailing after the scent.

In less than a minute you spotted its source. It looked like a woman with bright red hair perched on a tree branch. She was looking out towards the road when her head snapped in your direction. As soon as she spotted you she sprang in the opposite direction.

You chased after her going further into the woods. It wasn’t long before you realized this was a game to her. She wasn’t afraid of you. In fact she was smirking every time she turned back to look at you.

She stopped running and climbed back into the trees. It was hard keeping an eye on her as she jumped from tree to tree. You were too caught up in catching up to her that you almost didn’t notice the waterfall ahead.

You saw a mess of red curls vanish as she jumped off. If it wasn’t for a giant ball of fur tackling you to the side, you would have fallen after her.

Looking up you noticed it was one of the boys from Sam’s pack. They were looking out towards the cliff the woman had jumped from.

“Do you know who that was?” You asked crawling out from under them.

“What?” He replied.

“You still can’t hear me, huh?” You felt dumb forgetting that little detail.

“Uh, I don’t know what you’re saying.” He said giving you some room. He was now focused on you, almost like he was checking to make sure you were okay. It looked like he was about to say something but was quickly interrupted when another wolf walked out of the bushes.

“Look who I ran into.” He called out as Moose stepped out behind him.

Moose bounced over to you happy to see you again. You pressed your snout against his forehead giving him a kiss. He instantly knew you were okay and snuggled up next to you.

“Are you alright?” The other wolf asked. You recognized the voice as one of the older boys. Jared, you guessed.

You nodded your head instead of trying to talk back.

“We should go report this to Sam.” The wolf next to you said. You guessed he was Paul from the somewhat irritated tone. Though you hadn’t talked to him much to be sure.

You followed after them through the woods. Moose was mostly by your side but would occasionally trot next to the dark silver wolf, who would simply look down at the German Shepard and grunt. It didn’t deter Moose though, he would keep coming close to the wolf with his tongue happily lolling out.

Once you were close to Sam’s cabin the boys went in the opposite directions and crouched behind some bushes. You did the same finding a small hiding spot to shift back. As soon as you did you realized your mistake.

“Shit!” You cursed out crouching down further and crossing your arms over your chest.

“What’s wrong?” Paul asked coming closer.

“Don’t come closer!” You quickly called out.

“Are you okay?” Jared asked once again.

“Yeah, I uh… I kind of trashed my clothes when I shifted.” You replied. You could hear an awkward cough from the other side of the bush you were hiding behind.

“It’s okay. It’s not like I haven’t seen you naked before.” Jared tried joking but was quickly silenced by a punch to his arm. “Ow, dude.”

“Just go wait inside, I’ll find some of Leah’s extra clothes.” You heard Paul growl at Jared. “I’ll be back in a minute.” Paul called out to you.

Just like he said it wasn’t long before he came back with a handful of clothes. He carefully reached his arm with the clothes around the bush to respect your privacy. It was a pair of denim shorts and a tank top. You’ve gone commando before in similar situations, so you had no problem quickly putting them on.

You walked out from behind the bush and saw him standing nearby.

“How’s it fit?” He asked as he began to turn around.

“The top is a little tight.” You said moving your arms for emphasis. The movement stretched the fabric across your chest.

Paul’s eyes caught the movement and he quickly looked away. You could see the blood coloring the tips of his ears and cheeks. He cleared his throat before looking back at you.

“You can borrow one of my shirts. I don’t really wear them much.” He said turning to walk towards the cabin.

“I can tell.” You said eyeing the muscles shift across his back.

He led you to the back entrance of the cabin that happened to be a laundry room. After a bit of shuffling he found what he was looking for. It was a simple black t-shirt that you happily accepted.

Without thinking you turned around and took the tank top off. You heard him take a sharp intake of breath before hearing his feet shuffling to also turn around.

The t-shirt was a little big on you, but you didn’t mind. It was soft and had a nice smell to it. Once you were done changing you turned around folding the tank top and placing it on the small counter.

“Thank you.” You said shifting your focus on him.

“It’s just a shirt.” He said turning back around.

“Not just the shirt, but also making sure I didn’t fall off a cliff.” You smiled up at him to show you genuinely meant it.

“Oh yeah, it’s no problem.” He replied staring intently at your face. His voice was softer than you’ve heard it before. Almost like he wasn’t sure what was happening.

You looked back at him taking in his features. He was very good looking. When you first met him, he was a jerk suggesting you were dumb because they couldn’t hear you in your fox form. Then he looked irritated when you joined them for dinner. This interaction though, it was like meeting someone completely new.

Your eyes locked and it was like world around you faded. He looked like he was about to say something when-

“There you are. Sam’s waiting for you guys.” Jared’s voice sliced through the air around you.

Reader POV

You took a seat next to Leah and across from Sam. After all he was the alpha, and you just so happened to move into his territory, it was important for you to get his approval. A couple plates of food and half an hour later you relayed the information you had given Leah the night before.

“I didn’t know there were so many kinds of shifters out there.” Seth said in wonder.

“I don’t think any of us did.” Jacob replied. The entire time he had been racking his brain for any bit of information he might have heard from his dad or the elders. He came to the conclusion that they didn’t know either.

“So why do you think we can’t talk to you in our wolf forms?” Jared asked.

“I’ve been thinking about that all night, and I honestly don’t know. I never had that problem with the others. Even with the feline shifters we were still able to communicate.” You answered.

“That’s so cool, a mountain lion shifter.” Quil said getting up to find any leftovers.

“You think that’s cool, were you even listening about the werewolves?” Embry asked following after him with Moose treading closely searching for scraps.

You laughed at the pair as you cleaned your hands with a napkin. Sam was listening intently the whole time asking a few clarifying questions here and there. You still didn’t know where you stood with the alpha.

“Do other shifters imprint?” Jared asked around a mouth full of meat. Paul suddenly coughed at his side and glared at Jared while he wiped his mouth with his hand.

“Dude.” Paul growled at him, and you took it as him thinking it was a rude question.

“It’s okay.” You said waving a hand at Paul. You almost missed the way he blushed as he angrily looked down at his lap. “I’ve imprinted lots of times.”

“Wait, what?” Jared asked as the others all stared at you in shock.

“Yeah, before I ever shifted I imprinted with the alpha of my pack. I didn’t know what it was at the time, but I always felt like a fatherly connection with him. And then when I went through the change I also imprinted with the rest of the pack.”

“What do you mean with the rest of the pack?” Sam questioned genuinely looking confused.

You thought they must have known since they looked like a tight-knit pack, and they had already known about imprinting to ask you about it. So treading carefully you explained as best as you could.

“Well when we imprint with our pack it’s like forming a family connection. Even if you’re not close you can still sense their being. When I imprinted with them and they with me it was like I felt a pull in my chest until a part of my soul I didn’t know was empty seemed to fill.” Your voice wavered towards the end feeling the connection to your pack tugging inside of you.

Leah grabbed your hand and gave you a small smile. You smiled back feeling encouraged to continue.

“I’ve never had a… uh love imprint but there were some in my pack.” You said looking at Sam and Emily. You could smell their combined scents and figured they were an imprint couple. You could see them all contemplating the new information.

“Interesting.” Jared said with an amused smirk. Paul elbowed him in the ribs with another angry growl.

After a few minutes and some more questions from the boys you began helping Emily and Leah clean up. You grabbed an empty baking dish and filled it with other dishes and silverware. Once in the kitchen you started rinsing the dishes as Emily began cleaning them.

“How do you like Forks so far?” Emily asked taking a dish from you.

“I’ve only really been into the woods and here, so I don’t know how I feel about Forks yet.” You wondered out loud.

“Then how do you feel about us?” Leah asked bringing over some more dishes.

“I was surprised to run into other shifters. The weird thing is that as soon as I saw you guys I felt this connection. Like I was always meant to find you.” You said staring into the running water. You hadn’t noticed the sudden silence until a deep voice caught your attention. Turning around you saw Sam standing by the kitchen entrance.

“[Y/N] could I talk with you for a minute?” Sam asked.

You quickly dried your hands and followed him outside. You noticed the boys were cleaning up the area and moving the picnic tables towards the back of the house. One of the older boys was watching you, so you smiled and waved at him. He quickly looked away and went back to helping out the others. Moose was following them around seeming to have taken a liking to them.

You picked up your pace when you realized Sam was further ahead. Walking for a couple of minutes in pure silence you eventually made it to a beach. You didn’t want to be the first to break the silence showing respect to the alpha. Instead you looked out towards the dark waves crashing against the rocks.

“Do you know about other supernatural creatures besides shifters?” Sam asked also staring out at the open water.

You shuffled your feet contemplating the question. “My pack has run into a couple of witches, fae, demons…” You trailed off not sure if Sam would believe you. They didn’t know there were other shifters, would they know about other creatures?

“Vampires?” He asked crossing his arms and turning towards you.

“Yes.” You replied honestly.

“Good, so you won’t be caught off guard if they come back.”

“What do you mean?” You asked.

“Our territory is the reservation and half of the woods. The other half is part of the hunting grounds for the Cullen clan. Some of their members went to Forks Highschool, but they recently moved away.”

“They went to the school with humans?” You asked a little shocked.

“They’re vegetarian, only hunt animals.” He added.

You nodded your head taking the information in. At least he said they had moved away. You didn’t want to add any more unnecessary stress your first day.

“I have one more question for you.” He said eyeing you carefully. “Does your mom know about you?”

“No, I got this from my dad’s side of the family. We probably wouldn’t have moved away from my pack if she knew.” You looked back out to the waves thinking about your pack.

He hummed acknowledging your homesickness. “Alright, we’ll keep your secret if you keep ours.” He said giving you a small smile.

You smiled back knowing you somehow gained the alpha’s trust. “Deal.” You said sticking your hand out. He chuckled but shook your hand anyway.

Once you got back to the log house you saw that everything was all cleaned up and Moose was waiting for you. You said your goodbyes and headed towards Leah’s truck. Once you got home Leah wished you good luck on your first day of school.

~~~~

Monday morning you woke up to the smell of bacon. Moose was laying at the foot of your bed peeking one eye open to see if you were getting up yet. Once you reached for your phone he crawled his way up the bed next to you. It was a couple minutes before your alarm was supposed to go off, so you decided to turn it off and start your day.

You knew your first day of school was going to be a wreck no matter how you went about it. Just knowing you were going to be emotionally exhausted afterwards and the slight breeze outside your window made you choose a warm and cozy outfit. A pair of high-waisted jeans, a white t-shirt and topped off with a brown knitted cardigan.

Checking to make sure you had everything you needed in your backpack you took a deep breath and mentally prepared yourself for the day. You pet Moose and tucked him in just to baby him. You knew he would follow you downstairs anyway.

Your mom was in the kitchen already wearing her scrubs. She usually wore a dress shirt and a pencil skirt under her white coat, but when you saw her in scrubs you knew she had a busy day ahead of her.

“Morning.” You said walking further into the kitchen.

“Hey, hey.” She called over her shoulder as she finished flipping a pancake.

“Busy day planned?” You asked already knowing the answer.

“Yeah, first days are always busy. You’ll see.”

“I wish I wouldn’t.” You said taking a seat at the little kitchen island. The plate in front of you already full of eggs and bacon.

Your mom chuckled and brought over the plate of pancakes with her. She took a seat next to you and started eating. You both sat in silence enjoying your breakfast. You could tell she was just as nervous as you. From what you’ve heard the guy she was replacing at the hospital was a well-respected surgeon.

“That was delicious mom, thanks.” You said taking your dish to the sink. A quick rinse and loading of the dishwasher you were both ready to head out.

It was a quick drive to the school your mom pulling into the parking lot. You were grateful she didn’t drop you off closer to the entrance.

“Thanks, have a good day.” You called out to her as you got out. She waved as she drove away.

Taking one more deep breath you faced your new school. Starting a new school at the end of September is a bit weird. Everyone already knows each other and have gotten used to their routines. Something new was bound to get attention.

The morning went by just as you had expected. Everyone somehow had already heard about you and tried talking to you at every turn. The most draining of all was a girl named Jessica especially when she saw Mike talking to you. You could instantly tell she liked him, so while they started talking about a random tv show you managed to sneak your way out of the room. You didn’t want to be in the middle of drama on your first day, or any day for that matter.

During lunch time you grabbed a tray of food and looked around the cafeteria. All the tables were taken and the breeze outside ruled out any outdoor eating. Finally you caught a glimpse of a girl sitting by herself. You had seen her in your English class, and she hadn’t seemed interested in starting a conversation.

“Hey, is this seat taken?” You asked her.

“No, go ahead.” She mumbled. You could tell she was miserable with just the idea of someone sitting with her.

You were just thankful of having a silent break before finishing the rest of your school day. During the thirty minutes of lunch you noticed she hadn’t eaten anything. Just blankly staring at the table. It was a little concerning.

When you heard the bell ring you both stood up at the same time.

“I hope you don’t mind if I sit with you again tomorrow?” You asked her as she reached for her bag on the floor.

“Sure.” She said without looking up at you.

You though it was strange, but you couldn’t help feeling bad for her. When she walked past you to head out you caught a hint of her scent. You weren’t sure why, but she smelled familiar. Almost like Leah had, but somehow different.

Reader POV

Leah was right when she said her house wasn’t far. In a couple of minutes you could see the side of a light brown house peeking through the trees.

“Wait here.” Leah said as she walked behind a tree. You could here a shifting of fabric and soon a beautiful girl with a short bob walked out.

You got the hint and found a tree of your own. You called Moose over to take the small backpack off his torso. Quickly changing to avoid anyone else from seeing you naked. Once you were all changed you made your way around the tree.

“Hi, I’m [Y/N].” You said walking over to Leah.

“It’s nice to finally hear your voice [Y/N]. Come on in, do you want some coffee?” She asked leading you into the house.

“Coffee sounds nice.” You said as you entered the kitchen. It reminded you of a cottage or barn style kitchen. It was nice and cozy in contrast to the chilly air outside.

Taking a seat in the living room with a warm cup of coffee in your hands and a crackling fireplace to your side you felt at home. Even though it’s not your house and Leah isn’t your relative this somehow feels familial. You can’t quite place the feeling.

“So, fill me in on this whole thing.” Leah says as she sits next to you on the couch.

“Sure, what would you like to know?” You ask as you take a sip of your coffee. There’s a nice spice to it that makes you hum.

“Are there others like you?” She asks.

“Fox shifters or shifters in general, because you all seemed a little too surprised when you saw me.” You chuckle at the memory.  

“I guess shifters in general. We actually didn’t know there were others like us.” Leah said drinking from her own coffee.

“There are all kinds of shifters. I’ve actually met a few in the time I spent in California. I think the type of shifter depends on where you live.” You said taking a pause before you got into your explanation. “I’ve met some coyotes from Mexico and south California. The mountain lions from the Grand Canyon are really cool and so are the werewolves from the north east.”

“Werewolves?” Leah asked.

“Yeah they’re the shifters that keep some of their human traits after shifting. Like walking on two legs and their arms are more like claws.” You clarified.

“I thought those were just made up for theatrics in movies and stuff.” Leah laughed at how ridiculous this seemed.

“Well you know how those wolves are always portrayed as a dude bro or frat guys. It’s actually not far from the truth. They actually like being called werewolves and don’t mind the movie stereotype. They think it’s funny.” You said rolling your eyes.

“Wait you said the type of shifter depends on where they live, how does that apply to you?” Leah asked.

“Well my pack is from an old mining town in California. It was founded around the time of the gold rush. Our legend says that the first fox was a miner that helped the rest of his crew when the tunnels collapsed on them. Downieville is surrounded by other mining ghost towns. With all the recreational areas and hidden tunnels, it’s easy to get lost in them or accidently fall in.” You said getting a little homesick as you thought of your pack and hometown.

“That must explain why we can’t talk to you in our wolf forms.” Leah added. Confused you knit your eyebrows prompting her to go on. “Since there are different types of shifters, we can’t communicate with each other when we shift.”

“Not really, I’ve been able to talk to the others I’ve met. I’ve only had this problem with you guys.” You said.

“I don’t get it.” Leah said pensively.

“Me neither.” Finishing the last of your coffee you caught sight of the clock on the wall. “Oh, I should get home and help my mom unpack.”

“I can give you a ride.” Leah said taking the empty mugs and heading into the kitchen.

“That’s okay I can just walk.” You said getting ready to go.

“I have to pick up my mom from the clinic. Your place is on the way there.” Leah reappeared in the living room with a set of keys.

“Wait, how do you know where I live?” You asked following her outside.

“It’s a small town, any little bit of gossip is heard by everyone. Especially when it comes to new girls moving in.” Leah chuckled as she let down the tailgate of the truck for Moose to jump in.

“I was hoping for a quiet first day of school.” You said once you were both inside the truck and pulling out of the driveway.  

“Please, the boys at Forks High are anything but subtle when it comes to new girls. You’ll have more than ten date offers by lunch time.” Leah said with amusement in her voice.

“Ugh.” You groaned. This made Leah laugh, which made you huff a suppressed laugh.

Looking out the window you saw the passing trees fade into the darkening sky. You tried thinking of something that would make the first day of school bearable. “At least I can sit with you during lunch.”

“Sorry, I go to school on the reservation.” Leah added apologetically.

“Shit, Monday is going to suck.” You said, already imagining the emotional exhaustion.

“Hey, we can still hang out after school.” Leah offered after a minute of silence.

“Really?”

“Yeah, it’s nice to have another girl around that understands this whole shifting bullshit.” She said as she pulled up to your new house. You were surprised at how quickly you got there.

“Thanks.” You said unfastening the seatbelt.

“No problem.” Leah said getting out of the truck. She lowered the tailgate of the truck for Moose. “Do you want to hang out tomorrow?” She asked.

“Yeah.” You said smiling. It would be nice to talk to her again.

“You can officially meet the guys and we can have a little cook out.” She said taking her phone out. “Here, put your number in.”

Taking her phone, you gave her yours in return. After a quick goodbye you went inside your new home. You could hear your mom rummaging around in the kitchen. The savory smell of pizza hitting your nose as soon as you rounded the corner.

“Hi hun. How was your walk?” Your mom asked handing you a paper plate.

“It was nice. I even made a new friend.” You said smiling at her surprised expression.

~~~

Wolf Pack POV

Emily was surprised to hear about the new shifter. She was so excited to meet her that when Leah told them she was coming over later she made a shopping list and sent the boys out to the market. Like she always said, the best way to get to know someone is over food.

“I don’t understand why we have to do all this.” Paul said as he carried in groceries.

“It’s called being nice.” Jacob said walking in with more bags full of food.

“Yeah, she’s new in town. She probably doesn’t have any friends yet.” Jared added.

“Can you guys be less you when I bring her here?” Leah said heading outside towards her truck.

“Hey, what’s wrong with us?” Quill asked.

“Everything.” Leah called over her shoulder.

In the twenty minutes it took for Leah to pick up the girl they had cleaned the picnic tables outside and started grilling. They heard the tires of Leah’s truck crunch against the gravel road. Emily came out of the kitchen with a tray of chopped vegetables and walked over to Sam by the grill. The rest of the boy’s gathered together near the front steps of the small cabin.

The first thing they saw was the dog from before jump down from the back of the truck. Then a head of shiny [Y/H/C] hair popped out from the truck door. Closing the door she faced them with a smile on her face. She was wearing a pair of black jeans and a dark orange sweater with a striped shirt underneath.

“Hi, I’m [Y/N].” She said walking up to them.

Seth was the first to go up to her and introduce himself. That quickly turned into a jumbled apology about seeing her undress and how he swore he didn’t see anything. She just laughed and tried reassuring him that it was okay.

“Cute, huh?” Quil whispered over to Embry who quickly agreed.

“Ten bucks you both strike out.” Jacob said leaning over before going up to the girl to introduce himself.

Quil and Embry looked at each other, silently accepting the bet. They walked over to her together.

“Hey, I’m Embry. It’s nice to see that foxy doesn’t just apply to your shifting.” He said with a wink.

She didn’t look that impressed, instead she laughed at the bad pick up line. Leah and Jacob snickered at the failed attempt.

“Don’t mind him, he’s not as smooth as he thinks. I’m Quil by the way.” Quil said trying to go for a nonchalant approach.

“It’s nice to meet you guys.” She said.

“Come on, the others aren’t as immature.” Leah said leading her over to the older members of the pack before Quil got a chance to make a fool of himself.

When they got close the girl looked over at the older boys. As soon as Paul locked eyes with her he felt a burst of emotion flood his senses. His mind fogged up and his body felt tingly.

“Oh, come on.” Embry said digging into his shorts. Quil did the same and followed Embry to one of the picnic tables. Jacob now $20 richer sat next to them.

Jared looked over at Paul with a dopey smile stretching over his face. Sam cleared his throat getting both of there attentions. It was a silent conversation between the three, but the unvoiced question was confirmed with a nod from Paul.

Emily could sense a bit of awkwardness between the older boys and decided to break it by approaching the girl. “Hi, I’m Emily, Sam’s fiancé.” She said worming her hand around Sam’s arm and leading him over.

“Hi.” Sam said shaking her hand. “I’m the alpha of the pack.”

“Nice to meet you.” She said with a warm smile.

“That’s Paul and Jared over there.” Sam pointed out the two still standing near the porch steps.

Jared elbowed Paul in the ribs before walking over to the girl.

“I hope your hungry.” Jared asked taking a bite from a piece of chicken he somehow managed to take from the grill.

“Stop picking at the food before it’s ready.” Sam said nudging him towards the other picnic table.

“Hey.” Paul said nodding in acknowledgement before going over to sit next to Jared. The pack rolled their eyes. Paul really would ignore someone he just imprinted on.

“This is going to be interesting.” Sam said gesturing his arm for [Y/N] to take a seat.

Wolf Pack POV 

The pack followed the fox and german shepherd to a small spot with boulders and overgrown bushes. They looked like they were just exploring their new surroundings. 

“I didn't know there were other shifters." Leah said watching as the fox ducked in and out of the bushes.

"The elders never said there were others. I always thought we were the only ones." Sam said. 

"She probably heard the leaches left and came to look for new hunting grounds. We should kill her." Paul added casually.

"She's literally playing in the bushes with her dog. How does that look like a killer?" Jared asked. 

"I'm just saying we should kill her before we find out." Paul said body ready to lung into the small clearing. 

“Why do you always want to kill. Are you secretly a serial killer or something?” Embry joked.

“Yeah you’re always so violent.” Quil added.

Caught up in their own conversation they didn't notice when they lost sight of the fox.

"Where did she go?" Jared asked. They looked around trying to catch a glimpse of red fur. All they could see was the dog laying down by the boulders trying to take a nap. 

They were about to approach the clearing to start looking for the fox when a noise behind them raised their hackles. Just as they turned to face the noise a flash of red and white fur jumped at the nearest wolf. 

Sam was too stunned to know what to do. She wasn't attacking him so biting her didn’t seem like the right thing to do. Looking back at his pack he could tell they were just as surprised. Seeing their alpha, a giant black wolf, laying on his side confused as a fox pounced around him. They looked like they weren't sure if they should intervene or laugh.

Finally, Leah broke the silence with her laughter. The fox looked over to her and with the same excitement as before jumped around her. Leah didn't mind, instead she played along pawing at the fox. 

"What the fuck is happening." Paul asked.

"I think Leah made a new friend." Embry replied. He looked just as delighted as the fox.

"Enough," Sam's voice rang out. "Who are you?" 

The fox stepped away from Leah turning to face Sam. They all expected to hear a reply but a small yipping sound was all they could hear. Clearly confused Sam tried again. 

"What are you doing here?" 

Again, they got high pitched barks in reply. 

"Can you even understand what we're saying." Jared asked instead. 

The fox, looking just as confused, nodded her head. 

"What, are you mute?" Paul mumbled. 

"Dude, how would that even make sense? We listen to each other's thoughts." Jacob said. 

"Then maybe she doesn't have any." Paul added. 

A small growl emitted from the fox before she jumped at Paul, barking in his face. He growled in return, his muscles winding up ready to attack. Both pair of eyes locked and focused on their target, but before anything could happen a wall of fur got in the way. 

"I'm going to take her to my place and see is we can talk after shifting back. I'll see you idiot's later." Leah said nudging the fox back into the clearing. 

"Are you sure you can handle it Leah?" Sam asked. 

"Please, what's there to handle." Leah looked down at the fox who wasn't much smaller than her. "You coming?" 

The fox yipped up at her and ran towards the german shepherd. The dog sleepily opened its eyes he wasn't even the slightest bit worried to see the giant wolves. 

"Can I come?" Seth asked sitting next to Leah.

"No."

"Why?" He almost whined. 

"I don't think she'd feel comfortable talking to a boy who saw her strip in the woods." Leah replied. 

A surprised bark came from the fox. The rest of the pack burst into laughter as they dragged a stammering Seth away. 

“We’ll be waiting at Emily’s.” Sam said before following the boys.

"I swear I wasn't looking!" Seth tried defending himself.

"Please, it's all you've been thinking about." Jared chuckled.

"But you saw her too!" Seth’s voice rang out as they got further away. 

Leah rolled her eyes and looked back at the fox. This was an interesting turn of events that she was sure would lead to more surprises.

 ~~~~

Reader POV

It was the last thing you expected to find in this damp old town. A pack of wolf shifters. Back in California you had met different types of paranormal creatures that would stumble their way into the state. Coyote shifters from the south, mountain lions from the Grand Canyon, even a humanoid wolf from the north east.

You didn’t know you were walking through a packs territory until you heard their thoughts slowly creeping up on you. It was obvious they were stalking you through the woods even if you couldn’t hear them. They were careless in concealing their massive size behind trees and bushes.

Coming to a clearing with boulders to one side and berry bushes on the other you decided you wanted to meet them. Moose could sense the wolves nearby and looked like he wanted to investigate. Not wanting to give away that you knew they were watching you; you started jumping around the bushes trying to get Moose’s attention. It’s not long before Moose gets tired from playing along. Having him lay down next to the boulders he instantly starts to snore.

With Moose sleeping your able to sneak off into the woods and around behind the wolf pack. You can hear their confusion and decision to go out and look for you. Before they get a chance to wake Moose up you jump out of the bushes and crash into the nearest wolf. It was all too exciting finding another pack that you pounced around while the giant black wolf laid on his side stunned.

“Hi, I’m [Y/N], what’s your name?” You asked the wolf.

Guessing he was still shocked you waited for his reply but were interrupted by a laugh to your side. You noticed the gray wolf laughing in a feminine voice. There were few female shifters so finding one was always a happy sight.

“Hi!” You said greeting her. She seemed happy too by the way she laughed along and played with you.

The other wolves started talking amongst themselves before you heard a deep voice behind you.

“Who are you?” He asked.

“Uh, [Y/N] I already told you.” You snickered thinking he had already forgotten.

“What are you doing here?” He asked with a bit of uncertainty in his voice.

“My mom and I just moved here.”

"Can you even understand what we're saying." The dark brown one said.

Now it was your turn to be confused. You nodded your head to signal that you could hear them. Were they really not able to hear you? This hadn’t happened when you met other shifters.  

You are too busy trying to come up with an answer to the communication issue that you aren’t paying close attention to the conversation between two of the wolves. That is until you caught the part where one of them basically said you were braindead.

You growled jumping in his direction. “Are you saying I’m stupid?” You barked in his face. 

It was obvious now that they couldn’t hear you. Instead of a reply you got a growl in return. He looked ready to attack and you weren’t about to give in just because he was bigger than you.

Before anything happened, another wolf got in the way nudging you away. It was the female suggesting taking you to her place to talk as humans. It was a good idea, not only to understand what’s going on but also getting to know someone in this town.

As you went to wake up Moose you heard them talking behind you. It almost made you laugh when they asked her if she could handle the situation. Then you heard her mention that one of them had seen you strip before shifting.

An embarrassed yelp escaped you before you could stop it. You honestly thought you were alone when you did that. It was a waste of time and money buying new clothes that you decided a long time ago that taking them off was much more efficient. Now it didn’t seem like such a good decision.

You watched as they dragged the young wolf away who seemed just as embarrassed as you were. After they disappeared into the woods the female turned to you and nudged her head in the opposite direction. You followed her with Moose trailing after you.

“My place isn’t far from here. I’m Leah by the way.” She said.

Reader POV

Moving to Forks Washington was the last thing you wanted. Especially leaving your pack behind. Your mom didn't know about the pack or you being a shifter. Meaning that she also didn't know the heart-breaking pain you were in. 

Your mom was a well-known surgeon among the medical community. About two weeks ago she received a job offer at a small town up in Washington after the local doctor moved away. Your mom was the only family you had, so anywhere she went you followed. In a whirlwind of phone calls and contracts the both of you were all packed up and driving from Downieville, California, to your new life. 

At least you knew Forks was surrounded by woods and mountains that could keep your secret safe. Telling the pack was hard but they understood that you had to go. You caught sight of their fur flashing by the trees as you left the town limits. It was a comfort knowing you would graduate high school soon and would be able to visit them without the school responsibilities holding you back.

It was about a day’s drive, but your mom wanted to make it feel like a road trip. The plan was to leave a day before the moving truck and enjoy the day sightseeing northern California and parts of Oregon. You both decided spending the night in Oregon was a great idea. It was always exciting to stay in a hotel and walk around a new town, even if it was just for the night. It was also a good idea to stop and give your German Shepperd, Moose, time to do his business.

Your mom knew the move was hard on you. Having to leave your friends behind and start at a new school is hard for anyone. Little did she know you were leaving a half of your heart and soul back in California. She tried to make you feel better by stopping at roadside diners and souvenir shops. By the time the car pulled up to a two-story off-white house you were wearing a Prehistoric Gardens t-shirt and a jar of cherry jam from the Olympia farmer’s market.

Getting out of the car you looked around noticing that you were outside of the town of Forks. The woods were directly behind your house, which made you murmur a quiet ‘thank you’ to whichever deity was listening. There were three other houses scattered throughout the road, but they were far enough apart that privacy wasn’t going to be an issue.

You glanced over at your mom to see her looking expectantly back at you. “Well what do you think?” She asked.

“It’s cute.” You replied. “Can we see the inside?” Even though you were sad about leaving, you were determined to have a positive attitude. Like any other person you were excited to see your new room. It looked like Moose was also excited by the way he was wagging his tail so hard making his whole body move.

You weren’t lying when you said the house was cute. Entering the house made the statement even more true. It was small, but the perfect size for a family of two. You could tell the house would be nice and cozy during the winter. Taking a quick look through the first floor of the house you were ready to race up the stairs.

At the end of the stairs was a bathroom and to the sides were two doors leading to different bedrooms. Your mom pointed to the one on the right and you headed towards it. It was a decent sized room compared to the small feeling of the rest of the house. In the far corner of the room there were two windows on each side. Both looking out towards the edge of the woods. You smiled to yourself knowing your mom knew you would like this room.

Moose walked into the room followed by your mom. You both watched as he smelled every corner of the room.

“So what would you like for dinner later?” Your mom asked. “The movers called saying they were an hour away. We can eat once they bring all the furniture and boxes inside.”

“I could go for some pizza.” You said. “I saw a little pizzeria when we drove through town.”

You always preferred local restaurants. Fast food chains were common and cheap, but local restaurants always put more effort into their food and you appreciated the taste.

“Do you think I could check out the woods before dinner?” You asked looking out the window.

“Sure, as long as you get back before dark. We don’t know how safe these woods are yet.”

You knew your mom was just looking out for you. If only she knew you could protect yourself from any danger you could run into in these woods. “I promise.” You said.

Kissing her on the cheek, you headed downstairs and to the car. You grabbed a drawstring bag from the backseat and then turned towards the woods. Moose was trotting along next to you taking in his new surroundings.

~~~

Wolf Pack POV

Seth was ready to go out on patrol. Even though they never found anything, and it was mindless work just walking around woods keeping an eye on things, Seth liked spending time with the pack. 

"Come on, we're gonna be late for our shift!" Seth yelled in Jared's direction. 

Jared was the second in command of the pack which meant he was stuck babysitting. He was supposed to be teaching Seth how to keep his wolf form under control, but the more time he spent with the kid the more it just felt like babysitting. 

"I'm coming. Jeez, your worse than Sam when it comes to patrols." Jared said finishing off his muffin. 

They walked a couple feet into the tree line of the forest before phasing. After half an hour of patrol they headed towards the part of the woods leading to Forks. 

'I heard we're getting new neighbors.' Seth said in his mind. 

'Isn't it the surgeon taking over for Cullen?' Jared asked. 

'Yeah, I think it's just her and her daughter. We should walk by and see if we can get a quick peek. Besides, we should know who’s moving into our side of the treaty line. For protection, you know.’ Seth didn’t wait for a reply and started heading in the direction of the house.

‘The Cullen’s are gone, so I don’t know what you think we’ll be protecting them from.’ Jared added following Seth anyway. He was just as curious as the kid to see the new doctor and her daughter. It isn’t everyday someone decides to move here, they usually try to get away from the small-town life.

They were in the part of the forest that led to the nearby houses, walking slowly in case someone caught sight of them. Before they were within a hundred yards of the house, they heard noises coming up ahead. Stalking closely they noticed it was a girl walking with her dog.

‘Is that her?’ Seth asked.

‘I think so, I’ve never seen her before.’

They watched as she walked further into the woods. She kept looking back in the direction of her new house. Once she got to a fallen tree she took the little bag and placed it on the trunk. Once she started taking off her shirt Jared instantly growled at Seth to turn around.

‘What is she doing?’ Seth was visibly flustered.

‘I don’t know. Maybe we should get back to Emily’s.’ They were about to leave when they heard the dog bark behind them.

They quickly turned around to see if anything was wrong. The girl from earlier was nowhere to be seen. They got closer to get a better look. The german shepherd was now wearing the little bag around his back. Next to the german shepherd was a fox, but this fox was different than the ones they’ve seen before. It was bigger and almost resembled a wolf.

‘Do you think…?’ Seth for once was at a loss for words.

You were too busy thinking about alternatives to plastic baggies that you didn't notice your shift was over until the other waitress walked up to you.

"Hey y/n, are you heading home or what?" She asked pulling on your apron strings.

"Y-yeah, sorry I got distracted for a minute there." You said untying your apron and taking it off.

"You've been doing that a lot lately. Are you okay?" She asked looking worried. You really liked Kathy she almost left like an aunt the way she looked after you.

"Still a little shaken up about the break-in last week, but I'm fine really." You replied getting your purse from under the counter and getting ready to leave.

"Alright, but please let me know if you need anything. I'm always here for you." Kathy said as she started walking towards a waiting customer. 

"Thanks Kathy. I'll see you later." You said heading out the door.

You had to get some groceries before you went home. The grocery store was just a block away so the drive there was only a couple of minutes. 

You quickly grabbed the groceries you needed the next week and were now deciding on what you wanted for dinner tonight. You were kind of in the mood for some garlic bread, so spaghetti it is. You rounded up the noodles and sauce then headed towards the bread aisle. Homemade garlic bread always tasted amazing.

By the time you got out of the grocery store it was starting to sprinkle. You walked faster to your car knowing it was going to be a heavy rain. You had gotten a flood warning on your phone about an hour ago. 

You loved driving in the rain. The sound of the rain drops hitting the roof of your car and your favorite song playing softly made the ride home so relaxing. 

Pulling out your umbrella, you tried balancing all the grocery bags and racing towards the apartment building. Sometimes you really hated living on the third floor. Once inside your apartment you piled the groceries on the table and took a moment to catch your breath. You must have been distracted again because you didn't notice the person standing in your living room.

__________ "So when are you going to see that girl again? Those brownies were really good." Klaus asked walking into the kitchen. He was rummaging through the pantry looking for something to snack on. 

"Why would I see y/n again? I stopped a robbery from happening, it's not like I was invited into her place." Diego said. He was cleaning some of his knives that he currently had spread out on the kitchen table.

"Well you can at least return her tupperware, and while you're there ask her for some more brownies." Klaus managed to find a box of cinnamon toast crunch and was eating it straight out of the box. 

"Well if she wanted it back she wouldn't have given it to a complete stranger." Diego said without looking up from the knife he was polishing. 

Klaus propped himself up onto the kitchen counter and watched his brother. He popped another handful of cereal into. "Or she does want it back and y/n gave it to you because she wants to see you again."

"Why would she want to see me again?" Diego said as he froze in place and tightened his grip on the knife. 

"I don't know, maybe she likes you." Klaus noticed the blush on his brother's cheeks. Well shit, Ben was right. He saw Ben smirking at him from the other side of the kitchen. "Or she's just nice and wants her stuff back." He added.

Diego nodded seeming to agree that she was nice. "Where is the container by the way?" He asked looking around the kitchen. 

Klaus opened the cabinet next to him and took out the container. He was excited at the prospect of getting some more of those brownies that he didn't want his brother to change his mind. So he grabbed another handful of cereal and left Diego alone in the kitchen. 

He kept cleaning the rest of his knives, thinking about what he might say to y/n. Diego didn't like getting close to people because of his line of work, but he couldn't stop thinking about her. Her y/e/c eyes and y/h/c hair and how soft her lips looked as she smiled. He also couldn't get the image of her jumping out of the hallway with that big metal rod. It made him smile every time. 

By the time he was done cleaning his knives it was 4pm. He figured she must be home by now and he could stop by for a quick visit. He grabbed the tupperware from the counter and headed out. 

Making his way downtown Diego noticed the rain clouds gathering in the sky. Hopefully he'll be able to see her and get back home before the rain starts coming down. 

Staring up at the familiar gray apartment building he tried guessing her apartment number. He remembers she lived up on the third floor and looking at the buzzers near the door there were only four apartments on that floor. 

After apologizing to two elderly women and a college kid Diego came to the conclusion that y/n wasn't home. The clouds had gotten darker and started to release a light sprinkle. He looked down at the plastic container in his hands and decided he should just leave it for her since he was already here. 

Diego already knew his way into her apartment. He would leave the container on her kitchen counter with a note for her. At the moment he thought it was a pretty smooth plan. Girls like mysterious guys, right? 

Heading towards the back alley and climbing up the fire escape the rain started coming down harder and faster. He made sure to watch his footing on the slick metal stairs. Reaching her window he noticed y/n had replaced the broken one from last week. 

Taking out his thinnest knife he began picking the window lock. He was careful sliding it open, not wanting her to have to replace another window. Once inside his quickly closed it before the rain started coming inside. 

The place looked a lot better than the last time he was here. The guys really trashed it when they tried robbing the apartment. He took a look around, confirming that y/n wasn't home yet. Setting the container on the kitchen counter he found a notepad nearby and a pencil. After thinking about what to write he quickly scribbled on the paper:

'Hey, it's Diego. We met the other night. Anyways, I just wanted to make sure you were okay and return the tupperware you gave me. The brownies were really good, my brother really liked them.' 

Looking down at the note he wasn't sure what if he should throw it away and start over. Maybe he could write down his name and leave his number. 

While he was contemplating what kind of note to leave he heard the unmistakable sound of keys opening the door. Shit this was going to look weird. He needed to get out of here before you found him in your apartment.

Diego rushed into the living room, but by then you were already walking towards the kitchen. There was no way he could open the window and sneak out without you noticing. He felt like such a creep just standing in your living room looking at you sitting down to take a rest. He couldn't take how weird this was.

"Mh-hmm." He cleared his throat to get your attention. 

You quickly jerked out of the chair looking towards the living room. You stepped back reaching for anything on the kitchen table to defend yourself with. Grabbing a hold of something you watched as they walked towards you. 

"Hey-hey it's okay. Just me." Diego said putting his hands up. 

"What are you doing here?" You asked relaxing a little.

"About to be attacked by a can of tomato paste by the looks of it." He joked pointing at your hand. 

Looking down you noticed the can in your hand. You huffed out a small laugh putting the can back on the table. 

"I was actually returning your container. I was going to leave you a note and get out of here before you showed up." Diego motioned to the counter with his head.  

You saw the note on top and made your way towards it. You quickly read the note before turning back to Diego.

"So your brother liked the brownies." You said beginning to unpack your groceries.

"Yeah, he actually wanted me to ask you for more." He replied walking over to help you.

"Did you like them?" You asked.

"I actually didn't get to try them. My siblings ate them before I got any." Diego scratched the back of his neck looking shy.

You smiled at how cute he was. After meeting him last week you had researched him and knew about his siblings. You thought it was sweet that he was reconnecting with them.

"Well, I should get going." He said heading towards the front door. 

"The rain outside is getting worse. Why don't you stay for dinner? The storm should be over by then." You said chasing after him.

Diego's hand was on the doorknob ready to head out. He looked unsure but after a few seconds he put his hand down. 

"Sure, but you have to let me help cook." He said. You beamed up at him and nodded. 

"So what are we making?" He asked as you both walked back into the kitchen.