Primitive Instincts

R I V E R

I stared at the huge animal in front of me. It was growling, wasn't making any threatening movements. It was just standing there, looking at me like it was...human. Like it wanted me to talk to it. Despite the fact that it was night and there was an animal standing in front of me that could kill me with one swipe, the wolf was actually kind of...beautiful.

He had smoky grey fur with black spots all along the back. Wait, he? Why was i assuming it was a boy? Because it was standing in the exact same place Embry had been standing when he...

No, no way. It wasn't possible that Embry was some kind of...werewolf! That stuff happened in fairy tales. Those were the kinds of stories your Grandma told you to keep you from wandering into the woods alone. None of it was actually true! It couldn't be!!

...could it? What could it hurt? Granted I could startle it and make it attack me. Still...

I wasn't getting any kind of aggressive feelings from this wolf, more like expectant, patient even. And i was pretty good at reading people, or, animals for that matter. I looked at the animals eyes...and i swear i fell in love. They were dark brown and warm and reminded me of fireplaces and fall and chocolate. Just. Like. Embry's.

I was done trying to make sense of anything that was going on. Maybe all the myths and legends were true. Why couldn't they be? My feelings for Embry didn't make a bit of sense, so why did the rest of my life have to? And he had said he needed to show my something. Was this it?

I licked my lips and swallowed, trying to prepare my throat to talk. I couldn't believe i was about to do it but...

"Embry?" i asked, feeling my hair's stand on end at the sound of my voice in the still night air.

Then the most amazing thing happened. The wolf...smiled. I smiled at me and took a step forward. It was catious, nervous even. Like it was afraid i would run away. I certainly thought about it, but how far could i get? There was no way in Hell i could out-run this thing.

It took more steps forward, covering the distance between us within five paces. I could feel it's hot breath in my face, and knew that my head could be off in one snap of those jaws. But...i didn't really feel afraid anymore. I should have. I should have been running the other direction screaming at the top of my lungs for help. But instead, i reached out my hand and touched it's fur.

It wasn't soft, like silk, but more rough and worn. That's another thing it was, warm. Just like Embry always was. Everything started to fall into place. The tremors, the heat, the way the whole gang from breakfast had walked into the woods.

Was it possible that all the boys on the reservation were werewolfs?

"Embry it's you isn't it?" i asked again, this time with more confidence. To answer, the wolf licked my face, leaving a trail of drool. "Oh ew Embry that's gross!" i laughed, wiping my face on the hoodie i was wearing. "But how?" i asked.

Instead of answering, Embry pulled away from me, walking over and picking up his clothes in his mouth. He gave me one of those looks that said don't-move and trotted off behind a tree.

Within a minute, Embry merged from behind the tree. The human Embry that is, completely closed, body intact. He leaned against the tree, rubbing the back of his neck and sticking his other hand into his pocket.

"Sooo..." he began, as lost as i was on where to start.

"So you're a were-wolf?" i asked, taking a few steps forward.

"Not exactly. More like a shape-shifter. The moon doesn't affect me and-"

"So like Sirius Black off of Harry Potter?" i finished, glad i kinda sorta knew what was going on now.

"Yeah, i guess so." he laughed, closing the space between us.

"And the others?"

"All the guys at breakfast are too." he nodded. I stood there in silence for a second, letting everything sink in. My boyfriend was a shapeshifter.

"Why did you have to show me before i told you i...that i love you." i said, turning away and looking up into the night sky.

"Because you might not have loved me once you found out i was an over-sized dog." he said, making no move to turn me around. Maybe he was still nervous i would change my mind. Idiot.

I spun around to face him, my hair making a swishing noise from the speed of my movement.

"Embry Call, do you really think i am so shallow that i wouldn't love you because you turn into a wolf? Ha. Well i hate to break it to you mister but you can't get rid of me that easy. So I think I'll still with you Clifford, because i love you fur and all." i smiled, crossing my arms over my chest.

He broke into the biggest smile i had ever seen him wear and swept me up into him arms, swinging me around and pulling me into a fire-works kiss.

But all of his kisses made me see stars.

I swung my legs around so that one was on each side of him, and i hooked them around his back. As i pulled away for a breath, he looked at my face.

"You never answered my question." he smiled.

"What question?" i asked, trying to remember what he had asked me. Everything before the whole shape-shifter thing seemed like a blur now.

"Am i your Prince Charming?" he asked, smiling as i began to blush. I looked down only to have my head jerked up again. "We talked about this whole hiding your face thing." he warned, pushing my hair back so i had to look him in the face, straight in the eyes for that matter, because they were like a trap and i always got sucked in.

"No. Prince Charming is someone who was everything i thought i wanted." i said, sighing. Then i pulled my face into a smile again when his face dropped into a frown. "You're everything i wanted and everything i never could have imagined." i said, trying to calm my heart rate. Saying how I felt was different. It felt good though. It felt like a weight off my shoulders.

"Good." he said.

"Good? is that all you have to say?" i asked, jumping away from him and putting my hands on my hips. "After i put this relationship on fast forward and told you that i loved you after only one date with you! Maybe you belong with someone who takes 'good' as a sufficient answer." i sniffed, turning my nose up and putting my hand in his face. Of course i was completely kidding! I would never say that to Embry because I could never send him away to be with another girl. That would kill me.

"About that..." he trailed off, grabbing my hand and pulling me closer to him once again. His tone was so serious i had to look at him. "There's this thing with shape-shifters. And...it has to do with you..." he said, now it was his turn to look away.

"What about me?" i asked, fearing the worst. Maybe i wasn't allowed to be with a shape-shiffter. Maybe it was some ancient tribal rule that only natives were allowed to date them.

"Well...there's this thing called imprinting." he said, glancing up at me to see my reaction. "Just promise your not gonna get freaked out okay?" he asked.

"Embry, i just saw you transform into a giant wolf. I think i can handle anything else you have to tell me." I laughed, trying to lighten the mood. I always had the impression that serious moods led to bad things.

"Well...when a shape-shifter imprints it's like...it's like he's found his other half. His soul mate. The person he's destined to be with. And no matter how much he may not want to, he's in love with that person. They become the center of his entire world. And...well you're my imprint." he said, pulling me so close to him that i was completely warmed from the chill of the night.

"So...we're soul mates? I mean, it's not just that im a phyco teenage girl, my feeling for you are so strong because im your...imprint?" i guessed, relieved that i wasn't falling too hard too fast for no good reason.

"Yeah. So you can stop feeling stressed about how fast we've been moving." he laughed.

"Thank God!" i screamed, pulling away and jumping up to plant a kiss on his lips.

On an average day i would have been much too nervous to do even that, but it was not an average day.

For one the medicine was rally starting to kick in and i was feeling a little high, and oh yeah, i had just found out that my boyfriend is a shape-shifter, and we're also soul mates.

"My boyfriend is a shape-shifter." i sighed, as we began walking back towards Sam and Emily's house. "Slap that shit on a T-Shirt and we'll be making millions!" i screamed, bouncing up and down as we walked.

"Are you feeling okay?" Embry asked, laughing at my weird behavior.

"No! That medicine was reallllyyyy strong. I'm beginning to lose feeling in my back, but it doesn't hurt at all, so that's a plus right?" i asked, turning around to smile at him.

"Yeah, i guess so. Why don't you hop on my back and i'll carry you?" he asked, stopping. I quickly accepted the offer and climbed onto Embry's back, hooking my arms around his shoulders for support. I leaned my head on his shoulder and started letting my heart pour into his ear.

"I'm so glad I found you Embry. If you hadn't been there for me to run to, I'd probably be dead right now. And now i find out your a shape-shifter? Well, that's a hell of a lot better than home. Not to mention, you make me feel pretty, even if im really not. You're pretty much the best thing that has ever happened to me and i just want you to know that. You know, in case i die or something." i said, letting out a long yawn.

He haulted and made me slide off his back. He pulled me around so i faced him and searched my face for answers.

"Why would you say that River? Why would you think you're gonna die?" he asked. I immediately regretted my words and wished i could take them back.

"Do you ever have night-mares? I mean real bad ones? Well i do. A lot. And they're always the same thing too. Just these big, red eyes. And then my parents screaming. Then i had a nightmare today and all these voices were whispering, 'He'll be back.'" i said. I don't know if it was the medicine or bringing up the dream again but for some reason i started to cry. "and i don't know why Embry but it really scared me. And i don't want him to come back, but i don't even know who he is. And sometimes when it's late at night, everytime i close my eyes i see his and the just make me wanna..wanna-" i cut my self off, sobbing into Embry's shoulder. I had never told anyone about my dreams, but hey, what are soul-mates for?

"Shhh, shhh it's okay River, it's okay." he soothed, brushing my hair with his fingers. He smelled like the woods and that only made me hold him tighter. He was so warm and whenever i was in his arms i felt safe, like nothing could touch me.

"Embry will you stay with me tonight. i mean i don't mean sexually or anything, im not a slut but...will you just stay with me? I don't want to sleep alone." i said, pulling away to look at his face.

"As you wish." he smiled, but his eyes were troubled, like he knew something bad was coming. Something very bad and he knew exactly what it was.

"That's a line from a movie you dork." i complained, laying my head on his shoulder as we began walking again.

"i may be a dork," he agreed, slipping his hand into mine, "but im your dork."

Yeah, your my dork. (: