The Wolf of the Snow

I never mentioned my encounter with the Cullens to Sam. I already knew how he would react to that, and it wouldn't be good. So I kept quiet, and even when we were in our wolf forms, he was still in the dark, seeing as I could block my mind from the rest of the pack. Something that all three of them envied.

"I don't think I really wanna go." Sam sighed for the thousandth time, refering to Leah's welcome home party for her long lost cousin Emily. "I'v never met Emily, why should I care that she's coming to live here."

"Because it is important to your girlfriend." I retorted, "And since it's important to her, you should at least pretend to be pleasant about it."

Sam just groaned and rolled over on the couch to face the other way.

"Sometimes I swear that you are as bad as a teenage boy. You're in your twenties Samuel. You should be setting a better example for your pack."

"You're one to talk seeing as you ran away from yours." He suddenly bit.

I just stared at him open mouthed. We had never discussed my departure from my pack. Everyone knew that it was strictly a taboo subject. Sam was supposed to be my getaway. Someone that would never judge me for my past, even if he didn't exactly know anything about it. He was my happy place.

Sam had flipped back around, a look of shock on his handsome face, "Ahna, I didn't..."

But my faint growl, that rummbled angrily through my chest cut him off. I never growled at my pack. My teeth had bared themselves, almost of their own accored, and I could feel my Were's hackles raising.

Without a second thought I jumped up and raced out the door before I did something I would regret. I ran through the woods until I couldn't hold my wolf self in any longer, then I exploded into a mass of infuriated fur and teeth and took off at a much faster pace.

I ran until I was well out of Quilette territory then settled into a slow trot. Thoughts raced through my head at a mile a minute, Sam's words repeated themselves over and over as if to taunt me with the razor sharp truth that they held. I had ran away from my resposibilties to my pack. I had left them when they needed me the most. Left them in the hands of a complete stranger.

But I couldn't bring myself to go back. Something about this place held me, reluctant to let go.

I decided to do some hunting to clear my head. Some good phisical excercise was what I definitily needed at the moment.

And so I hunted. I stalked a herd of grazing deer for a long while, just enjoying my skills of stealth. They never knew that I was so close. I picked out the biggest buck in the herd, wanting a challenge, even if the challenge was a small one, it was something. As I pepared myself to pounce, something moving out of the corner of my eyes caught my attention. I glanced over to see the honey blonde vamp, er, Jasper I think his name was, crouched much like I was, ready to strike.

He obviously knew that I was there, I mean, how could he not? He eyed the deer, his eyes black with thirst, yet they also held the light of a challenge in them. He was craving the same thing that I was. Not blood, or the sweet taste of flesh, but the simple idea that brought the competitive spirt out in both of us. Who was fast enough to catch the first one?

I smiled to myself, crouching lower, accepting the challenge with a good natured, taunting growl.

The deer spooked, and we were off. We bolted forward with astounding speed, each trying to best the other. I was quickly gaining ground, pulling ahead by the tiniest bit. Closer and closer we got to the fleeing herd, and as I pepared the leap that would land me on the closest one, insuring my victory, Jasper beat me to it. With a tremendous jump, he sailed ahead of me, crashing into a doe at the back of the herd, sending them rolling until he had her pinned down and sucked her dry.

I, not wanting to be overly out done, launched myself at my original target, the giant buck, and broke its neck in my jaws. Then I dragged it over to Jaspers kill in a cheeky way as if to say, 'Mine's bigger'.

Japer's booming laugh filled the forest as he realised what I meant. It was infectious and soon my own barking laugh joined his.

"Sore looser." he teased.

I stuck my tongue out at him, which probably looked rediculous coming from a wolf.

He laughed again, which made me smile. This Jasper was so different than the one that I had met in the supermarket parking lot just weeks before. This Jasper had a fun, carefree feel to him, while before, he had given off the, I'm the protective, rip your head off, type. I prefered this Jasper much more.

He seemed to sense the way my thoughts were headed, which strengthend my emotion reading theory, and sobered up, looking at me with now golden colored eyes.

"You're the one we met in the parking lot." He said softly.

I nodded.

"What are you doing so far out of your own territory? I was told that Quilette wolves never travel far from home." He asked.

I sighed, shrugging and looking away. His question brought back what Sam had said, leaving me with a cold feeling in the pit of my chest.

"I'm sorry." He quickly realised that what he said had upset me, "It's none of my business, I shouldn't have asked."

I shrugged again and nudged him, trying to get my point across that it was ok, I wasn't upset with him.

He seemed to understand, for he smiled once again.

Then suddenly, and ear splitting howl filled the night air and Sam's anguished, yet oddly happy thoughts filled my head, "I imprinted on Leah's cousin!"

'Aww shit' I thought before glancing apologetically at Jasper, then taking off faster than a speeding bullet in the direction of my best friend.