The Wolf of the Snow

I ran as fast as I could toward where I knew Sam was headed. Trees were flying by in a blurr, my feet barely touched the ground. I knew I was getting close to him. His thoughts were chaotic, jumping from frantic and guilty to overly happy and excited. Both had a tinge of nervousness in them.

Then suddenly his thoughts changed to ones of pain and annoyance as something ran right into him. I was so caught up in his thoughts that it took me awhile to realise that I had been the one to knock him off of his feet and that we were both now sprawled out on the dirt floor slightly winded.

'Way to pay attention Ahna.' Paul snickered.

I shot him a glare as I stood back up and shook out my white fur, making sure that some of the mud clinging to me hit him right in the face. He jumped back, yelping in surprise.

'What the?' Paul started, but Sam silenced him with a quick, 'Shut it!' a whine/growl in his voice.

'What happened Sam?' I asked even though I could see it clearly in his thoughts. I could see him talking to Leah, then suddenly her front door opened, and out walked the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. She looked at him, and thats when it happened. His whole world disappeared except for her. She was the only thing that kept him grounded. She almost seemed to glow with a special kind of beauty that only Sam could see.

He had definitely imprinted.

'I don't know!' he answered my unnecessary questioned. 'I think I imprinted. I mean, the way you descibed it, it feels about right.'

'You imprinted.' I comfirmed, 'I may have never experienced it, but I'v seen it happen enough to know the signs.'

Sam sighed. 'Leah introduced us when she came out. I didn't know what to do. I panicked and ran.'

'Well, what ever you do, you can't ignore an imprint. It will hurt you both.' I informed.

Sam bowed his head, 'I don't want to hurt Leah. I mean, her cousin? Really? But Emily is just...my everything.'

I could feel Paul roll his eyes. I looked over at him 'why don't you go tell Jarred what's going on, seeing as he didn't answer Sam's call.'

Paul grunted, 'He's probably sleeping.' But he walked off, and soon we could no longer feel his mind's presance.

Sam looked at me, guilt spreading through him, 'Ahna, I am so very sorry about earlier.'

I shook my head, 'don't worry about it. Really.'

'I should never had said that..'

'Sam.' I interupted, 'It's ok, just let it go.'

He huphed, but dropped it. 'I don't know what to do about Leah.'

'You'll have to break up with her.'

He looked at me shocked.

'I've seen this before. Wolf has girlfriend, wolf didn't imprint on girlfriend, then imprinted on someone else, but tried to keep his old relationship going. All three suffered a great deal for it. He went insane. Tried to even kill himself. I don't want that to happen to you. It's better for everyone if you just end it. Before you all get hurt.' I said softly, knowing how hard this would be for him.

He remained silent, deep in thought.

'I'll give you some privacy.' I nudged him, then withdrew my mind into my self, shielding him from my thoughts, and vice versa and silently disappeared deeper into the forest.

I walked a long way, deep in thought. I wasn't lying when I said that I had seen that before. It had happened to me. A long time ago, before I had first shifted. I had been in a long relationship, going on two years. He turned first, and imprinted on my best friend. It hurt, but I knew that it wasn't something that he could help. We still remained good friends. He even became my beta when I took over as alpha.

I hadn't realised how far I walked until my feet hit icie water. I looked down to see a wide river at my feet, stretching out before me.

Then suddenly, I heared a vicious growl. My head snapped up, my fur bristling as my eyes landed on a grizzled grey werewolf standing on the other side, staring straight at me, standing statue still.

I could sense that he was old. Very old. He looked kind of ill. He stood almost lopsided, foam flecked his lips.

'Can Weres go rabid?' I thought to myself. I had never heared of anything like this sickness that this poor wolf seemed to have.

'Are you alright?' I tried to reach him with my mind, but as my mind touched his, he jerked back, walls immediately going up, a growl deep in his throat. The only thing that I could get from his mind was that he was in pain. A lot of pain.

Then, without warning, he launched himself over the river, straight towards me. I quickly ducked out of his way, causing him to land awkwardly, nearly loosing his balance in the prosses, yet still snapping his jaws at me, trying desperately to sink his teeth into flesh.

I jumped out of the way of his teeth, not sure if his illness was contagious, but not willing to risk it in the slightest.

I bared my teeth at the old timer in warning. I didn't want to hurt him. I got the impression that he didn't exactly know what he was doing. Why else would he take on an alpha? I mean, I may no longer lead a pack, but an alpha is born, not made. Even a new Were could tell an alpha from a regular shifter from a mile away.

He lunged once again, this time missing me by a good yard, confusion forming of his face before he redirected and actually managed to slam into me, saliva dripping from his jaws.

I landed in a huff, his slender frame betraying his weight. I could feel his strength, it was unnatural. No Were, healthy or sick should have that much power. I pushed him off of me, standing quickly, all remorse for this man gone in a flash of anger.

I dove for him, something he hadn't seemed to expect, and took him down, my lethal fangs firmly gripping his scruff. We rolled over and over, locked in a ferocious battle. He was stronger than me, that was for sure, but half the time, he didn't seem to know what he was doing, which brought back my feelings of guilt. He was sick. He didn't know what was going on.

But then I felt his teeth sink deep into the base of my neck, narrowly missing my jugular. I jerked away with a painfilled yelp before hitting him hard on the head with a well aimed kick, putting all of the power that I posessed into that strike.

He stumbled, fell, got up shakily, nearly fell again, then stumbled off, disappearing as quickly as he has showed up.

'What the fuck was that!?' I yelled in my head, then brought my attention to my still bleeding wound in worry.

It wasn't healing. Why wasn't it healing? The only wounds that didn't heal were wounds from alpha's fighting for dominence. This clearly wasn't the case. He was no where near alpha status.

In a panic I searched desperately for Sam's mind, hoping that he was still phased. Of course he wasn't. I was closer to vampire territory than I was mine, but would they be able to help me? Carlise was a doctor, but what would he know about this?

'Why isn't it healing!?!' I screamed once more in my head, starting to truly panic.

I tilted my head up and howled to the heavens, somehow willing it to reach Sam's ears, or even Paul or jarred's, yet knowing I was well out of reach. I never should have left Quilette territory.

I felt my blood running down my side and left forarm, matting in my fur, making it uncomfortably sticky. I howled desperitely once more time, before attempting to run back to Sam's.

Running made me dizzy from loosing so much blood, so I was forced to walk. Until I heard footsteps running behind me.

I whipped around, preparing myself for yet another fight, yet knowing that I wouldn't survive another battle, when Jasper emerged from the trees, worry on his face, followed closely by the rest of his family, some of whom I did not recognize.

"We heared fighting, then a howl.?" Carlisle stated with a slight question hidden in.

I was panting, blood hit the ground and the coven leader had a look of horror on his face.

"Come back to our house. I can help you, and you can tell us what happened." He almost demanded, which I understood. Whatever hurt me could very well be a threat to his family also.

I nodded and stumbled after them.