Nessie's POV

Chapter 1 (Imprinting)

"Nessie?" I immediately recognized the familiar husky voice. There were 3 knocks on my door. "Can you open the door?"

"Hold on!" I got up from my bed, and put my robe around me in a short swift movement. I headed to the door, opened it, and threw my arms around Jake.

"Good Morning to you too, Nessie." He hugged me back, and kissed my hair. I looked up, and saw him smiling.

"Can I know why you were rushing me?" I asked him, smiling almost as wide.

"Your parents went hunting last night. Carlisle called me this morning and asked if I could come to the cottage. Said he didn't want you to be alone. If you don't want my company, though, I can always leave you-"

"No! Why would you think that?" He chuckled at my response to his words.

"I don't know. You're not sick of me?"

"Not one bit." I shook my head, and he laughed again.

"How about you get dressed, and I'll wait for you outside?"

"Okay." I let go of him, but didn't close the door just yet. "Exactly what are we going to be doing today?"

"Whatever you want." He shrugged.

"Can we go to the mall?" I asked him.

"Why?" I pressed my hand gently to his cheek.

I want to see Aaron again.

I let my hand slide down his cheek, until he grabbed it.

"I should say no. If Edward finds out that I took you to see him-"

"He wont. I'll be careful with my thoughts around him, and so will you."

"If it makes you happy."

He dropped my hand, turned around, and ran out of the house. Well, what was his problem? And since when did he care so much about following all the rules my dad gave us? We always broke them anyways. Partners in crime.

I changed into jean shorts, with a brown camisole, and gold gladiator shoes. I headed out of my room, and went to the front door. I opened it slowly, and saw Jake standing 10 feet away from it, facing the opposite way.

"Let's go." I waited for him to turn, but seeing that he didn't I went to where he was and got his hand. As soon as I did this, he looked at my face, and everything I had seen before in his eyes was gone. The happiness, the joy, and the excitement now turned into torment, depression, and indifference. "Jake, what's wrong?"

"Can we go for a walk before the mall?"

"Sure… As long as you answer my question."

"It'll answer itself." He ran, with my hand in his and it didn't take long for me to catch up. We were deep into the forest when he stopped and once again, faced away from me. "I've told you most of the things I know about werewolves. I've just been hiding one of them."

"Purposely?" I asked, confused. What could he be talking about?

"Yes," his voice almost sounded like he was hurt.

"Jake, what's wrong?" I repeated myself.

"Imprinting is-"

"A form of rapid learning very early in an animal's social development that results in strong behavioral patterns of attraction to members of its own species." This made him turn around, giving me a questioning look. "Carlisle taught it to me." He nodded slowly.

"Did you know that we, werewolves, imprint?"

"No." That had gotten me off guard.

"It has… sort of a different meaning to us, though." He paused.

"What is it?"

"To us, it's when we find our soul mates. Those who were made exactly for us in the world. Our perfect match." He started slowing down. "The person we can't live without. Our true love."

"Okay… Should I know why you're telling me this?"

"Nessie, I love you."

"I love you, too, Jake. You know that. Sorry if I've never-"

"No, Nessie. I'm in love with you. You're my perfect match. My soul mate."

I didn't know whether I should run, to leave the place where I was frozen still, or tell him I didn't feel the same way. I didn't know which would hurt him more, but I knew that if they hurt him, they would definitely hurt me. I couldn't lie, either. I didn't want to give him illusions of something that I wasn't capable of putting together in my mind.

He sighed, and it was then that I realized my eyes were shut closed. I snapped them open and saw him staring at me.

"You don't have to answer me now. I know you don't feel the same way yet. I shouldn't have said anything. Don't feel awkward around me just because you know now. Kind of impossible, right? Yeah… Sorry. I just couldn't handle you wanting to see Aaron again. I- I can't bear it."

"Shhh!" His voice was interrupting my thoughts and as much as I loved to hear it, now I didn't. "You said 'yet'. What does that mean? Is it that I have no other option but to love you the way you love me?"

"No- well, sort of. It's hard to explain, Nessie. Again, I shouldn't have said anything. I should keep my big mouth closed. I'll take you to see him. If that makes you happy, I will. Making you happy is what I live for."

"Jacob, just shut up for a second!" I thought about what I could do now. I couldn't just ignore the fact that my best friend is in love with me. I wouldn't be able to act the same around him. I couldn't go to my mom because she wasn't here. I absolutely wasn't gonna go see Aaron now because he was the last person on my mind.

"Nessie?" Jake asked. I shushed him again.

Finally, I sighed.

"Look, Jake-"

"I know, I know. You see me as your big brother. Always there to protect you. Always there when you need help. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind being here for you. I love that, but that's all I am for you. For now."

"Can you please stop with that?" He gave me a puzzled look. "The whole"- I made air quotations-"yet and for now. We're talking about the present, not the future."

"It's the same thing if your future is with me."

"Ugh! I wish you wouldn't have told me anything!" Then I saw what flashed across his face as I said this. Not surprise- but pain. An immense amount of it. Then, the pain got to me, and my heart felt like it would crumble into pieces. Before I knew it, I was sobbing. Two strong arms wrapped around me without any effort, and Jake cradled me to his chest.

"Nessie, don't cry. Please, please, please, don't cry," he begged. His voice was very soothing.

"Jake"- sob -"I'm sorry."- sob -"I don't mean"- sob -"it. I love"- sob -"you, too." It wasn't completely a lie, because I did love him, and that love was growing stronger now.

"You don't have to comfort me, Nessie."

"Damn it, Jake!" I looked up at him now. I was about to say that I wasn't doing it because of him, but I would be lying. "I'm doing it for me."

"What?"

"Just… forget it."

"I can't forget that you said you love me."

"Would you rather pretend I don't exist?" I asked him.

"No." It was almost a cry. A plead.

"Okay, then." I noticed again that he was carrying me. "Can you put me down please?" He looked torn between his two options. I knew he would put me down because he always gave me what I wanted. He leaned into my face, and I braced myself. I thought about jumping off but that might hurt his feelings more. I wasn't prepared for what he was going to do. I have never had a first kiss, and it didn't feel right now. It was just-

"Do me a favor, and slow down your heart rate. It feels like it's about to pop out of your chest."

Well, I thought, I might as well make a joke out of it.

"It's because I'm so close to you, my oh-so-charming Jake." I giggled, and with that, he set me on my feet.

Jacob's POV

Chapter 1 (Feelings)

Maybe she's sleeping. I'm not going to wake her up- no but Carlisle told me to keep an eye on her. Exactly just keep an eye. He didn't say to wake her up. But I want to see her.

I argued with myself as I ran to Edward and Bella's cottage. They had gone on a hunting trip, and Carlisle called me earlier and said to go to the cottage and 'keep an eye on her'. I now stood in front of the door, took a deep breath and called her name. There was no movement inside, so I knocked 3 times.

"Can you open the door?" I asked her. I heard her heart beats change, and I knew she was awake now.

"Hold on!" She yelled back at me, like if I couldn't hear her. I chuckled silently. In less than 2 seconds the door was open, and Nessie's arms were wrapped around me.

"Good Morning to you, too, Nessie."

She looked up at my face, and I smiled. She did so, too, beating me by a bit.

"Can I know why you were rushing me?" Her voice was almost as beautiful as she looked.

"Your parents went hunting last night. Carlisle called me this morning and asked if I could come to the cottage. Said he didn't want you to be alone. If you don't want my company, though, I can always leave you-"

"No! Why would you think that?" I chuckled because she didn't know how much repulse I felt by just saying the words 'leave you'.

"I don't know. You're not sick of me?"

"Not one bit." She shook her head, smiling widely, and I laughed again.

"How about you get dressed, and I'll wait for you outside?"

"Okay." She let go of me, and turned but didn't close the door. "Exactly what are we going to be doing today?"

"Whatever you want," I shrugged.

"Can we go to the mall?" She asked me, anxiously.

"Why?"

She pressed her hand lightly on my cheek.

I want to see Aaron again.

That clouded my thoughts and the sight of his name I imagined a hundred ways I could torture him to death if he ever placed one finger on my Nessie.

She let her hand slide down my cheek, but I caught it before it would flop to her side.

"I should say no. If Edward finds out that I took you to see him-"

"He wont. I'll be careful with my thoughts around him, and so will you."

"If it makes you happy."

I dropped her hand, and ran out of the house. I couldn't see Aaron. If I saw him, I would attack him for sure, and I don't think that the pedestrians in the mall would enjoy seeing a huge russet colored wolf snatching a mere human into pieces. Seeing him ripped into shreds by me looked better and better, but then I saw Nessie crying in a corner. She wouldn't forgive me. She was more interested in that stupid, immature, weak, human boy. I didn't blame her. I couldn't. After all, he was human, and she had inherited many things from Edward, but her stubbornness and determination are from Bella.

"Let's go."

She interrupted my thoughts, but I couldn't face her now. I didn't know what my face was showing. It was then that she got my hand and I couldn't ignore the feelings that arise when she touches me. I turned, and looked at her face.

"Jake, what's wrong?"

"Can we go for a walk before the mall?" I asked her. I wasn't sure when I had decided to tell her. I think that I didn't decide anything, but I asked her to come with me and she needed to hear something.

"Sure… As long as you answer my question," she agreed.

"It'll answer itself."

I lead her to into the woods, a place we rarely came, unless hunting, and faced away from her.

"I've told you most of the things I know about werewolves. I've just been hiding one of them."

"Purposely?" She asked me.

"Yes."

"Jake, what's wrong?" She asked again, and I couldn't take it anymore.

"Imprinting is-"

"A form of rapid learning very early in an animal's social development that results in strong behavioral patterns of attraction to members of its own species." I turned around and she explained. "Carlisle taught it to me." I nodded slowly.

"Did you know that we, werewolves, imprint?"

"No." She looked surprised.

"It has… sort of a different meaning to us, though." I paused.

"What is it?" Curiosity- another one of Bella's traits.

"To us, it's when we find our soul mates. Those who were made exactly for us in the world. Our perfect match." I slowed down to see if she knew that I was talking about her. "The person we can't live without. Our true love."

"Okay… Should I know why you're telling me this?"

"Nessie, I love you."

"I love you, too, Jake. You know that. Sorry if I've never-"

"No, Nessie. I'm in love with you. You're my perfect match. My soul mate."

She was frozen still, closed her eyes and looked more vampire than she ever has. I sighed, and she snapped her eyes open.

"You don't have to answer me now. I know you don't feel the same way yet. I shouldn't have said anything. Don't feel awkward around me just because you know now. Kind of impossible, right? Yeah… Sorry. I just couldn't handle you wanting to see Aaron again. I- I can't bear it."

She shushed me and the little crease between her eyebrows appeared. She was deep in thinking mode.

"You said 'yet'. What does that mean? Is it that I have no other option but to love you the way you love me?"

"No- well, sort of. It's hard to explain, Nessie. Again, I shouldn't have said anything. I should keep my big mouth closed. I'll take you to see him. If that makes you happy, I will. Making you happy is what I live for."

"Jacob, just shut up for a second!"

I shut up like she told me to, but she didn't speak for a long time and I got impatient.

"Nessie?" She shushed me again before I could say anything else.

Then, she sighed.

"Look, Jake-"

"I know, I know. You see me as your big brother. Always there to protect you. Always there when you need help. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind being here for you. I love that, but that's all I am for you. For now."

"Can you please stop with that?" I gave her a questioning look. "The whole"- she did air quotations-"yet and for now. We're talking about the present, not the future."

"It's the same thing if your future is with me."

"Ugh! I wish you wouldn't have told me anything!"

I'm sorry, I wanted to say. I know I shouldn't have told you anything.

My face went somber, and it changed her face, too. Almost a reflection of mine. I didn't expect for her to start sobbing like she did and I didn't care if I was hurt all that mattered was that she didn't have a smile on her face so I rushed over to her and carried her in my arms.

"Nessie, don't cry. Please, please, please, don't cry," I begged her.

"Jake"- sob -"I'm sorry."- sob -"I don't mean"- sob -"it. I love"- sob -"you, too."

"You don't have to comfort me, Nessie."

"Damn it, Jake!" She looked up at me. "I'm doing it for me."

"What?"

"Just… forget it."

"I can't forget that you said you love me."

"Would you rather pretend I don't exist?" She asked me.

"No." A low plead escaped my lips.

"Okay, then. Can you put me down please?"

I leaned into her face, just to see what she would do, even though I knew I was probably pushing my so called 'luck'. Her heart flew, and I realized she thought I was going to kiss her. It was comical.

"Do me a favor, and slow down your heart rate. It feels like it's about to pop out of your chest," I told her.

"It's because I'm so close to you, my oh-so-charming Jake."

She giggled and I set her on her feet. As much as I wish that statement was true, I knew it wasn't. Not yet.