Always have, always will.

Chapter 1. Baby imprint

Quil POV: 2006 (Claire two years old)

This was stupid. Why couldn't a bunch of super fast, strong and awesome werewolves catch one stinking vampire? We'd been hunting her for weeks on end, including extra patrolling that killed my sleeping pattern, and we still hadn't even had a bite of her. Normally we would have destroyed and burnt the stupid bloodsucker by now (we're amazing like that), but this redheaded idiot wasn't even letting us get a lead on her.

Not only that, but it was annoying the piss out of Jacob because she was going to hurt his precious, perfect Bella, so he was being extra bitchy lately. Whenever someone even thought about the redhead potentially getting into Forks, Jacob would attack them. I'm not talking about a playful nip and growl, but a full out murder attack. He nearly ripped out Paul's throat the other day (which, I had to admit, was pretty hilarious).

Embry and I finished off our five hour patrol and headed off to Sam and Emily's for one of her homemade muffins. Emily made the best food around and none of us guys were shy about eating it for her. I had only been a wolf for a month and I'd eaten more food during that time than I had during my fifteen years on earth. It was cool for me, but hard work for my poor mother and Emily.

Emily was cooking a load of food when we walked in, we offered to help, but Emily didn't like people to be in the kitchen with her, especially us because we ate it all before it actually got on the table. We were shooed into the living room, which was fine by me because I'd been itching to go in there from a mile away. It was like something was pulling me towards it, a gravitational pull...

It was probably just another quirk of being a werewolf. I found out a new thing about being a giant ass dog every day. Not all of them were good, let me tell you.

"Quil, Embry, these are Emily's nieces, Nora and Claire," Sam said when we walked into the living room.

A young girl with wild hair and looked around five, waved at us from the sofa and I smiled back. Sam pointed to someone else so I followed his gaze and saw an even younger girl sat on the floor colouring in a book. She had dark brown hair in a high ponytail and olive skin. At the sound of her name, she looked up and her hazel eyes connected with mine. Just like that, my life changed.

My love for my mother, Jake, Embry, all the other guys in the pack...they all shifted back and Claire was undoubtedly first. I was going to protect her, make sure nothing happened to her or made her sad...I was going to be her brother, her friend.

I distantly heard Embry mutter something along the lines of "what the fuck just happened," though I wasn't positive, I didn't care. All I wanted to do was join in with colouring the book Claire was scribbling at and tell her cheesy jokes to make her laugh. Emily's higher voice said something in the background, but it was so muffled that I couldn't hear it properly. It was like there was a piece of thick glass between us.

Just as I took a step towards Claire, I was shoved in the side so hard all the wind was knocked out of me. Gasping for air, I tripped over the dining chair and fell out of the front door and into the clearing of the front garden. Air began to enter my lungs again and I looked up to see Sam glaring at me with so much hate, I flinched.

"Phase, now."

Defying the Alpha command was impossible for any pack member, so I felt my body begin to shake and form until I was giant wolf in the middle of Emily Young's front yard. Seconds later, Sam phased too, baring his sharp teeth threateningly at me and hunching his back like he was ready to attack. I watched in confusion as his body visibly relaxed, his teeth disappeared behind his lips and his ears fell back against his head.

Then I realized—well, heard—why he had been acting so weird.

Fucking hell, Sam, I'm not a pervert, you idiot! I screamed through the mind link, feeling revolted.

I-I'm sorry, Quil. I never thought you were—

Clearly, you did or you wouldn't have acted like that! I'm not some sick bastard, Sam! I just want to protect her and keep her safe! God, Sam.

Sam reverted back to his human form and rushed off into the woods for a moment, coming back with two pairs of cut-off pants. I phased back after a minute, still quite angry that Sam had thought I had romantic feelings for Claire.

Ew, I was going to be sick.

"I'm sorry, Quil," Sam apologized as I hopped into the cream coloured pants. "I just didn't know what to think...it the first one…"

"I'd never hurt her, Sam," I replied strongly. Hurting her would kill me. "It's nothing like you and Emily."

"I know that now," Sam nodded, slapping me on the back. "Sorry."

I shrugged, still hurt that he would think that about me when he had been in my mind for a month. When I walked into the living room again, Embry sent me a confused look and then turned his attention to Sam. Sam immediately went over and I could hear him muttering about what had happened, how I felt and what kind of imprint it was.

"Mate, I thought we'd have to lock you up in the basement or something," Embry chuckled, punching me in the arm.

I grinned back, but I wanted to see Claire so it came out as more a grimace. Embry went off to tell the pack of what had happened, anyway, so I left to walk over to Claire, who was now colouring in a horse purple.

"That's a cool horse," I said softly, bending down onto my knees so I wasn't towering over her tiny figure.

Claire looked up from her book and smiled at me, showing off a set of not yet fully grown white teeth. "Tanks," she beamed proudly. "Claire," she said, holding her hand out like an adult.

I sniggered and shook it, only three fingers fit in her grip. "Quil."

"Qwil," she replied. Smiling, she handed me the yellow crayon and pointed at the sun with a stern look. "Neat," she demanded.

I fell forward onto my stomach and began to colour in straight away. Her commands were almost as hard to ignore as Sam's. I would have done anything she asked, even jump of the Eiffel Tower as long as it made her happy.

We had finished the picture by the time Emily had done her sandwiches. Claire put her arms in the air and wiggled them when I got to my feet, acting on instinct, I bent down and picked her up to rest on my hip. This seemed to be right as Claire clapped her hands and giggling brightly. Emily eyed me curiously as I settled onto the dining table with Claire on my lap. When I caught her eyes she blushed bright red and looked away, busying herself with setting out the cookies in a perfect circle. Sam sent me a look as if to say 'she's confused' over her shoulder before dropping a kiss on her scarred cheek.

Gently and carefully, I ripped off small pieces of the sandwich and handed them to Claire to chew on. Emily animatedly talked with Sam, trying to act normal I supposed, but I didn't miss the glances she cast me from the corner of her eyes.

After eating, I settled down onto the sofa with Claire by my side to watch some kid program on the television. An hour later, Claire climbed into my lap and rested her head on my chest, so I wrapped my arms around her to keep her propped up safely. She fell asleep minutes later.

It was unbelievable to think I had thought the most exciting thing that was going to happen today was Embry and Paul having a farting contest.

Thoughts?

My new Quil and Claire story! Hope you like it! I love feedback so tell me what you think!

-Laylax