Tides Changing

Chapter 4

Lily was stunned. She didn't think this had happened before, but needed to ask Sam. The first priority was getting Paul to phase back and apologize for hitting him.

"Lily?" Jared looked at the girl who was becoming his sister and would now become pack.

"I'm okay, Jared. I'm just stunned and maybe a little confused." Lily looked at him.

"Why don't you go inside with Emily and we'll get Paul back to himself."

Lily looked at the silver wolf one more time before turning to go into the house. She sat down on the couch, noticing the game had come back on, but no longer caring. She couldn't help but wonder if Paul had imprinted on her before and hid it from her. And if he had, why?

"You okay, sweetie?" Emily handed Lily a glass of water and sat beside her.

"I'm fine." She ran her finger over the rim of her water glass.

"Sam will explain everything, Lily. Trust me, it will all work out."

The two of them looked up as the three of them came back in. Lily wanted to do or say something, but waited. Emily got up and walked to Sam as Jared sat in the chair Lily had previously occupied.

Paul walked over to her and sat in front of her on the coffee table. "Are you okay?"

Lily looked up at him and met his gaze, feeling a jolt when their eyes met. "Yeah, confused, but otherwise okay." She reached her hand out and gently touched his cheek. "Are you okay? I'm sorry I smacked you."

"I'm fine." He smiled slightly and brought his hand up to hers.

"Lily, I think we need to explain some things to you." Sam started as he watched his newly imprinted brother.

Lily listened intently to everything Sam told her, including everything about imprinting.

"So what you're saying is Paul imprinted on me?"

Paul answered, "Yes. It means I'll be whatever you need me to be."

Lily cocked her head to the side as she scrutinized him. "What if I want someone who will love me for the rest of my life? Someone who wants a family and will raise babies with me?"

"Is that what you want?"

"What do you want?" Lily turned the tables on him. She knew he'd had a hard life, but wasn't sure if he had ever wanted to have a family or fall in love. "Not the wolf or the imprint. What do you, the man, want?"

Paul grinned. "I want what Sam and Emily have. Kids would be a bonus."

"I want all of that too. I think we can have it, Paul." She grinned at him, "Despite your shitty taste in football teams, I accept the imprint."

Paul laughed and hugged her to him. "I'll make you happy, Lily. It won't always be sunshine and roses, but it'll be full of love."

Unable to stop herself, Lily leaned up and pressed her lips to his in a soft kiss. When she pulled back, he was wearing that smirk she was so familiar with.

A week after the imprint, Old Quil and Sam were waiting for her in her driveway when she got home from school. When she exited her truck, they followed suit.

"Ah, Young Swan, we need to discuss some things. I believe you also had some questions."

"Do you want to come in?" Lily gestured toward her house.

"No. We must go to a sacred place so thoughts can be hidden."

Lily nodded and climbed into Sam's truck, scooting to the middle and making room for the shaman. Sam drove back toward the reservation, but turned down a side road just before he got there. The terrain was rough and they bounced in the cab of the truck. Finally, he pulled to a stop and the three of them walked to a circle where Lily could tell a fire had burned before.

"Sit," Old Quil pointed the pair of them to a log as he sat on another. "I will tell a story first and then answer your questions."

The old man weaved a tale of happier times for the Quileute tribe, full of prosperity and hope. Then the 'cold ones' came, destroying that peace. When Taha Aki joined with the wolf, peace began again. Unfortunately, their enemies did not stay away. Ephraim Black saw they were different from their legends and wanted to keep the peace. As the years flew by, the legends became watered down until the truth was buried in old scrolls.

"My vision quest showed me a better way, but we need to break with the 'cold ones', as they are what has caused the young men in our tribe to phase once more. You are the key to that, little one; you and our Alpha. The Black boy will never become Alpha, he will not have the wherewithal to lead when the time comes. There is a battle on our horizon and your knowledge of the enemy will help.

"Samuel's vision quest was needed to get us on the correct path to making our tribe prosperous once again. And also to save lives." Old Quil finished his tale and looked at Lily and Sam, waiting for their questions.

"Did Paul imprint on me in the other time?"

"Yes, but he was too angry to give into it. You were never supposed to be exiled the way you were. Paul was so angry about your devotion to the vampire his heart simply wouldn't let him accept you. His is one of the lives which needed to be saved."

"Are the Cullens still going to return?"

"Yes. Your future will disappear for the seer, but instead of only one returning, all will come at once. They will be here by the new year."

Sam looked at Lily and then to the elder. "Will the same ones still phase?"

"You ask about Leah? Yes, they will all phase. Leah's phase was written in the scrolls. She will be the lone female wolf, none before her and none after. The animosity between you two will be eased by her phase and erased once she imprints."

"Who is her imprint?"

"Ah, that is still to be determined. There are two possibilities."

"The two vampires after Lily..." Sam looked at her and then back to the old man.

"They will still come. One in the next week or so, the other after the Cullens return." Old Quil sighed, "Any other questions? Lily's mate grows anxious."

"When we are in wolf form, will the others ever know Lily and I changed things?"

"No, and they will never be told. Things will not be as they were this time, so therefore you no longer have the gift of foresight. You have already changed what was needed." Old Quil stood as Sam and Lily followed him back to the truck.