As soon as they made eye contact Nina felt her entire world shift off balance, it was like all the things that had mattered to her before this moment she had no need of anymore. The only thing she needed was this man sanding before her. He was what...
Sunday morning Nina awoke with a smile on her face. She didn't understand this magnetic pull she had with Charlie Swan but she had never felt more in tuned with a person before.
She got out of bed and jumped in the shower before getting dressed for the day, her father was going to take her to talk with the elders about what was happening to her so she decided to just dress casual, then she went into the kitchen and began preparing breakfast for everyone.
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She was just finishing up with breakfast when Billy and Jacob arrived in the kitchen.
"Wow, it's nice waking up to a warm breakfast in the morning again, instead of something quick or burnt." Jacob commented as he sat down and began fixing himself a plate of food.
"This all looks delicious honey, thank you for breakfast," Billy said as he also began fixing himself a plate, "I hope you haven't made any plans today, don't forget we've already got plans." He reminded her.
"I know Daddy, I haven't forgotten, I've planned on spending the whole day with you." She said as she too sat down with the family and began fixing her own plate, "And what about you bubba, what are your plans today?"
Jake looked up from stuffing his face and grinned at her, it had been a long time since she called him bubba, "I mwahhhph hmph belph gaphth"
Nina and Billy grimaced, "Eww Jake, swallow your food first then start talking."
Jacob gave them a sheepish look and swallowed before opening his moth once again, "I said I'm going to be spending the day with Bella. She found some old dirt bikes from a junk yard and want s me to help her fix them up so we can ride them."
Nina gave her little brother a worried look, "Does Charlie know that she is doing this, I'm not too sure he would be okay with his daughter endangering herself like that, especially with how accident prone she is."
Jacob groaned in annoyance, "Ugh God, Nina don't be such a mom, we'll be okay. I'll watch out for your future step- daughter." He teased, causing Nina to blush and Billy and Jake laughed at her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~C.S&N.B~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nina and Billy left shortly after breakfast and headed over to Harry Clearwater's house where the tribe council had planned on meeting. They were the last to arrive, everyone else having come for breakfast. Billy rolled right in without so much as knocking and Nina followed close behind.
As soon as they came into the room all conversation stopped and all eyes turned to stare at Nina. Most were looking on was curiosity and wonder, the rest were with skepticism.
Billy rolled further into the room and addressed them, "Good morning all, I believe you all remember my eldest daughter Ninova."
Sue and Harry Clearwater smiled pleasantly at her while old Quil and the others just gave her small nods of acknowledgement.
"Now we all know the reason for coming here. Something... unpredictable has happened. Nina, would you like to explain what happened to you." Billy motioned her forward.
Nina moved slowly to the center of the room, "I know what the legends say, that our inner wolf comes out when the cold ones are near to protect our tribe." She started speaking as every eye in the room turned to watch her. "There was a man at my job in New York, his name was Harold, he had just started working and almost immediately he had everyone in the office entranced by him. He rose to the top of the workforce within the month. I always got a strange vibe from him and tried to stay as far away from him as possible. But his office was right next to mine, and he became somewhat infatuated with me. Within two weeks of being so close to him everyday I was being to feel ill and at the end of the month I was very sick. Still, I tried my very hardest to come to work every day."
By this time she could tell she had everyone at the edge of their seat, even old Quil, "By the time the second month was over, the doctor had me on bed rest and I was so sick I could barely move. The night before it happened, he stopped my apartment to wish me good heath, the way he spoke though, it was almost as if he knew what was happening to me; that morning, my boss called me and told me that I had missed too many days of work, that they were going to have to let me go and were giving Harold my spot. After I heard that I exploded in anger and the next thing I new I was a giant wolf standing in the middle of my living room."
Everyone was staring at her in awe, even her father, "This is extraordinary, there has never been a female wolf shifter in our history. I researched all night after Billy called me but could find no record of one." Old Quil stated.
Sue Clearwater spoke up, "Could it possibly be some kind of defense mechanism? She was all alone with no other tribe members around to protect her, and with her in such close proximity to a cold one her body took steps to protect her, itself."
They discussed and thought about what Sue said and determined that it was probably the cause of her shifting. But with that answer rose a whole new set of problems. When one of their children left the reservation there was a possibility that the same situation would happen to them.
Billy spoke up once more, "There is one more thing to discuss. Yesterday evening, Nina imprinted... on Charlie Swan."
Once again everyone was looking on in surprise, including Nina. "What's imprinting?" she asked nervously, is that what that feeling was that she got around Charlie?
The council looked at her in disappointment, "Now don't tell me you've forgotten the stories we used to tell you kids at the bon fires, about the third wife." Harry admonished
Nina sat there and thought about the story he was talking about, she was having a hard time remembering though, but it was coming back to her in pieces. Her eyes widened, "Oh so Charlie Swan is to me what the third wife was to our ancestor? He's my soul mate!"
Everyone in the room smiled at her and nodded. They were glad that she wouldn't be alone, and they were glad to know that female shifters also had imprints.
"Well you're not the only shifter, Sam Uley shifted about two years ago, and Jared Cameron and Paul Lahote a year later. The only question is who will be alpha?" Old Quil stated.
Billy smirked, "I have no doubt that Sam Uley will bow to her power, she's a black, the rightful alpha." Then he turned to his daughter, "So when will you be explaining all this to Charlie?"
