You Are Beautiful ➴ J.C.

6.

Maia

"J-Jake, how is any of this possible?" I asked.

"Everything's going to be okay, I promise you, but I cannot explain this to you. Someone else has to do that," he said sighing in defeat.

"What? What do you mean by that?" I questioned.

He shook his head towards the boy sitting in front of me and my eyes landed on him again. He was so handsome. His eyes were warm, I could get lost in them forever. I don't know why I felt like this towards someone I hadn't even been introduced to yet. He didn't even know my name, but I just felt safe under his stare. Snap out of it Maia, this guy just turned into a freakishly large wolf in front of you. God, what the hell is going on with me? I continued staring back at the boy in hopes of some answers but all I got was:

"Uhh, I.. uhh" he stuttered out.

Paul and Sam laughed at him, but noticing my discomfort, Emily lightly smacked Sam on his chest and they both shut up.

Emily started to leave the room, with both the guys following behind her. "I'll be back honey, I'm gonna make you some tea," she called out.

Jake stepped forward and kissed my forehead. "Don't worry Maia, just hear him out for a sec," he said gesturing to the boy. I nodded up at him, still confused as to why I had to listen to this stranger. Jake left the room, leaving the two of us alone. The tension in the room was unreal, but I didn't feel scared with him, just slightly uncomfortable. I turned to him, I think his name is Jared and waited patiently for him to start talking.

"I'm Jared," he finally said introducing himself. I smiled back. "Yea, I'm Maia."

"How are you feeling, Maia?" he asked. A shiver ran through my body as I heard my name roll off his tongue. God, it was the sweetest sound I have ever heard. 

"Physically? Fine, just have a slight headache. Mentally? I'm utterly confused," I said looking up at him. Even with both of us sitting down, he still towered over me, but not in an intimidating way. His stance seemed much more protective than scary. 

"Are you a doctor or something? I continued. "Like a freaky wolf, magic doctor? Is that why Jake asked you to explain all of this to me after I just fainted?"

He chuckled at my questions, "No, I'm just a regular guy... who turns into a wolf when he gets pissed I guess."

"Why? How?" I asked.

"Do you um- remember hearing about the old Quileute legends?"

"Yea, um my dad told me about them once or twice when I was much younger. I think it was something about cold ones and spirit warriors," I said racking my brain for more information, "But, what does that have to do with any of this?"

He sighed deeply, "It has everything to do with this. It's our history, and it's real. They're true, they're all true."

"You can't be serious, so all of you can shift into wolves?" I asked, stunned.

"You saw for yourself, love," he replied. A blush crept to my cheeks at his term of endearment. I had never had this long of a conversation with a guy before. Most of the time, I kept to myself in high school, buried in books and music. No one was ever attracted to me. Those who were usually just wanted my help with homework or notecards. Other guys, who would come up to talk to me, were all scared off by Miles. No one had ever called me love. Hearing such a beautiful word from Jared's lips caused heat to rush all over my body. The feeling was indescribable. 

"All of us can shift, well except Emily. No girls are known to have phased yet. Some lucky members of the tribe got the gene passed down to them, and me and the boys are some of those lucky few."

"Can you-uh do anything else?" I asked.

"What? Like magic and stuff?" he laughed back. I nodded, completely serious.

He continued to chuckle at my innocence. "No, nothing like that. I mean we heal fast and run well. We also eat a ton, because we're constantly expelling energy. But, besides that nothing magical."

Still concentrated in my thoughts, I still couldn't help but wonder why Jake couldn't tell me all of this.

"Um-how... how come only you could explain this to me? I mean, why only you?"

His breath hitched in his throat at my question. Had I asked something wrong? There has to be a reason, right? 

"Maia, um-, there's something else that we can do, or are forced to do as wolves." I nodded eagerly for him to continue. "It's is called imprinting."

"Imprinting?"

"Yea, when a member from the pack imprints on someone, they become unconditionally bound to that person for the rest of their life. Um- when it happens, the person is basically pulled toward their imprint... like it's not gravity holding them down anymore it's that person. Everything you do, everything you are exists only for her. You would be anything for her, do anything to please her," he said looking straight into my eyes.

"You would be willing to be a brother, friend, lover, protector, anything. It's an everlasting bond, a bond of soul mates," he added.

He spoke about this as if he knew the feeling as if he was well-versed in the concept. I don't know why but the thought of him having an imprint pained my heart. I barely knew him, but I wanted to spend every waking second with him. What the hell is this feeling?

"Sounds beautiful," I said to him, "has anyone in this pack done that, you know, imprinted?"

"Yea-um, Sam on Emily and Quil, too," he responded.

"And you?" I pressed.

"I... I um" he started, but was cut off as Emily entered the room with a piping hot cup of tea.

"Here honey, drink this, it'll help with the nerves," she said handing me the mug.

" Jared, Sam is calling you in the other room," Emily told him.

He nodded and got up, but not before he turned around to me and asked, "Are you sure you're okay?"

I smiled and gave him a nod, "Yea-um just processing."

"It's okay Jared, go ahead, I'm with her if she needs anything," Emily said sitting down next to me. He nodded in gratitude and walked out. Why is he so concerned with my well-being?