Zahra

A set of keys falls into my hands, and I look back up at the deep brown eyes boring into my own. My heart races, and I feel myself sway, the thick air pushing me towards him. I feel him radiating electricity, being close enough to feel the current through my hoodie and jeans. I can't speak, nor can I breathe properly, tucking the keys into my pocket, I take a small step back.

Seth and Leah are speaking in hushed tones behind me, and I see the man before me look up at them, seeming like he had to force himself to look away from me. The moonlight catches his face, and I see what can only be described as true beauty.

He's got russet skin, that stretches widely over strong muscles that are having a hard time staying in the solid black v-neck he's wearing. He's got chiseled features, a strong jaw, and a nose that looks like it was modeled after Adonis. His eyes are the color of freshly brewed coffee, and are framed by lashes darker than the waters of First Beach. And his lips, my god his lips. They're plump, and angled in a perfect cupids bow. As he speaks, I can see two rows of teeth so white, they could light up the darkest of nights without a problem.

The three of them are speaking low and fast, and it sounds like they're arguing, so I walk towards the water, not really wanting to be apart of anything that goes on between them.

They're known this mystery man for years, obviously. I'm just a tiny stranger that doesn't really deserve to be in the presence of three friends. Even if they are fighting.

I find a large driftwood tree, just at the water's edge, low enough to the ground that the waves of the ocean have lapped up the side of it, making the wood whiter than bone.

Deciding this was where I wanted to sit, I pull off my destroyed converse, and stuff my socks into them, before folding up the hem of my jeans. I let my feet drift slowly to the freezing water, and let it rush over my toes, loving the icy feel of it as it makes its way to my ankles and up my calves.

It's nice being alone like this, even if I'm not really alone. Staring out over the dark water, watching the way the moon ripples in it's currents. The way the cliffs loom overhead, like giants, watching over the land beneath them.

When my toes feel like they're going to fall off, I pull them towards me, turning completely so that my back leans against the tangled roots and I can rest my frigid feet on the trunk of the long tree. My eyes never leave the soft waves, admiring the way they make the gravel of the beach shine, and disappear without a trace.

I love the way the water makes everything around it beautiful.

It's not long before I stare out at the forest on top of the cliffs, the deep green of the pine trees and oak leaves shining in the moonlight. Everything in La Push is so devastatingly gorgeous I can barely contain myself. I just want to run, to run and never look back because even though everything around me is nothing but darkness, these little things bring me the smallest amount of joy. It may only be a little bit, but it's enough to make me think that there's more happiness out there.

"Hey, Zahra," I hear Leah say, but don't turn to face her. "You doing okay?"

I nod, letting my eyes graze over the sky, seeing millions and millions of stars speckle the black velvet night. "Yeah, everything is just so pretty, you know? I wish everything was pretty like this."

Leah chuckles. "Yeah, First Beach is really nice when it's dark. Everything looks really surreal, right?"

"That's exactly what I was thinking." I whisper.

"Look, we want to introduce you to our friend." Leah nearly chokes on the last word, and I look up at her, seeing anger flit across her features quickly before she recovers herself.

"Nah, it's okay. I don't want you mad over it. If you don't want me to meet him, I won't. I just really didn't want him to drive." I look back down, just as the waves pull away from my makeshift bench, leaving a misty foam.

"No, really. Come meet him. I'm mad because he almost went driving. I'm glad you stopped him."

Leah is lying through her teeth, and I can tell; but it isn't about the drinking and driving, of that I'm sure. What on earth could she be lying about, though? It's like something is keeping her from telling me what's really bothering her, she's always trusted me... Why is she keeping secrets?

"Fine. But as soon as we're done, I'm coming back to my bench, and no one is going to bother me unless they have hot chocolate and cake. Got it?"

Leah smiles at me. "Got it."

I look down at my still wet feet, then back up at my cousin, and she sighs, turning around so I can climb onto her back. Now, I don't need to get my shoes or socks wet, because she piggy backs me over to the car where Seth and that handsome stranger still reside.

He doesn't look up when we make our way to their sides, or even when Leah sets me down on the hood of what I'm assuming is his car. I kick my feet awkwardly, not liking the way I feel when he ignores me. Not liking the way it hurts.

"Zahra, this is Jacob Black. Jake, this is our cousin Zahra Mattheson." Seth introduces us, and I look up, again making eye contact.

I feel the same pull from before, a tugging at my heart strings as he looks at me, his deep brown orbs never leaving my blue ones. "Hello." I whisper, feeling my cheeks heat up, wanting so badly to look away but knowing I can't.

"Hi," He says, his voice smoother than honey, wrapping itself around every crevice of my brain so that I never forget it. "It's nice to meet you." He seems like he's trying to keep our conversation as short as possible, and that makes my heart shatter.

"It's nice to meet you as well."

Jacob

You imprinted on our cousin.

You still love Bella! This is not okay.

You're only going to hurt her. I don't want you to do that. She's already hurting enough.

Don't you dare hurt her.

Seth and Leah's words replay over and over in my mind, making my heart ache and my stomach turn in somersaults.

I didn't do this on purpose, but I'm not going to leave her alone like they want me to, no matter how angry it makes them.

She's my imprint, the one I'm supposed to look out for and protect, the one that I would never hurt no matter what got in the way, the one I would go to the ends of the earth for.

I can see a sadness in her eyes when I try not to talk to her as much as I'd like to, knowing Leah and Seth wouldn't appreciate it; but I will have a conversation with her. A proper one.

Leah carries her off again, back to the fallen driftwood tree where she was sitting just before our "introduction."

I don't know why, but the second I looked at Zahra's tear stained face, all traces of the alcohol wore off, and it isn't even because of the body heat, or the werewolf genetics. It's because my imprint was in pain, and all of my hormones were thrown into overdrive. I guess the genes could've been a part of it, but only because my instinct was, and always will be to destroy anything that hurts her. The only thing that makes sense to me, is that the wolf antibodies attacked the alcohol and made it dry up like the Sahara Desert, because who can protect and defend a Pale Face while intoxicated?

I will definitely talk to dad about it later.

"Look, Jake.." Seth speaks up, kicking rocks and looking at his feet. "I'm not mad that you imprinted on Z, I promise. She's just had a really rough past few months. Her dad was killed in a drunk driving accident, and she's completely different. She's on pills for anxiety and depression, my mom said that she's been crying herself to sleep, and that her mom gave up on trying to help her. She has no one, Jacob, and I'm afraid."

I'm taken aback by Seth's confession, and slap my hand onto the back of his neck, squeezing so he knows I care. "Scared of what, kiddo?"

He sighs, finally looking up at me. "What if you and Z make a connection, then Bella decides she wants you and not Edward. You'd drop her in a heartbeat, and she's already high risk enough as it is. It would absolutely kill her if you just walked away, and I know you will if Bella comes back."

I shake my head. "That's where you're wrong, my friend. The second I saw Zahra, I forgot who Bella was. I couldn't even remember why I was at the beach in the first place. I know that if Bella walked up to me right now, I'd turn and walk away, because I don't want her anymore now that I've met your cousin. And as for losing her dad, I know exactly how she feels, because that's how I lost my mom. If anyone can help her, it's me, and you know that."

He nods, sighing again. "Okay. Just promise me you won't hurt her, or ever lead her on, or leave her, or anything like that, okay? She's important to me, to my whole family."

I nod. "I promise, Seth."

He claps me on the shoulder, and walks towards Leah and Zahra, talking to his sister animatedly. Zahra looks confused, but really entertained all at the same time as Leah stands and walks towards me with her brother.

"If my cousin says something bad about you guys talking, I swear I will kill you. Do you understand me, Black?" She seeths, getting in my face.

"Got it, Lee. Thanks for letting me talk to her."

She nods at me curtly, sitting on the hood of my car as I walk away. The salty breeze has finally picked up, and I turn back around, grabbing the sweater I'd dropped by my cars tire when I decided I wanted to get drunk. Zahra is going to need it now that it's getting colder.

I can feel the mist of the ocean swirling in the air around us, and watch Zahra shiver as I approach; I knew I was going to need the sweater.

Without hesitation, I drape it over her shoulders, pulling her hair out from underneath it and allowing it to fall in waves again down her back. She looks up at me, and I see a small blush form on her cheeks before she looks away.

"And here I thought you didn't want anything to do with me." She says quietly, her brilliant blue eyes looking out over the black water.

I shrug, throwing one leg over the tree and sitting down so I straddle the trunk. "Eh, I think it's your cousins that don't want me to have anything to do with you. Pretty sure they think you're a fragile little doll or something. You should probably tell them you're a ninja, just saying."

She smiles widely, her eyes crinkling in the corners. "If I told them I'm a ninja, I'd have to kill them. They're good assets, you know. I'd like to keep them as long as possible. It's nice to have them on my side when they're all big, bad, and muscular. I may be able to retire my ninja career completely."

I like that she's playing along, and hearing the smile in her voice sends shivers down my spine. She's so different than any of the other women I've met in my life, and it's like a breath of fresh air. Having someone who knows their worth no matter how down they are. Someone who's just the right amount of cocky, and the right amount of modest. Someone who wont get offended at the smallest things, and someone who isn't afraid to be themselves.

"Can I drop a reality bomb on you?" I ask, looking at her thoughtful face.

"There is no such thing as reality, only life." She replies, purposely sounding like a fortune cookie, her face screwing up in a smirk.

"Leah and Seth told me about your dad." I whisper, putting my hand on her shoulder. "I lost my mom the same way, so I know how it feels. I know how badly you want to hunt the person that took him away from you down, how badly you want to make them suffer like you have. I know how much you want to scream, to cry, to make the entire world feel the pain that you're feeling. I know all of that; but you know what else I'm absolutely sure of?"

She's looking down now, and I see the tears on her face reflecting in the moonlight. "What's that?" She sniffles, wiping her cheeks with the sleeve of her hoodie.

"I know you won't have to go through it alone, because I'm right here. I'm not going to let you feel any of this pain by yourself. I don't care if we've only just met, or if you're a ninja probably planning my ultimate demise. I'm right here, okay?"

Running her hand through her silky hair, she turns to face me, her blue eyes puffy. "You promise?"

Taking her face in my hands, I press my forehead against hers. "I absolutely, one hundred percent promise."