The Southern Imprint (Paul Lahote x oc)

Chapter 9: Questions Answered

Olivia POV.

I was about halfway through dinner before I registered what all had happened today.

'Can someone please tell me what bloodsuckers are and why there are such things as shifters.' I said looking at Paul.

"She wants to know what bloodsuckers are and why we shift." Paul said though a mouth full of food. Ew.

Before anyone could answer the back door slammed open. The sound of jokes and laughter filled the house. We all looked back to see Jacob and Jared entering the house. They froze when they saw me sitting on a mound of pillows piled on the chair. I'm too short to reach the table. Don't judge.

"So you weren't lieing about not shifting back until you fly." Jared said with a laugh. "Don't worry feather face, you will be souring sky high in now time." He went to pat me on the head but I ducked and pecked him on the hand. Hard. "Hey that's not nice!"

'Flip him off for me.' I looked at Paul.

"You language" Paul said looking at me "and she told me to tell you to mind your business in a less friendly way." He finished looking at Jared.

"Wait you can understand her?" Jared's smile just got bigger. "That's because she's your imprint right?" The room went silent. "Oh you haven't told her yet. Oops."

'What's and imprant?' I asked Paul.

"Part of what I was just about to tell you." He glared at Jared. "All of us have shifters somewhere in our ancestry. So long story short we first shifted because filthy bloodsuckers, vampires, decided to enter our territory a few generations back. So our ancestors shifted to protect the rez. Now that they are back we shifted too. And because one of them ran into you, you shifted as well." Paul explained.

'Vampires!?! Like people who drink your blood and turn into bats?'

"Blood sucking part yes, but not the bat part."

'So that redhead was a vampire not a cannibal.'

"Correct"

'Who all is in the pack?'

"Jared, Jacob, Sam, and me, you already know that. The only other pack member is Embry."

'What about Kim.'

"She's Jared's imprint." Paul said carefully.

'So what is an imprint exactly? Is it like a soul mate or something?'

"Or something. The relationship doesn't have to be a romantic one. They can just be friends. But it's up to the imprints."

'So me and you are imprints.'

"Yes. But we can talk more about that later. Let's finish dinner." With that Paul started eating again. I was careful not to break the plate with my beak as I started eating again as well.

"That was the weirdest thing I have ever seen." Jared said with an amused look on his face. I froze. I had forgotten that they were there. I shook my head like nothing had happened and continued eating.

After dinner Paul took me up to the room I was staying in. It looked like a guest room with a full sized bed in the corner and a pile of pillows on the ground. Maybe I could convince Paul to shift and sleep on the ground.

"Nice try but I'm taking the bed. And that looks more like a nest than a pile." He was right. But I obviously wasn't going to tell him that. He set me down and I got comfy as he climbed into the bed. I really need to learn to fly. I don't like having to rely on someone to take me around. I mean I would walk but that would be a little awkward considering I'm meant to fly.

I fell asleep and woke up the next morning. Paul was still asleep. Might as well have fun while you can. I slowly crept up to his bed as gracefully as I could considering I was still a bird. I got up to where his pillow was and, still on the ground, I let out a loud squawk. He jumped up and looked around. He spotted me on the floor and gave me a 'two can play at this game' look. Uh-oh.

"Uh-oh's right. Good luck getting downstairs." He smirked and walked out of the room. Thankfully he left the door open. That jerk. "It's not nice to call people names." He called from the bathroom. I started to try and get downstairs but the steps were too big for my tiny legs. Eventually Paul came up behind me and took me downstairs. Only after laughing at me.

Emily had cooked some amazing eggs and muffins. Well they smelled amazing. I sat down on my chair from the day before and ate my breakfast in peace.

Just then the back door slammed open. "Hey feather face! Have a good night's rest?" Jared said. He once again tried to ruffle my feathers but I pecked his hand before he had the chance. "Oh I'm gonna get you one day, just wait."

'In your dreams dog' Paul almost choked on his food. Oops.

"So they weren't lying about the hawk shifter." Embry, said.

'Nope'

"Nope" Paul translated.

Embry was not far behind him. "Woah. Hey there bird brain." He said waving at me.

'Tell him I said hello.' I rolled my eyes.

"She says hello." Paul said with a chuckle.

"Woah you can understand her! That's so cool. Tell her I think she is awesome."

Paul looks at me and says "Embry told me to tell you that he thinks you're awesome." Embry immediately flushed red.

"Oh she can understand me."

'Of course I can you nitwit.'

"Of course she can." Paul said with a laugh. With that everyone started eating breakfast again. After we were done Emily cleared the plates. I would have helped up in my current state, I couldn't hold a fork much less carry a plate to the sink. After that Jared said what I was dreading.

"Ok let's go out back and start your flying lessons."