imprinting

When a shape-shifter imprints on a specific human of the opposite gender, he becomes unconditionally bound to her for the rest of his life. When it happens, the experience is described as being pulled toward that person, while a glowing heat fills him; the connections of everything else become severed, or simply secondary, and only the imprintee is left to matter, leaving the shape-shifter with a deep need to do anything to please and protect her.

Imprinting occurs only after a wolf's first phasing. It can happen with anyone, regardless of previous personal feelings. It happens the first time he sees the human object of his imprinting; if the shape-shifter does not react to a human subject the first time he sees her after he phases, that means he will never imprint on that human.

Imprinting can't be forced on anyone, no matter how much the shape-shifter may want it, as shown by Jacob Black trying numerous times to either imprint on Bella Swan or get over her. The same goes also for Leah Clearwater, who didn't go looking around the way Jacob did, but admitted to either wanting to imprint or be imprinted on. How imprinting will be for her is currently unknown.

It is unknown whether the shape-shifter could go one day without being in contact with his imprintee, the separation involved potentially causing both of them pain. What would happen if a wolf was rejected by his imprintee is also unknown, though this is assumed to be almost impossible; the imprinter is deemed to be the "perfect match" to the imprintee; he will be anything she may want or need, making rejection extremely unlikely. Should it happen, the imprinter may feel unspeakable pain, but he will still respect her decision.

It is implied that once a shape-shifter imprints he'll be able spend the rest of his life aging alongside his imprintee once he's able to quit phasing. It's also implied that should the imprintee be long-living or immortal, the imprinter may live alongside her as long as he can phase every so often. It is unknown whether shape-shifters need to stop phasing and for how long before breeding.