fushic0re

[fushic0re]

🖤

[fushic0re]

in anticipation for his birthday, here’s the one i made 3 years ago 🎂

[fushic0re]

thank you so much, i’m glad you enjoyed it 💗

❝FROM THE START❞

Toji Fushiguro x MamaGuro!Reader

𝑺𝒀𝑵𝑶𝑷𝑺𝑰𝑺 ╮the five times toji realized he loved you; in which you take in the black sheep of the zenin clan.

𝑪𝑶𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑵𝑻 𝑾𝑨𝑹𝑵𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑺; 𝟏𝟖+ 𝑶𝑵𝑳𝒀 ╮familial abuse (this is the zenin clan after all). hardship. trauma. a very wounded toji. pregnancy.

TOJI WAS NOT SURE IF HE EVER HAD A LIFE TO BEGIN WITH. 

But if he had to say when he thought it ended, his answer would be at six. Toji’s parents were said to have struck gold. His father was next in line to be the clan head with two strong and healthy sons by his side. His elder brother Jinichi did not possess the Ten Shadows, but he was talented enough to outlive any scrutiny from the family–besides, he was a son and not a daughter. On the eve of the new year, Toji welcomed the Zenin clan compound with his screams. All eyes were now on the newest Zenin, seedlings of possibilities planting themselves in the very soil the little one’s feet touched. Seedlings that would never grow. 

On the eve of another new year and Toji’s fifth birthday, one that was meant to be celebrated greatly, there were no signs of cursed energy manifestations. Winter gave way to spring, which then gave way to summer until summer faded into fall, and fall into winter. As the seasons changed, Toji did not. By his sixth birthday, the clan elders officially declared that Toji had zero cursed energy–a Heavenly Pact, they called it. A first in jujutsu history. At six years old, Toji Zenin became the shit stain of the Zenin clan. At twelve, they started throwing him into the disciplinary pit to fight curse after curse with nothing but his bare fists. His parents never blinked an eye. He was sure they were hoping not so secretly that one day, he would never come out. 

At 20 years old, he left. Like a thief in the night with nothing but the clothes on his back and a knapsack of food he managed to store away, he left the gates of the Zenin compound. Not a single trace of him was left–not that anyone cared. Time meant nothing to him. For what could have been months or years, Toji lived like a wild animal. He slept on the streets when he was not serving as a bedwarmer for women who were too soft-hearted or too desperate. They fed him, but when the currency his hulking physique and rugged looks provided him ran dry, he ate scraps. He rarely bought food with the money pitiful strangers tossed at him, but one cold day led him to a hole-in-the-wall ramen shop. 

It was a small little place that hardly sat ten. The kitchen was cramped, but the aromas it produced were heavenly. With his meager earnings, the lone wolf bought himself a steaming bowl of ramen that he devoured at a speed that he would find embarrassing had he maintained his dignity. No one acknowledged him. For once, he was just another face in the crowd. Toji’s emerald eyes rested on the empty porcelain bowl in front of him, mocking him unforgivably. With a bitter expression, he glared at the bowl. He wondered how far down he had spiraled into the abyss of nothingness that was his life to end up in these circumstances–a simple household item reminding him of everything he was not. Since day one, his bowl had run empty with no one to fill it. 

Until you. 

Toji’s train of thought is interrupted when one of the owners, an elderly woman with a withered face and silvery wisps for hair, places another bowl of steaming tonkatsu ramen in front of him. His hard eyes meet hers.

“I didn’t order this.” He states gruffly. 

Despite his harsh expression and soulless delivery, the elderly woman’s features melt into a warm expression. 

“That girl at the end bought it for you.” She says giddily, discreetly pointing a bony finger in the direction of his benefactor. “A real sweetie. She’s a regular.”

He tracks the elderly woman’s finger. His eyes narrow as soon as they land on you. He did not appreciate pity in the slightest. Just as he is about to open his mouth and tell you off, his stomach rumbles. The sound prevails over the clanking of utensils, garnering the mystery woman’s attention. Not expecting to be caught, she gives Toji a sheepish smile before snapping her head back around to bury her nose in her book. Toji finds himself at a crossroads. If he ate the bowl, he owed her. If he did not, he would be wasting the rarity of free food. Once again, his thoughts are interrupted by another elder–the old woman’s husband. His fists knock on the table just as he appears before Toji, and a kind smile is on his face. 

“Son, just eat.” He jests before disappearing. 

Toji scoffs with a roll of his eyes. Old people could never mind their goddamn business, it seemed. But as he stared at the bowl of ramen for the umpteenth time since it had been placed in front of him, an unfamiliar feeling stirred within him. He gave you an unsuspecting glance from the corner of his eye, taking in every feature from the slope of your nose to the shoes on your feet. His eyes could not remove themselves from the warmth in your eyes. With that, he picked up the soup spoon and took one big gulp of creamy broth. He let the heat of the soup envelop his body the same way your eyes did.

For the first time, his bowl was filled. 

THE STORM HAD KNOCKED THE POWER OUT.

You did not know what woke you first–the severe gust of wind that sent branches flying against your window in a repetitive fashion or the bone-chilling drop in temperature the second your heater shut off.  You tried your best to ignore it, curling up under your covers as you pathetically warmed yourself with your breath. It was when your shivers escalated into violent shivers in a matter of minutes that you knew something had to be done. Tearing yourself out of the safety of your blanket cocoon, you scurried to your kitchen as quietly as you could in search of emergency candles. Maybe if you lit enough, they could act as some semblance of a fireplace. To your detriment, the clattering of your teeth was enough to wake the slumbering wolf in your humble living room. Your eyes widen the second you hear the familiar creak of the cushion springs, whipping around to face your impromptu roommate. 

“S-Sorry. It’s really cold, s-so I thought I could light some–” You frantically gesture to the cabinet of candles you had opened, the cold freezing your brain in its poignant state of desperation. “You know. To help maybe.” 

Toji lets out a quiet huff. From where you are standing with one candle lighting the space, you can barely point out the smirk on his face, 

“Don’t be sorry. It’s your apartment.” He mutters, his voice gravely from sleep as he rubs his tired eyes. 

Thanks to his heightened senses, he could see you perfectly. You were in your usual pajamas, ones that worked against you in this weather. With your bare feet on the cold tile, as you shivered, you looked endearingly pathetic. He scoffs. 

“C’mere.” 

You shake your head, wrapping your arms around yourself. 

“I’m o-okay. You should sleep.” 

Toji lets out a deep sigh, sitting upright on your futon. 

“Come here.” He repeats, this time more firmly. “You’re freezing, your pajamas are thin as shit, and the power is out until god knows when which means we have no heater.” 

You’re going to get sick is what he means to say. I can’t bear the sight of you in any state of suffering. 

When you hesitate again, loudly sighs again, patting his lap audibly. 

“I won’t be able to sleep with all the fuckin’ teeth chattering, sweetheart. Stop being stubborn.” He grumbles. 

And with that, he stands up and strides towards you to grab you with the stealth and agility of a panther. You could not help the squeal that escaped from your mouth the second he effortlessly scooped you up and swooped you right under the covers. He was right. The second Toji curled his brawny body around yours, your shivers began to decrescendo. His heat melted your stiff muscles until you fully surrendered, intertwining your body with his. 

“Shit. You’re freezing.” 

“Sorry.” You squeak, snuggling closer to him.

“Stop apologizing.” He mutters, flinching ever so slightly as your cold feet brush up against his calf.

The gesture wills you with embarrassment. 

“Sorry.” You squeak again.

“Christ, woman. I told you to stop apologizing.” 

“....sorry.” 

Toji dignifies your antics with a chuff that carries a hardly noticeable laugh. Closing his eyes, he nuzzles his nose against the top of your head, flooding his senses with the smell of your signature shampoo. He is not used to this–affection. Holding someone. Someone holding him. He finds himself having to squeeze your frame impossibly closer to his to convince himself that this experience is real.

“Stop it.” He murmurs against your head, his voice the softest you have ever heard.

Closing your eyes, you rest your head in the crook of his neck. You fit right in there like a missing puzzle piece. 

“Okay.” You whisper, conceding to sleep. 

“TOJI?” 

It is some ungodly hour when he abruptly sits up in bed, his body coated in a layer of cold sweat. His eyes are enlarged as he scans the room, his orbs frantically darting in every which direction. His heart pounds rapidly against his ribs, his bare chest rising and falling at a quick pace. He is numb, unable to feel a single thing as his brain transports him back to that place. That god-forsaken place. Since the two of you began sleeping in the same bed, his night terrors diminished into nightmares until they ceased altogether. For once, just once, Toji thought he could outrun his past. But just like the scars on his body, darkness was ingrained in every fiber of his being. It ran through his bloodstream, pumping into his heart and fueling every move he made. He was stupid to think he could live a life like this with you. People like him simply did not belong in the realm people like you existed in, so good and so pure. 

“Hey,” You whisper, rolling onto your side to face him. “Did you have another nightmare?” 

Your voice feels like the sun. Not in the way it gets in your face and makes your eyes sting to the point where all you want to do is get away from it. No, he could not run from you. No matter how far he got in his head, he simply could not. 

“Go back to sleep, sweetheart. You got work in a few hours.” He rasps.

He pulls you into his arms, resting his cheek on the top of your head. Like clockwork, he grounds himself with your touch–skin against skin, your heartbeats creating a rhythmic cadence until ultimately his own slows down and thumps in tandem with yours. He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath.

“It’s nothing. Sleep.” 

You cannot help but frown. It was hard whenever he got this way. You did not mind, of course, that was not the problem. It was watching him wrestle with himself in his head until he was numb again. It was the vacant look in his eyes. Whenever Toji broke, a part of you did too. If there was a way to physically pour love into him until he was bursting at the seams, you would–anything to never see that lifeless expression again. Sitting up, you reach for his face, cradling his jaw in your palm. 

“Don’t say that. It’s not nothing.” You say gently yet sternly. “The things that hurt you aren’t nothing.” 

Just like that, Toji feels like that seventeen-year-old kid again who desperately craved approval and a sense of belonging in a system that actively worked against him just because he needed to feel something. You disarm him not in a way that makes him feel scared and defenseless, but in a way that assures him that he is no longer in a state of survival. Unless it is for you, his days of fighting are over. Even then, he was very capable that you could hold your own as a Grade One. Yet still, if he had to bloody his first for anyone, it would be for you. 

“I was back there again.” He says quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. 

Your eyes soften. 

“You’re not there anymore.” You assure, running the pad of your thumb across his cheekbone. “You’re here–” 

“You don’t get it.” He snaps “I can’t change shit. No matter where I look, I’m back there in that fuckin’ hole.” “You. Are here. With me.” You state firmly, cupping his face with both hands now and forcing him to meet your gaze. “You escaped. And now you get to forge a new path for yourself. It’s not going to be easy. You’re going to have a lot more nights like this, but the difference is you’ll have me. No matter how much you try to push me away because you think I don’t get it just because I grew up in some ‘cushy’ sorcerer family, you can’t push me away. I’m not going anywhere.” 

Toji clenches his jaw. A part of him hated when you were like this, blindly believing every conviction that came out of your mouth. It was downright painful. In these moments, he could not bring himself to believe you. 

“This is just the way it is.” He mutters defiantly, turning his face away from you as he clenches his fists at his sides. 

Your heart feels like a stake has been driven through it when your touch makes him flinch. But now is not the time to lead with her feelings. He needed you. you meant every word she said. 

“I am promising you that. My cold, dead body is gonna have to be pried away from you to get me to leave you.” You shakily whisper, trying your best to keep your emotions at bay as his pain causes your body to react viscerally. 

He does not answer you, continuing to avoid your gaze. The only sign that he had not gone catatonic was the way his chest began to heave. He was losing it. 

“Toji…look at me.” 

He remains frozen in place. A tense silence builds between the two of you, threatening to force the two of you apart until you are too far gone to be retrieved. For the first time since you naively welcomed the then-homeless stranger into your home, you felt scared of him. The grave distance is closed when he finally meets your gaze, a wild and terror-filled expression in his eyes–the same one he wore the day you met him. 

“You and me. When shit gets tough, we’ll fight through it. If you don’t want to fight, I’ll fight for both of us. No matter what, we’re doing life together.” You breathe, swallowing the lump in your throat. 

Toji remains silent, simply staring at you with an unreadable expression. Finally, his hands stop shaking and he unclenches his fists, resting them on your cheeks. The warmth of his palms makes your eyes involuntarily flutter shut. 

“You’re gonna get sick of me.” 

Your response is a mere shake of the head. 

“I’ll get sick of you not wiping down the counter after you brush your teeth or wash your face. Or when you don’t put the dishes away right when I ask you to.” You laugh softly. “But sick of loving you? Never.” 

That earns a throaty chuckle from him. Leaning forward, he presses his forehead against yours. 

“I’ll give your bossy ass something to complain about.” 

Before you can retort, his lips are pressed against yours. This kiss is a far cry from the passionate, sensual, all-consuming kisses you both usually share. No words need to be said this time. His lips imprint unspoken locutions of ardor and besottedness into yours. I love you. I’m sorry I’m a fuck up. I don’t always have the right words to say. Please. 

That night, Toji surrenders. 

HIS NAME WAS MEGUMI. THEIR BLESSING.

Regardless of his gender, that is what he was to Toji–his saving grace.

The two of you hadn’t exactly planned on having a baby so soon. It was about a year after you and Toji’s small intimate wedding that you found yourself feeling…off. Fatigue was the first symptom to make itself apparent. No matter how early you slept, your body still fought against you whenever you were awake. Then it was the hunger, which amused your newlywed husband. Funnily enough, Toji decided to take up cooking to mitigate your sudden appetite increase. Your condition was obvious from that point on. Nine days before Toji’s birthday and the new year, Megumi was born. Just like his daddy when the two of you were wed, Megumi took your last name–Fushiguro. Just like that, the three of you were a little family. As Toji held his newborn son in his arms, he realized that he had done it. He forged a life of his own from the darkness you pulled him from. 

And it’s moments like this in which the first thing he sees is his son’s big green eyes staring up at him in the middle of the night that he realizes how much of a test fatherhood was. He runs a hand over his tired face, rubbing his eyes before he places a finger over his lips as he agilely slides out of bed. He glances over his shoulder to check if you are still asleep before effortlessly scooping Megumi up into his arms and quietly exiting the bedroom. 

“What’s the matter?” He murmurs, his sonorous voice raspy from sleep. 

Megumi is quiet for a moment, the five year old rubbing his eyes with his small fists. He hangs his head low. 

“I keep seeing them.” He says quietly. “Can’t sleep.” 

Toji frowns, his large hand smoothing over the back of his son’s head. 

Not too long ago, Megumi began to see curses. The two of you were prepared for the dreaded day he would, you could feel your son’s cursed energy develop little by little until it was suddenly surrounding him like a forcefield. Your reaction to the matter was much different than the Zenin clan’s–you were scared, terrified even. Megumi’s cursed energy manifesting meant the possibility of him becoming a jujutsu sorcerer was officially established. With that came the painful realization that you could lose your child at any moment. It was a refreshing experience for Toji to witness; healthy parenting, the love of a mother. He could not even bring himself to be surprised that you were such an amazing mother. After all, you had amazed him in all aspects of life. 

“Do you want to go back in there?” Toji asks nudging his head towards Megumi’s room.

The toddler ponders for a moment before shaking his head, his eyes apprehensive. Toji does not question him, simply nodding and making his way to the kitchen. A quiet silence makes itself home between father and son as Toji prepares a warm cup of milk for his mini-me. Once the drink is ready, he gently places Megumi on the counter and hands him the cup. 

“Careful.” He says, his eyes swimming with concern as they take in Megumi’s appearance thoughtfully. “Talk to me.” 

Megumi takes a cautious sip, testing the temperature of the creamy beverage before drinking it more freely. His lips press together, and a million feelings that he cannot describe run through his head. 

“You and mama see them too right? The…curses.” He whispers. “When did you stop being scared of them?” 

For a five year old, Megumi was quite insightful. His perception skills were exceptional yet amusing when paired with his childish and innocent wonder. Hearing such a small voice ask questions beyond the scope of a child still gave Toji a whiplash. 

Toji lets out a noise that is akin to a laugh and a huff, shaking his head ever so slightly as he does so. 

“Who says we’re not?” He answers much to Megumi’s–whose eyes are now wide with shock–surprise.

Toji struggles to find the right words to say. This was usually your thing; he was never one to console with the power of words. No, to this day, he still finds it easier to fight his way through conflict. But then there is Megumi staring up at him with his eyes, fear and trepidation tainting the usual sparkle in his eyes in a way that reminds him of himself when he was this age. His son had everything he wanted for the majority of his life–the very gift that could have saved him a world of hurt–and was still being subject to the ugliness of sorcery. 

That is all it takes for Toji, who is now a father and not a fighter. 

He washes the violence away with a warm sip of milk from a sippy cup that is so small in his hands that it is borderline ridiculous and uses his once bloodied hands to cradle the small, precious being that carries his heart against his chest. He shields this boy with all his life the way he himself should have been, carrying him to the couch for a cuddle. 

“Remember how mama and I showed you how to summon your dogs?” He whispers, wrapping an arm around Megumi as he settles at his side. 

Taking his tiny hand, he situates it into the correct signage. Megumi looks up at him for assurance before his Divine Dogs are loyally at his side, their cold snouts nudging him happily. The toddler giggles, wiggling around with the excited canines. Once they have settled down, curling around him protectively as they snooze, Toji smiles down at him and presses a tender kiss to his forehead. 

“Whenever you’re scared, your pups are here for you. You understand?” Megumi nods, now content. Toji is silent for a moment, at a loss for words yet again but for a different reason this time. He’s overwhelmed by emotions, ones that he cannot even name. He blinks his eyes, abruptly pulling the toddler on top of him so he could wrap his arms around him tightly. 

His child. The one you gave him.

All you have ever done is give, and give, and give until you gave him the greatest gift of all.

“Can’t breathe.” Megumi murmurs against his dad’s chest. 

“You’re fine.” Toji whispers, swallowing the lump in his throat. “You’re fine.”

It was fine. Everything was…fine. 

Finally. 

“WAIT, FUSHIGURO IS YOUR LAST NAME, SENSEI?”

You have to press your lips together to hold back your laughter as Yuuji and Nobara stare at you with shocked and bewildered expressions, Megumi unphased yet exhausted by the antics of his friends. Toji barks out a loud laugh from behind you, resting his hands on your shoulders. 

“She makes the money around here. Might as well.” 

“I think you’re doing great, Mr. Fushiguro! Feminism!” Yuji cheers exuberantly, turning to Megumi and Nobara for approval only to be met with perturbed expressions. 

“Then get a job.” Megumi grumbles. 

Toji simply kisses his teeth, removing one hand from your shoulder to ruffle Megumi’s hair. The teen hurls out a string of disciplinary phrases, only amusing his father who smiles smugly in return. 

“Your mom doesn’t want me to work. She thinks I’ll cheat on her. So possessive.” 

The gasp that immediately leaves your body is dramatic enough to land you a role in a soap opera. Your husband only directs his smug smile to you now, gazing down at you with the familiar playful yet fond expression he has maintained for a decade now. And just like it did exactly a decade ago, it irritates you to no end. 

“You’re easily bought. I know that firsthand.” You quip. 

“You were eager to buy this hu–” 

“Please not this again.” Megumi laments. 

Nobara and Yuji stare at Megumi with expectant expressions. If they had tails, they would definitely be wagging expeditiously. Toji claps Megumi on the back unnecessarily hard, making him glare at him for the umpteenth time in an hour. 

“Oh come on. You didn’t tell them how your mama and I met?”

“Why would I tell them that?” 

The two young sorcerers respond with a clash of loud pleas and declarations of camaraderie, how dare Fushiguro withhold this part of his upbringing for them, haven’t they gone through enough together? 

Toji’s hands knead your shoulders. He bows his head, nosing the top of your head. His eyes flutter shut, a satisfied hum rumbling from his chest. 

“Let’s just say I loved her from the start.” 

[fushic0re]

author’s notes today: hey guys so just a warning there isn’t 100% explicit verbal consent even though they’re both really into it so remember this is FICTION, also they don’t use a condom :((( but in real life safe sex is important!!! please be safe out there everyone

a/n back in the day: kept thinking about ____ stabbing knives through both of _____’s hands to pin him in place while they fucked so here you go lol =P

[fushic0re]

sylus girlies how are we holding up

[fushic0re]

𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚊𝚜 𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚢 | 𝚎. 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕 | 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗

Pairing: Embry Call x Original Character Summary: Join Ainsley and Embry as they embark on a journey where they are forced to question everything they thought they knew, and embrace the pain that is inevitable to avoid in love. An imprint story. Self-discovery. Angst and romance. Word Count: 5.2k Warnings: N/A Taglist: @leilaniers - message / comment if you'd like to be tagged in new chapters (or for Embry content in general)! prev. chapter

Several weeks went by like that. Once a week, I would tell Embry that I was heading to work but would detour to the Cullen household instead. Alice and I would often coordinate together to make sure that Jacob and Renesmee weren’t in the area before I showed up. Keeping them in the dark for now still seemed like it was our best option – Jacob wouldn’t be able to withhold it from Embry even if he wanted to. In between working at the diner and helping Maddox push the boundaries of his control, I spent every ounce of my free time with Embry and the boys. 

So many parts of me felt guilty for lying to him – especially when he had been putting forward more effort to fit into my life. 

The pair of us visited home once every other week to have breakfast or dinner with my family. Embry and the pack spent more time trying including my brothers, which helped integrate them into the pack in their own unique way. It was nice to have Travis part of the mix now, but I still worried that he might get hurt. Understandably so, Sam still had reservations when it came to some of the younger members, but as long as we kept it within the main ranks, he seemed satisfied. With the tension growing thicker between the pack and the obvious need to find the nomads, everyone’s control had not been the greatest. Jacob and Embry had gotten into it a few times, even Seth and Quil were more on edge. 

I asked a few times about his mother – she had remarried and moved off the reservation to Tacoma. Had a second child now that Embry was independent and a man of his own. For the most part, Embry didn’t speak much about her. Part of me found it incredibly sad; Quil had explained that Tiffany had been incredibly upset and scared during their teen years when the pack first began phasing. Unlike Billy and Sue, Tiffany had no idea about the tribe’s legends, or that there was any possibility they may hold any semblance of truth. Embry was never able to tell Tiffany the truth about what was going on, and the distance put a heavy strain on their relationship. 

“When’s the last time he went to see her?” 

Quil shrugged, “Not really sure. Christmas a couple years ago, maybe?” 

Vague, but that was Quil. Sure, it wasn’t my place to meddle, but Embry had given me such a hard time about maintaining a relationship with my own mother that I thought it was a little hypocritical that he hardly maintained one with his own.

Christmas came and went; Embry opted to ‘gift’ me quite a few things, including an actual coffee machine for his kitchen, as well as a pretty white gold chain with a sterling crescent moon cut out. We spent most of our time together on his new couch (which he purchased a few days after he attempted to sleep on the loveseat following my initial run in with Maddox) wrapped in each other's arms with the fireplace going.

Each week, Maddox would return to the Cullen’s with more accurate locations on the safehouses for any vampire Garrett turned, making a total of five by the time the new year had come. Edward would inform Jacob regarding their locations, trying to make it seem as though Alice had seen it in a vision while following the female nomad – Jacob would bring the news home to the others; they then tore through each house one by one tear and destroyed whatever nomad kept residence. 

I tried not to think about it too much. If I got too caught up in the semantics, things always got bad. 

There were only three nomads that remained, apart from Maddox. The closer the pack got to taking out the threat, the more uneasy things began to feel at home. Emily was nearing six months into her second pregnancy – bloated and hormonal as ever, causing quite a bit of strain on the pack's eating habits as she was more tired and more hungry. She cared less about feeding everyone else, moreso intent on getting food into her own belly. With no definitive place to gather at, the pack had dispersed their separate ways and only saw each other twice a week as opposed to every day.

Jared and Kim’s wedding was right around the corner, so the pair had been hellbent on having Embry and I help them with the finishing touches. Kim and I spent many late nights and early mornings camping out in Embry and Jacob’s living room, making sure we had a final head count on those invited to the wedding. 

When it was mentioned that I was still waiting on the Cullen’s to RSVP, I made sure Kim knew I would have Jacob ask to confirm. We were two weeks into January now – Jacob’s birthday had finally come around. Being the first of his friends to turn twenty-five was a big deal for him, and so the group had collectively pulled together what they were sure was the ultimate birthday experience. After what appeared to be a heart-felt dinner celebration, the boys prompted Jacob into a blindfold and carried him out to Paul’s truck 

“We’re taking him to a strip club.” Jared said casually, pulling out a wad of bills larger than I had ever laid eyes on. 

“A strip club.” I repeated, watching Paul nod excitedly. 

“We did this for my birthday last year – lots of lap dances, lots of booze –” 

“I see.” I shared a knowing look with Kim, the pair returning to their post-food comatose on Embry’s couch. Kim had agreed to stay the night with me, knowing the boys would not be home until the early hours of the morning and much to everyone’s dismay, Maddox was still unaccounted for. 

The idea that a vampire that had previous connections with his imprint was still out made Embry a little uneasy – the longer the pack went without catching his scent, the more erratic he became. I was being babysat as per Embry’s instruction – the only person that knew of Maddox’s whereabouts apart from myself was Trenton. 

Speaking of.

“Are you bringing my brothers?” I asked, shrugging my arms into the sleeves of Embry’s heather gray hoodie. 

“Hell yeah,” Jared laughed. “Travis was the one who really pushed for it.”

“That’s because Travis is lonely and miserable while the rest of us have hot as fuck girlfriends.” Embry cooed as he joined us in the living room, leaning over the back of the couch to press his mouth against mine. He enticed a quiet hum from my chest when he sucked on my lower lip. 

“Be nice.” I mumbled against his lips, smiling nonetheless. 

When the men left for the evening, Kim and I sat curled up on our respective sides of the couch, scrolling through our phones. Undoubtedly, Jared messaged Kim just as quickly as Embry messaged me. We spent what appeared to be well over an hour in silence before I lazily pulled the remote from the coffee table and flipped on the television. 

“I can’t believe I’m going to be a wife.” Kim said into the quiet room suddenly.

I blinked slowly, shifting my eyes to look over at her. She sat upright, eyes wide with a sort of fear. I was sure this was where I was supposed to say something soothing and reassuring but honestly, I couldn’t believe it either. 

Kim and Jared were the least serious couple of the group – which made them the best sort of couple to me. Watching them crack jokes and pull pranks on each other was my favourite pastime – but I knew how marriages worked. They pulled some people apart. And I wanted to believe that wouldn’t happen to them, but I knew there was a chance. Nothing was impossible.

“I can’t believe you’re marrying Jared.” I retorted, turning my attention back to the television. “He’s an adult, male version of Claire –”

“Exactly!” Kim huffed, shaking her head. “Ains, what am I gonna do? I can’t be a wife, I barely know how to cook.”

“Doesn’t Jared?”

“Yeah.” 

“Then you don’t have to cook.” I said simply. 

Kim deadpanned, mouth slightly ajar as I pulled the wrapper off another holiday mint and popped it into my mouth. “How can you say that?”

I shrugged, shoving my hands into the pocket in the front of the hoodie. “Embry does all the cooking.”

“You don’t help?”

I rolled my eyes, flipping onto my back. “Of course I will help. I just don’t do the cooking – I clean, I do laundry, I wash dishes. I help Emb and Jake make sure the property tax is paid on time and that bills are kept up with – that sort of thing. You’re already doing most of that on your own, anyway.”

Kim let it all process, chewing on her lower lip. “I don’t want to live with a boy. He’s so messy!”

I could only laugh. “It’s less scary than you think, though I’m not the one with a ring on her finger.” 

“Easy for you to say – Embry makes more money than Jared does. You’re both sitting on a nice, fluffy cushion of savings, and have the luxury of personal space. Jared’s losing his shit and can barely afford the place he has now.” 

“What’s wrong with Jared’s place?” 

Kim rubbed her face with her tired hands. “He lives in a very small, very tight one bedroom apartment. We’re both going to be stuck in a very cramped area for a solid year before we can even think about moving out.”

“It won’t be so bad –”

“Embry and Jacob have this entire two story house, Ains. That’s not exactly something people making ends meet have the luxury of owning. You’re already doing better than most people in their thirties.”

I tried to process that information. It hadn’t fully dawned on me that Embry and I were better off than most of their brothers – and hadn’t realized that Kim and Jared were digging themselves a hole. They were one foot in the door to being in debt, and I was stressing out about not having any spending money after paying off next year's tuition.

“Then why get married right now?”

Kim sighed loudly, shaking her head again, this time with a smile that screamed ‘isn’t it obvious?’. “Because I love him.” 

“Okay,” I lamented, sitting up, “and he loves you. And that isn’t going to change – in twenty years from now, you’ll still love him and he’ll still love you.” 

“Stop being right,” Kim grumbled, pushing my shoulders so that I fell back into the couch, “can you make a stupid decision so the rest of us don’t feel so brain dead?”

I forced a smile. “I’m already making plenty of bad decisions, Kim.” Just none that you can know about. 

𝙹𝚊𝚌𝚘𝚋

Jacob nestled into his corner of the couch, watching as Rosalie ran her fingers through Renesmee’s hair; the trio had been cooped up in the Cullen household all morning. Fork’s was covered under a near constant stream of storm clouds that had yet to let up long enough for him to return home on terms that Nessie deemed ‘safe’. He chalked it up to her wanting some more time with him – which he was always willing to give. In the last seven years, she had grown into quite the remarkable individual. While being incredibly strange to the others in her life, she had a charm that Jacob was certain would bring her sunshine even on the dreariest of days. 

Bella and Jacob spent many conversations discussing what they considered appropriate in regards to his relationship with Renesmee. Jacob agreed that it seemed beyond normal to expect anything other than a friendship from her daughter. Regardless of what the Elders might have believed, Jake couldn’t see past the babyface. There was a small part of him that didn’t sit well at the thought of trying to pursue a romantic relationship with her; he genuinely feared there might be a day when Renesemee asked for more, and he wouldn’t be able to refuse. That his genes wouldn’t allow him — they had taken so much autonomy from his as it was. 

Instead, Jacob made a vow to be the shoulder to cry on when boys attempted to break her big heart. He would be her best friend and protector – and he would love her unconditionally and always think of her safety and comfortability above all else. He was perfectly content watching over what he considered his family. But that was where it ended – there was nothing romantic about it, or to come of it. He needed to be sure of it, so much so that no one had referred to Renesmee as his ‘imprint’ since her first few months of life. 

Small pale fingers touched his knee, pulling his sight into a tunnel before images played in fast-forward: circling glimpses of Ainsley and Emily, along with the unspoken question of their well-being led Jacob to believe that Nessie missed the reservation, and had not felt wanted or welcome since Thanksgiving. The last Nessie had heard from Ainsley was a few weeks ago, just before Christmas. She had gotten a phone call, asking where the Cullen’s resided, mentioning something about wanting to come see her – to apologize. 

Ainsley had never shown up. 

Jacob had apologized for his cousin's ignorance many times – tried to explain on multiple occasions that Ainsley just hadn’t known about anything. Despite that knowledge, Edward and Bella still believed it would be better if Renesmee remained on their side of the border. 

This resulted in Jacob’s absence at home – which he soon realized was putting strain on the rest of the pack. Everyone withdrew into their own personal lives again, just when things were finally beginning to look normal. It was so nice, having everyone together all the time. He remembered a time when he hated spending every waking second with a group of rowdy, immature boys but he longed for those days all the time now. The only reason why they had fallen back into old habits was because of Ainsley and Embry – a sort of means to help her feel inclusive. Especially after Embry’s shitshow. 

It appeared as though Ainsley was tougher than everyone gave her credit for. She handled Embry’s temper like a champ, dutifully stepping up to the plate when the others fell short. Acted as a mother hen whenever Emily couldn’t be bothered to scold or bake for the group. But even that had become daunting. In between working and trying to keep up with everyone in her life – the pack and her own family, Jacob could see the strain and exhaustion in Ainsley’s eyes. 

Things would’ve been different now, he’d tell himself. If he could just bring Nessie back to the reservation, if they’d just let him, he could pull everyone back together again. 

He offered his best friend a sad smile, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders in a tight squeeze. “I’m sure you’ll see them soon.” He promised. 

“C’mon, Ness,” Rose said quietly, urging her to stand, “let’s get you something to eat.” 

“What about me?” Jacob complained, watching Nessie disappear into the kitchen. 

Rosalie looked over her shoulder, the corner of her mouth upturned in an exhausted smile. “You can fend for yourself, Jacob. You’re no stranger to our kitchen.”

The wolf scoffed, turning his attention back to the television mounted to the wall. The news was muted, the screen split between the terrors that were turning Seattle upside down for the second time this decade, along with whatever college basketball game was playing in the local area. From his peripheral vision, Jake caught the figure of a stranger trudging up the driveway. 

It wasn’t until said visitor started taking the steps at the front door two at a time that Jacob stood and rushed down the stairs. Obscene anger and rage filled his body, a searing heat bubbling at the surface. The part of him that needed to ensure Renesmee’s safety overtook his judgement. The scent filled the room before the door had even had a chance to open – Jacob’s hands pressed flat against their shoulders and shoved them hard, sending the body flying back a few several feet. 

The man’s response was automatic: cold hands gripped his throat tightly, the growl rising from somewhere deep within both their chests. The sounds clashed together, so different but with the same underlying warning. Jacob clenched his fist around one of the vampire's wrists, pulling roughly with a loud snarl, twisting the figure away. Just as quickly, Jacob found himself being hoisted up – not by much – before his body came crashing down on the cement of the stairs, the brick crumbling under his weight and the sheer force of the impact. Jacob heaved in air, desperately trying to breath around the vice grip on his throat; it wasn’t until he really looked at the intruder that he stopped struggling. 

His face was smooth except for the slight stubble that permanently resided on his lower face. His hair fell in loose waves, framing his squared jaw in that sort of subtly perfect way. Every fiber in Jacob’s body, every vein screamed in protest as his scent overwhelmed him. Over some time, he had grown accustomed to the stench of the Cullen’s, but his was different. 

Familiar, but different.

Jacob thought back, trying to pinpoint where he had picked up on the scent before. Jasper was pulling the man – Maddox, as he called himself – away from Jacob’s limp body, his mind swirling when Renesmee placed her hands on his shoulders, worry and anxiety filling his mind. 

Jacob shut his eyes tightly, shaking his head quickly as though to clear her thoughts from his head. He had definitely caught this scent before. Not from patrol. Not from a local bar. Not from the diner – 

The diner. 

Ainsley. 

His eyes shot open, frame bolting forward as quickly as he could manage, tremor rolling down his spine as he collided with the nomad’s body and sent him backwards again – this time far enough that he disappeared momentarily into the underbrush of the forest. 

“What’s he doing here?” Jacob growled.

Maddox stood slowly, readjusting his jacket, amber eyes locked on Jacob’s heaving frame. “Control your guard dog, would you?” He muttered to Jasper, picking a leaf out of his hair. 

“I thought you said you didn’t know where the nomads were.” Jacob accused with heavy disappointment, looking down at Renesmee. She shrugged under the weight of his gaze, seeming just as confused as Jacob.

“He’s not the problem, Jake.” Jasper said quickly, holding out one hand as a means of halting Jacob from moving forward. “He came to Carlisle for help. That’s all we’re trying to do.” 

“Yeah, expand the family a little more, it’s not like you’re big enough already.” Jacob spat, pulling his lips back over his teeth. “It’s not like the large quantity hasn’t already put enough strain on us before. What’s a few more kids, huh?”

“Jacob …”

“There are seventeen of us,” he growled, taking a step to the side, “half of them are trying to stop it from happening again, some of them left altogether, and the rest of us are trying to settle down and start our lives.”

“We didn’t turn him –”

“This wasn’t part of the agreement.” Chief Jacob was slowly starting to break out of shell. Very rarely did Jacob like being the alpha – more so settled into the role because Sam had made a definitive decision to leave it behind. It had been two years since Sam had last phased – two years until the night the nomads crossed onto their land. No one was entirely certain how long it would take to break the bond – Sam stopped after expecting his first child, but now would have to start all over again. 

Not exactly the stress Emily needed. 

“Jacob.” The wolf tensed, halting his feet from moving as Carlisle came down past the ruins of the stairs and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Allow us to explain. Please.” 

After an hour of arguments and several hand tremors, Jacob was finally seated in the living room, watching Maddox carefully. So, he had sought out help for control. So, he didn’t want to be a vampire. So, he didn’t anticipate all of the downfalls to being an immortal bloodsucking killer – what a shocker. That didn’t excuse that Jacob couldn't trust his loyalty. 

“And no one knows?” He asked again, squinting his eyes at Maddox. 

The vampire’s facial features remained smooth and even, his head tilting to the side, “None of the dogs know, no.”

“Would you stop calling us that?”

“Would you stop trying to find a loophole so you can kill me?” Maddox asked angrily, leaning forward with his knuckles on his knees. 

Jacob growled inwardly, pulling his eyes away from Maddox. Nessie sat on the other side of the couch, her legs folded under her, her arms wrapped around one of the throw pillows. He could see the wheels in her tiny, brilliant mind turning. She was trying to piece it all together, trying to pinpoint exactly what fit and didn’t. What was a lie and what was the truth. 

“Speak your mind, kiddo.” Jacob encouraged, folding his arms across his broad chest. 

She shook her head, gnawing on her lower lip – a human Bella trait she had picked up in the last few years – and sighed. “It doesn’t add up.” Renesmee was looking at Maddox now, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “How did you find us? We’re not exactly easily accessible.” 

His amber eyes darted up from the frayed string of his shirt to meet her eyes. He took a few moments before he responded. “I had an inside friend help.” 

Renesmee’s brows pulled together in frustration, letting out a petulant sigh. “We do have a lot of friends …” She mused to herself, still working to fit two and two together. 

“Give it up.” Maddox suggested angrily, pushing himself up out of the recliner. 

Jacob shot him a look in warning. “We’re just trying to piece it together –”

His voice boomed, overpowering Jacob’s easily. “Trust me when I say that you, of all people, do not want to know.” There was a certainty to his look. The way his eyes hardened in a definitive way. The way that halted the conversation. Jacob knew that look – Jacob had mastered that look. 

“What do you mean ‘me of all people?” Apparently Jacob was going to play Paul today – asking useless questions, taking personal offense to the nomads words. 

“It’s just in your best interest to not know, that’s all.”

“Oh, bullshit.” Jacob bit back, rising to his own two feet. “If you want an in with this family, you’re going to have to get used to letting me in, bloodsucker.”

“I don’t owe you anything.” Maddox laughed, tucking his hair behind his ears. “Cute that you think so.” 

“Jake –”

“Dude, you seriously need to start talking or I’m going to find a loophole –”

“Jake, stop it –”

“-- and I’m going to rip your head off –”

“Jacob, enough –”

“-- and deliver it on a silver platter to my brothers –”

“Jacob!” 

“What?” His voice boomed, eyes glowering over to where Renesmee sat, watching the pair anxiously.

She licked her lips, looking over at Carlisle before she looked past Jacob to Maddox. She took a deep breath, and then sighed. “Ainsley brought him here.” 

Jacob’s face contorted, his brows pulling together and up, confusion littering his face. “What? No she didn’t.”

“Think about it.”

“I know Ains, okay? She wouldn’t help this scumbag –” Jacob paused. 

His thoughts snapped back to the afternoon that started the mad-leech hunt. The night before the babyshower. The night Ainsley had come home reeking of one of the leeches, the night Trent had muttered something about how she had tolerated sitting with a scumbag. 

“Maddox.” He whispered quietly, the last of the puzzle pieces falling together. He lifted his eyes to meet the vampire’s, his face crumpling as guilt registered across the other's face. “She brought you here.”

“I asked her to.” 

“Why?” Jacob pressed.

Maddox blinked, “Because this isn’t for me. What they’re doing – to innocent people – isn’t me. I came here to learn control, Ainsley helps a lot with that.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Jacob said, holding a hand up, “she helps?”

“Yes, she does.” Carlisle conceded from the archway, leaning against the wood with his shoulder. “It appears as though the personal human tie he had with Ainsley helps keep him grounded. We’ve made incredible progress in the last few weeks – far more than Jasper was comfortable with in his first few years of this lifestyle.” 

Jacob felt his heart sink, the realization hitting him that he was going to be the one to tell Embry.

Tell Embry that his imprint was lying to him. 

Tell Embry that his imprint was hiding one of the nomads.

Hiding the nomad Embry wanted dead the most. The one he spent nights envisioning, the one he had torn to shreds in his mind over and over again – 

“Why did you tell me this?” He asked angrily at no one in particular. “Do you know what this is going to do? Do you know what’s going to happen now?”

“You can’t say anything –” Maddox started, reaching for Jacob’s arm.

“The fuck I can’t.” He growled, glaring at the pale fingers. “I have an obligation. I’m an alpha to a pack that can read my fucking mind, I literally have no way of withholding this.” 

Maddox froze, slight terror sinking into his features. “If they know –”

“They’ll cross the border and come for you. And I won’t be able to stop them.” Jacob finished angrily, nostrils flaring. “You’re directly linked to one of their imprints, that makes you a bigger threat than the rest.”

“I’m not killing anybody!”

“Ainsley isn’t just anybody.”

“I’m well aware.” Maddox spat in return, his face quickly shifting. “I wouldn’t hurt her.” 

“Won’t stop Embry from trying to sink his teeth into you.” 

“Right – the whole soulmate thing –”

“Do not,” he growled, letting out his breath in a big huff. “Imprinting is more than some soulmate. Especially to Embry, alright? This is his person. She is everything to him – if not being able to kill you doesn’t kill him, knowing she lied to protect you will.” 

Maddox stopped, his vision pulling into the middle before images flashed through his mind. Renesmee’s warm hand touched his chest, forcing visuals into his mind. The sensation ran over his body, the chilling vibration that was accompanied by the pounding in his skull. 

Ainsley’s bright, cheery smile took up the majority of the images, along with a man. He was tall and tanned, and appeared to look very much like Jacob. His hair was short and nearly buzzed, his frame was thinner than Jacob’s, and certainly just as tall. Together, Ainsley and Embry looked like a match-made in heaven; she fit perfectly under his chin, fit perfectly in his arms. Her arms draped over his shoulders and around his neck, the intensity of what appeared to be an innocent display of affection made Maddox feel as though he were intruding on a personal moment. 

Renesmee was showing him exactly what it meant to be an imprint – showing him exactly what kind of bond was at stake. What Ainsley was at risk of losing. 

In the next set of images, she showed Embry’s frame convulsing, his bones shifting in slo-mo, his body exploding out of pure rage into something nearly ten times his original size. 

It showed Ainsley hunched over another's arm, emptying the contents of her stomach onto the floor. 

Maddox had to pull away, taking a few steps out of reach. He struggled for breath he didn’t really need, thinking about the importance this relationship might have actually been to her – and how he had forced her into a corner to help him, just so he could possibly stick around, just so he could see her again. 

“Please,” he said finally, looking at Jacob with desperation, “please don’t say anything.”

𝙰𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚕𝚎𝚢

I sat on one of the couches in the basement, eyes glued to the television as Travis and Trenton argued back and forth on pizza toppings for their dinner, prolonging our dart game far longer than necessary. TJ had been called up to Seattle for investigations, while Jennie worked double shifts to cover the incoming trauma’s. The collapse of all the dominos linking all pieces of our family had both Trent and I on edge – hence the current ongoing battle between my brothers. 

“Oh my god,” I cried, rolling my neck. “Just pick something already, I’m starving!” 

“Just let Ains pick something!” Travis growled, ripping the pamphlet out of Trent’s hands. 

“Uh, no,” he laughed once, taking the menu back, “she likes shit like chicken on her pizza – I don’t fucking think so.” 

“What’s wrong with chicken?”

“It doesn’t belong on pizza – that’s what’s wrong with chicken!”

I rubbed my temples, blowing out my breath slowly. Each passing day I spent confined in my parents house made me more irritated and miserable. The boys had not stopped fighting, Embry became more preoccupied as the pack circled in on the final safehouse Alice and Edward had provided. In an effort to ease his mind, Leah had asked that Trent keep an eye on me. 

Of course I had objected, but that didn’t seem to matter much, seeing as I was (essentially) moved home. 

Once food had been ordered, and I stuffed my face with my share, I retired to my bedroom. I flipped the lock on my knob, sighing as I leaned my back against the door. I had half-expected Embry to be settled into my bed, instead the room sat empty and cold. 

I wandered to where my phone had been plugged in, scrolling through the notifications. Two messages from Embry. 

Won’t see you 2night. Jake needs me to cover his shift. 

Sleep tight xoxo

I smiled to myself, pulling the phone to my chest as I collapsed onto the bed. Iyah looked up from the floor, tilting his head to the side in question. “For one night.” I nodded, laughing when the puppy happily joined me on the mattress, circling into his place in the corner. “Just don’t tell Embry, kay?”  

The dog huffed in response, enticing another giggle from me. I scratched behind his ear, pressing a kiss to his muzzle before I rolled onto my back. 

I wondered what Jacob was up to – being as responsible as he was, it wasn’t like him to pass along his duties to anyone else. Especially not Embry. That was moreso what Seth was for, being in his prime. I ripped my hair tie from my head, stretching my legs out as the moon casted the shadows of the treetops into my room.

From somewhere in the distance, I could hear a wolf howl.

[fushic0re]

𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚊𝚜 𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚢 | 𝚎.𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕 | 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚎𝚗

Pairing: Embry Call x Original Character Summary: Join Ainsley and Embry as they embark on a journey where they are forced to question everything they thought they knew, and embrace the pain that is inevitable to avoid in love. An imprint story. Self-discovery. Angst and romance. Word Count: 6.1k Warnings: Mentions of blood. prev. chapter | next chapter

𝙴𝚖𝚋𝚛𝚢

She looked absolutely gorgeous; her lightly bronzed skin practically glowed in the dim light, shoulders bare and inviting. Embry spent the majority of the night appreciating the effort she put forward. He had merely showered, shaved and put on a matching pair of socks. Ainsley curled her hair, lashes were thick and full like feather dusters, and her cheeks were a subtle pink. 

Admittedly, Embry devoted the last several years of his life to sleeping with beautiful women – he knew what beautiful looked like. Ainsley certainly took the cake. She wasn’t beautiful in just that simple girl-next-door sort of way, but in a way that made him believe she was strong, almost powerful. He was completely captivated by how intoxicating she was to him. How her scent alone was enough to ease the tremors, how her voice invited a new sort of calm and peace into his life. Her presence was certainly his most cherished gift. A world without her big heart was just simply a world Embry did not want to exist in. 

Jacob and Embry previously had conversation on that topic, trying to decipher the true meaning of an imprint apart from the mating and procreation the elders seemed to think it meant. With Renesmee in the picture, should that ever be a possibility, it was very obviously not just about procreation. Embry usually hated all things fairytale and hopeful. If there had been one thing Embry wished he had learned sooner, it was that life is not apologetic about fucking up everything good you’ve ever had. To live life with zero remorse. 

He had gone from fully hating the way his best friend had turned into a mindless robot intent on existing for one female, to completely sympathizing and letting himself get lost in the feeling of the bond. He hated being apart from Ainsley, hated watching any sort of pain pass through her eyes. And he could see it all: the disappointment, the sadness, the stress, the exhaustion. How daunting it was adjusting to her new life and his lifestyle. He appreciated how hard she was trying to be okay with everything, but knew she still didn’t fully understand it. 

Soon, that would change. Soon, he would give up this life so that he could fit more comfortably into hers. She already had given him more than he should have asked for; having moved in temporarily on rotating weeks so that she wasn’t disrupting the peace at home, he was certain she felt terrible, leaving her mother feeling abandoned. How lost she must have felt when she returned home one weekend and the family was absent, having gone to Seattle for an engagement party for one of TJ’s friends. 

Ainsley always teased him for watching her, always mentioned something about taking a picture because it would last longer. Embry never feared he would need a picture, because he was certain she wouldn’t leave him. Despite knowing he never deserved her or her kindness and patience, he knew Ainsley wouldn’t abandon him. Truth be told, Embry watched her carefully all the time, knowing in every moment which emotion she was feeling, knowing exactly how to respond (to the best of his abilities) to offer her comfort. 

Now he sat across from her, watching her lips break into a half-smile around her words, the sound of her laugh filling the room. Although they were careful to remain quiet, to not disturb those around them, he still felt as though her words sent vibrations through his core. 

Oh yeah, he had it bad. 

“You okay?” She asked, fingers reaching forward to rest gently on his knuckles. Embry inhaled deeply, the cool touch of her fingers soothing the fever of his skin. 

“Never better,” He smiled, bringing his drink to his lips. There was very little Embry was afraid of in this world. He was scared of death, first and foremost. He was scared of his mother and her disappointment. He was scared of losing the family he had built for himself on the reservation.

He was scared of waking up one morning and realizing he hadn’t been able to be good enough for her. That his carelessness had pushed her away, or worse – 

Killed her. 

Ainsley bit down on the last piece of chicken on her plate, hand folded together on her stomach as she chewed and forced herself to swallow. It always amused him, the way she tried to keep up with his appetite. 

“No dessert, then?” He chuckled when she shook her head quickly. She had pointed out the skillet cookie on the dessert menu left on the table when they first arrived, demanding that they not leave until she had devoured an entire cookie for herself. It was very clear now that Ainsley’s eyes were bigger than her poor stomach. 

“I can’t believe I have to go see Trent.” She sighed, playing with the straw in her drink. “All I want to do is go home and sleep.” 

Embry leaned forward, stabbing one of the pieces of broccoli she had left behind with his fork. “Why not just reschedule?” 

Ainsley grimaced. “I can’t.” She mumbled, looking down at her nearly-empty plate. “I do that enough as it is.” 

They sat in silence for a few moments, the unsettling reality that Embry occupied the majority of her spare time now the elephant in the room. He wanted to feel bad, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He had spent the last six years being okay with never having a love of his own - he would be damned if he’d share her with anyone. Including her family. 

When he paid the bill and escorted her to the Jeep, he moved slower. The closer they moved to Ink Obsession, the thicker the anxiety that radiated off her. She gripped his hand tightly, fingers playing with his absently as she watched the city pass by her window. He tried to squeeze it in comfort, but never got much of a reaction out of her.

“Honey,” he pulled her from her thoughts once he cut the engine of the car, watching her gnaw on her lower lip in the darkness. “Is there something you’re not telling me?” 

Ainsley lifted her heavy lids to his: the blue had shifted into a hazy green and appeared weary. She was very obviously withholding information, or not telling the entire truth. Embry wanted to respect her privacy, but it was unsettling, not knowing for the first time in months what was going on in her head. 

“You trust me, right?” She asked quietly, eyes desperately trying to read his face. Embry focused on keeping his face even and smooth, hoping it provided some sense of relief to whatever internal turmoil she was facing. 

He nodded, “I do.” 

“Then don’t think too much about it.” She tried to smile, leaning forward to press her lips to his quickly, “I’m not sure when I’ll be home, but I promise you don’t need to worry about me.” 

The lights to the shop flickered on as Trenton’s figure emerged from the darkness on the other side of the lot with his keys in his hand. He stopped just outside the shop's door, looking towards the Jeep expectantly. Embry felt Ainsley shift beside him, her heartbeat increasing.

“Ainsley,” he leveled, but she was already exiting out of the vehicle. He sighed in defeat, rolling the drivers window down as she rounded the car to his side and leaned up to pucker her lips. He kissed her quickly. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” she lied, heartbeat stuttering the slightest as she looked over her shoulder at her brother. “I’ll text you when I’m on my way home, okay?” Ainsley was backing away from the Jeep, skin slightly pale and clammy in the dim streetlights, but her eyes held a sort of promise. Embry nodded once, turning the keys in the ignition. He tried to push the unease away, pulling out of the parking lot slowly; in the rearview mirror, he watched as Trent and Ainsley's faces fell in unison. 

𝙰𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚕𝚎𝚢

I let my eyes travel over the shop again. It had changed so much from when Trenton had first started working here - the black walls had been covered with a pretty oak laminate, framed pieces of each artist’s most favoured pieces or inspirations linked together to pop against the dark oak. The carpet had been ripped up and replaced with clean white tile, the once open and shared space had been turned into personal enclosed rooms. Trent’s room sat the furthest from the front desk. His room was less cluttered than the others had been: his client chair was pristine and black, that matched all the other furniture in the room. All of his sketchbooks were neatly lined up in a bookshelf, the corkboard on the opposite wall held what appeared to be small up-for-grab ideas. 

“How do you know he’s even coming?” I asked quietly, folding my arms over my chest as I leaned over his desk to scanned my eyes over the open concepts he had drawn earlier that day. “How do you know this isn’t some sort of ambush?”

I could practically hear the eye roll from the other side of the room. “This isn’t an ambush.”

“You don’t know that.” I said firmly, fingers pulling back pages to look at other ideas. I paused momentarily when I stumbled upon a page that held the tribal sigdial that the pack bore – except more detailed. Four different designs that added their own uniqueness to the symbol. I wondered if he was trying to pull them together for Leah, to offer her some sort of individuality. “How long are we going to wait before we leave?” I asked impatiently, another wave of nausea rocking through me. 

Trent sighed, flicking the lamp on in his room to illuminate it. The shop was supposed to be closed to the public, and he wanted to draw very little attention so he had opted to use his phone flashlight and small office lamps to provide just enough light for us to navigate comfortably. “We’ll give it an hour. If he doesn’t show, we’ll leave.”

“This is stupid.” I grumbled in response. “We shouldn’t be here anyway – do you know how pissed Leah and Embry would be if they knew we were willingly meeting with him?”

My brother collapsed onto the short couch, arms spread across the back. “Are you his bitch now?”

“Shut up,” I grumbled, folding my arms again. “I’m respecting boundaries.”

“His boundaries.” Trent corrected, raising a brow languidly. “You are still able to live a life away from him, you know.” 

“I know.” 

“Are you sure about that?”

I licked my lips, letting my eyes wander to the door again. I didn’t want to admit that Trent had a point – that Embry spent a lot more time keeping very close tabs on me. I was certain it was in good faith, that he was merely concerned for my safety. “Don’t you spend as much time with Leah as I do Embry?” 

“Your point?” He asked tiredly. 

“What makes us different from you?” I asked, leaning against his desk. “Your girlfriend wears the pants in your relationship anyway –”

“Oh, fuck off Ains.” He growled, brows pulling together in a glare. “When’s the last time you or Embry took any interest in what was going on at home?” 

“Don’t,” I started, shaking my head, “Leah knows what it’s like to be a part of a family. She understands the obligation to check in.”

“Embry doesn’t?”

“No.” My voice had dropped, feeling bad for even thinking about it. I hadn’t spoken to anyone about Embry’s home life except for Jacob two months ago. I hadn’t bothered asking Embry about it, not knowing how uncomfortable it made him. “His mom remarried a few years ago, lives somewhere in Forks now. He doesn’t have any siblings.”

“He has us.” Trent said after a few moments of silence, staring down at his boots. “We’re his family now.”

I appreciated my brother's words, letting them offer momentary solace. “I know. It’s still new to him, and I know he doesn’t want to overstep any boundaries.” 

“Maybe invite him over for dinner.” Trenton suggested. “You’ve been attached to the hip since Billy’s birthday. In the last four months, you’ve had no trouble sneaking him in through your window but can’t be bothered to actually have him properly integrate into the family.” 

“It’s risky.” 

“Why? Leah had no issues.”

I exhaled loudly. “Leah also doesn’t lose her temper as quickly as Embry has lately – if at all.” The pair of us fell quiet, watching each other before Trent finally nodded in defeat and sighed. “I’ll try, okay? I’ll bring it up to mom and see what she says.”

The chimes at the front of the stores broke the quiet of the shop. My head reared to watch the door to Trent’s room, eyes watching the casted shadow approach slowly. I held my breath, fingers digging into the skin of my arm when Maddox slipped through the door.

His hair was loose, slightly curled at the ends to frame his sharp jaw. His dark eyes scanned the room carefully, stopping a heartbeat longer to watch my controlled expression before he turned his eyes to Trenton’s. “Thank you,” he said quietly, pressing his back against the door to close it, “for meeting with me.” 

“Don’t thank me.” Trent’s voice held a sort of roughness to it, something I was not accustomed to hearing. “Thank her.” 

Both pairs of eyes shot to me quickly, the room settling into silence again. I shifted uncomfortably under their stares, swallowing the lump that had built in my throat. “I thought I told you to leave.” 

“To leave the diner.”

“I meant to skip town.” I clarified, pushing away from the desk to move into the seat behind it. 

Maddox clicked his tongue, lips spreading into a sort of playful smile. “No can do, love.”

“Don’t.” Trent sighed, leaning forward to rest his elbows against his knees. “She agreed to come meet you, don’t give her a reason to walk out the door.”

That would be tough considering Maddox was leaning against it. 

“Wait, I thought he wanted to speak to us.” 

“I do – but I know that Trent can’t help with everything I need. You can.” 

“Like fuck if I’m doing anything for you.” I bit, glowering over at his tall frame. 

Maddox stood rigid for a second, before he shot forward. The speed shocked me, his sudden closeness throwing me off guard as I sat back in the chair as he leaned forward across the table. 

Definitely nothing like the wolves. Definitely a different kind of monster. 

“You’re going to help me.”

“Why should I?”

“Because I haven’t had anything to eat in almost a week and I’m trying very, very hard not to feed on you.” 

I folded my legs under the desk. “How kind of you.” I muttered sarcastically. 

Maddox shook his head, “I don’t want this. And there’s no way to undo what I am without killing me – which also isn’t an option, by the way.” 

“Noted.” I said wearily. 

“So, what’s Ainsley supposed to do?” Trent asked from his corner, brown eyes locked on Maddox’s frame. “Convince her boyfriend not to rip you into shreds?”

I watched Maddox’s lips form a small smile as he stood straight. “That’s a good start. I actually need to get in contact with the Cullen’s.” 

I pursed my lips together tightly. Obviously Maddox hadn’t watched me close enough, otherwise he might’ve known that they were likely my least favourite people, save for Renesmee. Despite not speaking to her since Thanksgiving, Nessie was still the only half-vampire I could see myself tolerating. I very much didn’t not like Edward – and liked Bella even less. Especially after Embry explained all the theatrics and all the hoops Jake jumped through to prevent her from becoming who she was. Selfishly, she had done it anyway. 

“Good luck with that.” I muttered, locking my ankles together as I leaned my elbows against the desk. “We’re not exactly best-buddies.” 

“Jacob is.” He replied.

“That’s Jacob.” I nodded, lifting my chin. “But I’m not involving him. The Cullen’s and I don’t exactly see eye to eye.” 

“That’s Edward and his mate – not the others. You could get in contact with them if you really needed to, couldn’t you?”

I paused, narrowing my eyes up at him. “Why couldn’t you just ask Trenton? Why do you need me?”

Maddox leaned against the desk, the muscles in his arms straining under the fabric of his jacket. “Trent wasn’t formally bff’s with the vampire spawn.”

Trent scoffed. “Neither was Ainsley. She and Ness only hung out whenever Jake brought her around.”

“But you have her number.” Maddox pressed, looking down at me again. “You’d be able to make a phone call, get an address.”

“I’m not doing you any favours. You and your friends are going all over Forks slaughtering families –”

“I’m not.” He growled, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I told you. I haven’t fed.”

I clenched my jaw tightly, leaning back in the chair. I mulled over several different ideas that ran through my mind, trying to decide what the best course of action moving forward was. Which would get me back home the quickest – which would provide the fastest relief. 

“You don’t like them, do you?” I asked quietly.

Maddox shifted the slightest, pulling his eyes from mine to muse over the collection of drawings behind my head. “No. I don’t.” He said after two heartbeats.

“Why?” 

“We don’t see eye to eye.” He reiterated my words, face softening. “Megan and Damien – they’re in this for all the wrong reasons.”

“As if there’s a right one.” Trent grumbled, folding his arms. 

“Look, Garrett is out there scoping for the next addition.” 

“Who’s Garrett?” Trent asked. 

“He’s the one who turned us.” Maddox said simply, almost tiredly. “He came around one night mentioning that I could have it all. I could shut it all off, all the guilt and anger. I could leave behind the person I was and become whoever I wanted to be. 

What he didn’t mention was the agony. When he bit me, everything set fire inside me. Not just warmth – white hot searing pain. Every vein burned, I felt like everything inside me was going to explode. I thought I was dying.

When everything stopped, and I came to, he was partly right. I blocked out everything bad, I left it all behind. My family thinks I’m dead. I shut off the part of me that wanted to feel human emotion and I felt powerful. Like I had found something to give me a new start. When moved around for a while, jumping from town to town, only feeding when absolutely necessary – but Megan –” Maddox stopped, shaking his head, “she got carried away. Started feeding without the rest of us, brought Damien with her. Realized that the more they fed, the stronger they were. They kickstarted the whole process, they’re the one’s going around town killing everyone in pairs. And they’re getting sloppy.”

“What’s this got to do with us?”

“I want them dead.” He stated simply. “They’re risking so much, and this isn’t what I signed up for –”

“What did you think this was going to be, Maddox?” I asked. “You thought that killing innocent people to maintain your appetite and live forever was a better trade?”

“I only fed on the elderly.”

“Dude!” Trent shook his head. “That’s not any better!”

“Better someone who’s nearly dead than a fourteen year old that has their whole life ahead of them.” He said firmly, snapping his eyes towards Trenton’s figure. “I thought about everything, heavily, before I accepted Garrett’s offer. I knew what I was going to make of myself. I thought so carefully. But the part he didn’t mention was everything I felt as a human was amplified. The thirst was unreal – and still is. It’s like my throat is sandpaper and sitting in this room, with the two of you –”

I shivered involuntarily. “Enough. If you want them dead, that’s easy.”

“No. It has to be the Cullen’s. I’ve heard about them – they’re reasonable. They can help me, they’ll take mercy on me, and help me eliminate the threat.” Maddox sighed. “If your boyfriend and his pack have part in it, they won’t stop until I’m dead, too. That’s not the outcome I want.” 

“Yeah, well,” I stood from my seat, moving around the desk and Maddox to join my brother on the opposite side of the room, “we don’t always get the outcome we want.” 

“Ains.” He looked defeated. Tired. Worn-out. “I don’t know what else I can say, I’m more sorry than you’ll ever know.”

“I’m not interested in your apology.” I said sharply, another wave of nausea rolling over my stomach. “I’m interested in getting my life back to where it belongs. The sooner the threat is eliminated, the sooner that can happen.”

“Ains,” Trent started, “what are you suggesting?”

“A trade.” I folded my arms, turning to Maddox again. “I will call Renesmee – provided you give me the exact details on where the others are.” 

Maddox deadpanned. “Ainsley.”

“That's the offer. The only offer I am willing to put on the table. I suggest you take it, Maddox, or I’ll give Embry more incentive to hunt you down and kill you.” 

Maddox threw his shoulders back, tilting his head to the side. “He doesn’t know.”

“We try to keep our private life private, douchebag.” Trent mumbled, coming to stand next to me. “No one knows about you, or about what happened. Not Jennie, not TJ – it’s just us.” 

“And Travis?”

“And Travis.” 

Maddox considered this, his eyes dropping to the floor. “Okay. Call them. As soon as you follow through on your end of the bargain, I’ll give you every safehouse from here to Seattle.” 

I nodded, knowing it was better not to push for anything further. I grabbed Trent’s arm, and pulled him towards the door. “Fine – I’ll call Ness in the morning.”

“No.” Maddox said, shooting forward to hold the door shut, leaning down into my face. I froze, carefully watching his features contort into a firm grimace, nostrils flaring as he inhaled my scent deeply. “We will do this tonight.”

“I can’t. Embry’s expecting me –”

Maddox flashed his eyes, the slightest tinge of red seeping through as he brought his face near mine. “Better work quickly, then.” 

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

I walked next to Trent, our hands balled into fists at our sides. Neither of us felt comfortable about the way this night had turned out. I was trying very hard not to give my brother more of a reason to feel bad. We both lied to our respective partners. We had fraternized with the enemy – and now were both currently walking up the pathway to the Cullen house. It sat nestled deep in the woods, away from most of civilization. That didn’t bring any peace or comfort to either of us. 

“This is a really bad idea.” I muttered quietly, eyes scanning the giant illuminated house. It appeared to be mainly glass, the careful eyes of five different figures from different parts of the house watched us as we approached. 

“You think?” Trent hissed, glancing over his shoulder at Maddox. 

We stopped at the door, watching a tall blonde male extend his hands in an open gesture. He seemed kind, and careful. I appreciated that. I met his golden eyes, head tilting to the side just the slightest as he pulled the door open and moved to the side. “We’ve been waiting for you. All of you.” He said smoothly. 

I followed behind Trenton, sticking close to his frame as the three of us made our way up the stairs into what appeared to be the living room. My eyes fell over each figure, recognizing none of them. I shifted uneasily beside my brother, trying to keep my shoulders back and head high. 

“This is Ainsley Black – Jacob’s cousin – and her brother, Trent Johnson.” The man said, all six sets of eyes darting between us carefully. “And this is their friend –”

“He’s not our friend.” Trent clarified.

“- Maddox Knight. It appears he’s one of the nomad vampires.” 

After brief introductions between the remaining vampires of the Cullen family, I felt Maddox press into my side; I grimaced slightly, thankful there was about a foot height difference between us so he couldn’t see my distaste. I tried to casually put distance between us by standing in front of my brother. “I spoke to Renesmee on the phone, where is she?” 

Alice stepped forward. “Edward and Bella think it would be best if they stayed out of this conversation – especially if you’re trying to keep it hidden from the pack.” 

“They’ve never heard of telling a lie?” Trent asked sarcastically, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket. 

Alice pursed her lips, folding her hands in front of her stomach, “Bella’s loyalty to Jacob doesn’t permit that sort of thing – it’s one of the main reasons we co-exist in peace.” I thought about my cousin then – how difficult it must have been for him, trying to vouch for a human that was so hell-bent on being anything but what she was supposed to be. 

Alive. 

And despite it all, on some level, he loved her. And her daughter. 

“We understand it’s Maddox that asked you to arrange this meeting?” Carlisle asked, looking past me to where Maddox stood. I glanced at him over my shoulder; his body was rigid and slumped forward. He was trying to make himself small again. 

My brows pulled together, voice coming out far quieter than I intended. “He’s looking for a new lifestyle. He –” I paused, licking my lips as I considered my next words. “We believe you’d be his best shot at that. That you would be capable of helping him – so long as he’s willing to make the change.” I added, looking up at Maddox with hard eyes. 

He nodded once, looking at the group in front of us. “I thought this was what I wanted – I didn’t fully consider every aspect of this change.” 

“It’s difficult to control for some, but if you’re willing to try,” Carlisle looked around the group, several members nodded their heads once – Alice’s smile confirmed his sentiment. “We’d be more than willing to work with you. If you need somewhere safe to stay, you’re welcome to our home.”

I exhaled loudly in relief. “That’s great.” I forced between clenched teeth, my smile tight. 

“Do we need to speak with your coven, first?” Carlisle asked, wrapping an arm around Maddox’s shoulders to bring him forward. “Or are you handling that?” He looked at Trent and I, trying to piece together the plan. 

“We’re going to bring the information back to Leah and Embry.” Trent explained, folding his arms. “We’d appreciate it if they didn’t find out about our being here.” 

“Still not our biggest fans, huh?” Emmett asked from the couch, a smug smile breaking across his lips. He reminded me so much of Paul and Maddox – so incredibly sure of himself. 

“Leah’s getting better.” Trent offered. “It’s mainly just the part of her that’s biologically trying to tell her she hates you – at least, that’s how she explains it to me. But Embry …”

“Embry’s not quite there. Especially not after yesterday, and I don’t think he would be too happy about my being here without his knowledge, so please,” I shifted on my feet, returning to my brother's side, “can we keep this amongst ourselves?”

“You have our word.” Esme said quietly, offering me a small smile in comfort. “Would you like something to drink while we figure out the kinks?”

“Oh, uh –” Trent cleared his throat, linking his arm through mine. “We should get going – this wasn’t exactly something on our agenda for tonight.” 

“Ains.” Maddox looked at me, almost pleadingly. I held his eyes for a moment, gnawing on my inner cheek.

“You haven’t fed, and us being here is likely not helping any –”

“You haven’t hunted?” Jasper asked, brows pulled together. The Cullen’s moved quickly then, Rosalie and Emmett standing between Maddox and Trent and myself, creating a sort of barrier. I looked at Maddox, watching his face contort into a thousand different emotions.

“He hasn’t tried to feed on you?” 

Trent and I shook our heads. “He’s mentioned it twice – but no.” I thought back to the car ride, where Maddox sat in the back seat and opened the windows to alleviate our scents – then tried to stifle my laugh when he had stuck his head out of the window like a dog. 

Carlisle looked at Maddox again. “Interesting.” He mused, turning to us. “Would you mind coming here for a moment? I’d like to test his control.” He asked, his eyes focused on me. 

“I think it’s better if I don’t – Trent!”

Trenton stepped forward, sliding past Emmett to stand next to Carlisle. “What do you need?”

Carlisle disappeared down the hall, returning in a flash with an object in his hand. “Can you prick your finger for me?” Carlisle asked, holding the letter opener out. I tried to follow my brother's steps, but Rosalie’s strong hands gripped my arms gently and gave me a look of caution.

“You’re better off where you are.” She warned.

I watched as Trent grabbed the handle, his eyes locked on Maddox’s. “Are you insane?” Maddox asked the room, his dark pupils fixated on the sharp point that pressed into Trent’s palm.

“If you’ve been this close to them for this long, having not fed in what appears to be quite a few days, then you’re already stronger than you think.” Carlisle said slowly, keeping a tight grip on his arm. “I need you to focus on anything except the thirst. When he breaks skin, his scent is going to fill this room very quickly and it’s going to be your responsibility to put your instinct aside.” 

“This isn’t going to help me –”

“We need to know just how much we’re working with. Better it be this way –”

“Better it be my brother instead of literally anyone else?” I asked, struggling in Rosalie’s grip. 

Trent inhaled slowly, adding pressure. He hissed when the skin broke, I watched Trenton’s hand shake the slightest bit, his eyes locked on the blood pooling in his hand. Maddox’s chest heaved, filling his lungs with the air – his nostrils flared, eyes flashed brightly. It was then that the other members in the room moved quickly – Rosalie pulled me away from the group, trying to cover my body. 

Maddox lunged forward, the snarl ripping through the room, followed by a loud boom as Emmett collided into his side, sending him flying across the couch. Esme wrapped Trenton’s hand in a cloth, whisking him away to another room completely out of sight. I gripped onto Rosalie’s arm tightly, eyes watching as Maddox tried – and successfully – threw Emmett off him, rushing towards the staircase. 

He was trying to run. 

“Maddox!” I yelled, halting his movement. He didn’t turn to face me; he didn’t move at all. He was incredibly still, body mimicking that of a statue. The group watched him carefully for a moment, before Jasper moved forward to rest his palm on Maddox's shoulder. There was a gradual ease in his posture – the tension in the room slowly released. 

“Let’s try this again.” Carlisle said, holding the letter opener towards me this time.

I pulled my brows together, “I – what?” When no one spoke, or made any movements to offer another solution, I laughed once. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Unfortunately not.”

“Okay, first of all,” I started, taking a step backwards, “hell no. He’s obviously not able to handle this.”

“Not with Trent’s blood, no.” Jasper quipped, holding his hands behind his back. “But his personal … ties to you might be enough incentive for him to remain in control.” 

Maddox shook his head, snapping his neck in Jasper’s direction. “No way.” He seethed, looking at me, “I came here for help, not to get her killed.” 

“You won’t hurt her.” Alice said, standing next to me. I tried not to let her sudden presence scare me. It was still an odd thing, having everyone around you move more quickly and smoothly than human eyes could detect. “I promise.” She added, smiling at me in reassurance. We were nearly the same height – me being taller by just a few inches. 

That was a first.

“No.” Maddox said again, looking towards the kitchen where Trenton was being tended to. “I can’t risk that – if anything happens to either of them, I’m a dead man.”

“If anything happens to either of them, we’re all dead.” Jasper added cynically, watching me with careful eyes. “Embry would make sure of that.” 

“But this will work.” Alice said quickly, nodding her head. “Your feelings for her are stronger than the need to feed. That’s why you’ve gone so long without it - the first day you saw her, you stopped. Because you wanted to see her. You were able to sit in that diner with all of those humans.” 

“How –” he was confused.

“I’ve been keeping close tabs on you.” Alice smiled, pulling me forward by the hand. “So, I know this is going to work. But we need to show you in order for you to have faith in yourself. Because right now, you think you’re going to rip her head off and drain her body. And that’s not the mindset that’s going to get you where the rest of us are.” 

Carlisle offered me the letter opener again, and this time I wrapped my thin fingers around the handle and slowly brought it towards my left palm. “I swear to god, if I die,” I warned, looking around the group one more time, “I will come back and haunt all of you. Forever.” 

Alice squeezed my shoulder gently. “Trust me.” She said quietly, trying to keep her face as sincere as she could. 

I clenched my jaw, looking up at Maddox with unease. “Don’t kill me.” I repeated, watching his face crumble when I pressed the sharp edge into my hand. I winced when the skin broke, watching the blood rise to the surface. My pain tolerance was not very high – it was one of the main reasons I spent very little time participating in gym, why I always opted for Trent and Travis to fight my battles for me. They lived for a little pain, damn masochists. 

A full ten seconds went by and nothing changed. I looked up at Maddox again, studying his face just as carefully as the rest of the vampires were. His face resembled much of what it had earlier; his eyes were dark and focused, his nostrils were flared and full of my scent, his body was rigid, but he remained still. Incredibly still. 

He wasn’t running and he wasn’t trying to kill me. Both were good signs, by the looks of it. 

I carefully followed Alice when she moved forward, closing the distance between Maddox and myself. I swallowed uneasily, trying to keep the tremor out of my hand. Please don’t eat me. Please don’t eat me. Please don’t eat me.

Maddox exhaled slowly, his eyes falling shut as Alice prompted my hand closer to his face. His brows pulled together, breathing ceasing entirely when my hand stopped a mere five inches from his nose. 

“Very good, Maddox.” Carlisle said quietly from behind me. He pulled me away slowly, offering me a tissue for the wound. “Now, try to breathe. Slowly, evenly.” I turned, pulling my hand to my chest quickly, tending to the small wound. Trenton stood in the archway, eyebrow raised in disapproval as he clutched his wounded hand wrapped in thick gauze. 

Neither of us spoke. 

Several hours later, I exchanged numbers with Maddox. I still needed the safehouses, and Carlisle had requested that I stop by whenever I could to assist in pushing his control further as a sort of experiment. Neither Trent nor Maddox seemed entirely thrilled that I had agreed. 

We walked side by side down the dark path towards Trenton’s truck; he had remained mostly silent for a majority of his time at the Cullen’s, mainly speaking when spoken to. “Are we going to talk about that?”

“About what?””

Trent snorted, shaking his head. “How is everything so obvious to everybody but you?” When I didn’t respond, he sighed, “‘His personal ties to you are helping him control his thirst?’” He asked, looking down at me dubiously. 

“What about it?”

“Something tells me that his guilt is hardly what he’s holding onto.” 

I rolled my eyes, storming past his frame towards the truck. “You’re overthinking it – now take me to Jennie’s. I need to shower before I step foot in the wolf's den.” 

[fushic0re]

𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚊𝚜 𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚢 | 𝚎.𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕 | 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚎

Pairing: Embry Call x Original Character Summary: Join Ainsley and Embry as they embark on a journey where they are forced to question everything they thought they knew, and embrace the pain that is inevitable to avoid in love. An imprint story. Self-discovery. Angst and romance. Word Count: 2.9k Warnings: None. prev. chapter | next chapter

𝙴𝚖𝚋𝚛𝚢

Embry watched Ainsley from the doorway; his arms were folded across his broad and bare chest, and his left shoulder rested against the wooden oak of the threshold to his bedroom. He just spent the last seven hours listening to his brothers remind him about the importance of Ainsley and her safety to everyone – not just him. How irresponsible it was to leave her unattended and alone; especially if she had personal past relations with one of the nomad leeches. Unknowingly to Embry, Jacob had asked Sam to stay back to keep an eye on her, just until Embry was finished with his temper tantrum. 

He hadn’t particularly wanted to have that conversation with his former alpha; there was nothing that brought any of the guys bigger insecurities than listening to Sam scold them like the father he pretended to be. Embry never realized until then that Sam felt as though he were always to be held responsible and accountable for each of the pack members. So, when Embry came home to find Sam sitting on the most left-hand side of Jacob and Embry’s wrap-around porch, he could instantly feel the shame. 

He had let his personal insecurity and anger dictate his emotions – again. Instead of thinking about everyone, he all but demanded they run out on a wild leech hunt. He wanted to be anywhere but looking at her, smelling the bleach saturating her hair. It reminded him of Bella, made him momentarily feel as though he were going to put everyone through another round of Bella-Jacob-Painfest. 

And then he saw her. Once Sam walked home for the night, once he finished ripping Embry’s ego into shreds for being so incredibly careless – Embry saw her. Wrapped up in his bed sheets, dark hair a mess over her pillow as her chest rose slowly and steadily. She was still alive, she was okay, and she smelled wonderful. Guilt washed over his defeated shoulders, head dropping down as the shame weighed down heavily on his chest. 

He had chosen not to sleep in the bed that night – worried she might roll over in the morning and be upset, or be justifiably angry with him. He wanted to eliminate any possible threat to the tribe, and therefore to Ainsley. To anyone she loved, because he couldn’t stand to see her heartbroken over the loss. Yet he was willing to break her heart to take away from having to listen to her talk about Maddox. In detail.

Embry appraised the small loveseat in the living room with disdain; Jacob’s room was available, he could have opted to sleep there, instead. After a minute, he sighed and awkwardly pulled his legs up so that he could fit his entire body on the loveseat, arms curling into his abdomen. He didn’t sleep that night, worried Ainsley would wake in the morning with sadness in her blue eyes, disappointed in his actions. She’d probably give him crap, too, for not being there to keep her warm. Especially when she was still fighting a cold. 

That he had essentially given her, knowing how terrible her immune system was. 

He groaned, pushing off the couch to wander back upstairs – for the second time – to lean in the doorway and keep watch over his hand-picked love. Embry didn’t sleep a wink. 

𝙰𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚕𝚎𝚢

When I woke, the room was chilled and my back hurt. My arm remained stretched over Embry’s empty half, pillow unmoved. He hadn’t come home. 

I tried not to let my disappointment in myself get the best of me. I forced myself out of bed and into a warm shower; this time I worked vigorously, scrubbing every inch of my body, taking the extra five minutes to let my conditioner soak in before I rinsed. Once I felt appropriately shaved and exfoliated, I regrettably exited out of the shower. The dress I wanted to wear was salmon; definitely more of a summer dress and a lot tighter than dresses I was used to, but my mother had gifted it to me for graduation. Embry had been the first person to pull it out of my closet, making some remark about how absolutely banging my ass would look. 

So, I put it on. 

When I finally descended the stairs, I stopped short of the kitchen doorway. Embry sat in his seat against the wall, hunched over a bowl of cereal, chewing quietly. So, he did come home, he just didn’t share the bed with me. At first, I felt a twinge of pain pull at my heartstrings, thinking about how disgusted he had seemed with me, how I spent hours silently wishing I had just gone home first. That I had showered and changed, that I hadn’t shown up at Emily’s smelling like the one thing he hated the most.

 And then I had thought about Embry cramping himself up on the couch just to stay away from me.

Idiot.

I started the kettle for coffee, and thought twice about eating breakfast. I ran my hands over my arms, shivering as the cool air bit at my exposed skin. I glanced down at my bicep, eyes widening as my pupils traced over the angry red and purple bruising. 

“Shit.” I hissed. 

𝙴𝚖𝚋𝚛𝚢

He glanced up at her from his paper, watching her tiny hands quickly cover her arms as she turned around. Embry wanted to pretend he wasn’t curious, and wasn't worried. He had just spent whatever four hours of sleep he could have had watching Ainsley from the doorway of his bedroom. Each time he’d retire to the living room to sit, he’d eat himself up with guilt and gravitate back upstairs. 

So, when she turned her back on him, carefully tending to whatever she had noticed about her skin, he pulled his brows together to keep himself from growling in frustration. After what seemed like an eternity, he pushed away from his chair and brought his empty bowl with him to the sink just behind her. He rinsed it out, watching her thumb rub the skin back and forth; he kept his voice quiet, hands reaching out to turn her shoulders. 

“What?” He inquired quietly, ducking his head the slightest bit to get a better look. She tried to pull away, but he grabbed her wrist. “What’s wrong?” He asked, pulling her hand away slowly. 

He released his grip immediately, brown orbs focused on the four solid purple fingerprints that wrapped around her thin arm. Embry could feel the air thin out around him, knocking the wind from his chest; embarrassment, shame and guilt seeped into his bones and over his body. 

“Sorry.” He breathed, taking a step away, averting his eyes quickly. He turned to walk upstairs, feet pulling him into the still-warm bathroom. Once behind the door, his fist collided with the mirror, sending the glass crashing down to the sink and floor in a million pieces. 

𝙰𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚕𝚎𝚢

I heard the grunt before I heard the glass shatter, jumping slightly at the noise. I’d definitely have to wear a sweater with the dress. I pursed my lips tightly, running up the stairs after Embry, moving hastily into the bedroom to rip through my bag of clothes I kept sitting on the chair in the corner. I knew my mother had packed my brown cardigan, somewhere – 

“Can you –” I turned my head, snapping my eyes to Embry. His skin was glistening with water, skin flushed with a deep red. He held his hand out – still bleeding with fresh wounds – and grimaced. “There’s still shards under the skin I can’t get. Can you help?” 

I pulled the cardigan over my arms, noticing in the reflection of the window how much smaller I seemed, drowning in the oversized sweater. “Sure.” I sighed, feeling the immediate lift of confidence as it melted away into the air and I shuffled towards the bed, gesturing him forward. He perched on the corner of the mattress, holding his hand at almost an arm’s length distance and I scoffed. 

After thirty minutes of reopening a wound that was trying to heal around my tweezers, I managed to pull every shard and fiber of glass that remained in his knuckles. I rubbed my thumb slowly over the red scars, which faded back into barely there scrapes within an instant of two seconds. I sighed, trying not to dwell on the idea that maybe my not knowing was better. Maybe I would feel less bad if Embry wanted to spend less time with me; because he was being a jealous boy, and not plotting someone’s murder. 

I dropped his hand and rubbed my palms over my thighs - something I did whenever I felt anxious. We sat in silence for a few moments, I was painfully aware of his eyes watching me carefully before he sighed and moved himself closer. 

“The dress looks pretty.” He mumbled into my neck, wrapping his arms around my waist. I relaxed under his touch, eyes slipping shut as I exhaled slowly. “I’m sorry you have to wear this.” He whispered quietly, running his hands over my arms gently, pausing momentarily where the bruises were. 

“It’s fine.” I replied, moreso trying to convince him than myself. I leaned back against his heat, content to just stay there a while, but I knew Emily would have expected me early and so I couldn’t stay too long. “I should get going.” 

Embry frowned, hugging my frame tightly in his arms. “I love you.” He sounded entirely sincere, and I was sure he meant it far more than I was willing to allow. I turned my neck so I could press my mouth against his gently, “So much.” He mumbled over my lips, his once bloodied hand moving to caress my cheek in his palm. 

“You can’t do that anymore.” I said finally, pushing away from him. “Getting angry like that – I get the whole moral enemies thing, Embry, but you can’t go on a wild chase every time one comes around.”

“Ains –”

“It’s still weird for me. That you kill people –”

“They’re hardly people.” He argued.

“And that you take pleasure in doing it. Regardless of who or what they are, Embry, I don’t typically condone violence.” I found myself rising to my feet, pulling my still-wet hair into a careless bun. When I noticed his guilty expression, I leaned down to kiss him again, holding his chin in my hand, “Just … think about it, okay?” 

Embry nodded solemnly and sighed. 

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

The baby shower had gone as expected: Embry and I reconciled through the day, offering simple touches and gestures of affection to mend the slight impasse we had come to. Much to my dismay, Trent had spent a lot of time hovering. 

“You can stop.” I said quietly, forcing myself to keep the smile on my face as I watched Embry and Paul go head to head against Sam and Jacob in trying to change fake-babies diapers. From the looks of Emily’s face, it appeared as though she were definitely at a loss as her husband was very clearly struggling. 

“Stop what?” Trent asked, following my suit while smiling. 

“Babying me.” 

He turned his back to the crowd, filling his cup with a spoonful of punch. “I’m not babying you – I need to talk to you.” 

Jared held his doll up in triumph, a grin spread across his broad lips as the doll swung limply in the air by its hand. Kim shook her head. “If that’s how you’re gonna handle a baby, we’re not procreating.” 

“About what?” I hissed, cutting my eyes up. He looked tired, jaw tense and shoulders rigid. Very rarely did Trenton ever appear to be angry, or stressed. He worked as a tattoo artist at his own leisure – stress wasn’t really in the job description. “We’re not talking about him.” 

“Ains.”

“No.” I said hard, eyes cutting back to the group quickly to ensure it was still just them. 

Embry was hunched over his second doll alongside Jacob and Sam. His eyebrows were pulled together, fingers very gently working to secure the diaper together. 

“Ainsley.” I sighed, clenching my hands into tiny fists at my sides. Anyone that knew me knew that she favoured Trent over Travis – no one ever had the guts to admit it out loud, including TJ. It was often that I found myself in moments like this, where I questioned why. Travis never pestered me about little things. Travis let me go about my business. He never butt into my life, he never advised me adamantly on what I should and shouldn’t be doing. I appreciated that. 

But Travis never understood why I would suddenly disappear. Why my mood would drop. Why I’d be so easily irritated by everyone around for simply breathing in my direction or asking me a simple question. He didn’t understand the panic attacks, or the PTSD. Sure, bad things had happened to me, and I knew he meant well, but Trent had always gone above and beyond what I had expected from a non-blood relative. He had helped me buy the Jeep, he had helped me rebuild the entire engine. He picked me up from class and brought me home dinner on nights when he knew TJ and Jennie would be working late. 

Trenton was my person, for a very long time. With Embry and Leah in the picture, the pair of us had been at odds over almost everything for the last few months. We were trying to prove the other was still important, but we were never really able to find the time. 

“I saw him this morning.”

I paused, trying not to remove my eyes from the group as Billy mocked his son’s contorted face, drawing laughs from the other elders in the room. My mother hadn’t been able to join, but TJ and Travis sat comfortably next to Sue and Billy, Seth and Travis to their right talking aimlessly about god only knows what.

“Who?”

Trent turned this time, leering down at me. “You know who. He wants to talk to us. Alone.”

I leaned against the table, “We can’t.”

“He insisted.” 

I rolled my neck back and looked at the ceiling. Either the boys had gotten very good at blocking out the extra sounds, or they were giving us our privacy. I was hoping they wouldn’t have been so kind. “Since when do you listen to Maddox?” I looked up at my brother; his eyes were soft and pleading. Obviously there was more than he was willing to discuss given the room full of shapeshifters. 

“He’s going to meet us at the shop. Tonight.” 

“Tonight?” I hissed, thinking about the suggestive plans Embry had previously tried to make. Given that we had never formally been able to go out on any dates outside of the reservation, he had offered to take me for dinner in Port Angeles. “I can’t tonight.”

“Ainsley.” 

“I have a date – do you really want me to cancel on him? Would you cancel on her?” I jutted my chin towards Leah. 

Trent followed ny eyes and slowly exhaled. “Meet me after.” 

“Would you just give it up? He’s a vampire. We’re human. Are you seriously trying to bait me?” I hissed, turning my back on the group to refill my mug. “What does he even want?”

“Meet me after. For 9.” He said. Given his tone, obviously the conversation was no longer up for topic – a warm pair of hands slipped around my waist and hugged me close. I automatically smiled in response. 

“What’re you two talking about?” Embry wondered quietly in my ear, pressing his mouth against the skin just below. 

Trenton slipped my drink from my hand, “I’m stealing my sister after your date.” 

“Are you?” Embry wondered. I winced slightly, hoping Embry’s face didn’t indicate he had any sort of issues. “Should I drop her off?”

“At the shop, yeah.” Trent smiled in triumph, looking down at me. “I’ll bring her back home afterwards.” 

“The shop?” I turned around in Embry’s arms, watching his face carefully, “You’re not getting any ink, are you?” 

I lifted a brow, my palms running over the smooth surface of his clothed chest. “What if I did? Is that an issue?” 

He shrugged. “Nah, you’d look cute with a tat.” Embry conceded, hugging my head to his chest tightly as he kissed the top of my hair. I let my eyes slip shut as Trenton shot me a knowing look and disappeared to where Leah and our family sat. “What’s going on, honey?” 

“Nothing.” I litted, hugging his frame. “Trent just wants family time, that’s all.” 

“What about Travis?” 

I paused. “It’s not the same with him – we’ve talked about this.” 

“I know,” he sighed, looking over at Travis solemnly, “doesn’t he ever feel left out?” 

I laughed once. “Why would he? He has Seth and the others. He’s not lonely.”

“He’s still your family.” 

“And I love him,” I said firmly, leaning back to look up at Embry, “but it’s not the same as it is with Trent. What we have going on at home works, and has worked for years.” 

Embry grimaced, nose wrinkled in disdain as he nodded reluctantly and rubbed my sides. “If you’re sure.” 

“Don’t worry about it, babe.” I smiled, pressing up on my tip-toes to press my mouth to his. “Did you finally figure out the diaper?” 

I relaxed when Embry allowed the subject change, body releasing left-over tension from my conversation with Trent. We slipped out early, going home so Embry could shower and I could primp for our first official date-date, worrying all the while about the events that would take place after.

[fushic0re]

𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚊𝚜 𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚢 | 𝚎.𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕 | 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝

Pairing: Embry Call x Original Character Summary: Join Ainsley and Embry as they embark on a journey where they are forced to question everything they thought they knew, and embrace the pain that is inevitable to avoid in love. An imprint story. Self-discovery. Angst and romance. Word Count: 4.7k Warnings: NSFW - mentions of prior sexual assault, mentions of prior ingestion of date rape prev. chapter | next chapter

The sun broke through the curtains, pulling me from my slumber. Embry left the window open throughout the night, making the air within our shared room frosty and bitter; I sunk deeper into the mattress and pulled the thick duvet under my chin. My eyes strained against the light, and I gave a sort of whining noise as I stretched my legs, entire body aching with the movements. A pair of warm arms tightened around my waist and Embry’s nose pressed into my neck as he hugged me closer to his half-asleep frame. 

My eyes watched the gentle fall of the snowflakes, a small smile breaking across my lips as I gingerly ran my hand along the arm that held me. “Look, babe. It’s snowing.” I whispered quietly; the gentle lift of his chin was followed by a slight hum, then a lingering kiss was pressed to my jaw. It was mornings like these that I wanted to freeze in time forever. Wanted to remain in bed all day with Embry and his warm embrace. “I have to get up.” I lamented, my breath faltering into a laugh as Embry groaned in reluctance. 

I spent several minutes trying to coax him into letting me go – it ended with multiple kisses and disapproving mumbles. I had an early shift at the diner, and needed to give myself ample time to get to Forks so that I wasn’t late. I rushed through my shower, slipping on two pairs of socks to keep the cold tiles from bothering my feet. Once I was satisfied with my hair and no longer looked lifeless, I returned to the cold bedroom to see Embry’s frame spread across the bed frame. He laid on his stomach, hugging his arms around the pillow his head was resting on. The bed was a King, and still, he almost looked too big – as though he were sleeping on a double. 

I pressed my cold lips to his back, evading his desperate fingers as they searched blindly for me. “I’ll see you at Emily’s tonight – I promised her we’d help out.” 

“Your keys are in the ignition.” Embry grunted in response. 

I expected the Jeep to be buried under a mountain of snow, but instead it sat in the driveway cleared. Embry must have slipped out while I was showering to clear it off for me - and had even started the heat inside. I shivered in the warmth of the vehicle, thanking all the Gods for my boyfriend before I pulled the car into drive and sped off down the road towards the highway out of town. 

It took me an extra twenty minutes to get through the snow banks; the plows hadn’t come through the reservation yet but I was certain the drive home would be less daunting. I parked behind the diner, rushing through the backdoor. I was shrugging out of my jacket just as the clock ticked to 7:00 AM. 

“Mornin’ chickie!” Debbie chirped from the front counter, her red hair curled uniformly away from her face. 

“Morning.” I smiled, kicking my boots off at the door to pull my sneakers on. “Where’s Angie?” 

Speak of the devil, and the devil shall appear. The short-haired girl rounded the corner, supporting the tray with her hip. I could tell Angie had recently buzzed the undercut, leaving the three inches up top to grow out a little more. I smiled wider, catching the cloth that was tossed in my direction. 

“Hey, nugget.”

“How’s the rush?” I asked.

“Not much of a rush,” Angie sighed, sorting the dishes off her tray. “Damn snow.” 

I bumped her hip, rolling the sleeves up on my white blouse to wash my hands. “Don’t knock the snow.” 

“What’s so great about it? It’s cold, it’s wet, it gets ugly when exhaust and cars run over it all the time.”

I rolled my eyes. “It means Christmas is coming.” I rinsed the soap from my skin, and flicked my fingers at Angie’s face, water droplets pelting in her direction. “Plus, it means my birthday is almost here.” 

Angie was about a year older than I was. When I first started working at Shaker’s, Ang’s hair had just reached her chin, was parted in the middle and was a warm chestnut brown. After her break up, she buzzed the undercut and kept it short, just long enough to grab a decent fistful whenever she was stressed. Her teeth sat in perfectly straightened rows – many thanks to the braces she endured in her teen years. Her pale skin made me envision red sunburns in the summertime. She was simple, but still pretty. It was her firecracker attitude that made me fall in love with her. 

“There’s somebody out there asking for you.” Angie stuffed her towel into the back pocket of her black jeans. “All morning - showed up right when we opened.” 

I pulled my brows together, tying my apron around my waist hastily as I wandered towards the front. The girls were right – the diner was essentially empty, except for the two occupied booths in the corner. There was a man that sat at the front counter, his hands wrapped gingerly around a cup of coffee and his hat pulled down over his eyes. I grabbed one of the breakfast menus as I wandered towards him. 

“Special for the day is blueberry pancakes. Trust me, you’ll want to try ‘em if you’re just passing through.” I mused lightly, sliding the laminated booklet in front of him. 

When he looked up, I froze. I would have recognized that petulant stare from a mile away; his brown orbs now darkened into a sort of black, his mouth pulled back into a slight grimace. I braced my hands on the countertop between us, trying to keep the bad taste from rising completely up my throat. 

Maddox looked as though he had been through hell and back a few times. I couldn’t find the heart to feel any sort of sympathy. 

“Not hungry,” he said finally, pushing the menu away with the tips of his fingers. 

I watched him carefully for a moment, assessing the way his shoulders hunched forward, the way his movements seemed controlled and careful. He was trying to make himself small, so much different from how he used to be. 

I had loved him once. Prior to the date-party, prior to my unhappy ending, I had believed him every time he said he’d marry me someday, that he’d make me happy. He’d take care of me. That is what I had counted on - being with someone that could protect me from any sort of danger, although I had never fathomed what that danger could possibly be. His honey-brown orbs used to make my head spin, the way he carried himself made me feel as though he was an unstoppable force of nature. 

When he was hanging out with my brothers, he spent fight  nights stepping into the shoes of some stereotypical douchebag, trying to put on a show to get the cash flowing. He knew people would never bet against him if no one ever landed a solid swing or two on him. He never wanted me to be there, mentioned something about it being too crowded, too busy. I never listened, obviously. Travis always kept good on his promise to sneak me in, but always failed to make sure I didn’t go missing. 

“What are you doing here?” I asked curtly, pulling the menu from the countertop to drill holes into his forehead. 

Maddox lifted his chin and sighed, his eyes wandering just above my head for a split second before he cracked a small half-smile. “Staying with some friends in the area,” he lied, cocking his left brow, “what are you doing here? Don’t you live on the reserve?” 

I pulled my brows together. “How did you know?” 

His eyes rolled. “Because you told me where you were born, love.” 

“Do not,” I seethed, leaning forward to get in his face, “come in here and pretend like you know me.” 

“But I do know you.” Maddox pressed, leaning back away from me quickly. “Your favourite colour is purple. You absolutely love ketchup even though it’s awful for you. You can’t stand the rain yet you can’t seem to find yourself anywhere sunny and warm to live. You’d never admit it outloud, but Trenton is your favoured brother -”

I held up my hand, having heard enough. I was certain he could go on and on. We had spent the majority of a year together as an item; being young had meant we spent more time in private than at house parties. The first time I agreed to go to a frat party was only because he was a freshman and had begged me to come along. Maddox was on bitch duty, had to make sure everyone had a drink in their hand, and had to be the one to clean up the house once everyone had left. Before that night, I thought I had met the one, thought I knew what it was like to be loved. 

If only I had known a love like Embry’s, I might’ve been able to save myself from the months of nightmares and internal torment. 

I moved down the countertop, wiping the space at the end of the counter where my regular usually sat. He only came in Tuesday mornings, right before his shift at the department with my father. My lips broke into a slightly forced smile as Charlie took his seat, shrugging out of his coat. 

“Regular black?” I asked as I pulled a mug from the dishwasher. 

“Yes ma’am,” he beamed; his face was old and weary. TJ talked about Charlie quite a bit, with him being the Chief and all. When I finally met him, we clicked and he swore up and down he’d only come in for breakfast or dinner on the nights I was working. He always tipped generously, and always left smiling. Last I heard, he was dating Sue, Seth and Leah’s mom. 

I glanced at Maddox from my peripheral vision; he had removed his hat, light brown hair pulled back into a small bun. He was watching me, assessing my movements much like I had been watching him earlier. I tried not to let my annoyance surface, poured Charlie’s coffee and tossed the empty canister into the sink. 

I set the mug in front of Charlie, leaning against the countertop. “The special’s blueberry pancakes.” I said cheerfully, browsing through the laminated pages of the menu. “But, you have yet to try any of the omelets – which is a sin, because they’re so delicious.” I mused, eyes scanning over the page. 

“How about just a big stack of bacon.” I glanced at him with slight disapproval. “What? Look at the crap I gotta deal with today, I deserve some pig meat.”

“Only if you get eggs with it.” I finalized, standing up straight.

“Fine.” Charlie replied bitterly, taking a sip of the steaming coffee. “Poached.” 

“Bacon burnt to a crisp?” I asked, slipping the menu back into its place under the register. Charlie nodded. 

Customers trailed in one by one over the course of the next two hours, each seated with heaping mountains of warm breakfast filling their tables. Maddox had yet to finish his coffee, but I was certain it was ice-cold by this point. When I walked past him for the umpteenth time, I swiped his mug off the countertop, dumped the contents in the sink and poured him a fresh cup. 

“You didn’t have to do that.” He said once I replaced it in front of him, leaning back on the stool when I neared. I pulled her brows together first in confusion, then annoyance. 

“Yes, I did.” I grumbled, wiping the counter around him. “My boss does keep an eye on me, and the customers.” 

Maddox pursed his lips together, settling his hands around his mug again, “You’re doing a good job.” 

“Don’t.” I hissed, turning to pile the empty and used mugs into the dishwasher up front. When I turned around to restock the napkin dispenser, Maddox was wearing a smug smile. His smugness was nothing like Embry’s - and that made me want to launch my fist right into his nose. 

“Would you prefer it if I left?” He asked. 

“Yes, actually,” I braced my hand on the counter and the other on my hip, trying to keep my face straight and emotionless, “because I don’t know why you’re here.” 

“I wanted to see you.” 

I clenched my jaw together tightly, lifting my eyes from his to scan the restaurant. Charlie was pulling his jacket over his uniform, offering me momentary relief. 

“I never wanted to see you. So, I think it’s best if you leave.” I pressed, hard eyes cutting back to the unwelcome visitors before I pushed away from the counter to meet Charlie at the till. 

Another hour passed; another hour where Maddox waited patiently, where his coffee remained untouched, another hour where I could feel my irritation building. I pushed through the doors behind the kitchen, wandering over to where Angie sat on a pile of skids. I sat down next to her, leaning against the wall for support. 

“Still there, huh?” Angie asked with a laugh, working her fingers through her cropped hair. 

“Mhm,” I sighed, fixing my ponytail. “I wish he’d leave.” 

“Tell him off.”

I rolled my eyes, “Don’t you think I haven’t tried that, Ang?” My friend tossed me a sheepish smile over her shoulder, shrugging meekly. “Debbie would be pissed if he left a bad review.”

“Would he leave a bad review?” 

I thought about it for a moment. “Probably. Just to spite me.” We exited the kitchen together, working to clear the tables on our respective halves of the floor, quickly wiping down tables and restocking condiment containers. By the time lunch pulled around, I opted out of walking down the street to buy lunch. I tossed my apron onto the skids in the back, and walked out into the dining area, around the counter with my food. 

Maddox watched me take a seat in one of the booths. Much to my dismay, he slipped off his stool, bringing his cold coffee with him. 

I watched him settle into the booth across from me; I began pouring the syrup across my two slices of french toast, trying not to pay him any mind. We sat in silence for five minutes before he spoke up, “I’m sorry, did I do something wrong?”

I dropped my fork on my plate, folding my arm., “That’s funny.” 

“What is?”

“You’ve got a lot of balls, Maddox.” I spat, cutting through the second piece. “To show up here and pretend like I don’t have every reason to completely hate you. The only reason why I’ve been playing nice is because this is my job, and I have to be nice.” 

Maddox leaned forward. “And if we weren’t here?” 

“I would’ve kicked you in the fucking balls three hours ago.” 

He laughed, mainly to himself, folding his hands on top of the table. “Still feisty, it’s adorable.” 

“Yeah,” I growled, “my boyfriend seems to think so, too.” 

“I’m sure he does.” Maddox – for the first time that morning – took a small sip of his coffee, face even, smooth and emotionless. “Embry, isn’t it?”

I paused again, eyes burning holes into his, jaw clenching shut again. “How do you know his name?” 

“Are you happy?”

I shook my head, pushing my plate away from me. “Dammit, Maddox.” I growled, leaning back in the booth. “How do you know so much about my life here? I haven’t seen you since –” I stopped talking, pursing my lips shut tightly. I watched the slightest hint of remorse flash in his dark eyes. “You need to leave.” 

“Ainsley.”

“No. You don’t get to show up here and pretend like nothing happened – like you have a right to know me.” 

“Your friends aren’t the safest people to be around, Ains.” 

“What friends?” I asked bitterly. 

“Jacob, Embry – the rest.” His tone was suggestive as he leaned forward. “They’re walking timebombs, love, you gotta know that’s not safe.” 

“Better than a bunch of rapists –”

“I am not a rapist.” He retorted, his eyes flashed quickly and his voice was low and raspy. The sudden change in his demeanor sent a shiver down my spine, causing the hairs on my arms to stand at full attention. 

My tongue moved slowly around the words. “No. You’re just an accomplice, which is just as bad.” 

Maddox was moving quickly then. He slid out of the booth, reaching into his wallet for a twenty. He slapped it on the table, his nostrils flared angrily. “For the coffee.”

“Coffee’s two-fifty –”

“Then consider it a tip.” He growled, pulling his hat back over his head. Maddox paused for a brief moment, then inhaled deeply and bent down quickly, pressing his lips to my hair – which I tried to refrain from recoiling from. He then turned and appeared to glide towards the front door, walking into the white storm with his hands shoved deep into his pockets. I moved my eyes back down to the twenty on the table, then looked up to meet Angie’s eyes, sinking down into my seat with a sense of defeat washing over my body. 

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

I parked next to Emily’s house, cursing myself for not thinking to pack an extra set of clothing for after my shift. The baby shower was tomorrow, and I promised Emily I would stop by after I finished at the diner to help set up. There were sisters from her hometown that would be driving in, along with the entire pack plus their significant others, and some extended family. Embry and I had gone halfsies on adorable onesies. One read “You People Are Huge” (my choice) and another read “Watch your language asshole, I’m a baby” (Embry’s choice, unfortunately). 

I slipped my boots off at the door, leaving my jacket draped over one of the kitchen chairs. “You shouldn’t be doing that.” I chided, moving to help Emily down from the mini-ladder. The kitchen had been overfilled with streamers and balloons carefully and strategically hung from banister to banister. 

“My husband wouldn’t help.” She growled, resting a hand on her swollen tummy. 

Sam popped his head out from around the corner of the living room, his thick brows pulled together. “You yelled at me and told me you could do it yourself!” 

“You’re not supposed to believe me!” Emily hissed, shoving the leftover garbage into the white bag that sat in the middle of the table. 

Embry came up from the basement with Jared on his tail; I felt my chest lighten, hands instinctively reaching forward to him. “Warm.” I mumbled happily, wrapping my arms around his stomach, pressing my cold hands against his bare back. He leaned down with a quiet chuckle, pressing his lips to my hair.

And then shoved me away quickly, arms gripping my shoulders tightly. 

“Ow.” I whined quietly, trying to squirm away from his grip. “Emb, ease up.”

“You stink.” Embry said definitively, his eyes hard and cold.

I stopped moving, feeling the heat rise in my chest. I looked around the room uncomfortably, then lowered my voice. “No, I didn’t have time to go home and change, I’m sor–”

“No, shut up.” He growled, pulling me into him again, returning his nose to my hair. Embry inhaled deeply, pulling his face away with a look of disgust before he looked over his shoulder, “Sam, c’mere.” 

I shoved his arms away from mine, hands rubbing over the skin tentatively, hoping that it wouldn’t be too heavily bruised. I planned on wearing a short-sleeved dress for the shower. Sam put his empty wrappers into the garbage, then leaned over the chair to sniff the air around me. 

His face hardened, much like Embry’s had, a certain distaste crawled over his features as a visible tremor rolled down his spine. Emily watched from behind Embry with a confused expression, carefully keeping close eyes on Sam’s frame. “That’s the scent.” Embry finally said, taking a step away from my frame. 

“They’re in Forks.” Jared said quietly from his seat on the stairs. 

“What are they doing in Forks?” 

“Who’s in Forks?” I wondered out loud, looking up at Embry for some sort of explanation. He ignored me, following Sam into the living room as the pair began conversing hastily. Jared rolled his eyes, giving Emily a knowing glance. 

“Woah, what stinks?” Paul scrunched his nose up, Jacob, Leah and Trent following suit as they entered in from the crisp outdoors. Paul and Jacob were bare-chested and wearing cut-offs, which meant they were back from their evening patrol. 

“Ainsley.” Jared grumbled in reply to Paul, his eyes narrowing in my direction.  

Emily threw a roll of tape in his general direction. “Give it a rest, Jared.”

“What’s going on?” 

Emily rolled her eyes, sitting next to me at the table, “Ainsley came across one of the scents today and brought it home, so I’m sure Sam and Embry are in the living room plotting how to eliminate the threat.” 

Paul sat on the other side of me, sniffing again. I blushed. “That’s the males – how did you manage to bring that home?” 

“Bring what home?” I asked, annoyance dripping off each word. 

“The leeches scent. You’re covered in it.” He stated, as if it were the most obvious thing.

I paused, rearing my thoughts back to my day. I always kept an eye out for anything that seemed out of place, people that seemed obviously beautiful and perfect. People that seemed restrained. “Maddox ..” I whispered quietly, feeling my chest cave abruptly. There was no way – 

“Maddox?” Trent asked from across the table. “What’s he doing in Forks?” 

“He was looking for me at Shaker’s.” I replied absently, eyes unfocused on the table in front of me. “Came by before I even showed up, didn’t leave until after lunch rush.” 

“What did he want?” Paul asked, kicking his feet up onto the table. Emily grimaced. 

I shrugged, hoping I could remain cool and collected. “No idea, honestly. That would explain how he knows you all by name – that’s what he meant when he said you were …” I sighed, letting my eyes slip shut. “This makes sense.” Kind of. 

“His scent is saturating you, Ains.” Embry drawled from the doorway, arms folded across his broad chest. Sam stood next to him, mimicking the same seriousness.

I could feel my shoulders drop forward, attempting to make myself small under the careful watch of everyone in the room. “He sat with me when I was on break.” 

“You let the scumbag sit with you?” Trent asked dubiously. 

Better rip the bandaid off. “And he might have kissed my head before he left.” I conceded. 

“Ainsley –”

“I told him to leave.” I said desperately, trying to avoid bringing my eyes to meet my boyfriends. Embry had tried his best to keep his temper from coming forward when I was around, trying to believe nothing I did was to purposely hurt him. But in that moment, I could see Leah move in between Trent and Embry, hands braced on the back of his chair. The room had shifted; it was suddenly thick, hot and uncomfortable. 

“Who’s Maddox?” Jacob asked, breaking the silence in the room. I shared a look with Trent, hoping he would keep good on his word. When he met my eyes, his face softened in understanding. The situation I had thrown myself into was not one out of choice: undoubtedly, Embry was fuming. If not because a vampire had been close enough to his imprint that I could have died, then because said vampire had actually touched me. Kissed me. 

“Someone from Seattle that I knew.” Trent said finally. “Worked with him for a few months. Not the greatest guy.” 

“Perfect. So, we’re doing the world a favour, then.” Embry suggested, anger dripping from his words. It was uncomfortable to hear him speak so freely about the idea of killing someone, although I knew they didn’t necessarily see it as murder. Couldn’t kill what was already dead. 

“What are you going to do, Emb? Kill him yourself?” Leah asked from behind Trent, her tone half-teasing.

“Yes.” 

All eyes shot to Embry then, watching his arms settle at his sides, fists trembling the slightest bit. I thought back to Maddox – small visions played across my mind. Embry’s large gray wolf ripping through his flesh, his growls filling the empty air. I tried to suppress the urge to shiver. 

“Guess we’re heading back out there.” Jacob sighed, nodding toward Leah. “Embry, maybe you should go home with Ains. If one of them knows her, it might be better if –”

“No.” He said angrily, his hard eyes cutting back to me briefly before he returned his gaze to Jacob dutifully. “I'm going with you.” 

At this point, I couldn’t tell if he was adamant about finding Maddox to kill him, or if he really didn’t want to be stuck with me. I was trying to pretend like the latter wasn’t a possibility. The room emptied quickly, each warm body following Embry out of the front door, slamming it shut behind them. Trent, Emily and I sat around the kitchen table, quietly looking around the half-decorated room. 

“Better finish this, then.” I said finally, grabbing a roll of tape. Emily and my brother watched me for only a moment, both of their faces heavy, before Trent stood and came to help. We spent the following hour hanging multi-coloured ribbon from the ceiling, turning Emily’s kitchen and living room into open areas with lots of space, full of balloons and streamers. 

I offered to give Trent a ride back to Leah’s, seeing as Jacob had been their original ride to Emily’s. Once we were in the Jeep, he turned the heat on full and turned to me. 

“Are we going to talk about what happened?”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“C’mon, Ains.” He sighed, leaning his elbow against the window. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” 

“That’s a load of shit,” he grumbled, “Maddox gave you hell.”

“Maddox wasn’t the one who defiled me and left me on the bathroom floor.” 

Trent clenched his jaw. “No, but he was the one who let frat scum slip a pill into your drink.” 

“Trent, leave it alone.” 

“Why?” My brother asked, neck craned so he could look at me with a hard expression. “Maddox deserves everything Embry wants to do to him, and probably more.” 

I didn’t respond; my hands gripped the steering wheel tightly while my eyes focused on navigating through the white sheet of snow that whirled around in the darkness. I didn’t want to talk about Maddox. I didn’t want anyone to know about what had happened, or give Embry more of a reason to get angry. I didn’t want to make excuses for the man, but I didn’t want to think about my boyfriend taking pleasure in killing anyone. 

“Ainsley,” Trenton finally broke the silence, a sigh tumbling from lips. “Do you wanna go home? We can go home. I’ll stay at the house with you.” 

I shook my head vehemently. “No, I should probably be there when Embry comes back.” I sniffled, wiping my nose on my sleeve. I was still sick and the outside weather wasn’t helping me feel any less crappy. “You’re living with Leah now?” I asked, glancing over at Trent in the darkness. 

He shrugged. “My idea. Took a lot of persuasion.” 

“I bet.” I mumbled, turning into Leah’s driveway. “She doesn’t seem like she’s the type to jump head first into all of this.” 

“Definitely not.” He laughed, pulling his hat over his ears. “See you tomorrow?” 

“Yeah.” I nodded, offering him a smile as he exited the vehicle. 

The ride back to Embry and Jacob’s side of the reservation was slow; neither of the men were home when I arrived. To spare any sort of argument later, I showered as quickly and thoroughly as I could, and threw in a load of laundry in hopes of eliminating any traces of the vampire stench. The clock on the kitchen wall read 11:56 PM by the time I finished eating and cleaned the dishes.

My eyes fought sleep until my phone read 2:00 AM. I finally gave up waiting for Embry to come home, and gave in to the exhaustion that draped over me like a thick blanket. I locked the windows tightly, ensuring to keep any harsh winds from coming through. Then, I collapsed onto my side of the bed, pulling the thick white duvet up to my chin, shivering slightly in the bed that was colder than usual.

[fushic0re]

𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚊𝚜 𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚢 | 𝚎.𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕 | 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗

Pairing: Embry Call x Original Character Summary: Join Ainsley and Embry as they embark on a journey where they are forced to question everything they thought they knew, and embrace the pain that is inevitable to avoid in love. An imprint story. Self-discovery. Angst and romance. Word Count: 4.3k Warnings: Not much going on here; just cute lil heart to heart and some awkward family convos. prev. chapter | next chapter

𝙴𝙼𝙱𝚁𝚈 

Embry followed Sam back into the house with his hands shoved into the deep pockets of the shorts Sam had brought out to him. Embry hadn’t had an outburst like that in a really long time, and he was beside himself at his carelessness – what with the imprints in the room. 

Upon entering the home again, he looked over to where Emily sat at the table with a steaming mug between her hands. “I’m so sorry, Em –”

“Don’t you worry about it, I’m alright.” The woman smiled, moving to hug his large frame in her small arms when he bent down to her level.

Seth and Quil looked up from the table across from them. “Your girl's a mess, dude.” Quil whispered, looking towards the stairs. On cue, Embry could hear Ainsley empty the contents of her stomach into the toilet; he grimaced, looking down at the floor with shame. He definitely felt like the biggest piece of shit for multiple different reasons. This wasn’t how he had wanted to tell her, or how he wanted her to find out.

His intention had been to start with the stories, and talk about how the pack first started. How he had originally given it up to keep that part dormant for his own sake, and was willing to leave it behind for her. How he had only phased again because there were two rogue vampires in the Peninsula, frequently stopping by Forks to feast on the innocent and young, and he was helping his pack. He was doing his duty as a protector of the reservation. 

Instead, Ainsley had witnessed the wrong side of the beast. And according to the heaving that echoed upstairs, she was absolutely sickened by it. 

Embry took the stairs two at a time before stopping just outside the bathroom door. His fingers touched the knob gently, hesitant, before opening the door slowly. Ainsley was seated on the floor with her back pressed to the tub and her knees pulled to her chest. Her swollen eyes lazily drifted up to meet him, “Hi.” She croaked, doubling over in pain. 

“Honey,” his voice broke, and the shifter dropped to the floor in front of his imprint. “I’m sorry, I should’ve said something sooner.”

“What?” She cleared her throat. “About turning into a giant dog?” 

“Wolf,” he corrected, pulling the wet face cloth from her lap to dab her forehead gently, “but yes. It wasn’t right to keep that from you – Edward’s right, it’s safer if you know.” 

She sat in silence for a few moments, breathing deeply through her nose to try to calm her stomach. He wanted to pull her into his arms, he wanted to press kisses to her forehead and soothe her worries but he knew he couldn’t do anything until she said it was okay. Knowing he could lose his temper at any moment had her mortified, he was sure. 

“Ainsley .. the way I feel about you is crazy.”

“You got the crazy part right.” She spat, leaning her head away from the cloth to glare at him. 

“Just hear me out.”

“Embry –”

“You don’t understand,” he started, the words tumbling past his lips before he had the chance to even filter through his thoughts. “I have waited nine years for you. Specifically you – not just any connection, or any relationship. And nine years might not seem like a long time, but it is painfully long when you know that the possibility of that epic love exists. Having an imprint was all I have ever wanted, and everyone thinks I’m absolutely mad because of it but I don’t care what they think.”

Embry felt as though he were going to break. He was sure she could see the tears brimming in his eyes, and could hear the desperation in his voice. She couldn’t leave him, right? This is what they were for – he belonged to her. 

“Embry,” She started, closing her eyes tightly, “I don’t know if I’m cut out for this.”

“You are.” He promised, this time he moved quickly, pulling her into his lap and securing his arms around her. “I’m still me.” 

She shook her head vehemently. “That wasn’t you.” 

“I’ve been having a hard time,” he sighed, pressing his face into her neck, “keeping my anger in check since I started phasing again. It’s even more difficult now that I have more reason to give into my genetic instincts by having you in my life.” 

“But … why do it? Again?” She asked, her body rigid in his hands. 

“It’s part of my job. I made an oath to protect this tribe, but we haven’t had any real threats come through to our land in years. So, when one showed up I didn’t have a choice. I have an obligation.” 

“When were you going to tell me?” Ainsley demanded, pulling him back so she could watch his face. 

“Tonight. I told you earlier that if you had any questions, I would answer them. All of them. I was going to tell you everything.” 

Ainsley watched his face, checking for any sort of indication he was lying about that. “Tell me now.” 

Embry stopped for a moment, mouth ajar for a short two seconds before he nodded once curtly. “Not here. Not when they’re being nosey.” 

Ainsley looked over his shoulder to the open door, wondering just how much the others could hear. Embry watched her nod her head slightly in defeat. 

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

𝙰𝙸𝙽𝚂𝙻𝙴𝚈 

Once I was showered and wore a fresh change of clothing, I sat in the center of Embry’s bed with my feet tucked under my bottom while I waited for him to join me. Jacob agreed to go check in on Renesemee for the night, allotting the two of us some privacy to sort through what happened this evening. I already started thinking of a list of questions to ask Embry – many of them had to do with what exactly I was dealing with, others played into the more curious nature in me. 

Embry entered the dimly lit room with a towel wrapped around his waist. He wasted no time pulling a pair of boxers on when he saw me waiting patiently, and slipped under the covers beside my legs, propping his head up with the palm of his hand. 

“Go for it.” Embry said once was comfortable.

“Okay,” I moved a little so I was facing him more directly, “what are you?”

“Shapeshifter.” 

“Not a … werewolf?” God, it felt so insane to even say out loud in conversation.

Embry shrugged. “You could say that, but I’m still pretty convinced that’s not exactly what we are. But we have nothing that proves otherwise.”

I nodded. “And when did you … become this?”

“When I was fifteen.” I leaned back a bit, surprised by his answer. Fifteen was so young – I was worried about school dances and math homework, and he was morphing into a giant wolf and killing other mythical creatures. Speaking of –

“What dangers are you protecting the tribe from?”

Embry paused, falling onto his back to exhale a loud sigh. “Mostly vampires.” He said quietly, watching me for my reaction. “Cold ones, as we like to call them – or leeches. That one’s just Paul’s personal favourite.” 

“Vampire’s are real?”

He nodded once, resting a hand on his stomach. “Unfortunately. They’re the reason why we turn in the first place. The ‘magic’ in us awakens when they’re near and threatening our people – that’s why there’s so many of us now. The Cullen’s kind of brought out more of us by taking up permanent residency in Forks. We’re the largest pack the tribe has ever heard of.” 

“Cullen's? Like, Renesmee’s parents?”

Embry nodded again. “Bella was human when she met Edward. But she wanted to be just like him, and she wanted to be changed. Jacob all but had a fit over it, too. Tore the pack apart – literally, there were two packs for a while –”

“Two?” 

“Bella got pregnant during her honeymoon with Edward,” seeing my expression, Embry held a hand up, “please, don’t ask me how, I don’t even like thinking about it all too much. When she came back, Jacob lost his shit. We had never dealt with or heard of anything like that. The fetus wasn’t something we were comfortable with, and we didn’t know if it’d be like Edward, except worse. Unable to control its thirst.”

“Renesmee ...” I said quietly, looking at my hands. 

“We were going to kill her,” he stated simply, “while Bella was still pregnant. Jacob took a stand to Sam and broke ties – being the rightful alpha and all had its perks, I guess. 

Even after Jacob imprinted and everything had settled, the packs were never the same. After Sam and Emily got married, he wanted to step away from this life with Jacob stepping up to the alpha role. The pack gravitated towards him. Now he’s the alpha, but Sam still has the best strategies, so they work as a team.” 

“Sam calls the shots, Jacob just dishes them out?”

“Mhm. I ran patrols and stuck with them until I was twenty-two. I had decided that being like this was starting to get the best of me, and that it was easier to control my emotions and keep them under wraps if I didn’t give into the animal.” He turned his head to look at me. “We won’t age unless we stop. It takes a lot of self-restraint and discipline to walk away from something like this. Sam and I are the only two that had reason to do it. He wanted to grow old with Emily - and I just wanted to feel normal again.

I never wanted this. When I first turned, I remembered thinking it was the best thing that could’ve happened. Sure, I was isolated and alone and scared to shit, but being the wolf made me feel powerful and strong. Like I had finally found my purpose.” 

“So, what’s the issue?”

“It’s not the same,” he started, fingers reaching forward to run across my bare thigh. “I mean, I feel just as powerful as before. I’m just as strong, just as lethal and deadly and terrifying, but it’s not just me anymore. I used to think I found my calling in life, that I finally found my reason for being here. Until I saw you,” he sighed, letting his eyes close, “you’re so feisty and stubborn. The way you placed your hand on your hip, the way your hair fell out of place, the way your chest was flushed pink. That very moment when I first saw you, it cleared everything I thought I knew about myself out of my mind. I literally had no idea who I had become, but I knew it wasn’t a man you could love. And I wanted to be someone you could love.

Everything shifted into place. When it happened, I hadn’t even known exactly what it was until Jared and I spoke around the fire. The others absolutely hate the idea of it for the most part. Being out of your own body, losing who you are for someone that could still leave you seemed like another hopeless and empty promise. It’s a complete loss of autonomy – creating a bond with another person, having them be the center of the fucking universe seemed like such a disgusting notion, until it isn’t. Take Paul and Jacob, for example. I was so confident I would never be like the others, that nobody had been hand picked for me.”

I blinked. From the way he spoke, I could tell that Embry meant it when he said he had longed for this … imprint connection. But, from my slow understanding, this entire process seemed to strip them of their ability to choose. I swallowed thickly, “But?”

“Then I saw you. And I understood it – all of it. I felt the pull and switch in gravity, I felt the need and longing. I thought I was going insane for a while, thinking about where you were or what you were thinking. You looked so uncomfortable that night, watching everyone else get along, and I just wanted to know you. I wanted to be selfish and pull you away, I wanted to hear you talk all night. 

So, I pulled soccer together. I begged everyone to come, just to make it less awkward for you. The first time I knew I had imprinted on you was the first night when I held your hands in the Jeep. The second time was when I looked over and saw you curled up in my blanket on the beach, talking with Emily and Kim and Collin. By then, I was certain that if anyone could break me or ruin me, it would be you. It took seventy-two hours for the reality of the situation to sink in, and I haven’t looked back since.” 

“Embry,” I interrupted, shaking my head, “I … that’s a lot. I don’t want you to feel like you’re stuck with me because of some stupid bond.” That didn’t sound like love; that sounded like obligation. And a weird one, at that. 

Embry’s face hardened, “This isn’t some bond or fate telling me I’m stuck with one person for the rest of my life because my genetics say so. We could’ve been friends, and just friends. I was prepared to just be that. But the genuine feelings and attraction I have for you? They’re magnified by this bond. I remember Seth and Quil making comments about your eyes and lips, and wanting to strangle them both and hang them from their ankles.” 

“Emb,” I groaned, “those are your brothers.” 

“You’re the light of my life.” He said simply, “I need you and I want you. I have spent countless nights waiting for some sort of freedom from the darkness that binds me to this fucking curse we pretend is a gift, and you’re exactly what I’ve been waiting for. You were hand picked by destiny for me. And I’ll be damned if I let you slip right through my fingers.” 

I felt it was only appropriate that I entwined our fingers together, holding them high enough so we could both see. “I don’t think you should worry for now.” 

Embry seemed to consider this. “Really?” 

I nodded slowly: I was sure this was the right decision. He would never hurt me, or his brothers. He hadn’t lost his temper over Jacob – he had lost it over Edward. 

Edward. 

The vampire.

And Bella, who was also a vampire. 

And Renesmee – who was a half-vampire?

I needed to distract myself from the vampires and concepts of imprinting – just for a while. The longer I pondered too long on either subject, the more uneasy I felt. One part in fear, one part in insecurity. 

“Tell me more. What’s it like?”

“Being a wolf, or being me?”

I contemplated. “Both.”

“It’s like this, I just get a little extra benefit. Speed, better hearing, faster reflexes. As a wolf, we communicate through our thoughts, and it’s not really something that’s easily controlled. It’s a really vulnerable position to be in. Apart from that, our bodies kicked into overdrive when we changed. A fever set in that never quite went away, we grew several inches, all the muscle in our bodies hardened and became more permanent and solid.”

“Is that why you’re so warm? It’s a wolf thing?” 

“It’s also why I eat so much. I burn the calories off too quickly.” 

“And here I thought you were trying to fatten me up with all those carbs.” I teased, shimmying closer to his side. “So … you turn now. Which means what, exactly?”

“There’s another threat. Two new vampires. The Cullen’s have never seen them, and none of us recollect their faces.” Embry rolled onto his side, pulling me close. “That’s why I wanted to keep you out of all of this. To save you from worrying the way the other imprints do. The less you know, the less shitty I feel for lying about picking up double shifts –”

“Wait, wait, wait,” I held up a hand, pulling back to get a full look at his face, “you lied about work?” 

“Did you really think I was working fifteen-plus hours in a factory, Ains?” When I blinked blankly, he chuckled. “I was running patrol. The only reason I run mornings is because Jake knows I actually work overnight.”

“But you’re here when I get up?” I said, more to myself than to him. 

“I come home after work-work and sleep for like .. two hours and then I leave again. And I don’t work-work every night – the nights I have off, Jacob usually has me pull a double on this end of town. So, I slip out after you pass out and come home before you notice I left.” 

“You leave me?” 

Embry frowned. “I never want to. But it’s almost over. Soon you’ll have so much free time with me, you’ll get sick of me.” 

I chewed on my lip, contemplating his words. “Impossible.” 

Embry appraised me cautiously before he gently pressed his lips against mine, sealing my worries away. We remained like that, lips parting briefly so that tongues could collide, getting lost in the heat and fire that coursed through our veins. 

“So, you’re really okay with this?” He asked breathlessly when we parted for air, pressing his forehead to mine. 

“I will be.” I tried, caressing his cheek with my free hand. I hope so.

Embry let his eyes fall shut, a sort of relief washing over his strained face as he pressed his mouth to mine again, “Honey, I love you.”

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

My mind wandered aimlessly as I drove through the winding roads leading back to La Push. I had a job at a diner in Forks, and had finally compromised on sleeping at home every other week (Embry would sneak in for snuggles, not that Jennie ever knew). I made a point to talk to Trenton about Leah – he had started to fall into the same absent pattern I had: staying out late, sneaking out, not being home for long periods of time. 

Jennie had called a family meeting; despite her children being old enough to take care of themselves, she still felt the need to mother us as though we were five. Travis, being the middle and favoured child, sat in his place across from me with a smug smirk. For once the meeting wasn’t about him. 

It had started off with the usual: be home for a family dinner once a week, keep in touch, etcetera. By the end, Jennie was all but in tears, asking Trenton and I if we were doing drugs. Point blank, placed two small cylinders on the table and requested we provide urine samples. At first, I thought Jennie was joking. It wasn’t until she placed her hands on her hips that I understood the severity of the situation – my mother really thought I was chasing highs. 

“They’re not getting high,” Travis jumped in, “they’re getting laid. And I know he has condoms,” he pointed to Trenton, finger guns blazing. “But I have no idea if Embry wraps his di–”

“Alright,” I said loudly, hard eyes cutting through my brother's skull, “enough.” 

“What, you don’t think I can’t hear when he’s visiting?”

I recoiled in disgust, completely mortified as Trenton leaned forward, “Dude, you listen?” 

“She’s not exactly quiet –”

“Okay! Enough!” TJ clapped, pushing away from the table. “This was obviously a waste of time – Jennie, baby, they’re just being kids.” 

I felt the heat rising in my chest and neck, eyes pressed shut tightly as I tried to push the thoughts away – Travis sleeping on the opposite side of the wall, able to hear everything. Much to my dismay, my moans weren’t the worst thing he could possibly hear during the nights Embry came to visit. Too much private information we shared, many of them his secrets. 

I pushed my meal around that night, not having much of an appetite. I was sure my mother would have plenty more to say when the boys retreated to the basement – I purposely stuck around to help with the dishes in awkward silence. 

Just as I was about to give up and retire for the evening, knowing Embry was likely already half-naked and warming up my bed, my mother started the Keurig and turned to me expectantly. She did not look impressed. 

“Sex is really not the worst thing I could be doing.” I said finally, defeated and tired. I fell back into my chair at the dining table, watching Jennie with weary eyes as she took her seat across from me. 

It was silent for another two minutes - and I thought about trying to convince her I would do better, but decided against it. I would be twenty-one in the new year, and was fully capable of being involved in a sexually active relationship without Jennie – 

“Does he hit you?”

I reared my thoughts back to the present, snapping my eyes up off the tabletop to glance at my mother. I almost couldn’t think of anything to say, but was most definitely concerned about Embry and his inability to shut people out. God, I hoped he was now. 

“Ains, baby,” she whispered, leaning forward on the table, “you can tell me.” 

“What?” I shook my head, pulling my knees up to my chest. “No, Embry definitely doesn’t hit me, mom.” 

“Then what is it?” She asked, looking defeated. “I don’t get it. You’re never home, you never want to be home. You’re always with him, or them.” 

I failed to see the issue with any of this. “So, I made friends? What’s the big deal?”

“It’s just not you.” Jennie knew many things about me; I loved my education more than anything, I loved all animals and I certainly loved my alone time. 

“I don’t know,” I started, looking down at my hands. “I’m just comfortable with him. He doesn’t physically drain the energy out of me the way everyone else does – when I’m with him, it’s like I know what it’s like to be normal.”

“You are normal –”

“I’m not,” I laughed, shaking my head. “People suck the life right out of me, they leave me tired and frustrated and anxious. When he’s around, it all goes away. He’s my solitude.” 

“That’s not healthy. Codependency is an ugly thing.” 

“I’m not codependent, mom, I’m just ...” I sighed. I never liked saying the words out loud to anyone but him. I had never known this emotion before, never had the luxury of being with someone that tolerated me enough to let me really grasp onto the idea of how beautiful love could be. Saying it to other people made me feel naive, like I didn’t have the right to say it at all. 

“In love?”

I looked at Jennie. I wanted to nod, but I also felt as though my mother would smile in such a way that said, ‘Oh, honey, you don’t know what love truly is.’ That she would undermine what Embry had built in me, the confidence he gave me. I lifted my chin and shrugged, “I told you that you didn’t need to worry about me.” 

“You’re having unprotected sex.” She snapped, leaning forward on the table again. “You will not make me a grandmother before I’m forty-five. I expect that out of Travis, but not you.” 

“Mom –”

“I get it, Ains. You’re not my baby anymore, or at least you’re trying very hard not to be. I know you’re anxious and ready for the real world, living in your boyfriends house, zero responsibilities –”

“I do have a job now.” 

“- staying out all night and partying with his friends –”

“Jacob is part of ‘his friends.’”

“But I promise you, it gets old real quick.”

I dropped my hands onto the table, this time looking a little harder at my mother. “Why can’t you just support my relationship with him?”

“I do.”

“No, you don’t. Because if you did, this conversation wouldn’t have started with the assumption I’m being forced to stay in this relationship. You’re trying to convince me this isn’t what’s best for me, or what’s good for me. So, what is it? What’s so wrong with him?” 

Jennie sighed, looking at me with sad eyes, “Because when I look at him, I see your father.” 

I skewered my face, “Doug wasn’t an abusive piece of shit.” 

“No, Ainsley. He wasn’t.” She nodded in agreement, looking down at the table, her voice dropping barely above a whisper. “I look at you and Embry together and I think about what I had with him. The love I had for him. But when he left me, I thought I was going to die. I wanted to.”

“What’s your point?”

“My point is that I don’t want you to get too attached to him. Just because he was the first to stay, doesn’t mean he’s the one.”  Fate would say otherwise, I wanted to say. My sex life was none of my mother’s concern. Embry was not going to leave me like my father had.

He loved me.

He belonged to me.

[fushic0re]

𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚊𝚜 𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚢 | 𝚎.𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕 | 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚒𝚡

Pairing: Embry Call x Original Character Summary: Join Ainsley and Embry as they embark on a journey where they are forced to question everything they thought they knew, and embrace the pain that is inevitable to avoid in love. An imprint story. Self-discovery. Angst and romance. Word Count: 5k Warnings: implied cunnalingus, puking A/N: I apologize that I haven't updated this story in forever. I'm in the middle of binging Naruto and my ass is thirsting so hard over the ninja men but I felt it was only fair if I updated this WIP before I posted anything related to another fandom >.< prev. chapter | next chapter  

Despite my mother’s various protests, I found myself settling into Embry’s home quite comfortably. I hadn’t necessarily moved in, but I didn’t exactly live at home anymore, either. I spent a lot of my time on the tiny loveseat Jacob and Embry shared, finishing homework and listening to Podcasts, waiting for Embry to return home from a long night shift, or the extra shifts he was pulling to help out. 

It turned out Jacob worked with Embry, too, so the house was mostly empty apart from myself and the sound of the wind knocking the pipes together. Most of the time, I forced myself to stay awake until they’d come home in the wee hours of the morning. I never slept soundly without Embry in the bed, anyway. 

It had been three weeks since I last slept in my own bed; I now sat perched on the counter as Embry chopped red peppers into thin slices. I watched the way his back contracted with the gentle movements, enjoying the way his skin expanded whenever he stretched a hand to the size to stir the pan simmering on the stove aimlessly.  

“You’re staring.” Embry mused quietly, looking over his shoulder at me. 

I lifted a brow, raising the wine glass to my lips to take a small sip. “You’re sort of beautiful, you know that?”

Embry chuckled lightheartedly as he tossed the peppers into the pan. “Is that what we’re calling me this week?”

Last week, it was handsome. I accidentally said it while we were in the shower, not really something I had meant to say out loud. I was speaking about something out loud, but while thinking it in my head the words overlapped. Embry found my embarrassment cute, but I had never felt more happy to say it. I then made sure to say things like that frequently as a reminder that I adored him. 

“Yes, it is.” I lifted my chin, taking another sip of the red liquid that sloshed around in the oversized glass. They say one glass a day, right? Embry joked when he noticed it in the thrift store — and laughed so hard at his own joke, he purchased it just so he could fill it to the brim each night with dinner. We hadn’t been by Emily’s in almost a week now, choosing to stay at home and spend whatever free time Embry had, together. 

Embry brought the stovetop down to a simmer and turned to settle in between my thighs, hands resting on the countertop on either side of my bottom. I draped my arms over his shoulders, seeming pleased with my confidence. When he didn’t say anything, I tilted my head to the side and raised a brow again, “What?”

“Stop doing that.”

“Doing what?”

He leaned forward to press his lips to the side of my neck, just under my ear, “Giving me compliments.” 

I hummed in a sort of delight, letting my eyes slip shut, “I thought you liked it when I fed your ego.”

He chuckled again, lips moving to press to the hollow base of my throat, “You do that plenty enough in the bedroom, honey, trust me.” 

I let my mind wander to the previous night: the more comfortable I felt with him, the more I let myself go. My moans were loud enough the house could’ve shook, finding pleasure in watching Embry focus so intently on me to draw them from me. I felt it was only fair to happily oblige, no doubt boosting whatever confidence he had over his sexual abilities through the roof. My fingers would grip the sheets so tightly my knuckles would turn white, making a mess of my hair each time he’d comb his fingers through it just to pull my head back to expose my neck. 

I almost felt bad for Jacob. Almost. They were technically his nights off, too. 

Since winter had rolled in, I was constantly wearing turtlenecks and hoodies to hide the litter of love bites Embry left. It was never too much, but they were for us to see and enjoy. They were the casual reminders that whatever we had was simply amazing and hot and real — and it drove me absolutely crazy. 

Once we were settled into our seats across from each other, I was the first to shovel a forkful of the pasta into my mouth; I didn’t really cook when Embry wasn’t around, and oftentimes found myself going hungry if he failed to come home in a timely manner. That was still just my secret. 

“Fuck,” I moaned quietly, taking another bite, “why haven’t you been cooking for me this whole time?” 

“Because we eat at Emily’s.” He reminded me, shovelling his own forkful into his mouth. 

I brought the wine glass to my lips and downed the rest of my drink. “Looks like I found myself a husband.” I said, mostly to myself. When I glanced across the table at Embry, he was watching me with big brown eyes and a new sort of adoration. “Don’t.” I said, suddenly realizing the severity of what I had just said.

“I didn’t say anything.” He smiled, his eyes dropping back to his food. The smile on his face was unmistakable. “Not a word.” 

“But you’re thinking about it.” I squinted, grabbing the bottle to pour myself another glass. One glass a day, my ass.

“Of course I am,” Embry sighed, resting his elbows on the table, “I already told you what I want.” 

“And I told you that you’re insane,” I retorted, moving the food around on my plate, “multiple times.” I added quietly. 

“Doesn’t have to be now.” He grumbled, shoving another bite into his mouth. “Just peace of mind, that’s all.” 

“Embry,” I sighed, watching his shoulders drop the slightest as though he were expecting me to retaliate. I had been doing that a lot — I might have semi-moved into his home, but I still held him at arm's length with a lot of things. I still shot him down, especially when all he was trying to do was be a happy, lovesick idiot. 

And here I was trying to stick a cork in all of the fun. 

“I’m not going anywhere, okay?” I smiled, reaching across the table to touch his fingers. “I promise.” 

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

The morning of Thanksgiving, I was woken by gentle kisses pressed against my back. “You know what I’m thankful for?” Embry had asked quietly, lips pressing another warm kiss to my spine.

“Hmm?” I hummed, hugging the pillow. 

“My brothers,” He started, pressing his lips to the small of my back, “and my mother.” His mouth trailed to my hips. I slowly began to turn over, opening an eye to peer down at him, “But I’m most thankful for you.”

His teeth grazed my thigh and I tensed. 

“Thankful for your kindness.” 

A soft sigh slipped past my lips as he bit into the flesh.

“Thankful for your patience.” 

My hands drifted up into his hair.

“Thankful for your love, even if I’m undeserving.” 

My legs shifted apart, allowing him to settle in between my thighs. 

“Thankful for all the adorable noises you make.”

He pressed a warm, open mouthed kiss to my swollen folds, enticing a slow whine somewhere in the back of my throat. 

“Just so, so thankful for you.” 

He had spent the morning pleasing me in so many different ways, trying to show me just how thankful he truly was. Once we showered and dressed, we drove hand-in-hand to Emily’s. I offered to help in preparing for the feast she had to make, feeling somewhat obligated after extending an invitation to my family. Billy offered to bring the veggies and stuffing. Sue was bringing the desserts. Jennie was bringing the fresh buns and roasted potatoes — which left Emily and I with the turkey, other forms of potatoes, extra stuffing (my mother wasn’t really aware of how much these men could put away) and other various appetizers. 

When we arrived at the Uley house, I could smell the delicious scent of fresh bread from outside in my Jeep. Embry followed behind me now, rather than leading me into the home. It was something that naturally shifted over our time together. My boyfriend pressed a quick kiss to my cheek as I shrugged from my jacket; he would retire to the living room with Sam, Paul and Jared to watch whatever sports game was on the television, while the rest of us remained in the kitchen. 

A few weeks ago, Emily and Sam proudly announced the expectancy of a second little Uley. Now, Emily was all but sweating buckets in the kitchen, trying to keep her bump from accidentally hitting the hot stovetop. I thought it was sweet how much Emily already mothered the unborn child. 

“Looking good, Em.” I cooed, leaning over the counter to press a quick kiss to her cheek. 

Emily smiled in return. Despite the clear exhaustion, she managed to keep her typical happy-go-lucky demeanor. “Renesmee and her parents will be joining us.” She whispered, looking over to the living room. “Jake conveniently forgot to mention anything until this morning.” 

“We’re crunch baking.” Kim added, looking slightly distressed with her current task from the kitchen table. 

“Crunch baking?”

“Sue said she ran out of flour last night and didn’t have time to go to the store, and Sam wouldn’t let me leave to bring her some, so we’re making muffins.” 

I nodded, ducking down to the bottom drawer to fish for one of Emily’s aprons, “What can I do?” I asked as I pulled my hair into a low ponytail, pushing my sleeves up to the elbows. We spent the majority of the afternoon in the kitchen, listening to the boys converse back and forth in the living room. Each time someone arrived, another beer was opened for each of them. By the time my brothers arrived, I was certain the group was feeling pretty tipsy. 

Jennie hung her coat over the back of a chair and ran towards me with open arms, “I miss you!” She squealed quietly, holding me close. 

“Miss you, too, mom.” I sighed, wrapping my arms around my mother’s slender frame. She was wearing the same blue shirt from Billy’s birthday, her hair pulled back into one of her infamous buns paired with a matching set of hooped earrings. It was moments like this that led me to believe I would age just as gracefully as Jennie was – I would be so lucky. 

“You should come home.” She chided, pulling me to the table. “We miss having you at home.” 

I tried to look empathetic, but the truth was, I was perfectly happy with Embry. “I’ll visit more often, I promise.” 

Jennie pressed her lips into a firm line, watching me carefully. “You really love this man?” She asked quietly. 

I looked past my mother to where Embry stood, talking to my brothers. He looked simply gorgeous in his blue jean button down, with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and his hair freshly cut. I offered to trim it down, and then we got a little distracted and I ended up buzzing his entire head by accident. Not that it bothered Embry – we both seemed to like it. 

Jennie followed my eyes and smiled. “He is pretty.” She noted, taking the beer Emily had just placed down in front of her. 

“He’s the best,” I lamented, placing a hand on my mother's arm, “you really don’t have to worry about me.” It went on like that, the pair of us swapping stories of what had been going on over the last few weeks. Jennie had cut back on hours to spend more time with Billy and TJ, only working nights on bi-weekly rotation instead of every week. I mentioned being finished with my school work for the term, having plenty of free time to look for a part time job to keep myself occupied and busy while Embry was working. Jennie seemed to appreciate this.

“It’s just happening a little fast, don’t you think?” She asked quietly with concern feathering her features. “I’m happy you found someone that respects and loves you, baby, I really am. But it’s not good to isolate yourself –”

“I’m not.” I said quickly, shaking my head. “He doesn’t stop me from seeing anyone, I choose to spend my time with him.” 

We watched each other for a few moments before Jennie lifted her gaze: Embry had come to stand behind me, letting his hands rest on my shoulders. TJ had followed his suit, seated next to my mother. 

“Jennie,” Embry started, leaning down the slightest bit so she didn’t have to look too far up, “looking beautiful as always.” 

“Oh, Embry.” My mother waved him away, folding her legs over one another. “Flattery will get you everywhere.” 

“So they tell me.” He laughed nervously. I looked up at him, raising a brow. “Do you mind I steal you for a sec, hon?” 

“Uh, sure.” I stood up, pressing a quick kiss to TJ’s cheek as I passed, following Embry out of the front door and into the cold. He could have at least warned me. “What’s up, Emb?” I asked once we stood near the hood of my Jeep.

“It’s about Renesmee’s parents.” He started, pulling me towards the passenger side, away from the house. Embry pondered for a few moments, not seeming to care for the bitter wind nipping at our exposed skin. “They’re .. different.” He said the word slowly, trying to add emphasis on how different without actually implicating anything. 

“Isn’t everyone?” I asked, uselessly folding my arms to keep myself from getting cold.

Embry seemed to struggle with something, watching me with weary eyes. After a moment he signed, “I need you to keep an open mind. And any questions you have, any questions at all, I will answer later.” He promised. “When we’re home.” Embry added quickly, glancing over my head to the house.

“Why would I need an open mind?”

“Just, please?” He pleaded, pulling my hands to his lips to kiss my fingertips. The warmth was heavenly. “For me?”

“Okay.” I said slowly. When he smiled, I felt my chest expand twice its size and I relaxed. I had no idea why he would be so worried in the first place – it wasn’t as though I had a habit of judging those around me. 

Well, not entirely. 

It wasn’t until an hour later that Emily reminded the group that dinner would be ready shortly when I noticed Renesmee standing in the kitchen with Jacob and a few others I didn’t quite recognize. I leaned back a little bit, trying to rear my neck to look at the strangers I had yet to meet. They must be her parents. 

“Honey,” Embry chided, kissing my neck to pull my attention away from the kitchen, “it’s your turn.” 

I looked down at my hand, then to the table quickly. “Check.” I mumbled, looking at Jared for his final response. 

“Check.”

“Alright, show your hands.” Quil clapped, looking at Jared expectantly.

Jared grinned ear to ear, “Read em and weep, sucker!” I looked down at his straight hand, and smiled. 

“Cute.” I replied, placing my hand on the table. “But I’ve got a flush.” 

“Fuck off!” Jared yelled, leaning over the table to reread my cards. Twice. He dug into his pocket, pulling a five from his wallet and handed it to Embry. 

“Thank you.” 

“I’m winning my money back,” Jared grumbled, pushing the chips towards mine and Embry’s growing pile. “Your girl’s a shark.” 

“Nah, you just have shit luck.” Embry mused, counting all of the fives he had managed to weasel out of Jared’s pocket that afternoon. “Really, Jared. Eight years later, and I still don’t feel bad about taking all your money.” Embry’s mouth twitched into a smile, finishing the remainder of his beer. He looked at me and winked, fingers curling into my hair, rubbing my scalp appreciatively. 

“He’s my good luck charm.” I smiled, leaning into my boyfriend’s side. 

Sam had suggested playing something other than poker, seeing as some members of the group couldn’t afford to bet the way others could. We ended up playing Bullshit, which also didn’t end well for Jared. I was beginning to wonder if Kim was the only lucky thing that he had in his life. 

When Emily called to her husband for help with the turkey, the group slowly stretched their limbs and stood, preparing for their retreat to the kitchen lineup to fill their plates. Embry rolled the joints in his arms, yawning loudly before he reached his hand down to squeeze my backside, offering me an innocent smile when I reared around to shoot him a glare. He leaned over Billy’s frame to grab us plates, while I dropped low to hug my uncles shoulder’s. 

“Not you, too.” Billy grumbled, looking at Embry when he wrapped his arm around my waist. 

“Oh, leave him alone, dad.” Jacob chided, folding his arms, “It’s what he’s wanted.” 

“Ainsley!” Renesmee called, and suddenly my arms were wrapped around Nessie’s thin frame, head whirling with just how quick the tiny woman could be. “You’re here.” 

“Duh,” I laughed, pulling back to look at Renesmee’s dress. It was cream colored and covered in pretty black designs – more sophisticated than I envisioned when she said she was going for simple. 

My eyes drifted behind Nessie’s mountain of hair; two beautifully pale and seemingly flawless individuals stood several feet behind her, nearly wrapped up in each other's arms. Given their pale complexions, I deduced that they weren’t from the reservation, that was for sure. 

“Honey,” Embry cleared his throat, resting a hand on the small of my back, “this is Bella and Edward.” 

I watched the way their eyes scrutinized me; Bella’s brown orbs were careful, trying to seem open and inviting, however failed miserably. Edward, on the other hand, his golden hues were narrowed just the slightest bit. Neither seemed incredibly comforted by my presence, and I found myself shrinking under their stares. 

“These are Nessie’s parents.” Embry said slowly. I could feel his eyes on me, burning holes into the back of my skull. 

Nessie’s ‘parents’ didn’t look much older than myself – hell, they didn’t look much older than Renesmee. “You look pretty good for …” I trailed off.

“Thirty-seven.” Bella input, her sweet voice overpowering, very much in a similar manner to Renesmee’s. “We married right out of high school.” She added quickly, looking up at her husband lovingly. 

Ugh. 

“It’s nice to meet you.” I said with a tight smile, taking Embry’s hand in mine. There was something about the couple that didn’t sit right with me – something different that stirred something inside my chest, in the very pit of my stomach. I entwined my fingers with Embry’s, keeping close to his side as I glanced back over my shoulder from my place next to my mother once we were seated. Something was definitely off with them; the current image I had with the three of them, paired with Jacob, was beyond normal. 

I happily perched on Embry’s knee, his left hand wandering from my hip and waist, to my thigh, my skin burning through my jeans. Moments like this, sitting around the table with all of my family, are what really made everything feel so real. Made Embry and his unconditional love for me real. Made my life in this town permanent. Made me believe in second chances and new beginnings. 

I watched Leah and Trenton spend the majority of the dinner in each other's ears from across the table, smiling fondly as my brother laughed loudly at whatever his date was saying. I watched Jennie and TJ share intimate looks, paired with sweet pecks of affection. 

I watched Edward and Bella stand a little behind the remainder of the group, contently filling in the dead space away from the rest of the family. I enjoyed that they understood their place, and obliged out of respect. My home was with Embry’s warm arms and warm smile, with Jacob’s boyish laugh and wit, with Jared’s incessant need for attention, with Sam and Emily’s kitchen, with Seth and Brady and Collin. With the frequent wonder of how Quil was, due to his absence. 

My mother locked eyes with me for the briefest moment, smiling wide. 

“She looks happy.” Embry noted, kissing my ear as he rubbed my arms with his massive hands. 

As desserts were passed around, I wiggled in excitement as the warm gooey chocolate cookies made their way around the table – my hips moved quickly against Embry’s. His hands gripped my waist, pulling me against him tightly to cease my movements.

“Stop moving.” He breathed quietly in my ear. 

I looked down at him over my shoulder, a coy smile gracing my lips, “What’s the matter?” I asked, rolling my hips once. 

“You’re bad.” He laughed, hugging my waist. “No dessert for you.” 

I snorted, “Yeah, okay.” My arm reached across the table, pulling a cookie from the top of the stack. I turned to look at him, watching his warm eyes as I bit into the warm chocolatey goodness. I hummed in satisfaction, offering a piece to him. 

Soon, the table had dispersed; some members left to return home, others retired into the living room. Embry and I sat comfortably in the kitchen, feasting on leftover desserts and tea biscuits, making casual conversation with Sam and Paul. 

“This was amazing.” I noted, tipping my head back to finish the remainder of my wine. “The stuffing was –”

“Fucking delicious? I know, right?” Paul melted in his chair, hands covering his bloated abdomen. 

Sam sipped on his coffee, watching as the couple that spent the evening in the corner approached carefully. “I think we’re going to head out,” Bella started, sharing a quick hug with Emily, “see you around, wolf girl.” She teased. 

Four pairs of eyes widened and cut to Bella quickly, then to me. 

“What?” I asked, suddenly feeling nervous under the weight of their stares.

Edward, who up until then had been completely silent, moved to touch his wife’s back. “You don’t know yet?” He asked me, brows pulling together in confusion. “But I thought you were his –”

“Edward,” Bella hissed suddenly, turning to face him, “not our story to tell.” 

“You know?” I asked sourly, shifting in my seat. Embry tried placing a comforting hand on my arm, which I slapped away.

Edward focused on me for a moment, before his eyes cut to Embry’s. He laughed once, shaking his head, “She really doesn’t know.” 

“Unless you’re going to be useful to me in this conversation,” I quipped, pulling my empty glass off of the table, “I think it’s time you leave.” 

We stood there, staring at each other from across the room. If he wasn’t going to blab what no one else would, I had very little interest in associating with him. All he had done was bring my anger to the surface, that shift in my core locking back into place, the heat bubbling in my veins – and I wasn’t even touching Embry. 

“You really picked yourself a keeper.” Edward stated; he was talking to Embry but was focused on me as I walked into the kitchen. “She hates us almost as much as the rest of you do.” 

Renesmee cut her eyes towards me, her gaze slightly disappointed. I stood behind the counter, cutting myself away from the rest of the group. We watched each other for a brief moment, now several more pairs of eyes wandered into the dining area. 

“Everything good, Ness?” Jacob asked lightheartedly, rubbing her shoulders. 

Renesmee looked at me and shook her head. “She hates us.” 

Jacob looked up at me and then to Embry – who sat at the table, head in his trembling hands. “She doesn’t hate you.” Jacob reassured her.

“Dad just said –” 

“Edward,” Seth began, “Embry isn’t ready –”

“She deserves to know.” Edward cut calmly, moving his cold eyes back to me. “You deserve to know.” He said again, lowering his chin to his chest. He wanted me to know. 

“That’s enough.” Embry suddenly stated firmly, standing abruptly, which sent the chair he was sitting in across the room. His frame shook with heavy breaths, trembling fists clenched at his sides, jaw taunt. His voice, however, remained controlled. “You need to leave.” 

“Dude.” Jacob started, looking towards my boyfriend with disapproving eyes. “You need to calm down.” 

“Everyday,” Jared started, plucking a cookie from the table before he retreated to his corner next to Kim. “It’s happened everyday for almost three weeks.” 

“Aw, c’mon,” Paul teased, watching Embry with a knowing smirk. “Embry hasn’t lost his temper everyday. Maybe two out of three.” 

“Go ahead. Get it out in the open.” Edward pressed, taking a step away from Bella. 

“Edward,” Jacob growled, “enough.” 

Edward shook his head, “Even Bella knew,” he hissed, looking between Jacob and Embry. “She wasn’t even an imprint and she knew. It’s not safe to keep her in the dark.” 

“We’ve got it under control.” Sam said loudly, pulling Emily away from Embry’s shaking figure. 

“Time to leave.” Embry growled angrily, feet pushing him towards Edward. 

It had been a long time since I had seen any of the men lose their temper – but I was familiar with how this scene would end. Everyone quickly moved away, and I barely just made it to Embry’s side before Seth shot up and reared me back, “No, you need to stay away.”

Jacob blocked Embry’s path, slamming into his body. 

“Jake, move.”

“No.”

Another tremor rolled down Embry’s spine. “Move, dammit!”

Jacob’s fist reared back and collided with the side of Embry’s jaw; at first, the group stood in shock, and then we were frantically scattering out of the way. Bella pulled Renesmee back, hiding behind Edward. Emily and Sam stood in the furthest corner, Kim stood behind Jared. 

I was the only one who struggled against Seth, trying to use my elbows to inflict some sort of damage (I didn’t). 

“That was incredibly stupid.” Edward remarked from behind Jacob, watching Embry slowly bring his head forward again. His fingers hastily unbuttoned his shirt, taking the fabric away from his body as he kicked his boots to the other side of the room. 

“Get Ains and Em out of the room.” Embry growled, but the voice didn’t sound like it belonged to Embry at all.

Jacob, who realized his mistake all too late, began to walk backwards through the open door to the outside with his hands raised in the air as a sort of truce. Embry definitely didn’t care for it. 

There was a loud growl, Embry’s body slamming to the ground in visible tremors and convulsions. Halfway to the floor, there was a loud ripping noise and Embry exploded. Dark gray and black fur blew out from his body, coalescing into something more than five-times his normal size - a massive, crouched shape that was ready to spring. 

The wolf’s gray muzzle wrinkled back over his teeth, and another growl rolled through his colossal chest. His warm brown orbs had been replaced with nothing but black, focused solely on Jacob’s retreating figure. In an instant, Jacob’s figure shimmied – far more gracefully than Embry’s had – and he exploded, too. 

I stood, wrapped in Seth’s firm grip, mouth ajar. 

The wolves met in the middle head-on, their angry snarls echoed like thunder off the trees behind them. 

“Stay where you are, Ainsley.” Sam ordered as he darted outside. It was hard to hear him over the roar of the fighting wolves. They were snapping and tearing at each other, their sharp teeth flashing toward each other’s throats. The Jacob-wolf seemed to have the upper hand – being visibly larger than Embry, but Embry’s current emotion had clouded his vision. His frame was easily sleeker, muscle mass much smaller than what Jacob bore on his frame. He rammed his shoulder against the grey wolf again and again, knocking him backwards into the trees nonetheless.

Despite not being in direct eyesight, I could still hear their snarls and growls as though they were right beside me, in my ear. Emily crouched beside me, hands on my arms comfortingly, “Ains, hon, breathe.” 

I hadn’t realized I had sunken to the floor; I snapped my eyes to Emily’s, seeing my reflection in her dark brown orbs. Wide eyed and terrified – I could feel my stomach roll and flip angrily. 

“You need to leave.” Emily hissed over her shoulder towards the trio of pale faces. Much to my dismay, Renesmee looked concerned. “Now! You’ve done enough!”

I leaned over Seth’s arm – who was still trying to keep me upright – and emptied the contents of my stomach onto Emily’s kitchen floor. I was moved quickly then, Seth rushing to get me upstairs to the bathroom in time before I heaved again, this time into the porcelain bowl of the toilet. 

Warm tears burned my eyes, a sob breaking through my chest. “Fuck.” I croaked, taking Seth’s hand tightly in my own as I braced the other on the side of the tub. I hated puking.

“Guess the wolf’s out of the bag.” Seth joked. 

I shot him a glare, before I felt my stomach roll again and I forced the bile to rise from my throat into the toilet. “Remind me to kill you later.” I sobbed, hanging my head over the bowl. 

I sat in the bathroom with my back pressed to the tub. They left me alone after nearly an hour of listening to me sob and kick and scream; Emily had made the executive decision to lock me in the bathroom alone so I could calm down. 

Seth had spent most of that hour trying to constrict me from lashing out against him, holding me tightly to his body. He kept whispering about keeping an open mind, how he needed me to not completely make any judgment about Embry because we needed each other. 

He was trying too hard to make sure I wasn’t going to leave Embry.

Here is what I knew:

One: My boyfriend – and my cousin – could morph into horse-sized wolves. Which likely meant others could, too.

Two: Edward and Bella definitely weren’t normal – if they were even human at all. I still didn’t like them. Three: I was absolutely terrified about what was going to happen next.

[fushic0re]

𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚊𝚜 𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚢 | 𝚎.𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕 | 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚒𝚟𝚎

Pairing: Embry Call x Original Character Summary: Join Ainsley and Embry as they embark on a journey where they are forced to question everything they thought they knew, and embrace the pain that is inevitable to avoid in love. An imprint story. Self-discovery. Angst and romance. Word Count: 5k Warnings: Jacob is a cockblock. That is all. prev. chapter | next chapter

“What’s mine is mine: I don’t share what’s mine.” 

“You’re my honey.” 

The words echoed and bounced off the confinements of my mind in the early morning, fingers aimlessly tracing circles against the warmth of Embry’s back. He settled himself against my chest with his arms encircled around my waist, hugging me lightly as he quietly snored. His russet skin stood out against the pale white sheets, legs entwined around my feet in an effort to keep as close to me as possible. 

I reared my thoughts back to the previous night: Embry had definitely overstepped some boundaries. Instead of lingering on the past, I was willing to push everything aside and move forward. That was the healthy thing to do, right? No sense in ruining what appeared to be a perfect morning with something as silly as my insecurities and anger. 

When he stirred against me, his snoring halting for a brief moment, I brought my hand up to hug his head tightly, pressing my lips to his hair. It still felt as though I were dreaming, as if any moment I would wake up in my own sheets drenched in sweat. Each passing minute aided in helping me realize it was real: I was wrapped up in Embry’s strong arms, contently listening to the even exhale of his breath. 

The sun barely peeked past the tops of the trees in the distance, a cool breeze dancing across what exposed skin there was to soothe the burning that rippled through my body. 

“This wasn’t how this was supposed to go.” 

I pressed a kiss to his forehead, lips lingering. It was strange to think about where I would be in my life if he hadn’t pushed himself to become such a large part of it. How well he seemed to fit in my arms, how right it felt to wake up next to his frame. This was my Embry. This was my happiness, my sole reason for pushing out of my tiny shell. I had never once thought about how grateful I was for his presence, for the calm he seemed to invite into my daily routine. Despite the raging temper I knew boiled in his veins, I had never felt more safe or more at peace than when I was with him. 

He lifted his chin, opening his warm brown orbs to watch me carefully. The smile that tugged on the corners of his lips filled my chest with adoration, eyes watching him as he pushed himself up with his hands to drop his face near mine, mouth leaving warm kisses against my cheek and neck. I hummed in delight. 

“You didn’t leave.” He mused, resting his head in the crook of my neck. I felt his hand wander along my side, easing over the gentle curve of my hip and down the thigh. “I definitely spent most of the night thinking you were going to completely hate me in the morning.” 

“You know what, Embry?” I tried not to laugh, instead resting my eyes and exhaled, “In another life, I could love you.” I mumbled. 

“I might love you in this one.” 

My arms shifted, tightening their grip on his shoulders. I refused to let go. My mind swirled with a million different thoughts, most of which were overpowered by the very loud, obnoxious voice that insisted this was nothing but a trap. Growing up, I had firmly believed that the good guys finish last. All I needed was a little patience, and a man that had been sculpted to fill the parts of me would find me. It would be an epic love. It would last forever. 

Don’t say that, I wanted to whisper. I wanted to tell him that he could do much better than me, that whatever it was he was feeling was temporary. Instead, I lifted his face to mine and pressed my mouth to his in an eager kiss. I didn’t want him to figure it out. I didn’t want him to leave me. 

Embry smiled against my lips, his mouth warm and inviting. I found myself breathing him in, pulling my body closer. When he finally pried himself away, he chuckled at the quiet whimper that slipped past my lips. “We’ve got a lot of time for more of that.” He promised, pressing his lips to my forehead. 

“Embry!” The noise from outside his window was followed by a loud bang. Two pairs of heavy boots stomped up the stairs, pounding down the hall. I had just enough time to pull the sheet up over my bare legs, sinking back into the mattress. 

The door swung open to reveal a breathless and shirtless Jacob. His eyes settled on the pair of us in front of him before he cut his eyes to Embry. “Sam needs you.” He bellowed, chin lowering to his chest. 

“I’m a little busy.” Embry replied, jaw clenching tightly. 

“Emb,” Quil pleaded quietly, eyes completely focused on his brother as he stepped into the bedroom. “This isn’t negotiable. We need you.” 

I watched the exact moment when Embry clued into his brother's words, watching the way his face contorted and pulled into a dozen different emotions before he looked down at me quickly, almost apologetically. “Ains ..” 

“No way.” I growled, sitting up to glare at the men in the doorway. 

“Sorry, Ainsley,” Jacob huffed, throwing a shirt in my general direction. “But he doesn’t get a say in this.” 

I threw the fabric back at Jacob. “Because Sam said so?” 

“Because I said so!” He yelled, eyebrows pulled together. We remained like that for a few heartbeats, watching each other angrily for two completely separate reasons. As much as I had grown to love Embry’s brothers, and as much as I loved my cousin, they had managed to barge in on what could’ve been the most perfect morning of my existence and managed to sabotage it in less than 10 words. 

I was furious. 

Embry pushed himself up, lips at my ear. “It won’t be long.” He promised, snaking his arm around my waist. His mouth pressed against my neck, trying to soothe me. “Ains, please.” Embry pleaded, pulling back to block my view of Jacob. 

“Emily’s expecting her.” Quil said quietly when Jacob pushed out of the room, stomping down the stairs to the front door. Quil picked up a few articles of clothing off the floor, placing them on the edge of the bed. “We have to go, dude, the others are already out there.” 

“This doesn’t change what I said.” Embry said firmly, grabbing my chin in his hand. “Okay? Nothing changes.” 

“Let’s go!” I could hear Jacob yell from outside. Quil looked out of the window, swallowed thickly and let out a defeated sigh. 

I kept my eyes glued to Embry’s, trying to find a weakness to convince him to stay — but he seemed desperate. Damn that fucking loyalty. 

“Okay.” I lamented, feeling helpless. He released a sigh, and kissed me quickly. 

In the next few moments, he was off the bed hauling on a pair of cut offs, then pulling a set of keys from his top drawer. “Take the truck to Emily’s — I promise I’ll explain everything later.” When I didn’t move, he groaned and leaned over the wooden railing to press his mouth firmly to hers once. “Honey, please.” He whined again before Quil gripped his arms and pulled him through the bedroom door. He glanced back once at me surrounded by the mess of pillows and blankets, face broken in disappointment. 

I pulled my jeans on slowly, eyes lingering on the dirty sheets as I gripped the set of keys in my fist. “Stupid piece of shit.” I grumbled, pulling my coat over my frame. 

EMBRY

It had been nearly two years since he had last forced himself to phase; after spending so long training his body to keep the convulsions at bay, after promising himself that he was better off with this part dormant, Embry found himself relishing in the surge of power that raced through his veins. The familiar heat that pulsed, the throbbing in his chest, the way his limbs burned and stretched as he pushed himself forward, paws pounding against the damp earth with a newfound purpose. 

Maybe they’re visiting? Seth asked from somewhere over the noise, his own guard up on alert. As much as Seth had enjoyed befriending Edward and the other Cullen’s, his instinct to find danger in the presence of another vampire had his body on edge. 

Embry snorted, jumping around the sharp rocks of the cliff side before he launched himself off the edge and dropped onto the sandy beach with Quil following behind him. Unlikely .

Do we have any idea where they are now? 

They?

Sam growled lowly, There’s two — a couple, I’d imagine. Sam thought back to the grocery store where he held up two different packages of gravol, trying to think about which would benefit Emily more. She had been complaining of an upset stomach for most of the morning, and his body heat hadn’t been making her feel any better. Sam had gone into Forks looking for some odds and ends to help his wife; that’s when he first caught their scent. 

The couple, appearing no more than twenty, stood a few yards away from him, sharing the same curled lip. The female's hair was long and blonde, perfectly coiled around her square face. She would be much easier to spot than her male counterpart — who looked so much like anyone else in the tribe. His eyes were coloured a deep red that hid behind the set of contacts that would have been undetectable to the human eye. 

On our land? Leah snarled, the hair on her back stood as a shiver rolled down her spine. Her thoughts raced back to the familiar face of the sun kissed tattooed male, his wide cocky smile barring through their minds. 

Which in turn led the remainder of the imprinted pack to think of their partners. Ainsley flooded Embry’s vision, her pretty blue eyes heavy with such disappointment and sadness, but he couldn’t find himself caring much about that right now. Her safety was priority number one — her anger he could handle later. 

So what do we do? Brady asked from his place next to Collin and Seth.

We don’t know if they’re a threat — 

The Cullen’s have no idea who either of them are. Alice isn’t able to get a reading on what either of them are here for . Jacob snapped, glowering over at Seth. They’re an unknown danger to the tribe and the people of this town.  

Jake, Seth whined dropping his muzzle to the floor when Jacob turned and snapped at the air. 

Jacob’s right, Sam boomed, coming up on the left side of Embry. They shared a low growl, crouching their bodies in unison. We must destroy them before it’s too late. 

There was a collective agreement amongst the wolves, their paws kneading the ground eagerly, snarls tearing through the air as they all recalled the last time they had met in this manner. How they had ripped through the bodies of their tribes biggest threat, how powerful and strong they all had felt. There was a magic in their blood that burned whenever danger was near. 

They’re not alone. Leah had decided, pacing around. The girl — she looks like someone that visits Trent’s shop. Daily. 

Think we can talk to them face to face? Seth asked, feeling defeated.

The response was automatic. No! the remainder of the pack growled. 

Are you trying to get yourself killed? Paul asked angrily, moving forward to press his paw down in front of Seth’s vision, forcing him to meet his eyes. We can’t protect ourselves as humans. 

I was just thinking –

You weren’t thinking. Embry retorted, turning back to look at Sam and Jacob. The sooner we find them, the better. We aren’t here to reason with leeches, he seethed, looking around the pack. They all watched him pace frantically, all feeling the sense of urgency that coursed through his veins. The familiar inner turmoil vibrating through his core — the anger he had tried to desperately to keep at bay finally leaking through. We’re here to kill every last one of them — let’s not make the same mistake twice. 

AINSLEY

“He just left.” I complained, popping another piece of banana bread into my mouth. For the last forty-five minutes, I had been whining non-stop to Emily about the scene from this morning; each time I thought back to the pitiful apology he had offered, I grew more irritated. “God, they just barged in!”

Emily had yet to move from the kitchen, her hands moving quickly. “That’ll happen. Just gotta learn to live with it.” 

“Live with it?” I repeated incredulously, leaning forward on the table. “My cousin came in and cockblocked me!” Emily stopped moving to grip the counter and lean down slowly, her eyes pressed together tightly. “Hey — are you okay? You’ve been doing that for a few days.”

“Fine,” she grumbled, waiting another two heartbeats before she stood up and nodded. “Just comes and goes. I’m fine.” 

I watched her skeptically, chewing on the last piece of my banana bread thoughtfully. “You really think I don’t need to be worried?” 

“Trust me, Ains.” Emily sighed, setting the timer on her third batch of cookies. “That man is crazy about you and it’s driving the others nuts. On any other day, those boys wouldn’t have even thought about stepping into that house. Well,” Emily paused, then shrugged, “except maybe Jacob.”

“Jacob?” 

“Yeah, Emb and Jake live together. You didn’t know that?” 

I blinked slowly, returning my gaze to my hands. I didn’t know that. “So, why did they, then? Intrude this morning?” 

She stopped, lips pursed together with her hands on her hips. Emily shook her head and sighed, “I can’t be the one to tell you.” 

“Why,” I groaned, throwing my head back, “does everyone keep saying that?” 

“It’s Embry’s choice. If he wants you to know, he’ll tell you.” She said, joining me at the table. She plucked a piece of bread from the top of the plate and hummed in satisfaction. “Damn, I’m good.” 

I let the corners of my mouth turn up in a half-hearted smile. Another hour passed by, and still no sign of anyone. Kim was working that afternoon, no doubt completely hating herself for drinking as much as she had the night before. I could see it now: Kim’s tired eyes and pale-russet skin moving like a zombie through her day, trying not to fall asleep in some corner. 

By the time the sun was setting low in the sky, Emily was passed out on the couch and I was sitting on a chair in the kitchen, snacking on another slice of bread. I patiently watched the open door, waiting for some sort of indication that the guys were returning home. After what felt like hours, the familiar cackle of Paul sounded through the air, prompting me to sit upright in my chair. One by one, the men trailed into the kitchen, taking their respective seats around the large oak table. 

“Oooh, Embry’s in trouble.” Paul joked, watching me with careful eyes as they all entered the room. I narrowed my eyes at Paul, then focused on Jacob’s blundering frame behind him. 

“You.” I seethed, pushing out of the chair, brushing past Embry’s worried look, hands pressing against Jacob’s broad chest. I pushed him with all of my might, satisfied when he stumbled back. “If you ever pull that again, I will make sure you never have children.” 

“Woah, Ains, hold up —” I slapped Quil’s hand away from my shoulder, shooting him a glare in warning before I moved my eyes back to Jacob’s.

“I don’t care who you think you are, that was my morning you ruined.” My voice was slow and low, trying to keep myself from breaking out in anger, “It will not happen again.”

“It won’t.” Jacob promised, holding his hands up in defeat, “I’m sorry, okay?” 

“No, not okay.” I replied bitterly, turning on my heels to glance at Embry. He swallowed, weary eyes watching me take four steps towards him before my arms circled around his waist. “You owe me.” I grumbled, relaxing when his arms hugged my shoulders tightly.

“Dinner?” He suggested, pressing his nose to my scalp. “I’ll even cook.” 

Quil whistled from somewhere behind me, “Embry can make a mean chicken parm.” 

“I do,” He nodded, looking down at me with a warm smile before blinking, then he sighed and his face fell. “Actually, your brothers are looking for you.” 

I tried not to groan, closing my eyes tightly. I had completely forgotten about updating my parents, knowing they were probably losing their minds at home regarding my whereabouts for the last twenty hours. “I’ve gotta go home.” My fingers reached for my coat, slipping around the group of men who already began devouring all of Emily’s hard work. 

“I’ll walk you.”

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

The conversation between Jennie and I lasted a total of five minutes before TJ threw his hands up in defeat. “She does no wrong.” He grumbled, leaning over to press a quick kiss to the top of my hair. For the most part, TJ was more lenient than Jennie could be; if she had it her way, we’d all be home straight after work and school, just like when we were kids.

Sometime later that week, I sat in the living room between my brothers, Trent lazily flipping through television channels as the weather outside whirled loudly. 

Thunderstorms had taken over the reservation for nearly four days straight, making it difficult for Embry to sneak into my room each night. I visited Emily and Sam’s once in the meantime, but was unable to stay for long. Embry worried about me driving through the rain — there were times when it came down so hard it was nearly impossible to see what was in front of you. 

I reached my fingers into the open bag of candy, popping a few into my mouth to chew thoughtfully as Trent skipped over another television show. 

“Could you just pick something?” Travis asked in annoyance, ripping the head off another gummy worm. 

“Could you just shut the fuck up?” Trenton mocked, taking another sip of his beer.

I sighed from the middle, watching the screen flicker in bright colours. I stole the remote from Trent’s fingers, pressing the buttons so that an episode of FRIENDS overtook the screen and nodded in satisfaction. “Shut up and watch.” I grumbled, shoving another handful of candy into my mouth.

There were no complaints: two hours later, Travis snored from his end of the couch, face pressed into the cushions while Trent and I split the pizza we had paid for with his money. 

“So,” Trent started, opening another dipping sauce. “You and Embry, huh?”

I watched him closely, “How did you know?”

“Leah.” He shrugged, folding his piece in half. 

I pressed my lips together, chewing on the inside of my cheek. I wanted to ask about Leah, but I knew that he would just see it as avoidance. “What about it?” 

“Is it serious?” 

I laughed, picking a pepperoni off my slice, “I don’t really know — I guess so?”

“You guess so?” 

“I’m not some random hookup,” I pointed out, “I like him.” 

Trent sighed, “That’s what worries me.” 

“Isn’t he your friend?” I asked, squinting up at him. 

“Your point?” 

“So, I’d like to think you don’t befriend complete douchebags. Don’t worry about me, I’m perfectly fine. Happy, even.” I offered, smiling to myself as I thought about Embry’s dopey smile. It was quiet for a while, the pair of us finishing off the pizza before we retreated upstairs to our respective rooms. 

“Something doesn’t feel right,” He mused quietly, offering me a water bottle from the fridge on our way past the kitchen, “I like the guy, but —”

“But what?”

“Nothing, I guess. Leah’s pretty adamant that he’s not .. here to spite me.” 

“Is that what you think this is?” I asked, dropping my voice. “That’s he’s only interested in me because it’ll piss you off? Couldn’t be because I’m adorable as fuck or he likes me?”

“That’s not what I meant.” Trent sighed. It had been two months of the same shit; Trent trying to make me feel small to keep me where he wanted me. At home, safe and sound, making no noise or trouble. This is where you belong, he’d say, this is where we can protect you.  

A few years ago when Trent was leading underground fights for easy cash, I had gotten myself stuck in the middle on quite a few occasions. More than once I had somehow been pushed into the center of the circle, had gotten knocked on my ass, and had to spend nearly an hour each morning hiding new bruises. By the time I was seventeen, my run in with a former club member had convinced my brothers that they needed to kick it to the curb. 

Almost four years ago, I attended what I believed was just another house party. My date’s name was Maddox; he was sweet, charming, and had been able to make me feel as though together we were invincible. He never lost a fight, never spent much time away from me. It wasn’t until later that evening when he’d slipped something into my drink that I started to see what perhaps everyone else saw in him. 

I ended up in a spare room, trying to separate myself from the rest of the party while my head swirled in confusion and fear, trying to keep my body upright as the drug coursed through my body. The hands hadn’t belonged to Maddox, but to one of his frat brothers. I remembered kicking and screaming, crying out for help as the dress I saved all my money for was ripped from my body. I had been dehumanized and humiliated, left naked and alone on the cold tile in a bathroom that belonged to a stranger I didn’t even know. 

That was the last I saw Maddox. 

That was also the day Trenton swore he’d never call for another fight. Not that Travis had been happy about it — they were bringing in easy money with those fights, and as two college students, that easy money was getting them by. But for the sake of their sister — for my dignity — they cut their ties and prompted our parents to move from Victoria. It had taken a while for the idea to take hold with Jennie, but once it had, there was no turning back.

It only made sense they ended up back on the west coast of the United States, surrounded by a small town with pleasant faces. They were safer there. No one needed to know, and they had promised to keep it that way. 

“You don’t need to protect me from him.” I replied gingerly, shouldering past him into the hall. “He’s not the problem.” My door slammed behind me, the frame shaking slightly. I listened to the footsteps of my brother trail down the hall, his own door slamming before I sighed and turned.

I also screamed. 

“Jesus Christ,” I breathed, sinking to the floor against my closed door. My weary gaze looked up to Embry: he was laying in my bed, arms folded behind his head with a smug smile plastered across his face. 

“Hey, honey.” He chuckled, sliding over to make room as I crawled over and onto the bed. Iyah lay at the foot of my mattress, watching Embry with careful eyes. “Ready for bed?”

I thought about his offer for a moment, moving to straddle his hips. I shook my head, leaning down to press my lips against his eagerly, his hands moving to capture my waist tightly. I pulled his bottom lip between my teeth and sucked gently, eliciting a quiet moan from his throat. The sound caused my skin to erupt in goosebumps, running my hands across his warm, bare torso excitedly, satisfaction washing over my limbs as his response was almost immediate: Embry pulled my hair free from its ponytail and gripped tightly onto the roots. 

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

“That’s stupid.” Seth grumbled, watching Quil and Claire lounge on the living room floor in front of the television. 

Renesmee sighed, chin perched in her hand as she shrugged. “You’re stupid.” She teased. 

“Nessie.” Jacob chided. The woman smiled impishly in response, looking up at Jacob with big eyes. I couldn’t help but laugh. The last few days had been full of their presence as Embry seemed to be much busier than usual. In between picking up extra shifts, he was fighting to see me, eat and get a decent night's sleep. Each time I saw him, he looked more tired — but his face still lit up when I hugged myself to him. I never grew tired of that. 

“You look bored,” Jacob teased, throwing a pillow in my general direction. 

“Just waiting for Emb.” I sighed, glancing up at the clock on the wall. It was almost dinner time, and he had yet to stop by. 

“He’ll be here.” Quil promised, eyes focused on the television. “No later than seven.” 

Seven? I almost wanted to throw a tantrum. I hadn’t signed up to be in a relationship with Embry’s brothers — and in the last few days, I spent more time with them than I had even seen his beautiful eyes. I was growing impatient, sick of watching crappy reruns on Sam’s small television, sick of hearing ‘it’s not my place to talk about it’ whenever I asked why he was so busy. 

I was also sick of feeling sick; as crazy as it was, I had no other reasonable explanation. I must have been addicted to Embry, because without him I truly felt physically unwell. 

Just as I finished dinner, Embry and Jared came waltzing through the open kitchen door, laughing in harmony as Sam trailed in behind them with a smile. I tried not to let it bother me that he seemed to always find enough time to see them before he thought to come and see me. Maybe you’re just overthinking it.

I quickly moved into the kitchen, removing a plate from the cupboard. I pulled bits and pieces of the meal together, filling the plate to the brim and drizzling gravy over the heaping mountain before I set it down in front of Embry. 

“Thanks, honey.” He grinned tiredly, pressing his lips to my throat, then to my jaw, then the corner of my mouth. I tried to offer him a forced smile, sitting in my chair next to him while he shoveled forkful after forkful into his mouth. At least he was eating. 

“I told Jennie I’d be staying with you,” I said quietly, pushing his too-long hair away from his forehead. “Even brought a bag with actual pajamas and everything.” 

He pulled his brows together, “That’s tonight?” 

I deadpanned, halting my movements to look at him. “Seriously? You forgot?”

“No! Well, yes — I mean —” He dropped his fork and ran his hand over his face, eyes pressed shut tiredly. “I just lost track of the days, that’s all.” 

I pressed my lips together, watching his eyes open slowly to meet my gaze. “If you’re too tired, we can do another night.”

“No,” Embry sighed, gripping my knee in his warm palm. “I want you to come.” He said quietly, leaning over to kiss my cheek in reassurance. 

He finished his dinner in silence, meeting my eyes every so often to ensure I didn’t look completely pissed off. Once he was finished, and I looked more at ease, he leaned over with a coy smile.

“What?” I asked, trying to suppress a smile of my own. 

“Oh, nothing,” he mused, snaking his hand up my thigh, “just thinking about sharing a big bed with a beautiful woman I know, that’s all.” 

“Is that so?” I laughed, setting my bottle of water down on the table, eyes darting down to his lips. “Sounds like quite the treat.” 

“Oh, she is the treat —”

“Okay, that’s disgusting.” Seth gagged from across the room, chucking a leftover muffin at Embry’s head. “Take it somewhere else.” Seth’s slight outburst pulled a chorus of laughter from the group; the guys always chalked it up to Seth’s lack of know-how, but I could see the slight hint of jealousy in his eyes every time he watched Emily and Sam kiss, watched Jared and Kim laugh or watched Embry and I interact. He was longing for someone of his own, although I was sure he’d never admit to it. 

The group said their round of goodbye’s as Embry pulled me out into the cold by the hand, entwining our fingers as we cut through the forest towards his house. Our footsteps carried through the silent woods, giggles erupting from my throat as he slowly chased me around, fingers wiggling into my neck. Moving with him in the night seemed to put my mind at ease, and offered me a sort of comfort. It wasn’t until the dim brown panes came into view that I realized we were near his home; I ran onto the street, hands holding the straps of my bag to my back securely as I looked up at him. “What?”

“You’re adorable, you know that?”

I shrugged, offering him a small smile, “You may have mentioned that once or twice.” 

“I mean it, y’know?” He asked, slinking his arms around her waist. “You’re the best thing that’s happened to me in a very, very long time.” 

My face softened at his words, heart swelling in my chest. “Aw, Emb,” I whispered, reaching a hand up to touch his cheek, “You’re not getting all soft on me, are you?” 

“That’s it.” He growled playfully, swooping down to flip me over his shoulder. I squealed in delight, holding my bag steady as he jogged towards the door of his home. “You’re in trouble, young lady.” 

I tried to keep my smile at bay, mind already thinking about what kind of punishment he would see most fit. 

[fushic0re]

𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚊𝚜 𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚢 | 𝚎. 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕 | 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚛

Pairing: Embry Call x Original Character Summary: Join Ainsley and Embry as they embark on a journey where they are forced to question everything they thought they knew, and embrace the pain that is inevitable to avoid in love. An imprint story. Self-discovery. Angst and romance. Word Count: 3.8k Warnings: none, just breakfast at sam and emily's and some mixed emotions! A/N: Decided I probably shouldn't keep you guys waiting too long for the next part, so here you go! Remember: sharing is caring, let me know if you liked the chapter! :) prev. chapter | next chapter

The next few weeks went on like clockwork: once a week the group met collectively for an afternoon of soccer on the beach, the occasional Sunday breakfast and random evenings spent together in my basement. As the cold weather drew closer, I found myself drawn to the guys and the warmth that seemed to radiate from the surface of their skin. Most days consisted of taking my laptop and textbooks to Emily’s after lectures in Port Angeles to finish writing case studies and essays, snacking on muffins and dinner rolls all while getting my much needed daily fix of Embry. 

I needed him. Needed to see him at least once a day for no less than ten minutes, and within those ten minutes, my body never felt more alive. As odd as it sounded, I felt physically worse when I would go without him. As if I were ill, or possibly even grieving. I hadn’t noticed it at first, but the more time I spent with him, the sooner the onset of nausea would begin once we were apart.

Of course, I always wanted more time with Embry, and found myself googling for questions to ask him to keep the conversation going. The less personal and invading the question, the more Embry was willing to speak openly. I asked about things like what he wanted to be when he grew up, and what his first kiss was like. I enjoyed listening to him talk; watching the way his voice picked up when he seemed to be particularly passionate about his answer, watching him become more comfortable with being Embry with me. The Embry that Jacob knew, the one everyone had the pleasure of seeing all the time. In all of his imperfect mess. He wasn’t trying to stay put together anymore to put on an impression — he was leaving such a large imprint of his importance as a person on me. 

Each night, I stayed up late whispering with him on the roof, later sneaking him through the open window of my bedroom. He would sit with me, with my desk lamp illuminating the area just enough for me to pull his face together completely. As though the darkness never existed in the shadows of his face. 

The first few nights, Iyah would growl and bark — all of those nights I had shooed him from my room so that I could keep Embry’s presence unknown from the remainder of my family. He would stay until just after I fell asleep, and ensure to leave a sticky note or text of some sort for me to read in the morning. 

Jacob was right. The less I tried to stop what was coming, the more everything fit together in a seemingly perfect way. The way my brothers were able to keep their place within the group, but it never interfered with my alone time on either side. Each passing day invited new bonds to be made; by the time October rolled around, I felt more at ease with the group than I had ever felt in my entire life. 

Embry seemed to open up more, and spend less time doing crazy activities like cliff diving and taking night runs through the forest. I had the pleasure of experiencing the infamous temper with which Embry held — that which all of the men had, apparently — and started to learn how to fully help keep his anger at bay. 

With Halloween just around the corner, Embry spent a lot more time being adamant regarding horror classics in the spirit of one of his favourite holidays. He demanded there be hoards of chocolate and stupid pranks, even brought pumpkins to carve one morning after my brothers and TJ were gone for the day; Jennie had been fast asleep upstairs, too tired to notice the pair of us tearing through pumpkins guts in the kitchen. 

Halloween certainly suited Embry, not that I would ever tell him. The bitter air invited thicker layers and jackets back to the reservation early this year. As the weather dropped, Embry finally resorted to wearing jeans and sweaters in an effort to make me a little more comfortable. Admittedly, he looked adorable in his sweaters with their faded logos and grease stains; they looked both comfortable and lived in. 

Thursday afternoon, Embry had finally gotten Jacob and Seth to convince me to watch multiple movies centering evil clowns. I wasn’t like most other people with a genuine disliking to clowns, but I also didn’t put it past me that I’d be scared shitless if one popped up out of nowhere. I sat opposite of Embry, feet tucked under his bottom for additional warmth, my brows pulled together in distress. 

“This is gross.” I choked, watching another spatter of blood hit the wall on the tiny television screen centered in the Uley living room. Sam and Emily were with their daughter visiting Emily’s family on another reservation in Washington. For the next two days, Embry and I were house sitting — my presence was requested mostly to ensure that the boys didn’t eat them out of house and home before they returned from their trip. 

Jacob turned to look over his shoulder at me, brown eyes glimmering with delight. “This is a quality film right here.” 

I shook my head and quickly pushed myself off the couch, tearing my eyes away from the scene before I had any more reason to expel the contents of my stomach. “I’m gonna go get a snack, call me when this one's over.” 

Seth tried to stop me with his arm, although he seemed too invested in the screaming on screen to really try. I laughed as I slipped by and padded into the kitchen in search of Emily’s muffins she had laid out. When I pulled them from the oven, I smiled in victory and plucked one from the plate. 

No more than forty minutes and two muffins later, Jacob called out from the living room for me to come back for a comedy. This was his solution to spare a night full of their annoyance and my anxiety. I moved to return to my spot which was, much to my dismay, almost entirely covered with Embry’s long frame. He pulled his eyes from the television to flash me an innocent smile. 

“Sorry, honey.” 

“Move.” 

He responded by opening his arms as an invitation to join him. I let my mouth hang ajar for a brief moment before I exhaled slowly and caved, settling comfortably between his side and the back of the couch. 

By Saturday, the guys had all taken the time to come together for a late night at my place, playing teams in pool and darts, drinking beers and listening to classic rock. Embry and Jared spent the night making bets, and I watched Jared lose every one. Seth had convinced Quil to consider a night out, while Jacob and Paul teamed up against Trent and Travis in various games throughout the night. 

Us girls took sanctuary in the corner on a couch, sipping on coolers and chips while the men did their thing. 

“I heard Jacob say Embry was gonna do it.”

“No way,” I conceded, dropping my voice, “he’s barely even tried hitting on me, I’m like another one of them.” I gestured vaguely to the other males in the room. 

Renesmee shook her head vehemently. “I don’t know, Ains. Jake’s pretty convinced.” 

Kim sat forward with her lips half wrapped around the straw of her margarita. She swallowed loudly before she held up a finger, her face alight with curiosity. “Wait, he hasn’t asked you on a date yet?” 

I pulled my brows together. “We’re friends, why would he?” 

Kim and Renesmee shared a glance, no doubt in annoyance with my apparent lack of observation. I didn’t want to rock the boat, and so I seemed to stay away from emotional and personal topics that might lead me to pursue a man who probably didn’t see me as anything other than ‘one of the guys’. 

“You’re clueless. It would do the rest of us a whole lotta good if you two could figure your shit out.” Kim grumbled, pushing away from her pillow to steal another handful of Cheetos from the bowl on the table in front of us.

I darted my eyes to where Embry stood, leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his broad chest. I tried not letting my thumping heart overpower my ability to keep the heat from spreading into my neck and face. Each time I caught myself staring, I blushed. It was ridiculous how important I allowed him to become, and how deeply he was able to affect me with something just as simple as his presence. 

The next time I checked my phone, it was 2:54 AM . I rubbed my eyes tiredly, standing next to Jacob with a set of darts in my hand, waiting for Travis to take his shots and clear his board. 

“You should sleep.” Embry said from behind me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders to pull me into his chest. “You don’t sleep enough as it is.” He accused me, bringing his mouth down to my ear so that I could hear him better over the sound of the music coming from the speaker in the corner. 

“I sleep fine.” I replied quietly, closing my eyes for a moment. The heater had yet to kick in, resulting in my brothers and I fighting over who got which extra blanket. Being as small and helpless as I was meant I usually got the short stick, and often wore layers to bed to suffice.

“Are you cold?” He asked quietly, rubbing his hand over my arm. I nodded slowly, locking my fingers behind his back. 

“I think it’s bedtime,” Trent said from his corner near the pool table, “get her upstairs, would ya?” 

Wasting no time at all, Embry swooped down to cuff his arm under my knees and hoist me up into his arms effortlessly. I squealed, setting my darts down on the television stand as he walked towards the stairs. I waved a little goodbye to Kim and Jared in the corner (Renesmee’s mother had swung by to pick her up an hour ago) and pressed a kiss to Travis’s cheek in passing before we disappeared around the corner. 

Embry took the stairs two at a time, stopping just before my bed to drop me onto the soft mattress. “Don’t pass out yet, I need to talk to you about something.” 

I raised a brow in question. “Then where are you going?” 

“I’m leaving.” He stated simply, head caught in the doorway. “Open your window.” 

When the door shut quietly, I hurried over to where the latch on my window locked and flipped it open, pulling it wide open with both arms. I watched the lights downstairs flicker on no more than three minutes later, Embry’s shadow appearing briefly in the driveway before he rushed forward and pulled himself up through the tree branches to get to my window. He slid in with ease, leaving his boots just under the sill.

“Had to make them believe I was leaving.” He shrugged, watching as I slid backwards on the bed to make room for him. 

“Or we could just start being open about your visits.” I suggested; I had done this a thousand times, all of which Embry argued against. 

“And risk your brothers tearing me into pieces?” He asked quietly, smiling when I eagerly pressed my cold nose against his neck, shivering involuntarily into his warmth. “Trent suspects more than Travis, and he doesn’t seem to be happy about it.”

“You let me worry about Trent.” I laughed, throwing my leg over his knee. “He’s just pissed his bestie isn’t around all the time to pick on.”

We laid in silence for a few moments; I was listening to the gentle thump of his heart, and to the trees whistle in the wind just outside my window. It was moments like this that made me feel as though I already belonged to Embry — my efforts in keeping distance emotionally had been futile after all.

“You said you needed to talk to me.” I mumbled sleepily, turning my face up to squint at him in the dark. 

He took a moment to respond, carefully choosing his words I guessed. “I really don’t know how to do this with you.” Embry whispered, exhaling loudly into the silent air. “It seems so easy in my head, but then I think about the part where it doesn’t go as I planned and I just … can’t anticipate what my reaction will be.” 

I pushed myself up on my elbow to look at him, bringing my brows together in confusion. “What are you talking about?” 

“There’s an engagement party that Sam wants to pull together for Rachel and Paul.” He began, looking up at me, “It’s like his way of giving them one last night of pure stupidity before they have to start making ‘adult choices’.” He mimicked, dropping his voice to match Sam’s.

“Isn’t that what the bachelor/bachelorette parties are for?” I asked.

Embry shook his head in agreement.“Normally, yeah. But they decided they didn’t want their own parties, just one together.” He watched me for a moment, trying to analyze my thoughts on the information before he spoke again. “Come. With me.” 

“I was likely already going, but okay —”

“No, I mean come with me. As my date.” 

“Date?” I repeated quickly, thinking back to what Renesmee said earlier in the basement. “Me?” 

“You.” Embry nodded. 

I couldn’t stop myself. “Why?” 

The shift in emotion on his face was instantaneous, even in the darkness. His smile dropped and was quickly replaced with vague annoyance, his eyes moving from mine to the ceiling as his mouth became rigid and his jaw worked under his deep russet skin. “I’ll take that as a no.” 

“I didn’t say no.” I amended quickly, “I’m just asking why.” 

“Why not?”

“Because I’m Ainsley Black?” I started, sitting up right. “Because I’m sort of awkward and quiet, and not like —” Jessica.

Embry waited, his eyes searching mine. “Not like?”

“I don’t have any particularly appealing qualities about me so I just don’t understand. Why me, and why now?” We spent weeks together, and ultimately, I had grown closer to Embry than I had any other individual in my life in such a short time.

Embry looked at me for a moment, seeming disappointed. I wasn’t sure if it was disappointment in himself, or in my words, but he pulled on my arm until I collapsed back onto his chest and hugged my frame tightly in his side. My skin no longer burned under his touch, because for the most part I always felt warm. Instead, in place of the burning sensation was the gentle touch of pins-and-needles, the skin tingling with electricity. 

“Just go to sleep.” 

“Embry?” 

“Yeah?”

I hesitated, wanting to reconsider my next actions but decided against better judgment. I leaned my face up, and pressed my lips to the hollow base of his jaw gently. The way his body stiffened against me was all the confirmation I needed for the next; I smiled to myself and curled back into his side, resting my tired eyes for another night next to my personal space heater. ···

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

“You guys are absolutely sickening.”

The pair of lips melded together again, bodies pressing tightly together as he hoisted her from the couch to against the wall — and then proceeded to stick his butt out at the group and shake it vigorously. 

I shook my head at Paul and my cousin as Embry grimaced beside me. Things had been a little tense between the pair of us for a little over a week; I wasn’t really sure when it started going south. I bumped into an elementary classmate. We never really talked much after I moved from the reservation years ago, and we agreed to go for coffee. Most of everyone from elementary took the next bus out of town to be anywhere but the reservation once they graduated from high school, so it was refreshing to see such a familiar face. 

Of course, Embry hadn’t liked that I agreed to a ‘date’. 

“I don’t see the big deal.” I shrugged, turning to walk away from him to retire for the night. I decided on the car ride home I wouldn’t unlock the window that night, which was ultimately a difficult decision to make given I was aware of the way I felt during his absence.

“Are you kidding — hey!” Embry grabbed my arm roughly, forcing me to spin around. “Don’t just walk away!”

“This obviously isn’t helping.” I hissed, ripping my wrist from his grip. The movement of pulling away hurt more than I expected, and I instantly thought about the bruising that would follow. “It’s not a big deal, Emb, it’s just one coffee.” 

His eyes were wide and wild with rage for a split second before he growled and ran his hands through his hair. “How does everyone but you see it?” Embry wasn’t really asking me, moreso chewing at himself. “Of course it’s a big deal!”

Exasperated, I yelled, “Why?” 

Embry stopped his pacing and pursed his lips, hands on his hips as he stared at the ground and shook his head. “Now’s not the time, hon —”

“It’s Ainsley, to you.” 

“Cut the shit, Ains.” He grumbled, walking down the driveway to the street, “You’re my honey.” 

“Too bad it’s a stupid nickname anyway!” I spat, opening the front door to Jennie’s home. “You’re incredibly cryptic, Embry, I can’t handle it. What are we doing here?” I gestured to the space between the two of us. 

Embry seemed to be pained by my words. “I’m talking to a wall.” 

I slammed the door shut after that, not dignifying him with a response. We hadn’t spoken for roughly twenty-seven hours before he called me to remind me about soccer one afternoon, and that the girls were expecting me — including Renesmee. 

I went, but I hadn’t spoken much with Embry. It appeared as though he hadn’t had a chance to recover from our fight, and made very little effort to make eye contact. Now we sat, nearly a week later, trying to keep a straight or genuinely happy face in place — this was supposed to be our first date. Why did this feel so forced?

Five hours later, we still hadn’t spoken much. The group slowly gravitated into two separate activities; the girls and I spent a great deal of time going through the complexity of Rachel and Paul’s relationship, gushing over dresses and wedding details while the men took up the space of the living room, their boisterous laughter filling the space. 

I dumped the rest of the empty bottles into the recycling bin at the end of Sam’s driveway, teeth chattering quietly as I made my way back into the house. “It’s freezing.” I complained to Emily, making my way over to the kitchen. “Are they drunk enough for me to leave?”

“Just about.” Emily said sourly, watching her husband tilt his head back to chug the remaining liquid in his bottle. They had already gone through what appeared to be four bottles of whiskey — each man had a smile on their face, followed by equally drunk Kim and Rachel.

“Get them some water,” I said in dismissal, shrugging into my thick coat, “and get him to bed.” I looked at Sam. As the general alpha male in the group, being the oldest and all, I expected him to be the more serious drunk. Apparently, I was very wrong. 

I was gathering my things, ensuring I secured all of my pockets on my coat before I turned to leave Emily’s. A strong pair of arms paired with a broad chest blocked my exit from the house. 

“Can we talk?” He asked, unmoving in his stance but his eyes swirled in chaos.

“Leave it alone, Emb.” Jacob grumbled from his seat, his eyes locked on the cards dealt on the table. 

We had an entire day to talk, he hadn’t appeared to be interested. “I have nothing to say.” I mumbled, trying to push past him. No avail. “Move, Embry.” I sighed. 

“You have to talk to me.” He pleaded, ducking down to force me to look at him. His hands grabbed my arms, pulling a wince from me when he gripped me just a little too tightly. “Just talk to me.” 

“No, Embry.” I growled, pushing against his chest to try and free myself. “I’m not interested in — hey!” Suddenly, the world was upside down. He flipped me over his shoulder, keeping a tight grip on my legs to stabilize me as I swayed back and forth. “Put me down!”

“See ya guys,” he waved, turning to back out of the door. Though I couldn’t see his face, I could almost imagine the smug smirk on his face when he realized he definitely had the upper hand.

“No, Embry — Kim!” I pleaded, desperately looking at Kim for help.

My friend stood, hand pressed to her mouth as her lips cracked into an amused smile. “You two look ridiculous.” She laughed. 

“Thank’s a lot.” I growled venomously, moving to pound a fist against Embry’s back. “Let me go!” I demanded as we exited the house into the cold night. 

“You DDing, Seth?” Embry asked into the darkness as he maneuvered me into the backseat of a car. “Can you take us back to my place?” Seth looked over at Embry as he climbed into the back, sticking his head out of the window. I huffed in frustration.

“I’m not going anywhere with you.” I leaned forward, looking up at Seth through the windshield. “Seth, could you take me home, please?” I was trying to be sweet, but I was certain I sounded just about anything but polite. 

“Just go to my house.” Embry ordered, trying to keep me from punching him in the face. I reared my fist back again and caught him in the jaw, momentarily pleased when he hissed out in pain. 

“I don’t know man ..” Seth said slowly, watching the pair of us struggle as he slowly opened the drivers door. 

“Imprint trump, now go!” Without another word, Seth slid into his seat, pulled the car into drive and turned left out of the driveway. Once another house came into view shortly after, and the car had stopped, Embry thanked Seth curtly and pulled me from the backseat; then, flipped me over his shoulder. Again. 

“You’re such a pain!” I screamed when the door closed behind us, trying to wiggle around in his grip to toss him off balance. Also no luck. It was like he had barely been drinking.

“Would you stop it?” He growled, moving around the house to flick on lights as he traveled down the hall. I felt dizzy. 

“You can’t just kidnap me, Embry.” I started, slapping his back again. “We haven’t even been on one date and you’re acting like we’re supposed to be married.”

“We did go on a date.” 

“I don’t know if you know, but that was not a date. And if it was, that was the worst date I’m sure anyone has ever been on.” 

He opened the door to what appeared to be his room, and flung me onto the bed. “You can sleep it off,” he huffed, turning to leave the bedroom. He paused in the doorway, his shoulders lifting with each heaving breath he took. “We’ll talk in the morning. Everything’s gonna be fine.” 

When the door opened again, I screamed in frustration, fists crashing against the bed frame. “You can’t do this!” I yelled. There was nothing I wanted more than to share with Embry what everyone else around me did. That’s what made the next words painful. “I don’t belong to you!” 

Embry spun around, fists shaking at his sides, veins popping from his neck. His chest was heaving, eyes burning brightly. 

“No, I belong to you!” 

We stopped. My eyes traveled to his face as the vibrations slowly came to a halt and his breathing slowed. His eyes were darting between my lips and my eyes, the lines in his forehead smoothing. 

“I belong to you.” He whispered this time, bringing a hand up to slide through my hair, gripping tightly onto the roots and finally, bringing my lips to his. The electricity numbed my mouth, my tongue tasting peppermint and whiskey as he eagerly parted my lips. My hands slid up around his neck, pulling him closer, needing to feel more. 

Our mouths moved together; desperate, eager and impatient. As though we were filling what craving we had both needed and wanted for so long, as though we were insatiable. I understood what it meant now, the comparison of people to narcotics. Embry was my drug of choice, and this was my high. It was the only high I wanted to feel for the rest of my life, I couldn’t imagine anything better.

[fushic0re]

𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚊𝚜 𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚢 | 𝚎. 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕 | 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚎𝚎

Pairing: Embry Call x Original Character Summary: Join Ainsley and Embry as they embark on a journey where they are forced to question everything they thought they knew, and embrace the pain that is inevitable to avoid in love. An imprint story. Self-discovery. Angst and romance. Word Count: 3.8k Warnings: none, just breakfast at sam and emily's and some mixed emotions! A/N: Hello beautiful humans! I'm sorry it took me so long to update, but here it is! Also, you can expect a masterlist to be released shortly :) prev. chapter | next chapter

The next few days stretched on; each morning I awoke with a certain kind of energy that fuelled my days, a new message left for me to read like clockwork. Simple wishes that I had slept well, wishing me a good morning, offering me kind words of encouragement — so much different from what I had originally expected from a man with Embry’s stature. My heart would flutter erratically in my chest, warmth would race through my veins, the idea that I was possibly the only one that had the pleasure of receiving such a soft side from him. Undoubtedly, Embry was always this compassionate and kind; but I allowed myself some selfishness in thinking I was the only one he was bothered to do this for. I pushed through my long days, sending him messages periodically, trying to restrain myself from messaging him in a timely manner or often, not wanting to seem too eager.

It’s crazy that you’re acting like this, I thought to myself. I didn’t really know anything about Embry. He was someone my brother’s and cousin hung out with; that was nearly a decade ago. I haven’t been back to the reservation since I was twelve — that was eight summers ago. After that, TJ took a job up in British Columbia and the family moved out of the United States entirely. The only information I really had about Embry was that he was good friends with Jacob, he liked motorcycles, he liked to drive, he never got cold, and he liked soccer. 

My eyes darted towards the phone rested beside Iyah’s head, running my tongue slowly over my top lip before I leaned forward and pressed the home button, illuminating the screen. 

One new message. 

I pulled myself back, bringing the phone with me. 

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚗𝚎𝚠. 𝙽𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚊 𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚕 𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚖𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚗𝚞𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚐𝚗𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚖𝚎.

I laughed, chewing my bottom lip as I replied.

𝙽𝚘𝚝 𝚒𝚐𝚗𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐. 𝙹𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚍𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐.

𝙽𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚊 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚔? 

𝙽𝚘𝚝 𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝙸’𝚖 𝚍𝚘𝚗𝚎. 

𝙾𝚔𝚊𝚢, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚎𝚊𝚝? 𝙸’𝚖 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚊𝚊𝚛𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐.

I giggled lightly to myself, kicking my feet up onto my desk.  

𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚎𝚊𝚝? 

𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚍𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚎𝚊𝚝? 

𝚈𝚎𝚜? 

… 𝚔? 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚊𝚝, 𝚒 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚊𝚝. 𝙻𝚎𝚝’𝚜 𝚎𝚊𝚝. 

𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚍𝚢..

𝙺… 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚎𝚊𝚝 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛?

𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚍𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚊𝚒𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚖𝚎. 𝙹𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚎𝚊𝚝. 

𝙸 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝙸 𝚍𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝙷𝙰𝚅𝙴 𝚝𝚘, 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘. 

𝙱𝚞𝚝 𝙸 𝚌𝚊𝚗’𝚝, 𝚜𝚘 𝚐𝚘 𝚊𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚍. 

𝙺.

Embry’s persistence was annoying, but admirable. I tossed my phone back onto the bed, spinning in my chair to face my computer again. I already drilled through almost an entire two weeks worth of homework after my lecture at the college earlier today, and had a leg up on my case study that wasn’t due until the end of the month. School had always been my passion, but I opted to stay home instead of move away; as much as I enjoyed Port Angeles, an hour was simply too far away to be from Jennie. I went for part time courses so that I could find work to save and pay my tuition off. 

After another hour of staring at the screen of my computer, I groaned and rubbed my eyes. Hunger slowly began to seep into my abdomen, prompting me to push away from my desk and wander into the kitchen. I rummaged through the cupboards and fridge — it appeared as though another grocery shop would have to be made. Cereal for lunch didn’t sound particularly satisfying, but then again, neither did going hungry. Just as I was pulling a bowl down from the cabinet, the doorbell rang. 

I pulled my brows together, looking towards the stairs that led to the living room. My mother hadn’t mentioned anything about anyone dropping by, and to my knowledge no one else was home aside from me. Most days I spent the bulk of my time alone; Travis had classes from eleven till six, Trent worked nine to five, Jennie alternated between night shifts where she would sleep most of the day, or day shifts where she wouldn’t come home until the family was cleared from the dinner table. TJ seemed to never be home during the week, but made an effort to take weekends off to get things done around the house. 

The doorbell rang again, bringing me out of my trance. I descended the stairs, pulling my sleeves down on my sweater as I flipped the lock on the door and pulled it open: Embry stood on the other side, holding a grocery bag full of tupperware containers. 

“What?”

“Lunch.” He smiled, holding out the bag. 

I folded my arms, mirroring his smile for half a second before I quickly recovered and frowned. “I told you I was studying.” 

Embry nudged past me, kicking his boots off at the door. “And I told you I was hungry.” 

“Pretty sure I told you to eat.” I replied, shutting the door behind him to keep the cold outside. 

For the first time, Embry rolled his eyes and craned his neck to look at me. “So, you’re not hungry?” He asked skeptically, brown orbs darting down to my stomach, the corners of his mouth threatening to upturn as a growl erupted through the quiet air. “That’s what I thought.” 

I watched as he took the stairs two at a time, disappearing into the soft light of the kitchen. I stood at the door for a moment, breathing out a sigh before I slowly followed after him. He was pulling the containers from the bag, opening the lids as he went.

“Emily sent me home with some leftovers from last night’s dinner,” he started, popping a few into the microwave, “she makes the best gravy, completely homemade. To die for.”

“Do you always bombard girls with food unannounced?” 

“No, but it was time.”

I plopped into my respective seat at the table, pulling my brows together in confusion. “For what?” 

Embry stopped, turning to glance at me with a look that mirrored my confusion. “Lunch.” He said simply, turning his head around the kitchen again, examining the cabinets. 

“What are you doing now?” 

“Plates?” He asked, arms reaching up to pull open cupboards one by one, humming in satisfaction when he found what he was searching for. He divided the food onto two separate plates, pouring the steaming gravy over each plate to douse the food in the brown substance before he lodged forks into their mashed potatoes and carried over our plates with a triumphant grin. 

“Holy crap,” I huffed, looking down at the portion sizes. Mine was considerably large, but I wouldn’t complain. Embry’s, however? His potatoes covered nearly half the plate in heaping mountains, two full chicken breasts covering the other half. “That’s a lot.” I swallowed, watching him shovel a forkful into his mouth. 

He skewered his face and shook his head, “I’ll probably eat again in two hours.” He stated simply, watching me cut into the meat. 

I tried to keep disgust off my face. I had never been able to eat as much as my brothers could, Lord knows I tried. I’d insist I could handle seconds, would inhale my food just as quickly as they would and then (one too many times) end up with my head in the toilet, sick because I had obviously pushed myself too far. After about twenty minutes of nothing but the sound of our chewing, I scraped the last of my potatoes into my mouth and hummed in satisfaction. 

“Pretty damn good for leftovers.” I stated, leaning back to rest my hand on my stomach. 

Embry nodded. “Also why we spend all of our time at Sam’s. I’ve been eatin’ pretty good since I was fifteen.” 

I let my eyes trail over his muscles; he wasn’t built stocky and large like Jacob or Paul, but Embry’s frame still held strength and power, and I found myself biting back a comment regarding his physique. I didn’t doubt that for a moment, but instead offered him a wide smile. 

“Thank you for lunch.” I stood, bringing my plate with me as I touched my fingers to his shoulders as I passed, setting the plate in the sink. When I turned, he was moving to follow suit, and I wagged my finger. “Nu uh, you brought the food. I’ll clean. Sit down.” 

Embry rested his elbows against the oak table, pondering on a thought as I poured soap over the sponge, running the warm water over the plates to remove any visible traces of food residue. “How’s the studying going?”

“Good. I’m ahead by a few weeks.”

Embry’s eyebrows shot up. “Weeks?” 

I smiled sheepishly, looking at him over my shoulder. “Yeah, I’ve had a lot of spare time.” 

He considered this for a moment, leaning back with his hands behind his head. “Guess I’ll have to fix that then.” Embry teased, his smile breaking a little wider when I didn’t argue or protest. “I have tomorrow night off.” 

“Breakfast Sunday, then?” I asked, vigorously scrubbing the plate in my hand. 

“If you’re still interested.” He said quickly. “No pressure.” 

I laughed once, shaking my head. “Emily invited me. I’m gonna go to breakfast.” 

“Would you go if I wasn’t?” His voice was behind me suddenly, causing the plate to slip from my fingers into the water. I gripped the counter tightly, hanging my head as I breathed out slowly. One of these days, someone was going to scare me and I was going to lose it. 

I considered his words heavily for a moment; I wouldn’t have received the invitation without Embry in the first place, but I had also taken into consideration that much of that group was my family. Jacob, Jared, Collin – they all tied to me directly. Still, I let a sigh slip through my lips and found myself shaking my head. 

“No, probably not.” 

Embry folded his arms across his chest, coy smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he watched me turn around and lean against the counter. “So, I'll come get you Sunday morning, then.” 

I snorted, mimicking his stance, folding my own arms. “‘Coming to get me’ seems to mean you show up and drive my car.” 

He squinted his eyes and leaned forward, close enough that his breath tickled my skin. “Then I’ll pick you up. In my car. Or we can walk — Sam’s isn’t too far if you cut through the forest.”

“Through the forest?” When he nodded confidently, I dropped my arms and brushed past him towards the stairs. “You really are insane, you know that?”

“What’s wrong with the forest?”

I looked up at him from the bottom of the stairs, hand on the banister. “It’s creepy. Looks pretty, but I wouldn’t put it past us to get lost —”

“Us? No,” he thumped down the stairs, hands pushing my hips, forcing me into the living room and away from the door, “I don’t get lost.” 

I raised a single brow. “Wow, look at you. The whole package — doesn’t get cold, doesn’t get sick, doesn’t get lost. Is there anything else I should know?” 

Embry licked his lips, fingers gripping onto my waist gently. His eyes bore deeply into mine, the tension in the air so thick I could have cut it with a knife. Finally, he conceded. “Not much.”

About an hour later, we settled onto opposite ends of the couch, the television playing  a rerun of FRIENDS quietly, the pair of us too lazy to move or say anything more. I hated to admit it, but I didn’t completely mind his company. In fact, I felt a lot more at ease with him around. 

When the front door opened, it revealed my brother (who remained frozen in the doorway, eyes darting between the two of us on the couch), Jacob and a small woman with hair as wild as her eyes. I sat up, pulling my feet off Embry’s lap as Jacob waved from behind Trent. 

“Hey, guys — uh, you’re home early.” I said, looking over to Embry. 

Embry seemed unbothered. He looked towards the girl hanging onto Jacob’s arm, and smiled, “Hey, Nessie.” 

“Looking good, Emb.” She replied coolly, her voice carrying over the television with ease. 

What’s he doing here? Trent mouthed, jutting his chin towards the back of Embry’s head. I shrugged, folding my legs under my body. “This is Ness — Ness, this is my sister, Ainsley.”

I leaned forward with an outstretched hand. “Hi, Ness?”

“Renesmee.” She smiled, her grip tightening for the briefest moment before she returned to her place next to Jacob. 

Embry sat up, scooting over on the couch to make room. “He finally let you come back down here, huh?” He asked Renesmee with a knowing smile, leaning forward, elbows on his knees. 

Renesmee rolled her eyes, following Jacob onto the couch, leaving Trent standing by the door, his eyes still closely watching Embry and I, jaw working under the skin. I shot him a look, to which he sighed. 

“He still thinks you’re a bad influence, but mom totally took my side.” 

Jacob turned to me behind Embry’s back. “Emb and Quil took Nessie cliff diving for the first time three weeks ago — Edward was totally pissed.” 

“Cliff diving?” I asked, looking at Trent. He shrugged, kicking his boots off at the door and joining us in the living room. “Why do I feel like Edward has a right to be super concerned?” 

Embry turned to look down at me, the right side of his mouth pulling up. “It’s safe. I’ll take you.” 

Jacob snorted. “Good luck. Ainsley’s a chickenshit.” 

I whined in protest, “I am not!” 

“She is,” Trent nodded, “it’s also cold as balls outside and she’s the only person I know that could catch the fucking flu just for not wearing a hat when it’s below forty degrees.”

I glared at my brother, “That was one time.” I muttered, leaning back into the cushions on the couch. “And it was a cold, not the flu.” 

“Sure sounded like you were dying.” 

“I really have to wait until it’s warmer outside to take you?” Embry asked; his mouth seemed to form into a slight pout, his eyes pleading. 

I pursed my lips, “Well, Jacob’s not entirely wrong. I really don’t do well with heights.”

Embry smiled again. “It’s not so bad, you’ll be fine. Just close your eyes.” 

Nessie shook her head from the other side of the couch. “Don’t listen to him. That’s how he got me up on the cliff to begin with.” 

Jacob shook his head, looking at Embry. “I left her with you guys for two hours.” 

I spent the remainder of the evening talking with Renesmee about how she knew Jacob. I had a small inkling that the pair might have been involved, but they gave no proof or indication that they were anything other than friends. Trent invited the boys downstairs to play darts, to which Renesmee and I followed, sipping on mugs of hot chocolate. No one had realized how late the day had gotten until Travis came downstairs, tossing his jacket onto a chair. “Let’s play teams. I call Jacob.” 

Trent and Embry stood together, whispering back and forth while Jacob took his shots, and every once in a while Embry would look over his shoulder to check if I was still in the room. I would smile, and he would wink. As no one had school in the morning, or work they needed to be up early for, we camped out in the basement. I taught Renesmee how to throw a dart, and it wasn’t long before she was kicking everyone’s ass single-handedly. 

It wasn’t until Embry touched my waist that I realized he had slipped his jacket and boots back on, “Where are you going?'' I asked, setting my darts down on the table. 

He cracked a sheepish smile, “I still work tonight, so I’ve gotta head out.” 

I tried not to pout, gesturing to move up the stairs, “I’ll walk you out.” 

We stopped at the front door, Embry grabbed my waist again to pull me into his chest. I wrapped my arms around his hips, resting my head against his chest with a sigh. “I’ll see you Sunday morning, ‘kay?” He asked, squeezing my shoulders tightly. 

I nodded, pulling myself away from his warm embrace with heavy reluctance, ensuring the lock the door behind him. I raced to the window, waiting until his dark figure disappeared down the street before I retreated back downstairs. Suddenly, the night just felt less alive with Embry gone; my limbs felt numb and cold, heavy with every movement. 

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Sunday morning came around quickly; Embry briefly mentioned over the phone he’d swing by around nine. With much effort, I pulled myself out of my bed and sat on the edge with my head in my hands. I was utterly exhausted. After tossing and turning for what appeared to be countless hours in excitement, the sun had finally risen above the trees in the distance. After what seemed like an eternity, I pushed myself from my bed and pulled my hair into a bun. I took very little time washing my face and brushing my teeth, pulling on a comfortable pair of leggings and a thick turtleneck. I plopped onto the couch with my knees pulled to my chest and waited patiently for Embry to knock on the door. 

I killed about ten minutes scrolling through my syllabus, determining which projects needed the most attention and priority when Embry’s face appeared pressed against the window. I stifled a laugh, meeting him at the door with a wide smile as I shoved my feet into a pair of boots. 

“Morning,” I said lightly, pressing myself into his side when he wrapped an arm around me. 

“Did you sleep?” He asked, brows pulled together in concern. His fingers came up to gently brush the underside of my eyes, worry lines etching deeper into his russet skin. “You look really tired.” 

I lifted my nose, scolding myself internally as the hairs on the back of my neck stood when he trailed his fingers across my skin. “That’s a polite way of saying I look like crap.” I teased, bumping into his hip with my own. “Just had a rough time falling asleep, that’s all.”

When I looked around the driveway, there was no clear indication he had brought his own vehicle. I pressed my lips into a tight line, reaching into the pocket of my jacket to pull out my keys with a heavy sigh.

“No, we don’t need those today.” He said, pushing my hand back into my pocket. 

I skewered my face in confusion. “How else are we getting to Sam’s?” I asked. 

Embry pointed a general hand in the direction of the earthy green sea, pulling the cap he wore backwards on his head. I deadpanned for a brief moment, eyes darting up to his smug smile for just a second before I sighed in defeat. “We’re going to get lost.” I stated, but followed him forward nonetheless. 

He waved my worries away, leading me through the underbrush with confidence. I was certain he had navigated through these woods often, but was unsure on how he managed to lead us through as though we were following a path. Had I attempted this walk alone, I would have definitely given up and tried to find my way back to civilization. As much as I loved the heavy scent of the forest after rainfall, and as much as I loved the way the trees bent in the wind, I still felt as though I was being followed — the forest on the reservation was much creepier than anywhere else I hiked.

No tree seemed to be too small. The deeper we ventured, the quieter the air became. It was nice, being away from the general sound of vehicles and human life. Broken sticks littered the forest floor, the gentle snaps echoing above the sound of my breathing, the erratic thumping of my heart against my chest, the songs of the birds in the canopy just above me. I started repeating a mantra in my head, as a sort of coping mechanism I developed after my incident in the eleventh grade. I tried to rely on my own capabilities to soothe my worries and frustrations.

True to his word, a small lived-in wooden house appeared through the trees no more than fifteen minutes later. 

As if he could hear my thoughts, Embry leaned down, lips grazing my ear as we neared the front steps. “Told ya.”

“Don’t.” I warned; I was trying to sound annoyed, but my smile gave me away when I met his triumphant grin, slowing my speed so he could enter through the open door first. Everyone here is crazy , I decided, noting the chilly wind that pushed stray strands out of place. Our doors were locked tight all of the time, except for when we had the occasional sunshine. 

Upon entering the home, the scent hit me like a brick wall; the air was thick with cinnamon and vanilla, the sizzle of bacon could just barely be heard of the loud voices of the others in the room. Their heads turned in unison, cheery smiles breaking over their faces as they greeted Embry and I. 

“See Em, she doesn’t totally hate us.” Jared teased from across the room, ripping another piece of his muffin off to toss into his mouth. “We’ll have to kick it up a notch” 

“Breakfast first, please,” Emily pleaded over the loud cackles of the men, placing another plate full of heaping portions of breakfast meats in the center of the table. “I’m glad you decided to come.” She said in my general direction, wiping her hands on the messy apron around her waist. I slipped away from Embry’s side, wrapping an arm around Emily’s shoulder in a quick hug; she smelt like cinnamon and baby powder. 

“Do they always eat like this?” I asked quietly, watching Embry take a seat between Seth and Paul. When he smiled, his eyes crinkled around the corners and his cheeks pushed back, making him appear far younger than he looked — I caught myself staring and returned my eyes to the table. “Or is this just for your food?”

The woman gave me a coy smile, “I’d love to say it was just my cooking, but I’m pretty sure they’d eat just about anyone out of house and home.” 

“Definitely just your cooking.” Jared said, shoveling another forkful of eggs into his mouth. “Kim can’t cook like this.” Kim, who sat next to her fiance, smacked him on the side of the head and pouted.

Seth nodded. “Ma doesn’t cook like this.”

Jacob shrugged. “Dad knows better than to bother trying anymore.”

It went on like that: the men would make boisterous comments in between mouthfuls of food, professing their undying love and loyalty to Emily’s cooking. I had taken space next to Emily on a barstool just on the other side of the makeshift island in her kitchen, sipping my third cup of coffee. We watched the males eat in silence, finishing what some would call a normal portion of their own breakfast. Much of the morning consisted of me helping Emily clear the table and clean dishes (despite Emily’s protests), before I finally wandered over to where Embry sat. 

I hesitated before I rested my palms against his shoulders, sighing in content as the warmth radiated up into my wrists. I could definitely get used to this , I thought to myself, offering Embry a smile when he craned his neck to look up at me. 

“Are you full yet?” I teased, glancing down at what should have been his bloated abdomen. 

“Just about.” He breathed, placing a hand on his stomach as he relaxed under my hands. “Did you eat?” 

I nodded in reassurance, dropping my hands onto his chest as I leaned forward against the back of his chair; Kim perched happily on Jared’s lap, Emily and Sam were tucked away in their kitchen, mumbling to themselves, Quil seemed to be absent (Embry had mentioned Quil would be absent. A lot). Everyone seemed to live in their own world, yet so comfortably together. 

As the morning wore on, everyone divided into their own conversations which prompted me to steal Paul’s chair when he retreated into the living room. I draped a leg over Embry’s knee, leaning over to take a bite out of the apple he was munching on. 

I watched five sets of eyes dart in our direction, all equally shocked and confused. “What?” I asked quietly, looking up at Embry. His face resembled much of what theirs did: complete and utter shock. “What?” I asked again, a little more panicked. 

“You took a bite of his apple.” Jared started, peeking around Kim’s small frame. 

“No one ever –” 

“Dude,” Jacob started, looking at me with slight disapproval, “If there’s one thing Embry doesn’t do, it's share food.” 

I looked back at Embry who, much to my dismay, was nodding slowly along with what Jacob was saying. I sank down in my chair, folding my arms awkwardly over one another as I felt the heat creep into my neck. “Sorry.” I murmured, fixing my eyes on the tabletop. 

After a few quiet moments, the conversations picked up again, leaving me uncharacteristically quiet next to Embry. It was one bite , I thought to myself, trying not to feel too annoyed that it had been a big deal to begin with. He eats like he’s feeding ten people, anyway. 

A warm hand rested lightly over my knee, prompting me to look up sheepishly at Embry. “Don’t worry about it.” He said softly with a gentle squeeze. 

“Then what was the big deal?” I asked quietly, shifting my body so I could face him a little better. 

He shrugged, leaning forward on the table, “There was just an incident the one time someone tried picking food off my plate.” 

“An incident?” I asked dubiously. 

“Yeah, I uh,” he coughed into his fist, eyes wandering over to where Jared sat, tickling Kim’s side aimlessly. “I broke Jared’s nose.” 

“You what?” I deadpanned, shaking my head in slight disapproval. 

Embry dropped his eyes to the table. “My temper’s sometimes not the greatest.” He admitted quietly. “Something that hasn’t really happened since I was sixteen, but,” he sighed, “I definitely broke his nose. And I definitely felt it was completely justified.” 

I looked over to Jared again, trying to distinguish where exactly the break had happened — he looked completely fine to me. “Why not just whine like a normal person and move on with it?” 

Embry snorted, “I don’t complain. What’s mine is mine: you don’t touch what’s mine.” He stated simply, bringing his warm gaze to meet mine. 

There it was again. A soft pull that tugged on something inside me, that made my heart thump erratically in my chest, that made my head swim with a thousand different emotions. I tried to look away, but only found myself determined to hold his gaze. “You wouldn’t hit me.” 

“Absolutely not.” 

“And you’re not upset with me.” 

“Also no.” 

“Why not?” I asked, tilting my head to the side. 

I watched him struggle with the question, mouth ajar as though he wanted to say something but couldn’t — or wouldn’t. I was beginning to feel like my relationship with Embry completely rested on the idea that one of them needed to be in power; the more power I had, the more information I could get from him. The more I understood. And I wanted to understand, but he seemed so closed off it was nearly impossible to really get to know him. He always had all of the power. This was his territory, and I knew that. The more I tried to fit in with his friends, the more I felt like I earned a rightful spot amongst the group, the more I realized that with or without him present, the guys had an undying loyalty to each other. I would never come first. 

“Just shocked,” he said finally, shrugging as if it were no big deal, “that’s all.” 

“That didn’t answer my question.” I argued, folding my arms over my chest again. Embry didn’t seem to hear me — or was choosing to not reply. I could see his jaw working under the skin, could see him making an honest effort to not engage in conversation. After five minutes of watching Jacob and Paul go at it in the dead space next to the stairs, I sighed to myself and slowly lifted my leg from Embry’s and sat upright in the chair. 

“Hey, Jake?” 

“Yeah?” He grunted, wiggling free from Paul’s grip. 

I smiled to myself for a moment, watching Paul lunge at Jacob’s torso, pulling them both to the ground. “Trent said Renemee left some of her things in the basement, did you want to come grab them?” I asked, laughing a little when Paul sucked in a sharp breath and let out a whine. 

“You’re leaving?” Embry asked quickly, turning in his chair to look at me. 

I tried to nod nonchalantly. “I have laundry to do, plus I’m kinda tired.” I admitted, standing from my chair.

“I can walk you.” He offered eagerly, moving to grab his hat off the table. 

 “Jacob’s gotta come anyway, I’m just gonna get a ride with him.” I touched his arm to stop his movement. “If that’s alright with you, Jake?” 

Jacob pushed Paul off him one last time and watched Embry carefully. After what seemed like two seconds too long, Jacob nodded once. “Sure sure.” 

Embry was trying to keep the disappointment off his face, pressing his lips into a hard line as he watched me walk over to where Emily sat with Sam, bending over to give swift goodbye-hugs. Emily offered me a container to pile some leftovers into, as well as a bag to carry it all home in. She mentioned wanting to see Travis and Trent again, and reminded me to visit again soon. 

I tried not to let it bother me that for the first time in a while I felt as though I belonged. But I didn’t really belong — I repeated that several times to myself. These weren’t my people. I was merely the current fixation of Embry’s interest and attention, and as soon as that ship sailed, I would be back to spending my days locked in my room or stuck following Trent around like a lost puppy. I hated how at ease I felt with this particular group of people, and how easily it would all disappear. 

I tied the bag in a knot, leaning down to wrap my arms around Kim’s neck in a short hug. Embry seemed too focused on the lines dug into the table to bother looking up at me when I waved goodbye to the group. I tried not to let that bother me too much. 

Once outside, I inhaled deeply and relaxed. I didn’t realize how warm it had been inside the kitchen, and considered how much warmer it could’ve been had the door not been left open. 

“I can’t believe how close they are.” I mused quietly, sliding into the passenger side of Jacob’s red Rabbit. 

“What, the guys?” Jake asked. 

I shook my head, “No, just how close Sam and Emily live if you cut through the forest.” I sighed. “Guess that was nice while it lasted.” 

Jacob pulled his brows together and cut his eyes sideways at me, “Whatcha mean?” He asked casually, fiddling around with the stereo. 

“C’mon, Jake,” I turned my head to look out of the window. “How often am I really going to see you guys?” 

Jacob replied instantly and with confidence. “About as often as you see Embry, I’ll bet.” 

“Doubtful.” 

“Why’s that?” 

I exhaled sharply, “You really think whatever’s going on is gonna last?”

Jacob laughed once, “Embry’s not perfect by any means, no.” He agreed, slowing the car down to the speed limit.

“So this is nothing special.” I stated simply. “In about a week, he’ll realize I’m not that interesting and he’ll move on.”

“Ains, what did you think his plan was?” Jacob asked. 

I shrugged, “I figured he saw me as a challenge. The cousin of one of his best friends, sister to some kids he used to hangout with when he was younger.”

My cousin sighed loudly. “In the last nine years, he’s only ever invited one female to the beach to play soccer with us.” Jacob said simply, looking over at me. “This wasn’t some malicious scheme to get into your pants, Ains. There’s a lot Embry doesn’t necessarily care about. And it’s definitely a long list — but we all knew he was pretty serious as soon as he asked us to get together for soccer so you could come.” 

I licked my lips and watched the trees roll by through the window. I didn’t want to get my hopes up in any way, especially when I couldn’t see what it was about me that made him interested in the first place. “I just don’t get it. He makes me feel so differently from anyone I’ve ever met before, but I haven’t got the slightest clue why.” 

“He’s just not great at the emotional thing.” Jacob said dismissively. “Embry hasn’t exactly had much practice with the whole girlfriend thing. Not since Jessica.” 

I blinked. “Jessica?” I remembered Jessica. She was another traditionally mixed reservation kid; but growing up, Jessica always proclaimed her love for Jacob — well, to me at least. Jessica and I were, for a lack of better words, best friends up until she started to fantasize about Jacob all the time. After a while, the idea of spending time with someone who was more interested in hearing about my cousin didn’t seem as much fun.

Jacob nodded once, “Mhm. They dated when Embry was eighteen. She was his first girlfriend.” 

“Really?” 

“Really really. But, it didn’t end well for them. They were on their way home from a party, Jessica was driving —” realization suddenly hit me, and I felt a wave of guilt seep into my chest, “and a truck came out of nowhere. Hit the rear end, they spun into a ditch. Embry walked out scratch free — for the most part, anyway. But Jessica,” he gripped the steering wheel a little tighter, trying to force the emotion to remain under the surface. 

I sunk into my seat, trying to process the situation. Embry’s first serious relationship had been with my childhood best friend. It’s not a sexist thing . It wasn’t her fault or anything, I just don’t feel comfortable with girls driving. 

“What about Embry?” I asked quietly. “After the accident? Did he seem .. different?” 

Jacob shrugged. “Just about as different as you’d expect someone to be. He tried to avoid using his car for the most part, and he hasn’t really grown out of that. He only renewed his license so he could visit his grandma in Tacoma last year for Thanksgiving. It’s been Emb and his mom for a long time, but she remarried a few years ago when he moved out.” 

In the short five minutes it took for us to drive to my house, I learned more about Embry from my cousin than from Embry himself. I could understand how something as delicate as the car accident would bother him, but I still didn’t understand what his deal was.

“I still can’t wrap my head around it.” I grumbled, reaching for the bag in between my legs. 

Jacob watched me meekly for a moment, his mouth turning up in the corner. “Don’t think about it too much. Just go with it, ‘kay?” 

“It won’t last.” I stated again, moving to slam the car door behind me.

“Believe me, it will.” Jacob laughed, more to himself, following me inside the house. 

I kicked my shoes off and rolled my eyes at him. “And how would you know?”

Jacob looked down at me; he towered much taller than Embry did. Or the rest of the guys, for that matter. He stood at nearly seven feet, overpowered by bulging muscles and a wide frame. “Because he never shuts up about you. Ever.” He said it as though it were painfully obvious, and also as though it were no big deal.

“And this doesn’t bother you?” I asked skeptically, watching him from the top of the stairs. “You had an issue with Seth suggesting to hit on me — but one of your best friends?”

Jacob looked up at me with a defeated expression. “It’s different. Emrby’s not going to waste your time, it’s not like that” 

“Then what is it?” I asked exasperated, slapping my hands down on my thighs with impatience.

“Not my place to talk about it.”

“He doesn’t want to talk about it, either.” 

“Yeah,” Jacob sighed, moving to slip past my small frame, “get used to that.” 

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

It was just past nine when I emerged from the shower, running my fingers through my hair as the quiet melody of my iPhone sounded from somewhere on the desk. I flipped my phone over, scrolling through the series of texts — most of which had come from Jacob. After some time, he messaged me as a reminder that what we discussed earlier needed to stay between us. As secretive as Embry was, we both knew it was his secret to tell. Doing so without his permission, or knowledge, felt wrong on many levels but I felt some sort of comfort. 

I picked up the phone, and pressed the call button on the top left corner. 

The receiving end picked up immediately — almost as though he had been waiting patiently with his phone in hand all day. “Hello?” 

“You didn’t say goodbye today.” I accused, falling back onto my bed with a slight bounce. Iyah snorted in protest. 

“I’m sorry,” I could hear the twinge of sadness in Embry’s voice, and could almost visibly see the lines between his eyebrows get deeper in my mind. “I didn’t think you would leave as soon as you did.”

I sighed. “I probably could’ve stayed.” I admitted, chewing on the inside of my cheek. “Or at least walked home with you. Even if I’m still one hundred percent certain you’re going to get me lost.” 

There was a shuffle in the background, followed by a quiet chuckle. “I told you I won't get lost.”

“Tell me something I don’t already know.” I tried, squeezing my eyes as I waited — painfully — for his response. 

After what seemed like an eternity, Embry sighed and shifted on the other end of the phone. “I hate seafood.” 

I opened my eyes and glared. Not at anything in particular, just slightly annoyed that he couldn’t take me seriously. “Ha ha.” I muttered, rubbing my face with a free hand. 

I could hear Embry sigh again; I wanted to reach through the phone and shake him. I wanted to yell about Jessica, and ask about his mom. I wanted to ask about his current living situation. I wanted to ask ‘ why me ’ from the top of my lungs, I wanted to go on about all the reasons why I felt like this was some sick joke, but instead I waited patiently. He would either hang up, or change the subject. 

“I like you.” Embry said suddenly, his voice more bubbly than before. “And you have to be my friend, I won’t take no for an answer.” 

I rolled onto my side. “That’ll change.” I teased, glancing at the clock on the dresser. “I should probably go. I just wanted to say goodnight.” I murmured. 

“Always a phone call away.” Embry reminded me. “Goodnight.” 

The phone went silent in my ear; I laid there for another thirty seconds before I pulled the phone away and rolled onto my side. As desperate as I was to finish my laundry, exhaustion soon took over. I promised myself five minutes of rest — but once I readjusted my head and pressed my face into Iyah’s back, I drifted off.

[fushic0re]

𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚊𝚜 𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚢 | 𝚎. 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕 | 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚠𝚘

Pairing: Embry Call x Original Character Summary: Join Ainsley and Embry as they embark on a journey where they are forced to question everything they thought they knew, and embrace the pain that is inevitable to avoid in love. An imprint story. Self-discovery. Angst and romance.Word Count: 6.5k Warnings: none, we get some 1:1 em & ains time and some beach soccer! A/N: Hello beautiful humans, here is part two! I hope this gives everyone some much needed Embry content and 1:1 quality time and rapport building. 10/10, these two are very cute and I'm super excited to take a spin with the imprinting concept! prev. chapter | next chapter

The intricate weaves of the flames held my attention throughout the duration of the evening; every so often, the smoke would gravitate towards me and I would cover my eyes to keep them from burning. The only time I moved my eyes from the fire was to scan the crowd, admiring the way the light illuminated across the features of my extended family. When my gaze found its way to Embry, I’d linger a moment or two longer, watching the way the flames danced in his brown orbs before I looked away to keep the heat from rising in my cheeks. 

I found myself growing more uncomfortable as the night went on, trying to avoid making unnecessary conversation, not wanting to draw attention to myself. 

The numbers on my phone read 𝟷𝟷:𝟹𝟺𝙿𝙼. I felt the coldness seeping into my extremities, my breath swirling out in cloudy circles in the bitter air. I pulled my knees up to my chest, hugging my brother’s jacket around my frame tightly. I thought back to the warmth of the house earlier in the day, suddenly longing for it. Kim, Emily — even Claire — all seemed to be toasty warm alongside their respective campfire partners. Claire was only nine, and had yet to complain. 

I looked over at Jennie, who seemed so incredibly content and at home alongside her brother. I almost felt bad for wanting to leave so soon; I knew how much time like this meant to Jennie. Instead, I turned my attention to Travis, who was in the middle of talking about his program at Peninsula College. 

“So, what? You’re gonna be a cop like your dad?” Seth asked, twirling a strand of hair between his long fingers. 

Travis shrugged. “That wasn’t necessarily the plan. I was thinking more about security or corrections.” He grinned, rubbing his hands together between his knees. “Something a little more hands on.”

I rolled my eyes, sharing a knowing glance with Trent as he shook his head in slight disapproval. While the boys had always been the type to fight it out, Trent believed less that violence was a stable foundation to create a career from. Travis might have had a good heart, but we were aware that he was approaching it with the wrong mindset. We just didn’t know how to tell him. 

Seth pursed his lips, seeming to consider Travis’s answer in the same manner TJ had. He wanted to believe there was some positive reinforcement, but sometimes Travis was quite simply a jerk who wanted to be the biggest jerk with a legitimate reason. I loved my brother very much, but I couldn’t help but think he was looking forward to being a jerk for the rest of his life because he felt like he wouldn’t be able to accomplish much else. 

“I think it’s a great idea.” Leah quipped from her place beside Kim, her fingers gripping tightly onto the bottle in her hand. “Corrections is a really great area to get into, we could use better rehabilitation.” 

Travis seemed to appreciate her words, and raised his beer. “I’ll drink to that.” He laughed, tilting his head back as he took a few swigs. 

I went back to watching the fire, thought about moving my chair forward, thought about joining Sam and Emily  and their child on the other side to side on a log closer to the fire. But Embry rested so comfortably beside Sam, so I quickly dismissed the idea. After fifteen minutes, I mumbled something about needing to go home before my toes fell off. 

I shrugged out of Trenton’s jacket, handing it back to him despite his obvious interest in the conversation between the other guys. Jennie looked up at me as I was leaving, raising an eyebrow in silent question. 

“I’m going to head home.” I smiled sheepishly. “Did you two need a ride?” I asked, looking down at the empty bottles my parents had finished off and put away to the side. 

TJ shook his head. “Trent’s going to drive us back since Trav can’t.” I looked over to where Travis popped the cap off another bottle, his own collection growing around his feet. 

“Just get home safe, ‘kay?” I leaned down to wrap my arms around my mother, pressing a kiss to her cheek before I turned around to head back towards the side of the house where I parked and wrapped my arms around myself. 

Just as I was about to reach the porch, I heard Jennie calling out my name. “Ains, baby, wait a sec!” 

I turned around, trying not to let the slight annoyance surface to my features as I looked backwards towards where my mother stood gesturing to Embry, exchanging a few words before she looked over at me.

“Would you mind giving Embry a ride?” 

I froze in place for a moment, trying not to think about being in such a confined space with someone who, for the most part, made me feel about a thousand different things. It didn’t matter how good looking he was, it didn't matter how much I caught myself searching for his eyes all night. Embry was standing just beside my mother, watching and waiting patiently for me to give indication he had permission. 

I pressed my lips together, my eyes just barely fluttering shut before I nodded my head once. “Sure.”

One side of Embry’s mouth turned up in a large smile, causing my heart to flutter erratically in my chest. Damn it. I watched as he leaned over the fire to speak with Quil, their hands meeting briefly in a sort of goodbye bro-shake before he turned and jogged to where I stood, lips fully spread into a wide smile. 

“Thanks for the ride.” He said, slowing to a walk just beside me as I turned around the corner of Billy’s house. 

“Mhm,” I hummed, slipping my eyes away from him to watch the ground as we walked. “Were you even drinking? You only had like two —” I stopped myself, chewing on my inner cheek for a moment before I cleared my throat and continued, “I mean, it didn’t look like you were drinking all that much. Couldn't you drive yourself?” 

Embry raised a single brow and shook his head. “I work night shifts three times a week, so I don’t typically drink.” He looked down at my folded arms and bumped my hip as we walked. “I also don’t have a car — well, I do. I just prefer to use my feet as my main method of transportation. Speaking of driving,” he stopped me short of the Jeep, pulling his brows together as he breathed through his next words, “can I drive?” 

I blinked, staring up at him in astonishment for a moment. I had been asked for a ride home plenty of times; from the time I had received my license and purchased my beloved Jeep, girlfriends had asked her for rides numerous times. Never had anyone asked for a ride and to drive. “Uh — what?” 

“It’s not a sexist thing, I swear.” Embry started, holding his hands up. “I just prefer to do the driving.” 

I scoffed, folding my arms over my chest. “That definitely sounds like a sexist thing.” 

Embry pressed his palm into his forehead and let out a sigh, “I promise it isn’t — just, please?” He asked, dropping his hands at his sides, his eyes weary with a sort of pleading. When I didn’t move, he sighed again petulantly. “There was an accident a few years ago, a chick was driving, we got into an accident — wasn’t her fault or anything, I just feel more comfortable if I’m the one driving.” 

I opened my mouth to speak, but couldn’t exactly find the words. What was I supposed to say? Sorry about your luck, but I’m driving? I wasn’t that much of an asshole. My arms dropped and I held the keys out between my thumb and index finger. 

“You didn’t need to tell me all of that. I was gonna let you drive.” I lied, trying to shrug nonchalantly and offered a smile. “Are you sure you’re alright to get behind the wheel?”

“Scouts honour.” Embry snatched the keys from my fingers. I turned, moving quickly around to the passenger side of the vehicle, settling into the seat for the first time. It felt a little strange, watching Embry readjust the seat to fit his body — even when the seat went as far back as it could, he still looked too big. 

I smiled to myself, reaching forward to flip on the heat while Embry started the engine. My fingers pressed against the heater eagerly, body shivering slightly. “How aren’t you freezing?” I asked, a little harsher than I intended but perhaps that was because I was envious of the obvious fact he sat more comfortably in front of the fire. 

“You’re cold?” He asked, reaching with both hands to take mine. Embry rubbed his palms over my fingers, the warmth burning my skin in the most pleasant way. I watched his long fingers wrap around my hands, in awe of how the heat trailed through my veins, causing an immediate eruption of goosebumps to coat my skin. 

Instant warmth. 

“You’re not?” I asked in awe, slipping my hands away from his once I realized he had yet to let them go. 

Embry shrugged, pulling the gear shift into drive before he twisted the wheel and brought the Jeep into a steady roll forward. I looked outside of my window, watching the group around the fire laugh – my eyes momentarily paused on Trent and Leah before I moved my stare forward as the car pulled into the street. 

“Cold doesn’t really bother me all too much.” Embry said simply after a moment of consideration, shifting in the driver's seat for a moment before he awkwardly rested his left elbow against the window and leaned to the side, guiding the wheel with his right hand. 

“Everyone gets cold.” I argued spitefully, cursing myself when I inherently leaned forward into the heaters again. 

The man chuckled, rubbing his lips with his free hand, “Not everyone, honey.” 

I cut my eyes towards him, skewing my mouth into a sort of disdain before I laughed once, “Do not,” I started, shaking my head, “call me that ever again.”

“Ever?”

“Ever.” 

Embry smiled again, this time more to himself. “Don’t like nicknames?” 

I looked at him, turning in my seat a little to get a better look at him. “Not much.” 

Even in the dark, with his face barely illuminated by the odd streetlight he looked content and at ease. I wasn’t completely sure how he managed to keep himself so put together, especially given his past. He is twenty-four, I thought to myself. It was something different. Trenton was twenty-five, but he didn’t hold anywhere near the same cautious and controlled face Embry did. Like at any moment, Embry could break or snap; like he needed to keep himself in line from saying or doing something that he wasn’t supposed to. His eyes appeared tired, despite the typically happy demeanour that I recalled in our youth. I wondered if he had slept. 

The next few minutes were silent, save for the quiet thrum of the bass in the music and the blast of the heaters. It wasn’t until we turned right past the resort that I realized we were driving towards my house. I leaned back in my seat, eyebrows pulled together as he pulled the Jeep up to the curb and cut the ignition, turning to me with a straight face. 

“What are you doing?” I asked.

Embry looked around for a moment, his brows mimicking mine. “I drove you home?” He asked, seeming as confused as I was. 

“You asked me for a ride home.” I clarified. 

“Yes.”

“Then you asked to drive.” 

“Yes.”

I braced my hands on the dashboard, my words coming out slowly. “What happened to getting you home?”

Embry snorted, pulling the handle on the door open as he slipped out of the car. I watched him walk over to my side leisurely in a few large steps, opening the door swiftly with a broad smile. “What?” He asked, his smile faltering just the slightest when he noticed I appeared unwilling to move. 

“I’m not sleeping with you.” I whispered, swinging my legs out of the car. 

He held up his hands again, raising his eyebrows high as he shook his head quickly. “Woah, I never — I didn’t drive you home to try to sleep with you.” 

I shot him a skeptical look, “Right. You drove me home, knowing no one would be here, just for the sake of driving me home?” I pressed, squinting my eyes at him. 

“Uh, yeah?” He asked, taking a step away from the door. “You literally live on the edge of town with nothing but forest for miles on end. Sue me for wanting to make sure you got home okay.” He replied, folding his arms across his chest. I could see his expression shift from genuine confusion to annoyance. Admittedly, he looked far more attractive with his face pulled together in frustration and anger. 

I stood my ground. “How did you even know where I lived?”

He laughed once. “You’re kidding, right?” Embry asked. When I didn’t respond, he shook his head. “It’s a small town. This is a newer development. Your mom is a nurse and your step-dad is a detective – it wasn't hard to put two and two together.” Embry waved to all of the newly renovated homes behind us. “That, and Travis said something during dinner.”

I squinted at him again. “You really didn’t come here to try to make a pass at me?” 

Embry licked his lips and shook his head again, the crease between his brows smoothing. “No. I didn’t.” His hand shot out to help me when I began to climb out of the vehicle, “I actually wanted to ask if you were doing anything tomorrow afternoon.”

“Why?”

He paused, confused that his question wasn’t already clear enough. “I was going to ask if you wanted to come play soccer?” When I looked at him like he had three heads, he shut the car door and turned to walk up my driveway. “Once a week we try to get together and do something together — Billy’s birthday was going to be the thing for the week, but I talked to Jacob about it and he thinks it would be a good idea —”

“Who is ‘we’?” I asked, wrapping my arms around my body. 

“The guys — Sam, Quil, Sam, Seth, tweedle dum and tweedle dee — plus some of the girls. Leah, Kim usually, Emily doesn’t like running around so much. And Rachel.” 

“And you play soccer?” I asked, more so for clarification that I hadn’t entirely misheard him.

He nodded, “Once a week.” He added. 

“And this was your idea?” I asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

Embry froze for a moment, pressing his lips together. “Yeah. I don’t think we all exactly made the greatest impression earlier today,” he rubbed the back of his neck, “I wanted to see you again, I just figured you’d be more comfortable if it were a group setting.” 

I blinked a few times, trying to get past the part where he had mentioned he had wanted to see me again. My heart fluttered again, warmth seeping over my cheeks. I appreciated that he was trying to accommodate me, but I wouldn’t let it be known that I wasn’t entirely sure I fit in with that crowd. 

“I think soccer would be great.” I smiled, turning to grab the keys from his hand. 

“Yeah?” He asked, another smile breaking across his face. 

I nodded, placing my hand on the doorknob. “I have to be home at a reasonable hour to do some school stuff, but I wouldn’t totally hate to kill some hours with you guys.” I watched as Embry smiled triumphantly, letting out a sigh when I twisted the knob and opened the door. “Now get home safely, it’s getting late.” 

Embry shoved his hands into the pockets of his shorts and waited until the door shut behind me before he turned to talk down the street. I watched from behind the curtains until his figure disappeared into the darkness before I retired to my room, trying to suppress my smile as I dressed myself for bed and collapsed into the bedsheets. 

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

The sound pierced through the silence of the early morning, jolting me from my sleep. I froze in place, wondering if it was worth rolling over to slap snooze on my alarm clock. My memory jogged back to the prior night, unsure of when I had eventually fallen asleep. After sliding into the comfort of my bed, I spent what felt like hours tossing and turning, butterflies erupting in my stomach every so often as a gentle reminder that in fifteen hours time I had the pleasure of gracing a tightly knit group with my presence. 

A group I previously felt incredibly left out of. 

A group I knew very well I didn’t belong to. 

Don’t be a pussy, I scolded myself, pushing up with my palms to flip onto my right side and bring my fingers down on the red button on the clock. The air silenced again, and I relaxed into the pillows, my eyes scanning over shadowed objects of my room as I pulled the white duvet to my chin, shivering against the cool breeze that drifted in through my window. While I previously contemplated rolling over to get another few hours of rest, I heaved a sigh and slipped my feet out from the covers, standing up with more effort than usual. I was sure I slept perfectly fine, but it felt like I hadn’t gotten a single wink.

I grabbed my towel off the back of my chair and made my way into the hall; the soft clatter of dishes and sizzle in a pan indicated that someone was in the kitchen cooking some sort of meal. I poked my head through the crack of Jennie’s bedroom door, smiling when I saw my mother laying on top of the blankets, still fully clothed with the exception of her shoes, which had very obviously been pried off of her feet. I shut the door quickly and made my way to the bathroom, turning the shower on full heat before I stripped down and ran my fingers through my hair in an effort to rid it of deep tangles. 

I took my time washing away the restless night; I focused on letting the pressure of the water massage into my shoulders and upper back, straining my neck to the side every so often to encourage the warmth to ease the tension. After what seemed like an eternity, I massaged my scalp with the lavender shampoo and lathered my ends in coconut conditioner, letting the moisturizer seep into my hair as I shaved and cleaned the remainder of my body. I hadn’t realized how hot the shower was until the air grew thick with humidity, and my skin turned bright red. I switched the dial back to cool, washing the remnants from my hair before I shut the water off completely and stepped out of the tub onto the towel just outside of shower. 

I was pulled from my autopilot trace when a loud fist banged on the opposite side of the door, followed by a muffled plea. Travis was awake, which meant Travis really needed to use the bathroom. I pulled my towel tightly around my frame, and twisted the lock on the knob. 

“Christ, Ains. You’ve been in there for forty fucking minutes.” Travis grumbled, arms folded across his bare chest with his lips pulled into a scowl. 

I tried to not laugh at the disarray of his hair, and instead stepped around him to jog back to my bedroom. Once I felt I was suitably dressed for the weather, I wandered into the kitchen in search of whatever leftovers had been made for the morning.

I hummed in a sort of delight when I recognized bacon and fresh coffee, pulling a small plate down from the cabinet. I picked my share off the pan on the stove, and slipped two slices of bread into the toaster for a sandwich. 

“Morning,” I jumped a little at the voice, turning around with my hand pressed to my chest. 

“Jesus, Trent.” I grumbled, moving towards the Keurig.

“So,” he started, tossing the paper onto the middle of the table, “Embry drove you home, huh?” 

I let my head fall back for a brief moment before I shot him a look and turned back to my coffee, “What about it?”

I was positive Trent shrugged. “You never let anyone drive that thing.” 

“First of all,” I spun around, placing a hand on my hip. “It’s not a thing , that is the love of my life. Secondly, he has a thing about girls driving.” 

Trenton’s face skewered up. “Sounds like a sexist thing.”

“It’s not a sexist thing.” I argued, slathering butter onto my toast. I wasn’t sure why I felt the need to defend Embry - I, too, had believed it to be slightly sexist. I had wanted to ask someone about the accident that Embry was referring to, but also didn’t want to pry when it was really none of my business. Seated in my usual place parallel to Trent, I stacked the bacon carefully in between my toast and took a few sips of my coffee before I started eating.

“Whatever,” Trent mused, leaning forward on his elbows, “just weird, that’s all.” 

I rolled my eyes, chewing slowly. The back door closed, followed by the sound of Iyah’s collar shaking as he trotted through the breezeway into the kitchen, his tongue lolled out to the side as he took his place at my feet. I smiled inwardly, lifting my chin to TJ when he entered the kitchen and picked another slice of bacon from the pan. 

“Morning, sunshine.” He smiled, leaning down to press a kiss to my wet hair. 

“How was your night?” I asked, returning my eyes back to my food. 

TJ nodded, “Much better than I expected, honestly.” He ran a tired hand over his face and leaned against the counter. “I was worried your Ma was going to have a hard time feeling at home after everything that’s happened in the last few years, especially with our absence, but it’s like no time has passed at all.”

Good. I remembered Jennie worrying inconsistently about whether or not she needed to walk on eggshells, if it were really even appropriate that the family went to the party at all. Each time, TJ had reminded her that it would be more rude for us to be in town and not show up, which was ultimately the reason why she had reminded us daily to not be late. 

“Billy seems to be doing better.” I noted, taking another sip of coffee. 

“Yeah, for a while Jennie made it sound like we needed to be prepared for the worst.” Trent added as he leaned back in his chair. 

“Jacob was giving him a hard time a few years ago, that’s all.” TJ dismissed, his brown eyes studying us carefully. “Are you working today?” He asked Trent, moving to pull another mug down from the cabinet. Trenton offered an ‘ mhm ’, pushing out of his seat with a groan before he quietly padded down the hall towards his room. “What about you? How’s the reading coming?” 

I looked up from my empty plate and shrugged, “So far so good. I have plans to go down to the beach with some people from yesterday.” 

My step-father turned to look at me with surprise, the corner of his mouth upturned in a grin. “Is that so?” 

I nodded slowly, turning in my chair to face him. “Embry said a few of them were going to be at the beach blowing off some steam, and that Jacob and Rachel would be there, so I figured it’d be a good way to catch up with them.” I shrugged. 

“I think it’s a great idea,” TJ smiled, mixing his creamer into the steaming beverage. “Just wear something thicker, it’s supposed to drop pretty low today.” 

I looked out of the window in the kitchen, pursing my lips in distaste before I slumped into my chair, defeated. “It’s like summer never even happens.” 

TJ laughed sourly, “Yeah. Makes me miss Canada.” 

I shot him a look, “As if that was any better. Victoria wasn’t exactly the warmest climate, either.” 

“Sure as hell beats this.” For once, I couldn’t disagree. 

Several hours of cleaning later, I was staring out of my window at the rolling clouds. It was less gloomy than the day prior, which gave me hope that the rain would let up long enough for me to enjoy my afternoon with Embry and the others. I had yet to tell anyone else in the house I had plans for the day, save for my mother and TJ, whom I had reminded an hour ago when they made an announcement they were heading into Forks for some groceries. From the corner of my eye, I could see a figure walking up my street just alongside the underbrush. 

I turned to grab the sweater off my bed, pulling it hastily over my head as I shoved my feet into a pair of shoes; I bolted through the kitchen and down the stairs to the living room, pulling the door open just as Embry had lifted his hand to knock on the wood. He wore nothing but a pair of cut offs, a thin black shirt and a gorgeous smile. I rocked back on my heels and shook my head at him, trying to offer him a look of disapproval. 

“How are you not cold?” 

“I told you: the cold doesn’t bother me.” 

I sighed and slapped my keys into Embry’s waiting hand. “Yeah, and I still call bullshit.” I replied in a low tone as I pulled the door shut behind me, shoving my hands into the front pocket of my hoodie as we walked to the Jeep. “It’s like forty-five degrees, there’s no way this isn’t bothering you.”

Embry opened my door and waited until I was seated and buckled in before he shut the door and jogged to his side. “Don’t worry about me.” Embry reassured me once he was seated next to me on the driver’s side. 

“You’re going to get sick.” I pointed out, turning to him with a stern face.

He laughed. “No, I’m not. I don’t get sick.” 

I felt my brows raise in challenge, “You know who else said they never got cold and didn’t get sick? Travis. You know what happened to that jackass?” 

“I have a feeling you’re gonna tell me.” Embry mused quietly, pulling the Jeep off the curb and onto the street.

“Pneumonia. You should be wearing a sweater, at the very least.” 

He shot me a look, carefully watching my face before he reached a hand across the console and grabbed my wrist for the third time in less than twenty-four hours. He was still warm; I locked my fingers around his hand, relishing in the heat that radiated through my palm and into my skin. It was almost as though the warmth washed over me in gentle waves, drawing out any unknown stresses I had. Suddenly, I no longer felt tired or sluggish; in fact, I felt like I could have run a marathon. 

“How are you this warm?” 

“Nice, isn’t it?” He asked, watching me slip my eyes shut and rest my head against the back of my seat. 

I nodded, carefully keeping my lips pressed together in fear I might overstep any boundaries. It was intoxicating, being trapped in such a small space with Embry. I didn’t typically spend time with my brother's friends, let alone do so without telling them about it — especially Trent. But Embry … he smelt like the forest after a rainy day, thick and heavy and wonderful. Paired with the warmth, I felt as though I were in my own personal heaven. 

Soon the vehicle was heated, gliding through the forested road with ease, offering a sort of peace I hadn’t realized I longed for. The tension in my neck released, all strain on my shoulders lifted with each passing moment and I found myself leaning into his warmth, still tightly gripping onto his hand. The pulsing of my heart paired with the burning on my skin was distracting my busy mind from the anxiety of spending an entire afternoon with Embry and his friends. 

When he pulled into a tiny makeshift parking lot, I tried not to let my disappointment show. 

“Sorry, honey, we’re gonna have to walk the rest of the way.” He said solemnly, trying not to smile when he noticed my brows pull in and my lip curl. “What?” 

“We discussed this. No nicknames.” 

He looked down at his hand. “Are you planning on giving that back?” He teased, letting out a chuckle once I released my grip on his arm and shoved my hands back into my hoodie. “C’mon, they’ve been here for a while.” 

I pulled my brows together in confusion, as I saw plenty of other vehicles in the area, but not a single person. I huffed, bracing myself for the cold breeze when Embry moved around the vehicle to open my door. “Why didn’t we come earlier?” 

“I work night shifts, remember? I don’t get to crash until like four, sometimes five.” Embry shrugged, shoving his hands into the pockets of his shorts. “I slept in until twelve, went to Em’s to steal some of her leftovers and then walked to your place.” 

“You say you stole Emily’s leftovers?”

Embry pushed his shoulders forward as a sort of shrug. “We all do. Sam’s is kinda our hangout space — well, not so much anymore since the baby, but I’m a special exception.” He beamed. 

I considered this, keeping my eyes on the ground as he moved over pieces of driftwood lying across the beach. “You’re all really close, aren’t you? Not just hanging out at Billy’s for a birthday close.”

“Everyday close .. pretty much.” He nodded, looking down at me with tight lips. There was something in that sentiment that seemed bittersweet. “We really all only have each other, I consider most of them my brothers.”

“Why?” I asked, cursing under my breath when the wind picked up and bit at my cheeks. 

Embry waited until I caught up to his side, helping me up over what appeared to be an entire tree trunk that had fallen over onto the dark sand. The beach on the opposite side was cleared, and was covered in neatly carved logs, blankets and the remainder of Embry’s friends. 

“Just how it goes sometimes. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Embry smiled, looking over to where the others ran around, torsos bare, legs easily slipping in between one another’s while trying to maneuver the tattered ball around on the sand. 

I suddenly felt very overdressed — even Emily only wore a thin long-sleeve on her arms. Still, I lifted my chin and followed Embry towards the group, all of whom looked up briefly to greet him as he led me towards the blankets. 

“Here,” he rummaged through one of the bags, pulling a gray knitted comforter from the bottom, “this one’s mine, you can use it.” My fingers eagerly reached out for the blanket, draping it around my shoulders as I shivered internally. I also tried not to stare as he slipped his shirt over his head.

“You’re all insane.” I grumbled, looking up at his towering frame. “And you’re going to get sick.” 

“I don’t get sick.” 

I rolled my eyes for what felt like the thousandth time in his presence. “Yeah, you don’t get cold, either.” I rallied, crouching down until I was close enough to the ground to fall back onto my bottom beside Seth. “He’s insane, right?” 

Seth was leaning back on his right hand, feeding himself a cheese string with the other; at the sound of my question, he looked up and blinked, swaying his head back and forth as he considered his words. “He just likes to show off.” 

“Fuck off.” Embry grumbled, tossing his shirt at the man beside me before he ran off towards the group, greeting Jared with a loud slap on the back. Both men grinned eagerly as the ball headed in their general direction. 

“You actually came.” Seth mused, pulling another cheese string out of the bag beside him. He offered it to me, which I bit into immediately. 

“I said I would.” I replied, looking past the hustling legs of the boys, watching the crisp waves of the ocean roll up onto the shore, the peaks of the waves higher than usual. “I’m really terrible at soccer, though.” 

“You can be on Jacob’s team, then.” Jared called from beside Paul. “They’re already pretty terrible, it’ll make you feel better about your lack of know-how.” 

I held my hand up, middle finger extended; Jared shared a quick look with Paul, the pair laughing lightheartedly. I watched as the ball came flying up, smashing into the side of Jared’s face, his smug grin disappearing entirely as he looked forward to Jacob. Seth and Kim cracked the gentle air with loud laughs, causing a small smile to break across my lips. My cousin’s hands flew up in a sort of ‘oops’ gesture, turning to Embry with a knowing smile. 

I spent the next hour watching Embry bend and twist his elegant body to keep the ball away from Jacob and another boy whom I later learned was named Brady. I couldn’t help but admire the way the muscles contracted under his darkened skin, rippling with each movement. I thought about the warmth his touch provided, and how in this moment he truly wasn’t bothered by the cold. How completely at ease he appeared. Without realizing, the smile that had formed on my lips remained as I spoke with Collin and Kim about the boys, frequently asking Emily questions about her cooking and how she managed to feed an entire family of approximately thirteen – plus her own.

“Alright, duckie, I’m tagging you in.” Embry breathed, slapping Kim on the knee as he fell onto his back in front of my crossed legs. “What, don't you like the blanket?”

I looked down to my lap; I had removed the blanket from my shoulders simply because the air had grown warmer. With all the laughing and talking, I now felt as though I were sweating under my layers. “I do, I just feel a little warmer.” 

Embry smiled, reaching into my lap to steal a slice of my orange. “Good.” 

He sat out of the next few rounds, asking me questions regarding my brothers and my courses. I answered all of them with an eagerness which he seemed to appreciate; I explained about how Jennie met TJ when I was three, and how it had been the most epic love I have ever seen. How I never grew up wanting something like Romeo and Juliet, or any sort of princess. I wanted something I could grow from, something that inspired me to become everything I was supposed to be. 

I talked about how I swore Travis and Trent could’ve been twins, what with their buzzed hair and heavily tattooed bodies. Trent might’ve been the eldest of us, but Travis was definitely the tallest. I talked about how Trent helped me rebuild the engine on the Jeep a few years ago as a summer project and how in that time I definitely learned to appreciate his company in more ways than just some step-brother that felt obligated to love me. We genuinely put aside the whole related-by-law aspect; we were family, blood or not. 

When I spoke about my schooling, I mentioned how I understood why Travis had picked corrections. Wanting to work with at-risk youth myself, I definitely felt like I had a lot in common with him, but also mentioned how I was certain he was getting into his career field for all of the wrong reasons. 

At some point, the rest of the guys had come up off the beach shore to lounge on the blankets. It wasn’t long before the air around me grew increasingly warmer, and I relaxed entirely. It was definitely a different feeling, a different atmosphere with my brothers absent. I assumed I would be viewed as their friend’s little sister, but instead I felt as though this were my rightful place. 

When the sun began to set behind the rocky tops of the island in the distance, Embry mentioned something about getting me home to finish my reading for the day. Begrudgingly, I said my goodbyes, pulling Jacob into a tight hug with a promise to visit his father again soon. Embry wrapped the blanket back over my shoulders as he led me away from the secluded area of the beach. Once back in the confinement of my Jeep, Embry started the vehicle and I automatically reached for the heater. Embry offered his hand this time, watching me as I hesitated for only a moment before I tightly gripped onto his fingers and hummed in satisfaction as the burning sensation traveled up my palms into my wrists. 

“I don’t know how you’re still warm, but I’m definitely not going to complain.” I murmured, letting my eyes fall shut as I rested against my seat comfortably. 

The ride away from the beach was mostly silent, save for the blast coming from the heaters. When we finally arrived back on my end of the reservation, he parked the car and spent a few minutes talking to me about how he'd promise to wear more clothing if I promised to come with him again for another afternoon of beach soccer. 

“Emily invited me over for breakfast.” I said simply, offering a small smile when I noticed his surprise.

Embry’s eyebrows were lifted high. “Really?” 

I nodded, tightening my grip on his hand, “So, let me know when you’re not working and we can go together. It’s not really breakfast if you don’t show up until twelve.” I added, watching him open his mouth and shut it, twice, very quickly. 

He laughed once and nodded. “I’ll have to get back to you on that, unfortunately.” Embry sighed, to which I pulled my phone from my back pocket and offered it to him. Once we swapped numbers, I tried to offer him back his blanket. “No, keep it. I don’t want to carry it home.” 

Once inside the warmth of my room, I rushed to the window; Embry was waiting diligently at the end of the driveway, looking up to where I stood before he cracked a smile and waved once, then walked backwards towards the street, and took off in a light jog. He disappeared behind the underbrush for the second day in a row. 

I collapsed onto my bed, still wrapped in his blanket.

[fushic0re]

𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚊𝚜 𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚢 | 𝚎. 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕 | 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚗𝚎

Pairing: Embry Call x Original Character Summary: Join Ainsley and Embry as they embark on a journey where they are forced to question everything they thought they knew, and embrace the pain that is inevitable to avoid in love. An imprint story. Self-discovery. Angst and romance.Word Count: 3.8k Warnings: none, just a birthday party for billy black :) A/N: Hi! I've been writing for Twilight for many years, and this was originally written as a Paul imprint story several years ago. Since then, I've come up with something separate for Paul that I plan on eventually bringing to life - in the meantime, Embry has always been my absolutely favourite (next to our boy Jacob, ofc!) simply because of his personality. I am obsessed with Embry's lineage mystery; him not having a certain family tie made writing him into fanfiction all the more intriguing. With that all said, I hope you enjoy this very fluffy (& if you know me, fluff doesn't come without a whole lotta angst) multi-chapter series 💜 --- xoxo, Lee! next chapter

Another rainy morning had come along; clouds hung low and appeared gray while the gentle breeze bit at the exposed skin of my cheeks. La Push had always been more considerably beautiful than any other place my family lived for one simple fact: it was a beacon of nature. The tree tops peaked in the distance from where I stood on the back porch, magnificent lush green stretching as far as I could see on either side. Despite the chained fence that squared off the property, the inviting underbrush sat a few yards away, leafy and welcoming. I preferred this scenery far more than the high-tops of buildings and the busy sound of traffic; for the first time in years, my mind felt quiet. 

Iyah sniffed the ground, snorting in a sort of disapproval every odd moment. The puppy was still too small to fit into all of the skin his body held, but considering the definition in his legs, it was telling that the boys had been taking Iyah on their runs with them. 

Folding my arms across my chest, I impatiently tapped my foot while I watched the animal paw at the ground just outside the fence. “Iyah! Enough!” I scolded, pulling my brows together. 

The terrier halted his movements for a brief moment, pausing to glance over his shoulder with a single cocked ear. His head tilted to the right for a short while, watching me expectantly before his tongue lolled out from the side and he happily trotted towards the deck. He hadn’t even peed. 

With the bitter windchill sending a shiver up my spine, I couldn’t be bothered to stand in the cold any longer; despite the calendar that printed 𝐒𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑, colder weather always seemed to crawl around earlier each passing year. Before we moved to Canada many years ago, the warm humidity of the summer clung to the air well into October; nine years later, my summer wardrobe was still tucked away in the top of my closet upon our arrival back to the reservation. The last two weeks had not provided as much sunshine as I anticipated, making the return home all the more fitting. 

I held the door open for the pup, watching him shake off the excess water before he slipped into the house. Once inside, I carefully locked the back door behind me and shrugged out of my jacket.

“It’s freezing in here.” I mumbled aloud, pushing my feet into some slippers to pad down the tiled hallway into the kitchen. Trenton, my oldest brother, sat in his usual seat against the wall with his nose deep in the paper, chewing loudly around a mouthful of cereal. I tried not to notice the sound too much as I pushed the lid down on the Keurig and slipped two waffles into the toaster. “TJ left early today?” I asked casually, noticing the missing pair of keys from the hook just beside the archway. 

Trent offered a quiet ‘mhm’ , dropping his spoon back into the bowl noisily. Most mornings were like this: Trent, our father TJ and myself were usually the first to get up and show any sign of human life. Trent and TJ worked stable jobs, but I always felt less accomplished with my day if I spent the time laying in bed. It was part of my whole ‘fresh start’ motif since our move back. 

“And Travis?” I asked, stirring the creamer into the large mug placed in front of me. 

“Still sleeping.” He mused, folding the paper in half and sliding it to the center of the table. “Y’know, he purposely picked electives with later starts so he could get an extra three hours of sleep?” 

I definitely believed it. As passionate as Travis was about criminal justice, he was certainly less passionate about being awake before nine-o’clock. Early mornings had never been something that interested my other brother. More often than not, I spent most of my mornings as a child watching cartoons with Trent before school instead of Travis simply because he would sleep through his alarm clock (or shut it off) and arrive late to school. It became less of an issue when Travis hit high school and Jennie stopped caring. As long as he showed up, that was enough for her. 

I sat in my place parallel to Trent and doused my waffles in syrup. They might not have been fresh, but they were warm and delicious nonetheless. “Are we still going to Billy’s this afternoon? For the birthday thing?” 

Every year for as long as I could remember, Billy Black mailed out invitations for a small barbecue he hosted for himself in celebration of his birthday. Sarah, his late wife, wasn’t around to throw them herself and everyone had expected the festivities to continue. Safe to say, Billy didn’t like to disappoint. 

In the last few years, our family had been absent from the reservation and was unable to partake. This year, Jennie had been hellbent on reminding the three of us that we better pull through for her and make a good impression. 

I wasn’t overly concerned about it; my relationship with Billy was pretty standard. He was my favourite uncle by default. He was the father of my favourite cousins, and as the years wore on, Billy spent a lot of time paying attention to me once Jacob, Travis and Trent were too busy with their own adventures to include the tagalong. I hadn’t seen my cousins in nearly eight years. The last I saw Jacob was the summer before he went into the ninth grade. Back when I was still too young to hangout with Rebecca and Rachel, so instead I’d spend time with Trent, Travis, Jacob and their friends. Travis might’ve been younger than the others, but he made good on his word to be just as responsible. 

He never tattled, he never cried, and he always put up a good fight. 

“As far as I know. Dad should be home before three. Jennie should be coming home soon, her shift ended almost forty minutes ago.” 

Admittedly, I admired my mother’s stamina. She worked as a registered nurse at the hospital in Forks, made the long drive there and back without many complaints, and worked overtime when necessary. The hospital had been short-staffed in the last few months, leaving Jennie working night-shifts to cover for those who had young children at home. As my brothers and I were fully capable of fending for ourselves, time away from home was a small sacrifice she was willing to make. 

We finished our breakfasts in silence, with Trent offering to clear the table. After a moment, he looked over his shoulder. “You should shower, Ains. You stink.” 

I skewered my face in offense. “I do not.” I grumbled lowly, pulling a few strands of my hair to my face to inhale quickly. Smelled fine. I glared at the back of Trent’s figure as the faucet turned to life and I huffed under my breath, “Don’t be a dick.” 

Trent waved my words away with a soapy hand and I rolled my eyes. 

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The clock illuminated 𝟸:𝟹𝟾 𝙿𝙼  from the desk in my room. I already finished my reading for the day, had showered as Trent suggested, and found the time to make Jennie lunch. I was putting off having to clean my room, gnawing on my bottom lip as I continuously glanced at the two boxes full of clean, folded laundry followed by the mounting heap of dirty clothing on the floor. 

Iyah was curled up beside me on the bed, stretched out over the white duvet. For years, Jennie insisted we needed a family pet and for years the family had reminded her that no one really had the patience or the time to take care of an animal. It wasn’t until Trent and I found Iyah hiding in the underbrush on a beach in Tofino that we talked as a family about reopening that topic of discussion. His ears were still dopey, making him far less frightening than other pitbull terriers who had to ‘look tough’. His coat was gray and shiny, save for the strip of white on the underside of his belly and around his paws. He was gorgeous and easily my favourite companion. 

“Hey, Ains?” I heard the light octave of Jennie’s voice call from across the hall, “Could you come here for a minute?” 

A satisfied sigh slipped past my lips with the momentary release from my responsibilities; I leaned down to press a kiss to Iyah’s head and rolled off the bed. The house was quiet, save for the gentle melody of the radio coming from Jennie’s room. Upon entering, I could see her phone flipped upright on the bedside table. 

“What’s up?” I asked, immediately crawling over the heaping pile of blankets in my mother’s bed. 

“I’m gonna head over to Billy’s early. Did you wanna come?” I very much enjoyed that Jennie always asked; some kids in my neighbourhood had grown up without very much choice or say, and I always appreciated that Jennie gave me the option. She always respected me when I said no, but that was a very rare occurrence. 

“Sure.” I smiled, propping my head up on my knuckles. “Who’s all going to be there this evening?” 

Jennie was rummaging around in her closet, pulling articles of clothing from boxes as she went. “Apart from your uncle, Jacob and Rachel, there will be Sue Clearwater and her new husband.” Right. Harry died almost 8 years ago. “And you remember Sue and Harry’s kids, right?”

“Seth and Leah.” I responded with a nod.

“Plus some new additions, I suppose. Sam Uley and his wife will be there with their daughter, along with Jared,” Jared was a distant relative of some sort, from what I remembered. “and his fiancee, Quil and Embry,” Individuals that Trent and Travis frequently got into trouble with, “Rachel’s engaged to Paul now, so he’ll be there, too, and some other members from the tribe.” 

Jennie finally exited the closet wearing a royal blue shirt and a pair of dark jeans. It was very rare that I saw my mother in anything other than her pale green scrubs, and I couldn’t help but beam at the sight of her. “Look’s good. TJ will really like the top.” I pointed to the fringe embellishment around her collar. 

Jennie smiled, leaning forward to press a kiss to my forehead before she turned towards the bathroom. “Can you help me with my hair? I can never get the braid straight.” 

Forty-five minutes later, the two of us could be seen hurrying through the rain towards my Jeep at the end of the driveway against the curb. I spent so much time helping my mother look her best, that I was unable to have any time for myself. Still, I thought I did a pretty decent job with pulling myself together with a dress and sleek ponytail. It definitely made up for the lack of effort I put into my face. 

“Travis won’t be joining us until after his last class at six,” I glanced down to the dashboard; that wouldn’t be for almost another two hours, “and Trent and TJ are both leaving work now, so they should be there soon.” 

The ride to Billy’s house was familiar. I had never personally driven down the streets of La Push myself, but remembered being squished in between my brothers in the backseat in my early childhood years. The reservation hadn’t changed much; neither had Billy’s. The garage still sat open and heavily used in the distance, but the wooden ramp was a newer addition to the front porch. As I pulled onto the property, I remembered Jennie talking about how Billy’s diabetes had given him some complications, and he now relied on a wheelchair to get him around. 

It was difficult to believe it had really been that long.

I parked as close as I could to the house, saving the paved driveway for cars that couldn’t roll through the mud quite as easily as my Jeep could. I awkwardly climbed over the console and followed my mother’s footsteps to the deck, and then bolted inside in cover of the looming rain.

The home was a lot smaller than I remembered, but perhaps that was because there had always been less people present. The kitchen was overflowing with food, laughs streaming into my ears from the living room. One thing I noticed about the group of people as I entered the room was this: they were certainly a family. They were grouped together, while all very different in many ways, they were all very similar, too. In some way, each being in this room was connected by the tribe and the blood of our ancestors.

The next thing I noticed was that it was particularly warm, despite the cold weather and rain on the other side of the window. I brushed it off as body heat due to the close proximity of each individual in the room, and smiled when my eyes landed on Billy’s warm smile. 

“There’s my girl!” He boomed, wheeling himself forward with one out-stretched hand. “Look at you, you’re more beautiful than your mother when she was your age.” 

I bent down to wrap my arms around his frame, squeezing a second longer than I originally intended before I pulled away and looked him over. “You look good, man. Not a day over forty-five.” I was being nice; Billy looked more his age now than ever before.

“Oh, hush you.” Billy squinted, turning his attention to Jennie. I filtered my eyes across the hordes of bodies in the room; mainly unfamiliar faces, which put me at unease — until I landed on a pair of russet eyes. He looked much different than I remembered; his hair was cut short and his body had grown nearly an entire two feet. Jacob’s frame looked too big as he leaned against the archway, offering an impish grin when he met my searching gaze. 

I stepped forward, narrowing my eyes in his direction in disbelief. “Jacob Black,” I started, folding my arms over my chest. “You look,” I paused, at a loss for the right words. I shook my head, “I don’t know what Billy’s been cooking at these barbecues for the last eight years, but if it’ll make me grow another three inches, I’ll have seconds.” 

Jacob offered a loud laugh, letting his head fall back momentarily before he shot an arm out and pulled me into his side. He was definitely overheated, too. 

We spent twenty-minutes talking about everything; Jacob mentioned that he had fallen behind in school and was homeschooled for his senior year, but still finished on time. He graduated from college last summer, and had opened his own shop in the town working with some of his friends. He introduced me to most of the others; I vaguely remembered Seth, Leah and Sue. Quil was present, but remained preoccupied following a nine-year-old he was babysitting. I spent a small amount of time paying Emily attention; it wasn’t to be rude, but Sam seemed to notice my staring and every so often I could feel his gaze in a way that made me feel incredibly small. 

It was a quarter after six, and the last of the group was just arriving. The rain had stopped long enough for the sun to peek through the gray clouds in the sky, which resulted in a shift in the crowd. Some gathered in the kitchen and on the porch, all windows and doors wide open. I kept myself close to my brothers, who seemed to be falling into place easily with their old school friends. 

“Look how buff you are, Trav.”

“Trav? Have you seen the biceps on Trent?” 

One of the boys yelled, “He’s massive!” 

You’re all massive. I thought to myself, gaze scanning over the crowd again. The majority of the men that Travis and Trent grew up with were all marked with the same black ink on their right-hand shoulder. They all towered over six feet, and equally solid in raw muscle mass. Despite their age, and their incessant need to cling onto their youth, there was particular seriousness that loomed over the group. I could at least feel some calm in that. 

“Well, well, well.” Jared tsked, sitting up straight, “look who finally showed up!” 

All eyes looked to the back door, watching the last of the stragglers enter the kitchen. I recognized Collin - he was another cousin that was my age - followed by another young man and Embry.

“Embry had some business to take care of,” Collin announced, pulling one of the plastic plates off the counter to begin scooping food onto. 

I sat in my place in the corner, barely watching as the men moved shoulder to shoulder, playfully shoving each other into walls and countertops. Their conversation grew loud and boisterous, mimicking the slurred laughs and words of the parents sitting just outside. I looked through the window to where Jennie and TJ sat, curled up next to each other on the stairs. Jennie might not have found true love with my father, but I was certain she had love now. It always made me sad to think about, but I couldn’t imagine anyone loving me the way TJ loved my mother. 

The sun was setting behind the trees, and the bonfire had already started when Trent finally broke away from his friends in the family room to rejoin me in the kitchen. No one seemed to notice I had stayed behind to clear the countertops and tie the trash bags. I didn’t mind, really. While this place felt like something familiar and these people were certainly my family, I couldn’t find myself fitting in. In turn, I saw no reason to force it. 

“Here, let me take that.” Trent offered, pulling the heavy garbage bag away from my hands. “Why don’t you go and sit with Travis. Jacob’s been asking for you.” 

I shrugged, looking around the kitchen for the cupboard that hid unused bags. “These are your people, Trent, not mine.” I mused quietly, feeling stupid for saying it. “Besides, someone has to make sure the adults don’t set themselves on fire.” I gestured my hand towards all of the empty beer bottles on the kitchen table, which led Trent to lean over the sink to look out of the window at the group who lounged on logs settled around the large fire in the backyard.

Voices from the living room picked up, the conversation trailing into the kitchen as three of the men reentered with the last of the remaining dishes. “Leave her alone, T. If she wants to pout in the corner, let her.” Travis sniggered, tossing his dirty dish into the warm water.

I felt my shoulders drop slightly, forcing my eyes to focus on scrubbing the cups in the soapy water. 

“Who is this anyway?” I heard someone ask, which was promptly followed by a smack. 

Trent folded his arms next to me, shaking his head slightly as Travis spoke. “This,” Travis started, moving forward to wrap an arm around my neck, “is my baby sister.” I appreciated the certain pride he had in his words, but winced slightly under the word baby . 

“So, she’s off limits?” 

This time, I let out a laugh and dropped my sponge in the water. 

“Yes. She’s off limits.” Trent continued, watching me from the corner of his eye. There was a chuckle, followed by another smack. 

“Give it up, Seth!” Jacob warned from the living room. 

“Now, that’s not fair,” a new voice replied, entering the already cramped kitchen. Was it just me, or was it hot in here? “Seth hardly gets the opportunity to meet anyone new, he’s just excited.”

I turned to glance at the newcomer over my shoulder, and I paused. This was the first time in nearly eight years I was looking at Embry — really looking at him. As much as he resembled the other Native in the house, face full of the Quileute gene, he also looked nothing like them. His eyes were a warm amber, appearing as though they were two milk chocolate pools with flecks of gold swimming along the surface. My eyes swept the length of his body quickly: his shirt all but clung to his body, the russet colour of his skin seeping through the thin white material. His fists slowly opened and relaxed, shoulders dropping with each breath he took. Truthfully, Embry looked deadly, but absolutely gorgeous in his very own way. I brought my eyes to his again, the heat colouring my cheeks when I realized his gaze remained fixed and unmoving from my face. 

“What —” his mouth hung open, pulling his brows together in the middle. From my peripheral, I watched Trenton shift uneasily, his eyes narrowing in on Embry’s just as mine had done a few moments ago. 

There was a loud snap! that broke through the air, causing everyone to turn their heads towards the window. “C’mon!” Billy called from his place next to Sue, waving at the lot of us inside the kitchen, “Bring me another beer, would ya?” 

One by one, bodies trudged from the home and out into the backyard. Embry remained in place, his eyes carefully watching my movements as I wiped my hands on a cloth and maneuvered past him. 

Suddenly, warm fingers wrapped around my wrist, forcing me to turn around and face him. I twisted my hand out from his grip, holding it in shock. Not because he had hurt me, but because the warmth of his touch seemed to burn through my skin into my veins. 

“Ainsley?” He asked quietly, reaching for my wrist once more. 

I took a slow step back, blinking frantically as I held my wrist against my chest. “Embry.” I replied in a whisper, watching his face relax at the sound of my voice. I tried not to linger any longer than necessary, reluctantly turning to push out the door out of my way to join my family. When I looked back, Embry stood frozen where I left him in the kitchen, hand still stretched out, eyes drilling into my core despite the darkness of the night engulfing me entirely.

[fushic0re]

𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚊𝚜 𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚢 | 𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚛𝚢 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜

Pairing: Embry Call / Original Female Character Warnings: Violence/Blood, Sexual Assault, Date Rape, Drinking, Light Smut, Vomiting, Kidnapping, Canon Character Death Total Word Count: 55k + Summary: It has been years since Jennie Black and her family have returned to La Push, but Ainsley is excited to settle into her first year of college and reconnect with her cousin and his group of friends. For years, Embry Call has longed for the connection that his brothers and their imprints share. Unlike some shifters, he believed that to imprint on another was one of the few benefits of the Quileute magic. Join Ainsley and Embry as they embark on a journey where they are forced to question everything they thought they knew, and embrace the pain that is inevitable to avoid in love.

An imprint story. Self-discovery. Angst and romance.

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