They don't call her Ren. They use her birth name, a ridiculously long conglomeration of the names of others; Renesmee Carlie Cullen.
Ren is made up of pieces of the cult she was born into.
She has her father's hair, her mother's eyes. A vampire's appetite, a human's heartbeat. She dresses herself like Alice, holds herself like Rosie. Smiles like Esme, studies like Carlisle, fights like Emmett, listens like Jasper.
Ren has learned who to be from the cult she was born into.
Jacob, sweet Jacob, has been a boy longer than Ren has been alive. Before he loved Ren, he loved Ren's mom. Bella was his everything, but it was really you all along, he explains. Isn't that romantic?
Ren knows enough of the world to understand something is wrong.
But everyone loves Ren in the cult she was born into.
can we all agree that if emmett and jasper weren’t so depressed about bella drinking all the blood in the house, they would have convinced her that ej was a great name for a boy but it should stand for emmett jasper not edward jacob.
emily’s face is scarred because she was attacked by a rogue vampire (or even just a mugger with a knife idk) and sam hates himself for not saving her soon enough.
so much better without the harmful stereotypes abt native men being abusive. emily still has scars and sam still gets to torture himself emotionally for plot juice.
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: 5.5k
Warnings: angst, tw drinking, tw abduction
Taglist: @leilaniers - message / comment if you’d like to be tagged in new chapters (or for Embry content in general)!
𝚃𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚘𝚗
Trenton felt his body ache slightly, his left hand numb and tingling under the weight of Leah’s head. He groaned quietly, rolling onto his side while pulling Leah with him so that he could reposition himself. He kept his arm around her waist and pressed a gentle kiss to her bare shoulder.
Trenton considered himself an incredibly lucky man. Their relationship was different, and completely out of the norm. Trent resembled much of who Embry was; he preferred to keep to his family and close friends, didn’t really stick around with any female too long, most of his rendezvous were clients from Ink Obsession that had slyly asked for a private session. Trent had bent more women over the couch in his studio than he could count on his hands.
When he had first seen Leah, he considered her a different kind of challenge. She was the first woman that had stepped foot into his studio that had been repulsed by his advances. At first, he was sold on just being her friend - completely convinced that she wasn’t interested in anything more. It wasn’t until just after Embry and Ainsley officially began seeing each other that she came out one night.
He knew everything very quickly. Leah wasn’t shy about it at all. She explained the imprinting process, what she was, what she belonged to. She offered him a choice - and reminded him that it didn’t have to mean what everyone else kept pushing on her. They didn’t need to be together romantically - if he preferred, they could comfortably coexist as friends. But, Trent needed to know exactly what kind of lengths Leah was willing to go for him.
In a matter of twenty-four hours, Trent was feeling nearly the same way.
A few days later, they were casually dating. By Thanksgiving, they were out as a couple.
It had been hard, watching Ainsley find out about the pack in what he considered the worst possible way. They left shortly after Embry and Jacob had wandered off into the forest, leaving Ainsley a mess in the bathroom. He hadn’t wanted to leave but Leah reminded him that the wolves - despite their many years of experience - were not fully controlled and any one of them had the capabilities to lose it the way Embry had.
Trent’s lips were met with a quiet giggle, and then a soft sigh. He took that as permission to continue - he trailed his lips from her shoulder to her neck, teeth gently biting into the flesh. Leah shifted onto her back, looking up at him when he finally let go; they mirrored each other’s smiles, Leah pulled on his neck gently to bring his face down to her level. Their lips moved easily together, his fingertips running along her stomach, tracing just under the swells of her breasts, eliciting a quiet moan from Leah’s lips.
“Morning,” he mumbled against her mouth, smiling when her knees fell to opposite sides. His hand travelled to her open thighs, “Sleep okay?”
“Can’t complain.” She murmured, pulling the blankets up to her chin.
“Good.” He smiled, snaking his tongue back into her mouth as his hand slipped between her legs. They went on like that for several minutes, Leah’s warm body flushing under the flesh with a bright red as her hips moved against his hand.
His cellphone rang from somewhere on the floor - Trenton’s brows pulled together, but he didn’t cease his movements.
“Your phone -” she mumbled around his mouth.
“Ignore it.”
The call dropped, and they were met with the silence once more.
Two minutes later, the phone angrily buzzed and rang again. Trent sighed when Leah pushed him away. “Answer it, for the love of god.”
He leaned back, rolling onto his right side to pick up the device from under the pile of discarded clothing; Travis’s dopey smile illuminated his screen. Trent rolled his eyes, swiping up on the green call button. “You’re killing my morning, Trav, what do you what?”
His brother chuckled quietly. “Aw, Trent,” he started. Trenton could hear the muffled engine of his motorcycle in the back, “am I cockblocking you?”
“Dude, leave him alone.” He heard Seth in the background, his tone playful - a small part of him wanted to reach through the phone and knock their heads together.
“What do you want, Travis?” He said through clenched teeth.
“Have you heard from Ainsley this morning?” He asked casually. “She didn’t come home last night, and she definitely didn’t leave with Embry -”
Trent scoffed, falling onto his back beside Leah. She rolled onto her side and propped her head up on her head, listening in on the conversation intently. “Not with the way he was dancing with that one chick. If looks could kill …”
“Oh yeah, Emb would’ve been slaughtered.”
Trent sighed, rubbing his head tiredly. “Hold up,” He pulled his phone away from his face to check the notifications on his phone - nothing from Ainsley, but he did remember overhearing Jennie mentioning something about Ainsley being cleared back to work. “She’s probably at Shaker’s - pretty sure she started this week.”
“Doesn’t she need her uniform?”
Trent shrugged, even though he knew his brother couldn’t see. “Dunno dude - she’s been staying at Angie’s place a lot. Probably crashed there. Probably trash talked about Embry and passed out.”
“Fair enough - we still on for tonight?”
“Still on, brother.”
Trenton could hear the smile in Travis’s voice “Sweet deal - have fun getting your dick wet.”
Trent ended the call, trying not to let his annoyance get the best of him. Travis had been the least supportive in his relationship with Leah - mainly because Trenton was his partner in crime. They were similar in the regard where their ability to commit to any woman had been nonexistent. That had been until Leah came into the picture. When Trent stopped spending his free time in the basement with Travis, Travis let all hell break loose.
“Ainsley’s already hardly here - I don’t need you gone, too.” Travis had growled angrily, smacking Trenton in the face with one of the couch cushions. “And it’s Seth’s sister - really, dude?”
“Really, really.” Trent mumbled absently, flipping the page of his car catalog slowly. “You don’t need me here in order for you to survive.” He pointed out, looking up at Travis’s large frame. “Go make some friends.”
“Fuck off - DJ isn’t around anymore, I don’t exactly have many friends.”
“You have Seth.”
Travis blinked - Seth was definitely not a reliable substitute for the cousin they left behind in Vancouver. For many years, DJ and Travis had been inseparable. DJ, unlike his cousins, preferred to use his words instead of violence to resolve his issues, although he wouldn’t tolerate being pushed around. If need be, he’d swing his fists.
Trenton opened his eyes and looked up at Leah; she was smiling knowingly, rubbing her hand across his stomach. “You good?” She asked, her brown orbs scanning his face carefully.
“Never better,” he smiled, reaching down to pull her knee over his legs, “c’mere.”
𝙴𝚖𝚋𝚛𝚢
Embry stretched; his head pounded unpleasantly, his legs were stiff and his back felt completely locked. “Ow,” He whined, sitting upright on the couch. Emily had left a glass of water on the coffee table, along with a note that read ‘Drink me’. He crumpled the paper and reached for the glass, downing the contents quickly to clear the ache in his throat.
“You look terrible.” Embry jumped slightly at the voice; he looked over his shoulder to where Emily stood in the archway, her hand rested on her ballooned tummy.
“I feel worse.” He muttered, rubbing his neck.
“Serves you right,” she growled, leaning forward to smack him on the back of the head. He whined loudly again, pressing his eyes shut tightly as the throbbing moved to where she had stricken him, “what the hell did you think you were doing, dancing with that girl?” She yelled, her hands resting on her hips. “Have you lost your mind?”
“I just wanted to forget for one night.” He dropped his head into his hands, thumbs rubbing his temples.
“By groping a woman on a dance floor at your brother's wedding?” She asked dubiously, cocking her head to the side. “Doubtful.”
“You make it sound so crude.”
“It was disgusting, Embry.” She chided, turning into the kitchen. “I hope you have the mind to feel some shame for the way you acted.”
“Is Jared pissed with me?” He asked suddenly, following her into the kitchen.
Emily looked up confused for a moment, “No?”
“Is Kim pissed with me?”
She paused, looking up at Embry from behind the counter. “No.”
“Then what,” he asked, moving into the kitchen to open the fridge, “is the issue? Newlyweds are still happy - I didn’t break any rules -”
Emily slammed the door on the oven shut, turning to Embry with angry eyes. “Are you kidding me? If Quil hadn’t stepped in, you likely would’ve gotten into her car and gone home with her last night.”
“So?”
“What’s wrong with you?” She asked quietly, shaking her head. “Four days ago, you were in here a mess over Ainsley, and now you’re just going to pretend like none of it happened?”
“She’s acting like nothing happened!” Embry yelled in frustration. He gripped the water bottle in his hands, twisting the cap off. “She doesn’t miss me, she doesn’t look as miserable as I feel - this isn’t a big deal to her. She made her choice. I’m not going to sit here and wallow in my self-pity forever.”
“She loves you, jackass.” Emily growled, walking towards him with a large wooden spoon pointed at his chest. “The least you could do is respect her by not making a complete joke out of her with her parents in the room.”
Embry paused and shut his mouth. In all honesty, he had completely forgotten that there were guests in the room that knew him – guests like Ainsley and Jacob’s family. He thought about Jennie’s face, and the disappointment she must’ve felt. He let his shoulders slump as he fell into a chair at the table.
“Did you know that Ainsley hadn’t told them?” She asked, her voice still angry. “Did you know that they had no idea that you two had broken up?”
Embry pulled his brows together, “She didn’t tell them?”
“No. She didn’t.”
He sighed, letting his head fall back. “Shit.” He had fucked up big time.
𝙰𝚗𝚐𝚒𝚎
Angie sighed angrily; she tossed her dishcloth into the sink and headed to the back office with a huff.
“Still no sign of her?” Debbie asked from behind her desk, staring at her computer screen.
“Nope.”
“You gonna call her again?”
“Nope.”
“Well then what’re you doing with my phone?”
“Calling her brother.”
Debbie looked up at her with careful eyes for two moments before she stood. “I’m gonna go greet the lunch rush - come out when you’re finished.”
Angie scrolled through her phone, looking through her past phone calls - she came across the only unsaved number in her phone, dialed the number and waited for the line to pick up.
“Heyyo.” The male said casually.
“Hey!” She said, happy she had actually gotten through to someone. “Hi, sorry, this is Angie. I work at Shaker’s with Ainsley.”
“What up, sis?” Travis asked. Angie rolled her eyes.
“Is Ainsley not coming in today? She didn’t call in and her shift started like four hours ago.”
“Wait - she’s not with you?”
Angie paused. “No … she isn’t at home?”
“No.” They were silent for a moment before Travis started speaking again. “She didn’t come home after the wedding - there was some incident with Embry and another girl, she left early -”
“What happened with Embry?”
“It was a shitshow, you should’ve seen it, Ang - point is, Ainsley hasn’t come home yet and she’s not answering anyone’s phone call.”
Angie thought about it for a moment, trying to weigh all of the possibilities. “Maybe she’s just taking some time for herself - does she have anyone else in the area she could be with? Have you tried Maddox?”
“Maddox?” He asked, clearly confused. “How do you know Maddox?”
“He’s Ainsley’s friend - he lives in Forks.”
“Maddox Knight lives in Forks?” He asked, his voice suddenly hard. “Like, Forks, Washington?”
“Yeah?”
“Since when? Since when did Ainsley talk to fucking Maddox Knight?”
Angie thought back to when Ainsley had mentioned something about her and Maddox ending on poor terms in the past - perhaps Travis’s confusion came from his lack of knowledge that Maddox and Ainsley were back on good terms.
“Whatever - so Ainsley’s not at home?”
“No.”
“You’re useless.” She grumbled, hanging the line up on the hook. Angie folded her arms, chewing on her lip for a moment before she sighed angrily and pushed out of the office into the kitchen. It was going to be a long day.
𝙴𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢
Emily held her stomach tentatively as she hummed, watching the sauce in her pan bubble over the heat. She had settled into the idea that she wouldn’t be cooking for the entire pack most of the time - a few dinners here and there, sure, but she had herself to feed. Sam requested homemade tomato sauce with pasta - she decided that homemade was too time consuming and quite frankly, she didn’t want to do it from scratch. When he slipped out to run a few errands for her, she pulled a can of three-cheese tomato sauce from the cupboard and mixed it in with the meat.
“Sucker won’t know the difference.” She said to herself, flipping the stove off on both burners.
Sam kicked the excess snow off at the door, Seth smiling widely behind his frame. As annoyed as Emily wanted to be, she couldn’t help but return his warm smile and pull a seat out for him. “Didn’t think you’d be bringing home any strays.” She mused lightheartedly.
“He all but insisted I come home for dinner.” Seth teased, leaning down to kiss the top of Emily’s head before he sat in his rightful seat.
When they sat for dinner, the three mumbled quietly about knocking down walls to expand one of the upstairs rooms to make it a little bigger in size for the nursery. Seth had just finished offering to help, bringing his plate into the kitchen to wash when Emily’s attention shifted to the door.
Travis and Trenton stood on the opposite side, their faces constricted. Emily pulled her brows together, motioning for them to come in as Sam followed Seth’s suit and loaded their plates into the dishwasher, “Evening, boys.” She said smoothly, watching their stiff shoulders as she stood in her doorway. “What can we do for you?”
“Have any of you been in contact with Ainsley?” Trent asked. Travis rocked back on his heels, hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket as he looked around the dining room.
Emily’s brows pulled together. “No, not since the wedding.”
“And you?” Travis asked, looking past her to where her husband and his brother stood.
“Nope.”
Trenton and Travis exchanged looks, both of their faces falling slightly as they nodded in disappointment and turned to leave. “Wait, wait, wait,” Emily called, standing from her seat, “what’s going on?”
Trent looked at his brother, mouth falling into a grimace before he turned to face Emily. “Ainsley didn’t come home last night.”
“And she didn’t show up for her shift this morning.”
“And the others haven’t heard from her.”
Sam came up behind Emily, his hands placed firmly on her shoulders. “Is she with Embry?”
Travis rolled his eyes. “Would you wanna be with Embry?” When no one answered, Travis held his hand out, “Case and point.”
“The only place I haven’t checked is Jacob’s.” Trenton said, pulling his hand down over his eyes. “We’ll try there, hopefully he’s heard something.”
“If you don’t hear anything, give me a call.” Seth said from beside Emily, “It’s probably no big deal –”
“This isn’t like Ainsley. At all.” Travis said finally, repeating everything he and Trenton had already previously discussed in the private of Trenton’s truck. “She’s not like this. She’s never just fucked off without telling someone where she was going, or answering her phone.”
“Let’s not think about the worst case scenario.” Emily said quickly, rushing forward to wrap a comforting arm around Travis’s shoulder, hugging him to her side. “Go ahead and see Jacob, call us when you get there.”
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
It was 12:45 AM. Seth, Jacob, Quil, Paul, Brady, Leah, Trenton and Travis gathered in Sam and Emily’s living room. No one had heard from Ainsley, and no one had seen her. Jacob had gone to the Cullen’s, thinking that maybe, just maybe she was hiding out with Maddox – but they hadn’t heard from her, either.
Sam sighed into the phone again. “Collin, I don’t know where you are, but we need you to stop by when you get the chance.”
“No word from Collin today?” Emily asked, rubbing his back. Sam shook his head.
At this point, Travis and Trenton were about ready to lose their minds. Collectively as a group, everyone decided that they were better off keeping it from Embry until they were absolutely sure on what they needed to do. Trenton was making an honest effort to keep his head in place, trying to power through the anxiety that kept him on edge. He wanted to assume the worst - because at least if he did that, they’d be one step closer to finding her.
“So, what do we do now?”
“We tell my dad -”
“Are you insane, Trav?” Seth asked, looking at his friend from across the room. “You bring TJ into this, and Jennie’s going to lose her mind.”
“What are we gonna do? Really?” He asked, looking around the group. “It’s been twenty-four hours since anyone has had contact with her. She qualifies as a missing person - he can help.”
Trent watched Paul nod slowly. “I hate to agree, but he’s right.”
Trent leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “This is ridiculous.” He mumbled, rubbing his face. “So, what are we assuming here -”
“We’re not assuming anything.” Travis said, folding his arms. “We just say no one’s heard from her or seen her since the wedding, and we let them handle it.”
Trent looked up at Travis with hard eyes, his brows pulling together. “‘Let them handle it’?” He repeated. “Who even are you? This is Ainsley we’re talking about –”
“My point exactly!” He yelled. “What are we going to do, T? Get on our bikes and go looking for her?”
“Maybe we should.”
“Where are we even going to start looking?” He asked exasperated, slapping his hands down on his thighs. “Trenton, it’s Ainsley.”
Leah touched Trenton’s back, rubbing her hand along his shoulders. He looked up at her, watching her nod slightly before he sighed. “Fine. Go tell Dad.”
Travis nodded, picked up his helmet and moved towards the kitchen to leave. “I’ll text you.”
At this time, Sam waited until the door had shut and the motorcycle started before he turned to the group. “So, we’ll take turns running shift.”
“I already spoke with the Cullen’s - we’re free to look around Forks, too. We could go up to Seattle if need be, but let’s start locally for now.” Jacob added, standing next to Sam. “We wait to tell Embry until I can talk to Alice - see if I can get her to get a read on Ainsley.”
“He’s gonna kill us.” Quil muttered from his corner, watching the group collectively nod in agreement. “We need to move quickly - the longer she’s gone, the more angry he’ll be. Jake, Seth and I can come with you to the Cullen's.”
“Paul and I can take Brady on a patrol around the reservation, see if we can catch a scent.” Leah offered, looking towards Paul. She leaned down to press her mouth to Trent’s, their foreheads pressed together momentarily. “We’ll find her.” She promised, her eyes mirroring the worry in his. “Let’s go.” Leah nodded to Brady and Paul, trailing behind them out of the side door.
Sam collapsed onto the couch next to Emily. “Trent, we’ll do everything we can in our power - but if she’s just a missing person, Travis made the right call. We deal with the supernatural aspect of things, not regular human scum. As much as we’d love to, we wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone if they were human.”
Trenton nodded in understanding, letting his head fall into his hands. He wondered if she were safe, if she were okay -
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: 5.5k
Warnings: angst, tw drinking, tw abduction
Taglist: @leilaniers - message / comment if you’d like to be tagged in new chapters (or for Embry content in general)!
It had been just over a month since Embry and I broke up, and nearly two weeks since we had last seen each other.
On the morning of February thirteenth, I stumbled in late to the small hotel room the girls had booked for the morning to assist Kim on the finishing touches for her big day. Being as handy as I was with a makeup brush, Kim had all but insisted that I work my magic on everyone’s face. There were many things I admired about Kim - her big round eyes, her full pouty lips and beautifully square jaw. Carving her cheekbones and highlighting her face were easy - filling her eyes with a subtle smokey look was what proved to be most difficult.
After forty-five minutes of collective giggles and perfecting her eyeliner, I had just secured the inner corner of the false lashes to Kim’s lash line and stepped back with a proud smile. “You look seriously hot.” I declared, turning Kim to face the gigantic mirror in the bathroom. “He’s gonna lose it.”
Kim leaned forward in awe, gently touching her cheek so that she wouldn’t smudge her blush. “I feel like I’m wearing face paint.”
“You are,” I said, then tilted my head to the side as I twirled a loose curl around my finger to reposition the ringlet, “kind of. It always feels too cakey, but I promise it looks completely natural.”
“And you swear I look good?”
“You definitely take the cake.”
We shared smiles in the mirror, and I leaned forward to hug my small arms around Kim’s shoulder as Emily snapped a photo from behind us. As Emily helped re-curl fallen strands of hair, I put in work on my face. I tried to die it down, opting for less glitter and more brown to help bring my eyes out. As much as I might have wanted to glam up, I couldn’t find the heart to take away from the effort I had put into Kim’s look. Once I was finished, I pulled my hair from its twisted bun, letting the strands fall in loose curls, and pinned the sides together in the back with a cream rose clip.
“Do you need help?” Emily asked quietly, offering to slip the strap over my arm to rest on my shoulder. “Does it still hurt?”
I shook my head, smiling up at Emily in the mirror. “Not so much. My mom said it was pretty much healed, just to take it easy for a while.”
“That’s good.” She smiled, rubbing her smooth hands over my arms. “Are you going to be okay for today? With Embry and the wedding?”
I already considered that this particular event was going to be difficult for the two of us. We originally planned to go together, we were part of the wedding party, so naturally it had made sense for us to walk down the aisle together, to stand next to each other in the photos. Embry previously mentioned to me how he wouldn’t be able to look at anyone but me during the ceremony, had sworn that the entire time he’d be picturing me in a white dress – to which I had responded that he was completely insane, but kissed him regardless.
“Yeah,” I forced a smile, nodding my head deliberately, “it’ll be fine.”
“It better be fine - no drama today please and thank you.” Kim’s voice travelled in from the main room, causing Emily and I to roll our eyes in unison. “I love y’all to bits and pieces, but if either of you pull any shit, I swear to god I’ll remove you.”
𝙴𝚖𝚋𝚛𝚢
Seth and Embry exited the elevator when the doors opened, their eyes glancing around the main entrance to the hall as guests piled in from the rain outside. His eyes scanned the crowd, landing on Ainsley’s siblings standing with their father and her mother, next to Billy and Sue. Trent looked over his shoulder at Embry, and offered a limp smile as he wrapped a single arm around Leah’s shoulders.
“Is she wearing a dress?” Quil asked from the other side of Embry, trying to keep his voice hushed.
Seth rolled his eyes. “Just because she’s a pain in the ass doesn’t mean she isn’t allowed to be feminine, jackass.” He grumbled.
Embry didn’t really need to stand on his tip toes, or crane his neck – he already towered over most of the crowd, being one of the tallest in his set of brother’s definitely came with a few perks. He never had issues with people at movies (so long as no one sat directly behind him), he was always able to see the stages at concerts and festivals in the area and usually had zero problems finding people in crowds.
Unless you were Ainsley, and happened to be five foot flat while everyone else towered over you, in which case it was damn near impossible.
“Dammit,” he growled, returning his eyes to the main foyer for the sixth time.
“Ease up,” Seth demanded quietly, placing a firm hand on Embry’s shoulder, “she’s here.”
“It’s been two weeks.”
“And you’ll see her, dude.”
Embry pressed his lips in a firm line, letting the breath he had been holding out slowly. “Do you know which one’s Kira?” He asked absently.
Quil looked at Seth and shrugged. “Not a clue – although I hear she looks almost exactly like Ainsley, only taller and with brown eyes.” Kira was the last minute maid of honor for Kim – they hadn’t spoken in years, and Jared had insisted that Kim do right by their loyalty and family to put her in the wedding party. Which meant Embry would be walking with Kira instead of Ainsley, like they originally planned.
“Lookin’ good, fellas.” Jacob smirked, patting Quil on the back roughly as he joined the group near the elevators. “Anyone seen Sam?”
“He’s probably still upstairs with Jared.” Quil mumbled, fidgeting with his tie.
“Jared’s having a meltdown, dude.” Seth snickered, shoving his hands into his pockets lazily. “Sweating balls and everything.”
Embry shot him a glare, returning his eyes to the crowd in another last-ditch effort to find a pretty girl in a pale pink dress. “He’s looking for Ainsley.” Seth explained to Jacob.
“She hasn’t talked to you yet?”
“No, asshat, she hasn’t.”
Jacob held his hands up, raising his brows. “Woah – I didn’t know.” He said quickly, his eyes following Embry’s to scan through the guests filing into the main hall. “It’s been a month – have you tried going to see her?”
“She’s never home.” He mumbled quietly. “And Travis slams the door in my face instead of actually answering any of my questions.”
“What about Trent?”
“They’re on the outs, too. Says he barely sees her anymore since they had an argument. She comes home late, leaves early – should I be worried? Do you think she’s okay?”
“Maybe you could just try establishing a friendship?” Jacob grimaced, adjusting the tie around his neck. “I don’t know. She’s being ridiculous.”
“That’s your opinion.” A small voice came from behind the group; simultaneously, the boys turned to look down to where Emily and Ainsley stood, arms linked together as they moved out of the elevator. Embry’s throat tightened, eyes fixated on her face as he swallowed and felt his body reignite with a warmth he hadn’t felt in weeks. “You clean up well,” she mused, her big blue eyes scanning their tight-fitted suits.
“Ains -” He tried, his voice cracking just the slightest. He cleared his throat, internally screaming at his lack of ability to speak. She was there – right in front of him, and he couldn’t find a voice. At all.
Dammit.
“I see your mother over there – let’s go say hello before the procession begins.” Emily suggested, glancing between Ainsley and Embry slowly. He wanted to stop her from leaving, wanted to wrap his arms around her shoulders and compress her to his body.
“Hey -” just as Ainsley slipped past him, he reached out and caught her wrist gently, using his fingers to turn her slightly, “you look beautiful.” He said quietly, offering her a big smile.
He half expected her to recoil, or flinch, or even get upset with him. Instead, she smiled thankfully and flipped her hand to grab his, giving his digits a tight squeeze as she smiled. “You too.” She teased lightly, turning to follow Emily to where her parents stood.
It took Embry an unbelievable amount of willpower to let her hand go. He watched her mother give a large gasp, holding her daughter out at arm’s length before she pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her head.
“That seemed promising.” Seth mused quietly, nudging Embry with his elbow.
“Switch spots with me.” He demanded, turning to his brother with a small smile.
Seth’s brows pulled together, “What?”
“Switch spots with me - in the procession.”
“What? Dude, no – we can’t just switch spots.”
“But you’re walking with Ainsley.” He nearly whined, looking back over to where she stood with Travis, awkwardly avoiding Trenton and Leah. “C’mon, do me a solid.”
Quil laughed from beside Embry as he shook his head, “Kim wouldn’t let you out of here alive if you mess with her arrangements.” He pointed out, “And you kinda need to be alive if you plan on getting back into her good graces.” Quil tilted his head towards Ainsley. “Besides - Kira’s kinda hot.”
Embry deadpanned, narrowing his eyes at Quil, “That’s not even funny - first of all, she’s a Black cousin, which means she’s Ainsley’s cousin. Second of all - fuck you.”
“Be nice.” Sam chided from behind the group, his hand automatically reaching up to smack Embry upside his head lightly. “Jacob and I are going inside - can I trust you three to behave yourselves for five minutes?” Jacob smirked, following Sam as he linked arms with Emily and brought her into the main hall. The guests were settling into their respective seats, the bridesmaids were beginning to line up outside of the doors to the aisle.
The elevator doors opened, revealing a very white, very glitzed Kim. Her doe eyes were wide and focused on the boys, giving them a curt nod in approval. “No visible stains, no tears - well done, boys.” She teased, picking the front of her strapless ballgown up as she moved towards them.
Embry leaned down, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek with a genuine smile. “You’re gonna break his damn heart, you know that?”
Kim lifted her chin, her smile breaking across her pink-painted lips in complete confidence. “I know.”
“It’s showtime boys,” Seth said excitedly, rubbing his hands together. Embry looked over to where Kira stood and tried to keep any visible disappointment from his face; he joined her at her side, and offered her his arm. She did look nearly identical to Ainsley; but from what Embry could tell, she wasn’t nearly as beautiful. In fact, he thought she was trying too hard.
From somewhere behind him, he heard Leah groan. “Don’t be gross, Quil.”
He narrowed his hearing, focusing on the quiet murmurs of Seth and Ainsley behind him, “You look nervous - are you nervous?”
“No? Why?”
“Your heart’s beating really fast.”
Her heart stuttered. “Just trying not to think about falling on my face, that’s all.” She lied. Embry tried to keep a smile off his face regardless - it was cute that she still tried.
The next hour dragged by - Embry stood at the front of the hall behind Paul, his eyes secured on Ainsley so intently that he almost missed his cue to provide the pastor with the rings. She looked absolutely gorgeous. Her eyes would glisten ever so often, watching the way Jared and Kim quietly joked with each other in between their turns to speak. Jared’s vows brought her into straight tears, to which she didn’t even bother trying to conceal or wipe her eyes free of them. When the bride and groom finally said their ‘I do’s’ and kissed, the hall erupted in cheers and applause.
The group up front followed the newlyweds out of the hall into a side room where the photographer had been set up. Kim’s parents had paid good money to have professional wedding portraits done of the wedding party - and Embry’s palms were sweating as he began to think about having every photo taken with Kira - and having to watch Seth pose with Ainsley.
He jogged up to where Jared and Kim stood, “Can we make a slight change in some of the photos?”
Kim’s eyes narrowed into slits. “Don’t push it, Emb.”
“I’m not - it’s just -” he sighed heavily, dropping his voice into a whisper, “these photos are sort of permanent and are likely going to be plastered all over your apartment and online. I’d prefer not to have to look at Ainsley and Seth wrapped up in each other all the time -”
“Okay, your jealousy is literally the last thing on my list of priorities right now.” Kim growled, pointing her finger at Embry’s chest. When his face fell visibly, and Jared tugged on her wrist lightly and offered her a concerned look on behalf of his friend, she sighed angrily and dropped her hand. “Fine. But if she gets pissed, I’m throwing you under the bus.”
“Thanks Kim.” He beamed, crushing her to his chest in a tight hug.
One by one they had their portraits taken individually. Most of the photos started with the bride and groom, which turned into all the groomsmen with Jared, and then all of the bridesmaids with Kim. Embry watched Ainsley laugh with Kim, the pair looking very different than the other girls in the group. There was a certain level of maturity in their stance, their eyes careful and warm. When the groups had to merge together for photos, Kim turned to her friend quickly, whispered something in her ear and watched Ainsley glance at him.
“Oh really?” She asked wearily; Embry’s face lit up with heat.
She hadn’t completely objected. They took most of their photos the way the photographer planned - maid of honor and best man together beside the newlyweds, and every other member of the wedding party would follow on either side. Seth and Ainsley fit comfortably together next to Embry and Kira - Embry begrudgingly wrapped his arms around Kira’s waist and forced a smile.
Three photos later, Kira backed a little closer into Embry’s frame.
It wasn’t until the photographer mentioned something about free shots that he broke away from Kira with an impish smile and turned to Ainsley, cocking his head towards the set up. “Would you mind?”
Ainsley hesitated, chewing on her lower lip as she looked past his frame towards the photographer. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“Do you really not want to take a photo with me?” He asked, trying to keep the disappointment from his face. The more he pushed to be near her, the more glaringly aware he became that Ainsley simply wasn’t interested in reconciling with him. Guess the whole soulmate thing really is a load of crap. “One photo - and I promise I’ll leave you alone for the rest of the night.”
“Fine,” she sighed, standing from her chair, leaving her glass of wine at the table, “we can show up Quil and Leah.”
Embry pulled her onto the set, unsure of exactly what he was supposed to do. When the photographer looked up from his camera with Kim, he smiled excitedly and nodded, “Yes. You two,” He clapped, moving forward quickly, “Are a stunning pair - stand here,” he instructed, pulling Embry into the center, “and you, here.” He pushed Ainsley into Embry’s chest. They stared at each other, their faces resembling very similar confusion. “Now, if you two could look a little less mortified - that would be great.”
Ainsley laughed quietly, placing her hands on Embry’s chest slowly as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to his frame. “Emb.” She warned quietly, turning her head towards the photographer.
He leaned down into her ear. “I get to hold you for about sixty seconds - I’m gonna take full advantage of it.” Embry squeezed her sides before he secured his hands behind her back and stood up straight. The pair shifted into various different poses, mentioning something to Kim about letting her choose whichever she wanted to be printed and added to the CD he would send her.
As soon as they were finished, Embry reluctantly released his grip and took a step back, smiling down at Ainsley sheepishly. “Thank you.” He mouthed as she shook her head slightly. He turned to Quil, who had handed him his glass of wine. Embry took it, tilted his head back and downed the contents of the tall glass quickly before he pried Jared’s glass from his fingertips and drank his as well.
“Woah,” Jacob mumbled, watching Embry carefully, “I take it things are going well?”
“Nope.” Embry grumbled, setting both empty glasses down on the table. “But we don’t care.” He stated.
“Right.” Jacob nodded, following Embry and Quil out of the room towards the main hall - which had been shifted into the dining area in their time away from the rest of the guests.
Embry beelined for the bar - leaving his brothers to watch him with slight concern from their table across the room.
𝙰𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚕𝚎𝚢
I sat at the table next to Travis, the two of us picking between desserts we had pulled onto plates from the buffet.
“Try the chocolate one.” He said around a mouthful, leaning back in his seat with a quiet moan, “Fucking delicious.”
I reached forward for his plate, fingers gently pulling the bite-size brownie to my lips. I popped it into my mouth and chewed thoughtfully, nodding when my teeth slid through the creamy center. “Oh yeah, that’s the good stuff.” I mumbled.
We went on like that for an hour, both unwilling to dance or drink as we had driven ourselves. This was the first time in our lives that we were stuck to the hip – typically Trent and I spent most of our time together, but it was very clear that he was making an effort to keep distance.
“Are you gonna stop being mad at him?” Travis asked suddenly, following my eyes to where our brother twirled Leah.
“Eventually.” I promised, taking another sip of my sparkling water. “I’m just kind of over the whole happy couple thing – it’s bad enough dealing with Kim and Jared and this god forsaken wedding.”
Travis sneered, his eyes following a pretty blonde as she passed. “Hey, sis –”
“Just go.” I waved, shaking my head when he smiled devilishly and sprang from his chair to follow the girl.
I spent a lot of my night seated alone at the table, watching the boys crack jokes and laugh together. Embry’s suit fit him perfectly, gripping onto the muscle just enough to give the general public an idea of what kind of body he hid under all of the clothing. I admired the way his smile seemed to light up his whole face, his neck flushed slightly with the amount of alcohol he had consumed.
Maybe I should apologize , I thought to myself, folding my legs at the ankles. The longer I stared at him, the more my chest tightened. It was overwhelming – being in the same room without being able to touch him, to kiss him. God, how I wanted to kiss him – I wanted to run my fingers through his hair, I wanted to taste him on my tongue. I missed his heat.
I started thinking about all the reasons why I had fallen in love with Embry to begin with – apart from the obvious. He always made an effort to take the time to learn what I loved - like my schooling. He tried his best to make sure I was safe and comfortable. Embry had fallen in love with the little things about me that I seemed to hate – the scars on my stomach from my incident seemed to be his favourite untold story. He never pressed or asked questions, simply kissed them and reminded me that I was beautiful.
And he made me believe that. On any given day, I did not consider myself to be a particularly beautiful person. Pretty, sure. I had admirable traits I was sure made me pretty. My eyes were always nice, people had constantly complimented me on them. I had clear skin – never experienced any horrible acne. My weight fluctuated, but was mainly consistent. My curves weren’t insane, my breasts weren’t very large - for the most part, I was very girl next door. But Embry had a way of looking at me that made me feel like I was literally a Goddess. It didn’t matter if I was bloated, or covered in food. Didn’t matter if I was crying or overly happy – to Embry, I was always more beautiful than the day before and I loved how beautiful I felt when I was with him.
He gave me confidence, and because of him, I loved myself better.
I contemplated walking over to where he sat, thought about grabbing his hand and pulling him onto the dancefloor. I thought about interrupting his words with my lips, thought about pulling him down to me by the tie - which led me to think about bringing him home to have him use the tie for ulterior motives.
I watched Embry stand, his eyes slightly glazed over as he glanced in my general direction. I smiled.
My heart swelled in my chest as he made his way across the room, making visible effort to keep upright and straight faced as he swaggered towards me; his smile was coy, his shoulders were thrown back, and he resembled more of Paul than he did himself. Perhaps he had been thinking the same as I, maybe Embry was sick of giving me space. In the last few days, I wished he had made more of an effort to talk to me. For the most part, he had given up completely – he stopped trying to contact me, stopped having Emily bring me messages on his behalf, stopped coming by the house.
I had started to move, unfolding my legs so that I could stand when he finally reached me but stopped short as I watched him pause at the table next to me; he leaned down behind one of the girls that had been seated all night, in her ear talking briefly before she stood to follow him towards the dance floor. My heart sunk.
I averted my eyes quickly, pulling them back to the empty plate in front of me as I recrossed my legs and leaned forward on my elbows, using my hands to casually rub my neck. I tried very hard not to look up to see where they were; Embry and I hadn’t ever shared a dance, and truthfully, despite the falling out, I had been looking forward to be thwarted into at least one. I pressed my lips together, feeling the sadness overwhelm my chest and throat. The burning sensation forced my eyes shut, my head falling into my palms.
There was a part of me that told me to be angry. To get angry. To rekindle the reasons why I had decided he wasn’t good for me - why we were better apart. That the fear he would leave me for someone more beautiful, someone more his type was not for nothing. That I should kick and scream. Then, the part of me that wanted me to be small pulled her in; I lifted my head, trying to keep any emotion off my face as I sat upright and back in my seat. My shoulders squared, my chin lifted and I drew in a deep breath.
My eyes fixated on the pair. Despite how miserable I felt, despite how often I believed everyone when they said Embry was just as heartbroken as I was, I couldn’t see it. Not with his loose hips, not with his friendly smile, not with the laugh that broke over the music.
Guess the whole soulmate thing really was a load of crap.
Song after song, I watched couples dance. I had almost given up for the evening – I started to stand, forcing my feet to move when I heard the voice behind me. “Leaving already?” Seth asked, gripping the back of my chair.
I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and shrugged. “I open at Shaker’s tomorrow,” I looked over my shoulder quickly and then sighed, “it’s better if I just go now.”
The familiar voice that belonged to one of Embry’s favourite artists quietly streamed through the speakers – Seth offered me a smile and held out his hand, “C’mon. You can’t leave until you have danced at least once.”
“I don’t dance, Seth.”
“Neither do I,” he replied, grabbing my hand to pull me towards the dancefloor, “but I know you can lead better than anyone.”
I laughed once, wiping under my eyes with my free hand as I trailed along behind Seth lazily. My feet hurt from the heels, and my body was tired and sore. He pulled us past the circle of his brothers, bypassing their confused stares. He settled on one of the outter corners, away from the majority of the guests and their swaying bodies; when he turned, he wrapped an easy arm around my waist, the other pulling my hand up in his.
“One dance?” I asked, gripping his hand a little tighter as my arm came up to rest on his shoulder.
“One dance.” He promised, twirling me quickly. I laughed again, settling against his body heat comfortably. We moved in easy, slow circles. Seth asked about Maddox – small things, like what his progress had been like, if the Cullen’s felt confident with where he was, things like that. I appreciated that Seth was less like the others – less driven by whatever animal part of him existed.
“They were human, too.” He said, his face pulling into a frown. “Not all of them made that choice, you know? It’s hard to think that sometimes we kill people that didn’t ask for that kind of life. We just assume.”
I appreciated everything each of Embry’s brothers had offered – but I loved Seth the most. He had a genuine heart, much like Emily, but was still a beautiful mix of attitude and fierce passion like the remainder of his brothers. Well balanced, well rounded – an outstanding individual all around. Under different circumstances, I might’ve seen myself developing a rather large, obvious crush on him.
In this moment, I merely appreciated how much of a friend he was. Being one of the few people that preferred to not inquire about Embry, went out of his way to make me feel comfortable, I could safely say that Seth was one of my closest friends since my run in with the boys.
When the song ended, and several couples returned to their seats, I looked up at his towering frame with a sad smile and shrugged. “That’s your one.”
“Drive safe, okay?” He asked, hugging my body to his large frame.
I nodded against his stomach, squeezing his body in my arms as tightly as I could before I released him and stepped around him towards the door. I glanced over her shoulder once to where Kim danced with Jared, the pair completely oblivious to the world around them; the pack danced around them, the group looked completely at ease. Everyone they needed surrounded the happy couple.
That feeling returned – the one where I felt as though I never really belonged. The one where I felt as though I were intruding on a family – a family that didn’t need my presence to be complete. I clenched my jaw tightly, grabbing my jacket from the main entrance before pushing through the doors out into the whirling snow. I bounced towards the Jeep, pulling my coat tightly around my frame as I unlocked the door and slipped inside, cranking the heat as high as it would go.
The rain had covered the roads in slick ice; I drove as carefully as I could. Icicles hung off my side mirrors, and each time I could see the trees bend visibly in the wind, I would shiver involuntarily. “I hate the winter.” I muttered to myself, watching the gas light on my car blink angrily in the dark cab. I sighed, watching each passing sign on my way through the streets of Seattle, hoping to pass a gas station before I hit the highway towards the reservation.
The light suddenly disappeared; I felt the heat instantly shut off, which was followed by the slow descent in speed.
“No,” I said quietly, hitting the dashboard as I pulled the wheel to the right to bring the car to the curb. I turned the key, listening to the engine rev but the car never restarted. “No!” I cried, banging my fists on the wheel.
I zipped my coat up to my neck, pulling my phone out of the clutch I had brought with me to the wedding; no service. “Are you kidding me?” I hissed to myself, looking around the road. There were no visible lights from what I could see, mainly just darkness and the trees blowing in the wind. I locked the doors and returned my phone to the glove compartment.
Someone would pass - I wasn’t too far out of the way.
Nearly half an hour had gone by; no one had yet come down the road. The warmth in the vehicle was no longer existent - which meant my small frame began to shiver uncontrollably as I waited in the front seat for someone to come along. I stared straight forward, tired eyes determined to catch the slightest glimpse of any sort of light. It was nearly eleven – which meant the outside temperature was likely hitting below ten degrees. I rocked back and forth slowly, pulling my arms through the sleeves of my jacket.
“Think warm things.” I muttered to myself, closing my eyes tightly. Warm things.
A sunny beach I had yet had the pleasure of experiencing – although I had imagined a thousand times how hot the sand would be under my feet, how wonderful the sun would feel against my skin. I imagined sipping on a steaming cup of coffee first thing in the morning. I imagined Embry’s warmth – the searing heat that never seemed to burn me, no matter how warm I was. No matter how painful it should’ve been.
“You’re gonna be okay.” I mumbled to myself. “Someone will find you.”
After what felt like an eternity later, I heard a faint tap on my window. I jumped slightly, pressing my hand to my heart under my coat. I sighed loudly, looking through the glass at the gentleman that held a phone up. The light illuminated his face enough; his dark eyes complimented the blonde hair on his head, and he knocked on the glass again.
I rolled the window down. “Thank god.”
“Broke down?” He asked, looking around the Jeep’s cab.
I nodded, laughing slightly. “Yeah, I don’t really know what happened.” I admitted, slipping my arms through the sleeves on my jacket as I unfastened my seatbelt. “I’ve been here for an hour.”
“No kidding,” he raised his brows, “would you like a lift into town? Get you out of the cold?”
I felt a breath of relief, and nodded. “Yes please.” I nodded again, pulling the window up on my Jeep. I exited the car, shoving my hands into my pockets as I followed the man to the silver Honda parked behind me. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name,” I mused finally, settling into his passenger seat, “I’m Ainsley.”
“Garrett.”
I froze, my eyes glued to my lap as I slowly let the seat belt click.
“Garrett.” I repeated quietly, rearing my thoughts back through my previous conversations. The odds were slim – but I was in Seattle, and it would be just my luck –
A cloth pressed to my mouth quickly then, hands collapsing around either side of my head to hold it in place when I attempted to reach up to try and pry his hand away from my face. The scream built in my throat, muffled around the fabric as the stench filled my nostrils: my lungs burned. I reached for the door, pushing it open for the slightest second before it was pulled shut again. This time when I met Garrett’s eyes, I saw the red hue underlying in the darkness.
My limbs began to go numb, the nausea in my stomach wrenching. Desperate for air, I inhaled as much as I could; the spinning made my eyes weary, and eventually I fell limp, praying that someone would find me sooner rather than later.
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: mentions of abusive relationship, alcoholism, drinking
Taglist: @leilaniers - message / comment if you’d like to be tagged in new chapters (or for Embry content in general)!
It had been about two weeks since the last time Embry and I spoke. We saw each other on two separate occasions: once when Jennie and I visited Billy for lunch and a few of the guys had been outside trying to clear his driveway from the snow that had barricaded him inside for the last few days, and again at Jared’s when Kim and I stopped by to pick up some of her things from his apartment.
Both times Embry tried to talk to me, and both times I tried to avoid having to speak with him in the nicest way possible. I wasn’t particularly proud of what happened, and definitely hadn’t heard the last of it. Maddox suggested that perhaps I had taken it too far, and had even gone as far as trying to encourage me to go see Embry and work things out.
“Mistakes happen,” he mumbled, picking a stray strand of hair from his pant leg, “we both know he would never do anything to hurt you on purpose.”
Maddox had had a point, but I still wasn’t ready to talk to him. Not yet.
Currently, we were occupying the Cullen’s downstairs quarters, lounging on opposite sides of the couch, trying to make it through whatever movie Emmett left on before he left with Rose and Esme for their hunt. I spent less time at home, after being at odds with Trent. He had the audacity to thank me for keeping his name out of the mix, sparing his relationship with Leah. For the first few days, I bit my lip and pushed through it, but after a week I was over watching how happy he was privileged to be.
I hadn’t wanted to help him in the first place, hadn’t wanted to talk to Maddox. Trent had been the one to drag me to Ink Obsession that night – what unravelled from thereafter was completely on me, sure. But it wouldn’t have happened if Trenton hadn’t pushed it and put me in a corner.
Damn that fucking obligation and family loyalty and all that other shit.
I comfortably settled into the Cullen household — while I slept in my own bed each night, I spent most of my days catching up with Maddox and Renesmee, and learning about what it meant to be a vampire in today's day and age. I learned how each family member turned, and even become quite chummy with Emmett and Rosalie.
The further into the new year we went, the less Maddox needed me to help with learning control. Not wanting that to stop me from visiting, he invited me over for an afternoon of video games and movies — he accidentally broke the controls for the gaming station, so we resorted to stealing the basement to separate ourselves from the rest of the vampires.
“Have you called him back yet?”
I rolled my eyes for the umpteenth time, shaking my head a little bit. He was as bad as Trenton. “No, I haven’t.” I drawled lazily.
“You should.” He pressed, kicking my foot with his, “Jacob mentioned something about Embry losing his mind, sounds like he’s not doing too well.”
I raised my brows, unsurprised. “First of all, that’s not exactly out of the norm for Embry.” I folded my arms and rested my head against the arm of the sofa. “Second of all, him not doing too well is precisely why we broke up in the first place.”
“I feel bad.” Maddox muttered angrily, looking down at his fists. “I know how important he was to you. I feel like my being here ruined what happiness you had.”
I paused for a moment, trying not to let myself agree with anything he just said. “No, Maddox. You didn’t ruin my happiness, because my happiness didn’t just come from him.” I felt the need to spare him the part where Embry had been a large part of my happiness, and that without him I couldn’t help but feel as though he were right. I knew there was more that made me incredibly happy. Working with such amazing people that had these big, warm hearts gave me much of my happiness. Being at home with my mother, talking to my best friend about what upcoming projects I would be working on for the school semester was part of my happiness.
But much of my happiness had also come from laying in bed Sunday mornings with Embry, listening to his heartbeat, feeling his warm fingertips run along my spine. Waking up at three in the morning and feeling him pull me closer, and bury his face into my neck. Walking hand in hand through the forest from my place to Emily and Sam’s – the overwhelming sensation that I was always safe, always well protected and cared for made my heart swell and sing.
And here I was, weeks later, trying to convince myself that it was okay to walk away from things. That despite it all, the relationship couldn’t be healthy if we continuously hid things from each other. I understood why Embry decided to keep what he was from me for so long – a part of me wishes I didn’t know at all. It would be easier that way. But I was here now, and I was fully stuck in the middle of the supernatural world, despite being totally human.
So, I decided I needed a break from everything supernatural. While I might have been unable to work, I was still able to hangout with Angie. In an effort to keep Jennie from knowing about Embry and I (truthfully I wasn’t ready to tell her), I had been staying at Angie's house on and off for the last two weeks to keep her in the dark.
Provided Travis hadn’t already said something.
Maddox sighed, pulling me from my trance. “You know you should talk to him.” He said finally. “You’re being stubborn and it’s ridiculous. He’s your soulmate.”
I kicked his leg, eyes cutting sideways to glare at him. I really didn’t want to hear it. Not now.
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
I shivered against the cold wind, pulling the hood on my jacket up as I waited for the gas pump to register my card. I had been running on fumes since I left Forks, and desperately needed to refill before heading back into town to Angie’s for the night. My fingers gripped the frozen pump reluctantly, and I squeezed.
It was nearly nightfall – the sun was setting behind the mountain tops in the distance. Despite being less than thirty degrees, the Peninsula was absolutely gorgeous during this time of year. I admired the way the reds in the sky mixed with the frosty mountain and tree tops, setting them ablaze with warm hues. In my peripheral vision, a red Rabbit pulled up on the other side of the pump; Jacob exited his vehicle and pursed his lips together.
“Ainsley.” He said curtly, zipping his sweater a little higher to keep his neck warm.
I rolled my eyes; Jacob had been another individual in my life I decided to cut out for the time being. I hadn’t appreciated his involvement in the situation, nor had I appreciated him giving Embry any reason to rush the Cullen household. He evidently caused a mess of things – but to Jacob, I was the one being completely unreasonable.
“Still not speaking to me, huh?”
“I don’t have anything to say, Jacob.” I sighed, shaking the nozzle of the pump in my tank. “I’ve said everything I needed to.”
He leaned against the back of the Rabbit and folded his arms. “And you still haven’t talked to Embry?”
“Is my shoulder still sprained?”
Jacob then rolled his eyes, pulling his lips back into a sneer. “He didn’t mean to hurt you. He’s quite literally beating himself up over it.”
“You know,” I started, placing the pump back in its original place, “a lot of people have been saying that. You, your dad, Maddox, Trent – and I’m really sick of listening to it.”
“Ainsley, if you would just talk to him.”
“I don’t want to,” I shouted, holding my hands out at my sides, “that’s the thing. He’s not any better with me than he is without me. I can’t deal with the whole inner animal thing, Jake, and I definitely can’t do it if I’m going to keep getting hurt like this.”
“I still don’t get how you ended up pissed with me.”
I gawked at him for a moment before I turned to place the cap back on my tank angrily. “Because you have a big fucking mouth.” I growled, slamming the lid on my tank shut. “You could’ve not said a single word to him, you could’ve just left it alone –”
“No, Ainsley, I really couldn’t.” He growled, sticking his head between the stations to get closer to me. “You don’t think I didn’t weigh both sides before I made my decision? If I hadn’t said anything, if I had protected you and lied to everyone –” he shook his head, “and they found out? They’d question my character as an alpha.”
“So, you did it because it was more beneficial to you?”
“It was just the right thing to do. He deserved to know.”
Damn Jacob. Damn that stupid fucking loyalty they had.
“No, he really didn’t, Jake, but you keep telling yourself that.” I sighed, moving around the hood of the Jeep to open the passenger door. “Look at everything now. Was telling him worth it? Because he and I are done, and my relationship with Trenton is essentially destroyed because he lucked out – because Maddox failed to mention to you that he was also part of why he ended up at the Cullen’s.”
Jacob blinked and closed his mouth.
“He and Leah are fucking perfect, which is wonderful for him – but I can’t keep hearing how happy he is that I kept him out of it. I didn’t even have a choice in the matter. Instead, I was dragged down. I’m so happy that everyone else has benefited from this.”
“Not everybody did, Ains.”
“Embry’s actions ended with consequences. He showed me that he isn’t capable of doing anything except reacting with emotion instead of logic right now. If he had just talked to me instead of deciding he needed to do something right then, right there, this would be an entirely different story and conversation.” I slammed the Jeep’s door, and walked around the hood to where Jacob stood. “I get that you all have some genetic thing that makes you hate who they are, fine. I don’t agree with it, but I get it.”
“Then what is the issue?” He asked exasperated.
“Embry saw Maddox as a threat, and for a while I thought it was just because of what Maddox was. If that were the case, he would’ve come to me and asked me if I was safe, and comfortable. And if I had answered yes, he would’ve accepted it and moved on.” I stuck my hands in my pockets. “This wasn’t about what he was, moreso of who he was – he reacted out of jealousy and anger, and was trying to use the whole vampire-wolf hate thing as an excuse for his actions.”
“That’s not it at all.” Jacob dismissed, moving to pick up his own gas pump.
“It is.” I sneered, turning around to head back towards the driver's seat. “And the fact you don’t see it means you’re willing to make excuses for him – also why I don’t really have an interest in talking to you.”
“Did you forget I can read his mind? You’re being ridiculous!” He shouted over the sound of my engine.
I have good reason, I thought to myself, pulling the Jeep into drive to pull out of the gas station.
𝙴𝚖𝚋𝚛𝚢
Embry’s back settled into Emily’s couch for the fourth time that week; after spending a solid seven days in isolation, he had decided that it was about time he got off his ass and tried to attempt to be a normal human being. He didn’t typically make an effort to really associate, mainly sat in his corner with a beer in hand, watching whatever was on the television. He hadn’t gotten the chance to really clean up after his fiasco a two weeks ago.
Embry thought back to that night, grimacing.
He had narrowly missed Jared’s head when he hurled the door down the stairs, and put several holes in the drywall of his room. Jared – with great effort – managed to wrap his arms around Embry’s body, constricting his arms tightly. In between his fits of rage and anger, the reality of the situation had dawned on him, causing Embry’s knees to give out on him. The pair had fallen to the floor, Embry’s cry echoed throughout the empty home. Broken sobs had ripped through his chest, a sound he had never in his life managed to make before.
Seth and Jared tried to clear some of the mess Embry had created in his tantrum, but it seemed futile. Shards of glass were embedded into the carpet that he wouldn’t be able to remove until he purchased a vacuum, and seeing as he rarely spent any time out of his bedroom, he hadn’t considered it a priority.
Most of the house remained in ruins. Jacob was rightfully pissed.
“You look like you could use another one.” Sam tapped Embry’s shoulder with the cold bottle, offering it to him with an empathetic look.
“Don’t do that.” He grumbled harshly, taking the bottle from Sam’s hand.
The former alpha shook his head, settling into the recliner across from the sofa. Sam watched Embry for a moment, taking a large swing from his beer before he sighed and leaned forward on his elbows, “You should really consider showering.”
“Fuck you, I’ve showered.”
“Have you eaten?”
Embry almost rolled his eyes, moving his neck just enough so he could look at Sam with narrowed eyes. “No, Samuel, just let me wither away.”
“Embry, look, I know things have been flipped upside down and you’re not really sure what to do at this point but I think it would be really good for you if you just –”
“Just what?” He snapped angrily, setting the bottle down on the coffee table. “Just call her? Just talk to her? Just get over it? Just move on? Just live my damn life? I don’t know if you realize how fucking shitty this is, Sam – not everything works so perfectly like it did for you and Em.”
“You think we had it easy?” He asked casually, honestly, as he relaxed in his chair.
“You’re married and expecting your second child. How bad could it have been?”
“So, what happened with Leah was no big deal?” He asked, tilting his head to the side. When Embry pressed his mouth shut, Sam continued, “Leah may not have been my imprint, but she was my first love. The way everything worked out ruined me. Having to walk away from something I had seriously invested myself into made me angry and bitter. I know exactly what it feels like to lose someone you love because of something you couldn’t control.”
Embry sat on that thought for a moment before he leaned back in his seat and shook his head. “Not the same.”
“And why not?”
“Because Emily’s the one.” Embry stated. “Regardless of how much you loved Leah, regardless of how shitty you felt about it, she was the one. Do you really think you’d be any more put together than me if she decided she didn’t want any part of this anymore? That she wanted out?”
“I have considered that.” He nodded. “I thought she was going to leave after the accident.”
“But she didn’t.”
“No, she didn’t.”
They sat in silence, watching each other. Embry didn’t really feel any better; Sam and Emily’s accident was just a painful reminder that far worse had happened and Emily had loved him regardless. Ainsley belly upped and walked away, and Embry was certain that so long as he lived, he would never love another woman. And it wasn’t the imprint bond talking - that was simply how it was. Relationships had never been Embry’s thing, nor had he ever found any girl really worth the effort. Until Jessica. Until Ainsley.
“You’re really lousy at trying to make people feel better, Sammy.” Seth quipped as he entered the room, collapsing onto the couch next to Embry.
“The point I was trying to make was that mistakes happen,” he concluded, crossing his ankles together, “I think Ainsley is having just as hard a time as you are.”
Seth tried to disguise the look on his face that might’ve revealed otherwise, instead opting to place a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. “Ease up, Embry. We’re all here for you.”
Embry shrugged him off, swiped his drink off the table and downed half the bottle quickly. If this was going to be another night of listening to his brothers give him a pep talk, Embry already decided he wanted to be as far from sober as possible. Well, he could try, at least; it never lasted for very long.
It was always easier to pretend they were right when he was drinking.
After what seemed to be hours, Embry and Sam were almost two cases deep, with Jared and Quil not too far behind them. They had overthrown Emily in her kitchen, laughing loudly from the mix-matched chairs in the dining room, the deck of cards spread between the four of them as they finished the last of what alcohol they had. This was the fourth night this week Embry had managed to drag one or more of his brother’s out of sobriety with him. Drunk was always less lonely when everyone else was drunk, too.
He glanced at his phone, fingers aimlessly scrolling through the hordes of messages before he finally hit the phone icon in the top right corner of the screen. He held his fingers to his lips as he pressed the receiver to his ear, listening intently.
She had never picked up before - Embry was certain today wouldn’t be any different.
By now, he was simply doing it because he missed her voice, and her answering machine was the only thing keeping him completely sane.
“The number you have reached is not in service.”
Embry’s blood ran cold. His smile faded as his mind tried to push past the drunken haze and the liquor to process what that meant.
She changed her number.
He pulled the device back, watching the call screen exit to reveal the background image of them. He had his arms wrapped around her waist, holding her steady in his lap as he looked at her, smiling for the camera in her ridiculously oversized, horrendous Christmas sweater.
His fingers tightened around the phone, watching the screen crack and crumble around their faces before the screen went black. In the next instant, he stood from his chair as he launched the phone across the room, the device smashing into pieces as it hit the back wall of the kitchen.
Embry hadn’t really felt like explaining himself. Instead, he stumbled towards the door, grabbed his jacket and slammed the screen shut behind him as he pulled his keys from his pocket.
“Walk it off, Embry.” Sam ordered from the doorway, face stern as he glanced down at the keys.
“Fuck you, Uley.” He spat, shoving them back into his pocket as he turned away from his truck and headed into the forest.
𝙰𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚕𝚎𝚢
I watched Angie run her hands through her cropped hair, trying not to snicker when she half-screamed in frustration. “It’s absolutely insane,” she cried as she looked at her phone for the billionth time that evening. “I’ve been on my own for nearly two years now as my father still feels the need to check in on me every single day.”
“I think it’s sweet.” I mumbled as I flipped through the channels on the small television that sat kitty-cornered in Angie’s living room.
“He’s a Navy seal,” she grumbled, leaning over the back of the couch next to Ainsley’s head, “he literally thinks everyone is out to get me.”
“Is he wrong?” I asked, popping another Twizzler into my mouth.
Angie rolled her green eyes, and flipped over the couch to join me. “He just worries.”
“Typical dad stuff?”
Angie pursed her lips, folding her legs underneath her bottom. “Not … exactly.”
I pulled my brows together, shaking my head slightly when I decided it wasn’t my place to press for further details. “Whatever you say, Ang.”
We rearranged ourselves on the couch, Angie’s head resting in my lap while I scrolled through my phone. After twenty minutes of silence, she finally spoke up. “Has he called you?”
“I changed my number, remember?”
“Which I still think was a horrible idea – Embry seemed like a really sweet guy.”
“Stop.” I sighed, pushing Angie off my legs. “I don’t need it from you.”
Angie tossed me a look that should’ve been paired with her hands on her hips and a condescending sigh. “If multiple people have to keep repeating the same thing, then maybe you should listen.”
“It’s not that easy, Ang.” I grumbled, pulling my knees up to my chest. “There’s so many things that outweigh the good right now, I can’t see past it. He’s not going to change – and this isn’t ‘boys will be boys’ crap, it’s borderline terrifying.”
Angie gnawed on her bottom lip, pulling another Twizzler from the bag as she watched me fold in on myself. “You want to know what’s really borderline terrifying?” She asked, swallowing what doubts she had about disclosing her next piece of information. “Coming home to a drunk, and hoping that he doesn’t decide to pick a fight with you simply because you weren’t home in what he deemed ‘appropriate timing’.”
I raised my brow.
“Or locking yourself in the bathroom because he’s screaming at you from the other side of the door, angry because his friends had asked about some bruises that you should’ve spent more time trying to cover up. Thinking about running away from him every night, but never able to move because you’re absolutely paralyzed with fear that he’ll hear you and wake up. Finally being able to do it and moving seven states across the country to put as much distance between you and everyone you ever knew because there was nowhere to hide from him in such a small place.”
“Ang –” I started.
Angie interrupted.
“I know what an abusive relationship looks like, Ains. Embry is not abusive. Embry is a man who, yes, tends to react out of anger instead of logic right now, and yes it can end incredibly horrible under the wrong circumstances. But he is not someone who is trying to hurt you maliciously. You are not his property, you’re his equal.” She sighed, moving forward to curl into my side again. “I love you, Ains. And I know that being away from him is killing you probably as much as it’s killing him.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked quietly, linking my arm around hers. “All this time, I’ve been going on about it, trying to determine whether or not it classified and you –” I shook my head in disbelief, unable to speak the words. It was odd to think that it happened to the best people. Life had a funny way of sucking the sunshine out of every beautiful human being, giving bad hands to the people that were least deserving of them.
“I’ve never really told anyone.”
“Who was he?”
Angie got quiet then, almost as though she were afraid he might hear, “Avery. He was a few years older than me, graduated top of his class, super charming and a total ladies man.” She laughed disdainfully. “He took me to prom, we moved out into an apartment, he had even proposed.”
I pulled my brows together. “What happened?”
Angie shrugged, “I don’t really know. He started gambling, started drinking a little more. I was never really sure if he was touching anything hard. He’d come home late, if he came home at all. It started out with little things - like he’d yell at me, call me names, but he’d always apologize.
Then he stopped apologizing. And it started to feel like I was doing something wrong, like I was the reason he was so angry all the time. I found out from a mutual friend that he had been seeing another woman, and tried to confront him about it. Threatened to leave because I knew I deserved better than what he was willing to give. And that was the first night I really thought I was going to die. I had never seen something so hateful.”
I leaned into Angie’s side, resting my head against my friend’s shoulder.
“I was so scared to leave. He told me that even if I tried, he’d find me. That I belonged to him, that I would be good for him. My money was his money, my time was for him only - I stopped seeing my family, stopped seeing all of my friends. He always made me feel like I was nothing but a complete burden. When he started getting physical, I was terrified someone might say something, and that I’d lose what I thought was the one person that tolerated me enough to stick around.”
“Ang –”
“Ainsley, just promise me you’ll talk to Embry.” She sighed, bringing a hand up to cover her eyes. “That you’ll take the time out of your day to talk to him. Just consider it – because as much as I understand your worry and concern, believe me when I say that Embry is not a man capable of even imagining putting you through that kind of pain.”
I wanted to press the topic further, but the sadness in Angie’s eyes encouraged otherwise. I simply wrapped my arms around Angie’s frame, kissed her cheek and muttered. “I’ll think about it.”
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: 5.3k
Warnings: acts of violence, mentions of blood, angst. so much angst.
Taglist: @leilaniers - message / comment if you’d like to be tagged in new chapters (or for Embry content in general)!
𝙴𝚖𝚋𝚛𝚢
Embry’s body ached in places they hadn’t ached in years. He groaned slightly, stretching his arms out in front of him as the joints popped loudly. He was sore, he was tired, and he was hungry. As much as he wanted to sleep, he needed food far more. Working a double patrol was not something commonly heard of amongst the group – so, it’s safe to say Leah and Seth were a little more than surprised when Embry had joined them the previous night to run their shift around the border.
In all honesty, Embry hadn’t thought too much about it. Jacob hardly ever asked anyone for favours, let alone Embry. But lord knows he had asked for plenty. Seeing no reason to say no, Embry agreed to the extra shift and called in sick to his job for the night. As unhappy as Dan had been about it, he allowed it.
His fingers worked aimlessly, pulling a clean bowl from the dishwasher and loading it high with Ainsley’s sugary sweet cereal. After digging through the heaping pile of dirty utensils in the sink, Embry found a spoon big enough for his appetite, cleaned it thoroughly and wandered into the living room with his breakfast.
Once seated on the couch, he propped his feet up on the coffee table – something Ainsley usually never allowed – and flipped the television on. He searched for something while he shovelled spoonfuls into his mouth, pausing momentarily to watch the headline on one of the local news channels circulate across the screen.
𝑻𝑯𝑹𝑬𝑬 𝑴𝑶𝑹𝑬 𝑭𝑶𝑼𝑵𝑫 𝑫𝑬𝑨𝑫 𝑰𝑵 𝑺𝑬𝑨𝑻𝑻𝑳𝑬
Embry sighed; it was difficult trying to find the remaining nomads in the area. He knew fully well that they were preying on humans in other cities, that the odds of them returning to the reservation were slim to none. That typically infuriated Embry, moreso when Jacob dismissed his futile efforts in trying to convince the pack they should go to Seattle to try and hunt them, rather than wait for them here. While it seemed like a practical idea, Jacob had also pointed out that the forest to city ratio was leaning in favour of the latter, which would make finding and killing them more difficult.
They were unable to cause any real damage while in human form, but were also unable to wander the streets openly.
Embry placed the empty bowl on the table, swinging his legs over onto the couch as he belched and settled into the cushions. With being unable to be home over the last few weeks, Embry had decided it would be best for Ainsley if she stayed at Jennie’s. He couldn’t decide if leaving her alone was any better than sticking her with her family. If he came for her, he’d surely kill the others, too.
Jennie. TJ. Travis.
Trent.
Leah, however, seemed less pessimistic than Embry and had seconded the idea. It brought them more peace in mind to know where they were, and that they were together when neither Leah nor Embry could be around. It had been a few days since Ainsley had slept in their bed, and her absence made Embry feel less at home.
He pulled his phone from his pocket, staring at the illuminated screen that showed a photo of the pair making silly faces in their ugly christmas sweaters – his home screen featured a photo of their matching Halloween costumes. He had gone as Danny and she had gone as Sandy. Embry wore a leather jacket and a tight fitted pair of black jeans with his hair (prior to the accidental buzz Ainsley had given him) slicked back. She wore a homemade Pink Ladies jacket, paired with a cropped white tank and leather leggings.
He let his eyes close, only momentarily, the weight of his exhaustion finally creeping up on him.
The sound of a car door slamming from outside the front door brought him back; he slowly opened his eyes, a growl rising in his chest as he turned his head towards the television and read the time – 2:38 PM . Well fuck , he thought as he sat up, I guess I was out longer than I thought.
He had barely gotten the chance to remove the eye sleepies before Jacob barged through the door, “Dude, what the fuck?” Embry grumbled, rubbing his fists against his eyes. “Close the damn door, it’s freezing -”
“Embry, we need to talk.” He said firmly, slamming the door shut behind him. Embry paused his movements and watched Jacob as he began to pace back and forth in their living room uneasily.
His face was pulled together and tight. Like he had something to say, he just didn’t know how to say it. Like it left a bad taste in his mouth. He’d wander just into the hallway towards the kitchen before he’d come back and pass the television to stop short of the recliner Embry’s mom left behind. Jacob’s arms were folded, his hand covering his mouth every so often.
After about sixty seconds, Embry rolled his eyes and slumped back into the couch. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” he grumbled, almost exasperated. “I just – I need to make sure I’m doing the right thing.”
Embry watched his alpha pace again, only stopped every so often to place his hands on his hips and stare down at him. He half expected Jacob to just say something at some point, and was fully prepared for it to be completely stupid and not worth disturbing his sleep. “Don’t you always do the right thing?” He asked, cracking his knuckles.
“This is different,” Jacob sighed, letting his head fall back. “This is about loyalty and family and –”
Embry raised his brow, lifting his eyes just enough to watch Jacob’s face contort again. “Somethings really eating you up, huh?”
“Emb –”
“Jake, just spit it out. Not to be rude, and I’m going to be rude – I’m fucking tired and you’re kinda being annoying.” Jacob collapsed onto the couch next to his brother; Embry sighed and leaned forward on his elbows, “So, either you say something or you get out of my face. Please.”
𝙹𝚊𝚌𝚘𝚋
Jacob pressed his lips together and inhaled deeply. The part of him that wanted to protect his cousin was screaming somewhere in the back of his mind. She was his family. His duty was to protect her – even if it meant lying to the pack. He had considered it. Considered having people fill his shift, even considered having a meeting to address that the nomad issue no longer threatened the reservation and therefore seemed useless to have his pack strain themselves.
No one would have to know what he knew. Eventually, it would come out. And when it did, it was possible that the Cullen’s could take complete responsibility for Maddox’s presence. No one would have to know. He wouldn’t have to preoccupy himself with other thoughts because he physically was unable to think about anything other than Ainsley and Maddox and what road lay ahead.
On the flip side, he thought about Embry.
Embry was his brother. Ainsley had been absent for so many years, and their relationship came through blood. Blood may be thicker than water, but Embry had been there for Jacob. Despite not liking Bella, despite being a complete asshole, he had earned Jacob’s respect – and Jacob respected Embry enough to not let something as big as this slip past him.
He feared that his brothers would question his loyalty and decision making should they ever find out.
Despite everything Carlisle and Jasper had said, Maddox was still a nomad vampire, that had fed on humans, that could still pose a very dangerous threat to the tribe and the townspeople.
“I can’t choose,” he said finally, shaking his head. “She’s my family, and I love her, I really really do.”
“Who?”
“Ainsley.”
Jacob watched Embry’s face carefully. Several different emotions crossed his face, never able to cling to one. Worry pulled his brows together and pulled his lips taunt, “What about her? What’s wrong?”
𝙴𝚖𝚋𝚛𝚢
“Maddox is residing with the Cullen’s.”
Embry almost had to ask Jacob to repeat himself – because for a moment, it sounded like Jacob had just informed him that the nomad vampire that had previous relations with his girlfriend was living with the one family he couldn’t touch. That the one vampire he had dreams of tearing into pieces was within walking distance and no one had even known.
He wasn’t sure if he should be angry at himself or at the Cullen’s.
“Emb.” Jacob turned to look at his brother fully, “Ainsley is the one who brought him there.”
He blinked, his face releasing all tension. “That’s not funny.” He snorted, standing on his two feet to bring his bowl into the kitchen. Embry shook his head, his lips pulling into a smile, half expecting Jacob to start laughing with him. When he didn’t, he pulled his brows together again. “That’s not funny.” He repeated, this time a little harder.
If Jacob was playing some sort of sick, practical joke on Embry, now was the time to say ‘haha’.
Jacob stood slowly, his eyes carefully watching the tremors vibrate Embry’s chest. “Emb,” He said quietly, firmly. “Ainsley’s been hiding him.”
His voice broke around her name, “Ainsley?”
Jacob nodded.
The glass bowl shattered instantly under the pressure of his palms, leaving the ceramic in a billion tiny pieces on their living room floor. Embry’s shoulders heaved with each breath he took, the shaking pulling a loud growl through his chest.
There were many emotions Embry had mastered over the years - loneliness had been one of them. When Ainsley had come into his life and fully welcomed him with open arms, Embry thought he’d never feel anything other than happy for the rest of his life. He had never expected his other half to help aid and bed a vampire. Another emotion Embry had grown accustomed to was disappointment: for weeks, he had been trying to push the thought from his mind. That reliving the Bella-Edward-Jacob painfest was a possibility between he and Ainsley and Maddox. Disappointment because he believed her every time she promised him everything would be okay – he knew why, now.
It wasn’t easy to admit defeat for Embry, but what was he to do? He couldn’t kill Maddox now – as much as he wanted to, there was no way he was making it near the Cullen household without one or more of them putting him down.
There was a very large part of him that wanted Jacob to be wrong. More than anything, he wanted Jacob to be lying. His feet moved without consent; Embry found himself darting to his front door, breaking the wood from the hinges as he pulled it open. He didn’t even bother with his pants, didn’t bother with his boots – his body convulsed roughly, the heat scorching his spine and shoulders as he fell to the forest floor with a loud snarl and exploded into the part of him he had grown with the most.
His paws pushed him forward, ignoring the presence of every other brother’s worry and question that flooded his mind. Embry was fully aware that crossing the lands without general permission was frowned upon; the Cullen’s agreed to stay off their territory so long as the wolves stayed off theirs.
Today, Embry didn’t care.
Today, Embry had his own agenda.
𝙰𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚕𝚎𝚢
The snow fell outside the Cullen household slowly and gently as I sighed in frustration for the umpteenth time. Over the last few weeks, I stopped viewing Maddox as a chore. At some point, we had moved past what had happened. I had never fully forgiven him for what he played part of, but could live with the decision he made to become a monster, I suppose. There were questions I had that would be left unanswered for quite some time, and I couldn’t be bothered to push. I became so incredibly drained both mentally and physically, I could barely stand on my own two feet.
Edward handed her a mug of steaming liquid; in the last two weeks, Edward and I had been working on our differences. Part of me constantly wanted to thank him, for forcing Embry to tell me. While unconventional, I was still certain I had him to thank. The other part of me wanted to punch him in the nose, but I was aware that my hand probably wouldn’t win that battle.
Maddox and Jasper were outside, doing whatever it was that Jasper was good at. They had gotten particularly close since his arrival at the Cullen home – not that I minded. It meant he spent less time bugging me and more time occupying himself.
“Why aren’t you home with Embry?” Edward asked quietly, settling into the opposite end of the couch awkwardly.
I cocked my brow, looking sideways at him. “We’re not attached at the hip. I do have a life outside of him.”
Edward pursed his lips and sighed. “Wish Renesmee had that mindset.” He mused, staring at the floor, “Hardly even bothers trying to talk to anyone anymore, just wants to see Jacob.”
I smiled, trying to hide it behind the red mug, “They’re besties,” I reminded him, stifling a yawn, “get used to it.”
We spent the better part of the following twenty minutes in silence; neither of us felt the need to talk much, just simply enjoyed the silence. I learned the hard way that Edward could read my mind – and regardless of how unsettling it was, it proved useful. He knew when I was uncomfortable, when Maddox wasn’t going to be in control – he always made use of it by stepping in whenever he seemed fit.
“Embry?”
I looked over at Edward, his face pulled together.
There was a loud growl, followed by a boom and crack.
We stared at each other briefly before Edward disappeared, leaving me sitting in the living room alone. I rushed to the window, looking down into the white abyss of what they called a backyard. Maddox stood on one end of the clearing, snow littering his hair – on the opposite end, a large gray wolf crouched low and snarled. Just by the rigid posture and bared teeth, I knew Embry had come for Maddox and was solely intent on killing him.
Shit.
I bolted after Edward, jumping down the flights of stairs. Edward stood next to Jasper, Jasper yelling something about keeping control. “We have a treaty, Knight.” He reminded him, observing Maddox halt his movements and watch Embry in defeat.
Embry took this as his cue.
“No!” I shouted, watching Embry’s shoulder ram into the nomad’s body. Maddox went flying backwards into the bushes, his grunt echoing off the trees. I darted over to where Embry stood – having only seen him in this form twice before – and placed my hands on either side of his snout. “Embry, stop.” I whispered desperately, trying to force the wolf to look at me.
He growled, staring past me to where the vampire had disappeared.
“Embry, please –”
“Ainsley, get out of the way.” Edward demanded while taking a slow, cautionary step forward.
I shook my head, looking over my shoulder to where Maddox emerged from the forest. His eyes had darkened, his jaw was taut and squared. If I weren’t incredibly sure Maddox was a unicorn in a daredevils body, he might have actually been terrifying.
Scratch that, he was definitely terrifying. And as much as I didn’t want Embry hurting Maddox, I didn’t want Maddox – or anyone else, for the matter – hurting Embry. The cold wind bit at my cheeks, eliciting a hiss from my mouth. I was being careless.
When the wolf moved forward, I dragged my feet back, bracing myself against Maddox’s body. “Embry, don’t do this.” I pleaded, pressing a hand to his muzzle. “You’re better than this, don’t do this.”
I was only met with another growl.
At a loss, unsure if I would be able to reason sense into my wolf, I turned and looked up at Maddox. “Run.” I instructed; when he failed to move, or make eye contact with me, I placed my hands on his chest and gripped his coat, “Maddox, I said run.”
The next few moments happened very quickly; Edward’s face morphed into shock, dashing forward once realization had crossed his mind. My back crashed against the side of the deck forcing the wind from me, falling down onto my left shoulder where an audible crack echoed through the air. I couldn’t find my voice to scream – I couldn’t find the willpower to get up. Instead I lay there, sunken five inches deep into the snow, my arm bent backwards behind me as I struggled to find air to pull into my lungs.
Embry towered over Maddox now; his muzzle pulled back over his teeth, his large paw pressed firmly into his chest as a familiar russet wolf nudged him roughly, trying to knock him backwards.
No avail.
Jacob whined loudly, looking over his shoulder at me, bringing Embry’s attention with him. Edward kneeled in front of me, mumbling something about a dislocation. He tried pulling me upright, apologizing meekly when I cried out in pain and shut my eyes.
You will not cry, you will not cry.
The pain radiated from my shoulder into my back. I could move my arm, but something was definitely not right – not where it should have been. “It needs to be pushed back into place.” Edward said quickly, looking up at Jacob – a human Jacob – as he buttoned up the pair of jeans Jasper had tossed him. “I can’t do it, I’ll break her bones.”
𝙴𝚖𝚋𝚛𝚢
Embry swallowed the lump in his throat. He hadn’t meant for it to be as forceful as it was. He had only meant to push her to the side with his paw, just to move her out of the way so he wouldn’t hurt her when he finally lunged for Maddox – he hadn’t intended on sending her flying twenty feet and into concrete.
He pulled the band of the sweatpants around his hips, standing behind Jacob at the deck. Ainsley sat in a pile of snow, her bare arms shaking visibly, her lips trembling while the others tended to her. Embry almost wanted to blame Maddox – almost wanted to say everything he wanted to say the entire run here, but kept quiet instead.
Embry and Ainsley would not get mixed up in a love triangle because Embry was certain Ainsley did not love Maddox; when Ainsley tried profusely to prevent Embry from doing what he wanted most (which she had been fully aware of for weeks now), something inside him snapped. That instantaneous feeling of isolation and loneliness sunk back into his bones: the one person he had assumed would always be on his side, had just forced him to question her loyalty.
Ainsley whined.
He wanted to comfort her, but his mind raced back to the bruises he had left before. The guilt washed over his shoulders, and pulled him down onto his knees. New thoughts circled around his mind: you can’t be with her because you can’t keep yourself from hurting her.
“What were you thinking?” Edward hissed angrily, holding Ainsley’s arm steady as Jacob used his palm to press against her shoulder blade, sliding it back into place.
Ainsley screamed.
“I didn’t mean to – I told her to move!”
“She couldn’t hear you, Embry!” Jacob growled, wrapping an arm around his cousin's shoulder, holding it in place as he pulled her arm forward to pop loudly.
Ainsley whimpered, tears streaming down her face.
“Ains, honey –” Embry croaked, watching Jacob and Edward pull her to her feet carefully, trying not to move the left side of her body unnecessarily. They maneuvered past him, carrying her over the steps and into the house. He wasn’t entirely sure if he was welcome inside - that wouldn’t stop him from carrying his hollow body up the stairs after them and into the living room two floors up.
Jacob settled her on the couch, using his thumb to wipe the excess tears from her cheeks. “It’ll be okay,” he cooed, rubbing his large hand over her spine comfortingly, “we got you.” His alpha turned to look over his shoulder at him, lips pressed into a tight line.
Obviously not impressed with Embry. At all.
“Jake,” he started, watching his alpha stand tall now, moving towards him quickly. “I didn’t mean it –”
Jacob’s right fist collided with the side of Embry’s jaw, knocking him backwards the slightest bit. He moved to face Jacob again, slowly bringing his hand up to caress his chin.
Jacob punched Embry again.
And again.
And again.
After the fourth hit, Embry found himself on his hands and knees, trying to breathe through the tremors. He would not let the animal win, he would not put Ainsley in any other sort of danger. The last thing anyone in this household needed was Embry and one of his temper tantrums.
“I deserve that.” He said in defeat, sitting upright with his palms on his thighs. The blood trickled from his mouth – or nose, he wasn’t sure which – and the right half of his face throbbed tenderly. Ainsley watched the pair in silence, her face skewered in disdain. “Ainsley, I’m sorry –”
“Don’t.”
Jacob turned to look at her now, the evident shock written clear across every face in the room. This was the part where Ainsley was supposed to say, ‘ Don’t apologize, you didn’t mean it ’. Instead, Embry’s stomach twisted uneasily.
Edward tightened the strap on her sling, his amber hues watching Embry carefully. “Ainsley, Embry really didn’t mean –”
“Don’t defend him.” She snapped, her blue hues narrowing. “He didn’t come here looking to kill anybody for any other reason other than his fucking jealousy – and look at what happened.”
“No one's dead?” Jacob offered optimistically
“No, but I am fucking immobile and won’t be able to do my job.” She shot back, glaring over to where Embry sat. “You’re aware this doesn’t happen in normal relationships, right? Insecurity and jealousy, yeah – but this?”
“We’re not exactly normal.” He mumbled, looking down at the floor.
“Not an excuse, Embry.”
This time, Embry winced. “I know.”
Edward stood, placing a hand on Jacob’s shoulder, “We should go check on Maddox.” He mumbled quietly, the pair leaving Embry and Ainsley alone in the living room.
Ainsley pulled her feet under her body, wincing slightly as she readjusted. They sat in silence for a while, neither of them not really knowing what to say or where to start. But not talking was killing him - they had sat in silence a great number of times, but none had ever been this uncomfortable.
“Jacob told me – about Maddox being here.” He started, wiping the blood off his chin with the back of his hand. “And as soon as I knew that, I wanted to come here and take him out. Because he was the one nomad that had personal ties to you, and that made me worry about your safety all the time. Everytime you left for work, every time you drove alone – I couldn’t shake this feeling that he was going to come up out of nowhere and take you from me.”
Ainsley blinked, raising a brow, “And then?”
Embry sighed, “And then Jacob told me you were the one that brought him here.”
“He asked to be here.”
“But you brought him. You helped him. You knew how important finding him was to me and instead of just talking to me, you lied. For weeks.”
“Just talking to you?” She asked, leaning forward, “Embry, how was I supposed to talk to you about that? Go ahead, tell me exactly how that conversation was going to go. Because if you think it would’ve went smoother than this, you might be delusional.”
“I didn’t say that –”
“What was I supposed to say?” Her voice was rising with each word, “‘Hey Embry, I know you totally hate him and on some level for whatever reason are completely threatened by him being here, but we’re going to be cool with Maddox and help him out?’ That wasn’t going to fly.”
Embry sighed, rubbing his temples slowly as his head dropped into his hands, “No.”
“Then what?”
“Who even is he?” He asked suddenly, looking up at her with hard eyes. “You spent all this time helping him. If he wasn’t important to you, you wouldn’t have lied to me –”
“I didn’t lie –”
“You didn’t exactly tell me the truth, either!” He growled. “So, who is he?”
“You don’t get to know.”
“Why?”
Ainsley laughed once, shaking her head angrily. “Because you don’t get to know, Embry. All of this is because of your insecurity in this relationship. I believe that you love me, but you seem to have a hard time trusting me when I say I love you, too. Maddox isn’t a threat to me, and he isn’t a threat to you –”
“Why are you defending him?”
“Because it’s not normal to want to kill people, Embry. It shouldn’t be important to find him –”
“Look at it from my perspective.” He interrupted, holding his arms across his chest. “Some random dude shows up in town, someone you very obviously had no interest in talking to. Trenton had made it clear he wasn’t good company – so, I had made my opinion on him very clear – supernatural aside. As a person, I’m not his biggest fan, because you aren’t his biggest fan. Him being the one thing my blood is literally programmed to kill was just a bonus.”
“See, that’s what I mean. That’s not normal – that doesn’t get to be a bonus.”
“Why not?”
“You don’t get it.” Ainsley let her head fall back against the couch, blowing out her frustration. “And if you can’t get it, then I can’t do this with you.”
Embry paused. His eyes focused on her face, watching each detail carefully, trying to determine the exact meaning of her words and whether or not she meant them. He waited for her lips to threaten a smile, waited for her cheeks to flush under his gaze – and after several moments, he started listening for her heartbeat.
Smooth and steady.
Embry felt the first tug at his heartstring, and then another. In the next five seconds, his heart felt as though it were shrinking, physically causing his chest to tighten and his stomach to flip uneasily. He anticipated that she would be angry with him, sure. He deserved that. He expected that she would call him childish, and foolish – again, he deserved that.
But Embry Call had not expected the one person on this planet he loved more than anything else to decide he was not worth fighting for.
You were never good enough of a man for her.
Embry felt the heat slowly release and disappear; suddenly he was freezing. His bare arms and chest erupted in goosebumps, his heart sinking into the pit of his stomach as he repeated it over and over in his mind:
You aren’t good enough.
You can’t be what she needs.
You’ll never come back from this.
Embry’s hands trembled, not in anger, but in sadness. He brought them to his face and tried to look anywhere but her eyes.
A lot had happened to Embry over the last decade: he turned into a giant dog. He found someone he learned to genuinely love – and she broke his heart. His bones had been broken, he had been torn into shreds, he had recovered from everything he thought might break him and yet he stood, heartbroken with tears streaming down his cheeks in front of the person fate had decided was his forever.
And his forever couldn’t handle him.
His forever didn’t want him.
Couldn’t be with him because of who he was.
Embry wanted to change for the better, to be a better man for her. But he was certain there were parts to him he wouldn’t think he should have to change – that he could change. He controlled his temper (for the most part), came home at half-decent hours and always ensured the pantries were full and stocked with food.
But the part of him that wasn’t in his control, something that had to do with his biological DNA, was the part she disliked the most and it was the main reason why she still kept him at arm’s length. Maybe she had never intended on being his forever – maybe she only wanted to be his now.
Embry pursed his lips, his hands running down his face, simultaneously wiping the tears from his cheeks and eyes. He exhaled slowly, trying to calm himself before he bothered speaking. “If that’s what you want.” He whispered, completely defeated.
Ainsley didn’t respond. She tore her eyes from his and cleared her throat, looking down at the sling that her arm rested in. That was more than enough confirmation for him. Embry sniffled once, then stood and turned on his heels towards the stairway and shouldered past Jacob – who had been standing in silence behind him for God knows how long. Embry’s feet didn’t stop when he reached the forest – he didn’t phase, he didn’t let the animal take control. Instead he let the bitter air nip at his bare skin, feet dragged through the snow back in the general direction of the reservation.
It took Embry three hours to navigate his way home.
It took him another two before he landed on Emily’s couch, unable to speak or think. The pack gathered around him, offering him comfort and words of encouragement. This was his person – they were going to work it out. All he needed to do was remind her why she fell in love with him to begin with.
It wasn’t until the moon sat high in the sky that he decided to bring Ainsley the Jeep, hoping to utilize it as an excuse to talk to her. When he knocked on the door, it wasn’t Ainsley that answered. It was her brothers. If Embry hadn’t known any better, they could’ve almost passed for twins. When requesting to speak to Ainsley, Travis had plenty to say.
Embry wasn’t welcome at the Black-Johnson household for as long as Ainsley deemed necessary. That she had no interest in seeing or speaking with him. Travis ensured that she had been very clear: no form of contact whatsoever. No texts. No calls. No contact via a third party member.
It wasn’t until he closed the broken door to his house that Embry realized what exactly he had done, and what exactly he had lost.
His body no longer belonged to himself. Everywhere he looked, he was reminded of her. His heart would break all over again, pulling his chest painfully in all sorts of directions. His chest would tighten, he would struggle to breathe, and the only sort of relief was exerting his energy. His hands ripped at the photos lining the walls she picked out. He flipped the couch, he smashed the table into the television.
The Keurig he had purchased for Christmas flew across the kitchen into the dining room wall.
He could hear Jared and Seth outside.
As he made his way up the stairs, he knocked over every item on the steps between the railings. Glass covered the floor in the main hallway. His hands tore apart the sheets on the bed, tossing the shreds onto the floor. He used his lamp as a bat to smash the mirror on his wall, the blood was pounding in his ears as the heat finally returned to his body. He could barely hear the sound of his own breathing over the rushing in his body, his fist colliding with the back of his door four times before he ripped it off the hinges and turned to toss it down the stairs – narrowly missing Jared’s head.
“What did I do?” Embry cried loudly, rubbing his head roughly before he returned to punching holes along the wall.
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)!
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.
Jasper as a character is so interesting because he ends up a Confederate because he can't actually empathise with the slaves and because he simply accepts cruelty around him, and then when he becomes a vampire he literally can't ignore others suffering because it hurts him, but even decades after he becomes a Vegetarian he still can't get a hang of it partially because he still can't see humans as *people*. Idk there's smth to be said about him becoming a vampire because of his own cruelty and then being eternally in horrific pain because of said cruelty that fucks.
Jasper's whole life is a curse & i love to see it
here we have a Confederate supposedly so empathetic that he acquired a "gift"... yet not so empathetic as to recognize he was fighting for the enslavement of an entire race. despite seeing the consequences of slavery literally every day. now, the man who spent his last human days denying the humanity in others is forced to spend his immortal life being slapped in the face with their emotions. forever. hueeueueueu-
yeah, i would call that "gift" a curse, actually.
if Twilight weren't a horror story, we might see a discussion between Jasper/Bella about how immortality forces you to confront the darker side of your nature (e.g. "there will come a day when the societal beliefs imbued unto you leaves you standing on the wrong side of history"), & Jasper's journey with finding love & humanity. OR, y'know, he could've just had ONE (1) line where he says "yeah i'm not proud of my service." simply, if Twilight weren't a horror, Jasper could see the error of his ways & change for the better.
HOWEVER. Twilight vampires are "mentally frozen" when they turn, so Jasper is likely still a racist who does not regret his service. no matter how many times he is confronted with his cruelty, he won't change. meaning whatever life he chooses, his gift dooms him.
wow! eternal curse!
we see evidence of this frozen mental state in his decision to go vegetarian. he doesn't switch bc he feels bad about killing humans:
"I could feel everything my prey was feeling. And I lived their emotions as I killed them. [...] You've experienced the way I can manipulate the emotions around myself, Bella, but I wonder if you realize how the feelings in a room affect me." (Eclipse, Ch 13)
note the dehumanizing term "prey" & the focus on himself. he laments not that the human lives he's taking have value but that their dying moments harsh his vibe.
the irony! trapped as an empath while never possessing the ability to be an empath! CURSE CURSE C-
herein lies a bigger, juicier curse: Jasper is, himself, (hot take) enslaved in the sense that he will never know freedom, philosophically speaking, due to the choices he made in life. the series tries to paint him as a master tactician & competent leader; fanon often paints him as a free-thinking amoral black sheep. in reality, he simply obeys the commands of higher authorities & abides by their worldview regardless of how toxic it is to himself or others.
in the beginning, he had María.
he entered the Southern Vampire Wars not by his own volition but stayed because he was content not having a choice. however one feels about María, the fact of the matter is 1) as a newborn he was stronger, bigger, & faster than her & could have run away or overpowered her, 2) had the "gift" to identify emotions & could KNOW when/if she was malicious or manipulating him, & 3) could have escaped by influencing her emotions to make her disinterested in him. at any time in the 100 years they were together, he could have left. he talks about never knowing a life outside the war & discovering "options I'd never dreamed I had." ok???? run 100 miles in any direction & you would have seen a life outside of war. BOI-
instead, he took comfort in being submissive & adopting someone else's ideology. not only did it remind him of his past, but it meant he had no need to reflect on his actions or beliefs. he prefers others dictate his worldview & order him around even if it means being unhappy. he only left because he was going to be assassinated, & even then, it wasn't until someone else told him another life was possible that he "realized" another life was possible.
notably, the period where he's most free— living with Peter & Charlotte— is his rock-bottom where "the depression got worse." but, again, not because he realized the value of human life: "I was so wearied by killing [...] even mere humans."
then he meets Alice.
Alice, who has visions of being vegetarian & converts him so they can live with the Cullens. Alice, who dictates how her family should live their lives to the point where she manipulates them. Alice, who goes so far as to dress the Cullens, who orders Jasper to wait in the car while she & Bella go shopping, who Jasper refers to as "truly [...] one frightening little monster" because for all his experience she can still beat him in combat.
his eternal soulmate is authority.
despite being unhappy with his vegetarian life, as it makes him feel weak & coddled & a liability to everyone around him, he follows the lifestyle because Alice tells him to.
then there's the Volturi, another authoritative body. "We owe the Volturi for our present way of life," says acclaimed bootlicker Jasper Hale, who in the same moment shudders at the atrocities they committed, yet strangely sees no other way for a governing body to keep the peace... so... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
but, since Carlisle outranks the Volturi as an authoritative figure in that he more closely aligns with Jasper's new worldview, Jasper sees no problem deposing the vampiric governing body if it means his sister-in-law of like 2 months can keep her demonic spawn. so i guess we don't really owe the Volturi that much
to his credit, we see glimmers of him questioning his leaders: 1) his decision to leave Maria, 2) his considering switching diets to defeat Victoria, & 3) going against the Volturi. but, again, these decisions are all just a result of his self-preservation & submitting to the higher authority du jour.
in the end, he has the perfect storm of conditions that would allow him to escape the prison he's created, to find freedom & to love humanity unconditionally... but he won't. Jasper's ultimate curse is that regardless of whether he realizes the enslavement of his own self, he will never leave his cage because it's cozy & easy & allows him to never think for himself.
AAAANYWAY Jasper's life sucks & he's trapped in an eternal prison of his own making. lol
Pairing: Embry Call / Original Female Character
Warnings: Sexual Assault, Drinking, Light Smut, Vomiting, Kidnapping, Canon Character Death
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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 >.<;
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.
looks like a cinnamon roll but could actually kill you: EMBRY, QUIL
looks like they could kill you but is actually a cinnamon roll: SAM, JACOB
looks like a cinnamon roll and is actually a cinnamon roll: SETH
looks like they could kill you and could actually kill you: PAUL, LEAH
would probably die from eating too many cinnamon rolls: JARED
