Chapter 1

I entered the small house looking for Jacob, Billy had said he would be here. I had knocked, but when no one had answered the door, I went in. Inside the house was filled with the scent of baking bread and soup. Inhaling, deeply I walked further into the house, calling out, "Jacob?" As I did so.

"Not here," Nessie called from the kitchen, stirring the soup that sat on the stove. She flashed a grin at me. Even at thirteen, theoretically thirteen, she was pretty. "He'll be back in a few, take a seat."

I dragged a stool over near the stove and sat down. Taking another whiff of the soup, I asked, "Wat'cha cookin? Smells good."

She smiled, "It's Vera's, I'm pot-sitting while she picks up some things she forgot at the store with Jacob."

Here I paused, I had heard very little about Vera, other than she had been rescued by the Cullens, and Jake had brought her to live on the reservation, away from some bloodsucker that had killed her mother and her brother. "What's the deal with her? Nobody bothers to fill me in anymore." I complained.

She eyed me wearily, "You be nice to her Embry Call! She has been through enough hell in her life as it is!"

I grimaced, "Sheesh Nessie! I'm just asking!"

She pursed her perfect, round lips, "Fine." She sighed, "I'm going to tell you the full story, but only because you should be nice to her and the pack should too!" She glared at me, "Don't you dare interrupt me either, no questions, no nothing if you say as much as one word." She glared me down until I pantomimed locking my mouth and throwing away the key.

"Vera Maria Storm lived in a small town just outside of Hanover all her life. Her parents had been high school and collage sweet hearts and had eventually gotten married and had her. Her father was a Quileute, we believe she may be a cousin of Jacob somehow and be a direct descendant of Kaheleha, and later, Taha Aki, and lastly, Ephraim Black." I was about to interrupt her when she raised a hand to her lips. I held my silence.

"Her father had moved off the reservation when he was in high school, but when Vera was a little girl, he taught her all the legends and the Quileute's language, he even brought her to visit the reservation a couple of times. When Vera was nine her father was hit by a drunk driver and died in the crash. A week later her mother found out she was pregnant."

"The roles became reversed, Vera took care of her mother and when her mother had a small son, Vera, ten, named him Jared and raised him. Vera adored Jared and took care of him like he was her son. Vera's mother turned to drugs and alcohol to deal with her depression. Vera was, however, friends with her next door neighbors, the Hearts. Mr. Heart often payed for the electric bill, heating bill, and everything else. Vera worked whenever she could and payed for what she could. All the while raising Jonah, taking care of her mother, up-keeping the house, and going to school."

"Seth Heart was Vera's best friend. He was two years older than she was. She leaned on him for support when her mother came home with guy after guy. And he, in turn, took care of her, made her laugh and smile, reminded her of who she was. And eventually, friend turned to lover. She and Seth loved each other, they got together when Vera turned sixteen. Two months before Vera turned eighteen, Seth was killed in a car accident. No one had known they had been together. A week after his funeral Joham showed up." Here I growled, weren't those royal bloodsuckers supposed to have gotten him already.

"The Volturi have been taking their time in, 'talking,' with him. Vera saw him snap her mother's neck and drink her blood. He took her, along with Jared, for leverage. For one week he forced her to bed with him. Then, he left her in the middle of the woods, snapped Jared's neck, and told her that she was pregnant with his child and would die."

Here I snapped, "If the blood suckers take any longer, I will go out there myself and personally kill him!"

"Peace." Nessie placed a hand on my shaking form until the rage passed and then continued with the story, "Vera was not pregnant with Joham's child." Here I became confused, and when I almost interrupted her she continued on, "She was pregnant with Seth's child. Carlisle figured this out quickly. Jacob suggested she move to the reservation for a while and that I live with her until she has her baby. Vera and I agreed."

I paused, considering all this, "So how far along is she?" Better question, how long with Jake be here? But I waited for her answer.

"She is four months pregnant." She paused as we both heard a car approaching. "And she will be here in a minute." Vera crossed the kitchen and went back to stirring the pot. I stood up and put the stool back. Jake's Rabbit pulled up into the driveway and I felt myself being drawn out the door.

A head of black curls emerged out of the side door and I headed towards her. It was like a rope was pulling me forward, a rope that connected me and her. And when I looked into her green eyes, all things that held me to earth snapped, and I would have drifted away except for the cord that bound me down, to her. She was my anchor, and I would never let her go.

"Hello," Her voice sang, like bells. And when her eyes met mine, the same confusion connected her to me. She put her hand forward and when our hands touched, an electric current filled my body. Her lips parted in a soft, 'oh,' as she felt it too.

"I'm Embry, Embry Call" My voice came out gasping, I would've been embarrassed, but when she said, "Vera Storm," She was breathless too.

We were connected; forever.