What if the bonfire went a little bit different...
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When Edward left, he left her in a mess. Not only did he break her heart, he left her in insurmountable danger. She could hardly function until she found Jacob. He slowly built her back up until it was his turn to tear her down. She confronted him and found herself immersed in a different supernatural family. Wolves, to be exact.
She shook the memories from her head as she walked toward the group on the beach, her arm hooked into Jake's. As they approached, heads turned and it felt like all eyes were on her. Bella, being a naturally shy creature, ducked her head and tossed a small wave at the group. The sun was just setting and she had used her right hand so the shimmer of sun on the water caused her scar to shine like a beacon. Before anyone could comment or give their greetings, an older man came to her and grabbed her.
"The bonfire is cancelled. I'm taking my niece with me, young Chief, she needs healing," the wrinkled man claimed as he drug Bella off behind him.
Jacob was completely baffled by the old man stealing his best friend and calling her family. Bella wasn't part of the tribe. Stalking off toward his father, he started demanding answers, the questions flying like missiles. "Son, you must sit and I will explain," Billy replied with his authoritative voice. All the wolves sat, looking to their chief for explanation.
"Long ago, Young Quil the third fell in love with a beautiful paleface. She was kind and good. Her name was Molly Swan. She is a fairly distant relation to our Swans but family is family. Quil married her and happily had one son with her. Sadly, she has passed on now, as you all know. Molly was our Quil's grandmother. She had the uncanny ability to know when danger was coming. I was never told how but she could warn us when the tribe would be facing legal problems or money troubles. I believe it was something in the Swan line, some kind of magic. Charlie has warned me about things too. He knew Jake was going to phase, even though I never told him about any of this. He told me Jake was going to change and it would be difficult at first but not to be discouraged because he would follow his path and become the man and leader is meant to be. Guys, I'm not sure what kind of healing she needs but if anyone can help her, it's Old Quil." Billy sat back in his wheelchair, looking over his pack, his boys. He longed for the day when he would be called by the ancestors but it never came. Now he was too old and sick. Instead of leading the pack as a wolf, he must guide them as an elder.
The pack sat in stunned silence. They had no idea Bella had any familial connections on the rez. They just thought her friendship was due to Charlie hanging out with their dads. Suddenly, Quil jumps to his feet with a confused look, "I'm white?! Why did I not know that? What kind of white? German? English? This is crazy! How could a whole chunk of myself be kept from me? Why didn't they ever tell me?" Embry and Jake jumped up to keep pace with him, he was still new and might phase if he got too upset.
Billy closed his eyes and sighed heavily, "That is not your family's doing, Quil. I am very sad to say that not everyone was accepting of an Atera being with a white woman. Your grandmother lied about her heritage so she could marry him. They claimed she was half Makah, half white. They told a story of her Makah mother being taken advantage of by a prominent business man. Old Quil came clean to me after her passing. I never would have denied their marriage but I was only a twinkle in my dad's eye when they married. I believe he kept it quiet from the rest so as to not cast shadows on her memory. I don't think anyone meant to hurt you, son." He called Quil forward. As the boy knelt before him, his head down, Billy leaned forward and placed a hand on the back of his neck and whispered kind, fatherly words to one of the young men he claimed as his. Quil and Embry were Jacob's best friends and neither had a father around so Billy took them on as his own.
Sam, the current alpha, stood, "Okay, since the bonfire is cancelled, everyone can do their own thing. Paul, Jared, take your regular patrol for the night. We will meet again when we have answers for whatever the hell is going on here."
The wolves and imprints dispersed, Billy's boys taking him home.
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Bella sat in shock, staring at the elder who had just explained how they're related. He was mixing herbs and potions in a small bowl while watching her carefully.
He nodded slowly, looking over the mixtures he had made. "Tell me Bella, how did you get this scar?" He ran his fingers lightly over the crisscross bite marks. She shivered lightly before explaining everything that had happened since she moved in with Charlie. This was her uncle, for all intents and purposes, she knew she could trust him.
After finishing with the wolves killing Laurent and figuring out Victoria was still after her, she sighed heavily, "I have no idea how to fix any of this. I'm in way over my head here. I trust the guys but I'm still so scared. I have these terrible dreams and I know she's coming. Can you help me? Is there anything else I can do?"
Nodding slowly, he began to speak,"Yes, my girl. I need to remove the scar. It is a claim. Your attacker was trying to claim you as his own with this bite so your former love put his claim over it. The venom is minuscule, enough to change your scent slightly, enough to detour another species a chance to mate with you. You will not have another love of any kind - vampire, wolf, or human - until it's removed. The process is painful but if you want to be able to love again, it is required. I will not force you but I will beg this of you. You are not meant for him, you are meant for so much more."
Bella focused on her scar. She could easily tell Edward's imprints from James'. Could she sever the last link she had to them? Could she get rid of this last connection? Something inside her recoiled at the thought and started to try to fight to the surface. At that moment, her uncle covered the scar with his dark hand. She brought her eyes, full of tears, to meet his. "Yes," she whispered and he held her as she cried.
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It had been nearly a month since any of the wolves had seen Bella. She was being kept in a cottage far into the wilderness. They were not allowed within one hundred yards of the cabin. Only Old Quil was permitted to see her. Charlie had been let in on the secret, as her absence could not be easily explained and the Chief wasn't an idiot. No one was really sure how they were able to lie to him during the relationship with the leeches but it seemed like water under the bridge now.
The whole pack, now including Leah and Seth, were waiting for Old Quil to bring her back. A bonfire was burning, the white sage having been added to give an extra amount of protection. Everyone was unusually quiet and well-behaved. They ate potluck dishes in near silence, only interrupted by quiet animal calls from the forest and the rolling waves of the ocean.
Suddenly, all the wolves heads whipped in the direction of the cottage. Sam spoke quietly and quickly, "Leah, Seth, stay and protect the imprints and elders. Take them to the meeting hall. The rest of you, phase and follow." They all tore out of their clothes and were gone almost instantly.
Through the confusion of getting Harry, Billy, and the imprints into cars to get to the meeting hall, Leah explained what she knew, "We can hear leeches closing in on the cottage. At least four. We don't know if there's more so you are all in lockdown. You do not even breathe without my permission, understood?" She stood tall and proud, the alpha female taking control to protect what is hers. "Seth, phase and listen. Two barks if there is anything incoming. Go!" He dove out the door of the building, already shifting on the fly.
Meanwhile, the rest of the pack was tumbling through the underbrush to get to the cottage. The v formation was lead by Sam, Jacob and Jared.
Split into two points, Paul you lead Quil and Embry. I think Old Quil is inside with her. We don't let these demons anywhere close. Don't think, use your instincts. Sam was running even faster, his thoughts falling to instinctual, helping to lead his pack to do the same.
Suddenly, Sam's group was attacked by two red eyes. They were vicious and nearly insane with bloodlust. It was a simple matter of tripping them up and knocking them to the ground. Jacob and Sam held them down as Jared zipped by, removing the heads with ease. At the same moment, Paul's group was set upon by three. They had taken down one and were trying to rip the second in half, when the third got his arms around Embry. Sam howled and snarled, flying through the air to rip it to shreds. That's my brother, you bastard!
With his deep black fur blowing back, Sam jumped and bit down on the vamp's head, smashing it to pieces. The arms dropped from Embry's body and he fell to the ground, phasing to human.
A tinkling giggle caught their ears. They whipped around, surrounding Embry's limp body. He was still breathing but it was obvious he was seriously injured. The red head was in front of them, teasing and laughing at their pain. "Give me the human girl you protect and I will stop. Do not and I will kill your entire tribe. You cannot win and I will have her blood for my mate's death."
I got a plan, trust me, Paul stated before phasing human. "Alright bitch, go get her. She's more trouble than she's worth. She doesn't even put out," he grinned evilly. He could feel the shock going through the pack but he also knew they trusted him. He would never put a human at risk, even a pain in the ass, like Swan.
Victoria slunk forward, running her cold fingers down Paul's chest and abs. "My, my! Aren't you just a perfect specimen? What do you think, Wolfy? Want to try out a vamp?" Her voice was annoyingly high, like a small child. Paul knew he had a chance to take her out, he just had to play her little seduction game.
He looked her body up and down, lingering on her breasts and hips, trying to make his face seem like he wanted her. "Sure baby. I'm down to try anything once," he winked at her, flexing his body, urging his manhood to at least twitch. It was difficult and he had to imagine some pretty raunchy things to even get there in her presence. His physical reaction was needed to convince her. Paul grabbed at every straw he could until he found Bella's face in his mind. It worked, which confused him because he had never had any desire for her before. Victoria smirked as she took in his expanding package. She started to slink toward him as he replaced her in his mind's eye with Swan. As soon as she wrapped her arms around his neck and went for the kill, she was never going to touch him in a sexual way, of course, he phased and ripped into her. She was demolished in moments, her head tossed aside without care.
The wolves shifted and started burning pieces. Sam gently picked up his new brother and started for the cottage and Old Quil. He was still reeling from his realization. His wolf must have known all along that Embry was his little brother. He burst through the door and laid Embry on the floor as the elder rushed to treat his many injuries, "I need Sue. She doesn't know but her nursing will be invaluable. Go Sam, now! Save your brother."
Sam was gone in an instant.
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Bella was terrified. She ran between the little kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom, gathering everything Old Quil needed to save her friend. Embry was always good to her, good to everyone. He was a kind, quiet soul and he couldn't die because of her.
Sam returned with a frazzled Sue riding on his wolf's back. She rolled off and ran to them. Bella was on the floor, wiping a still unconscious Embry's brow with a wet washcloth. She was begging him quietly to wake up and be okay. Sue looked him over and sighed sadly, "We will have to rebreak his bones, Sam. He's healing too fast and they aren't in the right places. One of you boys will have to do it, no one else is strong enough." Sam was shaking and crying, "I c...can't do it! I can't hurt him like that!"
Jacob came to the door and met Bella's eyes, "I will help him but Bella has to get out. If he phases..." Bella nodded and pulled herself away from Embry, leaving a kiss on his forehead and telling him to feel better soon.
She walked out of the cottage that had been her home for the last month. The most important month of her life, to be exact. She looked at the ugly scar on her arm and smiled. Even though burning the venom out had created a hideous scar that covered most of her forearm, she didn't care. Two days ago, the last of the venom was burned out by the herbs and wolf blood. As soon as it was finished, she felt the hole in her chest close. It was as if he never existed, just like he promised. The pain she had been living with for months was gone. She was able to see their relationship clearly, for the first time. It was obvious to her now that they were only together due to their dual curiosity and stubbornness. He craved her blood and silence, she craved his attention and family. It was never love, only desire for what the other could provide.
Bella fell to the ground, burying her face in her hands. Exhaustion was creeping into her veins. The fear for the wolves, the relief of Victoria's demise, the long month with only her uncle for company. It all was snowballing into a mess. Paul reached her first, pulling her chin up to look in her eyes. He seemed a little sad as he looked to someone else while giving her a small hug. Quil walked up to his newly discovered cousin and pulled her out of Paul's arms. He rocked her as she cried herself to sleep. He carried her back to his house and explained to Joy who she was. He took her to his room and laid her in his bed. He sat down next to the bed, slowly stroking her hair and protecting her while she recovered.
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After he set the last misplaced bone, Jacob collapsed next to his best friend. He was nauseous from causing Embry so much pain. He whispered, begging for forgiveness. Embry slowly moved his unbroken arm and patted Jake's head, "I'm okay, we're okay. I just need to sleep." His eyes drifted closed has he slipped into a dream filled sleep.
He was running in wolf form. Away from the cottage. He was needed somewhere but he wasn't sure where. When he reached Quil's yard, he looked in his bedroom window. In his bed, was Bella. She was sleeping and Quil was stroking her hair, telling her she was family and he would always be there for her. Suddenly, she sat up in the bed and turned toward him. Before their eyes met, he could feel himself waking up.
"Em, what's wrong? You were thrashing pretty bad, brother," Sam looked at him concerned. Embry glanced around the room, taking in a deep breath. As he did, his nose was inundated with Bella's scent. He could feel his skin tingling and inhaled deeply again. A rumble started in his chest that caught the attention of Old Quil. He made his way toward the injured wolf, examining his face carefully.
"Son, do you have any strong urges at the moment? Somewhere you need to be?" Old Quil's eyebrows were raised, waiting the young wolf's reply.
"Your house, I need to see Bella," Embry begged, a lupine whine escaping his lips. Sam looked confused until Embry started trying to get out of bed. He held him down and called for Jake.
"Jake, go get Quil and Bella. Bring them back here, right away!" Sam asked his beta, trying to keep his brother from worsening his injuries. Jacob nodded and ran, phasing on the fly.
He ran through the woods, as soon as he hit Quil's yard he phased and jumped through his window, "Quil, Embry needs you two. He's freaking out and gonna hurt himself if we don't hurry." As soon as he said Embry's name, Bella shot up out of the bed. "Let's go!" She ran out of the room. Jake phased and Quil put her on his back and they were off.
Embry was begging Sam to let him up. His big brother held him in place, knowing Jacob was on his way. "I got you, Em. They're coming. Just hold on."
Suddenly, the door slammed open to reveal Bella. As soon as their eyes connected, the imprint took hold. Embry instantly relaxed as she stepped forward and dropped down next to him. They both smiled and shared their first kiss. Sam backed away, looking to Old Quil for answers. The elder nodded toward the door and the men left the newly imprinted couple alone.
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Paul, Jake and Quil stood just outside the door, still visibly trying to process what just happened. From the attack, to Embry getting hurt, to the surprise imprinting, everyone seemed to be having some trouble. Quil spoke up first, "So how come he never imprinted before Granddad? He's seen her a bunch of times since he phased." Old Quil motioned them all off the small porch, next to the smoldering ashes of the red eyes. He dug around with a stick, making sure there were no remaining lumps. Then he reached inside his bag for glass vials. He scooped several vials full of the ashes and placed them back in his bag.
"Sit, my sons, we have a long story to tell. It will be added to the histories, as future generations must be able to spot the signs and know the remedy. That girl was marked by two Cold Ones. She had residual venom, acting as a claim on her. No male would be interested in her, other than the male who marked her." At this point, Paul jumped up, "Ha! I knew something was different about her!" He then slowly sank back down, realizing his alpha was not happy about his implication of his brother's new imprint.
Old Quil glared the young wolf down and continued, "It was blocking our magic. I could sense the darkness clinging to her and when I saw the shimmer from her scar on the beach, I knew what needed to be done. Now that the poison is gone and the wolf is starting to heal, the magic started to push. Quil, was she sleeping at our house?" Quil nodded, not willing to risk getting in trouble for talking. "Ah, then yes. She is like my Molly as I thought. Molly had hints of danger or important events before it happened. She confided in me that she often dreamed them. The magic used the conduit already existing in her to channel the imprint." He nodded to the boys and stood up, taking off for his home.
After ordering the rest of his wolves to go home and rest, Sam walked back to the cottage to check on his new family members. Bella had climbed onto Embry's good side, snuggled in deep against his chest, his arm holding her in place. Both were resting peacefully with huge smiles on their faces.