Disclaimer:

I do not own nor claim to own any aspect of Twilight including the characters or plot. All rights belong to Stephenie Meyer. The character Jordan Uley belongs solely to .xoxo

Author's Note:

This fic was written for a collaboration contest on The Original Twilight Roleplay!. I wrote it in conjunction with .xoxo using Embry Call, my RP character, and Jordan Uley-McCarty, her OC. The rules of the contest were to write a one-shot based off of scenes that happened in the roleplay so I apologize in advance for any confusion. And I'd like to proudly announce that this fic won the award 'Best Quileute'!

Also, this is my first time delving into the Twilight universe so please, reviewers, be gentle. Feedback will be appreciated, though.

Past the Point of No Return

Wrong.

It was wrong.

The Quileute shape shifters were vampire killers. They were born to kill, built to kill, and sometimes even raised to kill. Killing the Cold Ones was the lone purpose of every young man - or now, in some cases, woman - whose dormant genes had awakened and brought them into this life. The vampires themselves knew that. The pack definitely knew that. Even the tribal people knew it, despite the fact that they believed it truly was only legend.

Yet there stood a woman, one of them, her feet planted firmly on the enemy's side, claiming that she had been bound by the infamous old Quileute spell of imprinting to none other than a Cullen.

Impossible.

Embry didn't believe any of it. Of course, he was too shy to voice the fact, even as his riled packmates howled and snarled around him. How could a woman, so independent, fierce, and bloodthirsty, be bound by fate to the one thing she despised above all else? It didn't make any sense. At first, Embry had tried to put the pieces together, but there wasn't any logic to this at all. His pack sister's imprinting had defied it all, leaving the pack both stunned and angry.

The pack had rushed out to the river in a panic, Embry among them. They'd been summoned by a howl, calling out for all of them to gather at once. That never happened. There was never any problem that required each and every wolf to come out at once. That alone was a sure sign that something huge had happened.

And now, here they were. Sam stood at the point in human form, his cutoffs clinging loosely to his hips. The rest of the pack had assumed their wolf forms and were sharing a tangled mess of thoughts, each mind too stricken with a countless amount of emotions to form sensible thoughts. Embry stood toward the back at Jacob's flank, his mind drifting as the leader Cullen spoke from across the river. He wasn't very interested in what the leader had to say, but he was horribly curious as to how his pack sister was reacting.

The spotted wolf gave a small huff, frustrated by the large form that blocked his view. He craned his neck over the shoulder in front of him, his gaze traveling across the rushing currents, peering at the woman who stood alone on the other side. Her black hair fell down in a natural straight wave of infrequent tangles, her dark eyes tainted with a blue hue. Embry grew uneasy at the strange flex of her fingers, even though she wasn't looking anywhere near him. She was focused on one man and one man only, her stare glued to him as if she couldn't bring herself to look away.

Embry dropped back down and snorted to himself. The imprint had to be a mistake, or at least a trick of some sort. The woman across the river was both respected and restricted; feared and favored. She had returned only weeks ago from years out in the wild and had returned more wolf than human. She was the worst killer of them all, even though she seemed half-dead. But despite all of this, as she locked eyes with the burly Cullen, a sort of light sparked behind the firmness of her expression. She shared a look with him, and Embry couldn't deny the fact that there was something there.

But what? Surely there had to be some desire to kill him there. There wasn't a single way in hell that Jordan Uley, of all people, could be mystified by the effects of imprinting. Even after the pack had broken up and let the incident go without so much as a few hostile snarls and an agreement to let things happen on their own, Embry still pondered over the whole situation.

In this life, they were all meant to kill. There never was anything more than that, and there never would be. But as Embry lay wide awake under the warm security of his bedding, he couldn't help but wonder if there might be more to it after all.

_/\_ _/\_ _/\_ _/\_ _/\_

The months following the incident continued on almost normally. Embry snuck out through a different window each night after his frantic mother had boarded up the one in his room, disappearing into the forest for his shifts. He'd taken the regular shouting each morning with his head down, half ashamed and half exhausted. A new wolf had joined the pack. He was an angry male by the name of Blade. Embry had quickly taken to the temperamental man for some odd reason, and the two had became close friends, sharing both the sympathy and the consequences of the wolf life and the understanding of what being a wolf really meant.

Or at least, Embry still thought he knew what being a wolf meant. The muggy patrols and short-lived excitement of downed vampires continued on, even with Jordan frequently being the one to do the dirty work herself. Embry would watch as she passed over the river late at night, disappearing into the Cullen lands. Sometimes, he felt like he should warn her. But as time passed on, there wasn't so much as a mark on her skin. The only thing she'd ever gotten was a shiny ring placed on her finger. The heat of the situation never died, but instead sizzled and sunk away to the lower parts of the pack's priorities. Something was certainly wrong with Jordan Uley, but Embry couldn't let the strangeness of her actions get to him.

Embry trotted alone the line of trees, his fur brushing against each mossy surface as he passed by. The salty tang of the ocean was sharp in his nostrils and the squishy wetness of the ground sucked at his paws. He went along patiently, waiting for the shimmer that signaled another brother joining him. He and Blade were scheduled to start their early morning patrol twenty minutes ago, and Blade had yet to show up. Ever since he had met that attractive woman on Third Beach, Embry would always find him straggling behind the others. He needed a good reminder before his slacking got him into serious trouble. Embry allowed his thoughts to drift, imagining what he would say to his friend when he joined him.

Okay, Blade, so here's the deal. I know that you really like her, but. . .

Huffing, Embry quickly shook his head. Too blunt. He breathed in deeply and tried again.

Hey, Blade! How's it goin'? Oh, that's good. Listen, I've heard that she's beautiful, but the pack comes first, you know? You've been falling behind and, well, I really don't want you to get in trouble because-

Out of nowhere, two shimmers disrupted Embry's trail of thought. He stuttered, his paws slipping through the muck as a surge of despair rushed into his mind. He scrambled over the wet brush, blinking furiously in surprise. His breath caught as he located the source of the thoughts. Blade.

Embry shot forward, blindly crashing through the forest in a panic. He swung his head and slashed his paws, earning a few good thwacks across his muzzle from the branch. He barely felt the pain through the adrenaline that pounded heavily in his veins. His paws stumbled and slid out beneath him, but he didn't stop. The wordless thoughts continued to thunder through his head, not slowing the slightest.

After what seemed like an eternity, Embry toppled through a break in the thick brush. His lungs burned and his eyes spun wildly over the wet clearing until they landed on the black-blue form of his friend. He watched in horror as the pained wolf thrashed over the ground, yowling out as if he were burning alive.

Blade! Embry tried to jump toward his friend to help him, instinctively rushing toward his side, but he didn't get the chance. His muzzle slammed into something hot and solid, causing him to thump to the ground on his side.

Panting, Embry lifted his head to stare up at the form above him, dazed. At first, it looked like a large boulder had appeared out of nowhere, situating itself inches away from him. He shook his head, wheezing in a whistle of a breath. The sharp, cool air cleared his head, allowing his vision to make out the grey wolf above him.

No, the wolf wasn't grey. She was white, her fur darkened by a layer of ash. She'd crouched in front of Embry, shielding him with her side. Embry whined once, unsure how to respond.

Keep your ass right there!

Jordan. What was she doing here? Embry was jolted with another wave of confusion and desperation. There was something unnerving about the urgency in her words. What was going on?

Blade let out a low groan from across the clearing. Although Embry couldn't see him, images of his grief-stricken expression flashed from Jordan's mind into his own. Only one word rolled through his agonized mind.

Felicia, he groaned.

Embry's muscles bunched all at once, painfully. Felicia, his girlfriend. He lowered his head slightly, peering beneath Jordan to get a better look at his friend. His eyes were gravitated toward the small tribal-style blouse spread beneath his working paws. His throat thickened as he took in the sight of the empty blouse. The scent of the ash taunted his nostrils. Embry could now clearly pick out the stale perfume of leech in Jordan's fur that had earlier been masked by the ash.

She's still out there! Blade shouted. The sudden blare of thoughts caused Embry to jump.

No, Jordan answered sharply. She's dead.

Blade gave another wail of pain, the sound gargled by the tears that streamed out of the corners of his eyes. He fell back on his haunches and threw his head back. Moments later, an enraged howl tore through the sky.

Embry breathed through his mouth. The crushing guilt on Blade's shoulders was unbearable. Someone had to help him. He glanced up at Jordan's still form, mystified. Why wasn't she doing anything? Embry grimaced as another howl split the silence.

He couldn't take it anymore. Embry pushed himself up onto shaking legs, taking a minute to balance himself. Jordan's dark eyes didn't move toward him, but she growled low in her throat. The sound was full of warning.

Embry. Don't.

Her words, more advice than an order, had no effect. Embry loped over to grieving wolf, placing his paws carefully to not disturb the brush. His shoulders trembled with fear, his breath dragging into his lungs. As he approached, Blade froze. His dark eyes darted in Embry's direction, burning into him as he came closer. He watched his friend stiffen before he became eerily still.

Despite all the flashing warning signs, Embry took another step closer, leaving only a few feet of cautioned space between him and his friend. He lowered his head to his level, meeting his eyes evenly. A shiver passed through him, despite the heat of his body. His mind spun for a moment, instinct warning him back. Still he stared, his heart squeezing in his chest.

. . . Blade?

The moment the thought had left Embry's mind, Blade attacked.

Embry had no time to react. One moment he was crouched before his friend and the next he was on his back, his shoulders being crunched together by the twin boulders he'd landed between. He tried to twist and move away, but there wasn't enough room. Blade landed over Embry in a mass of snarls and heat, his breath hot. Embry's eyes widened.

Bl-!

The cry was cut off as Embry's mind exploded with pain. Blade snapped furiously at him, his teeth closing around patches of thick fur before they found his throat. His teeth cut straight through like butter, cutting into his windpipe with a force that bulged Embry's eyes. He twisted and turned, but Blade held him in an iron grip, crushing the breath out of him.

Blood flowed steadily from the open wound. Embry was dizzy with sickness as the salty taste of it tickled his tongue. He could feel his eyes roll back from the lack of breath. Stars swirled over his vision as he thrashed, his kicks useless. This was it. Blade was slowly killing him and he knew it.

But right when Embry was sure his heart had stopped, the pressure of Blade's weight disappeared. Embry gasped, his healing instantly sealing the wound. His eyes rolled as he looked around desperately. Through his fuzzy vision, he could just make out the blur of white stained grey as it landed in front of him.

Embry huffed once, wiggling his body around. He was numb, but the pain had at least lessened as the adrenaline mixed with his healing drowned it out. After a few second's struggle, he slipped free of the boulders and tumbled belly-down onto the grass with a huff.

He was free. Embry's heart soared, his mouth twitching slightly as if trying to form some sort of smile. He had survived.

Just as the relief washed over him, it evaporated. His eyes found the limp form of his friend, collapsed on the ground just in front of him. His mind flashed with alarm. Had he died?

Embry extended his head slightly, ignoring the small jab of pain. No, he wasn't dead - he could still hear the faint drum of his wet heart in his chest. But as Embry got a closer look, he realized Blade's condition was much worse than fatal.

He lay, his neck curved back around his head in an awkward angle, broken. His tongue lolled from his jaws, his eyes turned back into his head. Blood trickled out of his ears from the impact of what had hit him. Bile rose in his throat as he watched Blade's legs twitch, the muscles still uselessly attempting to work.

Beside him, there was a low growl. He turned his head to take in the sight of Jordan, standing with her shoulders rolling impatiently. Her eyes inched over Blade's limp form, assessing it slowly. Embry felt sick, yet Jordan wasn't even the slightest bit bothered.

Embry shook his head again, raising slowly to his paws. He half-expected Jordan to snap at him, to warn him back again, but she didn't. His eyes were trained on her, watching as she silently took in the sight of the suffering packmate. The question of how to help started in his mind, but it never got the chance to form.

In the blink of an eye, the white wolf was on the black-blue one, forcing him onto his side. Embry's stomach lurched. He could only watch, half-crouched, as the white wolf mangled Blade's body, tearing through him as if he were nothing more than a thin slice of bread. Bile rose in Embry's throat, but his empty stomach had nothing to return.

Even after the fallen wolf's legs had stopped twitching, Jordan continued. Each pierce of teeth on bone, each crush of entrails, each puddle of blood, was absolutely wrong. Embry shook and burned, watching the life slowly ebb out of his friend's eyes.

When it finally ended, Jordan lifted her head. Blade's blood stained her muzzle.

The following night, Embry had been asked by Nicole Black herself to join his alphas out in the clearing. He had agreed with obvious reluctance, although he tried hard to mask it before they left. It was hard to tell if he even had anything left in him at all - the events of the day had left him stunned. But, either way, he still had enough sense to know that when the alpha requested the presence of a pack member, there was no question to it.

They had to want him to stand as witness, probably to charge Jordan with some sort of heavy crime. He'd gulped at the image of her searing gaze pinning him in place as Jacob and Nicole dangled handcuffs above her head.

Despite his worry, Embry had kept his promise. He'd grown anxious by sundown, unable to sneak out due to the jam his mother had placed in his window. He had paced frantically for a good hour, rehearsing lines in his head, before the click of the TV going off and the light pad of footsteps had reassured him that his mother was gone. After releasing a quick breath, Embry crept out down the hall, hesitating for the shortest second before he shot toward the door, flung it open, and bounded out into the night.

Embry huffed loudly as he went, frustration visible in every strand of fur in his coat. He was late yet again. Each stride grew a little longer, each pawstep a little harder. He was rushing and hesitating both at once, unsure of what was to come. Would they exile a pack sister? Or would they have him stand against her? He shuddered again at the thought of her twisted expression frozen on him, watching with a murderous impatience.

After a good three miles, Embry's ears perked, picking up on the sound of muffled voices. His stomach did a flip-flop. The brush parted around him as he slunk forward, easing forward gingerly. When the volume of the voices was followed by the three distinct scents of his packmates, Embry paused, ducking his head through the brush to get a better look of what was going on.

They had started without him. Jacob and Nicole stood towards the edge of the clearing, their sides brushing as they stood beside each other, tensed and defensive. The dull moonlight leached the color out of their eyes, leaving both of their irises a stormy grey. Sadness gleamed in Nicole's eyes as she gazed forward, but Jacob stood firmly, his jaw pulled back tightly as he stared down at the woman who stood before the two of them.

Jordan stood tall and at ease. Her shoulders were angled upright, held strongly yet nearly relaxed. Her body language spoke of near ease, with the exception of the bristling disagreement. Embry couldn't see her face, as it was covered by the spill of black hair that covered her shoulders. Her fingers were held tightly in her palm, the tips curled into claws.

The three of them didn't make any gesture to acknowledge Embry's presence. If they did even notice him, they didn't make it clear. It was as if their feet had solidified into the mud, forcing them to stand statue-still. Embry craned his neck forward, shifting his weight to lean against the brush and listen in. His leader's voices were lowered into heated whispers, coming too quickly for even his enhanced hearing to make sense of. Embry tilted his head, waiting patiently, his heart thumping hard against his ribcage. After a few minutes of what seemed like Jacob and Nicole lecturing, Jordan spoke. The sudden rise in her tone - lifted just loud enough to reach his ears - prickled the hairs on the back of Embry's neck.

"We've not been sentenced to a life of murder. It's so much more than that. We're here to protect the tribe - keep our ancestors alive. In order to do that, we gotta protect each other. If that means cutting short the service of a brother who had lost his ways, so be it."

The words flowing smoothly out of Jordan's lips froze Embry on the spot, filling him with a sickening dizziness. Surely they heard how crazy her ideas were. It's a wonder why the pack hadn't caught onto her already - Sam would have banished her away a while ago. She was nuts! It was as if she didn't find any problem with taking lives anymore. Maybe imprinting on a vampire had screwed her up one time too many.

Nicole's eyes slanted as she took in the words. She stared, her gaze searing into Jordan's, before she turned her gaze toward her imprint expectantly. "Jacob?"

Jacob didn't return the look. He raked both hands through his glistening black hair before rubbing them over his face. Frustration radiated off every inch of him. Nicole continued to watch him, resting a sure hand on his broad shoulder. After a few long minutes of silence, Jacob muttered something that didn't quite reach Embry's ears.

"Alright," Nicole murmured softly. She shot one last glance in her sister's direction, shaking her head slowly before she slipped her fingers into Jacob's own, gently removing them from his face. Jacob kept his eyes downcast and his thick brows furrowed as he turned, slowly following Nicole's lead into the forest without a word.

Jordan was left alone. She only nodded at her two leaders, making no movement except with her dark eyes, which followed Jacob and Nicole until they had disappeared from sight. It was then that she turned, her lips curved up in a stomach-knotting sort of smile, and set off into the forest. Embry crouched back as she neared, his heart hammering in his ribs. He didn't want her, and he was certain that she didn't want to see him.

She came closer noiselessly, and for some reason, that only made it worse. Embry was sure she could smell him - he had to stink of fear. But, as the moments ticked past, there wasn't any sign of her approach at all. Embry hesitated for a half a second before risking a peak over the brush His muscles bunched, preparing for the sight of her standing over him.

Instead, his eyes found her across the forest. She was moving parallel to him, a good fifteen yards away, and clearly not heading Embry's way. So she hadn't seen him, after all.

Embry was washed with relief. He almost let out a relieved sigh, but he caught himself. For the briefest moment, the pair of dark, unsettling eyes flickered over in Embry's direction, landing at a point inches above his head. Chills ran down Embry's spine at the half-crazed look in her eyes. Jordan stared for a long moment, completely still. She shook her head at the silence and gave a half-smirk, averting her gaze before disappearing.

_/\_ _/\_ _/\_ _/\_ _/\_

Embry shifted uncomfortably, his paws sinking into the soft earth as he glanced up at the full moon hanging above, and huffed once before bringing his gaze back to the white wolf in front of him. The Children of the Moon would be out tonight and the spotted wolf couldn't help but feel nervous. As if being assigned to a patrol with her wasn't worrying enough.

You take the East border, Jordan projected, her dark blue eyes sharp and focused. I have the line.

Embry bobbed his head, his shoulders rigid. Alright, no problem.

Jordan promptly turned away and slunk into the forest, hardly disturbing the branches as she went. Embry watched her go, his thoughts a jumbled mess, then took off toward the mountains, attempting to quell his anxiety, but not doing a very good job of it.

A rustling in the bushes ahead of him and the scent of werewolf made him aware that he wasn't alone. A deep growl sounded from the darkness and Embry matched it unflinchingly, crouching in preparation of the attack he knew was to come. He snarled, his lips pulling back to reveal his white teeth, the fur along his back bristling.

The still invisible werewolf went silent and Embry tested the air, making sure it hadn't moved on. The empty silence that followed was deafening; even the trees went completely still. The bushes in front of him suddenly exploded and the werewolf sailed towards him, its claws extended. The spotted wolf nimbly hopped out of the way, kicking the Child of the Moon just as it went sailing past him. The creature yelped at the large wolf's attack, tumbling across the ground before regaining its footing and charging back toward Embry.

Embry lifted his right paw with a snarl and reared up, meeting the werewolf head on. They collapsed to the ground in a tangle of limbs, snarling and spitting at each other as they rolled across the ground. The werewolf abruptly trapped Embry on his back and, before he could defend himself, the creature raked its claws down his chest and abdomen, slicing his flesh into ribbons.

Embry's eyes bulged in shock, a piercing cry bursting from his mouth as he smashed his hind foot into the werewolf's chest, sending it crashing into a tree. The wolf immediately disappeared, leaving Embry lying on the ground with his entire top half mangled, steady streams of blood darkening the ground beneath him. He lifted his shaking hands to try and hold himself together, baring his teeth at the white-hot flashes of pain that sizzled through every inch of his body. Several strangled cries pushed their way past his lips as he dug his fingers into the softened dirt around him, anchoring himself to the ground as he writhed in agony.

It could have been minutes or hours that he spent lying on the forest floor; the passage of time meant little to him. When a blur of white passed in front of his darkening vision and a voice drifted through the pounding in his ears, he couldn't help but stiffen in defense, causing him to suck in a short, hissing breath through his teeth. Unconsciousness claimed him before he could do much else.

The next two days were hell.

Embry was forced to tell his mother that he had the flu and stayed locked up in his room while the deep slices going from his neck down to his abdomen slowly healed. Even the slightest of movements on his part were excruciating and it took everything in him to prevent his mother from seeing what had happened to him.

Even after the three long slices had turned into thick scars, the pain was still there. The first time he phased since the attack was agonizing. He had no idea how he was supposed to continue his duties if it felt like he was being ripped open over and over again every time he moved.

"Embry!" his mother called from downstairs. "Jacob's here to see you!"

Embry quickly threw a shirt on to hide the horrific scars from his mother then bounded down the steps, hissing through his teeth as he went. He shot a thankful smile at his mother before ducking outside.

"Hey Jake," he greeted, lifting a hand to rub the edge of the scars on his neck.

Jacob stared at the plain black shirt Embry was wearing, remorseful that his best friend had such an awful reminder of what happened to him. "How you holding up?"

Embry shook his head, shrugging one shoulder. "Better than a couple days ago, that's for sure," he said, one corner of his mouth curling upwards. "Still hurts like hell though."

Jacob smiled, the white of his teeth contrasting against the dark russet tone of his skin. "You need to go out to the fight training clearing," he said as he crossed his muscled arms over his chest. "Jordan's there. She's going to help you learn to work around the pain of those scars."

Embry's eyes widened with trepidation. Jordan's fighting skills were superior in every way and he knew he'd end up coming home with a couple bruises. Even though he was apprehensive, he nodded and took a deep breath. "Alright, I'll head out now. Thanks, Jake."

"No problem, Em."

After Jacob left, Embry told his mother he had some work to do in the main village then set off toward the clearing, opting to stay in his human form for the time being. Jordan was in the clearing just like Jake had said and she was stationed in the center, looking impatient.

She locked gazes with him when he stepped out of the trees, nodding her head once in greeting. "You ready?"

Embry bobbed his head as he walked toward her. "Uh, sure."

"Okay, first things first then," she began, her eyes as sharp and focused as a hawk's. "I want you to phase back and forth. Ten more turns for every whimper."

He nodded again, discarding his clothes on the ground beside him, and clenched his teeth in preparation. The grunt of pain that moved up his throat transformed into a growl as he phased, his claws digging into the ground as his scars burned.

"Good. Now phase back," Jordan muttered.

Jordan had Embry continue to phase back and forth from wolf to human form for over an hour, her commands coming in quicker succession when he started complaining about the pain. By the time he got used to phasing again, he was breathing heavily enough to make someone think he'd just finished running a marathon. Sweat glistened over his shoulders, back and face as he braced his hands on his knees, sucking in deep gulps of air. He snatched his shorts off the ground and swiftly put them on, tenderly rubbing the swollen scars as he straightened.

"Enough of that," Jordan concluded, stepping her feet apart and getting into a defensive crouch. "We don't have much time left and you're gonna have to get beat around a little before you can graduate back to patrols."

At the end of the training session, Embry understood exactly what he had to do to defend himself, but the most important part was his scars didn't bother him as much. Jordan's tough love training methods sucked, but they were effective.

"And so you've survived," Jordan concluded, slipping past him without another word. Before she reached the edge of the clearing, she added, "Next time, pick on something that needs its claws filed."

"Thanks, Jordan," he called after her before she slipped into the trees.

She paused and looked back at him, one corner of her mouth curled up. "Don't mention it."

Then she was gone, just like that.

_/\_ _/\_ _/\_ _/\_ _/\_

The colors of the forest blurred and shifted as Embry zig-zagged through the trees, the thoughts of the pack swirling through his mind as he approached the East border. The pack received word last night; the Makahs had mobilized and were preparing a pre-emptive strike.

The morning of the battle had finally arrived.

Embry zeroed in on Jordan's thoughts and sprinted through the forest towards her, his anticipation turning into a sentient being as it churned restlessly in his chest. He slowed to a canter as he spied Jordan's pure white form crouched just inside the line of the trees and went to position himself on her left side as Jared appeared, immediately going to her right. She raised her head to briefly nod at the both of them before returning her gaze to the approaching mass of Makah warriors.

About time. A low growl rumbled through her chest, the muscles in her shoulders and legs bunched up like tightly coiled springs.

Embry nodded back to her, growling as he caught sight of the enemy. Everyone's ready?

Focus, Jordan projected, shifting slightly. We're going to come in from the side. Disarm before you attack – no need to get a scratch. Kill if you have to, but it should be as simple as driving them over the edge. She nodded once to Jared before moving out of the trees, her teeth bared.

Embry quickly joined them, crouching and baring his teeth, ready for the battle to begin. The Makah warriors paused in their advance across the bridge when the enormous wolves emerged from the forest, hate and vengeance burning like embers in their dark eyes. The very atmosphere crackled as the two groups of fighters stared the other down.

The Makah Chief's voice rang out as he thrust his spear into the air, the warriors surrounding him immediately surging forward. Jordan, refusing to wait any longer, threw her head back and let out a long, loud howl before charging forward with Embry and Jared flanking her.

The white wolf was a force to be reckoned with. She tore through the front line of spears effortlessly, throwing her weight to the side to send a dozen warriors careening over the canyon's edge. The fact that twice as many warriors stepped forward to replace the ones she had sent to their doom mattered not to her. She moved like a tremendous machine, taking down any Makah warrior that was foolish enough to cross her path.

The battle raged, but was short lived. The Makah, even though their fighting prowess was formidable, were no match for the pack of enormous wolves. After the last warrior had been thrown over the edge of the cliff, Jordan gathered her group together. Alright, we need to finish off the other side. Time to cross over.

While Jordan, Jared, Embry, Kayla and Seth burnt the deserted Makah village to the ground, Jacob and the remaining wolves cleaned up the rest of the bodies. The Quileutes had been victorious, never had there been a doubt in anyone's mind that they would lose. The white wolf, standing tall and proud in the center of the burning enemy village, let out a loud howl of victory before she disappeared into the forest like a white ghost of color swept up by the wind.

Embry stood still for a long moment, his dark eyes skimming across the damage slowly. He could still smell small traces of the remains of his leader's scent in the breeze, hovering over him. His thoughts flashed with memories stolen from another's mind. Memories of dark eyes and flashing teeth and the endless rip and tear of a vampire's marble skin beneath jaws that weren't his own. It seemed like in her head, that was all that he could find. That the memories of killing were all she knew.

And yet now, she had risen up before them and led them into a victory that had saved the tribe from a gruesome fall. Embry felt a strange sort of realization, as if some sort of reasoning had struck him suddenly. He huffed and shook his head, forcing himself to hurry after his retreating packmates. Even as he ran, leaving it all behind, one thought still hung in the midst of his thoughts.

Maybe there was more than just a killer in Jordan Uley after all.

_/\_ _/\_ _/\_ _/\_ _/\_

Embry trotted up to the river in his spotted wolf form and vaulted across it, the wind whistling through his fur as he soared through the air, gracefully landing on the other side. After slipping back into the protection of the trees, he shed his wolf skin and swiftly pulled a pair of cutoffs up around his hips, his mind preoccupied. He set off in the direction of Emmett and Jordan's home, hoping that the Beta of the pack was home. He had something really important to tell her, something he knew she hadn't heard from any of her pack brothers or sisters.

Embry ducked his head in shame as he shoved his hands into his pockets, bunching them into tight fists, as a flurry of memories from the last two years passed through his mind's eye. All of them left a rather bitter taste in his mouth and he would soon be making it right. An assortment of different circumstances had brought him to this so called epiphany, but the fact that it had taken over two years for it to smack him in the face was something he wished he could change.

What's done is done, he thought, staring at the ground as he walked, making his way through the trees by memory.

A twig snapped suddenly behind him and he whirled around, automatically going into a defensive crouch, but grinned when he saw Jordan standing not far away. He straightened, his muscles relaxing. "You did that on purpose."

She smirked and shook her head slowly, her long black hair swaying in the slight breeze. "You think so?"

"Well yeah," he replied, chuckling under his breath. "I've learned that you don't make mistakes like that."

She continued to wear the smirk as she slipped past him, moving ahead. "It's hard to make those mistakes when you know the skin of the trees better than the faces of the people."

Embry nodded and fell in step beside her, smiling nervously. "How's life, Jord?" he asked, glancing sideways at her.

The silence grew thick between them as Jordan was unable to comprehend what he was asking, flexing her fingers as they moved silently through the forest. Embry let a few moments pass before he sucked in a deep breath and looked over at her.

"So I've been doing a lot of thinking lately."

Jordan nodded, keeping her gaze straight ahead, but not quite focused on anything. "Mmm," she mumbled, letting him continue.

Embry let out a small sigh then stared at the ground. "I don't think I ever apologized for how I treated you after you imprinted on Emmett," he began, glancing at her briefly before turning his gaze to the forest around them. "I'm sorry. None of us should have treated you that way."

The sudden bark of laughter that escaped Jordan's mouth made Embry jump, not expecting that kind of reaction from her. "Hell, you'd better be," she replied playfully, letting out a slow breath through her mouth. "If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't know how to forgive you other than with some broken backs and bloody bodies."

He chuckled nervously, knowing that even though her tone had been joking, she was deathly serious and slid his hands into his pockets. "I really am. I know I was an ass." After glancing over at her, he gently bumped his shoulder into hers. "You're my sister. I should have been a better brother."

One corner of her mouth quirked up ever so slightly. "Hmm, don't we all," she said, cracking her knuckles as she hit the tree line. "Lesson learned."

Embry smiled, nodding in agreement. "Definitely."

She nodded her head once at his words, her mind still scrambled. "Come on then," she began, hopping up onto the porch in a single bound and slipping inside. "I'm sure you didn't come out this way for the scenery."

"I actually came to raid your fridge," he replied jokingly as he followed her inside.

Jordan chuckled lowly as she strode evenly into the kitchen, the balls of her feet thumping on the hard wood floor. "It's a good thing I went shopping recently then." She moved toward her liquor cabinet with a purpose and pulled out a bottle of whiskey that she had already started on. "Help yourself to whatever you want, except the grapes."

"Thanks, Jord," Embry said, opening her fridge as she walked out of the kitchen.

Moments later, she stuck her head back in the doorway, leveling him with a steely-eyed glare. "And just because you apologized for your jackassery, don't think you're getting any special treatment."

Embry chuckled, a wide grin spreading across his mouth. "I wouldn't think of it."

"Smart boy," she replied, once again disappearing.

Embry smiled to himself as he turned back to the fridge and plucked out everything he would need to make a sandwich big enough to choke a lion, breathing in deeply. His shoulders felt a bit lighter, relieved at the sensation of the easy bond that had formed between him and his pack sister over the years.

And it had only happened because Embry had learned the most important thing any shape shifter could ever learn; no fighting skill or legends could ever be as valuable as one simple realization.

It was the fact that the Quileute wolves weren't oversized predators made to kill. No, they weren't killers, but men and women united as one; men and women bound together by the duty to preserve a tribe full of future generations of brothers and sisters that could rise up in troubled times and fight for the greater good.

No matter how crazy they might seem.