Flashback
It started with a hug, then that hug turned into a caress of the cheek, that caress turned into a kiss, and that kiss turned into a love so unlike any other.
The way it started was with a simple song. Embry had just gotten into Claire's house from the brewing storm outside—having to do with a vampire's special ability. The whole pack had been on high alert and all the imprints were at Emily's house. Well, almost all of the imprints.
Claire was not there and she was the most valued and protected imprint because of her relationship with Emily, Sam, Leah, Seth, and of course Quil. She was in school for most of the day and around 3 she was going to start walking home. The storm didn't happen until around 3:10 but Claire should have been inside by then.
"Damn it, Claire!" Embry curses loudly after searching her entire house for her.
Embry runs out the back door and searches wildly for her scent, desperate to find his best friend. Quil would kill him if he didn't find Claire and frankly Embry would probably kill himself if anything happened to her. Over the past few years Claire had become his ultimate confident and best friend. It happened when she turned 13.
She is so incredibly witty and smart that even Sam and Jared have problems keeping up with her intellect. Quil would like to say that he's her best friend too but she told Embry a couple years ago that she likes him more. Embry tries not to think about that because if he does it will follow his thoughts when he phases and Quil will get his feelings hurt.
Embry rounds the corner and comes across a tiny huddled figure under a small apple tree. Confused, he approaches it slowly and sniffs the air around him. Ah, Claire, he thinks.
"Claire?" Embry asks aloud. "Are you okay?" He pulls back Claire's hood and finds her shivering from the rain. "You're going to get phenomena out here!"
Embry reaches down and lifts her effortlessly from the ground. Claire instantly curls herself into him and wraps her freezing fingers around his neck. Embry flinches from the cold contact on his warm skin and runs back inside her house. He rushes up to her room and pulls back the covers before placing her gently on her bed. Embry turns on her heating blanket and Claire sighs as it works almost instantly.
"What were you thinking, Claire? Why were you outside?" Embry asks her with concern, sliding in next to her and wrapping his warm arms around her small waist.
"I dropped my key," she said through chattering teeth, turning around in his arms so she can put her cold hands on his chest. "I was looking for it when you found me." Claire slips off her shoes and wet socks and places her ice cold toes on Embry's thighs, making him cringe but then sigh after she warms up.
"As long as you're okay; Quil is probably going crazy with worry. We tried calling you to tell you to go to Emily's but of course your phone is off." Embry tried chastising her but he couldn't find it in him.
"My phone is dead," she explained, sighing in relief when she had completely warmed up. "Can you turn on my I-pod or something? It's too quiet in here."
Embry reaches over her body and turns her sound system on, glee music fills the room and Embry laughs.
"How do you even like this? You were a toddler when this show came out." Claire smiles and sings along with the song that plays in the background.
"I was feeling done in, couldn't win
I'd only ever kissed before.
I thought there's no use getting into heavy petting
It only leads to trouble and bad fretting..."
Embry laughs deep within his throat and Claire hits him in the arm and continues singing, bouncing up from the bed and dancing along to it.
"I was feeling done in
Couldn't win
I'd only ever kissed before You mean she?
Uh huh
I thought there's no use getting
Into heavy sweating
It only leads to trouble
And bad fretting
Now all I want to know
Is how to go
I've tasted blood and I want more
More, more, more!"
Claire pulls up Embry by his hands and he places his hands on her waist as she leads him to the beat.
"I'll put up no resistance
I want to stay the distance
I've got an itch to scratch
I need assistance
Touch-a touch-a touch-a touch me
I wanna be dirty
Thrill me, chill me, fulfill me
Creature of the night
Then if anything shows
While you pose
I'll oil you up
And rub you down
Down, down, down!"
At these lyrics Claire runs her hands down Embry's chest and Embry pull her in a hug. Claire wraps her arms around his torso, forgetting about the song. Embry pulls back and gently caresses her cheek. Claire leans into his touch and Embry leans down to gently brush his lips against hers. Claire pushes herself tighter to Embry and he lifts her up, making her wrap her legs around his torso and kisses him with a passion she didn't know she was capable of.
Claire had never kissed anyone before and she was hesitant but not. She had the biggest crush on Embry since she was 10 and he was becoming more of her best friend than any other wolf member. Quil would be mad. Quil told her of imprinting when she was 9 and she resented it ever since then. Being forcefully bonded to someone from the moment you met their eyes is horrible. That makes them more like slave than soul mate.
Embry however….Embry is quiet, shy, and reserved on the outside, but when they're together he takes on a new personality. He is goofy and loves joking with her, they sing, dance, laugh, and just have fun. He is the polar opposite of Quil who is always too overprotective and bossy. Quil never lets her go out in the rain or even trick or treat in the neighborhood without a wolf present.
When the song reaches its end Claire is being set down gently on her bed and Embry's hands fly instantly away from her, his lips wretched from hers, his back pressed against her door. Claire opens her mouth to ask what his deal is but Embry holds up his hand in such a forceful way that she quiets instantly. Embry's scrunches up his eyebrows, rushes over to Claire and pushes her down gently on her bed, throwing the covers over her and lowering the music.
"Em—"
"Wait!" he silences her with a stern look.
Claire remembers how unlike him that was. Embry never talked to her like that.
"Quil," he says after a minute of silence.
Claire's eyes widen and she tries to calm her rapid heartbeat. Embry leaves her room and Claire hears them talking silently in the hallway.
"We got it finally. Stupid leech just about put a hail storm on the place to smother his scent; lucky Leah was coming into town and caught the scent off Port Angeles. It's hailing like crazy in Forks, just about hit us too," Quil explains to Embry. Embry can practically feel his anxiousness to see Claire. "Is Claire okay? I don't smell blood but her heart rate is up pretty high."
"Yea, she's just scared of the storm. Go on and see her, I'll go help with the clean up, there's bound to be lots of fallen trees," Embry lies, still trying to shake off the forbidden kiss.
"Alright, brother." Embry flinches from the word but Quil doesn't notice, his main focus on his Claire.
His Claire, Embry reminds himself. She belongs to him.
Even though he knows what just happened in there has definitely made it hard for him to believe it's true.