A/N: Hey! I write a lot of really Cullen-centric stories, and I have no idea why because I've always loved the Rez. So here's me doing a completely werewolf based story. Maybe the Cullens will appear but it's set soon after Embry Call phases for the first time. Anyways hope you enjoy it! And this doesn't mean I won't work on About Eden any more (or the Hero for anyone following that).

Chapter One - The Ocean

Melody was beautiful. There was no question about that. It radiated off of her, an effortless grace that had a way of making people follow her, try to watch and learn from her every move as if it was something that could be replicated.

It worried her parents endlessly. Her black eyes, soft brown hair and full lips attracted people. Strange people.

Their house, the house that her great-grandfather had built, was situated on a small cliff overlooking La Push beach. It was happy, painted blue with flowers bursting from the garden - the very last house in a row of houses, all built by someone's great-grandfather.

Every night growing up, Melody listened to waves crashing on the rocks below. Her father told her stories of wolf-men and demons, being Quileute, and her mother told her stories of fairy people and sea-women, being Irish.

Her older twin siblings, Katie and Benjamin, liked to tell her that a cold demon would eat her if she was out after dark. Well into Melody's sixteenth year, the dark still gave her the chills.

The morning on the weirdest day of her life, she woke to a heavy rain slamming the metal roof of their house. She rolled out of bed and peeked through the window, out to the gray ocean and dark sky. Thunder rumbled in the distance. The ocean seemed to taunt her, dancing underneath, large rolling waves.

"You're up?" Katie asked from the doorway. "Why're you standing in the dark?"

"Just woke up," Melody said. Katie told her breakfast was ready and left the room. Melody dressed in jeans and a hoodie, padding softly downstairs to the kitchen. Ben and Katie sat together, side-by-side and joined at the hip as usual.

Melody sat and stared at their near-identical looks. Ben's hair was short and jet black, sticking up at odd angles like usual. His skin was russet, he was tall and lanky and freckled. He still had that shy boyish smile. Katie was the one who stood up for them, pushing bullies into the sand since they were five.

Katie sat, smiling as usual, her long black hair in a bun on top of her head. She was willowy but strong, freckled, and kind-looking. Surprisingly she could probably kill someone with her bare hands.

"I'll drive you guys to school?" Ben said, taking his and Katie's bowls to the sink. They both nodded. They could have walked but it would be more like swimming with the pouring rain outside.

They said goodbye to their parents and climbed into Ben's old blue truck. He and their childhood best friend, Jacob, had restored it from a hunk of junk sitting in the side yard.

Melody sat in the back, peering through the window at the trails of water on the road that fanned out behind them. It was captivating on the short drive to the school. They arrived as the sky started to lighten a little bit, still covered in thick clouds.

"I'll see you guys after," Melody waved. The twins headed to their homeroom, being seniors, and Melody headed to hers.

"Hey, Mel," Jacob said, jogging up. The school on the rez was small enough, in fact the entire reservation was small enough that everyone knew each other.

"Hey," Melody said. "What's going on?"

"Embry's back," he said quietly, ducking down to see her. Melody chewed her lip. Jake, Embry and Quil were a trio, but suddenly one day Embry disappeared. No one in the tribe would say anything about it.

"What's he saying?"

"Nothing," Jacob groaned. "Like, nothing at all. He won't talk to us. He's… with Sam now."

A chill went through Melody. Sometimes kids disappeared. When they came back, they were under Sam's thumb. Everyone called them hall monitors on steroids. Jared, an old friend of theirs, walked by as they were talking. He only shot a knowing look at Jacob before moving down the hall.

"Um," Melody shouldered her backpack. "Anyways. Speaking of disappearing, where the Hell have you been, Black?"

Jacob looked down and blushed, his dark eyelashes casting a shadow on his cheekbones. Melody sighed. She could almost exactly predict what Jacob would say.

"With Bella," they said at the same time. Melody rolled her eyes.

"You gotta stop, Jake," she chided as the bell rang. "But we gotta go to class."

They went to homeroom together, Jacob promising to spend more time with Melody and the twins. She loved her friendship with Jacob. At the old barbeques they used to have every summer, the adults would sit in the Black's living room while sending all the kids out to play. She remembered smoky evenings climbing through the dry grass and bracken, the purpling sky overhead, that feeling all kids felt when they did something they shouldn't - in this case, it was sitting in a circle playing truth or dare. It was the secret world of kids, of childhood. She missed it. Ever since the older kid, Sam, suddenly grew up, and took others with him, it changed.

She missed the nights when she'd come home at eleven in her parent's car, tucked in next to Ben and Katie, everyone smelling of smoke and grass, full of hot dogs. Especially the night when she was twelve, when someone… Embry, it must have been, dared Jacob to kiss Melody. She'd tried to pretend she didn't want to, but they did it, and it was awkward and Ben screamed but it was a night so full of childish hope and joy.

Jake and Melody sat together, waiting for Quil. Embry's usual seat was empty. The boy who walked in, the man who walked in, he was not Embry Call. He wasn't the lanky, long-haired kid who used to throw dirt at her and always had scraped knees. He wasn't Embry Call who's mother always came to the barbeques but looked out of place, his mother, Tiffany, who Sarah Black and Joy Ateara would whisper about while doing dishes.

"Jesus," Jacob said. Embry was tall, still, but full of lean muscle and his previously long hair was chopped. His jaw was tight while he moved across the room… to sit with Jared and Paul.

"Assholes," Melody whispered to Jake, rolling her eyes. Quil entered, looking crestfallen.

"He completely blew me off in the hall," Quil whispered, sitting down. The teacher started talking. Melody didn't look at Embry again.

Jacob and Quil both promised her they'd never be like the hall monitors on steroids. She just hoped they'd make good on that promise.

That day after school, Melody was rushing down the hall. If she didn't get outside in time, Ben would probably leave without her, and she'd have to trudge home in the pouring rain. She kept her head slightly bent to avoid any conversation and just powered down the hall - walking smack into a solid mass.

"Watch it," Embry growled. It was barely Embry anymore. She pulled her head back from his solid chest and glared up at him.

"You've got nerve," Melody snapped. "I mean seriously - we used to be friends. Remember that, how you weren't going to be Sam Uley's bitch?"

Embry was staring at her in shock. His lips were slightly parted.

"I- I don't… Uh…" Embry stuttered. Melody brushed by him. She left the school and basically threw herself into the back of Ben's truck.

"Bad day?" Katie asked, turning around to peer at Melody over her seat. She just rolled her eyes.

"You don't even want to know," Melody responded.

They drove home, Ben wailing along to the old radio. Melody stared over the cliffside to the ocean. Something about the ocean drew her in, fascinated her.

And what the hell was Embry Call's issue?