Forget Me
Part II
December 23rd, 6:00 PM
The Cullen house was filled with lights, decorations, and laughter.
Everything was clean, perfect, and grandiose. The Cullen women wore exotic dresses worth more than the average house, and the men wore just as lavish suits and ties. All of the food was catered, the music consisted of a live orchestra quartet, and half the guests were from places Embry couldn't even pronounce yet remember.
Jacob dragged him here. The cullens even paid for their suits, so that they would blend in better, but being six and a half feet tall made that endeavor impossible. Jacob and Embry towered over every person there.
Feeling out of place, both shapeshifters stayed by the food table and enjoyed the expensive and free food. They idly chatted and whispered about the strange rich people, and quietly made fun of them.
"Is anyone else from the pack coming?" Embry asked.
"Yeah, Leah and her new roommate will be here soon. Have you met her yet?" Jacob asked, and Embry shook his head. "Me neither. Apparently she's a big drinker, but she's nice and keeps to herself in the daytime. She and Leah go running in the morning together."
"Cool." Embry said passively. "What's her name?"
"Kikato."
"'Kikato'? What kind of name is that?"
"Apparently, she was named after someone who delivered her in a taxi cab."
"Seriously?" Embry snorted.
"Yeah. She's got some fun stories, apparently. According to Leah she's pretty cute." Jacob said, and Embry refrained from rolling his eyes.
Ever since Embry realized his situation, a few days ago, he'd stopped sleeping with random women. He went to the bar he met Candy at and gave the bartender his number to call if she stopped by again, relaying the lame thermos excuse. If that didn't work, Embry planned to go to every bar in the state if he had to.
In the meantime, he'd pieced together that Jacob and Sam were conspiring to get Embry to date someone long term. They think he just wants intimacy and companionship, which is why he did the one night stands.
"Leah said that she might be able to set you two up on a blind date. Apparently, you two have a lot in common." Jacob said.
"Like what?" Embry asked.
"Like over drinking and sleeping with girls."
"She's gay?"
"Bisexual."
Embry didn't really care either way. There was only one person on his mind, and she'd be ridiculously difficult to find.
He still had the pillow she slept on that night. Every night he held it as he fell asleep, and sadly her scent was fading.
"There she is." Jacob said, and pointed towards the entrance.
Embry entertained him, looking in the direction he pointed, and his eyes bulged.
Her.
That's her.
She was in a beautiful green and blue dress that went to her mid thigh, strappy heels, and her long dark hair was pulled into an intricate braid with sparkling butterfly clips. Her eyes were highlighted with dark brown and green eyeshadow, her tan skin shined like a golden statue, and her beautiful pink lips had the same subtle lip gloss he found himself covered in that morning.
There was no mistaking her. No way she was anyone other than the girl his heart desired.
"Does she look familiar?" Jacob asked, and nudged his arm.
"It's, uh… it's Candy." Embry said, flustered. He didn't expect to see her here, of all places, or with someone like Leah.
"Who?" Jacob asked.
"The girl from the bar. She-"
"Oh! That girl." Jacob said. "Nessie is calling me over. Why don't you go flirt or something." Jake said off-handedly, and walked off.
Embry paid him no mind.
She was there.
Here. Within his sight.
Then, they looked his way, and he quickly looked at something else.
His entire body bubbled with nerves, his stomach clenched uncomfortably, and he realized that he had absolutely no idea what to say to her. "Hi, I'm Embry, that guy who fell asleep while we tried to have sex. Will you spend the rest of your life with me?"
"You're really bad at ignoring me, Em." Leah said, close to him, and he snapped his attention to her. Both Leah, and Candy, were right next to him and grabbing plates for the food table.
"I didn't see you." Embry lied.
"Em, this is Kikato. Kikato, Embry." Leah introduced lazily, and continued to stuff a crab puff into her mouth.
Embry looked at Kikato, barely able to remember how to breathe, and gave her a smile.
She smiled back.
His heart fluttered.
"Nice to meet you, Embry." Kikato said.
"We've met, actually." Embry blurted awkwardly. "Twenty one days ago."
"Do you usually count the days like that?" Kikato asked. That smile of hers was heart wrenching.
"Just with beautiful girls, like you." Embry replied, to which she giggled.
"You're going to make me gag, Em." Leah stated down the line.
"Now you know I feel about you every day." Embry countered easily.
"Do you live in La Push?" Kikato asked, changing the topic.
Those eyes of hers had him melting.
"Yeah. I've lived here for most of my life." Embry answered.
"Have you seen any of the wolves in this area?" Kikato asked was an excited grin. Leah chuckled next to her.
"Yeah, several times. They're pretty friendly." Embry said.
"I love wolves. When I was little, my schoolmates would call me Mogli because I got adopted by the local wolves. Every day after school I would play with them because they thought I was one of their pups." Kikato described with a passion and energy that Embry absolutely loved.
"You are so full of shit." Leah laughed next to her, and once the pair had filled their plates, they stood next to Embry to eat. "Mogli."
"My mom didn't believe me either until I got bitten. I came home one night covered in blood and crying my eyes out; scared the ever living hell out of her." Kikato explained, and before Embry could ask her more, two of the Cullens came over and interrupted them.
"Oh, I'm so glad you all could make it." Carlisle greeted with a charming smile, and his wife stood next to him. "Kikato, right? I was surprised when Leah told me about you."
"... hey doc." Kikato said meekly. "You have a lovely home. Thanks for the dress."
"Thank you, and it's no problem. I was so sorry to hear about your mother. How are you holding up?" Carlisle asked sympathetically.
"I'm fine." Kikato answered rigidly.
"What happened to your mom?" Leah asked.
"Oh, I'm sorry if you didn't want to talk about it. I should have asked you on the sidelines." Carlisle apologized, and Kikato shook her head.
"No, it's fine."
"If there's anything we can do, let me know." Esme said, and pulled Kikato into a hug.
Kikato hugged back politely, and flashed them a smile.
"I'm fine, thank you. The food is amazing." Kikato said, clearly wanting to change the topic.
"Yeah it is. Those crab puffs are amazing." Embry added.
"My daughters and I did all of the cooking tonight. I'm glad you approve." Esme said.
All of her daughters were vampires… how creatures that couldn't taste food make something so delicious, he couldn't fathom.
"I was just talking to Embry and Leah about the wolves in La Push. Leah and I saw one this morning on our jog. I haven't seen a wolf in the wild in years." Kikato said excitedly.
"You like wolves?" Carlisle asked, and although he tried to hide his disgust, a tiny bit showed through his fake smile. Embry held back his smirk and stuffed another crab puff into his mouth.
"I love them. I grew up in eastern Oregon, and there was a pack near my house that I would interact with a lot. When I was little, like four years old, I would crawl around and bark and pretend to be their young. The wolves either thought I was a dumb dog or a dumb human, so they took pity on me and adopted me. My mom, and Leah, never believe me when I tell the story." Kikato explained.
"Because it's ridiculous. A wolf in the wild would tear you apart." Leah defended.
"You never know. Crazier things have happened." Carlisle said, flashing her a knowing smile.
Leah glared at him and shoved another piece of food in her mouth.
"Well I'm glad that you all seem to be having a good time. I'm going to go greet my other guests; enjoy yourselves to the food and wine." Carlisle said.
"There's wine?" Kikato asked.
"Yes, at the other end of the table." Carlisle said, and in an instant, Kikato was making a beeline for the plethora of open bottles.
1.
December 23rd, 9:00 PM
After the party, Jake went to drive Embry home in his truck. Since they were wearing suits, they didn't want to run home and ruin them.
Embry couldn't stop smiling. He was absolutely ecstatic.
As Jake spoke, perhaps about how much he disliked his imprintee's family, Embry thought relentlessly about Kikato.
Such a beautiful name for a beautiful woman.
The old truck bounced along the dirt road as they left the Cullen estate's driveway, causing dirt and dust to fill the air behind them, and the old truck struggled with the small bumps and hills. The headlights had dimmed over the years, and as the truck traveled, the lights went up and down. The shadows moved at the late hour, descending the forest into darkness, and with the old windows, they weren't able to see far even with their excellent vision.
Moans and groans reverberated from the old vehicle, and Embry glanced Jake's way, realizing that he'd stopped talking.
"You need to get a new truck, man." Embry said.
"It's fine." Jake defended. "I love my truck."
"It's shit. Just let Renesmee's parents buy you a new one."
"No way in hell." Jake grit.
Embry's eyes darted to the window next to him, into the shadows.
He could have sworn that he saw someone.
Embry twisted in his seat, trying to look behind them, but he couldn't see them anymore.
"What?" Jake asked.
"... nothing. Thought I saw someone." Embry replied.
"Like you saw Kikato. I saw the way you were looking at her." Jake said.
"She's cute." Embry said, and slowly moved to sit forward again. For some reason, he didn't want to tell Jake just yet.
2.
December 23rd, 9:00 PM
That night, Kikato laughed hysterically as she was practically carried into her soon-to-be home.
She hung off of Leah's arm, nearly falling over every few seconds, and had a bottle of near empty wine in her hand.
"You are way too drunk." Leah accused with a smile, trying to unlock the door while simultaneously keeping Kikato upright.
"Poppycock! You're not drunk enough!" Kikato declared, pumping her fist in the air and then diving into the giant bush next to the front steps.
Leah was torn between laughing and cringing at the sight, knowing that her laughing friend would be in pain the following day.
"Ooh, let's go wolf searching! We'll be like, we'll be like pirates, but looking for puppies and kittens!" Kikato said excitedly, and floundered to get off of the bush and to her feet.
Once Leah had the door open and unlocked, she went over to her floundering friend and picked her up with ease, soon coming face to face with a drunken grin.
3.
December 24th, 1:00 AM
Late that night, Kikato felt the need to explore.
She put on her jeans, a thick coat, hat, and gloves. It was cold as fuck outside.
But she had the urge to go out there.
Leah was fast asleep.
As the cold air hit her face, Kikato couldn't help but grin manically as the adrenaline pumped through her veins. She grabbed hold of the door handle and slid the door closed behind her.
When she took a few steps forward, the backyard light turned on, illuminating the yard for her. There was a path to the side that went into the dense forest, and she'd gone with Leah earlier that day. In the daytime, everything looked much different.
There was a light dusting of snow on the ground, but nothing more, and it would most likely disappear come morning. For now, everything looked like a winter wonderland, and the woods were a mysterious magic land to explore.
She strode forward, no light or phone, with a grin on her face. Kikato was absolutely giddy to start her adventure.
Twigs snapped beneath her feet as she walked, and she was slow at first so that her eyes could adjust. Once she was about five feet into the path, the light from the house turned off, and she stopped to let her eyes further adjust. Light from the full moon helped her vision, and within minutes, she was able to see clearly.
She felt like a kid again.
This time, the wolves and wildlife were much more likely to kill her, and she knew what dangers lurked, but she didn't care. Perhaps recent events made her more jaded to things like that, or maybe she was a little excited for this life to end.
The cold air was invigorating.
Her imagination went wild in the darkness, wondering what could be looming in the shadows and waiting for her to make a misstep. A coyote, a carnivorous rabbit, or evil gnome?
She zipped up her coat when a cold breeze cooled her chest. Her grin spread impossibly wider.
A twig snapped nearby.
She turned to look in the direction it came from.
Kikato wasn't surprised to feel the pair of eyes on her, but for some reason, she wasn't scared. She wasn't alarmed, but instead, excited.
Something came out to say "hello."
"Hello woodland creature." Kikato greeted.
No response.
"Feel free to walk with me. I'm new here, and I'm just wandering. Don't mind me." Kikato said light-heartedly, and continued in her original walk, trying to follow the path from that morning.
As she walked, she could still feel their eyes on her, but she couldn't hear them. Judging by how quiet they were, she guessed that they were either a small creature or a wolf. They would be curious enough to follow her and stealthy enough to not let her hear them.
4.
December 24th, 6:00 AM
Kikato was surprised that Leah was up when she returned.
6:00 AM flashed from the ancient alarm clock on the kitchen counter, and Leah flashed her a glare upon her entry.
Kikato made sure to take her shoes off by the sliding glass door, and hang her coat on the coat hanger near it. The house was warm compared to outside.
"How long have you been out there?" Leah asked, standing in the kitchen and just wearing a sky blue bathrobe. Her short hair was wet and slicked back, and there were still small droplets on her face.
"About five hours? I felt like going for a late night walk." Kikato said, and made her way over to the freshly made pot of coffee.
"Are you insane? You went walking into the middle of the woods by yourself? You could have gotten lost or hurt." Leah chastised, and Kikato shrugged. "Do you not care if you get hurt, or are you just an idiot?"
"I'm an adult. I went on a walk, on my own, and explored. Something joined me out there, but I'm not sure what it was. My guess is a wolf, but I didn't see it." Kikato rambled as she prepared her coffee, going to the fridge for half and half.
"You seriously could have been hurt. There's not just animals out there, but sometimes traps, too. Sometimes hunters come out here illegally, and you need a guide with you to watch out for them." Leah said, which caused Kikato to freeze in place.
"Hunters?" She asked.
"Yes. I had a friend in high school who accidentally walked into a bear trap. It nearly snapped his leg off." Leah said.
Kikato gulped, staring at her coffee, and finally remembered what she was doing. She finished stirring and set the spoon on the counter.
"You need to be more careful. I know you're upset about your mom, but you need to be more careful." Leah said, her tone going softer than before.
Kikato's heart clenched at that.
Her mom forbid her from walking around the woods in the daytime, which is why she started doing it at night.
Then she got bitten. So they moved to the suburbs.
"Why didn't you mention your mom before, by the way? How recent was that?" Leah asked.
"So what are your plans for Christmas Eve?" Kikato asked, changing the topic. She grabbed her coffee and went over to the couch, which was within sight of the kitchen. Sitting with her back against an armrest, she was able to see Leah in the kitchen as she started preparing her breakfast.
"I'm going to my mom's boyfriend's tonight for a Christmas dinner thing, and I'll be staying at my mom's that night and for Christmas Day. I always spend it with her and my little brother. You're welcome to join us, I'm sure my mom would love to have you."
"No, I'll be fine. I've got plans."
"Getting drunk and hoping that a half decent guy will fuck you?" Leah asked harshly.
She wasn't wrong, but the way she said it stung.
"No. I was going to stay home and… budget. And maybe move some of my stuff out of storage." Kikato said, and heard a beep from her phone. Remembering that she hadn't checked it in a while, she got up, went over to pick it up, and returned to her original spot.
"You're going to budget and move stuff. On Christmas." Leah said deadpan.
"Do you know what Embry is doing tonight?" Kikato asked, finding that she'd received a few text messages from him the previous night. He wanted to get together sometime.
"He might be going to the dinner I'm going to tonight. My mom's boyfriend is the grandfather of Jake's girlfriend, so Jake will probably be there, and Jake usually invites Embry to family things since his family isn't in the picture." Leah explained, and Kikato looked up at her in confusion.
"What?" She asked.
"I don't know, just ask him." Leah said with a wave of her hand.
Kikato looked back to her phone and texted him about his plans. His response was fast.
"Why? Do you want to do something tonight?" Embry asked.
"Maybe. We could have a sexy Christmas." Kikato answered.
"My place?" He asked, not even a second later.
"Sure. You'll need to give me directions." She replied.
"I'm going to Embry's tonight." Kikato said triumphantly.
"Good for you." Leah said with a lackluster attitude, and Kikato sulked slightly as she drank her coffee.
5.
December 24th, 3:00 PM
As Jake was patrolling, he felt someone watching him.
6.
December 24th, 5:00 PM
Embry called in favors to get his patrolling shift covered that night.
No way in hell would he work that night.
He spent most of his day cleaning his home, and the rest of his time trying to figure out what to make and what to wear.
He guessed and hoped this would be casual.
His home had never been so clean before.
His hands shook.
He'd never been so nervous before.
He stood in his living room, trying to remember if he'd forgotten anything, when he jumped from a sudden sound at the door.
7.
December 24th, 11:00 PM
Before he knew it, six hours had gone by.
Embry and Kikato sat on the couch together, empty glasses of wine on the coffee table in front of them, and were facing each other. After eating a light snack, they started talking about one thing or another, and then just couldn't stop talking.
Embry felt like he'd known her for his entire life. Conversing with her came naturally, and after the initial meeting, he'd lost all of his nervousness.
She was absolutely charming. Kikato was relaxed, had such an endearing and humble personality, and had such fascinating stories. Some of them were entirely circumstantial, with her being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but some of them were of her of her own poor decisions. She had some magical way to make all of the stories hilarious, and Embry had never laughed so much in his life.
After their initial glass, they'd become so engrossed with talking that they forgot about the alcohol, and even about the dinner that Embry had prepared.
He couldn't imagine how he lived before her in his life.
8.
December 24th, 11:00 PM
Embry was quite the charmer.
He was a great listener, and his laugh was absolutely adorable. For such a large man he was very humble and soft spoken, and Kikato found the combination to be cute. At the beginning of their conversation he'd seemed nervous, but the more they talked, the more he opened up.
Kikato had encountered very few people that she could speak so openly with, and she found that refreshing.
They weren't talking to have sex, to figure out a medical diagnosis, or anything serious.
They talked about nature, about movies, about people; they talked about anything and everything.
9.
December 25th, 5:00 AM
Kikato yawned cutely into her hand, and Embry casually looked at his clock on the wall.
"What? Is that right?" Embry asked, wondering if his clock had stopped working.
"Oh, holy shit. It's 5 AM." Kikato said, and he glanced over to see that she was looking at her phone. "Oh my gosh, we've been talking for twelve hours. How is that possible?" She asked, her cheeks turning red, and she glanced up at him with a blush on her cheeks.
"I enjoyed every minute of it. You're fascinating." Embry said, causing her cheeks to turn even darker.
"I can't believe we talked for twelve hours." She repeated.
"Merry Christmas." Embry said, and they both chuckled.
"Merry Christmas. Thank you for spending the night with me." Kikato said, still smiling.
"Do you… what do you want to do now?" Embry asked, and his stomach whined loudly.
"Let's eat. We forgot to eat, and I never forget that." Kikato said with a laugh.
10.
December 26th, 6:00 PM
A couple of days later, the tribe had a party.
There were bonfires. Food. People. The usual.
But this time, what made it special, was that Kikato would be there. Embry had been to hundreds of these gatherings, but none of them had involved her before. He was impossibly excited to have her there.
"I heard that you have a new girlfriend, Embry." Billy said, getting his attention.
"What?" Embry asked, trying to mentally figure out what Billy knew and how. "I've, uh… I wouldn't say she's my girlfriend."
"The only other time I've seen that look on a wolf's face was after they imprinted. Is there something you'd like to tell us, Embry?" Billy asked, causing Embry to freeze.
"Billy, stop teasing him. I think it's great that he's making friends with Leah's new roommate. She's a nice girl that needs good friends like him." Sue interrupted, and gave him a playful glare.
"What do you mean by that? Why does she need friends? Doesn't everyone?" Billy asked her.
"She lost her mother recently, and she didn't have any family to spend Christmas with. She didn't even have anywhere to live when she was asking about the room for rent." Sue explained.
"I spent Christmas with Kikato. I kept her busy." Embry said.
"Good. Maybe you can get her to stop drinking, too. She got so drunk the other day that she fell into the bush next to our house. She apparently likes to walk around woods alone, by herself, after dark." Sue listed off. "Leah said that she was outside on her own for hours."
"One of the new wolves saw her." Sam interrupted coming to join them. "I was going to talk to her today about that. They've seen her walking around at night, and apparently she's been greeting the wolves and inviting them on walks."
Embry chuckled, imagining Kikato doing that in a light-hearted voice. He could see her doing that.
"It's serious. She could get hurt." Sam told him.
"Oh, I know, and I'll talk her out of doing that. I still think it's funny how friendly she is with wolves. Her friends used to call her Mogli because of how much she loved the local wolves as a kid." Embry explained with a smile.
"Well, we're not the only wolves out here, and sometimes hunters leave traps. She could seriously get hurt." Sam emphasized. "She could get lost, too."
"Talking about me?" Kikato's wonderful voice spoke, causing Embry to instantly smile and look her way. She was dressed in casual clothes; jeans and a heavy coat, which was typical for the weather.
"Have you been walking around at night on your own?" Sam asked her.
"Yep." She said with a smile, and sipped from a steaming thermos in her hand.
His thermos.
"Can you come with me for a minute?" Sam asked, gesturing away from the group.
"Am I going to get lectured again?" She asked.
Sam gave a quiet nod, keeping a straight face and looking her in the eye. Most people would be intimidated by his intense stare, but she just smiled back at him, as if he were anyone else having a polite conversation with her.
Embry couldn't help but eavesdrop, watching the pair walk off to the sidelines by the forest edge. Kikato just kept smiling, being her bubbly self, and contrasted greatly with Sam's serious demeanor.
If anyone in their tribe encompassed the stereotypical Native American vibe, it was definitely Sam. He was stoic, serious, and could make the most confident men doubt themselves. In certain situations of conflicting interests, he could make the sherrif of Forks back down by his stare alone.
He was a pack leader for a reason.
Standing nearly seven feet tall, and Kikato at more than a foot shorter, the scene was almost comical. They looked like a giant bear staring down an innocent, oblivious rabbit.
"Why are you walking around alone at night?" Sam started, sounding surprisingly calm. Usually he was much more direct. Embry wondered if he was being more subtle until he understood Kikato better.
"I'm an adult and I like to take walks at night." She answered non-chalantly.
"So it's a freedom thing?" He inquired.
"Eh." She shrugged, still smiling.
"... you grew up in the city, right?" He asked.
"No. I grew up in a small town in Oregon, just like this one. My mom moved us to the suberbs when I was around eight."
"You realize that we have wolves, hunters, coyotes, and other animals here, right? Any of them could hurt you."
"Technically any of you guys could hurt me, too. Do you realize how ridiculously tall and intimidating you guys are?" She asked, saying the last part in a fake whisper. Embry smiled from his spot. "Humans scare me ten times more than anything in these woods, and I'm one of those weirdos that believe in ghosts."
"... are you free tomorrow? I want to show you some of the traps that hunters leave around here for the local wildlife."
"Sure. It'll be good to know what to look out for."
"... you do realize that you're on our land, right?" Sam asked, now returning to his more serious nature. "You're on Native American land, and Sue is letting you rent a room in her house. I'm asking you to not walk around on your own in these woods without one of us with you. It's dangerous, and this land is sacred to us. We already have to deal with white men hunting on our territory, and Sue was very generous to let you live here."
Embry understood what he was doing, but like hell he'd let Sam kick her out of La Push. He'd fight him if he had to.
"I'm sorry if it came across as disrespectful. I never bring or leave any trash or damage the wildlife when I go for walks."
"Just being there can cause damage that you don't realize. If you're friendly with the wildlife they can get accustomed to being around humans, and be more likely to attack locals."
"Humans suck, I wouldn't blame them." Kikato said, and received a harsh glare from Sam. "Me included. I'd rather be a wolf, personally."
"What do you think would happen if you got hurt out there by one of the wolves? Politically?" Sam asked. "A white girl gets bit on an Indian Reservation."
"Most people who care about race wouldn't classify me as white, but okay."
"Policy makers will use any excuse to sway their voters. We already have a hunting problem and you getting hurt will make that worse for protecting the wildlife here." Sam explained carefully, and Embry found himself both insulted and surprised by how far Sam was going to convince her to not go outside alone.
Kikato's jaw tensed and her gaze hardened slightly. She seemed to be holding back her initial response and thinking carefully about her words.
"I don't agree with your logic but I respect your culture. This is your land. Since it's a respect issue I won't walk around the woods at night." She told him, her previous smile gone and replied by a thin line.
Sam had touched a nerve with her. Embry would talk to him about that later.
"Thank you." Sam said. "I still would like to show you around the reservation a little more at some point, and show you the hunting traps we find in the woods. We really don't want you to get hurt."
"I'm aware of how dangerous hunters are." Kikato said, and then turned her head abruptly to stare into the woods.
"What?" Sam asked.
"Probably just being paranoid." She answered distractedly.
Both Sam and Embry looked in the direction she was looking, into the shadows of the dark forest, and squinted to see if they could find whatever she heard.
Then, to Embry's slight horror, he could make out a face in the darkness.
Staring at them.
"Hey!" Sam yelled, seeing the face a split second after Embry. Suddenly, the face vanished.
Sam gestured for some of the other shapeshifters to follow him into the woods, and Embry followed suit. On his way to follow them, he glanced at Kikato, and saw that she looked incredibly serious. Her eyes were dark, her mouth set in a fine scowl, and her eyes darted to the right, as if visually following the person she'd just seen.
Embry couldn't see them, but he ran after the others, and searched the area for the person they'd just seen.
Even with their impeccable eyesight, seeing was difficult. The group started to flank out, sniffing the air for the stranger, and Embry went to the right on his hunch.
When he went to the right, he did smell a very faint scent that was unusual to him. He hadn't smelled it before, and the only comparison he could think of was for a sweet smelling version of a vampire scent.
"Have you guys smelled this before?" Embry asked, and the group looked to him. They converged into his direction and sniffed the air, while dually keeping an eye out for the mysterious person.
"Are you sure you saw something?" Jake asked.
"Yes." Sam said.
"I saw them, too. Kikato was the one that spotted them. I don't know how she did, I could barely see them in the shadows." Embry said.
"We'll have the ones on patrol investigate. All of you get back to the party so that the wolves can catch the scent." Sam instructed.
11.
December 26th, 6:30 PM
She could hear and smell them.
The way they moved was unique. Nearly silent, but there was a slight repetition of their footwork that she could pick up on. A very slight tapping, as if water droplets falling to the ground, with a very specific rhythm. Their scent, although faint, was something that she'd never forget.
Just like how they crushed the windpipe on that wolf, grabbed each leg, and pulled.
The cracking of bones breaking. Tissue being torn limb from limb. Fur skinned from the bloody corpse and meat devoured by the hunters that killed them.
A humanoid face that silently screamed in agony while it bled out to death.
"Don't worry." Someone said, and she glanced up at the new voice. He was a man that she met at the Cullen party. "We'll take care of them."
"Is it legal to hunt here?" Kikato asked.
"No, but it doesn't stop people from trying. I'm sorry about Sam." He said, and she tried to remember who Sam was and what he was talking about. "He was being rude, but his heart is in the right place. He's just worried about you getting hurt."
"It's fine." She said, and kept her ear out for those footsteps. They seemed to be gone, but she could hear a lot of movement in the forest now. Whatever was out there, was now attracting a lot of attention from the local wildlife.
"You know, if you want to go out for night walks, I could go with you. Problem solved." He offered.
"What was your name again?" Kikato asked.
"... Embry." Embry said. "We've met a couple of times now... you spent the night with me once…. We spent Christmas Eve together."
"We did?" Kikato asked, honestly too distracted with watching the forest and listening for those footsteps.
"That's my thermos you're holding." He said, and at that, she turned to him and gave him her full attention. She looked at him, then to the thermos, and back to him, feeling heat scorch her cheeks.
That was embarrassing.
"Sorry, uh... I forgot your address." She lied. "I had planned to get you a new one and send it to you. I've gotten a few dents in this one."
"Don't worry about it. I'm glad that you like it." Embry said, and gave her a charming smile. "How about you make it up to me by taking me out to coffee instead? There's a little diner in Forks that isn't too bad. We could get dinner sometime."
"Sure." Kikato said, and her gaze flickered to the ominous forest again.
There were a lot of sounds out there. Rustling branches, snapping twigs, crackling leaves.
"You have really good hearing." Embry commented.
"Yeah." She agreed.
"Are you okay?" He asked, and at that question, she snapped back to reality.
There were no bleeding wolves here. The idea that she could hear the exact same hunters from almost twenty years ago, walking around this very forest, was absolutely absurd. "Smelling" those hunters was even more absurd.
"Yeah, but I think I need a drink. I'm almost out of my mystery liquid." She said, putting on her chipper personae and grinning mischievously at him.
"Mystery liquid? What does that mean?" Embry laughed.
12.
December 27th, 1:30 AM
That night, instead of wandering the woods alone, Kikato was forced to stay indoors.
Technically she wasn't forced to, but she was "strongly encouraged" to stay indoors by multiple people, and she didn't want to offend the people here. This was their land, and she knew very well that Native Americans had been screwed over by "white people." She held nothing but respect for them...
But she really wanted to go outside.
The house was cold that night, a broken window in the bathroom being the culprit. The small hole was enough to bring in a consistent small breeze into the house, which kept the main rooms chilled.
Kikato sat in front of the sliding glass door, a thick blanket over her shoulders, and her gaze trained on the edge of the forest. No lights were on inside the house, nor was the backyard light on, so she was able to see with only natural light.
Dark trees loomed along the edge of the yard, casting shadows through the forest floor. Beautiful stars filled the entire night sky, and she was able to see them when she craned her neck. One of these days, she might convince Leah to let her sleep in the yard and stargaze.
Every once in a while, when she shifted, a wave of sage would fill the air. Ms. Clearwater had been kind enough to loan her blankets until she got all of her own out of storage.
Technically, Kikato wasn't living there yet. Ms. Clearwater still needed to get the paperwork done, and until then, Kikato was using one of their futons and their blankets to sleep on. She brought in her clothes from her car, but otherwise she had very few belongings in the house.
This wasn't her house, but the environment felt like her childhood home. The smells, the trees, the sounds... everything felt like her old home.
Back when her mom was alive and her dad was mostly still around.
Her mom told her that he was a deadbeat that left them, but Kikato remembered him before he left. He played with her, took care of her when she was sick, listened to her problems, took long walks with her in the local forests while explaining everything they saw... she was aware that her memory of him could simply be rose colored glasses, but she still clung to those memories.
According to her mother, he was arrested and went to prison for drug possession. She never wanted Kikato to be around that kind of influence, so they never visited or kept him in their lives. Her mother remarried, and Kikato never really considered trying to find and reach out to him.
She subconsciously reached for her shoulder, where the scars were, and kept staring out into the trees.
She missed them.
13.
December 27th, 8:00 AM
When Leah woke up, she had planned to take a shower first, but the grogginess pulling at her senses led her to the kitchen, instead.
She needed caffeine that day.
There had been some strange sightings the last few days, so Sam and Jake were increasing the number of patrols. Since Leah was one of the senior members of the pack, that meant that she would be patrolling a lot until the sightings decreased.
She would be patrolling all day with Embry, Seth, and Jake. They were going to do a thorough search of the area, and meet with the vampires of Forks to coordinate with them. Although they wouldn't work directly together, they would be searching at the same time and relay any information they found.
Just thinking about the upcoming day made her exhausted.
At first, as she traveled her living room to the kitchen, she didn't notice anything out of place. She went straight to the coffee maker and started her morning beverage.
The linoleum floor was icy cold on her feet, and she cursed at the hellish feeling. She rubbed her tired eyes, moving around the eye crusties that formed in the night, and irritably looked for her cereal in the cabinet.
A weird sound came from the living room, so she turned her head quickly, searching for the source.
There was a lumpy pile of blankets on the ground, by the sliding glass door, and it shifted slightly.
It was breathing.
If there was something hiding in her blankets, they could easily mask their scent with the powerful smell of sage. Her mother was obsessed with sage, which although not unusual for tribes, her mother was especially obsessed.
Sage need to be lit at all times, in all rooms, every day.
The lump sneezed and shifted, and the small sound was all too familiar. Leah let out a sigh of relief, but then in afterthought, wondered what the hell her new roommate was doing on the floor. Not only was that unsanitary, but it had to be uncomfortable. The door also had no insulation, so she was probably freezing.
"Go to bed, weirdo." Leah barked from the kitchen, and caused the lump to jump and curse. "Did you get drunk and pass out there, or something?"
Kikato groaned from her spot, not sitting up, and mumbled something incomprehensible.
"You're renting the bedroom, not the living room, so you better not make it a habit to sleep there." Leah added.
"Fine, mom." Kikato mumbled, and shifted to kneel.
"I'm not your mother." Leah snapped out of reflex.
The lump turned, the tired face mostly concealed, but Leah could see one of her eyes. Unless she was imagining things, she could see that her eye was watery, and complete dejection on her face.
Right. Her mother. Leah thought, the blood draining from her face when she realized what happened.
She actually thought that Leah was her mom for a moment.
"Sorry." Kikato mumbled, and moved to stand.
"Sorry." Leah said awkwardly, and watched Kikato shuffle back into her room. "It's too early for this. I can't be held accountable for saying stupid things this early. Fuck." Leah rambled quietly to herself, feeling bad for what she said.
She knew what it was like to lose a parent. When her father died, she would sometimes wake up and forget what happened to him. She'd innocuously ask where dad was at the breakfast table; Seth would run to his room crying and her mother's eyes would water up.
"It's too early for this shit." Leah repeated to herself.
The guilt of her father's death crept up on her, slowly spreading through her chest and causing a dull ache to form.
Her father would be alive if it wasn't for her.
Leah then realized that she wouldn't be able to do the morning jog with Kikato. The slush probably sat in front of the door all night staring at the woods, but not actually going outside to show respect for their culture, and would be sad when she found out that she couldn't go outside at all.
"Fuck." Leah cursed softly, and slammed the cabinet door shut.
… if Kikato had managed to get back to sleep, that would have woken her up.
"Fuck." Leah cursed again softly. She put her hands on her face and leaned forward, taking deep breaths.
14.
December 27th, 3:00 PM
Embry paused by a babbling creek, taking a rest from their day of running and searching, and took a sip of the cool water.
They hadn't found anything. The scent from whatever had been there was too faint to follow, which was unusual and rare, and they couldn't find any tracks. Considering this time of year, when everything was muddy and freezing cold, there should have been some kind of mark left by the intruder.
Some of them were doubting whether there was anything there at all; that maybe they were imagining things.
"I'm such an idiot." Leah thought. "I shouldn't have said anything."
"What?" Embry asked.
"I jokingly told Kikato this morning that I wasn't her mother. She was tired and actually thought I was her mom. Now I feel like an asshole."
"I'm sure she understands. I was planning to meet with her tonight, so I'll make sure she's okay." Embry assured.
"Why are you interested in such a lush?" Leah asked.
"He likes her." Jake said.
"I think it's great that Embry found someone to love." Seth added.
"I never said I was in love." Embry scoffed, and shook his head.
"The cullens found something on the border. Come on." Jake ordered, and both Leah and Embry broke out into a run.
15.
December 27th, 3:00 PM
That afternoon, Kikato found herself in a boring situation.
She needed to drink.
The office was small and uncomfortable. She could smell the McDonalds left overs, a hamburger and fries, and there was still a soda on the man's desk. He was a portly old man, hair thinning, and his office was a little too neat and orderly for the scents. Kikato was pretty sure that he had never aired out his office before.
As he droned on and on, going through paperwork, she noticed the crumbs left over on his clean shaven chin. His short hair was slicked back and reeked of hair jel.
Brandon sat next to her, wearing his usual suit and tie. Mormonism involved wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase at all times, apparently.
"'... to Brandon, I leave the rest of my finances', which is about $5,000. Since she wants to be cremated and Kikato has already cleaned out your mother's apartment, there won't be many bills left. Her health insurance covered all of the cancer treatments and her ex-husband's previous employers covered the other expenses." He explained.
Kikato's heart fell.
She worked hard to get her mother's apartment cleaned out, pay her extra bills, bring her things… the expenses had added up, and she'd been counting on getting some kind of compensation.
Brandon didn't do anything for her.
"'To my daughter, who threw her life away, I leave a letter." McDonald face said, and pulled out an envelope. He handed it to Kikato, and she leaned forward to take it. She opened the envelope instantly, leaning back in her chair and ripping it open, and reading the typed letter.
Her mother left her a letter… explaining what a horrible daughter she was, how she disappointed her, and how she was just like her father.
At the end, as she ranted about her father, she explained what really happened to him. When she was seven years old, her father claimed to be going to prison for the rest of his life. In reality, some kind of illness had developed and spread where he lived. He lived on a reservation, in the Yoyu tribe, and according to her mother's research, they all died.
"I need you both to sign these forms, indicating that you were both here and listened to your mother's last will and testament."
Kikato looked at him, just as he was handing some forms on a clipboard to Brandon, and glanced at Brandon.
"... mom had a lot of bills at her apartment that I had to pay off. Can you reimburse me for some of it with what mom left you?" Kikato asked her brother.
"No." Brandon said.
That one word hurt her more than she expected. His rejection cut her deep, pushing the other wounds deeper, and she tried not to focus on the letter on her lap.
"I gave up my apartment to take care of mom. I've been homeless for the past year so that I could take care of her. I've been going through my savings so that I could take care of her, and all I'm asking for is help with mom's bills. She left me nothing." Kikato explained, feeling a coldness crawl along her body.
This didn't feel real.
"I'm saving her soul. You're an alcoholic whore." Brandon said as he went through the documents and signed them. "You weren't even there when she died, and now you're trying to get your hands on her money. You were probably waiting for her to die."
Kikato got up from her seat and left, ignoring the fat man yelling for her to return.
Tears were forming in her eyes.
She didn't make eye contact with anyone in the halls, instead focusing on where to find the closest liquor store.
16.
December 27th, 6:00 PM
Embry crouched down by a tree, looking at his phone, and cursed softly.
He'd lost track of time in his wolf form, and both Jake and Sam insisted on staying out later. They wanted to be thorough and search through the night, in case whatever was out here was nocturnal.
So far, all they had found was a single footprint. The print was definitely humanoid.
He opened up his flip phone and looked through his new messages, surprised to find none from Kikato. Embry was supposed to have picked her up two minutes ago.
He brought up her number and called, pressing the phone against his ear. Since he wasn't going anywhere, he didn't bother putting on pants, but the cold air was sending slight shivers across his body. That night was cold and he needed his fur to stay warm.
The phone rang about four times before she picked up.
"Hello?" The familiar voice giggled. There was music in the background, and it was quickly turned down.
"Hey, Kikato. I'm sorry, but I won't be able to hang tonight. Something came up." Embry said, wishing that he could go against Jake's orders.
Just hearing her voice made him want to run to her.
"Oh… oh, okay. No biggie." Kikato said, and she sounded hurt. "I mean, I've got stuff going on anyway. I'm researching stuff."
"What are you researching?" Embry asked.
"... well, uh, job stuff, and this Native American tribe in Oregon."
"What tribe?" Embry asked.
"They're called the Yoyu tribe… they died of disease about eighteen or so years ago. I can't find much information about them." She answered.
"They're a pretty sad story. Why are you researching them?" Embry asked, recalling that story vividly. The Yoyu tribe was one of the many tribes that died from disease brought over from other countries. He didn't know specifics, just that they were ill and refused treatment from western medicine. Unfortunately, there were a lot of Native Americans that refuse western medicine, and the result was lethal.
"They were my neighbors growing up. I just… felt like getting in contact with them. I had a lot of friends on that reservation." Kikato said, and Embry's heart fell.
"I'm sorry." Embry said. "Some company was dumping chemicals in their water, and they all got sick. They refused western medicine because they believed that was the cause of the disease. Let me see if I can get out of my plans to spend tonight with you. You shouldn't be alone."
Embry glanced up, hearing one of the wolves get closer, and saw Jake standing there and waiting.
"No, it's fine. I mean… I just grew up there. I moved when I was around nine." Kikato said in a light voice, but Embry could tell that she was in pain. He would be, too, if he was in her situation.
Embry put his hand on his phone and asked Jake, "Can I please go? She was upset about her mom and she just found out her friends died. She shouldn't be alone."
Jake transformed into his human form.
"We can ask Sam to have Emily keep her company. Emily isn't busy tonight and we need you with us. I have a bad feeling about whatever is out here, and I want us at our strongest." Jake suggested.
"Seriously, I'm fine. It's, uh… not the worst part of my day." Kikato said.
"What else happened?" Embry asked quickly.
"My brother was just… he was a jerk." Kikato said, her voice faltered. "But it's fine. I'm also job hunting, and I've got plenty of wine to keep me company. I also have lots of mac and cheese that I'm looking forward to eating."
"Bring up Emily." Jake whispered, and walked over to his bag by the same tree. He started chugging his water bottle.
"Have you met Emily?" Embry asked.
"Emily… which one?" Kikato asked.
"Leah's cousin. She's Sam's wife. She doesn't have anything going on and is willing to hang out. Emily isn't a huge drinker, but she's the sweetest person I know. I think you'd like her." Embry explained.
"'Sweet' as in prudest old lady or 'sweet' as in genuinely good human?" Kikato asked, and Embry chuckled.
"More of the latter. She likes baking cookies, though." Embry answered, and glanced up as Jake transitioned back to a wolf. He was probably communicating to Sam.
"Sure, I wouldn't mind hanging out with her. I already started drinking, though, so I can't drive." Kikato explained.
"She can drive there, no problem." Embry said, and glanced up at Jake for confirmation. He nodded. "She'll be there soon."
"Okay, cool." Kikato said.
"I'm sorry for not being able to spend time with you tonight. I was really looking forward to it." Embry said honestly. "I would rather be with you tonight."
"That horny, huh?" She joked.
"No. I just like spending time with you." Embry said, and there was a pause on the other end. "I'll text you in the morning to reschedule, okay?"
"Alright. Good night, Embry. Have a nice evening."
"You too." Embry said, and didn't hang up until he heard the click.
He'd forgotten that sex was a possibility with her.
The thought sent a jolt to his groin, reminding him of the mental image of her between his legs, and he shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts. He definitely didn't want the others to hear that.
16.
December 27th, 8:00 PM
After spending some time with Kikato, Emily found herself surprised and delighted by her discovery. She also needed to take what Leah told her with a grain of salt more often.
Leah had described her as an alcoholic, and didn't give much description other than that. She said that she was strange, ignored her problems, and was very promiscuous.
Emily found Kikato to be utterly charming, though.
They sat on her couch chatting for hours; slowly sipping their wine and talking about things. Emily brought over snacks for them, Kikato provided the wine, and didn't over drink. She made sure to drink at the same pace as Emily and didn't get sloshed.
Both of them wore pajamas; Emily a pair of pink fuzzy pants with a large shirt, and Kikato wore shorts with a large shirt. Kikato had a blanket wrapped around her, and Emily recognized it as one of Sue's.
"So you had no idea that you lived on a reservation as a child?" Emily inquired with a smile.
"I don't think I lived on the reservation itself, just next to it. I didn't even know about it until I read a letter from my mom…" Kikato said, but then froze. She turned her head to the back door, her body stilling and her eyes wide in alert. The way she turned reminded her of Sam when he heard something outside.
"What's wrong?" Emily asked.
Kikato got up, setting her wine glass on the table, and tugged the blanket closer to her body. She walked over to the sliding door, pulling the curtains, and peered into the backyard. After a few seconds, she reached over and turned the backyard light on.
"Kikato?" Emily asked.
"Ssh." Kikato said, holding a finger up.
Emily slowly and quietly got up as well, padding over to her, and peered outside as well. She didn't see anything.
"I realize this sounds dumb," Kikato said quietly, "But they sound like the hunters I heard as a kid. Their footsteps sound the same; like rain drops with a specific rhythm."
"Hunters?" Emily asked.
"When I was little, I watched a wolf be literally torn apart by hunters. The wolves were always spooked when they heard those steps." Kikato said, which sent a chill down Emily's spine.
Kikato's eyes stayed trained on the forest edge outside, deathly quiet, and stayed completely still.
Emily watched as well, a chill crawling up her spine, and she wondered whether she should call her husband. Whatever they were searching for could be right outside this house.
"He's watching us." Kikato whispered.
"Where?" Emily asked, squinting her eyes in the darkness to see. All she could see was the edge of the yard, where the trees were, and then pure darkness outside of the light's reach. Nonetheless she kept looking, staring into the shadows, and searching for whatever she was talking about.
She couldn't see anyone, but she was beginning to feel their eyes on her.
Emily glanced at Kikato, trying to figure out where she was looking, and realized that she was looking to the left of the yard. Following suit, she stared into the darkness of that area.
Slowly, as she stared, a figure emerged from the darkness.
Emily screamed and jumped back, her hands flying to her mouth, and she quickly pulled out her phone. She ran over to the kitchen, breathing hard, and quickly found Sam in her contacts. Her hands shook wildly as she put the phone against her ear, still breathing hard, and she looked over to see that Kikato was still at the door.
Several seconds went by, the phone kept ringing, and she nearly ran out of hope when he finally answered her.
"It's here. It's here. It's in the backyard." Emily said panicked.
"Do you know if Leah has a gun so that I can scare them off?" Kikato asked from the door.
"What's there?" Sam asked on the phone.
"There's someone out there." Emily stammered.
"There's at least three out there." Kikato corrected.
"Oh god, oh god," Emily breathed rapidly, and fell to the ground.
They were probably vampires.
Sam wasn't there to protect her.
"Give me the phone." Kikato said, kneeling in front of her, and Emily didn't resist. For the situation, Kikato was surprisingly calm. There wasn't a tremor in her voice, a tremble in her hand, or any worry on her face. "Hey Sam, this is Kikato. There are three guys walking around outside. We only saw one of them but I can hear them moving around out there. Should I call the police or wait for you?"
"We'll be there soon. Try to keep my wife calm. Everything is going to be okay." Sam said, his voice loud enough for Emily to hear.
"My guess is that they're hunters. I doubt we're in danger." Kikato said.
"I'll be there soon. Give the phone to Emily." Sam instructed, and Kikato quickly handed it back to her.
Emily was still breathing hard, her heart pounding in her ears, and she was both amazed and disturbed by how calmly Kikato sipped at her wine, as if nothing was wrong.
"Everything will be okay. Quil and the others are already running over there, and they'll be there in a few minutes. Once I hang up then I'll be running full speed." Sam said, and suddenly Kikato moved abruptly.
Kikato grabbed a large knife from the counter and faced away from her.
"What are you doing?" Emily asked.
"They got in through the bathroom window. Tell Sam to move his ass." Kikato said, and Emily's eyes widened. Suddenly, Kikato turned, grabbed the phone out of her hand, and put the phone to her ear. "Approximately five foot five, male, dark long hair pulled back, appears to be asian. He's wearing a red plaid jacket wrapped around his waist and from this angle, looks like he has red eyes. He's also barefoot."
Emily shifted to peer around Kikato's legs, and a small scream left her lips at the sight.
He was standing there. In the hallway.
There was a man there.
His eyes were red.
"The police now have a physical description of you. I suggest you leave before they get here." Kikato said, phone still against her ear and blade in her hand.
"You were the little girl bitten by that wolf, weren't you? You got in the middle of our hunting raid, and you got bit. The dog dragged you to the house." The man spoke, and Emily was completely lost.
"Do you know this man?" Emily asked her.
"Get the hell out of my house before I stab the hell out of you." Kikato said.
He chuckled.
"How are you able to hear us?" He asked.
"Your footsteps aren't something I can easily forget. You people are absolutely disgusting. You should be put into jail for what you did to those poor wolves." Kikato said, and the creature chuckled again.
He didn't seem the least bit concerned or worried.
"My husband is on his way." Emily told him, trying to muster as much strength as she could from the floor. There was no way she could stand.
Those red eyes turned to her.
He smiled.
"It might take a few minutes for them to get here, which gives me plenty of time to kick your ass. I'm giving you one last chance to leave." Kikato said, but then, the vampire was gone.
He disappeared.
"He's a fast fucker." Kikato commented. "He got outside fast. They're all running away."
"How do you know? Are you a wolf?" Emily asked, and jumped when her back touched something. She turned and looked back, only to find that she'd just bumped the counter.
"I have good hearing. Might as well relax until your hubbie gets here." Kikato said, and set the knife down on the counter. "Come on, lets get you back to the couch. We can-"
"How are you so calm?!" Emily shrieked, unnerved by how calm she was.
They were nearly killed by a vampire just now.
Kikato turned, kneeled down in front of her, and took another small sip of her drink.
"I was trained as a nurse for five years. I know how to remain calm in tense situations, and I really like wine. Those hunters are gone, so you can calm down." Kikato explained, and handed her the half glass of wine.
Emily grabbed it and downed the glass.
"What happened to your face?" Kikato asked, throwing Emily off. That was a random question.
Usually when people asked, it was earlier on in their conversations. Most people didn't ask at all; instead, they just stared at her with a weird look, as if she were some kind of monster. Kikato had been one of the few people to not look at her that way.
"I, uh… it was a bear." Emily answered.
"So that's why Sam was so grumpy the other day. He didn't want me to get hurt like you did." Kikato said, and then slid her blanket off. She pulled down her right sleeve, and Emily's eyes widened.
There were extensive scars along her shoulder that went into her chest, beneath her shirt. The scars seemed to go into her arm as well, and judging by the alignment, she guessed that they were bite marks.
"When I was little, a bunch of hunters attacked the local wolves. I was caught in the middle of the attack. I was only eight years old, so I started crying and didn't run or anything. One of the wolves grabbed me and got me out of there. Probably saved my life." Kikato explained, and pulled her shirt back up. "Animals aren't that scary to me, but humans are terrifying. They're capable of terrifying and terrible things."
"Is that what the vampire was talking about before?" Emily asked.
"The guy that broke in? I presume he was talking about that. I have no idea how he tracked me down. I don't live here officially and no one really knows that I live here yet." She said with a shake of her head.
The door suddenly burst open, and Kikato stood and turned.
Sam stormed in, wearing nothing but pants, and ran over to Emily on the ground. He instantly pulled her into a hug, and Emily couldn't help but start crying.
She was terrified.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Sam asked, pulling away and beginning to inspect her. Emily quickly nodded, smiling through the tears, and tried to wipe her face off with her sleeve.
"We're fine. I threatened to kick his ass so he ran off. How many people did you bring with you?" Kikato asked nearby.
"I brought half of the pack here to protect you." Sam said, looking deeply into Emily's eyes. He leaned in, kissing her gently yet deeply, and Emily felt her body relax at the touch.
"I'm fine, Embry. Calm the fuck down." Kikato said, and Emily glanced over at her. Like Sam, Embry seemed to be in a panic, and was inspecting her for injury. In the background, she could see members of Sam's pack running through the house and searching for the intruder.
"I should have been here." Embry said.
"Shut up. I'm fine, Emily is fine, the weirdo is gone. He ran off with his stupid little feet, and you should be more worried about what they're hunting for tonight. They're probably after the wolves in this area, since they've been getting headlines lately." Kikato explained.
"They knew Kikato." Emily said, looking back at Sam.
"I don't know how he recognized me. I was eight years old when I met him. Maybe he was eavesdropping on our conversation about the Yoyu tribe." Kikato said.
"You recognized him? You know these hunters?" Sam asked, turning on Kikato and standing.
"I watched them literally rip an animal apart when I was eight years old. I was injured that night, so they probably saw me in the paper." Kikato explained quickly, and Embry moved to stand between Kikato and Sam.
"Sam, this wasn't her fault. She tried to protect me." Emily explained, and finally found the strength to stand. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Sam, relishing his warm skin against her cheek.
She loved him.
"What are all of you people doing shirtless in the middle of winter? What the hell were you doing before we called?" Kikato asked, and Emily felt Sam's muscles tense.
"Swimming." Embry blurted.
"'Swimming'? Then why aren't you in swim trunks? And why the hell are you swimming in December?" Kikato asked.
Embry leaned down, pulling her into a kiss.
Emily raised her eyebrows, having not known that they were a couple, and was momentarily distracted by their lip locked dance. The kiss didn't last long, since Kikato pulled away, but as soon as she did Embry reached over for the bottle of wine on the counter and handed it to her.
"Fine, you don't have to tell me, but I will automatically assume that it was a gay orgy until proven otherwise." Kikato said, and then proceeded to chug a large portion of the wine.
Emily couldn't help but laugh at the absurd comment, and saw Embry's cheeks turn dark in embarrassment.
16.
December 28th, 9:00 AM
The next morning, Kikato woke up to the sound of her phone sing "worth it" at top volume.
After having a mild heart attack, she grabbed the phone next to her head and refrained from chucking it at the wall.
She didn't recognize the number.
"Hello?" She asked, not willing to listen to the song any longer. Someone must have changed the ring tone and volume last night when she was drunk.
"Kikato, this is Sam, Emily's wife."
"Morning." She mumbled.
"Those hunters from last night showed up at our house when I was out. Emily is scared, and said that you could hear them moving last night. She said you could hear their footsteps."
"Yeah." Kikato said, and lay her head back down with the phone on her ear.
She had terrifying nightmares all through the night. She was exhausted and hungover.
"Would you be willing to spend the day with Emily? Embry would also be here. Emily can make you any food you want."
"... are you asking me to hang out with your wife all day and listen for intruders like a guard dog?" Kikato asked.
"... we also have wine and tequila." Sam added.
17.
December 28th, 10:00 AM
Not even an hour later, Kikato was sipping wine on Emily's couch and chatting like they were old friends.
Ever since Emily's "accident," she had been relatively reserved and soft spoken around people, especially new faces. She was quiet, timid, and avoided eye contact.
With Kikato, however, she opened up. She laughed at her stories, made silly comments, and openly relaxed around her. The only other person he knew of that could make her act that way was Sam.
Embry sat on a love seat over by the window, occasionally glancing outside for the hunters.
With how many wolves were walking outside and how loudly the women laughed, Embry honestly doubted that Kikato would hear anyone coming. Last night it was dark, quiet, and hadn't rained in a few days, so the forest was easier to hear new sounds.
That didn't necessarily explain how Kikato was able to see and hear them, though. The wolves and vampire neighbors spent all of yesterday and last night searching, and Kikato was the one to find them. One of them got right up to the kitchen window before any of the wolves saw him. None of them heard a sound.
Now, the wolves were on high alert. There was no way that one of them could get Emily now.
The only theory they had about these newcomers was that they were testing their reaction time. If they actually wanted to harm Emily, they would have done so last night.
What better way to test how fast the wolves were than to threaten the pack leader's mate?
"Uncle Coyote is visiting for New Years." Emily said, turning to Embry.
"Really? That's great." Embry said, and smiled. Uncle Coyote was a good man a good friend to most in the Quilluete tribe. He traveled the northwest visiting most of the tribes, keeping everyone up to date on each other and occasionally bringing people together for environmental causes.
"Uncle Coyote?" Kikato asked with a smile that nearly melted Embry's heart.
"He's a family friend. Real sweetheart, and kind old man. You're both coming to my New Year's party, right?" Emily asked, looking back back and forth between them.
"I'm down." Embry said.
"Sure, just message me the deets." Kikato said.
"So how long have you two been seeing each other?" Emily asked.
"We're not." Embry and Kikato said in unison.
"So you're just… friends that occasionally kiss?" Emily asked, and in particular, looked Embry's way.
He could feel his face heating up in embarrassment, and by the way she looked at him, he wondered if she could read his mind.
He looked away from her, unable to handle her accusatory stare.
"We've kissed a few times. We're nothing more than friends." Kikato said.
Embry's heart clenched painfully at her words.
"How long have you and Sam been married?" Kikato asked, changing the conversation.
They were just… friends.
He loved her, wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, but… they were just "friends."
So long as she was in his life, he would be happy. He would never push her into a relationship she was uncomfortable with.
But that… wasn't going to satisfy him. Seeing what the other imprinted wolves had made him greedy and want more. He longed to hold her, kiss her goodnight, and have breakfast with her every morning. To dance with her, talk with her every day, and support her in every way.
He longed for everything with her, but he couldn't bring himself to pursue her like he wanted. He followed her pace, let her set the boundaries of their relationship, and telling her how he felt wasn't an option. Not yet, at least.
For now, they could spend long nights talking about the world, and share the occasional kiss.
18.
December 28th, 1:00 PM
After a few hours of talking and drinking, Kikato ended up falling asleep.
She'd admitted to having nightmares last night, after Emily explained that she didn't get much sleep. Kikato had struggled to stay awake ever since she got there, and when she finally dozed off, neither Emily nor Embry had the heart to wake her up.
Emily reached over and pulled a blanket from behind the couch to cover the sleeping woman's body.
Embry then realized that Kikato had been losing weight. She looked thinner than when he first met her, just a few weeks ago.
"Sam tells me that you've been doing better." Emily said, causing him to tear his eyes from the sleeping beauty. He could watch her for hours.
"Yeah." Embry said with a nod.
"How have you been?" She asked him.
"I just had an off couple of weeks. I'm fine." Embry answered.
"I haven't seen you smile this much since before your mom's accident. Kikato seems to make you happy." Emily observed.
Embry gulped down the lump in his throat. He tried not to think about his mother unless he was alone.
"You should ask her out." Emily said. "I think you two will be cute together."
"She doesn't see me that way." Embry said, and glanced at her again.
Kikato looked impossibly relaxed as she slept, with her mouth slightly parted and her cheeks tinted pink. Her long dark hair was brushed back in a braid, her body curled up sideways on the couch, and there was a brownie crumb left on the side of her mouth.
She was beautiful.
"I think that she's guarded, so being with her could take time, but I think it will be worth it. You look nice when you smile." Emily said.
The front door opened, and they both looked up at the sound. Kikato jumped awake.
As soon as Sam entered the living room, he strode over and kneeled in front of Emily, and pulled her into a kiss.
Kikato abruptly got up, her heart racing, and dropped the blanket as she went for the back door. Embry got up and followed after her, down the rickety steps of the back porch, and barely stopped in time to keep from falling over her.
She dropped, taking a seat on the bottom step, and was breathing hard. Her hands fluttered to her face, her body hunched over, and she struggled to breathe.
"Are you okay?" He asked as he sat next to her, and put his arm around her.
"Bad dream." She answered. "Bad dream."
"It'll be okay." Embry assured, holding her close and caressing her arm.
"I know." She said, nodding, but still breathing hard.
"What was your dream about?" Embry asked.
"Bodies being shredded. Hunters ripping wolves apart." She answered.
"That sounds horrible." Embry whispered, and pressed his cheek against her head.
He stayed with her, gently consoling her, until she calmed down.
19.
December 28th, 5:00 PM
Jake feigned to struggle with the elder's large suit case as he took it to the spare room, to which his dad insulted him for over exaggerating.
That was something they did: Jake whined about chores he was more than capable of handling, and his father would call him out on his shit.
Uncle Coyote sat in the living room with Jake's father, sitting comfortably on the couch, and chatted with them as Jake brought his things inside. He would be staying with Jake's father for a few weeks.
"So how have things been here? How are Harry and Sue doing?" Uncle Coyote asked.
"Harry died a few years ago, but Sue is doing well." Jake's dad, Billy, answered.
"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear. How did he die?" He asked, and started Billy's retelling of the last few years (minus the werewolves and vampires). After moving everything, Jake sat with them and joined in conversation.
20.
December 28th, 7:00 PM
Emily and Kikato were still talking. They were on their 4th hour of non stop talking, to the point that even Sam was wallpaper to them.
They had migrated to the kitchen, where Emily would make food and Kikato would taste test, and the few times that Sam came in for a break from patrol he got snubbed. Embry would laugh every time, and Sam didn't want to interrupt the new friendship, so he didn't make a big deal of it.
Embry stayed at the table, watching them casually, and playing on Kikato's phone. She had fun games on there.
Sam, having come in for dinner, took a seat next to Embry at the table. He looked exhausted.
"How'd the search go?" Embry asked in a low voice.
"We found a few more tracks. They've been moving all over the area and their scent is too weak to track. Have they shown up here at all?" Sam asked.
"No." Embry said. "We haven't seen anything."
"Good." Sam said, and looked longingly at Emily across the room. She was smiling, laughing, and teasing with Kikato as if they'd been friends their entire lives. "You don't have to stay here. You can switch out with someone else if you want."
"I don't mind staying. Better than chasing ghosts all day." Embry said, hoping that he could stay longer. Just being around Kikato put his mind at ease and relaxed him, even if she was too busy with Emily to pay him any mind.
"Would you be willing to stay tomorrow, too? You're one of the strongest in our packs and it puts my mind at ease that you're here." Sam said, lowering his voice and looking him in the eye.
Embry couldn't help but feel a swell of pride in his chest. Even though he knew that scheduling was a bigger reason, he still appreciated the sentiment. Ever since he left Sam's pack, he'd felt a tension between them.
"I can be here tomorrow." Embry said, holding back a smile.
"Good." Sam said with a serious nod.
"Honey, Kikato is staying the night in our spare bedroom." Emily announced.
"Or we could make a pillow fort in the living room. We could do s'mores over candles." Kikato suggested, and Emily's face lit up at the idea.
"You want to make a pillow fort?" Sam asked, and hint of a smile ghosting his lips.
Emily's face turned red, indecision and self-consciousness setting in, and she paused awkwardly by the sink.
"Hey, don't judge us. We do what we want. If we want to do girly shit in a fort, that's our prerogative." Kikato told Sam and Embry, and then held her hand up for Emily to high five. After a second of deliberation, Emily smiled and high-fived her.
"If that makes you happy, Emily, then I support it." Sam said.
"You're a good dude, Sam." Kikato said, and swayed a little. She'd been having a lot of wine over the last half hour.
"Can I join the pillow fort?" Embry asked.
"Emily's fort, Emily's rules." Kikato said, and turned to Emily.
"No boys allowed." Emily said, her face contorting into a wide smile.
"You heard the lady, girls only. Should he watch a movie in our pillow fort, paint our nails, and eat popcorn? Can you think of any other stereotypically girly stuff to do?" Kikato asked Emily.
"We could do a pillow fight in our underwear." Emily suggested with a giggle, and then Kikato started laughing hysterically.
"I don't think I've ever seen Emily this happy before." Embry said in a low voice, as the girls laughed and continued joking with each other.
"It's been a long time." Sam nodded, continuing to watch his wife across the room.
Embry looked back down at his phone, or Kikato's phone, and frowned when he realized that he lost the round of Tetris. He'd forgotten to pause it when talking to Sam.
"So how have you been doing? You seem a lot better." Sam commented, getting his attention again.
"I just had an off week." Embry shrugged.
"How's school going? You're getting an online degree right?"
"Yeah, but it's just an associates degree. I don't know if I'm going to go to a university or not." Embry answered.
"What would you major in?"
"Engineering, I think. I like building stuff and putting things together."
"You could be an architect."
"Yeah." Embry nodded, feeling uneasy with the topic. He honestly had no idea what to do with his life or future job; he had everything in La Push, and he didn't want to leave like Seth. After his mom died, he sold her little house and bought another one close by. He still had enough from selling the first house that he could live for another few years without needing a job.
"You should go and do whatever makes you happy. Going to school can open up a lot of opportunities for you." Sam pointed out.
"I like living here." Embry said.
"You can get your degree and then come back home. You could find a job that's online, so that you can stay in La Push and have a steady income." Sam suggested.
"Oh, what school are you thinking about?" Kikato asked, getting their attention. Her eyes were trained on Embry, looking deep into his eyes, and he was caught off guard by the sudden attention. He'd spent so much time being nothing more than decoration, that he forgot that she knew he was there.
"I dunno." He shrugged. "I'm finishing up my associates degree soon. Online courses."
"If you can afford it, you should go to college. You'll be paying student loans for the rest of your life, but it's a good experience." Kikato suggested, and the way she said it made him want to do it.
"Where'd you go to school?" Emily asked.
"OHSU. I did their nursing program and graduated top of my class with honors. I went to school there for 6 years to get a masters degree. I minored in biology and chemistry." Kikato explained casually, and Embry's eyebrows rose at that. Judging by other people's reactions, they were also surprised.
"Isn't that one of the best medical schools in the state?" Emily asked after a pause.
"It's up there." Kikato shrugged.
"You're a nurse?" Sam asked in disbelief.
"I'm not currently employed, but I went to schooling to be one. I found out that it's not for me." Kikato said, and took another long sip of her wine.
"What do you plan to do now?" Embry asked.
"I dunno. I've got enough money saved up that I should be fine for the next year. I'm looking into local jobs." She answered.
"Since you have a nursing background, if someone on the reservation has an injury, do you mind if they see you? The nearest hospital is pretty far, and accidents sometimes happen." Sam asked her.
"Sure, I'd be happy to help." Kikato said with a smile.
"I think that I also heard about an opening over at the clinic in Forks. It's a small clinic, and the pay probably isn't great, but it's quiet and I'm sure they'd hire you. I'm friends with someone that works there." Emily suggested.
"That… sounds cool, I guess. Yeah, I'll check that out, thank you." Kikato said, sounding a little uncertain about the idea.
"What other job were you thinking about?" Embry asked.
"I don't know… nothing in my life is too stable right now, so I'm not really sure." She shrugged. "So who's this 'Uncle Koyote' you mentioned?"
"Uncle Koyote is wonderful." Emily said, and went on to describe him.
