It was official. Phyre was losing her mind.
She went from trying to run away by stealing a car, to trying to fuck a guy on the hood of said car, to still being naked while the guy that she just had some freaky magical eye connection with tried to kill the man that was about to have sex with. Seriously, what girl loses all mental connections and jumps into losing her virginity like that? And, that is not adding the part about her mother and father being cousins, gaining some long lost brother, or the whole wolf business. Straight jacket, party for one please!
She didn't know what in the hell the fight was over exactly except that the naked guy kept apologizing and saying that he didn't know. The other one just repeated that he was gonna kill him. Not much to go on.
Phyre let out a breath and grabbed the coveralls off the floor from where they fell off of the one guy and she went back to work trying to find keys to the car so she could book out of the crazy town she was in. That, however, was a short lived endeavor as Sam and Paul burst into the garage as well. Both them them letting it all hang out, naked.
"Get the hell away from me!" She shouted. "I don't need you. Either of you. Fuck, I don't need anyone!"
Embry stopped trying to pummel Seth further and ran over to the girls side to protect her from his alpha.
"Embry, step aside." Sam barked.
"Like hell I will. Not if she doesn't want you near her." He stated defiantly. That caught Sam off guard.
"Embry. Move. Now. Before she phases and hurts you." Sam used his alpha command.
Embry whimpered as he did what he was ordered to do. But, it was hard. He looked back at the girl to see her shaking in her anger.
"Shit! She's one of us?" Seth questioned. "That explains why she was naked."
Phyre backed up until her back hit the wall. She was cornered. She had no where else to go. Her heart was racing. Her panic set back in. In moments, she was in wolf form once more. Pieces of the coveralls fell to the floor around her.
She immediately looked at Embry. She didn't know why, but his opinion mattered to her. She just didn't want him to be scared. But, to her relief, she saw his jaw drop. "Your beautiful." Her wolf purred at his compliment. She could hear Brady and Collin snickering over what they saw through her. But, she paid them no attention. Her only focus was on Embry. That is what they called him. Embry.
"What in the fuck was that Embry?" Paul growled.
Embry didn't listen. His face split into a wide grin as he approached Phyre and knelt down in front of her. She pressed her muzzle into his hand and he pressed his forehead against her's. Moments later, she was cradled in his lap, human again. And, once again naked.
"You didn't!" Paul roared.
"Paul, you are not helping. Now what happened?" Sam asked briskly.
Seth whimpered. Embry ignored everyone but the girl in his arms. Phyre let the tears flow once more. She hated the emotional roller coaster ride. But, his comfort and acceptance overwhelmed her.
"Seth..." Sam prompted.
He hedged as much as he could before Sam pushed harder. "I just came in from the store room. And, she was here. And naked. And..." Paul growled dangerously at where it was headed.
"Well, she threw herself at me. Literally. It was all naked skin and hot kisses. And, well, fuck! Then, just when... right before... Ugh! Embry walked in to find us. But... damn it, he fucking imprinted on her! While we were... I'm so dead!"
Paul spun on Seth faster than Sam had time to stop. Phyre watched through her tears as that poor kid took three more punches from Paul after he had already taken so many from Embry. By the time Sam got Paul off of Seth, Paul tried to turn toward Embry. However, Sam stood in his way.
"Look Lahote. I know this is my fault. I shouldn't have walked away earlier. But, Embry is calming her. Let him." Sam pleaded. Then, once Paul calmed enough, Sam reached out a hand to Seth. "You okay?"
Seth just whimpered. "How was I supposed to know he would imprint on her? At that moment?"
"Kid, you got dealt a bad hand tonight."
"Fuck me." Seth hung his head.
Phyre couldn't resist the words that fell from her lips as a whisper. "I almost did." Seth glanced back up and grinned before he quickly wiped it away.
Multiple growls erupted from the room. Including from Embry. Phyre pulled back to look at him. "Does that mean you are a wolf too?" He smiled and nodded.
She nuzzled back into his chest. "Don't take offense, but I want off this ride now. I don't think that I can handle much more at this point."
Embry's face scrunched up. "Sorry love. Looks like we are going from the frying pan into the fire." Did he call her love? And, damn did that sound nice. It made her warm and gooey inside. But, she did not like the sound of what he said.
He leaned down to place a chaste kiss on her forehead. "You know, I don't know your name yet."
"Phyre."
He chuckled. "Well Phyre, looks like you get to meet my father, he's walking in now."
She heard the sound of footsteps through the office. "But, I am still naked." She panicked.
He nodded. "Not enough time. Worst parent introductions ever." He quickly maneuvered himself to cover as much of her as possible.
"Embry. You ready? Your mother is waiting..." Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding! The father of the werewolf that Phyre was cuddled with, naked, was none other than Sheriff Call. "And... not what I was expecting to see in here." He groaned. He looked up at the others, including Seth who had only been able to return his boxers since Phyre stole his coveralls, before they ripped apart. Though Sam and Paul were still naked. "Wolf business I am guessing?"
"Yup." That was all Sam could say.
The Sheriff nodded. Awkward!
"Dad, meet Phyre." Embry started.
"Miss Uley." The Sheriff cut off. "Well, I suppose the lack of clothing prevents you from shop lifting again today."
Phyre blushed as she groaned, turning into Embry's chest further. Embry laughed as he hugged her closer. "Shop lifting? You met my dad today because of shop lifting? Wait, Uley?"
She reached up and tried to cover his mouth. "This is embarrassing enough." She whined.
"I am taking it, Miss Uley is your new girlfriend?" The Sheriff asked Embry with a hint of disapproval.
To which Embry growled. "No. Not girlfriend. Imprint. You will not speak about her that way."
Phyre looked up at Embry with wide eyes. No one had ever defended her like that before. Paul had tried to stop Sam from turning his back on her. But, it wasn't the same as that kind of defense of character. Why? How? They just met. Did he feel the connection too? Her thoughts all collided.
"Hold up. What do you mean imprint?"
Groans echoed around the room.
"Seriously here. Can someone get the girl clothing?" Sheriff Call questioned.
Paul shook his head. "She has already been through four sets tonight. She is too new and too emotional."
"That was why Sue and I sent her to you. We recognized the signs. But, she is underage, she should be covered." The Sheriff said pointedly.
"She is a wolf. We can't help the nudity much." Sam stated just as directly. "Thank the ancestors she is over the age of consent at least."
Phyre groaned. "Fine. I am naked. I am kind of getting used to it. I guess. Though a towel or something to at least cover parts would be appreciated. Now answer my question. What is this imprint thing?"
Embry sighed. "It is kind of a wolf form of soulmates. The first time that a wolf looks into the eyes of their imprint, a shift happens. They become the anchor that holds them to the earth. The wolf would do anything to protect their imprint and see them taken care of. They would be whatever the imprint needs. A friend, a protector, a lover. Life long devotion."
She looked in his eyes as he talked. His bright ambered brown meeting her deep chocolate eyes. She felt so much commitment and sincerity in what he said. "You felt that when you looked at me?" He nodded. She smiled. "I did too."
"What the hell? I don't even get one day to protect my new found sister from sleazy men, and she is in the arms of Call?" Paul ranted. "This is seriously disturbing on way too many levels."
"She's your sister?" Seth squeaked. "Oh fucking hell. I'm never gonna live tonight down."
Sam chuckled. "It's worse Seth. She's my cousin."
Seth's eyes popped up and search for any hint of a joke and his face broke down into absolute agony. His shoulders slumped and he shuffled his way out of the garage and into the office to find other clothes before leaving for the night. Phyre really felt bad for him. It was all her fault. She flung herself at him, to manipulate a chance at stealing a car. She was the one who lost herself in the need for a connection, not just turning him on, but practically begging him to fuck her. He was literally seconds away from sliding into her body. Just to have his world crash down and he got the shit beat out of him twice for it and pissed off three guys. She wished she knew a way to ease that blow.
"Yeah, I think we have all been thrown for some serious loops tonight. Why don't we all get a break and figure everything out in the morning?" Sam said calmly.
Paul found a sheet in one of the back rooms for Phyre to wrap herself in. He put on a pair of coveralls and asked the Sheriff for a ride home.
Embry sat in the back with Phyre wrapped protectively in his arms while Paul rode shot gun. It was a very quiet ride back to Paul's house. Embry and Phyre had a difficult time letting go of one another, it took both the Sheriff and Paul to convince them to go their separate ways for the night.
"I am really happy that I met you tonight Phyre." Embry whispered. There was something more that Embry wanted to say, but he held back. Phyre could see it, but didn't push.
"I am too Embry. Even if it was all seriously fucked up." He started to growl, but she quickly kissed his cheek.
As soon as they walked in, Paul showed Phyre to a spare room. Then he went to his room to call his wife and fill her in on his hours of hiatus.
Phyre started to unpack her backpack that she had carried with her. A subzero mummy style sleeping bag hung on the outside. That bag had helped her to survived her slow trip to La Push. Through days of being too sick to move, sleeping on roof tops of places so that she would be hidden from anyone, and hoped she did not get soaked by the rain. Inside were only a handful of clothes. The jeans didn't even fit anymore. But, she didn't care about that, she was digging for something more valuable. Tucked safely away at the bottom of the bag was a photo album. She pulled it out and ran a finger of over the pictures of her brother. She grabbed it, knowing that she would want it. But, she could not bring herself to look at it before that moment. Tears welled in her eyes as she tried to only remember him when he smiled.
"Well Jax, have I got a story to tell you." Phyre cried as she verbally told her brother about how she went to La Push, became a wolf and imprinted on some guy. "I am so sorry you couldn't come with me. I think you would have liked it here." She kissed his picture and set the album on the night stand so that it was open to show her favorite photo of a happy looking boy.
Phyre laid in the bed, her mind racing. So much had happened in 24 hours. So much to come to terms with. Yet, through it all, her mind kept wandering it's way back to Embry and his bright brown eyes. Her chest was tight at his absence. She wanted to run back to his arms and stay there forever.
Sleep was a difficult thing to find. Even harder to keep. Phyre tossed and turned all night. She still felt the fevers and the body aches of the sickness, though the severity had diminished quite a bit after her first transition. Nightmares raged through her mind when she could drift off. Memories of her brother and father as they both died.
By 4am, Phyre just gave up on sleep. So, she tip toed her way down stairs and out the back door.
"Where do you think you are going?" Paul grumbled from the door way.
Phyre dropped her shoulders. How did he get there without her hearing? "I was going to try to turn wolf. Just run. Not run away. I would come back. But, just run. It felt good before." And maybe try to find Embry, if that wasn't at all creepy and stalkerish.
Paul nodded his head. "It does help clear the mind. But, it won't solve everything."
"Is that why you keep punching bags and people?" She snarked back.
A sly grin spread across his lips. "That does help too." He stretched out a hand with a cup of coffee. Phyre accepted the warm bitter liquid. "The truth is that I am a lot like you. Angry. Feel that I have something that I need to prove. Don't want to show weakness, so when people look like they will let me down, I lash out or take off before they can succeed. This pack, my wife, and daughter are the only things in my life that give me a sense of purpose and stability."
"Is she your imprint?"
The love on his face was the kind that she had only seen in epic romances on the big screen. It warmed her heart. "Yes. She is my imprint. And, when an imprint is too far away for the wolf to watch over them, it causes added stress. My anxiety goes up and I have a much shorter fuse. Thus, the punching bags earlier. But, when she is here, I feel more grounded. I know that I have someone who supports me, who I don't have to fear showing my flaws too, that I know will never abandon me. Most importantly, I know that she is safe."
"She sounds wonderful." Phyre whispered.
Paul shook his head. "I am not telling you just to boast about my wife. It is a lesson on imprints." He sat down on the top step that lead from the door. "That is the kind of support and love you will get from Embry if you stay and welcome him into your life. The kind that I am sure you feel for him to some extent already. But, if you choose to leave, that anxiety and tightness in your chest of not having him here with you now, it will grow. It could be crippling to you both."
She sat next to him. "So, I don't have a choice anymore. I am stuck here." Her voice was laced with bitterness.
He wrapped a supportive arm around her. "You still have a choice. And, I will support you in your choice. Even if I really hope that you choose to stay where I can get to know you better. But, you needed to know exactly whats at stake before you made that choice." He leaned over and placed a soft kiss on her temple.
"But, if you are so angry when your wife is not here, how are you so nice right now?"
Paul chuckled. "Protective instinct. My wolf got rather pissed off at me when I upset you unnecessarily. Best to work at helping instead of hurting. But, trust me, it is taking a shit ton of effort to do it."
Phyre shoved at him playfully.
"I ain't kidding." He growled.
"Fine. I believe you. Can we go for a run now?" Phyre begged.