A/N: I found this chapter more difficult to write than the others and I'm still not totally happy with it. I don't know if Embry sounds write you know. What do you think? Sorry if this chapter is a bit rubbish but I really struggled with it.

Chapter Four: The Grinning Wolf

Embry's POV

As the Alpha Sam was supposed to be in control and calm at all times. Supposed to be.

It had been nearly three years since I became his Pack brother and in that time I had seen him lose his tempter about 4 times. I can't remember why he lost his temper (shocker but we wolves get into a lot of fights) and who made him lose his temper (I am thinking perhaps Paul); all I knew was that I had never got into a fight with him and I had never made him lose his temper.

Okay maybe he had been not jumping for joy when he realized that I was a wolf because I don't really have a dad and in all probability my dad is his dad, but he was never angry with me about my parentage. He never once blamed me. In fact he always stood up for me when Leah began to tease me about my dad or lack thereof.

But even though I had never personally made Sam mad, I knew he had a line which you didn't cross and I knew I pissed all over that line when I imprinted on Angelina.

Oh my beautiful Angelina who I had left standing in the kitchen with Emily and her sister, quite oblivious to the fact that I had just made her cousin's head explode.

As I trudged unhappily to the woods around Emily's house I wondered how many different ways Sam could kill me.

What had happened in the kitchen could be seen as being a bit extreme, a bit melodramatic-teen-movie, but Sam was very extreme in his possessiveness over his family. He didn't have many relatives who he actually liked, far less who were alive, and so it was only natural he should feel protective over them. Of course it was only natural for him to be protective over his girls, but did he really think I was going to swing Angelina over my shoulder kicking and screaming and take her back to my cave to have my wicked way with her? I never thought Sam was the type to have an over imagination – I never thought Sam had an imagination at all, yet here he was summoning me to the woods, having nearly ripped the head of my body, to make sure I didn't elope with Angelina.

I don't want to become a walking, talking cliché but the moment I heard Angelina's voice I knew that I loved her. I had never heard anything so sweet, so delicious. If cupcakes could talk they would sound like her (what sort of description was that; no wonder my English teacher is concerned about me). But seriously I was just hypnotized by her voice, so much so that the cookie I was just about to eat started jabbing violently into my cheek as I kept on missing my mouth; fortunately Jared was too busy daydreaming of Kim to notice the cookie assaulting me.

And then when she entered the room and I saw those eyes…

Have you ever met someone who changes your life so much that you don't remember how you lived before they appeared? You can't remember them not being in your life, because they have become a part of you? Well that's what I felt when I saw Angelina. This warm sticky feeling filled up by body, like treacle, and looking back I realized how much of a shell I was before her. In that tiny millisecond when my eyes met hers, my whole body changed. Everything in me was no longer just blindly stumbling through life; everything was focused purely and devotedly on her. In the base of my stomach there was this pulling force which seemed to throb and I don't know what it was, my instinct probably, but something told me that I needed – needed to be closer to her. I was falling like Alice and when I landed I found myself in a different more vibrant world. Angelina was my wonderland.

To me, as girlish as it sounds (jeez I even mentioned Alice in Wonderland!) that was what imprinting on Angelina felt like.

I had seen her eyes so many times before on other girls, but she was the only girl who made me feel like this. She was the only other person in the world, and as stupid as it sounds I loved her.

I knew nothing about her, but I loved her. I love, love, love her.

And now I was being dragged away from her - which by the way hurts really bad – and all because Sam wanted to have…"words" with me.

Curse my inability to lie! If only I could lie, just a little bit, I could have kept my imprinting on Angelina a secret for a little bit longer, and I could now be going with her to Port Angeles; I could tell she didn't want me to go (can you spell ouch?) but I would have stowed away in Emily's car just to know that my Angel was safe.

The big black wolf sitting in the clearing of the forest as I entered was enough to tell me that I wouldn't be going with Angelina to Port Angeles today.

Quil, Paul and Jared were all sitting in wolf-form around Sam, and although Sam was shooting me death glares he seemed to be calm now. Hell he hadn't torn me to shreds as soon as he saw me. His tail was thumping impatiently on the ground though and I could tell he was annoyed and impatient, so quickly I undressed and phased.

'Angelina? You imprinted on Angelina? My cousin?' Sam said in a tone of determine calm. 'I can't believe you imprinted on her. She just arrived here yesterday. Fuck Embry, you couldn't have given her one day of normality?'

'He couldn't control it,' Quil said, moving to stand next to me and back me up. 'You know that.'

'Of course I know that. I, more that anyone, know that you have no say on who you imprint on,' Sam snapped.

Flashes of Leah crying and Sam returning to Emily appeared in all of our minds. Sam gave out a warning growl.

'But knowing that doesn't make it any easier,' he continued as we all emptied our thoughts of Leah. 'I've only just got her back and then you come and take her from me.'

'She's not yours to be taken,' I reminded Sam. 'She was made for me and I was made for her.'

'She's still my cousin.'

'And she's my imprint. She's my everything Sam. How would you feel if someone started laying claim to Emily?' I didn't wait for an answer. 'You can't tell me that I had no right imprinting on her. She was mine to start with.'

I didn't like talking about Angelina like she was a possession, but if Sam wanted to argue with me about who she "belonged to" than I was more than willing to fight him for her and I knew who would win. For a wolf I'm not a violent one. I am the tree-hugging, Flower Power, peace sign wolf from the 60's. Ignoring the volatile wolf gene I am just a shy, placid guy. But I had realized yesterday when I had seen the bruises on my Angelina and heard the story about her dad, that there was a brutal violent streak to me which would do anything to keep Angelina safe, and which would hurt anyone who tried to keep me and Angelina apart even if that person was my Alpha.

Sam sighed, reading my thoughts.

'I'm not trying to take her away from you Embry. I'm not saying she isn't yours…but she's my cousin. My cousin who is more like my sister and who has had a fucked up life already without being made the soul-mate of some mythical creature. I had plans for her when I picked her up: her going to school, making friends, having a safe home and stability; I didn't count on you imprinting all over her.'

'Imprinting all over her? God that sounds disgusting Sam,' Jared laughed.

Sam ignored him.

'She can still have all those things,' I said. 'I want her to have all those things.'

'How is she going to do that with an overprotective wolf around her? You don't know Angelina, not really Embry,' I growled a bit, 'you don't know that she hates people who suffocate her and tell her what to do.'

'I would never tell her what to do.'

'Really? Okay then what would you do if she went on a date with some guy?' I whimpered. 'Or if she decided to move away after school? You wouldn't be able to control yourself, you would say something and she won't like that at all. Angelina has always been stubborn and she hates any man having a say in what she does in her life.'

'But I'm not any man,' I cried. 'I'm her soul-mate.'

'GiGi doesn't know that. To her you're just some guy who won't leave her alone.'

'But if I ask her out, like what any normal guy then-'

'You can't do that,' Sam barked. 'You'd scared her off.'

'No I wouldn't, I-'

'You would scare her off. This is what I was worried about. Angelina, she isn't like most girls her age. She doesn't want a boyfriend.'

'How do you know? This is the first time you've seen her in six years.'

'Because I know what she's been through.'

I don't think he meant to, but Sam suddenly showed me the memories he had of Angelina in childhood: a young Angelina crying into Sam as her mother screamed and her father yelled upstairs…a slightly older Angelina trying to pull her father off her mother as he raised his fist back and punched her in the stomach…a man spitting in the child Angelina's face…a loud snap sound as her father twisted her arm until it broke.

It was only a brief glimpse. Sam managed to lock up those memories before I saw too many, but they were enough. They explained to me everything: why she had runaway, why she was so on edge and those bruises on her face. Her father had done that.

I felt like someone had kicked me in the stomach and I let out a loud whimper of pain which echoed through the trees.

'I'm sorry Embry, I didn't mean for you to see that,' Sam said with remorse. 'But now you know why Angelina doesn't want a boyfriend: she doesn't trust men.'

'She trusts you.'

Sam sighed. 'She's known me her whole life Embry. I always tried to look out for her,' (I suddenly felt a wave of gratitude towards Sam), 'but she won't even really let her guard down around me. And Embry there's another thing, she won't let anyone touch her.'

'Her sister does,' Quil said.

'And Ariel is the only one allowed. She's never liked anyone touching her even when she was a child. She would scream and scream as soon as someone touched her.'

'But how can I not touch her. I need to touch her just to see if she's real.'

'If you touch her Embry and she screams you will lose her. I will lose her. You are everything she has ever feared – a man who loves her – and if you're not careful you will scare her away, and I don't want my cousin running away from me.'

There was a threat at the end of that sentence, but I didn't really care. All I cared about was my Angelina and what I could do to fix her.

'I won't make her run Sam. I won't scare her. But God I just need to be with her.'

'I know Embry, but you've got to realize that you can't chase Angelina like you would other girls.'

Paul burst into laughter. 'Please Embry has never chased a girl in his life. That's why he's still a virgin.'

A weird time to count, but I counted anyway. One…two…three! It had been three days since Paul had last joked about my virginity, a new world record for him. Being the sadist he was Paul kept on bringing my virgin status up at every possibility as he knew how much I hated it. I didn't even have an excuse like Jake or Quil. I was just too shy with girls. I had only ever kissed one girl, once, and that was because I was drunk at a party; I couldn't even really remember it.

Both Paul and Jared laughed at that, and I buried my muzzle into my paws.

'Shut up,' I mumbled.

'So I think Angelina's virtue is pretty much safe,' Paul sniggered.

'Guys go and start patrolling,' Sam instructed. 'Seth, Leah and Collin should be done now.'

Still laughing about my "innocence" Paul and Jared walked away. Quil hesitated.

'It's fine Quil. Embry's fine. I'm not going to be throwing him to the leeches like I promised before.'

Quil looked at me and smiled. 'Congrats on the imprint man.'

'Thanks Quil.'

When he'd gone I turned to Sam. 'Were you really going to throw me to the leeches?'

Sam chuckled. 'Of course. I had just found out that you imprinted on my cousin; I was ready to turn you into horse food.'

'Do horses eat wolf?'

'Embry you understand that Angelina and Ariel are my responsibilities and, for as long as they stay here, I am their guardian?'

I nodded.

'You understand that all I want is for them to feel safe and loved?'

'I want that too.'

'So can you understand why I reacted the way I did back there?'

'You nearly phased in front of her Sam!

'Embry?'

'But I know why you're protective of her, but I won't hurt her. Ever. I just want to be there for her and if not as her boyfriend, then her friend. I can be her friend can't I?'

'If GiGi let's you be, then yes, you can be.'

'I think Angelina needs someone in her life who is always there for her. I'm that someone.'

Sam came over to me. 'Embry you can come and go in our house, but if you want Angelina to trust you, you have got to be careful around her.'

'I will Sam, I promise I will never hurt her.'

***

After that little love-fest which I never thought I'd have especially with Sam, I returned to the house. Sam had carried on to find Quil and the others, to help the patrol the La Push border and so I was alone in the house.

I tried to distract myself with eating (one of my favourite pastimes), watching TV and even attempting to do one of those crosswords Emily left lying about, but all my thoughts came back to her: my Angelina.

I sat there like so lovesick heroine in some gothic novel just thinking about her, and feeling less and less masculine with each romantic thought I had.

Seth and Collin came in hours later and slapped me on the back in congratulations. Sam had obviously told them.

"Oh my God you imprinted!" Seth cried. "That's fantastic dude."

"Yeah well done," Collin said. "What's she like?"

"Is she hot?" asked Seth sitting down on the coffee table.

"Yes she's hot," I answered, happy to be able to talk about Angelina without the worry of Sam and his murderous temper. "She's short, shorter than Bella…"

"What about Alice?" Seth asked.

"Who?"

"Alice Cullen? You know the tiny little pixie vampire? Is she shorter than her?"

"God no. She's not freakishly small like her, but she's still short. Petite but with curves, that's my Angelina."

I felt so good saying "my Angelina."

"Nice," Seth and Collin said in unison.

"Her skin is lighter than mine and she's got this cute little freckle over her top lip. Oh her lips; I'm telling you it's not just her name she shares with Angelina Jolie. And she's got these eyes that are like two black pools. I call them her button eyes-"

"Okay Embry we get it, she's hot," Collin said, holding his hands up and wanting to change the subject.

"But I haven't even told you about her chocolaty hair yet…or her voice…or the way she walks on her tiptoes and the way rubs her ear when she's nervous…"

Wow I had become an obsessed stalker in less than 24 hours. All I needed was a pair of binoculars and a dirty old coat and my psychoness would be complete. But I couldn't stop myself.

Fortunately I soon heard Emily's car pulling into the driveway and I ran to the window to see my Angel getting out of the car. She was smiling and laughing with Emily. The pain and unease I had been feeling at being apart from her went away and I now felt light once again. She saw me standing at the window and I blushed.

Why do I always blush?

Seth and Collin came to stand next to me. "Is that her?" Seth asked.

"That's her."

"Yep she's pretty cute," he said and held his hand up to wave at her.

She gave a nervous smile and busied herself in taking the bags out of the car. I should help her.

Sam suddenly appeared next to the car though and, after kissing Emily and whispering something in her ear (I'm no Adrian Monk but seeing as she smiled and looked at Angelina I'm guessing he told her about my imprinting) he took the bags from the girls.

I hurried away and stood by the door, desperate for her to come closer to me.

Emily came in first and gave me a delighted kiss on the cheek.

"I'm so happy for you Embry," she whispered to me. "She's perfect for you." I beamed at that. "Seth, Collin, you hungry?"

They nodded and I carried on smiling like some deranged freak.

"Why are you smiling?"a small voice said.

I looked down to see Angelina's little sister looking up at me, tilting her head to one side. Ariel had slightly darker skin that Angelina, and her eyes were brown and not black, but apart from that Ariel looked very much like her older sister. I was never really very good with children – I had a habit of trying to make them laugh but instead made them cry – but I knew that Ariel was important to Angelina so she was important to me too.

"I'm smiling because I'm happy," I answered, looking down on her.

"And why are you happy?" Ariel asked me.

I saw Angelina walking through the doorway. "I just am," I said.

Angelina was walking towards me and she placed her hands on her sister's shoulders.

"Come on Ariel you've got clothes to take upstairs," my Angel said.

"It's rude to interrupt GiGi," Ariel said importantly and I chuckled at that. "Which one are you anyway?" she asked me.

Before I could answer Angelina spoke. "His name's Embry," she said.

I looked at her in shock, amazed that she had remembered my name. I smiled encouragingly at her. "That's right."

"His name is Emily?" Ariel asked confused.

My stupid cheeks flushed again.

"No, Em-b-ry," Angelina said clearly, announcing each syllable as if my name was the most beautiful name on earth or at least that's what I heard it as.

"Embry," Ariel repeated. "That's an odd name Em-b-ry but I like it. I'm Ariel, hello."

She held out her hand and I shook it. "Hello Ariel."

"And this is my sister Angelina."

"I know," I said and Angelina looked up at me frowning slightly.

Her eyes had found mine and even though I could see the confusion and worry in her eyes, I couldn't look away. She was just so perfect.

I suddenly noticed that her sister was pulling on my sleeve and I had to break my gaze to look down at her.

"Who are they?" she asked pointing to Seth and Collin.

"That's Seth Clearwater and Collin Jenkins."

"I haven't seen them before," Ariel said. "Come on GiGi let's say hello," and she took my Angel's hand and led her to the sofas. Angelina was watching me as Ariel pulled her towards Seth and Collin and I could feel my stomach do somersaults. She turned though and started talking to Seth and Collin.

I stood by the door and carried on watching her.

Sam came in and patted my shoulder. "Why don't you go and sit down Embry?"

I nodded and moved slowly towards the furniture. My instinct told me to sit next to Angelina on the sofa, but Sam's warning words were still ringing in my head, bringing me back into reality, and so I sat on the armchair opposite from Angelina. She had her legs curled around and was leaning against the arm talking to Seth and Collin, but she smiled at me when I sat down.

"So how long you staying here?" Collin asked.

"For as long as Sam can stand me," Angelina joked.

"Cool that means you're probably going to La Push High School. We go there," he said pointing to me and Seth.

"You go there? What all of you?"

"Yep," Seth chirped pretending to look at a book that Ariel was showing him.

"Do you go there too Embry?" she asked.

I think I was definitely losing my mind as I thought I could see a desperate pleading in Angelina's eyes. I tried to say something but I couldn't find my voice – stupid nerves. I swallowed and tried to concentrate on what I was saying, which was hard as whenever I talked to Angelina my brain seemed to separate itself from the rest of my body leaving me a jabbering nutcase.

"Y-yes I go there, Angelina."

(Oh I loved the way her name felt on my tongue.)

"How old are you?"

"I'm 18. I'm in my final year there."

Her mouth dropped and her eyes went wide with shock. "You're 18? Really?"

I nodded. "Why how old did you think I was?"

"I don't know…25," she admitted with an apologetic glance. "And how old are you two?"

"Well I'm 15," Seth said, "and Collin here is only 14."

"You're younger than me?" My Angel huffed which was the cutest thing ever, and folded her arms across her chest. "You're younger and already so much taller."

We laughed.

"How tall are you?" I asked her.

"5ft 3, a midget in comparison to you guys."

"A midget in comparison to all normal people," I teased.

She pouted but I could see her smiling at my joke. Finally I had said something which didn't resemble the insane ramblings of some loopy old man.

"When are you starting school?" Seth asked, relieved that the highly excitable Ariel had left him to snuggle into Angelina.

"I don't know and I'm not going to find out. I don't want to remind Sam," she pulled up her face in disgust.

"Too late GiGi. I'm enrolling both you and Elle, Monday," Sam shouted from the kitchen.

Angelina rolled her eyes, but I was pleased. She would be with me at school. I wouldn't have to leave her each day. Sure we would be in different classes her being a year younger than me, but I would still be near. She could sit with me at lunch! I could help her with her homework although in all probability it would be her helping me with her homework. We could bunk off lessons together. I could show her where her locker was. Never had I wanted to go to school as badly as I did then. I was half-tempted to break into the closed school and show her around now.

"Monday's too soon Sam," she said. "We don't even know where the school is. We don't even know where anything is as someone has neglected to show us round."

"I'll show you around," I blurted out unable to stop myself.

Angelina looked at me in shock and she seemed to sink back into the chair. She looked at her hands in her lap.

"It's okay," she mumbled. "We'll be okay."

Shit! I had pushed her too far. She just wanted to explore La Push and I couldn't deny her.

"We could all go," Sam offered moving into the living room. "Tomorrow afternoon before dinner. You could meet everyone else."

"Everyone else?"

"You forget GiGi that I'm quite the popular kid," he smirked. "You can go meet the rest of my friends."

"Okay I guess it would be okay for us all to go out together," she said. "Thanks."

I smiled at her. "You're welcome."

She wasn't even thanking me and yet I still said that. She looked at me with the same confused expression; it was like she was trying to figure me out. She then blinked and looked down at her sister who was leaning into her.

"Come on Ariel, let's take our clothes upstairs," she said and the young girl skipped upstairs, talking to Angelina.

I wanted to follow but I gripped onto the chair and stayed sitting like a good wolf. Sam hit me over the head for pushing her, but I didn't care.

Tomorrow I would be with my imprint again and like the sad sack I was I started counting down the hours until I could take her out and show her round my hometown.

I wondered if this grin was permanently going to be stuck on my face.