Disclaimer: Don't own.
Chapter Six- Far Away
(Karen's POV)
I was so glad it was Friday. I didn't have to work this weekend and I had two dates with Embry scheduled. Tonight was Sam and Nadi's engagement dinner/party. Tomorrow, we were doing something that Embry was planning and would tell me nothing about.
Ten minutes until I could leave. I only had to work until three o'clock today, luckily. Embry had given me Nadi's address and said to be there around eight, but if I could get there earlier, that was more than fine. As soon as the clock said three, I was out the door and in my car.
When I got home, I quickly showered and dressed in a nice black skirt and blue top. I pulled on a pair of blue ballet flats and left the house after calling 'bye' to mom. I followed Embry's directions and arrived at seven forty-nine. Pretty good time, if you ask me.
I was about to knock on the door when it was pulled open by a stunning Nadi. She smiled warmly. "Karen, you made it! Embry's not here yet, only the girls and me. The boys had to take care of something at the Cullens'; they'll be here in a bit. Come on in."
I stepped in and followed her into the kitchen. Bella, Kim, Angela, Rosalie, Esme, Alice and Leah were all here. I felt a pang of sadness that Emily couldn't make it. Nadi pulled out a chair for me and I sat down.
I surprised myself by being the first to speak. "Embry told me Emily is sick. Is she going to be okay?"
Alice came and sat down in front of me. "Yep, she's already getting better, but Carlisle wants to be sure that she's fully okay before anyone sees her."
I nodded a little. I really liked Emily. I listened to the girls talk about their men for a while. Apparently Angela was with Paul now. I didn't really like that since Paul was so mean to me and Angela was so nice. I hope she knows what she's getting herself into.
Finally, the boys arrived. I noticed that they all went straight to their women. Sam to Nadi, Jacob to Bella, Jared to Kim, Paul to Angela, Jasper to Alice, Emmett to Rosalie and Carlisle to Esme. I watched the couples greet each other as Quil, Seth, Collin, Brady, and Leah went into the living room. I turned to find Embry standing behind me. I smiled.
"Hey, you're early." He said, pulling me out of my chair and into a hug.
"Yup." Was all I could say, since he was squeezing the life out of me.
"Embry let the poor girl breathe." Esme scolded playfully. I heard everyone laugh and Embry set me down quickly.
He mumbled, "Sorry," but I just smiled at him. He looked directly into my eyes, the love and devotion he was conveying to me through his eyes was a lot for me to handle. My knees started to go weak, but Embry's strong hand on my waist held me steady. We smiled at each other, but I became embarrassed and looked away.
Everyone in the kitchen was caught up in their own conversations, except for Nadi, who was leaning against the counter. She and Sam had an arm around each other, but Sam was talking with Carlisle. Nadi was watching Embry and I with her eyes shining with tears and a knowing smile on her face. I wondered what that was about, but couldn't ask. Nadi cleared her throat and said, "Girls."
Immediately, Bella and Kim stood up and got a plate from Nadi and started to get their food. Nadi looked at me, "You guys too, Angela and Karen." She held out a plate to Angela and me and we stood up. I wondered why Alice, Rose and Esme didn't jump up like the other girls had, but I let it go.
After everyone had eaten, we gathered in the living room. Carlisle said, "Well, I guess it's time for us to make our speeches." Emmett and Quil groaned. Rosalie was sitting in between them, so she slapped them both on the back of the head.
Nadi smiled, "Thanks Rose."
Rosalie gave her a thumbs up, "Not a problem."
Carlisle went on, "I'll never forget the day I met Nadi. It was in Italy in winter. Nadi was playing in the snow like she didn't have a care in the world." He laughed. "I had just come from England and was on my way to Volterra. Nadi and I were perplexed by each other, but we quickly formed a bond that no one could break. She was my only friend while I was in Volterra. When I left, we travelled together through Rome and Paris and finally came to America together."
He sounded like he was editing for some reason. And his story didn't add up, Nadi was only eighteen and was born in La Push before she moved to California and only came back last year. So how did he meet her in Italy? I wondered.
Jasper looked at me, back to Carlisle and then said, "Carlisle." Everyone's eyes flickered to me. Sam cleared his throat.
Embry sighed next to me. They were communicating with their eyes not words. I was more confused.
"Karen," Embry's voice was soft and filled with apprehension. I looked at him and he said, "I'm going to tell you something right now, but before I do, I want you to think about something. You know us and you know we would never do anything bad to anyone."
I started to open my mouth but Sam cut me off, "Embry don't scare her."
He nodded and said, "We're not human. The Cullen's are vampires and the guys and me are shape-shifters."
I blinked. "What?"
Sam took over telling me the legends of the tribe. He sounded like he was editing when he said it and his eyes flickered to Nadi the entire time.
I took everything in and sat in silence. "Carlisle's story doesn't make sense to me."
Carlisle asked, "What do you mean?"
"Well, you said you met Nadi in Italy, but she's only eighteen and was born in La Push but moved to California and moved back only last year." I said.
Nadi sighed. "Karen, I was born in 1507."
My head snapped up. "What?!"
She smiled a little. "The legends Sam just told you are about my family. I was Taha Aki's daughter that ran away because I phased. Girls weren't supposed to and I was scared so I ran away."
Oh my god. I gaped at her, unable to say anything. "She's in shock." Jasper said. How the hell did he know that?!
"Well, calm her down!" Embry demanded.
"I am." Jasper answered. I did feel oddly calm for someone in my predicament, but I wondered what Jasper had to do with it.
Nadi asked, "Do you want to know my story?"
I nodded a little. Mostly, I was afraid to hear it. This was too much for me to take in right now.
She cleared her throat. "Like I said, I was born in 1507. The day the Cold Woman attacked our tribe, my brothers phased to help kill her. I phased also for the first time, but no one saw me. I was scared of what would happen to me, so I ran away. Everyone assumed the Cold Woman killed me.
"About fifteen years after I left, I came back and asked one of the women if they knew where Taha Aki's daughter was. I wanted to know the story that everyone was given about where I was. She told me everyone believed the Cold Woman killed me while I was in the water, even though my brothers said I didn't go into the water. My father was inconsolable about losing his wife, son and daughter in one day.
"I left La Push again. For a few years, I roamed North America in my wolf form, then went down to South America. I never aged. It's a trait us wolves have; we don't age until we stop phasing. I wandered around searching for my imprint."
I interrupted her, "Imprint?"
She smiled. "Imprinting is a thing that happens to a wolf. The first time they see their imprint, the world shifts and the imprint is the only thing holding them there. The wolf becomes anything the imprint needs; a friend, a brother, a lover, but the imprint and wolf are ultimately soul mates. You feel this pull to be with each other. It's hard to fight it."
I thought about it. "Who all has imprinted?"
"Well, Sam and I imprinted on each other. Also, Jacob, Jared, Paul, Leah, Quil and Embry. I think you can figure out who they imprinted on."
Well it was pretty obvious. "Let me guess, Jacob and Bella, Jared and Kim, Paul and Angela, and I don't know the others."
Nadi smiled, "You'll meet the other imprints soon enough."
Wait, Embry imprinted? My heart constricted. Maybe I didn't want to meet the other imprints after all. Embry was the first guy to ever pay attention to me, I don't think I can handle seeing him go all "Jared and Kim" with some other girl.
Nadi looked at me worriedly, "Are you okay? Should we save some of this for tomorrow?"
Before I could answer, Edward's voice cut me off, "She's thinking she doesn't want to meet the other imprints."
I spun around. Edward and Emily were standing in the kitchen doorway.
"Emily!" Kim called out, standing up. Jared grabbed her arm, "She's not ready, Kim." He said.
I couldn't take my eyes off of Emily. She was even more beautiful than she was a few weeks ago. Her skin was shiny and her scars were gone. I stood up, but Embry held me from going to her.
"Emily, your scars…." I trailed off. She smiled a little at me. I had always thought Emily's scars made her stronger. She gave me some confidence that there were nice guys like Edward who loved a girl for who she was inside and not what she looked like on the outside.
Edward smiled at me. Nadi didn't let me off the hook though. "Are you sure you can handle the rest?"
I slowly nodded, turning away from Emily and sitting down next to Embry. He started to put his arm around me, but I leaned away from him. The hurt in his eyes caused a sharp pain in my heart, but I ignored it and turned back to Nadi.
She continued, "Like I was saying, all I wanted in this world was an imprint. I went all the way to Europe, which is where I met Carlisle. I was in wolf form when he showed up and told me I smelled human. I phased back and got some clothes. Carlisle stayed with the Volturi for a while, and I continued roaming around Europe."
"Who are the Volturi?" I asked.
Carlisle answered, "There a family of vampires in Italy. They're pretty much the rulers of the vampire world. Like royalty."
Nadi went on, "It was 1907 when Carlisle left the Volturi and finally met up with me again. I'm going to be honest here; I was so close to giving up on my imprint. I even thought about dating Carlisle." She laughed nervously, as did Carlisle.
Carlisle said, "I was in the same situation as Nadi. I was born in 1640 and had been alone as she had. I was turned into a vampire when I was twenty-three. When you're alone for that long and haven't found anyone to share it with, you get lonely and look for a partner anywhere. I considered Nadi as well." They laughed again.
Nadi said, "I couldn't bring myself to think about Carlisle like that now, though. He's like my father. He did call me his mate one time and he held my hand." She nodded.
Sam looked at Carlisle, "When did this happen?"
Edward laughed with Nadi and Carlisle. "A long time ago, Sam." Edward answered. How did he know?
Nadi composed herself and said, "Of course I thought Carlisle was attractive, but he wasn't my imprint. I knew I had an imprint out there somewhere and I wasn't settling for anyone. Carlisle understood that and we were the best of friends. We came to America together and explored for a while." She paused and then laughed suddenly. "I'll never forget the looks on some of the people's faces when they saw Carlisle and I walking down the street holding hands."
Carlisle laughed with her. "That was quite entertaining for us, wasn't it?"
They shared a private memory and Sam looked awfully jealous that Carlisle shared so much with Nadi that he didn't.
Nadi looked back at me. "Carlisle went to Chicago to be a doctor at a hospital. At this point, I was giving up on finding an imprint. I started to think it was impossible. I mean, girls weren't supposed to phase, why should we have the ability to imprint? So when I was four hundred years old, I moved to California. I didn't phase for nearly two full years, but still showed no signs of aging.
"I kept in touch with Carlisle over the years. He told me about how he was gaining a family. I felt even more alone since my only companion now had his own family. I was jealous."
Carlisle took over, "I treated Edward for Spanish Influenza. His father had already died of it and on his mother's deathbed she told me to save Edward no matter how I did it. So, I bit him. He became my son. I turned Esme a few years later, then Rosalie and Emmett. They can tell their stories to you later if you want to hear them.
"After a few years, we moved to Forks, which is where we met some of the great-grandfather's of some of the boys. There was Quil Sr., Ephraim Black and Levi Uley. They wanted to kill us because we were vampires, but we told them we were different. Vampires as you know drink blood. My family doesn't, we survive on animal blood."
At this point, I had forgotten the Cullen's were vampires. I'd been so caught up in Nadi's story, that little fact slipped my mind. I wasn't scared of them by any means, they were all still the same people to me. Except Paul. I was still afraid of him. Edward laughed behind me, but didn't explain why.
Nadi went on, "They made a treaty with the La Push wolves that as long as the Cullen's never bit a human or came on Quileute land the wolves would not attack."
My eyes widened. The Cullen's were on Quileute land right now! Edward's ice-cold hand came down on my shoulder, "Things have changed a little. Just listen." Huh?
Nadi continued, "I came back to La Push after hearing there were more wolves here. I lived with Ephraim Black until he died. Then I moved in with Joshua Uley. As far as anyone on the reservation knew, I was on orphan that Ephraim had adopted."
Quil cut her off, "Hey, Jake, I guess that makes Nadi your grandmother."
Rosalie hit him on the head again, causing him to yelp and say sorry.
Nadi rolled her eyes. "Anyway, when Levi died, I remember sitting at his funeral and wondering just how many times I would have to do that. How many times I would see someone I had grown close to die. How many times I would see my friends live a life I so desperately wanted. They got to imprint and have families and I just say by and watched. At Levi's funeral I said goodbye everyone in La Push, Harry, Billy, Quil and Joshua. I haven't seen Joshua Uley since that day, and I probably never will again, but I'm glad that Harry, Billy and Quil got to live the life I wanted and the life I have now." She smiled at Sam, who kissed her cheek.
Nadi looked back to me, "Bella or Edward will have to tell you what happened between them, but that was the reason I came back to La Push this time. Bella is a danger magnet and can't be left alone for five minutes."
Bella scoffed. "That's not true."
Nadi looked at her. "Oh really. If I remember correctly, I met Sam because I was saving you from a human drinking vampire and the pack showed up to help me."
Bella sank into Jake's side. "Okay, maybe it's a little true."
It was Edward's turn to scoff. "A little true?"
Bella groaned. "Okay, okay. I'm a danger magnet."
Everyone laughed. "So what happened with Edward and Bella?" I asked.
Bella sat up. "I fell in love with Edward when I moved here, I was attacked by a nomad vampire named James. Edward saved me. On my eighteenth birthday I dot a paper cut in a house full of vampires, not the best idea by the way. Jasper took a snap at me, the Cullen's left, Nadi moved here. I was cornered by Laurent in a meadow, Nadi and the pack killed him. Then Jake imprinted on me. Then James' mate Victoria put a bounty on my head and Nadi killed her. Now we're here."
She waved her arms dramatically and sat back. Everyone laughed at her. "You could have given her more detail." Alice said.
I shook my head, giggling. "It's fine. What about Emily?"
She smiled at me. "Well Victoria came down with an army of newborn vampires. I think last week when you went out with Embry he told you he had plans the next morning?" I nodded. "That's when everyone fought vampires. I was bitten and turned into a vampire."
I gasped. She nodded and smiled sadly at me. I gaped at her and then yawned. Embry stood up and said, "I'll take you home."
I didn't want to leave since I had so many questions. Edward said, "Embry maybe we should talk to her a little more."
How does he keep doing that? Edward smiled. "Karen, some vampires have special gifts. Jasper can feel and manipulate emotions. Alice can see the future. And I can read minds."
Oh, well that explains how he keeps talking to me when I've said nothing and how I've felt strangely calm this entire time. That will come in handy, I guess. Edward nodded to me. I smiled.
I stood up then and said, "I should go home. My mom will be waiting on me."
Everyone said goodbye and I left with Embry. Once we were in my car, I asked, "Who did Leah imprint on?"
"This guy who lives in Forks named Eric." He answered.
"What about Quil?"
Embry glanced at me. "Claire."
Huh, Emily has a niece named-oh my god! My head whipped in his direction. "Claire! What- How- Oh my god!"
Embry shook his head, "It's not like that. Right now he'll just be her protector, her brother. When she gets older, he'll be her best friend and then he'll be her boyfriend."
That was just too weird to think about. I didn't say anything.
Embry asked, "So you don't want to know who I imprinted on?" I shook my head. "Why not?" I shrugged. I could feel tears pricking my eyes, but thankfully he dropped the subject.
We arrived at my house and Embry handed me my keys. I jumped out and ran to the door, but he caught me of course. He grabbed me by the arm and said in a low husky voice, "You."
My eyebrows knitted together. "What?" I asked dumbly.
"You." He said again. "I imprinted on you."
My mind processed this information and I smiled a little. He slowly leaned down. I realized he was about to kiss me and my eyes fluttered closed. I had never done this before, so I was acting purely on instinct. His warm lips pressed gently to mine. I didn't realize what I was doing, all I could think was, 'He's kissing me! He's kissing me! Me, me, me, Embry is kissing ME!'
When he pulled a way, I wavered a little. "Go inside." He whispered in my ear. I nodded but didn't move. He gave me a little push and said, "Don't worry, I'm never far away."
And with that, I went inside, smiling like an idiot.
A/N: I'm not a huge fan of this chapter, but I felt like if she was finding out everything, she was learning EVERYTHING. And in case you're wondering, Jasper was keeping her calm the entire time so she wouldn't freak out. If there is anyone reading this story who's not reading my main story "Break Down Here/Beast of Burden"-now you know Nadi's story too.
~Ever Uley~
