Hell Hath No Fury
Chapter Nine
Embry looked pensive, worrying his lip between his teeth as he sat across the kitchen table from her. He hadn't said a word for the past hour and if not for the gentle rise and fall of his chest she wouldn't have believed he was even breathing. He had all but torn her out of the Ateara house, stalking down the familiar road from his best friend, no his brother's, house to his own. There he had deposited her at the tiny kitchen table they were currently sitting at.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Embry looked up at her with a startled expression, almost as if he had forgotten she was there at all. He shook his head tersely once before dropping his gaze back down to his lap.
A moment passed before Bella attempted conversation again, "It's ok to be angry Em, just talk to me, I can't help you if you don't talk."
Embry's stony eyes caught hers again; the only sign of his emotions was the faint tremble in his voice when he finally spoke, "Did you see the look on his face?"
Bella reached out but he pulled his hands away a little too forcefully, inadvertently pushing his chair away from the table.
"We were six when his dad died," he emphasized the 'his', "after the funeral we were hanging out in Jake's garage and Quil was acting like nothing happened. Nobody knew what to say, but then Jake put his hand on Quil's shoulder and said he was sorry about his dad."
Embry smiled faintly, "Quil punched him right in the nose. He said he wasn't sorry 'cause his dad had to die so Taha Aki could have a strong warrior. I think that's what his mom told him. Quil loved his dad; he thought he was the best thing around. He used to tell me he wished that he was my dad too, so I could know how awesome it was to have him as a father."
Embry pinched his eyes closed, scrubbing his hands over his face, "Who would've thought huh? He loved his dad, and I ruined it."
"Oh Em, it isn't your fault, you didn't –"
"And now cause I fucked up the whole fucking gene pool I stole his imprint too."
He had stood at this point, walking away from the table and pacing the cracked linoleum kitchen floor. He was shaking, not with the phase, but with silent wracking sobs.
Bella hesitated before standing and following his path to the far side of the kitchen, his back was to her but it was obvious he sensed her approach by the tensing of his back. Without a word she wrapped her arms around his waist and rest her head in the middle of his back, breathing in that heady scent that she so loved.
"You're allowed to be angry Embry, but don't be angry at yourself, be angry at your dad and even Old Quil, they hurt both of you, not just Quil. He was your dad too, you deserved to know him."
Embry's hands came to rest on top of her own, "Did you see that old bastard laughing? Like it was some big fucking game. Like my life is some big fucking joke for everyone else to laugh at."
"Oh Em," she crooned, nuzzling his back. She would never get used to how pleasantly warm his skin was compared to anything else she had ever known.
He lifted his hands from her, gently prying them from his waist so he could turn to look at her, "I'm sorry."
He looked so broken in that moment that Bella wanted nothing more than to wrap him up in her arms and hold him until everything was better.
"Don't you dare apologize to me Embry Call."
"I fucked this imprint up for you too Bella, Quil is your soul mate, your perfect match and I shot that to hell."
Reaching forward resolutely she grasped on his hands in her own and lifted it to her heart, "Do you feel that? That's my heart beating for you. You are my soul mate."
xXx
Quil felt like running until he was too exhausted to remember the past half hour at all, but even in wolf form the words haunted him, playing back in his mind like some sick slow motion train wreck.
"Quil, Embry is your brother, the eldest son of your father, the oldest Ateara. It would only make sense that his blood would call to Swan blood."
"I've known for years, nobody had to tell me. When you phased I saw it, your imprint blocked in favor of your elder brother. Embry cannot imprint but his bond to Bella will be as if it was an imprint."
"No my boy, you will never imprint. Bella should have been your imprint and I have foreseen no soul that will ever beckon yours quite as much as hers."
His grandfather's words ran on a constant circuit, blocking out the rest of the earlier conversation. His brother and his imprinted, mated, because his father couldn't keep it in his parents and be the family man everybody had painted him to be.
He sorely wanted to punch something, but punching wasn't a natural wolf reflex and there was nothing readily available to tear apart. Damn if he could get near that redheaded leech right now their problems would be solved.
So Swan took my advice, huh?
So involved in his own thoughts, Quil hadn't even realized when Paul phased in.
What the fuck are you talking about Lahote? Fuck outta' here.
No can do, I'm on patrol. Tough break though kid.
Kid? We're the same age fuckwad.
Paul laughed internally, I told Swan to kiss you, you know.
Why the fuck would you do that?
You and Call deserved to know the truth and none of these hypocrites were gonna tell you and I couldn't tell you myself.
How do you know about it?
My dad used to hang around with yours, before we moved to Tacoma. When Call's mom got knocked up he told my Dad, who told me. I tried to tell Sam but he ordered me not to talk about it to either of you, said your batshit crazy grandfather would take care of it.
Sam knows?
Sam thinks he knows, too stupid to realize we're all just Old Quil's puppets. The whole fucking pack, hell the whole tribe. Think about it Ateara, he's the one who told Embry Bella was his mate, he could've told you that instead right? I mean he said he had a vision but who knows.
What are you getting at Paul?
You carry the family name kid, not Call. If he's gotta give up one of his grandkids to a pale face he's obviously gonna pick the bastard. Embry didn't block your damn imprint, your good old gramps did.
Why should I listen to anything you say?
Cause dipshit I don't give a fuck, Sam's alpha he's looking out for the whole pack so he follows your grandpa's word and the old man has a, what's that thing we learned about in history? Oh yeah, a vested interest in how this turns out. I'm just one pack brother looking out for another pack brother. If you think Embry is the reason you don't have Bella, well you're stupid, but it means you and big bro will be divided, you're playing into your grandpa's hand. C'mon Ateara, I know your dumb as shit but even you gotta realize that.
Fuck.
Yea, pretty much. Maybe it's time to go off the grid Ateara, Sam's got us all convinced Jake is gonna take Bella away from Embry cause that's what Old Quil told him. Ever think that maybe he's just afraid that if Jake is alpha he won't listen to him like Sam does?
So what do you want to do, join Jake's pack?
Baby alpha is a pain in the ass and too fucking noble, but he's a born leader, he won't fall for your grandpa's shit.
Quil didn't like this, he wasn't used to trusting Paul, he didn't know if he even should be trusting Paul, but Jake was his best friend.
So we go to Jake?
Yea, but first we gotta find your bro, I think he needs in on this. If we leave him with Sam your grandpa will eat him alive.
xXx
Bella and Embry had somehow found themselves back at her house in her bedroom, his long frame stretched diagonally across the bed though his feet still hung off, and her hunched over her desk trying to get some homework done.
This quiet, normal night was exactly what they both needed right now. A chance to be teenagers, without the whole wacky paternity, supernatural bits. Embry had never appreciated normal so much as he did now that it was gone.
Bella had just finished up calculus and was about to ask Embry if he wanted a late dinner when he vaulted from the bed to standing in front of the window at a superhuman speed.
"What are they doing here?"
Peering over his shoulder Bella looked out her window to the forest edge. A dark chocolate brown wolf was standing shoulder to shoulder with a slightly smaller dark silver wolf.
"Is that Quil?"
"And Paul."
"Should you go see what they want?"
Embry let out a heavy sigh, "Yeah, you stay here. Ok?"
Bella nodded, "Like I haven't heard that one before."
Embry smiled, "And I was right the first time wasn't I?"
He leaned towards her planting a sound kiss on her forehead, "I'll be right back Bell, I just gotta see what they want."
"Ok and Embry?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't expect the worst, Quil has always been your best friend, I don't think that's going to change even because of this."
Embry nodded, "I'll be back."
