Embry's POV

Time: 7:00am

Day: Sunday

I woke up with the sun shining in my face. I grunted and rolled over trying to go back to sleep. But then I remember Karli, beautiful Karli, and that Emily was suppose to tell me what had happened at the beach. And I needed to know.

I got up and grabbed my black shorts and walked to the bathroom naked. That was one of the perks of having a house to myself. I could walk around naked and not give a damn about my mom seeing. I took a shower, brushed my teeth, and went down to the fridge to make some cereal. I ate a bowl of Fruit Loops just incase Emily was late on breakfast like usual.

I hurried and finished the bowl and walked out the front door when I saw my mom pulling up in her new dark blue Nissan Altima. I was sort of pissed because I needed to get to Emily's, but I was also happy because maybe I could get my mom's other truck, her 2006 Silver Tundra.

She got out the car. She had a plate of brownies in her hand. Oh how I missed her brownies. "Hey Pumpkin." She yelled super loud like I was across the yard but she was only a few feet away.

"Mom, don't call me that anymore." I said annoyed that she kept her pet name for me.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot your all grown up now." She said sarcastically. I grabbed the brownies from her and put them on the counter as we walked into the kitchen. She sat down at the table and I just leaned over the counter.

"So what brings you by?" Please let it be the car. Please, please, please.

"I just wanted you to know that you can come home if you want." She put on a half smile.

I was speechless. I didn't want to go home, I liked the freedom, but I did hate not having enough food here. But Emily always feed the pack, most of the time. But anyway, I didn't want to talk about home, I want to talk about the truck.

"No," I said moments later. She looked like she'd been stabbed when I said that. "I like it here. Sorry mom but I like the freedom." I shoved a piece of brownie in my mouth. Her baking was really the only thing I missed about home, besides my mom of course.

"But that's why I want you to come home. You're only sixteen and your still in high school. You're barely a junior…"

"I'm going to be a senior mom. And my birthday is next month." I rolled my eyes. She didn't even know what grade I was in. It was the end of July and I'd be starting school in a month.

"But not yet." She looked irritated. I wanted to argue but she kept going. "I don't want you out and about will you're still so young. I want to be able to take care of you and to keep you safe. I don't like not knowing where you are."

"Ugh. Mom I can take care of myself. I'm not even that young. I'm fine on my own. I've been living here for almost a month now and I keep the house in good condition. I'm healthy and I feed myself even with the little money you give me." She flinched. She seemed hurt by that, I know my mom doesn't make a lot of money. I shouldn't have said that.

She stared at me hurtfully before she started digging in her purse, pulling out her wallet. "Well how much do you need?" I could hear the pain I her voice. I knew she didn't have much to give. Especially now that she has a new car.

"Don't worry about it mom, I'll be okay." I said somewhat honestly.

"No you're right. I should give you more." She pulled out a ten with a smile, but I could tell she was faking it behind her sadness. "Here take it. It's all I have for now but I'll get paid in two days and I should have some more."

"No mom. It's okay, I didn't mean it like that. It just came out wrong. Emily feeds me most of the time anyway." I shouldn't have said that last part because now my mom's face looked even more hurt.

"Emily feeds you?" She said it slowly and low, staring into my eyes. I could tell she wanted to cry.

"Yea, but she always feeds me and my friends. It's just her way of, um," I didn't want to say that it was her way of being almost like a mother, because that would make my mom cry. She wouldn't want to know that Emily was like a mother to me. "Her way of keeping us close. She enjoys having us over anyway. She doesn't mind."

"Oh." My mom was feeling a bit better but still sad. "Well just take the money anyway." I was going to protest but she slid it to the other side of the table. Showing that she wasn't going to take it back.

"Okay," I gave up.

"So you don't want to come home?" She whined with worried eyes. But I didn't want to go back.

"No, I'm fine here." I said turning around toward the fridge. "Would you like something to drink?" I asked trying to change the subject.

"Um, sure." I could see her trying to shift over to see what was in the fridge, but she couldn't. "Whatever you have?" She probably thought I didn't have much. I wanted to show her that I was doing okay.

"I have water, milk, lemonade, apple juice, and Dr. Pepper." She started to get up probably to see what was in the fridge. But I didn't want her to see the beer that I had. It was usually easy to get beer. I looked way over twenty-one thanks to my muscles.

I started pulling the drinks out of the fridge so she wouldn't have to get close. But she wasn't walking to the fridge, she was getting a brownie. I was relieved. "I'll take milk, is it still fresh?"

"Yes, I just got it a few days ago." I poured her some milk and she sat back down. I was afraid to ask about the truck, but I asked anyway. "So mom, what did you do with the other truck?" I shoved another brownie in my mouth.

"Oh," She looked like she forgot to bring it up or something. "If you want it you can have it. But I want you to come home first." Crap. It wasn't worth it.

"No. No that's okay." I was disappointed.

"Well it was a nice try. You can have it anyway." She pulled the keys out of her purse and put them on the table on top of the money. "I don't need it anymore. It's too big for me."

I had a huge smile on my face that you couldn't wipe off for nothing. That made my mom really happy. "Thanks mom." I walked over and gave her a bear hug. She seemed pleased now.

"No problem. You're still so warm." She started to get up like she was about to go. Yes. I could go talk to Emily now.

"Uh, yea. Well, I'll go pick up the car later. I love you. And thanks for the brownies." I gave her a kiss on the cheek. I knew that would make her happy too, and it did.

"No problem. I'm coming back here on Tuesday to give you a hundred and fifty dollars." She left the house and walked to her car.

"Oh that's too much mom. You don't have…"

"Nonsense! You need gas money now. And I'm going to start giving at least a hundred dollars a week, okay?" She opened the door and sat down.

I held onto the door so she wouldn't close it. "You really don't have to mom. That's a lot of money." My mom only made 400 dollars a week. That was barely enough for herself.

"Don't worry about it." She tugged on the door until I released it. She started the car and blew me a kiss as she backed up out of my driveway. I watched her go down the street until she was out of my sight.

I walked back into the house and put the money in an old peanut can that I saved money in. I had only a dollar in it. I stored it on the top cabinet behind some old junk that probably expired back when my grandparents were still alive. I hurried and walked through the living room and out the back door this time. I didn't want to risk running into any more visitors again.

I took off my shorts, phased, and ran to Emily's house. None of my brothers were there so I assumed that they were already eating breakfast. All I could think about was Karli. I wonder how I can get her to like me, to leave Greg and run into my arms. I started to laughing, that sounded so corny.

As I spotted Emily's house and quickly phased back by the edge of the woods. I put my shorts on and started walking to toward the smell of bacon. I was still hungry even with the bowl of cereal that I had this morning.

I walked in through the back door in the kitchen to find Jacob at the table finishing his food.

"Hey Embry." Jacob was talking with his mouth full.

"What's up? Hey, where's Emily?" I started making my plate. I grabbed some eggs, bacon, and hash brown. Then sat at the opposite side of the table from Jake.

He finished chewing before he talked. "She and Sam went somewhere." Grrr. She was suppose to stay here and talk to me.

"How long ago did they leave?" I started eating like a madman.

"About five minutes ago. Why?" He got up and put his food in the sink.

"We were suppose to talk about something. Where's everyone else at?" I was surprised no one was here.

"Probably still asleep." He sat back at the table and downed his orange juice. After a few minutes of silence and eating, he spoke. "What did you two need to talk about?"

"About Karli. Emily was finally going tell me what happened at the beach when Karli was upset." Jacob had a strange look on his face like discomfort. "What?" I chewed the last pieces off food and put my plate in the sink and sat back down.

"Oh, I dunno." He said it kind of strangely.

"What? Tell me." I was starting to get pissed off.

"Don't worry about it right now." He had pleading eyes hoping that I'd drop it.

"Don't worry about what? Just tell me." Jacob got up and started walking to the living room.

"I can't. Not now." I followed him. He took a deep breath then said, "Embry, I really can't tell you right now."

"Jacob are you really going to keep this from me. I thought you were my brother, my best friend? I never kept secrets from..." He cut me off.

"I'm trying to look out for you. I know what's best for you, and right now I can't tell you. I don't know if you can control yourself." He sounded so much like an alpha.

Jacob turned on the TV and sat down on the couch. I walked over to the TV and turned it off and stood in front of it. "Have I not proven that I can stay calm? I'm controlled, better than most of us. Just tell me, please." I begged pathetically.

Jacob stood up. "But I don't know how well you are when it involves your imprint. I don't know how well you can handle it when…" Jacob stopped talking, with a look shock. He knew he just revealed that this had something to do with Karli.

Now I was pissed off. Emily told him and not me. What the fuck? "What happened with Karli?" Jacob didn't say anything. He just stared out the window by the front door. Maybe I should get him to phase so I could read his thoughts. So I walked over to him and pushed him down.

"What the fuck man? What the hell is your problem?" He got up and he was in my face now. He was taller than me and I knew he was stronger since he was born to be alpha. But I was more pissed than scared.

I bitch slapped him and he punched me in the chest. Jacob had a lot of control so it was going to take a lot to make him phase. I tried to punch in the face but he caught my arm. "You say you're controlled but then you act like this?" Jacob threw my arm, making me spin and nearly fall over the couch.

When I turned back around to face Jacob he put his hands on my neck and started choking me. I started to pull his arm away so I could breathe. "Okay, stop Jacob. I'm sorry. I just want to know about Karli".I begged then he let go. I knew Jacob didn't really want to fight me and I didn't want to fight him.

"Don't ever come at me like that again,"he growled. I bowed my head apologetically.

"Can you please tell me?"I gave him the puppy eyes.

Jacob rubbed his eyes before speaking. "Embry, promise me you wont lose your temper." Jacob ordered.

"I promise. Now just tell me already." I was tired of all this waiting.

He took a deep breath. "Greg is supposedly harming Karli. Emily found some bruises on her back at the beach before you went to go get them." I could feel myself shaking. How dare he hurt my Karli. "Emily went over to Karli's house right now to invite her over and try to convince her to call the cops on Greg."

I started growling. I needed to get out of this house before I phase and broke something. I walked outside and I didn't bother going all the way to the forest. I threw off my shorts.

"Embry, don't do anything stupid." Jacob ordered.

I phased and I ran to Karli's house. I wanted to rip Greg's head off. How dare he do that to her? Fucking Greg. No wonder she was afraid of me.

Don't do anything stupid, Embry. Jacob reminded me. But this was my imprint. I had to protect her. And that meant eliminating Greg.

I need to protect her Jacob.

You can protect her, but you can't kill Greg. What would that prove?

That he shouldn't fuck with my imprint. I was almost there when I heard Sam in my head. He had just phased after waiting for Emily and Karli to finish packing and leave the house.

What are you doing Embry? Sam demanded an answer.

Killing Greg. I admitted. But when I reached the forest by Karli's house, I realized he wasn't there. I was pissed. Where the fuck was that bastard? I howled in anger as I dug my claws in the ground. Where the hell is he?

I saw in Sam's mind a conversation of Greg saying that he worked in an office for Redhook Ale Brewery in Seattle. I took off running in that direction.

Embry. Stop! Sam yelled. But I couldn't listen to him. I was too damn pissed off.

Then Jacob spoke. This is the last time I tell you anything. I trusted you Embry. You said you wouldn't lose your temper. I then stopped. I didn't want to lose his trust. Not after he told me everything.

Fine. I wont go. I ran back toward Sam's house to see Karli. I'll be damned if she went back to Greg.

After a few minutes I got to Sam's house before Karli and Emily. Sam and Jake were already there.

"Stay calm Embry." Sam said lowly.

"I am calm." I snapped at him as I sat at the table. I wasn't calm.

Fucking Greg. I knew I was getting bad vibes about that guy. He was dead meat. I was going to beat the shit out of him. I wanted to tear his skin off and rip him to pieces and break every bone in his body. I would just wait til later when Greg got home to deal with him.