He Makes 'Em Good Girls Go Bad
A Twilight FanFic
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9. Uh-Oh
Embry was lounging on the couch, and I settled on the floor. The TV was turned on, characters flitting across the screen quietly. It was pitch black outside, and eerie. Like someone was watching us, peering inside the house occasionally. But I knew I was just making a big deal about it.
I was dressed for bed in shorts, topped off with a striped tank-top. Like what I usually slept in. The cement floor was cold on my crossed legs, but eventually I got used to it. I shuddered – for the third time tonight – and Embry – for the fifth time tonight – reached out to me, and stroked my arm.
"Are you cold?" Embry asked sweetly, opening his arms up.
"Not really. Sitting on the floor kinda chills me," I answered, trying not to sound like a big baby.
"Oh, well my arms are always open," Embry smiled that heart-melting smile.
I heard rustling in the trees; it sounded more like hushed whispers in the forest. It made my stomach twist and contort in what felt like extremely painful positions.
I casually got up, and dusted myself off. Embry would know if I was being frightened by anything, and he'd do something about it instantly, so I was better off nonchalant about whatever the heck terrified me. I strode over to the opened windows, sucked in a shallow breath, and peeked outside. A cold whoosh of air slapped me in the face, and the wind continued to make whispering sounds in the bushes, sounding almost as if there really was somebody hiding in the cover of trees. It must be some teenagers trying to pull off a stupid trick, or worse, my best friends attempting to eavesdrop.
My breath caught when I saw a flash of white – bright ivory in the moonlight – jump from a tree to another perch. My hand instinctively flew up to my chest, and I realized that I was still just scaring myself. My heart was pounding loudly in my ears, thumping harder and harder until I thought my poor heart was going to burst out of my chest. It was probably an owl. But, it appeared to be much, much larger than any owl that inhabited the forests here.
I didn't even hear him get up, but Embry was behind me, his long arms winding around me. "What's wrong, hun?"
"I keep hearing ..."
"What?"
"Ah, it's nothing."
"You keep hearing what?"
"Never mind."
"No, I'd like to know what you heard," Embry's gaze snapped up, blinking and his jaw clenching and unclenching. I heard him, barely, mutter under his breath, "Or saw."
I backed myself up into him, and then stepped forward again to shut the windows. Oh, God. He must be seeing the same animal I must be hearing.
"Yeah, close all the windows," Embry ordered urgently.
"Why?"
"Nothing. Just a pre-caution," he stepped away from me and ran to close all the other open windows.
"Okay?" I shook my head, but I didn't want to know what he wanted to avoid. I risked one last glance out the window, and I saw that flash of white again. Ivory and it appeared to sparkle in the moonlight. Or lavish gleam, I don't know. Whatever the effect that this ... thing had, it was enchanting and mesmerizing. I remained dazed for a few moments, the white leaving a mark on my eyes. I had to blink it away before I stumbled back to the couch.
Embry's shadow loomed over me as I put my head in my hands.
"You okay?" Embry took my face tenderly in his large hands.
"Yeah, I'm fine ... Tell me about being a werewolf," I prompted, trying to get the topic to change from me. Now that I thought about it, I had billions of questions popping up in my mind.
Embry looked deep in thought for a moment, and then started to laugh. "Well, I can kill pretty much anything, anybody really," then Embry's voice became more of a snarl. "Anything that threatens you."
I cautiously leaned away; his change of tone definitely scared me. He started to slowly shake.
"Embry, calm down."
"Right."
"Anyways, um, talk about ... everything else you can do," I encouraged nervously, and my voice broke midsentence.
Embry perked up, and stopped shaking immediately. "Don't be scared, Shenae. I would never, ever hurt you."
Those words made everything clear now. Embry was right, he would never hurt me. Intentionally.
Don't upset him, my conscience warned me. Absolutely, if you value you're life, do not upset Embry.
"What else is kind of a perk?"
He didn't hesitate. It was like he'd been waiting for this. "The speed and the strength. It kind of helps too when you heal extra fast, rather than having to show up at the doctor's office at a temperature that should mean you're dead."
"I guess so. What's your temperature?" I was indefinitely curious now.
"One-oh-eight point nine." Embry smiled proudly.
"Wow." I laid my hand across his forehead, and his skin flared. "You're burning up. It feels like you have an extreme fever or something." I tried to remain serious and keep myself from fainting, but it was getting harder with every new fact Embry told me.
"It pays off in the winter. I can walk around naked if I wanted to." Embry's eyes sparkled.
"Maybe you should keep you're clothes on, for now," I rolled my eyes. Did I really want him to...? Yeah, I really did.
"Um, uh, what else is convenient?" I panicked.
"The sharpened senses. I can smell and hear practically everything that's going on around us."
"Hm, interesting. What do I smell like?" I inquired.
"Delicious," Embry chuckled. "Like chocolate with oranges, something along the lines of that."
"Yummy. Uh ..." The question I had been dying to know the answer to for ... well, ever since it happened, came to mind. "What does imprinting feel like, Embry?" It felt weird asking this, but I wanted to know every single thing about Embry's true identity, so I could understand everything that he's talking about.
"As Jake described it, it feels like you're tied down to earth by that girl. I have to agree with him." Embry said.
"So … the only reason you're here on the earth is because of the person that you imprinted on?"
"Kinda. Except you imprinted on me." Embry said, not meeting my gaze.
"I'm trying to figure this out. You're tied to me, like a balloon?" I used my hands to help describe or 'visualize' what I was trying to picture myself.
"Yeah," Embry nodded his head.
"Oh. Uh, how about …"
I remembered the night when Jacob had been there, the night Embry imprinted on me. Or, I imprinted on him, I don't know, but Jacob was talking about something that Embry's mind didn't do me justice …
"Who's this?" I wondered stupidly.
"Jacob Black. And, he's leaving." Embry growled.
"No, I'm not. I want to see my best friend imprint. My, my, Embry's mind doesn't do you justice," Jacob looked me over.
"Jacob!" Embry shouted.
"Um, hello?" I asked nobody in particular.
"Hi, Shenae. I'm Jacob."
"Hello, there, Jacob. Embry, what's he talking about?"
I'd been so confused that night, after everything that Jacob was bringing up that Embry hadn't told me about, and now I was finally getting the answers to it all.
"Remember the night I imprinted on you …?" The word still tasted foul and foreign in my mouth; I still had to get used to it.
"Of course I do," Embry sat up. "What do you want to know?"
"What was Jacob talking about when he said, 'you're mind doesn't do her justice?'" I leaned forward, inquisitive.
Embry sighed. He swung his legs off the couch, and pushed himself up. He walked around the room a few times, pacing a little circle in front of me. Embry seemed to be trying to find a way to word his response without making it sound like he was crazy, and I'll have to admit, everything was sounding slightly crazy to me right about now. Embry's other life might take some time getting used to.
"Embry, is it really that bad?" I attempted to take his hand, and get him to stop, but I failed.
"I don't want you to think I'm nuts," Embry stopped for a very short moment, and continued to pace around.
"Uh, things are kind of a little far-fetched to me now, but I think I can handle it, Embry."
He didn't react to my comment.
"Okay, Embry, stop before you wear a trail in my concrete floor." I said dully. He listened to me, but didn't bother telling me what was on my mind. I pushed myself off the couch, and wrapped my arms around him.
"Are you scared that I'm gonna think you're a freak because of something you chose?"
"Being a werewolf wasn't something I could control, Shenae. It starts when you're a teenager, and it just builds and builds until you're so angry and you finally flip out that it just happens." Embry rested his cheek against my hair. "But, you have all these voices in your head, telling you that everything is alright, and what you are …"
"Voices?" I put my palms on Embry's bare chest, and he tightened his arms around my waist.
"That was Jacob was talking about. I heard voices in my head; like the pack mind. I hear Jared's thoughts, Quil's thoughts, and Sam's thoughts. Sometimes I wish I didn't, but it's really convenient if I'm doing my patrol around Forks."
"You guard Forks?"
"Yup."
A smile spread across my face, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. "Do you run a patrol around my house, Embry?"
"Every night," he said each word carefully.
Another question popped up in my mind; I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer to it. Who the werewolf's enemy was. Or, if they even had an enemy.
"Does a werewolf have any … enemies? Is that why you have to guard Forks every night, run a patrol?"
"Yeah … I was hoping you wouldn't ask that question."
I didn't say anything.
"I think that's enough information for one night …" Embry tried to walk away, avoiding my question.
"No, I'd like to know why you have to guard Forks every night."
"No escaping you. I guess you have the right to know."
"I do have the right to know."
"Werewolves in La Push are believed to exist for one sole reason; because the Cullen's do."
"Oh, you mean Bella's new family? You told me about her …"
"Yeah … Shenae, the Cullen's are vampires." Embry said bluntly.
"… Vampires?" I very nearly fell again, but I was safe in Embry's protective arms, so there was no chance of my falling down and knocking myself unconscious.
"I should've never told you any of this," Embry grumbled.
"No, it's good that you're telling me everything … I just might take some time to get used to this." I rested my head against Embry's chest; I sighed and closed my eyes. "Bear with me, I just recently found out that my boyfriend is a werewolf." I muttered sarcastically.
"I hear ya. My Mom doesn't even know," Embry's voice sounded distant. My head felt disconnected from the rest of my body, I was floating up in space. It wasn't a very reassuring feeling.
"She doesn't?"
"No. Every night I sneak out, and every morning she yells at me for sneaking out. She checks my room, too, and she finds it empty every single night."
"Why don't you tell her … that … you're a werewolf?"
"The secret's too important; I'm bound to keep it. When the time comes, I might tell her," Embry looked down.
"Oh. So, you just take it?"
"Take what?" Embry took too long to answer, and he sounded confused when he spoke.
"You're Mom yelling at you … you just take it?"
"Yeah, like, what can I do …?" Embry shook his head.
"That's no fun."
"I'm permanently grounded for a while, at least, until she knows the other half of my life."
"What are you're excuses?" I tried at some lighter material to talk about. Maybe it would take us to a totally different thing to talk about, other than this darker topic. I'd like that, a lot.
"Haha, that I'm either hanging out with you, or with Jacob and Quil. She got the wrong idea once," Embry smiled, and began laughing hysterically, remembering some memory.
"Uh … do I want to know?" My gut was telling me strongly, No, and I trusted it highly.
Embry ignored my question. "Naw, not really," Embry quieted down after that. He rubbed my back soothingly, and I yawned loudly. "You're tired." Embry cupped his hand under my chin, tilting my face up.
"Yes, but I don't want to go to bed," I said earnestly. "I want to stay up with you."
"I'm awake all night though," Embry chuckled.
"I don't care. I'm having fun," I traced the planes on his perfect chest, and Embry gave a little shudder. "Ticklish?"
"Hehe … yeah. Are you?"
"No ..." I said, as Embry's fingers began tickling my sides. I tried my hardest to remain as still as possible, but it was extremely difficult when Embry's hand were all over the place. He poked my ribs.
"Ah, this will never get old." Embry sighed, getting a dreamy look in his eyes.
I broke away from Embry and ran to the couch, and collapsed onto the leather. My arms were glued to my sides, just in case Embry decided to attack me again. "Don't you dare."
"Oh, don't worry. I'm not that mean," Embry purred, trying to sound and look all innocent. And believe me, he was doing a good job at it. He fell onto the couch, putting his arm around my shoulders. I rested my head on his shoulder, yawning once more, and Embry kissed my forehead. "What do you want to do tonight, darling?"
"The same thing we do every night, Embry. We try to take over the world," my eyes widened, as if in disbelief that he would actually forget.
"Oh?" Embry's tone made me laugh.
"Mhm," I nodded my head stupidly. I stretched up, and waited a second before I pressed my lips to his. I heard his breath catch, anticipating what was coming next. Embry was just catching on—.
Frantic pounding footsteps on the stairs, and somebody standing at the foot of the staircase, watching us. Oh, great. Probably Ella, demanding what the hell we were doing at one o'clock in the morning.
"Shenae! Where's Ella?!" A shrill voice rang in my ears. No, couldn't be Ella. Why would she be asking where she was? Unless she was having one of those crazy dreams again...
I was puzzled for a few seconds, Embry inches away from me, his breathing stopped completely this time. I glanced at him, and he resumed breathing again, as if knowing I'd freak out. My lower lip quivered. "What?"
"Where is Ella? She's not in her room!" Lindsay screamed at me. "What did you say to her??"
Okay, why was she assuming that I did something to her?
"I don't know where she is … she was here when I got home, I'm sure she was …" I stumbled over my words.
"She wasn't," Embry said. He found my hand, and laced his fingers with mine. He stood up, and gently pulled me up beside him, and had me following behind as he strode past Lindsay calmly. She was still awestruck, and soon enough, came bounding up the stairs.
"What are you doing?" I hissed urgently at Embry.
"Oh, God. Don't tell me ..."
"Huh?"
"That thing you saw outside ... perhaps Quil or somebody noticed the sick scent ..."
"What are you doing ...?" I wondered again.
He tapped his nose with his pointer finger. "Find out what happened to Ella." His glare was extremely menacing. He wasn't taking this so lightly, as I would've wanted. Ella was probably at Brad's house, doing something nobody dreamed of her capable of even dreaming of.
Embry dropped my hand, and raced up the rest of the stairs, disappearing in a sudden blur as he ran full tilt to Ella's room. I plodded up the stairs; Embry would probably know every little detail before I even made it up to Ella's cluttered bedroom. Of course, I was correct.
Embry was in and then out in what felt like seconds. "Come in here."
"What's wrong?"
"Can you smell that?" Embry emphasized, wrinkling his nose. "Too sweet."
"I can't smell anything."
"Right – you're senses are too dull. It smells too sweet in here, but it's very faint. As if whoever was in here was especially careful not to touch a lot of things. Let's go outside." He took my hand again.
"Okay …?"
Lindsay was sauntering into the room when we rushed past her; she was flattened on the wall. "Shenae?"
"One second, Mom …" I called over my shoulder as Embry dragged me back down the stairs.
We were sliding the glass door shut now, and Embry wrinkled his nose again. Mom hadn't caught up to us yet, thankfully. Tequila was padding across the grass to the fence, completely oblivious to the mess that surrounded him now.
"It's even stronger out here."
I blinked. What the heck?
"Embry? What's going on?" What was happening that I needed to find out for the sake of my cousin and if I could see Embry ever again. He sighed, and turned to me. "Remember when I told you about our only enemies?"
"Vampires?"
"It smells like it – but I'm not sure."
"You mean, Ella ... could've been ... taken ... by a-a ... vampire?" I choked out. I started breathing heavily, and then it gradually turned to hyperventilation. My whole body went cold.
"Yes."
I blacked out.