Heeere's another chapter for you! Another one's coming in a bit, I promise. Once again, I don't own Twilight or the Vampire Academy.

Irma's POV

"Irma, wait!"

I had to fight to stop myself from turning around. It felt hard for me to have to refuse Embry anything, as if he too had compulsive powers over me. But this time I had to step away to save him from me.

"Irma, please stop running."

I felt really bad for making him think he really liked me. Not that I realised it at the time; but I must have been wanting him to like me an awful lot. The way he looked at me as we left the house, with the dimples and the cheeky grin, made me wish he was in love with me the way everyone else was in love with each other around here.

"Embry, I thought we've established that I've been duping you this whole time. Nothing that you feel is real." Ouch. I didn't mean for it to sound so mean.

"So..this.. thing I'm feeling for you is not real?" His lips actually puckered. I wanted to run over there and make him feel better, but it wouldn't be fair to say one thing, then do another. So I shook my head instead.

He surprised me though. Sticking out his chin in defiance, he said, "I don't think so. There's no way what I'm feeling isn't real. You haven't got that much of an imagination Irma. I mean, I haven't felt this way ever. It's exactly how Jacob feels with Nessie. I've been in his head, I know what it feels like. You can't fake this stuff. This is...deep," he finished lamely.

There was no way around the in-Jake's-head argument, but I couldn't bring myself to believe it. Knowing myself, I wanted Embry to feel that way about me. I had no control over my powers. It was a more logical argument than him imprinting on me.

I said quietly, "I'm sorry, Embry. I just can't believe that you could like me that way without me willing you to." I turned around and forced myself to head up to my room.

Embry's POV

I wanted to run after her again, pull her back into my arms and fucking convince her that I was in love with her. This couldn't be my imagination. I knew from being in the pack mind how it felt like. Imprinting was a powerful love that couldn't be duplicated or faked. Aside from knowing that, I felt it too. It hurt me to think that Irma was probably hurting because she felt bad for 'duping' me.

Maybe if I had waited, she would believe it more. Argh! I was a stupid idiot. Or course I should've waited.

Irma just shook her head again. "I'm sorry, Embry. But you can have no idea how much I wanted you to think this. It just makes more sense that it's compulsion, and not imprinting."

I just stared at her for a long time, before I suddenly realised my jaw was literally hanging.

I felt like I wanted to try all methods to get Irma to believe me. Like, picking her up and hugging her for ages. But I knew that would freak her out more, or at the very least make her feel guilty for 'tricking' me like that. So I refrained and instead suggested that we go back to the house. Jake would convince her that it was imprinting. If anyone knew what it was like to feel one way then do a 180 degree turn the next day, it was him.

We were silent the rest of the time we walked back up to the house. My head was full of Irma's scent and it just drove me crazy that I've never smelt it before. I couldn't believe I spent 17 years of my life without it. As we walked through the door, I saw Irma immediately put some space between us. It stung that my imprint wanted to stay away from me, but if it made her feel better, so be it.

IRMA'S POV

I sat across the kitchen counter from Embry. He was pouting again, and not in a way that made me want to laugh, either. I was about to say something when Jasper walked into the room, looking curiously at the both of us.

Suddenly, a lot of people burst in through the back door. Truthfully, it was only Bella and Jacob, holding Renesmee, but the three of them were making so much noise it felt like there were at least fifteen more people.

"...grumble...Carlisle! We've got some news...grumble..."

Then Alice swirls in and adds to the (albeit beautiful) cacophony of tenor and soprano voices. "The Volturi are coming!" she shrieks. "They know about Renesmee, and oh Jazz, it's awful!" This sets off another raucous bout of speedy talking and occasional squeaks. I frowned. Sometimes I wished I had the hearing so I could actually keep up with the conversation.

I poked Jacob and asked what was happening. I couldn't have picked a worse source. He rushed something about Irina, immortal children and the Volturi being very displeased, something about them finding out about me and wanting to kill all of us for being involved. There really was too much history for me to be able to absorb it all, but it really boils down to one thing: We're all going to die.

Carlisle managed to calm everyone down, though, and convinced us to take things slowly. Everyone lapsed into a thoughtful silence that Jacob broke almost immediately.

"What's the matter with the both of you?" I looked up and saw him eyeing both me and Embry.

Of course everyone eyed the both of us, especially Jasper. My cheeks started heating up (because of course, I don't blush) while Embry mumbled something that everyone but me could hear. Everyone sighed, but Jasper spoke up.

"Oh was that what you were worrying about? There really isn't a need to worry, Irma. Embry really has imprinted on you."

At this, Embry immediately sat up and looked pleased with himself. I frowned even more, and raised my eyebrow for an explanation.

"His feelings are exactly the same as Jacob's or Sam's. It's really intense when he thinks about you, and even when he's not, there's an undercurrent of longing besides whatever other emotion he might be feeling at the time. If he, or anyone else were under compulsion, they would be feeling extremely compliant. In other words, Embry has imprinted on you."

Embry looked like he was about to clap his hands in glee.

"Jasper's right, Irma," Edward piped up. "All Embry thinks about is you, the same way my daughter's face is plastered all over the inside of Jacob's skull." Edward squinted at Jacob now, who grinned sheepishly back.

Well, now I felt like I had been overly dramatic. Embry caught my eye and made a heart shape with his thumbs and index fingers, before moving them apart to signal a broken heart. I wanted to hide my face as I mouthed 'Sorry' to him. He grinned and put his fingers back together into the heart. I had to giggle at how silly he looked, and the both of us forgot about the crisis at hand.

"Anyway," Jacob said pointedly. "Renesmee's dying, we're all dying, how do we fix it?"

Once again a fluster broke out but I found it hard to focus on our impending doom now that I knew Embry had indeed imprinted on me. My heart kept swelling as it slowly dawned on me that he basically loved me now. I wanted to dance, jump and fly! I couldn't wait for everyone to be done discussing so I could escape to the river again with him. Finally though, they seemed to decide that Carlisle and Esme would find friends, while Alice and Jasper were to go off on some unknown mission and the rest of us stay to train. I couldn't be sure though. Such minor details weren't important to me right now.

The room immediately dispersed, leaving me and Embry alone. As if he knew exactly what I was thinking, he took out a can of soda, stuffed it into his pocket and signalled for me to follow him. We walked out the back door and back down to the river again.

As we were walking, I felt him inching nearer to me, before finally snapping up my hand in his large grip. Leaning in toward me, he cheekily said, "I told you so."

I giggled. He felt so warm to me (and my still hoodie-less body), and I entwined my fingers with his. I knew now that he couldn't ever find a fault with me, that he probably thought I was perfect, the same way I thought he was perfect. Just knowing that made me feel so happy. I started swinging our arms back and forth as we walked and before we knew it we were skipping our way to the river, giggling madly as we went.

And I didn't even trip once.

When we reached our spot, he gave my hand one final swing before bringing my hand up around his neck and bringing my other hand to join it. I was dangling from his neck for a split second before he held on to me and lifted me up so that our faces were level.

I stared into his eyes for a long while before it started getting intense. "Are your arms tired yet? I must be pretty heavy.

He rolled his eyes. "When will you realise your boyfriend's a werewolf and has super strength? You don't weigh a thing to me."

My heart flared (in a good way) when he said 'boyfriend'. I raised my eyebrow and he smiled just a little bit.

"You're right. I'm not your boyfriend until we kiss."

Holding my gaze, he leaned his head forward slowly. So slowly in fact, that I moved my head in too, just to speed things up. He paused just before our lips met and I could feel his hot breath on my lips.

"Hurry up," I whispered. He half growled, half chuckled and I could feel it through his chest. I started to focus on the rumbly feeling when suddenly our lips met and I was sent into cosmic bliss. His lips were soft, smooth and hot, burning not only my mouth, but my entire face. I moved my hands from the back of his neck to cup his jaw to make sure he didn't end the kiss too early.

It was perfect, everything I expected my first kiss to be. When he pulled back, I kept my eyes closed to fully take in what just happened. I felt his forehead press against mine, and he nudged me with his nose.

"I guess now I'm your boyfriend."

I couldn't hope for more.

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