Raena's POV

Everyone dashing to the treeline like mad men, hooping and hollering loudly. I want nothing more than to turn and run back to Charlie's truck but Seth turns from up ahead and yells at me to hurry. A big guy and Jared are in the front, running quickly through the trees followed by Leah and Quil. Next are the younger kids, like Collin and Brady a long with some other kids I didn't know. Seth was in the back, helping some of the really young kids and I was semi-jogging behind them. I let them get further and further away, before I slowed my pace.

"Giving up?," Embry asks as he runs along side me.

I clutch my chest, Where the hell did he come from, I thought.

"Uhm, I'm not really a Runner."

"That's okay, it's not a race or anything."

We walked side by side through the trees in a comfortable silence.

"How long have you lived here?," I finally asked.

"All my life. La Push is my home."

"It's such an interesting name... La Push?"

"It's french," Embry chuckled," for 'the mouth', because of the river. What does Chicago mean?"

"I have no clue," I laughed.

"I've never really been anywhere outside of Washington."

"Really?... Well, I guess I can't really talk. I've live in Illinois for the past 10 years."

"Where did you live before that?"

"Uhm, my mom and I lived in Massachusetts, I was born there and when I was 3 she moved to somewhere in Oklahoma and finally we moved to Chicago when I was 8."

"Wow, so you've really seen the country."

"Not really, I only really have memories of Chicago."

"What it like there?"

I smiled, "Amazing. I can't imagine living anywhere else, but my mom wants to transfer somewhere new..."

"That sucks."

"Yeah, it really does, but I'm hoping she gets denied."

"So she sent you out here to wait?"

I looked at the dark woods, I knew I would have to explain to people why I was here, but I don't have an excuse.

"Uhm... yeah."

"Is she transferring out here?," Embry seemed intrigued.

"I'm not sure. I hope it somewhere warm and sunny," I give a weak smile.

"So not here?," He laughed and I joined him.

Embry was nice, he seemed like a good guy and he was really cute. He asked me a lot of questions about myself and my life in Chicago, none of them were really personal. He was actually kind of funny too, I wasn't expecting it since he had always been so quiet. We finally made it around, some of his friends were waiting with Charlie and Sue.

"There you are!," Quil announced. "We thought we would have to start a search party."

"Was it fun?," Sue asked me.

"Uhm, yeah, I liked it," I smiled.

"Embry, come on, your mom is waiting!," Jared called as they started to leave.

"Yeah, I'm coming," he turned to me. "Uhm, text me sometime...," before he darted after his friends.

I felt mischievous, seems like I have my choice of boys around here.

"Ready?," Charlie asked.

I nodded and we went back to his house. I feel asleep almost instantly.

Monday was so boring, classes dragged on and I just wanted to sleep. Art came and Jonny sat beside me like he always did, this week we were doing acrylic still lifes.

"So...," Jonny started the conversation. "Have a fun weekend?"

"Yeah, I went to Seattle with Bella and her friend Alice and on Sunday I went to bonfire."

"A bonfire? It's January."

"Yeah, it was over in La Push."

"On the Res?," he turned to me.

"Res?"

"Reservation."

"Uhm, yeah I think. My uncle knows a lot of those guys."

"So you'd rather go to the Res then go on a date with me?," he was offended.

"I don't really date," I finally told him.

"Playing hard to get... I can respect that," he grinned.

I laughed," I'm not. I honestly just don't date."

"So, you've never had a boyfriend?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat and thought back to Trevor.

"No."

"There's always a first," he winked.

I rolled my eyes and finished my painting. Charlie came to pick my up and we went back home.

I tried to do some of my stupid Romeo and Juliet assignment, but I it was just so boring. I grabbed my phone and a wild thought popped in my head.

I should text Embry.

Embry POV

I was sitting at my kitchen table doing my Calculus homework. I heard my phone buzz but I did't want to lose my spot on the equation, so I ignored it. I was almost finished when my mother sat beside me she just stared me until I turned to her.

"When are you going to tell me?," she folded her arms and leaned in her chair.

"Tell you what," I put my pencil down and faced her.

"Everything."

I didn't want to keep this secret from my mom, I wanted to tell her about the pack and me being a werewolf. I wanted her to know everything, to be a part of the other half of my life. When I was in Sam's pack, he told me I could tell her, but the secret was too great. I didn't want her to get wrapped up in the bad parts of the pack, I didn't want her to know that I risked my life several times to protect our tribe.

"What are you talking about?," I played dumb.

"What happened, Embry? I mean, last year you were sneaking out every night until the morning and now you don't. I am so happy you aren't and now you get a lot more privileges, right? You're not grounded. But what here you doing? Drugs, Embry? What happened, you can tell me know that's its over."

"Mom," I lean forward and grab her hand. "I love you, but it's my life. I'm not doing drugs."

She sighed," You don't get to keep secrets from me, Embry. I'm your mother."

I let go of her.

"You don't get to talk about secrets," I turn back to my homework.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean."

My mom had refused to tell me who my father was, she always claimed she had just lost contact with him before I was born. She told me he was in the Maktah tribe but she didn't know that I knew it was a lie. Shape shifting was a genetic trait of the Quilete tribe, not the Maktah.

"Embry...," she rubbed her face.

"Mom, let's just forget it," I pick up my pencil and go back to my homework.

She stormed into her room and closed the door. I sighed and checked my phone, A text from Raena!

Raena- Hey

I felt an overload of joy, I can't believe she texted me!

Embry- Hey Raena

Raena- Wyu2

Embry- Hmwk

Raena- :/

Embry- Wyd?

Raena- In bed

Embry- tired?

Raena- no. bored

Embry- do ur hmwk

Raena- ew

Embry- lol