Author's Note

I'm so sorry it took this long to update (and no, I have no idea who exactly I'm apologizing to...) so I hope whoever is wasting their time reading this blurb forgives me for taking extraordinarily long on this chapter. It was strangely har to write this one. You wouldn't think it would be, but I kept thinking about what should come after. I finally bribed myself with putting some sour-y goodness at the end of this chapter (if ya know what i mean...*wink wink*) SO sit back, relax, and pour out the popcorn. So yeah... Enjoy!

By the way...about the title, I couldn't think of anything creatvie, so in order to avoid calling it , I decided to give it it's current name. For thoseof you who noticed, bravo! For those of you who didn't...kuddos on your awesome observational skillz. (Please note the sarcasm. Thank you for noticing. Your notice has been noted. XD)

Chapter 10

ErPOV

I open my eyes and find myself in a strange room, surrounded by books. I'm lying on a cold, hard surface, cool air blowing on me from a fan set in the corner. I attempt to sit up, only to discover how futile the action is when my stomach begins to protest. I place my hands on the mattress on either side of my body, pushing down in an attempt to regain my vertical position. Finally, I struggle into a semi-stable position, propping my arms behind me for support.

I press my panting lips together, inhaling deeply through my nose. I realize my mistake as a saccharine odor assaults my senses, choking my lungs and wracking my body with coughs. After a short time it subsides, leaving my nose burning and my eyes watering.

A cursory glance at my surroundings reveals little. I am obviously in someone's office made into a sort of makeshift operating room. Books grace the deep mahogany shelves on three sides of the walls, climbing them like vines, their obviously well-loved and often used covers clear of dust. The table I lay on is probably someone's desk covered with a large plastic tablecloth; it's big enough for two of me. The carpets are a rich burgundy, the dye like stained blood.

The door opens and a man enters the room. He looks to be in his early twenties with white blonde hair and a smooth, pale complexion. His scent is strong, the sickly-sweet odor causing my eyes to water and my throat to burn.

"Hello, child. I'm glad you're finally awake. Now, let's have a look at that bump on your head."

Two more people enter the room and walk toward me, their steps graceful and unhurried, yet full of purpose. Realizing with dawning horror that I have found the vampire coven, I scoot backwards, ignoring the pain it causes me. The vamps stop in their tracks, glancing from each other, to me, and back to the vamp in the doctor's coat and sweater vest.

Sweater vest? You'd think a vampire would be a little more with the times…

The one to my right, about six feet tall with shaggy honey blond hair and piercing copper eyes, grimaces at me slightly, but refuses to say anything. The vamp to my right is also tall, with dark black cropped hair and muscles galore. His pale complexion brings out the color in both his eyes- the same shade as the others'- and in his hair in vivid contrast. He looks shameful and slightly guilty, almost like the look my kid cousin gets when his mother catches him stealing from her cookie jars on Christmas.

"Perhaps I should explain where you are. No doubt you are uncertain and have many questions. In fact, so do we."

The doc smiles at me reassuringly, and the two leeches at his sides retreat to the door, standing just inside the room.

"Fine. Explain."

The last thing I remember before waking up in this study is spotting a glistening white house with walls of windows overlooking the forest before a disturbing pain in the back of my head caused everything in sight to turn black. I probably phased back after that. Which means either the vamps don't know, and so they are wondering who I am and what to do with me, or they know and they have similar questions with different motivations.

"I am aware that you know of our, er…nature. Is that correct?"

"You mean the part where you drink the blood of Bambi and Simba and their little friends?"

He smiles as though he is amused by my jab. "Yes, that. And we are aware of your feline…preoccupations. Emmet here mistook you for an actual tigress and so he attacked you. Thankfully my son, Edward, was able to prevent him from doing any further damage until he noticed your shifting back to human. I brought you back here to examine your injury. By the way, I am Carlisle Cullen."

"Right. Thanks I suppose. Not to be rude or anything…" Like hell… "…but could you open a window in here?"

Carlisle's amused face softens and he gestures to the vamp with the pained expression and the curly locks. He immediately moves to open a window and then, repositioning the fan in the corner, aims it directly at me so that it blows out the window.

"What is your name?"

I hesitate to respond- after all, what do I know about these leeches? But then I remember my primary reason for coming here. There has to be trust somewhere, right?

"My name is Erin."

Still…what if these vamps tell the wolves about my baby? What if they tell the wolves about me? They were probably helping the wolves look for me. Shit. Maybe I should have thought this through a bit more.

"Jasper, Emmet…perhaps you should wait downstairs." The vamps look to Carlisle, nod, and leave. I send Carlisle a relieved glance, and he looks at me with understanding. I realize that he had figured out how uncomfortable they made me. Not that I was being very subtle, but it is a nice gesture.

A dialogue begins in my head, a good angel and a bad, arguing over whether or not to take the opportunity to ask for help from the leeches. One side arguing the affirmative, the other arguing the negative, and then facing off and switching sides.

I am saved from my own personal argument within when Carlisle moves closer to me, disrupting the air and bringing with him that awful stench. He holds his arms up in front of himself, palms away from his chest and facing me. He makes no sudden movements, but that doesn't stop me from cringing away from him and backing toward the window. I don't think this building has more than two stories, at least it didn't look that way in my memory, and a two story fall wouldn't kill me. Though come to think of it, it might injure me enough to make it almost easy for the vamps to catch me if they wanted.

I halt my retreat, glancing around the room for other means of escape and for weapons. The closest thing I can see are two crossed swords mounted on the far wall to my left near the fan. A large glass paperweight sits on the window sill, its size substantial and, judging by the glistening facets refracting light in an almost disco-ball like pattern, pure crystal. It will do nicely as a first line of defense if any of these vamps are planning something. Man, I really wish I'd thought this through a bit more before just running over. Embry's gonna kill me—that is if the leeches don't do it first.

Carlisle is almost within touching distance now and he takes two more steps, shifting his weight slowly with superhuman grace foreshadowing of his lethal skills as a predator.

Damn, why did these stupid vamps have to be so damned sexy? If I wasn't in love with Embry…

Shaking my head slightly, I refocus on the words Carlisle is saying to me. "I just need to examine the bump on the back of your head—to make sure you weren't seriously injured. Then I'm afraid I'll have to ask you a few questions.

I nod my head, assenting permission for him to go ahead with his…examination. The word brings to mind sterile rooms, cold tables, stern and unforgiving faces, and sharp needles stabbing through flesh and bone, stealing marrow and blood for 'research'. Images of my grandmother's slow death wasting away at the hospital where they'd taken samples of every part of her for testing, still unable to come to a conclusive result to find what was killing her, dance behind my eyelids as I close them, awash in painful memories. In the end, it had taken her death for them to realize it had been not one previously unknown wasting disease but two well known and in fact common diseases that had blended together creating odd symptoms and an accelerated decomposition rate. In essence, my grandmother had been eaten alive by two diseases that, ironically, had extremely high recovery rates.

Dr. Cullen's cold touch brings back my awareness of the moment, and I feel him gently probe my head with his fingers, my muscles tightening without my permission, before his soothing touch finally has the desired effect.

When he is satisfied that I have not suffered any permanent damage at the hands of his son, he steps back and strips off his gloves, tossing them neatly into a disposal bin I had not previously noted.

"So, Erin, what were you doing running through the woods near our home, hmmm? Since you already knew of our predispositions towards drinking blood, I can't bring myself to believe your being here is an accident."

"Not entirely, no. I came here because I needed to ask for your help." The argument in my head ceasing, my impending headache recedes and I find myself able to focus on planning how much to tell Carlisle, and what to tell Embry when I see him later tonight.

"By all means then, what is it you need my help with?"

He sits in a chair that he pulls up next to my makeshift bed and leans back, looking poised and composed. Somehow though, I get the sense that he is also ready to jump at a moment's notice should the need arrive.

"Before I tell you, I need to know that whatever I tell you can be kept secret. I need to be sure that certain…people won't find out about what I share with you. Can you promise me that?"

Giving me a puzzled look, Carlisle waits what seems to me to be a long time before shaking his head. A disappointed air washes over me and I realize how much I had been counting on his help. About to ask that he at least keep my visit a secret, I close my mouth when he starts to speak.

"My son, Edward…he is a mind reader. No matter how much I tried to keep your secret, whatever it is, he would know, eventually. I would trust him not to tell anyone else, but because it is yours and not mine, I cannot guarantee that no one else will learn of your secret."

I consider his words, knowing for a fact that his son really is a mind reader. The desperate girl inside of me wins over the fiercely protective tigress, and I take a deep breath, willing away the butterflies in my stomach.

"As long as he tells no one, there is something I need your help with. And I think that after I tell you, you will be very interested as well."

His countenance is still confused, but he nods and stays silent, waiting for me to continue.

"You already know that I am a shape shifter, and you have probably guessed that I am not Quileute. I am part of a tiger pack in the Makah tribe, a pack whose existence has managed to stay a secret until me. Our phasing abilities are similar to those of the wolves you already know, but our ability to reproduce is different."

Dr. Cullen still looks intrigued, though not as battle-ready as before. "Our powers were granted to us by a goddess worshiped by our people. Because of her, we are only able to have children after falling in love and the…er…usual things that accompany tigers having cubs."

Dr. Cullen smiles knowingly, holding up one hand, palm up, as if he were a student with a question and I the teacher. "I do find all of this intriguing, but I think I am failing to understand why it is you need my help if you already know all of this."

"Look, I know all of this theoretically. And I think…I think I may be pregnant. But I don't know. And the doc at the rez…well he doesn't know any of this. And our wise woman…my grandmother…she's dead, and I'm not sure what to do. But if I'm pregnant, which should be a good thing except everything would be so much easier if I wasn't, then everything will be even worse because Embry's the father and he's a werewolf and I'm a tigress and what's our baby gonna be? And how will our genes effect the baby's? Because tigers only pass the gene once and it's not always the firstborn but the point is I can't tell the regular docs because I mean they'd have me committed and they'd take my baby or something and I really am not having great feelings about coming here to talk to you because I mean you're supposed to be a bad guy but you helped the Swan chick with her baby so I just I don't know I just…"

Dr. Cullen has gotten up in the middle of my rant and come to stand in front of me, hugging my body close and rocking me lightly. As I trail off he leans back and I notice the shoulder of his shirt is wet. Running my hands over my face I feel the tears I had not noticed before.

Gah these stupid tears! Go away!

I cover my face with my hands and wipe my eyes, absently brushing my hair out of my face. When I look up, Dr. Cullen is again studying me, and I look away, embarrassed. "I guess this doesn't exactly give you the greatest impression of me, huh?" I throw up my hands in gesture, and his face splits into a smile. Again I notice the beauty of his face and the strength of his arms. Damn, Erin, get it together.

"Let me get all of this straight. You want me to be your obstetrician?" I nod my head numbly; almost afraid to hope that maybe he'll help me. "And you're afraid of complications to your already unsure pregnancy because of the combination of your tiger genes and Embry's wolf's genes?" Again I nod, somewhat relieved that he had gleaned that much from my rambling of before.

"Then I will try to do what I can, but I will have to do some tests first, just to see what exactly we're looking at." Elated I jump up and hug him tightly, feeling the vibrations of his chest laughing against mine, and fighting the urge to jump up and down and scream with joy.

He extricates himself from my grip and walks to a shelf, pulling out medical supplies.

A couple of hours later, finished with tests, Dr. Cullen releases me from his office with his phone number and the reminder to call frequently whether or not any new news arrives, and to take plenty of extra precautions for my safety. One last thing before I leave, the assurance that yes, I'm pregnant. I can already tell she's going to be beautiful.

EmPOV

After taking Staci back to Sam's house, under strict guard of course, the boys had separated into groups, Leah and Jared running patrol, Quil, Seth, and Jake gossiping like little girls about Paul and his new imprint while Paul and Sam questioned the girl about her background and her reason for being in the Olympic peninsula.

Of course, after the adrenaline from the threat of vampires wears off, my brain immediately kicks back into overdrive thinking about Erin and things I have no business thinking about in front of the others. Then again, none of them are really paying any attention to me, but I don't want to take the risk. I phase back and walk on two legs toward my house and the approaching sunset.

My mind drifts as I walk, ambling in ever widening circles around my Erin and our future together. Remembering last night, I can feel blood start to rush through my veins, and, amazingly, I feel a blush come to my cheeks. I find myself looking forward to tonight, for the chance to love her body again.

I arrive at my house, slightly sweaty and very aroused, entering my room without thinking to look around. I stride to my closet, stripping off the sweats I'd borrowed from Sam earlier.

"Oh very sexy. Do that again, but this time…do it slower."

Whirling around to face the speaker, I smile at Erin sitting on my bed staring at me with a smirk. Her arrogant persona is betrayed by the greedy glance she gives my chest and abs and the line of hair trailing from said to chest and abs to the fuzz placed directly above my erection.

"And just why should I do that instead of calling the cops to come and arrest you for intruding into my house?" I ask her teasingly.

"Because," she says standing, "I'll make it worth your while." Sidling up closer to me, she twirls her finger in a circular motion. I do as she says, simultaneously asking:

"How so?"

As I complete my circle, I look back at Erin to see her gripping the hem of her shirt and grinning wickedly. Hot damn, if I never see another woman alive, I don't think I'll mind…

Ever so slowly, Erin slides the fabric along the skin of her flat tummy until it bunches under her breasts. She pulls her arms under the shirt, slipping around behind to unhook her bra. In one swift motion, her shirt flies above her head and her bra slips from her shoulders, leaving her bare from the waist up.

Crooking my eyebrow, I stare, waiting to see if she really thinks her breasts will be enough to make me put my clothes back on, only to have to take them off again—her breasts are fabulous actually, and I'd do a lot just to see them, but I'm hoping for a few special privileges.

Erin doesn't disappoint. She flicks open the button on her shorts, sending the zipper down with another flick of her wrist. Hooking her thumbs in her pants, I watch her slide them down her long, athletic legs, wishing I were her shorts just for the chance to do the same. Glancing back up, I watch her kick the shorts away and reach for the damp silk of her deep blue thong.

Erin owns a thong?

The thought enters my head and scatters away again as I pay attention to her actions once more. She turns around and bends over, hooking her fingers in the scrap of fabric. Shaking her ass in front of me, she pulls down, baring first her ass, then her pussy, already slick with her arousal. Unwilling to sit back and watch any longer, I step forward and grab her by the hips, jerking her toward my cock. She giggles and reaches forward to grip the mattress, pushing her hips back to brush against the erection reaching for her with one intention.

I rub the head against her folds, trying to get at least a little foreplay in so that she doesn't think I'm trying to be selfish, but she growls and stands to her full height, looking up and back at me with a glare. "I swear, Embry, if you don't fuck me right this minute, I'll…" But I'll never know what she was going to say, and I probably never will.

I push her forward again and she lands on her outstretched arms. In the same motion, I thrust my hips forward, entering her in one quick push. I see her hands clench around my sheets, and I grip her hips harder, moving in and out of the tight grip of her hot, pink little pussy. Her moans wrap around me, smothering me in pleasure. "Oh yessss…please…oh yeah fuck…me…just…like…THAT! Ooooooooh!"

My thrusts become even more uncontrolled, and before I'm aware that I'm not actually in control of my muscles anymore, merely mindless with pleasure, I'm leaning forward, practically mounting her, squeezing her breasts and biting her shoulder, leaving bright swollen teeth marks in her tanned golden skin. Her moans escalate to screams, and I feel her clench spastically around me, almost causing me to automatically come.

"Please baby, oh fuckkk please babyyyyy yessss…shiiiiiittttt…cum, baby…cum for me…oh fuckk Embry!"

Switching minute angles, I push into her again at the angle I know she likes the best, the one that she once told me could make her come automatically. Gleefully, she does and I continue to pound into her roughly at just the spot, forcing her to endure the pleasure while I reach for my own release. A while later, we both collapse on the mattress, spent and satisfied for the moment.

"Well, and to think I only came by to ask if you'd smelled the vampires yet…Though I think this was much nicer."

I chuckle and nod my head, nuzzling between her breasts and sliding my thigh between both of hers, trying to get as close as possible. Her hands curl into my hair and I listen as both her heart rate and her breathing slow into the peaceful rest of sleep. Not long after, I feel myself drifting as well, and I hug her to me one last time before relaxing everything and surrendering to slumber.

Author's Note:

So...what'd ya think? Pleae tell me, and I promise to update quicker...if not...if not I'll just spend the next few weeks wondering whether I should just stop writing and go die (as I am wont to do) so you should probaby review for the sake of your entertainment and my life/sanity...or, I should say, what's left of my sanity.