CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

MIXED EMOTIONS

EMBRY CALL:

Leah and I were in the woods near to First Beach, running free together in wolf form. I was large and had grey fur with dark spots, she was small and had grey fur minus the spots. We were both the same shade of light grey and our fur was luxurious and thick. Sometimes it was good just to be free and wild. I liked to phase on my own without the Pack. It gave me a sense of release and at the same time peace. When the Pack were as one we really were because we could hear and sometimes see each other's thoughts which was often annoyingly uncomfortable. Leah hadn't run with the Pack for years. No one pulled her up about it though. Being the only girl with such female thoughts made the males feel awkward. Leah seemed happy to phase on her own, but today I'd caught up with her. We were about to be married, we should take up a mutual interest hobby!

She had looked surprised to see me when I came across her half way through a kill. We had despatched the creature together and ate in companionable silence. Now we were running through the trees, our paws thundering on the ground as we raced each other. Leah was smaller and faster than I, but I had strength and stamina and eventually I overtook her and won our race. We sat next to the river and took long cool satisfying drinks of water. I guess it was because we were close now and maybe because Leah was relaxed with me, but she let her guard down for an instant whiste rolling around having a dust bath. Her thoughts flashed in my mind and I recoiled as an unwanted mental picture bloomed in my head.

In this image Leah was kissing the lone vampire Etienne Lucier. Her hands were entangled in his shoulder length dark curls, moving down to his bare pale chest as their lips entwined. I growled and Leah whimpered as she realized I'd seen and heard her thoughts. She ran quickly back in the direction of the clearing where we'd left our clothes. By the time I'd reached her she had phased back, dressed and was sitting on the grass her head in hands, sobbing. I quickly phased back, dressed and made my way over to sit next to her. I put an arm around her shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. I waited patiently for her sobs to subside. "Leah are you okay?" I asked softly. She shook her head and sobbed some more so I just comforted her. Finally she stopped crying and turned to face me. " Embry, I'm sorry I was careless and let you see and hear my thoughts. That is why I don't run with the Pack any more. I'm so transparent!" she wailed. I nodded and waited for her to continue. "I have been in love with Etienne since my sixteenth birthday. Only Jake and Bella know, and now you Embry. He left, when he found out about the arranged marriage. He left because he did not want to cause trouble in the Pack. He wants me to lead a normal life. All I want is to be with him no matter what. I don't know what I'm going to do!" she wailed as tears fell from her dark eyes again.

"Oh Leah! It is so much worse for you than me. I don't have anyone special so I didn't mind too much about the wedding! Everyone else has someone. It doesn't look like I am going to imprint. Ever. How can you go through with this knowing you love him so much?" I asked feeling terrible for her. She shook her head sadly, "Without him nothing makes sense, nothing is right. Plus I don't know what else to do but go along with it! The Pack can be very vengeful Embry as you well know. I guess when Etienne left, my spirit, heart and soul left with him" she said quietly her head hanging down. I felt so much pain radiating from her and wondered why I had never realised before. She was a very good actress! Poor Leah. Even though I couldn't condone her relationship with a vampire, I still hated to see her heartbroken. Etienne had done the right thing though in leaving Leah alone. It was for the best. They could never make it work. Maybe she and I could eventually fall in love? Though I doubted it. She was beautiful and intelligent. Kind and funny but I felt no romantic link whatsoever. Very strange indeed, but there it was. It was certainly no hardship having to marry her, but I wished I was going to pledge myself to someone who loved me insanely, who would fight tigers for me and would get butterflies when they saw me walk into a room. Like Leah and Etienne. Bella and Edward. Jacob and Nessie. They all had that special connection.

I gave Leah a hug and promised her I would keep her secret. I told her she could confide in me any time she liked, I'd be here for her with a shoulder to cry on. She looked like she might start bawling again, "Embry, you are such a lovely kind guy. I wish I loved you instead" she sighed. I grinned at her and finally got a small smile in return. "I wish I was in love with you too sweet Leah" I said truthfully. Things definitely would be easier. Leah was staring into space, deep in thought whilst she fiddled with a piece of small silvery stone around her neck. "That looks like the necklace Sam gave me to wear" I stated. "It is Embry. It's the moonstone. It protects us shape shifters from vampire powers. Especially mind control powers. Sam didn't want Etienne to freak out and try to control him again, like at Bella's trial" I gasped in shock. "Etienne did that?" She nodded. "He had to save Bella from being imprisoned by Sam." Leah said. "Did Sam not tell you what the necklace was for?" she asked. I shook my head, "Not really. He said Emily had made them for us all as a gift. I didn't think anything of it. Emily is always doing sweet things for us." I told her casually. "Oops sorry!" I added, but she dug me in the ribs with an indignant snort, "Hey! You don't have to be sorry, silly. Emily is my second cousin, I'm over all that now!" she said rolling her eyes. "Why are you wearing it Leah? If you think Etienne has gone for good then why would you need to wear it? " I queried.

She looked away into the trees, a strange faraway look on her pretty face. "Leah, what's wrong?" I asked curiously. She turned to face me, her dark eyes deep pools of mystery. "Keep a secret for me Embry?" I nodded in agreement, waiting for her revelation. "Promise?" I nodded fiercely, impatience gnawing at me now. She took my hands in hers and smiled a funny smile which was full of joy but tinged with sadness too.

"He's back. Etienne is back"