A/N: YIKES! On Sunday night my computer crashed, taking with it all of my files, including this story and all the chapters I've written! Miraculously, it rebooted long enough for me to pull this off (along with some other files that comprised hours worth of work) before dying again. I'm now working on an ancient dinosaur until my other one gets fixed. Send me good computer thoughts!
Once again, huge thanks to Leelator my wonderbeta!
"Embry, what's wrong?" Liz exclaimed as he scrambled back into the truck, shaking. He threw the stick shift into reverse and floored the accelerator.
"Someone broke in," he said, taking a deep breath and focusing all his energy on controlling the tremors coursing through his body. He had to get her out of there.
"Someone— Wait, what? What do you mean? What did you see?" As they reached the end of her driveway and backed into the road, a realization hit her. "What about Marble? We have to go back and get him! Embry, STOP!" Liz frantically unbuckled her seat belt and reached for the door handle.
"Liz, no!" he cried, reaching across with his long arm and pulling her hand away. "We have to get out of here." He let go of her and quickly shifted into drive, pressing the accelerator to the floor once again.
"Embry, you're scaring me. What if something happened—"
"I'm sorry, Liz. It's okay. He'll be okay. I didn't see anything out there, but I didn't want to stick around. I'm taking you back to the rez and then we'll figure it out, all right?" Embry pulled out his cell phone and dialed Jacob's number, willing his fingers to stop trembling over the keypad.
"Emb? Man, what are you calling so late for? We were just about to go to bed," Jake said, sounding tired and annoyed.
"Jake! Liz's house … break-in … I need …" Embry couldn't find his words, especially with Liz sitting right next to him.
Luckily, Jake was able to read between the lines. "Break-in … you mean a blood sucker? At Liz's house? What the FUCK?" He exhaled with a huff. "I'll phase and send over Paul and Seth. They're patrolling right now but probably haven't made their way east yet … and they wouldn't have gone past the treaty line. Bring Liz over here, and you can double back to check things out with them."
"Embry, why are you talking to Jake? Shouldn't we call the police?" Looking confused, Liz pulled out her own cell phone and began to dial the Forks police department.
"No! I mean, it's okay. Jake's calling him for us. I, uh, I just called Jake first because I thought Charlie might've been at their house … he took Bella to dinner tonight." Liz looked at him, brow furrowed, and reluctantly put her phone away. He breathed a sigh of relief. A little white lie wouldn't hurt, would it? Charlie was in on their secret, and he eventually would get involved to make it all seem routine. But really, for the moment, it wasn't safe for him to be there either.
"Well I should go back there to meet him," Liz said, shaking her head. "Or at least drive to the station to file a report."
"Liz, don't worry about that right now. I'm gonna bring you over to Jake's and head back to your house to meet Charlie and get Marble. I promise it's going to be okay. You're safe." Embry kept repeating that mantra over and over to himself, hoping that if he said it enough, he'd believe it.
Twenty minutes later, they finally pulled into Jacob and Bella's driveway, where Jake was already waiting for them outside. He walked over to the passenger door of Embry's truck and helped a shaken Liz out of the vehicle. "Hey honey, you doing ok? Sounds like you had quite the scare."
Getting out himself, Embry rushed around to her side and desperately enfolded her in his arms. Imagining all the things that could have happened, he didn't want to let her go. She seemed to feel the same way.
After a few minutes, Jake cleared his throat. Embry looked up. "Any word?"
"No trace of anything," Jacob replied. "They're searching the perimeter. It seems like, whoever it was, they were there earlier today. The scent was recent, but not fresh."
"The scent? They have dogs out searching?" Liz asked, looking puzzled. "How did they get there so fast?"
"Uh, Charlie called in a K-9 unit … they were already nearby," Jake said quickly. "Emb, look, you should go on and meet them. Don't worry, man, I'll keep her safe." He put an arm around Liz and clapped Embry's shoulder, urging him to get a move on.
"Be careful," Liz said. "Are you sure you should … maybe Charlie can call when—"
"Liz, I'll be all right. Don't worry," Embry said, trying to reassure her. "I'll stay in the truck until it's clear and get an update. Then I'll collect Marble and head back this way."
Liz sighed. "Okay. Text me when you can."
"I promise."
"Come on inside, Liz. Bells made you some tea," Jake said. He turned to Embry. "Be careful, man. Keep us posted."
"Will do." And with that, Embry gave Liz one last hug goodbye, got back in his truck, and turned down the driveway like a bat out of hell.
Embry drove until he was sure he was out of sight, then pulled the car over to the side of the road and phased.
Paul, Seth, what's going on? What have you found out?
Not much, man, Paul said. Whoever this bloodsucker was, he or she came and went a few hours ago.
Did it get in the house?
Looks like it. Didn't do any damage, but the lock's broken, and it reeks.
The dog … ?
He's fine, Seth interjected. Seemed a little spooked, but otherwise fine. How far away are you?
About five minutes. Embry barreled down the road, willing his legs to go faster. It wasn't long before he caught Paul and Seth's scent, the stench of vampire permeating underneath.
How far have you two followed the trail?
About 20 miles, but it cut to the West, Paul said. Looks like it made its way to the ocean.
Fuck! Embry swore. They were going to lose it. Circle back around when you can't pick it up anymore. We'll meet at Liz's house.
Will do, Seth said.
Embry finally arrived at her house. Phasing back, he pulled on his cut-offs and went to inspect the gate. The metal latch was shredded to bits, clearly not the work of any human. He moved towards the front door, which was closed but had been tampered with as well. It pushed open easily, the lock essentially useless.
"Hey buddy. It's okay," he said to a whining Marble, who came running to greet the familiar face. The scent of leech was a few hours old, but it overpowered Embry just the same. What the fuck was a vampire doing here?
He pulled out his cell phone, which was carefully tucked inside the pocket of his shorts, and dialed Jake's number. "What's going on, man?" Jake asked, picking up after the first ring.
"We lost it. Paul and Seth were on the trail, but they think it went to the coast. They're probably on their way back now. Nothing seems touched or damaged in the house, but it was definitely in here. How's Liz?"
"Better. She and Bella are in the kitchen drinking tea and talking. Bella's trying to take her mind off things. What the hell? Why Liz? Why her house? Do you think it was random?"
"I don't know. Seems odd to me that it entered the house and didn't do anything. Maybe it was just passing through and left when it realized there were no humans around?"
"Maybe," Jake said, his tone full of doubt. "Regardless, we'll be stepping up patrols 'round the clock 'til we know for sure the threat's passed. I alerted the rest of the pack and might also get in touch with Carlisle … see if he has any thoughts or knows something." Even though the Cullens left Forks years ago—after Bella ended things with Edward—Jake and Carlisle kept in touch on an as-needed basis.
"Thanks, man. 'Preciate it."
"We'd do it for any of our imprints. I'm just glad Liz lives near the reservation … that'll make it easier on us and safer for her. And look, sorry to sound like a broken record, but now you have to tell her about us. Things are about to get complicated."
"I know, I know," Embry said, shaking his head. "Actually, I started to tell her tonight, before everything happened. I just … I don't want to freak her out any more than she already is. If she's this scared thinking a human broke into her house, how's she gonna feel when she finds out it was a fucking vampire? And that we all turn into goddamned wolves? You remember her at the bonfire, man. She was freaked out just by the legends."
"Doesn't matter, man. She needs to know. And the longer you wait, the harder it's gonna be."
Embry sighed. "I'll tell her soon. Promise. Look, will you tell her Marble's fine? I'm bringing him back with me. Let her know she's staying with me tonight."
"Will do," Jake said. "Let me know if you hear anything else from Paul and Seth."
"Okay. Thanks." Embry hung up the phone and went back outside. A noise to his right made him turn, just in time to see his pack brothers phasing beyond the trees.
"It definitely escaped to the ocean," Seth said, his tone bitter. "We were so close."
"Have you talked to Jake? What did he say?" Paul asked.
"Not much. He's just as confused about all this as we are. He told the pack and is gonna talk to Carlisle. Sounds like everyone'll be stepping up patrols as well. I'll cover as many shifts as I need to make sure she's protected."
"We all will, bro," Seth said, patting him on the back. "We look out after our own."
Embry pulled into Jake's driveway about an hour later, feeling drained. He, Paul, and Seth had run one more circuit together, coming up with nothing. He had eventually headed back to his truck, leaving Paul and Seth to finish their regular route.
Liz was draped over the couch, dozing off, when Embry walked in. Marble was right at his heels and rushed past him, jumping on the couch and licking her face.
"Marble! Oh my God, Marble," she said, sitting up and burying her face in his fur, holding him tightly. Finally, she looked at Embry and launched herself into his arms. "Are you all right? Did they find anything? Were there fingerprints? Jake said … "
"Shhh, honey, it's okay," Embry said, gripping her waist with one hand and rubbing her back with the other. He hated lying to her, but he had to. "Charlie and his guys searched the place but didn't find anything, and nothing was stolen. They think Marble probably chased whoever it was off."
"I'm scared, Embry."
"I know you are, honey. You can stay with me tonight, and tomorrow the guys and I will fix your gate and door. Charlie's gonna have his men run regular patrols around your house. I promise you won't have to worry."
"Thanks," Liz said. Her voice was soft as she stared at Embry with a tender look in her eyes. "Thanks for being such a good … friend."
Embry winced slightly at her word choice, turning it into a nod. Of course he was her friend; he'd be whatever she needed him to be … but that didn't mean he wasn't hoping for more.
He grabbed Liz's sweater, and the two of them said goodnight to Jake; Bella was already in bed.
Ten minutes later, they pulled up to Embry's house. It was small, more like a cabin, really, but it was his, and he was proud of it. Liz had been there only a handful of times, usually when she picked him up to go on one of their many outdoor excursions.
"Can we watch TV or something for a bit?" Liz asked as they went inside. "I need to distract myself before I go to bed."
"Of course," he said. "Why don't we put on a movie? You pick. I'll get us some food."
Liz made her way into the small living room and knelt in front of his shelf of DVDs. Looking through the selection, she pulled one out, handing it to Embry when he returned with a bowl of popcorn and two sodas. "Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit drinking," she said, laughing and settling onto the couch.
"Airplane!" He chuckled, tossing a piece of popcorn to Marble, who caught it in the air. "Great choice. Surely a little Leslie Nielson will take your mind off of things."
"Of course it will. And don't call me 'Shirley.'" The two laughed at their banter, and Embry joined Liz on the couch. The urge to pull her into his lap and hold her close was overwhelming. His wolf still felt unsettled; he needed some sort of physical contact with his imprint to be reassured that she really was ok.
Instead, Embry tried to distract himself with the movie, laughing at Liz as she recited his favorite lines. As the film progressed, he noticed her edging towards him, as though she were unconsciously seeking out contact as well. It wasn't long before she was leaning into his side. He slowly slung his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head, lingering there for a moment. His wolf huffed a sigh of relief.
Soon she grew quiet, falling asleep against him. Trying not to disturb her, he scooped her up from the couch and carried her to his room, carefully placing her on the bed and pulling up the covers. Just as he was grabbing a pillow to take with him to the couch, Liz caught his hand. "Embry … will you … will you please stay with me?" she whispered.
Embry swallowed. "Here? With you?"
"I don't want to be by myself tonight. And I don't want to kick you out of your bed. Please, stay," she pleaded.
"A- all right, sure." He nodded, then methodically kicked off his shoes and removed his shirt. He crawled into bed beside her, feeling his brain dissolve into mush as she turned and snuggled into him. Is this for real?
"Thank you, for everything you did tonight," she said. "I feel safe with you … for the first time in a long time, I feel safe."
Embry wrapped his arms around her and leaned back, pulling her into his chest. His fingers found their way to her hair and entangled themselves in the strands, tracing them from root to tip. "That's all I've ever wanted," he said softly, but she was already asleep.
He lay awake like that for a long time, relishing the feel of her in his arms and pondering the meaning of her words. As horrible as the evening was, something had definitely shifted between them. His wolf felt more resolved than ever to protect her, no matter the cost.
Eventually he drifted off as well, into one of the best nights of sleep he'd ever had.
A/N: Ok. If you haven't seen Airplane!, then 1. you probably didn't get the jokes, and 2. you must go see it immediately. One of the funniest movies, ever.
I know a lot of you were expecting him to phase in front of her and divulge his secret that way ... sorry to pull the rug out from under you! I love your reviews. They really motivate me to keep writing, which means I can update more frequently. :-) And, as a thank you, I'm always happy to send a sneak peek of what's to come!