Chapter 14

Jacob's POV

Watching the way Embry carefully attended to Max last night, I knew without a shadow of doubt that he had finally imprinted. He patiently waiting up all night to make sure that she didn't go into unconsciousness again and tried to wrap her arm in a sling, although he stopped when he noticed her wince in pain. The look on her face caused Embry to back off for over half an hour (a long time to be away from a newly imprinted imprint).

Now, here she sits, a handful of chocolate chip cookies shoved in her mouth, gaping at Embry as if he had three heads. My gaze drifted from Max to look at my werewolf brother. Embry looked just as shocked, though his eyes never left Max's face.

Max finally swallowed and said hesitantly. "But…but I don't feel anything for you. Is it possible that you got confused? I mean, from what Fang tells me when we're at the mall, lots of guys like me…or at least my looks." She muttered under her breath. "Sexist pigs."

"But Max! I feel it! You are my imprint!" Embry confessed boldly. "When I found you in the woods, all it took was one look into your fluttering eyes and my world shifted. I know you may not want me as a boyfriend right now but you can't honestly say that you don't feel the pull towards me."

Max bit her lip, glancing at me and Billy before shaking her head. "I don't feel anything. I'm so sorry. Here I am, your freakin' imprint, and I can't even do that right! No wonder Fang went straight to her." She spat out, self-hating clear in her voice. "I'm so pathetic!"

Embry wrapped his arms around her comfortingly, refusing to let go when she tried to shove him off. Max started sobbing into his shoulder, finally letting go all of the pent up emotions that she had so carefully bottled up. "Shhh…Max. It's okay. You're not pathetic, you're beautiful and amazing and strong and confidant and so many other wonderful things." Embry said and Max visibly relaxed.

He continued rubbing soothing circles on her back. He paused when he touched the base of her wings. Max tensed under his touch, pushing herself away from him. "S-ssorry." Embry apologized, fearful that he had upset her or done something wrong.

"No…it's just, that was what Fang always did when I was upset." Max explained looking embarrassed and angry at the same time.

"Wait, how is it possible for you to still be in love with Fang when you've been imprinted on?" I asked, curious as to how that was possible. "When I imprinted on Nessie, all my feelings towards Bella subsided and I could only see her as a best friend again."

Max's mouth dropped slightly, clearly shocked that I had been in love with my Renesme's mother once-upon-a-time. I chuckled awkwardly, this was the kind of thing that I didn't like about my past. But Nessie understands that it was only me waiting for her and not me wanting to become her father.

Billy cleared his throat and the three of us turned to give him our full attention. "This isn't the first time in our history that this has happened. Our ancestors had difficulty with their imprints too. Kan, one of the few original shifters that imprinted, spent forty years watching his love from afar because she refused to accept that he was her soul mate. He was the only wolf in his pack to not pass on his genes to an offspring. In the end, Lana married another local man, had two daughters, and then died of old age. Kan was buried beside her the next day, not being able to live without his imprint for long."

"Wait? He stalked her for forty years?" Max asked, while Embry and I just nodded. She made it sound like it was creepy but, in reality, there isn't anything that could keep a werewolf from his imprint. "Why didn't she just tell him to get lost? Or to like get on with his life so he could be happy without her?" Max asked. "I mean, from what I can tell, you wolfs are wrapped around your imprints' little fingers. Don't you have to listen to what they demand you to do?"

"Hmmm…it just might have worked." Billy admitted, glancing at Max approvingly. "Sure could have had you around back then kiddo. Maybe the whole situation wouldn't have ended so tragically for Kan."

Max turned towards Embry, her eyes still wet with her old tears. "Embry, I don't want to date you or be with you. I want you to be free to find the girl I know will be able to love you more than I can." She kissed his cheek and he nodded. "If it is too hard for you to be away from me in the beginning, I am giving you permission to hang out with me." She chuckled, clearly not worried about the situation. "I just don't want to find you hiding out in my bushes while I sleep like Lana probably did."

I heard Renesme's laugh from my pocket and dug my phone out of my jeans. Max raised an eyebrow at my choice of ringtone but I just shrugged it off. What could I say? I needed to hear her laughter when I couldn't hear her voice. "Hello?"

"Jacob?" Alice's high pitched voice asked frantically, whispering the questions into the phone faster than I could think of the response. "What's wrong with Max? Is she okay? I'm not even supposed to be calling you because Edward says that you are still in trouble for upsetting Renesme. But the Flock couldn't find Max last night and then Embry's future disappeared somewhere around midnight. Did he imprint on her? Wait, hold on his future is back. What in the world? Is Embry hurt? He didn't…die did he?" She continued whispering but I could hear everyone else in the background.

"Nothing. Yes. Tell him to mind his own business and that I'm going to come visit Nessie to straighten this all out today. Embry imprinted on her. He's fine and standing in my living room with her, clearly still alive." I answered calmly, louder than she had talked.

In the background, I could hear a definite male voice growl in response to what I said.