Hey guys! It's a week until Xmas! :D I still have another week until Xmas break though :/ Isn't that stupid? Anyway thanks to my reviewers you guys are awesome! :) And... let's start this chap haha

Chapter 21

"Embry, you owe me an explanation. What is the reason?"

Embry bit his lip and nodded. He didn't speak though and after a few minutes, I asked, "Are you going to tell me or not?"

"I..."

I groaned. Yes I did figure this was serious, but my conclusion that it wasn't that bad ended when Embry was this scared to tell me. Maybe I didn't want to know. Maybe, leaving was a good option for me. "Is it bad?"

He shook his head. "Not really."

"Is it serious?"

He nodded. "Very." Taking a deep breath, he blurted, "I'm a werewolf."

I tried to bite my tongue, but I couldn't stop myself from bursting out in long phases of laughter. Once I got myself under control, I finally said breathlessly, "Sorry, I should be more considerate. But I never thought that you were insane, Emmy. I mean I guess it makes sense since you put up with me all these years. But seriously?"

He rolled his eyes but I could see he was hurt. "Sophie, I'm trying to be serious."

"You do realize that you just told me you were a werewolf, right? How can you expect me to be serious. What's next? Witches? Talking chipmunks? Vampires? Seriously, Embry."

He sighed, ignoring my questions and laughter. "You're dad's one of our tribe elders so you know our tribe legends?"

I nodded but was really confused. Embry wasn't even Quileute, he was Makah, why would they affect him. "That's where we met, remember?"

"Yeah, so you remember them?"

"Yes. Obviously."

"Okay, that makes this a bit easier," he mumbled under his breath.

"Makes what easier?" I cocked an eyebrow.

He turned towards me and whispered, "You know how our tribe are descendants from wolves. How our people turned into wolves when the cold ones were around?"

"Yes," I said slowly, not knowing where this was going. He went on to tell me all about our people's extreme strength, high body temperature and how they didn't age. Then how they turned into wolves, and all this crap that I already knew, to protect our people.

"What's your point Embry?" I asked anxiously. "What does this have to do with hanging out with Sam?"

"Don't you see?" he exclaimed in frustration. "They're true."

I gasped and that stupid feeling in my stomach had me believing him. "No." I stumbled back as I tried to get up; I was really pissed. "Embry, I really thought you wanted to work this out. I really did, and I really wanted to. But if you're just gonna play more games with my head, then please tell me so I can go home. I have packing to do."

He shot up out of his spot on the log and grabbed me forearms tightly. There was no way I'd be able to get out of this hold. "I've never lied to you Sophie – unless it was necessary. Why don't you believe me now? You know I'm not lying. Don't you see how it makes sense? First Sam got all big and tough, then disappeared for two weeks. Then it happened to Jared, then Paul and now me and Jake. You know it sounds logical."

I laughed humorlessly. "Because telling me that you're a giant wolf makes sense, right?"

"It does since it's the truth. Please don't leave Sophie! I didn't leave because I wanted to, I left because I was dangerous to be around you and I had to help protect everyone from bl... uh, vampires," he said the last part awkwardly like he wasn't used to calling them that.

I sighed. I knew Embry wasn't insane, I also knew that the stupid hall monitors couldn't have changed him that much. Plus, he sounded like he really believed it. Okay, I though, I'll go along with it and later after everything is out in the open, I'll ask him to show me. "Fine, Embry. You're a ... werewolf, why couldn't you hang out with us or even talk to us still?"

"Well, young werewolves are really unstable. You saw me shaking earlier and I'm sure you've noticed how sometimes we just have to leave school. We loose our temper really easily so when we get mad we can hurt people easily, accidentally Emily would be an example."

"Sam did that to her!" I hissed.

Embry nodded cautiously.

"I'm going to fucking kill him!"

"No," Embry said seriously, "you don't understand. Sam was angry, not at Embry, you can't really get mad at you imprint. And Em was trying to calm him down, he told her to leave in case something happened, she didn't and when he phased... she was standing to close..."

My eyes widened and I tried not to cry. Sam had hurt Emily. Embry had been right all along. "You already thought that though," I said quietly.

"I thought he did it on purpose. I know now he would never do that."

"How do you know that?" I asked skeptically.

"We can read each others thoughts when we're phased."

"What does phase mean?" There was a lot of other questions on my mind at the moment but I was really trying to stay sane.

"When we are in ... wolf form."

"Oh. Um," I paused. "You don't seem very unable to control your temper now. Is that why you're talking to me now instead of earlier?"

He pondered the thought. "Kind of. I mean personally I think I was in control enough earlier but Sam wouldn't let me."

I groaned, exasperatedly "You keep saying that! Does Sam like control you or something?"

He smirked. "Something like that. He's our alpha, so what he says goes. If he hadn't been forcing me to stay away from you Sophie, I definitely wouldn't have."

He was looking me right in the eye when he told me, I couldn't deny that I believed his crazy story one hundred percent. "You're making it really hard to be mad at you Embry."

"Why's that?" Not that his face didn't scream that he was pleased by the fact...

"Because I sadly believe you. Which means you didn't really leave me. At least not on your own accord. And since it is for the better of our reservation... I have to be okay with it."

"Man, I thought you were going to be the tough one, Soph. Since you're so stubborn." I stuck my tongue out at him but he laughed. "What makes you believe me so easily?"

I shrugged. "You've never lied to me before, like you said, so why would you now? Plus if my dad, Emily and Kim are okay with it, it's not like your the bad guys. Plus in all the movies it is usually the werewolves over the vamps that are innocent. And, you know, it's mostly Sam's fault 'cause he's a douche."

Embry shot me a warning glance but over the course of this conversation his grip has loosened on my arm and we were back to sitting on the logs. "I told you to be nice to them. You understand why they're like what they are like now."

I nodded. "Only partially. I understand why Jared and Paul follow Sam around like puppy dogs. And I' cool with Jared because him and Kim are together and Kim's my best girl friend – well only but you know. And Paul was a man whore ass before he became a hall – I mean, um, a... what do I call them?"

"Werewolf, pack member?" he offered.

"Sure, so I can't hate him for that but he kissed me so I don't like him. Finally there's Sam, and he left Leah heartbroken and hurt Emily, no way in hell am I going to ever like him. Ever!"

"Both of those weren't his fault, Soph," he said quietly.

I rolled my eyes. "I gave you the benefit of the doubt because you have an alpha who you can't refuse but... if he's the alpha, who told him to leave Leah? Huh?"

"Fate," he smiled halfheartedly "Sophie, I already explained the Emily thing and, he left Leah because he imprinted on Emily. Yeah, it was bad luck who he imprinted on but that doesn't change the fact that he did. He does feel terrible about hurting Leah."

Then Embry told me the whole story of the Leah-Sam-Emily love triangle and also what imprinting was. He also told me Jared imprinted on Kim. I had to admit, it made me hate Sam a bit less. But I still felt horrible for Leah – and vowed that I wouldn't torture Emily anymore about it. "I still don't like him."

"Yeah, I kinda figured that you wouldn't change your opinion of him."

I beamed at him. "You know me so well."

He laughed and pulled me into a hug. "I've missed this, Soph. I've missed you."

Leaning closer to his chest, I smiled. "I've missed you too. This imprinting thing sounds kind of cool though."

"Yeah? You like the idea of it?"

I nodded. "I mean, they might only love them 'cause of it, but, I don't know. Like, as much as I'd hate to admit it Sam and Emily are a really perfect couple. And I always liked the idea of Kim and Jared." Of course, since I'd heard of it, it had occurred to me that if Embry imprinted, mt life would be worse than it was before. I knew he loved me now, but Sam had loved Leah and look how that turned out. "Do all wolves imprint?"

It's supposed to be rare, I guess. But three out of five of us already have so... You never know."

My heart stopped beating. Three? Had he really just said three! Oh my god... Could he have? "Have... you imprinted?" I asked cautiously not wanting to hear the answer.

He smiled blissfully then said softly, "Yes I have."

Clenching my fists, I stood up swiftly which knocked Embry backwards off the log. In an attempt not to cry, I glared at him.

"What the hell Soph? Are you okay?" He looked really confused, almost hurt, and tried to approach me. Probably to comfort him.

"No! I'm not," I yelled angrily. "How the hell could you do this to me?" He looked really hurt now but I ignored it. I was hurt. I had thought I was hurt before, but no, I wasn't. Because this, this was hurt. "how dare you come here and try to talk me into staying and tell me all this crap... Tell me you love me. Make me tell you how I feel," I inhaled deeply, "just to go and say, 'Oh yeah, by the way, I imprinted so even though I love you, we'll never be together.' Way to get my fucking hopes up Embry! You said you'd stop hurting me, but then you go and do this!" The tears had started falling about halfway through my speech and now that I saw how much me crying hurt him, I didn't stop them.

"Sophie, you don't understand." He was standing there smiling, as if what I said had just washed away every fear of his. Fucking douche!

"I understand fine, Embry. Just leave me alone. I mean it. I never want to see you or your stupid imprint ever."

"Sophie," he whispered, grabbing my arm and pulling me towards him. "I imprinted on you, silly."

Suddenly, my stomach felt like it was tearing apart and I felt more light headed than I had in a long time. Then, everything went black.

So this is why I've always had her disgusted by food for those of you who were wondering :P haha, anyway, I hope you like it! REVIEW!