Embry's POV

It was hard to explain what I felt when I looked into Alice Cullen's eyes. I knew before I even saw her that she wasn't your typical leech. She didn't even smell like one. I knew that because I'd smelled Bella's boyfriend. I'd yet to meet him, but I'd caught his scent when I was learning to patrol with Sam and Bella and her imprint were at the house.

Alice wasn't like that though. She didn't have the same odor that Bella's boyfriend had. She didn't seem like my enemy. Then when Bella and I went up to her, our eyes locked. It felt like I was almost remade in that moment. Everything in my life that I thought mattered disappeared in that moment, or at least became secondary. Right now, all I could think about was her. I needed to protect her and make her happy. It was all that mattered.

I came out of the daze a second later to see Bella looking at me in shock. I looked between her and Alice and suddenly realized what happened. I'd seen it happen for Sam, Jared, and Bella when we were phased and they thought about it. I had just imprinted on Alice Cullen. "Bella."

"I know, Embry," Bella said with astonishment in her voice.

"Well, I'm glad someone does because I don't. What's going on? How come he doesn't smell like a dog?" Alice asked looking at me.

I wasn't sure what to do next. Should I tell her that she was my imprint? What should I say? How do you tell someone that they are destined to be with you for life? Should I wait for Sam? I just didn't know what to do, so I looked to Bella.

"Oh, God, this is bad," Bella whispered to herself.

"Why is it bad? You did it," I reminded her. I could only guess that Bella thought it was bad for me to imprint on Alice because she was a vampire, but Bella had imprinted on a vampire too. Why was it so much worse this time?

"It's complicated. Oh, man, this is so complicated," Bella said still in shock.

"What's complicated? What's going on?" Alice asked again.

"We have to go to Sam. He's gonna kill me," Bella said.

"Why? This is my fault," I said. I was the one who'd imprinted. If anyone should get yelled at by Sam for that, it should be me.

"No, it's not, Embry. You had no choice. Please understand that. When it gets complicated, and it will, remember that you had no control over it. Alice, you remember that too," Bella said.

"How am I supposed to do that when I have no idea what's going on?" Alice said. There was panic in her voice and it was hurting me to know how scared she was.

"Don't be scared, okay? I promise everything will be okay." I didn't know if that was true or not, but I knew I had to reassure her. I didn't want her to be worried.

"Okay, we need to move this conversation elsewhere, like to Sam's," Bella said.

"I'm not allowed on the reservation," Alice said.

"I'm allowing you on. Sam will understand when I explain. Come on. We'll take Edward's car since we can all fit in it better than my truck," Bella said.

"Okay, but you're gonna explain whatever this is to me too, right?" Alice asked.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Alice pulled the car up Sam and Emily's driveway. Jared and Paul were outside when we arrived. Paul looked pissed when he saw her. The kind of pissed that would have him phased. It worried me greatly for Alice's safety.

"Alice, stay in the car for a minute, alright? Paul is very volatile. We can't have him phase and hurt you," Bella said.

"Bella, I can take care of myself," Alice said with a smile.

"You don't understand. Things have changed. We have to protect you," Bella said before getting out of the car.

I followed her and walked around to the driver's side. I positioned myself right in front of where Alice was sitting in the car to protect her.

"You brought another leech here! What was bringing your boyfriend around every chance you got not enough?!" Paul asked angrily. He began to shake as the desire to phase started to get the better of him.

"Shut up! Don't talk about her like that!" I yelled angrily. I had started to shake as well.

"You know, we all know you're practically joined at the leech lover's hip, but she brought a freaking leech here!" Paul yelled. He seemed to think it was Bella I was trying to defend. I probably would've if I wasn't more worried about defending my imprint.

Jared looked at me. He seemed to notice the way I was standing protectively in front of Alice. "I don't think he's talking about Bella."

Paul looked between me and Alice. If anything, he seemed to get more angry. "You have got to be kidding me! Again?! This is freaking ridiculous!"

"Paul, calm your ass down now!" Bella yelled back at him.

Just then, Sam came out of the house. "What the hell's going…?" he trailed off when he saw Alice and then narrowed his eyes at Bella. "Explain yourself, now!"

"Don't yell at Bella. It's my fault," I said. I wasn't going to let Bella take the heat for something that wasn't her fault. I was the one who imprinted. Alice was on our land because of me.

"No, it's not. It's no one's fault. Sam, I know you're going to be pissed, especially since I went behind your back and brought Embry into it, but try to remember that it would've happened anyway," Bella said.

"What would've happened? What did you do?" Sam asked through gritted teeth

Alice apparently had had enough because she got out of the car at that moment. "Okay, I'm done being in the dark. What the hell's going on?"

Paul sneered at her. "You wanna know what's going on, Leech?"

"Paul, shut up!" Bella growled at him.

Paul ignored her. "What's going on is that another one of you bloodsuckers have wormed your way into our lives! Like one of you wasn't enough!"

Alice looked at us all. Mostly she looked between me and Bella though. At first she looked confused, then realization and shock displayed on her face. Finally, she looked horror struck. "No. No, this can't be!"

"Alice, calm down. I know this is upsetting, but it'll be okay," Bella tried to tell her.

"How will it be okay, Bella? What you're saying… What that mutt just said is that I'm like Edward and that can't be! I have Jasper!" Alice said in a panic.

"Oh, son of a bitch! Embry, you imprinted?" Sam asked in shock.

I nodded.

"I…I can't do this," Alice said before running in the opposite direction at vampire speed.

"No, Alice!" I yelled as I started to go after her. My heart was aching terribly with her being away from me, and with her seemingly rejecting me.

Bella grabbed my arm as I started to leave. "No, don't. I'll go after her. She'll be more likely to listen to me," she said before turning to Sam.

"Go. I have to get in touch with the Elders. I can already hear the screaming," Sam said.

"Do I have permission to go to the Cullen house if she's there?" Bella asked.

"Yes. Find her and get her back here so we can explain. As an imprint she's part of the Pack now and she needs to know what that means," Sam said.

Bella nodded and started to leave.

Sam grabbed her arm at the last minute. "Do not think for one minute that you are off the hook! You went behind my back! I don't know how you got beyond my order, but you disobeyed me and you brought Embry with you! If it had been any of the other Cullens, he might have phased! You and I are going to have a long talk later! Do you understand me?!"

Bella nodded and once again started to leave.