Sarcasm: WAAHHHH!!! Finally! I got over my stupid writers block and updated. I'm sorry about the wait guys, but here is Chapter 24. I hope you enjoy.

Chapter Twenty Four

I scowled as I walked along the beach, kicking at the pebbles that covered it. Bella had said she wanted to have some alone time (sheesh, way to be all mopey, emo, and depressed!), and had left me by myself on the beach, bored out of my mind.

I understood the reasoning behind coming to La Push, really I did. Vicotria, the psycho vampire who was after Bella, wouldn't set foot on the reservation because of the werewolves. Apparently they smelt really bad to vampires, though exactly how that would keep her away, I wasn't quite sure; hello? vampires don't have to breathe, but what did I know, right?

Anyways, that's how I found myself walking along a completely desserted beach, all alone, with absolutely no one to talk to. To add to my misery, not only had I left my cell phone at home, leaving me completely disconected from anyone in Forks, but my iPod had died on the way over here, I'd finished the book I'd brought, and it was a little too damp to really be able to sketch anything.

I plopped down on the beach and stared sullenly at the ocean. I knew I was being pouty and bratty, but it was just one of those days, ya kno?

"This can't possibly get any worse." I muttered to myself. I should've known better.

In the next instant, I was flat on my back, staring at the sky, wondering what the heck just hit me. The answer was evident a moment later when a large, furry head blinked down at me.

I glared and sat up, making the wolf move away from me. I stared at it for a minute, taking in the brown fur, proving to me that it wasn't Embry; he had grayish fur. "Which one are you?"

The wolf cocked his head at me.

"Don't give me that look, Fido." I pushed my finger into his face, making him go crosseyed. "I am perfectly aware of what you are, but I don't know who you are. Or why you decided to knock me over, but we'll come to that in a minute."

He kind of glared at me for a minute, but both of us were distracted as two more wolves stepped out of the trees. One of them was the color of chocolate, the other a pretty silvery color. They barked at the two of us, and I frowned at them.

"Ya know, it's considered impolite to speak in a....er, language, that not everyone present can understand. I don't speak dog, idiots."

The chocolate one wagged his tail and barked in a way that sounded a lot like a laugh. He pranced towards me and began nudging me with his huge head, almost knocking me over again.

I glared at him playfully and stood up, not that it helped; I still had to look up at him. "Hey now, be nice."

He gave me a wolfish grin and crouched down like he was preparing to spring, his butt in the air, tail wagging furiously. I glanced at the other two, seeing them roll their eyes. Even I could tell that they thought he was being a dumbass. That solidified who the goofy wolf was, at least.

"Quil, you're such a loser." He whimpered at me and wagged his tail harder. I decided to mess with him a bit, and picked up one of the bigger, yet still manageable, pieces of drift wood. "You wanna play fetch, boy?" I waved the drift wood in his face, just to be obnoxious. "You ready? You ready? Fetch!" I threw the drift wood as hard as I could, and the idiot actually chased after it for a minute before remembering what he was doing.

The other two, unidentified wolves were, pardon the pun, howling with laughter.

Quil glared at me before trotting into the woods along with the other two. I thought they were gonna leave me alone, but they all came back, this time as humans, wearing nothing but cut offs or sweatpants.

Quil grinned as he plopped down next to me. "Hullo, Rylie. Fancy running into you here."

I rolled my eyes and glanced at the other two. "Who're these losers?"

One of them glared at me and, I kid you not, growled at me, which was really weird coming from someone who looked human. "Watch what you say, pipsqueak."

Oh, no he didn't! I marched up to him and began poking him in the stomach (the highest I could actually reach on him). "Look here, fleabag, don't you start taking your little anger management problem out on me. There is absolutely no reason for you to make cracks about my height. Just because you're tall enough that birds made a nest in your hair by mistake, doesn't mean you need to get angry at me."

Quil was practically rolling on the ground, he was laughing so hard, the guy I didn't yell at looked as though he was trying to stiffle his laughter while holding onto the angry guy.

"Why you little-"

"Dude, Paul, relax." Quil regained control of his laughter long enough to step between me and the angry guy, now known as Paul. "Embry would be way pissed if you were to do anything, and not even Sam would stop him. Chill."

Paul glared at me one last time before jerking away from the still nameless guy and taking off towards the woods. A ripping sound later, a howl went up through the trees.

The other guy shook his head. "Sorry about Paul. He's a little tempermental." I shot him a look that clearly said 'ya think?' He cleared his throat and stuck out his hand. "I don't think we've actually met. I'm Jared."

I stared at his face for a long minute before the lightbulb went off. "I remember you!!! You were with....Sam," I said his name as if it was something dirty, "when Bella and I got lost in the woods."

Jared smiled plolitely. "That's correct."

I gave him the ol' stink-eye. "Sam's a douche-bag."

He and Quil both gave me an angry look.

"Sam is a great guy." Jared was quick to jump to Sam's defense. "He does what he needs to do to protect everyone, Rylie. Even you and your....cousin." He said cousin the same way I said Sam. I glared at him and got up in his face...as much as I could, anyway.

"Watch. Your. Tone. Buster." I practically growled. "I don't care how much of a god you think this Sam guy is, you will be respectful of my cousin when you talk about her. Capiche?"

Jared just stared at me for a moment before he and Quil started chuckling. Apparently I'd said something exceptionally funny....

"Man, she's perfect for him." Jared nudged Quil in the ribs.

Quil nodded vigorously. "Course she is, dude. That's how this whole thing is supposed to work.

"Think we should take her to meet Emily? Em did say she's been dying to meet her."

I rolled my eyes and, leaning down to grab a rock off the beach, I threw it at Quil's head. Bullseye!

"She is standing right next to you idiots. And I'm not going anywhere."

Quil grinned mischeveously at me, unconcerned about the small drop of blood on his forehead from the rock. Next thing I knew, I was upside down over his shoulder staring at the ground moving under me.

"Quil!" I snarled. "Put me down!!!"

"Nope." He popped the "p". "You're going to Emily's with me for lunch whether you want to or not. Now hang on; we're almost there anyways."

I grumbled and crossed my arms, thinking of many creative ways to hurt him.

It was a surprisingly smooth ride, considering I was thrown over a guy's shoulder like a sack of potatoes and he wasn't exactly walking along a smooth area...

"Emily! I brought a guest!" Quil walked up a porch and pushed a screen door open without even knocking.

Quil kept me on his shoulder as we headed for what must've been the kitchen, because there was tile under his feet and the most wonderful smells in the air.

"Quil!" A woman spoke from somewhere behind me. "Put her down! You're being rude!"

He grumbled slightly and set me on my feet. My vision went hazy as all the blood rushed to my head and I clutched at it, groaning.

"Oww...." I shook my head, trying to clear my vision. When it did finally clear, I found myself being dragged into a hug by the woman who had been reprimanding Quil.

"Oh, it is so nice to meet you, Rylie!! I've heard so much about you!"

The woman released me and stepped back, keeping her hands on my shoulders and looking at me in a way that made me feel like I was under serious scrutiny.

With her now looking me in the face, I noticed for the first time the long scars marring her face from her temple down to her lip. To be honest though, they didn't really detract from how pretty she was. I mean, it's not like you could ignore them, but her smile and her eyes made the scars seem superficial.

I knew that this had to be Emily, Sam's girlfriend and the one Quil said we were having lunch with, and I had a sneaking suspicion I knew where they came from, but I figured that asking the first time I met her was not the most tactful way to ask. So instead, I smiled back at her.

"Nice to meet you too. I wish I could say I've heard a lot about you, but....yeah..."

She laughed lightly and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, leading me into the kitchen. "I figured as much. Do you want something to eat? You might want to hurry if you do; the boys are gonna be home soon and if you don't eat now, then you're not going to get anything."

Before I had time to ask what she was talking about, the door flew open and a bunch of half-naked, huge Native guys poured into the living room, whooping and hollering and just being a general nuisance. I was worried for the furniture as they threw themselves onto couches and chairs.

The hair on the back of my neck was standing on end as I felt someone's eyes on me. I glanced at the door and was met with a familiar brown gaze.

Embry started towards me, and only one thought filled my mind.

"Crap!"