Embry Pov

What the hell? I questioned as soon as I phased. I had been so close to getting Brielle to finally understand it all, to understand me and then Jacob had to send a damn signal. I had gotten used to being in his pack, and it was undeniably better now that Sam and Jake were on friendlier terms, but i was still aggravated to leave Brielle. I ran along the now non-existent wolf/vampire border and listened in to what was happening.

Vampire. Jacob said quickly. I could see that he was leaving the Cullen's place and was headed in my direction.

That's all it took for me to push myself harder. I was on the eastern side of the forest and would make a large semi-circle around the edge, hopefully catching the scent of whatever vampire Jacob had come across.

I smell it too, Seth thought almost as soon as he phased. I could tell he was only about a mile or so ahead of me and I sped up to make up for the distance. Within the next minute, the smell hit me, a sickly smell that was reminiscent of bleach and melting sugar. Seth was now flanked on my right as we rounded the northern edge of the trees. Almost all of the wolves were phased now and I could hear the varying thoughts and emotions. The older wolves, which included Sam, Jacob and I were more cautious and weary of the situation. Most of the younger ones were excited for their chance at a first kill. We all stopped as the scent faded and Jacob paced, his nose in the air. It must have been serious because Sam and his pack now approached our group.

How many did you find? I asked Jacob as I took my spot behind Leah.

There were two, but I smelled at least three more, he informed.

Both packs let out a collective growl. It had been almost five years since the Volturi stepped in, but none of us recognized this scent to be theirs. Five unknown vampires in the area was bad, very bad. If we didn't take care of the issue now, more kids would start phasing. As much as we all loved each other, none of us wanted to see another phase unnecessarily, and once you started, you were in for life.

What do we do boss? Seth asked enthusiastically. He was always ready for a fight, which was ironic since he was more attached to the Cullens than any of us, Jake excluded.

Jacob walked over to Sam and they had one of the "alpha moments". It was truly annoying since no one could hear them as they did this. Sam nodded and barked out an order. It became an unwritten rule that Sam's pack held all of the younger and less experienced wolves. He was the best at calming a newly phased wolf down and it was easier on him mentally. When he thought one was ready to patrol unsupervised, they aligned with Jacob's pack. I thought Sam would hate the arrangement, since he was now a supernatural babysitter, but Emily once confided that he was ecstatic, since it gave him a lot more to spend with her. Imprints do that to you.

Imprints.

My mind focused on Brielle and how incredibly annoying it was that she was still out of the loop when it came to me. Jacob's "no phasing" rule stopped any of us from exposing ourselves, unless it was to an aware imprint. He put in place after Colin phased in front of his imprint too early. The girl freaked and ordered him to never speak to her again, before she moved to the adjoining county. Eventually, she came around since an imprint's love in unavoidable, but the six months she was gone were horrific on Colin, and thus the entire pack.

Embry! A collective array of voices yelled.

Huh? What…what happened? I questioned.

Jacob just gave his orders. Sam will take the kiddies back to the reservation, while we split up into pairs. Leah stated. She had become less hostile to the pack as a whole, for which I was incredibly grateful.

I want Leah and Embry to take the southern side of the forest, while Seth and I take the eastern and northern. Colin and Quil, I want you to take the west side and we all meet back here in an hour.

We all nodded as Jacob's instructions and headed off into our designated directions. My mind was still preoccupied as Leah and I ran in alternating lines.

She is quite a character, huh? Leah asked as we passed a line of fallen trees.

Yeah, I think so, I agreed. Leah didn't make any other comments on my thoughts, just allowed me to go over the past few months in my mind.

Leah? I questioned.

Hmm?

I started to ask her about Brielle, but instead headed down a different line of questioning.

How have you been? I mean, how have things been…lately?

Leah laughed, which was more of a mocking bark. Is this your form of small talk? Are you trying to ask why I am no longer being a massive bitch?

I flinched at her words. Of course Leah was annoying to all of us at one point or another, but she was our sister and we all did love her. We all noticed that she had become less volatile these last few weeks, but none of us knew why. She just seemed to mellow out.

Thanks, she thought in reply to my thoughts, I don't know actually. I mean, I feel the same and I still can outwit any of you losers, but I don't know…lately I have been happy.

I couldn't hold in the snicker. Leah was family and all, but she was also the epitome of angst. Happy? I questioned.

Yeah, I can't explain it…well actually, I know one reason I am happy.

I waited for her to continue, but she hesitated.

Come on Leah, what did you find a guy or something? I joked.

She slowed her run and turned towards me, thinking over the last few weeks.

I saw a few mundane things. She was hunting and some classes she enrolled in at the community college were pretty hard. Then she lingered on one memory, she was grasping her stomach and rushed to the bathroom. The rest of the scene played out and I tried not to freak.

Eww, Leah, that was gross, I complained.

She simply laughed and turned back around, walking at a slow pace. You don't get what it means to me Embry.

You got your period, which means what? That you're a chick.

She let out a sigh and explained it all in her head. It is a big deal Embry, I thought I was done, as in, I would not be able to have children, a family, or hell even an imprint if I wanted.

You don't exactly choose if you get an imprint, I corrected.

She was about to protest, but the smell arrived in an unexpected gust. Vampire. I felt the attack before I saw it.

Leah! I screamed, but it was too late. A large, male vampire ran into her left side headfirst. I heard the sickening crunch as her bones gave way beneath the force. The vampire flew back a few feet and landed on its back, dazed. I never knew a vampire to be taken off guard, especially when on the offense.

I ran over as fast as I could before I was hit. I felt my hind leg break as the second vampire attacked. I quickly recovered, ignoring the throbbing pain in my leg and hoping to God that the bones set properly before I began to heal. The second vampire was a woman, well a girl more accurately. She looked to be about fourteen, but held the expression of someone triple my age.

I expected another attacked and braced myself, but she headed in Leah's direction.

Oh shit. I thought as I ran after her. I grabbed her right arm and bit down, disconnecting it as the elbow. She let out a piercing scream that coupled with the metallic shrill of her arm being torn apart. I quickly averted her rebound and situated myself between her and Leah. I knew that this meant my back was to the male, but I hoped that Leah would be able to take him.

The female charged me and I lunged for her left side. She quickly changed course and I felt my right shoulder blade break as her leg made contact with it. My body skidded across the forest floor and I quickly regained my composure as she attacked again.

Leah let out a whimper and phased back into her human form, slumped across a fallen tree stump. This gave me an opportunity as the female vampire diverted her attention for half of a second. Quicker than I thought possible, I lunged, digging my teeth into her neck. She fought back intensely and I felt my flesh tear apart as she clawed at me. I used her chest as leverage and pulled back as hard as I could. Her screams stopped and I watched as her decapitated body fell to the ground.

I thought of ways to start a fire until I realized that the male was still alive. He crouched over Leah and I charged.

"Stop!" She screamed.

I slid to a stop and let out a feral snarl in protest. Leah attempted to stand, but I could tell that she was in worse shape than I thought. The vampire growled in my direction and put himself directly between Leah and I.

What the fuck?

I began my attack again until Leah screamed in protest once more. I quickly looked at her, trying to avoid the fact that she was naked. I looked and saw something I never expected to see in my existence. Leah was livid, but underneath I could see an expression of complete adoration and love. I saw as she attempted to stand and watched as the male vampire looked down at her and helped her up, actually helped her.

He looked as confused as I felt, but couldn't keep his eyes off of her and neither could I. We were looking at a woman changed.

A woman who met her imprint.