He couldn't stop himself from staring at her as she slept. The man in him argued that it was bordering on creepy, but the wolf couldn't be swayed to stop to satisfy his host's human norms. 'Mate,' it purred in the back of his mind, practically howling with joy each time his fingertips ghosted along her side, feeling the subtle ridges and curves of her body as she slept so peacefully. She lay tucked against his side, the soft jasmine scent of her body wash clinging to her skin and her thick hair curling damp against her back and his chest as she slept. Her arms were tucked up against her chest, crossed over her breasts like a resting Pharaoh and her legs were intertwined with his beneath the thin sheet he'd covered her with to keep the chill away. Her small foot ran tenderly along his calf as she slept, causing goosebumps as her heated flesh met his and he fought back a contented growl, not wanting to interrupt her rest.
It overjoyed him to know that, despite all the fuckery going on with the pack, with their parents, with Embry, his girl was still here. She hadn't pushed him away like she had every right to do. Like he had fully expected her to do.
He hated himself for not having more faith in her. He hated himself for a lot of things. He half-expected her to realize she hated him too, and then he'd only hate himself more for it.
Feeling her squirm against his side broke his inner soliloquy and he gently brushed his lips across her forehead as she stretched, blinking sleepily as she tried to take stock of her surroundings. "Bed?" She whispered, trailing off into a tiny yawn that she covered with her hand.
"Yeah. Your bed." He whispered back, somehow feeling that if they spoke any louder, it would mean it was time to get up and say goodbye. He wasn't ready to do that yet, if ever. He hadn't been able to sleep nearly at all, not willing to spend any time with her unconscious. He could sleep after she was gone, but he wanted to savor her presence for as long as he could.
Dani gave him a soft smile as she stretched her arms out, snuggling closer to his chest as she sighed. "Embry will be here soon." She begrudgingly admitted with a soft sigh as she tangled her fingers into his thick, shorn off hair.
"I know." He grumbled, tucking his face against her thick, fluffy hair as he held her closely, just reveling in the fact that she was comfortable enough to let him so close to her like this. He had been so sure, several times over the years, that he had finally committed the fuck up that would top all his past fuck ups and Dani would be done. He supposed he had been close to it; after all, he had driven her so far away she had tried dating Embry. But now she was here, in his arms, naked, and she loved him. He would never take that for granted again. "You sure you don't want me to go?"
"As happy as I am that you two have apparently made up," She paused to giggle as he placed a feather-light kiss against her neck, tickling her. "I think it's important that it's just us, you know? Learning about our tribe and stuff, figuring out why I'm some mystical pack-destroyer."
He nodded but pouted all the same as his hands slipped down her body to cup the soft, firm globes of her ass, the move feeling natural as he held her against his body. "If he lets anything happen to you…"
"He won't. And I'm a big bad wolf lady now, Paul; I can take care of myself." She grinned as he rolled onto his back, bringing her along with him and adjusting them so that in the blink of an eye, she sat astride his stomach with the sheet still tangled around her body like an abstract toga.
"You are a lady, Dani." He smiled at her, a genuine smile without traces of anger or bitterness or snark, and gently took her hands into his own much larger, darker ones. "A beautiful lady who deserves more than a wild dog."
"Well, if I'm the lady, why can't you be the lord?" Her head tilted to the side as she squeezed his hands gently, relaxing on top of him. "Or the prince."
"I'm not exactly prince material." He shifted beneath her, his eyes flickering away from hers in shame as he gritted his teeth against the familiar but unwelcome emotions he'd been battling lately. It seemed like everywhere he turned, there was a new reminder to warn him about just how cruel and horrible he had been to his Dani and it made him angry with himself for being so blind, and terrified that it was too late to change. "Maybe the Beast, but even he had some respect."
"Maybe, but remember Aladdin?" She leaned down, pressing a tiny kiss against his sternum as she snuggled as close as she could to his chest. Paul's eyes returned to hers in question when she didn't continue. She gave him a bright smile as she rested her chin against the spot that she had just kissed, one eyebrow raised in expectation. "Not every girl needs or wants the stereotypical prince. I'm fine with a loving street rat."
"But some girls deserve princes." His hands gently caressed her hips, watching as her eyes softened into emerald orbs of pure affection.
She gently rubbed her face against his, nuzzling him affectionately as she chuckled quietly. "Paul, I messed up too. I'm not…" She sighed as she tried to find the words to express what she was feeling. She had gotten a glimpse into Paul's mind while they were phased together; he had let her see all the memories and the feelings and the emotions he had had over the years and she knew that he didn't see any of his hookups as any more than what they were: fun, but meaningless and regrettable once he had come home to her. The warmth, love, and affection he held for her had taken her breath away, though, and even now, despite her reservations, she just couldn't find it in her heart to be angry with her Paul when she knew how purely he felt for her. That didn't mean that she was ready to forget, forgive, and dive into bed, but she thought she would be ready to forgive soon, and maybe more after the respectable amount of time had passed after her aborted attempt at dating Embry.
When she finally left her thoughts, she realized too late that she had been silent for maybe a bit too long; Paul was staring up at her anxiously, biting his bottom lip softly as he tried to give her time to respond without rushing her. Instead of bumbling her way through another sentence, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his passionately.
oooooooooo
Quil groaned as he hauled yet another armful of debris out to the dumpster behind the market, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand and leaving a smear of sawdust and drywall dust in his hairline. While he was outside, he took a quick glance around the parking lot just to confirm what he already knew yet still crushed him- still no sign of Leah.
It had been days since she had come by; he still called her every night to check in and he didn't push her when she assured him she was fine and that no, he didn't need to come over, but he was getting more and more worried. Her voice wasn't quite as warm and loving as it had been before, he could practically feel her pushing him away. Like she was distracted, thinking about something else and channeling her energy into that. Which he could understand, focusing on the baby who would soon be here would take a lot out of anyone.
It was Sam that worried him the most.
After it had happened, word spread around the reservation quickly- Emily Young had packed up and high-tailed it back to Neah Bay a mere few months after stealing her cousin's fiancé and the golden boy Sam Uley had been seen sniffing around the Clearwater's home once more.
As he squinted up at the already warm morning sun, he tried to calm himself down. Whenever he thought about it too much, he started to tremble and ache as though his body were trying to collapse in on itself. His mother had decided it was anxiety; she was constantly inviting him to do yoga with her to relax every night after he finished work for the day.
One glimpse of his mother in her neon workout leggings had sent him scurrying to his bedroom, prayers falling from his lips for whatever tribal spirit was listening to wipe his memory clean.
With one more heavy sigh, just for good measure, he turned to head back indoors to continue working on the apartment. A tall, muscular, scowling man standing by the doors to the market made him stop in his tracks.
Something told him Sam had found out about Leah's new love.
The tremors wracking the older boy's body and the pure, raw rage in his eyes told him he was less than pleased.
oooooooooo
"Paul, I need to get packed!" Dani laughed, swatting at his arms as he wrapped them around her waist from behind, pulling her against him and away from her backpack.
"You're only going to be gone for one day, what do you need to pack?" His nose ran up the nape of her neck, breathing in the concentrated fragrance of jasmine and rain as he caressed her flat belly, pushing her t-shirt up and out of his way to caress her skin.
"A change of clothes in case I get a bit too in-tune with Wolfy, my ID, some notes Old Quil told me I'd need to show at the museum, some chips because I'm hungry as hell-" She gasped as Paul cut her off, picking her up as though she were a mere feather and tossing her on her bed casually. Her face slipped into a stern mask, though she had to fight back a smile as she bounced a couple times then raised up on her elbows. "I am not a basketball."
"And I would never think of dribbling you down a court." He agreed, smirking as he lowered himself to hover over her, holding himself up with an arm on either side of her head. "Come on, just kiss me one more time?" He pouted innocently, though the thick thigh currently nudging her thighs apart contradicted the expression.
"You've said that four times already. If you keep this up, my lips are going to fall off!" She laughed but gently cupped his cheeks, pulling him down to brush her lips against his tenderly once more. She didn't think she'd ever grow tired of being able to do it so freely.
Paul settled in above her, not afraid to let some of his weight down on her now that she was as inhuman as he was, and smiled against her soft, teasing lips. "That would be a terrible tragedy."
The sound of the screen door banging as someone entered the house made him growl, his shoulders tensing as they both caught the scent. "Told you; I need to finish packing so I can get my next crash course in shapeshifting." She smiled, pressing a tiny kiss against Paul's nose then rolling out from under him and landing in a crouch on the floor gracefully.
Paul plopped back onto the bed and watched as she hummed quietly, moving around her bedroom to pack the rest of her essentials. She wore only a thin t-shirt and a pair of panties, knowing she would only have to take her clothes off again to phase, and he couldn't stop the soft smirk that formed on his lips as he watched her thin, smooth legs carry her around her bedroom.
"So how are we- Paul!" Dani admonished, albeit with a smile, as she turned to see him ogling her with his arms crossed behind his head. "What are you looking at?"
"The most beautiful girl in the world." He smiled at her as he sighed, bringing his eyes up her body slowly, from her smooth thighs up past the gentle swell of her hips, lingering on the white lace trim of her panties before moving on to her stomach, then up to the subtle curve of her breasts, hidden behind an old concert tee, then finally stopping on her flushed face. His gaze left each part of her tingling and burning as he raked his eyes over her, and she knew by the smirk he gave her that he knew.
She got the impression that she had just been thoroughly eye-fucked, and she liked it. Somehow, a mere heated glance from Paul inspired more heat and passion in her than Embry had at any stage of their relationship.
"Well- Ah- Oh," She huffed as she held her bag in front of her, covering herself shyly so that she could focus. "How are we going to carry…"
"We'll show you," He smiled at her, once more reverting from lustful to caring just because she needed it. She grasped her bag tightly as he stood and moved around the bed, brushing past her without so much as a grope or a kiss, and she followed him with her bottom lip firmly between her teeth as she tried to regain her footing with his sudden mood swings. He led her out to the living room where Embry sat on the couch, gulping down an energy drink as he waited, looking more like a hardened drifter who had had a rough night than a teenage boy.
"Morning!" Dani leaned down and hugged him from behind, throwing her arms around his neck and grinning as she heard the familiar purr of her wolf. It was comforting to hear; she took it as a sign that things were going well if she could adapt to her wolf's needs so quickly. "You know those things are bad for you?" She gestured to his hand as he downed the last bit of his Monster with a loud gulp then swiped the back of his hand across his lips to dry them.
"We're pretty much immortal now, Dani. Caffeine and chemicals don't have the same effect on us," He smiled, gently patting her arms before he moved to stand. He was still tense after last night and was eager to leave; running in wolf form was always freeing, and now he didn't have to worry about the other voices in his head, witnessing his thoughts.
"Neither does alcohol." Paul helpfully supplied, wiggling his brows at her as if to suggest she should test that theory.
"I'll take your word for it. Last time I drank, I ended up…" She trailed off, her eyes flickering between her boys as she remembered just where she had ended up the last time Quil introduced his legendary 'conversational lube'. "Uh…"
"I think I should wait outside." Judging by the way he brushed past her, his jaw clenched so tightly she could almost hear his teeth cracking, Embry remembered too.
"Well, this is gonna be fun for you two." Paul spoke up, smirking at her mirthfully as she turned to smack his chest. "What? You're the one who agreed to this little canine-powered quest for enlightenment."
She narrowed her eyes at him and huffed, knowing he was right and hating him all the more for it. "Just show me how to turn into a giant dog so we can go, and you can turn all your attention onto Dad's new cable package."
"Is that an order?" His smirk deepened as he reached out, wrapping one arm around her waist and pulling her against him with ease. "You are my alpha now."
"Don't tempt me." She leaned up on her tiptoes, throwing her arms around his thick neck as she pressed her face into his heated skin to get one last whiff of that cinnamon, woodsy scent that clung to him. "I'm gonna miss you."
"I'll miss you too. Any time you need me, all you have to do is call or howl. I'll phase for you." He pressed a tender, loving kiss against her temple as she nodded, trying to convince herself that this was something that had to be done. Paul seemed to sense her inner dilemma and made the decision for her; he pulled back and nudged her towards the front door gently, lifting her backpack for her as she stayed clinging to him. "Come on, the sooner you go, the sooner you can get back here, and we can work things out."
"When did you become the smart, reasonable one?" Dani muttered into his skin as he picked her up, wrapping her legs around his hips as he held her like a baby and stepped off the porch.
"When you became the furry, volatile one. Funny how that worked out, huh?" He laughed as she once again swatted at him, trying to keep up the teasing because he knew if he gave her any indication, any weakness, she would stay with him.
"If you two are done…" Embry nearly growled from the tree line, watching them expressionlessly with his arms crossed over his chest. "We kind of have somewhere to be."
"Sorry, Em." She blushed as Paul let her down gently a few feet from the other boy, holding her bag in his hand. "So…wolf lessons?"
"All you gotta do is- well, first get naked." Embry finally cracked a smirk as his two companions both twirled to stare at him, Dani with her mouth hung open in surprise and Paul with the promise of a thousand gruesome deaths on his face. "Unless you want to run around the Makah reservation topless, of course."
Dani nodded and moved her hands stiffly to her top to pull it off, but Paul beat her to it. His hands skimmed across her belly gently, caressing her lovingly before he gripped the hem of her shirt and lifted it inch by inch. Each moment, each time she felt the breeze hitting a new part of her heated skin, the blush on her cheeks intensified until he finally got her out of the damn thing. A sensual chuckle rumbled beside her ear as her shirt was dropped, but before he could reach for her panties she shoved them down her hips and stepped out of them unceremoniously, fighting the urge to poke her tongue out like a child as she tried to ignore the fire he had ignited in her. "Now what?"
"Now get angry." Paul whispered, placing one last kiss against the back of her neck before he stepped back to give her room. "Strong emotion triggers it."
She nodded and closed her eyes, thinking about all the things that made her angry. Embry beating her at Mortal Kombat, Quil's bad, ill-timed jokes, Jacob's superiority and his refusal to just let things go, Sam's treatment of Leah…
"Dani, sweetheart, you're not even trembling." Embry observed from where he had leaned against a sturdy tree to watch.
Dani threw her hands up in frustration and plopped down onto the grass as she sighed. "It's no use; I'm a defective wolf. All the things that used to make me so mad, it's like I just can't anymore. Like those are all things that have led me here, and I kinda like here." Paul and Embry both approached and sat near her, forming a lopsided triangle as they all relaxed on the cool grass. "And that can't be healthy, purposefully making yourself that angry just so you can wolf out. Do you think werewolves have high blood pressure?"
"You're stalling." Embry smiled as he reached over, nudging her knee ever so slightly with his fist.
A moment of silence passed before she nodded, eyes downcast as she whispered, "I guess I am…"
"You said you could communicate with your wolf, right?" Paul stretched out, crossing his ankles in front of himself as he gazed at his girl seriously. "Maybe that's why the anger isn't working, you're closer to the wolf's spirit."
"So, what the hell do I do with that?" Dani frowned, skimming her fingers over the grass and letting the blades tickle her palms.
"See if you can communicate," Paul instructed, watching her closely as she closed her eyes and tried to relax. "Do whatever you did to phase back, but in reverse."
"Way to go, that's really helpful, Paul," Embry muttered, glowering at the older boy as he crossed his arms petulantly. Paul's eyes narrowed and he turned to Embry with one eyebrow raised, as if asking if he needed another reminder of who was stronger- again. That only served to ruffle Embry's fur more. "Oh, shut up! You think you're all tough and badass-"
Paul opened his mouth to retort but was cut off by the familiar glimmer of someone phasing. They both spun back around to the third leg of their little triangle and were astonished to see a small white wolf sitting in Dani's place, yipping excitedly with her tongue lolled out of the side her mouth. "I'm guessing she got it worked out."
Paul stood while Embry phased as well; Dani wagged her tail at her step-brother as he approached, helping her step into her backpack, paw by paw, and adjusting it on her back so that it wouldn't fall off while they were running. "I love you, Dani. Be careful, and come back to me, okay?" He crouched in front of her and combed his fingers through her thick fur as he looked into her shockingly human eyes, seeing the traces of gold from her wolf swirling into the emerald pools he loved so much. Dani- or Wolfy, he was unsure, gave a swift nod and leaned up, skimming her nose along his neck before licking him playfully. He chuckled and stood once more, begrudgingly pulling his hand away as Dani yipped at Embry as if to say, 'hurry up and let's blow this joint.'
With one more bump of her heavy head against his legs as a farewell, Paul watched his girl's white form disappear into the forest on Embry's heels and hoped she'd return to him.
oooooooooo
Neah Bay was an approximately one-and-a-half-hour drive from La Push. Each minute in wolf form, even as they loped and dashed through the forest in a blur of paws and fur, dragged on and on; Dani's mind raced from topic to topic, never settling on anything lest she upset her travelling companion, and Embry stayed mostly silent, aside from the occasional snort or huff or warning when Dani was about to clothesline herself on a branch.
She had never been so relieved to see civilization than when they finally reached the edge of the forest near the road. Embry phased back to help her as her ears pricked up at the sound of cars; a soft growl escaped her as she peered around Embry to see the Makah reservation for the first time. It was hard to see much from around Embry's legs, but she caught sight of the museum sign as he helped her wriggle out of her backpack and stepped back to let her phase safely.
The process was a little quicker this time; she could feel the spirit of her wolf lingering just in the back of her mind, almost like a separate conscience, and all it took was a little nudging to get Wolfy to acquiesce. It was as though they were slowly learning to cope with each other.
Embry politely turned his head as she phased back and rummaged through her backpack for her clothing; he had been so focused on the trees overhead that he was startled when she brushed past him in a pair of cutoff jean shorts and a cropped muscle tank that he was positive had been Paul's before Dani modified it. "C'mon, Em." She smiled over her shoulder at him as she trotted towards the road. "We got families to track down."
As much as he wanted to hold onto his anger, his bitterness, he just couldn't any longer. He knew from her thoughts that she still loved him, albeit in a different way than he had dreamed of, and he also knew that Dani and Paul were so dysfunctional and damaged that they somehow managed to fit together perfectly. He could never challenge that, and he would only lose his best friend by trying. He tried to cling to that rationality as he trudged along behind her, tugging on his old, faded t-shirt as they went forward together.
"You must be Quil's friends!" An older, redheaded woman plummeted out of the front office just as they felt the cool air conditioning on their heated skin. In a flurry of colored scarves and jingling bangles, she hugged them both and had pulled away, retreating towards one of the offices lining the lobby of the museum before they could even react. "Come, come, come! The others are so excited to finally meet you!"
Dani shot Embry a disbelieving glance. 'Is this woman real?'
He shrugged, throwing an arm over his friend's shoulders as they followed the flamboyant woman hesitantly, at a much more muted pace. "I guarantee whatever she has to say will be a million times less boring than the council meetings at home."
oooooooooo
"You have no fucking claim to her!" Sam snarled, nearly feral as he stalked towards the quivering, whimpering mass of chocolate fur on the forest floor. Quil raised his head slowly, emitting a small whine from his busted snout as he willed his body to move; his legs felt like dead weight when he tried to move them and he knew he wouldn't survive if the vengeful older boy got ahold of him again. He rose up on weak, wobbly front paws, his toes curling into the dirt as if for leverage and smushing mud between the pads of his new paws; he grit his teeth, a pained howl escaping his bloodied mouth as the big black wolf circled him, snapping and growling at him.
His paws wobbled, then buckled under his weight. He crumpled to the muddy, mossy forest floor as Sam stepped closer, the thunk of his paws against the soft earth sending a chill straight down his spine.
Sam bowed his head, his nose close enough that the younger boy could feel the hot snorts of air escaping his snout and puffing against his damp face. "You will never touch Leah Clearwater again. You will never spend time with her again. You will avoid her at all cost and have no contact with her whatsoever."
As soon as the order left Sam's mind, Quil stiffened and let out a choked sob, his muscles aching and locking up as he tried to fight whatever was affecting him. "You can't do this!"
"Says who?" Sam's golden eyes glowered at him as he towered over the whimpering, brown fluffball at his feet and reveled in the knowledge that nothing would stand between him and the mother of his pups ever again.
oooooooooo
"Let's get the introductions out of the way so we can begin!" Miss Frizzle's long-lost twin announced, standing at the head of an old white folding table, beaming at the two frazzled newcomers as she waved towards two empty, mismatched chairs. "Sit, sit!"
The teens exchanged glances, as if to tell each other to go first, before Embry sighed and pulled Dani over to the seats with a small shrug. "Thank you for meeting with us, we're sorry for-"
"Nonsense," An elderly man, thin but with an aura of power that demanded respect, with long, once-black hair tied into two thick braids and streaked with silver, spoke up with a glance around the room as if challenging anyone to disagree. "You two are a part of our tribe, both by blood and tradition. It would be a disservice to not only you, but us as well if we were to turn you away."
"Thank you, sir." Dani found her voice as she lowered herself into the leather desk chair, relaxing as much as she could into the buttery material as she bit her bottom lip softly. This man, in a mere minute, had been more hospitable to her than anyone on the Quileute Council had ever been.
"I am Josiah Parker." His eyes twinkled as he gave her a warm smile, the creases in his skin relaxing momentarily as her mouth dropped open. "You…You are the spitting image of your mother, dear."
"T-thank you…" Dani gulped softly as she leaned forward a bit, her head tilted curiously. "You're my…grandfather?"
"Yes." He spoke simply before turning back to the leather-bound volumes stacked in front of him; she could've sworn she saw his eyes sparkling before he buried them in the old, weathered pages. "I am the tribe's archivist and historian; I am in charge of keeping track of records that date back to the first pack."
"Awesome," Dani whispered, her eyes locked onto the first person, besides her mother, that knew about the other half of her family.
"If Joe is done captivating you," A younger woman, no older than forty, chuckled, "I'm Meredith. I believe you know my…old friend, Quil." A soft blush rose up on her cheeks and Dani nudged Embry's foot under the table, silently reminding him to bring that up later once they had escaped. "I'm director of the tribe's museum."
"And I'm Jill, I'm the arts director here." The colorful woman spoke up again with a soft giggle and a brilliant smile.
"Uhm…As you all probably know, I am Dani Parker-Lahote, and this is my…." She struggled there for a moment. 'Exboyfriend? Friend?' "…Packmate, Embry Call. We are the only two wolves of Makah descent, that we know of."
Josiah- Joe, apparently, nodded solemnly, flipping rapidly through one of the books. "Our tribe has been entrenched in magic since our establishment; long before the Quileute Nation began transforming." He stopped flipping, having apparently found what he was looking for. "Old Quil told us that there has been some discourse between the Makah and Quileute packs."
"You could say that. I can't stand to be around them, the only ones my wolf accepts are Embry and Paul, my stepbrother." Dani blushed softly as she spoke the last word, feeling cheap for describing him as only her stepbrother, but somehow, she didn't think her grandfather needed to know her wolf wanted to lick him from head to toe.
"Paul? Is he of Makah lineage as well?" Meredith frowned as she peered into Josiah's scrawled notepad, her brows furrowing as she tried to make out any legible words.
"Uh, no-" Dani started, her blush burning brighter as she sunk down deeper into the leather seat.
"He's her imprint." Embry stated, not looking at her as her eyes snapped to his face. "He was a part of the Quileute pack until Dani phased- we both were, and when Paul went to calm her down, his link to the Quileute pack was broken. Mine broke that evening."
"I see. And you and this Paul both had relationships established with Dani before your phasing?" Joe peered at the two teens in curiosity as he made a small note on his pad, prompting Meredith to shake her head and finally give up trying to read anything he had written.
"Embry and I were best friends, and Paul and I….were complicated." Dani murmured as her eyes drifted down to trace the tiny speckles on the tabletop- colorful speckles, as though it had been used to paint on at one point. "But I cared for them both deeply."
"So, Paul and Embry both respected you already." Joe nodded, sitting back in his seat and crossing his arms as he smiled victoriously. Meredith raised one thin eyebrow, shaking her head as if to say, 'I have no idea.' Miss Frizzle- Jill, apparently, frowned as she tried to connect the dots between the points that Joe had left unstated.
Dani stayed quiet for a moment, waiting for him to elaborate only to sigh when he made no indication of continuing. "And respect means…?"
"It's natural wolf behavior, dear. The current alpha of the Quileute pack was the only alpha nearby when Embry phased. Embry, did you have any sort of relationship with the alpha?" Joe turned those inquisitive eyes onto Embry as he shrugged.
"I mean, sure. Sam was always sort of the older brother of our friend group, we all kinda looked up to him." Embry's brows furrowed together. "But Dani knew him as well."
"Ah yes, so I'm guessing Dani's relationship with Sam was more troubled than yours was. A wolf pack generally consists of the alpha couple and their offspring; the members of a pack are usually linked together by familial ties or, in the case of dispersers from other packs, respect. You, Embry, must've had respect for Sam, so your wolf allowed you to be integrated into the Quileute pack without issue. Dani, however, held no respect nor kinship towards the Quileute pack, so her wolf broke off on her own. I suspect if you and Paul hadn't shifted your loyalties, she would have become a lone wolf." Joe leaned back, grinning as he tapped his book in credit. "Wolves are social creatures, and the hierarchies and structures within each pack is complex."
"So…I'm an alpha because Sam is a giant douche?" Dani spoke, then flushed vividly as Joe tossed his head back with a chuckle.
"Oh, you remind me so much of your mother. She always did have a wild streak in her." Joe shook his head, eyes glistening as he looked away. "Lillie always wished we could contact her but…until Quil called us, we had no idea where she had gone."
"Lillie?" Dani bit her lip gently as she leaned forward, resting her arms against the cool plastic of the tabletop. "I have more family?"
Joe nodded, eyes twinkling as he exchanged a glance with Meredith. "Lillie is my wife, and you also have an Aunt Juliet. I'm sure they would love to meet you. I didn't tell them you were coming- if Lil found out, she'd tear down half of the reservation trying to find you, whether you wanted It or not."
Meredith spoke up then, reaching into Joe's notebook for a piece of paper and avoiding his hand as he tried to smack her away. "Embry, I can give you your grandma Tinny's address-"
"Nonsense!" Jill hopped up, already reaching for her purse and keys tucked away on the bookcase. "I can show him the way! Joe, I presume you know the way to your own house."
"I think I can manage." He let out a good-natured chuckle and smiled at his granddaughter. "Shall we, Dani?"
"Yes, please. I'll meet you out front?" She glanced at Embry meaningfully and he nodded, both of them moving to stand up. Joe afforded them both a nod and the two teens practically dashed out of the meeting room, their minds whirling. "Em, I have family!"
"So do I! I might be able to track down some of my dad's relatives!" They were grinning as Dani threw herself into his arms, clinging to him as he spun her around, a habit he'd had since he was big enough to hold her weight.
That was how their new companions found them, wrapped up in each other and giggling on the front stoop of the museum, whispering and grinning like conspirators. Dani noticed them watching first and wrenched herself away from him in shame, though they weren't doing anything less than innocent. "Uh, time to go?"
Embry stepped away immediately, losing the easy grin and gritting his teeth as he realized Dani was being skittish around him now. "Yeah. Meet up later?"
Dani nodded and watched as Jill led Embry to her car, chuckling half-heartedly as Embry had to fold his tall frame into her Mazda. Joe gingerly laid a calloused hand on his granddaughters' shoulder and gazed down at her, remembering his daughter as she had been 15 years ago. He had prayed time and time again for a chance to make up for how he had handled Amanda's pregnancy, and now he thanked the spirits for giving him this opportunity at last.
"Your grandmother and I don't live far, if you don't mind walking." His old, weathered heart melted just a bit when she turned those sparkling green eyes on him.
Her lips quirked up into a smile and she looped her arm into his, helping him down off the stoop as she nodded. "I'd love a walk. Now," She sighed softly and bit her lip as she wondered how she was going to word this tactfully. "I'm sorry for bringing it up, but…my mom always told me that you and her mother didn't exactly react the best when…you know…"
Joe took a deep calming breath, letting the scent of forest and rain wash over him before he nodded. "I'm afraid she was telling the truth. Lillie and I, well, we were both brought up rather strict and I guess we tried to raise Amanda the same way. She was only 16, and we knew how hard things would be for a teen mother, especially on the reservation. There was a fight. All of us said things we shouldn't have and then she was just-" He cut himself off with a shuddering breath and the sharp, salty scent of tears hit Dani's nose.
"Hey, don't blame yourself. Mom is happy, I don't think she blames you for anything." 'Or she was happy, before she got sick.' Dani ignored the little voice and turned to hug her grandfather, standing up on her toes to match their height difference- wolf or not, she was still short.
Joe wrapped his arms around her, resting his head on hers, and tried to console himself before Hurricane Lillie joined the fray.
So hi there…long time no see. I hope you're all well, and I apologize for the wait. I've had some health/family/mental breakdown/school stuff going on and I was having severe trouble finishing this chapter…until Midnight Sun was released. I had no idea it was coming out, and I freaked as soon as I saw it. Haven't read it yet, waiting to see what the mail situation in my new dorm is like before I order it. However, I did coerce my boyfriend into watching the entire movie series with me, and he did enjoy it. And I did cry like a baby for no reason during the ending credits of Breaking Dawn, because it was the first time I had watched the entire series since I was in middle school. It was like getting to know it for the first time again, and I had so much fun, and I finally got up the nerve to finish this chapter.
I spent ages trying to research wolf behavior, and I hope I explained my thought process correctly. Also, I know I hate it when stories branch off and introduce more of their own characters rather than using the existing ones…but I felt like Dani and Embry deserved a bit of love. I promise, they won't become a major point, but I do hope you review and tell me what you think! After my little hiatus from FF (I literally did not even log on for two to three months), I've completely lost track of whose reviews I've replied to and whose I haven't, but I appreciate them all so much. Thank you, and I'm sorry for such a long note but I've missed this :)