CHAPTER TEN: THE BONFIRE
*Embry's POV*
"That was unreal," Collin said, jogging out of the woods.
"Did it work?" I asked. I did not need Melody to find out I imprinted on her by reading my thoughts, or hearing a snarky comment from one of the guys.
"Kind of," Jake said, pulling his shirt back on.
"Kind of?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's more like talking, not like hearing each other's thoughts. We have to share with her on purpose," Jake said.
"Thank god," I said, letting out a breath.
"She's pretty cool, bro," Collin said, clapping me on the back, "you've got to see what flying is like."
I had to add visions of flying to my list of things to look forward to. Collin left me and Jake, heading back toward the house. Jake tilted his head and I stuffed my hands in my pockets.
"So, how's the first day post-imprint, huh?" Jake asked.
"Overwhelming," I laughed dryly.
"Sounds about right," Jake said with a smirk.
"I just don't want to fuck it up," I said, running my hand through my hair.
"You won't," Jake said, smacking my back with his hand, "trust your instincts and listen to her. It's the only way to go."
"I know, I know. I just feel like I have to make sure everything goes perfectly," I said.
"You don't," Jake said, shaking his head, "look at Sam and Emily. Hell, look at any of us."
"I know, you're right," I said.
"I'm happy for you, man," Jake said. As best friends we'd put each other through our fair share of angsty thoughts on patrol together. I had left Seth and Leah as the only two in the pack who hadn't imprinted yet. I had a number of flings in the past few years, always brief. It was hard not to want a piece of what made them all so happy. It never worked when I knew how seamless a bond with another person could be. And now I had it.
"Thanks, Jake," I said.
"Don't sweat it – we've got a bonfire to get ready for," he said.
"Did you –" I started.
"Don't worry, I already told my Dad, no imprint talk in the legends," Jake confirmed.
We headed back to the front of the house, the usual commotion even greater than usual meals with the council members around. When we stepped foot inside, I saw Emily waving Melody upstairs.
"You're just like the boys with dirt on your clothes," Emily laughed, "go put on something nice."
Melody gave a quick salute with her hand as she ran up the stairs, disappearing into the guest room.
"Bring those over to Sam and then help him stack the bonfire, will you boys?" Emily asked, returning to her seat and pointing and two platters full of burgers and barbecue sauced chicken.
"You got it," Jacob said, grabbing one from the counter.
"Hey, Embry…" Emily said, looking at me as I picked up the other platter and moved to follow Jake outside.
"Relax, ok? You look nervous. Go enjoy," she said, waving me away with her hand.
It didn't take long for us to throw together a stack of wood for the bonfire. The pack took turns with Sam on the grill so he could check on Emily inside. Leah sat on a bench with her mom, Sue Clearwater, chatting and smiling more than she usually did around the pack. I looked up as Melody emerged from the house. I knew I was staring but I couldn't help it. She looked beautiful – wearing a bright red romper with an oversized white cardigan slumped over her shoulders, her traveling bag at her side. She balanced bottles of ketchup and mustard in her hands as she closed the door, and I noticed her sporting a pair of clean, new sneakers as she walked towards the grill. I had to look away, and pretended to check on the burgers, where Quil was struggling with the spatula. I saw her place the bottles next to the tray of buns on the table.
"So, how'd you like telepathy?" I asked.
"It's.. different than it sounded. It wasn't a full mind-reading experience like it seems to be for you guys, thankfully," she said, looking up at me.
"Thankfully? Hiding some secrets up there?" I jested, tilting my head and nodding towards hers.
"What–" she blinked at me, wide-eyed, and I tried to think of something to change topics, hoping the misfired joke wouldn't throw her too much.
"This is nice," I said, lifting my hand to her necklace, pulling the golden bird pendant up from the dip in her collarbone. Though she looked at me with some suspicion, her sudden, sharp intake of breath didn't escape my notice.
"Thanks," she said, looking down at it as I held it in my hands, "Rachel got it for me."
I heard a loud shriek that interrupted the moment. I cleared my throat as I dropped the necklace from my fingers, looking over to see Renesmee rushing towards us, dragging Jacob behind her by the hand.
"You must be Melody!" Ness squealed, leaping to hug Melody before waiting for a response.
"Oh!" Surprise was clear on Melody's face as she took a step back with the impact of Renesmee's hug.
"It's so great to meet you!" Renesmee said, beaming as she pulled back from the hug.
"You're Ren–" I heard the hesitation in Melody's voice, trying to remember the complicated name.
"Renesmee, sorry! I should've introduced myself first but I couldn't help it," Renesmee started to ramble, a teenage habit she'd picked up, "I just know we're going to be great friends, and gosh, you're even more beautiful than Embry said you were!"
At that, Melody looked up at me, open-mouthed, quirking her eyebrow up. I avoided her gaze, scratching the back of my neck with my hand. I shouldn't have said anything when I was at the Cullen's the other day, but Ness had a knack for drawing confessions out of people.
"How's the food coming along?" Emily asked, drawing everyone's attention to her, waddling slightly as she walked over to the grill with Sam at her side.
"Good? I think?" Quil answered, earning a laugh from Emily.
"I think we've got enough to get started," she said with a smile.
"Dinner's ready!" Sam shouted, grabbing the spatula back from Quil.
As with any pack meal, it was quick and chaotic. We tried to be mindful of the imprints and tribal elders, making sure we didn't eat all the food before they got a chance. It was no accident that me and Melody sat next to each other on a log as we all congregated around the bonfire, everyone shuffling around to leave space for me. I noticed that Melody ate neatly from her full plate, chatting with Sophie, April, and Kim with ease. It was strange to think about how much this pack had changed – it was only a few years ago when it was just me with Sam, Jared, and Paul. Emily had decided to give the imprint a chance, and I knew my two best friends had felt abandoned by me. My relationship with my mother was a mess. It still hadn't fully recovered, but it had gotten better since I moved out. A token of gratitude, Jacob had called it, for joining his pack to defend Bella, and later Renesmee. I had built my house myself, but never could have afforded it without the Cullens. Those onetime enemies had become friends, and here we all were, the sprawling group the pack had grown to include.
"The Quileutes were a small tribe in the beginning…" Billy launched into the legend of Taha Aki once everyone's plates had been tossed. I had heard these legends enough that I could probably recite them myself at this point, but no one gave them the gravity that Billy did in his narration. I watched Melody's face in the firelight, how seriously she listened to our tribal history, how her features tensed at the mention of the 'cold ones.'
"...and the magic in our blood still protects us to this day," Billy said. His eyes circled meaningfully around the bonfire. It was always a powerful reminder, that the reason we lived these strange, supernatural lives was to protect the tribe.
"Though, I believe, ours is not the only magic we'll hear the story of tonight," Billy said, looking at Melody across the glow of the fire. She shifted in her seat next to me.
"Melody? I know we're all excited to learn more about your travels," he said as everyone turned to look at her.
"Well, Billy, I'm not such a talented storyteller, but I'll try," she said with a careful smile.
"Start at the beginning, from what you remember," Billy said, with a reassuring nod.
"The first thing I really remember is the zoo – I only have bits and pieces of a life before that. Since I left I've been on a bunch of different...adventures…" Melody said, toying with her hands as she spoke.
"And along the way you've encountered vampires? And other shifters?" Jacob asked.
"Yes, we did," Melody nodded, a fond look crossing her face as she looked into the fire.
"I only ran into vampires once. I was with two of the best friends I've made," she continued, "Mateen and Elia. We got lost on our way to Turkey. That happened a lot, getting lost."
It was strange to think about — how different our lives had been, how I still had so much to learn about her. She had been all over the world and I'd barely left the state.
"We ended up in Romania, in the forest. We usually slept outside on our travels without a problem, but there was a terrible hailstorm. I was the one who spotted the ruins, some old castle or fortress. We were just going to wait out the storm and spend the night there. Instead, we were attacked by the group of vampires hiding there."
"Ugh," the exclamation of fear and disgust escaped Kim's mouth as she listened, matching the expression on her face. She shivered and Jared wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
"There were only a few vampires," Melody reassured Kim, "and their attack was really sloppy. I guess they couldn't have known to expect us, but we handled them. I should have recognized the vampire yesterday immediately, but that flight across the Pacific was one hell of a trek."
I noticed Melody's eyes flitting up to Ness for a brief moment. Renesmee didn't look upset. It was a strange dynamic, but she understood that other vampires posed a threat that her family didn't.
"And your friends?" Sam asked, "Are they shifters too?"
"Yes," Melody nodded, looking to Sam, "Mateen turns into this great big brown bear, and Elia turns into a wildcat, sort of like a lynx…"
I noticed a wistful smile on her face as her voice trailed off.
"I mean I have—"she started, her voice trailing off again. I watched her hand drift down to the bag at her side. I remembered the notebook she had shown me yesterday, all her drawings of the creatures she'd encountered.
"Only if you want to share it," I said as softly as I could, despite knowing much of the circle had the enhanced ability to hear me anyway. I raised my hand to rest on the middle of her back as she contemplated. She bit her lower lip as she thought, and I shoved down the feelings that move sparked in me. I knew it came from nerves over whether or not to share something that was precious to her with all of us. Helping her was more important at the moment. She looked up at me briefly with a calmer face before turning away to fish the journal out of her bag. She cradled it in her lap as she opened it, gently flipping through the pages.
She stopped on a layout of two full pages, filled edge to edge with notes and small sketches alongside the two large drawings. The drawing on the left page was of a bear, standing on its hind legs with arms wide. Looking at the drawing felt like locking eyes with it. On the right page was a drawing of a bright-eyed lynx, looking over its shoulder. She ran her fingers lightly over the two-page spread.
"Can I see that?" Jacob asked, eyes drifting between the two of us waiting for an agreement or a refusal. I craned my head down to Melody for a response.
"Sure," she said after a moment, tucking the journal's ribbon down between the pages open in her lap. Jake stood and extended his hand as he walked towards us. Melody held it out for him.
"Just—" she hesitated, pulling back slightly, "be careful with it."
"I will," Jake said with a solemn nod. He knelt next to Billy as they looked it over together. I could tell Melody was nervous, though she sat up straight, and plastered a casual expression on her face.
"Oh my god!" Renesmee exclaimed, peering over Jake's shoulder, "Melody, those are amazing!"
Melody waved the compliment away.
"They look almost like any other animals," Billy said, examining the drawings.
"Is there a way to tell?" Sam asked. Melody twisted her mouth in thought.
"Well, there's usually something that sticks out; size, unusual colors, features that vary slightly from a normal animal's…" Melody explained.
"Do you mind if we look through?" Jacob asked, gesturing to the notebook.
"No," Melody responded, after taking a deep breath, "All the pages with purple notes on them are drawings of shifters."
Billy flipped through the pages with gentle hands, eyes scanning, until he opened one particular page that prompted Sam to stop him.
"These are lions? Shifters?" Sam asked.
"Let me see," she said, straightening up in her seat.
I heard gasps and sounds of awe from the group as Jake turned the drawing to face us. It was the drawing of lions I had seen already – one lion with a strangely well groomed mane, the other with oddly long legs, both with knowing eyes that seemed less feline than one would. In the corner of the right hand page was a figure I hadn't noticed before: a crawling baby.
"Yes," Melody nodded, "those are lions. They were the first group I found after I left South America. Their life is...stranger than most shifters live. Their pride was a mix of shifters and real lions."
"Is that a baby?" Emily asked, incredulous.
"Oh," Melody said, laughing slightly, "Yes! Amara, the lioness shifter and her, eh, mate Benji, were the head of the pride. They had three kids. One was that baby, and the other two were older. They used to run around with the cubs like best friends. They couldn't shift, of course. I imagine they will someday."
"They could have children? These lion shifters?" Sue chimed in, leaning forward with her eyebrows knitted together.
"Of course," Melody answered quickly.
"Of course? You've met others, then?"
"Yes, plenty," Melody said, puzzled by Sue's confusion, "I mean, the families I've met usually spend a lot of time in their animal forms which can certainly get wild. There was a time we had to save the kids from a pack of hyenas. Another family made this spectacular herd of wild horses. Strange families perhaps, but happy. "
Sue nodded vigorously as a response, eyes swimming with tears. I glanced briefly at Leah, and saw her staring straight at the fire, deliberately dodging eye contact with anyone. Melody looked away from Sue, who was steeling herself against her emotions. I saw the question in Melody's eyes, one I couldn't answer now.
"Later," I said, leaning into her ear.
It went on like that for a while, flipping through pages as Melody told stories, everyone listening intently. Her face lit up as she told some of the stories, moments I could tell were fond memories. Meeting her friends Elia and Mateen, fleeing from a flock of shifting vultures in Spain was one she really loved. I tried to commit as much as I could to memory: the gypsy camels that led them to a desert oasis, the monkeys who had stolen their things for mischief rather than utility, the friendly herd of elephants, tigers fond of drinking, gambling, and incredible mountaintop views. I already knew how incredible she was, down to the center of my being. The more I got to know her, and the more I learned about her, it felt like I would never stop being in awe of her.
"What about these? Snakes?" Jake asked, displaying another page. The sinister figure was a long snake, wide at the head like a cobra, complete with red eyes that leered like a vampire's.
"Red eyes?" Sam asked, gravel in his voice.
Even though it was a brief pause, I noticed it. I looked down to check on her, trying not to be too obvious with my sudden concern, though I was sure I failed. She bristled as her eyes locked on the drawing. I listened carefully, and heard how uneven her breathing had become. I didn't think it through before placing my hand over hers, squeezing it with the hope of comforting her. None of the tension dropped from her face, and I nearly moved to take my hand off hers when her fingers curled around mine.
"That drawing is from Tokyo," she answered cautiously, "a gang of snakes who are...definitely bad news."
I could tell her mind was wandering as her eyes dropped to the fire.
"Well," Billy said, the commanding timbre returning to his voice, "maybe I'm getting old, but I think Melody has put up with enough of our questions for one night. Thank you for sharing."
Melody nodded with a small smile as she received a number of thanks and smiles from around the fire. It seemed to be a cue for everyone to stand, and me and Melody's hands fell away from each other. I had felt this a few times since meeting her, but this was the most dramatic – a wall she'd put up. I couldn't read her. I knew she was upset. The advice I'd gotten from everyone, and that seemed to work so far, was to follow my instincts. Jacob handed the closed journal back to Melody, with his own compliments about the drawings. I gave her some space as we all cleaned up the bonfire, Emily and Billy seated to the side with Old Quil, still locked in conversation.
It never took too long with everyone working together – the last embers of the bonfire ousted, trash tossed, kitchen cleaned, grill scrubbed. I noted everyone saying their goodbyes, but couldn't quite bring myself to leave. Jacob left, loading Renesmee and Billy into his car to drive them home. Rachel, Paul, Jared, and Kim made circles around their car, arguing about who should drive home. Seth and Leah had disappeared, taking off for patrol. I found Melody alone in the kitchen, stacking pots and pans in cabinets, cleaning the countertops in a way Emily was sure to appreciate. It seemed Sam had taken her upstairs already.
"Melody?" I said softly, leaning against the counter, disrupting her laser-focused cleaning.
"Hmm?" She looked up, with her mouth pressed into a tight line.
"Are you...are you ok?" I asked, tilting my head.
"Why wouldn't I be?" she said in a rush, looking away from me and busying her hands with cleaning again.
"I...I know your drawings are really important to you, and not… I can imagine it would be a lot to share all of that," I said. I didn't know exactly, but I could imagine. I had practiced what must have been hundreds of times the speech I could give my mom one day, to reveal the truth about my shifting. I had thought about the speech I would give my imprint in the future, revelation about the pack (turns out that hadn't been necessary) and about imprinting. It wasn't time for that yet, and I couldn't tell if it was because I felt like Melody wasn't ready, or I wasn't.
"I'll be fine," she said, tension heavy in her voice. She still wouldn't meet my gaze.
"That's not what I asked you," I said, keeping my voice low.
"I just–" her voice caught in her throat, turning into nothing. She looked up at me for just a moment as her voice broke, then her eyes darted all around the room.
"Melody?" There was something about the way she was upset, not sad or angry, but rattled like she was trying to reconcile seeing a ghost.
"Hey," I said, almost whispering. I didn't know what else to do, and stepped forward to wrap my arms around her shoulders, pulling her into a hug. She stiffened for a moment, then relaxed into me, her cheek resting against my chest. I tucked her head under my chin, and felt her arms slide around my back, hugging me in return. I really was just trying to comfort her, and hoped I was. I couldn't stop a wide grin from spreading on my face. I was standing in Emily's kitchen, holding this woman who stunned me — my imprint— in my arms.
A/N:
Thanks for reading! Any comments and feedback are much appreciated! I hope you enjoyed the bonfire, I thought it would be interesting to see from Embry's perspective. And, after all, we can't learn all of Melody's secrets right away…