In the Offing
For a moment, Embry sat dazed on the beach. He could hear Quil and Jacob yelling at him, but they were still a way off. He could only turn and stare at Freja as she continued to run down the beach away from him. He then shook his head and jumped to his feet, knowing that he couldn't let her get away. Not until they talked. He had seen the look in her eyes. She had rescued him, after all, though he still wasn't sure how which only created more questions.
But more than anything, he wanted to know why. Why she had cut off all contact. Why she seemed to think that this wouldn't work. He took off after her, easily catching up though he was winded and stumbling slightly.
"Freja! Please! Stop!" he shouted.
She ignored him and kept running.
"Please! Can we talk?!" he shouted.
She slid to a stop and dropped her head, her back tense. Embry came to a stop as well, keeping a few feet in between them. She then spun around, her eyes now a dark steely grey. They hadn't been that color before, but that was the least of his questions at the moment. Her hair hung in wet strands, clinging to her as she shook her head.
"We can't… we can't be around each other, Embry," she said.
He felt his heart drop into his stomach. While he hadn't been expecting her to say something different, it still hurt.
"I…. I don't understand," he said.
He wanted to tell her she was wrong - that they were meant to be together - but it didn't seem like the right thing to say just then.
"It's too dangerous," she continued, starting to back away from him.
Embry then remembered the way her grandmother had looked at him, treated him. As though she suspected something. Shit. Freja knew. Her grandparents knew. He didn't know how this was possible, but they had somehow figured out what he was. That's why she was doing this.
She thought he and the others, that they were dangerous.
And she had heard the stories. That night at the bonfire, Sam had practically told her what they all were, though at the time Embry thought she had assumed they were just legends. And she had seemed enraptured with them, not scared. But that had apparently changed. Even though she had said that it wasn't about him, she had clearly put two and two together.
"I swear, I'm not dangerous," he said, pleading with her. "I would never hurt you. I've got it under control."
Freja looked confused, not understanding what he was saying. Which was strange. She knew, right? He took a step closer to her.
"I know we might seem dangerous, but we're not. We only protect. And… I only want to protect you," he continued.
Freja's eyes widened in some sort of realization. Embry hoped she was realizing that he was being honest. That he would never hurt her.
"I… I think you don't understand, Embry," she said, a quiver entering her voice as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I'm not afraid of you… you can't hurt me, but… you should be afraid of me."
He stopped moving towards her, his brow furrowing in confusion as he took in her lithe frame. There was no way that she could hurt him.
"I'm not, I'm not what you think I am," she continued. "This thing that you're feeling? You may think it's love or something like that, but it's not. I'm… I'm making you feel this way… But I didn't mean to… I swear it was an accident… No one was supposed to be around that morning..."
Embry was completely confused as to what she was talking about. It was obvious that they were both coming to two completely different conclusions. But he wasn't sure just exactly what hers was. But one thing he did know was that his feelings for her were 100 percent real. But now he had to find a way to show her that in a way that she would believe and hopefully wouldn't scare her off.
It was time for him to be completely honest with her.
Embry sighed and looked down at the sand and then out at the ocean, gathering his thoughts. He then took a deep breath and looked back over at Freja, meeting her eyes.
"Freja… I haven't been completely honest with you," he said. She frowned. "There's… something I need to tell you. All I ask is that… please… don't be afraid. I promise that I would never - ever - hurt you. It's still me."
She didn't say anything, but she didn't turn to run away either. He looked over at the treeline and then back at her.
"Just… promise me that you won't run. That you'll stay right there. Until I can explain," he said. She appeared to be considering this and then nodded.
He then turned and jogged over to the treeline, disappearing behind a tree. Tugging down his wet shorts, he then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Opening them, he turned and looked back around the tree, seeing Freja still watching from the beach, a curious look on her face. Meeting her eyes he took another deep breath and lunged forward, easily shifting into his wolf.
Freja jumped back, her eyes wide and for a moment, Embry didn't move. He waited until she relaxed slightly before walking back out on the beach. While he couldn't speak in a way she would understand right now, he hoped that she could see in his eyes that it was still him in here. He stopped a couple feet away and then dropped his head down, deciding to let her approach him when she was ready.
Freja stared at him a bit longer, her expression unreadable. She then took a cautious step towards him, reaching out. He didn't move, not wanting to spook her. When she saw that he wasn't going to do anything, she stepped towards him more quickly, her hand resting on his snout a moment.
"Is that… are you really in there?" she asked softly.
He gave a soft woof. Freja jumped slightly, but then smiled as she patted his snout and then ran her fingers through his fur. He wagged his tag, hopefully letting her know that it was okay.
Freja got a bit bolder at that, her other hand coming up to run through the fur on his head, then scratching around his ears. He couldn't help but feel hopeful. And surprised at how well she was taking this. Almost as though she wasn't shocked to find out that the supernatural existed.
Which brought him back to what she had said earlier. That he should be afraid of her. It was then that Embry realized perhaps Freja wasn't shocked because she already knew the supernatural existed. That perhaps she wasn't completely human herself.
Embry then stood and rubbed his head against her stomach before backing away. There was obviously a lot more they needed to discuss, but he couldn't do it like this. Quietly, he turned and walked back to the treeline, praying she would still be there when he got back and that she would listen.
OOOO
Freja turned to look at the ocean, coming to terms with what she had just seen. Embry wasn't human. Not completely, anyway. Now what he had said earlier made complete sense. He had thought she was talking about him.
The stories that Sam had said that night at the bonfire came back to her. He had been telling her from the beginning what they were. Freja then realized that everyone there that night - they were the same. These spirit warriors. The stories were true.
But this changed everything. She knew how she could possibly affect humans, but did that work with wolves as well? She wasn't sure. Up until now, she hadn't realized that they even existed. Sure she had heard many stories from her grandparents - the stories of wolves among the Havsfru didn't paint them in the best of light - but never had she considered that they might be real. In hindsight, she should have. She was real, after all. Regardless, none of that mattered at the moment.
This was all new territory.
"Freja…"
Turning, she saw Embry walking back up to her, now back in human form, as he zipped up his shorts.
"You're a werewolf," she stated. "The stories from the bonfire… they're true." He smiled shyly and nodded. "So vampires… they exist too… and they're here?"
She started looking up and down the beach, halfway expecting one to pop out. But then she realized they wouldn't. Vampires only came out a night, right?
"We prefer shapeshifters. That's what we are, we just happen to turn into wolves. And it's genetic… not bitten or anything. But only those in our tribe," he said. Freja turned to look back at him. "And there are vampires, but they don't really come around here. Do you remember the Cullens?"
Freja's eyes widened. Of course, she did. Everyone in Forks knew who they were, even though they had moved away, or so she had heard. She hadn't been in high school at the same time, being a few years younger, but the family had been a source of gossip ever since they arrived. She had always found them intriguing, but not enough that she had cared to talk to any of them. And none of them had ever spoken to her or come into the shop.
Wait… they had moved away six years ago, hadn't they?
"They… seriously?" she asked. Embry nodded. "And… Bella Swan?"
She remembered it had been the talk of the town when the police chief's daughter married Edward. Actually, before that. When they first started dating even though she hadn't cared all that much.
"She was turned six years ago. And they didn't actually move away. They still live here, just keep to themselves because, well, the whole no aging thing," Embry said.
Freja's eyes widened as her mouth dropped open. Being what she was, she thought there wasn't anything that could surprise her. She hadn't even been that shocked when Embry turned into a wolf in front of her eyes, but damn. The world was a whole lot stranger than she realized.
"There's more though…"
Freja looked over at Embry, watching as he ran his fingers through his wet hair. He then met her eyes, a determined look coming over his face as he walked up to her.
"Freja… we… wolves… we have this thing… it's called imprinting," he said. "It's… I'm not sure how exactly to explain it, but when we see someone, someone that we're meant to… be with… it's like everything in the world shifts. They become the center of our world and we become… whatever it is they need."
Freja frowned slightly, not exactly following. But it only took a few seconds for the realization of what he was saying hit her. Her eyes widened as she looked up at him. He thought that he had done this with her.
"You imprinted… on me?" she asked softly, not quite believing it.
Embry nodded, smiling softly as he reached out and took her hands. Freja was too shocked to pull away. To remind herself that this was dangerous. Or maybe it wasn't? She wasn't sure of anything anymore.
Embry changed into a wolf. She was half Havsfru.
Did her abilities affect him the same way they affected normal humans? But then she remembered the look on his face when he heard her play the piano. Sing. Surely that was a sign that she did affect him. Or did she?
"I know it's weird, and we can be whatever you want us to be… even if it's just friends… I just… please don't push me away," he begged.
Freja stared up into his eyes for a moment before stepping back, pulling her hands from his. Immediately, she saw the hurt in his eyes. Part of her wanted to assure him that she did have feelings for him, but that would only make it worse. He thought he had imprinted on her, but really… it was because of what she was.
She needed to explain.
"Whatever you are, it's okay," Embry continued.
"You might not think that once you find out," Freja replied, not even surprised that he had now gathered she also wasn't completely human.
"You're obviously not a vampire. So in my book, we'll be fine," he replied, his smile growing slightly.
Freja huffed and shook her head, looking out at the ocean for a bit. She then took a deep breath and met his eyes.
"What I am… we call it Havsfru," she said. He furrowed his brow. "Or sea people. Though I suppose most people would call us merpeople. Or sirens. Though I don't understand that… they're half birds and that's all Greek mythology… Our kind come from Scandinavia..."
Embry's mouth dropped open as his eyes widened. He didn't speak for a few moments before taking a deep breath.
"You're… a mermaid?" he asked, a hint of incredulity in his voice. "Like the Little Mermaid? But I saw you earlier in the water…" Freja huffed.
"Obviously it's different. And seriously? You just turned into a wolf and you're not going to believe me?" she asked.
"Okay, fair point," he said. "So… explain… You don't have a tail. I didn't see one..."
"That's because I'm only half. My mother was Havsfru, but she fell in love with a human - my father. They had me. And since I'm half, I…" She stopped. Freja had never had to explain this to anyone before, so she wasn't exactly sure how to go about it. But for his part, Embry seemed to be patiently waiting for her to continue. "Some things I have… my talent for music, for instance. Strong swimmers. And well, stronger in general, though that's a new thing with me. Ability to stay underwater for longer times than your average human, though no tail… not yet... But also… my singing… I'm not supposed to sing around humans… it could hurt them. Or well… enchant them, I guess… More so now that I'm going through the Change."
"The Change?" Embry asked. Freja nodded.
"Every halfing, when they turn 21, they will either turn full Havsfru or they won't. It starts in the months leading up to their 21st birthday. Their… abilities start growing… and then on the night of their birthday, they will turn full Havsfru or..." she stopped, not sure if she wanted to tell him the 'or' part. But she decided to wait. There was only so much he could handle learning about what she was. "But up until then… we can't control it that well… We're… volatile..."
"Is that why you didn't want to play music or sing around me?" Embry asked. "What would it do?"
"We have the ability to… control people… when we create music… and if humans are exposed to it too much, it could… make them crazy. Kill them even," she stated. "I could kill you."
Embry was silent a few moments.
"That's why… this… I really don't know how it could work. I could… I could hurt you. More than I obviously already have," she pushed on. "The Change… it's happening."
She held out her arms, pulling up one sleeve and then the other, showing him the peeling skin. Embry stepped closer to her and looked at it, gently taking her arm in his large hands as his brow furrowed. He then softly ran his finger over it, sending a shiver running through Freja.
"My 21st birthday… it's in three weeks," she said. "And then I... I'll change… and I have a choice… I can take to the ocean - answer it's call. Or stay here. Or… well..."
She knew she needed to be fully honest with him, but she still couldn't bring herself to say it. That the Change could kill her.
Embry's eyes flicked up to hers.
"Would you go?" he asked softly. "Leave?" Freja pulled her arm out of his hands, wrapping both around her middle.
"I don't know," she said honestly. "I mean, I want to stay, but… my grandparents… they say sometimes the call is strong… you can't ignore it. And I can already feel it… And I might leave… if it would save you… I don't want to hurt you. You could have a chance at a happy life if I left before you fall too far under…"
"Freja, you won't-"
"But it's already started!" she shouted. Why wouldn't he understand? Was he even listening to her? "You heard me sing! Everything you feel, it's not because of this imprint! It's because you heard me! You heard my music!"
Embry stared at her a moment and then started smiling.
"Why are you smiling? I'm being serious! This is serious! I've enchanted you! It's all because-"
Freja was cut off when Embry grabbed her arm and pulled her to him, bending down to kiss her before she could say another word. For a moment, Freja was completely overwhelmed. All sorts of sensations she had never felt before were coursing through her body as well as the heat emanating from Embry. He wrapped his arms around her as she reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck as they continued to kiss.
He then pulled back, staring down into her eyes.
"Freja… we imprint the first time we lay eyes on someone after we've shifted for the first time. Trust me… I know the difference. I imprinted on you that day at the school… when you were fixing the piano," he said. "Before you sang or even played. And before that… I was drawn to you, though I didn't realize until afterwards that it was you."
Freja's eyes widened as her mouth dropped open. He had imprinted before he heard her sing. Before he had even heard her play music. What the hell did all this mean?
"But… when you heard me play piano, sing… how did you feel?" she asked softly. "Disoriented? Foggy? Like you lost time? Do you even remember it? Feel like you had to hear more or you might die?"
Embry chuckled and shook his head.
"I remember everything. And I thought, 'Damn… how did I get so lucky?' And as much as I would like to hear you sing again, I think I can live without it," he replied. Freja's mouth dropped open in shock again. "You look surprised…"
"I… I'm not sure what any of this means," she replied, her head spinning.
Her abilities… they didn't work on Embry. Was it because of this imprint? Or because of what he was? Or… what? Maybe it just hadn't affected him yet, but it still could.
"What are you thinking, Freja?" Embry asked.
She met his eyes, one thought forming before all others. There were only two people who might know more about this.
"We need to speak to my grandparents. Now."
OOOO
And there you have it! The big reveal! But posting one more chapter tonight...
Thanks for reading and following!