Chapter 31: A Conversation with Embry

Embry was surprised to see me sitting next to him, since I never actually got to talk to him one to one before, but he shrugged it off and continued to eat his food. I just minded my own business and continue eating my plate as well. Embry went up again to grab more food, and this time he filled his plate with the fajitas, rice, beans and enchiladas that I made. Embry being the sweet self that he is, said, "the food that you made is so good. I never had authentic hispanic food before" as he moaned on the last part, shoving the enchilada in his mouth.

I smiled, "Good to hear that you enjoyed it, Em."

He continued devouring the food, "you're cooking is almost in par with Emily."

I winced from that statement, so I said, " Nah, I doubt it. She is the real deal. I only know few things here and there. I don't love cooking as much as she does, but I learned in order to survive."

He smiled from that as he continued eating. I got stuffed with my third plate, so I just drank my juice. No soda. Ah the shame. I would like to drink soda, but it better to not risk in the pregnancy.

Sitting with him, I realized that I really had neglected Embry. I have forgotten about Embry's situation. He..has no one in the tribe that he can turn to about his job as a shapeshifter. Sam got Emily and the elders, Paul got me, and Seth, Leah, Jacob, Brady, Collin and Quil got their family who are in the know of the secret. Embry..He got no one. His mom Tiffany Call is Makah and is technically an outsider to the tribe, so Embry grew up like an outcast too. He is both Makah and Quileute but never fitting in to either side of the tribe. Always in the middle. Thankfully, he is friends with Jacob and Quil, so he wasn't totally alone when he became a shapeshifter, but he can't even talk to his mom about it. That's depressing, and I forgotten that there was a strong theory that he is Joshua Uley's son. I think I remember seeing the family tree with his mom on the same page of the Uley family tree in the book for fans that Meyers created years ago? I haven't read it, but I've seen pictures of the family tree online on Google lol. If that isn't enough indication that he is Sam's half-brother then I don't know what ( A/N: In this story, Embry gonna be Sam's half-brother).

I think I remember Jacob telling Bella somewhere in New Moon or Eclipse that the topic of Embry is very sensitive to the Elders because it just gives indication that someone was unfaithful to their wives and they can't send the blood sample in the clinic or else they would get caught so they never resolved Embry's case. I think that is a bunch of bull. They rather let a poor kid confused than accept that someone in their tribe was unfaithful to their wife and knocked someone up from the Makah tribe? Someone needs to give the elders a piece of their mind regarding Embry. Embry should know which family he is part of, and he deserved the right to know and to be treated with respect.

I get that Tiffany Call has been shunned both in the Makah Tribe and the Quileute Tribe, but Embry deserves to know who his father is. She is already shunned, how much more worse it gonna get if she reveals the truth? Either way, now that Embry is pack and their spirit brother, I doubt they would let Embry get ridiculed.

I pondered when and how should I tell Embry. It's already tense between Sam, Emily and I, and I don't want to make things worse, but Embry does deserve to know. I should ask him if he wants to know before telling him, but I need to ask him without prying ears, or else Embry might get pressured to not want to know in order to keep 'peace'.

So, I initiated the conversation, and said, "I have to apologize to you, Em."

He looked at me with a confused expression and said, "for what?"

I paused and said, "There are some things about you that I know, but..with everything that has happened to me lately, it slipped my mind until now."

He said reassuringly, "Oh don't worry about it. I get it. So many things happened to you" as he looked at my stomach in indication.

I said shyly, "Yeah..but..let me ask Paul first, but I want to speak to you regarding this without prying ears."

I glance through the beach, and I found Paul, Sam, and Jared are talking to Old Quil and Billy. Knowing that he can hear me, I said softly, "Paul, can I go talk to Em alone for few minutes? I promised I won't go too far."

Paul turned his heard to me and looked dead straight to my eyes. With his eyes flashing back and forth to silver for a minute, he finally gave a curt nod.

I smiled and said, "Thank you."

I turned to Embry, and said, "Let's go?"

He said hesitantly, "Sure?" as he gently helped me up and guided me away from everyone else. We walked until Embry made a complete stop, looked around, and helped me to sit next to him by the sand before saying, "Okay, I think they won't be able to hear what you got to say in this distance, so what is it that you want to tell me?"

I nodded and asked, "Do you want to know who your father is, Em?"

It was really dark outside and all I could hear is the waves crashing by the shore, so I couldn't read his expression, but I could hear that he really is thinking about it.

He said, "I..always wanted to know who my biological father was. Growing up knowing that I was a bastard child of the tribe, it wasn't easy. My mom and I were shunned often. I was picked on by kids, and stared at by the adults. I heard the whispers by the adults. I..never fit in..I was alone until I met the pack. Pack became my family, but I still felt this awkwardness between everyone because of who my dad could be. So, can you please tell me?" He said the last part with a begging tone to it.

I said, "Your..your father is Joshua Uley, Em."

He sucked in the breath said, "So, Sam is my older half-brother?"

I nodded and said, "I..I don't know what the implications would be now that I said it, but no matter who you're father is Em, it doesn't change who you are."

Embry snorted, "I think it does. It's pretty important to the tribe."

I said, "Yeah, but you chose who you want to be known as. Even if the whole world says you are one thing, you can still be whatever you want to be."

He said, "But, I am a bastard's son, half-Makah, half-Quileute and a shapeshifting spirit warrior. Nothing can change that fact."

I said, "Yeah, but you don't have to perceive yourself like that unless you want to. Even though you were conceived out of marriage, and your job is a shapeshifter, it doesn't make it exactly who you are unless you let it to be. It is just a part of you, and you can accept it as fact or accept it as truth. There is a difference."

Embry got quiet, and he said, "You don't get it what it is like, I can't just do that, Ale."

I said, "Hmm true. I..wasnt born as a 'bastard' child, but I am of mixed heritage, Em. I am Half-Colombian and Half-Salvadorian who was born on American soil. I know how it feels to not fit in. I..am not exactly fluent in Spanish, and I grew up being condemned for it by two sides of my Hispanic families. Heck, even from some White people that I experienced when they asked in their ignorance of why I don't speak my native language or I don't 'look' like of someone from said culture. I am pretty light on my Salvadorian side of the family, but I am little more darker on my Colombian side of the family. I am a second-generation immigrant, so I am more assimilated to the American culture than my mom was in her generation. In my Hispanic community, I was too American, too white or too 'gringa'. 'I don't know what it is like to live back in my own country'. Then to the Americans, I am too 'Hispanic' or more 'immigrant' for them. I am not really up to the pop culture like they are, and I didn't live the kind of lifestyle that most Americans or Majority white people lived. I grew up struggling to get by every day in the deep south of Houston, I had to learn how to protect myself because I lived in the poorer, ghetto side of the town. I had to fight my way through the system to get the education that I needed in order to make a better living for myself even if the system was against me and I got locked up with student loans to be where I am now. ..My English is not as par like it should be for someone who was born in America, but it was because I grew up in a community who spoke poor English. I have an accent for someone who isn't fluent in Spanish, so I grew up like an anomaly. I never really fit in any group, and I know how it feels to be judged because you aren't fully one side of your heritage. ..It took a long time for me to realize, but..even if you don't fit in any group, there will be people who will accept you just who you are and it all starts with you accepting yourself."

Embry became quiet for a while until he started sobbing softly.

I continued as I hesitantly placed a hand on his shoulder, "I am so sorry of what you went through, Em. No one deserved what you went through, and despite of all of that, you didn't let it stop you being you. You have a heart of gold, and not many people have that for someone who went through what you went through. Many times, they become bitter, resentful and go on a dark, lonely path. but….you know what it got you? You got a pack who will feed you, protect you, care for you and love you for you. If..one of your pack brothers see a problem knowing that you're a half-brother to Sam and pissed at me for spilling the beans, then I will tell them off because you deserved the right to know. No one deserves to be placed in the dark no matter if it is for the benefit of others, themselves or to maintain 'peace'."

He suddenly hugged me and sobbed on my shoulder. I let him cry until he calmed down, and said quietly, "Thanks."

I smiled, and he sniffed, "I think I need to send you back before Paul comes to hunt you down and kills me for keeping you to myself for too long."

I chuckled, "Yeah."

He helped me get up, and we quietly walked back to where everyone was at.

Author's Note:

Imma stop the chapter here. It feels a good stopping point. How do you guys like the conversation between Ale and Embry?

Imma try to send another chapter by tomorrow night, or latest Tuesday morning. Oh, I got the Pfizer for those who are curious. We will get to see whats up with Emily in the next chapter.

As always, reviews are very much appreciated.