CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

"If this is my last meal, then I just want you to know that all of the food you've ever made was delicious, but could've used a tad more salt."

Emily rolled her eyes at Quil's words, lightly swatting him on the shoulder. "Rude. Also, this isn't your last meal. Don't be so morbid."

As usual, the pack was gathered in her kitchen, obnoxiously loud and eating everything in sight. The air around them buzzed with an excited energy, the fight Sam made great effort to prepare them for looming closer and closer. The army of newborns would arrive in a day, and after all the training he'd put them through—training that, while taxing, made them confident in their ability to destroy every bloodsucker that crossed their paths—he felt it was important to give them some time to relax.

Even Zora was looking forward to the violence, eager to sink her teeth into marble and tear the vampires limb from limb. She was hurting, and the only solace she found was to imagine herself in the throes of battle, free to release the pain and the anger she was bottling up. She remained quiet despite the chatter, her gaze focused on a small crack in the ceiling.

Beside her sat Leah, concern written across her face. Although she didn't like that her best friend was heartbroken over a guy—more like an undeserving asshole—she understood what it was like to be let down by the one person least expected to hurt you. Leah knew her pain, knew that behind her blank expression were all of the emotions she was trying to conceal. So she would be there for her, but she couldn't let her lock out the rest of the world. Not like she had done.

"You should have some more food," Leah suggested, eyeing Zora's nearly-untouched plate.

"I'm full already."

"You've barely eaten," she replied, unflinching at the coldness of her voice. "You'll need the energy. Tomorrow's a big day."

A low growl escaped Zora. "I said I'm not hungry."

The room grew silent, everyone pausing mid-conversation. Not once had they heard Zora speak in such a manner to Leah. They eyed the eldest girl, awaiting her inevitable fiery reaction, but were surprised to find her wearing a wide, unabashed grin instead. She knew her friend's fighting spirit hadn't diminished. All she had to do was coax it out.

"Fine, but don't come crying to me when you need your life saved."

Zora's jaw clenched, her hands balling into fists. I don't need a savior, she thought. I'm not weak. She wasn't clueless; she knew what Leah was trying to do — rile her up, send her over the edge.

Seeing her irritatingly smug smile did the trick.

"Zora!" Sam called out, the tone of his voice a warning she had no trouble following.

She sprang from her chair, the tremors wracking her body making it difficult to move. She felt Leah grip her arm, strong fingers digging into her flesh as she was yanked through the door and down the porch steps before her wolf could claw its way out.

And as soon as her bare feet touched the grass, she burst from her skin.

She was running now, the scenery around her blurred as she pushed herself to go faster and faster. Phasing released all that she'd stowed away, all of the thoughts she didn't want to think and feelings she didn't want to feel. She wanted numbness, emptiness, but the second set of thoughts invading her mind wouldn't let her have either of those things.

"Why are you following me?" she asked Leah, her voice bitter.

"Can't I join my best friend on a nice run?"

"No."

She dove forward, soaring through the dense undergrowth. She was headed in the direction of the cliffs, one of the only places that offered isolation and peace.

"You know you'll survive if you throw yourself over them," Leah commented.

"You're really starting to piss me off, Lee."

"Well, that's too fuckin' bad because you're stuck with me."

In just a handful of minutes, they finally reached the cliffs, Zora immediately feeling soothed as she heard the waves swell and crash beneath her. She and Leah shifted, the latter pulling on a large t-shirt and then offering one to the former. "I knew you'd forget to bring a spare."

Zora tried maintaining a straight face, but couldn't fight the small grin at Leah's thoughtfulness. "Thanks."

Together, they walked to the edge and sat, Zora swinging her legs back and forth as Leah stared into the ocean's horizon. The silence was comfortable and gave her time to think - even though she'd been doing a lot of that lately. She hadn't spoken to Jacob in days and went out of her way to avoid him; pack meetings made it difficult, but her determination (and self-preservation) was strong. She was remaining true to her words—I won't be waiting for you on the sidelines, and I won't be your friend—and she refused to falter. It reminded her of the early days when he'd wanted nothing to do with her. Now, the roles were reversed, and while it gave her a twisted sense of joy to know that he was also hurting, she was sad that everything—the confessions and feelings and kiss—meant nothing now.

Having an imprint was hard, but having to accept an imprint falling for someone else was grueling.

"This mystical-bond-bullshit? It's a curse," Zora said. "Where's my choice? Why can't I decide?"

Leah remained quiet, frowning at the expanse of blue in front of her. It was a question she had pondered many times, but an answer never came.

Zora sniffled, wiping at the tear sliding down her cheek. "I don't want to cry anymore."

"Stop crying, then."

"It's not that easy. Everything...everything hurts."

"It'll feel like that for a while," Leah replied, her frown softening. "Some days, it'll almost be unbearable, but you have to keep feeling anyway. You'll get through it eventually, and you'll get stronger."

After a moment of silence, Zora muttered, "You sound like an expert."

Leah cracked a smile. "Was that an attempt to make a joke?"

"Maybe. Was it completely horrible?"

"You're a little rusty, but you did manage to make me snort, so I'll give it a four out of ten."

"Only a four?" Zora laughed. The feeling was so refreshing that she kept laughing, Leah watching her with both eyebrows raised.

"Have you gone completely insane?"

"No, just a little hysterical."

"I guess I'll take hysterical over depressed," she joked. "There's only room for one sad bitch in this pack and that's me."

Zora laughed again, louder this time, but paused when she felt Leah pull her into a side hug. Affection didn't come easy to her, and Zora could tell by her refusal to make eye contact that she wasn't entirely comfortable. Her arm hadn't moved, though, meaning she was enduring it for Zora's sake. She smiled to herself and leaned against Leah, staring into the horizon with her.


Evening had quickly approached, and though Zora was trying to sleep, an unsettled stomach kept her awake. She was anxious about the battle, anxious about the horde of bloodthirsty vampires she'd have to finally face, and anxious about her mother's well-being if her only daughter didn't return home. After an hour of trying to still her restless mind, she climbed through her window quietly, securing a pair of clothes around her ankle before shifting and running through the night. She wasn't surprised to find she had company.

"Who said you could invade my space?" Embry questioned.

"I didn't realize I had to ask permission," she quipped. She saw the forest through his eyes, his thoughts steeped in worry. It seemed he was trying to run away from something, too.

"Now you're sifting through my thoughts? You're unbelievable, kid." He shook his head with feigned disappointment. "I'm nervous, too, by the way. I couldn't sleep, so I came out here instead."

"Same. I kept tossing and turning."

"Wanna go get some food? Since we're both up, anyway."

"Food?" she perked up. "Where are we gonna find food at this hour?"

An image of a small, cozy diner popped up in their thoughts, its large, neon blue sign flashing "24 hours."

"Kathy's Korner. The pancakes are ah-mazing."

"I'm more of a French toast kind of girl," she began, "but I'll take you up on the offer. Your treat, right?"

"Yeah, sure. My treat." And playfully, he added, "But only if you get there first. If I beat you, it's your treat."

"You're on. Prepare to lose, Call."

"Not a chance, Medina."


Zora sat across from Embry in a cramped, mint-green booth, their knees knocking together every time they adjusted themselves. A doo-wop song she didn't recognize danced through hidden speakers, the soft voice of a woman crooning to them about her first love. She figured Embry must have been a regular because a middle-aged waitress approached them with a friendly smile and two tall glasses of chocolate milk.

"What are you, a child?" she questioned, her arms crossed. She wasn't ecstatic about paying for Embry's meal (which he wouldn't stop bragging about).

"Yes," he answered smugly, drinking through a striped straw.

The waitress returned a few minutes later, carrying a tall stack of pancakes and two large plates of cinnamon French toast.

Zora's mouth watered at the sight of powdered sugar, and annoyance forgotten, she wasted no time dousing the bread in butter and syrup. The pair ate silently, prompting her to think about how odd they must have looked — two six-foot-something teens ravenously eating multiple servings of breakfast food at two in the morning. She chuckled, gaining the attention of Embry and an elderly couple sitting near them.

"What's so funny?" he grumbled, chewing with his mouth open.

"This just feels…so normal."

"What do you mean?"

She spoke in a voice low enough that only he could hear. "In a few hours, we're gonna take down a bunch of vampires, yet here we are, eating breakfast in the middle of the night. This feels like the most normal thing I've done in a long time."

"Oh," he replied, taking a moment to contemplate her words. "Yeah, I miss when things were simple, when I could hang out with my friends and not have to worry about anything supernatural."

She gave a small smile, feeling the same nostalgia. She began digging into her second plate, absentmindedly bobbing her head to the music when he said, "I haven't talked to him."

"Why not?" she asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Because I'm on your side."

She stopped mid-bite, staring up at him with an expression of surprise. "You are?"

"Of course. Jake's my best friend, but he's also a dick. Quil and I gave him a pretty angry lecture about...well, about everything he's done. I'm sorry that he's been such a shit head to you."

Zora felt her emotions stirring, a lump forming in her throat. So much for not crying anymore. She gazed at him with a fond expression, feeling partially embarrassed for getting emotional and absolutely grateful that he stood up for her.

"I know you've only been in our lives a few months, but I consider you one of my best friends," he smiled. "I've got your back."

A few tears fell now, moistening her cheeks and chin. Though she had originally felt some disdain towards having to join the pack, she was beginning to realize that her life wouldn't be the same without the people she now considered her family. She stood up and reached across the table, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Thank you, Embry."

"Hey!" he shouted. "Don't get tears on my pancakes."

She let him go, playfully pushing his shoulder as the two of them laughed loudly together.


Zora and Embry strolled at a leisurely pace as they walked back to La Push, watching the sun slowly rise and listening to the chitter of animals and insects rousing from their slumber. The trek was long, but they hardly noticed, caught up in a heated discussion about the pros and cons of various superhero abilities. They were discussing invisibility by the time they reached the Rez, so engrossed in the topic that they hadn't seen the figure sitting on the front steps of Embry's house.

Jacob cleared his throat, startling Zora and Embry. The pair jumped with fright, both standing in defensive positions as they searched for the potential danger. When they finally noticed him, only one was able to relax. Zora's heart fluttered frantically, a mix of emotions overwhelming her as they locked eyes; there was sadness, frustration, longing, and the most prominent: anger.

He was the last person she wanted to see.

"Why are you here?"

"I needed to talk to Embry," he responded, bristling at the acidity in her voice. His narrowed eyes left her to focus on the boy beside her. "You weren't home, though. I figured I'd wait for you, but I didn't realize you'd be busy."

Zora glowered at him. She heard the jealous undertone in his words, and she didn't like it. He had no right. "We were getting food."

"At five in the morning?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes."

The two fell into an uncomfortable silence, Embry looking between them and desperately wishing he was anywhere else but there. He let out an awkward chuckle. "I'm, er, free now. What's up, man?"

Jacob heard the question, but he couldn't find the right words to respond with. In fact, he couldn't even remember why he'd gone to see Embry. All rational thought left him when he saw them coming up the street, all beaming smiles and boisterous laughter. Their connection was natural, easy—the complete opposite of what he and her had, what he completely and mistakenly ruined.

"It doesn't matter," he muttered, rising from his spot. His gaze found Zora again, her expression void of the brightness he'd seen minutes ago - brightness he didn't deserve - and he sighed. "I'll just...I'll see you both later."

Embry and Zora watched him walk down the steps and through the grass, his strides carrying him down the street in seconds despite his sluggish pace. Once his back was turned and he was out of earshot, Zora's tough facade crumpled.

"It'll be okay," Embry murmured, his tone of voice reassuring.

She merely nodded, too choked up and too drained to respond.

It'll be okay.


(Revised 2/1/2021)