Sup y'all. I'm back. Huge metaphorical round of applauds to Candilover and PrincessKnight2302 for reminding me to upload. In all honesty, I do forget I write fanfiction and need to post if I don't get reminders from someone in some way, shape, or form. Additonally there are only three more chapters left. I have other Embry/OC stories that i am thinking about posting. And by others I think there's two finished, and then three others that are in progress. Two of those three involve a lot of OCs and very confusing maybe. On the fence about that for multiple reasons. But if you really want me to post them leave a comment or PM me or something. I won't do it for just one person though. Rally my readers. I'm done now. Enjoy, read, review, favorite or follow idc.

Nicki

I stop and park, walking down the beach in my flip flops, thankful for my jeans that cut through the chill of the night. Not that it bothers me too much, but it's just enough to be irritating.

I stop at the water's edge. "If it's bruises I can heal them with saltwater." I gaze at the moonlight dancing over the water. "If you're interested."

"That water is freezing." Embry mutters looking at me like I'm crazy.

I smirk. "Coming or not?"

I tug on the sleeves of my hoodies and pull my arm out of them. I hesitate, take a deep breath, and grit my teeth before pulling my wounded arm out of the sleeves.

"What are you doing?" Embry asks.

"Hoodies are a pain in the ass to get dry." I answer pulling it over my head. "Coming or not?" I repeat.

Embry stares at me, his lips parted in shock.

I unbutton my jeans and shove them down before walking into the water, feeling his intense brown gaze on me the entire time.

I hear him follow me into the water. He doesn't strip like I did, but that's alright.

He swims out to where I'm at. I dunk myself down to my collar bones and watch as the saltwater stings my cuts and starts closing the skin up. Embry's thumb drags over the spot where the ugly gash was moments ago. Deep inside, I can feel the bone's outermost layer mending itself.

I use the saltwater to help heal his bruises with a brush of my fingertips against his abs. I can feel the bruises receding under my fingertips. And since his fractures are hairline, I could heal them easily with water. I can hear his heart hammer against his ribs with my touch.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Embry asks finally. I shiver as the wind hits my neck and sends a sharp chill down my spine.

"Huh?" I ask in confusion. Embry's hands find my waist underwater and he pulls me against him. Immediately I feel a whole lot warmer. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him even closer. I go one step further, wrapping my legs around his waist. I watch his eyes flicker, darkening with lust for just a moment. His hands gripping my waist tightly underneath the waves, his thumbs brushing against my waist above my underwear.

"You knew I imprinted on you." Embry whispers. "And you still didn't tell me how you felt."

My eyes widen. "And how did you know that?"

Embry smiles. "First of all, you talk in your sleep. Secondly… Leah."

"Leah?" I ask in confusion as red colors my cheeks.

"She tried not to think about it, really. She did. But you know how it is. She couldn't really help it. She heard you mentioned something to Dani and Dani snap back with you being afraid to tell me how you felt."

"I don't even remember that conversation." I admit.

"Point is I know." Embry whispers. "I know you were afraid. I just don't understand why."

I look to the side. "You know. You just don't realize it. Remember the day that Dani and I were fighting in Emily's back yard? And arguing?"

Recognition flickers in Embry's eyes. "I get it."

I nod with a half-smile. "I was afraid I'd go soft."

Embry smirks. "That'll be the day."

I just shake my head with a soft laugh. "It seemed like a healthy fear at the time."

"At the time?" Embry echoes.

I nod. "Love isn't… weak. It's so powerful that it's debilitating. I always fought with Anger, but I realized that anger wouldn't exist if it weren't for love's iron pull. Without any motivators, or motivation, there's no reason to get angry. There's anger in love, they can't exist without each other."

Embry licks his lips as his heart beats against my own.

"And I realized that the bigger and greater fear that I should've had is the fears that leave regrets. I realized I should've been more afraid of losing you permanently, than losing my edge. Again, the fears that leave regrets in their wake."

"If you were so afraid to regret…" Embry starts.

"I wasn't, I wouldn't be regretting anything." I start. "And I wasn't going to regret what I did, I would be regretting what I didn't do."

Embry looks at me puzzled. "What didn't you do?"

"Accept the imprint for what it is." I mutter looking up at him.

"How did you even figure that out?" Embry asks changing to topic.

"You weren't exactly discreet about it, Bry. I figured Jake out in seconds."

Embry shakes his head as I shiver again.

"You should probably get out of here before you get sick."

I shake my head. "I won't get sick." I reply. "I'm not shivering because it's cold."

"So it is cold?" Embry teases. He kicks backwards off the silt that I can't reach, pulling me partially onto him as he swims backwards.

I shake my head and let him pull me backwards. I even help him out by pulling him towards the shore using the ocean.

I get out and shake myself dry like a dog before drying the water droplets off my skin and out of my black bra and underwear.

I bend down to pull my jeans back on and then grab my two hoodies out of the compact sand, pulling them both over my head at once.

"Two hoodies?" Embry teases. "And you're not cold."

I shake my head as I walk to my Camaro. "Not even a little. And if I for some reason have a cold in the morning, I'm blaming you."

"Why me?" Embry asks.

"You're domesticating me." I answer and he bursts out laughing.

I drive in silent to his mother's house, and we sneak in his bedroom window, me with my pajama pants. Seeing as how he's already seen me pretty much in the nude I had no reservations about stripping down to one of my hoodies and then my jeans for the pajama pants.

Embry only climbed into bed in the clean cutoff jeans he was wearing. I crawled in next to him, ducking under his arm.

"You really scared me when you went missing." I finally murmur. "So please, never do that again."

Embry smiles down at me. "I hope I never will."

I sit up and look down at him shaking my head with a soft smile. His head rests in my lap as he twists up to look at me with a curious glance.

I shake my head before smirking at him. "I am struggling to believe you're really here."

"You're in my bedroom, remember?" Embry whispers sitting up beside me. "And you did save my ass."

I look down. "You saved mine too. From Nathaniel."

Embry grabs my face and forces me to look into those brown eyes that I think I could lose myself in. "I promised you the night before they took me that he would never touch you again. That if I ever met him, I would kill him if you didn't stop me. You didn't stop me, you threw him at me, and so I tried to kill him. Paul and I gladly would do it over again after what that bastard did to you."

"You saved me from the creeper in the alleyway too."

Embry looks confused for a moment before he nods. "You could've sorted him I'm sure."

I shake my head. "I didn't know my limits. I didn't know where the line was. I didn't want to overcompensate and accidentally kill him, and I didn't want to lose my innocence. You protected me in both ways that night. I never thanked you."

Embry looks down at me before closing his eyes. "I'm sure you could've found a way to live with yourself if you killed him. He was going to force himself on you, Kens. There's no way to justify that crime."

I shrug.

"It isn't easy." Embry starts. "Having an imprint that can take care of herself and protect herself. It is almost humiliating having your imprint save your ass when it should be the other way around. It's torturous watching it too. I don't care that you know how to defend and protect yourself Kensi, I will always be there to try and protect you, even if you can handle it yourself. I wouldn't have it any other way."

I look up at Embry and shake my head. "How did the shy, quiet, bookish, nerdy, introverted kid get stuck with the hotheaded, and temperamental Elemental?"

"It's balance." Embry promises. "The universe chose you for me because you're the balance."

I look down. "Chose me for you. Right." I stand up to 'grab my phone off his dresser and check the time.'

"Really they didn't." Embry sighs. I hear the bed squeak as he stands back up and grabs my wrist. He's gentle, knowing my collarbone is broken. "I'd liked you from what I saw of you in school. You were good at sports, you were smart, and you were sassy. A take-no-shit-from-anyone girl and I admired that. It only made sense that I imprinted on you while you were having a screaming match with your brother in a grocery store."

I laugh softly before looking up at Embry.

"Don't get hung up on the technicalities and the details of it, Kens. The short of it is that you were made for me and I was made for you. You're my soulmate, and we're together forever, no matter what definition of together you chose to give us."

My eyes widen at Embry gazes down at me.

"Now normally I'm pretty patient." He starts, his hand caressing my cheek, and the other tangling into my hair. "But I think you've played with me long enough."

"I haven't played with you." I whisper, my heart pounding against my chest looking up at him.

"Run from me?" Embry amends looking down at me.

"I don't run from anyone." I whisper looking up at him.

"Not forever." He concludes before lowering his head by inches.

I close my eyes before tilting my head up. His lips brush mine and I'm gone. Sparks fly and butterflies surge through me.

My hands slide up his chest to lock around his neck, the short hair on his neck between my fingers. His hand cups my cheek, tipping my head up further as he pours everything inside of him into me. Embry's tongue nudges my lip and I open my mouth just a little to give him the slightest bit of access.

He pulls away to breathe for a few seconds, his chest heaving but I'm not even slightly winded. He grabs my waist dragging me closer to him, kissing up the side of my neck to breathe a little easier.

I jump silently, wrapping my legs around his waist. Embry pauses, surprised for a few seconds before his grip slides down to my thighs to support my weight. His warmth is almost making me sweat through the hoodie.

His hands fly back to my waist before lying me down on his bed and kissing me again, fiercely as his hands explore my body, wandering cautiously so as to not put too much on me at once.

I let my own fingers go wherever they please within limits, as he just about kisses me senseless.

Embry breaks away panting with a grin on his face.

"You're grinning like an idiot." I whisper, his breath fanning my face as he braces his weight on his forearms on either side of me. He's careful with my shoulder, all too aware of the broken bones inside.

"Because you're not either." Embry retorts kissing the side of my neck, kissing away the stings, leaving marks more than likely. He kisses as far down as my hoodie will let him, nuzzling it out of his way. Slowly he climbs back up my neck, one of his hands slipping under my hoodie.

"Take it off." I whisper.

Embry looks down surprised. "Kensi-"

"I'm making out with a werewolf. I'm sweating." I hiss.

Embry smirks before tugging it off over my shoulders and tossing it onto the floor. It was a little bit of a struggle to get it off over my broken collar bone though. His fingers trail down my sides before leaning back down to kissing me.

"You're beautiful." He whispers staring slightly at me. I'm not helping him or doing him any favors, black lacy bra. Guess my red and black flannel pajama pants do a whole lot too.

I blush and look away slightly, the butterflies too much to stop the growing smile on my face.

Embry's hands slide up my back before pulling me back down to kiss my neck again.

"You don't fool anyone. Shy you are not."

Embry breaks away from my neck to laugh into my collarbone.

"There's a side to you that I never knew before."

Embry looks down at me. "You're the first. I don't usually greet all my friends like that."

"None of your ex girlfriends." I bait him. Embry smirks before flipping over again, resting only part of his weight against me.

Embry looks down at me before shaking his head. "What part of 'you're the first' did you misunderstand?"

I smirk at him before arching my back to kiss him again. "Guessing the 'first' part."

Embry breaks away, before lifting himself off of me. I twist onto my side to see his face.

"I really wanted to do that for a while." I admit as the butterflies make me practically giddy.

"Why didn't you?" Embry asks grabbing my waist and pulling me closer to him, pulling me on top of him. I blush slightly as his other leg blocks me from rolling off.

"Usually, you're stuffing your face with popcorn or asleep." I answer swallowing hard.

Embry snorts, but there's a smirk in his eyes. "Be one hell of a way to wake up though."

His arms wrap around me tightly, locking me against his chest. I don't mind too much, I relax into his embrace, hoping that I'm not cutting off his air supply.

"Do you want me to move?" I ask looking down at him, my hair brushing his face.

"No. You're not going anywhere." Embry says his grip on my body tightening, his thumbs drawing circles on my back.

I didn't need the hoodie when Embry provides so much heat it's almost uncomfortable. It's still almost too warm. But it's warm enough that I quickly fall asleep to Embry's heartbeat, strong and even in my ear.

Somewhere in Embry's bedroom my phone is ringing.

"Don't answer it." Embry mutters against my hair. His voice isn't husky which makes me wonder how long he's been awake for.

I yawn and shake my head. "I have a voicemail for a reason."

The caller tries again, and I groan.

"Kensi don't." Embry begs tightening his grip on my waist again. I have a sudden realization: the only way I get away from this man is when he lets me. There's no way I could wrestle myself out of his grip. "Please don't."

"How many times can you listen to Two Black Cadillacs before you want to run my phone over with a Cadillac?" I ask referring to my ringtone that I use only for Dani, because it is one of my favorite songs and with as much as she calls me I get to frequently hear it.

"You know I like the song but if I hear Carrie Underwood talk about throwing roses and dirt into a grave I might lose my marbles." Embry mutters against my throat.

"So then you need to let go so I can answer the phone." I start.

"Maybe she'll take a hint?" He offers.

Fourth call is the charm.

"Oh fine." Embry mutters. "Go answer it."

I roll off Embry who winces painfully. His leg clearly fell asleep last night. I get off his bed and walk to where my jeans from yesterday are and pick them up.

Dani's picture is displayed and I answer it.

"Hello?"

"Kensi? It's almost eight. Did I just wake you up?"

"No." I yawn again. "Been up for hours."

"You're a damn liar. Where are you?"

I glance at Embry. "You told me to evacuate the premise. I did."

Dani sighs. "Look, I have an issue. I can't use my powers anymore."

I freeze before looking at Embry. "Why not?"

I remember the tortured look on Dani's face yesterday as she killed her first vampires. "Is it because of your first kill?"

"No. Honestly I am a little disgusted with myself after the fact, but I really am not as bothered as I thought I was going to be. No I got in the shower and went to dry myself off immediately and discovered I couldn't manipulate the water anymore. And then I tried the wind but I couldn't so much as lift your toothbrush out of the holder. And when I did I dropped it in the toilet."

I groan in disgust before flopping backwards onto the bed. "Thanks Dani." I retort but really I am worried about why her powers are failing.

"What else?" I ask her.

"So naturally I tried fire, and knew that nothing would come of it and I was right. Nothing did. No flame. Hell, not even a spark."

I look across the room and pick up my hoodie off the floor using the wind. The breeze outside blows at my own beck and call, and I manage to create a hand full of Japanese Cherry Blossoms in my hand as easily as I could the other day.

"My powers are working fine." I answer as I glance over at Embry. He's listening as he lies down, resting his head on my stomach and scrubs feeling back into his foot.

"I don't know what to do, Kensi!" Dani cries. "I mean I planned on giving up my powers when Jake stopped shifting! I don't know what happened!"

I frown as I absentmindedly run my fingers though Embry's hair. He sighs quietly, so quietly I'm confident the phone's speaker missed it.

"This hasn't happened before. Ever."

"I don't know." Dani cries.

I stiffen. "Where's Jake."

"Still asleep." Dani whispers. "He had a busy night-"

"Too much!" I cry slamming my eyes shut. "Please stop speaking. Please. I do not need that image in my head. Please."

"Yeah try seeing it from six different people at once." Embry mutters.

"You stayed at Embry's?" Dani asks indifferent.

"Where else do you think I stayed? I'd have ran into the same problem I had at our house literally anywhere else."

"Good point. But… I don't know what to do. I'm freaking out." Dani whispers.

I drag a tired hand over my face as I try to think.

"We don't get tired like this. Our magic doesn't ever wear out. I know we both used a lot of magic yesterday, used a lot of our powers, but you used yours more than I did in manipulating the water. Hell you electrocuted yourself too and somehow I'm taking the worst of it! It shouldn't be like this! Kensi… I should have full control over my powers! I can't even tap into them."

I furrow my eyebrows because she's got a point.

"And you can't bind someone else's powers unless the Queen does it. And she wouldn't bind yours without also binding mine. And she's got no reason to." I point out.

"I don't know what to do." Dani is crying now. I can feel it. I can hear it.

"Shit. Dani it'll be alright. Look I'm on my way now. It'll be okay. I'm going to call Colette and see if there's anything she knows."

"I'm probably just tired. I don't want you to… Call Colette but you don't have to leave yet. I'll be fine."

I sigh. "Fine. I'll call Colette and let you know. But if you want me to come home I will. I promise."

"I'll call again if I need you to come home. But you don't have to. Just call Colette for me. You're better at cutting through her bullshit than I am."

"That's me. I'm good at that. Cutting through bullshit."

Dani scoffs before hanging up.

"Has that ever happened before?" Embry asks.

I shake my head. "Far as I know it doesn't. It shouldn't happen. But I bet fatigue has nothing to do with it. I'm going to call Colette real quick."

"Want me to leave?"

"I want you to stay. But be quiet." I mutter. Embry nods as I wait for Colette to pick up.