Embry didn't let go of my hand as we plummeted off the cliff. Leah held Rachel as we fell into the surf. We popped up on the surface of the water. Just as my wolf broke the surface, his strong hands wrapped around my waist. Embry dropped my hand.

Free flowing laughter rocked through my body, only silenced by Sam's lips on mine. Sam carried me as I wrapped my legs around his waist, holding him as tightly as I could. I felt truly complete, as long as his body was touching mine.

Chapter 17: Small Town Secrets.

As Always Happy Reading

The shower stripped the salt out of my hair. Sam's hands worked the shampoo onto my scalp. When it rinsed out, my hair felt stronger than it ever had in Phoenix. The extra moisture in the air must have been working wonders on my hair.

"My love. I am so proud of you" Sam said softly, kissing my collarbone.

"I want to make you proud" I pulled his lips up to mine. He pressed me against the cold wall of the shower. I gasped against his mouth as I contacted the cold wall.

"You do" Sam smiled against my lips.

"Do I get my treat now?" I teased him.

Sam made a groaning noise against my lips. "I will. Later. We have to at least make an appearance at your Dad's fish fry."

I hugged my naked form against his. If I had my way this moment would last forever. Each moment I felt a burning need to be with Sam. It only grew as he held me under the warm stream of the shower. I needed him more in each moment. It was only with him that I felt complete.

Sam kissed me slowly, drawing out the motions of the kiss. Each second letting the kiss linger just a little bit longer. When the inevitable end of the kiss came, we both let out a contented sigh.

I dressed in the outfit that Leah had brought me. It did not show signs of being worn yet. Sam dressed in cutoffs and a grey shirt. Brushing my hair out I tried to style it, finally giving up and creating a messy bun on the top of my head. Years of volleyball had taught me how to do this look and make it cute.

"Wow, you look gorgeous" Sam smiled from the bed as I entered the room. He was lounging against the pillows, obviously waiting for me to be ready.

"The wonders a shower can make" I laughed.

"I invited Kyle's parents to the event tonight. Figured we should probably give them a good impression of what pack life is like. That way, when Kyle comes to hang out often, they shouldn't be suspicious" Sam smiled at me.

"Can they know he is a wolf?"

"No. It is the one rule the council has not budged on." Sam sighed. "I know it is only temporary, the young wolves living with their parents. I also get that being a wolf is a full time thing. It just makes it harder for them to have a wolf-human balance. I try to make it easier for them, I do. If problems at home arise it is not uncommon for the wolf to protect the boy, keeping them longer than they should be in wolf form. I can Alpha order them to phase back, but it causes more issues."

"Issues like what?" I asked as we made our way to his bike. Thankfully someone had put our shoes away in the front entry.

"It creates a strain on the wolf. Like them protecting the human they can be is a bad thing, which we both know is not true. It's just a wolf protector, dominance and power thing. Each pack member has it. It's just harder for adolescents to control their emotions enough for the wolf to fully understand. Does that make sense?" Sam asked. He handed me a helmet. I popped it onto my head. Feeling more padding than last time thanks to my bun.

"Yeah, I understand that." I told him truthfully. He did up my helmet strap, then kickstarted the bike to a slow pur under him. I climbed on behind him. Wrapping my arms more confidently around his middle. No longer was I the virgin that rode with him. Now I was his mate.

I watched as our home disappeared. Excitement coursed through me as we ventured to my first fish fry.

The amount of cars surrounding the house made the big house look small. Sam stored our helmets. I stood frozen to the spot. It was one thing to have the pack over. I was Sam's new imprint. Here I was, still Sam's imprint, but I was also my Dad's daughter. Yesterday was the first time I had spent any meaningful time with my Dad in years.

Looking at the cars around us, this was not just people from La Push. There are people here that are from all of Charlie and Sue's past. Here I was basically a phantom of a daughter. Would I even recognize anyone here outside of my dad's household? Other than my new friends, probably not.

I felt myself begin to double breathe. Blaming myself for not thinking this through. It was my fault, my fault that I didn't realize my Dad would have a life here. Now, with all the cars in front of the house, I saw that was the case. Everyone here was another person that knew my Dad better than I did. There are so many things that my Dad had experienced that I didn't know. If someone walked up to me and introduced themselves, would I have any idea as to who they are?

"Take a breath for me," Sam asked.

I took a big inhale of air. It almost got rid of all the butterflies I had swirling in my stomach. I swallowed hard, trying to gain the last bit of confidence.

"Ready?" Sam looked at me when he asked. Like he was trying to get the answer from not just my words but, also from the bond, and my expression. I nodded.

Sam held my hand as we walked into the backyard. It was all done up with lights. BBQ's cooking massive amounts of fish, people everywhere. Just my luck there wasn't a defined La Push or Forks groups. Charlie probably liked that people are mixing more freely. I, however, panicked.

I saw Seth walking around the party, greeting people from all around. He looked like the ideal social butterfly. For a moment that distracted me enough to not feel afraid of being here. If Seth was having a good time, it would be a possibility for me too.

Leah flagged us down, handing me a shirt and shooing me inside. The moment Sam's hand left mine a fear clawed at me. I couldn't explain why, but each moment I was without him my heart beat erratically. Quickly I made it to the bathroom. Shutting the door behind me, I was just about to lock it when the door opened. Sam slid inside.

"Hey. It's okay" Sam cooed.

"I know it was just that, well, I am not sure." I paused. "I just feel panicked. Like something is going to happen"

"I can feel that" Sam held me in his arms. "Do you know why?"

"Not a clue" I admitted.

Sam squeezed me closer to him. I relaxed in his arms.

"We will keep you safe. This party is guarded by a pack of wolves."

Breaking our hug, I slipped off my shirt. Replacing it with one that had TEAM GROOM written across it. Sam laughed, replacing his shirt with one that had the same thing written.

"You are 'Team Groom' too?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well, I am going to marry his daughter someday" he winked at me.

The thought sent butterflies through my stomach. Each little butterfly gave me hope. I smiled at him. Pulling his lips to mine.

Sam broke the kiss. He put a finger to his mouth. Just as someone knocked on the door.

"Hey, I'm almost done." Sam called.

"Sam, please don't defile my lil sister in the bathroom" Seth teased in a low voice.

I opened the door to see my brother smirking at me.

"For the record, we just changed our shirts" I commented.

"Sure sure. I don't want to know anything more" Seth winked.

We walked out to the gathering. People swarmed. I looked for people I recognized, spotting a young boy across the crowd of people. I could almost sense his uneasiness. Each time he felt uncomfortable, a hand would be raked through his hair. I started to make my way over to him.

I was pulled into conversations as I made my way across the gathering, praying there was no pop quiz. My brain was becoming exhausted. The humans here treated me like I was the long lost daughter. Each one trying to tell me more and more stories about my Dad. How I did not have to worry about him marrying Sue.

This comment stirred unrequired worry within my stomach. Every time someone mentioned to me that I had nothing to worry about, that Sue would be a great stepmom. Even when a man with an unimpressed look on his face told me that I should be grateful that Charlie allowed me to attend the wedding. His reasoning being that, if he had an ungrateful daughter like me, he wouldn't have thought to invite her.

Sam held my hand tighter as negative comments were made. Dismissing us from all those conversations. He had an easy way of ending conversations. I hoped that I could learn that skill from Sam. It would be important for the wife of the alpha to know how to end negative comments. I tried to not let strangers' words get to me. They only had half truths anyway.

Finally I made it to the person I was aiming to talk to. The boy's hair was a mess, from his constant combing of it. Every moment he would be moving it creating a neat fit for a bird.

"I think your hair looks perfect" I commented, stopping his hand from raking through it again.

"Oh hey Bella, Sam" Kyle smiled down at me. This morning he wasn't this much taller than I was. Now he had to actively look down at me.

"Where are your parents?" I asked. He stood alone in this sea of people.

"I think they are going to talk to Billy. Something about how to discipline their son who snuck out of the house last night" Kyle sighed.

I looked at Sam. This was exactly his fear about the young pups. I watched as he scanned the area, and knew the exact moment that he could see Billy.

"Yeah, it looks like they are talking to him. Will you be okay? I want to see if there is anything I can do" Sam asked me.

"Yeah I will be fine. Kyle can keep me company" I smiled at Sam.

Kyle nodded to him. The expression on his face was one of gratitude. I could almost see the stress melt off him. I would need to make it my goal to keep the stress from the boys shoulders.

Sam dropped my hand, I replaced it with Kyle's hand. I forced myself to not rub my chest. Knowing that it would simply pain Sam. I'd both seen and felt what the separation of our bodies did to me.

"You snuck out?" I teased Kyle

"More like was forced out" Kyle laughed. I joined him. Loving the amount of trust he had for his Alpha.

The conversation looked to be going well. Kyle had a better vantage point, and was telling me snippets of what was being said when the wind carried the conversation in his direction.

"My Dad is complaining that I am on the path to being nothing better than a common thief." Kyle's eyes looked pained.

I couldn't hold in a laugh "Thief? I think they are misunderstanding the situation"

"My Mom is apologizing to my dad" Kyle bunched his eyebrows together.

"For what?" I asked.

"I don't know. I missed that part" Kyle admitted.

"Sam is there, he will tell us later tonight. Nothing to worry about now" I tried to sooth the boy.

"Isabella Swan '' a man older than my father announced. He broke Kyle and my concentration on the conversation across the party. I tried to gather my thoughts, feeling a strange strain on the bond. One that I did not fully understand.

"Hi" I forced a smile at the man.

"How have you been? I haven't seen you since - well truthfully, I can't remember the last time I saw you" he laughed. The older man raised his eyes to Kyle. I swore I saw a hint of surprised recognition gleam within the man's eyes.

"Hi, I'm Kyle." Kyle introduced himself. He did not miss the strange expression of the old man.

"Kyle. I know who you are too. Actually, I know who both of you are. Probably more than you know yourselves" the strange man smiled at us both.

"Know more like what?" I asked. Not believing this man knew something that I did not.

"Where is Embry?" The man asked.

"'Not sure. Why do you want to see him?" Kyle asked. I could pick up on the protective tone within Kyle's voice.

"I just - well, I guess it would be too perfect to see all of you" the man smiled again.

Red alerts started echoing in my mind. I didn't understand what this man was doing. I tried to focus on what he looked like. Tall, but not wolf tall. Short buzzed hair. Older than Charlie, but not older than old Quil. Muscled, even in old age. He looked to be of Quileute descent.

I saw Sam walking back to me. The weird feeling I sent through the bond must have called him back. When he was half way back, I heard a howl sound in the distance. The partygoers didn't pay any attention to the howl over the music and conversation. Slowly, the pack started to slip outside the barriers of the party.

I watched as Sam changed his path. Walking away from me. Feeling Kyle being pulled to do the same. I held his hand tighter. Sam nodded to him. Kyle settled beside me again. Sam must have told him to stay.

"What is your name? I missed it" I told the man in front of us.

"The same as yours" the old man smiled as he turned and walked away.

I looked at Kyle who seemed just as unsettled from that conversation.

"Next time you talk to Embry, could you?..." I didn't know how to ask.

"Tell him about Mr. Creep, who is looking to see all of us standing together. Yup. The fuck?" Kyle seemed exacerbated.

"I don't even know," I told Kyle honestly.

Kyle and I stood in a sea of acquaintances and strangers. Both of us were on high alert, waiting for the pack to come back to the party. Even when they did, I was debating telling Sam that Embry, Kyle and I could not be seen together. It was too weird that an unknown old man had so excitedly wanted to see us all. The weight of worry held on my heart. I tried to lighten my mood, knowing that Sam was in battle right now. He needed to focus on that. Not on me, who was panicking over a social interaction.

Kyle and I walked around the party. I was grateful that he never dropped my hand as we made our way around to get drinks.

"It will be okay." Kyle sounded confident.

"I hope you are right" I tried to put on a brave face.

Kyle laughed "If that is your everything is alright expression, we will need to work on that"

I gave him a light push "Hey, cut me a break. I am still new at all of this" I gestured around us.

"Well, I am not. Been going to parties that I haven't known people at my for my entire life. Usually, the trick is finding the best food."

We walked to a relatively quiet part of the party. I nursed a pop, as I drank it I was so distracted I could not tell what the flavour was. All my attention was on Sam. All my hope was that my pack would come home safe.

"How long has it been?" I asked Kyle. He had seemed content standing next to me, occasionally he would make a comment about a party goer. Things along the lines of 'that lady looks like a bird' or 'that person over there is also on the council.' Slowly I was learning the hierarchy of the tribe.

"It has been almost two hours" Kyle looked slightly more worried as he realised that.

"Hey, Bella right?" A teenage blond man asked

"Yes. And you are?" After the last conversation, I was getting names at the beginning.

"Hi! I am Mike" He extended his hand out to me. I let go of Kyle's hand only long enough to give a half hearted shake.

"Hi Mike" I was trying not to be rude. My mind was not on this conversation. Half of my soul was in the woods.

"So, are you moving here now?" Mike asked

"I think so" I tried a smile and failed.

"Will you be coming to Forks High School? You haven't graduated yet, right?" Mike asked.

"I haven't graduated. Not sure what school I will be going too"

"You can probably go to La Push. That's where I go." Kyle smiled.

"That would be cool." I was able to flash an actual smile at Kyle. Knowing he was under just as much stress as I was.

"But, you are not..." Mike looked like he was failing for words.

"Not?" I prompted.

"Well, you are a fine porcelain doll. Probably the only one, if you go to school down here" Mike tried to make that sound like a compliment.

"And?" I prompted again.

"Well. If you go to Forks High School, maybe we could hang out. I know the rotations of teachers and well, not that I am a player, I do like to take my girlfriends away from the school for lunch. Eating out is the best lunch" Mike winked at me.

My stomach threatened an upheaval.

"She will not be requiring your assistance, fucker" Kyle leveled Mike with a stern glance.

"Oh, who are you, her kid brother? Why don't you go play with Pokémon cards? I would like to show your sister a good time" Mike winked at me.

Too much weird stuff was happening. First the long lost daughter routine with the guests. The weird old man that wanted Embry, Kyle and I to talk to him together. Now, Mike suggesting that I would let him between my legs.

"Hey Mike. Would you mind getting me a drink?" I requested.

The blond boy bounced happily through the crowd. My body began to shake. I was panicking.

Kyle picked me up. I watched as the party disappeared. The trees provided cover as my body shook. I felt the need to vomit again. Vomit at the thought of having sex with someone other than my mate. I wanted to scream at the unknown of the strange man. All the while, I wanted to cry for the lost time that was apparent in the eyes of all the guests. No one looked at me like I was Charlie's kid. They looked at me like I was Renee's daughter.

I felt my feet reconnect with the mossy ground. Kyle's arms wrapped around my body almost like he was trying to keep me together. Agony surrounded his expression. I could tell my reaction was causing him to panic. Watching as his lips moved, it was like he was talking. I heard nothing.

Kyle held me for what could have been, minutes, days, hours, or longer. He never wavered in his hold of me.

I watched as Kyle looked above me. His expression changed to one of pure relief. Strong arms wrapped around me. Pulling me away from Kyle. In these arms I was safe. In these arms I would heal. In these arms my world stopped shaking.

Authors Note: I hope you all liked it! Please let me know what you are thinking in the reviews! I really love everyone who is taking time out of their days to tell me what they think of my story. I have received DM's and reviews about how much people are loving this story. I hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween! I cant wait to read your reviews!