Swept Away

Embry yawned loudly as he walked into the shop the next morning. After his experience walking home last night, he couldn't get the scent of the ocean out of his mind, though the melody he had heard drifted away. It was bugging him that he couldn't quite remember how it went. Perhaps whoever had created it would do the same thing today and he'd get another chance to track them down on his way home.

Though that was slightly crazy of him to think. It was probably all in his head.

"You're looking a bit rough," Quil said, smirking as Embry walked in. "Tough night?"

"I'm fine," Embry replied, frowning slightly at him.

He wasn't about to tell Quil that he was still dreaming about the scent he came across in Forks nor the fact he smelled it again last night while hearing some song in the wind. There was no way that Quil would ever let him live it down.

"Good, because Gramps needs you to go over to the school and pick up a few desks that need repairs before the year starts up," Quil said.

"Why me?" Embry asked, slightly irritated to do heavy lifting so early in the morning.

"'Cause someone needs to watch the shop and Gramps isn't in yet," Quil replied matter-of-factly. "Besides, we both know you and Gramps will be doing all the work on them anyway."

Reaching behind him, Quil snatched a key ring from a hook on the wall and tossed them at Embry, who caught them easily. Sighing, he turned and walked out of the shop, making his way to the large truck parked in the alley around the back of the shop. It was a short drive over to the school and after a quick stop at the front office, he drove around to a side exit and located the classroom in question.

The desks would be better thrown out and replaced, but he knew the school likely didn't have the budget for that and Gramps would give a good discount if not do the work for free. Thankfully, there weren't too many of them.

It didn't take long to get them loaded up, but just as Embry was about to get the last desk out to the truck, he heard the tinkle of piano keys. Stopping, he walked out to the hallway, wondering who would be at the school so early that morning to play the piano. He listened a bit longer, finding it wasn't so much someone was playing, but checking the sound. His curiosity got the better of him as he started down the hallway to the music room.

He stopped in the doorway and peered it, finding a young woman with long, wavy blonde hair so light it was nearly white pulled up in a messy bun, tendrils already starting to fall out of it. She was wearing long sleeves and short overalls, a collection of tools laid out on the bench with the front of the upright piano opened as she fiddled around in it.

It happened so suddenly that it took his breath away.

Immediately, he was overwhelmed by the smell of the seabreeze - the scent from the other day. As Embry watched her reach down and pick up a tool, her face still towards the piano, the world around him faded and all he saw was her. Her long, slender fingers intertwined with his. Her lithe, yet tall frame curled up to his side. Her lips turned up into a smile as her eyes twinkled. The ocean breeze blowing through her long, wild hair.

Almost as though she felt it too, the woman stopped, frowning slightly as a shudder went through her. She then shook her head and went back to work on the piano. Embry was frozen in his spot, watching her. She then put her tools down, moving them down slightly before sitting on the bench, her fingers lightly brushing over the keys.

The room was then full of music - overwhelming, yet indescribable music that he didn't recognize though it wasn't as though he listened to classical all that much. He had never heard anyone play like that before - it almost had an unworldly quality to it with her fingers flying up and down the keys at a crazy speed. It was as though it came from somewhere else. But stronger than the pull of the music was the pull of her. Embry needed to see her fully. Know her name. Maybe touch her. See if her hair was as soft as it looked.

He hadn't realized that he was actually walking towards her until he ran into a desk and cursed under his breath as he looked down to glare at the offending object. The music stopped abruptly and Embry looked up, finding her now standing, her back to the piano and her eyes wide in shock. After the wall of sound, the silence in the room was deafening.

"I'm… I'm so sorry," he said, putting his hands up. "I didn't mean to interrupt you."

"It's fine. I just finished," she said quickly, already starting to gather up her tools and throwing them into a worn leather satchel, though she halted slightly, glancing over at him curiously. Almost as though she didn't really want to leave.

Surely that was a good sign, right?

"That was… beautiful," he said, taking a few steps towards her.

"It's nothing," she muttered, her pale cheeks flushing pink and she renewed her efforts to pack up.

"No, really. I've never heard anyone play like that before," he continued, hoping to get her to stay.

She was haphazardly throwing tools into the bag now, her hands shaking slightly. Christ, had he scared her? He hadn't meant to scare her. How did he fix this?

"I'm Embry. Embry Call. I work at the furniture shop in town," he said, hoping to slow her down. "I was just getting some desks that need repaired from the classroom down the hall when I heard you. I really didn't mean to interrupt…"

She straightened up, seeming to study him a moment before she turned to put the piano back to rights.

"Like said… it's fine. I was finished anyway," she said.

"You're not from around here, are you?" he continued, desperate for any information about this mysterious woman that he had just imprinted on. Who was supposedly now his soulmate. No, that felt weird since she was a stranger. Mate? Even weirder. Person. Yes. She was his… person.

"Not La Push, no," she said, now hefting the heavy bag up onto her shoulder.

She started for the door, but stopped, realizing that she was going to have to walk just by him to get to it. Nervously, she tugged down on the sleeve of her shirt as she studied the ground a moment.

"I… I need to go," she said, walking again.

He remained motionless, not wanted to spook her anymore than obviously he already had. She paused just as she passed him, her brow furrowing as she looked up, meeting his gaze. From this close, he could see that her eyes were the strangest shade of gray, blue and green, the colors seeming to swirl together.

Neither said anything as they stared at each other, but Embry could feel the small thread that now connected them growing stronger. He didn't reach out to her, not wanting to scare her more than he already had. But he really wanted to.

Then she looked away, shaking her head as she continued towards the door.

"What's your name?" he asked, hoping he didn't sound too desperate. But he hoped to get at least that much before she disappeared on him.

She hesitated in the doorway a moment, looking to the ground while she fiddled with the strap of her bag - as though she was debating something. She then looked up at him, her expression softening slightly.

"Freja… Freja Larssen," she said softly. Then almost as if she shouldn't have said that, she spun on her toes and disappeared into the hallway.

Embry was halfway tempted to follow her, but knew that would be landing him straight in stalker territory. So instead he remained in the classroom, a goofy grin beginning to fill his face.

He had imprinted. Finally.

In those few moments since, it was as if the nervous energy that had been coursing through him the last couple of years completely dissipated and a new calm filled him. But then just as suddenly a new realization hit him.

He had just imprinted and he didn't know a damn thing about her other than her name. He needed to find out more about Freja Larssen.

OOOO

Freja gripped the steering wheel of the car as she careened down the highway towards home, frustration and anger coursing through her now that she was alone and away from the man. No, Embry. No, the man. She shouldn't use his name. That just made her want to turn around and go back even more.

She knew she shouldn't have played the damn piano. But the temptation had been too strong. No one was in the school, or so she had thought and she did need to make sure that it was fully in tune. It hadn't been a lot - just a few bars. But apparently that was all it took.

She had felt the shift in the air before she started playing, but ignored it, not thinking it was significant. Or perhaps it had to do with the Change. Once she heard Embry run into the desk and spun around, Freja knew she had made a horrible, horrible mistake. The way he looked at her told her everything that she needed to know.

Even now, she could clearly see his eyes wide in awe, the stunned smile on his face and slight flush to his cheeks. He looked like a man who had found some sort of magic elixir for life or the greatest treasure in the world. Which - according to her grandmother - was typically the first indication that a human was falling under their control.

He had heard her play music. Even though it hadn't been much and she hadn't sang (which usually produced the strongest results), it was apparently enough for him to fall under some sort of enchantment, though she wasn't sure exactly what. She hadn't been thinking about anything in particular as she played. But then again, with The Change coming, her abilities were erratic as they came in. She didn't have control of herself and there was no telling what she might accidentally do.

Her grandmother was going to kill her. She knew it.

But maybe Freja didn't need to tell her? Surely if she just stayed away from him - if he didn't hear her play or sing again - it would be okay. It would fade away and he would forget about her and there was no need to say anything.

Even then, she couldn't get him out of her head. He was easy on the eyes, that was for sure. Tall. Built strong. The muscles apparent under his t-shirt. But it was his eyes that had gotten to her. His deep brown eyes that seemed to twinkle and exude warmth and comfort. His expression felt like home.

"Stop it, Freja. Stupid, stupid," she scolded herself as she turned into the lane that led through the trees back to her grandparents' house. "It's too dangerous…"

She knew just how dangerous it was. All because of what she was. It wasn't safe - especially now - for her to be around Embry or any man. At least she had resisted the urge to touch him as she walked by - to talk to him more - too afraid that would only make it worse.

Pulling up, she quickly shut down the car and then flew into the house, dropping her back of tools on the floor and beginning to pace around the living room.

"Think, Freja, think," she muttered to herself, returning to the thought that maybe she didn't need to do or say anything.

It wasn't much in the way of exposure, she rationalized. Maybe after a few days away from her, it would be fine. Whatever effect had obviously hit him would fade away and he would be fine. He wouldn't go crazy trying to find her or be near her.

Yes, this would be okay. It had to be.

"Good gracious, Freja. What's wrong?"

She froze mid-pace, looking over to see her grandmother step into the living room from the kitchen, her eyes wide in concern. Freja opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to come up with an excuse. She hadn't expected her to be home, thinking she would have a couple of hours to calm down before she faced both of her grandparents at the shop.

When she couldn't think of what to say, she ended up bursting into tears, her anxiety and worry finally catching up to her as the weight of what she might have done beared down on her chest.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!" she sobbed as her grandmother walked over and took her into her arms. "I was just… I didn't think anyone was there… they said no one would be at the school… and, and… I had to test the piano…"

"Calm down, Freja," her grandmother said in a soothing voice, rubbing her back. "Tell me what happened."

Freja pushed away from her grandmother, her eyes now a stormy gray.

"There was a man there. He, he heard me play," she whispered. "It wasn't much, but… I could see it on his face… I affected him."

Her grandmother stared at her a few moments, and Freja braced herself for a tongue-lashing. Instead, Astrid pulled her close again, hugging her tightly.

"Oh, my girl," she murmured.

"I'm so sorry… I… I… can we fix it?" Freja asked.

"What's done can't be undone, but perhaps it's not so bad," her grandmother replied. She then pushed Freja back, looking into her eyes. "But you must stay away from him, Freja. It's the only thing that will protect him and you…"

Freja swallowed and nodded, thinking it was the best thing as well. Though she couldn't help as a small bit of disappointment rose up. Which was ridiculous. She knew that she couldn't be around Embry. No, the man. Right, the man. Astrid smiled softly and patted her cheek.

"Now, go clean yourself up and have a rest. I'll let your grandfather know that you're staying home today," Astrid said.

Freja nodded and started wiping her cheeks as she moved towards the stairs to go up to her room.

Inexplicably, with each step, her disappointment grew. Part of her wanted, no, yearned to see Embry Call again. But she had to ignore it. It wasn't real. She knew that it couldn't be.

It was because of what she was.

OOOO

Embry tossed and turned, unable to sleep that night. Everytime he closed his eyes, he saw her, her scent clinging to him. Even though she was likely somewhere nearby, he couldn't help the slight ache that entered his chest at being away from her.

As soon as he had gotten back to the shop, Quil knew something had happened. Embry pulled his best friend into the workshop and quickly explained that he had imprinted. Quil had been ecstatic, until Embry admitted that all he knew about her was her name. That she had rushed out of the room without really saying much of anything. Quil had quickly reassured him that they would find her. Surely she lived nearby. And it's not like there were many music shops in the area.

They had then spent some time scouring the internet for all the shops in nearby towns, quickly writing down addresses for two in Port Angeles. Embry didn't have time to go today - and to be honest, he was still reeling a bit from the experience.

If he was going to find her, he needed to take this slow. After the shock of imprinting had worn off slightly, Embry realized just how big this was. She wasn't from La Push. Didn't know about what he was or even about the tribe's stories, for all he knew. He was going to have to approach this carefully. Take the time to get to know her - to let her get to know him.

Then he would have to tell her the truth.

That thought alone was terrifying. But not so much that he wasn't willing to take it on. It would be far more painful to not even try at this point.

Smiling to himself, Embry got out of bed and quietly made his way through the dark house to the back deck, feeling the need to be outside. Taking a deep breath, he could almost smell the ocean which was a bit strange. Normally he could't from here.

But maybe it had something to do with her. Freja.

"Freja," he said softly, enjoying the feel of her name on his tongue. "Freja Larssen…"

She didn't look like anyone from around here, even the locals down in Forks, making him wonder how he could have gone so long without meeting her if she was from the area. It made more sense for her to hail from Port Angeles or one of the other nearby towns.

Regardless, Embry could feel it in his bones. They would meet again. And hopefully this time would go better than their first meeting.

OOOO

Freja groaned in frustration, kicking her comforter off and getting out of bed. Pushing flyaways that had come loose from her braid out of her face, she made her way over to the small deck outside her room on the second floor and leaned against the railing, breathing in deeply of the sea air.

The beach and ocean were laid out before her, her heart slowly beating in tune with the soft roar of the waves. While normally it would lull her back to sleep, she couldn't help as her thoughts twisted and turned in her head.

She couldn't stop thinking about the man. Embry. No, the man.

Which was ridiculous. Freja didn't know anything about him, save his name, though it was a safe bet that he was from La Push. And she was forbidden from seeing him again. But yet, all day her thoughts had been turning towards him. Wondering what he was like. What made him smile. If he was as warm as his eyes.

"It's just The Change," she muttered to herself half-heartedly, trying to force herself to stop daydreaming about him.

It had to be. There was no way that she could form such a strong attachment to someone she didn't know. Not in an instant.

But it didn't change the fact that for the first time in her life, Freja was inexplicably, strongly attracted to someone. Which was strange and new. All throughout school and high school, while she had had crushes - had wanted to go on dates and have a boyfriend - never had she felt a pull like this towards someone.

Part of her was disappointed. That the first time she experienced something like this, that it would be under these circumstances. And that it had to be now. At possibly the worst point in her life.

She wished she had met him another time. In another way. That he hadn't heard her play the piano.

But then again, maybe he wouldn't have given her a second glance. Maybe he would have never approached her or looked at her the way he had. A look that had hit her straight in the heart despite the fact her brain told her that it wasn't real.

Freja groaned again, dropping her head into her hands.

As if she didn't have enough to worry about right now...

OOOO

Once again, finished another chapter so decided to post another one! Finally, our two lovebirds have met. And imprinted. Gotta love that imprint. Always throws things from zero to sixty in a manner of seconds.

Lily (Guest) - Thanks so much! I have up through Chapter 8 written and planning to write one-post one, so hopefully should be able to update soon-ish/regularly.

Thanks for reading and following!