Batten Down the Hatches

Embry stood just outside the shop staring at the sign that read "Siren's Call" a few moments, building up the courage to walk in. It took him a couple days since he told the pack about the imprint to get this far. He had never been as easy-going about girls as Quil or even Jacob, though he had spent far too much time mooning over Bella Swan in high school in Embry's opinion, and then forgot about them completely once he imprinted. But of the three, Embry was definitely the quietest and shyest when it came to the opposite sex. The only reason he had more experience dating than either Quil or Jacob was solely because they had both imprinted so young.

But this wasn't flirting with some random girl in between class or while out with the guys. This was his imprint. And a rejection from her would be far more painful - quite literally - than any of the others. On top of that, Embry had literally no clue where he stood with her considering how she had rushed off the first time they met. No amount of encouragement or reassurance from Quil or Jacob would stop the thumping of his heart and the anxiety coursing through him as he took a step forward and then started up the three stairs that led to the entrance.

There were various nautical and mermaid signs and paraphernalia decorating the front, which he thought was interesting, though a bit kitschy. Though he supposed it was fitting - weren't there old fishermen tales about mermaids enchanting sailors and pulling them under the water where they drowned? He couldn't recall at the moment, old wives' tales being the least of his worries right now. Pushing the door open, Embry heard a chime and then stopped, taking everything in.

The shop wasn't very large, but still managed to have a large collection of various instruments on display. On one wall, there were cubbies with boxes of reeds and other instrument parts. An old upright piano was up against the opposite wall next to a display of guitars. The smell of wood and resin permeated the space.

"Can I help you?" a slightly accented, but friendly voice said.

Embry looked forward, seeing an older woman with gray hair in a braid wrapped around her head gracefully walking towards him, a warm smile on her face. He felt a bit disappointed it wasn't Freja, but pushed it aside as he smiled in return and quickly refocused on his objective. Get information on Freja.

"Yea, I'm looking for a guitar," he said easily.

"Ah, well, you're in luck. We do have a few of those," the woman replied with a chuckle. "Is there a particular brand or type?"

She led him over to a wall where a surprising amount of guitars were up on display. Embry's eyes widened slightly. He had come up with the guitar thing on the drive over and obviously did not plan well enough, not realizing there were so many types to choose from.

"Perhaps if you told me acoustic or electric, we can start there," the woman said, a twinkle in her eye, no doubt catching onto the look of slight terror in his eyes. "And perhaps a price range…"

"Ah, right… a… acoustic," he said, still staring at the guitars while he frantically came up with some sort of budget. Shit. Embry knew he should have better prepared for this. He had no idea how much a guitar - new or used - cost.

Taking a deep breath, he could feel a bit of the anxiety fade away. Through the imprint he could sense that she must be here… somewhere. As the old woman started through an explanation of a few different guitars, he glanced around the shop, noticing a door just behind the counter. He wondered where it led and if perhaps Freja was back there.

She had to be back there. He could feel it. But how did he get back there?

"Sir…"

Embry jumped slightly, now realizing that he had completely zoned out on whatever she had been saying. The woman held out a guitar to him, an expectant expression on his face. He took it, for a moment wondering what he was meant to do before quickly sliding the strap over his shoulder and looking down at it a bit dumbfoundedly. It was a bit beat up, but still in relatively good shape. At least he thought it was. Embry knew absolutely nothing about guitars.

"Not a bad fit for a beginner," the woman said. Embry looked up at her, eyes slightly wide before he chuckled.

"That obvious?" he asked.

She nodded with a smile. Suddenly, there was muffled laughter from the door. Both of them looked over at it, while Embry longed to go back there.

"That one is $75," she said, looking back at him.

While Embry thought it wasn't a bad price for a guitar, he hadn't actually intended to purchase one today. Today was supposed to be about finding Freja again and he had done zilch in that regard.

"Ah… can I think about it?" he asked, feeling a bit embarrassed as he pulled it off and handed it back.

The woman only smiled in response, as though she was used to this very thing. Embry wondered just how a shop that sold used instruments could stay in business in this area. But he then pushed it aside, quickly trying to come up with something that could get him information on Freja. He needed to stay focused.

"Oh right, I also wanted to ask… my family has a piano at home… you guys do piano tuning, right?" he asked quickly, priding himself for his quick thinking.

"We do," the woman replied, starting to walk back to the counter. "Our rate starts at $100, but could increase depending on how much work is required." She started flipping through a book as Embry walked closer, noticing that it was a scheduler. "Ah yes, my husband is free next week, Tuesday morning, if that works for you?"

She looked back up at him. Right. Okay. Think, Embry.

"A friend of mine works at the school in La Push. And had really great reviews about the person who did the work. Was that your husband or do you have another technician?" he asked. Yes, that was smooth, he thought.

An odd look came over the woman's face a moment before some sort of realization hit her, her eyes widening and then narrowing slightly. Embry realized they were the same color as Freja's. Perhaps this was her grandmother? Though why did she suddenly look suspicious?

"I'm sorry, only my husband is available," she said smoothly, pasting a now clearly fake smile on her face. "Shall I make the appointment?"

Embry frantically tried to think of some way to get out of this. He didn't have a piano. Nor did he really want to pay $100 for some old man to trek out to his house to tune a non-existent piano just to save face.

"You know… let me talk to my mom and get back to you," he said. The woman nodded.

"And I suggest you do a bit more research into what exactly you want before returning," she said, a hint of coldness in her voice.

"Yea… sure… thanks," Embry said before turning and quickly leaving the shop.

That had not gone according to plan at all. Or well.

He had hoped to see Freja and talk to her again. At the very least confirm that she worked there. Well, that he was fairly certain about now. The resemblance between the old woman and Freja was strong. And he was certain that was her laugh he had heard through the door.

But it was clear at the end that the woman was suspicious of him. Going back would be tricky, especially if the old woman worked there every day.

Climbing into his truck, Embry sighed and stared at the steering wheel a few moments. What to do next? That had been a bit of a bust. But he supposed there really was only one thing to do. He had to go back and try again. And next time, he needed to be more prepared.

Turning on the truck, Embry pulled out and started back to La Push, wondering if he could afford a guitar. Or what he would do with it once he purchased it. Regardless, he needed to do more research lest he look like an idiot yet again. And face the fact that he was likely purchasing a guitar.

The things he was willing to do…

OOOO

Freja sighed as she rolled her shoulders, trying to work out a few kinks that had settled into her back as she hunched over the old guitar she had been repairing a couple days later. The door leading to the front of the shop had been left open as she was the only one minding it for the time being. Her grandmother had set out to get some things from Port Angeles and would likely be gone the rest of the day while her grandfather was off seeing about a broken church organ on the other side of the county.

While she appreciated the break from them - especially with her grandmother hovering so much the last few days - Freja had to admit she was getting a bit bored working alone. So far she had only had one customer since both had left and that was an hour ago.

If anything, she needed a distraction from her thoughts, which had been drifting towards the mysterious Embry more and more lately. It was starting to reach a super annoying level. At night, he made appearances in nearly every dream so she struggled to stay asleep. And now, she was daydreaming about him, a man that she was clearly attracted to but couldn't be around, rather than focusing on her job. No amount of trying to distract herself seemed to work. He always managed to slip in.

Sitting back in her chair, she frowned as she stared at the various photos up on the wall. Her eyes stopped on one of a woman that looked nearly identical to Freja with an infant in her arms and a handsome man at her side. Both of them were smiling down at the baby.

"What would you say, Mom?" Freja asked softly. She then shook her head and sat up, attempting to get back to work.

Though just as she started, she felt a shift in the air. Her fingers halting, Freja looked around the room, wondering what was going on, then shrugged, assuming it was something to do with The Change. Everything lately had to do with The Change.

The tinkle of the door chime then got her attention. Smiling and happy for the socialization, Freja glanced towards the open door to the front.

"Be right there!" she shouted cheerfully as she put her tools aside and stood. Quickly, she made her way across the workshop and through the open door. "How I can-"

Freja was fairly sure her heart skipped a beat or two as she slid to a halt and stood there, mouth gaping like a fish out of water. Because standing in the middle of the shop was none other than Embry.

It only took a half second before a beautiful smile broke out across his face. God, why did he have to have such a perfect, beautiful smile?

"So this is where you work," he said warmly, walking towards her. "Lucky coincidence."

Freja only continued to gape about, shouting at herself internally to shut her mouth and remember how to speak. But she couldn't help as her anxiety suddenly and mysteriously began to abate and she felt… something. Like a string or thread. It shot out of her, connecting to Embry. Which was odd. And she was fairly sure it was no coincidence that he had shown up at the shop. It had taken him about four days to find her.

Finally, Freja shook her head and attempted to smile.

"Yes, it's my grandparents' shop. How can I help you?" she asked, hoping she didn't really sound as out of breath as she thought. "Surely you didn't come all this way just to find me."

Christ, was she actually flirting with him? No, no, no. That was bad news. She couldn't flirt with him. She shouldn't flirt with him.

But Embry only smiled brighter, his eyes drifting over to the wall of guitars.

"Actually, I am here to buy a guitar," he said, walking over to them, his gait casual and relaxed as he came to a stop in front of them.

"Get it together," Freja scolded herself before walking over to join him.

"What exactly are you looking for?" she asked. "Electric? Acoustic? Classical?"

Embry glanced over at her. Sheesh, he needed to stop smiling at her like that. She was struggling to keep her train of thought.

"Acoustic. That's the best for a beginner, right?" he asked. Freja nodded, focusing on the selection of acoustic guitars they had.

"Well, these are all in good condition even though they are used. We've worked on them a bit and re-strung them," she said. "If you want to give one a try?"

She was fighting hard not to look at him, but it was proving difficult.

"How about this one?" Embry said, pointing at one. "Seems like it's got some character." Freja's eyes widened slightly.

Of all the guitars on the wall, he had to pick her favorite one. She had spent ages repairing it in the hopes she could convince her grandparents to let her keep it. But they, of course, had said no. It had been fairly beat up when they picked it up at an estate sale, but from the moment she touched it, it felt warm and comfortable in her hands, like a part of her. She had sanded it down and refinished it, added a few design elements, but there were still some visible scratches in the wood.

Gulping slightly, Freja stepped over and pulled it down from the wall, then held it out to Embry.

"Gently. This one is special," she found herself saying softly.

It was a miracle she kept her eyes trained on it, sure her cheeks were flaring up bright red at the moment. Why had she said that? She saw Embry's large hands gently grab it and pull it towards him. She then let go and looked up, watching as he held it almost reverently.

"Yea… I think this one might work," he said, meeting her eyes.

Freja felt as though her world was spinning slightly, the only thing staying still was Embry as everything faded around her. Without thinking, she took a step towards him, wondering what it would feel like to have his strong arms wrapped around her.

"It's the only way to protect you and him…"

Freja managed to snap out of it as her grandmother's voice filled her head. She abruptly turned, walking over to the counter as her hands started shaking slightly. Shit, this was bad. How the hell was she supposed to fight this off? She needed to get Embry out of the shop and fast. And what the hell was going on? He was supposed to be affected by her - not the other way around.

"That one is $75," she said, her eyes fixed on the counter as she looked around for the receipt book.

Locating it, she grabbed a pen and started filling it out, hearing the heavy thud of Embry's footfalls moving closer.

"So, you live in Forks?" he asked. Freja glanced up at him, noticing he had propped the guitar against the counter and was pulling out his wallet from his back pocket.

"Yea… born and raised here," she replied before looking back down. Shit. Why couldn't she stop talking to him?

"I'm surprised I haven't run into you before. I was born and raised in La Push, but down in Forks enough," he replied.

"I don't get out much," she admitted, glancing up at him again as he counted out some bills. "Work."

"I can understand that. I spend most of my time working too… at the woodwork and furniture shop in La Push," he said, smiling as he handed over the money.

"You build things?" Freja asked, unable to help herself. A slight flush came over Embry's cheeks as he looked down.

"Yea, sorta… I mean, I do build things from time to time. Not as good as Gramps, who owns the place, but maybe someday," he said, venturing a look back up at her.

"That's nice," she said, trying to sound casual and not let on that her heart was thumping so hard, she was sure it was about to pound right out of her chest.

Freja quickly finished up the receipt and handed it over before turning to punch in the amount into the cash register and then place the cash in the tray, not even taking the time to count it.

"I was wondering… if it's not… if you're not too busy or get a day off or something… maybe we could hang out," Embry said, stumbling over his words slightly.

Freja's eyes widened as she fought off the urge to allow her mouth to drop open again. Was he… asking her out? And why did she find it adorable? And extremely hard to say no.

"You do get days off, right?" he asked.

Freja blinked a few times and then shook her head, looking around the counter again.

"Not many, no," she replied, finally locating the dish of picks they kept out with the shop's logo on it. For wanting to hide what they were so badly, she really didn't understand why her grandfather had put a mermaid on it. She reached in and grabbed one then held it out to him. "Sorry," she added as an afterthought.

Embry looked crestfallen, but covered it with a smile as he reached out and took the pick from her. As their fingers brushed, Freja felt a jolt of electricity flow through her and jumped slightly. Embry's eyes widened as though he felt it too. Shit. She was in so much trouble now. He needed to go.

"Right, that should be it. You can call and speak to my grandfather if something needs repaired," she said quickly, pulling her hand away and wrapping her arms around her middle.

Embry nodded and reached down, picking up the guitar and then turning towards the door. With every step he took away from her, the urge to stop him got stronger, but Freja bit back her words. Just as he pushed the door open, though, she couldn't help herself.

"Embry," she called out. He stopped and turned back to look at her, his expression hopeful. "Promise me you'll take good care of it. The guitar…"

He flashed her a smile and nodded.

"I will," he said. "See you around, Freja."

"Yea… sure," she said lamely.

He then turned and left the shop.

Freja let out a long breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding in, placing her hands out and bracing herself against the counter. That had been intense, but she survived. Now to spend the next several weeks avoiding him.

She gasped, her hand flying to her chest as a sharp pain pierced her heart and then disappeared. Freja looked up to the door, wondering where that had come from and why.

Was it… Embry?

Freja snorted and shook her head, dry laughter leaving her lips. There was no way. This was just another side effect of The Change. It had to be. Her eyes then traveled down to her fingers that had brushed his as she lifted her hand up.

In that moment, Freja knew that she wanted to see him again. Despite all her grandmother's warnings - and her own internal warnings - something inside her was screaming to see Embry again. To get to know him. Another thought then entered her mind as her eyes widened and travelled back over to the door.

She, Freja Ingrid Larssen, was officially, royally, screwed.

OOOO

Got a few more chapters finished the last couple of days and more plotting! Still not completely sure how I'm going to end this, but got a basic idea. Planning to just keep writing what I've already planned and let the details come to me. I'm still several chapters ahead, so as long as I stick to write one-post one, I'm good and shouldn't have a long lag time in between postings.

And yea, I loved writing this chapter. The interactions between Freja and Embry are just... adorable to write. Yes, it's a bit of a slow burn up to a point and then things get in high gear... Actually just finished the chapter where the truth comes out, which gets a bit intense...

.2020 - Haha, or something... You are on the right trail, though technically in Greek mythology sirens were half bird...

Guest - Thanks so much! I spent a decent amount of time plotting out Freja's half of the story since most of us already know the wolves' side. Still working out some kinks, but happy with it so far. Hope you enjoy this latest installment!

Thanks for reading and following!