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Mara burst into her hotel room, slamming the door behind her as her heart pounded. She immediately began pacing, running her fingers through her hair as her entire body shook. In a matter of minutes, her life had been turned upside down. No. Her life had been going topsy turvy ever since she stepped foot in Forks.

She was supposed to be covering a story. A weird one, but one that would hopefully be her first step to cover others that were important.

And then she met Embry.

From that first moment, she knew something was different. She had run the gamut of relationship experiences, heard her share of lines and such. Mara knew when she was being played and often erred on the side of caution. But this had been different. Within a couple days, she found that all she could think about was being with him.

She had told him about her father's murder. And then about her secret. And then overhearing him and Sam. The man. The wolves.

And then today.

She stopped pacing and looked at the bottle of whiskey she had picked up on a whim the other day sitting on the table. She stomped over and poured a glass, bringing it to her lips as her hands shook. Some of it missed her mouth as she took a gulp. She sputtered and moved to sit on the bed, gripping the glass tightly as she tried to calm herself down by going over the facts.

Embry wasn't human. Or at least completely human. He turned into a wolf. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn't have believed it. Even then, she still wasn't sure she could trust herself.

He had turned into a fucking wolf in front of her eyes.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," she muttered to herself as she closed her eyes. "What the hell…"

This was not what she had signed up for when she agreed to come to Forks.

A buzzing from the nightstand was the only thing that brought her back to reality. She looked over, then stood and walked over to it, seeing that Katie was calling. Sighing heavily, she answered. She knew there was no way she could tell her best friend what had just happened, but she needed to talk to someone. Anyone.

"Hey, Kates," she said lightly, hoping her best friend wouldn't catch on.

"Oh my god, what's wrong?" Katie asked immediately.

"Nothing. I'm fine," Mara said, grimacing.

"Is it the story? Or something with Embry?" Katie asked. Mara sighed.

"It's so much more complicated than that," she admitted.

"Spill. Now," Katie demanded. Mara shook her head.

"It's just… it's crazy," she said. Before she could say another word, there was a knock at the door. Mara's eyes widened as she stared at it a moment.

"Mar? What's going on?"

"Hold on," Mara said, standing. She walked to the door and looked through the peephole, seeing a worried Embry standing outside. "Kates, I'm going to have to call you back."

"No! Not until you tell me what's going on!" Katie shouted. "Something is wrong!"

"Look, I'll tell you everything, but someone is here and I gotta take care of this," Mara said, setting her glass down on the table. "I love you and we'll talk later."

"Mara, don't you dare-"

Mara hung up and put the phone on the table just as Embry knocked again. She took a deep breath and then gripped the door handle, pulling it open. Embry looked slightly relieved as soon as he saw her.

"I know that… it's weird, but… we need to talk," he said. Mara nodded and stepped back, opening the door wider. He walked in and she shut the door behind him, turning to lean against it as Embry sat on the bed.

"So… you turn into a wolf," she said, fixing him in a stern glare.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you sooner… I wanted to from that first day in the forest, but… I was worried. It's a lot to take in," he said. Mara snorted.

"You can say that again," she said. Embry grimaced. "Sorry, just… yesterday I thought the world was one thing. And now I know that there's a whole lot more to it..."

"I know. Trust me. I went through the same thing the first time I phased," he said. Mara stared at him. "Turned into a wolf."

"So, you're a werewolf. And they do exist," she said.

"We're actually called shapeshifters… we just happen to turn into wolves," he said. Mara nodded.

"Okay… shapeshifters…"

"There are a lot of things in this world that exist that you don't know about," he said. Mara's eyes widened. "But that's not something to get into now…"

"So… all of those guys – Jacob, Paul, Sam, Quil – they're all shapeshifters too?" she asked. Embry nodded.

"Yea. There are two packs. Sam is the alpha of one and Jacob is the alpha of the other. I'm part of Jacob's pack as are Quil, Seth and Leah," he said. Mara was silent a few moments.

"Guess I got a hint of that. I could tell that everyone seemed to refer to them before doing or saying anything," she replied. "Does Chief Swan know about this?"

"He does, well… he knows enough," Embry said. Mara nodded slowly.

"That's what he's been trying to hide from me, isn't it? What you guys are," she said.

"Yes," Embry said.

"And you guys aren't doing the attacks," she said.

"No. We're trying to track down whatever is," Embry said. "We protect La Push and Forks."

"So, all those times you were out hunting…"

"We were tracking," he said. "As wolves."

"And last night?" she asked.

"That man was going to hurt you," he said, frowning. "I could sense that you were in danger." Mara stared at him a moment before pushing off from the door.

"But how did you know? And you didn't have to kill him," she said, her voice rising. "You're not judge, jury and executioner! That man didn't even stand a chance against two massive wolves!" Embry carefully thought over what to say next. He couldn't tell her that the man was a vampire. At least he didn't want to. He feared there was only so much truth she could handle at once and there were more important things that he needed to tell her before that.

"We didn't kill him," he said, thankful that it was at least the truth. "He got away. But he won't be back. At least we hope not. And he's not what he seems..."

"You didn't answer my first question… how did you know I was in danger?" she asked. She tucked away the bit about the man not being what she thought for later.

"Mara, I would do anything to protect you," he said emphatically.

"Why? You just met me," she asked. "And stop deflecting."

"Mara… there's… something else that I need to tell you," he said slowly. She frowned.

You need to be brave…

Embry stared at her a few moments, watching as several emotions flew across her face. She was conflicted.

"You need to know about this," he continued. She closed her eyes a moment, taking a few breaths. She then opened them and nodded, signaling that she was ready. Or as ready as she could be. Embry took a deep breath. It was now or never.

"So… there is this… wolf thing," he said. He looked down at the floor, not sure he could look at her. "It's called imprinting." He ventured a glance at her. Mara was still silent, letting him speak. "We, ah, when we look at someone for the first time, we…" He stopped, unsure of how to tell her without sounding crazy.

"It's like… finding your match," he said finally. "You look at them and suddenly, your whole world revolves around them. You are willing to do anything – be anything that they need. We can't control it. It just happens…"

"Why are you telling me this?" Mara asked softly. Though part of her already knew the answer.

"Because that day we met in the clearing for the first time… I imprinted on you," he said, meeting her eyes.

"You imprinted. On me?" she asked, her face blank. Though really, she was reeling from the revelation.

"Yes," he said. Mara looked at the ground, thinking it over.

"So… you have some sort of… wolf claim on me?" she asked. "And that's why I've been feeling the way I have the last few days…" Embry sighed and ran his fingers through his hair as she fixed him in a scowl.

"It's not like that," he said. "We're… like soulmates… for lack of a better word, but not really…"

"So, even without this imprint thing… we might have still met and fallen in love?" Mara asked, a bit of hope entering her voice.

"Maybe," he said. "What I'm trying to say is, you still have a choice in this. You can choose to reject me."

Mara stared at him, thinking it over as the scowl left her face.

"What would that do to you?" she asked softly.

"It doesn't matter. All that matters is what you want," he replied immediately.

"I want to know," she said. "If I have a choice in this, if I'm going to make an informed decision, I need to know everything. I need to know the truth." Embry was silent a few moments.

"It wouldn't be… pleasant for me," he said finally. "I would be in pain. But I would take it if that's what it meant for you to be happy." He stood and ventured a step towards her. "All I want is for you to be safe and happy. Whatever you want. Whatever you need, and… if that's not me… then I step away." Mara stared at him, trying to come to terms with everything. She then stepped over to the table and grabbed the glass, taking another long drink.

She then looked over at him, her eyes unreadable.

"So, you would be in pain… if I said I didn't want to be with you? If I went back to Seattle and never wanted to see you again?" she asked. He nodded. "But you would do that? Stay out of my life I wanted you to?"

"It's been… difficult… the last few days when you left my side. But… I want you to have choice. I want you to decide for yourself. I don't want you to feel like you have to do it for me," he said. Mara bit her lower lip and looked away, raising the glass again towards her mouth.

What did she want? Ever since that afternoon in the woods, she had been confused. Unsure. But she did know that whenever she was around Embry, it felt calmer. Things made sense. The thought of going back to Seattle and leaving him behind caused a strong sense of anxiety in her. She had never met anyone like him.

She wasn't completely sure what any of this meant, but she did know one thing. She didn't want to cut him out of her life.

She looked over at him, setting the glass down on the table. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out as she walked over to him.

"I don't want to lose you," she said, meeting his eyes. "It's… there are things I'm going to have to get used to… all of this… but… I don't want you out of my life."

Relief filled Embry's face as he gazed down at her. He then reached out and gently took her cheek in his hand. The heat spread from her face throughout her body as she smiled softly.

"To be honest… it makes sense," she said. "Knowing why I've been so drawn to you..."

"Yea… same here," Embry said as he leaned down and kissed her. Mara wrapped her arms around his neck, rising up on her toes to make it easier for him. The kiss quickly deepened as Mara pulled him closer to her, their bodies flush against each other. Then suddenly Mara stopped, pushing him back.

"I have a condition," she said.

"What?" Embry asked, slightly worried.

"If we're going to do this… I don't want you to give up anything for me," she said. "I want you to keep your plans. Get your degree. Go to med school. Just because you've… imprinted on me… I don't want you to lose yourself." Embry smiled.

"Mara… I think this is why I imprinted on you," he said softly. "I can be myself – truly myself – with you." Mara smiled.

"Good," she said. She then pulled him towards her and started kissing him again.

Things became heated pretty quickly, with Embry pulling Mara's cardigan off. She stepped back, quickly pulling it off her top over her head as Embry did the same. Mara raised an eyebrow, taking in his built frame in appreciation. She then stepped towards him, the two picking up the kiss at a feverish pace.

Embry moved her around so that her back was facing the bed and the two tumbled down on top of it, Mara letting out a small groan of pain.

"Did I hurt you?" Embry asked, stopping everything. Mara smiled.

"Just… you weigh a lot," she replied, chuckling. He shifted so that he was putting most of his weight on his arms. "Better." She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair and then across his cheeks. "I think I'm falling in love with you."

"I think I'm falling in love with you too," he replied. Mara then pulled his face down to hers, smiling into the kiss.

Sometime later, Mara sighed as she laid her head on Embry's chest, snuggling up to him.

"Well… this is not what I was expecting when I came to Forks," she said. Embry chuckled.

"It was unexpected for me as well," he admitted. "I didn't even know you were going to be in that clearing that day." He looked down at her. "Do you have any questions?"

"God… too many," she said. Embry chuckled as he kissed her head.

"Ask me anything," he said.

"Okay… so your body heat… is that a wolf thing?" she asked.

"Yes," he said.

"That is so going to come in handy during the winter," she said. "Seriously… I get cold so easily… and your size and how much you eat?"

"We have a higher metabolism," he said. "It's also harder for us to get drunk." Mara nodded slowly.

"I'm so jealous of that," she said.

"I still don't drink that much," he said.

"All the other couples… Sam and Emily… Jacob and Nessie…"

"They've all imprinted. I'm actually one of the last to do so," he said. Mara looked up at him.

"Really?" she asked.

"Yea, I was starting to think that it wouldn't happen. Most of the guys imprinted about eight years ago. It happens as soon as you see the other person after your first phasing," he said.

"I guess you were just waiting for me to show up," Mara said, smiling.

"It was worth the wait," Embry replied. Mara went silent a few moments.

"What was it like? Imprinting?" she asked.

"It was like… well, the first time I came across you in the woods, you were out in the clearing with the deputy and I could, well this is going to sound strange no matter how I put it, but I could smell you… and then I got this tingling feeling," he said.

"You could smell me? God, I hope it wasn't bad," she said. Embry chuckled.

"Everyone has their own scent… to me… yours is like lavender," he said. Mara nodded slowly.

"Lavender…"

"And then the next day when I saw you… the whole world stopped and… it was like I could see everything… us together. Happy," he said.

"It was kind of like that for me," Mara said. "There was this buzzing sound and then you walked out and… ever since that moment anytime I was around you, it was like the world made sense. Is it like that for everyone?"

"Not sure," he said. "Feelings don't come as fast to imprintees or in the same way. But with everyone else… they all imprinted on people they had met before, so there was a foundation there. Well, except for Jacob and Quil, but their situations are a bit… different…"

"So, who knows about you guys?" Mara asked.

"Chief does, but no one else at the station. And obviously, whoever we imprint on knows. The tribe council. But outside that, no one else does. And they can't," he said. Mara frowned.

"So, your mom… she doesn't know?" she asked. Embry shook his head.

"Back when I was in Sam's pack… he gave me permission to tell her, but… I thought it was too big for her to know," he said.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"It's fine. It's gotten easier to keep it from her," he said.

"And I won't tell anyone," she vowed.

"I trust you… obviously," he said. Mara was silent a few moments.

"Wait… so does everyone know that you've imprinted on me?" she asked, thinking back to how all the others in La Push had tried to push them together since the first time she went up there.

"Right… about that," Embry said, grimacing. He knew Mara wasn't going to like what he was about to say next. "So… when we're in wolf form… we have pack telepathy. Meaning… everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts… there are, ah, no secrets."

Mara sat up in bed, looking down at him.

"You mean… everyone knows about me? The imprint? And my sense?" she asked.

"Yea… I know that you wanted it to stay between us, but… it's impossible," he said. "I can't fight it." Mara frowned. "But they don't see you differently. And, well, we're long used to the weird."

"But they also know about my father," she said.

"Mar, we're a family, the pack. And now you're part of it too," he said, looking up at her. "They'll do anything and everything to keep you safe. And they won't see you any differently." She started chewing her bottom lip as she looked away. She hadn't wanted anyone to know about her secret. Or about her father. But now… she couldn't help but feel that she should be angry. But for some reason she didn't. "Mara?"

"I'm not angry," she said, looking at him. "I'm just… okay. So, they know… I'm adjusting…"

"I swear, they're good people. No judgement," he said. "I mean… we turn into wolves." Mara nodded.

"Does it hurt? When you do it?" she asked.

"No. Honestly, now I barely think about it when I do," he said. Mara nodded and sighed.

"So… my boyfriend turns into a wolf," she mused.

"Boyfriend?" Embry said, a smile appearing. Mara looked up at him.

"Well… might as well put a name on it," she replied.

"I like the sound of that… boyfriend," he said. Mara chuckled. Her phone then buzzed again. She looked over at it. It was the fifth time and she knew she couldn't ignore Katie any longer, but she wasn't sure what to tell her friend. How did she begin to explain all of this?

"Probably Kates again," she said.

"Your best friend?"

"Yea. She called just before you came in. I told her that I would call her back," she said.

"You don't want to answer?" Embry asked.

"I do… I just don't know what to tell her," she replied. "I probably should call Richard too…" She sighed again. "This is all… I don't even know what to say… And I still have the story." Embry frowned. He was surprised that she hadn't brought it up yet or asked him what was behind the deaths now that she knew it wasn't the wolves.

Mara laid back down on his chest.

"I'll take care of it in a bit. I just… I want a few more minutes of this before I have to go back to work or face the outside world," she said. Embry pulled her closer.

"I swear, Mara. I'll keep you safe," he said. "And this… it'll be over soon." She nodded, not saying anything.

She would eventually ask him. But for now, she wanted to soak a few more moments of bliss.

Getting closer to the end!

KamAnDa – Thanks!

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