AN: So, it's early, but I've had such a wave of inspiration, I thought I would go ahead and post another chapter! I'm actually writing chapter eighteen now, so I'm waaay ahead lol. I've also decided to start posting chapter previews at the end of each chapter :3 enjoy!

Chapter Thirteen

Emmett's POV – Tricky Situations

Oh boy… I was in trouble. Mate or not, I wasn't blind. It was easy to see how human me had fallen for Alex so quickly. She possessed the same supernatural allure we all did, and was old enough to know how to use it. I cleared my throat as I met eyes with the large wolf that had taken her place. He was watching me with deep impassive eyes. It was a bit unsettling. Luckily, Jasper showed up only a few minutes later for his shift. He gave me a questioning look, but I shrugged him off. It had to be the imprint that made her so… I couldn't describe my attraction.

As it turned out, Rosalie was very not okay with me returning home shirtless. It only got worse when she forced me to tell her where it was. I was currently getting the silent treatment. I could practically feel Edward probing at my brain.

Lalalalala – Not thinking about Alex's boobs – lalala… Edward looked up from his book to send me a questioning look. Damn. How about you give me some breathing room, huh?

"We don't breathe." He stated plainly as he turned his gaze back to the book in his hands.

"Whatever, I'm gonna go see if Rose is still angry" He waved a hand, not bothering to look up.

With a sigh, I dragged myself up the stairs. I was almost to the bedroom door when Alice practically ran into me. "Oh! You're home."

"Where else would I be?" I was surprised by her soft tone. Usually, you couldn't shut the little pixie up!

"I can't tell these days. The wolves block my vision… Emmett-" Her voice dropped into a whisper as she said my name. Leaning in, she frowned. "Are you having a hard time choosing between Rosalie and the wolf?"

I was shocked at her question. At least she had the good sense to talk low enough so that Rosalie wouldn't overhear. "No… No! Why?" I was suddenly glad Jasper wasn't around. Even I couldn't identify the emotion that welled inside my chest. Was that… guilt?

"I can't see your future anymore… So either you're wavering between the two, or you've already chosen her."

I couldn't go to Rose after talking to Alice. It wasn't that I agreed with what she said, but that I was so confused. Memory after memory kept coming back to me, and it was hard to make sense of them all. I loved Rosie… didn't I? I knew it was probably the imprint pulling me towards Alex, but I couldn't shake it. Luckily, I didn't have to dwell on the thought. Around seven in the morning, Edward drove Bella to the airport. He met us at the treaty line not long after.

The wolves were there, growling and tense. It wasn't like we were going to attack them or anything, but they still shook – like they were holding themselves back. I felt a pull in my chest, almost an impulse. My gaze drifted over to the large white wolf that watched me with unreadable eyes. I knew it was her, even in this form. She and her pack stood separate from Sam's. It was almost as if they were pointing out the fact that they were neutral.

"Emmett!" Rosalie hissed. It was the first time she had spoken to me since the night before. "Stop staring at the mutt!"

A deep growl erupted from several wolves, but Alex's eyes only narrowed. How did I get caught in the middle of this again? I tried to shake the mental image of Rose and Alex mud wrestling over me as Alice explained her vision. We would split up and cover each side of the treaty line, Alex's pack splitting the line. It was a good plan, I just hoped we could pull it off. I was over everything trying to kill Bella. Edward shot me a dark look. Relax Dick-ward, Bella's like a sister to me, but she's kind of a danger magnet. He shook his head and looked away.

With a flash of red, we were off. I wasn't sure how Victoria was doing it, but she managed to out run us all. One of Alex's wolves almost had her twice, his big jaws tearing off the arm of her jacket. That snapped the smile off her face. She became even more serious then. When she crossed to our side, I picked up the pace, breaking away from my family. I almost had her – just a few more feet. When she jumped the creek, I followed.

"Emmett, no!" I heard as I was knocked back into the water. I wiped the water from my face as I met eyes with the angry silver wolf from Sam's pack.

I couldn't help but get angry at this. I almost had her! A hiss had just started to cross my lips when the wolf was practically tackled by an equally large white one. Alex's ears were flat on her head as she bared her teeth at him. Even I had to admit it was scary as shit! The other wolf growled back, but buckled under her gaze. The silver wolf shook his head before running off to join the others. Like a switch had been flipped, Alex's wolf-face became soft. Her eyes raked over me before meeting my own, and I could hear her unasked question…

Gatlinburg 1934

"What on earth, Emmett McCarty!" The disapproval in Alexandria's voice made me wince. Well, that and my new split lip. "Are you okay?" She crouched at my feet, her eyes searching my face. I guess word traveled fast…

"I'm fine. After all, I'm a big strong man." I smiled through the pain, hoping it would ease some of her anger.

"I heard from Russell that you got into a fight with Jonny Brigs. Why on earth would you do that Emmett? The man is known for beating men half way to their grave!"

I frowned and looked away. At the time, it was justified, but now my anger seemed childish. "Someone needed to put him in his place." I shrugged and turned back to her worried eyes. "Besides, he's worse off than me."

"That's not the point, Emmett! You got hurt, and for what? To prove that you were 'a big strong man'?"

Now I was angry. "No! I clocked 'em because he was talking about you!" I nearly screamed as I relived the fight. "He was talkin' about what he would do to you if he got you alone." It still made me angry.

Her gaze softened, but she still looked upset. "So? Men talk, Emmett. It doesn't mean anything!"

"You're my girl!" I barked out before I could stop myself. "Everyone knows that! It'll be a cold day in hell before I let the likes of Jonny Brigs talk about the woman I love like she's some kind of floozy!"

She froze, all the anger disappearing from her face. "What did you say?"

Shit. We hadn't really said that whole love thing yet. "I said I love you, stubborn woman." I pouted. That wasn't how I wanted to tell her.

Despite everything, her full lips pulled back into a wide smile. I felt all my tension wash away at the sight of it. "I love you too, big strong man." She laughed and took my head in her hands, placing a gentle kiss on my split lip.

Present Day

I took a slow breath as the memory hit me full force. That one was… Intense. "I'm fine. After all, I'm a big strong man." I croaked out with a half-smile. She looked stunned for a second before shaking her head. She nudged me with her nose lightly before turning to follow the others. This was getting complicated…

AN: Reviews are loved 3 Here is a spoiler from the next chapter:

"You're gonn'a test my resolve if ya keep thinkin' about whatever you're thinkin' about." His voice was husky, and the southern drawl I had once loved was back.