Chapter Sixteen: Suddenly, Things Seem To Make Sense

It was late afternoon, my phone was dead, music hummed softly in my ears as I sat on my front step. Lindsay had dropped me off an hour previous from our little vacation, and now I was back in Forks, contemplating of what to do next.

Mum told me that Embry stopped by to see where I was, she was confused that I didn't tell him I was going away, that I didn't answer any of his calls. She wanted to talk about it, see if I was okay, if he and I were okay. ("Are you two fighting?" she asked, washing the dishes.) We weren't fighting, I was just overreacting. Giving me a look that said how there was no such thing as overreacting, of course that would come from her eyes, I decided to go sit out on the porch, before I figured out just what to do with myself.

"Up in my lonely room, when I'm dreaming of you~ Oh what can I do? I still need you- But- I don't want you now~"

Familiar lyrics to the song "Dreaming of You" by the Coral played through my headphones. That wasn't true though, I did still want Embry, and perhaps I did need him. He really didn't do anything wrong though.

So why are you still sitting on your porch instead of being down on the rez with him?

Grabbing the keys to my mum's car, I hopped in and pulled out of the drive-way, "Think Twice" by Eve 6 started up on my iPod, and that was a far more upbeat song to get pumped with. It wasn't as though I was going off to a fight or anything, but it gave me confidence to go face him, even after I ran away. Seeing that your boyfriend is a... Werewolf, well that can do a bit of damage to a girl. It was only natural for me to overreact.

Perhaps I should have at least told him where I was going.

The drive down to La Push seemed longer when I was alone. I never actually drove down there by myself before, and normally had my eyes closed when we were driving down, so it was really any wonder that I knew where I was going, never really being one for direction. Sure enough, a good while later, I ended up down at my destination. I didn't drive all the way up to Embry's house, but after I parked the car somewhere, I did rush up and knock on the door.

He had to answer me. Of course, he really didn't, seeing as I ignored him for an entire week. He was probably angry with me, probably didn't want to see me. I... Hope he didn't mistake me running away and ignoring him for me breaking up with me. Am I that naiave? I'm sure anyone else would have.

"Oh, Elisha." Ms. Call answered the door. "He's not home."

I frowned. "Do you know where he is?"

"Well, he and Quil left about an hour ago." She looked around her head, shaking her hair over her shoulders. "I'm sure they're wherever you kids normally hang out."

After thanking her, I ran off to the one place where the boys always hung. The one place that was always full of food. ...Probably the one place I should have checked first. Emily's. She always told me that I was welcomed anytime and not to knock, but I normally never listened and knocked anyway. This day was different though. This day, I barged right in.

"Emily!"

It was oddly quiet around the house, showing that the boys were nowhere in sight. But if not at Emily's, where else would they be?

"Ellie!"

Her arms flung around me, hugging me tight as though she would never release me. It was as though she thought something awful happened to me, that's why I was away. That wasn't it, was it? Of course it was. She started fussing over me, like a mother, about how worried sick she was and how she thought something was wrong and how devastated Embry's been.

"He hasn't talked to Jacob since you've left." She looked way a bit awkwardly. "He blamed himself though, not Jake."

I nodded. "But where is he?"

When she made me sit and offered me cake, I immediately assumed the worst. My fears were set aside when she explained that that wasn't the case, he was fine. All of them were. She then muttered to herself that it wasn't her place to tell this, but since I already knew, I should have the full story.

"Do you remember how you were asking why Bella was in trouble?" Setting a cup of tea before me, she sat down, watching me seriously.

I nodded.

"Do you know what she's in trouble with?"

"I assumed there was a lion, but... That doesn't really seem that rational anymore. I would have heard about it on the news, right?"

"Yes," Emily was still watching me carefully. "Well... You know about how the boys are wolves, right? Well, the only reason they become wolves, like that... Is because the threat that kindled the spirits within their ancestors has returned."

We stared at each other for a moment, the fact that all the other boys were wolves didn't faze me as much as Embry being one. I suppose the shock sort of wore off. But what was she one about, this threat? What was the threat and why was it after Bella?

"Blood-suckers, Children of the Night: Vampires."

I continued to stare. Vampires? I would have known if Lestat de Lioncourt was roaming around Forks, Washington. ...I'm not sure how, of course, but I would have known.

My silence seemed welcoming for her to continue. She spoke about a war going on between the Wolves and the Cullens versing some higher evil. The Cullens? She forgot that I was knew to all of this, and explained how the Cullens were a family of vampires, the wolves natural enemy, but they needed extra help with this war. So currently, the boys were fighting against super natural, blood thirsty creatures, and were putting their lives on the line for Bella Swan.

This was all so irrational. Mythical creatures didn't suddenly come to life. What next? Will I get a letter from Hogwarts saying that I'm a witch? ...as awesome as that sounds, it's impossible. This whole world I was suddenly apart of was impossible.

"Okay, so why wasn't I allowed to know about this?" I asked. "Beforehand. You know about it, Bella knows about it... It can't just be within the tribe if she knows, right?"

"Embry knows how important it is to keep the secret. He hasn't even told his mother."

Which was why he was always getting in trouble and why she thought he was being rebellious. She didn't know what good he was doing, pretecting her and the others living on the rez. It explained why he took it so lightly, how patient he really was. He never got upset with her when she yelled at him, because she didn't know any better. And if he didn't even tell his own mother, than I shouldn't be upset that he didn't tell me.

"You see these scars?" She gestures to the markings on her face. I tried to ignore them whenever I was around them, it was almost like they weren't even there anymore. But I saw them, clearly as her fingertips traced along them. "These are from Sam. We got into an argument one night and he lost it. That's how I found out about everything... How him leaving Leah for me made more sense. He told me that I was his imprint."

"Imprint?"

She explained the process of imprinting, how romantic it actually was. They were well aware of their soul-mates, and would do anything for them, only hoping that they could return the feelings that they had for them. Emily said Sam described it as his heart skipped a beat whenever he saw her, that he was no longer being held to the Earth by gravity, but her being alone. He would do anything for her as soon as she needed it. He loved her more than anything, and the feelings were mutual.

I couldn't help but "aww," at that. It was so sweet, although a bit sad too. What if your imprint didn't return the feelings and you had to go through life knowing that you couldn't be with her? Had to watch her with another man? Well, that just sounds awful.

"This imprinting business." I looked slightly awkward, running my fingertip along the rim of my tea cup. "I'm, er... I'm not... Am I?"

When she nodded, a whole new wave of responsibilty, expectations to meet, seemed to wash over me. I couldn't panic and run away again though. No, no, no. I had to face my problems head on, like a big girl.

I had to make sure Embry was okay.

A/N: Hey guys! Okay, so I know I've been updating frequently, but that's only because I wrote like four chapters while over my grandmas. I was really inspired, but... Now I'm uninspired. Like I know what's going to happen, but I can't put it down yet. So my next update might not be for a little while... Unless I'm properly pushed to write xD

So please don't hate me! And PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review~