I own nothing apart from Amber and Riley and the plot!!!

Chapter Ten

I was surrounded by werewolves.

I tried to think logically but the evidence was right in front of my eyes. Riley had mentioned something about Matt's dad being a wolf; I just thought that he was making up stories. Now I see that he was telling the truth; the abnormal body temperature, the strange convulsions when they become too angry.

It just didn't seem real. How could werewolves be real? They were just fantasy stories made up to scare little kids. Yet here I was sitting amongst a pack of werewolves with their…mates? Is that what Emily and Kim are to their respective husbands?

"Amber, are you okay?" Emily asked concerned, her eyes filled with worry.

My head jerked up to meet her gaze. I feel the panic rising in me; I had to get away, "I need to go." I said abruptly, standing and grabbing my bag.

"Amber what's wrong?" Embry asked, noticing my distress.

"Um…I need to go. Riley, come on we're leaving." I said, quickly taking his hand and pulling him up the sand. He struggled, trying to get my hand off his arm and go back to play with Matt.

After a moment he gave up and followed me up the sand. I ignored the voices that were calling out to me; I had to get away, to think. Everything was so confusing and I didn't know where to begin thinking about it all. Embry was a werewolf. Embry and all the other guys I work with are werewolves.

Did they know that I knew? Is that what they wanted? For me to realize what they really are? All these thoughts were running through my head. It wasn't until we got to the car park that I realized we had no way of getting home; Embry had driven me here and I had planned on him driving us home.

A little walking never killed anyone; I loosened my grip on Riley's hand and began the walk home. I was wearing comfortable shoes this time so I wasn't worried about getting blisters though I knew I would have sore feet by the time we got home.

"Mommy, why did we have to leave?" Riley whined as he stomped alongside me. "I was having fun playing with Matt."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair, "It was getting a bit late and I have to start dinner."

"I could've stayed." He shot back. "Emily makes good food."

"Don't talk to me like that." I said sharply, "Emily has been good to watch you while I work but she has enough to worry about."

He glared at me but didn't speak to me again as we walked home. As soon as we got in the door he went to his room and slammed the door. I sighed, dropping onto the kitchen table and resting my head in my hands. Things had never been so difficult; he was growing older and I had no idea how to handle his changing attitudes even if he only was five.

I had only wanted to give him a good life and I had tried, moving to different places to protect him from the vile comments directed at me from various people. I'd never thought about what it would be like for him to have grown up in a stable environment. Now I wondered how things might have been different if I had put him up for adoption.

I jumped as a loud knock caught my attention. I didn't need to guess who was at the door and I didn't move to answer it. It became more persistent and I became worried that he might knock down the door. After a while it stopped and I was faintly aware of a car pulling out of the drive way.

I stood, moving to Riley's room to check on him, worried that I had upset him too much. I opened the door, opening my mouth to begin apologising when it snapped shut at the sight of his empty room. I scanned around a few times, shocked when I found his window wide open. I ran from the room, grabbing my car keys and running out the door. He couldn't have gone far; we'd only been home for half an hour.

I searched everywhere that I could see; driving slowly to make sure I didn't miss anything. By the time I got to Emily's I was freaking out. I raced out of the car and up to the door, banging loudly. Emily opened the door, smiling until she saw the panicked look on my face.

"Amber, what's wrong?" She asked concerned.

"Is Riley here?" I asked desperately, hoping he was here, "Is he?"

Emily shook her head, "He ran away?" She asked horrified.

"I don't know! I mean, we got home and he just went straight to his room. He was angry at me but he's never done something like this." I cried, tears pouring out of my eyes.

Sam appeared behind Emily, "Amber what's wrong?"

"Riley's missing. She thinks he ran away." Emily murmured to him, wrapping her arms around me.

"I'll get the guys to help look." Sam said, disappearing into the house and returning with Jacob, Paul, Jared and Quil. There was no sign of Embry.

"Is there anywhere he would go to first?" Sam asked.

I shook my head, "I thought he would've come here. I don't know where else he would've gone."

Sam barked out orders and the guys all disappeared into different cars. I ran back to mine, driving around the short town and finding no sign of him anywhere. I didn't have any family around here and even if I did none of them knew about him. I had no idea where he could have gone and the worry and guilt was eating me alive.

I drove back to Emily's hoping that someone there had heard anything. They all gave me sad looks and without getting out of the car I reversed and went back home hoping that he might've returned. The house was still empty and I collapsed on a seat crying. I couldn't loose him not after everything I've done to have him and raise him.

I went to the door at the sound of a strong knock. There stood Embry and Riley looking down at the ground guiltily. I forgot about my tears, pulling him to me and wrapping my arms around him.

"What were you thinking?" I said firmly after pulling away, "Do you have any idea how scared I was?"

Riley mumbled something but still wouldn't look at me. He slinked back into his bedroom keeping the door open so I could tell that he was still in there. I looked back at Embry he smiled gently at me and pulled me into his arms. At that moment I couldn't care less that he was a werewolf. He had brought Riley back to me.

"Thank you." I sobbed, tears streaming down my face once again.

"Shh, it's okay Amber. He was walking down the road when I found him and I took him to a café to get stuff out of him." Embry told me, kissing the top of my forehead.

I sniffled pulling away from him, "I'm sorry I ran out on you guys today."

"It's okay." He mumbled and looked at the ground.

"So," I began casually, wiping away my tears, "How long have you guys been werewolves for?" I asked nonchalantly.

His eyes practically fell out of his head, "What? We're not- I mean- werewolves aren't real…I don't know what…it's all Quil's fault." He blurted out.

I laughed, feeling much happier than ten minutes ago, "Why is it Quil's fault?"

He rubbed the back of his head nervously, "Um…because he's annoying?" He said but it came out like a question.

"Embry I did figure it out." I told him matter of fact, "I mean it explains the freakishly tallness and temperature and why are you looking at me like that?" I asked, feeling suddenly self conscious.

"You're amazing, you know that?" Embry said with a goofy smile. "No other imprint has ever figured it out. Everyone had to tell them."

I frowned, "Imprint?"

Embry became nervous suddenly, linking his hand through mine, "There's a thing with being a werewolf…"

"So you finally admitted it." I said triumphantly, though I already knew that it was true.

He laughed but it sounded nervous, "Yes I'm a werewolf. Imprints are our soul mates, the only one out there for us. It's a rare thing but pretty much all of us have imprinted by now."

I swallowed the lump that was forming in my throat, "And have you imprinted?"

He nodded seriously, "I imprinted on you."

I blinked feeling very overwhelmed and before I could think his lips crashed onto mine heatedly. After a moment of shock my eyes closed and my arms wrapped around his neck, deepening the kiss. His burning hands wrapped around my waist, keeping me pinned to him while he crashed his lips repeatedly against mine. His tongue shot out, tasting my lower lip and my legs almost collapsed. He pulled away after a moment and we were both breathing heavily.

"Wow." Was all either of us could say.