Chapter Twenty

Ok . . . you may hate me during this chapter but you should like me by the end. I know it's not Friday morning but, by my estimation, I should update today. If not, then you get an early update!

Jamie Loy, Taysha Fuller, possibly Shannon Baker, Rayanna Zaragoza – possibilities for Hetani that I looked up – obviously they'd have to be slightly younger.

Disclaimer – I do not own Twilight. I do own Hetani though.

I was sitting in my living room trying to do homework when all I really wanted to do was sit and stare at the wall as had become habit. It was the middle of November and Jake had been gone for two months. And Embry had been gone for two days. I didn't understand how he'd left me but he had, along with Quil. I thought the imprint was the strongest thing on the Earth to hold someone to another person but he'd gone to join Jake when his loyalties to Sam's pack became too strained. His alpha was Jake and that was the only thing that stopped me becoming completely withdrawn. Sighing, I fought against the memory of his departure with little success.

"Hey," I said cheerfully, working hard at regaining my happy self. Jake was gone but I had the rest of my family and the hope that Jake would one day return. Embry didn't reply but pulled me close very quickly, his face resting in the crook of my neck. I frowned at his strange behaviour and wrapped my arms around his bare back with trepidation. "What's wrong?" I asked cautiously, not really knowing what to do. He kept a firm hold on me but I could feel just by his tension that he was really upset about something. I'd seen his strain with missing Jake but he always assured me that he'd stick in La Push with me because he couldn't imagine the pain if he was away from me.

"I'm sorry," he whispered although I barely heard the muffled words. I pulled away sharply as I heard the pure sorrow in the tone. I looked up and felt my eyes widen with complete surprise upon seeing the tears yet to fall from his beautiful brown eyes.

"What's wrong?" I repeated nervously, gripping his shoulders hard but knowing he wouldn't feel it too much. He looked so torn and so pained that I just stared at him, at a loss of what to do.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart." I knew something was even more deeply wrong at the term of endearment. I studied his features carefully, trying very hard to figure out what had gone wrong, what had happened that was so bad. It took me several long minutes of contemplation but I finally realised what it was.

"You're going to Jake." It wasn't a question. There was no emotion in my voice, the precise blankness being practiced over the months when speaking to Sam. I was still mad at him for considering killing Bella – who, despite her negative aspects, didn't deserve to die. Especially like that.

"Come with me," he pleaded, not bothering to answer the question. Of course, that was answer enough. I looked at him and was shaking my head before I could think about it. He looked agonised as I gave my silent answer.

"I can't Embry. My place is here and . . . I'm too scared to be near those leeches," I said, my tone begging for him to understand.

"I'll protect you." He sounded so desperate in that moment that I almost agreed. Then I remembered my loyalty – to the pack, to my friends, to everything. I loved Embry, I loved Jake, but I couldn't go to that place.

"I'm sorry Embry – but I can't go there. Please stay here." I was being selfish, I knew that. I realised with angry humour that I was just like Bella. Ha, that was some serious karma. Embry looked lost for a moment before he pressed a firm kiss to my lips. It wasn't what I hoped for; it was a kiss of farewell and not acceptance. He broke away from me and with a last, fleeting look, he sped out the door.

"Embry?" I asked blankly as the door closed behind him. I sped to it and yanked it open, running into the rain in vain hope of catching him. He was already gone. "EMBRY!" I screamed desperately, the rain soaking my through as my knees gave out. I didn't care. I felt like someone was gripping my heart and twisting it agonisingly. The pain increased as I thought about how Embry must have felt. "No," I whimpered.

As much as I mulled it over and wanted to be, I couldn't be angry at Embry. I just couldn't. Quil had left for Jake's pack too and it turned out that it just got too much. Apparently, there was an alpha out there for every wolf and Sam just wasn't theirs. It was a true war within them and Sam explained it (despite me not wanting to hear it), having felt it before their thoughts went silent to him.

"Hey," Paul grumbled as he sat next to me, munching on his fifth bag of crisps. With Rachel as his imprint and me basically as his little sister, his right to eat whatever he wanted increased tenfold.

"Hey," I said blankly. I pushed my homework away and hoped someone would help me with it later. The phone ringing caused us both to jump and I'm sure Paul crushed about half the packet in his hands. When I realised that he wasn't going to answer the annoying piece of technology, I reached over and picked it up. "Hello?" I said into the receiver.

"Hetani?" I went still and so did Paul. Clearly he was listening but I wasn't about to complain.

"Jake?" I breathed, disbelieving it was really him. But Paul obviously heard him and thought it was him.

"Hey, how are you?" I felt annoyance spike as he asked me that.

"A mess. What do you want?" I was back to being very simple because there was no way I wanted to develop a conversation with him. I may have missed him but I would wait until everything was done with to get an explanation.

"I thought, maybe, you'd want to come up and visit for a little while." Paul snarled loudly and I just waved my hand at him to shut him up. So much for his temper being much more stable since Rachel appeared on the scene.

"No." It was a great opportunity to see Embry but that was a house full of vampires! And, of course, Jake's precious imprint was there too.

"Come on, Tani, please. You can meet Nessie, see Embry again and Alice says she'll help you with your homework." That nosy, future-seeing leech was spying on me? Great.

"What about Rachel? Paul? Protection?" I asked snippily, knowing very well he'd get my message. I had no desire to go alone but I also knew they wouldn't want the extra company.

"Sorry, Hetani, but it should be just you right now. Sue's coming up to visit too, so she can drive you." Oh, so it was assumed I would go already. Sighing, I weighed up the pros and cons. Pros: I would see Embry again, I could see Jake again, I wouldn't be alone, I'd check up on Leah and I'd finally get to check out this little vampire-human kid. Cons: I would be in a house full of vampires, I'd be terrified, it wouldn't be very long and I might be expected to go back. Oh, and seeing Embry then leaving would be just more agony for both of us.

"No."

"Embry really misses you." Those four words, so obvious yet so hard hitting, slapped me in the face. Realising that I would be even more selfish if I didn't go and not wanting to be more like Bella, I took a deep breath and released it in a harsh whoosh.

"Fine." I could hear Jake's delighted laugh down the line, contrasting starkly with the furious glare Paul was giving me.

"Sue will be there in ten minutes." And he hung up. I turned towards Paul who was fuming silently.

"I need to see him." That stopped him short and I knew that he knew that my need to see Embry was desperate. He had only seen a hint of that with Rachel but he knew what it was like to be split from your imprint. I jumped up and ran around, gathering my necessities and changing out of my pyjamas. Glancing at the homework, I shrugged and threw that in the bag too. It was worth a shot but that didn't change my mood. I was terrified.

XXX

The house was so grand that it stuck out like a sore thumb surrounded by the forest. Yet it looked surprisingly comfortable as well. Talk about your contradictions. Sue stopped the engine and I glanced around. There was a massive garage off to the side of the house that I had no doubt was filled to the brim with fancy, expensive cars that moved almost as fast as the wolves. Then I saw the police cruiser and came to the conclusion that Charlie was inside. That comforted me a little bit as I knew that, if Charlie and Sue were still alive, then I had a fair chance of survival. And I probably smelled of wolf (which, apparently, was disgusting to vampires). Come to think of it, Sue probably smelled of wolf too. I shared a look with the older woman and we both climbed out of the car, Sue leading the way up the steps and knocking on the door. I hung behind shyly because, erasing the fact that they were vampires, I hated meeting new people. The door was opened by the one vampire that I recognised: Carlisle. He had a welcoming smile on his face and instantly gestured us inside. Sue, although clearly cautious, entered briskly. I was a little slower on the uptake as I stood shuffling my feet on the porch. Carlisle didn't press me or assure me (Jake or Embry must have warned him that it wasn't what I wanted to hear), simply waiting for me to make my way on my own. He also didn't leave, which I wasn't sure about. It was nice that he didn't just leave me awkwardly outside by myself and that he wasn't staring at me, but I was also uncomfortable.

Finally, I moved forward and gaped around me at the grandeur of the house. It showed off their money but it was also very comfortable and welcoming – not ostentatious like I had imagined it would be. Carlisle walked past me and I followed him into the living room where, thankfully, the entire family wasn't waiting. The small pixie like girl that I assumed was Alice, having only glimpsed her briefly before, stood on the other end of the room with a cute smile on her marble face. Carlisle joined a woman with caramel curls and softness that I hadn't imagined a vampire could have on the arm of the couch. Charlie was seated on the couch with Sue and then my eyes landed on Bella. Holy Mother of God, she had changed. She was stunning with orangey coloured eyes (no idea why) and her curls were a rich mahogany colour that she hadn't really achieved in life. Her skin was, naturally, a deathly pallor but it wasn't as bad as I thought. She was standing with a vampire with bronze curls and golden eyes – Edward. Given that the last time I'd seen Bella was when I shrieked at her for breaking my brother, I shakily smiled then let my eyes travel round to Jake. He was grinning at me and beside him sat Embry. As soon as our eyes connected, my wolf shot up and wrapped me in a hug. I fiercely gripped him as he picked me up and spun me around. Then we kissed for the first time in what felt like forever and it was a kiss of love, apology and just fireworks. I had missed him so much that our kiss got a little out of hand.

"I'm sorry," he whispered when we broke apart, our foreheads pressed together as we looked into each other's eyes.

"Don't be," I replied easily. I had never been mad at him.

"I love you." My breathing cut off as he said that. It had been mentioned in the beginning and I'd always known it was there through his eyes, his actions and his indirect words. But never, ever had we said it properly to each other. Then I beamed.

"I love you too." It wasn't the perfect romantic setting with vampires present and my brother watching but I didn't care as we kissed once more. I didn't really have any clear intention of letting go . . . but the sound of delighted giggles broke us apart. I gazed around curiously and stopped short at the sight of the girl perched next to Jake that I'd previously not seen. She had long, bronze curls like her father and big, chocolate brown eyes like her mother used to have. For a two month old, she looked awfully like a one or two year old with more graceful features. Her lips were spread in a wide smile. Oh God.

"Hello," she told me. Oh God.

Well, what did you think? Anyhow, I hope that wasn't too painful. Next chapter: Hetani interacts with Nessie and Alice. See you on Monday morning (British time). Love Bianca :) x