BPOV

An amused looking Embry walked past me and threw himself down on the couch, next to Jared.

"Is everything okay?" I asked concerned, looking between Jared and Billy. They didn't reply, but Embry did.

"Yeah bells, everything's peachy. Jared just doesn't know when to stop" Embry said nudging him with his elbow. I frowned, what was he on about?

"I'd wipe that smug look of my face if I were you, boy" Billy interjected. "What were you doing Embry when all this was going on? Standing watching like he was, I bet. What if something happened to Bella, huh? What would I tell Charlie? The man's my best friend. How could I tell him his baby got mauled to death by a wild animal in my back yard? What was that moron thinking, phasing so close to her?" he shouted at the sullen boys.

Jared squeaked "Sam - ."

"I don't want to hear it," Billy yelled manoeuvring his wheelchair to face me. Wow he was pissed.

"Are you okay Bella?" he extended his arm towards me taking my injured hand in his.

"I'm fine, really, Billy… And Paul didn't do this" I said pointing to the dressing. "That was all me, you know how clumsy I am," I waved my other hand trying to brush it off.

Billy spun his head towards the boys and commanded "someone better get off their ass and make her some tea now!" Embry looked at Jared.

"That would be you" he said. Jared made a huffing noise and reluctantly peeled himself of the couch and made his way over to the kitchen.

"Have a seat Bella, I'm sure you have a lot of questions" he supplied guiding me towards Jared's spot on the couch. "I guess I'll start from the beginning" he commented rubbing the back of his head. And start from the beginning he did. From the first ever Quileute's to the La Push pack, from taha aki to the first wife. It's was all so much to take in for a messily little visit to my best friend.

"So you know about the-" I was cut off.

"Yes, we know about the Cullen's" he said looking at me disappointingly. I averted my eyes away from his and into the cup of sweet tea in my lap.

"But they're nice people…" I started to defend, but the growls in the room interrupted my argument.

"They aren't people. They're vampires, Bella." Embry snarled, I shrunk further into the couch. "They're monsters, the undead." He bellowed. "They aren't natural."

Hypocrite.

"So are you" I muttered under my breath.

"Yeah, we are, but only because of them. Didn't you here what Billy just said. Were shifters because of those things you love so much" he roared. How did he even hear me?

"They never hurt anybody."

"You think they've always been so tamed?" my eyes shoot up to meet Jared's face. What? "You think they've always had this much restraint? Your naïve if you think that's true." He mocked. "Bella, do you have any idea how hard it was to control our anger, when we first phased? How difficult it was to reign in our wolves and to get a handle on phasing?" he questioned. "Take it for me; it's impossible to never loss focus on such a primal, basic instinct" he continued. "I guarantee it was exactly the same for your Cullens, there need for blood is just as primal and just as basic, if not more so than phasing" he threw his hands up in the air. "Bella, please tell me you don't actually believe they've NEVER hurt anyone?" he said shaking his head. My eyes dropped to my lap were I had been wringing my hands forcefully. He was right, why had I never thought about it.

"They've never hurt anyone, since I've known them" I whispered.

"They wouldn't dare violate the treaty" Embry piped up. "Not unless they have a death wish." I nodded my head. I could see it was clearly useless trying to defend the Cullens to wolves. With them being Mortal enemies and all.

Embry took the mug from where I had placed it on the coffee table and placed it on the counter in the kitchen. "I think we should get to Em's now" he suggested.

"Yes! Finally. Thought I was gonna starve to death" Jared exclaimed rushing out the door.

I forced myself into a standing position and made my way over to Billy. I bent down to give him a hug. "I'm sorry" I told him, turned and walked out the door following Embry. I was the reason the Cullens stayed. The Cullens staying meant the boys phased. The boys were stuck in La Push because they had phased. It was all my fault. All of it.

I leant on my truck. What had I done?

"Bella give me the keys, I'm driving" Embry instructed. I willing gave him the keys besides I was in no fit state to drive. He slide in behind the wheel and I made my way over to the passenger side slowly.

"Hurry it up Bella, the pancakes won't eat themselves" Jared cried from the bed of my truck. I laughed at his immaturity and climbed into the cab. As soon he heard the belt click, Em was speeding out the driveway.

It wasn't long before we were pulling up in front of a charming house, snuggled into a cluster of conifers. There were yellow flowers growing in buckets outside the door. It looked welcoming. The driver's door slamming shut had snapped something inside me. I remembered. What happened to Jake and Paul?

I rolled down the window. "Hey, I think we should go back and see if Jacob's okay" why weren't they concerned? I thought

Jared and Embry stopped walking; Jared turned his head partially to me. "I hope Paul sinks some teeth into him, serves him right" he supplied.

"No way, Jacob's a natural" Embry jumped down the step. "Did you see him phase on the fly. I've got 5 that says Paul doesn't touch him" he stated confidently.

Embry must've noticed I wasn't following them. They both spun around "come on in Bella, we would bite" Em reassured with amusement. Yeah right. I was about to step into a strangers house with two shifters. That shift into WOLVES!

"Speak for yourself" Jared said turning to ascend the steps leading to the front door. I bit the inside of my cheek and worked up the courage to open the door. Embry's here, I know him. He's Jake's friend. I took in a deep breath and opened the door.

When I reached Embry he stopped me. "Oh hey, about Emily, Sam's fiancée. Don't stare. It bugs Sam" and walked off. That's it! Nothing more. No why I shouldn't stare? Give a girl some warning Em, what shouldn't I stare at?

"Why would I stare?" I called after his retreating form.

I cautiously made my way up the stairs and peered into the house. There standing, leaning against the counter was a tall slender woman asking the boys if they were hungry. There was nothing to stare at here, except her thick luscious hair and nice ass. Her melodic voice was sweet and her laugh was lovely. What was Embry talking about? I trailed my eyes from her feet to her face; there was nothing wrong with her. She was the most attractive woman I had ever seen.

But then she turned towards me. I could see all of her face. See the three scars running down the side, towards her neck which disappeared behind her undershirt. But oddly she was still insanely beautiful to me. And now I was staring!

"Who's this?" she enquired. I averted my eyes to the boys sitting at the table with huge stacks of honey smothered pancakes.

"Bella swan, who else?" Jared provided sarcastically.

"Ahh, so, you're the vampire girl." Ha, apparently.

I looked everywhere except at her. "So, you're the wolf girl" I countered stepping into the house.

She smiled. Even her smile was to die for. "Guess so," she said picking up the tray of pancakes and placing them on the table "well…engaged to one."

Jared's hand armed with a fork shot out, she grabbed it. "Save some for you brothers…and ladies first" she shook their shoulders with her tiny hands. "Pancakes?" she offered.

"Sure" I stepped forward and pulled out a chair. I picked up the fork lying next to the plate and gripped it but the pain shoot up my arm again. "Damn it!" I whispered.

"Here Bells, let me" Embry spoke already slapping two pancakes on my plate.

"It's okay, my other hand still works" I lifted my hand to show him.

"Who are you trying to convince. You're a messy enough eater with your right hand" he laughed. "There's no way you can eat with the other hand and survive without getting honey on yourself…or others for the matter" he mocked chuckling. I rolled my eyes. Wait how did he know? He'd never seen me eat.

"What happened, Bella?" Emily queried anxiously lifting her hand to gesture to my wound.

"Oh, nothing. I just fell" I said shaking my head. She nodded.

"Leave it to Jake, to find a way around Sam's gag order" she stated turning towards the cooker and turning on the gas under a skillet.

"Umm, he didn't say anything to me" I watched as Embry switched his seat so he was sitting next to me. He reached over the table and snatched the honey sitting next to Jared's plate and smothered my pancakes with it from a height.

"It's a wolf thing" he started "alphas orders get obeyed, whether we want to or not." His eyebrow shot up into his hairline. "oh and check it out, we can hear each other's thoughts." Is that how he knew? He cut off a bit of pancake and raised the fork to my mouth; I raised my capable hand and took the fork from his grasp and shoved the pancake in my mouth. I wasn't a bleeding kid!

"Will you shut up, these are trade secrets" Jared reprimanded. "Damn it! This chick runs with vampires" he exclaimed.

I swallowed the sweet cake. "You can't really run with vampires," Emily made a mocking noise and Embry rewarded me with another piece of delicious pancake on the end of my fork. "Because they're fast," I added.

"Yeah…well we're faster" he defied. "Freaked out yet" he hoped.

I shrugged "you're not the first monsters I've met." I said matter of factly. Looking at Embry, I pleaded with my eyes for him to cut off anther bit, he chuckled.

"Jake's right, you're good with weird," said a gruff voice. I turned around in my chair to see a tall man scuffing his shoes on the mat at the door. He was exuding authority. Guess he's Sam, the alpha?

His eyes zoned in on Emily and he rushed towards her. "Hey" he cooed, extending his arms towards her. Sam grasped her hips, turned and pulled her towards him. He bent down so he was at eye level with Emily and kissed her sweetly on the lips. Pulling back he looked into her eyes and started placing kisses all over her face and hair. She giggled and wrapped her arms around Sam's waist and settled her head on his chest.

Embry cleared his throat. Right…staring was rude. He stabbed another piece onto my fork, for me. A moment later, Jacob barged through the door. He was dressed in different clothes than earlier today. Jake made a bee line for me; he pulled out my chaired in kneeled in front of me.

"You okay?" he asked, tucking a strand of my loose hair behind my ear. I nodded and dropped my eyes into my lap, chewing frantically; His eyes taking inventory.

"Bella, what happened to your hand?" he demanded, roughly taken it in his and inspecting it closely.

I timidly replied "nothing, cut it when I fell" I shrugged. "Embry helped me clean it" I reassured him.

"Thanks Em" he said, turning to Embry and clapped him on the back as a sign of appreciation.

"No problem" he said handing my unloaded fork off to Jake.

"Cold," Jake asked, but before I could reply he pulled out the chair next to me and scooted right up to me, so we were shoulder to shoulder with his arm wrapped around my waist.

I watched as he took a bit of my pancake and ate it! Mine.

"Something you need?" he asked looking at me with amusement.

"Yeah, I need you to tell me how Embry knows how I eat. How he can hear me, even when I mumble. Why the hell are you so warm!?" I wasn't finished. "And stop eating my delicious pancakes. They're mine!"

Jacob looked at me like I had just grown two heads. There was a pause. "What?" I asked innocently and looked around the room. No one said anything and then they all burst out laughing. No warning, no nothing. They all just broke out in hysterics. Are they crazy? I eyed them suspiciously.

"Oh, I'm sorry bells" Jake chocked out, wiping the tears away from his cheek. "Here" he said lift the fork for me this time. That's better. I chewed my pancake and rested my head on his shoulder.

"As for everything else, it's a wolf thing" he stated proudly.

"Sure, sure." I ordered.

"Hey, where's Paul?" Jared asked. Jake stiffened. I lifted my head off his shoulder and looked up at his face. Following his line of sight I found that he was looking at an equally rigid Sam.

"I don't know. Probably nursing his wou-" Jacob spat.

"Pay up!" Embry shouted, a smug look gracing his face. Jared shook his head and pulled out the money from his back pocket.

I looked around the room and saw something I hadn't seen before. The scene in front of me projected love from Sam and Emily. Of friendship from Embry and Jake and of family from all of them. I was awed by how comfortable they felt around each other, the confidence they seemed to have with each other. It was something to bottle and cherish forever. Would I ever have that? Someone how'll love me like Sam did Emily. Or family that cared about me. I already had the friendship and I was never letting it go.

I looked at Jake's laughing features. So carefree, so relaxed. But I wasn't feeling the same.

I felt a chill climb up my spine. There was this buzzing sound in the distance. Something pulling me backwards. A tingling sensation raked through my being, making me shudder slightly. I released a shaky breath and closed my eyes trying to fight this unknown pull. But my focus was shattered when a coarse voice startled me.

"The leech lover's still here I see" it spat viciously. I didn't like it, but my body felt the need to see who spat such a nasty comment about me.

I turned around and looked past Jake to see a man that wasn't as tall as Embry standing in the back door to the house. He was dressed in cut-off's riding dangerously low on the hips. He was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest, defensively. His long muscles bulged outwards thanks to the manner of his stance; he was tense like he was fighting something. His abs had definitely been worshipped by girls across the county. His pronounced V would've had the preacher's daughter lusting after him. I trailed my eyes to his face. His lips set in a smirk, eyes hazel with little flecks of gold sprinkled throughout his irises penetrated deep into my soul. My breathing hitched, I didn't like it at all.