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Chapter 2

Emmett pov

Even after all these years, I didn't know how Paul decided where we went in search of our mates. We'd lived all over the country and this time his voodoo alpha-GPS brought us to the small bum-fuck town of Forks in the furthest corner of Washington state. But, I never questioned him. He was my best friend, my leader, my alpha. He would choose the right path for us.

We were friends for as long as I could remember; playing ball, getting into trouble, and sharing secrets the way all best friends do. His home life wasn't the best, his father was a down right prick. More often than not, he could be found at my house for dinner and then pretending to do our homework together. He probably spent more nights sleeping over at my house than in his own bed.

He wasn't always the tall, muscular, over-sized man he grew up to be. He was a bit of a late bloomer with more attitude than brawn and when he challenged his older brother's place as Alpha of our pack, he lost. I'd heard the legends of our tribe but, never really believed them to be true until the day I found him in wolf form, in the woods, bleeding from his wounds from the fight. Something was triggered deep inside me and I phased almost instantly, my clothing ripped to shreds. I had no idea what was going on or how I even knew this large, grey wolf was Paul but, I knew I had to protect him and heal him. I curled my body around him to comfort him as I tried to come to terms with what I was, a shape-shifter.

I never questioned that he was my alpha. I was the first of his pack and never once considered joining with his brother. He was banished which meant I was as well and we began our journey of trying to find mates never thinking it would take us as long as it had. Thirty years and not one submissive.

Shortly after our phasing, we realized that we had an overwhelming desire to mate but, with no submissive to satisfy our need, we became lovers. It wasn't easy to submit to Paul, especially the first time. I fell to the forest floor in tears after the lust wore off and it was Paul's turn to comfort me, telling me that I was no less of a man, a dominant, or his best friend. My wolf was happy to please his alpha but, it still wasn't right. Sure, fucking was better than using my own hand. And if I were a submissive, I would choose Paul as my mate, no question. But, I wasn't a submissive and we both hoped that one day we would find mates that would fill in the piece that was missing from each of us.

After our first patrol around our new home, I was in a bit of a fog. The scent of the submissive, Embry, was so sweet I could almost taste it. Never had I smelled something so intoxicating, so delicious. It took all my strength not to go chase it down and make it mine. We couldn't though and I would never claim something that wasn't given freely. We found out after our meeting with Jacob that no other dominant was interested in him and that there was an issue with the sub. I couldn't imagine what it could be but, we wouldn't know until we met him and that wouldn't be until he came off heat. One month, we had to wait an entire month, which felt like an eternity to meet the sweet-smelling sub, Embry.

We settled into our new digs and began regular patrols of the area. We took down a rogue vampire on the outskirts of Forks without much trouble. We informed Jacob and he thanked us although Paul had the feeling that Jacob wasn't entirely happy about it, like we were stealing his thunder. Idiot, we were doing what we were born to do. This wasn't about who killed the most, it was about protecting humans from the cold ones.

We fucked, a lot, during the month as we waited in anticipation of meeting Embry. When I patrolled alone I found myself walking close to where I could smell just a hint of him. I would lay down as close to the treaty line as I could get and curl up. I just couldn't get enough of the scent. Paul found me that way one day and gave me shit about it but, I think he knew that I found my mate as much as I did. As alpha, Paul had first rights to everything, especially submissives. He could even claim them as his own and no other dominant would have him. If a submissive went unclaimed, any dominant within the pack could take him. Paul wasn't that kind of alpha though. If Embry was the mate that I had been in search of, Paul would step back allowing me to claim him.

"Jacob called," Paul said pulling me from my thoughts. "He said that Embry has returned home and to meet him at the treaty line tomorrow at dusk." I dropped the dish I was washing on the floor. Paul walked over to me and put his hands on my shoulders ignoring the broken pieces on the floor. I couldn't help the smile that formed on my face. "He has to choose us, Emmett," Paul said firmly. My smile fell slightly and I bowed my head nodding. He was right. I didn't think I could take it if he didn't choose us, me. A feeling of rejection suddenly engulfed me. In all of my daydreaming, all of my fantasizing I hadn't once thought about the fact that he may not choose us. My stomach flipped and I turned placing both hands on the edge of the sink waiting for my dinner to make a reappearance.

"What if he doesn't, Paul?" I whispered. "What if,"

Paul placed a hand between my shoulder blades and rubbed my back as tears formed, wetting my cheeks. "How could he not choose us?" Paul said. "Come on," he pulled me by the hand and lead me to his bedroom. He stripped me out of my clothes and told me to get into bed. The cool sheets felt like balm against my suddenly overheated skin. Paul's naked form wrapped around me from behind and his arm draped over me and his hand rested against my chest. He ran his fingers through my hair and kissed my neck soothing me with soft words. I drifted off a long while after surrounded by the comfort of my alpha.

I woke the next morning and took a long shower, ridding myself of my morning wood. I made my way to the kitchen in a pair of basketball shorts and started the coffee and turned on the stereo determined to keep in good spirits. I made a large breakfast complete with eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, and fruit as I sang and shook my hips along with the cheesy pop songs.

"But I'm not like them, Baby, when you finally, Get to love somebody, Guess what, It's gonna be me"

I gestured to myself with my thumb. I was on the last verse of the song when the music was turned off and I turned to see Paul glaring at me. He pulled the cd from the stereo and broke it easily in half. "If you ever play this shit in my presence again," he didn't finish as he walked down the hall to the bathroom slamming the door. It didn't dampen my mood though. I hummed to myself as I heard the shower running.

My body was buzzing with excitement as we ate breakfast. The only noise in the room was the scraping of silverware on the dishes. When we finished I quickly cleaned the kitchen and the dishes shooing Paul out needing something to do with my hands. I ran into town and got my hair trimmed and then went home to put on my tightest jeans and a clean button down shirt. I went to the lounge and sat across from Paul who looked up at me and rolled his eyes.

"It's only a little after noon, Emmett," Paul said.

"I don't want to be late. It's rude," I told him.

"Why are you wearing that?" he asked

"I want to look nice, make a good impression," I explained.

"Emmett, you won't be wearing anything except a pair of shorts," he said. I had no reply.

Paul stood and moved to sit next to me on the sofa. He took my hand in his and sighed. "He will like you for who you are and not what you are wearing or the gallon of cologne you have on," he waved a hand in front of his face. "Just be you." I looked over at my best friend. He didn't have to comfort me. He had more right to the submissive if he wanted it. I could see the understanding in his eyes. "Who wouldn't love you, Emmett?" he put a chaste kiss to my lips before leaving the room.

The rest of the afternoon I spent puttering around the house with too much nervous energy. Paul stayed in his room with the door shut. When the time came to leave, we went outside to phase putting our shorts around our ankles. I'm sure I looked like a beastly puppy running in circles around Paul with my tail wagging in the air. Paul rolled his eyes at me a few times but I couldn't help myself. As we approached the treaty line, The scent hit me like a ton of bricks. I only saw the same four wolves from our first meeting but I knew there were more, hidden in the cover of the forest that lay beyond them. One was Embry.

Paul ordered me to stay in wolf form as he and Jacob phased. They shook hands and greeted each other.

"I need to know what the issue is that you have with the submissive," Paul said. "Is there something wrong with him?"

"No, nothing like that," Jacob replied. "There is a question as to who his father is and we don't want to mate with someone who could possibly be related to one of us," my heart sighed not that it would have mattered if something were strange with him but, I was glad to hear that the submissive that I had been pining for was healthy.

Jacob raised his hand and flicked his wrist. One of the other wolves trotted into the woods and returned with the most beautiful wolf I'd ever seen. His fur was grey like Paul's but he had a black strip on his nose. I watched as he approached Jacob sitting just behind and to the left of the alpha with his escort sitting next to him. His head was bowed so I couldn't see his face but his body seemed, resigned.

"Phase," with just a one word command, Embry phased and pulled on a pair of cutoff shorts but not before I caught a glimpse of his nude form. He was perfect; tone, fit, muscular body, russet in color. He was small like the average submissive but, he looked stronger.

"This is Embry," Jacob said. "His mother is born of the Mikah tribe."

"Is he looking for a pack?" Paul asked. Jacob turned to the man in question and pulled him forward by the hand.

"Embry can speak for himself," Jacob said. I couldn't take my eyes off him. This was the moment I had been waiting not for just today or for the last month but for thirty years. I wanted him to look up, I wanted to see his face and look into the eyes of the man who had unknowingly captured my heart.

"Embry," Paul said. He looked up and I saw his profile. "I'm Paul Lahote," he stuck out his hand and Embry shook it tentatively. I whined and inched my way closer to him placing my nose on the treaty line. Both men looked down at me as I panted. "This is Emmett, my beta," I stood to my full height towering over the quiet submissive. He looked up at me and smiled when I lick his face.

I smelled them before I heard them. Several sets of paws beat against the ground and were headed in our direction. More of Jacob's pack emerged from the trees and stared in the direction of the visitors. I stood as closely as I could to the treaty line in hopes of protecting the sub, not knowing what to expect.

Two wolves broke through the trees although, I knew there were at least three more and made their way to where we stood. The alpha was a bit shorter than I was and phased without fear directly in front of Jacob.

"Jacob Black," the stranger said holding out his hand. "always a pleasure," malice in his voice.

"James," Jacob didn't even pretend to lift his hand. James chuckled dropping his hand to his side. He wasn't even gracious enough to put on clothing.

"I was told you have a submissive looking for a home," he said. "I could take him off your hands for you."

"You know damn well subs are the ones who choose their pack, James," Jacob snapped.

"Just wanted to show the boy what I have to offer," James said holding his hands up in surrender. "It isn't fair to him if he doesn't know all the choices."

James made his way, slowly, over to where Embry stood. I couldn't help the growl that escaped me. Paul chastised me immediately, whispering in my ear to keep quiet or go home. I knew there was something wrong with this alpha. I could sense it. He reached out to Embry, lifting his hand to his lips placing a kiss to it. It took all of my strength not to rip Embry away from him and run. Embry pulled his hand away and took a step back.

"I could tell him what you do with your subs, James," Jacob growled. "If you find it so important to give him all his options. I could tell him what I saw with your last sub," James turned his head and glared at the larger alpha.

"That sub was a weakling, unlike this fine specimen here," he looked at Embry who remained quiet and staring at the ground. "He couldn't handle it," James sneered. I felt a tug on my tail and turned my head to see Embry gripping it to his chest.

"I choose Paul as my alpha," he said looking directly at James. "I want to be part of his pack."

I looked at Paul immediately when the words I'd been hoping for spilled from Embry's lips. Paul smiled and put a hand on Embry's shoulder before looking up at me. A knowing look past between us, "It seems you no longer have business here, James," Jacob turned to the furious alpha. "Get off Quileute lands and believe me when I say that you need not come back. No submissive would choose you," he said.

"I have a right to offer my pack to subs, Jacob. You can't keep them hidden from me," he growled. "This isn't over," he phased and turned toward his pack without looking back.

"Jacob," Paul said after the pack was out of hearing range. "Do you have any other submissives that haven't chosen?"

"No," Jacob shook his head. "But more are due to phase soon," he looked back to where James had disappeared into the forest.

"You will need to keep an eye on them, keep them safe," Paul's voice full of concern. Jacob nodded. My mind whirled with the thought of other submissives phasing and that Paul and I would need to stay in the area to help and maybe find more shifters to join us.

"Emmett, take Embry back to the house," Paul ordered. "I need to speak with Jacob."

I walked over to Embry and laid on my belly hoping he would take the hint. My heart pounded in my chest as he climbed onto my back wrapping his arms around my neck. The feel of his warm body pressed against me was like heaven and a peace fell over me as I carried my precious cargo home.