A/N: Sorry for the late post, I usually write after work but walking dead through me off my schedule, so I tried to give you guys a longer chapter, I hope you enjoy.

Charlie stood at the school's office counter, arguing with the secretary in a hushed tone. I sat a few feet away, my music turned up as loud as it would go, I couldn't care less about their conversation. I stared at the floor, counting the ugly tiles.

A clipboard was thrust in front of me, I tugged one of my earbuds out.

"Sign this."

I took the pen from Charlie's hand and signed the form without reading it. He snatched it back, looking irritated. He insisted that I start school as soon as possible, but it was late last semester, and my marks weren't exactly great, so the school wasn't very welcoming. Charlie tossed the clipboard back onto the counter and I put my earbud back in.

I thought back to Carlisle. I'd been a week since our little... Date? I had no idea what to call it. He seemed more interested than in laws should be, but why would he be? He was a handsome doctor, what would he need me for. I sighed, reminding myself that'd he'd taken me to McDonald's after I puked in his guest room. Not exactly romantic.

Charlie returned looking proud. "They'll let you into finish your semester, but you just need to convince the guidance counselor you'll take it seriously."

I stood, reluctantly following him to the counselor's office, there was nothing I hated more in this world than guidance counselors.

Charlie waited outside as a woman greeted me, I handed her the papers he'd given me, and she read them over. I slouched in the chair across from her desk. She squinted at the papers. "It seems like you have a lot of work to catch up on." She looked up at me, "What was your reason for missing so much school?" I shrugged.

She flipped through the papers before nodding. "Your counselor at your other school faxed some notes over. I'm very sorry for your loss, I'll allow you to enroll for this semester, but I do have to insist that you come back and speak to me soon." I nodded, and stood, leaving the school as quickly as I could, telling Charlie I' wait for him in the car.

I hated those words so much. I'm sorry for your loss. Redundant and meaningless. I sagged into the car seat, missing my jeep that I'd left with my mother. Wondering if coming back was a bad choice.

Carlisle sighed as he opened the door to his home. He missed her. The longer he was without her the worse he felt. Alice greeted him at the door, looking concerned, "Can we talk?" He nodded. "Of course." She followed him to his study and closed the door behind her. He walked toward his desk, opening his briefcase and setting the work he needed to finish onto his desk. "It's about Delilah."

He froze, standing up straight to look at her. "Is she alright?" Alice sighed, "I don't know when, but she's going to go to a party, and something really bad is going to happen… I-" She stopped, shaking her head. "We need to make sure she doesn't go to that party."

Carlisle walked toward her, putting his hands on her biceps to calm her. "Ask around to see if any parties are going on." He smiled at her, "It's alright, I won't let anything bad happen to her."

Alice nodded, and turned to leave, but stopped. "Edward's been in her head, Carlisle. He's worried. She's not okay." He smiled sadly. "I am aware. Let's worry about protecting her from physical harm first."

I collapsed onto my bed, head aching, I inhaled the plastic scent of my new comforter. Charlie had tried to make the room seem more mine. But the remnants of Bella still lingered. I appreciated the effort.

My phone buzzed, Why didn't you tell me you were back? I sat up with a groan. Who is this? I dropped my phone back onto my bed. I stood up, kicking my laundry out of my way as I walked to my dresser to change. My phone rang then and I sighed, who the hell was it? I answered abruptly.

"What?"

"Hey, chill out. It's me, Embry. Or did you forget me?"

I almost laughed, of course it was. "How could I forget you? You know I've been in town for a week… You could've called sooner."

He laughed, "Yeah, could've. What are you doing right now?"

"Nothing, why?"

"Let's hangout, and I'm sure the boys want to see you, c'mon. It'll be fun."

"Yeah, no thanks." I looked over to my bed, I'd much rather be sleeping.

"Wow, you've changed a lot. The old you would've never backed out of some fun."

I squinted. So now he was going to try and play me. "Fine, pick me up in 20 minutes." I Hung up. No one had really ever been a fan of my friendship with Embry. He was several years older, and one hell of a troublemaker, but I've never really cared what people think. I fixed my eyeliner and tied my hair into a messy bun. Before stomping downstairs. Charlie and Sue were working, no one around to question me leaving.

I heard a honk outside the door and grabbed my bag, hopping into Embry's truck.

I knew some about the wolves. Bella explained imprinting to me, briefly. And from what I understood, Embry was one of the last wolves still without an imprint. I smiled at him as he stared at me. "Still nothing?" He growled.

"Yeah."

"I'm sure it'll happen." I leaned back, not bothering with the seatbelt. I dug into my bag pulling out my pack of smokes.

"Gimme one." I let him take one before lighting my own, tossing him the lighter. "So where are we going?"

"Bonfire." I looked over at him and he was smirking.

"Wolf pack thing?" He nodded. "Is Jacob going to be there?" He laughed throwing his head back. I almost told him to keep his eyes on the road. "Fuck no. It'd been awhile since he left the pack, but there's still a hell of a lot of bad blood between them." I nodded.

"Seth and Leah."

"They're welcome to, but they never do." I inhaled deeply and tapped the cigarette ashes out the window.

"You going to be staying for a while." I shrugged.

"Not sure yet. I don't really like to stay in one place too long." I left out that that's probably why I left in the first place.

"So you going to school here now too?"

"Yeah I start tomorrow."

With that we fell into silence. I took the opportunity to look him over. He'd grown up even more since I'd last seen him. The angles of his face sharper, jawline more defined, muscles pressing against his tight shirt. He looked good, I licked my lips shifting my body towards him more.

His eyes flashed over to me for a moment, "What?"

"You miss me?"

He smiled, "Of course I did. You miss me?"

I shrugged once again, causing the loose collar of my t-shirt to slide down my arm more. Embry shifted in his seat at the exposure of new skin, eyes focusing intensely on the road. "You really have grown up." He muttered and I laughed turning back to the road.

I looked at the paper on my desk, so much work I needed to finish, but for the first time I found myself completely unable to focus. The feeling in my gut, an instinct. Something bad was going to happen, and it felt sooner than the party Alice had spoken about. I stood from my desk, opting to pace around my study. I just didn't understand. Did she not feel the draw like mates should? Usually the need to be close to one another is overwhelming for both, but she seemed to be almost avoiding me.

"She's afraid, Carlisle." I flashed to the door where Edward stood.

I nodded, "I know she must be feeling a range of emotions she truly doesn't understand and-" He held his hand up.

"You don't understand. She's afraid. Not of you, I think something happened to her, before she came back. Maybe that's why she's here in the first place. I'm not sure what though. I can read her thoughts, she's not like Bella, but…"

He trailed off looking out the window over my shoulder. "What is it, Edward." The empty feeling in my stomach expanded.

"She thinks...differently. I can read her thoughts, but they're fragmented. I have to piece them together to understand them."

I stepped away from him, nodding. Hoping I didn't look as worried as I felt. "Thank you, son. I have work to finish. I moved swiftly to my desk. Edward nodded, but I kept my head down, not watching him leave. I wanted to help her, I wanted to heal whatever wounds she may have and protect her. But I knew, in my heart, that she would fight it every step of the way.

Delilah laughed loudly, the uncomfortable log she'd been sitting on, forgotten. She knocked back the rest of the beer in her hand, only to have another full bottle shoved into it's place. The wolves had been more than friendly, treating her as if she hadn't left at all. Paul, Jared, and their imprints sat round the fire with her and Embry. Collin had wandered off somewhere a while ago. She asked about Sam, but apparently he was absent because Emily needed help with their newborn daughter. How fucking sweet. She thought.

She'd lost count of how much she'd drank but her head was swimming, she was happy. "Ah shit." She looked toward Jared. The wolves had drank more than anyone else but were barely buzzed, healing factor or something, she thought. "What?" Paul snapped back.

"We're outta beer. There's more in the house someone wanna go get it?"

Embry volunteered right away. "We will." Jared winked at him. If she'd been sober she'd probably have suspected that it was a set up, but she wasn't sober. Embry helped her up and they made their way to the house. Delilah walked fast, and they were in the kitchen in no time. "The fridge I think." She opened the fridge and on the bottom shelf a space had been cleared for a case of beer, dragging it out she dropped it on the counter.

"You, big bad wolf, can carry it." She looked over to him, smirk on her face. He approached her. "Oh can I now?" She nodded.

"Yeah, a strong werewolf like you would never let a little innocent maiden like me carry such a heavy load, would you?" She angled her head up so she could look him in the eyes. God he was tall, and handsome. She smiled and he pressed himself against her, causing her to walk backwards. She ended up trapped between him and the counter.

His lips were so warm, he was so warm. It was overwhelming, she felt too hot, her head felt too light. And the kiss felt so wrong. She kissed im harder, trying to push the feeling away. Embry's hands moved under her thighs, lifting her onto the counter. She wrapped her thighs around him, she felt sick. Delilah had no idea why, hookups were her thing. They've been for so long, why would it start feeling wrong now.

"You bringing the beer or not, I'm losing my buzz here." Embry pulled away with a growl, and she let him. "Oh sorry am I interrupting something?" Paul laughed. In a split second Embry had chased him outside. The sound of tearing clothing and snarls signifying that they'd changed. She sighed, sliding off the counter, and pulling a cold beer out of the box. Her phone buzzed in her pocket.

Carlisle sat, anxiety in his chest, phone in his hand. It rang several times, enough that he was sure she wasn't going to answer. "Hello?" Carlisle sat up straighter, as if she could see him.

"I was just checking up on you, darling."

She laughed, "Yeah, that's not necessary, Carlisle." Her voice sounded slurred, and he closed his eyes.

"Have you been drinking?" He kept his voice calm and even.

"Why?" He heard the sound of glass being set down.

"I would feel much better, Delilah, if I knew you were safe. Are you at home?"

It sounded like she shook her head. "Nope."

"Would you allow me to drive you home?"

There was a pregnant pause between his words and her answer. "Okay."

"I'm on my way. Where are you, sweetheart?"

He heard her chuckle, "The wolf's den."