Chapter 8 - Memories

'Embry are you out of your fuckin mind? You just scared the living shit out of your sister, not to mention you fuckin forced us both to phase in front of her.' Paul snapped out as he pinned Embry to the ground and dug teeth into Embry's throat.

'I told you to stay away from her and I fuckin walk into my own home and see you kissing my sister. I don't want your disease infested mouth anywhere near my innocent sister. You can have any woman in the world, so why are trying to get in my sister pants?" Embry ground out through clenched teeth as he cringed when Paul sank his teeth into his throat.

Paul growled. 'I can't help that I imprinted on her you asshole. I can't help that I'm falling in love with her either. You seem to think I've just got all kinds of control over this imprinting bullshit. If you'd stop being such a fuckin jerk for more than three seconds you'd see you're hurting your sister. Stop being such a dick and get your head out of your ass.' Paul let Embry up and watched as he scowled darkly at him after shaking out his fur.

'Paul, don't worry about me and my sister she's my blood, she's been in my life since she was born. Don't concern yourself with her. Just go back to climbing up under any whore who will let you in their panties like you were before and we'll be just fine. I'm serious stay the hell away from Veronica, or you'll be sorry.' Embry's threatening voice sounded deadly; deadly enough to be serious.

Embry phased back and pulled his shorts on as he jogged out of the tree line and back into the house, making sure to lock the door behind him. Embry jogged up stairs and went into Veronica's room and saw her lying on the floor. He carefully lifted her and placed her on her bed. Embry sat next to her as he held her hand.

Veronica's head felt heavy and foggy as she moved around a little. Her eyes slowly fluttered open as her vision came into focus and saw Embry staring back at her. Veronica jumped up and pushed herself away from him. "What the fuck was that? What the FUCK happened outside? You're a God damn mutant dog."

Embry almost laughed until his sister stood from the bed and freaked out. Embry stood up as he held his hands up and carefully pulled Veronica back over to sit on the bed. He then began explaining about their Quileute heritage, about the pack and the secret they kept. Not to mention he also explained vampires.

Veronica looked at Embry skeptically. "So what is with your pack brother Paul? Why is he spending all his time with me?"

Embry knew he should've told the truth but he couldn't. His brain wouldn't allow his mouth to do the right thing.

"Paul is basically a player. Out of all the guys in the pack he's slept with the most girls. Whether it was competition with his friends or for bets, or because he just wanted to get laid. You can't even begin to know how many women he's been with since we were sixteen. If they had two legs and was female he slept with them. Chances are he is only being nice because he wants you to just be another notch on his bed post." Embry knew he was going to burn in hell for those lies, but he just couldn't let her get close to Paul.

Veronica watched as Embry took a step towards her. "Please Roni whatever you do don't fall for his lines of bullshit. He can lie to you like no other and make you believe it. He can make you believe every word that is coming out of his mouth. Before you know it he's got you in his bed and once he's stolen your innocence and dignity; you never hear from him again."

Veronica listened to everything Embry said she knew he would never steer her wrong. Embry wouldn't dare lie to her he would be completely straight and honest with her about everything. He always had her best interest at heart.

Embry hugged his sister to him. "I love ya so much Roni. You've been my best friend since you were born. I just don't want you to ever be hurt by a stranger or by me. I'm sorry. I'll try to go easy on the overprotective big brother role. But I can't promise to stop being overprotective all together."

"I love you too Embers." As she hugged him back. She'd missed him for the last couple of weeks. "I'm going to lay down for a bit before dinner. I'm tired."

Embry nodded as he kissed her forehead. "Go ahead and lay down for a bit. I'm sure Paul and I took a lot of energy out of you. Not to mention I'm sure it was all a bit of a shock." Embry watched as Veronica lay across her bed and no sooner had her head hit the pillow she was deep in sleep. Embry closed her bedroom door and left her alone to her peaceful nap.

Muddy blue eyes peeked through the space between the cracked of the metal doors of the huge metal cabinet at the mechanic shop. Her father had specifically told her to hide herself some place she couldn't be found. Her father had to go to work so a customer could pick up their vehicle after he had fixed it and Veronica had BEGGED him to go with. She gave him her best pout ad puppy dog eyes and he completely caved.

Tommy Martin was suddenly regretting bringing his ten year old daughter with him to the garage. He couldn't shake the feeling something bad was going to happen. No sooner had his customer driven off; he pulled the roll up door down and locked it into place when he smelled it.

The sickeningly sweet smell; the smell that burned his nose the more he inhaled it. It was the scent of his mortal enemy.

He could feel the zip coming down his spine, but knew his daughter was too close to him and he couldn't phase with her standing that close, he wouldn't risk hurting her. But he also had to hide her from them. Gripping her shoulder he squatted down. "Veronica, listen to me. We're going to play a game of hide and seek. I need you to go and hide yourself away and stay hidden until I tell you to come out. No matter what you hear you do not come out until I come and find you. And make no noise baby girl." His lips brushed against her forehead as he watched her take off through the garage.

Veronica had found a cardboard box inside the metal cabinet and folded herself inside of it, but when she started hearing the sound of an animal growling she had to get a closer look, the doors were not tight together and she could just see a strange pale man and an overly large dog fighting back and forth. The large dog was winning over the abnormally pale man, when another pale man showed up and abruptly ripped a huge hole through the animals fur covered middle.

Veronica heard the animal whimpering out loud and couldn't believe her eyes as she watched the overly large animal turned into her father. Blood was pouring from the hole through his stomach as it pooled beneath his body. Suddenly the pale outsider walked over and poured liquid on her father; afterwards threw a lit match on to his body. The agonizing screams of her father filled her precious ears as she watched in complete horror as her father burned alive on the garage floor.

"How does it feel mutt to burn up? Maybe next time your little buddies will think twice before you lit one of us on fire." The stranger's silky smooth voice was no recognizable as he and his friend chuckled out their demonic laughs before walking out of the building.

Veronica sat up in bed covered in sweat breathing heavily. She was rapidly aware that her and Embry's father had been one of the Quileute protectors and she had witnessed a vampire murdering him. By the time the firemen had gotten to the garage it was almost all but burnt to the ground. By some miracle the fire never reached the metal cabinet, but it had surrounded it enough to were the metal was scorching hot and Veronica had ended up with second degree burns on the palms of her hands and fingers from trying to push herself back further from the doors. It took a few weeks for the blisters to heal.

Veronica lay back down on her bed and couldn't help but wish she could stop dreaming about that night.

Somehow she knew it was just a memory she would never get rid of.