Chapter 13 – Live Learn Love

Paul, Emily and Sam were completely silent as they listened to every word that came from Veronica's mouth. The things she had experienced the night of her father's murder. When she'd talked about the second degree burns on the palms of both her hands, Paul took both of her hands in his as his thumbs rubbed over each gently.

The threesome stared at Veronica completely bewildered. They couldn't believe that her father had been part of the old generational pack and had been murdered by two vampires and somehow they didn't smell her scent; surly if they would have she would've easily been murdered as well.

Paul could feel himself trembling, what if they HAD murdered her? Who the hell would be his imprint? He didn't want to think about it; he couldn't help but let it consume his every thought.

Veronica touched Paul's forearm and could feel him trembling just beneath the surface. "Are you…" Paul squeezed her hand gently.

Sam caught movement out of the corner of his eye and looked over at Paul as he narrowed his eyes. "Paul, go walk it off."

Paul let a low grumble escape his mouth as he stood and walked towards the back door. A few seconds after the sliding door closed a vicious snarl vibrated the foundation the house sat on.

Veronica frowned. "Is he going to be okay?"

Emily stood from her seat next to Sam and walked over putting her arm around the small woman. "I'm sure he'll be fine. Paul has a temper and I'm sure what you had to go through; in his mind he's only thinking the worst and that he couldn't protect you from it."

"But I was only ten he didn't know me back then." Veronica tried to reason.

Emily shook her head. "Paul is fiercely loyal and you are his imprint the fact that he couldn't protect you even though he didn't even know you, is tearing at his insides. An imprint bond is the strongest bond in their world. In his mind he's thinking of you as his future wife and future mother of his children. So if he thought for even a second he could've lost you it's a devastating feeling for them."

Veronica blinked and a couple of silent tears slid down her tan cheeks. "I want to see him."

Sam frowned. "Roni I don't know if that's the best idea. He'll be unstable right now."

Roni looked over at Sam. "I trust him. He would never hurt me. I feel it."

Sam nodded curtly as he started towards the sliding glass door off the kitchen; knowing Roni was following closely behind him. He pushed the door open and Veronica's muddy blue eyes watched in fascination as the wolf Paul paced back and forth while he grumbled, growled and snarled to himself. Sam stood with his arms crossed over his chest. Paul stopped at looked at Sam like he was insane as he snapped his teeth at Sam, grumbling audibly.

Sam chuckled. "Just calm down; Veronica said she trusts you. Somehow I tend to believe her. I know you'd never hurt her. So keep your temper in check. I'll be sitting on the porch with Em." Paul snapped his teeth at Sam again. Sam chuckled as he looked down at Roni. "Don't worry; he's just upset at me for letting you come outside near him. He still won't hurt you." Sam walked over and sat on the porch steps next to Em, who burrowed into Sam's side as his arm went around her and he kissed her lips softly.

Veronica stood watching as Paul resumed his pacing again. Paul stopped and looked at her as he grumbled some more as if he was having a whole conversation with her. She made a face. "I don't speak wolf Paul. If you're going to grumble out a conversation and expect me to answer you back then you're going to have to be in human form."

Veronica watched as Paul made a sour wolf face. Paul let out a snarl as he turned running into the trees. "PAUL!" He skidded to a halt as he looked back at her. "Don't leave me. Please stay."

How could he even think of just running away, no matter how much he knew he needed to go for a run? Her asking him to not leave her nearly killed him. Her saying 'please stay' was enough for him to turn around and walk over to her. His snout bumped into her side as she brought her hand up and touched the fur on the side of his face.

"I'm okay Paul. It happened a long time ago. Maybe I was supposed to be strong and survive it so I could go on to be your imprint. Sometimes life has a funny way of pushing you in the right direction; whether you realize it at the time or not. The more I'm around you the more I realize that everything that I had to go through led me to you for a reason; whether it's because I'm supposed to be your imprint or because we were just meant to be together. Whatever the reason; I'm really glad I bumped into you that night at Emily's."

Paul's ear's dropped as he whined. A twig snapping made Veronica and Paul's head turn towards the sound as they saw Emily walking over with a pair of shorts as she hung them over Paul's back. "Stop stalling and phase back Paul. You already know you want her in your arms right now and you can't very well do that if you're covered in fur with a tail sticking out the back."

Paul coughed out a chuckle. Veronica looked at Emily. "Is he okay? Why is he making that noise?"

Emily giggled. "When the guys cough like that they are laughing."

Paul almost smiled sheepishly as he turned and walked into the trees and phased back. He pulled the shorts on that Emily got for him as he turned and jog out of the trees and up to Veronica as he stopped in front of her. "Sorry I didn't mean to go all wolf on you. Next time I'll have to remember you can't speak wolf."

Veronica giggled as Paul pulled her into his arms as she swatted hi chest. "Cheeky wolf."

"You want to g back to my place and relax a little? Are you hungry?" Paul smiled softly and questioned Roni.

Roni nodded. "Yea; I could eat. I'm sure you're hungry too."

Paul smirked. "What makes you say that beautiful?"

Veronica giggled. "You're still breathing."

Paul chuckled hard. "Now who's being cheeky?"

Paul's eyes widened as Veronica pushed up on her toes and her lips lightly brushed against his. Paul's arm wound around her waist as he leaned slightly over as he deepened the kiss. Paul reluctantly pulled back as kissed the end of Veronica's nose. "Let's get out of here so Sam can finish enjoying his day off with Emily." Veronica nodded in full agreement. They said their goodbyes and left to go back to Paul's.

Diana walked downstairs that morning as she looked over and saw Embry sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. She walked over as she sat next to him and ran her fingers through his shaggy hair. "Embry, baby boy what's wrong? You haven't been home all night and neither as Veronica."

Embry shook his head. "I don't blame her for not wanting to be by me." Embry ran his hands down his face as he looked over at his mother. "You're going to be mad at me mom. But I can't keep it from you anymore."

Diana gave her oldest a quizzical look. "What could be so bad that I'd be mad at you? You've been my rock for the last ten years not having your father or Veronica around to keep me sane."

Embry shook his head negatively. "No I mean I did something really stupid."

"Well whatever it is baby boy you can tell me." Diana tried to encourage Embry to tell her the truth.

Embry sighed heavily as he stood up from the couch. "I've been lying mom. Not to you, but to Veronica. For some reason I got it in my head that I did not want her to be with the likes of Paul Redson. I didn't want them involved at all. So it started with one lie and before I knew it the lies had spread faster than the wolf gene through the pack. Any lie I could think of to make her turn away from Paul I told her."

Diana sat staring at her son; her sweet first born who had always been a sense of pride and joy for her entire life. He was actually standing there telling her he had told his only sister numerous lies to keep her away from Paul; the wolf that imprinted on his sister; Veronica's soul mate. "Embers, you're not making any sense. What do you mean you lied to Veronica?"

Embry frowned; Veronica had been the one to give him the nick name Embers, it was just as bad if both his mom and sister were calling him that now. Embry shook his head. "I was a mean selfish bastard mom. I hurt Veronica terribly. I hurt my own imprint just as bad. And I know I let you down. I let myself down too. As much as I love Veronica and missed her while she's been gone for the last ten years, I completely ruined all of her trust in me. For the last five months I lied to her about what kind of person Paul is. Some of it was true but only the really horrible lies that I told her were false. If she didn't come home last night it's because of me. And I didn't come home last night because I couldn't bear to come in your home and lie to you as if I did nothing wrong."

Embry could feel his chest getting tighter with every truth that he told his mother. He dug in his pocket and pulled the necklace out that had Leah's engagement ring on it and placed it on the coffee table. "I may have lost Leah forever. She said because of the pain and hurt that I put Veronica through she was going to make me feel it so I can understand what it feels like to miss and need the one you love. She gave me back the ring and said she couldn't marry a liar. Not that I could blame her."

Diana stood up with her arms wrapped around herself. "So was it worth it? Was lying to everyone you love worth it? You managed to alienate your sister from the guy who is her soul mate, who imprinted on her. You single handedly managed to keep her away from him for five months but at what cost? All because you didn't think he was good enough for your sister? He's you're pack brother and she is your baby sister for Christ sake. After what she went through with watching your father get murdered and almost ended up burning alive with his dead body, she needs all the love and protection she can get."

Diana ran her fingers through her hair as she growled in frustration. "How dare you play God with her! You might have not had any idea what it was like to lose your imprint but you will now. I do because your father was the LOVE of my LIFE. And no we weren't married but we didn't believe that we had to have a piece of paper to prove we were every bit a loving family like the next married couple down the block with kids. But we also raised you better than that. And I'm pretty damn sure Emily and Sam taught you better than that as well."

Embry frowned as he nodded. "You taught me to love everyone no matter what. And I don't even know why I said the things I did about Paul. I know he would never hurt her and he would always be there for her no matter the circumstances. But oddly enough I still couldn't get my lips to agree with my brain and tell the truth. The lies were so easy to tell and she believed every single one of them. Emily is disappointed in me, I know you're furious with me and Leah won't even talk to me. I fucked up bad mom, I fucked up really bad and I don't even know how to fix it."

Diana planted her hands on her hips as she glared at her first born. "Embry Thomas Call, I don't know what to do to tell you how to begin to fix this cluster fuck of a hole you seemed to of dug yourself into. And further more if I did have a solution to the problem I would NOT tell you it, because you got yourself into these monumental amounts of bullshit and you need to get yourself out. You want to gain Veronica's trust back? You do what you have to do. You want Leah back? Then you do whatever you have to do to get her back into your life. I am furious with you. You're sister has only been back as a permanent fixture in our life for six months and I can only imagine what kind of pain she's been in because of your lies. Embry you WILL fix this mess or you WILL move out of my home. I refuse to have a liar living under my roof."

Embry watched as his mother walked upstairs and sealed the fact that she was pissed off by slamming her bedroom door closed. Embry sighed heavily yet again. He definitely had to fix it. He had to fix it or he was going to lose everyone in his life. Now if he could just figure out how.