AN: Hello, my name is Matthew, and if you've clicked this, you're reading the first fan fiction story I've written in… almost 13 years? Wow. I can't believe it's been that long.

I can't tell you why I stopped all those years ago, or even why I've started up again, but what I can say for certain is that I'm older and wiser this time around. I'm also a much better writer, and I'll do my best to write stories that entertain you.

This story will be in the Twilight fandom, and it will be a Bella/Embry pairing. I'm very much Team Wolf, when it comes to the Twilight fandom, and I'll write Bella with pretty much any wolf except Jacob. I can also count the number of Cullen's I like on 3 fingers (Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie) and that's definitely reflected in my stories.

The title of this story is taken from the lyrics of the song, "Aurora" by the fictional band Daisy Jones & The Six. I've had the whole album on rotation for weeks, ever since I started watching the series on Amazon Prime Video. I can't recommend the record or the series enough! They're both phenomenal!

Enjoy the story, y'all!

Disclaimer: I claim absolutely no ownership of the Twilight series. The books are written by Stephanie Meyer for Little, Brown and Company/Hachette Book Group, and the films were adapted, produced and distributed by Summit Entertainment.

Chapter One:

A New Dawn

The wind lashes harshly against my skin from where I'm perched, at the highest peak of the tallest cliff in La Push. I shiver, and from below the water beckons to me, almost as if daring me to jump.

"Don't do this, Bella," Edward's honeyed voice carries on the wind, and I shake my head to dispel it.

I have to do this. It's the only way I can feel alive. It's the only way I can see him, even for a moment, and an apparition of Edward is better than no Edward at all.

"Bella, no!" a voice calls out.

I turn towards it, but lose my footing in the process. My arms flail, pinwheeling desperately as I try to regain my balance.

A strong hand grasps mine, russet-coloured and warm, stopping my descent.

"Shit!" the voice grits out. "I've got you, Bella. Just hold on, okay?"

The voice is low, deep, and soothing. I close my eyes and allow it to wash over me completely, as its owner pulls me to safety.

"Phew," it huffs, as my feet find solid ground once again. "That was way too close. You alright, Bella?"

"I'm fine," I breathe out, and when my eyes open, I find Embry standing there.

I've only seen him at a distance recently, but I'm still struck by how different he looks compared to the boy I met in Jake's garage a few months ago.

He's taller, and his once-long hair has been cropped short. His lean, wiry frame has filled out, complete with a toned six-pack of abs. There's an intricate tribal tattoo on his shoulder, almost a quarter-sleeve in length.

His brown eyes are warm and intense, and as they meet mine properly for the first time in weeks, I lose myself in them and the ground falls out from underneath me for the second time today.

Visions swim behind my eyes, of Embry and I, and from the look on his face, I know he sees them too.

"Woah," he breathes out when his voice returns to him.

"That's one word for it," I laugh.

"You felt it, too?" he asks, a small smile pulling at the corners of his lips, hesitant but hopeful.

"Of course I did," I nod. "It would've been impossible not to."

The smile morphs into a full, open-mouthed grin, and he pulls me into him, wrapping me in a hug.

"Woah, Embry," I say, as I hug him back, almost instinctively. "Take it easy, yeah?"

"Sorry," he breathes into my skin, covering my neck in pleasant goosebumps. "I can't help it. I've missed you, Bella."

"Have you?" I question, pulling back to look at him. "You have a very weird way of showing it."

He frowns, and I feel a sharp twinge of pain, along with regret.

"I deserve that," he says. "I'm so sorry. Sam said I had to."

"Why does everything come back to Sam?" I roll my eyes. "What kind of hold does he have on you?"

"It's not what you think, I swear," Embry laughs. "I'll tell you everything, just… maybe not while we're standing at the edge of a cliff?"

I look him up and down, searching for any signs of deception, but find none.

"Fine," I agree, and take his offered hand.

As our hands clasp, our fingers slot together, and I marvel at how right it feels to touch him like this.

He glances down at our hands and back at me, almost as if he can read my thoughts.

I blush, and he gives me a shy, private smile.

Even just a few minutes ago, all I could think about was Edward. The pain, the grief, the heartbreak was so acute and all-consuming that I was prepared to jump off a cliff just to see a hollow imitation of him.

But now, walking through the rez with Embry, he's the furthest thing from my mind.

What is going on here?

"So, you're a wolf, Sam is the Alpha, and his 'cult' is actually the reawakened La Push pack?"

Embry nods.

"And I fit into this situation, how, exactly?"

"You're my imprint," Embry blushes, looking bashful. "You're my tether, my North Star, my soulmate, my reason for being. I'll do anything, be anything as long as you're safe and happy."

"Okay," I say.

"Okay?" he asks, incredulously. "You just found out I'm a werewolf, and that you're my soulmate, and all you have to say is 'Okay?'"

I shrug. "What else do you want me to say, Embry? My first boyfriend and his entire family were vampires, so I'm not blind to the world of the supernatural. I'm not going to freak out about that."

"And the imprint? I know you might not see me, y'know, that way, but…"

"Enough of that," I cut him off. "I can't say I've fully moved on and am ready to dive headfirst into a new relationship, but… I missed you, Em. And I trust you. If you're willing to take things slow, then…"

"Absolutely!" he agrees instantly. "You call the shots, Bella. This goes as fast or as slow as you want it to. I can be patient."

"Thank you," I say, reaching up to touch his cheek.

He leans into my touch, and I notice for the first time just how warm he is.

"Embry?" I ask.

"Yes, Bella?"

"You know you're burning up, right?"

He chuckles. "It's a wolf thing, Bells. We run hot. 105.9 Fahrenheit."

"You shouldn't have told me that," I confess with a laugh, curling into him. "I'm always cold, so…"

"Don't worry," he laughs, wrapping an arm around my shoulder, pulling me further into him. "I'm perfectly happy to be your personal space heater whenever you need me."

"Perks of being an imprint, huh?"

"Something like that," he smiles.

"I could get used to this."

"I'm glad."

As the sun sets here at First Beach, my head finds Embry's shoulder, and as one day ends, I know that a new dawn is just beginning.

What it holds for Embry and I? I'm not sure, but together, we'll find out.

I can't wait.

AN 2: There we have it, y'all! The first chapter is officially in the books, and nearly 13 years of hiatus from fan fiction has been broken. Fuck, this was scary to write, but also a lot of fun, and it was a nice change of pace.

I'm not sure if I should just leave this as it is, or add more chapters. I feel like this is open-ended enough to continue, but it also ends well enough to serve as a one-shot.

I guess y'all will let me know if y'all want more in the reviews?

Regardless, I hope y'all enjoyed it all the same!

Until Next Time,

Matthew