Disclaimer: If I was Stephenie Meyer Twilight would have been less sparkly and slightly more burst in to flames...y
Disclaimer Deuce: "Courage is the magic that turns dreams in to reality"
Embry's POV
I stared hanging upside down off of the high hanging inverted sit up bars. I used them mostly to stretch out my back but I could do it if I needed to. I was just hanging letting blood flow back to my head. So bored... I thought as I started throwing punches upside down at the air. Unlike Mike I didn't have assignments for every day, and being that I wasn't a Project. I suppose I should take it as a compliment that they didn't think I need to work on being a better killing machine, unfortunately leaving me with far too much time to work out. I heard the door behind me open I ignored it and kept throwing air punches.
"That thing for doing inverted sit ups, not for air punching." I recognized Themba.
"Abs are over rated." She walked over and ran her fingers gently over my abs sending a tingling sensation down to my head.
"I don't think so." She said grinning. I wasn't particularly comfortable with where her head was in proportion to my body so I slipped my legs out dropping head first I caught myself with my arms and walked on my hands away rolling down my back and up to my feet.
"Ahh I liked the view." Themba teased.
"Yeah... That was awkward... speaking of awkward, Themba the cockblock huh?" She blushed as I grinned.
"So it's true huh?"
"It so is not!" she crossed her arms while pouting. Ahh damn don't do that to me. Luckily that doesn't work on me anymore.
"Not working on me." I commented. Her demeanor changed almost immediately. Her eyes bore in to mine I didn't look away because I didn't want to show weakness. I watched as a sly grin played across her lips. She pushed her hair back behind her shoulders revealing a tank top exposing all of her shoulders. I forced myself to calm down. I am the Alpha, I have yet to meet another shifter that matches me. Next week there was something of a final exam, A fight tournament. I'd finally get the chance to shut Pantera up. I needed to phase every once and a while just to be able to keep doing it so that wasn't so bad. I felt a warm arm on me. Damn it can't ever stop paying attention when Themba is around.
"So... About us." Themba said her voice full of pure sex. I couldn't help it... I just had to do it...
"So did you just pop out and yell "Hey Zuri are you going to kiss Mike?" Or were you subtle about it?" She slapped my arm.
"Embry! You know you're cockblocking yourself now!" She said trying not to smile. By now I was laughing.
"I can't help it. I'm just thinking of you just kind of there." She slapped me a couple more times I put my hands up in a boxers stance and she took cheap shots at my ribs. I saw a hooking slap coming for the top of my head. I dropped and got under both of her arms lifted her and spun her up against the wall. She was hanging in the air held up by my arms under hers. I leaned in touching my nose to her neck taking in her scent. I leaned back releasing her slowly and stepped back.
"What makes you think that's okay?"
"Your heartbeat tells me it's what you wanted." I snickered.
"You're so confident, how do you know I've chosen you?" My body went cold. My body tightened. My eyes burned ice cold in to her. I didn't say anything at first. I turned on my heel immediately and made for the door without saying a word. I heard a sound from Themba.
"Where the hell Embry?"
"Find me if you find me worthy." I sneered back at her before leaving.
Themba's POV
"Then he left me right there! After getting me all hot and bothered saying 'find me if you find me worthy!' how could he! That ass hole!" Zuri laughed.
"It's not funny!"
"Actually it is."
"How?"
"You threw it in his face, that you hadn't picked him... How would that make you feel?"
"He should have known I was just trying to get under his skin, you know get position back." I argued.
"Congratulations you got under his skin." She teased me.
"Why the hell are you taking his side? It was just a stupid joke!"
"You don't see it? You obviously mean something to him or that wouldn't have hurt him. Have you asked him about his past?"
"Why the hell are you taking his side?"
"Because you made the wrong decision in that conversation. Right now he's recooping his losses. He actually had put himself in to the relationship, you're the one who pushed him out... it's your fault if you finally had the guy you've wanted since you've seen him and you pushed him away."
"So what? I'll just wear a low cut shirt and all will be forgiven." I laughed. Zuri shook her head.
"It's not that simple, you need to apologize."
"But that's giving him the power."
"Wasn't your it your father the one who told us relationships are give and take?" she said pestering me.
"Yeah I know I know..." I grumbled.
"I guess I'll try to fix it then." I said throwing on my hooded sweatshirt. I guess Zuri was right, I couldn't just show some cleavage and everything would work out... life didn't work like that, and I knew it too I was just too stubborn to say it outloud. I took a couple hallways walking over to their rooms. I saw Pantera walking around without a shirt on as usual.
"Heard about Embry and your spat... If you want to sleep with a real Alpha Male I'm here." ignored him and kept wandering. I walked in to the weight room to find Rhino benching far more than I thought necessary.
"Umm... hey... have you seen Embry?" I asked. He put the bar on the brace and sat up to look at me. He shrugged his shoulders.
"Yeah... I know where he is, but you don't want to talk to him now."
"Why not?" I asked fearing the answer.
"He's not too happy with you."
"I know... I still want to talk with him." Rhino laid back down and started doing another set of presses.
"You don't want to deal with him right now, he might say something he doesn't mean... he's still angry." Rhino warned. As he breathed out between pushes.
"I know." Rhino sat up between sets and looked me in the eye as if assessing me.
"Fine... he's in the sparring room with Iverson."
"Thanks" I said heading out the door. I heard him mumble something about it being a bad idea but I ignored him. I put my hands in my front pocket as I stood in front of the door.
"I mean fucking A, what the hell." I heard Embry yell before a loud low thump sound.
"So what happened?" Mike asked. I asked.
"She said something about how she hasn't chose me yet." Mike said followed by another low thump sound, this one shaking the room.
"Oh quit your bitching Call, get over it. Obviously theres something sooo fucking up about you, stop being a whiny little bitch and just start fucking bitches." I heard a voice I didn't recognize.
"Shut up Kalen." I heard Embry growl.
"What? Maybe if you kept your women happy they'd stop leaving you for vampires." I opened the door and stepped in.
"Oh there's one right now... Themba is it? Join the club... I'm open." He said beckoning me. I made a sound of disgust. I heard a growl from Embry. He was shaking... but he wasn't phasing.
"What's wrong Call? Have the shakes? I never knew why the rest of the Volturi think you're so special." I heard snickering and I turned to see Mike leaning up against a wall snickering incessantly. I didn't hear him but Felix was next to me.
"Umm... when did Embry get bigger than me?" I blinked looking back at him.
"You've got two inches on him." I told him, all the while Mike snickered.
"No... not anymore apparently.
"What do you think is so funny?" Felix finally asked Mike. Embry finally stopped shaking.
"Kalen's about to get his ass kicked." Mike said.
"He's not even a wolf."
"You guys can't feel it?" Mike asked. I looked at Embry. It looked like his hair had grown... not as thick as an animal... but it was definitely thicker, and it looked like his facial hair had grown in the matter of moments, his hair on his head too. It was hard to describe it. He roared, not growled at Kalen.
He leapt across the room with a speed I'd never even thought he could muster. He kicked, punched, pounded, smacked, and kneed him. Embry grabbed the back of his head and slammed it repeatedly in to the wall until it mercifully went through. Embry let go and took a couple steps backward before he fell on his ass. He was breathing heavily. Kalen came back after the downed shifter but Mike stepped between them.
"Walk away now Kalen." Mike commanded him. Kalen was about to protest but Felix stopped him.
"Leave Kalen." he commanded. Kalen nodded and left. I was holding Embry as his heart started to slow down. I could hear it beating out of his chest, the double beat bass. I looked at his eyes, he looked angry at me but more than that he looked exhausted, more tired that I'd seen him all the time i'd known him.
"I'm... gonna... just sleep... here" I started to help him to his feet but he didn't help me. I lifted his almost completely limp body. Mike helped me.
"What the hell was that?" I asked Mike as Embry's legs dragged on the floor behind us making it back to his room.
"I don't know... but he put out more energy than... wow."
"What do you mean?"
"You know how Phasing is kind of tiring?" I nodded. I was exhausted the first time I phased... I slept for 13 hours after I came out.
"Well... how should I explain this... if phasing exerts five energy units... whatever Embry just did exerted a hundred energy units"
"How do you know that?"
"I could feel it... let's just say when he wakes up he's going to be hungry something fierce."
Mike's POV
Embry was sleeping for who knows how long, Adrian was out training with Felix, and Yuki was having on a mission with Abhash. Leaves me without a band. You could always hang out with Zuri. Nah, there has been something I've been wanting to do for a long time. I always knew I wanted to learn this song on piano but I just never got around to it, I heard one of my brothers play it whenever he practiced. It always I never could pull it off as a human but now it wasn't even difficult... Maybe I just didn't put the time in. I gently started playing the intro, then started singing.
"Walk blindly to the light and reach out for his hand
Don't ask any questions and don't try to understand
Open up your mind and then open up your heart
And you will see that you and me aren't very far apart
Cause I believe that love is the answer
I believe that love will find the way
Violence is spread worldwide and there are families on the street
And we sell drugs to children now oh why can't we just see
That all we do is eliminate our future with the things we do today
money is our incentive now so that makes it okay
But I believe that love is the answer
I believe that love will find the way
I believe that love is the answer
I believe that love will find the way
I've been seeing Lisa now for a little over a year
She said she's never been so happy but Lisa lives in fear
That one day daddy's gonna find out she's in love
With a black man from the streets
Oh how he would lose it then but she's still here with me
'Cause she believes that love will see it through
And one day he'll understand
And he'll see me as a person not just a black man
Cause I believe that love is the answer
I believe that love will find the way
I believe I believe I believe I believe that love is the answer
I believe that love will find the way
Love will find the way
Love will find the way
Love will find the way." I exhaled slowly looking at the keys, feeling all the memories." I closed my eyes and stretched out.
"You can come in at any time Zuri." she walked in quietly.
"I'm sorry... It just didn't seem like that song was for me." She said. How very perceptive. It wasn't...
"No..."
"Well since you're not black I didn't think that song has the same emotional connection to you..." I shrugged.
"It's something from my childhood... a memory... my brother used to play that song all the time."
"Do you miss them? Your family?" she asked looking me in the eye. I'd always had difficulties looking people in the eye, mostly people I wasn't comfortable with or were intimidated by but regardless I forced myself to look in to Zuri's eyes.
"Yes... I've got a working theory that women are the cause of all problems in life." I expected Zuri be offended or say something but she just laughed.
"I'd love to hear about that." Why isn't she offended? Didn't I just say that women are problematic and caused everything that's happened to me to happen? Didn't I just blame her entire gender for ruining my life?
"Umm... well so There I was... spitting on a fish trying to keep it alive."
"Excuse me?"
"Sorry... just a great way to start a story." I said nearly mumbling. She was smiling at me. Just tell the story... stop overthinking everything... stop trying to anticipate what she'll think.
"Well it started a day like any other day... Some guys were talking about this girl who wasn't in the class... I defended her and they insulted me... saying that they'd have a better chance at her than I ever would."
"Ugh... guys are assholes around the world aren't they?" I shrugged and nodded.
"Well apparently she somehow heard me one whole room over walked up to me in the hall and made out with me on the spot telling me to 'act natural.' How do you do that when you've never been kissed and you're being kissed by the prettiest girl in the whole school?" I asked rhetorically. She didn't answer me. I didn't know how I'd respond if she did.
"So anyway... that... complicated things."
"Why?" Zuri asked.
"Well the obvious problem was she had a boyfriend."
"Oh."
"Yeah... and of course I fell hard for her."
"Naturally." she agreed. I shook my head as if to throw an errant thought out of my mind.
"I never figured out if she actually had feelings for me."
"So what happened?"
"Somehow I got set up with her friend from Alaska, who was also very attractive... We started dating... and one night a mysterious voice gave me a book."
"What do you mean?"
"Someone handed me a book but I never saw him... now I know who it was... it was Xavier... he was trying to get the Cullens in to trouble... I learned about shifters and vampires... since Xavier's original plan didn't work out he just kidnapped me and turned me hoping to turn me against the Cullens... so I truly say they ruined my life."
"Don't you enjoy being a vampire?" She asked.
"Of course... there are certain perks to vampirism... this power... this speed, the ability to think of eight things at once is useful... but I had to give up my family... and I'd trade it all back just to have my family again."
"Really? All this power? All this strength? Just to have a normal life?" Zuri asked. Mike shrugged.
"I never earned this... and I might have the power, but I don't have my family to share it with." She didn't seem to understand so I said it another way.
"What's the point of having everything anyone could ever want if you don't have people you love to share it with?" I explained. She nodded.
"But you can make new friends." I shrugged and shook my head.
"When I was a human I was weak, I was an outsider, I didn't fit in to what everyone else did. In spite of that I still had some people who stood by me as friends, they were there because they thought I was worth it, not because I had something to give them." I stopped for a moment and forced myself to say what I knew was true even though I wanted to believe it wasn't.
"Now I have power, now I'm a tool to use. Everyone wants me for my power. I may never know if someone likes me for me. Would Felix give a crap about me if I wasn't strong? No... He wouldn't... Aro wouldn't value me. I don't even know if You would care honestly." she seemed taken aback by my bluntness but it was how I felt. A sugar coated pile of dung was still a pile of dung.
"I'm not like that." I laughed to myself.
"What? Do you think it's funny? Do you think so little of me?" I shook my head.
"Not at all... I'm just noticing I keep killing the mood." Zuri laughed next to me leaning on me touching my shoulder and arm... something that wasn't lost on me. I felt her warmth, my first thought was to recoil but I stopped it I didn't move forcing myself to stay. My arm warmed. Small steps Mike, Small steps.
Bors' POV
I wasn't sure about trusting this vampire Cullen but I wasn't given much a choice. They were the only ones in the world with the experience we needed. They had also made it clear that they wouldn't be intimidated by me. Maybe I'll come back with the rest of the knights, show them to insult us. They'll get theirs soon enough. Dr. Cullen opened the door to the inside of his house as we made it up to the porch.
"Please come in, quickly, We've prepared a bed." Gwen followed quickly, more quickly than I would have liked, I wanted to make sure it was safe but more important was keeping her safe so I kept pace with her. I quickly realized this situation wasn't defensible, even more so with Gwen around.
Gwen laid down in the bed. She is far too trusting. Dr. Cullen attached an IV and looked out the open door.
"Bella, could you please come in here?" A woman walked through the door. Another vampire? How many does this coven have? Why is she here?
"This is my daughter-in-law Bella... she was pregnant with my son's child, the procedure was problematic but she survived by being turned to a vampire after the child's birth." So she's survived this... that's comforting. I gently grabbed Gwen's hand.
"See? This isn't their first time... everything is going to be good." Gwen shook her head.
"No... I don't want to become a vampire." I felt the bottom drop out.
"You don't understand what you're saying." I tried to grip at.
"Yes I do."
"Then we need to abort this now." I said to Dr. Cullen. He made no response.
"No, I want the baby." She said to me.
"This thing could kill you." I said too quickly. Thing is very harsh for her child. She reached over with her free hand and placed it on mine. To comfort me! Why is she comforting me?
"I know this doesn't make sense to you, but I already love this child, how could I kill him?"
"Him?" I asked her. She smiled at me softly.
"I know the child is a he... and he will go on to do great things..." She spoke with such a brightness in her eyes.
"Then live, become a vampire, live with your child." she shook her head.
"And leave everything I've ever known behind? No."
"If you don't you'll die!"
"Maybe... but that's my decision, is it not?" she said turning to Dr. Cullen. Please just this once help me.
"I would never force our lifestyle upon anyone. It is however possible that you will have better luck than Bella since we know better how to treat this than when she went through it."
"You see Bors... it's going to be fine." She said with a glimmer of hope. I wish I could share that hope with her but I don't believe it. Stories don't work out perfectly, people don't get everything they want, if they think they are they're wrong.
Felix's POV
"Iverson isn't ready." I stated. Demetri shrugged.
"Partner him up with Adrian, that should be more than sufficient to take down Xavier... Hasn't Iverson killed Xavier before?" Demetri asked.
"He killed one of him, but we'll be coming for all of him, we're here to end him, aren't you worried?"
"Should I be?"
"Alec will chase after one, Jane after another, Call will go after another, and Ivan and Ulrich after another... that leaves me for the last one." I took count.
"Then it will be done, Embry and Mike will finally have their vengeance."
Mike's POV
I watched Embry shift in the bed again. I was neglecting my studies but it had been well over twenty hours since he was awake. My attention was grabbed by a heavy groan as Embry rolled over to face me.
"What smells like flaming bat shit." He mumbled still half asleep. I cracked a smile.
"It's good to see you too Embry." I said as he slowly opened his eyes. His eyes closed again and he started to move his neck loosening it, then rolling his shoulders back. He breathed deeply and pushed back the air cracking his lower back and rolled his ankles back and forth as the loosened as well followed shortly by his toes.
"You ache like an old man." I responded to his sounds. He crossed his arms over cracking his shoulder.
"I feel like an old man." Embry responded. Two pizzas and a dozen hot dogs were brought in at the sound of Embry's waking.
"How long was I out?" Embry asked as he bent his stiff fingers in to a fist.
"Pretty near a day." He looked surprised then yawned at my face.
"Thanks Embry." I said with a look of disgust.
"No problem." he said wiping water out of his eyes from all the yawning. Embry started devouring his food like it was his last meal and I watched disinterested.
"You know the shifter tournament started roughly five minutes ago." Embry finished one pizza and proceeded to throw the hot dogs in his mouth eating at a speed that would resemble the speed eating record.
"Yeah yeah, I'll be there in a second." I turned and made my way out to the large indoor court yard designed for large battles. There Rhino, Sher, and Pantera waited. Shortly after I arrived Embry made his way out human form, in his red hooded sweatshirt and black sweat pants. His hood up.
"So you live." Felix stated. Embry stretched his arms out as far as he could.
"So I do." Embry commented. He pulled down his hood and squinted.
"Ugh... Too bright." He said covering his eyes. The more I thought about it the more his symptoms matched a hang over. He dropped the hooded zip up sweatshirt and then dropped his sweat pants leaving him in mesh shorts.
"So... whose first?" Sher stepped forward wearing shorts much like Embry.
"It's you and me first." Sher said before dropping to all fours and hissing as he slowly turned in to a white tiger. The whole process took all of fifteen seconds but when he was down and crouched he was ready, shards of his shorts laying around him.
"I'm still a little stiff so I might not be at my best." Embry said.
"Is that an excuse? You're already trying to dignify your loss before you even fight? I knew you were all talk." Embry laughed.
"Oh no, I'm going throw everyone and anyone around this here room... but I won't be at my best." Embry said before looking up. Truth be told I hadn't seen him phase that often, every time it still amazed me, how big of a wolf he became. And now that I thought about it I couldn't recall him ever phasing in to a wolf in front of the other alphas... They're in for a nasty surprise.
Sher took fifteen seconds to shift, Embry shifted in less than one. His body expanded and he howled as he was a wolf before his hands could touch the ground. I felt... no that was the wrong word... I sensed something wrong with Embry the moment he phased... it wasn't like Sher... it was something else... Pain. I watched the horror in the eyes of the other Alphas and the astonishment and admiration the eyes of Themba and Zuri. Pantera was the first one to speak up.
"Oh... well I bet he's pretty slow being that big." I heard Felix snickering quietly and I couldn't help myself but laugh.
"Oh no he isn't... he's very fast, in fact the fastest in his pack."
"Any time both of you are ready." Felix said obviously wanting to see this fight as much as everyone else. Sher charged quickly. Embry caught his swipe with his paw with his own. Sher got his mouth on Embry's shoulder but Embry using an impressive showing of strength spun him clear off his shoulder and in to the wall. The wall was reinforced here especially for battling, two feet thick of concrete. No plausible way anyone should get through that. Embry charged, bad shoulder and all Sher barely got out of the way Embry stopped short of the wall with his swiping hand and spun around to give chase. Sher met Embry fangs against fangs. Bad idea Sher, theres no plausible way you're as strong as Embry.
Sher pushed and Embry feigned weakness as Sher kept pushing Embry dropped his weight and then pulled and spun Sher around slamming him full body in to the concrete wall. Embry jumped over sher still with fangs intertwined and flung him in to another wall letting him go. Embry gave chase and pinned him up against the wall with paw in striking position and stopped.
I could literally feel Embry's pain, but it wasn't just from his shoulder... it was coursing through his veins, infecting his whole body. What is it? He sat in the corner by himself still in form and watched as Rhino and Pantera went at it. Now that I focused and he wasn't busy fighting noticed some odd things about him. He was in grievous pain... I could feel it... but it wasn't from his bloodied shoulder. His large head turned to face me as if he knew what I was thinking. Our eyes met for a moment, and I saw recognition then fear in his eyes. Why would he fear me?
"Pantera wins." Felix announced. Both Embry and I looked over as Pantera turned and faced Embry and growled. Embry snorted unimpressed. Pantera charged so quickly I struggled to follow his movements. I finally saw his movement and he scrapped at Embry's front leg. And then bounded away. Embry looked down at his leg, there was barely even a mark, and no blood yet. He let loose bestial laugh.
Pantera attacked again and again, each time just slightly faster than Embry's paw but each time Embry laughed off the attack as if it was nothing. In frustration Pantera charged straight on mouth wide open planning on biting Embry. His movement wasn't nearly as precise and quick. Embry met his head with a headbutt smashing directly in to Pantera's nose. The panther covered his nose with both his paws recoiling in pain. Embry charged and headbutted him in the stomach as he was on his back then climbed on him and raised his paw over him.
"Winner is Embry." Embry rolled off Pantera and out of the room. I felt pain shooting out of him and in a moment he was back wearing another pair of shorts. He grabbed his hooded zip up hoody and threw it on hood coming over his head and eyes.
"Really? A hood indoors?" Zuri teased.
"What... it's still bright." He defended.
"You're still hung over? How the hell did you do that hung over?" Themba asked. Embry was grinning.
"I'm awesome? I'm not actually hung over... just have the symptoms." Embry looked where Themba's eyes were on his stomach and zipped up his hoody.
"Sorry, this isn't a show." Themba blushed.
"You two done? The phaser who has earned the title of "Alpha" is Embry." Felix announced. There was some applause but Embry shrugged it off. Walking over to me.
"We need to talk." I said he followed me to a corner of the complex and I whispered just loud enough so he could hear it when I was talking to his ear.
"I know you're dying."
ANOTHER huge chapter? Wow that Fireproof guy is pretty awesome. It was all I could do to finish this chapter while reading the Game of Thrones series... it's like readers cocaine that doesn't run out... those books are unethically long. Well I hope you enjoyed. Remember high fives, knucks, rolls of twenties and comments. Take care... spike your hair, Fireproof