Chapter 6 – Family and Friends

The next two weeks were quiet, we observed the Cullens train a couple more times, and we worked out the details of our plan and spent a lot of time together. It was Friday now, and they would be coming tomorrow, late in the afternoon. The pack was getting nervous.

Mom wasn't too happy with me neither, after that fun afternoon we had cleaning out the spare bedroom Sam had upped patrols. Which made sense of course, but all mom saw was me sneaking out even more.

I came home Friday afternoon, Jake had just gone off with Bella, they were taking her up the mountains, far away from the fight. I rubbed my eyes, hadn't had much sleep in the last two weeks and I really needed a couple of hours.

'Embry!'

I walked in the living room and saw mom sitting there with a girl, I tilted my head. She looked familiar, dark brown hair and copper skin, huge amber eyes though and she looked about sixteen.

'Embry!' She yelled and jumped up from the couch and flung her arms around my neck.

'Uhm' I hugged her back slightly and look confusedly at mom who was laughing.

'Ah you don't remember your little cousin?' She stepped back and smiled at me

'Serena? Well shit, I haven't seen you since we were like seven or something'

'Embry, language!'

I grinned at her and Serena laughed. I looked again at her, she seemed cool. Her clothes were all over the place though, she was wearing red pants, black boots and a bright green and yellow shirt. Apparently she had dyed her hair as well, in between the dark brown there were bright red strands.

'I thought we could all go out to dinner tonight in Forks and go shopping in Seattle tomorrow.'

I looked at mom, this was such bad timing, tonight was the last strategy meeting, tomorrow well…..how knew what would happen.

'Oh fun!'

Oh great Serena wanted to go out.

'Mom… I – I can't! I told you I would hang with the guys all weekend!'

Her face set tight, she gave me a stern look. 'You always hang with your friends, Embry. Your cousin just arrived and we are going to make her feel welcome.'

'I can't. It's an important weekend!'

I was growing desperate; this would not go over well with mom. I could see that greeting Serena properly was important for her. And I was really not helping.

'What is so important then?'

She crossed her arms waiting for an answer, I opened and closed my mouth a couple times but nothing came out.

'MOM!'

'No Embry, not this time. This is a family weekend.'

'I can't! Mom, I wouldn't make a big deal out of this if it wasn't…please'

I pleaded now, I couldn't abandon my pack, but this was hurting mom and Serena. I could see my cousin looking back and forth between us, not understanding what was going on. And I couldn't tell. Not now, not a day before the biggest fight we'd ever seen.

'Mom,…please let me stay home. Don't make me go.'

'No Embry, for once you will put your family before your friends.'

I pulled out my cell phone and sighed, dialling quickly.

'Yo Quil, I'm coming over, I can crash at your place right…Yeah man thanks.'

I hung up the phone and saw mom was at the brink of tears.

'I'm sorry but this is important.'

I looked one more time from Serena to mom and back.

'Sorry'

I turned around and walked out of the house, I started running. When I got to Quil's I busted through the door making little Claire scream and Quil jump up. I paced through the living room. Quil quickly picked Claire up and told her not to be scared, apparently they were just watching a scary part in the latest Disney movie.

'Hush princess, it's just Embry. He's sorry he scared you.'

Quil gave me a menacing look that made me stand still and look at them.

'Yes, Claire. I'm sorry.'

Claire held out her little arms for me so I went over and gave her a hug.

'Embwy s'okay. Embwy sad?'

I nodded and got a kiss on the cheek from little Claire, I smiled and handed her back to Quil. He sat her on the couch, kissed the top of her head and played the movie again.

'We will be right back, okay princess.'

She nodded and smiled up at him like he was the most amazing person in the world. At that moment I almost yearned for an imprint, for that level of love and devotion.

Quil pushed me out the door and we walked onto the front lawn where I started pacing again.

'Bro, what happened?'

'Big fight with my mom man.'

I looked at him. His parents knew all about the pack and the wolf stuff, the first time Quil phased was right where he was standing now. On the front porch after school. I had seen it happen, he went home sick that day, running a fever. So I came over but he wouldn't let me in the house, he had been so pissed off because I left him and Jake. I phased two months earlier, just getting used to the new life and I hadn't been able to tell him or Jake, my best friends what was going on. Then Jake phased and Quil was left alone in the old life, without his two best friends.

So seeing me that day only made him mad, he shoved me away, he yelled about me betraying him and that's when he phased. His parents seeing everything as he ran to the woods, with me right on his tail. I grinned at the memory and Quil was grinning too, probably remembering the same thing. He really was my brother.

'I don't think I can fix it this time.'

He walked to me and clasped a palm on my shoulder.

'Then maybe it's time to let her in on the secret too right,…after this weekend.'

I nodded, 'yeah, maybe.'

I wished I could protect my mom, to protect her from having to know her son was a genetic freak. Quil laughed and I shook my head as we walked back in, he headed back to Claire, pulled her into his lap and kissed her cheek. I looked at them, he wanted to spend all the time he had before the fight with her. I got that.

I made my way to the spare bedroom and fell down on my back, grabbing my cell and dialling Leah. We hadn't talked really after the bonfire, but I wanted to hear her voice so bad now.

'What do you want Embry?'

I couldn't catch my breath hearing her warm husky voice. Why was I so stupid, why had I denied liking her for so long?

'Hi Lee'

'Hey…why are you calling?'

'I – I just wanted to hear your voice'

'Now you got what you wanted. Care to let me sleep?'

'Why are you so bitter Leah?' My anger was rising, I didn't need this. 'There is nothing wrong with wanting to hear your voice.'

'Of course, because we haven't been in each others heads constantly the last two weeks so you must really be missing my voice.'

'No I miss your touch.'

I said it before realising what I was saying, but I couldn't deny it. We hadn't talked about what happened after the bonfire and we were both great at concealing thoughts from the pack. So nobody knew.

'I'm sorry I should…'

'Shut up.'

Did she just tell me to shut up? After that it went silent on both ends for a while, I wondered what she was thinking.

'Seth and mom aren't home. Can you come over?'

My jaw dropped and I set up quickly.

'You for real Leah?'

'Don't make me repeat myself Call, just get your ass over here.'

'Give me five minutes.'

She didn't have to tell me twice! I hung up the phone and jumped off the bed running in the living room. 'I'll be back later, gotta go do something.'

Quil smirked like he knew exactly what I was going to do. 'Have fun, brother,' he grinned and hugged Claire extra tight to him.

I laughed and ran out of the house, toward the Clearwaters. Toward Leah.