CHAPTER FORTY FIVE
BONDING
REBECCA CALL:
Me and my Mom were spending some quality time together. We were shopping in Port Angeles, it was much smaller than I was used to but still it was quaint and charming I supposed. I usually shopped alone, quickly and purposefully, but today my Mom and I perused the small boutiques with leisurely ease. I'd always known she was out there, somewhere. My real Mom. The woman whom I got my name from. The woman who couldn't keep me. I didn't blame her and I didn't want recriminations from the past. She had told me what had happened that night with Sam Uley Snr, explained to me how scared she was to find out she was pregnant at seventeen and she had implored me to believe that she had never stop loving me all those years we were apart. I believed her.
She was still only in her early forties, her next birthday would see her turn forty one. My mother's birthday was three weeks after mine on March 22nd. Today was March first, it was my birthday, the one and only one we had spent together if you don't count the few hours after I came into this world. It was bitter sweet but kind of cool that now on my twenty third birthday we were enjoying a lovely day together as a proper mother and daughter should.
My Mom had bought me a pretty silver charm bracelet with a small silver wolf dangling from it. I could add to the bracelet with my own charms. It was a lovely present and I liked it very much. We had fun trying on clothes and giggling at ourselves in the changing room mirrors. Tiffany was surprisingly good company. Embry had told me she kept herself to herself and didn't mix well with others. He said she had been scared about her secrets from the past coming out. She was also nervous being around people due to her illness. I was determined to bring her out of her shell. Today was going really well. I was happy.
Now, we were sitting in a cosy booth of a small Italian restaurant we'd found. My Mom raised her glass of red wine to mine as she toasted my birthday. Tears sprang into her eyes as she smiled at me over the candle lit table. "I am so happy to spend your birthday with you Rebecca!" she exclaimed with emotion. I nodded as I took her hand across the table. "I am happy too Mom! I dreamed of finding you one day. " I smiled. We grinned at each other through happy tears as the waiter approached to take our order. We both laughed as we ordered the same thing at the same time. I noticed that our laughs and smiles were similar, but I had the dark hair and colouring of my Father. I was also tall and athletic. We ate our food and we drank our wine. We chatted about our lives and our hopes and dreams. When it was time to catch the bus back to La Push, we walked companionably along arm in arm to the bus station. I heard someone calling my name behind us and I turned to find Quinn Taylor running towards us. Quinn and Kat had been on a few dates in the past. I knew he was totally in love with my sister and he was totally jealous and possessive too. He looked angry as he approached. My Mom looked slightly worried. I squeezed her arm to reassure her.
"Hey Quinn" I pleasantly greeted him. "What are you doing in Port Angeles?" I questioned. He narrowed his eyes at me, "As if you don't know Miss High and Mighty!" he spat out, his handsome face creased with annoyance. I look at my Mom who still looked worried and shrugged my shoulders. "I had a phone call last night from Kat! She told me the reason why she'd disappeared of the face of the earth! She was helping you at first but then she met someone! This half brother of yours, this Embry Call she says she is in love with him!" he exclaimed angrily. I shrugged my shoulders again much to his annoyance. Quinn had never been a favourite person of mine. Kat was much too good for him. They'd dated casually over the last year, but Kat had always made it very clear that it was nothing serious. Quinn did not see it that way and when I tried to warn Kat she always laughed it off. Quinn was obsessive about my sister, in my eyes. My Mom suddenly spoke, "That's my son you are talking about mister! Yes, he and Kat are in love and they are very happy together!" Embry imprinted on her and there is no greater bond than that!" Tiffany proclaimed proudly. I cringed inwardly at her words. Quinn knew nothing of imprinting or shape shifters. He narrowed his sapphire blue eyes at my Mom and ran his big hands impatiently through his messy dark blonde hair. He was tall and very muscular because as well as being obsessed with my sister he also had an unhealthy gym obsession too!
"Imprinting? Huh? What the hell is that?" he sneered. I nudged my Mom discreetly so she would take the hint to say nothing else on the matter. "Quinn, my sister is in love with Embry. They are happy together, you need to go home to Vancouver and get on with your life." I said with as much kindness as I could muster. "No! No way! I came out here to see her and I am not going home until I do!" he exclaimed passionately. "You will tell me where she is staying Rebecca. She told me she was living near Port Angeles. I came here on the off chance I might run into her. I've been trawling the streets since early morning, then I spot you!" he smirked. "She is staying with me. That's all you need to know. Now, it's getting late we must be heading home. Goodnight Quinn." I said firmly as I took my Mom's arm and walked towards the bus station. I could feel Quinn's eyes boring into my back as we walked off. I prayed he wouldn't start anything. If he decided to become more forceful I didn't know what might happen. I was quite volatile, especially when it came to protecting my family. I prayed he would stay where he was. "Yeah goodnight Rebecca. I'll be seeing you soon, very soon!" he said quietly behind my back. Of course my hearing acutely accurate so I easily heard his parting shot. I shivered slightly at his words. Why had Kat never listened to me when it came to Quinn?
"What an awful person!" my Mom whispered to me as we made our way to the bus station. I glanced behind but there was no sign of Quinn. I must tell Kat about my encounter with him as soon as we got home. We were both staying in a small home I had rented on the reservation near to my Mom's house. Her house was only big enough for her and Embry. My brother spent most of his time at our house any ways, as he couldn't bear to be parted from Kat at all. Kat had taken two months unpaid leave from her teaching job. She was due to go back next week. I had also taken time off from my job as a marine biologist. Luckily I had a good salary and a lot of savings, so I could afford a bit of time off. I was going to go back when Kat did next week. My Mom was not looking forward to me leaving, the last two months had been great. Kat was already breaking her heart about leaving Embry behind, but I suspected he would soon follow her to Vancouver. I really hoped it worked out for them. They seemed so perfect for each other. All I wanted was for Kat, my little sister, to be happy.
I wasn't going to let Quinn Taylor ruin that for her.