Author's Note:

Good morning you gorgeous people! (Well, actually, it's like 11 o'clock at night right now but it's morning somewhere, right?)

So first of all, I didn't realize I already posted chapter 12 at the beginning of the month apparently. So I accidentally reposted it thinking it y'all hadn't read it yet. For those of you who missed the announcements due to my poor memory I'd like to say, first of all, I'm sorry about the delay I had a family emergency but am back now.

Second announcement you would have missed, we're welcoming LemonDropMartini who has agreed to beta read for my crazy butt.

This one is really short, sorry, but I didn't want to just throw this in with the next one since it doesn't really fit and the next part feels like it's going to be kind of long (though I make no promises).

Enjoy!

Chapter Thirteen - Aging

Jacob had increased everyone's patrols, not convinced the group of vampires was gone for good. Paul had even offered to come out of 'retirement' to help since he'd had a recent slip anyways, but Jared had insisted it wasn't necessary. Fifteen wolves was more than enough to take down four vampires they weren't even sure we're coming back. His point was made stronger when, two days after the vampire visit, their numbers jumped to seventeen with two new wolves. Of course this meant that Jared had no valid argument when Jacob insisted he keep to to his plan and stop phasing as well. Kim was twenty-eight and getting older every second, it was time Jared joined her. They all knew, had he not been alpha, he would have retired two or three years prior.

Sam had stopped phasing at twenty-six and Paul had retired three years later at twenty-seven, though occasionally he still found it difficult. The pack had guessed that after Jared, Brady would be the next to retire, though it wouldn't happen until he was in his early thirties. Brady was twenty-three and his imprint, Beth, was seventeen. Collin would follow soon after, his imprint, Lisa, being sixteen. Claire was only thirteen so Quil still had plenty of time and, with the exception of Nessie, the only other imprint was Dillon's imprint, Emma, who was only a year and a half old.

Embry listened to some of his brothers going over that knowledge in their heads, making timelines and predictions, and that's when it hit him. Brady would not be the next wolf to stop phasing, because it would be him. Alex was twenty-four and, ideally the wolves could stop phasing when their imprints were in their mid-twenties. He had two years at most. That thought had been enough to stop him in his tracks. His next thought stopped his brothers as well: he would stop phasing, and start aging, alone.

He hadn't thought about it, hadn't consciously made the decision, but of course he would stop phasing soon; Alex was his imprint. She would grow old on a porch swing with Mark, but he would grow old, too. He wouldn't be in his twenties forever while she turned grey and died. He couldn't handle that. He would turn grey too, watching from a distance. How had he not seen this coming? She was married. She could never be his, but he wouldn't keep phasing forever.

The pack was frozen, watching the pictures and images in his head; as Alex got older, had someone else's kids, played with her grandchildren, and swung on a porch swing with a vague and fuzzy man. Then they watched the pictures shift and saw Embry, friends with Alex but never more; running into her at the grocery store, her belly swollen as she glowed. He was grey now, too, dropping candy into her grandchildren's bags at Halloween as she watched on smiling. Him, sitting on a porch swing all alone. He'd always be there for her but never with her. That was how it would be for him; there would be no one else in the end.

Ten minutes later he found himself on Alex's porch. She hadn't returned any of his calls or texts since he'd ran out on video game night, leaving her crying in the bathroom. He understood, she was angry with him. He'd said he would be right back but never returned. A normal, non-shape shifting person would have remembered and been able to text or call her to tell her about the change in plans. He was going to keep texting daily 'I'm sorry' messages and calling her twice a day, but thinking about the life he'd spend alone, he'd decided he was going to spend as much time as possible with her now, while he could. Of course he'd also thought if he showed up at her door, she'd actually answer it.

"I know you're here, Alex!" He called, listening to her breathing speed up on the other side of the door. "Your car is in the driveway, please talk to me! I know you're mad at me, and I'm really really sorry." He paused, hoping she'd say something or do something but she didn't move or make a noise. "Fine, okay, you're not ready to talk to me. Just let me know when you are, okay? It's been really great hanging out with you these past couple of weeks and…I miss you. So, I hope you'll talk to me soon." He paused again then, deciding he needed to lighten the mood after admitting he missed her, added, "even if it's just to call me an ass."

He heard a muffled snort and smiled. She'd come around. As he turned and jogged back down the driveway he had no way of knowing things were going to get worse before she'd talk to him.

Disclaimer:

Stephanie Meyer still owns Twilight and all my play things.