It took Phyre a while before she learned how to phase into her wolf by choice. Until that point, all of her transitions to wolf were at moments of extreme emotion. But, Paul had been patient and helped her through consciously choosing to phase.

Once she settled into her form, she took a deep breath. The pack mind connected and she could sense others there, but she didn't know who.

"Welcome back Phyre." She heard a voice. She recognized it, but couldn't place it.

"And, help me out here with names." She replied.

She heard a chuckle. "Deputy Quil Ateara. We met earlier when I helped Jared take you over to Paul's."

"Yeah, Deputy Quil."

"Just Quil. I am not one for formalities."

Paul rolled his eyes. "Jake, why are you on patrol now? I thought you were off."

Jake scoffed. "Yeah, Seth was supposed to be on. Sam called and said Seth was out. So, here I am. Don't know why yet."

Phyre couldn't help the memories from the events in the garage from coming to mind. All of it. Her reasons. What happened. Her regret that Seth got hurt for it. The imprint with Embry.

"Oh dear God!" Jake started laughing. Quil was none to quiet about his laughter at Embry and Seth's expense either.

Paul groaned. "Phyre, we need to work on your filters. You don't have to think of everything here. You can learn to build walls where you don't think of certain things while in the mind link."

Phyre stopped running. Suddenly, she felt like she was screwing things up even more.

"Lahote!" A new voice rang across the pack mind, a female voice. "Why in the fuck does my brother look like he got run over by a truck?"

"That is my fault." Phyre said quietly. "Tell him I am sorry."

"Who in the fuck are you?" She snapped.

Paul growled. "Leah, stop. She is new and emotional. Phyre, this is Leah, Seth's sister. Leah, this is Phyre. My sister."

Leah jumped out of the bushes in front of Paul and Phyre. "I don't care who the fuck your brother is girl. What did you do to mine?"

Paul slid into the space between the two female wolves. He snarled and bared his teeth at Leah.

"I, I- I was..." Then the memories played through once more. "I'm sorry."

Phyre turned and ran through the forest once again. Leah, just another person to hate her. Seth probably did too. And, she knew that Sheriff Call was not thrilled with her. Even Sam had gone after her, but had not talked to her or accepted her. Everything jumbled together.

A large brown wolf jumped into her path. "Phyre, hold up. Please." It was Quil. He walked over and nuzzled at Phyre's neck and laid his head across her shoulders in a similar fashion to what Paul had done earlier in the night. It helped Phyre calm down a little. She still didn't feel like she belonged but at least not everyone hated her.

"Damn it Leah. I told you she was too emotional for your shit now. She is running on pure reaction. If we are calm, she can stay in control. But, if you push her, she falls apart. She doesn't have strength in her walls because she hasn't finished grieving." Paul ranted at the female wolf once he had her pinned down. Leah was fast, but Paul was stronger in an up close fight.

"Since when did you become the calm one in this pack?" She snarled at him.

"I simply need to be. She is my sister. I need to protect her. And, I can't do that on a rage. Period." Paul put it out there very clear and concise.

Quil chuckled softly. "Married life has been good to you brother."

Paul scoffed. "Whatever Dr. Phil."

"Sounds like you are trying to take that title from me." Quil threw back.

"Oh no. If anything, I am Dr. Drew. Addictions and sex. That I can give advice about." Paul stated proudly.

Phyre quietly interjected. "I think that we all learned how fucked up I am at it all. So, go ahead oh brother guru, tell me how screwed up I am." She slumped.

Quil pulled back and looked at Phyre and pushed her to lay down. "I know this might get my ass kicked later, but seriously girl, what are you talking about? You are grieving, you have a damn good excuse for messing up a bit. And, I am sorry Seth was so badly cock blocked with probably the most awkward imprint scenario in history. Which considering I imprinted on a two year old says a lot. But, had Embry not walked in when he did, that was some fucking hot action. I am fairly certain you will play a leading role in Seth's wet dreams for years to come. You have absolutely no room to criticize yourself over that. In fact, if you and I weren't both imprinted, I would so be begging to finish that piece of naughtiness with you."

"Quil!" Everyone shouted. Except Phyre who blushed inside.

Quil licked her face and went back to resting his head on the base of her neck, across her shoulders. "It's a good thing that I am a good friend to Embry and wouldn't take advantage of his imprint like that, huh?" He chuckled.

Phyre rubbed her face against his shoulder. "Thank you."

In the warmth of his comfort, Phyre finally found asleep.

"I never should have kept you two!" Thomas ranted.

Tears ran down Phyre's face. "Daddy, please. Don't do this now."

The words stung more than the slap to her face. "Don't you fucking tell me what to do you worthless bitch. Hell, your own mother didn't even want you. She didn't want the reminder of how much of a slut she really was. Dumped you off on me like I gave a shit about a girl. Now get back to cleaning that mess up!"

Thomas Uley's words slurred as the alcohol had settled in 30 minutes prior. The stench of it caused bile to rise in Phyre's throat. But, she fought it down for as long as she could. The second the police left the house after completing their initial investigation into her brother's suicide, her father had forced her to go clean up the bloodied bathroom while he drank bottle after bottle.

She was so sick. Phyre had to fight to stay up and functioning. Her skin so hot that the cool tiles of the bathroom sent chills through her as she sat over the toilet, dry heaving from the memory of her beautiful brother. He had chosen to slit his wrists the long and deadly way. More blood. More permanent. But, directly choosing a method that their father would have seen as girly and weak. She understood the choice of method. A final rebellion for the gay son of a man who couldn't tolerate anything less than his idea of masculine perfection. She just couldn't understand why he gave up, why he left her.

The memory of his blue skin and dark red blood. She dry heaved once again.

Phyre had been sick for four days. The school had tried to send her home before, but she knew her father would not take it well. He never believed that she was really sick. He said she was just lazy and trying to get out of her responsibilities. But, by the fourth day, the school nurse said that she could not attend classes until Phyre had a doctor's note saying that she had been seen and was not contagious. Pff. Like she would see a doctor?

"Lazy fucking whore. Why haven't you finished cleaning the mess your brother made?" Her father fired from the doorway. "Not that it fucking matters anyway. The police said they would call Social Services. I know you. You will lie your ass off and tell them that I am just a monster. Then, they will take you away. Why in the hell did I ever bother? The ancestors hate me. They never chose me to be a protector. They never saw me as special. Now, they won't even give me a strong son to carry that family honor. Nothing but pansies and whores. My brother got everything he wanted. I was the first born. That should have been my honor." His words drifted, getting softer in volume as he spiraled into his self pity over an unfulfilled dream of unrealistic expectations.

Phyre couldn't do anything but sit there and listen. Her body hurt too much. Her head was too unfocused in it's grief.

Thomas turned from the bathroom and headed toward the living room. As he turned, Phyre caught the light reflecting off of metal. Fuck, he had a gun! Did he walk into the bathroom, planning to kill her? She started to tremble. Fear. Panic raced through her. Until she realized that he had left. She slowly pulled herself up to see where her father had gone. But, as she took a step into the living room, she looked straight at him with the gun in his mouth.

There was no time left for her to even utter a sound as he pulled the trigger.

"No!" Phyre screamed as she woke from her sleep. Her memories still fresh as they played in her nightmares. Her heart raced and her body trembled.

"Shhhh. Phyre, we're here. Shhh. You are safe."

"Phyre. God, what do I do to help? I am here."

Paul and Embry had both slept next to Phyre in wolf form. Both woke to her screams and memories. Both tried to comfort her in her grief and pain.

Embry moved from where he was next to her, so that he could lick at her face and nuzzle her.

Phyre slowly regained some sense of composure enough to look at her surroundings. She had fallen asleep in the woods. In wolf form. Fuck. The wolf thing wasn't a dream. She whimpered.

"It's okay, your not alone." A voice carried over the pack mind as a grey wolf with black spots licking at her face and pressing his forehead to hers.

The pieces finally locked together. "Embry?"

He nuzzled further. "Yeah. Are you alright?"

Phyre shook her head. A very faint 'no' passed through the mind. She didn't know how to deal with everything. She could feel Embry's heart breaking for her. He wanted to help. She just didn't know how he could.

Embry inched closer to her, so that he could wrap his head and neck around hers, licking at her ears. Phyre could sense another wolf coming toward them. She tensed, but but did not feel the same reaction from Paul or Embry, only a low growl from Paul.

"I am sorry Phyre." Leah's voice carried over as she stepped forward. "I pushed too hard. You will learn, that it is a bit of a wolf thing. But, you are not alone." The slightly smaller, light grey wolf laid down against Phyre on the side opposite from Paul. Together, the three wolves comforted their newest pack member.

"When did you get here Embry?" Phyre asked softly after she started to regain control of her emotions.

"About an hour ago. I couldn't sleep, so I thought I would run. But, I felt Paul in the link. Came here instead of the run."

Phyre thought about it. "Why couldn't you sleep?"

He chuckled. "Seriously? I met you, my imprint, last night, while you were naked and under another man. Part of me was seriously turned on at the sight, but the other part of me was fucking pissed that another man was there. Hell, you reeked of him. It drove my wolf nuts."

"Jealous much?" She scoffed.

"Yes!" He growled.

Leah sighed. "Do we need to be here for this part?" She asked Paul.

"I'm not leaving them alone together." Paul stated and kept his eyes on Embry.

"Right. Well, Phyre. Sorry again for whatever. But, I can't stay and listen to this." Then Leah left.

Paul rolled his eyes. "How about breakfast?"

Embry and Phyre continued to test each other out as they ran back toward Paul's house and waited for breakfast. Phyre had offered to cook, but Paul wasn't ready to trust her not to phase. So, no handling of anything that costs money to replace.

"Honestly Embry. I just don't know yet." Phyre stated.

His shoulders slumped as they ate breakfast. Her wolf wanted her to race to fix the mistake of causing him any disappointment, but she held firm.

"Embry, I'm not saying no. I am saying that I don't know." She took another bite of bacon. "This whole imprint thing sounds like marriage. And, I just met you yesterday. While I am going through a shit ton of stuff. I just don't know how to process it all, let alone make the right decision now."

Paul smiled at her encouragingly. "Asking for time is the best choice that you can make right now."

"I know. I know." Embry said calmly. "It is the right choice. But, I can't pretend to be happy about it because my wolf is wound up. However me, as a man, I do understand and I won't push you. In fact, I have some things that I need to figure out as well. But, I do want to be here for you. Help you in any way that I can."

"Thank you." Phyre smiled. Her wolf was clawing at her to climb back into his lap and stay there. "What things do you need to figure out?"

He rubbed the back of his neck as he thought about what to say. "Well, I don't know. Things like how my only car is a gorgeous 69' Shelby Cobra, that looks like shit because someone left her to rot. So, I have been fixing her up slowly. No running car yet. Hmmm. The fact that I am 21 and you are still 17 and need to go to finish high school. Ohh, and then there is the super creepy part of us possibly being related..."

"What?" Phyre shouted. "What is it with you Quileute people? Way too much incest!"

Paul groaned. "You are Quileute dumbass. And, as far as I know, we have never had an issue with this kind of shit, until I met you. But, I doubt that the ancestors paired you both up as imprints on each other if you were related."

"Then explain it." Phyre stared at Embry with her brows furrowed together.

Embry rolled his eyes up as if he was begging God to help him. "I don't know who my father was. Mom is from the Makah tribe and moved to La Push when she was pregnant with me. She never said who my father was. It was assumed that he was Makah and she moved to leave his ass. But, the wolves come from only three bloodlines. The Uleys, the Blacks, and the Atearas. So, when I phased, it kind of narrowed down the possibilities. There was a lot of drama and shit about it in the pack at first because all of the possible male members of those families from the generation that could have been my father, they were all married when I was born. Except for Thomas Uley, but he was still in the Merchant Marines at the time. So, he was overseas, not even a chance at being my father. He came back a year after I was born. But, that still leaves Sam's dad, Joshua as a possibility. In fact, most people assume it was him. He wasn't a whole lot better than Thomas on personality. Everyone could believe he cheated on his wife. The other two, Quil's dad and Billy Black both seemed to love their wives too much to do that."

"I think I am gonna be sick." Phyre groaned.

"Tell me about it." Embry muttered.

After several awkward minutes. "So, the Sheriff?"

"My step-dad. Mom married him when I was three." Embry answered.

Paul sat back down with more bacon and eggs. "I will repeat. I seriously doubt that the ancestors paired you two together if you were both Uley's. So, don't stress it yet. We need to focus on staying calm and getting Phyre into real clothing for a few hours. As much as the sheets work better than clothes for the new wolf thing, I don't think this social worker that the Sheriff called is going to be thrilled with it."

Phyre groaned. "Why do they have to come here? Can't I just talk to them over the phone?"

"Nope." Paul answered. "If I could postpone it, I would. At least until you are more stable with your emotions. But, the law is the law. Technically, the state can't make any decisions on reservation land with reservation families. The Tribe takes jurisdiction and has its own social workers that work through both systems. However, with the events that happened the night you left, I am sure there are a lot of questions. It would go a long way to getting the state out of your life if we just open it all up for them to check off their boxes and see that you are alright. They have to check out the house, talk to me, talk to you, make sure everything is kosher before they sign off. And, this really is the best option for you right now."

"How do you know all of this?" She asked.

Paul tilted his head. "My wife had a daughter that she put up for adoption when she was 17. I helped her talk to the Tribal Council and one of the tribes social workers about her options and legal needs in the early stages. It is just gonna be bureaucracy, then they will be gone. Maybe check in once a month after that."

"I don't trust them." She snarled.

Paul leaned back and looked at her sternly. "Phyre, I know you don't. I saw your memories of the times you called the police and Social Services yourself, to protect your brother. I am sorry that they didn't take the reports seriously enough to help before he gave up. But, fighting this would only make things harder. The more we cooperate now, the faster the person leaves and the less they interfere in the long run. Plus, the elders and some of the pack will be here to make sure they don't delve too far into wolf business. Okay?"

She nodded reluctantly.

"Good. Now, go on up and get a shower. I will find you some more clothes. The pack should be here in an hour. Social Services will be here around 2:00." He kissed her forehead.

Phyre's eyes slid into a wicked gleam. "Embry, you want to help me with that shower?"

Paul jumped. "Fucking hell no. Em, don't you even think about it." Embry whimpered. "What happened to going slow?"

Phyre rolled her eyes. "Just ruffling your fur Paul. I was not seriously going to let him go with me. I am not really a slut. Last night was a fluke thing."

Embry growled. Though, Phyre was not sure if it was for her teasing him with the shower, calling herself a slut, or for the reminder of her nearly having sex with another man. Probably all of the above.

"Seriously you two. I am a virgin still. The most I had done before last night was make out with a guy once. He was all octopus arms and grabby and slobbery. It was very uncomfortable and I didn't like it. That is the total of my experience before last night. I just kind of lost myself in the emotions and need to feel like someone wanted me." Her voice got quieter as she she talked. Barely a whisper by the time she finished her thought.

Embry wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. "You are wanted. We are nothing like your father. I want you in my life. Not just here in La Push, but with me. I know Paul wants you here too. It will take time to get to know everyone, but we are a family. They will want you to stay as well."

"But, is it all of that just because of some magical imprint thing? You don't know me. You could hate me once you get to know me. Do you just want your imprint and it wouldn't matter who the person was. All of those questions make it just feel wrong."

There was a pain that flashed across Embry's face. "It's not really like that. It's not that we are blinded by the magic of it." Embry shook his head and looked at Paul for help.

Paul sat down across from the two. "Phyre, it took a long time for my wife and I to have a romantic relationship. We started out as friends. Very close friends who loved each other as friends. I was protective of her, but that was all there was to it. Then, she had to leave for several years. I turned wolf during that time and instinctively knew she was my imprint I guess. I was agitated and pissy all the time because she had disappeared. Then, when she came back, we reconnected as friends and things grew from there. Naturally. During that time, I had a lot of time to think about imprinting and what it means."

He smiled as she watched him talk. "I don't think that the imprint forces us to be with someone we would not want otherwise. I think that it clears the way to the person that you are truly matched with. It removes the question of who and lets you focus on finding your peace with them."

"But, I saw what happened with Sam and Leah."

"Yes, and whether they want to admit it or not, Sam is happier with Emily than he was with Leah. He hates himself for hurting her. And, in a way, he still loves her. But, he was not really himself when he was with her. With Emily, he is. And he is loved for being himself. Without the imprint bond, he never would have known that kind of acceptance."

Phyre stretched her arms to wrap around his neck and climbed back into his lap for a few minutes as she regained some control over her emotions. Was that an imprint thing? Being able to calm her just by holding her? Could Paul be right about it all? Was she even ready to think about that kind of commitment and relationship with anyone? She knew that physically, Embry soothed her. It hurt her to not be close to him. And, he was fucking hot as hell. So, there was an attraction. But, could it really build to love?

"I should go get that shower now." Phyre left the two men to finish their late breakfast.