Collin and Brady picked Phyre up before going to get Karen. Phyre wouldn't let Embry go to the party. She didn't want him to look like a creeper, a 21 year old hanging out at a high school party. She knew that there were enough judgments just in dating her. She didn't want to add to it. He relented when she reminded him that the entire school already knew that she was his girlfriend as well as Paul's sister. Not one single guy even tried to talk to her at school except for Collin and Brady. Even in Biology class, Mr. Samuels had partnered her with Karen.

Collin and Brady had really taken to Karen once Phyre had accepted her. She was a little socially awkward, however they all were in their own ways. But, she was bright, funny, honest, and utterly charming as a friend. Though, Collin had been a little disappointed when Karen and Phyre had rescinded Karen's previous offer for a romp, he smiled and said that he wouldn't want to make things awkward with his friends anyway.

That, however, took a bizarre turn when Karen learned that everyone from Forks High was invited to the party as well. Her face dropped when she realized her ex and former friends could be there. Collin stepped up to offer to be her date. Firm boundaries were put in place, lots of flirting and maybe making out as needed, possibly disappear together if she got too upset, but absolutely no actual sex. Just enough to rub it in everyone's face that Karen Beckett had nothing to be ashamed of. That she had one of the hottest guys in the Forks area to cuddle up with.

Phyre was really proud of Collin for that. They had all become such close friends in such a short time.

Phyre had helped Karen pick out a costume when they went shopping with Anna a few days prior. Karen and Anna had helped her find the perfect outfit to prank on Embry. So, Phyre helped Karen find something equally as sexy, though maybe not quite as revealing. Karen ran out of her house in the sexiest, skimpy, Goth Zombie outfit they could pull together at the thrift store. She wore a super short plaid skirt over a garter belt that held up thigh high hose full of strategically placed holes. The tears and holes exposed make-up effect cuts and rotting flesh in a few places, but mostly showed tons of luscious thigh. Over that, she wore a very tight tank top that showed lots of cleavage and midriff, along with two more patches of glued on make-up effects of her ribs being exposed. Wrapped all up with knee high boots and heavy make up around her face.

The boys were truly impressed. "Damn, that Eli guy said she was too fat to get hard? I am hard enough to break something." Brady groaned. Collin quickly agreed before Karen could hear. Phyre chuckled at the boys. But, she was proud of her friend for standing up for herself and showing Forks High, just what they lost.

And, oh, did that plan work amazingly well. Not even ten minutes after they arrived, Phyre saw a guy leering at Karen from behind.

"Well, hello sexy." He purred.

Karen turned to face him. "Shove off Eli." She sneered.

"Karen?"

Phyre could see all of his friends gathered behind him. Oh, things were going to get good.

Karen crossed her arms and stared the asshole down. The movement accentuated her cleavage. "Yeah. The 'sexy' girl you threw under the bus."

Collin rushed in to play his roll. "Hey baby, I couldn't find that foo foo drink you wanted. But, I got you a..." He paused for affect and looked around. "Karen, everything alright?"

Everyone looked up at Collin with wide eyes. They all knew who he was. His reputation for only hooking up with really hot girls, and the one about cracking skulls when he lost his temper. The guys shrunk back slightly. The girls all drooled openly. But, Eli full on cringed as Collin slid a possessive hand across the exposed skin of Karen's back, just above the waist of her skirt. Phyre had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing.

"Yeah, babe." Karen answered. "Just my loser ex." Then she turned to walk off.

Collin held back a few seconds to smirk after her. Then he turned to Eli. "Your an idiot to screw a girl like that over. But, I am glad you are. She is one hell of a sexy kitten in bed." He sucked his teeth and visibly shuddered before going in search of 'his woman'.

Eli's jaw dropped. It took him a few moments to realize that he had just been handed his ass in public. He started to move to follow, but Brady threw up a hand against his chest. It was only then, that the group even realized that Brady and Phyre were there. Dumbasses.

The glare that Eli threw Brady was short lived as he realized Brady was just as big and intimidating as Collin. In a rash act of defensiveness, he tried to sound macho. "Why don't you two go back to making out and stay out of my business."

Brady frowned slightly and looked at Phyre. "Were we making out?"

She shook her head. "Idiot is already too drunk or stupid to know better."

The well muscled Quileute boy shrugged. "Just checking on how much I have to dumb this down." Then he turned back to Eli. "Simple words here... You will never try to talk to Karen again."

"Who in the hell do you think you are to tell me what to do?" Eli roared. The whole house went quiet.

"I am her friend. Her real friend who can see the pain you put her through." He said pointedly at the group behind Eli. "What in the hell kind of man throws a woman under the bus for his own insecurities?"

"Whatever she told you, she is a lying bitch. She was the problem, not me."

Brady bounced his head as if he was weighing out options. "See, here is the issue that I have with that. Karen never told me what happened. I have heard the rumors. And, since you just blamed her, I assume you started them. Now, what I want to know is how in the fuck anyone can look at her tonight and think for one minute that those gorgeous curves on her body would prevent a guy that supposedly loved her and dated her for a year, from getting hard. Hell, I got hard looking at her, not even touching or getting her naked. She is hot! Wish she was mine to take home." Brady pondered a bit as Eli's face turned darker and darker red.

"You really think you know anything about what happened between us?" He sneered.

Brady had been waiting for the opening, Phyre knew it. Too bad Eli was too stupid to see it. "Yeah. I do. I know that haunted look that she had in her eyes. It is a kind of pain that does not just come from being embarrassed. It comes from being used. Let me guess, you were too excited and popped your load off early, then rushed to prove you were really a man, so you didn't pay any attention to her and hurt her when you took her virginity in your selfish quest. Then you had the nerve to spread lies about her to hide the fact that you used her so badly?" Eli was fuming. It was obvious to everyone there, that Brady had hit the nail on the head. "You need to fucking man up and learn what foreplay is and how to take care of your partner before you hurt them. And, you never blame them for your failures."

That sent Eli into a full on rage. Brady smirked and dodged his punches. Phyre was barely holding her rage, but when Eli missed Brady again and nearly landed it on her, she let loose and threw the asshole to the ground. The wind rushed out of his lungs as he lay looking up at them.

"Fucking bitch." Eli he barely croaked out.

Phyre stopped and glared down at the boy. "You might want to watch your mouth."

Brady chuckled. "You play with Phyre, you will get burned." He laughed again at his own joke. Phyre rolled her eyes.

"She is nothing more than another Uley wanna be."

"Wanna be?" She looked around. "Anyone here think I am a wanna be?"

Travis, whose house the party was at, finally laughed, breaking some of the silence that surrounded them. "Eli, give it up and leave. You just insulted Sam Uley's cousin and Paul Lahote's sister. She is a Uley, you idiot."

"And, if what Brady said was true about what you did to Karen, then I want to leave." One of the girls who had been behind Eli stated. She turned to her boyfriend. "If you stay friends with him, you can have him, without me." Then she stormed out the door. Three others followed.

Phyre winked at Karen as she hid just around the corner to have been able to hear everything, tears rolled down her cheeks as Collin hugged her close and soothed her. Phyre was never one to bully the bully, it would only perpetuate the problem. However, in their case, Brady aired out the truth. The fall out would be up to Eli. She really hoped that he learned his lesson and managed to survive the rest of high school without more issues. But, she wasn't going to worry about the jack ass any more. As long as he stayed away from her friend, it was over in her book.

The rush of rage from the showdown had Phyre edgy and anxious. So, she let Brady know where she was headed, then snuck out to the woods where she quickly turned wolf.

"Phyre, you alright?" Embry's voice sounded panicked.

She smiled. "Yeah, Bree. I am good. I phased out of choice to burn off my emotions. Don't panic."

"But, the party?"

"Is still going strong." She could feel him turn toward her location. She ran toward him.

Seth mentally cleared his throat. "Glad you are alright Phyre."

"So, what happened?" Sam asked. Sam and Seth were technically on schedule to cover for Collin and Brady so they could go to the party. Embry was just being over protective Embry. Wanted to be in the mind if she flew into a fur ball at the wrong time. Plus, it let him burn off his own anxiety when she went without him. Phyre could totally read him. She was so not surprised he was wolf when she got there.

Phyre sighed and showed her memory of the party.

"What a fucking douche bag." Seth growled. "Glad Collin and Brady put him in his place. Poor Karen, she is a sweet girl and didn't deserve that."

Phyre paused. "You know Karen?"

Seth sighed. "Not really. Just seen her around, small reservation and all."

Sam groaned. "Just be careful Phyre. Having friends who don't know the secret is risky."

"I know Sam. But, she is really sweet and I like having a girl to talk to at school."

"I am just saying to be careful."

Once Embry and Phyre met in the middle of the forest, they both shifted back to human form. Naked, alone, and desperate to wrap themselves in each other's arms and kiss each other senseless once again. By the time they pulled apart to catch their breath, Embry was begging her to let him go back to the party with her, so he could make sure there were no other problems. Although, she suspected he just didn't want to let go of her hand. Such a sap. But, she loved it.

Two weeks later, Karen, Collin and Brady; were at the house with Phyre as they worked on some school work in the kitchen. They were making use of some quiet time around the house as Paul and Anna were both still at work and Rory was at the daycare. Even Embry was stuck at work with a particularly stubborn engine to fix. Ah, the idea of quiet. Well, that was the plan, but the boys certainly did not stay quiet.

"Stop raiding the food Brady!" Phyre scowled.

"But, I'm hungry!" He whined.

She glared at him. "Other people live here, who are not you. If you are that hungry, order pizza or go to Sam and Emily's. It is Friday night, there would be a big dinner."

He grumbled, but ordered the pizza. Normally, they would be at Emily's on a Friday, but with Karen there, they didn't want to expose her to too much. So, Paul's house it was.

They all ate and laughed as they pushed through the homework. By the time they all finished, Phyre was nearly in tears as Collin danced around the kitchen with a pretend partner, just to prove he could. For such a big man, he was very light on his feet. Well, that was a wolf thing. But, they wouldn't explain that to Karen.

They were all laughing so hard, Phyre almost didn't notice as Seth came into the house. "Hey guys."

"Seth! What's shaken bacon?" Phyre called out, still laughing.

"Paul asked me to stop in and check you you idiots." He gave a wide grin, as he eyed Collin who had come to a dead stop. "Anna's car got a flat, so he went to pick up Rory and then over to Forks to get her car running. He was thinking of taking the girls out for dinner while they were in Forks anyway. Anna likes that Asian place."

Phyre was confused. "Why did he ask you and not Embry?"

Seth laughed. "That engine is seriously giving Embry a hard time. He has at least another half hour of work left before he can even walk away from it for the night."

"Fine, fine. We are all good here." She rolled her eyes at the way Paul felt they needed to be checked up on. Then, she saw Karen who was looking at Seth with a slight blush on her cheeks. Damn, Phyre had not even realized he walked in without a shirt on. "Oh, Karen, this is Seth Clearwater. Seth, this is Karen Beckett."

Seth had been so busy looking at the boys and Phyre, and then stealing a slice of pizza, he looked up confused at the introduction at first. "Oh. Sorry." He blushed and put the pizza down so that he could offer a hand. "Nice to meet..." And it died.

The two of them just stared at each other for the longest time. Phyre's eyes went wide as she turned to Collin and Brady who were shaking in silent laughter.

Phyre couldn't keep it in anymore as she broke down in laughter as well. This was perfect! Karen would get to learn the secret and become part of the family! She was so excited. No more worry over hiding things and watching what she said around her. It always bothered Phyre that she had to hide so much from someone so genuinely honest with her. And, Phyre had still felt bad for how everything went down with Seth her first night there. Now, he would be happy. Karen would be happy. Everyone could be happy! Yeah, yeah, Phyre didn't need to go planning their wedding yet. But, she could be excited that Seth just imprinted on Karen.

Seeing their awkward blushes made Phyre laugh even more, and miss the hell out of Embry.

"Seth, why don't you order yourself your own pizza and stay for a while? Karen, I trust that you will be nice to my friend here." Phyre quickly pecked Seth's cheek chastely, then hugged Karen. "Karen is going to stay the night here so she could go with Anna, Leah, and I to Port Angeles in the morning. So, we were going to have a movie marathon. Followed by Saturday kickboxing. Wanna join for the night Seth?"

Seth let a devilish grin slide across his lips. "If Karen doesn't mind." He still hadn't taken his eyes off of her. Karen blushed even more and giggled as she nodded her head yes.

"Great! Then, Seth, can you keep Karen company for a bit. I need to go check on Embry. Boy's can you give me a ride?" She practically pulled Collin and Brady out the door. They all erupted into laughter once again outside.

Brady wiped tears from his eyes. "Good for those two. They would be good together. It's about time Seth found someone. He has had the hardest time."

"Why?"

"Well, Seth is just too damn nice. The girls usually end up putting him in the 'friend zone' before he could get any action. He has only managed to get hot and heavy a couple of times because of it." Phyre groaned at the reminder of being one of his near misses. More guilt for screwing things up so badly. No. Seth just imprinted on Karen. So, it will all work out just fine.

Collin growled. "He had better be good to her."

Phyre furrowed her brows. "Jealous?"

Collin rolled his eyes. "It's not like that. I just really like her, as a friend. Almost like a sister."

"That you were willing to make out with at a party just to mess with her ex." Brady reminded him. Collin just shrugged.

Phyre leaned her head on his shoulder. "I know what you mean. We just want her to be happy."

"Yeah."