April 14th
"Well Jax, I made it. I am officially 18. It's been one hell of a ride." She paused. "I still miss you though. I think you would have really liked this new family. They have all helped me so much. I don't know where I would have been without them." Phyre wiped a tear from her eye. "So, as a birthday present, Paul is finally letting me just move in with Embry. Not that he has much of a say anymore, but it is still nice to see he is officially over his earlier hang ups about Embry and I sleeping in the same bed."
"His hang ups were about me taking your virginity, not about us sleeping in the same bed." Embry called from the other room.
Phyre shook her head as she laughed. "Yeah, that wolf hearing still doesn't give us much privacy. But, you do get a new shelf to sit on. And, Embry even got you a frame instead of the album. So, you are moving up in the world little brother. I love you." She kissed the photo and set the frame on the bookshelf of the room that she would share with Embry.
The sizzle and pop of bacon cooking drew her out of the bedroom and down to the kitchen. "I get a new room and breakfast?" She asked as she pecked Embry on the lips.
"It's your birthday! I have to spoil you." He defended.
Quil laughed. "You always spoil her."
"Your one to talk. How many dolls and dresses have you bought Claire?" Embry glared at his roommate. Quil just grinned.
"So, how does it feel to officially be an adult who got her college acceptance letter last week and her scholarships?" Embry asked.
Phyre smiled wide as she piled bacon onto her plate. "I am thrilled! I can relax now. Just over a month left of high school. I have my scholarships. Washington State accepted me. My little pack of misfits are doing really well on their own now. Both Kim and Emily have offered to try to help me get jobs with them. Though, I am leaning toward the hotel over the Head Start teacher. I like kids, but I'm not sure I want to be trapped with that many of them all day, every day. God, Emily has the patience of a saint!"
The boys laughed.
"We are all proud of you Phyre." Quil said as he stood up to head out the door to work. "Just do me a favor, don't go christening your new living arrangements in my bed, or on the kitchen table where I eat." He smirked and then left.
Phyre bit her lips as she turned red. Yeah. She was not going to tell Quil that the kitchen table had already been 'christened'.
"Well, he did not say anything about the rest of this house..." Embry suggested.
"Is there anywhere left?" Phyre finally laughed once she heard Quil's truck drive away.
Embry stopped to think about it. "The counters, the tables, the couches and chairs, the stairs, his room, our room, the spare room, the bathroom, the dresser, the closets, the garage... yeah, I think that we have marked it all." He paused. "Oh! Almost forgot one more place... though technically we have already 'christened' it."
Phyre's brows scrunched with a confused expression. Embry smiled and waggled his brows. "Come on love." He lead her to the back yard where a large green pick up truck sat.
"What is this?"
"Do you recognize it?" He asked as she walked up behind her to pull her body flush against his. Embry's voice was deep and rumbled full of lust. Her knees were weak from the mixture of senses. So, when she didn't answer, he kissed her neck. "It's the truck where we spent our first time together."
Phyre's eyes went wide and she giggled. "And, what is it doing here?" She breathed.
"It's a bit of an older truck, but old man Marshall kept up with it. We kept her in good shape. And, when Marshall mentioned to us that he wanted to sell the truck because he was getting too old to be driving around safely, the guys and I worked out a plan to buy it for you."
"You..." She turned to face him. "You bought this? For me?"
He nodded. "We got a good deal. And we all chipped in. The whole pack. Happy birthday."
She smacked his chest. "How did you hide this from me?" She laughed and then jumped into his arms to kiss him senseless. He groaned as his fingers dug into her flesh to pull her closer.
Phyre pulled away and dropped down enough to slide her capris down her legs while he watched. "Well, we have already been in the back of the truck, but we haven't been on the hood, in the cab, or simply pressed up against the side of the truck." She said seductively.
Embry's erection was already obvious in his shorts. "Seriously woman, you are gonna kill me." He groaned. "But, I love it." He attacked her lips once again and pulled her up so that her legs wrapped around his waist and pressed her against the side of the truck. His hands slid under her tennis dress to cup her bare ass. Her skin erupted in goosebumps. It was a rush to be doing that outside during the day. Yeah, they were in the back where no one should see them, but there was always a chance. And, it turned her on more.
"Damn, baby, you are so wet." Embry groaned.
"I want you. Now. Forget foreplay. Please." She panted. He was more than happy to comply. His shorts dropped and he was buried into her within seconds, as they both muttered incoherent syllables at the feeling of being completely connected. Embry made his way down to nip at her nipples through her dress as he rocked his hips into her. Phyre's back arched and she begged for more. Rocking her hips to meet his.
"I can't believe you are still so tight." His voice raw and ragged from the lust. "I can never get enough of you."
Phyre pulled his lips to hers. "Good. Because I never want you to stop."
Her cell phone went off. She didn't move to find it or answer it.
"You have school firefly." Embry mumbled against her lips.
"I'll be late. It's my birthday. I want my cake, and to eat it too."
He laughed as he drove into her harder. His mouth swallowed up her screams of pleasure.
Phyre ran back into the house to try to get a quick shower before going to school. But, she stopped when she saw Paul sitting on the couch. She immediately blushed.
"Bree, we have company!" She called out the back door. "Umm. Hi."
Paul shook his head. "You two are worse than rabbits."
Embry chuckled as he walked in. "Well, that was kind of the point of her moving here. You wouldn't have to hear it so much. So, why show up and torture yourself?"
"I did try to call first, but you were... busy." Paul took a deep breath. "Sorry to make you even more late to school, but I wanted to talk with you Phyre."
"About what?" She asked cautiously.
Paul licked his lips. "Do you remember that Social Services said they were going to look for mommy dearest?"
"Yeah. But, what's the point now?"
"They kind of found her yesterday. I got the call just after you left this morning."
"And..." Paul looked too nervous. It was starting to freak Phyre out. "Please don't tell me that she is not really my mom and your not really my brother or something."
He jumped to reassure her. "No, no, nothing like that. You are definitely my sister. But, it looks like we have two more brothers."
Phyre groaned. "Dear God! Can't that woman tie her tubes or something?"
Paul chuckled. "I share that sentiment. However, it looks like someone else finally caught on to her inability to parent. Too late to stop most of it though."
She fell into the couch. Her heart crashed as she figured out where Paul was headed. "What did she do?"
"She was arrested yesterday in Montana with her new man. The charges are child abuse. They are looking at serious prison time. The boys are twins, three years old and in the hospital now."
Embry sat next to her and wrapped an arm across her shoulders.
"What can we do?" She whispered.
Paul placed a hand on hers. "We can't leave the rez for very long. Our responsibilities are here. And, those boys can't just move across state lines. Especially while their parents are just now being charged. But, we can work with Social Services there in Montana to offer a home for those boys if the legal stuff can be worked out."
"And, what does Anna think?" She asked.
Paul sighed. "Anna is open to having them live with us. Her only concern is that they are older boys who may have some challenges in coming from that home. She doesn't want them to act out against Rory. My gut is telling me to help them. But, my wolf is telling me to protect my daughter. I don't know what to do."
"Bree?" Phyre looked at Embry.
"You know that I will support you. No matter what your choices are on this." He hugged her close. "We are still young and getting our feet under us, so no one will blame you if you don't think you can do this. But, no one will question you if you decide to go for it either."
"Ms. Uley, Mr. Call, it is a pleasure to meet you. I'm Rebecca Miller."
Phyre was nervous as she greeted the social worker in Billings, Montana. "Hi. Nice to meet you."
"Remember that this is just an initial visit to meet each other. They have been through a lot and you and I can talk more after." Phyre nodded her head. "Let me introduce you to Phoenix and Phalen." The woman opened a door to a room where two little boys played. "Phalen, Phoenix, can you come meet my friends Phyre and Embry?" Their light caramel skin and dark brown hair reminded her so much of Jax. Her chest tightened. God, she prayed that she could do more for these boys than she had for him. She was terrified that it wouldn't be enough. But, this time, she had Embry, and Paul, and Anna, and a whole pack to support her.
One little boy looked up and ran over with a toy car in his hand that he held out to Phyre. Phyre sat down to play with him and then the other joined in. "So, whose car is the red one?" She asked.
"Mine!" One boy yelled.
"Oh, so it's Phalen's car?" She smirked as she tricked the into telling he which boy was which.
"No. Not Phalen. I'm Phoenix." He pouted.
She laughed. "Are you sure? How do I know you are really Phoenix and not being silly?"
The little boy smiled. "I'm not silly. Your silly!"
"Oh you are being silly! So you must be Phalen." She was having fun poking at his buttons. Not only did the boys have on different color shirts, but they had other features that let her tell them apart once she knew which was which.
Phalen fell over laughing. "No. I'm Phalen. He's Phoenix."
"Right, ok, so you are Phoenix, and you are Phalen."
"No!" The boys were laughing.
Phyre smiled up at Embry who grinned as he watched her bond with her brothers, constantly mixing all of their names up, even calling the boys Phyre just to add to the confusion.
"Mr. Call, are you sure that you are ready for this?" Ms. Miller asked. "I mean, it will be several months before anything can be resolved here with their parents still facing trial. But, Ms. Uley just graduated high school, you are both young, and you just got engaged."
"Ms. Miller. You don't know Phyre. Trust me, she will give everything she has to those boys and work however hard she has to in order to be there for them. And, she will not be doing it all alone."
The End...
Author's Note:
Thank you for reading my story. I hope you liked it.
Please leave reviews. I do take reviews seriously.
As a note to follow up with a PM that I got, my reasons for following the avenues of abuse were simple. With Paul's volatile nature, I wanted there to be something in his past that help to explain some of his excess anger issues. The imprint bond adds to it, but the roots needed to already be there. It also gave a foundation for his protection of Anna when they first met. Then, in developing this story, it made sense to carry that track through. After all, people who are abusive tend to continue being abusive, and repeat the circumstances that would lead to such events. So, it would be perfectly logical for Paul's mother to connect with similar types of men (some differences), and be abusive to other children. So, the lives of Paul, Phyre, Phalen, and Phoenix, were all impacted by the cycle of one woman's choices, including the men she chose to be with. It was not meant to portray all families as being that dysfunctional. Please don't take it as a stereotype for any group, or representative of any family. This is pure fiction.
I honestly don't write with goals. I have one or two ideas and then just start writing and the story comes out. I had no intentions of getting as dark as this story did. But, it grew, naturally. So, I let the story out as it wanted to be told. Starting this story, I just had the image of Phyre and Embry's moment of imprinting... that awkward moment when she was with someone else. Everything fell into place from there.
My chapters tended to be a little longer with story. I feel that they are pushing to be a bit too long, but please let me know what you think.