Nine- Embry

"Yes Bree," I said as I slid the phone to my ear. I jumped in the car and drove away from Ava's. Another howl pierced the air. There were leeches close by. I suddenly remembered that I still hadn't talked to Ava like she wanted.

"Jeez whats your problem?" Bree asked me. Her tone was filled with attitude just as mine was.

"Nothing it's just work-"

"Was brutal." Bree said finishing my sentence "You've been saying that a lot lately Embry. Maybe you should consider getting a new job or something. Anyway the furniture just called. The couch will be here tomorrow between 8 and 12. But I have to go to Seattle for work."

"Seattle?" I asked her confused as I pulled the car over to the side of the road.

"Yea I just found out about it today and Jack says I have to go. So anyway I need you to be here to accept the couch."

"Sure Bree."

"Thanks babe and think about what I said. I know you love working with Jake and everything but if you aren't happy maybe you need to quit. See you when you get home."

I hung up and threw my phone down. I had barely crossed the forest line when I phased. I sprinted to the location that Collin had shown me. It was long before I spotted the leech. He was standing over what I guessed to be hiker. He heard us coming and started to run. Brady stayed with the hiker making sure no other leeches showed up. Quill, Collin, and I chased after him. He was running towards the river.

We have to get to him before he crosses the treaty line, I called out to them. Suddenly Jake appeared in front of the leech, who slid to a stop. He turned around and noticed that he was surrounded. I saw his eyes look up to the trees and knew what he was going to try and do. Before he had a chance I jumped out and sank my teeth into his legs. He screamed out in pain. "You don't want to kill me. If you do you will regret it," he said with a pride filled voice. Jake didn't waste any time thinking about what he said before jumping and grabbing this throat. He ripped his head off and threw it behind him. Quill didn't bother waiting for Jake to deliver instructions on who was going to stay on patrol.

How are things with Mila, Collin asked? I showed him just about everything that happened. His wolf's tongue dropped out in what I knew was him laughing. Why not just break things off with Bree? And get with Mila. It's obvious you like her and you can't keep pulling this off much longer.

I can't do that to Bree," I told him.

Well you can't keep ignoring Bree running after your imprint. Besides when you're gone Bree's gonna ask what's going on? Sam cut in.

What the hell are you talking about Sam? Why are you even here? You're not on patrol and we handled it.

I just thought you would want to know Ava just called and asked if Emily could come over. Apparently your imprint wants to go back to Michigan.

I turned around and ran towards Ava's house. Mila couldn't leave. I had seen what happens when you separate a wolf from his imprint. Quill had imprinted on Claire when she was just a toddler. Her parents flipped out when they first found out. They took Claire away and it almost killed Quill. He was so weak and depressed. It wasn't until Emily found them and explained everything did they come back. That and Claire started acting out horribly. As soon as Claire and Quill were reunited everything was better. Mila didn't know she was my imprint and hadn't really accepted it but when I wasn't around her, I could feel the difference. I couldn't really sleep, my eyes had bags, and I was almost certain I had lost some weight. But as soon as I saw Mila, I felt better than I had in a long time.

She was building me up and didn't even know it. Now there was a chance she could leave. I ran around to the front of the house and saw Ava, Emily, and Mila in the living room. Ava and Mila were yelling at each other. Emily was in the middle with her hands up, attempting to be the peacemaker.

"You can't just drop everything and go back to Michigan Mila!" Ava said to her.

"I told you Caleb needs me!" Mila yelled back at her. Caleb needs her? I needed her not him. She was my imprint.

"Look Mila I know you want to go and I promise we can go just not tonight or tomorrow. We can fly out next weekend."

"Caleb needs me now," Mila cried back out to Ava. Ava threw her hands up in frustration. "I was being polite asking you about it. I can buy my own ticket."

"Actually Mila you can't. Your only 17 which makes you a minor which means you need my permission to fly."

"I'm going whether you say I can or not," Mila yelled at her before turning and running upstairs. I heard a door slam shut. Emily hugged Ava and was trying to come up with a solution that worked for everybody. Suddenly the leech's threat came into my mind. "You don't want to kill me. If you do you will regret it." I didn't know what he meant but I couldn't take a chance. Luckily I wasn't parked far from Ava's. I ran to the car, phased, got dressed and ran back to Ava's. I knocked on the door.

"What the hell do you want Embry?" Ava asked me.

"You said you needed to talk to me. So here I am," I said holding my hands up. She let out a sigh and stepped to the side to let me in. Emily smiled and excused herself from the living room. Ava motioned for me to sit down.

"I need you to tell me the truth Embry. Did you imprint on Mila?" Ava asked me. I looked up shocked and confused at her. How did she know about imprinting? And if she knew about that what else did she know. I opened my mouth and closed it. I didn't know what to say. Ava could sense I was confused.

"Look Embry I grew up here. I heard all the legends. I know our history. I figured something was up when everything with Leah, Sam, and Emily happened. Then you guys started disappearing one by one. So I did some research. Nobody would tell me that the legends were true but I figured they were. So if our tribe having spiritual warriors is true than so is imprinting. So I'll ask you again, did you imprint on Mila?"

"Yes I did," I said slowly. Ava let out a sigh that I didn't know she has been holding.

"That's good to know otherwise I would have told you to stop coming around. You are so much older than her. Had you said no or didn't know what I was talking about, I wouldn't have had a choice. Most people aren't going to understand you being with Mila. If and when it comes to that."

"Thanks a lot Ava. But can you not say anything to Mila about this?" I asked her. I knew this was a lot to take in. Mila was an outsider; even we had a hard time believing that everything was true. And we had grown up with the stories. It would be easier to handle coming from me. I was sure of it. Ava held her hands up. "No I'm going to leave that all up to you. And I won't tell you told me."

"You guessed so technically I didn't break any rules," I said laughing. Suddenly I heard a window open and thud. Emily was still in the kitchen which meant it could only be Mila. I didn't want to alarm Ava so I excused myself. I went outside and found Mila jogging towards the road, a back pack flopping on her back. I ran after her.

"Hey," I yelled out. I must have scared her because she turned around quickly. Mila wasn't as coordinated as me. Before I knew it she went crashing down on the gravel. Oh great this was the second time I had caused her to fall. Luckily she wasn't hurt this time.

"Of course you're here," she said wiping her pants off.

"I'm on watch right now. And I saw you running."

"God this place is too small. I need to get out of here," she said before turning around and walking away. I grabbed her elbow and turned her back to me.

"What's going on?"

"I need to go back home. Caleb needs me right now. I need to go home." She kept saying over and over. It hurt me to hear her say that. It felt like a dagger to my heart. She kept saying he needed her but I needed her. In a way that nobody else on this planet would need her. I needed her and here she was crying over some guy who could never be what she needed. Her tears dropped onto my hand. I gently wiped them away.

"Caleb has been there for me through everything Embry. Every time I've called he's been there. Besides my dad he is the one man I can always count on. And now when he needs me Ava is trying to stop me. I can't do that to him," she whispered.

"I understand. How did you plan on getting there?" I asked her.

"Ava said I couldn't fly so I was gonna take a train or a bus. I just need to get there soon."

"I'm sure Ava would be more understanding if I went with you."

"Seriously? You would do that?"

"Sure," I said smiling at her. Mila jumped up and wrapped her arms around my neck. I had been hugged plenty of times but this was the best one I ever had. And while it was going to kill me to see her with her boyfriend, it was my job to be whatever she needed. And right now she needed me to get her back to Michigan. Mila let me go.

"Sorry about that. I just-" she said. She looked like she was uncomfortable.

"It's fine. You go tell Ava and I'll just run home and pack a bag. I'll be back and we can try to catch a red eye."

Mila smiled at me again and nodded. When we made it back to Ava's she went inside and I went to my car. When I got home Bree was in the living room. She had painted three small blocks of different colors. One blue, one orange, and one shade of green. She smiled when she saw me come in.

"Hey sweetie, which one do you like?" she asked pulling me towards the wall. "I figured we're getting a new couch so we need to paint. These are sample colors. I think this orange will be great in here."

I hated the color orange. It was such a random color and really didn't match anything. How could she not know I hated the color? I owned nothing orange, literally nothing. What else didn't she know about me? She didn't even ask me about painting. It was like me agreeing to the couch had given her free reign. It was like she was changing everything but never bothered to ask me what I wanted, what I needed. She didn't know that I liked the tan walls I had almost as much as I loved my brown couch.

I looked over at the couch and saw furniture brochures. There were pages earmarked for bedroom furniture. This was really happening. Bree complained about my pace not saying she lived here but she was erasing everything that made this place mines. I liked my bed. It was really comfortable and Seth and Leah had made all my bedroom furniture. I needed to get out of here. I walked into the bedroom and started grabbing some clothes out. Bree followed behind me.

"Embry what are you doing?" she asked alarmed watching me pack.

"I have to go do a work thing. I need to go get some parts for Jake. I have to get on the road tonight."

"What? Why can't Jake go? The couch is supposed to be here tomorrow."

"Jake can't leave the shop unattended for long. Brady will be here to get the couch."

"How long will you be gone?" Bree asked. I wasn't sure exactly how long Mila planned on staying.

"A couple days, maybe you should go stay with your parents. Just till I get back."

Bree paused before nodding her head. "Sure, yea I guess."

I zipped up my bag and walked to the door. "I'll see you when I get back." I didn't give her the chance to say anything before I ran out the door. I text Jake and filled him on everything. I was expecting him to say I couldn't leave but he said alright. He did tell me not to be gone too long. Brady agreed to help out to. I had just pulled up in front of Ava's when my phone went off.

I love you Embry, so much. You ran out the house before I could tell you. Be safe I love you. Bree

I'm always safe. Em

You don't love me? You haven't told me in almost a week. Bree

I was about to respond when the door opened. Mila threw a duffle bag in the back before jumping in the passenger seat. Ava leaned into the car. "Thanks Embry. I managed to get you guys a flight out at 5 and there will be a rental car waiting for you. Mila call me. Embry keep an eye out on her."

"Of course," I told her. Ava waved at me, kissed Mila, and then shut the door. Mila looked over at me.

"Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Anything for you," I said pulling away from the house. Mila giggled and reached into her book bag. She pulled out one of the books I bought her and flipped it open.

"You did a great job choosing this one," she said. I smiled glad to hear that. I did a good job and had made her happy. I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face.