Guest: Thanks. Glad you liked it. Hope this came soon enough, and my apologies if it didn't.

liss. Wsrner (from ch. 25): Happy you enjoyed this. Yes, I also think Kiowa (Embry) is one fine looking wolf (so is Jared, and Paul, too).

Cara: I'm always thrilled to hear that readers love my stories. Updates come with as short a wait as possible, but sometimes circumstances intervene to push back new chapters. Life has been really crazy for me lately, and my muse has been hard to get flowing for any of my stories. But I'll keep plugging away at all my stories until they're completed.

AN: Here's the next installment of the story. I hope you enjoy this and that it came out okay. Can't wait to hear what you think.

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Narrator POV

In many houses in La Push that night, sleep was in short supply. Emily Uley tossed and turned, castigating herself for having been late to the meeting and not being able to speak to Bella and Embry as she'd planned. Jared lay beside his imprint, hand on her belly and ears tuned to the fluttering heartbeat of his unborn child. He tried to fathom how Billy—who'd already known the awesome joy of fatherhood—could have rejected his youngest child. Others, like James and Laura, and Caleb and Marisol, who had known Billy most of their lives, were equally baffled.

Sam ran all the usual patrol routes and kept his thoughts to himself as much as possible. He ended up coming to the conclusion that the spirits must have it in for him: what with a deceitful tribal elder, and two pack members who were secret brothers and openly at each other's throats. How Embry and Jacob would adjust to this bombshell was anyone's guess. And how—let along by whom—Billy would be held to account was a question without an obvious answer. Jacob and Quil had continued to run and had nearly left the forests of Washington behind for those of British Columbia, Canada.

Why did he do it, Sam? Jacob asked quietly, breaking his long silence.

I don't know, Jake. Why did my dad walk out on Mom and me? Why does anyone do anything?

'Me' or 'you', offered Quil.

What? both of the others choked.

People either do stuff for other people or for themselves.

Altruism or egoism. Selfless action or selfish action, Sam mused. Well, I always thought that my dad was selfish for leaving, that he was irresponsible and didn't want to man up and take care of his family.

What about my dad?

I don't know, Jake. The answer to that question depends on why everything happened to begin with, and the only people who can say that are Billy and Tiffany. Maybe Billy sacrificed being with Tiffany and Embry to stay with you, your mom, and your sisters.

Or maybe he was selfish and wanted to have his cake and eat it too.

Maybe. He could tell you-and he should tell you. You, Rebecca, and Rachel all deserve to know how you ended up with a secret half-brother, just as Embry is entitled to hear why he was never acknowledged.

How could Dad keep this a secret for so long?

I dunno, said Quil. Most people…if they know a secret, then it's like it starts to feel bigger and bigger until they just have to tell someone to ease the pressure, and then it's easier to not tell anyone else. At least, I'm that way.

But if he did tell someone, then why didn't they do anything about it?

Sam sighed. Maybe they-if there actually was someone-didn't feel that they could share the secret. They could have been bound by a promise not to say anything. But Billy may well have been able to keep the secret just to him and Tiffany. It's something else that only your dad can say for certain.

Guess I ought to come back so I can ask him, huh?

It'll be easier, Sam agreed. I'll have you two cover the afternoon shift tomorrow, so you can sleep the morning away if you want to.

You can crash at my place, Jake, Quil offered. Give you a little more time to figure out what questions you want to ask.

Thanks...bro.

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Harry Clearwater settled into bed and watched his wife pacing around their bedroom.

"How could it happen, Harry? How could Billy do something like that?"

He sighed heavily. "I wish I knew. I'd have put Josh at the top of the list. Even have considered Caleb, my brother Michael, or your brother Lucas as candidates before I'd have suspected Billy. Come here."

When Sue lay next to him, Harry pulled her close. "We'll get through this somehow-all of us."

"How? Embry won't welcome Billy into his life now-you know he won't. Not with how he reacted at the meeting."

"I was impressed with his control, actually. A wolf for only a day, and Embry kept it contained even when it had to be lashing him inside to be released."

"Jacob will be tough, too. Not only is he facing that he didn't just lose his dream-girl to his friend-to his own brother-but that Billy cheated on Sarah and betrayed her and his kids."

"And did it while Sarah was pregnant with him," added Harry.

"They are just six months apart in age," Sue nodded against his shoulder. "Tiffany was about halfway through her pregnancy when she came to La Push-and that was right after Jacob was born."

Harry knew there was more that he just didn't remember, but he'd have to wait and see if it came to him. He was just drifting off to sleep when it did, almost making him bolt upright in bed. He managed not to, and Sue remained asleep beside him. The affair-or whatever it had been-between Billy and Tiffany had to have happened when Billy had been gone working up in Port Angeles for those few months in the middle of Sarah's pregnancy. Billy had come back to La Push just in time for a final goodbye before his dad's death. If Harry remembered right, Four had been the one to go and bring him back. Harry also thought that Quil IV had been the one to help Tiffany get settled in at La Push when she'd arrived a few months later, assisting with her getting a house and job. He hadn't thought much about it at the time, figuring that Old Quil had been encouraging his son to demonstrate responsibility and such before his own child was born. But it could easily have been that Four was making sure Tiffany was being looked after since Billy couldn't do it openly-or else wouldn't. Ice raced down Harry's spine as a horrible possibility occurred to him. Could Four's death in that boating accident a few years later have been connected? Could the spirits have taken him in consequence for him having helped hide the existence of his friend's son? Please, no. Let him have been as ignorant as the rest of us were.

And if that was true, then had the fallout stopped there? Sarah had died in that car accident within months of Four's death, and Billy had been forced into the wheelchair. Billy's daughters had bolted from La Push as soon as they were legally old enough to do so, and hadn't been back since; Rebecca almost certainly wouldn't ever return, what with being married now to a surfer in Hawaii. Embry's phase into the pack had been rife with anger and accusations, his imprint tarnished with malicious gossip even before it happened. The pack was clearly divided over this whole mess-could they do their job and protect everyone with this distraction and chaos? What could and should the elders do? About Billy? For Embry? For everyone? Spirits, guide us all, please, Harry implored, and tried to push everything aside enough so that he could get some sleep.

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Bella POV

I woke up to the sun shining full on my face. My automatic move to roll over away from that golden glow produced two immediate effects. The first was realizing that I was wrapped up tightly in Embry's embrace-which meant I couldn't actually move very far. The second was that moving at all made me groan from the soreness between my legs-clearly, I'd been right after all on the consequences of too much sex in a short period of time.

"Bella?" Embry sounded wide awake. His warmth disappeared from behind me and I twisted my head to see that he'd turned onto his back.

"Morning," I said.

"Are you okay?" he asked, clearly meaning the sound I'd made.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that question?" I deflected the concern.

"I think I'm not thinking about that right now. Seriously, Bella, are you alright? I heard you groan when you tried to move. Did I hurt you?"

"I'm alright," my promise came easily. "Am I a bit sore? Yes. But that's to be expected. It'll take a few times for my body to really adjust to all this. Plus, I just spent hours asleep in one position, and that makes muscles get stiff, too. I'm not hurt, I swear. I'd tell you if I was-and you'd know anyway, I think."

Embry considered it for a minute and then nodded acceptance, before sitting up and getting off the bed.

"You're getting up?" I asked. Embry turned to look at me and I blushed involuntarily. One part of him was very much upright.

"Its morning and I'm a guy, and I just spent the night next to you," he explained the obvious. "If I stay there, with you, on that bed…I'm going to want another round, and you don't need that."

I had to admit he was right-however much a part of me would have been happy to pretend otherwise.

"What time is it?"

"Probably late enough that I need to get out of your bed before your dad catches me in it." After a glance at the clock, he added, "It's just after seven."

I winced at the thought of Charlie walking in and catching us. That would so not be a good thing. He might know I possessed birth control, but that in no way meant that he wanted to think about me using it for the intended purpose.

Embry pulled on his shorts and padded silently over to the door. "He's not back yet. I'll take a quick shower and then fix breakfast while you take your own shower-or a bath if you'd rather."

"I want a good morning kiss first." He obliged me, both of us ignoring our morning breath, before leaving my room. The shower had just turned on when I remembered, "Air mattress."

"I'll grab it," Embry called back, clearly able to hear me from across the hall and over the sound of the running water.

I stayed motionless on my bed throughout Embry's shower and his trip up and down the attic ladder to retrieve the air mattress. When I got up to head to the bathroom, I bit my lip to stifle any sounds of discomfort. However sore I was, I wasn't about to vocalize my aches and make Embry feel any worse about anything than he already did. It really was soreness rather than pain-and I had a high tolerance threshold anyway. I ended up doing a shower instead of a bath, as that was my normal morning routine. Besides, I had no idea when my dad would come home and didn't want to give him any cause to know that something had happened last night; after our discussion the day I'd gotten my birth control pills, Charlie and I had basically avoided the whole sex topic.

Embry had breakfast waiting for me when I arrived in the kitchen carrying an armload of sheets for washing. He appropriated the laundry and nudged me toward the table, watching me sit down and start eating before disappearing into the laundry room to start the wash. He came back just as the phone started ringing. With an inquiring look my way, Embry answered the phone when I gestured for him to.

"Swan residence."

"Paul?"

"Oops. I think I muted my phone after getting the meeting announcement message yesterday-didn't feel like getting bothered when I was with Bella. Guess I never turned it back on."

"What for?"

"Okay."

"No. Went somewhere after we got here last night and didn't come back."

"Sure. Whatever."

"I'll be there, and I'll let Bella know. Bye," and Embry hung up the phone.

"That was Paul?" I confirmed the impression I'd gotten from hearing Embry's side of the conversation.

"Yeah. Sam still wants me to start doing the wolf stuff today, and Paul gets to be my run around buddy."

"Sounds fun," my attempt at enthusiasm wasn't too sincere.

"Guess I'll find out. What are you planning to do today?"

"I think I may do something with Angela and Jessica."

"Have fun. Oh, Paul said that Emily Uley has been trying to get hold of you about something and for you to call her back."

"Okay, I'll check my phone for her number."

Despite the fact that Embry's plate was piled three times the size of mine, I wasn't even halfway done before he'd cleared it of food and taken it to the sink.

"Gotta run," he said, leaning down and tilting my face up so that he could kiss me. "Paul's gonna be waiting in the woods out back."

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Embry POV

I wasn't any more eager to leave Bella now than I had been since at any moment since I'd imprinted on her. But 'duty calls', Alpha orders, and all that, so I was walking across Bella's backyard to join Paul-going backward to keep my eyes on the house as long as I could. I stopped just inside the trees and put my shirt, shoes, and turned-off cell phone into the waterproof bag Bella had given me.

"So Charlie doesn't ask awkward questions if you show back up here in only a pair of shorts. I think he has a threshold of only one half-naked visitor per week, and Paul claimed this week's spot the other night."

Glancing around, I didn't see Paul and decided to go ahead and try to get phased before he showed up. Like my earlier changes, I didn't need to go searching for motivation-just the memory of Billy Black's blank face when his sperm donation came to light did the trick.

Hey, glad you made it, Paul's mental voice greeted me.

I'm right on time. Where are you?

Paul's medium gray wolf appeared from the depths of the forest. Thought you might appreciate a little privacy when you phased. You'll get used to the whole stripping to phase or phasing back with others around before long, though. It's not like we stand around checking out each other's junk or anything. It ends up being one of those things that you know is happening, but you just don't pay attention to it.

Good to know, I snarked back.

So...what did you and the lovely Bella do last night?

Played checkers.

Hah, Paul laughed at my obvious sarcasm. Huh. I'm not getting anything. Maybe that order of Sam's really did work on you. Let's make sure, though. Try purposefully thinking about something-something tame, he added when my teeth bared at him involuntarily. Let me see if the gag order works when you're trying to project your thoughts.

He had a point. The only way we'd know for sure if I'd be able to keep the stuff between Bella and me private was to risk sharing it. I did keep it mild-just the grab and grind on her couch right after her dad had left-and then waited for the verdict.

Nothing, Paul said.

I huffed a sigh of relief. Great. I knew Bella would be happy about that, and I was, too.

Embry?

Sam?

Yeah. Just wanted to check in before I phased out-see how you're doing.

How should I be doing? And these thoughts did leak out. The part of me that thirsted to cause harm to Billy Black and shed the blood he'd passed on to me. The anger and shame of being the rejected, unclaimed son.

You should be doing about like you are. Sam did his own sharing, then: the similar feelings and emotions he'd had when his father had abandoned him, how he'd been looked down on by some people for being no-good Uley's son. You have every right to be pissed off-and believe me, you aren't the only one wanting to do a Cujo reenactment.

Thanks-I think.

No problem. I'll let Paul start showing you the ropes-or, rather he'll continue the process he and Jared started your first night. It wouldn't surprise me if you didn't register a lot of what they said and demonstrated—honestly, we all needed a few times for the stuff we learned to really start sinking in.

Doubt I did hear much of anything, I conceded.

Paul will be a good teacher-and if you ever have questions, my door is open. Sam seemed to remember something then. Embry, there's one thing about imprinting that I forgot to mention when you and Bella were at my place yesterday, and I need to make sure you know about it. Emily's going to tell Bella today when they talk.

What's that?

At some point-and later will be better than sooner-your wolf will insist on marking Bella.

Marking? My mind came up with the only picture it could: a dog pissing to mark its territory.

Both Sam and Paul snorted with laughter.

No, nothing like that, although I suppose there's something of the same mentality behind it, Sam said. Your wolf will mark his mate to show the world-and especially other wolves-that she belongs to him and isn't up for claiming.

And how will it happen?

You'll feel the impulse when having sex—

-doggie-style—Paul cut in.

-with your mate in front of you. The bite is placed on her neck. It'll heal instantly, so there's no worry about injury or infection.

So you're saying that one day, out of the blue-my wolf will insist on chewing up Bella's neck?

It's not as drastic as that, but, yes.

Okay, note to self that I need to watch out for the infantile urge to bite. Thanks a bunch.

Embry! I guess Sam wasn't happy with my apparently too-casual dismissal of what he was telling me.

No, I'm not. Because there's a reason you and Bella need to know about this-and not because she got her wrist chewed on by a vampire once. After you mark her...it won't take long at all before she'll conceive.

Conceive?

Yep, you'll get a little pup in the den, quipped Paul.

A baby?

Yes. Sam's mind flashed back to an image of Emily with a swollen stomach, and I recalled Jared telling me the first night that he was super-protective of Kim now because she was pregnant.

Whoa.

It will happen-that's the nature and ultimate purpose for imprinting-but not until you're both ready. Get done with high school and start to figure out what comes next before taking this step.

Okay. No biting. He wasn't going to get any argument from me-I was months away from turning eighteen, and Bella was still a few weeks shy of that milestone herself. Like Sam said, there was plenty of time for us to finish growing up before even thinking about starting a family. I wanted it, but waiting was fine.

Right. Satisfied, Sam phased out.

Ready to run? Paul asked.

Lead on.

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Paul POV

I headed out to pick Embry up to start his first official patrol as a member of the pack. He'd had it a lot easier so far than the rest of us had had when it came to the wolf stuff—but the human crap he'd had to deal with was way worse than ours, so it probably all balanced out. If there was a "worst case" scenario, this was it. Not that my family was the poster-child of proper behavior, but to my mind it was beyond messed up to know that Billy had looked his son in the face on an almost daily basis and never admitted that fact to anyone. That had to burn Embry, and probably would for a long time. I didn't feel Jacob in the pack mind, so he'd clearly phased out at some point during the night.

He crashed at Quil's place for a few hours, Sam said. They'll take over for you and Embry this afternoon.

Okay. You think Quil ought to phase in first, so Embry gets a chance to bail before Jake comes on? I asked. Like Sam had said earlier, keeping the two of them apart for long wasn't going to work, but that had been before we'd found out that they were brothers.

Might not be a bad idea, this time. Jake seemed more focused on Billy last night, but I don't want him to start taking shots at Tiffany or Embry himself again now that he's had a chance to think a little. I'll let Quil know.

Coming up behind the Swan house, the musky scents of wolf and sex pervaded the air, even more noticeable to me in wolf-form than they'd been while I'd been human and in the house, or when I'd been phased here dealing with new-wolf Embry an hour or so later.

Whew, those two sure did have some fun the other day.

Tease them at your own risk, Paul. I'd hope you remember how Jared went after you for some of the stuff you spouted off about him and Kim, and I expect Embry will be just as protective of his own imprint. And if Bella gets upset...Sam flashed an image of Bella's face when she'd first realized how much Embry had accidentally let slip in the pack mind. Well, I'd watch eating any food she fixed, if I were you.

You think she'd drug me?

I think she'd come up with some kind of creative revenge, Sam agreed. Pranksters like Jared get all the attention, but it's the quiet ones that really pull off the good stunts. I don't want her feeling uncomfortable about her relationship with Embry-they've gotten enough crap about it already, and it'll probably only get worse when the news about Billy being Embry's dad leaks out-which it will.

Yeah, that's a clusterfuck of a shitstorm, and no mistake about it, I agreed. I don't think me not teasing them, at least a little bit, is possible. After all, I did help get Bella and Embry together-I almost have to tease. But I promise I won't take it too far, Sam. I want that food.

It was clear to me that Embry didn't want to leave Bella-though he thankfully didn't put up a fight. He also took Sam's instructions about the whole marking thing pretty well.

I want a family, said Embry midway through our run. But I want to do it the right way. And I don't want to take anything away from either Bella or me. His mind flashed first to his parents, and then to Bella's reaction to the restriction against any of us going away to college.

Good idea. Sam and Emily, and Jared and Kim, have had it tough enough as it is being new parents or expectant parents after only graduating high school. You and Bella don't need the stress of a baby while you're still in school.

Thanks, Master Yoda.

See that you heed my words, youngling.

Embry mentally laughed.

Okay. We run our patrol loops through the forests and around the whole peninsula now.

Now?

Yeah. We were a lot more limited on where we could go while the leeches lived here. But we've taken over their territory now. We mix up the routes to keep all the trails fresh-don't want to give any stray bloodsuckers the idea that any area isn't being watched.

Bella-

We'll all be patrolling by her house, I assured him. She's an imprint, and all of us will look out for her. It's really convenient for us that the house backs up to the forest-which you may see firsthand if you have to jump out of her window to avoid the chief's shotgun.

We can jump that?

Just like stepping off the curb. Easy peasy. Anyway, we can swing by here for a listen and scent check and still stay out of sight.

Okay. Then, Easy peasy?

Hey, it's my sister's favorite phrase right now. Annoying as heck, I know.

Sister. Embry thought how strange it was to realize that he technically now had two of them. He knew Rachel and Rebecca of course, from having spent so much of his childhood at the Black home. But the twins were enough older than Jake and his friends that they'd kept the boys at a distance. He wondered what they would think when they learned what we all now knew

They'll hate me. Blame me.

Nah, they won't. They're not like that.

He is. I hate him. I wish he'd suffer- and then came a flood of horrific fates for Billy Black.

Emb, the man watched his wife die in a car accident, he got paralyzed and has to depend on government assistance to support himself and his family, he watched his daughters bolt from La Push as soon as they were old enough-and I doubt they'll ever move back. He-

If you're gonna say anything about how hard it was for him watching Jake wolf out-don't. I went through that, too, remember-and he just blames me for doing what I shouldn't have been able to do.

I'm sorry. You're right. He's got two sons who are wolves, and him being concerned only about Jake is wrong. But he has suffered, Embry. Maybe the spirits were punishing him for the things he did-and didn't do-where you and your mom were concerned. Karmic justice.

It's not enough. All that stuff-he still didn't care about me or Mom.

He does owe you, sure enough. Sam's pretty pissed about it all, you know. He won't let Billy slide on answering for it all, any more than he'll let Jake slide.

I couldn't really tell if he believed me or not. He didn't argue, though, and we let the conversation drop. We ran through the forest so that Embry could see and experience all the patrol routes for himself, running full out for a while so I could get another look at his speed. Then we tackled a few basic vamp-killing moves before Quil popped in to join us.

Hey, guys. Sam wanted me to give you a heads up that the switchover is coming.

Thanks, Quil. We better head back, Embry. Do you have to go back home for some clothes?

Nope. Got some waiting back at Bella's house.

Tell her I said 'hi', Quil told him. You'd better run if you want to get there before Jake phases in.

Without responding, Embry hit the gas and bolted for Bella's house.

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Bella POV

Breakfast done, I transferred the wet sheets into the dryer before heading to the living room to see that Embry had spread the deflated air mattress out on the floor. In typical fashion, I blushed to think back on how the mattress had truly met its demise. Well, at least it had given its life in a good cause. I grabbed Embry's backpack and took it upstairs. I wasn't sure how long he'd be patrolling, but he would be coming back here when he was done. I didn't really want to remind my dad that my boyfriend and I had just spent an unsupervised night alone together. On my way back downstairs, I detoured into my dad's room to grab his sheets and wash them along with the sheets Embry hadn't actually used last night. As I turned for the door with the armload of fabric in hand, I saw Charlie's cruiser turn into the driveway. I had just enough time to get back to the living room and pick up those sheets before the front door opened.

"Bells?" Charlie's voice called out.

"Here, Dad."

"How's Embry? And where is he?"

"He's okay, I guess. I think he's trying not to think about any of it too much right now. You actually just missed him. Paul picked him up a few minutes ago so they can spend some time together this morning."

"How are you doing?"

"I guess I'm okay, too. Probably just as confused about everything as Embry is. None of it makes any sense-not why it happened to begin with or all the years of silence. What did Billy say?" I knew even without thinking about it that my dad had to have gone to the Blacks' last night-to get the story directly from the horse's mouth.

"He said a whole lot, but how much of it was what really happened or if it was what he'd convinced himself happened-or if all of it was just the beer talking-I don't know. If his story was true, then it was loneliness that brought them together when they were away from home, and drinking that let things get out of hand. He'd told Tiffany his name and where he lived, so she came to find him once she realized there was a baby involved."

"So he always knew Embry was his," I stated.

"Seems so. Jake had just been born, so Billy never said anything. Maybe he thought letting her live and work on the rez made up for what he didn't do."

"I don't think it does-and neither will Embry. That almost makes it worse than if Billy had just made her leave."

"I know, kiddo. So..."

"I think there's still some breakfast left in the kitchen if you need something before you go to work. I'm going to call Angela and Jess after I take care of this laundry and see if they want to do anything this morning. Oh, Embry said you'll probably need to get a new air mattress. This one got a hole or something in it and was flat as a pancake by this morning." I could only hope I pulled this fib off convincingly.

"Thanks for letting me know, Bells-about the food and the mattress. I'll check with Newton's to see if they've got a patch, or just get a new one if it doesn't cost too much."

As I expected, my friends were only too eager to get together, and we arranged to meet at Jessica's house.

"Okay, Bella. Spill. All the juicy little details. What have you and that gorgeous native hunk of yours been up to?"

Naturally, my face flamed fiery red.

"Oh-ho! Home run, right?"

"Out of the ballpark," I managed.

"I knew it," crowed Jess. "The way he was messing with you during the movie yesterday...that boy's got moves. Sorry, that man has moves."

"Yeah, he does." With their gentle and pestering encouragement, I shared some of the things Embry and I had been doing.

"I think I'm jealous," Angela fanned herself theatrically. "Whew!"

"Damn, he's taking good care of you," agreed Jess. "And you're returning the favor, right?"

"Some. I've tried to, well, to study stuff, but books don't give much detail, and you never know how much to trust the internet."

"So what do you want to do?"

Could I die of embarrassment? But these were my friends, and I didn't have to be ashamed of anything. "I dreamed about...my mouth...him...and I think he liked what I did for him yesterday. But I don't want to screw it up."

"Guys love oral sex," Jessica pronounced. "Giving and getting-especially getting. Short of biting them hard, there's not really a wrong way to do it. It does take practice, though, so you don't gag-that really kills the mood. Be right back." She was as good as her word, coming back with a bunch of bananas and popsicles. "Alright, ladies, the art of going down on a guy..."

Embarrassment was subdued by relief at really knowing what to do. Since Embry liked using his mouth on me, it stood to reason-like Jess had said-that he'd enjoy me returning the favor. I hadn't-or so I thought-done too badly yesterday with my first attempt at oral sex, but that could have been beginner's luck. Much better if I got tips from a real person who knew what was what. However, between yesterday morning and today, I'd never be able to look at a banana with a straight and blush-free face again.

"Thanks, Jess."

"No problem. Just tell him he owes me a consulting fee-just kidding. It's too bad he doesn't have any brothers-I'd sure like one just as yummy as him for my own."

I winced involuntarily.

"Bella?" concern filled Angela's voice.

"Promise you won't say anything-at least not yet." When they both agreed, I quietly continued, "Actually, he does. Have a brother, I mean. And two sisters. Half-siblings, technically." And I filled them in on the basics of last night's bombshells.

"That's..." words escaped Angela.

"Incredible. In a bad way," agreed Jessica. "How's he taken it? Finding out his lifelong best friend is actually his brother?"

"He hasn't really said much about it. I know he wanted to know who it was, but now that he does...maybe he's wishing he was still ignorant."

Angela sighed sympathetically. "I'm sorry. I could-do you think Embry would want to talk to my dad? Or I could ask him for advice for you. I know he counsels people as part of being a minister, and he's probably helped people cope with upsetting revelations like this."

"I don't know. I just don't know. I'm not sure if Embry would want to talk to an outsider."

"I can be vague when I ask my dad, and you-and Embry-can decide what to do from there."

After a little silence, Jessica got us talking again on a new topic.

"So...who's looking forward to going back to school on Tuesday?"

"Tuesday?" I was confused.

"Freshman and Sophomores start back on Monday, the rest of us start Tuesday."

I shrugged. "Call me crazy, but I usually like school. It's been a bit harder here, because of taking so many advanced classes back in Phoenix. The regular classes cover so much that I've learned before."

"And Embry's coming to school in Forks, isn't he?"

"For part of the day."

"Planning to sneak off for some self-study?" Jess winked suggestively.

"Planning, no," I shook my head. "But if it happens, it happens. Just so long as we don't get caught. My dad likes Embry, and getting called out to the school because we got busted for public indecency wouldn't help that good feeling last."

"Yeah, you're probably right. But you've got to let him give you some PDA. That-and his size now-just might finally make an impression with all those guys that can't stop pestering you."

"Just so long as he doesn't get suspended or expelled for fighting them."

"He isn't like that, though-is he?"

"No... But he did go after Jake the other day when Jake exploded over Embry and me and sex."

"Love triangle, huh?"

"Only in Jake's mind. They hadn't been on good terms anyway, but Jake really lost it when he got me to admit that Embry and I had had sex."

"And now they know they're brothers…Ouch."

"Yeah. Going to the same school, having the same friends, being related…I know they're going to have to work it all out, I just have no idea how it can actually happen."

Realizing that there wasn't anything that could be said, Angela distracted all of us by suggesting a shopping trip to Port Angeles this weekend to get new outfits for the first day of school. I wasn't usually big on clothes shopping—shades of Alice Cullen—but it did sound like a fun trip with friends. Plus, I could put my statement about buying boxers for Embry into practice—and maybe even find something for myself as well—I had a feeling he'd like both.

When Embry texted me that he was back at my place, I made my excuses to leave. "I've got to go. Embry's waiting on my front porch and said he's hungry for lunch."

"Yeah, I just bet he is," teased Jess. We all laughed.

"Probably. But I think I'm too sore for another repeat so soon."

"An appetizer, then. There's lots he can do to make you feel better-or you can always return the favor," she winked at me in teasing reminder of our earlier demonstration session.

"I guess I can consider some kind of dessert."

On my way home, I finally called Emily Uley back to find out what she had to tell me that was so important that she was leaving me voicemails and using other people as intermediaries.

"Hi, Emily, it's Bella. I'm sorry I didn't get any of your messages until this morning. I had my phone on silent with everything that was going on."

"That's alright, Bella. I just felt really bad that Kim and I forgot to make sure that you got told one important part of being an imprint."

I listened silently as Emily explained that Embry's wolf would one day insist on marking me to display his claim. When I learned how it was done...

"I already get enough attention for the bite mark on my wrist. Now I get one on my neck, too?"

"I've noticed that you seem to wear your hair down a lot-that will help hide the mating mark. I think that someone here on the rez would be a good-enough leatherworker that they could probably make you a cuff of some sort that could hide the wrist scar."

"Okay. Thanks."

"How do you feel about this, though?"

"With knowing that kids are a 'when' and not an 'if'?" I sighed. I'd never been one of those girls who fussed obsessively over any babies in my vicinity, and with how I'd felt like a parent to my own mom a lot of the time...I hadn't ever really thought too much about whether or not I wanted to have kids of my own. For that matter, I'd never been too enthused over the subject of marriage, either-but I suspected that might be changing before long. With Embry's parents having never been married or officially together, he was sure to be a lot more sensitive about doing everything the right way himself. So if I was willing to consider marrying Embry, was it much more of a stretch to think of having children with him? "I guess I could get used to the idea. But would our children be accepted? Like someone said last night: I'm as white as vanilla ice cream, and Embry's only half-Quileute. Wouldn't our kids be teased or looked down on?"

"We'll make sure that doesn't happen, Bella," Emily vowed.

Privately, I had my doubts that anyone—even the Alpha's mate—could make that kind of promise. After all, people had been talking negatively about Embry dating me already, and that would probably just get worse once they knew he was Billy's unclaimed half-Quileute son. Any children Embry and I would have would only be half-native—one quarter Quileute and one quarter Makah. I remembered things Angela had said when Embry and I had first started dating, about her own mixed heritage, and how some people on both sides of the situation would never accept it. I sighed. Having been the subject of enough small town gossip myself, I knew that talk would happen no matter what. There'd been nothing I could do about it before, and there wouldn't be anything I could do in the future. I'd just have to deal with it when it eventually happened.

"Thanks, Emily. I'm almost home so I'd better go and focus on getting lunch ready."

"Okay. If it's alright, I'll call you later to discuss the menu for the bonfire we'll be having tomorrow night. Will you have time to make something to bring?"

"Sure. We can talk later about what I can do to help."

I ended the call and tossed the phone onto the passenger seat of my car in time to pull into my driveway. Embry unfolded himself into a standing position on the front porch.

"Have a good time with the girls?" he asked me.

"Yeah, I did. How about you and Paul?"

"It was okay. I'll tell you about it over lunch."

"And I'll share my morning for dessert."