Chapter 13

*Gabriel*

The night has started out fine enough. When I went to pick up Emi, she was sitting on her front porch. Her knees were close to her chest, and there was a worried look twisted on her features.

"Hey." I smiled, and she smiled softly back.

"Hey." She uncurled herself and used the banister to pull herself from off the white painted steps. Brushing off her dark washed jeans, she approached me tentatively. Anxiety was pouring off of her in waves, and I wondered, for a moment, if she would be alright at the party.

"You okay?" She nodded her head, avoiding eye contact. Deciding not to pry, I opened the car door for her, and she slid it quietly.

It was hard, prying information out of her. Emi was kind, but cautious. She thought before she spoke, and was very selective about the things that she said. It was almost like pulling teeth to get to know her, and truthfully… It was frustrating.

"Did you like New York?" Small talk, that was as deep as I could get with her. She was clenching her fingers together, staring absentmindedly out the window.

"It was okay." I huffed, annoyance clawing at my insides. Emi was nice, but it was just so damn hard getting to know her.

"Do you like it here?" She gave a dry sort of chuckle, and glanced over at me with her soft golden eyes.

"I guess." My brows furrowed in confusion, and she shook her head. "I mean… I'm not a fan of the weather."

We had been reduced to weather small talk. Fuck.

"Not a fan of the rain?" I tried to smile at her, and she shrugged her shoulders.

"Not a fan of water in general. That's why Ellie was so shocked I was coming here tonight." She placed her hands between her thighs and began to rub them gently. It was then I noticed that she was shivering.

"Oh, hey, is it too cold in here?" It was a good 74 in the car, yet she was shivering like she was freezing.

"Nah, I'm fine… I'm uh, anemic." Another shiver ripped through her, and I turned up the heat.

We stayed quiet for the rest of the ride, music softly playing in the background. There was a wall around her, and I only hoped that she would loosen up after we got to the beachfront.

However, that hope was in vain.

When we pulled into the beach parking lot, she just stared at the ocean with wide, almost fearful eyes. Her expression was dazed, and the anxiety I felt coming off of her at the house was nothing compared to this new wave.

"I can't swim." She muttered, not really to me, but in general.

"Well it's pretty cold out, and I don't think anyone's rushing to get into the water." I laughed, and her brows furrowed.

"I-I'm sorry… I don't think I'm ready." She brought her knees up to her chest again, and hid her face.

"Hey, uh…. It's okay." I pulled the keys out the ignition, and sat with her. She was still shivering, but I could feel waves of heat pouring off of her. "Are you… okay, Emi?"

"Yeah… It's just embarrassing… That's all."

"What is?" She groaned.

"This situation. Everything. I just_ Ugh!" She brought her head back down to her knees and huffed. "I can't swim, I'm at a beach. I don't drink, I don't party, and I don't know anyone."

"You know me." I reached out and hesitantly patted her on the shoulder. She flinched at the contact, but allowed it.

"That's the other issue." I felt a knot form in my stomach. Please, please to any God that would hear me, please don't let Emilia Kirkland have a crush on me.

"My mom thinks I have a crush on you." Fuck me.

"Oh?" I tried to laugh, but my voice cracked.

"Yeah. She's been trying to set me up since I was in middle school. I love her, but she can be so meddlesome sometimes… Ya' know?" I nodded my head. My mom was the same way. She wanted what was best for me, and sometimes that led to her overextending her help when it wasn't really needed.

"I just wish she'd stop. I'll date whoever I want, when I'm ready." She looked up at me and gave me a small smile. "It's not that you're not nice and all… but you're not my type."

I breathed out a sigh of relief, and Emi noticed.

"Oh thank God, I was so scared_"

"I mean Candace made it seem like you were in love with me or something_"

"No-No, I just think you're cool_"

"You're not trying to set me up with Mitchell…. Are you?" I laughed loudly and she laughed too.

"Let me guess, he isn't your type either?" She shook her head, relaxing her legs and sitting up straight.

"Not unless he is a she." I nodded my head in understanding, and she sighed.

"I think you should meet Avery." She cocked a brow and pursed her lips.

"Trying to set me up?" She questioned and I shook my head.

"Nah, I just think the two of you would relate… That's all. It's her party, let's go down and meet up." A breakthrough. I wanted to lean my head back and howl in victory. Emi smiled and got out of the car and followed me down to the beach where we actually started to have a good time.

Emi was hesitant at first, hanging further back on the beachfront, but once I introduced her to Avery and the gang, I could see her shoulders loosen up and a real smile stretch across her face.

Everything was beginning to go smoothly. As soon as we reached the beach, Emi and Avery hit it off. They were chatting, almost like they were old friends. Avery was smiling and flirting, and Emi was reciprocating. We were drinking and laughing, and then I noticed them.

We had all been drinking. Coolers full of beer and spirits, and red solo cups were scattered across the folding tables that we had set up. I myself was feeling a bit tipsy, but it was nothing compared to the bottle blonde in the crowd.

Candace, and her best friend Erin.

They were dressed rather scantily for a cool October night, and they were dancing in the middle of a group of guys. Some were from the reservation, and some were from Forks. We made eye contact, just for one moment, and her eyes lit up like the fourth of July. Pushing her way through the crowd, she was practically crawling her way towards me.

"Fuck."

"Hey Gabe!" Her makeup was smudged, and she was grinning from ear to ear. "Long time no see… where's your girlfriend?"

"I don't have a girlfriend, Candace." She smacked her lips together, and laughed.

"Of course you don't, you just use us for sex and throw us away." She was drunk, really drunk. She was stumbling over her words, and I could smell the alcohol of her from a mile away.

"Look, I think you need to sit_"

"I don't need to do shit. I can't believe you did this to me Gabriel." She was getting belligerent, and some of the other people at the party were starting to notice. I looked around for Avery, but she was nowhere in sight.

"I was like," She hiccupped, and I smelt vomit "Totally in love with you. I was prepared to suck your dick… and I don't suck." She was wavering back and forth, clearly unsteady. Erin was close behind her, not as drunk, but still totally trashed.

"I can't believe you left Candy for another girl, and then threw her away too." She snapped, and Candace nodded her head.

"Yeah, you such a fucking asshole." She shuddered, the thin straps to her dress falling down her shoulders as she doubled over and began to dry heave.

"Oh fuck." I had never been so happy for my reflexes. Before she could completely lose her lunch on me, I moved to the side, and she managed to throw up all over the sand.

"Oh my god."

"Oh, my god."

"Oh my god…" I could hear Avery laughing in the distance, and a gentle scolding from Emi.

Rushing past me, Emi stood next to Candace as she vomited, grabbing some of her hair and holding it back.

"Why are you helping her?" Avery followed her, crossing her arms. I, too, was wondering why Emi would help her.

"Because she's drunk and upset. You just don't leave someone drunk and upset." Erin looked over at Emi, her eyes glazed.

"Come on, let's get her to the car." She whispered, and Emi nodded her head.

"I don't_" Candace began to wail, and Emi tried to shush her. "I don't need help."

"Shut up Candace." Avery grunted and I groaned. Brushing past me, Avery gently pushed Emi away and held up the wobbling girl. Nearly dragging her out of the sand, they started to make their way back to the parking lot, Erin running after them.

"Can you help me call her a lyft. I don't want her driving." Emi placed her hands on her hips, and pulled out her phone.

"Sure."

"She's a mess." Emi muttered, and I nodded her head.

"Yeah. No kidding."

"She's my sister's friend's sister."

"Marie, right?"

"Yup. and I can't just stand here and watch my sister's friend's sister get fucked up on the beach…"

"I get it… You're a good person."

"No I'm not_"

She was cut off by a sharp pop, and Avery screaming.

"WHAT THE FUCK!?"

We all ran to the parking lot. Avery had leaned Candace against a random sedan, and was screaming at her completely shredded tire. Bits and pieces of rubber were strewn on the parking lot, and it was almost as if a wild animal had bit through her back tire.

"What the fuck did this, who, what?" She was shaking, her face red as she leaned down to examine the damage.

That's when I smelled her. I may have been tipsy, but I would never forget her scent. Light, almost like the ocean itself… Ellie. She had been here, and she had been near Avery's tire.

"Elaine." My head snapped towards Emi. She had spoken so quietly under her breath, if it hadn't been for the fact that I had supernatural hearing… I wouldn't have heard her. She stared, her jaw dropped slightly, at the tire. Her eyes were wide, and anger flashed on her features. She turned on her heel and ran.

And I followed.

She was fast, much faster than I expected her to be… almost reinforcing the idea she could be a wolf. She ran straight into the wooded area around the beach, searching for none other than her little sister.

"ELAINE!" Her voice was dark, deep, and filled with fury. There was almost a glow to her skin, almost like there was light radiating off of her. Her feet hardly seemed like they were touching the ground as she ran.

That's when I smelled it. Blood… Ellie's blood. My heart jumped in my throat, and I had to force myself not to phase on the spot. I picked up my pace, hoping that I reached her before her before Emi.

"THERE YOU ARE!" We were close to the cliffs where me and the pack would dive. I was shaking so badly, my mind going on autopilot as I ran. There was no way, absolutely no way she'd be stupid enough to jump from the cliffs… could she?

I burst through the bushes just in time to see Emi grabbing for her sister. She twisted in her grip, almost unnaturally so, and caught my eyes just as she fell.

"ELAINE!" I snarled, and Emi turned back to look at me with wide eyes. I dashed forward, all of my instincts screaming. 'No no no no no no, grab her, save her, protect her.'

I pushed her aside and jumped into the water. It was cold, like thousands of tiny needles into my flesh as I searched for her in the waves. She could drown, she could die. My imprint, my other half, this stupid, sweet, child could drown in front of me, and I would fail at the basic, most instinctual thing in the world. Protecting my imprint.

It was then I felt her. It was like a string, pulling the two of us together. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close to my chest. She was struggling, probably to breathe, and I pulled her towards the surface.

She was screaming, crying and… begging me to let her go? She was digging her nails into my forearm, struggling against my chest. As I pulled her onto the beach, she looked at me with desperation in her wide blue eyes.

"Please let me go!"

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" When I saw her fall into the water below, my heart fell with her. My whole life seemed to come to that one moment, and everything faded away. The amount of fear I felt was so unbelievably overwhelming, it took over all of my senses.

She looked up at me, tears running down her cheek, eyes blotchy, and felt a cold rage wash over me.

"What. The. Fuck. Is. Wrong. With. You?" She began to sob, harder than before. It was moments like this that reminded me of how young she really was. She brought her hands to her face and wailed, shaking as I dragged her further on the beach.

"ELAINE" My eyes flicked to Emi. She was running towards us, rage evident on her face. How was she not afraid? When Ellie fell from the cliff, there was more annoyance on her face than worry. I had to hold down my rage; I couldn't lose my temper here… not now.

"Gabe." Further back was Avery, her face blank and knowing. She looked down at the sobbing girl, and we both knew...

Elaine was my imprint.

*Hey! I know todays chapter isn't very long, but its something! Sorry for the delay guys and I hope ya'll like it! Thank you all for the positive reviews, and please keep them coming!*

XOXO Randomkay