CHAPTER 21

*****BELLA POV*****

Angela showed up not long after we got back to the house. We spent some time in the living room going over my assignments and getting some schoolwork done, Jake right next to me on the couch. I was so thankful to her for doing that for me.

Emily invited her to stay for dinner and after a quick call to her mom she accepted. Charlie showed up with Billy just as Emily was taking the food out of the oven and we all sat in the living room again so I could relax on the couch.

After dinner, Angela and I moved to the kitchen table to get some more schoolwork done, while Jake stayed in the living room to spend some more time with his dad. My pain was made tolerable by the medicine that Carlisle had given me. I did pretty good for about two hours with just a dull ache, but then the pain slowly started to throb and get worse. Jake must have sensed my growing discomfort because not long after the discomfort started, he came to the table and sat down next to me. I immediately relaxed as the pain left me again.

"Whatcha guys working on?" he asked.

"English paper," Angela said, eyeing me curiously but not saying anything.

She was so perceptive and observant; she was bound to notice the effect Jake's presence had on me. I would need to think of an explanation in case she ever asked about it.

"You about ready for a break?" he asked nonchalantly.

Angela pushed back from the table and stretched. "Yeah, I'm pretty much done." She started to pack up her bag.

I rubbed my eyes. "Well, I'm not done, but I've probably accomplished as much as I'm going to be able to get done tonight."

Jake helped me gather all my books together and put them in my bag for me.

A loud commotion suddenly erupted at the front door as Quil and Embry came in arguing about something. They stopped short and quieted when they saw more people there than they were expecting.

"Hey guys," Jake greeted them, "what's up?"

"We wanted to come see how Bella was doing," Embry said. "Hope that's okay."

"Sure, sure, no problem," Jake replied, moving his chair a little so they could see me.

"Hey Bella," they said in unison, grinning down at me.

"Hey guys. It's sweet of you to check on me."

"You look like you're doing alright," Quil said.

"Yeah, I'm doing pretty good, all things considered."

Quil's focus shifted for a moment to my right where Angela was sitting quietly, and I realized I'd forgotten to introduce her.

"Oh shoot, sorry… guys, this is Angela, a friend of mine from school. Angela, these are a couple of Jake's friends. That's Quil Ateara," I said pointing to Quil who winked at Angela, and I could have sworn he flexed his shoulders and arms. I just rolled my eyes and continued, pointing to Embry, "and that's Embry Call."

Angela looked to each as I said their names, giving a little wave and quiet "Hi." Suddenly Embry gasped and let out a breathy "Oh!"

Jake and I looked at Embry, as did Quil, and he was staring at Angela with an odd, shocked look on his face. We then looked at Angela who also had a strange look of confusion on her face, then she looked at me.

"Bella, what's happening?" she asked quietly before looking back at Embry who was gazing at her in wonder, like a blind man seeing colors for the first time. Angela's cheeks had flushed, but I could see she felt drawn to him as well.

Jake and I looked at each other in disbelief.

"Did he just…" I whispered to Jake who nodded.

"I think he might have," he replied quietly as he started to rise from his chair and looked at Quil. "Quil, Bella and I are gonna go outside with Embry and Angela. Could you quietly go let Sam know? Don't forget that Bella's dad is here." He gave Quil a pointed look.

Quil put up his hands. "I got it!" Then headed to the living room.

Jake picked me up and I reached back over his shoulder for Angela's hand.

"Come outside with us Angela, and we can explain everything." She took my hand and Jake went to the door, Embry following behind Angela. Sam had come from the living room and was right behind Embry.

Jake sat down in one of the porch chairs with me in his lap and we had Angela sit in the other chair. Sam pulled Embry off to the side to make sure we were correct. Angela just sat quietly and watched Embry talking to Sam.

When they came back over Sam nodded. "Yes, he's definitely imprinted."

I looked back at Angela, then at Jake. "What do we do now?!"

"Tell her everything," Jake said.

"Who should tell her?"

"Tell me what?" Angela asked. "Bella I'm starting to get a little freaked out."

"I'm sorry Angela. Don't freak out. We're going to explain."

"I think you should start Bella since she knows you best," Sam suggested.

I looked at him wide-eyed and swallowed hard. "Where do I start?"

"Just start at the beginning. It'll be fine." He encouraged me.

Embry sat down and leaned against the porch railing across from where Angela was sitting, not taking his eyes off of her, and Sam stood on the top step, arms crossed and leaning against the post.

I nodded then took a deep breath.

"Okay, Angela, what I'm going to tell you will be pretty unbelievable and might feel overwhelming at first, but please just try to keep an open mind and stay calm. Do you think you can do that?"

Angela nodded, shifting her eyes between me and Embry. I began with the legends Jake had told me on the beach last year, leaving out the stuff about the 'cold-ones' for now. Then I told her my story and how I found out about Jake and what he is.

Her eyes went large and round. "A werewolf!?" Her expression was complete shock, looking back and forth between me and Jake, but not completely disbelieving. She leaned in and whispered to me. "Doesn't that scare you, Bella?"

"No, I have never been scared of Jake. And it's not like what you see in the movies. He doesn't need a full moon and all of that. He actually shifts completely into a full wolf, not like a hybrid… just a really big wolf."

Angela rubbed her hand across her forehead for a moment, absorbing that. "Okay, let's just say I believe that, which for some reason I think I do… what does it have to do with whatever happened to me inside? I felt… something… when I looked at Embry." She glanced at him then turned back to me.

"Hold on, I'm getting to that."

She nodded a little mechanically.

"So," I continued, "Sam and Embry are also werewolves, and so is Quil."

Angela's eyes got even wider, which I wouldn't have thought possible, and she whispered to me again. "How many are there?"

Stifling a smile that she kept whispering, I glanced at Sam, and he nodded. "She's an imprint, so she can know everything."

"Okay," I continued, turning back to Angela. "There are eight wolves total, seven guys and one girl." I paused, analyzing the look on her face. "Are you okay? I'm getting to the explanation of what happened inside but want to make sure you're doing okay."

She had cast her gaze downward and was boring a hole in the porch floor with her wide-eyed stare, her olive complexion pale. "My mind is saying I shouldn't believe a word of this, but something inside of me is telling me that what you are saying is true." She looked at each of the guys. "So, all three of you can turn into really big wolves? Like whenever you want to?"

The guys all nodded.

"Have you seen it?" she asked looking at me again.

"Yes, several times now. I have even touched Jake in his wolf form. They aren't like mindless beasts… they are still themselves and in complete control while they are a wolf. One of them can show you, if you want, but not unless you feel ready."

She glanced around at all of us, a look of uncertainty on her face at that thought, before turning back to me. "I think I want to know more first. What happened inside?"

I explained about imprinting, the way Jake had described it to me about the gravity shifting.

"It doesn't happen for all of them, and they have no control over who it happens with. Sam has imprinted on Emily, so you can ask her some questions about that, if you want."

She looked back and forth between me and Jake a couple times again.

"Has Jake imprinted on you? Is that why you two seem so… connected with each other?"

I looked at Jake a little sorrowfully. "Not exactly," I said turning back to Angela. "There are some different things going on between us that resemble imprinting, but not in the usual way. I don't want to give you too much to digest right now, so I'll save all of that for another time. Embry has imprinted on you though."

Angela looked at Embry, who smiled gently at her, then back to me. Her face had become nearly impossible to read as she took it all in. She shifted all the way back in her chair and held her head in her hands with her elbows resting on her knees and took a deep breath.

"I think my head is going to explode," she said quietly. "It's so unbelievable and yet I know every word is the truth."

"I know it's a lot," I said. "I got all of this information in pieces over time, so I can't even imagine how you feel right now. Do you have any questions?"

She slowly shook her head in her hands. "I don't even know what I would ask." She looked up at me again, glancing at Embry a couple times while she talked. "What happens now? Are we expected to date now… or something more? You said he doesn't have a choice, but do I have a choice?"

Embry spoke for the first time and Angela turned her attention to him. I was happy to let him take over.

"Yes, you have a choice. And I have no expectations of you Angela. The commitment at this point is all on my side. I will be whatever you want me to be, even if that's just a friend. You just have to understand that I am 100% committed to you for the rest of my life." His voice got quieter. "Even if you don't want anything to do with me, though that would be very painful for me."

"Painful? Why would it be painful?"

"I've been supernaturally linked to you, in a way that is completely unbreakable. Your safety and happiness are now my number one priority, over all others… even the pack. For a wolf, to be separated from the one he has imprinted on would go against his very core nature and instincts."

"This is just so crazy. I don't want to cause you pain, but I don't even know you."

"I know that, and I'm sure it does seem totally crazy to you. Honestly, it's pretty crazy to us too. We don't even fully understand it or know why it happens. I would love to get to know you though, and just see what happens. Like I said, no expectations. I just hope we can at least be friends and you will allow me to watch over you."

"Embry is one of the sweetest guys, Angela," I said.

Both of them smiled at me, then a sympathetic look came over Angela's face. "Oh my goodness Bella, you've been walking around with this huge secret. How in the world have you done it!? I mean, it's a total secret, right? I'm not supposed to tell anyone?" She paused and got a confused look on her face. "How do I know that? Why do I just know these things are true?"

"You know because of the connection you now have with Embry," Sam said. "It's a magical connection that we don't even understand or comprehend completely. And yes, it has to stay secret. You are able to know it all because Embry has imprinted on you, but even Bella technically shouldn't have found out. Jake cheated a little though, and I'm sure Bella will tell you all about that sometime."

"You're handling this really well Angela. Are you still okay?" I asked her.

"I honestly don't know yet, but I think so." She looked at Embry again.

"Would you be willing to stay here on the porch and talk with me for a while?" Embry asked her.

Angela nodded slowly. "Yeah, I think that would be okay. I think I would like that."

"Do you want us to give you some privacy," Jake asked.

"I think that would be good," she said, nodding again.

Sam, Jake, and I headed back inside to leave Embry and Angela to talk. Emily joined us in the kitchen and Jake set me on my feet so the four of us could talk together quietly.

"You did good Bella," Sam said. "Do you think she's going to be okay with all of this?"

"I'm not totally sure. She's a very sweet and understanding person, but this will take a whole other level of understanding. She seemed to be taking it all really well though… and she had that sense it was all true. We'll just have to wait and see I guess, but I think it's going to work out."

"So, he definitely imprinted on her?" Emily asked and we all nodded. "I'd be happy to talk to her about it, if she has any questions." She looked at me apologetically and quickly added, "Not that you can't answer most of them Bella, it's just—"

I put my hand on her shoulder. "It's okay Emily. Jake and I may have a lot of the same connections, but I haven't actually experienced imprinting, so you would be able to answer her questions better than I could."

She patted my hand on her arm then we all headed back into the living room, so we wouldn't cause Charlie to become suspicious of our absence. I was getting kinda sleepy, but I wanted to stay awake until Angela and Embry came back inside.

As the conversations around me cycled through sports teams and recent games, fishing, cars, and local news several thoughts went through my head. I couldn't believe another of the guys had imprinted and yet Jake and I were stuck in what seemed like some weird limbo. I still hated imprinting, but I couldn't change it and being stuck like we were almost seemed worse. Now that we had already chosen each other, I found that I might actually prefer the imprinting, especially since it was becoming less rare with each new imprinting.

I was relieved Angela and Ben had already broken up so at least this time it wasn't wrecking another relationship. I was also a little worried. I hoped things worked out for Angela and Embry, even if it was just a friendship, but I definitely didn't want her to become so weirded out that she didn't want to be my friend anymore.

After about forty-five minutes, Angela and Embry came back inside, and they were both smiling. Angela sat on the couch next to where I was curled up against Jake, and Embry sat on the floor nearby. I could tell he was having trouble not staring at her.

Angela looked over at me, still smiling.

"You still okay?" I asked as I sat up a little to be able to speak with her more easily.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm actually doing better. You were right, Embry is very sweet. We talked about our families and just got to know each other a little. He was also able to explain a few more things to me, but I think there is still a lot that I don't know."

"I am sure there is. There are things that I am still learning about," I said quietly. "If you're able to stay until after my dad leaves, we can speak more freely. He's the only one here who has no clue. Although, I don't know how much longer I'm going to be able to stay up." As if to prove my point, I had to cover a jaw-cracking yawn that forced its way out. "But please don't feel like you have to leave if I crash."

She smiled and nodded. "Okay, I'll stay as late as I can."

I leaned back on Jake again and was really feeling the exhaustion start to take hold. He tightened his arms around me and I looked up at him. He smiled down at me and it suddenly occurred to me that the look on his face was so similar to Embry's look earlier. I reached up to touch his face and he kissed my forehead.

It wasn't long when my eyes began to droop a little as I looked around at everyone sitting in the living room, laughing and talking together. I was struck with how much I loved my weird but wonderful life, and how much it had changed. Every person in that room was important to me, and someone I loved, each in their own way. And they were all people I would no longer be able to have a relationship with if I had gotten my way last fall and Edward had changed me. I couldn't even begin to fathom that anymore… it would have been far too much to give up, even without Jake—but when I factored him in, completely impossible. There were no words to describe how grateful I was I didn't get my way back then. I wouldn't trade my human life for anything.