When Nicky slowly regained consciousness, she found herself lying on the couch. As she blinked her eyes open, the events of the night came rushing back to her, and she sat up, bringing her knees up to her chest beneath the blanket on top of her, as she tried to make sense of what had happened in the woods.
Nicky wrapped her arms around her knees. She was sitting on the couch horizontally, her knees pulled up to her chest beneath the blanket. The worn fabric cocooned her, a half-hearted attempt at comfort, yet it did little to quell the storm brewing inside her. Her mind raced with vivid images from last night, still fresh as if they had just unfolded in front of her, the truth flashing like a neon sign that she couldn't unsee.
Paul and Embry—her best friends now, the men she had grown to love, the ones who had her laugh with their silly antics, who brought her into their home, loved her like a sister—were werewolves.
It felt surreal. She remembered the moonlit clearing, how the air had changed, the sudden scent of pine and earth clinging to the night. The anger, the fear, and the raw power radiating off of them as they transformed right before her eyes from massive, formidable beasts to humans, themeselves. She remembered the sharp growls and piercing eyes, how they had looked at her, how they had fought before realizing that she was right there.
Drawing in a shaky breath, Nicky pressed her palms against her eyes, trying to block out the intrusive memories that clawed at her sanity. Everything felt wrong. She recalled how they had always been more secretive then most men, more gentle than most, but she'd chalked it up to them just being different– not being werewolves.
Nicky had been honest with them about everything in her life, she'd open up and accepted living in their house. She saw Paul as her brother. She saw Embry as her friend. Yet, they had lied about every aspect of their lives.
Now, the truths they'd shared with each other, the family idealization she'd curated felt like ashes in her throat, a cruel echo reminding her of the harsh reality she'd stumbled upon. What if they killed her for knowing their secret? What if they kicked her out? What was going to happen now?
She hugged her knees tighter, feeling the heat of her own body under the blanket but still shivering. Anxiety coursed through her, a nauseating cocktail of fear and confusion. How could the world she knew be so different?
Her hands trembled as they raked through her chestnut hair, memories colliding like salt and wounds. What if they had hurt her? What if they couldn't control themselves next time? What if she had said something—anything—that made them see her as prey instead of a friend?
Fighting back tears, Nicky allowed herself a moment of vulnerability. She felt betrayed, not just by Paul and Embry but by the illusion of safety and normalcy she had built around herself. Who else in her life had secrets like theirs? What else was hiding beneath the surface of her seemingly mundane existence? Thoughts rushed in waves, questions swelling without conclusion. How could she go back to being 'normal' again, now that she knew the truth? Could her life ever be normal?
The clock on the wall ticked steadily, its sound a stark reminder of time passing while she remained paralyzed by fear; it was just another day but for her, it felt like the last. Nicky's mind tripped over the perceptions she had built of her friends—cheesy movie nights and the endless laughter shared over ice cream, their witty banter cutting through schoolyard stresses. Now, those moments felt tainted, stained by the dark revelations of the night before.
Suddenly, she heard a knock on the living room wall. He was giving her a semblance of privacy, despite her lack of it. Someone must have carried her to this couch. Nicky wondered who it had been.
Nicky looked up to the doorway to see Paul and Embry. Her stomach twisted again. The last thing she wanted to do was to face them, knowing the reality of what they truly were and how close she had been to danger. They had put her in danger, after knowing what life with her mother was like. But her eyes, moving seemingly on their own, gave them a sympathetic smile.
"Hey, Nicky. Can we talk? I promise we can explain." Paul said.
Nicky's breath hitched. Could anything really explain what she had witnessed? Did she even want an explanation? But beneath the surface of her fear, her heart yearned for understanding. But did she even know what she was asking for—what kind of conversation lay ahead? And could she bear the weight of betrayal mixed with the understanding that the two men she cherished were not just men anymore?
All at once, she felt pulled between two worlds: the familiar laughter and tears of her past and the foreboding shadows of the night. Could friendship and family withstand this kind of revelation?
In that moment, she made a decision. She would find out. Maybe, just maybe, the truth could coexist with her memories, reshaping rather than shattering the bonds they had forged. Nicky's heart was racing as she wondered if their new familial bond was strong enough to bridge the chasm that had opened up beneath them.
Nicky untucked her legs, pulled the blanket off her torso, and crossed her legs as she angled herself towards Embry and Paul's massive frames in the archway.
"I'm listening." Nicky replied.
…
Nicky sat cross-legged on the couch, feeling a strange mix of comfort and anxiety. The coffee table between her and the two boys, Embry and Paul, was littered with empty mugs. Paul and Embry had offered Nicky tea before they began and honestly they hadn't the time to start telling the truth between Nicky's anxious three cups of tea. But she was finally feeling calmer and less rattled than earlier and mugs just sat before her now.
"So, werewolves?" Nicky's voice was still laced with disbelief. She glanced between Embry and Paul, searching for any sign of doubt in their eyes, any doubt in her words, maybe a sign in their eyes that she was just crazy. Instead, she found only earnestness and an urgency that made her heart race.
Paul leaned forward, his expression serious.
"It's true. Embry and I—we can transform whenever we choose, or when we get too angry. It's part of who we are. We were born with a gene that made it apart of who we are. But there's something else, something about last night…" He paused, as if weighing the weight of his words.
"Yeah," Embry interjected, his voice low, frustration mingled with concern.
"We fought out in the woods because we caught your scent. It's a wolf thing, we have heightened senses. You're scent was mixed with something else— someone else. You were wearing something with a vampire's smell—like they or it had been near you." He ran a hand through his hair, visibly agitated.
"That's why we lost it, Nicky. We couldn't help ourselves." He said apologetically.
Nicky's breath hitched.
"Vampires are real too? What else? But a vampire? Close to me? But I didn't even know—"
"They're dangerous," Embry said, cutting her off. His dark eyes bore into her, fierce with emotion.
"They're predators, and the last thing we want is for you to be caught in the middle of their games. Or worse, get hurt." He stated in a serious, protective tone.
"Why didn't you just tell me?" she asked, her voice steady despite the wave of sadness that threatened to swell within her. "
"Why fight? You could have just explained. You could have explained this eons ago! Like when I first got here!" Nicky shouted, becoming agitated to cover up the sadness she felt from being lied to.
"Because we were worried," Paul admitted, his voice softer now.
"We didn't know how you'd react."
Embry's brow furrowed as he leaned back, clearly pained. "And there's something else. It's about imprinting." He inhaled deeply, gathering himself.
"Imprinting?" Nicky asked, confused by the term.
"Imprinting is… complicated. It means that once we find our soulmate, we are bound to them. Forever. It's another wolf thing." Embry stated.
Nicky squirmed on the couch, her heart pounding, confused on how this had to do with her. And, Paul had a feirce, angry look painted on his face, but he stoicly kept his face in Nicky's direction although his pupils were now subtly pointed at a point on the wall behind her.
"What do you mean forever?" Nicky asked Embry.
"It means you and I, Nicky—we're tied together. I'm connected to you now, whether I like it or not," Embry continued, his voice low and almost reverent.
"Your scent, your essence…it calls to me. That connection is deeper than anything you could imagine. It's not just about love—it's about fate. Every werewolf has someone called an imprint, they find them in their lifetime and their sould bind together when they first look into eachothers eyes." Embry stated.
Nicky felt her breath leave her, her mind racing.
"But I don't even know you like that. We just met!"
Embry's expression softened slightly.
"I get it. This is all too much. But it's something we can't ignore, Nicky. It's already in motion and I had to tell the truth about everything." He said softly.
"I know I'm– twenty-four. But I can be anything you need. I can be your brother or your best friend. It's not about being lovers. I just need to be in your life." Embry said, almost pleading.
"And if you don't want him in your life, just let me know." Paul said, serious and protective as he gave Embry a small hostile glare and Nicky an empathetic glace.
"He will be moving out though, we've agreed on that." Paul said as a small smile became prominent on his face as he notified Nicky of that aspect.
"Yeah, haha. I'll be moving out so you can deal with everything you learned and so we can get to know eachother from a distance. You'kno' you can call me up anytime Nicks. We can hang out whenever. I'm just a werewolf, well a shifter to be exact. I'm not like moving to Alaska, just Jared's house in LaPush." Embry said, a small grin inching up his face.
"Okay, okay. I think I understand it. Can we be like– friends then, Embry? Like stay friends please?" Nicky stuttered out, nervous as she looked into his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah. Of course, honey." He said with a reassuring smile.
"Cool." Nicky grinned back.
"We have one thing to ask you, Nicky." Paul said, bringing his eyes to hers as if needing to hold her attention.
"It's about that night," Paul said softly.
"You know how we said we smelled a vampire on you… that means one got close enough to have touched you, or a piece of your clothing. Did you see or meet anyone strange, on your way to or from Port Angeles? We wanted to know if you could think of anyone weird or odd o someone that stood out, that you met. Someone who could have been… a vampire." Embry said.
Nicky's brow furrowed, and for a moment, the memories played behind her eyes like a film she couldn't quite recall. She'd buried them so far down, she didn't really want to recall everything from yesterday, and feel the nausea and anxiety all over again.
"I—I don't know for sure who it was," she finally replied, her voice shaky. "But I did see someone outside my car. Well, where I stood outside my car. He blocked my way– a man." Nicky quietly said, her head falling to look at the floor as she spoke, as she got nervous and timid recalling the memmories.
Paul leaned in closer, sensing the gravity of her words.
"Can you tell us more about him?" Paul asked, as he reached across the coffee table to hold her hand as she spoke.
"He was… odd," she stammered, her mind zipping back to that eerie encounter.
"I had just parked behind the electronics store. It was quiet, and I was closing one of my car doors when I turned around. That's when I noticed him. He was in my way. He stood super close to me."
"What did he look like?" Embry asked.
"He had this… well, perfect marble skin," Nicky recalled, shivering at the memory.
"Like a statue or something. And his voice… it was strange and beautiful, but it made me feel so foggy, like I was swimming in clouds." She sighed, shaking her head in disbelief. "He was wearing sunglasses, which was just odd since it was starting to get dark. But it was the lack of shoes that really got to me. Who walks around barefoot on asphalt?" Nicky awkwardly giggled in nervousness over the situation.
Paul exchanged looks with Embry, their expressions darkening. The details were adding up to something they all feared.
"Did he say anything to you?" Paul pressed.
"He just stood there, watching me. He said he had been watching me, waiting for me." she whispered, her eyes going distant in recollection. SHe gripped harder on to Paul's hand.
"It felt like I was in a dream. I couldn't make sense of what was happening. I felt so cold, like he was draining warmth from the air itself. It was terrifying." Nicky whispered as tears began to pool up in her eyes.
Embry ran a hand through his hair, trying to suppress the worry rising in him. "Did you ever get his name?"
"He barely spoke. I just felt… mesmerized," Nicky said, shivering again.
"He said his name was James."
Paul and Embry exchanged a look. Nicky's heart sank.
"Nicky, we have to be more careful, from now on. Us, werewolves– shifters, we protect humans from vampires and this one James, we've tried to catch him before. He's sadistic. And, he hunts within a group, a coven. Are you okay to not travel outside of LaPush until we catch him?" Embry said.
"Oh, yeah totally, like I even want to leave the house again.," Nicky giggled, her eyes wide.
"I won't leave LaPush, I promise." She whispered.
Outside, the heavy darkness that had settled over LaPush was lifting as the sun began to rise. Paul and Embry exchanged glances; their bond was stronger than the secrets they kept, but they knew the stakes had risen. Whatever Nicky had encountered was no distant vampire anymore—it was a vampire that was after Nicky and it needed to be confronted and killed.
"It's still early morning and you look exhausted. We'll let you get some more sleep. It's still dark outside." Paul said as he gently squeezed Nicky's hand and then let go, leaving the room.
Embry stayed and draped the blanket back over Nicky's sitting, wide eyed frame.
"Are you okay?" EMbry asked, worried about leaving her alone to fend off nightmares alone in this state.
"No." Nicky whispered as she began to lie back down along the couch, eyes still wide as a deers.
"Can you stay here with me. Tonight?" Nicky asked Embry.
"Of course. Move over, Nicks." Embry said as he gently pushed himself onto the sofa beside Nciky, half of his body falling off the couch but he couldn't care less. He was content beside this skinny, gorgeous girl.
On the sofa, Nicky's mind spun with the remnants of the encounter. The world outside her window felt different now; shadows seemed to stretch and twist, and the fading light carried a dangerous chill. She buried her face into Embry's chest feeling scared.
"God, I hope we're just being paranoid," Embry heard Paul mummer from upstairs.
But deep down, they all knew the truth. In the dark corners of Washingtom, something bad lingered, waiting for it's next moment to strike. And, Paul, Embry and the pack were prepared to face it together.