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Chapter Thirteen


The salty air of La Push whipped through Nicky's hair as she strolled along the beach, the rhythmic crash of waves a soothing counterpoint to the growing knot of anxiety in her stomach. School was starting in a week – a brand new school, a brand new life in this small, tight-knit community that had become her haven.

She loved La Push, loved the rugged beauty of the coastline, and most of all, she loved her newfound big brother, Paul. He'd taken her under his wing, his fierce protectiveness a constant reassurance in the wake of the terror she'd escaped.

But the peace she felt was fragile. The wolf pack, ever vigilant, were growing increasingly tense. Paul, though he tried to hide it, often wore a worried frown. Jared and Quil were unusually quiet, their usually boisterous laughter replaced by hushed conversations and furtive glances towards her.

The reason for their unease was a chilling truth: Nicky was being hunted. A coven of vampires, relentless and cruel, had targeted her, and though she'd managed to escape their clutches, the threat remained very real. The Quileute pack, sworn protectors of their land and people, knew this threat extended to Nicky. They were doing everything they could to keep her safe, but as the first day of school loomed, their worry intensified.

The thought of stepping into a school filled with strangers, knowing she was being stalked, sent shivers down her spine. Her newfound normalcy felt like a thin veil over a dark, dangerous reality. She understood the pack's fear, their determination to shield her from any harm. But Nicky also knew that she couldn't live in perpetual fear, that she needed to move forward, to create a life for herself.

One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple, she found Paul overlooking the churning sea. He looked older, weary, the weight of his responsibility heavy on his shoulders.

"They're worried, Paul," Nicky said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I can feel it."

Paul turned, his eyes reflecting the dying light. "They're just trying to protect you, Nicky. We all care about you very much."

Nicky walked closer, her hand reaching out to touch his arm.

"I know, Paul. I do. But I can't let fear rule my life. I want to go to school, to make friends, to… just be normal. You know where I came from… what I ran away from, living like this has been stressing me out. It's hard on me, and I know it's hard on you guys." Nicky's voice came out in a plead, a whine, a cry for help.

She didn't know what to do, or what step was next, she was used to living on edge, but not to this extent. Paul's gaze softened, a flicker of hope in his amber eyes.

"You're strong, Nicky. Stronger than you know. You've been so strong for a long time. We'll do everything we can to ensure your safety. But you also have to promise us you'll be careful. When you meet friends at school, don't go out of the LaPush lines with them, just be cautious, stay in LaPush. Then you'll be fine. I promise."

Nicky nodded, a determined glint in her eyes.

"I promise," Nicky said.

She still felt the fear, a constant companion in the back of her mind, but she also felt a new resolve. She would face the challenges ahead, the unknown dangers and the anxieties of starting a new school, with the fierce love and protection of her pack surrounding her.

The scent of the salty air, the sound of the waves, and the unspoken promise of her brother's unwavering love gave her the courage she needed to step into the unknown. She was Nicky, and she would not be a victim. She was a survivor. She had always been a survivor.

The week passed by slowly for Nicky, each day blending into the next like the shifting sands of LaPush beach. She found herself feeling a bit adrift without her brother Paul, who had been preoccupied with his responsibilities to the pack. The weight of his duties, to protect their territory and most importantly, protect her, has kept Paul patrolling the woods at all hours.

Nicky missed their late-night talks, the laughter they'd shared over ridiculous inside jokes and shared meals. Instead, she spent much of her time with Embry. It was different, being around Embry than Paul.

Embry had become a grounding force, in Paul's absence. Nicky and Embry's friendship grew massively. Embry became less cautious around than he had in the beginning with Nicky, and he slowly grew an easy smile that lit up his face and began to have a way of making everything feel natural and carefree for Nicky.

When Paul had been around, in the back of Nicky's head, she slightly felt like a burden, and she still did, despite his absence. She began to feel like a little sister who couldn't keep up with the weighty conversation about pack dynamics. She knew she was being omitted from important conversations within the pack.

Embry and Nicky grew an effortless connection. Embry didn't treat Nicky like a kid, or call her kid. They just hung out, and she felt like an equal. They would sink into the couch at Nicky and Paul's house with bowls of popcorn, laughing hysterically at the cheesy horror movies they watched—classic films that Paul would roll his eyes at but Nicky secretly adored.

On days when the sun broke through the clouds, Nicky and Embry would make their way to the beach, Nicky's laughter mingling with the sound of crashing waves. They would run, their feet printing into the sand, racing towards the cliffs that loomed just beyond the shoreline.

"Come on, let's do it!" Nicky would shout, her adrenaline sparking her courage, and without a second thought, they were scrambling up the rocky path, the salty breeze whistling around them.

The first time Nicky had jumped off the cliffs, her heart raced with fear and anticipation. She had stumbled to the edge, hesitating as she peered down at the churning water far below. Embry had come up beside her, his presence reassuring.

"Just look at me," he had said, and with a bright smile, as he leaped off the ledge, with her hand in his.

Their synchronous joyful shouts echoed in the air, and Nicky watched in awe, momentarily forgetting her fears, as she fell with the wind rushing past her, the exhilaration overtaking her senses as she hit the cool waters below.

Back on the shore, they would lie among the driftwood, the sun warming their skin and the sound of the waves soothing their thoughts. Nicky felt alive and free in those moments as if she could forget the looming darkness of her brother and the pack's duties.

But her heart tugged with concern. She could see the weariness etched on Paul and Embry's face whenever he did show up. There were nights when he would come home late, his eyes clouded with worry and fatigue. They would chat briefly, Nicky trying to absorb every little glance and intonation, soaking up the way he still cared for her—the way he wanted to make time for her, even when constantly pulled by the pack's urgency.

"Stay safe, Nicky. He would always say when he saw her, and she would nod, knowing he feared for her safety more than he would ever admit.

The atmosphere shifted the following week. With Paul always on patrol and the pack reeling from whispers of Victoria and James's return, the air felt heavy with anticipation. One night, Embry arrived at her house unexpectedly, a sense of urgency in his demeanour.

"Nicky, we need to talk," he said, sitting down across from her. His brows were knit together, and Nicky felt a flutter of worry in her stomach.

"What's wrong?" she asked, setting down her book, the pages marked with the weight of unspoken fears.

"There's been news. They got closer, the vampires came in our territory and Paul…" his voice trailed off, and Nicky could see the worry etched across his face.

Nicky felt her heart stop, the adrenaline of reality washing over her.

"What does that mean? What do you mean?"

"Paul's part the guy's who are chasing them down right now. But don't worry, he's the best fighter. I just wanted to let you know, and he wanted me to stay here, with you, watch you while they're in LaPush." Embry said gently, eyes searching Nicky's for any sign of worry.

Suddenly, those peaceful moments at the beach, the laughter and the carefree days seemed trivial. Nicky's heart ached—not only for her brother but for the life they had been making without the shadow of threat looming above them.

She had forgotten in their moments of happiness, how much danger she was always, truly, in.

"Embry, I'm scared," was all Nicky could manage to say, truth spilling from her heart as it pounded loudly and anxiously in fear.

Embry reached across the table, taking her hand in his.

"I know," he said softly.

"But we'll face it together. Whatever happens, you're not alone. I'll be here the whole time. Let's eat some food and wait for them to let us know what happened." Embry said softly.

As Nicky held onto Embry's hand, she felt a sort of strength growing within her, a flicker of resilience igniting where fear had nestled. She might not have her brother there by her side as often, but she wouldn't let the approaching storm defeat her spirit.

And with Embry beside her, he would do anything to protect her, the light that he brought every time they hung out, would light their way through the darkness that threatened to draw near and pull her under.

As Nicky got up to make food to distract herself from the threat that loomed over her head, she felt her heart slightly flutter in awe at how much Embry cared for her. She felt as though she was slowly beginning to gravitate towards Embry more and more.

Nicky couldn't help the new flutter in her chest. It was an intoxicating sensation, one she had never experienced before, and it both thrilled and terrified her as she began to make some soup for the two of them.

She worried that Embry would hear her heart take a strong turn to the faster pace, but she hoped he would expect the sound to come from her fear, but she felt a new kind of fear as she felt his protective glances to the windows, and in her direction as he watched out for her.

She felt a connection, stronger than friendship, start to arise where friendship previously was. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears as she kept cooking. She felt her hands moving on their own in front of her, as her thoughts ran a mile ahead. She was developing a crush on Embry.

She felt so very young and achingly aware of the distance between their two worlds. He was so much older than her, twenty-four years old. She started to feel guilty, as she stirred the soup in the pot, guilty about how she could let herself catch these feelings for someone who only saw her as a friend, as a kid, who respected her and yet she let her feelings run wild. She couldn't believe she let herself even start to think of Embry in a different way than she was supposed to.

She could never tell him— it would make him uncomfortable, wouldn't it? It would make him want to hang out with her less until the crush passed? Nicky's heart pounded continuously against her ribs as she tried to rationalize her feelings, but they only seemed to grow more fiercely and feel stronger at every new turn in her thoughts. She was still young, she was scared about the vampires that were chasing her, and near Paul and she was probably just having a little crisis of feelings. Right? Right?

Nicky's stirring picked up pace, as her thoughts ran faster than she could handle until she decided her soup had cooked long enough on the stove and she turned it off and walked to the cabinet, to get some bowls.

"Embry," Nicky began tentatively, her gaze dropping to the bowls in her hand as she placed them on the table where Embry sat.

"I've been thinking... about us."

Embry's shifty glace that had been darting between the direction of the woods outside and on her now rested fully on her as she spoke. She felt the air shift, heavy with anticipation.

"About how much I enjoy our time together. You're... important to me," she confessed, the confession tumbling out before she could stop it.

"I know you're an adult, and I'm just... me. But I can't help but feel... something more."

Silence wrapped around them like a blanket. Nicky's heart raced, bracing for his response. Would he laugh? Discomfort? Or worse, pity?

"Hey," Embry said softly, as he walked around the table and reached his hand across to touch her hand lightly.

"Nicky, I..." he hesitated as if measuring his words.

"I think your feelings are valid. But, we have a long road ahead of us. And I want to make sure that we take things one step at a time, okay?"

Nicky's heart sank, but at the same time, a sense of relief washed over her. She felt so guilty, guilty.

But, the weight of her unspoken feelings was lifted, even if the road before them was uncertain. They were navigating complicated waters, yes, but at least they were doing it together —with honesty, and the promise of a profound bond awaiting them in the future.

And for now, that was enough.

And Embry's eyes, as she looked up at them seemed to hold an understanding, and maybe love. She blinked slowly, as her heart rate slowed back down, anxiety lifting off her shoulders—

Suddenly, the back door ripped, and the door crashed to the floor, an ear-splitting sound that echoed in Nicky's ringing ears. She was suddenly pulled into the warm arms of someone she felt she knew, but everything was moving around her at a speed so fast that she couldn't see anything.

Nausea began to make its way up Nicky's throat. It was hot and acidic. She felt her body being swung upward, warm arms encasing her, and the inside of her house rolled in waves, the colours of the walls and furniture moving quickly before her like liquid before her eyes as she felt herself being lifted, the kitchen, the stairs all moving quickly before her and then behind her. Her world was spinning.

When Nicky finally stopped spinning, she was being set down, upstairs on her bed, Embry's eyes were the first things she saw before her. His whole body was shaking as he put her down on the edge of her bed, and as he spoke to her. She didn't hear him at first, her ears still ringing.

"Nicky!"

"Nicky!" Embry shouted, his hands holding her up by her shoulders as her legs shook against his own vibrating movements as he had a hold of her.

"There's a vampire in the house. I'm going to phase. I need you to stay right here. Promise me you'll stay here." He spoke, his words tumbling out so fast that she felt she had to piece the letters together in her head to form the sentence he was making and have it register in her head.

"Okay." Nicky stuttered.

"I promise—" She said, and before she had finished he had leapt out of the room, his movement barely computing with her brain and then she heard growls and what sounded like a boulder of rock smash downstairs.

Nicky shrieked and in the wake of her vision that had just been spinning, and ears that had only just stopped ringing, she wasn't thinking straight. She forgot she'd even made a promise to Embry, not even as long as a few seconds ago, as she ran after the noise in fear.


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