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Chapter Twenty
The moon hung high over the forest, casting silvery beams that danced upon the leaves and painted the ground with patches of light and shadow. Embry's heart raced as he dashed through the underbrush, his wolf a blur against the backdrop of towering trees. He was terrified for Nicky and the fear ignited a fierce anger within him.
Each powerful thrust of his legs against the loamy ground brought him closer to LaPush. The thought of her in danger compelled him to push harder, faster, the urgency of the situation fueling his speed.
The chill of the Canadian air had given way to the salty breeze that wafted in from the ocean as he crossed into Washington. The familiar scents of the forest surrounded him—sage, damp earth, and the comforting aroma of pine—but all he could think about was Nicky and the agony in her voice that lingered in his memory.
He ran past so many trees though the forest, feeling the lunar glow guiding him. Hours vanished in moments, and as night deepened, Embry finally neared the boundaries of LaPush. He slowed his pace, his instincts kicking in as he circled the perimeter of the land, his senses keen.
The air shifted, carrying a scent that sent a jolt of recognition through him; it was her. Nicky's unique perfume, mixed with a layer of something darker, someone drunk with a masculine scent—a boy. Embry could smell two people, Nicky and someone else and their scents were infused with liquor.
With a determined snarl, he transformed back into human form, the forest around him beginning to feel more tangible, more real, as the air shifted with the change. He clenched his fists, heart pounding in his chest as he took a deep breath to steady himself, then followed the scent that wove through the trees, leading him toward a weathered house that sat ominously at the end of a dirt road.
As he approached, the sounds of muffled cries reached his ears. Nicky! His heart dropped—a chilling mixture of dread and resolve surged through him. He moved silently, peering through the window of the little house. It was dark inside, but the flickering glow of a single lamp revealed a scene that made his blood run cold.
Nicky was there, gasping for air, pinned on the couch by a boy Embry recognized from LaPush—Jordan. Nicky's face was pale and streaked with tears. She looked terrified, her wide eyes glistening with fear as she whimpered for someone to help her.
Embry's hands curled into fists, a surge of anger flooding through him as he noticed the empty liquor bottles scattered around the room. The heavy scent of alcohol mingled with her fear and created a nauseating atmosphere that only stoked the fire of his protective instincts.
Jordan was pawing at Nicky's panties. Her pants were off and she was struggling and pushing back against Jordan's attempts but he was wildly succeeding against Nicky's weak, intoxicated, pinned down body. Embry's gut twist with rage. He couldn't wait any longer. Not a second more.
His instincts kicked in. Without a second thought, Embry kicked the door open, the wood splintering under the pressure. The scene that met him made his blood run cold. Nicky lay beneath Jordan, her body limp, eyes fluttering like fragile petals caught in a storm.
"Get off her!" Embry roared, his voice reverberating around the room. He surged forward, grabbing Jordan by the shoulders and yanking him backwards, flinging him aside with supernatural force.
Jordan stumbled, surprise morphing into fury. "What the hell, man?!"
Embry barely registered him, his focus entirely on Nicky. He knelt beside her, heart pounding as he checked her pulse. It was weak, but it was there.
"Nicky, hey, can you hear me?" Embry urged, shaking her gently.
As if sensing his presence, Nicky's lashes fluttered, and she blinked slowly, struggling to regain her bearings.
"Embry?" Her voice was faint, and fear gripped him as he noticed the bewildered look in her eyes.
"Stay with me, okay? You're safe now." Embry placed a protective arm around her, glaring back at Jordan, who was attempting to pick himself off the floor, rage spreading across his features.
"You have no idea what you're—" Jordan began, but Embry stood, cutting him off.
"What I know is that you got lucky that Nicky's with me right now or else I'd rip you apart." Embry growled and then picked up Nicky by her knees and head, bridal style in his arms.
The tension in the room crackled as the two locked eyes, and for a moment, it felt as if the world had paused. But Jordan, realizing the gravity of the situation, backed away with a flicker of uncertainty, control slipping from his grasp.
Jordan turned and left, going upstairs quickly and the atmosphere in the room finally lightened.
Embry looked down to were Nicky lay in his arms and searched her eyes.
"Are you okay?"
She shook her head, her tear stained cheeks glistening in the moonlight.
"I don't think so… I just… I don't remember." Nicky slurred softly and then whimpered as a single tear fell down her cheek.
Embry helped a shaking, hiccuping Nicky into her cotton pants which was pretty easy since she hadn't been wearing jeans and then he picked her up. As Embry picked up Nicky and held her in his arms once again, Embry felt an overwhelming need to protect her.
He started to carry her out of the house that smelled of booze and he searched her eyes again, because she couldn't be okay and she said she wasn't. She'd need time to recover, and she'd need people shecould rely on— who wouldn't leave. And, Embry would be there for her, whether she wanted him near her or not, he wouldn't leave LaPush again, he'd be there for her.
He felt so guilty that he'd left for so long. She had needed him and he had been absent. Guilt washed over Embry, heavy guilt that felt like it was suffocating him but he pushed it aside for now so he could focus on Nicky. She was the priority. She would need him present, he couldn't break again.
"You're safe now. Just breathe, okay? I'm here."
"You're back." Nicky slurred softly as her eyelids fluttered, her words would be barely audible if not heard by a supernatural ear. They were that quiet.
"Embry, I missed you. I needed you." She continued.
It had seemed so simple at the time—when he had hurt Nicky. It had seemed so simple, convincing himself that leaving was the right choice. Nicky was brighter than the stars, a beacon of hope and life that drew people in.
Embry had always felt like a shadow, an anchor that could drag Nicky down. He was dark and angry and she was just absolutely perfect, but she had demons too and she needed him.
He thought he was doing the right thing, convincing himself that Nicky would thrive without the weight of his presence. That was the lie he told himself in the dark moments. But it was a lie.
But now, with every one of Nicky's heartbeats that Embry felt strum against his chest as he carried her, Emby felt the emptiness he had created. He had abandoned her and he shouldn't have. She had needed him tonight and he had almost been too late.
Emby's heart had broken in that moment, splintering into pieces as he heard her say "I needed you.". Embry didn't respond, he didn't know what to say. Embry was out of excuses. Nicky deserved so many apologies but she quickly fell to sleep in his arms after her last words. He confession.
Nicky was brave. Nicker was braver than him. He had thought he had been freeing Nicky, but all he felt he had accomplished was pushing Nicky into darkness, into danger—with no protection, and with no way to contact him. He was a monster. Embry wanted to puke. He was so nauseous because of his actions towards Nicky.
Nicky inhaled deeply in her sleep as Embry carried her, the darkness in what she had just suffered and her stress seemed to begin to recede as she got comfortable and tranquil in his arms; she tucked her head into Embry's shoulder, grounding herself in Embry's skin and his safety.
The chaos of the night faded away, leaving only the promise of a new dawn. As Embry walked with Nicky he brushed her damp hair from her forehead as she clung to his torso in her sleep. He walked with her all the way to her and Paul's house.
When he had the house in view, he saw Paul waiting on the porch, pacing back and forth in worry. Panic and frustration was almost wafting off of Paul. Paul was fidgeting, pacing back and forth on the porch, wearing cutoffs and not wearing a shirt as usual. His feet were covered in mud as if he'd just phased back.
When Embry came into view of the house, walking on the driveway—really a long dirt path that led to the wooden porch, Paul stopped pacing, his head cocked to the side, his ear twitched and he turned around and saw them in the dak, making their way towards him.
Paul couldn't wait though. He nimbly bounded, taking long, silent strides with his legs towards Embry who carried an unconscious Nicky. He brushed Nicky's sticky, damp hair back from her forehead and the he bent his head and gave her a small kiss on her temple. Then his finger ran along the bruise and small cut on Nicky's lips from her assault and he cocked his head at Embry, a sign that he wanted an explanation later.
But Paul's expression towards Embry wasn't dark like Embry had expected when he returned. Embry expected Paul to be out for blood when he came back to LaPush, but his expression was soft—grateful that Embry had found and saved Nicky and although Paul had yet to know the full story on what happened to Nicky, he could smell the liquor on her, see the bruises and he knew that something bad had happened and that Embry had been the one to find her and save her.
Paul walked alongside Embry as Embry carried an unconscious Nicky. Embry walked into the house, went upstairs and gently placed on her bed and put her blankets over her as Paul silently followed behind and watched. His thumb gently hovered over the bruising that was starting to form on her face, green and blue splotches beneath her pale skin and freckles.
He wanted to hold her, keep her warm, make her feel better but he hadn't earne the right to touch her yet— especially while she's unconscious and considering what she had just gone through, he would only ever touch her if it's what she wanted.
He just let he hand hover over her skin for a quick moment as he assesed her visible injuries and the he turned around and came to be standing toe to toe with Paul. Paul had his arms crossed and was staring directly at Embry. His eyes were soft, not angry but he was eyeing Embry's every move, watching Embry's movements with his eyes.
Guilt washed over Embry once again. It flooded his body and he suddenly felt like he was chocking. His eyes went wide as he looked at Embry in shame and submissevly cocked his head lower, under Embry's dominant gaze.
"Not today, we're not discussing your absence today and what it did to Nicky." Paul said slowly and distinctly, his gaze strong and focused on Embry's.
"Today I just want to say thank you." Paul said slowly, seeming to speak as if he'd perfectly curated his words for the situation, hiding his anger behind his pre-planned words.
"Let's go downstairs and I want you to tell me everything that happened tonight. You're going to tell me everything." Paul said to Embry.
Embry felt so ashamed and his stomach was racked with guilt over having left Nicky. He didn't even know what to say, how to even begin to apologize so he just nodded and followed Paul silently down the stairs.
Embry pushed down his nausea and kept his mind on what he had to do now.
Him and Paul had a lot to talk about. It would be rough.