Jake's POV

It was nice getting to run with Embry, though he had not said much since we chatted with Sam and small talk was never really our thing. When we had started patrolling tonight, he had insisted on some time alone to run. I knew if he had run into anything that our telepathy would allow us to communicate over the miles, we could be apart. I could not believe what Sam had said. Charlie was cursed, Jon was too but not in the same way.

I thought back to the day we had found out that their parents had died. Jon had left with Leah on his heels, she promised if she needed any help she would contact us. We did later find out that she had convinced him to go talk to Sue. But Charlie had not shown anything until Paul made a joke about getting something from his mom then she blew. The rage that had come from her, Embry had hugged her and taken her upstairs. Everything had seemed fine until the next morning when we went to eat breakfast, and she just pushed food around on her plate.

I decided to take a run by the beach, neither one of us had said where we were going to run tonight, I mean we normally stayed together but the silence coming from Embry was started to get unnerving. It would be when Jared joined us at the beach that he would finally decide to chat.

"Hey, you two, so Emily said to let you know that dinner should be ready in about 10 minutes if you want to head for the house."

I could hear Embry laugh. "Ya I'm on my way there now. I have checked the north side there isn't anything there."

Jared laughed. "Well except for a certain twin, right?"

A huff came from him as I could see his eyes rolling in his head. "You better hope you beat me there because if you aren't in the house when I get to Sam's you are getting your tail bite."

Jared laughed and took off for the house. We both knew that Embry would beat him there without a doubt. "Let's hope Kim isn't watching or she might ask a few questions as to why you are getting your ass kicked by Embry, huh Jared?"

I pushed even more just to get to the house before either of them in hopes of getting Kim to the back porch where she could see. Phasing and throwing on the pants and shirt that I had with me. "Kim, you need to look out the window or the back door. Jared is on his way back here now."

Sam only glared at me as we all went outside just in time to see Jared make it to the yard and Embry pounce on him. Teeth and claws went at each other as Embry used what little advantage, he had over Jared before Sam stepped off the porch.

"ENOUGH!" He yelled, causing Quil, Paul and I to start full laughing. Both Quil and I knew that Jared had done something that Embry was the quiet one until his temper went off.

Dinner had been quiet with Embry excusing himself before we had dessert, when my eyes met Sam's he simply just shrugged. I knew he was hurting, and I wasn't the only one who knew. After dinner a few of us met in the meeting area to discuss everything that had happened.

Quil and I were sitting beside each other when Paul and Jared arrived.

"What has Embry all upset?" Jared asked knocking shoulders with me. "It is like he barely even tried to go at me today."

I huffed. "Since you are going to find out sooner or later anyway, I might as well should tell you. Sam thinks that it is possible that Embry has imprinted on Charlie. And then it gets complicated. Charlie and Jon are like us kind of. Jon is probably more like us than Charlie is, but we don't know much." I met eyes with Paul and Jared, the two of them might be the best chance we have to find out information. "Sam went to talk to Old Quil and my father today to see what he could find out. Apparently, the twins were cursed ages ago. I do not know when it happened and frankly no one else does. But there is apparently a letter that explains the curse completely. Though no one can find it. Embry swears that Charlie has not see it, though who really knows."

Jared nodded. "So, you want us to ask around see if we can find out what this curse really is? And if Charlie is not completely like us then what is she? Also, if Embry has imprinted on her can't she just feel that and then let it lead her to him?"

Both nodding and shaking my head. "Yes, I wanted to ask to see if any of you could find out anything different from what Sam has managed to discover today. We aren't exactly sure what Charlie really is though Sam seemed somewhat convinced that she will have wolf DNA running through her veins. As for the spirit the physical part is there but nothing else is, like neither one can feel anything from it just that they physically they want to be closer to each other."

I nodded towards the house looking at Quil who decided it was time to go get some of his homework done from the day though there wasn't much to do. This gave me a chance to talk to Paul and Jared alone. "So, Embry didn't talk at all until you mentioned about dinner tonight."

Jared shook his head. "Like nothing? That isn't normal for him, is it?"

Shaking my head back at him we sat there for a few minutes. "I know he is hurting there is something going on. Sam was relieved though that Charlie and Embry had made eye contact already though he said that there was something about Charlie is going to have a rougher time going through the transition."

Paul nodded. "Out of the two of them Charlie is the tougher one. Though she is also the one who will bottle it up more and then let it explode. Speaking of which, we might want to talk to Sam about the way a few of the girls have been acting towards her. Eventually she is going to blow and if Embry isn't around there could be some serious damage done."

Jared nodded. "Ya, Kim has said that it is getting worse and worse on her even a few of the girls from our grade are going after Charlie."

I gulped then shook. "If something happens, they will deserve it. Though part of me does hope that Embry isn't around to stop Charlie." I glanced up at the sky. "I should get back on patrol. Maybe if you two and Quil stop in every so often tonight it will make things easier bring them back to normal for him through the evening hours. Though right now he is probably over with Charlie, and Birkoff. Sam had said something about Birkoff needing to talk to Embry about something tonight around her bedtime he could stop in."

They both nodded taking off to the house before I headed to phase and start running again. I decided that this silence from Embry had to end so I took off for Charlie's place if he was there, I would just wait and catch him when he came out. When I got there, he was outside talking with Birkoff on the back porch.

Embry's POV

After leaving Sam at our meeting spot, I needed a chance to run. Charlie, I knew was out shopping with Birkoff and Ryan which gave me a chance to go sniff around her house to make sure no bloodsuckers had managed to go find her.

If everything was true and the old fairytale we had been told as kids was just like the myth of the protectors of the reservation this was going to be bad. Charlie had loved hearing her parents tell her those bedtime stories. Then one of them came true and I had wanted to tell her, but the rule was only imprints could be brought in on the truth. So, several nights I had gone to her whether in my wolf form or in my human one and spent time with her. I had always wondered what had caused us to desire that physical attraction similar to the one that Jared, Sam and Quil had felt and then Jake and Paul. I knew it was very possible for either Paul or Jake to hear us in the house when we had our nightly cuddles but neither one ever found out.

I wonder if Sam had heard of the fairytale. Was he aware that Charlie might already know about the curse in some way, the same way each kid is told about the protectors of the reservation. I needed to talk to him privately without anyone around. Maybe when he comes to tell us about dinner, I can ask him for a meeting.

When Jared came to tell us about dinner, I was already on my way back to the house and he had to mention about Charlie living in the north side of the town. I did laugh when he commented but I didn't have it in me to fight him. But if I didn't say something then Jake would know for sure that something was up with me.

The fight itself I did my best to hold my own against Jared getting a few jabs at him that he wasn't expecting but Sam knew something was up so he called it quits before anyone else could really guess that I wasn't feeling like myself.

Before Emily could put dessert on the table for us, I got up touching Sam's shoulder letting him know that I was okay but needing to run some more again. I nodded towards the beach hoping he would understand, and a small nod told me he did. I would run the reservation once then meet him at the beach to have a chat. The run was quick, and Sam was at the side of the beach when I arrived shifting back to my human form.

I gulped not too sure where to start this conversation hoping that he would do something to start it before I got too frustrated with myself.

"Okay. Embry, what is going on?"

I nodded taking a settling breath. "I think Charlie might already know about the curse kind of. When I was running earlier, I thought about the stories that she would always ask her mom to tell her as bedtime stories. There was one about a set of cursed siblings. Though I can't remember it completely I am sure other families know about it too."

Sam nodded. "Cursed siblings, huh? You think it is something like the legends?"

I shrugged. "Honestly, I am not too sure what to think right now. Though there might be some truth to it just like the legends. I was hoping maybe you could look into it."

Sam huffed. "If it was a story that their parents told them it would be really hard for us to hear it unless one of them would tell us. I could ask that Sue talk to her or worse case I could talk to Emily to see if she could take Charlie out to the garden for her counselling session and have her tell it and me be inside just listening to them talk. But there is really no guarantee that she will open up completely about the story especially if it is something that her parents use to tell her."

I threw my arms up in the air frustrated. "Well, we need to do something. If we can't ask her then maybe get Leah to ask Jon."

At that Sam shook his head. "At the moment there is a bigger issue with Jon happening. Let us see if we can get him into the pack and then we can ask him about the story. As a pack member it will be easier to get to hear the story completely."

I stomped away from him. My alpha the leader of our pack. He had his Emily why did he need to worry about the fact that I could feel the spirit forcing me to go to her but really not knowing why or what it was. Jared and I had talked about it, up until today he was the only one who knew that I had suspected something was happening between us. Then Sam had basically confirmed it for me but unfortunately there wasn't anything I could do. Well other than to ask her to tell me the story, then I would know it, I did wonder if it was written down anywhere, maybe I could ask her when I got over there.

I headed for Charlie. She would be able and maybe willing to talk to me about the story. Maybe it might even help things out, what I didn't want was to be asking Jon for help without talking to Leah. Though she hadn't been around too much lately since Jon had moved into the new home. When I got to the house, I knocked on the door sticking my ear to it. I could hear Charlie yelling. Something must be wrong or at least something must have upset her enough to make her be yelling at them. She came to the door swinging it open and crashing into me.

"Oh Embry. I'm sorry."

I hugged her pulling her braid with my hands as it went down her back just playing with the end of it. "It is okay. What happened?"

She just shook her head pulling me from the porch and leading me around to the back yard. "Ryan wants to make me breakfast in the morning. I have tried to tell him not to bother with that, I would try to eat the yogurt that we got at the store, but he isn't backing off."

I nodded to her. "Did you want me to talk to them?"

She nodded hugging me close. "Yes please!"

I kissed her forehead. "Okay, besides Sam said something about Birkoff wanting to chat with me anyways tonight. So why don't you go upstairs and get into your pyjamas, and I'll be up there soon. Also, any chance you could find a story book for me. You know the one your mom used to always read to us the cursed siblings one?"

She gave me a funny look but went inside not speaking to either of the two. I followed her in glancing at both of them. "It is hard for her to eat breakfast. She doesn't want you to waste your time if she is willing to try and eat yogurt take that as a win and move on from the issue, please."

Ryan shrugged. "Does she actually eat lunch? I mean she only ate 3 slices of pizza for dinner tonight and last night she didn't take all that much on her plate or for desert."

I thought back for a second. "For lunch she has 2 sandwiches and a muffin. Then she took another two muffins to have this afternoon during her free classes. Trust me the girl could almost out eat me for lunch and usually dinner she eats a lot but there has been some stuff going down lately that might be affecting her appetite."

Birkoff nodded then motioned to the back deck. I followed him out there. "Ryan is just bent out of shape that he ordered a large pizza for her, and she didn't eat half of it. Though I wanted to talk to you about the situation during Computers today."

I nodded. "Tamara has been doing that to her lately in most classes. There are a few girls that have been saying things about her. Usually, the teacher just ignores it as her mother is married to the principal of the school. Her and her friends have been picking on Charlie for the past years, I would be careful if you step in that you don't lose your job. The only real relief she gets is during gym class and her two free periods where she doesn't have class with any of them. Or if we go to Emily's for lunch then that time is free of them too."

He nodded. "Thanks for the warning." He stopped me from going inside for a second. "Next weekend Mikey has invited Sam and Alex over and we are expected to be there for a bar-b-que on Sunday evening so as I assume Jon will be allowed to invite Leah even if he is not. I know you will make sure Charlie stays engaged in the conversation you are welcome to come."

I stopped for a second. "This is the guy you said might be able to help Charlie if she doesn't do so well with the counselling stuff tomorrow, right?"

He nodded. "I have already spoken to Sam or Owen depending on which one he is going by. He might go by Owen when he is here because it will be easier on you guys. He is possibly the answer to problem about getting her to talk to anyone. He isn't trained in that form by any means, but he is really good at getting people to open up."

I smiled, glancing out at the woods behind their house. I could see Jake there and knew that he wanted to talk to me though with Birkoff standing here I couldn't say anything other than what my plan was to do right now. "I am going to go say good night to Charlie, probably brush her hair and hopefully get a book that I need for one of my classes that I don't have with her." Very quickly making eye contact with Jake he nodded his big head. Glad he heard me say that, before I made my way into the house and upstairs to her room.

When I found her, she had the suitcase from her parents open and was holding a letter along with the book.

She glanced up at me, smiling. "The letter fell out of the book. I had put it in there because it was too hard to even look at it. Why do you need it for Human Studies?"

I hugged her glancing at the letter. "We are talking about little kids stories this week and how they impact our lives. We each have to bring one in and a few of the other girls in the class were trying to bring in the same one as me, you know pair up with me. So, I was trying to come up with one that they probably wouldn't have."

She handed me the letter so I could fully read what it said on the front of it. "I know my mom's writing and that is hers and seeing how I am not going over to Sam's in the morning, I know you will be any chance you can give that to him for me?"

On the front of the envelope, it read: 'my dear. If all of our stuff finds it's way to you, and you have gone looking for answers and found this letter. It needs to go to Sam Ulley, he will know what to do with it and will hopefully one day explain this all to you.'

I put it down on the table beside her bed, grabbing her brush and remove the elastic from her hair. "I will take it to him when I get this braid brushed out and you get to sleep."

Charlie settled into bed allowing me to brush out her hair and fall asleep. On my way out of the house I caught Birkoff in his office. "Just a warning, Sam might pull her counselling appointment tomorrow and have her go talk to Emily instead. We were chatting today about a few things and Emily might be able to get her to talk about her feelings a bit more."

He nodded. "I have talked to Ryan about laying off on her food intake. Hopefully she can try to eat the yogurt tomorrow morning and that will help."

I smiled. "She will probably take some of the pizza for lunch tomorrow I wouldn't worry about it going to waste."

With that I left and started walking towards Sam's house. It was getting late, but I was sure that he was going to want to see this letter and what it said. Jake joined me a short distance from Sam's giving me a funny look until I held up the letter and the book.

"Is that the letter Old Quil was looking for?" he asked almost stumbling over his feet causing me to laugh.

I nodded. "I think so. There are instructions on the front of it to give it to Sam and that he will know what to do with it. I also want to put this book in my bag or maybe let Sam read it tonight."

Walking into the house was quiet. Most of the pack must have gone home. Emily was sitting in the living room sipping at a cup of tea when I glanced around. "Sam is using a tree." She smiled pointing to the backyard.

I nodded putting the book into my bag, I would save that for tomorrow, before heading outside to talk to Sam about this letter.

"After we spoke, I went to go see Charlie. I asked her for the story book of the cursed siblings hoping that would give us some insight as to some things. Then I went to talk to Birkoff about what he wanted and when I got upstairs, she was holding this." I showed him the envelope that she had given me. "I know what you are thinking but it is still sealed, and she said to fell out of the book and that she had put it with her parent's things to her when they got them. I guess the letter was always in her possession she just had to go looking for it." I handed it to him. "She asked me to give it to you since she is going to try and eat some breakfast tomorrow morning with those two instead of coming here. I also mentioned that Charlie's appointment might be with Emily tomorrow. I do think that she might feel more comfortable having it here. We can come over for lunch and then I can head back for my afternoon classes and Charlie can stay here and talk to Emily."

Sam's eyes glanced up from the envelope. "You said you wanted to stay out of the counselling issues that we were having with her, Embry."

I nodded glancing over at Jake. "I know but the more I think about it the more I realize that if I don't help here, we are never going to get anywhere."

He nodded. "Two more laps both of you then call it a night. And no sneaking into Charlie's bedroom and spending the night with her." He laughed for a second. "I will speak with Emily to see if she is up for doing a counselling session or chatting session with Charlie tomorrow after lunch. Maybe the two of them can make some more muffins for us."

Jake nodded. "Tomorrow night we are going over to Charlie's place anyway, we have a gym assignment that is due next week, and she is very keen on getting it started and completed as soon as possible."

Unknown POV

Sleeping had been useless; the night horrors were worse than the ones during the day. My mother had been the one to send me on this mission. True it had come from other sources, but I knew here well enough to know it was her. The woman's screams when she seen me, something about a curse and her daughter. What curse? And what daughter? And why did she only start screaming when she seen my full face? Our mission was to save the woman if possible if we failed, we were to bring all their stuff back to base which we had done.

Three black SUVs had come to pick up the stuff. But the higher ups weren't happy with us. Apparently, there was one important thing missing from their packs that was not recovered and it had been from the woman's pack that it was missing.

Which lead me to the conclusion that what they were looking for they had found in the male's pack which had been returned. My head pounded, when I thought about this mission it always did.

Research I needed to do more of it when this pounded came to a stop.