I'd Lie: Book Two/Embry Call (COMPLETE)

Chapter Eight: Wolves of La Push

      After school, Embry and I were in my living room and I was helping him with his homework. That was his excuse to his mom to be at my house a lot.

      "Can i ask you something, Anna?"

      "Fire away." I put my pencil on the table and turned to him, smiling.

      "Remember those tribe stories we used to all joke about that summer you were here?" I nodded and he continued. "Well, there's a tribe thing tonight to re-tell them. A bunch of the elders will be there. Leah and Seth's mom is one and they told me to invite you. Like a welcome thing."

      "I'd love to go! What time?"

      "Eight. I'll already be there. Leah and Nova will come get you then." He smiled but I could tell he was nervous about something.

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      Around seven, I started getting ready. I curled my hair and put on a little makeup. I poked through my closet, desperate for something not classy. I put on a muscle shirt, a pink plaid button up shirt that tied under my breasts, and low rider Buckle jeans. When my dad bought these--he paid almost $300--I went to a party that night and they got ripped all over the front.

      Which made them better by my standards. I pulled on my boots and checked the clock. Almost 8. I left my phone and went downstairs, waiting for Leah and Nova on the porch. When we got to Leah and Seth's house, we went to the backyard and everyone was sitting around a fire.

      Paul and Seth seemed to be having a hot dog eating contest, Sue sat talking with a few older men, including Billy Black. Embry, Quil, Emily, and a little girl sat across the fire. Sam wasn't here. Jacob drove up and got out of his truck, walking toward us.

      "Hey, Jake," I said as he passed me. He turned his head and smiled slightly, continuing to sit by his dad. I turned to Leah.

      "What's up with him?"

      "I'll tell you later. Come on. It's about to start." Leah led me to sit next to Embry as Nova and Paul sat next to us.

      "Welcome, everyone. Elders, this is Anna-May, Quil's step-sister," Sue said warmly, smiling at me. The elders faced me, smiling. One of them started telling the legends of the Quileute tribe. I remembered them pretty well; the strongest blood lines were protectors of the tribe.

      When vampires were around, more and more of them transformed into wolves. It was an amazing story. Then another elder started talking about Imprints. I leaned in, never having heard about that. When a male of the tribe turns into a wolf, he doesn't just fall in love. He imprints.

      He sees the woman he's supposed to be with forever and protect and love and it's not just gravity holding him to the Earth anumore. It's her. Whether it's to be a friend, brother, or eventually something more. I looked around. Nova and Paul were staring at each other, Jake was smiling, and the little girl crawled into Quil's lap.

      When the meeting was over, we all headed to the beach. I was thinking about the Imprinting part of the story. It was sad, really. If it were true, what if someone was in love before the imprinting? What if two people loved each other, then he turned into a wolf, and he imprinted on someone else? It would suck. We arrived at the beach and a hand touched my arm. I turned to see Embry.

      "Can we walk?" he whispered. I ndded and we walked down the sand, away from our friends.

      "It's all true, Anna..."

      "What are you talking about, Em?" I stopped and stood in front of him. He looked pained.

      "The stories about certain bloodlines being wolves. And the vampires, they're real, too. And...imprinting." When he said the last word, he looked into my eyes. I was trying to take everything in. I was silent and I just stared at my feet with my mouth slightly open. But I believed him. Of course I did. How could I not?

      "Have you imprinted?"

      "Yes." He touched my hand and I flinched. "On you." As soon as I looked up at him, he crushed his lips to mine and wrapped his arms around my waist. I smiled against his lips and leaned into him.

      "So, who all in the pack have imprinted?" I said as Embry and I sat on the sand, watching the others swim and have fun.

      "Just keep in mind that imprinting isn't always romantic. Like, if a pack member imprints on a child, he's like their brother. As they grow older, he's their best friend and helps them through relationships. Then eventually, they're together. So, Sam and Emily. And Paul and Nova. Quil and Claire, Emily's niece. Jake and Nessie are a different story..." He chuckled.

      "Nessie? As in the Lock Ness Monster?"

      "No," he chuckled. "There's a clan of vampires living in Forks. Well, last year, Jake was head over heels for one of the human girls there. She was in love with one of the vampires. She made the decision to marry the guy and they had sex before he turned her. And she got pregnant. Technically, she died during child birth. But the bloodsucker bit her enough times and after a few days, she woke up as a vampire. Their baby lived, but she's a half vampire and she grows fast and when she's probably in her late teens, she'll stop growing. Her name is Renesmee, so Nessie. Jake imprinted on her. That's why Jake was in love with Bella but never imprinted on her." He shrugged and smiled.