Broken shades (Twilight)(Embry Call)

The Shattering

"You're gonna see me in your dreams tonight
My face is gonna haunt you all the time
I promise that you gon' want me back
When your world falls apart like shattered glass
Glass, glass, glass"
—Shattered Glass- Brittney Spears

**Chapter 3: The Shattering**

Kayla didn't sleep that night. She lay in bed, staring at the cracks in the ceiling, the bruises on her body pulsing in time with the dull ache in her chest. Embry's words echoed in her mind, each one laced with a concern that only made her feel more guilty. She knew he meant well, that he wanted to help, but the truth was, there was nothing he could do. No one could change what was happening at home, and telling him the full extent of it would only drag him into the darkness she was barely managing to survive herself.

The morning light filtered through her window, but it did little to lift the heaviness that had settled over her. She moved slowly, wincing as she pulled on another oversized hoodie and a pair of jeans that were a size too big, perfect for hiding the bruises marring her skin. The sunglasses were non-negotiable, the dark lenses shielding her from both the sunlight and the prying eyes of her classmates.

When she arrived at school, the usual buzz of conversation greeted her, but it felt distant, almost unreal. She moved through the halls like a ghost, her mind replaying the events of the previous day, especially the look on Embry's face when he saw her bruises. She couldn't shake the image, couldn't forget the way his voice had trembled when he promised to be there for her.

As she reached her locker, she spotted Embry and the guys standing by the entrance, just like they always did. But something was different today. There was a tension in the air, a heaviness that hadn't been there before. Embry stood apart from the others, his usual easygoing demeanor replaced by a tightness around his mouth and a storm brewing in his eyes.

She forced herself to walk over, trying to act like nothing was wrong, but as she got closer, the knot in her stomach tightened. Embry wasn't just upset—he was angry. She could feel it radiating off him, a barely contained rage that seemed to ripple beneath his skin.

"Hey, Kayla," Jake greeted her with a grin, but it didn't reach his eyes. There was something wary in the way he looked at her, something that made her heart skip a beat.

"Hey," she replied, her voice quieter than usual. She glanced at Embry, but he was staring at the ground, his fists clenched at his sides.

"Embry, you okay?" she asked, trying to keep her voice light, even though her heart was pounding in her chest.

Embry looked up at her, and the intensity in his gaze made her take a step back. "I'm fine," he said, but his voice was strained, as if he was barely holding something back.

Kayla frowned, her concern for him momentarily overshadowing her own pain. "You don't look fine. What's going on?"

Before Embry could answer, Jake cut in, his tone a little too casual. "He's just having a rough day, Kayla. You know how it is."

Kayla looked between them, sensing that there was something more they weren't telling her. But before she could press the issue, Embry turned on his heel and started walking away.

"Embry, wait!" she called after him, but he didn't stop.

She hesitated for a moment, then hurried to catch up with him, her heart racing. "Embry, talk to me. Please."

He didn't respond, just kept walking, his strides long and purposeful. Kayla had to jog to keep up with him, her breath coming in short gasps as she tried to keep pace.

"Embry, stop!" she pleaded, grabbing his arm.

He froze, his muscles tensing under her touch. For a moment, he didn't move, didn't even breathe, and Kayla could feel the anger rolling off him in waves. She'd never seen him like this, never felt such an intense energy from him before. It was like he was on the verge of exploding, and it terrified her.

"Let go, Kayla," he said, his voice low and dangerous.

She did, taking a step back, fear and confusion warring inside her. "What's going on with you? You're scaring me."

Embry closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as if trying to calm himself. "I just need to be alone right now, okay? Please, Kayla, just... let me go."

"Alone? But you don't have to—"

"Kayla, *please*," he interrupted, his voice breaking. "I can't... I just can't be around you right now."

The pain in his voice cut through her like a knife, and Kayla felt her throat tighten. "Why? What did I do?"

"It's not you," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's not you, Kayla. It's me. I need to... I need to figure some things out. Just give me some time."

She wanted to argue, to demand that he tell her what was really going on, but the look in his eyes stopped her. He was hurting, and she didn't know how to help him. The realization made her feel more helpless than she ever had before.

"Okay," she said softly, her voice trembling. "But promise me you'll come back."

Embry looked at her, his expression torn. "I'll come back," he said, but there was a finality to his tone that made her chest tighten.

Without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving Kayla standing there, her heart breaking as she watched him go. She wanted to chase after him, to beg him not to leave her, but her feet wouldn't move. Something was wrong—deeply wrong—and she couldn't shake the feeling that she was about to lose him.

As she stood there, staring after him, the other guys caught up with her. Jake placed a hand on her shoulder, but she barely registered the touch.

"He just needs some space," Jake said, his voice gentle. "Don't take it personally."

"Space?" Kayla echoed, her voice hollow. "What's happening to him?"

Jake hesitated, exchanging a glance with Quil. "He's just dealing with some stuff. Family stuff. He'll be back."

But Kayla wasn't convinced. She knew Embry, knew him better than anyone, and she could feel that something was deeply, irrevocably wrong.

---

Embry ran into the forest, the sound of Kayla's voice still ringing in his ears. He could feel the change coming, the heat building under his skin, threatening to consume him. He'd tried to hold it back, to keep control, but the anger, the frustration—it was all too much.

His body trembled as he reached the clearing, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps. He knew what was happening to him, knew that the stories and legends were true. He was one of them now—one of the protectors, the wolves of La Push. But the knowledge didn't make it any easier to accept.

With a cry of pain and rage, Embry felt his body shatter and reshape, the wolf inside him finally breaking free. The transformation was both agony and ecstasy, his senses heightened, his mind flooded with the instincts of the wolf.

And as he stood there, his heart pounding in his chest, the forest around him suddenly seemed both foreign and familiar. The change was complete, and he was no longer just Embry. He was something more, something primal and powerful.

But even with all the power coursing through his veins, the pain in his heart remained. Because the one person he wanted to protect more than anything, the one person he had always hoped would be his imprint, was now more distant than ever.

The wolf within him howled in frustration, but there was nothing he could do. Not now. Not until he learned how to control the beast that had taken over his life. And not until he figured out how to tell Kayla the truth without breaking her even more than she already was.

With a final, mournful howl, Embry disappeared into the depths of the forest, leaving his human life behind. But even in his wolf form, Kayla's face lingered in his mind, a constant reminder of what he had lost and what he had yet to protect.