the grudge , e. call

eight; the science of it

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Embry had been spending a lot of time at Sam and Emily's house since his freak out at the prom. It was easier to tell his mom that he was sleeping over at Jared's or at Sam's than to explain what was really happening. That he was a werewolf on patrol to catch a sadistic, ginger vampire. And that he'd broken up with the only girl he'd ever loved because his genes dictated everything he did now.

He was also grappling with the idea that his mom may have been a homewrecker. As Sam explained it, the shape shifting gene Embry possessed passed down from the Quileute Tribe's elders: Billy Black, Joshua Uley, Old Quil Ateara, and Harry Clearwater. As it stood when he was conceived fifteen years ago, all those men were in relationships, most of them expecting children of their own. And since Tiffany was Makah, she didn't hold the gene herself. It made for a very interesting inner monologue, which Sam, Jared and Paul could all hear. Because of course telepathy was real. And so were vampires.

Despite all of these new realizations, Embry could still only think of Maliah. What was she doing? How was she doing? Was she starting to move on from him? Did she hate him?

That was a stupid question. Of course she hated him. Maliah probably loathed him. Embry was privy to the way Maliah held grudges against people, so he knew that he was probably his now ex-girlfriend's least favorite person.

In the seventh grade, Maliah lent her lipgloss to Laurie Peterson and never got it back. She constantly—even now in the eleventh grade—talked about how upset it made her and how she would never forgive her. (It was her favorite pink, sparkly lipgloss, Maliah thought it was justified). But Embry knew he was in hotter water than Laurie Peterson ever would be.

He broke his promise to her. Granted, he didn't have a choice, as Sam so kindly informed him when he tried to say that he wasn't interested in being a shapeshifter. But still, Embry hurt Maliah. He lied to her, broke up with her over the phone. He was convinced she hated him, which made him mope around with the pack like he was a kicked puppy. Ironic, right?

Embry walked into Emily's house with Sam, Paul, and Jared. They were currently the only pack members, but Sam explained that if the vampires they were chasing remained in the area long enough, soon Jacob, Quil, and Seth would all turn. Embry spent more time obsessing over what Maliah may be thinking of him than he spent on stewing over the fact that everything impossible was real.

"Hey, guys," she said. "I made sandwiches, they're on the table for you whenever you're ready."

"I'm gonna pass today," Embry said. "I might go for a run or something."

Paul side-eyed him. "We just got back from patrol where all we do is run."

"Let him blow off some steam," Jared said in his defense. "Maybe it'll give us a break from all the heartache."

Emily tutted and gave Jared a motherly look of disappointment. "Imagine if you had to abruptly stop seeing Kim," she said. "That you thought yourself too dangerous to break up with her in person, so you have to do it over the phone. And think about how you would feel if you lost your soulmate but knew she was just within your reach."

He pondered it for a minute and frowned. "She's right. Sorry, Embry."

"You could always imprint on her," Paul stated coolly.

Embry's head snapped up. Sam hadn't told him about that. "What is that?"

"Sam! Get your ass in here!" Emily shouted. Sam sauntered into the room and kissed Emily's temple. He looked at Embry who was glaring at him and then at Emily for an explanation. "Tell this poor boy about imprinting."

Sam nodded and turned to Embry. "Sorry man, slipped my mind," he said. "Imprinting happens when you make eye contact with your soulmate. It's like something in your genes orients you to this girl. You become devoted to her in a way you didn't know was possible, she becomes your whole reason for living."

"So, if I... imprint on Maliah," he started, "then she'll take me back and won't hate me anymore?"

Sam started to nod and Emily cocked her head at him, urging him to further explain. "Well, not necessarily," Sam said. "The science of it just dictates that you're connected. You become whatever she needs, but it doesn't really affect her all that much. So, if Maliah needs an enemy, that's what you are. It doesn't mean that you'll immediately get engaged."

"We're the exception, not the rule," Emily said softly.

Her fiancé shrugged. "Besides, it's unlikely that you'll imprint. Most shifters don't. In our tribe's history, only a handful of us have imprinted."

"Say I do imprint on her," Embry theorized, "does that mean I can come clean to her about all this shapeshifting shit?"

Sam nodded.

"And I can be with her again?" he asked and Sam opened his mouth to restate his explanation, but Embry stopped him. "In whatever capacity she needs me, but still with her."

Again, Sam nodded.

Embry lightened internally. Now smiling, he said, "You know, I will go on that run. See you guys later."

The run from Emily's house to Maliah's was forty minutes. Sure it was only a ten minute drive when he sped, but Embry was much slower on foot. When he got there, the lights were on in the house, all except for Maliah's.

He imagined her in there, eating ice cream and crying in the dark. She probably had on The Notebook or some equally sob worthy movie. Embry knew that when she was sad, she loved to make it worse with music and movies, to prolong the feeling. Maliah always told him there was no such thing as a bad feeling and that being sad was okay.

Embry stood on the sidewalk, debating whether or not to go up to the door. Just to see her, to make eye contact and see if his world was changed. If it wasn't then what was the point of reconciling? This would only be as hard as he made it, right?

Even imagining her upset made Embry angry, despite it being his own doing. He couldn't bring himself to face her, so he left.

Maybe he would catch her eye when he went back to school, though he couldn't believe it when he told himself that she would look at him. She hated him.

And inside, Maliah was wishing he would make it easy on her and just show up so she could tell him that she was pregnant.

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ivy speaks!

i can't verbally express how much i love this story, it's literally my baby and every vote and comment means so so much to me. thank you for being sooooo amazing to me