Forbidden Imprint [Book 5] ✔️

19 • Secrets & Lies

EMBRY'S POV

"Your father was Harry Clearwater."

"I'm sorry?" I said in a questioning tone, shock pummeling my body.

"Harry Clearwater was your father," Quil Sr. repeated.

"But...how?"

"You need me to explain the basics of baby making, my boy?" Quil laughed at his own joke.

"I think I've got that part...I mean...my mom and Harry barely knew each other," I replied, hardly able to fathom what he was telling me.

"Pull up a chair Embry, you look like you're about to pass out," Quil ordered and I quickly obeyed, grabbing a chair and placing it next to his hospital bed.

"Harry and Sue always seemed so happy...this doesn't make sense," I said.

"They were...don't think otherwise. Harry and Sue loved each other very much, but no marriage is perfect. Before you were born, Sue and Harry were having some martial problems. Sue ended up leaving Harry for a short time, moving back in with her parents and taking Leah with her. Leah was just a toddler at the time, but she was Harry's whole world...well, they both were. He was distraught without them. Around that time, your mom came down from Makah and moved in with some friends on the Rez. She needed a job and Harry gave her one at the Clearwater Supply Store. Harry turned to her to ease his pain over Sue leaving him. I don't think the affair lasted long, maybe a month. Your mom eventually demanded that Harry divorce Sue, which he refused to do. He was still in love with Sue, you see. Your mom didn't take that very well and she ended up leaving the Rez. A few months later, Sue and Harry reconciled and Sue and Leah moved back home."

"Did my mother ever tell Harry? About me, I mean?"

"Yes," Quil replied. "She came back to the Rez when she was eight months pregnant with you. She was scared. Her parents had refused to let her move back home and she didn't know where else to go. Harry was shocked. Your mom asked him again to leave Sue, but Sue had just found out she was pregnant with Seth, and she was having a hard time with the pregnancy. Harry refused to leave her. He wouldn't have left Sue anyway, even if she wasn't pregnant, and your mom knew that. So they made a deal. Kathy wouldn't expose the affair and Harry would pay child support. In return, your mom would stay on the Rez and raise you, allowing Harry to watch you grow up. She put in the condition though that Harry couldn't be a part of your life. He wasn't allowed to give any input into your upbringing. If he interfered, she'd tell Sue the truth and then take you away. She wanted to punish Harry for choosing Sue over her, I think. He could see you, but he couldn't have anything to do with you."

I shook my head in disbelief, "How long have you known about this?"

"Harry told Billy and me shortly after you were born. Since he couldn't be a part of your life, he asked us to look after you. Luckily you bonded rather easily with Jake and my grandson, so it was easy for us to include you in our lives. And we were happy to do it. You were always such a good kid."

"The trust fund..." I suddenly said. Growing up, my mom said we lived off a trust fund she'd received. It was why she didn't have to work a full time job when I was younger. "The trust fund was really Harry, right?"

"Yes," Quil answered. "We set it up through the tribe so it looked official and we made sure you had a house and clothing."

I thought back to a time right before I first started phasing. I remembered walking into the supply store and my mom and Harry had been arguing. There were a few times when I caught them doing that now that I thought about it.

"Did they ever resume their affair?"

"No."

"But they kept in contact. I mean, I remember seeing them talk a few times when I was younger. I never thought much of it at the time, but they'd seemed to always be fighting. I think I even asked my mom about it, but she said they were discussing her account with the store."