tough | b.swan

15 - After: Part Two

Blake races through the midafternoon traffic, headed in the opposite direction of Cullen's. She doesn't want to deal with her sister yet, but she knows Alice will probably know she's home by now. Either she saw her, or Carlisle told her.

And her point is proved right as she nears the reservation, spotting Alice stood in the trees. She pulls over and kicks the stand out, shaking her hair out as she pulls her helmet off.

Alice takes in her best friends new look. Heavy doc marten boots, red sports leggings, a t-shirt and a leather jacket. "Blake..."

"Hi sexy." She winks. "I'm gonna take a guess that your dad told you I was in town. Shame I couldn't get to safety before you found me."

Alice frowns deeply, only taking a few steps out of the trees. "Where were you... I'm sorry for-"

"I'm sure you can guess what I'll say about that apology Alice. So save your breath. Whatever your reasons were for ghosting me are yours to deal with because I don't want to hear them. I don't want to go over the past again and again, I want to keep going on this path. I'd show you my chip but dad wouldn't let me have it back."

"How long..?" Alice asks, a glint of hope in her eyes. It has to be a good amount of time, right? She's been gone almost 10 months. Or longer... She can't remember.

"6 months. As of 3 days ago. Got the call about dad not long after, impeccable timing." She laughs cold. "But I didn't even think of going for anything, I just wanted to come be with him. So if you know I'm home, I assume everyone else does."

"No, only me and Carlisle. I don't know about the wolves, we only really see Jacob these days. Embry..." Alice trails off. Embry hasn't been doing so good.

Blake sighs. "Yeah, I didn't think he'd be alright. He won't be too happy if you keep me from him any longer."

"Sorry, I'll let you go... I'll come see you later, okay?" Alice says.

Blake shrugs and slips her helmet on again, kicking the stand away. "Or not. I don't care." She says, speeding away a moment later.

It becomes obvious the moment she's in the wolves territory, several large wolves running alongside her. She smirks and picks up speed, racing whoever is leading the pack at that time. "Mere seconds guys, I didn't expect such a fast response!"

She speeds around a few bends, turning into the familiar house and climbing off the bike. Embry smiles wide as he jogs out of the treeline and catches her in a hug, kissing his mate. "I missed you."

"I missed you too. Next time, don't leave your phone at mine." She says, stroking his cheek as she looks up at him. "I don't like not talking everyday, even if it has only been 4."

Jacob runs out of the trees with the others on his heels. "You knew where she was this whole time!!!!" He yells at Embry.

Em's grip tightens around his mate as she turns to face everyone, still leaning on him. "Of course I did, she's my mate. I wasn't letting her go so easy." He says sternly, though it should have been obvious to them.

Quil glares. "So what was with the sad wolf act? How could you hide something like this from us?"

Embry sighs, but Blake answers before he can. "Because I asked him too. Because it was nothing to do with the pack. It was my recovery. A messy one. With a bit of help from his mom, he managed to convince you all he had to spend some time here and there with family, but he was with me. But only in the last 7 or so months."

"I didn't know where she was in the beginning, I swear. When we all went looking, I was just as clueless. Her note told me to wait for her. That she loved me and she'd need me eventually. So yeah, the sad wolf was real for the most part. We hated being away from our mate even if we knew where she was." Embry says gently.