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Everything felt…
Good.
Embry sighed as he burrowed in a little deeper in the sheets that covered him, closer to the hard ice cold figure beside him in the bed and a pleasant shiver ran down his spine at the hand he could feel running through his hair down the side of his face onto his neck. Ice cold trails were left all over his heated skin and the shifter couldn’t help but moan when he suddenly remembered that he shouldn’t be feeling all the things he’s feeling right at that moment.
His bed doesn’t feel this nice, he shouldn’t be feeling a cold of any kind and there shouldn’t be a figure of any kind with him in the bed either.
Embry’s eyes shot open and he immediately pulled away from the figure in his bed, eyes wide and blinking rapidly around him only to realize that he didn’t recognize his surroundings.
The room was big, with bright sunlight coming in through the large windows to the left side of the room. Cream white walls with what looked like double doors that led to what he could only assume would be a closet, a dresser just a few feet beside it and a rug just in front of the bed. Other than that the room was bare and Embry frowned when a voice suddenly spoke and he finally remembered the figure beside him only to stop breathing and gape in shock at who he saw.
“Hey, are you feeling O.K?”
Embry didn’t say a word, just continued to stare at the other in complete and total utter shock.
“Embry?”
Oh my God, it knows his name.
It?
Emmett Cullen.
The giant leech from the Olympic coven.
What the fuck…
Emmett sat at the head of the bed, staring back at the shifter with those bright gold eyes that set the Cullens apart from every other human killing leech on the face of this earth only Emmett’s eyes somehow looked different from theirs. They were brighter, a warmer honey gold that only seemed to brighten even more when the vampire gave him a soft smile. Emmett leaned forward causing the light from the window to fall over his arm and side of his face and a bright sparkle suddenly broke out over the vampire’s chiseled arms and neck, curving around the soft edge of his jaw and over the dimples that appeared on his face at his smile.
Emmett looked…
Beautiful.
Embry felt himself start to flush at the thought when the vampire suddenly reached out to touch him, gently brushing the back of his fingers against the shifters forehead with a tilt of his head and Embry’s brain instantly malfunctioned.
A buzz of warmth shot straight up to his head and he couldn’t help but moan as he leaned into the touch a little more when Emmett spoke and he had to will his brain back into working order just so he could hear what the other man was saying.
“What?” the shifter asked sounding beyond dazed while Emmett smirked, “I said, I’m guessing that you’re feeling O.K. I can’t really tell. You feel a little cooler than you did last night but you’re still pretty hot so I’m not sure.”
“You think I’m hot-wait… last night?”
“Yeah, last night.” Emmett clarified but couldn’t help but let his grin grow a little wider since the shifter had taken his hand and was practically nuzzling his head against it with a soft sigh. “Do you remember last night...? Embry?”
Embry’s eyes snapped open and his skin flushed two shades darker when he realized what he was doing and he quickly pulled away although his wolf still whined softly in his chest since he liked having the feeling of his imprints hand on his skin.
It felt nice and cool and Emmett smells really really good-wait a minute…
Imprint?!
No.
Nononononononononononono!
WHAT?!
“What-“ Embry’s eyes went wide and he immediately scrambled back on the bed, somehow forgetting that the bed had to end eventually when he fell right over the edge and flat on his ass. Emmett immediately moved over the bed to look down at the shifter as he groaned at the impact and he couldn’t help but smile as Embry’s hair fell over his eyes and he sat there on the floor still wearing Emmett’s oversized t-shirt.
“You O.K?”
Embry’s head snapped up and he stared at the Emmett with something akin to horror since the vampire had moved right into the light coming in through the window. His skin glimmered brightly and he could feel his inner wolf practically swoon.
‘Mine. Mine, mine mine mine mine-‘
“Oh fuck…” Embry gasped and the vampire frowned in confusion with his head giving another tilt and Embry couldn’t help but think how absolutely adorab-
“Oh fuck me sideways.”
“Well, I don’t usually fuck before the first date but if you really want to I wouldn’t mind too much.” Emmett smirked as he lay down on his stomach with his head perched up on his hand as he stared at the shifter on the floor before he finished, “Although we should probably save the sideways thing for the third date.”
Embry couldn’t even find it in him to get angry at the obviously arrogant comment. No his mind kept getting stuck on the image of Emmett fucking him, an image that his wolf wholly approved of. Regardless of the fact that Embry’s never even spoken to this vampire before let alone thought about what it would feel like to have Emmett around him or in him, pinning him to the ground or against a wall-
The shifter flushed a little more, looking like he was about to explode when Emmett spoke again.
“Embry?”
The shifter swallowed hard as he tried to pull himself together trying to think of the day before and how on earth he got himself into this mess when he just gave up and looked up at the vampire, resisting the urge to sigh at how absolutely amazing the vampire looked so he could ask.
“W-What happened last night?”
At that Emmett shifted a bit on the bed before giving a slight shrug as he spoke,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
He was leaving.
Not that he really wanted to its just that there didn’t seem to be much of a point in staying anymore. Rosalie is happy, happier than she ever truly was with him and he could tell that his presence was doing nothing more than causing her pain from the guilt he made her feel. She even moved out to Esme and Carlisle’s old cottage in the woods just so Emmett would feel less awkward about the fact that she’d left her once true mate for him.
So now he’s leaving because he has no reason to stay.
Emmett hauled his large duffel bag over his shoulder and tossed it into the back seat of the jeep. It was somewhat pointless taking these things with him, after all he could run faster than any car in existence and the clothes he had on would probably do well enough for now. Nomadic vampires don’t usually take things with them. It’s usually just a wallet so they could pay for things so they wouldn’t draw attention to themselves, but driving and packing and taking things with him has become a habit. The Olympic coven is all he’s ever known so he’s spent the entirety of his… after life I suppose you could call it doing things their way. They always stuck together, always remained a family despite the many ups and downs they’ve experienced and in a way. Emmett almost felt bad for abandoning Carlisle’s dream if the perfect albeit undead family, but he couldn’t stay no matter how much he wanted to. It wouldn’t be fair to him and it wouldn’t be fair to Rosalie either.
His presence at the house was just making things awkward for everybody, so he has to leave.
It all started a few months ago just after Jacob imprinted on Edward.
See…
It happened after Alice and Bella went to save Edward from the Volturi. They managed to bring him back in one piece, started making arrangements to plan the wedding and Edward was back by her side now more determined than ever to keep her safe and never hurt her again. Bella was back to her old blissfully happy self and Charlie seemed to be warming up to Edward at least a little. They were in love, safe and secure with the knowledge that they would never have to be separated ever again.
And so they lived happily ever after…
For about a week.
No my bad, it was more like three days.
See three days after they returned to Forks and started playing happy vampire family and human pet all over again, the big bad wolf came huffing and puffing and everything went to shit.
Jacob showed up at Bella’s house, angry and frustrated at the fact that the girl he’d fallen so hopelessly in love with had abandoned him to save her undead boyfriend from a bunch of other parasites. Unfortunately for him, said undead boyfriend was there at her house on the very same day he decided to go and vent his frustrations at his best friend. From what Emmett understands; Edward and Jacob got into an argument that eventually escalated into an all-out fight, forcing Jacob to phase after which – as previously stated – everything went to shit.
Jacob imprinted on Edward, Edward found out cause you know, mind reader. They tried playing that pointless game of denial, avoiding one another like the plague whilst simultaneously trying to keep Bella oblivious to it all until Jacob got sick a few days later. Sam went to see the Cullens and practically begged the telepath to come play doctor with their beloved mutt for a few hours and Edward reluctantly agreed. One hour became two and then three and then well… things happened. Bing bang boom! Edward was suddenly going gaga over the mutt he claimed to hate a few days before.
Emmett gave a sigh as he turned back to grab a bag that he’d left on the porch to toss into the back seat of his jeep.
He’s trivializing things, he knows he is, it’s just that well, Edward and Jacob don’t matter not really anyway.
Yes things between them happened fast… incredibly fast but Emmett couldn’t deny that they were good for each other, they completed each in the way that didn’t make any sense whatsoever which actually made perfect sense. They loved each other very deeply despite things between them happening so incredibly fast. Jacob was good for Edward because he never let the telepath get away with anything, he never let Edward wallow in his own misery and self-loathing calling the telepath on his bullshit and just making sure that Edward knew that he was loved, despite the monster he still thought himself to be. And in exchange Edward helped remind Jacob of the fact that he was still a kid. It was incredibly hard for Jacob, growing up in the circumstances that he was in having to grow up and take in so much responsibility at such a young age. Most days Jacob felt like he couldn’t take it anymore and he was slowly losing his mind, but Edward helped shoulder his burdens, made sure that the shifter was the one being taken care of for once in his life. But more than that Edward also made Jacob feel as loved and treasured as the shifter did for him.
In a way they were perfect for each other, Edward and Jacob were good for each other more than Bella ever was with her clumsiness and fragile dependence for either of them really. They’re happy and in love.
But Emmett isn’t happy, so fuck Edward and Jacob and their freakishly perfect love!
They don’t matter.
What matters, is Rosalie and Paul and their freakishly perfect love.
Emmett paused to shut his eyes tight and just breathe.
It happened a month after Edward and Jacob got together.
Bella and Edward had broken up by then, but Bella didn’t leave and go back to her mother the way she had wanted to after finding out about Jacob’s imprint on Edward. There was too much at stake after all, what with the Volturi’s orders to have her either dead or turned into a vampire and Victoria’s imminent attack. Bella wouldn’t have been safe if she had tried to leave Forks, so no matter how much she hated staying and watching them be together she didn’t really have much of a choice.
They’d all gone to meet at the border to discuss a plan of action. Carlisle was honest with the wolves, telling them about the Volturi’s demands and the fact that they’d all agreed that Bella would be turned and taken to live with their sister coven the Denali and while Bella’s away, they would deal with Victoria and her newborn army.
Sam reluctantly agreed, although he made it clear that Bella was not to be changed in Forks, no matter how bad things got and whatever bonds formed between the natives and the cold ones the council insisted that the treaty stayed intact. It was right in the middle of these proceedings that there was a sudden stir among the wolves as one of them suddenly fell to the ground whining softly and the others began to howl. The Olympic coven had just stared on in confusion when Edward’s eyes suddenly went wide and his gaze snapped back over towards Rosalie and Emmett and a feeling of dread settled in the pit of Emmett’s stomach.
It wasn’t till later that they finally managed to figure out what happened and when they did Emmett’s heart shattered.
Paul Lahote imprinted on Rosalie.
Emmett’s heart shattered cause he knew what was set to follow. If Paul’s imprint on Rosalie was anything like Jacob’s imprint on Edward then he’d soon be without a mate.
And unfortunately Emmett was right in his assumptions.
To their credit, Rosalie and Paul held out a lot longer than Edward and Jacob.
About two months right up until Victoria attacked.
Before then, they avoided one another which wasn’t that surprising since Paul hated vampires and Rosalie… well Rosalie hates everyone but she hated the shape shifters just a little bit more. The only time they ever spent any kind of time around each other was when the imprint started raining all its fury down on Paul and Rosalie was forced to go see him, it happened quite often considering the fact that both of them insisted on holding onto their hatred of one another.
But then came Victoria, Paul was hurt during the battle after trying to protect Rosalie and suddenly they couldn’t avoid each other anymore.
That was a month ago and since then Emmett has been forced to watch as Rosalie became more and more distant from him while getting closer and closer to Paul.
He hated it.
He hated how happy Paul clearly made Rosalie, how she loved the warmth that he radiated from his skin and how they constantly bickered with each other. He hated how Paul would stare at her like she was the most precious thing he’d ever had the fortune of seeing and how he’d just smirk and smile at her insults.
He hated how happy they were and how freakishly perfect their love was.
And that’s why he has to go.
No one’s home, they were all at the bon fire in La Push, having been invited by the tribe for the first time ever despite the treaty since two of their wolves had imprinted on the Cullens. Emmett didn’t go, for obvious reasons. He didn’t tell them that he’s leaving, although he’s pretty sure Edward knows and Alice-
Alice has been oddly cheerful as of late, despite the constant heartache her brother seemed to carry with him everywhere he went these days it seemed like she was happier. Emmett wasn’t sure if that was a good or a bad thing or whether or not he should feel offended that his sister was so cheerful despite knowing that he was leaving. Not that she said that she knew but Emmett assumed that she did. Barring the wolves Alice sees everything.
It was right in the middle of these thoughts that Emmett suddenly picked up a low sound rustling from the woods. The vampire frowned as he stepped around the jeep listening carefully to hear, slurred mumbles and unsteady footsteps stumbling towards the house a couple hundred yards away. Emmett took a deep breath only to scowl in anger when he realized that it was a shifter.
Honestly haven’t they caused him enough pain?
Can’t he even leave his home and family in peace?
Apparently not.
Emmett stepped around the jeep standing tense with his arms folded across his chest as the figure got closer.
There were more mumbles, more stumbling until the shifter eventually emerged from the woods on unsteady feet dressed only in a pair of cutoffs.
Embry Call.
Emmett didn’t really know this particular wolf just saw him around the border a couple of times. Then again he didn’t really care much for him either but that’s true for the rest of the dogs, even Jacob, especially Jacob.
Stupid fucking Jacob!
The native paused for a moment to look up, with his arm braced on a tree and Emmett frowned since it looked like he’d been injured, but he couldn’t smell any blood or see any visual injuries, although his heartbeat seemed a bit faster than normal and his temperature was a little high even for a shifter.
Is he sick?
Oh great his last day and he’s stuck with a sick shifter while everyone else was out.
Where is Carlisle when you actually need him?
“Hey, the it’s-it’s the big one.” Embry said with a smile and a giggle as he came closer and Emmett was surprised when the wolf came close enough to touch before actually touching him. Embry stumbled forward and caught himself, using both hands to brace himself against Emmett’s chest and the vampire was so surprised he just froze for a moment as Embry spoke, “Wow, you’re tall and…cold really cold, feels nice.” The shifter spread his hands out over Emmett’s chest and the vampire paused for a moment since it really did feel nice. Embry felt warm and-
Emmett quickly shook off the thought as he grabbed the shifter and shoved him back glaring at the teen as he stumbled and fell.
“Ow… that hurt.”
“What the hell are you doing here mutt?!”
Embry looked dazed for a moment as he braced his hands on the ground as he looked up with big brown eyes, “Uhhh… I forget... You know, you’re really pretty.”
Emmett gave him an incredulous look when he suddenly noted how those big brown eyes were unfocused and his cheeks were flushed, his breathing was heavy and there was a slight sheen of sweat on his skin. Shifters shouldn’t be able to get sick right, so wouldn’t that mean-
“I wish I was pretty like you, then maybe someone would love me.”
“Wait a minute are you drunk?”
“Nope.” Embry said popping his “p” in an infant like way as he gave a lopsided grin, “I only had one drink, mutts honor.”
Emmett sighed as he raked a hand through his hair.
He’s totally drunk.
Now what?
“How the hell did you get drunk? I thought shifters couldn’t do that.”
“I’m not drunk!” Embry said indignantly as he slowly tried to get up, he managed to get to his hands and knees, “I had one drink.”
“What kind of drink?”
“A special drink.” The shifter said as he stood up straight or attempted to stand up straight, and Emmett held back a growl, “Made from what?”
“Stuff.” Embry said drawing out the ‘s’ with a smile as he stepped forward and Emmett stepped back, trying to avoid making contact like they did earlier. “What kind of stuff?”
“No idea. The elders only make it for special occasions.”
“What kind of special occasions?” Emmett asked as he continued to try and stay out of the shifters reach, “Weddings, funerals… when members of the pack imprint on a bunch of Leeches.”
The shifter listed off easily and Emmett let out a sigh of frustration when Embry was suddenly leaning against him all over again as he spoke, “Hey did Jacob ever tell you how it happened? How he managed to imprint on your leech brother?”
Emmett arched a brow at the shifter in question desperately trying to ignore the heat that flowed from Embry onto him, despite everything that’s happened he is a little curious as to how that happened.
“How?”
“Jacob ran, Edward caught him and then he imprinted.”
Emmett rolled his eyes, “Really that’s it?”
“Yup.” Embry said popping his “p” all over again as he gave a lazy grin, “The elders-the elders say… its destiny and that Bella was just a way for them to find each other. Now that they have they can live happily ever after. A mutt and his parasite, ain’t that something?”
Emmett frowned as the shifter leaned his head against his chest seeming to soak up the cold coming from the vampire’s body and said vampire did all he could to ignore him.
“Jacob’s gone now. He won’t talk to me, won’t call or even text.” Embry slurred out lazily as he drew circles on Emmett’s chest, “Two weeks before that we were making out behind the locker rooms at school and now he won’t even look at me.”
Emmett almost gaped, “What?”
“Oh yeah, you don’t know do you? No one does. Just like no one knew about Jared and Paul and then they imprinted and now they’re gone.” Embry said with a sniff and Emmett could almost smell the tears as they collected in the shifter’s eyes as Embry tilted his head and looked up at him, “Hey is Jacob here. I wanna talk to him.”
Embry tried to pull away and stumbled almost immediately. Emmett caught him, giving an annoyed growl as the shifter struggled weakly in his grasp.
“Hang on.”
“Lemme go I wanna see Jacob.”
“You don’t know what you’re doing you stupid dog,” Emmett said catching the teen yet again, “You can’t even walk straight.”
“Yes I can! See,” Embry finally managed to pull back standing on unsteady feet as he swayed a little from side to side, giving the vampire a weak glare, “I’m not as think as you drunk I am. Leech.”
Emmett scoffed, “Yeah I can see that.”
“Whatever, if you-if you won’t… Take me to Jacob, then I’ll just find him myself.”
The shifter stumbled away, heading towards the house only for Emmett to grab his arm to tug him back.
“Wait-“
“Let me go!”
“Jacob isn’t even here right now so there’s no point in looking here.”
“Then-… Then I’ll wait.” Embry said trying to tug free again Emmett let out a sigh of annoyance as he dragged the shifter back, “Why do you even want to see him so badly anyway?”
“Because Jacob’s the only one that cared!” the shifter almost screamed as he finally wretched his arm free and Emmett was so surprised he let him. “You don’t know what its like. They act like its O.K, like who my real father is doesn’t matter but its not O.K and it does matter.”
“What’re you talking about-“
“And everyday, I have to act like its O.K too but its so hard!” the shifter’s eyes were brimming with tears, his face flushing even more. Emmett just froze as he watched, “Jacob’s the only one that didn’t pretend! He didn’t act like he didn’t see it was happening, the only one who made it really feel O.K and now he’s just gone! Because you stupid leeches took him away!” and then Embry fell to his knees and broke, sobbing as his head fell forward and his arms went limp at his sides.
Emmett just stood there, he had no idea what to do.
Emmett doesn’t do emotions, family issues or mental breakdowns. Those things were more in Jasper or Alice or Edward’s expertise. Carlisle is usually the one that dealt with issues like this.
Where is Carlisle when you actually need him?!
Emmett just stared at the shifter, he still didn’t know what to do. Seriously he has his own issues to deal with, he doesn’t have time to deal with a shifter’s issues as well. He’s supposed to be leaving. He’d probably be on the road by now if it weren’t for the stupid dog suddenly showing up and ruining everything.
He could just walk away, but Emmett felt something unpleasant stir in is chest at the thought of just leaving the teen here sobbing in front of the house. Carlisle wouldn’t approve. Stupid Carlisle.
Emmett let out a sigh of frustration.
“Alright just,” Emmett took a deep breath as he approached the shifter, “C’mon don’t do this here, dude.”
Embry didn’t respond, he just kept sobbing and Emmett stifled a growl of frustration as he reached out to put his hand on the wolf’s shoulder, “At least…” He looked up around them, his eyes fell on the house, “Let’s just go inside alright? C’mon.”
He pulled the teen up by his arm, Embry got up on unsteady feet and just followed as the vampire brought him into the house, he stumbled on the threshold. Emmett quickly caught him before just deciding to pick the shifter up-
“What’re-“
“It’ll be faster this way.” The cold one said, just knowing that he’d realise what a stupid idea this is if he let the wolf keep talking. He took Embry up to what used to be his room with Rosalie, he didn’t know what else to do with the shifter. The room would be vacant soon anyway. In the morning, Jacob would find him and then Embry would be his problem.
He ignored the warmth he felt as he carried the shifter into he room and how that heat left him when he set the teen down on the bed. Embry fell over onto his side and cringed as his face landed on the bedspread.
“This reeks.”
Emmett rolled his eyes, “Deal with it.” The vampire looked around the room in a pause, deciding to get a bucket to put next to the bed, his own human experiences with alcohol reminding him that the shifter would probably need it.
When he got back to the room though it seemed Embry had finally settled down, lying on his side on what used to be Emmett’s side of the bed, when he and Rosalie used to just stare up at the ceiling and talk all night. Emmett shook his head at the thought.
“Hey.” He said trying to get the shifter’s attention and Embry opened his eyes to sleepily look up at the vampire. Blurry brown eyes stared back at him through the dark brown locks that fell across his face. Emmett paused, before he quickly cleared his throat.
“There’s a bucket next to the bed so don’t go puking all over the room.”
Embry didn’t say anything. Emmett took that as his cue to leave only to stop when the shifter suddenly reached out and grabbed his arm.
“Wait.”
“What?”
“Can you stay, just a little.”
Emmett looked at him in disbelief, “Seriously?”
“Please.” Embry said and Emmett’s jaw clenched. He looked up at the door. Thinking about his bag in the jeep downstairs, just waiting for him to leave. He thought about how empty and quiet the house was, how alone he felt and how Embry would be all alone in the quiet until someone eventually came home. Carlisle would be so disappointed.
Stupid Carlisle.
Letting out a heavy sigh the vampire shut his eyes.
“Fuck my life.”
“What?”
“Nothing.” He said nudging at the shifter’s side, Embry moved a little but obviously not fast enough as Emmett just reached out to lift the shifter and drop him on the bed again before he sat down and lay back against the bed as well. He was startled when the shifter moved over to lay his head on his chest.
“What-“
“You feel nice.” Embry mumbled out and Emmett rolled his eyes, forcing himself to get comfortable which turned out to be surprisingly easy as the shifter’s heat burned down into his skin almost cast a warm cocoon around him. Lying like this he could almost feel himself falling asleep-
“You’re nice.” Embry mumbled again and Emmett scoffed.
“Obviously too nice.”
“Do you have a mate?”
Emmett swallowed hard, “Not anymore.”
Embry tilted his head to look at him, “Why?”
Anger should have bubbled up at that question, at that moment however, he was just way too comfortable to get mad. Instead he just shook his head. Embry tilted his head a little more.
“I’ll be your mate.”
Emmett blinked, “What?”
“You don’t have anyone and I don’t have anyone. The council won’t care. They didn’t care about Paul or Jacob.”
“That means I need to be desperate enough to make you my mate?” Emmett said with a scoff and Embry shrugged.
“Why not?”
“Why would you even-“
Embry somehow cuddled closer into Emmett’s side, “You feel nice.”
The vampire sighed, “You’re drunk.”
“So, I’ll be your mate. You won’t be alone and I won’t be alone.”
Emmett looked at the shifter on his chest, shook his head and couldn’t help but chuckle. He probably won’t remember most of this in the morning.
“Sure we’ll get married, get the white picket fence, have a bunch of half mutt half leech babies. Live the American horror story dream.”
“Sue said no babies till after high school.”
Emmett frowned, “Wait what?”
“But yeah, we can be happy. And we’ll always be together.” Embry clumsily pushed himself up on his arms, “No one ever promised me that before but… I can promise you.”
Something about what he said struck a cord in Emmett and he froze momentarily, just before Embry leaned down and kissed him. the vampire’s eyes went wide. They stayed like that for what felt like forever, with a surge of heat rushing right to Emmett’s brain, but before he could kiss back the shifter’s arms suddenly collapsed beneath him. Emmett sat up and lifted Embry’s head to get the shifter to look at him.
“Embry?”
He seemed disoriented and confused grasping at the vampire’s shoulders as he tried to pull back. The shifter frowned and then his eyes went wide.
Embry gasped, “Oh shit.”
“What?”
“I think I imprinted.”
Emmett’s eyes went even wider than before. “What?”
Embry’s head fell to the side before he looked back at the vampire and gave a dopey smile as he giggled.
“You’re pretty.”
And then he passed out.