Alpha's Qahla
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 04
Smoke curled and hung in the humid, early evening air as Embry leaned back against the wall of the porch. He studied the glowing cherry on the end of his cigarette—his latest rebellion of choice—as his thoughts turned to his brother.
Brother…he still couldn't get over the fact that Sam was his half-brother.
All his life, he'd thought himself an only child and his mother had never told him differently, even though she'd known. He scowled and took another deep drag on the cigarette, blowing out a stream of acrid smoke as he thought about her.
She'd always refused to speak of his father; he hadn't even known the man's name until he'd shifted and surprised everyone. She was Makah and he'd always assumed his father was too, but after his first phase, she'd had to come clean. That's when she'd told him; Joshua Uley was his father.
He scoffed. 'So much for assumptions…' he thought.
He took another deep drag just as the sound of the screen opening caught his attention. Steps approached and he did his best to ignore them but that wasn't in the cards as Jared flopped down next to him. "Got another one of those?"
Wordlessly, he tossed the pack and lighter to the other shifter. "Sam's gonna kick your ass if he sees you smokin'," Jared mumbled while shaking one out. He cupped his hands around the end and lit it, taking a deep drag and blowing it out before glancing over.
Embry simply shrugged.
"You okay man?" Jared asked with a frown.
Embry shot him a dark look. "Just fuckin' peachy." He crushed out the smoke and tossed the butt in a can while Jared shook his head.
"Sam's worried about you."
Embry chuckled ruefully. "Really? He almost kills my best friend and now he's worried about me."
Jared's brow furrowed. "He only did what he had to. He feels bad about it, but he couldn't let a challenge like that go, ya know?"
"No, I don't know!" Embry snapped. "He started the shit with Jake over his imprint. He had no right!" He turned to face Jared, one arm slung around a bent knee. "What's his problem with whites, anyway? You're his best friend, so tell me…what's he got against Jake being with Bella Swan?"
Jared leaned his head back against the wall and dropped his cig in the can before looking over at Embry.
"You know he lost his mother when he was nine, right?"
Embry nodded. "Yeah, I think everyone knows that. She was killed in Seattle and then he grew up with Sue and her family."
"Right, but no one knows the details—well, no one but close family and me, because Sam told me a few years back." He looked out toward the trees. "It's a brutal story man, and not one I can share." He looked back at Embry. "Let's just say Sam has better reasons than most for hating whites, and leave it at that."
Embry shook his head. "Not good enough. Bella Swan's never even met Sam. She's never done anything to him. Just because she's white doesn't make her a bad person, as Sam seems to think. It's not right and I hate to say this, but it makes him just as bad as those who've wronged him."
Jared slammed him against the wall with a fist in his shirt. "Don't you ever say that about him again. You don't know what the fuck you're talking about. He's your brother—your blood—and you don't know what he went through." He shoved once more and let go.
Embry shot Jared a glare, straightened his shirt and lit another cigarette. "Just because he's my brother and the alpha doesn't make him right, especially not about this," he said and blew out a plume of smoke. He narrowed his eyes and pointed at Jared with his cigarette. "You can't judge people by the color of their skin. We, as a people, have put up with so much for the color of ours, we should know that better than most."
Jared sighed and nodded. "I agree with you man, it's just…this is a deep-seated thing with Sam, ya know? It took a horrific event to make him feel the way he does and I'm not sure anything will ever change his views."
After a moment of silence, Embry turned his head to look at Jared. "Jake was going for the Alpha, you know that, right?"
Jared nodded. "Yeah, that much was clear."
Embry leaned his head against the wall and took a deep drag from his cig. "I know him. This isn't over. He won't give up," he muttered.
"Yeah," Jared said with a sigh as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "I know."
~o0o~
Bella laid there, her head resting on Jake's shoulder while her fingers played over his smooth, russet skin.
All was quiet with the exception of their breathing, the sound of his steady heart beat against her ear and the filtered sounds of a ball game coming from the living room.
"I have to go soon," she murmured while gazing out the window at the waning sunlight. "Charlie knows I'm here, but he expects me home before eight."
Jake sighed and tightened his hold around her shoulders for a moment. "I wish you could stay."
She smiled against him. "Me too, but I can't. Kinda have school tomorrow, ya know?" She sat up and looked down at him. "So do you, for that matter. You gonna be able to make it?"
"Psh, yeah, no problem," he said with a smile. "Little thing like this won't keep me down."
She blinked. "Little?! Jake, your leg is broken. How is that little?"
He looked away. "It, uh…wasn't really broken. It'll be fine by tomorrow."
She narrowed her eyes at him and tugged at his chin to get him to look at her. "I was there when Sue said she had to set it, Jake. It's broken." She looked him over and her eyes widened at the sight of the healed wounds on his side. "Jake…" she murmured as her fingers ghosted over the pink scars. She met his guarded gaze. "These are healed…in only an hour, they're healed…how?"
"Bella…" he began and swallowed thickly. "There are things about me you just won't understand…"
She cocked a brow. "Try me," she challenged.
He looked away and rubbed his eyes with a sigh. "How to explain…" he muttered and she sat up fully, crossing her arms over her chest.
"How about just coming out with it?"
He looked at her dubiously and she ran a hand through her hair. "Look Jake, I've noticed some pretty weird things lately…things I can't explain. Like earlier, when I told you I felt devastated and ashamed…those feelings…god this is hard to explain…but those feelings didn't feel like my own and when I asked you about it, you said you couldn't talk about it just then. And that first day…when you…well, you know…you bit my thigh and left a mark. And now, your wounds that should've taken days to heal are healed in an hour… and you're telling me your leg—your broken leg that you insist isn't broken—will be fine tomorrow?" She studied his pensive expression for a moment. "What's going on Jake?"
He clenched his eyes shut and ran both hands through his hair, tugging on the strands for a moment before blowing out a breath. "Bella," he said before looking her in the eye. "This is going to be very hard to believe, but just hear me out before freaking out, laughing or asking any questions, okay?"
She nodded slowly. "Okaaay," she said with a creased brow. "I'm listening."
He pushed himself up to recline against the headboard and nodded. "There are legends in our tribe that are passed down generation to generation that talk about protectors of the tribe." He met her gaze and she nodded. "These protectors take the form of a wolf." He paused and she took his hand.
"Just tell me Jake," she murmured. "It's okay."
He looked down and nodded. "I'm one of these protectors." He looked into her eyes. "Bella…I can shift into the form of a wolf."
Her breath hitched and she blinked. "A wolf…" she repeated and he gave her a slow nod while watching her. "I'm not going to freak out here Jake, I just…" She shook her head and met his gaze. "You're serious?" He gave a nod. "Okay," she said after a moment. "Tell me the rest."
"We…we heal really quickly, as you noticed, and there's something called imprinting." He laced their fingers together and stared into her eyes. "It's how we know our mates."
"You mean like soul mates?" she asked and he nodded.
"Yeah, something like that. Our imprints are the only one for us—our perfect mate…as soon as eye contact is made with our imprint, we know it…it's like our world revolves around her from that moment on. It's a permanent tie, unbreakable."
Her breath caught and fear shot through her. She just knew this had been to good to be true… "Oh god," she muttered. "Why would you…why would you start something with me if that can happen?! What will happen to me—to us—when you imprint?" Tears filled her eyes and one rolled down her cheek.
"No Bella!" He reached out and pulled her to his chest, running his fingers through her hair as he shushed her. "No sweetheart, that's not gonna happen."
"How do you know? There's no way to know for sure, Jake. You could meet her anytime and…" she asked while wiping at her tears.
"Shh," he cut her off with a smile as he tipped her face up to look in her eyes. "I know because you're my imprint Bella. You're it for me."
She sat up and looked in his eyes. "I am?"
He cupped her cheek. "Yeah, you are."
She frowned and looked down, feeling conflicted. "So, you…" she looked back at him, "you're forced to be with me? Is that what happened? Is that why you're with me? You don't have a choice?" She pulled away and he growled in frustration.
"No Bella." He groaned and dropped his head into his hands. "It's not like that at all. Not for me." He straightened up to see her watching him. "When this first happened to me and I was told all of this, I used to think I'd resent imprinting if it happened to me…" He reached for her, pulling her back into his arms. "I don't resent it Bella. I'm fuckin' grateful for it. To me, it feels like the best gift in the world." He kissed her temple and cupped her cheek while looking into her eyes. "I—I love you already Bella," he murmured and she sucked in a breath as her eyes widened. "I know it's fast," he rushed on, "but it's how I feel. I'm being honest here and I…thought you should know."
She looked down and his heart sank. "Don't worry," he muttered, "you don't have to feel the same, but I hope in time, you will…"
"Jake," she breathed. "I—I know I really like you and I feel…I feel connected to you…" She met his gaze and her lips curved into a smile. "I think I just need time, ya know? Can you give me that?"
He gave her a half smile and a nod. "Yeah, I can do that."
She moved to his side and snuggled into him as he wrapped an arm around her. "So…a wolf, huh?"
"Yep," he said.
She looked up into his face with a grin. "So, when do I get to see that?"
He laughed and tipped her chin up with his fingers. "God, I love you," he said before taking her lips in a kiss.
Smoke curled and hung in the humid, early evening air as Embry leaned back against the wall of the porch. He studied the glowing cherry on the end of his cigarette—his latest rebellion of choice—as his thoughts turned to his brother.
Brother…he still couldn't get over the fact that Sam was his half-brother.
All his life, he'd thought himself an only child and his mother had never told him differently, even though she'd known. He scowled and took another deep drag on the cigarette, blowing out a stream of acrid smoke as he thought about her.
She'd always refused to speak of his father; he hadn't even known the man's name until he'd shifted and surprised everyone. She was Makah and he'd always assumed his father was too, but after his first phase, she'd had to come clean. That's when she'd told him; Joshua Uley was his father.
He scoffed. 'So much for assumptions…' he thought.
He took another deep drag just as the sound of the screen opening caught his attention. Steps approached and he did his best to ignore them but that wasn't in the cards as Jared flopped down next to him. "Got another one of those?"
Wordlessly, he tossed the pack and lighter to the other shifter. "Sam's gonna kick your ass if he sees you smokin'," Jared mumbled while shaking one out. He cupped his hands around the end and lit it, taking a deep drag and blowing it out before glancing over.
Embry simply shrugged.
"You okay man?" Jared asked with a frown.
Embry shot him a dark look. "Just fuckin' peachy." He crushed out the smoke and tossed the butt in a can while Jared shook his head.
"Sam's worried about you."
Embry chuckled ruefully. "Really? He almost kills my best friend and now he's worried about me."
Jared's brow furrowed. "He only did what he had to. He feels bad about it, but he couldn't let a challenge like that go, ya know?"
"No, I don't know!" Embry snapped. "He started the shit with Jake over his imprint. He had no right!" He turned to face Jared, one arm slung around a bent knee. "What's his problem with whites, anyway? You're his best friend, so tell me…what's he got against Jake being with Bella Swan?"
Jared leaned his head back against the wall and dropped his cig in the can before looking over at Embry.
"You know he lost his mother when he was nine, right?"
Embry nodded. "Yeah, I think everyone knows that. She was killed in Seattle and then he grew up with Sue and her family."
"Right, but no one knows the details—well, no one but close family and me, because Sam told me a few years back." He looked out toward the trees. "It's a brutal story man, and not one I can share." He looked back at Embry. "Let's just say Sam has better reasons than most for hating whites, and leave it at that."
Embry shook his head. "Not good enough. Bella Swan's never even met Sam. She's never done anything to him. Just because she's white doesn't make her a bad person, as Sam seems to think. It's not right and I hate to say this, but it makes him just as bad as those who've wronged him."
Jared slammed him against the wall with a fist in his shirt. "Don't you ever say that about him again. You don't know what the fuck you're talking about. He's your brother—your blood—and you don't know what he went through." He shoved once more and let go.
Embry shot Jared a glare, straightened his shirt and lit another cigarette. "Just because he's my brother and the alpha doesn't make him right, especially not about this," he said and blew out a plume of smoke. He narrowed his eyes and pointed at Jared with his cigarette. "You can't judge people by the color of their skin. We, as a people, have put up with so much for the color of ours, we should know that better than most."
Jared sighed and nodded. "I agree with you man, it's just…this is a deep-seated thing with Sam, ya know? It took a horrific event to make him feel the way he does and I'm not sure anything will ever change his views."
After a moment of silence, Embry turned his head to look at Jared. "Jake was going for the Alpha, you know that, right?"
Jared nodded. "Yeah, that much was clear."
Embry leaned his head against the wall and took a deep drag from his cig. "I know him. This isn't over. He won't give up," he muttered.
"Yeah," Jared said with a sigh as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "I know."
~o0o~
Bella laid there, her head resting on Jake's shoulder while her fingers played over his smooth, russet skin.
All was quiet with the exception of their breathing, the sound of his steady heart beat against her ear and the filtered sounds of a ball game coming from the living room.
"I have to go soon," she murmured while gazing out the window at the waning sunlight. "Charlie knows I'm here, but he expects me home before eight."
Jake sighed and tightened his hold around her shoulders for a moment. "I wish you could stay."
She smiled against him. "Me too, but I can't. Kinda have school tomorrow, ya know?" She sat up and looked down at him. "So do you, for that matter. You gonna be able to make it?"
"Psh, yeah, no problem," he said with a smile. "Little thing like this won't keep me down."
She blinked. "Little?! Jake, your leg is broken. How is that little?"
He looked away. "It, uh…wasn't really broken. It'll be fine by tomorrow."
She narrowed her eyes at him and tugged at his chin to get him to look at her. "I was there when Sue said she had to set it, Jake. It's broken." She looked him over and her eyes widened at the sight of the healed wounds on his side. "Jake…" she murmured as her fingers ghosted over the pink scars. She met his guarded gaze. "These are healed…in only an hour, they're healed…how?"
"Bella…" he began and swallowed thickly. "There are things about me you just won't understand…"
She cocked a brow. "Try me," she challenged.
He looked away and rubbed his eyes with a sigh. "How to explain…" he muttered and she sat up fully, crossing her arms over her chest.
"How about just coming out with it?"
He looked at her dubiously and she ran a hand through her hair. "Look Jake, I've noticed some pretty weird things lately…things I can't explain. Like earlier, when I told you I felt devastated and ashamed…those feelings…god this is hard to explain…but those feelings didn't feel like my own and when I asked you about it, you said you couldn't talk about it just then. And that first day…when you…well, you know…you bit my thigh and left a mark. And now, your wounds that should've taken days to heal are healed in an hour… and you're telling me your leg—your broken leg that you insist isn't broken—will be fine tomorrow?" She studied his pensive expression for a moment. "What's going on Jake?"
He clenched his eyes shut and ran both hands through his hair, tugging on the strands for a moment before blowing out a breath. "Bella," he said before looking her in the eye. "This is going to be very hard to believe, but just hear me out before freaking out, laughing or asking any questions, okay?"
She nodded slowly. "Okaaay," she said with a creased brow. "I'm listening."
He pushed himself up to recline against the headboard and nodded. "There are legends in our tribe that are passed down generation to generation that talk about protectors of the tribe." He met her gaze and she nodded. "These protectors take the form of a wolf." He paused and she took his hand.
"Just tell me Jake," she murmured. "It's okay."
He looked down and nodded. "I'm one of these protectors." He looked into her eyes. "Bella…I can shift into the form of a wolf."
Her breath hitched and she blinked. "A wolf…" she repeated and he gave her a slow nod while watching her. "I'm not going to freak out here Jake, I just…" She shook her head and met his gaze. "You're serious?" He gave a nod. "Okay," she said after a moment. "Tell me the rest."
"We…we heal really quickly, as you noticed, and there's something called imprinting." He laced their fingers together and stared into her eyes. "It's how we know our mates."
"You mean like soul mates?" she asked and he nodded.
"Yeah, something like that. Our imprints are the only one for us—our perfect mate…as soon as eye contact is made with our imprint, we know it…it's like our world revolves around her from that moment on. It's a permanent tie, unbreakable."
Her breath caught and fear shot through her. She just knew this had been to good to be true… "Oh god," she muttered. "Why would you…why would you start something with me if that can happen?! What will happen to me—to us—when you imprint?" Tears filled her eyes and one rolled down her cheek.
"No Bella!" He reached out and pulled her to his chest, running his fingers through her hair as he shushed her. "No sweetheart, that's not gonna happen."
"How do you know? There's no way to know for sure, Jake. You could meet her anytime and…" she asked while wiping at her tears.
"Shh," he cut her off with a smile as he tipped her face up to look in her eyes. "I know because you're my imprint Bella. You're it for me."
She sat up and looked in his eyes. "I am?"
He cupped her cheek. "Yeah, you are."
She frowned and looked down, feeling conflicted. "So, you…" she looked back at him, "you're forced to be with me? Is that what happened? Is that why you're with me? You don't have a choice?" She pulled away and he growled in frustration.
"No Bella." He groaned and dropped his head into his hands. "It's not like that at all. Not for me." He straightened up to see her watching him. "When this first happened to me and I was told all of this, I used to think I'd resent imprinting if it happened to me…" He reached for her, pulling her back into his arms. "I don't resent it Bella. I'm fuckin' grateful for it. To me, it feels like the best gift in the world." He kissed her temple and cupped her cheek while looking into her eyes. "I—I love you already Bella," he murmured and she sucked in a breath as her eyes widened. "I know it's fast," he rushed on, "but it's how I feel. I'm being honest here and I…thought you should know."
She looked down and his heart sank. "Don't worry," he muttered, "you don't have to feel the same, but I hope in time, you will…"
"Jake," she breathed. "I—I know I really like you and I feel…I feel connected to you…" She met his gaze and her lips curved into a smile. "I think I just need time, ya know? Can you give me that?"
He gave her a half smile and a nod. "Yeah, I can do that."
She moved to his side and snuggled into him as he wrapped an arm around her. "So…a wolf, huh?"
"Yep," he said.
She looked up into his face with a grin. "So, when do I get to see that?"
He laughed and tipped her chin up with his fingers. "God, I love you," he said before taking her lips in a kiss.
DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended.