Secret Rendezvous

Pairing: Paul/Angela. 

Universe: AU Wolf-centric. 

Rating: MA for adult themes.

Summary: Angela Webber goes for a walk in the woods and meets Paul Lahote, whom she's only known in passing. She's drawn to him, but has no idea why...or what he really is.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except for my imagination...

Banner by Rosalynn.

Angela leaned against the tree, her heart beating rapidly against her chest. She tried to control her breathing to no avail. Looking furtively around the woods, she wondered if someone was out there somewhere…watching her.

A sound, like scuffling, came from the right and she jerked her gaze in that direction. Her eyes searched the foliage over there, but she could see nothing except the still leaves of the bushes.

She waited…listening.

There was not a sound…at least nothing she could hear above the thundering of her heart. Still, she could swear it felt like she was being watched. The skin at the back of her neck prickled.

Swallowing, she pushed away from the tree and continued walking as quickly as she could towards what she hoped was the right place. She had received directions to follow, but she had never been good at them. Then again, how could anyone give good directions when most of the way she had to go was nothing more than foliage typical of the woods surrounding the Forks, Washington area?

She’d never been fond of the woods, it wasn’t that she was a girly-girl, it was just that she was afraid of what might be lurking out there. Granted, the woods were always so green and beautiful when she was looking at them from the safety of her house…or a car, but when on foot inside of them, they were rather scary. She jumped at every sound, nearly screamed at every shadow and always felt like something was watching her.

Someone was watching her.

Maybe it was the result of watching one too many horror movies about the woods or listening to too many scary stories. Her father had warned her about that every time he caught her watching one of those movies with her friends, but she had chosen to ignore it. She wasn’t about to let her friends think of her as a wuss if she didn’t watch it with them.

Despite her lack of a sense of direction, she managed to find the small cabin that was her destination. As she approached it, it became clear that the place was deserted. Even though the cabin looked well-kept, it was a little bare, a little simplistic. It looked as if it was only large enough for one room inside, making her wonder why her friends would choose such a place to meet.

She hesitated before finally opening the door and stepping inside. Looking around, she found her initial thoughts were true. There was only one room to the cabin. Yet it looked comfy enough for one or two people.

A full-size bed sat against the far wall with crates on either side serving as nightstands. To her right was a kitchenette with an old-fashioned stove and refrigerator. The small Formica-topped table with two folding chairs marked that area off from the rest of the room. On the left side of the cabin, a worn rug designated the living area with a couch and two chairs positioned around the wooden coffee table. The walls of the cabin were bare except for a few shelves that were currently empty of any belongings.

It was clear that no one lived here at the moment, but the lack of dust and musty smells told her that someone had, at least, kept the place maintained. She thought maybe whoever it was that chose the cabin as their meeting place had come earlier to make sure the place was clean enough for everyone. However, that didn’t explain why she was currently the only one there.

With a frown, she wondered if she was really in the right place since she was certain she was a little late. Shouldn’t some of the others be here already when the note had said to meet there at twelve-thirty? She looked at her watch and noted she was fourteen minutes late. With a sigh, she decided she really was in the wrong place after all.

At that thought, she heard a noise coming from outside. Moving to the door, she peered out and took in her surroundings. Another noise had her looking towards an area of the woods that was filled with a lot of brush and other foliage. Her breath caught as she saw what she was sure was the shadow of some giant wolf.

It had to be one of those giant wolves everyone was talking about now, not the bear she had once thought it to be the first time she had caught a glimpse of it. Still, no matter what it was, it was terrifying to see. It was larger than anything she had ever seen and within that shadow, she could make out two small pinpoints of light that appeared to glow.

She had the feeling it was looking right at her.

She gasped as the shadow appeared to move. First it seemed to crouch as if trying to make itself smaller, then it shifted forward…towards her.

A scream lodged itself in her throat, but never made it out as a man suddenly stepped out of that shadow. She blinked as her mind tried to reconcile the sudden disappearance of the wolf shadow with the appearance of the man.

What was going on?

The man moved stealthily across the ground, his long strides eating up the distance between them. He made no sound as his hungry gaze remained trained on her, as if she were his prey. The closer he got, the more she could see the glow of his eyes and the small smirk he wore on his face. Something about that look sent chills down her spine as the shadow of the wolf was immediately forgotten.

Then, just like that, recognition set in.

He was one of the Quileute natives that hung out with the group that Jacob Black was a part of. However, Jacob wasn’t scary like this guy was. Angela liked the friendly, affectionate boyfriend of her best friend. In her opinion, Jacob was the perfect guy for someone like Bella Swan.

Yet this guy walking towards her, making no sound at all so that all she could hear was the frantic beating of her heart in her ears, was making her tremble. Just as the realization that he was as naked as the day he was born registered in her mind, his smirk turned into a wolfish grin.

Her eyes widened as she forgot to breathe.

Paul…his name was Paul, she remembered now. He was the one Bella had always complained about. The rude, mean one, she had said. The one that hated the fact that Jacob was in love with Bella.

He looked every bit as menacing and angry as Bella had described him. Even that grin looked malicious coupled with that evil glint in his eyes. Not even the beauty of his unclothed, flawless body could take away from the wickedness she felt emanating from him.

And yet, she couldn’t make herself flee.

All she could do was take feeble steps backwards while he seemed to stalk her. Her hand had risen to her chest, curled into a fist, clutching the area over her rapidly, pounding heart. She was even breathing erratically now, at least until her back hit a wall, making the air catch in her lungs.

Her eyes widened even more and her lips trembled as she stared up at him while he towered over her. He just stood there, so close she could feel the heat of his body and feel his breath against her hair.

She swallowed, even though her throat was dry. Other than that, she was frozen to the spot.

He didn’t make a move, just stood there and ate her up with dark eyes that screamed sinful things at her. She watched as his nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed, as if honing in for the kill. She began trembling again, her lips even more so when she saw his hand moving out of the corner of her eye.

Her heart skipped a few beats when that hand lightly brushed a few wisps of her hair away from her face. The gentleness of his touch was a stark contrast to the harshness of his looks.

His eyes flicked to his hand, watching as he trailed his fingers along the silky, softness of her cheek down to her jaw. He let his fingers continue to her plump lips, tracing the outline of them as his eyes darkened with something she never expected to see in them.

Desire.

Pupils widened. Lips parted. A tongue poked out to moisten them.

She shivered.

His head slowly descended towards hers, making her suddenly panic so that she finally found her voice.

“Y-you shhhould go. O-others are…coming.”

His face stopped a feather’s touch away as he barely shook his head. “No one is…coming,” he said in a guttural tone, “at least no one else but…me…and you.”

“H-how do you…know? I’m s-s-s-supposed to be meeting…friends…”

“I sent the message,” he interrupted.

She gasped. “Y-y-y-you? But…why?”

His fingers brushed over her lips again as he whispered, “Because…I’ve been watching you.”

He closed his eyes for a moment and breathed her in. “I’m…drawn to you. And I’ve given up…resisting.”

As he opened his eyes and looked down at her, a mischievous twinkle matched the lopsided grin he now sported.

“And you, my dear,” he murmured, his sinuous words caressing her body, “are so good…so pure…so…tempting to a bad, flawed man like me.”

His tongue snaked out to slowly wet his lips again and this time, her eyes followed the movement. She couldn’t help it. The sound of his low, husky voice, the gentle way that he touched her and the way that his eyes told her what he wanted to do to her, made her feel…naughty. She suddenly wanted to be bad, to throw caution to the wind and let him have his wicked way with her.

Not even her ex, Ben, had made her feel like this. Her whole body was still trembling, but in a good way. She could feel her skin tingling where his fingers had touched her, while her heart felt like it was trying to hammer its way out of her heaving chest. She was on sensory overload and he had barely even done a thing to her.

Still, her mind knew better. She knew she was supposed to resist the temptation of what he was offering her. She knew it and yet she made no move when he lowered his lips to hers.

Just like the predatory nature he exuded, his lips captured hers unmercifully. As his rough hands cupped her face, holding her immobile, he deepened the kiss, his mouth moving like he was some hungry savage feeding from the bounty that was her mouth. Her fingers instinctively curled against the warm pectorals that rippled beneath the taunt skin of his chest, trying to find something to hold on to.

She was helpless as his tongue swept over her soft lips, then plunged into her mouth when she unwittingly parted them for him.

He devoured her.

The intensity of his movements so fierce and pervasive that she couldn’t defend against them. In fact, it wasn’t until he pulled back slightly for a breath that she found her own will again. Acting quickly, she slipped out of his hold and made a break for the door, trying to escape the provocative being that was Paul.

Unfortunately, luck wasn’t with her as he easily inserted his body between hers and the door that was still a few feet away. He was too fast, too agile for her to comprehend as she tried to stop her forward momentum and only barely managed to keep from slamming into his bare body.

His hands curled around her arms and roughly pulled her into him until her chest was flush with his. His dark eyes held her captive as he once more lowered his lips to hers.

“Please,” she whispered, “you have to let me go.”

“No,” he breathed harshly, “I…can’t.”

“Don’t do this…please!” she tried to appeal to his conscious, if he had one. “I don’t want…”

“Yes…you do,” he interrupted with a growl, “I can smell how much you want this. Your body is telling me you want me.”

He paused as he took another deep breath before adding, “And baby, you smell good enough to eat.”

Shivering in response, she knew he was telling the truth. Her body was sinfully betraying her and nothing she could say could dispute that fact. To back up his words, he ran his thumb over the thin cloth of her dress, right over her nipple where it puckered up instantly as if it was reaching out for more of his touch.

He gave her his wolfish smile as his thumb continued to caress her hardening peak, daring her to defy his words.

She didn’t.

When she opened her mouth, only a quiet moan emerged making his grin widen. He wrapped one arm around her, keeping her attached to him as he cupped her pert mound in his hand. Lowering his head, he once more engulfed her mouth with his. This time, he wasn’t quite as gentle.

This time, he was more rough as if he were trying to stake his claim. His mouth, his hands gave her the impression that he was being territorial. It was as if he were leaving his mark on her skin.

Keeping her mouth busy with his, he lowered his hands to her thighs. Grasping fistfuls of dress, he lifted it up and over her head in one swift movement before attaching his mouth to her neck and sucking hard. The dress, now of little importance, was tossed carelessly somewhere in the cabin, then his hands were on her waist as his tongue lavished affection over the marks he had left on her neck.

Unable to resist the pull of him, one of her arms went around his shoulders while the other hand buried itself in his short, thick hair. She tilted her head back as his teeth and tongue made their way from her neck down to her collarbone. As he bit and sucked her skin there, he made short work of her white, cotton bra.

Lifting his head as he tossed the bra, he grinned at her. “Tell me Angela, are you as pure as the color you wear?”

“No,” she panted, “I’m not that…innocent.”

His eyebrow lifted. “Really?”

She nodded her head.

He chuckled low, “We shall see.”

Keeping his gaze locked with hers, he lowered his head and opened his mouth. Using his hands to bend her back slightly, he never once looked away as he took one creamy, ripe swell into his mouth. As his tongue swirled around the pebbled tip, he lifted her up by her thighs and walked the few paces to the bed.

Angela’s arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders and head, holding him to her body as he continued to suckle and lick her swollen flesh. Her mind was tumultuous, trying to revolt against what was happening, but her body refused to cooperate. Then, when his teeth bit her hardened peak she cried out as liquid warmth seeped from between her legs.

Paul dropped her on her back with a growl as the scent of her arousal reached his nose. He leaned over her and narrowed his eyes at her.

“Tell me again that you don’t want this,” he growled.

Her chest heaved as her mind screamed at her to say no, yet she answered him with, “I…can’t.”

A low, throaty laugh preceded his haughty words, “I thought so.”

Then his fingers curled seductively around the sides of her tiny, white cotton panties before sliding them sinuously down her legs. Just like the rest of her clothing, it was tossed without a care so that he could concentrate on what he wanted to do.

She was now spread out on her back, her body displayed for his pleasure. She swallowed as his eyes darkened and he licked his lips, looking at her as if she were to be the feast of his lifetime.

He grabbed her ankles and yanked her towards him until her ass was at the very edge of the bed. Then, keeping her ankles in his hands, he pushed her legs back towards her body, making her bend her knees. This position left her completely exposed and at his mercy.

Without any warning at all, he dropped to his own knees and lowered his head to take her into his mouth. His tongue immediately thrust out to lap at the moistness that already dripped from her center. She shrieked as she felt his mouth greedily drinking his fill.

She hadn’t lied to him about not being innocent, yet no one had ever attacked her like this. He was relentless in his enjoyment of the wetness between her legs, pushing his tongue inside of her to coax out more of her juices, then coating her folds with it even as he rubbed against the hard nub that made her writhe uncontrollably.

Her thighs were shaking so badly by the time he sucked her nub into his mouth as he ruthlessly shoved two fingers inside of her. That was all it took for her to let loose a shrill scream as her body convulsed around him.

He didn’t even let her come down from that high as he stood up, grabbed her wrists and yanked her to her feet. She blinked up at him in a daze before he turned her around, then bent her over until her hands were on the bed. Lifting one of her legs, he bent it so that her knee rested on the edge of the bed thus exposing her dripping core to him.

She gasped as she felt his fingers caressing her there, knowing he was making sure she was ready for him. Fear suddenly gripped her insides as she looked at him over her shoulder.

“Paul…I’ve never…”

He tsked. “You said you weren’t innocent.”

“I’m not! This is just…new.”

Paul chuckled. He knew she was telling him she had never tried this position before.

“Well then, trust me, you’ll learn to love it.”

She was going to protest once more, but he was too fast for her. Grabbing her hips, he plunged deep into her until he was buried to the hilt. Another scream fell from her lips as she fisted the comforter in her hands and tears formed in her eyes, yet she didn’t try to move away from him.

Instead, she closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip trying not to let another moan escape. She knew she couldn’t escape him and now she didn’t really want to. Not when he made her feel this way, not when she secretly liked it.

But she wasn’t ready to let him know that.

Paul waited a few moments for her body to get used to his invasion, then with just the pressure of his hands on her hips, he let her know their rendezvous was about to get serious. That was the only warning she had before he was pulling himself almost all the way out, then slamming back inside of her just as quickly.

Angela couldn’t do anything else but hold on as he repeatedly pounded into her, but each successive push made her arms weaken until she was falling forward on her face. Still, she welcomed the feel of the comforter in her mouth as it muffled the screams now emitting from her every time Paul buried himself deep inside of her. She briefly wondered if he was trying to split her open and then she was lost in a sea of pleasurable pain as he marked her insides with his manhood.

Finally she reached the point of no return when she heard his growl behind her.

“Come on baby, come for me! I want to feel your body explode all around me!”

It was as if his words were the trigger she needed because with his next plunge into her, she came with a blinding, dizzying burst of ecstasy. It was so intense that it made her feel like she was shattering into a million pieces and as those pieces flew into the air, she could feel his eruption flooding her insides.

Then those pieces began to fall, fading into darkness while she heard, as if from a distance, a long, uninhibited howl.

And then…there was nothing.

*******************************************

Angela woke up, hours later as the waning sunlight filtered into the small cabin. She sat up with a start when the memories of what had happened began to filter into her sluggish mind. As she looked around to find that she was all alone, she noticed that he must have laid her in the bed and covered her with the comforter because she had no recollection of laying down herself. He had even gathered her clothes and placed them in a pile at the foot of the bed.

As the images of their tryst continued to play in her head, she slowly got up and began to dress. Now that he was gone, her sensible mind began to take over again. She began to feel ashamed, tainted with what she had allowed to happen.

There was no other way to say it, no other excuse. She had allowed it to happen. She had given in to his seduction and she knew it. And now that he had gotten what he had wanted, he was gone.

Her sight began to blur as she finished putting on her clothes, but she ignored the tears and made her way out of the cabin. She knew better than to think that they would ever meet like that again. She knew Paul wasn’t the type of guy who liked having a woman more than once. After all, wasn’t that usually the reputation of men like him.

Their wayward souls were not meant to be tied down to anyone. He was the perfect epitome of a lone wolf.

She reached the edge of the woods and looked back at the cabin one last time. As she continued to fight back the tears, she told herself at least she would always have the memory of the day she had let her inhibitions go and allowed herself to be a little naughty.

At least now, she could say she wasn’t such a good little girl anymore.

****************************************

“Are you all right Angela? You seem a little distant,” Bella asked, her voice was on the quiet side so as not to spook her best friend.

The two of them were sitting outside of the general store in La Push where they had stopped for a drink before they headed to the beach for the day. Bella had called her earlier that morning and asked if she wanted to hang out today because Jacob was going to be busy and Bella didn’t want to spend the day cooped up in her house.

Not wanting to sit at home dwelling on the memories of the day before, Angela had agreed to go, forgetting that she and Bella tended to have a lot of comfortable silences when they were together. While the two of them had talked amicably on the way to La Push, they had grown quiet inside the store and now were sitting quietly outside at one of the picnic tables there. Unfortunately, that meant her mind wandered back to the day before.

She gave Bella what she hoped was a genuine smile as she shook her head. “Nothing’s wrong.”

Bella looked at her for a moment before nodding her head. She knew better than to push the issue. Angela would talk when she wanted to. She was the same way as her.

Angela tried not to feel guilty for shutting her best friend out, but before it could really bother her, Bella turned to look in the distance, then suddenly her face lit up in a huge smile.

“Jacob!” she exclaimed, her voice full of happiness.

Angela watched as Bella jumped up and skipped into Jacob’s open arms, but diverted her eyes quickly when she noticed who else had arrived with him. Pretending to be busy with her purse, she refused to look in Paul’s direction thinking he wouldn’t acknowledge her in any way. After all, no one but the two of them knew about the day before.

She was still rummaging through her purse as Jared sat down across from her and Embry started to sit down next to her, while Jacob and Bella were still wrapped up in each other. However, before Embry’s bottom could connect with the seat, a loud growl emitted from Paul.

As one, all heads turned in Paul’s direction to find him glaring with narrowed eyes at Embry. Embry noticed those eyes flick towards Angela for a moment before looking back at him again. He had seen that look plenty of times on the faces of the wolves who had a significant other. He knew what that meant. Throwing his hands up in surrender, he quickly got up and went to sit next to Jared.

Paul took the now vacated seat next to Angela while she looked down at the table and fought the blush that she could feel stealing across her face. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jacob and Bella giving each other puzzled looks even as Jared and Embry were gaping at Paul. Something told her that all of them knew some kind of private information that she wasn’t privy to.

Then, when Paul threw his arm around her shoulders, everyone went so still and silent that she could swear she could hear a pin drop. That made her think that she was right…they knew something that she didn’t. Still, Paul’s arm around her shoulders made the heat in her cheeks seem to get more unbearable until she heard his voice which was, to her shock, full of concern.

“How are you doing today, Angie?”

She blinked as she realized what he was really asking. It made her look up at him where she could now see the genuine worry in his eyes. It caught her off guard because it looked almost out of place on a man like him. Still, she knew she couldn’t lie.

Smiling shyly, she answered with a soft, “I’m fine.”

Paul continued to ignore the curious looks they were now getting from their rapt audience as his eyes flicked over hers, as if making sure she wasn’t lying to him. Then, he gave her his wolfish grin as he leaned over to whisper words into her ear that made her think that maybe, just maybe, she wouldn’t be left out of the loop for long.

“Good,” he said, “because tonight, I’m coming…for you.”

THE END

The Climb

Pairing: Embry/OC (Sela). 

Universe: AU Wolf-centric. 

Rating: M for non-explicit adult themes and coarse language.

Summary: Embry decides it's time to tell his long-time girlfriend the truth about himself.

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to SM...I'm just having some fun, but I promise I'll return them!

Banner by Rosalynn.

“Come on, Sela, you can do it…it’s only a couple of more miles,” Embry said, trying to encourage her to finish their journey up the mountain together.

She took the hand he offered, letting him pull her up to the next section of rocks they had made it to. She grunted with the effort, vaguely wishing she could climb the mountain just as effortlessly as he seemed to. She tried not to be jealous of the way he hadn’t even seemed to be sweating or breathing hard. It was like he hadn’t even climbed anything for the last hour!

He let go of her hand and gave her a smile. “We’re making good time.”

She huffed, then blew a strand of hair out of her perspiring face. “Says the guy who isn’t even having trouble breathing! I swear the air up here is thin…how come you don’t feel it?”

He arched an eyebrow at her. “Who says I don’t feel it?”

She gave a sarcastic laugh. “I don’t hear you breathing hard like I am! My chest feels like it’s gonna explode.”

He gave her a leering grin as he stared at her chest. “Mm…and what a great chest it is.”

Then he looked at her narrowed eyes and blushed. “Um, sorry, did I say that out loud?”

She couldn’t help but laugh at his boyish bashfulness even though they should have been way beyond being embarrassed with each other. Then again, that’s one of the things she loved about her boyfriend…his ability to switch between the sweet, bashful boy to the passionate, wild man he was when they were alone.

“Yes you did…but I forgive you…wait…I’ll forgive you if you give me a kiss!”

His grin returned as he pulled her to him and did what she asked. Her arms went around his shoulders as his wrapped tightly around her middle. She always loved the way he seemed to engulf her whole. He was one of the few guys who could do it because she was so tall and sturdily built as a result of being a beach volleyball player since she had been little. She could even wear heels with him if she wanted, although she often didn’t because she felt a little too unsteady on them.

She sighed into his mouth as he deepened the kiss, parting her lips to allow his tongue to invade her mouth where he made sweeping motions against her tongue as if trying to seduce it out of her. She could feel his fingers digging into her back, keeping her pinned to him as his mouth continued to dominate hers. Her hands tangled into his dark, brown hair as he bent her slightly back while pulling her pelvis closer to his.

He was clearly letting her know just how aroused he was and she loved it. She loved that when they were together like this, he wasn’t afraid to show her how much he wanted her. Most of all, she loved that beneath that shy exterior he always showed to the world lay a very dominating, sexy beast that made her crave him even more.

At first, she had been surprised to discover just how dominating he could be. Granted, she hadn’t been turned off by it…it had just taken her by surprise because she had been so used to seeing him as the sweet-natured guy he always seemed to be around his friends. She knew upon meeting Paul, that he was clearly one of the dominating assholes that usually turned her off. And Jacob seemed to have a trace of that dominating personality, although it only seemed to appear most when his fiancée, Bella, was around or when his friends seemed to get out of hand.

None of the others had seemed to have that dominating personality, not even Sam, who seemed to be the respected leader of their little clique of friends. She had no idea how she had come to that conclusion, but there it was. Something about the way they all seemed to listen to what Sam said when Jacob wasn’t there. Still, when Embry had shown her his dominating side, it had been one night when she’d been in his bed…and it had sent a thrill through her.

In fact, she had encouraged him after that, letting him know she was definitely okay with it if he ever wanted to act like that again. Suffice it to say, it was a definite turn-on when Embry’s eyes got dark the way they did and he tilted his head slightly down as if he were stalking her. The smile that appeared on his face when he was in his element…it sent chills up her spine in a very good way and made her imagine he was a wolf intent on its prey.

Yeah, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. That’s how she liked to describe him. He had definitely fooled her into thinking he was a demure, bashful gentleman.

Not that he wasn’t from time to time, but his other side definitely had its benefits.

When he finally let go of her mouth and set her back on her feet, she suddenly realized maybe it wasn’t a good idea to have encouraged him. It seemed her lungs were fighting even harder now to draw air into them. She was glad he didn’t immediately let her go as she continued to try to breathe and find her balance again.

His eyes grew worried as he looked at her. “You okay? Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.”

She shook her head as she took another deep breath then let it out slowly. “No…it’s okay…I forgot just how powerful your kisses tend to be.”

Again he blushed. “Um…okay.”

This time she couldn’t help but chuckle. “Seriously, Em, you have got to stop doing that? We’ve been together how long now? And you still blush every time I talk about how you kiss me or how you…”

He held up his hand, “Let’s not go there right now, okay? We’re on the side of a mountain…and if you keep talking like that…yeah, let’s just say…I may not wait until we get the tent set up.”

She grinned and said in her best sultry voice, “Is that a promise?”

He sighed and closed his eyes, looking seriously pained. “I swear you are gonna kill me, Sel!”

Pouting, she finally conceded to behaving. “Okay, okay. I’ll behave. At least until we finish climbing this godforsaken mountain. After this though, I’m never climbing one again!”

He opened his eyes and began walking ahead of her again. “And you call yourself an athlete!”

She scowled as she followed him up the imaginary trail he was creating for her. “I’m a beach volleyball player…not a mountain climber. Totally different if you ask me!”

He turned back to give her a wink in understanding before continuing up the mountainside.

As they made the rest of their trek, Embry thought about their destination. He knew the spot he wanted to take her to. It was the same spot Jacob had once taken Bella to when they had been hiding her from the newborn vampire army. It was there that she had made the decision to leave Edward for Jacob whom she was now happily engaged to. It was also the spot where Sam and Emily had conceived their first born and where Leah’s fiancé had proposed to her.

Yeah, that spot had brought a lot of good luck to so many of those he knew, so he was hoping it would help him out with what he was about to do. He and Sela had been together for over a year now and he knew it was high time he came clean with her. Especially since he knew their relationship had just taken a more serious turn when she had announced that she was relocating to Seattle to join the beach volleyball team there, while also teaching volleyball and beach volleyball at one of the local gyms too.

Without even saying so, he knew she was doing it to be closer to him. After all, she’d been living in sunny San Diego, California for several years before they’d met by chance one night in Seattle. He had gone for a weekend with Jacob, Bella and Quil so Bella could visit her friend, Angela at college and met Sela one night when they had all gone out to a local dance club. Suffice it to say, Sela had taken one look at him and decided she wanted to get to know him much better despite the fact that Quil had been the one hitting on her.

Once he had begun opening up to her, with Quil’s help, they had exchanged phone numbers and emails and had begun a long distance relationship. He was still amazed that after all of that, she’d been interested in dating him but had resigned himself to it when she told him point blank that she liked him and there wasn’t anything he could do about it. Needless to say, he liked her too…although that had quickly changed to love the more time he had spent with her.

And then when she had made love to him…and blown his mind…yeah, there really was no looking back for him. He thanked his lucky stars that she hadn’t run from him after their first time and had only seemed to encourage him to come out of his shell even more.

Bella had said it best… “She’s perfect for you Em! The complete opposite of you! Bold and outgoing and she brings out the other side of you. The funny, confident and sociable guy we always knew was in there!”

He knew she was right. With Sela he was a lot more open and sociable. He was also a lot less timid when they were alone. There was something about her that brought out the wolf side of him…it was something he’d never thought would happen. At least not the way he’d seen it through both Paul and Jacob’s eyes.

Maybe it was true what they said…it was always the quiet ones.

Thankfully neither one of them was quiet when it came to their lovemaking. And the rest of the guys had long since stopped teasing him about it…especially since Jacob and Bella tended to give all of the other couples a run for their money. Still, Embry couldn’t help but feel pride over the fact that Sela was the perfect fit for someone like him…and she had chosen him.

Just like he had chosen her.

That last part was very true for him and it made him happy that he didn’t have to worry about imprinting on anyone else. After Bella had chosen Jacob and it was discovered that there was a way to prevent imprinting from happening, Embry had jumped at the chance to make sure it wouldn’t happen to him. He didn’t want anything taking him away from Sela…except Sela herself.

That was the only thing he had to worry about now, as they approached the place where they were going to camp for the night. Once they had the camp set up, he was going to sit her down and open himself up to her…tell her the entire truth about him and the rest of the wolf pack. Jacob had given him the all-clear on that over a week ago even though it had taken him this long to work up the courage to do this with her.

He knew it was time. She was moving closer to him, which meant she wanted their relationship to move to the next level and he knew in order for that to happen, he had to tell her the truth. He was in love with her and wanted to have a life with her…a future with her…but it would be up to her in the end. Depending on how she took the revelation, he would find out if they really were meant to be.

Embry stepped onto an outcropping and smiled as the sight came into view. Turning back, he held out a hand to Sela and helped her up the last few steps. As she stood next to him, he motioned with his hand.

“Well, this is it. This is where we are setting up the tent.”

Sela smiled as she took in the beauty of the moss-covered ground amidst the evergreen trees and rocky boulders. It was a nice, secluded area that looked like it would provide some shelter from some of the harsher elements that could crop up. Then again, she knew Embry’s body heat would help keep her warm should she need it.

She stepped into the small clearing with a sigh. “It’s lovely Embry! A perfect spot to pitch a tent! How did you know about this place?”

He shrugged. “The guys and I have been up here camping a few times. It’s always been a favorite place of ours to get away from it all.”

Okay, so he was stretching the truth a little bit. He’d only been up here before in the minds of Jacob, Seth, Sam and Leah but that wasn’t really important at the moment. What was important was that it was a perfect spot to pitch a tent and it was a perfect spot to be away from sharp ears and eyes. He only hoped what he was going to share with Sela didn’t send her hurling over the side of the mountain to her death. He was counting on her to be as strong as she seemed to be when he revealed his other side to her.

Please be strong, he silently begged. Please don’t freak out over me being a freak of nature.

Sela sighed as she moved into the lovely space and clapped her hands together. “Okay, well, shall we set up the tent now?”

Embry nodded. “Yeah, let’s get the tent done, then I’ll collect some kindling to get a fire going.”

“Sounds like a plan,” she replied as Embry walked to the spot where he was going to set up the tent and dropped the tent bag down.

Sela dropped her backpack against a nearby boulder then went to help Embry put up the tent. It took them no time at all to get it done, since Sela was already used to camping and Embry was just efficient due to his wolf nature. Once the tent was done, Embry went to gather the kindling for the fire while Sela set up the sleeping bags and the rest of their belongings inside of the tent. Then they both worked together making the fire pit and building up the fire to their liking.

Once they had made their dinner and ate it, they simply sat curled up together in front of the fire watching the sun go down over the trees.

Sela sighed. “This really is nice.”

Embry buried his nose in her blonde hair and breathed in her natural scent of citrus and ocean. “Yeah, it is,” he replied with a sigh of his own.

“I’m glad you thought of this, Em, it’s been a while since we could really just be alone together, you know?”

“Mm hm,” came his muffled answer into her hair.

He was trying to get the courage to talk to her now. To tell her the truth about him. He swallowed and held her a little tighter, the fear of losing her once he revealed his true self to her eating away at his insides. He lifted his head and stared into the fire, trying to collect his thoughts.

Finally, he looked down at the top of her head and opened his mouth…but nothing came out. Closing his mouth, he once again tried to gather his courage then opened his mouth to speak when he was ready.

Still nothing.

Several times he did this…open mouth, close it, roll eyes, open, close, silent pep talk, open, close, clench jaw, open…

“You okay, Em?” Sela’s voice interrupted his feeble attempts. “You’re awfully quiet.”

He blinked. “Um, yeah, I’m fine.”

She heard the squeak in his voice…the nervousness. Now that was unusual. Sitting up, she turned to look at him, taking in the way his eyes shifted from side to side. Yep, he was nervous.

“Embry? What is it?”

His gaze finally met hers and she could tell whatever was on his mind was something serious. Oh oh…she really hoped he wasn’t going to try to talk her out of moving to Seattle…his previous reactions when she’d told him of her plans hadn’t been enthusiastic, making her wonder if he wasn’t into their relationship as much as she was.

She really hoped she hadn’t been reading him wrong after all of this time. She thought they seemed to hit it off really well. They had a lot in common. Both of them came from single family homes and were the only child in that family. He had his mom, she had her dad, which explained why she was into sports…her dad had wanted a little boy. They both loved the outdoors, hers was the beach and his was the woods. They were both athletic, had a need for speed and were extremely loyal to their friends.

They seemed to always have a good time when they were together, no matter if they were alone or with others. She actually liked his friends and Embry seemed to like hers even though her group wasn’t as big as his. She only had three others she hung out with…Debbie, Nina, and her best friend, Kerri while Embry had over seven people whom he considered close friends. The pack, as Leah liked to refer to their group of friends as.

Sela had to agree though…that was an apt description. Once she had met them all and then got to see the group all together in La Push…they certainly seemed to travel and act like a pack. She remembered watching a documentary about wolf packs on television once and it had left an impression…yeah, that’s what they reminded her of. The way they all seemed to move together and how they behaved with one another, even the women fit in with the guys and that image.

She actually thought is was a cool image to have though and was sometimes envious at how well the group dynamics flowed within it. It actually made her jealous sometimes, that her small group of four friends didn’t seem as tightly-knit and natural as Embry’s did. However, she loved the way his group had welcomed her with open arms and included her in lots of their activities.

In the past, she had never really gotten along with her boyfriend’s friends or their significant others. Yet Embry’s friends had been very friendly, even the asshole Paul had been welcoming in his own way. He wasn’t really an asshole, he just had a personality that gave that first impression. But once you got to know him, he was funny, friendly and rather loyal to a fault.

And the women, were even more friendly and often invited her to the get-togethers they had without the guys tagging along. She had thought for sure none of them would like her, but she had gotten close to Leah, who was just as athletic as she was as well as a few of the others. She even got along really well with Emily, who was the older sister Sela had always wanted and with Bella, the friendly, funny woman whom everyone claimed was a much better person since she had started dating Jacob.

Still, just because it seemed like she had fit in well with Embry and his life didn’t mean that was how he felt. She really hoped this wasn’t anything bad.

“Em?”

He took a deep breath and let it out. “There’s something I have to talk to you about, Sel, something serious. Um, I’ve been waiting for the right time to tell you and ever since you’ve told me that you’re moving to Seattle…well, I’ve been trying to work up the nerve to do this.”

She gave a nervous chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. “Wow, it does sound serious!”

Embry wished he could chuckle and tell her it wasn’t anything bad, but he was terrified that she would find it worse than that. What normal woman, especially one like her, wouldn’t find the fact that their boyfriend turned into a wolf at will as something to run screaming from?

He started silently praying again.

“Embry?” She reached out to take his hand in hers for encouragement. “Just say it baby…whatever it is just tell me.”

He glanced down at their entwined hands for a few moments before he finally looked up and just blurted it out. “I can turn into a wolf.”

Sela blinked at him before sitting back in confusion. “Um, what?”

He jumped to his feet and began pacing as he launched into his explanation. “I can turn into a wolf…not like a werewolf, but a real wolf. It’s actually called shape-shifting among the Native American tribe stories…but yeah…that’s what I do. Some of the guys who are my friends, they do it too and…and Leah…and all of their significant others know what they are and so does the tribal council…and some of our parents. I mean, my mom doesn’t know…but that was my choice…and there’s only supposed to be a select few who know this secret…and well, I got permission from Jacob and…and now you know too.”

He stopped rambling and pacing as he finished, turning to her as he said the last part so she would know that he had finished making his announcement. He simply stood there staring at her with his heart beating rapidly in his chest while he willed himself to keep breathing or he’d pass out from holding his breath waiting for her acceptance.

At first Sela didn’t say anything. She was trying to process everything he had said because his words had all seemed to fly rapidly out of his mouth when he had said them. Still, she was getting the gist of it all. He was a wolf shape-shifter…like his friends…and somehow only a few other people knew about this…but not his mother…and now her.

Wait, back up…you’re a what?

“I’m a wolf,” repeated Embry and Sela realized she’d said that last part out loud.

She gaped at him. “Are you out of your mind!?!”

He winced at her rising voice. “Sel…”

Now she was on her feet. “Oh no you don’t Embry Call! You don’t get to stand here and tell me an outrageous story like that when I can clearly see you’ve got something serious to tell me! Don’t you dare try to hide behind a ridiculous story! This isn’t the time to be joking around!”

She was the one pacing now, motioning with her hands for emphasis and pointing at him when she said his name or the word ‘you’.

Embry just stood there watching her, a look of pleading on his face. “Sela, I’m not joking around! It’s the truth! I really do turn into a wolf…a grey wolf.”

She turned to gape at him. “Wow, you even have a color for the wolf! You should be a writer…what an imagination!”

“Sela! Please! I can show you!”

She went silent. She thought for sure he would have either backed down or started laughing by now. Instead, he stood there still giving her that pleading look and she knew this wasn’t a joke. Okay, so either he was demented or…

She swallowed. “You…you can show me?”

He nodded.

“Embry…are you saying you can really turn into a grey wolf and you are willing to do that right now…right here in front of me.”

“Yes. I can do it…if it will help you believe me…that I’m telling the truth…I can phase into a wolf right now.”

Oh boy, he knew better than to say something like that to her. He should know her well enough to know she’d call him out on it. And call him out she did.

“Fine then, prove it, Embry! Show me that you can turn into a grey wolf!” She smiled to herself, knowing that she had him now.

At this point, if he kept on acting all serious…she was going to find a way to get him to call off the camping trip, head back home and then she was reporting him to a mental institution.

A grey wolf…seriously?

Embry began backing up from her, motioning for her as he did. “You should back up some. It’s safer if you’re far away from me because my wolf is um, rather large.”

She rolled her eyes as she took a few steps backwards, good grief. “Rather large? Okay, I’ll bite, just how large is your wolf?”

He stopped moving and looked her straight in the eyes. “As tall as a horse…and larger than a bear.”

Sela scoffed. “Not exactly a wolf then, is it?”

He sighed. “Sela…I know you don’t believe me…but just…you’ll see.”

She just folded her arms over her chest and gave him a droll stare. “Yeah, yeah…just get on with it Em.”

Embry nodded as he took a couple of more steps backwards. He knew she didn’t believe him yet. He knew she was calling him out, thinking he was probably going insane since he wasn’t joking or laughing about it. At least she was being brave about it though. He just hoped she continued to be that brave once she saw his wolf.

Sela continued to look at Embry with the same droll stare as he came to a stop and stood there looking at her. Then he began to undress.

She couldn’t help but give him a cocky grin as she watched. “You have to get naked for this?”

He nodded. “Yeah, our clothes don’t phase with us.”

“Hmph, how…unfortunate.”

Embry swallowed. She was still staring at him with one eyebrow raised, obviously trying to see just how far he was going to take this. If it wasn’t so serious, he’d have enjoyed the way she was trying not to ogle him.

Sela couldn’t believe he was going that far. He was really taking all of his clothes off. Now she was beginning to think this really was a joke, an excuse for him to get naked and then jump her. Was this some kind of kinky fantasy of his? Him the big bad wolf and her his…dinner?

Once Embry shed the last of his clothing, he straightened up and locked gazes with her. For one moment he was standing there looking at her and the next…the next moment she was looking at one of the largest grey wolves she had ever seen.

Her mouth fell open.

That was her only reaction as her mind tried to understand what it was she was seeing. The wolf was huge! It was definitely as tall as a horse and as big as a full grown grizzly bear. Yet, no matter how monstrous it was, there was no mistaking it for a wolf. It had the same characteristics of the wolves she remembered seeing on that documentary. The long muzzle, the triangular ears and the overall powerfully built body.

Its fur was different shades of grey in certain areas, the lightest being around its eyes and snout, making it look like it was wearing a mask. The darkest grey was around the outer edges of its ears while its back had the next darkest shade of grey dispersed throughout it.

The wolf simply stood there, its golden brown eyes looking straight into hers. And then it suddenly occurred to her that while she was standing straight up, that wolf had to lower its head a little to be able to look into her eyes. Oh yeah, it was…

She began shaking her head in denial. “No, no, no, no, no…”

Suddenly Embry was there again, wrapping his arms around her and trying to calm her down. “Sel, it’s okay. I’m here now.”

She shoved at him, ignoring the fact that he was still naked. “Get away from me! Just stay away!”

Her eyes flicked from one side to the next, trying to find somewhere she could run to get away from him. Unfortunately they were in the middle of nowhere, up on a mountain, so the only place she could go was into the tent…or over the side of that mountain. Luckily, she was coherent enough to know if she went over the mountain, she was as good as dead.

She glanced at him a split second before she made a mad dash for the tent. Scrambling inside, she quickly zipped up the entrance and then sat in the middle of the tent hugging herself as she stared at the flap waiting to see if he followed her in.

If what you saw is real, all it has to do is rip the tent apart, said the little voice inside her head.

She began shaking her head in denial again.

Embry quickly put on his jeans and went to kneel in front of the tent, thankful that she hadn’t hurled herself over the side of the mountain. Still, he wondered if this was just the beginning of the end. Things just didn’t look so good right now.

He spoke in a voice he hoped conveyed all of the fear and pleading he needed to keep her at his side. “Sela? Honey, I won’t hurt you. I need you to believe me when I say that. I just…I just hope that this won’t scare you away…but I thought it was time to tell you this…if…if our relationship was to get more serious, you had to know the truth about me.”

Sela stared at Embry’s shadow through the tent. She could hear the softness in his voice...the underlying fear.

Embry waited for a few minutes, but when she didn’t say anything, he spoke again.

“Sela…please! Talk to me, honey. I want you to see…I’m still me.”

His voice brought tears to her eyes. He sounded so sad, so desperate. She knew she had to say something.

“Just…just give me a minute…Embry. I just need to…to calm down.”

He sighed. “Okay, I’ll just be out here, by the fire. When you’re ready to talk, just come out here.”

“O…okay,” she replied, letting him know she had heard him.

She watched as his shadow moved away from the tent and she knew he was doing as he said. He’d wait for her by the fire. She took a deep breath and let it out, trying to will herself into a rational state of mind. She had to think this through.

So, her boyfriend could turn into a grey wolf. A really, really large jaw-snapping, fear-inducing, grey-freaking-wolf. And from what he said, apparently the rest of his friends could too. Well, that explained why they all seemed to travel in a pack as Leah had described them. Oh shit! Didn’t Embry say Leah was one too?

Well now it all made sense! That’s why Leah kept saying ‘the pack’ in such a sarcastic tone. They really were a pack of wolves! But not all of Embry’s friends were wolves. If that was true, she began to wonder just who was and who wasn’t.

She began going through them in her mind. Sam must be one…and Jacob. Those two were often the ones everyone else deferred to like they were the leader…or alpha as the head of a real wolf pack was called. Hm, was there an alpha of Embry’s pack? What about an omega? She couldn’t really imagine one of Embry’s friends as that…maybe Seth…or Quil. She knew Seth was the youngest, but they usually picked on Quil.

Still, she didn’t think they would do something like that. So, who were the wolves? And who were the ones who knew about them being wolves? She couldn’t picture someone like Emily or Bella being a wolf….come to think of it, she really couldn’t picture Seth being one either. Maybe it was just because he was such a sweet guy, but if Leah was one, then it made sense.

Wow, was it a family thing? And just how did they become wolves in the first place? Were they born that way?

She made a face as she imagined Embry being born as a wolf pup. Yeah, not so much.

The more she sat there thinking through it, the more curious she became. She suddenly wanted to know about the history of it all, to know just how and why Embry was the way he was. She wanted to know about all of the other wolves and she wanted to know just how everyone managed to live their lives with such a big secret.

More and more questions piled up in her brain until she thought she’d go crazy if she didn’t get answers. Finally, unable to stand it, she unzipped the tent flap and scrambled out of it to see Embry sitting, looking dejected near the fire. Without hesitation, she marched right up to him and blurted out what was at the forefront of her mind.

“How did you become a wolf? Which of your friends are wolves? How did the others who aren’t find out the truth? And why am I just getting the truth now?”

At first Embry sat there looking stunned that she didn’t look the least bit frightened of him. Then her questions got through to him…especially when she started in again.

“Embry! Answer me! Why the hell am I just now finding this out!?!”

His eyes widened. “Wait…I thought you were scared of me.”

“Believe me, I’m doing my best not to run screaming from you right this minute. Lucky for you, my curiosity is driving me insane enough to keep me here.”

She suddenly cracked a grin. “And you know I have a thing for wolves. You have to remember I told you about that documentary I saw on TV.”

This time he smiled. “Yeah, I was kinda counting on that…hoping it would help you understand me better.”

That made her sit down, although she didn’t sit as close to him as she usually did. “Okay, and that right there just makes me want to ask if you and your friends create a pack just like a real wolf pack…and if so, is there the same pack dynamics and such?”

Embry shrugged. “Yes and no…if you’re willing to listen, I’ll tell you everything and I’ll answer all your questions…but Sel, before I get into it…you have to understand, the reason why I’m telling you…it’s because I want you to be a part of my life. I want a forever with you. Just you.”

She stared at him, the realization of what he was telling her was evident in his eyes. Suddenly she got it. Why he had waited to tell her this. Why only a select few knew this secret. He didn’t have to tell her that he was sharing this with her because he saw a future for them…the same way she saw it too. Telling her this meant there would be no secrets between them, the way a normal relationship was meant to be between a couple.

Sure, he wasn’t normal…he was a freaking wolf, but somehow…somehow she knew that was not going to be an issue for very long. All she had to do was sit and listen to his story, let him tell her everything so she could understand…so she could see that despite this amazingly strange secret, he was still the same wonderful, sweet, bashful, passionate, shy and sexy man she had loved for all this time.

And there they sat for the next few hours as the sun went down…he told her the truth of him and the Quileute wolf pack and she found out that no matter what he said…her feelings for him didn’t change.

That night, she curled up at his side in the tent, letting him hold her close, his heat reminding her of the things he had revealed to her. Then the next morning, they made their way back down the mountain together, both of them knowing their relationship had just moved on to the next level.

It would be two years before they returned to that mountain…and Sela made the climb despite having told Embry the last time they’d done it, that she would never climb another one again. They climbed it to reach yet another level of their relationship…Embry proposed to her.

Of course she said yes.

The next time though…Sela didn’t climb the mountain. Instead, she took her husband to its base…and there she told him she was pregnant with their first child, making Embry glad that he was going to be a father and that his two month pregnant wife wasn’t climbing the mountain to tell him that.

Still, that mountain remained very important to most of the people in their lives. It remained a symbol of good luck and of significant points of their lives. The mountain told them all that to reach a point in their lives where a difference was made, they had to make…the climb.

THE END