#spiritshothead

Continued from Part 2 (Here)

(Part 1 Here)

∞ Embry Call ∞

Her touch didn’t feel like any other I’d gotten from her… or did it? I flashed back to that moment in my mother’s kitchen. When she put her hand on my shoulder just as I was about to fall apart. Her arms around me now were keeping me from flying apart into a million pieces. Even now… when I knew she was filled with so much pain, possibly anger too… shame… how deeply her private world had been violated; she was holding me together.

This was why I could only ever be a moment in Leah Clearwater’s life.

We had spent so much time listing our commonalities we had forgotten another important part. The differences. When things got hard… I shut down… Leah rallied every ounce of strength she had. I had almost lost my mother's house… Leah rescued it, single-handedly in a week while I fought back tears at her table next to a stack of papers that had me completely defeated.

No… I was not this woman’s forever… if she was destined to have one, it couldn’t be me.

Suddenly being just, a single moment in her symphony, wasn’t enough.

The sound of her voice gave me chills like we had been silent in this clearing for hours and her voice was the first to break the quiet, but I knew it had really only been seconds.

“It’s you and your brothers, against the world.”

I fought it so hard, but I knew that a pained sound still escaped me…  I might have managed to muffle it, but it was there all the same.

Fuck! How could I have been so stupid!? Of course, it couldn’t be me and her against the world. Not after everything she’d already endured. I wouldn’t be another Sam for her. I wouldn’t allow it; I would find a way to move forward… bury my desires like I had the darkest parts of my past.

This wasn’t going to haunt her; I refused to let that happen. I took a breath… it was long, and it shook no matter how hard I tried to keep it steady. I locked my gaze with hers… I drew strength from her… and from the beautiful wolf that lived deep inside of her soul, from the incredible woman who had shared her whole self with me for as long as I was privileged to stand in her light.

There was a reason the sun and the moon could only share the same space for a few fleeting moments. This had been our eclipse, our orbit crossed, and it was beautiful… but now… now it was time her light shone on the world and not just me, in secret. I had to move, and let the sun come out.

I took my arms from around her and I rested my hand over her racing heart. Not even her amazing self-control could stop that. “You have a beautiful heart, Leah.” I wanted to tell her to stop hiding it away… but Leah had proven she could show more of herself to the pack when she chose to. “And you’ll never truly know what it meant to me that you let me into it so completely. You are the future of everything we stand for, and you will always, always have my loyalty and my respect. Every step of the way. Even if…” My throat all but closed before I could say, even if I can’t walk the path with you. “Always, Leah.” I kissed her forehead and touched my own to the same spot.

I rallied all my strength, everything I had learned from her. I drew from my wolf… because I knew my only hope of making it through this night was to let that part of me lead. But he was as shattered as me. I took a breath, slipped my hand into her hair for the last time and cradled the back of her head.

“Goodbye, Trouble,” I whispered.

The words we’d agreed not to use until the end, because I couldn’t let her carry this.

Then I stepped away slowly, sliding my hand out of her hair, the soft coolness of it… and even now with all this heartache I was still fascinated at the simple fact that she let me touch her like that. My eyes met hers again and all of the doubts rushed in, urging me not to do this. That this was wrong. Before I could lose my nerve and do something selfish; I turned and headed for the closest trees.

With every step, my mind screamed that this was wrong, and the noise came rushing in again. I was thrown back in time. Back to the times in my life when I lost friends… the desolation of being told I needed to cut Quil and Jacob out of my life… the agony of Jacob ripping himself from our pack and taking a piece of my soul with him.

Was I losing a best friend tonight too?

∞ Leah Clearwater ∞

I stood rooted to the land of our spirits with my newly gained freedom crashing down around me. What more could someone say? Especially when words weren’t a strong suit in the first place.  He had promised his loyalty to me before we could call ourselves friends. And now as he steps away from me, he does it again.

Telling me he remembered seeing the parts of me, the rest of the world wasn’t privy to, made something sharp stab me in the heart he thought I owned. Even though I’ve never willingly allotted feelings to it, even going as far as saying it was stone. But his faith in me remained.

My nails were digging into my palms. Any harder and I knew I would draw blood. I felt the chill of the night creep in as soon as Embry stepped away, his hands dropping from my head, his kiss leaving an invisible mark on my forehead like a phantom imprint. The gravity and the significance of this moment weren’t lost on me or on my warrior. She reached out for him, her soul burning from the unfairness of this situation, until I reminded her. The world wasn’t meant to be fair, for those of us who were born to sacrifice.

My gaze locked on to his shadowed form walking away from me… from us... The darkness wasn’t unknown to us. That was until Grandmother Moon came out from behind the thick clouds to light his way. Her actions showing me that she has him… She would protect him, and light his path as he began the next stage of his evolution. Embry belonged to her, and she was, after all, his guardian.

Grandmother moon… I lifted my chin, letting my head fall back, my eyes on her to show her that her promise to protect this man, was the reason I could walk away. The burning in my chest and eyes was likely to ignite like gunpowder if I didn’t keep myself in check. My warrior screamed to the skies, fighting to be free, to run until we couldn’t run any more. She wanted me to go after him, to stop him. She cried, telling me his ‘Goodbye’ couldn’t be real. But we both knew better. I let one lone tear slip, feeling its path down my temple, disappearing into my dark hair. By the time I looked back at the circle on the ground I knew. It was time.

Without glancing in the direction he took, I turned… Pulling my hands free, squeezing the pain out of them. Part of me craved the reminder of my humanity, but I knew better. Now wasn’t the time for any feelings. It was time to act, to close off, and to walk the path I had set for myself.

Long strides meant I had myself sitting on my bike, kicking him off his stand, and pulling out of the forest with my mindset to go home. If I let myself think too long, I knew I would leave. Leave these lands until I was far enough away to scream out like she wanted me to. But tonight was not our time. I sat low, keeping the weight on my bike even, kicking up the gears as fast as I could. The need to at least feel as though I was running, even if the reality of it was far from it.

The world flew by us, while I kept my eyes from wandering into the forest I was speeding by, not wanting to see the pity in the brown glowing eyes looking back. I wanted to drown out the sounds of the howling, and the hums of the spirits. They all needed to let me be. Just for tonight.

≋ ≋ ≋ ≋

I only slowed as I rode up my street, because of the scent in the air. Closing my eyes wishing that it was old, but I knew better than that. When I came to a stop in my driveway, he was sitting there on my front step, with his arms crossed over his knees. Dread filled my stomach because some part of me knew this was coming. But I’d hoped he would at least give me tonight to deal with myself. Pulling my bike up on his stand, I turned to face him without getting off. The two of us breathed slow deep breaths, both waiting for the other to speak first. Until I saw it in his eyes. He would wait all night if I didn’t break first. “Have you come to tell me, to step down from being your Beta?”

My throat felt dry. As though it hadn’t been used for years. Because of course, he knew, news like this spread in this rez faster than wildfire.

 Jacob Black stood up slowly, with his hands resting on his knees as he pushed up. And shook his head, nodding to my door.

My eyes darted around the neighbourhood; his imprint wasn’t with him. Not that he ever brought her here the times he has shown up on my doorstep. But then again, he’d never shown up here without sending me a message to warn me first.

‘She isn’t here. It’s just me.’ He waited patiently reading my mind.

But the question was, did I want my Alpha to step inside of my house? He raised his eyebrow, in answer telling me, he could wait all night. Slowly I got off my bike and walked up the path to unlock the door. All the while we didn’t share a word. He closed my front door with a gentle hand, took his boots off beside me, and his jacket hanging it up next to mine. The lamp light showed the evidence of what had happened here earlier in the night, constricting my chest again.

A flash in the moment takes me back to it. Reminding me how the disgust on Seth’s face looked. The disappointment in my ma’s eyes. And the bond I broke within the pack. When I dared to look up beside me, I could see flashes of emotion in Jake’s eyes. The man had always worn his feelings openly. He wasn’t even trying to hide them from me.

Without saying a word, he stepped into my living room, going to the guitar case discarded by the wall. Opening it up, he placed it on the couch. Coming to a stop while his eyes travelled the length of it, before he turned carefully, collecting the beautiful white guitar with the two doves on the face of it, placing it into the case before closing it. Some part of me feared that he would take it. He knew that instrument well and knew who it belonged to. But all he did was place it in the armchair beside the window. I stood there waiting for him to tell me he was disappointed, that I couldn’t be his beta, that I’d betrayed him. That I broke his pack, and more so that I was fucking his best friend under his nose… The words were coming crashing so hard and fast that I didn’t realise he was before me until he held the sheet out to me.

‘Why don’t you go and change your sheets, put a wash on. And I’ll start by cleaning up out here.’ He half smiled, tilting his head. ‘Leah?’ he questioned. ‘I know, I know, I’ll do a crap job, and you’ll have to do it again. But that’s half the fun.’

He took my hand slowly like he was speaking to a wounded animal, placing the sheet inside before closing my fingers around the fabric.

‘You take your bedroom; I’ll take the living room. Half the job, half the time.’

Nodding my head once, I folded the sheet in my hands, stepping around him to walk down the quiet, dark hallway. I stopped to look back once, asking her, why was he there. But she didn’t answer, and I didn’t expend too much energy on the thought. Instead, I made my way into my bedroom letting my mind drift to the morning…

The morning… only hours ago… We had been happy, laughing, joking, humming to music... Talking about the day, and what we had to look forward to.

If only we knew…

When we said to dream a little dream, it would result in a nightmare.

∞ Embry Call ∞

I felt like I was being pulled in every direction at once, there were a thousand screaming thoughts in my head, and I couldn’t decipher a single one. Not even Grandmother’s light could dampen the sounds. I wanted to lift my head and scream… to demand an answer… to ask why she’d left us both alone in this, why she was withholding her guidance. I wanted to know why she was punishing me… punishing us… all because I reigned in my urges so that Leah’s day could go how she had planned. So that all her hard work and dedication would go off without a hitch.

So, the hard work of both of our moms planning this event, and the people that gave up their weekends to make it a success. I knew I messed up; I knew that taking it for granted that we would have an after, a later… more time… was an ungrateful way to view it. But was THIS the only way she could have taught me the lesson? Could destroying this path she’d put us on really be what we deserved because of a few misguided thoughts?

I fought the urge, running into the trees on bare human feet because I wasn’t ready for the noise of the pack to be added to the cacophony inside my head. I tried to outrun her light as it filtered through the leaves. My pain, sadness, and loss… it all ran together, mingling with the too-loud sounds in my head, they merged and twisted into anger. And I directed it at her… the only thing that kept me from screaming all of this to the night sky was knowing that Leah was still close enough to hear and I promised her I would be okay if… or when this happened.

I felt him clawing at my skin to be free and I let him free with one condition.

Hurricane – I Prevail

The track filled my head and blocked out anything else… well as much as I could. I heard a whimper or a howl or two from a few of the young ones when the pain I was unable to hold; slammed into them. I felt the winces and the caught breaths from the others who were better able to restrain themselves. I felt them trying to penetrate the shield of music I had thrown up. I was aware of Quil as he came up just to my left, half a stride behind my shoulder. I knew it was him who held back the chorus of my name as the pups tried to find a way into a mind that usually, welcomed them openly.

Not tonight.

I couldn’t deal with that and stick to our rules. I had broken too many already.

Family first, pack second…. I would finish this shift and then I would find a way to keep my promise, to be okay… to… be… okay…

It seemed like an impossible task. Just two more hours…  then I would figure out what the hell I was supposed to do next. I drown out the thoughts of finding Leah, for two hours. I stopped myself from tracking Seth down, for two hours. I planned how I could apologise to Sue for all of this, for two hours. I failed… for two hours to stick to our simple rules and put the pack and the tribe first. Quil made it too easy for me to take a back seat.

➶➶➶➶➶➶➶

What seemed like an entire night later before I was back in my Jeep… to say I was feeling numb seemed right… but since when could numbness feel so… excruciating? The cold that seemed to seep into my bones since I had walked away from her… that could be called numb… right?

I had a white-knuckle grip on the wheel. I didn’t stop the silent tears that slipped free in their own time, and I didn’t try and force my breath into an easy, smooth rhythm. There was no one to put on a show for, I just needed to be somewhere quiet until I could single out a train of thought and try to pull myself together.

“Fuck!” as I drove along Mom’s street, that was Sam’s truck parked a few doors down from my mother’s house. What the hell had Seth done now? I felt a little stab of guilt… it was unfair to assume it was him… but I was pissed… so yeah, it was just a little twinge of the sensation. I drove past him, pulling into Mom’s driveway. Sam got out of his truck like this was exactly what he expected and walked towards me.

I dug Mom’s key out of my glove box. So glad that Quil promised to hold my phone for the night. I didn’t want access to the group chat tonight.

‘Embry… we should speak.’ He said as though he was talking to someone right next to him, so he didn’t disturb the neighbours.

“No… we really don’t,” I said, getting out and closing the door softly.

‘You can’t ignore this… you know it’s go—’ He started, I cut him off.

“Not you Sam… not with you,” I said heading up the path.

‘Embry… it's not like that. You know that Leah and I…’

“I don’t care Sam… This isn’t about you. It's about me and Leah.” He was going to tell me about how fine they were and how the past was behind them… but none of that had anything to do with what was happening here. I knew exactly what his lecture would be about… but his story was not my story. I wasn’t going to let anyone make any part of what Leah and I had about anyone but the two of us. All we had left now were our feelings and our memories. And they were ours and ours alone.

‘It's about two pack members also… I’m an Alpha of this tribe, ‘Bry.’ He wasn’t pulling rank; he was stating a simple fact. Just like I was when I shoved the key in the lock and said.

“No offence… but you’re not mine.” Before I disappeared inside and closed the door. I knew Sam would respect this boundary. This was my mother's house, and he knew she would be here sleeping.

Closing the door on a man I considered a brother should have made me feel something… but immediately all I could think of was Leah… where was she? What was she doing? Was she alone? Was she hurting? Would she open her door if I showed up outside of it?

“𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗯𝗶𝗴, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗼 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁…“            - 𝗨𝗻𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻.

Previously: Storyline 21...

∞ Leah Clearwater ∞

People say you need to worry when you feel you’re settling into a routine. But I don’t understand why.

Would I say Embry and I had begun to live a life of routine? No, not really… or had we? Maybe some part of us did a little?

It was the fact that Waking up to the sound of the spirits on the wind, and the soft breathing or mumbling of Embry asleep had become something I looked forward to. (As much as I wouldn’t admit it to the Wisearse on the best of days.)

Those quiet moments, before the world pulled us towards the day and our commitments, they were ones to cherish. And this morning was no different.

We’d fallen asleep curled up once again, skin to skin, his hands always reaching out to find me if I stayed away, and now I found myself always coming back to him even in my sleep as though he were a magnet.

As my mind came around this morning, my sleep-filled eyes opened to see the sun had come out. The perfect weather for what my day had planned for me. But it was difficult to think past the bubble when the sunlight shone a bright stream into my bedroom. It kissed his cheeks like a dream coming true.

I could hear the murmuring of his voice while he slept. This was a sign I’d become aware of. When Embry dreamt deeply, sometimes he lived them, he felt them, and it made me smile.

I often told him to dream a little dream for me. Because I couldn’t remember a time when I could dream for myself. Embry on the other hand dreamed vividly. So, listening to him telling me the stories his mind conjured up was beginning to become a highlight of our mornings together. I didn’t ask him to share them all. Just when he felt he wanted to. They were enough to keep me going.

Leaning in I placed three softest of kisses on his lips while he slept, before slipping out of bed, pulling his shirt over my head, and leaving him to sleep in.

Embry had been working at Glamor last night before that his day had been full. Mine had begun with my run with the pups and Jake, followed by a last-minute errand ensuring the bar and Ma had everything needed for today’s festivities.  Seth, Mac, and Charlie have worked long into the night after closing to set up the bar and the parking lot for today. Everyone had been working hard for a long time to make sure nothing happened that hadn’t been planned.

With my hair pulled up into my signature messy bun on the top of my head, I made my way into the kitchen. I wanted to cook us a good breakfast. But before anything could commence the first thing I had to do was switch on the radio. Smiling as the song began to play. It felt perfect for the occasion.

Music: Dream a Little Dream of Me – Amber Leigh Irish - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z0dLdOmbnA&si=me6wkxoz5L2fIN8z

Humming to myself, I set to turning on the coffee maker, gathering the ingredients for a Spanish omelette, while I now sang alone in a whisper.

“Stars shining bright above you

Night breezes seem to whisper…

Birds singing in the sycamore trees

Dream a little dream of me.

Say ‘Night-ie- night; and kiss me

Just hold me tight and tell me you’ll miss me

While I’m alone and blue as can be

Dream a little dream of me.”

∞ Embry Call ∞

⃝ There were noises from inside the house, and I knew it made no sense because the only other person here; was Leah. I could feel her, the heat of her skin, her scent filling the space even with the window I knew she always left open. Her skin against mine… the next sound I heard came from me. The soft hum of contentment. While the house was alive with something I could never identify… no matter how deeply I dreamt.

She was waking up, as it always did, Leah was a force and when she was awake, she charged the world in her immediate vicinity that could only be called: Get-shit-done energy. I wasn’t ready to let go of this half-dreaming state. Not until I figured out that strange presence was… that sound… Was it laughing?

Three kisses… they said everything and nothing, reinforcing everything she’d ever made me feel; deeply enough that there was never any room for doubt. Then she was gone, and I clung to this moment, still too deep in this world of half-waking. But it was okay, the only loss I felt was her skin on mine. But there was an unbreakable connection between us now, one I felt no matter how far away she was.

She was cooking… I smiled… we had established some kind of routine… but wasn’t what I thought it would be… routines were boring… but Leah brought a different sort of energy to it. Then the music floated to me through the haze of that lingering dream. The phantom tingle of three kisses was still on my lips as I smiled at the light trickling in the window. Just what we needed today. ⃝

I was awake now, trying to string together the pieces of the dream… I pulled the pillow from her side of the bed towards me. Burying my face into it and inhaling her scent deeply, was there any other way to start the day?  I waited for a moment… listening to her singing along in the kitchen.

Leah was a woman used to her space, and this home… this was where she let her walls down. So, I had taken to staying in bed and giving her a few moments to herself in the morning. But even in those moments, she was sharing one of the most important things in her life. Her home.

But her music always drew me out to her. I grinned as I made my way barefoot and in nothing but my boxers (it wasn’t my fault she took my t-shirt… ignoring the fact there was a drawer with a few folded far too neatly) to the bathroom to brush my teeth before I went to find her.

She was standing at the stove those too-sexy-to-be-legal legs bare from where my shirt skimmed the top of her thighs. The cover of one of my mother’s favourite songs playing and her whispering along with the lyrics. I made my way across the cool tiles and rested my hands on her hips, pressing a light kiss to her shoulder. The last verse played, and I sang quietly into her ear.

“Sweet dreams, till sunbeams find you

Gotta keep dreaming leave all worries behind you

But in your dreams whatever they be

You gotta make me promise, promise to me

You’ll dream, dream a little of me.”

I kissed her temple then and smiled.

“Morning, Trouble.”

Arms sliding around her and holding her tightly against my chest for just a moment. Today she had big plans so I wasn’t going to disrupt her schedule like I would try (and fail) to any other day. I stepped away to grab mugs... the scent mingled with what she was cooking telling me that the coffee was already made. I poured two mugs and smirked, thinking to myself that I had plenty of mornings coming, to distract her from her tasks.

∞ Leah Clearwater ∞

The moment I heard the bed move I set the toast on and set the table. Then the running water in the bathroom gave me a gauge of the time it would take him to walk into the kitchen.

I couldn’t help the smile growing on my lips as I continued to sing, something I’d never have done in the presence of another person before him.

When his arms curled around me, when he placed that kiss, listening to the sound of his voice singing the final verse of the song, I couldn’t help but feel the warmth in my chest rising, as the spirits sounded their joy at us being here and listening to him sing too.

Leaning myself into his chest I closed my eyes for a breath. Just for the count of two before I was back. In bed, on the sofa, or here beside the cooker. His arms always seemed to feel perfectly welcoming.

Add to the fact that, his scent mingling with that of the food as he stepped back now felt so normal. Something I’d begun to miss when he didn’t stay over.

By the spirits! What had Embry Call done to me? A question I asked him often and he would reply. ‘The same as what you did to me.’ Which wasn’t a lie.

“Good morning, Dimples. How did you sleep?” I asked as I curled the edge of the omelette over.

The lack of him attempting to distract me wasn’t lost on me. But I knew it, he understood how important it was for today to go smoothly and without any hiccups. Which made me smile again.

The next song began to play. The shuffle gods were playing some good ones this morning. Dermot Kennedy started singing.

Kiss Me (Guitar) – Dermot Kennedy

Looking over my shoulder at the man, finally in the space in my kitchen.

His hair showed evidence of the night's sleep, his skin showed no signs of what occurred before sleep stole us away, and when he turned away to pour the coffee, his arse looked perfect in those boxers! I wasn’t blind. And I knew if the tables were turned… he’d so check me out and bite those perfect lips of his.

∞ Embry Call ∞

“Oh, you know me.” I grinned. “I sleep in vivid colour, lately. Especially here…” Even when I was at home, I still dreamt of her… those ones were normally a little more graphic… but they got me through the night.  I felt her eyes on me when the song changed, and I may have spent a little longer than necessary with my back to her while I poured us both a mug of coffee. It wasn’t like she could let on she was enjoying the show this afternoon, she might as well look her fill now.

“I can hear you checking me out, you know…” I grinned and turned back to her. Setting her coffee next to the stove so she could reach it while she finished cooking. “You could just go all in and grab a handful.” I chuckled, my free hand brushing up the middle of her back over the age softened fabric of my shirt on her toned, hot… fucking perfect… Nope! If I started down that road we would never get out of this house on schedule. I cleared my throat and pretended like my heart hadn’t just kicked up a gear. “But if you do I accept no responsibility if your plans for the day are delayed.”

I glanced at the table, and she had already set everything out. “Anything I can do to help? Seems like you are even more on the ball than normal…” I sipped my coffee. “And I gotta tell you… That’s kinda scary.” I teased.

∞ Leah Clearwater ∞

“I’m glad my home can help you with your technicolour dreams.” Giving him a side glance as my hands continued working, my eyes returning to the hob.

The music didn’t distract me away from the way his heart told on him. It made me smile and continue as though nothing happened at all.

A cool breeze moved from the open windows through the kitchen as I thanked him for the coffee he set beside me with a smile.

“Don’t act like you’re the only one here with super sensitive hearing. Neither of us is the kid, but even I can hear what’s up in your chest, Dimples.” Flipping the cooked omelette onto one of the plates. Taking a sip from the coffee mug, I begin to make the next one.

“I’m fully aware of my surroundings and what I could do. But I’m in control of my actions. My list is made, and we aren’t deviating from it today. So… what I am saying is… I know full well where my groping you, would make us end up… and we don’t have time today for it.” Coughing with a grin. “If …. the ladies win today. Then you may get lucky tonight.”

Just as he asked to help, the toaster popped out two thick, nicely toasted slices of a bloomer.

“You could grab those and sit down. This one is nearly ready too.” Edging my chin to the pan.

∞ Embry Call ∞

My heart had betrayed me when I got distracted… let’s be honest I never tried to control it anymore. Not here… it was hard enough with our families and at the bar. Here I could be free about how my body reacted to anything she did. “Hey, I never said I didn’t want to grope… or be groped for that matter. I’m just trying to behave myself and not throw off your meticulous plans.” I teased.

I headed for the toaster as she started to ask me to grab it, I set it all on a plate and took it to the table with my coffee. Then I gasped and clutched at my imaginary pearls. “Are you trying to blackmail me into throwing the bet? Leah Clearwater! So, unlike you to cheat.”

I slid into the seat… my seat…  at her kitchen table. “And if you think I’ll be going easy on you because you made me breakfast… you are wr…” My stomach growled loudly, and I smirked. “… Probably onto something.” I laughed and glanced down at my impressive abs and whispered. “Traitor.”

But no matter how impressive they were it was going to depend on who decided to visit us today. Wet, soapy women were hard to compete with! And a lot of these women I thought of as sisters… I wasn’t sure how the guys would react to them getting checked out by others.

∞ Leah Clearwater ∞

Okay, this got him an eye roll.

“Meticulous plans? There is no such thing with you and the pups in the mix. Let’s face it, you will have something up your sleeve to test me and the spirits today.”

I turned the hob off, before walking the two plates over to the kitchen table. “Do I look like someone who needs to Blackmail you? It hadn’t even crossed my mind.”

Returning to the counter for my mug of coffee, I took a sip. “I have faith in the ladies. They won’t need to pull any tricks to make the most money. They also know how much I dislike giving rides on my baby. So, the pup is in for some disappointing times today.”

Sitting down I couldn’t help but smirk at him across from me. “The ladies have this in the bag. I need you, Embry Call, to set your expectations low for your side.”

Setting my mug down, I jumped up again to grab the hot sauce from the fridge. The sound of his stomach giving him away made me laugh.

By the time I sat back down, the music had stopped playing, making me hum ‘Dream a little dream of me.’ My eyes warm with my body relaxed.

∞ Embry Call ∞

I laughed… “No such thing and yet you keep trying,” I smirked and sipped on my coffee.

“Yeah, yeah… we just need to make sure the boys are distracted. They don’t react well when people check out the girls.” I pinched my brows and grinned at her. “Neither do you, even if you are… quieter about it.”

I thanked her when she set the plate on the table in front of me. It should have been almost normal at this stage… I had lost count of the number of times she had cooked for me in the morning. But every single time I was stunned, not that her food was so good… which was proven by the sound I made when I chewed a forkful of the omelette… still each time I was amazed that I was in Leah Clearwater’s kitchen, eating a breakfast she’d cooked for me.

“We aren’t out of this race yet.” I boasted. “As long as your girls don’t cheat and try to distract our weak links.” Of course, the imprinted boys weren’t actually weak links… but they were definitely easily distracted by their girlfriends, fiancés and wives.

I couldn’t help but sit back and watch her… listening to her humming. She was truly mastering this living-in-the-moment thing… I knew if she’d woken up alone today, she would already be out the door getting her day started. She was relaxed… happy. And a little bit of that was because of me… And that was even harder to believe than the fact I was sitting here eating breakfast with her.

“You know… I’m starting to see the benefit of these lists and schedules and things.” I grinned and took another bite. “If having your day plotted out to the minute, has you this relaxed… It goes right into the pro column for me.”

∞ Leah Clearwater ∞

Scoffing with a mouthful I crossed my long legs under the table, hitting my nails on the wood because his words made me growl a little.

“No one is ‘checking’ the women out. They have all been told, I’ll put them in a bloody burka if needed.” Shaking my head at the thought. “It’s a community event, with the Aunties and the uncles of those women bringing their cars over to HwH for a clean, some music, some BBQ, a drink. Nice and clean.” That was the plan at least.

Continuing to eat, my eyes moved over my kitchen table and the man sat across from me at ease as a walk to the spirits. He had made himself at home, giving this home of mine, and me something different and unexpected to look forward to.

“Paul is your problem today. I’m not even going to smack him up the side of the head.” Let’s face it, he was the first name to come to anyone’s mind when it came to being distracted by his wife. They were still like teenagers in their honeymoon period, even after all this time.

Now he had my eyebrows raised, this time with the crunch of the toast in my mouth. I had to sip on my coffee before replying to him this time around. “By the name of the spirits. Who are you and where is Embry Call? I never knew those words could spill from your lips.” And yes, my eyes lingered on his lips as I spoke.

My own lips curled up into a broad smile, giving him a wink.

“The first lesson of having a list... Is to stick to the time slots…. It’s where all the relaxation comes from. Knowing you can take the time to enjoy breakfast before everything kicks off.”

Setting the cup down, I continued with another forkful of the omelette. “Hey, how is your mom feeling? Do you think she will be up for a visit to the event?”

Our moms had worked so hard to organise everything that was needed today. The car wash was only one of the many things they did for the community. All the proceeds from today were going to redecorate the community centre and to make it more teenager friendly.

“I really want her to be there to see what it all looks like in full swing.”

I added, knowing it may not be possible. And I had a backup plan if she did miss it.

∞ Embry Call ∞

I shook my head with a mouth full of food as I piled butter onto a slice of toast. I swallowed my food and laughed. “Trouble… you know what townies expect at a charity car wash right?” I grinned and bit into the toast. Even bread tasted better here.

“I can handle Lahote…” I shuddered a little… “Not hands on flesh handle… I already told Rachel to take a pair of scissors to the mankini. Plus, I think the bragging rights of being let on your bike, for a ride is far too good of a prize to pass up. If you can manage to keep Rachel from cheating, we should be good…” I thought about it… “I’m 74% positive.”

I laughed again; we both knew those lists would only work for me in the bubble. My smirk grew cheeky. “Wait…” I sipped my coffee. “So, what I’m hearing is… you scheduled time to have breakfast with me?” The cheeky smirk became wicked. “So, this is kinda like a date?” I teased. My heart lurched. Traitorous letch.

I knew how badly she wanted Mom to see the fruit of her labour. And Mom wanted to be there too. “As of last night, she was feeling up for it. I told Quil that I had to help set up this morning; so, he said he’ll pick Mom up and take Little Bear with him. He’ll text me as soon as he gets there. She won’t miss this though.” The last part was pure hope, I knew how excited she was.

“She’s been looking forward to it for a long time. And there is nothing like a visit from Claire to give you a burst of energy.” That is true. Even I was excited to see her… It had been two weeks since her last visit. I missed the little sass machine when she wasn't around to give me a hard time. I took another mouthful of coffee… the food on my plate rapidly dwindling. “Spirits Trouble… you really can cook.” I flashed her that smile over the table. That one that is only for her.

∞ Leah Clearwater ∞

Swallowing the food in my mouth.

“Dimples… It’s a good thing I don’t give a crap what the townies actually want.” I choked a little frowning. “It’s also a good thing that I trust the ladies of La Push to have my back, while I’m working. They will do their best to keep you boys in line while they win this bet for me.” Biting on the inside of my cheeks, wondering if I should’ve helped them out with a car wash too.

My gaze settled on his face, with the sound of his laughing echoing from the walls, it made me smile again. A Reminder of how far the two of us had come.

“He wasn’t joking about the mankini? He’d been in HwH talking about it. But I put it down to jokes.” Shaking my head, “I should have really known better.”

Pointing my fork to the window. “And I’m not sure Rachel would destroy it. Sometimes that woman likes seeing the disapproval on my face too much.”

I heard his heart, unsure what caused the change in it and then I was laughing too. “No… I made time for my own breakfast, you just happen to be here, Wisearse.” He was so asking for a kick on the arse. If only we weren’t eating!

When the eggs were gone from my plate, I buttered my toast and sat back. Listening to Embry’s plan for his mom today.

“If you need some help let me know. We’ll have a seating arrangement set up for all the elders who want to stop by. That way, she won’t feel like we are babying her.” Tiffany Call was a proud woman and someone I look up to.

“And we all know, Bear will Mother Ma and Ms C. She likes telling them both what to do.” And they adored the kiddo so much, that they didn’t complain.

I took another bite from my slice of toast rolling my eyes at the man across from me.

“I will remind you. Tell anyone about this.” My hand moved over the table. “And you will be ten feet underground.”

Narrowing my eyes to emphasise the point I’m making.

∞ Embry Call ∞

I laughed because we all knew it was the truth. Leah didn’t put on a show for anyone else, so it meant she didn’t really care what others thought... she did what she thought was right and best, then dealt with the consequences of those actions; the good and the bad. And she had always done that alone.

She was doing that thing… biting her cheek like she did when she was thinking and making those perfect cheekbones completely irresistible. Making me want to bite that cheek and kiss those dimples. She wasn't making this easy. “As long as it's unfindable today… I don’t care what she does with it.” I chuckled again. “I made sure to remind her that Claire was gonna be there… A lot.” I stressed the last part.

“Oh right…” I smiled and sipped my coffee. When she claimed that I was just coincidental to her planning, if I wasn’t part of her plan… I wouldn’t be here. “My mistake.” But the smugness was impossible to hide.

 I knew she meant that, which was why it meant so much. “It's all covered… I can make plans too. But if anything falls through then you’ll be the first person I come to. I told her she should sit back and enjoy… the Masterminds like her and Sue make the plans then sit back and delegate. I’m hoping she listens… with everyone around… I know that they look out for her. She’ll have a good day.”

I laughed again, almost choking on another mouthful of coffee. “Even if I did tell… no one would believe that I was sat in Leah Clearwater’s kitchen, at the crack of dawn… eating breakfast with her in my boxers.” I finished my toast too and leaned back, stretching out a long leg to find her foot beneath the table.

∞ Leah Clearwater ∞

There it was again, the sound my home craved so much. Gone were the silent mornings, they were replaced by his laughter, his beating heart, and of course music.

I closed my eyes for a moment to shake the thoughts which kept coming, no matter how often he spent the night. I should be used to it by now. But I wasn’t. And it wasn’t a bad thing to feel this way.

“Hmm….” Right then the image of Paul flashed before my eyes, making me push them out as fast as it came. “Spirits… No…” shaking my head “Nope… Not even touching that with a barge pole. And if he doesn’t show up with nothing but a Mankini, he can be the one to explain to Emily why her little niece was made to witness his stupidity.” Safe to say, I’ll have kicked his arse by then.

“Oh… moms… the elders… they will keep Paul in line too. Maybe I won’t ever need to get my foot dirty after all.” Smirking at the new image of Ma and Ms C smacking Paul upside the head came to life. (Of course, the man was fully dressed in this image.)

His foot found its way to mine under the table, making my eyes lock on his with a perfectly raised eyebrow. “Are you turning into a Footsie player now Embry Call?” My foot stroked the curve of his.

By the spirits! What was this man doing to me? Clearing my throat, I moved to stand up before my mind went to places, we didn’t have time for this morning. Taking my dishes over to the sink.

“Do you want more coffee?” I asked over my shoulder towards him sitting at the table.

∞ Embry Call ∞

She truly was 100% here right now, even with us talking about the car wash… she was still all ours. I bit my lip when her foot grazed mine. Laughing at her reaction… “He will keep it family friendly. He might be all talk but when he sees the Aunties and Nieces and Nephews it’ll change his mind.”

Paul was the kinda guy you had to trust to read the room… He was always going to talk big, but when push came to shove, he would behave himself when it was needed. “I’m turning into an anything-it-takes-to-touch-you player, Trouble.” I smiled watching her move across the room…

“And it was clearly effective if you had to jump up to avoid temptation…” I teased, my foot still tingling where hers had stroked. But I didn’t need to point that out, right?

As badly as I wanted to say yes to that second coffee, I didn’t. There was plenty of time for morning coffees with her. “I should probably take a shower and head out… The boys will be on the move around the village early today.” I smiled. I didn’t say I needed to not smell like her before I left, we both knew that already… My jeep was in the village centre car park, and I wasn’t planning on going home before heading to the bar to help with the set-up. “They are all very keen to impress the Clearwater women today.” I teased. They did want to make Leah proud, Sue too… But with Leah spending more time with them outside of patrol and training… they were eager to prove themselves in this way too.

I stood up and took her my dishes. I set them next to the sink and grabbed a dish towel… the little routine we had established where she washed, and I dried made me smile. In Mom’s house, the cook didn’t clean… But Leah seemed to like her process; so, I just found a way to fit myself into it and make myself useful.

∞ Leah Clearwater ∞

“Shut it, Dimples. Like I said. We have a plan to keep up with.” That small touch of his foot had bolts of electrical energy shooting all over my nerves. But we didn’t need to give him a big headfirst thing.

“Jake and Sam have changed today’s runs up a little, giving all the guy’s time to come enjoy the show, and participate too.” Filling the sink with soap and hot water, I began to wash, handing the clean dishes off to Embry for drying.

“Ma and the elders will be impressed with anything the pups will do; they are good kids. Even if I still like kicking their arses.”

Speaking to them, spending time with them off runs, and opening myself up had given me the opportunity to learn so much more. Like Brady … and his stage presence and shyness. I didn’t know the pup could perform the way he did at the open mic night.

Handing off another dish, I smiled. Yet another moment that felt so familiar and open between us right now.

“Why don’t you go jump in the shower now? I can finish these off?” He was right about the pups being up and raring to go as soon as possible today. “I don’t want you bumping into anyone... don’t want you to find excuses or tell lies.”

I didn’t do it. I wasn’t going to put him in a position to need to do it too.

∞ Embry Call ∞

I chuckled and played dumb. “That is exactly what I have been doing… I have been on my very best behaviour, thank you very much!” I nodded when she mentioned the runs. “He told me yesterday that I won’t be running because Mom would wonder where I went. But I told him I’ll sub in if she goes home early. I don’t want the boys thinking I’m slacking.” I chuckled. I did feel a little guilty about that, but I would be happy to take a spot tonight and let the young ones enjoy a few drinks in celebration. It was the least I could do after a whole day off.

“They’ll work hard… I know they will. And bet or no bet the moms will get their dream budget for the centre. And a little arse kicking is good to keep egos and work ethics in check.” I laughed. “Once it’s balanced with a little praise.” I couldn’t help the grin; Leah had made such a huge stride with the younger ones… And they were responding. There might even be a few budding but innocent crushes forming, not that they would ever act on it. But that is just how these hormone bombs reacted to people they looked up to, it was hard to separate those feelings at that age.

“I can spare five minutes to help clean up since you cooked... It's still weird to be letting you wash up. And if you ever tell Mom that… I’ll tell her you threatened me with bodily harm.” I smirked. I dried the dishes as she passed them to me, setting them into their correct places. “And I wouldn’t need to lie. They rarely hear me tell them to mind their own business, so when I do say it they leave it alone… Probably because they assume they really don’t wanna know if I’m not willing to brag about it. But it gets the desired result in the end.”

I couldn’t say I was 100% opposed to lying. I lied every day to my mom, keeping her in the dark about what I was. I lied when I needed to protect the pack… I lied to the pups about my past… by omission, but it was almost the same thing. But I have managed to never lie about us. I knew how Leah felt about lying, and it wasn’t as though I enjoyed the sensation either. But her honesty was ingrained into the deepest parts of her being. It made lying about something that so profoundly included her at its core; feel like a betrayal.

It was when we finished up the dishes and I hung the dish towel back up that I leaned in and pressed my lips to her forehead for a long moment. My hands (respectfully) on her waist, because anything else would have me breaking the schedule. I kissed the end of her nose and then her lips just once, softly. Telling myself all the while that I had innumerable days ahead to kiss her and touch her as much as I wanted. Then I rested my cheek against her hair and inhaled her scent deeply. I couldn’t get this close to her once I showered, not today. When I was going on patrol, I left my clothes behind and on other mornings I normally went to see Mom or take her to appointments… her human nose couldn’t tell who I had been with beforehand. It was just one day that I needed to show a little restraint. Next time I had her all to myself, I’d find a way to make up for it.

With my lips so close to her ear I couldn’t help but whisper. “Try not to miss me too much today while I’m right in front of you.” I dropped my voice low, knowing those words would sink in.

∞ Leah Clearwater ∞

I closed my eyes letting his low whispered voice sink in deep. Everything about this morning felt so good, so together, like we had found a rhythm, and the true beat of our hearts and life. Even if the sound of his voice and the heat of his breath on my skin sent a ripple through my nerves. I turned into him, my arms moved to wrap around his neck, and I held him to me. The feel of his breath on my ear, the warmth and strength of his arms and body, the promise of what we had built and how we were on this journey together too.

“You’re only asking me not to miss you, because you know… you’re the one who is going to crack.” Whispering it right back to him.

I kissed him below his ear, the feel of his lips still lingering on mine as I pulled back to look at him. Resting my forehead to his I took a count of five, then glanced at him.

“You need to shower. And then so do I. Chop, chop, Dimples. Before I roll up a towel to spank your arse.”

Thoughts of the pups and all their hard work in the run-up to this car wash are still fresh in my head. I knew what Embry was saying about them trying so hard, I wasn’t blind to it. Maybe I could ease up a little on them the rest of the week. Or at least give them a chance to get some fun while we trained?

Letting my arms drop, I kissed Embry once more. Soft, light, gentle before taking a few steps away.

“Are you waiting for me to kick your arse now?” My hands crossed over my chest with a smirk on my lips. Nodding my head towards the hallway. “Get to it Call, we haven’t got all day.”

∞ Embry Call ∞

That intense yet still subtle energy passed through me… over my skin and down my spine like it only ever did when I was near her. I told myself again that we had plenty of time for these moments later. But that thought slipped away when her arms came around me.

I smiled… the kiss on my neck caused a tremor that I knew she felt. “Oh, I have no doubt.” I brushed my nose to the tip of hers. It didn’t cost me a thing to admit that I would crack first… We were built differently and somehow… unbelievably, built to fit together perfectly. It was how the Spirits kept bringing us together. “But… you’ll still let me in. So that counts in my book.”

She was right, I knew she was right. But it felt wrong to step out of this hold, to break the contact between our foreheads. “Threatening me with a good time is not going to get me outta here any faster, Trouble.”

The kiss had that one-last-kiss sort of vibe. So, I lifted my hands to her cheeks and leaned into it. Then I stepped away at the same time as her. “Still threatening me with a good time…” I said, turning on the ball of my foot and grabbing the clothes she cleaned the night before. Thankfully my usual style of black jeans, a band tee or a V-neck meant no one would ever notice if I wore the same thing two days in a row.

In her bathroom, I grinned at my reflection as I grabbed a towel and set my clothes down. When the water was running; I stepped under it and started to sing as I washed away the lingering scent of her from my skin… my wolf grumbled in the back of my mind, but he knew we had to. To keep him at bay I kept singing.

∞ Leah Clearwater ∞

“By the spirits…” Shaking my head as I walked towards the cupboard with my cleaning supplies in it.  “What has this man done to me.”

The answer was clear for me to see, he had done what the Spirits had guided towards, but more importantly what we both agreed to.

‘His voice is blessed by the ancestors.’ My warrior lazed within the walls of our soul. We both stood still listening to the sound of his singing with the running water and the beating of his heart. We both smiled getting to work.

The day was going to get away from us at some point, of course, I’d planned time in for it too. But it meant the chores around the house couldn’t wait until after my shift at the bar. Walking into the living room, humming along to his voice I began to set the furniture straight, dusting the table and the bookshelf. The TV had a good layer coating it, telling of how little we felt the need to turn it on.

‘He fills our time with more delight than a TV show could provide.’ She wasn’t wrong. ‘And music. Let’s also not forget the facts… He imbues our time with the pleasure of music too.’ Okay, not where I thought that was going. But. Also, true.

I worked around the house, cleaning and tidying while my warrior worked off a list of things which had evolved since the night Embry Call showed up on my doorstep to kiss me. And because she was on a roll, she reminded me of the fact that I’d punched him in the jaw for pleasure, before running across the street to kiss him back.

‘And now…’ She was bloody talkative this morning. ‘…He is a part of our bubble, and we like it this way.’ I rolled my eyes at her. Reminding her that she was the reason Dimples hadn’t been killed ten times over.

She has stopped me in my tracks. When he had said something or done something like he’d said before going into the shower; “Stop threatening me with a good time, my arse.” Rolling my eyes and smiling at the same time as I thought about it.

‘Look, how you have evolved too.’ This deserved a snap of my teeth, but I was too busy hoovering the floor, still feeling the lingering effects of him around the house.

∞ Embry Call ∞

She knew I could hear her, but that just made me smile even more. All those things others would miss… all those things that showed her openness. Her willingness to feel things out loud.

By the time I stepped out of the shower I heard her moving around the house… was she cleaning? By the spirits, it wasn’t even 7:30 yet! Or was it? My phone was still on her bedside table. Regardless, it was too early for chores!

I chuckled as I brushed my hair and shaved… all in the name of putting my best foot forward for the tribe. My mind drifted to the night before. Nope!

I put a stop to that right away. How about the first night we spent together? How well we had both fit together on her couch. I smiled. That one would do. I kept that feeling close, living in that moment as I dried off and dressed then hid away any signs I had been here. But I knew the only people that came here were Seth and Sue… they would be too busy to stop by today. Everything else I needed was in the Jeep waiting for me.

I stepped out of the bathroom and grabbed my phone and the hospital beeper, shoving both into my pocket. I found her in the living room cleaning. I chuckled. “You had housework on your list? Really? At this hour?”

∞ Leah Clearwater ∞

The sound of the water in the shower turned off, and I could hear him padding about the bathroom. The thought of how I could tell what he was doing next made me smile again.

This was the unexpected part of this journey. The way this had become my mornings when he stayed the night. Breakfasts, showers, sounds of laughter and teasing.

Shaking my head, I turned to face him. “If I don’t do it now, I will have to do it tonight. And knowing the pack, I have a feeling it’s going to be the last thing I’ll want to do.” Keeping the house and the bar clean and tidy were things I could control. It gave me a sense of security in some ways, to know no one else could control the tasks.

Leaning on the hoover I tilted my head. The overnight growth was gone from his face, his wet hair drying before my eyes, and his freshly laundered clothes giving off the fragrance of clothes softener.

My gaze lingered on his lips a bit too long. Especially when I knew that o couldn’t walk over to him, and I definitely couldn’t kiss him now.

∞ Embry Call ∞

I grinned… leaning against the doorway… not daring to step all the way into the living room… not while she was looking at my mouth like that. Any other day? I chuckled. “Oh… right… of course. How silly of me to forget that the world would start spinning in the opposite direction if you skipped a day of dusting.” I teased her.

“They’re gonna work hard today. We need to let them celebrate afterwards.” I knew she would, she was starting to see the other sides of the guys, understanding the need to blow off a little steam with everything else they had going on.

I looked at the lightening day outside her window. “Looks like the weather is on our side today.” I gave her that smile, the one that was only hers. “I told you today would be perfect. But… Time continues to be a cruel mistress.” I straightened up and stepped back from the doorway. “I should get going… The Jeep is in the village. Gotta have the boys test their skills on a real beauty.” I winked at her.

I checked the group chat. “Seth is on his way…” I laughed. “Littlesea is threatening to climb through Fuller’s window because he deadbolted the door and won’t answer it.” The pup had clearly seen the messages, is status read ‘online’. It was perfect timing. If I was the first to arrive it would raise eyebrows. Early mornings weren’t an issue for me… but being on time? I could probably try a little harder. “Looks like I’m right on time!”

I headed down her hallway and slid my feet into my boots by her door. “See you soon, Trouble,” I said, sticking to our rule.

∞ Leah Clearwater ∞

I wasn’t OCD by any means when it came to cleaning. But when the majority of your time was spent rolling and running in, weeds, and mud in a forest, wanting the comfort of your home to remain in some form of order had become a necessity.

In the early days of moving in it had also been a ritual for me to calm that temper of mine. And now. It was a habit. One which helped when I needed time to think.

“Hey. I have fully given in to the fact that all of you need your time to celebrate any achievements. Now tonight unfortunately is going to be licking of wounds for you guys.”

Trash talk was all a part of the fun of the day, and it didn’t hurt to start now.

“Just make sure they don’t cut themselves on that rust bucket. We don’t need the pups showing off their healing skills to the rest of the tribe or townies as a sideshow.” I knew they wouldn’t, but didn’t hurt to remind the ringleader of Trouble of the dangers of showing off, right?

My eyes were on the sky past the windows, the storm from last night had passed leaving the day fresh.

His phone began to come to life, making me turn to face him again. Watching as he made his way to his boots and the front door.

“See you soon, Dimples. Have a good time today.”

Giving him the answer to that smile, with one of my own backs. His rule to never say ‘goodbye’, still going strong. As soon as he closed the door to my home, I began to replace parts of my wall. Today was going to be a test for both of us.

∞ Embry Call ∞

I knew that her cleaning was all about routine… she liked to do things a certain way… it was one thing in the vast number of details that made up Leah Clearwater. Something I thought I knew before our evolution. But honestly… it was exactly and nothing like what I thought I knew back then. And I had a feeling that my view of it would probably be a little different at some stage. Because this woman was constantly growing before my eyes.

“Oh!” I smirked. “Are you going to lick my wounds personally? … that might be worth throwing the game entirely.” I laughed. “Hey!! My baby doesn’t have a spot of rust on her…” Then I added. “Anymore.”

I flashed her that smile… My hand was on her door. “You too, Trouble. And please… feel free to think about me in the shower.”  I said before I slipped out and closed the door. Damn! I wanted to kiss her!

But the door was closed, and my feet were moving. There was no turning back. I needed to get into the village before more of the Pups hit the streets to get their jobs started for the day. As I walked, I texted the group and told Seth I would meet him at the parking lot in fifteen minutes. Then Brady to tell him if he wasn’t out of bed in five minutes; I was going to send Paul over.

And right on cue Lahote texts back. With: [Can I leave marks?] Followed by Brady: [I’m up! Leave me alone!]

I grinned to myself. “Mission accomplished.” I reached my Jeep and climbed in. “Showtime!”

∞ Leah Clearwater ∞

The house was silent once again. The sounds of life were waking outside, but here in these four walls, things were different.

I couldn’t help but glance towards the small hallway and then my front door. How could one man make all my senses feel so much? My feet took me to my speaker, turning it towards the heart of my home. Before hitting play on shuffle.

Take It From Me (Stripped) – Jordan Davis

“Of course!” Biting the inside of my cheeks, I continued to smile, then went back to work, singing along to the song. My playlist shuffled from song to song, each one growing in tempo, leading to the perfect tune to set me up for the rest of the day.

Pour Some Sugar On Me – Def Leppard

The song played low so my neighbours wouldn’t be disturbed, but to me, the sound was crisp and just what I needed. The shuffle gods were moving me along.

With most of the cleaning, I gazed at the time. “Spirits! I need to get a move on.”

Running into my room, I slipped out of the t-shirt I’d slept in, leaving it on the made bed. I knew I should change the bedding, but I’d run out of time. And then again, my warrior reminded me, he wouldn’t be back tonight. The pups would want to celebrate, and they deserved it.

“I’ll change it later tonight, before I sleep.” It was a good plan. So, I pushed the thoughts out of my head. “By the spirits! What is that man doing to me!” Shaking my head I ran into the bathroom to shower and dress.

∞ Embry Call ∞

I connected my phone to the sound system and hit shuffle on the playlist I had put together for the day. I smirked and started the engine with a little love tap on the gas… She purred to life. “That’s my girl!” I stroked the wheel affectionately and pulled out of the car park a little quickly… but it was empty, so it was fine.

Imagine Dragons | Symphony (Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles Version) | Coke Studio

I sang along as I drove through the village, tempted to crank the volume and wake people up to get them to the car wash. But I decided to behave for now.

“So, tell my mom I love her, call my baby sister…

Should’ve hug and kissed her…

‘Cause life is just a mystery.”

I pulled into the bar’s parking lot, and I wasn’t shocked to see people there already.  Seth was laying out cones for the different lanes.  Sue was setting up a table with the cash box and all kinds of community centre pamphlets.  Nessie was setting up a sound system. She was the closest to me, so I stopped the Jeep and called out the window. “Hey… where’s your lesser half?” I asked.

She didn’t even blink at the joke. ‘He’s picking up the meat for the barbeque.  Sam didn’t want it in his car. The smell of raw meat makes Emily nauseous.’ She spoke. I instantly thought we needed a spot for her away from the cooking area, but Ness continued. ‘Text me the link to your playlist. I’ll add it to the mix.’ She said as she stripped a wire with just her fingernails and disappeared behind a speaker that was big enough for her to hide inside. I chuckled and told her I would send it.

“It’s gonna be a party.” I laughed and pulled over to the other side of the lot close to Seth.

I jumped and header to see where we were in the setup. I wasn’t surprised to see Mac come out from behind the bar. He waved and I waved back…   Seth looked me up and down. “See something you like kid?” I teased.

‘You wish!’ He teased back, and it was all kinds of gross considering I just climbed out of his sister’s shower. I covered by shoving him playfully. ‘Seriously though… are you going to wash cars in jeans and motorcycle boots?’

“Is that a bad idea?” I looked at myself with a perfectly straight face, then back at him. “I thought I looked good.”

Seth looked at me like he thought I was serious. “Kidding!!! Dude, I have shorts and trainers in the Jeep.”

He laughed and shook his head. ‘Sorry… haven’t had my coffee yet.’

“You should have said… The twins are on the way I’ll get them to pick it up.” I pulled out my phone.

‘No, Mom and I drove by, and Gemma was only arriving, they aren’t open…’ He started. But I already had my phone to my ear.

“Hey Gem!... How is my absolute favourite waitress?”  Seth just rolled his eyes.

Gemma was happy to help us out with our charitable endeavours today. I gave her all the coffee orders, teas to the mom and one of those weird, iced milk drinks with a tiny bit of coffee for Claire. I’d tell Quil it was decaf… but she could have a treat. I was sure she’d earn it. And texted the Pups to pick them up along the way.

“Okay!” I stuffed my phone into my pocket. “Where do you need me Pup?”

He tossed a traffic cone at me, and I caught it, laughing… Then we got stuck in.   

∞ Leah Clearwater ∞

The call to feel the wind in my wet hair was too strong this morning. Rushing to leave the house once I was showered and dressed meant I got my wish.

As soon as I received a text message from Michael telling me my order was ready, meant I had no time to waste. The cloud cast over the sun for a little while, but it didn’t take away from the pleasure of ridding my baby down the still quiet streets.

Those who were up, waved a hand as I rode by. I knew Ma would be told once again; her daughter was racing the streets of the Rez without her helmet on.

So much for wishing people would mind their own business. The less they knew about me, the more they were intrigued to learn. But as much as I allowed it to annoy me in the past, now it just made me nod my head and smirk.

Kicking up a gear, I went into the speed and the call of Grandfather as he sang my name telling me to take in his light and let it shine bright. Words danced on my lips, a song unheard, forming into something I’d never felt before. I could feel it deep inside my soul, and it made me want to live this day with all its beauty and strength.

As I came to the parking lot before the bakery, I could hear the conversation between June and her daughter Jessica inside.

June may be a Clearwater by marriage; however, she had the blood of a warrior, and the heart of a mother rolled up in one. Most of the time she was kind, sweet, and easy-going. Until someone crossed her with the wrong intentions. She must have seen me through the window parking my baby, because the next thing I heard made me groan.

‘Let’s see what your cousin has to say about this. Why can’t you be more like her? Look how she carries herself.’ The words no girl wanted to hear from the lips of her mother.

‘Mom! Stop… Leah doesn’t need to hear about this.’  Jessica moaned, defeated.

I walked across the lot, acting as though I heard none of what was taking place inside.

‘We are family. She will want to know.’

Really. No. I didn’t want any part of this conversation. Pushing the door open, the chiming sound from the bell over the top sang, and their heads turned at once towards me.

“Hach Chii.” (Good morning.) I said stepping inside.

‘I’m so glad you are here Leah. Hach Chii.’ My auntie moved to come around the counter.

“Hmm… your husband messaged to say my order is ready.” Hoping if I reminded her, I had to go, she would back down. ‘Sure… Sure…. But I need your opinion on a situation first…’ she didn’t wait for my response and continued. ‘Your cousin is planning to wear this today at the charity event. Tell her how inappropriate it is, it will make the aunties talk, and what will the uncles think?’

Jessica shrivelled up her shoulders and looked so uncomfortable as her mom held up a short cut tank for a top and ripped tiny shorts.

The first thing I thought was she would freeze! The sun was out today sure, but it was still spring. With the water spraying all over the place. She would be hypothermic before the morning was out. But it’s not what I said.

“What’s wrong with it?” This time I didn’t wait for a reply. “She isn’t a baby; Jessica is a young lady with her head on the right way. You can’t expect her to live her life in fear of what people will say. Or think. If this is something you are happy to wear Jess. Then fine. As long as you are wearing it for yourself.” As much as Embry’s words about the Rez girls bugged me. I would never stop them from their choices. I would just punch anyone who looked at them inappropriately in the face.

No…. Spirits! Apparently, my warrior told me evolution meant, using my words and not my hands first!

‘Leah… you know how they all—‘ June started, I knew where she was taking the conversation, and from the look on her daughter’s face, she knew too. But June was cut off. ‘That’s enough!’  Michael came out from the back with four bags full of buns and doughnuts. ‘This topic is over. We have work to do.’ He smiled warmly at his daughter and then me.

My heart stopped, his side profile was the same as his brother, my father! But he was taller, a little more rounded, a little more worn in his face. The first thought I had was about my Da. And if he would have the same look about him if he were here today?

‘Hach Chii, this is your order, I’ve doubled checked, and everything you paid for, is in these bags.’ Setting them down on the counter. ‘And Jessy is meant to be packing the things we are planning to donate.’ He turned to his daughter. ‘Jessy will set it all up for sale. And when the Bakery closes, I will come by with more to help. Your mom works so hard for the community, this is our way to help too.’

“Thank you.” I said gratefully. “But I’m not sure how I will take all this.” I should have known to bring a car and not my baby.” I told him. I hadn’t expected the extra boxes they had set aside.  

‘It’s okay. I’ll bring it all with me now.’  Jessica told me, she’d taken the morning off from the practice to help. Her boss would be joining us a little later once today’s appointments over.

∞ Embry Call ∞

Seth and I finished laying out the lanes… making sure they were wide enough to accommodate trucks and still let people move around them. I watched as more people trickled in. Sue gave them jobs and then tried to do three jobs by herself. A light breeze came around us in circles. Sue scrambled to keep her flyers from scattering across the lot, weighing them down with little wooden carvings and totems… because of course, she came prepared. I knew this little whispering wind meant Leah was on the move. Watching Sue I realised how much of her mother she had in her, despite being entirely unique… “Clearwater women.” I laughed and shook my head.

‘Huh?’  Seth said from behind.

“Just noticing how well prepared the Clearwater women are and wondering what the hell happened with you,” I teased him.

‘Shut up.’ He laughed and shoved me. ‘I’m surprised Leah isn’t here yet.’ He took out his phone like he was checking for a text.

“Oh, I’m sure she’s off doing something that no one else has thought about.” I looked up and saw Littlesea’s truck pull in; with a hungover-looking  Brady in the passenger seat.  Seth made a beeline for them, craving his caffeine fix.

‘You got Gemma to open early?’ The Pup asked getting out with the tray of drinks, while Fuller passed one out of the window to Seth, then climbed out with more. ‘You know she already works ten-hour days, right?’

“Not open early… Just help us out with the early start. I’ll make it up to her.” I told him and Brady slapped my back. ‘I bet you will!’

I rolled my eyes. “She’s a baby… don’t be gross.” Gemma was a pretty girl, but I remembered when she sat in the corner of the diner, colouring pictures for her favourite regulars. She always preferred Jake… I never knew why.

‘She’s like… nineteen…’  Brady said like that wasn’t what I just said. The three of them started debating whether she was eighteen or nineteen.

“Guys!” I called to get their attention. “Can you continue this debate after I get my coffee, please!” And Littlesea handed me mine. “Thank you! Besides… if you’re all so concerned with Gemma… maybe one of you should take her out and treat her.”

‘Maybe I will.’  Brady waggled his brows.

‘What would your date from last night think about that?’  Collin asked.

‘Who?’ He asked and Collin proceeded to fill us in on the details of the half-naked guy in Brady’s house this morning.

I left them to it and took Sue her tea, setting a green tea down for Mom when she got here. ‘Thank you… Well, aren’t they all rowdy this morning?’ Sue laughed.

“Just getting them energised for the big day.” I smiled at her.

‘Well… Let’s stick to one coffee each. Shall we?’ She suggested as someone called out to Ness to remember to act human… She’d crossed the lot a little quickly… and apparently the irony of what they said and how loudly they said it, was lost on them.

“Good idea… Excuse me while I go crack some heads.” I said and by the way Sue nodded I knew she’d heard it too.

Crossing back to the guys gathered around the truck, they each got a swift slap upside the head (apart from Ness). Then I promptly reminded them all that we were in civilian mode (including Ness). And that Mac was still here, and other humans could show up any minute.

A few more texts came into the groups saying that people were on the way. Then Collin looked at me and said. ‘Hey, ’Bry… are you really going to wash cars in that.’ He pointed to what I was wearing.

“Why is everyone so obsessed with what I’m wearing today?” I grumbled.

‘Honestly…’  Nessie chimed. ‘I’m just glad you didn’t show up in a thong.’

‘Please don’t give him ideas!’  Seth groaned and I smirked at them all like it might just happen. They all cracked up.

∞ Leah Clearwater ∞      

The scent of the pups was in the air as I turned the corner and began the straight run towards HwH. Nothing could prepare me for what the day held. ‘You will thrive today. We are helping Ma and the tribe. The young who will become our future.’ I knew she was right, but I also knew I had to ready myself for it too.

I never really did well in a crowd, I wasn’t a bloody wallflower in any way. But I knew my limits on how much craziness I could take too. ‘Well… today is a test.’ She sounded so happy and ready to dive into the depths of the madness!

Turning into the parking lot of our bar, I slowed down seeing two of the younger pups trying to put the big banner up on the road. They joked and teased until they heard the purring of my baby. They knew the sound, so I wasn’t shocked by the wave and the call of my name. Stopping I winked at them. “That banner needs to be straightened out pups.” Pointing to the side which had been dropped.

‘Sure, Leah. Right away.’ One of them said, while the other smiled his eyes coveted my baby.

I shook my head smirking. “You got to win the bet first pup, daydreaming about riding on the back of my boy… isn’t going to happen by itself.”

‘Sorry… he is just so beautiful…. and the sound….’

I knew what he felt so well. The rumble vibrated in our chests, the speed made you feel as though you were flying, and the revving of the engine… It was spectacular! Reaching out my hand, messing his hair up. “Get back to work. I’m sure there will be some breakfast waiting for you when you head back.”

Kicking off, I rode nice and slow. Taking in the sound, sights, and smells of the surrounding area. Everyone had put in a lot of hard work. My bike stopped behind the table and cover set up for Ma, as she worked on the flyers. She saw me coming and gave me her heart-filled smile. ‘Good morning, Usdi, how were your uncle and auntie?’

Parking up, my long leg flew over the top of my baby, before I stood up. “Nothing new there. Michael said he is coming over after they close later.” Walking over, leaning down I kissed her forehead. “And June…” Shaking my head. “I wish she would stop using me as an example for her daughter.”

She listened to me as I explained the situation I found myself in before. Her brows pulled together, head nodding. ‘It’s not her fault, Usdi.  We were brought up to be unseen. Because it was safer that way. I’ll speak with her.’ She squeezed my arm.

‘Finally! I’ve been waiting for you.’  Mac came up from the back of the bar. ‘The delivery came in last night as you planned. I don’t know what’s for today, and what we need to keep for stock.’

Ma smiled patting my arm. ‘I think the boys have everything in hand out here.’ Her way to give me leave to get to work.

Shrugging out of my jacket, I raised my eyebrow seeing the group standing around the orange truck we all knew belonged to the Littlesea Pup. Embry in the middle, as a king holding court with my kid stood right beside him.

“Work. Doesn’t happen by standing around. You gonna move those arses!” I said, walking away from the madness.

‘But it’s such a fine arse, Lee!!’ Ness replied without missing a beat, making me smirk.

“Keep it up little Cullen, we’ll see where that lands you.” She giggled; it sounded like sweet bells chiming in the wind.

‘I lo… L… LIKE YOU TOO!’ She sang over the sound of the music. Followed by a mutter from a pup. ‘Wow, Ness didn’t even get a snap for that one?’

Another voice added. ‘Don’t push your luck.’ Making me smirk. The sound of Jessica’s car engine came down the street as I made my way inside to see what Mac needed my help with.

∞ Embry Call ∞

I gave a quick glance to acknowledge Leah’s arrival… no one could ignore the beautiful bike… the sound of the engine. If I did… it would look like I was hiding something if I acted like I hadn’t heard her ride up.

I laughed at Ness and Leah’s banter. “Should I toss your coffee too then and Mac can just have his?” I called across the lot (just for the sake of the human) to her with a smirk. I handed two cups to Seth and told him to take them to his sister. I could see the minute he took them he was confused. “Cappuccino for Mac and Mocha for Leah,” I told him.

‘Since when does Leah drink Mocha’s?’ He chuckled and headed over like he knew she was going to send it right back.

“Chocolate is NEVER a bad idea.” I laughed… plus… she had made me breakfast, and I could repay it a tiny bit with a sweet treat.

As Jess pulled up noses lifted into the air, subtly enough that I didn’t need to correct them. ‘Is that breakfast?’ Brady groaned. As Jess parked the car, the door open and it was indeed breakfast. The boys almost swarmed her with the boxes in her arms.

“Oi!” I called to them. “Stop.” They did. “Stay!” I smirked and stepped between them to hand Jessica a coffee cup. Patting the youngest pup on the head as I did. “Good boys.”

 Jessica laughed. “Vanilla latte for the lady…” I smiled.

‘How did you…’ She shook her head and took the cup. ‘Thank you.’

I asked her if she’d eaten, and she told me she had and couldn’t eat another bite after all the baking happening this morning. I relieved her of the boxes and grabbed a cup. I walked over to Sue’s table and offered her first choice of food. “Auntie. Tea and first pick?” I smiled. She touched my cheek and smiled. ‘Such a good boy.’ She whispered.

Then I took the food back to the truck and set it on the open tailgate. “Have at it you savages! Save a doughnut for Emily and a cinnamon roll for Rachel.”

‘I see what you are doing Embry Call.’ Jessica wagged her finger at me and sipped her latte.

“And what exactly am I doing?” I asked and bit into a bear claw.

‘You are being all sweet and considerate to the girls to get them on your side today!’ She set a hand on her hip and gave a sassy little pop that made me laugh.

“Am I?” I asked, my expression full of suspicion.

‘Dude!’  Brady slapped my back. ‘That’s genius! Hey, Jessica. You look gorgeous today.’

She clearly flushed but managed to effortlessly look him up and down and say ‘Eww’. Which was received with raucous laughter and the pup faking a heart attack… or a gunshot wound. I shook my head… whatever it was it was very dramatic.

They were all having a good time… it was a good thing. “Okay, eat up and then back to work guys.” The two pups that had been hanging the banner came back and I waved them over. “And save something to eat for Leah and Mac too.”

∞ Leah Clearwater ∞

‘Who is tossing coffee?’  Mac questioned as I dropped my jacket in the office and pulled my hair up over the top of my head into a messy bun.

‘Wow… Miss Clearwater!’ Turning to face him with a questioning raise of my eyebrow. ‘Are you trying to steal hearts today?’ This earned Mac an eye roll.

“Are you looking for an arse kicking?” He just laughed and reached a handout towards me. ‘You best save me a dance today. That’s all I’m saying.’

The sound of Seth’s footsteps saves me from replying. ‘So, there is a cappuccino here with your name on its bro. And sis…’ he handed Mac his coffee and then came to place mine down on the bar before me. ‘A mocha… for you?’ Shaking my head. ‘I think Call is trying to butter all the ladies up. He should know better than trying it on with you.’ I didn’t say anything in reply, just got myself to work.

“Less talk and more work. Bring me up to speed while you drink your coffee.”

Both quickly rattled off a progress report as I moved stock around. What was meant for the event today, I placed on a couple of tables in front of the bar, and the other things I set down on the bar themselves.

Once I had most of the boxes in place, straightening up, to take the cup from the bar top, sipped on it. Would I buy one of these for myself? No. But it was nice, and I could tell Gemma had been the one to make it. Her scent lingered in the background of the cup.

Under the sound of the music outside, I could hear the way Embry had taken some form of control over the pups. They were all good kids, but I couldn’t tell the excitement of the morning meant they needed a little nudge to remind them why we were doing this.

“Mac. Why don’t you go grab yourself some breakfast? Jess is out there with some stuff from the bakery.” His eyes widened and he didn’t need to be asked twice. As soon as he was out of the door I turned to The Kid. “What is the plan for the runs today?”

He took the cup from my hand, trying the drink tentatively. From his reaction liking it. ‘Sam, Jake, and Jay have it covered, I’ll slip out later on, so Sam can bring Emily and Kishil down.’

Nodding my head as I listened. “You don’t need to slip out. I’ll do it. Take the late run too so you can kick back with the pups.”

He shook his head now. ‘We’ve got it in hand. So nope. You need to keep all this rowdy bunch in line.” He nudged me in the arm.

“Sure, sure. But it looks like Embry has it in hand.”  Seth stopped sipping from the cup. ‘Wow. Was that praise coming from your lips, Sis?’

∞ Embry Call ∞

It didn’t take long for the boys to start polishing off whatever they had selected for breakfast. And then I assigned the jobs that Seth and I had talked about. Most of the kids were unloading supplies at the end of the temporary lanes. Making sure what we had was evenly distributed and each lane had everything we needed. We had a separate area for anyone willing to pony up a little extra for a full-on polish and buff, with the repaired buffer from the carwash in Port Angeles.

I sent Collin and Brady to organise the hoses, Brady was, in general, a joker… but when it came to making sure everything was safe, those two worked the best together. They would make sure nothing was going to be a tripping hazard for us and anyone stopping by.

‘Someone told me there was food out here!’  Mac came back outside. I told him to help himself and he went to eat with the last kids who were finishing up their food.

I heard a familiar car pulling up and I smiled, already walking across the lot to meet it.  Quil pulled up right next to the table where Sue was still sitting working away with only two bites of her muffin taken. I opened Mom’s door and helped her out.

‘Good morning sweetheart!’ She beamed… she looked good… she was even wearing just a little make-up. She was feeling good today. I was so glad… she’d so looked forward to this.

“Hey, you look great!” I smiled and hugged her. Walking her to the seat set out for her as Claire and Quil climbed out of the car. “Hey, Little Bear!” I turned just in time to catch her as she jumped up for a hug.

‘Look!! Momma T painted my nails!’ She was trying to show me her fingers before I even set her down… each one was a different colour. I looked at Mom and laughed.

‘She couldn’t decide.’ Mom shrugged. ‘I was teaching her that a girl can have everything she wants.’ I grinned… I knew if I asked; what about boys? She’d tell me they grew up in a different world and she was right.

“Hell yeah, they can!” I gave Claire a high five and Quil went to move his car out of the way.

‘So… it’s looking good out there. When will we be up and running?’ Mom was all business.

“I’d say we could start washing cars any time now… I’m not sure if we are supposed to wait on the food and everything, or if all that is for later in the day.” I told her.

‘We can get everything ready, but I don’t think we need to fire up the grill for a while. No one will want a burger at nine AM.’  Sue said.

‘Burgers?’  Quil said walking back… ‘There’s burgers?’ He looked around. The moms laughed.

‘Well, we can’t count these boys… they never stop eating.’ Mom teased. ‘They have to keep those muscles fuelled up.’

Claire complained when we asked her to stay here and help mom and Sue, only agreeing to stay put because we promised she could help with the fun part.

I was about to walk off and get back to work when Mom called out. ‘Sweetheart… are you really going to wash cars in those?’

I rolled my eyes. “Why is everyone so obsessed with my clothes?” I huffed. “I have shorts in the jeep.”

‘What are you waiting for then?’ Mom crossed her arms and popped a brow. There were snickers across the lot.

I surrendered and went to grab my backpack and change behind my jeep.

∞ Leah Clearwater ∞

‘Oh, my goodness! Leah…. You didn’t tell us there would be a show to watch this morning. I didn’t bring any ones with me!’ The mother, daughter duo who were our cleaning team came shaking their heads, and butts as they shrugged out of their coats. ‘Yeah Leah, I’d have offered to help that one out there with changing!’ The daughter added laughing.

 Seth beelined it out the back with the cooler boxes to fill them with ice. ‘Of course, Embry is putting on a show.’ He was laughing. Because of course, he heard the full conversation taking place outside. ‘He is setting up his dates for tonight.’ Then the sound of the ice machine came to life.

‘Jokes aside, I just told Sue this is such a good idea. And look at the young ones all coming to help out there.’ The mom moved to pick up the hoover.

‘Looks more like a photoshoot for Abercrombie and Fitch if you ask me.’ Her daughter leaned over to look out the windows at the front of the bar. ‘We have some fine-looking boys and girls on our Rez.’ I mean, could we really disagree with her?

“Okay ladies, you know the drill. Could I ask you to give it a once over? And then you’re back tomorrow for a deep clean.” They got themselves to work. Singing around to Nessie’s playlist.

Picking up two cases of beer (even if I could take more. But… humans…) I made my way outside. Stopping at the doorstep to let my glance fall over the view before me. The place was starting to come together.

‘Lealea!!!’  Claire came bounding up from behind the table next to Ma and Ms C. Setting the cases down I caught the teenager before she jumped up, giving her a look. Bringing her to my side and kissing the top of her head.

“You’re growing a mile a minute, Bear. Didn’t we talk about slowing it down on your last visit?” She beamed giving me a full 360 turn. ‘Dada says I’m not allowed to grow. But Mom told him girls grow up too fast.’ A conversation I was sure she wasn’t meant to overhear.

‘We’ve got to make the most of it Usdi.’ The two of us had started to walk up to see the moms. Ms C nodded her head in agreement with her friend.

“Hey beautiful, ready to steal some hearts today?” Leaning down I kissed the top of her head.

‘Oh... stop…’ she blushed smiling up. Her temperature was okay for now, knowing full well the blankets were close by ready in case the wind picked up.

“You know Leo is coming with the Pizza truck. I’m sure he is going to be fighting for both your attention.” I winked at them. Turning my attention to the truck pulling up.

‘And now the party can kick into action.’  Paul was hanging out of the passenger side of his truck while Rach drove, with Kim in the back.

“Here we go!” Giving him the mother of all eye rolls. “Bear, don’t you dare listen to a word that one says.” She giggles running off to meet the girls.

∞ Embry Call ∞

I heard the conversation inside and muttered. “Dammit!” to myself.

‘Really ‘Bry…’  Quil called over. ‘There are bathrooms inside!’

I stuffed my legs into the shorts and pulled them up. I made sure not to look in the direction of the window. You know, acting human and all. “It's not like I got naked! I have boxers on.” My best friend just rolled his eyes, and I walked back towards the others. “Besides! If we have the ladies of the Rez worked up already then, we’re three steps ahead! Wait until the guys all take off their shirts.”

‘I’m not taking off anything!’  Littlesea called out and I waved him off.

‘He’ll change his mind when that sweet new girlfriend of his shows up.’  Quil chuckled. But I wasn't so sure. The pup was confident around his pack brothers… but today? Not that anyone would give him a hard time.

I had to hold back a smile when I heard LittleBear talking to Leah. But Quil’s was on full power, and he watched the two completely unhindered. “She’s in a good mood today,” I noted.

‘Leah?’ He asked me with brows pinched.

“Claire.” I laughed and he joined me. “But Leah too.”

‘Yeah… for at least another week and a half.’ He smirked.

“She’s going through a lot… She’ll be fine.” I slapped his back. “Go do some work, will you? set an example for these layabouts.” I patted Brady on the head as we passed. But he was clearly extremely busy; untangling a length of hose and he stuck out his foot to try to trip me which I side-stepped easily. “Nice try! Better luck next time.”

 Claire was running off to Rachel and Kim, getting great big hugs from them both. I gave both imprints a kiss on the cheek when Claire released them. “Good morning, ladies!”

‘I heard your uncle’s game was on point on Claire’s last visit.’  Kim beamed at me when she was sure Claire was distracted by Paul trying to teach her a ridiculous not-so-secret handshake. I just shook my head.

“Not really… that was the bare minimum effort,” I admitted. “But if you deem it worthy of praise, who am I to deny you the opportunity?”

‘You know… sometimes I think you really would be perfect boyfriend material for someone out there…’ She patted my arm. ‘And then you open your mouth.’

I laughed but tried to look offended as I said. “Rude!’

‘Are you pissing off the girls already? That wasn’t the plan Call!’  Lahote jumped on my back monkey style and messed my hair. Then he jumped back down.

I whistled to the Pup nearest the orange truck and beckoned him over. He came running with coffee and whatever was left of the bakery boxes. “Coffee for the ladies.” I smiled and handed them each their cups. “And I can’t take credit for the breakfast… but only because Leah is right there, and I would like my arse to remain thoroughly un-kicked today.”

They both laughed and Paul gave me a thumbs up. Then I spoke to anyone that was gathered around the table, the moms, Leah and even Claire sipping on her weird cold coffee thing. “We are pretty much ready to go in terms of washing cars… Is there anything else we need to set up before then?”

A few more of Sam’s Pups came into the car park... walking, probably just off the night run.

∞ Leah Clearwater ∞

I stood behind the two moms with my arms crossed over my chest. Watching, listening, taking in all the conversations, and best of all not reacting to any of them.

People were in their element with the new arrivals being welcomed, and those who were working already stepping closer to the gazebo erected over the mom’s table.

Ma’s hand came to rest on my waist as she sat, when I let my gaze drop down to see her, I found her and Seth sharing a smile and a look. “What are you both up to?”

‘Nothing at all.’ She gave me her hundred-watt smile, sharing something with The Kid for sure.

“Sure, Sure. I’ll believe you, but a full jury of your peers may not, Ma.” The Kid carried the cooler out setting it down beside the table, before going to collect the cases of beers I left beside the door.

All eyes turned to me when Embry asked the question. I just shook my head and dropped my chin down to the two moms. “This is their show… Ma… Ms C… What’s next?” They beamed glancing at one another.

Ma dropped her hand from me, and from my vantage point, I saw her taking Ms C’s hand under the table to squeeze it. ‘I think we should kick start the BBQ?’ Tiffany Call came to life.

‘I know Leah has bacon and sausage in for a breakfast grill. The scent of food will pull the crowd in.’ She pointed out the cars and trucks in the parking lot that belonged to everyone there. ‘Is it okay with Leah, Seth, and Mac’ The two boys straighten up hearing their names. ‘We could park them around the back, leaving space for people who want to spend money to park up front. Also…’ Now she was on a roll. ‘Maybe let’s begin cleaning some of them.’ She pointed at a few which had a foot of mud hanging off the sides. ‘The best adverts are visual. People driving by will notice the signs, however seeing all of you at work will make them pull in.’ 

My lip curled up into a grin. “You heard the lady.” I pointed to the far side of the parking lot.  Mac knew what I was about to say so began running towards his truck to start the parking line.

‘This way guys, If I park in the back, you can all block me in. I’m here until closing tonight.’ I raised my eyebrow at Mac’s statement. We will see about it. He could stay until closing tonight, but he wouldn’t be working all that time.

“Hey, Mac… Hold up…” I turned to follow him before he jumped into his truck. ‘What’s up?’ he asked, pulling the door open. I lowered my voice, aware of all the ears who could hear us. “Take today easy, okay. Have fun, help. But don’t let me catch you trying to keep up with the young ones.” Mac dropped his head a little, kicking his boot into the ground, as he did when he was considering what was being said to him. ‘I’ve got this. I’m doing better these days.’

He knew I would take him at his word. But I would kick his arse if he didn’t take care too.

∞ Embry Call ∞

I gave Sue and Seth a quizzical look when Leah asked them what they were up to… I hadn’t noticed anything. But since when was Leah ever wrong about these things? Maybe today would have an interesting twist.

I was definitely not volunteering to start the grill, cooking for me and Quil was risky enough… but humans? Nope… I couldn’t inflict that on the Reservation.

“Well, I’m not cooking!” I said quickly and I tossed my keys to Fuller. “I’m gonna stick to my strengths...." Which they all knew was attracting attention. “Let’s have the twins move the cars around back. Pull up my Jeep and the goofy one’s truck into the lanes and we can wash those, let people see what they’re in for today.” I swatted Paul on the arm as his imprint laughed to Kim about how she still thought it was weird we called them twins. Which made sense for a real twin. “You with me?” I winked at Paul. The Pups were already moving the vehicles I asked them to.

‘You know it!’ He winked back.

I called across the lot to Ness (for the benefit of the humans.) “Good to go Ness?” She gave me a thumbs up. “You know the one I want! Crank It!” She skimmed the screen of her laptop and laughed before the music changed.

Thin Lizzy - The Boys Are Back In Town

Paul already stripped his shirt off and tossed it at Rachel, who rolled her eyes. I did the same as I headed back to the lanes and tossed mine at a horrified Seth. Mom and Sue were in hysterics and trying to hide it behind their hands.  Sue shrugged at her son who was holding my shirt between two fingers like it was a smelly sock. ‘At least they kept their shorts on.’ She laughed.

‘For now.’  Rachel watched her man walk across the parking lot fanning herself.  Paul spun and blew her a kiss. I just laughed.

‘Boys are weird.’ I heard Claire say and then Kim… ‘You said it sister.’ Then she asked Claire to help her start getting everything ready for the grill.

I didn’t trust Paul not to mess with the Pup’s truck, but he respected the, so I let him wash mine while I started on the bright orange and perfectly clean truck. The rest of the vehicles in the lot were starting to move around the back. We could drive them back around if we didn’t catch any fish this time around.  Paul was singing along with Phil Lynott as he hosed off my Jeep.

∞ Leah Clearwater ∞

Listening to Paul’s voice singing ‘Boys Are Back in Town.’ I found myself rubbing my forehead, I dropped my chin to hide the glimmer of laughter making itself known to me. She was smiling too, enjoying what we saw and heard all around us. Nessie was in her element, dancing and singing, with way more energy for this time of the day than anyone should have. 

‘All the packs coming together for one goal. This is how it is meant to be. How our warriors are meant to lead the way forward. Together.’ She was correct. Lifting my gaze, to take all of it in. The ease, the teamwork, the laughter, the teasing. Things I had been blind to for so many years. ‘Well, you see them now. It’s why it’s called evolution.’ She wasn’t wrong.

Our eyes flowed over in the direction of Embry, moving over and then passed him as any other day. He had been the one to pull me down this side of the life I’d left myself out of. There was no question in my mind. Would I have ended up here by myself? Maybe. But it wouldn’t have been for a long time.

‘We want people to spread the word and spend their cash ‘Bry. No one wants you to give out food poisoning.’ Seth laughed throwing the shirt in his fingers over the back of a chair. He pointed towards the pup. ‘Hey goofball, you’re the best of us when it comes to food. Take on the grill this morning? Billy will be here in a while to -- take over.’ Collin Littlesea went beet red in his ears, telltale signs the boy was embarrassed by the compliment.

Turning I left them to it making my way back inside with two Danish pastries wrapped with napkins. “Ladies, breakfast is on the bar when you are ready for it. I’ll put the coffee pot on too. So, help yourself.” They both acknowledged me as they hummed and danced inside the bar.

Shaking my head, I rolled up the sleeves of my button-down, pulled my hair back up again into a messy bun, and began my own jobs indoors.

‘Leah?’ The pup’s voice came from the door, with only his head showing when I turned to follow the sound of his voice. ‘Uhm… well… you…’ I raised my eyebrow, telling him to spit it out. But I didn’t push him. ‘The food… for the grill…’ He finally asked.

 “Hmm… Yeah. Of course.” Nodding my head towards the stock room behind the bar. “It’s in the big fridge back there. Want me to help you take it out?” He slowly moved to stand in the doorway and then slowly ran around the bar.

‘No… no... It’s all good. I got it.’ His red ears were still a beacon.

“Take out only what you need for now. We can always add to the grill later.” I called out behind him.

‘Yes… Sure. We need to serve the food fresh and hot.’ This was why The Kid picked him to work the grill. The pup got it.

“Exactly, pup… Exactly.”

∞ Embry Call ∞

I heard Seth assign the pup to cook and smiled. A glance over confirmed that he had turned red, and I chuckled. He’d do fine and he was even fussier than Leah so any humans eating his food would be safe as houses… like the houses the Pup built for a living… He was going to do just fine.  Brady and some of the younger pups came over and started helping us out.

We took our time with the jeep and the truck since we just wanted to draw people in. It didn’t take long before we had a car pull in. The smell of the food on the grill blew across the lot.  Fuller looked up from where he was scrubbing his best friend's alloys and told me to go ahead and start and he would finish the truck.

The driver stepped out and I knew immediately… I threw the Pup a glare. This was the date… He had showered… but any Spirit Warrior worth his salt could smell the Pup and night’s activities still clinging to him. And Fuller was currently doing everything possible to avoid the guy.

Any other day I would be all for wing-manning his way out of this. But there were bigger fish to fry today. Of course, I talked to him about cleaning his car. I let on I knew none of this, I’d never met the guy after all. “There’s food over by the bar doors… and the lovely ladies over there can tell you all about the event today. Why don’t you help yourself? We’ll get started on the car.”

He just mumbled a ‘Sure thing.’ And handed me the keys. Then seeming to think that might have been rude he gave a more enthusiastic ‘Thank you’, before weaving carefully through the cones.

“Really! You’re just going to act like you don’t know him?” I sprayed the pup with a hose as I passed him.

He tried to play dumb and gave up. ‘He wanted to come today and volunteer… just a little clingy… Not sexy.’

I looked back over at the guy. “He looks good from here,” I smirked. The Pup rolled his eyes. “What did you tell him?”

‘I told him it was private property, and we’d already filed all the names of volunteers with the insurance company.’ He spoke as we each worked on the separate cars.  Paul was now driving my gleaming Jeep around the back.

“That was quick thinking,” I laughed. “But if he is going to hang out for a while you will have to speak to him.”

He groaned. ‘I’ll tell him I’m not out and I’ll text him later.’

“No!”  Paul and I said in unison, as he walked up to help me now. The pup's furrowed brow was all the question I needed to continue.

“I think you’ve forgotten that we had a front-row seat to you coming out, Pup. You can tell him anything you want but you won’t disrespect yourself like that.”  Paul slapped me on the back with a soapy sponge.

‘What he said!’ He agreed and I glared and pulled the sponge out of his hand.

The pup huffed. ‘Fine, I’ll go say hi! I’ll park this first.’ He drove the truck around the back. I glanced over to see Mr Clingy talking to Collin across the grill.

‘Is that how you’re going to react when your previous hookups show up?’  Paul teased.

“They won’t…” I glared…. Teasingly… mostly.

‘Or they will… and you won’t remember them.’ He laughed.

“Shut up and get to work Lahote… it's an actual paying customer this time.” I tossed the sponge at him. Even though there was no doubt that both Collin and I would drop a few bills into the kitty today.

‘Do you think the Pup knows his date is loaded? This car isn’t even a year old, and this model starts at thirty-five grand?’  Paul was looking over at Mr. Clingy.

Then he started to sing along with the next song Nessie played.

Someone To You – The Banners

∞ Leah Clearwater ∞

As the Banners blared out of the speakers, I stopped chopping the fruit for the bar. My phone pinged in my pocket; it was Leo’s son letting me know they were on their way. I hadn’t expected them to both come over, as I knew Leo liked to be present at their permanent truck in Port.

Replying to them quickly, giving some extra directions I spoke to The Kid through the havoc taking place outside. “Kid… Leo and his son are on their way. Can you make sure the generator is in a place where we want to park them up?” I didn’t shout or call out. No one but him would know I was talking to him.

Pocketing my phone, I went back to finishing off the morning setup for the bar. No customers would be allowed inside other than to use the restroom until midday. But I wanted to make sure that the place was clean and set to go.

‘Are you planning on coming outside anytime soon?’  Rach stood at the door smiling in my direction.

“Why, are you bored of watching your hubs already?” I volley back.

She rubbed her hands together giggling. ‘Never… that man keeps me wanting more each and every day.’

“Rachel! Stop!” Screwing up my nose. “I’ve told you a million times. Some things need to stay out of my head.

‘Leah Clearwater! Are you imagining my husband in bed?’ She pretended to look shocked.

Not missing a beat, I replied. “Nope… I’m imagining your cum face and hearing your climactic moans!”

She went red in the face and cried laughing as she pulled her small frame up on top of the bar stool. ‘Okay… okay… you win!’ Lifting her hands into the air.

“You should know better by now, woman.” I couldn’t sell alcohol, and I knew she was there for it. So, I turned my back on her, pouring coffee into the takeaway cups we’d bought.

‘The Aunties really did a great job putting all this together.’ She said changing the subject.

“Hmm… You should tell them.”

‘I did, but I wanted to tell you too.’ I raised my eyebrow looking at her through the mirror in front of me.  Rach was watching me work.

“Okay….” Facing her with a tray full of paper cups I crossed to set it down in front of her. “Why does it feel like there is more you’re trying to say?”

She smiled shaking her head. Jumping down to pick up the tray. ‘There isn’t. Other than…. It’s good to see our family all together doing amazing things.’ She started to walk back towards the door. ‘You should come out… we have our first paying customer.’

I called out after her. “Oh, trust me… the first two will be paying too.” It didn’t have to be with money. But they were working hard for Ma and Ms C and the children of the Rez.

∞ Embry Call ∞

Another familiar truck drove past from the direction. Jacob was hanging out of the window wolf whistling and catcalling at me, and the guys washing the car. I just laughed… even with her headphones on Nessie heard him… But she managed to react like a human. She waited until he pulled in and ran to him. Almost forgot to take off the headphones attaching her to the decks, she jerked back and slipped them off before sprinting (though it probably felt like walking to her). Jumping up into Jake’s arms before he even had both legs out of the door. He caught her one-armed and laughed about only having seen her two hours ago and still covering her face with kisses.

Brady’s clinger watched the scene with a big goofy smile that made me like him more… even if the pup had a point about the clingy thing.

‘One day someone will be that excited to see you, Call.’  Paul would have sounded like he was teasing anyone else, even in his own pack. But I knew him in ways other people didn’t. He meant it… he meant to tease too… but more.

I just laughed and shook my head. “You think I’m pining?” I scoffed and tossed a chamois at him while I went to get a dry one. “I’m just happy for my friends.” And who knew when we would all be in the same place as this again? I looked over to Mom, the pup was handing her a bacon sandwich. And she was quizzing him about his new girlfriend, he was only too happy to gush about her, which would, of course, make my mom’s day. She loved nothing more than a real-life love story.

And as he walked away, he said, for my benefit. ‘It’s turkey bacon.’ I think they all knew what Mom’s stomach could and couldn’t handle from listening to my internal monologues… no matter what pack they were from.

‘She looks really good today.’ Paul noticed with a goofy grin. ‘I’m glad she made it… she worked so hard… Hey, remember when I used to have a massive crush on your mom when we were kids?’ He whipped me with the cloth he had been using to polish water spots off the chrome finish of this fucking beautiful car… I mean it would be nicer in red… but damn!

I laughed remembering a recent conversation with Leah regarding passed crushes and I tried hard not to look at Rachel, who picked this exact moment to come back outside.

 Brady was talking to Mr. Clingy now, he even leaned in and kissed his cheeks. “Do you know who that guy is?” I asked Paul.

‘Not his name no… he just moved here from Neah Bay. He’s looking after the Fox kids… while their grandmother is recovering.’ He explained.

“Wow… kinda young to be an uncle. There’s what… three kids in that house?”

‘Had to… or they’d have probably been placed with townies. And there’s four… the eldest girl had a baby last year.’  Paul said this like it was a normal thing. And it was around here. We really needed this community project.

Okay… So maybe I liked this guy a little more, now.  Brady needed to make up his mind about this guy before letting it get too far. I’d always told all of them to make the boundaries clear if it was a one-and-done situation.

“Might be a good idea for them to use some of the money made here today for sex-ed,” I muttered.

‘Didn’t you read any of the pamphlets they printed up?’  Paul scoffed and I looked at him as if to say Did you? ‘They want to have sexual health talks and a parenting class. It’s a little bit of a contradiction… but I guess those kids need support too.’

“Wait… Hold up…” I stopped and looked confused. “You can read?” I said it with near-perfect conviction, right before he tried to tackle me around the middle, but I was ready for him, and we tussled a little.

∞ Leah Clearwater ∞

Giving the ladies inside a helping hand to reach the taller areas, I gave them their cheques for the last month. Thanking them for their hard work and reminding them to help themselves to food outside and to stay or come back depending on what jobs they had going on. I wasn’t surprised to hear they had changed their work plans around a little, so they could hang out and see how the morning pans out here.

Handing two of them sodas I went to give the bar its final wipe down before standing back. My ears heard the song, making me smirk. The girl had been busy finding the right tunes from playlists to set the mood today. This one had to have been pulled from mine.

Car Wash (Remix) – Rose Royce

As soon as the first notes played, I knew the song. It was one Ma and Ms C would appreciate. I heard my name coming - from outside, so I set the cloth in my hands down to the side making my way to the owner of the voice. “What’s up, Jess?” I asked.

My eyes found Jake, giving him a nod, getting one back telling me the run had gone well this morning. And then I saw the reason, Jess called me.

I crossed my arms over my chest at the sound of the bike turning around in the street to come back towards the parking lot. “Is this your doing?” I asked her. My young cousin vehemently denied having anything to do with the new visitor with the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250.

Juan Diaz was the part-time vet on the Rez, and a helping hand to the pup’s new imprint. The man seemed full of himself until you got him alone without an audience to play up to. He had taken care of the Pup’s imprints practice giving heramuch-needed break from working 24/7! Which she had been doing happily alone until my cousin talked the vet into offering Jess a job. Juan’s family had agreed to partner with the practice here on the rez.

He parked his bike, sitting there smiling in our direction. “Have you lost your way?” I called out. “The Practice is about three miles down in the other direction from here.”

Setting his hand on his heart he laughed. ‘You wound me, Miss Clearwater. I saw the sign.’ Pointing his thumb over his shoulder. ‘And wanted to see if you were willing to give this beauty a once over?’ From his direction, I could tell Juan had stayed the night in the shared Rez accommodations Billy had helped to assign the practice, so that they didn’t have to travel back and forth from La Push and Port each visit.

The moms sat up taking notice, and the pups all rushed forward, I could sense them trying to fight one another to get there first. “Hey. Stop!” I called out, they all did. “Take two steps back.” They took three. “I believe the man was asking me the question. This is a competition after all. Just because we gave you guys the first ride; doesn’t mean you get the next.”

Juan sat on his bike smirking, watching it all unfold. ‘Gotta love a woman in charge boys.’ He winked at them.

“Kim, grab my bike kit from the back office?” I called out.

Kim jumped to action, overly excited. ‘I’m on it…’ she told Claire to head back to the Aunties.

“Jess, you can help me,” I called out next.

‘Yes, Leah.’ She ran over to Juan hugging him, the sound of her sweet giggles making my lips curl up into a barely noticeable smirk.

‘Hey, sunshine. Did you miss me?’ He asked her. I turned my head distracted when the wind changed and it brought the scent of the new guy sitting to the side, but it was the mixture of him and…

“Pup?” I called out to Brady who came half running, and half moseying on over. “That’s not going to be a problem today, right?” Raising my eyebrow. Ma didn’t need drama today or any day.

‘Nope…’ Popping the P. ‘Not today…’ He gave me an attempt of a charming smile, which didn’t fool me the slightest.

“Hmm…” Waving the pup off to get back to his tasks. My ears picked up on Ms C’s voice asking Ma who the cute guy on the bike was. And I stopped listening.

‘Here you go, Leah. It’s all here.’ I took the bucket from Kim with a wink.

“Thanks. Now we need a score board. I’m not having the guys accusing us of cheating when we wipe the floor with them.” Kim giggled running over to the gazebo to see if there was something she could use.  Seth met her halfway, telling her he would go grab one of the special chalkboards from inside.

∞ Embry Call ∞

Mine and Paul’s little wrestling match was over fast… mostly because I won. I saw the bike pull in… It was a thing of beauty but still paled in comparison to Leah’s. Until Leah spoke, I wasn’t quite sure who it was, I smirked... this dude liked her… I remembered him trying to flirt with her that same night he realised the Pup’s new girl only had eyes for the Pup. To his credit it wasn't that one girl blew him off and he moved on to the next; he had cast a wide net. Kept his options open… until he laid eyes on Leah. And who could blame him? He had good taste. No chance… but good taste.

‘Oh, I call dibs on that one!’  Paul grinned at the bike.

“I think the girls already called it.” I laughed.

‘Damn! I mean… About time!’ He called across the lot. ‘Leaving us lads out here to do all the dirty work! Get moving ladies!’

I muttered. “You are going to pay for that!”

I refused to let Paul drive the fine car out of the lanes because:

I won the wrestling match.

2. I had the keys.

C.  Didn’t trust him to not take a little joy ride.

Leah was rubbing off on me.

In hindsight, I should have let him, the car was automatic, which was an instant demerit in my book. Also, the second I turned the key something started rolling against the small of my back making me flinch until I found the button that turned it off… So, this thing was nice to look at… but definitely not for me.

I parked the car close to the exit hoping that Mr. Clingy would take a hint and not make the rest of the day awkward for the pup. I headed over to him and gave him back his keys. “That is one good-looking vehicle,” I told him.

‘Thanks…’ He looked at me far too intently. ‘You are really tall!’ I laughed… he was not looking at my height.  Jake came to stand next to me just to make a point. He put his arm around my shoulders and pulled it back fast, brushing off the sleeve of his shirt… ‘Ugh!! You’re wet!’ he groaned… I snorted and just shrugged as if to say… It is what it is.

‘Wow! I guess everything is bigger in La Push.’ He was shameless! And I could appreciate that. I sensed restrained laughter all around me.

“Actually, I’m Makah.” Jake elbowed me and quickly realised I wasn’t just wet but also covered in something a little sticky… bordering on slimy. I was blaming Paul. “And Quileute... but most of my family is from Neah Bay.”

‘Ah! A hybrid… Like me… my mom was from Beecher Bay. But I grew up in Neah Bay. Do you have any family there?’ He asked genuinely interested.

“Other side of the border!” I chuckled. “Not anymore… but a lot of people will still remember the Call’s up there,” I explained.

‘Oh!’ He snapped his fingers. ‘It was after I graduated but... the high school got a new auditorium, and they named it the Call Memorial Hall.’

“The Chenoa Call Memorial Hall… I voiced my complaint about the lazy rhyme, but I was overruled. But yeah... that would be my grandmother. She was very dedicated to all the arts programs in the high school.”

‘DUDE!’  Brady looked shocked. ‘Your Grandma has an auditorium?’

I laughed. “No, they just named it in her memory.”

‘Everybody knows this!’  Claire chimed in and Jake nodded.

I saw Seth re-emerge chalkboard in hand, and I rubbed my hands together. “Oh! If you’ll excuse me… I have a contest to win!” I made a beeline for him to make sure we got our fair shake.

Mom rattled the cash box to me as I passed, kissing the top of her head… ‘This isn’t a charity mister… you had your car cleaned!’

“Yes, it is, and all my cash is in the jeans you bullied me into taking off! I’m good at it… probably!” I teased her and she laughed.

I glanced briefly at Leah; the sight of the specials board reminded me of the bet I lost that prompted me to sing in public.

‘Feeling lucky?’  Seth asked.

I shook my head. “You chose this one on purpose, didn’t you?” He just nodded.

∞ Leah Clearwater ∞

‘Hey, it’s not my fault the spirits are with my sis when it comes to you trying to bet with her.’ I heard The Kid teasing Embry. When I turned my head back to look in their direction, Seth had placed an arm over Embry’s shoulder and promptly removed it. ‘Yuck, ‘Bry!’ Jumping back away.

‘You have an…. Interesting bunch to keep you company.’  Juan had returned to my side, kneeling with a microfibre cloth in his hand to help.

“Yeah… you know what they say about that...” I said nodding over my shoulder.

‘If you can’t beat them, join them?’ He laughs.

“No…” shaking my head. “Kick their arses until they fall into line,” I smirked.

‘Oh… I like yours better.’ He agreed.

‘You know, you’re not meant to help with the cleaning. It’s the point of a car wash.’ We both glanced at Claire with her hands on her hips standing over us. I felt her coming so wasn’t surprised, but Juan jumped a little unaware we were being watched.

‘Okay…’ he looked at me, but I wasn’t going to help him. ‘I have to get to work soon, so thought I’d help Miss Leah here?’ He added with a shoulder shrug.

Claire was now tapping her foot on the wet ground. ‘You know this is a boys versus girls competition. You are on the wrong side.’ She added.

I pressed my lips together. “So, does that mean you’re going to pick up a cloth and help me Bear?” Asking without looking away from the frame.

She went quiet, shifting on the spot. ‘Oh look… Mama T is calling me.’ Ms C was not. But I let it slide. The teachable moment would come later. I’d let her go for now.

‘Damn… All the girls in this place are ball smashers!’  Juan let out a heavy sigh.

“It’s in the water.” I was amused at the way he handled the interaction with my young imprint. My ears picking up the sounds of another car pulling into the lot.

‘Thanks’ Mom… don’t worry I’ll find a lift home.’ The youngest pup of the pack jumped out from the back seat waving at his mom who drove him. Running towards us all. His mom was turning her car around when she saw Ma and Ms C and decided to park up to go see them before she left.

‘Auntie, would you like us to clean your car while you have some breakfast and coffee?’  Rachel put on her charm. ‘Kim and Jess will do an excellent job for you.’ The keys were exchanged, and the girls jumped around excited to have bagged another vehicle.

“Hey... young one… come here,” I called him over to the bike I was cleaning. His eyes widened with enthusiasm. I wasn’t sure what for exactly. The bike, or that I called him over? Probabilities were high that it was due to the bike.

‘Morning, Leah…’ he acknowledged Juan too. ‘Sorry, I’m late.’ I waved the comment off. “Don’t worry about that. Why is your mom driving you?’ I asked.

‘Oh… Uhm...’ he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Spit it out…” giving him my no-nonsense glare.

‘My kid sister crashed our other run around. She’s still learning, you see… and she didn’t make the turn…’ he shifted on his feet.

“So, your ma came to drop you off after working nights?” I asked. “You didn’t think to call one of us?” Raising my eyebrow. “Next time you need a lift. Call me or Seth. We will make sure you and your siblings get to where you need to go. Let your ma sleep.”

He looked at me with doe eyes. And my heart was locked down, otherwise, it would have dropped.

‘Thanks… thanks Leah… can I help you with the bike?’ He asked.

 “No, go and eat something first.  Littlesea is on the grill.” I sent him off.

‘That was nice of you.’  Juan had remained silent during the exchange.

“We look out for those who are younger than us.” Now my brown eyes were on him. “Not so different from when you let our vet have the time she needed, when she told you she had a family emergency.” I saw him. He may be trying to hide behind this persona he had created. But I saw the good, the bad, and the not so ugly. Just as I did with most people.

Sounds of cheers came from the guys. ‘Leah just spoke to me!’ I smirked hearing the pup telling the others as they clapped him on the back welcoming him.

∞ Embry Call ∞

I laughed at Seth. “It was Paul! And its shampoo… it may be sticky… but it's clean…” I sniffed myself and muttered. “I think.”

‘We’ll hose you off later.’  Seth laughed and somewhere near the grill, I heard Mr Clingy mutter. ‘Oh, I’m definitely sticking around for that.’ Fuller bristled… Maybe he likes this guy more than he lets on.

We were all chuckling at Bear. We all knew she would be helping Quil when the novelty of the contest wore off and she just wanted to spend time with him. I turned to Quil and set my hand on his chest when Juan made his comment about the girls being ball smashers. “Easy brother… it was a joke… she didn’t hear it… and he kinda has a point,” I whispered. He took a breath and calmed quickly, shaking his head and laughing…

‘It’s okay I don’t like that guy either.’ Paul added. I shook my head. We all kept our voices low.

“You don’t like him because the Pup didn’t. He’s over it, you should be too.” It was hard to separate emotions sometimes, which we had all gotten good at… but the Uley Pack had an out-of-the-blue imprint… It was a strong emotion for all of them, the protective instinct and then being bonded with the Pup’s mind too… It was a lot and Paul, for all his bravado, his biggest flaw was he felt too much and covered it with much macho bullshit that no one paid attention to it.

I heard the youngest speaking to Leah and Jake nodded to me, going to speak with Auntie to have it towed to his place.  Quil and I could help with labour and if it wasn’t fixable we could make them a few dollars stripping the parts. He seemed very excited to hear the Goofball was cooking… but who wasn’t? The Pup knew food. I followed him to the grill, not until I confirmed Seth had written up the scores properly. “Hey if you need to take the bike for a few weeks let me know, okay? You know where the keys are.”

‘Yeah, that would be great… but I can’t pick up my sister from school on a bike… Mom would kill me.’ He laughed. ‘But if it's just me… then it would help. Thanks. I’ll look after it,’ He promised.

“I know… but Leah is right. Someone can help you okay. Just ask.”

He nodded and smiled wide… taking a sausage sandwich from Littlesea. ‘Leah said I could call her.’

“Well, Leah never lies. So, you better take her up on that.” I patted his back and grabbed a fork, stealing a sausage off the grill. The pup yelled after me as I fled; that it was not fully cooked yet… but it was close enough in my opinion.

‘The girls are closing the gap! We gotta pick up the pace.’  Quil called out.

I pulled out my phone. “I guess we'll be finding out if this model really is waterproof,” I muttered… it was soaked! I fired off a quick text and got a reply right away.

[10 mins out.]

“Don’t worry guys I have us covered.” I grinned and Mom started scolding me about my phone and told me to leave my phone with her.

∞ Leah Clearwater ∞

‘Earth to Leah, are you okay there?’  Juan leant over the saddle, his arched brow giving me an intense expression.

“Yeah, all good.” Shaking it off.

I froze midway through standing up. Unable to understand what had happened. My intention was to stand up for what I was doing, to go check on Quil, I knew overhearing the conversation  Juan and  Bear had shared and his comment, as innocent as it was, they could provoke the warrior. We all knew if unchecked, it wouldn’t end well for the vet. But before I could make it across the parking lot… No… Before I could even get up from where I was… Embry had stepped in to calm the situation.

Then when I let my gaze move to Embry over the body of the bike, catching the look shared between him and Jake. I knew… I knew what they were doing for the pup and his mom, what I had been thinking before I even had a chance to walk over and speak to Jake. This was proven right by the follow-up conversation between Embry and the pup. He… Embry… Embry Call… picked up where I left off?

‘This is the path you both walk. Now that you have let him in, he sees more than you have shared with another person in a long time.’ She watched from her lounging position. She was completely at ease here. After the initial checks we always did, she curled up to rest. Hers and my sight always returned to the mom’s and the Imprints whenever we took in the scene.

‘Of course…’ she continued. ‘We cannot take away from his own hard work. His learning… his evolution coming to life before our eyes.’ She was right.

‘Oh good…’  Juan had continued the conversation. ‘I thought you were about to go running.’

“Why would I go running? And where?” I had several places I ran, but what did he mean?

‘Far… far... away?’ He whispered. ‘That big one over there.’ Nodding his chin towards Paul. ‘He looks like he wants to eat me alive.’

At this I had to grin, standing up to wipe my brow with the back of my hand. “Don’t worry. His wife will make sure you are dead, cleaned, and cooked before she lets him get his teeth into you. She likes to know where his mouth has been, at all times.”

Winking at him. Of course, at the same time, Paul made a point to walk past snapping his teeth into the air, before offering to help his wife with the car she was cleaning.

“Spirits give me strength,” I murmured.

‘Hey, you gave me the idea!’ His low reply came with a hearty laugh.

“Arsehole!” I batted back.

‘Just, as you like me!’ another laugh.

“That wash still counts as one of ours,” I called out when Rachel handed the sponge over to her husband. “Don’t go getting any ideas.”  Paul just laughed.

‘You are really competitive, aren’t you?’  Juan questioned.

‘Oh. You don’t know the half of it.’  Kim giggled skipping past for what reason I didn’t know.

“Get back to work Kim!” I growled, rolling my eyes. “If you’re going to do something.” This was to Juan. “You do it right, and become the best.” Moving on to cleaning his wheels. Spirits, it was a good-looking Harley. But my baby… he was something else!

Turning my head fully, this time making a point to look at Embry Call with narrowed eyes.

“What are you playing at?” in a low tone, but in a louder one I called out to his mom. “You tell him, beautiful. Your kid is up to no good over there!”

∞ Embry Call ∞

As I was speaking to the pup, I kept glancing back at Quil, but he was standing by the mom’s now, talking with Claire telling her she was too big to get carried around all the time when she was asking for a piggyback. We had talked about how Claire seems to not act her age around him and that he should try and encourage her to be a little more independent.

I knew it wasn’t going to be easy; I knew he would give in… but it was a step in the right direction. My wolf knew that Leah’s eyes were on me, and it was hard not to look over to where she was. I gave her a quick glance and a cheeky wink that no one who saw would believe it was nothing more than an attempt to wind her up.

“Lahote! Stop fraternizing with the enemy!” I called out. “Plan A is rolling in in five minutes!” He flipped me off and Sue immediately reprimanded him.

‘I have no idea what Plan A is!’ He called out, for the sake of the humans.

“It’s the one that comes before plan B!” I laughed.  Rachel batted her eyelashes at her husband, and he got right back to work.

I saw Sam and Emily’s car coming up the street… and I turned to the Pup on the grill. “Give them some time to get settled and then let Sam take over…” I grinned at him. “I’m gonna need your eye for detail.  Luckily the timing was perfect to cover a completely different smirk when the vet noticed Leah’s competitive streak… He really didn’t know the half of it, just like Kim said.

“Me? I’m raising money for the community centre.” I smirked.  “Why what are you doing?” I quirked a brow concealing that smile my wolf and I consistently wanted to flash her.

And right on cue the cavalry rolled up… one van and two cars… The van emblazoned with Raindrops on the windshield and image of four boys driving in the rain printed on both sides. And contact information for the band.

“Nice one ‘Bry!’ A few of the pups called out, many of the of-age Pups met the band when I invited them to gig to make sure the guys had a friendly crowd to play to. They pulled in just after Sam and Emily. I stopped to greet the Alpha who high-fived me and smirked. ‘Well played, Call.’

‘Or cheating!’  Emily pointed to us both then laughed, hand on the belly. She knew it was all for a good cause.

“How are you?” I asked her.

‘Sore, tired, huge… full of joy… I can’t find my ankles and I need to pee.’ She was still beaming a smile.

I winked at her. “Keep it up!” I teased her. “You’ve never looked better.” I kissed her cheek, and she shuffled off to the bathroom… or so I hoped.

‘You know she really appreciates that right?’  Sam said.

“My backhanded compliments?” I chuckled. They weren’t… but the cheekiness made her smile. I grinned then, watching Collin close the lid of the grill as she walked by. He was a good kid.

‘No, the fact that you always ask about her before the baby.’  Sam said and my brows knit.

“Oh… I mean, yeah… the baby isn’t growing another human…”  Sam just patted me on the shoulder.

‘You just keep on being spectacularly clueless, Embry. It's working for you.’ He said and made his way over to Littlesea. I wasn’t sure what I had done to earn the praise, but I’d take it.

Tony and his bandmates were climbing out of their vehicles now and I started heading across to them. I whistled. “Boys! Let’s get to work!”

Jessica’s head popped up from behind the Auntie’s car and she called out Tony’s name giving him an enthusiastic wave. Claire turned at that and squealed for Tony. She didn’t see him a lot, but she remembered him from when we bought her guitar. She started to run across the parking lot, and I was already too far away to get to her before she stepped into the lanes. All at once fourteen guys and, of course, Leah reacted. Hands were reached out and stops, no’s and wait’s were all called out.  Jake got there just a second before Quil and the only sound for a few seconds was the music.

Ready For The Fire – Valley of Wolves https://youtube.com/watch?v=xNDOhWxAIdc&si=nI9L46k8wmi0gxaN

Claire wasn’t fazed by the reaction however, she had seen this side of the guys all her life, but there were a few people who might think it was weird. Jake explained to her that it wasn’t busy yet, but she couldn’t be running out into the lanes without looking, probably to spare Quil the potential bad mood if she felt like she was told off. I turned back to the band making a fuss about their arrival to deflect from the scene, Jake had Bear; everything was fine. I got loud and fired up to see the band, hugging Tony and lifting him off his feet. I high-fived and fist-bumped the guys. ‘Christ, Embry!!” he rubbed his fingers together and touched his shirt, his nose wrinkled up. ‘What the heck are you covered in?’ “It’s been an exciting morning Tony…” I shrugged and now the guys I had high-fived were taking the wet rags the boys offered to wipe their hands. The Pups came over to get to work. Claire was working her way across the lanes now, watching carefully and I could hear all the raised heartbeats around us. ‘Hi Tony!!’ LittleBear bounced on her toes and proceeded to rattle off all the new chords and songs that she had learnt since the last time she saw him and my friend was all ears. “Okay boys a wash and full detailing on the cars and wash and dry the van carefully, it was only wrapped two weeks ago… be kind.” A couple of the boys mentioned that they had no idea how to use the buffer. “Leave all of that to the twins.” Fuller and Littlesea were making their way to us now that their Alpha had taken over the grill. The drummer of the band looked at them and leaned into me… ‘Wait, they are twins? They don’t even look related…’ He was amazed. “Oh well… that’s because they aren’t really…” I offered no other explanation, it was likely they were very distantly related, but many generations passed.

≡ Embry ≡

“Never trust a bunny with your snake!”

≡ Leah ≡

“I told you bunnies aren’t as sweet as they look.”

≡ Embry ≡

“I didn't disagree!”

≡ Leah ≡

“Oh yeah. I was the one throwing them into you for a laugh.”

≡ Embry ≡

Clutches my non-existent pearls.

“Are saying it was something I did!?”

≡ Leah ≡

Pressing my lips together with a nod. “Spirits yeah. And you know it.”

≡ Embry ≡

Crossing my arms.

"And how exactly did I do this?"

Not sure I wanted to know the answer.

≡ Leah ≡

Mirroring his stand, with my arms crossed over my chest.

“Do you need me to show you a mirror?” Raising my eyebrow in a perfect arch. “Can’t blame the bunnies. They didn’t have a chance in front of a warrior.”

≡ Embry ≡

“Oh!!!! So, I was too sexy… so… my fault?”

Raises a brow.

≡ Leah ≡

“I didn’t say that.” Pointing to him. “You said it. I’m just pointing out facts.”

Tilting my head to the side.

≡ Embry ≡

“Let's get the mirror then and you can point out exactly what you are saying!”

Calling her bluff.

≡ Leah ≡

Narrowing my eyes at him. Biting on the inside of my cheeks.

“Fine… after you.” Nodding in the direction of the bathroom.

≡ Embry ≡

“Is this the part where you lock me in and install a cat flap that you slide my food through while you keep me hostage?”

Follows her anyway.

≡ Leah ≡

Rolling my eyes.

“It’s not a hostage situation if you’re a willing participant, Dimples….. I checked.”

Smirking.

≡ Embry ≡

I tilted my head and smirked... She had a point.

"Well... I suppose I can't deny that... both your point and my..." I waggled my brows. "Willingness."

≡ Leah ≡

Rolling my eyes again. Pushing the door of the bathroom open and stepping to the side.

“I’m always right. You just never listen.”

Motioning for him to go inside.

≡ Embry ≡

"Oh no... My mom raised a gent... Ladies first."

≡ Leah ≡

“My house. My rules. Guests first. Unless they are Chicken.”

≡ Embry ≡

Raises a brow.

"I think the last time that chicken line worked on me I was 11!" I chuckled. "Fine I'll go first... just to be a polite guest!" And because she was way more stubborn than me... I was too curious to wait.

≡ Leah ≡

Shaking my head.

“Nah…. I’ve known that Chicken word to work on you not so long ago, Dimples.”

Resting one shoulder on the door frame waiting for him to step into the bathroom.

“Tick tock… Embry… tick tock.”

≡ Embry ≡

I stepped inside careful not to turn my back on her.

“Always in a rush, Trouble!”

Teases.

≡ Leah ≡

“With you? Never.”

Raising my eyebrow.

“Where is the trust, Dimples?”

≡ Embry ≡

“Oh, I trust you.”

Chuckles.

“I trust you to be about 5 steps ahead of me!!”

≡ Leah ≡

“Five? There you go underestimating me again. Have you learnt nothing?”

Smile a little too sweetly.

≡ Embry ≡

"I said About!!" Sticking out my tongue.

"Could be more! See!" I pointed at her too sweet to be savoury smile... "I knew you were up to something! I'm gonna die in this bathroom." I turned to the mirror to fix my hair.

"At least, I'll still be pretty when I go."

≡ Leah ≡

Shaking my head. “Why are you so paranoid?

Rolling my eyes. “Only if I don’t smash your face in first.” I pulled the door shut. Not locking it, before making my way back to my living room.

“This should give me at least twenty minutes of peace. While you look in the mirror.”

≡ Embry ≡

Thinks about staying here to see what she’d do….

“Nah!” I decided it was more fun to mess with her now. So, I chased her down the hall and caught her around the waist from behind.

≡ Leah ≡

“Spirits!” I heard him before I felt him. My hands moved to rest over his, shaking my head with a smirk. “Really? Not even two minutes? This evolution thing sucks sometimes.”

No, it didn’t. But it was funny to tease.

≡ Embry ≡

I laughed and lifted her off her feet. Kissing her cheek awkwardly from behind. “I just decided there was something even better than me to look at… I thought you called that personal growth…” I smirked.

“You know. Evolution and all.”

≡ Leah ≡

Snapping my teeth at him. My hands holding on to his. “It’s why I said it sucks, Dimples!”

Spirits! My house sounds like a home filled with his laughter!

≡ Embry ≡

“Nah!!” Setting her down.

“We both know we are all for the evolution thing. Especially when it leads to…” I pulled her in. “This.” I leaned in to kiss her once on the lips sweetly. Then kissed her all over her face.

≡ Leah ≡

“Embry! Call!” Growling and laughing at the same time, I didn’t fight the attention. But couldn’t not growl at him… for the fun of it.

Curling my arms around his neck. I snapped my teeth pretending to try to catch his lips to bite them.

“You’re asking for trouble now.”

≡ Embry ≡

I wrapped my arms around her and locked her in (sort of) by grabbing my own wrist.

"I think you'll find I already have trouble, Trouble."

Smirks.

≡ Leah ≡

“Funny…” narrowing my eyes at him with a smirk on my lips. “Okay… I see what you did there.”

Kissing his nose. “Look who is stepping into his trouble now.”

≡ Embry ≡

It was the narrowing of the eyes that did it... I swallowed hard.

"If you promise not to knock me on my arse I'll make you my famous pizza?"

≡ Leah ≡

My foot was moving to curl up around his ankle and pull it out from underneath him. But I stopped.

“Pizza? Now?” I asked setting myself straight in front of him. “Hmm…”

≡ Embry ≡

I knew what she was doing… but I leaned in and dropped my voice the way she liked.

“You know you want to… hot… gooey... Makes you feel so good inside.” I brushed my lips against her ear. “Say yes, Trouble… you know you want to.”

And my stomach growled. It was saying yes first.

≡ Leah ≡

By the spirits! The way he did that! It did something in the core of my being!

Curling my neck I closed my eyes controlling the way my body told on me. Until I heard his stomach, and then I laughed.

“Pizza it is.” Snapping my teeth at him. “You have a way of making it sound amazing.”

≡ Embry ≡

I laughed. “Well… that's gotta be a record... Turning a woman on talking about pizza… do I get a prize?”

Awkwardly shuffling towards the kitchen without letting her go. She couldn't deny it, I could smell it.

≡ Leah ≡

Rolling my eyes at the comment and more so the way he had chosen for us to walk towards the kitchen?

“You know it’s not the pizza, Wisearse.” I wasn’t going to give him a big head by explaining my body's reactions.

“I don’t know… keep trying to mess with me, and No.”

≡ Embry ≡

I smirked and let her go and took her hand to spin her around. "Trust me... I know exactly what it is."

I stepped away and gave her a world-class view of my arse as I headed into the kitchen ahead of her.

"And that was a compliment... so I'll accept that as my prize."

≡ Leah ≡

My hair fell out of its bun, cascading down my back and over my shoulders by the time I faced the other direction.

Raising my one perfectly arched eyebrow, I crossed my arms over my chest taking in the show in front of me.

“You think me, telling you, to take a shower… is a compliment!”

≡ Embry ≡

I was momentarily stunned… like I always was when she took her hair down… It was even better when she didn't do it on purpose.

“Shower??” I scoffed. “All I heard was I turned you on by sweet talking into your ear.”

I found a frozen pizza first and had a thought. “Do you only buy these so there is something here for me to cook when I offer?”

≡ Leah ≡

I noticed that pause. And I also knew what caused it. Even if I didn’t plan it.

Following him into the kitchen. I jumped up to sit myself down on the countertop, watching him move around my kitchen without any hesitation.

Shrugging one shoulder. He knew the answer. I didn’t do frozen pizza. If I wanted to make pizza, I took the time to make the dough, and the sauce, and the toppings. Bring it together.

“Someone once told me it was a good backup plan. And tastes good when it’s pimped up.”

≡ Embry ≡

I laughed... my face buried in the fridge as I rummaged through her leftovers. I lifted out a tub that looked like leftover chicken and grabbed any cheese she had, plus some extra pepperoni too. When I pulled my head out of the fridge I saw her sat there...

"Now you're just trying to tease me." I laughed and put everything on the counter. Then I remembered I should have put on the oven first, to heat up.

"I'm not going to fall for your schemes, Trouble." I tapped my nose and wagged my finger at her. "I'm onto you." Then I tried my best to turn my attention back to my task.

≡ Leah ≡

Frowning a little. “Excuse me… Leah Clearwater does not scheme.” Shaking off the feeling of talking about myself in the third person.

But by the spirits… that sound… his laughter… yeah… so worth it.

“But if you can’t control yourself.” I jumped down from the counter, opening the cabinet behind me, to take out a bag of Doritos.

“I’ll leave you to it and go sit in the living room.” Pulling the bag open, I popped a chip into my mouth.

≡ Embry ≡

“You mean you don't scheme on purpose… it just happens naturally?” I teased and found a cutting board. I opened the chicken and sniffed it… it smelled like it would pair very nicely with pizza.

I scattered it on top and started to grate cheese. I laughed and abandoned my post. “Let’s not do anything hasty!” I chuckled and caught her lightly around the waist.

“This could be a teaching moment, Trouble.” I did the voice thing again. “You really gonna pass that up?”

≡ Leah ≡

“That is not classified as scheming.” I corrected him popping another chip. “It’s called adjusting to needs.”

Oh.. yeah…. That voice caused a reaction! My mouth stopped chewing, with heat crawling up the sides of my neck. By the Spirits! This was…. Becoming a habit.

My eyes dropped to the floor, waiting to see.

“Teachable moment for me or for you, Dimples?”

≡ Embry ≡

I smiled... another smile that only she brought out of me... slow, sexy... hungry. "Me, of course." I let my body brush against hers as I slipped my hands to her arse and lifted her, strong, toned... and lightly flushed form onto the counter again.

"We can call it a lesson in focus and self-control."

I grasped at the last remaining threads of both that I had and used them to step away, then returned to the task of spreading the cheese on top of the frozen pizza and shredded chicken pieces.

≡ Leah ≡

Rolling my eyes to the heavens, counting to five… nope… ten… to bring myself back into a mindful mode of not wanting to kiss his smiling face. And that voice! Why did it heat the depth of my core to life?

It took me a blink of two, shifting myself on the counter, and I was back.

“We all need a refresher now and then. So… sure… no time better than now.”

Remembering the bag of chips in my hand, I took out another popping it into my mouth while watching him make us dinner.

≡ Embry ≡

I watched her out of the corner of my eye. She was... ... as distractable as I was today. I found a cutting board and a knife with ease in her kitchen and started to slice the pepperoni.

"Exactly, I'm still part human... I'm willing to accept that my skills might need a little polishing from time to time." I smiled at her. She knew this smile.

"But with a willing and talented tutor... it hardly feels like work."

Flashes... so many flashes as I watched her propped up on the counter, eating those chips.

≡ Leah ≡

“Wait. Are you admitting to not being perfect? Embry Call! This is growth!”

In the past, we teased, joked, and laughed about things such as being perfect. It became a game, a challenge between us, who could come out on top.

Okay… the image of him being on top… wasn’t what I needed to see right now.

My so helpful warrior decided to show me images of me being on top….

“Spirits!” Shaking my head. “How times have evolved.”

Catching his gaze, and following it to the bag, I held the chips out. “Want some?”

≡ Embry ≡

"Hold up now!" I laughed. "Even perfect specimens might need polishing! The world is constantly moving forward, we gotta work to keep up, is all."

I quirked a brow... something was going on inside her head... and I wanted in on it!

I added more cheese... because... Well, it was cheese!

I slid the tray into the oven and set the timer... With her sitting on the counter like that, it was a sure thing I was going to get distracted.

I returned to her side and grinned helping myself to a chip... "Feel like we've been here before?" I smirked.

≡ Leah ≡

Flipping my hair to the other side, over my shoulder, so I could see him. I just smiled, raising an eyebrow with a small nod of my head.

“Hmm… I’d have to agree.” The image of the last time flashed by. “Feels like a full circle to me.”

Waiting for him to take what he wanted before my hand went into the bag for another chip too.

“Things are different now…” shaking my head. “Who even knew this is where we’d end up?”

≡ Embry ≡

I smiled, reaching up to twirl a strand of her hair around my fingers after she flipped it over to one side. "Hmm..." I stared at the way the silky black strands slid between my rough fingers.

"No denying that... I wouldn't have done this then..." I moved my gaze to her eyes my smile softened, while my heart jolted... every single time. It was funny but it was true.

"But it was the first time the urge to kiss you was almost too hard to resist... at least the first time I knew without a shadow of a doubt I was going to do it," I chuckled. "It was just a matter of when."

I grinned... 𝕨𝕙𝕖𝕟 came pretty soon after that.

≡ Leah ≡

Head tilted to the side; I sat still taking him in. The way he was lost in thought, how his fingers played with the strands of my hair.. and by the spirits… the smile on his lips.

My own lips curled up at the corners, sensing the change in him. Also, at the realization of how I would have hurt him. If he had tried to touch my hair back then. Some walls were coming down, but nowhere enough to save him from a broken finger or two.

“Hmm…” His eyes lifted to meet mine, and I could see the memories playing there.

“Who knew, all it would take is pizza, chips, and a beer.” It wasn’t… it took a shed load more. And he knew it too.

“Wait…” it occurred to me… “The kitchen? When you were making us dinner?” My brows pulled together. “Not the couch?”

≡ Embry ≡

"Oh yeah, just the beer, chips, and pizza... That might be all it takes to get me in the mood..." I winked. "But you... are a far more complex being." I laughed and let her hair slide free.

I did a double-take... "You didn't know?" I laughed; her instincts were normally so on point.

"The kitchen was where I realized that I was done wanting to kiss you, and I was gonna try... As soon as you snapped your teeth at me." I snapped mine at her. "But I was planning to wait... build up to it... But the couch is where I remembered that planning isn't my strong suit."

I tilted my head... "How in the name of the spirits did you miss that one, Trouble... Were you living in the moment by any chance?"

≡ Leah ≡

I laughed with him, taking in the shape of his eyes, the way his features changed when he reminisced, and his far-away look, but at the same time, he was right here too.

“Spirits.” That snap did something, I stilled. Stopped breathing. Cleared my throat. And let out a low hum. Shaking my head slowly.

“I didn’t miss it… I felt… something… a draw… but… I didn’t know what….” Being honest with him.

“I dismissed it as you goofing around.. as…” What did I dismiss it as? “Hmm.. as..” I felt the meaning in my chest but couldn’t put it into words. Shrugging my shoulders.

“Maybe I was just lost in the fact, I was letting someone other than my ma feed me. And talk to me without passing judgment?”

≡ Embry ≡

I smiled... The way that she reacted to looking back on those memories. "It's strange isn't it?" I asked, standing in front of her now. "Looking back and trying to figure out exactly when and how those feelings started?"

I took her hand and placed it low on my stomach. "That night, I felt it right here… sometimes I'm certain it was the first time… other times I know there were a dozen more before that.”

I moved her hand up to my heart. “Later that night it was here; I couldn't remember the last time anyone made my heart race. But the thing that stands out the most is that… there was no end game… no desire for more than just that first kiss… just to know, to feel. All my life I talked about living in the moment, but I was never more focused on just one moment.”

I touched my forehead to hers. “It took me far too long to wake up.” I didn't apologize or justify my past behaviour; she didn't want that, and we’d been through it all. “But I'm wide awake now.”

≡ Leah ≡

Setting the bag of chips down beside me I followed his actions with my eyes, before returning to gaze in his eyes again.

Actions…. I smiled to myself….

I felt my heart returning his call to it, remembering my thoughts.. the moments… the feelings… all and nothing at the same time… okay… ‘nothing,’ wasn’t the right word to describe it… but I knew what I meant.

“So much for not hitting on me…” It was one of the first things he said to me. After I of course told him. “Or… there’s nothing I can see here I’d be interested in.” Paraphrasing. She sat up listening. Because she wanted credit. “She stopped me from punching you in the face.” Recalling the tsunami that took place internally when he kissed me.

Closing my eyes resting my forehead on his. Leaving my hand over his heart.

≡ Embry ≡

I chuckled softly, raising my hand to her cheek, leaving hers to look out for my heart. "Well, I meant it at the time... but the real question is..." I dropped my voice low again without having intended to. "Are you 𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕕 now?"

We both knew that was not the word she had used. And that she had meant it at the time too.

"That's because out of the four of us here... she is the cleverest." I did so love to flatter her wolf, and I believed it... she had, after all the arse kicking her counterpart dished out, always protected the face.

≡ Leah ≡

At the way his voice changed, my eyes opened to look at him. Taking in the feel of his warm breath on me, that scent of his…

She was enjoying this conversation, of course, she was… he was charming her as always. But I let her have it.

“Hmm… maybe…” I snapped my teeth at him. “I told you before… watch the actions… not the words.” Brushing my nose with his.

“But… The friendship came first…without letting that door open, I wouldn’t have been there that night… I wouldn’t have let my guard down.”

Turning my head into his touch.

≡ Embry ≡

Her answer was all I needed. I smiled, brushing my thumb across her cheek. “So sexy," I whispered, my stomach doing that thing that we had only just talked about.

"I do so enjoy watching your actions." My smile turned a little more wicked. "The friendship came first." I agreed. "That was a night where we chose a path. Have I mentioned... or..." I paused and chuckled. "Have I shown you lately how glad I am that you picked the same one?"

≡ Leah ≡

Curling my bottom lip to suck it, those muscles in my stomach and even lower all letting me know that his proximity to me was being noticed.

“So sexy..” I agreed, smiling because his one was bloody contagious. Turning my head into his touch again. Before speaking.

“You’re cooking dinner. Isn’t that showing me how glad you are right now?”

My hand was still over his heart, feeling the pressure of each beat as we spoke to each other.

“How else would you show me?” Raising my eyebrow. Okay.. fine. There were lots of ways he’d shown me. And he knew it.

≡ Embry ≡

"I would say that we match..., but a thirty-five and a ten..." I chuckled. "Well, they really can't be compared." I kissed the tip of her nose.

"You make a good point... cooking every twentieth meal we eat together... I'm an absolute keeper, Clearwater." I teased. "But I'm sure I think of something... a song maybe... or serving myself up for dessert... you really did enjoy that."

≡ Leah ≡

“Thirty-Five - Twenty.” I corrected him. “I don’t need to cheat to win with those scores.” Wiggling my nose with that kiss making it tickle a little.

“I don’t keep you for the cooking, Call…” hundred percent truth. “I’m more than capable of feeding myself and you.” Not that anyone outside of the bubble knew this fact. “It’s the love of music, and the songs you sing.. that’s why you’ve not been kicked to the curb.” There were a few other reasons too. But why give him a big head?

≡ Embry ≡

A long exhale escaped from me at those words... 𝕜𝕖𝕖𝕡 𝕪𝕠𝕦... Fuck! Why did those words make my stomach and my wolf prowl closer to the surface?

"Spirits, I like the sound of that!" I said in a low rumble. And then, of course, she had me laughing. "We both know I play better than I sing." I chuckled. "But I also sing better than I cook... so I think your priorities are well aligned."

The rest of her reasons didn't need to be said, Leah only kept people in her life because she wanted to, and she hadn't hidden her reasons for letting me in, for a very long time.

≡ Leah ≡

She felt him first, by a split second. His warrior was coming closer, making her dream of how we could do this. Wake him up…  “Because it’s the truth, maybe? Or the fact that we are fully honest?”

Now my hands moved up to his hair, combing it back and then tugging on it. “By the Spirits…” a low-pitched hum echoed in my head. There it was.. that sound we both liked to hear from him. Even my home came to life in technicolour when his laughter filled this space.

“Come.. on… you know better... I know where priorities come up the line.” I didn’t fight his comment about his singing. Because he didn’t hear his voice through my ears and heart. So, how was he to know any better?

≡ Embry ≡

She tugged at him... pulling him closer to the surface. I moved my free hand to her hip and pulled her to the edge of the counter, right as she tugged my hair, making me groan. Why was that so fucking hot!?

My thumb brushed the edge of her lip, and my teeth grazed her full lower lip.

Just as my heart rate reached its peak; the timer buzzed aggressively. I couldn't tell if the huff of indignation at the sound was me or my wolf... Who was I kidding; it was both of us.

"Saved by the bell, Trouble," I whispered before summoning every scrap of self-control I had to tear myself away to tend to the oven.

≡ Leah ≡

This time it was me who burst out in laughter. This couldn’t possibly be anything more than perfection.

“Spirits! Buzzers really like bringing us crashing to the ground.”

Not a moment too soon. He had electricity charging throughout my being. From my head all the way down to my toes.

I curled my bottom lip between my teeth, biting down on it to keep myself from wanting more from them.

Embry and his warrior… they pulled us to our awakening, and now it was up to me to push my control back in place.

Combing my fingers through my own hair now.

≡ Embry ≡

“It fast becoming my least favourite sound.” I chuckled and opened the oven. I lifted out the pizza tray. In need of a rather vital adjustment.

I rested and pulled a plate out to slide the pizza onto it. Glancing over at her I smiled… the signs were on her face just as plainly as mine.

“Flustered Clearwater?” I teased her. I found the pizza cutter with ease and ran it across the cheesy masterpiece. I set the plate in the middle of her table and went to the fridge for two beers.

≡ Leah ≡

To give my hands something to do, I slipped down from the counter. Opening the top drawer for a bag clip. Rolling the bag of chips closed and clipped it down.

Slowing the blood rush, the thudding heart, and the heat rising… it was all coming back… slower than expected. “Ahh.. someone in need of a cold shower, dimples?” Not answering his question. Because it was visible.

Once I put the chips away and turned back around. Leaning back on the counter I couldn’t help watching him.

Smiling, with my arms crossed over my chest, I tilted my head; he knew his way around. And sure... I knew this... but... it still made me stop and wonder what happened with us and this path we were both walking?

Shaking my head. “The pizza smells so good.”

≡ Embry ≡

I smiled watching her, the opportunity while she was distracted, and I had my back turned to 𝕗𝕚𝕩 myself. It wouldn't go unseen… but at least it was an attempt at politeness.

“Definitely!” I admitted. “But pizza first!” I laughed. I open the beers and put them on the table. “I'm sure whatever is on the chicken you made will make or break my recipe.” I smiled and slipped my arms around her pulling her away from the counter, kissing her cheeks, her nose, her lips, and her chin between words. “Will you join me for dinner, Ms Clearwater?”

≡ Leah ≡

Shifting my eyes towards the windows to give him some space to.. well… correct himself. I pressed down on my lips trying not to smile.

Good… he was in the same spot as me. Always good to know.

The aroma filling my senses was mouth-watering. Thinking about the leftovers in the fridge, I knew what he’d used. “It’s peri-peri,” I told him and stepped into him.

Now there was no stopping the smiles, who could resist?

“Thank you, Mr. Call. I will join you.” Biting his cheek before I made my way to take a seat.

≡ Embry ≡

I smiled and planted one last kiss on the corner of her mouth. Then I took my seat and rubbed my hands together in anticipation. “Peri-peri chicken and pepperoni pizza? I think we might have a new winning recipe right here!” I chuckled.

“We make a great team when you think about it. All those amazing leftovers you have in the fridge, they really elevate my pizza game.” I grinned and lifted a slice. The cheese was perfectly stringy, just how you wanted.

I could smell the chicken below the layer of melted goodness.

≡ Leah ≡

Raising my eyebrow in a perfect arch. “We make a good team, because of my leftovers?” Watching his jubilation for the cheese pull.

“There’s no other reasons we work, huh?” I asked taking a slice directly opposite from where he had. I had to give credit where credit was due. The pull from the cheese was so good!

The steam rose from the top of the slice, the crust browned perfectly, and the chicken seemed to glow underneath the glossy cheese.

That first bite was a sensation of flavours bursting and coming to life inside of my mouth.

≡ Embry ≡

"So hasty, Trouble!" I smirked. "Who said only?"

I locked my gaze on hers, my teeth pulling on my bottom lip, I watched her... thinking of all the reasons we worked so well. "We could make a list of all the reasons we work well if you like." I smiled. She liked a good list... and I liked... well, anything that made her smile.

I could see the enjoyment on her face when she took a bite, and I couldn't resist anymore. I took a bite and licked some cheese drippings off my pinkie finger. "Mmm... Yes! That is good. Peri-Peri chicken pizza... we'll start a new craze." I grinned and swallowed the bite.

"So... the list. In any particular order or, do we make the list first and then decide where they all rank?"

≡ Leah ≡

The pizza was good, the flavours all came together in my mouth as I chewed and married so well.

“The cheese, it’s always the extra cheese,” I muttered before taking another bite from the slice. Okay, so the chicken was good too. It’s always better the next day.

My eyes flicked over to him at the special word. “List?” My ears perked up, add to that the bloody lip bite!

“Spirits.” Closing my eyes and shaking my head, swallowing my mouthful. “I know what you’re doing. It’s not going to work.”

My eyes were back on him. “Everyone knows. List, then arrange.”

≡ Embry ≡

"You can never go wrong with extra cheese." I smiled and took another bite. "This one just might be my best yet."

I smiled... the sub-text in her body language shifted at the word list... Maybe even excited her, if not turned her on just a bit.

"Okay, fine… just that last bit. I knew the answer... I was showing off a little. Just to prove I was paying attention." I smirked. Like the mention of the entire list thing was to give her that look in her eyes.

"Okay then... I'll start..." I smiled that smiled She knew the one. "Let's start with simple, yet vital... Temperature. We match."[LB3] 

≡ Leah ≡

It’s a good one, top five for sure.” Leaning back in my chair, I moved my legs out from under the table to the side so that I could cross them.

“Look who is taking notes.” He had been listening and paying attention.

I took another bite, the cheese pulled as good as the first one.

Raising my eyebrow. “You’re starting off strong,” I told him covering my mouth as I spoke. “And I would say, that’s the next on the list… strength. We share that too.”

≡ Embry ≡

I winked at her and took another bite into the crispy crust of the slice... "You know... it always turns out so much better when I cook this here... I'm starting to think we need a new oven." I was thinking out loud.

I smiled at her choice... "Not worrying about breaking each other... that is a big one... a potential number one... top three at least." I smiled and lifted another slice.

"How about playlists?" I swigged from my beer, watching her. 

≡ Leah ≡

Chewing over the pizza in my mouth as well as his words. “Hmm… yeah.. when was the last time your oven ever got a deep clean or a service?” For once I wasn’t pulling his leg, it was a genuine question. “Don’t go buying a new one, without seeing if it’s a maintenance issue.”

I always left my crust to the end, enjoying that deep crunchy texture before the next slice.

“Top two. The playlist has to be in the top two.” This was a deal breaker. Music had to be one of our key things. Spirits, it helped me speak with him.

“Riding?” My next offering.

≡ Embry ≡

I stopped chewing and smirked. “Um…. Service? That's a thing? We wipe out the crusty bits…” I thought about it. “As for a real clean? When was the last time #Claire was mad at my wife?”

I grinned at her. “That's a good one. But we still need to get you on a machine built for cruising. We all live for the speed... But you need to try it my way too.”

I took another bite.

“Food… food is something we have in common too.”

≡ Leah ≡

I wasn’t judging them, but I chose to close my eyes and count to ten before saying anything. “The prom thing… I think.” In answer to the last time #Quil was upset enough to have one of his cleaning sprees around their home.

“You need to get that thing serviced!” I groaned after another bite.

He was trying it again, getting me to slow my ride down. “And upset my baby? Betrayal is what it’s called if you ride another bike and like it, Dimples. He would never forgive me.”

Picking up my drink, I took a pull, nodding my head. “Yeah. Food is the answer for all the warriors. We all enjoy food.’

Polishing off half a slice in two bites. “How about old horror?” I asked.

≡ Embry ≡

I chuckled at her reaction... "So... it might have been a while." I chuckled. "But you have a point... I'll make a call."

Now the chuckle was a full-blown laugh. "Okay... but what if... Just hypothetical. There was a sick baby... just out of rehab that needed a little open-road therapy. That would just be community service, right? I'm sure he’d understand."

"Oh!" I clutched at my heart! "Yes! That’s a big one... right there." Then I thought about it. "Climbing...  even if you are still new to it. Or at least new to doing it the human way. You liked it. Something we should do again."

≡ Leah ≡

My eyebrow raised over the bottle as I took a moment to understand the situation he dreamt up for us. Frowning due to the fact the logistics weren’t logical at this point.

“Why would a sick baby out of hospital be trusted to me? No one would say. ‘My sick baby needs a ride. I know. I’ll get Leah Clearwater, with her resting bitch face to give it one.’ It’s not going to happen.”

At this stage, I don’t even want to acknowledge the voice I made up. It was low pitched, and the only thing I could hear coming out.

Setting the bottle down, I picked the half-eaten slice, biting some off.

I hadn’t forgotten about the first date he took me on. The early morning start, the sandwiches and snacks he had ready, the drive to the place he took me rope climbing.

“It’s got to be on the list. It was a good day. The eagle and all.”

≡ Embry ≡

I laughed and shook my head. "Oh please... First of all, that resting bitch face is sexy as fuck... At least, I think it is. It's been a while since I've seen it... Owing to the fact that when you look at me all you're thinking about is when will you be able to take my clothes off." Was I seeing what I wanted to see? It was highly possible.

"But I have a way of taking beat-up old things and making them good as new again." I thought about the jeep and my bike... "Or... almost at least."

I smiled remembering the way we had reached the top... We could have scaled that ledge half a dozen times in the time it took us to do it once. But she did it... each and every step.

"I can't promise you eagles... but I can promise you new and exciting climbs."

≡ Leah ≡

“Wow… wow… wow!” Holding my finger up to stop him.

“What do you mean I don’t have my RBF anymore? I worked damn hard to put the ‘No Entry’ sign on my forehead.” Again, not a lie. “And no, I do not! The majority of the time I’m fighting her, to let me kick your arse.” Huffing, I got the added benefit of him.

My scowl became a smile, because as much as I liked teasing him about it. He was an old soul, drawn towards old things like his jeep and bike.

Raising my eyebrow. “Why does it feel like I should be highly offended by the ‘beat up old things.’ Comment?”

My eyes were back on him, tilting my head to the side, letting my hair fall freely down my shoulders.

“You don’t need to promise me anything. I know it will come to pass when it’s meant to.”

≡ Embry ≡

I laughed...  "Oh, I'm sure it is still there... it just turns me on now instead of making me shield my crotch."

I smirked. "She likes me too much." My wolf agreed, and there was no denying that we had a soft spot for that beautiful creature that lived inside her.

"Oh, please! If you even kinda thought I meant it like that I would be on the floor gasping for air after being throat punched." I winked at her.

"Hey, look another tick for the strength column!" I smiled. "There's another thing we share... No expectations... We just appreciate each other as we are."

I smiled. It was corny... But true. There wasn't a single thing I would change... not that I ever could, Leah was not the type to allow anyone to change her. Another side of her I found sexy as hell.

≡ Leah ≡

Okay, so not so much in the ‘evolution’ column per se, but I couldn’t help myself when I flipped him off.

Even with my heart doing that thing with my core, at the sound of his bloody laughter. Why did that sound so good?

“What can I say? I do like a well-executed throat punch.” She nodded her agreement. I just wasn’t sure if it was to me, or him. They both counted.

“You can’t use this one for the list, it’s too…. Well…. It’s just…” there was no fighting it. “Fine! I’ll let you have it. This time.”

≡ Embry ≡

I couldn't stop myself from touching my throat... even though... to this day I hadn't seen her actually throw one. "You know... I've heard getting punched in the throat can permanently change your voice." I chuckled... it was true and also self-serving. For some reason she liked my voice... which was at best: not unpleasant and on key... because I wasn't sure off-key was something I could do even if I tried. Perfect pitch and all.

I set my slice down for a second and eyed her with pinched brows. "Wait... Are we turning the list into a competition?" I laughed. "I don't remember signing up for that, Trouble."

≡ Leah ≡

“Well, I guess we have another something to add to the list. We both like your voice as it is.”

He had a tenderness to the way his voice sounded when he sang. It was Embry, but then I could also hear the spirits in there too. Because he sang from a pure place in his soul. I stopped chewing, shifting in my chair at the realisation that I did. Swallowing the food in my mouth, I just shrugged my shoulders. As if saying; ‘What did you expect?’

My eyes dropped to my slice, pulling off some of the chicken to eat.

“Not a competition.. not at all.” Looking up at him through my eyelashes, the smile on my lips growing.

≡ Embry ≡

I laughed. She had a point. I mean, if I had to pick between what my voice would be after a throat punch and how it is now, now would win.

I chuckled and then swallowed another bite. She had totally started to keep score. But it made me smile. "Never change, Trouble." I smiled... I was stating the obvious, Leah changed for no one.

"So... what is the score right now?"

≡ Leah ≡

“We never change, Dimples. We evolve on our journey.” Answering him and adding another item to the list.

Shaking my head I took another bite from the crust in my hands. Not really think before replying to Embry.

“It’s five, five with that last one.” Then I stopped chewing and looked up at him over the table. Spirits! He knew it was happening without me even trying or thinking about it.

≡ Embry ≡

I smiled at her... that was our thing... evolution, not change. Never change.

I sucked in a breath. "A tie..." I took another bite and contemplated. "I need to pull out a few good ones to get ahead." I chuckled.

"We both suck at asking for help but in entirely different ways." I laughed; it sounded like a negative but Leah had shown me that awareness of your flaws was all a part of the evolution process.

≡ Leah ≡

Falling back in the chair I clicked my tongue. “But at least we know we are bad at it. So… that’s a good thing, Dimples.”

Turning partly so that I could move my legs out from under the table. Crossing them as I thought about the list.

“Hmm… five.. six…” taking a drink before smiling.

“We both speak the language of eyes. Even if it took you some catching up on it.”

I always believed that the eyes told you what people didn’t see. You just had to learn their language.

“Six… six…”

≡ Embry ≡

I grinned at her. "I'm not quite so sure that was part of the Ancestor's lesson plan when they nudged us down the same road, Trouble." I bit into the crust in my hand and swallowed the mouthful. "They might have wanted us to do a little more than identify our flaws." I chuckled and lifted my beer.

"We both make excellent eye contact even without the conversation... even if it took some catching up on that one," I smirked, turning her words back on her.

≡ Leah ≡

“It’s a lesson, and we are learning. It counts, Dimples.” Smirking as I knew exactly what he meant. And knew #TheGreatWolf would agree with Embry too.

Raising my eyebrow over the rim of my drink, my eyes locked on to his every move.

Tilting my head to the side, my mind slowly considering the facts.

“I’ve never dropped my eyes. Not to any living person. But I know, I made it difficult for them to hold on long enough to hear or see what was there.”

Could it be considered confusion when we both knew it wasn’t a lie or hidden?

≡ Embry ≡

I nodded, chewing another bite. “I know, but it wasn't very often you would seek it out… not unless you were having an important conversation. But now…” I grinned at her. “Even across a crowded room… you look for it. And in private?” my smile grew… we both knew that our gazes met as often as possible.

≡ Leah ≡

Taking a pull of my drink, I set it down. He was right. Of course, he noticed these things now. He always said he missed too much. And had catching up to do.

Shaking my head. But again, with a shrug. “Hmm… it’s different in the bubble.” Setting my elbows on the table. Hearing Ma in my head. Saying to take them off. But instead, I rest my face on my palms watching him, locking my brown eyes onto his.

“You don’t have to look you know.”

≡ Embry ≡

I shook my head and grinned. “It doesn’t matter. The fact is you found a space in your life where you feel open enough.” I stretched one leg out under her table, touching my foot to the side of hers. “And it wasn’t a simple thing for you.”

I bit my lip… watching how she positioned herself with the sole intention of looking at me. Because this was what we did now. My eyes never wavered from hers. “There is never anything I 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 to do when it comes to you, Trouble.” I smiled. It was the truth. I mean… we had our rules, but we created those together.

“Seeking you out isn’t something I think about… it just happens. Like breathing. Like… looking at you is the most natural thing in the world.”

≡ Leah ≡

Curling my lower lip and licking it at the site of that lip bite he always did. Because. Yeah. Finding that attractive was a thing now. Gone were the days when my reaction was to slap him upside the head for doing that!

And then what he was saying sunk in. Making my heart skip, feeling the heat crawling up the side of my neck.

“There you go with your words again.” My eyes were still trained on his. “Showing me how those ‘feels’ we don’t feel, are working out for us.” My voice had become low, soft, and easy. Teasing sure, but reflective too.

≡ Embry ≡

My breath caught in my throat when her heart did that thing… Spirits! What a sound!

“Just the truth, Trouble.” I teased. “Never feels…” I winked. Clearly only one of those statements was true. “So… six-six?” I smirked.

≡ Leah ≡

Pressing my lips together so as not to smile. I pushed back to sit upright once again.

“Hmm…” arching my eyebrow with one nod. “Six… Six… Dimples.” Motioning to tell him it was his turn.

Eyeing the last slice of pizza in the middle of the table. Pushing the plate towards him.

≡ Embry ≡

I knew that look. That was her 𝓘 𝓪𝓰𝓻𝓮𝓮 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝓘'𝓵𝓵 𝓫𝓮 𝓭𝓪𝓶𝓷𝓮𝓭 𝓫𝓮𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓘 𝓵𝓮𝓽 𝓱𝓲𝓶 𝓴𝓷𝓸𝔀 𝓘 𝓭𝓸 look.

“Thank you.” I grinned, for the slice and the win. Sitting up straighter, I thought about it… “Hmm… my turn again.” I laughed then… taking a bit as I mulled this one over.

“We are both wrapped around our mother’s pinkie finger,” I added to the list. “And nothing in the world would ever make us want to change it.”

≡ Leah ≡

My lips parted and then clamped down, working my jaw. By the spirits, he knew this too! I always made it out as though I went along with Ma’s requests. But… yeah… he saw past that all now too.

“Seven… Six…” the only acknowledgement he would get to that one.

Playing with my drink, while thinking about just how unapologetic we both were to put our mom’s desires first. Even to the point I had coffee with one of the doctors they wanted to set me up with.

Shaking my head.

“So... my go?” I asked. Then continued anyway. “Even with the past we lived we both know it’s on us, to make the future better for those following in our footsteps.”

Raising my eyebrow. Waiting to see if he acknowledged his hand in giving the pups the safety blanket to know they had a place to go and be without judgment.

≡ Embry ≡

I grinned because I really thought that I would get just a little push-back on that one.

I finished the slice and wiped my hands on a paper towel. She had nailed it with that one and she knew it. It was why I had opened my home to the pups of both packs for exactly this reason.

“Wow… so we are getting deep now!” I smiled and reached across the table to take her hand. “Seven-Seven… I feel like this is going to end in a tie…” I raised a brow. “How would you and that gorgeous alter ego of yours take that?” I chuckled.

≡ Leah ≡

𝕊𝕙𝕖… about melted into a puddle when he took my hand, speaking about her. This came with an eye roll. Telling her to stop betraying me! She didn’t see it as a betrayal. Not when she used this game of ours as an example of why we were exactly where we were meant to be. “Hmm… not sure I want her to have her say. She’d be okay with letting you win.”

She disagreed because she said I would be a nightmare to live with. Also, true.

Turning my hand to lace my fingers with his. “We both know, doing this our way. Not following the norms is why this is working.” Edging to add another to the list.

I tried… I did… but still… I just couldn’t… smiling at him. Happy for him to end it with one of his own. Waiting to see what he did.

≡ Embry ≡

I saw the light in her eyes, and the shift in her body language… oh yeah… her Spirit Warrior was in her feels… I mirrored the tiny shift. Or He did. Looked like she wasn’t the only one.

“I can’t imagine why.” I laughed. I knew she hadn’t meant for her next comment to be added to the list… but… it was actually perfect for it… I could see the concession in her gaze. She would totally let me take this one. So, I smiled and said, “Hmm… Eight seven.”

Then I let her hand go, took the last mouthful from my beer, and stood up to take the plate and empty bottle to the sink. Because that look from her… That was all I needed. It wasn’t about winning…

“Evolution,” I whispered to myself as I rinsed the plate.

≡ Leah ≡

Falling back into my chair, my heart thumping, I felt like the wind was knocked out of me.

“By the spirits” mouthing it under my breath. His letting go and stepping away gave me a few moments to breathe and gather myself. Telling Her to go to sleep. Before slowly rising from the table to wipe down the counters, and table. Working on our own in a comfortable silence.

≡ Embry ≡

I smiled to myself as her body reacted to my gesture. We had once again proven to ourselves that there was nothing here that was about winning or losing… but that didn’t mean a little playful competition couldn’t be a whole lot of fun.

We worked side-by-side and when we were done, I leaned back against her counter with the ease and comfort I would in my own home. “How about another drink… something a little stronger?” I gave her that smile. Wondering how far we would take the recreation of that very first pizza night.

≡ Leah ≡

After washing my hands, I dried them on the towel, turning to face him when I heard the question. Leaning back on the sink, the towel working over my hands.

“Something stronger?” I asked. My lips just curled at the edges. Nodding my head. “Yeah. Sounds like a solid plan.” Folding the towel in half, before I hung it.

This night was a step into our history. Where it all began… but look at how far we had come since, I told myself.

Crossing the small space, I stepped up in front of him. Toe to toe. Tilting my head as our eyes connect.

“Two fingers or just the one?”

Reaching around him at the top cabinet, where his bottle of Jameson sat beside my bottle of Woodford.

Bringing them down one at a time to sit on the corner to his side. I may have made sure; he felt the caress of my body as I did so.

≡ Embry ≡

I bit my lip, and my body responded to her nearness by setting my hands on her hips. I tilted my head to the side when she reached by me. I ducked lower and pressed a kiss to her jaw… there was no way to resist… my heart skipped… she smelled like heaven.

I smiled 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 smile and met her eyes. My voice was low again. “Let’s start with two and work our way up. Shall we?” With all the implied innuendo in my tone. I slid my hands down lower on her hips and let my nose brush against hers.

≡ Leah ≡

Okay…. That most definitely did something. Biting the inside of my cheek, I had to press my thighs together to calm the plunging pulse down there.

“Hmm… it’s a good idea..” my voice matched his. Then my hands moved to his neck, and up into his hair.

“You’re getting into trouble, Embry Call...” whispering it into his ear. Biting his earlobe for good measure.

I closed my eyes. His warm breath; tested my willpower.

≡ Embry ≡

Fuck! Even before her scent shifted I felt her reaction, and it strengthened the reaction already started in me. The temptation to grab her by that perfect arse, lift her onto the counter and bury my face in the source of that scent… I cleared my throat… It was next to impossible to resist.

“It’s not my fault you are such a bad influence, Trouble.” The huskiness in my voice wasn't optional anymore. I bit my lip when I felt her teeth on my ear. “I…” I couldn’t gather enough air… enough concentration to speak. Her mouth, her voice… her fingers in my hair… Fuck! She smelled too good. “…Still...” I managed, my hands tightening on her hips. “…Owe you that song.”

I remembered our deal from when she was about to kick my arse in the hallway.

≡ Leah ≡

There it was proof we both reached that same space at the same time.

The thunder racing this way over my nerves, the pulsing all over, the sound and scent of him. I wondered if his warrior reacted to this like mine did?

But I shook it off. Tilting my face to find him. Kissing him once. Even with his grip on my hips. I knew the moment I took that step back. His hands would drop.

“Hmm…” blinking myself away from where we were headed. Licking my bottom lip as I pushed free. “And I have two drinks to pour. We wouldn’t want the bad influence to stop.”

Straightening myself out, my fingers moved up into my hair, combing it back and then over my shoulder.

≡ Embry ≡

I smiled, loosening my hold on her hips as she slipped away. Letting my fingers trail off. I instantly missed her heat. She was right there, and I missed her, craved to bite the bottom lip she licked.

But that would surely send me down a path that would keep me from following through with my promise.

“We wouldn't want that at all,” I smirked. My gaze lingered on her side profile as she busied herself. Then I not-so-subtly checked her out as I pushed off the counter and headed to the living room, where my Nana’s Gibson lived.

≡ Leah ≡

Oh, we knew, we didn’t miss a thing when it came to this man. We felt the way his eyes lingered those extra moments. Taking us in.

She smirked, turned and lay down to rest.

“You’re always so agreeable, Dimples.”

It felt strange now feeling the warmth of his touch. To be so close and far at the same time. And yet, the distance between us never felt like a chasm.

Shaking my head, I set the bottles back on the counter in case we wanted a refill. But I didn’t follow him all the way. Lingering at the opening of the living room, watching him.

≡ Embry ≡

“Good… Because it compliments your tenacity just perfectly.” I said as I moved across the living room. “Don’t you think?” We both knew I was asking her wolf. And we both knew her wolf agreed (Not that Leah would ever admit that).

I heard her approaching and I started to strum, confident she had it perfectly in tune… She always did. And I wonder if she checked it even when she wasn't practising. This one was in a key I wasn't normally comfortable with… but my Grandfather’s gift would see me through it… right?

≡ Leah ≡

“Tenacity?” Arching my eyebrow. “Is that the word of the day?”

Fine… she was agreeing but not showing me. But by the spirits, she knew when he spoke to her. So, I gave another eye roll, at how perfectly he managed to share moments with her. I had yet to speak with his warrior in the same way.

Leaning my shoulder on the frame beside me, I stood there making sure his Nani’s guitar was as he expected it to be. Before listening to his choice of song. Listening to where his heart, and mind were right now.

Smiling at the choice, I crossed the room setting his glass down on the coffee table, and sitting back on the couch with mine.

≡ Embry ≡

I would have told her that it was a polite way of saying 𝕤𝕥𝕦𝕓𝕓𝕠𝕣𝕟… but honestly… stubbornness was as much an asset as it could be a flaw. But I was already busy singing… plus, she was hot when she drew her line in the sand… and sometimes she rubbed it out and drew a new one… so it didn’t really fit into the flaw category.

I made a point to be looking right at her when I sang:

𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆

𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗜'𝗺 𝗮-𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻' 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄, 𝗔𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗼𝗻𝗮

𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲

𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗮 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹, 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗱, 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗱

𝗦𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻' 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗲

And looked her right into those deep, always-thinking eyes.

≡ Leah ≡

My fingers combed through my now open hair pushing it back and then over one shoulder. Bringing my long legs up off the ground, I crossed them under myself sitting back and sipping on the delicious amber liquor in the glass.

The heat of it penetrates its way down, smooth and raw.

Thinking about the word… Tenacity…

I had no problems with it. Sometimes in life, we all need some resemblance of the trait. Hard decisions, tough reactions, and to stand one’s ground. I was used to being called the ‘stubborn bitch.’ So… Tenacity was a kinder way to say the same thing.

His eyes locked onto mine as my thoughts processed. I’m lost in the song for a minute. But I was back. Listening. Hearing. Processing.

≡ Embry ≡

I watched her intently… the way her hair slipped through her fingers. Her eyes were on me… making me feel all the things that only she could ever make me feel.

She had this way of paying attention to a person that made them feel seen… all my details and nuances were on display to her… not because I let them show. I hid very little in general… it was because she chose to pay attention. To see the things that meant the most to me and include them in our time inside the bubble. Like music… the way she always wanted to see what I would choose.

I finished the song and smiled at her. “I’ll have to teach you that one.” I chuckled, reaching for the drink she’d brought me. “You seemed to enjoy it.” She always did, always appreciated what I played or sang, because it came from a place inside my mind.

≡ Leah ≡

I’d been following the cords as he played. The upbeat rhythm of the song, and the way he chose to play, it all spoke to how he felt at that moment.

I was watching him over the rim of my glass when the song came to an end. The way he held the guitar even when he wasn’t playing also gave me insight.

“Hmm… I’d like that. It’s a good song to hear and try to learn.” Of course, me playing it wouldn’t sound anywhere as good as him. But we gotta start somewhere.

Guitar lessons within the bubble were our thing too. Learning to place my fingers just so, picking up the pieces of a song before putting it all together.

I was rubbing my fingers to see if any of my indents remained in place, but of course with my healing, my fingertips felt as perfect as they did the day before.

≡ Embry ≡

The guitar sat against my lap, and I watched her, watching me. I smiled. “If I can do it, you can do it.” I meant it, Leah was smart, coordinated and focused. She was already learning songs. It took me a while to get used to it and I had the advantage of knowing how to read music already.” Then I gave her 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 smile… she knew the one.

“But you have the advantage of looking three times sexier holding a guitar than I ever did.” I took another sip and set the glass down, nestling the Gibson in a place of honour on the armchair while I moved next to her. I brushed my calloused fingertips against her soft ones. “I have a feeling you’ll be like the Pup… the callouses might not come… but…” I grinned. “You can still outpace him with enough practice.” I knew it wasn’t about that for her.

I didn’t think it was even about obtaining excellence… which she did at everything she tried. It was just about making music and spending time… My heart skipped… because that time… it was with me. It was about exploring and learning, about being together and creating something that was incredibly and deeply important to us both.

It was about music.

≡ Leah ≡

“I don’t doubt I can, but I’m not in a rush with this.” Turning our hands over so now I stroked the soft tips of my fingers over his.

I tested the marble of his skin, told its own story of life, his passion, be it his, or one that came from being a Call. I found it fascinating.

Shaking my head, with my eyes still on his hand. “The pup and you are in a different league, and I’m not in a hurry to join you guys. I’ll get to where I am happy, and then keep going until I know I can.”

Thinking of the pup and his voice, his way of playing, and becoming something more when he was lost in his mind.

“Yeah... I don’t think music was born to leave a mark on me. Well… you know what I mean.” Of course, music left a mark, if it didn’t. I wouldn’t be having this conversation.

Lifting my gaze to his.

≡ Embry ≡

I smiled, that was exactly what I wanted to hear from her. I wanted this new journey to be slow and steady and something she did for the love of it and nothing more. My skin tingled where she touched my hands, tracing the marks music had left on me since I was a small child.

“That is exactly what I wanted to hear.” I smiled, speaking softly… like the bubble was so delicate now a loud sound could break it. “It has left a mark on you… on all of us…” I reached up and touched her cheek, stroking just beneath her eyes. “Yours just come and go… in your eyes when music touches you…” I moved my fingers to the curve of her neck and trailed them down her collarbone. “The way your skin flushes…” I rested my hand on her arm. “You get goosebumps…” I leaned in and kissed her. “Music has marked you, Trouble… in many ways.”

≡ Leah ≡

Each statement is a fact, one which would only be noted by someone who truly saw you, who didn’t just move their gaze away at the first sign of something they didn’t like.

I kept my eyes fixed on him, allowing my warrior and mind to follow the journey of his touches.

When his lips kissed mine, even for a brief moment I could pick up the taste of him with a blend of his whiskey.

“Hmm…” The soft hum was a sign of my agreement. “Things you weren’t supposed to see,” I told him in the same low tone he was using.

“But here we are.” He saw so much.

≡ Embry ≡

I smiled at her… my whole-body tingling from the kiss. I swear I had no idea what it was that this woman did to me… but I wanted more. Always more.

“Music isn’t just heard and these little things… They are all part of your album, Trouble. And missing out on that…” My smile grew. “That would be a tragedy. Our skin can be misunderstood… callouses… scars… they could be from a dozen different things… but chemical reactions? That’s pure… and you wear yours proudly.”

≡ Leah ≡

“I do?” The question took me by surprise. Because I worked so hard all my life to make sure nothing was visible to anyone else but my mirror.

But then she reminds me, there are no masks inside the bubble. Nowhere to hide. No need to feel like I had to show him anything different than the truth.

As it was, Embry Call had a knack for showing up at times when I had No way to hide my truths from him. And I didn’t lie about it either.

≡ Embry ≡

I chuckled. “Don’t worry. You are still a mystery to most… and me in many other ways.” I grinned. “But even in the bubble you still don’t do anything for show, your reactions are all yours, natural and untainted and you never put anything on for my benefit.”

I touched her cheek. “And that is why you wear them proudly. Because it is all 100% yours.”

≡ Leah ≡

My eyebrows pulled together, even if I moved into his touch.

“It never even occurred to me to put a show on. Not in here.” This was my safe space. “It’s why I didn’t know what to do with you the first time you showed up at my door… I wasn’t going to turn you away. But…”

But I didn’t know what it meant for me and the security I safeguarded in these four walls.

≡ Embry ≡

I wasn’t about to bring up other women inside our bubble… but women had a habit of telling me what they thought I wanted to hear… and I was sure men told her all the same things. It was likely the reason why neither of us ever saw most of them again.

Leah never spoke a word that wasn’t true and meant everything she said.

It was sexy as all hell!

I shrugged. “I like to keep you on your toes.” I took a breath… Remembering that day. “I never know if I regret my reaction or if it was all part of the path. But I do know that it wasn’t really anger that I felt that day. It was shame… shame that I didn’t step up for my mom and you had to do it for us.”

≡ Leah ≡

“Embry…” My eyebrows pulled together. Shifting to sit up and face him.

“You had the right to be pissed at me. I was set to face you, to let you react, whatever you needed. But… I wasn’t sorry for helping.”

I’d seen it in his eyes that night. It hit me so hard how he felt betrayed by me. And spirits it hurt.

“They send us the help we need. When we need it. That day. It was meant to be. Even if I get it. Understand your point. I wouldn’t change a thing I/we did.”

≡ Embry ≡

I wasn't sure about the having a right to be angry part... but I knew she understood why I had been. "Maybe... But I didn't have the right to show up like that and yell at you. But in some ways, I'm glad I did... It's weird... trying to sort out emotions from that day."

It was like I watched that day from a perspective outside of myself. Like someone caught it all on camera and I was watching the playback.

"Who knows what would have happened if we skipped that step." It wasn't a question. "And you don't have anything to be sorry for. Mom is doing  so much better with less stress... and." This pained me to admit. "If you'd come to me about it first; I would have said no. We both know that much."

≡ Leah ≡

By the spirits did I get it? If only he could have seen the internal dilemma I lived back when I knew I had no choice left. The feelings I knew I’d have to live with, to stand in front of those people. And ask them to do the right thing.

But. No one but her and I needed to know that part.

“Things happen for a reason. And that's all. Like I said. I’d do it again. And I won’t apologise for it. And yeah. I knew what you were going to say. It’s why I was waiting to see what you did.”

Shaking my head slowly. “But. You know. You like to surprise me.”

≡ Embry ≡

I shifted closer and leaned in to kiss her… because I knew she wouldn’t want to hear a thank you for what she had done. “I guess you aren’t the only one with a tenacious streak.” I chuckled; my lips still so close to hers that the sound rumbled against her mouth. I pulled back just enough to lock gazes with her.

“But I will always be grateful for the time I have with her now… time that isn’t sorting through stacks of bills. Hearing her play again.” I smiled. “And you say that like you haven’t ever surprised me." I laughed, setting my hand on her knee and sliding it up her thigh slowly. “Amongst other things, of course.”

≡ Leah ≡

Knowing this was true, made my heart do that stop/start thing. Understanding the situation and the pressure it must have put both of them under. And now. They could breathe. Take solace in their time together.

 “It was all worth it in the end.”

My lips parted at the bolt of lightning shooting its way up and down my leg. All thanks to his kiss and something as simple as a touch.

My eyes didn’t move from his face. Feeling his warm breath kiss mine as we sat here.

And once again I had to remember this wasn’t the first time he kissed me.

≡ Embry ≡

“There is so much about this…” my hand curved to the outside of her thigh. “That is… as natural as breathing… and so much that are lessons… I know that people say that nothing worth doing is easy. But I don’t think that it’s that black and white. I think it’s the easiest thing ever… and the hardest… and everything between the two.”

I kissed the corner of her mouth.  Those winged creatures took flight again in my stomach. “And other lessons that are far less deep… but just as important.” I chuckled. “Like the fact that butterflies aren’t just in movies and books.”

≡ Leah ≡

“Hmm…” he wasn’t wrong. Nothing was ever so simple. The grey areas in life were where the true lessons came from.

Reaching out I set my glass down on the table, before placing my palm on his chest, moving Embry to sit back into my couch. My long leg slid over his lap to straddle him.

“Tell me about those butterflies?”

Whispering as I sat on his lap on my heels. Keeping our eyes connected. I could feel the fabric of his jeans under my thighs, my shorts riding up just a little while I made myself comfortable.

≡ Embry ≡

I didn’t know why but I held my breath as she slipped onto my lap. It wasn’t the first nor would it be the last time, but every time… the thrill; it was just as intense as the first.

My hands slipped up along her thighs, my fingers tucking just underneath the hem of her shorts. Her hot skin was soft, but covering hard, toned muscle that drove those butterflies she was asking about even wilder.

One hand lifted and pressed against her stomach. “Well…” I smiled; gazes locked. “They start here…” I trailed my hand lower, firmly pressing against the strength that met my touch. “Then they move. Lower… faster… it’s like… cliff diving without the fall, trying to catch a breath against the rushing wind, without the wind. And when they finally get what they want… say a kiss.” I leaned in and kissed her.

“It’s like the plunge into the cold water, only full of heat.”

≡ Leah ≡

Heat crawled up the side of my neck listening and feeling his hand. My lips parted slightly to take in a gasp of air.

The realisation of the sensations I always feel in my stomach, the roiled muscles, the feel of something coming alive, the way that thirst is quenched only when we are together. Spirits… he knew that feeling too.

My lips brushed his. Barely a kiss, because.. come on.. teasing was fun too. I moved my hands over his shoulders, bringing them together on his neck. Enjoying the feel of his muscles beneath them.

Keeping my eyes open, I asked.

“Where does that feeling go… once it has what it was looking for? Does it just stop?”

I could imagine the rush of a jump and the excitement that comes with it too.

≡ Embry ≡

Spirits!! This woman! Every muscle in her body could express how she was feeling. And Fuck!!! She didn’t hold back. Just as I was wishing that sexy as-hell gasp had happened against my lips, she was leaning in; the heat of her breath, filling that craving. My shoulders relaxed and I rolled my neck against her touch, those hypnotic eyes of hers locking mine in. She searched it out as much as I did now. And every time it did something to me. That something ranged from a smile, to a racing heart, or a full-blown hard-on. Speaking of… I shifted under her just a little.

I shook my head… my gaze dipping to her lips. “No… after that… there’s the sensation of coming up for air again, taking in that first breath with your adrenaline pumping, the excitement… the tingling skin… the water clinging to your eyelashes that makes everything seem to glow a little.” I continued the metaphor so easily that I knew this was the best way to describe it.

“After that… sometimes it rises to your skin like an electric current, soothing and stimulating all at once, soft and intimate. And others it settles deep in the pit of your stomach and catches fire, burning deep and hot. Passionate.”

≡ Leah ≡

Swallowing back the next gasp my eyebrow arched up in that perfect way it did, whenever Embry found a way with his words. The man had a gift, that was for sure.

There were feelings, sentiments, and moments I knew this all first-hand. And I knew he wasn’t just talking about diving off the side of a cliff now. But for me… it was just those feelings and sensations I could put into words as beautifully as he did.

“Tell me more…” I’d moved in closer, my lips brushing the curve of his ear. Letting the warm breath of my mouth create its own warmth to tell him I was here… close… and still not.

Keeping a millimetre or two between my lips and his skin I moved down to his neck, letting the tip of my nose touch the spot under his ear.

≡ Embry ≡

Oh yeah… that was a whimper that had just, shamelessly, left my lips. My eyes closed now, to focus all my senses on the way her breath danced on my skin, the fact her voice sent a shot of pleasure straight to the hardness straining into the leg of my jeans.

My hand tightened on her thigh, I was greeted with the hard muscle and fucking perfect curves of her leg. “Fuck!” I hadn’t meant to say it. But I wasn’t about to start censoring my reactions to her now, not in the bubble.

The other hand slipped beneath her shirt. “Leah.” The word was almost a gasp as I ran my hand up her toned stomach. She was so fucking sexy I could hardly process her words. Just as my fingers reached the underside of her breast. My thumbs swiped the perfect swell hard enough to make her react… to want more. I slipped my arm around her back and crushed her against my chest in a flurry. “Next is the craving for pressure.” I could have pinned her to the couch for this… but she climbed on top of me. And if Leah wanted to be on top… then that was exactly what she was going to get.

“The need to feel the weight of your body against mine.” All metaphors were gone now because my mind was now flooded with Leah, Leah, Leah!

“To get closer than possible, they tangle our bodies together as deeply and intricately or souls are tangled together. We know we never will, we know that we can never touch each other that deeply with hands or lips. But it feels so fucking good to try. And the butterflies… they don't want to stop, so we hold on. We kiss, touch, and make each other moan, pull each other closer and closer… because the butterflies…” I smiled now. Turning into her neck, not kissing... Just like she did. “They demand satisfaction.”

Fuck! I was like a horny teenager around this woman. A horny teenage drama club nerd… fuck! I hadn't seen that guy in a long time.

≡ Leah ≡

That sound… spirits I craved hearing it now. He didn’t hide it from me, he didn’t hold back in some alphahole way. This was genuine, unassuming behaviour and reaction. And I wanted it all.

My eyes closed and then flew open as I felt how my closeness had him growing for me. This was enough for me to bite the soft skin on his neck teasingly. Then I sat back on my knees. Making sure my body lowered down into his lap at the perfect angle to give us both a jolt of pleasure.

My name on his lips made me instantly pulse, growing into a constant throbbing.

“Embry!” I gasped out his name, the electronic shock his fingers had made my nipples erect, pushing out the fabric of my bra. The feeling of them rippling the perfect brown circle of skin around them.

The scent of our desires mixed together before I inhaled it deeply with my mouth dropping open. And then he shocked me out of my stupor by pulling me in chest to chest.

Right… a moment of clarity… he was speaking… because I’d asked a question…

Nodding my head very slowly, my hands moved back up into his hair. “It feels like you are setting us a challenge…” of course that’s where my mind goes.

Because let’s face it. I wanted it. I wanted it all. What he said… The feeling of Embry’s weight holding me down. Knowing I could free myself in a move or two, but still wanting to stay. To be so enthusiastically entwined in each other, that you don’t know where one started, and the other stopped!

≡ Embry ≡

I groaned… biting my lip as she pressed against me perfectly. I knew by her scent, that if I touched her now… she would be just as turned on as I was. Just the way she said my name made me moan and throb in my too-tight jeans. I could not ignore the surge of desire that flooded me when she mentioned a challenge.

Because there were only a few unexplored ways for us to fill the 𝓷𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓬𝓵𝓸𝓼𝓮 𝓮𝓷𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 feeling… at least physically. “The only challenge right now…” I scraped my teeth along the shell of her ear… still not kissing her, even as I tugged on her earlobe. “…Is resisting the urge to tear off your clothes and taste the source of that fucking glorious scent.”

While I knew the path we were on was exactly where I wanted to be with her… There was no sense in denying the fact that I wanted her, I wanted to taste her, touch her, feel her shudder and come apart for me. I wanted it all… but I wanted it all at the right moment. And that was what always won… but that didn’t mean we couldn’t take each other to the brink… because it felt so fucking good.

≡ Leah ≡

I wanted him to devour me with that mouth of his, wanting that closeness which somehow never felt close enough. And yet I knew, this was the hunger for him speaking. The logical parts of my head weren’t answering the call right now. But still. Still, that part of me knew why we did things our way. Not carrying the pressure of the world on our shoulders inside our bubble. And we would get there. We would know. And we would be ready for what came with that act.

My nipples strained against my top, as my hands hooked around his neck. Letting my head fall forward and then I turned my lips to hover in the crook of his neck.

It was when my mind began racing, thoughts bombarding me with images of him doing the things he said. “Spirits… Embry!” The feel of him between my legs, the scent of him, they all spoke volumes too.

Slowly, my hips began moving. Small circles, a little pressure, a teasing touch just enough to make both of us want more.

≡ Embry ≡

Her name seemed to be the only thing I could say from the moment she started moving her hips against me like that. My hands moved, one to her arse and the other to her hip. I didn’t guide her movements, I let her move in her own way, but I needed to feel the way her muscles rolled and tightened… She was so strong… and yet she could move with a slowness and grace that blew my mind.

I pressed a kiss to her jaw now, the sensation building to a level that broke my train of thought. I trailed my kisses all the way to the hollow beneath her chin, tilting her face up. This made her piqued nipples press into me even through her shirt and mine. The hand on her hip travelled up, beneath her shirt, finding the swell of her breast. I groaned. I finally found more words than only her name. “Happy to see me?” I teased, biting her bottom lip at the same time as I rolled a calloused thumb over the hardened tip.  Like I could talk with the bulge I was sporting.

≡ Leah ≡

“Hmm…” as if there were any doubts in the question. I’d given up trying to stop my body from telling on me when it came to how much I wanted to see and feel him. Because within these walls, I didn’t hide.

I was still mystified by how my warrior, and I hummed together at the knowledge of how we made him come alive too.

“About the same as you by the feel of it.” That bite and the touch of my blossomed breast made all the muscles in my body judder, with a bolt of energy shooting to my core.

I pushed down into the thick, hard, delicious sensation caused by our bodies' connection, letting the soft moans of his name marry with the chanting of my name by him.

My tongue flicked a lick of his top lip, my teeth brushing the plumpness of his bottom one next, and then my lips were on his, hot and heavy needing to taste him.

≡ Embry ≡

I pushed my hips up in answer to her, like the word 𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕪 even came close to how I felt. The way her whole body reacted to a simple roll of my thumb over the piqued skin made a blot race through me, she was completely unguarded, completely free, deep diving into this moment alone… It wasn’t the first time… it wasn’t the tenth time… I had lost count she’d opened herself so completely for so long now that it shouldn’t have amazed me like this anymore.

But here I was. Amazed. Enraptured.

My name was like a song on her lips. And then those lips were on mine, I groaned into her mouth, cupping her breast completely, toying and squeezing. My head tilted up, opening for her,  feeding on her heat and her passion. Pouring every ounce of mine back into her. My other arm wrapped around her, pulling her tight against it. Closer. It was impossible… but FUCK!!! That was never going to keep me from trying.

≡ Leah ≡

These were moments you lived and sometimes, when you woke up… it all felt like a dream… Dreams I didn’t have.. but felt the best way about when it occurred to me that this was ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕝.

My back arched into his chest, the friction between us making my eyes open wide and then flutter closed again.

The scent mingled with the heat we radiated filling the living space of my home, raising bumps over my skin.

Gasping for air I broke our kiss, looking down at Embry, my hands moved to comb his hair back out of his face.

My hips worked in tandem with his. I let the tip of my tongue trace his mouth, keeping my eyes open to take him in.

Spirits! I moaned at the tingling sensation his day's growth gave my tongue.

≡ Embry ≡

This woman knew exactly how to set my blood on fire… and fuck!! I burned for her, and I never wanted to stop. The way she arched told me she was thinking the same thing: 𝕔𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕣, 𝕔𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕣, 𝕔𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕣! “Spirits!” I gasped… that scent… my wolf prowled under the surface. He was hungry for her… starving for them.

My eyes stayed locked on her when she swept my hair away, she moved in ways I never even thought a woman could move. It made perfect sense… she was always an overachiever. The brief thought made me smirk… of course, she was in a league of her own. There wasn’t another like her in this world.  My lips parted for her, letting her feel the heat of my moans and gasps. I arched my neck until my mouth was right by her ear. “When we finally taste you, Trouble.” Both my hands were on her hips now… not stopping her, not changing her rhythm. Just to feel the way she moved…

“This…” My hands tightened. “Is what we went to feel. Make us work for every moan… every scream.”

≡ Leah ≡

She flashed to life in my eyes. We felt the moment his warrior came to the surface, and yet stayed back too. It wasn’t the first time we felt them with us, making this a very real possibility that the four of us wanted the same fate all at once!

His hands tightened, and the statement, well… it made something come to life deep within my core.

“Nothing worth having…. Is given easily, dimples.” My voice was heavy with a deep want to feel every inch of him.

My hands moved to the head of the couch, keeping the both of us together. Making it harder for us not to feel the bodily responses from the other.

Closing my eyes, breathing from my mouth now. I dropped my head to his shoulder, still enjoying the feel of his breath against my ear.

≡ Embry ≡

Her reaction to my words was clear in her body, her heart, her breath… her scent! Fuck! Her wolf reached out to mine and mine to hers while they left us our own control and our own actions. I was pinned between her and the couch now and it was exactly where I wanted to be.

I was throbbing in my too-tight jeans… I really needed to rethink my clothing around this woman. I smiled wickedly thinking about just shedding layers after I crossed her threshold. I felt her drop her head onto my shoulder and I was reminded that these heated, passionate moments with her were also, always filled with the deepest intimacy I had ever felt in my life. The -only- intimacy I had ever felt in my life. The thought struck me, and I inhaled deeply.

“You…” I whispered breathlessly. “Always take my breath away, Trouble.”

≡ Leah ≡

She roiled below my skin; her graceful movements took us to our destination when we tightened our legs around his lap.

Keeping ourselves upright at a time when we wanted nothing more than to give in to this pull we felt towards Embry and his warrior.

I was biting my lips, trying to recreate the presence of his lips against ours without letting go of my control fully at this moment.

“Me?” My voice didn’t sound like mine. “What… about you?” I asked him. Did he really believe he didn’t do that very same thing to me?

My hair had fallen over my face, hiding us from the breeze from the windows of the living room. But we still felt the freshness of it kissing our heated skin.

“Spirits!” Moaning softly into his ear, as it turned into a hum when a tremor strike hit at the connection we made. I felt the dampness grow.

≡ Embry ≡

I chuckled; it was a deep, heated sound. “There you go changing the subject, Trouble.” I teased her. I could hear how her breath caught in her throat too. She knew that I didn’t miss those things about her. “We’re talking about you right now.” I bit her bottom lip and scraped my teeth over the kiss-plumped skin.

Now I did take hold of her, stilling her hips as I surged forward lifting her and twisting us to one side. Holding her only by her hips, knowing she was strong enough to hold her upper body, while I lay her back on her couch. I kneeled between her legs and looked down at her… my heart skipping. “Fuck!” I groaned… she was beautiful. Her skin flushed and raised with goose bumps, the heat and scent rolling off her in waves. Kiss swollen lips… nipples straining against the fabric covering them. Chest rising and falling while she caught that breath she was talking about.

“How on Earth am I supposed to decide on where to start worshipping a goddess like this?” I leaned over her, slowly bringing my lips closer and closer to her until our eyes locked and I paused… because there. In those fucking incredible eyes, lay my answer.

≡ Leah ≡

“Hmm… if you play your cards right. Maybe.” I had to laugh and tease.

Gasping I tightened myself, moving with him until he lay me down on my couch. My chest moved fast; the air was welcomed by my lungs, but my lips missed the pressure of his against them.

Shifting my shoulders to loosen my freed hair out from underneath me, I moved my long, toned legs on either side of him. Not curling them around him just yet, waiting to see what he had planned.

I was smiling, licking my bottom lip with the sensation of his bite still lingering.

Even now I saw his words coming to life in those bourbon-coloured brown eyes of his.

I didn’t answer his question with words. I knew he read my eyes the moment they locked with his.

My heart skipped, those little creatures in my stomach came to life, and my core thrummed from the attention.

≡ Embry ≡

There was a 𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪 pronounced twitch in my jeans and I couldn’t take it anymore… even if her comment made it the world’s worst timing on my part…. I tugged the top button of my jeans open and slid the zipper down. She trusted me enough to know how far I would take it. The relief was instant… and the craving for exactly what she had teased me about sprung to life in me just as fast. Knowing what we both wanted still didn’t change the fact we were wildly attracted to one another and craved that release we weren’t quite ready for. Our hormones and wolves both thought differently.

I sat back on my heels… looking down at the glorious woman before me. My hand reached out to her, dropping to my sides where her feet rested on either side of me, my rough hands curled around her ankles. Then they slowly made their way up the defined calf muscles. When I reached the back of her knees, I smiled at her. “Legs like these… are a very powerful weapon…” I lifted one… Lowering my head until I could press a kiss to the soft almond skin just below her knee. My eyes never left hers. “In every possible meaning of the words.” I kissed her knee, then just inside of it… and higher…. Higher. My teeth scraped against her thigh… and with one last kiss, I set her leg back to my side and turned the same attention to the other side.

≡ Leah ≡

Not once did my trust in him shake. I knew what his fingers worked to free and why. And in the moment when the cool air brought his scent to me, I had to bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from moaning.

I also had to fist my hands onto the couch. Because I knew then to let myself tease him by touching him.

“Embry!”

My lips fell apart, eyes widened as my leg easily lifted to the point where he could kiss the back of my knee. But it was the feeling of his calloused fingers on my tight skin followed by his kisses and teeth, which had my mind freefalling.

“These weapons are always ready to strike. So… be… careful.”

My hands moved into his hair. Raking my fingers through it, trying to stop my hips from arching up to meet his kisses.

≡ Embry ≡

I smirked when I saw her cheek dimple like that… and not the illusive dimples she had when she smiled or laughed. “Don’t take your frustrations out on the couch.” I teased her. Trailing my kisses along her other thigh now. Getting low.. closer and closer to the source of the mouthwatering scent. I exhaled heavily when her fingers raked through my hair, and I gave myself a second to gather together what was left of my self-control while my lungs weren’t filled with her intoxicating scent.

“If you can’t take the teasing I could always stop.” I had no intention of stopping… It was an empty threat. Just as I said this I rested her leg back where I had found it, and I was sliding her shirt higher and pressing kisses beneath her navel. The toned muscles had jolts of heat shooting through me… suddenly my open jeans were not spacious enough. “So… Trouble. Tell me… what do you want?”

≡ Leah ≡

I closed my eyes, the sweet sensations of pleasure making their way in waves of the ocean over me. My chest rose and fell quicker, telling me I wasn’t holding back from showing him my reactions to him.

I pressed my lips tightly together, the sounds of his kisses on my skin joining the rapid-fire of this discovery method Embry used on me.

“Hmm… Embry…” his name… it sounded so good to my ears.

Letting go of the couch, with a short burst of laughter. Because. He was right. I liked this couch. It was kind of the beginning of this story we were writing.

Opening my eyes, with my fingertips still playing with his hair. It was getting longer again.

“These…” As he moved up my body, my abdominal muscles clenched. Tugging at the fabric of his shirt. “I want this off…” my voice was coated with something uniquely feminine.

≡ Embry ≡

My next kiss was placed above her navel… one hand still sliding her shirt higher and higher, the other gripping her thigh and dragging up until I reached the sensuous curve of her arse and squeezed. I noted her chuckle and the fact she released her death grip on the couch cushions, with a victorious flick of my tongue between the lines of defined abs.

She lifted herself… not sitting up… just…. “Fuck!” She was tugging at my clothes… just when I thought there was nothing sexier than this woman running her fingers through my hair…. Fuck!! But let’s face it, whatever she did would send me right down this rabbit hole again. The sexiest thing Leah did, was always the most recent thing she did!

I was tempted to tear the shirt off WWE style… But decided to save that for a day we could both literally rip off each other’s clothes. “As you wish,” I said in the sexiest voice I could manage with all the breath stolen from my lungs. Then I straightened up, out of easy reach of her… I slowly peeled the shirt up over my head and dropped it next to the couch.

≡ Leah ≡

“Spirits!” Chewing on my lower lip, my brown eyes followed the hem of his shirt as it lifted higher, and higher over his body.

“So.. worth it…” I meant the loss of his hands, mouth and body pressing into mine.

I didn’t squirm. Nope. But I would forgive anyone watching for thinking, that was what I just did!

My hands traced the lines low and close to my hips. Each defined muscle, the thin line of hair disappearing below his pants.

Gasping, with a dry mouth at how he felt to my touch. Wanting to lick him, taste him, tease him…

Reaching up, I brought my hands around his neck to lower him back down with me.

“Come here…” my lips brushed over his. Slow and gentle, flicking the tip of my tongue.

≡ Embry ≡

I smirked… Damn!! I 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕪 liked it when she squirmed like that… but I knew pointing it out would make her stop. The trail of her fingers made each muscle jump, and the reaction spread lower. My open jeans were still not roomy enough. Then her hands were moving again and before she reached my neck and pulled me down I was moving, her gaze pulling me in telling me she wanted me closer.

Her kiss was slow, and still, I felt it all over, my heart raced and my skin tingled. There it was, that intimacy again. My hand slipped up her sides and over the gentle curve of her breasts, over her collarbone and all the way up to her hair. I exhaled, and our breath mingled. I kissed her, it was deep and slow, passionate. Intimate. Something only, she ever made me feel. “Still  Real,” I mumbled against her lips.

≡ Leah ≡

Letting my fingers travel down his chest, under his arms until my nails lightly raked his back. This was it…

“Real.” Mumbling back into his kiss.

Feeling the weight of him pressing me down onto the couch. Fully aware I could get out if I wanted to. But that was the key. I didn’t want to! I liked this. Only with him. Feeling him on top of me!

My legs curled around his waist, bringing him down even closer. Pulsating bursts of energy hit my core as my tongue entered his mouth, teasing, playing, deepening to pull those sweet sounds free. My eyes flew open the moment I felt the way his body responded to me. The girth of it, the feel of it rubbing in that perfect spot.

“Embry” His name was a prayer.

I moved my fingers down his back until it was stopped at the band of his jeans. Waiting for him to make the next move.

≡ Embry ≡

I drew in a deep breath, the hot air from her mouth setting fire to my nerves. My tongue swept in, tasting her, claiming her mouth, letting her claim mine. I moaned, the sound pulling from deep in my stomach. I let more and more of my weight down against her, not because she couldn’t take it all at once… she could take it and then some. This was all about teasing… she wanted that feeling, the fullness of my weight holding her down, and the knowing that one swift move on her part would turn the tables and she could have me pinned to the floor. Fuck!!! It was sexy.

My knees shifted, bringing me into perfect alignment with her. Just as my name on her lips had me throbbing again. Her hands stopped moving and I bit her lip, tugging just a little. “I’m yours to do with as you please, Trouble.” My fingers twisted into her hair. “If you want more clothes gone just say the word.” It occurred to me I should be stripping hers and not just pinning her with my body, so I had no access to removing anything. But… Fuck!!! The way her curves fit against me… Spirits it felt… extraordinary.  I kissed her where I had bitten and sucked in her lip again, scraping my teeth against the plumped skin.

≡ Leah ≡

She liked hearing that. It didn’t shock the two of us or stop us in our tracks hearing him tell us he was ours. But it still took my heart beat up a level and made her smug.

My body shook from the pressure of him pushing down, the biting, kissing, the sting on my skin. I knew all evidence would be gone. But it was a fact that it was there now.

I pushed his open jeans down. “I know… but…” I was still responsible to check I wasn’t pushing him too far.

“Spirits!” Making the best of how we were on my couch, two warriors fondling like teenagers! Both trying to make themselves feel the other up, without going too far! The thought made me laugh.

“Okay… this isn’t working!” I couldn’t push his jeans down much with our bodies pinned together.

≡ Embry ≡

“You say that like I can’t scent you, Trouble.” I groaned against her mouth. Fully aware that it wasn’t what she was talking about at all. “This is definitely working for you.” I ground against her and fuck!! She felt so… damn… good!

“Bedroom.” The word was hardly audible as I claimed her mouth again in a deep kiss. I swiftly pulled her up as I straightened, not worried about her ability to hold on. I set her on her feet and ran my gaze over her… her skin flushed, her lips full from the hard kisses.. hair and clothes dishevelled from the heavy make-out session like we were no better than two sixteen-year-olds. “Fuck! You look… edible!” I almost growled, then I gripped her waist and smiled evilly. “Don’t kill me,” I whispered before I swept her up and tossed her over my shoulder fireman style.

I was a dead man… but at least I would die happy and horny as fuck.

≡ Leah ≡

Gasping and growling all at once as my body lifted and my hair went flying, I landed over his shoulder. I knew what was coming as soon as he asked me not to kill him!

“Embry…. Fucking…. Call!!!” Laughing at how long it had been since he gave me a reason to use his name in that way!

Aware that the source of the scent he spoke of was right. So close to his nose…. I shook my head. My hands smacked his arse, with his half-hanging jeans.

“I can use my two feet!” And now I was laughing. Because she fucking enjoyed it when he took control.

She danced, prowling, excited, wanting so much more.

Upside down the world was a different place. With stone arms holding me, a muscled body carrying me.

Spirits! This so worked for me! The wetness I felt told me and him that. It’s how my body always betrayed me to him from the first time he kissed me.

By the SPIRITS! When did this become a turn-on?

≡ Embry ≡

I laughed when I realised she was not going to use those long, perfect legs to level a kick to my balls for picking her up like this. I knew it was a risk when I couldn’t distract her with my eyes. She slapped my arse, and I turned to bite her hip through her shorts and laughed. I shoved out of my jeans because there was no way I was shuffling down the hallway to her room with them caught around my thighs.

“But this is so much more fun!” I chuckled. “You can’t even try to deny it.”

My hands ran up the back of her thighs… “Fuck… Leah … That scent.” I bit her hip again as I crossed the threshold of her room and pushed the door closed with my foot. At the end of her bed, I tipped forward and let her fall back onto the neatly made covers. That was about to change. Even knowing she could easily drop back on her own my body reacted on instinct and my hand slipped up along her back as she settled, supporting her… or maybe I was just feeling her up.

≡ Leah ≡

“Stop making a mess of my home!” And then moaned! By the spirits! I moaned at the way his bite sent fire bolts through my core. Igniting so fast it was like a forest fire spreading its way across me.

“I’m not denying a thing.”

My body came in contact with the cool sheets, his arms coming around to slowly guide me down. My brown eyes found his right away because even if we both knew it wasn’t necessary. He had done it. Embry had taken a moment to support me.

“Spirits.” His laughter filled my ears. It filled my home. And mine was right there with it too. What was this man doing to me?

I pulled him down with me, making sure to free my hair before it got caught under the two of us.

My warm fingers brushed against his torso. Then my hands began to explore him. Lingering in places like the side of his midriff, the line defining his muscular grooves, and the inner parts of his arms. Lingering lower to feel the outlines of his tattoos.

≡ Embry ≡

I chuckled a little darkly… my lips finding that pulsating spot in her throat, I kissed her, sucking just hard enough to leave a mark that would only last moments while her hands roamed over my body. Each touch made me shiver and twitch far more freely now that my jeans were abandoned on her living room floor. “Do you want me to stop… Pick them up… fold them neatly and then…” My kisses trailed to her earlobe, and I tugged it between my teeth. “Come back and give you all the attention you deserve.”

I let my hand slide out from underneath her, down her sides to the hem of her shirt and started to push it up again. Slowly. Licking my lips as I watched each inch of perfect skin revealed. All the while every brush of her fingers gave me butterflies or goosebumps… or both.

≡ Leah ≡

By the spirits! The sweet sting made me clench my thighs together. I felt the way his mouth moved. I knew from the moment he sucked. I was marked.

“Yes…” my hands moved into his hair. The softness, and silkiness of it had my fingers playing. “… yes I want you to do all that.” Wait... “No!”

What was I thinking and saying?

“Embry!” Moaning his name my back arched up to meet him. My mouth dropped open gasping at the tension his actions were building up.

My nails moved through his hair and down his neck. Until I made them work around his shoulders. My hooded eyes witnessed him as his hands worked my top up. The lick of his lips, the way he took me in. Spirits. Just watching him was intoxicating.

≡ Embry ≡

I pushed her shirt up over the swell of her breast, engulfing her with my hand. A guttural sound escaped me as her hard nipple pressed up against my palm. Far too lost in her… how she felt… how she smelled, the way she moved under me… to have acted on her words before she took them back.

My voice dipped low. “In that case.” I planted my knees on either side of the thighs she was squeezing together, trapping them there… at least until she decided otherwise. I tore my eyes away from the pink and purple mark, barely visible on her throat and pulled her shirt up and over her head. With one hand on the back of her neck, easing her back down onto the bed, the other swept her hair over her shoulder.

“Fuck, Trouble…” I took in the sight of her. Dark hair spilling over one shoulder, that perfect dark, piqued nub poking through the strands. Her waist and abdomen… flattened and creased by solid muscles. I wanted to run my tongue through each and every groove. But first. I ducked my head and wrapped my lips around that sensitive nub. I moaned and my back bowed down bringing my chest against her bare skin.

“Beautiful.”

≡ Leah ≡

It was a good thing I wasn’t shy when it came to my body. Because when Embry Call was being so attentive to its needs, he was like a pilgrim paying tribute to his temple!

He shocked me into silence, taking those small steps people missed but I felt and saw. The way he held my head, gathered my hair, made sure I was at ease and comfortable. The way he paid attention to my reactions, and then gave me more of what he saw I enjoyed.

My body moved like a wave, first my hips lifted to meet his. Being held down I couldn’t move too far,  then it was my back that arched off the sheets. Pressing myself up into him to feel his skin on mine.

My lips dropped open, gasping for air when his lips closed around my sensitive nipple, sending sensations of fire through my nerves. The hum of the air, mixed with the heat we both created, with the fire he caused in my belly.

“Embry….” His name was whispered into a moan. Because that thing he did with his mouth, it sent shockwaves.

≡ Embry ≡

Her body arched and fuck!!! I wanted to ravage her! She could have broken free and made the contact she was clearly craving, but she stayed put… just because she wanted to. Her skin on mine was pure blissful heat. My teeth scraped the raised, rippled skin… each reaction she gave me feeding my desire.

I kissed my way back up to her collarbone, rough hand slipping between us to take over the task my mouth had started. My lips skimmed across the sweet dip at the base of her neck… all along her rapid pulse, her jaw… chin and finally her mouth in a deep, fiery kiss. I tasted her tongue, her breath, her lips… Swallowing the way she moaned my name.

“You…” I moaned between kisses. “Are addictive, Trouble."

≡ Leah ≡

Addiction had a new name in my world. Just as it clearly had in his. And this coming from a woman like me who didn’t give in to them. At. All!

My hands are in his hair, tugging a little at the length of it as our tongues dance a fast, heated dance. I felt the way his fingers played and teased, continuing the work his mouth left off, but keeping the pleasure flowing just the same.

My legs stretched out with his knees locking them in place, but even with the knowledge of how I could have him on his back in three moves. I didn’t want this to stop. Spirits! Why did it feel as though he was going to be the death of me? From simple looks, the way he sang for me, to the fires we set ablaze in our wake. I wasn’t sure what to answer.

My hands moved down the side of his torso, once again following the direction of his body with my lips catching his tongue. Sucking at it, playing, teasing with my fingers moving past the band of his boxers, digging my nails into the firm skin of his arse cheeks.

≡ Embry ≡

“Fuck!” Or at least that was what I had tried to say… the sound that came out didn’t resemble the word. Her hands were everywhere, and electric tingles sparked to life everywhere she touched.

I arched my back as her touch trailed lower and beneath the band of my boxers… every muscle clenched. The hardness in my boxers met the hard planes of her abs and I swear that was a growl. Was that me? Fuck… who knew! When she released my tongue I slid my hands down her waist, holding her against me instead of pressing her down into the mattress.

“See what you do to me?” I groaned; it wasn’t really a question. I began to kiss a trail back down her neck, not breaking the contact until I had to so I could continue my path down between her breasts.

≡ Leah ≡

He growled at me? She was awake and, Spirits! Did we like the way that sound riled our body, mind, and soul up?

She/ we growled right back at the connection between us. The moment his arm held us in place, we sensed the way his thickness felt on our stomach.

“Embry!” I was breathless, and hot, and of course, excited! Now wishing I had the freedom to move my legs around him.

But she stopped me. We liked showing him the trust we had in him. Because that is what this was.

“Still… Real!” My mouth dropped open, eyes closed, hands falling to the sheets fisting them to keep myself from doing anything to break the unspoken promise we had in place.

≡ Embry ≡

No one in my life had ever made my name sexy…. But of course, Leah managed to. My trail of kisses eventually meant I had to free her legs so I could continue the line down her stomach. Dipp my tongue into the defined lines between her abs, passed her navel…

She smelled like so… fucking… good. I ached to taste her… to feel her. And then her words grounded me. “Real…” I breathed into the curve of her hip. Scraping my teeth against her hipbone and groaning. “Still… very real.” My tongue traced the curve that vanished into her shorts, and I tucked my fingertips into her waistband.

“How do you always manage to have more clothes on than me?”

≡ Leah ≡

He got it. The understanding we never really needed to discuss and somehow fell into place.

I opened my eyes looking down the length of my body, seeing my chest heaving, the sound of our hearts in the perfect rhythm, the scent… Spirits!

Biting on the inside of my cheeks one of my hands combed his hair back. The muscles he licked and kissed vibrated underneath his attention.

“Because….” Breathing the word out… “I’m not just… a pretty face, Dimples.”

This time I made myself watch him, to continue following his actions with my eyes. But I had to smirk. Because he wasn’t wrong. I did somehow always manage to keep more clothes on, for much longer.

A memory flashed in my head. Embry, taking his work tee off at #HwH, throwing it at me. For me to bat it off to his fan club.

Dropping my head back to look up.

≡ Embry ≡

Fuck! This woman… she was perfection! I slid her shorts down her legs, I had to climb off the bed since we were still at the end of it. I didn’t fold them, but I did at the very least toss them onto the chair in the corner. I looked down at the glorious sight…

“It is one hell of a pretty face though…. And so…. SO much more.” My eyes travelled up and down her form on the bed before me.

I climbed back onto the bed and scooped her up. Clambering on my knees to the head of the bed where I let us both fall onto the pillows. “You and that pretty face better buckle up, Trouble.” I chuckled and pulled the sheets up over both of our heads, hiding us from the world. “We have a long… hot night ahead of us.”

Then we were lost in our very own world.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

 “By the spirits!”

The words a gasp as i turned into him and then out again. My hair falling Free down my shoulders and over my back as he moved us both with the song.

“Embry!” Trying to tell him off for disrespecting me, but I ended up laughing moving in step with him.

•- Embry Call -•

I grinned when she decided to dance with me instead of rolling her eyes and getting back to the task at hand. "Spirits" I muttered and leaned in to brush the tip of my nose against her jaw as we danced. "That sound!" I almost groaned.

It was truly one of the most beautiful sounds in my life. "Look at you living, in the moment like a pro." I teased.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Biting the inside of my cheeks, my eyes closed feeling the small traces of blood rushing at the touch.

My feet moved in time with his with the music.  “Hmm… also not trying to lead… the spirits must be impressed with me, right?”

•- Embry Call -•

My nose reached her ear and I whispered. “I like it when you lead. You can take the lead anytime… I won't tell.” I chuckled and dropped a kiss just below her ear.

“But it is good to balance the two.” I spun her away and brought her back again me. My chest flushed against  back and my arm wrapped around her so completely that all we could do now was sway a little off the beat of the song.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

My hair flew around me, leaning against his back as it fell softly over my shoulders and down my back. “It’s about finding that perfect balance” I agreed. Listing to how our heartbeat sounded with music.

Swaying with him my eyes moved to the hob. “We need to get back to work.”

•- Embry Call -•

I breathed in and smell of her hair. My world and I both ruffled at the sensation it gave.  “The Spirit had a plan when they led down the same path” I planted a kiss on her shoulder and nodded.

“We really should. Plenty of time for dancing after food.” I smiled and stepped back. “What can I do to help?”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Drinks? I’ll check the food.” It was fine, I could tell for the aroma in the kitchen. Everything was cooking to perfection.

Once he stepped back, I stepped forward watching his reflection in the mirror as I worked.

•- Embry Call -•

I nodded and went the fridge lifting out two more beers, downing the last if the one I left on the counters before tossing it into the recycling. A jug of water already sat in the table.

I uncapped the bottle and set them on either side in the table. “Damn that all smell good!” I almost groaned as my stomach rumbled impatiently.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“It should, I made it.” Brushing off the non-existent lint on my shoulders. Winking at him as I plated the food. Watching him as he walked pass behind me.

Finishing off the drink he’d giving me before, I carried the food to the tables and took my seat. “This is becoming a habit now.” Sitting back, I pulled my hair up into a messy bun.

•- Embry Call -•

“Boasting is a good look on you!” I Grinned. She was always confident, but never really bragged… not seriously anyway. And even now that wasn’t what she was doing.

I paused. My hand was halfway to my fork, watching as each inch of that very kissable neck was exposed. “If you mean you teasing me across the kitchen table until I want to let the food, go cold and do very bad things to you?” I smirked, finally lifting my fork. “Yes…. Yes, it is becoming a habit.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Raising my eyebrow in a perfect arch I shook my head.

“Our ancestors would be mortified to learn you’re willing to pass over food for a woman. What is the world coming to?”

With the fork in hand, I went in for the veggie cooked to perfection. The first bite made the world  come to life with the flavour burst and crunch as I chewed.

“Eat up, the deliciously bad things come after.” Waggling my eyebrows at him with a smirk.

•- Embry Call -•

"The ancestors will more than understand when it comes to this particular woman." I smiled and speared a forkful of veg and sliced into the chicken. 

I took and bite and her next words had me stopping with my mouthful... Damn, this is good! "Is that a promise or a threat?" I raised a brow and lifted the beer to my lips. "Because I'm down for either..." I tilted my head. "Or both."

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Rolling my eyes to the heavens, I continued to chew on my mouthful. Leaving him with the prosthetic of what could be, was too good to miss.

Once my mouth was empty, I took a long pull from my beer before speaking. “Think of it as you wish. Only time and your choices will definitely determine which it is.”

Pointedly taking another mouthful of food.

•- Embry Call -•

“Now I’m torn…” I pointed my fork at the plate. “It would be a shame to rush such a delicious meal… but… now I  really wanna see what kind of follow-through you have planned.” I grinned.

Leah Clearwater always had a plan.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Chewing as I consider what he said. “Hmm… never took you for one of those who rushed anything.”

Taking a pull from the bottle before I set it down to pick up my fork again. “Learning new things tonight, Call.”

•- Embry Call -•

I smiled at her utterly unashamed at how cheesy i was about to be.  “Some people are worth rushing a meal for… even if they’re probably about to kick arse.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Raising my eyebrow, my lips curled up into the perfect smirk. “So… so… so…. Cheesy Embry Call. I’d expected something better from some who had an award for word play.”

Kicking his foot playfully under the table. “I’m only rushing my dinner because of the cheese cake in  the refrigerator.” The look on my face daring him to question my statement. Even if my eyes lingered on his lips a minute too long.

•- Embry Call -•

"You know I always speak my mind, even if it's cheesy." I smiled and took another bite... hell. This was so good. My eyes lit up... "Now you're talking my language." After another bite, I smiled. I noticed her gaze locked on my lips. "Got any ice cream?"

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“And I wouldn’t have it any other way. I know where I stand with you. Always have. ”Good or bad, this one always gave it how it was. Even if it earned him a slap upside his head. Stabbing my fork into the pasta I raised my eyebrow. “It’s as though you don’t know me. Yeah, I do.”

•- Embry Call -•

I smiled… she did know… we both we both knew. I groaned at another forkful of the food… damn she could cook!

“I know… rookie move.” I held my hands up in surrender, fork, and all. “I just had a sudden craving.” I smirked now… “remember the last tune we ate ice-cream... In  bed.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Mid chew my mouth stopped with my gaze growing a little darker. Heat crawled its way up my neck and I cleared my throat. Setting my fork down I lifted my drink to my lips to dampen the dry sensation and then nodded my head once.

“Have you known me to forget anything.” Sprits be my guide. I could recall every single second of that last time.

•- Embry Call -•

That memory got her blood rushing, I could tell with the tinge of pink climbing up her elegant neck. I chuckled... but it was a low sound... because the memory was having the same effect on me.

"I still can't believe that you didn't dunk me for kissing you out in the open like that.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Cutting into my meat my gaze back on him. “Oh, trust me I wanted to. But she’s been fighting your corner from the beginning.”

She stirred at the mention of her, I felt the sly smile and the same pride she felt for her choice to bank of him.

‘I told you; we could trust him.’ rolling my eyes I shook my head slightly.

“If it were on me, you would have gone under.” Hundred percent truth.

•- Embry Call -•

I chuckled around another bite. “Oh, I know.” I teased. “But she had my back.” I winked across the table. “She likes me.” I teased in an almost-sing-sing tone. “And I made sure we were completely alone first.”

My eye stayed on hers,  looking down only to make sure I wasn’t  making a mess with my food. “And you liked it… the wildness…”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Has..” both my warrior and I say at the exact same time. “She has your back.” Correcting the past tense in his statement.

Raising my eyebrow while watching the show he put on. Shaking my head once again, but I was smiling. “Clearly she saw something in you before I slowed down enough to see it.”

This made her send me a scoff. ‘Of course, I did, I’m always the one to see things like this first.’ Now see got an eye roll too.

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it.” Heat flashed up the side of my next at the memory. “And I know you checked first.”

•- Embry Call -•

I chuckled. “I know… She has great taste. Not that she needs me to tell her that.”

I smiled at her… my heart giving another few out of rhythm thumps at the memory… the freezing water, the heat of her body, that kiss while the thrill of the fall still coursed through us. “We should do it again sometime…” I smirked. “Maybe off the Rez… just in case.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Look who is learning about restraint?” Sitting back in the chair, setting the fork down to replace it with my drink.

I watched him carefully, my eyes in his face, but my ears… they were listening to his heart casing my lips to curl up into a smirk.

“Do you need anything  more?” Asking as I nod to the hob to the side. “There is more if you want anything.” It always made sense to cook enough food, hunger was never far for a spirit warrior.

•- Embry Call -•

I laughed… the fact that was calling that restraint. “Actually… I would call it more… Planning ahead so I don’t need to use restraint.” Then I immediately added. “That did not sound kinky in my head.”

I thought about it for a second. “And fill up before the ice cream?” I  laughed; I didn’t think it was possible for a Warrior to feel full…. Well that’s not entirely true. #Paul and I tested it one time. It was not pretty.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Fork frozen mid-way to my mouth with my eyebrow curled up into a perfect arch. By the Spirits why did that made me squeeze my thighs together?

Shaking my head slowly my lips parted to say something and then I just ate my food. There were no safe words to be used about now.

“Hmm…” the only sound I dared to let out, while this man across the table from me, tested my control. (Or at least that’s how it felt.)

•- Embry Call -•

I froze a second after she did… My wolf and I were entwined so deeply that it was impossible for me not tuned into the scents all around me… especially when I was with Leah. She smelled amazing, and right now…

“Hmm…”I raised a  brow. “Maybe I should intend to be  kinky?” I smiled… the shift in her scent. “Maybe we should change those dessert plans?” Her scent had my mouth watering… and not for ice cream.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

The tip of my tongue licked my bottom lip. He wasn’t the only one in the room whose could pick up on things. The body language, scents, the way his warrior wasn’t far too.

“Hmm…” biting on the inside of my cheek. “Why change the plans? Isn’t it better to adapt them?” the idea of his mind going to different directions… Spirits… this man was sent to test me.

•- Embry Call -•

My smile spread slow and wide across my features. She really was just full of excellent ideas…

“So… ice cream in bed again?” I teased. “You know that could get messy… we probably need to shower right after.” I waggled my brows. But then… just to throw her.. and turn her on all at once I picked up her empty plate and smiled.

“We should cleaned up first.” I gave her a knowing smile and headed to the sink.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Sitting up straight, crossing my legs under the table my head following him as he walked to the sink with the dishes in hand.

“You know how to turn a woman on.” He knew I meant the cleaning up comment. (Of course, the thought of eating ice cream in bed and showering too.) SPIRTS. “Talk about breaking all the rules”.

Shaking my head when the throbbing between my legs had been eased, I stood up clearing away the rest of the table before walking over to him bare foot to help dry.

•- Embry Call -•

I chuckled. "Oh, if you think this is sexy... you should see me mop... It's almost like a floor show." I bit my lip as I ran the tap and scrubbed the plates.

"Spirits." I muttered, that scent... it made me a different kind of hungry. "Or... we can just skip the rest and put these counters to good use right now." My blood heated the scent in the air... Fuck! She smelled so good.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Clocking the lip bit in his side profile I couldn’t help myself. I stepped up to him turning him face towards me and place a soft kiss on his lips. My tongue darting out to free that bite of his, only to replace it with mine.

“I want to bite your lips every time you do that.” I kissed him again before pulling away and picking up a plate.

“We’ve come a long way to leave a job half done.” But my eyes darted over to the counter where he had shown me other ways to enjoy my kitchen.

•- Embry Call -•

I groaned at the flick of her tongue against my lips, I had to restrain myself from squeezing the glass in my hand so tightly it would shatter.

“Every single time I bite you, you can assume it’s an invitation for you to do it instead.” My voice was a whisper, then it deepened. That kid was far too short. “It’s always better when you do it.”

I could resist, three minutes, that all it would take to finish these dishes… then hoist her onto those counters she was eyeing and take as long as wanted just kissing her. Three minutes. I washed faster.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Softly laughing my shoulders with the sound of it. I could see the determination in his posture. He wanted those dishes washed, yesterday!

“If you break my dishes, Embry Call. There will be hell to pay.” I wasn’t attached to them, but we needed to be able to control some  parts of us, right?

‘Wasn’t the point of the bubble, so you didn’t need to?’ She stirred turning her back on us. She never stayed up to watch because she trusted him. (Unless he woke her up. And then there was no stopping her.)

I shook my head drying and packing as I went.

•- Embry Call -•

I smiled. "Hey, I have better self-control than that." I protested, just barely... but that was enough. I held up the perfectly intact glass to prove it.

I set the last clean dish on the rack and dried my hands as she finished up and packed it away. Then I was right there when she turned back from the cupboard. A hand on the counters on either side of her. I dropped my voice low...

"Now what?"

•- Leah Clearwater -•

I heard his feet in the cold kitchen floor. Smiling as I set the last of the dishes away and turned to face him with the tea towel in my hand. The half-moon space he created around me with his arms had my eyebrow raised in a perfect arch.

“Now what?” Licking my bottom lip “Weren’t you talking about dessert?” Tilting my head to the side, letting my hair fall free over my shoulder.

•- Embry Call -•

My stomach rioted; my eyes fixated on the way she licked her lips. Was jealousy right word for thinking that should be me tongue tracing that perfectly plump lip?

“Dessert…” I let every ounce of desire flood my tone and I hoisted up onto the counter with a firm grip on her  hips. Fuck! Was there any part of this woman that wasn’t sexy as hell.

“Let’s start with a taste.” I flicked my tongue right where hers had just been. My fingers dragging down the outside of her impressive thighs. Then I kissed her, diving in, deep and passionate.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

By the Spirits! My stomach turned in a delicious wave of desire pushing it when his strong hands took a hold and with one swiping motion I was off my feet and my arse settled on top of the counter.

A gasp escaped my lips with my hands moving to rest on his shouldered, taking  him in. Before I could say anything, our lips were connected, his tongue and mine entwined, my own hands in his hair.

•- Embry Call -•

I kissed her, pulling her right the edge of the counter where my body was keeping her from slipping off. My hands moved back up her thighs, her waist…. Around her back and up until my hand could tangle in her hair making groan.

The other fisted in the back of her shirt. My caught her hitting lip and tugged until it slipped free. I locked eyes with her. “I’d there anything you don’t do well?” I teased. “Best dessert ever.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

I wouldn’t fall, 1 - because he wouldn’t let me. And B - because I wouldn’t let me. He tasted of dinner, and beer, of the Earth of our lands, and of… Embry. A scent and taste I hadn’t had before, and I knew there wouldn’t be one like it again.

My back arch into his direction, chest to chest, when the bust of our scents combined together. A moan pulled free by him sent a blot of electricity straight to my clenched muscles. “If you can’t do it well. Then why try?” Flicking the tip of my tongue over his lips. The throbbing sensation building.

•- Embry Call -•

Her chest pressed into mine and I could feel with all of her.  I moaned her name, but it was swallowed up by the deep kiss. I pressed my hips against her and smirked letting her feel the full effect she had on me. "Well... You get an A plus, Trouble."

Her scent shifted and  new kind of hunger filled me.  "Damn, you smell too fucking good."

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“As long as you’re not scoring me on a curve, Dimples.” The end of my sentence went up towards the end at feeling his reaction to our closeness.

“Spirits…” peppering his lips with kisses between my words. “You feel so good.” My arse had been placed at the edge of the  counter by him, and I’d locked my ankles around his waist. I used the two to keep my balance as I rocked to cause some friction between us.

•- Embry Call -•

I moaned softly, her body heat seeping into me. Her warmth was unlike any other I had ever experienced. Her kisses made me smile, made my heart skip with each one. “Can’t grade on curve when there ones only one student.” I breathed. “Only you.”

My hand gripped her hip… then slipped my hand beneath her shirt to feel the hard muscles of her waist and back. “Spirits, Leah…” I wasn’t he only the felt good.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Shivers moved smoothly over my skin being touched by his hands. The proof of his determination to music could be felt with the rough calluses of those hands. His heart and moans sang to me, making me reply in the same way too.

“Only you…” Sprits! This mad man and I were  walking this path in our own way for sure. Because I wasn’t even thinking of running now.

“Embry…” shivering at his touch, tilting my head I deepen the kiss again. Needing more now.

•- Embry Call -•

Every muscle in my body went tight… at first… those first two words, they woke the beast inside and my arms tightened around her, pushing her shirt up her back as I did, closing any possible space between our bodies.

Then those same muscles turned molten when she said my  name like that. Her kiss deepened and I whispered her name back to her, but it was lost in the breaths and whimpers and soft sounds of our kiss. “What have you done to me?” I managed to whisper before I pressed my tongue past her lips again. Joy and gratitude flooded my tone.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

What had I done? Was there any chance we could answer that question to its fullest? No, I didn’t think so.

And it hadn’t been me… it was us… we had done this together. He and I walked this path that brought us here tonight… and we weren’t done.

I didn’t reply with words. I parted my lips to let him in. I shifted and edged into him, feeling his heart pounding next to mine. And I gave him his answer with the way this all felt between us right now.

•- Embry Call -•

The question had been more than rhetorical. It was unanswerable… a statement really… a prayer and please to the spirits the showed us this road and let us follow it. A thank you, to them… not her. Because this… wasn't something we tanked each other for.

We gave and accepted equal measure. Her answer came in closeness, in matched passion and synced heartbeats. She had no answer, she didn't need one or want one… just like me. The kiss slowed and deepened all at once as we clung to one another.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

His heart took over, it’s all I wanted to listen to in this moment. Listening to the message it shared kept me in place in the kitchen counter.

The coolness of the counter top seeping in from below, I moved my hands to cup his face. The days stubble prickly to my fingers. I smiled as I kissed him. Feeling that connection, we shared. Slowly pulling back, I opened my eyes to take him in.

Embry Call, his eyes, his nose, his lips… “Well, this is a new kind of a dessert menu.” Teasing with that smile still on my features.

•- Embry Call -•

A low hum escaped from me, and I pressed my cheek into her palm. Savouring the touch, when I opened my eyes, I found hers flitting from feature to feature on my face.

My hands slide down her back to her waist, still against her bare, heated skin under her shirt. "Still in the  mood for ice cream?" I asked, licking the lingering taste of her from my lips. "Or should continue to fulfil all your cravings."

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Still smiling, I snapped my teeth at him. There were so many ways to take this conversation, but for now…. With him and I, this heated embrace. We really needed something to cool off a little.

“The deal was to have ice cream.” Raising my eyebrow at him as I spoke. “We cannot, not have some.” The tips of his fingers lingering under my shirt, add a slight gasp to my words now.

•- Embry Call -•

My stomach twisted in that incredible way, and I bit my lip with a groan. That snap was sexy as all hell. I kissed her, flicking my tongue again her lips Before I whisper. “Who am I to deny you anything, Trouble?”

I slipped my hands from her hips. The heat of her bare skin was  instantly missed.

“Don’t move.” I smirked and stepped away, heading to the freezer, I fished out the first tub I saw and set it on the counter. I gaze locking hers in again as I slipped between her knees. I opened the drawer next to her and pulled out a spoon, without once  looking away from her. Then I scooped out a spoonful and held it out before her with a grin.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Heat rushed up the side of my neck, watching him moving though my kitchen without a question or a doubt. He looked comfortable, like he belonged and wanted to all at the same time.

Licking my bottom lip, smiling at how he strutted over to my freezer, found the tub of frozen ice cream, returned without a misstep, and found a spoon without breaking eye contact.

“That is so sexy!” Raising a perfectly curved eyebrow at him.

Parting my lips for the spoon, I leant towards him closing them around the offering, and letting out the most delicious moan. curling my long legs back around his waist.

“I wasn’t expecting the service.” Letting the ice cream melt on my lips before kissing him so that he could taste it too.

•- Embry Call -•

My lips parted… a light exhale escaping as her kiss plumped lips closed around the spoonful. My skin suddenly felt too tight. And when she caught me around the waist.

“Oh no…” My voice is unexpectedly soft. “That is sexy.” I returned her kiss, tasting her, tasting the ice-cream on her lips. I trace her lip with tongue. “Ice cream never tasted so good before” I smiled.

I scooped out more ice cream and this time I ate it myself. Letting it melt on my tongue.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“It’s a one-of-a-kind flavour…” smirking as I licked my lips. He’d left them tingly again. My hands moved to the side and around his back, drawing gently as my gaze remained on him and his actions. He filled another spoonful, my lips parted and…. “Hey!” Okay so I thought  it was coming to me.

Shaking my head. “Fine… I guess you are allowed to have some too.” Kicking his arse playfully with the heel of my foot around him. “The next spoon is mine.” Snapping my teeth at him.

•- Embry Call -•

I managed a breathy chuckle as my heart lurched watching her lip part expectantly. Fuck!! The places my mind went just thinking about her lips.

“I thought it as only children that were meant to have issues with sharing.” I kissed her, letting her have a taste too. Then I extended another spoonful to her. “You have no idea the depths of my filthy thoughts right now.” I flashed a teasing grin.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

By the Spirits! His cool and then hot lips tasted so good. Sweet and salty, cool and warm. He wasn’t wrong in his assessment. “I don’t share….” Licking my lips pointedly as I watch him refill the spoon.

My fingers moving over his soft skin of their own accord, my lips  parted ready for the next serving, but then a bolt of lightning struck through from my ears to my core.

“Oh…” eyebrow raised in a perfect curve. “Care to share or should I just let my mind wander with the fact you gave me?” This time my lips closed around the spoon slowly.

•- Embry Call -•

I chuckled. “Of course not.” I teased… and yet here she was legs wrapped me, locking me into, sharing not only her home but her personal space, her heat… her breath. She’d cooked for me, even went so far as the near sacred act of sharing ice cream?

I watched her with parted  lips and bated breathed. Glued to every moment like I was witnessing a miracle. My jeans becoming tighter.

“Like all the things I could do to that exquisite, sarcastic mouth.” I bite my lip as I slid the spoon from between those sinfully perfect lips. I dropped my voice to a  whisper. “All the things you could do to me with that mouth.” A shudder of desire ran through me at my own words.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Of course, my gaze dropped to his bitten lips. The need to feel my teeth on them instead of his. His words making me react by taking a slow and steady breath to fill my lungs, counteracting the heat growing in the pit of my stomach.

I scented the change between us as heat  curled its way up the side of my neck, setting every nerve on edge. Images of the last time we were together flashing through my mind. At the feel of him, the scent of him, and the taste…

“Spirits…” I didn’t even know if said it. Tilting my head from side to side trying to clear my head. But …. It wasn’t possible… not with him filling it.

•- Embry Call -•

My gaze locked on her lips and my mind continued playing through memories.... and imagining what new ones we could make together.

My eyes dropped to her throat when she tilted her head. I couldn't stop myself from leaning in and pressing a kiss to her pulse. Her skin was flushed and slightly warmer than her normal temperature.

"Calling on the Spirits now... you really want to share this ice cream tonight." I teased her. I filled this spoon again and held it up to her. My wicked imagination was running riot. "You know... this is definitely  another first."

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“You want me to stop calling on them? You know they’ll find ways to make themselves know if they think I’m blocking them out and not listening. And now—“

His lips on my neck cut the sentence short, sending sensations of pleasure roiling over my skin. “Hmm…” words were never my strong suit anyway.

This time I flicked the ice cream between my lips with the tip of my tongue. But I didn’t eat it. Leaning forward I kissed his neck, dragging a line of melted ice cream from below his ear to the curve of his neck.

“Sharing? Are you sure I am?” Whispering onto his warm skin, I kissed and licked the line I made.

•- Embry Call -•

I chuckled and shook my head. "Not stop..." I smiled. "Never stop.... just... wait until the ice cream is all gone." I teased. My head tilted instantly to the side, and quick blast of cold before her mouth and mine warmed, the ice cream melting, pulled a deep groan from deep down in my stomach.

"Fuck, Trouble!" I bit my lip hard, dropping the spoon into the tub to grip her waist. "If this is your idea of sharing, I strongly approve."

•- Leah Clearwater -•

I couldn’t help myself. Biting his shoulder when he held me. Chuckling a little at his comment of course too. “What do you mean? Wasn’t this your understanding of sharing ice cream too?”

My hands moved over his shoulders letting my nails trace his soft skin as I sat up on the counter top. Locking my ankles around his waist before kissing the spot I bit him. “I’m open to other sharing options, if you have any?” Whispering into the kisses.

•- Embry Call -•

My attempt to answer her wasn't much more a breath and moan. My hand tightened on her waist. I felt her lips over the light bit she gave me... Fingernails against skin... Fuck! Wait... what were we talking about?

Her hold on me tightened... "Sharing?" I whispered and  breathed in her scent... her scent and.... ice cream. We were talking about sharing ice cream.

"Oh, I have so, so many ideas" I whispered arching into every single kiss. I pulled back a little and dipped my finger into the ice cream. "Each one messier than the next," I swiped my finger over the tip of her nose and then quickly licked away the ice cream before the heat of her skin could melt it away.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

He was so lost; I could feel it coming from him. His breathing, the sound of the heart beat I thought of as music now, and of course his inability to reply straight away. Embry Call always had an answer for everything! “Hey! Kinky. Nose licking!” Wiggling my nose as the cool  touch of our dessert tickled. But I didn’t stop him.

Licking my lips, the taste of him still lingered there while I sat still watching him, and taking him in. “Keeping all those thoughts as a surprise, are you?” Finally asking when he didn’t say. “I’m fine with it..”

•- Embry Call -•

I chuckled… “You aren’t the only one who can get kinky, Trouble.” I teased her, waggling my brows.

“I always have a surprise or two up my sleeve, you know that.” I grinned offering her another spoonful of ice cream. “But I suppose I can give you one hint…” I dipped my head  and ran tongue up the graceful column of her neck.

“It starts with licking you everywhere… not just your nose.” My voice dropped. “I will lick every single inch of you. And that just to start.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Head falling back once I too the spoonful, letting him kiss my neck with the ice cream melting in my mouth. I was sure he could feel the heat rising up my skin, but I didn’t think too much about how treacherous my body became around him.

“Hmm…” opening my eyes looking up  at the ceiling of my kitchen. My hands graced its way down his arm until the hand with the spoon was felt.

Removing the spoon, I brought his finger still sticky with the ice cream he’d placed on my nose. I bought the finger up to my mouth. Kissing the fingertip, then licking  it with my tongue curling around it before u sucked hard pushing my lips around the length.

Slowly pulling back sucking harder with my tongue curling around the tip before I let it free with a tasting bite. “Licking is…. A good place to start…” I whispered back.

•- Embry Call -•

Spirits! I was addicted to the way her body reacted to me. I kissed the hollow place below her jaw and started to work my way back to her ear. When she slipped the spoon from my hand my full attention returned to her face... watching all those intentions pool in her eyes.

The kiss had me holding my breath. Her tongue had me hardening even more and pressing against her, so she knew it too. I bit my lip and groaned. the pressure of her mouth and the way her tongue swirled. I finally took a breath the only thing racing faster than my heart was my  mind.

"The best place to start!" I whispered, breathlessly.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Biting... high on the list too.” His breathless voice excited me.

I bite down in the tip of his finger before little it goes. Placing both my hands down flat on either side of myself on the counter top. Bracing myself with the jolts of electricity riding me like a wave. All of this caused by his reactions to what is been doing.

Slipping my arse to the edge of the counter again. Circling my hips to meet his thickness. Wondering and imagining all the things I’ve cream tasted good on top of.

Taking the spoon from where I’d place it, this time I held it out filled for him to enjoy the flavour of it too.

•- Embry Call -•

I made a low hum of approval. "Biting..." I repeated because I had apparently lost the ability to form an original thought.

Then she shifted the edge of the counter and pressed against me. I bit my lip, my eyes rolled back, and my hand tightened on her hip. Her body met mine  at the perfect angle.

"Being six-four has a lot of perks." I grinned at her. I leaned in and ran my tongue along the underside of the spoon before I ate the spoonful of ice cream.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Hmm…” this time I watched him consume the ice cream and it was hot and sexy, and…. Such a turn on! But why? I didn’t know the answer. It just was.

“Tall has its perks.” Agreeing. Because the way and the places our bodies met, it only happened because of the height  of him, the height of my cabinets and countertops. And the placement of me.

•- Embry Call -•

My eyes never left her face, I took in each and every reaction, sight sound and scent. I marked every detail. I leaned in and kissed her, while the taste of the ice-cream still lingered. I let my gaze drop to where our bodies met each other and the edge of the counter... I  her a wide smile.

"Oh, the things we do on these counters." I slipped the spoon from her fingers and scooped up more ice cream, holding it out to her.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Don’t give my counter tops a bad name.” Teasing back, leaning in my lips close around the cold delightful treat.

“It’s only witnessed kissing…” Winking back as I mirror his gaze. Taking him in, not missing a beat. Not removing my eyes off his face.

Whispering this time. “The couch has seen and heard a lot more.” The number of nights we spent on it bearing witness to the fact.

•- Embry Call -•

"For now." I flashed her a wicked grin. "These counters are going to see a whole more than kissing and my futile attempts at helping you cook."

My stomach leapt again watching her lips close around the spoon again. "Let's not forget the bed. The fact that thing is still standing is a miracle." I chuckled.

Another low-down twitch had me biting back a groan as I wondered if it would survive when we crossed that final line.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Well…”

My finger dipped into the tub, the cool soft texture making it easier to coat my finger. I had thought of covering his next line, down his Adam’s apple , towards his chest.

“You didn’t burn the toast the last time you offered to make breakfast.” Bringing my finger  to his lips. But then I dropped my gaze, seeing the bobbing of his Adam’s apple, and decided to bring my finger to my lips. Letting the tip of my tongue run over the length of one side. And then the other.

“My poor bed… I really do need to reinforce the fame.” The sounds it made; it was begging for some TLC.

•- Embry Call -•

My smile grew as she lifted her finger. “It’s not burnt if you can scrape on the black bits and sa…” every thought eddied out my head. I swallowed hard watching the slow swipe of her tongue. Fuck! It was like she moved in slow motion and that look in her eyes… Like she’d devour me next. Spirits!!

Beds?? What… why…? I chuckled. My grasp of the conversation slowly returned, and I loosened my grip on her hips… which had apparently tightened as I stared at her. Only with her could let myself act on instinct. Only her could I touch without thought and fear of causing harm.

“That may have to be my job, because I don't think you'll ever get my scent out of that mattress.” Damn! Did it make a domineering arsehole to like the sound of that? That my scent was there even when I wasn't?

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Head tilting the side my eyes glazed into his, but my thoughts went to the strong touch I missed all of a sudden.

By the Spirits… I hadn’t been worried about my strength or his. With all my honesty it was such a turn on when he grabbed me, when he put his full weight down over me. When his fingers dug into my skin. Being held by someone who I trusted to cause me no harm, but at the same time knowing he wouldn’t back down and could face me toe to toe.

Shaking the thoughts away, I pressed my thighs together, but he was in the way. The roiling up of my thoughts had my scent send its own message.

“Spirits!” Sucking my finger clean, raising my eyebrow. Did him like thinking about this? His face lit up. “You like it…. Your scent… in my things?” Did it feel to him as it had for me when he gave me his shirt?

•- Embry Call -•

My breath hitched and my mouth went dry as she sucked her finger clean. “Wouldn't a certain fictional friend of yours call me and Alphahole if I admitted to that?”

Her scent filled my senses, and I knew… I just knew it was that show of strength that stirred her arousal. Never enough to hurt. That wasn't something either of us had an interest in… but enough the woman of her considerable physical prowess could feel it. Enough for her feel my grip on her, that it was more than a touch… but enough that if she were human, it would leave a bruise at  least, maybe worse. But because this was Leah… I could just be Embry. I let go of the worry of causing harm. She wasn't fragile of breakable.

“I like it…” I admitted. “As much as you like it when...” I tightened my grip on her hips pulling her against me again, right the edge of the counter. I bit my lip when that sweet spot ground the hardness meeting her there. “… when you can feel it… really fell it when I touch you. When I can pin you… pick you… when you feel that pressure on your chest when you are under me… or between me and the wall.”

I leaned into her ear, dropping my voice. “When you can pin my wrists over my head a squeeze as hard you want. When you use those teeth and nails and all of these sexy, powerful muscles when they grind against…” I pulled to lock my gaze on hers. “That's how much I like thinking of you scenting me every time you climb into that bed.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Oh…” a mischievous grin formed on my features. Because I’d read that book and made him do the same. And to my surprise what had been a joke turned into us having something more. “She would most definitely call you and Alphahole… and then she would swish her perfectly  formed curvaceous arse off to her room, and pleasure herself while thinking about it….”

My body slide forwards coming to a colliding stop against his muscular chest. My hands curled themselves around his neck, the flats of my palm on the back of his head playing with his hair. “Well….” My core came to life with a burst of energy tightening ever muscle in me. “That … took a turn…” as he would say to me so often.

The way his breath kissed the shell of my ear, the way his voice sounded. My breathing stopped and my heart pounded against  the cage of my ribs. The physical aspect was always such a turn on. But now. Here. Adding the face that he got it. He got me. He understood the assignment and by the spirits he was taking home the A++!

“I should want to kick your arse for admitting this… but instead… It makes me want to knock you flat on your back, pour what’s left in the tub all over, and lick you clean!” Drawing in close, adding a snap of my teeth right beside his earlobe.

•- Embry Call -•

“Oh really?” I grinned at the image in my mind. “Do Alphahole get to watch in the last scenario?” My balls tightened at the thought. Fuck! She claimed I turned the conversation around. I dragged my teeth against her earlobe and before I pulled back and she did the dame. I  groaned.

“Who am I to deny a beautiful woman?” I smirked. “Where do you want me? Table? Bed? Floor? All of the above?”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“That…. All… depends on…”

My arms dropped from around him, placing them either side of me I leant back. At the same time unhooking my ankles and bringing my long legs around to the front. They were  between us when I pushed him back and slipped down.

“I don’t know….” Teasing him and picking up the now half eaten tub of dessert and spoon. “I feel like I should leave you to your imagination for a while…” my eyes moved down him; his reaction visibly evident.

Filling a spoon, I put it in my mouth while starting to walk away.

•- Embry Call -•

I watched her, trying to tell myself I was prepared if was about to kick my arse... but as to back my focus drew in on the tempting peaks pressing against her shirt.

As she pushed me back, I let my hands trail off of her thigh. Then she was eyeing me up just as hungrily.

I didn't take my eyes off her. "Are you sure that's a good idea..." I bit my lip. Fuck! Her arse was perfect. "My imagination is vivid... it could get..." I paused. " Messy. If I'm left to my own devices with it in your house."

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Walking away from him was as easy as it once used to be. My warrior thought I was crazy; he missed his heat. Even when I reminded her, we had the same temperature. But it wasn’t the same, and by the spirits I knew it.

“Hmm…” sucking on the melting goodness in my mouth. “A good imagination is paid with vivid realities…. Or so I’m told.”

Placing the spoon into the tub, my free hand moved to the hem of my shirt, lifting it as i disappeared around the kitchen opening into the living room.

•- Embry Call -•

I had a brief moment of thinking that losing Leah's heat was the closest thing to cold I could ever feel. But that satisfied hum was I needed to heat my blood again.

I had to make an adjustment down south before following her to lean on the doorway, aware of the fact that adjusted or not my jeans did not hide her effect on me.

"Oh, trust me." I tapped my temple. "I have every second committed to memory, it's excellent fuel for my imagination... and that was doing pretty well even before I'd ever seen you naked."

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Narrowing my eyes, he didn’t mean what I thought he meant. He couldn’t have. Because if I’d have found out. His life would have been forfeit.

My shirt was up and over my shoulder, and head, hair cascading freely down my back as I adjusted my hands to set it down (tidily) on the armchair. Not looking back towards where I felt his presence.

“Before you even saw me naked what were you imagining exactly?” Now I set the tub down on the coffee table, undoing the belt and the buttons of my jeans. Pulling them down with a swing of my hips from side to side

•- Embry Call -•

Did the earth just stop spinning? Fuck! She was all muscle. Even her back flexed and rippled with strength as she pulled her shirt up… Who knew someone’s back could be a turn on? Enter Leah Clearwater.

I bit my lip, that dark cascade of silk down her back and over her Shoulders… yeah, I needed a little breathing room. I had to pop open my belt.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” I smirked. what her started on her belt… my heart raced and drifted up her gorgeous body and settle on her mouth for moment before locked onto those deep, dark eyes.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

When I glanced back over my shoulder, there he was. Lost in thoughts I knew the spirits would shy away from. But it made the thunder in my heart want to explode if I hadn’t kept control of myself.

Bending over, I freed one ankle from the leg of my jeans, and then moved on to  the other, as I spoke. “As we aren’t in the business of lying to each other. I’m going to disagree with you.”

Flipping my hair back, as I  stood up straight again. This time I shook my jeans, folding them, and setting them on top of my shirt. Turning around to fact him  in nothing more than my underwear.

“So….”

Licking the sticky remnants of the ice cream from my bottom lip. I pointed a finger to him, with the motion to come closer.

•- Embry Call -•

I was lost for words as I watched her. But always with her, every word she said sunk all the way in. My heart raced with hers... watching her fold her jeans shouldn't be a turn-on. But fuck! it was! Opening my belt was not enough... not even close.

Then the flick of her... Was at least four feet away and still made me groan.

I stepped forward when she beckoned, without question. Taking in the vision before me from my toes, all the way up, sweeping my gaze river each feature of her face and settled on her eyes.

I rested my hands on her waist and smiled at her. "I actually didn't picture you like this until after we... took each other right up to that ledge we like to toy with," I smirked. "But I won't lie... I imagined you in my t-shirt that night after we went climbing A LOT." I stressed the last part.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Alphahole…” the word came with a smirk of course. “Happiness is scenting yourself on me?” I knew it was more.

The day flashed before my eyes, climbing with him like I hadn’t before. Reaching the top, working together, learning from watching him. Seeing him doing something  he enjoyed. But it was sitting at the end, looking down over the horizon, the valley, and the river.

My heart gave one on those telltale signs of where my mind has gone. And I smiled shaking my head.

My hands gathered my hair up, twisting if around before tying it up into messy bun. All as I watched him taking me in, slowing moving towards me. And then there he was. And my heart gave me away again at the smile he openly shared with me.

I bought a finger up to his features, gently tracing the curves of his hairline, his cheek, his jaw.

•- Embry Call -•

"Something like that." I grinned, inching a little closer. I didn't need to explain it was the trust... and sure a little Alphahole satisfaction. But most of all is the utter acceptance in the action. That she'd had time to rationalise the feelings she was having and was choosing to spend the night in my bed.

I bit my lips watching her do that thing with her hair, and then I ducked my head to press a kiss to her now-exposed neck. The out-of-time thump made mine respond in kind. my eyes jumped back to her with a smirk that said I heard that.

Then her touch softened that smirk into a smile only she had ever seen. "What on Earth are you doing to me, Trouble?" My wide smile made it clear I loved every second of it.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“What you asked me to do, Dimples.” Voice soft and at ease. This felt real, and natural. Not forced on any level of the word. His warm lips on my skin had my skin ripping, and I knew he heard my heart speaking to him, just as I heard his.

“Do you want me to stop?”

Fingers trailing down slowly, taking in the well-defined position of each of his muscles. Even over the fabric of his shirt. Not rushing at all towards the goal to remove every inch of tension from those muscles I could feel moving beneath my fingertips.

When reaching the  hem of his shirt. My other hand moved so that I had a hold of both edges of the fabric. “So, now is the time to give consent, Embry Call. Do you trust me? Or… should I stop?” Moving my head back so that we were now eye to eye.

•- Embry Call -•

I was about to tell her that, no… no I most certainly did not want her to stop! But her hands started to move down my chest and my mind emptied out, mouth dry and teeth baring down on my lower lip. The intention in her eyes made my heart rachet up a gear.

Each muscle she  traced tightened and released.

Only when she stopped at the hem of my shirt did the faculties, I needed to speak return. “I trust you.” I had so much meaning behind it. Because I was a trusting guy. I didn't even lock my door for Spirit's sake. But this… Leah… it was different.

I trusted her with parts of myself I had only just discovered. My deepest regrets and shame. The little things I reserved just for me, like the piano, she held them all in her hands. And I felt no doubts or apprehension, no regrets.

In fact, I felt stronger for  it. I felt bolstered, held up by an extra pair of very strong hands. “Trusting you might just the best thing I've ever done.” I smiled.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Every bone in my body froze in its place, the beating of our hearts could be heard. But my mind took a moment to allow what he said to sink in. Trust…. It wasn’t only a question about what I had to answer for. But how I felt about allowing people in. It was a two-way street, a journey we both embraced.

Seeing his eyes, the way he bit his lips. I kissed him in answer. I wouldn’t take his trust lightly. “Trusting me is more importantly the most intelligent thing you’re done.” Teasing? Yes. But I had too.

Curling the fabric into my fingers, I began moving it up. Making sure the tips of my thumb travelled over his skin as I went.  “Hands up, Embry Call. You are seriously overdressed right now.”

•- Embry Call -•

I laughed a little. She teased, but I knew she understood how deep that trust went... and that understood hers too. She didn't take it lightly. "Yeah... I think we can both agree on that, too." I admitted with ease.

Never breaking from her stare, I lifted my arms... "Wow... Two agreements in a matter of minutes. We're on a roll, Trouble."

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Rolling my eyes at him with a smile on my lips. “Don’t get cocky… it may never happen again.” Raising my eyebrow into a perfect arch as I spoke.

Even now it sometimes seems unreal at how easy it felt to talk to him, to tease, and play. My hands moved up over his torso slowly. Breaking eye contact with him to view the fine specimen of a man the spirits created.

The scent in the room changed, and I pushed my thighs together to ease the throbbing sensation between them. Really, what was going on with me? Just taking his shirt off did this?

•- Embry Call -•

My tongue pressed into my lower lip, even her eyes tools were a turn on… and that was so dangerous. But I was addicted. A few stray strands of hair feel across my forehead when she freed my shirt. Somewhere between short and too long but not quiet either.

My hands moved to waist slowly slipped down, closer to the source of that scent that made me want to drop to my knees and… I bit down on my lip hard before the urge could take over. Of, course now it was my scent shifting… the pulsing of the blood in veins heating and flowing faster.

“Like what you see, Trouble?”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Yes. I. Do.” Unable to fold his shirt because of the way he held me now. I let the fabric fall on top of my clothes on the armchair beside us.

“As much as you are enjoying yours too.” I could read the room and the changed in it. Even if I hadn’t dropped my eyes, I knew what part of him would be there reaching out towards me.  My breathing hitched as the placement of his hands; I knew the through of him had a full pulse beginning between my legs.

Reaching up my fingertips traced his face. Pushing his hair off his forehead. “It’s letting long again.” I had said it to myself, but to him too. I like his hair, touching it, playing with it, because maybe I knew what it meant to be allowed to be this personal with a person now.

•- Embry Call -•

I chuckled I knew that she would want to fold that t-shirt, but I wasn't going to let go of her. "I would normally say that wasn't possible..." I leaned in and inhaled deeply. "But... I don't think I can this time."

Her finger brushed my against my cheeks and into my hair, and  as soon as my fingers against the hem of her panties at the same time... "Spirits." I felt it in my knees... again the urge to get close and worship her.

"Just wanted to give you something to hold onto." I teased and slipped my hands over her hips to her arse because there  too much temptation on the path they were following.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Are you admitting a weakness, Dimples?” Leaning in to place two soft kisses in each of them.

Teasing him and setting it into a challenge would be the normal routine for us, but my hands were tracing their way down his bare toes. Stopping to admire each chiselled muscle. “Spirits!” Calling them at the same time as he did when my fingers trailed the fine line of his adonis belt! That perfect V-shaped muscle,  running diagonally from his hip bones to his pelvic are.

“What were we talking about?” Feigning confusion because who the hell could think straight? It didn’t take much to find the clasp of his belt, undoing with a single tug. The sound of the metal breaking the silence

“Oh…right… The view we’re both enjoying.” His jeans were undone, my hands moved to feel his skin beneath the fabric as it began falling.

•- Embry Call -•

“If admitting the way, you smell right now is making me want to drop to my knees, put one of your legs over my shoulder and bury my face in between...” my mouth watered... “Is a weakness then… fuck yes!” No hesitation, no doubts. I was literally weak at the knees for her right now and wasn't terrifying it was thrilling.

I bit my lip when her fingers stroked lower, and she lost herself. I wasn't stupid I'd flipped through some of the books on her shelf and I had a few more muscles than most guys in them. I locked my gaze and hers and said, a little my skin heats beneath her touch.

“One hell of a view.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

My warriors interest was peaking as she stirred wanting to know more. My breath caught at my impulse to move my hands lower, past the band of his boxers. And she wanted me to tell him to do what he wanted.

My heart felt like it was riding down to my stomach, and I lost my  voice as pure pleasure pluses making me close my thighs at the throbbing there. Pushing his jeans further to the ground, I guided him to step out of them. Picking them up to place them on top of all our clothes.

“You are really letting your mind run free.” It wasn’t the first time. “Who said I would let go taste this delicious delicacy without a few challenges?”

My eyes moved from his face over his bare, and perfect body, down to his toes. “Now… I promised to lay you down on the floor to lick ice cream off your skin.” Pointing to the floor

•- Embry Call -•

I smiled. “Good thing I'm not afraid of a challenge.” I felt the tiny shift, and even without looking away from her eyes I knew she was pressing those sex thighs together and fuck!! I wanted to be the cause of any friction she felt.

I bit my lip, feeling a low-down throbbing  at her words.

“Well, who am I to stand in the way of a promise.” I dipped my head and kissed her pulse point. Then I trailed painfully slow kisses down her neck. Her chest, nipping at her collarbone. Kiss g down the centre of her breasts, slowly easing to my knees. I would her what she wanted. But I would have fun along the ways.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

By the spirits! How had he managed to turn the tables on me? The world plan was to tease him, taste him, play with him! But here I stood with soft moan running free, my hands in his hair as he slowly turns my on like a lighter ignition.

“Embry….” My eyes widened as he went to his knees before me. This action took my mind away by shocking it. It wasn’t something I could say I wanted, but I didn’t know if he knew the meaning of it to me.

To go down on my knees… I’d told the world I would do that for any man. Even my Alpha knew, not that he would abuse his power and position like that. Her voice whispered ‘This isn’t the same thing. This is trust. It’s openness, and willingness to accept.’

•- Embry Call -•

I was already struggling with my urges to slide her panties down as my knees touched the floor... her breathing my name like that almost undid me. My teeth grasped the elastic and tugged a little and just before I pulled back I squeezed her arse and slid my hands to her knees, just a little press against the back of the drop her into my lap. I didn't reach up to keep her from toppling backwards, she could keep herself centred easily.

I shifted my legs out from under me, the motion causing delicious friction right where we both wanted it now that she was straddling my lap.

"I'm at your mercy, Trouble." I smiled at her, heart racing with anticipation. Sat on the floor now, just where she'd wanted me... almost. But just like catching herself... she could fix that too.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Let’s not pretend this isn’t exactly where you wanted to be.” He’d brought us both down and I didn’t fight him. My hands moved to cup his face with our bodies shifting to settle on the floor of my living room.

Bringing myself down to kiss his lips, slow, soft, and teasing  while tasting him all at once. Where our bodies joined, jolts of lightening zipped making my pulse quicken.

I moved the weight of myself into him now, holding the back of his head my tongue entwined with him as I took him down to lay flat with me hovering over him.

“Now. What were you saying about mercy?”  Teasing bites over his lips. Without looking, my hand reached out for the tub of soft semi melted ice cream.

•- Embry Call -•

I moaned into her kiss, she moved with me every moment. We had learned to read the silent language of each other's body.

My stomach rioted, my heart raced, my breath was still rapid. Our tongues met and danced, even as the corners of my mouth curled up when she cradled the back of my head. For someone who frequently hid her tenderness... she certainly didn't inside our bubble. "Mercy?" I asked, confused for a second until I could think clearly enough to remember what I said only a moment ago.

"Oh... about showing me none?" I teased biting my  bottom lip.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

I couldn’t help but laugh into the night. Only one lamp lite the room, with shadows dancing over his face as I drew up to sit over him. The tub sitting on the floor beside him. I pulled my hair up into my signature bun all the while watching him. My long torso stretching out, and I Tutt my tongue.

“We’ll see how you feel about that.” Teasing right back.

My hands slipping down from my hair, slow and gentle I felt the heat of my skin rising, and I felt him tightening under me. Picking up only the spoon, I licked the back of it. Keeping my eyes locked onto his. The next dip of the spoon, I held it over his chest. Listening to him, enjoying the moments where his reactions come.

“Now try to stay still. I don’t want ice cream melting on my floor.” Trails of the sweet goodness dripped over his nipples one at a time.

•- Embry Call -•

I bit my lip hard; she was doing that thing with her hair again. Fuck!! it was sexy as hell. “Still feeling pretty good about it.” I said, as she licked the back of the spoon, making me twitch, thinking of all the things that tongue could do.

I chuckled… she asked me not to move like it was just that easy.

I melted ice wasn’t as cold… but still enough for a jolt of pleasure. “You know still isn't my stronger suit, right?” slide my hands over hips and along her thighs. My body already aching for what came next.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

My placement straddling him, made it so I felt his twitch making me push down and rotate my hips for the friction.

“If it was easy on you… was the fun?”

His hands moved over my hot skin, sending bolts of excitement through me. The spoon dropped a line of ice cream Down the middle of his torso before I set it back inside the tub.

“Let’s see how far you can make it?” Shifting the way, I sat over him. Leaning down my tongue started to lick teasingly up the middle of his torso, letting small bite mark as I cleaned up the mess, I came over him.

•- Embry Call -•

I bit my lip hard to try (and fail) to stifle a moan at the way she wriggled her hips. "You really aren't going to make this easy, are you?"

I hardly finished the sentence before she lowered herself and... "Fuck!" I breathed and dug my fingers into her toned thighs. The trickle  of melted ice cream down the side of my ribs told me I wasn't staying as still as I thought I was.

Why was this so fucking how? Okay sure, she was running her tongue all over me... Clearly sexy... But no, the biggest turn-on was the fact she was licking ice-cream off of me. "Is there a prize if I make it all the way?" I panted between breaths. Like I needed on... I looked down watching her make her way up my torso... I was winning already.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“A prize?” Asking as I chased the free running trails down his ribs. Biting when I missed the drops falling on the ground next to him.

“You’re not staying putt, Dimples. So I don’t know if a prize should be offered.” Licking with the tip of my tongue in the circle my  left a reddish mark on his flesh.

Sitting back up I took another spoonful. “But I’m all for giving second chances. So, let’s see if you win this time.” Drops falling around his chest this time, concentrating at not letting anything fall or run down his sides.

When I set the spoon down, I could help but smile. Seeing him lying there, all that power in his body, and he was concentrating on being still. This time when I went down my tongue traced his nipples one at a time. Tasting the delicious sweet with a mixture of him too.

•- Embry Call -•

She and I both knew that was as still as I got… but the was without the sexiest woman I had ever met straddling my arousal and sweet, perfect heat… my hips moved on their own again.

Okay, maybe not on their own… but fuck!! Who wouldn't? I grow at the bite, fingers pressing into her thighs, leaving a mark of my own.

There was a look of concentration on her face that made me grin through the jaw-clenching sensations skittering from every place I felt that cool touch. “Over achiever much?” I teased, gasping the last word when her tongue circled my nipple.

I only realised I had arched my back when it touched the floor again. “Fuck!” I moaned through my bitten lip.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

The sweet pinch of his fingers into my skin let me know how much this was worth the time. I should have started this earlier for sure!

He drew a moan free from me too, my scent filled the air around us telling him my secrets. That hungry heat was trying to break my concentration, But I wasn’t done.

“Tutt Tutt Embry Call. You just lost your prize.” My eyes moved to take him in. His chest came up to meet me before settling on the floor again.

“And I was willing to let you pick your prize too.”

More ice cream in the spoon, but this time I shifted down him, letting droplets made a path down to his navel. And over the small scar where his appendix once lived.

•- Embry Call -•

Fuck!! That sound... I felt it travel me, throbbing and pulsing where her body met mine. "I thought I wasn't getting one?" I panted out the words.

I groaned... a prize of my choosing... My mind couldn't fathom the answer while trailed the cold droplets to the scar low down on my stomach.

"My choice?" I breathed. sliding my hands firmly up her thighs to her hips. "That's brave." I teased.

We both knew it had nothing to do with bravery, it was all trust.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Shh…” setting the spoon to the side again. This time I took a hold of his hands. “These are distracting me from my fun.” The sharp sting from his hold was going to leave a mark, but I knew it would be gone before I could see them.

“Think about it… see how far your mind can travel.” Tilting my head to the side. I moved to hover over him. Moving myself down to sit over his thighs between my legs now.  My tongue working in long slow motion to lick him clean this time.

•- Embry Call -•

I bit my lip, twisting my hands, and lacing my fingers with hers. She moved lower… every muscle in my torso tightened in anticipation. But as soon as I thought to gather my self-control with the loss of friction… her tongue was on my skin.

“Spirits!” I sucked in a breath, trying to keep my upper body still. “Can't expect a man to think straight while you do that.”

I squeezed her hands. Fuck!! I wanted to touch her.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Squeezing his hand right back, my lips curled up into a mischievous smile. I didn’t reply to him right away way, because I found myself following the lines of his muscles now and not the ice cream.

There was the taste of Embry, with drops of the sweet treat. His heat, with the melting dessert.

“It wouldn’t be a challenge if it was easy, Dimples.” Biting his hip my eyes moved to glance up at him.

My mouth moved to follow the pool of cream along the groove of his boxer elastic. Biting the fabric with my teeth as the scent of him filled my senses.

•- Embry Call -•

Fuck! That sexy little smirk...  She was so hot it should be illegal. I watched her move down my body, every swirl and flick of her tongue sending electricity over my skin. I still struggled to keep still.

“You do like to challenge me.” I breathed. Never taking my eyes off her. “Spirits!” I bit my lip and pressed my hips against floor hard… anything the keep for arching right off the flow or.

“Fuck, Trouble.” Everything was tight throbbing, begging for friction. “Guess I'm not only one that likes what they see.” I teased her, panting. Longing  kiss those perfect lips… no wanting her to stop her slow, teasing trail either.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Think we were past my hiding the things he knew. The scent in the air, the way my body reacted to his, the ripped skin around my nipples hiding, but the fact that they were erect pushing the light fabric of my bra, was not.

Seeing him fighting the urge his body feed him shouldn’t turn me on so much. But here we were.

“I’m not denying it. At least not right now.” Making a point to flick my tongue over his skin and closing my eyes. The moan wasn’t planned. But the sound of it was intoxicating to me!

I squeezed his hands before freeing one. “Think I need some more ice cream.” Reaching for the spoon.

•- Embry Call -•

Her scent deepened and I wished I was the one with my lips pressed low against me abdomen. Muscles tightened and the seam along the front rubbed again a sensitive spot when she made that bloody delicious sound.

I glanced down her body when she lifted up to reach for the spoon giving me a perfect of the straining fabric covering her breasts.

My newly freed hand lifted to brush against her hair, careful not to loosen it from the artful twist shd fashioned it into. Although letting it fall free could mean if obligated to take her to the shower to the sticky mess from the dark locks.

A slightly evil smirk spread across my features.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Nothing good could be cooking in that mind of yours.” I saw that look. The one which came over him just before he did something I would want to kill him for.

Even if the last few times, it had ended with us entangled naked never making it to my bed. The spoon full again  I brought it down to his navel. Trailing a line from there down. Glancing up towards him when I felt his hand over my hair. It made the muscles in my stomach clench and then twitch.

“Embry!” His name came out in another soft moan, with the release of control I kept over myself.  This time let it drip freely bending down to catch them with the tip of my tongue.

•- Embry Call -•

There was just as hunger in her eyes. The way my body reacted to her gave her physical pleasure, not just the satisfaction of knowing she the cause of my pleasure. It was deeper than that for us.

“I supposed that depends on your definition of good.” I grinned, still shivering with bliss and sensation. I stopped my mind calling up the images of her soaking wet, skin gleaming, hair slicked my abs dripping water, tiny drops in those long lashes. Well, I tried to…

“So, fucking beautiful…” The words were out before the ice cream touched her skilful  tongue.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

His words stopped me in my tracks. I freed the hand he’d been holding, to sit up a little. Raising my eyebrow in a perfect arch smirking down at him, the evidence of his presence palpable.

“Is the same definition as you have. And you know exactly what I mean.” Or what he meant   siting up over his thighs, I held the dripping spoon over his midriff.

With my eyes taking in the man underneath me, I knew there was so much more to this thing with him. He wasn’t just any guy. He wasn’t meat. It was Embry. By the spirits! It was Embry Frank Call! My fingers curled into the hem of his boxers. Tugging them to show off the muscles hiding under the fabric. But I didn’t expose him. The dip of his skin now covered in the sweet wet cream.

•- Embry Call -•

I grinned. Looking from her to me and the sticky mess. “I was thinking about who sad it be…” The cool ice cream rolling between the grooves of my muscles made me groan just thinking about her lapping it up with her talented mouth.

“If this beautiful hair got tangled up in this mess.”

A small gasp escaped; I knew how far she would go. I saw her desire and how it was for all of me, nothing was hidden in those amazing eyes. “I would have to take you to the shower and make sure every last strand was cleaned.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

My ears were taking him in, listening, smirking and I couldn’t help but dig my nails into the sides of his thighs.

This time my lips did the trick, kissing and sucking up the sweet substance off of him. Small, soft, hard, then teasing kisses. Leave small “O” marks wherever lifted from.

Finally, when I was satisfied there wouldn’t be any mess my eyes could move to meet his.

“There is a bridge we have crossed.” My hair, the shower, the trust to know we had our control intact. And my hair… I hadn’t had another person do something so intimate.

•- Embry Call -•

I closed my eyes, dropping my head back to the floor again. Just writhing beneath her with each kiss and suck, knowing skin was showing proof of her trail. Nails and lips and tongues, everything felt so, so good.

“We have worlds and worlds of firsts still open to us, Trouble.”  I whispered.

Remembering that only once had we crossed into complete nakedness together… holding her until the sun came up with nothing beneath her and mine had been one of those firsts. “Because we wrote our own timeline.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

We had done it. Written our own rule books, set our own guidelines and standards, and most of all we ensured they worked for the two of us. It wasn’t written in stone, it was fluid like the oceans, the air, the stars, and the spirits who protected us. But most of all. It was ours.

“When did you find the ability to think.” Biting the skin over his hip bone. “I thought you didn’t have it to multi task.” A line of kisses went down the low edge of the fabric of his boxers, and my tongue traced a line all the way to the other side too.

•- Embry Call -•

A light chuckle was cut off by a moan that had me straining to keep my hips on the floor. “I’m evolving.” I managed to get out, both hands reaching for her. Teaching the curve of her shoulders and onto her back and the back of her neck.

The need to touch her was intense. I  still picturing her under a stream of warm water, my hands running over all her sensitive parts. “Fuck!” I throbbed… her kisses dragging me back again to this moment only. “Trying to kill me, Trouble.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

His reaction visible right away, pushing up against his boxers, and into the curve below my neck. Insensible I knew it. But a flash of the first time I saw him in his full glory came rushing in.

“Hmm…” telling myself to behave! “Evolution is teaching you and me so much. More than we could have imagined.”

Where his hands touched, my skin prickled with pleasure. Slowly I began my descent to his thighs. Bypassing the place I knew I couldn’t tease, even it was bulging out asking for a touch.

Stopping, I smiled. Grazing my chin over the length from the base all the way down towards the tip. Pushing my warriors limits to leave me and him to enjoy this time.

•- Embry Call -•

“Spirits!” the word was hardly recognizable. “I take it back… now you're trying to kill.” Sense memory flooded back, remembering what it was like to almost have her mouth on me.

My eyes connected with hers and hunger flashed in those deep, dark eyes. “There is.” the words were out without me ever deciding to say them. My other inner self rising up to greet his deepest desire. That beautiful silky white beast that prowled beneath her flawless, impossibly soft skin.

Then they retreated, no doubt that was Leah’s doing. I wanted her all to myself. Sure they designed their moments… but Leah and weren't done, this was our journey. They were ready to jump ten steps ahead. But there were firsts we still had left... Moment to build. Things to learn.

“All mine, Trouble.” I smiled. “For now… one day they will get to play.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

This was all she needed for now. Being seen, seeing him, and understanding we wouldn’t stop from forever. Just not right now.

She didn’t turn her back on us, but she did close her eyes. The excitement was too strong for her to sleep, but we were getting better at the space thing in the bubble when Embry or I pushed limits to tease and / or play.

Another line of the melted mess left at the bottom of the tub, telling me this game was coming to its end. Seeing him tonight like this,  was enough to show how much he had evolved. We both had. I placed hard kisses over soft bites on his thighs. Placing my knees inside his legs and spreading them open. Giving him an image to remember.

•- Embry Call -•

I would have chuckled if she let me catch my breath. But she knew exactly how to keep right on that cusp... exactly where she wanted me... and damn it was fucking sexy. That wolf of hers... unlike Leah, she wasn't one to step back and watch, she wanted to see. She like her attention. Something she and I had in common.

My eyes flared wide taking in that sight before me. how in the name of the Spirits did I end up here. With the most incredibly beautiful woman between my thighs. This was a view I was never going to forget.

There was no resisting her hand pressing against my thighs. Okay... maybe a little just to remind her of the strength that could close in around her where she'd place herself. But her tongue against my skin... those muscles turned to jelly.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

My tongue followed the line of each of his muscles. Carving out the journey for him to in his imagination.

Letting my nails tenderly trace his skin, the feel of his body giving me that telling tightening  in my stomach and the sensation of pulsing in my core.

It was hard not to take notice of the twitching beneath his boxers. The scent poured freely around us.

Sitting a little, I gravely stretched out the knot in my back, just at my hair fell loosely and cascaded down my shoulders.

•- Embry Call -•

Fuck! I could see where her eyes kept darting to. She was better a self-control but that didn’t mean her desires and urges were any different from mine… It just meant she worked harder to control it.

Her scent overwhelmed my senses, and it raised self onto one elbow to take her in all her glory.

I reached out and swept her hair back over her shoulder before it brushed through the sticky mess. As much I would like the excuse to carry her to the shower… Her hair was just too beautiful.

My fingers slipped into her hair, lacing my fingers through to keep it from falling forward. And using that position to guide her back up my body my lips were craving the feel of hers.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

This was as much for him as it was for me. Some would say it was all for him, but I would disagree. Seeing him this way, in the most trustworthy position giving himself up to me. It was for us both. So, when his fingers came to save my hair, I knew he was thinking about me as much as I was him.

His hands guided me up again, but it didn’t mean I wasn’t going to make it nice and slow.Lips, tongue, mouth, teeth… it was a journey of pleasure back up the way I had come down, until I sat straddling his hips. Lowering myself over him with my damp panties slipping down the length of his bulging boxers.

When I can face to face my eyes locked onto his. Seeing myself reflected back. I saw the way he saw me.

•- Embry Call -•

She looked at me the way only she did, like she saw every thought and attention in my head. Like she knew exactly what I wanted. The look in her eyes told me she would give me what I wanted... in her own damn time and Fuck! I bit my lip... that as hot.

All pretences of staying still were finished with.

I ached and groaned and tightened my hold on her hair. My hips rolled with a deep moan from the bottom of my soul when that wetness settled and glided over all the right places.

My eyes locked on hers... nothing hidden, nothing held back. It made race even faster than what she was doing to my body. "Kiss me, Trouble." I whispered.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

With his grip on my hair, the reaction of snapping my teeth at him came without thought. My body arched and moved to slide over him again.

My ears ringing with the beating of his heart a rhythm i could live with when we were so open with each other. His eyes weren’t letting mine go, (not that I wanted to be free of him). Added to the mix his lip biting! “I used to get so annoyed when you bite your lips like that.”

But now I knew those bites were for me. And the throbbing pulse reaction told me I didn’t feel the same way now. this was the second time he acted, didn’t push, didn’t force his way. He asked me.

Straightening up I was close to him. Our lips only a hairs width apart. I could feel his hot breath on my face, my lips I knew covered with the sweetness of the mess I made on his body.

•- Embry Call -•

The snap sent a pulse right through me, one I was sure she felt too. I smiled then, freeing my lip. “I have old you it was hot.” My voice low. “About time you caught up.”

My fingers loosened when her lips came so close I thought she was about kiss me. But she was determined to tease me to death today. Even if I was loving every second of it, I wasn't about to tell her that. I had my own weapons too. “You know it’s.” I let my voice soften and my hand slide up her bare back. The other moving through her hair. “How you can literally be kissing me all over and I still crave your lips on mine.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

A ripple of pleasure moved up my skin from his touch, not to under play how his voice played a role in the sensations I felt too. My smooth skin filled with small kisses from the spirits (goosebumps), making my jaw twitch and my breathing uncontrollably uneven.

“Are you choosing this moment to tell me I am slow on the up take?” Raising my eyebrow in that tell tail perfect arch.

“Because I will so kick your arse, and I don’t care how naked or covered in ice cream you are.” My dark gaze fell to his lips as I pulled back teasing again. Then back into him, letting the tip tongue trace his lip line. Spirits! My hips moved down into him, the sensation of pleasure coursing through my body as I circled.

•- Embry Call -•

"Oh, you definitely care." The words rushed to put on a breath. "... About the ice cream." I teased. My heart and breathing completely off kilter, my hand still gliding down her back feeling what I was doing to her in return. "I can tell..." That was a whisper, and I had no idea if it was because I decided to whisper or because it was all I had breath for... I had no idea.

My tongue slipped across my lips when her eyes settled there. But she was far too good at teasing to fall for it. I felt the roll and clench of every muscle she moved on me. I couldn't stop my hips from bucking up against her, my hand moving to her arse... just feeling the way she moved that strong firm body. "Spirits!" I moaned, biting my lip... still carving her kiss like it was oxygen.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Maybe… a little…” I wouldn’t lie, the idea of kicking his arse down the street wasn’t as palatable, as it once was. Some, part of me didn’t want anyone to share in this thing we had between us.

My eyes followed the pull of his teeth on his lips, masking my heartbeat or the scent wasn’t even worth its trouble at this stage.

Pressing my chest into his, my peeked, firm nipples pressed up against his chest. My lips kissed his nose, then his cheeks, tracing up his jawline.

“So…. What did you want now?”

•- Embry Call -•

I couldn't tell her heartbeat from mine anymore. They pounded, erratically, as one. I groaned again, the pressing of those tight nipples against my skin. Oh, I had so many things for when she was done teasing me to death.

 Her lips on my nose and cheeks... Fuck! My back arched and I moaned. "Kiss me already, Trouble." The word rushed out in a plea.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

My lips curled up into a smile. I wasn’t going to make him ask again. The fact that he had controlled himself this much up until now showed so much.

Whispering into his ear. “With pleasure, Dimples.” And my lips tracing soft kisses from his ear all the way down his jaw and finally, set upon his lips.

•- Embry Call -•

She was incredible, every move and kiss and whisper of breath added to the intensity and pleasure. My finger glided through her hair… knowing his much trust it took just fur her to allow that touch. Simple to many… but i know what it meant to her.

Just those words my ear cause a ripple through me, sexual pleasure heavily laced with the deep, unparalleled intimacy I only very shared with her.

The moment her lips touch mine… Bliss. Soft and warm and tasting of ice cream. I kissed her back slow, soft, not in a rush though would be in after her relentless teasing. I kissed her like I had all the time in the world.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Mmm…” the soft sound came so naturally more often from me these days. With no walls up, no need to hold myself back, or hide who I am. Embry brought trust into the bubble.

His lips moved in sync with mine. His fingers moving into my hair sending kind waves of energy into my soul. (Or, it’s how I felt it.)

But the kiss… it was another kind of trust. My hands moved around his shoulders, holding him close. Chest to chest. Only the thin fabric of my bra coming between us.

I closed my eyes, listening to his lips, his heart and mine. Kissing him!

•- Embry Call -•

My fingertips reached the end of her hair and wrapped big arms around her live, lean body... Wanting to wrap up every inch of her I possibly could.

I felt her kiss everywhere, every nerve sang with nothing more than a kiss. Just kissing someone hadn't ever felt like this until I kissed Leah.

At least, after I realised, he wasn't going to kill me for it. I nipped at her lip, squeezing her a little. "Still real." I whispered... it was our thing... in these moments that felt so far out of this world, the thing that reminded us, we were here. We were locked in this bewildering kiss. It was real, it was ours.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

I felt his all-consuming presents and it didn’t put my guard up. The trust has grown greatly since we came together in our bubble.

If two words could make me smile, these were them. “I’ve got you.” We knew the truth of our time together, the reminders we set in place to show us the way. And not. “Spirits.” I felt him all over.

My hands moved up the back of his neck, into his silky black hair, our tongue entwined together in a deeper kiss. I felt him holding me, the tightening of his arms around me, and I gave him the same in return too.

•- Embry Call -•

My response to her was a low hum onto her lips. The kiss somehow deepened, everything you felt you reached the depths of it; with one suckle of her tongue or nip of her lip… we fell further. Sharing breath, souls and bodies tangling.

I could stay like this for days. Her fingers in my hair made me smile.   I had no idea how long we stayed like that before I whispered. “This would normally be the part where I carry you to bed… but I know you aren't letting a sticky mess like me between those sheets.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Biting his lip before I rolled off to lay myself down on the floor beside him. Curling my hair up before to move it out of the way I let it fall to the side away from the sticky mess that was Embry Call.

“Hmm… should I be worried you know me so well?” My skin hummed with the energy of what we had been doing, making me take slow and calming deep breaths to bring my heart back down to a normal rhythm.

“You aren’t getting under my sheets. That’s for sure.” Pointing to the hallway leading to my bedroom and bathroom.

•- Embry Call -•

"Oh, you should be worried, Trouble," I smirked, my body protesting against the loss of her heat and her weight on my chest.

"I plan on using my knowledge of all kinds of evil things... like where to touch you to make you scream my name. You know... things like that."

I knew we needed space the let our self-control reset. So, I reached out and found her hand entwining our fingers. Then I laughed. "Really! You're gonna make me clean up your mess!?" I teased. "So, unlike you!"

"Just gimme a minute to let the blood flow return to my brain so I don't faint when I stand up."

•- Leah Clearwater -•

My lips were curled up in a smile. One of those true ones which he brought to life.

I didn’t move my glance to him, just listened and then laughed at his attempt to draw me in. And most nights, I would be right there. But I needed that moment too.

“I didn’t know you were game to play the damsel in need card, Embry Call.”

Finally turning my attention fully on him. “I’m happy to walk your to the back yard and hose your arse down. If you prefer that instead?”

•- Embry Call -•

I laughed as hard as I could give that I was still pretty breathless. “Sounds like a good show for your curtain-twitching neighbour.” I teased. “We could add a little music… charge admission?” I chuckled.

I smiled when turned to look at me finding her eyes and locking them in. My fingers tightened on her instantaneously.

“Maybe I'll stick to a cold shower… or the whole village will be talking about us.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Squeezing his hand back I smiled thinking of #BettyHill and the way her face would scrunch up if she saw him playing a show in my yard. “Go, shower. We aren’t going to put any shows on. Something…. They are for my eyes only.” Raising one of my eyebrows in a perfect arch.

“Unless you’d rather the side hustle? I wouldn’t want to hinder your career aspirations.”

•- Embry Call -•

I bit my lip, definitely not thinking about kissing her… we were cooling off. Not heating up again… yet. A wicked glint entered my eyes.

There was something about her not wanting to share that sent a thrill through my spine. “In that case I'll leave the door unlocked…” I lifted her hand to lips and kissed her knuckles. Sating my wolf who was still fixated on kissing her. “In case you want a show.”

I slipped my hand from hers and dragged myself to my feet.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

We didn’t miss the look in his eyes. She got excited at the meaning behind it, and I knew that trouble wasn’t far off.

She reached out, letting me feel her deep desire to touch his warrior, and i allowed it to wash over me. My skin rippled with sensation of that same excitement sitting up as he walked away, I pulled my open hair into a bun at the top of my head. Pulling my knees up to my chest, my eyes following him until I couldn’t see anymore.

“Remember it’s a cold shower for a reason.” Even if I was biting through inside of my cheeks.

•- Embry Call -•

I glanced back to where sat. “Spirit’s she is beautiful!” The words were out before I knew it. I chuckled at her comment. At home my showers were hot and… well… But here? Typically, cold. To cool off after…

“Maybe I’ll leave the door unlocked then.” Even though I was fairly certain I never did… there no need. It was always just us here. But teasing was fun.

“In case you feel like another show.” I called back… and let the door click, but not lock behind me.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Lips pressed to fight the smile. Still, I found it hard to deal with compliments. Thinking back to a time where he earned slaps over the side of his head for saying something nice to me. And now…

Shaking my head, standing I bent down to pick up the tub of ice cream. The melted dregs weren’t worth saving. And the spoon too.

“Oh, I’m sure the show you set off in my warriors mind is going to be far more interesting.”

She smirked but said nothing.

“But… Sure... Leave my opinion open.” Speaking in a normal tone.

•- Embry Call -•

I laughed, turning on the water. Not grinning to myself that she had the temperature turned up. I knew that meant she was thinking about the last time she was in here.

"See... you not dream... but day dreaming counts." I grinned. "And apparently Leah Clearwater daydreams about me!" I boasted and stepped into the water.

I kept talking as if I was speaking to myself now. "I wonder what Leah thinks about in the shower... with the temperature cranked all the way up? Strange really since people like to take any chance we can to cool off?" I stuck my under the stream and let the cool water redirect my blood flow... while my thoughts tried to send it rushing int the opposite direction.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

I was pottering in the kitchen, washing the spoon, my hands, even splashed some water over my face listening to him speaking to me from the shower.

“Do I look like someone who has time to day dream?” Taking two bottles of water out of the fridge before I made my way around the house tidying up as I closed down for the night. Did he have a point? Is that what I was doing? With the hot water?

Setting the waters down on the side tables first in my bedroom, I then walked past the bathroom to drop our clothes into the washer. Glancing over at the door.

“Do you still cool down? Or is it all about the heat still?” He’d told me before how his showers at home were hot. But was it still?

•- Embry Call -•

I laughed and rinsed the ice cream away. I had heard her moving around her room, from one side of the bed to the other... I didn't need to scrub the scent of her from my skin. One of the rare acts my wolf and I disagree on... he was surprisingly possessive... and honest. I kinda liked it. But the bubble was worth protecting, and he knew that deep down.

"I do... after a patrol... or... you know... here. When I need to get a grip." I smirked; pun intended... "But when I haven't seen you... or I dream about you... miss you... it's all about the heat..."

These weren't the kind of questions she would like to answer... but I listened for her reactions. That was what answered them for me.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Once the washer was on I froze in my spot bent over in front of it. My eyes flew over to the bathroom door, my heart stopped dead.

By the Spirits! Why did this man find it so easy to say the thinks I couldn’t even come out and convince myself were true? Here was Embry, words flowing like rain storms!

Standing up I felt blood rushing up the side of my neck. With my warriors about pushed me to step towards the door... pushing me towards him… or more that she wanted close to his soul… his warrior.

So, this was how it felt? When someone told you they missed you?

•- Embry Call -•

Everything stopped but the sound of the water… and there it was. Her answer to same question. Everything I needed to know was in her stillness and those missed heartbeats. I smiled and started to wash my hair.

“I mean that hot water isn't really the same… but it makes me closer to you… it's as close as possible to your skin on mine.” I listened for reactions, shampoo bubbles washing over the places her mouth had been…. And places it hadn't.

“I find myself craving that heat… it's funny considering the lengths we all go to cool off.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

His voice always made me feel things that I didn’t allow myself before our bubble. But this… this sensation engulfed me in a way I hadn’t thought possible. I didn’t want to run, I didn’t want to lock him out, I was processing… my heart... it slipped again at his statement which I knew was true. We ran hot. So, it was natural to want to cool down where possible.

I opened the back door, the one he had come over uninvited to fix. When my eyes fell to the small back porch. I recalled sitting there with him. Drinking a beer and talking! Using my words… when home was where I had always been silent.

“Hmm…” it’s all the sound I could make before stepping outside, sitting myself on the first step looking up at grandmother.

‘He is a part of her, you know.’ My warriors whispered. I told her I knew.

•- Embry Call -•

I heard the door and her silence. I smiled as I conditioned my hair... locks as irresistible as mine didn't happen by accident.

She was standing in the night air... like I was standing under this cool stream. Silent but for that light hum... no doubt that magnificent creature inside her as whispering to her.

I finished my shower silently and turned off the water... Now I smelled Leah in a very different way, her shampoo... soap... the scent I remembered from tribal councils and pack meetings, mixed with salt air and the forest from her ride to  get where she was going.

I dried off a little... knowing it wouldn't take long for my body heat to finish the job. In her room, there was a drawer... A place in Leah's home for my things, I slung a towel around my hips, even though I knew she was still at the back door and from that sacred (to me), secret place I pulled out a pair of shorts and stepped into them. Using the towel to tousle my hair until the length stopped dripping.

I sat on the edge of her bed, leaving her to her silent moment until she was ready to join me here.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

It wasn’t hard to follow Embry around the house. His bare feet padding over the floor boards, his hands opening and closing the drawers in my bedroom. The show of the elastic snapping into place around his waist.

All of that over the sound of the laundry on a quick spin. I finally stood up off the stepped, I needed to work myself under the cold water before bed too. And spending all night sat out here, would only slow the progress down.

I closed the door softly, walking across the hall into the bathroom and closed the door. Removing my bra and underwear before reaching in to turn the water on.

I kept my hair tied up and out of the way stepping under the running cold water. With my eyes closed my face up letting the water stream down doing its job.

•- Embry Call -•

I tried not to let myself picture Leah naked… soapy… wet…  fuck! A few minutes after the water started, I knew she'd decided cold shower was needed too. I smirked.

Hot water smelled different, even from the next room.

I distracted myself by plugging in my phone and the hospital beeper. Taking a moment to glance out the open window… it sees what was she’d been fascinated by earlier. A nearly full moon hung heavy overhead… the clouds slowing her space to shine down. I felt her pressing in around me… no tugging or pulling. Because I was exactly where she wanted me to be.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Humming to myself, steeping out of the showers I reached for a clean towel. Tapping my body dry, I wrapped it around myself folding it under to keep it in place.

The mirror hadn’t steamed, so I stood looking at my reflection as I brushed my teeth. Even with the humming I could hear him moving around the room. Each sound had its own distinct identity. And once again (as I thought it each time he stayed), Embry’s presence wasn’t alien as it used to feel. It felt….

‘In harmony…’ she helped me find the words. And yeah, it was true.

By the  time I came out of the bathroom the laundry had finished his quick clean, so I placed them into the dryer. They would be clean and dry by morning for him to use. Before stepped into the bedroom, I stood at the door looking into the view before me, he was looking out.

“Hey.”

•- Embry Call -•

I smile to myself still… hearing her head the two kitchens again to put the clothes into the dryer… it hadn’t even dawned on me when the heard the washer stop. Which was strange because I was the one that did the laundry at home.

I wondered silently to myself; would it too  easy to fall into a pattern of taking this for granted? The way she took care of me under this roof… I scented her before I heard her soft Hey.

The sight of her had nothing on the view out the window. My heart skipped; my stomach swooped… my smiled took over my whole  face.

There was my answer.

No. I would never take this woman for granted. “Hey.” I said back. Moving back across the room and find her favourite, formerly-mine t-shirt. She didn't even keep this one with the clothes I left here.

“Allow me.” I smiled and stepped around behind her. Pressing a kiss to her shoulder as I freed the towel… warm from the heat of her skin. I pulled the shirt over her head… then my fingers trailed (shakily for some reason) down her arms until I took her hands lifted them though the arms one at a time.

There were goosebumps raised my arms. The moment felt heavy, poignant.

… I slid my hand down the faded tour dates on her back, then wrapped my arms around her. Pulling her back against my chest and kissing her softly beneath her ear. “I see you, Leah.” I whispered. tiny and tremendous things she did for the people she cared about.

That was why I knew I would take her for granted. My eyes were open now… and fixed on her. Always.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

It’s felt as though something had snapped into place. The willingness to stand still, to allow his to remit my towel and dress in me into my new favourite sleeping attire. Considering I slept naked before the bubble was formed around us.

My breathing was very slow, the sound of his heart speaking to me. While i kept my eyes on the dark sky.

Biting the inside of my cheeks when the fabric fell just below the curve of my bottom. I now closed my eyes stepping gently back into his strong chest.

Placing my hands over his around my stomach.

“I know.” whispering it for his ears only. “I’m not hiding.” I’d told him this before. Just as he told me how much he saw.

•- Embry Call -•

I rested my cheek against her, my nose just rushing her jaw.  Her hands placed above mine told me a hundred different things.

“You haven't in a long time…” At least it left like a long time, I'm moment like this I could hardly remember what it was like to be shut out of Leah’s world.

“And I'm not blinded anymore,” I whispered. “I won't be closing my eyes anytime soon.”  I smile and kiss her hair. “Not literally though…” I chuckled softly.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

I held my breath and opened my eyes, living in the moment just as he’d asked me too. It wasn’t hard as it once had been.

Squeezing his hands I turned around to face him. Kissing the tip of his nose before pulling away. Keeping our hands links I walked backwards towards the bed.

“For now… let’s close your eyes for the night. When they open again, my walls will still be down.” Slowly stepping back until I felt my bed, and then climbed onto it only then letting his hand down.

•- Embry Call -•

Smiling like a fool as she leads me backwards towards the bed… Spirits this woman was so beautiful.

Instead of walking around the bed, I climbed over her to my side. My smile was a smirk momentarily… My Side. Pausing, half straddling her to lean in and press a kiss to her throat. “If you insist. But I owe you a very sticky... Yet tasty, night on your living room floor.”

Then an a more serious note I whispered. “I stopped expecting them to come back up a long time ago. Sleep, Trouble. You have a big day ahead of you.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Rolling my eyes. A snap of my teeth. All with a smile for him, and only him.  “I know.” I whispered back.

Falling into my pillow, turning my face to face him once we were settled.  “Sleep tight, Dimples. Let’s grandmother watch over your dreams.”

Taking in one slow breath I knew things were going to be good. We were going to be good. My walls were down, and I wasn’t even trying to bring them up.

“Sweet dreams.” I whispered closing my eyes.

❝ When you open your eyes and see the stars, they will whisper my secrets to you.❞ 

                     -Mother Earth

Eternally there are stories. Those which teach us and help us to grow. You may have heard over your years of living, that  behind every woman who is known, there is also an unknown fable. These women may live next door to you, or they may have passed before you were even born. But there will always be a tail that will be shared whenever their names are brought up in the minds of those who are left behind.

My story maybe one that is shared for a year or two, or I may be forgotten as soon as death wraps me into its arms, and the spirits of our ancestors welcome me to their realm.  When my fire goes out.. my name may become lost. But I know that the stars will still show my path, and the spirits will sing of my journey. You will need to listen, to seek my truth, to question my existence. And when you do, I will help guide you.

The Stories in the Stars.

‘Are you no longer wishing to ask any questions of us?’ He sat in his human spirit form tonight before me, and not that of his giant midnight blue wolf.

“Are you going to answer them?” my eyebrow raised at the soft chuckle and the smile he gave me as his reply. “So, them what is the point of me coming here?” I crossed my arms, even if I knew it didn’t give as much of a dramatic effect in the spirit world without my body and skin.

‘That is for you to tell us. Itsula nudvnelv nasgi nigesvna uyanvdv nihi wagalisv ayoli aquatseli atsvsdv!’

( We did not call you tonight, stubborn child of our light! )

“Yeah, well… I’m not letting you off the hook.” I fell back into the tree, passing through it before sitting back up again.

‘You are bodyless ayoli saquu ( young one ), be careful.’ He wasn’t even hiding his laughter now.

“I knew that.” I did. I just sometimes had a habit of forgetting when trying to make a point with him. The wind whipped up around me and smacked me on the back of my head.  “Ouch! Hey!” It didn’t hurt, but I did feel it.

‘I am still your ancestor. I know what you are thinking, even if you are not saying it aloud.’

Spirits! I knew this to be true. He always read me like an open book. I had come to the decision, it had to be his stalking skills. ‘Now ask what it is that you want to know.’ This time his voice had some depth of thought in it.

For once there was something I knew that I wanted to hear about again. It was by the re-telling of stories that our past become known, and someday I knew that I too would have to become the voice of our past for our future generations to succeed.

“I want to learn of Mother Earth’s sacrifice. She is the one that is always silent, and yet she carries the most weight of us all.”

His eyes turned from the yellow that broke through the dead of night, to a brilliant light brown, with specks of gold, a colour to match mine when the sun shone on it in the early hours of the bright mornings.

‘Mother of all mothers, the one who gave herself over so that we could grow and become strong. She is…. Formidable. However, you know of her tale. I have told you it before.’

“I know, but… I want to hear it again.” I told him. Each time #TheGreatWolf told me a story, I still found a new lesson from it.

‘Unitsi Elohi…’ ( Mother Earth… ) He began.

The flames of the fire before us came to life, they reached up high towards the sky. I saw the stars come to greet them, welcome them with open arms to share the knowledge they kept safely guarded until it was required.

When the story began the flames before me inaugurated to take shape, their forms mirroring the words of #TheGreatWolf’s story. Shining bright for us to see them come to life.

‘The earth is our mother, and on her bosom we shall repose. To understand her story, you must travel long ago before we even existed.  To a time when The Creator sat alone in darkness thinking, and with his thoughts he formed Mother Earth.

He covered her with plants and trees, birds, and animals, and many crawling insects, but He became lonely. So, from the soil of the Earth he formed two companions, a man, and a woman. This is how Earth became the Mother of our people.

Upon creating the two beings, The Creator knew they would require assistance. So, beside the man he placed a bow and arrow, and a fish line. This was to show that the man was to be the protector and provider of food from Mother Earth and the Spirits of the sea.

Beside the woman he placed a birch bark basket filled with seeds and a dagger. The basket and seeds represented the natural resources given to our people from the earth herself. And the dagger a symbol to show that the woman will be given the power to protect too.

Then the Creator blew life into the woman first. Only when she was filled with the spirit of Mother Earth, did he blow life into the man.

When he blew life into the woman, and she arose, she picked up the dagger first. Showing the Creator that he did not make a mistake. She would not be a burden on Mother Earth, that she would protect all that is important. Then she gathered the birch bark basket full of seeds, showing that she would grow and provide.

When the Creator blew life into the man, the man picked up the fish lining, and then bow and arrow, accepting his responsibility to protect and provide food.

However, the Creator wouldn’t allow them to leave before agreeing to one rule. "You are to take care of Mother Earth, and  in return she will take care of you. Don't become greedy. Only take what you need and remember to thank her before you take."

The man and the woman lived their life and grew their family. They taught the one rule to their descendants. However, as time passed by, the story and the rule became forgotten.’

This was the part of the story that always frustrated me. “How we always forget to give thanks to the ones who are silent.” I growled. #TheGreatWolf nodded in agreement.

‘How does it make you feel?’ He asked without glancing to me.

“The way Mother Earth gave all she is to them, and in time they just lost themselves and their knowledge… frustrated.” He knew I wouldn’t lie.

‘This is why we tell stories; this is why our people share. Without these words, we will forget where we came from, and where we will end our journey.’   

His voice came across soft, sweet, and melodious… The echo of a tribes vocals rang all around us, while the flames danced in step with the words he sang.

‘The earth is our mother,

we must take care of her.

Hey yanna, ho yanna, hey yan yan.

Her sacred ground we walk upon,

with every step we take.

The earth is our mother,

she will take care of us.’

The flames came back down when the stars let them go, the sparks of light dying down towards the earth, a sign of respect for the story that had just been told.

Continuing on From.....

•- Embry Call -•

I smiled watching them... #MrsFranco was a very affectionate woman, but Leah seemed to me handling it quite well... Her respect for her elders always won out.

It was insane... But even from where I stood, watching Leah’s finger move  across the keys in the space between her and #Tony’s mom... My tongue moved over my lips. “Oh hell...” I whispered soft enough that no one would hear... And hopefully, Leah didn't either.

I wasn't sure how much longer I could appeal like I wasn't staring, so I tucked the stack of music under my arm and began to browse the shop slowly. My focus pulling me back to the wall of guitars.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Aww… Bellissima ( Beautiful)”

#Tony’s mom was easy to place, or it was that she was so tolerating of those who didn’t know their arse from their tits when it came to playing an instrument.

She clapped her hands. “You must learn to play… something… anything… music speaks to you.” She turned her head to find Embry had stepped away.

‘He is a good boy.’ She looked lost in her thoughts as she said it.

But I was saved by the door, so didn’t need to answer. I thanked her for the short lesson, and then she stood to go help the man who came in.

When I turned to look in his direction, something warmed in my chest at how he stood amongst the guitars. He always found his way back to them. Even if I wished I could hear him play the piano once again.

•- Embry Call -•

I stood there with my fingers tapping against my thigh. Sometimes you just couldn't help it, the music would just want out. And you had to give it something. I glance over my shoulder before I made my way toward her again.

“I told you  this place was magic.” I smiled at her. “It doesn't matter if you play or sing. Or none of the above... It's a little slice of heaven.” I sat next to her on the bench, daring to let my bicep brush against her. “You’ll have to let me play for you soon. On purpose this time.” I chuckled at the memory of her mom's living room and her confession that she found me in Seattle too.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

I caught it all, the way his fingers dancing on this tights, the way he was lost in this slice of heaven for someone like him… and even me.

'Music speaks to you...'

‘𝕄𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕔 𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕒𝕜𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕪𝕠𝕦…’

#MrsFranco’s words still rang in my ears. If only she knew how much music had helped me in my life.

“You aren’t wrong. This place is something else.” How could anyone not become lost in here.

My hands were stroking the keys but not pressing down on them now. The bush of his arm stilled me and I glanced up at him out the side of my eye.

“Hmm…”  hitting my knee into his.  Okay so no one saw it so it wasn’t breaking any rules.

“I don’t think you ever will, the only time I hear you playing is when I come on you be chance. When neither of us is expecting it.”

The first time I heard him playing the piano, had been at his mom’s home. And Seattle in the ballroom. And both times he didn’t know I was listening or watching.

“You know there is a keyboard at #HwH. I know it’s not the same…” but it was the only other place with keys for him to hit.

•- Embry Call -•

"Sometimes even when mom is having a terrible day I'll take her here. To be around all of this and #MrsFranco. I always make sure that #Tony is here she can sit in the back and talk music with her friend."

I chuckled, my stomach flipping over when she knocked her kneed in mine. "I have a feeling that you'll keep finding me when I least expect you to." I smiled bumper her knee back... I mean she started it. "But I would like to play for you on purpose at least once... Even if it's a  keyboard." I let my fingers kiss the keys without pressing down.

"I have been thinking about getting a keyboard... I've been playing a lot more lately for Mom." I pushed aside the dark feeling that rose up when I remembered all the time I told her no when she asked me to play, for no real reason at all. "It makes me miss it... but even and upright takes up so much space... not to mention impossible to hide... A keyboard would really be the closest I could afford."

•- Leah Clearwater -•

For some reason hearing that made my chest tighten and then correct itself. Knowing that #MsC had a place she liked to come to, where someone like #MrsFranco took the time to spend with her. It was a good feeling. Then again, Embry’s mom was like him in some ways. People couldn’t help but be drawn in by them.

“It’s not like you’ve not been doing the same thing. When I least expect it too.” My brown eyes fell to he keys, seeing how his fingers just sat over then, knowing exactly when, where, and how to play. I wanted to reach out, I saw myself doing it. Picking up my hand, slowly placing it over his, and then gently pressing down until the note sounded. Closing my eyes, I shook that image away. I wouldn’t do that. I couldn’t.

Biting the inside of my cheeks as the plan was there, I just needed form the words. “Why don’t you take the one from the bar? If anyone asks you about it, you can say you are taking care of it for #HwH. As you are also the MC for the open mic, no one would think twice.”

‘The world came out to watch, and I kept my eyes down until I hear your song.’

The words came to life in my mind, I didn’t know where they came from, just that they were there. These words didn't below to a song I knew, or did they? I pushed them to the back down.

•- Embry Call -•

"Finding each other has become a hidden talent of ours hasn't it." I chuckled... Hidden from everyone other than her and me. I smiled when she pressed my fingers down on the keys. I played a few well-matched notes, her hand still resting on mine.

I looked at her, my fingers still moving. "Really? Not a bad idea." I smiled. "I might need to lock my door though. That's a valuable machine." It wasn't like the Pups didn't all know where we kept a key hidden for whenever #Claire was over. I wasn't sure where the notes I played were coming from, but they kept coming.

"Thank you,  I would like that."

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Hmm….”

I wanted to tell him it was a part of being his Beta. That there was always an energy pulling me towards him and the others to protect. But that would be partly a lie. Sure, there was that need in me. But this… thing with Embry Call. It wasn’t that same thing. At first yes, but when it evolved… I wasn’t certain of that.

My hand remained over his as he pushed gently on a few more keys, my eyes following every one of them. I only broke my gaze away after he spoke.

“I know you and the pups will respect and take care of it.”

I saw how they treated one another, but when it came to the Instruments they could be as fragile as needed. “The door locking thing.” I made a face; he knew what I thought of it.

I took my hand back, straightening to stand. “You are welcome.” I looked towards the back-room door, sounds of footsteps becoming closer.

•- Embry Call -•

I smiled when she didn't try and explain it away as the duty of a Beta, or looking out for Mom. She may not have said anything about this newly discover habit of finding one another in our dark moments, but that fact alone says volumes... to me at least.

"I doubt the pups even know that I used to play at all..." I furrowed my brow as I thought back. It was something I had let just gradually fade into my friend's memories... the age gap with the younger pups... no... they wouldn't have ever even heard about it. I wasn't really sure how that made e feel.

Then the heat of her presence was gone, her hand lifting from mine... "Hmm..." I looked up at her, letting her words sink in. "Oh... I think the unlocked door is more symbolic than anything now." I laughed. "They all know that they are welcome... just to chill it a little when #Bear stays."

I saw her eyes flit to the door, and I spoke quietly. "It's just #Tony. They live upstairs." I  whispered, the familiar scent making itself known.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Tilting my head, my eyes focused on him even if the rest of my senses were picking up on the surroundings.

I didn’t know how this revelation made me feel. That all this time I had missed so much about him. That he was one of those people who couldn’t keep anything to themselves. His mind on the runs before I locked down was a mess of memories and emotions. And this. Something that was in his blood, in his soul. I didn’t know or pay attention to.

‘If it’s not to do with pack business, I don’t give a crap.’ I’d once told #Jake.

Another thing to throw into my bucket of sin. Fuck. Before long, I would need a quarry to hold my sins.

‘Mom said you were here….’ He stopped dead in his way over as seeing me. ‘Leah!’ His voice went up an opted for two. ‘Hey… You are Here?!?’ My eyebrows pulled together. “Is that a statement or a question? Do you need your eyes tested?”

His ears and face went red. ‘Yeah I’m not dreaming.’ He rubbed his neck awkwardly. His eyes shifting from me to the ground.

I couldn’t help messing with him. “I’m flattered Tony. I didn’t know… you were dreaming of me.” I grin putting my mask fully in place again.

•- Embry Call -•

#Tony had that always happy look on his face. And then it changed to a little panicked when he saw Leah. I stopped myself from chuckling. He was always terrified around good-looking girls... and Leah... She was beyond beautiful.

 I rolled  my eyes at Leah. She was a tease... and I liked it far too much.

"Leah's mom needed so errands run in town. You know that I can't come to Port without stopping by." I got up from the piano and gave #Tony a hug. "How have you been?" I  asked... Wanting to ask him about #Jessica... He knew that we knew what we did. But it would embarrass him, even more, to be asked in front of Leah.

'You know me... I'm never one to complain. How is your mom doing?'

•- Leah Clearwater -•

#Tony hugged Embry back, but his eyes kept moving away from me and then back. As though he thought I would disappear if he didn’t lay his eyes on me. Giving him a wink, I slowly backed away from where the two of them were talking. Of course, with my hearing there was no way not to hear what they were saying. But at least it gave #Tony the illusion of some privacy.

‘Dude, you could have dropped me a text and warned me.’ I heard him whisper right after asking after #MsC. And that was my moment to turn my back on them and head towards the door.

‘Going so soon?’ I heard #MrsFranco’s voice, turning towards it I saw her coming back out from the back, handing a bag to the man she had been serving before saying her good byes.

“I thought I should give Call and Tony some time to catch up. There’s a tea room a few doors up.” I said pointing to the door, and she shook her head.

‘If it’s tea you want bel bambino ( beautiful child ) then you should stop by Herbal Harmony, our Jackie there makes some of the best blends.’ Seeing me smirk she raised her eyebrows. ‘You know her?’ I nodded.

“I’ve just come from there.” I told her and she clapped her hands. Telling me she has some tea in the back I should try. Tugging me by my elbow to follow her.

•- Embry Call -•

"Mom is doing good, everything is stable for now... She feels better and she's in good spirits." I said smiling at him.

'And you?' He looked behind me, seeing that Leah was distracted by his Mom. I nodded and gave him a smile that made  him tilt his head he knew this time I was trying to fake the positivity. "I've been a lot better lately... Feeling a little more... in control... of things." I chuckled. #Tony knew that the bills had been piling up... but no more than  anyone else, no one knew how bad it was. Just that it was stressful. But it was common sense to know that a prolonged illness like this wasn't cheap.

'I'm guessing you had a little help with that?' He nodded to Leah.

"A lot actually." I smiled. He didn't ask specifics he knew that I wasn't good at talking money. It was something I got from my Mom. She was always determined to raise me without any help... not financially anyway, she would happily take the help offered by  the father figures that had stepped up for me... for the guy's moms who watched me after school that helped out when she had to work.

#Tony shuffled from foot to foot. 'Hey... um... can I ask you something about that girl I met in La  Push?'

•- Leah Clearwater -•

I stepped into the back room. The door was situated behind the counter, hiding the homely atmosphere that you felt the moment you steeped foot out of the shop.

I recalled Embry saying that they lived upstairs, and now seeing the way the stock area and a small, homely corner  was dedicated to a little kitchenette. If I had to guess, it was to keep her in supply of tea and easy lunch preparation without constantly needing to go upstairs again.

‘Have a seat, it won’t take me long to have the tea ready.’ She told me and put a kettle on the electric campfire stove to boil some water.

“I’m happy to help with that.” I told her still stood behind her, now with my hands pushed into the pockets of my jacket.

‘No, no. I like making the tea. It’s a little meditation for me. And Jackie always says—’ I said it for her. “Tea will give you what you put into it. Don’t rush the process. Let it come to life in its own time.”

She laughed sweetly nodding her head. ‘Yes. And it’s true you know.’

“I know.” I moved my feet out a little, grounding myself.

‘Will you sit. I’m worried you will bang your head.’ She brought out a cake and then some plates

The ceiling was low back here, but that was why I’d why don’t my stance to bring my head down a little. But now I listened to her.

‘How long have you and Embry been friends?’ She asked. But I was surprised at the question. However, didn’t let it show on my face.

“I’ve known him all his life.” I replied. she tutted at me and shook her head.

‘Not the question I asked.’ I thought back to the question.

“Hmm. I guess it wasn’t the question.” I didn’t know the answer.

‘And you are skilled in alluding.’

•- Embry Call -•

I quietly explained to #Tony that Leah's cousin might be interested in someone else. And he told he was getting that feeling from her texts. She had casually mentioned that she was only looking for friends right now and her goal was work  and college.

"If it makes you feel any better when #Jess says she'd like to be friends she really means it." I squeezed his shoulder as he started tidying shelves that were already perfectly neat.

'They all say that 'Bry. But she's sweet... it's nice talking to her... but if she likes someone else, eventually she'll stop replying.' He wasn't mad or bitter, he was just resigned to it and with his horrible taste in girlfriends, there really wasn't any reason to think otherwise.

"How about you give her the benefit of the doubt, Ton... You've never met anyone like #JessicaClearwater. Just... try the friend's thing. You won't regret it." I raised my brows and smiled.

'Fine... but when she breaks my  heart you better show up.' He slapped my arm and winced a little. Flexing his fingers when he thought I wasn't looking.

"I always do." I grinned and leaned on the shelf that he had rearranged.

'What do you think they are talking about in there?' he pointed to the door behind the counter.

"That obvious." I laughed. "Me!" At the same time as he said 'You.' and laughed with me.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

A frown grew on my forehead as I tried not to listen to the conversation taking place out there. I had always been good at blocking out voices. But when it was just three voices in my vicinity. It was harder. So, I turned my attention to #MrsFranco poured the tea into cups.

‘Are you okay?’ She smiled as She set one on the table before me.

“Yes, sorry. Just a little distracted. I’m here now.” The cup was followed closely by a slice of cake. Then she set down some lemon slices and honey making me sit back and smile.

“Jackie would be proud of you.” I told her, making her smile again, wider before she took a seat next to me.

‘She takes such care when blending these for us. It would be a shame to spoil them in the last step.’ I couldn’t agree more. I had seen the difference these teas could make if they were drunk in the correct way.

‘So...’ she looked to the table and then jumped up rushing off. ‘I’ve made tea.’ She called out the door, but before coming back she grabbed a few forks from the side.

“You should eat some cake before those two get here.” Nodding my chin to the door.

‘They are good boys, however…’ She was laughing softly. ‘They Can eat.’

She cut another slice of cake into a small plate and put it in front of herself.

•- Embry Call -•

I smiled at #MrsFranco when she called to us that tea was ready... and I knew that that also meant CAKE. She never served tea without a slice of cake.

"Thank you. We'll be right in." I called back to her. I waited with #Tony while he rang  up the last customer in the store, and we headed into the back room where Tony adjusted the screen with the store cameras so he could watch it from the table.

We took seats and #Lucille poured us a cup of tea, in her proper, tiny tea cups and slid us each a lemon slice. "So ladies... did were miss all the gossip?" I look between them both and smiled that smile of mine... the normal one, not the one reserved just for Leah.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

The small cup sat in its saucer, I could have stepped into Ma’s kind and thought how pleasant she would find it to have afternoon tea and cake like this with a friend.

My eyes moved sideways to the door as the two men walked in. Embry towering over #Tony, and he still didn’t  look out of place.

I didn’t know it, but the both of us rolled our eyes at him. And spoke at the same time.

‘Ladies do not gossip.’

“We aren’t gossiping!”

Mine with a little growl in it and a snap too.

‘Ladies like us, we discuss matters.’

I was smirking as the two of us now sipped our tea. “I like the way you think.”

Telling her as I took another sip, noting the smile on his face. And I knew, it wasn’t the one I had become accustomed to.

‘I was just wondering why you hadn’t brought this Bella Donna ( beautiful woman ) to see me before?’

Setting the cut down, I picked up the fork. “Because he was scared you would like me better.” I said without missing a best. “It’s the only explanation that makes sense.”

•- Embry Call -•

My eyebrows lifted at the snap in Leah's words. My stomach flipped... it really shouldn't have that effect on me... but it did.

#Tony and I both grinned at the way they bounced off of one another.

It took all my self-control to slice off the corner of the cake with the sie on my fork and take a bite, instead of picking it up in my hand and taking a mouthful. I laughed at #Leah and nodded. I pointed my fork at her.

"You are exactly right! What can I say? I like to be the  centre of attention." I chuckled. "And I'm good at sharing the special ladies in my life." I winked at #Lucille and she gave a dismissive wave of her hand.

'Don't try that charm on me, young man! I changed your diapers.' and then she  winked back and #Tony covered his mouth and teased me with a 'Buuuuuuurn!'

•- Leah Clearwater -•

The rim of the cup to my lips, and they curled up on the sides. The way she saw Embry and that he was doing. I used to think women were lost to hun when he flashed that smile and those dimples at them.

“Oh. I really like you  #MrsFranco. And I don’t like many people.” I  was honest with her and from the way she winked at me now, I could tell she appreciated the frankness.

‘You can most definitely call me  Lucille. A mind like yours young lady is always welcome here.’ She took a bite of her cake.

“Oh, I will take you up on it. I mean  I need the dirt on these two.” Pointing my chin at the two men.

‘Hey, what did I do?’ But #Tony was smiling from ear to ear.

“I like to be prepared, just in case you slip up Ton.” When I winked at him. His face and ears shone a bright red.

•- Embry Call -•

I watched Leah grin at Lucille I knew it was going to happen so I strengthened and shook my head at them. "Now you ladies are just ganging up on me." I teased to stop my heart from skipping a beat at the sight of her smile.

"Guilty by association #Ton." I teased him. "That's what happens when we hang out with the bad boys... you know that."

#Tony just rolled his eyes and laughed. #Lucille leaned across the table and cupped my chin squeezing my face until my lips  pucker. 'Yes, yes bambino we all know how big and scary you are.' She teased like she speaking to a baby, me and released my face. But not before I licked her hand and she exclaimed more Italian than I could understand.

'Somethings never change!" she sighed and got up to wash her hands.

'When I pull that on her she slaps me across the back of my head!' #Tony protested.

I shrugged, "She likes me better!" And things deteriorated into a back and forth about whose mother loved who most like we were ten years old again.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

I sat back drinking my tea and eating the cake on my small plate. Watching and witnessing this dynamic relationship these three had.

It was clear from the way they fell into a natural rhythm, that this was their norm. And they were letting me view it from the side-lines. At some stage the laughter of the three of them, and the things they were teasing each other with, had me smirking, rolling my eyes and biting the inside of my cheeks all at once.

 #Lucille refilled my cup as she sat down a little breathless.  ‘I love you both the same amount.’ She declared and then kissed #Tony on his forehead. ‘But you are the light of my life.’

I shifted in my seat and turned my eyes away. The private moment between the mother and son should remind that way, I thought to myself.

•- Embry Call -•

I knew she was watching us all... managing to keep herself on the side-lines in that way of hers. But I saw her now there was no missing it now, as I had for so many years.

'Hey! I'm your one and only son... you should love me the most and I should be the light of your life.' #Tony protested with a big goofy smile on his face.

'But then who would I call when the cupboard doors break... or I need a shelf put up?' #Lucille teased and her son rolled his eyes.

'You need  to teach me to use a drill!' #Tony said to me. and Both his Mom and I chorus "No!" At the same time.

#Tony was smart as hell... and strong but, far too clumsy for power tools. "If it makes you feel any better my mom would trade me in for this one any day of the week." I grinned and nodded toward Leah. Smiling at her when my eyes.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Finishing my tea I set the cup down, my hands crossed over my chest as I watch the little telenovela playing out in front of me. A little proud of Call, because I knew that my Da Had spent a lot of time with him, showing him and teaching him. My eyebrows pulled together and then one raised at both of them shouting out a ‘No’, to #Tony’s request.

My eyes were in the man sat to the side now, he looked fine to me. So, I wasn’t sure.. before the thought was over, I recalled #Tony tripping over at the bar. The man was clumsy with his body. Maybe that was the reason?

‘Is it true Leah? Does his mom want to swap you for him?’ #Tony asked as I eyed Call for saying that.

“Hmm… who can blame her, look at him and then me. Who would you rather here?” I asked kicking Call under the table, but not hiding it from  the others. The two of them laughing.

“But then again, I’m sure my Ma would take him in too. So, it all comes down to him flashing his dimples at the moms. If you ask me.”

And then I took my eyes back to #Tony, I was smiling. He had turned red again. “Not sure I want to know what you are thinking.” I told him.

•- Embry Call -•

"Hey!" I protested at her kick. "Use your words, Clearwater,' I grinned Leah's answer to #Tony. clearing the last bite of cake from my plate. 'Your dimples are way cuter.' #Tony blurted out and then turned beet red. 'I mean... um...' He started to ramble.

I stood up with my plate and messed #Tony's hair. "I always knew you thought I was cute bro!" I teased him. Stopping him from embarrassing himself even more. I kissed the top of his head with a dramatic sound. "And I  think you are just darling too!" I went to set my plate into the little sink on the countertop.

'I certain it was talking about the lovely Ms. Clearwater.' #Lucille pointed out.

"No, no, no... he said that she was cuter meaning I'm  cute... just not as cute as her. And I can completely accept that."

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Pressing my lips together, I stopped myself from replying. The smile on his mom’s face and then add to it the colour of his neck, ears and cheeks. It was clear #Tony was downing more damage for letting his words blurt out than I could. And honestly, I didn’t want to. He wasn’t one of those leaching sort of a guy. He just was awkward around women. Which, I could see being endearing to some women.

‘Embry!’ #Tony batted him away, his eyes falling all over but on me again.

“It’s okay, Call needs to feel like the centre of attention. And I’m fine with it.” I told #Lucille.

“Anyway. You think I’m catch. That’s all the attention I need. However, I feel it’s only right, to tell you. I’ve been working on stealing MsC for the last 10 Ish years.” Smirking at the sound of the woman who was #Tony’s mom laughed.

•- Embry Call -•

"Hey!!" I feigned hurt. "I do not 𝕟𝕖𝕖𝕕 to be the centre of attention." I laughed. "It just happens a lot and by a happy accident... I quite enjoy it."

'Until you're on stage.' #Tony grinned.

'Oh yes! I never thought that you would have stage fright." #Lucille smiled at me, and I knew what was coming before she even said it. 'Anytime I saw you perform you were always so...'

'Mama.' #Tony whispered and #Lucille stopped talking.

"It's okay guys. Leah knows I still play." I said, smiling at them all.

'Good!!' Lucille clapped her hands together. "It's about time! So, Leah mia care (My dear) what do you think of our boy's talent?'

•- Leah Clearwater -•

It kind of warmed my heart when #Tony tried to stop his mom from letting Embry’s secret out.

But then his reaction…. #Tony’s eyes widened before he could school his thoughts. ( That man really was an open book ). At the new revelation.

However, his mom #Lucille took it in her stride.

All of their eyes turned on me, and if I weren’t sat on this table. And if they weren’t them… It would have been a dirty look they would have gotten back.

‘Yes, but we are evolving remember.’ My wolf enjoyed pointing out.

‘Leah?’ #Lucille prompted me again. Sitting back in my chair, I shifted my legs, the space too small for me to cross them without knocking the table.

“He is talented.” I started. “It comes so naturally to him... he has a way… people forget themselves while he forgets himself in those moments.” I said honestly. Because that was what it was like for me. When he played, I was transported.

•- Embry Call -•

I smiled when she did that thing again, that silent conversation in her head. It was something I never had; I knew a lot of the pack did. But my wolf spoke through urges and feelings, he was everything I was, and I was everything he was... our thoughts and opinions didn't differ. Well mostly... the animal in me definitely fought for more on the night I spent with Leah.

"Until she makes me get on stage and sing." I teased, but my foot nudged her under the table subtly. Playing music when it was just the two of us... hell, listening to music when it was just the two of us... It had become an almost spiritual experience.

'So, he is capable of modesty?' #MrsFranco teased.

I just laughed and picked up my plate and cup. "It has been a treat seeing you both. But we need to get moving. we still have to run some errands for Leah's mom."

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“I didn’t Make him do anything. There was a bar full of witnesses, for the most part to testify on how badly you lost that bet. Not my fault.” I rolled my eyes smirking as I stood to take my cup and plate to the sink. How we #Tony was up and taking them for me.

‘You are welcome back anytime Leah. And you.’ #Tony and I laughs as his mom pulled Embry’s cheeks. ‘Next time you need to not leave it so long.’

“Thank you for the tea, cake and your wisdom.” I told her. I stepped out into the store, glancing at the guitars on the wall before giving them time for their good byes.

•- Embry Call -•

"Really? That's how you want to play this?" I scoffed and #Tony gave me the side eye.

'You mean with the truth?' He laughed. 'Oh yeah! That's below the belt!' He teased and it was such a good one I had to high-five him. I pulled him into a hug and then #MrsFranco was squeezing my cheeks.

I kissed the top of her head when she released me. "I'll do my very best." I answered when she told me the try and visit more and I meant it.

"Thank you for the food. You tell me what  you really think of this troublemaker next time. I winked at her dramatically and she swatted my arm lightly as she walked us out into the store.

I swept my gaze around one last time before stepping out into the street with Leah and saying one last goodbye before we left.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

I wasn’t the kind of person who glanced back. Moving forward had become my thing in later years, and I had my own reasons for that rule.

But when the wind picked up, the whispers sang in my ears and over my soft skin. I came to a stop before crossing the busy street and  glanced back over my shoulder.

#Tony and his mom stood, and they both waved at me in the exact some way, the same smile on their faces and those eyes of their shining brightly.

“Those are good people.” I told Embry when he stood beside me. I let the comment about me and my evaluation pass for now. I sure couldn’t kick his arse with his witnesses watching out every move.

“I can see where Tony gets some part of him. She is something else.” I have them a small sharp nod before looking forward and crossing the street.

•- Embry Call -•

I smiled and ‘Leah and waved back at them. “They are… #Tony is a great guy. When I first joined the pack; I kind of cut him out… Just not really knowing ow to act or where my life was going… you know. Then i just showed up one day and he  acted like everything was as it had always been. “

I chuckled. “#MrsFranco cracked me across the back of my head though…. And then did the same as #Tony.”

I nodded and crossed the street with her, heading back towards the park with her. There was still a little music in the air, but not as much. “I think #Tony has a lot of is father in him… at least, how his father was before his drinking became a problem. He had been a decent guy.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

The smirk on my lips grew, imagining them both getting a smack over the back of their heads.

“I knew there was a reason I liked this woman.” And that was saying a lot, considering I didn’t like very many people on this Earth. My eyebrows pulled together at the mention of #Ton’s father. I hadn’t thought to ask about him. Knowing that if we’re something I needed to know, I would be told.

“Did you know Tony’s father?” Not mentioning the drinking problem, because let’s face it. We in the tribe  have a number of addiction problems we were all trying to fight.

The sounds of some music playing called to me, it wasn’t as full of performers as when we first arrived. However, there were still some. Without really thinking about it, I started the way we came.

•- Embry Call -•

I laughed and rubbed the back of my head; as if feeling the phantom slap again. "I deserved it... I mean I know it was a lot for any teenager to go through, and I stopped giving myself a hard time about it a long time ago. But a few text  messages wouldn't have killed me. " We entered the park again. My second favourite place away from home.

"Not as well as his mom, he worked a lot. But, I knew him well enough to see the changes happening. The nights when I was over dinner. The trips to Seattle for our grading performances were the most telling. he used to take us out to diners really late and make us promise not to tell our moms he let us stay out so late. But then he would start leaving us in the hotel room and nothing coming until after we were asleep... At the time we thought it was cool..."

I shrugged, I knew there was nothing we could have done at the time, and it was something we all witnessed growing up on the Rez. Depression that led to self-medicating... that, in turn, led to so much worse.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Yeah you deserved it. But then again, it was a learning curve for us all. If one of the pups did that now. I’d smack them upside the head. Tell them to hold on to the ones who care for them. Friends or family. It counts.”

I learnt that lesson the hard way. My eyebrows pulled together, I bit the inside of my cheeks as I listened and walked. I hadn’t known any of this, then again, I could see how teen boys would think it was cool.

I didn’t judge #Ton’s father, I didn’t know him. Didn’t understand what took him to his darkness. But as a grown man, he should have known better than that.

“What happened to him? Is he still in their lives?” I finally asked as I pushed both my hands into my pockets.

•- Embry Call -•

I couldn’t help but laugh, Leah always agreed with the mom’s especially the ones that slapped me.

I dragged my hand through my hair and took in a long breath when she asked what happened to #MrFranco. “He died in a car crash when #Tony was thirteen. He was drunk… Mom still never told me the whole story but as far as I know he was drunk and tried to leave in the car. #Lucille tried to take his keys… but she couldn’t. He lost control on the 101… No one else was hurt.” We headed through the park, was just following her lead, lost in the memory of that time.

“#Tony took it really hard. His mom decided to tell him the truth… I guess she thought it would stop him doing the same thing. He refused to believe it for a long time.” I shook my head again… “It was the first funeral i ever went to, I remember thinking how strange the Catholic mass was. I think every single member of the church showed up.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Pushing my hands deeper into my pocketed, I stopped hearing the music now. All I heard was the tragedy that feel on the door of this family.

There was nothing they could have done to stop it, however if they were anything like me…. I put a stop to those thoughts. “He’s a good guy, despite his loss.” I finally said. Working out that #Tony would have been still feeling the loss of his father when Embry went MIA because of the change.

I looked to my side, my vision on him walking in step with me. His eyes and mine lost to the past. “It’s not that different to ours. The tribe will pay their respects. In their way before the family is left to guide the soul to the spirits.”

This is why our traditions were so important to me. We had to send those we cared for in the correct way. Making sure they found their rest until it was time for them to move on.

•- Embry Call -•

I smiled. "He really is... He's everything his father could have been in a different life... if he could have gotten help... or... I don't know. These things are never black and white." I dropped my hand and tapped out the notes of the nearest performer's song against my leg as we walked.

"I know... it was kind of beautiful really. There was singing and music... and they presented his favourite things during the service." I shook off the topic. I wasn't sure if I missed the man sometimes too or if I just felt the loss my friend experienced... Maybe it was both and that was okay too. "I still text #Tony every year on his Dad's birthday and Christmas."

I pulled out my phone where I had the text from #Sue of the things she wanted me (now us) to do here. "Okay... We should hit the car wash next for the supplies and then the printers for the banner." I scratched the back of my head. "Or should we go to the printers first in case they messed it up... your mom asked me to make sure they were good before I left with it?" I was partly asking her and partly thinking out loud when another thread of musically notes tried to tug on my attention.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

The sad things was that I knew what he meant. I had witnessed the madness that came with addiction. Be it alcohol, drugs or gambling. It broke the person with it, and the life’s around them too.

Out of the side of my eye, I saw his hand drop. I took a beat in my step  just to fall back a step to see what his finders were doing. My ears with my Spirit Warriors hearing, tuning into the performance he was listening too.

‘Interesting’ she purred. And I rolled my eyes at her.

He took his phone out next, and I moved my eyes away. I didn’t wasn’t to pry on his privacy.

“Hmm? Oh.” I didn’t need long to think this out. “The printers first. If they messed anything up, we have time for them to fix it before they close.”

And they would fix it. Otherwise, I would have words. Well. A look to give them that said it all for me.

“Then the supplies. What they don’t have we can I’m sure find somewhere else too.” I saw him being pulled by the music. This was his home away from home. Just as Seattle had become mine for very different reasons.

“Or, you could go grab Ton, do something around here with him. And I can walk over to the printers. It won’t take me long.”

These jobs really were my responsibility. And I would have words with Ma about this later.

•- Embry Call -•

She always listened so intently. Absorbing all the information offered and I could see the understanding in her face. I was lucky enough that I hadn’t witnessed anyone I loved dearly to struggle with addiction… but classmates, their parents…  so many of the tribe. We had all seen it and felt it.

“The printers it is.” I grinned at her. My smile grew wider the more she said. “Whatever they don’t have ready I will sweet talk them into donating anyway.” I laughed. It was a skill,  and it wasn’t just effective on the ladies.

I glanced back over my shoulder when she mentioned #Tony. “No, we’ll go together. I told your Mom I wanted to help out with this event… and I plan on impressing the hell out of her. These are my errands... you are just along for the ride, Trouble.” I swerved as we walked and bumped her arm with mine. “Don’t try to steal my glory.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Are you joking? Me? Steal your glory? When it comes to my Ma? Like that is even possible.” I rolled my eyes at him.

“Let’s face facts, you, and any of the moms. None in f us have a chance.” His gift of the gab ( or the art of his conversation as I put it.) won over all the women of the Rez and then some. I pulled my hands out of my pockets, combing one though my hair before turning to glance at him.

“You do know that Ma appreciates the time you give. Whenever you can.” She knew too well that Call had been working hard and then looking out for Ms T. So, she didn’t push him to help with her millions of events.

Then at the same time, she would never say no if he could help too. It was a fine line. And somehow, Ma knew how to walk it.

•- Embry Call -•

I laughed and stuffed my phone back into my pocket. My fingers brushed against the hospital beeper, and I quickly yanked my hand back out of my pocket. "All it takes is being a good listener... or a good distraction. Depending on the situation." I smirked and that I was good at, reading a room.

"I know she does." I glanced at her as we walked. "It's one of the things I love most about her. She wears her emotions on her sleeve, and always voices them." I turned my head to her know. "Not that there isn't a pull to the mystery of those that don't do that." I smiled that new just-for-her smile.

I did like the search, watching her eyes and her reactions... filling the non-verbal communication we seemed to be fluent in with no practice.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

The movement was so fast, that it would have been missed by another. But my eyebrows pulled together as we walked and I listened to him talk about my Ma, knowing what sat in that pocket of his.

“Call.” I finally said when he glanced over at me. I said his name, surprised that the sound came out the way it did when he showed up on my doorstep, the night he found out what I had done by going to the tribal council.

He was laughing, but I saw past it. So, I stepped in front of him, facing him. My hand reached out between us, palm up. “Let me help, just for now?” It was his choice.

I would never take it away from him. But I would offer to hold and be the guardian of that precious alarm call, telling us that we needed to move and get his mom to the hospital. All other conversations were forgotten, my hands remained outstretched, and my brown eyes locked with his.

Telling him that no matter his choice, he wasn’t alone in this. That even with the beautiful smile of his, the one I only saw shared with me. I saw the fear hidden too, and I was here for both. With or without this thing blossoming between us. I am here.

•- Embry Call -•

The second she used my name I knew she'd seen it. She never missed a trick. She stepped into my path, and I stopped, locking dark brown eyes on hers, brows raised and a different kind of smile on my lips now.

I reached into my pocket and  slipped the tiny, offending machine out. I weighed it in my palm for a second, my gaze only drifting from hers for a second before I reached out and tipped it into her outstretched hand. I rested my palm over hers for a second.

"Thank you." I didn't say it because I thought she wanted to be thanked, I said it because it was what my mother would want me to do when someone took such a huge burden to give me time out from being under the weight of it. "That bloody thing is heavier than it looks." To anyone else, it would sound like a joke but there weren't many people that understood how very true the statement was. Leah was one of that very small handful of people.

And now I really wanted to kiss her, just  one light touch of my mouth against hers. Damn... it was... new... and I liked it.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

It wasn’t in me to read into anything. But this I knew meant so much that there had to bed a element of faith, or at least a small amount of trust.

In this moment, I didn’t care if it was in his Beta, or if it was in Leah. The fact was he had taken out the device and had  dropped it into the palm of my hand, with his resting over it.

Our eyes were locked again, and I swallowed hard when he thanked me. I knew better Than to tell him not to. Because this man right here. He was his mom’s son.

“I know it’s heavy, I got it. I got you.” To anyone it was just a small plastic device that weighted nothing. But then this device brought a mix of life for someone you cared for, and death for a soul you never knew. The weight of that, it sat heavy of the person carrying it.

My eyes meat his when I looked back from the device now in my hand. And I read what his eyes were saying. Clearing my throat, I said;  “We should get going.”

•- Embry Call -•

I smiled, and slipped my hand away from hers, my gaze still on hers. "That's a lot of strange new sensation." I chuckled and we both I was not talking about the freeing feeling of not carrying that thing.

It had become such a normal part of my day that I only remembered how hard it was when I passed it on to someone else. But this time there was something more to it now.

I didn't thank her again, I just started to walk along the path again, back towards the Jeep. "Let's  go..." I grinned and changed. "Are you glad you came along? Running errands can still be a great day off if you do it right."

•- Leah Clearwater -•

We walk down a short while in silence, after I placed the device in my inside jacket pocket and then zipped the two sides up half way. There was no way I was losing or damaging it.

“Hmm…” I thought about his question as the music in the park started to grow distract and  we came to the far exit closest to #Jackies’s store and his jeep.

“Actually I am.” There would have been a time I was be in distress sharing this much time with another. But now. Not so much.

“And you’re still alive. That’s saying something about evolution, right?” Smirking as I stopped at the edge of the street, checking the traffic before stepping out and crossing.

•- Embry Call -•

I smiled at her following across the street, giving on a quick glance, relying on my hearing more than anything else. I had seen her zipping the beeper into her pocket.

"And you're still standing here with me..." I grinned. "That says a  lot about yours."

I chuckled when we reached the Jeep and fished out the keys. "If in doubt... go see Mrs. Franco. She can win anyone's heart." jiggled the keys in her direction. "Wanna drive?" I asked, knowing that drive here took a lot  of faith on her behalf.

I wasn't defensive over who drove my baby, If the keys were on the hook in the house then they were welcome to them. They all knew to be gentle with her.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Don’t read too much into it, I could easily still kill you and hide the body.”

Rolling my eyes at him I chewed the inside of my cheeks, the Wisearse kind of had a point. I was still here, I wasn’t threatening him as much as I would normally, and he didn’t annoy me as much.

“Spirits.” I groaned.

The Call thing his Mom did was rubbing off on him too? How else was this possible?

‘Maybe because you are seeing the truth behind his so-called open book, which we now know, isn’t at open?’

My wolf stirred, then turned her back on me before falling asleep once again. I held my hand up for the keys, catch them and making my way around the driver side.

“Don’t have to ask me twice.” I needed to be in control of his rust bucket if it was going to take me down. “Printers, right?”

Closing the door, the keys in the ignition. His Red Jeep started the first time around. “That I didn’t expect.” I told the Jeep, not Call.

•- Embry Call -•

I laughed. "Nah... it would go against your self-imposed moral code." I smirked. "And I haven't broken any rules... Yet." I quirked a brow at the word Yet.

I saw it in her eyes when she realised the Call Magic was working on her. "Thank you, Granddad." I whispered to myself.

I tossed her the keys when she held her hand out for the keys and we switched sides. and I climbed in. "Printers it is." I smiled and watched her doubt my poor baby.

"I will have you know that this  baby has never let down. She starts first time, every time." Then I quickly added. "I mean... other than the times she doesn't, but a quick tune up and boom... back in business!"

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Yet.” I repeated knowing what that meant full well.

Rolling my eyes at him for show. I control what my heart and body did. How they reacted to the sound of the Engine coming to life with me sat in here. The saving Grace for me had to be that it was bigger than Ma’s car.

Looking in the mirror before I reversed the jeep out of its spot and drove onto the street and then off we went.

“Even your jeep knows how to speak to you. It’s all about the bloody words with you and she.”

I liked giving him crap about his jeep, but I respected his passion for these old things. His Jeep, his bike. His mom was right when she said, ‘My son was born with an old soul.’

I kept both hands on the wheel and didn’t relax the way I did on my baby. As I drove us out to the far end of town.

•- Embry Call -•

I chuckled when she repeated the word yet. "Hey, it's an old vehicle.. if you want the vintage charm you have to put in the effort and accept the flaws."

I didn't talk much, I even managed not to connect my phone to the sound system. She wasn't fond of enclosed vehicles. I looked up and wondered if taking the top down would make a difference. My brows knit together. It was a bit of an ordeal getting it down... but I would have to try it one day.

The jeep was steady the whole journey. I gave her a smug smile when we were almost there. "I told you that my girl was reliable, didn't I?"

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“I never said anything about flaws. There I beauty of those things which are imperfect. ”They didn’t come more imperfect that life. We didn’t speak for a long time, my eyes were on the road, on the jeep and on the oncoming traffic. I made myself sit still  the impatience I once had, the uncomfortable sensations, my heart trying to beat freely, all things I hide well.

He waited until we are a block of two out, before speaking again.  “You’re faith in her paid off.” I told him. “She’s got something that keeps her ticking.” I told him. The store in my sights, I searched to find somewhere to pull up and park his Jeep.

“Can I ask you something?” I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know or not, but Spirits. Why not?  “How do you do it? The open house, throwing the keys to your baby to anyone?” It wasn’t that I didn’t like to share. It was the knowing I could Go home and be alone. Or If I needed to leave. My baby was my way out. He had none of that.

“I know you’ve told me why you do it. But. It’s not something you need  to think about, is it?” His Jeep was parked in a bay, correctly and I had pulled the keys out and held them out for him to take.

•- Embry Call -•

"I'm glad that we agree." I smiled, glancing sideways ways at her. I shifted in my seat; was she always this sexy when she focused?

I smiled and patted the dashboard. "See baby, I told you that she liked you, really." I whispered.

"I mean... I didn't always..." I dragged my hand through my hair. "But when I was... when things were bad at home and I started..." I paused. She knew. "I closed doors between me and pack and the worse things got I even started shutting out  #Jake and #Quil. I stopped playing music... I..." I took a breath, remembering how it felt.

"After that, it got really easy to just... get deeper and deeper into all the shit I was doing. So when I finally woke up I guess I just wanted to make sure it didn't happen to the young ones. I didn't want them to feel like it would be easy to make bad choices because there was no one left to disappoint. One night one of the pups showed up at the door, he had nowhere to go and  #Kishil was still tiny, he didn't want to wake up #Sam and #Emily so he came to our place. He kissed a boy at a party and his father found out... he freaked and screamed at him to get out." I stopped abruptly. "Don't get angry yet... it  gets better." I chuckled softly.

"We talked for about an hour before his father called and apologised, begging him to come home. Saying he was an idiot. I told him he should go, and that the door would be unlocked for him. He could come  back anytime and history was made. The door is only locked now when #Bear is home. But, they know they can still come anytime, just that they have to behave. It just never felt... wrong. I did a lot of things that never sat right... but  this always felt like the right thing. I love those guys like family, I trust them. #Quil feels the same way, it just... happened. I don't think I was always the type of person that would do that... But I don't think I ever changed either... not really. It's hard to explain."

I paused and a smile crept slowly across my face. "Evolution, I suppose."

•- Leah Clearwater -•

I had started to see the unseen and underrated things he did and said. Things I wouldn’t have paid attention to before. Because let’s face it, my oh walls and the need to stay hidden hadn’t giving me the time to slow down enough to see him. ( or be seen by him or anyone else. )

The way he racked his fingers though his hair, the silky smooth hair locks fell back to fame his face. That side thought; ‘he needs a hair cut.’ Came before I could stop it. And then the fact that he was about to tell me something he may not have had time to consider or formulate followed after.

And the moment he started to speak I knew and understood why. That had been a bad time for him. For his and his mom.

A time when he felt the only way out was to fall into the arms of #JoeWalker. The dealing and the…. I stopped the thought because they brought a whirlwind of emotions with them. The first being I wanted to punch #Walker in the face. ( Even if I believed we cannot blame others for our own actions and decisions. )

My eyes were not trained in the direction far in front of us. I watched a family of five walking across the street as I listened and took in what Embry said.

Chewing on the inside of my cheeks, I clasped my hands on my lap frowning as I let his words sink in.

Hearing about the pup. The anger in my chest growing to the point that my wolf was sat upright and she wanted out. My heart was steady, my thoughts not so much.

My eyes darting to him the moment he read me and my reaction. And it put a kind of a dampener on it.

‘How… how did he do that?’ My wolf looked to him with the same confusion as I did. But we didn’t speak. We listened.

When he was finally done, I didn’t want to go and find the pups dad and kick his arse ( much ), but a side note was tucked away. Just in case I had the opportunity to remind the difference in the belief of our people v those of the pale faces  We didn’t hold one’s true souls ransom. Our ancestors and spirits told us to Care open and freely. They told us Our souls connect. Not the minds of Society, and intolerance.

“And here I thought it was because you wanted to always feel young and hip.” Said with my face dead pan, and no smile.

I knew there was more to it. But again. In the tribe the complaints had been that their house was a “party house”. If only the idiots of the council knew.

“Evolution…” There it was once again, the word that had become our companion in this journey we were undertaking.

•- Embry Call -•

I had known what she was thinking, and I had the same reaction myself, but the Pup and his dad managed to bury that hatchet. At the end of the day that was all that mattered. It hadn't been an easy road for them, and I know that many guys had  loud opinions on the situation. I wasn't going to add to it with my own.

I laughed softly at her reply. "Well... I mean that was the main motivation, everything else was a side bonus. But honestly... having them come to ours to party and all of that... I liked that too, it meant they weren't out on the beach or getting into trouble."

I unbuckled my seatbelt and opened the door but then I stopped myself. "Do you need to vent about that story before we go inside, and you give a poor printer's assistant the fright of his life?"

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Embry and #Quil had taken care of those pups more than I could have ever. And that thought didn’t sting, it came with pride. We were a pack; we all had our strengths. And people weren’t one of mine. I would kick their arses into action. Whereas #Jake, Embry, #Quil and the #TheKid. The pups knew they could go to them. Undoing the bucket, I stopped looking to Embry with, ‘Ha fucking haha eyes.’

“Why are you always the Wisearse. I know I’m a bitch, but even I wouldn’t go off on someone, because I’m pissed at someone else.” I was out the jeep. My hand moved over the pocket with the device in it before I pocketed my hands and started to cross the street.

“Step to it Embry Call. We’ve got placed to be, and people to see.”

•- Embry Call -•

I grinned at her when she gave me that epic eye roll. I reached out and took her wrist lightly. Just enough to stop her from climbing out of the Jeep. "You're not a bitch Leah. I'm sure you have your moments just like anyone else, but in  general, you aren't a bitch."

I let go and stepped out of the Jeep and followed her to the door of the printer. I told the young guy behind the counter that I wanted to pick up and order for #SueClearwater and he disappeared into the  back.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

I walked in silence to the door and stepped inside. Letting Embry take the lead as this was his show, and I was here for the ride. ( A conversation I would have with my Ma when the moment was right. )

I crossed my arms, feeling the device in my pocket as I watched him from  behind. His words, did he know what he had said? Because it was a a well feed image that I never created, but when it was set, I feed into it.

And now…

I shook my head as the kid came out from the back of the store and opened the rolled up posters, and set the box of flyers on the counter.

•- Embry Call -•

I  took one end of the long banner as the guy unrolled it and compared it to the picture that Sue had sent me. I double-checked the spelling in each word just Like #Sue asked.

 I passed my phone to Leah. "Looks like what your mom wanted right?" I showed her the picture she had sent me. And I set it down the have a look in the box of the flyers.

'We made everything to Mrs Clearwater's instructions.' The young guy said.

"I'm sure you did, we just want to make sure the  lady is happy, she works so hard for our community. We have to do our part too." I lashed him a smile and scanned the flyers again/

'I understand.' He smiled back. 'So, this events like a bikini car wash but with guys?' His eyes moved  from me to Leah like he wasn't sure who he would prefer to see in a bikini... I left Leah to answer that one.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Taking the phone out of Embry’s hands I glanced the image over from bottom to top, and then right to left. The best way to proof read was to do it backwards.

“The banner is good.” I told them both. I didn’t need to see the face of the young guy to feel his eyes on me.

At first I paid him no attention, it wasn’t unlike any other day in the life of a woman.

But then when he made the comment about the bikinis, and then his eyes wondered over me. I placed my free hand in the table between us and gave him a deadly look.

“If you want to see me in a bikini, I’ll strip down right now. But the moment I do it, you will be naked on your arse running down the street for everyone in town to see. So, eyes down. And do your job.”

I set the flyer down on the table and pointed to the top. “It’s meant to say 𝕌𝕝𝕚𝕙𝕖𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕕𝕚 (Welcome) on the top of the flyers. Why does this only say Wellcome?”

He fumbled, close to pissing his pants. Just what I thought. The kid needed to learn some manners.

‘Oh, we thought it was a typo.’ He finally said. “It’s the oldest language in this state. It’s been around longer than your language. And yet you could not even spell welcome correctly? Your word… WELCOME only has one ‘L’, in it. And this has two.”

My voice was cool and collected, and that sometimes ( most of the time ), was worse than shouting. The menace in the tone said it all.

•- Embry Call -•

I skimmed over the flyer, but I was quickly distracted when Leah leaned in the examine them. She smelled really, really good.

I tried not to laugh at her comments about the bikini. I looked up at the guy when he said that the Quileute words were typos... I had never learned much of the language, but I had respected it as Quileute heritage, I just disassociated that part of myself for much my young life. A decision I regretted now. I looked at him and my eyes told him it was time to run.

Leah's voice did those low lethal low things and where it  had given me a chill before this time it heated my blood, I considered trying the sorting the intense yet calm bow she'd dealt the boy, but when I thought about what I should say I couldn't think of anything that said it any better than she had.

The boy started to ramble and I flipped over the incorrect poster and scribbled my number on the back with a pen taped to a string on the counter, as I spoke. "Next time... pick up the phone and ask. Mrs Clearwater would have been happy to educate you. This is my number." I slide him the piece of  paper and smiled at him. "I'm sure it won't be a problem to have this rushed through today, right?"

•- Leah Clearwater -•

‘ Absolutely, it will be done in two hours.’ The young guy said.

“Try in One hour, and you are taking off 20% from the final payment for our time wasted too.” I didn’t take my eyes off him. And I saw him squirm under the pressure of it.

‘I.. I cann—’ he started and I cut him off.

“Unless you are about to call the store owner and explain how you messed up. How you called my language a typo…”

‘One hour ma’am, and 30% off.’ His voice cracked.

I stepped back from the counter. “I said 20% and that what I mean.”  I knew the business would absorb the amount I asked for. Anything over that would hit his pay cheque. And sure, after the way he acted. It would be a lesson. But I wasn’t that much of a bitch.

“One hour.” I told him and glanced over to Embry, to see if he wanted to add anything more.

•- Embry Call -•

I was about to tell the guy that two hours were fine but then Leah corrected I'm and I stopped myself... I wasn't how someone could be this calm and still have that much fury in her eyes. After that, all I could think about was how fucking  she was when she was determined.

Then her eyes were on me, and I smiled. Fuck!

Those eyes.

"I think the lady pretty much covered it." I was still only looking at her. We left the shop and started back towards the car. "You are so sexy  when you get the determined look in your eyes, you know that?" I grinned at her.

"But we probably could have given the guy the extra hour." I added with a raised brow.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

My hands were pushed into my pockets and I pressing the tip of my thumb into the tip of every finger. Stilling the anger, calming it, and reminding myself that I wasn’t the girl who blew up when people took the piss out of my heritage and culture.

I had grown, learnt and….  My head jerked up to the side where Embry walked step to step with me and my eyebrows pulled into frown.

“Not the reaction I expected from you. Aren’t you going to give me the ‘use your words better, Leah.’ But no.”

I couldn’t roll my eyes, my concentration was on making sure each fingertip touched my thumb.

“And we aren’t going back for one and half hours. That kid needs to learn a lesson.” I told him, stopping beside his red jeep.

•- Embry Call -•

I laughed and automatically walked to the passenger side of the Jeep. 'You did use your words... You just didn't take any prisoners. And I get it... It's not like this is the first bit of business these guys have had from the Reservation.

So, if they had doubts, they should have called your mother." I shrugged and tried to ignore the tiny movements that made tell-tale twitches in the muscles of her forearm... Was she counting her fingers? Or maybe clenching and unclenching her  fist? I let it go without a word. She had no doubt seen my own nervous habit in the par and had let it slide too.

 "I still think we could have given him the extra though... sometimes you be surprised what letting people think is a small  win can do for their work ethic."

 I reached out for the passenger door... partially to stop myself from reaching out and touching her arm or should... I licked my bottom lip; maybe her cheek. Then I could run my thumb along that perfect  lower lip and...

Shit! Nope. Not here! I cleared my throat.

"Did you want to go to the car wash first or get some lunch first while we wait?" The second the L word was out of my mouth my stomach growled... Not that I was starving...

just that the mention of food always made me want it more.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

He did it again. I stood looking at him. Everything stopped for me for a moment as what he was saying sunk in.

I thought back on the situation and how I played things, and then I took into account what Embry was suggesting we/ I should have done. And I could see the reasoning  behind taking those steps. I just couldn’t in the moment understand why I should need to sugar coat anything for that young guy. And yet… I saw the other side with his suggestion too.

“You should have said something in there.” I told him. “If you thought I was  taking  the wrong stand.” The door open to the jeep I climbed in.

“I think your stomach just make the decision for us. Good food first.”

•- Embry Call -•

I smiled at her. "I would have... but you weren't unreasonable either. I would have if I felt you were being unfair." I climbed into the cheek. "I just think in these situations you can't undo or unsee the wrong that was done. But you  change things for the next person to come along... Point out the mistakes and the errors in judgement..." I tilted my head... "And the everyday racism... but also show a small amount of forgiveness, not because they deserve it... But the next person might not get treated like that if they feel their actions were corrected and forgiven. It carries forward. Plus... we can't be sure that it was him that changed the typography."

I buckled up and patted my stomach. "Settle down, boy! We're going for food?" I turned the face her. "What are you in the mood for?"

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Paving a clear I g path for those who may follow.”

Okay, so I liked the way he saw another side of this situation. He was starting to make me think of a bigger picture that I would have picked up on, but much later down the line.

“Let’s hope they learn and put some thought into it before messing up again.”

Waiting for him to buckle up, I started the jeep. Once again my eyebrow raising at the soft sound of the way the engine turned. The old girl still had some tricks up her sleeve.

Checking the road and the traffic I pulled out  Rolling my eyes at the way he was speaking to his stomach.

“Two choices.” I tell him. “One. Is Leo’s, but it’s back at the start of town. And B… is the brewery at the waterfront. It’s good old fashioned pub food.” My eyes were on the road, and both my hands on the wheel. “You get to pick. And so you know. You will be judged on your choice.”

•- Embry Call -•

I just smiled and said nothing more about my ideas on conflict resolution... I wouldn't lie. I wasn't going to lie I wasn't always so enlightened and when though it was my general way of thinking; I didn't take that path every single time.

We all had those days when we just couldn't take it anymore and some poor sod paid the cost of a few months or more of townies' ignorance... I was still a Spirit and that still cam it hard to manage anger, even if I didn't wolf out unintentionally anymore.

She would think about and if I'd learned anything about her in the last week, she would adapt to her evolution in a way she saw fit her best. Or not at all if it just wasn't for her.

"That's one of those  secret-option-three questions and I am not falling into that trap, Trouble!" I smirked at her s she drove. "I've never been to the brewery so that and say choice! Gotta try it and obviously we're stopping at Leo's on the way home." I gave  her a cheeky grin. "Do you think it's my first day?" I teased.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

My eyes remain on the road, but I saw him in thought beside me. I didn’t need to fill the space with sounds. My voice wasn’t one I needed to hear either.

There were times where I could go all day without saying a thing. With the only conversation taking place with my wolf, and that was a good day for me. A bloody great day actually.

“Would I trick you like that?” I raised an eyebrow at him. “On second thoughts don’t answer that.”

Seeing that grin of his. “You do know I could punch that grin off your face?” I told him. But taking the right to the water front and not the left that would take us to Leo’s.

“There is no way we are leaving Port and not taking pizza home for the moms. I may like my freedom, but I’m not stupid enough to get my arse disowned.”

•- Embry Call -•

I smirked and kept my eyes on her side profile. "Yes!!" I said emphatically. "Yes, you would! Without hesitation." I laughed hard.

I set my eyes to the front when she made her threat, but I was still grinning. "I know you could. But you  wouldn't... not after I just dropped some semi-decent wisdom."

I grinned even wider when she took the turn. "Yeah, the moms would not be impressed. I should probably grab one for #Quil too. How many guys have you taken to this place on  the waterfront anyway?" I asked, knowing it was zero. At least in the way I was implying.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

I just rolled my eyes and pressed my lips together. He was not on a bloody roll. And I knew there was coming back from it.

As I took the time to drive within the speed limits of Port, my eyes always in the road. Keeping the people on the sidewalk in my check, as well as the mirrors.

“Do I look like the kind of woman who share her eating haunts with dudes?” Spirit! Wasn’t that what I was doing now? “You don’t count.” Why? Why didn’t he count in those I wouldn’t bring?

I shook my head when my wolf laughter. She knew why, but she wasn’t sharing.

“Do you want to go or not? Keep asking me stupid questions and I will let you eat at the gas station.” I say it just as we drive pass one, and I point. “Like there.”

Smiling as he spoke about the moms and then. “Oh, the wife. Can’t forget him.” Because #Quil and #TheKid kind of went without saying. They would be in the mix no matter what.

•- Embry Call -•

I clutched at my non-existent pearls, utterly (and dramatically) aghast! “You wound me, Trouble!!” Then I started to mutter an almost unintelligible string of mumblings about “Not counting” and being “more than just eye candy” and the phrases “make-out monkey” and “man meat” may or may not have been in the mix too.

I zipped my lips when she threatened to leave me at the gas station and burst out laughing almost instantly.

“Hey, if I didn’t feed him he would live on  Doritos.” I laughed… I may have been overstating my role in keeping that guy alive, but he was working his ass off so he could help #Bear to college. “You know… it's actually really strange we never spent more time together before…” I  chuckled. “We both spend a lot of our time looking after everyone else…” Not that I thought what I did came anywhere close to the things Leah did for all of us. “Imagine if we’d teamed up years ago?”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

I just rolled my eyes at his comments. “Sure. Without the wife would be a bag of chips himself.” Okay. I could see some part of it being true. But #Quil wasn’t so bad, right?

“You would be dead and walking in the land of the spirits.” I say dead pan as I turned off the Main Street and into sixth avenues parking lot.

“You could have made a move, towards trying to find a place in my way….” Because that would have been how I would have seems it. “..and it would have cost you, your life. We both know I would have been in a place where the only outcome was… you are crawling away without your kneecaps in tacked.”

The jeep parked the keys out. I turned my eyes to look at him. He was always a beam of light. Laughing, joking, smiling.

“Also, we both know… teaming up on four legs was the only way I could stand you.”

This I did say with a smile on my lips.

“Now come on, there are burgers and beer with me name on it.”

And the ocean calling my name too. But that was a conversation for another day.

•- Embry Call -•

I chuckled… people joked but the way we ran the house worked. I did what passed as the cooking… which was mainly heating up what Sue on Emily gave us, or whatever pies and lasagnes we bought frozen. I did the laundry and #Quil did the rest  of the housework… I also had the duty of waking him up in the morning. In general, he was the most level-headed and responsible guy I knew… but he was so not a morning person.

“C’mon now, Clearwater! I know it would have cost me something, but you’d never kill me. “ I smirked like that was some kind of win.

“We always made a pretty good team… the whole pack, I mean… not just us. Especially after Nessie was born. I think it put a lot of things into perspective.” My stomach  growled again as soon as I opened the door… it hadn’t even been that long since I ate. “Oh damn… I like this place already and I’ve only smelled the food!” I grinned at her and walked around the jeep, taking long strides. “Get the lead out, Trouble,” I smirked as I passed her for once.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Eyebrow raised I watched him walk around and off towards the brewery entrance. It made me roll my eyes at how cocky he was even now, but then again. So was I. So, could I hold that against him? The answer… Spirits, Yeah, I could.

“They have a smoker out back. That’s what  brings people in by their nose.”

It took three of four steps, and I was walking beside him.

“You’re going to be a handful for them in there.” I knew the girls behind the bar. And he was their perfect piece of steak. “And I’m going to kick back and let it happen.” Pushing the door open with my shoulder, the scent of food, meat, barley all combined together. There was an earthy warmth in the place before it really was a working brewery in the back.

Noticing as my eyes wonder over the space, the exits, and the windows. There weren’t as busy as it got in the evenings and weekend, but there was still a fair amount of people in the place.

“Bar and then table?” I asked but I was already walking to place my order. I wasn’t going to waste time sitting down without my food being made.

•- Embry Call -•

I inhaled deeply. “Really? That’s awesome! It smelled amazing.” My brows knit together when she said I was a handful “What do you mean?” I asked and followed her inside. She did that thing again and this time it baffled me… She’d been here before… regularly by the sounds of things. But she still scanned the whole place every time she came here?

It was only when all the scents hit me, my stomach growled again. I nodded to Leah. “Sounds good to me… I wanna try what they brew  here.” I smiled at her. “I mean it's a brewery, it would just be rude not to.”

As we approached the bar I understood what she had said outside. the girls behind the bar were gorgeous… and one of them was eyeing me as she pulled a pint of  whatever they had on tap. But none of my usual curiosity bubbled up. “I see what you're up to, Trouble. Are you planning to offer me up as bait?”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

My eyes combed over the bar and all the waiting eyes on him. “I mean most people find it hard to pick what to eat here. You. I have a feeling will dance about the menu, even with it being one page.”

The place did a few things, and spirits they did them well. I pointed up at the board on which they had written what was on the smoker that day. And then beside it a list of three burgers, and sides.

“They keep it simple, and still people find it hard to pick.” I tell him with smirk.

“Bait? Spirits yeah, if it gets me faster service. Like you wouldn’t do the same.”

It was all in jest. There was no way I would use anyone as bait. He kind of did that himself when he walked about in his so called ‘uniform’ from the club.

‘Leah Clearwater! As I live and breathe!’ I knew the voice that came booming from the side. Making me stop for a moment and then turn towards it.

“Jackson. Still alive I see.” He laughed brushing his fingers through his hair.

‘You would miss my concoctions if I weren’t alive woman and you know it.’ He came up and took my extended hand shaking it. ‘Is it time to up the orders to #HWH today?’ He clasped his hands together in a prayer.

Rolling my eyes at him i smirks. “Can’t a woman come in to eat and have a drink without thinking business?” ‘Sure she can, and then she could give me another order? Because I know my brew is magical in her hands. Can’t a man dream here?’ His eyes went over the side of me and he whispered. ‘And for the first time.. she brings a date? I’m intrigued.’

I crossed my arms over  my chest. “Are you going to talk crap and waste my time now?” His hands flew up.

‘I kid! I kid!’ He steps around me to take Embry’s hand. ‘A friend is Leah’s is a friend of mine. I’m Jackson Hayes, the owner of this small place we call Bells & Rivers. Welcome.’

•- Embry Call -•

“I could just order one of everything.” I smirked. “That way I don’t need to decide.” I scanned the board she pointed to and instantly my stomach started to growl immediately.

Then I heard a deep male voice from behind us. I watched them  interact and noted the difference between how she was here or with #Tony’s mom and in the tea shop, compared to the print shop. Her protectiveness was unyielding.

I grinned and shook his hand, not denying the date thing, but not perpetuating the assumption either “Pleasure to meet you, Mr Hayes.” I smiled. “This is one hell of a place you have here.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

‘He is polite and charming, it’s a dangerous combination there.’

#Jackson jokes with Embry.

‘I am glad you think so, it’s my life’s proudest moment starting here. Now, I won’t keep you from your food. I know Leah gets a little cranky if we don’t feed her.’

I roll my eyes. “And yet he is still talking.” This makes him laugh even harder.

‘I know deep down you love our back-and-forth Miss Clearwater. Now eat, then give me a call.’

Patting Embry’s shoulder, he says. “The pork is succulent and sweet, and the rib all off the bone. Choose wisely young one.’ Then he walked off, doing the universal sign for ‘call me.’

I knew his beer sold well, and it would mean supporting a small local business. So, I took my phone out, sent a quick message to the #HwH group chat.

TEXT < Let me know it we need more from Jackson Hayes’s. I could do as deal with him.-L >

And hit send before pocketing it. My hand grazed over the other small device making sure it was still safe.

“Ready to try something out?”

I walked the rest of the way to the bar, ordering a taster beer slide, it had six different small glasses on it. With the ribs, fries, mac ‘n’ cheese, and a cheese burger too.

“That’s me, what do you want?” I smirked.

•- Embry Call -•

I smiled at #MrHayes. “Gotta admirer a man with pride in what he does and a healthy respect for self-care.” There was no denying he was a good-looking man... And not just in a for his age kinda way.

“Trust me... I don't play around when it comes to food.” I chuckled and gave the man a nod when he departed. Then a wide grin at least told her I was indeed ready to eat. No one here seemed to bat an eye at Leah’s order... They must have been used to her orders  here. That didn't mean I couldn’t give them. A run for their money.

“Oh... I’ll try that beer taster too... When in Rome and all.” I smiled at the bartender... Slash waitress? “And I’ll have the ribs, a half chicken...” I examined the board and pursed my lips. “A cheeseburger with pulled pork and the fries, slaw and corn on the cob.”

‘Should I put half of that in a doggie bag right away or......’ She smirked. I admired the playful cheek.

“Don't worry... If I can't finish it alone I'm sure this one will help me out.” I smirked right and she gave me an appreciative we’ll see look. She told us to take a seat and she bring it right out.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

The moment I sat down at a booth, one of the girls was right there. ‘Two of the new blend. Jackson said there are on the house.’

I shrugged the jacket off, my hand working into the pocket to transfer the small device from it into my back jean’s pocket now. I relaxed back  thanking her. “The man knows how to get himself more business.” I muttered to myself looking at the two glasses. It was a rye blend. The colour gave it away right away.

Watching the interaction with Call makes me smirk. “Be careful, they well start to think you are a competitive eater.”

People made assumptions, and I never corrected them. It’s how Half of my reputation was made for me, and I had no issues with it. Picking up one of the glasses, I took in the scent, the look, the feel, and then looked to Embry.

“Tell me what you think of this one.” Pushing the second glass towards him.

•- Embry Call -•

I smiled at Leah when the waitress set the drinks down, though I felt a brief glance in my direction. “Must be awesome being so gorgeous people just hand you free stuff where ever you go.” I teased her, even though I knew that this was purely a business thing. And I wasn’t a stranger to the act myself… it was becoming more and more common for women to send me drinks. Female empowerment certainly had perks.

I watched her move the beeper from one pocket to another and  try noy to let me see her do it… I could have told her that the thing was obnoxiously loud and we would probably hear it even from the Jeep. But she had relieved me of its burden and I was going to enjoy the weightlessness of it, so I pushed it to the back of my mind.

“Yeah, yeah.” I winked at her, keeping up the charade. “Business. Sure.”

I laughed. “Hey, you said they had good food… I’m just testing out a fair sample size of when they offer. And I ordered  vegetables” I smirked. “So I’m being good!”

I watched her sniff the beer but not drink it. “You know I don’t have the most discerning taste buds right? Especially not when it comes to alcohol?” I took the glass and took a healthy  mouthful. It was good… really good. Way better than anything in a can in my refrigerator. But still… I could why or what made it that way. It was beer… but a whole lot better. “Wow… I mean… This is great.” Then I did what she had and smelled it. “It even smells different from anything I’ve drunk before.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Like you’ve never been sent drinks for free.” Giving him an aimed look.

“Remember where you drink and remember who serves you.”

The pack were always sent drinks from the townies. Another reason why some night, they didn’t need to spend much for a night out. Not that any of us drunk at the bar for anything but to socialise. When we wanted to get drunk. It wasn’t done in public.

“The best thing is to try a little if everything. But then again, when you get something, you like. You’ll know.”

Raising my eyebrow. “Really? Vegetable?” Shaking my head “your idea and mine are very different on this subject.”

Picking up the glass of beer smirking I took a mouthful. Letting it sit before slowly swallowing it.

“You don’t need to know the ins and outs of beer tasting, Embry. I’m asking you as a consumer. If this was offered to you. Would you pay the extra two dollars for a pulled pint and not a bottle or a can.”

My eyebrows lifted at the smooth taste and how it grew after the fact. Holing the glass up to the light. “Jackson has been holding out on me.” I muttered. “The scent is like that because the way he blends it. There is rosemary in this batch.” I could taste it.

Out of the side of my eye, I saw #Jackson watching me with a grin on his face.

•- Embry Call -•

I laughed and winked at her. We both knew she was right… she hade witnessed it all for herself… and at the club, it was even more frequent… only I got to refuse under the guise of not being allowed to drink on the job… which was true but  also not enforced in the slightest.

“I mean corn is a…” I tilted my head, was it a vegetable when it was still on the cob? Or was it a grain no matter what? I needed to google that later. “Um… grey area… but the slaw has vegetables.” I  smirked and ignored the fact that it was completely smoothed in mayonnaise.

“For beer... I would for sure.” When I drank beer it was for the enjoyment of it not to get drunk, because that was next to impossible anyway. “In a bar, I always  prefer a pint over a bottle. And this stuff…” I took another mouthful and smiled. “Oh yeah… so worth it.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Has No nutritional value, it leaves your body in the same way it goes in because you cannot digest it. And let’s not even mention what it is covered in to made you want it even more. So, again… vegetables?”

Cocking my head to the side I raised my eyebrow. Sitting back my eyes were locked onto him, had I after all these years learn something new about him? “You would prefer a pint over a bottle? But…” I looked at the glass sat before me, and I shook my head. “So, if I gave you this beautiful glass. It would be a go. That’s good to know.”

Lifting the glass to my lips I took a long slow pull, making sure to take my time to let it linger before swallowing. It was a really good brew. Out of the side of my eye I saw our food coming our way.

‘I’ll bring your beers when you are ready.’

The waiter said as he started to set plates down between the two of us like we were sharing.

“Thanks” I said. Waiting until he was gone before correcting his mistake.

“They always think guys can eat more than women. Clearly not met the right kind of woman.”

•- Embry Call -•

“Hey, at least it clears out the pipes as it goes!” I smirked. Not a sexy lunch conversation… but she already knows how hot I’m, so it was all good. I nodded when she was (sort of) all business again.

I laughed at the way they set out the plates, but Leah said nothing… so neither did I. “Oh you are so sharing that Mac ’n’ Cheese… the only reason I didn’t order some is because I plan on tasting yours.” I laughed unapologetically and rubbed my hands together as I surveyed the  feast in front of us.

“Where oh where to being?” I grinned, sliced off a corner of the butter cube served with the corn and let it melt over the grill marks. “With the veg…” I ponder, stressing the word, but then I pick up the fork and sink into the meaty part of a rib and just as #MrHayes promise it falls right off the bone and I taste it…

I hardly have the mouthful swallowed before I say… “Damn… This is insanely good!”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

I moved the Mac ‘n’ Cheese to the middle of the table. People knew to give me space. They knew one look from me could be devastating for them. But the part they always misjudged (and I let them), was that I was okay with sharing my food.

I had a kid brother, who always liked what was on my plate more that his own. So, it never phased me.

I snapped my teeth from time to time, to keep up the persona and reputation I had gained. (Because it meant those who were in the outside, remained there.) But if someone came for my food. I never stopped them.

As he sliced off the ribs. It would have been a good time to tell him. He didn’t order those. But again. I knew this was just the afternoon snack and pizza would be bought on the way home.

“It is good.”  I sliced off a rib from the other side of the rack letting the meat fall off the bone before forking it into my mouth.

“It’s never disappoints here. It’s why I come here.”

•- Embry Call -•

“I have to say…” I smirked at her. “I made a really good choice.” I chuckled as I started to taste a bite of everything. Making a note that she had willing shared the plate of Mac ‘N’ Cheese without a word. Or that snap a lot of the guys  got… but none of us got possessive over our food… at least not until it started to run out and even then, it was all in good fun. Maybe a little competition to see who was fast enough.

I tasted the chicken, then the chicken with the slaw… the fries the skin still on… then I bite of the burger that nearly floored me… “Oh wow… How did you find this place? Was it because you placed orders for the bar? Or did you start using them because you already knew it was here?” I asked  between bites and swallows; I did attempt not to speak with food in my mouth, but I wasn’t very successful. I continue the sampling making deeply approving sounds before settling on finishing the burger.

“This place really is a gem.” I  looked up at her… “Thanks for showing me one of your hideaways.” I smiled because I just knew.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Leaning back in the chair I took him in. Chewing on my mouthful much slower, knowing to take it easy because it was all really good. My lips curled up seeing and hearing his reactions. I knew that feeling well even if I didn’t show it as openly as Embry did. Then again. This was a Embry Call. Wearing his emotions for all to see. Be it over the pack, the pups, the imprints, Our moms, music, the day of the week…. Or food.

Once he had enough time to dig into it all and enjoy the experience I shifted forward, swallowing before speaking unlike some.

“A little of both. This place was going to be ribbed down. No one would rent the old boat factory. No one knew what to do with it. I think they were talking about putting up a strip mall to bring in the money. Until”

I pointed to the man flamboyantly speaking with his customers. “He had an idea. I started to hear about the possibility of him making beers here in site. Called to come check out one of his selections. That’s when I learnt about the second part of his plan.”

Taking another bite my chin moved to all the girls working here. “They are all from the woman’s shelter. All had a hard start to life. And he made this a safe place for them to work. He had the same work ethics the guys and I can relate to. The rest is… well.. history.” the glass I drained my beer. As the taster slider arrived.

“Tell anyone of this place and I will kick you in the balls.”

I said with a dead pan face. This was the second place he had come to that I liked. But the rules hadn’t changed.

•- Embry Call -•

I grinned at her… knowing enough about the texture of pork that was this tender to know not to show teeth after eating as much as I had. No one was hot with meat scraps in their teeth. “Awesome… I love a good phoenix rising from the ashes story.” I smiled. “And barbecue and beer is the perfect combination. He’s made a hell of a go of it.” I turned then to look at the women, chatting happily as they worked, amongst themselves and the few patrons that were dotted around at  tables and the bar.

“I didn’t even know there was a shelter around here…” I lowered my voice… these women didn’t need to think they were being talked about. But luckily Leah and I didn’t need to hunch over tables to whisper. “Homeless… or…” I didn’t finish because… well it was pretty obvious.

I nodded and crossed my heart. Your secret is as safe as….” I paused… my secret-keeping wasn’t always the best. Not without the aid of my alpha. “As I can possibly keep it.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Not needing to follow his gaze because why? These women were working hard, making something of an opportunity. It wasn’t a handout. They had to work for their money.

Cutting into my ribs with a mouthful of macaroni, shrugging my shoulders. My voice was low.

“Does it matter. They are working, they know they can trust the people here. That’s all that matters, doesn’t it?”

Really not liking the fact that it felt like I was talking about these women as if they weren’t here.

Nodding my chin to the south west we sat. “There are two. A homeless shelter down off the main streets. And there is…” Now looking across the table.

“A woman’s shelter a little harder to find unless you know where to look. For obvious reasons.”

And those reasons if I ever came across them… would find a fist in their faces. No matter if I was a protector of humans. They weren’t worth protecting. Shoulders felt tight and stiff, and then when I looked down to the fork in my hand.

“Spirits!” Setting my knife down, cleaning the fork, keeping the evidence well hidden from sight, working to straighten out the bends of my fingers from the metal before continuing to eat.

•- Embry Call -•

I turned my gaze back to her and continued to eat. “Well… yeah. Because if it's a different kind of shelter then they need to have daytime security. People… well.. they’re the worst kinds of monsters.” I was still speaking softly. Things could get ugly fast if someone one of these women was hiding from found out about this place. Most bars only had Bouncers working in the late evening and night.

“I guess me not knowing about it means that they are doing their job right.” I nodded in agreement. Seeing what she did to that fork would have been hysterical, if it hadn’t been for the topic.

I knew I couldn’t get it… The culture of violence perpetrated by men against women since the dawn of time. So I didn’t  tell her I understood. I didn’t tell her I got how angry she was. It made perfect sense that she felt how she did… but no matter how angry I was… it didn’t come close. I “It’s okay, Trouble… These women… they made it. And today… that is what matters the most.” I kept my eyes on her… letting her know I saw her. and she could let all this out later… if she wanted to!

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Hmm…”

The only reply he would get right now as I continue to control myself. Since being a hot-headed teen, time has taught me some hard lessons, some left a mark for a lifetime. Others lost with the time they had passed on by.

The temptation to act before thinking had gone and had been replaced with an evolution of who sat across from Embry now.

But, growth came with a price, and with a two way path. One moving forward, while the other took you back to the beginning. And I wasn’t ashamed to say. At times the anger still seeped out. I wasn’t perfect, but I was perfectly broken. Just how I liked it.

Keeping my chin up, but my eyes down on the food in front of me, a forkful in my mouth. Chewing slowly before I let my darkened brown eyes meet his. Seeing the unsaid word. Later.

“How’s the burger?” A clear sign to change the subject, picking mine up with one hand. Finding that perfect spot for the first bite I took it.

•- Embry Call -•

I smiled and accepted the change of subject. If it was something she wanted to talk about again; she knew she could bring it up in a place where she could mangle as forks as she needed to. I picked up the burger and took another bite. The burger was amazing… not overcooked like ninety per cent of the barbeque I’d eaten in the past. “It's good... I swallowed the last of the food. “Like really, really good.” I nodded. “What about the mac ’n’ cheese?” I scooped up another forkful and got another taste.

I heard a comment from staff, standing by the bar about how 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕤𝕖 𝕥𝕨𝕠 𝕔𝕒𝕟 𝕖𝕒𝕥 as they took in the half-eaten dishes all over the table. I just chuckled and focused on the conversation I was having. “And you have to try this chicken… It's incredible."

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“The Mac ‘n’ cheese is always good here. Not as good as Ma’s, but good.”

My lips curled up into a smirk. “How times have changed.” Muttering the words. Because right now I wasn’t even blinking at how welcome he felt to my food.

Speaking as I chew my food and the thought. But putting something I was thinking into words like this. Another first for me.

“You know, before you wouldn’t have dared to touch me food.” Pointing my fork to his. “I’ve never stopped you lot...” the pack. “… from eating off my plate. But… no one other than the Kid of Mac has ever taken that step.”

It had never occurred to me. Even if I knew why.

Eyeing his chicken. “It looks good.”

I didn’t reach for it. Because I just couldn’t. I had never taken food off another person’s plate. Not even as a joke.

Because…

1. I didn’t joke like that.

B. I always knew/ felt they needed it more than me.

•- Embry Call -•

I smiled widely. “I mean… it would be cruel to expect anyone to compete with #Sue’s recipes. But other than hers.. this is amazing.” I chuckled. My mom was never an amazing chef… in fact, her lasagne was probably the only thing she ever truly mastered. But still, in my head, her food was the best. And of course, that was the only comment that she ever heard about her cooking from my mouth… and her unofficially adopted sons.

I looked at her… confused. Was that true?

“Really?” I froze… My fork hovering in mid-air ready to scoop up more mac ’n’ cheese. “Are you….” I thought about it… searching back through barbecues, pack gatherings… family dinners when we were invited to the Clearwater’s… “Wow…” That made no sense. “You’re right… but we all… we always just…” We had all just helped ourselves to whatever we wanted. Heads were only ever butted over the last of something and even then, it was just messing around.

“I never even thought about it before…” I couldn’t understand it. “That’s so strange.” Was it another way we had consciously excluded her? another wall all of us had erected to keep her at arm's length?

I nudged the plate of chicken into the centre of the table. “Help yourself,” I said, offering her a smile, instead of placing some of it on her plate when I noticed her hesitation. I would let her reach out herself.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Pushing the bowl of Mac ‘n’ cheese forward, another bite of the burger and it was gone. The meat so tender, the salad so fresh, the mustard and ketchup just the right amount. Spirits it was delicious.

Wiping my hands on the napkin my eyebrow raised seeing the way he moved the chicken towards me. Why was he doing that?

“I’m not complaining… just a realisation that came to me just now. That’s all.”

I pushed his plate back to his side of the table.

“You need it more than me, and this is your first visit.”

My phone vibrated in my pocket, but I didn’t reach for it. Picking up the beer I took the last of it down.

“That hit the spot.”

The mumbling comments made me smirk into the glass. This wasn’t the first time some of the staff had seen me here, but two of us. At the same time, with a table full of food that was being eaten. It was something to witness.

•- Embry Call -•

I swallowed the bite in my mouth. and nodded. “Yeah… me too… I have no idea why.. but then again… there are a lot of things about back then I still can’t understand.” I heard the buzz and noted how she ignored it.

I did lean forward now. “Leah… trust me when I say…” I motioned to all the food on the table. “I’m no in danger of starving… and I’m trying to make a gesture here. So try the damn chicken and help a guy out…” My eyes met hers and I added. Please.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

How eyes reminded me of bourbon, it was the first thought I had to push back, because those eyes… they were loaded, and firing in my direction.

Without breaking contact with his deep earth charged eyes, the fork was lifted. Filling it with a chuckle of the succulent meat, I brought it to my mouth and tried it.

“Spirits.” Chicken wasn’t always the first thing I ordered; most places dried it out. But Bells and Rivers! “Damn it’s good.”

•- Embry Call -•

I smiled… I could see her searching my eyes the way I always searched hers. I laughed and turned my attention back to my food, because if she kept looking at me like that, I was going to do something crazy like launch across the table to kiss her.

“See, that wasn’t so hard... was it?” I smirked. And damn… I met those eyes again… “You really need to stop doing that.” I muttered with a chuckle, and it was unclear if I was talking to myself or her… maybe it was both of us.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Raising my eyebrow, while pushing the fork into a piece of chicken. ( it really was good, so juicy and delicious. )

Setting the fork down while I chewed and then picked up my empty glass and set it down.

“Stop doing what?” I wasn’t sure if he was talking to me, but that low  it had to be one of us.

a waitress was over with the taster half pints, and I thanked her for her timing. That was another thing about this place. They knew how to keep you well feed and watered.

•- Embry Call -•

I laughed and flicked my eyes back up to her for a moment “Being…” I paused while the waitress place our drinks down and thanked her with a smile that made her lower her lashes. That worked even when I wasn’t trying too?

I looked back at Leah and wondered what words would work in this case… what words could I use to describe her. Being so gorgeous? Impossible to resisted? Kissable? All true but all descriptors to keep in the bubble.

“Being so… Intriguing” I smirked. “It  makes it… difficult… to behave myself.” I smiled at her against taking another bite of the chicken. “And I’ve been doing really well so far.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Eyebrow raised over the rim of the glass I sat back drinking the beer slowing but watching him.

The way that women reached to him wasn’t new. It had always made me roll my eyes because he was like a magnet to bunnies.

 But now it made me look to see if it was the warrior  or was it him. It was the same with all the pack, we all walked into a room and heads turned.

Sure, my heights and stature had a lot to do with it. We all had a demeanour that called to the work. We were spirits warriors after all. Protectors of people. So, they would be a pull for them to come. But they didn’t know what that pull meant. And things lead to… well... you know…

But now I could past it all because I wanted too. Because I wasn’t keeping my walls up around them. And him… more so.

“Intriguing….” I agreed, but I meant him not me. “You have been behaving. What’s your secret?” My lips curled up into a half smile just for a second before the walls were back up again.

•- Embry Call -•

She was watching me now and I wasn't sure why... for signs that I was, in fact, misbehaving? Maybe? But I was being good.... other than the last comment... and that was vague as fuck. So as far as I was concerned, I was golden, thank you  very much.

"Oh, the very real threat of an arse whooping is the only thing keeping me in check." I smirked and moved my attention back to the burger. I mean it was mostly true, apart from the 𝕠𝕟𝕝𝕪 part. But Is she didn't think that part of it was also a deep-seated respect... alongside the fact that we both wanted the same thing she wouldn't be here in the first place... so a little exaggeration was fair game.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Before I could reply to him, out of the side of my eye I saw #JacksonHayes making his way across the bar towards us.

‘So, what is the verdict, young man?’

The question had been directed to Embry, with a nod to the empty dishes, as well as his burger before him. The man always like to check in with new customers, gain feedback and took know of what was said.

Internal I smiled, because any feedback I got at #HwH would be met with a look that made the giver know they were only alive, because I didn’t want to put in the effort of hiding a body.

I took the opportunity to check the text messages that came in.

The guys were excited to try something new from the brewery. Telling me that the last order was well received by the townies.

•- Embry Call -•

I swallowed the bite in my mouth before speaking, this man was far too well put together to speak to with a mouth full of burger. “The verdict?” I smiled and pointed to the dishes all either finished or mostly finished. “Are these your  recipes? Because if they are… My mom is single… and very pretty.” I chuckled and looked up at him from where we sat.

He laughed. ‘Well, that’s high praise coming from a man your age. Though I’m sure what your Mother would think.’

“Oh, she’d be cool with it.” I chuckled. “She likes cooking. But she like eating a lot more and this food is amazing though… really.” I glanced around the bar-come-restaurant. “It’s a great place, good vibe, good food.” I picked up the beers and swigged. “Great beer too! And that’s a high compliment coming from me… I’m normally a whiskey kinda guy.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

‘If we can gain the thumbs up from a whiskey man. Then I will take it.’

#Jackson turned his dark eyes in me. ‘Feel free to bring this one back again Leah. I like him.’

Rolling my eyes, I pushed my phone back into my pocket.

“Don’t be fooled jury because you  finally found someone who wants to call you Daddy, Jackson. He would called anyone who feeds and waters him that.”

The full belly laughter that came from the tall man made me smirk.

‘Is she always this charming..’ he side mouthed Embry. ‘Or do I bring it out of her?’ Rolling my eyes, with the beer in my hand to take a sip of.

“You wouldn’t know what to do with me if I was ever nice to you. I’m saving you a heartache. Trust me.”

He laughed again looking to Embry and then back to me. Nodding his chin to the beer. “Ten…” I told him. “But I need a better price. Right now… only the townies and fools with money are drinking it. I only want to serve items everyone can afford. Especially my locals.”

He shook his head. ‘You don’t even want to digest your food before talking business?’ - Shrugging my shoulders. “Places to be. Things to do. And I’ve finished my food.” Pointing over to Embry. “He is a slow eater.”

Mulling over what I told him. ‘Let me work it out. Enjoy the rest of the beer.’

Winking at Embry. ‘Next time bring your mom with you.’ And then he was gone.

“Ms C would have a field day with you for that.”

•- Embry Call -•

I pointed a thumb towards #Jackson and smiled at Leah… “He likes me.” I said smugly. So far all of the people we had seen today that Leah clearly respected; had liked me. That had to count for something right?

I laughed and looked up at  the man standing by the table. “Oh yeah… always was. But she’s got a soft centre in there somewhere just like us all. But she left out the part where I'm highly protective of my Mom….. only the best will do. But a good feeling about you.” Something twinged in me when she said she was saving him heartache.. like she thought that letting him see that side of her would lead to pain. It was a lonely path to walk.

I shook my head and let her talk business. “It's not slow!” I  said in my defence. “It’s savouring!”

I waved at him as he left the table. “Trust me… If I keep food like this a secret from my Mom she would have my head.”

“Wasn’t it your day off?” I teased her after #Myhayes took his leave.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“He likes you because he doesn’t know you. Yet.”

Saying it with a dead pan look on my face, and daring him to disagree with me. Because we all knew he would.

Embry Call was born with something that just pulled people towards him, and the more time I spent like this with  him, the more I saw it in action first hand.

“You should bring your mom. She would have then all eating out of her hands.” Because she was the person he got his superpower from.

Lost in thought for a moment or two, it had been a day to think over so much today.

Shaking myself out of it, raising my eyebrow at him.

“What do you mean? If course it’s my day off today.”

Pointing to myself and then our surroundings as if it proved the point I was making

•- Embry Call -•

I narrowed my eyes at her and chuckled. But it was a fact that my first impression was my best… My long-term one was where things normally fell apart.

“Well, I figured when you threatened me not to tell anyone you weren’t including my Mom.” I laughed. “And she loves a little intrigue… so she’ll keep your secret too.” I didn’t really mind keeping things from Mom as long as I didn’t have to lie. There were already enough things I had to lie to her about in my life. So when it came to other things … I tended to come clean.

“You making a business deal is technically working right?” I chuckled. “I mean I totally approve of the efficient use of time and all… but call it what it is… working gi—“ I stopped myself “Women.” I grinned and winked at her. I finished the last of my chicken and washed it back with the beer. “Damn this is good stuff!”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Narrowing my eyes at him, it was a good save. But it didn’t stop me from kicking him under the table still.

“I wouldn’t ask you to lie to your mom. I wouldn’t ask you to lie full stop. I don’t do it. So…” why would I ask him to do it.

My heart tightens for a moment when I  thought about the bubble. And how he was keeping them from those he cared for. Me.. it was something normal, no one questioned my comings and goings

As much as they all wanted to know it all. But him. They all had a different relationship. And was I keeping him from telling  the truth? And was that the same as making him lie?

“Spirits.”

Rubbing my temple I caught #Jackson out the side of me eyes. I showed me two sets of tens on his hands and I understood. He could do me a deal if I bought twenty from him. Sending him back fifteen as the best I could do. He gave me the thumbs up. And the deal was done.

“Right. Are you ready to get out of here?” I asked.

•- Embry Call -•

“I know.” I smiled at her. “You wouldn’t, but not mentioning something isn’t exactly lying though.”

I saw those bright eyes dim a little and I stopped… wondering… what was she thinking that had her calling to the Spirits. I tried the figured it out as she made her deal with #MrHayes. Maybe I would get a chance to ask her later when it was just to two of us.

I nodded and picked up my jacket from the back of my chair. “Ready and almost willing…” I chuckled. This place served great food… I would definitely be back. “Anything else you want to do before heading back to the print shop?”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Picking up my jacket, pulling it on as I made my way around the table.

“Hmm?” Shaking my head. “No, I’ve nothing else to do. This was an added bonus as I had no plans to be here until next week.”

Embry had been the one to bring me along with him. “You? Anything you need to do before we head. Ack to the store?”

Moving the small device back to the inside pocket of my jacket. I made my way to the bar and cleared our tab before nodding my goodbyes to the staff and #Jackson.

‘Always a pleasure, Miss Clearwater.’ “So, I’m told by all the fools.” I smirked leaving through the main doors.

•- Embry Call -•

“No… I think we have covered everything… Other than the pizza on the ride home.” I grinned because that was not to be forgotten. I patted my pockets when Leah was saying her goodbyes to Jackson. But then I saw her shift the beeper back into her pocket from her jeans after she stood up… I felt the sense of relief again that made my heart rate stutter a little and draw a deeper breath than normal. It was a freeing… almost weightless feeling. Not to be free of the burden of it…

Mom wasn’t a burden… but to feel 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 kind of support… it tugged on chords that were buried deep.

“Thank you very much, Mr Hayes.” I smiled as we headed out.

‘You are very welcome. I hope we’ll see you again soon.’ He smiled. ‘Don’t  let that one walk all over you.’ He winked at me.

“Why not?” I winked back. “That’s the fun part.” He chuckled, shaking his head.

‘Looks like she’s finally met her match.’ He said, but we were almost at the door so I assumed he was  talking to himself. I could hear the smile in his voice without looking back.

“You wanna drive again?” I asked her as we stepped out in the salty and smoky air. The combination was strange and highly appealing.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Rolling my eyes at the conversation taking place behind my back. My ears homed in in the change of his heart and then I found myself listening to everything about him. His laughter, his breathing, his heart of course and the way his feet hit the ground. Trying to find a reason for what had occurred. But when I couldn’t find one I turned to look back at him over my should as we walked across the parking lot towards his jeep.

“Sure, I could drive.” I was never one to push for answers or question anyone. But I wanted to know. “Are you okay? You.. hmm.. your heart… it…” he must have heard and felt it himself?

•- Embry Call -•

I tossed her the keys again and smiled, stuffing my hands back into my jacket pockets; drawing her attention. She never missed a trick. The slightest change and she was tuned in. “I’m fine, Trouble.” I chuckled, breathing easy. And while  the line was normally a cop out everything on my posture and expression conveyed its truth.

“I was just…” How could I say this in a way that wouldn’t sound like I was thanking her? Because I knew it wasn’t something, she would want thanks for… if anything it was something she would see as her responsibility. It wasn’t of course, but this was Leah. I had learned enough about her to know how she saw these things

She was Beta, I was in her pack and I was struggling with  something… something that was beyond anyone else’s control… something she couldn’t fix, or help me fix. So, all that could be done was to ease the situation, so… she was now carrying my mother’s lifeline in her pocket… just so I could take  a few deep breaths.

“Taking a moment to appreciate your help today…” My smile grew. “I needed it more than I knew…” I stopped myself from adding Thank You… it was an instinct. Acknowledging or accepting help hadn’t ever been something I struggled with… unless it involved money. “Honestly… The best day off I have had in a while if I’m honest. I’m really glad you’re here.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Catching the keys in the air with on hand, twisting the ring into my fingers as I read the moment. That I hadn’t expected from him, here and now at all. So, I tilted my head to the side and looked at him. 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 looked. Passed that smile, the chuckles, the laughter, and the grins. Again, surprised at seeing… it was the truth. He was telling me the truth.

He knew what I thought of lying, but he also knew I was the queen of misinformation and misdirection. Some of the pack picking up pointers and trying to use my own superpowers  on me at times. But this, here. It wasn’t that. They didn’t thank me, who he’s saved me from punching him in the face, but at the same time, I knew what he was trying to say. The weight of what he was feeling hadn’t been missed by me. It was why I had asked to help carry it on my shoulders today, so he could… well.. not have a day off. There were no days off with your family. But just… I didn’t know… I didn’t have his skill with words.

“Keeping this up and people will think I’ve gone soft. Now what will that do  for my reputation Embry Call?”

With the hat said, we were in his Jeep, and pulling out of the parking lot, with me glancing at him from time to time.  Changing the subject on him. “Do you think I can made that guy cry this time?” As I turned off the Main Street back towards the print store.

•- Embry Call -•

I laughed. “No one would ever accuse you of going soft.” I climbed into the Jeep, pulled the seatbelt across my body and murmured. “To your face.” Just low enough for her to hear, then I watched her closely; anticipating a slap or punch in  the arm. I flashed her a cheeky smile.

“How about we make it a goal to 𝕟𝕠𝕥 make anyone cry today?” I chuckled. “I know that it’s a wild concept. But let’s try something new… That’s been working well for us lately.”

I knew that a lot of people looked at both of us as the type to spend our days doing exactly what she’d teased… at least people outside of those we cared about. It was an image I had carefully crafted and one that was thrust upon her. But, of course, it wasn’t true. I couldn’t speak to why she let the image stand… she had her own motivations just like I had mine. “And don’t worry about your reputation… I won’t tell a soul… whether there are tears or not.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Reaching out I smacked him upside his head. “I heard that, and you know I did.” The roads were a little busier now, however nothing to cause us any trouble on route back to the printing store.

“Why are you always trying to show me new ways?” Thinking about it. “Use your words, Leah.” I spoke.

“Don’t make anyone cry.” I said without taking my eyes off the road. “Next you will tell me not to keep the pups in line.”

Looking at him from the side of my vision as I drove. His trust in handing me the keys didn’t surprise me. But still I had to think about how he made anything work for him. The day was unplanned, and he made it work. Whereas me? I would need a plan to see it through to the end.

Parking up across the street from the printing store. “So, no tears. Just a big smile?” Giving him a dead pan look, to say ‘yeah right.’

•- Embry Call -•

“Ow!!” I exaggerated, rubbing the back of my head, and running my fingers through my hair. “Don’t mess with the hair. All I can do is show you the paths I know… after that, you can choose to walk one or… do what you normally do and forge  your very own.” I smiled, every piece of information that she took in informed her future actions but never changed her way of doing things.

I laughed and looked at her. “Oh well, I never said that! You could make him pee his pants? That  would be entertaining for everyone.” I chuckled… “Maybe not for him.”

I climbed out of the Jeep. “I’m sure they’ve gotten everything fixed, then we just head to the car wash and the rest of the day is wide open.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Drama Queen.” Rolling my eyes for about the millionth time, before climbing out. This time I put the keys in my pocket. I wasn’t going to give them back to him. Not yet any way. Which was evolved for me. Normally I would never keep something that belonged to another like this.

“I can be nice. Sometimes. Maybe. Fine. Who am I kidding.”

My head I could imagine seeing #TheGreatWolf shaking his head, telling me I should know better, and then whipping the back of my head with wind hard. Good times! This time I had parked on the correct side of the street, so walking around to the pavement.

My hands pushed into the pockets of my jacket, my eyes on the store front I made my way in.

•- Embry Call -•

“Drama King!! If you don’t mind.” I smirked. I noticed that she’d held onto the keys this time, but I didn’t let on. It hadn’t come to my notice because it bothered me… it made more sense for her to hang onto them. It meant I didn’t need to  keep offering them to her, knowing she was more comfortable driving when she needed to be in a car. It just wasn’t her usual behaviour… it was a good thing, she had accepted the fact that she was as welcome to the Jeep as any of the pack was. It was a bigger step than I think even she knew.

I pulled open the door before I realised what I had done, distracted by my inner monologue. She might well kill me for a perceived act of chivalry… “Age before beauty?” I grinned, saving myself with sarcasm… That was likely worth a punch in the arm; as opposed to the kick in the balls opening a door for her might get me. Plus… she was older than me… barely. But still.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“King? Aren’t we a little precious about our title today.” It was sarcasm, of course. Calling him a queen was more fun, because let’s face it. I knew I would get a reaction from it. I froze at the door with my hands dropped out of my pockets ready to push the door open. But this? He thought it was a good idea to act like I was some damsel in distress.

‘You know, some would say it’s out of respect, out of care, out of friendship even. He knows you don’t need a man to hold your door open. But is it so terrible to have a friend, do it?’ She was awake and watching again. And I disliked her having a point, one I wasn’t going to acknowledge now.

And then came the comment. Making her cringe. ‘I take it back.’ She muttered. ‘Maybe I’m wrong about this one.’ She huffed and I smirked internally. Walking past him, I smacked him upside the head. Hard enough that the sound rang in the store and the boy from before, jumped out of his skin.  ‘Welcome back Miss Clearwater. Your order is ready for you to sign off.’

•- Embry Call -•

“Don’t get your knickers in a twist…” I teased. “We all know the Queen is really the one in charge.” I watched the look in her eyes change at my joke and laughed… until. “Ow!!” It didn’t hurt, of course, I fixed my hair again. Sticking my  foot out to catch her ankle. Just a little.. to make her stumble but not fall.

The look on the printer's face said. 𝒜𝓌𝑒𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒! 𝒫𝒾𝓈𝓈 𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝑜𝒻𝒻 𝒷𝑒𝒻𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝐼 𝓉𝒶𝓁𝓀 𝓉𝑜 𝒽𝑒𝓇. 𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀𝓈 𝒹𝓊𝒹𝑒! After the stunned look from her slap had worn off at least.

I was about to ask to see it before we signed off on anything, but he had addressed Leah and not me. I didn’t want to speak for her. So, I waited to follow her lead.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

One foot caught as the other found the ground making my balance off just enough to be caught and I growled snapping my teeth at him.

“Akanesdi!” (Arsehole!) The word out before I could stop myself.

“Nihi wili aguyvdi nasginai!” ( You will pay for that!) I knew he didn’t understand, and I wanted him to know that I would come for him. “When you won’t see it coming.”

The guy behind the counter took a few steps back as I stepped up to him. ‘I have everything here laid out. I knew you would want to see it all again.’ His shaking hand held out a flyer, and the banner had been rolled out for me to look over.

Taking me time, going half way down into the box of flyers I took a few out to see what was on them. He has fixed, printed, and stacked them all the way they should have been done in the first place.

•- Embry Call -•

I knew that first one very well and I flashed her a grin that let her know that I did. But what she said after it was beyond my highly limited knowledge of the language. Then she made it clear in English… I was going to pay... but I still  thought I was better off than if she’d thought I’d opened the door to be chivalrous.

I dragged my hand through my hair tousling it a little and very subtly licked my bottom lip.. just to make her forget she was plotting revenge for a second. I open the picture #Sue sent me again and set my phone on the counter next to the flyers since that was where the problem was the last time. I instinctively started looking for the issues Leah had pointed out, but then checked the rest too in case they foolishly changed something that had previously been right.

I looked up at Leah. “What do you think? Will the Boss be happy?” I smiled at her, clearly meaning her Mom.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Of course. Of course, he would understand the foul language, but the good stuff? Nope. What was it with guys and their ability to pick up of the crap before the good? “May I?”

Taking his phone, I gave it a good look and then over the work we had the young guy redo, then I stepped back content with the outcomes. Setting Calls phone back down, noticing how he was doing the same as me, however with a finer tooth comb. Which I wasn’t sure could be done.

“Hmm… I think she will be.”

Turning the invoice around to see that Ma had paid for the job in advance.

I sighed and shook my head. “I need to talk to her about the hat again.” It wasn’t the first time we had talk on paying a deposit v the full amount.

“Go ahead and pack it all up. We want to take it all with us now.” I told the guy, turning to lean on the side of the counter.

•- Embry Call -•

I nodded to her when she asked if she could take my phone… like my jeep, I wasn’t massively private about my phone. Which was why I had to delete so many of the messages Leah and I shared. I knew that the guys would go into my messages but  still, it was a risk, and becoming private about it now would be a giveaway that something was happening.

I chuckled to myself at Leah’s comment about her mom paying up front. I knew she was right… but she used this place a lot by the sounds of it, so I figured she trusted them. Maybe the mix-up today wasn’t a regular occurrence? At least… I hoped not.

The guy behind the counter started boxing everything up. When I thought he wasn’t listing I looked at Leah and waggled  my brows. “You are looking forward to the guys on the Rez getting all soapy for the car wash?”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

My attention reminded on the work that was taking place before my eyes. There wasn’t going to be any letting up until what Ma needed was safely in Embry’s Jeep. Until that is he had to speak. Giving him a sideways glance with a roll of my eyes and then they return to the guy working.

“If you think I’m going to be there, you got another thing coming. I told the Kid, he and Mac help outside. I remain indoors.

I think I see more than enough on a daily basis of them all shirtless.” Saying that, they also saw me running around the woods in my shots and sports bras. But that wasn’t the point. I got my arse dressed they just didn’t bother.

‘All done Miss Clearwater. Everything you need is in the boxes. I’ve added some stickers too. To support the event.’

My face remained dead pan.

‘Let me help carry it to the car for you.’ He was shifting on his feed, looking uncomfortable now.

“1. Thank you for redoing these and fixing the mistakes.

B. It is kind of you to create the stickers, I’m sure they will be used.

And

3. It is fine. I… We… can manage from here.” He looked shocked at me. Nodding he gave me a tentative smile. Asking us to come back if we needed anything more.

•- Embry Call -•

I rolled my eyes. “Please! You know you’ll be out that making sure every car that leaves is pristine, so the Rez keeps its good reputation!”

I tried not to laugh at the guy when he offered to carry the stuff to the car… I knew it was purely to look good to Leah. I stacked to boxes, tucked the rolled-up banner under my arm and lifted the boxes the Leah hadn’t.

“Don’t worry.” I winked at the guy. “I brought muscle along to help with the job.” I nodded to Leah carrying  more than what this clearly thought she was capable of.

I shouldered the door and made my way outside holding it open with my foot. “Don’t kill me… neither of us have spare hands right now so it just makes sense!”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“I have cameras in the parking lot. I don’t need to be stood there to know the job is being done.”

Was I that transparent? How was this man seeing past all the walls I built up over the years?

‘Because they are coming down around him.’ My wolf whispered to unasked question. “Shut up.” Rolling my eyes at his killing comment. While walking towards his jeep, I shook my head.

“As if I would kill you in front of witnesses. It’s like you don’t even know the basics rules of getting away with murder.” The balancing act came when the door needed to  be opened. Placing everything on one arm, manoeuvring the things I managed to open it and set the boxes inside.

•- Embry Call -•

I rolled my eyes… “Sure, sure! I forgot that sitting on the side-lines was totally your style.” I chuckled, the sarcasm was laid on thick. “It's actually one of your sexiest qualities.”

I watched her with the doors and the boxes, the way  she shuffled them around to get them open. “I take it back… that right there is your sexiest quality. The side-line thing just got bumped to second place.” I slid my boxes in after hers and set the rolled-up banner on top of them.

“All we gotta do now is hot the car wash and I will have done Sue proud.” I grinned like I had done it all myself. I headed around the Jeep to hop into the passenger seat.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Stunned into frozen silence while my brown eyes followed him around to the passenger side of the jeep.

“Did you just….” No it wasn’t possible, or was it? This was Embry Call, of course he did.

“I have no idea how to even reply to that.” Moving around to the driver side I climbed  in. “I’m not even sure if this should result in you being punched into next month or not.”

Sexy? These were the things he found sexy in a woman, and yes, of course his sarcasm was dripping so heavily that I was sure people would be coming with shovels to mop his  crap up.

“You’re going to end up in ocean. Just because I can push you in and stay standing to tell the story.”

•- Embry Call -•

I laughed. “Shock and confusion. I tend to have that effect on women. Along with a few other things.” I winked at her because she was aware of what some of those other things were.

I smiled at her and buckled my seatbelt. “If I remember right… the last time that happened we both ended up in the ocean and a good time was had by all.” I grinned, remembering the rush, the roaring laughter of the pups and the climb back up the side of the cliff.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“It’s not something you should be proud of; the confusion is enough to make me smack you upside your head.”

The other things… I wasn’t thinking of them outside of the bubble. Turning the key in the ignition, with a mother of all rolls of my eyes. “The only reason you lived to tell the story is because of the pups.”

It flashed before my eyes. That moment I pulled my top off and saw the look in his eyes. And then we both went flying.

•- Embry Call -•

I smirked at her expression… she was so much better at controlling her thoughts outside the bubble. But as long as I wasn’t the one to pop it; I considered it a win.

“I’ve never had any complaints…” I grinned and laughed at her comment  about the pups.

“The pups are the only reason I had the balls to chance it in the first place, Clearwater.” I chuckled. “I might be a little reckless… but I definitely don’t have a death wish! And without the witnesses?” I smirked. “My outlook could have been in question…”

I double-checked my messages from #Sue even though I knew we only had one thing left to do today. “So just the car wash left and then we’re all set.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Giving him a death look (that somehow didn't have the same amount of 𝔻𝔼𝔸𝕋ℍ in it as it used to. Something of course I’d need to fix in due time. )

"The car wash for the supplies? Has Ma given you a list of that she is expecting from this place?" We hit the road, after I glanced back once to make sure everything, we'd just picked up was safely in place in the back.

The drive really didn't take long, I didn't know if it was because I was driving, or if it had something to do with the distraction Embry had become. Seeing him so at ease in his jeep made me think. I had to figure this thing out. Just not today.

Before I knew it, we were pulling up outside of the car wash who had offered up for free supplies for the event being run on the Rez.

"Is there a name of the person we need to speak with here?"

•- Embry Call -•

I tried to act like the glare didn’t affect me… but my Adam’s apple bobbed as I tried to hide a nervous swallow.

I dove into the subject change. “She said the promised buckets, sponges and cloths… shampoo and wax and things like that, but she didn’t have a list or anything. She said anything they were willing to donate would be a big help. So, she told me to use my charm and see what I could convince them to part with.” I smiled at her. This was the real reason she’d sent me; it wasn’t just women the was good at charming.

I unbuckled my seatbelt when she parked. “The guy we're looking for is called Danny.” I caught her gaze across the car. “Let’s take our time here… we aren’t in a rush, right?” I smirked at  her, because I had a plan.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“And now it all falls into place. Of course, Ma would call Embry Call for the charm.”

My voice neutral as I said it. It didn’t matter to me why Ma called him and not me to help today. But it was the not know that bugged me. And now I had my answer.

“She wanted her ace in  the hole for this job.”

And she wasn’t going to get that with me. Well, she could. But it would make me want to shower for a week and scrub my skin raw to get the bad taste of being nice for something off me.

Rolling my tongue over my teeth, I sat back to look at him.

“You have the run of this one. I am here to watch and learn.” Okay. Maybe not the learning part. “You want us to take our time at a car wash? Are you planning on getting the jeep cleaned?”

There was that look in his eyes. The one that told me, something was coming together in his mind.

•- Embry Call -•

“Your Mom always picks the right guy for the job. You know that.” I chuckled. I nodded as she mentioned taking our time, the contemplation on her face was exactly what I was going for. Then tilted my head… intrigued at the idea of having the jeep washed. “That might actually be a great plan!” I grinned and looked around, getting the lay of the land.

I spotted three guys starting work on a large crew cab pickup truck. I nodded to Leah to follow me and approach the lads washing the truck, instead of walking into the reception as people would expect.

“Hey, guys.” I said over the sounds of power washers. “I was asked by the tribal council up in La Push to pick up a donation… I was told to ask for Danny?” I stuffed my hands into my pockets.

‘Oh! Yeah, yeah, yeah… #Dani’s up in the office, we set out a bunch of good stuff this morning.’ One guy stepped away from the truck and pointed back up the lot. ‘Right up there… you can’t miss it, brother.’

I knew instantly that this guy’s father’s, sister-in-law’s cousin’s uncle was Native American… so naturally he was too. I expertly held back my cringe. It wasn’t my place to question his family tree and frankly… I didn’t much care.

I headed up to the small building with ‘Reception’, on the door that the guys had called an office. When I stepped inside there was only one person in there and it was not a guy called Danny at all… It was a girl with Dani scrawled prettily on a name label stuck to the front of a fleece sweater. A sweater she started nervously tugging at when she spotted me and then Leah.

‘Welcome! May I help you?’ She said, coming up to the counter between us.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Hmm…” Is all the reply he would get on the comment about my Ma, because we both knew it to be true. She knows how to make people shine, showing them the best parts of themselves. When it came to the Pack, it felt like she knew these boys better than they understood themselves at their low points.

Keeping my distance to give Embry the space he needed to speak to the men, my dark eyes moved around. The gravel to the sides, where the water rolled down showed the uneven surface. The tarmacked lot, where cars and trucks were serviced, gave a good eyeline down the streets and out to the back of the space too. The small building that could do with a little TLC, that looked like the hub of the business had somewhat of a strong structure but wouldn’t take much to bring down. Three windows to the front, the door, from the way the shadows worked, I would have expected another window to the side out of my eyeline.

It was an open area, the building to the left was at a distance, and to the right. Well as it had a “To Let” sign on the window. It could become an issue.

‘There are no scents in the air.’ My wolf on watch with me. She had given up a long time ago from stopping me. These were steps I needed to take, to make me feel ready, to be the protector, and there was no turning it off.

“No Scents.” I agreed before following Embry up past the men working on the truck. Their eyes followed, especially the one who called Embry ‘Brother.’ However, they didn’t act on their thoughts.

‘Not every man.’ my wolf chuckled. What a tag line that had become for our times.

The scent of daisy blossoms, fresh shampoo and chewing gum hit me before I was at the building. As I bent my head a little bit while stepping in behind Embry, coming to a stop with the woman’s eyes on me. It didn’t take me long to look her over, without seeming as I was checking her out. Which made my lips curl up into a smirk.

Dani not Danny

Her hands worked the fabric of her fleece sweater, making me tilt my head to the side. Both my wolf and I thought together; however, she voiced it first.

‘She is two spirited.’ The glint in her eyes at seeing Embry at first sped her heart up, and then when her eyes met mine, she shied away, biting her lips, still working her jumper with a pink glow in on her pale skin.

‘Oh, this will be interesting to see. Where is my popcorn? The girl seems sweet, will his charm work, or… will she run?’ She asked me and I just mentally shrugged. This would be one to watch, so I did. Leaning on the wall, with my hands pushed deep into my jacket pockets. One hand working around the small device in there, the other fisted tightly waiting.

•- Embry Call -•

I knew that Leah was taking in all possible threats… It had to be exhausting to be that hyper-aware all the time. Even with the energy level of a Spirit Warrior. I leaned on the counter and smiled at the unexpected Dani... I was certain that the #Sue had implied was to meet a guy here… But I’m sure she had her reasons. “I have no doubt that you can help us.” I smiled and her eyes darted nervously to me and back to Leah. I straightened up, just in case I was the cause of her nervousness. “We here on behalf of the Quileute Council in La Push. One of our Elders told us, you guys would be able to help us out with our car wash fundraiser?”

She smiled but looked right past me to Leah again, brightening a little. The penny dropped… flirting hadn’t been my plan, but I was nothing if not adaptable. ‘Oh, sure, sure!’ Dani smiled. ‘You must be Ms Sue’s son. Such a sweet lady.’ She reached under the counter and pulled out a set of keys.

I smiled and placed my hand on my chest. “Oh no… But I’m lucky to have had her as my second Mom… But right here.” I turned and held my hand out to Leah. “Is Ms Sue’s only daughter.” Dani came out from behind the counter and squeezed past me to head to the door Leah was leaning next to. The girl's heart sped up a little… hmm… maybe it wasn’t Leah making her fidget.

‘Oh!’ She flushed and tugged on the hem of her sweater and stopped in front of Leah and looked like she might offer her hand but seemed to rethink the action. ‘It's so nice to meet you.’ She cleared her throat. ‘Why don’t you guys come with me and I can show what we’ve gotten laid out for you all?’ She pulled the door open and motioned for Leah to head out in front of her and I gave her a look that said to play nice…

Leah wouldn’t discriminate between men or women… she just didn’t like people doing for her what she could do for her herself.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Chewing the insides of my cheeks to stop from smiling, my head tilted to the side as I took Embry in. What was it with this man, people always mistakenly said he looked like Ma’s son.

‘It’s his kindness. And they don’t know his mom. If they did. There is no way they would have any doubt about who his mom is.’ My wolf makes a good point.

I raised my eyebrow at Call when he gave me that bloody 𝕃𝕠𝕠𝕜 of his. What did he think I would do to this little human? Throw her across the room? This was the moment my wolf showed me what I did to the last persons who opened the door for me.

“Spirits.” I muttered underneath my breath. Telling my wolf, I was evolving. And the look I gave Embry saying…

I Know how to behave Arsehole!

Giving the girl a small nod of my head. “It’s a pleasure.” I didn’t say whose pleasure, so… more growth if you ask me. Taking two long steps I was outside and stepped to the side to let the Dani lead the way.

‘It’s such a good cause, your mom called to tell me all about it. We are so glad to be able to help.’ #Dani was a nervous talker by the looks of it.

“Ma has her way to make sure good is being done all the time. Her and Embry’s mom.” My chin pointed to him. “Ms. Call have been working on this plan for some time now. It’s with support from businesses like yourselves that it is possible.”

My hands remained in the pockets as she looked back to Embry and her cheeks were a deeper red in colour.

Dani walked us to a store room passing the men we had seen before meeting her. ‘Here we go.’ Unlocked the door she pushed it open and turned a light on. ‘Everything we have set out here on the table is yours to take. And if there is anything more, we can do?’

Without missing a best, I asked. “Is there any change we could borrow that portable polish unit? I can see it’s missing a few parts. I’m sure I could have that fixed.”

Her eyes moved around the room to the corner where the small machine sat. ‘Oh. Uhm. I’d have to ask… give me a second, I’ll be right back.’

As soon as she stepped out, I said. “We could charge a little more for a polish finish to the washes, right? And the pups will be able to fix those broken piles?”

•- Embry Call -•

She gave me that death stare of hers only now… it was kinda sexy… before it was a little bit scary. Okay… terrifying.

“Those ladies really work hard for the community. It’s the least we can do to come and help them out.” I greed with Leah when she explained hoe hard our moms worked. I knew that my mom was feeling guilty that she wasn’t helping as much as she used to. But she knew that Sue would never hold it against her… and if the roles were reversed, neither would Mom. They held their friends up, and never let them fall.

My brow raised at Leah… maybe she was better at this negotiating/charm thing than she got credit for. “Thank you, Dani.” I said as she left the room.

“You’re good at this.” I smiled and checked out the unit she’d pointed to. “I think this thing can be saved… if the pups can’t I’m sure Jake or Quil could. If we put Fuller and Littlesea on polishing it would definitely elevate the event… those kids are perfectionists. Do two cars for free and everyone will be lining up for theirs.”

I moved to stand next to Leah and smirked. “You know she was checking you out, right?” I whispered.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“I know I am; how do you think we have top shelf products at #HwH at affordable prices for everyone to enjoy?”

People always seemed to forget that I wasn’t just the muscle at the bar, I had more than one job and I did them all well. “Hmm… Jake and Quil could do it no problems, but if we ask the pups, it will help them see we are going to them first and not just the OGs. Give them a reason to step up and shine. And if you tell them, it’s for MsC and Ma….”

Those kids would do anything for all the moms. They were good kiddos.

I looked around at all the things #Danni had pointed out for us to take. It was a good haul as it was. But if we offered to…. The thought stopped and I rolled my eyes at him. Did he think I was blind. “She was doing the same to you, until she saw me.” Smirking a little. “Who can blame her, have you seen me? I’m a once in a lifetime kind of a woman to taste.”

Smacking him upside his head I walked over to a rolled-up banner. Opening it to find the business name on it.

•- Embry Call -•

I smiled and shook my head. “As long as you keep the Irish stuff in stock I won’t complain.”

I gave her a nod. “I agree, let them work it out first, and if they can’t we teach them. Those boys would bend over backwards for those ladies and then thank them for the honour.” I smiled. “You know one the young pups… really young… lives next, can’t tell mom we know each other than being neighbours… he cuts Mom’s lawn every other week and tells her that his mother gives him  extra dessert for being neighbourly.” I laughed.

I grinned at her when she confirmed the girl was indeed checking me out too… I hadn’t been sure if I was picking up her nervousness from being around Leah. “Well, that explains why she wanted to know if we were related. She’s clearly got great taste.” I winked.

Danni bustled back into the room with a grin. ‘So… I just spoke to my dad, and he said if you think you guys can fix this thing you can absolutely use it for your event… but he does seem to think it's unsalvageable and he’s been running this place for years and years.’

I just smiled at her. “My friends and I have kept the wrangler running since I was seventeen and it's as old as I am, I’d bet my  favourite boots we can get this going with some good old-fashioned tribal engineering.”

Danni flashed me a smile, and then looked to Leah and turned crimson again. “So, this a family business?” I said when her staring became a little much. “Leah here… and her brother… they have a family business of their own too.”

Danni stutter. ‘Oh… wow… really? That’s amazing… My Dad started this place when I was still a baby… I just work here on weekends to pay for college.’

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“As long as you pay for the Irish stuff, it will be there.” That wasn’t totally the truth. I knew that all the pack members over the age of 21 liked to drink and made sure it was kept behind the bar for them. It had been one of the reasons we worked so hard to open #HwH. #TheKid wanted a place under a roof where all the pack could come together, as well as the community too.

I knew about the young pup. He had been the one following my around the clearings offering to help whenever he could, even if it meant being late for school. I’d had to tell him off. Remind him of the packet he had made to his Alpha about attending school and getting good grads. But we all knew he was a good kiddo.

Taking a double take my eyebrow raised like a shot. “Did you just agree with me? Are you unwell? Did you mean to say that out loud? You know the Spirits may just fall over in shock.”

If #Danni hadn’t bustled back into the room with a big grin, I would have kicked Embry on the arse for the fun of it. And then he began speaking to her about #TheKid, the bar and me. What was he doing? Trying to pimp me out to this chick or something?

“Yeah.” I nodded my head. Turning the conversation right back on to the girl. “College? Are you at Seattle?”

She tucked her hair behind her ear nodding shyly before speaking. “I am indeed.” Clapping her hands “Go Redhawks!” she laughed softly now. ‘Do you go there too?’

Pressing my lips together, I shook my head. “I didn’t go to college; it wasn’t the right path for me.” It wasn’t a lie. Did I want to go? Yes, of course I did. I was meant to be the first in the Clearwater’s to go. However, my path had been set on different direction.

“So, listen. I see this banner here with your business name on it. We would like to take this too. We can hang it and let everyone know that you are sponsoring the event.”

#Danni’s eyes moved from me to Embry and then back again. ‘Seriously? That would be awesome. Yes. Please. Yes.’

Pointing over to Embry. “Sure, Embry here likes getting his tool belt out. He will be sure to find a perfect spot for it. Right Embry?” I asked grinning as #Danni gave him her big eyes like they do in the cartoons.

•- Embry Call -•

“We might have different methods with the pups, Leah…” I chuckled. “But we have the same goals. All of the OGs do…” I tilted my head, “Maybe not Paul.” I laughed outright now.

My brows raised at Leah and saw I #Danni’s expression change.

So… even two-spirit girls were turned on by a guy that could fix things. What was that about? “You’re already making me take my shirt off for this event and now you want to add a tool belt? Are you trying to start a riot, Clearwater?” I smirked and #Danni turned beet red.

‘Eh-Excuse me?’ Her eyes darted between us. ‘Wha—um…’

I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing. “You fix a single door and all of a sudden you’re the village handyman.” I acted like this was the answer to the questions she couldn’t get out. “But yes, I would gladly hang the banner at the event, Danni. You’ve been so generous.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Rolling my eyes, he would have fitting a smack upside his head. But #Danni stood dumbfounded her gaze moving from Embry, then back to me. Her eyebrows quivered however the redness in her face just made the girl look cute.

I shook my  head, if that was all the information he planned to give, and let the girl fill in the blanks for herself. Well then, the outcomes were on him. Embry knew I won that bet fair and square. So, he had no choice but to pay up.

‘Thank you…  thank you both.’ #Danni tugged at her sleeve. ‘I know this is for a good cause, so if dad’s business can help of course, we want that. However, he could do with the world of mouth too. Business has been a little slowly for us this year.’

Taking my hands out of my pockets, my eyebrow raised. Taking notes on her comment.

“We will put up the banner, it will help people to see which businesses are happy to be a part of our community.” And I would talk to those I know who  travelled into port. Telling them about this place to drum up some support for them too.

Glancing at Embry in that moment. We should load the jeep up.” My arms wrapped around two boxes (which could have been four, however the need to  look human was a must with witnesses.)

“I’ll start with the cleaners. I have a feeling all the shirtless lot will want to lather up.”  My lips curled up into a grin when I saw #Danni take a step forward to take a box to hide her  reflection. As if her scent hadn’t given her away.

‘I can help you with this.’ She said her eyes forward trying to gather herself. However, I still caught her looking from Embry to me and back again.

Looking back over my shoulder. “You  take your time here, Call. We got this.”

•- Embry Call -•

I did my best not to laugh or smirk and make this shy girl even shier. I smiled at her… but not my flirty one… I wasn’t sure that #Danni could handle that. It was more like the smile I gave the imprint when I was trying to convince them I  was innocent of whatever was going on. “We’re a community that stands by the people who stand by us.”

I chuckled, I wasn’t sure where this idea of getting the guys to strip off for this event came from.. but I was certain it came from a gossiping session with Mom, #Sue and most like #RachelBlack. I laughed at Leah… “Oh, I’m so sorry…” I lifted the broken polisher. “I thought that I was looking at two strong independent women that didn’t need a man to do their heavy lifting.” I laughed; I was so going to pay for that the minute Leah's hands were empty.

‘So cheeky!’ #Danni seemed to come out of her shell, and she packed up all the parts of the polisher that weren't currently attached into a box. “We’ll just have to prove it to you!’ She purposely stepped in front of me and made her way out the door ahead of me, swishing her ponytail… Okay… so this girl had a little spunk in her.

Out at the Jeep, I slid the machine in as far as I could. ‘Wow…’ Danni circled my baby… You weren’t kidding about it being an old Jeep. How does it run?’

“Like a dream!” I smirked… “When she starts.” I teased but most of the time she did start.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“I told you we got this. It’s not my bloody fault you think I’m always being sarcastic.” Kicking him on his arse for the comment.

Once my arms were empty, I turned back to go get some more. Leaving Embry to talk with #Danni. It wasn’t until I returned with three boxes this time that I heard her comment about the keep.

“It runs on fossil fuel.” Saying it under my breath for Embry to hear clearly. Because why would I miss out of teasing him about it? He’d never go easy on me if the table were turned. However, I was impressed a little. The girl seemed to know what she liked and how to appreciate the time and attention it took to keep something as old as the jeep running.

But most of all, I could help but notice the pride in Embry’s persona at being about to share some part of his baby with some who got it too.

TBC in Part Three...

•- Embry Call -•

"Hey, Sunshine." I spoke into the phone, a grin on my face when I saw #SueClearwater's name on the screen. "What can I do for you today?"

'Oh, I am so glad you answered the phone like that.' I could hear the smile in her voice. 'I need to ask for a favour but only if you're free? But feel free to say no if you have plans.'

"For you, beautiful... my day is wide open." I was still walking around the house and getting dressed after my shower.

'You are such a charmer.' She laughed softly. 'Well, I would ask Leah, but Seth finally convinced her to take a day off. But there's a car wash down in Port and they've very kindly donated supplies for our fundraiser. I was hoping that you might go and pick them up for me.'

"Wow... Leah is taking a day off?" I laughed. "I guess there's a first for everything."

Of course, I told #Sue that would be no problem. But as I got dressed an idea occurred to me. I picked up my phone again and contemplated texting her... but I second-guessed myself. That would give her a chance to think before she answered. Instead, I climbed into my Jeep... and drove. I knew she wasn't a fan of cars, but we could hardly bring back what sue needed on bikes.

When I arrived, her bike was still parked outside so I knew there was a good chance she was home. I had been making a habit of showing up unannounced here... and so far, the results had always been unexpected and... Spirits! I hardly had words for the last time.

I knew I could make a quick errand into a great day off, so I had no guilt in convincing her to tag along.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Take the day off sis… he says…. We got the bar and the ordering covered… he says.” Muttering to myself I was for the fifth time walking from the kitchen to the living room with another slice of bacon.

“Maybe hiring Charlie was a bad idea.” I muttered biting into the crispy goodness when she scoffed at me.

‘Oh please, you just don’t like giving up—‘

Her words cut short and both of us were looking to the front of the house. That sound wasn’t one we could mistake, and I found my body moving forward until I came too and stopped myself.

‘Did you know he was coming?’ I shook my head.

‘Okay… but you’re not annoyed that he is pulling up?’ It was like she was on a mission to make sure I didn’t kill him.

“No….” And it was the truth. We listened to his jeep pulling up.

‘So, are you going to open the door.’ But his scent hit my senses grounding me, and with it came a barrage of memories.

“Spirits…” What in their name was going on? Memories like this… I didn’t have those.

‘Well, you do now. Go and open the door.’ She pushed me forward.

The next thing I knew I was at my front door. Holding it open with my head tilted to the side.

“Making a habit of this now, are we?” His red jeep was unmistakable, in its looks, and the sound of it too.

•- Embry Call -•

The scent of her was in the air even before she opened the door. It stirred up that night... one that I could recall more vividly than any other.

"No more than you make it a habit to open the door when I show up?" I smiled at her. 'I heard that you were at a loose end today. Fancy getting out of town?" I asked with a tilt of my head, contemplating whether or not to tell her why.

But for the sake of my curiosity, I decided to see if she would come, without a solid plan in mind. I dangled my keys from my finger and grinned. 'I'll even let you drive if you want to?" No one was really sure why Leah hated four-wheeled vehicles so much but maybe giving her the option to be in control of it would be beneficial.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

My hand tightened around the wood of my door. ‘Don’t do it.’ My wolf warned. ‘He is goading you.’ And I knew if I banged the door on his face, it would be like I had taken ten steps back in my evolution.

Cracking my neck from side to side. “I’ve always opened the door if someone came knocking. I just made it so…. Nobody dared to come knocking unless the world was ending.”

My eyes drifted to his face, there was a glint in his eyes. “How…” I stopped. It was La Push, information spread like wildfire.

Raising my eyebrow. “Get out of town? With you? In that?” My chin lifting towards his jeep. “Was there a memo I missed?” Pointing over to my baby. “Why wouldn’t I just go on him?”

‘Leah Clearwater!’ She was rolling her eyes at me. ‘Can’t you tell when a guy wants to have you to himself?’

She made me frown. Nah… it was Call… He wouldn’t… would he?

‘Shall we replay the kiss?’ I pushed her back.

“Go where exactly?” I crossed my arms over my chest.

•- Embry Call -•

I grinned, that signature neck crack was telling me I was getting to her. I grinned and turned back to look at that beautiful machine of hers.

"Because even though he is worthy of cult-like worship... He makes it very difficult to have a conversation on the road." Of course, this was true, but it would also be very hard to bring back the supplies the #Sue wanted me to pick up.

"Just as far as Port Angeles... if the world decides to stop turning because you took a day off... we can straight back." I tilted my head and leaned on the door frame, giving her that smile... not my usual cocky smile. This was different, this was new.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

My eyebrows pulled together, I knew the guys all adored my baby. They knew if they touched him, they would die. Okay maybe just broken bones. But it counted.

‘Shall we replay Seattle and Embry riding you too the Four Seasons?’ The moment she let that memory out, she locked it up hard. ‘You know what. Just take my word for it.’

“Port?” Curiosity wasn’t really my thing. I didn’t need to know what people did with their lives, and yet some part of me was intrigued.

“Who says I want to talk with you?” I was mostly a silent rider. Listening to music, not other people’s voices was my thing.

My heart did something it never had before Embry Call. It stopped as I took in that smile of his. It wasn’t cocky, it wasn’t the one he gave before. This… this reached his eyes, and I could see the depths of the earthy brown in there.

•- Embry Call -•

She was having one of those silent conversations that made me want to get inside her head. But I knew that wasn't going the change anytime soon... she was a private person. Leah was one of a kind... and changing that would be changing to much of who she was.

I liked her exactly the way she was.

I chuckled and bit my lips, hearing the change in her heartbeat. "Oh, I would imply that you wanted to talk to me." I teased her. "But... You know me. I'm a talker..."

I quirked a brow. "I'll even throw in control of the tunes for the road... Just to sweeten the pot."

•- Leah Clearwater -•

My eyes catch the bite to his lips.

“Did you say I could drive?” Raising my eyebrow, I reached over to grab my jacket off the back of the door. “And you... you are willing to give up your radio too?“

That for him had to be a hard pass. I couldn’t see him letting me play whatever I wanted, but then again, we’d already seen the fact that we somehow shared in the music we liked.

Pushing my feet into my boots, I turned my attention back to him. My heart stopped for a beat when I glance past him to the jeep.

“You can drive, and you can keep the control of your music. I don’t need to be bribed.”

He had to know, that if I didn’t want to go. Then I just wouldn’t. Grabbing my keys and pushing them into my pocket, I shrugged my jacket on pulling my hair free from the back.

“Well? Are we going?” I stepped around him leaning on my door frame.

“You aren’t getting any younger standing there.” Pulling the door closed.

•- Embry Call -•

I grinned at her. Letting people drive my jeep wasn't a problem for me, I frequently came home after using my bike for the day and my Jeep would be gone. One of the pups or #Quil having helped themselves to the key inside the unlocked house. They really did the same with my bike... she had a tendency to break down when anyone but me rode her.

But the radio? Giving up control of my radio, that was only for very special occasions. Unless it was Mom in the jeep with me.

Even though I had been hopeful; seeing her reach for her jacket brought that new smile to my lips again. "I would never attempt to bribe you, Clearwater." I gasped with mock offence. "Just... Incentivise." Maybe a hint smug at how I'd managed to spin that. But I wasn't foolish to believe that I could have swayed her if she wants to come along.

It was just my way of telling her I wanted her to spend the day with me... somewhere we didn't need to worry about prying eyes, without making her bolt for the treeline.

I tilted my head as I watched her free her hair. Trying not to stare at the way feel over her shoulder and down her back. I had to shake myself when she spoke...

"So, you do like 'em younger then..." I teased and headed to the jeep.

"Good to know!" I grinned cheekily now as I stepped up into the driver's side of the jeep.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

As I walked to the passenger side of the jeep, I chewed in the inside of my cheeks. Everything was in lockdown, but she saw past it all.

‘You are fine, it’s just a jeep ride to Port.’ Once she was sure I wouldn’t change my mind. My wolf lay herself down and closed her eyes. ‘I’m keeping one open just in case.’ She mused as I opened the door.

Rolling my eyes at her, with one graceful move I was in the seat and closing the door. “I don’t like them anyway Wisearse. Just saying you may worry about the hair loss or the Wrinkles appearing on your forehead.” Betting with myself to see if he looked in the mirror.

Tutting at him as I shifted in the seat. “Wait until I tell Ms C you didn’t even open the door to this heap of rust, for me.”

Crossing my arms over my chest, I had to smirk. Because if he had tried to do that, I would have ripped him a few new holes in his body.

•- Embry Call -•

I shook my head and laughed. "C'mon now..." I grinned. "We all know I'm gonna age gracefully! It's the Call genes... my Granddad was a good-looking right up to the end."

I buckled my sheet and connected my phone to the sound system... the only new thing in this jeep. "I would get lecture by Mom than thumped by you for treating you like a delicate flower when we both know you are the furthest thing from one." I gave her a smile. "But now that I know chivalry is your thing, I will keep in mind right next to the tidbit about liking younger men."

I hit shuffle and grinned at the second Andy started to sing. The shuffle gods never disappointed me.

(Music: Fresh Eyes · Andy Grammar )

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Of all the people I know… you Embry Call are the very last person to be graceful in your old age.”

My eyes were following his hands as he settles abs my lips quirked. He had actually installed it? Seth has wanted to get Call a new system for this jeep for a while, so it has become the Clearwater Christmas gift for him.

I raised my eyebrow looking across to him.

“You really expected anything less of your mom or me. What’s the point of being the Beta… if I can’t keep you guessing.”

As soon as the song started, I shook my head. “Always stealing from my playlist Call.”

•- Embry Call -•

She was probably right... For all I knew I would for back to that lanky, skinny guy I was before I could have. Just the thoughts of working out like I did now as a human? Nope! There's a hope I could keep with all the junk food I ate.

“Good thing I don't plan on ageing any time soon then.” I grinned and pulled out into the street. I saw her eyeing the stereo system the Clearwater’s had given me for Christmas. “Everything else on the baby is original.” I chuckled.

“But who could turn down high-quality audio. And it's not stealing if it was in mine first.” This track was most certainly stolen. I smirked as we passed through the village at an easy pace. It was that time of the morning... The fishing boats had already left but every else was only stirring, so the streets were more or less empty.

“I might need to see this playlist of yours. Otherwise, how can you prove I stole it?”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Chivalry… the word made a home in my mind because it wasn’t my thing at all. I listened to the song until he cut into both.

“Hmm.” It hadn’t been something I ever really thought about. Being a Spirit Warrior wasn’t about immortality, it was far from it. But… me… I never saw myself as growing old.

I half smiled at his comment. “That maybe some of the issue with this thing.” Pointing at the roof.

“That thing may come down on us without any warning.” And we would be fine, or at least we would be in a day or two. I shook my head pushing the thought out.

“I wasn’t born yesterday Call, if I hand my playlist over… you will just steal even more from it.”

•- Embry Call -•

"Hey! there is nothing wrong with my jeep. She's rock solid." I grinned and silently begged my baby not to splutter and die on me the moment the words left my mouth.

"I prefer to call to call it involuntary sharing." I laughed. "Besides, music is meant to be shared. not hoarded. Even if my mom insists that digital sharing will be the downfall of the entire industry." The song changed as we passed out of the village, and I smirked.

( Music: Picture This - More Than Just Tonight )

"There's no chance you can accuse me of stealing this one." my fingers tapped out the rhythm of the song on the steering wheel. But instead of tapping the percussive beats like most people would my fingers mimicked the keyboard notes.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

I rolled the window down, closing my eyes as the wind hit my face and blew my hair all over.

“If you say so, but… we know the truth.” I knew I shouldn’t tease him about his Jeep, because if he did the same to my baby. He would have broken bones.

I combed my fingers through my hair, turning my attention back to him with a raised eyebrow.

“Your mom still things live, and vinyl are the only way to listen to music, right? Not that I blame her. There is magic…” I bit the inside of my cheeks; I wasn’t one to share this way. “It’s... hmm... good.” We passed the lines of our land, and there was a hum in the air. It was charged as it kissed my skin.

“And this.” Pointing to his radio. “More Than Just Tonight by Picture This… you stole it.”

Rubbing my hands on my thighs to stop myself from reaching out to see what else he had on the listen. But then my glance fell in the wheel and the way his fingers tapped it. Like he was playing the piano.

•- Embry Call -•

I just laughed at her reply about the jeep. I patted the wheel affectionately. “Don't listen to her, I know you’ll never let me down.”

I could see the slight change in her when she was talking about music. She was still guarded, but the was okay... I was getting at seeing past that.

Was that what had happened? Was the night of live music that had opened us up to this new pathway? Did stepping out of comfort zone and singing in public break down a wall of my own that I never really knew was there?

“Yeah... She’s still old school.” I laughed and shook my head at the accusation of me stealing another of her songs. “No way! If anything, you stole this one!” I laughed, a grin spreading across my features.

“Feel free to look browse.... And steal anything you like.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Pressing my lips together to stop the smirk threatening to show itself on my lips, I turned my eyes to the road ahead.

“I mean… if you both need a minute or ten, you could pull over and I’ll step out.”

Like I could talk. Speaking to my baby was a daily occurrence in my life, I just didn’t do it in front of witnesses.

“There is nothing wrong being old school. Not when Ms. C plays so well. I wouldn’t stream if I had her talents.” The Calls had music in their blood. They lived and breathed it.

Pulling my eyebrow’s together.

“Please. Why would I need to steal from you? Are you saying I don’t have decent taste without your help?”

Reaching out I took his unlocked phone.

“That’s just dangerous.”

I would never leave my phone unlocked near anyone from the pack.

•- Embry Call -•

"Like you don't talk to your baby." I chuckled and rolled my eyes playfully as we made our way at a moderate pace along the long road between La Push and Forks. A speed that I knew was probably maddeningly slowly to Leah.

"I'm sure your taste is perfectly fine." I grinned. "But I'm certain a deep dive into my library would just... broaden your tastes." A smugness crept into my expression.

"Dangerous? Really?" I tilted my head and glanced at her for a moment. "Do you think you'll find something in there that I wouldn't want you to?" The whole pack knew my passcode... partly because I didn't really use my hone for anything but texts, calls and music and partly because I had to leave with them when I patrolled in case my mom needed me.

But all of that was a moot point... She wouldn't snoop through anyone phones, she valued privacy too much and not just her own.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Raising my eyebrow, but I didn’t look up from his playlists, scrolling the first of them. “Jealous of my baby now? I mean he does get to ride me daily.” Smirking and then I looked up and out the front window.

“We can still do that, right? The whole sexual innuendo and joking thing? Because it is still too good to pass up when you walk right into them.”

It was one of the things that just came naturally with him. The banter, the jokes, the teasing.

Turning my attention back to the playlist as I spoke. “For me to see in your phone?” I shook my head. “I’m just thinking it’s a lot of trust that I wouldn’t send Walker a message from you, telling him how much you are infatuated with him. I’m sure that’ll made his day.”

I hit play on Imagine Dragons’s Believer.

“Stolen.” I muttered.

(Music: Believer · Imagine Dragons )

•- Embry Call -•

I almost choked on a laugh... Leah on the beautiful bike was a sight to behold. But picturing it now stirred all sorts of new sensations, my stomach did that swirly thing and my heart definitely sold me out.

“No point changing the habit of a lifetime.” I beamed a smile at her. “Right?” I mean of course, things were different now, especially when we were alone, but we were the same people that grew up side-by-side too

I shook my head, laughing again. “He would just ask how much it would keep me for a whole weekend.” I knew she was far from fond of Joe... But it was hard to think of him solely as a bad guy. Even though my conversation with Leah about my past shone a light on a few home truths, he had still made it easy for me to quit and gave my time off when I needed it for Mom.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Point to me.” I muttered a little slowly. The sound of his laugh lost in itself, the pulse of his blood and that tell-tale beat of his heart. They all gave me the answer.

“Okay… you know the truth is that I’m the one riding my baby. I mean… if we want to get all technically correct.” There, that should prove I had no plans to change the person I was when it came to roasting him.

I combed my fingers through my hair, the winds blowing in was somewhat freeing. Even if I missed the speed and the freedom of being on my bike and in control.

Setting his phone back down, I just looked at him. “How much for the weekend?” I wasn’t one to judge, but I drew the line at #Walker.

I had to unfits my hands rubbing them on my lap. Fighting the sound of his voice being pulled from my memories.

‘Not now… leave that one for another day.’ She whispered from her slumber. And I knew she was right.

“Hmm… I didn’t know your services were for sale?” Trying to bring the teasing back into my tone. “He best tip you generously for a whole weekend.”

•- Embry Call -•

I wanted to roll my eyes at her 𝕡𝕠𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕤 comment... But she was right. My own heart had sold me out. “Either way he still gets to be between your legs.” I chuckled, showing the wasn't going to become shy and careful with my words either.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw her hands ease out of fists on her lap. But let it go... She would voice her thoughts in her own time. “Please!” I scoffed. “Even Walker couldn't afford me!” I teased.

I hummed along to the tune on of what was easily my favourite song... And that meant something coming from me. “And by the way... There's no chance you can call this stolen. I've been obsessed with this track since it was released.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“What can I say? Once they have my legs around them. They can’t settle for anything less.”

I didn’t think or blink as the words formed into sound. This was something I liked. We both didn’t change into something unrecognisable overnight.

A kiss, the path, the conversations they made it okay to be us, and try this thing between us in our own way.

“You’d make him pay? Do I need to remind you of the free shows you hand out at the #HwH?” The last one had him with #Paul dancing on top of my bar.

My thoughts stopped, I found myself listening to him fully now. The sound of his heart beat in the background and his humming in the forefront.

“Hmm?” Crossing my arms over my chest. “Oh, right… and you were the only one to hear the track, were you?”

•- Embry Call -•

"Why do I have a feeling that that is the truest thing you've ever said to me?" I had t push down the images that were brought to mind before anything other than my heart started to betray me.

"Hey... I was just trying to drum up some business for you and the kid." I chuckled, that had been a pretty good night. other than the visual of #Pual trying to unbutton my shirt.

I laughed again. "And she says she isn't stubborn?" I posed the rhetorical question to myself more than her. "We'll have to split it fifty-fifty. that my best offer."

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Shifting in the seat to face him as I answered this question. “I have no idea; I’ve never lied to you intentionally.” I hadn’t lied to anyone.

I may not have given the full information, but that wasn’t lying. ( Even if Ma didn’t always see it my way. )

Rolling my eyes now.

“You and Paul were close to causing the townies some heart palpitations.” And sale had gone up for the following weeks too. “People started asking if it was a returning show.”

I was drawn to his laughter again, but not enough to be distracted.

“Eighty - twenty and that’s a generous offer.” I was in no way giving up a hold on music.

•- Embry Call -•

I chuckled. “I know...” I grinned. “But all the same I think that one particular... Experience would be life-affirming.” Again, I had the push back a swell of images that swelled up in my mind.

I could get used to these little thrills when I was alone with her but not quite alone enough to act on them. “Im shocked none of your customers fainted at the sight.” I boasted.

I turned to look at her for just a moment, a mocking outrage on my features. “No chance! Sixty-Forty?”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Small things give you joy Embry Call.” And it was how it was meant to be. The small things in life others forget should be the things we take the most joy in.

Biting the inside my cheeks, I combed my finger through my hair to push it out of my face. “Don’t get up yourself, those townies would faint at anything with two legs and a six pack.”

But now I rolled my eyes at him. “In your bloody dreams. The offer now stands at Ten - Ninety. Now what are you going to do?”

Shifting in the seat again, I turned to look out. It wasn’t often I was a passenger; I never really had the time to take in a drive like this.

•- Embry Call -•

I smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I guess so. You don’t need much to be happy. Family, friends… a purpose, something to be passionate about.” I grinned and glanced back at her. “Or two.”

I bit my lips and turned my gaze back to the road as the homes and businesses of the small town of Forks started to fly past the windows. “You can’t go backwards!!” I laughed incredulously.

“Now I’m going to remind you of that moment when you stormed across the street and kissed me, how hard your heart was beating. The way you held your breath for a second just before you pulled away. And then make a counter offer of Seventy - Thirty.”

I grinned; I was playing dirty… but she liked it that way.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

His list wasn’t that different to mine. Family was always number one. There were no ifs or buts about it. And I knew this was something we both agreed with.

“I can go which ever way I want –“ My head jerked to gaze at him. My heart stopped and then started, and I could feel my neck heating up.

The images, the sensations, the scent of him and the air of the early morning as day had just started to break. It all came rushing back to me as he spoke the words. “That’s playing dirty Embry Call and you know it.” I snapped my teeth at him.

And some how my brown eyes fell to his lips before I looked away.

•- Embry Call -•

Spirits! That sound.

The sound of her heart staggering... the thought it was caused by triggering a memory of her and I... It was... something else.

"I'm just playing the cards I was dealt!" I smiled. "And it's fair game. We're alone." I picked up a little speed as we hit the 101 but still just cruising at half the speed Leah would take this road at on that gorgeous beast of her. The song changes and I grinned. The shuffle gods were on my side today.

(Music: There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back · Shawn Mendes )

"Seventy-five twenty-five." I held out my hand to her to seal the deal and started to sing along with the radio... more off-key than the open-mic night.

"Oh, I've been shaking

I love it when you go crazy

You take all my inhibitions

Baby, there's nothing holdin' me back

You ake me places that tear up my reputation

Manipulate my decisions

Baby, there's nothing holdin' me back"

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“I wonder what would happen, if I went and stole those cards of yours?” I teased him right back.

Oh, I wanted to punch him right now. He knew the rules and he was playing them to his advantage. We were out of our lands, and we had passed the lines of Forks.

He held his hand out towards me and I just looked from the side view of his face to it. Then he started singing? He thought he had this deal in the bag. He was… well…. Spirits….

All I kept thinking was that he was singing… even if it was off key.

“I don’t work in increments of five. Seventy - Thirty, don’t say I’m not fair in my dealings.”

It was better than my first offer. But I knew you had to be fair to keep the competition alive. Taking his hand in mine I shook it once while Shaw Mendes sang and witnessed the deal was done.

•- Embry Call -•

I just grinned at her not daring to answer the question. I smiled when she took my hand and shook it.

"Well… well!" I chuckled. "Leah Clearwater compromised!" The touch of her hand in mine... while rare... shouldn't have elicited the response it did. My stomach leapt at even this innocent contact.

I turned to glance at her just for a moment, catching her watching me. I smiled and laced my fingers through hers and squeezed gently... but not as gently as I would if she were human. Not needing to stop and check my strength was new.

"It's a brave new world Trouble."

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Raising my eyebrow at him.

“Eye on the road Dimples.” I pointed out front. “And I compromise when it’s needed. Just not often.”

I glance down at our hands, and how he had laced his fingers into mine. My stomach did that jumping thing and the heat crawled up my neck again. What was wrong with me? Slowing I started to take my hand back. It was still something I wasn’t used to. And being out in the open, letting myself be held, even just a hand… it was new.

“Brave and new Dimples. But the question is who will be the last person standing?”

•- Embry Call -•

I smiled, not a cocky grin and turned back to the road. But she knew that ears on the road was plenty for a wolf. Though we never let that little fact slip to the pups.

I released her hand when she pulled it away, but she moved slowly... almost hesitantly, that feeling was more than enough to tell me a dozen things she wouldn't say out loud.

"Why can only one of us be left standing?" I asked, that smile was back. "Who says that one of has to win... or lose?

•- Leah Clearwater -•

My head tilted to the side, allowing my hair to fall freely as I took that smile of his in.

It had been a new one for me to notice for a little while. The way it lit up his features and reached his eyes giving them a glint without the need of light….

I cleared my throat when I heard my Wolf whisper, ‘Easy… there… woman, someone would think you like him.’

Turning my gaze back to the open 101, a road I’d ridden on enough to know like the back of my hand.

“Hmm? Oh, well the saying is Last Man Standing, doesn’t quite have the same ring to it… if you say Last Two standing… does it?” And yet, as my sarcasm rang loud, I knew that wasn’t the question he was asking me right now.

“New world Embry… New rules… We do it our way… that’s what we said, isn’t it?” This last question was sincere.

•- Embry Call -•

Even without looking, I could feel her eyes on me. I chuckled softly. "I suppose it doesn't. But... Yes, we do this our way. We've never lived by the rules and standards that other people set... Why would we start now?"

I smiled, remembering the rules we'd set. It was strange... Rules weren't really my thing. But there is something about these ones... they just didn't feel restrictive. Think of that night made me want to kiss her again, remembering the feeling of her hands on my cheeks and in my hair.

I leaned back into m seat and reach across to rest my hand on her knee, giving it a light squeeze. "We've got this, Trouble."

•- Leah Clearwater -•

My first instinct was to punch or smack his hand away. But I bit it down. This was our path, and to that this was a part of my evolution for myself.

I knew there would be growth for the two of us. There had already been, but we each where on our own evolutions and at this point the paths came together. ( or at least that’s what I was telling myself so that I didn’t drop, and roll out of this jeep and run. )

But the words We got this… it resonated.

“So…” without thinking I placed my hand over his. Squeezing back my reply to him. “Are you going to tell me where this ride ends? Or is it more about the journey?”

Which I had no problems with. Climbing on my baby and setting out for the day without a plan was a reoccurring thing for me. It was always about the ride, not the destination.

My eyes were back in the radio as the shuffle moved to the next song.

(Music: Best Shot (Acoustic) · Jimmie Allen)

•- Embry Call -•

I only let my hand linger for a moment on her knee, she was already out of her comfort zone with all of this, and I had no reason to push. This was all a first for me too and I didn’t want to miss anything vital by sprinting for the finish line.

"Port Angeles." I said with a shit-eating grin. "I plan on stranding you there, so my journey will end at home... but Port is your stop." I laughed. But the song pulled my focus... the shuffle gods were either sending a very strong message... or trying to send Leah running for the hills. But she was here.

"There's a car wash there that offered to donate some supplies for the car wash fundraiser. #Sue asked me to go pick them up." I came clean before she really dropped and rolled out of my jeep.

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Raising my eyebrow at him, I bit down on the inside of my cheeks. He had that grin on his face again and I wasn’t past leaning over and smacking it off his face. So, I took the middle ground and still leant over and smacked him up the side of his head.

“I dare you to strand me there. You know I would be back on our lands before you and then the Spirits help you and your Jeep.” My wolf was grinning and sitting up now. She was up for the challenge in my voice, that was until he told us what the plan was.

“Ma asked you to pick the things up?” This wasn’t uncommon, Ma would ask the pack from time to time for help, but it was only when I had runs and couldn’t be there to help, or the Kid was working too. “Ma knew I had the day off today. I don’t know why she didn’t ask me.” This question was more to myself, but I ended up saying it out loud.

Whatever her reason, I knew this car wash was important to her and #MsC. “Do… Do you mind if we make another stop while in Port?” I had planned to go to Port Angeles in the week. But now that we were going there…

•- Embry Call -•

I chuckled and made an X over my heart. "I promise... I wouldn't dream of it." If I did... it would be a death wish. "I think that's exactly why she didn't ask you. It's not often that you give yourself a break. But I knew I turn it a day well-spent 𝕒𝕟𝕕 still get the job done." I let out a boastful laugh.

I turned and smiled at her. "We can make as many stops as you want. I plan on making at least two... well three of you included the car wash." I had barely taken a breath before I realised, I had forgotten one... or rather it came to me in the split second. "Maybe four... we need to eat at some stage too."

The music changed again. This was the album that had downloaded after Seattle and hearing Leah's anthem.

(Music: Speechless · Rachel Platten)

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“So, what you’re telling me… is that it’s a conspiracy?” I didn’t even know Ma did it.

Muttering to myself about how I would still make him pay. “I’ll be keeping my eyes on you Embry Call.” Saying the words as my eyes found their way back to the side view of his face. His hair had grown out again, and I wanted to tease him about getting a haircut. We all knew his mom liked him with his hair well kept, so it had become a thing about telling him to get it cut.

“Four? I mean live a little Dimples, make it five while you can.” My eyes were out the side window watching the world go by until I heard the song. Then they flew back to the radio and him.

“You listen to Rachel Platten? This one has to be theft…” I didn’t know many people at all who listened to her. And I didn’t know why, she was a talented artist and her music really hit the mark.

And the song… Speechless... the words were already dancing on my lips, my leg slowly moving to the beat. I squeezed my own thigh to stop myself.

•- Embry Call -•

"Who could blame you?" I grinned and motioned to myself. "I mean... have you seen me?" I chuckled at her reaction to me saying we had at least four stops.

"That's just Plan A." I chuckled. "But who knows how many plans we'll end up with." I knew the line was probably painful to her.

I nodded not denying it for a second. "Yup! One hundred percent stolen and I'm not sorry." I said with the big grin again. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the hint of movement on her lips and her hand pressing into her thigh.

I quietly sang along.

"When you're touching me when you're kissing me. Nothing left to say, I'm speechless"

I nudged her with my elbow and laughed. "C'mon Leah! It's not a road trip if you don't belt out the songs."

•- Leah Clearwater -•

That was it, checking the road, it was a straight stretch. There were no other cars coming around us, and the road was flat. Safe… the word rang in my mind.

I reached out and punched his bicep hard.

“You’re welcome.” For what? Who really cared?

“So, there is a plan… for someone who just likes living in the moment. Must be hard.” He kept telling me to live in the moment. And here I sat.

Leaning back once again in the seat, I turned my head to watch him. The way he just opened up now. The moment slowed when he sang, and I knew he wasn’t holding back.

“You give a guy a stage for one night… and then he can’t stop himself from thinking he is Pavarotti.”

My lips curled at the corners a little as a smile started to grow, and then it disappeared. Raising my eyebrow at him. “I’m good thanks, I’ll keep my singing to the bathroom.”

He didn’t know… he couldn’t have found out, right?

•- Embry Call -•

“Use your words, Trouble.” I glanced at her again and then nodded. “Just a Plan A.” I clarified. “We could be on Plan D before the day is over… who knows!”

“And singing along in the car is different. It’s like singing in the shower. Everybody does it but nobody will admit to it.” I chuckled at myself, because wasn’t that exactly what she had just done?

I knew not working to a schedule wasn’t really her thing, but on a in a while it was a good thing.

“Sue might not do happy with me for taking you along. But we can mix errands and a day off still make it a good time.”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Action always speak louder than words for me Dimples.” I couldn’t help the smug feeling. We were so different when it came to so much, and still some things were unquestionably uniquely the same.

“If you tell anyone I said this, I will deny it. But I’m impressed that you have attempted a plan.” Was it for himself? Probably not. But Spirits, it helped to ease me.

The next part I muttered under my breath. “Errands are a good time for me.” Getting the jobs done, making sure those who needed help had it.

“And let’s face it, Ma will forgive you.” She had a soft spot for this Call.

“I’m not singing in the Jeep.” My arms were crossed over my chest. “But… you go ahead… I’m not stopping you.” I actually wanted to hear him again.

The sound, the feel, the fact that he had opened up to all of La Push at the open mic night, and shocked us all with his voice… I still found myself thinking about it.

•- Embry Call -•

I laughed and wondered if I should tell her that plan was just a random combination of what #Sue had asked me to do and what I always did when I made it Port... Maybe not staying for lunch. That I added just to stretch out the day a little.

So... I suppose it was a plan... it was just a very, very recently made plan.

"That's true... She does seem to think I can do no wrong." That was so far from the truth. #Sue would call me out on my crap just as fast as my mother would.

"Like you could stop me if you tried!" I rolled my window down and turned up the next song that came long and belted it out.

"She's a wet drink in the desert of lust. Got me tongue-tied, I'm ready to bust. She's like a rose in bloom, a love tattoo. That's under my skin and there's nothing I can do. She's coming at me like the blazing sun; I'm gonna get burned but I know she's the one."

(Music: Blonde, Bad And Beautiful · Airbourne )

•- Leah Clearwater -•

“Hey, hey, stop trying to steal my Ma.” Like I had a leg to stand on? It was a running theme with me attempting to steal his mother away from him. I’d even propose to her a few times. Always making #MsC blush and laugh.

My Ma would give all the guys a smack up the side of their heads if they stepped out of line, and she would do it with a smile on her lips.

I rolled my tongue over my teeth, trying to stop the laughter bubbling up in my chest. But as he rolled his window down, and then put that extra effort in to show me just what his jeep singing was about. I rolled my eyes abs burst out laughing.

“Airbourne? They are you go to?” He hadn’t picked it, it was just what his shuffle played next.

I shook my head, only he would have a diverse playlist like mine. Going from Speechless by Rachel Platten, to Blonde, Bad, and Beautiful by Airbourne. Then again the guitar solo at the start was epic.

“Okay, okay, you’ve proven your point.” But I was fine with him keeping it up.

•- Embry Call -•

I shook my head emphatically; she was never going to give up on trying to steal my mom away. So there was no way I was giving up my #Sue. “Hey!” I pointed a finger at her and then pulled it back sharply before she had a mind to snap it clean off. “Never question the shuffle gods.” I grinned wide and moved out around a truck to overtake it.

I may have been all about the journey but was looking at the arse end of a big rig wasn’t exactly my idea of a view. My grin widened when she conceded that I made a good point. “So, are you going to tell me about this stop of yours? Or is it a surprise?”

•- Leah Clearwater -•

Would this man never learn? I snapped my teeth at him. he moved his finger out the way just in time. “Look who is getting fast.” I teased. “I have no issues with the shuffle gods, they never do wrong by me.” But then the jokes were gone as we can up behind a rig.

I could tell what he was about to do, because if I were on my baby right now, I’d had done the same. My hands rubbed my thighs, and then I fisted them as he took over. A few deep even breaths made sure that I had no reaction with my heart sounding uneven.

“Hmm?” I had to think about his question, repeating it in my mind.

“Oh… hmm… it’s a herbal tea shop. They make blends of tea to meet a person’s needs.” It wasn’t a secret; it just hadn’t been something I spoke to people about.

•- Embry Call -•

Something deep in my gut clenched at that snap... she could have taken my finger clean off and it would still have turned me on.

Then I spotted it. the tightening of her fists... Had I pried too deeply? I mean she was making the stop with me so it couldn't have been that personal, could it?

I eased back into the lane and shifted to fifth... cruising alone right around the speed limit. Then with my right hand now free to set it on top of her left, clenched fist and let the tips of calloused fingers run back and forward over whitened knuckles; willing them to ease.

"Oh!" I said as if I hadn't change in her. I let the gentle touch do the talking in that regard. "Is that the place you got the tea for Mom? You know, I think that made a big difference. She hasn't had a fever since she started drinking it."