Only Exception | P.L

2.03 First Light

Embry woke before anyone else.

Not because he wanted to — he would've gladly slept another twelve hours — but because his senses wouldn't let him. The world felt louder, brighter, sharper. He could hear birds outside the house, the distant hum of someone chopping vegetables in the kitchen, the creak of floorboards upstairs.

Too much. Way too much.

He sat up slowly on the couch, the blanket still around his waist. Fresh clothes — sweats and a T-shirt — sat folded neatly on the coffee table. Emily. Obviously.

He pulled them on and had barely stood up when he heard soft footsteps behind him.

"You're up early."

Tala.

She stood in the hallway, hair tied back loosely, wearing sweats and one of Paul's shirts that nearly swallowed her. She looked like she hadn't slept much, but she still managed a small smile.

"Didn't mean to wake you." Embry said.

"You didn't." She assured him, walking over. "Most new wolves wake up early the first few days. Your senses are basically screaming at you."

Embry rubbed the back of his neck. "That explains the whole... hearing my own heartbeat thing."

Tala's smile widened. "Yeah. It's weird at first."

Embry hesitated, then asked quietly, "Is it always like this?"

"Overwhelming?" she clarified. "At first, yeah. But your brain adjusts faster than you'd think."

Before he could ask more, the back door swung open and Paul walked in, shirtless, already sweating from a run. He froze when he spotted Embry awake.

"Oh good." he said dryly. "He lives."

Embry scowled. "Feel like I got hit by a truck."

"That's normal." Paul said, grabbing a towel. "Your first shift takes everything out of you. Like every muscle, every nerve, every ounce of energy. You'll be wiped for a few days."

Jared appeared next, hair damp, clearly just out of the shower. "Morning, newborn."

Embry groaned. "Is that what I am now?"

"Pretty much." Jared flopped onto the recliner. "Don't worry. The title only lasts a week."

Sam entered last, carrying a mug of coffee and radiating that calm leader energy that made everyone else shut up without him even trying.

"Good, you're up." Sam said. "We've got a lot to go over today."

Embry tensed immediately. "Like what?"

"Everything." Sam replied. "What you are now, why it happened, how to control the shift, how to keep your temper in check. And we're going to help you start learning the mental side of the pack bond."

Embry blinked. "The what?"

Tala sat beside him on the couch. "Telepathy." She explained. "Pack mind. When one of us phases, we all hear each other."

Embry stared at her. "That's real?"

Paul groaned dramatically. "Unfortunately."

Tala ignored him. "It's intense at first. But we'll stay human today while you phase so you don't get hit with everyone's thoughts at once."

Embry swallowed. "I have to... shift again? Today?"

Sam nodded. "Not right this second. But yes. Repetition makes control easier. And we want you to be able to phase at will, not just when your emotions spike."