Only Exception | P.L

2.03 First Light

Embry exhaled shakily. "Okay... yeah. Okay."

Tala nudged his shoulder. "You handled yesterday. You'll handle today too."

He didn't look confident — but he believed her.

Before anyone could say more, Emily poked her head out of the kitchen.

"Breakfast is ready." She said warmly. "And Embry? I made you extra. You're going to need it."

Jared immediately stood. "See, this is why she's the real alpha."

Sam shot him a look. Jared sat right back down.

Tala laughed under her breath, motioning for Embry to follow her toward the kitchen. "Come on," she said. "Training is always easier when you're not starving."

Embry nodded — and for the first time since yesterday, his shoulders eased a little.

Today would be hard. Probably overwhelming. Definitely embarrassing. But at least he wasn't facing any of it alone.

The kitchen smelled like heaven — bacon, pancakes, and something Emily only made for wolves who needed comfort as much as calories: her honey-brown-sugar biscuits.

Embry stopped in the doorway like he wasn't sure he was allowed inside. Tala bumped him lightly with her shoulder and steered him toward the table.

"Sit." She said. "Emily made enough food to feed an army. Or, you know... us."

Emily smiled as she set down another plate — this one stacked high with scrambled eggs. "Good morning, Embry. How are you feeling?"

Embry sank into the nearest chair. "Like my bones are mad at me."

"That's normal." Emily said kindly. "Eat. It'll help."

Tala slid into the seat beside him, grabbing a stack of pancakes like she'd been waiting all morning. Paul took the seat across from her, still shirtless and still pretending not to watch her every move. Jared dropped into the chair on Embry's other side, already shoveling food into his mouth. Sam sat at the head of the table, posture relaxed but presence commanding as always.

Embry hesitated before touching anything.

"Seriously?" Paul said, raising a brow. "You're gonna starve yourself? First-phase metabolism hits like a freight train."

Tala nudged Embry's plate toward him. "You can't break anything. Just eat."

Embry finally took a bite — one cautious forkful of eggs.

Then another.

Then... another.

Within seconds, he was devouring food like he hadn't eaten in days.

Jared grinned mid-chew. "And there it is."

Paul snorted. "Told you. Wolf metabolism."

Embry paused only long enough to say, "This is actually insane," before going right back to inhaling his breakfast.

Emily refilled his plate without comment. Tala watched him with a soft, knowing smile. "It hit me the same way." She said. "You burn through energy ten times faster now. Hunger is just part of the deal."

Embry swallowed hard. "So is... hearing everything? And smelling everything? Because I can smell who wore which deodorant."

Paul raised a hand. "Yeah, by the way? Stop mentioning scents. It's weird."

Jared elbowed him. "Says the guy who complains every time Tala uses lavender shampoo."

Paul's ears turned red. Tala choked on her pancake. Sam cleared his throat loudly.

"Let's focus." Sam said, shooting Jared a look that promised future consequences. "Today's about easing Embry into the basics. No overwhelming him."

Embry lifted a hand weakly. "I'm already overwhelmed."

Sam's voice softened. "Then we take it slow. Eat first. After that, we'll go over the fundamentals. No shifting yet."

Embry nodded, relieved.

Tala leaned closer, lowering her voice. "You'll do okay. Better than you think."

Embry managed a small, genuine smile. "Thanks, Tala. Really."

Paul's eyes flicked to them, jaw tightening for a second — a flash of jealousy he smothered as fast as it came. Tala felt it, sensed it, but said nothing. She just gave Paul a quiet, grounding look, and his shoulders relaxed again.

Breakfast continued with the usual pack chaos — Jared stealing bacon, Paul arguing about territory lines with Sam, Emily smacking hands away from the hot pan.

Embry sat in the middle of it all — still confused, still overwhelmed, still exhausted — but for the first time since this nightmare started... he didn't feel alone.

And Tala, sitting beside him with her calm presence and steady trust, made sure of it.
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A.N:

obviously i don't want to focus on embry being a new wolf too much and not be able to focus on Tala and Paul so there might be like one more chapter of Tala helping Embry with adjusting.

and I swear Paul and Tala will get their first date eventually!

peace out, love y'all <3