Sunrise

12

Kari looked up at him. "Embry, what are you talking about?"

Embry looked down at her. In that moment, Kari saw the quiet and reserved boy she'd grown up with. She could see his chin-length hair, one side tucked behind his ear while the other swung free. His smile was more innocent then. He didn't know the legends were true, and he'd only known his mother moved from the Makah reservation while pregnant. He was softer. He'd never admit it, but his only real goal in life then was to graduate high school and eventually marry a nice girl. The image was only there for a moment before she saw Embry in the present. His cropped hair, more defined muscles. He was still slender, though taller than he had been. His face was more angular and a bit harder. Now, there was the question of who his father was. There were only three real options: Billy Black, Quil Ateara IV, and Joshua Uley. She'd prayed repeatedly since their friendship had grown that his father was Quil, even if all evidence pointed toward Joshua. The boy sitting with her, holding her in his arms, was not the same boy she grew up with.

"What do you know about imprinting?" Embry asked calmly.

Kari swallowed. "I don't really know anything. All I know is that Sam imprinted on Emily, and that's why he's with her now. I know Leah didn't understand that until she joined the pack, and then it all clicked for her when she saw Sam's thoughts. I know Jared didn't notice Kim until he looked at her one day after he joined. It's all a bit fuzzy and mixed with everything else they tried to tell me all at once."

Embry smoothed his hand over her hair, clearly fighting with his thoughts.  His voice was calm again when he spoke, though inside he was more than freaking out. "Imprinting is more than that. It's... It's feeling like you didn't know what living was before seeing her. Like literally nothing else matters anymore. She's the center of your whole world. You'd do anything for her, be anything for her. It's hard to be away from her for long periods of time."

"You really sound like you've gone through it before," Kari said quietly. She didn't understand the sadness the coursed through her veins like ice. She looked at her hands, feeling Embry's gentle hand on her arm, and wondered when her life had become so backward.

"At first it was just Sam's thoughts," Embry said. "Seeing the way he feels about Emily and how much he wants to take care of her. Then Jared's thoughts about Kim turned to almost the same thing. It was different with Quil. He sees Claire in a different light. All he wants is for her to be happy, safe, and protected."

"Embry..." Kari trailed off. She heaved a sigh. "What are you saying? Stop beating around the bush and just tell me."

"You're my everything, Karina," Embry whispered. His hold on her tightened again, having loosened over the course of their conversation. "You're my everything."

It took her a moment to understand what he was telling her, and she looked up at him when it clicked. "What?"

"Please don't make me say it again," he said, unsure of what her reaction would be to the news. "I already know you don't feel the same way. I've seen the way you look at Jacob. I've seen it for years, even if he's never noticed."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kari said. She avoided looking at him. "I don't look at Jake any different than I look at everyone else."

Embry extracted himself from their embrace and climbed off the bed. His hands were fisted, slightly shaking, but his voice was calm. "It's okay. I never expected you to admit it, or for your feelings to change. I just hope you know that longing after him is the same thing as him longing after Bella."

Kari didn't look at him, and continued to look down at her hands long after he'd left the room. Embry imprinted on her? How was that possible? Had Embry always have feelings for her? Did imprinting stem from previous feelings? Kari shook the last question from her head. Of course imprinting didn't stem from previous feelings. If that was the case, Sam would've imprinted on Leah and not Emily. Jared wouldn't have imprinted on Kim. How did imprinting work? Would Embry imprint on her if they shared the same father? Would whatever ancestral spirits watching over them let that happen? Or was this proof that her father was one of the other two?