"Kari!"
Kari gasped, her eyes snapping open. Her hand flew to her throat, her heart pounding in her chest, and she found Embry's frantic face covered with worry and concern and shock. Without warning, tears started and she sobbed into his chest.
Embry held Kari securely, tightly, in his arms. He'd just walked into the house when he heard her blood curdling scream. He stroked her hair and hushed her, whispering soft reassurances to her as she sobbed. Neither knew what time it was when she finally calmed down. His voice was quiet when he finally spoke. "You okay?"
"It was horrible," Kari whispered. Her eyes were screwed shut against the images in her mind, her hand fisting the shirt Embry was wearing- which in itself was a rarity these days. "You can't go. Don't leave me."
"Sam needs me to help," Embry said softly. He ran his fingers through her matted hair, gently taking out the tangles he came across. "I won't get hurt."
Kari blinked, seeing the horrible images from her dream behind her eyelids. She pulled away slightly and looked up at him through new tears. "Someone will. Someone isn't going to come back. I can feel it."
Embry said nothing. There was nothing to say. Nothing was going to convince Kari she was wrong. The fight was in two days. Seth would be with Bella and Edward during the fight, and the younger wolves would stay in La Push to make sure none of the newborns got loose. Kim, Emily, Claire, and Kari would be at the house.
Embry sat back against the headboard and simply held Kari in his arms. She spoke again before he could find the words he wanted. "I think you mean more to me now than Jacob does."
Embry didn't want to get his hopes up. He pressed his lips to her hair. "Do you want to tell me what had you screaming?"
Kari took a shaky breath. "I see it when I close my eyes. I don't want to go to sleep, Em."
"You don't have to," he whispered.
Kari chewed at the corner of her lip before speaking up. "She was trying to kill you. The one you're after... I couldn't watch it. I had to do something."
"She won't get close to me," Embry tried to assure.
"I did the only thing I could think of," Kari continued in a whisper.
That confused Embry. He shifted to look down at her. "What are you talking about?"
"In the dream," she said. "I knew it was a dream, but I still couldn't stand by and watch you die. When I looked down, I was holding a knife..."
"It was just a dream," Embry whispered. He didn't know if he was trying to convince himself or the girl in his arms.
Kari's voice barely had any sound. "I slit my throat. I had to do something..."
"Oh honey," Embry pulled her to him again, securing his arms around her tightly. "Kari, you won't ever have to do that. Especially for me. Nothing is going to happen to me. I swear to you."
"I don't understand," she whispered through new tears.
Embry waited for the fresh wave of tears to pass. "What don't you understand?"
"How I care so much about you," she admitted. "Why I care so much. It's so confusing... I mean, I thought- but I don't understand anymore... Everything is changing faster than I can comprehend. My whole life has changed so much since... since the accident..."
Embry thought for a moment, his lips pressed into a thin line, before he let out a quiet sigh. "I think there's something you should know. I wanted to wait until after the fight, but I didn't know what to expect to happen. It's different with us."
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?
All the thoughts running through her head brought Kari to one particular conclusion. She wasn't in a love triangle. She was in some kind love pentagon. Embry's words about Kari's feelings toward Jacob cut her deep. How had she not seen it before? She suddenly had the urge to get at least one answer.
Kari grabbed her flannel shirt from a pile on the floor, shoved her feet into a pair of sneakers, and was grateful her window opened over the slanted roof covering the front porch. She knew if anyone saw her leave they'd try to stop her. Tell her it was way too dangerous to leave the house. Kari slipped out her window, listened for any clues the pack was inside, and dropped to the ground. It wasn't graceful and she landed on her behind, but it didn't take her long to be running toward the small shop near the beach. She stopped just outside the door to catch her breath and walked inside before she could chicken out.
The beautiful woman looked up from her book on the counter and smiled brightly. "Kari, how are you?"
Kari swallowed nervously. "Hi Tiffany. I'm doing okay."
"Embry isn't here," she frowned. "He's been spending a lot more time away from home, too."
"I know." Kair paused, building up her courage. "I need to talk to you."
Tiffany Call furrowed her brow and closed her book. "Is everything okay?"
Kari nodded before shaking her head, then blinked and looked down. "I don't know. It depends on if you can answer my questions."
"I can try," Tiffany promised. She moved around the counter and placed a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. "Is this about your accident? I'm sure Allison would be better ask."
"It's actually about Embry," Kari admitted. She was too shaky to care about the blush on her cheeks. "He... Don't tell him I told you, but he's been wondering about who his dad is lately. I think it's hard on him to see Jacob with Billy and some of the other guys. I mean, especially with Harry passing he's had to see how hard it's been on Seth."
"Oh," Tiffany said quietly. "Kari, I'm not comfortable talking about this."
"I swear I won't tell anyone," Kari said earnestly. She looked up at Tiffany with pleading eyes. "And I won't judge you for the truth. I've just heard some things people are saying and I- I really like Embry. It took me a long time to realize it, but I do. We've gotten a lot closer since my accident. I'm sorry it takes him away from you so much, and I know you're worried. My mom is gone so much that Emily offered to let me stay with them, at least until school starts up again. It's hard on Emily and Sam, even though they don't say it. It took a long time for my body to heal and it's taking longer than I thought it would to heal in other ways. I-I have nightmares. Embry stays with me at night. He wakes me up when he thinks they're getting too bad. It's helped me a lot."
Tiffany said nothing as Kari said everything. She seemed to be thinking. It was quiet before she spoke up. "He's sneaking out at night to help you?"
Kari nodded. "I promise that's all. The door stays open, and I know Sam checks in on us a lot. He isn't sleeping much these days."
Tiffany studied Kari as she spoke. "It's good to know he's helping a friend. I was worried it was something worse."
An older couple walked into the store and Tiffany greeted them, asking if she could help them find anything. They politely said they were just looking around. Kari waited while Tiffany thought more about her request.
"You won't tell Embry?" Tiffany said quietly. "Or anyone else?"
"Not without your permission," Kari promised. "I usually tell Jacob everything, but I don't see him much anymore. He's in Forks or with Bella most of the time."
Tiffany thought for another minute. She'd kept her secret for over sixteen years. Was this really the best time to share it with someone else? The pleading look in Kari's eyes reminded Tiffany of herself. She sighed and shook her head slightly. She was crazy to think she could trust a sixteen-year-old girl with this, but something inside told her it would be okay. "Not a word to anyone, Karina. You understand me? I've kept this a secret to protect Embry and anyone else involved."
Kari nodded. She didn't particularly enjoy the use of her full name, but knew better than to protest.
Tiffany looked around the store, the older couple still the only customers, and turned her back to them. She put an arm around Kari and pulled her closer. "You have to understand that Embry's father is a good person. He's a great man. I was young and stupid. We were friends, close friends, and after a few drinks, I decided I deserved to know if it would've gone anywhere if we'd been given the chance. I really don't remember much, even now."
Kari nodded. "I understand. I told you I wouldn't judge and I won't."
Tiffany's voice was a whisper. "Embry's father is Quil Ateara. After he died there was no use in bringing it up when his family, and mine, were already so broken."