— JARED CAMERON held a smug smirk on his face as soon as he saw Embry approaching the front of Emily and Sam's home. "You're in deep shit, Call." The Cameron boy snickered. "Shut up, Jared." Just as he said that, Jacob came walking out. He grimaced when he saw his best friend.

"Sam wants to talk to you."

Embry nodded quietly, making his way up the steps of the home. Feeling like a grounded boy once Emily gave him an empathetic smile before she disappeared down the hall into her bedroom.

The chair Paul was sitting on was long forgotten as soon as Embry stepped into the room. "The hell were you thinking?" The boy shouted, moving closer with a piercing glare on his face.

Sam placed a hand on Paul's shoulder, trying to keep the boy from exploding in anger even more.

"You thought I wouldn't find out?" Paul spat. "I just needed to see her! I wanted to know if she was okay." The younger boy defended himself but it was no use.

"That's not your job, Embry. You know that." Sam said sternly. "You disobeyed my rule, I told you that you were not to see Rory until Paul's told her."

"Oh yeah? When's that gonna be? 'Cause clearly he's not in any rush to do it any time soon!" Embry exclaimed, his words only seemed to anger Paul even more.

"When I tell her or what I tell her isn't any of your business!" Paul pointed an accusing finger at Embry as he stepped closer. "I knew her first—"

"Oh, cry me a river!" The Lahote boy scoffed. "Get it through your thick skull—Rory's my imprint!" With that, the shaking boy stormed his way outside; ignoring Jared and Jacob as he passed by him.

"He's right." Sam told Embry, meeting his gaze. "Rory is Paul's imprint. Whether she knows or not, you can't change that. He'll do things on his own terms."

"You're on patrol with Jared for the night." Sam ordered, his tone gave no room for argument. Embry nodded in understanding before watching as Sam walked out in search of his fiancée.

—

Rory found herself back at La Push beach, her brown eyes gazing at the water as the waves crashed onto the shore. "Mind if I keep you company?" A voice interrupted the silence, she turned her head meeting the gaze of Paul Lahote.

"Sure." The brunette gave him a kind smile, as the boy sat himself beside her.

"Y'know, you always seem to find me. Are you stalking me?" Rory raised an eyebrow at him, the boy let out a chuckle at her question.

"M'not stalking you." He swore.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you a question. I hope you'll answer." Paul knew what she was gonna ask, Rory was a curious girl and after Embry stopped by her place the night before. She had a right to be confused.

"You wanna know about Embry and Jacob..." He beat her to the punch. She nodded, "I just—I'm confused. He was being all cryptic, and since you're a part of that gang with him. I'm assuming you know."

"What do you wanna know?" He finally asked, he'd tell her but not everything.

"You know about the Cullens? Embry knew about Laurent, you know too?" She asked and he nodded. "We're...shapeshifters." He finally answered.

The realization hit her smack dab right in the face. "The wolves..."

"It was you?" Paul nodded, the familiar feeling of dread filling his body when he remembered Rory's scent near Laurent.

"It's our job to protect humans, but it's my job to protect you." His words seemed to make her freeze. "What do you mean that it's your job to protect me."

"What else did Embry say?" He dragged his hands down his face. "He said, that he wanted me to know but that he couldn't be the one to tell me."

Paul nodded, letting his gaze fall on her. The way she'd focused her attention back to the water, the way the wind made the brown strands of hair falling over her face.

"Well, he was right about that." He nodded. "I'm the one who's supposed to tell you."

Her head whipped around to face him. "I wanted to tell you, once I got to know you more. Embry beat me to that." His words were low but Rory was able to catch on.

"You're still speaking in code, Paul. I'm confused." She sighed, bringing her knees to her chest and resting her chin on her knees.

"Us shifters, or at least for us. We do this thing called Imprinting." He began. "It starts with just eye-contact, when you see that person. Everything changes, you be whatever that person needs you to be."

"A protector, a friend, a lover..." Paul trailed off, glancing over at her. "That person—my person is you." He admitted.

"You're my imprint."

Rory looked over at him, her eyed wide but the look on his face was enough to tell her that he was not lying. "I meant what I said, Rory. I really want to get to know you if you'll let me."

After a little while of silence, and thinking on her part. Her words filled the silence. "I'll let you get to know me, but I gotta get to know you too."

"And we're just friends! If something changes...then that's something for another day."

Relief filled him instantly, a small smile making its way up to his face.

"I'll take whatever you give me, Rory Sinclair."

—

I
LOVE
THEM