STAY AWAY FROM EMMETT.

Emmett Cullen was enamored with Frankie Roman, not that she really minded. If anything, it was just amusing, seeing him everywhere she went. Suddenly, the boy from the oh-so-secluded family was waving at her in the parking lot, choosing her to be on his team in gym class when he was selected as captain, sitting next to her in history class, and watching from the bleachers when she had soccer practice.

He hadn't quite worked up to sitting next to her at lunch because let's face it, her friends were a lot to deal with. Besides, he'd rather Frankie come to eat at his table, or better yet, a separate one with just him so that they could have alone time — Frankie was so busy that alone time didn't really exist with her.

"Ten bucks says he asks you out again before the day is over," Mike was saying as they walked from gym class. Though Emmett and Frankie had been on separate basketball teams, he was so distracted by her in her tight-fitting shorts that she got past him with ease each time she went for the net.

"No way," Tyler said, walking with them to their math class. "She told the dude she doesn't have time to date. The band is more important than some guy."

"Aren't you and that Lauren on the cheerleading team hooking up?" Frankie asked, tilting her head with a smirk on her face. "She's just some chick."

"This isn't about me," Tyler said, crossing his arms while she and Mike laughed. "And I'm not stalking her like Cullen is with you."

"No, Lauren is stalking you," Mike informed him. The blonde girl followed Tyler around like a groupie, so he didn't have a leg to stand on.

"And Jess is stalking you," he shot back.

"Not cool. Leave her alone," Mike said, shaking his head. He didn't like when someone made fun of Jessica. Even if they weren't dating, everyone in town knew they were going to end up together. Mike was Jessica's and Jess was Mike's — they both knew that.

Frankie smiled down at her sneakers, liking when Mike's occasional sweet side popped out. Sure, he wasn't full-on in love with Jessica, but baby steps were being made each day.

"Well, if Cullen asks me out, I'll just say no again," she spoke up, getting the conversation away from Jess.

"Which I don't get 'cause you so like him," Mike told her, frowning. "You girls are confusing."

"I do not like him," she insisted as they entered their classroom. "I just think he's a babe and really good at kissing. When soccer is over, I'll probably have the time to do more of that."

"No, you won't." Frankie came to a sudden stop when Rosalie Hale stood in front of her, a firm expression on her flawless face.

"Excuse me?" she asked, raising a bushy eyebrow.

"Stay away from Emmett," she warned.

Mike and Tyler shared a look while taking a step back. No one told Frankie what to do — she was far too hardheaded for her own good. But here Rosalie Hale was doing just that.

"Well, first of all, it's him that's having the issues with staying away," Frankie said, smirking a bit. "And what? You two are following after Alice and Jasper with the Sweet Home Alabama bullshit?"

Rosalie rolled her eyes, knowing there was no way to defend Alice and Jasper. They all knew it looked bad to the humans — adopted siblings that'd been together since they were young and were now dating. "It's just what's best for you, Frankie," Rosalie said. "Emmett will get over his little crush. But until then, you need to stay away from him."

Frankie suddenly had the urge to hunt down Emmett in whatever class he was in just to kiss the shit out of him to spite Rosalie. She knew that was wrong but didn't really care. "Tell you what," she said, smiling at her sarcastically. "Next time your brother walks me home from band rehearsal, I'll invite him inside and let him fuck the shit out of me. Maybe that'll help him get over his little crush faster."

Rosalie clenched her fist. Why couldn't the stubborn human realize she was trying to save her life? Emmett — all of them — were monsters, and Frankie's life would be ruined if she got involved. Already, Alice's previous visions of her being an Olympic gold medalist and a famous bass player were long gone. If Emmett and Frankie got closer, her life would never be normal again.

"You think you're so funny."

"I'm hilarious," Frankie said before moving past Rosalie to get to her desk. She made sure to bump into her shoulder harshly and she found it probably hurt her more than it hurt Rosalie. In fact, her shoulder would probably be bruised in the morning, but her pride was pleased enough.

"Oh, my god," Mike whispered while scurrying after her, avoiding looking at Rosalie while Tyler had to sit on the other side of the room. Nearly everyone in the classroom heard the small altercation, so all eyes were either on Frankie or Rosalie as she stormed out of the classroom.

Angela leaned over with wide, disbelieving eyes. "I thought you said you weren't going to fight her."

"That wasn't a fight, Ang," she told her while pulling her hair back into a ponytail. "That was a warning to stay away from her brother. And we all know I've never been one to listen to warnings."

"God, Rosalie just spurred you on," Mike sighed. Any plans to wait for soccer to end were in the wind now. "This is gonna go horribly."

"I think it's gonna go quite well," Frankie said, beginning to smirk like she had an evil plan.

Angela peered at her friend, a part of her already knowing what was coming. "What are you gonna do?"

"I'm gonna do what Jess taught me to do with stupid boys."

"What does Jess do with stupid boys?" Mike asked cluelessly.

"Ruin their lives."

☽︎

All eyes were on Frankie as she pointedly walked past her own lunch table, a tray of food in one hand while her other was innocently twirling a thick strand of dark hair, her sights set on one burly figure at a secluded table. The chatter going on between the Cullens ceased when Edward was the first to sense her coming. He nudged Emmett, who caught her scent in an instant and turned around.

"Frankie," Emmett was saying before she even made it over to him. "Hi."

"Hey," she greeted, keeping her eyes on him. Even then, she could feel Rosalie's stare. Then she bit her lip in an almost shy way, subtly looking Emmett up and down. "Um, the rain stopped. I was wondering if you'd wanna eat lunch out at the picnic tables with me? Might be nice to get some alone time for once."

No one ate outside unless the sun was out. Then again, Frankie wasn't planning on eating the food on her plate. There was a reason the picnic tables had a reputation that had teachers pulling their hair out every week.

"You... with me?" Emmett asked, not expecting that after she'd shown nothing but platonic feelings since their kiss. Even if he'd never been, he knew what students did when they skipped lunch to go to the picnic tables under a few shade trees.

"Yeah, you," she said, giggling a little. He just looked cute with his wide, golden eyes fixed on her like she was the goddamn sun or something. "My table has been feeling a little crowded as of late."

Then she held out her hand, wiggling her fingers the slightest bit to beckon him. If Emmett could breathe, he wouldn't have been as he grabbed her soft, warm hand and stood up. He didn't even bother to pick up the untouched lunch tray he carried around to keep up pretenses. He just let her lead him by the hand out of the lunchroom, not giving a damn about all the stares being thrown their way.

Outside, it was as cloudy as ever, but the rain from earlier was gone. The wood on the picnic tables that sat just out of sight of the cafeteria windows was slightly damp. Emmett could feel the wind blowing against his skin as she sat her tray down but couldn't feel the cold.

"Here," he said, automatically unzipping and pulling off the white hoodie he had on.

Frankie was surprised when he slipped it around her shoulders, worried about her getting cold — not that she ever really got cold. Still, she smiled softly and slipped her arms into the oversized sleeves, the material hanging off her in an almost unflattering way.

"Thanks," she said shyly, not actually faking the shyness this time for show. Frankie then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and his eyes followed the movement, wishing he'd done it himself so he could run his hands through her thick locks. "Emmett, have you ever had lunch with anyone out here before?"

"No," he admitted, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. For once, Emmett was the one to feel flustered after years of making humans feel that way because of his vampiric charms. But he couldn't help it. If he were alive, he knew his palms would be sweating and his heart would be skipping beats.

"We can go back in if you want," Frankie offered softly, meaning it. It started out as her just wanting to piss off Rosalie, but now she was there with Emmett towering over her and just dying to feel his lips on hers again. Given that she hadn't actually asked permission the first time though, she wasn't going to try and make a move on him that he didn't want.

Emmett smirked and took a step closer to her, some of his nerves returning to him. "I can assure you that I'm feeling toasty warm out here."

She giggled as he backed her against a tree and then grabbed the collar of his sweater and pulled him closer so that she wouldn't have to stand on her toes. Emmett was hesitant at first, testing the waters as his lips met hers. But it was like fire was shooting through all of his nerves from something so simple, feeling exactly as he did the first time when she kissed him.

Edward and Jasper joked that it was because he hadn't been kissed since he was turned, but Emmett just ignored them. And he didn't give their jokes a second thought now as he deepened the kiss.

Frankie hummed happily against his lips as he brushed his tongue against her bottom lip, but then she refused to open them. So, Emmett reached down and lifted her up. She let out a surprised gasp while wrapping her legs around his waist, giving him the chance to slip his tongue inside. The bark of the tree dug into her back as he pressed her up against it, exploring every facet of her mouth like it was something to claim as his own.

As far as kissing went, Emmett was easily the best she'd had — and she'd had a lot. Hell, she'd kissed all of her friends at some point and someone finally had Jessica beat as Emmett rolled his tongue against hers, her intrusive thoughts suddenly picturing it doing that move somewhere else. She moaned into the kiss while tangling her fingers in his short curls

Knowing she needed to breathe — because Frankie was far too invested to care about how her chest was burning — Emmett pulled back and began to kiss along her jaw. Her eyes fell shut as she leaned her head back against the tree, enjoying the feeling. Maybe it was because it was starting to get colder, but his tongue felt like an ice cube on her skin, raised goosebumps as he began to suck on her neck.

Emmett's blunt teeth grazed the skin of her neck before sucking harshly, knowing a mark would be left behind. But he couldn't help it — he could hear the blood rushing to the surface, ready to bruise as he broke a blood vessel. Frankie's blood didn't call to him in a way that made him want to drain her, but he was still tempted to steal a little taste, convinced he could control himself. Again, his teeth sought out her skin, this time applying enough pressure to have her moan and wince while shifting her hips forward against his.

"Em," she moaned, loving the almost painful feeling as he bit her.

"Emmett!" Rosalie's harsh voice cut through the air.

In the same instance, all the heated attraction that Frankie had been feeling slowly faded away. Unknown to her, Jasper was around the corner, absolutely hating his ability to feel emotions as he calmed Emmett and Frankie down at the request of Edward.

Emmett pulled away from her neck, and the both of them looked to Rosalie, who was standing several feet away with Alice and Edward at her side. They all had varied expressions — Rosalie was annoyed, Edward had a grimace on his face from what he'd seen, and Alice looked, well, she looked giddy. But Frankie supposed she always looked happy.

"What?" Emmett asked in an impatient tone that made Frankie giggle.

"What? You're about to have sex with a girl you don't know against a tree outside school!" Rosalie ranted

"They weren't gonna have sex," Alice interjected. She'd, unfortunately, seen the vision that included them stopping after a good ten minutes of heated kissing that had Emmett racing home to calm himself down. "Also, hi, I'm Alice."

Frankie awkwardly wiped around her lips, cleaning up her lipgloss as she nodded to Alice. "Nice to meet you outside of art class." Then her eyes slid to the fuming Rosalie and she smirked. "Nice to see you again, too."

"What did I tell you?" Rosalie asked her, getting upset.

"Yeah, I'm not a fucking dog. You can't order me around," she said, rolling her eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Emmett asked, glancing between his mate and his best friend.

"Don't worry about it," Frankie told him, shaking her head. It didn't matter if Rosalie got on her nerves. She and Emmett were very close, so she didn't want to go ruining that just because of a marginal crush on him. Instead, she just smiled up at Emmett, deciding against telling him about the glitter lip gloss smeared on his mouth. "Guess I'll see you around, Cullen."

Emmett watched her go with a dreamy expression, hating that his siblings had interrupted them. "Let me take you out tomorrow, Roman," he then requested, just dying for her to say yes to a date.

"Can't," Frankie said while grabbing her lunch tray. She smiled apologetically at him, actually meaning it. "Band has a gig tomorrow. No way I'm getting back to Forks in time for a date."

"Well, where's it at? I could meet you there."

Frankie actually laughed. "C'mon, Cullen, I know you've got a crush on me, but not even Mike and Angela are driving to Seattle to hear us play. Catch you on Monday, though. Maybe we won't be interrupted."

"We better not be," Emmett huffed once she was back inside the school, still wearing his jacket. He turned to glare at his family, and Jasper came from around the corner. "What the hell? I was getting somewhere with her."

"Oh, we know what you were getting," Jasper said with a childish smirk. Alice just elbowed him lightly, so he wrapped his arm around her to keep her still.

"Em," Alice said, her smile falling. "You were going to bite her. I saw it."

Emmett let out a huff and avoided looking at them. He'd already screwed up and killed two humans since being turned, so the thought of doing that to Frankie ate away at his heart. "I won't kill her. I won't."

"That's the thing," Edward said with a frown. "Alice didn't see you killing her."

"I couldn't see anything past you biting her," she admitted, frustrated by the gaps in her vision.

"And has anyone considered the reason that is?" Rosalie asked, raising an eyebrow. "You said she's part of that tribe. I'd bet all Carlisle's money that she's got the mutt gene just waiting to jump out of her."

"Don't call her that," Emmett said in a low tone. "And she's not a wolf. We can smell them out even before they've shifted. She doesn't smell the same, and you know it."

"Still, if you're not going to listen and stay away, then I have to tell Carlisle," she said, shaking her head. Emmett had talked about Frankie a lot at home but he'd neglected to mention she was technically a member of the Quileute tribe and his mate. "This has to be violating the treaty."

"It's my right to tell him and Esme when I'm ready," Emmett said, getting upset. He knew they wouldn't have a problem with him finding happiness and love, but on the off chance that Frankie was a shifter, he didn't want to risk it.

"No, you've waited too long," Rosalie denied. "You're putting our family in danger, but more importantly, you're putting Frankie in danger. Don't you care about her?"

"Of course, I do. But I can't just stay away from her, Rose. Not now."

☽︎

Rosalie and Emmett sat side by side on the couch in their house, both with their arms crossed and a frown on their faces. Carlisle and Esme were across from them, a little confused as to why the family meeting had been called. Alice, Edward, and Jasper were standing in a line against the wall, silently observing.

"Emmett's mate is a shifter," Rosalie suddenly blurted out.

"She is not!" he insisted, turning to glare at her. "You're just jealous—"

"You're just being pigheaded."

"Well, at least I—"

"Please, you're ruining her life—"

"Children!" Carlisle said, raising his voice. It was a little funny when he reprimanded them, especially when he was only older in body than Emmett by four years. "Stop yelling."

Rosalie and Emmett huffed in sync, and it nearly made Alice laugh from how alike they were at times. That was what made them so close.

"Emmett," Esme said in a soft tone. "Why is this the first time we're hearing of your mate?"

"It's not," he mumbled. "Frankie Roman, the one I've been talking to you about. I've known for two weeks."

"But that's wonderful," she beamed, happy for her son.

"Did you not hear the part about her being one of those wolves?" Rosalie asked with a scoff.

"She hasn't shifted into anything, Rose, and you know it," he said defensively. "And you have no right to want me to stay away from her."

"Right. God forbid I keep her safe and alive and separated from the life none of us wanted," she argued, her eyes filling with tears that wouldn't shed. "We're dangerous, Emmett. And you will ruin her life if you stay in it."

"Yeah, but I'll ruin my own if I stay out," he said, shaking his head softly. "I won't have this argument with you again, Rose. I don't care if she's got tribe blood in her. Frankie is my mate. No one is gonna keep her from me."

"And no one is trying to," Carlisle cut in. He had an understanding smile on his face. "Emmett, this is good news. And we hope to meet this young woman soon. But don't be upset with your sister for worrying about you and the girl's safety. You know how hard this life is for us. You know the risks of pursuing something with her."

"Oh, he's already done some pursuing," Edward spoke up, a smirk on his face. "But Rose is slightly wrong. She's not a shifter and she doesn't smell like the typical human with the dormant gene."

"How do you mean?" Carlisle questioned, now a bit intrigued.

"She smells warm, inviting," Jasper answered. "But not tempting — not even the slightest bit."

"We've all smelled it," Alice added. "Even Rose knows how it makes us feel. Like we want to be closer to her and protect her."

Rosalie just rolled her eyes and avoided looking at any of them. That was, after all, why she was fighting Emmett so hard on inserting himself into her life.

"But she is of the Quileute tribe, you said?" Carlisle asked Emmett, frowning a little. And he just nodded in confirmation. "I'm not aware of any Romans on the council that I've met. It's not a common name from this area."

"Well, maybe it's through her mother's side," Alice suggested. Then she scrunched her face up and thought. "What was that the alpha called her?"

"Mekko," Emmett said, recalling the nickname he didn't understand in an instant. It made him jealous, seeing her close with Sam Uley even though he didn't have reason to be.

"Mekko," Carlisle repeated, slowly standing with a new expression in his eyes. "Francis Mekko?"

Edward swore under his breath and pushed off the wall. "I didn't make that connection," he muttered, frustrated with himself.

"What?" Emmett asked, looking quickly between the two men. He didn't understand what the name meant. "What is it?"

"Each time we've returned to Forks, when I meet with the current elders, I've been warned of the Mekko bloodline."

"Warned of what?"

"I'm not sure, exactly. All they've stressed is that the Mekkos are more important than the other shifters — and in some ways, they are different from shifters entirely. If that truly is Frankie's bloodline, you've found yourself a very special mate, Emmett. And dangerous, I fear. She has a name amongst the tribe. La Bête."

Edward was the first to break the silence, a deep frown on his face as he translated the French name, wondering how it ended up being used by the Native American tribe. "The Beast?"

☽︎

"Dude, you're so hot."

"Why thank you."

"No, dumbass, you have a fever," Frankie told Paul while rolling her eyes.

They were both working at the shop and halfway through a bet to see who could do an oil change faster, Paul seemed to lose some of his steam. As soon as Frankie touched his forehead, she pulled it back, surprised that he was running hotter than normal.

"I'm fine," Paul said, shoving her hand off. "And you stopped, so technically, I won. You owe me a hamburger."

"I'll get you a burger so long as you don't give me the fucking flu," she said while backing up. She could not afford to get sick in the middle of the season. "Seriously, go home."

"I can't. I gotta work."

She just rolled her eyes. "Yeah 'cause the boss is totally gonna fire you," she said sarcastically while going back to the truck she was working on. Paul's dad let him come in and leave whenever he wanted to so long as he got the work done.

Then a honk outside of the garage drew her attention, and she was all too happy to get away from Paul. Sitting in the parking lot was one of the Forks County Sherrif Department cars with the Chief leaning against the door. Just behind him was another officer in a squad car that Charlie Swan would have to ride back in.

"Treat her right, Frank," Charlie said while tossing the keys to Frankie, who caught them easily.

"Oh, I'll send her back with cut brake lines and stripped paint," she joked with a grin.

She liked Chief Swan. He and her mother grew up in school together, and when she got married and brought Raylan from Texas, Billy and Charlie brought him right into their friendship. Charlie would eat at the diner almost every night, making sure to sit at the bar top so that he could talk to Raylan through the window while he cooked up the orders. They'd go over to the Swan house on game nights — Charlie wasn't a big soccer fan, so they were just football and baseball nights.

Even though there was another mechanic in Forks, the prices were better at Lahote's, so if a squad car needed work on it, they'd bring it out to the reservation. And Frankie was the one to work on it as she was Charlie's favorite — Paul got in a lot of fights, so he didn't love the boy's reputation.

"Do that, and I'll have your dad on your ass," Charlie told her with a smirk. "I see him more than you do with how busy you keep."

"Yeah, but only because you can't cook for shit," Frankie said, chuckling at what was more of a fact than an insult. Then she looked at the car. "Surprised you didn't have to tow this hunk of junk in if the engine really is hydro-locked."

"Hoping that means you don't have to work the whole engine," Charlie muttered. It was a common problem with cars in Forks with how wet the weather stayed. "There'll be an extra good tip in there for you if you get it done before Monday."

"Damn, you hate riding with Rogers that much?" she asked, snickering as she nodded to his fellow officer still waiting in the other car.

"He listens to show tunes," he grumbled.

"Yeah, your fragile masculinity can't deal with some Cats and Wicked."

"I'd ground you if I could," Charlie muttered. "Get to work, yeah."

"I will, but I think Paul is coming down with something," she said, looking through the garage door to see Paul breathing deeply and wiping sweat off his face with his shirt. "Don't know if I can get it all done by Monday if I'm picking his work up on Sunday."

"Damn it," he sighed, knowing work was going to be miserable. "Well, I won't keep ya. Hope he starts feeling better."

"I don't care how he feels. Just hope he doesn't get me sick," she grumbled before going back to the garage. To ensure that, she stood over Paul, who was still sitting and resting. "Fucking go home, dick."

"Fucking shut up, Frankie," he muttered while holding his forehead. His head was aching. "God."

She narrowed her eyes at him and crouched next to him, actually worried now. "Do you want me to call a doctor or some—"

"Just leave me alone," he muttered while shoving her back. "I don't need you babying me."

Frankie fell on her ass and looked at him in disbelief. Before she could yell at him, Paul got up and stormed out of the garage, his fist clenched.

"Bitch," Frankie whispered to herself. Then she rolled her eyes and got off the floor, realizing she couldn't go home until she finished up the car she was working on and Paul's. "Goddamn it. There goes my fucking Friday."

☽︎

Frankie was in the woods just near her trailer, she knew, standing on the edge of the stream that separated reservation land from Forks.

On the other side of the bank, she could see two huge wolves. They hadn't seen her yet. No, they were looking at Paul, who was on that side of the river as well. Far too close for comfort.

"Paul!" Frankie shouted when the one with black fur began to growl at him. "Paul, run!"

Slowly, Paul turned to face her but didn't react any other way. And before she could call for him again, the two wolves lunged at him. Frankie dropped to her knees and screamed as the wolves tore into Paul, trampling him, biting him, clawing at him until she couldn't see him anymore.

Her teary eyes scanned the area, trying to find a way to get to the other side of the stream, but the gap was too large. Just as she began to contemplate jumping in and climbing her way out to save Paul, the wolves finished. When they pulled away, there was no sight of Paul. No body, nothing — just a third wolf, this one with dark gray fur.

"Paul!" Frankie shouted, not understanding what was happening.

The three wolves turned to face her, making her think she was next. They were surely big enough to jump and cross the gap with one leap. But instead, they all fell on their front paws like they were heeling to her.

"Paul?" she asked again, looking at the newest wolf. Had it eaten him? Become him?

Then a touch on her shoulder startled her. She fell back off her knees and looked up, seeing a woman's silhouette with the sun hiding away her features. But Frankie didn't have to see her face to know her voice, one she hadn't heard since she was seven.

"You have to let Paul go. It'll be your time soon."

"M - Mom?" Frankie questioned.

She woke suddenly, her mouth painfully dry and head aching, the memory of the dream already fading away. Frankie peeled her eyes open and looked at her beeping alarm clock, telling her it was time to get up if she wanted to make it to Seattle in time for their gig. Tyler would be there in thirty minutes, so she didn't have much time.

Frankie let out a loud yawn and scratched her face, not really remembering the dream but remembering how it made her feel. It made her stomach fill with dread — for what, she just didn't know yet.

☽︎

Bruce's Bar was gross — that was the only way to describe it. The dive bar smelled like beer, grease, and smoke, and Jessica didn't understand how they passed a health inspection. But they were a paying customer, so there Jess and the Werewolves were, setting up on the small stage along the back wall.

Of course, Frankie and Tyler were excited, knowing they weren't going to get carded if they tried to order a drink. But Jessica planned to stay glued to their sides after they were off the stage and whine until they agreed to leave and go back to the hotel her parents paid for.

"Oh, my god," Tyler sighed, seeing someone familiar sitting at one of the tables. Emmett Cullen was easy to spot in the crowd, but Alice, who was so much smaller, was harder to see at first. "He's so stalking you, Frankie."

"Who?" she asked, looking up from the amplifier she was plugging her guitar into. But she answered her own question by turning her head and seeing Emmett and his sister. Alice waved happily when she caught her eye, so Frankie smiled and waved back, unable to believe they'd driven so many hours to watch them perform. "Looks like we officially have a groupie."

Jessica giggled and knelt next to Frankie to set up her own guitar. "He knows how busy you are so he's finding the time to see you. It's so romantic."

"More like creepy," Tyler grumbled while twirling one of his drumsticks between his fingers. "And not to be dramatic, but if Cullen distracts you from the band, I'll shove my drumsticks up both your asses."

"That kinda sounds a little dramatic, Ty," Frankie said with a smirk. "He's also the least distracting thing in my life."

"Which, like, how?" Jessica asked. "Because he is so hot. I almost combusted when he talked to me that first day."

"That's 'cause you're a simple girl that is weak for pretty boys," Frankie said, kissing the top of Jess' head as she stood up.

"You're gonna marry a soccer ball, I swear," she huffed. Frankie was so hard to talk about romance with. Even after admitting to heavily making out with Emmett during lunch, she barely gave any details.

Five minutes later, the band was all setup and nodding to Bruce, who dimmed the lights so that everyone could focus on the stage. And even though Jessica hated the venue, she still had a gorgeous smile on her face as she stepped up to the microphone, Frankie playing low notes for their introduction.

"Hi there. I'm Jessica, and these are my wolves—"

Jessica fucking hated that Tyler and Frankie would jokingly howl, but she also kind of loved it after the gag went on for so long. But it was embarrassing now in front of Alice and Emmett Cullen. At least Edward wasn't there.

"Thanks for coming out," Frankie then said. "If you like what you hear, tell your friends."

For the next hour, the band played a mix of covers of popular songs and a few originals. It wasn't a raging concert or anything, but the customers liked it just as much as the radio that typically played. Frankie just loved any chance to perform and was happy to see the grin on Jessica's face as she sang. Her best friend loved being the center of attention, even in a bar full of people she'd never talk to.

Emmett sat the whole time with his head leaning on his hand, his eyes glued to Frankie. She looked perfect in a black dress with ripped tights underneath, showing off soccer-bruised knees. Even though she just sang backup for Jessica, her voice was low and smooth, and she played the bass perfectly, dancing around the stage to the beat and practically torturing Emmett with each sway of her hips.

"I think I'm gonna marry her," he said, sighing a little as she stepped up and started a solo.

"You will," Alice said confidently. "But not until she's nineteen."

Alice couldn't see everything in Frankie and Emmett's future, much to her annoyance, but she saw that mere minutes after Emmett learned Frankie was his mate. She knew they'd be happy but she didn't know if Frankie would become a vampire. She knew Emmett was going to take Frankie to the prom but didn't know when the girl would eventually cave and go on a date with him. It was frustrating for her but still worth it to see her brother so happy.

An hour later, the gig was over. Frankie was excited to sign a few of the demo CDs that people bought at the bar, but once the crowd left them alone, Jessica latched onto her arm and didn't let go, hating the looks she got from men who were far too old to be eying her like that.

Though when Emmett's imposing figure joined them, most everyone looked away, knowing they couldn't take him in a fight.

Frankie thought he looked damn good in a blue t-shirt that was tight around his biceps. Alice was in some designer brand that made Frankie's dress from the thrift store look like it was worth about five dollars — and that's what she paid for it.

"Hi, guys," Frankie greeted, smiling at them. They all sat around a round table, Emmett making sure to take the seat next to her. "I can't believe you came all the way over here."

"Well, we had to see Jessica and the Werewolves play a real gig," Alice said, grinning brightly. "You were all fantastic."

"Oh, thank you," Jessica said, surprised by her compliment. She'd always thought Alice was weird, but maybe she was nice too. "Also, I love your top. Where'd you get it?"

"Alexander McQueen. Got it last time we came to Seattle," she gushed. "Speaking of, that Dior purse you brought to school on Wednesday was to die for. It made you look so classy."

That was all it took for Jessica to get over her aversion to Alice — fashion. And Frankie was glad they could get along so that she could just talk to Emmett.

"Want me to ask you where you got your clothes too?" Frankie asked Emmett teasingly.

He just chuckled and shook his head. "Would you believe that one buys all our clothes?"

"Oh, you mean Jasper doesn't personally love buying snakeskin boots and you don't like all neutral, color-matched ensembles that came straight out of the pages of a magazine?" she asked, smiling. She'd figured either Alice or one of their parents were the ones to make sure they all dressed so immaculately.

"I'd much rather wear sweatpants everywhere I go," he admitted.

"It's kinda funny picturing Alice bossing you around and telling you all what to wear."

"Trust me, she can be terrifying."

"Oh, I believe you," she said, laughing a little. "So, was the show worth the drive?"

"Definitely," he said without hesitation. "You came alive up there, Frankie. I'd of crossed state lines to make it to a show."

Frankie blushed a little bit, but that was the only sign she gave off that she was flattered. "You know, most guys aren't as forward as you, Cullen. They like to keep a girl guessing."

"I don't want you ever guessing when it comes to me," Emmett told her honestly. Then he smiled shyly. "Besides, I think I'm kinda, like, obsessed with you."

She threw her head back and laughed at the obvious statement. "Which is funny given that you had no fucking clue who I was until, like, two weeks ago."

Though to both of them, it felt like they'd been friends already for a longer period of time even if they didn't know each other that well. Frankie just felt comfortable around Emmett and found herself daydreaming more than she would've liked about kissing his stupid, hot face.

"Not true," he argued. "I knew you were the girl that broke someone's nose in a soccer game and scored the winning goal without even wiping the blood off the ball."

"You weren't even at that game," she said, chuckling from the memory. "But I got a red card for that stunt."

"Something tells me that you're the kind of person that loves getting red cards," he said, grinning down at her.

Frankie smirked and leaned closer. "You already know me so well."

"Well, I'm trying given that you've already let me shove my tongue down your throat," he said bluntly.

"If I wasn't protecting Jess from creepy bar patrons, I'd probably be letting you do it again," she admitted, tailing her fingers along his jean-clad thigh.

"Oh, Alice is very tough," he informed her, making Frankie giggle. "I think they'll survive for a few minutes."

Emmett fucking loved how she took his hand in her smaller one again and led him over to an empty corner by the pool table. With them hours away from home and prying eyes, she wasn't embarrassed about pushing on his broad chest lightly so that he'd back into the wall. Then she stood on her toes to kiss him.

Immediately, Emmett was putty in her hands, wrapping his arms around her waist to hold her tightly as he deepened the kiss. She ran her fingers through his hair, wishing it was a little longer so that she could grab onto it better. But she was happy enough as she pulled back from his lips and began kissing along his chiseled jaw. Over the music in the bar, she could just make out the low groan he released while pulling her even closer. She smiled victoriously at drawing the sound from him before leaning back to catch her breath, looking up at his golden eyes.

"Yeah," Emmett breathed out, bumping his nose against hers. "I could get used to doing that more often."

Frankie smiled and moved to gently peck his lips. "Me too."