@BadBoyEmbryCall -

I knew that was childish, but I didn’t care.

“Every one knows to stay away…. And here you stand, even after two punches… with no holding back…. Here you stand.”

My voice was even, it was together, I was taking slow and steady breaths now.

“And of all the things… of all the nights…. Of all the people….” I was crossed the street, my hair was down, my mind and eyes only saw him.

“You show up before me…” I was stood before him, my eyes searching his. I didn’t even -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

know what for. I just knew that if I was going to follow the path of the spirits, he was apart of it.

I curled my fingers around his neck and bought him down towards me. I didn’t know how this would end, but this was the start.

My lips touched his and the wind engulfed us, pushing me closer into him as I slowly kissed him like I had never kissed another before.

@HotHeadSheWolf
The moment her feet started to move I knew that everything was about the change. Anyone would be expecting another blow… But not here. Not when the world was about to wake up any second the wind pushed me two steps closer to her. The heat of her hand on the hand on the back of my neck was an unexpected surprise. And the kiss… was everything and nothing like the first.

I closed my eyes because this could last for mere before she came to her senses and slugged me again. When >

@HotHeadSheWolf
< She didn’t stop; I leaned closer to her, my stomach twisted and leapt. My lips parted just slightly against her and I lifted my hands to her cheeks one at time like each touch would shatter the moment.

I didn’t think that I had ever kissed anyone like this before. Slow and gentle and thinking only of the feeling of her lips on mine. This was not a conquest, there was no claiming of a victory. Just a kiss with a purpose I didn't understand yet. I didn't to know right now. >

@BadBoyEmbryCall

I wasn’t thinking, or was I? Was I recalling thinking about where this was going to lead, what this all meant, or how would this play out? That is what I expected to happen. That was what I should have been doing.

But as his lips touched mine, and he kissed me back all those thoughts melted away. In the moment on this new morning, as the birds came to life, the the light started to clear away the darkness, and as the spirits started to sing like I’d never heard them before.-

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

I had taken the steps towards him, I had taken a hold of him, I had kissed Embry Call… And it felt right!

His hands touched my cheeks one at a time, and it didn’t make me stop. It should have broken me free from the dream state I was in right? I should have pulled away and sloged him in the face again?

But no… there was a heat building in the depths of me, a flutter in my stomach that I couldn’t explain, a heat crawling it way up the sides of my neck that had never -

@BadBoyEmbryCall - been there again.

What was this?

His whispering against my lips was the thing that stopped my lips from moving over his.

“If this is a mistake… I don’t know what right feels like any more.” My eyes were still closed as those words slipped out.

I swallowed hard resting my forehead to his for a second before taking a step back and letting my hands slowly drop from his neck. The reality of where we stood hit hard.

I was a private person, who didn’t do these things for -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

The world to see. Not this tribe anyway. They had lost the right to have visibility into my life.

Finally I opened my eyes and it wasn’t a dream, it wasn’t the land of the spirits, Embry Call was real and still stood before me…

“Still Real?”

Two more words that slipped out as I thought them.

@HotHeadSheWolf
My lips still hummed with electricity from the kiss. I swept my tongue over my lower lip and the combine the feeling of her forehead against mine and the taste of her on them had my heart skipping a beat.

But her words made me open my eyes and there she was... The Leah from behind the walls was showing in her eyes again. “Still real.” I assured her with a smile. Just a slight lifting of the corners of my mouth... But Spirit’s! It was a real smile... Pulling at something much >

@HotHeadSheWolf
< deeper than I was used to.

I let my hands fall away when she stepped back and the world came into sharp focus again. “Ask me to come back inside, Leah.” It wasn’t phrased like a question, but my tone made it one. Her words in her hallway rushed back to my...

“No ulterior motives... I won’t even kiss you again unless you want me to... Hell I won’t even talk if you don’t want me too.

@BadBoyEmbryCall

There was a hum of something underlining my being. The way my lips could still feel him, the taste of him, the sound of that heart of his bearing. All thing I never questioned before, never paid must attention to. Those things in a blink of an eye started to fall into sharp contrast to the rest of the world around me.

And then there was his question… was it a question or a request? He wanted me to ask him to come back, to come back into my home… My space…

Standing there -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

My mind slowly starting to come into force once again, and I knew I should turn and run, that is what I did, I didn’t open my door for people in that way. And yet my feet were on solid ground, at the realisation of what he meant.

My words from earlier.. what I had said to Embry about not being his bed warmer, I hadn’t meant it. Not deep in my heart. I’d seen the real Embry Call, and the man stood before me now, with the smile that was so small and -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

still was unapologetically true.

“I.. I shouldn’t have said what I did before…” I didn’t apologise, because in the moment it’s was a truth I didn’t want to bring to life.

And yet here we stood. The question still hanging in the space between us.

I took two steps back into the middle of the street, my mind fighting my heart. My soul flight the head of reality, and what this all meant to us now. My eyes never once left his until I turned to cross the rest of the street-

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

Tilting my head to the side once I was on the path of my house.

“Are you coming?” It was a whisper, but it reached his ears.

“No ulterior motives, I won’t talk… Spirits.. I won’t even punch you…”

I repeated his own words to him with a slight change so it fit me.

I was doing this? Every step after the first kiss, he’d asked for permission. Made sure I was the one to make the decision.

@HotHeadSheWolf
I smiled and shook my head. “I know... Don't worry about it.” even though it hit harder than I expected at the time. I knew that she didn't mean it. And I really didn't blame her... I'd seen how guys thought they could treat Leah. Not that they ever walked away unscathed.

I followed her across the street and laughed, as mused at the fact that she was barefoot in the middle of the street. This time I recognised the sound.

I listened to her ramble and followed her inside, >

@HotHeadSheWolf
< pushing her door closed behind me.

“Can I get that last part in writing?” I teased her.

I honestly had no idea where this was going or what any of this was. But the only thing that really I knew absolute certainty was that I was in the right place.

But I had a feeling that Leah probably wasn't as okay with the unknowns that were happening here. “Is or too late for another drink?.... Or...” I laughed and glanced to the window. “Too early?”

@BadBoyEmbryCall

I knew how this would go if I let my brain kick into action so instead, I called for me wolf asking her if she was there.

‘Here, but this is for you and him to work out.’ And then she turned around and went to sleep. She was never fully gone; she could hear and see everything. But we had an agreement and of course the times were mad at one another.

Glancing over my shoulder at him again. “My word means a lot more than a bit of paper.” And I was ten steps ahead of him. -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

I was stood in my kitchen, opening the cabinet, and pulling out two fresh glasses, and then went to take out the two bottles of liquor.

“It’s not too early if you’ve not been to bed. It’s still the same night.” That was my story, and I was sticking to it. Because I most definitely needed a drink or five. “The real question is… do you want a double or should I just hand you a glass and the bottle?”

Because I knew I was going to end up having one more. Ten minutes ago, -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

things had been very different to what had happened. And it dawned on me again... Embry Call kissed me... And I punched him…

“Do you need ice for the lip?” I asked looking my left hand over once.

@HotHeadSheWolf

She had a point... neither of us had slept a wink. but I wasn't going to apologise for that... because that would be like saying I was in the wrong place at the wrong time... but that was the further thing from the truth.

"A double is fine." I had completely forgotten the ache in my jaw until she mentioned it again. I pressed my tongue against the spot inside my cheek that had bled, it was practically healed and the coppery taste was fading away. "That probably a good idea."
>

@HotHeadSheWolf
<
I didn't need to explain to Quil why I'm been punched twice by another Spirit Warrior during the course of the night.

"How's your hand?" I asked her as she flexed her knuckles. "Never realised you were a southpaw." I chuckled. She really pack a hell of a left hook. "And fair warning... three is my limit... next time I'll hit back." That really was true... depending on the situation. But I would never need to defend myself from Leah... she'd never do any serious damage >

@HotHeadSheWolf <
to me. Even if I deserved it.

I couldn't stop watching her now... all the things about her that caught my eyes in the past were now clear as day all the time, not just in those rare ungiarded moments

@BadBoyEmbryCall

Unscrewing the bottle cap I poured a free-handed double, before reaching out and handing it over. Then I stepped around him to walk to the freezer, pulling my hair out of the way and then back up into a messy bun.

I went to grab a couple of sandwich bags. “It’s a good thing I always keep ice in stock at home as well as at the bar.” I pressed my fingers into my left hand, the smarting was all but gone, the swelling would take a little longer. “I’ll live to fight another day.”-

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

Opening the bag of ice, I half filled the two bags. Stopping for a second before continuing.

“Southpaw…” There was a word I hadn’t heard since the Cullen’s had left. “Hmm… It was something Emmett pushed me on. He said it was up to us to strengthen our weaknesses. And for a right hander, it’s always the left. Make the left as strong or better, the other guy won’t know what hit him.” I turned to look at him for the first time, and my stomach did that twisting thing. -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

What was that about?

“I wouldn’t expect anything less. It’s a little telling that you need more training time. Two punches and I had you hit the ground without a stop. You need to work on that.” My eyes searched his face, looking for marks I must have left. The swelling was still visible, and I felt something in my chest knowing that I was the one to do it. ( Which was a new feeling too. )

@HotHeadSheWolf

I would have teased her any other night by asking her did she really come that often with swollen knuckles, but Seattle had been on my mind tonight and I wonder if the same was true for her. "Thanks." I took the glass.

I tilted my head at her observation... "Do I?" I asked and it wasn't rhetorical. "The reason I didn't hit back wasn't because I was off guard or too slow, Leah." I took one of the bags of ice from her and pressed it to the side on my face that was probably >

@HotHeadSheWolf
< @HotHeadSheWolf
a little swollen and bruised... but not for long. "It was because I didn't need to. You weren't going to hurt me... at least not anything to would last more than an hour. and I did knock you off your feet." I added.

She had to know that... "I don't need to defend myself from you, Leah."

@BadBoyEmbryCall

Once he took that bag from my hand, I walked back to close the door of the freezer and then went to pour myself a double, but this time it was the bourbon. He was talking to me as I worked around the kitchen.

“You did…” I agreed.

I wasn’t in the habit of lying, and he had taken me off my feet. But I wasn’t in the mood to tell him that it wouldn’t have been as easy if my mind wasn’t reeling with the action I’d just taken. And the reason for that action… -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

It had nothing to do with him. “It doesn’t mean that you give up on training yourself to be better.” It was a given, the better you became the more you needed to do to keep it up.

“Why are you always so certain that I won’t hurt you?” Picking the bag of ice up, with my glass I was walking back towards the living room to sit back down on my couch. We had some how ended up right where we started. -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

On my couch with something to cool down the swelling. Spirits. How had tonight even come to pass?

@HotHeadSheWolf

My brow raised again... That question had to be rhetorical, right? “Well, first of all... We weren’t training. Second, sometimes choosing not to fight back 𝕚𝕤 the better option. And third... I don't really understand the question.”

I pulled the ice pack away to take a sip from the glass. “There is no 𝕨𝕙𝕪 I just know you were not... The same way you know I wouldn't hurt you. You might have forgotten that for a split second once or twice tonight... But most of the time, you >

@HotHeadSheWolf
< know.”

She did know, didn't she?

I followed her to the living room and say on the couch. I didn't need a reason to trust her. I just did... I mean if she wanted reasons I could list plenty, but none of them would be 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕠𝕟 the was no singular or collective reason... It was just the way I felt.

My eyes only left her as we walked in here.

“Unless I was... For whatever reason endanger the tribe or a human... You wouldn't hurt me. It any of us... And even then, only >

@BadBoyEmbryCall

Taking a sip from the glass I set it down on the table before me. My elbows in my knees as I lent over placing the bag of ice over my knuckles. A sense of ease washed over my hand, and I took a beat before turning my head to look back at him as he joined me again on the crouch.

I took a few deep breaths, thinking of his answer. It was a round about way of saying that it was trust. Trust of knowing at the end of the day, his Beta wouldn’t harm him of the others in the pack. -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

I slipped the ice bag around looking back at it. Allowing my mind the time to adjust to everything.

I could still feel his hands on me, and how they were the same temperature as my skin. His lips on mine… Spirits that was real!

“So.. it’s about trusting your Beta right? Knowing that she would do right by you and all the pack?”

Where was I going with this? For once I didn’t know. The words were coming because this was a curve ball I didn’t see coming. I was trying to -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

Understand how I didn’t know, how I don’t see it.

“Why did you kiss me?” There.. it was said.. the elephant in the room was being addressed.

@HotHeadSheWolf
There it was again... the one thing that she kept coming back to. That she was the Beta. "Of course, I know that." I watched her ice her knuckles. the way she slipped in and out of deep thoughts.

"But that's not what I meant. I trust the girl I grew up with... that called us in our bullshit... let us get into all sorts of trouble and stopped us getting into too much trouble... And the woman she grew up to be wouldn't hurt me."

All of that was the answer to her next question >

@HotHeadSheWolf
< too... and none of it was at the same time.

"Because... things have been changing Leah, between the two of us. That has been clear for a very long time but I really didn't know why." I took a breath... i was norally prett good with words.. but finding the right words for this were. "When I was leaving here... I just..." I set the glass down and dragged my hand through my hair. "It all seemed really clear, i knew that i would regret it if I didn't turn back. Then when I >