@BadBoyEmbryCall

“I’m never good with other’s opinions, and it’s why they know better than to give them to me. But, if we faced facts…”

My eyes dropped to our hands again as I spoke, and then they lifted to meet his. Stilling as he brought his fingers to push strands of my hair behind my ear.

“They will have something to say.” The pack, the imprints, the tribe, they would all have something to add. Good, bad or ugly.

My mouth worked, and then my lips dropped open. Tilting my head into -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

His touch, as my mind worked over his next rule. And that was ingenious. “So, we only say See You Soon, and if this all gets too much… then Goodbye is our code to say how we feel?”

I was nodding my head, this was slowly making sense and that was shocking. “I like that. And I can agree to it.”

He was truly working to build a foundation here? Giving me the rules I needed to hold onto.

“Okay, here’s one need too. If we are going to keep this to ourselves… -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

No PDA where we can be seen.” Rubbing my hands over my thighs. “And definitely not on the Rez. Or around the pups or anyone from the pack.”

I didn’t do well with being touched as it was, he’d felt the brunt of that in the night a few times.

@HotHeadSheWolf
"No one else's opinion matters, only mine and yours. But, you are right... Everyone would have something to say and I only care about what you want to say. "That works." and then I smiled a little teasingly... "Or a promise for the next time we're alone together.

my fingers stilled on her cheek when she said the next rule. Of course, I realised this wasn't public... but still. I was overdoing it, I thought bout the at few minutes of our conversation... I had been touching >

@BadBoyEmbryCall

This time I was the one reaching out. My hand placed in over his mouth. It wasn’t that I didn’t know about my Beauty, it was a gift from the spirits for the pack. We all turned heads, and we weren’t shy about it. ( Well, maybe Quil and Collin a little. )

The guys made the most of it, and I wasn’t one to back down or underplay my looks.

But hearing him say it, here and now, it made my stomach come to life with something that never lived in there before. My mouth drying up,-

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

At hearing him with the burning in my veins moving up the side of my neck didn’t help.

“Could you stop that. You saying so many things, flirting, you knew would earn you a smack down.” He understood what he was doing, but then I hadn’t stopped him.

“I promised not to hit you, but you don’t have to push me to it.”

@HotHeadSheWolf
There was a sudden and unusual urge to kiss her fingers when she placed them over my mouth. But it figured it was one I should resist... this time. That kind of affection had never appealed to me before... But a whole lot of first had happened here tonight and I had rolled with all of them until now.

I laughed though, she thought I was flirting... and now that I stopped to think about it... I hadn't. Nothing I had down tonight had been flirting... flirting had an intent, >

@HotHeadSheWolf
<
a goal.

When I kissed her I didn't have winning her as some prize on my mind, just a burning unanswered question. When I touch her it wasn't motivated by anything goals in mind, I wasn't trying to get her into bed, or even trying to get her to kiss me again. I just wanted to feel the heat of her skin, learn the strength she had there.

Even the places I had touched her. Her hands, her arms, her face. Not exactly the parts of the female anatomy I normally favoured. I smiled >

@HotHeadSheWolf
<
"You thought I was flirting?" My eyes met hers. "That wasn't..." I paused. "This will probably earn me a slap... but that..." And now the right words failed me? Perfect!

"That was all for me. I have so many questions in my head right now that can't be asked or answered out loud. I know that you have all the answers... I was just searching... and thinking out loud."

I tilted my head and smirked. "But those were some epic lines...
I should write them down."

@BadBoyEmbryCall

I dropped my hand when he started to look at me In that way. Like there was more to the story and I was in the dark. That was a feeling that I wasn’t going to get used to. The not knowing was what was causing me to think about running. But the fact that the spirits were keeping me grounded meant that I stayed to find the answers.

Biting the inside of my cheeks, I shook my head. “You think I have the answers? Really?” -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

Spirits maybe my composure was holding strong that I first through.

But I had to press my lips together, and then sit on my hands. Reminding myself I had given my word.

“For you? Telling me that I’m beautiful is for you? Telling me that my eyes are incredible and my skin is flawless… was for you?”

Tilting my head to the other side. Because he was doing something, maybe flirting was the wrong word. -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

“Do you forget that I’ve watched you play the bar for years?” His words were his tools.

Rolling my eyes at him when he spoke about his one liners. “Sure, write a book. Help others do better when they are doing this thing.”

Shaking my head. “Shall we get back on track here? We were working on the rules.” This time I pushed up to stand. Sitting still next to him wasn’t helping.

@HotHeadSheWolf
I smiled again. "I don't think that you 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨 the answers... Just that they are in there and I'll find them if I look in the right places."

I sounded like a fortune cookie... but also knew that to be true. I tilted my head to the side, my eyes following her.

"Exactly! You've seen me in action... and have you heard me tell a woman she was beautiful... or breathtaking? Or even notice her eyes never mind commenting on them?"

I laughed again. "You need more rules? >

@BadBoyEmbryCall

“That’s what you’ve been doing all this time when you look at me like… well… like you’re looking for a way in?”

Crossing my arms over my chest, and my eyebrows pulled together. It would make sense. All those time I’d caught his eyes on me, he was searching for something.

Holding my index finger in the air, my words locked up on my lips. I was going to say I had, but as I went through the memories of him chatting girls up, their eyes, or their beauty -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

weren’t his go to. And as I thought about it.

“Didn’t you say you didn’t like touching a woman’s hair? That it was too personal for you?”

The question out before the thought was finished. He’d not stopped touching my hair tonight.

Rubbing my temple where he has placed kisses too. Something else I was sure neither of us did.

“I don’t know, rules are there to cover the base, to help us/ you.. not get your arse kicked. Thing like…” -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

I glanced around the living room, at him and then out towards the door.

“You walked here last night didn’t you? What if you drive or ride here, or I do to yours? Wouldn’t people see and wonder why?”

Rules made sure the world knew where they stood. They were a good thing to set.

@HotHeadSheWolf
I nodded and was suddenly wary that maybe I shouldn't be doing that... "Um... yeah I guess. Normally your pretty had to read. But you normally say what you mean and do whatever you say you're going to...But lately..." I shrugged not really sure where to take this. "There's just... more... like the layers are peeling back.

I laughed softly... she was right, I had told her that. It was something I avoided. "Yeah... Girls think its affectionate, and then they start >

@HotHeadSheWolf
< that 'I never met anyone like you talk and that makes the getting up and leaving a lot more awkward."

I wanted to close the distance between us already... Spirits! I wanted to kiss her again... it felt like far too long had passed since I kissed her. I nodded when she asked if I walked. "I didn't want to wake the pups ups... but you have a point. And it's not a very long walk. And you are people would talk..." I stopped myself from saying about my jeep parked outside >

@BadBoyEmbryCall

I was hard to read because I liked it that way. The only people who saw into the first layer were Ma and Seth, and then there was Ms C. Call’s Mom had broken her way into that level years ago, and she refused to leave. And now her son was the first in years to have some how managed to do the same.

Biting on the inside of my cheeks, I let those thoughts settle for a moment before listening to him ramble about the girls he took home.
-

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

“Well you don’t have to worry about those talks here… I’ve seen plenty of guys like you. I’m kind of surrounded by them on a daily bases.”

It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the full truth. Nobody in the pack had done what Embry Call had. He’d looked when others didn’t. And for some reason that make my stomach do that twisting thing again.

“You and I both know too well how much this tribe likes to talk.” Raising my eyebrow I shook my head.
-

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

Not wanting to bring up his last scandal with the so called married woman. Seth and I hadn’t paid it any attention. Spirits I hadn’t even brought it up. Because it was none of anyone’s business. And he knew all about what was said about me.

“Hmm… Yeah… We are sitting on six right now.” Was that too much? Or was it not enough?

@HotHeadSheWolf
I wanted to tell her that this wasn't like any of that. This wasn't like anything thing I had ever done or felt before.

"I'm not worried, Leah..." and the feeling of saying that out loud made me smile because it brought on the next thought that I voiced. "But I'm leaving either..." I bite my and laughed because it was insane! And I liked it. "I mean I will have to at some stage... But I'm really hoping this list of rules means you want me to come back." What other purpose >

@HotHeadSheWolf < would they serve? Right?

We had both been on the wrong end of rumours and small-town mentality before... it just that more often than not mine were mostly true... just with a few embellishments.

"Okay then... so... we are both new to this whole thing, right? What about... No walking away from each other in a disagreement? Neither of us is great with unresolved conflict... I mean look at what happened tonight because I didn't step up and tell Jake how I felt." I added. I >

@BadBoyEmbryCall

Why was it so obvious now that he was trying to give me what I needed? When I took the time to take him in, I could now see and notice those small bites to his lips, the way his eyes lit up or grew a little dull depending on what he was saying.

There were those small movements and the way he took his time to consider what was being said. This wasn’t the Embry Call I knew before.

The spirits story came to mind, when they told me about his journey and -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

how I was to help by letting him spread his wings. This was Embry Call now spreading his wings? And the Spirits couldn’t have giving me a heads up about this? About how we would be here today?

“Hmm?” What did he say about not being worried? “Do I need to reintroduce you to myself? I mean…” I pointed behind me to the spot where I knocked his arse to the ground. “You’re not leaving and your not worried?”

Shifting on my feet, -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

I stepped forward to sit back down but stopped at his next question. Did I want him to come back. “Like you haven’t been yo-yoing your way back to my door as it is.”

Taking a seat now, I rubbed my hands over my thighs. “No leaving on a fight?” Didn’t that mean… “So, you’re planning on fighting and sticking around for the aftermath too?” Spirits that was a good rule. One you should have no matter what. -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

“I can agree on that… that’s rule seven…. And I have one.” The thought a oh fighting brought it to mind.

“If one of us sees the other knocked on their arse with the pack…. We will have faith that we can deal with it. Pack first. Keep your head in the right place. So, we will always reach a hand out, to pick the other up. But have the faith to know we can handle ourselves when it matters.”

@HotHeadSheWolf
She was looking at me now like she was looking for a way in. and I tried to think like when there was nothing in my head I needed to hide... the way I had been able to after Jake helped me lock away those pieces of my life. Like I had before I strayed off of the Spirit's path.

"I'm not saying I'm totally naive here. I know I 𝕤𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 be worried but... I just..._ I shrugged. "I'm just not." I knew what I was feeling but I was fairly certain saying so would have her shoving me >

@HotHeadSheWolf
< out the door.

I was excited, there was electricity in the air, I was hopeful. I was on the right path... I just knew it. "I spent a year doing that with Mom because I couldn't tell her the truth... I resented lying all the time. So I would just leave. I don't want to do that again..." I chewed on my lip. "With anyone."

Her next words made me beam... I flashed back to the cliffs and Leah taking my hand. I stepped closer to her now. "Now that one... I like." I held >

@BadBoyEmbryCall

Something hard hit me in my chest. The air was still a smooth breeze in the space around me, so I knew it wasn’t the spirits.

I knew when I felt it, but to acknowledge it wasn’t easy for me. My eyes drifted to the wall for a moment as the memory of Ms. C, overhearing the conversations with Ma. And the pain she has gone through. And then on the other hand, hearing or seeing those fights from Embry’s point of view too.

“I always respected you for taking that stand. -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

For wanting to protect your mom from knowing.” This wasn’t a lie, I saw the look in Ma’s eyes. When she didn’t know if she was going to see her kids ever again. Knowing what was out there to hurt people. And how different it could have been, if I could protect her from it all.

My eyes were back on him up on hearing the excitement in his voice. I raised my eyebrow at the outstretched hand. A memory from the cliff playing now.

“Eight is always the magic number for our -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

People.” For so many reasons. My eyes were on his, the hand still there between us. My heart did that stop and start thing again and my face burnt.

Rubbing my hand on my thigh, before I finally lifted it and placed it on his. “Eight is the number.”

@HotHeadSheWolf
I could tell she was deep in thought too. "Sometimes I wonder if what I did was worse... the not knowing... the imagined evils that I could have harmed me... Not knowing how strong I was." I shook my head. "But regrets ground us in the past. We're supposed to change direction not turn back." That was something Harry had told me... Spirit's... how many years ago?

"Eight it is." I smiled and closed my hand around hers. "Still warm." I muttered ridiculously... but it was >

@HotHeadSheWolf < baffling to me.

My eye's moved from our hands and to her captivating rich, brown gaze. My heart stumbled a few beats. I lightly squeezed her hand and my tongue swept over my lips. "Can I kiss you again?" I asked... not ashamed to let a hint of pleading into my voice because I needed to... how was it was that possible? It really only been minutes but craved it like the air after underwater too long.