@BadBoyEmbryCall -

Slight scent of blood still in the air, however #Jacob and #Ness had done a good job with the clean-up. I knew I would have another go at cleaning in the morning.

‘Hey, are you heading home?’ #TheKid came back into the kitchen with the used cups from the Moms.

“No. I am staying,” I told him.

‘Sis, you were at the hospital last night. Go home, shower, change, sleep. I will be here all night. I am not going anywhere. I got this.’ I knew he did. -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

But I couldn’t leave. I just couldn’t.

@HotHeadSheWolf

I looked down at my phone reading her message as I slide the rest of the lasagna back into the oven. The only reason I left any; was so mom would have food when she came home.

[𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚘𝚘. 𝙻𝚎𝚝 𝙼𝚘𝚖 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙 𝚢𝚘𝚞, 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍𝚎𝚍. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚘... 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚘𝚘. 𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚜 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚎, 𝙻𝚎𝚊𝚑.]

I cleaned my plate and glass and scrawled

𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀𝓈 𝑀𝑜𝓂, 𝐼 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊.

On the back of the note that she had written for me.... because I >

@HotHeadSheWolf
< was just as bad at the texting thing as she was.

I climbed into my Jeep and pulled out my phone again to text Leah... now that texting was on my mind.

[𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚜𝚕𝚎𝚎𝚙, 𝚃𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚎. #𝚂𝚎𝚝𝚑 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚏𝚝. 𝚂𝚕𝚎𝚎𝚙... 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝙼𝚘𝚖 𝚒𝚜 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚗𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚍. 𝚃𝚛𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚖𝚎... 𝙸'𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚝 𝚘𝚞𝚝, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚋𝚊𝚍𝚕𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙺𝚒𝚍 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚐𝚘𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜.]

Then I started the engine and made my way to the club.

@BadBoyEmbryCall

‘Who is that?’ #TheKid asked as my phone went off again. He wasn’t used to hearing the sound of my phone, which remined me to set it too silent.

“Call, I told him were keeping his mom for the night.” He nodded handing me a cup of coffee before coming to sit on the floor of the living room beside me. We sat there drinking our coffee’s before he spoke.

‘Aren’t you going to reply to ‘Bry?’ Pushing my phone towards me.

“Do I need to?” I asked with my eyes on -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

the cup in my hands.

‘Sis…’ He could feel his eyes burning into me. Picking up my phone I replied.

[𝙼𝚜 𝙲 𝚒𝚜 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚒𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚎. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚙𝚕𝚢 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙺𝚒𝚍 𝚒𝚜 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚎. 𝙽𝚘𝚠 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔. 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚎. -𝙻]

“Happy?” I pushed my phone to the far side out of the way. He turned himself around, laying down with his head in my lap.
-

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

‘I was so scared sis.’ He finally said. One hand moved to stroke his hair, listening to him. ‘When I came here, and the scent of the blood…. The… sight of it… it wasn’t so much… but… it… it was… hers….’ I felt his tears fall into my lap and soak into my jeans. ‘I… I couldn’t think… I was….’ I knew what he was trying to say.

@HotHeadSheWolf
One Republic blared through my stereo as I drove to Forks. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and I figured it was Leah. I didn’t try to reach for it while I drove. I’d reply when I got to work.

I pulled into the staff-only car park behind the club and spotted #JoeWalker’s car… he wasn’t supposed to be here today at all after swapping shifts with me yesterday. The sight distracted me enough that I didn’t stop to check the text message on my phone before I went inside to see >

@HotHeadSheWolf
< what was going on. I found him inside chatting up one of the bartenders. But he excused himself the second he saw me.

“I didn’t think you’d be here today.” I said, stuffing my keys into my pocket.

‘I just wanted to pop in and see if everything was okay.’ Joe replied. ‘What happened?’

I explained to him that my Auntie hurt herself and ended up in the hospital overnight I was helping out her kids. That ended with me needing to explain to him that on the Rez most elders were <

@HotHeadSheWolf
< Auntie and Uncle and the Chief was Uncle or Grandfather depending on your age. I told him that everything was going to be okay and that it was Mom, but she was with the family now helping out. This made Joe chuckle.

‘She’s some woman.” He said as though he knew her well. “Sick herself and still lending a hand to a friend in need.’

“That’s my Mom… I have a feeling she’ll be spending the night there.” We walked to the office together and I cocked in.

‘Will she be okay? >

@HotHeadSheWolf
< ‘Will she be okay?
Doesn’t she have meds to take?’ He asked.

“She’ll be fine Leah will make sure she has everything she needs.” I realised my slip immediately. I had only given him vague details, adding in just enough small ones to discourage too many questions.

‘Oh… This is Leah’s mother then? The lady that got hurt?’ He gave me a knowing smirk. ‘The knight in shining armour routine. Why didn’t you just tell me that on the phone.’ >

@HotHeadSheWolf
< I shook my head and laughed. “It wasn’t like that… her brother and I are close friends, he called me asking for help so I helped.”

‘So, she didn’t call you, the bother did?’ He tutted shaking his head. ‘You have so much work to do on that one, Call.’

“You’re an arsehole.” I laughed and elbowed him. “Now fuck off, it's supposed to be your night off.”

Joe finished up a few things that really could have waited until tomorrow while I started the fire check. After >

@HotHeadSheWolf
< checking the last door, I remembered my phone. I replied to Leah:

[𝙰𝚕𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚢 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎. 𝙷𝚎'𝚜 𝚊 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚔𝚒𝚍... 𝚂𝚕𝚎𝚎𝚙, 𝙲𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚠𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛.]

Then I text Seth. [𝙼𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚋𝚋𝚘𝚛𝚗 𝚜𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜 𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚜 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚜𝚕𝚎𝚎𝚙. 𝚃𝚎𝚡𝚝 𝙹𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝. 𝙷𝚎'𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍]

I had no guilt volunteering Jake’s time just like he would none volunteering mine. I would have offered up #Quil’s too if it wasn’t his night with #Bear.

@BadBoyEmbryCall

The house was quiet, the light out. The windows in the living room opened by the kid because he knew the song of the spirits would help to settle me. I didn’t need to ask, or say anything. He had just gotten up, opened them and then curled back down with his jeans on my lap.

My phone flashed on the floor beside me, with Embry’s name and message. And then #TheKid’s phone buzzed next to mine with his name and message on it. Embry Call was in his way looking out -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

for the Clearwaters. Slowly I shifted #TheKids head off my lap, and onto a pillow under him. Slipping out of the living room, listening to the two breathing waves from upstairs.

It was the best sound I could hear. Ma, #MsC and #TheKid fast sleep.

Looking at the time I went into the kitchen looking at the pain meds for Ma, taking the ones she needed to take, and then I looked over the med bag for #MsC. -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

Two glasses of water in a tray, the meds I went up softly waking them for them and then letting them go back to sleep.

I didn’t know how they did it, but this wasn’t the first time they had slept like this. It mostly happened when #MsC had bad nights. With Embry working night at the club, Ma would find reasons to stay over. Even if they lived close.

When I made my way back downstairs, I scented them outside in the back. Opening the back door, to walk to the back of Ma’s -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

yard with my hands pushed into my back pocket.

To anyone looking at me they would think I was talking to the trees, but hidden in there stood a dark, ashy-brown furred wolf. And a reddish-brown patch work furred wolf.

“She is okay pups, you shouldn’t be here. Your petrol is due to the far side of the cliffs tonight.” They whimpered and I knew why. “You can come see her tomorrow, she is asleep right now.” -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

Theirs brown eyes moved to the top floor of Ma’s home. To her window, before they both nodded, stepping back into the woods.

@HotHeadSheWolf
The hours dragged by… I mean, slow nights happened but tonight I felt like I needed to be somewhere else. It was even longer. I knew that I couldn't drag her to bed with me so that she would finally sleep, so the heat and heartbeats or whatever it was when we were together could lull her into a real sleep. But even if I could just... be there... It wouldn't be suspicious. I always made myself annoyingly present when shit like this happened.

On my break a replied to a few >

@HotHeadSheWolf
< texts from the pups telling that had dropped by and that Leah told them Auntie Sue was okay. I replied to them all saying the best thing they could do for the Clearwaters right now was to fulfil their duties and be ready to help if they were needed.

Because I couldn't help myself I text Leah while I was sitting on the loading dock getting some sir before I had to go back inside.

[𝙷𝚘𝚠 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜?]

Then added
[𝙸𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚛𝚎𝚙𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝙸'𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚎 𝚙𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚗'𝚝 >

@HotHeadSheWolf
< 𝚜𝚕𝚎𝚎𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐]

I laughed at myself. "Way send mixed signals, Call." I swigged the last of my beer and chucked my pizza box into the dumpster nearby before heading back inside to take up my least favourite post, Joe's usual role... manning the door.

@BadBoyEmbryCall

I was sat on the back porch looking up at the overcast sky when I heard his foot steps.

“Why are you awake?”

He held out my phone to me, with a small frown. ‘Why is Embry texting you this late?”

Raising my eyebrow, my chin dropped to glance at him.

“I just meant it really late.” He was back tracking now. He knew the rules. And saw walls had been coming down, but some were still up and in place.
-

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

Taking my phone I opened the text and read it. Showing #TheKid the first one.

[𝙷𝚘𝚠 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜?]

“He is checking in your mom, and his mom who I kept here tonight.”

He winced as he read the message. “That is the first and last time you are seeing any messages on my phone.” My voice told him I wasn’t kidding here.

‘So—‘ cutting him off.

“If you are about to say sorry, stop. If you used your brain to think. You wouldn’t have needed to over step.”
-

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

It wasn’t deflection, this was fact. No man was going to get away with talking to me that way. No even my baby brother.

“Go to sleep, I’ve got this watch.” I told him and watched him go back inside before closing my eyes and breathing.

Going into my phones settings I turned off message preview before replying.

[𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚋𝚘𝚝𝚑 𝚏𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚜𝚕𝚎𝚎𝚙. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚙𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗’𝚝 𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚛 𝚖𝚎.]

@HotHeadSheWolf
The night hadn't picked up much... but considering this as the one and only nightclub in Forks and the only place open after midnight; a slow night was almost at capacity and a slight queue at the door... just to lure people in. There was room inside to let these folks in with beaking fire codes... but the line outside was a hook. And one I kept moving enough to stop people from giving up and going home.

I pulled out my phone smiling and tucked it back into my pocket. There >

@HotHeadSheWolf
< was a good chance #Seth was keeping a close eye on her sister, hoping for the chance that just once she might let him look after her even if all that it entailed was staying awake s she could sleep... Maybe, someday she would let the Kid have that. Or it was possible the guys who could get away like #Jay, #Sam or #Jake would stop by. If I was texting her all night it would be a giveaway.

Plus... I knew without a doubt that even now... with everything that was happening with >

@HotHeadSheWolf
< Everything happening between us... she still was not even a little worried about m being mad at her or not. I smiled again at the thought.

One of the turn-offs of relationships for me had always been the dependency... the idea that someone's day, week or life would hinge on whether or not another was mad at them or missing them. But Leah would never be like that, she was her own compass.

I wondered then if that was why it was so easy to talk to her... I wasn't worried >

@HotHeadSheWolf
< That my sadness or stress would drag her down... or talking about a good day would be seen as self-involved because she had a bad one. She just heard me out... and then if she was so inclined... shared a little something too.

I wasn't sure how long I had been lost in those thoughts so I allowed in the next group of people.

Some nights... manning the door really wasn't that bad.

@BadBoyEmbryCall

When I finally came back inside to my spot in the living room. Sitting on the flood, With my back against Ma’s couch, and with my legs outstretched. #TheKid took his place too. His head in my lap and he turned to fact me.

He used to do it when he was much younger. Hide his face in my stomach and close his eyes. Then tell me a secret or share something that had happened to him.

Now the conversation from outside, gone. My eyes in a book that I try to read. My fingers -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

Playing with his hair. Stoking it like I did back then, not needing to think of my action until a thought came to life. I missed his hair. His long silky dark hair. He never let it grow back now. Some of the others in the pack grew theirs out a little. I had grown mine out completely. But not #TheKid.

‘Sis?’ Arms curled around a cushion as he spoke.

“Hmm?”

‘Are you alone?’

Still reading i answer “No, I’m with you.”

He sighed. ‘No. Wait. It’s not what I mean.’ -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

“Okay.”

There was silence again for a while as I turned the page.

‘Are you lonely?’ His voice is a soft whisper.

“No, I have you and Ma.” Turning the page again.

‘You know that’s not what I mean. I know you don’t like talking about … well…’

“Kid. Do you really want to hear about my sex life?”

He shuddered and shifted to sit up. Taking the book out of my hands. And then he sat crossed legged facing me.

‘1. No. And B. Not what I meant. People came be -

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

surrounded all their lives, with thousands of people , and still be lonely. Are you lonely?’

His light brown eyes were watching me.

“No. I’m not lonely. People are lonely when they can’t be happy with themselves. When they can’t have happiness in being… just being… I am not that kind of person. I am happiest when I am with my own thoughts. Why are you asking this?”

He’d never asked me it before.

‘Just…’ he shifted his tall body to lay his head back down where it was.

@HotHeadSheWolf
The night went smoothly, most nights went off with a hitch, and fights weren't common. Most of the time people were thrown out for being too drunk or too wasted. Tonight it was the usual few drunks tossed and no big hassles.

Lock-up seemed to take as long as the rest of the shift and I knew that it was because I was wondering how things were at the Clearwater's... and not just about #Sue and Mom. I wished I knew how #Seth and #Leah were too. They had both been so shaken in >

@HotHeadSheWolf
< very different ways.

I wasn't naive enough to fool myself that my concern for Leah wasn't any different than it would have been a few months ago. Then I would have thought she was fine, that she was rationalising everything and coping by managing the situation and being her usually responsible self. But now I knew better.

And yes, everything I would have thought then was true and sill was now, but there was more. So much more. She would be wrecked with guilt, thinking she >

@HotHeadSheWolf
< should have been able to stop the accident, that if she had anticipated her mother's needs better maybe she wouldn't have even gone to the shed, to begin with. All of these things were outside her control... and even if I could be with Leah now I couldn't convince her of that.

Not that I would try to... but there it was. The reason I wished I could be with her. She knew I wouldn't try and convince her not to punish herself for this... So she would voice all of it, let those >

@HotHeadSheWolf
< thoughts run free in the world and maybe... just maybe it would make things a little bit lighter. Maybe if she lay next to me with all those sounds and scents that accompanied us being together she would sleep.

Maybe.

But I knew that wasn't an option. I told myself she was fine... she was with #Seth and even though most people looked at him like he was one that needed taking care of... he was good at looking after others. He just wasn't afraid to need people too.

That >

@HotHeadSheWolf
< train of thought kept m company the whole way home.

I resisted the urge to text either of the Clearwater siblings on the way inside. The house smelled like #Bear and popcorn. there was a book on the couch that I picked up and opened to the bookmarked page...

I cringed... Some dude covered in bandages getting busy on a couch... not fourteen-year-old reading material. But I could deal with that in the morning.

I grabbed a beer and a guitar and headed out to the back porch >

@HotHeadSheWolf
< where I sat on the back step and swigged from the beer.

It was cold and dry... the clouds weren't too thick and the house was close enough to the beach to smell the salt in the air but not quite hear the waves. Home was the sound of trees and the smell of the sea for me.

I picked up the guitar and played... for the Clearwater's, for #Sue to heal quickly and for #Seth and #Leah to know that they weren't alone in this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8d-yzmIMbI

@BadBoyEmbryCall

The house was quite once again, with the moms fast asleep upstairs. (I knew because I never stopped listening to their breathing and hearts.) And #TheKid was now fast asleep with his head still in my lap.

Allowing myself to close my eyes after watching my baby brother for a long while, try to understand where his questioning came from tonight. But it didn’t make any sense to me. Somethings were never solved, I guessed this would be one for tonight.
-

@BadBoyEmbryCall -

They started to dance, and then they sang. The flurry of the wind came in from the windows I’d opened in the living too. And I knew without a doubt what and who had caused it. Embry was home, and he was playing.

It was something I started to notice since Seattle, the fact that their joy was connected to our joy, and their sadness was too. They had been a soft hum all day today, the sound of the spirits -