A/N: This story takes place during Eclipse, right after the fight with the newborns. That's about all it has in common with the original storyline. Not much is known about Embry Call, and so I invented a life for him. In writing my first story, "Full Moon," I had a lot of fun putting words in Embry's mouth. It made me want to know more about him. Some of the things in this story parallel Full Moon, but just some. Please review and let me know what you think!

CHAPTER 1

Embry POV:

Being a werewolf was actually pretty cool – most of the time. But lately, I was exhausted, and I never had time for any of the babes I was chasing! I let out a huge yawn and stretched. I looked around the back yard at the rest of the pack. It's amazing how similar we all looked: tall, buff, short cropped black hair. I still wore mine a little longer than everyone else. I loved being the rebel. There were now eight of us all together. Seven guys and one girl. That one girl freaked everyone out. There had never been a female werewolf before Leah. Everyone looked just as tired as I felt. We had just taken out a shitload of newborn vampires a few days ago, and we were still running patrols in case there were more around. Killing vampires – now that was the coolest part of being a werewolf. And the whole reason we existed.

Our Alpha and fearless leader, Sam Uley, went on, "We are going to continue patrolling around the clock for awhile to make sure all of these fucking bloodsuckers are gone. Embry and Quil, you take the outside perimeter, Jared and Leah, you take the inside. I'll send teams to relieve you in four hours. Go!"

Are you shitting me? Man, I'm so tired now! When do I get a fucking break? But, an Alpha's orders cannot be ignored, so Quil, Jared and I got up and trotted off toward the woods. Leah, went off on her own to undress and phase. I guess she was still a little shy. Us guys had gotten used to the naked part. Didn't make any difference to us. We took off our shoes and left them in the small wooden box that Sam had built for us to do that. Shoes were too expensive to keep buying when you blew them apart by phasing on the fly. We stripped our shorts off and tied them to our ankles with the cord we kept there for just that purpose.

"Come on, let's get this over with. I'm beat!" I told Quil. We took off and phased into our wolf bodies on the run. I'll never stop being amazed at how that feels. I loved running through the woods, flying at speeds I could only imagine before I became a wolf. It was such a rush! To feel so strong. I would enjoy it more if I weren't so tired.

We ran the patrol route around the reservation and found nothing out of the ordinary. No vampires. At least not ones we could kill. We ran down the treaty line and picked up a couple of the Cullens, who were also patrolling for any newborns. They stayed on their side of the line, and we stayed on ours. Many years ago, our ancestors made a treaty with the Cullens, the bloodsucker family that lived here. We wouldn't kill them as long as they didn't bite into any humans. The Cullens were different. They lived on animal blood, not human. They still freaked me out, but we had fought side by side against the newborn gang of vampires that came here, and they kicked some serious ass! So, they were OK with me, but I didn't really want to be pals with them or anything.

Sam and Paul showed up to relieve us. Bout time! We gave Sam our report and took off.

Quil and I headed home for some long overdue sleep. We stopped by Sam's backyard to pick up our shoes then phased into human form, pulled on our shorts and climbed into my old beater to drive to Quil's. Since it was still the middle of the night, I was heading home with Quil to crash. It was so much easier for Quil because his parents knew our secret. Qui Atera was like tribe royalty, just like Sam and my best friend Jacob Black. My mom didn't know, so I got pretty sick of her ragging on me for being out all hours of the night, and sleeping all day. My grades weren't the best, either. It was hard to keep up when you were exhausted all the time. I was trying hard just to finish the 11th grade.

We got to Quil's and I walked directly over to the couch and crashed. "Oh man, I can't remember ever being so damn tired," I said to Quil.

He threw me a pillow and said, "Yea, me either. Night, dude," Quil said as he headed to his room.

"Night." I was exhausted. I tried to get comfortable, but it wasn't easy to fold my huge body onto such a small couch. I closed my eyes and, even though I was completely exhausted, as usual, I laid there and let my mind wonder yet again who my dad was. I never knew him. My mom moved to this reservation when she was pregnant with me. It had always been just her and me. Every night for as long as I can remember, I always thought about my dad before I went to sleep. When I was a kid, I used to talk to him. I'd tell him about what happened that day at school, or how I wished he was here to take me fishing, or play ball in the backyard. As I got older, I just wondered who the hell he was. I finally got up enough guts to go to my mom when I was 11 to ask her to tell me his name.

"Why do you need to know? Aren't I enough for you, Embry Call? Don't I give you food to eat, and a house to live in?" she had said angrily.

"Yea, Mom. But I just need to know who he is. I want to know who I come from. Please, Mom?"

"I can't Embry. Don't you get it? Don't ask me again!" she screamed at me.

At first, I was scared to ask again. Then, later, I was too pissed. I figured maybe she couldn't tell me cause she didn't know. Bastard. It was an ugly word, but it's what I was. I was used to it by now.

"Good night, Dad – whoever you are." I finally let exhaustion take me into a deep sleep.

"Hey, wake up," Quil said as he smacked my arm. "Come on, Em."

"Mmmmm, come on, just a little longer, mmkay?" I rolled over and hid my face in the back of the couch.

Just then my stomach growled. Man, when was the last time I ate? I couldn't remember, so it had been way too long. Another thing about being a werewolf, you're always hungry. I rolled over and sat up. I ran my hands over my hair and decided I had to pee. I got up and went to the bathroom then decided to jump in the shower to help me wake up. I stripped my shorts off and climbed into the shower and let the water run over me. I needed to go home and get some clean clothes. Mom would be at work by now, so I wouldn't have to see the shame and disappointment in her eyes when she looked at me coming in the door after being out all night. Things would be easier if I could just tell her what I was. But I couldn't. Werewolf rules: We couldn't tell anyone.

I finished my shower and pulled my clothes back on. I brushed my teeth with the toothbrush I kept here. I walked out of the bathroom and found Quil rummaging in the kitchen for food. He found a box of Pop-Tarts and took out a pack. "Hey, got one of those for me?" I asked.

"Sure," he answered as he tossed one to me. I opened the pack and bit the first one in half. "Sorry – this is all we got. Maybe we should head over to Emily's for real food," he said with a smile.

I nodded and we took off. I had an old beat up truck that I had pieced together with parts from the junk yard. Jake had mad mechanic skills, so he helped. Jake and I knew this old guy who ran a garage. He told me I could have this old truck if I could get it running. I never walk away from a challenge. So, I worked on it, with Jake's help, and now it was mine. Quil and I jumped into the truck and headed to Sam and Emily's.

We found Seth Clearwater, Leah's brother, on the way, so he hopped in the back of the truck and rode with us. We pulled up to Sam and Emily's, got out and walked in the open front door. This was kind our pack hangout, so the door was usually open.

"Hey boys!" Emily called out as we walked in. "I know, you're hungry. Sit down. I am just taking some blueberry muffins out of the oven." We sat down at the table and waited.

Emily was Sam's fiancé. She was always in the kitchen, baking or cooking. She loved to mother all of us, and we certainly didn't mind. She recently found out that she was pregnant! Now she would be a mom for real. I was happy for her and Sam. They loved each other so much – so much that it gagged all of us really. Especially since when we were in wolf form we could hear each other's thoughts – all of them! Sam got a little x-rated sometimes and it was hard to be around Emily at first. But he was doing better screening his thoughts, and we all kind of got used to it. All of us that is except for Leah.

She was crushed when Sam imprinted on Emily. Leah and Sam had been high school sweethearts, until he met Leah's cousin, Emily. He imprinted on Emily instantly and that was that. Imprinting is another werewolf thing. It's our way of choosing a mate for life, or some shit like that. We all keep hoping that Leah will get over it. No one wants to patrol with her. Her thoughts are poisonous. She was filled with so much hurt and rage. It was painful to be around her. She never came over here to hang out like we did. She only showed up when she had to.

Emily brought a basket of muffins over and put them on the table. "Dig in, but save some for Sam!"

Just as I was biting into my first muffin, Jake walked in . . . with Bella Swan! What was she doing here with him? I thought she had decided to become a bloodsucker like her sick boyfriend? Bella was engaged to Edward Cullen, the bloodsucker. It killed Jacob because he had been in love with her for like, well forever.

"Hey guys!" Jake called out. "Hey, Emily, is Sam here? I really need to talk to him."

"Yea, he's out back. Here! Take a muffin for you and Sam before your brothers eat them all," she said as she tossed a couple of muffins to Jake.

"Thanks," he called out as he headed down the hall.

"Hey, Bella," Seth said. "Want a muffin?" He held one out to her.

"Yea, sure. Thanks," she said quietly. Seth pushed a chair out for her beside him and she sat down.

"What's up, Bella? What are doing here with Jake? Where's your bloodsucker?" Quil asked. Quil didn't trust Bella. She ran with the Cullens. To him a bloodsucker was a bloodsucker, no matter whose blood they drank. Bella looked at Quil and said, "I'm not with Edward anymore. I just couldn't . . . um, I didn't want to . . ." her voice faded as she looked down at her muffin.

"It's OK, Bella. You don't have to talk about it," Seth said. He was really close to Jake and Bella. He even struck up a strange friendship with Bella's vampire boyfriend, Edward Cullen. He wasn't popular for that decision.

"Oh quit being such a suck-up, Seth! Let her talk," Quil said angrily.

Seth shot him a look.

"It's OK, Seth," Bella said as she put her hand on his arm. "Look, Quil. I'm with Jake now. I know it doesn't make sense to you, but I have loved Jake for a long time. I just didn't realize how much until, well, until he got hurt during the fight. I spent a lot of time thinking recently and I realized that I can't be . . . a part of that world. I gave Edward his ring back. I love Jake, and I won't live without him. That's it. I'm not going to change my mind," she finished.

"Hmph," Quil snorted.

Jake got hurt pretty bad in the big fight we had just had with the newborn vampires. We had taken out around 20 vampires that day. It was fucking awesome actually! Jake had the whole right side of his body crushed in that fight. Even though we heal very fast, he was just now walking again.

I stood up and went over to Bella. I knew how much Jake had always loved her. Since they were kids. Their dads were best friends, and so Jake and Bella had known each other a long time. I pulled her up out of her chair and picked her up into a big bear hug. "It's about fucking time, Bella! So you decided you like a little fur with your fang, huh?"

Bella laughed. "God, Embry, that's awful!" I laughed too and picked her up and twirled her around then set her down.

Jake came back into the kitchen. I still had my arms around Bella.

"What the hell, Embry? I leave the room for one minute and you're trying to steal my woman?" Jake shouted with a smile.

"Hey, bro. We all know who the ladies prefer," I said back to him.

Bella shoved me and walked over to Jake. He put his arm around her. "I just told them that I was with you now. I guess Embry was showing his approval," Bella explained.

"You guys might as well know, I imprinted this morning. On Bella," he said as he looked at her with a smile. He pulled her closer to him.

"What? Why now?" Quil asked. "I mean, Sam and I imprinted the first time we saw our girls, and Jared right after he phased for the first time."

"Yea, I don't know and I don't care. All I know is that it happened. FINALLY!" Jake said. "Sam thinks it might have something to do with me being the true Alpha, or whatever. Because the first Alpha got to choose his mate."

"So does that mean you're gonna be Alpha now?" Quil asked.

"No, not yet," Jake said quietly. That was a touchy subject with Jake. He really didn't embrace the whole werewolf thing like the rest of us did.

Sam walked in and went over to Emily. He pulled her close and kissed her. "So, Jake tell you the news?"

Emily nodded. "He just did." Emily walked over to Bella and hugged her. She pulled back and said, "I'm so glad you'll be a wolf girl instead of a vampire girl!"

"Thanks, Emily," Bella replied.

"God, I need to find me a woman. You guys are all making me sick!" I shouted.

They all laughed.

"Yea, well, just for that, you are patrolling with Leah tonight," Sam said. "Paul and Jared need a break, man."

"Me and my big mouth," I muttered. "Yea, sure. OK. What time?"

"Six o'clock," he answered.

"You know, you're really killing my love life," I whined.

"Suck it up, Embry. We all have to make sacrifices," Sam said sternly.

"Yea, yea. I get it." I went over to the table and picked up another muffin. "Come on, bro. I'm heading out," I said to Quil. He nodded and stood up. "Thanks for the breakfast, Em," I said.

"Sure, Embry. Be good!" she said with a smile.

"Later, dudes," I said as I walked out the front door. Quil followed.

We got in the truck and I drove him to his house. He got out and I headed for home. I pulled up to our little house on the edge of LaPush. It was pretty small, and kind of dumpy. Mom made just enough at her job at a factory in Forks to keep us living here. I wanted to get a job, but what job can you get when you never get enough sleep and have to leave at a moment's notice to kill a vampire? Besides, my mom insisted that I finish school. She really wanted me to graduate. Maybe I could find something for the summer as soon as school was out. That was only another couple of weeks.

I went in and plopped down on the couch. Man, I was still beat. I could use a nap. Good thing it was Sunday. I laid back on the couch and was out in no time.