Thanks to Team-LaPush-Werewolves, EclipseLover97, and "MEEE" (lol) for their reviews. This is another Embry-POV, not as witty as usual, but given the circumstances, I think we can forgive him. ;) Haven't written or even brainstormed for 23, I'm so behind. D: I'll post soon, though, hopefully!!

Merry reading!

22. Relief

Embry

I thought I was dreaming.

Blood was spewing from several points, including my shoulder and my leg, and my whole body was trembling. Yet there was no one around. The smell of blood was overwhelming, and I tried to stand, and failed.

Where was I? I had to get my bearings. I could hear screaming fights inside my head.

Reece snap out of it!

Ow! Crap!

What's it gonna take with this guy?

Guys back up. That voice was definitely Sam's. What was going on?

The memories of what had happened to put me in this extremely painful position suddenly hit me like a cement block. Reece was in some kind of trance. His thoughts radiated nothing but the color red, and he had easily dominated me in the fight. He'd knocked me out, and now he was after my pack. And they were losing, by the sounds of their voices. But where was I?

I felt like my eyes were open, but I couldn't see. It had to have been the lack of blood, and I tried squinting and blinking. Eventually, my eyes adjusted, and I saw the sky as a deep purple. It was almost dawn. How long had I been out? My body, I found, was leaning against wood. No, against a building. I was on the other side of Gemma's porch, in a pool of my own blood mixed with mud and snow.

For the first time in a long time, I felt cold. And not just, 'oh, hey, turn up the thermostat, my feetsies are chilly' cold; more like 'get me the hell out of this ice box' cold. I was shivering harder now, and I forced myself to my feet, only to stumble and hit my head. Ow.

Someone must have heard me, because I heard an indistinct voice in my head.

Embry? Man, are you okay? Hey, don't get up. Stay where you are. It must have been Jared. None of the other guys had a lisp like that. I couldn't stand to listen to him though. My pack, my Gemma was in danger, and I had to fight.

Embry, stay. It was my alpha, talking to me like I was actually a dog. Stay. As much as I hated it, I couldn't help but stand still. My front legs wobbled and I fell again, right on my face. I whined a little bit as I heard the clapping of wolf-on-wolf action just feet away from me.

I have to fight, I told them, though still restrained by my order, finally able from my position to watch the battle ensue from the sidelines. I watched as Gemma pounced on her own brother, Jared getting clawed, hard, in the eye, and Sam biting away at the insane wolf's legs. It was all because of me, I knew it, and I couldn't do anything to help.

How did Reece still have the upper hand against Sam, Jared and Gemma? Couldn't Sam just give him an order to back off?

I've tried, Sam told me, fighting valiantly. He can't hear me.

He's gotta be able to hear you, I retorted in disbelief.

Nope, Jared told me quaintly, just before being knocked into the side of the porch, leaving a meteor sized hole in the wood. A bright light appeared, and everyone, even Reece, began to pause. I squinted, my eyes stinging, and watched as a second jeep pulled into the gravel driveway. Who had arrived?

"What the f-" Ah. Paul. The beta. He could help. I barked in his direction, and he understood. Instantly, nearly before he exited his car, he was a wolf, lunging at Reece. He went crazy, and Gemma and Jared backed off for a bit of rest while Paul pinned him down.

Give him an order Sam, Paul told him quickly; he wouldn't be able to hold the ravenous wolf much longer.

Reece! Sam yelled in his head without hesitation. Reece cut this shit out. Now. I'm your alpha, and I said stop. The writhing body of Reece was slowly being lulled, like a child in a fit. Everyone paused, and I felt the almost magnetic push against me ease. I walked out from behind the porch to gawk along with everyone else. There was Reece, lying there in his wolf form, staring up at us like he'd just missed the bus.

What...What's going on? Paul get off me. He jerked his paws away from his beta, rising slowly to his feet. Everyone tensed, still cautious.

Is that you in there? Gemma asked softly.

Of course it's- he stopped then, when his dark eyes met mine. Red started returning back into his thoughts, and I took a step back, my hind leg snapping a twig as I did so.

Reece, stand still. Even I could feel the heat of the strong command. Sam held his ground, making sure his order was fully adhered to.

His thoughts returned back to normal once more, and we all breathed a sigh of relief. But Sam wasn't finished with him. Go change, now, before you kill someone, he spat at him before turning to me. Embry, are you okay?

I could feel myself nod, even as the pain worsened. I was standing in a pool of blood soaked snow, and before long, I was landing in it face first, watching the colors swirl around me.