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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: SILVER TONGUE
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MAE SLEPT SOUNDLESSLY FOR the rest of the night, only waking up once to vomit in a bucket and shout the word vampire with wide, frenzied eyes. Then she fell back to sleep again and stayed that way. She was so quiet, so motionless on Sam and Emily's couch that Maggie wondered sometimes if the lack of oxygen from earlier really had killed her. Then, just when she was beginning to worry, Mae would let out a snore or mumble something incoherent and Maggie's heart would find a second of peace.
Miraculously, she'd managed to avoid speaking to Paul thus far. Truth be known, she didn't know what to say, though Paul, to give him credit, seemed intent on filling the silence for her. Even when Sam put him and Jared back on patrol, Paul shot one last determined look in Maggie's direction before abiding, a look that promised a discussion when he got back.
As it so happened, that discussion was one everyone needed to be a part of.
"We have to tell her," Maggie insisted the moment Sam gathered everyone out on the porch. By her, she meant Mae, who was still asleep inside, or so everyone believed. Maggie scowled when no one immediately agreed with her. Were they out of their minds? They had no other options anymore. "Guys, she sawVictoria. Not to mention she saw you. It's not fair to keep her in the dark anymore!"
Sam sighed, running a hand down the side of his tired face. Tired was an understatement, in actuality, for all of them. The pack was exhausted, struggling with the limitations of their bodies and what they as shape-shifters had promised La Push when they first phased. "It's Embry's choice, Maggie," Sam said much to Maggie's disbelief. The so-called leader of the pack, for once, was not making everyone else's choices for them. Sam Uley really did pick his times. "And he doesn't want--"
"Who cares what he wants?" she snapped then, red hot frustration bubbling in her throat, spewing over before she could think twice. She felt Paul's gaze locked on the side of her face, disapproving, but Maggie ignored him. "Embry, I'm sorry, but you've had plenty of time, and now look what's happened. Paul told me when he needed to, so why can't you do the same for Mae?"
The anger left as quick as it came when Embry stayed quiet, his head bowed, eyes red-rimmed and guilt-ridden. After a tense moment, he went to speak, to defend himself, but was cut off by Jacob suddenly throwing out a hand in front of him. He was staring at the door behind Embry, deep in thought.
"Guys, we've got company," he said, nudging past Embry to push the door open.
Mae was staring back at them on the other side, wide-eyed and shaking like a leaf. To give her credit, she tried her best to seem confident and unbothered, but every movement of her head made her wince as pain rippled through the bruise on her throat. She swayed on the spot when Sam lurched towards her, but quickly burst into motion when he reached for her arm.
