AEGIS ↠ EMBRY CALL [R.U]

54| SOULMATE

     On the way back to Emily's place, Reed stayed silent, not knowing how to phrase his answer to her. She could tell that he was thinking it over in his head as he bit his bottom lip, with his eyebrows furrowed, and his eyes glued to the ground as they walked. Callas had clipped the lead back onto Zeus's collar and followed, silently, behind him. Zeus still had the stick in his mouth, but definitely needed to have a bath when they got back. There was no doubt that Emily wouldn't allow him back on the sofa with clumps of wet sand stuck to his fur, or the lingering smell of sea salt from the water soaked into his paws. The walk was short. Clearly not long enough for Reed to come up with an excuse to not tell Callas whatever it was he was meant to. Back up at the house, Callas could see that Sam's truck was now there, and his passenger side door was open. The sliding doors to the house were open as well. Inside, Callas could see that Embry had returned and was talking to Jared and Quil while Paul walked back out of the house with Sam. Reed began to slow down, sighing to himself before they made it to the front of the house, just in the small area near Sam's truck. Callas was still walking behind as she caught up to his wider strides, with Zeus walking beside her, trying to chew on the stick still. Paul and Sam slowed down too, watching Reed and Callas as they approached.

"Are you planning on telling me whatever it is about Embry, that you failed to tell me on the beach, now?" Callas asked before either Paul or Sam could speak.

Reed didn't turn around but instead sighed. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"Well, you did." She forced a laugh, holding her arms out, her right hand gripping the lead tightly, waiting for him to speak before she lowered them back down to her sides. "Besides, you promised me there would be no more secrets. Quinns don't break promises, Reed. You know that."

He groaned, running his hand through his curls before looking at Sam, hoping he'd intervene. But Sam nodded, looking back at Reed. "She deserves to know," he answered finally, tilting his head at Reed.

"Yeah, I do," Callas spoke up again while the others walked back out of the house. "So, could someone inform me?"

Jared walked down the steps, holding a muffin in his hand. "About w—? Oh!" Jared mumbled to himself, stepping back as he looked between Reed and Callas. "The whole 'imprinting' issue. Ah, crap," he spoke, covering his mouth, looking at Reed with an apologetic expression, who stared at him unimpressed. "My bad."

"Imprinting? Like baby ducks?" Callas raised an eyebrow. "You guys have baby ducks? Where?"

Reed covered his face with his hands, groaning at the two of them. Jared continued, "Not that kind of imprinting." Jared shook his head, smiling at her questions.

"There's another kind?"

"Yeah."

"Well... Are you going to tell me what it is then?"

"Oh, right. Yeah. Well, maybe not me."

"Okay, so who wants to volunteer? I'll take anyone!" Callas looked at each of them, before falling her gaze upon her brother. "Reed?"

Jacob cleared his throat, being the only one to step up and explain to Callas what everyone else seemed afraid to do. "Imprinting is when we find our soulmate."

"I don't get it." Callas shook her head, still not understanding the 'imprinting' part of it all.

"Okay. Well, firstly you need to know that it's involuntary. We don't control who it happens with. Believe me."

Callas nodded. "O-Okay..."

"When one of us imprints,"—he pointed to himself and the others—"we become unconditionally bound to that person for the rest of our life."