The Edge

xxiv.

Emma was eager to go celebrate with the pack, but she returned home to send off the covens that had helped save their lives. Emma stood beside Renesmee, Emmett and Rosalie on the other side of the small girl. "You have a beautiful family." Zafrina bid goodbye to the young girl as she removed her hand from her face. Emma smiled down at her niece, who looked past her and toward Jacob and Edward standing a few yards away. "Should I start calling you 'dad'?" Emma heard before a wide smile lit up Jacob's face. Emma bit back a laugh, glancing away from the two and back and Renesmee, who was now smiling widely at the blonde hybrid. "Go on!" Emma dismissed Renesmee with a smile, the small girl running over to her father and imprint. Emma's phone rang loudly, and the girl quickly pulled it out of her pocket to see Embry was calling her. "Excuse me." Emma apologized to the Amazon women and stepped away from her parents. "Emma!" Embry yelled into the phone, the volume causing Emma to wince. "Yes, Em?" Emma shook her head with a smile on her face. "Paul bet me $50 bucks that I couldn't get you to come cliff diving with us. So, you should come find us at the beach!" Embry's shouting didn't seize and Emma could now pick up on the ocean waves coming in through the phone. "Paul's right, but we're wrapping up around here so maybe I'll come stop by." Emma glanced around as most of the covens had already left. "Great, see you soon!" Embry yelled before hanging up on the blonde. Emma pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at it in amusement before putting it back in her pocket with a shake of her head.

"Emma!" Alice called out from her spot on the back deck. "Yeah?" Emma called out to the pixie-like woman. "Come here." Alcie beckoned the blonde over. "What's up?" Emma walked up the stairs and stopped in front of Alice. "Are you going to the beach with the wolves?" Alice has a suspicious twinkle in her eyes. "I might, Embry just called me." Emma hesitantly admitted to the woman. "Perfect, I just bought a new swimsuit and dress that would fit you perfectly!" Alice beamed and immediately grabbed Emma's wrist. "Alice, I probably won't even go swimming." Emma complained as Alice drug her through their house. "Well, then at least you'll look the part." Alcie shrugged as she pulled Emma into her room and shoved a pile of clothes into her hands. Emma glanced down at the swimsuit and cover-up, biting her lip before sighing in defeat and walked to the bathroom to change.

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Emma pulled up to La Push Beach in her Jeep and couldn't see the wolves at first glance. Emma hopped out of the Jeep, gently shutting the door, and heading closer to the beach. As Emma's feet hit the sand she took notice of figures further down the beach. The cliff diving must have stopped as Emma took notice of the smoke coming from a fire and saw a few couples laying out around it. "Emma!" Embry's voice echoed down the beach and Emma laughed as she began walking toward the pack. Emma could see a soccer game going on with Seth and the younger shifters. Paul was sitting by the fire and smiled at her when she neared. "Finally." Embry complained to the girl as she got only a few feet away from the fire. "Wow, Embry, miss me that much?" Emma laughed as she stood beside where Paul sat on a log. "Of course, you made me miss out of 50 bucks." Embry jokingly scolded the blonde. "We both know I wasn't going to go cliff jumping anyway." Emma rolled her eyes and looked from Embry to Paul. "I told him, Em." Quil took Emma's side from the log across from Paul.

"See, this is why Quill was always my favorite." Emma joked with Embry, motioning to the other shifter. "My heart." Embry gasped, clutching his chest, and jokingly stumbling backwards. Emma shook her head and laughed when Jared walked over and stuck his foot out, sending Embry tumbling to the ground. "Now that was just rude." Embry crossed his arms from his place on the ground, glaring at Jared. "Leave the poor girl alone, she came here for Paul, not you." Jared shook his head at the shifter who remained on the ground, but there was still humor on Jared's face. "I didn't see Paul inviting her." Embry huffed as Quil picked him up from the ground. "I was giving her space; you could learn a thing or two about that." Paul retorted with a humor scoff. Emma laughed at Paul's words as the shifter stood up and wrapped his arms around Emma, pulling her into his chest. "Yeah, I need to learn personal space." Embry rolled his eyes at the couple and Emma laughed at his complaint.

"Go on a walk with me?" Paul ignored Embry's dramatics and whispered lowly in Emma's ear. "Sure." Emma glanced into Paul's eyes, letting him grab her hand. Jared handed something to Paul when Emma wasn't looking before the two began walking down the beach. Paul seemed off as the pair walked down the beach, he kept his hand stuffed in the pocket of his shorts. "Okay, what's going on?" Emma finally stopped the shifter as she grew too anxious about his odd behavior. "I'm that nervous, am I?" Paul laughed to himself as he spoke the words almost so low that he thought Emma wouldn't hear them. "Why are you nervous?" Emma furrowed her eyebrows, even more confused. "Here goes nothing." Paul took a deep breath as he heard the shifters all go silent on the other end of the beach. "Emma Grace Hale, standing alongside you, facing impending doom, made me realize one thing. I love you." Paul took his hand out of his pocket for a second, grabbing Emma's other hand with his. "I love you too." Emma smiled softly, hearing the words spoken for the first time. "I knew from the moment I met you that we were destined to be together. It may have taken me awhile to grasp the reason that the ancestors chose you for me, but I understand now. Emma, your spirit is as fiery as my temper, and no one's ever made me feel as calm as you do." Paul took another deep breath as he spilled his guts to the blonde.

"We may not always see eye to eye, but I think that makes me love you more. You challenge me to look at life in a whole different way." Paul glanced past Emma, Jared and Embry now hiding behind a nearby tree with a camera. Emma glanced back and saw the two shifters quickly duck down and away from her view. Emma furrowed her eyebrows but ignored the pair and looked back to Paul as he let go of her hand again. "Emma Grace Hale, I've never felt grateful for being a spirit warrior until I met you. Because I will phase every day if it means living the rest of our lives together." Paul pulled a small rectangular box out of his pocket. "So, would you do me the honor of marrying me?" Paul questioned as he leaned down on one knee, opening the small box. Emma blinked in shock, glancing down at the ring that sparkled in the daylight. The band was simple, silver with a small oval diamond in the center, it was perfect.

"This is where you respond!" Embry yelled out to his best friend with a giant grin of his face as he was now openly recording the scene. Emma glanced over at Embry, shaking her head and Paul's face grew worried. "Yes." Emma then came out of her shock. "Yes, I will marry you." Emma let a small laugh escape her lips and Paul let out a huge sigh of relief. "Oh, thank God." Paul laughed as he pulled the ring out of the box, setting the box of the sand, and slowly slipped the ring on her finger. Emma flexed her hand, looking at the small band. Paul stood up and the blonde quickly pulled the shifter into a kiss, wolf whistles being head in the background. "This is why Alice forced me to wear a dress." Emma realized as she pulled away from the kiss. "I couldn't escape telling her my plan after asking for your parents' permission." Paul laughed as he looked at his imprint in awe. "Oh my, how did that go?" Emma's eyes widened. "Absolutely terrifying." Paul admitted honestly causing Emma to laugh again.