Emily Young

Name: Emily Young

Date Of Birth: Late 1980s

Quileute Status: Non-Werewolf. Imprinted on by a pack member. Originally from the Makah tribe, she is Quileute on her mother's side

Hair color: Black

Eye color: Black

Physical description: Emily has long, dark hair and satiny cooper skin. One side of her mouth is distorted due to injury. She also has a trio of scars on the right side of he face from her hairline to her chin, and more scars extend down her right arm to her hands.

Education/occupation: She has graduated high school. She teaches weaving and traditional Makah and Quileute arts at the local high school and nearby community colleges.

Family members: She is a cousin of the Clearwaters. She is engaged to Sam Uley.

Personal History:

From early childhood, Emily Young and her second cousin Leah Clearwater were like sisters. They grew up together and were always best friends. Emily was involved in Leah's life, and viceversa. Emily was friends with Leah's boyfriend Sam, and approved of him. Leah did not approve of Emily's serious boyfriend as much, and Leah was right. Emily got tired of his self-absorbed behavior and broke up with him. Things like romantic interference did not come between them. After Emily dumped the narcissistic boyfriend, she dated a few boys casually. Most of her time was taken up with learning traditional native arts and languages, something she was very passionate about. She and Leah kept in constant contact.

Emily was one of the first people Leah told about Sam's disappearance. Emily stayed with Leah through the first weer, and then helped organize searches in the area around her home after her return. She shared Leah's relief when Sam came home, and then Leah's frustration when Sam wouldn't confide in her. Emily was Leah's shoulder to cry on throughout the whole experience. Busy with school, Emily was not able to visit Leah during difficult time after Sam returned, but she went to see her as soon as she could.

Sam showed up late to the Clearwaters' barbecue. Emily intended to watch him closely; she was suspicious of his recent behavior and how it would affect her cousin. Sam walked in, taller and bigger than Emily remembered, and stared right at her with an expression she couldn't define; it might have been shock, or it might have been amazement. Emily felt like Sam had something important to tell her. He began walking toward her, and she had a strange feeling that he would not keep his big secret from her as he was keeping it from Leah. But then Sam turned quickly and walked away. Emily felt oddly unsettled by Sam's behavior, though she tried to hide it. It was Leah's confusion and upset that mattered, not Emily's. That night, Sam came back for Leah. Emily expected Leah to be out for that evening, but she returned only ten minutes later, sobbing - Sam had broken up with her. Emily found herself unsurprised, though she was not sure why she felt that way. She told herself it was just a predictable consequence of Sam's bizarre behavior and silence

Emily was disturbed when she left Leah that Sunday night to head home. She told herself she was upset by her best friend's heartbreak, but she knew there was something more to it. The next day after class, Sam was waiting for Emily at her house. Emily knew she would be shocked to see him, but she wasn't; his appearance felt somehow inevitable. What he told her next also should have been surprising, but felt just as inevitable. Sam told Emily that he loved her and left Leah to be with her, Emily thought of Leah's tears and was furious. She knew she'd done nothing wrong, but knowing that Sam had chosen her over Leah made her feel guilty.She told Sam to leave. Looking tormented, Sam walked away without another word. As she watched him go, Emily felt like she'd done something wrong, though she knew it was right. She also realize that she should have told him to never come back.

She called Leah immediately to tell her, feeling horrible about what the news would do to Leah and because she felt that somehow she was betraying Sam's trust. Of course, that shouldn't matter at all. Leah was beside herself with rage, and Emily agreed that Sam was a horrible person, though deep down she had some doubts about that.

She knew Sam would return, and when he did - the next day - she was prepared. She demanded that he tell her everything, all the secrets he'd been kept from Leah. Where he'd disappeared to, and why.

She thought he would leave; instead he told her everything - that he was a shape-shifter,  that all the stories were true, that he had imprinted on her. Emily had some Ateara blood on her mother'S side, and she'd heard the myths before, but she laughed at him, surprised that he thought her so gullible. e told her he could prove it, so she led in into the forest on the outskirts of town and told him to let it show her. He did, and Emily was shaken to the core. She struggled to wrap her head around this new world of magic. though now she couldn't not doubt

 anything he told her, she knew it shouldn't change anything. He belonged to Leah, and she would not accept Sam's feelings for her. she told him to go away again, and she went home.

Emily told Leah that Sam had been back, but mentioned nothing of what had happened. Instinctively, she knew she could not betray Sam's secret. 

He returned the next day, as Emily expected. They went to the forest again. Emily decided it was her job to convince Sam to go back to Leah. Sam tried to describe what imprinting felt like, and how impossible it was for him to have a relationship with Leah under the circumstances. They were both frustrated. Sam defused the situation by telling Emily about other things - all the lore and magic that was a part of his life now. Emily couldn't hide her fascination.

They met again, several times. Emily continued to push him to forget about her and return to Leah. Sam was honest, insisting that would never happen. He continued to tell her about his new life, even bringing his two packmates to meet her. Emily was captivated by the wolves, but adamant in her purpose; Sam must return to Leah.

Emily was so wrapped up in this new world that she was unaware that others were watching her - until her mother told her that people were talking. Word had gotten back to Leah, and another cousin had called. Emily's mother didn't know what to say. She asked her daughter what she was doing. How could she treat her best friend this way? Emily was aghast. She realized that she should have refused to see Sam after that first afternoon. She couldn't explain her behavior to herself or to her mother.

Emily went to her and Sam's usual place in the woods, ashamed at the thought that they had a usual place. She admitted to herself that she had desired his company, that she thought about him too much. She acknowledged that it wasn't just about the magic - it was also Sam himself. She had betrayed Leah, and this could go on no longer. When Sam appeared after looking for her at her home, Emily was sickened to see how strongly she responded to his presence. Her anger was at herself, but she took it out on him. She ordered him to go back to Leah. It was the only thing he was able to refuse her; he still loved Leah enough that he would not act out a charade with her. That Sam's feelings for Leah were in some ways more honorable that her own infuriated Emily. She called him a liar, though she knew she was the one who was lying. She shoved him away from her. Because of Leah, she knew a great deal about Sam; she knew his most vulnerable spot. She used this knowledge, accusing him of being like his father, Joshua, a coward who ran away from his family.

Emily was pleased to see that her insult had struck home; she'd never seen Sam's face angry before. She had just a fraction of a second to enjoy that pettiness. Sam stumbled back from her, suddenly afraid. She intended to push her point; she moved toward him. he raised his hand, waving her away, but she kept on. She didn't understand what the shaking meant. Then Sam expanded into his wolf form so quickly that Emily had no time to react. His hand was close to her face; it became a huge claw that slashed her as he tried to get away from her. 

The Pain and shock sent her into unconsciousness. When she woke, Jared was there. He held her, keeping her warm so that she wouldn't go into shock. Though Emily barely knew Jared, his face was as tormented as if he held his own sister. Emily, though disoriented, realized the bond Sam felt for her through his pack mate's agony. Then Sam was there, in his huge black wolf form. Emily was surprised that there was nothing frightening at all about him. She understood clearly how the accident had happened, and tried to tell him so, but her mouth was injured and Jared discouraged her from talking. Sue Arrived, and even though she was in great deal of pain, Emily was still able to feel mortified; how much Leah's mother must hate her! But Sue's face was kind and understanding. Emily realized that Sue must understand about imprinting. She wasn't judging Emily or Sam. Sue and Paul took Emily to Neah Bay hospital. Emily went along with the story that she'd been mauled by a big bear, though she worried that this story would hurt Sam.

Sedated, Emily was still aware and surprised that Sam did not come to her immediately. Jared, however, was constantly at her side. This comforted her; she knew she was being watched over. but it was not the same as having Sam there. She realized that Sam was the one person she wanted with her. The next day, when she was more lucid, she asked Jared where Sam was. She was not surprised to hear that Sam was devastated; she had an intuitive sense of how he would react to the accident. She told Jared to send Sam to her.

When Sam entered the room, Emily could see how right she was about his mindset. He looked at her for one long moment, and then knelt at the side of her bed and asked Emily to tell him to kill himself. Emily fully realized in that moment how bound Sam was by her wishes and needs, how little free will he had outside of that, and she pitied him greatly. She told him that she wanted was for him to forgive himself, as she already forgiven him. She told the realization she had the night before.

Emily could feel that being with Sam would be a very easy thing. On the other hand, it would require a very hard thing first - she had to tell Leah. Sam asked her to wait until she was more fully recovered, and Emily agreed, though she was chickening out. Later, she wished she had acted more swiftly. When Emily did call, Leah already knew what she was going to hear. Leah refused to ever forgive her cousin. Emily felt horrible, but she knew there was nothing she could do to make things

easier for Leah.

Emily was surprised by how happy she was with Sam. She'd never dreamed of such an easy, joyful relationship. She also loved his pack; she never forget how Jared had cared for her, and she began to think of them as her younger brothers. Because few of their parents knew about their real lives, Emily took herself to care for the boys as much as possible - feeding their immense appetites, finding replacement clothes for them, giving them a place to hang out when they were keeping odd hours. She felt that in some ways, she was preserving the most important Quileute tradition of all.

When Leah joined the pack, it healed her relationship with Emily, on the surface at least. Emily knew that Leah no longer held her responsible for what had happened, but she also knew that it hurt Leah to be near Emily. Emily did her best to protect Leah from extra pain, and hoped fervently that Leah would find a way to be happy again.