The Alpha's Ex

by empilry

Summary:

Bella Swan joins the Quileute wolf pack days after moving to Forks. When she imprints on Leah Clearwater, everything gets complicated. [AU]

Chapter 1: Legendary Forest

“How was school today, Bells?” Charlie asked when he sat down for dinner with his daughter. 

“The kids are all nice,” Bella began, reflecting on her first day at the school in Forks. It was an awkward time to move, in the middle of her senior year, but she was trying to make the best of it. “The worst part was the smell. The entire school building smells terrible. It smelled like some sort of scented bleach.”

“Bleach?” Charlie had been to the school last week to complete the paperwork for Bella's enrollment. He hadn't smelled bleach.

“Yeah, every classroom, some worse than others. Biology class was the worst.”

“Huh.” Charlie hadn't been to the classrooms, just the office. He tried to think of an explanation. “How far away is the biology classroom from the chemistry classroom?”

“I'm pretty sure they're right next door to each other,” Bella said, refilling her plate. Her appetite had been ravenous since moving to Forks.

“So maybe there was a spill. It's a pretty small school. It wouldn't take much for such a strong smell to spread through the whole school.”

“Maybe you're right.” Bella wasn't sure. It smelled so strong.

“I always had a keen sense of smell.” Charlie continued. “I bet you got it from me. It's a curse a lot of the time, being able to smell when anyone has stepped in dog crap. But it's come in handy as a cop more than a few times.”

“None of the other kids seemed to notice the smell except one kid in biology class.” Bella remembered the disgusted look on Edward Cullen’s face. That was the kid in biology class who was covering his nose right alongside Bella.

“So he's probably got a keen sense of smell too.”

“Yeah… so how has it helped you as a cop?”

“Oh, I can smell pot on people and in houses, and I can sniff out cash too. Have you ever noticed that cash has a unique smell?”

“I haven't really dealt in large quantities of cash, dad,” Bella said with a half smile.

Charlie pulled out a roll of money from his pocket. “Take a whiff. What does it smell like to you?”

Bella opened the roll and fanned out the bills, inhaling the aroma. “Leather… smoke… body odors… assorted chemicals… old t-shirts?”

Charlie smiled and took the money from her. As he rolled it up, he said, “Yep, you got it from me. Most people just say paper.”

Bella smiled back. She was grateful that her dad let her move in with such short notice. She didn't actually expect that they'd have anything in common. 

After Bella finished her fourth plate of dinner, she decided to sit down and look through her homework. There was a lot of homework.

Bella’s mind kept wandering back to that bleach smell. When did the bleach spill even happen? What if it was old and they just couldn't get the smell out? Was it going to smell like that every day until she graduated?

Thinking about it made her angry. She was getting so angry. She couldn’t concentrate on her homework through the haze of rage.

She went outside for some fresh air. A walk would do some good. Fresh air might clear the whole thing out of her system. 

As she walked through the moonlit woods, she got a distinct feeling that there was something maybe magical about this land. The moss covered trees looked like the setting of the legends. Her grandma used to tell her stories about magical people who could change shape, turning into wolves whenever they needed to. She always pictured those legends taking place in a forest just like this.

Bella Swan did not realize that she had wandered onto land that had once belonged to the Quileute people.

The world around Bella started to shimmer. She felt her body vibrate, then shake violently. The crack of her breaking bones startled her as her body twisted into a new shape. 

Bella howled into the moonlit forest.

“Who is there?” A deep voice asked inside her head. 

She looked around. Bella could see no one. She was much warmer than she had been, comfortable for the first time since she moved to Forks. It was like the heat of Phoenix had followed her, now blanketing her in warmth. 

The voice came back a minute later. Now it almost sounded like a song. “ Who is there?” It repeated.

Bella had not planned to interact with crazy voices in her head, or with magical shapeshifters if they were here. Yet she answered the voice against her will. “I am Bella Swan.” 

She looked around again, trying to find the source of the voice. Bella expected to see eyes glowing, reflecting the moonlight. She saw nothing but the forest.

The voice spoke again. “ Charlie Swan's daughter?”  

She did not feel compelled to answer this time, but she did anyway. She was curious who this voice belonged to. It seemed powerful. “ Yes.”

“Where are you now?” 

Bella looked around, trying to describe where she was. “ Not too far from my dad's house. I went for a walk. Who are you?”  

“I'm on my way. My name is Sam Uley. I'm coming to help.” 

Coming to help? Bella didn't think she was in any danger. Unless there really were magical people. Could they be dangerous? Could they have trapped her somehow? 

She looked down at her body to see if she was being restrained or something. Her body had vanished. 

On the ground were furry paws, almost white. She wondered if the magical people had bound her to a different body somehow. Was Sam Uley one of them? What the fuck was going on? 

When she looked up from the furry paws, she was terrified. In front of her was a huge black wolf, flanked by two brothers, a gray wolf and brown wolf.

“Are you Bella?” The black wolf was asking. 

“What's going on?” Bella asked, trying not to panic. 

The black wolf introduced himself. He was Sam Uley. The brown one was Jared Cameron. The gray wolf was Paul Lahote.

“Why are wolves given human names?” 

“Jared?” Sam nodded to the brown wolf. 

Jared’s body shimmered as he rose on his hind legs. Before Bella, a tall man stood. He was broad shouldered, muscular, and boyishly handsome. He was butt naked and unashamed.

Sam explained, “ Just like you, we are people who can transform into wolves.”  

Sam nodded to Jared again. Jared's body shook spasmodically as he fell forward. The brown wolf was back.

“But why though?” 

Sam told her about their ancestor, Taha Aki, a spirit warrior whose spirit could walk outside of his body. Sam told of an evil man who stole Taha Aki's body and hurt the tribe as an impersonator. Taha Aki’s spirit was so powerful that it entered a wolf and transformed the wolf into a man. All descendants of Taha Aki have the ability to shift between man and wolf but the power is dormant. It is activated by cold ones, vampires, some of whom reside nearby. 

Sam stretched out the story with many details that Bella thought were unnecessary. After it was over, it was well past midnight. Even though wolves are nocturnal, Bella was tired. 

“Jared, you patrol. Paul and I will stay with Bella tonight.” 

In his wolf form, Sam lay down in a clearing where the afternoon sun had dried the morning rain. By instinct, Paul lay down curled against him. Bella lay down curled against them both. It was warm and comfortable and it felt so safe. 

~*~

When Charlie woke the next morning, he was surprised to see Bella's homework spread out on the kitchen table. 

“Bells!” He called up the stairs. “You've got to pick up after yourself!” He put everything in a pile to make room for his breakfast. 

After a few minutes, he still didn't hear her stirring. He went upstairs and knocked on her door. “Bells, you've got to get ready for school.”

He pushed the door open. The bed was made, not slept in the previous night. Looking out the bedroom window, he saw that her truck was still in the driveway. 

Downstairs, Charlie saw that her coat was gone. He looked through her backpack. Her keys and wallet were still in there. 

What had happened to Bella?

He went right down to the police station. He needed to act fast. Time was of the essence.

~*~

When Bella woke up, she was curled around Jared. Sam hadn't moved but Paul was gone. 

“What's for breakfast?” Bella asked. Her stomach was gnawing at her. 

“Paul, meet us in the national forest.” Sam stood and shook the dew off his fur coat. “ Paul loves this part. We all do.”

Sam started running, and Jared followed. Bella ran too. She was so fast as a wolf, so graceful. Little by little, she pushed herself to see if she could get ahead of Sam and Jared. 

When Sam and Bella were neck and neck, Sam reminded her, “ You don't know where we're going.” 

Bella fell back a little, but she was proud that she could overtake the alpha. No one had told her that Sam was in charge. She could tell by the way that everyone else responded to his direction. Even she responded to his directions. 

Their path converged with Paul's. The four wolves were running in unfamiliar territory to Bella, yet she knew how to get back to the familiar woods. 

“Slow!” Sam commanded. 

Noiselessly, they all slowed, then came to a halt. About a hundred meters ahead of them was a herd of elk. 

“Let Bella do it,” Sam said with an amused tone. “If she messes up, you can go ahead, Paul.” 

“What am I supposed to do?” Bella asked. 

“Kill one,” Paul said, clearly excited.

Bella looked at Paul. “ No shit! How?”

“We'll all sneak up together,” Jared said, always calm about whatever they faced. “When they detect us, they'll run. Aim for a bull.” 

Little by little, they all crept toward the herd. Bella was surprised how noiseless they could be. They were a few yards away when one elk doe raised her head looking right at them. In unison, the wolves froze. 

“Bella, now!” Sam instructed. 

Bella had her eyes on a huge set of antlers. She aimed for it and charged. The herd was only beginning to scatter when she plowed through them. Her teeth wrapped around the neck of this elk and blood was pouring into her mouth. 

The other wolves surrounded her as the herd disappeared into the forest. They started tearing into the elk until it was lifeless on the forest floor. It's abdomen was splayed open. Bella was drawn to it. 

“Let Bella eat first,” Sam said. The wolves all stepped back while Bella dug into the organs. 

“Eat with me,” she invited them after a few minutes. 

The four wolves polished off the whole carcass in record time. The sun was high in the sky when they got back to the reservation.

~*~

Charlie had made the missing person report right away to get the ball rolling. The first person he called was Renee, Bella's mom. 

“How would I know where she went? She's not talking to me.”

“You know her better than anyone here does. If you had to guess, what do you think happened to her?”

“No keys, no wallet. That's bad, Chuck.”

“No shit. I'm trying to figure out what leads to follow, Renee. So give me any guesses, no matter how far in left field, please.”

“Wasn't she friendly with Billy's kid? Rachel?”

“Rachel doesn't live at home anymore.”

“But maybe she went there looking for her. Maybe Billy has seen her but doesn't know she's missing.”

Charlie sighed. “Do you know if she kept in touch with anyone from Forks or La Push? Did she ever talk about Rachel?”

“No. She hasn't talked about Rachel in years. I don't know if she's kept in touch with anyone there. It doesn't seem like something she'd do, honestly. Have you talked to the kids at school?”

“You're my first phone call. She was only in school one day, but that is on the to-do list.”

“Good luck, Chuck. Keep me up to date with whatever you find out.” 

“Renee, if you think of anything, anything at all, let me know. The more information I have, the better.”

“Sure, Chuck, I will. Bye.”

Next, Charlie started making phone calls about school contacts. Meanwhile, police were scouring his house, looking for any clues that Charlie might have overlooked. He could agree that he was too close to the situation to see everything clearly. 

The police found nothing of interest at the Swan residence.

~*~

“I don't want to be a wolf anymore,” Bella whined. “How do we break the curse?” 

One by one, the wolves turned into a man, then back into a wolf. All three men had russet skin and long, dark hair. Their hair was the same hue as Bella's, but straighter and thinner. They were all tall and broad shouldered, muscular.

“Now you try it.” Sam said.

“Try what?” She asked.

“Stand into your human body.” 

Bella kind of leaned back on her hind legs, almost jumping to get her forepaws off the ground. She landed on all fours. 

Paul stepped forward. “ You need to get your emotions under control. Were you angry before this happened to you?”

“Very.” 

“What were you angry at?” 

“The entire school smelled like bleach.”  

Sam and Jared were looking at each other knowingly. Paul asked, “ Did you meet the Cullens?”

“Edward Cullen. He sat next to me in biology class. He could smell it too, I think.” 

“The Cullens are a coven of vampires,” Paul explained delicately, “ Like the cold ones from the legends.” He showed an image of them in his mind. 

Bella was enraged. Why were there vampires in school? Who allowed them to be there? That was so dangerous.

Sam spoke up. “ None of us like it, but our tribe has a treaty with their coven.”

Bella seethed in her rage. “I'm not in the tribe, so I can kill them off.” 

Jared laughed softly. “ That would be great, Bella, but I don't think it works that way. If you can turn into a wolf, it means you have the gene. If you have the gene, then you are tribe, a descendant of Taha Aki, just like the rest of us.” 

Bella wanted to smash something. She wanted to tear apart a vampire. She hadn't agreed to this treaty. Those Cullens had triggered her phase. All she wanted was a normal life, to fly under the radar. How could she do that now?

~*~

Charlie followed the search and rescue team into the woods, following the exact path that Bella had walked. It was over a mile before the trail abruptly ended. 

Charlie picked up a scrap of fabric hanging from a branch at eye level. 

“This is the same color as the shirt she was wearing.”

“Evidence, Charlie!” one officer scolded. “I told you you're too close to this to be helpful.”

Charlie was looking all over the forest, his heart breaking right in front of his colleagues’ eyes. “Right, well, they're all over the place. This one looks like jeans.” He pointed with his foot. “Her jacket was brown so that will be harder to find.” He pointed, “and that looks like a chunk of a sneaker.” 

“Let's get an evidence team out here to gather and bag everything.”

“I can't smell blood,” Charlie said, relaxing a bit.

“Sure, Charlie,” the deputy says, trying to bury his sarcasm, “you and your nose. We'll let forensics figure that out.”

~*~

After work, Charlie made the stop he had been dreading since his conversation with Renee. He knew he had to do this in person. It was the only way he'd know the truth.

He knocked on Billy Black's door, still dressed in uniform. 

“Charlie,” Jake said, grinning as he opened the door wide. “Dad! Charlie's here!”

Billy and Charlie had been best friends for most of their lives, closer than brothers. Then Billy let tribal superstitions cloud his judgment. It turned him into a bigot against a new family in town. It pissed Charlie off. He hated ignorance and bigotry. It made his job harder, and it made the community less safe. He thought Billy understood that. They fought about it whenever they got together. So Charlie had stopped visiting.

“Charlie, welcome! Do you want a beer?”

“No, thank you, Billy. I'm here on business.”

“Oh yeah?” Billy asked.

“Bella's gone missing.”

Billy's brows furrowed in concern. “Didn't she just get here?”

“Yeah, and she doesn't know many people here.”

“You think she came to the rez?” Billy asked.

“The only lead we have had her pointed in this direction.” 

“I can keep an eye out.”

“So have you heard anything? Seen anything?” Charlie watched him closely for any signs of lying. He knew Billy's tells.

“I heard she was coming back.”

That was a non answer and Charlie knew it. 

“Did you hear anything about her today ?” Charlie knew he couldn’t dodge such a direct question.

Billy took a sip of his beer while answering. “No.” He was hiding his face while speaking. 

Charlie knew he was lying. Billy knew something. 

“This is my little girl, Billy. I'm worried sick. Her mom's worried sick. Tell me if you hear anything.”

Charlie left his business card. Billy had lied about his missing daughter. Billy had made it clear this day that their friendship was over.

~*~

Over the next few days, the wolf men took turns walking with Bella in the forest, trying to help her calm down enough to turn back into her human self. 

Bella's days with Sam were educational. 

“I learned a new legend for you last night,” Sam said as they walked the patrol route. 

“Hit me with it,” Bella encouraged him. She loved Sam's stories. She couldn't read as a wolf and this was the closest thing she got.

Sam told the story of the tribe when they faced a child vampire. He told her about how vampires do not age or change after they are turned. Therefore, children who are turned are particularly dangerous. 

“Because kids are stupid?” Bella asked.

“Exactly! They don't have control of their bodies and minds yet.”

Sam continued the story about this vampire child who had slipped away from its creator. There was no pack at the time, but the youth started phasing as it approached. 

They were out of control, the young pups, but as soon as the child came into range, they charged. The child had lured a teen girl to the river. He wasn't in bloodlust at the time. The two were enjoying wildlife together. The child was acting innocently, like a sweet little child.

When the pack arrived, one of them imprinted on the girl. The girl wanted to protect the child. So half the pack agreed to go with the girl to discuss the situation with the elders while the other half agreed to watch over the child so he didn't fall into the river. 

When the imprint was far enough away, they shredded the child and everyone lived mostly happily ever after. Except the imprint who never loved her own children as much as she loved that vampire child. 

“Weird,” Bella commented. “ Why did she love the vampire?”

“All vampires can be charming. The children are supposed to be irresistibly cute.” 

“But they must stink!” 

“Only the pack can smell them.”

~

Bella's time with Jared was peaceful and insightful.

Jared found the best napping spots. 

“Thick moss like this is best,” he explained. “It's found in darker areas where the sun doesn't dry it out completely.” 

They curled up for the night. 

In the morning, he reminded her, “ Check the moss you lay on. Make sure it is not upside down. It'll die like that.” 

Jared cared for the forest. They would sit together, watching rabbits play. It was so peaceful. In that peace, Bella wondered if he would be the one to get her to phase back. 

Jared also taught her about the mind curtain. This was a technique he invented to keep his thoughts private. 

“Think of an image.”  

Bella thought of her Chevy truck. 

“Something a little more personal is more effective, but that will do.”

Bella thought of her mom.

“Good. Now imagine that image is plastered to the inside of your skull right above your eyes.”

Bella imagined it. 

“Good! Now think about whatever you want.” 

Bella thought about ice cream. She wanted ice cream. She wanted lots of human food, but especially ice cream.

“Are you thinking about something?” Jared asked.

“Ice cream.”

“Mmmm. What's your favorite flavor?” 

“Mint. Yours?”

“I'm thinking about it now.”

Bella just saw the same image of his girlfriend, Kim. That was what she always saw from Jared. 

“She's so pretty,” Bella said, pouting a little. She hadn't seen a pretty girl in days. 

“I know. Phase to human. She's dying to meet you.”

~

Bella's days with Paul were fun.

“This is the narrowest part of the creek so we start here.”

Paul took a running leap and landed on the far side of the creek. 

Bella walked back. She wanted to get up to speed. As her white paws approached the creek's bank, she leapt with all of her strength. She landed several yards beyond Paul. 

“That was just round one. Now we go where the creek is wider.” 

Paul wasn't worried. It was just a demo jump. It wasn't even his best work. 

Paul and Bella both enjoyed their friendly competitions but Paul was looking forward to hanging out with Bella as a human.

Sometimes he would phase to show Bella some things they could do as humans. Their strength and speed carried over to their human form. 

He showed her how fast he could climb trees, how far he could swim out at sea, and how he could throw logs around with ease.

The problem with these human demos was that sometimes he lost control of his emotions. Sometimes he would phase back to a wolf involuntarily. 

Bella saw this as a silver lining. She liked it when he phased like that. It made her feel like less of a loser for staying a wolf for so long. 

“It took Sam two weeks to turn back. You're doing fine.” 

“I'm sick of it!”

“Then phase out,” Paul encouraged her. 

~

To say she trusted these men would be an understatement. Bella had never had siblings. She wasn’t close to her parents. She didn’t even have real friends. Sam took on the obvious father figure and mentor role. Jared was like a trusted older brother, one who just so happened to be younger than her. Paul was the best friend that she never had. 

They all bonded so fast and so absolutely. Bella was sure that their bond was part of the shapeshifting magic.

~*~

Search parties had scoured the rez, the forests surrounding Forks, and the coastline for miles. People noticed when the daughter of the police chief went missing.

Forensics finally came back with conclusive results on the clothes. They were Bella's. There was no fresh blood on any clothes. There was old blood on the underwear, invisible to the naked eye, definitely an old, cleaned out period stain. There was no blood anywhere else. There was no semen either, so that kind of foul play was not suspected. 

The clothes had been torn to shreds, not cut. Yet there was no evidence of another individual present, no footprints, not even a stray hair on her shirt. Other than animal tracks and fur nearby, there was no evidence that anybody else was with Bella Swan that night.

“I think you need to consider that this might be a runaway,” an officer suggested to Charlie.

“It doesn't fit the evidence!” Charlie retorted. “She left her wallet, keys and truck. Her homework was sprawled out on the table. We know she went for a walk. Give me an explanation that makes sense.”

“What about that Sam Uley kid?” The officer asked. “His disappearance wasn't as closely investigated, thanks to tribal sovereignty. But his mom and girlfriend, their testimony had some similarities.”

“Thank you,” Charlie said. Finally, a new lead.

~*~

Emily Young cracked open the door when Charlie knocked. Sam came up behind her, his face light and joyful. When he saw Officer Swan, his face went stone cold and stoic.

“Emily, wait inside. This will just be a minute.”

“Sure,” Emily said. Sam kissed her temple as she brushed past him. 

Sam stepped outside, shutting the door behind him. “How can I help you, officer?”

“I was hoping you had some information on my daughter.” He handed Sam a stack of photos. 

Sam knew this was a tactic to get his fingerprints. He flipped through the photos anyway. 

“I've seen the posters, sir. I can say with confidence that I have not seen this face since she went missing.”

Charlie could not detect deceit, but he didn't know the boy well.

“Did you know her before she went missing?” Charlie asked.

“There's been talk on the rez that she used to spend time here. I don't remember her, but I can't confidently say that I never saw her or interacted with her.”

“Ok. I was thinking of your own disappearance, Sam. You never came forward about what happened to you. Your testimony could help us locate my Bella.”

“Sir, I can't talk about that.”

“Why not?”

“Am I under arrest?” Sam asked. He knew he didn’t have to answer any more questions. He was done being helpful.

“No, I'm just trying to gather information about my daughter.”

“I have none for you. Good day.”

Sam swiftly entered his house, shutting the door before Charlie could put his foot on the threshold.

At least Charlie had the fingerprints now, so the trip was not a total waste.

~*~

Sam was with Bella when she finally reverted to her human form, naked as the day she was born. It had taken her nine days.

Chapter 2: Unrequited

“Come with me,” Sam said. “Let’s get some clothes for you.”

Bella followed Sam, both running through the forest in their birthday suits. They came upon a small brown house.

“You hungry?” Sam asked. 

“Always,” Bella answered. She had been eating deer and elk as a wolf, but she was still hungry as a human. 

“Wait here.” Sam ran into the house. He came out minutes later wearing clothes. More clothes were in his hand. Bella took them from him. 

Bella froze when a beautiful woman followed Sam out to the picnic table. She was carrying a plate of food. Turning her head, the woman revealed three scars on the side of her face. They were spaced exactly like Sam’s razor-sharp claws. 

Bella looked at Sam in horror. Those were claw marks from Sam’s wolf. Sam had injured this woman! 

Bella pictured the scene in her mind. This woman must have trusted Sam if she had been this close. Bella could only imagine the fear and pain of such an encounter. This woman would be scarred for life. He had shredded part of her face. 

Yet Sam kept the woman here. Was she too afraid of him to leave? Did she think no one else would want her? Had he faked her death so that no one was even looking for her? Was he holding her captive?

Bella was vibrating, the air around her shimmering. She thought these were good men! She had trusted Sam like a father!

She ran in wolf form. She ran far from that small brown house of horrors. She wondered: did Paul and Jared hurt women too?

Sam called Paul on his home phone. “She phased and phased back when she saw Emily, just like Jared thought she would.”

“On it, boss.”

Paul ran into the woods behind his house and transformed into a wolf.

“It was an accident, Bella!”

Paul ran deeper into the forest.

“He phased too close when he didn’t have control yet. He was just a young pup like you.”

Paul was trying to follow Bella into the woods, but she had a head start. She outran every other wolf.

“That’s what can happen if you don’t get control, Bella. It’s why you can’t go home yet. You don’t want to do that to Charlie.”

Bella slowed down. 

She asked, “How do you know it was an accident? Why is he keeping her hostage?” 

Paul could see where she was now.

“She’s his fiance. You know Sam. Do you think he would hurt her on purpose? Do you think he would hold a woman hostage?”

Paul saw her in the distance, sitting in one of Jared’s mossy clearings. Paul stood in front of her as a wolf, then phased to a man. 

“Talk to me,” he said, like it was the simplest request in the world.

Paul was Bella’s best friend in the pack, and he knew it. His temperament matched her own. He was more playful and fun than the other two. They were two peas in a pod. She trusted him with all of herself.

The two of them stared at each other for a few minutes. When she was ready, Bella got up and transformed into a human.

Paul looked at Bella’s human form for the first time. She was insanely beautiful, far more than the missing person posters let on. Her skin was paler than everyone else’s on the rez, but it looked good on her. And her body was so fucking hot: perky boobs, athletic looking and a great ass. 

He couldn’t think about that now.

Paul kept his eyes on her pretty face, not thinking about her body. “Nice to meet you, Bella.”

He put his hand out for her to shake. She smiled and shook it. “Do you think Sam ate the food that his fiance made for me?”

“Only one way to find out. Let’s race.”

Paul backed up, then took a running leap over Bella’s head in wolf form. He landed twenty feet away and took off running. 

Bella bent forward into a wolf. Becoming a wolf was easy. It was the reverse that was difficult. 

Bella chased Paul. “What’s her name?” 

“Who?” 

“Sam’s fiance! She’s so beautiful.” 

“Emily.” 

Emily. A lovely name for a beautiful woman. Even with the scars, she was stunning. But she was Sam’s fiance, so obviously straight… for now. 

Bella started to put her energy into getting back to that house so that Sam didn’t eat her food. It was food that Emily had prepared for her.

She passed Paul and skidded to a halt near the picnic table. She heard a gasp from the doorway. Emily stood there, staring at her. 

Bella heard Emily’s heart rate quicken. She could smell her perspiration and adrenaline. Emily was terrified. She was terrified of Bella. 

Bella quickly phased to human. She pulled Emily into a hug. 

“I won’t hurt you,” she whispered to her. 

“I know,” Emily said, wrapping her arms around Bella. “You just startled me, ok? Let me get your plate.”

Bella stepped back and grinned. “You didn’t let Sam take it?”

Emily winked. “I hid it for you.” She turned to get it from the kitchen and Bella started to follow her. “Stay outside, Bella. I don’t think Sam wants you in the house until you prove you have better control, ok?”

Bella stepped backwards and nodded. 

Paul watched the whole exchange from the woods. Bella wasn’t even looking for him. It was like she forgot they were racing as soon as she saw Emily. 

Bella sat at the picnic table, waiting for Emily. She looked around the yard and saw Paul. 

She waved, saying, “I think I won the race.”

Paul nodded. “I knew you were faster than me. Where’s Sam?”

“Don’t know. But Emily didn’t let him eat my food.”

“She’s a fine lady.”

Paul sat across from her. He could see Bella’s ample breasts above the table. He watched the door. 

Emily smiled at him as she brought out the food and clothes. “I’ve got nothing for you, Paul, but Sam will be right out.”

Emily put the clothes and food on the table. Bella put on the shirt. She patted the seat next to her, inviting Emily to sit next to her.

Emily hesitated, then sat. 

“How did you and Sam meet?” Bella asked, starting to eat the sausage and mashed potatoes on the plate. 

“Has Sam not mentioned me before?” Emily asked.

Bella shook her head. 

Paul explained, “we wanted to see if she could meet you without phasing.” 

Emily’s fingers traced the scars on her face. 

Bella was looking at her with compassion. “You’re so beautiful. The scars don’t change that, Emily. I just didn’t like to think that he was hurting you.”

Emily looked into Bella’s face and saw nothing but sincerity there. “I guess I’d feel the same in your position.” She smiled, enjoying the lupine way that Bella ate her food. It reminded her of Sam. “What’s it like being the only girl in the pack?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Being in the pack is the crazy part. Being a girl has nothing to do with it. The guys are all great. I don’t think they treat me any different, right Paul?”

Paul was trying not to stare at Bella as she ate. “Right.”

Emily looked at Paul suspiciously now. Sam walked out and sat next to Paul, reaching his hand over to hold Emily’s hand. “Bella, I’m glad to see you as a human. I would like you to stay with me and Emily in our spare room.”

Paul added, “I also have a spare room you can borrow.”

“When can I see Charlie?” Bella asked. “He must be worried sick.”

“He had search parties out,” Paul told her. “The missing person posters are plastered everywhere from here to Port Angeles.”

Bella scoffed. “And you didn’t tell me?”

“We were trying to help you calm your emotions,” Sam explained. “It wouldn’t have helped.”

“Probably true,” Bella agreed.

“When you see Charlie,” Sam said, “you won’t be able to go home. It won’t be safe for him.”

“Will it be safe for Emily?” Bella asked Sam worriedly. “Should I stay with Paul?”

“For the next day or two, sure. Maybe you should stay with Paul,” Sam said. “Long term, our home is more stable. You don’t want to interfere with Paul’s bachelor lifestyle.”

Paul glared at Sam. Bella giggled, turning to Paul. “I’m not surprised you’re a ladies’ man, Paul. I’ve always considered us kindred spirits. I’ll stay with you for a day or two and I’ll stay out of your way. I don’t want to cramp your style.” Bella turned back to Sam and Emily. “Then I’d love to stay here. Thank you.”

~*~

Paul didn’t bring any girls home while Bella was staying with him. He didn’t want to. 

“What do you want for dinner?” Paul asked Bella when she got back from patrol.

“I was thinking of going to Emily’s. Sam’s on patrol now. I’d like to spend more time with her alone.”

“I’m in the mood for spaghetti and meatballs.”

This was a tough choice for Bella, but she made it quickly. “I was just kidding. I’ll stay here for spaghetti and meatballs.”

Paul was a superb cook. He learned through years of cooking for himself. Bella helped him in the kitchen. Mostly, she gathered ingredients and cleaned up. He enjoyed the company and having someone to cook for.

After dinner, Paul put on a movie. “Have you seen this one, Bella? It’s one of my favorites.”

“Shrek 2?”

“Yep. Everyone saw the first one. The second is just as good.”

“We’ll see about that. Sequels are never as good.”

The two settled onto the couch to watch. Paul had his arm around the back of the couch and Bella thought nothing of it. She had never been affectionate with family before joining the pack. After sleeping in wolf form with all the guys, they didn’t really have physical boundaries. She was totally comfortable with that.

“That could be us,” Paul said, gesturing to the TV.

“Which ones?” Bella asked. “I think I’m Puss in Boots and you’re the donkey.” She was trying not to laugh, thinking of Paul’s voice coming out of the donkey.

“I was thinking of Shrek and Fiona.”

“That’s Sam and Emily,” Bella said it like it was totally obvious.

“Wait, I should be Puss in Boots,” Paul declared, “because I can fight.”

“You said you’d teach me! Then it’ll be me. I can do that thing with my eyes.”

“You can not!” If she could, Paul definitely wanted to see it.

“No, I can’t.” She admitted while yawning.

When Bella fell asleep leaning on Paul, it felt just like sleeping on the forest floor with him. She felt safe. She felt like she belonged. She felt like she had found her family.

Paul felt like he had a beautiful woman asleep in his arms, which was technically true. 

The next day Bella insisted that Paul teach her how to fight with their human bodies. “We’re stronger than everyone else in human form,” Paul explained, “but martial arts provide a good cover story for our ability, agility and grace.”

He showed her the basics. Then they started sparring. After some time, she was ready for a break. She knew exactly what they could do next. 

“Let’s race as people.”

“I know how this’ll end,” Paul said.

“How so?”

I did the same thing with Sam and Jared when I shifted back to human. I’m faster than Sam, not as fast as Jared, just like when we’re wolves.”

“Even with different race lengths?”

“Yep. I was thorough.”

“Ok, but men can usually run faster than women, so we should still try.”

Bella won easily.

“What if we add hurdles?” She asked. “That might change who’s fastest.”

“I wasn’t that thorough,” Paul admitted.

They found a list of all the Olympic games. They set out to compete against each other in as many as possible. It would take time, but it would keep them entertained.

Bella enjoyed the physical nature of her relationship with Paul: sparring, competing, falling asleep on the couch while watching a movie, just goofing around. 

Paul also enjoyed that physical relationship. In his mind, it was all flirting and foreplay.

~*~

When Bella moved in with Sam and Emily, she had one goal in mind. She wanted to know Emily Young inside and out. 

“So you didn’t always live here?” Bella asked, engrossed in their conversation.

“I grew up in the Makah rez, the most northwest community in the continental US.”

“But you like it better here?”

“Yeah, mostly because Sam is here, but the water is different here, too. Where I grew up in Neah Bay, the water was calmer. You could see Vancouver Island across the water on a clear day. Here, the ocean is so much bigger. You can’t see anything on the horizon. The waves are monstrous. It makes me feel small but also free because the world feels so big. Sorry, I’m rambling. Yes, I like it better here.”

“No, that was beautiful, Emily. I’ve only been to the beaches here and in California. I much prefer these too. The ocean in California is the same, but the beaches are crowded. It’s all so impersonal, you know?”

“I can imagine,” Emily said with a smile. “I’ve seen Baywatch.”

Bella giggled. “So you know all about it,” she teased. “What made you decide to return with Sam?”

“It’s not the happiest story, but it’s ours. You know he was with my cousin Leah for years, right?”

Bella recited the story that Sam had told her. “And then he imprinted, and she was left devastated. He feels really bad about it. He’s told Paul and me not to get into a relationship with anyone because of it.”

“Right and I feel bad about it, too. Leah didn’t deserve that. She was so spunky and fun, but now, as far as I hear, she’s just depressed.”

“I would be too if I lost you,” Bella said wistfully.

Emily gave her widest, lopsided smile. “She lost Sam, Bella, and she refuses to talk to either of us. I still want to be her friend, and she’ll always be my cousin.”

“Of course, so he imprinted, but how did he win you over? I need advice.”

“What for?”

“To win you over!”

“Right,” Emily giggled. “First, it’s important to remember that the imprint feels what the wolf feels. However, that wasn’t enough for us because of everything with Leah. I think it actually made it harder.. So he talked to me a bunch. He told me about the legends and told me about the wolves. He showed me his wolf, which is such an intimate gesture.”

“He told me the legends too, Emily,” Bella said, grinning. “Do you think he’s trying to get with me, too? Because I don’t swing that way.”

“He’s very much aware of that, Bella. You’re not exactly discrete. Despite getting to know each other well, I still wanted him to return to Leah. When Leah found out he was up at Neah Bay trying to win me over, she cut me off. She hasn’t spoken to me in ages.” Emily sighed.

“Crazy,” Bella whispered. She couldn’t imagine someone not wanting to talk to Emily.

“Mmm, so I got mad at him because she’s my best friend and she wouldn’t even talk to me. Again, I told him to go back to her. He got mad.”

“I would have too. I don’t know this Leah, but you’re so pretty and sweet and easy to talk to.”

“Yeah, well, he got so mad that he lost control.”

Bella gasped. “Is this the part where he hurt you? Oh god, Emily, you don’t have to talk about that! I’m sorry I asked.”

“No, Bella, you don’t have to apologize. It’s easy to talk to you about these things. Yes, this is when he cut my face and my arm.” Emily rolled up her sleeves to show where the scars continued down her arm.

“Oh, I didn’t know it went that far.”

“Yeah, he had so much guilt about it all. He still does. You know, with imprints, you have to make sure they’re happy. He thought the best way to make me happy would be to kill himself, but he couldn’t do it without my permission.”

“Your permission?” This part sounded kind of fucked up to Bella. There was no tactful way to say that, so she didn’t bother trying.

“Mhmm. He asked me for my permission to kill himself.”

“But you didn’t give it?” Yep, this part was fucked up.

“No, of course not! That was when it all clicked into place. I realized how much I loved him. Us spending time together… he had my whole heart. The fact that Leah wasn’t talking to me anymore made it easier, really. I had already lost her. I couldn’t lose Sam too.”

“And now you live happily ever after?”

“Not exactly. He still feels awful about what he did. He probably always will. We’re in a constant loop of comforting each other about it.”

“I don’t have a chance with you, do I?”

“No, Bella, not at all. Have you never been in love?”

“I’ve had some pretty intense crushes,” Bella said, making dough eyes at Emily. 

~*~

Sam wasn’t a huge fan of the way Bella flirted with Emily. But he had to admit, it was improving Emily’s confidence.

Otherwise, Sam loved having her around. Bella helped with whatever he needed. When the washing machine belt kept slipping and needed to be replaced, Bella was the girl for the job. They opened the machine up together. Sam held the parts in place while Bella slipped the new belt on. It was the kind of work that was difficult for Sam to do alone because of his thick fingers. It was also the kind of work he didn’t want to ask Emily to help with. He wanted to take care of Emily. 

“Thanks Bella.”

“Sam, I feel like I could have done that without you,” Bella said confidently.

“Really? You think you could hold the pieces in place with one hand and slide the belt on with the other?”

“You held the pieces in place with one hand. It took one hand for me to get the belt on today.”

“Fine! Next time you’re on your own,” Sam said, a little abrasively.

“Really? You’ll let me repair your appliances by myself?”

“Definitely not. But next time I’ll just supervise. Appliances don’t have problems like this often. In these houses, we’re more likely to have a problem with mice or insulation that has shifted.”

“How do you deal with mice?” Bella asked.

“Eat ‘em,” Sam said, deadpan.

“You do not! The fur to meat ratio is terrible! It’s not worth the effort.”

“How do you know that, Bella?”

“A lady never tells.”

~*~

Emily loved having Bella around too, and not just because she was easy to talk to and constantly complimenting her. Bella was the most eager sidekick she could ask for.

“I can get that for you, Emily,” Bella said as Emily was pulling a meatloaf out of the oven. Bella whisked it off to the kitchen table. 

“Thank you, Bella,” Emily said as Sam wrapped his arms around her, greeting her with a kiss.

“What do you guys want to drink?” Bella asked. She darted around them to the cupboard with the cups and mugs.

“Coffee, please,” Sam said.

“Tea, peppermint, if we still have some,” Emily requested.

“Mmmm, I like how you taste when you drink peppermint.” Sam said, kissing Emily again. “It’s so festive.”

Bella started bringing all the sides to the table.

“Ahem,” she said, pretending to clear her throat. 

Emily glanced at her, then Sam. He gave her a knowing smile, and the two sat down with Bella to eat.

“Bella made the mashed potatoes,” Emily gushed.

“They’re delicious,” Sam told her.

“What did you make, Sam?” Bella teased.

“I just got off of patrol, Bella.” Sam said, teasing her right back. “But I made half of your breakfast sandwiches this morning.

Bella looked hurt. “I thought Emily made those for me.”

“I only had him put the toast in the oven, sweetie. I made the eggs and everything, as usual.” To Sam she said, “Don’t be mean to her. She’ll move back in with Paul.”

“No, I won’t,” Bella said, very sure of this decision.

“She definitely won’t,” Sam agreed. “Everyone is happy with this arrangement. Except maybe Paul. But she’ll stay as long as you want her to, Emily.”

“Don’t act like I’m the only one who likes having her around,” Emily said sternly. “Last time it took you two hours to replace that belt on the washing machine, and I don’t think you did it right. I think that’s why this one failed so soon.”

Bella was grinning like the Cheshire cat.

“Emily, don’t tell her that. It’ll tip the balance of power in her favor.” Sam winked at Bella. “And I don’t like having her around to fix the washing machine. I like having her around because it’s nice to have her around. She keeps you company. She keeps me company. She keeps us both on our toes. Paul doesn’t deserve her.”

Bella liked being wanted. It had never happened before. She knew she had been a burden to her mother her whole life. Her mother wanted the life of a single lady, not a single mother. Now they both had what they wanted. Renee was rid of Bella. Bella finally had a real family.

~*~

Sam was right about one major detail. Paul wanted Bella back in his own home. Even though he still spent time with her, he wanted her all to himself sometimes. He was pretty sure he was falling in love with Bella Swan. He hadn’t had any girls over since he laid eyes on Bella’s human form. That was a record for him. He only wanted Bella. 

It took longer than usual for him to build up the courage to ask her out. He had never asked anyone out that he actually cared about before.

“Come over for dinner, Bella,” he invited her. “I’ll make you something good.”

“Any time, Paul. What do you want me to bring?” She was always up for his cooking. She’d never say it aloud, but it was better than Emily’s.

Paul put his hand on her cheek and pointed her face up to his, drowning in her dark brown eyes. 

“Bring your sweet self,” he said, looking back and forth between her eyes and mouth. He was starting to move his mouth closer to hers.

Bella looked at him with alarm. Her face was riddled with confusion. She pulled her head out of his grasp. “Sorry, I thought you knew.” She was shaking her head. She was trying to think of where there had been a misunderstanding.

“Knew what?” He wondered if she had a boyfriend or something. He’d see that in the pack mind, though.

“Paul, I’m gay.”

He stepped away from her, horror on his face. He ran. Paul didn’t make it far before he phased. He was humiliated. He felt like he had ruined everything. How did he not notice? The signs were all there! He thought she was just being kind to the imprints….

Bella didn’t see Paul for a few days after he hit on her. Sam said he just needed to run it off, and he’d be fine. Bella had those days off, no patrols. Sam didn’t want her to interrupt Paul’s healing.

Bella’s absence from the pack mind felt strange. She missed Paul. They had hung out at least a little every day until he asked her out. 

She missed Jared, too. They usually hung out on patrol at least a little bit each day, too. So she got together with Jared more as a human. Spending time with Jared and Kim was always fun. Jared never got mad at Bella for flirting with Kim. In fact, he seemed to enjoy it, which only encouraged her more.

~*~

After breakfast one morning, Bella brought up a topic heavy on her mind. “Sam, as much as I love hanging out with you guys and listening to you fuck every night, what about my dad? What about school?”

“It’s kind of a mess but I’ve been talking to Billy about all that. If we can figure out where you got this Quileute gene, we can try to get you tribal membership, which means you can have a lot more access to tribal resources.”

“What about Charlie?” Bella asked. “Does he think I’ve run away or something?”

“Charlie doesn’t have a clue. He came to me with questions while you were still a wolf. I couldn’t tell him anything. Billy is having a hard time convincing the council to tell him about the pack but he’s trying. Bella, do you know if Charlie is even your real dad?”

“What? Of course he is! He was married to my mom. Are you calling my mom a whore?” Bella was getting angry, but she had her phasing under control… most of the time at least. 

“No, I don’t even know your mom,” Sam said calmly. “I was just asking. Charlie looks dark, like he might be part Quileute. Has he ever mentioned having Quileute ancestry?”

“Never.”

“Tell me about his parents. Are they both white? Or does one of them have darker skin? What color hair did they have? Do you know their eye color?”

“Oh, they were both blond with blue eyes. I remember the picture of them as a young family, with my dad with his dark hair and eyes. I always thought it was funny... Of course they had gray hair when I knew them as a kid so that’s how I usually picture them.”

“Is it possible that your grandmother had an affair?” Sam asked.

Bella thought about it, thought about what she knew about genetics and blond hair and blue eyes. How had she not considered this before? “That would make sense,” she said, nodding. “How do we find out?”

“She passed away, right?”

Bella nodded. 

“I think it’s time for you to see Old Quil.”

“What’s an old quill?”

Sam laughed. “He’s the tribal sage. He also married your dad’s aunt, so he might have some guesses.”

Bella got dressed in one of Emily’s dresses. She usually just wore Sam’s clothes. They were more her style for casual clothes. Still, she wanted to make a good impression on this old quill.

“His name is shortened from Quileute,” Sam explained as they headed out. “His father was in the last pack.”

Bella had already learned a lot about the previous packs and about Quileute history and legends. Sam had made sure she knew her stuff. “So he’s Quil Ateara III?”

“Yes. And his grandson is Quil Ateara V.”

“Wow. It’s not that great of a name. They named five of them that?” Bella was shaking her head in clear disapproval. 

Sam smirked. He didn’t want to admit that he agreed. “Don’t tell him that. We want his help. In fact, maybe talk as little as possible.”

“Why’s that, Sam?” Her tone turned contentious. “Are you saying I’m not likable?”

Sam rolled his eyes. “You can be abrasive and Old Quil is old . He’s not used to, uh, such an outspoken woman.”

“What if I remind him of his wife? She was a Swan. Maybe I got it from her.”

Sam sighed. “Bella, you’re not a real Swan. Swan was the guy that got cheated on, remember?”

“Oh, right. I’ll shut up. Should I smile and look pretty too?”

“Would it kill you to try?” Sam asked, already a little exasperated.

“Emily thinks I’m pretty.”

Sam rolled his eyes. “You need to get laid, kid. My fiance is not available.”

“I’m a missing person! How can I get laid? Where the fuck can I find a date with missing persons posters everywhere?”

“Paul could help,” Sam suggested.

“I’m not fucking Paul!”

“Shhh. That’s not what I meant. This is the house.” Sam knocked on an unpainted wooden door. 

A very old man answered the door a full minute later. “She’s safe?” He asked Sam, looking at Bella suspiciously.

“Yep.”

“Should we meet outside?” Old Quil asked.

“Maybe, yeah,” Sam agreed, knowing that these conversations might be emotional for Bella.

Sam and Bella followed the very slow old man into the back yard. There were some coil spring rocking chairs around a glass table. 

Everyone took a seat. Bella started rocking in her chair. Sam glared at her until she stopped. 

“We were hoping that you had some insights into Bella’s heritage,” Sam said.

Bella started rocking in her chair again, anticipating an uncomfortable conversation. 

“I’ve had my suspicions for a long time. The last pack’s children were close. Bella’s grandmother was good friends with my wife Molly. The Swans came to many social gatherings here on the rez. The prime candidates are Billy’s dad, your own grandfather, Sam, and your great-Uncle Doug.”

“If Bella and I were to do a DNA test to determine if we are cousins, what would the results say?”

“They’d say that you’re both part canine, Sam,” Old Quil explained. “Don’t do that. You’ll need to test Charlie. Test him against Billy. Doug doesn’t have any known descendants. If Billy is not Charlie’s brother, can you get some DNA from your father?”

“I can,” Sam said mischievously, “but probably not with consent. Is that ok?”

“Probably,” Old Quil answered. “We won’t tell the lab that it was taken by force.”

What’s the latest on the Charlie issue?” Sam asked. “It’s not fair for him or Bella, this missing person situation.”

“I don’t have any power there. But she is not yet recognized as a tribe member. So there’s nothing stopping her from just going over there. And there’s nothing stopping you from going with her. Someone’s got to make sure she’s being safe.”

Bella was nodding, staying quiet but still communicating.

Now they had to go to Forks. 

Chapter 3: Cramping My Style

Sam drove Bella into Forks to see Charlie Swan. Bella knocked on Charlie’s door. Sam stood right behind her. 

“Bells! You’re… Oh my God! Bella!” Charlie pulled her into a hug. His voice was quaking with emotion. “You have a fever.” He says, moving his hands from her warm arms to her warm face. “Let’s get you to a hospital.”

“No, Dad, I’m not here for that. I’m fine. I just need you to know that I’m alive and well. I’m staying on the rez.”

Charlie looked at Sam sternly. “You said you hadn’t seen her.”

“At that time, I hadn’t seen her face. I wasn’t lying.”

Bella pulled out of Charlie’s arms. “Dad, Sam’s been helping me. Come out back and I can show you.” 

Bella ran around the house, leaving Sam and Charlie on the porch, staring at each other. “You should come see this, sir,” Sam said respectfully. 

Charlie followed reluctantly. 

Bella stood naked in the backyard, waiting for the two men. 

“Jeez, Bells, put some clothes on!” Charlie scolded.

She leaned forward. A wolf stood in front of Charlie, wagging her tail happily. 

“She turns into a wolf, sir,” Sam said, watching the off-white wolf to make sure she stayed in control.

“I did see that,” Charlie says with a hint of sarcasm.

“We can help her on the rez,” Sam continued. “There are several of us that do the same thing. We have a support system for people with this, uh, condition. Maybe you’ve heard of our legends.”

Charlie sounded exhausted. “I’ve heard of the legends. Where is she living?”

“With my family,” Sam answered.

Charlie got right into Sam’s face. “I don’t care if you turn into a brontosaurus. If you hurt my daughter, you’ll get a bullet in your rump, hear me?”

“I understand. I’m not dating your daughter, sir. I’m not her type.”

Bella walked up in wolf form and licked Charlie’s face. 

“Oh jeez, Bella, fine. You can stay on the rez where they’re equipped for your… condition.” He was gesturing at her wolf form.

Bella phased back to human and gave her dad a big hug, still totally naked. 

“The clothes don’t transition with her, sir,” Sam said, picking up Emily’s dress that Bella had been wearing. “She’s still getting the hang of it all.”

Charlie patted Bella’s naked back. “I see.”

Bella stepped back. She threw the dress over her head, a little embarrassed that she had forgotten it. 

“What am I supposed to tell your mother?” Charlie asked.

“Tell her that I ran away but that I’m ok. And we’ll start removing the missing person posters. They’re really cramping my style.”

Charlie looked furious. “I thought you were dead! And they were cramping your style !”

“Sir, she only recently gained control and I couldn’t tell you because of tribal law. She’s not under tribal law. But we had to wait until it was safe for her to see you. The wolf can hurt someone if the person is not in control.”

“Hmph. Fine. I’ll help take down the posters too. I think the runaway story will be adequate. And it’s not too humiliating since it’s more like you were running from your mother and I was just a pit stop.”

Bella looked a little ashamed now. “I’m sorry, dad. You didn’t deserve this.” Then she took the conversation in a direction that Sam did not expect. “Did you ever wonder who your real dad was?”

Charlie was shocked at the question. No one had ever asked him that. “No, kid, I knew who my dad was. The man that raised me was my dad. He was a great dad. I have suspicions about my biological father but it was never important for me to know. He never came forward and claimed me, so it clearly wasn’t important to him either.” 

“The wolf thing, Dad, it’s a Quileute gene.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard the legends. When am I going to see you again, Bells? Maybe you could stop by sometimes? Or we could go out for dinner?”

“Absolutely.”

“And what about school?”

Sam answered, “I’m working with the council to get that sorted, but it’s still not safe for her to be in the classroom.”

“Your education is important, Bells.” Charlie wanted to guide her in the right direction.

“I know,” Bella said, “but there’s not much I can do about it now, so no point in fretting. Can I pack a few things before I go back to the rez?” Bella asked.

“Go ahead.”

Sam and Bella went up to her room. Sam was astonished as Bella packed a few short dresses and pumps. They looked slutty, and he didn’t like to think of Bella that way. From the bathroom, she grabbed makeup. 

“Don’t you want normal clothes?” Sam asked. “Is this what you’re going to wear around the rez?”

“No! You’re the one who says I need to get laid. I have to get my stuff for that.”

Sam started packing her normal clothes for life around the rez. He was tired of sharing his wardrobe with her. They packed everything in Bella’s truck and each drove their vehicles home. 

~*~

Since Bella joined the wolf pack, her absence wasn’t missed at school. Sure, there was a lot of talk while she was a missing person. The talk died down long before the posters came down. 

When she sat next to Edward Cullen on that first day of school, he could smell exactly what she was. To him, she smelled like a wet dog who had been rolling around in her own filth, or at least that’s how he described it to his siblings. 

The Cullens had nicknamed Bella the Swan-dog. She was a constant curiosity for the family, even though they had only seen her that one day.

“I don’t know why I couldn’t read her mind, though,” Edward was complaining again. “I could read Ephraim’s no problem.”

“And I couldn’t see her future,” Alice added. “I couldn’t see anything that whole day she was at school. It was terrifying.”

“I rather enjoyed it,” Jasper quipped.

“I wish we had been here to meet the last pack,” Alice continued. “The new generation doesn’t seem nearly as friendly.”

“That she-wolf was checking out Rose, though,” Emmett said, checking out Rosalie himself. “Maybe that could be a way in with them.”

“Like I want to hang out with a bunch of dogs, Emmett. Leave me out of your plans.” Rosalie went outside for a walk.

~*~

Paul was waiting for Bella when they got back from talking to Charlie. Bella went right up to him and gave him a big hug. “I was so worried. Is everything ok?”

He chuckled. “Yeah, I’m fine, Swan. My pride was just a little bruised. I should have paid more attention.” He looked embarrassed. “I just thought you were being nice to Emily and Kim. It makes a lot of sense and I was blind to it.”

“I thought I was pretty obvious. Sam, you and Jared knew, right?” 

“Because you flirt with Emily and Kim all the fucking time. It’s getting old, Bella.”

“Emily doesn’t think so.”

Sam rolled his eyes.

Paul shared an idea. “Bella, since we’re the only single ones in the pack, how about we head to the club and try to get some action?”

“What club?” Bella asked excitedly. “I lived here two days before I turned into a furry.”

“There’s one in Port Angeles. It’s decent. It’s gay friendly, but a lot of straight girls dance together, just so you’re warned.”

Bella looked at Sam while saying, “straight girls are just bi girls who haven’t found themselves yet.”

Sam was pretty sure that Bella didn’t really believe that. To not believe in straight people was just as crazy as not believing in gay people. Sam was pretty sure she just said stuff like that to get a rise out of him. So he didn’t respond.

Paul asked, “Sam, have you not explained imprinting to her?”

Sam sighed. “I’ve explained it over a dozen times, which is why I feel secure about her hitting on Emily.”

“Paul, can we drive?” Bella asked. “Then I can get all dolled up.”

“Mhmm. I can be ready in half an hour.”

“Great! I’ll be ready in an hour.”

Bella brought her bags into the guest room where she slept, then took over the bathroom. 

Sam held Emily on the couch. “We might get the night to ourselves, finally.”

“Don’t be mean to her, Sam. She needs us.”

“I’m not being mean. I just want to fuck you all over the house once in a while. Is that so wrong?”

“No,” Emily said, kissing down Sam’s neck. 

~*~

When Bella came out of the bathroom, she looked amazing. She was wearing a black tube dress and 4” strappy heels. The high heels didn’t fit her great due to the growth spurt, but she would make do until she could pick up something new. She had adjusted all the straps, so they should be fine for one night. Her hair fell in loose curls around her face and shoulders. Her makeup was minimal but transformative. 

“Whoot woo!” Emily whistled at her. 

“Thank you, Emily!” Bella twirled.

Paul was waiting for her by the door. “Let’s go, Bella, before they close the doors.”

“They’ll still let me in,” Bella said confidently.

“Probably,” Paul muttered. 

They listened to music for part of the drive, then Paul turned it down for real talk. 

“You’re a lot stronger now, Bella.”

“I know. It’s pretty hot.”

“Uh huh, but you’re going to need to be careful with girls,” Paul said in a kind but warning tone. “It’s easy to hold too tight, to push too hard. It’s easy to hurt them. And I know you don’t want to do that.”

“What do I do?” Bella was panicking a little. This possibility hasn’t occurred to her. “I really do need to get laid. It’s been ages!”

“You can do it safely, you just have to be aware. Always think of their pleasure. Don’t get carried away with your own, that’s really important.”

“Have you hurt girls, Paul?”

“Not badly and never on purpose. It was all in line with rough sex that got out of hand, but I don’t feel good about it. I don’t want you to go through that regret too.”

“How long since it happened?”

“A while. Hey, how long have you known that you were a lesbian?”

“I think forever. Girls were always just prettier, fun to watch, more desirable. How long have you known you were straight?”

“I don’t know. I’ve just never thought about men like that.”

“Me neither.”

“I feel like I fucked up our friendship and I feel kind of stupid about it.”

Bella didn’t want to make anything awkward between them. She knew the best way forward was to put it all behind them. “Paul, you’re not the first guy that noticed how hot I am and you won’t be the last. And if I were straight, you might be my type.”

“Thanks, I guess.” He wasn’t sure that was a compliment at all.

“So is there a hotel near the club?” Bella asked.

“There is, but there are also private rooms in the club, $25 per hour for the cheapest ones. It’s a nice setup. They’re technically for private parties, but everyone uses them for hookups. That’s what I usually do.”

“How much is the hotel?” 

“$100 per night.”

“Ok, so the private rooms are the better deal unless I can land five or more girls.” Bella said, mostly joking. 

“Probably. Sometimes the hotel is nice, though.”

“When we get in, show me where the private rooms are, ok, then we’ll go our separate ways.”

“What’s the exit plan?” Paul asked.

“Whoever runs out of girls first can wait in the car?”

“Ok,” Paul agreed. “I’d like to leave by 3:00 am.”

“Sure thing, old man,” Bella teased.

They both got into the club no problem. 

Paul went to the bar to scope out the room. Bella went right to a tall blond, easily the hottest girl there besides Bella herself. Bella had her against the wall, lips locked, before Paul even picked out his first target.

Bella took the girl, Helene, to the only available private room. She gently pushed the girl onto the sectional sofa that filled the small room. She ran her hand up the girl’s inner thigh, sucking on her neck lavishly.

Bella’s hand caressed the girl’s tit, and she slid her panties aside. Bella kept their mouths occupied while she rubbed the girl’s clit with her thumb, two fingers inside Helene’s cunt. The blond girl was wriggling on Bella’s fingers, then riding her hand. 

Bella pinched the nipple a gently, bringing the girl right over the edge. Helene squealed into Bella’s mouth. 

Bella pulled her hand out of the girl’s panties. She licked her fingers clean, then aggressively kissed Helene, letting her taste herself.

Timidly, Helene asked, “Can I try on you? I’ve never done this with a girl before.”

“You can do whatever you want with me.” Bella looked the girl up and down, then licked up her neck. “Whatever you want,” she repeated, then pulled Helene’s dress over her head. 

Helene pulled Bella’s dress over her head, too. She cupped Bella’s breast, then pulled it up out of her bra. She sucked it into her mouth. 

Bella hissed in pleasure. “So good,” she encouraged. 

Helene kept licking that tit while slipping her hand into Bella’s panties. Bella moaned loudly anytime the girl did anything remotely pleasurable. 

“Fuck, so good.” She was rubbing the sweet ass that Helene carried with her everywhere. She wanted to bury her face in that ass.

“C’mere,” she said as she lay back down on the sofa. She kicked off her panties, then pulled Helene’s off of her. 

She moved Helene so she was sitting on Bella’s face, pointing toward her own cunt. The girl leaned down and continued playing with Bella’s pussy. 

Bella squeezed both butt cheeks, then pulled them apart, sticking her nose right on Helene’s anus. She inhaled deeply. Why did her wolf love that? 

Fuck. She needed to stop being weird. 

She started to lick Helene’s clit like a normal person. Bella kept moaning in pleasure, trying to teach the girl what to do with her through positive reinforcement.

When Bella was close to her climax, she growled. “Right there, do not stop, do not stop.”

Helene obeyed, bringing Bella right over the precipice. This was exactly what Bella needed, someone else to give her an orgasm. She gave the blond her second orgasm through the clit, then she started getting dressed. 

Helene wrote down her number and passed it to Bella. “If you’re ever in town again, I wouldn’t mind a repeat. You can come to my place.”

“Thank you,” she said, kissing the girl one last time. Helene tasted like licorice, just a little bit.

She shoved the number in her purse. She wasn’t sure she wanted a repeat. She wanted someone with a little more experience next time. 

She went out into the club. First, she scanned the room for Paul. To her chagrin, he had a girl pinned against the wall. She was hoping that he had gotten someone into a room, unless he was working on girl number two, in which case, she’d need to catch up. Bella couldn’t shake the desire to compete with him even now.

She scanned the room for a lesbian now, or at least someone bi. 

There was an adorable brunette at the bar watching her, licking her lips. She might be a good candidate. Bella started toward her when she felt a hand on her shoulder. 

“Bella?”

She turned to see the familiar face of Rachel Black. Paul was standing behind her, wrapped around her body completely.

“Can we talk to you on the balcony?”

“Sure, Rachel!” Bella shouted over the blaring music.

Bella followed them out. Paul leaned toward her on the way and said, “I imprinted.”

Fuck. That was a buzz kill. 

“Do you guys want to go home or something?” Bella asked.

“Can we?” Rachel pleaded. 

“Where do you live?” Bella asked Rachel.

“Four streets over.”

“Is that where you want to go?”

“I want to take her to La Push,” Paul stated.

“What do you want, Rachel?” Bella asked.

“I don’t want to ruin your night, Bella, but I want to go home. To La Push. I just feel pulled there, you know?”

“Fine. I got laid once. That will have to do. But I’m going to want to borrow your car next time I want to go out, Paul. It’s way faster than mine.”

“Deal.” Paul handed her the car keys. “Can you drive us home tonight? I was thinking of sitting in the backseat with Rachel.”

“Fucker,” Bella muttered.

“That’s my goal,” Paul whispered to her with a smirk.

Bella drove home while the Paul did everything but fuck her in the backseat. 

Bella pulled into Sam Uley’s driveway and put the car in park. She left it running with Paul and Rachel in the backseat. They could get themselves home. 

When Bella walked in, Emily was naked, bent over the kitchen table. Sam was balls deep, coming in from behind. Bella walked through the kitchen toward the bathroom. 

“Carry on,” Bella instructed. 

She heard giggles in her wake.

Bella kind of wanted one of those imprint things. She washed the makeup off her face. Bella went to her bed and masturbated, thinking of that brunette at the bar. At least she had some fresh faces for her fantasies.

~*~

A few days later, Bella had her first one-on-one visit with her dad. She asked him about doing a DNA test to figure out who his dad was. 

“What would it accomplish?”

“If I could find a match, I could get tribal membership. Then I could get the same benefits and considerations as the rest of the pack. It would also make finishing my education easier if it is handled through the council.”

“Who do you want to test me against?”

“Do you know Old Quil?”

“Of course. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t him. He had a strong and loving marriage to my aunt.”

“Right, he’s not a suspect. He suggested it could be Sam’s grandfather or great uncle or Billy’s dad.”

Bella saw rage cross Charlie’s face at these suggestions. “Dad, it wouldn’t have to change anything for you, but it would change a lot for me if you did this.”

“Do you need three swabs?” Charlie asked.

“No, we’re going to try Billy first. The tests are kind of expensive. He’ll be the easiest. If it’s not him, Sam will have to work to get a sample out of his dad. And we don’t know how to test for his uncle because he didn’t have any known kids, so I’m kind of hoping it’s Billy.”

“Alright kid, give me the swab kit. I’ll do it before you leave so it’s fresh.”

~*~

At the same time, Sam and Rachel were meeting with Billy.

“If Charlie is my brother, he might try to contest my position as chief.”

“Daddy,” Rachel said, “Charlie has no interest in being chief and you know that. This is about Bella.”

Billy continued to protest. “We often butt heads about tribal sovereignty. He is a law man above all else.”

“He has no claim, Billy,” Sam said. “You are older, you know tribal laws and traditions. The tribe would revolt if he tried to take the position of chief.”

“That’s kind of you to say, Sam,” Billy responded sincerely.

Sam put a thick envelope on the table. “Here’s the swab test. No eating or drinking half an hour before the swab.”

“So that’s it? I just have to do what the alpha says?” Billy challenged him.

Sam gave him a genuine smile. “If it’s not your father, Billy, we’ll have to check my father to see if he’s Charlie’s brother. Wanna know how we’ll get his swab?”

“No,” Billy said, shaking his head slowly.

“The whole pack is going to break into his apartment. The guys will hold him down. Bella will give him a glass of water-”

“I said no.”

Sam continued, “The water is to rinse out any food or drink that might be in his mouth. We’ll wait 30 minutes, then have Bella take the swab. I imagine he’ll be a little turned on, having Bella dominate the situation like that. She’s a beautiful girl, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. So as we leave, we’ll tell him that she’s his niece.”

“I said no. I didn’t want to know.”

“Billy, you’re in a wheelchair. Bella could do the whole thing herself. That’s what she’s doing with Charlie right now.”

Billy laughed. “Charlie will agree to do the test for her and we all know it.”

“Probably,” Sam agreed. “But she brought Paul and Jared just in case. They’re waiting in the bushes.”

Rachel smiled at the visual, knowing that Paul was at home and Jared was on patrol. Sam was just taunting Billy a little. Everyone humored Billy about being chief of the tribe, but it was well known that the authority had been passed to Sam when he became alpha of the pack.

“Sure, sure,” Billy agreed. “I’ll do the swab. Rachel, can you grab me some water to rinse the beer out, then we’ll wait 30 minutes.”

Sam and Rachel waited the full 30 minutes to make sure it was done correctly.

Test results were expected in 4-6 weeks. Six weeks felt like an eternity to Bella.

~*~

While the pack waited for test results, a strong thunderstorm rolled in off the coast. The Cullens gathered their equipment and headed to their favorite clearing for a baseball game, as was their tradition.

James, Victoria and Laurant were traveling from Olympia. They were planning to go around the Olympic National Park, then cross over to Vancouver Island. Then they heard the crack of a baseball bat. 

They changed course. They were in no hurry. Vampires are naturally curious creatures. 

“Do you have room for a few more players?” Laurent asked after all the introductions were made.

“Esme, can you play in-fielder?” Carlisle asked his wife.

Esme nodded and took her position. She liked baseball because it included the whole family. She didn’t care what position she played or even if she played at all. These new players intrigued her. The girl was clearly shy, similar to Esme. Maybe they’d be good friends.

After the game, Carlisle invited their new friends back to their home. They all returned to the Cullen house and got comfortable. 

“Animals? All the time?” James asked incredulously.

“Carlisle and I have never drunk a human.” Rosalie said smugly. “The same can’t be said for the rest.” 

“We make mistakes,” Esme said with grace. “We’ve gotten better though. They are few and far between at this point.”

“Magnificent!” Laurent said enthusiastically. 

“It allows us a lot more freedom in life,” Edward explained. “We have homes all over and we can stay in one place for years at a time, living a relatively normal life.”

“As high school students?” Victoria scoffed.

“Sometimes,” Edward answered. “It depends on where we want to go. Forks is great because of the rain during the school year. It’s worth it to go back to high school to live here.”

Victoria was intrigued. This seemed like a life where they weren’t on the run. It felt secure, even safe.

Laurent was fascinated. The thing he loved the most about being a vampire was the characters he met. He had never met anyone like the Cullens.

James found the prospect enticing. Being able to control his bloodlust would give him an edge as a tracker. He could have access to human spaces without a killing spree. It would add a new technique to his games.

The small coven stayed with the Cullens for a few weeks, then continued on their journey north. They were going to seek out the vegetarian coven in the Denali National Park.

“Stop by if you pass through here again,” Carlisle said as he saw them off. “We should be here for a few more years.”

“We might take you up on that,” James said with a hand shake.

Alice could already see that he’d be back. 

~*~

Finally, Sam got the test results they’d all been waiting for. There was a 98% probability that Charlie and Billy were half-siblings.

So now Bella couldn’t flirt with Rachel anymore. They were first cousins. 

“Do you want me to come with you when you tell Charlie?” Sam asked Bella.

Groan. “Ok, yes you should come. And I want Rachel to come.”

“Let’s get Rachel and tell Billy first,” Sam suggested.

Bella, Rachel, Sam and Billy showed up at Charlie’s house an hour later. Billy was grinning ear to ear. He was sure this was how he was going to get his friend back.

“Bells!” Charlie exclaimed when he opened the door. “And Rachel, long time no see.” He was grinning, seeing the girls.

His mouth turned into a scowl as he watched Sam follow the girls into the house. Charlie hadn’t invited Sam in. He was watching the three young people sit at the kitchen table. He didn’t notice Billy wheel in until he hit Charlie’s toe with his wheelchair.

“Christ, Billy! I didn’t see you there. Is this a surprise party or something?” He asked, then muttered, “I hate surprises.”

Sam was glad that they had brought Billy along. He knew that Charlie didn’t really like him. Charlie liked Billy even less.

“Kind of!” Bella said excitedly. “We know who your biological father is now!”

Charlie glanced down at Billy, then looked back at Bella. He relaxed his shoulders. “Rachel!” Charlie ran to her and scooped her up in a hug. “You’re my niece!” He looked at her face. He had loved Billy’s kids their whole lives, but now that he knew they were his real family… it was all so different now.

“Yeah, Uncle Charlie.” Rachel was smiling at him.

Charlie smiled back. “I guess I owe you a whole lot of birthday and Christmas money now.”

Rachel chuckled. “I think we’re square for all you’ve done for my dad.”

Charlie sighed and looked down at Billy. “Want a beer?”

“Please, brother.”

Charlie grabbed one for him, then turned on Sam. “What are you doing here?”

“Emotional support,” Sam answered plainly.

“For?”

“Me, Dad,” Bella answered. “I’m still living with him.”

Charlie lowered his eyes at Sam. “I thought you said you weren’t her type.”

Sam tried not to smile. Bella said, “I’m living with him and his fiance, dad. He’s not my type.”

“Charlie,” Sam said, “Bella is being given tribal membership because of her heritage. You have the same heritage. You are also welcome to apply for tribal membership.”

“What for?” Charlie asked dismissively.

“There are a lot of resources that are available to tribal members that are not available to the population at large.”

“I have a good job.” Charlie said dismissively.

“It will tie you to your family, your heritage,” Billy said. “Like it or not, you are one of us.”

“I’m not. I have a family. I have a heritage. Billy, you were a brother to me before. Sarah and the kids, they were always family to me. This changes very little.”

“It changes some, though.” Billy said with some confidence. 

“It does, yes,” Charlie admitted.

Sam, Rachel and Bella climbed back into Sam’s car. Billy had settled into his old routine of watching the game with Charlie. Billy talked Charlie’s into giving him a lift home after.

“What about getting my GED?” Bella asked in the car. “I want to do it the way that Paul did.”

“He said the tests weren’t hard, and you’re better at school than him, Bella,” Rachel encouraged her.

“Oh, I’m not worried about passing. I’m worried about waiting another month or two before anything else gets done. I’ve already missed months of school so this is my only real choice.”

“I’ll call Harry Clearwater when we get home,” Sam said. “He helped Paul with this process. He’ll be able to help you too. It shouldn’t take long.”

 

Chapter 4: Meet the Imprint

“Harry is a great man.” Sam said as he drove Bella to the Clearwaters’ house. “He's good friends with your dad, too. Fishing buddies, I think.”

“Everyone is friends with my dad. Why do we have to meet with everyone in person? Couldn’t this just be a phone call?” Bella sounded whiny.

“Did you have plans today, Bella?” Sam asked, amused.

“Kim and I were going to give each other pedicures.”

Sam's mouth gaped open. “I didn't know you had a foot fetish.”

“You don't know any of my fetishes, Sam Uley, and I hope Emily  doesn’t ever tell you. Nevertheless, I don't have a foot fetish, but I'm pretty sure Kim does.” Her cadence picked up speed as she talked excitedly. “I usually do some light massage and Sam, I can get that girl moaning. It is so hot.”

“Does Jared know about these pedicures?”

“He watches.” She grinned proudly. “He's going to be pissed that we have to reschedule.”

“If you say so.” Sam knew that Jared didn't get pissed about much. He stopped short as they approached the Clearwater’s house. “Shit!”

“What? I can show you how to do the foot massage, but Emily isn't into it as much as Kim is. She just grunts a little.”

“Leah's car is here.” Sam was almost whispering, like he was trying to hide as he parked his car. “Harry said she'd be working.”

“Ooh. Who's Leah?” Bella was always intrigued when meeting new women.

“She's my ex-girlfriend, the one I was with when I imprinted on Emily.”

“Is she hot? Is she single?” Bella was excited now.

“Oh, she's definitely your type, Bella.” Sam said with a snicker. “She's straight.”

“We'll see about that.”

“Bella, we're here to see Harry, Leah’s father, so don't get distracted.”

“You can talk to Harry.”

“Bella,” Sam said in a warning tone as they approached the house.

Sam knocked. A tall lanky boy opened the door. “Seth! Your dad is expecting us. This is Bella.”

Sam gave the boy a fist bump. Politely, Seth said, “Hi Bella, nice to meet you. Come on in,” Seth said to Sam. “He's in his office. You know the way.”

Leah leaned on the doorway between the kitchen and living room, leering at Sam. Sam averted his eyes and went straight for Harry's office, expecting Bella to follow close behind. 

Bella scanned the room until she saw the legs. Her eyes ran up them, absorbing the perfectly proportional hourglass figure on top. When she got to the pretty face that topped the flawless body, she froze. 

Those eyes were linked to the core of her soul. Her pull toward them was stronger than gravity. The yearning for this woman was suffocating her. 

She imprinted.

Her legs pushed her towards the girl who was watching her approach.

“I'm Bella.”

“Beautiful,” Leah said, almost breathless. Leah was mesmerized by the gorgeous woman who was standing in her living room for some reason.

Bella smiled. 

“In Spanish,” Leah corrected herself, trying to snap out of it. “Bella means beautiful in Spanish.” Leah was blushing.

“What's your name?” Bella asked.

“Leah.”

“Hi Leah, I'm Bella.”

Leah giggled. “Yeah, we covered that already.”

“Shit, I'm stumped. What are you doing after?”

“After what?”

“After Sam makes me talk to your dad.”

Leah's face scrunched into a scowl. Now she had snapped out of her trance completely. “You're one of Sam's gang, huh? I'm busy after .”

Leah turned and walked into the kitchen. 

“Bella,” Sam scolded again.

Bella followed him to Harry's study. With a huff, she sat down with Harry and Sam. The two men talked about the GED process. Bella thought about the girl on the other side of the wall. 

Leah. 

Sigh.

“Any questions, Bella?” Harry asked. 

“Yeah, Sam, what does imprinting feel like?”

“He means do you have any questions about the GED process,” Harry said with humor in his voice.

“Nope.”

“So you understood it all?” Sam asked.

“It's a test, right?”

“Were you even listening?”

“Sam, a wise alpha once told me: don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to.”

Harry laughed. “Good luck, Sam. I'll leave you in charge of her.”

Sam's voice had unwavering authority. “Actually, since she's tribe now, and pack with no immediate family on the rez, isn't she entitled to her own place?”

Bella was panicking. “Did I go too far with Emily? Don't kick me out! I won't hit on her anymore, Sam. I think I imprinted, so I really won't. I can quit cold turkey, I swear!”

Sam put his hand on her shoulder. “I'm not kicking you out, Bella. I just want to get the ball rolling. The pack houses are dumps, no offense, Harry. So if we get you one now, it'll give us time to fix it up for when you decide you want to move out.”

“Phew.” Bella pretended to wipe the sweat of her forehead with the back of her hand. “I don't know if I could live without Emily's breakfast sandwiches.”

“They’re just eggs on toast.”

She rubbed her belly. “And so good.”

Sam rolled his eyes.

“If she's imprinted, she's entitled to a two bedroom like you, Sam. Otherwise she's entitled to a one bedroom.” Harry turned to Bella. “Who did you imprint on?”

Bella looked nervous. “I'm not sure. That's why I wanted to talk to Sam, but I think I just imprinted on Leah.”

A bunch of veins started popping out in Sam's neck. Bella touched one with her finger, pressing on it. It snapped back into place when she lifted her finger. 

“Neat trick, Sam,” she said casually. 

Through gritted teeth, Sam asked, "What makes you think you imprinted on Leah?”

“Well I was checking out her hot bod and when I got to her face, her eyes were linked to my soul somehow and they were pulling like gravity and there was a feeling of suffocating, but in a good way, sort of, like choking during sex. I might not be explaining it right. No, that is right, like sex choking. Anyway, I hit on her and it was going great but it all fell apart when you came up in conversation, Sam.”

Harry and Sam were looking at each other, not sure what to say.

“Two bedrooms it is, then,” Harry finally said, looking at a notebook on his desk. “Sam, there's two houses  available on Maple Road and another on Pine Street. If you want to take Bella, see which she prefers, then I can get started on the formalities.”

“What will I eat, Sam?” Bella asked frantically. “How will I pay for electricity? I'm not ready for this!”

“Bella, it's covered, but I'm not kicking you out. Emily won't let me.”

“Ha!” She crossed her arms over her chest. “And you still think she's straight?”

“Yes,” he said firmly. “You can move out when you're ready, and only after we get a house ready for you.”

“Fine. Can we go now?”

“To the houses?” Sam asked.

“No, I just want to leave. Leah just left and I want to try again with her.”

“Go ahead.”

Bella ran out of the house. Leah's car was still in the driveway. She ran around the house, searching. Leah was sitting in a lawn chair, reading a book in the backyard. 

“Busy, huh?” Bella said, sitting next to her. 

Leah kept reading. “Uh huh.”

“Whatcha reading?”

Leah held up the book title for Bella but kept reading. “Midsummer Night's Dream. Are you a Shakespeare nerd?”

“No, I need this class to graduate.”

“When do you graduate?” Bella had both elbows on the table. She was leaning forward to try to get a better look at Leah's face.

“In a few weeks if I can pass this class.”

“I can tutor you.”

Leah lowered the book a little. “Are you good at essays?”

“Fucking awesome.” Bella was nodding proudly. “And I'm decent at Shakespeare too.”

“Have you read this?”

“Yeah, but it's been a while. You want to watch it if you can.”

Leah cocked her head. “How am I supposed to watch it? Go to Seattle or something?”

“The library has a DVD. We could have a study date.” 

Leah held the book in her lap, her finger acting as a bookmark. She looked into Bella's heart-shaped face and her heart fluttered. Building her courage, she asked, “Why do you want to help me? Did Sam put you up to this?”

“No! I just want to. I want to know you better.”

Leah narrowed her eyes. “Why did you join his gang?” 

“I didn't!” Bella shook her head desperately. “Sam doesn't have a gang. I just work for the council.”

“How? You're not Quileute.” 

“I am, though.” Bella leaned closer to Leah and whispered like she was sharing a secret. “There was an illicit affair involving my Gran. The council figured it all out, did the testing. I'm even getting a house.”

Leah looked mad at the house news. “ You're getting a house?”

“Because I work for the council. There is a room for you if you want. I'm getting a two bedroom.”

Leah's teeth were clenched now. “You're getting a two bedroom house?”

“Sam says it's a dump but I think we can get it ready in a few weeks if I push the guys. You can have your own room if you want.”

“What are you talking about? My own room?”

“It's a two bedroom.”

“Yeah, you said that,” Leah said tersely.

“Right. So I can get that DVD from the library and we can watch it together tonight.”

“Watch a Midsummer Night's Dream? Is that what we're talking about now?”

“Yeah, dinner and a movie.”

Leah shrugged. “Where? Seth's having a sleepover so he’ll be playing video games.”

“I'm guessing you don't want to go to Sam and Emily's…” Bella looked around the backyard, trying to think of a solution. “Paul's! He'll let me use his living room.”

“Where are you living?” Leah asked, suspicious of why Sam and Emily's house was even brought up as an option.

“With Sam and Emily,” Bella said sheepishly, “but only until I get the house set up. And I'm getting a house with space for you.”

“What are you even talking about: space for me?”

“It's a two bedroom, Leah. If you don't want to sleep with me yet, you can have your own bedroom.”

Leah giggled. Bella fucking loved it.

“Why would I get your second bedroom?” She looked at Bella's lovely face, waiting for a response that made sense. 

“Because I want you to.”

“Why me ? I just met you.”

“You're right. I shouldn't just ask a girl to move in with me just because she's irresistibly hot. We can take it slow. So how about dinner and a movie at Paul's tonight? Paul won’t be there. I’ll kick him out.”

“Paul is one of Sam's gang.” Leah stated it like it was an irrefutable fact.

“There's no gang, Leah. Paul works for the council like me.”

“I don't know. I don't want to be sucked into Sam's world.”

“I won't invite Sam to our date,” Bella promised.

“Date?”

“Dinner and a movie. A date. We can do it as just friends but it might make the kissing part awkward.”

Leah laughed again. “I really don't know what to make of you, Bella.”

“You can call me Beautiful. I liked that too.”

“Maybe after the kissing part.” Leah said, looking down with a slight blush. She looked up at Bella under her long eyelashes to see her reaction.

Bella gaped at Leah's beauty, so excited for the kissing part. Then she snapped back to herself. “I've got to go tell Paul I'm ruining his night. I'll pick you up at 6:00, ok?”

“Sure.” She watched Bella gracefully stand from her chair, almost like a dancer. Leah asked, “What should I wear?”

Bella looked up and down Leah's body. It made Leah feel tingly inside and a little aroused. “This is great, but wear whatever you want.”

Bella kissed the top of Leah's head, breathing in her scent. Cinnamon and pine. “6:00,” she whispered.

~*~

Bella burst into Paul's house moments later, since they lived in the same street as Leah. Rachel was straddling his lap on the couch but they were both mostly clothed.

“I need your house. I have a date.” Bella stated.

“Why do you need my house? Why can't you kick Sam out of his?”

“It's a date with Leah Clearwater.”

“Ah shit, Bella. She's straight.” Paul was shaking his head.

Bella stood in front of Paul’s surfboard, her hands on her hips. “You know I don't believe in straight girls.”

Paul sighed. “When is your date? Does she know it's a date?”

“Tonight. 6:00.” Bella grinned while saying, “I told her we could do it as just friends but it would make the kissing awkward.”

“She probably thought you were kidding!” Paul exclaimed.

“I don't think so,” Bella said confidently. “She smelled aroused when I was checking her out. Also I need your car.”

“Ugh. Does Sam know?”

“Yeah, when I told him I imprinted the veins on his neck all popped out. It was really cool.”

“You imprinted!? Bella, you can't fuck her tonight!” Paul said almost harshly.

“What are you talking about? I'll wash the bedding. I'm civilized.”

“Does Sam know you have a date? Does Sam know how many straight girls you fuck?”

“They're not straight if they fuck me, Paul! I'm a woman! And I need your car. I need to pick up dinner and a movie.”

“Just a minute.” Paul put Rachel on the couch next to him. “We'll have to finish this later.”

Rachel nodded understandingly.

Paul went to the phone and dialed Sam. “Emergency pack meet, my house, you bring Jared.”

“No one wants a pack meet for my date, Paul. None of you are even invited. I don't want to take my truck, but I will.”

“The pack meet will be in my car.” Paul was getting his keys.

“Good. I'm driving.”

“Fine, when they get here. There’s a lot you don’t know, Bella. The imprint feels what the wolf feels. It’s going to be complicated with Leah.”

Knock. Knock. Knock. 

Bella opened the door and skipped to the car. 

“Sam, you have shotgun. Jared, sit behind Sam.” Paul didn't usually order the guys around but everyone complied. It was clearly an emergency.

Paul got in behind Bella and dropped his keys on her lap. 

“What's the emergency, Paul?” Sam asked.

Bella started driving into Forks.

Paul began the meeting. “First, Jared, Bella imprinted on Leah Clearwater.”

“Shit,” Jared breathed.

“Second, I feel like Bella has been hiding some of her special talents from you guys. Bella, when you go clubbing, on average, how many girls do you get with who are virgins.”

“I don't ask them that!”

“I mean, virgins to lesbian sex.”

“Oh, I get at least one per night, then, depending how it went, I might go for one more that is experienced. Then I see who's left in the club and go from there. I basically have to squeeze a week's worth of sex into one night.”

“No one's judging you, Bella.” Paul reassured her. “I just wanted the guys to understand your, uh, talents. How often do you get turned down by girls?”

“It doesn't work that way, Paul. I can tell if a girl is willing before I approach her.” She glanced at him in the rearview mirror. “You remember how to do it.”

“She's got a date with Leah tonight, at my house.”

“Don't worry guys,” Bella said. “New girls can get me off, they just need a little education and guidance. I'm sure Leah will be fine.”

Jared tried not to laugh. “No one is worried about whether or not you'll get an orgasm from her tonight, Bella.”

Sam was in shock. When he snapped out of it, he exclaimed, “You can't sleep with her, Bella!” 

“You dumped her, Sam! You don't get to decide who she sleeps with!”

“Sleeping with her means she accepts the imprint,” Sam explained, trying to remain calm. “If you sleep with her without telling her about the pack and the imprint, you are tricking her into accepting the imprint.”

Bella drove in silence for a minute. “Oh,” she said quietly.

Everyone just waited for her to come around. “But Paul had his whole arm up Rachel the night he imprinted. Had you already told her about the pack, Paul?”

“No! But I didn't put my dick in her until she was ready to accept the imprint.”

Bella thought for a few minutes. Then she pulled into Charlie's. “Wait here.” 

She ran into the house and came back out less than a minute later with a book. She put it in Sam's lap. 

“So I can do everything but scissoring,” Bella declared confidently

“Scissoring?” Jared asked.

Sam and Paul both did the hand motion for scissoring. 

“Yeah, I know what scissoring is!” Jared said, a little annoyed. “But Bella, why do you think you can do everything but scissoring?”

“Scissoring is clit to clit, genital to genital. If that was Paul's restriction, it's mine, too.”

“I'm not sure that's right,” Paul said. 

“I will not be held to a double standard!”

“No one wants that, Bella,” Sam said gently. Bella pulled into the library parking lot and ran inside. She came out a few minutes later with a DVD.

She had one more stop. “What kind of sandwiches does she like, Sam?” 

“Chicken Parmesan is her favorite. She also likes meatball subs.”

Bella went into the sandwich shop. She emerged fifteen minutes later with a bag that smelled great. 

“Anything else, guys? I need to get ready.”

“Bella, how often do you do scissoring?” Jared asked.

“Only like, once or twice a month. I will do other tribbing if I find a girl with the right anatomy.”

“What's tribbing?” Jared asked. 

Sam and Paul both shrugged. 

“It's like scissoring but in different configurations based on the girl's anatomy. It's clit to clit. I won't do that with Leah until she's ready, ok?”

“And you can abstain?”

“Of course! Who do you think I am? I abstained that whole time I was a missing person. And I can still fuck her in other ways. I'll be fine.”

“Have you thought about how you want to tell her about the pack?” Sam asked.

“Nope.”

“When do you want to talk to her about it?”

“No idea.”

“That's something to think about,” Sam said, sounding defeated. He was.

Bella pulled into Sam's driveway. She tossed the keys for her truck to Paul. “When I bring your car back here, I'll be done with my date and you can have your house back.”

Bella went into Sam's, showered and got ready for her date. She wore a knee length sleeveless blue dress. It was flirty but not over the top sexual.

She brought the sandwiches to Paul's and put them in the warming drawer under the oven. Then she drove to pick up Leah. 

 

Chapter 5: Between Desire and Restraint

Harry opened the door. Bella smiled at him. “I'm here to pick up Leah for our date.”

“Yeah, I know, Bella. Have you talked to Sam about it?”

“Not by choice. Paul made me.”

“It's none of Sam's business!” Leah called, coming into the living room. She was kinda mad her dad even asked Bella that.

“That's what I said!” Bella replied. “Sam still lectured me, though.”

Harry stepped aside so that Bella could see Leah. She was wearing a short black skirt and a black tank top with an embroidered pattern down one side. She looked ravishing.

“Have fun, girls,” Harry said.

Bella opened the passenger side door for Leah. When Bella got in the car, Leah asked, “Isn't this Paul's car?”

“We traded for the night. My truck is slow.” Bella turned on the car and started toward Paul’s house.

“So you and Paul must be pretty close?”

“Fuck yeah! I'm close to all the guys.”

“All the guys in Sam's gang?” Leah asked.

“It's really not a gang,” Bella insisted. “I told you. We just work together. We work for the council.”

“Everybody on the rez calls it a gang. You're the only one who doesn’t.” Leah didn't know what to believe. “So what do you do for the council then?” 

“Oh, it's kind of complicated but it's security adjacent.” 

“Security adjacent? So you’re like a cop or something?”

“No. I have no authority to arrest people,” Bella said with a chuckle. “My dad’s a cop though.”

“Yeah, I know.” Leah knew Charlie Swan. Everyone knew Charlie Swan.

Bella parked in Paul's driveway and ran to open Leah's door before she had a chance. 

“You're pretty fast in those heels, Bella.” Leah enjoyed seeing Bella hustle in her blue dress.

“Thank you. It’s from practicing at the club.”

“Do you go dancing at the club a lot?” Leah knew what the club was all about. She had only gone once but decided the scene was not for her. Her depression just didn’t allow her to enjoy it. Casual hookups weren't her style anyway. She wondered if Bella was looking for a casual hook-up with her, if that was the whole purpose of this date.

“On the weekends, sure,” Bella answered. “I didn't know anyone around here so Paul took me as a way to meet more people.”

Bella held Leah's hand as she walked her into Paul's house. Leah's hand was warm and it made Bella feel relaxed, almost like Leah was pack. Bella got the bag of sandwiches out of the warmer and dumped all four on the table. She got plates, a knife, and two cans of soda from Paul's fridge. 

“I'm kind of a big eater,” she told Leah. “Got to fuel this physique.” She patted her flat stomach comically.

Leah laughed. “I've got a healthy appetite as well, not enough for two large sandwiches, but we’ll see.” She started unwrapping one and saw that it was chicken parmesan. “Did Sam tell you what kind to get?”

“Yes…” Bella wondered if Sam was trying to sabotage her but quickly dismissed the thought. She knew that Sam loved her. “I got chicken Parmesan and meatball subs. Are those still your favorite?”

“Yep.” Leah put half a chicken Parmesan sandwich on her plate. “When did you ask him?”

“Before I went into the sandwich shop earlier.”

Leah held her sandwich still while asking, “He went with you?”

Bella sighed. “Paul invited him and Jared to run errands with me. He wouldn't give me the car keys until they got here. They're kind of protective of me because I'm the only girl on the crew.”

“Bella, honestly, I don't even understand how you're here.” Leah was starting to sound tired.

“Paul said I could use his house. I knew he would.”

“I mean living on the rez… working for the council… getting your own house.” Leah put her sandwich down to ask, “Why did Sam invite you to live with him in the first place?”

“That's a long story.” Bella thought she could turn the tables on Leah to avoid it. “Hey, how did you come to live on the rez?”

Leah had to stop herself from bursting out laughing. “Both my mother's family and my father's family have lived here since before white folks came to this region. As far as we can tell, we're as close to full blooded Native Americans as they come. There are no white folk in our family tree, as far as we know.”

“So I'm mostly white but my grandfather was Quileute. His name was William Black.” Bella took a big bite of her sandwich.

“Oh shit! Billy’s dad? Well that actually explains a lot.”

Bella put her hand over her mouth to ask, “It does?”

“Because Billy is sort of the chief,” Leah explained. “So if you're his niece, it makes sense why you're given special treatment.”

“I don't think I've been given special treatment,” Bella said, a little defensive. “All the guys have the same privileges as me.” 

“But how did you get this job with the council?”

Bella gulped. “I think it was because I'm Billy’s niece,” she admitted.

Leah nodded, feeling like she understood the situation a bit better now. “So why are you living with Sam and not Billy?”

“Sam invited me to stay with him so he could help train me better. Leah, I think how Sam ended things with you is really shitty. He's admitted all that. But that's not the man I know, you know? He's been really good to me. So I hope you won't hold it against me that I'm tight with him and Emily.”

Leah sighed. This wasn't an easy topic but she didn’t want to talk about it with Bella. She considered her words carefully so that could move on. “I loved both Sam and Emily. I know how easy it is to love them and trust them. I would still love them, if they hadn’t… well, you know. I’ll try not to hold it against you that you love them now.”

“Thank you,” Bella said, feeling like they had an understanding there. (They did not.) “So the way Sam talked about you, I thought you were in the same grade as him. Is the Shakespeare class for college or what?”

“We were in the same grade. I was supposed to graduate high school last year but everything got messed up. I had to repeat some classes and I needed half a fine arts credit to graduate.”

“Fine arts? Is this a theater class?”

“Yes, it was the only half year fine arts class available.”

“Is there going to be a play?” Bella was getting excited.

Leah closed her eyes and cringed. “Yes.”

“Can I come?”

“That would be really embarrassing.”

“Why?” Bella asked.

“Because I'll be in a play.”

“Who are you playing?”

Leah answered reluctantly. “Hermia.” 

“Ah, the young maiden in love! So fun. I'm so excited!”

“Could you not be?”

“I can help you with your lines. Do you have to memorize them?” Bella asked.

“No, thankfully I don’t.”

“Still, what fun!”

“Were you a theater kid in high school or something?” Leah asked.

“Something like that. Where I went to school in Phoenix, gay guys were on stage; lesbians were backstage. I did set crew. But I've helped a lot of girls learn their lines.”

“Is that a euphemism for something?”

“No,” Bella laughed awkwardly, “but I did hook up with some of them, Leah. I hope that's not a problem. But that was when I lived in Phoenix.”

“That's not a problem. I just met you today.”

“Yeah, but like, Leah, this isn't just a one date thing,” she said, trying to convey how she felt. “I'm going to help you learn your lines and come to the play.”

“I don't even know if there's going to be an audience.”

“I could volunteer to be part of the set crew!” Bella exclaimed, maybe forgetting she didn't attend that school.

“I think it's just going to be in the classroom. There isn't even a stage at the rez school.”

Bella looked so crestfallen. 

That made Leah feel bad. “Listen, if you still want to come when it happens, I can ask my teacher if you can sit in the back. Maybe Billy can help get you in. Jake is in the class.”

“He is? He's my cousin!”

“Yeah, I know. And Rachel is your cousin too. Are you tight with her too?” Leah asked.

“Yes, she's Paul's girl. She lives here,” Bella said, pointing to the table. “But since I found out she was my cousin, I stopped hitting on her.”

“That makes sense. It's weird to hit on your cousin, Beautiful.” Bella blushed at Leah’s name for her. Leah loved it. She loved that she had an effect on this gorgeous woman.

Bella got up and got the book she picked up from Charlie’s. “It has diagrams of all of the relationships and a useful timeline of events.” She opened it to one of the diagrams she thought Leah would find useful. 

“This is really cool. Can I borrow it?” Leah asked. 

“You can have it.”

“I won't need it beyond this class. When did you graduate?” Leah asked.

“I was supposed to graduate this year but that also got messed up. That's what I went to see your dad about. I need to get my GED.”

“So you're not going to college?” This was disappointing to Leah. She knew her own goals. If Bella was planning on being a rez rat, they had no future together.

“I can't right now anyway. I have commitments to the council with my job. If I want to go in a few years, I’ll have to start at community college.”

“Yeah, I think they take pretty much anyone.”

“I hope so,” Bella said.

When they finished eating, Bella set up the DVD then sat on Paul's couch. Leah sat beside her. Bella had grown a lot in her transformation. She was taller than Leah, but still lean with curves. 

Bella put her arm around Leah's shoulder, their thighs touching. They sat like that for almost two hours. As much as Bella wanted to make a move during the film, she wanted Leah to watch the movie and pass the class. Leah was her imprint and she wanted what was best for her.

As Bella watched the movie, she was startled by the similarities between the play and pack life. The love potion was like imprinting. It was so powerful. They had no control over it. Imprints consumed the whole life of the wolf. This might be a good way to open a dialogue with Leah about imprinting, but she’d have to mull it over.

When the credits started to roll, Leah turned to Bella. “That was really helpful, Bella, thank you.”

Bella turned her whole body to face Leah. “I'm so glad.” Bella caressed Leah's cheek, looking deep into her eyes. She pulled her face up a little and slowly brought her lips to Leah's. Leah's lips were soft like clouds and boobs. Bella wanted her mouth all over them. 

Leah gripped Bella shoulder, then ran her fingers over Bella's thick hair. She had been wondering if there really would be a kissing part. She had been hoping. The kissing was more than she expected. It felt so good, being connected like this.

Bella could smell Leah's arousal as her hands began to wander. That scent gave Bella the confidence to move to the next step. It also got her excited. She was making her imprint wet!

Slowly, Bella lowered Leah onto the couch so that she was over her. As she deepened the kiss, she played with Leah's breasts through her shirt, easily finding the hardened nipple. Bella's thigh was between Leah's legs and she was gently rubbing on her core. This felt so right.

Leah's hands were flat on Bella's chest, pushing. Everything was moving way too fast for Leah and she felt herself losing control.

Bella realized that Leah was trying to push her away. She sat up on her knees. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so…”

“Aggressive?” Leah sighed. She wasn't ready for all this. She needed more time. “Bella, I don't sleep with someone the same day I meet them. That's just not me.”

“Ok.”

“I'm going to go.”

“You don't want to practice lines?” Bella asked, trying to hide her desperation.

“I think it's best if I go.”

“When can I see you again?”

“I'm not sure.”

“Let me drive you home,” Bella pleaded.

“I’d rather walk. I only live three houses down, Bella.”

“Did I fuck everything up?”

Leah looked at Bella with a deep compassion. “No, you didn't. I’m just not sure we’re after the same thing.” She closed her eyes to think. Why was it so hard for her to tell this girl the truth? “I feel out of control with you. I’m just not ready for all this.”  Leah stood and started moving toward the front door of Paul’s house.

Bella was following Leah to the door. “I thought we were having a good time. No shame in that. But I won't touch you if you don't want me to. We can just chat or practice lines, there's no right or wrong way for this night to go. But you leaving this early, it doesn't feel great.” 

Leah turned to Bella and said, “I don't want to practice lines. I feel like I've done enough school work by watching the movie and looking at the book.”

“We don't have to do that.”

“And it's a personal rule not to sleep with someone on the first date.”

“What is the timeline there?” Bella asked. “Just so I know what to expect.”

That was all Leah needed to hear. She didn’t know what Bella’s motive was before. She had thought maybe it had to do with Sam. But now she was pretty sure it was just sex. “Bella, would you even talk to me again after you got me in bed?”

“Of course! Why would you ask me that?”

Leah gulped. “You remind me of some players I know. Once they get you into bed, they're not interested anymore.”

“I'm not. I swear! That's not me. I went to the club because I just didn't know anyone around here and I was too busy with work to meet people.”

“Ok. I'm going to go. If you want to see me again, feel free to stop by.”

With that, Leah left. 

Bella had never felt so rejected in her life. 

She sat down at the kitchen table. One by one, she ate all the leftover sandwiches. She licked Leah's plate then her own. It only took a minute to clean the dishes and put them away. She didn't want to leave a mess in case she ever got a second date with Leah. She'd want to use Paul's place again. 

Finally, she drove to Sam's. The whole pack and all the imprints were in Sam's living room. Bella stormed right to her room. 

“Bella,” Sam called, “how'd it go?”

Through the shut door, Bella yelled, “it's not even 9:00 and I'm home. How do you think it went?”

“Give her a minute,” Emily said.

“This is what I was afraid of,” Jared said. “She's never been turned down and Leah is just as strong headed as Bella. She's going to have her own ideas of how things should be done.”

“So you don't think this was a rejection?” Kim asked. “She seemed kind of down.”

“No. Leah's her imprint. It won't be a rejection.” Jared sounded so sure. “It'll be a ‘maybe later.’ But when does Bella get told ‘maybe later’?”

“You're calling her a spoiled brat?” Paul asked, a little defensive of the girl. 

“I can hear you!” Bella yelled. Everyone ignored her. 

“No, she's so beautiful and obviously great with the girls at the club,” Jared said, “but Leah isn't one of the girls from the club. She didn't agree to a hookup. She agreed to a study date.”

Bella opened the door. “How do I fix this? I practically assaulted her.”

Emily got up and gave her a hug. “It's going to be ok.”

“Don't tell her that,” Sam said. “It'll only be ok if she fixes it.”

“What do you mean you practically assaulted her?” Kim asked with concern.

“We were kissing on the couch after the movie and she was into it. I could tell she was into it. I could smell it on her, you know? So I pushed her down, gently, started playing with her nipple and rubbing my thigh on her hoo-ha, all while still kissing her.” This description made Sam uncomfortable but Bella didn't give a shit. “Then her hands were on my chest and I thought she was going to play with my tits but then she was pushing me away.” Bella threw her hands up in despair. “But I'm so strong, you know, the wolf, that I didn't move until I realized what she was doing.”

“How long did it take you to realize she was pushing you away?” Kim asked. 

“Two or three seconds.”

Everyone let out a sigh of relief. “That's not assault, Bella,” Jared said in his comforting, kind voice. “It's just a misunderstanding.”

“Did she agree to a second date?” Rachel asked.  

“She says to stop by if I still want to see her.”

“So what's the problem?” Emily asked.

“She has a policy of not sleeping with someone the day she meets them. Who does that?” Bella shrugged in frustration.

“Most people, Bella,” Jared said, grinning at her. 

“What do I do?” Bella whined.

“Go back tomorrow and ask for another date,” Paul suggested. 

“Even better,” Emily piped up. “Go back tonight and ask for a date tomorrow.”

“Is that romantic or stalkery?” Bella wasn’t sure. She didn’t even know if the pack knew the difference. None of them had normal relationships. They all moved way faster than any other relationships Bella had seen in her life. 

“It's on the line,” Kim said, “but I'd be into it.”

“Noted,” Jared said.

“How do I look?” Bella asked, trying to gather the confidence to try again.

“Perfect!”

“Beautiful”

“12/10.”

“Gorgeous!”

“Sophisticated.”

“Smoking hot.”

The last one was from Bella's cousin. She grinned at all of them. “Paul, can I have my truck keys?”

“Trade,” Paul said, pulling the keys out of his jeans pocket.

They threw the keys at each other, both catching them with ease thanks to the grace of the wolf.

Bella was nervous and excited as she pulled into the Clearwaters’ driveway. She knocked on the door. It was opened by a kid she had never seen before. 

“I'm looking for Leah,” Bella said. 

“Seth! Some hot chick is here for Leah!”

“Ok, Quil,” Seth said from inside the house. Bella saw Seth jogging toward the door with a giant smile. “Bella! I thought Leah was with you.”

“She said she was walking home. That was like… more than 20 minutes ago.”

“Hi Beautiful,” a rich feminine voice came from around the house. 

“Leah! I was worried!” Bella cried, walking toward her imprint swiftly.

“I was just sitting out back, thinking,” Leah said. “Then I heard a monster truck pull into the driveway and I thought I should check it out.”

Bella stood right in front of her. “That's my truck,” she said, pointing.

“I figured,” Leah said, smiling up at this woman who, once again, had her completely enchanted and she didn’t know why.

“I wanted to see if you could make time for a second date with me tomorrow.”

“I have to work,” Leah said, a little sadly.

“From sunup to sundown?”

Leah laughed. “No. From 6:00 am to 2:30.”

“But you don't want to see me again?” Bella asked in a melancholy tone.

“I didn't say that. I just figured… I didn't think you'd want to. Maybe you didn't notice but tomorrow is Saturday. Don't you want to go to the club this weekend?”

“No! I wouldn't be asking you out if I wanted to go to the club instead. I don't want to go to the club at all anymore, not now that I know you're here.”

“Bella, I can't offer you the same things as the girls at the club,” Leah whispered nervously.

“There's no rush. We can take things slow.” Sadly, she added, “We can even just be friends if that’s what you want.”

Leah brushed her fingertips over Bella's cheek. “That’s not what I want.” She entwined her fingers into Bella’s hair and pulled Bella's face to hers. Bella could feel Leah's breath on her chin, then she felt soft lips brush against hers. 

The softness sucked them both in deeper until their tongues were wrapped around each other in a sensual dance. Bella wanted so much more but she wasn’t going to risk pushing Leah away. Leah wanted to stay in Bella's arms forever, but she knew she had to pull back eventually. 

To Leah’s surprise, Bella was the first to pull her mouth away. “When can I see you tomorrow?” She asked, her face still so close to Leah’s.

“Meet me here at 5:00,” Leah said. “I’ll plan the date.”

“What should I wear?”

“Something warm that you're comfortable walking in.”

“I’ll be here at 5:00, Leah. I’m looking forward to it.”

“I hope you really do come.” Leah didn’t trust her yet, even though she wanted to. 

“I’ll be here. You can count on it.” Bella moved her lips back to Leah’s briefly before heading home.

Back at Sam’s the whole pack was still in the living room. “Don’t you have anything better to do?” Bella asked, grinning. “Shouldn’t one of you be patrolling or something?”

 

Chapter 6: The Log Nights

After lunch the next day, Sam brought Bella to see the three houses she could choose from. They all looked identical to her, with the same layout and everything. One was almost directly across the street from Leah. One was at the far end on the same street. The third was on the other side of the rez, not too far from Sam's and Emily's house.

“I kind of want the one across the street from Leah,” Bella said.

“I thought you might say that. You should talk to Leah about that. I'm guessing you'll want her moving in with you someday?”

“Yes, please.”

Sam grinned. “Right. So do you think she’ll want to live across the street from her parents?”

“You’re so smart, Sam. I’ll let her choose whichever house she wants.”

“That’s not what I said.” Sam was shaking his head. “Maybe just ask her for advice about which one to pick.” Sam had some concerns about how Bella was approaching things with Leah, but he didn’t want to butt in too much.

During Leah’s drive home from work, she tried to center herself. Why had she agreed to this date in the first place? That was easy. She was attracted to the girl, they had good  chemistry, and she had enjoyed their date last night. Bella had been sweet, getting the movie from the library and finding out her favorite sandwiches.

She wondered: why was she so reluctant? Why did she have this gnawing desire to call it off?

Leah knew that Sam was part of the reason. Bella and Sam were close, but there was more to it than that. There was something about Bella that reminded her of Sam. In some ways, they almost looked alike, but it was hard to put her finger on how. She wondered if that was why she had let Bella get as far as she did.

But there was more than that. Bella was talking about getting a house for her or something. It was weird. Even though she couldn’t deny the physical attraction and the chemistry, Bella was weird. 

She was very weird. She ate a lot even though she was very thin. She had no sense of personal space. She had a hard-on for Shakespeare. She had disappeared without a trace leaving her family to believe she was dead. Weird.

Sam was weird, too. He had also disappeared. He also had this grown up way about him even when they were kids. It was funny, juxtaposed with his lifelong love of comic books. He was weird.

Maybe that was how they were similar. Maybe that weirdness was what drew Leah to both of them. Maybe that was why Sam and Bella were friends.

But what about those disappearances?

Leah saw two options: go on the date and learn more about this weird friend of Sam or cancel and be left curious.

She didn’t want to cancel. So she didn’t.

When she got home, she started picking out what she wanted to wear.

~*~

Bella wore cut off yoga pants and a form fitting long sleeve tee for her date. She wanted to bring some gift for Leah, some token of her affection. She couldn’t think of anything. 

“Emily, I’m so useless at this!” Bella said, plopping down on the couch next to her friend.

“You got a second date, so you aren’t that useless.”

“She’s all I think about.” Bella threw her head back in despair. “How do I let her know how important she is to me without freaking her out?”

“When are you going to tell her about the pack and your imprint?”

“I was thinking after she graduates. I don’t want that kind of news to mess up her schoolwork.”

“Bella,” Emily turned to face her, “it’s going to be hard to abstain from completing the imprint that long, especially if you are spending so much time with her.”

“Don’t worry. We can still fuck, just not clit to clit.”

“I don’t know what that means,” Emily said, shaking her head gently.

“Like I can finger her and eat her out and stuff. That doesn’t count.”

“How do you know that?” Emily had never heard that rule before. That’s not how she did it with Sam at all.

“Paul.”

“I don’t think Paul knows anything, Bella,” Emily said. She wasn’t trying to be offensive. She just didn’t think Paul knew anything, even though he had an imprint.

“Hey! Paul knows plenty.” Bella was always defensive of Paul. Emily should have expected that.

“That’s not even what Paul said,” Sam added, walking out of their bedroom. “He said he wasn’t sure it worked that way at all. Like how would that work with gay guys?”

“I don't know! But Paul was fingering Rachel before they completed the imprint.”

“How do you even know that?” Emily asked.

“I was driving! He wasn’t very quiet about it. They were in the back seat.”

“Fucking Paul!” Sam scoffed.

“Listen, I’ve got to get to my date. Don’t wait up.”

~*~

Leah was sitting on the steps when Bella drove up. Her face lit up when she saw Bella. She stood up and Bella gave her a big hug, inhaling her scent.

“Are you driving?” Bella asked.

“Yeah.”

“Can I show you the houses I’m choosing from first?” Bella asked. “I’d like your opinion.”

“Uh, sure.” 

“The first one is across the street, right there.” Bella pointed to a small gray house. “The second choice is past Paul's. Can we drive by it?”

“Ok.”

Bella pointed it out. Leah pulled up to it and parked on the side of the road. “The last one is on Pine Street, not too far from Sam’s. Do you want to drive by that one too?”

“No, I want to look at this one.”

They both got out of the car. “Sam has the keys, but one of the windows is broken.”

Bella held Leah’s hand as they walked around the house. It was much more charming with Leah here. Bella used a rock to break all the glass out of the broken window. “You wait outside. I’ll open the front door.”

As Bella walked through the dim house, she could actually envision a life here with Leah. When she opened the door to let Leah in, she was grinning at her imprint. “This is a good choice, Leah.”

“I thought so. It will be more private than the one across from my parents, less traffic, and I think the lots out here are bigger. What’s the plan to make it liveable?”

“The guys are going to help me. I was kind of panicking when Sam suggested it. I wasn’t ready to move out of his house, but I think I am now.”

“It’ll take time,” Leah said, looking around the rundown interior, “but if you want, I can help.”

“And you can choose your room.”

Leah giggled. “Bella, I can’t hold out forever. At some point, I’ll want to join you in your bed.”

“Fuck yeah.” Bella merged her lips with Leah’s, savoring the moment. Although Leah had never agreed to move in, Bella knew it was going to happen. This would be their house!

Leah drove them to the marina and parked there, She grabbed her bag from the back seat and walked Bella to the woods. Leah walked right onto the patrol trail. 

“This area is beautiful,” Bella said, pretending not to recognize the location.

“I know. There are trails like this all over. I never see anyone else on them.” Leah laid out the blanket, and put the bag on top of it.

Then she jumped down a small bank to the beach, which was scattered with driftwood.

“This was one of my favorite things to do as a kid.” Leah stood on one end of the driftwood and started walking on it like a balance beam. “Come on up.”

Bella jumped up behind her, walking with her arms stretched out like she needed them to balance. Leah twirled around, then stumbled. Bella grabbed her, holding her steady. She pulled Leah into an embrace like that had been her goal all along. It all felt so natural for both of them.

“Do you have a favorite?” Bella asked, looking around at all the driftwood.

“Yep, come on!”

Leah jumped down and watched Bella jump after her. Leah held Bella’s hand and led her down the beach.

“I think this one is everyone’s favorite.” Leah stood in front of the largest log on the beach. It was more like an ancient tree with some of its root system and branches still intact. “It’s so huge you can crawl into it.”

Bella stuck her head in and her words echoed. “We can both fit!” 

“Oh, I’ve never been in there,” Leah admitted. “I think there’s bugs.”

“If I go in there first,” Bella offered. “I can squish them with my fat butt. Will you follow me then?”

“You think you have a fat butt?” Leah was glancing back and forth between Bella's ass and her face. 

“Yeah, I’m mostly flat except for my fat butt.”

Leah was looking Bella up and down. “You are not flat at all. You’re so gorgeous. I’m not even sure why you’re spending time with me.”

“Leah, you can’t be serious. You're perfect, head to toe perfect.”

“Sure, Beautiful. If you go in there, I’ll follow you.”

Bella climbed in the hollowed log. Leah climbed in after her.

Leah sat next to her for a minute, her face turned to Bella. Then she moved herself so she was straddling Bella’s lap, looking her in the face. 

Bella's heart was racing. Leah put her hand on Bella's shoulders. She leaned forward, meeting Bella's lips with her own. Leah's hands inched down until they were cupping Bella's breasts. 

Leah was enjoying the softness, how Bella's nipples responded to her touch. She wanted more. She was squeezing, caressing, just enjoying having Bella’s tits in her hands.

Leah started kissing down Bella's neck. Bella's hands were on Leah's back, roaming toward her sweet ass. She could smell Leah's arousal as she gripped her cheeks. 

Leah froze, realizing she felt completely out of control in Bella's presence again. 

Bella froze, too. “Did I go too far again?” 

“No, Bella, it's not you. Let's go have our picnic.”

Leah climbed out of the log, then chivalrously held Bella's hand when she jumped out. They climbed the bank to the picnic blanket.

Bella could immediately smell that someone had been there, poking around their stuff. It was Jared. He was on patrol now. Hopefully he would give them space during his next loop, or at least run in human form. 

They leaned against a boulder facing the setting sun. It was the perfect spot for a picnic.

“Leah, you've got to tell me if I do something wrong. I don't know what I'm doing and I don't want to upset you again.”

“Oh, you definitely know what you're doing,” Leah said, not looking at Bella.

“What does that mean? I'm not trying to mess up on purpose.”

“You're not messing up. It's just, whenever you touch me I lose control. Part of me just wants to give in, to just enjoy whatever distraction you are offering.”

“Distraction?”

“From life and misery and hopelessness.”

“Are you miserable and hopeless?” Bella asked, a little saddened.

“Yeah, kind of.”

“Why?”

“I thought Sam told you about us,” Leah said, looking into Bella’s face. 

“He did.”

“Right. So I can't trust anyone and my life is off track and it sucks. The stuff I have to do to try to bring it back on track... It just sucks, still being in high school. So I just have to wait, work, and try to find some happiness and distractions wherever they are.”

“What do you mean you can't trust anyone?” Bella asked. “I want you to trust me.”

“That's really hard to do, Bella. Part of me wants that, like crazy wants that. But you're so beautiful and you live with Sam and it just doesn't make sense to me, you pursuing me like this. It feels off, almost like a setup or something. I just haven’t been able to shake the feeling that something here is off. I'm pretty sure it's your connection to Sam, but it feels like more than that too. I don't know.”

“How can I change that? You are my dream girl. You’re interesting and sarcastic and talk about beautiful… I couldn’t make someone more beautiful than you if I tried.”

Leah gave her a small smile. “That’s sweet.” She sighed. “About the trust, I don't know. It's going to take time, I think. I was with Sam for three years. He ran off with my best friend at the worst time. They were the two most important people in my life. I trusted them both completely and then they did that. And you live with them.”

“I'm moving out. Won’t that help?”

“Bella, you don't need me. You have so many options.”

“Ha! I only see one.”

Leah laughed. “You're good at this.” Leah started unpacking the picnic. 

As they started to eat, Bella asked, “Is this your first time dating another girl?”

Leah shook her head. “No, I went on a couple of dates with a girl from Forks but her parents found out. They were religious so she wasn't allowed to hang out with me anymore.”

“Oh, forbidden love. Do you think it would have worked out if it weren't for her parents?”

“No.” Leah answered quickly. “We didn't have much in common. She was shy but I wanted to give it a shot. Have you dated anyone since you moved here?”

“I've hooked up with some girls at the club in Port Angeles but you're my first date.”

“Did you date in Phoenix?”

“No. I had a thing for straight girls, I think. There were other out lesbians at my school but they all coupled off without me. There were a handful of bi girls too but none of them wanted anything serious, or at least not anything serious with me. I wanted to be in a relationship. It just didn't seem like it would happen.”

“That’s hard to imagine. I think I would have scooped you right up.”

“I would have liked that.” Bella said. “So what do you think of love potions like in the play?” Bella asked, seemingly out of nowhere. She wanted to use this topic to gauge Leah’s response to the imprint.

Leah frowned. “I don’t think they’re real, obviously.”

“Sure, but hypothetically, consider Lysander and Hermia, who were in love before the play began. If they fell in love because of the love potion instead of whatever way they fell in love naturally, would that be crazy?”

Leah twisted her mouth in thought. “It wouldn’t help them at all, since Hermia’s father didn’t approve. They couldn’t be together because of her father.”

“Ok,” Bella had to rephrase it again to open the real discussion. “If it were set in modern times, if a modern couple were destined to be together but were brought together through a love potion, what would you think of that? Would that be crazy?”

“Umm, hmmm,” Leah considered that. “Not on its own, but the way they acted in the play was a little crazy and kind of aggressive. I think they’d both have to be affected by the potion or else the other person would think they were crazy, right? The person who takes the love potion is too obsessed for it to work.”

“Yeah, that’s probably true,” Bella admitted. She knew that the imprinted wolf also acts obsessed with the imprint. She had acted crazy and aggressive too. She knew Sam had when he was chasing Emily.

“So you were thinking about the play?” Leah asked. She was touched that Bella was thinking about their date and making a real effort at discussing this with her. 

“Mmmm.” Bella swallowed the food in her mouth before continuing. “Love potions and love spells are fascinating to me. There’s the ethics and the logistics. Ethics: what is assault and what is consent? Logistics: you need to target the right people at the right time. Midsummer's Night's Dream bungled both logistics and ethics badly.”

“The ethics? Like the person who got the potion didn’t agree to it? Is that what you mean about consent?”

Bella nodded. “Exactly, yes, but also it makes them feel good to indulge in it so it’s kind of a gray area, right?” Bella knew that she enjoyed being with her imprint, flirting with her and pursuing her.

“Mhmm. But that’s true about some drugs too. Like, isn't that kinda similar to what ecstasy does?” 

“I’ve never done ecstasy, Leah. Have you?” Bella asked, tickled at the direction of the conversation.

Leah laughed. “No, but I think people do it at the club.”

The thought horrified Bella, that she might have been hooking up with people who weren’t in full control of their faculties. “Oh.”

Leah continued, “With love potions, unless they consented to being involved in the scheme, consent is still an issue for them. People don’t usually take ecstasy without consenting to it so that’s a little different. Regardless, it's definitely harassment, how they treat their love interest, chasing them and grabbing at them.”

“Mmmm,” Bella nodded. “Unless the person is into it, in which case, is it humiliating?” This was a new thought for her. Could Leah feel humiliated that she was attracted to Bella, too? Bella continued, “If the affection is not real, or if it is artificially induced, that could be humiliating if the target reciprocates. Can a relationship last after the effect wears off?

“And if the couple was destined to be together,” Leah added, “this rushed, humiliating, forced love could actually harm their ability to get together naturally.”

“How so?” Bella asked. That thought hadn’t occurred to her.

“If you were the one hit by the potion, the relationship feels unrequited and forced. If you're the target, even if you were attracted to the other person, the love wouldn’t feel deserved.”

Shit. Bella realized that was exactly true. “So in a way, both sides are harmed… That describes it all perfectly, except the forced part. If you had the potion, it would feel like your genuine feelings, not forced.” 

“Right, still the intensity of attraction wouldn’t be a match. That kind of imbalance can’t be healthy in a romantic partnership, right?”

“I guess not,” Bella admitted. 

“This is actually helpful for my essay.” Leah said, grinning.

“No kidding. What’s the essay on?”

“We get to choose from several prompts. One of them is about the ethics of love potion.”

“Will you let me read it when it’s done?” Bella asked.

“Sure, if it’s good.”

“I’ll want to read it anyway.” Bella was giddy.

“Why are you so into this Shakespeare stuff?”

“Oh, I just want to know you , your thoughts, everything.”

They continued to eat as the sun stretched toward the horizon over the water.

A few minutes later, Leah asked, “So why did you move to Forks in the first place?” 

“My mom and I had a disagreement. She didn't exactly kick me out, but she made it clear that it would be better if I lived with my dad.”

“And then you just moved right in with Sam? What was that whole missing person thing?” Leah had been wanting to ask about that since she realized Bella was the girl from the posters.

“I didn't know you knew about that.” Bella kept her eyes on the horizon. She was not prepared for this topic.

“Everyone knew about that, Isabella Swan, although you’re much prettier in person. And the posters said you were 5’2”. Was that from your driver’s license or something?”

“I think so,” Bella answered. She knew she was way taller since the transformation. She'd never pass for 5’2” now.

“My dad was using those posters as fire starters so I saw them a lot,” Leah said nonchalantly. “The same thing happened to Sam before he ran off with Emily. He disappeared, too.”

“I'm not going to run off with Emily,” Bella said cheekily. “Despite my best efforts, she's straight, or at least loyal to Sam.”

Leah coughed. “Were you really trying to get with Emily?”

“Until I met you, yeah.” Bella shrugged, trying to play innocent. “I was socially isolated with just the guys and the girlfriends for a while. So I hit on Kim and Emily and Rachel.”

Leah was trying to keep the story straight in her mind but some things were not adding up. “You said you got the job because you're Billy's niece and you said that you stopped hitting on Rachel when you found out she was your cousin.”

Bella was nodding while trying to quickly swallow the food in her mouth to explain. “I got the job because I have a special skill set. I have that skill set because I am Billy's niece, but I didn't know that at the time.”

“What's your special skill set?” Leah asked, smirking a little. She knew Bella was skilled at making her feel amazing when they touched. She wanted to see what else the girl could do.

“Scent tracking. Here, I'll put my head in the blanket.” Bella bent forward and covered most of her face with the blanket, but not her mouth so she could talk. “You go hide. I'll count to 100. Then I'll follow your scent path to your location.”

Leah snorted. “You want to play hide and seek?”

Bella looked at her over the blanket, grinning now. “Essentially. But I can do the whole thing blind folded. I can find you by scent.”

Reluctantly, Leah agreed. She ran and hid in the driftwood.

Bella came over two minutes later. She had her shirt tied around her face, her purple bra visible to the world. She was sniffing the edge of the log, then climbing in, still blind folded. She reached further in and grabbed Leah’s thigh.

Leah squealed.

Bella pulled off her blindfold. Leah looked so beautiful. After a moment, Bella said, “The shadows in here are different now with the setting sun.”

Leah was looking into Bella’s eyes, feeling nervous. “Yeah, let’s get back to the picnic.”

Bella slipped her shirt on. The pair walked hand in hand across the sand. 

“I admit that is impressive,” Leah said.

“Thank you.”

“And Billy can do that too?” Leah was trying to picture Billy scent tracking in his wheelchair.

“I don't know. But I know it is genetic. My dad’s got a good nose too.” 

“So did you apply for the position or what? Did they make you do a sniff test as part of the interview or something? Why do they need a scent tracker anyway? Did you and Billy do that hide and seek thing? Would the scent tracking even work with the wheelchair?”

Bella was not prepared for all those questions. “Uh, no, not exactly. The transition, moving with my dad, it was rough. I was having a hard time. I went for a walk in the woods to cool off and I ran into the guys.”

“All of them?” Leah had seen the three guys lurking around the woods too. She would always turn around and go the other way. She couldn’t imagine just going up to them and hanging out. They never seemed to be in a friendly mood. They never seemed welcoming of newcomers either.

“All three, yeah. We hit it off. They helped me out.”

“And you made Charlie think you were dead? Why?” Leah asked. 

“Because I was isolated, I didn't know about the missing person thing. Sam did but didn't want to worry me until I was ready to talk to Charlie.”

Leah considered all that. It just didn’t add up at all. Charlie was terrified that Bella was dead and Bella didn’t even think to let him know she was ok? It didn’t make sense. “Are you on drugs? Is that what Sam’s gang is all about?”

“What? No!” Bella exclaimed. 

“Were you when you met me yesterday? Talking about a second bedroom for me?” Leah asked pointedly.

“No! I was just excited to meet you. And I do have a second bedroom for you. You saw it.”

“But why? I'm nobody. I'm a super senior, a loser.”

Bella gulped. She hated that Leah thought so little of herself. “You are not nobody, not a loser, not to me. You are definitely somebody to me.”

“Bella, I really like you. Like a lot, a lot. But I feel like there's something you're not telling me. What you’re saying, it just doesn’t add up.”

“There is a lot I’m not saying, you’re right. My life is kind of complicated and some of it is difficult to talk about.”

“Ok. But it has to do with Sam, right?” This had been Leah’s hunch all along. There were too many parallels to Sam’s disappearance. She wanted to get away from him for good. 

“In one way or another, yeah,” Bella admitted reluctantly. “It has to do with Sam. He’s my boss and I live with him so our lives are pretty intertwined.”

“So I’ve told you that trust is important to me. On the one hand, I don’t see how we can build trust if you and Sam are keeping secrets together, keeping secrets from me. On the other hand, you don’t owe me any explanations, none at all. I’m nobody.”

“You’re not nobody, Leah!” Bella cried. “Not to me! I can tell you the secrets. I’m just nervous. I wasn’t planning on telling you yet. Are you sure you’re ready?”

“How would I know? I don’t really want to be sucked into Sam’s world, as I said. I want nothing to do with him. Maybe we should just be friends and keep it casual. Or maybe we could be friends with benefits or something. I don’t know. Then I could enjoy your company, your special talents, without getting involved in Sam drama.”

Bella’s heart sank. “Is that what you want? Because I want more with you.”

Leah was exasperated. “I don’t know! Why don’t you tell me your secret and we’ll go from there?” 

“I turn into a giant wolf and protect the tribe from vampires,” Bella blurted out.

“Sure, Bella.” Leah was packing up the picnic. Trust wasn’t going to happen with this beautiful girl. It saddened Leah, but at least she found out before she got too attached.

“You don’t believe me?”

“It’s ok,” Leah said, lifting her hand in surrender. “You don’t owe me anything.”

“Just watch.” Leah finished packing everything. She turned around just in time to see Bella transform. 

Leah fell backwards. This was way worse than being in a drug gang! It was weirder than anything she had imagined.

Bella phased back to human quickly. “Are you ok?”

Leah was stunned. Bella could smell her fear. It was an intense fear. It scared Bella too. Leah was the only person who could really hurt her and she feared it was about to happen.

“Sam too?” Leah whispered. Leah felt chills run down her spine. 

Bella nodded.

Leah was hyperventilating. 

Bella stepped toward her. “It’s ok,” she said soothingly, reaching out to help Leah up.

Leah was shaking her head and scooting backwards on the forest floor. “It’s not.” Leah stood and grabbed her bag. She walked backwards to the trail, keeping her eye on Bella.

Bella took a few steps to follow.

“Stay away from me!” Leah cried, still terrified. She ran to her car. She cursed her own curiosity. Why did she have to insist on the truth? But there was no turning back now. She never wanted to face that humongous monster again.

~*~

Bella sat in the clearing, wanting to cry. Then she was crying. Before the tears finished falling, Jared sat down next to her, wrapping his arms around her. 

“You showed her the wolf?”

Bella nodded. 

“And she left?” Jared asked.

Bella nodded again. “Is that what happened with Kim?”

“No, but it's what happened with Emily.”

“I should have just accepted the friends with benefits offer,” Bella pouted.

“Maybe it's still on the table.”

“I don't think so,” Bella said sadly. “She told me to stay away from her.”

“Maybe Sam can talk to her.”

“That's going to make it worse. She wants nothing to do with him.”

“Ok, but how can it get worse?” Jared asked.

“I don't know!”

“Let's go talk to Sam,” Jared encouraged her.

“I don't want to. I just want to sleep out here. Will you tell him I'm ok? But maybe don't tell him where I am.”

“He'll see you when he patrols.”

“I'll be asleep,” she said.

“Ok, just remember, the imprint feels what the wolf feels.”

“That can’t be true.”

“It is true. Howl if you need me, Bella.”

Bella went and laid in Leah's favorite driftwood with the blanket that Leah didn’t grab because Bella was standing on it. She wasn't alone. There were so many insects and critters living in that log. 

She drifted off to sleep while watching the stars. 

~*~

“Is someone sleeping in my favorite log?” Paul asked, waking her up several hours later. 

Bella yawned. “It's everyone's favorite log.”

“What happened?”

“I fucked it all up. She doesn't want to see me anymore.”

“That doesn't sound right, Bella.”

“Well it's true. She’s afraid of me!” Bella was feeling emotional all over again.

“You showed her the wolf?”

Bella nodded. “She knew I was lying and she said she was leaving, that she couldn’t trust me, so I showed her the wolf so she'd know the truth, that I was telling the truth. But it didn’t help! She left me.”

“There's still time. Give it time.”

“I was trying to,” Bella gave him a weak smile, “and then someone woke me up!”

“It was me! I woke you up.” Paul grinned at her, hoping to cheer her up a little with his goofiness.

“No shit, Sherlock.”

“Listen, if you ever want to go clubbing, you can borrow my car.”

“Obviously. Now go away.” 

Paul returned to patrol.

Bella watched the stars on the horizon, head upside down, until she fell asleep again. 

~*~

When Bella woke up, she saw the long shadows of the morning sun. She smelled the crisp ocean air. She heard the thrumming heartbeat of a wolf man.

“Good morning, Sam,” she said. “I'll start my patrol. Sorry I slept in.”

“Jared took it.”

“But it's mine!” Bella didn’t want any favors right now. She didn't think she deserved any.

“You'll relieve him when you're ready.”

“Where are you?” Bella asked.

“On top of the log.”

“I'm ok, Sam, you can go.”

“No, you're not ok,” Sam said softly.

Bella could feel a tear roll down the side of her face into her hairline. “I haven't been rejected by someone I care about since seventh grade. I am a spoiled brat. I don't know what to do.”

“Ha! I was in the exact same position. Seventh grade was my last rejection before Emily too.”

“Who hurt you in 7th grade?”

“A beautiful girl I had a crush on for over a year. I finally asked her out to a dance. She said I smelled like feet.”

Bella laughed. “Did you?”

“No!” Sam was laughing too. “Not usually. I shouldn't have asked her right after gym class. It took two years for her to give me another chance.”

“It was Leah?”

“It was.”

“I don't smell like feet,” Bella said.

“No, you don't. And I don't think it will take her two years to give you another chance.”

“She's afraid of me, Sam! That's worse. It's so much worse than smelling like feet.”

“I don't know,” Sam said. “Girls seem to like that danger thing, the whole bad boy vibe.”

“Leah's not like that.”

“No, she's not,” Sam sighed. “She only went out with me because she trusted me. I don't talk about this in front of Emily, but she knows. When I was with Leah, I was 100% sure she was the love of my life. I was planning to marry her.”

“Is that supposed to help me somehow?”

“She's worth the wait.”

“I knew that.”

They both watched the waves in silence.

“You'll get her back. I'm sure of it,” Sam said confidently.

“How can you be sure?”

“Before you came, Emily was a shell of the woman she is now. She thought of herself as mangled and ugly.”

“No!” Bella said. She hated that Emily felt that way about herself. 

“Yes,” Sam insisted. “But you moved in, and you're beautiful Bella, you know that right?”

“I guess.”

“Well, you moved in and every day you told her how beautiful she looked and how you wanted her tits in your mouth and after a while, she started to believe you. When I told her, she thought I was saying it out of guilt from the scars or because of the imprint, no matter how many times I sucked on those titties.”

“Lucky dog.”

“I know. But you rebuilt her, Bella. And Kim. She believed she was plain. Not ugly, just plain.”

“She's stunning,” Bella breathed. 

“Jared tells her that all the time. But she believed you . Those girls aren't even your imprint, but you won their hearts. I know that you'll win Leah too. I know it. Because I was able to do it and I'm a piece of shit who smelled like feet.”

“You're not a piece of shit, but you broke her Sam.” Bella could feel hot tears brimming again. “She doesn't trust me because I live with you, but she doesn't trust anyone anyway because her best friend and boyfriend ran off together.”

“I'm sorry, Bella. You shouldn't be the one dealing with the fallout from this.”

Bella wiped her eyes with her palms. “She's the one who's miserable.”

“You seem miserable too.”

“Right now, sure, but she's been this way since you left.”

“Really? She hasn't dated anyone else since then?” There was surprise in Sam’s voice. He knew Leah would be cautious about dating again, but she was so beautiful.

“I only know of one person that she dated, but they weren't really compatible.”

“I wish I could make this all go away,” Sam said sincerely. “I don't think it would help if I talked to her.”

“No, I don't think so either.”

Sam sighed. 

“I had her look at the houses,” Bella told him. “I want the one on her street but not the one across the street.”

“Ok, I'll tell Harry today. Do you want to come?”

“I don't know what's best.”

“I'd recommend giving her space.”

“Ok. Where does she work?” Bella asked.

“The diner in Forks. Are you planning on bugging her there?”

“No, I want to avoid it to give her space.”

~*~

After her patrol, Bella went to see what was going on with the house. Sam had already done the legwork with Harry. The house was hers. 

Sam, Emily and Bella went over to her new house. They started making a list. 

“We need exterior paint,” Sam started. “We'll need to scrape. Think about what color you want.”

“What's her favorite color?” Bella asked. 

“Yellow,” Sam said.

“She likes a lot of green too,” Emily added, “and some pinky orange like the sunset. So that whole side of the color wheel.”

“Sunflower yellow? Or more pastel?”

“I'd say more pastel,” Emily answered. 

“So that will be the exterior.” Bella wrote down Leah’s favorite colors. She'd never forget. 

“What about trim?”

“I think we should put a new roof down,” Sam said. “Why don't we see what colors are available at the metal roof place and then pick a trim.”

They finished making a list of everything that needed to be done. It was a long list. They planned to go to the metal roof place the next day. 

After supper with Sam and Emily, Bella said she wanted to go for a walk. She walked right back to the log that smelled faintly like Leah. 

She sat in it, in the exact spot where Leah had straddled her lap. She thought of where Leah sat during their hide and seek game.

Bella lay down with her head hanging out of the log, watching the sun set upside down. The sight was painted with pastel yellow clouds and a pink-orange sky. Those would be the colors of their house. She drifted off to sleep after the last of the sunlight disappeared from view.

Every day, Bella would work on that little yellow house in her free time. The guys and the imprints were there helping just about every day too. 

Every meal would be shared with the pack couples, but mostly with Sam and Emily. 

Every night, Bella returned to the log where she squeezed Leah's ass. It didn't smell like Leah after a week or so, but it was still Leah's log to her. That was where she felt peace. That was where she slept each night.

Chapter 7: Walking Away

AN: Sorry for the break in posting. I had a work emergency which consumed far too much of my life. It’s over now.

~O~

What the pack didn't know was that the Cullens had a returning visitor. James had gone with his companions to visit the Denali coven. When he was ready to leave Alaska, he was the only one who wanted to go.

Laurent had found his mate in Irina. The two had both been searching so long. Laurent was not partial to the animal diet, but he would do whatever it took to stay with Irina.

Victoria was looking for safety and security. She hadn’t felt safe with James in ages. He was always dragging her into dangerous situations. In Denali, Victoria could envision a family again and a stable life. The coven there was understanding of her need to feel safe. They too had bad encounters with the Volturi. They wanted to stay hidden just as much as she did. She did not mind the animal diet. Tanya was drawn to her and Victoria wanted to see if they had a future together. 

Thus, James returned to Forks alone. As a human, James was an animal tracker. As a vampire, he had hunted humans and vampires. There were not many challenges left to him. 

James enjoyed hunting animals in the wild forest around Denali and around Mount Olympus. It brought him back to his roots as an animal tracker, like before he was turned. The animal hunt gave him a sense of nostalgia.  

There was no challenge for him in Alaska, though. There were no people within a 50 mile radius of the coven’s home. Forks had a good balance. There were people, but he thought he could meet the challenge and abstain.

He used the time in Forks to meditate on what to hunt next. He had heard about werewolves in Canada. He had also got wind of strange beings in the Amazon, half human, half vampire. He wasn’t sure if they were legends or not, but he thought it might be worth looking into. Carlisle had the largest vampire library outside of Volterra. Between him and Edward, surely they could point him in the right direction.

Edward and James became unlikely friends. Edward found his single mindedness on tracking almost pure. It was relaxing. Most minds were erratic, jumping from topic to topic, but James’ mind was peaceful to Edward. He and Edward would often hunt together. Still, James’ presence in Forks did provoke an unexpected response on the Quileute reservation.

~O~

A month had passed since Bella last saw Leah, but she was on her mind constantly. Bella was on patrol one Friday evening when she noticed a shimmer in the pack mind. Someone had phased in, but no one was declaring themselves.

Hey, who is that ? She asked. 

Bella could tell that it was a stranger to her. It was a kid. He was confused. Bella stopped and howled. One by one, the guys flashed into the pack mind. 

What's up, Bella ? Paul asked.

Someone new joined but they're not talking.

Sam spoke in his musical alpha timber. Who’s there? 

Quil Ateara the fifth. 

Where are you? 

The kid was looking at the woods behind the Clearwater's house. 

What were you doing with Leah? Bella asked. She was pissed. Her legs were moving her toward her imprint's house, ready to protect her by any means necessary.

Paul tried to cut in. Bella, Quil's a kid. He's close to Seth's age. 

Leah? Quil sounded confused. I was hanging out with Seth. 

Bella wasn't paying attention. She was running at top speed, narrowing in on her destination. Her mind was brimming rage and violent ideation.

Bella, stop! Sam commanded. 

Bella froze a few yards from the new wolf. She was in a crouch, ready to pounce, ready to rip his throat out. The new wolf was trembling, seeing this lightning bolt of a white wolf coming at him, reading the bloodlust from her mind. 

Jared, take Bella home , Sam said.

A brown wolf approached Bella. She was snarling at the new wolf but could not advance on him further. It was like her legs were bolted to the ground whenever she tried to get closer. 

Bella, let's go! Jared commanded in his beta timber. Bella followed the brown wolf toward her newly finished house. The door was locked. “Where’s the key?” Jared asked.

Bella thought for a minute. She hadn't been to the house in about four days. That was when the pack had thrown her a housewarming party. Everything was complete, ready for her to move in. Still, she slept in the driftwood log.

She checked under the welcome mat. The key was there. She swung the door open to let Jared in. They both sat on the couch that Sam's mom had asked him to take to the dump.

“Quil is friends with Seth,” Jared told her. “Leah's car wasn't even home. I think she was working.”

“Oh.”

“What is happening between you two?”

“Nothing,” Bella said, moping with her head in her hands. “She hasn't talked to me since she saw the wolf. Don't you think I would have told you if something changed?”

“If you're not seeing her, what do you care if she's seeing Quil?”

“She's mine!” Bella’s face was all rage all over again.

“Oh, are you two exclusive now?” Jared asked sarcastically.

Bella closed her eyes, trying to push away her misery. “How could we be? She won't even talk to me. She's afraid of me!”

“Have you tried to talk to her?”

“She ran away from me!”

“The imprint feels what the wolf feels,” Jared repeated again.

“You guys keep saying that but it doesn't make sense!” It was stressing Bella out whenever they said that to her. It was obvious that Leah did not care about her the same way she cared about Leah. It made her feel like there was something wrong with their imprint bond.

“Tell me, what does it mean?” Jared inquired, finally beginning to understand.

“You're trying to say that she wants me as much as I want her, but there's no way.”

“Not exactly, Bella,” Jared said kindly. “We're trying to say that the two of you absorb each other's emotions. So you've been sad and uncertain and hopeless since she walked away. I have a hunch that you are absorbing her emotions.”

Bella sat up straight on the couch, then jumped to her feet. It was like a lightbulb went off over her head. “That makes sense, actually.” 

“I don't think it's good for you two to be apart,” Jared said. “I think you're both wallowing in her misery.”

“I thought it was my misery because she rejected me.”

“That is probably adding to it, but she's absorbing that misery too, pulling it into her own.”

“How do I end the misery, Jared?” Bella whined.

“Fucking talk to her Bella! Where is your confidence? You used to pull in so many chicks. What are you doing?”

“I don't want them. Just her.”

“Then get her,” Jared encouraged. “You gave her space. Good job. Now give it another go.”

“How?”

“I can take you to the diner to see her,” Jared offered.

“No, I'll go by myself.”

~O~

Bella stood outside of the diner for a minute, psyching herself out. She half wished she had brought Jared. He would have pushed her in. 

She stepped in and took inventory of the room. Leah was in a far corner refilling coffee. About half of the tables were empty. There was only one guy at the counter. 

Bella was waiting for Leah to see her, waiting for her response. Would it be fear?

Leah turned around. Without looking up, she filled the coffee at the next table. She stood up straight and headed for the counter, scanning the room to see if anyone needed her. 

Her eyes passed over Bella, then snapped to Bella's eyes. 

There was no fear. 

There was only sadness.

Bella pointed to a seat at the counter. Leah nodded. Leah handed her a menu when she got to the counter. 

“Would you like anything to drink?” Leah asked.

“Coke, please. When do you get off?”

“In an hour.”

“Can I talk to you then?”

Leah nodded. “I'll be back in a minute for your order, if you're getting anything.”

Bella nodded. 

Leah put down her drink, then brought food to a table. Bella looked over the menu, but she already knew what she wanted to order. 

“What can I get for you, Beautiful?”

Bella looked up at Leah, jaw dropped. That had to be a good sign, that she called her that. “Double bacon cheeseburger with fries and a side salad.”

“What dressing for the salad?”

“Ranch.”

Leah nodded, jotting everything down in her little notebook. “The salad will be out shortly.”

Bella watched Leah go to the back room. She could see through the window that Leah was making her salad. Leah brought it out with the dressing on the side. 

“How have you been?” Leah asked, stretching her arms behind her.

“Miserable, you?”

“Miserable, but that's the same as usual. What happened to make you miserable?”

Bella looked up at her and couldn't stop her eyes from watering. 

Leah looked so concerned. “What is it?”

“I'm sorry I scared you,” Bella said.

“I overreacted. I've got to tend to this table,” Leah said, pointing with her head.

Leah grabbed some plates from the kitchen and walked them to one of her tables. Another customer asked for a check so she went right to the register, walking past Bella briskly.

Bella was finished with her salad before Leah got back to her. 

“So what's going on?” Leah asked. “What's got you down, Beautiful?”

“You didn't want to see me. That's it, Leah. That's what got me down.”

Leah sighed. “Bella, we had two dates.”

“So you weren't sad after you ended it?”

“I didn't say that. I just…” Leah looked distracted by something in the corner where Bella couldn't see. “I've got to get that.”

Leah grabbed the coffee pot and went to the far side of the diner. Bella sipped her coke.

Leah came back and dropped off the double bacon cheeseburger with fries, then went to the cash register. She walked away again.

Bella ate the burger while Leah was away. She'd eat the fries when Leah could talk. Fries were easier conversation food.

Leah came back a minute later. “Has anything else been happening?”

“Yeah, but nothing that I can talk about here. What's been happening with you?”

“I passed my theater class.”

“That's awesome, Leah! I never had a doubt. It must feel good to have that behind you.”

“It does. I finally graduated.”

“But you're still miserable?”

Leah put her elbows on the counter. She rested her head on her hands so she was face to face with Bella. “I broke my own heart when I ran from you that night.”

“You broke mine too.”

“I was afraid you'd say that.”

“Why were you afraid of that?” Bella asked.

The bell over the door chimed. Leah stood up straight. A whole family came in. Leah smiled widely but it was one of those smiles that didn’t reach her eyes. She led them to an empty booth. She got menus and took their drink order. 

Then she had to fill and deliver their drinks. They knew what they wanted to order. By the time she had submitted that to the kitchen, one of her other tables was ready for their check. 

When Bella saw that the hour was almost up, she asked for her check. She wanted to make sure Leah got the tip.

“It's on me,” Leah said.

“You can't do that!”

“I already did.”

“Can I at least tip?” Bella asked.

“No, I took care of that, too.”

Bella scowled.

“What are you going to do, eat me?” Leah asked playfully.

Bella let out a seductive growl. “So fucking tempting.”

“Can I drive you home?” Leah asked.

“I’d love that. I've got the house finished.”

“Oh, nice. I've got to clock out, so don't move a muscle.”

“Ok.” She didn't move a muscle.

Chapter 8: Leah's Conditions

A minute later, Leah was leading Bella out of the diner toward her car.

“So what's it like, sleeping in your own house?” Leah asked. “Is it weird being alone?”

“I haven't slept there yet.”

“Oh, no bed?”

“No, it's got a bed,” Bella said. “I just wasn't ready.”

“So you're still sleeping at Sam and Emily's?”

“No, I haven't slept there in weeks.”

“Where have you been sleeping?” Leah was afraid that Bella already had a new girlfriend. She wasn't sure that she was ready to know about it. 

“In the driftwood, the big one.”

That was not what Leah was expecting. “Bella, that doesn't sound comfortable. And isn't it cold by the water?”

Bella put her warm hand on Leah's. “I don't get cold. It's one of the wolf things.”

Leah gulped. Bella's touch sent warm shivers through her body. “Why have you been sleeping in the driftwood?”

“Because it still smelled like you, at least for a while it did. It doesn't any more.”

“Bella, that's crazy! What if there's a storm surge? Please don't do that again.”

“Please don't walk away from me again!” Bella cried. Then she tried to chill the fuck out, taking deep breaths like Jared had taught her. She was finally talking to Leah again. She didn’t want to blow it.

“That's not fair,” Leah said calmly. “You're basically threatening self harm.”

“I'm not! The driftwood is nice. I just can't stay in that house if I have no hope that you'll join me.”

“I'll join you tonight,” Leah promised.

“Really?” Bella sounded so happy, so hopeful. “I made your room green.” She sighed. “I picture you in green a lot and I like it.”

“My room?”

“It's still a two bedroom,” Bella reminded Leah.

“Oh.”

“It's the one you helped me pick out, on your road but at the far end.”

“Yeah, Bella,” Leah gulped. “Did I blow it completely? Are you not interested in me anymore? Like romantically?”

“Leah, yes, I'm interested. I’m so interested. I just don't want to push you. If you give me another chance, I won't make that mistake again.”

“I think I might need to be pushed.”

“I can push you into my bed, if you want.” Bella said, then immediately regretted it. She did not want to scare Leah away again.

“I think that will be a good start,” Leah said, “and then I think we need to talk.”

“After I take you to bed?”

“Yeah, I was talking to my friend at work about you, not the legends stuff-”

Bella interrupted her with, “Good, Leah! That’s gotta stay a secret.”

“That, and she’d think I was insane. Anyway, she suggested that if you ever talked to me again…” her voice kind of drifted off.

Bella looked over to her. “You thought I wouldn’t ever talk to you again?”

“Well, you didn’t for a whole month.”

“You told me to stay away from you.”

“I know. So my friend told me I should… I don’t know how to say it. I guess let you know how I feel… in bed.” Then Leah hurriedly added, “If you’re up to it, I mean.”

“Fuck yeah.”

The rest of the drive was silent. Bella put her hand on Leah's knee, rubbing her inner thigh with her thumb. She was so excited.

Leah was excited but also nervous. She hadn’t been with anyone since Sam. She was worried that Sam and Bella were cut from the same cloth. She was worried that Bella would leave her once she got her into bed, just like Sam did. So, with her friend’s encouragement, she decided to sleep with Bella now before she got any more attached. Then when Bella left her, it wouldn’t hurt so bad. That's what she hoped.

And if Bella didn’t leave her… she wasn’t sure she had room for that kind of hope yet.

At the house, Bella got the key from under the matt. She opened the door and flicked on the lights. Leah nervously walked in. 

“This looks really great,” Leah said, walking around.

“Thanks, it was hard to decide what you'd like without you here to tell me but I had help.”

Bella put both hands around Leah's waist. She was pushing her toward the bedroom, kissing her lips as she went. She flicked on the bedroom lamp to see how Leah looked in her bedroom. It was everything she had wanted. 

“We're going to need to undress.” Bella whispered, starting to pull Leah's shirt over her head. 

“Hold on… buttons.” Leah said, trying to unbutton the top buttons so the shirt could come off easily. 

Leah lifted Bella's shirt off. She was not expecting the girl to have no bra on. She was staring at her perky tits. They were so perfect.

“I was working earlier,” Bella explained. She was sucking Leah's earlobe while trying to figure out the clasp on Leah's skirt.

Leah had her hands down Bella's pants, one hand on each ass cheek, pulling Bella's body against hers.

Bella got the skirt clasp figured out. She rubbed her hands up and down Leah's silky panty hose, feeling the curve of her hips, then ass, then letting one hand wander down the ass crack, probing until Leah gasped.

That gasp made Bella smile so wide. She took care of Leah's bra, then pushed her to the bed. 

Bella crawled over Leah’s body, rubbing her hands up and down Leah’s thighs and butt. “I love the panty hose. Do you always wear them to work?”

“Yeah, they're required for the uniform.”

“Fantastic.”

“I hate them,” Leah said.

“I hate wearing them too, but on you…” Bella was stroking Leah's thighs, enjoying every inch of the silky panty hose clad skin as she reached for her inner thigh.

Bella stuck her face right in Leah's crotch. She breathed in deeply and said, “So fucking perfect.” She rubbed her cheek on Leah's inner thigh.

Leah watched as Bella started to pull down her panty hose. She lifted her butt to make it easier. With Leah's panties and panty hose in her hands, Bella looked down at this beautiful woman. 

“You need to be naked too,” Leah insisted, a little self conscious about being naked in front of this stunning woman.

Bella stood and quickly disposed of her remaining clothes.

She crawled over Leah's body and kissed her briefly, then again more deeply. 

“Is this still your first time with a woman?” Bella asked.

“Yeah, I haven't-”

Bella put her finger on Leah's lips, shushing her. “That's good. So I'm going to touch you the way I want. You let me know if it feels good, or if it doesn't. I want you to touch me the way that you want too, I'll let you know what feels good too, ok?”

Leah nodded, then reached up to touch Bella's boob, rolling the nipple between her thumb and forefinger. 

“Yes!” Bella hissed, “just like that.”

Bella lowered her face to Leah's boobs, nose down in the space between them. She gathered one boob in each hand and squeezed them to the side of her face. 

Leah giggled. 

“I've been wanting to do this since the moment I saw you.” Bella lifted her face, then watched as the boobs fell away from each other on Leah's chest. 

“I'm going to taste you now,” Bella said, dragging her hands down Leah's flat stomach.

“I didn't take a shower after work! Bella, is it too late for me to take a shower?”

Bella placed one hand on Leah's stomach, fingers splayed, holding her down. 

“Way too late. You smell amazing. There is no way I'm letting you wash this off before I get a taste.”

Bella lifted and separated Leah's legs, happy to see Leah hold them in place. Bella kept one hand on Leah's thigh because she liked having it in her hand.

Bella wanted to go right for the clit but she didn't want to overwhelm Leah so she started to lick the labia around the clit, getting closer. It felt so surreal, finally being here. 

She looked up at Leah's face as her tongue reached the clit. Through the gap in Leah's boobs, she could see Leah watching her. Bella felt even more eager, wrapping her lips around, then flicking and licking with her tongue

Leah was moaning erratically with an occasional “oh fuck” thrown in. Her thigh began to tremble. Bella could feel the throbbing clit on her mouth and let go, rubbing it gently with her lips until Leah was squirming away a little. 

Bella climbed back up to the pillow. With one hand on Leah's boob, she brought her lips to Leah's. 

“Can I try now?” Leah asked. 

“Do whatever you want with my body.”

Leah leaned over and kissed down Bella's neck. 

“Mmmm, that's nice.”

Leah smiled into the kiss, moving down Bella's body. She sucked one tit almost entirely into her mouth. Bella gasped. 

Leah's hands were wandering down Bella's stomach while Leah licked the other nipple. Her fingers were exploring Bella's folds. She wanted to see them with her own eyes.

She kneeled between Bella's legs, which Bella has spread for Leah. She watched her finger slide in and out of Bella's hole. She brought her fingers on either side of Bella's clit and gently rubbed. Bella's gentle moans turned to enthusiastic grunts. 

Leah knew she was doing it right because this was how she liked to touch herself but she wanted to taste Bella too. She turned her face sideways. Leah put her lips on either side of her clit and let her tongue slide across the top as she moved back and forth, simulating the movement of her fingers.

“Oh shit, Leah, that feels unreal.”

Leah smiled briefly as Bella ran her fingers through the hair on her scalp. Bella could not believe this was happening. Having her imprint between her legs felt like the greatest thing that ever happened to her. Leah kept up her pace until she could feel Bella quaking on her tongue. 

“C’mere,” Bella said. 

Leah lay down next to Bella on the pillow, looking at her beautiful face. Bella wrapped her arms around Leah and pulled her to her chest in a relaxing snuggle. 

“That was amazing,” Bella said.

“Yeah?” Leah was still self conscious about her first time with a woman. 

“Fuck yeah.”

“So, you had some things you wanted to talk to me about in private?” Leah reminded her.

“Yeah, I guess there's a lot that you need to know. How are you feeling about the wolf thing?”

“It's not my favorite,” Leah admitted. “I feel like learning about that, it will just get me sucked into all the Sam drama. And I can’t even know what is true and what is bullshit that Sam told you. Do we have to talk about it?”

“A lot of the stuff I have to talk to you about is wolf shit. Unless you just want to do the friends with benefits thing like you suggested before?”

“I'm not really sure.” Leah’s feelings for Bella hadn't changed. Neither had Leah's feelings about Sam. She didn’t want anything to do with Sam or Emily. But she did want Bella. She didn't know what to tell her.

“I've regretted not taking you up on that offer this whole time,” Bella said. “If I had just done that, at least I could have seen you.”

“If you just want to be friends with benefits, I guess that’s fine.” Leah was sad that her fears were confirmed. This was just about sex for Bella. Maybe it was time to go.

Bella looked into Leah’s face, feeling her sadness. “That’s not what I want, Leah. I want you. I want to spend time with you and get to know you, and yes, I want to sleep with you. But I’d rather be friends with benefits than lose you completely. I don’t want to lose you like that again.”

“Then why do you keep bringing it up?”

“Because I don’t want to lose you!”

Leah was feeling nervous. “Why do you think you’d lose me?”

“Because I did lose you! You ran away. And you don’t trust me. I want to build that trust but you don’t want to hear about the wolf shit so I don’t know what to do!” Bella was also feeling extra nervous.

Leah stroked her cheek, trying to comfort her. She had to come up with a compromise. “I want to try to make this work. I’m open to hearing about some aspects of wolf life, like your personal experiences and day-to-day life. But I don’t want to hear about anything that you learned from Sam, like legends and mythology and even history and theory, not if it's from Sam. I just don’t want to hear any of Sam’s words from your mouth. I can’t trust his words at all. How does that sound?”

“And then you’ll hang out with me? You’ll come over? Maybe even sleep over?” Bella asked, not caring if she sounded needy at all.

Leah smiled. “I’d like that. But is the wolf dangerous? Will I be safe when we hang out? Wolves are nocturnal. Will it be safe to sleep over?”

“The wolf is a protector. You'll always be safe with me. And I don’t turn into a wolf at night, as you can see right now. I am in control of my form. I choose when to turn into a wolf and when to turn into my human self again.”

“Is that your job with the council, being the wolf?”

“Yep, my top secret job.” 

“So the other guys?”

“Yep. All wolves too, like Taha Aki.”

That was a name Leah hadn't thought of in a long time, but she knew the legends, at least those told by the elders. All the Quileute people knew some legends. Just like most of her tribe, she thought they were bullshit. Now she knew there had to be some truth to them, but she didn't know how much. “Emily too?” Leah asked. “Is she a wolf?”

“No,” Bella said, shaking her head. “Just me and the guys.”

“Why you? Why are you the only girl?”

“First, because I'm a direct descendant of Ephraim Black, so the gene is strong in me. But also I had to sit next to a Cullen when I moved to Forks. He was my biology partner. Being so near vampires can trigger the wolf gene.”

Leah knew the legend about the treaty with the Cullens, too. She didn't like that the old men of the tribe had forbidden everyone from using the hospital, but it made sense to her now, if they really were vampires. Maybe if Dr. Cullen treated people with the gene, they would phase too, especially if he were touching them during the examination. She vowed to never let one of the Cullens touch her. 

It was all a little overwhelming for Leah. “Ok, thank you. That’s a bit too much legend stuff. I’m kind of sorry I asked, but you didn’t do anything wrong in answering, ok?”

Bella nodded even though she was not on the same page. Bella wanted to tell Leah about imprinting. She wanted to share every part of her life with Leah. But pushing Leah away again had her skittish. 

Leah didn’t trust the legends or the wolf. Bella didn’t trust Leah to stay. The imprint felt what the wolf felt: distrust.

After a few minutes of just laying like that, snuggling, Bella asked, “Will you spend the night?”

“You want me to?” Leah was surprised.

“Of course. And if you ever need to get away, you know where the key is. I'm not home a lot so you could have the run of the house.”

“What if I want to see you? Where do you go? The club?” Leah was scared of the answer but she had to know.

“The beach. I haven't been to the club since I met you. I spend a lot of time in the log or at Sam's or with Paul.”

“Not Jared?” Jared always seemed like a nice kid to Leah, at least before he joined Sam's gang.

“Jared is at Sam's a lot. I see him every day too. I used to spend more time with him and Kim, just the three of us, but now I usually only see Kim at group functions or meals.”

“Did you two get into a fight?” Leah didn't know Kim well, but she didn't seem like one for drama. Bella, on the other hand… she might be one for drama.

“No, no, Kim's awesome. It's just, the things we were doing didn't seem appropriate anymore.”

Leah was intrigued. “Were you having an affair? Like your Gran did?” Sex. It all came back to sex in Leah’s mind.

“No,” Bella answered quickly, “but I was flirting with her a lot and crossing lines.”

“And Jared got mad?”

“No,” Bella shook her head gently. “He kind of loved seeing Kim doted on like that and I think it boosted her confidence, the things I said to her. I think Jared liked that. But I met you and it didn't feel right anymore.”

“You talk about me like I'm significant, like meeting me changed something. I don't really get it. Like you sleeping in the driftwood because it smelled like me. I don't get it.”

“You are significant but it's a legend thing, one I learned from Sam. Are you ready to hear about it?”

“Uhh, no. Maybe someday though.”

Bella hoped that she would be ready someday soon. “Ok.”

“So what do you and Paul do when you hang out?”

“We fight a lot,” Bella said, grinning. “He's a martial arts guy so he's taught me a bunch of stuff. But I'm faster than him, so even though he's stronger than me and more experienced, we're pretty evenly matched. We surf a lot and compete against each other, races and stuff like that. He's easy to talk to. He's just as much of an impulsive dumbass as I am, so he’s never judgmental.”

Leah smiled. She didn't think of Bella as an impulsive dumbass but she could see how she was kindred with Paul. “He sounds like a good friend.”

“He is a really good friend. They all are, but Sam's more, I don't know, he's almost like a father to me.”

“He's my age,” Leah said flatly. “And what are you? A year younger than me?”

Bella laughed. “Yeah, I know it’s weird. He's kind of a father to all of us though.”

“Paul's my age too. He can't be like a father to Paul. They've been in the same class since kindergarten.”

“And yet he is,” Bella stated simply. “Although Paul would never admit that.”

“Is he like a father because he's so patronizing?” Leah asked.

Bella laughed. “That's a big part of it.” She didn't know how to talk about the guys without talking about the legends or the fact that Sam was alpha. So she asked, “So how was work today?”

“This really hot girl came in. Otherwise it was a totally ordinary day.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. She took me home with her. It was pretty great.”

“You're so beautiful, Leah.”

“I'm glad you think so.” Leah shifted her body a little. She was supremely comfortable here in Bella’s arms.

Bella could hear Leah's breathing change. She was falling asleep. Bella was so happy to be holding her. 

~O~

Just before midnight, Bella was awoken to the sound of keys jangling in the front door. She had brought in the key under the matt, so it must be one of the guys. They all had keys.

Paul stood in the doorway of her bedroom. He whispered, “I couldn't find you at the log. Hey, it smells like success in here!” 

“She's still here, so fuck off.”

“Are you skipping patrol?” Paul asked.

“Oh man! Can someone switch with me?”

“Yeah, Sam wants you to skip it. I was just pulling your chain. That Quil kid is a piece of work and Sam thinks you should stay out of the pack mind for a bit. Quil is terrified of you.”

“But I need to run into Forks to get my truck.”

“Rachel and I can bring it back. Are your keys in your purse? I'm guessing you left it at the diner?”

“Yeah, thanks Paul.”

“No problem.”

Bella heard Paul rummage through her purse. Then he locked the door on the way out.

She lifted her head to sniff Leah's hair. Then she lay back down and fell asleep. This was way better than the log.

 

Chapter 9: The List

Bella slept so soundly with Leah in her arms that she didn’t notice when Leah left the bed in the morning. She didn’t wake up until she felt the breeze as the covers lifted. Leah was climbing back into bed after using the bathroom. Bella’s eyes shot open to see Leah scooching across the queen size mattress to snuggle in her arms again. “Good morning, beautiful,” Bella greeted her.

“That's what I was going to say!” Leah looked up at her, smiling.

“Can I make you breakfast?”

Leah nodded. “I don't work until noon today.”

Bella's heart sang. “So I can spend the whole morning with you?”

“Not quite,” Leah said and they both deflated a little. “I'll have to get ready for work and I probably should have called my parents last night.”

“Your dad knows about me, the wolf legend thing and how you're significant with the second bedroom and everything. If he was worried, he would have checked with the pack first, I think.”

“The pack?” Leah asked. 

“The wolf pack. That’s what we call ourselves, the pack.”

“Oh. Is that because Dad's an elder?”

“Mhmm,” Bella said, not sure what she should say about the wolves. She started to nervously fiddle with Leah’s long black hair, spreading it out over both of their bodies.

“So he knew about Sam being a wolf all along?” Leah asked.

Bella hesitated. “Yes. Sam and Harry stayed close through everything that happened. Leah, I really want to tell you the whole story. There was a lot that Sam couldn't tell you but I can.”

“Why couldn't he tell me, but you can tell me?” Leah had known that Sam was keeping secrets. He had told her nothing about what happened during his disappearance. In some ways, that made their breakup easier. She had already lost some of her trust in him before he dumped her. Still it all sucked. 

“It's legend shit,” Bella said, shrugging her shoulders, “and I don't want to push you away. But you have the right to know.”

Leah considered how much she wanted to go down that path. “There's only so much information I can handle, Bella. I'm going to say not right now. But I'm not mad at my dad, not really. You don't have to worry about that.”

“So you don't want me to tell you any more wolf legend shit today?”

“I can't,” Leah sighed, “not when I have to work later. I just want a normal life, Bella.”

“Me too, actually,” Bella said, a little downcast. “But I think it's too late for me.”

Leah traced Bella’s jaw with her finger, “Are you a wolf for the rest of your life?”

“I don't know,” Bella said, shaking her head. “But I know I want to stay on the rez. The guys are my family.”

“Oh.”

Bella felt the weight of that one word from Leah’s mouth, “Are you planning on leaving the rez?”

Leah hesitated, then finally admitted, “I don't plan on staying.” Everyone knew that about Leah. She was planning on leaving as soon as she could. There was no point in hiding that from Bella. “There aren't any jobs here.”

“Mmmm.” Bella ran her hand down Leah’s arms until she found her hand. She intertwined her fingers with Leah’s. “So, to be totally honest, I don't have plans for work if or when the council doesn't need me anymore. It's not something I'm thinking about honestly. I'm taking it all day by day. What do you want for breakfast?”

“What do you usually have?”

“Breakfast sandwiches.” Bella gulped nervously, then said, “I don't have much food in the house, Leah. I usually go to Sam and Emily's for meals. We should see what I have before I offer you something that I can't deliver.”

Leah was stroking her thumb on Bella’s index finger, surprised how soft her skin was considering Bella’s occupation. “Maybe if I spend more time here, maybe, would that change?”

“Like the food situation? Or my relationship with Sam and Emily?” Bella asked.

“The food situation. I wouldn't ask you to give up your relationship with them.”

“Thank you,” Bella said, kissing Leah’s cheek. “Umm, yeah. I'm actually on a vacation of sorts so I can pick up food today while you're at work.”

“Vacation?”

“From my wolf job.”

“Oh, so it comes with benefits?” Leah asked, raising her eyebrows. Her job at the diner did not offer any vacation time. All days off were unpaid.

“Sort of. It's time off for bad behavior.”

“Bad behavior?” Leah knew this would be a good story. She couldn’t help asking, “Do you want to tell me about it?”

“Do you know someone named Quil Ateara the fifth?”

“Yeah,” Leah said, watching Bella’s face for more clues. “He's friends with my brother.”

The next words rushed out of Bella’s mouth. “He joined the pack yesterday and he was close to your house and I almost attacked him.”

“Attacked how?” Leah asked carefully, again wondering if she was in danger in this strong woman’s bed, in her very arms.

“He was a wolf and I was a wolf.”

“I thought you said your wolf was safe, a protector. Is Quil ok?”

“Mmm, he’s fine,” Bella said nonchalantly, not wanting to make the whole thing sound like a big deal. “Sam stopped me before I could touch him, but he's scared of me now.”

“But why did you almost attack him?”

“He was near your house and I thought…” Bella sighed. “I thought maybe he was sleeping with you.”

“He's a kid!” Leah screeched, more offended that she was accused of sleeping with a kid than she was worried about the boy.

“I didn't know that!” Bella said defensively. “He was a wolf. You can't tell how old they are.”

“So what's going to happen to him now?”

“The same thing that happened to me, I guess. Sam will take care of him. I'll have to apologize once he comes around.”

“Comes around?” Leah asked, wondering if he was unconscious or something.

“It takes time to get your human form back from the wolf. It takes even more time to control the shift between one form and the other. That’s why it's not safe to be around a young wolf. It's why I was a missing person and why Sam was too.”

“Mmmm. Let's go see what you have for breakfast.” Leah was ready to change the subject. She definitely didn’t want to talk about Sam anymore. She realized Bella was not an immediate threat and that was all she needed to know.

The breakfast situation was pathetic. Bella had stocked the kitchen with dishes and utensils and pots and pans but she had not bought any groceries. All the groceries were things that Emily had bought for her. Emily had been encouraging her to move out of the log and into her house. 

The fridge had a few gallons of water and an open container of baking soda. The freezer was empty. Everything edible was shelf stable, so breakfast sandwiches with eggs were out of the question. 

“We could make pancakes,” Leah said. “You have Bisquick.”

“I guess Emily didn't think I could even make pancakes from scratch,” Bella commented.

“Can you? Because you have all the ingredients… except eggs. You have powdered milk, though.”

“Powdered milk?” Bella took the bag from Leah and read the instructions quickly. “Yes, I can make pancakes from scratch but not without eggs. Can you help me make a shopping list? What do you want me to get for you for when you come over? Like, will you come over after work today?”

“It'll be late and I don't want you to get sick of me,” Leah said, dismissing the idea.

Bella wasn’t going to let it go so easily. “I will never get sick of you,” she promised, “but if you get sick of me, you can stay in your bedroom.”

Bella opened the door to the second bedroom. It was painted an olive green. It had a queen sized-bed, a dresser, mirror, desk, and closet. 

“That's a lovely guest room,” Leah said, lacing her fingers through Bella’s, “but if I visit you, I'll want to be with you

“What if I want you here even if you're mad at me or if you need alone time? Then you could use the room I set up for you.”

Leah looked at Bella’s eyes, seeing a bright hope in them. “It kinda feels like you're asking me to move in,” Leah said softly.

“Fuck yeah.” Bella held Leah’s other hand. “I'd love it if you moved in.”

“Bella, I will happily spend my nights with you,” Leah said, gazing into her face. “Last night was amazing and I'm looking forward to doing that again. But I can't move in with you.” 

“Am I pushing too much again?” Bella asked worriedly.

“No, but maybe. I want to make this work and I want to spend time with you but I need my family.”

Bella wrapped her arms around Leah’s waist, whispering into her neck, “I understand.” She rested her head on Leah's shoulder, then started kissing her neck. Leah turned her head just so to catch Bella's lips.

Leah loved the feeling of being held in Bella's strong arms. She felt secure here, protected. She was beginning to trust Bella, just a smidge.

In the kitchen, Bella found the measuring cups and started pouring the mix and water into a bowl. “So what should we put on the shopping list?” Bella handed Leah the pad of paper and pen from the fridge while she stirred the pancake batter.

“I want to try those egg sandwiches you like. Do you have the recipe from Emily?”

“They're English muffins and eggs, and then toast and eggs after the first one so we don't run out of English muffins too fast.”

“Oh,” Leah laughed as she wrote down those ingredients. “So they're just egg on bread? Why didn't you make them yourself?”

“She makes them with love,” Bella said with a smile. “You have a mom and dad. I have a Sam and Emily.”

“It sounds like they'll have their hands full with a new kid now, if Quil joined the pack.”

“I guess. I didn't think of it that way.” They might not be there for Bella as much, but she was proud of them, how they cared for the pack. 

“Hey, it's ok though,” Leah said. “You have me now.”

Bella grinned at her. “What's your favorite ice cream?” Bella asked as she put a stack of warm pancakes on Leahs’s plate.

“You don't have to get me ice cream.”

Bella tipped her head. “But I want to know what your favorite is.”

“There's a peanut butter flavor that my mom gets from Walmart in Port Angeles.”

“Oh.” Bella was pretty sure she could borrow Paul's car to go to Port Angeles. 

Leah could see Bella thinking, almost picking the thoughts out of her head. “You are not going to go to Port Angeles to get it, Bella! That’s insane.”

“You don't want me to?”

“It's a three hour drive!”

“So is that a no?” Bella asked, turning back to the stove to make more pancakes for herself.

“No, Bella, you can't do that! Absolutely not,” Leah said firmly.

“If you can wait until Quil’s under control, I can run to Port Angeles and back in less than an hour as a wolf. I can get it for you then.”

“You don’t have to get it for me at all!” Leah said, a little flustered. “What's your favorite kind of ice cream?”

“As a kid I liked mint chocolate chip most but Emily sometimes gets me mint with Oreo bits and I think I like that even better.”

“Oh, I love that kind,” Leah lied. “Get that if you want to get ice cream.”

“Ok. What do you usually have for breakfast?” Bella asked her.

“Sometimes on the weekends we have pancakes as a family. That's always my favorite but it's more about it being a family thing than the food, ya know what I mean?”

“My parents divorced when I was really little so I never had that. My mom was a Nutrigrain Bar on the go kind of cook.”

“Oh, wow. So no pancakes?”

“I made them sometimes,” Bella said, flipping the pancakes high with her spatula and catching them in the pan. “When I was little they weren't very good so she never ate them, even though they were pretty good when I got older.”

“And with Charlie?” Leah asked.

“He takes me to the diner sometimes. I like it there. It feels like family meals, like what you’re describing. At his house, I always knew he wanted to get back to the TV. But at the diner I have all of his attention, ya know?”

“I never saw you there.”

“I've been three times with him since I moved here, so it must have been bad timing,” Bella said. “I definitely would have noticed you.”

“You think?”

“100%.” Bella said confidently. She would have imprinted if she saw Leah at the diner.

“Does your dad know that you like girls?”

“I only like one girl, Leah. I don't know if Charlie knows. My mom knows.”

“Is your mom ok with it?” Leah asked.

“She was fine with it, until her boyfriend noticed.”

“What do you mean?”

“It was pretty fucked up. I had a girl over and he was perving on us.” Bella put down her spatula, her jaw set. “He was spying on me. It was so violating but she took his side. She kicked me out… or at least she said I couldn't be there when her boyfriend was there and she was trying to get him to move in.”

“That's so fucked up.”

Bella sighed. “I know.”

“I'm sorry, Bella.”

“You didn't do anything.”

“I know, but it's not fair,” Leah said. “Like, no one on the rez is rich so we all kind of bitch about life, but we have a close community and we all have extended family on the rez, a huge support system.”

“I know,” Bella said, nodding enthusiastically. “That's why I don't want to leave. I have a family now.”

“Mmmm. I'm glad.” 

Bella sat down to eat. Leah watched in amazement as Bella devoured her tower of pancakes. She helped Bella clean up the table, then said, “Listen, I've got to go home and get ready for work.”

“What time will you be back after work?” Bella asked, putting her arms around Leah’s waist and pulling her close.

“Is 8:30 too late?”

“It's perfect!” Bella exclaimed, merging her mouth to Leah’s soft lips.

When they separated, Leah said, “And if you change your mind or have other plans or something, you can call the diner and leave a message.”

“That won't happen,” Bella reassured her, shaking her head.

Bella didn't want to let Leah go. Leah felt the same way, but she knew she had to be responsible, talk to her parents, and go to work. 

~O~

Leah's dad wasn't home when she got there, just Seth and her mom. 

“I went to a friend's house last night,” Leah called to her mom as she passed through the kitchen. “Sorry I didn't call.”

“You're an adult, Leah. A phone call would have shown some responsibility. Luckily, your dad figured it out. He knows more gossip than me. I swear those council meetings are worse than women’s knitting circles when it comes to gossip.”

“Makes sense.”

“Have you eaten?” Sue asked her.

“Yeah, I had breakfast. My friend made pancakes. I'll grab something light for lunch before work. I'm going back to my friend's house after work.”

“Are we ever going to meet this friend who made you pancakes for breakfast?” Sue’s voice was teasing, but Leah knew she meant business. 

“It's just a friend, mom.”

“Sure, honey, but we'll want to meet him if it's ever not just a friend.”

Leah's heart sank. At some point, her mom would find out that she was seeing a girl. Her dad hadn't told Sue and he was right not to. That was a conversation she would put off as long as possible.

“Sure, mom.”

~O~

Bella went to find Sam shortly after Leah left. 

“He's with the new kid, hon,” Emily said, welcoming Bella in. “Paul’s the liaison right now. You can call him. He can swap places with him.”

“Maybe you can help, then we'll get Sam.”

“I'll call Paul,” Emily said as she lifted the phone off the wall. “Then by the time I finish helping you, Sam will be here to help too.”

After the call, Bella started with, “Leah slept over last night. She wasn't too impressed with my breakfast offering.”

“I left pancake mix and syrup,” Emily said defensively.

“Emily, I'm not criticizing you! Thank you so much for the pancake mix and the syrup! It saved me from total humiliation. But I'm making a shopping list so I can have an even better kitchen for her. First, for your breakfast sandwiches, it's eggs, English muffins and toast, right?”

“And butter. I butter the English muffins and toast.”

Bella wrote down butter. “And I'm looking for ideas for stuff that she likes. She told me a little, but I got the feeling that she didn't want me to go over the top and buy stuff just for her.”

“Yeah, so she's my cousin. That's not stuff I paid attention to but Sam would know. I know Snickers are her favorite candy because she'd trade with me after Halloween.”

“What about on her birthday?” Bella asked as she wrote down Snickers. “What special foods did she want? When’s her birthday?”

“Her birthday’s next month. She likes chocolate, everything chocolate. I don't remember what she'd have for dinner, honestly. Sometimes we'd go out to eat.”

Sam came in the door and immediately pulled Bella into a hug. He could smell Leah's scent on her and he was so happy for them both. “Did you complete the imprint?”

“No, she doesn't want to know about wolf legend stuff. I didn’t tell her about the imprint. I don’t know when I will.”

Sam stepped back holding her shoulders in his hands. His face was deeply creased with concern. “Is that what you need my help with? I'm not sure it will help if I talk to her.” Sam knew he'd have to talk to Leah again eventually. She was Bella's imprint. But he knew it wouldn't go smoothly.

“That's not it, Sam.” Bella smiled. “I'm making a shopping list.”

Sam put his arm around Emily's shoulder and kissed her on the temple. “That's more of Emily's thing, Bella. We have two lists on the fridge.” Sam pointed to magnetic pads of paper on the fridge door. “One is food I request, like chocolate chip cookies. The other is her shopping list, because she got mad about me putting meals on the list.”

Emily explained, “He would write lasagna on the list, like he wanted one of those frozen ones or something. I don't know what your dynamic with Leah will be like, both being girls, but that works for us.”

“Sam, I want to know what foods to get that Leah will like.”

“She likes chocolate,” Sam said without a thought.

“I gathered that,” Bella said, glancing at Emily. “What about meals? She told me the cereal she usually eats. I want to be stocked with foods to keep her coming back. Fruit! What's her favorite fruit Sam?”

“Apples, the green ones.”

“That's me, hon,” Emily said, rolling her eyes playfully. “Leah likes the red ones.”

“Red delicious?” Bella asked.

“You sure?” Sam asked. “I remember her eating the green ones.”

“She'll eat them. I won't eat the red ones, so they would get the green ones when I came. It was a bit of a fight sometimes.”

Bella wrote down red apples. “And for meals?” Bella asked again.

“She likes Italian food,” Sam said. “She likes pasta and tomato sauce and lasagna and pesto and Alfredo.”

“Isn't she lactose intolerant?” Emily asked. 

“She is,” Sam said, nodding. “But she takes that medication and just lives her life. She always has it in her purse. If you really want to impress her, put some lactaid in your medicine cabinet.”

“Would it embarrass her, if Bella knows that?” Emily eyed Sam warily.

“Uhh, she was never embarrassed about it around me.” Sam shrugged.

“She knew you a lot longer,” Emily reminded him. “Didn’t you guys know each other since kindergarten?”

“I'm getting the lactaid,” Bella said definitively, not wanting to get into Sam and Leah’s kindergarten antics. “I don't want her caught off guard. Does she ever drink milk alternatives? Oat milk or anything.”

“Vanilla soy milk. She's going to know that you talked to us, Bella,” Emily said.

“She knows that I love you guys. I think she accepts it. Can you make Alfredo with soy milk?”

“Don't!” Emily answered quickly. “You can get complicated recipes from the Internet to do that but it's not as good and she'd rather just take her medication and have the food she wants.”

“Don't try to help her with the lactose intolerance,” Sam warned. “She'll find it patronizing. I did that once, a whole milk free meal. It took me a long time, too, because I'm not the best cook. She hated it.”

“The food might not have been the best,” Emily added, elbowing Sam gently in the ribs. 

“She ate it,” Sam said, “but she told me never to do it again.”

“Ok, so I'll let her manage her own medical issues, that's fine. What's her favorite cheese?”

“No fucking clue,” Sam admitted.

“Me neither.”

“Ok, Sam, you've been so helpful. You can go now.”

Sam and Emily exchanged a playful glance at Bella dismissing him like that. “I'll see you later, Emily.” Sam kissed her lips. “Bella, I'll let you know when you're back on patrol. I'm guessing it will be at least a couple more days.”

“I'm sorry about that.” Bella didn’t like letting Sam down. The whole pack had to pick up the slack with her missing patrol.

“Yeah, you'll have to apologize to the kid, too. He'll be one of us, family, so we have to mend that relationship.”

After Sam left, Bella said, “Emily, you know what's in my pantry. If I add this stuff,” she said, pointing to her list, “what will I be missing? What do I need to add to have a normal kitchen?”

Emily looked over the list and thought for a minute. “Vegetables! You don't have vegetables. I recommend frozen. Then you don't have to worry about using them before they go bad. The exception is potatoes, onions, carrots, and celery, which you'll want fresh. They all have a long shelf life if stored properly and are useful ingredients in lots of dishes.”

Bella wrote all that down. “What else?”

“I usually keep ground beef and chicken breasts in the freezer. I also look at what meat is on sale whenever I shop and try to make meals out of reasonably priced meats on sale. Hey, do you want me to come with you? I can show you all my shopping tips.”

“You would do that?” Bella was excited for an outing with Emily. “Don't you need to make Sam's lunch or something?”

“I'm not his slave, Bella, and even if I were, he'd want me to help you. I'll write a note though. I don't want him to worry.”

Chapter 10: Shifting Grounds

Shifting Grounds

After her shopping, Bella stopped in at the diner to see Leah. Emily waited in the truck. 

Leah was surprised by the visit. “Do you need to cancel?” Leah asked. She was trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice and off of her face.

“No! I still want you to come over. I just wanted to know if you'll have eaten or if you want me to have food ready for you?”

Leah sighed with her whole body. “I get a meal here on my break. It's one of my perks. So you don't need to have food for me.”

“Ok, I just wanted to check. See you later.” Bella kissed her on the cheek quickly, trying to be discreet. It put a smile on Leah's face.

When Bella turned to the door to leave, she heard a familiar voice in the corner. “Hey, Bells!”  

Charlie Swan was sitting in a corner booth alone. She went and sat across from her father. “Hey, Dad. You getting lunch?”

“Yeah, wanna join me?”

“I can't. I have a friend waiting in the truck.”

“Bring your friend in,” Charlie encouraged her. “Lunch is on me. I'd like to meet whoever you're spending time with these days.”

Leah came to the table then. “Do you need a menu, Bella?”

“No, I've got to be on my way. I've got ice cream in the truck,” she said, smiling at Leah. As she stood, she whispered to Leah, “I'll see you later.” Then she added, “Bye, Dad.”

Leah was distracted watching Bella leave. She was wearing little white shorts and a tank top. Leah couldn't keep her eyes off her.

“You two friends?” Charlie asked Leah. 

“Yeah,” Leah said, snapping out of her daze.

“Hopefully you can keep her out of trouble.” Charlie folded up his menu. “So I'll have the cheeseburger with fries, no onions, please.”

~O~

When they were putting away the groceries in Bella’s house, Emily scolded her. “Bella, you'll want to keep on top of the dishes. Flies are not attractive.”

“I licked everything,” Bella protested. “I won't get flies. But then I went straight to you guys for help with the shopping list. I didn’t have time to do the dishes properly.”

“I think Sam licks the dishes too. But he's fast. I never catch him doing it.”

“That's me, Emily. I lick your dishes,” Bella confessed.

“It was happening before you moved in,” Emily said curiously.

Bella grinned. “I bet we all do it.”

“Can you picture Jared licking dishes?” Emily asked, giggling.

“He wouldn't get caught dead doing it. I bet he's really sneaky about it and fast. Sam's probably discreet, too. But I could picture Paul licking Billy's dishes out in the open, totally unashamed.”

“I bet he does,” Emily agreed. She could picture it easily.

Bella smacked her forehead. “Emily! I didn't get dish soap! I don't even have stuff for a shower!” 

“Look under the sink. And your shower stuff is in the shower with spares under the bathroom sink.”

“What about laundry? Where will I do my laundry?”

“There is a washer and dryer hookup. Jared is keeping an eye on Craigslist to find a good deal for you. He just started because none of us knew if you'd ever move out of the damn log. But you can use ours or Paul's or Jared’s until he has that sorted. Take your pick. Or you can sample all of our machines and see which one you like best.”

“What would I do without you?”

“Probably starve, honey.” Emily answered honestly. “But you've all had to grow up so fast. You've done so well with it. We all think so.”

“Maybe I should move my stuff in too, like my clothes.”

“Bella, how upset would you be if we offered your bed to Quil when he phases to human?”

“You mean the bed that I haven't slept in for weeks?” Bella asked, folding up the empty grocery bags.

“ Your bed, Bella,” Emily said, looking Bella in the eye.

“Go ahead. But if there's ever a night I don't want to be in my house or my log, can I crash on the couch?”

“Always, always, always.” Emily said, pulling her in for a hug. “And I still want you for meals and to hang out and keep Sam humble.”

Bella nodded. She’d always visit them.

Bella and Emily went back to the Uley's place where Sam was making sandwiches for lunch. Bella and Emily made sandwiches with him and they all ate together. It felt like a family meal, like what Leah talked about.  

Sam helped her pack most of her stuff. “Let's leave a few emergency clothes here just in case,” he said.

“Aren't your clothes my emergency clothes, Sam?” Bella asked.

Sam chuckled. “I guess. I'm just not ready for you to move out completely.” Bella thought she could see tears pooling in his eyes but they were gone after he blinked.

“I'll be here so much,” Bella promised. “You'll be just as sick of me as you are now.”

“We were never sick of you,” Sam said softly. “And you better come around a lot. I know we won't see you as much. Leah is welcome here too. We'd love to have you both for dinner sometime.”

“I'll let her know.”

They both hugged her before she got in her truck. She wondered if this was what it felt like for kids when they went off to college and left their parents behind. 

Bella drove across town to her house. She brought all of her clothes in. Then she piled them into her closet. She just wanted to see if the door would shut with everything piled in there. It did not. 

She quickly cleaned the breakfast dishes. After what Emily said, she was a little worried about flies, even though she knew that her licking job was en pointe.

Bella spent the afternoon putting her clothes away, listening to CDs, and eating. At 8:00, she got ready for her evening with Leah, showering and dressing nice.

She was debating about what CD to play when she heard a car pull into her driveway. The headlights brightened the whole house, then flicked off. Bella ran to the door. 

“Hey, Beautiful!” Leah called, walking toward the house with a backpack slung over her shoulder. 

“What did you bring?” Bella asked, her eyes on the shoulder strap.

“Just an overnight bag.”

“So smart.” Bella held the door open for her. 

Once the door was shut, Bella spun Leah around. “Leah, I've been looking forward to this all day.”

Bella gently brushed her hand across Leah's cheek, then held the back of her neck. Their lips met halfway. Leah dropped her bag to wrap her arms around Bella.

They undressed each other as they moved toward the bedroom. Bella took her time with the panty hose again, rubbing Leah's crotch through them while they kissed. Finally, she peeled them off. 

She got between Leah's legs, placing two fingers inside and her thumb on the clit. With her hips, she bucked against her hand, creating an insane pleasure inside Leah. 

“Oh fuck!” Leah screamed.

Bella was kissing her neck, sucking on her skin. She moved her lips back to Leah's, continuing to buck into her. 

Bella’s knuckles were rubbing on her own clit. She was grinding against them as she was grinding against Leah. 

“You are so fucking hot,” Bella whispered into her ear.

Leah was turning to jelly at Bella's touch. She was almost climaxing. Bella wanted to look into her eyes, her beautiful dark eyes. Their souls had been bound by those eyes when she imprinted. She wanted to see them now. 

She held her face over Leah's. Leah kept lifting herself up to kiss Bella again.

“I want to see you come,” Bella said, holding Leah's gaze.

Leah just watched Bella watching her. Leah was so close. She started grinding against Bella's hand which of course rippled back to Bella's knuckles onto her own clit. The unexpected sensation sent them both over the edge together. 

As Bella was looking into Leah's eyes, she could feel their bond strengthen. 

Leah felt it too. 

“What the fuck was that? What did you just do with your eyes?” Leah asked.

Bella was panicking inside. Had she just tricked Leah into accepting the imprint? 

“What do you mean?” Bella asked, stalling for time. She gently removed her fingers from inside Leah and sucked on them. She stayed perched over Leah.

“Your eyes went yellow and then it was like… I don't know, some kind of connection from inside your eyes to inside mine.”

“Have you ever felt that before?” Bella asked, genuinely curious but trying to play it cool.

“I don't know,” Leah said hurriedly. “I don't think so, but it reminded me of the day we met, when I thought you were on drugs. You're not on drugs, are you?”

“No, of course not, Leah. They wouldn't even work on me because of my top secret job.” Bella lay on her back next to Leah, then turned on her side to look at her.

Leah sighed and laughed at the reference to the job. “Really? Drugs don't work?”

“Not even medication or alcohol,” Bella said, trying to clarify. “I mean, I haven't tried them all or anything but that's what the guys said.”

“What if you get injured or something?”

“There's a nurse who meets with us. She's not an elder like your dad but she's connected to them somehow. She knows an awful lot about our physiology. I feel like she's better than a doctor.”

“That's a little concerning, honestly.” Leah said. “I'd rather you had a doctor that you trust. Or maybe a vet.”

Bella giggled. “A vet wouldn’t do it. The nurse is really smart. I’ve only met her a few times but I trust her completely.”

“Is she native?” Leah asked, turning on her side too.

“I mean, I didn't ask, but she has skin and hair like everyone else, so probably.”

“Do you remember her name?”

“I want to say Sue.”

Leah twisted her mouth a little. “That's my mom.”

“Oh. That explains why she and Sam were so comfortable around each other.”

“I'd rather you had a doctor,” Leah repeated.

“Is she not a good nurse?” Bella placed a hand on Leah's side, scooching a little closer.

“She's a great nurse .” Leah said, caressing Bella's calves with her toes. “But she's not a doctor.”

“We have fast healing, Leah. It's part of the top secret work.”

“Fast healing? Have you been hurt?” Fear washed over Leah. Bella could smell it.

“I sprained my ankle and I get some bruising sometimes when I fight Paul.” Then Bella grinned. “But I broke his rib once,” she bragged. “He's never broken my bones before.”

“But he sprained your ankle?”

“No,” Bella said, shaking her head. “That was from a tree jumping competition we did. We were testing who could drop from the highest height without getting hurt. But a mouse scurried by while I was landing. That's how that happened. And Sam found out before it healed and said we couldn't do that again.”

Leah rolled her eyes. “I agree with Sam on that.”

“Jared did too, and so did all the girls. Paul was kind of pissy about it because I kept saying I would win because I'm leaner and faster and now we'll never know and everyone agrees with my logic and basically declared me the winner, which was nice, but I wanted to finish the competition too!”

“Why didn't you just squish the mouse?”

“That's what Paul said! But I panicked,” Bella confessed. “It would have splattered everywhere and I was wearing white shorts.”

“The ones you were wearing earlier?” Leah was picturing Bella’s ass in those shorts again. Her teeth scraped her bottom lip. Her hand went right to Bella's ass.

“Yeah, actually,” Bella said with a smirk. She could smell Leah's fresh arousal.

“Your butt was so hot in those,” Leah said, rubbing Bella's ass. “How long did it take for your sprained ankle to heal?”

“Just a day. So if you like those shorts, it was worth it, right?” 

“Not sure about that. You could just not do dumb stuff with Paul,” Leah suggested.

“Hmm. I'll think about that as an option, but it seems unlikely to work out.”

Leah chuckled, shaking her head. “So who did you have in the car when you came to the diner?”

Bella hesitated, biting her lip. “Emily. She helped me with my shopping. I moved out today, Leah. I brought my clothes here and everything.”

Leah looked deeply into Bella’s eyes. “Are you ok?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you said they were like your parents. I feel like I'd be a blubbering mess if I moved away from my parents.”

“It was a little rough,” Bella admitted. “I swear Sam had tears in his eyes for a second. But they're less than a mile away and I wasn't even sleeping there anymore so it's fine.” Bella had tears in her eyes too. “And I wasn't even there for that long. I've only known them for a matter of months.”

Leah laid on her back and pulled Bella's head onto her breast. “It's ok to feel emotional about this. They’re your family and you gave up the comfort of that home.”

“They said I could crash there anytime and they still want me for meals so I'll still see them all the time.” Bella wiped her eyes, embarrassed. “It's a silly thing for me to be upset about.”

“It's not. It's absolutely not.” Leah sighed. “I've always had a great family, but I can't imagine not having one, then finding one, then moving out.”

“Leah, the more we talk about it, the more upset I'll be.”

“So we'll change the subject?”

Bella nodded. “Yeah. I asked for their help in expanding the shopping list so it had more of your favorite stuff. They told me that you like chocolate and pasta.”

“Spot on.”

“Oh, phew. That's what I got.”

Leah was stroking Bella's hair. “You got chocolate?”

“I got Snickers, and I got the mint ice cream I like and another that Emily recommended where there was nougat ice cream with chocolate bits and caramel swirl and nuts. She says it tastes like Snickers. Is Snickers actually your favorite candy?”

“Yeah, what's yours?” Leah asked.

“Uhh… Good question.” It felt like a trick question to Bella. Since becoming a wolf, she had turned into a candy fiend. She tried to think of what she liked before. “I guess Cadbury creme eggs. I also like candy corn.”

“Anything that isn't seasonal?” Leah asked.

“Hmm. Maybe 3 musketeers. But I like anything.”

“You like things that are very sweet?”

“Yep.” Bella nodded. That was exactly right. “Paul and I have a candy corn competition planned for Halloween.”

“That sentence made my teeth hurt.”

“Kim almost threw up when she heard us talking about it,” Bella said proudly.

“Jared isn't going to join?”

“Jared doesn't have the same machismo as Paul and me.”

Leah was laughing. “Bella, you are the most feminine looking woman I've ever seen. Even though you're tall, you're somehow so dainty and curvy.”

“I'm macho at heart. I love beating the guys, but they don't underestimate me any more.”

“They shouldn't. You're clearly very talented.” She kissed Bella’s cheek.

Bella was afraid the conversation would return to that eye thing that might have been them completing the imprint. So she asked, “Want to try that ice cream I got?”

“Yeah, actually.”

They both put on their panties so they could sit in the kitchen comfortably.

Bella got out the snickers kind for Leah. “Taste some to make sure you like it,” Bella said.

“Like, eat it right out of the box?” 

“Mmmm. Just to make sure you like it.”

“My parents would kill me if I did that at home.”

Bella watched Leah take a bite. Leah closed her eyes, savoring it. When she swallowed, Bella leaned over to kiss her.

“Hmm,” Bella said, licking her lips. “It tastes kind of like Snickers. Definitely yummy.”

“Are you going to have some too?” Leah asked.

“No, I'll have the mint. Take as much as you want. I also got a shopping list for the fridge, so feel free to put anything on it that you want.”

“That's kind, Bella.”

“It's actually selfish,” Bella corrected her. “I want you to come here often. I know if someone bought me food, I'd go visit them, so I'm hoping it works for you, too.”

“I come to see you . I'm kind of crazy about you. You're like an earworm.”

“An earworm?”

“Like when a song gets stuck in your head, but in a good way.”

“That's beautiful, Leah. I think about you all the time too, so it's nice to know that you feel that way. I've been crazy about you since the day I met you.”

They were in a daze, staring at each other while their ice cream melted. Leah wondered if she was falling in love. Bella was already 100% sure she was in love.

Leah looked down after a few beats. “We should probably eat the ice cream before it melts completely.”

“Oh, right! Do you want to sit on the couch or at the table.”

“The couch is more comfy.” Leah grabbed a Lactaid out of her purse on the way. They sat next to each other and started eating quietly. “Bella, my shift starts at 8:00 am tomorrow, so I have to get to bed kind of early. That's why I brought my overnight bag, so I could leave from here.”

“That's fine. Does that mean you get out of work early, too?”

“Yeah, but I've got a family thing for dinner tomorrow.”

“Oh yeah?” Bella asked, wanting more details.

“It's my dad's birthday.”

“Cool, what did you get him?”

“I had Charlie recommend some fishing lures. You know how some families always get their dad a tie? Ours always gets a fishing lure.”

“That’s clever,” Bella said. She didn’t even know when Charlie’s birthday was.

“It works,” Leah said with a shrug. “He doesn't need much to be happy.”

“Do you think you'll be able to come over after?”

“Maybe.” Leah put down her spoon and looked at Bella to ask, “You said my dad knew about you and me, but how? We just started seeing each other again.”

“He knows that you're significant to me, that top secret legend thing. It really is how I got the two bedroom house. The second bedroom is for you.”

“And he knows this?” Leah asked again.

“He's the one that decided that we qualify for the two bedroom.”

“So this is our house? Not just yours?”

Bella considered. “In the top secret way, yes. And I think even more so because I wasn't comfortable living here without you.”

“Hmmm. So will he be ok with me coming here? Like he wasn't upset at the idea of me being with a girl?”

“Oh. Uh, no. It didn't phase him at all. So your parents don't know?”

Leah cringed. “No, Bella, I'm sorry.”

“No, don't be.” Bella shook her head. “There's no rush, ok? But you know if you ever need a place, now you know that this is our house. You always have a place here, in case it ever comes to that.”

“Thanks. I don't think, I mean… I hope it's never like that.” 

“Me too.” Bella licked her bowl. Leah was smiling at the sight. “You can lick yours, too, Leah. I won't judge.”

“I'm ok. Go ahead.” Leah handed Bella her bowl and she licked that too. “Your technique is just like Zoe's.”

“Is that your dog?” Bella asked, narrowing her eyes. 

“She was.” Leah smiled. 

Bella's face sobered. “What happened to her?”

“She died of old age four years ago. She lived a good life licking ice cream bowls.”

“I lick more than ice cream bowls,” Bella said, rapidly lifting and lowering her eyebrows in a seductive manner. 

“Like pancake mix bowls?”

Bella laughed. “Yep. When do you have to be up tomorrow?”

“6:00. I'll have to leave shortly after 7:00.”

They got ready for bed and snuggled. Bella fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. She was never so comfortable as she was when she was embracing Leah. 

As she drifted off to sleep, Leah was thinking about everything they had talked about, especially about her dad giving Bella a two bedroom house. It sounded so official, but she and Bella hadn't had any conversations about what they were. How could it be official with her dad before it was official between the two of them?

Chapter 11: Imprint Intrigue

11 - SunDay (112)

 

Bella woke up at 6:00, as if she had an internal alarm clock. She gently rubbed on Leah's back until she could see that Leah was waking up. 

“Honey, it's 6:00.”

“Oh, thank you.” Leah rubbed her eyes, looking around the room. “Did I miss the alarm?”

“I’m the alarm clock,” Bella whispered, kissing the top of Leah’s head. “It’s a wolf thing.”

They went to the kitchen for breakfast first. “I got you vanilla soy milk. Emily showed me which kind.”

“That's really sweet, Bella, thank you. So she told you about my problem?” Leah asked, not making eye contact as she poured her cereal.

“They told me not to make a big deal about it.”

“Yeah, don't,” Leah looked at her now, “but if you ever see me eating ice cream without taking my medication, don't hesitate to speak up. Sometimes I'm just sneaky but I still forget a few times a year and it's unpleasant.”

“Does it hurt?” Bella didn’t know anything about the symptoms of lactose intolerance. All she knew was that it meant no dairy. 

“Not exactly. It's not sexy though. I wouldn’t stay over if I forgot to take my medication. I’d have to go home.”

Bella looked dead serious then. “You can count on me to remember. I want you here always.”

Leah smiled and briefly kissed Bella's lips. “Thanks.”

“I'm hopeful that you'll come tonight.”

“I think I can, but it will be late, probably after 9:00.”

“Ok, I plan to spend the day doing top secret work but I should be home around 6:00. If you come before I get back, please let yourself in. I have books and movies and ice cream and a bottle of lactaid in the bathroom.”

“Thank you, Bella. I can't even promise that I'll be able to make it. Will you be ok if I can't?”

“Yeah, the bed smells way more like you than the log anyway so I won't be going back there at night anytime soon.”

Leah drank the milk leftover from her cereal, then gave Bella the bowl. “You clean them with dish detergent too, right?”

Bella laughed then nodded, licking every last bit of the bowl. “Sam doesn't do this in front of Emily, so this is really intimate, me sharing this part of myself with you.”

Leah smiled. “Zoe was never ashamed of who she was. You have the same vibe. Sam, he cares what people think of him, or he did. Is he still like that?”

“Yeah, he always wants me to be on my best behavior when we go to talk to elders and stuff.”

“Hmmm. I see. And are you?” Leah asked.

“A wise alpha once told me, don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to.”

Leah stared at her blankly before asking, “And Sam's the alpha?”

Oops. Bella didn’t mean to talk about that. “Yes,” she answered timidly.

Leah didn't want to dwell on Sam. “So what's the most embarrassing thing you said to an elder?” Leah was intrigued.

“I'm not embarrassed by anything I've said to Billy because he's my uncle so I probably got it from his side.”

“Probably,” Leah said with an amused smile.

“And Sam basically doesn't let me talk to Old Quil.”

Leah tilted her head in thought. “Probably for the best.”

“But with your dad, I did talk about the feeling of suffocating when you get choked out during sex.”

“Oh! Why?” Leah was both amused and deeply embarrassed for Bella.

“It's top secret, Leah,” Bella said, grinning. “It’s something from the legends.”

“At least you're not boring.” Leah couldn’t remember anything in the legends about being choked out during sex.

“Did Sam ever do that to you?” Bella asked. “Choke you, I mean.”

“No,” Leah said, shaking her head. “Is that a turn on for you or something?”

“No! Someone did it to me once in Phoenix. I took a self defense course before I hooked up with anyone new after that. I won't ever do that, or ask you to do that to me. But the memory is hard to shake. It was such a unique sensation, it was the only way to describe it.”

“Describe what?” Leah asked.

“It's top secret!”

Leah stood and kissed Bella's neck. “I'm going to go take a shower now.”

“Do you want company?”

Leah nodded.

~O~

Bella cleaned up the table while Leah got dressed after their shower. She didn't do the dishes. She’d wait until Leah left to do that. 

Then she went to see Sam and Emily. Sam wasn't there, but all the imprints were. 

“What was it like when you accepted the imprint?” Bella asked them, standing between the couch and the TV. 

Kim explained, “I could feel the imprint too, for the first time, like the connection. I was drawn to him before, but the connection was almost tangible after that.” 

“That's exactly it, exactly like that.” Emily said. 

“Rachel?” 

“I don't know,” she sucked in a deep breath through her teeth. “I already felt really connected to Paul before, like almost right away. Why do you ask, Bella?”

“I think I fucked everything up!” Bella flopped onto the couch. “We were fucking and we came simultaneously which almost never happens and I could feel the imprint grow stronger and she said my eyes turned yellow.”

“So she accepted it! That's awesome progress!” Emily exclaimed.

“Except she doesn't even know about imprinting,” Bella said, shaking her head in despair. “We were doing the sex that is supposed to be safe, not genital to genital.”

“Then how did you both come?” Kim asked.

“My hand was between us, but it was touching both of us.”

“Bella, you were playing fast and loose with the rules that you made up!” Emily sounded a little mad. 

“Paul made them up!” Bella defended herself. “And they make sense!”

“What rules did Paul make up?” Rachel asked. 

“That completing the imprint happens with genital to genital sex, because you guys were doing all sorts of-”

“I remember, Bella.” Rachel cut her off. “I love Paul like crazy but he doesn't know shit. I think you need to consider the idea that she has accepted the imprint before she knew what she was getting into. That might have been what happened with us too. And I have no regrets, none.” Rachel sighed heavily. “But Leah and I are not the same people. She's one of a kind and she doesn't give up power easily. You need to be prepared for that.”

“But if she's accepted it, what can she do? Can she leave me? Will she?” Bella asked with desperation.

Emily looked concerned. “Bella, it's not just about that. She's your life partner, your soulmate. You need to consider her choices and preferences in all things.”

“Will she prefer to leave me?” Bella rephrased the question.

“She might, but she can't, right?” Kim asked, looking at the other girls. “And accepting the imprint isn't about the imprint's informed consent. It is about the nature of the relationship, you know, the stages? The nature of your relationship with Leah is sexual and romantic, which is the last stage of the imprint. The whole informed consent thing was a Sam and Emily thing. None of the legends talk about it.”

“And that's kind of why it didn't bother me,” Rachel explained. “An imprint is an honored position. Leah knows the legends as well as the rest of us. Why haven't you talked about the imprint yet?”

“She doesn't want to talk about wolf legend stuff. We have a code word: my top secret job.”

“So she's being willfully ignorant,” Rachel said, sounding unimpressed.

“I don't think it's just a Sam thing,” Emily said, “informed consent. That's like the basics of human decency.”

“They're not completely human,” Kim pointed out.

“What does Jared say?” Bella asked her. 

“You really want to know?” Kim asked.

“Of course!”

“He regrets advising you not to seduce her the first night.”

“That's sweet of him.” Bella knew things would have gone a lot differently if she did successfully seduce Leah that first night.

Emily spoke up. “It doesn't matter what we think or what our guys think. What matters is what Leah thinks. And you can't know until you tell her about the imprint.”

Bella crossed her arms over her chest. “I'm not doing it unless she asks. I've given a bunch of hints about imprinting. She just has to ask about any of them, and I'll tell her.”

“What hints, Bella?” Rachel asked.

“Let's see,” she tapped her chin. “I told her that her dad knows about us, the two bedroom house is for her, that she is very significant to me, that I haven't been with anyone else since I met her, that I slept in the log because it smelled like her, I don't know what else but that seems like plenty of hints that would make her curious.”

“You told her that the house was for her? That's so romantic!” Kim squeed.

“I told her that the day I met her. She thought I was on drugs.” 

Rachel nodded. “That does sound unhinged, Bella, but she's sleeping over, right? That's what Paul said, that her car has been there at night.”

Bella narrowed her eyes. “I didn't know that he was spying on us, but yeah, she is.”

“They're all spying,” Emily said. “They care about you an awful lot.”

“Hmm.” Bella looked at Kim. Kim nodded. So Jared was spying too.

“Leah cares about you an awful lot, too,” Kim said.

“She calls me Beautiful, because Bella means beautiful in Spanish. But I think she's attracted to me physically more than anything else, which is fine. I'm not complaining. I'll win her heart eventually.”

“She's not like that, Bella,” Emily said. “Sam said they only had sex one time in their whole relationship.”

After a minute of processing that tidbit, Bella said, “So I’ve already beat him.”

“But it took her a long time to trust Sam. A long time. Years.”

“And then he left her for you, so maybe she was right not to trust him,” Bella said to Emily. “Sorry, no offense.”

“That's what I mean though,” Emily says gently. “She doesn't trust easily. It should have taken way longer for her to trust you, way longer . Her feelings for you are not just lust. She wouldn't act on them if they were.”

“Ok, thanks.” Bella was ready for a change of scenery. “Where are the guys?” There hadn't been a whiff of them this whole time which was unusual.

“In the forest. Sam told me to tell you to phase in when you got here.”

“Emily, why didn't you tell me?” Bella asked.

“We wanted to talk to you and he can't order me around. He's not my alpha,” Emily said with a smirk. 

Bella rolled her eyes. “I'm telling him you said that.” She ran to the door, then ran back inside. “It's raining. I'm leaving my clothes inside, ok?” She was already naked and out the door before any of the girls could answer. 

Bella phased in at the tree line. I'm back, boys! 

Meet us here. Sam showed their location in the pack mind. And bring clothes.

Bella ran back into the house, butt naked. She grabbed one of Sam's shirts and put it in one of the ankle pouches that he had on his dresser. 

She ran outside and phased. Hastily, she ran through the woods to meet her pack. 

Along with her black, gray and brown brothers, a new wolf stood. It was the chocolate brown wolf that she had almost attacked.

Sorry, she said, timidly. It's just that Leah is mine and I'm very protective of her. 

Phase out, Bella, Sam said. Let him see who you are. 

Bella felt like the Scooby Doo villain unveiling herself. She phased out then bent at the waist to get Sam’s shirt out of its pouch. Once it was over her head, she straightened her back and looked at the new wolf, eye to eye.

The new wolf took a step toward her, then started walking around her, sniffing her. 

A couple things happened one after another that had Bella concerned. 

First, Paul's lip curled up over his long canines. A deep threatening growl was coming from him. His posture was almost like an attack crouch.

Jared, peaceful, meditative Jared was the next to react. The fur on his back stood up from his neck to his tail. He was also lowering himself to an attack crouch.

Sam wasn't moving at all. He was eerily still. Of the three, he was somehow the most frightening in his stillness.

The new wolf started whimpering, moving away from Bella quickly. Quil’s whole posture was submissive. He was cowering in fear.

Sam phased to human. “I'm sorry, Bella. I thought if he saw you, he wouldn't be afraid of you but it kind of backfired. Now he's afraid of all of us because we were protective of you.”

“Why don't you all hang out in human form and I'll go in the pack mind with him?”

Sam nodded. “Eh, it's worth a shot.”

Bella phased back in. Then Jared phased out. 

“Paul!” Sam called. “Are you going to make me order it?”

Paul said, Bella, you can beat the shit out of him if he needs it. I can distract Sam. 

Go, Paul! 

He shimmered into his human form. 

Hi . A timid voice said. 

Hi Quil. I'm Bella. Bella sat. 

Quil sort of sat too. His posture was so submissive he was almost lying down. I know. 

You don't have to be afraid of me. 

But you can hurt me? 

We all can, Bella said , but you're our brother. We don't want to.

Will I be strong enough to best you guys someday? 

It's possible, but Sam's alpha. He's huge. You saw that right? 

Yeah. Of course Quil saw that. There was no way to ignore Sam's size.

How can we help you not be scared?

Make me strong?

Bella phased to human but didn't bother to get dressed. “Teach him how to fight. You need to build his confidence, not explain to him why we won't hurt him. Hurt him a little so he can see how he heals.”

“Bella, please put your shirt on,” Sam said, rubbing his forehead.

“Your shirt,” Bella said, winking as she pulled it over her head.

“He was thinking nasty thoughts about you,” Paul said, clearly still angry about it. 

“You used to do that too, Paul,” Bella teased. 

“Not in the pack mind! Never in the pack mind! That's so fucking disrespectful.”

“Is that what you were snarling at? You guys scared him over that?” That made Bella angry.

“Bella,” Jared said patiently, “you’re our sister. None of us have biological sisters, but you know we all love you.”

“I love you guys too,” Bella gushed.

“And we can't let someone disrespect you like that,” Jared finished.

“You know that people think I'm hot everywhere I go, right?” Bella asked. “Because I am. What if more kids join the pack? This is a you-guys problem, not a him problem. Paul, you had a crush on me but kept me out of your thoughts in the pack mind. Teach him how to do the same.”

“I wouldn't call it a crush,” he said, blushing.

“Whatever. Teach him so that you aren't on his throat all the time. Then build his confidence by teaching him how to fight.”

“Like martial arts?” Paul asked.

“No! Fight with him as a wolf. Show him how strong he is. I shouldn't be here for it because I think I'm agitating the situation. And I'm hoping for another visit tonight from Lady Leah.”

They hooted and howled in support. 

“Do you need anything else from me, Sam?”

“No, thank you, Bella. You can do whatever you were doing before.”

“Orgy with the imprints,” Bella said, then cackled to herself as she phased and ran away. 

After a minute, Paul said, “I'm pretty sure she was kidding.”

~O~

Back at Sam's, the girls had just put on a movie. Bella quickly got dressed, tossed Sam's shirt in the hamper and squished herself between Emily and Rachel.

Emily paused the DVD. “Let's make lunch, then restart the movie.”

“Am I crashing imprint day or something?” Bella asked.

Rachel laughed. “Imprint day? That's not really a thing, is it?” She was looking back and forth between all the girls.

“I don't know,” Bella said. “I'm not an imprint.”

Emily smiled her half smile. “Even if there were such a thing, it would be way more fun if you did crash it.”

“Definitely!” Kim said. 

“Ok, ok, I get it, everything's better when I'm around. What's for lunch?”

“I have leftovers since Sam has been out there with the new kid almost non stop.”

“They hunted without me!” 

“Would you rather have been with them than Leah?” Emily asked.

“Fuck no! I'll make them do another trip with me. It's so satisfying, ladies, the kill, blood dripping in your mouth, then tearing it open like a pinata. It's really nice.”

Emily felt nausea just picturing it. “We'll take your word for it. Anyway, I've been cooking like normal and Sam has barely been home, so please, everyone make a plate. Bella, you go first.” 

Emily had wanted to feed and nurture Bella since she hadn't been around for meals. She thought it might have been biological, the need to take care of the pack as the alpha’s mate. She wanted to take care of the other imprints too, but that wasn't as strong.

“I can't make my plate first! I'll take all the best stuff!”

“Then I'll make a plate for you,” Emily said decisively. “I'll be sure to leave plenty of the best stuff for everyone else.”

“Yeah, ok.”

While they were eating, Rachel asked, “How are things going with the new kid?”

“What does Paul say?” Bella asked her. 

“He hasn't been home much, but mostly he's frustrated. He thinks the kid is an annoying coward. He doesn't like cowards.”

“What's Jared saying, Kim?” Bella asked.

“He says it'll take a while to get him in shape.”

Finally, Bella asked, “What about Sam?”

“He kind of sighs and changes the subject,” Emily answered.

“Nice.” Bella grinned. “So I did almost attack the kid. Did they mention that?”

“Why, Bella?” Emily asked. “And no, Sam didn't say anything about that.”

Bella shrugged. “He was near Leah's house and I thought he was fucking her.”

“Shit,” Rachel said. “Of course he's a coward.”

“And then out there, now, all the guys were aggressive toward him because he was having dirty thoughts about me.”

“Yikes,” Kim chimed in. 

“Yep. I told them off for that though. They've got to teach him to control his thoughts and they need to calm the fuck down about protecting me.”

“That can't be easy though, especially when they're all together,” Emily said. “If one of them stands up for you, it'll become a pissing contest to prove their loyalty to you. None of them will back down if one of the other two is defending you.”

“That's bullshit,” Bella spat. “He's a teenage boy. I'm hot. What did they expect?”

“They probably thought he'd see you as a sister like they do,” Emily said carefully.

Bella rolled her eyes. “What are they going to do when the kid meets you three hotties?”

“What will you do when you see him thinking of Leah?” Emily asked.

“Rip his throat out,” Bella answered flatly, not noticing the double standard at all.

Rachel asked, “did you ever think about the imprints in the pack mind, Bella?”

“Not you, cuz. I did with Emily but only at first. By the time I got to know Kim, I had my thoughts under control all the time.”

“And Sam didn't rip your throat out?” Emily asked. 

“My thoughts of you weren't just sex, Emily. I thought you were wonderful. I still do. I think that made it so Sam gave me grace when I did think of you sexually.”

“But this kid is different? Or are the guys just being jerks?” Rachel asked. 

“I was a human and they were wolves when the incident happened,” Bella explained, “but I'd guess it was just sex because I hadn't really talked to him yet. He doesn't know I'm wonderful. Not yet.”

“They were justified,” Kim said firmly. “And it's probably best that it happened with you first because it gives the kid a small taste of all of their wrath. If he crosses the line with an imprint, he’ll get a totally different taste of their wrath.”

They settled down to watch the movie after lunch. After, Bella left. She couldn't sit still any longer. She went for a walk on the beach, then to visit her old log. 

It was occupied. 

Chapter 12: He Smelled Like Feet

Bella recognized his scent from yards away, even with the salty ocean air and tide pools so near. “Paul! Can't a girl visit her log in peace?”

“Come on in, Bella, there's space.”

Bella crawled into the log and sat between Paul's knees, both facing the ocean. Paul hugged her from behind and put his head on her shoulder. 

“What are you even doing here?” Bella asked.

“It was my log first. I missed it... And Sam kicked me out of training.”

Bella snort-laughed. “Did you hurt the kid?”

“Not too badly. You would have laughed it off. Not even a broken bone. There wasn’t any blood. But listening to little Quil, it was like he's never gotten beaten up before.”

“Did you?” Bella asked. “Before you were a wolf, I mean?”

“That's why I took martial arts. You?”

“Yeah. Angry boyfriends didn't always care that I'm a girl.”

“Right.” Paul didn’t like to think of angry boyfriends hurting Bella, but it was in the past. They could never touch her again and it wouldn’t be an issue since she had imprinted on Leah.

They both watched the waves crashing on the sand, the seaweed line moving with the shifting tide. Bella was thinking about the training, about the kid who didn’t fit in with the pack. “Is it my fault for saying you guys should teach him to fight?”

“No! You were right,” Paul insisted. “They shouldn't have made me fight him first though. Jared can be very gentle.”

“That's not what Kim says,” Bella said flirtatiously. 

“Ha. So you were chilling with them today?”

“Yeah, but the orgy was over by the time I got back.”

“Ha ha.”

Again, they fell into a trance, watching the waves, how the light played on the surface of the water. Then Bella asked, “What are you going to do with your time off?”

“Rachel, mostly, but I wanted to clear my head.”

“Oh, I can go.” Bella started to squirm so that Paul could have his alone time to clear his head. 

Paul's arms around her weren't budging. “You're fine, Bella. Being with pack is just as good as being alone. I just hope the new kid can be a part of that eventually.”

They watched the sun get lower on the horizon, again enchanted by the waves crashing on rocks and sand. Neither of them felt confident that the new kid would be as close to the pack. He felt like such an outsider, so different. 

“Does the water ever get this high?” Bella asked after a spell.

“Yeah,” Paul chuckled. “Emily was panicking about it when you slept out here but storms like that are usually winter storms. You've got to remember that the water deposited this log here, so it can come back to this level.”

“Huh. Good thing that never happened when I was here.” Bella was looking at where the sun was in the sky and deduced the time. “Hey, I told Leah I'd be home around 6:00, so I'm heading out.”

“Can you give me a ride? I've got to stay out of the pack mind.”

“Sure.”

Bella passed Leah's house on the way. Leah’s car was there. She knew it would be a while anyway since Leah was celebrating her dad’s birthday. She just wanted to stick to her word just in case Leah could come early. 

She made dinner, got ready for a potential date, then read a book to kill the time. She heard the key in the lock at 9:08 pm.

Bella jumped up, bouncing with excitement.

As soon as the door was closed, she was on the girl. Bella peppered kisses all over her face, then hugged her tight. 

“You came!”

“Not yet I didn't,” Leah teased.

“Ha! I love you.” Bella didn't mean to say that. It just slipped out. But she knew it was true.

Leah didn't know what to say. She knew she felt more strongly for Bella than she had for Sam and she had told Sam that she loved him. “Thank you.”

Bella gulped and kept hugging the girl. “How was your dad’s birthday?”

“Same as always. But my dad was more excited about me coming to see you than his new fishing lure.”

“So you told them?” Bella asked. She seemed almost as excited as Harry had been.

“No. Sorry,” Leah answered quickly. “I just said that I was going to visit my friend and my dad followed me out the door, asking if you were the friend. Then he hugged me and told me he was so proud of me, which is weird because it's not like I'm being brave about our relationship at all.”

Bella loved that she called it a relationship! “I think you're being brave. Your car has been seen.”

Leah stiffened. “By who?”

“Paul and Sam and Jared.”

“Stalkers,” Leah muttered, then smiled at her girl. “You're brave, Bella. You've been out for ages. And I think it's brave that you told me that you love me.”

“Impulsive, but sure, I guess it's brave too.” She dragged Leah to the couch. They sat facing each other with their legs crossed.

“I can't say it back,” Leah said, unable to look into Bella’s face as she spoke. “But not because it's not true. It is, but because I'm fucking scared, Bella.”

Bella lifted Leah’s chin so that they were looking at each other. “What are you scared about, baby?”

Leah sighed. “That you'll wake up and realize that I've done nothing to deserve this level of adoration.”

“That's not going to happen. Hey, do you believe in soulmates?”

“I'm not sure,” Leah answered honestly, shaking her head a little. .

Bella perked up as she said, “Ok, well I do. And I'm confident you're mine.”

Leah squinted at her. “Uh… sure, Bella. How could you possibly know that?

“It's top secret,” she said with a sly smile.

Leah rolled her eyes. “Ok.”

“So you can trust that I'm not going to be the one to walk away. I'm all in.”

“I’m trying to trust you. I already feel like I trust you more than I should and it doesn’t feel safe. Weirdly, you being over-the-top devoted, sometimes it’s comforting but sometimes it’s just terrifying.”

“Terrifying? How?”

“I guess I’m afraid that if I trust you about it, it’ll just hurt more in the end.”

“Jeez, Leah. That’s not what I want. Listen, Rachel said that you already know a lot about the top secret legends from when you were kids. I don’t want to push you at all. I just want you to know that you are welcome to ask me anything about that stuff, ok?”

“I know. Are you ok with me not asking?”

Bella nodded. “Absolutely. I can't risk you walking away from me again. It's not fair for either of us.”

Bella leaned forward on the couch until their mouths joined. Slowly, they start to remove each other's clothes. Leah became mesmerized by Bella's boobs. She sucked on one while holding the other. 

“Let's take this to the bedroom,” Leah suggested.

They were making out on the bed when Bella rolled onto Leah. She put one knee between Leah’s legs, straddling one thigh. 

“Leah Clearwater, I think you’re being naughty,” she teased.

Leah reached around Bella's back. This position gave her much better access. She rubbed that tight little ass. Then she pinched one cheek, still rubbing the other. She lifted her hand and, smack. Bella moaned.

“If I’m the one being naughty, why are you the one getting a spanking?”

Bella leaned forward, gently brushing her lips against Leah’s. “Because you’re still being naughty.” Bella whispered, then sat up quickly, sitting back on Leah’s thigh before Leah could claim her mouth. 

~O~

When they were snuggling after, Bella asked, “What hours do you have to work tomorrow?”

“I have the day off.”

Bella sat up, excitedly looking down at Leah. “You do? Do you have plans?” 

“I was wondering if you had plans.”

“I have no plans, but Paul did get kicked out of top secret training, so it's possible that they'll pull me in. But, if I don't go over to Sam’s, that will be harder to do. And we could visit my dad tomorrow. It’s been a while.”

Leah furrowed her brows a little. “How did Paul get kicked out?”

“The kid is scared of him too. I went to meet Quil today and it didn't go well.”

“Did you scare him again?”

Bella lay back down on her side so she could see Leah’s face while they talked. “No, he noticed that I was hot and then all the other guys scared him.”

“Was he checking you out or something?”

“I don't know,” Bella said, lazily dragging her hand up Leah’s thigh. “I was human at the time. But the guys said his thoughts were disgusting and disrespectful, which, of course they were. He's like fifteen, right?”

“Yeah, I think. What do you mean about his thoughts?” Leah asked. “Was he talking shit?”

“No, when we're all doing top secret stuff, we can read each other's thoughts. It's called the pack mind.”

“Ah shit, Bella, I wish I hadn't asked that.” Leah rubbed her forehead in thought.

“I know how to keep my disgusting and naughty thoughts to myself, so you don't have to worry about that,” Bella said, trying to sound playful.

“I wasn’t worried about that, but now I kind of am.”

“What were you worried about if not that?” Bella asked.

“You and Sam.”

“What about us?” 

“Does he ever think about our time together?” Leah asked. “We were together for a long time.”

“Not exactly,” Bella said, hesitating a little. That hesitation was not a comfort to Leah at all. Bella continued, “Sometimes a memory will pop up and I think it's about you but it's too indistinct. He’s pretty good about keeping his thoughts to himself. But he tells me stuff pretty freely. Emily does too.”

“I was a bitch to him,” Leah said sadly. “I was a bitch to Emily too. Sometimes I think I deserved them running off together.”

Bella cupped Leah’s cheek. “They didn't run off together because you were a bitch, Leah, but because they were soulmates just like you and me.”

Leah seemed to ignore that statement and said, “What have they said about me being a bitch?”

“They've never called you a bitch. But Sam says when he first asked you out, you told him he smelled like feet.”

“He did!” Leah exclaimed, grinning at that memory. “I forgot about that. I think there was mold growing in his washing machine, but I didn't know that at the time. It occurred to me later that it might have been mold.”

“Sam said that he did not smell like feet and that he had just gotten out of gym class.”

“He definitely smelled like feet,” Leah said, nodding. “He was big though, even back then, so no one picked on him about it.”

“No one except you.”

“Yep. What did Emily say?” Leah asked, still grinning.

“I don't remember her ever calling you a bitch. Most of her stories were about her being a bitch.”

“So she’s still kind?”

“She is kind, yeah. But she told me about the apples, how your parents would get her the apples she liked because you'd eat them, but how it caused fights because you didn't get the apples you liked when she visited.”

“That was me being a bitch,” Leah told her. “I like green apples almost as much as red, but I didn't like her preference being prioritized over mine.”

“Understandable. I got the red kind even though Sam thought you liked the green kind best.”

“I like them both. They really didn't tell you that I was a huge bitch?” Leah asked, even more skeptical about Sam and Emily. For some reason they were lying to Bella about her, telling Bella that she wasn’t a bitch. What could they gain from that?

“No! They never say anything bad about you. In fact, they said you were welcome over there with me for dinner or something.”

“That probably isn't going to happen Bella,” Leah said dismissively.

“Like, ever?”

Leah hadn't thought of going to see them. She didn't want to see either of them ever again. But she felt like she would for this girl… eventually. “Do you want me to?” 

“Someday, yes, but not until you're ready. I kind of hope that someday, I'll make you so happy that the thought of them doesn't cause you any pain.”

Leah rubbed Bella’s back soothingly. “You do, Bella. You do make me happy. Please don't doubt that.”

Bella smiled. “I know.”

“I just can’t trust them. And what’s the point in spending time with people you can’t trust at all? I don’t want any sort of relationship with them.”

“I think I understand. Do you want to come with me to meet my dad tomorrow?”

“I know your dad.”

“Do you want to come with me as my girlfriend?”

“Is that what I am?” Leah asked, her heart light.

“I was hoping.”

“Ok, I'll come, but I'm not ready to return the invitation.” Leah sighed. “I'm sorry. Maybe with just my dad, or with Seth. But I'm scared about my mom. Her little brother is gay and they haven't talked since I was little.”

“Oh. Do you ever get to see him?” Sam and Emily had never mentioned this. 

“No. He was great, too. He sends stuff for birthdays and Christmas but never with a return address, so I can't write to him.”

“Leah, there's no pressure, ok. I'm not out to my dad either but I'm not so worried about his reaction. I think my mom probably told him and if not, then that fallout was going to happen eventually anyway and I can handle it, but I'm really not worried. And I'll call him before we go.”

“So does that mean you want to spend the day with me tomorrow?” Leah asked.

“Fuck yeah!” 

Bella was nervicited about the following day. Her whole life revolved around the pack. She had no idea what she and Leah would do that wasn’t related to the pack. She racked her brain for ideas as she fell asleep. 

Chapter 13: A Day in the Life of Bella

Thanks to her time in the log, Bella was used to rising with the sun. She laid still, close to Leah, wanting to let Leah sleep as long as long as she wanted. They had fallen asleep with the foreheads touching, face to face, their hands clasped between them. It looked like neither of them had moved a muscle in the night. 

Bella studied Leah's face, high cheekbones and a strong but feminine jaw. She looked like a supermodel to Bella. Her long eyelashes fluttered open and her face cracked into a smile. 

“Hi,” Leah said huskily.

“Hi to you.”

“We have a whole day, Bella. I'm really excited.”

“What are you excited for? Meeting my dad who you already know?”

“No!” Leah laughed. “I feel like today I get to have a day in the life of Bella experience.”

“Kind of. I usually work though. And if I don't work, I hang out with my colleagues, or I go to the log.” Bella still hadn’t thought of much to do for the day. “Hey! We could go visit the log!”

“I thought you weren't doing that anymore,” Leah said, concerned.

“I'm not sleeping there.”

“Anything else you need to do today?” Leah asked, hoping there were alternative plans besides sitting in the log.

“I might need to do laundry, if you're up for it. I was going to do that at Paul and Rachel's.”

Leah took a deep breath. “No talk of top secret stuff?”

“I can tell them not to.”

“Don’t you have a laundry hookup here?” Leah asked. “I thought that was standard in these houses.”

“Yeah, Jared's trying to find a washer and dryer for me.”

“Why Jared?” 

“He's the most mechanically minded of the pack, so he takes care of that stuff for us.”

“I think Quil is training to be a mechanic.”

Bella raised her eyebrows. “Is that so? Are you two close or something?” Bella could feel her jealousy rising.

“No.” Leah smiled, soothing Bella's nerves. “He doesn't come around much, but Seth is always excited to see him when he comes and he talks about it for weeks.”

“He sounds like a great friend for Seth.”

“Eh. He's a year older than Seth but he acts like he's way more mature. He's not though. He does make a point to keep Seth in his life which I think is nice.”

Bella tread carefully as she asked, “So the other day, what does Seth think happened to Quil?”

“Quil said he wasn't feeling well and ran outside. Seth hasn't heard from him since and neither has his mom. The transition is kind of brutal, huh?” 

“Kind of. We're not safe in the beginning, so it's what has to be.”

“Yeah, but it fucks over other people too,” Leah said, feeling her anger bubble up. “There were so many people working on your missing persons case, Bella. And Sam going missing, it’s why I missed too much school to graduate. Now my brother is worried and my whole family knows that Quil is fine except him. It kind of sucks.” 

“I know. It does suck. But I don't know any other way to do it. None of the pack or elders have an alternative. It's not like any of us chose this.”

“But I get the feeling that you would have.”

“Not at the beginning, no, but now, yeah.” Bella shrugged. “They’re my family, Leah. Are you holding that against me?”

“No, Bella, no. I'm glad you have them. I'm just bitter about my own stuff, you know. Bittersweet. That's what it is.”

 “Ok. Can I make you breakfast sandwiches?”

“Yeah.” Leah nodded. “I’m getting hungry, so that would be nice.” 

In the kitchen, Bella turned on the broiler and started laying out bread to toast. 

“How many sandwiches do you usually have, Bella?” Leah asked,

“I have one on an English muffin and five with bread. Sam has eight with bread. Emily has just the English muffin. How many do you want?”

“Can I have two with bread with the English muffin one? Is that too piggish?”

Bella turned around and cupped Leah's face in her hands. “I will never judge you for how much you eat. Understand?”

Leah nodded. “I'm self conscious sometimes, but my appetite has been a little ravenous lately. I think it might be a time of month thing. Hey, uh, how does intimacy work during your period when it's two girls?”

Bella turned back to the oven to finish laying out the bread. “I never let girls touch me during my period and I've never been with anyone during theirs. Not that I was ever opposed. It just never happened, I think because people are self conscious. But I don't see myself wanting to take a week off for yours, so I guess we'll just see what feels comfortable.”

“Ok. I was just thinking, if our periods don't line up, it could be close to two weeks.”

“I don't have my period,” Bella said distractedly. “It's part of my top secret job.”

“That's a perk, but does that mean you're infertile now or do you go into heat?”

Bella burst out laughing, which got Leah laughing too. “I've never gone into heat. Rachel wondered about infertility so she made Old Quil look through the texts. Girls are rare in this line of work but every single one of them had children later in life, so I don’t think I’m infertile.”

“You weren't curious yourself?” Leah asked.

“Knowing seemed like a toss up. Either I'd be infertile, which is kind of depressing because it removes that option if I wanted it, or I wouldn't be infertile. Since there was nothing I could do to change the outcome, I didn't really stress about it.”

“That's a Zen way of looking at it.”

“Thank you,” Bella smiled at her.

Leah helped spread butter on all the toast and English muffins while Bella fried the eggs. 

Bella called Paul while Leah ran home to shower and get dressed. She hadn't packed an overnight bag because she didn't know if Bella would even be available today. Bella didn't have a huge load of laundry but she couldn't think of much else to do for the whole day with Leah.

~O~

“Mom's looking for you,” Seth said when Leah walked in. 

“Why?” Leah was already on the defensive. 

Sue came out of the kitchen. “I was going to run into Port Angeles today. I was wondering if you wanted to come, maybe do some clothes shopping. I think you're getting taller.”

Leah sighed in relief. This wasn't going to be a fight. “Sorry mom, I've got some plans with friends.”

“Since when do you have friends?” Seth teased. 

“That's great, sweetie,” Sue said encouragingly. “Where will you be?”

“I'm going to visit Rachel Black and maybe go into Forks later. And I think I'll probably stay over again tonight.”

“With Rachel?” Sue asked. “Isn't she living with that Paul character?”

“No, not with Rachel, with my other friend, the one that I keep saying we're just friends.”

“I see.” Sue was looking at her with scrutiny, hoping for more information. Instead, Leah went to her room to grab some clothes, then hit the shower. She packed an overnight bag, hopeful that she would stay the night with Bella again.

~O~

Paul greeted the girls at the door with a smirk. “Long time no see, Leah Clearwater.”

Leah rolled her eyes. “Hi Paul. Is Rachel here, too?”

Paul opened the door wide to show Rachel charging toward them. Her arms were wrapped around Leah and she was squeezing and spinning with her. 

Paul was watching Bella for any signs of aggression, but Rachel was pack to Bella so there was no real risk. Bella was grinning at their camaraderie. 

“I've missed you like crazy!” Rachel exclaimed.

“You could have stopped by,” Leah replied.

“I did, to see your dad. He said it might not be a good idea since, you know, everything with Sam and Emily.”

“Right, things are going pretty well for me now,” she said, grabbing Bella’s hand. 

“I know, we've heard all about it from Bella,” Bella was giving her a warning scowl, which Rachel either did not see or chose to ignore. “Everyone is so excited for you both.”

“I'm going to go start the laundry,” Bella said, a little uncomfortable. 

Paul followed her. When they were out of earshot, Paul said, “This is great, Bella. Even though it feels awkward at first, it will strengthen her connection with you, connecting with other imprints.”

“I feel like I shouldn't have even brought her here but she wanted to see my life and I obviously can't bring her to Sam and Emily's… not yet.”

“Bring her to the log.” Paul knew the log would be a hit.

“It's on the to-do list,” Bella agreed.

When they got back into the living room, they heard Leah saying, “So that's when I applied to the University of Washington in Seattle but it was past the deadline. I don't know if I'd have even gotten in if I was on time though. But I got into the community college in Forks, so that's a start at least, and I can go from there to the university.”

Paul cleared his throat. 

Leah looked up and saw the absolute heartbreak on Bella's face.

Rachel said, “I was just asking Leah what her plans were now that she's graduated.”

Bella nodded. Paul guided her to the couch to sit down next to Leah. 

“We'll talk when we get home?” Leah whispered. 

Bella nodded again. 

“So what made you come back, Rachel?” Leah asked.

“I ran into Paul in Port Angeles and it was like, everything clicked, you know? And I was working from home anyway so it just made sense to come back here because he can't leave.”

“Mmm,” Leah said. “So you just moved in with him right away?”

“It was more like a visit that just kept getting extended. He can be very persuasive.”

“More persuasive than me, I guess,” Bella muttered. 

“You're pretty persuasive,” Leah said, looking Bella in the eye soothingly. “Isn't that exactly what we're doing? I packed an overnight bag for tonight if you still want me to stay.”

Bella’s face brightened instantly. “Really?”

“Mhmm,” Leah said, nodding. “And I plan to stay in La Push for community college, but we can talk about that later, ok?”

Bella nodded. 

“So, Paul Lahote, what have you been doing since graduating?” Leah asked.

“I didn't graduate. I got my GED. Sam was the only one who was able to get his absences waived.”

“Is that what's going to happen to Quil, too?” Leah asked.

“He's younger,” Paul explained. “He'll have more time to make it up during summer school, like Jared.”

“Leah, can we have a real talk for a minute?” Rachel asked.

“How do you mean?” Leah asked back.

“I mean I've known you forever. I know that you know the legends. Why don't you want to talk about them with Bella?”

Bella squeezed Leah's hand. “You don't have to talk about this if you don't want to.”

“No, it's fine,” Leah said. “Growing up, I didn't believe in the legends at all. I felt like they made us look foolish as a tribe. Then I saw Bella as a… you know. And it was scary, terrifying in fact. Honestly, it's still terrifying, all of it: the werewolves and the vampires, all of it. I guess I'm kind of jaded and I don't want to spend my precious time with Bella thinking about all that, trying to figure out what is real and what is bullshit. I'm finally fucking happy, Rachel. I don't want to bring myself down. Does that make sense?”

“Sure, so do you believe in the legends now?” Rachel asked.

“I believe that there is truth to the legends, sure, but I don't take them as gospel like Old Quil.”

“Ok, because it hurts Bella,” Rachel said frankly, “not being able to share her life with you.”

That was more frank than Bella wanted. They were supposed to be avoiding this topic! “I didn't say that!” She made sure Leah was looking at her when she told her, “I never said that, Leah. I said we have a system to talk about it, a code word.”

“It's ok, Bella,” Leah said. “Our relationship is our own. I know that they don't speak for you.”

“It hurt her when you didn't talk to her for a month though,” Paul said. “You must know that.”

“Guys, stop!” Bella shouted. “I didn't bring her here for you to attack her! I want her to feel welcome with you guys.”

Paul said, “We're just clearing the air, Bella, so she can feel welcome.”

“It's fine, Bella. They can't push me away that easily.”

“You sure?” Bella asked, tears threatening to overflow. 

Leah kissed her cheek. “I love you,” she whispered and she meant it. To Paul she said, “I know that it hurt her and it hurt me too but I didn't know how to contact her without going through Sam and I guess I was hoping we could reconnect naturally at some point.”

“So, we've cleared the air,” Bella said hastily. “Now we can talk about anything else, please.”

“Bella,” Paul said, “we've all known each other forever. I'm as comfortable speaking frankly to her as I am to you. And she expects that from both Rachel and I, because she knows us, right Leah?”

“Yes,” Leah nodded.

“And you told her that we're family, and that I'm your best friend, right?” Paul asked.

“I don't think I ever used that term, Paul.”

“Well we are, so imprint or not, isn't there some kind of best friend test? That's a thing, right, Rachel?”

Bella was glaring at him. “Not for Leah, there's not.” Bella stood up. “Leah, come with me to check the laundry, ok?”

Leah stood up and walked with her, winking at Rachel before she turned to go. 

The machine was only on a rinse cycle. 

“I'm sorry they're being like this, Leah,” Bella said, brushing her lips against Leah's. 

Leah's whispered, “I like it,” then held the base of Bella's neck while deepening their kiss.

“How do you mean, you like it?” Bella asked when Leah emerged for air. 

“Everyone is always so delicate with me and I get why. I've been unstable and moody since all that Sam stuff and dealing with the fallout. But they're treating me like old Leah, the tough as nails, bad bitch who had the balls to tell Sam Uley that he smelled like feet.”

Bella giggled. 

“It feels good, Bella. I forgot who I was for a while there but this is good.” They kissed for a few minutes, letting their hands wander a little. Then Leah led Bella back to the couch. 

“If you want to go, we can finish the laundry, Bella,” Rachel offered. “Paul doesn't know when to shut up sometimes.” 

Paul was looking at Leah, the smirk on his lips growing. “They're fine, babe.” He said, rubbing Rachel's thigh.

“Rachel, were you in Leah's class too?” Bella asked.

“When we were younger, yeah,” Rachel answered, “but Rebecca and I sped through high school. We both graduated halfway through Leah's junior year. I went to the community college in Forks. Rebecca traveled. She's married now, I don't know if I told you that.”

“You did, yeah,” Bella said. “You were always my favorite twin.”

“Mine, too,” Leah agreed. “Who'd she marry?”

“A surfer in Hawaii. He's native but the situation there is a little different than it is here. They don't have reservations like on the mainland or the same protections and resources.”

Leah looked skeptical. “Are you saying he surfs for a job or is he a beach bum? Is she working?”

“He competes, yeah, so he surfs for a living. And he does lessons. Rebecca’s pretty good now too. She does some of the business end of his lessons and they both do photography on the side.” 

Rachel pointed to a photo above the TV. It was the view from the inside of a wave. “That's one of hers.”

“Cool!” Leah stood to examine the photo. 

Paul said, “I heard the washing machine click. Bella, come help me move the clothes.”

Bella smiled at him. “Sure thing bestie.”

“She's not as fragile as you thought, huh?” Paul said when they were out of earshot from the girls.

“It did seem weird that the spirits would give me someone so skittish, but I still loved her like crazy. I'm kind of excited about this change, though.”

“She was feisty when she was with Sam. They honestly seemed perfect for each other, but now it's obvious that they weren't.”

“Leah said she was a bitch.”

“A lot of people would agree,” Paul said, nodding.

When they re-entered the living room, Leah and Rachel were facing a different photo, their backs to Paul and Bella. Rachel was saying, “you have nothing to worry about with Bella but Paul used to have a crush on her.”

Again Paul cleared his throat. Rachel and Leah giggled and then turned around. 

“Are you embarrassing me, Rachel?” Paul asked.

“No,” she said coyly, “you did that on your own when you thought Bella was just being nice when she recited poetry about Emily's tits.”

Bella scoffed. “Now you're embarrassing me !”

“She's like a mother figure, huh, Bella?” Leah teased. Rachel giggled. 

“Healthy mammaries are important for mother figures.”

Paul leaned toward her and whispered, “Good save.”

“Did you write the poetry or just recite it?” Leah asked. 

“It was mostly from Song of Solomon in the bible. Some of those lines still hit, Leah, which means gazelle by the way, a symbol of beauty and grace in the Song of Solomon.”

“I thought Leah meant cow,” Rachel said. 

“You would say that,” Leah scoffed. “And what does Rachel mean again?”

“Sheep, which is better than cow.”

“But gazelle is better than sheep. What about Paul?” Bella asked. 

Rachel smirked, “it means small and humble.”

The girls laughed while Paul waited for them to stop.

“So I win at names,” Bella said victoriously, raising her arms up. “Leah's in second place with gazelle and Paul is the small and humble loser.”

“Fine,” Paul agreed. He didn't like being called small and he wanted to talk about something else. “Leah, have you tried surfing here?”

“No, never. I wanted to when I was younger but my mom didn't think it was safe. I haven't really thought about it in a long time.”

“Bella, we should show her,” Paul said, thinking this would be a good way to engrain Leah into the pack.

“It's not really the time, though.” Bella was thinking about the big waves they caught at the end of winter.

“She needs to start on smaller waves.”

“Good point,” Bella agreed. “But not today, ok? We have other stuff planned.”

“Like visiting the log?”

Bella nodded. “And introducing her to Charlie.”

“Everyone knows Charlie,” Rachel said. 

“But he doesn't know her as my girlfriend.” Bella explained.

“That'll be fun. Charlie has seen a lot of shit,” Paul said. “He won't bat an eye at this, Bella.”

“I'm not too worried. Leah, would you want to try surfing with Rachel and Paul sometime? Everyone in the pack has a board so we could borrow one and a wetsuit and a vest for you.”

“How do you all have that?” Leah asked.

“Rebecca,” Rachel answered. “Her husband usually places at competitions but doesn't always get prize money. A lot of times he gets gear or gear vouchers and they ship it anywhere he wants. I think it eases Rebecca's guilt of never coming to visit.”

Paul added, “And if you like surfing, we can send him your sizing information so he can send one to you next time.”

“Rachel, didn't you just move back two months ago or so?”

“Yeah, he has a certain amount of time to redeem the prizes and he had a bunch near expiration when Paul and I got together. He usually lets them expire so he was thrilled to use them. Paul already had a board, so he gave that to Bella, then one by one, everyone was geared out.”

“What about the new kid? Are you going to get him decked out too?”

Paul groaned. “I can't picture him doing it. He's probably aquaphobic.”

“What if he isn't family the way we are?” Bella asked. “I feel like I had bonded with you guys a ton by this point. One of my fondest memories was you and me curling around Sam to sleep and when I woke up, you and Jared had swapped places without me even noticing.”

“My transition wasn't as smooth as yours, Bella,” Paul said. “I was angry and kind of an asshole, but Sam and Jared are well equipped for that. This kid is just… impossible. Why did the spirits give us a kid?”

“No idea,” Bella said, not wanting to talk about it in front of her imprint. “Leah, you didn't answer about surfing.”

“Yeah, that sounds fun,” Leah agreed

“When's your next day off?” Bella asked Leah.

“Thursday,” Leah answered.

Then Bella asked, “Rachel, can you do Thursday?”

“Yeah, my hours are pretty flexible as long as I get the work done.”

“She'll be on call though in case there's an emergency,” Paul added.

“Right, I do have to keep my phone on me.”

“Are you guys going to stay for lunch?” Paul asked excitedly. 

“It's up to you, Leah, but Paul is a pretty good cook.”

“The best in the pack,” Paul boasted.

“That's not fair, Paul,” Rachel scolded. “Emily cooks for the masses. She doesn't have time to do things the way you do. And she doesn’t have the wolf speed and strength.”

“We've done bake offs,” Paul said cockily. “She conceded.”

“You shouldn't have made her compete against you.”

“I didn't even know Emily could cook,” Leah commented, maybe being a bitch. 

“She cooks with love,” Bella defended Emily. “And yeah, maybe they're not as fancy and flavorful as what Paul makes, but they're simple and good and filling.”

“I’d like to cook for you someday, Bella,” Leah said.

“I'd love that.”

“So, girls, are you staying for lunch?” Paul asked. “Cuz I'd like to get started.”

“Yes,” Leah said. Bella smiled at her. “What are you making, Paul?”

“What would you like, Leah?”

“Pasta.”

“That narrows it down,” Paul said sarcastically. 

“My dad usually makes spaghetti with marinara, so not that,” Bella said.

“Rachel?” Paul looked to his girl for suggestions. 

“What about peanut noodles, Leah?”

“Yes!”

“Spice level?” Paul asked Leah, knowing that Rachel and Bella could handle whatever he made. 

“Make them the way you like them, Paul. I'll trust you.”

“I like them on the hot side of medium. Is that fine?”

Leah nodded. Bella, Leah, and Rachel folded Bella’s clothes while Paul cooked. 

“You could have had him, Bella, but now he's all mine now,” Rachel teased.

“I couldn't have,” Bella said, “and not just because I'm gay. He would have left me for you eventually.”

“Fair point,” Rachel agreed.

“Plus he cooks for me whenever I want and I don't have to have sex with him. That's a win-win in my book.”

“Don't get to have sex with him. The sex is better than the food.”

“I'll take your word for it, Rachel,” Bella rolled her eyes.

“What do you mean he would have left you?” Leah asked. 

“It's top secret. Do you want to know?” Bella asked.

Leah considered while Rachel blurted out. “I'm his imprint.”

“People still believe in that?” Leah spat, then continued, “I'm sorry, Rachel, if that works for you, that's great. I just couldn't imagine… don't you feel robbed of choice?”

Rachel glanced at Bella with sympathy. “Leah, do you ever wonder if you're the smartest person in the world?”

“Uh, never, no. I know I’m not.”

“So if other people might know more than you, why wouldn't you trust them with some choices?”

“Sure,” Leah shrugged, “like the mechanic or doctor. But not a matchmaker, not with forever, not with someone that I’d spend the rest of my life with. Back me up, Bella.” Leah said, grabbing Bella’s hand.

Bella stood up off the couch. “I'm going to go see if Paul needs help.” Bella ran into the kitchen before Leah could see her tears. Paul welcomed her with a hug. Her tears were making wet spots on his shirt but they both knew they would dry from his body heat in no time. 

“That's rough, honey, but it's only how she thinks. It’s not how she feels, you know what I mean?”

“No.” Bella was shaking her head.

“She's always been skeptical of the legends. But she's thought about them and has opinions. That's kind of awesome, right?”

“I guess.”

“She's part of the legends now, and she's crazy about you. That's how she feels. She doesn't feel like her choices have been taken. She feels like she's found the love of her life.”

“You think so?”

Paul held Bella's shoulders and pushed her away so he could look her in the face. “She never looked at Sam the way she looks at you. Never.”

Bella smiled weakly and pulled out of Paul's arms completely. “Do I look like I've been crying?”

“No. The wolf healing has you looking perfect.”

“Thanks.”

In the living room, she heard Leah saying, “...feels like I'm constantly sticking my foot in my mouth. I don't mean to be a bitch at all.”

“It's not that, Leah,” Rachel said. “You're just forcing her to keep secrets from you. Whether you mean to or not, you’re making it so that you can't have a deeper understanding of what she’s going through. And Paul's right. She won't tell you this but it does hurt her. You must see that now, right?”

This time, Bella cleared her throat. Leah looked up at her. “I'm sorry, Bella, I didn't mean to offend you about that imprinting stuff. I'm glad it works for them.”

Bella gulped and nodded. Leah patted the couch beside her, inviting Bella to sit.

When she sat, Leah was kind of rambling, saying, “And if you imprinted, Bella, it would probably be on a dude, knowing how homophobic some of the tribe are.” Leah looked suddenly panicked. “Could that actually happen, Bella?”

“No,” Bella said calmly. 

“How do you know?”

“I've talked to the elders. It's nothing you need to worry about. It doesn't work that way.”

“Why don't you want to tell her?” Rachel asked. “She's asking you about it.”

“She didn't talk to me for a month, Rachel!” Bella exploded, tears streaming down her face again. “I'm so glad for Paul's sake that you never did that, but I can't lose her again!”

Leah looked at Bella and everything clicked into place. “Am I your imprint, Bella?”

Chapter 14: Am I Your Imprint?

“Am I your imprint, Bella?”

Bella froze when she heard Leah’s question. Was this it? Was it the end for her and Leah? She thought about that children’s song about the bear hunt and all the obstacles they faced. 

Can’t go over it,

Can’t go under it,

Can’t go around it,

Got to go through it! 

She could not avoid this conversation any longer. She had to go through it. Bella set her jaw and nodded. 

“Shit! Bella…” Leah pulled Bella's tear-streaked face to her chest. “Shit. And you still want me?”

“Fuck yeah,” Bella said, but it was muffled in Leah's chest so she nodded too.

Rachel quietly went to the kitchen to see if Paul needed a hand. She knew he didn’t. 

Leah lifted Bella's face and held it in her hands. “I'm sorry.”

Bella didn't know what was coming next. Was she sorry for bad mouthing imprints or was she apologizing in advance for leaving? Was she about to leave? 

Bella looked into her eyes sadly. Leah brought their mouths together. Bella saw this as her last chance to convince Leah to stay. When their lips touched, Bella gently held the back of Leah's head, holding her in place. 

Bella's mouth was greedy for Leah's, but not overeager. She started slow with enticing pecks. Tipping Leah's head back, she parted her lips to explore inside her lover. Every stroke of her tongue against Leah’s was slow and sensual. Bella needed to express the depth of her love. She needed Leah to know her passion, that if Leah stayed with her, she'd make it worth her while. 

“Wow,” Leah breathed as they separated.

Bella studied her face, looking for clues about what was coming next. Leah was looking at Bella, looking for the same thing.

“Should we check on them in the kitchen?” Leah asked. 

“So you're not leaving?”

“Leaving? No, I want to try the peanut noodles.” Leah's face softened as she ran her hand up Bella's side, resting it on her breast with a squeeze. “Unless you want to go,” she suggested playfully.

“Peanut noodles first. Then we'll continue that thought.” Bella kissed her again, then hugged her. 

“Food’s ready,” Paul announced, leaning on the doorframe of the kitchen.

Bella kissed Leah one more time, then rose to her feet, pulling Leah with her. 

Paul proudly served the meal, then watched Leah take her first bite, then her second. “What do you think?” he finally asked.

“Mmmm,” Leah murmured, sucking noodles into her mouth, chewing, then swallowing. “It's excellent, Paul. Better than the takeout place in Forks.”

“Their stuff is frozen and reheated! There is no comparison!” He was indignant.

Rachel and Bella smiled at each other. Rachel said, “No one said there was, dear. She likes it, right, Leah?”

“Very good, Paul. I'd rather eat it than stroke your ego, though, if I may.”

Paul harrumphed.

“Did you use fresh green onions, Paul?” Bella asked. “I hope you weren't saving them for another recipe.”

“Rachel started growing them.” Paul pointed to the windowsill where there were small potted plants in a row.

“Thank you, Rachel, for growing the green onions for us,” Bella said. 

“You're welcome, Bella.” Rachel rubbed Paul's thigh playfully under the table.

Bella smirked at Paul. “It's wonderful, Paul, marvelous, the best peanut noodles I've ever had since the last time you made me peanut noodles.”

Leah got a second helping. 

“Now that's a compliment!” Paul said excitedly. “For some reason I thought you'd be a girly eater, Leah.”

Bella kicked him under the table. She kicked him hard . 

Paul flinched and rubbed his shin. She definitely broke the skin. “What?!” Paul squealed.

“Don't comment on people's appetite!” Bella said through clenched teeth. “It's rude! She wasn't hungry at breakfast,” Bella lied, “so I'm glad she's eating properly now, so don't make fun of her.”

“I wasn't making fun of her!” Paul insisted.

“Rachel,” Bella began, “how would you feel if he said something about you was masculine?”

“Uhh…”

Leah kept eating her noodles, amused by the conversation. 

“I didn't even say that!” Paul defended himself.

“You said that you thought she'd be a girly eater, implying she was not a girly eater. Thus you called her a masculine eater.” Bella glared at him. “Just let people eat what they want.”

Paul sighed. “I guess I did say that, but I meant it as a compliment.”

“That's sexist,” Bella exclaimed.

Paul rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”

“No, she's right,” Rachel agreed, hiding her smirk. “If being masculine is a compliment, that's sexist.”

“Ugh! I can't win,” Paul said, throwing up his hands in exasperation. “I just wanted to make a nice meal to feed my girls and now I'm sexist.”

Leah finally interceded. “I'm not offended, and they're just pulling your chain.” Leah smiled at him as the other girls erupted into giggles. “And you've done great feeding your girls. Everyone is eating happily.”

Paul looked at Leah and said, “Leah, you need to know that no matter what you believe about imprints, you are pack to all of us and you have been since you two met.”

“At my house?” Leah asked, looking at Bella. “That's when you imprinted?” 

Bella sucked down the noodles hanging from her mouth. “That's when your dad decided I'd get a two bedroom house, because imprinted wolves get a two-bedroom.”

“Why?”

Bella looked at Paul hoping that he knew. 

Paul shrugged. “This was my parents’ house so I never talked about it with the elders. But I thought it was in case the imprint just wanted to be friends or something.”

“I thought it was in case they had a child,” Rachel suggested. 

“Or maybe because a couple is more prepared to take in pups like Sam and Emily do,” Bella offered.

“How long do you get to keep the house?” Leah asked. 

“It's hers,” Paul said. “There's no taking it back.”

Leah was done eating and Bella was finishing her third heaping plate. “We really should go,” Bella said after swallowing her last bite. She was going to let Paul lick the plate later as a thank you for the meal. 

“Busy afternoon with the log?” Paul teased. 

“That's rich,” Bella said. “How long were you in the log yesterday before I came along?” 

“Only a couple hours.”

“What the fuck, Paul?” Rachel spat. “You sat in the log for several hours alone, then sat in the log for several more hours with Bella. What is with you people and that log?”

Leah came to the log’s defense. “It’s really nice, Rachel, although I prefer being on top rather than inside.”

Bella whispered, “I thought you liked being both on top and inside.”

Leah’s caramel skin was tinged with pink as an embarrassed blush crept into her face.

“We should go,” Bella repeated. “Paul, maybe you should take Rachel to the log. We might not have time for it today anyway so it will be vacant.”

~O~ 

When they got to the house, Leah was kissing Bella pretty aggressively. 

“Hold up, let me call my dad first so I don't have to remember to do that later.”

Leah stepped away from Bella so she could make the phone call. She had to call the police station.

“Dad, can we do dinner tonight?”

This was a surprise call for Charlie, but definitely a good surprise. “That'd be great, Bells. Do you want to go to the diner?”

Leah shook her head while unbuttoning Bella's shorts.

“No, dad, I want to bring my girlfriend.”

“Oh, I was wondering if you were seeing any one. That'll be nice. What do you want for dinner?”

“Spaghetti would be great.” Bella said as Leah pushed the shorts down her hips.

“My specialty. And I'll make extra for your friend.”

“Thanks dad, what time should we be there?”

“6:30.”

When Bella hung up the phone, Leah wanted to apologize with her mouth. She didn't bother taking Bella to bed. Once her shorts and underwear were off, Leah was on her knees. She lifted one of Bella's legs over her shoulder. 

Bella had one hand on the door frame behind her to hold her steady. The other was in Leah's hair.

~O~

The two were a tangle of limbs in bed after they had both fully expressed themselves with their bodies. “How is a real imprint different from the legends?” Leah asked.

“I don't know if it is, but I think there’s stuff I misunderstood about the legends.”

“Like what?”

“Like ‘the imprint will feel what the wolf feels.’ I thought it meant you would be as crazy about me as I was about you. Instead, it was about the emotion matching thing that happens, like I can feel your sadness and joy and vice versa.”

“Wait, what?” Leah shifted to her side so she could see Bella’s face clearly.

“The month you were gone, Leah, were you more miserable than usual?”

“Yeah, I fucked everything up with you. Of course I was more miserable.” A wave of sadness overcame then both as they remembered, but it passed quickly. 

“My misery was being added to yours, and yours to mine,” Bella explained.

“That's not fair!” Leah burst out. “You shouldn't have to feel my misery!”

“No, I should. But I didn't understand it at the time. I thought I was extra, extra, extra sad about you leaving. But the truth was, I was only extra sad, but your baseline misery added to it.”

Leah was scowling, clearly displeased. 

Bella reached over and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. She continued, “So I resented the idea that you felt what I felt, because I felt like you must not care for me at all, but now that I know about the emotion matching, it all makes so much more sense.”

“That's bullshit!” Leah explained angrily. “You shouldn't be a victim of my mood swings!”

“It's not bullshit, Leah. Emotion matching is a good thing. That's what made me finally go to the diner to see you, when I understood you were just as miserable as me. I thought… I hoped I could help. And I've only felt glimpses of that misery since the diner.”

Leah took a minute to let all that sink in. “The loneliness at night, the sudden and random thrills of joy that faded quickly, the feeling of comfort in the morning. I'm guessing that was from Emily's breakfast sandwiches?”

Bella gulped. “Probably. I'm glad you felt my joy and comfort, but I'm sorry that you felt my loneliness.”

“Why didn't you stay with Sam and Emily if you were lonely?”

“Have you seen them since Emily moved here?” Bella asked.

“Not once. I think we are mutually avoiding each other.”

“Emily is his imprint, Leah.”

“Oh.”

Bella was trying to read Leah's face, to feel any emotional shift to fudge her reaction, but there was none. “It made me feel lonelier sometimes, being with them.”

“I see.”

“If you had known that before, would it have been easier?” Bella asked.

“Probably not since I thought the legends were all bullshit. I would have thought it was a cover story or something and that they were cowards to use the legends to garner sympathy.”

“Does it make it easier now?”

Leah reached her hand to Bella’s cheek. “Oh, Bella! I don't love him! I haven't loved him since, well, probably since you imprinted. But even before that, my anger overshadowed any affection I felt toward him for a long time. But I'm bitter. I got screwed over while everyone talks about him with respect. I'm seen as a total screw up where the only thing I did wrong was trust him and care about him. That and miss a lot of school looking for him.”

“He tried to get the council to give you and Paul the same leniency on absences that he got,” Bella said, trying to defend her alpha and friend. “The council said it would draw too much attention.”

“Hmph.”

“It’s wrong for anyone to look at you as a screw up. You work so hard and have a lot to show for it. At the same time, I respect Sam tremendously, Leah. I want to be clear about that.”

“I know that and it sounds like he's earned that with you. But he’ll never have my trust or respect.”

“Did you used to respect him?” Bella asked.

“Not the way that you do, but yeah, I did. That's what made it all so awful. I trusted him and respected him and loved him and it ruined me.”

“Leah, would I have met you if all that didn't happen? Or would you be at the University of Washington and working through the summer? Avoiding the rez like Rachel and Rebecca?”

“But if it hadn't happened, you'd be going to University next year,” Leah reminded her. “We could have met then.”

“But you'd still be with Sam!”

“I bet you could have lured me away.”

Bella sighed, saying, “I did do that sometimes.” Then she shifted her body so she could kiss Leah's neck.

“And that's not what happened anyway,” Leah said, trying to stay focused while Bella kissed her neck like that. “I feel like there could have been a way for us to get here without it fucking up my life so bad. I just…” she smiled, “I have no clue what it is.”

Bella briefly paused her kissing to say, “I hope that in time, you feel like it was worth it.”

“I already do, Beautiful.”

Chapter 15: Tangled Histories

They took Leah's car to visit Charlie because it was faster than Bella's old Chevy pickup truck. Bella walked into the aroma of simmering sausage. “Smells great, Dad,” she said, pulling Leah into the kitchen by the hand. 

“Bells,” Charlie greeted, his face still over the stove, “help yourself to a drink, and get one for your friend too.” Then he turned around to see who the friend was. “Leah!” He smiled broadly. “Well, tonight I will serve you for a change.”

Leah smiled back. “Mhmm.”

“So you're the reason Bells was in the diner? I thought the friend in the car was who you were seeing. Full of surprises.” Charlie eyed his daughter cautiously. “Does Leah know about the…?” 

“The wolf? Yeah Dad,” Bella said, rocking her body as she nodded. “But we don't talk about it a whole lot.”

“That makes a lot of sense,” Charlie said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I'm not sure I would want to talk about my girlfriend turning into a giant dog either, Leah. So how did you two meet? The diner?”

“It's a wolf, Dad, not a dog,” Bella clarified, “and no. We met at her house when I went to see Harry.”

“What did you need Harry for?” Charlie asked as he strained the pasta over the sink. “He's my fishing buddy, you know. That's how I know Leah, not from the diner, right Leah?”

“Yeah,” Leah turned to Bella, “my dad used to make us all go fishing at least a few times a year.”

“Weird,” Bella said. “Dad made me go too. And I remember Harry but I didn't know he had kids.”

“We probably thought it would be too much of a handful, bringing all the kids at once. And no one made you go,” Charlie said in an authoritative tone. “You had the privilege of going.”

Leah and Bella rolled their eyes in synchronization, then giggled. 

Charlie thought they were sweet together. “So what did you need Harry for?” Charlie asked again.

“He helped me sort out the GED and housing on the rez.”

“Housing? I thought you were staying with that Sam Uley fellow. Did he kick you out or something?” Then Charlie looked at Leah. He remembered Sam's disappearance, how Billy didn't want him to get involved. He remembered how Leah had stepped up, volunteering with search parties even when most had given up hope of finding him alive. The complexity of the situation, of Bella's relationship with Leah, it dawned on his suddenly.

Bella squeezed Leah's hand. “No, Sam didn't kick me out. I was staying with him, but only until I got my own place, which I have now.”

“Like an apartment? On the rez?” Charlie asked. 

“A house. That's part of why I needed tribal membership, remember? I can give you the address and phone number.”

“Yep, I'm gonna want that.” He hesitated before adding, “You could pass it on to your mother, too.”

Bella lifted her eyebrows. “Does she even know I've been found?” 

“Yeah, I called to let her know.”

“If she calls to see how I'm doing, give her my contact info.” Bella knew Renee might not reach out for years. 

Charlie knew the same thing. He got down plates to set the table. Leah took them as Bella set out the silverware. Charlie had seen how much Bella could eat since her transformation. He was surprised to see Leah also took a portion larger than what he took for himself. But he knew better than to comment on it.

“So what's the plan with the GED?” Charlie asked. “It's not too late to sign up for classes at the community college next year, Bells.”

“Things are kind of crazy at work right now,” Bella said. “But we did add more staff. I need to work out a time with Sam when he'll give me the days off for the tests. And then I'll need to take Paul's car but that won't be a problem.”

“Is the truck having problems?” Charlie asked. “Jacob could have a look at it.”

“No, it's running fine. It's just slow and I have to go to Port Angeles. I always get passed on the long country roads and it's embarrassing.”

“Can't you run?” Leah asked. “Like as a wolf, I mean. I thought that was supposed to be quicker.”

“Yeah, I could, actually. I've been thinking about making a backpack that can go around my neck and waist to carry flip flops and light clothes and ice cream. I'm going to see if Kim can help me with it.”

“I could help you,” Leah volunteered.

“Leah, I'll need the measurements taken while I'm a wolf.”

“Oh…” Leah swirled a bunch of spaghetti around her fork but didn't bring it to her mouth. “And Kim is comfortable with being with the wolf?”

“Yeah, Rachel too but she can't sew.”

“Not Emily?” Leah asked, then shoved the huge forkful of pasta into her mouth.

“Uh, no. Not Emily, although she has been close to my wolf, but I can tell that she wasn't comfortable.” Bella wondered how much Leah knew about Emily's scars. She wondered how Leah would react when she learned that the bear story was a fabrication to protect Sam.

“Hmmm,” Leah hummed as she chewed.

“Leah, you just graduated, right?” Charlie asked.

“Mhmm.” 

“Are you going to stick around and work at the diner? You're my favorite waitress.”

Before answering, Leah swallowed her mouthful as quickly as she could. “Aw, thanks.” Leah was blushing lightly. “I'll be taking some classes at the community college and working at the diner. I'll still be living on the rez.”

“Do you know what you want to study?”

“No. I think I need to take some general ed classes. I'm gonna take some time to think about my options.”

“That's smart, really smart,” Charlie said, nodding. “Bella, are you studying hard for the GED? Will you be prepared?”

“I got a practice test and I passed everything easily without studying so, no. I got good grades, Dad. I'm not an idiot.”

Charlie tried to keep his tone even. He knew that Bella would not respond well if he let it slip on how disappointed he was that she had dropped out of sight school to work on the rez. “No one thinks you're an idiot, Bells. And I know you got good grades. That's why I wanted to make sure that you weren't losing out on any opportunities.”

“Thanks,” Bella said, resting her eyes on her plate, “but I'll be fine. I've just got to go at a different pace because of the work I'm doing.” She was ready to change the subject. “How are things with you, Dad?”

“Same old, same old,” he told her. “Work keeps me busy but nothing too exciting has been happening. Just the usual drunks and speeding tickets.”

“No drug busts?” Bella asked.

“I caught some kids with pot down by the river last week,” Charlie said excitedly.

“Pretty exciting. Are they serving hard time now, Dad?”

Charlie laughed, remembering the look on those kids' faces when the Chief of Police had snuck up on them. “No. It was probably a good thing they were stoned. They had nets and I think they wanted to catch fish. The nets had these telescoping handles and they couldn't figure out how to lengthen them. If they had been caught using a net to catch fish in the river, they could be in real trouble. I called their parents and the game warden and we held a meeting to discuss it. Their parents were none too pleased, so I think that punishment fit.”

“What did you do with the pot?” Leah asked. 

“It went to the evidence locker,” Charlie said with a shrug. “Can't say what happened to it from there. I don't micromanage those details but it's probably in the queue to be destroyed.”

“Sure, Dad, sure,” Bella teased. 

“So Leah, do your parents know about you two?”

“My dad does,” Leah said as she looked across the table at Charlie. “My mom knows I'm seeing someone but not who. I'm not ready to tell her yet.”

“Hmm. Yeah,” Charlie pursed his lips. “I think she's still not talking to your Uncle Luke, so I can see why you'd be hesitant. Have you told Luke about your relationship? He might have some advice.”

Leah sighed heavily. “I haven't seen Uncle Luke since I was a kid. I don't even have his address.”

Charlie drew his brows together. “He lives in Forks, Leah. He works at the City Hall.”

Leah's palms hit the table in excitement. “Are you serious? I've been wanting to see him for years!” 

Charlie hesitated. “I'm not sure I want to get involved in these affairs, Leah. I like to stay on Sue's good side. But if you go into the city hall, you'll find a sign with all of the public-facing employees and their office number. Luke Uley is one of those names. I see him a few times a year in my line of work, and a few more times around town. He's not hard to find.”

Leah was over the moon, her body almost hopping with excitement. 

Bella looked perplexed. “Luke Uley ?”

Leah gave Bella a brief side eye. “We're very distant cousins with Sam. Don't make it weird.”

“So you're family?” Bella asked, her eyebrows lifted high on her forehead.

“You're making it weird, Bella. Everyone on the rez is distantly related. I bet if you and I looked closely at the Black and Clearwater family trees, we'd see that we’re related too. Distantly. I can ask my dad to check if you'd like.”

“No!” Bella exclaimed, waving her hands. “Please don't. Jeez, Leah, what a nightmare. I don't want to know.”

Charlie was smiling at them both. “At least I know your mom and I weren't related. She’s from California.”

“How far back have you looked at your family trees, Dad?” Bella teased. “You never know. Wasn't Gran German? Mom is mostly German too. You might be from the same region... Or even the same family.”

“A lot of people are part German, Bella, at least the white folk,” he said, glancing at Leah. “It means nothing.”

“I think you just don't want to look into it,” Bella teased. 

“Fine, I definitely don't,” Charlie agreed.

~O~

At home, Bella handed Leah a pen and paper when they got into the kitchen. “I have a request. Can you write down your work schedule? I'd like to try to convince your cousin Sam to only schedule me to work while you work. Is that crazy?”

“Sure, that would be awesome if he agreed, but I won't be available to hang out all the time when I'm not working. I still have to see my family sometimes.”

“I know. And I’ve got to visit the pack and shit when you're not available. It'll work out fine, as long as your cousin sees the beauty in the plan.”

Leah smiled as she wrote down her schedule. “Are you going to call him my cousin from now on?”

“Doesn't the whole situation seem more tolerable thinking of him as your cousin?”

“I hate to admit it, but kind of.”

“Much more tolerable,” Bella said with a nod. She attached Leah's schedule to the fridge with a magnet. “Everything except the fact that you fucked him that one time.”

“He told you that?!”

“No! Sam's not like that,” Bella said, always coming to the defense of her alpha. “He never even mentioned fucking Emily. If I hadn't heard it and walked in on them, I would never know it was even happening, except for all the details that Emily spilled. Anyway, Emily told me. Did she get the number wrong or something?”

“Nope, that's the right number.”

They paused their conversation to brush their teeth and get ready to go to sleep. When they were cozy in bed, Bella picked up where they left off. “So, um, why did you fuck him once?”

“Why did I fuck Sam?” Leah repeated. “He was my boyfriend.”

“No, why only once?”

Leah tucked her hair behind her ear. “Oh, we were in high school. There wasn't a lot of opportunity. I don't know.”

“Was he bad at the sex?”

Leah giggled. “No, I didn't think so. I didn't have any other guy to compare him to so I'm not sure. But it's not the same as with you. He didn't… I don't know, he didn't touch me the same.”

“Not the same way as I touch you?” Bella asked, placing her hand on Leah’s side.

“Yeah. He just… he squeezed my boobs while pushing his dick in for a few minutes. It wasn't great.”

“He didn't get you off?”

“No. He barely touched me except in ways that felt good to him, at least that's what it felt like he was doing.”

“Did you talk to him about it?” 

“No! We were in high school,”Leah answered. “I didn't know how to talk to him about that kind of thing.”

“Oh.”

“Are the guys shy about sex?” Leah asked. “In the pack mind, I mean?”

“Yes, very. They think about their sex lives, but they overlay it with an image of their girlfriend as an ethereal beauty. It's kind of sweet.”

“Overlay it?”

“Mmmm.” Bella took a moment to figure out how to explain it. “It's kind of like a curtain over your thoughts. Jared figured it out. It's useful for all kinds of things, mostly memories we don't want to share with Sam because he's always making new rules.”

“The more you talk about Sam, the more I remember that things weren't actually that great when we were together. Like, he wasn't controlling, but I know that he didn't approve of a lot of the things I did and said.”

“Really?” Bella asked, knowing exactly how that felt. 

“Yeah. I mean, I was a loudmouth bitch, but he knew that before we got together.”

“How were you a loudmouth bitch? You don't seem like one.”

“Bella, I have been a total bitch to you and I'm so fucking lucky that you still want me. I'm so lucky that I'm your imprint.”

“Stop! I want examples, Leah. What was your bitchiest moment in high school?” Bella was excited for a good story.

“There was this cheerleader who was really into Sam. He wasn't into her because he had me so why would he be? She was a bit of a smooth brain but she was pretty. For the homecoming dance senior year, she had this whole campaign. It was a scheme, really. She wanted to be homecoming queen. She wanted Sam to be homecoming king. Then they'd have to dance together or whatever. So Sam and I went to the dance but in the middle, I told him I was really horny from seeing him in a tux. We left just before the homecoming king and queen were announced. That was when I fucked him.”

“Wow. What did the cheerleader do when she found out you snatched him away?” Bella asked.

“She danced with the runner up, a rambunctious football jock. She fucked him and got pregnant and dropped out. She lives in the housing complex out on Elm Street now. They’re not together anymore.”

“I don't think I've ever seen that housing complex.”

“You're not missing much,” Leah said honestly. “It's kind of sad. But I don't feel bad about it. I didn't make her fuck that guy. I guess she really did get turned on by Sam in a tux though.”

“So you only had sex with him so she wouldn't get to dance with him?”

“Kind of,” Leah said. She hadn't thought of it that way before. “I thought I was ready. It was something we had been talking about. But ultimately, the timing turned out to be a bitch.”

“So you didn’t want to fuck him again?” Bella asked.

“No, I did want to. I was willing to try again, to get better at it with him, to practice. But then he disappeared. That's when I missed a bunch of school. When he came back, he barely touched me, barely even spoke to me. Then he dumped me for Emily. That messed me up pretty bad. It made me feel like all he really wanted from me was sex and once he got it, why bother with me?”

“That’s not what he said-”

Leah interrupted her. “I don’t want to hear his explanation, Bella. I did my best to make it enjoyable for him. I loved him. I trusted him. Trusting Sam Uley was the biggest mistake of my life. It won’t happen again.”

“He never told me that he dumped you right after he got you into bed.”

“I believe you. He’s not going to tell you what a dick he was.”

“Leah, there’s so much more to the story.” Bella pleaded.

“Oh yeah. How do you know?” Leah asked. 

“Sam and I talk about things. He’s told me a lot. Emily has too.”

“If it’s from their mouths, I can’t trust it,” she said flatly.

“Then ask your dad. He knows.”

“He knows what Sam told him, right?” Leah clarified. “Does he know anything about it other than what Sam told him?”

Bella sighed. “I don't know. I can’t argue with that. But you know I can read his mind, right? There’s no way to deceive each other there.”

“You just said you could draw a curtain over your thoughts,” Leah pointed out.

“Yeah, true. But Sam imprinted on Emily. It had nothing to do with having sex with you and then not wanting you anymore.”

Leah ran her fingers through Bella’s hair. “How did you know you imprinted on me?”

“When our eyes met, there was a connection, then a pull, a force, like gravity.”

“I remember feeling that connection. Now how do you know that Paul imprinted?”

“He told me right when it happened. He and Rachel obviously had a deep and immediate connection, a lot like ours.”

“What about Kim and Jared? Is she his imprint too?”

“I wasn’t around when Jared imprinted, but she’s always on his mind. I saw images of her long before I met her.”

“And did you see images of Emily from Sam before you met him?”

“Uh… No.” Bella remembered when she first saw Emily, how she phased in anger when she saw Sam's claw marks on her face. She knew that the guys had hidden Emily from her in order to test her phasing control. But she didn't think bringing up Emily's scars would help her case with Leah.

“So how do you know that he imprinted on her?” Leah asked.

“They are very much in love.”

“Lots of people are in love.”

“They take care of each other,” Bella argued.

“Isn’t that what healthy couples do?”

“Fine, I couldn’t seduce her. I’m really good at seducing straight girls, Leah, or I was. But I couldn’t get her to budge.”

“Maybe you're good at seducing closeted bi girls,” Leah suggested. “Maybe you have a really good gaydar for bi girls and Emily’s just not bi.”

“That doesn’t make sense to me. You’re way hotter than her, Leah. If it was just about sex, he wouldn’t have dumped you.”

“He didn’t love me,” Leah tried to explain. “You’re not seeing it clearly, Bella. You’re letting your friendship with him cloud your judgement. Yeah, I’m hot. So he put up with me long enough to fuck me. Then he moved on to someone he could truly love.”

Bella sighed. “I don’t want to fight with you about this. I don’t think we’re going to see eye-to-eye on this, not tonight.”

“That’s probably true.”

“But I love you so much, ok?”

Leah hesitated, then asked, “Do you love me more than you love Sam?”

“Yeah, of course! You’re my whole world, Leah, everything.”

Leah let out a sigh of relief. She didn’t like feeling like Bella’s loyalty was split between her and Sam. There was so much about this situation that she didn’t like, but at least she had Bella.

 

Chapter 16: Favorites

Author’s Note: Sorry about the short chapter. There’s a longer one coming next week to make up for it. This scene didn’t fit in the previous chapter or the next chapter, so here it is.

~O~

On Tuesday morning, Leah wrote down her schedule for the next two weeks. She had to work from noon to six on that day. Her plan was to go to the Forks City Hall that morning to find her favorite uncle.

“Want me to come with you?” Bella offered.

“What for?” Leah asked. “We won't get to hang out with him or anything because he's working. I was thinking I'd set up a time that we could get together.”

“I could keep you company on the drive,” Bella said. “And we could invite him to have dinner at our house. He could invite his boyfriend if he's seeing anyone. Then you don’t have to worry about running into your mom when you get together.”

“You don't have to do that. It’ll be boring. But I always love your company.”

“Leah, you're like my favorite bra,” Bella said wistfully.

“I don't know what that means.”

“I always want you on me, or with me. It's better than any alternative.”

“That's sweet, and kind of weird because isn't your favorite bra the beige one?”

“It is. So comfy. It's even better than no bra and that's saying something. Just like having you around is better than not having you around. Paul says that being with pack is just as good as being alone, but you're even better.”

“You're going overboard a bit, Bella, but I appreciate it and I feel the same way. Except not about the pack.”

~O~

Bella sang loudly along with the radio, making Leah laugh. Leah sang too, just not so loud. They walked into the town office, not holding hands since Leah wasn't out yet. They both looked at the list of names of the people who worked there. 

Luke Uley’s office was twenty feet away. Leah's heart was pounding as the two approached the door. 

“You can do this. Or I can if you're being a chicken,” Bella offered.

“I’m not a chicken.” Leah knocked. 

“Come in,” a rich voice called from the other side. 

A thin Quileute man sat at a metal desk. He wore a yellow button up shirt and navy blue slacks. His long black hair was pulled back into a low ponytail.

When he looked up and saw Leah, his whole face lit up. “Little Leah?”

“Uncle Luke?”

Luke stepped around the desk, approaching his niece. He stood in front of her looking all over her face, seeing how she had changed. She was so grown up, even more than in the pictures.

Leah wrapped her arms and him. “I didn't know where you were until yesterday or I would have come sooner.”

He hugged her right back. “Hey, I knew where you were this whole time and I didn't come either, not that I didn't want to. I've missed you like crazy! And your brother! But I bet he doesn't remember me.”

“He only knows you from the presents. He's fourteen now.”

“I know! And you're nineteen. I keep track. Your dad and I are still in touch.”

“I want to still be in touch too,” Leah said.

“Yes, quite. Now that you're an adult, that's great. And who's your friend?” Luke released Leah from their hug and turned to Bella. 

“This is my girlfriend, Bella Swan,” Leah said, putting her arm around Bella's waist. “She's Billy Black's niece.”

Luke shook Bella's hand. “Any relation to Charlie Swan?” Luke was quite sure he knew the answer already. Bella looked an awful lot like the Isabella Swan on those missing person posters.

“He's my dad,” Bella answered. “That's how we found out where you are.”

Luke scratched his head. “So how are you Billy's niece? Is your mom one of Billy’s sisters? That’s some hot gossip!” 

Bella said, “No! Charlie is Billy's half brother.” She cupped her hand around her mouth as if she were sharing a secret. “Charlie's Mom and Billy's dad had an affair.”

“Scandalous!” Luke crooned.

Leah smiled widely. He was just like she remembered. She said, “I don't want to bother you at work but I was hoping we could get together sometime, maybe dinner or something. Bella has offered to host us at her house.”

“You're house, Bella? How old are you? Twenty two? Twenty three?”

“I'm eighteen,” Bella corrected him.

“And you have a house?” Luke asked. He had only bought his first house two years ago. He wondered if maybe Bella was offering her father’s house as a meeting spot. Luke knew Charlie would allow that.

“She works for the council and they provide housing,” Leah explained.

“I see.” Luke put his hand on his desk. “This is a 9-5 job so I have most evenings and weekends free. What are your schedules like?”

“I'm a waitress at the diner, so my schedule is erratic.” Leah pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket. It was the schedule she had written down for Bella. “Bella's job is pretty flexible as she's a favorite of her boss.”

“Is Billy your boss?” Luke asked. 

Bella shook her head. “No, Sam Uley.”

“Huh.” Luke said knowingly. 

He had mostly kept up with the gossip. He knew about Sam and Leah’s relationship. He knew of Sam’s disappearance, their breakup and how Sam hooked up with Harry’s niece. He assumed that if Leah’s girlfriend was Sam’s favorite, that was all water under the bridge now.

Luke studied the paper with the schedule. “I could do Thursday or Friday for dinner this week.”

“Friday,” Bella said.

“Not Thursday?” Leah asked.

“We've got plans to go surfing, remember?”

“Right, we've got plans with Bella's friends,” Leah restated.

Luke snapped his fingers. “Oh, my partner has a work thing on Friday. I just remembered. I'm expected to go. Umm, next week I could do Sunday, Monday or Thursday. Which of these work for you?”

“We have no plans next week, right Bella?”

“No plans.” Bella agreed. 

“Let's do Sunday then,” Luke said. “Is that ok?”

“Perfect!” Leah exclaimed. “And bring your partner, if he's available. Let me write down her address. Do you have any allergies or anything?”

“No. Hank's a vegetarian but we always bring a few dishes when we go out so as not to be a bother.”

Leah handed him his own business card with Bella's address and phone number on the back. 

“What time?” he asked.

Leah and Bella looked at each other. “6:00?” Bella suggested. 

Leah nodded. “6:00. Is that ok?”

“It's perfect!” Luke gave them both a hug. “I'll see you both then.”

When they left the building, Luke called Charlie to thank him and to compliment his lovely daughter. This concerned Charlie because he didn't want to get involved.

Chapter 17: The Backpack

Notes:

Author’s Note: Just a reminder that for this story, ages are different than in canon. Sam, Jared, Paul, Bella and their imprints are all 18 and 19. Jake, Embry and Quil are 15. Seth is still 14.

Please leave a comment if you’re enjoying the story!

Leah went to work after lunch. So Bella went to Sam and Emily's. There was a beefy, broad shouldered kid at the picnic table. He was eating. 

“Hi Bella,” the kid said as if he knew her. 

Bella thought his voice was kind of familiar. “Quil?” she asked.

He nodded. 

“You phased out fast. Good job, kid.”

He smiled at her. “Thanks!” His face was kind of pleasant. He wasn't ruggedly handsome like Paul and Sam or boyishly cute like Jared. He was something else. He had a square jaw and a strong set of features that were all his own. 

Bella liked that about him. Still, she wasn't here to see him. She swung open the screen door to enter the house. 

Sam barreled into her, giving her a bone crushing hug. “Where the hell have you been? I haven't seen you for two days!” he asked, squeezing her tight.

“Leah had the day off yesterday,” Bella managed to get out . “She's not ready to see you yet, Sam.”

“You still could have stopped by! I was worried sick.”

“You were not!” Bella scolded him. “I saw Paul and Rachel.”

“Fine. I knew you were fine, but my wolf gets all weird when one of the pack wanders away, especially you, ok?”

“Ok, ok. I brought you this,” she said, pulling a piece of paper from her pocket. “But you can't keep it. It's mine. But I can make you a copy if you give me a pen and paper.”

“What is this?” He held up the paper. “Math problems? Twelve minus six is six. Are you finally studying for your GED?” he asked, looking at her over the page. 

“No! It's Leah's schedule. I was hoping you could have me work when she works so that I'm available when she's home.”

“Huh.” Sam grabbed a piece of paper and copied the schedule down. He put it on the fridge with a magnet. “If you patrol while she works, when will we see you?”

“She usually works eight or nine hours. And she says she won't be available all the time when she's off work. She has a family, too,” Bella said almost sadly.

“So when she's with your family, you'll visit yours? Promise?”

“I've got nothing better to do,” Bella said with a shrug.

“Good.”

“Where's Emily?”

“She's on break.”

“She needed a break from you, huh?” Bella teased.

“No, the kid,” Sam said, pointing to the door. “He does best with Jared but Jared also needed a break. He's patrolling, working out his angst.”

“The kid seems nice.”

“Want him?” Sam offered eagerly. “He could stay with you in your second bedroom.” 

“Hell no! But what's wrong with him?”

"He makes dumb jokes, kind of like yours, actually, but he's not cute and charming enough to pull it off.”

“Huh.”

Sam continued, “And he's scared of everything, but you knew that. He's a horny little bastard. Even Emily was uncomfortable with the way he looked at her and she has a high tolerance for weird after putting up with you for so long.”

“Ha ha. Has Paul been here since he phased to human?”

“No, and I'm worried about bringing him.”

“Why?” Bella asked. “Paul was so good with me when I was a pup.”

“He was in love with you, Bella. And for good reason. You two had so much in common. I don't think he had ever talked to a girl that much before.”

“He had a crush,” Bella said, always uncomfortable when talking about Paul's old feelings for her. “But who's to say he won't fall in love with Quil, too?”

Sam scoffed. “Quil's physique is not doing much for Paul.”

“Hey, why didn't you tell me that you and Leah were cousins?”

“Because we're not,” Sam said dismissively.

“But her mom's name was Uley.”

“If you go back many, many generations, sure. They were probably cousins. Now we're like eighth cousins twice removed or something. I don't really know. But calling her my cousin is false.”

“She likes it when I call you her cousin.”

“You were talking about me?” He gave her a curious smile.

“You don't want to know.”

“I definitely do now,” Sam said, somehow more eager than before.

“She told me about the homecoming dance. Did you know that you were voted homecoming king?”

“Of course. Everyone knew about that. I was going to leave early but then Leah-” Sam stopped himself. “Wait, what did she tell you?”

“She told me she seduced you so you'd leave early.”

“That's a fair description. Why wouldn't I want to know?”

“She seduced you that night so you wouldn't be homecoming king.”

“Yeah, I know that,” Sam said.

“So you wouldn't dance with that girl.”

“The hussy that had it out for Leah for some reason, I remember.”

“Leah said she had the hots for you.”

“She did not,” Sam said, chuckling. “She just pretended to when Leah was around. She never saw me when Leah wasn't in the room. I told Leah all this but she could be a little stubborn.”

“Hmmm. She also said that you were judgemental but not controlling.”

“You can't control Leah,” Sam stated. 

“That's so fucking true! Can you control Emily, Sam?”

“Oh. I guess I probably could. She loves me so much. It's incredible. She's open to suggestions, which I guess is kind of like controlling but she speaks up about her own, uh, suggestions, so it's not like one of us is controlling the other. It's like we're dancing, you know?”

“Beautiful,” Bella sighed. “Are you talking about sex?”

“Yeah, mostly,” Sam admitted. “But it applies to all parts of our relationship.”

Just then the door swung open and Quil stood in the entry. “Can I come in, too?”

“No!” Sam and Bella said in unison, then smiled at each other. 

“It's not safe yet, kid,” Bella explained. 

Quil moped back to the picnic table.

“What if he's not one of us?” Bella asked. 

“What do you mean?” Sam asked, leaning on the counter.

“What if he's not family the same way. We're all brothers,” Bella said. “You and me and Jared and Paul are all brothers. I guess I'm like a sister but I think of you all as brothers. What if the new kid is like a cousin or something?”

“I don't know. That doesn't seem fair to him.”

“What if there's more?” Bella asked. “What triggered his phase? Do you know?”

“The Cullens, I assume,” Sam said with a shrug.

“But why now? Did he run into them in Forks? Did he mention that bleach smell?” Bella asked, feeling like this was an urgent issue 

San shrugged. “No, he hasn't been into Forks in weeks.”

“Weird, right?” Bella asked.

“No. None of the rest of us smelled that either.”

“So do we need a bigger pack than Ephraim’s pack because the Cullens are a bigger coven now? Is that why he phased?” Bella asked.

“Maybe. I assumed that you phased because you sat next to a vampire. I think that would happen to pretty much any Quileute kid in the right age range.”

“So that's why no one should go to the hospital?”

“That's my guess.”

“Hmmm. So is someone new going to phase in every few months until the Cullens leave?”

Sam shifted his massive shoulders. “I don't know. Maybe.”

“I liked it with just the four of us.”

“As alpha, I'm not allowed to say that I agree. It's like saying you have a favorite kid.”

“I'm your favorite kid, Sam.”

Sam chuckled. “No comment.”

“Maybe if more pups phase in, maybe they'll be like Quil’s brothers and it will be ok that he is more like a cousin than a brother to us. We could be called Pack Prime and they could be…”

“Secondary Pack?” Sam suggested.

“Nope. Doesn't have a nice ring to it.”

“Beta Pack?”

“Closer, but not good enough.”

“The Backpack?”

“Fucking perfect, Sam,” Bella said, patting his shoulder. “This is why you're alpha. So Quil will be pup number one of The Backpack.”

“Let's not tell him that,” Sam said.

“You don't think he'd be honored to be in The Backpack?” 

“What if someone else phases in and fits in with Pack Prime perfectly?” Sam asked.

“We'd have to vote on letting them in. By default, I think it should just be the four of us and our imprints. But we can make exceptions if we vote on it.”

“Do imprints get to vote?”

“We should vote on that, too,” Bella said.

“Ha! Flawless plan,” Sam said, grinning. “I'm going to call Paul to relieve Jared. I know he's missed you too.”

Jared, Kim and Emily all showed up a few minutes later. 

Jared sprinted through the door, lifting Bella and spinning her around in a hug. “I didn't miss you as much as Sam, but we're going to need to change how things go when Leah has a day off.”

“Leah's schedule is on the fridge so we can anticipate these kind of absences in the future.” Sam said.

“I was gone for one day!” Bella protested. “Have I never been MIA that long before?”

“The longest you were gone before was overnight in the log,” Sam said. “You moving out and getting back together with Leah at the same time… it's a lot for us to deal with.”

“Leah Clearwater? She's hot!” Quil was standing in the doorway again. 

Bella was snarling in his face a second later. “Keep her name out of your mouth and her likeness out of your head.”

Quil’s face was expressionless, but Bella could smell the adrenaline in him, the beginning of a fight or flight response. 

Instead of fighting or fleeing, he asked, “Am I allowed in yet?” 

“No!” A chorus arose.

“Maybe we should give him something to do,” Bella suggested. “Cards for solitaire or a book or something.”

Sam and Emily looked at each other. “Uhh,” Emily was thinking, “it's got to be something we don't mind losing if he phases unexpectedly. What about your old comic books, Sam?”

“Very funny! Let's give him a deck of cards. They're easy to replace.” Sam grabbed some cards from their game shelf and handed them to Quil.

“They made me stay outside for weeks; I slept in a log,” Bella lied, sort of. 

Jared had to turn away from the door so Quil wouldn’t see him laughing.

“Oh.” Quil looked downcast as he returned to the picnic table outside. 

“That poor kid,” Bella said, oozing with sympathy. 

“He's monopolized Jared since he joined the pack,” Kim said.

“Didn't I do that, too?” Bella asked. “And it took me even longer to phase to human.”

“Jared came home energized when he was with you,” Kim explained. “He's beyond drained now. It's like he needs to suck up my energy to recharge with this kid. I'm kind of hoping you'll help him recharge.”

“I'm not fucking Jared for you, Kim!” Bella said.

“Agh!” Kim laughed, redness creeping up her neck. “Not what I was suggesting. I think part of the reason he's drained is also because he hasn't spent time with you since you got back together with Leah. It's like when the pack is separated… it's not great.”

“I've felt pretty great,” Bella said. 

“It's the euphoria of being with your imprint for the first time,” Sam said. “It's masking the misery you should be feeling, being away from us. But I'm glad you haven't felt that.”

“Has Paul felt that too?”

“No! You still make time for Paul,” Sam said a little bitterly.

“Well maybe if you hadn't shattered her heart she'd want to hang out with you too,” Bella said, then immediately regretted it. She didn’t want to hurt Sam.

“Maybe. Sure. But what about Jared?” Sam pointed out.

“He's been stuck to the kid,” Bella defended herself, but she felt bad. She hadn’t made time to see Jared either. “Jared, do you want to go surfing with us on Thursday?”

“Uh huh,” Jared nodded.

“And Emily, can Leah borrow your gear?”

“Sure, but tell her not to pee in the suit,” Emily said.

“Um, what? Why would she pee in the suit?”

“It's a common revenge tactic of hers,” Emily explained. “Pee on people's stuff if she's mad at them.”

“Shut the fuck up!” Bella exclaimed. “That's brilliant!”

“Don't piss Bella off or she'll piss on your stuff, too,” Kim commented. 

“So I'm not invited to go surfing?” Sam asked. 

“Uh… do you want to come?” Bella asked a little nervously.

“Will you drop by if I don't?” Sam countered.

“I can ask Leah,” Bella said.

“So, no,” Sam said, letting his shoulders sag.

“Not necessarily. Sometimes she goes home for a little bit. I could drop by then. Or I could just ask her if she's ok with you going surfing. The beach is a big place so you could avoid each other.”

“I don't want to avoid your imprint, Bella,” Sam said. “That feels weird too. It feels weirder than all the weirdness from my history with Leah.”

“I'll talk to her, Sam. Paul and Rachel spilled a lot of stuff about the pack. She knows she's my imprint now. She's willing to talk about things a little more.”

“Yeah, Paul told us,” Jared said. “He jumped right into the pack mind when you left. He was so excited for you.”

“So the kid knows about Leah and me?” Bella asked.

“He figured that out when you almost ripped his throat out,” Jared reminded her.

“Guys, we can't neglect him forever. He's just a kid.” Bella had unending compassion.

“Go sit with him,” Emily suggested.

“Fine, I will.” Bella almost stomped outside in defiance. She sat across the picnic table from the kid. “Hi Quil.”

“Hi. So how did you get Leah to go out with you? I've been wanting to hit that for years.”

“Did they explain imprints to you?”

“Yeah, but my mom's Christian so I don't believe in that stuff.” Quil said.

“Wait, what? Do you believe in the legends that say men turn into wolves?” Bella asked, already concerned about what this would mean for the pack.

Quil nodded. “Hopefully she can help get an exorcism for us all.”

“Sam!” Bella called.

Sam ran out the door. “What?”

“He says he's going to get an exorcism.”

“Yeah, he says shit like that,” Sam says, running his hand through his hair. “I'm pretty sure he's just being weird but I've given an insane amount of alpha orders since he phased. The kid is exhausting.”

“He can hear you,” Bella said sympathetically.

“Quil, you're exhausting,” Sam said directly.

“My friends think I'm hilarious,” Quil says

“They're not here,” Sam reminded him, “so maybe try to make a good impression on the one pack member who is not sick of your bullshit yet.”

Quil disregarded his advice. “Emily has the best body of the pack girls, other than Bella and Leah, but her face-”

He was interrupted by Sam’s hand around his throat. Sam was a big guy but he moved fast. He had lifted the kid up so his body was dangling. Sam’s body was heaving with rage.

“Fuck, Sam, put him down!” Bella said, sounding hysterical. “You'll kill him. Sam, it's not worth it. He's not worth it. Jared! Help!” Bella jumped on Sam's back, hugging him, trying to calm him down but knowing that she couldn't overpower him physically. 

Jared stood behind the kid, trying to catch Sam's attention. “This isn't going to solve the problem, Sam, and you'll feel bad afterwards.”

“It was just a joke.” Quil was squealing as he kicked his feet, trying to find some way out of this predicament. “They call them butterfaces.”

“Oh shit!” Bella cried out as she felt Sam pull back his arm for the first punch. It was the first blow of many. With each punch, Quil became more bloody. Jared was trying to listen for broken bones, all while still trying to calm Sam down.

Bella crawled around Sam's body, squeezing herself between Sam and the kid. Sam had to stop or else he risked hurting her.

The kid was a bloody mess, unconscious, but still alive. His face was mangled far worse than Emily's. Unlike Emily, he would heal like nothing happened. 

“Who's a butterface now?” Sam asked, glaring down at Quil. 

“Do you feel better, Sam?” Bella asked. “You beat up a kid.”

“He needed it. I should have let Paul do it instead of sending him home.”

“Should we call the nurse?” Bella asked. 

“No, he'll be fine in the morning.” Sam did not want to get Sue involved. “Jared, help me move him to Bella's room. Bella, distract the girls.” These weren't alpha orders, but Bella and Jared followed the instructions, no questions asked.

Bella grabbed a bowl, mug and plate from the kitchen. When the guys were in view of the girls, she said, “Kim, Emily, look at what the kid taught me!” Then she started juggling. It was something she never would have been able to do before she phased.

“Very good, Bella, but we've all seen this before and we know that Paul taught you that,” Kim said, unimpressed.

Bella put the dishes on the coffee table and flashed her boobs as the guys shut the door of her room.

“What's going on? Why are you distracting us?” Emily demanded, heading to the front door to look for Sam. “Where's Quil? Where are Sam and Jared?”

“They went for a run?” Bella said, more of a question than a statement.

Sam walked up behind Emily, wrapping his arms around her. “I'm right here, baby.”

Emily leaned against him as he kissed her neck. She put her hands over his on her stomach. When she lifted her hands to see why they were wet, she saw red. “Why is there blood on your hands, Sam?”

“Shit. I'm sorry, Emily. Did I get some on your clothes?”

“It's a black shirt,” she said tersely. “Whose blood is that? Is the kid ok?”

“He's fine,” Sam assured her. “He's in Bella's room. We're taking care of him.”

“Is his mom looking for him?” Bella asked.

“Yes, but I don't know how that will go.”

“Wait!” Emily shouted. “Why did you have to hurt the kid?”

“Uh…” Sam was panicking internally.

Bella came to his rescue. “He was saying stuff about me and Leah and you, about how he hopes you dump Sam and join us in a ménage à trois.”

“And you hurt him for that?” Emily asked angrily.

“It was pretty graphic,” Jared explained. “I was just about ready to jump on him based on what he said about Bella. Sam showed enormous restraint.”

“Oh.” Emily knew that if Jared was about to step in, it must have been bad.

The wolves were all thankful that the imprints were terrible lie detectors. During this time, Kim snuck into Bella's room. She screamed. Quil’s face looked like juicy ground beef.

“Shit,” Jared muttered as he ran to pull her out. 

Sam was the first one to hear the howl. It was a new howl, one that non of them had heard before. Yet it wasn’t a natural wolf. It was definitely a shifter.

Sam looked back and forth between Jared and Bella. “Bella, you stay with the girls. Jared, you're with me.”

“But Leah gets off work soon!” Bella exclaimed.

“I might need you, tonight, Bella. Either bring Leah here, or take the kid to your house.”

“I'm taking the kid,” Bella said easily. “See you guys tomorrow, I promise.” Bella marched into the guest room and threw Quil over her shoulder. She dumped him in the back of the truck bed and drove home. To be extra cautious, she wrapped him in a blanket before carrying him into the house. She didn't want it to look suspicious. Quil’s body bounced onto Leah’s bed in the guest bedroom. Then Bella made dinner for her and Leah. 

 

Chapter 18: Dead Weight

After her shift at the diner, Leah unlocked Bella’s front door and let herself in. “I can't stay, honey. My parents want me home for dinner tonight. But I'll come later, ok?”

“Ok. What time?” Bella asked, already at the door to greet her.

“Did you make me dinner?” Leah asked, spotting the kitchen table set with food. “Oh! I'm sorry! My dad came to the diner saying that my mom is asking questions and I better be home tonight. I'd rather stay with you, but I have to go home for dinner.”

Bella held both of Leah's hands and asked, “When will you come back?” That was all that was important to Bella.

“As soon as I can, but it will probably be after 8:00.”

“Ok, go. Enjoy your family. I'll enjoy your dinner.”

“Save me a bite?”

Bella nodded before leaving toward Leah and pressing their lips together. She released Leah's hands. The two shared a longing look before Leah turned and ran for her car. Bella hated watching her go, but she was reassured that she would be back.

While Bella was finishing her third helping of food, she heard the key in the door again.  “Leah!” she squealed, running to the door. 

“Sorry to let you down,” Paul said, seeing the clear disappointment on Bella’s face. 

“It's ok,” Bella shrugged. “You're second best. Why aren't you with Rachel?”

“I spent all morning with her and now she has to work. Some kind of server maintenance.”

“Oh, so you came to check on the kid?” Bella asked.

“I came to see you, you twat! But Sam doesn't get violent often so I did want to see the kid, too.”

“Most of the minor abrasions have healed,” Bella told him. “The bruising and swelling have gone down but he's caked in blood.” She opened the guest bedroom door to show Paul. “I kinda want to clean him up but I don't want him thinking about me giving him a sponge bath. Is that crazy? Should I just clean him?” 

Paul flicked on the light. “Ah shit. Did anyone check for a broken nose?”

“I don't think so.” Bella got a wet washcloth so they could see Quil's face better.

“This isn't going to be pretty, but you should watch to see how it's done.”

Bella watched as Paul felt up the ridge of Quil's nose to find the break. With a crack, he snapped the healing that had already set.

“Hold this in place,” he instructed Bella.

She held the nose in the correct position for several minutes. Paul felt around Quil's chest, looking for broken bones. He was satisfied that there were none, or at least not anymore. 

“What are you going to tell Leah?” he asked Bella, who was still holding Quil's nose.

“I was going to go with the truth.”

After some thought, Paul said, “Hmm. That might work.”

“That wasn't you howling earlier, huh?” Bella knew it wasn’t. She knew the sound of all of the guys’ howls.

“I was wondering when you'd ask about that. Jacob Black joined the pack.”

Bella winced. “Have you told Rachel?”

Paul shook his head, waving Bella out of the bedroom.

“Are you avoiding Rachel?”

Paul nodded silently.

“Are you close to Jacob?” Bella asked. She didn’t know Jacob well even though they were cousins.

“No. Definitely not. He's fifteen, Bella. He's immature and kind of a jerk. He doesn't take responsibility for his dad. And he's always saying inappropriate shit about Rachel living with me.”

“Ew,” she cringed.

“I know. I never had siblings besides the pack. We’re all friends too and we don't even talk about that shit.”

“Hey, did you know that Sam and Leah only had sex once?” she asked Paul, seemingly out of the blue.

“No, I didn't know that, and I didn't need to, and now I wish I hadn't heard it.”

“That's about what I expected,” Bella said. “Maybe it's a guy thing, not talking about sex because Emily told me that and I know all about your sex life with Rachel.”

“No, you don't!” Paul said, so sure of himself.

“Yes, I do,” Bella retorted. “I know about what you do with your tongue in her butt. I'm nervous to try it on Leah but I will after she accepts the imprint. The thing that Rachel does with your balls during blow jobs, that's a technique from Kim, in case you were wondering. Sam doesn't like it because, according to Emily, his balls are too huge, so Emily has modified it.”

“Sam's balls are disproportionately large and Sam is not small in any way. Do you think it's an alpha thing?” Paul asked.

“Probably, yeah, but I don't spend a lot of time pondering Sam's balls,” Bella said, ready to change the subject away from Sam’s balls. “But I'm saying that talking about sex isn't weird. It's just that guys are uncomfortable talking about it with other guys. At least meaningful sex. I think guys are fine talking about hookups and shit, if that makes sense.”

“Huh. But it's fine with you because you're gay?” Paul asked.

“No! Because I'm a girl,” Bella explained. “Although Jacob shouldn't be referencing his sister's sex life. That's too weird even for me.”

“Did I interrupt your dinner?” Paul asked, eyeing Bella's pasta dish hungrily.

“Yes, actually. Want some?”

“Yes.” Paul knew the food would be good, that Bella was a decent cook. Even if it wasn't great, he'd still want to eat it because of his insane appetite as a wolf.

“You can have one plate full,” Bella told him, holding up one lone finger. “I'm going to package the rest up for Leah.”

“Is she working?” he asked.

She made him a small plateful while answering, “Leah's having dinner with her family. Hey, do you think Jacob and Quil could be friends? I feel bad about how the pack is treating Quil. At the same time, I don't think it's going to change anytime soon.”

Paul sighed heavily. “Jacob and Quil are best friends. It’s going to be annoying, having them together.”

As Paul began to eat, Bella cleared the table, saying, “Sam and I decided that the four original pack members will make up Pack Prime, along with the imprints. Anyone else that phases will be known as The Backpack. So Jacob and Quil are in The Backpack.”

“The Backpack?” Paul asked, raising his eyebrows skeptically.

“Because they're not family the same way,” Bella said. “We're like brothers and they're like our cousins.”

“Yeah, ok. So I'm worried,” Paul admitted, not actually interested in talking about The Backpack. He had more pressing matters on his mind. “What if Rachel phases? If Jacob did, couldn't she phase too?”

“I don't know,” Bella admitted with a lift of her shoulders. “I phased because I sat next to a vampire. Girl wolves are rare, right? Maybe don't let her sit next to a vampire. Do the shopping for a while so she doesn't run into one.”

“What if she phases and imprints on someone else?” Paul asked.

Bella squinted at him. That was the dumbest question she had ever heard. “Why would she? What are you even talking about?”

“I don't know. Jacob phasing has me kind of spooked.”

“Is Rachel really doing server maintenance?” Bella asked with her hands on her hips.

“Yes.”

“Then don't tell her about Jacob while she's working,” Bella said.

“She's going to find out.”

“Eventually, sure. But you need to calm down. If you tell her while you're worried about this nonsense, you'll freak her out. How is Jacob doing with the transition?”

Paul shrugged. “Not as scared as Quil but just as annoying.”

“So when Quil comes around, that'll make things easier for Jacob, right? And Jacob will occupy Quil’s time so he's not being annoying at us.”

“Ideally, sure.”

“When will Quil wake up?” Bella asked. She had never seen a wolf so badly injured before.

Paul took in a deep breath. No one could know for sure but he had a guess. “Could be anytime from ten minutes to ten hours.”

“Why aren't you helping with Jacob?”

“We don't get along. I told you that.”

“No, you said you weren't close,” Bella stated. “Jacob and I aren't close but we get along well enough. Why don't you two get along?”

“Hmmm.” Paul hesitated, trying to think of the best way to explain his position. “He's an arrogant, entitled prick who has nothing to be arrogant about. He's been given opportunities in the tribe and he always squanders them to try to get a laugh from his friends. He doesn't take anything seriously. He doesn’t take any responsibility. He was letting Billy suffer before Rachel came back!”

Bella was taken aback. “I didn't know that. But isn't that stuff kind of in line with being a kid?”

Paul exhaled sharply through his nose, looking at Bella sternly. “What was your life like at fifteen, Bella? You were taking care of your mom, forging documents to be able to work while still making the honor roll. My life was similar. Jacob has a good family with opportunities, parents who cared about him and he can't give a shit in return. That's not what a fifteen year old is like. That is what a prick is like.”

“So how does this translate to you two not getting along?”

“I'm not mean to him or anything, but I don't show him any respect because he deserves none. Yet I get the feeling that he thinks I should respect him because he's the chief's son and I'm a dropout orphan. So we rub each other the wrong way.” 

“Eh. Does Rachel get along with him?” Bella asked.

“No. She’s pissed at him and quite nasty to him for the way he treats his father and me.”

“How does he treat you? I mean other than wanting you to respect him.”

“He treats me like I'm the help!” Paul said, throwing his hands up. “I'll bring food over so we can share a meal with him and Billy. He expects me to do his dishes before we can eat the food that I bought and prepared.”

Bella had just finished doing the dishes from the dinner she bought and prepared. “What does Billy say about all that?”

“Fuck all! He has no authority over the kid. Jacob just leaves if he yells at him. What can he do?”

“So Sam can make him better with alpha orders,” Bella suggested.

Paul shook his head in frustration. “He can make his behavior better but only incrementally. Alpha orders won't change his personality. And alpha orders are exhausting for Sam. Bella, he's going to need your help.”

“To do what?”

“Help him recover,” Paul explained. “It's weird but you're like a daughter to him, not just a sister. He gets anxious when he doesn't know what's up with you. It's draining for him.”

“Charlie’s fine seeing me every other week or even less.” 

“Would Leah's dad be ok with only seeing her every other week?” 

“Probably not,” Bella admitted. “So if Sam doesn’t see me every day, he gets anxious and it messes up his recovery?”

“Some days his recovery needs are minimal, like regular patrols. When he's training a bunch of fifteen year old pricks and has to force everything with alpha orders, he'll need you more.”

“I'll need to carve out time for him on Thursday.”

“Invite him surfing and we'll let the pricks run patrol,” Paul suggested.

Bella heard a key jangling in the front door’s lock. “Leah!” Bella was excited all over again, running to the door.

Jared walked in with a wry smile. “Paul, Sam wants you to take Quil. He’s worried about leaving him with Bella and Leah.”

“He doesn't think I can handle him?” Bella sounded offended.

“He knows that you can beat the shit out of him,” Jared explained, “but he’s afraid, and I'm afraid too, that you'll hesitate to phase in front of Leah.”

“You think I won't protect my imprint?” Bella asked.

“No, you'll definitely protect her,” Jared said, “but you could get hurt by the hesitation. He doesn't want to worry. You can go to Paul's if you really want to babysit the kid.”

“I don't. You can have him, Paul.”

“Can I take the truck?” Paul asked. “I don't want to be seen carrying a lifeless body down the road. It might look suspicious.”

Bella giggled, picturing that. “Go ahead. Jared, can you go with him and bring the truck back so Leah doesn't think I'm gone?”

Jared agreed. Paul took Quil’s shoulders and Jared held his feet. Bella opened the door for them, happy to see Leah pulling into the driveway next to her truck.

Leah walked into the house after they got him off the porch. “Do I want to know what that is all about?”

“Quil got hurt.”

“I did see that.”

“Jacob joined the pack.”

Leah's eyebrows went low. “Is that how Quil got hurt?”

“No, Sam hurt Quil,” Bella said, knowing Leah wouldn’t like that.

Her eyebrows went high, showing all the creases on her forehead. “What the fuck! Why?”

“It's complicated but Quil was talking some shit. Sam was exhausted from having to give him so many alpha orders. Then Quil started taking shit about Emily to piss Sam off and he snapped. I had to climb between them to get him to stop.”

Leah's eyes flashed with rage. “Did Sam hurt you?”

“No! Sam can't hurt me. I'm like his kid.”

“Sure, because parents never hurt their kids.”

“He stopped when I got between them,” Bella assured her, “just like I knew he would. I signed up to take Quil while Sam and Jared went to help Jacob. It was either bring him here or stay with him at Sam and Emily's. That choice was a no brainer. Then, since Paul and Jacob don't get along, Sam wanted Paul to watch Quil instead. He should wake up sometime tomorrow though. Can I heat you up a plate of food?”

“Sure. So why was Jared here?”

“To tell Paul to take Quil for the night. Sam thought it would be safer if Quil was with Paul.” Bella said as she put Leah's food in the microwave.

Leah leaned on the counter beside her. “Ok, so why was Paul here?”

“Partly because he's afraid to tell Rachel about Jacob and partly because we didn't hang out at all today.”

“Do you have to hang out with him every day?”

“Kind of.” Bella watched Leah nervously as she said, “Training the pups is draining for everyone. If they don't see me, they worry and they don't recover fully.”

“Everyone?” Leah asked. “So you have to see Sam every day too? And Jared?”

Bella nodded meekly. “I think mostly Sam because he has to give alpha orders and they wear him out. But it's easier on Paul and Jared if I see them too. I invited Jared to come surfing and I want to invite Sam too.”

“I can't stop you,” Leah said flatly, crossing her arms over her chest.

“But you don't look happy.”

“It's fine. But I'm not ready to hang out with him. Is Emily coming too?”

“No,” Bella said. “We need to borrow her gear for you.”

“That's awkward. What about Kim?”

“I don't know what Kim’s plans are. Sometimes she has to work.” Bella put down Leah’s plate of food.  

When they both sat, Leah began eating. Between bites, she said, “Thanks for saving me some. I’ve been so hungry lately. It’s probably that time of month.”

Bella couldn’t help but smile. Feeding her imprint satisfied a need in her that she didn’t understand. When Leah was done eating, Bella took the remaining dish to the sink and asked,  “How was work?”

Leah stood behind her, sliding her hands up Bella’s shirt. “Work was pretty standard. Is there a reason that we're still clothed?”

“Jared is supposed to bring my truck back,” Bella said with a sigh. “I imagine he'll bring the keys back too. How was dinner with the family?”

“Ugh. My mom is on my case about my ‘special friend.’ It's not like I'm being discreet. I don't know what to tell her.”

“What did you tell her?” Bella asked, turning around to wrap her arms around Leah’s waist.

“That it's new and I don't want to jinx it.”

Bella bit her bottom lip. “That's a good answer. I'm out so you don't have to worry about that… but your mom… did your dad say anything?”

“He told her to drop it,” Leah said, sounding relieved. “He said that I'd talk when I was ready and not to pressure me.”

“Good man.”

“He is. Seth just sat back enjoying the drama.”

“I expected you to be more upset by the Sam stuff, that he hurt Quil and that I need to see Sam every day.”

“I'm glad that Seth had Quil as a friend but I've always found him to be an annoying kid,” Leah admitted. “I think he'll grow out of it, but I've wanted to punch him a few times myself. And I've always been conflicted about your relationship with Sam and Emily. On the one hand, I'm glad that you have them. On the other hand, I'm mad, and a little jealous, that they have you.”

“Oh, that was not what I was expecting at all,” Bella responded. “So you're ok with them loving me but not me loving them back?”

Leah smiled at that. “I'm ok with it, Bella, just a little jealous that their claim over you is so strong.”

Jared knocked, then opened the door. “Hi Leah!” he said with sincere enthusiasm. He strode across the floor to see the girls. “We're all so thrilled that you're pack now. Pack is family, ok? So if you need anything, you can come to any of us, ok?”

Leah nodded, a little taken aback. “I appreciate that, Jared.” She stepped out of Bella’s embrace, putting a little more distance between herself and Jared.

Jared leveled his gaze at Bella. “We'll see you tomorrow? Noon, right?”

“Probably a little before. She has to be in Forks by noon and that doesn't include travel time and getting ready and family obligations.”

Jared smiled his dimpled smile. “Right,” he said, glancing at Leah. He wrapped his arms around Bella's shoulders, pulling her into a hug. “Tomorrow then. We'll want your help with Jacob.” He kissed the top of her head, then released her, jogging out the door and into the night. 

“He's different,” Leah commented. She knew Jared as one of the quieter kids in school.

“He is,” Bella agreed proudly. “Most guys have a tough outer shell but they're soft on the inside. Jared is the opposite. He's so kind, patient, gentle, truly a good man to anyone he interacts with. But underneath it all, he's balls of steel with the strength and ability to back up his conviction.”

“So you're saying don't mess with him?”

“You shouldn't mess with any of the pack, Leah. But my guys have depth to them, ya know? I'm guessing Jared is the one you know the least?”

“I guess, yeah,” Leah said. “He was in the year below us like you so I didn't have classes with him or anything. I don't think I really know Paul either though. I never paid attention to him and I thought, I don't know, I guess I thought he wasn't significant. He's your best friend and Rachel Black's soulmate so there is clearly more than meets the eye.”

“Huh. I like Paul because he's the same inside and out: fun. He cares and feels and thinks and all that but above all, he's fun and comfortable to be around. I don't know what Rachel sees in him but I imagine it's similar. But I'm excited for you to get to know them better.” Bella put her arm around Leah’s waist, encouraging her toward the bedroom.

 

Chapter 19: Acceptance

On Wednesday morning, Bella woke to the pitter patter of rain on the metal roof. Her beloved’s arms were wrapped around her torso, their legs bent and cradled together. She could feel Leah's hot breath on her neck. From the rhythm of her breathing, Bella could tell that Leah was still asleep. 

Bella closed her eyes and meditated on all the sensations. Her bed smelled like Leah as much as it smelled like herself. The touch of Leah's soft skin on hers ran head to toe. She wiggled her toes. Yes, Leah's feet were rubbing against her own. 

The body beside Bella was stirring now, but not loosening its hold on her. It was stretching and wiggling a little and rubbing their bodies together in a way that made Bella feel desired. 

From Leah's point of view, she was woken by a tickle on her toes. When she opened her eyes, she saw that she was holding the most beautiful girl in the world. How had that happened? How had she gotten so lucky? 

Bella turned her face to Leah. “I want to see you.”

“Me?”

Bella giggled. “Who else?”

“Beautiful, I am in awe sometimes. It must get boring, hearing about how beautiful you are, but it blows me away.”

“It never gets boring, not from your lips. And to hear it from you… damn.” She leaned toward Leah until their lips met. 

Seconds later, their whole bodies collided in need. Leah pushed Bella flat on her back. Leah's right foot was flat on the bed by Bella's left elbow. Her cunt was right on top of Bella's. Her left leg lay between Bella’s legs. 

Leah started grinding their clits together.

“Oh fuck, Leah!” Bella cried. “Fuck, we have to stop.”

Leah froze. “What's wrong?”

“It's about the imprint,” Bella said, while gently moving Leah off of her and onto the bed next to her. They lay facing each other. “What do you know about accepting the imprint?”

“No idea,” Leah said, with a partial shrug. “Is it me being ok with the fact that I'm your imprint?”

“Not quite. You have the power when it comes to the nature of the imprint. An imprint can be a sibling bond, a friendship or a romance.”

“You know how I want you,” Leah said, her voice all seductive and hot.

“Mmm. The legends don't have a lot of guidelines for lesbian sex. But from what I know from when Paul and Rachel got together, genital to genital sex seems to be the key.”

“They key to what?”

Bella was trying to read the emotions on Leah’s face. She felt arousal and anxiety but didn’t know what was hers and what was Leah’s. So she explained, “Accepting the imprint. Before you accept it, you have the power to change it, possibly even reject it but I don't know how that works. After you accept it, it's kind of… it's for life, forever.”

“Isn't the bond forever anyway?” Leah asked, tucking Bella’s hair behind her ear. “Like if I had chosen a friendship bond, wouldn't we still be in each other's lives.”

“Yes, I would need to stay near you in some way and I would need to have you in my life.”

“But I'm in love with you, Bella. Why don't you want me to complete the imprint?”

“I do.” Bella's voice was brimming with emotion as she said, “I desperately do. But I want you to think about it. We've only been together for a couple days.”

“I'm pretty sure I fell in love with you when I first called you Beautiful.”

Bella's breath caught at that revelation. “That's still not that long. Has it been long enough to decide?”

“How long did it take Rachel?”

“A couple days, but she knew Paul forever.”

“And Kim?” Leah asked.

“I think two weeks, but she had a crush on Jared before.”

“And Emily?”

“Much longer. Like six weeks or something like that. She was trying to resist.”

“I'm not trying to resist,” Leah said, settling her body into position.

As the girls neared their climax, Leah again noticed the yellow ring in Bella's eyes. That ring signified something. Leah could feel it. She could feel a deep binding between them. They were being tied together permanently and it felt right.

They both fell back asleep in bliss.

Bella woke up to a feeling almost like a purring deep inside her. It was beyond contentment or even mere bliss. It was some sort of satisfaction. She knew it was from the imprint, that it was complete now, that Leah was hers, forever hers.

Slowly, Leah was bringing more and more stuff to Bella's house. It started with a spare toothbrush, then a razor for the shower, spare underwear just in case, then spare clothes just in case. She had her own drawer in Bella's dresser.

This deepened Bella's contentment. She was at peace. 

~O~

Leah left around 10:00 am to go home and get ready for work. Her mom had been on her case every time she stepped foot in the family home. Leah knew that her mom would be home this morning. Sue laid into her daughter as soon as she walked in the door.

In response, Leah asked, “Mom, when did you tell your parents that you and Dad were dating?”

“The first date,” Sue answered, “because we were in high school and Dad came in to speak to my parents and get the talk from my father. I didn't sneak off to his house every night.”

“I'm not sneaking off! I tell you that I'm going. I'll be going there after work too.”

“Are you even on birth control, Leah?” Sue asked. “I can get you an appointment at the hospital. I can get one for tomorrow, your day off.”

“We're being safe, Mom. I take care of that myself. I'm nineteen. I don't need my mom to make my gynecologist appointments and haven't for a long time.” This wasn’t true. Leah hadn’t been to the gynecologist in over a year and her mom had made that appointment for her. She continued, “But thank you. I appreciate it. I'm sure you've already guessed this, but we have plans tomorrow to hang out with friends.”

“What friends?”

“Rachel and Paul,” Leah said, hoping that didn't raise suspicion.

“Paul Lahote?”

“Yes. And Rachel Black, who I have been friends with since we were kids. After Sam, you wanted me to get out there, hang out with friends, date other people. Now I'm ready to do that, happily doing that, and you're mad about it. It feels like there's no pleasing you.”

“Paul Lahote is close friends with Sam. Is Sam going to be there tomorrow?” Sue asked in an accusing tone.

“I don't know,” Leah said with a shrug. “He might be.” 

“You know Sam's engaged to Emily, right?” Sue asked.

“No, I didn't know that. I haven't seen him in ages.”

“It would be really petty of you to go behind Emily's back to try to get with Sam, to have an affair with him. I will be very disappointed if that is who you are seeing.”

Leah was trying to suppress her laughter, which only angered her mother further. “I'm not seeing Sam! I'm not hanging out with Paul, either. I'm hanging out with Rachel and my ‘special friend.’ Paul just follows Rachel everywhere.”

“And Sam is not your special friend? Promise?”

“Cross my heart. Now I've got to get ready for work.” Leah was no longer amused at the accusation. It pissed her off. How could her mother think that she’d want to be with Sam after everything? 

~O~

Bella went to Sam's after Leah left. No one was there so she phased into the pack. 

Bella, come on out . Sam instructed. He showed where they were training in the forest. 

When Bella got there, there was one brown wolf, one black wolf, and one rust colored wolf. She recognized Sam and Jared's wolves but did not know the new, rust colored wolf. 

Jacob?  

Hey, Bella! The kid was weirdly cheerful.

Spar with Quil for a bit, Sam instructed her, then you and Jared will swap. 

Bella saw Paul and Quil in a clearing, both in human form. Paul was goading Quil into attacking him but every time Quil got close, he ended up flat on his back. 

“Bella!” Paul called. “Come show the kid how it's done.”

“When did he wake up?” Bella asked, looking over Quil's body. There was no evidence of the beating he endured the day before.

“Around 2:30 this morning,” Paul answered with an exhale. “He was manic, too, not in control of his phasing. I'm glad I had him instead of you. Rachel is pretty comfortable around the wolves.”

Bella nodded. “Leah accepted the imprint this morning.”

“I thought you seemed different,” Paul said, beaming at her with pride. “Don't let that peace create a weakness. Quil, go ahead and attack her,” Paul encouraged the kid. “You're bigger than her and stronger.”

“If you can get me on my back,” Bella said, “I'll let you watch me kiss my girlfriend.” Bella knew that the kid had no chance.

“Oh, what a prize!” Paul said teasingly. 

Quil charged at her. Bella was so fast, it looked almost like a blur as she bent down and flipped Quil over. He landed on his face. 

“Oof.” Quil pushed himself up onto his palms, then jumped to his feet. “Is your girlfriend really Leah Clearwater?” he asked with a glimmer in his eye.

Bella was unimpressed by his enthusiasm. “She is, but she's not out of the closet, so don't tell anyone.”

Sam stood behind her. His noiseless run through the woods should have startled her, but she could smell him coming. In the alpha timber, Sam said to Quil and Jacob, “Neither of you are to speak to anyone about our relationships. Everything you learn from the pack is confidential.” Then Sam went back to work with Jacob. 

“Come at me, bro,” Bella taunted Quil. 

Instead, Quil sat back down, leaning against a tree. “How am I supposed to knock you down if you move so fast?”

Bella and Paul looked at each other with a smirk. Now they could play against a real opponent to demonstrate. Paul had taught Bella everything he knew so he was often able to predict her movements. They both understood how each other thought. That meant their movements were fluid, almost like a dance between two people with one mind. One body would lunge as the other dodged in almost perfect harmony. Still, they were both able to get a few blows in. 

Quil sat against that tree, watching, motionless. “So even you can't knock her down?” Quil asked Paul.

“I've seen them kiss,” Paul retorted. “At least I can get a few blows in. You can't even touch her, and we both know you want to.”

Sam growled from the spot where he was training. 

“Paul!” Sam called. Paul looked over to Sam just as Bella swept his feet with her left leg. 

Sam stood over Paul, now flat on his back. “We don't want the pups sexualizing Bella. It causes too much discord.” Sam reached his hand down to help Paul up. 

“She's the one who offered to let him watch her kiss Leah if Quil can knock her over.” Paul didn't need Sam's help getting up, but he took his hand as a sign of familial love. He stood with his alpha and friend.

“That’s her right. She knows he'll never knock her down.”

Quil had used this opportunity to sneak up on Bella. Paul and Sam were watching the situation, ready to knock him down as needed. When he was almost an arm's length away, Bella spun and pushed her hand against his chest at her maximum speed. 

Quil's feet dragged over the forest floor as he was pushed back several yards. He landed mostly upright, his back crashing against a tree. 

The wind was completely knocked out of him. This freaked Bella out. She was worried that she had truly hurt the kid. She ran over to him, examining him. His heart was beating but he wasn't breathing. She was worried about a spinal injury, not sure how that would heal. 

Quil’s body slid down the tree. Bella crouched down with him. “You ok?” She snapped her fingers in front of his face. “Hey! Quil!”

Finally, Quil turned his head and looked at her. His breath was ragged. She saw a muscle twitch in his leg as he prepared to sweep his legs across her ankles to knock her over.

Bella sprung from her crouch into a black flip, landing on her feet closer to Sam and Paul. She loved what she was able to do with her body after her shift.

“Let's swap Bella and Jared,” Sam announced. “Let's see if the kid can knock Jared down.”

Bella followed Sam. She phased into a wolf to work with Jacob.

Bella! This is so cool! I'm crazy fast! Jacob said, more enthusiastic than she expected.

Bella set up a race with Jacob to show what crazy fast really looked like. Of course Bella won. They sparred a few times. Jacob was quickly frustrated with Bella’s speed and maneuverability. Sam sent him to run a lap around the border to recharge.

Sam and Bella sat together, watching Jacob try to take down Quil. Why isn't Jacob phasing back? Bella asked Sam, both still in wolf form. He's not angry or scared.

I think he doesn't want to. He's a weird kid. He has a great family and friends, but he's bored, dissatisfied with life. That comes across as him being cocky, goofy, not giving a shit, and generally being a fuck up. But I think there's more going on.

Go on, Dr. Sam, Bella teased.  

I think the wolf has given him some sort of purpose in life.

Makes sense. Doesn't it do that for all of us? Bella asked. 

For some more than others, yes. For most of us, that purpose didn't quite kick in until we imprinted. But with Jacob, the difference was profound from the moment he shifted. He's soaking up wolf knowledge like a sponge.

Do you think it will rub off on Quil? Bella asked.

I'm worried that it will go the other way., that Quil will pull Jacob down to his old attitude.

Only one way to find out, right? Get Quil to phase back in, Bella suggested.

I guess, Sam said, moving his wolf shoulders almost like a shrug.

And isn't it better to do it now while everyone is here?

Jacob was listening in, thinking over what they said. He didn't think he was a fuck up, but he did love being a wolf. He thought they were right, that it gave him purpose. He finished his lap and ran back to the group.

When Quil phased in, Pack Prime used the curtain to veil their own thoughts and just observe. 

Jacob and Quil's emotions mixed as they shared their memories. Jacob shared his joy and excitement. He tried to share the fullness of his sense of purpose with Quil.

Quil shared his fear of the pack. He shared the horrifying memory of Sam’s fists making contact with his face. He lost consciousness before he could even phase. It happened so fast. Still, the memory was brutal, shocking even. None of them particularly enjoyed seeing that through Quil’s eyes. Sam didn't regret it though.

Jacob looked around at the other wolves, speaking up for his friend. Is Jared the only safe one among you ?

Then Quil showed Jacob memories of Jared, acting kind, helping him understand then pinning his wolf down over and over. He showed Jared in an attack crouch, the fur on his back raised.

Jacob knew Jared as a gentle man. He knew this ferocity was out of character for him. Why, though ? Jacob asked. 

He's not showing you the complete memory, Sam explained.

They all shared memories of what Quil had said and done that had caused such violent reactions. Bella saw Quil's thoughts of her, the thoughts he had when she stood as a human before him so that he wouldn't be afraid of her. The hair along her spine bristled, standing up straight. Her lips curled over her canines. A deep and menacing growl escaped her throat. 

Jacob stepped in front of Quil protectively. A lot of that was a joke and some of it is because he's a 15 year old guy. We're all annoying horn dogs. Jacob flinched internally at the canine reference. Something about the dog comment was fundamentally offensive to him. He’d have to watch how he spoke, how he thought, in the future.

We showed him how to curtain his thoughts, Jared explained.

He's a goofball, Jacob countered. It was meaningless. He's a good guy. You can trust me on that.

Trust you? Paul was fuming mad. Paul showed the pack all of his memories of Jacob since he imprinted on Rachel, how he neglected his father's medical needs, making things difficult for his father by carelessly putting items out of reach, not being willing to drive to appointments, walking out in the middle of conversations. 

Jacob, in turn, showed all of his memories of Paul with random girls over the years, some who truly cared about Paul. He showed Paul with a girl a year older than Jacob, a girl that Jacob had a crush on. Paul had fucked the girl and then ignored her, but the girl was obsessed with Paul. She wouldn't even talk to Jacob anymore. 

Paul was unphased. I fucked girls who knew what they were getting into. I did not skirt my responsibility to my father and cause him unnecessary suffering. 

Paul showed memories of him and his own father. Paul was a smidge shorter than the man he had to pick up from the drunk tank, time and again. Looking down, Paul was wearing a uniform. He worked at the grocery store and had to leave work to help his dad. He brought his father to rehab, doctors appointments, AA meetings, even church, all while taking care of the bills for the house and getting decent grades. 

Ruefully, without even meaning to, he shared his most devastating memory. He was walking into the morgue of the hospital, a cold and sterile place. His father had been too drunk to put on his seat belt the night before. Paul was pretty sure he only ever wore his seatbelt when Paul reminded him to. His father's face was unrecognizable. He had to use tattoos to identify him.

Everything was easier after that. It was easier, but not better.

Yep, I fucked girls to blow off steam, Paul said, trying not to explode at the kid. I was up front about what I wanted. They fucked me because I was a man worth respecting. Maybe if you were too, your crush would want to fuck you.

Jacob hung his head. His shame was heavy enough for the entire pack to feel. He asked, Who's taking care of Dad now? 

The same people who have been for the past few months. Paul showed him and Rachel setting up Billy’s medication, figuring out who would drive him to appointments, helping him with shopping and preparing healthy meals.

Is it important to take care of him because he's chief? Jacob asked.

Sam laughed a hearty laugh. I’m chief, kid. The alpha is the head of the spirit warriors. If your father would like to challenge me, he's welcome to. 

Paul added, It's important because he's your dad and he's a good man.

Sam was pleased that had been aired out. It had caused a lot of tension on Paul's side when Jacob first phased. Jacob had ignored Paul's anger until Sam and Jared phased in and dismissed Paul for the night. 

Both Sam and Jared were annoyed at Jacob's flippant attitude toward Paul, his own father, and responsibility in general. However, they found his company more enjoyable than Quil’s.

No one thought that the dispute was over, but Paul was going to give him time to step up. 

Jacob and Quil took turns sparring in wolf form against the pack and each other. Sam led them all around the patrol route then took them back into the woods to spar.

While Jared and Paul fought with the pups, Sam and Bella leaned against a tree in human form. 

“Leah's ok with you coming surfing with us,” Bella told him.

“How generous.”

“She's not really mad at you any more,” Bella tried to explain. “She's more mad that you and Emily have my love. But she doesn’t trust you and doesn’t want to listen to anything you have to say.”

“That sounds like her.”

“She accepted the imprint, Sam.”

He nodded, not sure how to express how he felt. Above all, he was happy for Bella. “I heard. That makes her family to me and Emily. I know it's delicate, but it’s so important for us to make things right with Leah.”

“It's going to take time, Sam, but I think her tolerating your presence is a good first step. When was the last time you saw her?”

Sam scratched his head. “When you imprinted. It was kind of cool, actually. When I walked in, she was glaring at me like she wished me dead. But after you imprinted, it was like she didn't even notice me anymore. I should have noticed something was up but you know how I can be when I've got something to do.”

“Mhmm. What do you want from a relationship with Leah?” Bella asked.

“I want her friendship back,” Sam said with a sigh. “We got along really well, even before we dated. It sucked losing that. Even more, she's pack now. Therefore she's family. Unlike the rest of us, Leah has a great family. She doesn't need us the way that we need her.”

“I feel that way with her too. It’s almost like I’m competing with her family, but I know that’s silly. Does Emily feel the same way? Does she want Leah’s friendship too?”

“Emily’s so excited to have Leah back. They’re actually family and she loves Leah. But she's nervous that Leah won't ever want anything to do with her.”

Bella picked at some of the moss by her knee. “But Leah's an imprint. All that imprint bonding is important.”

“I know. I think it'll all be fine if we're patient.”

“What if she wants to move away from the rez, Sam?” 

Dread filled Sam's heart, but he knew he couldn't force Bella to stay forever. He wanted her to have a full life, even if it was away from him and the pack. “You'll go with her after we're confident that we don't need you here. We'll see you at Christmas and maybe you'll come back for Quileute Days in the summer.”

“I was thinking more along the lines of… how can I make her stay?”

Sam chuckled. “You can't make Leah do anything. Tell me, how did you make her complete the imprint? Did you trick her into it?”

“I didn't make her!” Bell cried, defending herself against the accusation. “She just started to. I told her to stop and we talked about it for a bit, then she completed the imprint.”

“You can’t make Leah do anything. That’s exactly my point. With Leah, you're in for a ride.”

“No, she was riding me,” Bella said, suppressing a smirk.

Sam scoffed. “I didn't even know that she liked girls.”

“It doesn't seem like something she'd tell you.”

“Did she even love me?” Sam asked, looking over to Bella.

“Yeah, she definitely did. But it sounds like she didn't always treat you right.”

“It was mutual.”

“She never says that. She just had told me about times that she treated you poorly.”

“So she didn't say that I was judgemental and patronizing?”

“No, she did say that,” Bella said, grinning. “But I think that too and I still love you. I don't see that as you treating me poorly.”

“It's different. I have power over you as alpha. She was my partner. You should never be patronizing to a partner.”

“Sound advice. How do you stop yourself with Emily?”

“I don't even have to try,” Sam said. His face lit up just thinking about it. “I respect her a ton. We think alike on a lot of things. When we disagree, I know that she'll listen to me. I'm always curious about what she thinks, figuring out why we disagree.”

“That sounds nice,” Bella said wistfully.

“It is. But it wasn't like that with Leah. She would have an idea. I'd tell her my thoughts. She'd be annoyed that I was ‘patronizing’ her, then, without further conversation, she goes through with her idea, ignoring my input. Sometimes it all went fine, but when it didn't, I didn't judge her kindly.”

“Why were you two together?”

“I loved her. It was crazy love, but not healthy love. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen in my life and even though we fought, it was fun to be around her. I don't know why she was with me.”

“I can ask,” Bella offered.

“Thanks.”

“She did say that she thought she and I still would’ve gotten together if it weren't for the wolf thing. That I would have stolen her away from you.”

“Probably,” Sam agreed. “I would have been the victim in that one. I would have lost her. You and I never would have been friends. Emily wouldn't give me the time of day. I’d just be left with Paul.”

“You guys were friends before?”

“Sort of. The rez is small. There weren't a ton of guys in our class. Paul was always the one I was closest to but we didn't hang out much. So I wouldn't have had Jared either.”

That wasn’t fun to think about for either of them. It made Bella grateful for the pack not just because they were family for her, but they were family for each other, too.

After training and running a few patrol laps, Bella went home to wait for her imprint.

 

Chapter 20: Safe Choices

When Leah got to Bella's house after work, she immediately started kissing Bella, pushing her shoulders toward the bedroom. “I have been looking forward to you all day, Beautiful.” Leah lifted Bella’s shirt over her head, gasping at the bounce of her bare breasts, then even more excited when she saw Bella was completely nude under the shirt. 

Bella had to unbutton Leah’s shirt a little ways before she could get it off but she was swift, tackling Leah’s bra next. She had learned the clasps of every single one of Leah’s bras. “I’ve been looking forward to seeing you too.” Bella pushed down Leah’s skirt, then groped her through her pantyhose as they walked toward the bedroom. Slowly, she peeled them off of Leah when they got onto the bed.

“I couldn’t get you out of my head all day,” Leah confessed.

“What part of me?” Bella asked, sprawled on the bed next to her.

“Mmm,” Leah moaned, “let me show you.” Leah kissed down Bella's neck, sucking the skin into her mouth. “You taste so good!”

“I took a shower after you left, then did sweaty work with the guys,” Bella explained, embarrassed that she didn’t take another shower before Leah arrived.

“I don't want to think about the guys right now,” Leah said, kissing down Bella’s collarbone to her breasts. She rubbed her cheek on one then caught the nipple in her mouth. Her hand was squeezing, gently squeezing the other breast. 

Bella was running her fingers through Leah's hair, wanting to touch her too, but also curious about what Leah wanted to do to her. She decided to let Leah take the lead completely. While Leah continued to lick and suck Bella's nipple, she brought her fingers to Bella's wet center. She rubbed her clit, gently of course, one finger on either side. Bella groaned in pleasure, encouraging Leah to continue.

“I don't know which I like more, your clit or your nipples,” Leah said, almost breathless.

She swapped the position of her mouth and her fingers. She rubbed her lips and tongue on the clit now. Bella was moaning softly, gripping Leah's hair in her fist.

“The clit tastes and smells better.” She licked all around it, then went back to rhythmic rubbing. “They are both visually appealing.”

She stuck a finger into Bella and pushed on her g-spot while increasing pressure with her tongue. Bella squealed.

“The clit sounds better,” Leah commented. 

She replaced her tongue with her thumb and started sucking on Bella's other breast. Her fingers worked diligently between Bella’s legs.

“But touching these, squeezing them. Mmm. Fuck. Nothing compares.”

She sucked on Bella's nipple, rolling it on her tongue while playing with her clit between her fingers. She could feel Bella’s orgasm, first through the ripple of her stomach muscles, then as she bore down on Leah's hand.

“I just can't decide,” Leah whispered, capturing Bella's lips. 

“Oh fuck, Leah. That was… fuck!” Bella was not proud of how inarticulate Leah's touch made her. At the same time, she was so pleased that her imprint had mastered her body so thoroughly.

Bella rolled Leah o to her back. She got between Leah's knees, lifting one of Leah's leg to her shoulder. She straddled Leah's core, lining up their clits. Bella started grinding, watching Leah's face, stroking the leg she was holding flush on her body. She was watching Leah's face so intently that she was surprised by her own orgasm.

“Leah,” Bella sighed as she snuggled against Leah’s neck. “I love your body.”

“Mmmm. I love yours too.” Leah kissed Bella's forehead. “I've been thinking about it all day.”

“You have?”

“Does that surprise you?” Leah asked.

“A little,” Bella admitted. “I guess I think of myself as more into you than you’re into me and I wasn't thinking about your body all day, just parts of the day.”

“I was thinking of those boobs, how they feel on my face, and the noises you make when I lick you and I was thinking about your face. You're so beautiful. And don't reply that I'm beautiful too. Just let me enjoy you, please.”

“Ok.”

Leah rubbed her hand on Bella's back. “I love how soft you are. All over soft but still strong. Like you could easily dominate me and I kind of love that, but you never do because you want to interact with me, not have your way with me. I love that.”

“I can dominate you, but it never occurs to me to try.”

“In some ways, we're still strangers,” Leah said, almost wistfully. “There’s just so much left to learn about each other, but I really do believe that we are soulmates, the way we interact, it's like we know each other, like we're comfortable together and it makes me feel so… so…”

“Content?”

“Exactly, but like extra, extra content.”

“Deeply content,” Bella suggested, knowing there was probably a better word to describe how they both felt together.

“Yes!”

“There's so much we don't know, and I want to know everything. Sometimes I think of questions for you but then when I see you, it's like I'm intoxicated by your presence. It takes a while for that to wear off and then you have to go back to work.”

“Not tomorrow,” Leah reminded her.

“No. I told Sam he could come surfing, so it'll be the whole pack.”

“Ok,” Leah said, still not wanting to talk about Sam.

“Tell me about Seth,” Bella requested, changing the topic just when Leah needed it.

“Seth? My kid brother?” 

“I don't have any brothers and I've only met your parents,” Bella explained.

“Didn't Seth open the door the day we met?”

“I think so. What's it like having a little brother.”

Leah began with, “It's the best and the worst all at once. I remember him as a baby. I was five and it was awesome. He was my real life baby doll. Dolls from the store were usually white but Seth looked like me, but a boy. I helped feed him and change him and I loved him so much. I thought I was the luckiest kid.”

“You're speaking in past tense. I'm guessing the relationship has changed?”

“Slowly, yeah,” Leah admitted. “Then the last few years… it feels like the changes happened very suddenly. He's a great kid but I think he gets frustrated with me. Like I went to the playground with him up until two years ago, then he didn't want to go anymore,” Leah said, trying not to complain. “Fine, but he doesn't want to do anything now but play video games. We used to do lots of things together and he acts like he's too mature for everything. If I'm not too mature to sit on a swing, why is he?”

“I'll sit on a swing with you.” Bella offered.

“Thanks. I mean, with Seth, I don't mind playing video games, but not all day, you know?”

“Sure.” Bella had barely played any video games at all, never mind all day long. The rest of the pack never talked about video games. She wondered if they couldn’t afford them. Or maybe they outgrew them.

“What's it like being an only child?” Leah asked.

“Lonely,” Bella answered without needing to think about it. “My mom had us living in cities mostly and she didn't want me wandering the neighborhood while she was at work. So I just stayed in the apartment by myself all the time.”

“How old were you when she first left you alone?”

“It was when I was first in school, like first grade. I watched Aladdin so many times,” Bella was peering at Leah’s face. “Hey, You look kind of like Princess Jasmine. Your hair isn't as thick and you don't have the Disney princess chin, but otherwise, kind of.” 

“You don't think I look more like Pocahontas?” Leah asked.

Bella giggled nervously. For the first time since she met Leah, she was worried about saying something racist. Technically she was part native, but it was a small part and she had passed as white her whole life. “Oh, that is a better fit, yeah. But by the time that Pocahontas came out on VHS, my mom had gotten me way more movies so I wasn't watching the same thing over and over again. Pocahontas had the princess chin too.”

“You have a princess chin, Bella.”

“My chin’s pointy,” Bella said, touching the bottom of her chin.

Leah laughed, lifting Bella’s chin to see it clearly. “Maybe from a distance or in pictures from a certain angle. Up close, definitely not.”

“What movies did you watch way too many times as a kid?”

“Probably also Aladdin . I liked 101 Dalmatians too. Anything with animals in it. I wanted to be a vet for a long time.”

“What do you want to be now?” Bella asked.

Leah hesitated, not sure how to talk about her plans for the future with the girl that had whisked her off her feet and changed everything. “I don't know, Bella. It's got to be something I can do in Forks or on the rez.”

Bella couldn't believe her ears.“You're going to stay?!”

“Yeah, of course. I can't pull you away from your family. I wouldn't.”

Bella lifted herself onto her palms to look down into Leah’s face. “I would have followed you. I would follow you anywhere.”

“I know,” Leah said, stroking Bella's hair. “That's why I can't ask you to.”

“Leah, I don't want to take your future from you!”

“Bella, stop! You're my future.”

“Can't you be a vet here?” Bella asked.

“The only vet school in Washington is nine hours away. Or there’s one in Oregon that’s six hours away. But I'd need my doctorate. It would take ages. What did you want to do before the wolf stuff?”

“Promise you won't laugh?”

“Why would I laugh?” Leah asked.

“Just promise.”

“I promise.”

“I wanted to be a literature professor.”

“Like a frumpy bookworm or a sexy librarian?” Leah asked. She could picture Bella as either.

Bella could feel herself redden. “Both, depending on my mood.”

“Nice. Why would I laugh?”

“Because I maybe don't come across as a book nerd.”

“When we met, you immediately started helping me with my Shakespeare homework,” Leah reminded her.

“It's because I liked you.”

“How much education would you need to became a professor? A PhD, right?”

“Yep.”

“Do you think you will?” Leah asked.

“Nope,” Bella said, shaking her head. “I haven't really looked at the offering at the community college in Forks. I need to get the GED done, then take a look. But I don't like that we just got two new pups. I wish I knew why they are joining now.”

“I thought it was the Cullens,” Leah said.

“Yeah, but why do we need more now ? The Cullens aren't doing anything.” This had been bothering Bella but no one was taking it seriously. Even Sam wasn't concerned about getting two new pups, one right after another. It wasn’t something she wanted to worry her imprint about though. She would keep Leah safe.

~O~

When Leah woke up on Thursday morning, Bella's forehead was on her cheek. She felt like she didn't deserve this crazy affectionate girl, but she was glad she had her. Since Seth grew up, she hadn't really been affectionate with anyone. She didn't know what she was missing. She was missing Bella Swan.

When Bella woke, she glanced up to Leah's eyes to make sure she was awake before kissing her neck. “Mmm,” Bella hummed. “Morning baby.”

“What time is everyone meeting to go surfing?”

“Paul and Rachel will be there at 10:00. I think Sam will too. He has my gear and yours.”

“Why does he have your gear?” Leah asked. She thought that sounded like exactly the kind of bullshit Sam would pull, holding onto the gear so he was in charge.

“Because the suits and stuff were in his hall closet and he has the boards on the wall. So when I was packing my stuff, I didn't think to take them.”

“Will you bring them home now?”

Bella loved that Leah just called their house home . She answered, “I don't want to take the board without taking the wall mount but I'll talk to Sam about it. Do you have a spot where you want the board to go?”

Leah hadn’t actually thought this through, but she didn’t want Bella’s stuff in Sam’s house. So she suggested, “Above the TV would look nice.”

“Wherever we put it, there's got to be room for your board, too.”

“Shouldn't we see if I'm any good first?”

“You probably won't be good on your first day.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Leah said with a grin.

“No one’s good on their first day. I'm hoping you'll be confident enough to stand on the board by the end of the day.”

“Mmm,” Leah agreed, knowing little about what to expect from her first day. “What do you want for breakfast?”

“Food.”

“You ready to get up?”

Bella squeezed Leah's body to her own. “Are you staying over tonight?”

“Yeah, if you want me to.”

“Fuck yeah. Leah, sleeping with you is my absolute favorite thing in my life. And I'm not talking about the sex, although that's great too. I've never had a girlfriend before. I've never held someone all night before. I've never even wanted to. But this is the best.”

“I like it too,” Leah told her. That was the understatement of the century. The very idea of sleeping without Bella pained her at this point.

“Ok, let's get up. Did you and Sam snuggle when you were together?” Bella asked as she pulled on a shirt.

Leah groaned, following Bella out of bed. Talking about Sam was such a mood killer. “A little bit but never all night. Sometimes during movies we snuggled. I much prefer snuggling with you.” 

In the kitchen, Bella asked, “Do you want breakfast sandwiches with me?”

Leah nodded, getting ingredients from the fridge.

“Sam and I were talking about you yesterday.”

“Am I in trouble?” Leah asked warily.

“Ha! No. We were talking about how you two didn't always treat each other great. So I asked why he was with you so long.”

“I feel like I'm going to hate his answer,” Leah breathed.

“He told me he loved you, crazy unhealthy love and that you were the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.”

 Leah couldn't help but roll her eyes. “Sex then, and I barely gave it to him.”

“But he had no answer for why you were with him.”

“I loved him too. He was safe.”

“Like, he made you feel safe?” Bella asked.

“No, he was a safe choice. He was a genuinely nice guy. I knew how he felt about me but I also knew he wouldn't push me in our physical relationship. He would never pressure me to do anything I was uncomfortable with. I needed that. I think it’s why it took so long for us to get together, because I didn’t feel like I could trust you for a myriad of reasons.”

“Were you attracted to him?” Bella wondered if feeling safe was a good enough reason to have a relationship with someone.

Leah did not want to talk about this. But she thought Bella had the right to know. “I thought he was handsome. He was handsome, Bella. Yes, I was definitely attracted to him, but it’s really nothing for you to be jealous of. He never gave me swarms of butterflies like you do. At best, there would be one or two fluttering around in there when I was with him. When he touched me, it wasn't uncomfortable, but it wasn't electric like yours. It was pleasant, something I looked forward to occasionally, but it wasn’t a craving like how I crave you. If we kissed at the end of a date or whatever, it was nice. Lips feel nice. Tongue feels nice. But it wasn’t something I day dreamed about like it is with you. Thoughts of him weren’t distracting me to the point that… well, it’s nothing like it is with you.”

“I wasn’t jealous,” Bella clarified. “I thought you might be gay if you were only with him because he was a safe choice.”

“Oh, no. I’m pretty sure… um. No. I’m pretty sure I’m bi.”

“Have you been attracted to any guys other than Sam?”

Leah groaned. “Why would you want to know that?”

“You don’t have to tell me. I’m just curious. And you can ask me anything. You know that, right?”

“Have you ever been attracted to any guys?”

Bella bit her tongue. “When I was in 9th grade there was a guy I had a crush on. It was very confusing for me but she came out as trans a few months later.”

“Did you ever hook up?”

“Ah. No. She was bullied badly and her parents sent her to one of those conversion camps. Then they moved. I worry about her sometimes. She was a few years older than me so I hope that once she got to college, she was able to live normally.”

“I’ve never met anyone trans,” Leah confessed. That kind of thing just wasn’t done on the rez.

“Yeah,” Bella scratched her head. “I don’t know that there was anyone trans in Forks, either. It’s kind of a numbers game. Smaller communities have less people, therefore less LGBTQ and those people are quick to move away to find others like them. It’s kind of like brain drain.”

Leah rubbed her palm on her forehead. “That’s another reason to stay here, with you, to counteract brain drain just a little.”

“So were you ever attracted to other guys?” Bella asked again. “Or do you not want to tell me?”

“I wasn’t attracted to other guys. With Sam, the attraction built more slowly than it did with girls. I’ve had crushes on girls that hit hard and fast, like with you. With guys, I might notice that they’re attractive like Paul-”

“You were attracted to Paul?!” Bella was instantly jealous.

“No. But I noticed that he was good looking, handsome even. I think with guys, it just takes more of a connection for the attraction to build. With girls the attraction can be instant, but I still need that connection before I can get with them, if that makes any sense.”

“It makes tons of sense. So you’ve been attracted to more girls than guys?”

“Sure, but I wasn’t going to let anything serious happen. It just wasn’t worth it.”

“Worth what?”

“Losing my mom.”

Bella gulped. “Do you think she'll…?”

“I don't know but you don't have to worry about it. Whatever happens, you're worth it. And pack is family, right? So I won't be alone.”

“Do you know if Seth feels the same way as your mom?”

“No,” Leah said, shaking her head vehemently. “He doesn’t feel the same way. I made sure of it. Whenever it came up on tv or in a conversation or something, I would talk to Seth about it, making sure that he understood. At the time, I thought I was doing it for Uncle Luke.”

“You were. You were doing it for both of you.”

After breakfast, they packed snacks and lunch for their day on the beach. Leah was dreading seeing Sam, but she’d endure it for Bella. She’d endure anything for Bella.

 

Chapter 21: The Boob Debacle

Bella and Leah packed snacks, drinks, and lunch for their day at the beach. When they arrived, Bella put their stuff in the shade under driftwood. Then they ran down the sand to the water's edge. Paul and Rachel were both in the waves. Jared was paddling out to meet them. 

Bella couldn't see Sam anywhere. Shit. Sam had their stuff and he wasn't here. 

Paul was pointing at something a little way down the beach. 

Bella turned and Sam was sitting in the sand, doing safety inspections of all the inflatable life vests. When the pack started surfing, Sam had insisted that everyone have full wetsuits inflatable life vests, even the pack. Paul had balked at that request, so Sam made it an order. He wasn’t going to lose one of his guys to something stupid.

Sam seemed to be hung up on Emily's inflatable vest, which would go to Leah. “I'm not sure about this, Bella,” he said as the girls approached him. “I'm worried that this won't fit her, even though I've loosened it. We chose Emily's stuff based on the fact that Leah and Emily are about the same height.”

Sam looked up at the two girls. “I think you should switch vests.” Then he realized this was the encounter he had been nervous about. “Oh, hi, Leah.” Sam had loved Leah for many years but those feelings seemed so dim now. Now he saw her as pack, the mate of his packmate. He didn't know what he had been nervous about. 

“Is this about boobs?” Leah asked with a huff.

“Kind of, yeah.” He hadn't taken that into account when he agreed to lend Leah the equipment. 

“Boobs squish, Sam,” Bella said matter of factly. “With the life vest, the weight rating matters more than the boob size. Let me see Emily's vest.”

Sam handed it to her. Leah read the weight rating over her shoulder. “I'm within this weight range.”

“I can help you squish your boobies into it, Leah,” Bella offered with a grin.

“Hold up,” Sam said. “Bella, do you fit that weight requirement too? You don't want her to be distracted by skin irritation out there.”

“I haven't stepped on a scale in a while, Sam,” Bella told him honestly. Her weight wasn’t something that concerned her anymore since the wolf gave her such a high metabolism.

“But you had to weigh yourself to get this vest, right?” he asked.

“Yeah, I'm pretty sure that I was under the max weight for that vest, but check with Rachel. She's the one that wrote it down and sent the info.”

Leah sighed. She didn't want Sam to win this weird vest war. She felt determined to do anything so he’d lose the vest war, but she couldn’t think of anything.

Sam stood in the sand and flagged down the surfers. Paul, then Rachel, then Jared joined them on the beach. “I need Bella's weight,” Sam said. “Bella thinks you know it, Rachel.”

Leah spoke up, a little annoyed. “He doesn't need you to announce her exact weight, Rachel. Just check to see if it is in the range for this vest.” Leah handed her the vest. “Do you remember her weight, roughly?”

Rachel answered, “She's about ten pounds lighter than the max here. So this vest is fine.”

“What's this all about, Sam?” Paul asked.

“Leah's boobs,” Bella answered, draping her arm around Leah’s shoulder. 

Jared gave Sam a questioning look. 

“It's about safety and comfort.” Sam grinned. He was defeated even though he had won. “Ok, it's about the safety and comfort of Leah's boobs. Leah, you get Bella's vest, Bella, you get Emily's. I'll let you two adjust the straps.”

Sam, Paul and Jared went out on their boards. Rachel stayed to help Bella and Leah with their wetsuits.

“Emily said not to pee in her wetsuit,” Bella remembered. 

“Why would I… oh yeah!” Leah's face lit up at the memory. “I peed in her backpack once right before she left to go home.”

Rachel was giggling. “Why’d you do that, Leah?”

“I got a really nice tea set and we were having a tea party, as you do, and she ‘fell’ on it.” Leah made finger quotes when she said the word fell .

“Did she fall on purpose or…?” Bella asked.

“I think it was an accident,” Leah admitted, “but I was six and I was mad. She still hasn't replaced the broken pieces.”

“Bring it up with Sam. He's good at mediating this kind of stuff,” Bella said, mostly joking.

“Maybe I will.” Leah definitely would not. She wasn’t going to engage with Sam more than necessary.

“Rachel, did she ever pee on anything of yours?” Bella asked.

Leah was glaring at Rachel in a threatening way. 

“Leah, do you want to tell her?” Rachel offered.

“No.”

“Now I have to know,” Bella said excitedly.

“It's not a big deal, Bella. Leah had a hard time when she was angry and things weren't resolved to her satisfaction. Wouldn't you say, Leah?”

“You're calling me a spoiled brat?” Leah taunted.

“No,” Rachel said, not intimidated by one of her oldest friends. “Did you ever get what you wanted from this behavior?”

“It wasn't about that.” Leah's eyes narrowed as she said, “It was about revenge.”

“Normal motives for six year old girls,” Rachel commented snarkily.

Bella asked, “Should I be worried?”

“Probably not,” Rachel said. “I don't think she'd target you, but she'd probably target others on your behalf.”

“She's the greatest!” Bella said, squeezing Leah tight. “But what did she pee on, Rachel?”

“My sneakers.”

“Leah, have you peed on anything of mine?” Bella asked.

“No, Bella!” Leah cried. “I haven't done that in over ten years. But don't tell Emily that. I want her to wonder if I peed on her wetsuit.”

“Sam would be able to sniff out the truth.” Rachel was confident of that. 

“It sounds like Sam might be a pervert,” Leah said.

Bella laughed. “We could all sniff it out, Leah, probably even Rachel. Rachel, do you have a good sense of smell?”

“Pretty good, not as good as Paul's but pretty good.” 

“It's genetic from the Black line,” Bella informed her. “My Dad’s got it too. It helps him with his detective work.”

They approached the water where Paul was waiting. “What have you told her so far?” Paul asked Bella.

“Nothing. She hasn't even gotten her toes wet.”

Paul went over how the inflatable life vest worked first. That was a request from Sam and a totally unnecessary one. Leah had read all of the printed instructions on the vest.

Paul went over surfing basics. He made Leah practice on the dry sand first, showing her how to lift herself on the board. Then he showed her how to skimboard, riding the wet sand where the waves receded. Finally, he demonstrated on a smaller wave. He had Leah try it on a smaller wave too. 

She got into a low crouch, keeping control of the board. Leah was having a blast. Bella was sitting on her board, delighted as she watched her imprint.

Jared paddled up beside her. “It feels good seeing her like this,” he said. “She’s happy, having fun, almost carefree.”

“You took the words out of my mouth. I was hoping she'd stand up by the end of the day. She's magnificent.”

“This was a good idea, the surfing,” Jared agreed. “Good way to reintroduce her and Sam, but he really botched it with that boob debacle.” 

Bella’s grin stretched her cheeks. “I think that made it better. I think if everything was too smooth it would have been more awkward, you know?”

“Probably true. And it's good for the alpha to be a little humble sometimes.”

“Leah can make anyone humble.”

“Yeah I can, baby!” Leah said, paddling up to them. “Did you see me? I stood up like you wanted.”

“I'm really impressed,” Bella gushed, “and I don't say that often. You're going to be better than Paul in no time.”

“Sam's going now,” Jared commented.

Leah paddled her board around to watch. Sam was riding a bigger wave than her. His movements were graceful. There was something about him that was animalistic, but controlled. 

She wanted to see Bella do it. Bella hadn't had a chance so naturally, it was her turn next. 

Leah sat mesmerized as she watched. Bella was balanced perfectly but moving swiftly. When it came time for her to stand, Leah expected the same controlled grace that she saw from Sam. Instead, Bella's pushed down on the board, then in an instant, her feet were steadily controlling the board. 

There was not a quiver of imbalance in the board. Bella's body moved a little as she kept balance with the wave but it was minimal. All of her movements were speed, strength, and flawless grace. After the wave crested, she paddled beside Leah. 

“You were incredible,” Leah said, a little breathless in her awe.

“Thanks but I would never have been able to do what you did if I weren't a wolf.”

Leah’s face almost darkened in confusion. “Meaning?”

“I was a total klutz, Leah,” Bella told her. “I would trip on a flat surface at least once a week. I was brave though. You know what you get when you cross bravery with a klutz?”

“No, what?”

“Injury. I was on a first name basis with the nurses at the emergency room in Phoenix. ”

Leah laughed. “But you're so suave. Were you a klutz with girls, too.”

“That's why I was kind of a slut,” Bella said sheepishly. “I really needed the practice. And I’m proud of that progress.”

“But wouldn't you automatically have those skills when you become a wolf? Like with the surfing?”

“No!” Bella said, remembering. “I’d have the stamina and strength to do a lot of the moves that might have been difficult before, and flexibility, but I wouldn't know the moves. If you gave me a surfboard and an ocean without a Paul, I wouldn't have figured out surfing. Or it would have taken me a long, long time.”

“That's nice of you to say, Bella,” Paul said. “Leah, you're up next. Go for a wave the same size but try to stand all the way up this time. Remember to keep your knees bent.”

“You got this, baby,” Bella encouraged her.

“I liked that you were a klutz when you started,” Paul commented to Bella.

“I thought I was very graceful,” Bella said defensively. 

“Not at first,” Paul teased. “But it meant I could show you my way of doing things, model you in my image.”

“I don't like that,” Bella responded.

“Sam didn't either. That's why you spent time with all of us equally. He didn't want a girl version of me.”

“It's basically what I got, though,” Sam said. “But somehow the girl version is so much more charming and likeable.”

Leah caught a wave. Everyone watched as she smoothly got to her feet. She teetered a little as she straightened but was able to correct course. She was standing!

“Amazing!” Bella was so excited for Leah. 

“She’s doing better than Rachel when she and I first started,” Paul said.

Rachel smacked him in the chest, gently, so she wouldn’t hurt herself. “I’m not going to be automatically good just because my twin is.”

“But you had already surfed a whole bunch. This is Leah’s first day,” Paul pointed out.

“Guess it’s just a natural talent,” Leah said, paddling up beside them. “I bet I’ve got some of that wolf gene, too.”

After a few more turns for everyone, they broke for lunch.

Sam announced, “I know everybody brought their own food but Emily made a bunch of extra for people to share, including brownies.”

“Kim made cookies for everyone too, but if no one wants them, I can eat them,” Jared offered.

“That's really nice of them to make treats for an event they didn't come to,” Bella said.

Leah asked, “Why didn't Kim come?”

“She's hanging out with Emily today,” Jared explained. “But she does want to get together with you, Leah.”

“Bella has my schedule.”

“So you'd be ok with making plans with them?” Bella asked excitedly. 

“Yeah. What do you do when you hang out with Kim?”

Bella blushed. “Before I imprinted on you, I used to do lots of beauty stuff with her. That's how I learned how to French braid. We'd do each other's nails, stuff like that but, um… I did it very flirtatiously and affectionately and I didn't feel comfortable doing it anymore after I imprinted.”

“Did Jared know about all that?” Leah asked.

“I watched and chatted with them,” Jared said, totally unashamed. “Bella is gifted. She can make a woman feel very beautiful and special. We all loved how she built up the girls’ confidence.”

“She did that with Emily, too,” Sam said, “really built up her confidence, made her truly believe that she was still a beauty.”

Leah scoffed. “Like Emily has a problem with that. She's always been very confident about her looks.”

Sam looked puzzled. No one knew what to say to that.

“Leah hasn't seen Emily since you guys got together, Sam,” Bella explained quietly.

“And she didn't hear?” Sam asked.

“I guess not,” Bella shrugged. “Who would have told her?”

“Some spiteful bitch who thought she'd think it was good news, I imagined,” Sam said, dead serious. “The rez is full of people matching that description.”

“What are you guys talking about?” Leah was getting impatient, being kept in the dark like this.

“It's wolf shit, do you want to know?” Bella asked.

“Yes!”

Sam told her, “When I left you to be with Emily, she told me to go back to you. She said I was abandoning my responsibility, just like my father did. I was still a young wolf, not in control of my phasing yet. I phased too close to her. I hurt her badly, Leah. She still has a lot of scarring on her face.”

Leah was pissed. She turned to Sam, shouting, “You hurt Emily? She was being kind to me and you hurt her?”

“It was an accident,” Jared said gently.

“You phase when you're mad right, Sam?” Leah asked. “That's what Bella told me.”

Sam nodded. 

“You were mad that she was sticking up for me so you hurt her?”

“No! She stuck up for you all the time. She still does. I was mad that she compared me to my father.”

“So you mauled her?!”

“Maybe we should go, Leah,” Bella suggested, gently tugging on Leah’s arm. “Maybe we should talk about this privately.”

“What's there to talk about? And this is the guy in charge?” Leah said, pointing to Sam. “The alpha?”

Sam jumped to his feet. “I'll go. Bella, drop off the boards tomorrow, ok?”

Bella nodded sadly. This was not how she wanted things to go. 

“Let me help you bring the food,” Paul offered Sam. 

“No, Emily made that for all of you. Drop off whatever's left when you're done. I should probably check on the pups anyway.”

Sam started jogging to his car. 

“I'll be right back.” Bella said, running after him at an insane speed. She was not being discreet. When she caught him at his car door, she hugged him fiercely. He hesitated before hugging her back. “I'll help her understand,” she whispered. 

“I think she understands perfectly.”

“You're too hard on yourself, Sam,” Bella said, pulling away to look him in the eye. “When you're hard on yourself, it hurts Emily. You make her think that her face is tragic when you beat yourself up about that incident.”

“It is tragic.” Sam couldn’t look Bella in the eye.

“She's fucking gorgeous, Sam.”

“She used to believe that. You heard Leah. I didn't just ruin her face. I ruined her spirit.”

“No, you didn't ruin her face,” Bella insisted. “You just changed it. She bears the scars of being your woman, scars of bravery and strength and loyalty and love. When you see those scars and feel shame, she feels that too. She feels what you feel, Sam. So don't go home to her and dump all that on her now, please!”

He nodded. 

“You need to look at those scars with pride. Not pride in yourself because that's stupid. Pride in her, how strong and loyal she is, the leader of the imprints. You can build up her confidence so much more easily that I can, Sam.”

Sam sighed. “You're right. You're absolutely right.” He kissed the top of her head and opened the car door. “Now get back to your woman and have fun. Don't make me order it.”

When Bella got back to the group on the beach, everyone was eating silently. No one had known what to say to Leah when Bella left. 

Bella sat down right next to Leah. “I phased in anger when I saw what Sam had done to Emily's face. It's only on the right side, so one side of her face is fucking gorgeous and then she turned…” Bella sighed. “I recognized the spacing of the scars as the spacing on Sam's paw.”

Bella reached out and held Leah's hand as she continued. “I was horrified, terrified for this woman. But I wasn't there when it happened. Sam was. He replayed the memory for me when I was ready. All the guys were there for the aftermath and they've shared their memories too.”

“He was suicidal,” Jared added. “He begged Emily for permission to kill himself. Because she was his imprint, he couldn't do it without her permission.”

“That's so manipulative… so fucked up!” Leah exclaimed. They all knew that she was right. At the same time, they saw the love that Sam and Emily had for each other. There was nothing fucked up about their love.

Bella gave Leah a small smile. “Imprinting is pretty fucked up sometimes. The needs of the imprint far outweigh the needs of the wolf.”

“Gross,” Leah said, shuddering visibly.

Paul chuckled. “Leah, Bella literally let you pick out her house on your second date.”

“It's a good choice,” Bella defended. “And it was Sam's idea for me to let her pick it.”

Leah raised her eyebrows. “You never told me that it was Sam’s idea.”

Jared continued, “You cut off contact with Emily because she was spending too much time with Sam but she was still rejecting him after you stopped talking to her. She didn't give him a chance until after the accident. It was when he felt like his life had no value, when he wanted to kill himself, that's when they got together.”

“Does no one acknowledge how manipulative that is?!” Leah was in disbelief. 

Bella squeezed her hand but said nothing. She had similar thoughts but knew that now was not the time to express them. No one was going to touch Leah’s question, not directly. It would be disrespectful to their alpha.

Jared continued, “Emily knew that Sam was a good man. She knew that the legends were true. She knew that she had feelings for him from the time they spent together. She knew you weren't talking to her anyway. That's when they got together.”

“Sam still hasn't forgiven himself, though,” Paul added. “This is the first time anyone has really talked about it openly.”

Bella added, "And he beat up Quil because he called Emily a ‘butterface.’”

“Emily didn't hear that, did she?” Leah asked quickly. She didn’t like any of this. She especially didn’t like that Emily had been hurt. But that didn’t really change anything between them.

“No,” Bella said, shaking her head. “I told her a story about Quil wanting to see a menage a trois with you and me and Emily as an explanation.”

“And she believed that?” Leah asked.

“She still does, I think. I don't see why anyone would tell her. So don't tell her.”

“I won't. I never see her.”

“Won't that change, though?” Bella asked, almost pleading.

“I'm too hot tempered, Bella,” Leah said. None of this changed the heartbreak Leah endured. It didn’t change the fact that Emily was engaged to Sam. “I think we should give it time before I see Sam again too.”

“Ok, yeah, I can agree with that honestly. I think Sam will probably agree too. But that means that on your days off, we won't have the whole day together because I'll have to go visit with them.”

“I'm fine with that. I still have my own family to see.” 

They finished lunch and went back to the water. One by one, they took turns again. They could have spread out along the beach so they wouldn’t have to take turns but they wanted to be together.

On Leah’s first turn after lunch, she confidently stood on the same size wave as she rode before lunch, but this time, she overcorrected her balance and toppled backwards into the wave. 

Bella was panicking internally. Paul had his hand up, signaling her to wait. After the wave had passed, Leah’s head popped up near the board, which she had on a leash. 

“That was insane,” she said as she paddled toward Bella. “I’m glad it happened on a smaller wave though. I think if my first fall was on a bigger wave, it would scare me a lot more.”

“That’s the right attitude!” Paul encouraged.

Each of them got in a few more waves before Paul, Jared and Bella heard a howl.

“That was Sam,” Jared said, leading everyone to the beach.

“What do I do about Leah?” Bella asked.

“She’s accepted the imprint,” Jared said, “If Sam is howling, we all need to go see what’s up. He knows where we are. He wouldn’t howl if he didn’t need us.”

 

Chapter 22: Perimeter Patrol

Bella peeled off her wetsuit, getting ready to phase. She needed to go with the pack and see what Sam needed, why he was howling. “I’m sorry, Leah, I don’t know when I’ll be back.” 

“You can come hang out at my place,” Rachel suggested to Leah. “We could watch some movies and gossip.”

“Ok,” Leah agreed enthusiastically. She turned back to Bella, “If I’m not at Rachel’s when you're done, I’ll let her know where I am.”

“Do you guys mind picking everything up?” Paul asked Rachel.

“No problem, right Leah?”

Leah nodded. “That's fine. I’ll be fine, Bella, go.”

Bella gave her a quick but meaningful kiss, then ran off with the guys towards the woods.

When they entered the pack mind, they could see Sam with three other wolves. There was Quil and Jacob and a grey one mottled with brown spots.

I took a long walk to clear my head, Sam said, When I finally phased in, there was a new one.

Why are we getting new people? Bella asked. She had been asking this for days, but with just two, it didn’t seem so urgent. With three, it was more urgent. 

Everyone agreed with her, finally. Sam assigned Paul and Bella to run the perimeter of Forks. They were on the hunt for clues about a new threat. 

Meanwhile, Sam and Jared hung back to train the new pups. They learned that Jacob had phased back to human earlier in the day and could control his phase ok. He and Quil had been patrolling together when Embry Call phased in. 

Bella noticed there seemed to be a pattern. When Quil controlled his phase, Jacob phased in. When Jacob controlled his phase, Embry phased in. Bella wondered what would happen when Embry was able to control his phase. She didn’t know enough about the family lineage of the tribe to know who would phase next.

Why didn’t you call for backup when Embry phased? Paul asked into the pack mind. He was pissed that Jacob was goofing off with his friends instead of taking his responsibility seriously. 

Jacob was instantly defensive. It’s not a big deal. We were running patrols.

It is a big deal, Sam boomed. There must be a threat to trigger all these phases in such rapid succession. 

It only took a minute for Paul and Bella to get to Forks from the rez. The treaty said they were not supposed to be in wolf form in Forks, but it did not restrict them from running a large perimeter around the town’s border. 

They stuck together, unsure of what danger there may be. Forks didn’t have many roads in or out. Still, they brought a change of clothes for when they crossed the pavement.

The entire western side of the town had nothing suspicious, not even the scent of a Cullen. That was normal. The West was near the Pacific coast. They didn't expect the vamps to go there anyway. The Cullens always ran to the east to hunt. 

However, the Cullens were known to travel by car. They accepted that it was possible that there would be no scents from them except their hunting route, which was to the east.

On the northern side of town, both Bella and Paul picked up a trail. It was a new scent, definitely a leech.

That’s not a fucking Cullen, Paul seethed.

Sam instructed them, Continue to run the border to see if there’s an exit path. Maybe they were running through and the Cullens told them to move along.

When Paul and Bella got to the eastern border, they came across the path that the Cullens used to hunt in the Olympic National Park. The new vampire scent was mixed in.

Could it be another animal drinker? Bella asked, hopeful.

Finish the loop, then follow the lone trail in. Let's see where it came from, Sam instructed them.

The nice thing about vampire trails was that they were discrete. Vampires stayed in the shadows, in the forest. As they followed the new vampire trail, Bella and Paul only had to phase to human once. That was to cross a street. In time, the trail ended at the ocean.

They could see land across the sea, Vancouver Island. The sea here was different, calmer. Paul recognized it right away. He said, This is Neah Bay. 

Neah Bay? Sam was worried for Emily’s family, but the trail did not go through the Makah reservation. It was a direct line from Forks to the northern tip of the peninsula. Then it vanished into the water. You guys can head back.

Sam, what’s the plan with the new vamp? Are we gonna kill it? Bella asked.

We don’t have a treaty with it, so we can, Sam answered carefully. I don't want to hunt it unless it comes to the rez, though. No need to make enemies of the Cullens for nothing. It looked like it was heading right for them, so I think it’s safe to assume it’s a friend of theirs.

Bella, can I have Kim make dinner for you and Leah? Jared asked.

Bella loved that idea, but the decision wasn’t hers alone. Ask Leah. If she's ok with that, I am. 

About ten minutes later, Jared returned to the pack mind with an answer. She just wants to be with you tonight, Bella. But she’s coming to dinner tomorrow.

Bella was excited. Even though today wasn’t the best for unifying Leah with the pack, they had made a lot of progress. Leah had spent time with Sam at the beach. And yeah, it wasn’t a perfectly smooth encounter. In fact, they had some fights. But that was necessary for them to move past their history.

Bella was most excited about how Leah had defended Emily. Leah was mad that Sam had hurt her. She even questioned Sam’s leadership and called his relationship with Emily emotionally manipulative. As far as Bella saw it, that was way out of line when it came to her alpha. But she desperately wanted Leah to join in with the camaraderie with the imprints. That wouldn’t happen if she still resented Emily.

Rachel was hesitant at first too. Paul said.

I don't remember that, Bella told him, thinking back.

She was never hesitant with you, Bella. She already adored you from when you were kids. But she was hesitant with Sam and Emily. Rachel was loyal to Leah. 

Bella didn’t know why that surprised her. She had seen how close Leah and Rachel were. She asked Paul, How’d she get past it?

Time. She still spent time with the pack, with Sam and Emily, but it took a long time for her to warm to them.

Sam spoke up. She did good helping with pack stuff though, talking to Billy with me when we needed his help.

She's good like that, Paul agreed, proud of his imprint. And it was helping Bella. Leah will come around in her own time. That’s all I'm saying.

Thanks, Bella said as they approached Paul and Rachel's house. Am I off for tonight, Sam?

Sure, have fun.

I'll take on the new pup after I have some time with Rachel, Paul volunteered. Just give me an hour.

Bella and Paul phased to human at the edge of the forest. After they both got dressed, the charged through the door of Paul's house. Leah and Rachel were on the couch giggling. 

“Thanks for bringing the truck from the beach,” Bella said. She had completely forgotten about the truck until she saw it in the driveway.

“It’s got the boards and Sam’s stuff,” Rachel said. “I was going to bring it over when you guys got back.”

Awesome,” Bella said, her eyes locked on her imprint. “Leah, are you ready to go? Paul’s only got an hour before he has to patrol.”

Paul handed Bella the keys to his car. “Rachel will take the truck. We’ll swap back tomorrow, ok?”

Bella nodded and took Leah home. She started boiling water for dinner, then joined Leah on the couch for a much needed make-out session.

“Thank you for staying with Rachel,” she said, then brought their lips back together.

“Mmm.” Leah had been chatting all afternoon. Now that she was with her girl, she just wanted to feel.

Leah had an early morning shift on Friday. She got up at 6:00 and had to be out of the house by 6:30. That gave her time for a shower, a bowl of cereal and a kiss goodbye.

Bella went to Sam and Emily’s for breakfast.

Emily was delighted. “Bella!” She was hugging her tight. “I miss you on Leah’s days off too!”

“Thank you, and thank you for letting Leah use your gear. That was a lot of fun.”

“Sam told me how Leah was great at surfing,” Emily said, stacking half of Sam’s egg sandwiches on Bella’s plate. She ignored Sam’s look of annoyance but she did start another batch of sandwiches. “I’m not surprised Leah was good. She was always more graceful than me.”

“When she gets her own board, we can all go together,” Bella said. Part of her was hopeful that saying it might make it true.

“Sure, but I’m not that good,” Emily commented.

“You never practice,” Sam reminded her.

“It’s not my priority,” Emily countered. “But I love doing things with the pack. That’s the only reason I ever go.”

Bella let her eyes wander. The place was more quiet than usual. She asked, “Where’s Quil?”

“Wasn’t he at the picnic table?” Sam asked, not very concerned.

“I didn’t see him. How long does he have to stay with you?”

“He lives with his mom and Old Quil,” Sam said. “His mom doesn’t know about the pack, but I think it would be easiest for everyone if she did. Old Quil can help keep him in line.”

“The new kid seems nice enough,” Bella commented.

“Definitely,” Sam agreed. “Embry's the best of the three.” Delicately, he added, “When he phases back, I’d like your room to be available for him.”

Bella wasn’t phased by that suggestion. She assumed that would happen. “Is Old Quil on board with having Quil live with them?”

“I don’t think he’ll have a choice here,” Sam explained. “The new kid needs us more than Quil. Embry's mom is Makah. We might never get permission to tell her.”

“What about Embry's dad?”

Sam shrugged. “Unknown. No one knows who he is.”

“Then how will he get tribal membership?”

Sam popped half a sandwich in his mouth but swallowed it quickly. “That’s a ways away, Bella. He just phased yesterday.”

“Ok, how did Paul do with training him?” Bella asked after finishing off her own sandwich.

“Great. The kid responds to Paul. They caught a deer last night. We were thinking of getting an elk with you today since you've missed the last few hunts.”

“Fuck, yeah!”

“Can I come in?” Quil asked from the door.

Bella and Emily looked to Sam for the answer. “Sure,” Sam said. He didn’t really want to share his morning with the kid, but he was hopeful that he’d be going home by that night.

“Are you still hungry?” Emily asked, getting up to make more sandwiches. Sam gave Quil a warning look. 

“No, I’m fine, thank you, Emily,” Quil said nervously. “I can do the dishes.”

“Emily’s been teaching him manners,” Sam told Bella proudly. “Apparently his mom does everything for him at home.”

“It’s her job,” Quil said. “She’s a stay-at-home mom.”

“Her job is to mother you, not be your maid.” Emily corrected. “That means she needs to help you become a self-sufficient adult.”

“Sure, sure,” Quil groaned defensively. “I’m doing the dishes.”

“You never made me do the dishes,” Bella said.

Emily hugged her from behind while stacking more sandwiches on her plate. “You did the dishes all the time and I never had to teach you how to do them. It was clear you were experienced.”

“We were happy to take care of you, Bella,” Sam said tenderly, “parent you for a little bit.”

Bella smiled at them appreciatively. “Yeah, I'm grateful for that time too. Is Paul still out there?” she asked, gesturing to the woods behind the house.

“He came by right before you got here. He slept out there but he'll be joining us for the hunt. Jacob's with the new kid, patrolling.”

When Quil was done with the dishes, Sam sent him to get Jared. Sam and Bella relieved Jacob on patrol. When Jared and Paul joined them they took Embry into the western edge of the Olympic National Park.

It's just like with the deer , Paul instructed Embry. 

Should we let Bella do it? Jared asked. She missed the last few hunts . 

No! Bella exclaimed. The first elk kill is the best!  

They came up on a small herd of elk before long. They spotted a large male, the perfect target. Pack prime held back as Embry crept close, undetected until the wind shifted. Bella enjoyed watching the kill through Embry's eyes. The world flew by as Embry lept for the buck’s neck, tearing his throat out in the blink of an eye.

The rest of the pack descended on the animal, tearing it apart with their new pack mate.

When they had all eaten their fill, Bella announced, I'm going to run patrol guys. Bella hadn't had proper patrol duty since she and Leah got back together. She didn't feel good about that. Sam hadn't assigned her a real shift. He just had her do work with the pups or hanging with the pack. She felt like she wasn't pulling her weight, like she wasn't being useful. 

The new vampire trail had her anxious. It must be a threat if the new pups had phased in. She was also worried about her father in Forks. This new one might be a human drinker.

Leah worked in Forks too, but as a waitress at the diner, her role was confined to one building. Vampires had no need to go to a diner. She knew Leah would never be alone at work. It would be more difficult for a vampire to get Leah than Charlie. The police chief was frequently out in the community, as well as an avid outdoorsman. 

Bella did not know what to do with her worries and fears as she ran patrol. She kept a curtain on her mind. She didn't want to worry the new kid. She definitely didn't want meaningless reassurance from her pack brothers.

It was clear that the vampire was associated with the Cullens. It went right to Forks and was traveling with them into the park to hunt. The new vampire was not protected by the treaty. She could kill it if she saw fit. She decided she would kill it if given the opportunity.

Chapter 23: Not Even Close

James was slouching on the couch while Esme reorganized the Cullens’ unused cutlery drawer. He was rereading Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha for the third time. Carlisle had given it to him shortly after he returned to Forks after leaving Victoria and Laurent in Denali. 

Carlisle had told James, “I wish I had that book when I started out. There are a lot of parallels between my experience and his.”

That’s why James was rereading it again. He was trying to catch all the parallels. Siddhartha fasted as a way to gain mastery over his carnal desires. Eating an animal diet was basically fasting for vampires. That seemed to be Carlisle’s point about the book. 

James saw a different parallel. Boredom was the essence of James’ existence. Boredom plagued every immortal being. It had been gnawing at James for at least a century now. He had devoted all of his energy to warding off boredom, the way that humans would ward off hunger.

In his human life he was a hunter and trapper. That life was satisfying at the time. When he first turned into a vampire, the thrill of hunting humans made him feel almost alive. Almost. But that got old fast. They were just too easy to catch. In fact, there was only one that had eluded him but only because she was turned into a vampire herself. James and Alice were friends now, of sorts. 

Even before he hunted Alice Brandon, James had been hunting vampires for sport. With Victoria at his side, he felt there was almost no risk. That was part of why he was happy to let her go when she decided to stay behind with the Denali coven. The other part was her tendency to be annoying. She would be hounding him about safety in the middle of a hunt. It was ludicrous. 

Still, he was bored of hunting vampires. He yearned for me. He was hoping to find werewolves, knowing that the Voluturi had not killed all of them in the Americas. He was hoping that the Cullens could give him some clues as to where he should hunt.

Yet he felt challenged by the idea of overcoming boredom the way that Siddhartha and Carlisle had overcome their carnal hungers. Life in Forks was truly boring. The most challenging aspect was living the Cullen diet, being among humans but not taking a sip.

Of course he'd never commit to the life forever. But he'd challenge himself to see how far he could go. He didn’t think he could challenge his boredom if he were hunting humans. He’d get too carried away.

He had gone hunting with Emmett and Edward a number of times. They had introduced him to the sweet taste of bears and the rich flavor of mountain lions. Honestly, he found corn fed beef to be closer to the nectar like blood of humans than any wild game. 

The Cullens didn’t like James taking from the ranchers. They knew that cattle were tracked, that it would lead to investigations if he continued. So he went with them into the mountains and rain forests where there were plenty of wild animals. 

A few days ago, James had picked up a scent he mostly ignored in the past. He followed the trail deep into the forest until he came across a pack of wolves. There was one female and four males. Swift as lightning, he carried the female away, snapping her neck as he dragged her away for the feeding. Draining that alpha female was almost as satisfying as draining a human. Ok, not even close, but it was the best he had tasted since he had returned to Forks.

~O~

After a long day working with the new pups, Bella took a shower before she expected Leah to get home. She quickly got dressed for their dinner date with Jared and Kim. When Leah got home, she was exhausted from being on her feet at the diner all day. She lay down on the couch, elevating her feet on the armrest.

Bella lifted Leah’s feet and sat under them. She started rubbing Leah’s feet, a firm but gentle massage. “Do you want me to reschedule with Jared and Kim?” 

“No, no. Then we'd have to cook,” Leah said. “But I'm going to have to go home tomorrow. I need to do some laundry and I've been avoiding my mom.”

“Will you still sleep over after work?”

Leah nodded. “Of course.”

“You know that you're welcome to move in, right?” Bella asked.

“I know, but that would just create more problems. What time are they expecting us?”

“6:00.”

“Ok, I'll get dressed. Where do they live?” Leah asked as she went into Bella's bedroom to change.

“Pine Street, not too far from Sam.”

“Did they take the house that you didn't?”

Bella sat on the bed. “No, Jared got his house before me. Kim didn't move in until graduation, though, not officially. Their place is laid out the same as ours.” Bella watched Leah take off her clothes, then start to tug off those panty hose. “You could wear the panty hose to their house and let me take them off when we get home.”

“Tempting, Bella, truly tempting, but getting them off is so satisfying. I usually want to get rid of them right when I walk out of the diner but I leave them for you.”

“That's true love right there.”

~O~

Kim and Jared's house was so inviting and it smelled like freshly baked bread. Bella hadn't been over since Kim moved in. Jared's imprint had transformed it, adding pictures and throw pillows and knick knacks that Bella remembered from Kim's room at her parent’s house. Most were mementos of her relationship with Jared. 

“There they are at prom,” Bella said, pointing a photo out to Leah. “Did you go to your senior prom, Leah?”

“No, Sam was with Emily during senior prom. I wasn’t interested in going as a super senior. What about you, Bella? Did you go to prom?”

“No, there was a pride prom in Phoenix. Do they have those here?”

“Never heard of it,” Leah admitted.

“It's for LGBT and allies. I never bothered with that, especially since I never had a real relationship.”

Kim and Jared had their graduation photo nearby. Their lives weren’t affected by the pack the same way that Bella and Leah’s were. Jared had phased right before vacation of his junior year. He hadn’t missed as much school as Sam. Paul missed even more school since it took him so long to get his phasing under control. And Paul had phased during his senior year, so he didn't have time to make it up during summer school.

“Kim, what are your plans now that you’ve graduated?” Leah asked. She didn’t really know Kim at all. They had a few classes together over the years, but Leah never bothered talking to the girl who she saw as shy, meek, and boring.

“I got into the nursing program at the community college.”

Leah could see that. She imagined Kim would have a good bedside manner. “That’s great. So I’m guessing you’ll work at the Forks hospital?”

“That’s the plan, yeah. Hopefully the Cullens will have moved away by then.”

“Jared,” Leah asked, “Is there an exit plan for wolves? Like you must age out of the job at some point, right?”

“Leah, you remember the story of Taha Aki, right?” Jared asked. “He outlived two wives because he didn’t age while he shift into a wolf. No, we don’t age out.”

Leah was looking at Bella a little skeptically. “Did you know that?”

“It’s been mentioned.”

“Not to me,” Leah said.

“But in a way, you knew before I did since you grew up with the legends,” Bella pointed out.

“That is a special kind of logic, Bella. So I guess now you don’t have to tell me anything about your wolf life since I probably knew about it from the legends. Are you going to have three wives too?”

“No, Leah, no! Gay marriage isn’t even legal in Washington.”

“Wrong answer!” Jared whispered.

Leah huffed, then laughed. “I’m taking you with me, Bella. I don’t share.”

“I’ll willingly go with you, Leah,” Bella said, placing her hand on her imprint’s. “I don’t want to be without you anyway.”

“Isn’t that in the legends, too?” Kim asked Jared. “That wolves and imprints die together?” 

“I think so, but it’s less clear than some of the other things about imprints. Like it wasn’t clear if it was depression related or if it was part of the magic of the bond.”

Kim and Jared served dinner, a pasta marinara from scratch with homemade garlic bread. “Jared kneads the dough,” Kim bragged. “I’m not sure I’d even try making bread on my own if Paul hadn’t suggested that trick to me.”

“Mmm. It’s delicious,” Leah said, taking a bite. She was more excited for the pasta though. “What’s it like having your own place right out of high school? You guys both come from two-parent households, right?” 

“I lived with my mom, step-dad and step-brother before,” Kim answered. “It wasn’t the greatest. I’m glad to be living with Jared, and I stayed here so much, it wasn’t too much of a transition.”

“Her step-dad is an alcoholic and step-brother was a creep,” Jared said. “He was scared of me though, so I think that kept him in his place.”

“Jared thought he was going to make a move on me or something,” Kim told their guests. “He’s my step-brother! I don’t think that would have actually happened.”

Jared discreetly rolled his eyes. He knew how her step-brother responded to her physically. Bella had also noticed that the guy was a pervert. But that didn’t matter now that Kim was living with Jared.

Leah said, “I can’t imagine someone being scared of you, Jared.” 

“Show them your stoic face,” Kim insisted, growing giddy with excitement.

Jared pulled in his full cheeks and dimmed the light in his eyes somehow.

“Can you do that, Bella?” Leah asked.

Bella tried and failed. “I can pull in my cheeks but I don’t know how he did that to his eyes.”

“It’s like the reverse of getting the yellow in your eyes. Do you ever play with that?” Jared asked.

Bella shook her head. “Nah. Leah’s seen the yellow but I don’t know how to make it come and go.”

“Kim noticed it in me first too,” Jared looked down at his imprint with a flirtatious grin. “She noticed it in bed. It’s from a very strong emotion. When my eyes go dark like that, it's the opposite of that extreme excitement in bed. It’s an extreme calm.”

“And you can just put yourself into a trance of extreme calm, Jared? How?” Bella asked.

“Practice. Try controlling the yellow in the mirror sometimes. Then you’ll know the feeling in the eyes when that happens. For the calm, I did it by lowering my heart rate.”

“How the fuck do you do that?” Bella always loved hanging out with Jared because you never knew what wisdom he had been developing quietly. 

“Pick a mantra. I use the mantra, ‘Kim is safe.’ I repeat it over and over and over, relaxing all my muscles as I do. It’ll calm your heart rate and your whole body. If you do it in the mirror, you can see your eyes changing a little. Over time, I was able to control it like a switch,” he said with the snap of his fingers.

“Crazy!” Bella was definitely going to try that. She didn’t have anyone to scare, but she could try it on Quil. She was pretty sure she had seen that darkness in Sam’s eyes, too.

Leah got back to her questions. “Jared, you lived with both of your parents, right?”

“Yeah, and they're a good family. Leah, I think you and I are the only ones in the pack with a whole family. It wasn’t until I imprinted that I wanted a place of my own, a place I could have with Kim so she could get away. My parents are religious so they don’t exactly approve of anything in my life but they are understanding.”

“How are they religious? Like Christians?” Leah asked. “Do they know about the pack?”

“I’ve told them,” Jared answered. “I was given permission. But they don’t believe me, even though I’ve offered to show them. They think I’m in a cult led by Sam Uley.”

“Because he’s such a charismatic leader!” Leah joked. “I can’t imagine him getting many cult followers.”

Jared and Bella exchanged a glance. They’d both readily do anything Sam asked, with or without an alpha order. He wasn’t a charismatic leader. He didn’t need to be. He cared for the pack and they cared for him in return.

“Right,” Bella said. “Were you religious growing up, Jared? Were you familiar with the legends?”

“Yeah, I was familiar with the legends. My mom is Quileute and she had lots of books and stuff. My dad is white and respected my mom teaching me about our culture. I wouldn’t say I was ever religious but they made me go with them to church in Forks.”

“So were you surprised when I joined the pack? A lesbian who hit on your girlfriend?”

“Nope,” he said with a friendly chuckle. “Once I turned into a giant wolf in order to fight vampires, there was very little that surprised me. I don’t remember anyone at church talking about homosexuality. I didn’t have any prejudices about it before I met you. You were always just Bella to me.”

“Good.” 

“So, Leah, what do you do when you’re not working?” Kim asked. “Or what did you do before you and Bella got together?”

“I just graduated with you guys like two weeks ago. So I was working full time and going to school nearly full time. I didn’t really have much free time. Then Bella showed up at work a few days after graduation.” Leah thought back to those few days where she was almost able to get bored because she had free time on her hands. “In those few days that I had free time, I watched some movies, played video games with Seth, and finally got to read a book that wasn't a school assignment.”

“What book?” Bella asked excitedly.

Leah looked embarrassed. “Do I have to say?”

“Is it naughty?” Bella asked, somehow even more excited.

“No!” Leah scowled. “It’s Harry Potter.”

“Half-Blood Prince?” Bella asked. “Or are you not there yet?”

“Half-Blood Prince. I got it for Christmas. That tells you how much free time I had before graduation.”

“And you went on two dates with me when you could have been reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince?” Bella was swooning.

“One of them was a study date,” Leah reminded her. “But you’re kind of irresistible.”

Bella kissed her cheek. “Thank you! I know Kim’s caught up on Harry Potter, too. Are you Jared?”

“Uh, yeah. I finished that book like a year ago.”

Bella sighed morosely. “So now we have to wait for the next one.”

“Kim, do you work?” Leah asked. 

“Uh, yeah,” Kim said, a little embarrassed. “I run a dog walking service and I do occasional dog grooming. I've been dog walking for a few years. It's very part time, of course. So I have plenty of time to cook and be available to the pack.”

“Is being an imprint like a part time job?” Leah asked. Bella had never mentioned that she’d need to cook and be available for the pack. Then again, Bella knew she wouldn’t agree to that. 

“No,” Kim said. “But sometimes it’s like being a housewife, especially recently when Jared's been out for days at a time. And there’s a lot of cooking.” She patted Jared’s toned abs. “I like to keep him fed.”

Leah looked at Bella curiously, then asked Kim. “Why has Jared been out for days at a time? Bella’s been available.”

“Oh, Jared's the best with the pups,” Kim explained. “You know, the new wolves.”

“They've been picking up my slack, too,” Bella said. “All the guys have been.” She reached to hold Leah's hand. “Now that you've accepted the imprint, we can't expect them to do that anymore.”

Leah hadn't realized that the whole pack was working together to help her and Bella. They truly were a family of sorts. Then Leah asked, “So Kim, how did your work as a dog walker help prepare you for a relationship with Jared?”

Kim laughed. Jared and Bella did not. Kim answered, “Umm, it didn’t, not really.” Then she thought about it a little more. “I guess understanding Jared’s need for physical exercise is good. It’s also helped me accept some of his quirkier needs.”

“Please, tell me everything,” Leah pleaded. “What quirkier needs?”

Kim glanced at Jared before answering in a whisper. “He’s constantly licking me, which I’m not complaining about. When we’re both home, he’s always with me, like a golden retriever that follows you around. Uh, what else? He likes to sniff my butt. And I think he licks the dishes when I’m not looking.”

Leah burst out laughing. “Bella does all of that except the butt sniffing. She openly licks the dishes.”

Jared was giving Bella side-eye, which she noticed.

“What?” she cried. “I’m not ashamed of licking dishes.”

“Are you honestly pretending you don’t sniff her butt?” Jared asked.

“I’m not obvious about it, you weirdo,” Bella said defensively. 

“It’s not weird. Once you open up about it, it’s so freeing.” He reached for Kim's hand, turning it over to interlace their fingers. “She barely even swats me away anymore.”