Chapter 1: The storm from the north

Disclaimer: I do not own twilight, nope Stephanie Meyer does. I am just a writer that felt bad for little Ms. Clearwater.

"I now pronounce you man and wife." I tried my best to ignore the dull ache in my chest, and the ringing in my ears as I watched them carefully. Three whole years of my life had been dedicated to loathing him and despising her. Now that the deed was done I didn't know how I could move on. He inched forward, cautiously in his penguin suit, as if he were afraid of breaking her. He was never that afraid of hurting me. Her eyes sparkled lovingly up at him, as she patiently waited. I never looked at him like that. In this moment I could no longer deceive myself. Without the pity, without the indignation, without the rage and the shame, I could finally see what I had not before. Samuel Uley was no longer mine. He had never been mine. He was reserved for something better, something greater than what I could give him. Emily Uley would be everything that he needed.

I felt tears sting the corner of my eyes, and a lump form in the back of my throat. With a certain resignation I refused to cry. Why cry over spilt milk, especially when that milk did not belong to you? Sure you got a taste but that didn't mean the whole glass was yours. I sucked in a deep breath and looked across the aisle to Jacob Black. His smile was sad, and in his eyes I saw an understanding that I wished was not present. A taste? In my life that was all I have ever been allowed. A taste of Samuel Uley, a taste of Jacob Black. Both were torn away from me before the thirst of unrequited love could be quenched. That was the legacy of the imprint. That was the reality of Leah Clearwater.

Cheers erupted from the crowd and I could hear the gleeful shouts from our fellow pack mates. On this day everyone was happy, and in the very least I could feign happiness for my cousin. As forgiving as I tried to be, as understanding as I wanted to be, I couldn't deny what I felt. I still resented Emily. I understood that Sam had no choice in the matter, but Emily could have at least fought for me. She wasn't just my cousin; she was my sister, and my best friend. Everyone was under the impression that she really did try. That's how the story went. She tried Leah, she really did. But the love that Sam was offering her was too strong to deny. She tried to revoke it, she even stood up for you….that's how she got her scars. I've heard the story so many times that it was burned into my subconscious. Bile rose into my throat and I fought hard to force it back down. She might have tried but it wasn't hard enough. I was willing to let go, willing to move on but my dearest cousin that tried ever so hard decided that she wanted me to be her maid of honor. I resented her for that. Sam was bad, but Emily had to know she was being a bitch. She wanted us to go back to being the best of friends, wanted things to be the same, but even she had to realize that there was love lost between us. She wouldn't leave him and I couldn't let him go.

The wedding party began their procession out of the chapel, with Jacob and me at the forefront. The council decided that it was in our best interest to combine the two packs again. Jacob was our alpha, and Sam and I split the role of being beta. It was a bit of an awkward set up but it worked for us. I brought my body closer to Jacob's and pulled him in tighter, forcing this awkward smile to stay in place. Jacob tensed for a moment and relaxed. He smiled apologetically at the spawn and her bitch of a mother who sat in the crowd. I heard Edward growl briefly and I gave a genuine smile. It was always a goal of mine to annoy mind raping leech, and even on a day like this I could find happiness in that. Jasper, smiled at me and I grinned at him reassuringly. I wasn't in the habit of becoming friends with leeches but he had an air about him that even I, the bitch of La Push, couldn't resist.

I let out a breath that I hadn't realized I was holding. The dread that had consumed me for the last few days was replaced by numbness. I made it through today, and I was still intact. Emily and Sam had not taken anything else from me, I was still Leah Clearwater. As we made our way to the reception hall I tugged at the fringes of this awful peach colored dress. The men and women split ways and now all of the bridesmaids were herded into this crowded cattle car that we were told was a limo. None of the other girls dared to sit next to me. They all heard about the Sam Emily Leah fiasco and those that weren't imprints wondered why I had even shown up. Kathy, Emily's younger sister, was none too discrete about the fact that she wished she could have been the maid of honor or had a wedding as beautiful as her sister. I suppose the wedding was nice but Emily had allowed herself to be bought out by the pixie leech and all of her wonderful money and planning. Not that Alice was a bad person, I preferred her any day to Bella. Even her name made me want to puke.

"Thinking of the Swan child again, Clearwater?" The familiar voice flooded into my ears and I smirked briefly.

"Swan? Come on Black, even you know she goes by the name Cullen now?" I turned and eyed Rachel Black. She was positively glowing. Rach was the next to be married off, and no matter how much the Cullens offered under the guise of impending kinship, she refused to accept their help. In fact the only person's help she cared for was mine, and she let me know it every day. Rachel Black was the only thing that I had left of my past life, and she knew it. The other imprints annoyed me, but her and Claire, well they were the only two that I actually like, even though I couldn't say the same about their imprints. Rach's dressed looked a lot better on her than it did on me but she seemed just as uncomfortable.

"Come on Lee you know she's still that awkward brat Charlie used to bring around." We both grinned before erupting into fits of giggles warranting an awkward look from the other bridesmaids. Rachel took a deep breath and scooted in closer before brushing the loose strands of my hair from in front of my face. "How are you holding up today?" She asked cautiously. Rachel could always see past the façade that I put up, even when I didn't want her to.

"I look ridiculous, and I feel like shit." I whispered.

"Ridiculous, Lee? Do you know what I and every other girl on this reservation would do you have your body? You look amazing Clearwater, so don't sit here and mope because my brother and Sam are too dumb to see it." She responded barely keeping her voice below a whisper. Rachel and I were both aware that this was neither the time nor the place to be holding this conversation. We were in a limo with the bride, her sister, her mother, her bridesmaids, and the mother of the groom. We shouldn't have been talking about how much this sucked, everyone expected us to be happy for them.

I gazed up and looked around to see who might have heard Rachel, not that either of us cared. It would just be troublesome if it got back to Jacob or Sam. I scanned the car. Everyone was engaged in their own conversations happily chatting away, all except one. Mrs. Uley and I made eye contact for a brief moment and I smiled at her. She had let Sam know that she thought I was the better choice of the two but even a mother's anger was not enough to break an imprint. She smiled back at me and there was a silent understanding. We had both resigned ourselves to the Uley wedding but neither of us wanted anything to do with the married couple. Sam started to remind his mother of his father, and while she would always love and be there for her son, she would not have Emily around. In her eyes, Emily was the other woman and I was the rightful Uley bride. Three years ago I thought the same thing but here I was stuck as the bridesmaid never to be a bride.

I turned back to Rachel who had been watching me the whole time. "You know Rach if you stare any harder your eyes might fall out." I grinned playfully. She'd grill me about what that whole thing was about later on but right now we couldn't do it.

"It's surreal how beautiful you are. Even in these awful bridesmaid dresses you look like a Quileute goddess, especially with your hair pinned and curled like that." She praised, catching onto the mood.

"Yea, well Alice works wonders with her curling iron." I forced out. I couldn't hold a grudge against the pixie leech, even though she practically forced me into this monstrosity of a dress this morning. It was too short for my liking. It fit the rest of the girls just fine, but I was taller than your average girl. And in certain places the material felt sheer. I honestly felt naked in front of a room full of people. And then there were these nude colored death contraptions she strapped to my ankles this morning. I was tall enough, I didn't need heels to add four or five inches to my current height. According to everyone else I looked wonderful, and I begrudgingly felt relieved that part of me was still quite feminine.

"Nah, you just look wonderful. I mean not as cool as me but it's something to work with." Rachel grinned as the cattle car came to a halt and the behemoth that Barbie leech called a husband opened the door for us. He was on usher duty which meant that he had to escort the ladies to their seats. Jasper smiled again and held his arms out to me, and I graciously took it.

"Ms. Clearwater you are quite the stunning gal'." He said in his southern drawl and I smiled back up at him.

"Good, maybe I'll be able to find an unattached man who thinks the same." I joked and he chuckled. Jasper wasn't one to speak much but he was an amazing listener. The two of us became friends when I had "lost" Jake to the imprint. He was there to help and I don't think he understood how helpful he actually was.

"Feeling nostalgic are we?" Jasper whispered as he pulled out my seat for me.

"Not at all." I didn't understand why I couldn't help but smile around Jasper, but I didn't care.

"Good Ms. Clearwater, didn't take you for the sentimental type." He grinned and fixed the white rose that had managed to come loose in my hair before walking to his seat. I vaguely noticed the screech of Rachel's chair as she was seated next to me.

"That is something I will never comprehend." She rolled her eyes and I smiled at her.

The night continued on like this. People gave speeches commemorating the newlyweds and there were a few dances that went on. As the night began to wind down and the music began to slow I thanked whatever spirit that watched over me for this reprieve. I didn't need to dance, and no one expected a happy speech from me. For the most part I was left alone, just the way I liked it. Jasper walked back over to the table and practically pulled me out of my chair.

"Now Ms. Clearwater, I usually wouldn't be so abrasive with women but if I asked you'd say no." At times like this his southern drawl was so thick that it became a soft lull that calmed me.

"You damn straight, Whitlock." I grinned but put my arms around his neck. In another life I could see myself wanting more from Jasper but he was a leech and I was a wolf. It was a simple as that. And besides he and Alice were about the cutest thing I have ever seen.

"Well ma'am when I saw you sitting all by yourself I just knew I had to come and remedy that."

"Did I look like that much of a damsel in distress?" I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"No, but Alice complained that you were letting your dress go to waste and I have to say I agree." We both chuckled at that one.

"You mean I actually look like a respectable young lady and not some girl out of a teenage boy's fantasy?"

"Teenage boy? Maybe grown man?" He chuckled again. "I never felt attraction this raw. All of the men in this room are drooling. I figured I'd come and dance with you before someone got in trouble with their significant other."

"Is that so?" I was skeptical.

"Leah, you are stunning. Don't disregard that so easily." I smiled and for the rest of the song we swayed to the music quietly. I was lost in my thoughts, and Jasper, well he was just giving me space to think. When the song came to its last two notes I felt him loosen his arms from around my waist. He tensed.

"Jazz, you okay?"

"Yea, it seems two very angry wolves want to dance with you." He strained to smile. This was the Jasper that everyone knew, the tense man that didn't consult with anyone who wasn't in his family.

I nodded and stepped away. "Well I think I'll pass…" I swiveled on my feet and turned barely finishing the sentence before colliding into a hot solid mass. Broad arms wrapped around my waist and held me close to this man. I knew the smell, knew the voice that reverberated in his chest before the words even floated into my ears.

"Am I allowed a dance on my wedding day?" Sam asked as he brushed loose strands of hair from my face.

"Yes," I smiled up sweetly. "with your wife." When I tried to pull away Sam just pulled me in tighter. We slowly swayed to the music. I didn't want to make a scene. He was lucky for that much.

"You look amazing Lee Lee." He ground out. His voice was breathy and his earthy smell invaded my senses. "Kinda reminds me of prom, you know you in that purple dress." Sam laughed to himself for a moment before looking into my eyes.

"Samuel, you shouldn't be reminiscing about things like that. You're a married man." I spat the words out. Who was he to come here and dangle hope in front of me when he knew it wasn't possible?

"I…I…I just miss you Lee Lee. I really do miss being able to talk to you so freely."

"Sam, don't call me that." I growled out.

"Lee…ah" he stumbled on my name before quickly recovering. "I am sorry for everything." I pulled away before glaring at him. I didn't want to do this weeks ago, and I wouldn't do it now. Why couldn't I just be done with this? I marched straight into the bathroom with Rachel and Barbie right on my heels. When they found me I was slipping out of my heels and opening the bathroom window.

"Lee you can't phase here." Rachel shrieked attempting to pull me off the ledge of the window before I could jump out. Barbie joined in.

"There are people all around watching you, Leah. If you mysteriously disappeared what will they think?" Barbie growled.

"Lee, come down. Jake is right outside of the door, and he's itching to come in here."

"Black, go the fuck away." I growled before hoping down. Jacob knew me well enough which meant that if he was here then one of his stupid little followers was already outside waiting for me to jump.

"Lee can we talk?" He asked timidly.

"No Jake I'm not in the mood talk to idiots." I spat out nearly tearing the door from its hinges when I stormed out of the bathroom. I was vaguely aware of my direction or the fact that an overwhelming calmness had consumed me as I walked towards the main door in an effort to get out. I was livid but I was no longer shaking. I looked to Jasper and timidly mouthed a thank you. Jacob was hot on my heels.

"Lee, slow down." He commanded his voice barely above a hushed whisper. It wasn't an alpha command, I didn't have to listen. Just as I made my way out of the door, now fully aware of the crowd that we had attracted, and the fact that not only Jacob was hot on my trail I felt the cool air caress my tingling skin. And then there was a splash of icy cold liquid down the front of my dress. Tears again welded in the corner of my eyes and I felt Jasper once again try to calm me down. Just my luck. I had an asshole of an alpha determined to speak to me, a douchbag of an ex only concerned about his needs, a bitch of a cousin who could do no wrong, and now a surprisingly refreshing drink seeping down my thighs in very intimate places. What…The…Fuck?

I took several deep breaths as I could feel the reassuring hands of Barbie circling down my back. She and I were a strange sort. We became friends of convenience when she realized that I was just as infertile as her. It didn't surprise me that she had been here all along trying to keep me from making a complete ass of myself. When the wolf was finally under wraps I opened my ears and I unclenched my eyes. In the conscious world chaos ensued around me.

"…sorry, I didn't mean to….I was lost…and I dirtied your pretty dress…so so sorry." The stranger dabbed at my dress as I stood perfectly still. I was afraid that if I moved then my world would come crumbling down around me. I lowered my head and gazed at the top of this strangers head. His luscious golden locks fell in perfect short layers and sat just above his golden bronzed skin. He smelt like the ocean and for some inexplicable reason I longed to visit with him. His broad muscular arms continued to dab at my dress as Jacob finally pushed the stranger away from me. He was flustered, completely red right up to his ears as he gnawed at his lips and worried them between his teeth. I gazed into his eyes, unaware of the comment that Jacob had made, nor was I aware of the fact that Sam and the rest of the wedding party had joined us. I wasn't aware of anything besides for this captivating stranger and his wonder blue green eyes. I stepped forward with a dumb grin on my face as I brushed his chin length hair out of his face and tucked it neatly behind his ear. My poor pathetic excuse of a heart paced quickly in my chest as I noticed the way his white T-Shirt strained over his muscular chest. Sam grabbed me and I growled….I actually growled. It was then that I realized what happened.

I, Leah Clearwater, bitch of La Push, Bitter shrew, resident nasty harpy, I the monster who doubled as a genetic dud, I imprinted. I tore my eyes from his concerned face and looked into the panicked eyes of my two female best friends. Rose looked concerned and Rach at least looked like she was trying to keep it all together. She stepped closer to me before the panic set in and I looked back at this man. I fucking imprinted me. I imprinted. I groaned and I distinctly heard Paul chuckle behind me.

"So much for being a genetic dead end." His voice boomed in my ringing ears.

AN: Well that's the first chapter. Sorry it's a little rough around the edges and some things that seem off will be worked out later. As for the "stranger", well no worries he won't continue to be called a stranger. In fact his name will be revealed soon. And for those fan girls who want a solid image of him well I was thinking Thor from the avengers movie with the accent just not the armor...beautiful isn't he. Anyways until next time, please read and review. Thanks loves.