Extended Summary: Lydia is Seth and Leah's cousin. Her mother, Harry's sister, was offered a job as a columnist for Seventeen Magazine, but in order to fulfill this she is obligated to move to California, away from their beloved home in Ohio. Lydia isn't bothered by having to leave Ohio; instead she is far more upset about the thought of relocating to a town where she will know absolutely no one. Throughout her whole life, she has always kept in contact with her Aunt Sue and cousins. They instantly suggested she stay with them for as long as she wished. So, reluctantly, she agrees. Packing up her bags and bidding her mom a tearful goodbye, she hops on a plane.

And the second she steps foot onto the La Push reservation, it's as if her life instantaneously changes.

P.S. In this story, Harry Clearwater does not die. My wittle heart isn't strong enough to write about such a tragedy!

Chapter One

Lydia's P.O.V

Plane rides have definitely earned their rightful spot on my list of the top worst things in the entire freaking world. Right after tomatoes, of course, but that's a no brainer.

Throughout the long, pitifully uneventful nineteen years of my life, this is my first time on an airplane, which indirectly proclaims the inaccurate assumption that I've never been outside my home town of Columbus, Ohio. I've driven miles upon miles before, whether it be me driving or my mom, but never once have I stepped foot on one single plane. And boy, do I wish I kept it that way.

Considering I'm travelling solo, there isn't the chance to have someone I know beside me; so I'm stuck in between two complete strangers. This wouldn't be so terrible if they weren't two of the most obnoxious, unappealing individuals to possibly sit next to on a four hour flight.

To my left is a middle-aged, fat man in a disgustingly stained shirt; the minute we took off, he dug out a greasy bag of some sort of meaty food from his bag and started remorselessly stuffing his face, choosing to try and have a conversation with me with his mouth entirely full. At one point he even began loudly talking on the phone with someone he evidently was not happy with, due to the rude yelling and profanities he spat into the receiver. Now, after putting me through the torturous three hours of having to act polite (because honestly I was quite terrified of what he might do if I told him to leave me alone), he has fallen asleep on my shoulder, snoring and drooling like a nasty walrus with fried chicken stuck in his yellow teeth.

And then there's the annoying little kid on my right who WON'T STOP CRYING. Seriously. This boy has consistently been throwing a fit ever since we started flying. His mother, who for some reason didn't purchase a ticket for a seat next to him, fails at trying to console him from her position in front of us. She's given up now, because there is literally nothing that will make this boy happy. I even tried cheering the little shit up, which went downhill faster than the fat guy ate his food. He ended up biting me. Really hard.

I was done after that. Once tiny, razor-sharp children teeth become involved, count me the hell out.

Finally, as if the heavens were speaking to me, the pilot's fake friendly voice comes on the intercoms. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This is your pilot speaking. Please hold on tight because we will be landing very shortly. Hope you enjoyed your flight!"

There is no hesitation in my movements the second we're instructed to stand. Swinging my backpack over my shoulder, consequently jolting the man awake, I am the first one out of that plane.

It takes me longer than I would have liked to retrieve the couple suitcases I brought with me before I'm left standing in the middle of the airport, feeling lost and annoyed and tired. Continuously, I check my phone for a message from Seth or Leah. When I talked to Sue on the phone earlier, she said that one of them would be picking me up. But, considering this giant and crowded airport, I can't help but worry we won't be able to find each other. After all, I haven't visited them for almost five years now.

I'm about to call Sue when I feel two hands clamp down on my shoulders behind me. Shrieking, I whirl around with my fists out in front of my chest, attempting but surely failing at looking defensive. In front of me is a guy who is at least four inches taller than I am (and I'm a good 5'8), and is so muscular the he looks like something of a Hollywood romance movie. At first, I begin to freak out about what the hell this intimidating stranger wants with me; however when my eyes fixate on his face and an unforgettable, adorable smile spreads across his lips, my nerves instantly wash away.

"Seth!" I cry in excitement, launching myself into his arms.

He lets out a jolly laugh as he returns the friendly embrace. "Hey, Lydia!" he replies, grinning at me once I pull away.

"My god. You really did bulk up didn't you?" I poke one of his arms; it's rock-hard and, I can't help but notice, abnormally warm. "What? Are you on steroids or something?"

He smirks dauntlessly—it's the kind of smirk the shy, keep-to-himself Seth I'm used to would have never shown. Despite only being with him for not even a minute now, his new found confidence is extremely obvious. And I love it. "Or something," he responds, and then he swings his arm around my shoulders just as he effortlessly hitches the heavier of my bags in the crook of his elbow. "Come on; let's get you home. Everyone is psyched to meet you."

Something about how he emphasizes the word "everyone" concerns me.

"It's super weird seeing you drive, Sethy," I say as we speed down the rocky roads of Forks, Washington, already slipping into the habit of calling him by the much loathed nickname I've always had the tendency to use. "I didn't even have my license the last time we visited each other."

He rolls his eyes as he messes with the radio. A part of me can't help but be paranoid with him having that kind of distraction while he's behind the wheel, but I ignore it. The way his eyes are constantly flickering to the road and in his mirrors, as if he is sure to be aware his surroundings at all times, reassures me.

"I'm only one year younger than you, remember?" he says, and then adds with a clear hint of irritation in his voice, "And are you really going to call me by the dreadful nickname so soon?"

I snort. "Of course! The sooner the better, right?"

"Yeah, right," he remarks sarcastically.

We spend the rest of the ride catching up, mostly lingering on topics such as family and friends. I don't say much about myself; he knows better than anyone that the last thing I want to talk about right now is my father or mother, so I spend the majority of the time hearing about his life, which has apparently become significantly greater. He has made an immense amount of friends, including people like Jacob Black, Quil Ateara, and Embry Call—I always hung around those three whenever I visited, therefore that news slightly uplifted me—and his relationship with his family has never been better. He says the reason for all of this is because of the mechanic shop him and the La Push boys started, called Uley Mechanics, after Sam Uley who is the owner. Supposedly, that's where he spends most of his time and formed his friendships.

When we pull up to the Clearwater household, I make the observation that hardly anything has changed since the last time I was here; it's still a fair-sized, homey cabin with Sue's beautiful garden wrapping around the perimeter of the house. The only thing that catches me off guard is, once I step out of Seth's Jeep, the rambunctious noise coming from inside, the cause of the sound suspiciously owning to a large group of people. In the past, the Clearwater's used to be so peaceful and quiet.

My stomach twists with nerves.

It's not that I'm antisocial; it's actually very easy for me to talk to people. Although, when it's an abundant amount of strangers that all know each other but don't know me, that's when I start to become skittish.

Clearly catching onto my uncertainty, Seth claps a hand against my back. I look up at him to find him sending me a genuine smile, wordlessly telling me there's nothing to worry about. Which I'm sure there isn't and I'm probably overacting. I wouldn't be surprised; my emotions are especially delicate today. After leaving my mom behind.

Seth leads me through the front door and into the kitchen. I stop dead in my tracks, and with parted lips, I gawk at the scene in front of me. Surrounding the large wooden table, taking up every single chair while some are left to stand, are shirtless men. Half-naked, immoderately, and quite intimidating attractive guys. And not only that—but there are beautiful women to match, plenty of them attached to the hip of one of the (have I said shirtless?) men. Fortunately, the girls are all fully clothed. I don't know what the hell I would do if I walked in on a room full of boobs, too.

They all stop their conversations when we walk into the room, turning their heads in curiosity. Some grin instantly, others watch me inquisitively. I hurriedly stop gaping like an idiot.

Awkwardly, I raise my hand to wave. "What's up," I say, puncturing the dead silence like a sharp needle.

"Lydia!" shouts a feminine voice, and my eyes just land on Leah before she's tackling me in a hug. Her familiarity easing the tension around me, I wrap my arms around her, feeling the same unusual warmth I felt with Seth radiate off her very tan skin.

"Hey, Lee-lee." Once she withdraws away from me, I get a good look at her—and I instantly turn green. The girl is drop-dead gorgeous; with her lean, curvy frame, her sharp, luminous hazel eyes, her perfect skin and her cropped, shiny hair that frames her defined face beautifully. She's always been pretty. But never like this. "God, Leah! You're beautiful." I turn around and nudge Seth in the stomach. "I need to start drinking the water around here."

Laughter bubbles up around the room. Leah sidesteps to reveal both Sue and Harry. My heart swells from the sight of my beloved Aunt and Uncle. Smiling, I greet Harry with a tight hug, in which he responds with his signature kiss on the forehead. "It's so great to see you, sweetheart," he says in a gruff, deep voice that is saturated with love. "You've grown up to become such a lovely lady."

"It's great seeing you, too, Harry." Great seems like a huge understatement. Even before my real dad left my mom and I, Harry has always felt like my true father; being there for me even when we're miles away from each other, never forgetting one birthday or Christmas, lending all the support he could ever possibly give. Not seeing him for such a long time has been extremely hard. So now that I am finally, after years upon years of merely phone calls and pictures, I couldn't be happier.

After affectionately greeting Sue, who is looking even more beautiful with age, Seth eagerly begins to introduce to me the many people I don't know.

Jared. Colin. Brady. Kim. Michael. Maddie. Alison. Devin. Liam. All of them immediately show nothing but kindness towards me. Kim, a gorgeous girl with glasses and curly hair, gets up from her seat on Jared's lap to hug me; Devin jokingly kisses the top of my hand and winks, causing me to laugh. Not one of them seems bothered by my presence in the least. Quite the opposite, really. They are delighted.

The last person Seth introduces me to is a delicate, fairly pretty girl with a timid smile and adorable dimples. Her auburn hair is cut in a bob, which looks impressively nice on her, considering that kind of hair style is rarely pulled off well. She's as short as can be; probably five foot, and is unjustly skinny. She reminds me of a pixie.

"Lydia," Seth begins, his voice turning soft and fond as he his eyes land on the pixie girl. His arm circles around her waist. "This is Nina, my girlfriend. Nina, this is Lydia."

"Hello," she says quietly.

I watch them curiously, observing the way they seem to fit together like a puzzle piece, the loving way Seth stares down at her, the blush that heats up her cheeks when she catches him doing so, the way their hands automatically intertwine together. I've seen cute couples before, but nothing like this. There's something about them, and I noticed this when I met Kim and Jared a moment ago too, that's inexplicably different—more deeply endearing than most young adult relationships around. I just can't put my finger on it.

"Hi, Nina," I say benevolently. "It's nice to meet you."

"You, too." She smiles.

Suddenly, four guys (yes, who are also shirtless) are bursting through the doors and into the kitchen, laughing boomingly and playfully. Three of them I recognize in one instant; and when they spot me, they do too.

"Is that Lydia?" Jacob says with high enthusiasm, a grin stretching from ear to ear across his face. As I nod with a smile, he hurries over and lifts me in a bear-hug embrace. I laugh when Embry and Quil don't hesitate to take their turns too. Truthfully I didn't expect for them to be just as excited to see me as I was about them; but I'm glad they are. And I don't bother wondering about their massive, toned builds or strange warmth like mostly every other person in the room and let it go instead. Must be some sort of weird Quileute thing.

"Wow, Lydia," Embry goes on, and I look over to find him staring at me with a sort of dazed glint in his eyes. "You're… uh… really…" He gulps and scratches the back of his neck, evidently struggling to find the words I know he's trying to say without sounding like a douche.

Raising my eyebrows, I ask, "What? Hot?" Smirking, I stroll over and pat his cheek. "You're not too bad yourself." On the outside, I'm positive I sound as confident as ever; on the inside I'm giggling and blushing like a dumbass. I've mastered the art of faking self-assurance ever since I got nervous and farted in front of a boy who hit on me once in middle school.

You don't know embarrassment until you fart in front of a cute boy.

"Smooth, Embry. Very smooth," says a mocking, male voice.

I turn to face the person the voice belongs to, the fourth guy who came in with Embry, Quil, and Jacob. First impression easy, he's by far the hottest man I have ever laid eyes on in my entire life; raven black, spiked hair, a provocative, perfectly muscled and lean body, tantalizing facial features, and the most beautiful brown eyes. His attractiveness is astounding, honestly; I didn't know someone could be this stunning.

And when he and I lock gazes, my heart abruptly drops to the pit of my stomach and my breath hitches in my throat.

I feel an abnormal, unavoidable tug at my heart, and for a brief moment that seems like an eternity, it's just him and I in the room. Everything around as vanishes into thin air; all that is left is us floating on nothingness, left to only stare at each other. Something inside of me latches itself onto him, holding on and refusing to ever let go, no matter what happens. He's a complete stranger, but yet I feel this sudden, inexplicable connection to him that has ground into my mind ever since just a second ago. I want nothing but to be with him always and forever—and I have no idea why.

Unexpectedly, his face twists in fury and his hands begin to shake. Everyone behind me are on their feet in a second. Before anything can happen, Jacob, Seth, Leah and Liam are shoving him out of the door, leaving me alone to feel nothing but utter confusion and, for some reason, sadness.

It's deadly quiet. I slowly turn around and my eyes trail over the people that are left. Mostly everyone looks surprised, amused, or worried. Harry is looking at me with almost a pleased expression. Embry sighs through the uncomfortable silence and comes over, taking me gently by the arm. "Want me to show you to your room?" he offers kindly.

I strain a smile. "Sure." I say goodbye to everyone, grab my bags, and give Harry a kiss on the cheek before letting Embry lead me upstairs. We stalk wordlessly to the end of the hallway and he opens the door on the left for me. I walk in and set my stuff on the floor, observing the room indifferently.

There isn't anything spectacular about it; it is merely a normal bedroom, painted a nice teal color with fluffy white carpeting. There's an already made full-sized bed pushed up against the farther wall, a wooden dresser and desk, a closet door, and a large window with a cushioned windowsill positioned a few inches from the bed. I realize it is the guest room I used to stay in when I visited, now personally made up for someone who is going to be staying here for a while.

Releasing a tired breath, I face Embry, who's leaning against the doorframe with his arms draped across his chest. "What happened down there?" I ask, cutting to the chase.

He licks his lips and diverts his eyes away from me, quiet for a little. Then, as he begins to back away, he says softly, "Get some sleep, Lydia."

And without any more words I'm left alone. Figures.

Scrubbing my face with my hands, I stroll over to my bed and collapse on top of it, not bothering unpacking anything or even changing. Kicking off my shoes, I grab one of the pillows and cuddle up to it, allowing my eyes to fall shut. It doesn't take long for me to fall asleep.

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