"Hey Leah. Is Seth around?" Jared smiled at the least popular member of the wolf pack. He had no particular problem with Leah - in fact, he'd had a crush on her in high school. Back then, she only had eyes for Sam Uley.

Leah didn't look up from her novel. "Nope. He's at the beach with the rest of the pups." She glared at him when Jared moved her feet and slipped underneath to sit beside her on the porch swing. He deposited her feet on his lap. "Make yourself at home," Leah muttered.

"Then it looks like I'll have to talk to the more attractive of the Clearwater kids."

"Hmph," Leah growled. "Sorry. I'm fresh out of quarters." She hid behind her book again.

"Did I do something to annoy you, Leah? Or do you just dislike me for some reason?"

Leah sighed, placing her bookmark with a flourish and snapping the book closed. "I don't exactly dislike you, Jared. Actually, I don't think about you at all. It's that penis, ya know? Makes you sort of invisible to me."

Jared barked a laugh. "Well let me ask you this. Is it my penis in particular, or just men in general? I really want to know. You've seen all of us naked. Go ahead, I can take it." He rested his hands lightly on her shins.

In spite of herself, a small smile cracked Leah's facade. "I haven't really done any in-depth comparisons, so I guess it's just men. I find all of you...distasteful." She swung her legs around and planted her feet on the floor.

"Well, that's a relief." Jared grinned. "You have female friends then?"

Leah frowned at him. "What is it, Cameron? You writing a book? How about if you leave that chapter out and make it a mystery." Very deliberately, she opened her book and started reading again.

Jared stayed where he was. "How about getting some ice cream? You interested? I'll buy."

Leah shot him a look. "Now why on earth would I do that?"

"Because it's hot out here and you don't really hate me." He ticked off the reasons on his fingers. "Also, it's only a quarter of a mile away. And I know they have butter pecan."

Glaring at him, Leah stood. "Just so you know it's not a date. Got it?"

Chuckling softly, Jared nodded. "You drive a hard bargain, Miss Clearwater. Good thing my ego's not too delicate. Come on."

Without the book as a crutch, Jared found Leah to be a little more talkative. She was almost finished with her second year of nursing school and would be a Licensed Practical Nurse in May. They bitched about the pack mind and the inconvenience of never having a private thought. They sat on a picnic table, feet on the bench, and licked at their cones. Long after the ice cream was gone, they chatted. Suddenly Leah's eyes widened. "What time is it?"

Jared glanced at his watch. "It's a quarter past three. Why?"

Leah jumped to the ground. "I had patrol at three. Shit! Sam's gonna kill me!"

"Fuck Sam,"' Jared growled.

"Been there. Done that."

Jared had the good grace to blush. "Sorry."

Leah cracked a smile. "Don't be so touchy. My bark is worse than my bite."

"It's not the bark I'm worried about."

Big grin. "Bite me." And she was gone.

The next day, Jared took a chance and pretended to be looking for Seth again. Unfortunately, he was home and Sue directed him to the kitchen. The remains of a large chocolate cake were on the table. "Hey, Jared. Want some?" A big glass of milk sat next to Seth's empty plate.

"Nah. But thanks."

Seth looked at his friend. "You okay, Jared? I've never known you to turn down my mom's chocolate cake."

"Just some stuff on my mind," Jared mumbled. "I'll see ya later, Seth." He held the door for Leah, who was coming in from the porch, and then jogged into the woods behind the house.

Seth was staring after Jared. "Any idea what's going on with him, Leah? He's acting kind of weird."

Leah shrugged, cutting a slice of the cake. "Not my week to watch him."

As luck would have it, Leah and Jared were on patrol together that evening. Jared braced himself for the usual scathing comments and non-stop harangue, but he was pleasantly surprised. Leah was, if not sociable, at least not combative. Baby steps. They ran the trail in peaceful coexistence, and each went to find their clothes before they phased back.

Jared phased first and yanked on his shorts while Leah stood silently watching. She phased next and took her time getting dressed while he tried not to look. "I guess it's not so bad," Leah commented.

"Huh? What...oh!" Jared blushed again. "You like doing that to me, don't you?" He smiled, shaking his head slowly.

Leah leaned her back against a tree, contemplating her patrol partner. He was wearing denim cutoffs and nothing else. She sported short shorts and a skimpy tank top, no bra. "Sometimes I miss…" she began, a faraway look in her eyes. "Sex. I miss sex," she continued, snapping out of it. "Do you enjoy sex, Jared?"

"I seem to recall it was rather pleasant," he said after careful consideration of the question. "It's been a while, to tell you the truth."

Leah was staring, making him uncomfortable. "Ever hear of friends with benefits?"

He didn't answer the question. "Are we friends?"

She smirked. "We could be."

Jared was not about to admit that sex with Leah Clearwater was one of his favorite fantasies, nor that her toned and shapely body often featured in his wet dreams. The prospect was titillating for sure. She took a step toward him, and he couldn't seem to look away from the pert breasts straining against thin fabric. He licked his lips. There seemed no point in pretending he wasn't interested, considering his stiff, swollen dick was threatening to poke a hole in the denim fabric of his shorts.

"I am. Interested, I mean."

She smiled. "I can see that." She took another step closer, and her hand brushed against the front of his cutoffs. He stifled a moan and bit his lower lip.

"It's not that simple for me, though." Oh no! Did you really say that out loud? His inner voice screamed at him not to ruin everything.

Her eyes hardened. "How so?" She had moved even closer, and her fingers were caressing his aching dick through the rough fabric.

"I just...I like you, Leah. It's not so impersonal for me." Now you've done it, the voice snarked. If your dick explodes, we know who to blame.

Shaking her head, Leah backed away. "Fuck it then. It was just a thought." Jared watched her perfect ass as she jogged back down the trail. He wanted to tear out his own tongue.

Now Leah was avoiding him. She'd trade off patrols to make sure she wasn't paired with Jared. He finally caught her alone on the porch, reading again. He had a head start and blocked the door before she could get there. "We need to talk, Leah." He knew better than to make it a question.

"No. Actually, we don't."

Ignoring her remark, he scooped her up in his arms and deposited her on the swing. She smacked him in the head with her book, but there wasn't much muscle behind it. "Stay!" His deep voice held a command Leah hadn't heard before.

She stared at him, incredulous. "First of all, you're a beta, Jared. Secondly, we're not even in the same pack!"

He shrugged. "It was just a friendly request, Leah. I really want to talk to you." He sat down beside her, ready to restrain her if she tried to run. Fully aware of this, she didn't try.

"We were getting along fine before I told you I like you, Leah," he began. "I know you've been hurt, and I hate it. But I have no intention of hurting you. Besides, I think you want me - almost as much as I want you." The silence was broken by a menacing growl that started low in her throat and increased in volume. He ignored it and continued.

"I'm also sorry we have no privacy. But you can plainly see evidence of my arousal…and I can smell yours." A deep sigh cut her off in mid-growl.

"Okay, Cameron, you're right about a couple of things. But as it happens, we do have some privacy." She took him by the hand and pulled him into the house. "Nobody else is home - for a few hours." She linked her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. Taking a breath, she explained. "I've been wanting to do that for a while. There are a few other things I've been wanting to do…"

Quick as a flash, she tugged her tank top off over her head, her ripe breasts spilling out as Jared jumped back. "Jeez, Leah, I…" He had no words. Searching desperately in his pocket, he withdrew an empty hand. "I don't have anything…"

Leah laughed, unsnapping his jeans with one smooth flick of her fingers. "Don't worry about that." Her voice was hard, defensive. "The elders tell me I'm barren, useless."

The elders were wrong on both counts.