I unwillingly lumbered after the boys into her house. I felt the strong impulse to turn around and head anywhere but here, but Seth had told me Sam had called some urgent meeting - whatever that means - and it was mandatory the whole pack be there.

"Hi, Leah" Emily greeted me in an overly cheery voice - it made me want to puke.

"Hey." I said back. I searched eagerly for a place to sit, maybe zone out of the conversation, but the boys hadn't thought to be polite for once and leave a chair for the woman - if that's what I was. I stopped that thought immediately. There was no use in getting anymore fury boiled up before the meeting even began.

I walked back to the wall opposite the kitchen, railed with bars across the stairs. I rested my head in the middle of two, closed my eyes, and attempted to clear my mind of all thought. I had almost succeeded when I heard someone's voice pierce through the normal, bubbly, annoying chatter. My heart ached as it raced faster, and I opened my eyelids as he began to speak. I listened half-heartedly at first, but then as the conversation unfolded, I grew intrigued, or close enough to it.

"-talked to her, said she sounded bad. She told him she's sick. Carlisle got on and told Charlie that Bella picked up some rare disease in South America - said she's quarantined. Charlie's going crazy, 'cause even he's not allowed to see her. He says he doesn't care if he gets sick, but Carlisle wouldn't bend. No visitors. Told Charlie it was pretty serious, but that he's doing everything he can. Charlie's been stewing about it for days, but he only told Billy now. He said she sounded worse today."

We were all silent as we absorbed the information. My gaze flickered around the room, and my eyes found Emily, leaning against Sam's wicker chair. She looked unsettled, worried. Well that's great for her, I thought, she's taken a liking to the leech-lover, and now her old friend is good as dead. I momentarily felt regret that we weren't meeting in the forest in our wolf forms - where Jacob could hear. I really got on his nerves sometimes. It was real fun, and it got my anger out better than if I exploded on someone - not that I didn't feel like doing that half the time.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Jacob asked impatiently. I could see his body inclined towards the door - prepared to phase in a moment's notice. I had to agree with him there, but maybe my anger was just getting the best of me. I kept my mouth shut regardless, I couldn't side with Jacob anyway, and I also didn't need to side against Sam. That would be a great way to feel better on an already awful day. Usually, I'm actually in an alright mood on mornings - the ones I'm off patrol and get to sleep, at least - but no one is around to notice. This morning, though, I was woken up by Seth, telling me Charlie was coming over - asking me if I wanted to go to Billy's with him. Obviously, I said no, but I said it nicely. I always put in effort act good with Seth. He was, after all, my little brother. So, anyways, I decided to go for a walk on the beach. I waded in the tide, staring off into the bright yellows and oranges of the sunrise. It was one of those rare days of sunshine. I always made sure that I had time to see either the sunrise or set whenever I could. It was peaceful, serene. I was awed by the colors. I settled down on a flat rock, burying my toes in the warm, gritty sand, and focused on relaxing my entire body.

Not even halfway through my process, though, a long howl cut through the frigid morning air. I recognized the voice as my brother. What now? I wondered, irritated at his lousy timing, but I quickly went through my necessities, and rushing through the woods, after I secured my belongings around my ankle, phased in the air. As my feet touched the ground I repeated my question out loud. "What now?" I asked, the irritation lessening in my mind, but steadily growing as Seth explained.

"Sam called an emergency meeting. He asked me to call you guys - and girl," he tacked on, his voice light with teasing. I mentally rolled my eyes at him. He was a good kid, it was hard to get mad at him.

"And?" I prompted. I was getting impatient. I wanted to know if this was a waste of my precious time or not.

"I'll explain when everyone's here. Sam's calling me in, you close?"

"Ya, I'm almost there." I spoke fast, before I phased back. I had heard the others phasing in, and frankly I could do without their petty, blabbering voices stuck inside my head. They drove me insane - as if being a teenage lone-girl wolf wasn't enough to turn someone mental.

I pulled on my denim cut-offs and simple navy blue tank top. I fastened the first button, but gave up with the second - not like anyone would be staring at me. I remembered Emily's fake happy greeting, and stopped before her stupid little perfect voice invaded my head like a disease. I tuned back into the now argument between Jacob and Sam.

"-afraid to die."

"I know that Jacob," Sam stated in his sickeningly authorial voice, "It's one reason I question your judgment on this."

Jacob stared furiously at Sam, "Do you intend t honor our father's treaty or not?" He asked, the anger clear in his deep voice. I kept my eyes on him, careful not to sway in Sam's direction.

"I honor my pack. I do what's best for them." I caught myself before muttering aloud my thoughts. I turned my head to the door, mouthing my words to the air. Load of crap. Sam seemed to sense my disagreement, and I felt his eyes flicker towards me, but he turned back to Jacob, not bothering to care enough to find out what had bothered me - probably addressing it as my normal behavior: stupid Leah, immature Leah, she can't manage her anger, can't accept that things change. She's arrogant and stupid. Why can't she see that we don't need her here. I'd overheard him say those words to Paul a week after I'd joined the pack. They had been talking on the beach, not even noticing I was some twenty feet away from them with my newfound super hearing. I had phased then, but it had been night at the time, so we were safe from human eyes. I had had enough sense not to charge them, rip their throats out. Instead I had fled into the woods, and phased back as soon as possible in case they phased to find me.

Once more, my eyes adjusted to the blur after reliving my memories. This one left a bitter taste in my mouth, but I would not allow myself to dwell on it, and I quickly immerse myself in the ongoing bickering between the two.

"Shut up, Seth!" three of the boys said in harmony. I didn't heed to look back to discover who had yelled, but after the seconds ticked by I stared at my brother, his jaw now set firmly and staring at the ground. Well he set himself up for it, I thought, smiling to myself.

"We don't want you to leave." Sam said softly. I glanced up at his change in voice. His eyes were sincere enough, but I guessed at a hidden thought creeping in his mind. As much as Jacob was a bother with his obsession over the leech lover, Sam knew we needed him, as a friend or a fighter, I couldn't be sure, but when I moved my gaze to fix it on Jacob, I saw plain on his face he wasn't buying it.

"So force me to stay, Sam. Take away my will. Make me a slave," Jacob taunted, exasperated.

"You know I won't do that."

"Then there's nothing to say." Jacob retorted, hastily pulling himself out of the wicker chair, and if the door had not been opened, I had no doubt he would have torn it to bits to get out of this place. Too bad, I thought.

"I'm out." I said dryly, keeping my eyes on Jacob's form disappearing into the woods. If I could follow . . . but I ran back to the beach, uncaring if people stared, and with relief saw that had just enough time to see the sun until the looming clouds poured over.

As the first drops fell, I sensed someone watching, but for the moment, I couldn't force myself to care, and I did something I hadn't done since I was a little girl.

I gave up all my anger – if only for an insignificant moment or two – and I let myself go, and I danced my heart out in the crystal rain.