Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. This story is purely of my creation and for fun. Do not steal and claim this as your own work. Thanks. If you enjoy it, please be sure to review. I enjoy any feedback that I'm given.
Wherever This Path Takes Me
Chapter One
It was a normal day in the life of Leah Clearwater. She was lounging on the couch and staring at the television, not really watching it. Her mother was singing and washing dishes in the kitchen, nothing out of the ordinary. For the past two days, Leah had been neglecting her duties as Jacob's Beta and she hadn't seen or heard from him for a while. It wasn't because she was angry with him or that they had a fight or anything. Things had been more than strange for Leah in those two days and she just didn't know how to tell him. How was she supposed to tell her Alpha that she couldn't patrol because she just couldn't phase anymore? How was she supposed to tell him she had gotten her period? She didn't know what this meant, but she was terrified of finding out the truth. So, she avoided it.
She groaned as cramps gripped her stomach; curling up in the fetal position and holding onto her belly. "Ma!" she whined and the woman poked her head into the living room, "I need medication!"
A sigh escaped Sue as she trekked up the stairs and grabbed a few aspirin for her whiny daughter. "You need to get in contact with Dr. Cullen," Sue said after handing the pills and a glass of water to Leah. "Starting your menstrual cycle must mean something," she added and sat in the armchair. "Maybe we could talk to the Elders?"
Leah groaned. "Ma, can't I just hide out here for the rest of my life?" she asked, not wanting to face the outcome. "I just don't want to end up disappointed or dealing with anything crazier than sprouting fur, okay?"
"Leah, it's your life," Sue said with a deep frown, "but I would rather have answers than wonder what was wrong with me. I won't tell you what to do, though. I mean, what do I know? I'm only your mother, I only raised you and gave birth to you. What right do I--"
"Alright, Mom!" Leah groaned, burying her face into the couch cushion. "I'll talk to Carlisle, okay?"
A smile brightened Sue's face. "Good! Do you want me to call Charlie?" she asked. "He could give you a ride over there."
"I think I can manage in the Durango," she mumbled and rolled onto her back; the aspirin were getting rid of her headache. "Let me get decent," she said and pulled herself off of the couch. She needed to shower and do something with her hair, which had been growing like crazy lately. Lugging her body up the stairs, Leah locked herself in the bathroom and took a nice hot shower. "Damn mother, always playing the guilt card," she grumbled as she scrubbed shampoo into her scalp. "'I only raised you'," she mimicked with a scowl.
Once clean and dressed, Leah grabbed the keys to her Dodge Durango and pushed herself into the massive vehicle. It had been a gift from Charlie when Sue told him that Leah needed a car to get to and from the community college. She had been grateful and promised to pay him back even though he told her not to worry about it. A grouping of feathers dangled from the rear-view mirror as she shoved the key into the ignition, the engine revving. She was not looking forward to the lecture she would be hearing from Jacob when she arrived at the Cullen's home.
Pulling out of the driveway, Leah made sure to take her time on her way to her destination. She was in no hurry to hear how irresponsible she was being as Beta and how she needed to keep Jacob in the loop. Anxiety settled in her gut as she pulled into the Cullens' driveway, her teeth digging into her bottom lip. What if there was something truly wrong with her? What if something good was happening? Was she still a werewolf? Would she be able to have kids? Shaking her head, she pushed open the car door just as the front door was opened. Seth came barreling out of the house and to the car, worry evident in his brown eyes.
"Where have you been, Leah?" he cried out. "Oh man, Jake is so made at yo--Why do you smell funny?"
"Shut up," she said and rolled her eyes. "Mom's mad at you for not coming home in three days," she said and watched as her brother gulped. "Exactly."
"Leah, we need to talk," she heard Jacob say, looking over to see the stern expression on his face.
Her brows furrowed and she crossed her arms over her chest. "Don't have the time, Jake, I'm here to see Carlisle," she said and walked past him into the house. Edward was watching her intently as she walked over to the blonde doctor. The vampires seemed to be on edge and that put her on edge. Glaring at them, she realized what their problem was, they could smell her bleeding. That thought grossed her out a bit; was this how they acted when Bella had been on her period?
"Yes, actually," Edward said, having heard Leah's thought. "Sorry to be so cold, it's just unusual to have that scent lingering on you."
Leah scoffed. "How do you think I feel?" she asked and turned back to Carlisle. "You evidently know why I'm here, can you help me?"
"Well, Leah, that's hard to say," he stated in his calm voice, a friendly smile on his lips. "I'd have to run some tests on you before I determined what was wrong and what I could do to help. Would you be opposed to that?"
"No, I just want to know what's going on," she grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. "My mom's making me do this."
"Can someone tell me what's going on?" Jacob asked, a clueless Seth beside him. "I'm still out of the loop here."
Leah sighed heavily. "I got my period and I can't phase," she said. "That's why I drove up here."
"You got your period?" Seth cried out, his eyes as wide as they could go.
"Let's just do this," Leah mumbled, ignoring her dumbfounded brother.
"Right away, just follow me," Carlisle said and led her upstairs to a room filled with hospital equipment. "If you'll just have a seat here on the bed, I'll take some blood samples and do an ultrasound," he said and gave her a comforting smile.
Propping herself onto the hospital bed, Leah pulled off her jacket to reveal her short-sleeved t-shirt underneath. "You get special permission to have all this equipment, Doc?" she asked, looking around at all the machines. "Or did you use your loads of money to buy all this stuff?"
"Loads of money," he replied with a small smile, wrapping a plastic band around Leah's arm and plucking her forearm to get the veins to show. "You're considerably cooler, Leah," he commented as he rubbed the inside of her arm with alcohol. "I'd say your body temperature is that of a regular human," he added as he stuck the needle into her arm. "How do you feel?"
Leah winced gently when the needle was stuck into her arm, watching as the vials filled up with her blood. "I feel bloated, I have cramps, and I want to gorge myself on chocolate," she commented as he filled the last vial with blood, "how the hell do you think I feel?"
"Yes, I guess that was a bit stupid of me to ask," he murmured as he removed the needle and replaced it with a cotton ball. Taping the cotton ball down, he gathered the vials of blood and disposed of the needle. "I'll run a few tests on these in a moment, right now I want to give you an ultrasound to see what's going on with your reproductive organs."
"How can you handle blood so easily?" she asked as she laid back on the bed like he instructed her to do.
"Years and years of practice," he comment with a smile as he lifted her shirt above her navel. "If you'll undo the buttons of your pants and slide them down just slightly," he asked, turning away as she did so.
"Didn't know you were so modest, Doc," she commented and watched him clear his throat. "Just a joke, just a joke," she added with a roll of her eyes. "Don't you vampires have a sense of humor?"
Carlisle chuckled. "I believe you have met Emmett, right?" he asked with a raised brow, eliciting a laugh from Leah. "Leah, how are your emotions doing? Have you been having any hostility towards anyone? Any ill feelings towards anyone?" he asked as he started the ultrasound, his eyes on the monitor.
Leah frowned. "Anyone like who?"
"Sam, in particular," he stated bluntly, his eyes never leaving the screen.
That was a good question. Leah hadn't thought about Sam at all for the past few days and she hadn't even noticed it. Now that she thought about him, she couldn't really remember why she had been so angry in the first place. Imprinting was a process that you couldn't help, right? So, why had she harbored such hatred for him for so long? He had apologized numerous times and Emily was distraught after losing her friendship with Leah. So, why had she been so angry instead of forgiving? Of course, she had been hurt tremendously by what Sam had done to her, but he couldn't have done anything to stop it. What was happening to her? It was like what happened with Sam was centuries ago, like it didn't even bother her in the slightest.
"Leah?" Carlisle said softly, looking at her.
"Oh, no, nothing," she responded, looking at him. "It's the weirdest thing, Doc, it's like none of that ever happened or really mattered. I can't explain it. All I know is that I don't feel a thing about it anymore and I can't understand why."
Carlisle seemed to ponder that for a few moments before he nodded and handed her a few napkins. "Here you go, wipe off that gel," he said and stood. "I'll test these blood samples and review your ultrasound, then I'll get back to you."
With a nod, Leah cleaned up the gel and fixed her pants. "Do you think I'm okay?" she asked as she got to her feet, hoping the anxiety she felt wasn't showing on her face. Carlisle looked at her for a few moments before smiling and pulling the gloves off of his hands.
"Leah, starting your menstrual cycle can mean that you'll be able to have children and lead a normal life," he said, "I think that's better than what you've been going through."
Leah smiled slightly. "Thanks," she said softly before exiting the room and walking down the hall. It was weird, she didn't even feel like her old, grumpy self anymore. She felt like she used to feel in high school or before her father died. Whatever was happening to her felt like it was restoring her to how she used to be. But what did it mean? Why was it happening?
Entering the living room, Leah saw expectant faces looking at her. Seth looked worried and Jacob looked more concerned than anything else. "I won't know anything until Carlisle finishes his tests now can you all stop gawking at me?" she asked with a glare on her face. Maybe she had spoke a little too soon? Or maybe that was her period talking? Either way, she didn't want to feel like some damn circus attraction with everyone staring at her like they were. Seating herself beside Seth, she sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. Cramps were gripping at her stomach against causing her to flinch every so often. She had forgotten just how painful those suckers could be after not having a period for so long.
"Leah, would you like anything?" Esme asked her in a soft, caring tone. "I could make you something to eat."
"Do you have any chocolate? Or maybe a greasy piece of chicken?" she asked while looking over her shoulder at the woman. "And if it is chicken, could you make it really greasy?"
Esme laughed. "Of course, darling."
"God send that woman is," Leah muttered and sunk deeper into the cushions.
"You're not acting like yourself, is this how all girls on their period act?" Emmett questioned with a raised brow. "She hasn't complained about or scent and she hasn't bitten anyone's head off. I say she's been abducted by aliens and they've replaced her with this less believable copy."
"Shut up, you overgrown ape," Leah spat, glaring at the large vampire. "Your stupidity is annoying me."
"And she's back," Jacob grinned, eliciting a giggle from Renesmee who sat on the arm of the chair he was sitting in. Little Nessie wasn't so little anymore, they thought her growth was going to slow down after a while and it had. Right when they weren't expecting it, she sprouted into a young woman right before their eyes. The girl woken up one morning and had grown several feet, obtained curves that would make a Victoria's Secret model jealous, and sprouted melons on her chest. Jacob's jaw had to be picked up off of the ground for him. Of course, all this was a bit of an exaggeration, but she no longer looked like a little girl. Edward had taken to chaperoning her wherever she went, no one was getting anywhere near his daughter without him around.
"Shut up, Jake," Leah mumbled, running her hands over her face and groaning loudly. "Fuck you, Mother Nature," she said and fell over onto Seth, clenching her eyes shut and holding her stomach. "I hate you menstrual cycle but it's so wonderful to see you again," she added while resisting the urge to punch her stomach.
Alice gasped in delight. "Nahuel is coming to see us."
Renesmee perked and clapped her hands. "He always has amazing stories!" she gushed and Jacob's expression soured. "When's he coming, Aunt Alice?"
"Well, I'm not too sure, but he can't be very far," she added and smiled. "It'll be good to see him again, he promised he wouldn't stay away for very long."
Leah was having trouble putting a face with a name, she hadn't really gotten a good look at him before. She remembered him being the halfbreed like Renesmee but she just couldn't remember what the male looked like. She shrugged it off when Esme held a plate of chicken in front of her. "Oh my God, this is Heaven!" she cried out and grabbed the plate, biting into one of the greasy pieces. "Esme, I've died in pure bliss," she said through a mouthful, her fingers slick. "Don't even think about it, Seth!" she yelled when she saw him eyeing a piece.
"C'mon, Leah, sharing is caring!" he exclaimed.
"I said no!" she yelled and held the plate away from him, her eyes narrowed dangerously.
As Seth was trying desperately to get a piece of chicken, Alice perked up and glanced at the door. A few quick knocks caught everyone's attention and they all glanced at the door. Edward opened it and welcomed Nahuel and Huilen inside, a smile on his handsome face. "Welcome, Alice told us of your impending arrival," he said and closed the door behind them. "How have you both been?"
"As well as we can," Nahuel responded with a smile. "Aunt Huilen wanted a bit of a vacation so I suggested dropping by to see you all."
"Leah, could I speak with you?" Carlisle said as he descended the stairs. "Oh, hello Nahuel, wonderful seeing you again."
"Same to you, Carlisle," Nahuel replied with a smile, his eyes watching Leah as she rose from the couch and made her way over to Carlisle.
Leah didn't seem to acknowledge Nahuel's presence as she followed Carlisle into the kitchen, her plate of chicken held firmly in her hand. She watched the doctor expectantly as he laid some papers down on the counter. "So, what's going on?" she asked, sucking grease off of her finger.
"Well, as you know, you wolf DNA is different from a human's DNA," he began, "as I was looking over your blood tests and comparing the before and after DNA, I noticed they were different. I see only slight traces of the wolf DNA left in your body, Leah, you are a regular human girl now. It's astonishing, I can't quite explain it. It's like the wolf DNA is dormant and your human DNA has resurfaced. It's truly remarkable."
Leah stared wide-eyed. "Do you know why?"
Carlisle frowned. "That's the tricky part," he said. "It seems to me that because your wolf DNA went dormant and you started your menstrual cycle that your body is preparing itself for something. Since you are the only one of your kind, it's hard to say what that something could be. I speculate that your body is getting rid of the uterine lining that built up so it can prepare itself again for reproduction. Because you have both human and wolf DNA, I'm wondering if maybe you're going through "heat"."
Leah blinked a few times. "I beg your pardon?"
"Well, I can't see why else your body would be preparing for a baby unless it was some form of "heat"," he said and frowned.
"Then why would it be doing it now?" she asked. "After all these years of me being a werewolf, why now?"
"That's a very good question, Leah. Werewolves can sense when they're close to their imprintee's, correct? An example would be Jacob and Nessie. Maybe your body senses your imprintee and is preparing itself for the meeting. The original belief was that werewolves imprinted to ensure the survival of their kind, maybe that's what happening to you. I don't know, this all purely speculation," he responded. "I'll look into this a little bit more and try to find another answer for you."
She watched Carlisle leave the kitchen and stared down at her chicken. Suddenly, she wasn't very hungry anymore and she pushed the plate away. "Heat?" her said softly with a disgusted look on her face. How in the hell could that happen? "My imprintee?" she said before groaning and running her hands over her face. "What the hell is next?"
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