This chapter is from Leah's POV and picks up after she and her mother run into Bella and Angela in Port Angeles, chapter 25. Enjoy…

I walks alongside my mother through the noisy mall to the parking lot where we parked our car. Neither one of us speaks and I welcomes the silence. We get inside the car and Mom turns it on but doesn't drive. She turns to me and speaks, "Bella is a nice girl Leah. Maybe you two could become friends."

I roll my eyes, "And maybe we can have sleepovers and braid each other's hair." I sigh because I know I just hurt her Mom with my words and tone. I take in a deep breath before turning to her. I place a hand on her thigh and squeeze before speaking, "We have nothing in common. Maybe if Jake imprints and drops her then yeah, but right now? We don't."

"How did Sam find her Leah?" I bite my lip. "She was broken Leah. Broken and hurt and damn me to hell if it didn't remind me of you. So don't you dare sit there and dismiss me because you 'don't have anything in common'. I'm your mother and you will not sass me, understood?" She breathes heavily and I feel ashamed. She was right. Bella had been broken by love too. But now she was with Jake and he was going to find a way to stop imprinting. Maybe it's me being petty but I was so pissed that Sam didn't even think to do that for me. For us.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I shouldn't speak to you like that. And you're right about Bella. It's just…it's just…" I trail off, afraid to tell her. Afraid she'll think I'm stupid for not being over him yet.

"You're mad because Sam didn't try to find a way to stay with you?" I nod, viciously wiping at my eyes.

"He just skipped right on over to Em without a care in the world." I want to keep the bitterness out of my voice. I wasn't lying when I told Sam I didn't want to be that girl anymore.

"Baby, what happened last night?" I stare at her wide-eyed. She laughs. "Oh I heard you come in. I heard you sneak into Seth's room and yes I heard you sobbing. And I know it wasn't about daddy."

I shake my head. "It wasn't about Daddy, but I miss him so much. It hurts. It hurts different from missing Sam." I bite my tongue. Fuck, I didn't want to say that. "Don't worry Ma. I'm going to try. Really."

She looks at me and squeezes my hand before pulling out of the parking spot and heading back to La Push.

Earlier that day (Well night but you get it) - - -

I walk out of the woods, wiping at my lips again, trying desperately to erase the feel of his lips on mine. I hug myself, trying not to collapse on the floor again. I walk home and make my way inside through the back. I pass my bedroom and head straight into Seth's. My little brother who is now taller than me and just as strong. I crawl into his bed, on top of his sheet and he awakens quickly.

"Leah, what the hell are you doing? Are you okay? Hey why are you shaking?" I shake my head unable to speak. I just lay beside him and he wraps his strong, warm arms around me. We lay in silence as the tears stream from my eyes, soaking his pillow. After a time, he whispers, "Eww. I'm not sleeping on that now."

"He kissed me. He kissed me and here I am." His grip tightens and I know he's pissed. I pinch his forearm and he yelps. "Real manly Seth. Relax. It won't happen again."

He growls at me, "Well fuck Leah, it should have never happened in the first place. That bastard hurt you. Why wou…?"

I cut him off, "It wasn't like I wanted him to kiss me." Seth makes a snorting noise and I elbow him. "Okay I did but I wasn't expecting him to." We fall silent again. "It hurt him Seth, physically. He fell to the floor, pawing at his chest. I left him there on the ground and just came home. He says he still loves me. That he still wants me. What the hell am I supposed to do with that information? Rejoice? Sing to the heavens?"

"Rip his balls off?" I chuckle. I can always count on Seth to make me laugh.

"I can't do that." He grumbles under his breath. "Ma would get so pissed at me. I am so twisted up inside and I hate it. I hate being this way."

Seth offers me the only advice I need, "Then stop. Stop being his Leah and be who you were before him. That bad ass bitch everyone was afraid of."

I snort, "And they're not anymore?"

He admits quietly, "Well yeah everyone's still scared of you but you lack the warmth and happiness now that made it bearable before. It's not the same. Now you're just evil. Go to sleep Lee-lee. Close you eyes and go to sleep."

We wake up to our cell phones buzzing. Seth reaches his first. "Jake. We need to head over to Sam's." I nod and jump out of his bed to go brush my teeth in my bathroom while he grabs his and goes to use Mom's. I meet Seth outside in less than two minutes and he's already phased. He bounds towards the trees and I slip off my dress, looping it around my ankle before joining him. We make it to Sam's in mere moments and I stay back a few paces to phase back into human form. I slip on my dress and make my way to the front of the house. Seth is waiting for me. We can see Sam, Jared, Embry and Emily out front who's glaring at me. Great. Fucking great. I wonder what he told her. Why did he say anything at all? We get closer and I can feel his eyes boring into my skin and her gaze trying to slice it open. Since when am I the bad guy in this shit?

What I didn't see coming was Seth jumping in front of him and punching him in the jaw, knocking his ass to the earth. Part of me wanted to hug my brother. The other part wishes he just left it alone. "Seth, goddamn it!"

"Holy shit!" Jared squeaks while he and Embry grab Seth as Jake and Paul come rushing through the front door. Oh yeah, these here are some good times.

"Keep the fuck away from my sister Sam. I don't give a fuck if you're Alpha." He was screaming at Sam, spittle flying from his mouth. I walk up to him and lay my hand on his arm. He looks at me and then at the two guys holding him. "Let me go. I've said my piece. I'm done." But as I sneak a quick glance at Sam I know we're not.

Later that day we all convene at the lodge to address Jake seeing the Great Wolf. Seems he's Alpha now and if I wasn't so blinded by this morning activities I would have known already. You can see he's a bit taller and there's this aura around him now. But never mind that. What I really wanted to do right now was bite that bitch Woods' head off and use it as a water bowl. Did she really have to ask about Emily right now?

I want to leave but Sam speaks and my heart breaks just a little more. He's another asshole. I'll bite his head off too and have a food dish. Works for me. "I do love Emily but my heart is torn because I still love Leah. I never stopped and it's foolishness if you thought otherwise. If I had half the mind Jake has, I too would have asked if there were a way to stop imprinting. I am confused and in turn hurting two women who deserve better. Because Leah knows I want her and Emily knows it too." I refuse to look at him.

Billy speaks, "You still love Leah? Don't look at me like that Sam. It's an honest question. You have to understand that every man before you that imprinted lived and died for their imprint. All past loves disappeared from their hearts. We have never heard of such a thing. Has this been going on since Leah phased?"

"Can we stop speaking as if I'm not in the room and that this fucking convo isn't killing me?" I look around the room and want to escape. I want to be able to breathe and I can't in here. "I'll wait outside."

Jake grabs my hand. "No." I want to shrug him off and ignore him but I can't because he's my Alpha and what Alpha wants, Alpha gets. Fucker. I stay still and obey. Sam speaks some more, driving that stake further into my heart. I look at Jake and am relieved when he motions that it's time to depart. Then he drops the bomb on all of us. "I can hear my brothers when I am human and they are still phased. I can also talk to them while I am human and they are phased." Say what Batman? I know the whole pack is thinking it but we will not discuss it in front of the elders.

Turns out the Great Wolf bestowed one hell of a gift on Jake. After we head back outside and Embry breaks the tension, Jake wants to show us his new gift. The guys phase and I swear if I have to look at their dicks anymore I might become a lesbian. You think they would at least turn the fuck around instead of waving their nuts in my face. Ugh. At least Seth and Sam have the decency to do so.

"No Embry, Leah's not going to strip for us." I glower at him while Jake laughs. He turns to me and raises an eyebrow to ask if I would be joining them. I shake my head. "Why not?"

"Because as much fun as this is, I have to head to Port Angeles with my mom. I need to sign up for summer classes. Maybe we can get together when I get back and you can show off then?" He grins and looks back to the pack who are running around. I have to ask, "Can you really hear them?"

He nods, arms crossed in front of him. "Yeah, it's nuts. I can hear them all and they hear me. I want to play with it a bit. See if I can talk to just one of them and close myself off to the others." I nod and turn to head back into the lodge for my mom. He grabs my hand and I look at him. "Thanks for not storming out. Mrs. Woods was way out of line."

I shrug, "I wanted to but I couldn't diminish your authority like that in front of the Elders. You're Alpha and I obey you. Simple as that. And you were right. You're a new type of Alpha and we all have to get used to it. I gotta go Jake."

I bite my lip and gaze at the trees and decide that if Jake can be a new type of Alpha, I can be a new Leah because I was so over the Leah I was now. I grab my mom's hand and ask, "Do you think Jake would give me Bella's number?"