A/N: Hey, thank you so much for your reviews!!! This one might be a bit cheesy... but at least the plot gets going...^^ Enjoy!!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight...

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tension

The sun was shining down on the snowy mountins. The icey wind was shoughing around the young woman that was only dessed in shorts and a worn out shirt. Her hair was tossed into the air, little snow flakes were dancing around her. Leah had gone to collect some winter berries and little animals that she used to catch with small traps. It gave her the time to think about how fast her life had changed in the passed few weeks.

From the day that they met onwards Leah and Matt had barely spent a minute apart. She had soon left the house she had rented in the village moving into the cave. It was strange for her not to have a proper kitchen or bathroom, to be forced to collect water from the river that was frozen over, close by and above all to phase again on a regular basis. But if it was all that Matt needed to be happy, she would get over herself and contently do so. When he was happy, she was, too. When she was happy, so was he.

Having witnessed how fast relationships evolved with one partner having imprinted, Leah was not taken aback by the speed theirs was developing. It was what you could call a double imprint and once they were both sure of their feelings being mirrored by the other, neither Leah nor Matt would slow things down on purpose. Having had enough hard times, the only thing they wanted was to get to know and enjoy each other properly.

This was best to be achieved by phasing together, sharing the inalienable pack mind. She had not been able to cut off the connection to Jacob's pack while she was without a new one she could belong to. But having found her right place, her soulmate and therefore the pack she was supposed to be in, her mind was cleared of any contact to Jacob, Seth and the others.

Leah immensely enjoied only having three wolfs being able to share her mind. Especially when she was never on patrol with anyone but Matt who himself barely phased when the others were, in order to give Leah her much appreciated privacy.

The four of them used to rather sit around a little bonfire with their newest companion telling all the old legends of the Quileute people. It soon became a traditional weekly get-together. They ate well-cooked human food which Leah insisted on, disussed current issues and events happening around the area, and tried to figure out in what way they were related to the Quileute wolfs. Afterwards Ryan and Brendan would leave, going on patrol or back to their homes down in the village.

With this clear line drawn between the couple and the two guys, Leah felt more at ease with her love life than she liked to admit. Just the thought of having her second closest friends and follow pack members be instantly informed of every intimacy between Matt and her, every step they took towards one another, every time they kissed or touched, made the young woman freak out because of embarrassment.

She liked it better that their first kiss lasted unnoticed for a whole 24 hours. It had been about a week after that unforgettable phasing. They had decided to shape shift together to share their minds completely. Later on when everything was said, or rather thought about, they sat down on a log in their human form. Numbed by the sheer amount of intimacy created between them having shared their best guarded thoughts and hopes, Leah and Matt fell silent. They sat close but particularly concerned not to touch one another.

When he could not take it any more, Matt suddenly jumped up and started pacing back and forth. After a while, he slowed down as if come to a conclusion.

"Leah" hearing him say her name seemed as the most wonderful thing on earth. "Leah, sweetheart" his sincere gaze made her melt like chocolate in the sun "I love you"

She instantly snapped out of her trance, this was definatly not what she had expected. Her eyes widened.

"I always will" he continued on "what we have just shared does not change anything but strengthens it. I want to spend the rest of my life with you; I want to make you happy, I want to be yours forever."

He looked at her expectantly. Leah did not know how to reply.

"You just made my day" she offered, quickly correcting herself "no, you just made my life! I would not want to trade what you just said for anything, never! You are my life now. I love you, too!"

His beautifuly face was graced by the most radiating smile she had ever seen. He quickly moved closer to her, tenderly wrapping his muscular arms around her firm waist and pulling her as tight as possible. His eyes locked with hers when he started to nuzzle the soft skin above her cut off jeans causing her heartbeat to break off and then to double its pace. His face was drawing closer and closer.

To Leah it seemed like an eternity until his lips eventually brushed against hers softly. This was what she had unknowingly been waiting for her entire life. She finally felt complete there in his arms, his warm breath lightly sweeping across her face, his tongue carefully caressing her lips.

Enjoying this way too much to stop they eventually found themselves standing in the dark as if glued together. They grinned at each other conspiratorially, locked their hands and walked back to the cave where they eventually fell asleep, their bodies entwined.

Yes, Leah was grateful that these aspects of their relationship were at least halfway kept a secret. It would be too embarrassing otherwise. She did not know how the other imprints coped with having everyone know everything about their sex life. Sure as hell, it could not be very pleasant.

Returning to her new home from collecting wild growing berries she directed her mind to the current issues of the area as she expected all the guys to be in.

ooOoo

When she entered the cave the tensed atmosphere took her completely off guard.

"What's wrong?" Three pairs of worried eyes and silence met her question. She turned to her soulmate knowing he would not deny her an answer.

"We might be in trouble" he sighed.

Leah laid the basket filled with berries down and sat next to Matt at the fire. She was all business now; problems had to be solved. "What has you think so?"

"Ryan and Brendan caught an unfamiliar scent on patrol this morning. Seems like there are other wolves stroling around the boarder of our ground. They are exactly keeping to the boundary, we doubt there are normal wolves... Besides, their scents are different, neither wolf nor human..." he trailed off.

"You mean they are shape shifters, too?"

"Yeah, honey, I think so"

"But why don't we just go and talk to them?" Leah asked confused.

"There are at least three different scents. We would probably be outnumbered or even at the best" Brendan spoke up for the first time.

"If there are really three of them, then we are not outnumbered, we're four in case you forgot" she started to sound a bit annoyed.

"Umm, actually, sweetheart, if we are to meet with them, you won't be coming along"

"WHAT?" she furiously stared at Matt "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I'm not having you put in danger. You know I couldn't stand it. You'll be staying here!" He stated coolly.

"No way! Who the hell do you think you are? Ordering me around like that...You don't have the right to..."

"Don't make me do this, Leah. I do have every right to tell – and the power to make - you stay behind! We won't argue about it, you will not come with us - full stop!" he finished with a growl that did not sound all too human.

"Matt..." she had not expected this. Would he actually use the alpha command on her?

It was like a hard blow in the stomach; it knocked the air out of her, numbed her, only so the pain would be even worse when it broke through. Her eyes filled with tears "why...?" She did not use to be the one who would start crying over little things like that, let alone accept a man's order that easily but she had changed and having her soulmate not wanting her with him, not trusting her enough on this nearly killed her.

His hand reached up curving around her face and whipping of the lonely tear that had escaped from under her eyelashes.

Was this to be their first fight? That would be just ridiculous. With an other pack of werwolfs having arrived and stroling around, they might not be save any more and did not have time for any stupid fighting. As long as it was unknown what the newcomers were up to, a disagreement had to be put aside and things sorted out.

But Leah could not put her pain aside, it was too strong.

She felt Matt pull her into his arms tenderly. " I'm sorry, honey. But I cannot have you put in danger – I couldn't concentrate if I didn't know that you were save."

"But, Matt, I won't be save without you. I can't stay behind. I'd worry myself to death." Her tears eventually ran dry.

"I am not going to have you there right away... but maybe, maybe we can find a way so you won't worry. And if they are friendly minded you can join us later, if they aren't you will stay where I tell you to stay."

"You know" Leah had gathered herself when she felt Matt resistance melt the tiniest bit "I have way more experience than you with fighting off the enemy..."

"And you know, you won't change my mind. We'll do it my way or not at all" he smiled knowing that he had won, placed a peck on the tip of her nose.

Sensing that the arguement was finished for the time being, Ryan spoke up "So... what do we do now?"

"Good question... I was about to ask the same, blockhead!" Brendan hissed sarcastically. They were both equally tensed, as they had family in the village near-by for which they were worried.

"Guys" Matt warned "We have to prepare ourselves for two possibilities: either they are only curious or... they are not..."

The four of them got down to drawing up a plan while Leah stressed that she would attend the meeting after all. She ad her pride, was no easy woman, obeying the man of her dreams – even if he was her soulmate – and angling her life to suit his alone.

They decided that the three guys would meet the newcomers – Matt refused to call them enemies when it was not sure whether they were – on a clearing in the woods where no humans would be at the break of dawn.

ooOoo

After Ryan and Brendan had left in the late evening, Leah got up to clean the rooms. She was not yet ready to face Matt. He would want to talk about her outburst from earlier. Though she knew it had been an extreme reaction, she had not been able to stop the tears or the pain and now she just wanted to forget about it.

"Leah" she heard him call from where their sleeping berth was.

"Yeah, umm, gimme a sec" she uttered back knowing he could hear her. Maybe he would go to sleep before she finished her unnecessary cleaning.

"Leah" his deep and tender came from right behind her, made her jump the tiniest bit.

"Jeez, you scared me" she attempted to brush him out of her way with a harsh motion of her arm.

"Nah, honey" his one hand caught her arm while the other pulled her closer, "you should have heard me, but you were too caught up in your remorse" he whispered into her ear.

Leah's cheek turned bright red. Why did he know her that well already?

"I'm sorry" argh, exactly the words she had not wanted to say escaped her lips so easily.

"It's okay" his hand started to caress the small of her back "I am, too. Shouldn't have been that harsh on you. Forgive me?"

"Always" how could she not anyway? Snuggling closer she inhaled deeply his earthy scent. Absent-minded she place a soft kiss on his cheast. As if in response a tremble passed through his body, a low growl came from his lips. Leah tensed.

When she looked him in the eyes, she could see his hunger, his hunger for her. His grip tightened. His lips crashed against hers. The flame sprung over, set her entire body on fire. Matt lifted her up and carried her to where the animal furs laid.

Adrenaline washed over her. She had not been intime to that degree with a man in a long time. Besides, exept for Sam there had not been anyone else, neither before him nor after him. She felt like a fish on land. But locking eyes with the man on top of her, she knew it would all be fine.

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and? what do you think?

I hope I could make up a tiny bit for being back in school today...^^