Trial

"As for courage and will - we cannot measure how much of each lies within us, we can only trust there will be sufficient to carry us through trials that lie ahead" Andre Norton

Leah POV

"He's exposed our secrets to the world!"

"The boy should be exiled, Alpha or not!"

"The whole Pack is now at risk every time they go into the woods, and it's HIS fault!"

"Silence!" Billy Black's loud voice echoed out across the small building at a volume that overshadowed the complaints and bickering of the other council members.

The whole Pack sat gathered before the council, the sheer size of their combined bulk making the tin-roofed council building appear impossibly smaller. We were all uncomfortable and fidgety, the combination of the confined space and overwhelming noise causing our supernaturally enhanced senses to go into overload. The exception to this was Jacob, who sat away from the pack, back ramrod straight, looking directly forwards. His face was an unreadable mask, showing neither anger, nor amusement, nor fear. I was furious with the way Jacob had just walked in as if he owned the place when he had put us all in danger by being caught on camera not one, or two, but three times.

"We have not come here to argue, or to throw about threats and insults. This is a trial to decide not only the consequences of our Alpha's indiscretion, but how to proceed to best protect the tribe. I believe we are all mature enough to put aside our emotions and personal prejudices and listen to what each of the people gathered here has to say," Billy announced, the silence proving his subtle jibe at his fellow council members had hit home.

"Let's hear from the boy then," Old Quil rasped, a stern expression on his face that had caused more than half the pack to be afraid of him as children.

"Jacob Black, step forward and be accountable to your tribe for your actions," Billy commanded, a tone akin to Alpha filling his voice. I watched as Jacob stood forward, towering over the seated men at his full height of 6'8".

"There is no excuse for my lack of control yesterday. As Alpha, and as a mature wolf, I should have been able to control my phase. However, I was unable. And for that I am deeply regretful. I am willing to accept any consequences for my actions. I just hope you can find mercy, and if not mercy, then pity in your hearts for me. I stand here before you without my wife and mate. This lapse in tradition is not out of choice, but because she has left me. My mate has rejected the imprint and has run away from me," sounds of shock and rushed whispers spread across the room as the council discovered the loss of the Alpha's mate, "When I made that mistake, losing control and phasing like that, I had just found out that she had left. I was distraught, and my wolf was inconsolable at the loss of his mate. In my heartbreak and confusion I phased. For that I am truly sorry. That is all I can say," Jacob finished, looking each council member in the eye. It took me a few moments to realise the calm, collected words today sounded nothing like anything Jacob had said in months; that speech was smooth, too smooth. My suspicions were confirmed when Jacob met Billy's eye and the old man nodded his approval, a slight smugness covering his features. I would put money on the fact that Billy had coached Jacob, and maybe even written his speech so that his son would be successful in sweet talking the council. Jacob sat down, and from the looks of pity and sympathy from the council, Billy's plan had worked.

"Samuel Uley, come forward and share your truths with your tribe," Billy called, the ceremony still thick in the air. I turned to look at Sam, who himself looked confused. He hadn't been asked in advance about this. None the less, Sam got up and walked to the front to stand before the council.

"Which truths would you have me share?" He asked respectfully.

"We wish to know about imprinting. There was a time where your own imprint rejected you, was there not?" Billy asked, and Sam visibly tensed at the memory.

"Emily did reject me at first," he started through gritted teeth, "As you are all aware, previous to the imprint I was engaged to her cousin, Leah Clearwater. She, out of love and consideration for the feelings of her cousin, refused me. My wolf became very volatile and unpredictable. I spent the better part of three weeks as the wolf, unable to phase back. Then one day Jared persuaded Emily to come and talk to me. I phased back to talk to her. She told me she was sorry for the pain she'd caused me, and would no longer purposefully avoid me or tell me to stay away from her, but that she still didn't want me. I lost control and the wolf forced its way out. But she was standing too close..." Sam trailed off, his fists clenched. We all knew how angry he was at himself for hurting her, even a year down the line.

"And out of this experience, do you believe Jacob's actions were a reasonable response to the loss of his imprint?" Billy queried.

"As much as I want to say otherwise, yes I do. I know that my response would have been the same," Sam begrudgingly admitted.

"Thank you Sam. You may take your seat," Billy nodded, releasing him.

When Sam turned to face me, his expression froze me in my seat. It was a look I'd only seen on his face three times: when his mother died, when Emily was in hospital, and the day that he broke my heart. His face was a completely blank mask, but his eyes simmered with anger, fear, and desperation. That expression had haunted me, robbing me of many nights of good sleep, yet now it signified something far more than my own heartbreak. This was the expression that could be seen on the faces of most members of the Pack. We were falling apart under the strain of our leader's madness. The pack was divided, each of us torn between our loyalty for our friend and Alpha and the anger, and even hatred, we all held for his actions. It was tearing us apart from the inside out, none of us trusting one another, or knowing where we stood. The pack was a ticking time bomb, just waiting for a catalyst for what surely would be an implosion that would change everything we knew. My wolf was buzzing with protective rage for my pack brothers, who had done nothing to deserve this. I had no idea how to deal with these new found instincts, so I'd kept them to myself, biting my tongue whenever something seemed unjust. I couldn't let them think I was going soft after all.

"So, even if that excuses your son getting caught three times on camera, how can you justify him exposing our secrets to Charlie Swan?" Old Mr Cameron, Jared's grandfather leered accusingly at his chief, proving that not everyone had fallen for the clearly rehearsed speech.

"Charlie Swan has always been a friend to the tribe, an honorary brother-" Billy was cut off harshly by Old Quil.

"We know what Charlie Swan is to this tribe, do not insult our intelligence by reminding us," he rasped angrily, "In the eyes of the council Chief Swan has a lower standing than any member of this tribe, all of whom have been left in the dark by the wisdom of the gods. What's more is that he is a man of the law, a police officer. His knowledge of our protectors puts them at risk."

"Charlie is trust worthy. He would never reveal our secrets knowing that it put our children at risk," my father defended his friend.

"That may be so, however I still demand that the Alpha be punished for his actions," Old Quil announced. Murmurs of agreement echoed around the hall.

"Reparation," Old Mr Cameron suggested, to the approval of the Elders.

"Jacob Black, you have revealed tribal secrets to an outsider. You must make reparations to all those you have wronged: to Charlie Swan for damaging his property, to your tribe for sharing its secrets, and to your pack for endangering them. These reparations must be made in both word and deed before the end of the month." Billy ruled. I didn't miss the smug look that momentarily passed between the Chief and his son. It wouldn't have surprised me if this wasn't the outcome they had hoped for.

"Now there's the matter of the Swan girl," Old Mr Cameron began, "She has become a liability."

"Isabella Swan has done nothing wrong. She is not on trial here," protested my dad.

"Something must be done about her. Previously her connection with the leeches was undesirable, but tolerable. Now it puts the whole tribe at risk. Her absence also weakens our Alpha and therefore our pack. She must be brought back here. It is where she belongs." Old Quil surmised.

"Jacob, you must remain on the reservation as the Alpha and our future Chief, but you may send out two members of your pack to search for the missing imprint and ensure her safe return to tribal land," announced Billy, much to the pack's horror. No-one could believe that they were ordering Bella to be brought back here. Billy and my father knew it wasn't safe for her here, yet had let it happen anyway. The meeting was closed quickly after that, all the pressing issues having been seen to.

"That was bullshit!" Paul grumbled as we poured out of the council building.

"If it were any of us we would have been punished, but not the high and mighty Alpha. All he gets is a fucking slap on the wrist and permission to drag his imprint home and force her to stay here like some kind of twisted forced marriage," Quil growled in agreement.

"Have you got a problem with the council's decision Quil?" Jacob asked, making me jump. I hadn't even sensed him joining us, he had just materialised leaning against the door frame nonchalantly.

"Yes, I have a problem. You should have at least lost your title, and the council should be protecting Bella instead of helping you get her back here where you can treat her like sh-" Quil was cut off by Jacob's fist colliding with his nose in a violent crunch. Blood sprayed from his nose, but Quil's protests were silenced by his former best friend's hand closing around his throat. With unnerving ease, Jacob lifted Quil by his neck until his feet dangled uselessly.

"Do you want to challenge me?" Jacob asked menacingly, his teeth gritted. Quil shook his head, hanging limp and bearing his neck to appease our enraged Alpha. With an expression of pure disgust, Jacob dropped Quil unceremoniously to the ground.

"Does anyone else care to challenge me, or further test my patience?" Jacob turned to the rest of the pack, who remained auspiciously silent, "You will not question my position as Alpha, or my relationship with my imprint again." He ordered, ripples of power spreading throughout the pack, "Quil and Paul will be going to search for Bella. The rest of you will remain here in La Push under a revised patrol schedule." With that, Jacob walked away not noticing the fact that he had lost two life-long friendships in his anger.

Embry rushed to help Quil as soon as Jacob was out of sight, the rest of us felt unable to move.

"She can't come back here," I thought aloud.

"I agree. It's in everyone's best interest if Bella stays away for a while," Sam told us.

"How do we get around the order?" Paul asked, responding with his brain instead of his temper for once.

"Jacob never said you had to bring her back," Jared reminded him.

"So you go out, you look for her, and if you find her you say nothing," I strategized.

I could only hope that it would work, not only for Bella's sake but for everyone's. My gut instinct was that if she came back here now, the whole pack was in for a world of hurt.

BPOV

The adrenaline rush lasted until twenty minutes into my flight. Coming down from it was rough, as the realisation that I had succeeded, that I had finally left settled in like an iron fist wrapped around my heart. The imprint began to strain like an elastic band stretched too far and for a moment I couldn't breathe. Thankfully I was able to pass it off as a flight anxiety induced panic attack, which got me a toffee from the kind old lady sat next to me, and a glass of water from a friendly flight attendant.

I'm not denying the imprint. I'm doing this to help Jacobbecame the mantra in my head until the imprint Gods were appeased and the pain settled down to a dull ache. Emily had told me that magic was affected by intention, so we theorised as we planned my escape that if my intention was not to hurt Jacob, but to strengthen the imprint I wouldn't feel that constant pain.

"The only time I felt the imprint constrict was when I was resisting Sam," Emily explained, "Since I accepted the imprint I haven't felt that pain once. I can even go and stay with my mother on the Makah Reservation with no negative side effects."

I frowned.

"Are you sure it will work for me? I haven't completely accepted the imprint yet."

"I think it will work because you aren't rejecting the imprint either," Emily shrugged.

"You want to hope it works," Leah interjected, "Otherwise the pain will bring you back here within a week and all of this effort will have gone to waste."

As it turned out, neither of us were right. The pain was still there, just greatly reduced. In hindsight, we hadn't considered the effect of distance. Sure, Emily could go back home, but her reservation was only half an hour's drive away from La Push. By now I was much further away than that. If the price to pay for putting some distance between us was a small pain in my chest, then I was willing to pay it.

This resolve lasted until I laid in bed in the cheap, dingy motel room in Michigan. There was no-one I could talk to. The heating made strange noises . Despite the fact that the heating was on, I was freezing. I was cold, scared and alone, with nothing but the fact that I'd caused this to comfort myself with.

That was the first night I cried myself to sleep. What I didn't know was that across the country a scared, confused boy trapped in a man's body cried with me.

A/N: Finally this chapter has arrived! I'll try to make the next one longer. Until then, what do you think of how the story is going so far? Review and let me know!