A/N: Sorry for slow update, I've been enjoying our Olympics! But thanks so much for not going anywhere and continuously submitting reviews, I've read each and every one and can't thank you guys enough! You're the reason any work gets done, and I'm insanely grateful for both this as well as the privilege of being the Raven's Read of the month of August! Thank you, this means the world. But enough of the wishy washy stuff, here's what you're after:
When Sam Uley had smelt the change on Leah's younger brother, he had phased.
Rage had engulfed him, the man and wolf united in their fury – though for very separate reasons. The wolf for one was disgusted at having a pup join his pack. The child could bring no asset in the protection of his people, so Seth would be a weakness, an infant amongst warriors. The wolf was proud, and there was no glory in being the master of a litter.
But beyond that lay a separate reason for why the reason the man was furious. And devastated.
A silent acknowledgment was made by each of his wolves when their phase came. They recognised the loss contained in the change, understood the extent of what they had to give up. Their futures, their present, their secret thoughts, and in some cases their families – all had to be willingly abandoned, or the inner struggle between man and wolf would break both parties. There was a reason why Jared had needed a new house as soon as possible. To put it bluntly, he was no longer welcome at his parents' home. Though that situation would not be replicated in Seth's case due to his patents' involvement with the tribe's constitution, he was still too young to truly know what he would lose whilst recognising his wolf.
Seth was fourteen. Six weeks ago, he had still been thirteen. But there it had been nevertheless, the twang on his scent that Sam had smelt on Jacob, Leah, Embry and every other pack member. It was irrefutable, given a month or two, Seth Clearwater would change into a wolf. His body would peak at an accelerated rate, his senses would improve drastically, but he would still be but a boy. He would have to give up things whilst still being too young to recognise their worth.
He'd been looking for Leah when Sam found her brother. Had gone to her house to thank her for something, a DVD or favour, he now couldn't remember. It had faded in importance. Once arrived, the scents had slapped him in the face, halting him in his tracks as if he had been hit. The smell of two wolves, their scents similar but distinguishable, danced around their home. Leah and the boy. Her brother, the child.
It had been late, and the lights of the house shone through the windows, revealing all to the outside world. Sam could make out the Spiderman poster in an upstairs bedroom, almost certainly Seth's room as he could picture neither Leah nor her parents putting it up. In that moment of anguished realisation, as truth hit him in the nose and time seemed to slow right down, that testimony of childhood seemed like the most significant thing in the world. He had phased as the rage rushed through him, adrenalin pumping him up as his wolf tore through his clothing.
The forest had feared the Alpha that night.
But that had been over a month ago now, and Seth Clearwater had just phased on one of the most unexpected nights under Sam's command.
And the wolf knew what this meant, knew the thing that had evaded its' man. And that made this important now.
Sam had been at the beach when what happened, happened.
'Paul kissed me this morning – and I kissed him back.' She squeezed her hands into fists at her sides. She could hear the tremble in her voice. Uncaring of the goings on upon the shore, the waves rolled by and by, a constant noise and rhythm being brought to her betrayal.
'…what do you mean?' he asked gently, confused.
'Jake, I'm so sorry-'
'You kissed him?'
'I – yes. I did, but –'
'But what?! What do you mean you kissed him?! Why did you kiss Paul, Bella?!' he half-shouted, confusion increased ten-fold.
'I don't know, I wasn't thinking–'
'What and now you are?! That's a shit excuse Bella! And for fucks sake, just look at me, I'm talking to you!'
She turned around and, for the first time in her life, she felt scared of Jake. For the first time, she could see a hint of animal in his gaze and her body responded instinctively to the wolf's threat. His body trembled whilst his dark eyes furiously begged her to tell him she lied, that it hadn't happened, that everything was going to be ok. But she couldn't do that. She didn't know if it was going to be ok.
'So you kissed him in my home.'
'Jake, please-'
'Please what?! What more could I have done Bella! I've told you about Paul! You know what he does to girls! Have you slept with him?'
'What? God no, nothing like that has happened!'
'Do you want to?'
She hadn't expected that question, and couldn't stop the pause as the suggestion danced about her. 'What?'
'You heard me,' Jake replied, stepping towards her across the sand, 'do you want to sleep with him Bella?'
'Stop Jake.'
'Do you want him to fuck you, is that it?' he added, still advancing towards her. 'Do you want him to –'
'I said stop – you can't talk to me like that!' Bella yelled, the anger and hurt overwhelming her small frame. 'Yes I kissed him, and it happened and that's that, but just because I made a daft spur of the moment decision does not give you the right to speak to me like that!' He had stopped moving, but there was now only the smallest of spaces separating the two. He was no longer shaking either, but standing perfectly still, body frozen in his looming position. 'God damn it Jake I know I messed up!' she continued. 'You think I haven't worked that out? I fucked up, but I am doing my best to not make this even worse! I shut him down earlier Jake, I didn't play his games, so please just – just shut up!'
He had known that shouting girl since his childhood, and prided himself on being so hers. He knew each freckle and each imperfection. He had witnessed her tears and her blush, her laughter and her sleep, and knew her deeply, acceptingly. For him it had started by looking forward to her visits in the summer, but when she had moved here, he had fallen for her. He could remember only too vividly his frustration at finding out she had a boyfriend, even before he had known of Cullen's species. At the time he hadn't known she was endangered or at risk, all he had known was that he hated the idea of someone other than him making her grin or laugh.
Someone else touching her.
But since Edward had gone they had gotten stronger, and he had half forgotten about the way it hurt him to imagine his girl with another. But imagining her with Paul – it was unbearable.
All Jake had ever wanted was to be wanted by Bella. That's it.
Nothing more.
She truly looked beautiful tonight. In the moonlight her pale skin glowed, and if anything her trembling just made her look more delicate, more precious.
'I'm sorry,' he answered, trying to calm down before he said something he'd regret. 'I just don't get it Bells. I'm furious. I can't listen to this. I just- I've got to leave.'
'Jacob, please –' she whimpered as he moved away from her.
'Just let me be Bells.' He replied quietly, walking towards the forest, needing to phase and escape the girl that made him feel so much.
Watching him go, Bella felt like shit. She had been an idiot and had hurt her best friend. Though she didn't feel the same way he did, she had never wanted to do anything than make him happy, and she had failed epically in protecting him. She was probably a bad person, but at least now it was all out in the open and she had nothing to hide. Hopefully he wouldn't lose his respect for her. He was too important to lose like this. He deserved better.
Standing on the beach, away from the bonfire, Bella felt alone.
Jess had been her lift so she had no choice but to head back to the others. She hoped Jake was ok. She wrapped her arms around herself, goose bumps having appeared in the cold. The beach was annoyingly beautiful, mocking her in its timeless perfection whilst Bella dealt with her contrasting faults. She wondered how many fights and betrayals this sand had seen.
It was her own fault of course; she wouldn't dare to question that. She alone was responsible for her actions. But sometimes she did wonder whether the universe simply liked to fuck with her. A vampire boyfriend and difficulties with a pack of shape-shifters didn't just plague anyone.
As the bonfire loomed into view, so did the remainder of its occupants, watching her. She noted that Jess was the only non-pack face left, the other Forks' occupants must have trickled home.
She didn't need to be told how much they had heard to know Jake had underestimated his pack mates' hearing. Little did she know that Sam had even already texted Paul, summoning him home to face the consequences of touching what wasn't his.
She was rumbled. Noticing the tension, Jess gave her a questioning look.
'I don't want to talk about it.' She announced quietly. 'If anyone has anything to say, text me.'
No one said a word.
Then, without haste, Sam lifted himself to his feet and made his way towards her, shadow elongated due to the remains of the fire.
And then he was there, a huge muscled stature in front of her body.
He pulled her close, and hugged her into his warmth. She was still family, even if she was daft.
'It's going to be alright, Bella', he said softly. 'It's all going to be alright and this isn't a crisis. It's just the joys of being alive.'
That was when the new howl ripped through the night, and bedlam began.
A life had changed, but Seth Clearwater wasn't the only thing to rip in that moment. Each of the wolves felt it, from Paul, slamming to a halt at the side of the road, to Embry, dropping his hot dog onto the cool sand.
The pack mind was complete, and that tore into its occupants, changing the relationship between their humanity and their animal irreparably.
The unexplainable happened.
Sam remembered the night he had smelt Seth.
And then the pack was complete.
