**All characters are © Stephenie Meyer with the exception of Ethan Pelletier…he is all mine.

Chapter 10

"Shocked Expressions"

At least two feet of snow blanketed the forest floor as Leah and Ethan trekked across a wide field sprinkled with stony boulders and tall spruce pines. It was bitter cold, but Leah was smoldering in her heavy parka and gloves. More than anything, she wanted to remove the heavy winter gear and enjoy the hike in her usual t-shirt and jeans. Somehow though, she figured that would seem a little unusual to Ethan who had no idea she was actually a hot-blooded werewolf.

Meanwhile, always staying two steps behind Leah to make sure she maneuvered the rugged terrain without falling and hurting herself, Ethan was soaking wet underneath his cumbersome winter parka…though the hike had not required even one ounce of overexertion on his part. What he wouldn't give to shed that stupid coat and replace it with his favorite anytime wear… a t-shirt and a pair of faded old blue jeans. But, something told him that running around in the extreme cold of Alaska with no body cover would send up a red flag in Leah's direction that he wasn't quite ready to wave.

As Leah reached the summit of a cliff overlooking a pristine crystal blue lake, she stopped and inhaled deeply, allowing the crisp clean Alaskan air to filter slowly through her lungs and calm her jittering heart. She was feeling a bit anxious because after much soul searching, Leah had decided that today would be the day she would share her true identity with Ethan. She had wrestled with the decision for so long that it was actually a relief to finally have it made, but Leah was still terrified of how he would react when Ethan found out that she was a shape shifter in the form of a wolf.

On the one hand, Leah had considered never telling him and never phasing again…allowing nature to just take its course. But on the other hand, the wolf was a part of her…a part of her Quileute heritage. If Ethan really intended for them to spend the rest of their lives together, he deserved to know every part of her.

When Leah stopped, Ethan stopped…taking a moment to gaze in awe at the beautiful scene before him. Although the Alaskan wilderness, still undisturbed in many areas, was enough to take his breath away with its hues of green, brown, and gold, it was Leah's beauty that nearly brought him to his knees in this moment. She was standing against the backdrop of a lake sparkling like sapphires…her long black hair was pulled back simply in a pony tail, and the wind whipped the loose strands around her neck and into her face. Her high cheek bones were slightly flushed – the most amazing shade of barely red but not quite pink – and her eyes were almond shaped pools of melted milk chocolate. She was so beautiful, the sight was almost enough to make Ethan forget about the game of tug-of-war he'd been playing with his own inner demons over the last several weeks.

You have to tell her, Pelletier. She deserves to know the truth…

No, you idiot…if you tell her you have IMPRINTED on her and how you are now destined to be bound for life, it'll freak her out, and she'll take off... But, if she truly loves you and really wants to be your wife…

Ethan's thoughts were interrupted as Leah screamed out his name –an expression of sheer terror marring her beauty. As she ran back down the cliff side towards him, Ethan smelled the source of her fear only seconds before he heard its ominous growl. He turned quickly on his heel just in time to see a large black bear – obviously oblivious to winter hibernation traditions – charging straight for him. There was no time to react…the bear was already right on top of him. Ethan, preparing for the impact of a head-on collision, crouched low to the ground like an NFL linebacker and closed his eyes. But, just as the bear was about to make contact, Ethan was shoved forcefully out of the line of fire and sent tumbling into the brush by a light gray wolf the size of a horse. He sprang to his feet, frantically searching for Leah – praying she was okay. But, Leah was nowhere to be found. Lying in a haphazard pile on the ground, in the very spot he'd last seen her staring wild-eyed with fear and yelling his name, were her clothes and back pack.

Bella glared at Edward and Jacob, her liquid topaz eyes flaming.

"You two are absolutely incorrigible!"

The two men were standing shoulder to shoulder, arms crossed in stubborn defiance.

Sue Clearwater threw up her hands in disgust.

"I swear to you, Jacob Black, if I knew it would do any good at all, I'd tear a limb off of one of those pine trees over there and beat the living daylights out of you with it!"

Jacob looked down at Sue with an annoyed, yet compassionate, expression on his face. He hated causing her pain, but he wasn't about to budge on his position.

"I'm sorry, Sue, but as long as I'm drawing breath, Leah will not step foot back in La Push."

Sue turned to Edward, shaking her finger in a motherly gesture.

"And you…You could change his mind by simply changing yours. Show some compassion, Edward Cullen! I haven't seen my daughter in almost six months!"

Sue's voice broke with the last few words, and Edward was filled with pity for the forlorn woman standing before him. But, it wasn't enough to shake his resolve.

"I am truly sorry, Sue. I know this is difficult for you and Seth, but I cannot allow Leah to return to Forks."

Bella was disgusted…not with Edward or Jacob, but with herself. Sue had come to her with a plan for getting Leah back home, but the plan had involved deceiving both Edward and Jacob. She and Edward had sworn they would keep no secrets from each other, and Bella had divulged Sue's plan in an effort to keep her promise. She had also hoped it might somehow sway Edward if he knew how desperate Sue was to bring her daughter home. But, Bella's glimmer of hope had been dashed when Edward had gone ballistic and demanded to meet with Sue immediately.

Now, Edward, Jacob, and Sue were at an impasse, and Bella was caught hopelessly in the middle.

Behind Sue, Seth stood with his hands protectively on his mother's shoulders.

"Come on, Mom. It's no use. Their minds are made up. Let's go."

Bella had never heard Seth sound so utterly defeated. She wasn't the only one caught in the middle. Seth loved Jacob and Edward like brothers. He was torn between his loyalty to his mom and his allegiance to his pack leader and strongest vampire ally.

Sue shrugged Seth's hands off and stepped forward toward Jacob and Edward.

"Yes, I can clearly see they are…but so is mine. You boys leave me no choice. I have called the tribal elders and have requested a council meeting with the entire pack and the Cullen family tomorrow night.

I'll see you both there."

And with that, Sue Clearwater turned and marched proudly off while Edward and Jacob exchanged shocked expressions.

As Leah sank her sharp fangs into the black bear's burly shoulder, it growled angrily and swung its mammoth paw, hitting her squarely in the muzzle. With a frustrated yelp, Leah repositioned her massive jaw into a vice grip on the bear's neck. As blood oozed from its jugular vein, the bear shook furiously, gripping Leah in its needle sharp claws, and twisted around until she was wedged between him and the huge flat cliff face. Over and over, Leah was smashed into the rock wall until there was no breath left in her lungs. Just before collapsing in a heap at the bear's feet, Leah caught a blurry glimpse of an enormous black panther with the greenest eyes she'd ever seen leaping onto the bear's back. With one menacing roar, the panther ripped its surgical sharp teeth into the already gaping wound Leah had created and finished the bear off quickly.

Leah knew at least two of her ribs were broken. She also knew that she would heal much faster if she phased back into human form. As she allowed her body to relax, the wolf quickly disappeared, leaving Leah's slender petite naked frame behind. As she struggled to breathe, the black panther approached her cautiously, gently laying its gigantic paw on her bare shoulder. Leah looked into its emerald green eyes and wondered why she wasn't afraid. Then, before her unbelieving eyes, the panther disintegrated and Ethan was suddenly there, lovingly stroking her blood stained face.

"Leah, can you hear me, baby?"

Ethan sighed with relief as Leah grabbed his hand and held it to her cheek. He leaned in close and kissed her gently on the lips.

"He did a pretty good number on you, didn't he? My guess is you have a couple of broken ribs. They'll take what…about a day and a half to heal?"

All Leah could manage was a weak smile and a nod to the affirmative.

She was in shock, but not from her broken ribs or the deep almost completely healed gash in her forehead. Her brain desperately tried to make sense of what her heart already knew.

She reached up and held Ethan's face in both her hands, tracing around the hollow of his eyes and down the bridge of his nose with her thumbs. He closed his eyes as if sensing the question forming on her lips.

"Baby, I promise… I'll tell you everything later. But, right now, my main concern is getting you home and making you comfortable until your ribs have time to heal properly."

Ethan reached behind his back and dragged Leah's back pack across the ground, laying it beside her. Gingerly, he slid his warm hands underneath her, supporting her neck and back.

"Do you think you can sit up and get dressed?"

Without speaking a word, Leah sat up obediently and fought back the screams of pain as Ethan helped her pull a pair of gray sweat pants and a white long-sleeved t-shirt over her throbbing body. Even though in immense pain, the sensuality as Ethan placed first her socks and then her shoes – tying them to just the right tightness – on her feet, was not lost on Leah. By the time Ethan stood and dressed himself in a pair of navy blue sweat pants and a gray hooded t-shirt, Leah's body was throbbing in secret places, and not from pain. Then, as Leah attempted to stand – intending to walk out of the forest on her own two feet – Ethan swiftly swept her up into his arms, cradling her like a mother cradles her sleeping child. Leah opened her mouth to protest, but the look in Ethan's dark green eyes left no room for discussion. She would be carried to the truck and was not allowed to argue…as if Leah had the inclination to utter one word against it at this point. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and nestled her face against his perfectly sculpted chest, breathing in his deep woodsy scent as he walked purposefully out of the wilderness.

Edward couldn't take it anymore…the silence in the car was deafening. Bella had not spoken one word since leaving Sue Clearwater's house in La Push.

Edward reached over and took Bella by the hand, squeezing it gently.

"Bella, please tell me what you're thinking. You know it drives me positively insane when I can't read your thoughts."

Bella exhaled slowly, calculating her response carefully.

"I really don't think you want to know what I'm thinking right now, Edward."

Exasperated, Edward pulled off the road, tires screeching as the car came to an abrupt halt in the gravel just off the shoulder.

He shoved the gear stick into park, turned the ignition switch off, and twisted in his seat to face her, but Bella remained perfectly still, staring straight ahead with no emotion showing on her angelic face.

"Of course I want to know. Although… I can pretty much guess. Clearly, you disapprove of my decision to keep Leah from returning to Forks. I thought you of all people would understand."

Finally, Bella turned slowly to face Edward. Her dark amber eyes were cold as she stated matter-of-factly, "I do understand. But, I am thinking about Renesmee…about how it would feel if she had been banished from my life and I was not allowed to see her... to hold her in my arms. I would do just what Sue is doing…move Heaven and Earth…even Hell… to bring my daughter home."

Bella once more turned her face away from Edward, staring blankly into the distance. Edward cupped her chin in the crook of his finger and turned her head, forcing her to look into his eyes.

"I'm thinking of Renesmee, too. What if Leah is playing a trick? What if she wants us to believe she has changed just long enough for us to let our guard down, and give her a clear shot at taking our daughter's life?"

Edward hung his head now and his voice was barely above a whisper as he said, "I could never live with myself if I allowed any harm to come to you or our daughter."

A vague flashback of Edward standing on the edge of sunlight in Volterra when he mistakenly believed she had committed suicide by cliff diving ran through Bella's mind, and her eyes softened as she took his hands in hers.

"I love that you so fiercely protect us, but protection is not what either of us need from you right now. We need to see your compassion…the humanity that both you and I know is there."

Edward cupped Bella's face gently in his large rock-hard hands and turned his mouth up in her favorite crooked smile.

"Compassion and humanity are your strong suits, Love…not mine. I believe that is why you and I work so well…you, through your empathy and goodness, balance out the indifference and evil I have subjected the world to during my existence."

Now it was Bella's turn to grasp Edward's face in her cold granite hands – looking him straight in the eyes and admonishing firmly.

"And I have never considered removing the likes of rapists and murderers from this planet in an effort to sustain yourself nutritionally to be either indifferent or evil. At any rate, Carlisle gave you a second chance. Leah deserves the same."

Edward sat stone still for a long time, staring into Bella's liquid gold eyes…contemplating. Bella held his gaze, determined not to be distracted by his beauty. Finally, Edward shook his head from side to side and turned back under the wheel of the car.

"I just can't do it. I don't trust her, Bella."

As Edward turned the ignition and the Volvo's engine began to purr, Bella growled from deep within her throat.

"I love you, Edward Cullen, but you are frustrating the hell out of me right now! Can't you see that it isn't Leah you have to trust? It's me!"

And with that, Bella jumped out of the car, slamming the door behind her.

Edward shouted, "Isabella, where are you going?"

Bella glared through the window at Edward and pivoted on her heel, walking away briskly while shouting back, "I'll walk home, thank you!"

Then she was gone, leaving Edward to stare after her with his second shocked expression of the day.