Corey's POV
We were busy taking the piss out of Quil when the sexy little thing interrupted us and brought the room to silence. She was definitely new, seeing as there was no way I would have missed her. At first glance, I had considered her to be another imprint – possibly Renesmee. However, the thought had been quickly discarded as I watched Jake. Although he was delighted by the girl's appearance, he made no move to claim her - unlike Seth.
I watched on in confusion, as Quil playfully punched the lass and she shrugged it off, hitting him back at the same time. The movement caused her scent to drift in my direction, and it was reminiscent of morning dew and the ocean, tinted with cherry and pine. As it was fading, I picked up that earthy smell that we all shared; it was at this point that I realised what she actually was.
No one had mentioned there was a female skin walker - I was in awe!
Unfortunately, the booze seemed to have caught up with me because I realised I was gawping. I couldn't help it because it was just so unexpected; my eyes took her in a whole new way. Everything about her encompassed what a woman should be. She was the female equivalent of us, toned, strong and sculpted in all the right places. Each individual feature had the shape shift gene perfecting it.
Feeling the tension building in the room, it was hard to ignore Embry and Jake looking at me. Their expressions were that of fear and hate, and I started to feel nervous; Leah finally noticed us too and looked just as bewildered.
"I didn't realise this was an open party?" It was a sharp rhetorical question, but her mood changed the moment it left her lips.
The boys relaxed and stopped glaring at me instantly. Instead, Jake began to shuffle his feet awkwardly. "Yeah about that. We've kind of got some stuff to talk about later."
"What's going on?" she snapped. "Tell me now!" As if remembering something more, she added, "And where's the leeches?" The woman appeared to be trembling, but Jake said nothing. "Jake, your sorry arse better start explaining. Why is Sam's lot here? Don't you dare tell me we're one pack again?"
I could feel the tension escalating again - the power this woman projected was intimidating.
Embry bravely walked over and placed a hand softly on her arm. "Why don't you have a seat Lee? It's kind of a long story, and it's not all ours to tell."
She shrugged him off violently. "Don't touch me Call!"
Her mood was so erratic that I couldn't form an accurate opinion of her. She was certainly alluring, but she seemed unstable. There had been no need to snap at Embry like that. The hurt was plain on his face.
Nevertheless, he recovered quickly and said with venom, "Fine, stand for all I care. I was going to check out Emily's scan anyway!" As he stormed out, the harpy seemed to recoil.
I had no idea what that was about. After chatting with Emily earlier, I thought that she seemed nice and really genuine. She even sent us food parcels during the week. Why would her pregnancy be a sour point?
Looking to Jake, I waited for him to pull rank, but he continued to let her command the room. Nothing made sense; where had she been hiding this week? Especially, with all the pack stuff was going on? Leah hadn't even been mentioned, did that mean she wasn't a vital part of the pack? Was it all because she was the only female?
I lost my train of thought when Quil burst out laughing. "God Leah, I sure have missed you. No one clears a room like you do." He left to follow his drinking partner, but it seemed to break the atmosphere enough that everyone's posture relaxed.
The room went momentarily quiet, but then I heard Jake sarcastically mutter, "Nice one Leah." He then gestured for her to sit.
I was surprised when she obeyed the alpha and sat down looking at us expectantly. Her temper cooled as quickly as it had boiled; I figured she must answer to Jake.
Speaking of alpha's, where was my brother when I needed him?
I didn't know what was going on with Cris right now. When we got back, I tried to get him doing shots, but he wasn't interested. He only wanted to talk about the guys at home. Why couldn't he switch off for a night and just relax?
After a few more attempts, I decided he wasn't going to change his mind and his mood was killing my buzz. I felt like a child throwing my toys out of the pram as I told him how dull he was, but I didn't care. The alcohol was loosening my tongue and I was fed up with never having fun back home. I sniffed my drink. I had no idea what the wolves actually gave me, but it packed a punch. No, I didn't regret telling Cris how lame he was, but it was a shame he'd now disappeared.
I knew I should have gone after him - payback was a bitch! It looked like I was going to be the one to explain our part in this to the she-wolf. Jake was already looking at me expectantly. Despite this, I remained silent, hoping he'd leave me alone. I could have knocked Jaden out when I felt him elbow me in the ribs.
I took a deep breath, calming my nerves and temper and stood up straight. Here goes nothing! With that, I looked the rather petrifying woman in the face and said, "Hi Leah, I'm Corey. What do you know about the Arctic?"
Leah's POV
When I found them in the kitchen, they were all laughing hysterically at something Jake was saying. I leant back against the door, quietly absorbing the scene. These were my boys, and despite my annoyance that they were all having some immature wolf party, and the fact that I didn't want to be here, I couldn't help but feel pleased to see them.
It only took a few seconds for Embry to look up at me and smile. He was a complete idiot but a sweet one. I really hoped our kiss hadn't wrecked things. It was just too complicated getting involved with my pack brothers, and I wasn't interested in a relationship with anyone. In truth, I never wanted to risk my heart again because I had spent too much time rebuilding its walls and learning how to breathe again. Besides, Embry and I were chalk and cheese and our kiss had been chaste and alcohol fuelled. I had been an emotional wreck, and just like my last night with Sam, I had needed to feel something.
I took in my baby brother's homely scent, as he dragged me into his embrace; he was like my favourite smell - homemade lemonade and pine needles. It reminded me of our summers growing up - happy times.
"Leah!" he exclaimed.
"Hey kid! What's new?" I'd missed him incredibly. I looked up see his beaming face before glancing at the other boys again.
"Nice to have you back Leah," Jake said, giving me that grin I loved.
"Thanks." Our eyes caught and I couldn't drag them away; I'd missed that dark brown, and was already losing myself in them. I didn't notice Quil approach, until he hit me in the arm. I looked away from Jake and jabbed him back. It pleased me that no one, except Seth came too close; I wasn't a huggy person, and this reunion was still a bit too fluffy for my liking.
Seth was still giddy and trying to edge towards me again, but I gave him a look that told him to quit it. Instead, he happily handed me something to drink. I took a sip and knew the taste immediately. It was foul, but I was happy to have it in my hand. It was then that I noticed there were two extra people here and they were staring at me. It took me a minute to process and I raised my guard; this was a pack party - who were these strangers?
The room's mood changed immediately, and the tension Embry and Jake were giving off towards these guys was palpable. I recognised the looks they wore and part of me wanted to laugh bitterly. I'd bet good money they thought the pause was an imprint. I got so fed up with their reactions whenever I met someone new. Did they honestly still think it's an option?
As the familiar pain washed over me, I fought to get my defenses back the only way I could. "I didn't realise this was an open party?" No one dared answer me.
Jake was nervous, and when he finally spoke something was off. "Yeah about that. We've kind of got some stuff to talk about later."
"What's going on?" I demanded. There was no way that I was waiting; my imagination was racing with scenarios: Were people phasing again? Was there a threat? Had we accidentally revealed our secrets? I hated being in the dark.
"Tell me now!" I commanded. "And where are the leeches?"
I really couldn't smell them because their scent was here but it was months old. I was quickly getting frustrated. Jake's mouth opened and closed several times to speak and then stopped; he reminded me of a goldfish. From that, I gathered they hadn't come back, or he'd have been jumping for joy.
"Jake, your sorry arse better start explaining. Why is Sam's lot here? Don't you dare tell me we're one pack again?"
I hadn't been home for 24 hours yet, and the drama was already escalating!
Right then, Embry did the worst thing he could; you'd think after being in my head, he'd know better, but he still walked over and touched me. "Why don't you have a seat Lee? It's kind of a long story, and it's not all ours to tell."
I didn't want anyone to treat me like I was breakable because I wasn't, so I flinched away from his touch. "Don't touch me Call!" I knew he was only trying to help, but right then I couldn't take it. I needed to know what was happening; I didn't like surprises.
I couldn't believe what he said next. "Fine stand for all I care. I was going to check out Emily's scan anyway!"
I felt like I'd been stabbed; I'd only been gone a month, and Emily was here showing pictures of the unborn thing around. That one picture made it all real. It meant things were progressing. Soon I'd have to see the brat everywhere and feel broken each time I did.
Inappropriate as always Quil started to laugh. "God Leah, I sure have missed you. No one clears a room like you do!" As quickly as Embry fled, Quil followed; most likely he left before I laid him out.
I heard Jake say scornfully, "Nice one Leah." Then he motioned for me to sit on a bar stool.
I decided to follow his instruction because I didn't want to clear the kitchen completely, not yet anyway. Seth came and hovered behind me.
I waited, as looks were exchanged between the guys. After a few minutes of awkward silence, I started debating whether they were mute, but then the less nerdy one stepped forward.
"Hi Leah, I'm Corey. What do you know about the Arctic?"
The Arctic? My mind went to penguins. Was it the Arctic or Antarctic that had loads of penguins? Nice Leah, that's a really intelligent thing to say. I chose to keep my expression blank instead.
The next hour was one of the more bizarre moments in my life. I had never really considered other packs, or that they wouldn't be the same as us. I was gutted to hear I was still the only female freak because it reaffirmed everything I thought. I was simply a bad egg - no wonder my genes couldn't be passed on.
As we talked further, I began to feel uncomfortable with Corey and Jaden's fascination in me. They didn't say much, but it was the way they looked at me. It was like they were trying to work me out. I knew it was natural seeing as I was an anomaly, but still, watching people make sense of me tended to make me rather irritable.
I shut off before I could cause offence, and drifted back to memories of my first few months phasing. I had felt like a circus freak then too.
I wasn't exactly a late edition to the gang, but at the time the guys had just about come to terms with their little group. It was like their own exclusive men's club, at least, it was until I became a member.
The first night was a blur really. After calming down, I phased back naked somewhere in the forest. Sam had already made the guys turn away for my dignity, and thankfully I was too disorientated to process anything more. My only thoughts at the time were about getting back to my family. I had snatched an overly long t-shirt from Sam and legged it home.
When it next happened, it was one of my worst moments. I was at the beach alone, trying to draw a portrait of my dad. I lost my temper when I couldn't draw his eyes. It was like a floodgate opened, causing me to spontaneously shift. The thoughts of all the guys at once, was too heavy for my mind; not only were they talking to me, they were thinking as well. I couldn't distinguish anything. I could feel them prodding in my head and at the same time, see through their eyes.
It got better with time. I learnt to distinguish their individual minds, but it took awhile for their curiosity to ebb. In the meantime, I heard everything they thought about me.
I, of course, helped speed up the transition. I was awkward and made them uncomfortable, bringing up things they would rather forget. I insured that they wanted me no more than I wanted them, and learnt very quickly, to lock away the things I didn't want to share.
Once they finally got over their curiosity of my mind, I had to get used to them seeing me naked. Sam and Seth, were the only ones not bothered and were more disturbed. Seth was angry and upset his bitter sister was in his head, while Sam was just pissed off that his ex had tagged along for the ride and was distracting his pack. The stupid git failed to realise I had not wanted to be a wolf and hated everything about it.
Unfortunately, the rest of the guys were, (and still often acted like), red blooded, sex orientated teenagers, and I was their equivalent of soft porn. Even Paul, who hated me with a passion, couldn't keep his perverted imagination to himself, and it got so bad at one point that Seth actually attacked him for it.
Bless my brother; together we tried numerous methods, to ensure seeing me in the buff wasn't enjoyable. In the end, my violence and threats seemed to work best. Of course, I would phase out of sight when possible, but it wasn't always foolproof. In the early days, I often lost my temper and tore up my clothes.
Most people would see it as a compliment, that the boys liked my body. I admitted that the only pro of being like this was my figure and agility. How many other girls could eat what they wanted and beat the hell out of any guy? The thing was, it was embarrassing. I wasn't the type to flaunt myself, and I hated being the centre of attention.
My life had ended up quite ironic. I used to joke with my friends, saying that I'd love to be a man for the day and experience what they saw and thought. However, I quickly realised that men were a mystery for a reason.
You'd think I was being hypercritical, and that it would be just as hard for me surrounded by a group of fit guys. I may not be a real woman anymore, but I still had urges and needs. You may even imagine, that I'd have to sneak a peek. Well here was the honest truth:
Once you've been in the head, of overly hormonal boys, and seen what they actually got up to in private, it wasn't an issue. To add to this, I felt like I was permanently crushing on everyone's girlfriends, which was the most disgusting experience in the world, and countered any feelings I may have otherwise had. There was also the daily insight of my Seth's mind and thoughts, which would disturb me forever.
"Leah?... Leah?... LEAH!"
I felt a hard prod in my back from Seth, and came round to see Jake shouting at me.
"Were you even listening?" Jake was totally unimpressed by my loss in concentration.
"Sorry, what?" I said sheepishly.
"We were saying, we didn't understand why things had happened differently for them." Jake was expecting me to know what he was talking about. I was in shit because I had completely zoned out.
He continued, "Damn it, pay attention will you! You were the one who wanted to know what was going on here and now!"
"Sorry."
He, and possibly Seth, were the only people who would ever get a genuine apology from me. I immediately immersed myself in the conversation to appease Jake.
It turned out, that the Barrow lot's transformation was instantaneous and painful, while ours had been gradual. We had all experienced discomfort, but for us it had come like a drawn out fever. The physical growth wasn't the centre of our pain; it was more mental. I felt mine personally stemmed, from losing my humanity and becoming a monster. It was definitely disorientating and confusing, but not how they described it.
The only theory we could come up with, is that in Barrow it was a sudden need because of a random nomad. We on the other hand, had a full time vampire family living in the area and a growing threat. We tossed several more theories around, but they hurried through the conversation, wanting to rejoin the party.
When I was caught up on the majority of the week, I sat back and really took in Corey and Jaden. They were similar to us in their size and appearance, and they could no doubt be mistaken for relatives.
Jaden definitely had geek potential. If he hadn't had shape shifting abilities, I would have imagined him as a weedy geek in big rimmed glasses. There wasn't anything wrong with him per se; he was just that little bit leaner than everyone else and held himself a little less confidently. His hair was not quite black either, having tints of brown throughout, and it was cut extremely short. From his shape and mannerisms, I could see him as the owl.
Corey was more like a cross between Collin and Brady, in regards to his size. He was smaller than the alpha's, which was expected, but he wasn't quite as big as Embry and Quil. His haircut wasn't as severe as Jaden's, and the closest style I could compare it to, was old 90's curtains. It was ebony black like mine, and his most distinguishing features were the three marks across his face. Being used to Emily, it was easy not to stare, but I knew it was of werewolf origin. It didn't take anything away from him though. Actually, it added to his rugged appearance.
The two newbie's shifted position, and I realised they were synchronized. It supported my theory about the packs which was that I'd always thought there was a group mind thing going on, whether phased or not. Sometimes, if you actually paid attention, you could see the way expressions altered at the same time.
I realised that we were done with the explanations and relaxed. My sensitive hearing, which had drowned out the music next door was no longer distracted. However, the speakers were still too loud for me, and I wasn't impressed. Jake could tell I was about to start moaning, and he pointed out that everyone needed to chill out and socialise. According to him, the boys were just having fun. I personally thought, they were always 'just having fun', and only felt sorry for whoever was cleaning up tomorrow.
On that note, I decided that "party pooper Leah" was safer going home. I'd arrived, I'd offended, I'd listened and I'd leave - it was my normal pattern for pack socials. "Look, this has all been great and all, but it's not really my scene. I just wanted to check in! I'm going to use the bathroom and get out of your way."
I could tell Jake and Seth wanted me to stay, but they knew better than to stop me doing anything.
"Oh, ok." Jake sounded so dejected.
I didn't blame him; I had barely spoken to him, but I didn't want to be here with Sam's lot around. I sincerely wanted to catch up with him and Seth, but it would have to wait.
I gave a sad smile. "Jake, I'm guessing you pretty much still live at our house anyway, so I'll just see you tomorrow?" I had no idea when he had last gone home. I knew it was overcrowded at his place because there was already Billy, Paul and Rachel under one roof, and we had a spare room after all.
"Sure, sure." He chuckled. His mood lifted and he topped up his cup from the keg.
Seth grabbed me again before I could make a run for it. I didn't mind really; if he needed to hug me, I'd never stop him; I'd just beat the hell out of him later. I stepped back after I started to need air, and saluted my hand in Corey and Jaden's direction before making my grand exit.
I figured the upstairs toilet would be my best bet to avoid everyone. I took the stairs at high speed, two at a time, and grabbed the bathroom handle. Unfortunately, it was locked - damn! I leant against the wall queuing and out of habit started to bite my nails. They were the one thing that didn't grow back quickly. I was halfway through my left hand, when I heard the toilet flush and the tap turn. I stood up, waiting to step in as soon as it was vacated.
Disappointment ran through me when I saw Rachel step out. She paused and looked me up and down. "Oh, you're back." Her expression was one of clear distain. "I suppose you're done scrounging off my family for a while?"
She was the second biggest bitch in La Push.
"Oh look the evil twin! Did Paul give you that line, or did you think it all up on your own?" I sneered. She could be as catty as she wanted, but I was the number one bitch in La Push, literally.
Her lip curled up in a sneer. "I don't know why anyone bothers with you. You're like poison. You…"
Paul's voice shouted up from the ground floor. "Rach? How long does it take to have a piss for God's sake!"
"Run along 'Rach', destiny calls!" Sarcasm oozed from me; it was pathetic the way the imprint couples ran to each other.
"Be as smug as you want Clearwater; it's a sound you'll never hear!" She flicked her highlighted hair over her shoulder, puffed out her chest and strutted off down the hallway. Part of me, would have loved to push her down the stairs.
Sod it, Rachel 1, Leah 0!
I would never be able to work out how she was related to Jake and Rebecca. She really was Paul's soul mate. I sniggered. I truly hoped that even death wouldn't part them and they would burn in hell together.
I slammed the bathroom door shut and sat down on the toilet a little too roughly. As soon as I was done, I washed my hands and splashed water on my face. Using my yoga techniques, my body drew in long slow breaths and steadied itself. Finally, when I was calm enough that I wouldn't be a danger to anyone, I opened the door to make my way to my car. However to my dismay, I immediately ran smack bang into someone's chest - I had definitely picked the wrong bathroom...
AN
Hope you liked it! Reviews please xxx
