Curiosity Killed the Wolf – Chapter 10
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Leah didn't think her day would be worse than what she'd already lived, but as she sat awkwardly between Jacob and her mother, facing her ex fiance who was staring at her with concern, she realized she was far from the truth.
At first, she was perplexed when Jacob asked her to stay at the bonfire. She didn't know if she should be ecstatic to be included in a tribe meeting for once since Sam's change, or pissed that her life should be threatened to be treated like one of them.
Then she saw the happy couples and she decided she would probably be better at her parents' house. It wasn't the fact that Jared and Kim were there that was bothering her, but the way they had to forget what was around them when they were together. Sure, it wasn't uncommon to see couple staring at each other with lust and love, but something in the amount of adoration they were displaying was too much, almost unhealthy and unnatural, and it made Leah sick to the core.
She looked around the bonfire and her gaze locked with her brother's troubled one. He looked so torn and hurt that she wanted to reach out to him and take him into her arms, but she couldn't force herself to do so. Even if she was worried about his and their family's safety, she couldn't find it in herself to make her move past her disappointment. She was too proud to make the first move, and in her mind, she wasn't the one who had to make it.
"Relax, Bella. Everything is going to be alright," she heard Jacob say.
Leah scoffed at those words. Since her conversation with Charlie, Bella had been in a catatonic state, as if she was the one sentenced to death. Of course, Jacob rushed at her side and never left her since, making Leah slightly upset. She was the one whose life and family were threatened, so where was her comfort? She didn't want to be pampered, but she felt like no one was acknowledging her fears. Maybe it was her fault, because she always tried to be independent, but once again, she felt left outside. She hugged herself and didn't bother answering Jacob's question about how she was feeling.
As if it wasn't obvious, asshole…
She felt her mother's hesitating hand on her shoulder and almost winced from her touch. Her heart broke as she saw Sue's eyes filling with tears, but like Seth, she couldn't bring herself to make it up to her. Her mother's betrayal during the last weeks affected her more than her brother's behaviour.
"Sorry," she still muttered, feeling that despite everything, she owe her mother an apology for putting her in trouble.
"It's okay,' Sue assured. "I'm just… I hope you'll understand and forgive us when you'll hear the truth. Even if you don't, just give us a chance to explain."
Leah shuddered and nodded, unable to do more as her mother's pleading voice rang through her head. She was worried eager to get the bottom line of their story.
"Want a hot dog?"
She jumped, startled by the voice, and frowned as she stared at the guy in front of her.
"What?"
"A hot dog. Do you want some? You look like you're ready to pass out, so I thought –"
"Thanks, but no thanks," she replied sternly. "Now move, Uley. You're sucking the warmth out of me."
"No need to be rude! I was just trying to be friendly!"
"Yeah, well don't try. We're not friends, we'll never be, so run along and leave me alone," she snapped.
"Leah…"
"You should give it to Bella. She looks really pale," Jacob butted in.
"I'm okay," Bella answered lamely. "Just tired, that's all."
Sam sighed loudly and walked back to sit near his fiancee. Billy cleared his throat and everyone focused on him.
"You all know why we are gathered today."
"Actually, I thought that we would be discussing about Leah's… Um... Involvement in the tribe's secrets before including her in any meeting," Sam intervened.
"And to think you were being friendly two minutes ago!" Leah quipped.
"Enough, you two!" Harry's voice boomed through the campfire. "Billy brought Leah here because of a new development in her case."
"Excuse me, did you just say 'my case'?" she hissed. "What is it supposed to mean? What kind of case am I, exactly? A charity one?"
"An annoying one, for sure," Paul grumbled,making some of the guys chuckle.
"Anyway, the Elders have decided that, given the circumstances and the pending danger surrounding her, Leah had the right to be told the truth."
Leah gasped, surprised by her father's words, but her shock was quickly replaced by anger.
"How noble of you to include me in your secret circle because of my perilous situation! Is that why Bella's here, too? Because you had no choice but telling her what was going on? Or is it because she's labelled as one of the cult's soul mates, like the two love sick puppies over there?" she sneered, pointing at Kim and Emily who hung their head from embarrassment.
"At least, they are someone's soul mate!" Jared retorted harshly, but she was so used to being taunted by them that his words didn't affect her at all.
"Whatever. If you think you are forced to let me in because I might be in danger, forget it. I don't want your pity and I certainly don't want any favors from any of you!"
She stood up and turned around to leave, only to be stopped by Seth's distraught voice.
"Don't go! Please! You have to stay and to hear what they have to tell you!"
"Why should I do that, when obviously none of you want me to know what's going on?" she spat.
"Because you need your family, your friends, to go through what you're going to live from now on," Billy answered sternly. "This is the only way to make peace with them and with yourself. You are one of us, whether you like it or not."
"Plus, it's not that we don't want to tell you our secret," Jacob added. "Some of us are afraid of how you'd react to that. It's pretty… Big… You know..."
If Billy's words soothed Leah, his son's intervention made her cringe.
"Well, thanks, but I think I'll pass, since once again you prove that you don't trust me enough to share something important with me."
"That's not the point, Leah," Harry spoke. "We trust you, but –"
"Bullshit!" she yelled. "You, Mom, Seth, you all know what it's about and you didn't see fit to tell me. You all put me aside like I was nothing. Like I didn't deserve an explanation for your weird behavior when all my life was crumbling down. I just had to accept that things weren't the same and that was it. And now you're telling me that it was because you were afraid of my reaction?"
"Leah… I had a duty towards the tribe and–"
"A duty?" She laughed cynically. "How about your duty to love and protect your daughter?"
"I do love you!" Harry retorted vehemently.
'Do you, really? Do you know what it's like to feel that your family doesn't trust you? That your own father chooses to lie to you and to belittle your feelings because he has a duty toward the Tribe? All my ties with my family are broken beyond repair because of your freaking duty! Well, you know what? I don't want to know anything about your huge tribe secret. You can keep it and take it to your grave for all I care. I'm leaving and this time, I won't come back."
She heard her mother's sobs, but she didn't care. For once, she'd said her piece to her father and she was inwardly glad for standing up for her in front of those who'd hurt her so badly..
"You can't leave now!" Sue pleaded, grabbing her arm forcefully.
"Believe me, I will. And if you try to stop me, I won't hesitate to call the police and file for illegal confinement!"
"I understand that you're angry, Leah, but you have to stay here so we can protect you," Billy said calmly.
A pang of sadness hit Leah as the Elder spoke.
"Thanks for everything and for making me feel like I was important, but you don't have to worry about my safety. I can take care of myself. I'll miss you, Billy. You too, Casanova. As for the rest, I won't be a burden for you anymore, so I let you celebrate tonight and do as I never existed from now on. You did well during the last two years, so I guess it won't be a problem! Have a nice meeting!"
She didn't listen her brother's and Jacob's protestations and ran straight toward the Blacks' house to gather her things.
"I guess that answered your question, Seth," Paul mused to his pack brother.
"Let me talk to her!" Seth pleaded with Sam. "Let me tell her before it's too late!"
"You heard her. She doesn't want to know. I don't think it'll change anything for her at this point," Sam stated, only to be stopped by a fist coming out of nowhere.
The assembly stared in shock while Seth took out his frustration on his Alpha.
"You bastard! Remove you order and let me talk to my sister, damn it!"
"I won't… do that… Now stop it and get in line, Seth Clearwater!"
Sam's order ran through the youngest member of the pack, once again taking away his free will. Seth's body went rigid and he let out a heartbreaking cry which brought every elder to tears. Sue was a crying mess and Harry watched helplessly his son's breakdown in front of him, feeling truly guilty for being a part of his family's downfall.
Jacob couldn't witness his friends' depressive state. He knew that Seth would hate himself and his packmates if Leah left with no intention of coming back. He also needed to make sure that she would be safe and he knew he couldn't protect her if she wasn't aware of what she would be facing. The perspective of her being alone in Seattle while a Cold One was hunting her down made his heart constrict with fear.
He realised that even though his mind was mainly focused on Bella and her insane relationship with Edward, Leah had managed to infiltrate the close circle of people he cared about. Her spontaneous straightforwardness was refreshing, since he had to share his pack's mind to know what they were really thinking, and Bella wasn't one he could label as an open book. She didn't judge his infatuation with Bella either. Instead, she tried to understand his point and to give him advices, even if he was too stubborn to follow them.
Taking advantage of the heated argument between Billy and Sam, he helped Seth getting up and walked away with him towards his house, eager to tell Leah the truth while their Alpha was distracted.
"Jake? Where are you going?" Bella asked suddenly.
The attention went immediately on him and he cursed himself for having forgotten her.
"I'm bringing him home. I can't let him lay in the dirt. Nobody deserve to be seen like that," he answered thickly.
"Maybe we should stay with you," Embry suggested, slightly embarrassed.
"No, I'm on it. Just– Bella, do you mind if Embry drives you back?"
"No, not at all!" she exclaimed. "Go take care of your friend. I'll call Edward and tell him I'll be home sooner."
"Do you think it's a good idea to let him in while Leah's packing her things?" Paul chimed in.
Seth winced and Jacob let out an annoyed sigh.
"It's not like he would be able to change her mind, given that he was ordered to shut up," he pointed out.
"You're right, but–"
"Look, I'm trying to do something for him when all you did was taunting him with his sister. If you were concerned by his well-being, I think you'd have shut your trap and helped him out before all of this drama."
Paul hung his head in shame and Jacob, more determined than ever, resumed his walk towards his house.
…
She was finishing her last bag when she heard someone coming. She was ready to cuss whoever tried to talk to her, but the sight of her brother, supported by her friend, completely broke her heart.
"You need to talk," Jacob stated firmly. "Listen to him, please."
"I can't argue with now."
"Look, I promise I won't hold you back. I'll drive you back to Seattle myself as soon as you finished talking to him, but you two are family and you really need to talk to each other," he insisted. "I'll be in the main room, if you need me."
"Leah…"
Seth's broken voice brought back the tears she'd previously defeated. She shook her head and quickly turned away from him, refusing to be softened up in her resolves.
"I know you hate me and I don't blame you. I've been distant and I acted like an ass with you. I made you feel unwelcome and I'm -"
"Stop, Seth," she blurted out. "I don't want to hear your apology. What's done is done and there's nothing we can do to change the past."
"But if you heard the truth, maybe you'd understand –I… I was forced to act like that. I didn't want to, but I had no choice… Please, Beast, you have to believe me when I say I didn't want to lie to you…"
"Why did you do it, then?" Leah couldn't help but ask.
"Because I - I - I'm weak. I can't fight it. I can't fight him and it's killing me!" Seth answered, the despair in his voice blowing away the wall she built to distance herself from him.
She'd never seen her brother so heartbroken and she couldn't understand his nonsense.
"What? What can you fight?"
"The order! Believe me, I tried to fight it, but we can't overrule an Alpha order. I tried, but I can't, and now you hate me and you want nothing to do with me and I still can't say anything!"
Confusion and worry battled inside her mind.
"I don't hate you, Seth," she said truthfully. "I'm hurt. I'm disappointed. But I don't hate you."
"That's the same! I didn't want to hurt you, I swear! I didn't want you to be disappointed! It's the Alpha order! He told me to stay away from you because he knew I wanted to tell you the truth!" Seth sobbed, his entire frame shaking violently.
"Seth, please, you have to calm down because I understand nothing in what you're saying. What's an alpha order? Who ordered you?"
When he choked on his response, unable to formulate a coherent sound, Leah finally realized that her brother was physically battling to let out an answer.
"Oh my God... What did they do to you?" she breathed as she wiped out his tears from his cheeks.
"I'm sorry... You're my sister and I love you and I trust you. I wish I could be stronger."
Leah silenced him by giving him the biggest hug she could. Seeing Seth in that state made her realize that she wasn't the only one who'd suffered because of the tribe and she felt awfully guilty for leaving him behind.
Maybe, if she had stayed in touch with him like she did with her Mom, he wouldn't have fell into Sam's cult. Maybe she still had a chance to protect him from them, if she brought him with her in Seattle. She'd shield him from any bad influence and made him see a specialist to help him through the trauma he'd endured.
But she couldn't. Not when there was a serial killer in the loose waiting for her to come back there. She felt conflicted thinking that he would be better in la Push when they were clearly mistreating him.
While trying to soothe Seth, she spotted Jacob in the doorway.
"You knew all the time that they controlled him and you did nothing to help him out?" she spat at him.
"I just did," Jacob stated simply, and she could read all the concern and his helplessness in his eyes.
"You... You're like him, aren't you? They've brainwashed you too!"
"If only it was that simple," he sighed. "The Elders haven't brainwashed us. They don't know how the pack - how Sam - Let's say that he's in charge and that it's not easy to overrule his orders."
"But you did. You did it for Bella," she deduced.
"Not really. She already had a secret on her own, so it was kinda easy for her not to freak out. But yes, I told her something that made her realize what... We are," he concluded painfully.
Leah's heartbeat increased as her curiosity grew with Jake's last words.
"What are you?" she questioned, her hold on Seth tightening.
Jacob and Seth tensed at the same time and stared outside, leaving Leah more confused by their action.
"Something isn't right," Jacob started a few seconds before Billy came back inside.
"What's going on?" Leah inquired.
"Jared smelled something suspect around the Clearwaters' when he went to take Kim home," Billy explained. "Sam, Quil and Paul are already patrolling. We're going to stay here until the threat is eradicated and I'll take over the conversation."
Jacob nodded at his father and shared a look with a conflicted Seth, who also feared that Leah would be gone when he'd come back. He hesitated, but one more look at Billy convinced him to make the right choice.
"We have to go, Lee."
"What? Why? You were about to -"
"I know but we really need to leave. Look, Dad will explain everything to you. He isn't bound by the Alpha order like us, so you'll have the full story from the beginning. I meant what I said. I will bring you back to Seattle if it's really what you want, but I need you to listen carefully and to stay open minded, because your life depends on what you'll learn. Promise me that you'll wait for us before leaving," he almost begged.
Leah stared at him, completely dumbfounded. She was scared, lost and Jacob's piercing gaze was too overwhelming for her liking.
Seth hugged her one more time and ran outside while Jacob waited for a sign of acceptance from Leah.
"Ok. I'll be there," she finally surrendered. "Go. Don't leave my brother alone for whatever you'll do."
Jacob gave her a small smile and ran as quickly as he could to assume his duty. She watched with astonishment as the young boy took off his shirt before disappearing in the forest.
"What the -"
"I think you're ready to learn more about my son, your brother and their friends?" Billy teased, startling her in the process.
"I guess I have to if I don't want to kill you all!" she replied harshly. "What did Sam do to them?"
"Being a Protector is a hard task, and it's harder for the leader to follow his instincts while trying to stay the wisest of the group."
"If you want me to feel sympathy for Sam -"
"I don't. I just want you to understand that we can't do anything to prevent Sam from using his authority on the others. That's beyond our control."
"But –"
"Do you remember our legends, Leah?" Billy interjected.
"Where did that come from?" she frowned.
"I think you need to sit down, kid," he chuckled, gesturing the sofa.
A/N: Sorry for the delay, I wasn't sure of myself for this chapter and I managed to finish it today thanks to a good brainstorming session!
Thanks again for your reviews, it made me proud to see that you still liked the way things were falling into place, and I hope this chapter didn't disappoint you!
I wish you all an Happy New Year, full of fictions, sexy wolves and a lot of positive vibes!
Much love from France!
Leilani.
