AN: Well most of you guys know from the author's note in my other story that I have had two deaths on my maternal side of the family, two weeks apart, and one day after the first burial. So much has been going on and frankly, I forgot where I was going with the rest of this story. My mind was suddenly blank. So I came up with new ideas and I hope they turn out okay. I hope I still have my faithful readers out there. Thank you for sticking with me. Enjoy!
Seth found himself leaving the house after Leah went in the bathroom. He needed some fresh air and a break from the drama concerning his sister. He loved his sister dearly, but her issues left him drained at times and he needed to get away for a little bit. He did not know where he was heading exactly, but when he caught himself, he saw that he was at Jake's doorstep. He could feel a little of the feelings through the bond they shared so he figured that was what led him there.
He did not even bother to turn around because he knew Jake could already smell him so he sucked in a deep breath and knocked. He didn't even finish knocking when Jake opened the door, leaving Seth's closed fist in mid air.
Jake smelled Seth before he even came to stand in front of his door. He growled lightly, remembering his betrayal, but this was Seth and Quil and Embry were right. He just had to remember their words so he wouldn't lose it.
"Hey Jake." Seth greeted quietly.
"Seth." Jake replied.
"May I come in?" Seth asked.
"I don't know…Should you?" Jake retorted.
Seth sighed, not having the energy or the time to deal with this shit. "I'm just going to make this short then." Seth's voice was firm; he did not come there to play the blame game. He was tired, hungry, and just damn out of patience and if Jacob wanted a fight, he would just have to fight with himself. "It seems like Quil and Embry beat me to the punch, but it's all good and I don't care. I just came to tell you that yes I did know about what was going on and I tried my best to talk to Leah, but got nowhere. I'm sorry you got hurt, but my sister was hurt too and if I had to do it all over again…" Seth's face was serious. "I would…End of story."
The alpha in Jacob wanted to teach this lower-ranked wolf a lesson, but that was not who he was. He was a friend and brother first before he was a wolf. He understood why he did it, but he did not have to like it. "Come in." He said and walked over to the couch and sat down without a backwards glance.
Seth walked in and closed the door. He sat down on one of the loveseats across from Jake. "Look Jake…I know you're hurting and I'm sorry, but it was out of my hands. I'm not making any excuses, but I'm just telling it like it is. This is my sister we're talking about and my loyalty is to her first and foremost. That's just the way it goes."
"Yeah I know, but damn Seth a little warning could've been nice or at least a fucking clue!" Jake stood up, annoyed at Seth's words. "A part of me doesn't give a fuck about your loyalty because I was the one being played for a fool. Not to mention you almost beat the crap out of me when you found us in bed at Quil's! Do you really think I would've claimed Leah if I wasn't sure about her? That alone should've told you as such! But no! You still kept your mouth shut at my fucking expense!"
Seth flinched and the wolf in him whimpered at it's alpha's words, but wolves in nature were stubborn and he was just like his sister anyway so he spoke back with as much power in his voice too. "Let's not forget Jacob that you're still imprinted to fucking Renesmee! For you to have two different bonds to two different females is a bit a much don't you think?" Seth said candidly.
"Renesmee has no relevance to this at all! I've already said to you and the others, especially Leah, the deal with Nessie and I. Guess what? She still wanted me anyway! I owe you no damn explanation either, but because you're one of my best friends, I told you. I respect you and acted out of courtesy. The same should've been done to me dammit!" Jake replied.
Seth sighed. Them fighting was getting them nowhere and he loved Jake and his friendship. He backed down too cause the more he angered Jake, the more aggressive he would become and he did not want his ass handed back to him. Besides, Jake had a point as well. "Jake…I'm sorry okay? I never meant for you to get hurt. I never wanted you to get hurt. When you found out the truth, I let you handle Leah in your own way. If I didn't care about you at all, I would've jumped right in and stopped you. However, I didn't and you ragged on my sister and left her in tears. And trust me, a small part of me felt she deserved it." He said with the smallest hint of a smile.
Jake paused in thought. Seth was right in saying he never interfered so he was going to cut him some slack this time. "Hm…that's all I wanted form you bro. I just wanted a sorry and an explanation as to why. At least if there is going to be a next time or you think there is something I should know, handle things a little differently. I'm not telling you to betray your sister, but just say something, anything."
"Hm…I will have to think about it because betraying my sister's confidence is like setting my house on fire. But I am glad at the way you handled things though Jake. My sister needed a wake up call and she wasn't listening to anything I was telling her. I hate that she's hurting though and I hope you won't let your anger cloud your judgment and you throw away the best thing that has happened to you." Seth said in encouragement.
"Yeah, yeah. I've heard that advice a million times and I just need some time. The same way how it's hard on Leah, it's hard on me too cause I have to deal with Sam as well." Jake reminded. He hated this situation and just wished he could make it all go away with just the snap of his fingers.
"Oh." Seth forgot all about Sam for little while there. "Yeah there is Sam. I never had a problem with him, but I know he's wrong as well. Just give him a chance to explain."
"How can I when I feel like punishing him for being my female. Just the thought of him touching her is enough to drive me wild. I feel so betrayed and the alpha in me wants to kill someone. Like I said, I need some time." Jake said. He loved Sam; Sam was his mentor and so much more. He just…Ugh…hated the thought of him and Leah together. They were the past, no more, finished. Sam was Leah's past and he was Leah's present and future. Sam would just have to learn to deal with it.
"Yeah I get that, but don't let too much time pass though. So many things can happen and you need to act fast."
"Yeah I get it. You know how much I love your right?" Jake asked, surprising him with his question.
"Yes I do and I love you too. Once again, I'm sorry about everything and I will try my best to help you out alright? I am rooting for you and Leah you know. I know you can make her happy." Seth said with a smile.
"That's good to know." Jake smiled back.
"I'm heading out; need to go buy a few things from the store. So we're good?" Seth asked.
"Of course. Thanks for coming over buddy." Jake stuck his hand out for their fist bump.
"No problem. I'll catch up with you later." Seth fist bumped him and left.
It was a little after six when Sam came home and he found the table decorated with a hot plate of food, a big glass of juice, and a huge slice of cake for dessert. He smiled at the welcoming sight, but when he looked around, Emily wasn't anywhere to be found. He took a deep breath and caught her scent and the imprint bond throbbed in need of her. Emily was around somewhere. He looked at the table again. He guessed this was payback for him leaving her breakfast and cleaning up the kitchen. Since she did not come to greet him, he figured she was not ready to speak to him yet. He set his briefcase down at the door, took off his shoes, jacket and loosened his tie. He went right over to the table and sat down to eat.
However, he was wrong. Emily came out of their bedroom and she looked tired. Tired as in emotionally exhausted. Her hair was freshly combed and pulled back into a ponytail and she was dressed homey, casually, but there were bags under her eyes and Sam could tell she was crying again.
Emily's heart was torn. She loved Sam with everything in her, but until he could resolve his issues with Jake and Leah, she did not want to reconcile with him just yet. She felt that when they reconcile, they needed to make a clean start. She wanted no more baggage to carry around in their relationship. She did some thinking and she knew she needed to have a talk with Leah as well. She owed it to her and she was mad that it took Sam not getting over her, to realize that. She came forward and sat on the chair opposite Sam and folded her hands in her lap and looked down, trying to find the right words to say.
Sam continued eating, waiting for Emily to speak when she was ready. This is something he was kind of dreading and he wished he had more time to think. However, the sooner the better and they could all just move on with their lives. He was snapped out of his thoughts when Emily finally spoke.
"Sam…" Emily's voice was soft. She didn't want to fight; she just wanted to have a civil conversation about this.
Sam stopped eating and gave his imprint his undivided attention. "Yes?"
"I've been thinking and I wanted to let you know that I still love you." Emily started.
Sam blew out a breath he did not know he was holding in relief. The imprint bond hummed in excitement at the news.
Emily continued. "I love you and still want to be with you, but…"
Sam waited with anticipation.
"I need you to handle your issues with Leah and Jacob first. Finding out about that affair broke my heart and I finally understand what Leah felt like back then. I love Leah and I love you and I realized that I never took the time out to really think about what you and Leah went through when you imprinted on me. I was so happy and caught up in the moment of you and I and the bond we share that I never stopped to think about the consequences of our actions or the results of me and Leah's relationship." Emily paused, feeling a little relief in finally getting out some of her thoughts and she had to admit that it felt good.
Sam started to speak, but Emily put up a hand and stopped him. "Let me finish please."
"I also realized that I have to accept the connection you and Leah have as well. I shouldn't have expected your love for her to just disappear after you imprinted on me. I don't know what I was thinking feeling that way. It is kind of hard to know your fiancé still loves his ex, but what should I have thought? I should've known better because you two have been together for so long and a connection like that doesn't just die so suddenly. I'm sorry if I ever gave you a hard time and acted controlling, jealous, or paranoid. I know better now and I will wait." Emily finished with her speech in tears. She really loved Sam and Leah and if he decided he wanted to be with her and would fight for her, she would let him go. She was tired of the run around and the drama. It was getting to be a little too much and she really wanted her sister back too. Leah was really her only, true friend. Sure she had Kim and the others, but none of them could ever compare to her cousin.
Sam was in shock at his imprint's words. He was so shocked that he stopped eating and pushed his plate away, not feeling hungry anymore. This was the last thing he expected to come home to after work. His heart was filled with so much love for his imprint at the moment and he couldn't have loved her more. She was right in saying he needed to deal with Leah and Jacob first before he and Emily could move forward. He took both of her hands in his.
"Oh honey…I really don't know what to say except that I do love you. I know it must've been hard for you to say those words." Sam sighed. "It is true that I still love Leah and the fact of the matter is, I will never forget her or the bond I have with her. I know it will take some time, but we can move past this. I want to apologize to you too."
Emily blinked in astonishment. "Apologize? What for?"
"Well for starters, I called you selfish when you really weren't. I am the selfish one. I wanted to be with you and still have Leah on the side." Sam said.
"Oh."
"Yeah…Oh. I know the imprint bond happened for a reason. I know that now and I am willing to find out. I know this may be a bit much, but I just need a little time. I need time to adjust to being without Leah and her being without me. I'm glad you understand my feelings for Leah. I know it's a lot to ask and it's complicated, but I promise to work this out. Our bond is for life and as long as you want to be with me, then I'm not going anywhere." Sam smiled sweetly and gave her hands a squeeze.
"As long as we have an understanding about where we stand now." Emily confirmed and smiled back. She was relieved to get these words off her chest and she could breathe better now. She stood up and started to clear the table. "So how was work?"
Sam smiled and began to help her and then proceeded to tell her all about his day.
Seth came home to a nice surprise.
Leah came out of her bedroom, dressed to kill. Her clothes consisted of a black tank top with the words "Baddest Bitch" written in gold, a short, black skirt that stopped at mid-thighs with gold trimmings, and she topped off the outfit with gold, five-inch high heels. Her hair was done up in a high ponytail with curls at the end and her face was lightly covered in make-up. She was on a mission to get her man back and she hoped her outfit would help her in her quest. She threw on some perfume, did a breath check and she was ready to go. Her brother was right in telling her she was a fighter and never gave up. Damn she loved that guy and hoped he would continue to be there for her.
Speaking of said guy, as soon as Seth saw his sister, his eyes nearly bulged out of his head. He looked her up and down from head to toe and whistled. "Damn Lee! You look wow! Do a little twirl for me." He asked jokingly.
And Leah did do a twirl and strutted her stuff like she was modeling on a runway.
"Damn! When Jake sees you, he's going to jump you at once." Seth said with a chuckle.
"That's what I'm hoping." Leah said as she checked herself in the living room mirror once more. "Before I go to his place, I'm going over to Sam's first."
Seth raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yeah…I think Sam and I need to clear the air before Jake and I clear the air. I owe it to Jake." Leah explained.
"Oh? You really think Sam would be able to concentrate with you dressed like that?" Seth was serious. The effect Leah had on Sam was ridiculously insane.
"Well I just want Sam to see exactly what he gave up and will never be getting ever again." Leah said with fire in her eyes.
"Hmmm…." Seth said in thought. He wondered if he should tell her about his visit with Jake but decided not to do so.
"What?" Leah asked.
"Nothing…If that's what you want to do, then go ahead. I hope it doesn't backfire on you. You know how Sam is with you and I wonder how far you're going to get with him in your conversation." Seth explained in concern.
"I'll be fine. In fact, even if Emily is there, it'll be even better. I don't have anything to say to her though and maybe with her there in close range, he'll behave himself." Leah said in mocked annoyance. "This body belongs to and is reserved for Jake."
"Well good luck with that force field of Sam. He can be as stubborn as Jake too. Stubbornness runs in this pack for damn sure." Seth chuckled.
Leah came over and gave her brother a long hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for being there bro. I wouldn't have been able to come to my senses without you."
Seth growled lightly and nuzzled his face with hers wolfishly in affection. "You damn right!"
Leah growled back and returned the affections the same way. "Love you bro."
"Love you too! Now get out of here and fix your messes. You have your work cut out for you. I won't be surprised if you don't come back tonight. By the way, I put the light on at your place for you in case you "happen" to go there tonight." Seth smirked.
"Thanks bro!" Leah grabbed a coat off the rack and left in excitement. As soon as she got to Sam's place, she took off her coat and threw it in the car.
Little did Leah know, Jake was on his way over to Sam's as well and as soon as he caught her scent, he growled in anger. 'Seriously? I decide to go talk to Sam to mend things and she's here?'
Leah reached the front door and rang the doorbell. All of a sudden she felt the Alpha bond drum heavily, but she shrugged it off. She also scented a certain smell, a smell that screamed Jake. However, she thought she was imagining things. Maybe she was just too excited at the thought of seeing Jake after this. She shrugged off her thoughts againa nd focused on the door in front of her. She wanted to get this visit with Sam over with and go over to Jake's.
Jake pulled up in front of the Uley's residence. He got out of the car and gave Leah a once-over. He growled appreciatively at the sight. His Alpha Female was stunning and he wanted to go to her and hold her in his arms tightly and never let her go. The alpha bond throbbed in need as he gazed at the love of his life.
Sam smelled her from afar and raced over to the door. A soon as he opened it, he pulled Leah into his arms. "Leelee…"
That alone set Jake off.
Leah heard him before she could do anything else and she froze, not believing this was how Jake would see her. She was not imagining things after all.
AN: Another chapter done! Hope you guys liked it and don't forget to review. How did you think the talk with Jake and Seth went? Emily and Sam? Just when things was going to start to look up, Jake catches Leah in Sam's arms. What's a girl to do? Lol! Review!