Confusion Reigns
POV: Leah

When I feel the heat of Embry's lips against mine, my body goes stock-still. His fist at my shirt-front curls tighter against my chest. The woven cotton material tightens against my shoulder blades. In return, my hands, which had been thrown against his chest for balance, fist into his goGreen. This seems to re-release the scent soaked in the shirt. My own flowery scent fills my head. I hear Embry whimper against my mouth as the same seems to happen for him. This is not a gentle kiss. Embry plunders and demands. I match his ferocity with my own. His fingers wrap more tightly in my hair. It is exhilarating. It makes my head spin.

It has to end.

Now.

Teasing him? O.K.

Making him want me until crazed? Fine.

Making me want him until crazed? Never.

Falling for him? NO, definitely not part of the plan.

I push my hands against him, fighting against his hold the best I can in my off-kilter stance. As a last resort, I sink my teeth into his bottom lip, drawing a little blood. His grip loosens and I finally have his attention. He stops all movement with the sudden realization that I've stopped reciprocating his advances and helps me regain balance. The hand at my shirt moves to my waist, setting me down. His other hand moves from my hair and lingers against the side of my face, before moving to wipe at the trickle of blood at his mouth. With that task complete, he drops his hand to clench it against his side.

For a moment we stare at each other like adversaries in a boxing ring, our breath ragged. His gaze goes dark as I bring a hand up to my mouth, running my fingers against my punished lips.

Cursing under his breath, he breaks our trance. Showing some of the speed from the other day, he turns and moves into the forest. My super hearing picks up his quiet grumble that sounds like, "I'm sorry, Leah."

I don't dare breathe.

To my supreme and utter horror, I realize I'm not the least bit sorry.

POV: Sam

I stand on a little up grade between the pack and Embry. From here, I can see the guys, hidden from view of the house, jostling each other. They look a lot like big puppies. It's good to see Jake out of bed and tumbling with them. Being slightly higher on the litte mound of dirt, I am also able to keep an eye on the guy who might be my younger half-brother. Embry's off sulking which is a little unusual. He's usually in the fray, laughing and sending zingers with the best of them when we're together. This incident with the perfume, really got his boxers in a twist. Funny, it's a scent I'm familiar with. I try not to linger on the uncomfortable thought too long.

When Embry's not with the rest, though, he's always bothered me a little with his brooding. He's the quiet type, a crusader for the environment even before becoming a wolf. He always seemed a little more mature, a little more self-assured, a little more knowing, even compared to the likes of me. Lord knows he's had at least the same sort of rotten luck in the father-less department as I do. When you don't have one it forces you to grow up sooner than you want to. Anyway, half-brother or not, he's tied to me indefinitely thanks to our werewolf ways.

Embry knows a lot about me, having been the fourth to phase. He watched me grow into my alpha role. He knew me when I still hadn't gotten a complete grip of my changed life, watched me as my life morphed into what I have now, the leader of the pack, given the position because Jake refuses it. He was there when I imprinted on Emily. He wasn't happy with me and how I dealt with that situation. Hardly anyone was at the time. I handled that whole thing pretty poorly.

I watch a dark head pop out of one of the back windows and realize confusedly that it's Leah conversing with Embry. Her hair is short now. It seems to fit. She's always been spunky and full of fight. Full of love, too, if I choose to remember right. I watch Embry's face turn stony as Leah sports a wide grin. I imagine she's enjoying adding fuel to the raging inferno of annoyance already brought on by the guys. I sit back to watch what I fully expect to be an entertaining exchange between the two. For once, I am not on the receiving end of Leah's talons.

They're too far away to hear, but close enough to see the emotions parading across their faces. As much as it hurts my heart to watch her coming into her own without me, I am glad she's landing on her feet again. I still love her though I believe my future lies with Emily.

What rotten luck that.

I turn back to the two on the porch. To my utter shock, I watch the interaction between them go from argumentative, to heated, and then to downright sizzling.

He's kissing her!

Embry's kissing my Leah!

Unexpected rage and possessiveness shoots through me and I fight against the urge to phase. This hasn't happened in a long time, this inexplicable fight to keep the animal inside from tearing forth.

I keep my anger at bay reminding myself that Leah is not mine. I'd given up that right a little more than a year ago. She deserves to be happy and have her own life. This thought helps me to get a grip before I lose it completely. But why Embry? Why another werewolf who hasn't imprinted, another one of us who could potentially rip her heart out all over again?!

I start moving toward them as I watch her trying to wiggle out of his embrace. Suddenly, Embry stops and drops his hold. They are staring at each other now. Both of them just staring. A second more of her fighting against him and I would have rushed to intervene.

I watch him brusquely turn and run away.

Good!

The shock of what I just witnessed has me shuddering.

But what's more shocking is I find myself rushing into the forest after him.

POV: Embry

I hear someone tearing after me and am troubled to find that I'm half-hoping, half-fearing, that it's Leah. Throughly disgusted with myself for what happened on the porch, I realize what I need to do.

"Go away!" This time it's my turn to growl at her approach.

A louder, deeper snarl surprises me. I stop in my tracks.

Sam.

Oh, wonderful! This day has officially gone from pretty crappy to stepping in turd on the way to a job interview while wearing girlie perfume kind of stinking bad.

"What?!" I shout at him, turning to face him, my dark bangs whipping against my forehead.

I am gratified to notice Sam take a step back at the fierce tone of my voice. He seems to reconsider his initial approach.

"What was that back there?" he fumes.

I momentarily search for the answer and decide on the truth.

"I don't know."

"You better figure it out fast, pup," he growls. "I don't like it."

Something bursts inside of me like fireworks on the Fourth of July. Except it's not a happy burst, it's the kind that is a precursor to me turning into a wolf. How dare he pull rank on me! I beat back the desire to phase and attack, forcing myself to face Sam as a man.

"You might get to tell me what to do when we're wolves," I seethe through gritted teeth. "But you don't get to dictate what I do with my life. I don't give a rat's ass if you like it or not. And you don't have a say about Leah, either. Not anymore."

He winces at my enraged assessment. He knows I'm right, but it's not stopping him from warning me off.

"You have no idea what you're playing with. You are not allowed to hurt her," he sends me his forceful command.

"Why, because you want that job all to yourself?" I ask sarcastically. "You have, after all, been doing such a damn fine job of it."

I want to provoke him. I've been itching for a fight all day.

He makes a quick movement as if to tackle me, and I drop into a defensive stance. Unfortunately, he stops himself short and appears defeated as my words sink in.

"Embry, you know it couldn't have been helped," Sam's snarl still holds a warning.

"Yes, it could have been helped!" I nearly shout in supreme frustration. I feel my hands curl into fists.

"You don't know a damn thing about imprinting," he barks roughly, as though it's my fault he was in the sorry situation he was in a year ago. "I couldn't help hurting her."

"No, I don't know anything about imprinting," I quickly admit, my body relaxing. "But I do know something about love."

Sam stares at me, not sure what to make of what I'm saying.

"You didn't love Leah enough to fight to keep her. You left that strong girl broken and alone. The reason she's hurting, Sam, even now after all this time? That's on you. You left her with no where to turn. Now she's forced into this whole other nightmare where you get to call the shots." I don't take care to spare his feelings. "No, you don't get a say in this, Sam, not this time. Not any more."

I turn to go.

"And you do?" his question is regretful, "Do you love her, Embry?"

I move farther into the woods, leaving him without answers to his questions.