An: These memories are in sequence and continue from the last chapter.
[XXI]
"Wow," she remarks as she rounds the corner, collected magazines from the living room almost spilling from her hands.
Jacob's grins at her as he ties up his boots, the dinning chair groaning under his weight. "I thought you were impenetrable to my dashing demeanour and striking good looks?"
She rolls her eyes. "Dream on, Black. I'm unflappable. Just surprised is all. You look-"
"Don't tell me - Amazing, wonderful, delectable-"
"I was going to say, grown up," she laughs, taking in his wiggling eyebrows.
And he does look grown up. A khaki coloured dress shirt which is folded up to his forearms is matched with black jeans and his regular black boots. His hair is slicked back and he's wearing a whale bone pendant on a leather strap necklace, something his mother's family had given him as a child.
He stands from the chair and glides over to her to take the stack of magazines from her hands. Placing them on the table he turns back to her. She's already dressed for bed in one of Seth's huge shirts, the collar so stretched it exposes half her neck and shoulder while landing mid-thigh over her legs.
"Not exactly a compliment, but I'll take it," he smiles. He glances around the empty house. "You sure you'll be okay?"
She huffs, "Of course I will. It's not like I'm a defenceless."
Brushing past him she runs the tap over the sink and plugs the drain. She adds detergent and starts mixing the water in rotating swirls with her hand. "Plus - I have to clean up. It looks like the pack dropped a bomb in here."
Embry, Quil and her brother had all miraculously disappeared to patrol before cleaning up their crap but she already had plans for them to tidy up and cut back the yard on the weekend as punishment for abandoning her with their mess inside the house.
She can hear his boots shuffling and she freezes when his warmth presses up against her back, his long arms boxing her in, hands dipping into the soapy water as well. "You don't have to clean up, Leah. I can manage. They are my mutts after all."
"It's fine. You should really go, otherwise you'll be late." She tells him sternly.
He has another date with Bella Swan. The girl seems to be getting better.
"You sure?" he whispers lowly.
She nods.
"Thanks, Leah. I'll see you for patrol at three. Get some rest before then."
He places his lips near her temple but does not press against her. He hovers for only a second more until he moves, and is out the door.
.
Paul is already running patrol when he feels the rip in his consciousness signalling the Alpha's arrival. The instant she's inside his head he's bombarded with panic. Her howl rips through the trees, calling for assistance.
'Fuck, Leah. Are you trying to give me a permanent headache?' He snipes as he runs toward the howl, paws swiftly moving over the forest foliage.
'Paul - stop. Go home, we need your truck. Meet us at the forth trail between First Beach and the eastern embankment.' Leah commands, her emotions bubbling through him.
He turns sprinting back to LaPush. 'What the fuck happened?'
Before she answers she pushes the memories of the night before through the link. It's confusing and vivid but he tries his best to sort through the information. She's pushing more than the latest events and he's drowning in his mind's eye.
'He's not waking up!' she growls, as she paces a shadowed place beneath a collection of trees.
He knows she can see through his eyes as he runs so he doesn't need to inform her how far away he is from the Black's house. After dropping Rachel off he'd gone straight to the forest, leaving the truck in the drive. Questions surround his mind but he buries them in an attempt to keep Leah from exploding. Trees blur past the corner of his eyes, greens and browns of a forest he knows with his eyes closed.
'I'll be there as fast as I can,' he tells his Alpha as he reaches the back yard and phases back mid-step. He snatches a pair of Jacob's shorts from the clothesline and throws them on. He can feel Rachel and Billy's questioning eyes on him as he stomps towards them.
"There's been a hiccup," he tells Billy as Rachel hurries down the steps to hand him a shirt. "The ceremony seemed to go smoothly except," he eyes soften when he turns to his imprint. He's fully aware of her feelings towards the younger Clearwater. "- Seth isn't waking up."
"What! Why?" Rachel demands, gripping on to his forearm tightly.
"They don't know," he tells her before he looks back up to Billy for guidance. But it isn't Billy who answers.
"Come on. We need to go now. We need to bring him back here."
Paul wants to argue that his pack brother would be better off with his Alpha and sister but his imprint flares in annoyance. "I'm a qualified doctor and the best herbalist on the Reservation," she hisses.
He nods curtly as she passes him the keys from her pocket.
"Dad, I'll need Jacobs's room. Call Emily to get my duffle bag and bring it here."
Her father nods and quickly pushes himself inside to the phone.
"Let's go."
It takes them fifteen minutes to find the location of the tent. The pack is already surrounding the area, some boys remaining human, while others are phased and in their wolf form, trampling the soil beneath their paws.
Paul brushes past some of his brothers as they make way for him and Rachel, parting like the Red Sea until they reach the opening in the tent. He watches as Rachel skids towards the younger wolf, dropping to her knees. There is a grief-stricken emotion over her face as her hands tremble over Seth's skin.
His nose crinkles as he looks toward Leah and Jacob who stand to the left. He meets the males' eyes in question. "It's my blood and the vampire venom. It's been seeping from the wound since last night," Jacob tells him.
"That's why he's been in pain for so long? Venom?" Paul asks as he looks to Seth's thigh.
It looks a mess, red angry flesh raised off his normally bronze skin. He can see where the ground herbal paste had been applied the night before and a thin silvery goo like substance which continues to bubble from the ripples of torn skin.
Rachel moves to check Seth over. She lifts his eyelids to gauge for any movements in his pupils, checking his brown eyes. She clutches at his wrist until she detects the steady but weak heartbeat pulsing within his veins.
"Paul - get some of the boys to carry him to the tray of the truck. Be careful with his neck and leg," she tells him as she removes a small talisman of wolf fur from his chest.
Rachel almost jumps when she feels her brother's huge hand squeeze her shoulder. He moves around her and places one of the cleaner animal skin mats over Seth's lower half. Paul knows it's to protect not only his modesty, but the wolfs' pride.
Seth hid pain well. But even Paul had seen it.
Quil, Chris and August assist to lift the wolf carefully out of the tent and through the gathered pack. He hears the whines from the phased boys and hisses at them to get back when they venture too close to see how their Beta is. It's a struggle to get him into the tray without jousting his body and he is thankful when Embry hops into the back and pulls him up, allowing the unconscious wolf to rest against him.
Rachel is squeezing Leah's hand, comforting her, telling her it was going to be okay. It's been a long time since he's seen tears in the she-wolf's eyes and he diverts his gaze.
"Go home, shower and then meet me at Dad's" she tells Leah. "He's going to be okay but I need to get him cleaned up and do a proper assessment. He's responding but his heartbeat is weaker than it should be." She then turns to her brother trying to lighten the mood. "Jake, you look like shit."
Rachel wraps the she-wolf in an embrace before nodding at her brother who offers her a grimace as well as a thankful nod.
It doesn't go unnoticed to Paul that Jacob Black's hand is on Leah's waist, rubbing circles into the skin between her singlet top and running shorts. He presses his lips together in a thin line wondering when everything got so fucking crazy.
.
They check into the motel and find their room. Leah looks around at the shabby décor as she opens the door and deposits her bag onto the bed. It's shitty but it would do. It wasn't like her and Jacob were rolling in money. It was the best place they could afford and they even had to throw their savings together for fuel and snacks which left little for accommodation. It had a TV and a large bed which is all they needed.
"I thought we asked for twin beds?" she asks when he steps into the room.
Jacob looks forlorn. "The guy said they only had this one left. I can check out some other places or take the floor if you'd prefer?"
Leah shakes her head. "It's a big bed. We can manage," she tells him. She can't be bothered finding somewhere else after the three-hour drive to Seattle. "What time did Rachel say to meet her?"
"Umm, seven?" Jacob replies as he unpacks a few things. "Or around then. You know how she is."
Leah snorts as she places her toothbrush and paste in the tiny attached bathroom. "Yeah. Can spend four years at med school but can't tell the time?"
It's already close to four so they grab something to eat at a nearby diner. The booth is small and the plastic vinyl squeaks when she slides in opposite her Alpha. He orders just about everything on the menu and she tells the waitress she'll have whatever he's having. The waitress looks like she might heave but she nods, offers a tight smile and dances away.
They make small talk between the food but Leah frowns when she spots a guy who is staring at her. She looks back at him and he quickly averts his eyes and goes back to whatever he's doing. He's three booths away, sitting alone, cheesecake and paperwork scattered around him. She raises an eyebrow when he looks again and this time she smirks when his pale cheeks flush in embarrassment.
"Are you even listening to me?" Jacob huffs in annoyance.
"Huh, oh yeah. That's great, Almighty Alpha," she responds, digging back into the burger and sweet potato fries.
Jacob glares and turns his head in the direction she had been staring in earlier. A guy with blonde hair and grey eyes stares back at him, eyes wide.
"Really, Leah? That guy?" he snorts.
Her fingers still around her burger and she places it back down. "What's wrong with him?" she asks seriously. She glances at the unknown man again who is now clearly focused on writing in a course book. He's cute, in a boyish type of way.
"You're serious?" he blanches as he swallows a bite of his burger. "Not only is he puny and nerdy looking, he'd never be able to handle a woman like you."
Leah grinds her teeth. "So, what? Bella is a shining example of strength? You literally just described her. You think she can handle YOU?"
Jacob glares at his Beta. "That's different."
"How?" she challenges.
"It just is."
She laughs sarcastically, "Oh, so all of you can date and, God forbid, fuck whoever you want, but when it comes to me, I suddenly need your opinion and approval? Maybe I'm not looking for muscles and strength and pretty eyes and whatever-" she says, waving at him as an example.
He perks up at her description of him.
She rolls her eyes and slaps the table. "I'll meet you back at the motel."
Jacob looks genuinely shocked when she leaves their table and slides into the booth with Mr Grey Eyes but she ignores her Alpha. She ignores his growls and temper tantrum at her disappearance mid-meal. She's sick of being Jacob's Beta because that's all she is. She has nothing outside of the pack and nothing outside of him.
She talks to the stranger for a whole hour. His name is Ben Alley. He has two goldfish, a sister, was born in Oakland and is a year away from finishing his thesis in Seismology and Mathematical Geophysics. She has absolutely no idea what that means but she smiles anyway and when he offers his number with the reddest blush she's ever seen, she accepts it.
Jacob is in the shower when she gets back to the room so she decides to play Tetris on her phone until he finishes so she can get ready as well. Rachel had invited them to Seattle for Graduation drinks. She had told them she would visit Billy briefly before accepting residency at Northwest Hospital in Seattle, but she wanted to celebrate with them first.
When Jacob strolls out in nothing but a towel, Leah stills, attempting to keep her eyes on her phone.
"Where's your boyfriend?" he mutters, still pissed she dumped him for a mystery guy.
Leah looks up and can't help staring at her Alpha. His back is turned to her as he rummages through his duffle bag. Droplets of water sear down his back dripping from his wet hair, trailing moist lines over his russet skin before collecting at the towel on his waist. When he turns she knows she's in trouble. But it's not the dark glare he gives her but rather the way his abdomen ripples over his torso. Her eyes follow the lines that run down his stomach and narrow with his hips. Below his belly button is fine trail of hair which dips under the white towel leading to-
"Leah?"
Her head shoots up and she stares at him, blinking away her disturbing thoughts. "What?"
"I said the shower is free."
She slides off the bed quickly. "Uh, right. Thanks."
When they are both ready Jacob locks the room, and drives them to a nearby bar. It's packed with University students and they do their best to shuffle through the crowd. A live band plays but it doesn't cover the scream Rachel lets out when she spots them. She hugs Jacob first commenting on how big he is, before she turns her sights on Leah.
"Looking fierce, babe," Rachel clucks, eyeing Leah's outfit.
Leah flushes as she looks down at the outfit. Wearing dark wash jeans, a white tee and black boots she doesn't understand what Rachel means.
They order a few rounds of drinks, meet Rachel's friends and slip into a normal human evening. They share some laughs listening to Rachel and her friends talk about Graduation and what they will do now that it was all over.
"How do you stay so skinny? I hate you," Rachel sways, grabbing Leah's hips. She's already had way too many drinks and some of her friends have already left. When she reaches back to grab her glass again Leah plies it from her hand while Jacob rolls his eyes and orders a couple of waters at the bar.
"Are you dating my brother?" Rachel whispers drunkenly. "He keeps staring at you like he wants to eat you," she giggles.
Leah glances over a Jacob who fortunately hasn't heard his sisters dribble. "No, Rach. Jacob's with Bella."
"Who!?" she squints.
Leah chuckles. "Charlie Swan," she ebbs.
"You mean dad's friend, Charlie? The cop?"
Leah nods in confirmation.
"Why would he date her?" Rachel whines as she somehow spins to reclaim her glass and downs the vodka and cranberry mix.
"Your guess is as good as mine," Leah tells her as she hovers to catch her friend who is no longer steady on the heels she wears.
"Well that's... upsetting," Rachel frowns as she hugs Leah to her.
Leah pats the girls back in comfort, thanking her ancestors she can no longer get as drunk as the girl in his arms.
"She okay?" Jacob asks as he sets the water down around the table.
Rachel glares at her brother and mumbles something in Leah's chest. It's a racy position to be in from the stares the males are giving them around the bar but she shrugs it off.
"She'll be fine."
They get her into a taxi and wave her off.
.
Jacob nudges her gently into the bathroom of the Clearwater home. The hushed silence burns around them as he places a towel in the sink and turns back to her.
Most of her hair has escaped from the band and he carefully reaches back and slides the black elastic out of her hair. It falls to her shoulders and back, limp and heavy with the distinct scent of burnt sage. He tilts her chin up but her eyes don't meet his.
He sighs.
"Seth's strong, Leah. Stronger than any of us. He always has been," he tells her solemnly.
Her eyes flick to his, brown, hazel and green catching the light inside the dimly lit bathroom. His stomach muscles tense when he feels her hands rest on his torso. He tries to calm his breathing and only inhale through his mouth but her sharp natural scent still cuts through him and rests on the tip of his tongue.
"Shower," he instructs softly as he reaches down and grasps her wrists, gently pulling them from his body.
.
"I heard what Rachel said to you in the bar."
Leah tries to ignore him and continues walking back to the motel. They'd left the truck behind and had decided to pick it up in the morning. Quite frankly they were both sick of sitting and left the bar needing to stretch out.
"Leah."
"What?" she huffs tiredly, hands slipping into the back pockets of her jeans.
"Can you talk to me?" he sighs.
She stops and turns to him. He's a few metres away which makes her a little bit more comfortable. She can't have him all up in her face. "Well, go on. Talk."
He worries his tongue against his lip as a hand pushes through his hair. When he doesn't say anything she rolls her eyes, spins on her heel and continues walking.
She can hear the rap of his boots on the wet cement as he catches up with her. It takes all of two seconds to do so.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he says softly beside her.
"Talk about what?" she snaps.
"I'm sorry being in my pack limits your chances of dating."
She grumbles her reply. "No one's even interested. Not really."
"Hey, come on. The guy at the diner was. There were a few guys at the bar checking you out as well."
She had seen them looking but none of them dared approach her.
"Everyone thinks we're together," she tells him.
It's not a surprise to him, she knows that.
Gossip had flared even in LaPush about the sudden closeness of the two. Even her own mother had asked if something was going on. She had violently denied, telling her mother it was all pack business and that nothing was happening between her and the renegade pack's Alpha.
"I know," he muses, brows pulled together, deep in thought.
Before he allows her to unlock the motel room, he touches her waist with one hand, another lain flat on the door near her head. He leans forward placing his lips on her crown, his nose inhaling the sweet scent of her hair.
She stills under his motions, keys dangling from her fingers as she holds the doorknob tightly. She closes her eyes when his fingers rub against her skin, gently tugging and dipping at the waistband of her jeans.
"Do you want to be together?" he asks softly.
She's jarred by the question, and can't answer him. Did he mean tonight? Did he mean forever? Of course, she was lonely, but he was with Bella. He loved Bella. He didn't love her.
"Leah?"
She finds courage somewhere inside or her. "No," she whispers hoarsely. "Not when you're 'her' Jacob."
He sighs again, long and deep, warm breath ruffling through her hair. She can almost hear him thinking, hear him arguing with himself, between instincts and maintaining composure. His fingers squeeze her waist almost desperately yet in finality.
She feels him nod against her hair and step back, pulling all the delicious warmth away with him. The jingle of the keys reminds her what she's supposed to do and she unlocks the door swiftly and steps inside.
The tension is awkward as they share a bed, but he's asleep, or at least pretends to be asleep, as soon as his head hits the pillow. She sits up staring down at him, those boyish features, and those soft lips. She should have said yes, she should have taken whatever he was ready to give her. But she couldn't. Not when he loved another and not when she needed a friend more than a lover. She needed him, more than he could ever know.
Two weeks later, Rachel visits her father and never leaves LaPush.
A month after that, Seth walks into her mother's kitchen to tell her Jacob was leaving LaPush for Bella.
.
Embry is sitting at the table when his friend and Alpha arrive. Jacob is wearing some of Seth's clothes and Leah is dressed in a black long-sleeved shirt and dark blue jeans. Emily and Sam have already been and gone while some of the younger wolves' hover in the living room and the back porch.
Charlotte quickly hugs Leah then ushers her into Jacob's small room to be with Rachel, Billy and Seth. He leans back in the chair to look over his best friend who is standing pressed against the counter, arms back and hands resting against the top. Jacob's head is down and he wants to ask so many questions about what happened but he reigns in the urge. He can see his friend is suffering.
Paul strides into the small kitchen and reaches up to open the cabinet above the fridge. He pulls down two bottles of dark liquor and sets them on the table. Reaching into another cabinet he pulls several shot glasses down and sets them down next to the bottles. Swiping the lid off one of the bottles, he arranges three glasses, pouring them until the brown liquor circles the rim.
"Here," he says sternly, sliding one of the glasses towards Embry and pressing another into Jacob's hand. "Drink this, ladies. It will take the edge off."
Embry watches as Paul downs the drink, before pouring another.
"Well, it ain't gonna drink itself," he snipes.
Jacob huffs and downs the drink, his nose wrinkling. Holding out the glass he allows Paul to pour another one.
After a few more rounds, Paul finally sits, but continues to pour the drinks.
"You wanna tell us what's going on, Black?" Paul says simply as he puts another drink down the hatch.
Jacob stills the shot glass on his lip. He swallows it as well before placing the glass down on the counter. "You saw it in Leah's head."
Embry can feel the hostility running circles around the room.
Paul laughs loudly. "I wasn't talking about what happened with Seth."
Embry quirks a brow as his head snaps to Jake. His friend is glaring darkly at Paul, mouth pulled into a semi-sneer.
"I saw a few things in Leah's head. Girl could never keep a secret for too long. All those blinding emotions accidently open other parts of the mind, you know." Paul explains, tapping the side of his head.
"What's he talking about, Jake?" Embry finally asks, finding his voice.
"Before Jacob left on his fairy tale adventure with Isa-boring Swan-"
"Shut the fuck up, Paul," Jacob sneers in warning, hands curling into fists.
Paul snaps as he shoots out of his chair, knocking it out of the way, to face his imprint's brother. "You think you scare me, Black? Your sister is more terrifying than you are. I don't even know what Leah sees in you. You're nothing but a pussy ass bit-"
He doesn't finish his sentence as Jacob slams his fist into the other man's jaw.