Bella's POV

Early the next morning, I headed back home to Sam's. I walked onto the driveway and noticed Sam sitting on the steps. I immediately headed for him. "Hey."

"Hey. How you doing?" Sam asked.

"Better," I said as I stepped onto the porch and sat down next to him. "Thank you for letting me go to the Cullen's last night."

"Well, I knew you needed your imprint. I also figured you could use a little distance from La Push and Billy. Did it help?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, a lot. I needed to be with Edward. I needed comfort only he could give. And I didn't phase. You don't have to worry about that," I told him.

"Well, I can't say that I didn't worry slightly, but my main concern was on you specifically. Are you alright?" Sam asked.

I shrugged. "It's been a hell of a few days. With Billy being revealed as my father to Jacob phasing and now to everything that happened last night."

"Bella, ignore what Billy said last night. It doesn't matter right now," Sam said.

"Doesn't it? Billy said that the first heir of the original Pack, it's my duty to take on this one. Honestly, I had considered it and I'm guessing you had too," I said. I'd seen Sam's face at the bonfire when Billy made his announcement. He was angry at Billy for pulling it, but he wasn't surprised.

"Yes," he admitted.

"I had meant to speak to you about it, but I wanted to wait a little bit. I wasn't ready to deal with it right away," I said.

"And you shouldn't have had to. Billy should've kept his mouth shut and allowed you time to deal everything he'd done to you before piling more on you. Actually, no. He should've talked to me about and I would've talked to you when I thought you could handle it," Sam said.

"No, you wouldn't have. You would've thought more about it and you would've kept it to yourself." Sam opened his mouth to object, but I continued before he could. "Not to deny me what was mine. I know you'd never do that. You would've kept it to yourself because you know that I don't wanna be Alpha and you wouldn't wanna make me take it. With Jacob it was different. You didn't really know Jacob and you already expected to hand it over to him, though you wouldn't have made him take it. I knew that even before he turned down the position.

"No one's gonna make you either. That's why I said just forget what Billy said. You don't need to do this," Sam said.

"It sure feels like I do. It feels like I should stop pawning it off on you and assume my responsibility," I said.

Sam's face became hard and stern. "No, Bella. You are not going to take this for my benefit."

"It's my responsibility," I said.

"No, it's your right," Sam argued. "You are Ephraim Black's descendant and therefore, it's your right to his legacy, but it's not your obligation."

"Isn't it? You head what Billy said."

"Forget about Billy! Billy is nothing but a worthless bastard who abandoned you because he didn't wanna explain his affair to his wife," Sam said angrily.

I couldn't help the flinch that my body involuntarily let out. I knew the truth of Sam's words, but they still hurt.

"Oh, Bella, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I just get angry when I think of what Billy's done and I say things I shouldn't. I'm sorry," Sam said.

"It's okay. I know your anger comes from concern for me. Besides, you're right. Billy's nothing but a deadbeat. He let me think Charlie was my father because he didn't want his dirty little secret getting out," I said with both anger and pain in my voice.

"So ignore him. He can't make you do this," Sam said.

"He's not wrong though. Ephraim Black's heir is meant to lead the Pack. You told me that yourself when you explained how Jacob was entitled to the position," I reminded him.

"I also said that I wouldn't force it on him. No one should be made to take this position," Sam said.

"You were. You didn't want to be Alpha and it wasn't your responsibility to take it, but you still had to because you were the first one to phase. You shouldn't have to keep doing that," I said. That was my biggest motivation for me to do this. Sam deserved to be able to step down and let go of the responsibility of Alpha. Handling the responsibility of being a wolf was more than enough of a burden. While I personally didn't want the burden, it belonged to me, not Sam. It would be selfish of me to allow Sam to continue to shoulder it.

"I never said I didn't wanna be Alpha. I'm fine with keeping the role," Sam lied. He sounded pretty convincing, but I'd seen inside his head. I knew he was lying.

I gave my current Alpha a knowing look. "Sam, I can read your mind when we're phased just as well as you can read mine. I know you hate being Alpha. You hate being a wolf period, but I don't want to be Alpha. You couldn't wait to give it up to Jacob so you could focus more on your relationship with Emily. Well, you can do that now. I'll take it from you." I really didn't want to, but I couldn't let my brother, as that was what he was in my heart, continue to sacrifice himself for the rest of us, not when I knew it was my responsibility and not his.

Sam shook his head after a moment. "No. I'm not letting you do this. You don't wanna be Alpha and I'm not going to let you take it on to help me."

I sighed. Sam was stubborn as hell. I wasn't sure if he became this way after becoming Alpha or if he was always like that. I wished he'd just let me do this. I knew I could probably force him to stand down. If I embraced the Alpha, he would either have to fight me for it or stand down and I knew he would never fight me. But forcing him was the last thing I wanted. I wanted him to realize that this was best for him. "Sam, come on. Not only is it my responsibility, but it makes sense for me to take it. I'm never gonna stop phasing. Edward will live forever and I will live with him. Just let go, Sam. Let me do this."

Sam seemed to contemplate my words for a minute. The look on his face told me that he wanted to do it. It was just that the 'big brother' in him wrestled with it. His wolf probably also found it hard to step down. "Alright. I'll step down, but not today. You're going through a lot right now and I don't think taking this role on right now is the best thing. You need to time to come to terms with Billy's betrayal and to get ready for the role you'll be taking. Once that's happened, I will relinquish my position. In the meantime, I'll bump you up to Beta, just like I was going to do for Jacob. Okay?"

I thought about it. It was actually an arrangement I was much more comfortable with. Taking Alpha wasn't something I was ready for. I was prepared to do it for Sam, but I was nowhere near ready for it. Sam's proposal would allow me to get ready for it. "Okay."