Hey my readers!

Thank you for coming this far with me and thank you to the reviewers and my beta of course!

Here's a short mid-week filler. The next chapter should be up at the weekend for you.

Love ya. xxx

Cris POV

It was three weeks since we had arrived.

If you had told me before then that I would befriend a female shape shifter, I'd have said wolves could fly. Yet here I was, and it was the weirdest, though most natural, friendship I could imagine.

Me and Leah were opposites in so many ways. I was calm and passive while she was erratic and volatile. I took time worrying about others when she generally said screw them all. She had a low tolerance level - I was patient. I over analysed, but she went on instinct. The list went on.

There were similarities too. We loved our families and our loyalty to our packs couldn't be faulted. Essentially, we were both the outsiders, but we shared the same sense of humour and loved coffee. We both needed a friend who understood us and wouldn't 'complicate' things.

It really was funny how things had turn out. We hadn't been pushed together in any way, but it somehow worked.

It all started with that damn shoebox.

For some reason, (I will never know why), she trusted me and opened up.

Since then I had seen a different side to her than everyone else; she was still fiery, but she wasn't as defensive or volatile. Mind you, I didn't pity her or make excuses for her attitude - in return it was only fair that she cut the crap out.

Conclusively, she was who she was, and I believed most people (outside her pack) had given up on her. It was wrong; the woman I saw was not the same one everyone else did.

We had so far seen each other every day over the last week, and I would forever be grateful for her help with Corey. My relationship with him was coming in leaps and bounds; Leah had shown me the ways to be his brother and his alpha, and that tough love was sometimes essential.

Over the days, me and Leah had spent most of our spare time talking about our lives; I trusted her as much as she seemed to trust me.

She knew all about my home life and how me and Corey had distanced ourselves from our family. I even told her about the guilt of Corey's scars. As a sister she could understand.

I knew she was mainly with me to avoid Jake, which I didn't mind. I was glad when she told me what happened and after a while I called her on it and pointed out that she had punished him long enough.

When she came into the garden today, she was so happy to tell me he was with her, and I was genuinely pleased for her. Her mood seemed lighter than I had ever known it to be; she needed him and I knew it.

I admit her arrival today had also been a pleasant surprise for me. I wasn't expecting her and was caught off guard in the garden playing guitar. I was extremely embarrassed when I found out Leah was behind me listening, but being the evil cow she is, she found it funny and said something about art and music going together. I had blushed, but soon found myself enjoying her company too much to care.

After reviewing the morning's antics between her with Jake, we became absorbed talking tactics and telling stories about old fights and early phasing horrors. I was so engrossed that I completely lost track of time and only realised the day had ended when Jake interrupted us.

I felt extremely guilty as I watched Leah tell him she was staying. He looked pained and I didn't want to come between them, but she was free to make her own decisions. I whispered to her that maybe she should leave, but she only slapped me round the head - it was pleasing that she felt comfortable enough with me to do that.

After an awkward moment, Jake then left us alone and we continued our debate. I hated losing, and so far I hadn't beaten her at anything, but I still refused to fight her, despite her demands. That was what we were now debating.

Leah was just about to try and tackle me off the seat to prove a point when my instincts grabbed her and threw her away from me. I heard her lump on the ground and call me something offensive. I was too far gone though; I stood and smelled the air and took off towards the house not looking back.

"Jaden! Vampires!" I flew past him and out the door.

I could hear him and Leah behind me. We arrived out front to see a bronze haired boy standing a few feet back from Jake in front of a silver car. I immediately phased and went to launch at him, but much to my surprise Leah was already in front of me. She stood un-phased and shouted at me to back down. I growled at the vampire only to see a crooked smile appear on his face.

Leah didn't budge, but I reluctantly took a step back trusting her. The car door then opened and two inhumanly beautiful women stepped out. The first was a brunette in her late teens; she walked gaily to the boy leech who pulled her to him, kissing her forehead while she smiled shyly at us.

"Hey Jake." Her golden eyes fell on him.

I relaxed slightly, realising that neither vampire had the crimson read eyes we hated, but Jake was too stunned to speak and only stood frozen. His eyes were pinned on the smaller brown haired girl standing by the car. She was petite and maybe in her mid teens. Chocolate brown ringlets cascaded down her face and the biggest golden brown doe eyes and smallest button nose stood against her pale features. She was just as nervously looking at Jake, unsure of the next move.

It felt like minutes, but suddenly the biggest smile broke over Jake's face. He ran to the girl faster than lightning and scooped her into his arms. Within seconds, he was holding her above him and swinging her around in the air.

Finally he pulled her to him and plastered kisses all over her face. The girl giggled and instead of reciprocating placed a small hand on Jake's cheek. He immediately paused while they had a silent conversation looking into each other's eyes.

To my surprise, Jake let out an almighty sob and tears started to fall from his eyes as his voice broke, "Oh Nessie . . . baby . . . I love you too . . . never, never!"

With that the girl grabbed his face with both hands and kissed his lips.

I turned away from their intimate moment as I absorbed the scents and it sunk in who the vampires really were.

My attention went to Leah who was also watching the scene. As she too dragged her eyes away she caught mine, there was something more than pain visible, she looked broken, and she turned and walked straight into the forest without saying a word.

I was about to follow when the boy leech cleared his throat. He was obviously uncomfortable; "So, are you going to invite us into our own house?"

I turned away from the spot where Leah disappeared into the forest, knowing I couldn't ignore my obligations.