Chapter 35: Consequences be Damned

Regan

I'd never had sleep like the sleep I had after what had happened between me and Seth. It was deep and full of restful, but I did have the most vivid dreams I'd ever had. I dreamt of him, my mind replaying bits and pieces of our night together, giving me teasing images of what could happen next. I dreamt of us together, never having to be apart and pretend that we didn't feel the way we did about each other. I dreamt of a happy life - one with Seth in it for always.

When my body finally did remember that it hadn't been a dream at all, it slowly became aware of Seth's delightfully hot body pressed up against my back. He was spooning me; his body was curled against the back of mine, resting flush against the curves of my legs and rear. I could feel his soft breath blowing against the delicate hairs on my neck; he had pushed my hair further up onto the soft pillow so that the tip of his nose was pressed to the sensitive skin there. It was almost as if he was breathing in my scent. Not that it mattered to me; I was subconsciously basking in the glow that suddenly surrounded me and Seth Clearwater.

As far as I was concerned…Seth could do whatever he wanted to me for the rest of time.

As I lay there in that peaceful place between dreaming and being awake, blurry pictures of what had just happened came to the front of my mind. It was real. It was all real. Even half asleep, my body was aware of him. His scent invaded my nose, his warm, sinewy body was pressed up against mine, and pictures of him clouded my sleepy eyes.

I was vaguely aware in my subconscious wanton state that I was chewing my lip. It was like I was watching what had just happened in third person – his lips moving against mine, our bodies crashing together in synch. It was amazing that we had been so tense around each other and so unsure of what was going on between us. Yet, as soon as we had coupled in reckless oblivion, we had been completely unaware of anything else around us. I hadn't cared anymore. In all honesty, I was so tired of trying to resist Seth. The constant pull toward him was wearing on my resolve, and had been for months. I knew it wasn't right to feel the way I did about him, but I didn't care anymore.

Consequences be damned.

I was falling for Seth, and I didn't care what anyone thought now. Granted, this was probably something I should have come to grips with before I slept with him…but really, what had just happened had only solidified my decision.

In my world, sleeping with someone usually made things worse…but I could only hope that tonight would make things better. Perfect, even.

Over and over, my mind showed me flashes of what had happened. It was like watching a highlight video of the best play, but this definitely wasn't football. Seth's wide, lust ridden eyes the first time he saw my black bra. The feeling of his warm lips as they dragged down my neck…sucking on my collar bone…kissing behind my ear. The way his fingers had practically read my mind…his hot hands running down my sides… It was all almost too much. Almost.

Sex with Seth was just so different. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before in my life. He wasn't like the others; honestly, if I had known that's what it would be like, I don't think I would have even waited. I would have jumped him much sooner than I had.

As I sleepily thought back to the others before him, I couldn't even compare them to Seth. For starters, he had actually known how to please me…I could count on one hand the number of guys that had done that to me, and I had definitely been with more people than I had fingers. In fact, it was almost like he was reading my mind when it came to what I needed to reach my peak. I could feel myself growing more and more turned on, just thinking about how good he had felt between my legs. I pressed my nose farther into his pillow as I listened to his steady breaths against the back of my neck. His arm was still around my waist, holding me to him in the chilly room, and our legs were clumsily tangled together. His legs were so much longer than my own that I'm sure it would have looked comical, but I didn't care. I felt so safe right now that I really didn't care about anything. Being with Seth in the most intimate of ways had made me feel safe and almost even cherished…and that was something I hadn't felt in a long time – at least, not intimately.

In my dreamlike state, I slowly became aware that my body had begun to react to my thoughts. Seth must have felt it, too; as I slowly awoke, I could feel him start to stir against me. He stretched in his sleep, but still clung to my back, his warm, muscled body forming a protective cocoon around me. His body was hard, yet inviting. In all honesty, I don't think anyone could find his body unappealing. I truly believed that the lines of his abdominal muscles curving down his pelvis would make an eighty-year-old nun sit back and revaluate.

Oh, Seth.

He sighed, and then sucked in a breath of air against my neck. It made me shiver and tense as I slowly woke up, becoming somewhat conscious again. My heart began to pound, my mouth got dry, and goose bumps rose on my skin. God, even my skin reacted to him.

The room was very dim as I opened my eyes, realizing that it wasn't yet dawn; the room was still cloaked in the silver, pre-morning haze. I stretched myself and sighed, closing my eyes again. I pulled his arm around my middle tighter as I continued to think about what Seth had been like. I could have stayed with him forever, just like that. I didn't think I would ever be bored again. I had enough mental imagery to last me a decade, and we were in a mostly dark room. He had been just that amazing. If he disappeared off the planet tomorrow, I would happily spend the better part of a decade writing trashy romance novels in his honor.

My center began to clench and tighten in lust as I wished I could go back and relive our time together. I pressed my lips together as I felt my insides begin to tingle with the familiar feeling of need. Seth sighed again, and I could feel him groan slightly in his sleep. As if to torture me, I realized we were both still quite naked from before. His manhood twitched, as it began to harden against my bottom, and I pressed my lips together and laid against the pillow to try to go back to sleep. Seth wasn't making it easy. He shifted against me, rubbing his hardness between my legs. I tried my best to ignore it, but even in his sleep, I had to admire his stamina.

After several long minutes, lying there with his raging hard on pressed against my backside, I felt him stir slightly, signaling that he was waking up. I jumped slightly when I felt his mouth sleepily press against my shoulder; even his lips were searing hot. It felt amazing.

"Reg?" he muttered groggily in my ear.

I nodded, still biting my lip as my core began to tingle excitedly. I knew it was stupid for me to want him again so soon, but I couldn't help myself. I'd had a taste, and now, I simply wanted more.

Again, consequences be damned.

"Regan?" he asked, waking up further.

I turned my head to look over my shoulder at him as he lay behind me in the darkness.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Seth…I…."

I opened my mouth to speak right about the time I think he figured out that he was sporting a huge woody and it was poking me in the butt, but he didn't seem to care. Instead, he shocked the hell out of me and began to kiss the crook of my neck that was closest to him. I shouldn't have been surprised that he wanted to take advantage of the situation we were in as much as I did, but I was. Did he want this as much as I did? The way his body reacted against mine told me yes.

The more kisses he feathered on my neck, the more turned on I got. The feeling of his lips as they kissed and sucked on the soft skin behind my ear and on my shoulder gave me goose bumps and made a jolt of electricity run down my spine. It was the best feeling ever. I sucked in a breath as one of my hands reached out to grip the sheets next to me.

I felt his mouth form the shape a signature 'Seth' smile against my shoulder in between kisses.

"Do you like that?" he whispered in the darkness. It wasn't cocky or self assured; I knew that he was genuinely asking.

I nodded, knowing he would feel the movement of my head on the pillow.

He chuckled to himself softly, kissing me again on the back of my neck. Seth began to move his pelvis against my bottom, lodging himself between my legs after several thrusts. Just the feeling of his throbbing member against the outside of me made my body quiver in anticipation.

I felt like I was having an out of body experience as I heard myself whimper slightly. I wasn't the kind of girl who whimpered – especially not in times like this. I hated making noise when I was in the middle of fooling around or sex, and I tried to keep my lips sealed as much as I could. I had always wanted to keep myself from doing something embarrassing. However, Seth made my vow of sexual silence quite difficult. He moved his pelvis again, making us both react when the tip of him came in contact with my center.

"God, Reg….what are you doing to me?" he murmured against my back. His hands came alive and began to run up and down my stomach, as he gently thrust against my outer folds.

I felt myself continue to quiver in anticipation. He reached up with his hand and cupped my bare breast, squeezing it slightly. I felt myself shudder again as his mouth began to suck on the spot just below my ear. I couldn't take it anymore, and I didn't want to.

"Ulgh…Seth I need…"

"What?" he asked after a slight pause.

I knew he knew what I needed, but the urgency in his raspy voice let me onto the fact that he wanted to hear me say it. My breaths were coming out in quick little pants, for I was almost certain that I was more turned on now than I had ever been.

"Ah," I groaned into the pillow.

His hot fingers rolled the tip of my nipple, and I thought I was going to combust if we didn't do something, and soon.

"You, you…" I finally managed to moan the word twice.

He nodded against my back, and I could feel his body weight shift as he positioned himself at my entrance. His hand came around my front to gently push down on my abdomen, and he slowly sank himself into me with one slow motion. I hissed in relief and pleasure as I felt my body acclimate to his for the second time that night. I felt like I was going to die or explode or cry if he didn't move soon…or maybe all three.

As If he was reading my mind, he began to slowly move himself in and out of me from behind. We were still in the same position we had been while we were sleeping, and I was pleasantly surprised with it. I didn't even know that people could have sex this way, but I was sure enjoying it so far.

He exhaled against the back of my neck, making even more shivers run up and down my spine. The entire front of his body was pressed up against the back of mine, and it was incredibly hot. I felt like I was on fire, even in the chilly room. But it was a good fire. If being this warm meant being with Seth like this, then I would take it.

His hot hand trailed down my body as he moved against me, still taking time to kiss and suck at my neck. It was pure bliss. I bit down on my lip as his hand moved to grasp my hip firmly, pulling me harder against him. Seth moved in and out of me, sometimes varying his thrusts, but always using just the right amount of speed and pressure that I needed. There was no denying that he was good in bed. My mind briefly wondered exactly how he had gotten to be this way. Was it because he had been with that many people? Or had one girl in particular taken the time to teach him? Had they taught each other? I didn't have long to think about it, as my orgasm built inside my core, Seth's hot hands guiding me further and further.

His thrusts were gentle, but with purpose; I could feel his own need and urgency in them. I realized as he gripped my hip and held me closer to him that he needed me as much as I needed him. The thought of that alone made me grip the sheet in front of me even harder. His breathing sped up slightly as he sped up his movements.

I felt him reach up with his other hand, and then I heard the sound of skin gripping something metal. The headboard. Seth added more force behind his movements as he gripped the wrought iron bars of the headboard above me, sending waves of pleasure over both of us.

"Oh," I gasped, as he buried himself to the hilt of my feminine center. His hand reached up and pressed me even closer to him, as his mouth nipped and sucked at the sensitive skin of my neck.

"Regan," I heard him moan.

It was in the background, though… The A-bomb could have gone off, and I wouldn't have noticed – or cared, for that matter. All I could focus on right then was Seth, the heat emanating from him, and the tightening in my abdomen. I turned my head into the pillow to muffle the scream that slipped out as I clenched myself around his member. It was almost too much. Almost.

Seth groaned into my neck as I rode out my climax, not wanting it to end.

"More," I gasped, reaching my hand down to grasp his where it was resting on my hip.

His fingers dug into my skin as he increased his speed, his length meeting my warmth with a satisfying tingle each time. I turned my head slightly, opening my eyes so that I could look at him. We were still on our sides, so it was difficult, but I managed to catch a glimpse of his hooded, lust-ridden brown eyes as he moved inside of me.

A wave of pleasure jolted through me as I felt my cheeks redden under his gaze. Seth's warm lips immediately brushed against my temple as I moaned, feeling the familiar wave of ecstasy begin to wash over me for the second time. As if he knew I was steadily climbing again, he reached his hand forward and began to rub me where I wanted him to the most. My legs jerked, and I moaned. Seth grunted in approval of my reaction to his movements.

"Shit, Reg…I'm…I'm gonna…."

"Seth," I moaned through clenched teeth. I could feel my orgasm coming; I was at the brink of it, about to be pushed over. I knew Seth would be waiting for me.

"I need you," he moaned into the back of my head, his thrusts frantic. "Reg, tell me you need me," he panted desperately.

I closed my eyes and tried to leave all my inhibitions behind, as hard as it was. My body was begging me to let go, and now, all I had to do was get my mouth to accommodate.

"Ah, Seth, I need you," I obliged quickly. My cheeks still burned with a deep crimson blush as I heard myself say the words. Saying them out loud made them true.

I felt my center spasm, and waves of pleasure and satisfaction came over my entire body. My feminine core seemed to glow with release as he joined me in my bliss; a few final thrusts, and he came as well. I cringed slightly at his size as his throbbing cock spasmed with his own orgasm, stretching my body. As I came down, he joined me. The only sound in the room was our labored breathing as we tried to prolong our bliss.

No words were spoken. I felt him slip out of me after several moments, our sweaty bodies no longer joined. I was tired and damp with perspiration, my hair matted against my face, my body flushed with heat, and yet – I had never felt more beautiful or loved. I would never forget the way he had cherished me. Even if I wasn't sure if I loved him back, I knew that he loved me and that I didn't have to be ashamed of what we had just done. I didn't care if he was too old for me, or that no one could know about us. I didn't care that every alarm in my brain was going off that this wasn't right, and that I shouldn't be here with him. Making love to Seth was the best thing I had done up until that point, and I knew I would never be the same.

We fit together like two puzzle pieces, and I never wanted to be alone again.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

There's no sound in the world quite like that of vomit hitting toilet water.

My eyes flashed open. Where was I? The room was bright, but not one that immediately recognized. I blinked several times, trying to focus my still-bleary eyes.

Seth's arm tightened around my stomach. Oh, right…Seth.

Mmm…I thought, sighing deeply. How could I forget? I let my eyes drift closed again, thinking thoughts of tan muscles and sexy black hair…

There it was again. Vomit hitting toilet water. I sat up, brushing my hair out of my face. I turned, glancing over my shoulder, to see Seth, sprawled on his side, fast asleep. If I thought he looked beautiful awake, he was twice as picturesque while he was asleep. His sculpted cheekbones sloped gently up, drawing my eye to his black eyelashes against his cheeks. His full, soft lips were parted just slightly as he breathed deeply, obviously in a deep sleep. His tan, muscled arm stretched across the mattress, a stark difference against the white sheets.

I would stare all day if I didn't control myself.

Grabbing his button down shirt off the floor at the foot of the bed, I realized that Seth even smiled in his sleep. I hoped that I had something to do with that. While my stomach twisted uncomfortably at the idea of leaving a half naked Seth in his bed, the sound of my hung over, vomiting best friend wasn't easy to ignore. I pulled on my underwear from the night before, tip-toeing out the door of Seth's bedroom. I found Claire, hunched over the toilet in the hallway bathroom.

"I'm dying," she replied, her voice echoing into the basin.

I stooped down, touching her forehead. She was burning up.

"Are you all right?"

"No. Didn't you hear me say I'm dying?"

I sat down next to her, wincing as I flushed the toilet. She cringed at the noise, covering her face with her hands.

"Can I say I told you so?"

Claire looked up at me, scowling like thunder. "No," she practically growled.

I patted her shoulder, tactfully avoiding getting in the way of her next round of dry heaves.

"Why did you do this, Claire?"

"Because I hate Quil."

"I know that's a lie."

"No, it isn't. I hate him…and I hate life in general….ooooh…" she groaned, sitting back against the cabinet. I watched as she put her face in her hands again, wincing at what I was guessing was a massive hangover at this point.

"What did I do to myself?"

"You and tequila became quite good friends, dear." I reached over, brushing some hair out of her bleary, bloodshot eyes.

"Why are you doing this to him?" I whispered. I didn't know what they were fighting about, or even what had happened. All I knew was that they were killing each other.

"He hurt me, Regan. When it's good, it's good. When it's bad…it's bad," she whispered back to me.

I nodded, turning away slightly as she dry heaved into the toilet some more. I jumped a little when I saw movement in the doorway.

"Seth," I said, visibly surprised.

He stared at me from where he stood in the doorframe, his dark eyes wide and surprisingly awake. "You're up," he noted, his voice tinged with sadness.

I nodded, shrugging in the direction of Claire. He nodded as well, his expression dropping a little. I looked away, feeling my cheeks burn slightly. Would things be different now? I couldn't help but secretly hope to myself that he was sad that we hadn't woken up together in the same bed for the first time. I wasn't much of a romantic, but that would have at least been nice.

After a few more minutes, Claire stood up, washed her face, and I helped her downstairs. I could smell the scent of slightly burnt toast coming from the kitchen, and I led her down to where Seth was pouring three cups of coffee.

"I hope you're happy," he muttered to Claire as she walked into sight.

She grunted at him, grasping onto her cup of coffee he had handed to her like her life depended on it.

"Bite me," Claire spat.

I jerked my gaze over to Seth, who looked surprised. It wasn't like Claire to be so mean; sure, she was usually a little on the sassy, mouthy side, but she was never intentionally mean. I knew that whatever she was going through with Quil must be really bothering her.

I watched as Seth poured himself more coffee, the sinewy muscles of his arms moving under his tan skin as he reached for the sugar. He met my gaze, a tiny smirk decorating his mouth as I hurriedly looked away. Great…because that wasn't awkward.

Seth continued moving around the kitchen, making a few pieces of toast and putting them out on a plate.

"You'll feel better if you eat some," he urged softly to Claire, who merely growled in response.

I picked up a piece of toast, grabbing a jar of peanut butter that was sitting out on the counter. I began smearing it on top, when Seth looked up.

"You really do that, too?"

I felt myself smile a little, and I began to blush as I grinned down at the butter knife. "I told you I did," I laughed, continuing to make my breakfast.

The sides of his mouth turned up into a half smile, and he looked away. I began to panic a little; how would things be if Claire wasn't slumped over the kitchen counter, hung over and hating life? What would Seth and I be talking about right now? Or would we even be talking? I looked away as I felt my cheeks turn even more red.

Suddenly, there was a strange yipping sound from the other side of the house. Seth's eyes darted up, and he moved to look out the window. I looked over at Claire, who was wincing miserably.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

I looked to Seth, who had a concerned look on his face as he shuffled around the kitchen to where Claire was hunched over her coffee.

"He's here. You gotta talk to him, Claire. You're killing him."

"Fine," she grumbled, pushing away from the counter. I listened as she stomped down the steps to the front door, cursing under her breath the whole time. The front door closed with a loud slam that rattled the whole house.

Seth's gaze wandered over to me, his eyebrows rising up on his forehead. "Hey," he said softly, his voice raspy with morning-ness.

I felt a smile creeping up on me as I stared at him across the counter, suddenly bashful. "Hi," I replied, suddenly aware that I was standing in nothing but my underwear and his button down shirt.

"I should…go put some clothes on," I whispered, motioning to the driveway, where we could hear Quil and Claire talking.

Seth's face went a little blank as his eyes trailed down the line of my neck and chest, lingering on the place where the top button lay fastened, just above my breasts. I blushed harder as my body began to imagine the feel of his fiery skin against mine.

"I'm gonna…" I trailed off, motioning upstairs.

I scurried back up to his room, surveying the tangled bed sheets and clothes strewn all around. If it was possible to blush more, I did. I unbuttoned his shirt, pulling my own clothes back on, tossing the shirt on the bed. It was white, cotton, and quite soft. I imagined it was one that he wore often; it was one that fit him perfectly, showing off his tan skin and just enough skin to be classy, yet risqué, all at the same time. It was perfect.

I picked it up, feeling the soft cotton on the pads of my fingers. Lifting it to my face, I inhaled deeply, savoring the scent. It smelled like manly soap – the kind that was rough and blue and used for removing mud and dirt and grease; but also, it was laced with his familiar fresh, sandalwood, and smoke scent that had become so comforting to me over time. Without another thought, I shoved it into the bottom of my oversized purse and hurried downstairs.

"Hey, can we talk?" he questioned as I stepped back into the white Cullen kitchen.

I felt myself blush. Damn.

"Um…sure. I figured," I stuttered.

"Right." He shrugged, looking away. "There's something…we need to talk about that…I…oh damn," he muttered, running a hand through his disheveled hair. He wore cut off khaki shorts and a ripped white t-shirt with no sleeves, and I could see his tribal tattoo on his bulging, muscled arm as he flexed and moved.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Regan…I…I just realized that last night…we didn't…use anything. Are you protected?" he asked, his face turning a shade of red I didn't recognize.

I felt the breath leave my chest.

"N-no," I stuttered, feeling my stomach drop.

The truth was, I had been on such a high the entire morning and night that I hadn't even thought about that. Our hormones and sexual urges had been racing; of course we hadn't thought to stop and think clearly. All of the stupidity that I thought was far behind me came racing back to slap me across the face.

Oh.

"Oh…" he breathed, the color draining from his face.

I blinked a few times, tearing my gaze away from his to silently freak out a little. This was not good.

"Regan…look…" he said softly, walking over to me.

He sat in the stool next to me and took my hands in his. I flinched slightly, feeling the warm sparks of electricity as his hands touched mine once again. My skin ignited in the most pleasant way, and I couldn't help but stare down at my hands in amazement. His touch was so magical to me sometimes…

I looked back up at Seth, about to say something, when we heard loud voices coming from the driveway. Seth's eyes flashed to the window, and he seemed to almost growl to himself.

"I'll be right back, okay?" he asked.

I nodded, overwhelmed as he began to move quicker than I had ever seen him move. In a flash, he was out of the kitchen, down the stairs, and tearing down the front steps of the house. I followed, only to be met with a full on screaming match in the driveway of the Cullen house. Seth stood, barefooted and wide eyed, at the bottom of the steps as he watched Quil and Claire scream in each other's faces.

"Just go, Quil! Just go! That's all you're good at! Leaving me when I need you the most!"

"I've never left you once, Claire Young! I've never done anything but be there for you!"

"Then be here for me now," she begged, holding her hands to her chest. "Be here for me now," she repeated, her voice nothing but a broken whisper.

"I couldn't be any more 'there for you' if I wanted to be! Don't you see?"

She shook her head, dropping her chin to her chest in defeat. "You don't get it."

"What is it that I don't get, Claire? I…argh…" he fumed, grabbing fistfuls of his own hair in a rage. He panted several times, and I watched as Claire's eyes widened.

"Quil…stop."

His head jerked up to look at her as another wave of…something…rolled over him. My heart began to pound as I watched Quil become as thunderously livid as I had ever seen a human become. His already tan skin turned a flushed, scarlet color as the anger boiled to the surface. In the corner of my eye, I saw Seth's panicked face turn to watch me as the anger overtook Quil. Claire choked out a miserable sob, turning away as Quil's body began to tremble. No, not tremble…quiver…shake. Hard.

It came over him in waves. All sense of normalcy left my mind as I stood frozen in fear, watching as something overtook the Quil I had known. Seth reached out, grabbing Claire's wrist as he yanked her back to stand closer to me. He positioned himself between Quil and us, holding out his hands.

"Quil…just relax…just…just stop, buddy…we have an audience…"

"Get out of here, Quil! Just leave! Like you always do…"

And those were the words that seemed to put him over the edge. Claire winced as another set of tears rolled down her cheeks, and I wanted to go to her, but I was frozen in place.

"I…c-can't…stop it," Quil muttered through the tremors. Ripple after ripple rolled over his tan skin, and then…then he began to blur. His shape shook for a second…

And then the world I thought had existed was ripped out from beneath my bare feet.

Time slowed like it would in a movie. The vibrant colors of the fall leaves around us faded away. Seth and Claire, standing only a few feet from me, faded away. All I could see was Quil's body as it blurred even more. There was a splitting sound, and I winced as I watched his skin explode from his bones, stretching and changing. I closed my eyes – to blink or cringe, I wasn't sure which – and in that split second, everything had changed.

In front of me stood a large, snarling wolf.

Not just any wolf…a huge wolf. A huge, dark brown, quivering wolf. It spat and snarled, quivering with the leftover anger from Quil, or what had been Quil. The breath left my chest in one whoosh, and I realized that whatever this gargantuan-sized animal was…it was Quil. It had to be – it was standing in his place, Quil's ripped, tattered clothes lying in a heap on the ground.

My mind refused to work as I stared into the eyes of the snarling beast.

My feet felt like they were concreted to the driveway as I watched Claire walk up to the beast. I wanted to cry out, to stop her, to do anything – but I couldn't. Fear had me completely paralyzed.

"You did this. Whatever happens now…you caused it," she whispered.

It growled at her, and I watched in slow motion as Claire hauled back and punched the beast in the muzzle. It flinched slightly, wincing as her fist made contact with its face.

It snarled again, its lips pulling back from its teeth, exposing the razor sharp lines. I panicked; it looked like it was going to attack.

"Get back!" I heard Seth order.

The animal shifted on its large feet, and then…then, my mind really began to play tricks on me.

Seth reared back, pushing Claire away. He stared up at the tall beast, his dark eyes wild.

"Stop this now. I'll do it…I'll put a stop to this now, and you know I will."

Seth's voice was no longer a friendly reminder, a helping hand in this horror. It was a warning. The wolf stared at Claire, as a loud growl ripped from its throat. It stayed planted in its place, but Claire still cowered away.

"Quil!" he urged, stepping closer to the beast. "Stop this now."

"He won't listen!" Claire wailed.

I gasped as Seth pushed her farther back towards me. I still couldn't move, for fear had its grip on me and wouldn't allow it.

"Stand back," he warned again to Claire.

His dark gaze caught mine, and I slowly realized what was going to happen.

"Don't hurt him," Claire half warned, half sobbed.

He nodded, giving me one last sad and mournful look, before he turned back to Quil.

"Last chance, Quil. Phase back and stop this."

The animal that I was now slowly starting to understand was Quil snarled in response, digging its claws into the ground. Claire let out a sob, the sound echoing off the nearby trees that lined the driveway.

Seth stood in front of the huge wolf, locking gazes with it. As his body began to blur and shake like Quil's, I felt my stomach drop again.

He was one of them, too.

Looking over his shoulder, he locked eyes with me. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

(np) My mouth fell open as I continued to watch his body tremor.

In a split second, I watched the man I had given myself to the night before…my best friend in the entire world…the man I loved…rip away from his own body in an explosion of clothing and fur. I heard my voice cry out and crack as he hit the ground on all fours. I barely felt Claire's arms encircle me, dragging me back towards the steps. I could only gape.

In front of Quil stood Seth…but not the Seth I knew.

No, instead, there stood a monster. A snarling, sandy colored monster, with teeth bared at the chocolate brown wolf in front of him. I winced and clutched at Claire, convinced I must be having an out of body experience. There was a lapse in time – was it minutes…seconds…hours? – as the two of them stared at each other.

Then, everything happened fast. Very fast.

Time blurred as I felt myself grow faint. Seth, the sandy colored mass, flew at Quil, the two creatures snarling and snapping their jaws at one another. Their massive paws kicked up gravel in the driveway, and I barely felt Claire pulling me farther away. I knew I was crying and babbling something about what was happening, but I couldn't make sense of any of it; Seth was there, and so was Quil, but they were wolves. Wolves.

They thrashed and tore at each other, their barks and snarls and snapping teeth the only sound in the Cullens' driveway. I hid my eyes against Claire's neck, grasping at her as she watched. When I looked back, the last thing I saw was a chocolate blur as the two monsters went crashing through the trees, still engaged in their fight.

"What…what…"

There was another sound at the end of the driveway, and my gut twisted. Did I want to know what it was? Opening my eyes, I cried out again in fear and anguish as two more huge wolves emerged from the trees. They walked slowly, almost cautiously, towards us as we cowered on the front steps of the porch.

"Oh my G-god, C-claire…" I stuttered, but her arms had already slackened.

"You're here," she said to them, her voice almost relieved.

She gave me a reassuring look, as I must have looked like I was going completely bonkers by now.

"It's fine," she assured me, standing up.

She walked slowly down the steps, her head cocked to the side, as if she was walking up to an old friend. The two gigantic wolves looked at her, cocking their heads in the most human…aware way I had ever seen. One was almost white, his coat speckled with splotches of gray, and the other was a darker color, closer to the color of the monster Seth had become. The latter animal went first, his body shuddering slightly. I began to cry out in warning to Claire, who still looked alarmingly calm.

The edges of his fur began to shake and blur slightly, and then…there stood Zeke. He was naked, his tan body cowered over slightly as he rose up on two legs again. Quickly, he untied a pair of cut off sweatpants from his leg and slipping them on, ignoring my shocked stare. I watched as the other wolf did the same thing – blurring, shaking – and then there stood one of the twins. Astin. He mimicked Zeke, pulling on sweats, as if nothing had happened.

"Hey, go check on them. Keep them from killing each other until Jake can get here, okay?" Zeke asked, pointing to the gap in the trees where the two fighting wolves had tumbled.

Astin gave me a smug grin, before trotting across the driveway and disappearing into the woods.

"What's with that? We were just patrolling, and then bam! Worse than a soap opera."

"Not now, Zeke. I can't handle this now…." Claire said, shaking her head. Wrapping her arms around herself, she shuddered. "He just phased. And then I punched him. I…I think I broke my hand."

Zeke reached out, prying her arm away from her body. Examining it, he nodded. "Yeah. Definitely a sprain. Hospital?"

She shook her head, looking back at me. "Nah, not yet. I think I should stay here. Maybe you should, too."

Zeke looked up at me, standing on the porch, and smiled shyly. "Yeah, sure. Someone needs to explain this whole mess. Jeez, fighting like cats and dogs, those two."

"This is more serious than that. I…last night was bad, and—"

"You don't have to tell me. I saw it in his mind last night. All night, going on about 'Claire this' and 'Claire that' and 'Claire hates me.' You're messing with his head; you know that, don't you?"

My head began to spin.

She knew. Claire knew what they were, and she didn't look the least bit concerned. Annoyed, yes, and even a bit insulted. But she didn't care. The look on her face as she walked calmly back up the porch with Zeke was unsettling.

"You don't know what it's like, Zeke. You couldn't know unless…"

A smile that rivaled most of the ones Seth had given me appeared on Zeke's face. "I wouldn't know unless what?"

Claire stared at him, the two of them ignoring me completely. Not that I could blame them. I was ready to slip myself into a straight jacket and toss away the key. No, my two friends just stood there and continued to chat, as if there weren't horse-sized wolves loping around the woods around us, tearing each other to shreds.

"You mean you—"

He nodded, his face growing even brighter. Claire's eyebrows shot up, and Zeke laughed. "Yeah. Last week. I…I guess I sorta should've…"

Claire's eyes shot to me. "We'll talk about this later. I think…Regan needs to go inside."

Zeke looked over at me, still grinning ear to ear. "Oh, yeah…sure."

I flinched as Claire touched me, gently pulling me up into a standing position. I couldn't stop staring at Zeke as he walked up beside her. There was something different about him now that I hadn't noticed before – something wild and uninhibited. Knowing that his tan skin could rip away from his body and result in…well, what I had just seen…changed him completely. It changed all of them for me.

Claire ushered me into the house, and I felt like I was walking into a dream. Nothing felt real anymore; I didn't know where the fairytales began and real life came in. No, everything was blurred together now. The lines had overlapped, leaving me reeling and feeling like I wanted to throw up and faint. The image of Seth exploding into the giant sandy monster in the driveway was burned into my mind; it just kept playing over and over and over…I blinked, walking up to the living room.

I had to try to keep it together.

"She's taking it well."

"Are you going to explain, or should I?" Claire asked.

Zeke shook his head as I sat down on the couch, still speechless. I couldn't have gotten my mouth to work if my life depended on it.

"I don't think it's my story to tell…" he said, trailing off. "He'll be back soon."

As if on cue, the front door slammed. I jumped, my body going stiff. I didn't want to know what was going to come up those stairs now that I knew…that things weren't how I thought they were. What would appear in the white living room? A centaur? A witch? Tinkerbell?

"I don't think she can talk yet," Zeke chuckled. He peered around the corner, his face lighting up. "Seth!"

My body stiffened more. He was back? He had survived becoming a giant wolf and going after Quil?

Seth walked into the white room, and instantly, my attention was on him and him alone. I barely noticed as Zeke motioned to Claire, who left me alone on the sofa. Soon, it was just the two of us alone, minus the elephant in the room. The big, wolfy-shaped elephant.

I sat, still paralyzed and wide eyed, as he strode over to me. He wore ripped sweatpants, and his body was covered in little cuts and scratches. Mud was smeared down the side of his face and covering one shoulder, and he had a few pieces of moss and debris in his hair. His eyes were wild, and there was a distinct 'outside' smell to him as he sat down on the coffee table in front of me. I felt myself calm down a bit as he came near me, but I still couldn't move.

I was in shock.

Seth looked at me as I stared at him. He was my Seth…but there was a whole other side to him that I obviously knew nothing about. I felt betrayed.

My eyes raked down his half naked body, widening slightly at the clearly pronounced, bloody half moon of teeth marks that glistened on his shoulder. My eyes widened as the skin stretched on its own accord and moved – actually moved – to cover the gashes that I assumed Quil had made on him. He glanced down at his shoulder as the skin scabbed over before my very eyes, disappearing within seconds as the wounds healed. In another blink of an eye, all that remained on his shoulder where the bites had been were a row of thin, pink scars.

I felt the breath leave my chest again in an amazed, wheezing sound.

His dark eyes flashed up to meet mine, and he smiled wryly. "Can you talk?"

I shook my head 'no.' I felt like my jaw had been wired shut.

He leaned forward on his knees, inches away from me. I could feel his warm, surprisingly still appealing breath on my face, and I could smell his familiar scent as it came back to him. Was he the man…or the monster?

"Regan…I have to tell you something."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

First off, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It's another one we had all been waiting for - now Regan knows!

For those of you without twitter, I had announced on there that my bonus scene promised from the last chapter was now on my blog (the link is on my profile page) FF changed it's review reply format, and when it switched over none of my links worked to respond to anyone! Then, when I tried to PM the bonus scene to people, I discovered it was waaaay too long to fit into a PM. So sorry for all the confusion - but there IS a lengthy bonus scene on my blog, waiting for you all.

FF and I are still in a fight about it.

Moving on, another HUGE thank you goes out to Jen-Rar, or Jenny Cullen for stepping in for mama23keiki and helping out with the beta-ing. She has been a life-saver!

For those of you who haven't read it yet, I did submit a piece to the Fandom4Tsunami event - 'Witness' is a Jake/Nessie AU/AH short story that I wrote. You can still donate and receive the piece, so go!

So what did you all think? Are you enjoying the Seth/Regan sexy time? ; ) As for Claire and Quil, they WILL get their shit together soon and let Seth and Regan go on with life. We'll also see more about Lexi and Brady as the story continues.

And as Embry says….I guess the wolf is out of the bag.