A/N: If you're still out there, here's the next chapter. I apologize for taking so long to update, but real life took over for a bit. I am determined to finish this.

As always, thank you, Costa for pre-reading.

33

When Leah first phased, she was a mystery, a puzzle that seemed impossible to solve, but the council was willing to give it their best college try.

They couldn't understand how a female had the shifter gene.

Some of the council members were convinced that she was defective and the reason why Sam's wolf chose another. Some even speculated that her infertility was the reason no one would want her, wolf or not.

Whatever the reason, it meant she was different. And they couldn't trust something they didn't understand.

Janice Cohn was one of the loudest voices.

She had been on the council for years, even before Sam phased. She lived by control and order, even if it meant that sacrifices had to be made, essentially someone else's. She constantly overestimated her authority and underestimated anyone that didn't follow her lead.

When Leah shifted, Janice was stunned. Rumor had it she wanted to lock Leah away until they figured out what to do with her.

That never happened, but it wasn't hard to see the disdain on her face whenever Leah appeared.

Janice was a tall, thin woman. Her long black hair was pulled back in a tight bun. Her skin was tan like most Quileutes, and she had dark brown eyes. She kept her makeup simple, just a dash of blush, light mascara, a touch of lip gloss. The average person would consider her attractive, until she started talking. Her constant judgmental and critical attitude left a lot to be desired.

She was married, although her husband was a man of few words. Apparently, he learned long ago that his opinions were nowhere near as important as hers.

All in all, Janice Cohn was a pain. The last thing Leah wanted was this insufferable woman in her house.

Yet, here she was, ready to drop her two cents into an already overflowing bucket.

Embry, her guard for the day, let her in right before leaving in a hurry. Angela had had an accident at work and was on the way to the hospital. The details were sketchy, but Leah told him to go and to keep her updated.

It was just as well. Janice wasn't a fan of Embry's either, and there was no reason for both of them to suffer.

"Leah, how are you?" she said, her voice calm, but calculating. She was seated at the kitchen counter, her hands clasped in her lap.

"I'm fine. You?" Leah handed her a cup a tea, one she insisted on having.

"I'm good, dear. Thanks for asking." Janice looked at the tea. "Do you have any Splenda?"

Leah shook her head. "My wolf doesn't really like the taste of artificial sweeteners. Actually, she doesn't like anything that's artificial." She looked pointedly at Janice. "I have some honey, though. My mother uses it for her tea when she comes over."

For a fleeting moment, Janice's face went sour, like she was going to be sick. Then it was gone. She sighed noncommittedly. "It will have to do, I guess."

Leah went to the cupboard. "So, what brings you by?"

"I was hoping we might have a little chat." Janice took the bottle with the smiling bumblebee on the front. "Thank you, hon."

Leah cringed. It wasn't like she minded terms of endearment, but when Janice used them, it was anything but endearing. Her tone was condescending and demeaning.

"Actually, I'm in the middle of making my list for the party." Leah held up a piece of paper. "Once Embry's replacement gets here, then we can go to the store for supplies."

"Supplies like film," Janice surmised.

"Uh, no. I will be taking pictures like always, but I'm also making pies for the party."

Janice started stirring her tea, the spoon clanking angrily against the side of the mug making Leah's ears ring. "I'm surprised you're cooking. Emily normally takes care of that. She's the one with the catering business and more experience." Janice smiled fondly. "She's such a sweet girl." It was a compliment for Emily, which was fine, yet somehow seemed like a jab to Leah.

Janice was a big fan of Emily, not that Leah minded. Emily was a nice person, but Emily also bit her tongue. It was probably what Janice liked most about her.

Leah tried to drown out the noise of Janice's stirring. "She is taking care of most of the food, but Red asked-"

Janice stopped stirring her tea. "Red? Who's Red?"

"Ness, Renesmee. Bella's daughter."

"Oh, right. The hybrid." The words fell out of her mouth like they tasted bad.

She stirred her tea a few more times, and then set the spoon down. She took a sip, and made a face. "This won't do. I don't know how your mother drinks tea like this." She set the mug down and pushed it away. "Then again, Sue is a bit odd."

Leah narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me?"

Janice waved her hand nonchalantly. "I'm just kidding, dear."

Leah frowned as she grabbed the mug. "Red asked me to make pies. Plus, Matt's pack likes my pies. We want them to feel welcomed." She poured out the tea then rinsed out the cup.

Janice grew quiet, so quiet that Leah turned around to see if by some small miracle she had magically disappeared.

"That's actually what I came to talk to you about. I heard that you're thinking about leaving our pack. Is that true?" She said "our" like she actually turned into a wolf. Just the thought of sharing the pack mind with that woman was enough to make her want to scratch her ears out.

"Yes, Matt has asked me to join his pack."

Leah wasn't surprised that word got around. She had already talked to her mother, Seth, Jacob, and Renesmee, so at that point it didn't matter who else knew.

Janice pursed her lips. "The way I heard it, you and Matt became intimate and some sort of bond was created." Her eyebrow rose slightly. "Is that true?"

Leah blinked her eyes quickly. "Not sure that's any of your business."

"Being on the council means that I am privy to things that concern our pack, no matter how private you want them to be." Her smile was smug.

"Really? Is there a chart somewhere that keeps track of all of the sexual activities in pack? If so, you must have been really busy keeping track of Quil while he was in law school finding himself. And let's not forget Paul and his many crazy adventures."

Janice shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "You are a different case, Leah. You are the only female shifter that we have on record. Leaving the pack isn't in your best interest."

Leah placed the mug on the dish rack to dry. "Is that right?"

"You have a great opportunity here. You're second in command. I know being a wolf wasn't always something I was comfortable with, but you've proven your worth. You don't want to throw that away for some guy you just met." Janice leaned in closer as if to tell a secret. "I know you think you're in love with the guy, but let's be real. You hardly know him. I think once the excitement wears off, you'll be left alone." She spread her hands out. "Again."

"This is my personal life you're talking about here." Leah leaned against the counter.

"I'm just saying that you thought Sam Uley was in love with you and look how that turned out. Sam saw Emily, then Poof!" Janice snapped her fingers. "He was gone."

"Sam was in love with me until the spirits interfered." Leah stepped closer. "You know nothing about the love that Sam and I had. Not a damn thing! And you don't know shit about what I have with Matt!"

Janice jumped at Leah's raised voice, but continued although with less bravado. "But Sam wasn't meant to be with you. You see that now, right? His soulmate is Emily Young-excuse me-Emily Uley."

Leah snorted. "Yeah, because their marriage is sooo great now."

Janice frowned. "They're going through a tough time, but they'll get through it. Just like you will when you realize it's better to stay with your people. Once these werewolves are gone, the other Alpha and his pack can move on." She waved her hand as if swatting at a bug. "And so can you."

"Move oh, huh?" Leah put her finger to her chin. "Let me guess, move on as in wait for the spirits to choose a mate for me."

Janice shrugged. "If that's your path. Maybe you're supposed to stay celibate and support the tribe." She stood up and stepped into the kitchen, which Leah didn't like. It was bad enough that she was in her house. Now she was in her personal space. "Believe it or not, Leah, I'm really trying to keep you from getting hurt. When Sam found Emily, he found love. True love. I know how broken you were when Sam imprinted. I saw the pain and hurt in your eyes. That destroyed you. Why would you want to go through that again?"

"Who says that I would have to?" Leah's wolf shifted at their closeness so she took a few steps back.

"You know what I think?" Janice put her finger to her chin thoughtfully.

"I'm sure you're going to tell me."

"I think you are some sort of conquest for Matt." Janice touched Leah's face gently, almost like she was trying to be comforting while breaking bad news. "Yes, he's gorgeous and he's strong and he's charming. Once he's found someone else, he'll leave you just like Sam did. You don't want that, do you?" She squeezed Leah's chin. "And maybe there's someone…somewhere out there who will want you." The smile seemed caring on the surface, but Janice's sentiment was filled with malice.

Leah closed her eyes, then breathed in deep to calm the wolf inside. She gently pushed Janice's hand away. "First of all, don't touch me. Second, just like you knew nothing about the relationship I had with Sam, you don't know anything about my relationship with Matt, but let me tell you something." Leah lowered her voice and stepped forward. Janice gasped as she was trapped against the counter. "When Matt was inside me, he bit me right here." Leah pointed at her neck. "When he did that, I felt his wolf, his needs, his wants, his desires, and guess what? That was all about me. Does that sound like someone who's just using me as notch on his bedpost?"

"How dare you speak to me like that?" Janice squeezed out from under Leah's stares.

"You started it, lady." Leah couldn't help the smug smile creeping over her lips.

Janice adjusted her collar to calm herself and muttered, "You're just as stubborn as your mother."

"You're damn right," Leah said proudly.

Janice squared her shoulders and her face went still. "Well your stubbornness might be the end of you. Remember this moment when that man you're so bent on abandoning us for leaves you, because you might not be welcomed back."

"Is that a threat?" Leah said, incredulously.

"It's a fact, Leah." She pointed her finger in Leah's face.

Leah rolled her eyes. "Okay, I think it's time for you to go. I don't need your advice or your threats. I've dealt with them enough over the years."

To this day, Leah never understood why Janice hated her so much. Nothing she did was ever good enough, and things only became worse when she became part of the pack.

Leah opened the door to find Sam there, his hand raised to knock.

"Hey, Leah," he said, his voice somewhat meek. He clasped his hands behind his back. For some reason, she thought about the time when he took her out of their first date.

Before Leah could ask any questions, Janice beat her to it.

"Sam? What are you going here?" Her eyes wide, as if she just caught someone doing something they weren't supposed to.

"I'm here to guard Leah." Sam's eyes quickly cut to Leah before returning to Janice.

"Really?" Janice crossed her arms.

"Yes ma'am. As I'm sure you're aware, Embry had to leave for an emergency with his wife."

"And you were the only one available?" Janice exchanged glances between the two of them. "I'm sure there's someone else." Janice lowered her voice. "I just don't think it's…appropriate for you to be here with Leah…alone."

"I'm standing right here," Leah interjected. "If you are implying that something is going to happen between Sam and me, then you are sorely mistaken."

"That's my point, Leah. Because of your history with Sam, things might be misinterpreted."

"And like you just said, it's history, not current events."

Sam cleared his throat. "I feel like I'm interrupting."

Leah held up her hand. "You aren't. Janice was just leaving." She watched as Janice's mouth dropped open. "I'm sure you have a busy day of interfering with business that's not your own. I'd hate to hold you up." She pasted on a smile and waved her hand toward the door.

"We're not done here, Leah," Janice warned.

"Oh, I think we are." Leah gently ushered Janice through the door and closed it in her face.

"Whoa," Sam said, looking cautiously at Leah. "You know the council's going to hear about that, right?"

"Like I care what they think." Leah locked the door. "Half of them hate me anyway." Leah walked to the back to the kitchen to finish her list with Sam trailing behind. "What's funny is that before I phased and you imprinted, most of them liked me."

Sam took a seat at the counter and folded his hands. "They don't hate you. I think they just feel guilty because you suffered for the greater good and you had the nerve to be upset about it." Sam stared at his hands.

"Whatever." Leah picked up her pen to finish her list. "The important thing is not everyone on the council shares her views. Those that do can kiss my ass."

Sam laughed, then said, "I almost forgot how unabashed you could be."

"Maybe that's why they hate me." She went to the cupboard to see if she had all-purpose flour.

"They don't hate you, Leah," Sam repeated. "They just don't want to admit that they were wrong about you." Sam started playing with his cuticles. "We were, you know."

"You were what?" Leah wrote brown and white sugar on her list.

"We were wrong about you," Sam said, and Leah slowly looked at him. "You are more important to this pack than any of us recognized. Imagine realizing that you've been looking past a precious gem for years, and once someone else discovers its value, you suddenly want it back." His eyes stayed with her. "It's resentment, and I know a thing or two about that."

"Well, Janice has never liked me even before I phased."

"Don't mind her." Sam nodded toward the door. "She's not really mad at you. Her hostility has more to do with your mother." Sam crossed his arms, his smile saying that he knew something that she didn't.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Leah looked at him quickly.

"Let's just say that I overheard a lot of things when I was the only one wolf." Sam laughed. "Besides it's not my place. Ask your mother about it." He smiled knowingly.

"Oh, believe me, I will."

Thinking about it now, it did make sense. Janice and Sue never really talked to each other. At council meetings, every point that Sue made, Janice would contest it. There was some history there that Leah was dying to know.

"There's that tenacity again that we all know and love." His smile was warm and open.

Leah tilted her head and studied him closely. "I have to ask. Were you really the only who could cover for Embry?"

Sam gave her guilty smile, one that he used to give her when they were dating. "Quil was actually closer, but I convinced him to stay at work." His smile faded. "I figured it was the only way you'd talk to me."

Leah sighed. "Sam, I really don't need this right now."

"I know, I know." Sam held his hands up. "But I wanted to talk to you. No yelling, not arguing, not harsh words, just talk. Remember when we used to just talk?"

Leah pursed her lips.

"Listen, if you want I can call Quil and he can take you into town."

Leah sighed. "It's fine, Sam. I don't have time to wait for Quil. I need to be back before everyone goes out on patrol." When Sam's smile returned, Leah held up her hand. "But I swear, if you say one thing to annoy me or make me angry, I'll kick your ass."

"Yes ma'am."

~*}{*~

Emily loved cooking. It was her passion, her way of escape, her way of expressing herself. It relaxed her and kept her mind off of things she couldn't control, because she could control the kitchen.

Cooking had helped her cope through the years.

On days when things got rough with the people in town, she could be found in the kitchen making muffins and scones. When the women all snickered behind her back, she could be found making roast beef, potatoes, and rolls. And those days when she missed her best and oldest friend, she'd be there, making cookies, because making cookies with Leah was one of her fondest memories.

Emily used cooking to ease her mind from all of the talk and gossip around town between her and Sam. When she was here, the outside world faded away.

In the process, she'd honed her skills, learning from taking classes, watching cooking shows, and YouTube. Anything could be found on YouTube. The next thing she knew, she was running her own business.

Never, in a million years did she think her life would end up here. And for the most part, she was content.

That was until her world imploded.

After the drama from that last few days, she needed a distraction. So she was excited when Rosalie had asked her take care of the food for the impromptu party held at Leah's place.

Well, everything but the pies.

Leah was taking care of that, and no one made pies like Leah Clearwater.

However, things didn't go as planned.

Normally when she cooked, the outside world would fade away, and she'd focus on the food. But her mind kept wandering to Sam and his unresolved feelings for his ex. She'd burned not one, but two skillets of chicken nuggets and overcooked a pot of eggs for the potato salad.

The passion that drove her to cook faded away. Her heart simply wasn't in it. Instead of wasting more food, she called her catering manager and placed an order.

"Okay, I'll need five trays of deviled eggs, three trays of macaroni salad, four trays of chicken nuggets, three trays of assorted finger sandwiches, and two trays of both fruit and vegetables." Emily check off the items on her list.

"What about drinks?" Marissa, her catering manager asked.

"I'll pick up some drinks and ice before the party. We'll need plastic ware, plates, napkins, etc."

"Anything else? Muffins? Scones?"

"No." Emily started doodling on her list. "I don't think they'll want any muffins. Besides, my cousin is making pies. I don't want to overdo with sweets."

"Are you sure about that? Sam loves your muffins," Marissa said in a sing-song voice.

"Not lately," Emily muttered. "He's only interested in pie now." The bitterness in her tone surprised her. Apparently, it surprised Marissa too.

"What do you mean? Did something happen?"

"No, no. Everything's fine."

Marissa was silent for a moment, and Emily prayed that she wouldn't ask any more questions.

"Okay," Marissa said slowly, obviously picking up that she didn't want to talk about it. "We'll have everything ready for you by tomorrow morning. And, call me back if you want to order some muffins." Marissa lowered her voice. "I'm sure Sam still loves your muffins."

"Thanks Marissa." Emily hung up the phone then leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes and tried to think of something else besides the drama that had become her life.

The sound of hammering reminded her that she wasn't alone.

She walked out of the kitchen and into the living room and found a man holding a large wood panel.

Since Sam was staying at Jacob's, Emily decided that it was better if she and David moved back home. Kim's house was already crowded, and she felt like she was imposing, especially since she had an empty house with plenty of room.

She hadn't told David yet, because she was trying to come up with the nerve to tell him that his father wouldn't be there. Instead, she dropped him off at school, and moved back over with the help of her guard for the day.

His name was Mickey.

Yep, like the mouse.

He was a member of Matt's pack and since she had to leave La Push to get supplies, he was chosen to accompany her. Jacob wasn't sure if any of the other females were on the werewolves' list to kidnap, so he made a rule that none of them could leave La Push without a guard.

When they arrived at her home, there was a large package at the front door, which reminded her of the bookcase she ordered from IKEA a week before.

Normally, Sam would take care of putting furniture together, but he wasn't there. Mickey, however, was a carpenter and offered to help.

And if she was being honest, watching him work did take her mind off her problems, if only for a moment.

There wasn't one shifter that she'd met that wasn't good looking, and Mickey was no exception. His black hair was cut short to his scalp and he had deep, dark, endless brown eyes. His build was more like a track star, tall and angular, yet strong. The thing that got her was his voice. It was deep with a little gravel, and dare she say it: soothing.

As she watched him work, she couldn't help but watch his muscles flex with each movement and the drops of sweat soaking through his black tank top.

When he noticed her, he smiled. "Hi, Emily."

"Hello." She felt heat rush up to her face.

For the last decade, the only man Emily saw, even thought about was Sam Uley, so it was surprising when her heart skipped from being in Mickey's presence. What was interesting was that he never stared at her scars. Of course, he looked at her when he talked, but his eyes always stayed connected with hers. In those moments, she had forgotten all about them.

"Thanks for doing this, again," Emily said as she leaned against the wall. "Sam usually does this stuff for me…"

He looked at her, his smile beaming at her. "I don't mind. I actually like it."

Emily took a seat on the couch. "So, you're a carpenter."

"Yep." He picked up a screwdriver and began attaching the two larger pieces of wood together. "I work with Niko and John."

"Who's who again?"

Mickey smirked. "Niko is Matt's little brother. He's an architect, and John is a general contractor. He's the werewolf."

"Really?"

Mickey nodded.

"What's that like?"

"What being a carpenter or working for a werewolf?" Mickey raised an eyebrow.

"Both, I guess."

"Well, it's pretty cool being a carpenter. I get to build and create things all day." He looked through the bag of screws until he found the one he was looking for. "However, having a werewolf as my boss took some getting used to, but he's cool. He's actually pretty mellow, considering."

They both laughed.

"They've been doing this for decades." Mickey began twisted the screw in place. "I joined Matt's pack about seven years ago." He looked up at her. "Can you hand me a hammer?"

Emily got up and rummaged through his toolbox.

She found it and gave it to him. "I hear that Leah is thinking about joining your pack.

"Yep. Matt made the offer, but she said she had to think about it."

"How's Matt handling that?"

"As well as he can. He's real anxious about her answer. When one of us is anxious it can cause some tension within the pack, especially if it's the Alpha. That's why I'm hoping that she gives him an answer soon, one way or another."

She started to speak when he held a hand up. The hammering was loud, but she waited patiently. When he was done, he nodded at her to continue.

"Would you want her to join your pack?" Emily pulled her feet under her.

"Sure." He shrugged. "Leah's good for Matt." His eyes slowly slid over to Emily, like he was trying to figure her out. "Question is would you want her to join my pack?"

As Emily looked at him, surprised. "If that's what she wants." She tried to sound as nonchalant as possible.

Mickey put down his tools and gave her his full attention, his eyes connecting to hers. "That's not my question, Emily."

She bit her lip. "Sure. It's clear that she loves Matt and Matt loves her. She deserves happiness after everything."

"Huh." He started working again.

"What?" Emily leaned forward.

"Nothing." Mickey shrugged.

"No, it's something. What are you thinking?" Emily didn't know why his opinion was so important. She'd just met him, and after things settled down, how much contact were they even going to have with each other?

"Can I be honest?" Mickey said.

"I would appreciate someone being honest with me." Emily rolled her eyes.

"I think you want Leah to join my pack, but not because she loves Matt." Mickey expression was keen, as if he couldn't be fooled. "Sure that's part of the reason, but I think it bothers you that your husband still has some unresolved feelings for Leah. If she leaves your pack she isn't a distraction for him anymore."

She stared at him, dumbfounded. She didn't want to admit it, but he was right. Lately, she'd seen Leah as a threat. Not that she did anything wrong. Leah had happily moved on. It seemed like Sam hadn't.

"So, you see it too," Emily said, her voice resigned.

Mickey nodded, awkwardly.

"Who was I kidding? Of course you see it. Everyone sees it. I feel like such an idiot." Emily huffed. "This must have been what Leah felt like all those years ago. Payback is a bitch, isn't it?"

"In my opinion, Sam is a dumbass. Personally, I'd never want the woman I love wondering if she was the only one in my thoughts." He looked at her, his expression so intense, she could hear her own heartbeat in her ears. "She'd know that my heart belonged to her and only her."

The phone rang, breaking her concentration. Emily got up to grab the handset in the kitchen.

"Hello?" Emily said.

"Emily?" The voice on the other end made her groan internally.

"Hi, Janice," Emily said, stepping into the kitchen. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, dear. How have you been? I know things have been rough that last couple of days."

"Oh, it's not too bad. But it will pass." Emily leaned against the counter. "What can I do for you?"

"Oh, I've been racking my brain on how to handle this, and I figured if I were in your position, I'd want to know."

"Want to know what?"

"I went by Leah's place earlier." Emily froze. If Leah's name was mentioned, Sam's name was sure to follow. "I was trying to convince her not to make a fool of herself again, and she ignored me, as usual. Anyway, when I was leaving, Sam showed up. Apparently, Embry had some emergency and had to leave."

Emily shrugged. "It seems innocent enough. Leah needs to be guarded because the werewolves are hunting her." Although she said that, her heart was still beating rapidly in her chest.

"Well, that's fine, but why did it have to be Sam? There are other wolves that can watch over her. Hell, if this guy she's so keen on leaving with is so in love with her, why couldn't he watch over her? Huh? When I asked why it had to be Sam, Leah just told me to leave, but didn't answer my question."

Emily didn't say anything, fearing that her voice would crack.

"I know you're going through a rough time, and I don't mean to upset you, but I just thought you should know."

"Thank you," Emily managed to say before hanging up the phone. She leaned on the counter as all the air left her lungs.

Mickey came in from the living room. "Okay, I'm finished. You wanna take a look…" He stepped closer. "Are you okay? You look like you're going to be sick."

He helped her sit down. "I think I might be."

A/N: As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts.