Jacob could feel her.

A fire in his chest; flickering and hot enough to scald him if he thought about it too hard. He was trying not to. One would think – with his recent transformation, the sudden weight of the tribe's secrets and his status as the technical Alpha – he had enough to worry about, had enough to keep himself occupied.

But no.

No, it was Alex's stupid face he kept thinking about, Alex's stupid voice that was making the tremors keep running down his spine, Alex keeping him so unstable.

He didn't want to be Alpha, and he didn't want her.

Unfortunately, both things were proving harder to deny than he thought they would be.

"Son, do you understand what you're giving up?"

Jacob blinked, trying to rip himself out of the angry train of thought he had been spiralling into. His dad was giving him a hard look, Sam hovering a little over his shoulder, perpetual frown in place. Jacob wasn't sure how he felt about Sam yet; sure, he had been wrong about the man, but months of distrust couldn't just be shaken off like nothing had happened. Besides, it turned out they had all been waiting for him to Phase. Surely they could have told him – they'd told Alex-

He clenched his jaw, and as the fire in his chest flared along with his irritation he stood. "Yes I'm sure." He bit out, looking at Sam now. "I don't want it."

Sam's eyes were serious. "It's your birthright. You have to be sure." He said, and Jacob rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure." He said, just edging onto a growl.

Sam unfolded his arms. "Not just you, Jacob – He has to agree too. You both need to be sure." For a moment, Jacob was confused, the slight shift in Sam's dark eyes pulling something in him – and then He stirred. His wolf.

We are Alpha.

Jacob could feel him too. He wasn't entirely how separate they were; because it wasn't as if they were two different entities, but Jacob was aware of him, his impulses Jacob's impulses, and vice-versa. He was always close to the surface, unsettled.

But Jacob didn't want to be Alpha. He didn't want the responsibility, the power, any of it.

We are Alpha.

No.

We are-

NO.

It was an odd sense of displacement, and he was dimly aware that he was trembling again, struggling against the thing inside him, the baser animal that was determined to realise his birthright-

Jacob swallowed, and leant forwards, flattening his palms on the table – and as his wolf slunk back into the quiet recesses of his mind, cowed – he met Sam's eyes. "I don't want it." He said slowly and deliberately, and this time he was sure.

Sam nodded once. "Okay." He didn't say thank you, and Jacob wasn't sure that he should, or if he would have accepted it anyway.

Jacob wasn't really sure about anything – except the constant anger threatening to engulf him.

This he liked.

The way the earth felt under his paws, the speed in which he could run, so fast it almost felt like flight, the new facets of life he could sense; the birds in the trees, the deer in the bracken, the butterflies taking flight from the flowers – everything.

So far, running seemed to be the only thing that could keep the negative thoughts far away.

Jake.

Embry had just Phased in and was in his mind. That was going to take some getting used to. Privacy was a thing of the past now.

Sorry, man.

Jacob couldn't help the odd flush of anger; because right then, she was far too close in both of their thoughts. Embry'd just left her, he could still see the edges of her kitchen in his most recent memories, the smell of the eggs he'd eaten, the sound of her crying Embry had caught on the way to the forest.

I'm sorry.

Embry apologized again. Jacob didn't want him to be sorry. Jacob couldn't care less.

Still, dude. And it's not just because-

Jacob snarled, swiping out at a tree as he ran, gouging deep chunks out of its trunk. A part of him was instantly sorry for the damage, and he caught a brief sheepish thought from Embry; because he too, had caused his fair share of damage to plant life in the forest, but that wasn't the point.

It's also for school. For the shit week. I really wanted to tell you.

But you couldn't. Jacob knew Embry had been placed under a gag order. Sam had told him. Jacob had also felt the momentary weight of the Alpha's power. He didn't really remember much about the first couple of moments of his Phasing, and the hours that had followed he had been so angry it was as if he couldn't control himself.

You don't have to apologise, man. I should be the one apologizing. Jacob still remembered the rip and tear that he had made in Embry's flesh, the easy give of his bone beneath his jaws. All because of her-

You can't blame her, Jake-

Yes, I can.

Embry went quiet for a moment, the steady stream of his consciousness fading enough that Jacob had a hard time sensing it. He envied his friend. It was clear Embry was controlled in a way he would never be. He'd heard Paul's own jealousy of the fact, Sam's pride in their second youngest member's focus.

Jacob felt like he was coming apart at the seams.

I miss Bella.

The thought hit him out of the blue, and with it came a huge swell of guilt. God, Bells'd be freaking out now. He just wanted her with him, wanted to see her awkward little smile, hold her soft little hand, hear her call his name-

We're not supposed to tell people, but like, she ran with the leeches right? I'm sure you could tell her.

Sam said no one can know. Jacob was back to angry. It looked as though anger was to be his default setting now.

Embry was confused, Jacob could feel it, just as he could sense his friend converging on his path, getting closer as he skimmed the cliffs. The forest was thinning around him, the closer he got to the coastline, the sparser the trees.

Jacob, you're Alpha – you can do what you want.

I gave it to Sam. He wasn't sure if that was the best way to phrase it, as if the burden was a parcel to be handed off – but it seemed to fit. The moment he had beaten his wolf into agreement, it was as if a weight had lifted from his shoulders.

You what!?

Embry was close enough now that Jacob heard his confused bark from his right, and he slowed his pace as his friend appeared from the trees. Embry was smaller than him again; Jacob remembered his confusion upon seeing Embry at school, taller and broader than he could have ever imagined. Now though, Embry was a near half foot shorter at the shoulder, even with his fur ruffled and standing on end in the stiff ocean breeze. Embry was happy, though, happy to see him, happy to have him – and despite all the shit, Jacob brushed his muzzle against his friend's affectionately.

It wasn't right. I didn't want it. Sam'll do a better job than I will. Embry was torn between two loyalties for moment, before Jacob nudged at him again, toppling him over playfully. Besides, I have too much homework to think about organizing your ass.

Embry groaned, flashing quickly through the multitudes of homework waiting on his unused desk at home. Jacob flopped atop his friend's pale underbelly, trying not to look at the slightly bald stripe across the wound that he had given his friend. Embry wiggled for a moment underneath him, giving up with a whine.

It's fine, dude. I get it.

Jacob growled. I don't. You never attacked anyone, did you? Embry's mind went to his Phasing, and Jacob had to hold himself still as Alex's frightened face came through both of their minds, all too similar to the terrified expression she had had underneath him this morning. They both turned uncomfortably from the image, for different reasons.

She's your Imprint, makes sense you'd be territorial. Embry was clearly not finished with the line of conversation he'd rather they stop. Sorry, man, but we do need to talk about it.

She wants you, I don't want her. It's simple.

Even as he said it, he could feel Embry's extreme discomfort, the echoes of the wrongness his friend had felt in the time he had spent with Alex immediately after, could sense Embry's wolf's inherent panic upon infringing upon an Imprint-

Jacob growled, and Embry's thoughts quietened.

You've messed up the ranking.

Jacob rolled off Embry at the strange thought, his abrupt change of subject. What do you mean? Embry's dark eyes weren't overtly serious, so some of his building worry eased. Embry's tongue lolled out.

You've jumped me. Newest member should be at the bottom of the ranking. Can't you feel it?

Jacob could feel it. It was instinctive and unexplainable; the rank of the pack. Sam's power holding them all together; Jared his Second, Paul his Third – and where Embry should had outranked him, Jacob was beneath them. He could remember, just vaguely, the heady way he had fought against the hold Sam had him in, all of Sam's power trying to hold him down – the way he had felt it snap almost viscerally when he had broken the command, the way a weight had lifted when he had given it back to Sam.

Weird, right?

Embry stood, shaking out his fur. Anyway, I'm just glad you're… here.

Jacob's own heart ached for his friend at the sudden influx of old confusion and loneliness that came through Embry. Embry had the Pack, sure, but Sam, Paul and Jared were their own friends, and despite the brotherhood they shared, Jacob could feel how much Embry had missed him, missed Quil.

Quil.

Their minds both went to their friend, and Jacob couldn't help but whine a little. Quil would be left in the dark as much as he had been, but this time – he didn't have anyone. Maybe he'd Phase too… Jacob wasn't sure whether to hope for it or not. Embry didn't seem sure either; for a moment, a snatch of a conversation played out in his friend's mind.

"We can finally stop hiding this. You guys can make up."

"It is the last thing I want, Embry… It's stolen your future and your life."

Jacob felt a surge in the heat in his chest. We should head back. He didn't want to address what he had just heard, didn't want to put a name to the emotion building in his gut as he pictured Bella's confused face as he left her at the cinemas.

Quil.

Alex sat up from her despondent sprawl across her bed. It was late on Sunday, and she hadn't heard anything from anyone. Even Paul wasn't picking up – and though she wanted to talk to Embry, see Emily, hell, even go hang out with her sister – all things would involve potentially seeing the one person she didn't want to see. So, she had been sulking all day; stewing in equal parts self-loathing and self-pity, a truly confusing and depressing mix of emotions. She wasn't sure why the thought of her friend had taken so long to occur to her. With Embry and Jacob with the Pack now, Quil would be isolated with no idea why.

God, and she had ruined the only good time he would have had with his best friends too. Alex was well and truly the worst.

But she wasn't going to let him be alone.

She scrabbled for her phone and dialled his number.

"Oh hi, asshole." Quil greeted her bluntly, and she winced. "Wanna tell me why none of you have been answering my texts?"

"Sorry, Quil. I've been… busy. Don't know about the others though." She lied weakly. "They haven't been answering me either." That at least, was true.

Quil snorted, and she could practically see his eyeroll. "Whatever." He hung up, and she gasped, redialling him immediately. "What?" he grunted, with even less emotion than his first greeting.

"I swear they're not responding, dude! Come on, I'm sorry. Let me buy you pizza or something." Alex apologized frantically. Quil was silent. "Quil, I know I've really, really sucked recently – and I know we've all been flaky, but trust me when I say I never meant to hurt your feelings, and I really just need someone to hang out with right now. I miss you, man."

There was a long buzzing silence over the line, before finally, he sighed. "Bring ice-cream too, and if it's not an extra-large, I'm not letting you in."

Alex sagged a little with relief. "I'll see you soon. With an extra large pizza and ice-cream." She stood, beelining towards her sneakers, toeing them on.

Quil huffed. "And Alex?"

"Yeah?" She waited, stilled in her doorway.

"I missed you too. Even though you're an asshole."

She had to kick Quil's front door in lieu of a knock, balancing the large pizza box in one hand and the family sized carton of Neapolitan ice-cream in the other. One of her palms was burning, the other freezing, but it was trivial. If it meant Quil's forgiveness, then so be it. It was silent, and Quil's parents' car wasn't in the driveway, the windows dark, and for a moment she wondered if she'd just been pranked.

Then the door creaked open, and Quil was revealed in the small crack he'd allowed. She gave him her best smile, and displayed her goods. "I come bringing offerings of contrition." He sniffed, and opened the door, leaving her to kick it shut as he shuffled back down the hallway. He was wrapped in his couch's throw blanket like a little old lady, and though she was in the dog-house, she very nearly laughed at the sight he made. She followed him into the lounge, which like the rest of the house, was in darkness, but for the light from the television screen. Quil folded himself back into the nest he had obviously made for himself, and she took in the dirty dishes in front of him, and the movie playing on the screen. It was Ten Things I Hate About You, and Alex sighed. "Oh, Quil have you been moping all weekend?"

Quil made an indignant noise. "Just because I haven't moved, and I'm watching Heath Ledger, does not mean I was moping." He narrowed his eyes at her. "How dare you come in here and abuse me further."

"Sorry, sorry!" She said quickly, and placed the pizza box in his lap. He opened it immediately, and pressed play on the remote whilst shoving a slice into his mouth with his other hand. She left him to put the ice-cream in the freezer. When she got back, he'd cleared a little space for her on the couch. Baby steps. She'd take what she got. Alex sat, drawing her knees up to her chest as Heath Ledger nailed Julia Stiles with a paintball. "I really am sorry, Quil."

He took another huge bite of his second slice before tilting the box to her. She took a slice. "I know you are." He sighed. "Still sucks though."

She chewed a little guiltily. "I broke my promise." She said, swallowing the cheesy mouthful. Quil shrugged. They finished their slices in silence, and when the two characters on screen began to kiss, she felt a pang of longing. "Um. I think me and Embry broke up." She said. As she said it, she knew it was true. As she said it, she knew that pang of longing was for the relationship she had had, not him – which in turn just made her angry. This creepy, stupid thing was already messing with her.

Quil did a double take, turning to look at her with his mouth wide open, displaying his mashed up food and surprise. "Oh shit! Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah, man." Then, to her surprise and embarrassment, she started to cry again. Quil floundered, placing the pizza down and awkwardly shifting over to wrap her in an uncomfortable one armed hug, patting her head with greasy fingers. "Sorry." She sniffled. "I shouldn't be the one upset."

Quil coughed. "It's, um, cool. Let it out I guess." His mouth twisted unhappily. "Shit. That really sucks." She rubbed at her eyes furiously. She couldn't even tell him why she was really crying; a loss of freedom due to an ancient magic was harder to explain than a breakup. Whatever Embry and her could have had was gone before it had properly taken root, and she couldn't even feel properly sad because of the Imprint – which was trying to ease her sadness, which was burning for a different boy, the wrong boy. "Do you need me to beat him up?" The sudden déjà vu made her laugh wetly.

"Nah." She sniffled, and sat back a little, and Quil took the hint, easing away and picking up the pizza again; handing her another slice before she even asked for it. "Thanks. Sorry for crying. I'm supposed to be grovelling for your forgiveness."

Quil smiled slightly. "If you watch the rest of the movie with me, consider yourself forgiven." It was a small price; Alex may have preferred to watch The Fast and The Furious, but she was hardly as opposed to Quil's secret chick-flick addiction as the other two.

"Of course, Quil." She told him, wiping at her eyes one last time, forcing her tears away. It was selfish to be crying. She was glad, suddenly, irrationally, for the anger that came so easily when she thought about him – it made it easier to stop crying, to forget about her self-pity in favour of focussing on the fury that was lighting her chest in constant fire.