AN: I have been writing up a storm during my little week off.

Unfortunately it is coming to a close, but at least I now have some chapters up my sleeve.

My Sun and My Headstrong Beta really follow one another right now, so will do my best to update them pretty close together.

Thank you for your amazing reviews!

Enjoy!

That Time I Had To Calm You Down

Realizing that I need to address this quickly, I bite my teeth together and force myself to meet Paul's dark gaze. Each of my wolf's instincts is begging for me to bow down in submission and cower away like an injured dog. She recognizes Paul's authority and she desperately doesn't want to upset him further. Inhaling deeply, I do my best to reassure her. If there is one thing I've learned after growing up surrounded by dominant and hot-headed male wolf-shifters, it's this: never allow them to think that they have the upper hand and never ever show your weakness.

"I had no idea Laurent was nearby."

My voice is steady and eerily calm, but unfortunately my words seem to have little to no influence on Paul's increasingly growing rage. His nostrils flare and a violent tremble washes over him, making it obvious to everyone around that his wolf is fighting to break free. Closing his eyes tightly shut, I see how he is tensing every single muscle to keep himself from phasing, but it doesn't look as though he is having much success.

Jared winces and slowly removes his hand, stepping away from his friend as though he were a ticking bomb, which really isn't much of an exaggeration. No one wants to be near a volatile wolf. At the edge of my vision, I see a movement and I quickly realize that Edward is about to get to his feet to try and diffuse the situation, which under normal circumstances would be a natural thing for him to do as Pack Beta. My stomach fills with dread as an ominous thought crosses my mind. Paul isn't a member of the Pack.

Before I can even think about the repercussions, I'm out of my seat, stepping deeply into Paul's personal space. His eyes shoot open and I'm met by the burning honey-brown eyes of his wolf. Rationally, I know that being this close to an unhinged, rogue wolf-shifter on the brink of phasing is equal to signing your own death sentence, but for some reason I know that I'm the only one that can stop him. Making sure to hold his gaze, I wrap one arm around his waist, pulling us closer, so that the front of our bodies are brushing against one another. Paul releases a menacing growl, still more animal than human at the moment, but at the same time he wraps both arms protectively around me and holds me in place.

"Leah?" I can hear from Edward's tone of voice that he is worried.

Clearly considering Edward and the other males in the room a threat, Paul immediately tightens his hold on me and snarls in their direction, his fangs visible and threatening. Swallowing heavily, I brush my fingers over his tight jaw, trying to regain his attention, but his lethal eyes are fixed on something behind me.

"Edward, stand down," I order in as soft a voice as possible.

He begins to argue, but I quickly cut him off.

"Paul isn't a member of the Pack and he doesn't see you as his leader. If you even move a muscle he'll take it as a threat and attack. Please, Edward, just give me a second to calm him down."

I can hear my Beta's exasperated sigh, but luckily he doesn't appear to make another move. Trailing my fingers upwards, I move up Paul's cheek before reaching his ear. Carefully, I tug on the tip and alternate by running my fingers into his short and soft hair. It takes a few tries, but soon I can feel Paul's body begin to respond.

"There you go. Calm down," I soothe, making my voice sweet and full of praise.

Paul's eyes flicker back to mine and a thrill immediately runs through me at the power and strength I feel radiating through those warm, caramel colored eyes. Keeping my voice steady, I continue what I'm doing.

"Good boy," I continue to address his wolf, enjoying how he shows his trust by leaning deeper into my touch. After a while, I change my tone slightly to coax out the man I know is simmering just below the surface.

"Paul, come back to me."

In a matter of seconds, Paul's eyes return to their normal onyx color and his sharp fangs disappear. Releasing a shaky breath of relief, I send him a small smile, trying to erase the worry I see form at his brow. We narrowly averted what could have been a very dangerous situation and I can see just how shaken Paul is by it. Thankfully, I feel his fingers tighten around my waist in gratitude and a rush of heat spreads through me like wildfire. I very carefully allow my hand to trail down his chest, but make sure to remain where I am as we both turn to face the wrath of our awaiting audience.

Edward's expectant and slightly annoyed green eyes are the first things I see, but the one who expertly breaks the tense silence is the man who makes every single wolf in the room slightly uncomfortable.

"Now, that was quite the treat. I do believe this journey will be quite enlightening in several areas, am I right, Edward?"

Aro does nothing to hide his excitement and for some reason my cheeks flush with heat at his open appraisal. Paul's hand twitches at my side and he pulls me even closer, my cheek brushing against his chest. His spicy scent envelopes me and makes me feel protected and safe.

Edward's jaw tightens and his gaze flickers to Paul's.

"Indeed," he answers coldly, while fixing Paul with a hard "I-got-my-eye-on-you" stare.

"Jare, I think we all might need a refill," Embry steps over to Edward and places a heavy hand on his shoulder, before turning to face Paul and I.

"Paul?" he raises his brow expectantly as though he's reminding him of something.

Almost immediately, Paul's protective stance unravels and soon his arms fall back to his sides as he takes a reluctant step back. Unwilling to completely lose our connection, I reach my hand out and intertwine my fingers with his. When I boldly glance back at my brother, I can sense his displeasure, but luckily he doesn't argue. Jared rummages around and returns with several shot glasses, clearly under the impression that we all might need something strong to take the edge off. When he hands one to me, I quickly take it from him and lift it to my lips to devour its contents. Enjoying the heat that settles in my belly, I tug Paul along with me and we both find our seats. Knowing that I have a lot to explain, I do my best to do so.

"I got injured today when I went to check on a pregnant horse out on one of the pastures at Mabel's Farm."

Edward's eyes widen, but I make sure to continue.

"The horse got spooked for some reason and I fell and hit my head. When I came to, I was pretty out of it, but I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something out there."

Paul's fingers tighten around mine.

"I hurried back to the barn and the lead veterinarian checked me out before sending me home. When I got here I was surprised to see Embry and I got distracted," I pause, shifting my attention to the man next to me.

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything about it sooner. I never even considered that I could have been in danger," I whisper my apology, holding Paul's gaze until I see his expression soften with acceptance.

"Well, then I'm glad we stopped by," Edward cuts in, sending me a strange look before continuing.

"Perhaps after what happened today you might not fight me too hard when I tell you that the entire Pack is ordered to return home."

I feel my mouth drop and an objection rise to my lips, but Edward is a sneaky bastard and annoyingly appears to have the upper hand.

"Just before the funeral our Pack went on lockdown because some asshole decided to set up a large number of bear traps on our lands. With Bella's help we were successfully able to disarm them, but the perpetrator is still out there," he pauses, making sure that he has everyone's complete attention before he continues.

"Aro, here, thinks he might have a lead on the distributor of those traps, so Jasper and I have decided to travel with him to check it out."

"I can't imagine Carlisle agreeing to that."

Edward's expression turns somber at my brother's openly skeptical statement and a tense silence begins to build. Jasper makes a subtle movement, but Edward quickly lifts a hand to stop him.

"My father doesn't know."

A shocked gasp falls from my lips before I can stop it and a heavy rock sinks to the pit of my stomach as the implications of Edward's actions flash through my mind. He deliberately lied to his Alpha. That meant…

"You're going to challenge him," Paul utters the words that we're all thinking.

I can't help but notice the respectful tone to his voice that wasn't there earlier.

Edward releases a tired sigh before answering.

"When the time is right-," he begins.

"Or when your wolf demands it," Paul interrupts.

They both share a heated look, before Edward slowly nods his head in agreement.

"I'm prepared to take over as Alpha when the time is right," he repeats his answer with a steadiness and determination that I've never heard from him before.

My head begins to pound again and I slowly rub two fingers over my temple, massaging it slowly. When Edward and Jake were chosen as the next Alpha and Beta of our Pack, we'd all been relieved by the fact that our Pack would finally find balance and unity under a strong new leadership, but when Edward imprinted on Bella… well… Several of the more traditional and conservative members of the Pack were still in an uproar about it and they weren't anywhere near ready to accept Edward and Bella as the new leaders yet. Even I, who supported my cousin and her mate wholeheartedly, could see that a change in leadership right now, could be detrimental for the Pack.

Running my hand over my face, I decide to move the topic of our discussion back to his first little "bombshell".

"And why, may I ask, is the Pack being ordered home?"

"With James and Laurent on the loose and the fact that we haven't been able to figure out who was behind the traps, the likelihood of a future attack is substantial," Jasper answers in a calculating and no-bullshit tone.

"We need all pack members back home so that the protection detail we've put in place can manage to keep everyone safe. No matter what happens."

Edward's explanation makes sense and I find myself nodding my head in agreement as I try to figure out the logistics of moving back home for an indefinite amount of time. Luckily, my program was quite flexible and I was certain the local veterinarian would allow me to tag along to complete all of my practical hours.

"I do also have a favor to ask."

Edward's deep voice pulls me from my thoughts and it takes me a moment to realize that he is addressing Paul and Jared with this request.

"With Jasper and I gone, the pack is down two members and we need help to ensure the Pack's safety," he takes a breath.

"Alice and Bella have moved into my house and both Jacob and Emmett are doing what they can to make sure our mates stay safe while we are away, but they also have obligations elsewhere."

Edward's green eyes are pleading as he looks between the two men.

"Would you be willing to move down to Forks for a few weeks and help out until Jasper and I are able to get back? We'll compensate you financially of course and there's more than enough room at the house for you to feel comfortable-."

"We'll go," Jared answers without skipping a beat.

I see Paul shoot him a glare, which he simply brushes off with a nonchalant shrug.

"What? You know as well as I do that Nate and Natasha are more than able to take responsibility for the club for a few weeks. Besides, aren't you the one that's been hounding me for weeks to take an actual break?"

Jared sends a pointed look at Paul and then flickers his gaze over to Embry before returning them to Paul. Subtlety is obviously not his forte and I can see confusion rise on each of our guests' calculating faces.

"Besides, as I told you when we went to Forks for the funeral, you have a hell of a lot of personal issues you need to address in that place. This could be the perfect opportunity," Jared continues oblivious to Paul's rising discomfort.

"Jared!" Paul shouts angrily, clearly trying to keep his friend from revealing his secrets. His strong reaction, however, awakens a protective instinct within Embry who immediately moves to stand between Paul and his mate.

Edward's face remains expressionless, but I can see that he is taking in every single reaction with interest.

Paul averts his gaze and looks down at the floor for a moment, clearly trying to get his temper in check. I give his hand a gentle squeeze which he quickly returns.

"Fine," Paul replies after a moment, his eyes flashing to Edward's as he gives his response.

"We'll help, but I'm warning you, if my asshole of a father -," Paul's voice shakes slightly with underlying rage.

"He won't," Edward interrupts decisively.

"Jake will make sure you and Pete's paths don't meet. I swear. I meant what I said that night at the Den, Paul, your father doesn't hold the same position in the Pack as he used to. You can easily co-."

Paul moves his hand in a swift motion, silently asking Edward to stop which he does. After a short pause, Paul nods thoughtfully before addressing him again.

"I need a few days to get things in order."

"I do too," I quickly shoot in and one of Edward's thick eyebrows rises with rising suspicion. I bite back an annoyed comment and take a calming breath before I do my best to explain my rushed comment.

"If I'm going to be leaving my studies indefinitely, I need to discuss it with my guidance counselor and try to figure out a plan so that I don't lose this entire semester."

Edward bobs his head, seemingly accepting my explanation.

"I can drive Claire and Jared down tomorrow," Embry offers and because I know him as well as I do, I can hear the slight tremble of nerves in his voice.

Deep within my chest, I feel a swell of emotion as I consider just what a trip like this could mean for Jared and Embry's relationship. Hope flares inside of me, but I make sure to keep my face neutral. Up until today, Embry had kept his relationship with Jared a secret and although me finding out was kind of forced onto him, I hoped that perhaps the experience would push him in the right direction and allow him to take the next few steps out of the shadows. All I could really do now was support him.

"That sounds like a great idea, Em."

He offers me a small smile and when Edward quickly agrees it immediately grows. Forcing myself to look away to hide my reaction, I take a sip of my now cold cup of tea. I grimace at the taste.

"Do you want me to warm that for you?" Paul asks me softly and I instantly shake my head, leaning my head against his shoulder affectionately instead.

"I'm going to try to go to bed soon," I say as I try to muffle a rising yawn.

A soft laugh fills the air and I soon realize that it is Aro when he slowly rises to his feet.

"Gentlemen, I believe that is our cue. Let's not overstay our welcome. We have a long drive ahead of us in the morning."

Those of us who are seated join him and get to our feet.

"No, please, you're more than welcome to stay. I've just had a long day," I begin, but Edward shakes his head and sends me a soft smile.

"Aro's right, we really should get going."

He gives me a tight hug, which becomes a little awkward when Paul doesn't release my hand. Sending him a look, he reluctantly gives it back to me, which makes it easier when I move down the line to say goodbye to both Jasper and Aro. I'm picking up some of the dirty glasses to take them to the dishwasher, when I overhear Embry asking Edward if he can talk to him for a second. Feeling my heart jump excitedly in my chest, I linger, pretending instead to be reading a magazine as I discreetly watch my brother and Edward step to the side for a private discussion. Unable to hear what they're saying, I try to focus on their body language as they begin to talk.

"You know, your spying skills are seriously lacking."

I jump when a familiar voice suddenly appears directly near my ear. Curling the magazine, I smile with satisfaction at the loud slap and moan of pain that falls from Jared's mouth.

"Ouch!"

"Well, that should teach you not to sneak up on me like that."

"Jeez."

We both fall silent as we watch a nervous Embry finally take the plunge and open up to his future Alpha and friend. Reaching out, I squeeze Jared's arm when Edward immediately wraps his arms around Embry in what can only be described as a bone crushing hug. The enthusiasm and acceptance I see openly displayed across his face washes away all of the doubts I had earlier. Edward would become an amazing Alpha.

"Jare? Would you come over here, please?" Embry pulls back slightly and turns around to find his mate.

Jared's blue eyes are blurring with tears and the smile I see stretch across his face is beautiful. Motioning for him to hurry, I drop the magazine and return to my previous task of carrying the dirty glasses to the kitchen. Desperately needing something to do, I make quick work of the dishes. When I've finished, I steal a quick glance back into the living room and find Paul, Jasper and Aro talking seriously, while Embry and Jared stand together and laugh at something Edward is saying. My lips curl into a smile as I watch how they stand there, wrapped in each other's arms as though it's the most natural thing in the world. With that image burned into my memory, I make a silent departure and head off to bed.

Heart racing, I awake with a shock, my terrified body still reacting to yet another horrible dream. Groaning with frustration, I run a palm over my face, pushing my damp hair away from my sweaty forehead. The details of my dream are already slipping away, but after having tossed and turned all night, I can easily guess what it was about. Every single dream has one thing in common: me running for my life as Laurent gives chase. Just thinking about it sets off a tidal wave of shivers through my body and his dark face immediately flashes vividly behind my closed eyelids.

Jesus.

Glancing at the time, I decide that there is no way I'm falling back to sleep no matter how early it is and move towards the bathroom to take a shower. The warm water helps soothe my frayed nerves, but I still feel jittery and uptight as I move around the quiet apartment. Making some coffee, I take a seat near one of the kitchen windows and watch how the darkness of night slowly gives way to morning. In my lap, I have one of my heavy textbooks, but unfortunately I'm still feeling too distracted to do any studying. I don't know how much time passes, but I'm soon alerted by the soft shuffles and heavy bare footsteps coming from the direction of Jared's room. Turning my attention away from the window, I'm not surprised when I see the disheveled head of dark hair belonging to my brother.

"Who are you and what have you done with my sister?" he asks me in a voice still husky with sleep.

I roll my eyes, but smile as he grabs his own cup of coffee and sits down next to me.

"Believe it or not, but all those years of ranch-life has made its mark. In comparison to these city-folk, I'm an early-bird."

Embry chuckles and soon we both fall silent, our attention drawn to the beautiful sunrise.

"You didn't get much sleep, huh?" he asks after a while, sending me a pointed look as if to remind me who I'm talking to.

Embry had always been excellent at reading people, especially the members of his close family. We had to stop having "game nights" because Embry would always win. Which led to him keeping such a huge secret from us so confusing.

I sigh tiredly and simply give him a short nod in response. Luckily, he takes the hint and doesn't press the matter.

"You?"

Although I'm not as good as he is at reading people, I can clearly see the dark rings under his eyes and the weariness in his gaze. He shakes his head before answering.

"I couldn't turn my mind off."

Deciding it as good a time as any to continue our talk from the night before, I carefully close my book and place it on the counter next to me as I give him my undivided attention.

"Tell me," I offer simply, wanting so desperately for him to open up to me. This time he's the one to release a heavy sigh.

"It's like I've been living two separate lives for so long and now when I'm faced with the reality that those two lives actually merging together-," he pauses. "I don't know how to deal with it."

I nod, but don't say anything, allowing him this moment to try and make some sense of what's going through his mind.

"Rationally, I know that you guys love me and that, although it'll be a shock, you'll always be there to support me. But rational thought is easily overshadowed by fear and self-doubt. I know it doesn't make sense, but I'm terrified of what might happen, Lei-lei."

The pain in his voice cuts me to the core and I quickly cover his large hand with mine.

"What's the worst that can happen?" I ask him calmly, wanting him to put his fears into words.

He remains quiet for a moment, collecting his thoughts.

"That Dad will see me as a disappointment," he finally reveals after a moment.

Forcing myself to keep my expression neutral, I make sure to keep eye contact when I give him my response.

"Now using the rational part of your brain and with everything you know about our father, put your fear aside and tell me what you see happening once you confront him with your news?"

His dark eyes flicker to the table for a moment as he thinks, but because I'm watching him so closely, I can actually see when his thoughts click into place and some of the weariness disappears.

"He could never see me as a disappointment," he whispers, clearly having an epiphany.

I slowly nod my head in agreement and give his hand a squeeze of encouragement.

"And in regards to Mom? Em, you're basically giving her a son-in-law and a grandbaby all in one go. Thanks for setting the bar so high for the rest of us," I joke, affected by the light change in his mood.

Embry chuckles softly in response and comfortable silence falls between us yet again.

"Tell you what, how about you give Quil a call and see if he can meet you over at Bella's this evening. Seeing as he already suspects, he should be an easy one for you to tell on your own. Then on Saturday, during my birthday dinner, we tell the rest of the family. Together."

Embry's eyes glisten with unshed tears and I feel myself become similarly affected. After another pause he simply nods in agreement and in the next moment I've thrown my arms around his neck and am enveloped into a tight and warm hug.

"Love you, Em," I whisper affectionately, feeling his arms tighten around me as he responds.

"Love you, too, sis."