TWENTY-EIGHT

RACHEL

SECRETS

I still can't believe my twin sister is home! Yesterday, seeing her in the flesh for the first time in three years, made my heart so full. It felt like my entire being was finally whole. I have Paul, Lotus and my first 'other half' under the same roof. It's euphoric.

This morning I took her to see Dad and we were both surprised to find him in bed at nine in the morning. He's usually up at least by 7 or 8, earlier if he's going fishing with Charlie Swan. He seemed so sad despite seeing Becca for the first time in eons. I could tell my sister was hurt, and so was I. It's not acceptable, no matter what he's had a lot to deal with concerning our AWOL little brother.

After making breakfast for Dad and awkwardly catching up, we left him to take care of Council business and came back to my place. Paul has the day off so when Rebecca asked if she and I could go somewhere for lunch just us girls, I readily agreed. It has been forever since I've had a lunch date with my twin or without my little Lotus.

When we get to the Grill House in Forks, we take a booth in the back, ordering up two white wines as soon as we're seated. Though I'm nursing, a little wine won't hurt, it is a reunion celebration after all. Before I can take my first sip and let loose however, I can't help but call Paul and make sure everything's okay. When I hang up Rebecca smiles at me.

"What?" I ask.

"Nothing, I think you two are sweet."

I can't help but smile too. "What can I say? Things have been great since the baby. It's like we're connected on an even higher level now, everything is in balance, just good vibes."

Rebecca chuckles. "Okay Guru Black."

After debating on what to get and then placing our orders, a weird silence falls between us and I cock an eyebrow at my twin. I can feel that she's got something on her mind.

"Is it Sol?"

Rebecca shakes her head and then bites her lip. "It's…everything. There's just so much going on," she sighs then chuckles nervously. "I think I'm still in shock that I left Sol."

"I can imagine, you've been together for so long now, you've never been apart."

"We might not have been apart physically, but it feels like we've been distant for a while now. The connection is just sexual and…obligatory now."

"But how did it come to this?" I ask, because I had no idea things had deteriorated so viciously that she'd leave him. but I guess it's part of who we are, us Black girls. We tend to run when life gets too heavy.

"Well it's various things that have pushed me away, like the finances and him not wanting to have a family. But also…Solomon is attracted to other women…and it's always made me feel…unimportant. And when you add in my own fertility issues– it's harder not having a supportive spouse."

"He's crazy – on all levels!" It always makes me so sad that I can have children but my twin can't. I'd gladly give her one if she had the money for in vitro – though I'm not above using a turkey baster either.

Becca gives me a crooked smile and shrugs. "I think we're both a little crazy. Me for letting it happen and him for just…being who he is."

"Maybe you really should divorce him Becc," I can't help but say, because I know my sister deserves more than what Solomon is giving her. Other women in their lives? No siree!

"I know…It's just really scary. And yet, I know it's unavoidable. I can't stay stuck because I don't want to hurt Sol, or because a part of me still loves him. Leah made me realize that I just need to do what's best for me."

"Leah?" I hiss across the table. "What the hell do you mean LEAH? Have you spoken to her? Do you know where she is?"

Rebecca groans and drops her head into her hands. "Fuck," she whispers. "I guess you won't pretend you didn't hear that will you?"

"Not a chance," I answer sharply.

"Rach, this is serious. If I tell you the truth, you have GOT to promise me you will NOT tell Dad OR Paul!"

I snort. "I wouldn't."

"You most certainly WOULD! I know you Rachel, you've got a big mouth, and I can't betray Leah's trust in me if you won't keep quiet until she's ready to come forward for herself."

"Okay, Okay!" I promise, placing my hand on my heart. "I won't say anything to anyone." And the Spirits know I will try my best, but please don't let Paul bring her up!

"She's been in Hawaii with me."

My mouth drops open, and then I take a huge gulp of wine. "Are you fucking serious?"

"Yeah. She had nowhere else to go."

"Is she okay?"

"She had it hard at first, but she is now. She and Jake are back together."

"WHAT?"

Rebecca shushes me and looks around to make sure other diners are not listening. "Yes."

"How did they get back together?" I lean across the table, whispering too.

"He came to Hawaii to win her back."

"Aww!" I croon and sit back against the padded booth. "That's so sweet!"

Rebecca rolls her eyes at me. "You're such a light weight."

"Am not!" I protest, but it's true. I'm already warm and feeling a little happy. It's been well over a year since my last taste of alcohol. Fuck I've missed wine – and coffee.

Our food arrives just then, and we both dig in heartily. Becca tells me all about Leah's job and the time they spent together, which honestly makes me feel a little jealous. I'd love to get away from here for a while and soak up the sun too. I've been to Hawaii a couple times to visit Becca in the past, and it really is beautiful. Leah made a good choice. Now that I know she went there, it seems so obvious that she would. I should have guessed it.

"So you're happy with them being together?" Rebecca shoots me a stern look, as if daring me to disagree. "I know that Dad is against it. His attitude towards them has both Jake and Leah very upset."

I sigh and finish chewing before I respond,"It's complicated Becc. There are certain situations which are supposed to prevent them from being together, and that's why Dad is the way he is."

Rebecca rolls her eyes and drops her fork with annoyance. I watch her wipe her mouth and take a sip of wine.

"Look, Rach, let's just cut the secrecy okay? I really need to talk to you about this. I know about the wolves and that special bond thing that they get with women. I know about that other girl Jake's supposed to like, but he's made it clear that he doesn't feel that way about her. So what's the big deal? Why can't he just be with Leah?"

My chest tightens and I shake my head in disbelief. "Who told you?"

"Leah. She got hurt and healed really quickly. She had no choice but to explain it to me, I was freaking out."

"What happened?"

"A Cold One was in Haleiwa," Becca whispers across the table.

"Oh!" Shit. She had to deal with that on her own? Wow.

"Doesn't the whole vampire things make you really scared?" Becca asks.

"Every time Paul goes on patrol I worry that he'll find one and get hurt, but honestly, they've hardly had any pop up for years."

"So it's just normal for you to be with him as a wolf? Doesn't it scare you at all?"

"Nope. He's always careful with his temper, which is what triggers his phasing. I helped him work on it for years."

"Oh. I'm kinda bummed that you kept such a big secret from me for so long."

"I had to, but I hated it – I'm glad that you know now."

"Me too, even though it freaks me out. But I guess seeing you so happy is reassuring that it's not as bad as I was imagining inside my head."

I chuckle at my worry-wort of a twin.

"Rach, you don't agree with Dad do you? About Jake?"

I feel my face grow extremely warm, and release a huff of breath. "I don't know." I answer honestly.

"Why not? You've seen Jake and Leah together?"

"I have but not as a couple. They hid it from everyone."

"Well, I have Rach, and I can't imagine them wanting other people. He's totally in love with her. He dotes on her hard."

I sigh heavily. "I know. He was a wreck when she left."

"He won't really speak to me about you and Dad and everything going on, but I know that he's really hurting over it all. Why didn't you support him? Is all of this stuff with Leah and the other girl why he ran away the other day?"

"Yes. Dad wouldn't change his mind, and no I…I didn't really show my support either."

"But Rach!"

"Becca, you've got to understand it all before you can judge me." I silence my twin, trying to push aside the guilt she's awakened in me.

"Well, tell me then," she shoots back, folding her arms across her chest defiantly. So what else can I do but explain to her about imprinting?

After I'm done, she seems a little bothered, as to be expected.

"It must be that he's different. Maybe being True Alpha is what allowed him to choose Leah instead," Rebecca reasons.

I shrug, because I simply do not know. I flag down the waitress and order a slice of chocolate cake. The shrimp primavera is great, but now I need something sweet to calm my nerves after spilling all our secrets so unexpectedly.

"None of this changes my mind though, twin, I still support Jake and Leah. And you should too. Dad is being ridiculous! And he can't ban our brother from his home! You and I need to speak to him together."

I shake my head. "I already tried, Dad said Jacob was the one who chose to leave and he doesn't want to forgive him for not choosing to honor the imprint. And frankly, I just want to stay out of it. If you say Lee and Jake are back together then that's all that matters. Let them find their own happiness away from all the pack politics."

"That's taking the easy road Rach, and you know it. After all this time we've been away from home, do you really think our brother can do that? He and Dad have always been close. Our leaving them alone like we did, forced them to be. So just disappearing from the Res is not going to work for Jacob. He wants to make this right with Dad and the pack, and Leah will support him even though she doesn't want anything to do with the elders."

"I don't know what you want me to say Becca," I tell her. I've tried to push that all aside since the day Jacob and Dad argued. There's nothing I can do for either of the two stubborn Black men.

"Can't you get Paul's support?"

I scoff at the suggestion. "He's part of Sam's pack. Sam hates Jacob, and Jake and Paul have never exactly been chummy. I don't know if Paul would step up for Leah and Jacob's relationship. He could barely request permission to stop phasing just so that he could be with me more."

"I thought you said everything was great between you two?"

"Yes, it is! That was just one little issue that kept popping up from time to time. Sam's kind of a bully and although Paul's really strong-willed, he could never stand up for himself. Sam likes to use his Alpha control over the guys all the time. Only when a wolf stops phasing can he lose that ability to make them do whatever they don't want to."

Rebecca's face contorts with disdain. "Does Jake do that?"

I shake my head. "Hardly ever – he'd have to be really pissed or it would have to be really important. He hates it too. In fact, Sam trying to control him is why Jake left the pack in the first place, all those years ago." I snort and shake my head, just thinking about it. "There's so much that you don't know Becca."

"I realize, but that's why I'm home, because I want to," she replies glumly. "Why does Sam act like that?"

"Because he wants all the power for himself. He's a narcissist, there's no other way to put it. I feel sorry for Emily. After all the drama she had to endure to be with him, betraying Leah like that? Getting clawed? Now, all these years later, she hardly even recognizes the man. She's too nice for an asshole like Sam Uley."

Rebecca shakes her head. "That's so sad. I didn't realize he'd been the one to hurt her."

"It was an accident, his anger got the better of him and she was standing too close. Wolves can be dangerous. They love unconditionally, but their temper is really volatile and unpredictable."

"It really hurts when you realize that the man you married is not really the man you thought he was."

"The bond makes it hard to leave, even if you want to," I carefully explain. "And, an Alpha's hold is so much stronger than any other."

"She must be a very unhappy woman."

I shrug. "She has her bakery and her son. Emily knows how to get by. She's a formidable woman."

"I'm glad that you don't have to go through that with Paul."

I smile at my twin. "Me too. He can be a real dickhead when he's ready, don't get me wrong, but I know how to handle him. He's putty in my hands." I giggle at the thought of my ammunition: a drawer full of lingerie that never fails.

"This whole bond thing is really temperamental, isn't it? It can be good, but it can also be very bad."

I nod in agreement. "Paul and I had it rough in the beginning you know. I resented being tied to someone so much younger than me. He wasn't in college, wasn't headed anywhere in his life. It was a turn off."

"Yeah, I remember, I couldn't understand why you still chose to be with him!"

"That's just it, we didn't have a choice. We tried to, we tried to make a choice to carry on with our lives. But it didn't work out. When I left to go back to Seattle, it was impossible not to miss him in spite of all the things I thought were dealbreakers. So I came back, and we got to know each other and it wasn't hard to fall in love after that. Paul needed me, we helped heal each other, and we started to build a better life. It was an emotional need that really brought us together."

"And the sex wasn't bad either, right?" Becca teases and I laugh.

"Hell yeah. His cock literally is the best thing that has ever happened to me."

Rebecca's jaw drops and she covers her mouth as laughter erupts from the depth of her belly. Her bird-like laugh has always been the funniest sound.

"But seriously though Becca, the imprint bond is a strong thing, and no one understands why it's so different for Jake. He thinks it's because Nessie is a hybrid. The fact that she's part vampire it must mean something isn't quite right."

flattens her hand to her chest and shakes her head. "That's why I can't figure out how could any of you want him to be with her? That doesn't sound right!"

"I know, I know!" I cry in frustration. "I feel guilty about it. But you gotta understand Becca, I know what that bond feels like and he can't hurt that girl without suffering consequences. At the end of the day, whether or not he chooses Leah, he's going to have to make some type of agreement with Nessie too, one that won't make her unhappy. Or he won't be happy."

"I think he already knows that. but I think that so far, they've all got it under control. It'll work out Rachel, trust me." Rebecca reaches out and squeezes my arm.

"I hope you're right."

"I am. Nessie's in Forks and Leah and Jacob are here. They're going to talk to Dad and settle everything. That's why we're hosting the dinner at your place."

"WHAT! I can't believe you didn't tell me!" I snap in annoyance, not caring that I'm being too loud. This is a big deal. How could I not be in the loop from the start?!

And I hope it isn't too much for Dad to handle at one time.

"I'm telling you now, because you deserve to know before she shows up at your house. This is a good thing, sissy. Our job is to make sure that Dad makes amends with Jake. We've got to set things right again with this family."

As much as I want to be sour about my sister keeping secrets from me, I can't help but agree. We Blacks really do need to get our house in order before we lose the very bonds that keep us together.

Just a little filler chapter so that the Black Twins can reconnect and talk a little about family drama and imprinting! I will try my best to update sooner! Thanks to everyone for the reviews, I do love to read them! love to hear your insights.