A/N: Warning: This chapter is filled with lovie dovie feels! Read at your own risk!

Thanks, Costa, for pre-reading!

49

Matt was in heaven or something close to it. He was lying next to Leah, naked on her bedroom floor. Oh, and she was naked too. Even though they had dried off the excess water, their skin was still moist, their hair still wet.

After they made love in the shower…twice, they moved to a towel on the floor. It wasn't the most comfortable, but Leah didn't want to get her bed wet, so there they were.

Her fingers made slow treks over his chest, down to his stomach, then back up to his face, then her fingers danced over the mark on his neck.

Matt growled low in his throat, then pulled her hand to his lips. She giggled as he peppered kisses up and down her arm.

And wasn't that just the greatest sound. He loved hearing her laugh. He loved hearing her sighs and moans too.

The way she looked at him made his wolf happy, like she wouldn't want to be anywhere else but lying naked on her bedroom floor with him.

It was official now. She was a part of his pack. And from what he could tell, or rather feel, she was elated by it. She was his, and he was hers.

This new bond they shared told him so. He'd been a wolf for a long time. He knew all about the bond between his pack brothers, but this bond with Leah was so much more.

He felt her joys, her fears, her wants, and needs. It was almost like they imprinted on each other, but it was a choice that they made, not their wolves or some outside force.

They chose each other.

She looked so beautiful, her hair fanned out beneath her, her naked body on display. Those big brown eyes staring at him lovingly. He seriously felt like a lovesick teenager.

"I love you, Peaches."

"I love you too, Matt."

He kissed her, rolled over, trapping her beneath him. He dropped down, baring his full weight on her.

Yes, he was heavy, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. His Alpha female was strong. Besides, he knew she loved it. She loved being surrounded by him. It comforted her, made her feel safe and wanted.

She wrapped her arms and legs around him, clutching him tightly. She gently grazed her teeth over the spot that told her that he was hers. She was possessive, territorial, and he loved it.

The growl he released in response was guttural, deep.

In return, he nibbled on her neck, then trailed soft kisses down her chest, between her breasts to her belly button.

"Matt," she sighed and ran her fingers through his hair.

He made his way back up, stopping at one of her nipples. He took one tender bud into his mouth, cajoling it, teasing it.

He made it back to her lips and kissed her passionately again. Soft, mewling sounds seeped out of her as the kiss deepened.

Earlier, she took the lead. Now it was his turn, and he needed her like a thirsty man in the desert needed water.

He eased between her legs and lined himself up.

She knew what he wanted and smiled devilishly as she opened herself up to him.

Matt growled as he pushed inside, feeling that soft ache of pleasure. His face was inches away from hers, their eyes locked. He breathed in deep as her sweet scent hovered over him like a cloud, urging him on.

In that moment, he saw his future: the children they were going to have, the life they were going to live, the adventures they were going to take all swirling in the sweet brown eyes of Leah Clearwater.

"Please don't stop." Her voice sounded achy, needy. He hadn't realized that he wasn't moving until she spoke.

He kissed her again, then gave her what she wanted.

He would give her anything she wanted and happily spend the rest of his life doing just that.

He moved slowly at first, resting his head against hers, their eyes closed. He loved the way she felt, how they molded together perfectly.

He grabbed her hands and linked his fingers between hers and pinned them to the floor.

"Look at me, baby," Matt commanded. "Let me see you."

When her eyes opened, he saw her wolf looking back at him curiously.

"I will take care of her,"Matt said aloud to her wolf. "I promise."

Her wolf nodded, then she was gone. Now he was looking into Leah's brown eyes.

He started moving again at a steady pace. Soon, her body was tightening, preparing for her climax. Keeping her hands bound with his, he leaned down and ran his tongue over the mark on her neck, teasing it, licking it, biting it.

She let out a soft cry, and her back arched as she climaxed.

But he wasn't done yet.

Before she could recover, before she could even say a word, he flipped her over on her stomach, then positioned her on her hands and knees.

He loved this position.

He breathed softly on her neck, then he licked the spot that told him she was his. She shivered. Then he pushed inside.

She pushed back in return, meeting his thrusts with her own.

"That's it, baby," he whispered. "I want it all. Give it all to me."

And she did. She gave him everything she had, meeting him with just as much energy and passion that he gave.

God, he loved her so much!

She was close; he knew it wouldn't take long. He leaned down against her neck and teased her mark, and she fell apart, screaming and spasming around him.

He followed along right after her. Then they collapsed on the towel.

"I will never get tired of making love you, Peaches," he said breathlessly.

Leah giggled. "I will never get tired of you making love to me."

She kissed him sweetly, then went to the bathroom.

As he laid there on the floor, waiting for her to come back, he couldn't help but think how fortunate he was to find her. How she fulfilled all his needs, and how much of an asset she would be to his pack. He hadn't thought he could find someone to connect with after Christy, but Leah surprised him.

He was going to have to tell his pack, though. For the most part, they all seemed to like Leah and thought she was a great choice.

Niko was all for it, and Steve agreed that she would be good for the pack. But not everyone was on board. One member in particular had his doubts.

Mickey had mentioned that while he liked Leah, he thought that Matt should know her better before allowing her to lead them. She would have the same commands that he had as the Alpha female.

However, Matt had theory about Mickey's reservations. It seemed that Mickey had been spending a lot of time with Emily, more than just guarding her. And everyone knew how Emily and Leah felt about each other, and it appeared as if Mickey had chosen a side. While Mickey wasn't necessarily doing anything wrong, Matt had a feeling nothing good would come from that.

But that was a problem for another day.

Matt heard the toilet flush and the water run.

She walked out of the bathroom. "Did I bring my phone in here?"

"Baby, my mind was not on your phone or its whereabouts," Matt said, running his eyes up and down her naked figure.

"I think I left it in my office." She headed to the door.

Matt sat up abruptly and tilted his head to the side curiously. "You're going out there naked?"

Leah shrugged. "You're the only one here. And you've already seen me naked."

This was true.

"What if Ness comes home?"

Leah smiled. "She's seen me naked too." Then she winked.

Matt got a thrill of her running around the house without clothes on. Once all of this was over, they would have to do that for real. Maybe play hide and seek or tag or something. That could be fun. And she could be the prize when he found her.

She came back with her cell phone, scrolling through the text messages. "Jake texted me." She bit her lip.

"Yeah? What did he say?"

Leah joined him on the floor. "He wants me to call him." Leah's lips formed a thin line. "You think he knows?"

"Yep." Matt rested his head on his arm.

"How does he know?"

"He probably felt the break." Matt traced his finger down Leah's leg.

Leah put her phone on the nightstand. "The break? Does that hurt?"

"Not really. It's kind of like being stung. But then an empty feeling follows, like you're missing something, except you know what's missing."

"Does the rest of the pack know?"

"I think on some level they know something's off, but they don't feel it like the Alpha. It's only happened to me once when one of my wolves left about fifteen years ago. He wasn't working out, and he set out on his own. The rest of the pack found out when we changed into our wolves."

Leah laid down next to Matt and rested her head on his chest. "Is that what it feels like when one of the wolves dies?"

"No, that's a totally different kind of break, and it comes with pain, a lot of pain. The entire pack feels that, but the Alpha feels it the worst."

"Pain? How bad?"

Matt ran his fingers down Leah's spine. "It's sudden and sharp, like getting stabbed or shot."

"And that's happened to you?"

"Yep." His voice was sudden said. "It happened when the werewolves attacked all those years ago. A lot of my pack was killed, and I felt each and every one of them as they died." He turned to her. "It's something that you'll feel too if it happens."

"I guess it's one of the things that goes with being an Alpha, huh?"

"Yep." Matt eyed her carefully. "You're not having second thoughts, are you?"

Leah smiled. "Not at all. When I'm committed to something or someone, then I'm in one hundred percent."

"Yeah?" Matt grinned.

"Yeah." Leah smiled back, then kissed him.

"I've been wondering about something." Leah sat up to look at Matt. "When I phased before when we were arguing, I was still under Jake's command. Shouldn't that have prevented me from changing?"

Matt took a deep breath. "Honestly, I think that was about your wolf. She was protecting you from me. That's why she bit me." He signed. "I hate that she thought I was a danger to you, Peaches. You know I'd never hurt you, right?"

"Of course, I know that." She touched his cheek. "I wouldn't be lying here on my bedroom floor naked if I felt like you would."

"Good, because I would die before I let anything happen to you." Matt felt his wolf come forward. "We both would."

He saw her wolf come forward again. "Yeah, we would too."

~*}{*~

Most people were still at work, so Leah wasn't too concerned about anyone seeing the two of them run naked into the woods. It had stopped raining, but the clouds were still lingering in the sky, which was a sign that it wasn't done.

Once under the cover of the trees, they looked around to make sure no one was watching them.

"Do you think we should have brought clothes?" Matt said.

Leah shook her head. "I've run out here in my birthday suit plenty of times. The house pretty much blocks us, anyway. Besides, I hate hiding my clothes in the trees because they get dirty, and I don't like tying them to my leg."

Matt lifted an eyebrow. "You run around the woods naked?"

Leah stepped up to him. "Sometimes."

It was strange. Now that she was officially an Alpha, she felt new. The power of her wolf was like a live wire running through her veins. She looked down at her hands, turning them over in the dim sunlight.

"How do you feel?" Matt asked. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"I feel great." Leah flexed the muscle in her arm. "I feel strong."

"Okay, now here's the true test. Call your wolf."

"Okay."

Leah closed her eyes, took a deep breath. This would be the first time she called her wolf as an Alpha female.

Would she grow in size?

Would her teeth be sharper?

Would she have more fur?

There was a zing, and suddenly she was on her hands and knees.

No, she was standing on her paws, feeling the earth beneath her. Her senses were heightened when she used to phase, but there was something different about things now. The world was clearer and crisper. The smells, the sounds, it was intense.

From what she could tell, she was still the same size. After running her tongue over her canines, they didn't feel any sharper, and the fur seemed to be the same.

But there was a noticeable difference. There was no command holding her back, nothing on her shoulders. The gravity of that hit her. She could literally do anything she wanted and there was no one, not even Matt, who could stop her.

She heard a zing next to her, a warning that someone else was in the pack mind with her.

It's just me, Peaches.

Matt moved next to her, standing tall and proud. He was bigger than her, broader in the shoulders and longer legs. His brilliant green eyes stared at her.

Now, how do you feel?

Leah squared her shoulders and held her chin up. Powerful, Strong. Free.

That's my female.

No one else in the in the pack mind.

Matt shook his big head. Everyone is at work or sleeping. Enjoy it while you can. I'm sure you're aware of how noisy the pack mind can be.

Oh, yeah. I know. Remember, I shared a pack mind with Quil who could go on for hours about nothing. Maybe that's what makes him such a good lawyer.

Matt laughed.

Leah growled next to him, then crouched down. Then she nipped at his leg, then back away and she did a little dance.

Tag, you're it!

Oh, you don't know who you're messing with, Matt tried to pounce her, but she slipped out of the way just in time.

Come on, old man. Is that all you got?

Then she was off, running through the woods, feeling the wind blow through her fur.

Matt's heavy footsteps was right behind her.

~*}{*~

Jacob was sitting on his back porch, watching the sun go down and waiting for Sam to come home. Eden was inside taking a shower.

He'd sent out a text to the pack letting them know that he needed to have a short pack meeting, but it would be in their wolf form so they should head to where they were scheduled to patrol and wait.

Earlier, he'd felt something weird. It felt sort of like a bug bite, a jolt of annoyance, then it was gone leaving a void behind. He knew right away what that emptiness was.

Leah was gone.

She was no longer his beta, and while they could still talk to each other, she wouldn't be able to talk to any of his pack.

Since Sam wasn't back on rotation, he sent him a separate text, telling him that they needed to talk.

He would tell him first, start with one on one.

Jake heard Sam's heavy footsteps before he saw him.

"Hey, Jake." Sam took a seat on the back porch next to him. "Everything okay? Your text sounded strange."

Jacob looked over at Sam. He looked better, so much so that Jacob wondered if he would be able to put him back on rotation, but he had to be ready.

Jacob knew that he was going someplace at night, and he didn't ask questions.

It was obvious that Sam was keeping his distance from Emily. He didn't talk about her much, but Jacob suspected that was to keep from falling down another rabbit hole.

Whatever he was doing, wherever he was going, it was working.

He didn't know quite how to start this, or what Sam's reaction would be. The last time Leah left the pack, he'd begged her to come back.

When Jacob was a new wolf, he remembered wanting Leah to go away, to disappear, because her pain was causing so much strife in the pack mind. He'd had his own heartache and melancholy to deal with. He didn't want to think about Leah's.

He'd gotten his wish. Now, he wanted it back.

"I gotta tell you something," Jacob said slowly.

"I think I know." Sam leaned back in his chair. "She's gone, isn't she? Leah's gone."

"Is it that obvious?" Jacob muttered.

Sam laughed. "Yeah. You look like you lost your best friend, or at least one of them."

"I shouldn't have been surprised. She already told me that this might happen, and even though she said she had to think about things, I knew that she was going to choose Matt." Jacob was happy for Leah, but he couldn't hide his disdain.

Leah was his beta, his second in command. They'd worked so well over the years. How was he going to find that sort of connection again?

"I remember that feeling," Sam started. "It happened to me when you left, and then Seth followed. But, honestly, the one that hurt was when Leah left. I know that I was mean and harsh, but it was hard enough trying to get over her. I had all these new feelings for Emily while still having these old feelings for Leah. Every time an old memory popped into the pack of mind, part of me wanted to run to her, but the other part of me reminded me that Emily was the one that I was supposed to be with.

"When I first broke up with Leah, I assumed she would move on and find someone new, preferably away from here, so I wouldn't have to see it. Then she phased." Sam ran his hand through his hair. "The next thing I knew, she was in the pack mind, seeing all my thoughts and everything I was feeling for Emily. And, for the record, it really was hard to see her in so much pain. But I had another thought. She was a wolf now, and she would be patrolling. She would be in danger, she could get hurt, she could get killed, so I was overly protective. And she was hardheaded." Sam laughed.

"Yes, she was," Jacob said. "She was pigheaded and stubborn as a mule, and so combative. But she was loyal, and she had our backs, even when we didn't deserve it."

"When she left, my first thought was, how am I going to know if she's okay? What if she gets hurt, and I can't get to her?"

"That's why you tried to get her to come back."

"One of the reasons, yes," Sam said evasively. Recently, Sam had admitted that he was still in love with Leah when he left her. That meant that he wasn't ready to let her go yet.

"And how did you get past all that?"

Sam shrugged. "I had to. I had to realize that she wasn't my responsibility anymore, and that it was cruel of me to try and keep her where she was miserable. I broke her heart and rubbed her face in it. No wonder she left me. I had to realize what was best for her." Sam put his hand on Jacob's shoulder as he looked at Jacob. "What was best for all of you. That was why I had to step down and let you lead, because I knew you were the wolf for the job. It was a little disheartening when you kept Leah as your beta, but she was a great beta, and as much as she could have tortured me by being in a higher rank, she didn't. She didn't let her personal feelings get in the way of her job as beta. That's why she'll make a great Alpha."

Sam was right. For everything that she'd gone through, for what the pack had put her through, she earned this, she worked hard for this, she deserved this.

"So, are you coming back tonight?" Jacob asked. Sam had been staying out overnight. Jacob didn't mind, because whatever he was doing was keeping him out of trouble, and he wasn't sleeping on Emily's front door.

Sam stood up. "I hadn't planned on it, but I can if you need me to."

"No, it's fine. Quil said he'll come by and watch the house." Jacob stood up with him. "Wherever you go, I'm glad it's helping. You look good, Sam."

"Thanks. It still hurts, but it's bearable now." As they both walked inside, Sam asked, "Any ideas who you're going to choose for your new beta?"

Jacob stopped walking, which caused Sam to come to a halt. "I hadn't thought about it."

"Don't worry. It's okay if it's not me. I don't think can handle that responsibility right now, especially with things so weird between me and Emily. I would need to have my feelings sorted out before I took on anything like that."

At the mention of her name, Jacob saw the sadness, the pain come back. Sam took a few deep breaths, then forced a smile.

Yes, he was still in pain, but he was dealing with it. This was a step toward his healing.

"I'll probably put an Alpha command on everyone, so they don't ask me." Jacob grinned.

"Good idea."


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