Every summer, without fail, tourists flocked to La Push and this summer was no exception. It shouldn't have been a surprise; there were no big changes from the summer before. The beach was still beautiful, the weather still rainy but warmer than in the winter, and hiking trails still provided a great refuge from the city. There was, however, one big difference in Leah Clearwater's life between this summer and last: she was now working at the Resort and had to deal with all the tourists (okay, fine, there were some other changes, too, but at the moment, with the check-in line longer than Leah had ever seen before, her job was the only change that mattered).

"Your room is 115, right down the hallway and to the left. There are ice machines by the elevators. If you need anything, please feel free to call the front desk!" Leah handed the young couple a pair of keys. They barely even thanked her before the next group, three giggling college-age girls, came up to the front desk.

With a fake smile and a cheerful voice, Leah greeted the college girls. After they gave her their name and Leah waited for their reservation information to populate in the ancient computer, Leah saw Mr. Keyo, the general manager, pop out from his office, located behind the front desks.

"Mr. Keyo!" Amy called, "Can I speak with you in a second?"

Leah barely heard Mr. Keyo offer to speak with Amy once the line died down as she finished setting up the room reservation for the group of girls. She was too focused on getting their keys and helping the next guests.

After helping an elderly couple there to celebrate their 52 wedding anniversary and a young couple who were married but looked even younger than Leah, the line settled down. The lobby wasn't quite empty, but the line was shorter than it had been in a few hours.

Amy asked Leah if Leah could manage while Amy spoke with Mr. Keyo; Leah agreed readily and motioned for the next group of guests to come up to her station.

The next group was a young family – a couple with a toddler son – who were mostly here to hike, or at least that's what they told Leah. The husband asked several questions about the best hiking trails in the area, which Leah answered with ease. These were the trails she knew like the back of her hand.

"Are there still problems with big bears in the area?" The woman asked.

"Big bears?" Leah puzzled. She hadn't ever heard of issues with big bears in the area, nor had she ever seen any while she was out in the woods. And Leah spent a lot of time in the woods.

"When my sister was out here about a year ago, she said that she and her girlfriend saw a whole bunch of giant bears while they were hiking," the woman explained.

Leah gulped as she realized what the woman's sister had seen, "No." she answered swiftly and firmly, "I haven't heard of any problems with any bears. Anyways, here are your room keys. Room 238, up the stairs or elevator and down the hall. If you have any questions or need anything, please feel free to contact the front desk!"

Leah shoved the keys at the young family before they could ask any more questions. She smiled brightly at them and wished them a pleasant stay, but was relieved when they grabbed their bags and headed to the elevator.

"Leah, can I talk to you for a second?" Mr. Keyo asked. There was no one else behind the family in line, although Leah could see a wary group of travelers making their way to the main door. For the first time all shift, the front desk seemed calm, "Amy can take care of the desk for a moment."

Leah nodded wordlessly and followed Mr. Keyo back to the small office. He sat down dramatically and rested his hands on the desk.

"Amy just put in her two weeks notice," he sighed, "And as you can see, it's the middle of the busy season. She told me that she had talked to you earlier about possibly taking her job."

"She did." That particular conversation had been months ago and it took Leah a second to remember it. Leah had honestly thought that Amy might have changed her mind about moving away.

"Well, are you interested?" Mr. Keyo was always straight and to the point, "You would need to hire some more people for the busy season. Maybe two more people, depending on their availability. And you would be in charge of scheduling everyone. But the pay is $12 an hour."

When Amy had mentioned to Leah that she was going to quit all those months ago, Amy had neglected to mention the pay increase. With that type of money, working all summer, Leah would barely have to take out loans for the next semester.

"Yes," Leah said quickly, without thinking about it. $12 an hour was almost unthinkable and thanks to all those damn weekly meetings with the Elders, she was a pro at making schedules. Finally, being in the Pack was paying off.

"Great!" Mr. Keyo exclaimed, "That was easier than I thought it would be. I'll put in the paperwork for accounting right away. You should talk to Amy about what all needs to be done for hiring, but you should get on it right away. You'll conduct the initial interviews, but I'll approve the final decisions. Any questions?"

It was so much information all at once that Leah took a second to process it all. She stared at Mr. Keyo. Harry had always gotten along well with Mr. Keyo – they would frequently go fishing together – and, like her father, Leah had never considered Mr. Keyo to be old. But now, with his long hair greying and a grim, stressed look on his face, Leah saw him differently.

"No, sir," Leah answered after a second.

"Great. Let me know if you do."

Leah took that as her sign to leave the little office. She turned around and walked back to the front desk. Other than Amy, the entire lobby was empty.

"How mad is he?" Amy asked as soon as Leah shut the door.

"He's pretty mad," Leah told her honestly, "But congrats on putting in your two weeks!"

"Thanks," Amy grinned, "I'm looking forward to getting out of here for a bit."

"A bit?" Leah questioned.

"I might be back after I finish school. Who knows? The world is my oyster!" A ringing phone on the front desk cut off Amy's triumphant speech. Amy reached for the phone before Leah could, "Front desk. How can I help you?"

As Amy assisted the guests on the phone, Leah couldn't help letting her mind go back to the $12 an hour that she'd soon be making. The rest of it she could take or leave, but the $12 an hour… well, that was really life-changing. Leah glanced at the clock. She had less than an hour left in her shift and then she could go tell the news to anyone and everyone she could find. She'd stop by Jake's garage first. Billy had recently loaned him money to flip a car and she was sure Jake would be there since it was Sam's pack on patrol today. And then, of course, Sue would want to know. Leah was sure she could convince Sue to make pork chops for dinner instead of the casserole Sue had planned...

Suddenly, the whole situation hit Leah like a ton of bricks. Why would she tell Jake before she told Sue? That didn't make any sense. Sue was Leah's mother and Leah had a good relationship with her mother and this was a big deal. Sue should be the first person Leah told. Hell, Leah should tell Kim before she told Jake. They were friends after all. Of course, Kim would probably know already, since Amy was her sister and all. And yet all Leah could think about was driving to Jake's garage and drinking a warm soda and watching him fix up a car or whittle or whatever it was he was doing. And that, Leah, thought to herself, was horrifying. Since when did she want to spend all her time with a 17-year-old boy?

The sounds of a large family hauling way too much luggage through the lobby awoke Leah from her daze. There were six of them, two parents and four kids, and they were loud and noisy as they made their way to the front desk.

"Hi!" One of the blonde kids chirped, "We're checking in!"

Leah smiled at them, before looking up at the parents, "What name is the reservation under?"

"Harris!" The leader of the group – or perhaps the follower, who just happened to be in charge – finally made her way up to the front desk.

Leah looked up Harris under the reservation system, locating them quickly and trying to keep thoughts of Jacob out of her mind.

"Busy day?" the mom asked Leah as she waited.

"Pretty busy, yes." Leah printed off the receipt and handed her a pen to sign. She quickly explained the charges and the policies as the kids ran around making a ruckus behind them.

"Are you here for much longer?" The woman asked kindly as she handed Leah back the receipt.

Leah glanced at the clock, "Only about ten minutes, actually."

The shift had sped by, between the number of guests that had cycled through the lobby and the conversation with Mr. Keyo. It felt strangely empty.

"I hope you get to spend some time outside after you finish up!" The woman said cheerfully, "It's so nice out!"

Leah glanced out of the big windows. The sun was shining and it did seem exceptionally bright out, at least for La Push.

"I'm planning on it," Leah said with a smile. She grabbed the keys from the desk and handed them to her, "Here are your keys. You're in Cabin 24, out the doors and to the right. If you hit the fork in the road, you've gone too far. Please feel free to let us know if there is anything else we can help you with."

"Thank you!" It took a while for the woman to usher her entire giant family out of the lobby, but once she did, it was quiet. Amy had been dispatched to deliver more towels to one of the rooms and, while Leah could hear Mr. Keyo speaking in a low, tense voice in his office, it was otherwise uncharacteristically quiet. Leah took a few minutes to tidy up the front desk, which had gotten quite unorganized in the rush. Pieces of paper were scattered throughout the desk and there were no pens in the little penholder. The maps of the hiking trails had fallen on the floor and the lobby just generally looked disreputable.

As Leah was sorting through the leftover receipts, she heard Amy's footsteps approaching the lobby.

"Leah? Isn't your shift over? What are you still doing here?" Amy asked as she approached.

Leah glanced at the clock; her shift had in fact ended five minutes ago. But she was still paralyzed with indecision about where to go now that the shift was over. She knew she should just go straight home, Sue would be there and not bother Jacob, who had a girlfriend and was seventeen.

"Waiting for you. I just didn't want to leave the desk unmanned," Leah lied easily.

"Well, I'm back now. You should go and celebrate! You just got a promotion!" Amy encouraged her.

"I'm going to!" Leah said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster.

"Good. We should get together for another girl's night before I leave."

"We definitely should," Leah agreed.

"Great! We can talk with Kim and figure out the details later," Amy smiled her, "Have a good one! Congrats!"

Leah said a quick goodbye before she headed out to the parking lot of the Resort. There was no designated parking for employees, so as the high season had picked up, she was forced to park further and further away from the main lodge building. As she walked, and even as she climbed into her car, she debated where to go.

For most of the short ride, the way to the Black's house and the Clearwater's house was the same. So for most of the short ride, Leah didn't have to make a choice. But when she did, she found herself veering off towards the Black's house. She held her breath as she reached the clearing that the house was located in, but her stomach dropped as soon as she saw the vaguely familiar car sitting in front of the house. The only thing stupider than that red truck that Bella Swan used to drive was the equally old black truck that Leah was pretty sure belonged to Alyssa.

Leah rolled her window down, hoping that she was wrong and that the truck was somebody who had come to visit Billy. But within seconds, she heard a high-pitched giggle, followed by a much deeper, much more familiar laugh. The door to the garage was open and, with her werewolf hearing, Leah could have been in mere feet away. Her stomach turned and she backed up her little car as quickly as possible, driving away while praying that no one saw her. At least Sue would be happy to see her.


The sudden knock on the door didn't mean anything to Leah. Sue had said she was having Charlie and Billy over, although Leah hadn't been expecting them for quite a while. Seth was out with the rest of the pack. After months of complaining about wanting a different activity than bonfires for all-wolf bonding, Leah had gotten her wish. Jared had come up with the stupid idea to have the two Packs participate in an obstacle course competition instead of a bonfire for their next team bonding. Jacob, Embry, Seth, and Quil were all going to practice, but Leah refused to take part. It was stupid and she was sure that they didn't want her invading their practice time anyway. Male bonding or whatever.

"Hi, Mrs. Clearwater. Is Leah home?" With her werewolf hearing, Leah could hear Embry's tense voice as clearly as she would have if she were the one who had opened the door.

"She's upstairs. Let me go get her. Why don't you come in?"

Without even thinking about it, Leah had already stood up and walked quietly towards her bedroom door. The strain in Embry's voice alarmed her, although she was confident that she hadn't heard any howling… If something were seriously wrong, she would have heard howling.

As she stood there puzzling about what in the world could cause Embry to walk all the way to her house, instead of calling or howling or using any other form of communication, Sue climbed the stairs. Before Sue could knock, Leah opened the door to her bedroom.

"Leah," Sue said, surprised, "Embry's downstairs. He wants to see you."

"I know," Leah muttered, pushing past her mother, before explaining, "Werewolf hearing."

Sue let out an exasperated sigh, but Leah paid no attention as she hurried down the stairs.

"Embry?" When Leah made it down the stairs, Embry's back was to her and he was looking out the window. He had pushed the curtains aside and his body was angled away from the window slightly, as if he didn't want to be seen.

"Leah." Embry turned around as soon as Leah said his name. His expression wasn't as tense as Leah was expecting it to be; in fact, it wasn't tense at all. It was almost eerily peaceful, "Is Seth here? Or Quil or Jacob?"

"No," Leah answered quickly, "They're all out practicing for the obstacle course. And I thought you were, too. Embry, what's wrong?"

"So Seth can't hear me?" Embry asked.

"No," Leah assured him.

Embry didn't answer right away, instead looking around the Clearwater house like he was expecting someone to jump out or someone else to be listening in.

"Should we step outside?" Leah asked, nodding to the stairs. Sue's footsteps echoed through the house as she descended the stairs. Maybe Embry didn't want Sue to know whatever it was that had brought him all the way to the Clearwater's place.

"Sure." Even as Embry said it, Leah got the feeling he didn't care much either way.

Leah opened the front door and gestured for Embry to go out. He did, but he immediately scanned the Clearwater's front yard. Leah found herself looking around, as well, after she followed him outside, as she tried to figure out what exactly he was looking for. When Embry didn't react to anything and Leah didn't see anything, either, she spoke again.

"What's going on Embry?" Leah asked.

"Leah, I imprinted." Immediately, upon saying the words, Embry's face broke out into a huge, uncontainable smile.

"You imprinted?"

"Yeah, I did. And Leah, he's perfect. He's in my summer calculus class and his name is Alex and he's super smart – he knew all the answers to the questions – and he was very nice, I talked to him after class and he was so friendly, Leah, even though I'm just a high school kid. And he's so handsome. So good looking. He was dark hair that's long but not too long and he had a great smile and -"

"Embry, stop."

"What?" Embry's face was alarmed as he awoke from his love-induced trance.

"Alex sounds great and perfect and I am so happy for you but I know you didn't come here just to brag about your imprint."

"Right... I need you to take my place at practice tonight and go tell the others that I'm not coming to training," Embry must have noticed the displeased look on Leah's face, for he finished with, "Please, Leah."

"You're not going to tell them?" Leah tried to hide her contempt for Embry's decision.

"Not yet."

"You're not going to be able to hide this," Leah warned, "They'll find out sooner or later. And knowing them, it'll be sooner."

"I know. But I can't tell them yet."

"Why not?"

"Leah, I haven't even told them I'm gay. I just imprinted on Alex today and I don't really know anything about him. Just that he's smart and nice. I just can't tell them yet. Please, Leah, will you cover for me?"

"You can't avoid phasing with them for the rest of your life."

"I know that," Embry sighed, "I'll tell them soon. Maybe even tomorrow. I just need a night. That's all I'm asking for, Leah. Just a night."

"I don't know that I'll be able to keep it a secret," Leah admitted, knowing that she owed it to Embry to be truthful.

"You can," Embry encouraged her, "You've gotten really good at keeping your thoughts a secret. Just focus on the present and what you can see, hear and smell at that particular moment. Don't think about anything else other than what you're currently experiencing."

Before she could say anything, the sound of a car approaching in the distance filled Leah's ears. Both she and Embry looked over and at the edge of the forest, where the trees broke, Charlie's patrol car was peaking through the trees.

"Charlie and Billy?" Embry guessed.

"Sue's having them over for dinner," Leah muttered by way of explanation.

"Right."

It was silly, as neither Billy nor Charlie had any type of supernatural powers, and even if they did, it was unlikely that they would care enough about Leah and Embry's conversation to listen in, but Leah and Embry seemed to come to an unspoken agreement to pause their discussion.

As the patrol car rolled up, Leah and Embry remained frozen in their respective positions. Leah with her arms crossed and Embry standing tensely close to her.

"Leah! How's it going?" Charlie called as he opened his door and walked around to the back of the patrol car to get Billy's wheelchair.

"Hi, Mr. Swan," Leah tried to smile at him. As the wind blew in Leah's direction, she got a whiff of vampire stink. Beside her, Embry crinkled his nose.

"I don't know how you put with the smell all the time," Embry whispered.

"I've gotten used to it," Leah responded grimly.

As soon as Billy had safely transferred to his chair, he called out to Embry and Leah, "Embry! Leah! Everything okay?"

If Leah wasn't mistaken, there was a hint of concern in Billy's voice.

"All good here, Mr. Black. How about you?" Once again, Embry's coolness blew Leah away. There was nothing in his voice that suggested that he had imprinted merely hours before; his face and posture looked more anxious than wistfully in love.

"I heard about your promotion, Leah," Billy said as Charlie rolled him closer to the front door and helped him up the stairs to the porch, "Congratulations!"

"Thank you," Leah responded quietly.

"Sue was telling us all about it," Charlie added, "She's mighty proud of you."

Leah didn't bother responding, as Billy had already opened the door to the Clearwater house and was rolling himself up the small ledge and inside by the time Charlie had finished speaking.

"Sue! We have fish for you!" Billy yelled as soon as the door opened.

"Billy? Is that you? Did Leah let you in?" Although Sue's voice faded as Charlie closed the door behind him and Billy, their conversation was still perfectly clear to Leah. But with the door closed, she turned again to face Embry, knowing that the humans probably wouldn't be able to hear their conversation.

"So, Leah, will you please cover for me?" Embry was practically begging.

"I don't know…" It would absolutely be Leah's luck that she would accidentally out Embry to his two best friends. She hadn't been in the pack mind with anyone except Embry in over a month. It had been hard enough knowing that she was the only one to know that he was gay; knowing that he was gay and had an imprint just felt like too much pressure. "What would I tell them?"

"You wouldn't have to tell them anything. Just say that I asked you to cover for me and you don't know the reason why."

"And you don't think they won't see right through that?" To say Leah was doubtful was an understatement.

"They can be kinda dense. I bet they won't even question it too much." Embry was much more confident in his friend's cluelessness than Leah was.

"I just don't know that I can keep it a secret, Embry." Best to be honest, Leah figured. Embry would figure out pretty quickly if she wasn't and she didn't keep the secret.

"You can, Leah! You've gotten really good at it. I didn't even know you broke up with Danny until Jacob told me."

"You two were gossiping about me?" Leah narrowed her eyes at Embry as she realized the implications of his words.

Sheepishly, Embry shrugged, "It just came up. But see, I didn't know. We've patrolled together a ton in that time and never once did you think about it. And I know that you slept with him more than that one time but you never thought about that."

"Those things weren't really a big deal to me."

"And me imprinting is?" Embry challenged.

It wasn't. Not really. The last person to imprint was Seth and that had hurt because Seth was her brother and now he was dragging a half-vampire into her life. And also because imprinting in general sucked. But Embry wanted to imprint. He had told her that. So no, it wouldn't really make sense for Embry's love life to matter to Leah more than her own.

"I guess not," she said finally.

"So you'll do it?" Embry said hopefully.

"Sure." She hadn't done anything destructive lately, why not do this?

"Thank you, Leah," Embry beamed, "I owe you big time."

"Yeah, you do," Leah agreed. She stared pointedly at Embry.

"I'll pay you back sometime. I'll figure it out."

"You better," she sighed and ran her hand through her short hair. Over a year later and she still missed her long hair sometimes, "So did you get this kid's number or anything?"

"Well… no. But he did talk to me after class. I think maybe he was flirting."

"You think he was flirting?"

"Leah, I'm a 17-year-old kid from a small town. I don't have much flirting experience. How am I supposed to know if he was flirting with me or not?!" At that moment, Embry looked younger than he had since he had phased. He reminded Leah of the younger kid she used to know.

"Okay… fair."

"Do you think there was a chance he was?" Embry looked like a little lovesick puppy, looking up so hopefully at Leah.

"Anything is possible, kid."

Embry didn't respond, at least not right away. They stood around awkwardly. Leah didn't know what else to say, but it seemed like maybe Embry needed some type of emotional support or something. She wasn't any good at the sappy things, but the last time anyone imprinted it was Seth and then Leah had to help Jacob prevent a whole war and she was, frankly, too horrified that her brother had imprinted on a fucking half-vampire. But this was a little different. It sounded like Alex was a nice human guy and there was no risk of war, at least as far as Leah knew.

"Well, now we know one thing for sure. Sam was wrong," Embry said before Leah could figure out what else to say to him.

"What?" Leah asked automatically. Of course, she realized what Embry was referring to before he spoke again, "Oh. About the breeding thing."

"Yeah."

"Well… there's that." As a whole, Leah liked anytime Sam was incorrect. It didn't matter what about, just as long as he was proven wrong. But Leah didn't get that same sense of satisfaction this time. Instead, dread filled her stomach as she realized what it meant. She could still potentially imprint. She hadn't loved the idea of being infertile, but she knew that there were other ways to potentially have kids if she ever decided that she wanted them in the future. It wasn't like she was completely out of options. But if she imprinted…. Well, then she wouldn't have any choice. At least not when it came to her love life or a life partner.

Leah tried to peek into her house to catch a glance of the clock. She could only see the hour hand, but it was clearly on the six.

"When are you supposed to meet the others again?" she asked Embry, determined to avoid talking about the truth about Sam's theory.

"A while ago," Embry admitted sheepishly.

Leah glared at him, "I'll go change and get going then. You go… fantasize about your imprint or whatever, I guess."

"Thank you, Leah." Embry, at least, sounded genuinely grateful for what Leah was doing for him.

"Bye, Embry," she said forcefully, to encourage him to leave her house so that she could get him and his stupid imprinting out of her head.

"Bye, Leah!" he replied as he jumped off the Clearwater's porch. Embry didn't have his mom's car with him and Leah realized that he had walked over. The Calls lived clear on the other side of the res. Embry must have really wanted to talk to her.

Leah snuck back inside and upstairs without saying anything to her mother or Charlie or Billy. Hurriedly, she changed into an outfit easier for phasing – cut-offs and a tank top. She tried to focus on the present – the smell of fish fry coming from downstairs, the sound of Charlie's gruff laughter – and not to the horrifying reality that Embry's imprinting left her with. She hadn't realized until now how much she was counting on Sam's theory to be true. Leah didn't want to be tied to someone without a choice or say in the matter. The supernatural had taken so much of her life from her; she just wanted this to be left alone.

From downstairs, dishes clattered as everyone continued their jovial conversation. Focus, Leah thought to herself determinedly. A second scent was joining the smell of fish fry. Sue's cornbread. And of course, Leah could still smell the lingering scent of vampire that perpetually covered the house these days.

Leah bounded downstairs, listening carefully at the sound her feet made as they hit each step.

"Leah?" Sue called, "Is that you?"

Leah must not have been as quiet as she hoped. She paused before realizing that Sue was wanting her to answer, "Yes, Mom! It's me."

"Do you want some food?" Sue asked as she appeared at the foot of the stairs. She looked up at Leah, her face puzzling as she saw Leah's new outfit, "Did you change? Are you going out?"

"I'm going to go train for the, uh, obstacle course," Leah explained.

"Are you?" Sue raised her eyebrows and stared at Leah.

"Yep."

"What did Embry want?"

Leah had hoped Sue wouldn't ask that question, "Nothing. Just some questions about the patrol schedule." Leah smiled at her mother, knowing that Sue would see right through her lie.

"Hmph," Sue observed Leah, who did her best to keep her face unreadable, "Do you want some food before you go?"

"No." Less of a chance of Sue asking questions that way. Leah pushed past Sue and made her way to the front door, "I'll be back later."

Leah didn't wait for Sue to respond before she left. As she jogged to the forest, she tried she did her best to focus her senses on what she could feel, smell, taste, hear and see right now. The faint laughter of Charlie and Billy. The smell of fresh pine needles. The warm summer evening air. With those things in mind, she tore off her clothes and phased.

Hello, boys.

As soon as Leah willed the words into the pack mind, she could feel the others' reaction to her presence. From Jacob, there was a genuine shock. Quil was surprised too, but also confused. And from Seth, irritation.

Leah! What are you doing here? Seth's disappointment was obvious. After so long of patrolling only with Embry and only spending passing moments in the pack bond with the others, Leah had forgotten how open the others were with their emotions and thoughts. Nothing was hidden. It was all out in the open.

Focusing back on the smell of the pine needles and the slight scent of the stream in the distance, Leah answered, Embry stopped by and asked me to tell you that he won't be able to make it.

They were shocked when she joined the pack mind, but it was nothing compared to the confusion and surprise that was evident when Leah told them why she was here.

Is he okay? Jake asked immediately.

The wind blew slightly and Leah could hear the trees bristling in the breeze. It wafted the scent of nearby wildflowers to her, a surprising sweetness filling the air.

Embry's fine, she assured him. The scent of the wildflowers was gone now, replaced by the comforting scent of the pine trees, He just couldn't make it today and asked me to step in.

Why did he ask you? Seth was disbelieving of her.

He couldn't exactly ask any of you since you were all already phased, now could he? I was the only one who wasn't. So it had to be me.

But why couldn't he come?

Something came up.

What the fuck? What the hell came up that he would tell you and not us? Quil demanded.

I don't even know, to be honest. He just said it was an emergency and asked me to tell you he can't come. She was running fast enough that the trees were starting to blur together, creating a pretty mix of greens and browns.

Right. Both Quil and Jacob were suspicious but neither of them questioned her, just like Embry had said. Leah could hear birds chirping in the distance.

Are you going to practice the obstacle course with us, Leah? Seth asked.

No. Leah answered automatically.

Why not? If Embry isn't going to practice we need someone to replace him. Quil pointed out.

Because I have things to do.

No, you don't! Seth piped in unhelpfully, You said you weren't going to do anything tonight when I asked this morning.

I – thanks, Seth. Thanks a lot.

Then you can practice with us, huh, Leah? Jacob was teasing in his thoughts, but Leah still felt trapped.

C'mon, Leah, it'll be fun! And you're better than Embry, anyway, so you'd be more of an asset.

I doubt Sam's letting anyone sit out. Quil's words taunted her just a little bit.

There are two eighth-graders in Sam's pack. If you guys can't beat them, then that's on you.

But if you join us, then we'll definitely beat them. Jake thought confidently.

You're the fastest. And they're expecting you to sit out. If you actually compete it'll shock them to death. In an uncommon show of competitiveness, Seth's mind was going wild with visions of their pack destroying Sam's pack at the course. Sensing that the others were surprised by his fantasy, Seth explained, What? Brady and Colin beat me the last few times we've played Call of Duty and I'm sick of it.

Don't let the younger kids beat you up, Leah told her brother.

We could put Leah up against Jared, Beta versus Beta, Quil mused.

Leah would kick Jared's ass, Jacob agreed before directing his thoughts at her, Leah, you should at least practice and so if you decide to compete you're ready for it.

Fine, Leah agreed grudgingly.

Through the bond, she could sense everyone's happiness at her decision. It was nice, Leah had to admit, to be welcomed and wanted. And not really what she expected. But they were all unquestionably happy that she'd agreed. Leah quickly focused her attention back on the sound of the trees bustling with the slight breeze before she could dwell on the warm feeling she had in her stomach.

Race you to the course! Seth enthusiastically took off running, happy that, since he was so much closer to the course than anyone else, he actually had a chance at winning.

Quil and Jacob were together, closer to the course than Leah was, and so they arrived just before she did, Jacob beating Quil, of course. Seth had arrived first, triumphant in his mini-victory, even if he knew it wasn't really a fair win.

The course was about a mile long, designed by all members of the packs (except Leah) so that they all knew what was coming. Sue had spoken happily about how designing the course could serve as a bonding activity, while Old Quil seemed to be more excited about the competition itself and thought it would encourage both of the packs to get stronger.

Designed for two people to go through at once, the course was a loop about two miles long and included a variety of different elements. Quil and Seth took off first, while Jacob and Leah hung back, watching through the bond as the other two zoomed across the course. Seth's wolf was smaller than Quil's, and Seth was able to duck into the tunnels that Paul and Sam had constructed much more quickly and run through the agility part of the course, but Quil made up for it when it came to climbing the trees that Brady had wanted to include.

It was close! Seth claimed when he approached the finish line, even as he lagged behind Quil.

Nice try, kid. Maybe next year. Quil was smug about his victory over Seth, Leah and Jacob, you go!

Leah made eye contact with Jacob's wolf and they both lined up at the starting line.

On your mark, get set, go! Quil cried.

Both of them set off running towards the first challenge, a series of river crossings designed by Brady. It was far enough away where Leah's speed made a difference, giving her a head start that she managed to keep until they were tasked with knocking over a wall of bricks, something that Jacob's size and strength gave him an advantage in that Leah couldn't overcome.

Jacob finished first, with Leah close behind, a respectable second. She knew she wouldn't be able to beat Jacob, but she was happy it was so close.

Leah was loath to admit it, but the obstacle course was actually somewhat fun. She had never fully tested the limits of her wolf powers, but flying over rocks and climbing trees made her realize that she should take advantage of these superpowers while she had them.

Maybe the obstacle course wasn't the worse idea that Jared had ever come up with after all. Especially if her pack could actually decimate Sam's pack like Quil and Seth were convinced that they would.

Too bad we don't have any bloodsuckers to kill at the end of it, Jacob remarked.

Think the Cullens would volunteer? Quil asked Seth.

I could ask them! Seth offered cheerfully.

No! Both Jake and Leah thought in unison.

Why not? Seth asked.

Just… no. Leah thought forcefully.

Bad idea, kid, Jacob agreed, Too easy for an, ahem, accident to happen.

Yeah, I'd love to get a bite out of that blonde one. That stupid bitch deserved it.

Rosalie's perfectly nice, Leah!

Is that Paul? That sounds like Paul to me. Quil's attempt to change the subject was obvious, but when Leah listened closely, she could hear the distant thumps of what must surely be wolf paws.

How can you tell who it is? Seth demanded, his attention completely diverted from their previous conversation.

Just a gut feeling.

We need to end practice now, Jacob decided, We can't let the other Pack see us practicing. We need the element of surprise.

It's not the Olympics, Mighty Alpha. Leah had a competitive streak, to be sure, but she wasn't about to waste it on this stupid obstacle course.

It might as well be! Jacob stopped his pacing and listened. It's definitely Paul. We gotta get out here.

Seth went off to the Cullens and Quil ran off to his house, leaving Jacob and Leah alone. They raced through the trees, mostly staying together, although Leah took off ahead of Jacob, determined to beat him at something.

Should we phase back? Leah asked as they reached the road that led to both of their houses.

Probably. Jacob ducked behind a tree, No peeking!

Like it's anything I'd want to see. But by the time Leah was finished thinking it, Jacob had already left the bond.

Leah phased quickly and untied her own shirt and pants from her leg.

"Are you decent?" Jacob yelled just as she finished slipping her shorts back on.

"Not yet!"

"Let me know when!"

Leah adjusted her t-shirt so it covered her midriff and her boobs weren't poking out, "I'm decent!"

Jacob appeared from the other side of the tree, shirtless and in jean cut-offs. Together, they walked towards the road. They had phased only a hundred or so yards back from the edge of the road, almost as close as they could comfortably get as wolves in daylight without risking people on the road seeing them.

They weren't far from their houses, closer than the community center from where they normally did this walk. But they walked slowly, talking about their lives as they did. Jacob told Leah about the newest car that he was trying to fix up and his attempt to sell his woodcarvings at Quil's family store; Leah finally told Jacob about her promotion at the Resort ("$12 an hour! That's insane!" Jacob had crowed by way of congratulations).

They were over halfway to the point where they split off when a car began to approach them. Instinctively, they both jumped to the side of the road as the car approached. In the red sedan, a tanned girl with long hair drove by, making eye contact as she passed. Leah was sure she'd seen her before – the reservation was small enough that she certainly had – but she couldn't place the girl right away.

"Fuck. That was Laurel who just drove by."

"Laurel? Who's Laurel?" It took a second for Leah to place the name Laurel. All she could think of was a little kid named Laurel, but it occurred to her that the last time she saw that little kid was several years ago. It was likely the same person.

"Alyssa's best friend. You think she saw us?"

Leah looked over at Jacob. He wasn't wearing a shirt and Leah knew she wasn't quite dressed appropriately, either. But they were right by the road; the only way this Laurel girl might have missed them if she was blind.

"Oh yeah. She did," Leah told him.

"Great. Just fucking great."

Leah couldn't help but chuckle at his misery, "That bad?"

"Alyssa's convinced something is going on between us," Jacob admitted. He sounded slightly embarrassed, "She keeps asking about you. 'Why's Leah Clearwater going to be there?' 'Why do you spend so much time with Leah Clearwater?'"

"Does she use my last name like that, too?"

"A lot of times."

Leah chuckled in response.

"Alyssa's going to break up with me, isn't she?" Jake asked suddenly.

Leah glanced over one more time at Jacob's worried face, "That's between you and her. But if my best friend saw my boyfriend stumbling out of the woods half-naked with a girl I was already jealous of, I would break up with him."

"I gotta go talk to her," Jake mumbled. He kicked a rock that was in the road. It ended up flying way down the road and hit the ground with a loud crash.

"Probably a good idea."

"Or I could just avoid her," Jacob said more brightly.

"Just go rip the band-aid off, Jake." On one hand, Leah knew that she should encourage Jacob to make up with Alyssa. But on the other hand, she just didn't care.

Jacob didn't respond to Leah and they walked in silence, except for the rocks that Jake kept kicking on the dirt road. Each one seemed to fly further than the last.

"Hey, Leah, you sure nothing's wrong with Embry?" Jake asked, as he turned around and looked at Leah.

"Jake, Embry is perfectly fine, I promise."

"Sometimes I think you know more about him than I do." There was an accusatory note in Jacob's voice.

"He's your best friend, Jake."

"Sure, sure," Jake muttered. Leah could feel him staring at her. She kept her eyes trained ahead of her, grateful that they were in human form and not wolf form. They were approaching the turn to the Black's house.

From behind them, another car approached. This time, it was an old familiar truck. It seemed to be heading straight towards them.

"Fuck. That's Alyssa."

Leah couldn't help but laugh, though she knew it was cruel.

"I'm fucked," Jacob muttered.

Leah looked back at the truck and then once again at Jacob. She swore the truck had sped up and was coming right at them.

"Yeah, you are," She agreed, "But I gotta get out of here before I have to explain why I can survive getting hit by a truck. I'll see you later, Jake."

And with that, Leah headed towards the forest, planning on cutting through the woods the rest of the way home, leaving Jake to face Alyssa's wrath alone.