The next few days went mostly as expected. The pack and the Cullen's got along as much as they had to for my safety and I made sure that trade offs never involved Edward AND Jake. Last thing I needed was for one of them to get injured and have less eyes looking out for Victoria. Though trade offs were going to be less frequent because of spring break, we still all had to keep our ears and eyes open for anything dangerous.
Being at La Push pretty much ensured that the pack only had to patrol the beach which made for some fun afternoons in the cool spring air. The Cullen's patrolled their side of the treaty line, in a semi circle from water to water, guaranteeing Victoria wouldn't make it to me by land, at least not without a fight.
My dad was worried at first when he heard that the Cullen's had arrived back in town and even more worried when he heard I was somewhat talking to them again but I reassured him that Zombie Bella was dead and would never rise again.
I had started worrying about him as well. Lying to him about everything started feeling less about his safety which is why Edward told me not to and more about Edward trying to control who knew what about me, similar to an abusive boyfriend driving all of the girls friends away to take away her support system. It also felt more dangerous than ever since he was going out into the woods, taking his men on a hunt without being prepared. He was going to get himself killed, or others and I wouldn't be able to handle it. I was making a plan but I couldn't tell anyone about it, not even Jake or he might stop me. I couldn't have that.
I sat on the beach as the boys tossed around a ball, seemingly at ease but I knew their eyes and ears were on high alert. They wouldn't have much of a warning if she came by water. If she got through the Cullen's we'd at least get a call to let us know she made it across the treaty line giving us some time to prepare, namely hiding me somewhere safe.
As I watched the boys toss their ball and tackle each other my vision went blurry and a different scene appeared in front of me. Oh great, another prophetic dream. At least this one came while I was sitting still.
I saw a house, and Harry Clearwater bringing fire wood into the front door. His daughter Leah came storming through the yard, running into the house with her younger brother Seth behind her.
"Leah, honey what's wrong?" He asked, visibly worried as his wife appeared from the kitchen. I knew Leah, not well but I'd never seen her angry before.
"He's down at the beach Dad, with Emily. I just don't understand. I… I'm just so angry. I can't… Arhh!" Leah yelled, trying to release her frustration but her yell changed from normal to the sound of a low growl before her whole body started shaking.
In the blink of an eye, Leah Clearwater was standing there, beautiful as always but no longer on two feet, but on four massive paws. Smaller than Jake's by far but much bigger still than a regular wolf.
Seeing his only daughter change from what he'd known her whole life to a massive beast shocked Harry and his weak heart couldn't take it. He collapsed onto the ground, clutching at his chest as he takes his last breath, Sue ran to him as Seth, angry by the whole situation phases next to his sister.
"Nooo!" I screamed and Jake was in front of me, holding me up. "We have to get to Harry's. Right now."
"What's going on?" Sam asked, Emily clinging to his side.
"It's Leah. She's a wolf. She changes and Harry… it causes him to have a heart attack and die. And Seth... he changes too." I say quickly as I run to my truck. Jake hops in and I drive to Harry's.
"Harry! We need to talk." I say as I hop out of the truck and usher him into his home, closing the door behind us so he and Sue could stay away from their children.
"Bella, what's going on?" Harry asks. I ignore his question and glance behind him out the window, we made it just in time as Leah rounds the corner, stopped by Jake. Embry was coming up the driveway to help out with Seth.
"This is going to be a shock but Leah is about to join the pack, so is Seth." As one of the members of the council, I knew that Harry was in on the secret and didn't care if Sue was because I needed to be fast, and Harry should also knew about the prophecies I had so it didn't take much convincing for him to believe me. "I need you to stay calm about that because your heart can't take much right now. I also need you to head to forks, despite your hate for the Cullen's and have Carlisle operate. If you don't, you won't be alive to see your next birthday."
Harry sat down in his recliner as we heard a growl come from outside. He shut his eyes and focused on his breathing to keep his blood pressure down. "Thank you, Bella. I'll take your advice. I assume immediately would be best considering how fast you ran to me?"
"Yes. See him now. If I didn't see it, if I couldn't stop it… you'd be dead right now. I'll drive you myself since I don't see a car in the driveway. Jake and Embry will take care of Leah and Seth."
He nodded and by the time we got outside all four members of the pack had disappeared into the woods. We drove to the hospital in Forks. I called Carlisle and asked him to meet us there. We kept my prophecies a secret from them so I just explained that he was having heart pains and had already gotten bad news from the doctor on the reservation. Carlisle took some tests and agreed that surgery was necessary immediately.
I waited in the OR waiting room and was surprised when Sam showed up. It took a couple of hours but Carlisle walked out with a smile on his face.
"Mrs. Clearwater?" Sue nodded, holding tightly onto Sam. "Your husband is in recovery. He was very close to having a fatal heart attack and had Bella not convinced him to come in, I can't say he would have made it through the night. We had to operate on his heart and the surrounding arteries but we were able to give him back years of his life. He'll need a few different medications and a ton of rest but he should make it through this with only a scar to show anything was even wrong."
"Oh thank you Doctor Cullen. I've been trying to convince him to come here myself. The clinic on the reservation is just not built for such serious conditions." She turned toward me, "and thank YOU Bella, for getting through his stubborn mind and getting him to do what was needed." I smiled and wiped away a tear I didn't even know fell.
"I'm so glad he's okay." I took her hand and squeezed it before turning to Sam and walking down the hall some. When I turned around I was happy to see he followed. "I thought that the wolves were only the men, or uh, boys of the tribe?"
"This has never been recorded in our history. We've never had a female wolf before, or one as young as Seth." He was shaking his head, confused.
"There's something else. Why might she be upset seeing you with Emily?" I asked, knowing it was none of my business but also really invested in the mental health of these men I've come to see as brothers, and this was clearly something that could affect them poorly.
"We were together, before I changed. I loved her, then Emily happened and I couldn't just walk away from my imprint. It physically would hurt me. I wanted so bad for it to be Leah but I guess the spirits had other plans for me." Sam looked like he could cry but he held it back.
"I'm so sorry. That must have been hard for you."
"Worse for Leah. Emily is her cousin, used to be her best friend before everything but they don't talk anymore. Leah hates Emily, and me. She thinks I just moved on and left her. Probably thinks I cheated on her, like I had a choice in all of this, like Emily did."
"If… if you had a choice, what would it be?" I wasn't sure I wanted to hear the answer or if hearing it would make things better or worse, but I felt like I NEEDED to hear it.
"I would choose Leah. I'm not saying that I'm unhappy with Emily but breaking Leah's heart that way was the worst thing I've ever done and I never even had a choice. If I could take back the pain I caused, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I can't though. Emily is my world, just being away from her hurts."
"Is that normal? The pain when being away from each other? Is Jake feeling that right now? Does Jared feel it when he's away from Kim?" Was I unknowingly causing Jacob pain when I went home every night?
"No. I doesn't seem to affect them the same as it affects me. I seem to feel it more intensely. I assume it's because I'm the pack leader." Sam elaborated, relaxing my worry.
"Thank you Sam, for talking to me about this."
"Yeah, you just seem I dunno. Easy to talk to? Den mother-ish." He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.
"Well I'll take that as a compliment."
I could see my dad walk up to Sue behind Sam, she must have called him to let him know what was going on. Now that he was there and could offer her some support we decided to head back to Sam's. I couldn't get what Sam said out of my head. It didn't seem like imprinting was best for everyone like it was for me and Jake.
When we arrived back at Sam's, I was surprised to see Jake and Embry there.
"Did you leave Leah and Seth alone?" I scolded, unsure where that came from.
"Of course not. Leah's in the bathroom. Seth is having a bit harder of a time coming back to two feet but he's out with Jared right now." Embry said, glancing at Jake whose mouth was full of food. As if on cue, Leah came around the corner wearing some cut off jeans and a t-shirt.
"Jake said I'm the fastest one to change back. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or bad but I'm glad to be back on two feet." Leah walked closer to me and wrapped her arms gently around me before pulling away. "I wanted to thank you, Bella. If it weren't for you, my dad wouldn't be alive right now. I just wish I could go see him but with the Doctor being one of… them… Jake said it would be a bad idea."
"I was so scared I wouldn't get to him in time. I'm glad he's doing good and I'm sure it won't be long before he's back home." I could feel the heat of Sam behind me, I didn't realise it until then but I was blocking the front door. I moved aside and he looked over at Leah.
"Leelee…" Sam started but Leah held up a hand and looked him dead in the eyes.
"Just because I understand what happened now, doesn't mean I'm okay with it. I'll never be okay with it. You aren't allowed to call me that anymore." She walked toward him, pushed past and went to sit out on the porch.
Sam closed his eyes, glad that Emily's car was gone. I walked back out the door and sat with Leah in silence. When Emily arrived home she was shocked and looked almost disgusted to see Leah on her front porch. She walked inside and I could hear her voice talking to Sam, in their bedroom. To Leah's would ears, it must have been even louder.
"What is SHE doing here? You aren't having second thoughts are you?" Emily asked, fear in her voice. "I can't lose you Sam."
"No. It's nothing like that. She's part of the pack now, her and Seth both phased this afternoon." Sam explained, his voice quietly travelling out his open window.
"She phased? So now you get to spend every waking moment with her? How is that fair to me? I barely get to see you as it is." Emily was raising her voice, upset at the situation. "It's bad enough you have me this scar when the imprint pulled us together but now I have to see you wrestle around with your ex like she's one of the guys?"
Oh this was getting uncomfortable.
"It isn't like that Emily. I won't even phase at the same time as her unless there's an emergency. You have my word." Sam was practically begging. He sounded like a man who got caught cheating and was trying to convince his partner he's a different man now, it was absolutely disgusting that he felt he needed to comfort her on this.
"You better not Sam Uley, being with a wold is hard enough." She stormed into their bathroom and I could hear the shower turn on.
"Leah." I didn't know exactly what to say but I had to say something. I needed her to know I was here for her. "I… this is so messed up. I may be an imprint but I loved Jake before it brought us together. This isn't right. I'm on your side here. Imprint or not, what they did to you was disgusting."
"You keep proving yourself loyal to me and I might have to forgive you for bringing those bloodsuckers here in the first place. It means a lot Bella that someone is on my side." Leah gave me a small smile before taking a deep breath. "You think things will ever be normal again?"
I have a half-hearted laugh. "I don't think things were ever truly normal. It's getting late. I need to get going. I'll see you tomorrow okay? I wish Spring break would never end."
"It's called graduation, Bella." Leah said, walking with me to my truck. "Soon enough, you get to decide where your future leads you."
Jake heard me close my truck door and jogged over to sit in the seat beside me. We drove to the treaty line and Jasper was there to meet me. When I finally got to sleep after my exhaustingly long day, all I could think was Victoria didn't get me today.