Grace let the warm water rush over her face as she braced herself against the shower wall. Only a couple of hours ago she had been bestowed with knowledge that Jacob Black was her soulmate. She had held onto him so tight as every fiber of her being pulled her to him. All she could remember from that first embrace was relief. Her entire body had ached for so long and she had just gotten used to the pain of it, until finally it was wiped clear in one moment and the realization that her life had been missing this integral part washed through her.

She turned the heat up in the shower and let it pelt her back. Everything happened so fast that she didn't know if it was even real anymore. Grace turned the water off, not sure of how long she'd been in the shower. She wrapped herself in a towel and walked into her quiet bedroom, the sun was setting outside now and the cool light pooled in pockets around her room. She let the towel fall so she could shake the excess water from her hair. Her body felt incredibly warm.

She pulled on some fitted joggers and a grey tank top before throwing her red cropped hoodie on. She shook a hand through her hair and let out a huff of breath before turning toward her door and walking slowly down the stairs.

She rounded the corner to face the kitchen and came to a stop. Jacob was standing in her kitchen pulling together a meal, She held onto the stair banister and paused for just a moment before he looked over his shoulder at her.

Grace's breath caught in her throat again. He gave her a small smile and said softly, "I just threw a bunch of leftovers together, you didn't have much."

He carried two plates out and set them on the kitchen table. Grace stayed by the stairs, her heart pounding in her chest. Her entire body felt electrified with anticipation, and her eyes kept darting to his hands. The same hands that had held her so tightly in the forest as she nearly wept in his arms just a few hours earlier.

"Hungry?" he said, raising his eyebrow at her. Grace's entire body screamed to be near him and she nodded gently, trying to walk at a normal speed toward him. She plopped down in the chair closest to him. "You okay?"

How could he ask that?! Was she okay?! She was over the moon. She was elated. She was incredibly, overwhelming, irrevocably in love with this feeling. Her entire body buzzed with so much excitement that she thought she'd fly apart at any moment. Her senses were dialed to eleven anytime he opened his mouth, moved his hand, brushed his arm against hers.

"Oh, yeah," she answered nonchalantly, picking up her fork and putting mashed potato in her mouth. "Totally." she nodded. Jacob looked at her for a second and then his face broke into a wide grin that squeezed her heart. He started to laugh and so did she. They were gasping for air, laughing at one another and Grace thought it was the most incredible sound. After a few moments, they settled and she shook her head at him.

"This is wild," he sighed and Grace nodded carefully. As they finished their food Grace took a chance to speak,

"What do we do now?"

As if on cue, Leah and Seth came through the door panting. Grace was on her feet, Jacob in front with an arm extended in front of her.

"What the hell are you two doing here?" Jacob asked. Leah put her hands on her knees trying to catch her breath and when she stood straight to look at them she did a double take.

"No FUCKING WAY! I knew it!" she yelled. Seth was grinning like a mad man as Leah raised a finger now accusingly. "I knew shit was weird between you two for too long! I knew it!"

"Take it easy Leah," Jacob rolled his eyes.

"Why the fuck did you only imprint now?!" She was looking from Grace to Jake.

"He became alpha. I guess that's what Ti'Hal had kept saying this whole time about 'be yourself blah blah blah'," Grace said crossing her arms. "She kept saying we were fighting too hard against who we were and only when we became who we were meant to be would the suffering end."

"Dark," Leah said positively thrilled.

"Okay, anyway, what are you two doing here?" Jake asked again. Seth started walking toward the kitchen now.

"We left Sam's pack." He said simply.

"You WHAT?!" both Grace and Jake shouted in unison.

"You need to go back right now, Seth. You too Leah," Jake said.

"Is that an order?" Seth responded jokingly. Jake glowered, clenching his fists.

"That's not what I said," Jacob said evenly. Leah plopped down on the couch and threw her arm over the back of it.

"Seth bring me some leftovers. I'm beat," Leah said.

"This isn't funny you two, you shouldn't be here. I didn't start my own pack," Jake said. He looked to Grace for help but she shrugged.

"You're technically an alpha which means you are your own pack," Grace said in a small voice.

"Exactly. When you went quiet and left, it was like a door was left open. Seth and I chose to go through the door. Once we decided, everyone went quiet. It was amazing," Leah said as Seth handed her a tupperware container full of lasagna.

"Oh god," Grace put a hand to her forehead. "Sam's probably pissed."

"Who cares? He deserves it after what he did to you. He was way out of line," Leah said.

"That's not the point. I don't know what I'm doing right now," Jake retorted, a hand automatically resting on Grace's arm.

"Oh, we know," Seth said, "But you made a choice, and so did we. If you want us to go back to Sam's pack you're going to have to do it with an alpha order."

"When did you get all this confidence?" Jacob said, surprised. Seth smirked and dug into the pizza leftovers. Grace had ordered a few days back. Jacob let out a groan and turned to wrap his arms around Grace's shoulders. She threaded her hands underneath his arms and around his back and echoed his groan.

"I can't believe you imprinted," Seth said, shaking his head. Jacob didn't respond, but rather he laid his cheek on the top of Grace's head, letting the relief wash over them.

"Are you really though? Look at them, they were like this before. All the pieces were there, they were just being stubborn," Leah said. "Ti'Hal said so," she teased in a sing-song voice.

"Okay, I'm going to go take a shower, please don't eat Grace out of house and home," Jacob kissed the top of Grace's head and let her go to move up the stairs.

"Okay, but I'm sleeping in her bed tonight, alpha," Leah said. Jacob scoffed at this as he disappeared into Grace's room. Grace jumped over the back of the couch and sat next to Leah, pulling her head under her arm to give her a noogie.

"You're no longer a part of the Sam pack and suddenly, you've got so much sass." Grace teased.

"I've always been like this." Leah stated shaking free of Grace's grip.

"She really has been," Seth said, flicking through the channels on the TV.

"How do you feel?" Leah asked in a lower tone. Grace's eyes were alight, eager, she hadn't felt this good in months. Still, she squirmed a little under Leah's stare, everything still new.

"I don't know. I feel...really really good. We haven't really gotten to talk about any of it yet but he seems...happy about it?" Grace glanced up the stairs and back to Leah. "It's not like we're suddenly going to press on the gas though, right?"

"I dunno, ever since he came back you've been on his mind. He even mentioned this call and return thing that kept happening while he was out on his own. Which honestly sounds like it was a dormant imprint thing. I don't think he's going to want to take it too slow." Leah responded.

Seth looked over his shoulder at them, "Are you guys together now?"

"Seth," Leah hissed.

"What?!"

"We literally imprinted like four hours ago," Grace bemoaned.

"Yeah, but you've felt it since the first time you laid eyes on him, don't lie." Leah waggled her eyebrows suggestively at her and Grace pushed her shoulder.

"You better watch it or you won't be sleeping in my bed tonight," Grace warned. She got up then and went to the kitchen to clean up. Grace semi-hoped that another pack member didn't decide to leave Sam's pack and come to her house right away. She was sorely lacking on the food front considering she'd been at the Cullen's for the majority of the last 5 months. As she finished the dishes in the sink and was wiping down the counters, Jake came up behind her.

"Need anything?" he asked awkwardly. She turned to look at him and gave him a small smile.

"No, I'm good," Grace said. His eyes connected with hers and she felt that familiar pull in her belly. The one that begged her to move closer, but she stayed in place, still unsure of where they were headed. However, in this connective moment, Jake must have felt the same thing because he reached out to her and Grace took the two steps forward to close the gap between him. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into him and then pressed his lips to her shoulder. She brought her hands up to rub on the back of his neck and he let out a soft, almost inaudible sigh of pleasure. Grace closed her eyes at the sound and couldn't help but feel a ripple of pleasure whip through her as well.

"Is this too much?" Jake said quietly into her shoulder. Grace shook her head and whispered back,

"No. It feels good, right?"

"That's an understatement," he said chuckling. She smiled brighter at that as she moved her hand in soft circles on the back of his neck. "Does Leah really get to sleep in bed with you tonight?"

At this Grace let out a loud laugh as Jacob tightened his hold on her.

"You guys are kind of gross," Leah said distractedly on the couch watching a show with Seth.

Grace woke up the next morning with an arm draped across her body. Groggily, she rubbed at her eyes and looked to her left at the sleeping form of Leah. Did yesterday really happen? She wondered. Jacob had imprinted on her, become alpha in her defense, and split the pack up. None of it felt real.

Despite Jacob's new alpha status, Grace still had a line into Sam's pack. She was void of pack specific allegiance and was keeping an ear to the ground of if they were going to volley an attack against the Cullen's. Before she fell asleep late last night, nothing of note had come up. Sam's pack was in disarray and they had unphased to regroup.

Grace picked Leah's arm up off her body and rolled out of bed. She slowly padded down the stairs and went to start some coffee. Jacob was strewn across the couch, his broad body taking up the majority of the space. Seth was in the back office, still asleep. Grace checked her phone for any new messages from Carlisle or Edward, but her inbox was empty. She took her coffee and softly made her way to the front door to enjoy it out on the patio.

She listened to the sounds of the comforting waves and felt a moment of calm wash over her. Jacob had made it clear last night that he was interested in picking up where they left off. They still needed to discuss everything but Grace knew that would come in time. Whether it was the imprint or the familiar pull they had always felt toward each other, fate was beckoning them. Grace wasn't going to fight it anymore—she couldn't.

As she sipped the warm liquid under the rising sun, Grace couldn't help but be both excited and terrified of what was to come. Sure, the rift between Sam and her was going to take time to fix, but she wouldn't let this implicate the pack members. Two packs could exist together, two alphas meant more coverage to manage duties, the new recruits, everything.

This can work.

A sound to her left made her eyes snap wide, the calm she felt moments earlier dissipated. From the left of the treeline at the mouth of the cove, Embry stumbled into the clearing in front of Grace's home.

"Embry?" she said aloud, confusion coloring her voice. And then, she saw it. Bright blood gushed from his shoulder, painting the right side of his body red and staining his shorts. She ran forward, colliding with him just outside of the path to her front door and he collapsed on top of her. The wound was incredibly deep, fresh, and Embry's eyes were rolling back in his head.

"JACOB!" Grace screamed as she kneeled on the sand, Embry's immense frame sliding face first into her lap. Grace pulled her hand away at the sticky, warm blood and then immediately pressed her hand back. His shoulder and part of his neck were shredded, the muscle ragged and exposed. Jacob was on her in a second, crouching next to her and pulling Embry's body into his arms. Leah and Seth were standing on the porch bewildered.

"Bring him inside," Grace said hurriedly. "Leah, get towels. Jacob, take him to the back."

"We need to patrol," Leah said shocked. Jacob gave her one short look and nodded his head as he went past.

"Go with Seth after you fetch the towels. I'll be with you soon," Jacob confirmed. He laid Embry's lifeless body on the mattress and Grace kneeled beside him pressing her hand to his neck and shoulder.

"Is he—" Seth said, lingering in the doorway to the room.

"Seth, go phase now." Jacob said. Leah was in the room with towels and was shaking them out. Seth backed out of the doorway and sprinted toward the cove.

"Where do you want them?" she asked Grace.

"Under his head, here give me one." They worked quickly, sopping up the excess blood and clearing the wound so Grace could see the extent of the wound. With Jacob's help, she sat herself at the head of the bed, her back against the wall. Jacob laid Embry's head and shoulders in her lap and she pressed both hands to his wound trying to cover as much surface area as possible.

"I'm gonna kill him! He's lost his mind," Leah seethed moving from the room after Seth. Jacob was preoccupied with Embry, his eyes focused but his face etched with worry.

"Go," Grace pleaded to Jake, "I've got him. He's breathing. You need to keep anyone else away from here, but don't fight them, Jacob. We don't know what happened." Jacob grimaced at this and took off after Leah and Seth. "Oh Em," Grace said, tears springing to her eyes.

She had to focus now so she settled in and closed her eyes, feeling the warm spring of blood pulse under her palms as she willed Embry back to life.

At some point, Grace had fallen asleep, exhaustion settling over her as she healed Embry. When she woke up, the sun was high in the sky. She pulled the towel back that was covering her hand and inspected the wound. It was puckered and closing, and Grace let out a sigh of relief. Embry's breathing was even, but his forehead pooled with sweat. Grace ran a hand through his hair and felt it's damp. She readjusted her body under him and reached for her phone that Jacob had left on the nightstand.

SMS Text—12:32 p.m.: Jacob

We're on the outer perimeter of your place.

No sign of Sam.

The Cullen's place is quiet.

How's Embry?

Grace quickly returned the text: He's healing, but it's slow. I'm calling Dr. Cullen, I think he has a fever.

Grace navigated to Carlisle's number and hit call. It rang twice before he answered.

"Grace. Everything alright?"

"Fine. Can you come to my place? One of ours is hurt and I think he has a fever. He's not healing fast enough."

"I'm on my way." Then silence.

Grace leaned her head against the wall and let out a huff. As she waited for Carlisle, Grace tried to understand what happened. Could Sam really do something like this? The thought made her cringe thinking of Embry crushed between Sam's jaws, ripping and thrashing him around. The wound was so pronounced that she thought Embry must have phased back to his human form halfway through. She'd get to the bottom of this.

She heard Carlisle's car and before she knew it he was next to her, kneeling and inspecting Embry's wound.

"Probably infection. Do you know how he got this?" Carlisle set to work setting up an IV and pressing it gingerly into Embry's elbow crease.

"Not sure, but possibly Sam. Jacob became Alpha and a few members of the pack left Sam and joined Jacob's ranks. It's caused...some tension," Grace said tiredly.

"I'm sure. He should be okay. The antibiotics should help clear the infection and he'll improve with your help. The wound is almost closed and I've cleaned what I can see. But for now, it will just take time." Carlisle said softly.

"Okay," Grace said, "Can you help me up, I'm covered in blood and need some fresh air."

Carlisle obliged and helped gently lift Embry up so she could slide out from under him. They laid him back down carefully, clearing away the blood soaked towels.

Carlisle followed her out into the living room.

"Thank you for coming. I really appreciate the added help," Grace said. "How's Bella?" Carlisle smiled sadly.

"She's…." he paused for just a little too long and Grace's heart fluttered, "She's fine but she's taken a turn. We're not sure just yet how to keep her on track but it seems like the fetus is starting to take too much from her. She can't eat anything and…" Carlisle rubbed his forehead.

"She's dying?" Grace said softly.

"Not yet, we'll figure something out. You have enough to worry about here. Do you know if Sam has a plan to—"

"No, no. He's lost four members of his pack, there's no way he'd launch an attack outnumbered. You're under our protection and once we get Embry back, we'll go from there. I'll try to come by tonight, see what we can do," Grace said. Carlisle gently touched her shoulder and headed for his car. As he pulled away, Grace felt herself start to shake.

She walked carefully to the kitchen and turned on the hot water, washing her blood stained hands and watching the currant colored blood swirl around in her sink. A sob involuntarily escaped her lips and she gripped the side of the counter. She couldn't lose Embry and she wouldn't lose Bella.

Grace felt her body weaken slightly at the weight of the day's events, and as she took deep breaths to try and clear her head, she felt warm hands circle around her. A deep gasp of relief sounded in her throat as she leaned back into the body behind her. She turned and circled her hands around his neck, her body filling with warmth. He held her for just a moment and then scooped her up under her knees and carried her upstairs.

He set her down gently and held one arm around her waist while reaching around to turn on the shower. Diligently, slowly, he pulled her shirt up off her body. He slid the pajama shorts she had been wearing down around her feet, his fingertips grazing the sides of her body as he stood up. She stepped out of her shorts, taking in labored breaths. He quickly discarded his jean shorts and stepped into the open shower, tugging her hand to follow him.

Grace stepped under the warm water and let it wash over her face. Jacob took a shower sponge and gently washed her arms, legs, stomach, and back, carefully cleaning the blood off of her that had soaked through her clothes. She watched him, her brain cloudy, her movements slow and let him softly touch every part of her. For a while, he just held her as she leaned against his chest taking deep breaths. Once done, he wrapped a towel around his midsection and draped a towel around her, drying her. He led her to her room and tugged a clean black, oversized t-shirt over her head and pulled on a pair of shorts for himself. Grace was revelling at the feeling of being tugged and touched—each time his hand connected with her skin, it sent a shock wave of warmth through her body. He guided her to bed and pulled her to him under the lightweight sheet. She nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck and let herself be enveloped by his heat.

She marvelled at their unspoken time together, feeling everything that words couldn't seem to cover. What Grace felt above all else was love, warm, crashing, contented love radiating from the man that held her. She pressed a kiss to his neck and let herself drift to sleep.