AN: Trigger warnings to many things are present in this story. Don't like don't read.
I do not own Twilight.
I just like to play around in different worlds with them :)
.
.
Leah Clearwater stared out over the rising waves as she sat on a log at the beach in La Push. Her mind was spinning wildly, anger flowing with every wave that crashed onto the beach with the rising storm. Why did it have to be her? She didn't ask for this, to be brought into some huge secret that kept the town safe.
Ten months ago, she had been normal. Close to earning a degree, hanging out with friends, and dealing with the betrayal that her boyfriend and cousin had delivered to her. She could handle that, with enough time and anger she could handle that but this…
She had fallen ill, the flu she had thought at the time. Running a fever so hot that she practically melted as she lay in bed gasping at the pain in her body. Her bones feeling as if they were going to explode, a flaming pain running down her spine that had her quivering with every wave that slid down her spine.
One night she finally couldn't take it and she had slipped out her bedroom window and ran towards the woods, not understanding what was happening as she hit the ground. Her bones snapping painfully as they shifted and changed as her skin stretched, feeling like it was ripping from her body slowly. Her finger's splitting open as thick sharp claws grew where nails had once been.
It felt like hours before it happened, but it had only been seconds and soon she found herself on four paws, looking up as her mother and the man that had betrayed her slowly moved towards her.
To be told that all the stories they had grown up with weren't stories at all but truths that had been passed down from generation to generation, waiting for the shift to claim the next batch of victims. She felt the anger burn under her new fur, anger at the man she was forced to be attached to, now that she was this…Creature.
Anger for her entire family having hidden this from her by playing off the stories as nothing but something to be told around a campfire. Anger that her brother would be following her into this horrendous life filled with danger and servitude, which he had only a month ago. She hated having to follow Sam, having to obey him like some child being told what to do and when and where and even how.
She was never someone to take orders, to roll over and do as told. It killed her little by little every day. All the boys hated her because she was so angry. She wouldn't ever let Sam forget what he had done. She understood the imprint bond and that he couldn't stop it, but it didn't mean she had to like it. Emily wasn't bound to this life and yet she had no problems doing that to her, and maybe that's what hurt the most. Her own cousin had willing taken the man that she had been seeing, disregarding her feelings.
Now there was no escaping them and she was sucked into the wedding plans, no matter how much she refused and bitched and complained. She couldn't even look at Emily without her anger consuming her and having to run into the woods to shift. Now the only people she was around was the others in the pack. Sam, Paul, Jarrod and even fucking Jacob Black.
Jacob Black that was hung up on his old childhood crush, Bella Swan. The girl had returned to live with Charlie suddenly after her mother had gotten remarried. The pack's mental link had her seeing every one's thoughts. The way Sam felt about Emily, which made her want to claw her eyes out. Jarrod's love for Kim, which was sweet and pure.
And the way Jacob constantly drooled after Bella, which was only slightly worse than Sam and her cousin. He wouldn't leave the girl alone. Constantly trying to come between her and the bloodsuckers she was hanging out with. The Cullen's. The Cold Ones. The vampires that their tribe had a treaty with. The treaty that if they didn't bite a human and stayed of tribal land, they would be left unharmed.
The vampires had never done anything to them and always abided by the treaty, but the tribe was hell bent on them being evil. She honestly couldn't care one way or the other. Most of the hatred the pack had was because they blamed the vampires for the shift. Personally, she thinks it's just some sick joke by the powers that be who think making them turn into giant fucking wolves would give them some kind of entertainment in their boring immortal lives.
The rest of the pack didn't agree with her thoughts, but she didn't give a shit what they thought. As long as they left her alone to stew in her own angry and sorrowful stew, she left them alone. It wasn't like she could stop them from seeing what had been done to her. She couldn't stop it any more than they could stop her from seeing their sex lives.
Her stomach rolled at the thought and she shook her head as she stood, the rolling thunder filling the afternoon's sky overhead. She moved back up the beach as her mind returned to Bella Swan, making a disgusted noise.
She was sick of seeing the girl through Jacob's thoughts. So, she was hanging out with leeches. It wasn't his or any of their business. They weren't hurting her she was just friends with them, although Jacob seemed to think the girl was dating one of them. She shivered at the thought, but to each their own. It's not like she had room to talk considering her past relationship choices.
If Bella Swan wanted to get mixed up with Vampires, then it wasn't their business to stop her. Everyone should have a choice as to where their lives would end up. Hers had been taken away from her, she wouldn't have chosen this if she'd had a choice.
She frowned as her little brother walked towards her sadly, "We've been looking for you."
She smiled. Seth looked so much like their late father that it was sometimes hard to look at him. Seth knew this, they'd talked about it not to long after the funeral months ago, before her shift. He was proud to look like their father even though their mother had a hard time looking at him.
She missed her father. She would spend hours at night on patrol wishing he had been around to help her understand why this was happening to her when nothing had ever been mentioned about women being shifters too. Even Billy Black had been surprised that she had shifted. It left her a mystery which didn't help the anger burning inside her.
"I've been here the whole time. What's up?"
Seth fell into step beside her, "Charlie and Bella are coming for dinner tonight. Mom want's us on our best behavior so we don't shift and kill either of them."
She grinned, "I thought they were going to Billy's."
Seth frowned suddenly, "She muttered something about time to tell the three kids." He shrugged, "I don't know what she meant but I've never seen her this nervous before Leah."
She frowned in confusion but shoved it aside. Whatever her mother was going to say wouldn't have an impact on her. She was old enough to come and go as she pleased, and she had been considering finding a small place of her own with the money she had been saving up from her part time job at the Ateara's diner. Not that she had told anyone about her ideas.
"She also said we aren't supposed to shift until after dinner. She doesn't want anyone knowing that they are coming for dinner." Seth's brows pulled together in confusion.
She glanced at her little brother, "Why?"
He shrugged, "I don't know." His usual wide smile spread across his face, "So?"
"So what?" She asked when he didn't elaborate after a few moments.
"What do you think it's about?" He bounced in front of her, his enthusiasm returning in full force.
She grimaced, "I don't know, and I really don't care."
He frowned, "Damn why do you always have to be a downer Leah?"
She chuckled quietly as he ran towards their house. She was happy that her brother was excited about the shift, but she knew he would be putting his life in danger sooner than he should. He was only fifteen and, even though she was twenty-one and like to act like she didn't care, she really was worried about her little brother. She hated to think of him up against the leeches that had come onto their land.
A Forks police cruiser was parked in the driveway next to her mother's car and Seth was standing at the end of the driveway waiting for her, "Do you think Bella's here yet?"
She scoffed, "Don't tell me you have a crush on her now too."
He glared at her, "She's really nice Leah but no I don't like her that way." He hurried into the house.
She heard her mother's voice, "Seth, where's your sister?"
"She's coming. I found her on the beach."
She rolled her eyes as she entered her mother's house and her stomach growled at the smell of roast and potatoes cooking, her nose scrunching up at the strong scent of Charlie's aftershave. She plopped down on the sofa next to Seth as the boy flipped to a basketball game.
Charlie grinned from the kitchen doorway, "You've grown in the last few month's Seth."
The boy bobbed his head happily, "Growth spurt hit early." Seth chuckled at the lame excuse they usually gave.
She ignored the police chief and focused on the game until the sound of a loud engine met her ears and Charlie slipped outside. She glanced at her brother and his nose wrinkled in disgust.
"Man, she reeks." He whispered to her.
She inhaled deeply and frowned at her brother, "What are you talking about?"
He turned his head to stare at her wide eyed, "What does she smell like to you?"
She took another inhale and smiled slightly, "The forest after a fresh rain, fresh peaches with a hint of death and decay."
He shook his head at her with a grimace, "She smells like she is putrefying. How does a wolf lose its sense of smell?" the boy shook his head as he stood, walking into the kitchen.
She frowned as she stared at the tv, utterly confused by her brother.
"Leah set the table please. Bella it's good to see you again."
"You too Mrs. Clearwater." Bella's soft voice was shy.
Sue chuckled, "Please call me Sue."
"I'm sorry I'm late. Alice and I had to finish a project for school." Bella said as she leaned against the doorway to the kitchen.
Leah ignored the girl as she entered the kitchen to get the plates to set the table in the dining room as her mother spoke again, "What would you like to drink Bella? We have water, tea, soda. I would stay away from Leah's Gatorade."
"Water is fine."
Sue glanced at her, "Leah, get a glass for Bella please."
She growled quietly in annoyance, why couldn't the girl get her own damn glass? She opened the cabinet next to her and snatched a glass out, thrusting it out with her opposite hand, not realizing the girl had moved closer. Her firm hand slammed into the girl's chest and sent her backwards, onto her butt on the floor with the force.
Charlie laughed as Sue and Seth stood frozen. She turned quickly and frowned down at the girl, who was currently rubbing her chest gently. She knelt in front of the girl, "I'm sorry Bella. I didn't-"
Bella's head came up and she froze as light brown eyes met her hazel ones. She felt her mind stop. Everything melted away until it was just her and Bella, in an endless white abyss. Nothing else mattered anymore. Not Sam, not Emily, not Jacob. Not even the wolf mattered anymore. The light brown eyes held all the answers to the questions she had been asking herself these last months.
This girl was the reason she was breathing, her oxygen supply. Bella was her reason for living, the one that was going to end her torment. Bella was the reason she had shifted. A feeling of calm and relaxation slowly trickled through her body like a steady stream. The world shifted on its axis and aligned perfectly for her.
This girl was the most important thing in her life, her happiness being the ultimate goal. Bella's safety being her top priority. Whatever this girl wanted she would give it to her. She would give her the world if that's what she wanted, somehow someway. She would give her the moon and the stars if that's what her heart desired.
Bella's voice broke through her rumination, "You don't have to apologize."
Seth finally moved and held his hand out, "Are you okay Bella?"
Bella took his hand and nodded as she was pulled to her feet, still rubbing her chest, "I'm fine. It's nothing really."
Charlie laughed, "Yeah she's used to spending most of her time on the ground."
Bella shot him a glare, "Gee thanks dad."
Sue shook her head, "Leah?"
Her mind finally caught up to everything and she stood quickly, stepping closer to the girl, "I'm so sorry Bella." Concern thick in her shaky voice.
Bella shook her head, "I'm fine but I should go. I just remembered a history report due tomorrow."
Charlie frowned, "I'd really like for you to stay."
Bella backed away from her and she felt a sudden panic fill her chest, "I can't miss this report dad. Whatever it is you want to talk about just say it."
Charlie and Sue exchanged a look before he took a deep breath, "Sue and I are dating."
Bella's eyes widened. Seth blinked rapidly at the two adults. She, well she really didn't care. Her mind was Bella. She had hurt the girl and judging by the way the girl was gently rubbing her chest still she knew it was hurting her.
Bella frowned, "How long?"
Sue stepped up next to Charlie, "Only a few months, but we've been friends a lot longer."
Seth took a step back towards Bella and leaned towards her, "Do we tell them now or let them squirm some more?"
Smiles broke out on Seth and Bella's faces as the two adults gasped. Charlie spoke first, his eyes narrowed on his daughter, "You knew?"
Bella nodded as Seth leaned an arm on her shoulder, "Seth came to me a few weeks ago and we sort of did the math. The kid's a whiz."
Laughter filled the room as Leah watched Bella's smile light up the room, putting a smile on her face in response.
Sue shook her head, "Unbelievable."
Bella shook her head, "The only thing unbelievable is you two thinking you could sneak around behind our backs."
Sue put her hands on her hips, a scowl coming to her face, "So you were just going to let us keep going on without saying anything?"
Seth and Bella glanced at each other, then nodded and said in unison, "Yes."
Her mother scoffed unable to form words as Charlie laughed, "Tag teaming is not fair."
Seth grinned, "It's not tag teaming if we did it at the same time."
Charlie narrowed his eyes at the boy, his smile fading, "Smart ass."
Sue slapped his shoulder lightly, "Language."
Charlie scoffed, "You should hear Bella at times."
Bella shook her head with a small smile, "Uh, rude. Have a good dinner." The girl spun on her heel.
"What about you?" She finally got her mouth to work again.
Bella turned to her, cocking her head at her, "I'll eat at the Cullen's."
She frowned as she hurried after the girl, following her outside, "Bella you know what they are right?"
Bella sighed heavily and turned to her, "Not you too. I get enough of this from Jacob."
She hesitated for a moment, unsure what to say. Could she tell the girl anything? Did she know about Jacob, about what they were? Sam's gag order was firm and when she tried to open her mouth nothing came out. So, she switched tactics, trying to find a way around the order.
"Do you know our stories?" She asked as the girl opened the truck door.
Bella frowned at her for a moment, "Yeah. Jacob told me two months ago about them."
She opened her mouth again but still nothing came. She sighed, "Please be careful around them."
Bella eyed her curiously, "Why should I? They're my friends."
"I can't tell you."
Bella rolled her eyes angrily, "Just like Jacob I see." She climbed into her truck angrily.
She struggled with the wolf as it clawed at her chest angrily. It wanted to stop her, to protect her from the leeches that she was going to, but how could she without telling her the truth.
She caught the truck door, "I am nothing like Jacob. I am just asking that you be careful."
Bella frowned at her for a moment before she nodded, "Always am," and shut the door.
She watched the truck leave the driveway before she sprinted into the trees near the driveway. She shifted as soon as the house disappeared from view. She felt Sam's link and quickly focused on hiding her thoughts. She didn't want him to know before she could figure things out for herself. She followed the truck as Bella drove back towards Forks, stopping at the treaty line before beginning to pace.
All the anger she had seemed to disappear. What Sam and her cousin did still hurt but it didn't matter anymore. They didn't matter. Only her. She shifted and stood at the treaty line, naked as she thought about the girl. The girl she had seen a thousand times in Jacob's mind, but he didn't see her at all.
She was the light to her darkness, the sun to her moon. She would be a friend, if that's what the girl wanted, and she would protect her with her life. She could already feel an uncomfortableness in her body that hadn't been there before. Like she was supposed to be going somewhere, searching for something.
She refused to think about what that would mean as she shifted and guarded her thoughts carefully as the link to Sam reconnected. She began to pace the treaty line heading north, staying on tribe land. She could hear Sam as he communicated with Paul.
"Take the south end. Leah already has the North end covered."
Paul scoffed, "I thought you were supposed to be having dinner with your mom and Seth."
A new link connected to the pack mind, "It was canceled." Seth's thoughts came through.
She paused in her trot as she realized Seth was guarding his thoughts also. She couldn't stop her wolf lips from pulling back in a smile, knowing her brother was protecting her from Sam. She waited where she was for a few minutes until the Seth arrived, shaking his grey fur out wildly. He shoulder bumped her and they ran together, enjoying each other's company.
Two hours later Sam's and Paul's link disconnected, leaving them alone. Seth began immediately, "What was that about? With Bella at the house."
She sighed and let the guard fall, "I don't want anyone to know Seth."
The two wolves faced each other, and Seth's large wolf head cocked sideways as he saw what happened. He gasped and shifted, standing in front of her naked, "Holy shit Leah. You imprinted on Bella!"
She shifted angrily, "Shut up twerp! I don't want anyone to know."
He frowned, "Why not? This is great news Leah."
She shook her head, "Bella hangs out with vampire's Seth. What do you think Sam is going to do when they find out that my imprint prefers the undead bloodsucking kind of monsters over us?"
The boy frowned for a moment then shrugged, "I don't know but this is good Leah. Bella is amazing."
She felt a flutter of jealousy in her chest, "When did you two get so close?"
He grinned, "Well the first week I shifted I sort of tumbled down into the river and crashed into Bella."
She narrowed her eyes at him, worry pulling at her mind, "Crashed into her?"
He nodded, a small blush creeping up his tanned face, "Yeah. I didn't mean to, but I did, and it startled us both and I accidently shifted right in front of her. My bare ass was just standing right there in front of her and she just laughed." He smiled sheepishly, "Not at me but at the fact that not only was she dealing with vampires but now a giant dog."
Her jaw dropped, "She knows about us?"
He shook his head, "No just me. I didn't tell her anything. I told her I got sick but then the blonde Rosalie Hale, she appeared like a pissed off mother lioness that was defending her cub and then her brute of a husband, Emmett appeared next to Bella. It took twenty minutes for him and Bella to stop laughing long enough to get me a pair of shorts from Edward."
She stared at her brother, her left eye beginning to twitch uncontrollably, "What happened and why didn't you tell me?"
He laughed, "Bella and I have something in common. She knows there's certain things I can't talk about and there's certain things she won't talk about. It's just nice having someone to talk to." He frowned at the ground, "Someone outside of the pack and the family that can understand what it's like to be thrown into something that we didn't ask for."
She frowned at her brother, not realizing just how much of a toll this was taking on him, "Why didn't you tell me?"
He shrugged, "You've been going through your own things and I didn't want to add to it. I know you worry about me enough as it is." He turned around, "Come on let's get back to patrolling." He launched into a run as he shifted, leaving her standing at the treaty line.
She watched her little brother disappear as she shifted, guarding her thoughts again. She didn't realize how much her brother had matured either. He was right, she had been so caught up in her own struggles, her own anger. She didn't see the man he was becoming. It was too early for him to become a man, but he was doing just that.
She hated to think that she had cut herself off from the one person that could understand her. The one person that would be there for her no matter how she treated him in her bad moods. She was determined to make it up to him as she chased after the younger boy.
.
.
Leah growled angrily as her cell phone rang on the bedside table, pulling her out of a deep sleep. They hadn't gotten home until four that morning and then they had spent an hour eating before she had stumbled to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. She managed to strip out of her cloths and pull the sheets over her body before passing out.
She flipped her phone open angrily, "What?"
"Leah it's Charlie."
She frowned as she rolled onto her back, "Oh, sorry."
Charlie chuckled, "It's okay. I didn't mean to wake you, but have you seen Bella?"
She sat straight up, the name of her imprint waking her fully, "Not since she left here last night. She was going to the bloo… Cullen's."
"Okay thanks."
"Wait Charlie is something wrong?" She asked as she threw her sheet off and stood.
A deep sigh came through the phone, "She hasn't been answering her cell phone is all."
"What's her number? I'll try calling it and see if it slipped out of her pocket when she was here." She pulled a pair of jeans on as Charlie gave her the number and she hung up.
After pulling a t-shirt on she slipped into her shoes and hurried out of the bedroom, hearing the soft snores coming from Seth's room. She dialed the girl's number and saved it to her phone as she entered the kitchen. Even if the girl's phone wasn't there, at least she had the girl's number now.
She could hear a soft buzz coming from under the refrigerator. She knelt on the tiled floor and found the phone just hidden under the edge of the machine. She pulled it out and the soft scent of peaches and fresh forest air after the rain surrounded her, comfortingly. She hurried out of the house, grabbing her keys to her SUV on the way.
She sped towards Forks knowing that she wasn't on patrol duty until later that night. It was already noon and she figured the girl would be at school. She spotted the red truck in the parking lot and pulled in behind it. She tried the truck door, but it was locked so she leaned against it to wait.
The bell rang ten minutes later, and students began to pile out of the building, some heading to their cars and others to the large cafeteria. She heard the growl from across the parking lot and turned to see the girl walking with the blonde bloodsucker, the largest one walking happily behind them.
Bella frowned at her before turning to the blonde. A moment later Bella hurried towards her, tripping once and she spotted the blonde take one step forward before the girl steadied herself while continuing to move. She couldn't stop the small smile that pulled at the corner of her mouth.
Bella glared at her, "What are you doing here Leah?"
She held the girl's phone up, "Your dad called. Said you weren't answering your phone and asked if I had seen you."
The girl's ears turned bright red as her cheeks followed suit, "Thank you. I didn't know I had dropped it."
She frowned, "I'm really sorry about that Bella."
Bella shook her head, "It wasn't your fault." She unlocked the truck door and tossed her book bag onto the seat, "Besides you apologized last night."
She nodded, "Yes but I still feel bad about it."
Bella turned to her with a frown, eyeing her curiously, "You've never talked to me before, why now?"
She felt caught off guard. She wasn't expecting the question but then she really hadn't talked to her before, never even looked at her. Every time the girl had come over, she had always walked away not wanting to listen to Jacob's pinning over her.
She stared at the ground, "I'm sorry about that. I was going through a lot and I wasn't in the mood to be around anyone."
Bella raised her right eyebrow, "So what's changed?"
Leah hesitated. She wanted to tell the girl, she wanted her to know everything about her. How would she react? Would she be scared of her? If she could handle vampires could she handle shifters? Seth said that Bella had only laughed with him, but would she still feel the same about her? What about the imprint bond? Would she accept that or reject it? Could she even reject it?
Her mind swirled deeper into questions until she felt a hand on her arm. The spot tingled and a deep sense of calm cleared her mind, "Leah? Are you alright?"
She looked up into Bella's light brown eyes, worry dancing wildly in their depths.
She smiled at her, "Yeah. I'm sorry. I have a lot on my mind."
Bella's brow creased, "I'm a good listener. Just ask Seth."
She felt the pang of jealously again, but she wasn't sure if she was jealous over Seth or Bella. She frowned at the girl, "I may take you up on that. Now that I have your number." She grinned.
Bella smiled, "Sure just let me know. I'm staying with Rosalie this weekend."
She felt the anger flare in her chest, her wolf begging her to say no, to say anything, "Don't take this the wrong way but why are you spending so much time with them?"
Bella pulled back and crossed her arms over her chest, "They are my family."
She frowned, "How long have you known them?"
Bella's glare made her wolf shudder, "Does it matter? When you meet people that respect you and like you for who you are, never let them go." She slammed the truck door angrily.
She caught the girl's wrist, "I was only curious. Honest."
Bella searched her face before sighing, "I'm sorry. Jacob has been harassing me none stop about me spending time with them and it has me on edge."
She nodded, "I could talk to him if you want. Get him to lay off."
Bella turned to face her fully, "You've changed."
She swallowed, taking a step back and letting the girl's wrist go, "No I haven't."
Bella nodded, "Yes you have. Every time I've seen you on the Rez you've been angry and withdrawn. What happened between last week and last night?"
She shook her head, anger surging inside, "You don't know me Bella."
"And you don't know me but here you are, at my school." Bella snapped.
Leah growled softly, "I was just bringing you your fucking phone Swan."
Bella's brown eyes darkened quickly, sliding into a black pit of anger. She crossed her arms over her chest the muscles in the girls bare pale skinned arms rolling tightly with the movement, "Well you've done your good deed for the fucking week so you can leave."
She clenched her hands into fists, taking a step forward. Rosalie appeared between them, a dangerous growl rolling from her lips, "Walk away."
The vampires voice was edged with a threat as her large mate wrapped an arm around Bella's shoulders. A slim golden ring around the black pupil. Rosalie's eyes were pitch black as she held her ground her body stiff and ready for whatever happened next.
She knew she couldn't take the two vampires, especially since their siblings were hovering near the red car a few spaces down from them. She tore her eyes from the blonde leech and leveled them on her imprint, a small surge of need crawling up her spine. She needed the girl safe and right now her emotions were all over the place, making her the dangerous one.
She relaxed her fists and nodded, "I'll talk to you later Bella."
Bella shrugged, not looking at her, "You have my number."
She frowned before hurrying to her SUV. She peeled out of the parking lot watching in her rear-view mirror as Rosalie wrapped her arms around Bella tightly. Bella buried her face in the blonde's neck and wrapped her arms around the leech's waist. She frowned feeling that same pang of jealousy course through her.