CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Zora rubbed her palms against the linen of her shorts, her injured arm and shoulder finally healed, and her hands slick with sweat as she walked to Sam and Emily's place. It was hours after her reunion with her mom—who reluctantly gave her permission to leave the house—the sun setting and streaking the sky a brilliant mixture of orange, pink, and purple as it descended below the horizon of trees.

Her heart beat to a nervous rhythm, scenarios playing in her mind as she tried to think of what she would say. "Sorry" was too simple; Sam would cross his arms and stare into her soul with his infamous Alpha death glare, and Leah would probably drop-kick her across the entire reservation. She'd have to try something else – sinking to her knees, clasping her hands, and emotionally begging for forgiveness? No, she thought, shaking her head. I'm not that pathetic.

She groaned. No matter what she said or did, her pack would be angry. Edward's words echoed in her mind—you'll have to deal with it—and she let out a resigned sigh, kicking up rocks as she walked.

Though she wasn't looking forward to her pack's reaction at her arrival, it was a relief to be home and to know that the bloodsucker was a pile of ashes miles away from her. She gazed fondly at the small houses that lined the neighborhood, listening contentedly to the movement within them. There were soft voices and laughter, snores and the sizzle of oil in a pan. She still wanted to leave La Push one day, branch out and explore the world, but she couldn't deny the attachment she had to her community; it was stronger now that she was one of their protectors.

A small smile began to form as she overheard animated conversations, but it froze when she saw a tall, angry figure burst through the door of Sam and Emily's house. She was several feet away, but could see the dark expression Sam wore, a mixture of fury and revulsion as he snarled at her. He looked murderous, his body trembling dangerously, and it left Zora shocked and somewhat afraid. His anger was so immense that he wanted to attack her?

She took a cautious step backwards, and her movement seemed to snap him out of his brewing violence.

"Zora?"

She felt just as confused as he looked. "Surprise?"

His frown deepened. "I thought – I thought I smelled a vampire."

Her eyes widened as she glanced down at herself. The clothes! She had grown accustomed to the leech stench and forgot to change out of the shirt and shorts Esme gave her.

"Sorry…about that," she laughed awkwardly, walking forward and stopping at the front of his lawn. Sam's gaze hadn't left her once, his expression steely and unsurprisingly, his arms crossed. It made her wish that the ground opened up and swallowed her.

"When did you get back?"

She hesitated. "…This afternoon."

His eyes narrowed. "You've been back for hours and didn't contact me right away?"

Her mouth opened then closed, unable to find any words to say.

Unfortunately, Sam had plenty. "So the Cullens found you after all, and instead of alerting me that you were alive"—he coldly looked her up and down—"you go home with them and play dress up?"

"I wasn't playing dress up. And I didn't spend the whole day with them," she retorted hotly, shrinking back as soon as he gave her an icy glare. "I…I had to speak with my mom first."

"You could have called me anyway."

Zora was used to his anger, but it was his calmness that unnerved her. He spoke firmly and harshly, his face a neutral, unmoving mask. His dark eyes scrutinized her with disappointment, filling her with the guilt and shame she had tried to avoid.

"You're right," she muttered, lowering her eyes to the ground. "I could and should have called, but…I was scared, alright? I was scared to talk to you and face you because I…didn't want you or anyone else to hate me."

He continued his glaring, and then his mask slipped as he sighed. "I don't hate you; I could never hate you. You're pack – part of my family."

Still unable to meet his gaze, Zora heard the shuffling of his feet as he moved from the porch to stand in front of her. The ferocity she sensed earlier disappeared, and when she chanced a glance upwards, she saw that his rough exterior had melted away. In its place was a look of pure exhaustion.

"What I do hate is that you ran off alone, without anyone to support you. You…somehow refused my order, and while I'm unsure of how that was even possible, I'm still angry about it. Angry because all I care about, for you and the others, is your safety. We had an agreement—we wouldn't lose anyone during the newborn fight, but I lost you. I looked everywhere for you, followed what little of your trail was left, and when I couldn't find you, I feared the worst."

Zora felt his words settle upon her like a heavy boulder, the weight of his emotion constricting her. His confession was difficult to hear, and if he felt that horrible about her disappearance, she could only imagine what Leah would say and do.

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

He was silent for a moment, studying her. He could tell her apology was sincere, could see it in her face and hear it in her voice, but he knew Zora. He fully understood that she was only apologizing for the distress she caused him. She didn't regret leaving, and he wasn't surprised. He was aware that if the opportunity ever arose, she would run off again in a heartbeat to save the people she loved. The thought troubled him, but he couldn't hold her actions against her. He would do anything to protect Emily…so he nodded, accepting her apology and pulling her into an unexpected hug—an act of forgiveness.

Zora was bewildered. Sam was hugging her? He had never done that before. Didn't he want to angrily yell at her or make her patrol for 48 hours straight? She stood stoically, unsure of how to proceed, before placing her arms around him tentatively. His embrace felt like that of a father, and while she was slightly weirded out, it was strangely comforting.

Lasting only a second or two, he pulled away, wearing what looked to be a combination of a smile and a grimace. "Zora…you stink."

A short huff of laughter escaped her. "You really know how to make a girl feel special, Uley. Can we go inside now? I missed Emily, and I missed her food even more."

He chuckled, motioning for her to follow as he lead her into the bright warmth of his house.


"If you ever run off like that again, I'll hunt you down myself."

Zora fidgeted under the fierce glare of her best friend, not daring to take another bite of the thick slice of banana bread Emily gave her. Sam had called Leah first, barely able to get in a few words before she hung up on him and sprinted to his house. She arrived appearing the same way she had looked when Zora first met her—short hair disheveled and brown eyes ablaze.

Zora had hardly any time to react before Leah was in her face, standing over her as she sat at the kitchen table. The atmosphere was tense, the presence of Emily and Sam momentarily forgotten as the two girls stared at one another. For the second time that evening, Zora's mouth opened and closed as she struggled to find the right words that would quell Leah's rage.

"I can explain—"

"Explain what?" Leah interjected. "That you value some jackass's life over yours? Don't bother."

"That's not fair," Zora frowned. "You know why I did it."

"Yeah, I know why. And I'll tell you what isn't fair, Medina. It isn't fair that you left without any warning or regard for the ones who care about you. It isn't fair that I was worried sick about you and spent my precious time running in every fucking direction to find you. And it isn't fair that I had to mourn my best friend because I thought she was dead."

Tears had fallen by the time Leah was finished speaking, but she didn't bother wiping them away. She wanted Zora to feel her pain. And Zora did. Her expression matched her friend's—watering eyes, an unwilling frown, and a quivering mouth as she fought back the desire to cry. She knew Leah's confession would be harder to hear than Sam's, but harder was an understatement. Leah's grief was her grief and remembering her desperate pleas for her to come back pushed Zora further into the depths of sorrow.

"I…I'm sorry, Leah," she murmured, her voice cracking. "I-I know sorry doesn't cut it, but I'm…really, really sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Well, you did hurt me," Leah snapped. "You hurt me really fucking bad. So, think before you make another careless decision, and don't do that shit again."

Zora nodded, sniffling and wiping at the moisture on her cheeks.

"Now, stand up."

"What?" Zora questioned.

"I didn't stutter, Medina. Stand. Up."

Confused, Zora gazed up at Leah – who was ignoring Sam's warning. Her expression was no longer a tearful frown, but a straight-faced glower as she stared at Zora expectantly. Does she want to fight me? The thought was upsetting – best friends were supposed to butt heads from time to time, but should've been able to make up in a civilized way. They weren't normal best friends, however, and Leah's anger was a force not to be reckoned with. So, she sighed and stood, squeezing her eyes shut and waiting for any sort of painful impact.

What Zora received instead was a pair of arms wrapped around her, holding her in a tight embrace.

"Thanks for staying alive."

Zora exhaled the breath she was holding, relieved and surprised at Leah's behavior. She never initiated hugs, yet held onto Zora as if she were afraid she'd disappear again. She felt a pang of guilt and threw her arms around Leah; the two stayed that way for several moments, a comfortable silence surrounding them as any lingering negativity dissipated.

Finally, Leah pulled away, her glare replaced by a smirk. "You totally thought I was going to kick your ass."

Zora grinned, happy that they were able slip back into the ease of their friendship. "I'm not usually this gullible, okay? But you looked super mad, and I figured if a fist fight was going to make you feel better, I'd happily oblige."

"Aw," Leah said sarcastically, placing a hand over her heart. "I couldn't ask for a better best friend."

The girls cackled together, their laughter growing louder as Zora wrestled Leah into another embrace.


The rest of the pack had soon arrived, each boy carrying a grease-stained box of pizza as they shuffled through the door noisily and excitedly.

"You made it!" Jared shouted in her ear, pulling her into a side hug.

"You smell like vampire ass, though," Paul said, grimacing and pinching his nose as he slapped her on the shoulder.

"She smells better than you," Leah replied, laughing as he scowled at her.

Seth, Collin, and Brady had scooped her up in a group hug, forcing her to jump up and down with them as they giggled like a pair of school girls.

For the first time in almost two days, Sam and Emily's place was alive, the stark opposite of the quiet, dull sadness that had filled it before Zora's return. Everything felt peaceful again, and everyone felt whole. Sam was aware of it and so was Emily, the couple exchanging smiles as they retrieved plates for everyone to eat on.

And Zora felt it, too. Her departure had a profound effect on her and the others, and being with them again made her realize how integral she was to the pack dynamic. She missed the joking, the merriment—hell, she had even missed the arguing. Being away from the pack gave her the solitude she hadn't experienced since her pre-wolf days, and oddly enough, she didn't miss it. The pack's constant presence—in her mind and in reality—made her yearn for them.

She was so damn happy to be back.

The light and joyous mood continued as everyone gathered around the kitchen table, several slices of pizza in hand and mouths full as conversation was made. Over the boisterous noise, the rumble of a familiar engine could be heard, and though no one bat an eye upon hearing it, Zora was keenly aware of whom the engine belonged to. Car doors slammed, and a few seconds later, Quil and Embry rushed into the house, each throwing their respective boxes of pizza on the counter as they went to ambush her with hugs.

"I knew you'd make it! Didn't I tell all of you jerks she'd make it?" Quil shouted.

Embry snorted. "No. I'm pretty sure you cried like a baby and blubbered, 'She's not gonna make it, she's not gonna make it!'"

"Geez, Ateara," Zora teased. "Thanks for having zero faith in me."

"Shh…don't listen to his lies, Zora," Quil said soothingly, shooting Embry an icy glare. "He cried like a baby, too."

Like an old married couple, Quil and Embry continued bickering, and while Zora was amused, the feeling weakened as she found Jacob in the sea of tall bodies crowding Emily and Sam's kitchen. He was leaning against the door frame, crutches held underneath his arms as they supported some of his weight. It gave her some comfort to see him standing, the right side of his body somewhat healed from the agonizing damage the bloodsucker inflicted. He looked stronger and healthier, the complete opposite of the broken boy she'd left behind two days ago.

And he was staring at her.

It felt like more than a simple glance, however, as he gazed at her with an intensity that made her stomach flutter. He was happy to see her, but there was more, a strange longing in his eyes that she had never seen him direct towards her - a look that had once been reserved for Bella Swan.

Zora gulped, her heart thrumming against her chest as she tore her gaze away from him. He was supposed to be in love with someone else, yet there he was, staring at her as if she were the only person in the room, looking as if he wanted to pull her into his arms and—

No, she thought, the voice in her head firm as the image cleared from her mind. No, no, no. I'm not falling for that again. We're nothing—not friends, not even acquaintances. That's what he decided.

She glanced back at him, and this time, he gave her a half-smile, his hand raised in a shy wave. She groaned inwardly. Why? Why was his awkwardness so annoyingly adorable? Clenching her fists, she decided that this would be the defining moment; she would let him and everyone else know that things were going to be different this time around.

With some difficulty and an unwavering resolve, she disregarded his greeting, averting her eyes away from him and turning her back.