A/N: Three POVs in this one - Leah, Ava and Akeala. Next we get into some pretty intense stuff! Any guesses as to what it is?

Thank you SO MUCH for the reviews on this one. 11 is the most I have gotten and so glad people are digging this and giving feedback. Makes me want to continue and give more. Enjoy!

Leah POV:

My eyes popped open at 7am in my childhood home. I covered my head in the blanket. Did I really do that last night? With Paul?! Oh my God it was so hot.

The phone buzzed and I pressed the bright screen to my face.

Paul: Can't stop thinking about you. That was so amazing.

Paul: Seth is training Ava this morning. Can you meet me in the clearing in the forest to go over some stuff before we start her training? Strictly business.

I agreed and then stretched my body over the guest bed, willing myself to get up and make breakfast for my kids and my mom. I had come back pretty late and been relieved that they were both already asleep. They knew I was meeting an old friend, and I just prayed I didn't get a barrage of questions at breakfast.

"So who was the old friend?" Akeala immediately started as soon as she walked into the kitchen. She was more forceful than she usually is, as if the idea of it was antagonizing her.

"Oh, ...uh," I stammered with my mouth open.

"I thought you didn't have any real friends here, anyway, that's why you hated it so much."

I shut my mouth at her statement. Akeala was most clearly pissed at me. When did she get so bitchy? She was always soft like her dad, wasn't she?

Omar walked in and seemed more chipper. Hanging out with Seth so much seemed to do him good. There was much less fist clenching from him and more general helpfulness and maturity. I rubbed arm, grateful for his calming presence.

I looked back over to Akeala, who sat at the table in a huff. I could have lied and told her I was with Rachel, but Akeala was too clever and I knew I'd get caught in the lie at one point or another and her attitude, or whatever this was, would spiral out further.

"I was with Paul," I truthfully said, softly. "It was a date."

I hadn't dated at all since their dad died. They had asked questions about it in the early days, if I would, and what would that be like. But when it didn't happen we just stopped talking about the idea all together.

Omar looked up at me curiously with this information but Akeala folded her arms, riled up.

"That super mean guy! I can't believe he wore you down," She accused. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"I heard him talk to Uncle Seth about you at the barbecue," She made a gagging face. I felt my face blush.

"It was just one date, Keal," trying to downplay it. "I know we haven't really talked about this stuff since daddy… I'm happy to talk to you guys more about it…"

"No, thanks. I'm good," she sliced with a semblance of apathy and covered my view of her with a cereal box. My mom walked over slowly. Omar, who was just taking everything in, immediately hopped up to help her over. He sat her down and helped her make a plate.

"What is everyone up to this morning," my mom asked.

I took a deep breath. Akeala was in a foul mood. Telling her I was going to see Paul this morning would just add more fuel to the fire.

"I'm going for a run and then I'll be back to do some work," I stated.

"I'm about to head over to be with Uncle Seth and the kids today," said Omar, pouring my mom some juice.

Akeala shoved the cereal box out of the way. "I can hang out with you grandma," she said.

"Oh, that's so nice, sweetie. But if you want to spend time with that nice boy you've been seeing, that's okay too,"

"No, that's ok Grandma" she said flatly. I looked at her.

"Did something happen with you and Leo?" I asked.

"No," she was curt with me. She finished her cereal and got up to go to wash her bowl out in the sink. She clanked her boots on the hard linoleum floor and then into my old room and slammed the door shut.

I looked over at Omar, hoping maybe he'd have some insight.

"Women," he said before shoveling a spoonful of cereal in his mouth. My mother laughed but all I could do was rub my forehead.

Akeala POV:

I slammed that door with such force I thought it might shatter. Everything was just maddening. I went to bed my normal meek self and woke up completely pissed off at the world. This new insight on my mom's whereabouts didn't help. Omar was always busy at Seth's, my mom was off dating some asshole and the one friend I had made seemed so off and tried to hit on me in the most awkward way possible, leaving me with no one. I crashed on the bed and stared at that stupid Eminem poster she still had hanging up.

After a while Mom left for her "run," which I knew was code for her ditching me. Omar headed over to Uncle Seth's and I came out of my room brooding.

"So much like your mother," said Grandma, who was sitting on the sofa. My whole life I was told the opposite. I was like my dad. Sensitive, emotional, easy going. Omar was like mom — direct, assertive, aggressive at times. But currently I felt like a perturbed piece of shit.

I shook my head at her.

She didn't wait for me to answer with words. "Well maybe not in all ways, but you're like her here," she pointed to my heart.

"I don't think I am like her at all, Grandma." I looked at a picture of my mom when she was about 15 with her parents and Uncle Seth. She looked so carefree and happy. I felt so far from that. Every muscle in my body was tight. Every slight I had ever experienced was on instant replay in my mind and I just felt indigent.

"Grandma, if you're okay for right now, I'm gonna go take a walk… I'm not sure exactly why I'm feeling so on edge, but maybe some fresh air will be good for me." She smiled and I went back to my room get my fanny pack. I couldn't help but rip that irritating poster off the wall on my way out. It sliced in my hand, and as it tore I noticed there was writing on the back:

June 8th, 2002

Happy Birthday LeeLee. You are the girl of my dreams.

Love always,

Sam

Sam? Cousin Emily's husband? He was the Camp Counselor Alpha boss that dumped my mother? For her fucking cousin?! What was with this fucking hell hole town? I thought. What else is she keeping from me?

Fury radiated off me so much I started to shake. I could feel heat pouring out of me. I wanted to scream but instead I stormed out of my room and headed out the door.

Ava POV:

Monday morning came and although I didn't want to, I packed a bag of extra clothes to head over to Seth Clearwater's house. As I got things ready my phone buzzed and I saw a text from Paul.

Paul: Hi Ava. We look forward to your first day of training today. Try and relax. It will be an adjustment for the guys, but they'll get used to having a sister again.

Was he trying to comfort me with a line like that? Un-fucking believeable, I thought.

I turned into a wolf 36 hours ago, instigated by my ex-boyfriend who verbally assaulted me. Now I get access to that duchebag's fucking brain while I rip apart blood sucking vampires. Oh, and I got stared down while naked by a bunch of dudes, most of whom are twice my age. But he wants me to worry about their adjustment and how comfortable they are? Awesome.

I held my phone in my hand for a while and then just typed back "ok". I had nothing to say to him. It wasn't even personal. I generally had nothing to say to the 40 year old men in my life. They were the dads of my friends. The teachers. The random neighbors. You Smile, you nod and move on. But now this old fart would be my Alpha, the most important person in my new life. The person I couldn't refuse. I bit my lip just thinking about it. I was never a very good subordinate in the first place.

Uncle Jake called Paul an asshole plenty of times over the years. Paul did seem formidable and overbearing, but honestly, our paths rarely crossed. The main asshole in my life was Will. That bad boy shit reeled me in hard, even though I knew it was obnoxious bullshit. But Paul was just cold and had no idea how to relate to me.

I walked into our living room with my bag. My mom sat there, waiting for me.

"Are you ready?" She asked, trying to shield her nervousness.

I nodded, not even stopping to ponder the question.

Everyone said it was a fluke that Leah shifted. All the stars were aligned for her, or whatever. I didn't ever consider that I'd ever be a protector.

My mother pursed her lips at me. I looked at her hard. She had definitely been crying.

"Ya know, Honey. I called Uncle Jake… and he's going to come down."

I looked at her blankly. Uncle Jake didn't come back too often, but when he did it was a big deal.

"...and he'll talk to you about it more. But if you want, you can go up with him for a bit and be a part of his pack."

"Isn't it just him? Is it even a pack with two people? One person?"

"I don't know Ava…" she said annoyed at my questioning, "It's just a thought and you can talk more about it when he's here, but this way you won't have to constantly be connected to Will and Theo and the 'macho idiots" as you lovingly referred to them".

I took a deep breath. "Ok, mom. I guess we can all talk about it later, but for now I better go over to Seth's." I gave her a small kiss and headed out.

When I got there I rang the bell, waiting for Seth or Alex, but someone else answered… I recognized his shape before he opened the door, it was Leah's son, Omar.

I didn't know much about him. He was cute and he hated smoking like I did. He gave me a few annoying tough guy nods at Seth's barbecue. I liked his sister and mom.

The door swung open and I started to give a friendly smile, but then I caught his dark, almost ebony eyes, glistening. A surge of energy pulled toward me, lifted me up and I was floating, only connected to Omar and his miraculous soul. I seemed to immediately know him. He wasn't a tough guy at all - no not like Will or Theo, but he wasn't weak either. He was strong but more sensitive and considerate. He would be unfathomably loyal and needed me to protect him in ways I couldn't even understand. In just a second I was completely committed to him in any capacity he saw fit. I noticed that he was transfixed too and recognized that he felt the imprint.

"Ok, Ava… ready to go…" Seth called as he came down the stairs. But then, he stopped as he saw us. "Oh, shit," he yelled.

"W What?" Omar stammered. "What is it?"

He was confused, bewildered. I had to calm him, make him feel relaxed. I gave a sweet smile and asked "Have they told you about imprinting yet?"

"No." He said in a breath, his eyes still locked on mine.

"How about we go for a walk?" I asked.

He looked over at Seth.

"It's cool, dude," Seth said, patting Omar's shoulder who was still in a daze. "I'll catch up with you guys in a bit."

Omar nodded at me and we made our way out of the house walking parallel down to a trail in the forest.

Omar was tall and broad, and I had always been tall for a girl, maybe 5'9, but since phasing I had shot up a 3 or 4 more inches and we were just about eye to eye.

"Did they tell you I phased?" I asked softly.

"Yeah," he said. "You're the first female since my mom." I nodded at his words.

"So what did you say back there? Imprinting? Cause I do feel kinda strange..."

I nodded. "So some shifters, not all, imprint. Sam and Emily, Jared and Kim and Quil and Claire have been the only ones in the current pack. My Uncle Jake also imprinted on my Aunt Ness." I looked at him looking at me. " It's supposed to be a gift from the Gods. When you find your other half. And for the shifter, it's like you are tied to that person, connected in a supernatural way."

"And I…did we just? Is that what I'm feeling now?"

"We did," I said looking at him as we moved through the forest, trying to read him better. His dark skin shimmered in the sunlight.

"All those people you mentioned are married. Does that mean that we will… that this will be…"

"They say it doesn't have to be romantic. It wasn't for my Uncle or Quil for a really long time. I mean, as the imprint you get to decide what you want and on the timeline and I'll just follow along."

Omar looked astonished at this notion.

"Well, what do you want, Ava?" No one had asked me what I wanted. In truth, I felt an unsinkable pull toward Omar. I wanted him. The wolf in me wanted him right there on the forest floor and for him to be by my side permanently. But the girl in me realized I didn't even know him. I wanted to get to know him.

"Well, I'm super interested in you Omar. And I'd love to get to know you more, if you'd like to get to know me."

He looked at me, eyes glistening and the smile the size of a crater on his face. I slid my hand down and entangled mine with his. He readily took it and we made our way out towards the clearing.