Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephanie Meyer and the Quileute people belong to themselves.

Pen Pearls and Lanaylee, this chapter is dedicated to you. Thanks for reviewing!

"I apologize for the wait. I'm running a one-man show since the clinic isn't officially open yet… It's lucky Angela is still at the diner. Chief Swan said she gave him my card just before the call came in for the wolf," Lucas Goodhands rambled. The young vet was a bit sleep-deprived and high on adrenaline.

As he'd said, the clinic wasn't open yet. Lucas was only there because he'd been organizing all the medical supplies he'd picked up in Seattle the day before when Charlie Swan had come by and upended his evening. In the span of two hours, he'd handled his first patient (who just so happened to be a wolf with gunshot wounds), and he'd had both the Forks Chief of Police and the Chief of the Quileute people in his lobby. The latter of the two chiefs was still there, accompanied by a young woman with curious eyes and a menacing-looking young man with a crop top that strained to stretch over his bulging muscles and up to cover his nose.

"Are the paint fumes getting to you? I must've gone nose blind with as much time as I've spent here trying to get everything in order… Would you like me to turn the air on?" Lucas gestured to the thermostat.

"No!" Rachel said a little too loudly and stepped closer to her personal space heater just in case. She tugged his shirt down from his nose and patted his taut stomach as he burrowed his face in her hair. "No, thank you. We're fine, Paul's just sensitive."

Paul snorted. The only thing sensitive about him was his- Paul's eyes glazed over as Leah intruded on his mind space.

Billy cleared his throat.

"It's good to see you, Lucas. As you know, wolves are sacred to the Quileute people, so I am glad that this wolf is being cared for by one of our own," Billy pressed his hands over his heart gratefully, "Li/áqtsķal/axw. Thank you from my heart."

"I'm glad I was able to help," Lucas knew the legends, but he didn't take them seriously enough to understand why the wolf's condition should warrant a visit from the chief.

"How is he doing now?"

"The wolf sustained some serious injuries, but, surprisingly, most of the bleeding stopped once the bullets were removed. I was concerned that it might be indicative of a blood flow issue, but it seems like the healing process has already begun, which is interesting because it usually takes hours or even days before-"

"Can we see it?" Paul interrupted, a little sulky after Leah's reprimand.

"Uh, yeah, sure, come on back," Lucas led them down a hallway that was almost too narrow for Billy's chair. The chief's knuckles scraped against the walls- painful the first cycle, breaking skin the second, and drawing blood the third.

"I gotcha, Chief," Paul squeezed the older man's shoulder and Billy patted the younger man's hand before dropping his hands to his lap as Paul started pushing the wheelchair. "Hey, Lucas, you should really look into opening this up a bit."

"I know," Lucas nodded tiredly, "There are a handful of renovations I still need to update… I hope no one needs to use the restroom, by the way."

"Y'know, Paul runs a construction company," Rachel offered with all the subtlety of a pageant mom.

"D'ya now?" Lucas cast a look of interest over his shoulder as he led the line around a corner.

"Yeah, Cameron Constructions- the owner's son is a friend of mine and I've managed a few projects. I'm sure we can get you straightened out in no time."

"Thanks. That would be great," Lucas stopped in front of a door and peeked through a small observation window before opening it. "Here we are."

The small entourage crowded in on one side of the examination room. The bandaged wolf was connected to IVs and monitors and its eyes were closed.

"Is it-" Billy began in a hushed tone.

"No, no, it's not dead," Lucas rubbed a hand over the wolf's head, "just sedated as a precaution. Sleep also helps with the healing process."

"Can I pet it?" Rachel asked.

"I suppose, just stick to the head so you don't agitate any of the wounds," Lucas moved to the side of the table to give her some room.

"Poor baby," Rachel ran a gentle hand between the sleeping wolf's ears, "it's so small."

"62 inches is hardly small," Lucas scoffed and took a step back when he saw the hard look in her companion's eyes. "The average wolf is 41-63 inches long for context."

Billy nodded, but his eyes were fixed on Paul who was pressed up against the door like an overgrown stopper in his attempt to avoid being shut in with the nauseating new paint smell. Catching Billy's questioning gaze, Paul lowered his hand from his nose long enough to take a deep breath and shook his head subtly.

"It's also very warm," Rachel emphasized dramatically, shooting her eyes back to Paul who just shook his head again.

It may have been large for a wolf, but it would've been small for a shifter and it didn't smell like Pack. Paul's sense of smell wasn't as strong as Jared's, but he had smelled enough shifters and real wolves to distinguish the scent of humanity in lupine form.

"Wolves are typically about 105° F, but we're dealing with a fever of 108 here, which is a good sign that the body's fighting off some sort of an infection," Lucas checked one of the IV bags, "I've got some antibiotics flowing to help."

The metal hook clanged against the IV pole as Lucas released the bag. Paul jerked his head away from the harsh sound. The wolf on the table stirred and licked at Rachel's hand making her giggle. Paul took a protective step toward his imprint as the wolf sniffed and opened its eyes.

The room erupted in chaos.

"Ouch!"

"Woah!"

"Hey!"

The wolf snarled and snapped. Paul growled back and shoved Rachel behind him. She fell onto her father's lap and Billy instinctively jerked his chair backwards, clattering into a stack of boxes that instantly toppled over. The wolf scrambled away from Paul, falling into Lucas's arms where it thrashed wildly until he lost his grip. The IV pole crashed to the ground as the wolf ran into a corner on the opposite side of the room and lost control of its bladder. Lucas grabbed a syringe and jammed it into the wolf's closest leg. The wolf wilted in its puddle.

"Sorry about that. I'm not sure what happened; the sedative was supposed to last a few more hours. I imagine that the elevated temperature reduced the longevity of the medication," Lucas explained as he straightened the IV pole and then the exam table. "Do you mind stepping out for a moment so I can attend to my patient?"

The triad slipped out of the room and Paul wheeled Billy back down the hallway while Rachel trailed close behind. She wrapped her arms around his waist after he parked Billy in the lobby. The telltale coppery smell of blood reached Paul's nostrils. He whined and grabbed at his imprint's hands to look for the injury.

"Did that thing bite you?"

"It's just a little scratch. It was an accident."

"I don't like that wolf," Paul snarled.

"That appeared to be mutual," Billy chuckled.

Rachel rolled her eyes at her father as her imprint began licking the side of her hand.

"Anyhow," Billy continued, "I would like a member of the Pack to remain here at all times. I know you said it's not one of our wolves, Paul, but I can't ignore Lucas's comments. If there is even the slightest chance that's a shifter, we need to be prepared to assist with the transition."

"Sure, sure."

-EQUINOX-

Leah quickly assigned the youngest wolves to wolf-watching detail when Billy's request came in from Paul. Her sisterly overprotectiveness extended to all the little ones as much as it did Seth. She didn't want any of her pups risking life and limb to chase who-knows-what and babysitting the potential shifter was the perfect excuse to keep them out of harm's way.

Leah: Daniel, Aaron, Brady, Tim, Judah, Seth. Switch out every four hours and repeat- human form inside the building. Let me know if he phases or if there's ANYTHING remotely abnormal.

Paul: Did I mention it might be a girl? I didn't get a good look at the underbelly, but (The wolf panic peeing on the floor before being tranquilized)

Something like hope rose in Leah's heart when Paul shared the memory. She quickly stamped it down. It probably was just a regular wolf and, anyway, she wouldn't wish this life on anyone.

Quil: That would be trippy.

Jake: Quil, how soon can you get meet up to go over the genealogies? We should probably try and figure out who else could possibly phase.

Quil: You're at the Cullens, right? I can be there in 15 minutes.

Jake: Yeah, I'm at the Cullens' now (Nessie smiling). They're going to start running patrols, but they've never heard of anything like what we described. Edward said he'd ask around about it and look into the selkie thing, too.

Collin bristled at the idea of his imprint in conjunction with the bloodsuckers.

Leah phased back into human form and turned down the volume on the incessant wolf chatter as she approached Emily's place. She slipped into a sundress and tried the sliding door. Unlocked doors meant that anyone was welcome to drop in.

"Hey Em," Leah followed the sound of clattering pans to the kitchen.

"Leelee!" Emily's head popped up over the island like a gopher out of a hole. She hip-checked a cabinet door closed and rounded the counter, scooping up a bowl of blueberries.

Leah watched the way her cousin carried the bowl off to the side as though her belly was preventing her from holding it normally. She noted the way that Emily rested a hand on the small of her own back as if she needed the support after setting the blueberries down on the table. She took in Emily's pursed-lip smile and the exaggerated arch of her brows.

This was the first time they'd been alone together since Sam had let the cat out of the bag about Emily's pregnancy. From the way Emily was acting, Leah could tell she thought it was still a secret and she didn't have the heart to burst her bubble. The corner of Leah's lips turned up in a half-smile. Emily had never been good at keeping secrets from her. It was more overt when they were little.

"Guess what!"

"What?"

"No, you have to guess. It's a secret… Do you want a hint?"

Twenty years later, it was still the same song and dance with Emily. She hadn't changed like her cousin had. How was it that Leah hadn't noticed before when Emily was being so obvious? Perhaps she hadn't wanted to see it.

"It's been a minute! What brings you by?"

"Pack business."

"Sam's not here," Emily frowned in confusion. Leah should've been able to smell that.

"No, I know that. I'm actually here to see you. Did you hear about the hunt earlier?"

"No, why? Is Sam okay? I didn't feel anything from the link-"

"Nope, he's fine. Perfectly fine. He says hi."

For the record, Sam did not say hi. He was actually marking the places in the forest where the unknown creature's scent was strongest and he had no idea that Leah was at his house. Leah had zero desire to have Sam in her head at the moment, but he probably would've said hi if given the opportunity.

"Hi Sammy," Emily waved as if Leah was a webcam before collecting herself and taking a seat at the table. She motioned for Leah to do the same. "Why do you need me for Pack business?"

"Mom said that your mom told her a Makah legend about whatever we were chasing today," Leah rested her elbows on a chairback. "There was a weird bird call and a smell that not even Jared could identify. No one got a clear look at it, but it attacked a guy from Forks and left humanoid bite marks and all he could say was that it was a girl before he passed out."

"Huh, okay. Well, there were several stories from hunters and others who were lost in the woods with cautionary tales about following strange bird calls and never being seen again. It was always just a warning for us kids to stay focused…" Emily shook her head. "Some said the bird calls were actually coming from tiny people with tiny feet and a big fear of strangers. They vary from mischievous to evil and they drive people crazy, so it was said that you should never answer back or try to follow and that you can't see them if you look- I always thought that was because they were so small, but maybe it means something else? Like some sort of a power maybe? Oh, and they're supposed to be strong enough to catch whales with their hands and legends say their fires cause the northern lights."

"So, all of that is weird," Leah sighed and grabbed a handful of blueberries, popping them in her mouth one at a time, "but I think what we saw and heard today does line up with the legend of the, um... What are they called?"

"I don't actually know. The dwarfs are skookums- evil spirits, so we dare not speak their names. I've only heard them called Little People or Babyfeet."

"Babyfeet?"

"Yeah, their feet are so small that apparently, their footprints look like... baby feet."

"Somehow, that makes things worse," Leah made a face and Emily laughed.

"Sorry."

"Do you know if they look like babies?" the thought of having to hunt and kill a baby made Leah feel ill.

"Oh, goodness. I hope not," Emily's hand drifted to her stomach and then stopped midair as her eyes shot to Leah's.

"Congratulations, bythe way."

"Thanks, we just found out, so we're not telling anyone just yet," Emily wanted to unleash her excitement, but she reeled it in and plucked a small grip of blueberries from the bowl and dropped them in her mouth.

Leah raised her brows and looked away. Sam told the whole Council about the pregnancy the week prior and if Emily didn't know, Leah certainly wasn't going to be the one to tell her. The she-wolf cocked her head as two sets of unfamiliar footsteps approached the driveway.

"Were you expecting company? I smell a male and a female."

"That would be Sam's abba and his cousin Nayeli. Do you remember her?"

"Mhmm."

Leah remembered the girl just fine. Nayeli was Allison's niece and she was Seth's age. Leah and Sam would occasionally take the two of them out for playdates when Nayeli's parents sent her and her brother to soak up Quileute culture with their grandparents in La Push during the summers. They'd go up to Port Angeles to see the newest Disney movie and then out for froyo, never ice cream. Leah used to think it was cute how obsessed Sam was with yogurt… Was it really just four years ago? So much had changed it felt like a lifetime had passed since then.

Now, Nayeli was living with her grandfather full-time after a housefire killed the rest of her family. No one had heard her utter a word since her return, but all the werewolves of La Push were familiar with the chilling screams from her night terrors. It was worse than when Deadward left Vampirella and started a supernatural war. The Pack had taken turns speculating about whether something natural could've caused that level of trauma or whether she was haunted by something more sinister.

"Do you want to stay? I've been trying to help her find an artistic outlet," Emily begged Leah to say yes with her eyes.

Leah couldn't tell if her cousin was more desperate to spend time together or to avoid being left alone with Sam's cousin (after all, some people speculated that the girl had murdered her own family and covered it up with the housefire).

The awkwardness set in quickly.

"Sorry, I still have some fires to put out and Mom needs me to go to the store… it's lasagna night."

"Oh okay… Well, you know what? I have this spread for instant cheesy garlic bread- it's to die for. I can grab it for you."

"No, I'm okay," Leah lightened up when she saw the look on Emily's face, "maybe next time?"

"Yeah, sure."

The doorbell rang.

"I'm gonna go let them in…"

"Yeah, I gotta head out."

Emily's face twisted contemplatively for a second before she launched herself at Leah and grabbed her in a hug that actually caught the wolf-girl off balance.

"Don't be a stranger, okay? I miss you, Lee. I really miss you."

Leah patted her cousin on the back a couple of times before Emily finally released her with an apologetically bashful smile. Emily turned to get the door and she felt a rush of wind as Leah left before she could take a single step.

Leah relayed the Makah legend to Jake as she left, opting to stay human rather than phase back for the walk home, though wolfing it would've been much faster. Too many Pack members were phased and she wanted her mind to herself. While Leah was the queen of icing people out of her mind, there was nothing she could do to mute everyone else in wolf form. She could only imagine the chaos at the moment- they were still hunting for Babyfeet (it was just more entertaining than skookums, though that had a nice ring to it as well) as well as running patrols from La Push to Neah Bay and checking out the whereabouts of all the offspring from the previous Pack.

If anyone needed her they could just howl.

-EQUINOX-

When the doors to Thriftway slid open, Leah was assaulted by the nauseating smell of sweetly decaying flesh. In the past couple of years, Leah had gotten to the point where she was able to tolerate the scent of vampires, but she was no fan. She took as big a breath as she dared and resolved to hold it for as long as possible. Maybe she could be in and out in one breath. After all, the only things Leah really needed were ricotta cheese and lasagna noodles, she could get everything else at Lonesome Creek, the Ateara family's store.

If not for all the muggles muddling about and the need to maintain a human pace, Leah definitely could've made it in and out in one breath. As it was, she made it to the pasta and grains aisle. When she finally took a breath in, the leech smell had intensified. They were closing in on her.

Leah didn't bother faking a smile when Alice and Esme rounded the corner of the aisle. Alice, on the other hand, waved like a lunatic and skipped over to her side like they were the best of friends.

"I just knew it had to be one of you when the rest of the day disappeared," Alice flapped her hands excitedly, "and, oh my gosh, it looks perfect on you- just gorgeous! I knew it would and don't you just love the pockets?"

Leah was high on Alice's list of favorite people to dress. In fact, Leah ranked was fourth in line after Alice herself, Jasper (because he was hot), and Renesmee (because she'd never had the opportunity to dress a real child before). Leah's Amazonian build and tan skin were a sharp departure from the milky white corpses Alice usually dressed and Alice also got a kick out of the fact that she really had to work to determine what would look good on Leah since the she-wolf rarely appeared in any of her visions.

After the first shopping spree resulted in designer clothes that shrank beyond recognition in Leah's attempt to purge the smell of vampire, Alice started having boxes of clothes shipped directly to Leah each month. The imprints had first dibs on whatever Leah didn't want and anything left over was sold on eBay. Initially, Leah was hesitant about accepting Alice's charity, but she liked getting to wear clothes that made her feel like a girl without having to worry about the cost of replacing her wardrobe if she didn't have time to strip before phasing.

"I like how it's formfitting without being tight and the pockets are definitely a nice touch," Leah shoved her hands in the pockets and spun indulgently; when she completed the twirl, she found Alice's eyes moving unseeingly. She must've been having a vision.

Leah stepped around her to grab the box of lasagna noodles and met Esme's tight smile. She tried not to think about the fact that Esme was uncomfortable in public because she wanted to suck the lifeblood out of all the humans nearby.

"Hey, Mrs. C, what are you making?"

"Alice had a vision about black pudding," Esme's smile softened as she surreptitiously inhaled Leah's scent to ease her hunger pangs.

"So you finally decided to resort to sugar, huh?"

Carlisle was adamant that sugar was the last thing Renesme should consume. He was deeply concerned with how sugar might impact the young hybrid's development and whether she might experience the hyperactivity of most human children or become addicted to the substance. A hybrid sugar fiend might be just as bad as an immortal child. Edward was inclined to agree and Bella was inclined to go along with whatever he said. Leah was inclined to believe that sugar might develop the half-pire's interest in human food.

"Oh, goodness no. Black pudding isn't really pudding at all. It's actually a type of British blood sausage," Esme explained.

"Good luck with that," Leah grimaced.

"Esme, you might want to double the recipe," Alice danced over to join the conversation. "It looks like we'll be having company. Nahuel and Huilen will be here soon… I can't say when exactly, but probably within the week."

"Aren't they… not like you?"

"They know not to hunt around Forks," Alice brushed off Leah's concerns.

"Tell them not to come. You know we just had two wolves phase, so now is really not a good time. Can't you just meet them up in Alaska?"

"I'm sorry, but it's really none of your concern. All our friends are aware of the treaty and we'll make sure they stay on our side of the line."

Leah grit her teeth. They were harboring active serial killers and she was just supposed to be okay with it because of some imaginary line created by her cowardly ancestors. Every time Leah thought about letting her guard down, the bloodsuckers had a way of reminding her why that would be stupid. Shifters existed to hunt the cold ones for a reason: they were all murderers with no value for human life.

If she'd been a younger wolf, Leah would've ripped Alice and Esme's heads off and lit a funeral pyre. There was no doubt in her mind that she could take them. Sure, it might have started a war, but the Pack was strong enough to take on the Cullens and emerge victoriously. The only two that gave her pause were the mindrapist and the major for obvious reasons. They'd have to take out Edward first so he wouldn't be able to read their minds, but Jasper would likely fight to the end and he was a wildcard. After the rest of his family was dead, he'd either give up completely or go on a murderous rampage. So, maybe she wouldn't kill Alice, just rip her to shreds and scatter the pieces across the Olympic Peninsula as a peace offering for the major. Still, a war would be bloody and unpredictable. The Pack would doubtlessly suffer some casualties as well.

But Leah was no new wolf. She didn't phase or even tremble. Leah unceremoniously threw the box of freshly powdered pasta into the vampires' cart, grabbed some more noodles and the ricotta, and promptly left. She didn't quite make it out in one breath, but the vampires gave her a wide berth.

Leah jumped in her truck and drove back home to La Push furiously. She breathed a little easier after she passed the stupid invisible treaty line. She would've started running laps around the rez if not for the fact that she had groceries to carry and another stop to make.

The bell above the door jingled as Leah entered Lonesome Creek. Embry's back was turned, but his hackles rose the moment her contaminated scent reached his nose.

"Why were you hanging out with vampires?"

"Apparently, the walking dead are taking over the Thriftway- oh, and there are more headed our way."

"What's going on?"

"Friendly visit, according to Miss Cleo," Leah leaned over the convenience store's counter and rested her head on her folded arms with a sigh. Although the leeches hadn't posed any sort of credible threat, it was comforting to be around Pack again. Leah watched from one eye Embry flipped through a textbook and scratched numbers and symbols into his notebook. "What are you working on?"

"Trig."

"You finally made it out of Algebra 2- good for you!"

Embry side-eyed the she-wolf for a moment. They may have been on better terms, but he hadn't quite forgotten the sting of her vitriol in the early days. But the look on Leah's face was genuine. She knew how much he'd fought and struggled to get to Trig and she was proud of him.

Leah stood up and pushed into Embry's mental space to show him her memories of him decked out in honor roll paraphernalia on awards days at the tribal school. She showed him images of himself tutoring Seth in the cafeteria after school. She showed Embry flashes of him studying at the Blacks' house or at Emily's table. Gripping the pencil so hard it snapped and he had to run outside to phase. Secondhand memories of his mother on the phone with his teachers and the time when he petitioned the principal at the end of sophomore year.

Embry managed to convince Principal Littlesea to allow him to combine his classwork from the first semester of freshman year with the second semester of sophomore year to account for all the mayhem of 2006 (he'd phased in January, chased Victoria all spring, fought newborns in the summer, and then spent the rest of the year preparing for the war that never was). The larger pack allowed for a more regular schedule and Embry had taken advantage of the opportunity to refocus on his studies; it had been far from easy, but he'd hit the ground running.

"And you're still going strong. Y'know you're the only wolf who phased in high school and actually stayed on track? You're changing the narrative for the cubs."

Sam dropped out after he started phasing in his senior year, Paul had already dropped out by the time he started phasing, and Jared was a bit of a braniac so he was in the early enrollment program at Peninsula College when he joined the Pack. Leah already had her diploma when she phased and only half of the wolves who phased amid the chaos of Renesmee's birth and Volturi gate were old enough to be finished with high school: Michael and Ephraim had also graduated before phasing, but Zion took a page out of Paul's book and dropped out and Gabe just never managed to get back on track after he phased. Of the wolves who'd been in his class, both Quil and Kyle had dropped out to work after the shitstorm that was their sophomore year and Jake was being homeschooled by the leeches so he didn't really count. The rest of the wolves were younger.

"I, uh- thanks, Leah," Embry scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably; he wasn't used to receiving positive recognition, so he switched the subject. "How's Old Red?"

"Scarlet is doing just fine, thank you very much."

"It'll always be Old Red to me."

After the extra vampires left and things started to get back to normal, Embry asked Edward about Bella's truck. He'd helped Jake fix it up before Billy gave it to Charlie and he was invested in the behemoth's wellbeing. By the time Edward and Alice managed to track it down, the truck was little more than a rusted shell, but Embry managed to restore it to its former glory and add a little extra pizzazz. He'd finished it off with a glittery red vinyl wrap that managed to impress Rosalie and when he decided to sell it, Leah was first in line to buy.

"It's about time for a tune up, isn't it?"

"Hah, I wish! I hardly take her out. It'll probably be a year before I hit anything close to 10,000 miles… I could probably use an oil change though."

"Just let me know when," Embry ran a thumb over the back of Leah's hand.

Electricity shot up her arm and Leah snatched her hand back in shock, then tried unsuccessfully to play it off as a stretch.

"Yeah, sure, I'll let you know. I'm just gonna head out," Leah pointed her thumb at the door.

"Didn't you need something… or did you just come here to see me?"

"Riiight," Leah grimaced a smile that read kill me now. She grabbed one of the green handbaskets and avoided making eye contact with Embry as she crossed back in front of him and started grabbing the rest of the ingredients for Sue's blasted lasagna.

Leah felt Embry's eyes on her as she wandered the aisles looking for tomato sauce (Quil's mom Joy had an annoying habit of rearranging the store every other week). She knew that he could hear her heart beating loudly and she willed the ground to open up and swallow her whole.

Leah tried to get a grip and figure out why she was having such a strong reaction to holding hands with Embry. When had they started holding hands anyway? She'd probably done it unconsciously when they were in the mindlink. It wasn't a big deal- or it shouldn't have been- wolves were affectionate social creatures and she was stressed and he was Pack and that was it. So why did it feel like more? She hoped she wasn't turning into one of those sad girls who falls for the first guy who appeared to be anything less than a complete asshole.

Get your shit together, Leah. You are THAT bitch.

You know I can hear you, right?

Get out of my head! Leah usually had the strongest mind control. She barged into other people's heads, not the other way around. Could everyone hear her?

I don't think so. I'm pretty sure somebody would've said something by now.

Embry!

I can't help it. You're distracting me. (Leah scurrying furtively through the aisles.) The wolf was designed to hunt.

Leah steadfastly avoided making eye contact with Embry as he rang up her items. When he handed her her bags, his hand brushed against hers again and this time it lingered. Her eyes shot up to his warningly.

"Hey, man, I brought pizza," Quil burst in on the scene loudly and took in Leah's elevated heart rate and the lingering scent of leech. "You good, Leah?"

"I'm fine," she spat, shoulder-checking the younger wolf as she tore out of the store.

It wasn't until she made it home that she realized that she'd forgotten to get the meat. Fortunately, Seth volunteered to make the second trip while Leah showered off the sweet stench.

Embry was leaving Lonesome Creek at the same time Seth arrived. The bell above the door jingled as it closed and the two remaining wolves heard Embry start to whistle as he walked away. Seth shot Quil a curious glance and Quil shook his head with a shrug.

"He's been like that since I got here."

PLEASE REVIEW if you've made it this far! This is a work in progress so your reviews are a big motivation and a source of inspiration as I work to complete this story. I'd love to know what you're thinking!

We got our first view of the Cullen clan today! How did you feel about Alice and Esme?

Any predictions about the wolf at the clinic? Babyfeet?

All questions and comments are welcome 3