"Your daughter's face is a small riot, her hands are a civil war"

-Warsan Shire, Ugly

Civil War

'Well, well, well…' The she-wolf marched towards the three young men with slow, hard claps. 'The bastard, the pedophile and the lapdog finally decide to grace us with their presence.'

Embry Call cringed. Quil Ateara blanched. But Jacob Black's eyes flashed ominous as a looming thunderstorm at Leah's crude remark. The six-and-a-half-foot Second jumped down Emily's back porch, fists clenched and face hard, as he stomped towards the grey wolf he abhorred.

This had become Jacob Black's most predictable reaction to Leah Clearwater these last few weeks. Mean, crude and downright bitchy, the she-wolf stirred deep-seated angst in all the wolves, but it was Jacob she provoked the most. She smirked as she watched the shivers ripple through his body, her eyes darkened with bloodlust. These days, she was always itching for a fight.

One corner of her mouth tipped up. 'Done tossing Bella back and forth with Cullen yet, or are you heading back for more torture tomorrow?'

'Careful little harpy,' Jacob growled, his eyes filling with scorn. 'Your horns are showing.'

'Ncaw, poor baby, He's sad cause mine are bigge-'

Her words were cut short when she got what she'd been hoping for. With a deep growl the russet wolf exploded out of Jacob's flesh, it's teeth snapping at it lunged for her.

Can't believe she's the same girl Embry and I used to sneak into Becca's slumber parties for.

Leah had barely felt the flash over her own body as she'd leaped into the air to meet him, teeth bared, as she aimed for his neck. With a spring she tore her teeth through his pelt, ripping across his flesh and severing an artery. Furious Jacob slashed across her face, leaving a bloody mess before throwing her back into one of Emily's favourite cedar trees. Leah's left eye went black, her back leg twisting painfully.

Who's fighting?
Who else? Paul rolled his eyes. Baby Chief and Cruella de Bitch.

Brady's paws hindered as he ran in the woods. Panic. Shouldn't we… shouldn't we stop them?

Relax, cub. They'll burn themselves out eventually. Just need to get it out of their systems.

Embry and Quil stepped forward just as Sam came running out of the house, Jared and Seth trailing closely. The Alpha's face was twisted with fury. 'Both of you stop it!'

Her fault! Jacob snarled, but he stopped his menacing towards the grey wolf still pacing in frantically in front of him. He could feel her rage, her need to kill. And underneath that, her misery.

Emily, Emily, always fucking Emily! she couldn't stop the miserable thoughts exposing her weakness, Six fucking hours of being in his rotting head, because you dragged Embry along for your little tête-à-tête with leeches. She doesn't love you Jake, she's using you, and you let her, because you're so stupid you can't even see what's right in front of your face.

'When are the two of you going to stop with all the damn infighting?' Sam yelled.

Maybe when you stop acting like a little bitch who lets Jacob Black do whatever he damn well pleases! Leah phased back into her human form before placing a hand on her waist. She scowled at Jake, before turning back to her ex, narrowing her eyes when he looked away.

'Nothing you haven't seen before Uley.' She spat. 'Or what? Scared you'll say my name in bed instead of Emily's again?'

Even through the mind link, Jacob could feel Paul flinch. Jesus.

'Leah go get dressed.' Sam ordered, still looking away, jaw clenched.

From the corner of his eye, Jacob caught a glimpse of Embry pulling Seth by the collar away from the scene and into the woods. The younger boy looked distraught, his eyes stuck on Leah's gory face, and the eye matted shut with clumps of blood.

The she wolf's hostile gaze never left Sam as she stalked back into Emily's place. In them were far too many accusations to count. Too many broken promises, shattered dreams and lost hopes to heal or comfort. When she reached an agitated looking Quil, she turned to him too. Since he'd imprinted on her baby cousin he had become a target for her hatred too.

'Take a picture junior,' she growled. 'We all know you want to. Something to keep you warm for the next fifteen odd years or so.'

Emily's scar was staring at her. Her cousin too, but mostly just the scar. What was the cost of loving a wolf? Easy. Ugly scars that never healed, hearts that festered with jealousy, and lifelong friendships that were broken and would never be healed. It was a rip off really. That Imprint thing. At least, that's what Leah thought when she caught her cousin staring at her from the kitchen.

'What?'

Emily shrugged off her pink gloves before tossing them onto the counter. 'You know; this isn't easy for any of us.'

Leah smiled. Or at least, her face twisted as though it was trying to, but the expression was too cruel and hard. 'That so?' Leah wiped her tongue on her palm to rid herself of the taste of Jacob's blood. 'What did it take you, a day, before you offered to babysit Claire so that Quil could come see her?'

Emily clicked her tongue, but for a moment, her eyes dropped to the floor. 'She's his Imprint.'

'Oh course. Imprint. Center of his universe.' Leah hardened her face in the hope that it would smother the sudden spasm in her chest. 'How could I ever forget?'

Sam had made his order, and so her body was itching with the need to go get dressed. Still she stood there, staring at her cousin. Her left eye was burning, the skin where Jacob had wounded her itching. Her heart ached too, ached too deeply for words. These days almost every minute of every day she was in some kind of pain. But none of that mattered. Not to anyone, not even to her best friend.

'What was I supposed to do Leah?' Emily ground out, 'Keep them apart. It would hurt them. You have no idea how hard it is trying to reject it.'

'Did you?' Leah asked, staring intently into her best friend's eyes. Her ex-best friend. 'Did you really? Reject it, I mean. Because I spend all day in Quil's head sissy, and he's doesn't spend all of his time thinking about shoving his dick into our baby cousin.'

Emily frowned, crossing her arms. 'What do you mean?''

'He'll be whatever she needs,' Leah said, feeling the rage exploding in her chest as tears threatened to spill. 'What she needs. That's what the legends say. So what did you need Emily? What do you need right now, that Sam is marrying you and thinking non-stop about making babies?'

'So that's it?' Emily asked, tears falling freely down her face. 'That's what you think? You think I wanted this? Leah I tried to reject-'

'Cut the bullshit Emily!' Leah shouted, her body shaking. 'For once, stop lying to my face. You were supposed to be my sister! My best friend.' She scoffed, 'You couldn't even wait until my first patrol to ask me to be a bridesmaid for your wedding.'

Emily was too shocked to respond.

Furious, Leah stalked off to collect her clothes. She didn't have the patience to have this conversation and stay sane. She didn't have the self-control either. The she-wolf got dressed before making her way into the woods to be alone.

There were so many things Leah would have preferred to be doing at four a.m. Like sleeping. Or sniffing Seth's socks. Maybe even pouring spoon after spoon of acid into her eyes. Anything would be better than having to work with leeches to keep dumb, pale, emotionally dented, always-a-damsel-in-distress Isabella from becoming dessert for a hoard of blood-crazed, supersaiyan vampires.

You'd know all about emotional dents, wouldn't you Leelee. Jacob snarled.

Leah ignored him. For the last three months, her existence had almost revolved around the girl he was unrequitedly in love with. And how could it not, when Jacob was more often than not phased to keep his mind off of her? Not that it worked. Oh how he loved Bella, oh how he hated her, oh how he was going to make her see that they were soulmates. Clearly somebody wasn't paying attention. If they were soulmates, they would have Imprinted. But he wouldn't stop, even though it was clear who she would always choose instead of him. The leeches who she had already run off with more than once.

Rolling her eyes, Leah ran towards the other's from her favourite place in the forest. Her father had called the creek 'Clearwater lake' once, because many of her ancestors had lived near the banks a long time ago. Flowers seemed to bloom brighter there, lilies especially. And sometimes Leah went there to sleep as a wolf if she was having a particularly difficult day. Her argument with Emily only hours before had done something to her. It had broken whatever hope she'd felt that their friendship could be repaired. She knew that she would never forgive her cousin, never forgive Sam, for the depth of their betrayal.

Pull out the log from thine own eye harpy. Jacob said. Your head is no more fun to be in than mine.

Quit it, Jake. Jared rolled his eyes. Tonight's gonna be hard enough without the two of you fighting.

There are a million things I'd rather be doing.Paul grumbled. Breasts. Bras. Jockey shorts. Panic. Stacey's waiting for me.

Yeah, Stacey. Leah said dryly.

Well Stacey is gonna be someone's dinner if everyone doesn't focus. Sam said, thinking of Emily's face, lips and Emily's warmth. He missed her already. The only thing more important to him than being in her company was keeping her happy and safe. Leah, where's Seth?

Catching up on his homework.

Sam sighed. Who told him he could go home? We agreed to meet-

I did. Leah snarled as she cut him off, thinking of her senior year report card and Sam's disappearance. Just cause you're a drop out doesn't mean the rest of us don't want an education.

Easy girl, Paul said as Jared, Seth and Embry joined the mind-link and Sam shook off her words.

Let's go! The Alpha said.

The Alpha soared ahead, the wolves following him in hesitation, Jacob and Jared at his flanks. Trying to clear her head, Leah let her mind drift off to other places, absently letting her brothers' thoughts and feelings wash over her.

This is going to be so much fun! Seth beamed, imagine all the inside secrets we'll be learning.

They won't actually give us anything that we can use against them twerp. Paul rolled his eyes.

But we'll still get to see them in action right? Right?

Sure, sure. Jacob said. Hell bent on enlisting the cubs for a full out war like the innocence-stealing, child-soldier-recruiting dictator he was.

Come on Lee, Jacob's not like that.

How long is this gonna take anyways? Embry was ruminating over his disappointment. In Seattle, a skateboarding demo with his hero and Skateboarding Champion Vanessa Torres was happening. He'd been looking forward to it for weeks. Some of us really do have places to be.

Long as it needs to. Sam snapped.

Leah did her best to ignore them. She was so tired. And angry. She was always tired and angry these days, like she was in a constant state of PMS without the actual bleeding. It didn't help that Emily's face was playing in a loop either. Emily in Sam's arms, Emily smiling at Sam, Emily moaning as her nails scratched into Sam's skin. It's like he was trying to hurt her every chance he could get.

Leah I-

Shut the fuck up Uley,she said as she reached the other wolves. She made her way to her brother and the cubs, the maternal nature of her wolf protective over them. Seth. Please be careful. This is going to be so dangerous.

I'll be fine Lee. We're gonna kill all of those dumb bloodsuckers.

Language.

Sorry. I just mean… Leah, after we learn all about them we're gonna be unstoppable.

This is dangerous Seth. It's not a game. In most of the legends many wolves die in battles. Leah's heart twisted with the sudden memory of her father's death. Harry's hand on his chest. His horrified face. Just… please promise me you'll stay close to me. Whatever happens okay?

We've got him Leah. Embry said. All of us.

It's our job. Sam agreed.

Oh quit it Almighty Uley. Leah snarled.

The Alpha's assurances didn't help her one bit, not with Sam still thinking about what would undoubtedly happen once he got back to Neah Bay, where his precious Emily was waiting. God she hated him. Leah had learned that it was true what they said; it was a very thin line between love and hate. Somehow, all the love and adoration she'd felt for him had turned into something twisted and ugly. She couldn't stop thinking about him, even after all this time. She still loved him because she knew he never would have hurt her by choice. But she hated him too, because she couldn't find it in herself to move on.

There was no hope of ever being with him again. He would never want her like he wanted her sister. That hurt worst of all. It had been easier when she'd thought he was a cheater, because she had been able to convince herself that he had lied to her for three years. That he didn't deserve her. But now she knew better. His wolf had picked Emily because she was soft and womanly and not barren. Sam couldn't keep his eyes off of her cousin because she wasn't good enough. He didn't need her. He didn't even want her. But she couldn't go a day without thinking about how much she still wanted him.

Didn't matter though. Didn't matter that sometimes she could see how much he still loved her. She would always be second best, second best to Emily who had been her best friend. No it hadn't been enough for Joshua Uley's son to break her heart, he'd had to decimate it completely. Like father like son.

Leah I can't-

What Sam? She snapped, What? Keep it in your fucking pants?

Nurse your ego and take care of everyone else.

Ego huh? Take care of Emily you mean, because I don't see you taking care of me or Seth. You're sending Colin and Brady to war to clean up the Cullen's mess for fuck's sake, and Brady's hasn't even turned thirteen. So I get it. You've got some fucked up ideas about what being a Protector is supposed to mean. But my baby brother is fifteen! He's just a boy Sam! She scoffed, but I guess you wouldn't know anything about keeping your brother safe, considering you never got to grow up with Embry.

Embry growled, a deep menacing sound. Keep my name out of your mouth Clearwater.

Or what?

Enough! Sam ordered. We have far more important things to attend to. Focus.

I'm always focused. Leah barked. But it would be nice if I didn't have to see the details of your sex life with my bitch of a cousin every night. You really should have told me she was your soulmate sooner Sam. It would have saved us both a lot of time and regret.

Finally. Jared said, relieved when the foul stench of rot and sugar drifted towards them. In the distance seven golden-eyed vampires were watching them with wide, unblinking eyes. Hidden behind one of them, a tall lanky leech with auburn hair, was Isabella Swan.