For My Mom

"Just like a star across my sky. Just like an angel off the page. You have appeared to my life. Feel like I'll never be the same. Just like a song in my heart. Just like oil on my hands, oh I do love you."

-Corinne Bailey Rae, Just Like A Star

A Fractured Fairytale (Pt. 1)

Once upon a time, in a land and place not so different from this, a fair warrior maiden renowned for her brash manners and blunt tongue flung open her bedroom window and glared at her intruding (albeit handsome) prince.

'Rapunzel, Rapunzel,' the Third-In-Command's deep tenor called from the darkness, 'Sweet Lee, let down your hair!'

Grumbling tetchily, Leah rolled her eyes, reaching for the nearest item she could find and hurling the three-hundred-page novel at the trespasser.

'Come now,' he smirked teasingly after easily dodging her assault, 'Don't be a prat. You can sleep in an hour.'

'Why put off till tomorrow what you can do today?'

'Because between Sam and Jake's spats, our Council meetings, the ridiculous new patrol schedule, Seth's homework, Sue's restrictions and Tiffany's shouting matches I haven't seen anything but the back of your head in three days...' he leaned back against the pine tree outside her window, and she saw the longing in his hazels, badly concealed behind his beautiful long eyelashes. 'I miss my girlfriend.'

It was almost impossible to keep the hardness in her face then, and her cheeks blossomed at his admittance. So what if he'd appeared like something out of a fractured fairytale with his pea-sized pebble keeping her from her well-deserved rest. His face was rather easy on the eye and generously made up for it.

'Come back when the sun's up.' she tormented him cheekily, knowing full well she had no intention of letting him leave now that she'd seen him. 'I'm not good for talking any time before four a.m.'

'You hate mornings anyways,' He accused with a furrowed brow, nibbling his lower lip. He was leaning casually against her favorite tree with his arms crossed lazily against his chest, and the sight made her belly warm. 'You'll be no less grumpy then than you are now. Come on Clearwater, what have you got to lose?'

'An uninterrupted hour in my warm, cozy bed, skinny legs.'

'You know, I think I've finally got a handle on your love languages,' Embry smirked, showing her three fingers as he ticked off his list. 'It's half-hearted glares when you're trying to be cute, smacks against my arm when you want to be kissed, and inappropriate nicknames when you want me to put you to bed.'

'Shut. Up.' She ground out, unable to stop her idiotic grin as he chuckled at her response.

'Oh where's that taste of adventure I adore, Leah?' Somehow, he managed to make her name sound like a prayer, a demand, a threat and a kiss all at once. 'Just come down. Let me take you out, yeah?'

'So is this like a date or something?'

He flashed her a grin, and sweet lord, it might have stopped her heart. 'You'll know when it's a date, Clearwater. I promise.'

After a brief staring match (he won, as evidenced by his triumphant smirk ) she muttered a quick fuck it, dressing in a thin white sweater and running a brush quickly over her shoulder length hair. When she realized her mother's light snores where coming from the living room she eased her body out of her bedroom window, glaring at the young wolf who chuckled at the sight of her sneaker as it balanced precariously on the nearest tree branch.

'You could just…. I don't know, tell Sue you're going out with me. It's not like she's oblivious to the fact that we're an item.'

'I'm avoiding that particular conversation with my mom.' Leah admitted absently, hoping he wouldn't ask anything more on the subject until they were out of hearing distance. She doubted they were the only supernatural creatures awake at this time, and she was tired of having facets of her personal life nitpicked and discussed by other people. Much to her relief he didn't ask her to elaborate. Instead, he watched her stealthy, practiced descent down the old tree with amusement.

'How many times have you done this exactly?'

'More times than there are years to your age, so respect your elders.' Leah said without looking at him, 'And keep your eyes off my ass.'

'Yes ma'am.' he grinned, 'I just wish the elders derrières weren't quite so distracting.'

Leah didn't know whether she wanted to laugh or smack him by the time her foot connected with the grass, not that he gave her much of a chance to figure it out. His mouth found hers quickly in the darkness, and in the blink of an eye her back was pressed against the tree, the burgundy wood scratching into her sensitive back as his hand threaded into her hair. Embry's full mouth seized hers hungrily. 'Mine,' He said.

Without responding, she let her hands trail up to his arms to his shoulder blades and watched as he sent her one of his beautifully breathtakingly grins. 'So... where are you taking me?' she asked.

'Stargazing. I found this meadow, you see. Lots of wild lilies.'

'They're out of season,' Leah frowned, wondering if it was true. Didn't wild lilies die in autumn? 'And we can stargaze from right here.' She pointed towards the darkened heavens. In an hour or two, the first rays of sun would break the mysterious blackness, ushering warm hues of soft blues and golds to the sky.

'We can,' he pressed a swift kiss to her temple, threading his fingers through hers and leading her to the nearest streetlamp. 'But I don't want to miss the opportunity to take you for a ride.

'What...' Leah froze the moment she saw his quadbike. She's always known that he had one. He was as obsessed with it as Jake was with his rabbit, he even had a name for it, one of those dumb blond type names, Roxie or something. Leah was about to open her mouth to scold him when Embry cut her off.

'Methinks the lady doth protest too much.' He said in a tone too close for her not to take it seriously, 'Come on Leah, what have you got to lose?'

She never knew how to feel when he was in one of his carefree moods. He could be so reckless, but also, oh so sexy. The she-wolf grabbed the nearest helmet she spotted and shot him a cheeky grin. 'Let's go.'

'So… you and Embry…'

The young woman had been patiently waiting for her mother to broach the subject of her wolf's mating choice for days. But she hadn't been expecting the ageing nurse to do it in the snack isle of the local supermarket as they prepared for her younger brothers sixteenth birthday celebration. The mythological creature eyed a few packets of Pringles as her mother continued, seemingly nonchalant about their topic of conversation.

'He's a nice young man.' Sue prodded gently, seemingly searching for some reaction. 'Very kind, mature for his age. And thoughtful.'

The she-wolf held up three packets of chips, 'Fruit chutney, cheese and onion, or would you prefer–'

'Do you think it's a good idea?'

'Personally, I always preferred lightly salted.' Leah shrugged, tossing three bags into their shopping cart and finding a few more. 'Seth's partial to tomato but he forgets to wash behind his ears sometimes, so I'm not sure if I should trust his judgement.'

Sue fixed her daughter with a reprimanding look, 'You and Emily just started to make peace again after Sa–'

'Have we?'

The nurse stopped in her tracks, blinking once. Twice. 'You're still not over it?'

By now, she'd thought everyone would realize that she felt too betrayed, proud and stubborn to ever get over it. ''I'm not angry about their betrayal anymore mom, if that's what you're asking. But that doesn't mean that I want anything to do with them.'

'Leah,' Sue began sternly, her voice surprisingly stoic. 'Emily's going through a lot right now. She needs yo-

'And I needed Emily too for a long time, when I was going through a lot. But I don't anymore, and she's made it very clear that she doesn't need me either.'

Leah didn't mention that it would be in bad form (and trite) to make peace with her cousin simply because Emily had suffered a miscarriage. She hadn't been happy about the pregnancy to begin with, everyone knew that, hell, even Charlie knew that, and he was almost entirely in the dark. She certainly wasn't glad that Sam and her cousin were hurting, but she was done making their business her business and she'd long since realized that she'd never heal and find happiness in any environment if she kept herself tied in any capacity yo Sam and her second cousin.

'Trust me when I say this is for their good as much as it is for mine. I've made my decision, and I'd appreciate it if you, and everyone else could respect that.'

'A little forgiveness won't kill you, Leah.' Sue mumbled, and she knew her mother thought she was being cold. Luckily, the nurse changed the subject, though she looked like she still had much to say on the subject. 'Back to Embry...' Sue said with a slight shake of her head, and Leah knew instantly that her mother was about to utter the words she'd been waiting for since her return. 'I love you Leah, and I'm happy you've found some happiness, but I'm worried about you. This is so reckless. Embry could Imprint, and so could you. And then it'll be like-'

'I doubt Embry could do any more damage than Sam and Emily did.' Leah interjected, partly relieved that her mother had finally broached the subject so that she could right the woman's misconceptions. 'And Embry and I know what we've signed up for. We want each other to be happy, that's all. The moment that stops being a fact we end it. We've discussed it.'

'Thoroughly?'

'Well enough.'

'I doubt that.'

When Leah scoffed her mother shot her a reproving look, clicking her tongue. 'Billy says the bond doesn't have to be a lifelong one, not unless you mark him too.'

'Embry's mark should be your smallest concern about our bond.' Leah muttered under her breath.

Sue frowned, 'What's that supposed to mean?'

For a moment the young wolf considered telling her mother about her dreams, about her suspicion – scratch that, her certainty that Embry was directly linked to Kaheleha and her worrisome night visions. Instead she growled, letting her wolf's protective instinct claw its way up her spine, 'So is this the part you tell me to stop seeing him?'

She really was trying to calm her breathing. She'd been watching meditation videos on YouTube with her mother's hospital Wi-Fi and it had been helping some with her temper. Plus Jacob was an incredibly agreeable alpha and finding a good fit in her new pack had done wonders for her mental health. But this conversation was gratingly undermining her judgement, making her doubt herself and her partner, and stretching her already tenuous restraint on her infamous temper.

'This isn't just a conversation about some boy, Leah.' Her mother said steely, but Leah could hear her love in every single word. 'This is a mother expressing her concerns about something that will influence her daughter's future and happiness. I know you're old enough to make that decision for yourself, my darling.' Sue smiled politely at the familiar stranger who walked passed them before lowering her voice and turning her attention back to her daughter. 'And I support whatever decision you make. Just promise me you'll be careful.'

Leah paused thoughtfully to consider her mother's concerns. She hated to admit it, but she knew her mother was right, and she had no doubt that the older woman's words would haunt her for at least a fortnight. The she-wolf nodded once before holding up a packet of eclairs and ignoring her mother's anxious stare.

'Mom… Chocolate or Caramel?'

On their next romantic meeting it was the young man who did battle with the giant pine guarding the fair maiden's window. Leah watched in detached amusement from her foreboding tower as the handsome prince scaled the death-defying height, scraping up the perilous branches to her small bedchamber. The cool rain drizzled softly against his warm-honeyed skin, scattering his scent as much as it drenched his shirt, but it was his cool hazel eyes, glowing a mysteriously incandescent green, that caught the young woman's attention.

The young man's boots made a tiny sound against her wooden flooring.

'I thought we established that no boys are allowed in your bedroom, sis.' Seth droned from his bedroom and Leah cursed his ridiculously sensitive ears when she could barely make out anything herself with the storm brewing outside. She hadn't missed the gleeful tease in his voice, and she didn't miss Embry resulting smirk either.

'She finds it hard to resist my charms.' Leah's groan matched her baby brother's and her visitor laughed in return. 'I thought Sue was here.' He frowned. 'Wasn't the whole point of me scaling your tree that I wasn't allowed up the stairs?'

'Mom's been sleeping over at Charlie's.' Seth said, and Leah knew he was fighting the urge to think about just what that meant. Lord knew she was. She heard her brother shuffle on his bed, lace up his sneakers. 'I take it Leah was just messing with you.'

'That she does,' Embry grinned, drawing the young woman in question into his arms and pressing a chaste peck to her lips, 'Must be one of the reasons I can't get her out of my head.'

Seth made a gagging sound, 'That's my cue,' the youngest wolf said, not even attempting to hide his disgust. 'Somehow you two are worse than Kimmy-whimmy and her Jarey-wary.'

Leah merely snickered as Embry pressed another kiss to her lips. Vaguely, she could make out Seth grudgingly humming Purple Rain as he flung his door open and made his way down the stairs, but she lost all sense of time and space when Embry's tongue teased across her lower lip. It was the sound of her brother's howl outside her bedroom window that brought her back to her senses.

'I take it he came around to the idea of us?' Embry grinned at her, seeming to enjoy the rosy flush in her cheeks.

'He was never against the idea apparently,' Leah shrugged, dragging her wolf deeper into her bedroom and watching as he finally took in the sight of their surroundings.

She'd scattered candles everywhere; tiny flickering flames and lanterns and fairy lights, and her result of her efforts lent a luminescent atmosphere to her bedroom. It was glorious, like standing in a private field surrounded by fireflies, but Embry barely seemed to notice it once he caught a sight of her.

She'd donned the light, ruffled off-white frock because it had felt old, as ancient as the concept of seducing a man by candlelight. It covered her completely, leaving everything to the imagination, and in that was its charm, she thought. She heard his breath hitch at the sight, and just one nervous look into his eyes was enough to expose the hunger she knew was mirrored in her own.

Embry swallowed, 'Leah…'

'Yes?'

He opened his mouth, and then closed it again, turning away from her and shaking his head, 'You're not trying to seduce the big, bad wolf, are you?'

'Why? Is it working?' she teased, walking away from him slightly and shooting him a naughty look over her shoulder. Embry caught the movement from the edge of his periphery, and growled when he realized a bit of her dress had slid down to expose the her smooth, copper skin of her shoulder. He needed to think of something else. Literally anything else. He failed and felt his pants tighten because of it.

'Leah…' He tried again, but his body caught fire when Leah suddenly pressed herself against his back.

He snapped. Embry flung her against the nearest wall with such passion and strength she gasped, giving his tongue the opportunity to sneak into her all-too-willing mouth. Blinding heat shot through them both at the hot, wet contact, and Leah's strangled moan filled the space between them. 'Fuck it,' he bit out when his hand roughly grazed across her breast. He felt her tightened peak underneath his thumb, and gathered she wasn't wearing a bra. 'Not this shit again.' He said.

'Whatever do you mean?' his mate asked a little too innocently, threading her fingers into his wet, tousled hair, and Embry could not contain his growl at the sight of her victorious grin. The ruffles of her material were misleading - there was nothing innocent or pure about them - and he knew she'd picked the featherlike cloth to tempt him.

'You can't keep doing this,' he chastised angrily, scenting her arousal and instantly losing his battle with his beast. 'You can't keep–' Embry hissed as Leah's hand dropped between them and rubbed sensuously against his hardened length.

He'd meant to pull away then, he really had. But Leah. His mate was biting into his skin and moaning his name and digging her fingers into his broad shoulders, all the while blocking all his attempts at chivalry. She lifted her leg, grinding feverishly against his throbbing dick, and that's when he lost the battle against his restraint. He groaned as her teeth scraped across his neck, and her mouth claimed his.

Embry's hands dug into Leah's upper arm as he crushed her to his chest, needing to devour her. His mouth left a blaze of wildfire across her lips before trailing the disaster across her jaw, and over the material to her chest. The she-wolf's sighs spurred him on, building a spell of sorts, and he couldn't help but touch her, kiss her, consume her. He'd been wanting to do this for so fucking long.

His hands squeezed her ass against his length, and her breath caught. 'Look at me.' He ordered, and she did, though her eyes were hazy with desire, 'Do you want this?' he asked. 'Are you sure?'

Leah released a long, shaky breath. 'Corrupt me.' She said.

The young woman almost wept when her mate abruptly tore his body away from hers, but before she could protest his hands were suddenly attacking her dress and his mouth was hot on her sex. Leah cried out as he parted her thighs and lapped at her center, drawing delirious moans as his tongue lapped expertly at her tingling clit. Not for the first time she realized her wolf seemed almost practiced at sex, but that thought quickly fled from her head as his tongue plunged deeply into her core.

'Embry…' her head tilted back with her rising orgasm, her hands fisting into his dark hair as she bucked uncontrollably before him. Embry only smirked in response, eager to please, his mouth both divine and devilish as he drew her to the heavens with him. When two of his fingers slid into her wetness her moans turned into screams.

'Forget the wolves Lee.' He grinned devilishly, his teeth working at his full lower lip. 'At this rate you're gonna wake up the entire reservation.'

Leah simply rolled her eyes and mumbled an insult under her breath. It sounded weak, at best. Pleased, Embry tore away from her and carried her in two swift paces to her bed. She barely registered the movement before his lustful tongue was hot on her neck again, and his teeth nipped lovingly against her collarbone. Leah watched in awe as her lover slipped the cotton off her shoulder, his eyes darkening as he took in the mark he'd engraved into her skin the day she'd run off with Seth and Jacob.

'No regrets.' She said quietly, knowing that if Sue had felt it necessary to talk to her about her decision to let him mark her, then no doubt someone else would have tried to speak to him about his desire to claim her. Maybe Jake or Quil in an effort to protect them both from themselves, but also possibly Sam. 'No regrets, Embry. I choose this. I want this. I want you.'

And so, with just a few words whispered into the glowing darkness, Leah became fire and citrus and salt and adoration and love and mate and the earth's sexiest aphrodisiac. 'I never stood a chance, did I?' Embry asked quietly when they both came crashing down from their first shared high, their matching marks burning deliciously on their bared shoulders.

'No.' Leah answered with no hesitation. And then she once again plucked the forbidden fruit from his lips.