Leah let Paul take the lead. She'd never seen him look nervous before, but he pulled his shirt off over his head before he spoke. "You grew up with the Quileute legends, Rach - especially since your dad is our main storyteller. Have you ever wondered if there might be some truth behind the stories?" He looked pointedly at Leah as he unsnapped his cutoffs, and she turned her back to him while making eye contact with Rachel.
"Paul, what the hell are you doing?" Rachel's eyes widened.
"I guess it's easier to just show you, rather than try to explain it," Paul said as he stepped off the porch and into the grass. Leah gently laid a hand on Rachel's arm. "Don't be scared, Rachel. It's just me," Paul said. Stepping out of his shorts, he tossed them onto the porch.
With barely a shimmer, Paul hunched his shoulders forward and seemed to stretch, effortlessly morphing into an enormous wolf with dark silver fur. The change was so fast and practiced that Rachel couldn't trace it - but the wolf immediately lay down, his chin resting on massive paws, panting quietly and trying not to look threatening.
Rachel screamed, then clapped a hand over her mouth. Leah spoke softly in a calm, soothing voice. "It's okay, Rachel. It really is Paul." She deposited Rachel in a rocking chair and walked down the steps, approaching the massive beast.
"Leah!" Rachel's voice was barely above a whisper but full of terror. "Don't…" but Leah sat down on the grass next to the wolf and stroked his muzzle.
"It's okay," Leah repeated, stil in that calm, controlled voice. "Paul is a shape shifter, just like the legends say. I am too, Rachel. There are eight of us. And we phase into wolves to protect the tribe - just like in the legends. The stories are true."
Rachel jumped when the kitchen door opened, but it was just her father. He nodded at Paul and Leah, then took a seat next to Rachel and took her hand. "Did he tell you about imprinting?" he asked, unperturbed by the gigantic animal just a few feet away.
"N-no," Rachel answered. "What does that mean?" Her eyes never left the wolf.
Billy's storyteller voice was deep and soothing. He rested a hand on his daughter's as he spoke. "It doesn't happen often, but sometimes a wolf will imprint on someone. We don't know why it happens, though it might possibly have to do with preserving the bloodline. It happened to Paul the first time he set eyes on you after he phased."
"Wait wait wait." The color was slowly returning to Rachel's face. Billy waited patiently for the first of what he knew would be many questions. "So this means Paul - the man - doesn't really care about me?"
Billy's head shook emphatically. "Not at all. It's very real. And it's actually your choice. He can be whatever you want him to be - a friend, a brother, a lover. But in any case, he is tied to you by that invisible string. He needs to be near you, and all he wants is to make you happy."
Rachel's voice was stronger, and she barked out a small laugh. "Look Dad, I've known Paul all my life. What he wants is to make PAUL happy! I mean, we're really great together, but I know where I stand."
"Not any more." Billy patted her hand. "Look, I know this is a lot to take in. And it's our secret. The only reason you're allowed to see this is because, as an imprint, you're sort of an honorary member of the pack."
"The pack," Rachel said thoughtfully. "And just who is in this pack?"
Leah ticked off the list of names. "And for some mystical reason, I'm the Alpha wolf," she finished. "Maybe because I was the first to phase, I'm not sure. But I have a certain power over the others. If I issue an alpha command, they have no choice but to obey."
At this, the massive wolf actually snorted, and Rachel laughed. "Okay, so I guess it is Paul." She stood and started hesitantly down the steps. "Are you sure it's safe?"
Leah had hoped Rachel might phase too. It wasn't easy being the only female in the pack. But for now, she left Paul and Rachel to become reacquainted. She knew it would take some getting used to, and she had to get some sleep.
When Leah got home the next morning, Emily was at the kitchen table with a cup of tea in front of her. Leah helped herself to coffee from the carafe and sat across from her cousin, waiting for her to speak. Harry walked into the room and seemed to sense the tension.
"Would you mind taking a run to the hardware store in Forks for me, Leah? I ordered some fencing materials. Maybe Emily would like to go and give you a hand." He took his truck keys off the hook and handed them to Leah.
"Umm. sure, Dad. But I don't need any help. I can do it."
"I'll be happy to help, Uncle Harry," Emily said sweetly. Leah was not in the mood to be closed into a truck with her traitorous cousin, but she didn't see any way out.
Halfway through the fifteen-mile ride, Emily broke the silence. "I'm really sorry, Leah. It looks like Sam was trying to put one over on you, and I was stupid enough to go along."
Leah sighed. "It's really not about you, Em. We've been drifting apart for a while, but I have to admit it hurt my feelings to think you'd jump right into that gap."
"I get that, and I'm really sorry. If I know you at all, it looks like you've got some stuff going on. It's none of my business, but I don't want to make it worse. Please believe me - I'm not interested in Sam. Can we call a truce? Please?"
Leah nodded, not daring to speak around the lump in her throat. It had already been quite a week, and as soon as they walked into the store she realized it was about to get worse. The stench was nauseating, and she soon spotted the source. The big Cullen boy, she thought his name was Emmett, was at the register. She tried to hold her breath, but apparently he had identified her wolf scent as well. He nodded politely. "Miss Clearwater, I presume." She wanted to knock that smirk off his handsome chiseled features, but she ignored him and dragged Emily down the nearest aisle.
Back in the truck, with Harry's fencing tied down, Leah rolled down her window and breathed in the crisp fall air. Emily looked at her with curiosity. "Who was that good-looking guy, Leah? Do you know him?"
The answer came through clenched teeth. "He's a Cullen, Emily. They're all trouble." Emily didn't ask for further explanation.
Jacob was sitting on the porch waiting for Leah when she backed the truck in. He jumped up and helped her unload the heavy logs as if they were toothpicks. Emily just shook her head and headed inside with a wave to Leah.
Jake was sensitive to Leah's moods by this time. "What's wrong, Leah?" He was seated on the third step, his arms resting on his knees.
She looked toward the house, as if to caution him that someone might be listening, before she answered. "Ran into Emmett Cullen in Forks. He's a sardonic son of a…"
"Yeah, we've met," Jacob interrupted quickly.
Leah realized her fists were clenched, and she forcibly flexed her fingers. In a soft voice, she said "I wanted to rip off his head and toss it through the plate glass window."
Jake nodded in agreement. "Damn treaty."