Dr. Cullen was a handsome ghoul, but he wasn't fooling anyone. That was Leah's first thought as she and the pack approached the boundary between Quileute land and the rest of the world, where the bloodsuckers were free to wander as long as they maintained their "vegetarian" lifestyle. Carlisle and the other monsters were dressed casually, their sickly porcelain exteriors sparkling in the rare dappled sunlight.
Leah couldn't help stealing a glance at her companion, tall and strong and glowing with life. Even though she and Jacob were in human form, the pack sensed her telepathic comparison, and a few chuffed softly in agreement. Edward, the mind-reading member of the cadaverous clan, cracked a sardonic smile. She closed her eyes and took a calming breath, beating down the urge to cross the boundary and slap the smirk off his face.
The Alpha wolf spoke first. "Dr. Cullen," she nodded in his direction, "what's this all about?"
"It's Carlisle, please." His voice was pleasant, almost musical, and reminded Leah of an anglerfish lulling its prey in close to its murderous jaws. "As you know, your tribe is in no danger from my family. But there is a larger threat, a danger to both of us."
He paused, apparently waiting for a question or a comment. "Are these enemies of the undead persuasion?" Leah asked, knowing he would be unlikely to engage in a pissing contest. The blonde female bristled, and her mate clenched his fists, but Carlisle nodded.
"The Volturi are an ancient clan of very powerful vampires, and they are no friends of ours. They despise werewolves even more than they hate us, however."
"We're not technically werewolves," Leah corrected him. "We call ourselves shape shifters, but I get your point. Do they pose an immediate threat?"
Jacob interrupted. "Aren't these Volturi based in Italy? That's a long way off."
"They are," Carlisle admitted. "But they have a particular animosity toward some members of my family, and they are aware of your existence. I think it would behoove all of us to be prepared for a possible attack."
"So let me get this straight," Leah leveled her gaze at the doctor. "You're suggesting that your family would instruct our pack in methods used to kill vampires? It sounds like that would require a giant leap of faith on our part - as well as a great deal of trust on yours."
"Agreed," said Cullen simply. "I hope you'll give it serious consideration and let me know what you decide. I believe we are all honorable people, Leah, despite our obvious differences."
Leah literally bit her tongue. Calling themselves people was a leap in itself, but that was beside the point of today's discussion.
Back at Leah's, everyone was talking at once. All the pack members had shifted back to human form and dressed in ragged shorts. Jake had fired up the gas grill and was cooking massive quantities of burgers and hot dogs, the surest way to quiet them.
When everyone had settled in with a plate, Leah addressed the group. "We need to make a decision, guys, and I want to hear your input."
Sam was, of course, the first to answer. "Why are you even bothering to ask, Leah? You know the decision is going to come from you anyway. Just do what you want and get it over with."
Leah replied calmly. "I hear you, Sam, and I know I've told you more than once that this is not a democracy. However, in this situation you would all be literally putting your lives on the line and I won't make a decision until you've all had a chance to voice your concerns. Do you have anything constructive to add to the discussion?"
A muscle twitched in Sam's jaw. "My vote is no. I don't trust those leeches."
Jacob stepped in. "I hear you, Sam, and I don't trust them either. But it kinda creeps me out that they seem to be afraid of these Volturi. I think we need to consider that."
Paul growled. Leah knew he'd been having some serious discussions with Rachel in the weeks since she found out about the imprint - in fact, everyone in the pack knew about their disagreements. Paul, like the rest of the mind-reading pack, was an open book. Leah looked at him and nodded.
"We have a responsibility to protect the TRIBE," he said, "not just ourselves. I think we owe it to them to take this threat seriously."
"You sure you're thinking with your HEAD?" Sam sniped.
This time Paul's growl was accompanied with a slight trembling of his muscles, and Leah knew it was time to step in.
"Let's keep this friendly, guys. We know how you feel about your imprint, Paul, but your point is valid. The whole tribe is under our protection, which is why I'm leaning toward taking the Cullens up on their invitation. Can anyone convince me I'm wrong?"
The discussion continued for a while with no real resolution. They planned to meet again the next day to reach an agreement. Jacob was the last to leave, and he sat at the kitchen table with Leah while the dishwasher hummed in the background.
"You're still leaning toward the training, aren't you?" He had come to know her pretty well over the last few months.
She nodded. "I don't like it any more than the kids do, but I really don't think the Cullens like us any more than we like them. Teaming up with us would be as distasteful for them as it is for us, so they must have a compelling reason to suggest it. I'm planning to sleep on it, but that's my feeling for now."
"Speaking of sleep…" Jacob glanced at the clock on the stove. "I'll see you tomorrow. I'm on patrol with Quil in the morning, but maybe you can sleep in." He grinned. They both knew that was unlikely. "G'night, Leah."
As Jacob jogged up to his front door he groaned. Rachel's light was on, and it was nearly midnight. That could only mean one thing. Paul. He swerved around the house and entered the dark garage. Super hearing was both a blessing and a curse, and he just wasn't up to listening to them right now. He snapped on the overhead light and lifted the Rabbit's hood.
Paul was running his hand through his short-cropped black hair. "I don't know how to convince you, Rachel. The imprint didn't make me love you - it makes me care about you, want to be close to you. I love you because you're you. You're patient, kind, and loving."
Rachel smiiled and kissed him softly. "You forgot 'beautiful,'" she murmured against his lips.
"I never forget that," he said, gathering her in his arms. "Are we okay?"
He kissed her hungrily.
Pausing to catch her breath, she nodded. Nibbling at his lower lip, she whispered "It's just that our baby is going to need both of us."