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Leah made her way across the dark club space toward the bar. She ordered a beer, motioning for the bartender that she would open it herself. Being a shapeshifter had given her a high alcohol tolerance. However, Leah was unwilling to discover if it would fend off a spiked drink. The last thing she needed was to be unaware of where she was or what she was doing.

God, could you imagine an intoxicated woman phasing into a wolf in the middle of it? Talk about coyote ugly for that sick, dumb sonofabitch. Leah leaned her back against the bar as she turned to watch the other patrons. Many couples on the dance floor were quite good, though a few drunkards were bumbling around them. A bartender came up behind her and leaned over the bar to speak close to her ear. Of course, he had no idea she could hear him clearly without it despite the pounding music pumping through the sound system.

"You chose a good night to come here." His deep, raspy voice sent shivers through her, the sound of it even gaining the wolf's attention.

Damn, I hope he is as good-looking as he sounds. Leah smirked, glancing toward him to catch his side profile before turning her attention back to the dancers. Leah asked, "Oh? Why is that?"

He cringed as trance music began to play. "The music could be better," he said and snickered. The bartender pointed toward the stage to their right. Men were installing floor-to-ceiling metal poles on either side of the stage.

Leah laughed and asked, "Dancing poles, huh? This place changing hands or something?"

He said, "It did a few months ago. We are going to start having dancers here a few nights a week."

She chuckled and asked, "Exotic dancers? That will be something to see."

He laughed and said, "Yeah. We will only be doing club nights on Thursday now. There will be dancers here Friday, Saturday, and Wednesdays."

Leah finally turned around to look at the bartender. She had barely paid any attention to him when ordering her beer, but his velvety voice had sparked her interest. Leah slowly eyed the man in front of her. He pushed back his blonde hair as she met his stare and winked at her before taking another drink order. He reminds me of a thinner and shorter sun-tanned Emmett, she thought. His build and walk were similar, though much more comparable to an average-sized male. Again, he pushed his shaggy blonde hair out of his large, almond-shaped blue eyes. They nearly squinted shut as he gave her a dazzling, crooked grin. Leah was surprised to find herself blatantly staring at his face and unwilling to look away as she analyzed every angle, crease, and feature. The bridge of his narrow nose was crooked as if it had been broken a time or two, the tip slightly curving downward. His lips were nearly heart-shaped and perfectly placed. His high cheekbones drew her attention, the sharp angles hovering over the large dimples in his cheeks. His forehead was slightly creased with worry lines, the beginning of crows set between thick light brown eyelashes. Still smiling, the bartender made his way back toward her as she finished her beer and set the bottle down.

He nodded at Leah and asked, "You want another one?"

Though she could have knocked another one back easily, she was in no mood to chase a buzz. "Not just yet, thanks," she said, grinning.

He gaped at her for a moment, his blue eyes sparkling with mischief as he took in her wide, white smile. Sincerely, he asked, "Has anyone ever told you that you kind of look like the cartoon Pocahontas?"

Leah rolled her eyes and laughed. Well, there is some synchronicity for you, she thought. She admitted, "Yeah, actually, my family has teased me about it all my life." I wish they would lock it in the damn Disney vault with the movie.

He asked, "Is that why you keep your hair short?"

Leah lied, "Something like that."

He smirked at her suspiciously but held his hand out and said, "I'm Hodie."

Leah reached out to shake his hand and asked, "Hodie?"

He chuckled and said, "Yeah. Nickname." He hurried away again to take another drink order. When he walked back, he asked, "So, do you have a name?"

She grinned as the song changed and said, "Leah." His smile seemed plastered to his face as he watched her walking to the dance floor. Leah glanced back at him as she slipped between the other dancers. A couple of minutes later, he searched her out and smiled when he found her. Hodie continued to watch her from the corner of his eye while serving customers. Leah, instead, tuned into the music.

After a few more songs played, she fought her way back to the bar. A larger crowd had filtered in, and there was barely room to move now. Her body heat and the scent of so many people in the small space become too intense to remain trapped among them. Her eyes went straight to Hodie as she searched for an opening at the bar. Leah caught his eye as she darted into the only open space at the bar between two male customers.

The short man sitting to her left said, "Excuse me?"

Leah said, "Sorry. I will only be in your way for a minute." She gave him a friendly smile, and he leaned back to grin at his friend on her opposite side. Hodie walked toward Leah, his smile slowly fading as he approached. He glanced at the little man next to her suspiciously, and Leah could practically feel him silently warning her to be cautious. Leah stood on the footboard and leaned over the bar on her elbows, holding up a twenty.

Looking back up at her, Hodie smiled and asked, "The same?" Leah nodded. The man to her left had leaned back in his stool and now seemed to be appraising her behind. His large, bald friend on her opposite side copied him. Leah rolled her eyes and winked at Hodie.

This guy is just too cute, she thought, watching Hodie reach into the cooler for her beer. She froze and gasped as she felt a hand quickly slide across her backside. Leah stood up straight as the men both snickered, only making her angrier. These are just pansy-assed humans. They are probably close to Charlie in age. Do not lose your shit. The mental image of wolfing out on the slimeballs behind her almost made her laugh. You would probably give one of them a fucking stroke. She fought to control the waves of anger that pulsed through her as she trembled, setting the wolf on edge. Leah took a deep breath as a concerned Hodie stomped back in their direction. She could not help but grin at him as he bit his top lip, attempting to conceal his anger.
He thinks he needs to defend me. That's cute. Leah winked at Hodie again and smugly turned toward the man at her left.

Leah asked, "See something you like?" She towered over him from where she stood, staring down at a greasy, short man in a black leather jacket. A widow's peak interrupted his receding hairline, a look that was somehow dramatically mirrored in the shape of his large nose, mouth, and facial hair. He was short enough that his feet barely reached the lower ring of his barstool. The big guy must be the muscle.

Leah said, "You look like you belong in a Joe Pesci movie." Any sign of anger fled his face as Hodie barked out a loud laugh and handed her a beer with the top still on. She shot him a grateful smile, glad he had remembered not to open the bottle for her.
"Keep the change," she said as she leaned back over the bar, yanking her change from his hand and shoving it into his front shirt pocket.

"Smooth," he teased. "Did you sneak your number in there somehow?" Leah laughed and shook her head no. He winked and asked, "Would ya?"

Leah blushed and laughed as Hodie went to take another order. It wasn't often that people took her by surprise. Leah took a swig of her beer, nearly spitting it out as she felt another hand firmly grip her ass cheek. Leah set her bottle down and spun to face sleazeball number two.

She gestured to them both and snapped, "Listen, fellas. While grabbing an ass without permission is in no way acceptable, ever, I'm willing to give you both one free pass." The shorter man leaned toward her to direct her attention. The other grunted as he leaned toward the bar. "Which, you have already used," she added, glaring at the shorter man and wiping the smile from his face. Do these two fools truly think I have no clue what they are trying to pull?

As his friend leaned back again, he said, "I guess we gotta behave ourselves. We wouldn't want to make the pretty lady mad, would we?"
Leah smirked at him and turned back toward her beer. She glanced down at it suspiciously, wondering if it had been tampered with. I hate these damn aluminum bottles. At least with a brown glass bottle, I could see if something was inside. Hodie darted away from his customer as she attempted to pick up the beer. Scowling, he swiped her beer bottle from her hand. Leah looked up at him in surprise as he handed her a new, unopened beer and put the open bottle under the counter.

A guy that knows how to have a bitches back. I like it. Boldly, she asked, "Are you gonna get me an ink pen, or what?"
Hodie grinned and seemed unsure of what he was doing for a moment as he glanced around behind the bar. Leah giggled as he shook his head and walked to the other side of the bar. He jogged back to her with an ink pen and a napkin, setting them down for her. Leah wrote down her name and number before shoving both items back to him.

As Hodie moved to serve someone else, Leah attempted to move back to the dance floor. Each man beside her leaned in to block her path. She jumped back just slightly to avoid directly stepping into them.

Patiently, Leah said, "Pardon me, Goodfellas."

The larger one scowled at her as his friend said, "I think we got off on the wrong foot."

Leah smirked and said, "That's not exactly the part you were going for."

He grinned at her and said, "You are a sassy gal, huh? Takes a special kind to come to this neighborhood alone." Leah rolled her eyes at his weak attempt to intimidate her. He said, "You should let my buddy open that beer for you, sweetheart," he said.

Leah scoffed and said, "No thanks. I'm still not sure what he did to the last one." I gotta get away from these two before I punch one of them. Leah stepped forward, intending to push her way through them. The bigger man reached for her bottle as the little one placed his hand against her abdomen and tried to force her back to the bar.

That fucking does it. Leah growled at them both, a little louder than intended. She jerked her beer bottle back and shook it. Leah aimed her beer at the big guy and popped the top off, soaking him first before pouring the rest on the little man's lap. Before either could react, Leah tossed the bottle onto the bar and smacked their heads together. The heavier man fell backward out of his stool, sliding onto his back. He reminded her of a jello mold as he wiggled on the floor in his attempt to stand. Through clenched teeth, Leah said, "I fucking warned you both." Her hands were balled into fists as she itched to drag them both outside. They were nothing compared to the kind of strength the wolves had flowing through them. Leah had to remind herself of this once again as she fought to control her shaking.

While rubbing the side of his head, the shorter man yelled, "You little bitch."

Leah laughed as she leaned over him. Before she could stop herself, she yelled back, "I'm not the one that can't get my dick wet by anything warmer than a spilled beer, little bitch." She looked up toward the commotion around them as they were surrounded by three muscular security men and the doorman who had let her in. She gasped as Hodie hopped over the bar and landed gracefully next to her.

Stepping slightly in front of Leah, Hodie held his hands up cautiously. He said, "Don't toss her out, guys. I already hit the buzzer for the cops. This one," Hodie pointed at the large man still trying to stand, "fucked with her drink. I tucked it behind the bar." A female bartender listening nearby searched for the bottle. She winked at Leah as she handed the bottle to Hodie, and he passed it to one of the security men surrounding them.

The doorman said, "Don't worry about her, Hodie." The other security men helped the heavier man stand and escorted both toward the back door. The doorman told Leah, "You can press assault charges if you want. We got them fucking with you and your drink on camera, I'm sure." He pointed out a few of the numerous cameras. "Cops are probably already waiting for 'em in the alley."

Leah grimaced and said, "Nah. If someone actually hurt me, it would different. The court would just toss out any kind of assault charges in place of pleading guilty to whatever drug charges they get. I'm sure you all know how that shit goes. It happens to women all the time."

Hodie grumbled, "Yeah, unfortunately. We get guys like that in here too often because the cops only come here when paged. It's not the, uh, safest neighborhood. I've been watching those two since they came in tonight. They're here a lot, always trying to intimidate girls that come alone."

The doorman grinned at her and asked, "Ever worked security?"

Leah said, "Yeah, sort of. I kind of grew up as the only chick living and working around big-mouthed, rowdy guys."

The doorman grinned and said, "Well, if you are interested, the boss is looking for a female bouncer for the nights the dancers are here. Boss thinks they will feel safer having a tough female around. Moral support and shit."

Leah held her hand out to shake his and said, "I'm Leah. I actually already work three jobs, but I appreciate the tip. I'll think about it. I live in LaPush, so it would be a hell of a drive."

The doorman cringed and said, "Oof. Fuck all that. This place doesn't pay enough for a hotel. At least not for the bouncers. The office is that way, though, if you're looking." He pointed toward the hallway in the back left of the room. "Past the bathrooms and to the right. I'm Rick, by the way."

Leah grinned and said, "Good to meet you, Rick. Holler if you need a hand later." He chuckled and made his way back toward the front door.

Playfully, Hodie asked, "You are something else, aren't you?" Leah turned to find Hodie staring at her, carefully taking in her side profile.

What? Something else? He seriously couldn't suspect? Jesus, Leah, don't be fucking ridiculous. Leah could feel her cheeks turning red under his gaze. Hodie gave her a dazzling smile. Again, Leah was surprised by how much he reminded her of Emmett.

He teased, "I bet you are a handful, aren't you?"

Leah let out a sigh of relief and chuckled. "I can be," she admitted.

Hodie asked, "How about another beer?"

Leah commandeered the spot sleazeball one had been sitting in and said, "Sounds great."

Rather than fighting through the thick sea of patrons, Hodie hopped over the bar and returned to making drinks. He snagged a bottle to slide at her with one hand while filling shot glasses with the other. Hodie spun the bottle in his hand before trading it for another and gave her a wink.
Leah giggled at him. Oh, he is just fucking showing off now. She grinned at the bottle of bourbon in his hand and pointed at it before holding up two fingers. He grabbed two more shot glasses and filled them quickly. After serving the others, he brought her the shots. She reached to pay him, and he scoffed as he shook his head. He tapped his shirt pocket containing the large tip she'd given him and winked at her as he turned to serve someone else. Leah drank her shots and watched him working for a few minutes. She found herself staring blatantly again, looking over his scruffy but chiseled jaw, toned arms somewhat hidden under his loose shirt, and ready smile. Leah glanced up at the clock, disappointed that it was already near eleven. A few hours had flown by like nothing. Best of all, she had not thought of Quil once since she had walked in the door. She began to wonder how it would work if she took the female security position and gave herself an excuse to be away from home more often. Maybe spending more time away from the pack and La Push is what I need. Feeling more confident than she had in quite a while, Leah snagged her still unopened bottle and forced her way through the sea of patrons toward the hallway. A couple was making out against the wall, blocking her path.

"Hey, kids, move it," she said with authority. She chuckled, watching as they pulled apart and headed back to the bar. The sound of a throat clearing caught her attention, and she turned toward it.

"Can I help you?"

Leah looked up at a tall, slightly chubby man in his mid-forties. He looked out of place in his expensive slacks and silk shirt. His hair was professionally dyed, his underlying grays peeking out from the roots. A glance at his hands revealed manicured nails against overly-tanned skin. Leah recognized his expensive cologne from an overbearing mall display she had been subjected to searching through for Charlie the previous Christmas.

This man has money or at least wants to appear to. Unless the grungy low-maintenance atmosphere of the rest of the building was what they were going for. Determined to not feel intimidated, Leah gave him the friendliest smile she could muster. She said, "I was wondering about the female bouncer position."

He chuckled. "Yes, I saw you on camera earlier. Rick send you in here?"

Leah said, "He did. Mind telling me about the job?"

He turned toward his office and chuckled. "Hmph," he said, "follow me." Leah was surprised to find the furniture in the spacious room high-end and bright. Live potted palms sat in each corner behind his desk. On the other side of the room was a lush suede couch that Leah noted probably cost more than her car. He motioned for Leah to have a seat.

He explained, "The job would be Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. Five pm until one am. I saw what you did in the bar, but are you sure you can fight? I own other clubs, and some guys have to be tossed out on their asses."

"I am no stranger to tossing men much tougher than those two on their asses. I do work until four pm on Fridays and Saturdays," Leah said.

He asked, "What is the problem with that?"

"I live in LaPush. Depending on traffic, the soonest I could get here would be six-thirty," she explained. "I already work three jobs, but I could use a change for a while. If you are okay with me getting here at six-thirty, I would be more than happy to fill the position until you find someone permanent."

Blunty, he asked, "And why would I be willing to do that?" His voice was stern, though he was biting back an amused grin. Clearly, she had taken him by surprise. Many, in her experience, expected attractive women to be ignorant, timid, and spoiled. Leah was none of those. Men underestimating her was something she was used to.

Leah said, "Well, I don't actually need the job. You are the one who needs someone to fill the position. I'm offering a solution." She gave him a genuine smile and said, "Honestly, I think it's a great idea. I agree that your dancers will feel much more comfortable with a protective female on the staff. Port Angeles can be a rough place."

"But you aren't afraid of it, are you?" He was swiveling just slightly in his chair. Usually adept at reading people, Leah was having a terrible time with her potential employer. He seemed to be annoyed, humored, and nervous all at once.

Leah admitted, "Not much frightens me. I have faced some pretty tough people." Like an army of newborns.

Shaking his head, he said, "Well? How does one hundred and fifty a night sound? It is more than I pay the others, and you would have to keep that to yourself without exception," he added sternly. "The thing is, you will be getting picked on. Some guys that come in these places are just pigs. That is all there is to it. That is why I am willing to pay a female bouncer more. We could consider this on a trial basis. How does that sound?"

Leah said, "Sounds like I will see you at six-thirty next Wednesday." He stood to shake her hand. She said, "I am Leah, by the way."

"Most of the guys just call me Boss," he said, rolling his eyes. "You can call me that or Tom. I really don't give a damn."

Leah chuckled. "I'm a fan of bluntness. I expect to be treated respectfully by the other bouncers. I don't want any special treatment bullshit because I'm a girl. Should I expect any issues there?"

As he walked her to the door, Tom said, "So am I, Leah. Also, you might. If you have to stomp their asses, be my guest. They get paid for it."

Leah laughed and said, "Funny you should say that. My other boss has the same rule."

Tom grinned at her and winked. "Bring your identification and social information Wednesday so I can issue you an official paycheck."

Leah hesitated. She said, "How about we wait and see if I can hack next weekend before you start jumping through red tape. If you need a reference for me, you can call Cold Wolfe Auto Repair in La Push. Ask for Jake. That's my boss."

"Hmm," Tom said as he held open the door for her. "Something tells me you will do well around here. You remind me of someone I know."

Leah scoffed as she stepped out of the office and asked, "Who?"

"Me, Leah," Tom said and shut the door between them. Leah looked up to find Hodie leaning against the wall near the bathrooms.

He asked, "Talked to the Boss, huh?"

Now that they were alone in a smaller space, she could smell him. His cologne mixed well with his natural scent, reminding her of warm embraces and clean laundry dried by the ocean breeze. She sounded far more flirtatious than intended as she said, "Yeah. I guess I will see you on Wednesday." Shit, Leah. Calm the fuck down. Damn.

"I work," he said and smirked.

Leah chuckled as she walked past him and said, "Yeah? Me, too. I'm your new bouncer."

He gave her a dazzling grin and laughed. Leah tossed her now warm and still unopened beer into the trash as she rounded the corner and headed for the front door. Rick opened it for her with a smile.

He said, "See you soon."

She called back, "Wednesday!"

Rick clapped his hands together happily. He asked, "Are you sure it's worth the drive?"

"I guess we'll find out," she called back to him as she walked to her car.

When Leah passed Bella's, half of the house was lit up. She swung into Sam's drive to turn around and headed back.
Probably waiting for me to fucking text her again, Leah thought. She turned off her car and walked to the kitchen door. She was surprised to find Jacob and the pack crowded around the kitchen with a very anxious Bella.

Leah stepped inside hesitantly and said, "Hey guys." Jacob, Sam, and Paul scowled up at her.

Paul snapped, "Where the hell have you been?"

Bella rolled her eyes and slapped Paul upside the head as Ethan began to scream.

Jacob said, "I'm sorry, honey." He smiled at Bella sympathetically as she stomped toward Angela and Embry's room.

Paul hissed, "Dude, why aren't you going to get your kid?"

Embry snapped, "Mind your goddamn business and shut up, Paul." Rarely angry, his reaction was almost startling. He rubbed his temples and appeared to be very, very tired.

Jacob rubbed his exhausted face and said, "Guys, please don't wake Sarah up, too, or my ass will be on the couch."

Leah whispered, "Someone wanna tell me what the hell is going on?"

As Ethan's crying finally settled, Jacob said, "We had a little leech problem. It is one we have run off before, but they got too close."

Leah asked, "What do you mean, too close?" Leah felt as if her stomach had turned to lead. Here she had been silently hoping to tell Bella about her night while her people had been in danger at home.

Bella hissed, "You didn't do anything wrong, Leah." She glared at Paul as she walked back into the room with a wide-awake Ethan. Bella handed him to his father and went to make him a bottle. "Embry, did you remember to ask Angie to pick up the medicine for his colic?"

"Yeah, I told her this morning," Embry said, gently rubbing his son's back.

As calmly as she could manage, Leah hissed, "What happened?"

Jacob explained, "You know Charlie put alarms in the house in Forks since he stays out here most of the time. Well, Bells was over there this morning looking for something. Earlier this evening, his alarm was set off, right? He gets there, and the house is trashed, Leah."

A little too loudly, Leah asked, "Seriously? Again?" Ethan began to cry, only to be quieted as Bella handed Embry his bottle. "Sorry," Leah apologized softly.

Jacob said, "Charlie called me asking if one of us would come to check it out. The house was covered in leech scent. Whoever it was must have come across Bella's scent. Went in looking for her, we guess."

Leah whispered, "Mother fudger. Did you guys catch it?"

Paul said, "Yeah. He got across the Rez line, which was where he fuh … fudged up."

"He got too far," Sam grumbled. "He tried to follow Bella to Billy's. He was sniffing around the trails when we found him."

Paul sneered at Leah angrily and said, "Rachel was cooking supper and watched us take him down from the kitchen window."

Sam said, "I'm worried that we're getting too lax. We might need to step up patrols again."

Embry argued, "Every single one of us is already pushed paper-thin over here. Paul, Jared, Rach, and Ange run the bar. The rest of us, the garage. Hell, Leah has three jobs, including patrol."

"Four," Leah corrected him softly. The rest of them turned to look at her. "I got another job. I have to drive to Port Angeles straight after work on Wednesdays and Fridays now. I'll work Saturday nights, too."

Jacob asked, "When were you going to discuss this with the rest of us?" She was relieved there was only curiosity in his voice and not anger.

Leah said, "Well, I hoped to talk to you about it since I saw the lights on. I was just heading home."

Jared asked, "Where were you anyway? You smell like beer."

Leah huffed and said, "I went out. I am allowed my own life, you know? Anyway, Jake, this job is just going to be temporary.

Jacob asked her, "Leah, how do you plan to manage patrol after working doubles?"

Leah said, "I will figure my sleep schedule out. There should not be any interference."

Paul grumbled, "What if someone needs to trade, Leah?"

Leah hissed, "Why is that always my problem? I am one of fuh - fudging ten of us. Do not tell me that crap can't be figured out. I technically work three jobs just around here as it is. Three nights a week for me to have a life away from here is not asking for too damn much."

Sam grumbled, "Leah ..."

Bella interrupted and said, "She's right. Everyone here except Leah and Quil has their imprint and kids on the way. They both deserve the time to find those things for themselves if they're ready for that. We can't expect Leah to get the shit end of the stick all the time. If she has an imprint out there, meeting new people could help her find him." Leah looked over at her step-sister gratefully. Bella had once promised to support Leah as her sister, no matter what. She had not faltered in that promise in the least so far. Bella continued, "In fact, Leah goes above and beyond what most of us do. When all of the kids get here, I'll probably need her help more than ever. Honestly, she deserves to have some time to herself while she can still have it."

"We get it," Paul grumbled sarcastically. "She is Saint Leah. Whatever."

Leah glared at him silently. Pick your battles, wolf-girl.

Jacob said, "Honestly, Leah, I see no problem as long as it's not stretching you too thin. We all know how it turns out when we try to patrol while exhausted. You deserve your own time as much as anyone else."

Leah said, "Look, I already talked to this dude about the job and told him to call you if he needs a reference. It's a trial basis for now. He knows I already have three jobs. I already told him it was until he finds someone to take the spot permanently, and if it's too much, I won't continue."

Curiously Embry asked, "What is this job, anyway?" He set the bottle down and attempted to burp his son.

Leah said, "I'd like to keep that to myself for now." It was not that it bothered her to work in a strip club. She just didn't want to deal with the backlash from the imprints if the boys showed too much interest in her new place of employment. Just because most of them would never cheat, it didn't mean they had gone blind. Besides, she thought. I don't need them sniffing around when I might have a chance at a semi-normal dating life for a change. Knowing she would be keeping other women safe made her feel that the position could be worth the trouble as well. Lord knows there are too many handsy assholes with more dick in their personality than in their pants running around.

Paul grumbled, "I don't like it."

Sam glared at her and said, "Neither do I."

Leah tried to keep a straight face as she caught the tail end of the scowl Quil shot in Sam's direction. As she turned to leave, Leah said, "Well, it's a good thing it's none of your damn business, isn't it, boys? Bella, I will come and see you later."

Leah stepped outside and pulled the door shut behind her. She sighed when she heard someone jogging up behind her as she reached her car. Leah turned, surprised to find Quil just a few feet away. She rolled her eyes and asked, "Are you lost?"

Quil asked, "Do you really have a new job, or do you just not want to admit that you are seeing someone?"

Leah gaped at him silently for a moment. What the hell is this? Quil made it perfectly clear he wanted nothing to do with me. Now he's staring at me like I just ran over his puppy.

As she opened her car door, Leah said, "I'm not sure why you care, but yes, I do have a new job."

Incredulously Quil asked, "You honestly believe I don't care?" Leah could feel her temper rising again.

What the hell? This bastard dumped me. Leah hissed, "You didn't care enough. Remember that? Because I do."

Quil snapped, "You know why I ended shit, Leah!"

Leah glared at him angrily as she lowered her voice and said, "And nothing has changed. I'm not your imprint, right?"

Quil's facial expression turned from angry to affectionate on a dime. He asked, "What if I don't want to fight it anymore?" It was the soft, husky tone he used only for her when they had started fooling around. It was a tone he knew practically made her toes curl when he used it at the right time. Unfortunately for Quil, this was not the right time.

Leah could only tremble as she pushed back her anger. "Why, Quil? Why now?"

"Look," Quil said and hesitated. They both glanced toward the kitchen door as the others began to filter outside. "Can we please go talk somewhere," he whispered, turning back to her. Leah could almost swear her vision was turning red as she glared up at Quil.

As in, can we please go fight and then fuck somewhere? Yeah, I've heard that one before. Leah said, "You have had over six months to talk to me, Quil. You don't get to ignore me until you feel like it." She plopped down into her driver's seat and jerked her door shut. She cracked her window open as he turned to walk away and added, "You didn't give a damn what I was doing before, Quil. Don't start now." Leah started her car and pulled onto the highway, mentally cursing Quil, Sam, and Paul the whole way home.

Hit me with that feedback, folks. What are your thoughts so far?