When Jacob and the rest of the pack reappeared, he intended to carry Leah to the bathroom and then into the kitchen. Still frightened, confused, and utterly exhausted, the thought of a Jacob lookalike carrying her off to kill her somewhere nearly caused another anxiety attack. Leah forced him to remain patient and help her carefully walk instead. Everyone gathered around the kitchen table except Paul and a furious Quil. Jacob opened the door to call them inside and found Quil angrily berating himself for being stupid enough to think Leah would be safe for the night. Jacob took offense to this and told Quil that if he really felt that way about Jacob's capabilities, he could just keep his ass outside.

Bella was terrified to put Sarah back in her crib and risk leaving her alone. She intended to lay her in her playpen when Seth offered to hold her. Sarah reached up to curl her tiny fingers around a handful of Seth's shaggy hair and immediately went back to sleep, practically wrapped around his neck. Bella slid the window open to remind Quil and Paul to keep it down outside unless they wanted to babysit for the remainder of the night.

Leah glanced over to find Sam staring at her worriedly, and she called him over without a second thought. As he stood in front of her, she hesitated for a moment before reaching for his wrist. Satisfied with the intensity of his body heat, she said, "Help me up." To the surprise of everyone else, Leah stood and hugged him. Sam released a heavy sigh as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight against him.

"Hey," she soothed, "I'm alright."

He grumbled out, "You aren't, but I'm happy you're alive." He pulled back and carefully touched her left temple, examining the now shallow cut that remained across her eyebrow.

Sam's brow furrowed with worry as he said, "This should be healed by now. We can't understand why you're not healing, Leelee."

Leah admitted, "Yeah. I'm confused about a lot of shit right now." The contorted dreams were already mixed among her memories, allowing just a little of the pain she had worked so hard to let go of bloom where it no longer belonged. She attempted to sit again and grew lightheaded, nearly losing her balance. Sam caught her and eased her into her seat. Leah thanked him, and everyone remained silent as he resumed his place at the opposite end of the table.

Quil and Paul finally made their way inside, wisely remembering to not slam the door. To her surprise, Paul leaned down and hugged Leah gently.

"I thought I told you to stop doing shit that makes me worry, god damn it," he grumbled in her ear softly. Leah could not help but chuckle at him, further surprising the rest of the pack.

Seth snickered and said, "Sis, I'm thinking the blow to your head changed something. You just let Paul touch you without hitting him."

Leah said, "I'm too tired to be bitchy." Her arm throbbed painfully, and a feeling of dread washed over her as she looked around.

Spotting the purple bruise, Quil asked, "What the hell happened to your arm?"

"He grabbed me. The fake Quil," Leah said, looking toward him. "But at least Jacob saw him this time. I told you I wasn't crazy."

Quil said, "Sweetheart, I never said you were crazy. You have a brain injury. Give me a little credit here, please?"

Jared asked, "Have you remembered anything else about whatever this fucker is?"

Leah said, Not really, no. I'm glad I don't remember him actually punching me." Half the pack let out low, angry growls at her words, and Leah rolled her eyes. A year ago, they would have told me to stop whining and be quiet.

Bella said, "Considering he somehow looks like Quil, that's probably for the best." Many of the others nodded solemnly in agreement.

Leah said, "He's … not cold like the vampires we know. I mean, he's cooler to the touch than we are, but not quite a normal human temperature either. More like a human that has been standing out in the cold for a while."

Sam asked, "So what if he is not a Leech? What if he is some other type of shifter? Or hell, some other kind of creature we just haven't met before?"

Pain shot across her temple as another memory hit her. Leah watched as he licked her blood from his finger. I know what I am … What the hell are you?

Leah said, "He's definitely a vampire of some kind." Her breath and pulse sped up again as her fear rolled through her. "He tasted my blood. He knew I wasn't human." The cringe around the room was unanimous as even Bella suppressed a gag.

Carefully, Jacob asked, "He tasted your blood?" His voice was laced with barely controlled anger.

Leah nodded softly, again staring absently at the muffin bowl. "I'm sorry, Jacob. I didn't remember it until just now," Leah said, ignoring the growl in her belly.

Quil said, "You have nothing to be sorry for."

Bella silently walked to the fridge and grabbed water and protein shake. She begged, "We have to keep you hydrated. When you want to try real food, I'll make whatever you want, but please drink those."

"Thanks, bitch," Leah said, though her tone lacked its usual zing. Had everyone not been long used to their term of endearment, it would have sounded like an insult. Leah shook the protein shake and popped it open. Much more awake this time, she scowled from the chalky aftertaste. Her pack chuckled at her with amusement as she chased it with the water.

Leah chuckled and said, "Ugh. The chocolate one was fine. This one is trash."

Paul nudged Leah playfully under the table and said, "If we are done babying Leah, can we figure out what we plan to do about this thing?"

Leah said, "Yes, please. I'm improving, guys. I won't break, I promise." Quil and Jacob both looked as if they feared that was far opposite of the truth. Leah understood their worry, but she was becoming irritated.

Jacob said, "Leah, I think this thing is taking energy from you, somehow."

Leah said, "I agree. It's giving me dreams. I'm not getting real rest because my dreams are all over the place."

Jacob said, "Well, you had the warning dream."

Leah said, "No, Jake. Other dreams. Intense dreams. I usually dream of my memories. I have done it all my life. My brain doesn't normally just make shit up that way. Aside from dance, I'm not exactly a creative person." Embry snickered, and Jacob shot him a warning glance.

Leah said, "When I woke up from you talking to … it, I was confused, and I'm still confused. They were memories, but … they didn't feel right. A lot of arguing and other things went on. These were real arguments I had, but they didn't make sense. The people seemed different. I have a memory of Sam in the woods." Leah shot Sam a wary glance, knowing he would understand her immediately. "And, in my dream, I was arguing with Hodie instead of Sam. Everything would start out the way it should but would switch to Hodie. To be honest, if I wasn't so damn sure of this specific memory, I don't know if I could tell which one was true."

"I'm calling Carlisle," Jacob said with poorly concealed alarm and shot up from his chair.

Suspiciously, Bella asked, "Why?"

Jacob said, "Because we need to know if there are other vampires that can manipulate memories. If they have visions, read minds, and manipulate emotions, I'm sure screwing around in memories isn't so far-fetched."

Paul and Jared snickered conspiratorially and fist-bumped. Jacob rolled his eyes and walked outside, pulling his cellphone from his pocket.

Leah asked them, "What is so funny?"

Jared laughed and said, "Jacob uses a lot of dog puns. Have you never noticed?"

"Morons," Leah said and grinned at Bella. The pack continued to banter until Bella had to ask them to quiet down. Bella was so tired that she looked like she was about to fall over.

Jacob came back inside the house with half of the Cullen clan in tow. Jasper paid the others no mind as he dashed to Leah's side, suddenly kneeling in front of her, scowling. He gently touched her bruised cheek, and she was surprised at how soothing the cold of his skin felt there. It also validated that the temperature difference she had noted in the Leech that attacked her was real.

There was a protective tone in his voice Leah had not heard from him since before the newborn battle as he said, "If I get my hands on him first, I'll kill him myself." She did not doubt his words.

Leah forced a smile at him and said, "You are a good friend, Jas." He grinned at her affectionately and made his way to the lone empty corner of the room where he could lean against the wall to observe.

Leah told the others more about her dreams, leaving out as many sexual details as possible. When Carlisle asked if they included intimate situations, she had to admit that they did.

Sam grumbled, "Why would this thing want to mess with her memories?"

Rose said, "To confuse her would be the obvious answer, but the key here is Hodie. It wants Hodie to be miserable, right? It tried to kill her and failed."

"It wants her to hate Hodie," Embry said, sounding very sure of his answer as he turned to Leah. "It's putting Hodie into painful memories, right? It wasn't able to kill you, but he can surely still try to make you hate him." He glanced around the room and said, "If she hates him, she won't want him back, right?"

"That makes sense," Jasper said from his corner. "Then again, he could be planning to kill her anyway and is just getting off on torturing her first."

Carlisle asked, "He was only in the house once?"

Jacob rubbed the back of his head in frustration and said, "Um, that we know of. But, if he's posing as Quil somehow..."

Carlisle said, "If he's capable of taking on the appearance of one person, he's likely able to do it with anyone."

Leah said, "Hodie said he is like a ghost. He doesn't have a scent, which still blows my mind. Is he some kind of shapeshifter, then? Like us, but he can choose his form?"

Carlisle said, "Perhaps. A vampire shapeshifter of some sort, but certainly not one like your pack. Changing appearances at will is not a vampiric gift I have encountered before, though this creature is absolutely a vampire. I finally got to look more into the cells I got from your nails. It is vampire DNA, without a doubt."

Growing frustrated again, Leah asked, "Why pose as Quil, though? Of all people?"

Quil shot her an angry look and shook his head. "Yes," he said sarcastically, "me. Of all people."

"Don't do that," Leah warned him quietly as his words instantly flooded her with emotion. "You know that is not what I meant!"

Carlisle said, "Because you trust him enough to sleep next to him, I imagine." He fidgeted with his scarf anxiously for a moment before asking, "Are the dreams only happening when you are alone?"

Leah said, "I dream all the time. The only time I don't remember dreaming was over the last few days. They started again after the last time I saw you."

Carlisle asked, "These nightmares and jumbled placements, however? When did those begin?

Leah said, "The first nightmare, I was alone. But once I had it, my brain just wouldn't let go of it." Leah thought back to the memory of Hodie dead in her arms. His lifeless milky-blue eyes flashed through her mind, and Leah gasped. She jerked away from the table, startled as the blue slowly changed to Quil's soft green surrounded by red rings. The now warm and half-full protein shake hit the floor, splattering Paul and Embry under the table. Embry quickly began to clean up the mess. Bella smiled at him gratefully, yawning at the island.

"I know you said it tastes bad, but damn," Paul grumbled as he cleaned the mess off his shins. Everyone else was staring at a trembling Leah, oblivious to all of the commotion around her.

"Leelee," Sam said cautiously.

Tearfully, she turned to face him and said, "When he pretends to be someone, there will be a red ring around the iris of their eye. I remember now. I walked up to who I thought was Quil, and he slammed me against the wall. I grabbed his wrist because he was holding my shirt in his fist. His eyes were almost the color of Quil's, but there was a red ring around them. At some point, he licked my blood off his finger and asked if Hodie knew that I wasn't human. I still don't remember him hitting me. I remember my head hitting the wall, though."

Carlisle said, "The injuries you were given would have killed a human." Everyone in the room, including Bella, was becoming angry. Bella was suddenly wide awake, and Leah could see the furious tears welling up in her eyes.

Leah said, "I fell at some point, I guess. I remember being on the ground with him looking down at me. He said he would tell Hodie that I said hello." Suddenly Jasper darted out the back door without a word. The tension in the room immediately began to ease, and Carlisle grimaced, glancing back up at them all apologetically.

Carlisle said, "I apologize for my son. I think his temper was becoming a bit too much. I was also becoming angry, and I am never angry. Given the circumstances, however, I certainly should be. I don't relish the idea of destroying other creatures. Even the sadistic ones. However, when a family member is in danger, one does what they must."

Leah said, "I am worried about being here now. It puts Bells and Sarah at risk, and that scares me more than this thing coming after me." She glanced toward Sam and Embry and added, "Em and Ethan, too."

Carlisle said, "While that is also a concern, that is not what I mean. My family has come to know many of you very well. There are so many connections to all of you through Bella or Jacob. Your mother is legitimately my friend as well. You are our allies, but as you all know, our family has its own view on what the term family means. We swore to stand with you as allies to strengthen the treaty, but we would do so even without one."

"Babe," Rose said, looking pointedly at Leah.

Leah laughed as she blinked back tears and asked, "Really?"

Rose said, "If Emmett can, I can. My dick is bigger, okay?" Somehow, Sarah managed to keep sleeping through the explosion of raucous laughter from the pack. "That's more damn like it," Rose said and smirked. "Anyway, Leah, you can always come back to the guest house. Emmett would have far too much fun forcing you to play video games while you recuperate."

Jacob laughed and said, "Shit, he would challenge her to a race and tell her to suck it up."

Leah said, "It's honestly probably a good idea. At least there aren't any humans that I love there to endanger. There will be here, though. No matter where I go."

Seth suggested, "You could go stay at Charlie's house in Forks, and we can guard it as we did for Bells." Sarah stirred at the sound of his voice and yanked on his hair in her sleep. He chuckled as he reached up to unwind her fingers from his hair. "I think I'm going to have a bald spot," he teased Bella.

As Bella moved Sarah to her playpen, Leah said, "That still puts Charlie in danger. The house has alarms now. He would get called to the scene."

Rose said, "That also is just one more person this shithead could pretend to be. I'm not trying to sound bitchy here, but are you safer somewhere that he could only pretend to be one of a few people guarding you? Or would you be safer in a whole town full of your half-human family?"

Protectively, Bella chastised her, "Rose, she's worried enough."

"Listen, sister," Rose said and pointed at Bella. "I know you worry about Leah, but this would keep you both safer, and you know it." Bella huffed in aggravation and leaned against the island counter.

A thump against the wall had them all spinning to look out the window where Jasper stood smirking. "I'm calm now," Jasper said and held up a cellphone. "Found this in the woods while running my anger out."

Leah gasped and asked, "Is that my fucking phone?" The cell was passed through the window to Paul, who tossed it to Leah across the table.

Jasper said, "I dunno. It's dead. Screens cracked, too."

"It's the memory card I care about," Leah said as she quickly disassembled the back and battery from the phone. The memory card was in place, and the inside was miraculously dry.

Jacob grumbled, "He must have dropped it when he fled from here."

"There is a universal charger in the drawer," Bella said and pointed to a specific area of the kitchen. The phone was plugged in quickly, and she sighed with relief as it began charging. She tried to ignore the scowl on Quil's face as she thanked Jasper for finding it.

Jasper said, "No scent on it but yours, either. When did you lose it?"

Leah said, "I didn't. It stole it from me." She swayed in her chair unsteadily as her exhaustion began to set in.

"Perhaps it is time for you to get some more sleep," Carlisle kindly suggested.

Leah looked up at him and smiled. Sarcastically, she teased, "Is my exam over, doc? Can you guys form a plan without me now?" For the first time throughout the night, something she had said brought an amused smile to Quil's face.

Carlisle teased back, "Yes. You've been an excellent patient."

Rose begged, "Come home with me, Leah. You will have six Cullens and whoever of the pack that makes you comfortable protecting you."

Jasper chuckled, still leaning through the window from outside. He said, "Lee, would it help if I told ya Alice already sees you there? She already stuffed the dresser full of shit for you to wear. And a shit ton of shorts and t-shirts."

Rose glared at Jasper and asked, "When the hell did she do that?"

Jasper said, "This morning."

Rose threw her hands up in exasperation. "She has to take care of all of that mess herself, Jas," Rose threatened, and he burst out laughing. "I'm serious," Rose said. "She has a serious shopping problem."

Leah grinned at Rose and said, "Well, some of us around here really appreciate her shopping problem."

Rose pouted and said, "Seriously, Leah? Team Alice? I'm hurt."

Irritated, Paul asked, "Can we make a decision and go to sleep? I have to patrol in a few hours."

As if on cue, Jacob yawned. He grinned sleepily at the pack and said, "You guys can all go if you want. I'll let you know what is up." Chairs scraped the floor as most of the pack rose to leave. "Oh," he called out quickly, "Until we catch this dude, keep an eye on each other. I mean it. We don't know who he might show up as. If he can look like a wolf, we are in some serious trouble. Remember to check for red rings in the eyes, and that it has no scent. If you come across him, act like he is who he is pretending to be. Don't alert him, but find some way to alert the rest of us."

Seth asked, "How do we protect ourselves if we don't phase, Jake?"

Jacob said, "Phase if you have to, Seth. I'm just saying, if you find yourself in a position to trap him and get the rest of us there, then that's what our plan should be. With no scent, he is nearly impossible to track. We have to be crafty with this one."

Gruffly, Jasper admitted, "I honestly don't think you have to worry about anyone except Leah. She is the connection to Hodie, and that's what he is trying to break." Jasper leaned back out of the window and pulled it shut behind him before walking away.

Bella asked, "Is he okay?"

Rose said, "He's pissed, Bella. He wants to kill this fucker. Jas cares about Leah, and friendships don't come easily for him."

Leah decided, "I'm going to Rose's house."

Jacob asked, "Are you sure?"

Leah nodded and firmly said, "I'm sure. I will have plenty of time to sleep in my new bed when this is over with."

Jacob asked, "Quil, are you going with her?"

Quil answered, "That is her decision."

Leah was unsure of what to say. If she were being honest, the thought of going without Quil had not even crossed her mind. However, Leah was not sure it was the best idea. Lines were starting to blur, and one memory Leah was sure of was promising she would never cheat on Hodie. Her lingering feelings for Quil, however, were increasingly difficult to ignore. Leah knew that the likelihood of more nightmares was high. She thought of the night Quil had lifted her in his arms, terrified and naked, to carry her back to bed. Leah asked, "Is that something that you even want to do?" Quil turned to sneer at her as if her question was preposterous. "Yeah," Leah told Jacob. "Quil is coming with me if he wants to."

Sam asked, "What about his patrol this morning?"

Jacob said, "Paul and I can take the perimeter runs, and I'll probably have Seth stick around the house with Bells to keep an eye on things. It might be a few days before this vamp realizes Leah isn't here anymore, so I don't want to leave Bells and Emily alone. Seth has been busting his ass the last few days. Let him bug the piss out of the girls and eat for once."

Bella said, "He's no bother to me. He can just sleep here if he wants until then."

Leah suggested, "Seth, why don't you nap on my bed for a couple of hours. Lock the door to be safe, though. I'm sure it reeks of me after four days, but it makes your bed look like a toddler bed."

"It practically is a toddler bed," Seth grumbled and darted toward the spare bedroom.

Sam chuckled and said, "He's not wasting time."

Carlisle left with the rest of the pack, and Rose helped Leah to the bathroom. Bella quickly tossed food, protein shakes, and bottled water in a cooler. As Leah sat to put on her boots, Bella handed the cooler to Quil.

Bella said, "There is some food in there for you both. Please make sure she's eating."

Sarcastically, Quil said, "Yes, Mom."

Rose was chuckling at Leah and asked, "Are you seriously going in your PJs and boots?"

Leah said, "You heard Jasper. I have clothes there, and I'll probably just sleep on the ride. Where is my key fob, anyway?" Leah yawned and stumbled as Quil held it up. The next thing she knew, Jacob had scooped her into his arms to carry her outside.

Leah said, "I can walk, you know."

Jacob said, "Barely, and you're exhausted." Quil snickered behind him.

Leah complained, "You guys better watch it. I might get used to this pampering bullshit." Quil put the cooler in the trunk and crawled into the backseat next to her.

"Okay, then," Rose said as she climbed behind the wheel. Quil held his arm out for Leah to snuggle into his side. They were not even out of the driveway before she fell asleep with her head on his chest.

Leah woke on her own to the sound of her car turning into the gravel driveway between the main house and guest house. The short nap had given her a second wind, and she was suddenly wide awake. Emmett jogged to the car to greet them. Afterward, he charged ahead into the guest house to check things over before the others went inside.

He came back out grinning and said, "I can tell Ali was here, but it's clear otherwise." Rose grabbed the cooler from the trunk as Quil patiently helped Leah walk into the house. She sat down at the kitchen table, and Quil began pulling the items from the cooler. When her stomach growled, Quil grinned and slapped a sandwich down in front of her with another protein drink.

He laughed and said, "Bella said to make sure you eat."

Sarcastically, Emmett said, "Bella trying to feed her wolves? Never."

She slowly unwrapped the sandwich and said, "Thank you guys for doing this." It was the same kind of loaded sub that Bella often kept handy for the pack, but the first bite was pure heaven. Leah ate slowly, unsure how her stomach would react after nothing solid for almost five days.

Rose said, "I guess we will let you guys get comfortable. Leah knows this, Quil, but there is an intercom by the door if you guys need anything at all. If you just hit the red alert button, it produces an alarm for the main house, and one of us will be here in two seconds."

Emmett said, "I already checked to make sure all the windows are locked. I'm keeping the first watch, though." He grinned and rubbed his hands together excitedly.

Smirking, Rose said, "You're having too much fun with this."

Emmett said, "Might as well have some fun with it. Not many grizzlies to wrestle around here." He patted Quil on the shoulder, winked at Leah, and followed Rose out of the house, leaving them alone. After several small bites, Leah slid the remainder of her sandwich away from her and shook her drink.

Quil teased, "Are you done with the solids for now?"

Leah sighed and said, "Yeah. I think I'm going to go take advantage of the bathtub. I probably stink."

He slid her leftovers in front of him, smirking. Leah shook her head, contemplating her bath and the hope that she could get in and out without needing help. Her limbs remained somewhat stiff and heavy. She had the urge to feel warm, relaxed, and comfortable.

Quil said, "Might help you sleep better, too." He reached to pull his shirt off with one hand, laying it unceremoniously across the back of another chair. She chuckled as mustard dripped from his sandwich and onto his broad chest. She could feel her cheeks begin to flush as she watched him wipe it away with his thumb and then put his thumb in his mouth. All of Quil's attention was on his food, but Leah could not help but silently stare at his neck and jaw. Leah had the sudden urge to taste what she knew was a sensitive spot for him.

Quil asked, "How hot do you want it?"

Leah blushed at the question as she was pulled from her thoughts. She looked at Quil in confusion and asked, "What?"

Quil smirked and said, "How hot do you want your bathwater? I'll go start it for you if you would like."

Leah gaped dumbly for a moment and said, "Oh. Um, hot? I'm not sure. I can always adjust it."

Quil laughed at her and stood to throw their trash away. "My eyes are up here, Leelee," Quil said and pointed to his face as he walked toward the bathroom. Leah leaned on her elbows and buried her face in her palms.

Fucking wolves and their heightened senses.

Despite the weakness in her body and the pounding that continued in her head, her mind seemed to go straight back to intimate memories of Quil. She sat up quickly and shook her head again as she tried to clear her thoughts. She realized her mistake as she immediately became dizzy and began to topple from her chair. Warm arms caught her, followed by the sound of Quil's laugh as he lifted her up in his arms.

As he carried her to the bathroom, Quil teased, "I can't leave you alone for five minutes." He set her down carefully and helped her sit on the toilet lid. There were towels set out for her, and she dipped her fingers into the tub, finding the temperature damn near perfect. Quil said, "I don't want to crowd you, but can you get in and out on your own?"

Leah said, "I would like to try." It was either that or allowing Quil to assist her. Despite all that had happened, undressing in front of him now made her nervous. It doesn't take a fucking genius to figure out why, either.

Hesitantly, Quil said, "I will step out and let you try, but if you get dizzy …"

She said, "I promise I'll ask if I need you."

The look on his face practically shouted that he didn't believe her. Quil said, "Leelee, I swear if you fall being stubborn, I will put you over my knee and spank your ass." He laughed as her cheeks flushed again, instantly irritating her.

Leah teased, "Is that supposed to be a threat?"

As he stepped from the room, Quil said, "I never said it wouldn't be a good time, Leelee."

Her breath caught in her throat for a moment. Once the door was closed, Leah allowed herself to breathe. What the hell are you doing, Leah? Ugh. Practically the only thing on her mind all day had been sex or Quil. Her mind was absolutely relentless.

I want him, damn it, she thought while hating herself for it. Leah carefully removed her clothing, silently berating herself for the lack of willpower she had. Despite how wrong it might be, Quil had become her sole comfort in this nightmare, as ironic as that was. And where was Hodie? Running while her family tried to clean up the mess that his stalker had caused.

He should not have run. He could have been here, with me. How had it only been a week since he had run when it felt as if a month had passed? The concept of time didn't feel real anymore. Had the tick fucked her mind up that much?

Leah sat very carefully on the side of the tub and put her legs into the hot water. She moaned loudly as the heat around her feet and calves immediately began to relax her.

Quil called out, "Everything okay in there?"

Startled, Leah cleared her throat and said, "Ye-yeah. The water feels great, Quil. Thanks." She carefully lowered herself into the hot water and moaned again. Leah relaxed against the back of the tub and sighed as the tension finally began to leave her body. She laid there in silence for a while, nearly falling asleep. She sighed as she forced herself to sit up and opened her eyes.

"Holy shit," Leah said aloud at the red tinge of her water. Leah reached to touch the back of her head and pulled it away with more watered-down blood dripping from her hand. "QUIL!"

A few seconds later, the bathroom door swung open and banged against the wall as he rushed into the room. Leah sat with her knees up to her chest in a poor attempt at covering herself and looked up at him, worried.

He glanced down at her water and asked, "Are you okay?" He kneeled next to the tub as she leaned her head forward.

Leah asked, "Did I bust something open? Is the back of my head bleeding?"

"Let me check, Leelee," Quil said as he lifted sections of her hair, checking for a wound. "Well, I'm glad to see your scalp has healed pretty well, at least," he said. "I think it is just some old blood that we didn't get out."

Leah asked, "We?"

Quil explained, "Yeah, Rose had to rinse a lot of blood out of your hair while you were out of it, but we couldn't really wash it because of your injuries."

Leah said, "Oh. Well, I guess I'll get the rest washed out, then."

Quil asked, "Do you want help? Make sure it all comes out this time?"

Seriously? Does he want to help me with this? She was hesitant to answer, knowing very well that she wanted his help. This constant guilt is going to drive me fucking insane. Yeah, sure, I guess," Leah said finally.

"Be right back," Quil said as he stood and left the room. He returned with a plastic cup and shook it at her. "Might help."

She reached up to take it from him, and he pulled back, shaking his head no. "Tilt your head back," he said. Covering her breasts with her arms, Leah tilted her head back. Quil scooped up the water and carefully began wetting the rest of her hair. He stood to grab her shampoo out of the shower and returned as he poured some into his hand. He lathered her hair, his fingertips as soft as feathers along her tender scalp. Leah closed her eyes, an involuntary moan escaping. Quil chuckled softly but said nothing as he continued with the task. He rinsed her hair thoroughly, lifting sections to double-check that it was clean.

Quil said, "There are a few spots that are still healing, but it looks good. A lot better than it did, anyway."

"Thank you, Dr. Quil, Medicine Wolf," Leah joked as she pulled the drain plug.

He laughed and asked, "Are you done, then?"

Leah said, "No, but I'm not going to keep sitting here in my own blood. Kinda gross."

"I should have thought about this shit before you got in there," Quil said as he stood and grabbed her body wash out of the shower. He set the bottle and her loofa on the side of the tub for her. "I could do this part for you too if you prefer," he teased and winked at her.

Leah had the sudden visual of Quil running his hands up her thighs under the water. She cackled with immediate embarrassment and shook her head at him.

Somehow managing to keep a straight face, he said, "Wouldn't be the first time."

Leah began partially refilling the tub and said, "I think I can manage."

Quil grinned as he left the room and pulled the door shut behind him, saying, "Suit yourself."

Leah finished her bath and climbed out of the tub carefully. She felt surprisingly steady as she dried off and wrapped herself in a towel. Leah slowly walked to the bedroom and sat on the bed to rest when her wolf began to stir, snapping at her uncomfortably.

I haven't phased in almost a week, Leah thought. I bet you are absolutely stir-crazy. What she found odd was her own lack of desire to phase. She was usually so energetic, temperamental, and emotional. I must be a lot fucking weaker right now than I realized. The bruise on her arm throbbed as if to emphasize her point.

Deciding to not risk sleeping naked after what happened the last time they had stayed here, Leah stood to look for the new clothing Alice had supplied. Her head spun, and she stumbled, plopping back down on the bed. Her stomach filled with dread as her wolf began to snarl.

It is already here. Leah was sure of it, even if she could not see or smell it. Again, she yelled for Quil, who ran right past her toward the bathroom first. He quickly found her in the bedroom and glared at her, pissed she had chosen to walk alone. Not wanting to waste time arguing, Leah said, "It is here!"

Quil asked, "Did you see him?"

Leah cringed and said, "No. I can feel him." She absently rubbed her throbbing arm. Quil walked over to double-check her window and pulled the curtains closed. He went so far as to open the closet and check under the bed.

As Quil stood next to the open closet door, Leah pointed and said, "Hand me that, please?" There were several sets of sleepwear, most of which bore the appearance of oversized t-shirts and very long tank tops. Quil spotted what she wanted and smirked as he tossed it to her.

Quil said, "Alice knows you better than she lets on, I think." He pulled open some dresser drawers and quickly rifled through them until he found what he was looking for. He tossed it at Leah and chuckled as it landed in her face. He left the room and locked her door as he pulled it shut. Leah held up the item he had thrown at her to find the exact type of barely-there v-cut underwear that she was fond of.

Is he ever going to stop surprising me? Leah did not understand how she had never realized he knew her so well. Of course, Leah had confided in Quil. She had trusted him with her mind and body implicitly. Leah had never realized he had paid attention to so many little things about her, too. He seemed to understand what she needed more often than not and was one of the few who would fight her when she neglected her own well-being.

He deserves someone so much fucking better, Leah thought. Someone that is going to give him back that same kind of devotion. Leah was so conflicted, knowing very well that they were both meant for other people.

People neither of us can see right now, she thought bitterly. He could not be with Claire. She could not be with Hodie. Hell, she didn't even know if Hodie was safe, wherever he was. He had told her he wouldn't hold it against her if she decided to see someone else while he was gone.

Does that mean he will just do what he wants along the way, too? Is it necessary to feel so guilty for caring about someone fighting at her side rather than running in the opposite direction? It was all Leah had ever wanted Quil to do - to fight for her. To fight beside her. Meanwhile, she reminded herself that only a week had passed since Hodie left. Her wolf whimpered as she thought of him, wondering about his safety. As Leah got dressed, she questioned if and when she would even hear from him again. She cursed out loud as she realized she had forgotten her cell phone charging on the countertop. There was no way Leah could expect someone to spend forty minutes running just to bring it to her. She sighed defeatedly and slowly walked over to turn out the light. As she crawled into bed, Leah hoped that the lack of noise outside meant that all was well.

This entire situation is probably making you paranoid, dumbass. Pushing the thoughts away and knowing fully well that there was nothing Leah could do if it was nearby, she forced herself to close her eyes. Leah laid there in the dark, waiting for sleep to claim her and hoping she would not dream.