Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer, not me.
Author/Note 1: This story is the sequel to Our Dawn 5. For the ones who don't know anything about Our Dawn Series, you can always read Our Dawn 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, and Our Dawn Series Specials but if you don't want to bother I have a resume on my profile page. As it would be expected this is a next-generation story and as such, it's focused on Jake and Leah's children.
A/Note 2: A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed Our Dawn Series so far.
A/Note 3: I'm not a native English speaker so I'm sorry for my grammar and spelling. Thank you for reading.
Alpha
Book IV – The Matriarch
Interlude
Leah Clearwater
90. Turning Point – part 2
I heard Jacob call me from upstairs when he woke up but I didn't stop what I was doing. I gazed at the watch hanging on the wall that marked 2:44 am. The stove was shining but I kept cleaning. Cleaning was sort of a therapy to me. It helped me relax.
"What are you doing here, Leah?" Jacob asked me coming into the kitchen wearing only a pair of shorts.
"What does it look like?"
"Why are you cleaning the stove at almost three in the morning?"
"Because it was filthy."
He sighed. He knew the stove wasn't that filthy.
"Go back to sleep," I told him.
"Come to bed."
"I'm cleaning the stove."
"It's our first night alone in ages, Leah. Do you want to spend the rest of the night cleaning?"
"Yes, I do."
"What's going on?"
He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest, indicating he wasn't going upstairs without an explanation. I turned my back to him and kept cleaning.
"Come on, you're making that face." He insisted.
"What face?"
"The something's-up-face."
I turned around and saw that Jacob was waiting for an answer. I was lucky to have him. He was the best husband any woman could hope for. Of course, things weren't all flowers and rainbows. When we moved in together, Jacob was immature and liked to push my buttons almost 24/7. And right after Sarah was born, Jacob felt overwhelmed and for a while, he tried to play the victim and would run away to his friends often. Sometimes he whined about not having enough time to himself but as the kids grew, we adapted ourselves to our role as parents. It wasn't always easy but we made it work.
Arguments would always be a part of our lives, just like any other couple in the world, we had our ups and downs. Sometimes we just disagreed on the weather and a huge argument would start. I remember we argued in a store when we were buying paint to redecorate the kids' rooms about seven or eight years ago because Jacob wanted to paint the room green and I wanted to paint it blue. It was stupid and we didn't speak to each other for two days but in the end, we sorted it out.
Even when he was being stubborn and cocky, I knew he meant well. I knew him better than I knew myself. So I knew that I had to be honest with him now.
"Billy told me that there's a very good chance that the Whites inherited the wolf gene from your family."
Jacob looked at me quizzically. I knew that for him this was not such a big deal.
"Okay… and how did that happen?" He finally asked.
"One of Ephraim's sisters gave birth to Greg White's son."
"But neither of them married Greg White."
"I know. But people can have kids without getting married."
"Right. And you're angry and stressed out because?"
"Greg's son was Christopher White, who was Vanessa and Verena's grandfather."
"I see. It sucks that Rhea shares a few ancestors with us but I don't see anything wrong with it." I knew he was going to say something like that. And I wanted to scream at him but instead, I let him finish. "It's not like she's William's sister. It's rather normal to have common ancestors within small communities. Ephraim's mother was Jane Clearwater, she was your ancestor and that didn't stop us from being together."
"You're not getting it, are you? Vanessa has the gene, Jacob. She has the wolf gene."
"But the gene skipped her." He pointed out. "Her niece phased, not her."
"What if it hadn't skipped her? What if Vanessa had phased when we all did? Would you be with me?"
"Are you really asking me that, Leah?"
"You… I mean your wolf accepted me because there was no one else he could mate with. I was the only female wolf until Gwen came along many years later. But what if there were more females in the beginning?"
"Leah, the pack didn't need more females so no other girl phased."
"Wouldn't you like to be able to choose? I mean isn't it better to have a choice rather than an imposition?"
"What are you suggesting? Are you doubting us? Are you doubting me?"
"No," I stepped forward and put my hands on his face. I hadn't meant to upset him. I was just overwhelmed by everything that was going on. "No, Jacob, I don't doubt your feelings for me. That's not what I meant at all."
"You better not, Clearwater, because you know I would die for you, right?" He put his hands on top of mine and kissed me. "Why are you suddenly bringing this up?"
I had meant what I had told Billy earlier. I was happy with my life right now. I'd been happy a long time and I think that somehow I was scared that my happiness could suddenly end because in the past every time I was happy, I'd been screwed over. What if fate decided that I'd been happy for too long? What if fate decided I didn't deserve to be happy anymore?
My children were leaving. What if fate took Jacob away from me too?
"You're right. I'm being paranoid." I sighed. "For a moment I just imagined what could've happened if things had happened differently. If Vanessa had phased, if you had a choice, if there were more female wolves available for your wolf to mate with. I was a pretty nasty wolf. I know that now. I was a real bitch. Vanessa would probably be a better candidate for alpha female than me."
Jacob shook his head.
"If someone else had phased it wouldn't have been Vanessa White." He cut me off. "It would've been one of my sisters but that role is reserved only for the most exceptional and extraordinary girl of our tribe and that's you. It could never be her." His voice was resolute and I trembled.
"You think Vanessa wasn't good enough?"
"I know Vanessa would never be good enough. Maybe if someone else was the alpha male she would have a chance to be an alpha female but she would never be good enough for me. Vanessa was a needy girl who wanted attention."
"She still is." I put in.
"She had an obsession with me and she started to hate you when we got together. I'm partially guilty for all the rumors and bad things she's been saying about you and your family. Nothing is appealing about her. So even if she had phased, my wolf and I would never choose her over you." He said firmly. "And about you being a bitch… well, that was a major turn-on for me…" He winked.
"Do you think she's not pretty enough?" I teased.
"She was pretty… but, she's not you."
We kissed again. More passionately. Jacob's hands went down my sides and stopped when they reached my bottom.
"You also have a better ass." He whispered.
"I didn't know that was a condition to be an alpha female." I laughed.
"It's the most important condition, Clearwater."
"Sure, sure, Black."
"So, round three?" He asked suggestively. His eyes were black.
"We'll see…" I took his hand off of my ass and led us upstairs.
"You know… even if my wolf had other females to choose, I would always choose you, Leah." Jacob said before we got inside our bedroom.
And for some reason, tears rolled down my face. His words meant everything to me because he was saying that his human part would always want me. He was saying that Jacob Black, the man, would have fought his wolf's desires to keep me.
And suddenly I realized I'd been really stupid. The 'ifs' and 'ifs not' meant absolutely nothing because Jacob loved me, and I loved Jacob. And when fate decided that I didn't deserve to be happy anymore, I would fight tooth and nail to keep Jacob by my side. Always.
xxxxxxxxxx
"You're not going to clean the stove again, are you?" Jacob asked when I got up and went to the shower a few hours later.
"No. I need to get ready."
"Ready for what? The kids are out and I took the day off."
"I have a date at ten."
"Really? Who's the lucky guy?"
I groaned. "It's not a guy… I wish it were though…"
"Very funny."
"I'm taking Rhea White to see Carlisle."
"Rhea? Why"
"Because she's Will's fiancée and she's going to have a baby."
"Do you think it's wise? What if she phases and hurts the baby?"
"That's why I'm going. To make sure nothing like that happens."
I had phased when I was pregnant with the twins. I was six months along and it had made me go into labor that very same day but Rhea was only two months pregnant and I was almost one hundred percent sure that phasing would only be bad for her baby in a more advanced state of her pregnancy.
"Don't you think William should go too?"
"I'm pretty sure Will's going to be there. He spent the night with her."
"He did what?"
"What? Did you think he would play by the rules this time?" I turned on the shower and got inside the bath. "You can't be that naïve, Jacob."
"That kid has a death wish, doesn't he?" Jacob asked joining me in the shower.
"He's just really stubborn like his father."
"Like his mother, you mean. Stubbornness was never one of my feats, you know? People say that I'm nice, honest, and amazing. No one ever called me stubborn. You on the other hand…"
I knew Jacob was only trying to tease me. Like always, he liked to push my buttons any chance he had.
"Why don't you let our son take his fiancée to see Carlisle and you stay with me?" He kissed my shoulder.
"Because I promised her… and because I'm stubborn. Now move your ass out of the way, I need a towel."
Jacob laughed and moved to the side.
"Besides, you also have things to do, remember?"
Jacob rolled his eyes.
"Yes…"
"Just don't destroy anything, okay?"
He rolled his eyes again. It wasn't the first time we were having the foundations of the house checked. A month ago we had noticed the floor was squeaking a lot more and we decided to check the cellar for termites. If this were a reality, we would have to replace the house's foundations and the floor.
"Have fun," I said.
"You too, babe." He replied.
I drove to Rhea's house after having a cup of coffee. I was counting on having a real breakfast at the Cullens. Their food was always amazing. And free. I wasn't thrilled about taking Rhea to Carlisle, but I probably should stop overthinking things out. The girl needed someone by her side, someone who could help her. And the Spirits helped if I was going to allow Verena, Vanessa, or Rhonda to take care of the girl who was carrying my son's child.
Rhea was already waiting for me. I noticed that her mother was watching us through the window.
"Good morning, Mrs. Black."
"Call me Leah."
"Sorry…"
"Where's my son? He can come with us."
Rhea blushed and had the good sense to admit that he had spent the night there, just like I had suspected.
"We had dinner last night but he left early this morning."
"You didn't tell him where we're going?"
"I don't want to burden him more. He's already upset about the punishment thing."
I nodded. This girl knew my son. He had a short fuse, and maybe it was better he didn't know that his pregnant girlfriend was going to see a vampire even if said vampire was a doctor and our friend.
"That was thoughtful of you," I told her. "Is everything okay with your mother?"
Rhea shrugged.
"She thinks I'm making a mistake by marrying William. The truth is… she married a man who turned out to be a liar and a cheater and she doesn't trust William. She liked Art because he was reliable, and William…"
"Is nothing like Art." I finished the sentence for her.
"Yes."
"Do you want to tell her the truth?"
"What truth?"
"That you're a wolf and William is too."
I didn't want Rhea to tell the truth to her mother because that would probably mean that her whole family would soon know but she deserved to have the choice.
"It wouldn't make a difference. She'd probably freak out. She's not ready."
Amen to that. I thought.
Carlisle, Jasper, and Esme were the only ones at home when we arrived. The rest of the family was in Alice's mansion in Crimson Creek. Rhea started to shake when we left the car but Jasper's power allowed her to relax.
"Do they smell like this all the time?" She asked.
"Yes."
"And you don't mind?"
"I guess I got used to it. You will too." I told her. "Look, I can't imagine what you're going through right now because I'm not you but I've been pregnant just like you are now and I'm also a wolf, just like you. And we both love William."
Rhea looked at me quizzically.
"I know you think I don't like you but the truth is that I don't have anything against you. I don't blame you for being pregnant, and I don't blame you for being a White. I have a few issues with your family but I promise that won't interfere in my relationship with you. If you have a problem, you come to me, okay?"
Rhea nodded. She was close to tears.
"I don't want to cry in front of you or the vampire… I mean Doctor Cullen." She corrected it in the last second.
"Of course. We can wait here a few more minutes."
So we waited.
xxxxxxxxxx
"Is it a boy or a girl?" Jacob asked as I entered the backyard of our house. He was playing with the dogs.
"It's still too soon to say," I replied. "Did you go to the cellar? Do we have termites?"
"You bet we do. Thousands of termites."
"Damn it." I cursed. "How much is it going to cost?"
"A lot more than we thought," Jacob said and came to sit down on the small stairs beside me. "We have the money but… I think we're going to need another place to stay while we take of the problem. I called Gary and he's bringing the wood boards next week."
"Damn it," I said again. "We were having so much fun with the house all to ourselves."
Jacob laughed.
"I'm going to take the trash out and you should go talk to Harry. He's upstairs, packing."
I knew this moment would come, but even though I was prepared, I was still anxious and a bit scared of saying goodbye to my firstborn.
I found him in the bedroom he shared with his twin brother.
"Hey… going to Campbell already?"
"Hi, mom. No, not yet. I'm just packing. I'm going to stay at Alice's house with Season. I mean it doesn't make sense to bring her and the kids here just for a couple of days, right?"
"Yes, of course."
"Dad told me you took Rhea to see Carlisle. Is everything okay?"
"Yes. She was worried that she wasn't taking prenatal vitamins. Carlisle was very helpful. Rhea's a lot calmer now that Carlisle said she's going to have a normal pregnancy."
"Why wouldn't she have a normal pregnancy? I mean, you had normal pregnancies too. Just like all the other women who had kids with wolves or ex-wolves."
"I know that and Carlisle told her the same thing but it's different when you're the one carrying the baby. She's scared just like I was too."
"You were scared? Really?" Harry looked intently at me. I didn't say I used to be scared that often.
"Of course I was scared. Giving birth is a lot scarier than facing a vampire, so make sure you're by Season's side when it happens." Harry blushed and stopped packing.
"How do you know?" He asked.
"Why didn't you tell me? I'm your mother, Harrison."
He noticed the hurt in my voice and stepped forward to hug me. He looked so much like Jacob at his age.
"I never meant to lie to you." He whispered. "But it wasn't the right moment."
"You got married too."
Harry let me go and put his head down in shame.
"I'm sorry, mom."
"What happened? Why did you keep it a secret?"
"Because Will wasn't well. He was angry and feeling miserable because the Whites had placed Rhea under their care again, and because they were making demands… I didn't dare to rub my happiness in his face. What kind of a brother would I be?"
I was touched. Harry cared about his brother more than he cared about himself. And just like that I wasn't angry or hurt anymore.
"You're an amazing brother and I'm proud of you," I told him. "And if Season needs anything, tell her she can call me, okay?"
"Thanks, mom."
"And after all this shit is over, we're going to have a party. To celebrate your wedding."
"We'll see…"
"I can't believe you're leaving."
"I'm not going to another planet, mom. I'm not even going to another continent. And you can visit whenever you want, besides I'll come back as soon as Alex and Adam can look out for themselves. It might not take that long."
I doubted that. I had seen those kids training along with Isaac and the new pups. They were fast learners but not as fast as Isaac or even Danny. The fact that they had never hunted down a vampire was probably the reason why they weren't taking things seriously.
"Sure." I knew he would come back but we wouldn't come back to us. To me. With a wife and a kid on the way, Harry would have to find a place to live with his family. Plus he was going to take in Season's siblings too.
"I guess I'm just sad that I'm losing you all at the same time. It's not fair."
"You're not losing us, you're gaining a bigger family."
I smiled at my son. He was right. I should be happy for them. I was letting my feelings interfere and was being selfish.
"How far along is Season?"
"We don't know yet. A month or so."
"You do realize that…"
"I know she's not my mate. I know what will happen if another female wolf comes around, and that's why I have to go. It's for Season and my unborn child that I'm doing this, mom."
Harrison was trying to do the right thing but in my opinion, it was too late now. The best thing he could do was to break up with her but now that she was pregnant that was impossible. He was an alpha and an alpha wolf needs an alpha female. Season would have to live with the constant fear of losing him.
"A girl can morph in Campbell too. I'm sure you know that, right?"
"I've been studying the possibility of that happening with Carlisle and Isaac and it's almost zero. The White pack inherited the gene from only one Quileute man. He had five kids, all boys from five different mothers. Only two of his descendants had sisters, Dominic and Glenn. One of Dominic's sisters already phased, if the other two had the gene, it would have activated already. The same goes for Glenn's sister. That means that today there are only six girls who might have the wolf gene but they are all too young to phase."
All the members of the White pack had daughters. Larkin, Lance's daughter was the oldest of the White pack's children. She was eleven years old, too young to be a wolf.
"I know what you mean, but you have to be prepared in case fate bites you in the ass. I mean, you're playing a dangerous game, Harry."
"You and dad did the same, didn't you?"
"It was different."
Harry sighed.
"I know… you're a wolf and Season's not. I understand that the circumstances are not the same but I'm ready to defy everything, every rule, every wolf instinct… for her."
I could see he had made up his mind and even though I thought he had rushed things with this girl, I was proud of him. He was a good boy and he deserved to be happy with the girl he loved.
"When you got pregnant, you didn't know anything about the alpha pair. I know you were scared that dad could imprint and leave you. And you lived with that fear for years." He recalled.
It was just when Jack Russell came along threatening to claim me that Jacob and I realized there was a bond between us that was unbreakable and beyond human comprehension. It was a lupine thing that was a part of us and defined us as leaders of a pack. It was a bond that bound our wolves together and ensured no other wolf could ever touch me. It was like an imprint but with a stronger physical component.
That bond was reserved for all alphas. My son included.
"I did. But with you and Season is different. You must know that."
"I do, and that's why I'm ready to stop phasing. As soon as we're out of danger, I'm going to stop."
"Did you tell your father about that?" Somehow I had the feeling that he was trying to sound convincing but that in truth he was not sure about it.
"No. I'm telling you first." He stated. "What do you think he'll say?"
"He'll say 'whatever it makes you happy'. You know your father. If you're happy, he's happy, but…" There was an old prophecy regarding the twins.
"You don't think I should stop?"
"I don't know."
"There are too many alphas on the block. Besides William can take over the pack, I mean he has an alpha female, and together they can lead the group. He just needs you two to start believing in him."
"We believe in him." I opposed.
Harry looked at me unconvincingly.
"Right now dad trusts Isaac more than he trusts Will."
"Can you blame him?"
Harry sighed.
"Look, we love you all equally," I added.
"I'm not talking about love, mom. I'm sure you and dad love the five of us the same way. William needs guidance. He needs…"
"You. That's why you can't stop phasing."
My phone rang before Harry could say anything.
"I have to take this. Make sure you tell us before you leave, okay?"
Harry nodded as I excused myself and went downstairs.
"Rhea?" I answered the phone. I had exchanged phone numbers with her earlier on in case she needed someone to talk to or had an emergency.
"It's Verena White. I think Rhea's in trouble. I think she needs help. Please come quickly."
Thanks for the reviews: Guest(s), CentaurPrincess, brankel1, Mel9kiSihou, Island Mama, Weave the Magic, Kary G, almondbutter, rocklesson86, TheSlytherinQueenbee, nikkieowens, nene82743, Deadman'sGun, bonzgirl, Jazzmatazz30, sia-gomo01, FangsandDaggers, Sagal Farah, chemistrykim, Daughter of the earth, Gizmo60, EvangellaAkriti, Sarah Blackwater, lory77, Beauty Eclipsed, tcpg02, Aiyanna Clearwater, Ebble, riskingit, Ella Tremaine, shadoxwolfpaw, Jaybeecee, MammaNita4, daniela, Candie Marie, etforreal, Joy Lande, Addison Faye, Finley Jean, BeeGommes, candycane56.
I'd also like to thank all the followers of this story and all the readers who added it to their favorites list. Thank you.
Take care,
Karisan.