Bella POV
All the Cullens, except Edward, were staring at me with all sorts of emotion. It ranged from pure disgust (Rosalie) to confusion (Esme), hurt (Alice), intrigue (Jasper), amusement (Emmet), and understanding (Carlisle). I shifted uncomfortably, unable to look at any of them for more than a second.
"Because we caused this, Rosalie." Edward sighed, answering an unspoken question from his adoptive sister.
"Well if the bitch" Rosalie sneered the word "has some weird claim on Bella why should we fight for her?"
"Rosalie, Bella is family," Carlisle stated calmly.
"Not if she's going to run with mutts now." I could feel Rosalie's glare piercing me even though I wasn't looking at her. I was too busy studying my feet.
"You don't get it, Rose," Edward said, almost defensively. I could see his body turn, too quickly, on the edge of my vision.
There was no reply except for the sound of a gentle breeze.
"I've got her," Emmet said before there was another small breeze.
"I'm taking Bella home," Edward stated and I could see his feet near mine now.
Why was he so calm? He had growled at Leah. I frowned at the memory not liking the idea of my little grey wolf getting hurt if the Cullens had decided to attack.
"Bella?" Edward asked not unkindly.
I looked up sheepishly and he had the slightest smile on his face. I didn't understand. Shouldn't he be upset? Did he want to get rid of me? And why did that thought relieve me more than hurt me?
Once we were back in my room I watched Edward closely, waiting for the outburst. He simply sat in my rocking chair and motioned for me to sit on my bed. I did just that, too dumbfounded to do much else but follow simple instruction.
"She loves you, you know?" Edward asked with a sad smile.
I just continued my brilliant stare but I could feel my cheeks burn, knowing exactly who he was talking about. Somehow it was easier to believe Edward, over Jake, when he told me about Leah's true feelings towards me.
"I guess this is fate's twisted way of answering my wish for you to stay human." He chuckled lightly. "I have to admit I'm kind of glad it isn't Jacob, although I would have prefered someone human."
I couldn't take it anymore, he wasn't making any sense. "Why aren't you like...I don't know angry or upset?" I started to ramble, not sure how to word my dismay at the lack of rejection felt. "I mean if you didn't want me anymore it would have been easy enough to leave again. But I get that you would maybe be worried-"
"Bella." Edward interrupted my brilliance. "You don't get it. I've always wanted you to find someone that would love you as much as I do. I wanted you to find someone good for you, someone you could grow old with. Have a normal human life with." He smiled, amused with himself, now. "I did think it would have been Jacob Black and I would be lying if I said I wasn't relieved it's not him."
I sat there staring at him again, my mouth open slightly. He would let me go that easily? He cared that deeply about my human life experiences...I guess I had already known that I had just pushed it off in the past. So desperate to become a vampire I wrote off his feelings towards it. I suddenly realized I wasn't a good girlfriend.
"I'm so sorry, Edward." I managed to close my mouth again.
"Bella, this isn't something you should apologize for. It's not something either of you could have controlled." He shook his head at me.
"No, I'm sorry for how I acted in the past. I'm just now realizing how...unhealthy our relationship has been." It was my turn to shake my head, but more out of disappointment in myself.
"That's also not your fault. I'm designed to pull you in, to make you want me no matter what." He smiled his sad smile at me, again. "I was drawn to you by your scent. That's not exactly 'perfect relationship material'."
I laughed humorlessly at this, slightly frightened by the reminder that I was literally appetizing to him.
"Does this mean you're breaking up with me?" I stuttered out.
"I think it'd be best if we did break up, yes." Edward nodded once.
"But I mean an imprint can be anything…" I began to argue. More scared of being completely alone than I was about losing Edward.
"Bella, I felt how she feels about you." His smile was sadder than before. "From my understanding, the wolf's emotions change to match the imprint's."
I blushed deeply, feeling something squirm deep inside me.
"How can she change if I haven't even decided what I want?" I furrowed my brows, slightly agitated at the idea of being told what I want.
"That's not something I can answer. Maybe you should try talking to the tribal elders."
I thought this over for a second. I would feel weird asking Billy, I don't know how much of our conversation would make it back to Jake. Plus it would almost be like asking my Dad for relationship advice. Relationship advice about dating a woman. I couldn't really go to Sue, could I? Could I ask Sue about imprints without it being weird?
"You should try and get some rest, you look tired," Edward suggested as he stood.
"Do-do you think you could still stay?..." I trailed off, feeling stupid for asking. But my fear of the newborns overpowered my embarrassment.
A look of surprise crossed Edward's face but he nodded, possibly reading the fear on my face. He settled back into the rocking chair, his face a blank mask with the tiniest bit of pity. I sighed and grabbed my PJs, tiptoeing across the hall to the bathroom. I changed and brushed my teeth as quietly as I could, frowning at the circles under my eyes in the mirror.
The following week passed in a blur of self-exploration and questions. None of which I could answer. I was a mess of nerves when Edward and I arrived at the clearing, prefight. Jake carried me up to the mountain and I looked up at his face, trying to read the emotions on it. Excitement? Regret? Sorrow? I sighed and watched the forest as it passed beside us. Once Jake stepped into a small clearing I noticed the tent and modest fire. Jake set me down and just like that he was gone. By the time I turned to talk to him, he had already disappeared from sight into the green foliage.
"He's confused," Edward explained. "He still feels attached to you, romantically, but knows it's wrong to feel that way about someone's imprint. He doesn't like it and doesn't understand it."
I nodded numbly, a bit cold already. I moved close to the fire, holding my hands out to it and sinking my face deeper into my parka.
The night in the tent passed painstakingly slow, my body exhausted from the violent shivering. Or at least I thought the night was painstakingly slow until the fight had started. Seth had joined us in the morning and was relaying the fight to Edward, blow by blow. Or I guess Edward was seeing it for himself. Suddenly, they both spun to face the same direction. Confused I turned in the same direction, staring into the trees seeing nothing. It took a few moments but once I saw that red hair I suddenly understood. She had found me. Seth and Edward weren't beside me anymore, they were fighting Victoria and some other vampire. I couldn't see what was happening, just a blur here and there, some fur and red hair. I tried to watch, my stomach begging me to look away. I was going to puke. Then Seth's wolf hit a rock face near me, he went limp and I couldn't tell if he was dead or not.
"Seth!" I screamed.
Victoria and the other vampire I could now see was the missing boy from Seatle, Riley, had Edward. They had him in a headlock and he couldn't break free. I had to help him, or we were all dead. I looked around frantically the story of the third wife echoing in my mind. My eyes landed on a sharp rock fragment and it all clicked. I cut my arm open, giving Edward the advantage he needed. Everything was blurs of movement again and my vision was getting fuzzy. I vaguely recognized Seth's wolf getting up and relief washed over me. Edward's hands were working at my arm and I felt a slight pressure as he bandaged me up, I assumed. I couldn't take my eyes off the strange smoke that was billowing off the fire the two had started, Seth, throwing marble chunks into it.
"It's over, we can go now," Edward said softly.
I just nodded not really paying attention. The fight was over? Was everybody okay? Did I want to know the answer to that? Were Leah and Jake okay? I allowed myself to be hoisted onto Edward's back noticing Seth come up beside us just before I shut my eyes tightly. I could feel the cold wind whipping against my face and figured Seth was running alongside us. Suddenly the wind stopped and I was no longer pressed against the cold marble. I opened my eyes and saw that Edward was looking at me.
"What was that back there?" He asked concerned and a bit agitated.
I didn't answer I saw my little grey wolf and large russet wolf, both safe. And then my little grey wolf was a grey blur, I couldn't believe how fast she was, my mind could barely process the movement. And then she was rolling and snapping her teeth. My heart sank into my stomach, there was a newborn on her back squeezing her. She thrashed violently, the newborn still attached to her. I could see blurs of fur moving towards her from every direction. Jake was the closest and jumped right at Leah, but it was too late. I heard the sickening snaps and my heart broke as she whined in pain. My feet started sprinting towards her, automatically. Jake had the newborn and was joined by his brothers, ripping it apart. Leah was laying in the grass, naked and human, where the grey wolf was a second ago. Her arms were wrapped around herself, her mouth open in agony, eyes squeezed shut. Seth was human now, shorts on and a large t-shirt in his hands. He gingerly laid it on top of Leah's torso, in an attempt to cover her up, as he knelt down by her.
"LEAH!" I shrieked, almost at her side.
Her eyes opened, weakly, and she looked dazed but she still managed to find my eyes instantly. The pack was shifting back to human, putting shorts on, and crouching by her. Carlisle was already assessing the injuries. I collapsed on my knees right by her face, the pack had already made room for me. I looked down at her, panicked.
"The bones on the right half of her body are shattered. I need to set her bones before the accelerated healing kicks in. It's already starting" Carlisle was explaining, probably for the pack's benefit.
My stomach dropped even further, I felt like I wanted to vomit.
"Bella…" She whispered so quietly if I hadn't been watching her face I wouldn't have noticed.
"Shhh don't talk. It'll be okay" I sobbed, tears rolling down my face uncontrollably.
A tear landed on her forehead my hands hovered over her face for a second, afraid I'd hurt her. Then I brushed a piece of hair from her eyes, my other hand resting on her cheek, my body needing to have contact. Her left arm moved to touch the hand on her cheek but it fell just as quickly as it had lifted. Her face twisting into a silent scream again then she was completely limp.
"What happened?!" I looked up at Carlisle, wild with panic.
"She's likely passed out from the pain," He explained then turned to Sam "This would probably be the best time to move her."
"We'll bring her back to Sue's" Sam nodded at Carlisle.
"I'll be there as soon as I can." Carlisle stood.
The pack, all human now, very carefully lifted Leah up onto their shoulders. They disappeared into the forest, carrying her limp body. I watched after them and then just watched the woods they had disappeared into. I wanted so desperately to go with them, I couldn't stand being apart from Leah. Something had changed as soon as she attacked that newborn. I had felt my heart shift somehow and I knew 100% that Leah was mine and I wouldn't have it any other way.
A/N: Thanks to KnowledgeRobot for all the reviews, it's great having such supportive feedback.