Bella angrily braided her hair into a tight fishtail. It'd been hours, hours, since she'd met that bitch Laya. After Jake had gone after the girl his Indian friends escorted her home and told her Jakey would be home soon. Damn liars.

The least he could do is text her or call her or something. God the one week her lover Mike was away on business Jake decided to be busy and have ex girlfriend drama. That was what Bella had chalked it up to anyway. No way this chick was serious when she said the she and Jake were betrothed.

Just as she was about to take Jake's credit card and teach him an expensive lesson she heard the front door open. Bella sprung up from her vanity and rushed to the top of the stairs, fixing a hard glare on Jacob. When he ignored her she cleared her throat loudly.

"Oh. You're home. Hello, sweetheart." He said, continuing to leaf through the mail. Deciding none of it was really worth his time Jacob slapped it back on the coffee table and ran a hand through his hair. "How was your day?"

Bella narrowed her eyes at her husband angrily. Not only had he ruined her day, he had the nerve to ignore her anger, and talk as though it was just an ordinary day. Plus, upon closer inspection, he looked tired and disheveled and completely uninterested in how her day was. His mind was definitely miles away. Which was good because if his mind was three blocks away and on that bitch she'd have to shoot him in his sleep.

"Care to explain what happened earlier?"

"Your childish behavior, selfish requests, or Leah?"

"Her."

"Hm. Arranged marriages are common for the chief. Tradition really. Leah and I have been betrothed since she was a baby." Jacob shrugged, offering no apology or even an elaboration on the subject.

"And when were you going to tell me you had a lasting engagement with that little bitch?" Bella sneered, trying her best to keep her temper under control. She saw Jacob's jaw flex and she could've sworn she saw his eyes flash black for a second but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.

"Watch your mouth, Isabella." His tone left no room for argument. Bella bit back her anger for a second. He'd never really spoken to her so roughly. Not even when she couldn't go to his mothers funeral because she wanted to visit her mother in Arizona.

"Not until I get some answers out of you."

"Fine. Ask."

"What the hell is she doing here? Why now? Where's she been this entire time? If she's so goddamn special why wasn't the little bitch at our wedding? Did you date her? Did you love her? Do you love her? When is she leaving?"

"She's home. I brought her. She ran away. No we didn't date. Yes I did love her. Yes I do love her. She isn't." Jacob walked up the stares to meet her face to face. "Now if you'll excuse me I have a few phone calls to make."

Jacob moved past her and into his study. Bella shrieked frustratedly and stomped her foot, on the verge of a tantrum. She stormed to their bedroom and slammed the door as hard as she could. She made sure to lock it too, just so he knew he was most definitely sleeping on the couch tonight.

Leah wandered around the forest that night, just enjoying the scenery and the comfortable sense of belonging and home that washed over her. She'd spent most of the night catching up with her little brother and making polite small talk with his fiancé.

She was a nice enough girl and, though disappointed he'd knocked up the poor thing, she was happy he'd found someone to love and be happy with.

Looking at them her heart ached and her stomach turned. She wondered if she'd ever have what they did. She hoped so. She tried her best to ignore the knowledge that she was hoping in vain. She'd never get the shot at true love. She'd never gotten a shot at a normal life. Her fate had been sealed when the elders bound her to Jacob Ephraim Black.

Seth had caught her up on all the latest town drama and gossip. Cousin Emily was getting remarried, again, Jessica Stanley got divorced, Kathy Santoni got a boob job, and, by the way, Spencer has a new girlfriend and they're really serious and may get engaged soon.

Leah couldn't believe it. They'd definitely broken up and she'd been gone but she hadn't expected or been prepared for him moving on so quickly. And not just moving on either, moving on so quickly and falling in love with someone else so quickly. While she didn't feel any earth shattering, lung bursting heartbreak, she was still pretty hurt. It made her question whether he really loved her at all.

Leah was so lost in her thoughts that she'd almost missed the soft crunch coming from behind her. She was being followed. She clenched her teeth together, keeping as calm as she could. She knew she was a flight risk and all that but didn't Jacob realize that suffocating her and keeping tabs or surveillance or whatever on her would just push her to want to run away even more. Leah liked her space.

In his defense she was planning an escape. Just…not right exactly now. Leah was tired of being restless, tired of running, tired of never being able to stop. It wasn't fair that Jacob got to relax and, apparently, start a life and a family while Leah spent her days running from him.

She'd asked Seth about the Bella girl when they got home. Seth didn't seem like he wanted to talk about it and all she got out of him was that they met in college and gotten married. Since Jacob already had a wife Leah wanted to know if she could go to the Elders and break off the whole betrothal thing. After all Jacob couldn't have two significant others. Maybe she could get them to see reason. Maybe she could stay or even go back to Texas, or New York. The endless possibilities if she were to be released from this stupid responsibility flooded her mind and made her giddy with excitement.

"Where the hell would I be going without any of my stuff? Huh? And if I were leaving right exactly now why would I be walking and not running?"

"Who are you?" Leah stopped short. She squinted a little, her eyes adjusting to the dark, and saw that it wasn't one of the guys.

"Me? Who are you? And why are you following me?" the guy narrowed his eyes at her and straightened a little.

"Come to see why someone reeking of dog would trespass on our land. By the terms of the treaty I could attack you, you know." His tone was noble, too noble Leah thought, but she sensed no malice, no threat. He was probably just curious as to why she was wandering around at this hour. "You've been around them but I can tell you aren't one of them."

"Excuse me, but what?" Leah was so confused. The guy shook his head and offered a hand.

"Edward. Edward Cullen."

"Leah Clearwater." Edward nodded and sped up a bit to catch up to and keep pace with her. He supposed she could be one of the imprints. But that was highly unlikely since there weren't any dogs nearby at the moment. Her wolf would never have let her wander alone in the woods, let alone past the border.

The walked around the woods together in companionable silence until theyd somehow come full circle and Leah found herself back at Seth's.