Chapter 8
Leah's eyes fluttered open slowly and she stifled a yawn. For a blissfully unaware moment, she was in that funny place between awake and asleep.
She took her time to stretch, her eyes sweeping blearily across the room causing her to sit up straighter with a jolt.
She fumbled for her go-bag, normally kept beside her on the nightstand before properly remembering where she was.
Her heart was just about ready to pound out of her chest. She had to take several meditative breaths to collect herself before finally calming down.
La Push, Jacob, his house, you're okay Leah, you're okay. Everything is gonna be okay, okay?
Christ, she felt like Dorothy swept up into Oz except instead of 'lions and tigers and bears, oh my' it was more like 'goblins, and ghosts, and ghouls'. Or was it more like vampires, and werewolves, and witches or Frankenstein or something? Whichever.
There was a faint hope in her heart that Jacob had already gotten up to go off somewhere, perform his chiefly duties or whatever.
She climbed out of the bed as carefully as possible, as if the more slowly she moved the less of a chance anyone had of noticing her. Leah knew getting back to Seth's would be the worst walk of shame in the history of them.
After a few minutes in the en suite, she felt fresh enough to make her daring escape. A daring escape that would be no exaggeration because the chances of Jake leaving her unattended were apparently zero.
Leah went out through the back door and had made it just past the deck before she found Quil standing by the white gate.
"Morning, Lee." His arms crossed tightly across his face but there was an amused grin on his face.
"Morning, dickbreath."
"Foul-mouthed as ever. Love it! We really missed that around here." Quil laughed, revealing a straight line of pretty pearly whites.
Actually, his smile wasn't the only pretty thing about him, Leah noted. He now towered over her at an even 6 ft and had filled in fairly nicely. His muscles weren't over-bearing or 'roided out and as massive as he was he still seemed soft around the edges, like the worlds least intimidating giant.
As she appraised him she tried to compare how he looked now to the squishy jokester she remembered.
A knot formed in the pit of her stomach when she realized that it was probably because he was one of the wolves.
Running around the forest on all fours adhering to the call of the wild had to be a great workout.
"Jacob said he dropped the bomb last night. He sent me to—"
"—make sure that I don't run off into the woods never to be seen again?"
"Don't be crazy. No, he sent me to help you pick out a dress. But we gotta hurry we're meeting him at the courthouse at 2." There was a short pause where she must've looked absolutely horrified before he busts out laughing again. "I really wish I'd taken a picture of that. Jake sent me to talk, Lee."
Leah pushed him—tried to anyway. He was like a goddamn brick wall. That was enough to get her heart racing all over again.
"Talk about what?"
"You know what. Aside from being a literal legend after the whole prison break and chase thing you tend to be a little…"
"Strong-willed?"
"Formidable? Intimidating? Scary. Super scary. Scared the crap outta the whole pack even before you left. Plus, you're this huge flight risk so he wasn't sure he could talk to you or answer your questions without saying something dumb or insensitive and scaring you off all over again. He was totally just freaking out that he wouldn't have the right words but in my case, well—"
"You've clearly found the right words. In fact, you've found all the words ever." He smiled sheepishly but nodded. "Fine. But on my terms, obviously. I need to change, get breakfast, and then I wanna talk on the beach."
"Sure thing. Come over and hop on." Leah did a double-take at his retreating back. Did he mean what she thought he meant? He couldn't mean what she thought he meant. He turned around a few paces ahead when he noticed she wasn't following him.
"Quil, you want me to—"
"No! Christ, no I wasn't…I didn't mean…not me, Lee, not on me…er, fuck, I'm not gonna shift I—my bike! I have my bike! Seth and Cat live a 10 min walk down and then we're gonna grab eats and hit the beach and I have my bike."
"Oh, okay cool." She nodded and then chuckled a bit at how distressed he still looked. "Breathe, V."
He led her to the front of the house and mounted his red bike. It was a gorgeous piece of machinery—a fact Leah had no problem telling Quil, who could only beam with fatherlike pride.
V, Em, and Jake had always taken interest in automotive crap. They had a knack for it and it was a great way to keep themselves busy and out of some of the shit, the other guys were all getting themselves into.
The three of them had always done their best to keep out of trouble fixing up heaping piles of crap was their favourite way to do that.
She squeezed Quil's midsection when he took off wondering if the guys still had time for any of the stuff they liked, or if they even liked the same stuff anymore. Being half wolf had to have changed them in non-literal ways.
Did Jake still fix up cars? Did Embry still race them to destruction, making them need fixing up all over again? Did Quil still like to go swimming? Did Paul still get into fights every other day? Did Jared still goof off any chance he got?
They'd pulled up in front of the house by now with Leah running in to get dressed but she froze mid-dress.
Quil was waiting outside to talk to her, he was going to try to convince her to stay.
She shook her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts but it was too late the floodgates were open. A zillion questions were popping up all through her brain again.
Would she try to leave again? Did she want to stay? Could she accept La Push, Jake, everything? Could she forgive him? Leah was a forgiving person.
Being home wasn't exactly a horror movie. It wasn't as awful of a thing as she imagined. It was a hell of a lot better than being on the run, comparatively.
In her defence, if there could be one, betrothal was enough of a reason to run again. The magical shifting thing was just icing on the let-me-justify-your-escapism cake Jake had baked her.
But she was pretty full off that and didn't think she had much more room for dessert.
It made her feel a skosh better that she was deciding on her own before anyone could poke and prod her into it.
Leah was jarred from her thoughts by Quil poking his head through her window with his hands covering his eyes.
He didn't want Seth scarred for life and more importantly, he didn't need Jake to see him see Leah. Quil quite wanted to live to see dinner, they were having ribs tonight.
"Lee, hurry up I'm starving!"
"Coming!" She called and was out the front door in a few strides. "Can I drive?"
"In your dreams, sweetheart." Leah rolled her eyes at his stupid satisfied smirk.
"Fine, but I'm not holding onto you this time. You're too hot."
"Wolf thing, can't help it." he pouted indignantly. "You've gotta at least hold onto my belt."
Leah nodded at the compromise, happy to make it and happy that it was just Quil and not one of the other idiots.
Had Jacob known not to send them? Did he know she would be more receptive towards the perpetually cheery, easygoing Quil?
She almost made a mental note to remind herself to ask him but decided against it when she remembered how blushy he used to get if anyone pointed out how much sweeter he was than the other guys.
He'd always wanted to be a tough guy like his friends. Looking at him now, but stopping herself from copping a feel, it appeared he got his wish. Externally, at least.
They pulled up to one of the few diners in town and she barely kept up with how quickly he dismounted his bike and flew inside.
Leah carefully chewed on her cheeseburger and wondered how it was that no diner outside La Push could compare while she watched Quil inhale his food.
He'd made his way through four or five entrees in the time it took her to get halfway through her fries.
"Jesus, V…you weren't kidding when you said you were starving."
"It's a wolf thing," Quil smiled around a mouthful of food.
"How many things do you guys have?"
"Well, we're always hot, hungry, and —"
"Horny?" she supplied helpfully, thinking he was alliterating. Instead, he nearly choked his mouthful down and had to take a large gulp of his water.
"Jeez! Get your head out of the gutter, Lee. No! I was gonna say temperamental." He was blushing beet red, but Leah was willing to chalk it up to the fact that he'd just choked. "Always being at least a little angry is the easiest way to learn how to control phasing."
"Do you have a print on someone?" Leah blurted, for the moment unwilling to hear him break down the inner workings of wolfhood.
Quil's fist clenched and unclenched on the table in an attempt to redirect the energy from his tensing body.
He felt a little prickly at the mention of imprints, more specifically of his own imprint. Being asked to explain the general concept was confusing enough without having to explain his own.
Even those who were around had a hard time understanding it, much less someone so newly returned.
If Leah said anything to warrant his defensiveness…he'd have to cut out early and go for a run or something to cool down.
"Yeah, I do. Claire Young." he watched her face as she tried to place any recognition to the name.
"Emily Young's little sister?" he nodded. "She's like 10, right?" another nod. "So you're like her big brother or fun uncle or something."
Leah rationalized what his relationship to a little girl must be so simply and quickly, oblivious to the relief that flooded Quil's whole demeanour.
Finally! Finally, someone didn't have to explain or defend it to. Whatever Jake had said to her had done the trick apparently. It was refreshing for someone to not automatically assume he was desperately in love with a literal child.
"Yeah, I just keep her company and help her out when she or her mom need. I've actually got to pick her up from school today."
"Please don't tell me you pick her up on that thing!" Leah frowned at his ride. It was a beautiful piece of machinery but definitely inappropriate for a kid to be on.
"Of course not! Her sidecar is only for weekend laps around the house. I walk her home."
"She has a sidecar?"
"Decorated it herself! I swear she would've built it herself if we let her anywhere near the tools." Quil's smile was broad and effortless. "She actually reminds me a lot of you, you know. I think you'd get along like a house on fire."
"Um, thanks? What do you mean she reminds you of me?"
"Y'know…she's just so…ah. That little girl is a spitfire. If I'm sweet like chocolate she's spicy like hot sauce." Quil pursed his lips trying to find the right words. "Claire is the bravest person I know. I swear to god that little girl teaches me every day how not to take crap from people. That it's okay to stand for something and not budge."
"She sounds like my type of girl, V. Hopefully I can meet her soon." Leah smiled genuinely.
"You will! But before you trick me into gushing over how cool she is all day, I believe I promised to take you to the beach. C'mon." He took her hand and pulled her outside.
Jacob got home from work early that day cautiously optimistic. Quil's optimism was infectious after all if it could penetrate him it would surely affect Leah.
He'd already called Seth to have him bring over Leah's things. He and his fiancé needed privacy after all and Jacob had more than enough room for Leah at his place.
Bella was still gone with only a few texts to explain her absence, with weak excuses at best.
It suited him better this way and so he was grateful to her for not being here.
He needed time and space to help acclimate Leah and make her comfortable enough to not want to leave.
Jacob looked at his watch and frowned at how early it still was. Quil was going to drop her off before he picked up Claire, which wasn't for another two hours at least.
He'd gotten home a little too early it would seem. But that was fine too, he could finish some work and get a head start on dinner.
Jacob sat down at his desk ready to look over a small stack of papers that begged his attention but quickly found that he couldn't properly focus on any of them.
his mind was stuck on Leah and how her day was going and whether or not Quil would shift.
Would she ask him to? Quil was amiable, he probably would if she asked him to. if he did then Jacob, perhaps a little unethically, could check up on her and see for himself how things were going.
But how would he know if he hasn't shifted himself? He'd need to be shifted to have that kind of access to Quil's mind.
Today was kind of dragging on too. Plus, Paul and Jared wouldn't mind being excused from their rounds in favour of their Alpha doing them instead.
So, really he wasn't doing anything wrong. He was releasing some pent up stress, protecting his land, and boosting pack morale by giving some of the guys the afternoon off.
Being able to tell if Quil checked in was more like an afterthought than a true added bonus.
Having talked himself into spying, but not, Jacob left the papers scattered on his desk to grab his duffel.
He ran off into the woods and stored his duffel in his locker, down in the bunker he'd had installed.
'Go home guys. I'm taking the rest your patrol for the afternoon.'
'Don't have to tell me twice.' Paul thought of the words against a bright white landscape of nothingness before Jacob felt him phase back.
This was his defence mechanism against Jacob having to be a victim to Paul thinking about his wife-imprint, Jacob's sister.
Jacob was a very understanding chief and Alpha, but he drew the line at being subjected to unsavoury thoughts about his family members. It was partially why he was so sensitive towards Seth.
Jared, however, had no such qualms and was still running around the borders, his mind split between his objective to protect La Push and his desire to kiss Kim to smithereens.
'You sure you don't want back up, Jake?'
They did patrols in pairs for a reason, but Jacob was fine doing them on his own. He was a little bigger and a little faster than the rest of the guys, and if it came down to it he knew how to signal for them.
'Yeah, I'm fine, Jared. Go on home, tell Kim I want some of those homemade muffins for this weekend.'
'Will do.'
And then he was gone. It was just him now and he was aware that he'd had access to Paul and Jared, but there was no Quil.
It was fine, that just meant that he hadn't phased yet. He would eventually, whether it was in front of her or not.
Besides, he would catch their scent on patrol, and that would be enough for him.
The breeze caressed her face and tousled her hair as she and Quil walked along the shoreline. Leah felt immediately grounded by the familiar path and surroundings.
She'd discarded her sandals and dress by Quil's bike, glad that she'd worn a suit top and shorts underneath.
She hadn't asked if he still liked to swim but she sure did and hadn't in a while so she was practically frothing at the mouth to reach the cove and go for a dip.
"Do you guys still have bonfires?"
"Yeah, but only on the weekends." he resisted looking to his left, unsure that he'd be able to keep his eyes focused on hers. Leah or not, that is to say, whether or not she counted as a girl really, she was still so pretty, dammit. "That way everyone's partners can come."
"Mrs Black comes?" Leah snorted. Or did she go by Mrs Black-Swan?
"Not a chance in hell." Quil laughed loudly, finally gaining the courage to look at her directly. If Claire were here she would remind him it's rude not to look at people. "It's more of a pack thing, only those who know can come."
"V…" Leah stopped to sit on a large rock as they had finally reached the cove. A question had been burning on the tip of her tongue and she was finally at ease enough to ask it. "Earlier you said something about how anger helps you…"
"Phase?" he finished for her, already sensing where her mind had gone. "Yeah. It kinda forces us to learn quick or else we risk hurting the people we love. Talk about incentive."
He laughed, well he tried to, but it fell a little flat on the coattails of such a dark admission.
When the alternative to learning control yielded potentially deadly results there was never much of a choice was there?
Leah and Quil were both quietly, simultaneously wondering if anything in their lives would ever really be a choice or if they were just victims to the circumstances of their birthrights.
"I'm really glad you're back, Lee." Quil broke the heavy silence and placed one hand over hers.
"You haven't exactly persuaded me yet, V." she pointed out. "You didn't even try."
"You wanted me to try to tell you what to do?" he laughed again, this time a real one. "Who's the dummy now?"
"Still you? Always, forever, totally you?" she squeezed the hand that held hers in an attempt to hold back laughter of her own.
"Yeah, right. You made up your mind before we even left the house." he got up, pulling her off the rock effortlessly. "C'mon, race you to the water?"
"Yeah, right. You've got four legs, cheater!"
"Please, I'll only need two to beat ya!"
Their laughter echoed throughout the little cove and was soon drowned out by the waves crashing softly along the shore.
A/N: lmao.
Guest — the update 'schedule' cancels out any goodness imo
Guest — flattery will get you everywhere anon.
chemistrykim — answering your review 3 yr and 1 day later.
PastOneonta — I stan their friendship, dominant dummy Jacob, & this review you left.
rocklesson86 — if you're reading this you waited 3yrs and I'm sorry
brankel1 — Awesome
CatTheWall — Leah deserves to be happy
Guest — Bella sucks! This review is a vibe.
ASH186 — Surprise! Hate me