Title: Wolf's Mate
Author: Hieiko
Category: Twilight
Pairing/Characters: Jacob/Leah, Seth
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, or any of the characters.
Word Count: 300
Notes: Written for the 31_days_exchnge, for rhap_chan's theme # 14, "never again, again".
Summary: Being a werewolf actually made Leah the strongest possible mate for another werewolf. AU.

Imprinting was a kind of mystical selection of the best mate with whom a werewolf would produce the strongest offspring. Leah had once said as much, Jacob remembered, though not in those exact words. She had also mentioned being an evolutionary dead end.

Leah had only been half-right. Being a werewolf actually made Leah the strongest possible mate for another werewolf.

Jacob realized this on the day he discovered that he had not actually imprinted on little Nessie. He had a strong bond with her, true, but it was something different caused by her uniqueness that no one could yet explain. And how did he come upon this realization? By imprinting on Leah, of course.

It was on Seth's 16th birthday party. Jacob attempted to swipe more than his fair share of cake but Leah caught him. She glared at him, and he tried to stare her down. Then IT happened.

It felt like the first time Jacob had transformed. Painful but exhilarating, made twice as intense by the fact that Leah also imprinted on him at the same time. It was not pretty; no hearts and flowers for this pair. They ran out of the house, immediately shifted into wolf form (tearing their clothes in the process), and chased each other all the way into the forest.

Nobody followed them, and nobody saw either of them until a few days later. They gave no explanations, other than stating that they've imprinted.

At dinner one night, Seth commented, "Maybe I should go find myself a different pack now."

"What on earth for?" Leah asked.

"There's no reason for you to leave," Jacob said.

"Really? Then the two of you should learn to shield your minds better," said Seth, "Because I'm already traumatized for life."

Leah slapped him upside the head.