Chapter 5

Alpha

When we made it to our destination I wasn't surprised at all that he landed perfectly. Taking care of the plane post flight took a little more time than I expected and he'd already made arrangements to store the plane until he needed it again. He checked out the plane to make sure nothing had gone wrong on the trip and took out our two bags. We walked from the airfield to a parking lot and I saw a familiar truck parked and waiting for us. The driver got out and I ran to meet him and he caught me in his arms and swung me around. "Jacob! I can't believe Billy let you borrow his truck. I thought Mom was coming to pick us up, what happened?"

"Calm down Leah, everything's okay, she just had some preparations she needed to finish and she wanted to be ready when you got home. And I didn't think we could all fit in my car, especially if your fiance is as tall as you said he was." he looked past me to see Kyle walking our way. He let me go and reached out to shake Kyles hand. They could easily have been brothers, both of them so tall and strong, and I saw them both grin as they tested their strength in their handshake.

"Kyle, this is Jacob Black, you remember me telling you about him." I smiled as I saw him assess the other alpha male in my life.

"So, your the one I have to thank for showing my Leah how to go wolf and run away! I don't know how I can repay you." Jacob looked confused for a second then Kyle smiled to prove he was teasing. "Truly I am glad you let her go when you did. She's been a wonderful surprise and I can't tell you how much I love her!" It was the strangest thing for two men to be talking about, but Jacob was nodding.

"I know exactly how you feel!" I saw him get that distant stare I recognized. "That reminds me, we need to hurry up and get back, we're expecting a lot of rain later today which is supposed to turn to ice this evening, and the cover on the truck bed isn't completely waterproof. And of course I have plans later." He grabbed both of our bags and effortlessly stored them in the back of the truck, replacing the cover to keep them somewhat dry.

I sat between them on the drive home with my hand clutched tight in Kyles. I asked Jacob dozens of questions on the drive and he was glad to tell me what I'd missed in the months I'd been gone. One thing he wouldn't tell me was anything about my own wedding plans. "That's for Sue to tell, not me." He looked at me closely for a second. "You look different Leah, your hair's grown out quite a bit. It looks good. You also look like you've lost weight, or it's more like you've gotten stronger." He nodded. "I remember how it feels to only have survival to think about, hunting and traveling. But I'm glad you found what you were were looking for; even if you didn't know you were looking for it!" He smiled his brilliant white smile and I started to relax.

When we drove up to Mom's house I was surprised to see so many people come out to greet us. It felt like the whole village had turned out for my homecoming, and I ran to her and held her in a tight hug and suddenly I was crying like a baby! I realized I hadn't really said goodbye when I left, and I was suddenly desperate to see everyone again. Right behind Mom was Seth and he seemed to have grown in the short time I was gone. I hugged him too which seemed to catch him off guard. One by one I hugged my relatives and friends who had come out to see me. Overhead I heard a loud clap of thunder and suddenly the sky opened up dumping buckets of icy rain down on everybody. Everyone ran for the house or at least the roof overhangs while I stood getting drenched.

The old Leah would have been very upset. She might have even thought the world was playing a mean trick on her by raining on her homecoming party. But I was able to look up at the sky and laugh. I found Kyle also getting soaked at the edge of the crowd and I put my arms around him. "Now it feels like the home I remember! We get more rain here than most any other place. We should get inside before it starts to turn to ice! I lead him inside where it was almost too crowded to move. I went from room to room making introductions and finally someone handed me a towel. I passed it to Kyle who wiped his face and then used it to dry me as well.

I saw them in the corner and I would have missed them except for the way they held back while everyone else was pushing forward, trying to get my attention, an introduction, or a hug. Sam and Emily side by side standing near the door. I let go of Kyle's hand so I could move through the crowd easier. When I reached them I could see they were uncomfortable and likely ready for some kind of confrontation. I heard the noise die down as everyone watched expectantly, but I wasn't going to back down.

I watched Sam take a guarding stance but I didn't care. I smiled and threw my arms around Emily and hugged her tight. "I'm so sorry! I had no idea what it was like; I was so awful to you! I hope you both can forgive me!" I found myself crying as she hugged me back. "Your wedding was beautiful, I wasn't trying to ruin it, I promise. Did everything turn out okay after I left? Please, can we still be cousins and friends again?" Everything seemed to come out in a rush and it took me a minute to notice Kyle beside me looking warily at Sam. There was also one other slightly obvious change; Emily was pregnant!

My jaw dropped. "Oh Emily! I'm so happy for you!" She was smiling with her hand on her barely protruding stomach. I looked at Sam and he was still watching Kyle and me with a serious expression. I stepped close to him. I had to stand on tiptoe to reach his ear, and I spoke low so only he could hear. "I'm sorry I took so long to let go. Thank you for making the right choice. I'm really happy for you both." I kissed his cheek and stepped back to introduce them to Kyle. Kyle smiled warmly at Emily, but he seemed to be sizing up Sam. I took his hand and assured him, "there's no need for drama, it's as over as it can possibly get. When they shook hands there wasn't the strength competition as there was between Jacob and kyle. But even still there was a tension between them.

"I guess I should thank you for making my Leah so unhappy that she came to find me." He smiled like it was a joke, but I knew it wasn't. And so did Sam.

"Oh no you don't!" I stepped between the two of them. "No anger, no tempers!" I pulled him a step away. "Kyle, you know it wasn't his fault!" I looked up at him and realized he wasn't angry at Sam, but there was some kind of alpha male territorial thing kicking in. "Come with me please, now!" I lead him down the hall to what was once my bedroom. I was surprised to see it still almost the same as I'd left it, only cleaner.

I dragged him inside and shut the door. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him to me, kissing him like I had been dying to do since we'd left that morning. I could hear the rain hitting the tin roof and the distant thunder. He pulled me close and our clothes were still damp but it didn't matter. He tasted delicious and I didn't resist when he pulled me down onto my bed. I heard the bed springs squeak as he leaned me back and I felt his weight on top of me. I was drowning; assaulted by the familiar and his overwhelming presence. When the door burst in I had already convinced myself that there was nothing inappropriate about what we were doing.

Jacob leaned in the doorway with his big toothy grin. "Hey, break it up you two; I thought you wanted a white wedding, not a shotgun wedding! I actually heard Kyle snarl low and menacing at Jacob before he got control of himself again. This was going to be tougher than I thought.

"Jacob, can you give us a minute? Leave the door open, we'll be right out." As soon as he left I put my arms around Kyle. "Listen, this isn't you! You are the sweetest man I know and I know you're not this aggressive. Can you tell me what's going on?"

He looked down on me and I could see the confusion in his eyes. "I'm sorry Leah, it feels so strange. I know these people are your friends and family and I really do want to get along with them. But I also know that Jacob is your pack leader and Sam was your first love. I never thought I was the jealous type....no, I'm not the jealous type! But there's something else at work here and I think it's got something to do with them having a connection to you! Jacob doesn't feel as threatening to me; he's barely more than a boy. But Sam, knowing that he hurt you even though he didn't intend to, it makes me want to...." His fists clenched and I could see an intense anger working it's way through him.

"Kyle! Stop this! I'm happy and I'm not hurt. I love you, not Sam!" I wasn't having much luck getting him to focus on me and I was worried that there might be a large grizzly bear in my bedroom at any moment. I made him sit on my bed and I quickly removed his shoes. He barely noticed. I stood and left the room and I knew he would follow me. I kicked off my own shoes at the back door and I heard some of the guests calling my name as I fled out the back door into the icy rain. I sprinted for the trees knowing he would be right behind me, fearing that I was running away from him.

I took a second and shed my jeans then ran further into the woods. I heard him right behind me roaring; he'd changed into the grizzly and was fast approaching. So much for the sweater. I changed too, only I was the wolf, racing into the woods I knew like my own back yard. I knew he couldn't catch me unless I allowed it, and I wanted him as far away from people as I could get him. I ran fast and time didn't matter as I covered miles of distance, listening for the raging bear still hot on my trail. As soon as I hit the boundary lines I crossed them and ran right into enemy territory.

I could have wandered the woods for days and not made it to where I wanted to go, but I knew the route well and I followed my own scent straight to Bella's cabin. I raced to the door and my urgent bark had her opening the door to me. I hurried into the privacy of their bedroom and ducked into her massive closet to change back to myself. I pulled on something quickly and hurried back out with barely a second to stop the attack that was almost certain to happen when Kyle made up the lead I had.

He wasn't right behind me as I thought he was. I could hear him in the distance and knew he must have picked up the scent of the rest of the Cullen family. "No!" I didn't have time to explain to her as I raced back the way I'd just came. "Kyle!" I screamed. Something hit me from behind and it took me a second to realize Bella had picked me up on the run and was now carrying me along with her as she was much faster than I was in my human form.

We arrived barely in time to prevent a disaster. Kyle was in front of the Cullen house and he'd just stood up to his full height on two legs, roaring and threatening Jasper and Emmett who both looked ready to take on the challenge. When Bella let go of me I ran to him, calling his name. I stood in front of him begging him to calm down; that things weren't what he thought they were. When he dropped down onto all fours again I wrapped my arms around his neck and cried into his fur. "Remember I told you about the Cullen family? They're like the ones you saw in Denali." I could see he was starting to calm down, and I heard Bella with Jasper and Emmett trying to make peace as well.

"Does anyone have a towel or a sheet or something like that I could borrow?" In seconds Rosalie sauntered out carrying a sheet.

"Interesting look for you Leah." she smirked and I looked down to see I had on a wet pink silk robe edged with lace and ruffles.

I ignored her and I held the sheet out in front of Kyle. "I need you to change back so I can talk to you. I know it goes against what you feel you need to do, but they won't attack you. Please Kyle, I'll explain everything, just trust me."

I turned my head and waited for him to decide if he could trust them. It was almost a surprise when he put his arms around me and kissed me. He had the sheet wrapped around him toga style and I was aware that we were all getting pelted with freezing rain. The white sheet quickly became somewhat transparent and I was sure my robe wasn't much better on the decency scale.

"Leah, come up here out of the rain, and bring your friend with you." Bella was standing near Emmett and Jasper. She looked beautiful without even a hair out of place. I wondered if she ran between raindrops. I lead Kyle up onto the porch and Esme came out with a couple dry blankets for us. For once I didn't worry about the charity, but wrapped up gratefully as Kyle did the same. "You're welcome to come inside if you like. I know you don't get cold easily but it's wet and miserable out here." She retreated back inside and I took Kyle's hand and followed her in. We sat together on the couch and had many curious eyes watching us. I was suddenly embarrassed like never before with the Cullen's.

"Kyle, these are the Cullen's. As you have guessed they're all vampires. They're like the coven you observed in Denali, they don't hunt humans. Carlisle must be at the hospital; he's a respected doctor. Esme is his wife and the rest are their adopted children; Edward, his wife Bella and their child Renesmee." I was stunned at how much she'd grown in the time I was away. "I told you about her. There's Rosalie and her husband Emmett, Alice and her husband Jasper." I looked around at them all. "I'm sorry to barge in like this, but I was desperate. This is Kyle, my fiance. He's a shape shifter like I am. His favorite animal is that big grizzly bear you saw. Unfortunately there are too many alpha males in one place back home and he's been having a little bit of trouble controlling himself.

"I looked at Kyle and smiled. "I had to get you away from there as fast as possible, that's why I ran." I reached up and caressed his cheek and pushed his wet hair off of his face. "I'm sorry I couldn't explain it to you but you weren't hearing me very well." I looked at the rest of them again. "I brought him back from Alaska to meet my friends and family and we're getting married." I watched as Rosalie stepped lightly over beside us.

"You've finally done something right Leah; this one even smells good!" She leaned in toward him and took a deep breath. "Mmmm, reminds me of eating apple dumplings on the front porch swing. I'll be happy to take him off your hands if you change your mind....he might be worth breaking my diet over!" For once I could tell that she was only teasing, well mostly teasing. Kyle stood up so quick I didn't have time to react. He towered over Rosalie and he looked down on her with a predatory grin.

"You think so little girl? Who's to say that I might be the one breaking my diet over you ." In a split second Emmett was beside her.

"If you mess with her, you'll have to go through me first!" He took a small step toward Kyle. "I don't believe we have a treaty with you, and since you came here, I believe that makes you fair game!"

Kyle grinned and nodded. "That could be fun! As you can imagine I have such a beautiful fiance I have a lot of pent up frustration I need to work out. We'll have to see what kind of time-table we have before this wedding happens, maybe we could schedule a time for a friendly wrestling match?" I relaxed a bit seeing that they were both playing nice. I saw Bella and Edward ready to step in to break up any conflict.

"You're on!" Emmett stuck out his hand to shake on their upcoming match. "Make sure you bring the bear, and if by some chance you beat me, you can take on Bella!" They all laughed and Kyle looked at me confused.

"Didn't you once say something about Bella being weak and needing protection? What was that all about?"

"I was talking about Bella before she changed. She used to be one of the clumsiest, frailest girls you could have ever hoped to meet. The only thing she was really good at was wrapping guys around her little finger!"

"Thanks a lot Leah!" She was trying to sound indignant, but I could see her smiling.

"Well, you were pretty pathetic sometimes. I lost track of how many times you wound up in the hospital before you....changed." I looked at Kyle to see if he was following me. "You don't want to mess with her Kyle, not only is she the strongest one of them right now, but the rest of them would tear you apart if you even tried to go after her."

"Leah, are you going to tell me why we're here? I mean if they could 'tear us apart,' what's the point of being here....no offense." He nodded to those listening. Why don't we just go back and spend time with your family and friends? They all came out to see you, and then you disappeared." He had me in his arms and I was aware there wasn't much between us. His blanket had slipped and was mostly around his waist and he'd gotten rid of the wet sheet.

"Kyle, I need to wait until Jacob and Sam aren't around before you go back. There's some kind of alpha male challenge you're experiencing and I don't trust you not to attack one or both of them."

"Why would I attack Jacob? Wasn't I fine when he picked us up?"

"You both did that crushing handshake thing! I don't call that fine! And let's not forget the way you....we behaved in my room. I mean most people would be a little intimidated coming on so strong to their fiance in a house with all of her family and friends gathered, but not you! If Jacob hadn't interrupted I don't know what would have happened!"

"Bet I could guess." I heard Emmett whisper and Rosalie elbowed him in the ribs

"You snarled at Jacob! I could feel you were about to change right then and there. Do you remember me taking your shoes off? I wanted to make sure you didn't ruin them." He looked down at his bare feet and back up at me.

"I don't remember any of that! All I remember is you introduced me to Emily and Sam....and then I was trying to catch you! Leah, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to act like that!" He sat back down and I sat next to him again.

Esme drifted over to us and I hadn't even realized she'd left. She had a pile of clothes in her hands. "These won't fit you, but they're as close as I could come to your sizes. You're both taller than any of us, but maybe you'd feel more comfortable in something that won't fall off." For the first time I saw the genuine concern on her pretty face and I thanked her for the clothes, even though they had their particular odor on them. "If you want you can call home and see if your guests are still there. I'm sure you could borrow one of our cars and drive back as soon as Sam and Jacob have gone; that should keep you out of the rain. You shouldn't take too long since it's supposed to freeze as soon as the sun sets. It's been very nice to meet you Kyle."

We changed clothes and Kyle was obviously wearing some of Emmett's old clothes and the pants were several inches too short and the knit shirt was stretched tight across his chest. I think I had something that was either Rosalie's or Esme's and the skirt and sweater wasn't such a bad fit if you didn't know the skirt was supposed to be longer. I pushed the sleeves up to my elbows so they didn't look so short. We didn't bother trying to find shoes that fit since I'd been through this challenge before, and Kyle obviously had to special order his shoes. "Thank you Esme, I really do appreciate this!"

When I called home Mom was almost frantic with worry, thinking that I'd run off again. I spent several minutes apologizing and I lied and told her Kyle had gotten violently ill and wanted to get away from all the guests in case he was contagious. I said I didn't think he was but it was likely something bad he'd eaten on our trip. She was even more concerned when she found out we were at the Cullen's, but I explained that I thought that Dr. Cullen would be able to help us out easier than going to the hospital. I asked if the party was still going on, and who was still there. I breathed a sigh of relief when she said that most of the people had gone home including Sam and Emily. "I'm proud of the way you welcomed them and mended fences, Leah. I didn't know if I should invite them or not, but it would have been hard not to since everyone else was there. Is Kyle well enough to come back? Seth has given up his room for him until the wedding. Now I know you've been alone with him for all this time, but just humor your mother and let me at least keep you two sleeping separate until you're married." I had to laugh.

"Mom that's fine, I'm very happy with those arrangements; I thought you'd have a room for him somewhere in Forks to maximize the distance. And just for the record I don't have to humor you; we haven't been....I'm still.....Awe Mom, I still qualify for the white dress, okay?"

"Leah, when are you coming back? We have a lot to talk about, and I don't think you had a chance to eat anything ….I've got all this food! I can't wait to discuss your wedding plans....I'm so excited!"

"We'll be coming back very soon. I love you mom!" I hung up the phone and let everyone know that we could go back. "Bella, I'm sorry about your robe; I appreciate everything you've done for us." Esme provided us with a large umbrella and Emmett took a key from a hook in the kitchen and gave it to Kyle. "There's a pickup in the garage. Keep it as long as you need it, and when you bring it back we can have our match up!"

The Cullen garage was huge, and I think even Kyle was impressed with the number and expense of the cars hidden behind it's darkened doors. The pickup truck was one of the humbler vehicles, but I was glad they hadn't given us the keys to a sports car or one of their luxurious sedans. The truck would look almost acceptable at home, though it was new with shiny chrome and big tires. It was also likely the best choice for freezing rain and icy roads.

I didn't even think of driving even though I probably knew the roads better than Kyle. I knew he had more experience driving on ice; both because of where he lived and because he simply had more years of experience in most things, that was always going to be true of us. He expertly drove us back to my home, taking the roads slow and careful. The ice was glistening on the branches of the trees already and I knew we would likely lose power as soon as the weight of the ice began to break the branches and weigh down the power lines. I had him park at the side of the house, so we could slip in through the back door. I found my shoes and brought his to him quickly before anyone knew we were back. My bag was in my room, and I imagined Kyles was in Seth's room.

I pointed him to the door so he could change into his own clothes before we went to speak with my family. I was planning on doing the same when my mom caught me in the hall. "Leah! I didn't even hear you come in. I'm so glad you made it back, almost everyone has gone home since the roads were getting so bad. Is Kyle here? I've barely had a chance to meet him in all the chaos. I can't wait to get to know my future son-in-law, is he okay now?" She looked a little worried and stressed out from all the activity.

"Come on Mom, let's go have a seat and wait for him. He's changing clothes right now, then I'll get us both something to eat and you two can talk, okay? I also think it would be a good idea to get the fireplaces lit and some candles out, the ice on the trees tells me the power will probably be out before morning." I guided her to our living room and sat with her on the couch as Seth had already started building the fires in our two fireplaces. He sniffed at my clothes as he walked by me but didn't say anything.

When Kyle came out he was dressed in a pair of jeans and a button up shirt. He had to duck as he came through the doorway and I stood up in a hurry and went to him. "Mom, Seth, this is Kyle....." I locked down, suddenly drawing a blank where his last name should be! I know he'd told me, I know I didn't miss such a critical detail in all the time I'd known him, but I couldn't come up with it and I didn't remember ever using it in the short time I'd known him.

"It's Sangilak Leah., or at least that's what it will be as soon as I file the papers." He smiled down at me. "It's very good to finally meet you both, I'm very sorry that I caused so much confusion earlier, I have no idea what kind of poison got into me! I'm just glad Leah knew what to do about it." He'd taken my hand in his left, and shook hands with Seth and Mom with his right, the perfect gentleman. He sat next to me on the couch and Seth sat on the hearth warming himself by the fire and Mom was on the other end of the couch.

"I think I've thrown several names at Leah, but I never claimed any of them was really my last name. The sad truth is that where I was born our Inuit names have only recently been acknowledged by any government agency. I had to do a bit of research to find a name in my family tree that I wanted to claim as a last name. Inuit don't have surnames traditionally, and in the eighteen hundreds when our people were encountered by European explorers and missionaries they actually gave many of the people numbers to wear on wooden dog tags around their necks to identify them. Some of the oldest villagers still have their numbers from childhood. When missionaries came through to spread Christianity many took to naming their children European names, like my family. But still unless there was a reason to have official paperwork filed there were no surnames. I've always been just Kyle to my family." He smiled at me

"I'd actually told Leah that my name was Keelut, since some of my village had started calling me by that old Inuit name. It means 'evil earth spirit with the appearance of a dog' and after some of my first changes I thought it fit me almost too perfectly." Seth had started to laugh at that and I watched Mom to see how she would take it that Kyle was a shape shifter. It didn't seem to surprise her and I remembered that Jacob knew and must have told her. "I've also had another name when I was working on the pipeline in the seventies. Since I needed to collect a paycheck and pay taxes They wanted a name. I had to request a social security number and I just used the name Smith since it was so common I didn't think it mattered. I've also got my pilot's license under the name Smith and a couple other legal records." He smiled and squeezed my hand.

"The thing is, I don't want to carry that name since it never mattered to me, and now it's possible to legally have our names changed to Inuit names. I'm going to have my name legally changed to Taqukaq Sangilak in all my legal documents." He watched for my reaction and smiled. "Don't worry, Leah, I'll still be Kyle, I've finally started to like the name now that I hear you say it. I might even add it as a middle name. I think that the meaning of my chosen name is more appropriate than Keelut, and I hope you won't mind taking it as your own. Or you could keep Clearwater if you prefer. It's not that important to me what you want to be called as long as you're my wife."

I was a little surprised and I could tell Mom was hanging on every word as he described aspects of his Inuit culture. "Kyle, what does the name mean? Are you going to tell me why you chose it?"I asked.

He smiled like he had been waiting for that question. "Taquikaq would be my first name, and it means grizzly bear. Sangilak would be my new surname and it translates to 'strongest of all.'" I could see he was proud of his choice and I smiled with him.

"Grizzly Bear?" Seth interrupted. "Why would you want to call yourself Grizzly Bear when that Dogface name sounds better to me? Well except for the part about being evil.....maybe Leah should take that name!"

I didn't let Seth's picking get to me. "I think it's perfect, Kyle! Do you think I should choose a new name too?" I could feel Mom's disapproval at the thought that I might change the name she and Dad had given me.

"That would be up to you, but you'll always be my Leah no matter what the papers say. I wouldn't be worrying about all this name changing stuff except for one reason. Inuit have a strange way of looking at names. We are named or even renamed based on many different circumstances. Some children are called one name at birth and then if a close relative dies their name could be changed to honor that relative in hopes that the child will become like them. The names have meaning behind them and because so many are named after other relatives it drove the Europeans crazy trying to keep it all straight. Now that those names can be reclaimed legally it opens the door for more craziness; especially when you add in social security numbers and a population mostly born outside of a hospital. So where someone might notice that Kyle Smith has lived to be fifty years old but doesn't look a day over twenty-five. It could be passed off as a crazy Inuit naming issue if it's Taqukaq Sangilak. When the names and numbers don't add up, most people will go along with what makes most sense to them; that I've had a son and given him my exact name. And if there's only one Taqukaq Sangilak walking around they won't even worry about what happened to the senior since deaths are rarely reported among my people." He smiled at me and I was thinking about how his niece and nephew already thought of him as their uncle Kyle's son.

"It should work so long as I never ask the government for any kind of benefit or legal consideration. Kyle Smith has already received the one and only concession I'll ever need from the government, and that's legal ownership of a heavenly slice of pristine beach front property that I was able to trace back to my great grandfather." He shrugged his shoulders as he finished his explanation.

"Kyle, just how old are you?" I turned and saw my mom looking at him, and my heart started to hammer in my chest. This was not something I wanted to come out so soon. I was hoping they would fall in love with him and welcome him before that bombshell dropped.

He leaned forward, looking past me to my mother. "Let's see, on July seventeenth I'll be celebrating my next birthday. I'll be fifty-one." He didn't pull any punches and I watched the news hit her like a weight. I heard Seth yelp as he fell back against the fireplace grate and burned his arm. All I could do was squeeze his hand as she thought over what he'd said.

"Leah, he's older than me! He's older than your father would have been! Only by a couple months, but still....fifty-one! How is that possible?!"

"I noticed I stopped aging when I started changing. I was twenty-five the first time and physically I've been twenty-five ever since. And all that time I thought I was the only one like me; until I met Leah! I've been in love with her since before I saw her, and I know I've been waiting all this time just for her!

She looked from him, to me, then over to Seth, still so young. "I wish your father were still here; maybe he could help me with all this!" She collapsed back against the couch and I was beginning to worry about her.

"Seth, would you get Mom something to drink, please." He was eager to leave our serious conversation as he hurried to the kitchen. Kyle got up and slipped past me whispering that he'd be right back. "Mom, please don't worry. I know this is a lot to handle, but I really do love him, and he loves me." I could see she didn't want to think too hard about all of our pack members staying young for such a long time. "Mom, what can I say to make you feel better about him? Is it just his age?"

"Leah, there's just so much you don't know! He's a whole generation older than you....he's lived a whole lifetime before you were even born! He will see things in a totally different way than you will, he'll seem old-fashioned to you, he'll have goals and dreams that will be hard for you to understand, and he might have trouble with letting you go through your own learning process. I don't want you to rush through your youth trying to catch up to him! I want you to grow into who you are meant to be, not his idea of who you should be!" I could see her problem wasn't with Kyle, but with any man who was more than twice my age.

"Mom, I want you to be happy for me. I know I still have some growing up to do and you're worried. But so much of growing up is about trying to find what makes you happy, and I've already found that!" Kyle came back and handed her a large cardboard tube just as Seth came back with a tall glass of water.

"I knew you would have a problem with my age; what parent in their right mind wouldn't. All I can do is promise to love everything about her, but even that's a small comfort. I can tell you there has not been anyone in my life but Leah; no old girlfriends or ex-wives. I dated before I changed, but there was never anyone serious, and I didn't date after I discovered I was different." He pointed to the tube. "I painted that about twenty years ago, and I've pieced together all the dates and figure Leah was a week old when I finished. I wanted to have it framed for you, but there hasn't been time.

I didn't know he'd brought his painting of me until Mom pulled it out of the tube and spread it out to look at it. I heard her gasp and Seth was the first one to speak. "Leah, that almost looks just like you!"

"Mrs. Clearwater, I love your daughter, and I've been waiting a long time for her. Not only does she make me happy, she makes me feel like I have a reason for existing. You have a lot of good reasons to be worried, but together we'll face those challenges just like any other couple. I'll do everything in my power to keep her safe and make her happy."

"I came home to get married, Mom. If you don't feel right helping us with a wedding; I'm still going to marry him, I just wanted you to be happy for me. She sat and looked from me to Kyle and back again. Then she looked down at the painting and I watched tears come to her eyes.

"I still wish your father was here!" She looked at me and the tears trickled down her cheeks. "I wish he could be here to see our baby girl get married!" She threw her arms around me and I found myself crying too. Kyle stood by helplessly watching us until Seth rescued him.

"Come on big guy, let's go bring in some firewood while we can still get out of here. You don't want to be around when they start picking out napkin colors and making seating arrangements! I'd rather face the ice storm than that!" Kyle kissed my cheek before he left.

Seth was right, we had a lot of planning to do even though Mom had most of it already done. She planned our wedding for Valentine's Day, which was only a week and a half away I was surprised to learn. She had planned an outdoor wedding with an indoor back-up plan if the weather turned foul. She had me crying again when she told me she took her own wedding gown out of storage and had it cleaned and ready to be altered for me. "It might be too old-fashioned for you, but I'm sure Kyle will like it." she joked. "It's up to you if you want to wear my old gown, or we can shop in a hurry for something else; you're choice."

"I'd love to wear yours, I mean if it fits me." I looked at the differences between us and wondered.

"Well Leah, you can have it altered or changed any way you want to suit you. If it has too much lace you can rework it. I've got several friends who sew and they've agreed to help me get it ready for you." It was full steam ahead with wedding plans and preparations and we talked for hours while Seth kept Kyle busy. Occasionally he would pop in to check on me or answer a question, but mostly he was fine to let us worry about the details. There were a few times when Mom wanted to do something extravagant, but I reined her in. I wanted the whole thing to be simple and meaningful, and in no way competing with what Sam and Emily had done.

I thought we would be up all night, but just like I'd predicted the power flickered and went off. "Well, Sweetheart, that's my signal to get to bed. I've had a very long day and I'm about wiped out! You know where everything is, and don't forget to get yourselves something to eat. The refrigerator is on the generator and there are plenty of leftovers. We need to get rid of everything so we have room for wedding food." She kissed my cheek and used a flashlight to make her way back to her bedroom. As soon as she left Kyle joined me on the couch and Seth flopped into a chair after adding more wood to the crackling fire.