Chapter 8.
Reminisce
"Doctor....Carlisle, can you and your family come to my....our wedding? I would love to have you there, and it's going to be outside so the smells shouldn't be so bad. I'll clear it with Jacob and Sam if you think you can make it." I watched him smile, wondering how anyone could think he was old enough to have adult children let alone a grandchild.
"I'll extend the invitation to my family Leah and see how they feel about it." Edward came through the door then. I'd almost forgotten about him.
"You don't have to ask Carlisle; Alice is already planning what she and Jasper will wear to the wedding. She wants to know if you truly mean casual or if that's just a nice way of saying no gowns and tux's?" He looked my way with the corners of his mouth turned up just a bit.
"Casual, truly casual! Your family will already outshine everyone there, and that's even if it's cloudy!" I never would have guessed that having the Cullen family coming to my wedding would have made me happy, but it did. Before they left they told us we could keep the truck until it was time for us to go back to Alaska.
Once they were gone Mom came in with a tray of food, water, and the electrolyte drink. Seth and Jacob offered to carry me out but I wasn't about to leave even if Kyle had let go of me. Jacob lingered in the doorway while Kyle took his time eating and refilling his fluids. "Um....Kyle, are we going to get past what happened yesterday? I can't tell you how sorry I am about that!"
Kyle looked up at him and ran his hand along his throat where Jacob had bitten him. "You tried to kill me! And now you want to apologize?"
"Well....yeah. What more can I say but that I'm sorry? Leah's not in the pack anymore so if you have a problem with me it doesn't have to involve her." Jacob clearly looked uncomfortable.
Kyle looked at him pointedly. "I know you weren't thinking as clearly as you normally would. I wasn't thinking very clearly either. Leah thinks it's got something to do with some alpha male/leadership thing. I'm a little irritated that Leah got into trouble when she was with your pack. But I know her, and I know trouble will find her no matter who's supposed to be in charge. She is really her own boss and that either of us think we can protect her is just wishful thinking. And considering what I thought had happened I'm not upset that you tried to kill me. I'm sure if you'd have had time to get more help I wouldn't be here now. Leah didn't know it but I did everything I could to antagonize you and Sam as soon as I heard her screams inside my head."
"As soon as we heard about the woman who'd gone missing Seth and I returned to help look for her. I ran into Sam here at the house when he got the call abut you being hurt." Kyle looked at me and grimaced. "Leah, I didn't even know what was going on, all I know is you were in trouble and Sam wanted me to wait here until he had more information before I went to find you. I don't know what came over me; I hit him! Not just once; he's built like a truck! I don't know how many punches I threw before I felt so angry I knew I was going to change. I made it outside and then I was running to you!
"I could smell the trail you left earlier and then I could hear you screaming; it was in my ears and in my head both! Seth must have followed along with me; I don't even remember seeing him until he got in my way! Is he okay? I can't believe I lashed out at him! I was almost crazy before I saw you, after I saw the blood and the way your poor body was mangled....I lost it completely!" He squeezed me and kissed my cheek. "Somewhere it registered that someone was next to you and I knew it was a vampire. The last thing I would have thought was that he was there to help you! I could see you trying to reach me but those wolves wouldn't let you go!
"Jacob I couldn't understand why you were trying to protect her from me while a vampire was beside her making her scream! And I was angry with you because she wanted me with her and you were preventing it!" He was laughing and shaking his head. "I guess I'm a little crazy where this woman is concerned. I was willing to take on your whole pack and the vampire. When the Sam wolf showed up he was already angry with me and it didn't take him long to get you all allied against me. Not that it mattered since from where I was it looked like Leah was dying. I knew if I changed back you wouldn't keep attacking, so I wouldn't change. I'd already decided I wasn't leaving there alive if she wasn't." My cast rested against his side and my fingers were brushing the top of his leg. I couldn't move easily, but I could still pinch him, and I pinched as hard as my weak fingers could. "Ouch! Leah what are you doing?"
"The only thing I can do! You're the only one I've ever heard of to try suicide by werewolf! Do you have any idea how much I would have hated them for what they did if they had succeeded?"
"Awe come on Leah I told you, I thought you were already dead! Do we need to go into that again? You weren't going to be around to hate them!" Jacob stood forgotten in the doorway then gave a little wave as he slipped out. "Besides the boy couldn't finish it without help; remind me to show him where the jugular is located sometime!" I tried hard not to laugh.
"And maybe while we're in a teaching moment I'll show you what a pulse feels like! You know, it's your thinking that I'm so weak and vulnerable that almost got you killed, twice! Once by the pack and once by your own....stubbornness! Do you really think I want you to follow me in death? Kyle, I'm not that important!" I'd run out of anger before I could tell him how stupid ending his life would be. He sat beside me stunned, then pulled me to him with one arm while moving the tray with his other. He then carefully pulled me onto his lap and wrapped his arms around me.
"Leah, you're the most important thing in the world to me! I thought you understood that. I don't think you're weak, but I do feel vulnerable every time I'm away from you. I guess I'm lucky you're so strong because right now you're my only reason for existing." He kissed me softly. "Maybe some day it will be different and we'll have some kids I'll want to hang around for if I lose you, but right now....you're it. I'm sorry that's how I feel." He kissed me again, and this time I felt his warmth and his love and his wonderful taste.
I had to fight to pull away from him, especially since I didn't have the use of my arms. "Kyle, you need to finish your liquids."
"Woman, you're going to drive me to drinking!" he joked as he sipped from one of the glasses on the tray. I laid my head against his chest and closed my eyes. "Leah," I felt him stroking my hair and down my back. "You never did tell me what happened to you. How did you get so hurt?" I groaned. Well, the high horse was nice while it lasted. Time to face the music.
"Kyle, you're only going to be angry when you find out. Are you sure you wouldn't rather just sit here peacefully for a while longer?"
"Don't be ridiculous, you can't say anything that will make me love you less. And how could I be angry with you right now?" He kissed me and I could tell he wanted the truth.
"It's my own fault, Kyle. I wasn't attacked, I was racing with Quil and Embry from the pack and a heavy tree branch fell right in front of me. I couldn't stop and I got tangled up and fell." I was ashamed of all the trouble I'd caused.
"But that doesn't make sense Leah, you wolves are so resilient you should have been able to shake it off even if the whole tree landed on you!" I winced at his questioning look.
"You're right Kyle, wolves are tough enough to handle it, but horses are a whole different story! I thought I was strong and tough in any form,but but a gigantic mustang may be fast and powerful, but when all that extra weight came crashing down at high speed and all the wrong angles...." I looked down at my legs and shrugged. "In this one my body worked against me; too much speed and weight for the legs to support in a fall."
He looked at me incredulously. "You changed into a horse? You haven't seen a horse in months! I have no idea how you do it Leah!" He pulled me to him and kissed my forehead. "You are so impressive!"
"I can't believe you're not mad at me for racing! Everything would have been fine if I'd have just....let them go on without me."
"I'm not mad at you....you've got the worst set of consequences I could have imagined. Not to mention I heard part of the story about how you saved an old woman and she was all excited about getting to ride a horse. I didn't understand until now that it must have been you!" I kept encouraging him to empty his glasses, then Mom came in.
"Leah, are you two ready to talk and get some plans made? I think everything that can go wrong already has, so it should be down hill from now on right? Or am I just going to have to nail your door shut to keep you safe until the wedding? There is still going to be a wedding right?" She looked at both of us
"Absolutely!" I said. "I don't care if I have to go to the wedding in a wheelchair, I'm not letting him off the hook!" I smiled up at him.
"Mrs. Clearwater, I still want to marry your daughter, more than anything!" He was talking to her, but looking at me.
"Okay, if you're joining the family Kyle, you've got to call me Sue; you're older than I am for heaven's sake!" With that said we figured out what our schedule was going to look like for the week. I wanted to make sure the Cullen's could come to the wedding which meant I'd need to talk with Sam and Jacob. I also wanted to talk to Sam about the changing that Jacob's pack already knew about. Kyle had to fly back and pick up his family as well as make arrangements for their return.
I needed to make time to go back to have my casts removed and I also had to plan a shopping trip. I let Mom pick out the colors, the cake, and the menu for the reception. I kept insisting that she keep it simple, but she let me know that she and Dad had set aside money a long time ago to pay for my wedding, and she wanted it to be special. She had hired a photographer, and I regretted that there wasn't some way that Kyle could do it. As soon as the casts came off I had to have her dress altered for me. I told her about the necklace Kyle's niece wanted me to wear. I finally got Kyle to admit he'd carved the pieces himself.
As our scheduling frenzy wound down, Mom went to make dinner. The power had come on sometime while we were in the middle of all the planning and I was happy to see the relief on Mom's face. As soon as we were alone I cuddled up against him. "I want you to sleep in here with me tonight. I'll talk Mom into it and we'll keep the door open so she feels better about it. I know I won't have any nightmares if you're right here beside me! Once the casts come off you can go back to Seth's room; I don't think I should be trusted around such a wildly good-looking man without these shackles!"
He laughed in agreement. "Leah, have you given any thoughts to what you want to do after the wedding?" I gave him my best sweet and innocent look. Then smiled mischievously.
"Sometimes love it's all I can think about!" I kissed him, happy that he no longer felt so parched.
"No, I don't mean the honeymoon, I mean....when everything is over and we have to go back and live our lives. Have you thought about what you want to do? I couldn't help hearing your mom talk about how she wanted you to learn and grow and become who you are meant to be. I don't want to get in the way of that!"
"Kyle, don't be silly, you already are in the way! And that's where you belong! You're part of my life now and always. Maybe this is just one of those generational things I don't understand, but I don't need to go out and 'find myself' just so I can feel fulfilled. I think for a while I'll be just perfectly content to just be with you. I'm thinking extended honeymoon, spending time getting to know each other, and ….things I'm not supposed to think about yet. But I also like the idea of going with you when you take pictures. I'd love to learn to help you, if it wouldn't seem too clingy to have me around so much." I watched his face for his reaction.
"I'd love to have you with me Leah! I've been trying to figure out how I was going to go do something productive and leave you behind! I was just wondering if you wanted to go to college, or take some courses, or ….anything's possible! I don't want to be the one to tell you what to do."
"Kyle, I've had a talk with someone with more wisdom than I will likely ever have. She's given me some insight that I don't have to run off and make a name for myself. I don't have to take the lead and fight to be some kind of a worldly success story." I smiled at him. "I will be happy for now just being what you need me to be. I want to be your wife; your partner, your helper, your lover, your friend, your companion, and your lover.... oops, I said that already didn't I?" I smiled up at him. "You matter to me, and you are what's important to me. Sure I might go off and become some inventor, or doctor, or writer, or ….whatever. I could have thousands or even millions of people who know my name and think I'm wonderful. But they would never matter as much as you do! If the most I ever do is make sure you drink your water and keep you from getting dehydrated, then my life has been a success." I smiled as he picked up his glass with a grimace.
"But that doesn't mean I"m going to be a pushover and adopt all your ideas until I become a doormat. I'm sure we'll have lots of conflicts, arguments, and fights. But I'll always love you, and that will always be important to me no matter what we both do with our time." I looked him in the eyes. "There's actually something I've been thinking about, but I don't want to do it unless you're with me." He looked at me encouragingly. "I want to go on a hunt. I want to do some research and some digging to see if you are the only other shape shifter we haven't heard about! I think that with all the supernatural creatures out there more of us could exist and we'd never know it unless we looked for them! Kyle, we could start with your brothers; find out where they've gone and if they've had children. We could look up others from your village and the other places around it! We know what to look for and we know how easy it is to hide it."
"Leah, the world is a big place. We could search for years and never even come close to tracking down even one like us! I've looked for more myself, and I haven't had any luck. I take that back; I had tremendous luck when you came right to my doorstep! I just don't want to see you go chasing after something that might leave you disappointed."
"Well, that's only part of the quest. See, if we start looking at native people who have stayed in their own territory and have kept their tribe and culture intact, we can then expand our search to see what kind of animals live in that area. Give us both a chance to learn some new forms. Give you a chance to take some more amazing photos and create some beautiful art! Then when we get tired of traveling and searching we can go back home. I want to try to find out if I will stop changing if we start a family. I want to know if our children will be able to change. I'm not anxious to lose this ability, but if it's the price to make you a father I'll gladly give it up! Just not right away, okay? " I felt his arms tighten around me. "Kyle, I need to tell you something."
"You mean something other than your desire to travel the world changing into animals?" he asked with a laugh. "You can tell me anything, Leah."
"What if I can't have babies?" There it was, one of my biggest fears, out in the open where the man I love could judge me. "I've often wondered why I'm the only woman to change. Add to that why Sam didn't imprint on me and it makes me wonder if I'm not normal. Like maybe I'm not complete or fertile. I think you should know in case you ….in case you want to change your mind about marrying me. It's a very real possibility that I won't be able to...." I tried not to cry, but just putting into words one of my greatest fears was more than I could deal with after everything I'd been through.
I felt like I couldn't breath, but then I realized he was holding me so tight. He turned my face toward his and wiped my tears. "Leah, it's you I love; don't you remember? I've loved you since the day you were born! You've always been mine; that's why Sam couldn't imprint on you! You can laugh it off like some kind of fantasy, but you know deep inside it's true. You came to find me, and if you couldn't change you never would have found me. If you want babies Leah, we'll have babies. It won't matter if you can give birth to them or if we adopt them or foster them. We've got lots of time to decide on how our family will grow. I certainly wouldn't reject you just because you weren't fertile! It's you I love. It's you I want to spend my life with. You're perfect just the way you are!" He realized he was crushing me and relaxed a bit. We sat quietly together and I was amazed again that such a wonderful and beautiful man could be mine.
When Seth came in to tell us it was time for dinner, Kyle took the opportunity to apologize for hitting him. "It's already forgotten. If you want to apologize for something, you should remember that I was the one who had to dress you! I'd rather fight a legitimate fight than wrestle a naked man! Just be glad Leah's not in the pack anymore or I wouldn't be able to hide the details from her!" he was grinning and I knew all was forgiven.
Kyle lifted me up carefully and carried me through the door, almost forgetting to duck he was so concerned with not hurting me. Sitting at the table with both Mom and Kyle competing to feed me or take care of my needs was almost more than I could handle. "Kyle come on, sit down and eat and let Mom handle me. You've got to recover too; doctor's orders. It was difficult to look stern when Mom shoved a bite into my mouth and Kyle poked the straw through my lips. Mom started to laugh as my cheeks puffed out and milk dribbled down my chin. Kyle wiped it before it hit my sweater, then he was laughing too.
"Oh Leah, it reminds me of when you were a baby! You used to fill your mouth with so much food you couldn't swallow it. Your little cheeks would puff out and you looked so cute!" I swallowed and rolled my eyes at my mom.
Kyle looked over at her and grinned "I bet she wasn't nearly as irritable then as she is now. Do you have any pictures I could see?"
If I could have I would have elbowed him. "She's not a baby anymore, and she's sitting right here! Laugh while you can; these casts come off in two days, and I can remember a lot longer than that!"
"I'll get the baby pictures out after dinner; you should see her first birthday!" She went on as if I weren't there and I groaned and slouched in my chair. Seth looked across the table at me and grinned, happy to be out of the line of fire. Dinner seemed to take forever with both of them chatting back and forth about my childhood while I tried to disappear.
When Kyle carried me to the living room Mom rushed off to find the photo albums. "Don't be mad Leah; I really want to know all there is to know about you. I don't have many pictures of myself when I was a baby; they got lost in the Great Alaska Earthquake back in 1964. Our whole village was destroyed and we were lucky to make it through alive. I can still remember there was a commercial fishing boat sitting up beside the main road where the water had left it." Mom came back and sat beside Kyle so I could be propped on the end. "Life was pretty tough for all of us since it took a long time for help to reach us. Fortunately we weren't used to a lot of help and we pretty much cleaned up and took care of everything the best we could."
Mom sat down and listened in awe. "I remember that! I wasn't very old....maybe six or seven, but there was a lot of damage along the coast even this far south. It hit even harder in Oregon and down to California! It was terrible when the stories came on the news. It seems funny that you lived through that Kyle; I think I even had a few nightmares about it since we live so close to the ocean ourselves."
"You know, now that I think about it I believe that earthquake may have been the thing that ended our tribal life the way we knew it. It was never the same after that. Once the government came in to rebuild and we had to start worrying about property ownership, public and private enterprises, and build roads to take people away. I'm not even sure how many people moved away and never came back. Maybe Leah's right and there are more people like us scattered from their native homes." He slipped his arm around me, trying to include me even though I felt a generation late for their conversation. Seth was still in the kitchen since it was his turn to do the dishes.
When Mom opened the photo albums I would have gladly taken over washing dishes. I wished I could get up and go hide in my room; maybe read a book or listen to music. Even when I was little I was taller than most kids and it took me a long time before I could take the teasing without wanting to punch someone. Fortunately my longer reach meant I could smack whoever was teasing me and still pretend innocence from two steps away! If I'd gone to public school I would likely have been suspended on a regular basis. But that wasn't an option for me, and punishment was handled in school by our teachers.
"This is her baby picture; the one they took at the hospital when she was only a couple hours old. We were lucky because up until a few years before she was born women rarely went to the hospital to deliver. It's a long drive and the weather is rarely optimal. But if we hadn't gone we might have lost her; she was breach and came out feet first! I used to joke that she wanted to be a runner from the very beginning!"
"Mom, do you have to tell all those embarrassing stories?" I had heard them so many times before they just annoyed me now.
"Yes she does Leah!" Kyle smiled at me and pressed his lips against the top of my head. "I really want to know all the details."
"Well then you'll love these next few pages!" She showed him my first year in photos, complete with comments and stories. I saw each picture through his eyes and little by little I wasn't so irritated. I also saw my dad in the pictures and it made me miss him in a way I wasn't ready for. When she moved on to the grade school years I cringed at the tall gangly child who seemed to want to be the center of every picture. There were some interesting pictures with faces that later became part of our pack. And there were also pictures of cousins and second cousins and our whole extended family. One with Emily and I shoulder to shoulder while Seth mugged in front of us. Seth came in from doing dishes in time to point out that he had lost his first tooth and had his tongue stuck out the hole.
The last album had my teenage years and it was uncomfortable to see the way my body developed before most of the other girls. And the unfortunate break outs on my face. She'd saved pictures from dances, my first date, and the first boyfriend who wasn't Sam I was surprised to remember. Then there was Sam. In a surprising number of photos he was next to me, often with a serious look on his face. I never remembered him being so somber. The pictures told a surprising story; me with a goofy look and Sam looking at me like I'd lost my mind. Me giving an unsmiling Sam bunny ears. Me laughing while he was not. "Mom, thanks for keeping all these pictures; I'm glad you brought them out!"
"Why's that Leah? I thought you were mortified by all this old history." She looked across Kyle to see if I was being sarcastic.
"Well, so much of it is embarrassing. But look at these last ones....what was I thinking? Were we always so different together? Sam looks like he would rather chew his arm off to get away from me! Now that I think about it, I was a lot of fun back then and he hated that about me! Why couldn't I see it then? He was so serious; always looking ahead to tribal leadership , trying to be accepted by the older men. 'calm down Leah, don't laugh so loud Leah, is that what you're wearing Leah, don't do that in public Leah!' He was so not right for me! Mom, why didn't you say something to me?"
"Well Leah, I just thought you'd figure it out on your own. Your father liked Sam a lot, and you seemed to have made up your mind. And don't forget you hit a point where you didn't want to take my advice except to do the opposite. If I had told you I didn't like the way Sam tried to squash your spirit, you just might have eloped with him!"
"Now why didn't I think of that!" Kyle looked at me and raised one eyebrow suggestively. "We could be married already if we had just headed to Vegas instead of coming here!" He smacked his forehead in an exaggerated 'I forgot' gesture. "I even gave up the chance to have Elvis marry us! And for that I get to sit and look at you and your old boyfriends. What luck!"
"You asked for it! I tried to warn you about the photo gallery, but you wanted to see the good, the bad, and the ugly!"
Mom couldn't let that one go. "You know if you had gone to Vegas I would have killed you Leah! You think what happened yesterday was bad, I would have had you both in casts!"
"Might have been worth it if we'd have had time for a honeymoon!" He grinned wickedly at me. He saw my reaction in time to block, as Mom swatted him with a photo album.
"That's my daughter you're talking about old man!"
"Ouch! That hurts, and I don't mean the album!" He pretended to be afraid of her and I couldn't help but laugh. "I can see where Leah get's her mean streak from!"
"Well, you just behave yourself! I need to put these away." She got up and took the albums into her room.
"She likes you; she didn't hit you with all of them! You know, right about now considering all that's happened, Vegas sounds pretty good to me too!" I grinned up at him.
"It's a little late for that Twinkle Toes!
"So, did the pictures of Sam and the old boyfriend brigade weird you out? I don't know why she keeps all those old pictures!"
"Nothing I didn't expect there. Except that I would think you would have had even more boyfriends than that. You're adorable and I can't believe they weren't lining up at your door!"
"They might have, except she had a mean right!" Seth spoke up from across the room; we'd almost forgotten he was there. "They had to have a lot of self confidence or be short on brains to ask her out. Not only could she run faster than most of the boys, but she'd hit harder and faster.....and with little provocation too!" He was lounging in the chair with his legs over the arm, confident that I couldn't get to him.
"Kyle, are you going to let that pup talk about your fiance that way?" I asked sweetly.
Seth looked up alarmed and swung his legs around. Kyle kissed my cheek "Aw Leah, I'm sure he didn't mean to offend you, did you Seth?"
"It's just the truth! I remember one guy had the nerve to suggest she wear a dress so he could see her legs, and she gave him a black eye! She would have given him two but the first one made him cry!" Seth was getting warmed up. I knew the way it was supposed to work; he'd pick and bug until he hit critical overload, then I'd chase him down and pulverize him. He knew what buttons to push; he'd had years to perfect the art. "What's worse is that she had to bribe him not to tell on her, so she wore a dress the next day!" Yep, he was in fine form. I smiled across the room, knowing that my temper wasn't even involved. He must have some need to challenge himself; either that or he liked beatings. "The poor guy thought that since she wore the dress like he wanted, she must like him. He made the mistake of putting his hands on her; and she blackened his other eye!"
Kyle looked at me and shrugged. "I would have paid money to see that; Leah in a dress or Leah slugging someone who touched her....both would have been worth it!"
"No Kyle, she was always meaner to the boys who liked her. She would go to the dances; look like every boy's dream girl, and ignore every guy there who wanted to dance with her. Then she'd go up to the one guy who didn't know she existed and ask him to dance!" Ouch, that really did happen. Okay Seth, if I could get up you'd be about ready for a beating. "Then when he turned her down, she'd take it out on the next poor slob to ask for a dance. I'm telling you, she's meaner than a...." Kyle saw the shadow of regret on my face and lunged. Seth knew it was coming and he was spring loaded out of his chair. They both tore out the back door into the cold dusk. Seth doubled back and I saw them race past the window and both of them were laughing!
When mom came back she shut the door and came to sit with me. "Do I even want to know what that's about?"
"Hmm, probably not. But while they're outside I need to ….ask you something." She turned her attention my way. "I want Kyle to sleep in my room with me; just until the casts come off. I know how you feel Mom, and I don't want to be disrespectful, but I've had nightmares about him when I didn't know where he was, and I'm afraid I might fall out of bed or hurt myself. Even Dr. Cullen had to give me something to relax me and make me sleep so I wouldn't toss and turn all night. If I need anything he can carry me or come and get you. I'll dress in something safe, and we'll keep the door open. I promise you nothing will be going on except sleep. As soon as I am out of these casts and can walk on my own, he can go back to Seth's room. I really just need him with me, Mom."
"It sounds like you've thought this through." She looked thoughtful. "Honey, you're twenty-one and you can do what you want. I appreciate you've taken my feelings into consideration. You know if your father was still here there would be no way he'd be staying here; wedding or no wedding. But I trust you." She smiled brightly. "And you can wear shorts under a long granny gown and keep the door wide open!"
"Speaking of what to wear, you know I'm going to need help with changing and ….other things. I guess I should have thought about that before I decided not to go back. Those vampires are sure strong!"
"Leah, I'm your mother. I'm perfectly willing and able to help you with whatever needs you might have! We can use that wheelchair and it won't be a problem. Do you want to get ready for bed right now?"
Before I could answer I heard Seth screaming outside. Amid the yelling I heard the words "I'm sorry Leah!" I looked out the window and I had to strain my neck to see what all the fuss was about. Seth was running around like a crazy person flailing his arms, screaming and yelling. "Call him off Leah! I'm sorry!" It took me a second to see what he was talking about. A huge bird plummeted out of the sky and landed on his shoulders. Powerful wings beat against the side of his head while it grabbed a tuft of hair in it's strong beak and pulled with almost enough strength to yank it out! Mom jumped up and grabbed the broom and I had to stop her.
"No Mom! That's not some rabid eagle, that's Kyle! She hurried and yanked the door open.
"Leah you better call him off! With that short haircut Seth needs all he has!" I thought she was going to be mad, but she hurried and grabbed her camera, clicking off several shots before I called to Kyle to let Seth off the hook.
She closed the door before Kyle could change back and she came to sit by me. She tried to hide it but she was laughing. "I take it Seth must have deserved that since Kyle strikes me as more patient than you are. I think you're going to have to wait to get ready for bed if that's what you wanted. Seth's definitely going to need a shower; not only did he slip in the mud, if I'm not mistaken that eagle pooped on him!"
I giggled. "Seth may have deserved a punishment, but I'm nor sure he deserved that! I'm only jealous I couldn't do it!" Seth came crashing through the back door and ran into the bathroom, slamming and locking the door behind him. Kyle came in a few minutes later, shirtless and ducking through the doorway like he was embarrassed.
"I'm sorry about all that Mrs....Sue. I wouldn't have hurt him, I just wanted him to be little more....respectful. I apologize if he becomes afraid of birds in the future, but something tells me he's more likely to learn how to do it himself and I'll have a more equal fight if it ever happens again!" He came over and kissed my cheek. "Does that restore your honor, my love?"
"Yes it does! In fact I never thought I'd feel sorry for Seth after letting his mouth get away from him like that. But I think eagle poop might even be better revenge than monkey bubbles!"
He looked embarrassed again. "Sorry, that wasn't really intentional. Someone's been forcing liquids on me all day....which reminds me, I better get dressed and – ugh, get something to drink. Didn't the doctor say hard work and physical activity will make it worse. At least he's not as fast as you are!" He went back to Seth's room and I admired his back as he went. I looked over and Mom was watching me.
"You know, I almost thought about pushing your wedding date out further; give us some more time to plan and maybe let the weather warm up. But now that I see the two of you together I'm actually glad I set an earlier date. It's funny, but after all the time you spent with Sam I still didn't feel good about you two getting married. But in just three days I can see you and Kyle belong together. Besides I'd hate to see the kind of trouble the two of you would get into if you had to wait longer!" She smiled and hugged my shoulders.
Kyle came back in fully dressed just as Seth came out of the shower. He looked at Kyle guardedly, and Kyle smiled broadly. "No hard feelings?"
"Of course not! Leah may never have pooped on me, but she leaves bruises! At least this washed off! Besides next time I'll be ready."
"Next time Leah will be able to fight her own battles. Better yet maybe there won't be a next time!" Kyle came and sat next to me and Mom got up and slipped off to her craft area. It was one of the things she loved to do in the evenings, and sometimes she'd sit for hours weaving baskets in the traditional way. With my injuries I wasn't able to even try on the dress I would wear and we were left with a lot of plans that we couldn't act on. Before Mom left I asked if I could use the phone. I forgot that even though I could press the numbers I couldn't hold it to my ear so I had to have Kyles help.
I know he was surprised when he heard my end of the conversation. "Hello Sam, this is Leah....Yeah I know.....I'm fine; or at least I will be in a few days. He's doing great, yeah fully recovered. Listen while I've got you on the line I just want to apologize for....taking you and everyone else away from helping out after the ice storm. Sam, you don't have to tell me it was stupid; I already admit that!" I could feel the irritation with him and fought to control my voice. "Um Sam, I called to talk to Emily, is she available? Yes, that would be nice....Hi Emily, it's ….yeah I know I'm the last person you'd expect to hear from but I wanted to ask you something. On Monday Mom and I are going to do a little shopping for the wedding and I wanted to know if you'd like to go along?.....I know, but we used to be friends; I'd really like to catch up, make amends, buy something cute for your new one on the way! Yes I'm serious, it'll be fun! Well, probably around eight. It'll probably be most of the day; we'll have lunch and maybe dinner on the way home, are you up for that? I just don't want you to get tired....oh, we can take lots of bathroom breaks." I glanced at Kyle and smiled. "Yes Emily, I really do want you to come....Great!" I ended the call.
"You know as serious as Sam is all the time I bet she could use some time away! Besides I many not have another chance to reconnect with her before she becomes a mommy." I felt contented as he put his arm around me and rested his cheek against my head. "I didn't even think about what you would do on Monday while we take some 'girl time.'" Do you have something in mind? Something I might be able to help you with? I'm sure Seth could show you around, maybe take you fishing or ….some kind of guy thing."
"Ugh, please no fishing! Unless I get to go as an otter that is!" He smiled and I remembered the adorable animal he'd been at 'our' lake. "Actually it might be a good time to see if any of the wolf shape shifters would like to try learning new forms. I know Seth wants to, but I'd need to make sure it was okay with Jacob and Sam since it could have an impact on their packs. I think you're right that the pack mentality keeps your tribe strong and together. But then again I seem to have some of the same....instincts that the wolves do so I wonder if it's part of who we are rather than what we change into. Bears don't imprint; neither do huskies for that matter and yet I fell hard and fast for you! Then there's that whole alpha thing....never would have thought about it before. I think if you're not around I shouldn't have difficulty keeping it under control. Hopefully any competition will be friendly."
"Just know without a shadow of a doubt that I would choose you, even if Sam had never imprinted on Emily. I love you so much when I compare it to how I felt about Sam even at our best, it's more like a mild crush. There's really no need to feel competitive; you've already won."
"Or lost, depending on how you look at it!" Seth spoke up from across the room where he sat unnoticed on the floor, sorting socks in the light from the kitchen. Kyle growled low in his throat as his head swiveled and he fixed his eyes on Seth in a cold stare. "Sorry, did I say that out loud? No offense bro!"
I tried not to giggle. I knew Seth was just looking for Kyles buttons and picking on me seemed to get the biggest reaction. "Hey Seth, I've got the perfect creature you should try to learn to change into; it suits your personality so well it should come easy." I grinned as the idea took shape. "I think you should just skip the foxes and bears and go right for the banana slug; you know how much eagles love to eat them! I bet you could turn into such a big slug you could feed a whole flock of birds for a week!"
"Ouch Leah!" Kyle grimaced at what I'd said. "I don't see Seth as a banana slug at all. In fact I see him more as....a squirrel! Just imagine the worlds biggest squirrel scampering through the treetops lobbing acorns at people below! Scary isn't it?" I giggled.
I couldn't help but join in. "Oh, I've got it now....the next time those out of town bloodsuckers show up, Seth can change into a squirrel and you can change into an eagle. You just pick him up by his tail and fly him above one of those leeches and drop him. Seth can then run up under those black robes....and tear em up if they don't die of fright!" I laughed so hard my ribs hurt, visualizing just such a scene.
"Oh very funny Leah, very funny." I could tell Seth was feeling picked on so I apologized. "But seriously, I really do want to learn to change like that. A squirrel might be fun....Kyle how small an animal can you do?"
He looked thoughtful for a second. "I've never done anything really small. It always feels better to stick with something strong and defensible. I don't even like being a moose even though they're huge. I'm not sure if it's my nature or part of what we are that makes me feel predatory when I change. Leah would actually be better to ask since she learns the animals easier than I do."
We sat up and talked until Mom came in to help me get ready for bed. She wasn't just joking when she said I could wear a granny gown and shorts, except she found an old pair of sweats she put over my casts instead. She was careful in removing my new skirt and sweater and even read the labels on how to clean them and sighed; dry clean only. "How about we drop these off first thing on Monday and pick them up before we come back home?"
"Sounds fine. I'm really glad Emily wants to come with us. If I get too....you know; insensitive around her will you let me know?"
"Absolutely. But I think we're going to have fun. I have a lot of shopping to do since part of your wedding celebration is going to be an old fashioned potlatch. I've got many gifts collected and made, but I have many more I plan to find while we're out. I've got a list of the guests and what I think they would like; we're going to need all the extra space in the Jeep." She was already going down mental checklists and I was feeling a bit overwhelmed when I thought of the short time left to prepare.
"Mom, I want to hep pay for some of the wedding. You know when I was working I didn't spend my money on much since I was still living at home. I have some saved up and I feel like I should help with something." I could see the stubborn look on her face even before I finished talking.
"No Leah, this is something your dad and I wanted to do for you! It's actually easier since you want everything so simple and low key; I'm putting more focus on the celebration afterward and less on the wedding. And don't try to talk me out of it since that's more for our tribe, friends, and family; you and Kyle are just the guests of honor!"
"Okay, okay. I said I'd leave it to you and I meant it. I just feel like I should take some responsibility for something. I don't want you to have to work so hard."
"Just wait, once we get all the gifts for everyone assembled I'm going to need all the help I can get to wrap them. We're not using paper, I'm wrapping them in textiles; fabric, towels, napkins, dishtowels, aprons, pillow cases.....anything I could find in your colors. That way we won't have all the paper to throw away, and our guests will have two gifts instead of one! But it's going to take some doing to get all of them wrapped and tied. I'll show you later....when I'm not so tired."
She yawned almost on cue and then she wheeled me out of the bathroom. It was the only time I'd used the chair since I'd come home earlier. When she slipped off to bed we informed Seth that he got to have his room back for at least two nights. He didn't know if he should believe us or not, but when I pointed out the night time armor I wore he grinned and headed off to bed. I insisted Kyle drink another glass of water before we went to bed. It seemed no one had the energy to stay up late and I was almost as tired as Mom. Before Kyle put me into bed he pushed the mattress as close to the wall as it would go, then laid me gently in bed where I wouldn't be able to fall out without doing a backflip. For decorum's sake he wore a T-shirt and sweats, but when he turned out the light he pulled me tight against him. The stupid casts made snuggling very difficult, but it didn't matter since I was asleep in minutes.
Saturday was usually the day I would look forward to all week. It usually represented fun and freedom, but the one before my wedding was anything but. I woke up in Kyle's arms which was the high point of my day and everything seemed to go downhill from there. The weather warmed and the ice melted bringing people out of their hiding places, each one wanting to stop by for a visit. I didn't mind the visits, but trying to explain how I'd gotten hurt to people who didn't know about shape shifting meant I had to lie to a lot of people and confess to a bad fall on the ice that had torn some tendons and required I not move for a few days.
Kyle had to spend time making phone calls to arrange someone to pick up his sister, niece and nephew after the wedding. I suspected he was also setting up something for our honeymoon even though I'd be just as happy to go back to his little beach side house and be alone with him. The only thing I could get him to tell me about the trip was to dress warm. Maybe we would go back home after all!