Hiya everyone, so sorry for not posting in a while, but as you know... life gets in the way.

Simply Me - I know Jake can sure be something, I totally feel you - I stay awake all night sometimes too!

Tarus Pixie- You'll just have to wait and see! *insert evil laughter*

Let the reading commence...

My mother had told me the stories of her grandfathers, about how they had been warriors for their tribe. Except, the stories seemed fuzzy and contorted like they were a memory long forgotten. I remember her smoothing the hair away from my face and telling me everything was going to be alright. The monsters under the bed wouldn't get me tonight and the one in the closet was sleeping. I can feel Leah pressing her fingers against my forehead.

"She is too warm," she dropped her voice as she spoke sharply to Sam, "wolf warm. Is there any wolf blood in her? She had mentioned that her mother had Quilete (wrong spelling, I know, I know. someone shoot me) blood. Can she even shift if she is half-blood like that?" It took me a second to realize that they were talking about me. My body was burning like someone had lite my bones on fire.

I moaned, "Wolf?" My tone was slurred, I just wanted to go home and snuggle in my bed where I belonged. My brain was moving sluggish as I tried to think, but it was as efficient as pouring water into a bucket that had holes on the bottom.

"Call her father," I heard Leah instruct Sam, "then call Jake as fast as you can. I'm taking her outside and you aren't to follow. I know Tessa wouldn't want anyone to see her like this." I opened my eyes and watched with blurred vision as Leah tugged my arm over her shoulders and started to haul my towards the yard. I staggered and she caught me around my waist. I couldn't have loved my best friend more than I did at that moment.

I forced my lips to shape words, "Wha-" I gave up, but it seemed that Leah understood because she helped me sit leaned against a tree trunk and pulled off my shoes and jacket murmuring that I would want those later.

"The stories about the wolves are true," she started, "we can all shift into wolves. Real wolves with fur and ears, even teeth. It just hurts the first time you shift. Everything is triggered by our anger, especially Paul's. We are a pack and you will join our pack with Sam as Alfa and Jake as Beta. He imprinted on you which means he unconditionally loves you, when he said he won't accept the imprint.. well... You can figure that out." I gasped as rockets of pain shot through me, how could I not believe her when I was shifting right now? There was no time to doubt.

Leah nodded like I had responded, "Let it wash over you, don't resist it." I closed my eyes and felt my bones move. There was nothing I could do, but scream like I was being murdered. I arched my back as a wave of heat passed over me, I bit my lip swolling the scream that was rising in my throat. I fell forward and suddenly I was on the ground. My nose was pushed into the dirt and I was breathing heavily, my eyes still closed.

"Tessa?" Someone asked tentatively and it took me a second to realize that it was coming from my head. I was hearing voices, great just dandy. The voice came again laced with giggles, "Its just me Leah. You aren't insane. Just open your eyes." I opened my eyes and saw a small wolf looking back at me, her eyes glowed like Leah's did.

I paused then looked at my hands. My...my...my paws. My fur was sleek silver that looked fine as silk. "Leah?" I asked quietly in my head.

"Uh finally, the naive wolf speaks to me," she laughs then prances with her tail in the air like she wants to play, "bet you aren't faster than me. Race you?"

Something in me clicked like I had known I was a wolf all along. This was the piece of me that was missing. "Lets go," I respond and we set off both us trying to match the other's pace. Leah pranced on a rabbit and trotted around with it in her mouth then tossed it to the side with a thump. We weaved patterns in the trees until we couldn't move anymore. More voices added to the mix, the first one after Leah was Sam and he was laughing at how easily I accepted everything.

"Like a second nature," he had mused, "just like Jake." Jake. Just his very name sent a spike through my heart. Leah narrowed her eyes at Sam's hulking black form like she hated him too at the moment. She would tell me right? I watched as she turned, still in wolf form, and nodded like she was going to tell me later or it was nothing.

I heard her snort beside me as we raced ahead, "Later," she said then stopped and looked at Sam rasing her eyebrows. Even as a wolf she was still snotty, rude, and sarcastic - that was my best friend. "I'm going to have her shift back Sam," Leah was nudging me with her nose over to a grove of trees, "stay if you want, but I don't think Emily would like that. Saying that Tessa and I are friends with her." If Sam could have blushed, he would have, but instead I felt his mind draw away from mine and Leah's as he shifted back.

"Are we shifting back?" I whispered. Leah nodded and disappeared behind a tree more quickly than a human could have. She came back seconds later in her human form, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt lugging a black duffel bag.

She crouched next to me, "Close your eyes and wish to change back, it'll come over you. It will just happen. There are some clothes in the bag and I'll be waiting in that little field over there." She didn't wait or offer encouraging advice, but I don't think I would have wanted it. Who liked pity anyway? I closed my eyes and felt my skin slip over me. Strange, I had thought, even stranger that nothing hurt and it was almost like moving my hand. I peeled open my eyes and saw the duffle with the realization I was naked. As naked as the day I was born. Hurriedly I yanked open the zipper and removed brand new jeans, a bra, underwear, and a tank top. Thank God for Leah.

The clothes fit much better than I thought they would and as embarrassing as it is to admit, my body had changed in the transition. I was leaner and my red hair was silky though my fingers, I had to be at least two inches taller and my god... I had finally grown a bit in the chest department. The bra was a bit snug and the tank-top even snugger which as I admit made me look really hot. Not cute like Johnny in the 5th grade had commented, but hot. I ruffled my hair then stowed my bag over my shoulder.

I cleared my throat, "L?" I called and she emerged pulling on a sneaker, doing some strange "I'm putting on my shoe, but too tired to sit down" dance. I laughed and she gave me a glare. She tossed me my own shoes and jacket that I had taken off before the transformation. The jean jacket was worn, but I popped the collar and ran my fingers through my hair as Leah caught up with me.

"L? Huh, I like it," she threw me a grin, "be ready for this, alright? The pack is totally going to bombard you with information and total crap. I'll be there though and ugh, Jake will too. That probably comforts you, I bet." I shrugged and she must have caught the twinge of red on my cheeks because she rolled her eyes and swung an arm around me, "He'll get over Bella and plus when the pack is going to try and when the pack tries to hug you, he'll go in protective mode. He doesn't have that with Bella, he will never be connected with her in that way."

I jump over a rock and start to recognize the secenry as we near Emily's house, "So that's her name. Bella. Why do you hate her?" I try and ask like I hadn't pegged the hate that emitted from Leah the night I met her at Emily's.

"You noticed?"

Of course I did, you practically rung her neck, I wanted to say, but instead I settled for, "Yeah, but never mind Bella what about you and Sam? Maybe he isn't that into Emily, they could break up. You still have a chance with him." Her face fell and she kicked a chuck of a branch that had gotten in the way. Had I said something wrong? What did I do?

"We dated," Leah sighed and set her hands on my shoulders, they shook a bit, "then he imprinted on her, she is my cousin. What could I do? Em was nothing, but kind to me. He didn't love me anymore then. Jake must be really be strong to fight the imprint with you." She shook her head and started back towards the house. I stood there for a second trying to get my brain to process everything before the time for questions was over.

I started to walk after Leah, "Wait! L! What do you mean he has to be strong?"

She turned with a full blown cheeky grin I knew all to well, "He comes from strong Alfa blood which makes him Alfa by right."

"So?" I asked, my 2 year old self stuck herself out there.

L scoffed, "So? So, that makes you Alfa female," she barrel laughed then started towards the house again. ALfa, Beta, wolf, wolf blood, change - the words swirled around in my brain getting mucked up and frozen. Jake had to love me, I thought tightly following L, just when would he realize it? When it was too late, my brain answered before I could and I couldn't stop the single tear that trekked down my face unnoticed.

Some more soon? Read and review, for me, please? I have to have at least 4 reviews to post again by Sunday.

xoxo -ggbrownie