Hiya! I just couldn't wait to post again so here's an early present for those of you out there that might actually be reading this story. I know there are a lot.

Just a little heads up, periods of time might be missing because I don't like filler stories. If it is missing, I'll mention it up here. For example, in this chapter some time has passed since Sam's disappearance. Another forewarning, I switched up the narrative so look out for it!

Hope you like the meet and greet between Sam and Emily. :)

Disclaimer: I only own my ideas, my thoughts, and my words.

2. Brighter then the Sun

SAM POV

Leah was jabbering, excited that I was finally going to meet her cousin. I had never met her before, which was quite a feat because they were like sisters and we had been dating for a year and a half- already talking about marriage and kids.

I listened to her drone on- that was something I had never used to describe Leah before, drone. However, now, I was different. The tribe leaders had me running ragged and I didn't have the energy to deal with Leah anymore. Not to mention the overpowering feelings that I used to possess for her, just weren't there anymore. She was still as beautiful as ever but my love for her was fading. I would always love Leah but I definitely wasn't in love with her anymore. It didn't help that I feared the impending nature of a possible imprint, which would force me away from her.

The doorbell rang, interrupting her one-sided conversation, and she perked right up, dashing for the door.

"LEAH!" Emily yelled excitedly.

"EMILY!" Leah cried back. I tried not to wince as their shrieks of excitement pierced my sensitive and highly developed hearing. Slowly, I made my way to the door.

"I'm guessing she's here?" I called out sarcastically, pushing open the door to where they stood on the porch.

"Yes! Get out here!" Leah said, excitedly grabbing my hand and pulling me out on the front porch as well.

There stood the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I mean, absolutely flawless. She stood taller then Leah with the figure of a model. She had long, flowing black hair and sparkling eyes. I was so thoroughly star-struck by her beauty that I forgot to introduce myself until Leah prompted me.

"Em, this is Sam." Leah beamed. Automatically, I reached a hand out to shake hers.

"I feel like I've known you forever." She smiled back, taking my hand as sparks flew up my arm.

Wow was the only thing I was physically capable of thinking.

EMILY POV

Leah released me to grab the hand of the man who had been halfway out the door. He stepped into the light to let me see him clearly. He was tall and built like you wouldn't believe. His arms had thick bands of muscle and his shirt strained against his perfectly sculpted chest. His angular features set him far apart from any other man I had ever seen.

I was thankful when Leah prompted introductions for it prevented me from awkwardly gawking at this beautiful man.

"Em, this is Sam." Leah beamed. He reached forward to shake my hand, seemingly unfazed unlike myself whose mind was reeling.

"I feel like I've know you forever." I smiled back, trying to seem nonchalant as I took his hand to shake.

All I wanted to do was to get to know this man better. For Leah's sake, I tried to correct myself. She had been talking about marrying this man, how dare I find him this attractive?

"Well, let's go inside. We've got things to do." Leah said mischievously, as she looped an arm through mine and toted me inside. Sam followed after us like a giant manly shadow.

"Like what?" Sam asked, in his deep timber.

"Girly things. You won't like it." Leah called over her shoulder.

"Okay, then. That's my cue to leave. I'll see you at dinner tonight." Sam said, kissing Leah gently on the cheek. Even watching that simple action was like a knife to my gut- a painful reminder that this beautiful man wasn't mine. He gave me one last unreadable look before exiting, ducking out the door.

"Let's go do our nails!" Leah exclaimed, pulling me past the rest of her family without so much as an acknowledgement and up to her room.

SAM POV

I needed to get to the Elders, right now. I wasn't sure what just happened but I had a fairly good idea and was sure it didn't bode well for my immediate relationship to Leah.

"Billy, you've got to help me." I announced bursting through his door, knowing that Jacob would be in school.

"What? What happened?" Billy asked frantically, rolling into the living room where I stood.

"I think I imprinted." I said, falling down on his couch.

"That's great. On who?" Billy asked, coming closer yet.

"On Leah's cousin, Emily." I breathed, just saying her name made me feel better.

"Oh…" Billy said awkwardly.

"What do I do?" I begged, looking to him for help.

"I, uhh…, I don't know." Billy sighed, "I guess we will talk with the other Elders."

"Harry is going to kill me!" I exclaimed.

EMILY POV

Leah and I had been getting pretty all afternoon. We had done our nails and dressed up all fancy like we were five years old again.

Sue called upstairs to tell us that dinner was ready. Leah bounded down the stairs into the waiting arms of Sam. I followed more slowly, mulling over the information Leah had confided in me over the past afternoon.

While Leah had been painting her toenails, Leah had paused and looked at me.

"I think Sam and I are going to break up." Leah had said and then continued painting like nothing had happened.

I had been recalling that all afternoon, feeling guilty about the excitement that rose in my heart at the prospect of Sam being single and remorseful because I knew how much Leah cared about him.

However, in public, Leah never showed any signs of the fear she had whispered to me in her bedroom. She kissed Sam happily and intertwined her fingers with his so they could go into the dining room together.

I lingered on the bottom step until Seth emerged from the hidden bathroom under the stairs.

"Forget something?" Seth asked, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

"Nope." I said, letting him pull me into the dining room where I put on a happy façade just like Leah had.

"Good." Seth said, taking his spot across from Leah while I took the only one left- across from Sam. I tried to not gulp audibly as I pictured this meal with it being socially acceptable for me to stare at Sam throughout the entire meal.

I took my seat but food was already being passed around and Sam was taking enough to feed an army. I now understood why Sue had made so much, the boys who made up half of the table all had heaping plates with a look in their eyes that said they were going for seconds as soon as they were done.

I ate like a bird, my appetite having disappeared as my feelings rode a roller coaster: happy, sad, delighted, angry, disappointed, elated. All of them coming in waves were enough to make me nauseated.

"Emily, are you feeling okay?" Sue asked, placing a cool hand on top of mine when I set my fork down with a bang.

"I just feel a little green." I tried to shake it off, reaching forward with a shaky hand to clutch my glass of water and sip it.

"Oh, you poor dear." Sue said, giving Harry a pointed look. He nodded and came to my side.

"Can I help you to the couch?" Harry asked kindly.

"No. I'm fine. I can get there by myself." I said, standing slowly.

"I'll get her." Sam announced and no one even questioned the ring of authority in his voice. He came to my side immediately and lifted me like I was a feather, carrying me forward to the couch.

"I'll be okay." I said, curling into a tight ball and gripping the pillow.

"You'd better be." Leah threatened.

"Leah, she's sick." Sam admonished.

"Yeah, we've been planning this camping trip forever. We can't just not go now." Leah exclaimed exasperatedly.

"I'll be better by tomorrow." I said, attempting to diminish the tension in the room.

"Good." Leah nodded.

"Lee, she can't go if she doesn't feel well." Sam said, grabbing her arm before she could exit the room and go back to dinner.

"Sam, we've been planning this for a long time. We are going." Leah challenged his authority.

"I just need to rest. I'll be okay in the morning." I assured them needlessly, neither were listening to me.

"Leah, plans change." Sam argued.

"Yeah, apparently they do." Leah sniped. Suddenly, I got clued in that this wasn't about me anymore but about their disintegrating relationship and I shut up real fast.

"Sometimes things happen unexpectedly and the plans change. We can't help that." Sam retaliated. My stomach lurched and I had to burst through their argument in a fever-ridden stumble to get to the bathroom under the stairs in time.

"We can't or we won't?" Leah challenged again.

"I'm going to go help your cousin. We can discuss this later." Sam hissed before I heard his footsteps approaching. It was amazing how in tune to him I was. I could hear his whisper-soft footsteps over the sound of my own retching.

"Emily, are you okay? Can I get you anything?" Sam asked through the cracked door.

"Fine." I choked, "Go back to dinner."

"I'll get you a cool washcloth." Sam said, taking off to the linen closet close to the master bedroom. He returned and ran it under cool water before gently sweeping away my long locks to place it on the back of my neck. Its cool temperature was a welcome reprieve to the heat that overwhelmed my body.

I collapsed from my crouching position and leaned up against the cool tile walls, pulling the washcloth around to wipe off my face.

"Thank you." I said, breathily.

"Anything else I can do?" Sam offered but Sue was there then, presenting a toothbrush and paste.

"I'll help her, Sam. You get back to dinner." Sue smiled kindly as I used her hand to help myself up so I could clean up.

"Thanks Sue." I smiled feebly before brushing my teeth.

"Don't worry about them. They are just going through a rough patch." Sue reassured me, rubbing my back softly.

The next morning, I was feeling no better. I had only barely managed to find small fits of sleep throughout the night but got a nice wake-up call by my stomach lurching, causing me to grab the bowl Sue had left near my bed before I puked all over the guest bed.

As I stumbled out of the hidden bathroom after brushing my teeth, I saw Leah sitting dejectedly at the kitchen counter.

"Guess we aren't going, huh?" She asked, nursing her cup of coffee.

"I'm sorry." I apologized quickly.

"It's not your fault. I'm sorry for insinuating it was last night. That was just me being angry at Sam, not you." Leah apologized as well, which left me in shock. Leah doesn't apologize, period.

"You want to talk about it?" I offered, wrapping the blanket tighter around my freezing body.

"I'd rather not get sick." Leah said, eyeballing me skeptically.

"Understandable." I giggled, "I'll just remain in quarantine until I can at least drive back home."

"Sounds good." Leah said, actually cracking a smile, "I'll call you."

"From right upstairs and we can chat." I nodded, grabbing some more water and heading back to the room.

Once I was finally in the clear, almost the entire weekend later, I had to pack up my car and start the drive back. Everyone had already left so it was just me at the house, packing and cleaning, when Sam was running down the driveway.

"Leah's not here." I called, throwing another bag in the car.

"I know. I'm not here for her, I'm here for this." Sam said, from right next to me. I looked up startled but before I could react our lips were interlocked and I never wanted them to be apart again.

"No." I gasped, shoving him away as I stared in shock. Quickly, I got in the car and drove away- trying to pretend it never happened but loving that it had.