A/N: Sorry this one took so long but I didn't like the way I ended the last chapter so I expanded the end.

Check out that and let me know what you guys think.

As always I love it when you review after reading.

Chapter 9

Understanding

Thomas

The forest blurred by me as I ran or would have if my eyesight were not so keen. I did not have the senses a full vampire would have but it was better than a humans. I couldn't make out exact details but everything I saw was still recognizable for what it was. The pace I ran at was faster than I normally did, still slower than a full vampire but not by much. Normally I could only maintain this kind of speed for short distances as I tired quickly but the human blood from yesterday and the animal blood from earlier gave me better endurance.

Leah's scent clung to the air as I followed her course through the green and brown world around us. A flash of sandy colored fur few yards to my left made me slow. It kept moving in and out of sight. I wasn't sure what it was all I knew was that it was huge. I guessed at least as big as a horse, which I knew it could not be as it reeked of dog. It was beginning to damage my calm that it was shadowing my movements.

I spotted an ancient conifer tree and decided that whatever was there could not likely climb. Running right up the side of the tree I continued my forward progress. Her scent was not as powerful from up in the branches due to the extra moisture that permeated the air. Leaping from branch to branch I followed the trail left by her smell trying to decide how I would explain myself.

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Leah

Running as fast as I could through the forest was not helping my confusion. Why? I replayed the events of earlier today. I had woken up when the door to Edward's room had crashed inward. Thomas was crouched in front of the bed snarling at Edward and Bella. They were inexplicably trying to calm him. Just as suddenly he stood up and looked at me before apologizing for some unknown offence and grabbing some clothes and leaping out the window as it opened.

I had nearly leaped after him to find out what was going on. Bella had stopped me saying Edward and his brothers would go after him. Still being confused had kept me from running after him. Jacob and Nessie had shown up later and he could see I was uncomfortable but he did not know why. He said to relieve Quil from patrol. As soon as I phased everyone else in wolf form was aware of my imprint on Thomas and his kiss so soon after meeting me. The desire to explain that to him was tolerable at the moment.

You're being trailed. Seth's warning brought me back from my personal thoughts. Maybe they caught up to Thomas and one of them was coming to get me. I dismissed the thought Jacob was there and if Thomas had returned he would phase and tell me. He knew all about my imprint and the events from earlier.

Shit, I think it saw me, it just ran up a tree. Great this was probably not good. Whoever it was wanted to avoid detection. Did you get a good look at it? His response was less than helpful.

No and I don't recognize the smell. It reeks of vampire though. This was getting disturbing. My thoughts flew to Thomas. What if the bloodsuckers that had hurt him came back? Should we call for reinforcements? I considered it for a moment before deciding not to, there was only one of them. That I saw. Seth argued trying to reason with me.

Listen just meet up with me. I showed him where I wanted him to meet me. His thoughts told me he didn't like it but he agreed. I slowed as I reached our meeting place and paced around trying to watch everywhere at once.

A soft thud on the ground at my back had me lunging forward and whirling to protect my rear. There he stood with a confused look on his face. He really was gorgeous. His blue eyes made me want to tackle him and kiss his face.

Oh god please stop, I think I'm gonna hurl. Seth's mind was cringing from the images running through my head. I did my best to control my mind.

"Leah?"

His voice was uncertain. He took a cautious step towards me his hands held out from his sides as he continued to stare at me. His look had my thoughts and emotions in a whirlwind. I tried to phase back but I found I could not concentrate enough to do so.

A whimper escaped me at my inability to do something I had actually become quite good at.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to frighten you," he said trying to soothe me. IT did help somewhat. I felt myself calming and my thoughts coming to order. At least he wasn't frightened of a horse-sized light grey wolf. His expression had changed to one of awe.

I pulled inward on my wolf-self feeling the transformation vibrate my whole body until I was human again. Thomas's eyes widened as I changed and he quickly whirled to face the opposite direction. Curiosity made me look down and realize I was naked.

"Sorry," he called over his shoulder. I quickly dropped to one knee to untie my clothes from my ankle. I had my shorts and t-shirt on in seconds.

"You can turn around now," I called smiling a little at his awkwardness seeing me unclothed. Hell we had slept in the same bed last night and that kiss awkwardness was the last thing I expected. He turned slowly to face me. My smile faded when I saw the look on his face. He saw my smile disappear and looked away.

"I'm sorry about this morning," he said still looking away from me "you must be very confused." That was hitting the nail right on the head.

"Why did you run out like that?" He took a deep breath to steady himself. "I very nearly killed you this morning." That was unexpected I took a step backwards feeling my back hit a tree. The motion did not go unnoticed.

"Why don't we sit and I'll try to explain," he offered. I suddenly felt irrationally angry at him, I didn't sit. I took another step but forward this time.

"Oh maybe you should have done that instead of confessing to attempted murder." As soon as the words were out of my mouth I regretted them. Well so much for having my temper under control. He broke eye contact with me and the look of hurt on his face made me sorry for my harshness.

"I guess I deserved that," his voice sounded like he was close to tears. Perfect I just made my imprint cry while trying to explain himself. I was pretty sure that was a first for werewolves with imprints. "I'll let you get back to your patrol."

He started to walk away from me and all I could do was stare at his back. A little voice in my head was screaming at me to stop him, let him explain. This was definitely not how I heard imprinting was supposed to work. The imprinted was supposed to be showered with love and adoration and here I was making mine upset.

"Wait," I whispered just as he disappeared into the trees. He didn't hear me because he didn't stop. Seth stepped up to my side from behind me and rubbed his head against my arm trying to comfort me. I reached up and touched my cheek feeling the wetness there, I was crying and I didn't even realize it.

"Well I screwed that up nicely." Seth just continued to try and be comforting. I reached up and patted his shoulder in thanks. The sound of four more feet approaching made us look back. Jacob was walking towards us in his wolf-form. He saw my pained expression and growled deep in his throat. Apparently Seth hadn't heard the exchanges between Thomas and me.

"No, Jake it was my fault," I took a deep breath and was glad that Seth hadn't heard. Jacob would go off the deep end when he found out and now was not the time. "I'm going to go after him." I needed to talk to Thomas, I had hurt him and I couldn't stand that. He needed to know I wasn't angry at him. I jogged in the direction he had departed and followed hopefully he hadn't started running. He was still walking I could just see him walking away from me.

"Wait," I yelled this time. He stopped but didn't turn around. The tension in his body was clear, but without seeing his face I couldn't tell if it was anger or surprise.

"Come to rake me over the coals some more," the bitter tone was definitely anger.

"I'm sorry about earlier." He still didn't turn but some of the tension relaxed from his back. "I should have let you explain."

"Why don't we talk?" It was a good suggestion. I wanted to know everything about him, he was after all my other half. I walked up to stand beside him. He moved towards a small circle of trees and I followed. We sat across from each other.

"I'm sorry about this morning," he began again, "I want to tell you everything."

"I want to tell you everything too." He nodded at that and smiled a little.

"Ladies first," he said, great well hopefully I could give him some answers to some previously asked questions.

"You know I'm a werewolf," I started there it would help tie everything else together. "Members of my tribe would change in times of need." This was going well so far, thankfully Thomas was not interrupting so I could get it all out.

"Traditionally only the men would become wolves but for some reason I became the first woman in my tribe to change." He just sat there listening to me tell my story. I continued on with the events that had led up to my meeting him.

"When I saw you, I imprinted," I said. I had explained imprinting already so he only nodded still smiling his small smile.

"It scared and confused me when you left like that." His smile disappeared when he saw a tear run down my cheek. I looked at the ground not wanting him to see me cry. He had me wrapped in his arms so quickly that I hadn't even heard him move.

"I'm so sorry about that." His voice was so sincere that I felt a little better.

"I'll try to explain better this time but I'll need to start at the beginning. He moved so he could sit beside me keeping one arm wrapped around me. I leaned into his chest feeling comforted by his acceptance of what I had told him.

"Hopefully this imprinting is as permanent as it sounds," he began "because you may not want to be around me after you hear what I have to tell you." I doubted that very much because I knew that imprinting was as permanent as it gets.

"Go on I want to hear everything." He nodded and he looked directly ahead.

"I already told you that my family is dead." His tone was sad as he told me about how they had been killed. I slid my arm around his back so I could rub it comfortingly. He leaned his head to rest it on top of mine. He told me about what had happened in his life before that day. Eventually he came back to those events and his tone changed.

"I destroyed the two vampires that were waiting for me," he said his voice turning angry and his arm tightening around my shoulders. "I decided I wanted to kill them all and I set out to hunt them down." I shuddered at his tone, he sounded different as he continued.

"I hated them for what they had done and I always will."

"I'm so sorry," I said bringing my other arm across his waist hugging him tightly, hoping my acceptance would help him.

"Then I met you and I felt all the anger and thirst for vengeance leave me." I smiled at how I had helped and not even known it. "And then I try to drink your blood." He sighed letting the rest of the tension out in a breath.

"Don't worry about it," I said understanding what had happened after hearing his explanation. He looked down to meet my eyes as I looked up to meet his. There was another of his small smiles that I was beginning to like very much. "You just smelled too good, you still do."

I felt my cheeks warm at his words. We didn't say any more after that. The light had started to fade out of the sky as we sat enjoying each other's company. I felt my eyelids get heavy. I was tired from all the stress today and I slowly fell asleep against his chest.