Sahara

I had spent the entire week looking for the perfect dress but I just could not find anything. I wondered why it even mattered, why do I care? I asked myself this question repeatedly.

I decided to take a walk in the woods, I often did this to relax; I felt a connection to the trees. When I got to my usual spot I was surprised to see Jacob sitting under my tree. Even though he didn't turn around I knew he knew I was there, he was a wolf there was no way he didn't hear me approach.

I approached him with caution because I didn't know much about him really, when I saw him around he seemed a lot like Sam to me.

"What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean?" Jake asked finally turning to face me.

"Well I thought you were supposed to keep to your portion of the lands. Isn't that part of the treaty between you and Sam?"

"I do keep to my portion, although it's a rather small portion."

"Sam didn't have to let you guys settle here."

"True but lately fishing hasn't really been going good for you quileute people. There's been some serious problems a bit of a drought around here? Sam does need us."

"Yeah but that didn't really seem to occur until you guys got here, it's odd. What I wonder is where you get so much seafood from? Whereas everybody else can't get their hands on anything. Since the drought they barely allow people to fish anymore. It's so expensive to buy seafood since everyone knows how desperate we are."

"We have our sources don't worry about things like that girl, I didn't realize you were such a thinker. Does Sam like that? You don't seem like most girls."

"Oh should I wear lipstick and short dresses, I don't need to notice what's happening around me. That's for the boys."

Jake just stared at me, then he suddenly stood. I realized he was really tall, must men were dwarfs next to Sam but not Jake. He was the first guy who was really equal to Sam in so many ways and for some reason that scared me.

"When did you learn to be so mouthy and sarcastic?"

"I don't know, why did you come here Jake?"

"I'm from South Dakota, I'm Rosebud Sioux. We had some problems out there." Jake seemed tense as he spoke. "Some of the humans out there found out about us and they were fascinated. They could not believe that some of us were shape shifters. They started hunting us and selling our cubs. Once the cubs were exposed we had to hunt them down, we can't risk that kind of exposure. We had to kill any human that purchased the cubs. The tribe took a lot of pressure so they began to run the shape shifters out. They think they don't need us and that we were causing too much trouble. There was a time they worshiped us, they knew we could protect them from vampires and we tended the lands. Were stronger and faster than any human but lately it as if everything changed, the pride was gone. They turned on us and it broke my father's heart, he killed himself. We traveled all over but finding Sam's pack and seeing how they are treated just amazes us. We ran into a lot of packs all over but none as great as Sam's. He is a great guy he understood our situation and when he found that we had ways to supply seafood he seemed to let his guard down a bit. He made the peace treaty with us and we keep to the parts of the land he says. I respect him as a man, a wolf and a competitor."

"I'm so sorry to hear about what happened to your pack. I heard such amazing things in the past. Why are there so few of you here? Where is the rest of your pack?"

"Everywhere, I have to be honest I know you come here Leah. I know your scent and I know I'm not supposed to be here. I wanted to talk to you."

"Why?"

"I can't explain why, I don't know what it is about you."

"I don't trust you Jake, I don't know if I trust anything you say."

"Do you talk like this to all men or just me because you have no respect, you think I'm some leech."

"I don't know what you mean."

"No bitch I know talks to a male like you do."

"On that note this conversation is over Jake."

"Why? Are you offended or something, wow you really have some weird ways about you Leah."

"Why is it shocking that I demand respect from males?" Jake stared at me again with that weird look I could not read. I hated when I could not read a person, I realized then just how handsome he was. There was an air of confidence about him, he seemed like a man of high position and status. Not the type who would take a hand out. This whole treaty felt weird to me and from both stand points. I didn't quite understand Sam allowing it but also Jake wanting this and accepting it. I had never heard of outsiders finding out about us, it has never happened. That was basically every packs biggest fear and yet this happened to Jakes people.

"I don't like that word, the bitch thing."

Jake laughed which annoyed me. "I never thought that deeply about that Leah. For me it's like saying yes or no, it's so normal. I'm so use to it that I don't even see it, kind of like a scent. You know how something can stink but once you get used to it you don't even smell it anymore."

"Well I always think about things like that Jake. I told myself I would stop being such an analytical and introverted person. I question everything and my imagination is so methodical but I can't turn it off. The constant dialog in my mind, the emotions- feeling so passionate about things others don't care about. I do want to fit in sometimes but I can't help but see and feel and I can't accept and ignore certain things for what they are; the world seems so much bigger than that. I want to experience things not just tolerate the world and environment that has been placed in front of me. I want to question our ways and see how others do things, why is that weird?"

"Most of us don't think that way, not wolves. We are traditional and we thrive in the known and in our ways and territory. We protect our kind and care for that pack, that is the world and it's the only thing we care to know. But I must say I get it now."

"Get what?"

"Sam, he likes things that are extraordinary; he doesn't want the common and he doesn't go for the same things most males do, he is thinking different."

"Why do you need to understand Sam?" Jake smiled at me.

"You always thinking and questioning. You would make a perfect mate, most would think you were a disrespectful girl. But a man who isn't too traditional and can see outside the lines would know that you would make a strong man stronger."

"Sam is traditional." I said in a matter of fact way.

"You don't seem to know Sam the way he knows you, fascinating." Jake said but the last word lingered and again he stared at me but I could not read it. Jake shifted into wolf form and left me quickly without saying goodbye. The way he moved and spoke fascinated me, he was smart and different from most males I knew. The fact that I could not understand him nor truly even trust him seemed to intrigue me further. I had to figure him out. I rushed home and immediately when I opened the door I knew something was wrong. I heard voices I had never heard before so I rushed into the kitchen. There was a handsome younger guy standing next to my father and he had a girl who looked just like him with him. As soon as I walked in my dad rushed over.

"Leah get over here I want you to meet Seth." The closer I got to Seth the more familiar he became. I had seen him around somewhere before.

"Hi, I'm Seth ah Jakes beta."

"Oh yeah I think I have seen you before. So what are you doing here?"

"This is my twin sister Sahara I brought her here as a gift."

"A gift for who?" Sahara approached me, she was beautiful and her hair was so long and black. She was an exotic girl with a warm demeanor.

"I'm yours now, well we know that soon you will belong to Sam. My job is to help you with anything you need."

"Basically she is your body slave now." Seth spoke in a careless a matter of fact way like she was nothing really. This was his blood, a girl who looked just like him yet he was giving her away. The term body slave just meant an assistant that was kept close to you. Why did they want one of their people close to me like that and someone who was so close to him? Maybe he gave her away for that reason, he trusted her.

"Thanks but I don't need you."

"Nonsense we accept." My dad spoke over me and I knew he meant business so I remained quiet. Seth seemed satisfied he left without saying goodbye to his twin, it was weird. I went upstairs and she just followed me, it felt strange. I sat on my bed and she stood there in front of me.

"You know you can sit down on that chair or the bed Sahara." She sat down right next to me it felt creepy. I heard a knock.

"Come in." Emily stuck her head in the door and her mouth dropped she rushed in.

"Who is she?"

"Sahara she is my ah, I hate to even say it but body slave."

"What, you get a slave? You." Emily's entire face went crooked like she smelled something stinky.

"I'm not proud of it Emily."

"I can't even breath right now, I saw Seth leaving here; he gave her to you."

"Yes, he knows about me and Sam."

"I don't think Sam is going to go through with it Leah. I hate to say it but you're not even sexy. You're not popular or even cool, what is he even thinking."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Look it's true I came here to reason with you, if you give him to me I will look out for you."

"Okay, take him."

"It's not that simple you have to really step aside."

"Okay I will and I give you permission go after him. You two deserve each other."

"Thanks and I will." Emily slammed the door behind herself.

"The girl is jealous of you Leah and she is a bee." Sahara spoke in an aggressive way she seemed different from the way she acted down stairs. Less passive and more self-assured.

"What do you mean by Bee?"

"A girl who likes to sting other girls, put them down while smiling in their face. You ignore her because she is irrelevant to you but it's the wrong approach. I realize you don't have that spiteful gene most young girls have, that's fine you're not confrontational with other girls. However letting that sort of behavior pass can bite you later. You have to make other girls respect you even the insignificant ones like her."

"Why do I need to do that?"

"Respect is important Leah. Next time she stings you sting her back."

"That will make things worse and hostile between me and her."

"Things already are but the problem is she is used to getting away with it at this point, you created a monster."

"I created a monster, no she has always been like that."

"Yes because you have always let her. Listen, I can sew and I'm quite good let me prepare your dress for the ceremony." She changed the subject rather quickly, I guess once she made a point she moved on.

"Sam says he wants it to be conservative, no cleavage and red."

"You could do that or you could knock em all dead. I mean all the females and the males."

"What's the point?"

"Sam just wants you to be modest and respectful because it's less threatening to him which is fine. I think you should make a statement that says, I'm not only smart but I can be sexy too. As much as it will anger Sam, it will excite him; I promise you this."

"I don't care about all that Sahara."

"The fact is you are going to be mated with an alpha, your status has changed and your acceptance and appreciation of this must come. You have to understand your place and what it means for you and your people. I wish I was you Leah."

"I don't want this life Sahara."

"You must embrace your inner wolf once you start to mate you will be able to shift, you will meet your wolf. Seth was right me and you use to be just alike. I was once you Leah. I was going to be mated with Jake but I didn't want it. Once we lost the glory and were kicked off the lands it all went to shit. I thought that once we settled here they would mate us but Jake has lost all interest. I hated him at one time, I hated the idea of belonging to some egotistical alpha male. I see now that everything he is he must be, I understand what he means to the pack and how important having a pack is. You see we are different and we are special. No one understands us like we do and we have magic in our bloods. Were wolves do you realize how special you are. The humans thought of us as some science project and even the tribe turned because they want to blend in. At the end of the day all you have is your people. I realized this when it was too late, we are shamed now and you are lucky. Your pack has the glory and flourish and you have Sam. Sam is an amazing man who seems to love you not just lust you but love you."

I didn't know what to say to her so I just stared. I didn't know what to think but I knew I liked her and she liked me.

"This dress, it's going to knock em dead right?"

"Yes, you will be every girls envy and every wolf's desire."

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