A/N: Since I posted a new Blackwater fic (La Chaîne--do check it out) I felt guilty and thought I owed you guys a chapter. Sorry about the quality of this one, I feel like madness causes Embry's and my vocabulary to go a little wobbly. Though, you might just maybe like the ending :) Reviewers, you're all awesome. Thank you! Tell me, though, how do you fancy Julia Jones as Leah? I think she's beautiful, but we still need to judge how she carries the role:)

XII.

I have never felt as angry. In fact, I was certain it was no longer anger that gripped me; it was madness. I had to kill the leech. I was never going to be satisfied until I personally cause or witness her death. My hackles were raised high above my back, my fangs bared in hopes of intimadating her.

Maybe the sole cause was her flaming red locks, but the only thing my sight ever noticed was her and red. I could feel Leah behind me, and feel her fear too, but in my eyes it was just wild, bloody, devil red.

She seemed to have noticed how I gravitate around Leah, duely ignoring the crumpled other human beside her, maintaning her safety above all else. She smirked wider as she realised this--her eyes, black with hunger was solely on Leah's trembling frame. It drove me insane.

She danced across the tree, gracefully swinging from branch to branch, mocking.

It angered me more how she was purposely sniffing the air and was closing her eyes as though she thoroughly enjoyed Leah's scent, as though she lusted for her blood. She grew more determined with each breath, baring her teeth as she crept a little closer. I roared to keep her at bay; she roared back with a smile, and then lunged.

The horror of watching her lunge at Leah constricted my breath; everything in me that was capable of feeling the tremendous amount of fear I had knotted itself. I watched aghast, still in the same blood red tinge, as she leapt from the branch and playfully aimed at Leah's exposed neck. I sprang to be the barrier between them; she agilely leapt on my back and, with a chortle that sounded like Christmas morning, dug her nails into my flesh. I felt the sharpness cut though and the blood pulsing.

Shit. I yelped in pain as she returned to cling back to her leverage. She smiled as though pleased, and when she spoke her voice sounded like a lullaby, one that was intended to make a human gape. "A little memory to remind you of me."

She tried her luck once more, but this time I got hold of her. My paw swiped across her beautiful face, leaving a screeching noise to remind me of how uncomfortable it was scratching her. I managed to bite her across her shoulders--vampires tasted a whole lot worse than they smelled--but only managed to tear her wrist. She wasn't so pleased now; she was heavily wheezing, apparently hurt.

I attempted to pin her down but I was concerned the window I would leave would favour her plans. The leech's smile returned as we studied each other, expectant. "Is she your little girlfriend?"

Stay. away. from. her.

"Oh come on, just a little blood?"

Touch her and I will kill you.

"Your little roars don't make sense to me, wolf."

My tail brushed past Leah's neck as the leech carried on with her little jeers. Leah froze at the sudden touch. Victoria laughed, her giggles so out of worldly.

"Look, wolf. Your little girlfriend is conscious. Hmm...Brave. I like brave."

I did not realise Leah had snapped her eyes open. She eyed the bloodsucker first, frightened at the predatory stance she had taken. Obviously, she had also noticed that she was the target prey. Her shock was evident as Victoria craned her neck and gave her a little wave. I moved to block her sight--then Leah shifted her eyes on me, and the fear was suddenly extinguished. Her shocked stare was softened, fright replaced by...relief?

Geez Sam, you really should get a bigger couch. I can't sleep on that thing!

Who told you to...Holy...EMBRY?

Jared, Jake, Paul and Sam had finally ended their siesta. I howled to catch their attention, and thankfully Sam briskly acted on my panic. Instantaneously, they sprinted to where the action was, their thoughts echoing mine. Sam wasn't exactly pleased I didn't howl for them earlier, though he perfectly understood how the anger of my imprint being in close proximity to a vampire consumed all my logic.

While I felt the excitement of the pack, I made it known that I had no intentions of handing the vampire to them. I merely needed the pack to ensure Leah was okay while I chased Victoria down and fucking burn her. I'll kill her! She's mine.

Victoria very slowly disentangled herself from the tree branch and started pacing closer still. I growled, snapping at her every so often to push her back, but still she kept a constant pace. "Come to your death, wolf, come nearer," she challenged.

I was not about to back down, but my thoughts shifted when I heard Leah's voice. "No, Embry! Don't!"

I pawed the earth roughly and snarled at the vampire, while she found it amusing that Leah had found her voice. Leah was adamant. "Embry! Don't!"

Two secs, Em, two secs. Nearly there.

Jared's paws rustled against the withering leaves, and itt took only two seconds for Victoria to realise what the sound meant. She did not waste time and slipped scurrying away, her red hair and foul stench the only tell-tale to her path. Sam cursed; both he and Jared shifted course so they could ambush her. I saw Paul and Jacob leap to my right and start pursuit.

We'll take care of her, Jacob promised.

I want to kill her, Jake. I have to!

Leah needs you. Get her home safe.

The moment Sam mentioned Leah's name I knew I could not refuse. I tried to compose myself but the red that was dominating my sight also refused to melt away. I carefully snatched Patrick's bag from his grip and threw it somewhere close by. As my teeth grazed over his skin it took all of my control preventing myself not to snap him in two like I had intended before. My anger at Victoria only made me hate him more, because the sole reason why Leah was here, why she had been put into fatal peril and why she had felt the fright she had was because this brainless asshole brought her here.

Leah eyed me carefully as I limped to the bushes. My ankle protested, I had freaking vampire wounds on my back, and when I would phase, I'd be escorting Leah through the forest half-naked, with an unconscious idiot in tow. Very promising.

Still, I phased and limped back to her, bracing myself to however she would welcome me, if it would be any welcome at all. Instead, I could never have braced myself enough for what she did next.

"Oh, Embry."

Leah released a sigh of comfort and ran. She ran to me. Her arms flew out and she met me with a slight thud, which I hoped did not hurt her. I thought I saw her cry, but I was never certain; she had wrapped herself around me the moment she reached me that I only had the chance to cast her face a brief glance. For two seconds I just stood there, letting the calm of her embrace ease my anger. Slowly the red tainting my sight faded away, and inside I felt a swell of bubbly happiness.

Maybe I lost track of time, but I did not realise that I had slipped my arms around her waist and had reduced the distance between our bodies to almost nothing. She nuzzled her face into my neck and lingered there. Oh dearest Lord. Her lips were on my neck. The sensation was so exquisite I could die right there and happily go.

"She's gone," I whispered. "I promise she's gone. Are you okay?"

Her reply was to hug me ever tighter. Was she afraid I would leave her? I could feel the beat of her heart against my chest--I sought solace on the fact that she was safe in my arms. I relaxed immediately, burying my face in her hair. I let myself be entangled in her scent, exactly the way her body was entwined with mine. She was whispering softly, continually, as if she couldn't quite believe it, but the comfort was laced in her voice.

"Embry," she breathed. "You're safe, you're safe..."

And then she slipped her hand from my shoulders to my back...I winced.

She was taken aback. Leah let go, her face peppered with hurt--was she hurt? I gave her body a swift glance, but she appeared to be in her usual perfection. Still I needed to know. If the leech touched her...

"Are you okay, Leah? Are you hurt? I'm sorry you had to see that--"

She shook her head. "You're hurt."

Though my back hurt like hell, not least because eeky vampire stuff were poison to our bloodstream, I pretended it was okay, hoping she would buy it. "Forget about me. I'm fine. Did she hurt you?"

Well, she did anything but buy it. Her face contorted. "EMBRY! Will you stop lying, for once? Were you aiming to die? I didn't know you were so suicidal."

Her expression reminded me of that look my mother always had whenever I did something I shouldn't have. I toyed with my feet and focused on her face so the ease won't leave me. "She wanted to hurt you."

"No, you idiot. She wanted to kill you. Kill you, Embry! I can't believe you are so stupid to leap right into her trap! You could have died!"

I shivered. If I had been killed, I shuddered to think what would have happened to Leah, alone and prey to the hauntings of the woods. I cared not so much that the other person lying unconscious behind her would suffer the same fate, but Leah...I could not put her in peril, so much as leave her in its midst. "It's nothing," I shrugged. "As long as you're safe. Come, I'll take you home."

I ignored the sting the wounds on my back caused and waited for it to heal instead. I pulled Leah away to where Patrick still sprawled with his lonely black eye. I expected Leah to ask me something that was related to this idiot, but what I failed to expect were that the next words flowing out of her mouth were actually about me. Impatience was evident in her demand. "Will you please just stop so I can at least tend to your wounds? You look dishrevelled, underfed, you've started a fight against whatever that was, and you're covered in blood. It doesn't exactly make me happy. "

I turned around, surprised. "Does it upset you?"

"Everytime I look at it I feel like you'll be cut into two. Of course it upsets me."

Since it did, I sat down on a potruding rock and permitted her to do whatever she wanted with my wounds. She did not touch it when she first checked; I thought she was afraid, or maybe grossed out by all the blood, but she only tilted her head and blinked, perplexed. "It's dry."

"I hate to tell you this, but I told you so. It's nothing. We heal fast."

She was irritated. Leah gave me a frown and walked away, muttering her disappointments. "You should have at least told me."

"It's nothing."

"But I was worried about you, Embry!" she cried. "I was scared, I was terrified, I was frightened that you'll get hurt, okay? You can't just injure yourself and bleed like that...it's sickening."

I was sorry she had to feel that way--it appeared that I could not have saved her from these emotions if I tried--but in a way Leah had simply told me she cared, and it was more than sufficient to heal all wounds I had, physical or otherwise. Before she could wipe that impish grin on my face, I picked up Patrick and slung him on my shoulders. There was no way I would carry him bridal style. It was better, actually, otherwise I might just throw myself at Leah and well, do inappropriate things.

She picked up their bags, but I carried them too, despite her persistence, because all I needed her to do now was to stay beside me and be safe. We started to head back to the rez while I started explaining parts of and the events leading to, what had just happened.

"I'm sorry you had to walk all the way back and carry your bag," I huffed. "If only this idiot can walk, I would carry you instead."

"I do not want you to carry me. And that idiot can walk. The only reason he can't is because you gave him a black eye."

"He's better off not knowing anything. Besides, if it bothers you, I can tie him on a leash and drag him instead..." I offered, hopeful.

"He's not a dog, now is he?"

I chuckled. "Well I'm not a dog either. Technically, Leah, we're werewolves."

She followed my lead, but her smile faded as the truth sank in. "Wh--what was that? Was that even human?" As Leah's eyes flickered away, I caught the hint of fear that I had earlier seen. I inched closer, assuring her of my presence.

"She only looks human," I replied. "That was a vampire."

"A real vampire?"

"Yes," I nodded. "Blood drinkers."

She scowled, as if her anger should have been used earlier to ward off the leech. I almost giggled. She looked cute. "What did she want?"

"She wanted to drink you, Leah. She wanted to drain you. I should have killed her. I should have--"

"EMBRY!"

She stopped me, and there was something alarming in her voice. I fell into a crouch and kept her behind me, while I searched for whoever startled her. I was anxious Victoria might be back, though it made no perfect sense why she could when there were four wolves after her. My jaw was locked shut; I only depended on my sight and smell. Leah shivered before clasping my arm, her breath quick and shallow.

There was a mad rage going on within me at her touch. She was entrusting her safety to me, and it felt so wrong to have put her in danger in the first place. I growled, waiting for a replying snarl. None came. Slowly, Leah began to...was she tracing patterns on my shoulders?

"Stop, Embry."

Her voice worked like magic. The film of red disappered from my vision. "Are you hurt?" I enquired.

She shook her head, but it was hard to relax when there was a sickly sweet scent floating to where we were. I banked on the fact that the pack was on the bloodsucker's tail. If she dared show herself again, she better be prepared to die. I closed my eyes to shake the images of the leech from my mind, and replace it with the feeling of having Leah touch me. "Leah?" I called. "Please say something."

"Say what?"

"Say anything."

"Why?"

I snapped my eyes open and looked at her. "To help me calm down."

Leah raised her eyebrows, rolled her eyes and then shifted her features to a more serious look. "Fine. Embry, can you calm down? Please?"

I laughed, because Leah took it so literally. I let the laughter wash away the anger. When I finally gained composure enough to remember I had somehow dropped a certain Patrick on the ground, I picked him back up and then apologised to Leah. The wind caught her hair, overwhelming the burning stench with her own.

"Are you always this mad?" she wanted to know.

"No. Only when you are put in danger."

"You're paranoid," she accused. "There wasn't even anything out there."

"But you were alarmed," I replied. "And with that vampire around...it's enough to get me riled up."

"Back up a little. What was a vampire doing strolling through the forest in the middle of the day? Aren't they supposed to burn in the sun?"

"Myth."

"But she doesn't look like a vampire. She was beautiful."

"Beautiful yes, but monstrous. There are a few out there, and they hunt humans. The woods are very dangerous, Leah, even with the pack. The only reason we exist is because they do. We try to guard the borders as much as we can, but we can only do so much. Bloodsuckers like Victoria should die."

I could feel the anger soaring again. I hoped the pack reached her, and spared me her head as a trophy. Leah was in deep thought. "She was called Victoria? They have a name?"

"Yes, and they are supposed to be immortal too. Most of them are several hundred years old. All look the same--pale white, beautiful, weird eyes."

Her eyes sparkled with recognition. "So the rumours about the Cullens are true?"

"Yes."

"Are you always endangering yourself like that?" Leah continued. "Killing vampires? Can they...kill you too?"

"Occassionally we ran into them. There was this leech Laurent--he wanted to kill Bella Swan--and you know how Jake gets with Bella...we killed him. But yes, they can kill us too. They have advantages; water, extra powers--" She looked horrified. "--but we heal fast too. And we're not weak. The pack is strong," I assured her.

"Well that's funny. Isn't Bella that Cullen boy's girlfriend? I heard Dad and Billy gossip about it."

"Ex-girlfriend," I corrected for Jacob's heart's sake. "It's a miracle she's still alive, actually. Her boyfriend is supposedly attracted to her blood he has to control himself not to bite her everytime."

She seemed to dislike the idea of the whole concept. "I wonder how it feels to date a vampire."

"Have you ever wondered how it feels to date a werewolf?"

She grimaced, staring me down. "Shut up, Embry."

Leah pondered silently while I kept my grin to myself. At least she didn't say no, right? There was one thing about Leah that I was absolutely in love with...right, I was in love with every single darn thing about her, but the way she handled issues which could make a typical girl faint made me want to hold her in my arms and beam to the world. This is my girl.

It reminded me of just how I held her today...how she held me. It made me giddy; I wanted to hit my head on the nearest tree and wail my heart out to curb of the excitement. Really, I was worse than a squealing thirteen year old gushing with love.

Leah kept to herself for most of the journey, thinking. I wanted to ask her everything that has happened in my absence, filling the gap where Jacob's and Seth's memories lapsed. I wanted to ensure that every second of those every minute were, if not happy, okay at the very least. In the end, because I did not want to disturb her reverie, I simply calmed myself by listening to the silent soft thud thud of her heart.

It was a beautiful sound, as was the soft paw of her feet against the equally soft soil. Occasionally, our hands brushed against each other and her heart would skip a beat, while mine skipped two. I wanted to convince myself our reactions were due to a single reason, but it made more sense to think that I was the only one noticing how sensual the feeling was.

There was hardly enough talk to block the thoughts of Leah beside me as we marched the remaining miles to La Push. I couldn't quite forget the sensation of having Leah's lips on my neck no matter how fleeting; and that soft whisper she breathed on my shoulders, the manner by which she said my name, as if she was glad to see me after all this time...I was suddenly feeling hot and it didn't help at all that her shoulders were left visible by her top and seemed to be inviting me.

As hard it was to resist, I had managed to send Leah home without pinning myself on her. Still, that didn't mean that I had everything under control. I all but threw Patrick on the couch, giving Sue a quick tale of what happened and promising her that Sam would pass by and explain everything later. I held on to the door while I bid Leah farewell, trying to think of everything other than the way she latched her hands on her hips made her curves stand out and the way she tilted her head made her neck...oh, her neck. I loved her neck.

I was so repressed I had to stutter. "Err...I uh..." Take care was hardly what I intended to say. It seems too plain. The general concept was that I wanted her to be safe, so that was exactly what I told her. "Be safe."

Her jaw dropped, and before my mind could see that as an open invitation to close it with my own mouth I ran away.

Not good, Embry, not good.

The beach wasn't too far so instead of phasing I gave a mad dash to the sea on two legs. It took longer, but it was hell of a lot better suffering for an extra five minutes rather than facing the whole pack with the kind of thoughts that I was having. So not good, I chanted. Really not good.

The cold and angry sea trashed all the tension I had accumulated, so by the time I decided I better head back to wherever I was, I had a better grip on myself, except that I wished I had said something more meaningful than a pathetic 'be safe' to Leah.

I phased to start my interrupted journey, but was held back by a chilling revelation. Jacob met my thoughts.

Embry, we tried...

Damn it! She went off?

Yeah, took a dive to the sea. She just disappeared.

I should have killed her when I had the chance! I should have ripped her throat, that fucking red-haired leech...

I kept on ranting, and the pack allowed me, but by the time I had exhausted all the vile words in the dictionary to describe my feelings towards the vampire, the pack had exhausted their remaining patience too. I wanted to start running, for whatever reason it should be.

I won't stop you, Sam started.

Saammm, what are you doing? Make him stay. I miss you Em!

Miss you too, Jake.

Why don't you stay?

I didn't answer. What would I say?

Sam commiserated. Embry, you have the choice to do what you think is best. But I think you ought to know what I told Leah, and what I did not.

Please, Sam, spare me the agony.

Are you sure?

Certain.

He let me go then; I was glad he did, because though I had reached north by dawn, and had gained enough sleep to start my exile once more, by midday Seth had intruded into my mind with a very loud, clearly urgent thought. I stopped running and assessed my direction in case I needed to run back to La Push.

Embry! S.O.S.!

Please tell me this has nothing to do with Leah. I started sprinting back to the rez. What happened, Seth? Is Leah okay?

No! I mean, yes! Urgh, whatever...Leah's fine! Where the hell are you? Get back here!

What on earth happened? I saw Jacob and I saw Quil, but there was something off about the way my best friends were trying to kill each other. They looked serious.

Woah, are you munching on a rabbit?

SETH!

Oh, sorry Embry. But seriously, Em? A rabbit? Right, fine. Sorry. Uh, how quick can you run back? Jake and Quil are having a fight!

Well, that explained it, though not clear enough as I would have liked. FIGHT? What fight? Jake and Quil fought a lot, or used to fight a lot if I took recent events into account.

A FIGHT! A REAL fight! Quil cornered Jacob this morning and you know how he is when he gets upset...Quil sort of yelled at Jake and demanded an explanation and everything. Then Jacob got upset too and yelled back and somehow you get dragged into the equation and they both blame each other why you left and...now they're rolling around at the parking lot trying to pull each other's hair off!

Seth flashed a picture of Jacob and Quil trying to grab each other's neck, both snarling at each other, and surprisingly, calling my name. Seth winced. I don't think anyone wants to break up the fight.

Where the hell are the teachers?

Scared. Dude, we have two werewolves fighting in the middle of the school ground! Well technically Quil isn't yet, but what if he phases? Or what if Jacob loses control? Everyone's there! Come NOW!

How about Sam? Jared? Paul?

They're tracking the leech!

Urgh! Why does it have to be ME?

Despite my whines, twenty minutes later, I marched panting into the school's parking lot. I heard a collective whisper of my name from the throng of nosybodies that surrounded the area, and a finger or two pointing at my direction to those who just didn't get it. Half the school's windows had heads poking through it, and most of them were either worried that Jake or Quil might die, or excited that Jake or Quil might die.

The teachers that witnessed the brawl were petrified. Apparently, both my best friends looked too livid to be messed with. No one dared touch them; some of the brave ones jeered or cheered. Seth maintained his wolf form, probably capturing whatever happened for Sam to see.

They didn't look too bad when I reached them, but the whole madness reached me and stayed there. The crowd, which had surrounded them parted to let me through. My fists were clenched and for once, I was more than ready to punch Jacob Black and Quil Ateara, including anyone who would get in the way of that.

They weren't exactly brawling when I found them. Both were sprawled on the ground, panting like they just wrestled a bull. Jacob was staring daggers at Quil, and I was certain Quil's glare meant he too was planning Jacob's demise. Their eyes swivelled to me when I entered the scene.

Quil spoke first. "Speak of the devil and the devil shall come."

I pulled him up roughly. "This devil won't have come if both of you were smart enough to think twice before wrestling each other and starting a brawl in the middle of the school ground, idiots."

"Since when did you start caring, Embry?"

I could pin-point every hurt Quil showered in those words. It hurt like being in the middle of a hailstorm, naked. I didn't answer Quil; I chose to stride towards Jacob to pull him up too. He didn't budge as I held him by the collar. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" I lowered my voice. "You know you can't lose control."

"He started it!" Jacob hissed.

"You know Quil can't keep his mouth shut. You should have known better than start a fight, Jacob. You should have avoided him!"

"How do you suggest I avoid him when he's suddenly hovering above me trying to knock me out?"

I shook him, hard. "And what? You defended yourself, Jake?"

"He attacked me! He was the one who crept up to me and shrieked his lungs out! Why should I get the blame?"

"Ah," I stared at Quil's bruises. "So you thought a boxing match might do the trick, huh, Jacob? What is it in being careful do you find difficult to understand?"

Quil Ateara wasn't the type who usually ignored being ignored, so he stepped in and broke us apart. A feat for someone who was still human. But he's Quil, so no surprise there. "Careful? Why do you need to be careful? What's going on? What is it that you can't tell me, you two? I'm Quil, guys. I'm your friend."

He reminded me of Leah, and I knew then how difficult it was for Quil to not only be in the dark, but to know that he knew nothing when there was clearly something odd happening around him. I knew him well enough to know that his heart was breaking right now. It pained me to see my best friend look so hopeless, but Sam had orders to shut our mouths, so Jake and I could only look at each other and sigh.

"Sorry, Quil," we chorused.

We couldn't even hug him. Reluctantly, we turned our backs and walked away, leaving Quil to watch as we abandoned him again. Every head in the crowd followed our movements with curiority, some even anger. I was used to those looks, but not how Quil looked--completely heartbroken and alone. It got to me, and it hurt.

Jacob had started trembling. From the way he held his jaw tight I knew he wouldn't make it if he didn't run. I pushed him towards the edge of the woods as Quil suddenly decided that he would follow us. Jake sprinted to cover, and then I heard a soft howl that resembled a whimper.

I turned back to Quil as he called for Jake. "Embry," he mumbled. "Please. I don't know what you guys are up to. It's scaring me."

I can't do this.

I started to drift away from him, following in Jacob's footsteps. Quil quickly stepped forward, as if trying to hold on to me. I was supposed to turn my whip my head away when I noticed someone parting the crowd and running behind Quil.

It was probably my nose who got the hunch, quicker than my eyes. It was one of those transitions; now that my senses were much enhanced, I tended to depend more on my smell. The wind was wafting against my face freely, and it took only a second to fill my nose with the familiar exotic lemony scent that was so Leah.

She looked determined, and a little impish.

I didn't know if I was to be alarmed that she was dashing madly to our direction, or be happy that she was. All I knew was that every stride of her legs brought her closer to me. I had a brief recollection of yesterday; how she ran to me after my fight with Victoria, how she slipped into my arms, and how her own flew out to rest around me. I had one short second of making myself believe it was happening again, and then everything was suddenly less important. Every thought, every concern, every notion around me faded into oblivion at once, except for one.

She kissed me.

I couldn't recall how it started, try as I may. I saw her running, saw the mischievious expression of her face, and felt her within my grasp too. I could well have been that jolt of electricity that capsulated my entire being that at the touch of her lips that wiped out any memories which did not play any part in kissing her back.

Her lips were warm against mine, and very soft.

I had dreamt of kisses before; back when I would be happy whoever gave it to me as long as it was a girl, and more recently when I dreamt of having Leah's lips locked with mine. But now that my lips were moving in their own accord it surpassed my every dream. Her hands were on my nape, doing little things I hardly paid attention to; her head was tilted upwards to meet my own that was bowing down to meet hers. My hand had its own mind and trailed the length of her back to settle on her waist, pulling her as close to me as was physically possible. She breathed in to me, almost gasping, and I could feel her smile as I found myself being dragged into paradise with every move of her lips.

I felt irrevocably lost, unaware of anything other than the way it felt to be kissing her. The way she tasted, the way she smelled, the general sensation of the way it felt as though we were melting into each other. Fluttering butterflies had conquered my stomach, as had electricity overtaken my body. I didn't know if it was brief or if it lasted an eternity, but Leah kissed me, that I knew. I knew too, that words failed me, and will continue failing me, if Leah insisted on biting my tingling lips.

Our lips parted ever so slowly, as if letting go was never an option. Her lips gave a slight quiver before completely pulling away, leaving me to lean forward in its chase. I felt her rest her forehead on mine, our noses tickling each other's. I refused to open my eyes in case everything was merely a fragment of my imagination; but Leah's lips touched mine again, reminding me that this was no day dream of mine. Leah started playing with the trail of hair on my nape as I slid my eyes open to gaze into her own. Immediately, I was lost in its meaning they held there.

She said only one word.

"Stay."

Hell, I'd be damned if I didn't.

A/N: Embry is happy. Ha. Reviews, please!