Outnumbered

We went downstairs together. By the time we had left my room, the ground floor was almost entirely covered by people coming to pay their respects. I moved my hand around, searching for my mom's hand and grabbed it. She gave it a quick squeeze and then we began to descend down the stairs.

We were met by Chief Swan and a few other faces I recognized, but couldn't name. I felt bad leaving my mother alone, but I didn't want to be in the middle of it all. I didn't need to be reminded of what had happened. I walked through a few people and was stopped by each one. They all said the same thing, ("I'm sorry about your father.")

I didn't want to hear anymore, so I quickly thanked them and continued to shove my way past the crowd. I inwardly smiled to see the amount of people cared for my father. He would've loved to be here to see it. I felt my tear ducts start up again until I felt someone grab my arm. I held my breath, hoping it wasn't who I thought it was.

Relief struck me, it was just Jake. He led me around the living room and into the kitchen where I found Seth talking to Quil and Embry. I didn't really know Quil and Embry, I knew they were Jacob's best friends and that they went to school with him, but I had never spoken a word to either of them. Their eyes fell on me when I entered the room and they examined me curiously. I knew what they must think of me. If you didn't know me personally, I was known as Leah – the heartbroken girl Sam Ulley left behind.

I smiled at them politely when Jacob introduced us. I wasn't in the mood for introductions, but Jacob told me it was important that I met them. A few minutes later, Paul came in. As soon as he caught sight of me his face blanked for a moment, as if he had stopped breathing, before he walked over and pulled me into a hug.

"I'm so sorry Leah." He whispered into the top of my head. I was considered tall for a female at the striking height of five feet and eight inches, but Paul easily towered over me – just as Jake did. Although, I didn't remember them always being this tall.

"It's ok, I'm fine, really." I pulled from his embrace and looked up at him. Paul was three years younger than me. I met him when I was a senior in high school and he was just a freshman, and despite our gap – we bonded instantly. I could tell he didn't believe me, he had that look on his face. But then I noticed that he was also looking at me strangely, like if there was something he was trying to notice differently in me. Did he know? I had only told Jacob about it, since Seth had told me he was a shape shifter too.

"Why are you looking at me that way?" I asked him.

He instantly retreated his eyes and reverted them over to Jake.

"What's going on?" I demanded, feeling like I had missed something important.

"Hey, you made it!" Seth randomly yelled out, and I instantly felt annoyed.

"Of course I did," I heard a familiar voice from behind me and felt my stomach turn.

I squeezed my eyes shut, wishing that I would just disappear or evaporate.

"Lee-lee," Sam said, the painful memory of the nickname he once used for me caused my insides to combust in agony, "Why didn't you tell me?"

I tilted my head to look up at Paul through my long lashes. He wasn't looking at me, he had a distant look on his face and he seemed to be staring in Sam's direction.

"Leah?" he said again.

I jolted my head around, seething in anger. "Why didn't I tell you? What the fuck do you care?" Normally I wouldn't have lost my cool this quickly, but the beast within me wasn't as placid as I usually was.

The boys stared at each other in shock, and then back at Sam.

"You can't just erase me Leah, we both live in the same place. We'd eventually run into each other."

"Leave." I said blatantly.

"What?" He looked hurt by my words, but I didn't care.

"Get out of my house."

"C'mon Leah, don't be like that. I'm the one that told Sam to come by." Seth said from behind me.

I felt my blood boil, my brother betrayed me. "Who's side are you on Seth?" the hostility in my words surprised me. And at that moment, I felt my skin burn up. My insides burned like a furnace, it was smoldering hot. My breathing grew heavier and I started panting. I heard the guys talking and saw their figures moving to the other side of the room, as far as possible away from me. I felt my body split in a hundred different directions, as if my flesh was being torn apart. And before I could realize it, I was standing on all fours.

I had transformed in the middle of my kitchen, in a house full of people. I panicked. My eyes darted around the room searching for a way out when I caught sight of Sam. He wasn't scared like the others, he was worried. My heart hurt at his reaction. I still loved him, and automatically I treated him badly as a defense mechanism. But he deserved it, I convinced myself, he left me for Emily. A girl that I once considered close enough to be my sister and now wanted absolutely nothing to do with.

A/N: Once again, I want to thank you all for the amazing feedback to this story!
Did you guys noticed that little exchange between Paul and Leah? Hmm...
Sorry the chapter's a bit short. I will try to update as soon as I can (:

Please keep reviewing!