Adam POV
I was bleeding. Again. At least this time, Paul was bleeding too. Sam wasn't helping me out, but he wasn't forcing me to endure the thrashings of my packmates like he used to. Most of the boys stayed out of my way these days, as I was in no mood to deal with their immature, prejudiced machinations. I might not be Alpha material like Jacob, but I'd be damned if I'd be the pack Omega any longer.
My life would be hell if it wasn't for my sister and my girlfriend. Heh. Girlfriend, right, like that wasn't a completely inadequate word to describe what Leia was to me. She was my everything, my reason and purpose for living. I couldn't find it in myself to curse the process of imprinting because it had allowed me to get close to such an amazing creature.
I could, grudgingly, understand why Sam felt the way he did about the existence of the Cullen's, since it had forced him to abandon the woman he had loved for the new center of his universe. But his imprint also allowed him to understand why I couldn't leave Leia alone, even when he wanted to see her family ripped to shreds for ruining Leah Clearwater's life. Not that it would stop him from gleefully ordering a full out attack on the Cullen's if they ever broke the treaty. Things were teetering on the edge as it was.
My knowledge of Edward Cullen and Bella Swan's engagement had caused quite a stir among the pack. Most were convinced, and I couldn't help but be of like mind on the subject, that the Cullen's meant to change Bella into a vampire at some point in the near future. I had quite a bit of insight, and in turn so did the pack, about the difficulties Edward and Bella had in their relationship. He was a super-strong vampire who could snap her neck with a careless touch. Not to mention he would drink her dry if anything ever broke his carefully held, iron-clad control. Leia told me it wasn't quite as hard for her since my blood didn't sing to her like Bella's did to Edward. Not to mention that being a werewolf made me a little tougher than the average human. It was one of the few things that I liked about my cursed shapeshifting body.
"...leechlover..." Paul was muttering under his breath as he stalked away from me in human form. I took pride in the fact that he was limping. And holding his side. I was only sporting a single claw mark across my chest. I had proved myself one of the strongest fighters in the pack, now that I was allowed to defend myself. I had been on my way home to change before I headed to the dance studio to meet with Leia when Paul had attacked. He had thought to beat me into agreeing to stay home tonight. Not a rat's chance in hell of that happening.
Forgetting about Paul, I sprinted up the dirt road to the house. I was relieved when I noticed dad's car wasn't in the driveway. I really didn't want to face him tonight. As one of the tribal elders, he was well aware of my relationship with Leia Cullen. And he was about as enamored of the idea as Sam Uley. Only the fact that I was his son, and the fact that Sarah would never speak to him again, kept him from kicking me out of the house.
"Adam?" Sarah's voice sounded from the kitchen as I walked towards my room. I poked my head around the door, careful to hide my bloody shirt from her. I was already healing. By the time I finished dressing it would be a faint pink scar. Sarah was looking a bit concerned. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, sis. Just got into a little argument with Paul." I couldn't lie to her. I'm sure she'd felt my rage earlier. But it was better if she didn't know our fight had come to blows. Again. She scowled and I hurried to change the subject. "How'd the fitting go?"
"It went okay. Everything is set for next week," she said, her scowl giving way to a brilliant smile. I know I hadn't heard the last of it about Paul, but she allowed me to turn the subject. Her happiness about the wedding washed over me, pushing away the residual anger from my fight with Paul and the despair that being away from Leia always left in my heart. She winked at me and made a shooing motion with her hands.
"Go change and come eat before you go. I'm about to head to Jake's for the evening. Give Leia my love," she said, lifting the cover off the pan of pepper steak on the stove to give it a stir. I had, of course, smelled it the minute I'd opened the door. My sister was a great cook and I would miss her cooking after she moved in with Jake.
"Thanks, Sarah. I'll get the dishes tonight when I get back, so stay as long as you want at Jake's." She blew me a kiss and I chuckled before ducking back into the hallway and continuing to my room. As I changed out of my shredded shirt, I felt my hands shaking, both with anticipation and nerves. I was meeting several of Leia's family members tonight. Though I had seen them all at least once, I had never been formally introduced.
An hour later I was well fed, teeth well brushed (I knew Leia would never complain if my breath smelled of onion and peppers, but it made me kinda self-conscious) and on my way to the ballet studio. Leia and I were going to be working on a dance together, choreographed to music I had composed. The CD I had with me was only simple drumbeats so we could pace the rhythm of the dance, but the melodic line running in my head was more complex than anything I'd ever created. Inspired by the most wonderful creature in the world, of course. I was humming it as I pulled my truck into the studio parking lot. It was Thursday, so there was a class going on. Leia and I were going to be using one of the smaller studios tonight.
"Adam, it's good to see you. Maybe I can actually coax you and your pretty little friend into showing my girls what you've been working on." I grinned at Grace Ardin, the studio's main ballet instructor. She was standing in the wide arch that opened into the main room. There were at least a dozen girl's ranging from preschool to high school age doing assorted stretching exercises around that room. I shrugged.
"Maybe. Leia and I are working on something a little different. Ask us again in a couple of weeks," I told her. She nodded, eyes sparkling.
"I'm so glad you've found someone to share that extra creative side of you with, Adam. I know your fancy dance is very important to you, but you have so much talent it would be a shame to limit yourself to traditional styles." She gave me a genuine smile. She'd been my instructor when I'd forced myself to learn ballet. I was probably the first and last male who would willingly sign up for her classes and it was a shame. She was a great teacher.
"Thank you, Ms. Ardin. Leia and I just click. She brings out the best in me," I said, glancing towards the doors. It was straight up six o'clock and the Cullen's were usually pretty punctual. Grace noticed and chuckled.
"In more ways than one, I'd wager. Good luck in Seattle next month, if I don't see you again before then." She was refering to the Fancy Dance competition in three weeks. It would be my first time competing as an adult. I ducked my head and grinned.
"Thanks. Which studio is free tonight?"
"You two can have studio three. It's clean and empty for you." She winked and I leaned over to give her a hug. Then she whirled and went to start whipping young wannabe dancers into shape. About that time I heard a car drive up outside and tensed, wondering which of Leia's family was dropping her off. I heard the sound of Leia's laughter just before I saw them outside the door and my heart flipped. God, every sound she made was lovely but her laughter took my breath away.
The love that flooded me at the mere sight and sound of her wasn't diminished at the sight of Jasper and Emmett. Leia was clinging to Emmett's back and he was grinning, obviously sharing a happy moment with his sister. Even Jasper wore a tight smile, no doubt affected by the joy Leia was exuding, despite whatever he felt about the upcoming meeting. Leia loved her brothers and so I would never begrudge their presence in her life. Now, if I could just convince them I only wanted what was best for Leia, maybe I would get to stay by her side forever.
"Put me down, Em," Leia said, trying and failing miserably to sound stern as they pushed inside the building. Emmett snorted and swung her off his back, holding her around the waist, upside down. She was wearing a lime green leotard and a gauzy blue skirt that, of course, flipped up over her head. I felt my heart skip and then race. I didn't even have time to look away from her long, shapely legs in the split second before she jerked her skirt down and planted her foot in Emmett's face. He flinched and dropped her on her head. I gasped and the sudden fantasy of kissing her beautiful knees disappeared in a flash. I reached for her, my instinctual fear for her safety overriding my knowledge that a short drop like that would never hurt her granite hard body.
Leia growled softly at Emmett as I pulled her up and into my arms. She didn't pull away, leaning back against me. I couldn't stop myself from burying my face in her hair, trying to hide my embarrassment for reacting to her fall. I heard Emmett snicker.
"You know she's indestructible, right?"
"Oh, shut it, Emmett. Now the entire studio knows what color my underwear is. Not to mention dropping me was just plain rude," Leia said with a growl while I patted her arm reassuringly.
"Sorry, sis, you kicked me in the head. Turn about is fair play," Emmett said smugly. Then he turned on me with narrowed eyes.
"So, what color is her underwear?" he asked me. I swallowed hard. Technically she was wearing a leotard, so the answer to the question was rather obvious, but I was pretty sure Emmett didn't want to hear the obvious answer. I decided to err on the side of caution.
"I wasn't looking. I was distracted by her cute little knees." Completely truthful, really. Emmett stared at me for a long moment before glancing at Jasper. He gave a curt nod to Emmett. Emmett relaxed and Leia sighed, grumbling something that sounded like 'overprotective morons'. Jasper rolled his eyes before he cleared his throat. Leia pulled away from me.
"Where are we?" she asked me quietly, her head tilted towards Jasper a little. I looked at her tall, blonde brother. His gaze flickered towards the room full of hot, sweating girls to our right. I didn't think he was breathing. I really hoped one of the girls didn't have an open cut or something. I lead them quickly towards studio three. It was quiet, dark and cool inside the large room. I flipped the lights on as Jasper and Emmett stepped inside and immediately flashed to the far side of the room before the doors swung closed behind them. I saw Jasper's chest rise and his shoulders seemed to relax minutely.
"Alright, let's get this over with so Adam and I can get some work done tonight." Leia grabbed my hand, squeezing it gently as she pulled me across the room towards her brothers. I tried my best not to let my natural reactions to vampires rule me. I barely managed to control the urge to crinkle my nose at their sickly sweet scent and I could feel my body vibrating minutely, primed to phase at the first sign of danger.
"So, we finally get to meet Wonder Dog," Emmett said, sticking his hand out towards me. I tensed at the moniker and Leia hissed.
"His name is Adam, you cretin. I swear I'm going to kill Rosalie for starting that." She didn't bother to speak in vampire only tone.
"Honestly, I can handle Wonder Dog over some of the alternatives that I'm sure have been tossed around your house of late," I said with a nervous laugh. Honestly it was better than being called a traitor by members of my own tribe. Emmett's loud, booming laugh caught me off guard. The vibrating escalated, but I shoved down the primal urge to phase when I saw Jasper's sharp glare. I forced myself to reach out and shake Emmett's hand. I winced when he squeezed a little too hard. When he finally let go I resisted the urge to shake my fingers out.
"I can assure you don't want to know any of the alternatives." Jasper's quiet, deep voice was accompanied by a brief wave of calm that settled my body vibrations. I gave him a cautiously grateful smile. He didn't return it and he didn't offer his hand like Emmett had. Instead he was looking at me like he was measuring a condemned man for his burial shroud. Despite the fact that Emmett looked like the stronger of the brothers, I knew Jasper was the more dangerous of the two. Leia's advice last week not to accept an invitation to talk to Jasper alone might have seemed like a jest, but I had heard the real warning behind her words.
"So, this is Jasper and this is Emmett. Brothers, this is Adam Talldeer. There, intro is done so you two can take off now," Leia said in an exasperated tone. Emmett and Jasper exchanged a glance, and then Emmett clapped me on the shoulder. I barely managed to take the blow without shifting forward. As it was, my shoulder felt like it had been hit by a wrecking ball.
"What's the hurry. We want to get to know the guy a little better. I mean, he's imprinted on you right? So, what exactly does that mean again?" Emmett asked me. Leia sighed and perched on the stereo table with heels hooked on the edge, her arms wrapped around her knees. I moved so I was leaning back against the table next to her as I explained how imprinting worked to Emmett.
"When our eyes meet for the first time after the change, it's instant. It's like my ties to everything else in the world snapped and reattached themselves to her. She's more important to me than the air I breathe. Being away from her literally hurts and not knowing if she's safe drives me insane." I couldn't keep the pain from my voice, knowing that I would be feeling those things again in a few hours. I was getting better at dealing with them, but it was still torture. Leia reached down and picked up my hand, lacing her fingers with mine. She squeezed gently and I savored the contact, but I kept my eyes on Emmett. He actually looked confused.
"That's another thing I don't get. You said it happens when your eyes meet. Leia's blind, so isn't that impossible? Or was it like a mirror or something?"
"I don't really know how to explain that. I finally got her to take her sunglasses off that day, when we were both watching Bella's house. Then she started touching my face with her fingers and I was just gazing into her eyes. Suddenly the earth seemed to move and wham, she was my everything. I'll admit I think I loved her before that, but this was different," I said, the awe of that moment still evident in my tone. I lifted Leia's hand to my lips and brushed a kiss over her knuckles. She was smiling up at me so I couldn't help but look at her.
"So, Leia said that imprinting is supposed to ensure the survival of your species. How do you explain the fact that you've bonded with a vampire female who can't have children?" Emmett asked. I shrugged, not taking my eyes off of Leia's beautiful face.
"You aren't the first one to ask that question. I have a theory. If imprinting was completely random and based solely on some animal instinct to mate and make little wolf babies, why doesn't it happen to all of us? And how do you explain Quil and Claire? There is nothing sexual about their relationship at this stage, so imprinting can't be for mating sake only. I think it's more to do with compatibility, both physically and spiritually. I believe I imprinted on Leia's soul, the same soul she had when she was human. We were meant to be and just because she was turned into a vampire didn't change that." I watched as Leia's expression turned thoughtful. I heard a snort of laughter and was surprised to realize it came from Jasper. I looked up and saw him eyeing Emmett with a gleam in his topaz eyes.
"Two hundred bucks says Edward has the same theory. That would explain why he's so calm about this whole situation. It would prove his worst fears for Bella were groundless."
"That's one bet I'm not going to take Jazz. I'm pretty sure I'd lose my money. Okay, okay. Let's leave the lovebirds to get their dance on," Emmett said with a chuckle. Leia pulled away from me and went to kiss both her brothers. Then Emmett came forward and offered his hand again. I took it, rather reluctantly I might add, and he hesitated, head tilted curiously.
"I don't suppose I could talk you into a wrestling match? You're supposed to be strong enough to take down one of us, so you should be able to hold your own, right?"
I was stunned. He wanted to wrestle with me? As in play fight? As his hand squeezed mine again, I winced. No, I didn't have any urge to wrestle with Emmett Cullen. Not in human form anyway. I was about to tell him so when Leia growled softly, grabbing Emmett's wrist.
"No attempting to break my boyfriend, Emmett. Besides, I wouldn't want you two to pulverize the studio." Emmett immediately let go of my hand and he turned to leave. As I shook out my fingers, I had to resist the urge to do a victory dance. Joy surged through me. Leia had called me her boyfriend.
"So, you think my knees are cute?" Leia asked once her brothers were gone. She twirled around me humming happily. I laughed and caught her around the waist.
"I think every part of your body is cute," I confirmed as I splayed my hands around her tiny waist. She echoed my laugh and leaned up to kiss my chin.
"Come on, my darling man. Let's dance."
We spent the next two hours working through some heavy choreography. I reveled in the fact that the dance was romantic in nature. I basically got to touch and hold her for the entire two hours. I tried to keep my mind on the dance, but occasionally it became too much and I just held her against me. She didn't complain, often resting her head against my chest, seemingly content to just be with me. I wanted so badly to pull her up and kiss her beautiful mouth, but I had decided to let her lead on the physical front. I knew she wouldn't forgive herself if she hurt me. I could be content with just her presence and her gentle touch. For now.
"Climb on. We can go outside to wait for your parents," I told her after we had put everything back the way we'd found it. Leia giggled and jumped, landing lightly against my back. I grabbed her thighs and she wrapped her arms around my neck. She rested her chin on my shoulder and I grinned as I carried us out of the studio and through the front door. There were a handful of students left, no doubt also waiting for rides, but it was drizzling so they were all waiting inside. I didn't mind the damp. It felt good against my hot skin. Almost as good as Leia felt pressed against my back. Her cool body temperature was a little shocking at times, but I didn't mind it at all.
When we got outside, Leia slid off my back and we settled on the curb. I pulled her hand into mine, unwilling to relinquish all contact.
"So, Edward and I are going down to Crater Lake this weekend. I won't be home til Sunday," she said softly. I felt my heart sink, but I knew she must be excited. I knew she was desperate to spend some time with Edward. Not that she would ever tell him or think about it when he was around. She would never make Edward feel guilty for spending all his free time with Bella. And I would never make her feel guilty for spending any amount of time with her family.
"That sounds like fun. I'll miss you, but I'm betting you're super excited. I hear Crater Lake is really gorgeous." I said, stroking her knuckles with my thumb. She smiled at me and nodded, relaxing just a bit.
"I am. I'll miss you too, but it's been so long since I've gone hunting with Edward. This will probably be the last time I'll get a decent amount of alone time with him before the wedding. Speaking of weddings, how is Sarah holding up?" she asked, turning the conversation away from herself. She was entirely too good at that.
"She's happy. I know things are crazy complicated down on the rez, but she's got that to distract her. I'm glad, really." Leia hmmed softly and then tilted her head up at me.
"And Jacob?" I heard the hesitation in her voice. She knew this was a raw subject for me. Honestly, the loss of my friendship with Jacob had been one of the hardest things to take after his change. Since he was imprinted on my sister, we couldn't avoid each other. I knew, due to the fact that the pack shared thoughts and impressions, that Jacob was coming around. He had actually started defending me to others in the pack. Not that it did much good when the Alpha felt little for me but contempt, but I was grateful for the support.
"Jacob is being nice to me lately. I think he's finally beginning to realize how closely linked Sarah's moods are to mine, so he's trying really hard to see things from my perspective," Leia smiled.
"Good. Sarah's been threatening to whack him in the head with a crowbar if he doesn't lose the sour attitude about you." Her tone was teasing, but I heard the underlying ribbon of steel in her voice. She and Sarah exchanged email and talked on the phone a lot, always plotting ways to force the tribe into treating me with some respect. That might have stung my pride, but since Sarah and Leia were my only true allies, I could only love them all the more for their concern.
"Oh, they'll be here in about two minutes." Leia's announcement pulled me out of my thoughts and I felt a stab of anxiety. Meeting Leia's brothers was nerve wracking enough, but it was nothing compared to meeting her parents. She loved her brothers, but she practically worshiped Carlisle and Esme. I wanted to make a good first impression on them. I stood up anxiously, pulling her up with me. She was bouncing on the balls of her feet, obviously excited about introducing me to her parents.
"Should we be holding hands? Maybe..." I trailed off when she tightened her grip on my fingers.
"Don't be silly." It was all she said. I ran a nervous hand through my hair and then wiped it on my jeans. I strained my ears to hear what Leia heard, knowing that it would be impossible until the car was much closer. I finally heard the low purr of the Mercedes engine just before it came into sight at the other end of Main Street.
I watched as the car pulled into a spot near the end of the row and Leia tugged me gently in that direction. We were out from under any street lights, but I knew none of us would have any trouble seeing. Leia stood with me on the sidewalk and waited for her parents. Carlisle stepped out of the car and moved around the car to open the door for Esme. They walked up to us hand in hand. I saw Carlisle's dark eyes looking at our clasped hands, a slight frown on his face. I tugged my hand away from Leia's and extended it.
"Dr. Cullen, Mrs. Cullen. It's so nice to meet you under better circumstances." Carlisle nodded and clasped my hand firmly. It wasn't as crushing as Emmett's grip had been, but my hand still protested. When he released it, I noticed that he kept himself angled in front of Esme, ever so slightly. I was happy that the only vibrating my body was doing was the result of nerves and not the urge to phase. They smelled as bad as Jasper and Emmett, but I think my respect for them overrode my natural instincts.
"Yes, it's good to meet you Adam," he said.
"Yes, it's so wonderful to meet you," Esme said, her hand tucked around Carlisle's elbow. She was smiling warmly, her eyes sparkling. She was looking back and forth between Leia and I curiously. Carlisle was doing the same thing, but his gaze was darker, more stern. I tried to put my hands behind my back, but Leia wasn't having any of it. She grabbed my hand and laced our fingers together, giving her father an odd, confused look.
"So, Adam, you have imprinted on my daughter. Is it true that imprinting means you'll put her happiness ahead of your own?" Carlisle asked. Leia hissed at him and he just raised an eyebrow at her. I cleared my throat.
"Uh, yes sir. When she's happy, I'm happy. I would never willingly do anything to cause her grief," I explained. Carlisle's eyes narrowed.
"I suppose it's a good thing you have so much in common then. Though I hope you are intelligent enough to realize that sometimes what will make Leia happy and what is best for her are not always the same thing."
"Carlisle, leave the boy alone before you scare him off. I'm sure he got enough of that from her brothers," Esme said softly. Carlisle seemed to relax after that, but his expression didn't lighten. Despite Esme's words, I was quick to reassure him.
"Don't worry sir. Her safety is my first priority." Leia snorted softly beside me.
"I'm perfectly able to take care of myself, thank you," she muttered. I knew Leia valued her independence, especially since her handicap sometimes limited her. Though she honestly moved through her life with relative ease, there were still moments when her inability to see except through the eyes of others was a hindrance.
"I know, my girl. But there are some situations that none of us can handle alone. If you and Adam are dating, I'd like to know that he's watching your back for us when we can't be there." I saw Dr. Cullen's expression soften as he smiled at his daughter. Leia rolled her eyes but she returned the smile.
"I know, dad. I trust Adam. You know he's already saved me once," Leia said, squeezing my fingers and gave me her most brilliant smile. If her parents hadn't been watching, I would have pulled her into a hug. Instead I could only smile back at her, caught in the beautiful light of her smile.
"That's right. I don't think we ever thanked you properly for your intervention in the meadow that day. You have our eternal gratitude." Carlisle addressed me again, this time with more warmth in his voice. I tore my gaze away from Leia and nodded solemnly.
"It shames me that I had to intervene. My packmates are, I fear, rather inflexible about certain things," I said quietly. Carlisle grimaced.
"Yes, well, I hope that as time goes along, the rest of your tribe will be a little more open to communication. Please tell Sam that we still want to sit down formally and discuss our differences."
"I'll keep at him, Dr. Cullen." I turned back to Leia and she stood on her toes to pull me down, brushing a kiss along my cheek.
"Good night, Adam. I'll call you when Edward and I get back," I sighed softly, realizing it was time to say goodbye again. I really hated this part, but I didn't want to make it harder for her, so I smiled.
"Good night, Leia. Have fun. Catch a deer or two for me." I squeezed her hand one more time and released it, stepping back to address the elder Cullens. "It was wonderful meeting you both."
"And you, Adam. I'm hoping to see you again very soon. Perhaps you can come by the house sometime." Esme's smile was hopeful, but I just shrugged, unwilling to commit to something that I doubted Sam would ever agree to. I watched as Carlisle held the door for Esme while Leia let herself into the back seat. Carlisle gave me a nod as he climbed into the driver's side. I lifted my hand and waved.
Once the car was out of sight, depression settled heavily on my heart as I realized I wouldn't see Leia again for at least four days. I suddenly wished I hadn't brought the truck to the studio. I wanted nothing more than to run through the woods in wolf form, howling out my frustration to the cloud covered moon. Instead, I climbed into the cab of my truck and stripped off my shirt, burying my nose into the damp fabric that had covered my back. Her smell was strong enough there to ease my heart a little.