I had to give these leeches credit – when they picked digs, they picked well. The Cullens had a gorgeous house, and this castle? No crypts for these bloodsuckers. They could really use some air freshener though. The reek was worse than ever. Layer after layer of leech.

"How much further?" I asked one of the nearer bloodsuckers.

"Not far, a couple more corridors."

Thank god. We ended in an elevator. I made sure to take one of the first passes. The smell was still terrible. We emerged in a reception area with an empty desk. Jake kept looking to the door at the end of the hall. I assumed that must be where his lady friend was.

Jake and Seth made a shield for me in a reception area. I stepped behind them reluctantly. I really really didn't want to do this. At least I was in complete control. I pulled off my rag of a dress and closed my eyes. The phase wasn't painful; it was jarring, though – Perspective changes, colors are a little different, smells... Oh good god, the smell.

The boys were stripping all around me and I tried to hold my breath as I approached the bloodsucker band. I ceased being alone in my head. That was the worst part, in my opinion.

God, they reek.

Why do they have to look so good?

Ness...

I can't wait to sink my teeth into marble. Bring it on!

I tried to keep my mind empty and myself calm. I was still a woman. I was not a bitch.

The Cullens at the doors opened them, and I watched everyone fan out. The vampires ran for the back, being able to get there first. A big frantic looking idiot was just inside and took a lunge at us. The biggest Cullen and Embry went to work on him. I followed the others in my mind.

Jake and Joe headed for the platform where Nessie was. No surprise there. Seth and Quil were already sinking their teeth into parasites on either side of me. The walls seemed to be lined with vampires holding down vampires. There were two chairs on the platform Jake and Joe had headed for. These must be the boss men. One had pale white hair and hadn't moved yet. The other was already standing.

I looked to him, wondering if one of the leeches would beat me to him. Should I choose another target? Then the thought fled. All thoughts fled. His red eyes locked on mine and the voices in my head went silent. They were gone; they were all gone. I found myself standing on two legs. The woman I was found herself tied to the most important thing on the planet. I took a step forward.

It was only as my foot landed that I realized what had just happened to me. I had imprinted. It wasn't possible. I'd been sure it wasn't possible. I was a woman, obviously, but I wasn't right. I hadn't broken eye contact and my leg was already swinging into my next stride. He thought I was right. I could tell.

There was howling and hissing and crashing all around me, but I didn't acknowledge any of it. All that mattered was the man in front of me. The man with the red eyes. Red eyes? It was another pace before the fact that he was a vampire registered. I took a breath, my first since I'd phased. The smell of vampires around me was still heavy, oppressive, but I could smell him separately. It was the same, but different. The way manure can sometimes smell right, even though it still smells bad. It was very strange. He was too sweet, too piercing, but not painful like the other vampires around us. Around us. It was another stride, but already I was thinking of us.

The chaotic sounds had ceased, but I hadn't noticed what had stopped them. I was at his feet now, just a step away.

"I didn't think it was possible," he murmured. He came down and reached out to me. "I didn't think I could..." His hand was ice, but it burned. I winced at first. Then the burn became lower, softer. I leaned into it and closed my eyes.

I wanted to tell him, too. "I thought I was... wrong. That I couldn't." I lifted my hand to touch his. The back of his hand was still ice, although his palm must have been warmed by my cheek. He pulled his hand away, and I felt cold. It didn't make sense. I should have been cold when he was touching me, not when he wasn't.

I understood why he had taken his hand back when he wrapped his robe around me. It was thick and plush. It wasn't warm, but it wasn't cold either. It was only once I was clothed again that I saw how many eyes were on us. I blushed a little, thinking of my nakedness.

His breath caught and his arms, still on my shoulders, tensed. He pulled me closer and I was being held. The thick robe kept his coldness from me, but my cheek, once again, was stung by him. His hand was stroking my hair. I knew the imprint made me tender to him. What had made him tender to me? I didn't care, I was glad for it. I squeezed him around the waist. Then I looked up at him, wanting to see him again, clearly. I'd really only seen his eyes before.

Now I saw the dark hair framing his face. I saw the strong line of his jaw, the angle of his nose, the small cleft in his chin. Then his face was coming closer to mine. I took a quick breath before his lips met mine. I would never think of frost bite quite the same way. His lips sent sharp pins of cold pain through mine. With them was a warm, tingle. I was not going to get used to this, I was sure.

I put a hand to his cheek now, stroking his jaw. "How did you know?" I asked him. He was probably wondering the same of me. "The world shifted," I said trying to explain. "Everything else was gone, and only you were left."

He nodded slowly. "I can see you. I can see the thick white bond that joins us. I have not seen it in a long, long time."

I kissed him again. It stung just like before. The warm tingle spread further now. I could feel it in my throat, in my chest. I broke the kiss with a gasp. He smiled at me and I blushed again. I felt him stroke my cheek as I did. The heat in my skin faded. When he looked past me, I turned. He moved his arm to my shoulders and then my waist. It felt perfect; like this place was made for me. He stepped forward and I moved with him.

"Is it difficult?" His tenor voice rang in the quiet of the room. "Your way, after so long. Will it be too difficult for me?" he was asking the doctor. Their way? Oh, animal blood, of course. "Nessie told me they don't attack you because you don't threaten their people. I must do the same now." He looked to me again, and I smiled. This would be hard for him, but I would help. I leaned my head into his shoulder and the cold burned again. His thumb made a circle on my hip. How was it that we were made for each other, I wondered.

There was a high screech from behind us and he turned with me to face it. "No! Marcus! You promised! She would hurt as much as we did!" It was a female vampire. Marcus. I smiled again. His name was Marcus.

"Come with us, Suplicia. If one of us can be touched by them, perhaps another can as well." I frowned. I didn't think it was likely any of my pack brothers would imprint on this woman. I heard a few of them respond with coughs.

The doctor was answering her as well. "And even if they can't, even if you don't find another among them, you will find our family bonds are much tighter. We can ease your pain, Suplicia." What sort of name was that anyway? "Come with us."

I looked up to Marcus now. His eyes were saddened. I reached for his chin, and he looked down at me again. He smiled and stroked my hair.

"You would devastate us twice, Carlisle?" That was the one still in his chair. Apparently he never got a chance to rise.

"You have held Marcus and the others for longer than you had any right to. I am sorry for any pain losing Aro may have caused, but it was right that he was removed." The doctor was continuing to try to make peace. Ever the optimist. "His poison saturated this place. Perhaps without him you can become what you once were. Patrons to our kind, not lords over them. I offered my way to you before. Any who would like to try now are welcome to join us." Marcus was turning us again, but his eyes never left mine. "My family and I will leave you. I do not recommend coming for us again. I think you will leave even more fractured," Carlisle finished. I saw him turn as well.

Marcus and I were just behind Carlisle through the doors. He took a deep breath as he stepped out of the room. It looked like he had left something heavy behind. I kissed him again then, holding both his cheeks this time. I parted his lips with my tongue and felt the ice melting on my taste buds. His taste was nothing like his scent. It was bittersweet, like the best chocolate. We only parted as I needed breath. The others had moved on ahead of us and we stepped quickly to keep up.

The boys were still dressing when we reached the reception area. None of them looked at me. I suddenly felt alone. Marcus moved his arm to my shoulders. I wasn't alone. Jacob met my eyes then.

"Wild ride?" he asked.

"You know it," I said with a smile. "So do I thank you for dragging me out for this, or kick your ass harder?"

He laughed.

Seth looked at me then. "You are really okay with this? I mean, he's a bloodsucker, Leah, a leech." His eyes were wide and face screwed up, like he was in pain.

"And you are friends with leeches," I reminded him.

"Yeah, and that drove you nuts. So I'm going to ask again. Are you okay with this?" He was worried about me. Worried that I didn't like what had happened. He couldn't understand.

I looked up at Marcus and then back at my brother. "I really am."

He shook his head and hugged me. "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks," I whispered.

"You smell," he complained with a grin, and I smacked him upside the head.

"Freak," Quil said as he passed and I punched him too.

"You want this?" Embry asked holding out my rag-dress.

"Yeah, sure. You boys mind shielding me again?" I asked, moving to take off the robe. It would be far too warm once we were outside. Marcus joined Embry and Joseph. I handed the robe back to Marcus, but he dropped it on the floor. He took my hand and led me to the elevator.

"Leah," he said quietly, as though testing the flavor of the word. It sounded marvellous to me.