A/N: Ok, just a slight warning that I may have taken liberty with the Pack legends according to Saul Black's journal.

Saul's journal and its contents are the product of my warped imagination and more than likely don't fit in with S Meyer's or anyone else's ideas for the Pack. Then again, it's crucial to what happens next in this fic as it explains what our favourite hothead's experiencing. The way I figure it is if sparkly vampires are able to reproduce, then I'm allowed my own take on Pack myth ... even if it's totally crazy !

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Chapter V

Leah's pov:

"Ok ... Ok ... Knock it off already. I'm coming, for god's sake ! Sheesh ! Some people can be so fucking impatient ... "

Grumbling, I hastily tugged on a black, towelling robe and tightened and knotted its sash around my waist, before heading for the stairs. To say that I was ticked off was putting it mildly. Why is is whenever I manage to get some spare time - a little "me" time - some idiot always screws it up for me ? I mean, it's not as if I ask for much, for crying out loud ... Honestly ... Jake hadn't come back from Forks with Embry yet, so I decided to take full advantage of his absence and make the most of having the house to myself ... in other words, I was going to pamper myself for once.

Anyhoo, I'd only been in the bath for ten minutes or so, intent on making the most of the peace and quiet. The phone was off the hook, the blinds drawn closed and the only light that graced the room came from the numerous scented candles I'd lit. With a contented sigh, I slid beneath the bubbles and allowed the hot, perfumed water to work its magic on my poor, aching muscles. It was bliss ... Sheer, absolute bliss. I was in heaven ... or I would've been, if it hadn't been for that damned racket being inflicted on my front door.

I was roughly half-way down the stairs when the knocking became even more frantic and by now, I was seriously pissed. Whoever had the balls to tear me away from my precious bath was so going to cop it in the neck.

"Alright ... alright ... Give it a rest, for fuck's sake !" I swung the door open, only to have Seth push hastily past me. "Seth Clearwater, you better have a damn good excuse for dragging me down here, or so help me you're a dead wolf- "

"S-Sorry, Lee ... D-Didn't have much choice ... Em-Emergency ..." My baby brother gasped for breath, his chest rising and falling agitatedly. He closed his eyes briefly and swallowed hard, before leaning against the banister.

"Emergency ? What emergency ? What's going on Seth ?" I demanded, my brow furrowing with worry as I studied him anxiously. Seth was clearly upset, shocked even, by something. "Where's Jared ? Thought he was supposed to be with you ... you're both meant to be patrolling together."

"We were ... we are ..." Seth hastily corrected himself, "but- "

"Seth ! Tell me ... You're starting to freak me out. Is Jare ok ?"

A deep, rich voice replied gruffly from outside, "I'm fine, Leah ..." Then Jared's familiar, tall, rangy figure strode purposefully through the door. He carefully carried something or rather someone in his arms. "Which is more than can be said for our Beta- "

"Paul !" I rushed up to the pair of them and was immediately struck by how fragile and vulnerable our unconscious, naked Beta looked. "What happened ? What's wrong with him ?" I gently laid my palm against Paul's forehead and was shocked to find that his temperature had dropped. That his skin felt cool and clammy against mine. And that was far from normal for a wolf. I pulled back and moved to open the living room door.

"Lay him down ... I'll get some blankets ... He needs to be kept warm." I bolted up the stairs and began to root through the linen cupboard for some clean, thick, warm blankets. By the time I found what I was looking for and got back to the others, Seth and Jared had Paul settled on the couch. Paul was terribly pale and his breathing was laboured. He began to tremble from the cold and I quickly wrapped him in the blankets before turning to face Jared and my brother. I wanted answers. And I wanted them fast.

"So ? Either of you going to tell me what happened ?"

Jared sighed heavily and anxiously rubbed his scalp, then shrugged his broad shoulders helplessly. "Damned if I know, Lee ... Me 'n' Seth just stumbled across him as we started our shift. Paul was like this when we found him."

"Shit ! That can't be good." I exchanged another worried look with Jared and saw the same concerns in his shrewd mocha eyes.

"What can't be good ?" Seth demanded insistently, his gaze flickering to and fro from our stricken, oblivious Beta to us.

"This, Seth. Wolves don't get sick. Well, not like this anyway ..." I replied softly then briefly worried my lower lip as I tried to decide what was the best thing to do. "Hey ! I need you to do me a favour, bro. Need you to track Jake down ... I don't care where the hell he is or what the fuck he's doing, I just need you to haul his ass back here. ASAP. Ok ?"

Seth gave me a confused look and a hesitant nod. "Uh, sure thing, sis. I'm on it." And thankfully, for once, he left without arguing.

Slowly, I turned around to face Jared, only to find him sitting on the coffee table in front of the couch. He stared intently at its comatose occupant.

"You any idea what's wrong with him ?" Jared asked gruffly, not taking his eyes off Paul for an instant. " 'Cause I've never seen him this bad since he phased."

"Nope." I replied shaking my head and popping the "p" for extra emphasis. "But I sure as hell mean to find out. I've got an idea where to start looking though."

I knelt beside the couch and gently brushed my thumb against Paul's cheek. Being so close to him, it was impossible to ignore how slight he'd become ... that his muscle tone wasn't as robust as it used to be. That instead of looking like the rest of the Pack, who were massive in stature and had bulging biceps, Paul was leaner, not so defined and possessed the more toned, athletic build of a swimmer rather than a body-builder. There was no doubt about it, he looked smaller in comparison to the other wolves ... and not as powerful. As I studied him, my gaze was repeatedly drawn to the vicious bitemark at the vulnerable junction between where his shoulder met with the base of his neck. The weird thing about it was that it didn't look like a recent bite, yet it hadn't healed. The skin around it was a livid shade of red and looked extremely painful. I could only hope for Paul's sake, that it hadn't become infected.

"And that's where Jake comes in ?"

I nodded. "That's where Jake comes in." I could tell Jared's curiosity was piqued, but I wasn't about to satisfy it ... well, not right now. At least not until I knew something for sure. "Can I ask you something, Jay ?" Jared absently nodded. "Why'd ya bring Paul here ? Why not take him home ?"

Shifting uneasily, he sighed once more and carded long, slim fingers through his cropped, dark hair. "Couldn't easily take him home, could we ? Not buck naked and in the state he was in. Would've given his mom a coronary if we had. 'Sides, his old man turned up loaded again. If we'd left Paul there unable to defend himself, the bastard would've kicked the crap out of him. There was no fucking way we were gonna leave him there like that ... Seth said to bring him here. Said you wouldn't mind ... That Paul's family ..."

"Seth's right. P is family ... and I'd've made your lives a living hell if you'd dumped him anywhere else. So, you did right, Jay. Paul stays here with us, 'til we figure out what's up."

Jared calmly held my gaze and remarked softly. "He's lucky to have you fighting his corner, y'know that ? Not many would be willing to put up with Paul's temper or take him in ..."

It was my turn to shrug. "Yeah ... well ... What can I say ? I love Paul. He's my brother ... and I'll stand by him no matter what." I reluctantly rose to my feet, all too aware that any dream I'd had of having a leisurely soak in the tub had become just that. A dream. "Would you mind doing something for me ?"

"Hmmm, sure ..."

"Would you stick around and keep an eye on Paul ? I need to get changed before Jake gets back."

Jared nodded. "Y'know you don't have to ask, Lee. Paul may be a huge pain in the ass, but he's our pain in the ass. I'm going nowhere."

I gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks. Look, chances are we'll be going over to Billy's for a while, so if you get hungry there's food in the kitchen ... and if Paul wakes up, call me, 'k ?"

"Sure thing ..."

I dipped my head in acknowledgement, then hastily tore upstairs to empty the tub and extinguish the candles before swiftly pulling on a pair of denim cutoffs, an old Aerosmith t-shirt and an old pair of comfortable Nikes. Then all I could do was wait for Jake to turn up and explain to him what I needed him to do.

XXXXX

"Look, Lee ... are you absolutely sure about this ?"

I met my imprint's gaze steadily and gave a helpless shrug. "No, I'm not, hon ... but it's not as if we've any other options to fall back on. Paul's in a bad way right now and if I'm honest, I'm really scared for him. If he carries on like this, Jake, we could easily lose him and I can't bear the thought of that happening. I ... We have to do something before it's too late ..."

Frowning, Jacob sighed softly. His dark eyes burned with a mixture of compassion and concern. He suddenly snaked his arms around my waist and drew me close to him and I felt his lips tenderly brush against the top of my head and his hand gently rubbed my back. His touch had me melting against him. It was reassuring. Comforting and soothing. It made me feel safe. Protected. Cherished. And above all, loved. I nestled further into his embrace. Revelling in his warmth and drawing strength from him.

"I know, love ... I know how worried you are about him. Fuck ! I'm worried ... This isn't Paul. I want the old, snarky, mouthy hothead back as much as you do. I miss arguing with him ... The way he keeps me on my toes all the time. I miss hearing him taunt us ... seeing the inner fire blazing in his eyes ... To have him challenge me into doing something I normally wouldn't dare or have the confidence to do. I want my - our - Beta back. I need him back, Leah. For all our sakes ..."

"And that's why I need you to talk to your dad, Jake. Why I want you to ask for Billy's permission to check out the tribal journals ... 'cause right now ? That's all I've got. I've racked my brains and I've come up with fuck all. Those journals could be our last chance ... they could be the key to why Paul's like this. And they could well hold the solution we need to help him."

"You don't need to persuade me, Leah. You already got me sold. It's just dad we need to convince ... though somehow, I don't think that'll be an issue. He won't have a problem with it, if it's something to do with the welfare of the Pack."

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Half an hour later, we were both holed up in the Black's living room, surrounded by numerous journals and manuscripts. Billy had offered to stay and help us go through them, but thankfully, Chief Swan showed up and whisked him away on an unexpected fishing trip. At first, Billy was reluctant to go. He was torn between staying with us and help with our research or to go with his friend. In the end, it was Jacob who persuaded him to leave, convincing his dad that Charlie Swan was his best friend ... one who was lonely and unhappy since his daughter had abandoned him and moved in with the leeches. And that was all it took to sway Billy to go fishing. The idea that his friend needed him and wanted his company. Billy rolled out of the house in his wheelchair, clutching his fishing rod and tackle, yelling over his shoulder for Jacob to call him if we found something or needed help. And within minutes, we were alone, up to our eyeballs in journals and in full on research mode.

After hitting the journals for three hours straight, I heard Jake give a deep sigh, slam the one he'd just finished reading onto a growing pile in the middle of the living room table and push his chair back. He moved stiffly and rubbed his tired eyes with his thumb and forefinger.

"I hate to say it, Leah, but there's nothing here. It's a dead end. Listen, you look as shattered as I feel ... D'ya want something to eat ?"

Feeling slightly disheartened by Jake's words, I didn't bother to look up from the page I'd been reading. I shook my head absently and muttered that "some coffee would be good ..." The next thing I heard was Jake heading purposefully for the kitchen, then rooting in the cupboards for some mugs and some snacks. To say that we hadn't found anything useful in the tribal journals and manuscripts was an understatement and a huge disappointment. It was also hellishly frustrating. We'd both gone through everything with a fine tooth comb and come up with nothing. And now, despite my strong gut feeling that we'd stumble across something, my hopes began to wane as I got closer to the end of the last chronicle.

Still, I carried on reading. I owed it to Paul not to quit and for some strange reason I was compelled to continue. Then suddenly, I came across something. I read it once ... twice ... three times. Slowly. Carefully. Not daring to believe my eyes.

"Fucking hell !" I breathed softly, my eyes widening as my mind absorbed what I'd just read. "It can't be ... It's impossible ... yet ... JAKE ! Get your ass back in here now ! I think ... I think I may've found something ... I may have an idea what's wrong with Paul."

I heard the clatter of mugs being dumped haphazardly against the kitchen worktop, followed by the sound of my imprint moving swiftly back to the living room.

XXXXX

"N-No way ... There's no way in hell that's happened ..." Jake denied vehemently. He looked up and met my gaze anxiously. His dark chocolate eyes wide, full of confusion and incredulity. "It's unbelievable for a start. Never mind being physically impossible- "

"I know, Jake ... but ... but how else can we explain it ? I mean ... who's to say it can't happen ? After all shifters and leeches aren't supposed to exist, yet here we are ... large as (un)life and twice as ugly !"

"But Lee ... It's Paul, for crying out loud. He's one of the most dominant wolves in the Pack. And he's also one of the most aggressive and vicious ones I've ever met- "

"And he's also one with the biggest, most caring heart, Jake," I stated quietly, "even if he tends to keep that strictly under wraps. He's not just the big, bad wolf everyone believes him to be. There's far more to our Paulie than meets the eye."

Jake bent down and reached over my shoulder and carefully prised the book out of my hands, before flipping to the first page to read its preface. "Well, if what Ephraim's brother, Saul, wrote is true, then ..."

I spun in my seat and reclaimed the journal and added softly, "Paul's going to go ballistic. If all this is right, how the hell's he going to deal with the fact that he's a submissive ?" I looked down and scanned the page I'd last read and gave a shocked gasp.

Jake reacted immediately. "What is it, Lee. Tell me ... What's wrong ?"

"Oh. My. God ! It gets worse, Jake- "

"Leah ! Quit stalling. Just freakin' tell me already." Jake demanded, his voice raspy with worry.

Pale-faced, I turned and spoke hesitantly, "Saul wrote that "In extremely rare cases, if a submissive wolf imprints and mates with his imprintee ... and if the imprintee happens to be a dominant male - particularly an Alpha - then ..." Oh, God, Jake ..." I drew my lower lip between my teeth and began to anxiously worry it. For some reason, I couldn't for the life of me shake off the image of that painful bite on Paul's neck. It bothered me. A lot. Yet I couldn't say for sure why it did. Unable to carry on speaking, I mutely handed the journal to Jake.

" "Then the sub will fall pregnant." "Jake's voice tailed away as he looked up and held my gaze. "Shit ! If this means what I think it does ... Paul actually imprinted on- "

"Sam ... and by the look of it, was rejected," I added softly, while tucking a long strand of hair behind my ear. "It'd explain why Paul's in such bad shape. That he could be pregnant ... What I want to know is how the hell and when did that happen ? And why the fuck no one knew about it ?"