DISClaimer: I'm not Stephenie Meyer. I make no profit from this.

Hope you enjoy this.

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"Come and have a go." He breathed, and Seth launched at him.

-x-

Max's POV

Seth was at his throat before I could blink, one hand pressed into the wallpaper, the other forearm across Evan's neck. Evan had his eyes closed, looked like he was having trouble breathing as Seth got right into his face. I was shouting at him to stop, to leave Evan alone, but my hysteria just made Seth more angry.

"Apologise, English!" He barked loudly, right in Evan's face.

Evan did the only thing he could - he kept his eyes closed and spluttered something unintelligible as Seth shoved harder, pressing down on his throat, cutting off any breaths he could take. Evan tried to speak, brought his hands from his sides and tried to push Seth away.

With his wolf-strength, Seth easily out-powered him, stood his ground, and punished him by grabbing Evan by the collar and throwing him to the floor. He scrambled to his feet and searched for a way out, still choking, trying to get his breath back. Seth grabbed him before he could get very far, slamming him against the wall again so the cork-notice board shook from its nail and hit the floor.

"Seth, please, stop - you're hurting him!" I rose slowly, unwilling to get him any angrier.

"Mac, sit down and don't get involved," Evan breathed, bringing his arms up to try and force Seth away. A huge silence followed, and as Evan shoved away from him, Seth growled and stood his ground.

I didn't do as Evan had said; instead, I slowly made my way around the pair of them, Seth growling, Evan still barely able to breathe. Choosing my moment, I tried to force between them, gripping onto Seth's arm as I tried to pull his hand away from Evan's throat. Evan shook his head violently but could only watch as Seth flung his arm out and I went staggering backwards, slamming into the table.

Dazed, I closed my eyes and wished everything would stop, just so I could take account of everything. As it was, I heard Seth barking orders at Evan, just like a drill sergeant, trying to force all the feeling out of him.

"Stop!" I screamed at Seth, because Evan was choking, choking hard, choking violently now, "You'll bloody kill him!" I was still lying on the floor but I didn't care. Evan was in trouble because of me, and I had to let him breathe. "Seth, please!" I pulled myself from the floor and stepped towards Seth, put my arms around him and tried to make him face me. "Seth…" I took a deep breath and slammed my lips to his.

I knew that he had released Evan as soon as I heard the poor boy coughing his lungs up as violently as he possibly could. Seth released me, and looked down at Evan, a smirk on his face.

"I ought to kill you-"

"Oh, for Christ's sake, Mac, can't you see he's fucking mental?" Evan asked from his dishevelled position on the floor.

"Evan, please, don't make this any worse-"

"Can't you see, Maxxie?" He murmured and scrambled to his feet, slipping on the wood. He groaned and curled up against the wall. I looked at Seth, shaking my head violently. He held my gaze simply, an empty gaze in his eyes. "Can't you understand, Mac? He'll hurt you-"

"Evan," I murmured, offering him my hand. He didn't take it, but looked terrified. "Please…" He still looked at me, shaking his head violently, his eyes wide and terrified again. There was a soft cough from the doorway; Leah stood there, her arms folded across her chest, surveying the scene before her.

She must have been astounded at the smashed glasses on the table, the chairs thrown across the kitchen and the cracked notice board on the floor beside Evan, who was rolling his shoulder tiredly and looking daggers at Seth and I.

"Evan?" She murmured, his head snapped up to look at her and he half-smiled. "You alright?"

"Yeah." he nodded and she stepped over an upturned chair to help him to his feet. "Thanks." He smiled at her softly, looking at her for a long time. I felt a pang of jealousy as he started to walk away, towards the hallway and Leah followed him, putting an arm around his shoulders. He looked over at her and mirrored her, putting his arm around her.

They disappeared upstairs as I watched and I heard one of the doors slam angrily upstairs.

Evan's POV

She looked at me and smiled, and I returned the expression happily. Her warm fingers wrapped around mine and she pulled me to my feet with an incredible strength.

"Thanks." She nodded at me and I smiled again.

"You alright, Evan?" She murmured into my ear as she righted a chair and put her arm around me.

"Yeah," I nodded and sighed again. "I suppose so."

"Listen… do you…" She murmured something unintelligible and I looked at her, waiting for her to repeat it. She looked up at me and I locked eyes with her, watching my expression reflected in her pupils.

"Sorry?" I inclined my head and waited for her to repeat it. She blushed and looked away.

"I said do you want to go upstairs, you look a bit… beaten up, for want of a better expression." She laughed quietly and I put my arm around her waist, letting her know I was happy to follow her.

As we turned to go upstairs, I saw Mac watching me, and looked determinedly away from her, tightening my grip reflexively on Leah's waist. She looked up at me and smiled, I returned the grin.

"So…" she closed the spare room door behind us and stood nervously by the door as I sat down on the bedcovers. "You and Max-"

"Were involved with each other." I said softly. She blushed and looked away. "Past tense." I pressed the fact, rising and looking in the mirror. A dark red handprint was blossoming on my neck, staring back at me.

"I'm sorry." She replied reflexively and sat down on the bed. "I didn't know-"

"Don't worry." A small pause, "I don't think I expected anyone to know." Another short pause and I turned to face her. "Is your brother normally this insane?"

"It's… it's an…" She stopped, "Listen to me, alright?"

"That's what I'm going to do." I smiled back and she narrowed her eyes, poking her tongue out. "If you start talking."

"This is a serious thing, Evan…" Then I stretched my head back, to try to stop the pain in my neck and she went bright red, jumping up and pushing me down to sit on the bed. "Woah… Evan… I-" She pressed the back of her hand to it gently and I groaned. "Did that hurt?"

"Kind of…" She pulled away and blushed pink. "Not as much as earlier though." I smiled. "Just… go on, tell me what you were going to say-"

"It's kind of… important for you to understand, alright?"

"Yeah." I smiled, "Can I ask questions if I get confused?" I couldn't stay serious with her. I don't quite know why, but I just wanted to go out and walk for miles, just talking with her, because I knew she would listen to me.

"Course." She put her hand on my shoulder and sat down beside me, brushing her hands across my neck. I shuddered slightly from the heat and leaned into it, "And you don't have to put up your hand."

"Cool." And I waited for her to talk.

"You know how I'm… well, you saw what I become. When I'm scared, when I'm nervous, it just goes like this," She made an explosion gesture with her hands, from her chest, and I nodded, "and I become that… thing you saw in the woods."

"Yeah. You explained… all the legends." She nodded and sighed.

"Well… when a wolf… when a wolf grows up, I guess…" She shrugged, "I should probably ask Jacob, actually, I've never thought about it… but… when we find someone that is…" She paused again and looked right into my eyes. "When we find someone that is made for us, personally, perfectly, you know, like a soul mate…" I realised her hand was still touching my neck very slightly, she moved it gently, I closed my eyes and loved the sensation that stemmed from it, hating myself because I was sure I still loved Mac.

"A soul mate," I echoed blindly, understanding everything she was saying but ignoring it. Her fingers traced down to my shoulders and left my skin. I looked at her again, realising we were both breathing heavily, insanely.

"When we find a soul mate, everything changes for us. The wellbeing of that person… becomes everything. Nothing else means a thing to us, everything is…" My hand moved of its own accord to brush hair from her eyes and I felt that stomach ache return painfully. "Everything is for them. Even breathing is for them."

I nodded and looked into Leah's dark brown, nearly black, beautiful, tired eyes. She bowed her head, embarrassed, and I touched her cheek, making her eyelids flutter and her shoulders drop.

"That's why he's so protective of her, isn't it?" She nodded simply and looked at the floor again, "Does Mac know?" Another nod, and this time, a far longer, more awkward silence.

We sat together, not saying anything, I just ended up staring into the pattern on the wallpaper and making my head hurt.

"Leah?" I asked eventually, my thoughts building up sufficiently enough to warrant speech.

"Hmm?" She couldn't, or more likely, wouldn't look at me.

"Did I screw it up for Mac?" She shook her head and I smiled happily. "Good." I took a breath and looked at her again, biting my bottom lip. "Did I screw it up for you?"

"Screw what up?"

"This…soul mate thing…" I looked at her. She forced herself to look at me.

"It's like that person imprinted on your heart, Evan. Like you can't forget them and you don't want to." I nodded and she smiled, awkward and embarrassed.

"So… did I screw up this imprinting thing for you?" she shook her head again. "Good." She blushed and I went to go over to my suitcases, have a look and see what, in my blind panic, I had actually packed. Her voice stopped me in the middle of the third step I was going to take.

"Evan?"

Leah's POV

His head whipped round like a shot had gone off, and I looked down at the floor again. He was beside me in a second, his arm around my shoulders, rubbing my upper arm gently.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" He stopped and tilted my head up to look at him, confusion reigning in his eyes.

"No… it's nothing." I looked away again, but he caught the embarrassed blush.

"Leah, what're you-"

"It's you." I took a long, deep breath and exhaled with a whistle. I bit my top lip and looked away.

-x-

A/N: Please review and let me know how I did... :P

Inspired by "Not Alone," By McFly, and "Beautiful Disaster", "Indiana" And "Praying..." by Jon McLaughlin (Thanks Badwolfrose, but i've not used the other one yet... I have plans haha)

I hope that was better than the last chapter, and tell me what you loved and hated... Please?!?!

I'm really glad you all like it... so i'd appreciate more feedback...

And i'm really, really happy that you keep reading :)

Love you guys

xxx