Bella gave Mike an apologetic smile when Santana ran upstairs, followed quickly, by Rachel, and he waved it off.

"No, it's fine. I kind of knew the moment that they arrived, she'd get distracted with that. I have enough answers for now. Plus, I can guilt trip her in the morning."

"Right." Bella rubbed the back of her neck and looked around. "I honestly don't know where to go from here. You have most of the basic information, and everything else is pretty much wasted details."

"Dude, it's fine. It's not like I'm leaving anytime soon. I usually spend the night when Mr. B goes on his trips anyway."

"You do?"

"Of course. Rachel hates being here alone," Mike said. "She won't ever admit it, but she doesn't like being in the house by herself. I sleep on the couch, and we have breakfast in the morning. We stopped, obviously, when she left, but old habits die hard, I guess."

Bella studied him and said, "When Mr. B joked that you were the son he never wanted, I didn't think too much of it, but you really are, aren't you?"

"Rachel is my best friend. If I were into her, and she were into me, we'd be that couple that wears matching t-shirts and does everything together. But since she's not, and I'm not, we just settled for being best friends that share clothes and eat after each other."

"I see." Bella squeezed him on the shoulder and smiled. "I'm glad you're her friend, Mike," she said. "Brittany really did a number on her, and I'm happy you were there to put her back together again."

"I love her. That hasn't and will never change."

Bella's phone vibrated on the table, and she glanced down. Whatever she read made her frown, and Mike cleared his throat.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good. Hey, do me a favor? If Rachel asks where I went, tell her I had to go to the store," she said.

"Do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Have to go to the store?"

Bella smiled tightly and said, "Rachel's probably going to want to drink tonight after all of this, and that one bottle isn't going to be enough for her."

"Is that the excuse I'm giving her?"

"You don't have to say anything other than I'm going to the store," she said. Mike held up his hands in surrender, and Bella stood from the couch. She huffed and added, "She has her secrets, and I have mine. The only difference is mine are not open to discussion."

"Noted."

Bella nodded sharply and snatched the keys from the bowl. She opened and closed the door behind her, pausing on the steps to collect herself, and then she jogged to Rachel's truck. She made a note to put gas in it before she got back and sped away from the driveway, narrowly avoiding hitting the car parked on the street. Bella headed in the general direction of the store, and she tightened her grip on the wheel and took slow deep breaths. She pulled into the parking lot after what felt like an hour of driving and threw it in park.

"Fuck," she said.

Bella turned off the engine. She took out her phone and opened the message she'd received. Deciding against responding, Bella pressed the dial button and put the call on speaker. It rang twice before -

"It's about time you called me. Where the hell have you been?"

"Moving. Getting my life together. What do you want?"

"I just want to know how Rachel is."

"She's fine."

"Look, drop the hostility, okay? Rachel's my pack mate, and I care about her."

Bella hummed and glanced at her palm. Only she could see the faint scar that ran diagonally across her skin, and said, "Except she's not your pack mate."

"That's not how that works, Bella. I know you've been pack-adjacent because of Jacob, but –

"I was also your girlfriend for a good hot minute, but. We know how well that worked out,"

"Can we not do this?"

"When should we do it, Leah? Because you just stopped talking to me."

"I didn't have a choice! I imprinted-

Bella bristled, fully aware of why they broke up, and she said, "I'm not talking about the imprinting part. I'm talking about the lying about it part! You lied to me."

"Please, can we just…not?" Leah asked, exhausted.

"Fine. You asked about Rachel, and she's okay. You made a comment about how I was pack-adjacent, and I just want it known that I was always aware you all thought I was an outsider. Did I miss anything?"

"That's not true! You know Jacob wouldn't have broken our rules to help Rachel if that was the case. He did it for you."

"So it wasn't because she's part-Quileute?"

"We didn't know that before the attack," Leah said quickly.

"Bullshit," Bella chuckled. "Billy already let it slip that he recognized her." At the pause, Bella added, "Calm down, Rachel doesn't know that you guys knew the entire time, and I'm going to keep it that way. But don't you fucking lie to me and say you didn't know. You all knew, and that's the only reason Jacob got a slap on the wrist instead of losing the right to shift and being banished. His actions were honorable since Rachel had your bloodline. Blah, blah, blah, spin me a different story."

"We didn't think it was fair that your sister died because you fell in love with a leech."

"And I will forever be grateful for Jacob saving her life."

"So, what's the problem? Beyond the obvious?"

"The problem is you're so caught up in trying to fit in with the boys."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Don't you realize how insane it is to demand someone uproot their life over a tradition that wasn't theirs to begin with? Rachel didn't know anything about La Push until I introduced it to her, and no matter the blood flows through her veins, she does not belong to you. Or Sam. Or anyone else on that reservation."

"That's what you aren't getting. Sam is her Alpha, no matter where she lives."

"Leah, I am asking you to let this go. Please? Rachel isn't coming back."

"I can't, Bella! This isn't a game. I -

"Damnit, Leah! Has it occurred to you that Rachel and I have the same father?"

"Wait, what?"

Bella sighed and laid her head back on the headrest.

"You guys assumed Rachel and I had different fathers and the same mother because Charlie never wanted Billy or your Dad to know that Renee cheated on him. So he kept the lie going, and Rachel and I figured there was no real harm in keeping it that way. It didn't matter to us because we knew the truth, and then Rachel gets attacked, and all of our secrets come out at once. But you," Bella paused, "you guys accepted her with ease. You welcomed her into the fold, and not a single one of you looked at me the same. We were friends, and then you all just…"

Bella ground her teeth and shook her head. She's done a good job of avoiding her feelings about the aftermath, and Leah always managed to find the root of the issue without trying.

"That really hurt, Lee. No matter what you and I went through. I deserved more than to be cast to the side."

"Bella, I didn't mean-

"I know. But that doesn't - that wasn't the point. The point is Rachel and I have the same father, as in I have the same blood flowing in my veins."

There was a long pause on the other end before Leah sighed.

"Shit. You're part-Quileute," she said.

"Yeah, I am."

"This whole time -

"Don't act like it would've mattered. Had Sam found out, he would've forbade me from seeing the Cullens."

"For good reason! They're monsters, Bella. Look what Edward did to you! Hell, look what that leech did to your sister."

"I imprinted on one. Like you, I didn't have a choice in the matter!" Bella snapped back. And before that registered in Leah's head, she quickly added, "And I am fully aware of what happened to Rachel, but need I remind you that it was a wolf that almost killed her, not a vampire."

Leah took the bait and said, "Brady was a child. Don't pin this on him."

"He had no fucking business being out there alone," Bella said. "That stupid hazing routine Embry and Jared do nearly got my sister torn to shreds, and Sam didn't do a damn thing about it. It was brushed to the side, and whatever dumb fuck is unlucky enough to Shift next is going to have to go through the same thing."

"Bella, I can't talk to you about that-

"I know," Bella said. "I wasn't asking you to break your oath. I was…I'm angry that you think you can call and make demands of me when it comes to my sister. Rachel is mine, Leah. Not Sam's. We're blood sisters."

"You -

A strangled noise escaped Leah's throat, and Bella rolled her eyes once it finally clicked.

"There it is," she murmured.

"You - you're a wolf too?" Leah stammered. "Wait, you imprinted on a Cullen?!"

"You have the comprehension skills of a newborn. And yes, I did. No, it wasn't Edward, and I don't want to talk about it. But yes, I'm a wolf. I'm just not a furry ball of anger management issues like you."

Leah scoffed and said, "That's a flat out lie. But how?"

"I'm assuming you mean how I'm a wolf?"

"Obviously."

"How else? William Black Sr. cheated on his wife and had a child with a summer tourist. Marie Higginbotham thought it was exciting to date an older and distinguished man. But when she told him she was pregnant, William was thrilled at the possibility of having another boy. Then Marie gave birth to a girl, and he abandoned her. She knew nothing of the legends or how important William was, and she never bothered to learn. She took their daughter, named Renée after Marie's mother, and left."

Bella stared at a group of high schoolers laughing and hanging out near the store.

"My Mom, Renée, came back to Forks hellbent on giving her birth father a piece of mind for abandoning her mother. But that never happened, seeing as William was dead, and Renée started a whirlwind romance with Charlie. Or her version of romance. She cheated on him, and I was born shortly after that. Except Charlie's not my biological father. Hiram is.

"Anyway, I was about nine when I found my grandmother's diary, and she explained everything. So, the week after, on a random trip to La Push, I found Billy at the beach with Old Quil. I thought this was my best chance to make things right, so I asked him about it. I even showed him the diary. And do you know what he did? He laughed. He took the diary and threw it in the ocean, telling me that my grandmother was a liar and a whore. He and Old Quil dismissed me as if I were nothing. That's when Moriah comes in."

"Uley?" Leah exclaimed.

"Yeah, the sister Sam likes to pretend he never had. You know what Moriah was, how she was meant to lead the La Push pack, not Sam, and surely not Jacob. But she was a she, and they didn't want that."

"They never do," Leah murmured.

"You would know best, right?"

"Shut up."

Bella grinned despite herself and said, "Moriah found me crying in the woods. I was bleeding, cold, and lost, and Moriah sat with me until I calmed down. She heard everything I'd told Billy and Old Quil. I didn't even know she'd been there, but she told me it wasn't fair for them to shun me. She said she knew what that felt like, and that family was more important than reputations.

"Moriah offered an unbreakable vow. I still don't know if she knew what she was doing, but she cut her palm with a rock. I had cut my hand earlier running through the trees, and she put her palm over mine. Our blood mixed together, Lee. She's in me, and she swore that day that for as long as she lived, she would protect me from the others. She would be my family, and that even in death, I would never be alone."

There was a rustling sound before Leah hissed and said, "Stop talking."

Bella could hear voices in the background, and she listened to the wind pass Leah by as she ran. Eventually, the sounds of the ocean reached her ears.

"Still no privacy?"

"It's gotten worse," Leah confessed. "But I've gotten better at hiding."

"I don't care if they know."

"Maybe. But I do. What happened after that?"

Bella smiled a little sadly and said, "I found out the day before I left for Phoenix that Moriah killed herself after being banished from the reservation. Three weeks later, I was in my living room when I shifted for the first time."

"Shit, Bella. This whole time?"

Bella hummed in response, and Leah added, "Hold on, how have we not sensed you?"

"I already told you. I'm not like you."

"Then what are you?"

Bella went silent, and Leah's breath caught in her throat.

"You took her place," she whispered.

"I did."

"You're a True Alpha."

"I am."

"Bella-

"Don't."

Leah sighed and asked, "Have - you told Rachel?"

"No, not yet."

"She needs to know."

"I'm aware." Bella rubbing the side of her head. "Look, Leah, no matter the anger and pain and hurt I feel toward you, I want you to understand that Sam and his rules will be the end of the La Push pack. Open your eyes, please. Start paying attention to his commandments, what he demands of you. I," she paused and huffed, "I still love and care about you. And Seth. I want you safe."

"You sound like Angela," Leah muttered.

"She and I were friends for a reason," Bella said awkwardly.

"Do you think you'll answer her calls?"

"Not…anytime soon. But eventually."

"It wasn't her fault."

"No. It was mine." Bella sniffed and flexed her fingers, changing the subject. "I am a True Alpha, the Alpha Prime, and Rachel is in my pack. Not that it's traditional, but two Alphas in a pack isn't completely unheard of."

"Rachel's an Alpha?! Since when?"

"She doesn't know it yet, but she's…going to be powerful."

"More than you?" Leah teased.

Bella scoffed and said, "Fuck off. Rachel will not be more powerful than me, but she for damn sure will be more powerful than Sam. And I'm trying to spare you and Seth the storm that'll come once she accepts her title. Sam will not win this battle. So get out while you can."

"Yeah, sure, because we can all just get up and move across the country."

"Just say the word, okay?" Bella murmured. "I will come and get you both." She winced and corrected herself, "The three of you."

"You would, wouldn't you?" Leah chuckled and blew out a frustrated breath. "I miss you," she said.

"You would, wouldn't you?"

"Come on, we're having a moment."

"Not anymore. I've had enough heart to heart bullshit for the day. Tell Sam that Rachel is not coming back to La Push. She is not a member of his pack. She belongs to me, and if he comes to challenge me on that, I promise I will tear his head off."

"I understand. But…"

"Yeah. I know."

Bella hung up and threw her phone into the cup holder. She growled and picked up her phone again. She dialed a number she knew by heart and waited.

"Hello?"

"Beaux," she greeted. "I need a favor."

"Hit me."

"Are you still in contact with the Pacific Clan?"

"Intimately. Why?"

Bella chewed on her bottom lip and said, "I need eyes on those Shifters near Forks. I want to know every move they're making. If anyone leaves beyond the Port, let me know immediately."

"I thought they weren't worth the time."

"They aren't, but my history with them is complicated enough that I can't predict what they're going to do. I don't want to be caught off guard."

"Understood. I'll reach out and link you with Kaiya."

"Thank you."

"Of course. May you be blessed and prosperous," he said.

"To you and yours also," she said.

Beaux hung up, and Bella closed her eyes. She tapped her lip before getting out of the car and heading into the store.

"Are you sure?" Quinn asked.

Rachel shot her an exasperated look and said, "You have asked me that four times in a span of five minutes."

"I just want to -

"Quinn, please," Santana muttered, eyes closed as she stretched out over their laps. "Some of us are trying to sleep, and your anxiety is making mine act up," she said.

"Okay, first, that's not how anxiety works. Second, your anxiety is always acting up, hence your favorite activity of running away during emotional conversations. Lastly, can you please remove your elbow from my stomach?"

Santana shifted and turned her head so she could look at Quinn.

"Why are you so nervous? I thought I was the one who panicked about stuff like this."

"You do, which is why you took like three shots before you came in here and agreed to the idea."

"I took those shots because someone had to keep Mike from getting alcohol poisoning."

"Fuck off, Satan," he grumbled from the floor.

Rachel snorted and kicked him in the ribs, then she started apologizing when he hissed in pain.

"Jesus, can you please remember that some of us are human?" he whined, holding his side.

"I am so sorry," she said. "I promise that won't happen again."

"Liar," he grumbled. "You're lucky I've been tackled enough times by Boyd to know whether my ribs are cracked or not."

Rachel grimaced and glanced at the clock. She frowned when she noticed the time, and she looked down at Mike again.

"Where did Bella say she was going again?"

"To the store."

"She's been gone for almost an hour."

"Yeah, I don't know why she came up with such a lame excuse. I think she went to talk to an ex or something."

"Why would you think that?"

"Because she got all funny acting when someone named Leah texted her."

"Did you say Leah?"

Mike suddenly shot up, staring at Rachel with wide eyes.

"I didn't say that," he said. "Please, please don't tell her I told you that."

"Who is Leah?" Quinn asked.

Rachel pursed her lips and tapped the back of Santana's legs, and the former cheerleader curled up so that she could stand. Rachel ignored their curious stares and went to her phone which was plugged into the wall. She exhaled and scrolled down until she found the number she wanted. It rang longer than she expected before she heard -

"This might be my lucky day," Leah drawled.

"It's not. Why did you text my sister?"

"Because she broke our agreement."

"And I told you and Sam to leave me alone," Rachel gritted out. "You didn't need to bring her into it."

"You're a Shifter, Rachel. It's our law -

"Fuck your law," she hissed. "If it weren't for Jacob using his Alpha status, I would have died that day. So don't you dare bring up the law when the law almost killed me."

Behind her, Quinn, Santana, and Mike shared worried stares, but Rachel didn't notice.

"Rachel -

"Leave us alone, Leah," she interrupted.

"I can't. I want to, believe me, I do, but I can't. My order is to literally keep in contact with you, so. And I'm a little screwed because Bella…"

Leah trailed off and sighed, and Rachel chuckled humorlessly.

"Yeah, when the Alpha Prime makes a command, the rest have to follow."

"Wait, you know?"

"Of course, I know. I'm not an idiot."

"Well, she clearly is because she thinks you don't."

"Because it's not my place to confront her on it, but now I have to. And plus, she's not supposed to announce it to the world, so for her to tell you, it means she was dead serious about whatever she threatened you over."

"You," Leah deadpanned.

"Well, there you go," Rachel said.

"Shut up. Can we at least compromise with calling each other twice a week?"

"Once a week. Weekends only."

Leah grumbled and said, "Fine. Tell your sister that so she doesn't fly all the way from wherever the hell you two are to kill me."

"It's not her you need to worry about."

Rachel hung up and put her phone back. She ran her hands through her hair and forced a smile as she turned around. She gestured at Santana and Quinn.

"You two can pick whatever you want out of my closet," she said. "And my room is the one across from the bathroom."

Catching the hint that whatever was going on wasn't up for discussion, Quinn asked again, "Seriously, are you sure this is a good idea?"

"I am," Rachel said. "It's just a sleepover."

Both Quinn and Santana stared at her, and Rachel rolled her eyes. She tilted her head at the sound of her engine, and she held up her finger.

"If you'll excuse me," she said. "I'll explain what I can when I get upstairs, okay?"

"Yes ma'am," Santana mocked.

Quinn tugged Santana up the stairs and Mike snatched a pillow off the couch. He fell asleep on the floor, and Rachel figured he'd be fine. She ducked out of the house when her truck pulled into the driveway. She waited on the steps for her sister, and Bella hopped out with a bag of snacks and beer.

"I spoke to Leah." Bella froze, and Rachel tapped the side of her nose. "It's too bad I already knew," she said.

Bella closed her eyes and sighed, saying, "I guess my wolf decided you weren't a threat without telling me."

Rachel sat down on the stairs, and Bella came and sat down beside her. She took a beer and handed it to Rachel, and Rachel cracked it open.

"So. You're the Alpha Prime," she said.

"I am."

Rachel paused before she raised her beer.

"Cheers, I guess."

"That's it?"

"I might make a big deal out of it tomorrow, but tonight? Yeah. That's it."